Chapter 1570: Fog Mountain (I)

On the very outskirts of Red Moon Region.

Celestial Pole and the Pagoda King had slowed down. Celestial Pole could sense where his replica was—it wasn’t too far away—but the other didn’t seem willing to reconvene with him. Whenever they drew close, the other would drift away.

Clearly, the same message from before was still in effect—wait!

Celestial Pole was in no hurry. So he would wait. He slowed to a glacial pace and took in the sights.

......

At this moment, Lin Hongyu, Celestial Pole’s replica, Hong Yitang, and Mo’s trio were hidden in the gloom of the chaos. They didn’t dare advance as they were waiting for Li Hao’s word.

Whenever Lin Hongyu was injured would be when it was time to contact New Martial.

None of the disturbances at Skyward had anything to do with them. Neither did they have any channels through which to learn what was taking place at Skyward. They could only wait with severe apprehension, for whenever Li Hao might send them orders.

They didn’t dare approach the New Martial duo, even though they knew that Celestial Pole’s primary body was right in front of them.

Li Hao's speculation that Red Moon might have eyes on them was correct. However, his guess that only mid ranks would be sent out was incorrect. Red Moon had planned on setting mid ranks on Celestial Pole.

There was no need.

They mobilized a high rank to lurk in the shadows and wait for a big fish to take the bait.

There were more than those two present in the surroundings; many were waiting for further developments. A Red Moon seventh rank was nearby, the Sword Sovereign was nearby, Celestial Pole was nearby, and some Silver Moon exalted emperors were also nearby. All of them were waiting for the right timing.

The center of attention was Celestial Pole and the Pagoda King. They were the existences out in the open, the bait that everyone could see. It was a very dangerous position for them, but also exceedingly safe so long as no action erupted.

Everyone knows you’re here, but no one will be the first to make a move.

......

Within the darkness.

The Sword Sovereign did not approach Celestial Pole’s duo. The keen senses of a swordsman tipped him off to the presence of danger.

As a sixth rank swordsman and incomparable sword cultivator, he was very perceptive when it came to perils. A powerful existence may have their eyes set on the duo. It would take a high rank for the Sword Sovereign’s hackles to raise.

The man’s brows knit together. He was the only one here for the moment and would have to take action if the other sought to eliminate Celestial Pole and the Pagoda King. There might be some trouble then. And of course, the high rank was also waiting for the Silver Moon king.

The Sword Sovereign knew that the enemy might have set their sights on Silver Moon. He could only hope that the unknown Silver Moon king would keep his wits about him and not show up here.

If the Silver Moon king really did appear and contacted Celestial Pole... the supreme’s bait had been meant for a small fish. They might not be able to handle it if a big fish appeared.

“Can you contact Fang Ping?” the Sword Sovereign transmitted into the jade pendant on him.

It glowed with a faint hue after a while. “No, he might have gone far again.”

The Sword Sovereign was rather resigned. This guy loved running around to random places! It was impossible to get in contact with him when he ran off, such was the trouble.

“Let’s wait and see, something seems to have taken place at Skyward!” said a voice in his ear. “There might be further opportunities ahead for us.”

Skyward? Opportunities?

“Where’s Fang Ping gone off to?” asked a perplexed Sword Sovereign. If Fang Ping wasn’t the cause, why would anything happen at Skyward?

“Don’t always blame it on Fang Ping, he shouldn’t have visited there.”

Oh really? Who else can it be? Who’s more of a troublemaker in the chaos than him?

“Then we wait.” The Sword Sovereign set the matter out of his mind. “I can sense danger... there might be a seventh rank nearby. If that’s the case, then I can’t do anything if the Silver Moon king’s not here. It’s too dangerous otherwise. Have Celestial Pole and Pagoda pray for themselves!”

“......” The supreme didn’t respond. How could he pass on a message like that?

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

“There’s no rush, there might be something to be had at Skyward. If there really is a seventh rank nearby, let’s think of a way to take them out!” The Sword Sovereign nearly snarled the last couple of words. If their arrangements really had lured over a seventh rank, then they would feast!

But as of now, the situation was not enough to prompt action.

The disturbance at Skyward wasn't big enough yet. Although there was talk that a ninth rank dao universe had appeared, that was just talk. New Martial had not received concrete news for the moment.

Although its foundations did not run as deep as other major worlds, New Martial naturally had some arrangements of its own on Skyward.

Clearly, the accuracy of the news was uncertain if their network had not sent any word back. They were also assessing if the developments warranted a response from New Martial’s limited firepower. Their people would not send back uncertain conclusions if they were not at least eighty percent sure of the outcome.

Supreme Zhang actually hoped for something major to develop at Skyward. The Red Moon master wouldn’t be able to sit still if a ninth rank dao universe appeared. That would be New Martial’s chance then.

Perhaps they should actually make some arrangements... but that would easily lead to a joint march from Red Moon, Skycloud, and Light. Skyward was too far away for the supreme to be comfortable with that course of action.

