Star Gate

“Take my Xus, for example,” Xu Qing said softly. “You don’t honestly think that our basis in suppressing the east is just me and a few generals, do you? You came so suddenly to the manor that we didn’t have a chance to react. This is also a result of us having been at peace for so long, we’ve grown a bit dull around the edges.

“However, you should know that no one treats their territory aboveground as the heart of their faction. Ruins and ancient cities are where powerhouses put down their roots! I say all this to help you understand that, having seized the Windchaser Boots and overturned my home, death will be coming for you all the same if you are unwilling to enter a partnership. It will find you even if I don’t kill you!”

Li Hao’s heart shook. Was that true? Xu Qing was implying that his family had many more powerhouses, that most of them resided in the ruins and ancient cities. It would seem that many people and factions like him were thus, such as the Ancient Guard of Red Moon. They preoccupied themselves with exploring ruins and rarely showed their faces.

Ruins…

Li Hao hadn’t explored many ruins yet, but he’d found ancient heavyweights in the two that he had. If he could discover the powerhouses of the Battle Heaven Army and the little tree, then so could these people. He couldn’t possibly be the only one to make such finds.

“Not only can you and I partner together, but so can the existences behind us! The method that you used to kill Red Beard should be a… core origin division as recorded in the ancient records, right? You really do have an agreement with an ancient plant spirit, don’t you? The imperial palace of the Kui Mountains might be fake, but you must have seen an ancient plant spirit somewhere. Is it in Battle Heaven? It looks like the eight families were really something. We’ve met similar existences before, but were unable to approach them or strike up a partnership…”

Li Hao remained swiftly making his way through the sky and didn’t respond. The duke was both trying to persuade him and attempting to numb him to Yu Qing’s movements. The duke had noticeably increased his speed just now and was drawing closer. Previously five thousand meters apart, the two were now roughly three thousand.

The young man put on a burst of speed and widened the gap by another two thousand meters. Of course, that spontaneity consumed another large chunk of internal force.

Xu Qing frowned, growing furious. He was unable to use his family’s heritage treasure, but the young man was having the time of his life. The effects were truly astonishing! The distance that they could cover in a split second was incredibly long. If he could use it and instantly close the gap to those of his level, would they be able to withstand him?

Li Hao was only using it for escape, but in Xu Qing’s eyes, these boots were the greatest tools for killing others. Speed was the only martial method that could not be defended against!

The duke picked up speed again, his organs trembling and his blood qi surging upward. His internal force stirred, wanting to unseal his body. This pace was beyond his limits. If this continued, he might truly unseal his battle strength.

“Don’t force me, Li Hao. You’re a Silver Moon martial master, so you should know that you’re dead without a doubt once I unseal my organs!”

“Come on, let’s see you try!” Li Hao barked with laughter. “I’ve got nothing to lose and am all by myself. If I die, I die. And you? You are the Steadfast Duke, the overlord of the entire east! Can you reseal yourself once you break your locks? Do you think you can accomplish that just after taking my sword? Have you been able to use the Windchaser Boots in all these years of possessing them? My sword is ranked number among the eight, are you as idiotic as those outsiders?”

Xu Qing didn’t say a word. This was why he was warier than most. It was precisely because he’d one such weapon before that he knew how hard it was for outsiders to fully control the eight weapons. It was hardly a moment’s worth of wok. Time was required to slowly observe and familiarize himself with it.

“Don’t forget that there is more than one path to recovering the five organs. Sword energy isn’t the only way. So long as there’s sufficient Water of life and blood pearls, they will do just as well. Do you think my family hasn’t the least bit of reserves over the years?”

“Then it’s perfect that you’re here!” Li Hao beamed brightly. “You can unseal yourself. So what if you have those items? How long can you maintain your condition? Will you be able to keep yourself under control once you do? The stronger one is, the harder control is!”

Trying to intimidate me? I’m not scared!

The Xus would certainly possess Water of Life—the duke just couldn’t make up his mind to use it at the moment. Li Hao was a bit nervous that the old fart would truly throw caution to the wind and unseal himself. If he did, that would be trouble!

Seeing that they were running further and further from the Xu manor, Li Hao found the situation tricky. He was consuming sword energy too quickly! There almost wasn’t enough time to replenish it. Thankfully, he’d stored a lot when helping Light Sword recover from her wounds. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have time to refuel Stellaris during their chase.

Li Hao covered another one hundred and fifty kilometers during their conversation, his mind deep in thought as he abruptly changed direction. Xu Qing frowned, more certain than ever that the young man possessed a heavenly eye. An opponent like this was a difficult prospect—killing intent appeared in the duke’s eyes! He had heavyweights lying in wait up ahead, but that plan was defunct now as well.

Only martial masters can evade his senses!

