Chapter 1655: Capture at Last (IV)

Fool an eighth rank?!

Zhang An’s heart skipped a beat. “Do you mean...”

“We’ll run it back to when we opened the Silver Moon Star Gate, to how we posed as New Martial. It’ll be even more exciting this time! We might need the senior to intimidate the eighth rank Red Moon master and outright pose as New Martial! You need to pretend to be your grandfather and Number Two as the Ash Emperor...”

Fuck me!

Zhang An was abruptly regretting his participation. Must they make such a large gamble?

“Eighth rank...”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of! Senior, you’ll have to take some risks if you wish to quickly set foot into seventh rank. Is it supposed to fall into your lap from the sky while you sit at home?”

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

“It’s not that, just that it’ll be very difficult for me to pull this off,” Zhang An said with resignation. “My grandfather is at least a peak sixth rank and the Ash Emperor is a peak seventh rank...” Zhang An shrugged helplessly.

“It’s fine, you’ll be bolstered by time. Senior Number Two is mysterious to begin with and impossible to probe. There won’t be much of a problem so long as you are convincing enough. The book of great dao containing a myriad of worlds... Hot damn, you’ll be more than a seventh rank then, much less a sixth rank!”

Is that so?

Zhang An smiled wryly.

Fine, whatever you say. This really is a lot of excitement!

......

Zhang An paused and blinked at the sight of numerous minor worlds in the dao river. He glanced at the young man.

Li Hao didn’t explain anything. “Take a look around, senior, then start to verify your dao. I won’t stick around.”

“So you’re...”

“You can wander around for a bit, I’m going to speak with Senior Number Two.”

Alright then!

Zhang An was indeed intrigued by what he saw and flew toward the minor worlds. Li Hao followed the river current and headed downstream.

“Senior Number Two!” he called out.

“......” It took repeated calls before a cat appeared at the end of the river. It swayed with its ponderous body and appeared with dissatisfaction in front of the young man.

I told you, this cat is about to enter hibernation. Why are you here again?

“Senior... there’s a small matter that we need your help with. We need you to pose at the Ash Emperor and coordinate with Senior Zhang An to pretend you’re New Martial! You don’t have to do anything, senior, just fling a few taunts at them from afar.”

The cat stared at the young man. This was a small matter? It would be taunting an eighth rank, wouldn’t it?

You call this a small matter? You seriously suck! You’ve gone overboard after I ate your fish!

It then looked at Zhang An—the man seemed to have been taken in by Li Hao.

You’re crazy for thinking of fooling an eighth rank!

“An eighth rank is stronger than you can imagine...” the cat pointed out wordlessly. “All of us will die if they catch a whiff of the truth!”

“That’s right, so we’ll be relying on the two seniors,” Li Hao nodded. “The Red Moon master will choose to focus on the Orchid Forest master if we can scare him off for a split second. Once he chooses his opponent, he can’t change his mind even if he finds out that we’re fakes!”

“It’s not outside the realm of possibility...” said the cat after some thought. “But if we’re going to take the others with us, we’ll need the river of dao to circle around us and the strength of a world to be apparent. Panther and those two dao masters need to work with us too!”

They would appear to be New Martial only with a river of dao and the strength of a world. They would be easily exposed otherwise.

Li Hao gravely considered the implications of moving so many people and creating such a disturbance. It would be easy to discover that they’d escaped...

But the cat did make sense. Since New Martial had come calling, they needed to have the river of great dao twined around them and wield the strength of a world. If there was only the book of dao and the Ash Emperor... their enemies might think that New Martial was not here after all. They might choose to take a risk!

“Very well, I’ll make the arrangements!” Li Hao nodded. “Everyone seeks their own survival when disaster is at hand. It’d be normal for you guys to run off. So... has Senior Number Two agreed to help?”

“What do you think?” asked the cat after it stared fixedly at the young man.

“......” Li Hao smiled sheepishly.

“No need to be awkward,” continued Number Two. “My fee this time will be thirty small fish!”

“......” That was good! Li Hao nodded merrily. “Sure!”

“Then we’ll wait for this guy to break through!” The cat flicked a glance at Zhang An and shook its head. “Not everyone is suited for a myriad daos. This guy... lacks a certain oomph.”

It didn’t elaborate on what it meant by ‘oomph’, it was a concept difficult to explain. The cat came to this conclusion with a single glance.

Zhang An might have a chance to rise to seventh rank, but it was best if he had someone levying pressure on him for his entire life. He needed to be forced into decisions. He was a passive person and would never take the initiative.

In other words, he needed to fear his wife!

He either needed someone to breathe down his neck the entire time, or he needed a fiery wife who would beat him up if he refused. He had the potential for what he wished, but this was the only way he could secure a bright future.

Number Two felt that it was a good judge of character.