......

As all sides waited for confirmation of Skyward’s happenings, some exalted emperors on Skyward made their own investigations. Some even cautiously ventured toward Dragon Observatory. That seemed to be the source of the uproar.

Some of the minor region masters in the southern region—mid ranks—moved toward Dragon Observatory Region as well.

There had been nine other regions in the south apart from Dragon Observatory. With the fall of Skyriver and two other exalted emperors joining the Dragon Observatory banner, that left only six minor regions. They were located a bit further away from Dragon Observatory.

But now, distance was not the important detail of concern. A potential opportunity was at hand!

In Dragon Observatory airspace.

Some stars sparkled and the great dao hovered in and out of sight, eliciting surprise and incomprehension from countless Dragon Observatory Region cultivators. A lot seemed to be taking place in their home territory lately.

Some didn’t understand what they saw, others watched with faces rapidly flickering through different expressions. It seemed to be the dao universe shifting in and out of sight, visible once more in stunning glory.

Was Skyward’s dao universe really about to revitalize?

“Look!!” shouted a cultivator in the region.

Some dao foundation sites that’d been silent for numerous years suddenly erupted with dao remnants. Surges of dao strength dispersed through the area, washing over stunned cultivators.

This dense collection of dao strength wasn’t much to exalted emperors, but it sent those beneath the exalted emperor level into a frenzy.

Why was this happening?? How could so many dao echoes be present and filled with so much strength? Can it be... that Skyward was about to reawaken?!

This was a ninth rank world!

Passionate fervor sized the crowds and some flew toward the dao foundation sites. Others shot into the skies, wanting to enter the dao universe at first light.

While the dao universe seemed like it was right above them, it wasn’t. As high as they could reach, they would not enter the dao universe through simple flight.

Some of the regions near Dragon Observatory also began to ripple with dao strength. A mid rank situated very close to Dragon Observatory Region jerked his head up with astonishment. This was the power of great dao! Was the dao universe about to revitalize?

Extreme excitement and agitation followed his shock. The premier mid ranks within Skyward had all departed. Did that mean the heavens smiled upon the exalted emperors that’d remained behind? Their chance was at hand!

If I can wield Skyward’s dao universe, would I need to fear those masters of the world??

Immense dao strength swept throughout the southern region and diffused toward the other regions. The power of sixteen exalted emperors exceeded the imagination of many of these people.

At the same time, some reeled with internal shock—such as Big Claw.

He knew a bit of the true situation. When he sensed the dense dao strength, he immediately thought of something and sighed with amazement. The Silver Moon king was certainly willing to invest quite a lot for his goals!

Clearly, this was the dao strength stored in those he’d killed. Given the vast currents sweeping over the land, how much had he expended of his battle spoils?

Big Claw didn’t understand. He felt that it would be a much wiser course of action to hole up somewhere for closed door cultivation. What Li Hao was undertaking now was sheer waste! But it was also because of this that he felt that the young man was inscrutable and mysterious.

When the monster spirit looked at the sky again, he found that the stars seemed brighter than before.

“Are those not... dao stars?” someone around him exclaimed with astonishment. When the Skyward dao universe had previously appeared, there’d only been two stars that flickered feebly with light. This time, there were so many more, even though they seemed equally feeble.

As gasps of surprise rose and fell within the crowd, jaws dropped as a river of dao appeared within the illusory dao universe. A myriad of daos began to converge!

The scene went dark in front of the eyes of some weaklings and the world seemed to spin around them! Region barriers shattered around them as Skyward changed!

They seemed to be situated in a different world. While many blinked with astonishment, they suddenly discovered that the land was spinning around them and massive cities were undergoing location changes.

Inhabitants of a city that’d been situated on the side of a high mountain suddenly realized that their city had abruptly shifted in a completely foreign environment. They seemed to have spontaneously moved to another region!

The development sent excitement, fear, reverence, and passion through the crowds! They recalled a certain legend, a legend that the Skyward master had once cultivated spatial dao!

......

Some of the exalted emperors nearing Dragon Observatory widened their eyes. It was true! Skyward’s dao universe really did seem to be revitalizing!

They’d sensed the exchange of heaven and earth for a split second, as if they’d been enveloped by the heavenly will and great dao. A myriad of daos had converged and the mythical concept of a domain had also appeared!

As the world spun around them, even a first rank exalted emperor changed locations. This was utterly stunning!

In the meantime, Li Hao panted heavily for breath in the shadows. He’d consumed endless dao strength and wasted sixteen exalted emperors in order to give the impression that Skyward’s dao universe was officially revitalizing. It might be very weak for the moment, but it would grow stronger very quickly!

Who wouldn’t be interested in it now? Hopefully, Red Moon would abandon their New Martial goals as quickly as possible and head to Skyward to fight with the other major worlds. The bigger the commotion, the better!