“You’re not bad yourself.” Hong Yitang looked at Li Hao. “Don’t think too much. This is how martial masters should be! The martial world does not exist anymore, but it will spring to life again once your master walks out of Silver City. I believe that the legends of Silver Mono’s martial world will continue onward!
“Take care of yourself, Li Hao. Your master killed Sun Yifei and broke through the shackles of Dominator to reach Summoner. Now that he’s left, I’m sure that people will soon come for you if they can’t find him.
“Whether it’s to spar in a practice match or to kill you, they won’t let you rest easy. You must know that martial masters have declined!”
It was advice laden with meaning and some sorrow. Martial masters had been replaced. Their dao had been supplanted by the glorious supernatural world. Would it tolerate the return of their predecessors now that an anomaly had appeared?
The rise of the supernatural world was accompanied with murders of many martial masters, and many on the martial path were forced to cross over. If it was now proven that martial dao was instead superior... wouldn’t that be a slap in the face to many? Particularly the martial masters that’d switched to the supernatural track.
Not everyone was Sun Yifei and hoped for the renewed rise of martial dao. Some wanted nothing more than to avoid that possibility. They loathed the idea! It indicated that the choice they’d made all those years ago was wrong.
No one liked to admit they were wrong!
Thus, the full collapse of martial dao was much more in line with their desires. Hong Yitang was also a martial master-turned-supernatural and could fully understand the mentality. He left unvoiced the bit of regret that set in when he saw how strong Yuan Shuo had become. As difficult as the martial master path was, were they actually stronger than supernaturals?
The thought quickly dispersed, leaving behind regret that could not be erased.
He felt himself to be an open-minded individual who didn’t nitpick at details. If he wasn’t, he would’ve suffered from the humiliation of not answering Yuan Shuo’s challenges back in the day. If even he felt a bit of regret at the path he’d chosen, what of the other martial masters who’d converted to the supernatural path?
“This junior understands!” Li Hao looked at Hong Yitang and slightly bent at the waist. “But I am not afraid if they come in an honorable and open manner! My master hacked his way to safety and so can I! If they want to assassinate or ambush me, then Swordmaster Hong thinks too little of the Night Watchers!”
The young man smiled faintly. “The Night Watchers are found throughout the ninety-nine provinces and it is still Skystar Dynasty that rules the world. Would-be attackers have to first get through the Night Watchers if they want to kill me, and even if the agency agrees, these people need to remember that my teacher is still alive!”
It wasn’t like he was dead!
“So long as you have your own preparations in mind,” Hong Yitang laughed. “The expedition tomorrow may not be smooth sailing. Even if it is, you best not enter the ruins. It’s too dangerous.”
“Thank you for your warning, Swordmaster Hong!” Li Hao turned to Hong Qing next to him. “Miss Hong Qing, I’m sorry that the sword broke. I will have a new sword forged when I return to headquarters and deliver it to you.”
“It’s fine.” Hong Qing looked curiously at him and shook her head. “It’s just an ordinary sword, not a supernatural object. It doesn’t matter that it broke.” She couldn’t contain her curiosity. “Have you really only cultivated for three years?”
“Impressive!” Hong Qing marveled. His tenure really was three years; he was a genius! It’d been more than ten years since she started cultivating as a young girl. Being a late Sunderer was very impressive, but the person in front of her was able to kill Sun Moxian after three years of training... Sun Moxian had been a genius who’d comprehended the aura and was about to set foot into Dominator!
What a pity that those two martial masters had died today. She would feel the same if Li Hao and Yuan Shuo had died. They were all geniuses and powerhouses on the path of martial dao. She would be saddened no matter who died.
“You praise me too highly!” Li Hao left without another word. He didn’t like chatting with strangers. As friendly as Hong Yitang came across, to know a man’s exterior was not to know his heart. Who knew what the swordmaster-turned-supernatural’s real thoughts were?
The others were picking up the pieces when Li Hao returned to the Night Watcher camp. The Red Moon delegation was dead and the battlefield needed to be cleaned up. There was mysterious power to be collected. No one else dared conduct the task, but the Night Watchers didn’t mind. The blame for everything was falling on their heads regardless!
Outsiders didn’t think the same as Yuan Shuo, despite the professor saying that he wasn’t a Night Watcher. In their eyes, he became one of them when Hou Xiaochen took a stand to protect the old man. In that case, Hao Lianchuan would take full advantage of the situation.
No one could see the scarlet shadows that Yuan Shuo had taken after killing the Red Moon members. Therefore, they all thought that he’d killed for the sake of killing. Plenty of mysterious power could still be found in the field as numerous powerhouses had died today. Fire energy dissipated in the sky, but no one dared collect it. Even though Hao Lianchuan felt it a bit of a pity, he elected to give it up.
While Sun Yifei was part of Red Moon, Hao Lianchuan admired the martial glory displayed in battle today. A powerhouse like him should not be insulted or tormented after death. This had nothing to do with which faction everyone belonged to. It was simple respect.
Li Hao would hold the entire organization in high regard if they were all . Sadly, those like Sun Yifei were few and far in between.