The duke knew full well that Heaven’s Eyes could easily discern supernaturals, but were almost blind to martial masters. Since it was supernaturals attempting to ambush him at present, they could not find success at all.

After some thought, Xu Qing reached for his transmission pendant again. It would be difficult to rely solely on supernaturals if he wanted to stop Li Hao.

Not long after the duke transmitted a message.

Li Hao’s scalp suddenly tingled; he looked around, finding no one other than Xu Qing behind him. There were no supernaturals—was it martial masters this time? That would be concerning! Did the Steadfast Duke have more powerful martial masters under his command?

“Arf arf arf!” Panther’s hairs suddenly stood upright. It growled with urgency.

Li Hao’s expression shifted as three items shot toward him from the sky. They appeared to be bombs and were locked onto the young man. Xu Qing watched closely from behind.

Li Hao, you underestimate a major faction. Not to mention, I’ve been following you the whole time. You’ve probably never tasted a city annihilation missile before. Why did wandering martial masters rarely provoke a major faction? This was the reason why!

The duke shifted slightly back; three city annihilation missiles landed at this time. As Li Hao’s scalp crawled with numbness, he quickly called upon the Windchaser Boots. However, the missiles were too quick!

Not only that, but they were spread out in three directions in a showcase of precision firing. The Steadfast Duke in the rear was the only direction not covered. If Li Hao wanted to survive, he would have to run behind him!

The young man instantly understood the situation. The Steadfast Duke’s troops had fired the attack at coordinates supplied by Xu Qing.

“Break!” he grunted, summoning blood qi and mind intent. He shot through several thousand meters again, just as the bombs detonated into rings of energy!

No sound, just formidable force swept through the area. All trees, rocks, and mountains were reduced to ashes beneath the bombs.

Having retreated to a safe distance, Xu Qing said softly. “Do you think that the dynasty stands to this day simply because of those supernatural and martial masters? Do you think that people refrain from rebelling only because they don’t want to be first?”

None of that was the case! It was just that there was yet to be a person who could withstand the destruction caused by a city annihilation missile, even in this age that saw a great number of powerhouses!

According to Xu Qing’s judgment, it would take supernaturals in their sixth cultivation level and martial masters able to unseal themselves before the missiles could be weathered. No one else could survive being blasted. Of course, the missiles also came with their share of drawbacks, such as hitting everything in their zone of detonation. It was very hard for them to lock onto a specific person.

They had done so this time because the duke had steadily supplied the coordinates for their hit. If he wanted to use the missiles on someone stronger than him… Well, a very hearty good luck with that!

But as many as their drawbacks were, the city annihilation misses were still an effective deterrence. Light erupted from the three bombs and illuminated the land and sky with brilliance. It was soundless! But a massive wave of energy churned in the next second as heaven and earth resonated!

Even though the Steadfast Duke was quite a distance away, he stumbled from the oscillation of energy and almost went deaf. His world temporarily lost its sound and he closed his eyes; that piercing light seemed ready to stab into his eyes. Li Hao was probably the worst off!

The duke felt that it would be difficult to blast the young man to pieces. With the Windchaser Boots present, the kid should be able to flee from ground zero, but he would be injured! It was Xu Qing’s judgment that even if Li Hao could evade the center of detonation, he wouldn’t find it that easy to escape from the blast radius entirely. These city annihilation missiles were great weapons that the ancient civilization used against alien races!

KABOOM!

A tremendous explosion ripped through the air only after everything was leveled before their eyes. The ground fissured in all directions, gaping cracks in the surface. Off in the distance, observers registered the development with shocked eyes and swiftly recorded it.

“The Steadfast Duke utilized three city annihilation missiles in his pursuit of Demon Sword. Demon Sword… was situated within the blast zone!”

……

Li Hao felt himself lifted through the air. He’d never seen a city annihilation missile before, nor experienced its might. Silver Moon had threatened to use them a few times, but never actually fired the weapons. It was said that the central region had employed them a few times, but Li Hao had never seen an occurrence with his own eyes.

Today, he did. And personally experienced three of them!

Three avenues of escape were sealed off, but he barreled forward nonetheless. He managed to escape the center of detonation, but even so, the ripples spreading in all directions slammed into him so hard that he wished for death!

Cracks even appeared in the silver armor. Panther instantly left Li Hao behind and flung itself forward in the shape of the golden dog. It howled as all of the golden hair on its back was burnt off. It was suddenly a bald dog!

Li Hao’s organs suffered the blows from the immense impact. If it wasn’t for his organs being so strong, he might’ve died from the shock to his system. Though he survived, blood flowed out of his orifices!

etvolare’s Thoughts

I wonder what the modern equivalent of city annihilation missiles would be? I don’t think atom bombs...