Star Gate

Chapter 753: Disturbance (I)

“No!” Li Hao said proudly. “Is the Li Hao you see today going to be the Li Hao you see tomorrow? Is the Li Hao of a few days ago the Li Hao of today? How about the Li Hao of four months ago and the Li Hao now? People like to view me through an old lens. They’re already dead when they take a clear look at me!

“Is my goal these people? No! I’m going to clear out everything that doesn’t listen to me! Whether it’s ancient plant spirits, monster spirits, or powerhouses, it’s all the same! Someone once told me that the ancient powerhouses still left in this world are either deserters or those with important missions at hand.

“They should not oppose me, if they still remember their original intentions. If they do, then I’ll sweep them all into the trash!” He raised his head to the sky. “We modern people are not necessarily lesser compared to the ancients. If they can do it, so can we! What do we stand to gain in placing our hopes in the revitalization of the ancient civilization?

“Why don’t we think of surpassing them, even though it will be hard? Do we shy away just because it is hard? If everything is a brand new start, why do the nine ministries and royal family only wish to walk the path of the ancients and become the Human King in name only?”

Yao Si remained silent, giving a long exhale after a while. “You have a great heart and ambition, but...”

“There is no but!” Li Hao shook his head. “When you say ‘but, if only, maybe...’ that represents hesitation and apprehension! Martial masters should not be thus! Martial masters train the heart! Where our heart lies is where our dao lies!”

Yao Si smiled even more ruefully. This little bastard was teaching him another lesson! I’m the premier martial master here!

“Very well!” He nodded after a long exhale. “I can agree to your proposal then. But the Inspectorate...”

“I’ll talk to them. I’ll ignore them if we can’t reach an agreement. I’ll kill their people if they dare make trouble, that will make the nine ministries think twice!”

“......” Yao Si had truly nothing to say now and laughed ruefully, “Give me some more sword energy. My internal injuries haven’t healed yet, you hit me too hard.”

“If I can’t convince people through reason, then I will convince through the fist! Courtesy first and war later is better than just empty negotiation.” Li Hao directed some more sword energy into the old man and tossed out a few drops of Water of Life. Yao Si took them all.

He didn’t want to contribute to the conversation anymore. Having bided his time for so many years, but letting a youngster slap his face twice in a row... He wasn’t going to say anything next time, lest he get hit again.

......

Yao Si had chosen to bow his head. There was no helping it, Li Hao was too strong. Of course, that wasn’t the key. The key was that Li Hao had gravely wounded him with one stroke. The man’s inner tranquility was ruffled.

There were many in the world who were stronger than him. If this was the issue, he would’ve been a hotbed of agitation long ago. He’d never bowed his head to them because it required more than simple might to make him acquiesce. What was also of grave importance was that Li Hao’s goals were his goals.

Yao Si thought quite a great deal in this moment, a great deal. Li Hao had set off on a different path and completed the amalgamation of four elements. The elements of fire and water were particularly different, yet they were fully withdrawn into his body for his own use. It was mind-boggling that the external forces of wind and thunder could coexist peacefully with the internal forces of water and fire.

A completely different situation had developed with Li Hao. He could use the sword intent of a martial master as well. Did this mean that he’d melded a martial master with a supernatural?? That was incredible! Was it that simple?? A problem that’d plagued the world for twenty years had been solved by a young man with a few months exposure to marital dao?

Yao Si was still at a loss.

Of course, it was due to Li Hao’s large breadth of experience and inspiration from Tranquil Star’s ultimate art that he’d succeeded. The man with the greatest potential in the world—Yuan Shuo—was his teacher, and taught the young man everything he knew. Li Hao had come in contact with many things that people would never dream of encountering in their entire lives.

His view of the world was grand! But sometimes, it also depended on boldness and fortune. Not everyone was daring enough to pursue this road or make this kind of try.

Whether it was the martial masters of the modern world or supernaturals, all of them lacked a certain courage. Those who had it were the strict minority.

Yao Si recovered from his wounds with the aid of sword energy, savoring the sensation when he suddenly said, “Your abilities don’t seem to just be attacks of mysterious power. They contain some other aspects within them.”

Li Hao nodded. Of course! There was the aura, mind intent, and blood qi incorporated into them, not to mention his own life force. That strength could be more accurately described as the combination of all aspects of strength. It definitely wasn’t a simplistic mysterious power attack.

“Is it a burden on your body?” asked Yao Si.

Li Hao thought for a moment, then shook his head. “The burden isn’t great so long as I don’t utilize it. The energy can almost be entirely retracted within. If I want to use it, my limits are similar to that of sealed martial masters. However, I can use it at any time!”

