Chapter 902: Entering the Ruins (III)

Both sides felt that the other was being too cocky and self-assured. When the void shield entered the ruins, the pavilion master had thought that it’d shelter the vanguard. But when multiple presences rose behind it instead, he grinned.

“Li Hao!” He couldn’t help but manifest from the darkness. “How interesting, you really did come inside! It’s my first time seeing someone with such a death wish as you!

“Revered White, seal off the city!”

Thousands of branches whipped through the air and blockaded the entrance. Everyone on Li Hao’s side was in the ruin, so he didn’t mind that the ring of light was being sealed off.

The young man materialized out of the gloom and looked around him, seeing a lot of people. He ultimately looked at the pavilion master with a laugh. “I thought we were facing an important personage, so you’re just a boy toy!”

The pavilion master assessed him with a calm look. This guy courted death! Revered White was still sealing off the exit; none of them would be getting away in a moment. Li Hao might still have a chance to escape if he attacked now.

He’d seen a portrait of the young man before and immediately recognized the overweening fellow. Instead of stirring to anger, he said with regret, “You’re the one who sought death. If it wasn’t for all the unnecessary trouble that you stirred up outside, the Wind and Cloud Pavilion wouldn’t have needed to appear so quickly. I planned to emerge after the second awakening, but here you are to present your head on a silver platter!”

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

As the white tree sealed off the entrance, he summoned a burst of strength from his body. He jeered at his opponent with some contempt, “Release the plant spirits’ replicas, Li Hao! This seat would like to see if those trash plant spirits dare attack me!”

Li Hao raised an eyebrow. So very strong! Was this... Apex, or seven elements? No wonder this guy was so pompous!

Director General Wang had retracted his presence and was looking suspiciously at the pavilion master. An idea struck him when he glanced at the hovering white tree in the distance. His expression shifted, but this was when several more powerhouses revealed themselves around the pavilion master.

The three guardians and a major commander of the Eight Legions were on the scene. They possessed domineering presences that put the five at roughly seven element Arcanus. No wonder the pavilion master was so self-assured that he thought Li Hao and the others courted death.

Jiang Yingli tilted her big head and looked at their opponent, suddenly confused and surprised. “That’s weird, this guy looks familiar to me,” she transmitted to Li Hao.

Familiar? An ancient?

Li Hao jerked with surprise. Could an ancient survive to present day? Or had he been revived like Director General Wang?

It was slightly surprising that the Wind and Cloud Pavilion had fielded multiple seven elements. Li Hao’s primary focus had been on the plant spirits, and his opponents did indeed have plant spirits present. The white tree’s presence alone marked it as very strong.

The pavilion master wore a slight smile on his face as he remained coolly composed. “Li Hao, do you now know why the Wind and Cloud Pavilion dictates all? If you’d been willing to offer your loyalty in times past, I would’ve permitted you to live. But now... I find you loathsome!”

His presence was domineering as he paced toward Li Hao with contempt. But when he saw Director General Wang, a faint light of doubt appeared in his eyes. This person seemed... familiar.

He didn’t mind it, however, and chuckled lowly. “Attack and kill all of these people! This seat hasn’t made a move in a very long time and can have some fun with Li Hao!”

Powerhouses surged from all directions as they attacked the intruders!

“Li Hao, do you want to chat?” The pavilion master looked at the young man with a smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met a living opponent. I'd be happy to have a conversation with you so that you go willingly to your death!”

Li Hao raised another eyebrow. This guy wasn’t just a regular peacock! He said nothing as he flew off into the distance.

“I leave this place to you guys,” the pavilion master laughed softly. “This is a good tempering opportunity. The three guardians will hold down the formation while the Eight Legions train themselves with these people!”

“Understood, sir!” chorused the three guardians, completely ignoring the Silver Moon martial masters. They had a right to be so arrogant.

“Have some fun with them, everyone,” said Li Hao. “Don’t be in a rush to kill them. I’ll have a chat with the boy toy!”

He was a bit curious, but also found the situation strange. The most crucial was that he didn’t see the Mirror of Wind and Cloud or any imitations anywhere. He smiled as he followed the other, “A conversation is so boring. Why don’t you take me to your treasure? Or is it on you?”

“You want to see that?” smiled the other. “That’s just as well! Do you have mysterious power stones? If you do, this seat will let you witness its might! You will die a knowing death then. What’s yours is mine, isn’t it?”

It was Li Hao’s first time seeing someone more confident than him!

How strange.

The young man smiled and didn’t respond.

What a confident guy!

None of the ancient heavyweights are as confident or arrogant as him.

