Chapter 613: Focusing on Cultivation (I)

Many snorted at the ranking they received. What kind of amateur ranking was this? Demon Sword was twenty-seven? Then Red Beard, the Yellow General, and others who died to him had undergone such ignoble and useless deaths!

However, the Divine Masters Ranking also came with an explanation that they recorded only real battle strength. Li Hao’s battle in the North Sea might be the truest demonstration of his strength. He’d killed Xu Zhen with one sword stroke, which placed his strength between late and peak Nova.

Thus, the ranking of twenty-seven was appropriate to Li Hao’s strength. Granted, if viewed from the perspective of him having killed a metamorphosis expert, then he would at least be top three. He might even be able to make a play for number one.

Panther was ranked higher at eleven. Its accomplishment of suppressing peak Nova was also a result of the battle in the North Sea. No one had seen the dog swallow the peak Nova, so it wasn’t recorded. Instead, its strength was listed as peak Nova.

Plainly, the top ten of the ranking was probably metamorphosis level. They averaged thirty years old and if they were part of the first batch of supernaturals, they might have been Heaven Favored at ten years old. In terms of qualification, some of them might even be local overlords.

The Divine Masters Ranking only circulated in select circles. The younger generation was the only one to refer to it; no one else treated it with much importance. Otherwise, if one believed it and treated Li Hao as an ordinary late Nova... One wouldn’t even know how they died.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The greatest purpose of this ranking was to disseminate Li Hao’s title of Demon Sword throughout central region supernatural society. Almost everyone knew of a martial powerhouse whose prowess spanned the eastern and northern continents.

This information had only been passed around the senior levels before, and no one went to the trouble of building Li Hao’s reputation. This was what the Divine Masters Ranking did for the young man at this time.

......

“How interesting!” Ying Hongyue laughed in a palace hall as he perused the ranking. “Isn’t this something? It seems to me that this Divine Masters Ranking imitates a certain ancient powerhouse’s actions. Collecting these powerhouses, sounding them out, and provoking them bit by bit! It’s limited to the central region and youngsters at the moment, but is already beginning to include the other four directions. It might continue to expand until finally, all of the powerhouses in the dynasty and even the world are included. It will build its reputation first and then slowly increase in scope...”

The newly recovered Orange Moon lowered her voice quizzically, “Leader, do you mean that there's a backer for the Divine Masters Ranking?”

“Divine Masters Ranking... Ranking of Life and Death...” Ying Hongyue laughed. “Ever since the ancient times, those who create such rankings are either idiots or powerhouses themselves! They’re also heavyweights with ill intentions as they just want to stir up trouble! Subordinates of the civil subjects are superior to those of martial subjects. Even if they don’t wish to vie for a spot, they have no choice as a local tyrant!

“Are you not aware of how many died when the Record of Thirty-Six Heroes appeared in Silver Moon?” He smiled radiantly at Orange Moon. “And how many have died for this particular ranking? Ten thousand bodies are piled in a heap beneath one successful general. Who upon the ranking doesn’t have a few resentful, wild ghosts behind them?”

Orange Moon nodded and said nothing else. She simply remained confused—who was behind the Divine Masters Ranking that not even her leader could determine it with his information network?

“My money is on the royal family,” Ying Hongyue laughed. “If it’s not them, that means another faction is rising and is currently hidden in the shadows. My intelligence network is quite capable.”

The royal family!

“This does seem quite possible.” Orange Moon nodded upon some thought. “Leader, Li Hao is growing ever stronger and so are Yuan Shuo and the others. If the situation continues...”

Ying Hongyue’s small withered. “Have the elder council and Ancient Guard move out. Choose a good opportunity to eliminate Li Hao!” He looked back at Orange Moon. “And you guys should work harder!”

“I will.”

Ying Hongyue rose and walked inside. “Get Violet Moon back before Li Hao returns to the province. Huang Yu and them don’t wish to have open hostilities with us yet, so increase our offer to ten drops of Water of Life!”

“Thank you, leader!” Orange Moon quickly said with a shift in expression.

“As I should!” Ying Hongyue vanished with a smile.

Orange Moon promptly left. The leader had said to conclude this business before Li Hao returned. Plainly, he knew just as well that Li Hao was currently in high spirits and operating completely without principles. He might very well execute Violet Moon as soon as he returned—that could occur with ninety-nine percent probability. This was a highly crazed fellow that they were talking about.

......

The shore of the East Sea, a slightly dilapidated manor with a view of the sea.

There was an additional scent of blood in it now.

“Damned unlucky!” Yuan Shuo cursed. His house still stood, but it’d become a pirate stronghold. When he arrived, some pirates were discussing where they should run to after the East Sea pirates had suffered such a blow.

Red Beard was dead, city annihilation missiles had taken out another large sum. The group at the house felt that life was getting too hard and wanted to take their nautical ventures elsewhere.

