Chapter 803: Beat The Shit Outta It! (III)

“Everyone’s completely containing their characters within their bodies, which is fine for those who were originally martial masters. They don’t need to purposefully emanate anything. But Senior Sky Sword, Martial Uncle Hong, and Director Hou should still let some mysterious power seep out for everyone to see that you’ve ascended to Arcanus,” Li Hao advised. It would be bizarrely alarming otherwise if the entire group of people didn’t exude any energy.

The group knew what to do without need for further instruction from Li Hao.

“Then let us depart!”

They’d been inside for roughly a day, it was almost night outside. The inauguration ceremony for the Skystar Commander Office was tomorrow. Although all of the obstacles had been cleared, they needed to be on guard against unwelcome developments.

Li Hao rose and looked behind him. There was an unusual phenomenon here—a lot of puppets were patrolling around the school gates.

What... are they all doing here? Do they suspect that we’ve damaged school property and are here to demand fines?

The young man looked surreptitiously around him—there was no damage! Therefore, he put the matter out of his mind and called out clearly, “We’ll be leaving now, senior. I will visit you when I have time to later!”

Of course, who knew when this time would come around?

“As you wish!” the Black Armor said faintly. “The world has changed and the void can be stabilized if more people of this age practice these supernatural characters. The second awakening that you speak of will also stabilize the void. With space itself secure, Apex or seven element Arcanus might rise ahead of time!”

Li Hao’s heart shook and Hong Yitang couldn’t contain himself. “Does the senior mean...”

“Plant spirits, monster spirits, and everything else can all detect these changes. Your limits also determine the limits of others. Take Li Hao, for example. After he’s set foot into six element Arcanus, that means that the core origin replica of plant spirits will also be able to exert the strength of six elements in the outside world!”

Li Hao blinked.

“So this has to do with my supernatural characters?”

“Possibly!”

Li Hao frowned with understanding, but quickly set it aside. “That’s alright,” he smiled. So the Black Armor meant that his personal limits also determined the limits of others.

If everything is under my control, what am I afraid of?

The Black Armor said nothing further. The world spun around the group as they vanished from Evenround Martial. When they were gone, puppets swiftly ran to the Black Armor.

“Teacher, is that person the pioneer of dao in this age?” one of them asked curiously.

“Not really,” the Black Armor responded faintly. “His dao is but a beginning. Only when he reaches Apex does he stand at the true start of dao! If he can continue to walk this path and perfect it, then it stands a chance of becoming a true great dao that reaches the heavens. Otherwise... it’s just the tricks and amusements of a child.”

Perhaps these accomplishments were the establishment of dao to Li Hao and the rest. But to the Black Armor, only when they reached seven elements Arcanus did they truly begin. The ancient civilization truly comprehended great dao only at that stage. There was no talk of pioneering dao if one did not reach even that level.

The puppets didn’t mind his response. Their teacher had high standards; they rather thought Li Hao’s actions were interesting.

......

Night fell.

The emergence of Li Hao’s group once more raised the attention of all observing powerhouses. What had these people done in the past day? There didn’t seem to be much of a difference to them. Had they gone inside... to amuse themselves?

No one understood what was going on, but they guessed that something must have happened. Why else would they enter the ruins again?

Li Hao ignored the scouts; everyone returned to their homes. Hou Xiaochen took Manager Yu with him. They went back to the Night Watchers with Yao Si. Having obtained what he wanted, he darted into the Skystar Sea to return to Sky Sword Mountain.

As for the inauguration ceremony tomorrow... he wasn’t concerned at all. Anyone who dared make trouble for Li Hao now wouldn’t even know how they died. But he also left word that the young man could notify him if Li Hao wished to venture into the ruins. In the meantime, he was going back to the mountain to see if he could bring back the Wind Thunder Sword.

In a surprising move, He Yong decided to return to the palace.

Is he not afraid of death?

wondered the young man.

The royal family is highly on guard against me, but you’re going back?

“It’s fine!” He Yong didn't mind and transmitted, “I’m going back to look up some information. The royal palace has a lot of data banks and complete intelligence reports. I’m going to see if I can get my hands on anything to do with Skystar Town. Don’t forget about the missions that we took on in Battle Heaven. We might be able to complete them!”

One of their missions was to investigate why Skystar Town had cut off the supply channels to the rest of the territory. Li Hao still remembered it, but since he’d yet to visit the Skystar Ruins, he had to set it aside. Upon hearing that He Yong wanted to look into it, he nodded after some thought and didn’t say anything.

