Star Gate

The cat looked at Li Hao, the young man looked back at it.

“Dao spirits can strengthen themselves through devouring daos of the same attribute!” Li Hao said. “I’ve verified this! There must be daos with similarities to the dao of replication. And with a large amount of life source... It’ll be easier for the senior when compared to others.

“You just need to strengthen your core dao. You are certain to become an eighth rank once you do so. Therefore... I’m thinking...”

“Don’t think!”

“Senior, how hard is it to do that in this day and age!” Li Hao sighed. “Someone might kill you even if you do nothing at all.”

“Then let me die!”

“......” Li Hao was suddenly out of ideas for what to say. Why was Number Two imitating Big Cat for? It was growing unruly!

“Senior...”

“It’s really hard to copy their dao!” The cat despaired.

“It won’t be hard for the senior to enter eighth rank when their replicas are present!”

“Fine, then!” Number Two drooped with dejection. “When it is really going to be the last time when it comes to you!”

I don’t believe you in anything anymore! What did you resurrect me for? I was better off dead! This sucks!

“It’s almost the last time...” Li Hao said awkwardly.

Almost?

Number Two didn’t know if it wanted to scratch Li Hao’s face out or spontaneously die. The others around them laughed dryly. There was no helping it.

“This is a rare moment of quiet for Allheaven Hall,” continued the young man. “It is also a chance and opportunity for everyone. There is something to be learned from the discussion between exalted emperors, no matter how strong or weak we are! Of course, when we study what we heard, it’s best not to reveal someone else’s dao if possible!”

Nods abounded within the group. This was indeed their chance.

“Then... when will Skyward return?”

“Soon.” Li Hao became part of the chaos again and looked at the hidden passageway. “There are some ripples already. They’ll be back in three months at the latest and a few days at the earliest. It really won’t be long now!”

He suddenly frowned and looked at his own star of time. “They might... treat me as an intermediary hub!”

What??

The group blinked.

Li Hao considered the star of time again. Some disturbances were playing out over it. War seemed to have connected the star to the passageway back in the day. Therefore, when Skyward returned... they would pass by the star of time.

But why?

The dark passageway around New Martial originally had something to do with the star of time as well. Why had War done all this?

Is there some purpose for detouring around me?

“Taking a trip through time...” Li Hao wondered if he could just outright stop the three when they passed by. That would save them some trouble.

But what if they didn’t want to stay?

He needed to pay off his debts, no matter what. That was the rule!

But if these three sought to have him pay a hefty price on account of owed favors, then what they’d done for him was far from enough.

Li Hao’s thoughts traveled back to when he entered Skyward’s dao universe. The Skyward master had wanted him to take over the dao universe then. If he’d accepted...

The young man shuddered. That didn’t bear thinking! It wouldn’t be the favors of three seventh ranks that he’d have to pay off today, but a ninth rank!

He wouldn’t be able to do it. Thankfully, he’d been wise enough to refuse the offer then. If he hadn’t, he’d already be a powerhouse, but he wouldn’t have nearly as many options as he did now.

Li Hao’s senses rang when his thoughts traveled here!

......

The young man swiftly appeared outside the Ninth City. A kunpeng was shooting upward through the void. It banked with fear when it saw Li Hao, but quickly regained its composure. “I am here on orders to deliver twenty billion dao crystals and a replica of my master!

“My master says...” it added solemnly. “You may use it, but you may not insult it!”

Insult?

Li Hao blinked and almost burst out laughing. “My thanks to Fellow Daoist Chaos Sky... but... insult? How? Am I going to hang it up and whip it?”

“......” Peng Cheng didn’t know what to say.

“Fellow Daoist Chaos Sky is rich, alright, and very generous,” smiled Li Hao. “The chaos race might be in some trouble in the upcoming conflict. Has he told you about it? Will you head to the four regions?”

The young man was simply curious.

“I will not!” Peng Cheng quickly responded, despite the complicated look that crossed his face. “I am a cultivator of Chaos Sky... Why would I help Long Zhan? But he is a charismatic overlord, so I’m sure he doesn’t need my help to resolve his problems!”

Li Hao didn’t ask further. Everyone had their own goals in mind. It was normal for Peng Cheng to not head over since he marched under Chaos Sky’s banner.

The kunpeng looked in the direction of the four regions with an increasingly conflicted look. Chaos Sky had indeed told him the details and said that this might be a grave danger to the chaos beasts. He’d also asked the same question.

Indeed, Chaos Sky had asked if Peng Cheng wanted to go help.

The chaos beast didn’t know if this was a test or if his liege lord truly meant it. Regardless, he refused.

Chaos Sky didn’t say anything after that, just sent him on an errand to deliver the resources to Li Hao. Perhaps he was still testing Peng Cheng?

Who knew?

Peng Cheng wasn’t willing to say much else. A minor world floated up in front of him and drifted over to Li Hao. “Please take inventory, Silver Moon King. My mission is complete. If all is well, then I will take my leave!”

He didn’t want to stay here as Li Hao had left an indelible imprint on his mind.

