Chapter 604: The Return of Old Demon Five Styles (II)

This was likely how Light Sword and the others killed one Nova per every move they deployed. Their mind intent was so strong that they ripped the other’s mind to pieces and caused them to sink into momentary immobility. That was illustrated when Li Hao killed the Nova moments earlier.

However, the young man was a martial master as well, a premier martial master! Even if he wasn’t as strong as the person in front of him, his mind intent wasn’t weak and he’d just eaten an entire Goldensky Lotus. This was when his mind intent was at its strongest. He put everything out of his mind and erupted with the auras of his organs!

His mind intent manifested as a sword and the overview of the sword aura appeared. The five auras were forcefully melded into it and a current of sword intent erupted around the young man.

“Kill!” Li Hao screamed as Stellaris flashed forward. He tore into his opponent’s tornado with his mind intent. The sword stroke of his ancestor reappeared in his mind’s eyes. Clad in silver armor, he rushed forward with his sword!

Boom!

It was a collision of the mental level. Li Hao’s indestructible auras of the five swords was immediately scattered upon the wind. His organs trembled and the scene went dark in front of his eyes.

Although the tornado was hacked into two, it still contained an incomparable aura. The aura churned toward the young man and broke through his sword aura!

Pfft!

He spat out a mouthful of blood that was intermixed with pieces of his organs. Across from him, Xu Qing hesitated slightly mid-kick. Surprise crept into the look in his eyes. The boy had an incredible sword aura! However, it was a slightly miscellaneous arrangement and was weaker than his.

The marquis had unsealed some of his battle strength and was stronger than a Nova. This level of strength wasn’t anything that Li Hao could measure up to. Xu Qing wasn’t like the others in shattering multiple locks at once, he’d broken half of one of his. It didn’t give him sufficient strength to kill Li Hao in a split second, but he could easily trounce the young man in his state.

He brought his leg down with domineering momentum! Xu Qing shunted Stellaris off to the side and slammed his other foot into the center of the breastplate. A loud collision rang out, leaving some cracks and a slight caving in of the silver armor.

Li Hao flew backward, everything dark before his eyes before the scene quickly restored itself. He focused his eyes to see Xu Qing regarding him aloofly.

“Not bad! What a pity that you’ve encountered me. Your aura is your biggest trump card, but it is ineffective against me! so this is all there is to a convergence of five auras!”

The marquis mentioned convergence, not fusion. For a premier martial master like Xu Qing, he could see to the truth of the matter as soon as they exchanged blows. Li Hao was very strong in the eyes of regular people, but his flaws were glaringly obvious to powerhouses. In his current state, the young man could have his fun with supernaturals, but would be encountering close shave after close shave if he fought premier martial masters.

Li Hao didn’t have time to think about anything before Xu Qing vanished with a loud thump, reappearing to kick the young man’s head. The silver armor caved in some more as the marquis lectured, “Speed is the only martial method that does not have a counter! But your armor is not bad, it’s high quality. It’s from Battle Heaven, isn’t it?

“It really is something to still be intact after a few of my blows. Can you bring its full capabilities online though? If not, I can kill you through the reverberations alone!” Xu Qing said all this to disintegrate Li Hao’s will to fight and undermine his confidence. His attacks continued without pause.

Rumble!

Li Hao bounced back and forth like a rubber ball. Completely suppressed, he was at the mercy of Xu Qing’s kicks. He coughed up mouthfuls of blood inside the armor, fully experiencing the gap between him and his opponent. His speed, reactions, mind intent, and auras were less than his opponent...

It was a complete thrashing.

If it wasn’t for his armor and the strength of his organs, he would’ve died to the kicks a long time ago. No wonder Hong Yitang and the others could easily kill peak Novas. When Light Sword and the others unsealed themselves, they positively mowed down Novas.

Xu Qing hadn’t unsealed himself as much as they had, but his battle strength was equally overwhelming. A heavyweight like Li Hao who could kill late Novas was utterly defenseless when facing him.

Bam!

The young man slammed heavily into the ground again. He wanted to use his momentum to fall into the ocean, but Xu Qing immediately appeared beneath him and punched him back up, the reverberations traveling through the silver armor.

“Your organs are incredible!” Xu Qing sighed with appreciation. “They’re still intact after all of this! Li Hao, you have the strongest organs out of any martial master I’ve ever seen. Even Earthturner Sword and the others might not measure up to you...”

It was normal for a martial master to have strong internals, but Xu Qing had adjusted accordingly and utilized the most optimal attack pattern of reverberation. If Li Hao really was a Nova-level martial master, his organs should have shattered a long time ago.

And yet, the young man could still defend himself! This was the most frightening of all! Greed dawned in Xu Qing’s eyes as he looked at the sword tightly gripped in Li Hao’s hands. All of this had to do with that sword, didn’t it?

The greed vanished as soon as it appeared. The man’s expression shifted slightly as he disappeared on the spot. But when he reappeared, Li Hao was still next to him. The Windchaser Boots glowed with a hue and the young man stabbed out with his weapon, as if he’d been waiting for the marquis!