That meant to say that he could endure even seven elements if he wished, but he could only utilize four elements at a time. He could deploy more if he wanted to, so long as he wasn’t afraid of death and that his body could endure the explosive power.

“Then... aren’t you the same as a sealed martial master?” Yao Si frowned.

“Not at all!” Li Hao laughed. The difference was enormous! “A sealed martial master’s strength must come from breaking their supernatural locks. Once they do, they experience a brief loss of control over their power and receive a large amount of external power. But my abilities are my abilities. They’re still mine even if I don’t use them!

“Which means to say that one, my strength is completely under my control.

“Two, I can utilize at will at any time, to whatever degree I wish. Once a martial master breaks their supernatural locks, they are in a passive position that they cannot control.

“Three, my eruption is gentle apart from the actual moment of eruption. My abilities even nurture my body as opposed to the spontaneous destruction of a martial master unsealing themselves.

“Four, my ceiling is higher. Martial masters can only unseal themselves to the number of their saturated supernatural locks. My supernatural abilities are limited by the number of supernatural locks that I’ve found.”

Yao Si mused over his words. That truly was quite the feat from what the young man was saying. He didn’t further inquire about details such as why Li Hao’s wind and thunder hadn’t become that kind of strength. Was there some issue, or another reason entirely? What about the supernatural locks of the four limbs that were without attributes?

The supernatural locks of the limbs were an unattributed energy. Thus far, Li Hao’s unattributed energy existed in a scattered state. His water and fire attributes seemed to contain the aura. So was the aura the key?

Yao Si quickly gleaned a few clues from the display and mostly guessed at the truth. He then thought of Li Hao’s five auras and how most martial masters only possessed one. Therefore, it was very hard to say whether Li Hao’s path was suitable for all.

No matter what, he was already quite satisfied.

“You can unseal the premises now,” he took a deep breath. “Your mirror fragment...”

“Is from the Steadfast Duke.”

“I know.” Yao Si nodded. “But this mirror should be a complete whole. I think I’ve seen these fragments before—the palace and nine ministries probably all have them! Not only them, but the three great organizations and seven divine mountains as well, and some other organizations.”

Li Hao blinked. He’d guessed that the palace would have a shard, but everyone had a shard? Was this matter so common?

“This mirror must have been a premier treasure that later broke. Everyone should have a few pieces,” Yao Si pointed out. “Undo the seal. You’ll draw attention as time goes on.”

Li Hao smiled and undid the mirror seal. Yao Si could actually break it himself as the treasure could hold off Novas, but not Arcanus. Being curious, the young man asked, “How many locks have the director saturated?”

“Let’s put it this way,” Yao Si smiled. “You can fight Arcanus when you have nine saturated locks. You’re somewhat stronger than regular two element Arcanus when you have ten saturated locks. it will make you the equivalent of Hu Xiao. At eleven, you’re the equivalent of me.”

Eleven locks? Li Hao raised an eyebrow. “So this means to say that you have the battle strength of a three element Arcanus under normal conditions?”

“Not entirely as Hu Xiao wasn’t a premier two element Arcanus. Under normal conditions, I should be at the peak of two elements...”

Eleven saturated locks! Li Hao was still rather stunned by the number. The locks of the four limbs and five organs were the basic set. So Yao Si had saturated two more elsewhere?

What about Hou Xiaochen? He’d easily defeated Arcanus of two elements last time, which placed him at more than ten locks. The same likely went for Hong Yitang as well. Of course, Hong Yitang might have only had nine or ten at first, but he would’ve grown stronger after his five organs completed a revolution. In terms of strength, he might not measure up to Yao Si or Hou Xiaochen.

Li Hao made some swift judgments and discovered that there was a great gap between premier martial masters as well. One could be as numerous as Yao Si and be at eleven locks, or one could be as few as He Yong at only five locks. Well, he was probably between seven and eight now.

The young man made some more calculations. Those who started saturating their locks usually possessed the strength of a Nova. The increase from saturating the locks of the limbs wasn't that great. Martial masters could unseal themselves when they saturated their fifth lock. At that point, they could even battle peak metamorphosis. But under normal conditions, they could only fight Novas. Only at nine locks could they pit themselves against an Arcanus.

However, the more locks that one saturated, the more difficult the task became. There was a limit to the number of supernatural locks that could be discovered.

An anxious Little Ye pushed the door as the two conversed. She sighed with relief when she saw that the two were sitting down and said awkwardly, “Um... I couldn't enter earlier. My apologies, director, please continue!”

She’d thought that something had happened inside when there was a sudden complete lack of sound. She wanted to enter for a look, but proved unable to open the door. When she left, however, she saw that the director’s table had broken.

So they’d been in a fight? She hadn't heard anything. How strange! Of course, she didn't dare ask questions and swiftly closed the door.