After Yuan Shuo and the rest quickly dispatched them, the old man muttered, “This house cost me quite a bit of money. It’s one thing if it was razed to the ground, but these guys turned it into their hideout?? How inauspicious!”

The others couldn’t be bothered to respond. Money didn’t matter to them. They tossed the bodies to the backyard and sat down to tend to their wounds, ignoring the blood around them. Massive sums of mysterious power stones materialized and sword energy urged forth.

The entire living room was filled with sword energy. Everyone was injured and two had unsealed themselves. Panther was also gravely wounded. In the absence of high quality stones, low quality ones shattered in an unending stream to be converted to sword energy.

No one gave thought to the struggles of the outside world, nor did they care to know how the Xus would proceed next. This was a detached house, so there was no risk of anyone else sensing their activities. It had been a pirate stronghold, so while some in East Shore might be aware of the location, no one dared approach a pirate hideaway.

The group spent significant time cultivating and repairing their wounds. Time passed, second by second. Resource consumption was noticeable this time around as everyone furiously swallowed sword energy. There might not have been sufficient energy if circumstances were as before, but Stellaris seemed to have grown stronger after devouring the earth dragon weapon soul. Its conversion speed was faster, which meant that it consumed mysterious power stones a little too fast.

Yuan Shuo took in energy for all he was worth, as did Panther. In contrast, Hong Yitang and Light Sword didn’t consume as much, despite having unsealed themselves. Light Sword couldn’t help but glance at human and dog.

Both of you are gluttons, you guzzle down energy like bottomless pits! Dang you’re fast!

The Breathing Method of the Five Styles was very suited to sword energy. Having just completed the fusion of five auras, Yuan Shuo was running very low. The great battle had completely emptied him. He absorbed sword energy at a pace almost visible to the naked eye; no amount seemed to be enough.

Four humans and a dog expended quite a sum of mysterious power stones. Li Hao was far from miserly this time. He’d hemmed and hawed at expanding resources for Light Sword, but right now, everyone was here to save him. He had to be more generous. Mysterious power stones continuously shattered like they were worthless.

He didn’t stop before anyone called for a stop, even when his own wounds were healed. Three thousand, eight thousand, ten thousand, fifteen thousand... It wasn’t until they expended twenty thousand stones that Panther’s fur grew out again. This was when Hong Yitang and Light Sword finally stopped.

“That’s enough cultivation for now!” Yuan Shuo opened his eyes with slight reluctance. The mysterious power stone shards in the living room were as tall as a mountain.

Li Hao whisked the shards away with a wave of his hand and placed them in a storage ring. He had so many of them that he couldn’t count them all.

“Are you completely recovered, teacher?” asked the young man. “If not, I have a few drops of Water of Life.”

He’d brought fifteen drops on this drip, but already spent eight. There were only seven now. Water of Life was very useful as sometimes, he didn’t have enough time to replenish sword energy in the middle of battle or address his wounds. Water of Life was quickly effective, though it wasn’t as long-lasting as sword energy. Li Hao couldn’t bear to use the remaining seven drops.

“No!” Yuan Shuo shook his head.

You fool. Save it for just the two of us, what are you talking about now for? Those two are still here! It’s one thing for them to partake in sword energy, but what are you boasting about Water of Life from an unknown source??

Hong Yitang and Light Sword knew what the old man was thinking. Hong Yitang grinned and didn't say anything. It didn’t matter if they used Water of Life or not, they didn’t have external wounds. What was most useful about this resource was when one lost a limb. It facilitated flesh and blood to grow again. Sword energy could take care of other wounds.

The group recovered some when they stabilized their wounds. Everyone was more at ease now. If another Xu Qing popped up, they were confident of being able to fight the man—that was how at ease they were.

“What about Xu Qing’s storage ring? You’ve got quite thick skin to claim it all for yourself...” Yuan Shuo flicked a glance at Hong Yitang. The latter ignored him. He was the one to chop Xu Qing’s head off, so picking up the storage ring was just a casual response.

“Li Hao and I fought Xu Qing for most of the battle, it took Sky Sword’s arrival for you guys to kill him,” Yuan Shuo snorted at Hong Yitang’s silence. “My disciple will owe you a favor, but are you taking the spoils with you?”

“Teacher, Martial Uncle Hong should keep it,” chuckled Li Hao, as did Hong Yitang. “We’re not the ones who killed Xu Qing...”

As I thought! This kid was so miserly before, but now he doesn’t even want the Steadfast Duke’s storage ring! Hong Yitang’s got his talons in my disciple!

Li Hao simply felt that it would make its way back to his hands sooner or later—ahem, that Hong Yitang would trade it for sword energy. What was the point of taking it now?

You don’t understand my plans, teacher. It’s not nice to directly request it from someone. We want to gently, quietly, unnoticeably squeeze them dry, then take it back.