Chapter 1563: Two Madmen (I)

The little bit of the Skyward dao universe that Li Hao had revitalized didn’t really count as an awakening. Void looked around—this was just a superficial revitalization. It was a long way from fully awakening!

“Then you do whatever you need to do, I’m going to take a look around!”

“Alright!” Li Hao nodded. Void flashed away, delving into the depths of the dao universe. The young man ignored him and dragged Silver Moon into the gloom.

The group followed close behind him, struggling with a mix of complicated emotions. Silver Moon might be all by its lonesome in this stilled universe in the future.

......

Li Hao stopped in an area without stars or great dao. It was completely empty. He let go of Silver Moon, letting it hang in the void like a moon. It emanated a very faint and dim luster.

The young man entered the world, his ponderous body visible throughout the land. He didn’t hold back and thundered through the land, “Silver Moon is so weak that it is hard for it to survive in the chaos! I am unable to protect everyone anymore as we have provoked too many enemies!

“I have been endlessly on the run until today. I have no more strength to spare to protect us. The only recourse is to shut the Star Gate once more, seal away Silver Moon, and hide it within a land of great secret!

“Just like what once happened, a thousand years may pass in Silver Moon and only one year for me outside. I don’t know when I can see everyone again and do not know if you will ever have a chance to set foot outside the Star Gate in this lifetime. I know even less whether Silver Moon can find its footing within the chaos.

“I don’t know any of this!” Li Hao boomed like a bell. “I can only say that if I have sufficient strength, I will open the door to Silver Moon again! Our ties cannot be severed. The dao universe is here and both masters of dao are outside. If the dao masters remain alive, then we still have a hope of remaining in contact with Silver Moon!

“If the dao masters die, the world will shake and you may choose new dao masters amongst yourselves! I will leave some cultivation resources with Silver Moon. If anyone is able to verify their dao, you might be able to find us via the dao universe. If you are unwilling, you may continue to reside on Silver Moon!

“Everyone, this is farewell. I do not know when we will meet again. Perhaps we will meet when no one I know is alive on Silver Moon anymore. Or perhaps a new king will be crowned in Silver Moon and lead the world to new heights...”

His voice faded away. Countless cultivators froze beneath the heavens. Some were sad, others were resigned, and some sighed. They knew that the world had been beset with trouble after trouble and was in a constant state of running.

The strength of the people had been gathered before to fortify the dao universe, so that they could meet strong enemies in battle. The people had thought that they would be able to triumph over all enemies when the Silver Moon marquis returned.

But today, he returned to say that he lacked the ability to protect the world. The invincible Silver Moon marquis was at the end of his tether.

Dejection, helplessness, and sorrow wafted over the world. There was even a sense of finality.

Will we still be alive when we next meet again?

Will there be anyone who remembers the Silver Moon marquis in the future?

“We will find our way out of the Star Gate and Silver Moon! We will seek the marquis!” Loud shouting erupted from one region. It came from cultivators that’d joined the army—Li Hao’s Demon Hunter Army.

With Silver Moon being sealed away once more and the powerhouses venturing out, they could only stay behind. But they weren’t willing to do so and didn’t want to do so!

If the marquis doesn’t come back, then we’ll go out in search of him!

“We will depart through the Star Gate to follow Your Lordship!” Voices charged with emotion rose from all parts of Silver Moon.

Hovering in the air, Li Hao didn’t say anything. He, too, wished that this would be so. He hoped that someone would be able to break down the Star Gate in his absence. That would mean Silver Moon had collected some power again. Even if they couldn’t walk out of this dao universe, they would be able to search for some opportunities in the Silver Moon dao universe.

He was reforging the Star Gate and closing it on Silver Moon to buy them some time. Otherwise, connecting with the chaos universe now meant that none of these people would have a chance to fight by his side in the short run.

The river materialized when Li Hao fished the Star Gate out of its waters. This door from New Martial was incomparably domineering. It seemed to be more magical than before after being washed over by the river’s waters through plugging one end of it. The young man took to the sky with it, flying out of Silver Moon.

A doorway appeared in the void, standing where the world gate had once towered.

The power of time appeared as the small world was sealed shut. This would cause a relative difference in time again. The Star Gate had just been opened, so to restore Silver Moon to the exact same conditions as before was slightly difficult.

Silver Moon was also a mid world now. There wasn’t much hope in having time flow at a ratio of one year to two thousand years, as it had before. It might be one year to one thousand years, or even less.

The only thing that was certain was that Silver Moon’s internal clock would run faster than before. While they couldn’t stretch it out for as long inside, maintaining a few decades inside to one year outside should still be doable.

However, energy would also no longer circulate inside. They would just be consuming their reserves. The resources that Li Hao placed inside would be fully consumed one day. There was nothing to pull from the nearby chaos.

If the young man failed to return or if those inside could not access the chaos universe, then Silver Moon might eventually self-destruct.

Li Hao chose not to think about this. The Star Gate stood silently in place and tendrils of time began to seal it away. Light faded from Silver Moon as it gradually transformed into a dim star that resembled the silent stars around them.

The Star Gate that they’d spent so much effort to open once more stood erect. The cultivators around Li Hao regarded it with pained expressions.

