Star Gate

Night had fallen. Numerous Saints hovered in the air, illuminating the sky. The Great Li king was in an immense hurry, whereas an undercurrent of unease prickled at Ying Hongyue.

Just as battle seemed on the verge of breaking out, a ripple swept through the void. As Zheng Yu and the other observers turned their attention to the new development, a large city broke through the void! It hovered in the air as a watchful presence!

The Li Hao standing with the Great Li king suddenly threw his head back with laughter. "Senior Zhang is here!"

With that, he rose into the air and shot straight for the newly arrived city. A book of great dao flew out of it, followed by someone walking through air. Ying Hongyue's expression shifted slightly, but the change came with a certain degree of reassurance.

So this was Li Hao's trump card? If that was the case, then he was at ease! Everyone knew of Zhang An and his group. Their lack of participation in battle also curbed certain others, such as the many Saints within Galewind. None of them dared walk out, even when Li Hao sent all of his forces into the field!

Zhang An and his faction were waiting here!

But if Zhang An joined the battle, that freed up the Galewind group!

Therefore, Zhang An did not count as a trump card. There were several veteran Saints on his side that were strong enough. The two Saints of Martial Alliance, for example, one from Steadfast Sky, an unknown Saint, and the half step Empyrean King that was Zhang An!

They didn't number that many, but their battle strength was not to be doubted.

"Senior, we've yet to fight side by side before this, but we can do so today!" Li Hao laughed heartily.

Zhang An strode through the air, the rest of his Saints following close behind. The latter group looked at Li Hao with complicated emotions.

"We will eliminate these foreign intruders in this battle!" Zhang An said softly. "I had not wanted to pay attention to Ying Hongyue's matters, but all of these people have been contaminated by Red Moon power. Ying Hongyue is so brazen as to collude with Red Moon cultivators... he deserves death!"

"He deserves death!" the Saints behind him repeated for emphasis. "Don't worry, Marquis Li. We are Saints of New Martial and will easily execute these eight Saints!"

Capsize Sea and a few others almost dropped their jaws with utter surprise.Hot damn!These guys were being so courteous today! They were normally quite arrogant!

When it came to New Martial affairs and New Martial citizens, they felt that they should take care of their own business. Anyone who defected to Li Hao's faction was no longer of New Martial. Although they didn't label their former comrades as traitors, it was what they thought in the depths of their hearts.

Why had they... changed their tune so rapidly? Look at them saying "Marquis Li", they were being so ridiculously polite!

Although they'd only sent five Saints, their strength was not to be underestimated! Added to that Capsize Sea, the old turtle, General Pagoda, the redwood, spurge tree, the Ninth Division leader, Hong Yitang, Lin Hongyu, and Li Hao himself... That made for fifteen Saints on Li Hao's side!

Most of them were veteran New Martial Saints to boot, the kind that'd truly set foot into the Saint dao. They were formidable and far eclipsed the later ascended Saints.

......

Within Galewind.

Zheng Yu frowned slightly. Had Zhang An's side chosen to join the battle? That was rather surprising!

I thought these guys wouldn't participate and would just wait. Or at the very least, they would be on guard against me. Galewind suffered grave losses last time, but I still have nine Saints!

Granted, it was a far cry from the former forces he commanded. Although the world could tolerate Saints again, he didn't send his out, just in case they were mobbed by Li Hao's side. But if Zhang An's faction was participating... Ying Hongyue might truly lose this skirmish!

"Saints, prepare to enter the battlefield!" Zheng Yu said softly. "Now this is interesting... Will all the Saints in the world gather today? There are more than twenty Saints combined in the field already. It was rare that so many Saints gathered in a minor world even during New Martial..."

He casually glossed over the fact that his side had lost a lot of Saints prior to this.

With Zhang An present and working in tandem with Li Hao against Ying Hongyue and the skeleton... No matter how strong the skeleton was, the two sides might duel to a standstill. However, Li Hao had more than a dozen Saints to make use of.

In that case, Ying Hongyue may not be victorious today.

"Should we make our move now, milord? Or should we wait?"

"Let's wait," Zheng Yu responded after some thought. "Ying Hongyue is working with the Red Moon cultivators, did they only send eight Saints? Is this all they have, or just a portion? We should observe a while longer and take action only if Saints start to die or no more people join the fray!"

If no one made a move after Saints started dying, that would mean that this was all that the Red Moon side possessed. When that was made clear, that would be the perfect opportunity for him to make a move!

The Saints nodded and looked raptly at the battlefield. They couldn't wait to shed some blood! They'd suffered such an ignoble defeat last time!

"Milord, what if Li Hao..." There were still people apprehensive.

"He won't!" Zheng Yu shook his head. "The world is more stable than last time, so he might not succeed if he tries the same trick again. Second, all of his people are out in the field. It won't be that easy for them to retreat either. He won't sever his own cultivation this time, not unless he wants to kill Zhang An and the rest!"

And if that's the case, you guys can go to hell!

Of course, these words could remain unsaid. Zheng Yu actually wanted nothing more than for Li Hao to really undertake such actions. Trading his Saints for the lives of Zhang An and his ilk was such a worthwhile transaction!