Off to the side, Zhang An grappled with shock. This wasn’t a myriad daos, this was Li Hao creating a myriad worlds!

It took a long time for him to return to the present; he shook inwardly.

A myriad daos and the book of dao...

His agreement to Li Hao’s mad plan might have truly secured him a fortuitous opportunity. The book of dao could hold a myriad worlds—one page for each dao, one page for each world!

How would he ever have such an opportunity in regular times?

Zhang An was so agitated that he was no longer despondent.

I’ve finally come into a chance like this!

He wanted to cry with gratification!

He’d lost opportunity after opportunity from New Martial to Silver Moon. That cycle finally ended today.

While Zhang An was awash with emotion, Li Hao and Number Two watched him silently. The duo shook their heads. Zhang An really was a bit of a sissy, he was almost in tears! Hopefully, he’d be more commanding and tough when he verified his dao.

......

Zhang An hungrily drank in the comprehension and awe brought by a myriad of worlds. Although time was of the essence since Red Moon powerhouses might be upon them at any second, Li Hao didn’t rush him.

Whether it was a success or a failure, the plan could be modified or changed. Verifying one’s dao, however, was of utmost importance. He could not force someone else to verify themselves into a trash exalted emperor.

Thankfully, Zhang An also knew that they were short on time. He reluctantly walked out of a minor world and looked at Li Hao.

“I’m going to verify my dao now!” He took a deep breath. “The structure of your myriad worlds has helped me a lot. I haven’t had time to study them fully today, so I hope I’ll have the chance to in the future!”

His book of dao materialized and dao foundation swirled through it. One had to say, this was a very interesting construct. Li Hao could tell that it was stronger than before—Zhang An’s foundations had strengthened!

“I will verify my dao in your river!” Zhang An spoke rapidly. “If you wish for my book to bear your worlds, then I would like to make a presumptuous request...”

“Speak.”

“I wish for the book to integrate the worlds!”

What?

Li Hao blinked.

What did that mean?

He understood in theory... but...

“I will be retracting the worlds into myself!” said the young man.

Once I withdraw them, your book will come with me. Are you going to hang around me for the rest of your life?

“I know, it’s fine if you stow them,” Zhang An took a deep breath. “I’ll relinquish the book of dao once you put them away!”

“What do you mean by that?” Li Hao frowned at the man. “The book of dao is the core of your dao. Senior Zhang An, we are friends, but you’re not hoping for me to develop some reservations and give up these worlds, are you?

“It’d be one thing if I was stronger, but I’ve paid an enormous price to create them...”

Some things had to be said upfront. If Zhang An felt that he would be too embarrassed to withdraw the worlds, then he was so very wrong. The myriad of worlds was very important!

He’d finally set foot on his path and would not forsake his painstakingly crafted worlds for just a few reasons.

“I don’t have that in mind.” Zhang An shook his head. “I wish to integrate my book with the worlds because I want to study your dao on a deeper level! If I can obtain greater gains, then I can give up the book. That does not mean I’m surrendering my dao! I may harvest more instead.

“I just wish to fully become one with them, so that I can experience the true integration of a dao world!”

Li Hao looked back at the man and nodded after a long moment. “I will permit that!”

It doesn’t matter to me since I’ll never fully hand my worlds to you. I’d be in deep trouble if I did.

Zhang An didn’t say anything. He could’ve ascended to exalted emperor a long time ago, he just hadn’t been able to part with any dao in the book. He also wished to combine the daos of two worlds.

Zhang An was an indecisive sort who only made up his mind when someone forced him to. He was used to being bossed around—a trait that might have something to do with his grandfather being the supreme. He’d been kept on a tight leash as a child and almost never set foot outside his grandfather’s sphere of authority.

Zhang An said nothing else. A book of great dao appeared in the river, its pages flipping by themselves. Shadows walked out of it, some of them bearing resemblances to the Human King, Exalted Blood Emperor, Sword Sovereign...

But gradually, they morphed into Zhang An!

Li Hao’s eyes widened. This was similar to him establishing his worlds and the dao domains. One character for one world and one dao for one world.

Zhang An had never shrugged off those people’s influences on him. While it seemed like a simple transformation of those shadows today, it also meant that he was divesting himself of their hold.

He was the first premier powerhouse that Li Hao had met. When everyone in Silver Moon was below the Apex level, he was a lofty Saint—a half step Empyrean King.

But when Li Hao became a fourth rank exalted emperor and many other exalted emperors appeared in Silver Moon, Zhang An remained just a half step emperor. It wasn’t a slow pace compared to other cultivators, but when it came to Zhang An... he knew full well how he’d made it through the years. That resulted in feeling an immense discrepancy!

He’d made the wrong decision several times in Silver Moon, resulting in him missing out on numerous opportunities. Perhaps he could’ve become an exalted emperor a long time ago.

Zhang An let go of many things in this moment.