After a long while, someone seemed to wave at them from the other side of the door. Those outside waved back at them. Even someone who kept a stiff upper lip like Sky Sword found the sight difficult to bear. He waved back at those inside, having chosen to venture out of Silver Moon.

He might die very quickly, or he might survive and those inside would die with the passage of time. Who knew when they would meet again with this farewell?

This might be an eternal farewell.

Director General Zhao, Deputy Zhou, Jiang Li, Thunderleg, Jadelight Sword, Huang Yu, Wang Ming, Liu Yan, Liu Long...

All of these people had chosen to stay. They were so weak that they would be useless outside. Silver Moon would fall into chaos if they all left—there would be no one left to rule it.

There was an equally large number of people who’d chosen to depart. He Yong and his comrades had chosen to leave. The spirit of the martial world still ran through their veins, they wished to come out and roam through the universe. They might not even stay with Li Hao.

If they did, they wouldn’t be able to participate in any battles. They could only run with the young man.

Silver Moon began to drift through an empty dao universe, slowly floating away.

Some among the crowd stared at Silver Moon for a long time without saying anything. Hou Xiaochen had chosen to leave while leaving Yu Luocha behind. Looks faded easily. Perhaps when they met next would be when Yu Luocha had grown old or even died of old age...

But it was a dog eat dog world out here.

Perhaps I’ll die before you.

Hou Xiaochen quietly watched his home drift away. He’d already died once in Silver Moon and didn’t wish to die a second time. He wanted to set foot outside and take a look for himself, see if he could proceed further down his path. He didn’t want others to resurrect him, but for him to kill enemies!

Some hints of life once more burgeoned in this place of great dao that had been silent for countless eons. A silver world flowed through the dao universe like a star.

......

After a while, Li Hao left the Skyward dao universe with his people. Void joined him moments later with a smile.

“What a pity that it was just a short visit, but it was very interesting. I didn’t sense anything about revitalization, but came to a deeper understanding of emptiness...” He looked at the group of people with Li Hao. “Do you need me to send them to Light?”

It wasn’t that many people; he wouldn’t have offered if Li Hao had a world of ten billion with him. Since only a handful had emerged with the young man, he could send them to Light. An eighth rank major world was so enormous that this addition wouldn’t make a stir.

“They can stay in Skyward!” Li Hao shook his head. “I’d rather send them to Red Moon if they don’t stay in Skyward. They’ll need to kill people no matter where they go!”

The young man suddenly smiled and looked at those with him. “Go on then! Go find your path. Whether it’s killing people or seeking dao, Silver Moon is both our home and restraint. Without such constraints in place, I hope you can make it further out!”

“You don’t say,” He Yong chuckled, champing at the bit to get started. “It was indeed a bit lonely in Silver Moon toward the end. We were almost put out to pasture in the absence of opponents and enemies. Just as you say, this is both a responsibility and a restraint!”

He raised a cupped fist salute at the group. “Southern Fist of Silver Moon hereby bids my old friends goodbye. You will hear my name in the chaos again if we share such a destiny! If not, then we will grow old and die in another land!”

With that, he turned and left without a look back!

“Sky Sword will leave first as well!” Sky Sword left on his sword after that short statement. Just as He Yong had said, they would meet again if they were fated to do so. If they were not, then they would never meet again.

As good as their home was, it was too weak. Silver Moon had been wandering lost all this time and they had been trapped on it. Today, they’d smashed through the bars of their cage and walked out of Silver Moon. If they were strong enough, they would be back.

“Cough cough cough...” Hou Xiaochen coughed, raised a cupped fist salute, and left. There was no need to say anything; they weren’t going to move in a pack. To each their own and each their fortunes. If they died outside, so they died outside.

This is just like back in the day when we chose different paths. Some of us stayed to defend our home, some of us ventured out, and some of us died. We left Silver Moon province that year, but today we leave behind Silver Moon world and enter a completely foreign major world. Some might choose to travel through the chaos instead.

Even if we become exalted emperors in the end, we might not see each other for the rest of our lives.

In the end, there was only Gan Wuliang, Panther, and Number Two left by his side. Void tilted his head at Li Hao. “The domain of emptiness has been broken and the tribulation has grown stronger. Are you not going to weather the tribulation yet?”

Li Hao looked in the direction they had left in and didn’t say a word. How many of these people would be returning after this farewell?

Just look at that automatically sealed off dao universe. If I don’t open it again, I may never see Silver Moon again for the rest of my life.

I won’t seek it out without reaching seventh rank, but can I reach seventh rank?

Li Hao turned and left, racing for the southern gate. It was better to take on the tribulation in the chaos.

Void watched him go and decided to follow the young man. He’d never experienced such an event before. Light was so strong that no one could force the Light master to these straits. It was hard for him to put himself in Li Hao’s shoes.

He felt that something was different about the young man. He seemed to have discarded some of his facade and glinted with a bit more savagery.

This guy kills people like he’s stepping on ants when he’s not savage. Now that he is... is he going to become a demon that terrorizes the universe?

And what does that have to do with me?

Void smiled. He was just discussing dao with Li Hao. He didn’t care who the young man killed so long as Li Hao didn’t attack Light.

There’s so much happening in the chaos these days. Isn’t it even better if we get involved as well? The more the merrier! When one has been silent for long, one must revitalize!