Perhaps all of the Saints in the world would be participating in the battle to come. How fun!

......

Li Hao and Zhang An convened in front of the Star River city gates. The veteran Saints were all very polite.

"I held off for a day to wait for the various seniors, here you are at last!" Li Hao grinned broadly. "I felt so unsettled without the seniors present and felt that there was something critical missing. Everything is right with the world when the seniors are here!"

It was like he wouldn't dare engage in battle if Zhang An's group didn't show up.

"Ying Hongyue!" Li Hao turned pompously toward the man and put on some airs. "You're a slippery, scheming sort and I knew that you would be fully prepared! These eight Saints may not be the full sum of your force.

"The grandson of Supreme Zhang is here in person today, ready to slay an Empyrean King with his strength as a half step Empyrean King! Today is when you meet your doom!

"Senior, I leave the skeleton to you! I will execute Ying Hongyue today and have my vengeance! Everyone else, slaughter those from Red Moon!"

He raised his hand and materialized a longsword. "Kill!" he roared.

BOOM!

Sword light flashed through the sky as killing intent exploded. The sky and earth changed colors! A great battle commenced!

A variety of thoughts flashed through Ying Hongyue's eyes as he shouted back, "Just give it a try, Li Hao! This seat has wanted to fight you a long time ago. Let's see who wins today!"

WHOOSH!

His blood qi flared as eight bloodlines spontaneously became one. A formidable strength erupted and the Forbidden Sea encircled the world. It churned, raising massive waves that crashed toward Li Hao.

Light shimmered over the white jade bones of the skeleton behind Ying Hongyue. It disappeared on the spot, as did Zhang An with the book of dao in hand.

RUMBLE!

Heaven and earth split apart!

The skeleton and Zhang An were respectively an Empyrean King and half an Empyrean King. A battle between Empyrean Kings exploded!

Li Hao and Ying Hongyue, two heirs of the eight families, were equipped with nearly peak Saint strength. The two immediately clashed together, sending blood qi to the heavens. A sword materialized in Ying Hongyue's hands as well. Eight colors split the world when he slashed outward!

Lover Swordsman Ying Hongyue had been one of the premier swordsmen of Silver Moon back in the day. He wasn't included among the Seven Swords simply because he didn't focus on the sword. However, he was indeed adept when it came to sword dao.

"Kill!" Hong Yitang brandished his sword with a yell. The Earthturner Sword swept through the world and shook the Forbidden Sea, turning it upside down.

Lin Hongyu unsheathed a curved blood, bloodlust dawning in her eyes. She disappeared as she darted into the Forbidden Sea. With the convergence of a myriad daos on her, she did not fear the corrosive effects of the Forbidden Sea.

Capsize Sea, the Ninth Division leader, and the blade-wielding Saint of the Zhangs charged. Panther transformed into the golden dog and began swallowing the world. The two sides broke through the firmament as they fought in and around the sea!

Battle had been engaged for only a split second, but one of the eight Red Moon Saints yelped with pain despite being fortified by the Forbidden Sea. A gigantic golden cow descended with such momentum that it sent an earthquake through the sea waters!

"I. am. the Sea Pacification Envoy!" Capsize Sea grunted.So long as the world stands and New Martial stands, then I am the Sea Pacification Envoy! All seas are the land to me!

Have people forgotten that my family originated from the Forbidden Sea? Welivedin the sea during New Martial! My grandfather was Exalted Emperor Unbounded Strength! He was a giant water cow that proudly swam through the sea!

What can this little Forbidden Sea puddle do to me? Is this corrosive force supposed to scratch my itches?

BOOM!

Massive cow hooves broke though the water surface, shaking even Ying Hongyue and the skeleton in the distance. The latter soon realized that these were the connate attributes of their opponent!

The Sea Pacification Envoy...All seas beneath the heavens belonged to this one!

The eight Saints were strong enough when they were bolstered by the Forbidden Sea, but when their defenses were spontaneously broken, they were immediately subject to ferocious attack!

Who among the veteran Saints wasn't a premier existence? Meanwhile, the newly ascended Saints were also heavyweights of the new era.

Endless seawater gushed into Panther's mouth as the dog swallowed the world. It permitted the seawater to gather within its body, wholly unmoved by the corrosive attributes!

The bloodline of the Monster Spirit Envoy did not fear the Forbidden Sea at all!

It was only a split second before a Red Moon Saint was sent flying by the Blade Saint of the Zhangs. A curved blade manifested in the dark, carving a scarlet trajectory and spraying blood through the world!

Lin Hongyu was like a hunter in the dark, appearing to deliver a fatal stroke. A Red Moon Saint was immediately gravely injured!

"Ahh!" The ghastly scream echoed through the land. Saints were not afraid of regular pain, but there were other matters included within the blade that caused them to writhe in agony!

There wasn't anything particularly special in Lin Hongyu's blade, just some of the impurities left behind from the deaths of the gods of misfortune and disaster. There was also some of the unique energy from the god of pain.

The energy erupted from the blade and ripped into Saint, delivering so much misery that they wished for death! Their screams echoed through the land!