Wang Ming sidled up to Li Hao with a look of dejection. “Who would’ve thought that the duel would end , senior brother!”
Li Hao was stunned, Liu Long was stunned. Liu Yan was stunned, and even Hao Lianchuan was stunned like he was meeting Wang Ming for the first time.
What was that? Senior brother?
“Senior brother,” Wang Ming continued in worried tones, like he didn’t see their expressions. “Did teacher leave because his wounds are too severe? We all saw the injuries he suffered. Once word of today’s battle gets out, there’s going to be an endless number of people who want to kill him or force the secrets of the next cultivation level out of him. Teacher is in a very precarious position. Do you think we can help him, senior brother?”
“Ole Wang...” Li Hao responded with difficulty.
“Call me Little Ming!” Wang Ming corrected firmly. “The proprieties of martial masters cannot be abolished. I did not understand before, but I’ve felt it firmly today that the hierarchy of seniority must be respected. You are my senior brother, I am your junior brother. Even if I wasn’t a little younger than you, you still shouldn’t call me Ole Wang. Just call me Little Ming!”
The group didn’t know what to say, but was there anything to be argued about this?
Wang Ming was indeed Yuan Shuo’s disciple. An honorary disciple was a disciple all the same. When Yuan Shuo wanted to pave the road for Li Hao, he didn’t anticipate his student progressing so swiftly. Neither did he think that he’d set foot into Summoner of Spirit this quickly. The three honorary disciples he’d accepted as an insurance policy now found themselves with a bit of fame.
Disciples of the Five Styles!
An odd look shone out of Hao Lianchuan’s eyes and he quickly smiled. “That’s right, Li Hao, let us know if there’s anything we can do to help. As for Wang Ming... converse with your senior brother often. There is still a bright future in martial dao.”
He was happy to endorse this development and even felt a bit of schadenfreude. He’d found it slightly inappropriate when Yuan Shuo forced them to acknowledge him as their teacher, but now look at the situation! Heh, Yuan Shuo, you didn’t think about this possibility, did you? Your honorary disciples are the ones sticking to you now.
Li Hao couldn’t be bothered with anything. This was how Wang Ming was sometimes.
“Don’t call me senior brother in front of others,” he said casually. “Don’t think it’s a good deal you’re getting. You should keep in mind that however many want teacher dead is however many want me dead too.”
Martial masters, supernaturals, Red Moon... There might even be Night Watchers who didn’t want Yuan Shuo alive. Li Hao thought back to the conversation with Hou Xiaochen—if those in charge continued to force his hand, he would rebel!
That would be a horrifying turn of events indeed. And now there was a mid Solar in their vicinity, silently keeping them under observation. It would easily raise attention if he said too much.
His teacher hadn’t absorbed sword energy when he left—he only took the scarlet shadows. Who knew if they could help him recover? And with the forceful summoning of the second spirit, his kidneys must be extremely damaged. Li Hao was rather worried.
He understood why his teacher had run. If Yuan Shuo didn’t run now and word spread before he returned to full health, he’d be a sitting target! It was too easy to be surrounded in the canyon.
“We’re in a difficult spot with the ruins then!” A solemn Hao Lianchuan also thought of these possibilities. “News may be spreading as we speak, so I need to report this to Director Hou immediately! Li Hao, you’re with me!”
He led the young man back to the Night Watcher camp. The matter seemed beyond his abilities now—not seemed, it was entirely beyond his abilities. They were in enormous trouble! Thank goodness Yuan Shuo had gone on the run. Trouble would be greater if he hadn’t.
If Yuan Shuo had stayed, the three great organizations might send their premier elites at the fastest speed possible. Reinforcements would come from neighboring provinces at the very least, if not the central region depending on the distance.
The news had indeed spread.
At the foot of Mt. White Moon, in a tea house.
The Revolution King had just reached the foot of the mountain when a mirror in his pocket vibrated. He pulled it out for a look and grew more solemn the longer he looked at it. A leaden expression hung on his face at the end.
There wasn’t much information, but it was extremely shocking.
Yuan Shuo had broken through to Summoner of Spirit. There was a path for martial masters beyond Dominator! He had slain Sun Yifei despite the latter utilizing an origin weapon. Yuan Shuo’s strength approached the limits of Solar!
This was terrifying news!
There was an addendum that Yuan Shuo was heavily injured and fled. Before he ran, he slaughtered the entire Red Moon delegation, as well as Hao Kong.
That put a smile on the Revolution King’s face. It wasn’t Yama’s people that’d been hurt. The three great organizations both worked together and against each other. It was always a cause for celebration when one of the others died. Granted, he wasn’t going to jeer at Red Moon for their loss.
Moments away from ascending the mountain, he suddenly turned around and took to the sky, heading for Rift Canyon. Curbing Hou Xiaochen was no longer important, he needed to leave!
A furious roar echoed around the mountain moments later as a violet figure floated into the sky. Violet Moon of the Red Moon organization!
She’d also received word despite her delegation being slaughtered. One of the supernaturals at the scene had told her. It didn’t matter who—Red Moon’s intelligence network had always been strong.