Li Hao had neither given up on the counterattack nor made use of the opportunity to run, because he discovered that his idiot teacher had come again.

Fucking... forget it, I won’t bother cussing at him.

Otherwise, his plan had been to feign injury and weakness, then utilize the boots to get away.

My dear teacher is so afraid I won’t die that he’s come to collect my corpse! We’ll probably both go to the underworld together now!

Clang!

rang out as Stellaris bit into its target. It met with a metallic collision as a set of armor manifested around Xu Qing. The man was startled and slightly incredulous. Li Hao had struck back at him! The young man still had the ability to fight!

If it wasn’t for his armor, Stellaris was so sharp that it could’ve broken his defenses. While his death was out of the question, delivering a wound was already astonishing enough. It was rare for young martial masters to have such battle consciousness and tenacity.

As a duke—since Xu Qing refused to acknowledge the demotion—did he lack for origin weapons? Of course not! There wouldn’t be such an array found in his treasury if he did. Not only did he not lack origin weapons, but all of his were premier quality. The armor he wore was the Divine Lock Armor. Based on current classification, it was a sky level origin weapon, on the same grade as the Flaming Phoenix Spear!

Not even Stellaris could break it; its weapon soul would have to manifest first.

Li Hao was thrown backward by massive recoil and resignation appeared in his eyes. He’d anticipated this outcome! A founding duke like Xu Qing was not one of the penniless senior officials or the impoverished Hong Yitang. Nor did he have to work for a living like Light Sword. He was the overlord of an entire region, how would he be short on treasures!

If it wasn’t for the lack of boot-shaped origin weapons, he might have another set to use. It was Li Hao’s guess that the man might have more than one origin weapon on him.

“Not bad, they were calling you the pride and glory of this generation of Silver Moon martial masters.” Xu Qing Smiled. “Word on the street was that you might be able to raise the limit for Silver Moon’s martial world. I hadn’t believed it before, but today I do. You’d be able to rank among the previous generation of martial masters, not just this generation!”

He kicked out when he finished speaking! His defenses were greatly improved after the armor manifested. Xu Qing no longer had to worry about Li Hao’s counterattack. The young man waved his sword in response to the kick—without shadow or form, the Ghost Shadow Sword!

Willow leaves drifted through the air—the Weeping Willow Sword!

He was demonstrating everything he knew and utilizing the Five Styles offensively. Tiger Roar Through Mountain and Woods, the deer style, and the Nine Forged Force!

BOOM!

Explosions ripped through the air as Li Hao calmly delivered stroke after stroke. Stellaris broke through the air, no return planned in its trajectory!

Sword light illuminated heaven and earth! His momentum was domineering, but it was once more caught up in a tornado.

“Roar!!”

Tiger Roar Through Mountain and Woods as the caged tiger broke out of its confinement. The ferocious tiger that usually found smooth sailing was lacerated by the tornado that Xu Qing had produced from his punch and found its stomach ripped out!

The tiger turned into one of bone, but snarled with reluctance and struck back for all its worth!

I have a strong tiger in my heart, one that desires to break out of its cage... but the enemy is too strong!

It was Li Hao’s first time being so firmly outclassed. He was utilizing all five styles, but they were shattered. His mind intent was ripped to pieces, his sword bounced off its target, the Nine Forged Force broken...

His organs began to collapse. The mountain caved in, the tiger was on the brink of death, the willow tree withered, the waves quieted, the golden dot exploded...

No matter how stubborn Li Hao was, he couldn’t withstand the difference in strength. He slammed into the ground with a tremendous thud and broke it wide open! He didn’t say anything, but looked back at the bridge...

My idiot teacher! What are you doing with all the time that I bought you? Why aren’t you running and coming back to avenge me after you fuse all five auras? Why the hell must you run this way?? Have you lost your brains??

Xu Qing was about to crush the life out of the young man when he suddenly looked at the collapsed bridge. An irate Yuan Shuo was walking out of the wreckage, one hand gripping Panther’s neck. He looked at Xu Qing, then at Li Hao lying in a hole in the ground.

“My idiot disciple... you sent this dog to slow me down and waste my time! I had to take it out first, it’s just as dumb as you! I’ll turn it into dog stew later on!”

Panther looked piteously at the old man.

I was saving you!

It was afraid of the old man before and thought that it could easily claw the man to death with its newfound strength. But the situation spoke for itself. Panther had been completely suppressed and dragged back by its head!

The dog cast an innocent look at Li Hao.

It’s not that I didn’t want to take him away from this place, but that the old man is stronger than me and kept me under foot!

“Yuan Shuo!” Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. “I thought it was Hong Yitang here... but I also thought that he couldn’t get here so quickly. So it’s you!”

“Are you mocking me or what?” Yuan Shuo grinned. “It’s my disciple, so why would Hong Yitang come? It’s been thirty years, Xu Qing, you’re just as dumb as ever. I should’ve shoved you into your mom’s stomach thirty years ago to help you reincarnate into a smarter version of yourself!”

“The times have changed!” Xu Qing sneered back. “Yuan Shuo, this is no longer your era.”

He kicked Li Hao deep into the ground.