The two quickly departed, presenting a strange sight to Director General Wang. However, battle erupted the next second, drawing his attention. Instead of joining the fray, he observed the white tree from a distance. He... might’ve seen that tree somewhere before. But when he had, the tree had been a Saint-level existence. Was this the same tree that he’d once met?

Apart from the eight main cities, there was no other place in Silver Moon Territory with Saint-level plant spirits. If this tree was the same as the one of yesteryear... then it was a Saint.

The guardian plant spirit of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion.

The two puppets behind him were also conversing with each other. “Did that person... look like... Hong Tu?”

“A little... but Hong Tu’s way stronger than him and left Silver Moon a long time ago, didn’t he?”

“That’s right, and Hong Tu cultivated the proper dao. This guy seems to be training... the martial and supernatural dao of the modern times.” The two puppets were highly confused.

......

The pavilion master landed in front of a certain hall with Li Hao.

“It’s been a long time since strangers have visited, I’ve forgotten to introduce myself,” he chuckled. “This seat is Hong Tu. I am not the lucky latter-day inheritor of your imagination, but the true master of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion!

“Li Hao, it is your fortune to stand so close to me. Many years ago, minor characters such as you did not have the right to draw near me.”

“No right?” Li Hao laughed. “Since when did a member of the Lis lack any right?”

“The Lis?” Hong Tu laughed even more loudly in response. “Even your ancestor, the Sword Sovereign, barely set foot into the ranks of exalted emperors. Do you find that cultivation level to be very strong? As I expected, one’s experience determines one’s future. You will never imagine just the splendor and glories my family once commanded!”

“You... are a reincarnated ancient, aren’t you?” Li Hao suddenly asked after a glance. “You haven’t simply re-crafted your physical body, but have been reborn with your mental strength as well?”

Hong Tu blinked, then looked behind him to see a red light sparkle in Li Hao’s eyes. “How interesting, the sword eye! But it’s very weak... It looks like you have indeed received some of the unique bloodline heritage of the Lis. What a pity that it’s too weak!”

The sword eye!

“What is that?” asked Li Hao.

“Your forefather was indeed formidable with his sword techniques, but he found it unreliable to have the sword alone. Hence, he researched the sword eye to see through all falsehood and identify the enemy’s weaknesses. Combined with his sword methods, he was able to claim lives with a single move. That was the purpose of the sword eye. Otherwise, regular moves wouldn’t be able to kill enemies. It would be your ancestor who died instead...”

The sword eye!

Li Hao’s heart shook. He’d been wondering what the situation was with his eyes. So this was the case! Seeing through weaknesses and ensuring death with one stroke. That was the true meaning of the Li sword eye!

He’d been using it to identify people’s strength, but hadn’t thought to use it to peer into their weaknesses. So he’d learned something new today!

Hong Tu was an overly self-satisfied individual. Li Hao was actually curious why this was the case. Were there problems when it came to resurrection?

But Director General Wang seemed fine. Was it due to a difference in method? And yet, the ancient powerhouses—such as the Saint at Evenround Martial—seemed very much opposed and disdainful of mental strength resurrection. Why had Hong Tu chosen this method? It gave Li Hao a similar feeling to Yuming, a situation of muddled mental strength.

He could tell how strong the other was. The two had entered the great hall at this point and he immediately saw the bronze mirror. It stood in the center of the hall without being stored in Hong Tu’s body or storage ring.

“Do you see it?” Hong Tu smiled. “This is what you’ve been looking for.”

“You know I’ve been looking for this?”

“You’ve had your eye on the Wind and Cloud Pavilion for this, no?” sneered Hong Tu. “You’re not the only one. Many people want it, but all of you should take a moment to think if you’re worthy of wielding a copy of the Mirror of Wind and Cloud!”

A copy? So this was indeed an imitation. Li Hao was terribly surprised, but he was confused. “You brought me here to look at this?”

“Not just this,” Hong Tu laughed. “You’re not a New Martial human!”

No shit!

“You have the bloodline of the Lis and are of the new era. I find that you’re not that afraid of me, so you should be confident in yourself. You’re not afraid of seven element Arcanus, are you?

“I see two puppets among your group, ones similar to those we’d find in New Martial. They might be from Evenround Martial University. So you think that the Eight Legions outside won’t be able to defeat them, do you?”

“......” Li Hao raised an eyebrow. Had this strutting peacock suddenly come to his senses?

“I am at times wide awake and at times less awake,” Hong Tu laughed. “I knew there was something about you when you dared enter this place. I find that you may have brought others with you. The guy at the very front seems a bit familiar—is he from our age? I don’t remember who he is, perhaps he’s just a minor character, perhaps he’s very strong. But with Revered White there, everything will be fine for a while.”

Li Hao took a few steps back. Hong Tu waved the doors shut.