The mission said that one only needed to identify the reason and restore communications for a reward of ten thousand merits. This number of merits wouldn’t be traded for that many energy stones—just one hundred thousand. This was the worst possible trade for the merits—Li Hao could see that now.

Wouldn’t it be grand for me to trade the merits for a real division leader position? Wouldn’t it be nice to trade them for some powerful ancient arts to study? Why should I trade them for energy stones? That’s obviously for ordinary soldiers who can’t accumulate a high amount of merits. I made a bad trade before.

If he could restore communications between the eight cities, the one hundred thousand merits involved could likely be traded for a reserve commander position that could lead one hundred thousand men. Maybe he’d be able to lead the entire Reserve Defenders! That snotty Golden Armor of the Ninth Troop would have to salute and call him “sir” next time it saw him!

“Be careful!” Li Hao nodded as he daydreamed happily.

He Yong said nothing else as he ran for the royal palace. His actions raised quite the attention, and royal scouts cursed to themselves.

You’re from Silver Moon when they need help and recall that you’re a royal instructor when the coast is clear. Do you think of the royal palace as a hotel??

There was suddenly only Light Sword and Earthturner Sword left by Li Hao’s side. The three returned to the Ministry of the Judiciary.

......

Earthturner Sword and Light Sword went about their business when they returned to the Judiciary. Li Hao walked straight into the depths of the rear residence. There was a house there, built in the style of a minor palace hall. Plainly, this was where the entrance to the Hu ruins was located.

Li Hao proceeded according to his exploration until he reached the end of the hall. There was a door there that was clearly built later; it looked to be the passageway to the ruins.

The young man stood outside instead of entering. A long moment later, a faint tendril of mental power reached out from behind the door.

“You are... Li Hao? The heir of the Sword Sovereign?”

“I thought you would ignore me.” Li Hao smiled.

Although the plant spirits couldn’t emerge in the world, they could still release some mental strength to probe the surroundings. Even the little tree could do so—it’d known ahead of time when Li Hao led a group into Mount Cat Head.

“Hu Xiao and Hu Mingfa are dead?”

“Correct.”

“My replica is also broken... Did you kill it?”

“It had nothing to do with me,” Li Hao laughed. “How would I have the ability to do that? The powerhouses inside Evenround Martial did it. You guys were certainly bold to cause trouble inside the university! Did you not know the danger, or not understand it?”

The plant spirit thought deeply for a moment. “That martial university... is very mysterious! But we thought that everyone had departed... It appears that there were powerhouses that stayed behind.”

“Of course, and they’re terrifying!” Li Hao laughed. “When your replicas were churned to pieces, one of them yelled... A Saint!”

A large tree behind the door trembled slightly.

A Saint?? There was a Saint in residence at Evenround Martial! Incredible!

“It looks like... something went gravely wrong with Hu Mingfa’s plan... Those energy stones became the opportunity for their revival... They were caught in their own trap!” sighed the tree. Their side had courted death. The plant spirits had anticipated this outcome as they truly thought there was no one around.

There were no resident plant spirits at Evenround Martial. Logically speaking, even if there was someone there, they should’ve declined to the state of lingering obsession or mental strength. There would be nothing to be afraid of as existences like Director General Wang were indicative of the problems plaguing those still alive in the ruins.

Humanity... did not live as long as monster spirits did in the passage of time. However, the remnants of strength from a Saint was sufficient to shatter their replicas. The gap between the two was too great!

Not to mention, their replicas were very weak at only five or six elements. How were they to stand against a revived Saint? Whether in the ages of New Martial, Empyrean Emperor, or Initial Martial... the Saint cultivation level was a premier existence.

Li Hao was also rapidly assessing the situation. The plant spirit behind the door should not be of the Saint level.

“The Hus are no more. Would you like to work with me, Senior Plant Spirit?” Li Hao chuckled.

“You?”

“Can we not work together? The descendant of the Sword Sovereign should bear some qualifications no matter where I am! Even though that Saint didn’t give me any treasures, it didn’t dare touch me either. You’re just an Immortal at most, but can you even utilize the strength of an Apex since you aren’t fully awakened? In the ancient civilization, you wouldn’t be fit to partner with the Li clan!”

“......” The plant spirit hadn’t thought that this person would be so arrogant, but he was right. His words were true. It was just a plant spirit standing guard back in the day, it didn’t have the right to talk to the Lis of cooperation. “You said so yourself that this was back in the ancient civilization. That was when the Sword Sovereign still existed. And now?”

“And now, I eliminated the Hus!” Li Hao laughed loudly. “You can partner with even the Hus. What, am I less worthy?”