Chapter 924: Li Hao’s Tyranny (IV)

Over on Red Moon’s side, Ying Hongyue also immediately guessed at the reason behind Li Hao’s actions. He frowned slightly as he conversed with the scarlet cloak in front of him.

“Even if Li Hao forces these people out with his moves, it is only drinking poison to quench his thirst. I don’t think his goal is that simple. If it’s just to lord it over his enemies and force them to abandon their plan to seize the mine... that would be too juvenile.”

Indeed, juvenile.

The young man’s movements had exposed the fact that the Inspectorate had joined his side. If this wasn’t blatantly made apparent, the most the public could do was suspect that the Inspectorate was with him. Now, he’d fully exposed all of his forces.

It was not a good development for Li Hao.

“Then... does the Red Moon leader think that Li Hao has another goal?” whispered the scarlet cloak after a tremor ran through it.

“Sealing off Skystar City with such fanfare and forcing the nine ministries and royal family... Do you think it’s to draw attention from those below ground?” Ying Hongyue nodded after some thought. “I don’t believe that Li Hao is uninterested in the Skystar mine. If the nine ministries and royal family are paying attention to what is above ground, will he do something beneath?”

Everyone was interested in the Skystar mine. It was the singular biggest mine in the world and the most well-preserved one. Its explosion would outright start the second awakening. The mine was sufficient to support the revival of a lot of powerhouses. It was just that the outside world did not currently support large quantities of heavyweights from appearing. Otherwise, even with so many plant spirits present, the mine would’ve been long seized by someone else.

“I know a bit about Skystar Town,” the scarlet cloak said softly. “There are ten plant spirits still in residence and the bramble rose is near the Saint level. The other nine are all Immortals and they’ve recovered to a greater degree than plant spirits elsewhere.

“Even if Li Hao has designs on the mine, do you think he can defeat the plant spirits? Not to mention, these plant spirits have yet to take the mine for themselves because its guard was the vice commander of Skystar Town back in the day. He was near Saint level himself and might have set foot into it by now.

“Li Hao will have to fight at least two Saints if he wishes to seize the mine!” laughed the scarlet cloak. “He’d need two Saints among his own people... and they have to be entering from the outside world. He won’t stand a chance otherwise. Of course, there’s a possibility that he allies with one of them to move against the other. But the two are on similar footing strength-wise, or there would’ve long been a conclusion to their fight. I don’t think Li Hao can do anything...”

There was a Saint in residence at Battle Heaven; all of the eight main cities had one. The key wasn’t in whether or not they had revived, but whether or not they could leave the ruins. No matter how much the young man schemed and plotted, all of it was useless when it came to the mine.

“Our consideration at present should be if this will herald the second awakening ahead of time. The bramble rose may have truly set out to march against the vice commander. Once the two sides are caught in the thick of battle and the mine erupts from being destroyed, energy will flood into the world and set the second awakening in motion. How to occupy the upper hand is what we should consider.”

Li Hao’s actions were proof of this outcome. As for whether or not the young man would emerge with any gains from muddied waters... the red cloak didn’t think so. Where would he go to obtain two Saints??

Not to mention, he wouldn’t be able to transport them to Skystar. The stronger the heavyweight, the harder it was for them to leave the ruins.

“Is there no way at all to move a Saint to Skystar Town?” Ying Hongyue frowned slightly. He wasn’t fully convinced as Li Hao had become ever more difficult to see through. He’d known that the young man was out of control ever since Li Hao broke the mallet of the Hongs. This was no longer a lad that he could reshape at will.

“None!” The scarlet shadow shook its head. “The stronger one is, the more difficult it is! The only exception is if a modern human reaches the Saint level. Otherwise... the world might have developed its own consciousness. It will further exclude those of New Martial. The stronger one is, the greater the repulsion!

“Apexes might be able to use some powerful treasures to protect themselves and force themselves into the world. However, they won’t be able to use their full strength in a fight. But if a Saint appears, that will ignite an explosion in the void and even summon the appearance of heaven’s will to kill the Saint!”

“Heaven’s will?” Ying Hongyue murmured thoughtfully. “Do you think Li Hao is favored by the heavens?”

“That’s hard to say,” mused the scarlet cloak. “To be honest... you have more of a chance of that. But... are you really unable to combine the seven bloodlines as one? If that is still the case and Li Hao continues to grow stronger, then we are indeed in trouble.”

“No, I can’t.” Ying Hongyue shook his head. “It was because your people prevented me before, now I find that that is no longer the issue. The stronger Li Hao grows, the more the seven bloodlines agitate and no longer listen that well to my commands.”

“The Red Moon leader misunderstands, we have never prevented you from combining the seven bloodlines...”

Ying Hongyue smiled without a word.

You know as well as me if you’ve obstructed me in the past.