“It will do, there is no need to take inventory.” Li Hao wouldn’t be able to do anything if Chaos Sky refused to make good on his debt. Since he’d delivered payment, there was nothing else to verify.

The young man suddenly thought of the Human King. Now there was someone who might actually count the loot. Ahem, he couldn’t think of things that way. The Human King was a good senior. It wouldn’t be appropriate to think of him in a bad light.

Peng Cheng left on the wind!

“Ah, did you possibly visit the south at some point eight hundred thousand years ago?” Li Hao asked when a new thought struck him.

“Eh?” Peng Cheng halted. Eight hundred thousand years ago? That’s such a long time ago! What are you asking this for?

“I don’t remember...” Who remembers stuff from eight hundred thousand years ago??

“That’s fine. If you have, you should be careful. It’s not easy making a trip like that, after all.”

What do you mean by that? Peng Cheng didn’t understand, but he didn’t ask further.

Spring Autumn had come to mind for the young man. According to what she’d said, a kunpeng had taunted her back in those times. Li Hao was quite baffled as a kunpeng could soar through the heavens. Was there a need to laugh at a cicada that wasn’t even an exalted emperor?

If that’d really happened, then a kunpeng that could travel through the chaos... had either wanted to purposefully antagonize the cicada, or it’d had too much time on his hands!

And if that kunpeng had been Peng Cheng... he needed to be careful. Spring Autumn looked like someone who cherished grudges.

......

Just as these thoughts ran through his mind, Li Hao grinned again. These overlords really did keep their words.

A butterfly came flitting through the void. The young man’s eyebrows rose. A butterfly? A monster spirit?

Butterflies had short lifespans as well! This was a major monster spirit that was a butterfly! It seemed to be an eighth rank, so was this someone under Spring Autumn’s command?

The butterfly danced lithely through the chaos, seeming to travel at a very slow pace. However, it reached Li Hao in the blink of an eye. It took the form of a stunning young girl when its wings retracted. She looked at Li Hao with some curiosity and some hate.

Hornet had died to this human.

“I am Dream Butterfly of the south!” said the girl. “Are you the Exalted Hao Moon Emperor of the east?”

“That is me.”

“I am here on orders from my dao master to deliver dao crystals and a replica of the dao master...” She ground her teeth. “Might I ask where the body of our Exalted Emperor Hornet is?!”

“......” Where? Inside one of the dao chess’ squares! “It’s gone.”

“Gone?” Dream Butterfly glowered when she understood. “They say that you treat all life as equal... so why do you view monster spirits as food too?”

Li Hao was momentarily at a loss, then smiled. “He came to kill me first, so it’s very normal for me to kill him in return! You can’t use the definitions of a saint to confine me. I am not a saint. I don’t care what race you are so long as you stay out of my way.

“But if you piss me off, I’ll kill you even if you’re a human! Fellow Daoist Dream Butterly, do not expect from others what you would not expect from yourself. Saints... do not exist. Even if they do, they are the saint of a race or a region. For example, I would not ask you to treat each and every single living being kindly.”

Dream Butterfly fell silent and wasn’t forthcoming with a retort. She offered up her delivery instead. “Why did the dao master give her strongest replica to you?”

“Did Fellow Daoist Spring Autumn not explain herself?” asked Li Hao with a smile.

“No.”

“Then maybe it’s because I’m young and handsome.”

“......” The butterfly scowled! She whirled around to leave, but then thought of something else. “Oh right, the dao master said that there might be upheaval in the east soon. In order to not distract everyone, the south will temporarily not make moves against the east!

“There is also no need to look to the north either. We are giving you guys a quiet environment and hope to hear good news from it!”

Li Hao arched an eyebrow. So there was no need to fear anything coming from the north or south, and Chaos Sky had swiftly delivered the goods...

The young man quickly connected the dots. He’d almost missed it! I see! They want me to grow strong as quickly as possible to balance out Skyward! But... is Long Zhan not enough for Skyward?

“I understand.” Li Hao nodded with a frown. “I thank Fellow Daoist Spring Autumn for her kind intentions!”

Dream Butterfly promptly vanished. Although she was curious why she had to deliver this message and why the dao master was supporting Li Hao, it had nothing to do with her. The overlord’s commands ruled the south!

“It looks like whether it’s Chaos Sky or Spring Autumn... both of them don’t think that Long Zhan can resolve the trouble coming from Skyward?”

It would be much thornier than expected then. These two were veteran overlords and neither thought highly of Long Zhan.

They’d swiftly delivered their replicas and dao crystals probably because they wanted Li Hao to grow strong enough to be involved. Did they want him to kill Skyward powerhouses or... Long Zhan?

Who knew!

The two of them had made good on their word, but not Long Zhan. That meant that the dragon was probably short on resources. He wasn’t the type to break his word, but since nothing was forthcoming yet, it might be a while.

Li Hao’s impression of Long Zhan was that this was a very proud invidious. He would not drag his heels unless he was truly in a pinch. He hadn’t even sent a replica! That meant... he needed even that little bit of battle strength!

Li Hao quickly ran through the implications, then thought of how the Human King was absent as well. Where’s my IOU, huh?

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