Star Gate-Chapter 1132: Dawn (III)

At the same time.

A warship silently flew toward Silver Moon, quickly entering Boundless airspace. Li Hao was on it.

The ancient city was furiously ravaging the world for its energy. Dozens of divine spirits were dead and one million soldiers obliterated in the last battle. The world’s energy had been in a state of revitalization, but Boundless’ insatiable devouring weakened it again.

It was this increasing weakness that prevented Zheng Yu from taking further action. He could only sit by and watch while Zhang An sealed off Boundless to him.

A group of people disembarked from the warship, each of them covered in wounds and in an emotional state. The battlefield remained as it was when they left, it had not been cleaned up.

Blood stained the ancient city as all of the living in the army had died. Those dead to begin with milled around aimlessly, at a loss and many having voluntarily crumbled away.

Not all of Boundless were mutinous traitors. Some of them had died in the early days and left only lingering obsessions behind. They simply followed orders, and now that their superiors were dead, they instantly lost their vigor.

Li Hao landed on the ground and looked around, not finding any words for the longest time. He Yong, Hou Xiaochen, Yu Luocha, Golden Spear, Yuan Shuo, Thunderleg, Liu Long, Kong Jie, Northern Fist, Berserk Blade, the previous generation Iron Shirt, and even Yao Si—someone who’d Li Hao had pointed at and insulted for being an old stick in the mud—had died in this battle.

No one knew what the young man was thinking. Half of the Silver Moon martial world was no more after a single engagement. Was it worth it?

The nine Evenround Martial students that’d offered their allegiance had fallen asleep, leaving only their weapons behind. It would be very difficult to revive them because even their mental strength had stilled.

If Li Hao’s side counted this battle as a victory, they could only consider it a fluke. Perhaps... it was worth it!

“Teacher and them... should know that dawn has arrived,” Li Hao suddenly said as he looked up at the sky. “Even if it’s only brightened a little, it is no longer night in our world!”

Daybreak!

The sun was dawning on the second day. The threat from the four nations no longer existed after the last battle. Perhaps a period of fast-paced development would take place next, a state that applied to the other ancient cities!

I think I know how to handle everything.

Gan Wuliang carefully approached Li Hao from behind. “Commander... ah... funerals for the seniors...”

Li Hao turned to him and took a long moment. “They’re not dead, what funerals?”

Gan Wuliang quickly nodded, not daring to say anything else. The young man at present gave him the feeling of looking into a deep abyss. The abyss was staring back at him and suffocating in its gaze!

Gan Wuliang even had the hair-raising feeling that death was beside him! He knew that while Li Hao looked calm, he was absolutely not calm.

“Clean up the battlefield, there’s plenty of rewards to be had with seizing an ancient city!” Li Hao recovered his composure; it was like nothing had ever happened. He looked into the distance with a smile. “The city is devouring the energy of the world, this place will very quickly become the next sacred land. As for the second awakening... what does it have to do with us? Who cares if the world is fragile or not?”

There was no reply forthcoming from the crowd. Some among them were still downcast.

“Everyone, we need to cultivate, grow stronger, and grasp our dao,” the young man continued. “If we still do not see the difference between us and them after this fight, how are we to avenge our people in the days to come? When has Silver Moon martial world ever been so devastated by outsiders?”

The heavily injured Northern Fist clenched his jaw and growled, “We need to grow stronger!”

He Yong had died in this battle, his martial uncle had died in this battle. He was the only one left that focused on the path of the fist. He would’ve died as well, if not for Yao Si suddenly leaping out of nowhere.

The director of the Night Watchers also practiced the fist, and he was the one to fall instead of Northern Fist. Perhaps, in Yao Si’s eyes, Northern Fist should survive because he had the highest potential in this dao. Southern Fist was already gone, at least Northern Fist should remain.

Flames ignited in everyone’s eyes! All of them had opened dao meridians not of the thirty-six. The bloodthirsty look in their eyes sent chills down the Watercloud empress dowager’s back.

These people... seemed to be smoking piles of dynamite. The slightest misstep might set the entire world on fire.

Li Hao walked in front of the group, heading for the city lord manor in the center of the city. He didn’t look back or turn around, nor raised the idea of holding a memorial ceremony for anything. In his eyes, no one was dead.

Those who were actually dead were those about to be discovered by him. Silver Moon does not belong to them, it belongs to us! No one can take away the peace that we have irrigated with our blood and lives!

Everyone followed behind him, soundless and still. The massive ancient city was as quiet as a tomb.

......

The day brightened, the bloody rain stopped, and the sun came out from behind the clouds. Except, countless people looked around with confusion. Why was the ground red?

At this moment, the end of the eastern continent.

Baren Dynasty.