At the moment, he continuously turned things over and even put himself in Li Hao’s shoes. If all of the commotion was only to prevent the various sides from exploring Skystar Town, then the young man’s actions were ridiculously unwise.

If they couldn’t do so today, they would do so tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow. They wouldn’t stop unless Li Hao decided to declare open warfare on the royal family and nine ministries. If he didn’t, all of these moves were a joke.

Therefore, Li Hao’s plots absolutely involved the mine. But it was just as the scarlet cloak said, if the young man lacked sufficient strength to see his plans through, he could only choose to partner with one side.

The bramble rose was impossible, so that left the vice commander of Skystar Town.

“Do you think Li Hao’s reached some sort of agreement with the vice commander?” asked Ying Hongyue when his thoughts traveled here. “Is he doing this to distract the bramble rose and take coordinated action to eliminate these plant spirits?”

That was most likely!

And yet, the scarlet cloak laughed at the question. “He won’t, don’t worry. Even if he has the most silver tongue beneath the heavens and somehow manages to see the vice commander, and even manages to trick him... The final result will not be that of Li Hao benefiting.”

“Why is that?” The look in Ying Hongyue’s eyes shifted as he began to understand something. The vice commander... might be connected to the scarlet shadow...

“You’ll know sooner or later,” chuckled the scarlet shadow. “This is not the time to worry about that. Right now, we wish for you to swiftly reach an agreement with one of the nine ministries so that Red Moon’s people can be installed there and control one of the ruins’ ten entrances. Otherwise, Skystar Town will be fully isolated from the world.”

“Do you need to contact one of the powerhouses inside?” Ying Hongyue raised an eyebrow. “That shouldn’t be hard, should it?”

“There’s still an inherent difficulty level to it.” Scarlet Cloak smiled.

Ying Hongyue quickly concluded that it wasn’t difficult to contact the plant spirits because they were near the entrances, but to contact the vice commander where the mine was... that was indeed difficult because one needed to traverse the territory under plant spirit protection.

So that meant that the scarlet shadow wanted to contact the vice commander?

Added to what he’d said before, Ying Hongyue could almost be certain that the two were in cahoots. That the greatest mine in Silver Moon could be preserved to present day had much to do with these people too, right?

Then the first and second awakening... All of these critical timings were grasped in these guys’ hands. They’d long arranged for resurrection, hadn’t they? This wasn’t a random course of action!

Then why didn’t they control any one of the entrances? Had other changes occurred, or was there another reason?

Various thoughts filled through Ying Hongyue’s mind. There might be their people among the plant spirits, but perhaps they’d turned traitor later on or other developments had occurred. Perhaps they were the forces behind one of the nine ministries?

Despite his plentitude of questions, Ying Hongyue didn’t ask a single one. And still, he remained uneasy. Would Li Hao benefit another so easily?

......

Skystar Town.

A ring of light manifested in the mine area and enveloped the four corners. The immense defensive power could even obstruct some premier Immortals. Saints would need some time if they wanted to break through it.

There had been a miasma of black fog outside the ring of light—disordered core origin. Some of the fog had dissipated, and some of it remained.

The Black Armor hovered outside one of the patches of black fog and looked inside it. Various plant spirits were absorbing energy inside it. The fog itself trembled, as if wanting to break itself apart as well. But without the bramble rose helping them on the outside, it was still a dangerous endeavor.

A golden light appeared in the Black Armor’s eyes; he could hear the plant spirits on the inside cursing someone.

“That damned bramble rose wants to take the mine for itself! And those idiots, those absolute fools! We’ll only be working for its benefit if the nine of us don’t cooperate! Is that rose such an easy one to get along with?? Stupid!” This was one of the plant spirits not part of the operation.

It was furious as the nine plant spirits had once reached an accord to stand against the bramble rose together. But today, some of its kind betrayed the former alliance. How detestable!

“That damned Chen Zhongtian is such a piece of trash that he’s only good for kindling!” It turned to cursing someone else after the bramble rose. “Why did the bramble rose form an agreement with the others and not you? It must be because you’ve devolved into hostilities with the other nine, you bastard!”

Chen Zhongtian no longer visited it in recent times or supplied it with mysterious power stones. After discussing their exchange rate and being rebuffed, the man no longer showed himself.

Damn it! Would you have made it to your current heights without my support? How dare you haggle with me!

It suddenly looked to the other side of the black fog. Its... heart had pounded just now. What had happened?

......

In another spot.

Director General Wang materialized and looked at the black fog. “I hope it hasn’t revived by much or else... it won’t be easy to kill!”

If they’d all revived, they would be Immortals and not that simple to take down. Granted, it was still possible, just not as easy. As a powerhouse of the human race, he was not afraid of this plant spirit from the wilderness.

Although they were once guardian plant spirits of Skystar Town, their legacy had become scattered. He would be able to take three of this kind of Immortal on in a fight!