The king of Barren Dynasty looked around at a loss, staring into the distance for answers. A red rain had descended upon the world last night and dyed the land red. The weak were ignorant, but he knew that this meant a change in the world. Something had happened to Divine Nation and divine spirits had died one after another.

Who’d killed them?

Li Hao?

It was to be the parley of five tomorrow, but fear and unease rocked his heart. Could the meeting really be held as planned?

Communications were now severed in the world, he couldn’t receive word from anyone. The Barren wastelands held them like a prison.

......

The other ancient cities also shook on this day. Something had changed at Boundless as it furiously absorbed energy from the world, seeming to purposely prevent the second awakening. Why... was this happening?

There was nothing in it for anyone if the world did not awaken. Hence, the eight cities had always shared a tacit accord that they would only absorb a little bit of the energy around them. They were to strike an equilibrium with the surroundings. Draining the pond to fish like this should not occur!

Only Battle Heaven potentially guessed at the truth, but they were silent. Were the Zhengs the traitors or not? Had Li Hao’s side won? The young man may not be behind the deaths of the divine spirits. It could also be Red Moon’s side.

The disruption in communication sent everyone into a tailspin as it grew increasingly harder to contact each other in the outside world.

......

Boundless.

Numerous people started cleaning up the battlefield. No one said a word as it was their first time fully controlling an ancient city. The ancient metropolis was massive beyond belief!

It had never been compressed to begin with, its true form was simply concealed. A city that could hold tens of millions was enormous on an incredible scale.

Li Hao sat on the seat of the city lord and peered loftily over his domain from his vantage point. He’d killed three Saints, dozens of Immortals, hundreds of Apexes, and another three Saints of the divine spirits. Although those three weren’t peak Saints and highly limited by the world, it’d been battles that reaped the lives of six Saints total.

Other than the desolate beasts of Barren Dynasty, there was nothing that would hold him back now.

Of course, the seal over the Red Moon exalted emperor might have suffered some damage and he might take advantage of the opening to infiltrate Silver Moon... but so long as the exalted emperor remained confined, any energy that he sent into the world would be nourishment to Li Hao.

If it wasn't for the seal, it likely would be difficult for the world to restrict that personage as well. Killing Zheng Gong and breaking his great dao might have elicited the enemy’s attention. If Red Dust was the Zheng patriarch, he would sense the developments. freeweɓnøvel.com

What kind of cultivation level did Red Dust possess? Could Silver Moon world limit his movements? If not, why hadn’t Red Dust appeared earlier on to smite him? Why had the enemy gone to the trouble and effort of forging an alliance of the four nations?

If the world could restrict Red Dust’s capabilities, did that mean he wasn’t that strong after all—at least not strong enough to break the restrictions of the world?

Li Hao turned over many thoughts in his mind. Now that Boundless had been taken out of the eight main cities and Sword City was located within the Star Gate, the remaining six might all be contaminated by Red Moon power. This included even Battle Heaven.

It would either be Red Moon loyalists or Red Dust’s people.

There were the Zhengs, Zhous, and Lius at Tranquil Star. Since something was amiss with the Zhengs, then there was very likely something to be wrong with the Zhous and the Lius.

Li Hao wouldn’t have given thought to this before because he was more interested in recruiting New Martial to his cause. Reaching an agreement with them was his priority. But now, the question of their loyalties was on his agenda. He may not care about them, but his teacher and Director Hou would, wouldn’t they?

If they care, then I care.

“We will continue our efforts to push cultivation to the people. The world will continue to stabilize, but so will great dao continue to be perfected. The ancient city will extract energy from the world and dismantle its foundations. Let’s see if they come out first or if I grow stronger first.”

Ideas were readily coming to mind now.

“All those alive within the city have been executed!” Hong Yitang boomed after he walked through the door. “There are still tens of thousands of soldiers with lingering obsessions in them. They may not be traitors and instead burn with steadfast loyalty. How should we handle them, commander?’

“Absorb them into the Battle Heaven military system and assign them to the Ninth Division!” Li Hao laughed. “I was wondering how I would explain myself to the Ninth Division leader. He can have these soldiers! They’re just a bunch of regular troops and didn’t participate in the mutiny of that year. They have stood loyal to their duties even after death!”

“The Zhengs have betrayed New Martial, but we do not have evidence...” Hong Yitang said after a pause. It was true, they did not have tangible evidence proving the Zheng treason.

“Director General Wang personally witnessed that three of their Saints have retained full battle capabilities and Zheng Gong insulted Supreme Zhang. If that is still insufficient to be evidence and written confessionals or recordings are required...” Li Hao’s tone returned to normal. “Then that means this is all there is to Battle Heaven!

“Our partnership is at an end if they do not wish to remain on good terms. I will not make trouble for them on account of our past history, but if those of Battle Heaven wish to resurrect and set foot in the world, they’ll have to ask me for permission first!