Star Gate

The three spirits didn't hear what Li Hao was going on about earlier, they simply blinked at the mention of a cat.

"A cat?" repeated the sword tree.

"Yes."

"Inside the Exalted Blood Emperor's blade?"

"Yes," Li Hao was confused. "Do you guys know if it's the Green Emperor?"

"It's not!" The sword tree quickly shook its head. "The Green Emperor is alive and well, doing better than anyone else. The Green Emperor is fine even when the Exalted Blood Emperor has died!

"Ahem, well I mean... forget it. Whatever, I don't mean that." A new thought occurred to the sword tree. "I think I know... who the Exalted Blood Emperor wishes to revive."

It was both gratified and wistful, as well as envious. Meanwhile, the stone and seal were still oblivious.

"The Exalted Blood Emperor wishes to revive a cat... Sword Tree, do you know this cat?" the stone asked in a muffled voice.

"No, but I've heard of it! The Sword Sovereign said once that the cat is very unique. Ah, forget it, let's not speak of this."

"Is this something you can't speak of?" Li Hao grinned.

"It's not that," sighed the tree. "But that I don't know how to describe the cat either. And it's another complicated story why the Exalted Blood Emperor wants to resurrect it... It's really hard to put into words! All you need to know is that the cat is closely tied to the Exalted Blood Emperor.

"I thought it'd completely disappeared, but to think that it still exists! Of course, I didn't experience that age. When it comes to relaying past affairs, there's someone who knows more than I do—isn't the grandson of the supreme on Silver Moon? He'll know more than me. Ask him if you wish to know, he'll be able to give you the full story."

Li Hao inclined his head. "So... is it normal that the Exalted Blood Emperor is doing so much to revive the cat?"

"Yes!" nodded the sword tree. "Whether it is the Exalted Blood Emperor or his past self the War Sovereign, they were loyal and steadfast people! They were genteel and refined exalted emperors in the true sense of the phrase.

"The Human King was able to rise to power partially due to plans that the War Sovereign set up for after his death, and partially due to the guiding efforts of the Exalted Blood Emperor in the initial phase. The Human King actually came to know and set foot on the path of martial dao because of the Exalted Blood Emperor. He was only one year older than the Human King, but kept showing him the way..."

This was ancient history that Li Hao was unaware of.

"So therefore, the Exalted Blood Emperor left behind his personal blade and several other powerful weapons in order to revive this cat," the young man summarized. "He split the world into eight and created the formation to gather the energy, blood qi, and faith that would occur throughout the world. In your opinion, were these normal actions that did not harbor ulterior motives?"

"Very normal!" laughed the sword tree. "Ulterior motives, such as betraying New Martial? You think too much! Not to mention, to the Exalted Blood Emperor, if it wasn't for Silver Moon world belonging to the Sword Sovereign, he wouldn't think twice about trading the entire minor world for the cat!"

Li Hao nodded with a bit more understanding. "Then which Initial Martial powerhouses were the Exalted Blood Emperor close to?"

"That... I don't know," the sword tree shook its head. "All Initial Martial heavyweights were on good terms with him because his past self was the War Sovereign. The War Sovereign was one of the leaders of Initial Martial! Therefore, any that survived their age would naturally have a close affinity with him."

Alright then. It was still impossible to determine the identity of the Initial Martial god in Great Li.

"If the eight main cities are the actual heritage weapons," Li Hao said after studying Sword City more. "Then... I'm in no hurry to do anything about Sword City. Can I enter the Sword Sovereign's residence and cultivate for a period of time?"

"Of course!" nodded the sword tree. "What should we do after this? The exalted emperor knows that you are here. You may have to proceed through the seal again if you wish to leave. Since he knows you are here..."

Li Hao wouldn't be making it out, but the young man didn't mind. How would he not be able to leave if he wanted to? He could leave so long as he had access to the dao universe!

He just didn't want to open the passageway here too many times; he would always be able to leave! The key was,whywas he in a hurry to leave?

He'd made certain gains and obtained new understandings from this trip. The curtains had been drawn back on his own sword dao.

The Hao Moon Sword!

Strictly speaking, it was in the beginning stage. But the key was that a move of ten strokes had just managed to take shape, and it was one with time as the main sword dao. If Li Hao was to cultivate here with the power of time and collect more of the Sword Sovereign's Eternal Sword intent, it would highly benefit his own sword dao. He could use the sword intent to verify his own!

Thus, the young man was in no hurry to leave. There was the Sword Sovereign's original sword intent here, a sharpening stone for the sword, and a sword tree that'd always been by the Sword Sovereign's side...

Where was the rush to depart?

As for the exalted emperor, perhaps he could be used to sharpen Li Hao's blade. The caveat was that Li Hao needed to survive future encounters with that personage.

There was no point in returning to the outside world right this moment. He would only land in Zheng Yu and Li Daoheng's schemes. The young man was well aware that he did not possess the ability to fight against these two at present.

As for the exalted emperor... the sealed exalted emperor was less than a stray dog. He couldn't even make his way out of the formation!

If he does, the first people to be worried would be Zheng Yu and Li Daoheng, not me.

Having thought all this through, Li Hao happily invited the three spirits to live in the residence with him. He was most adept at changing the positions of host and guest. Not to mention, the exalted emperor had nearly obliterated all of Sword City with one blow. There was nothing left anymore. If the three tattered spirits didn't live in the Sword Sovereign's old residence, they would only be able to perch on the broken sword itself.

......

Calm Tranquility.

Li Hao cultivated with peace of mind, honing his sword dao and distilling strands of Eternal Sword intent from the surroundings. The sword intent here was much denser than at the cliff, so it was much easier to extract.

He was also analyzing the sword intent. The Eternal Sword intent was tremendously important as it was the power of a myriad of daos as one; it wasn't just a singular sword dao. Li Hao had been ignorant before, but the stronger he grew, the more he could understand the formidable strength within this sword intent!

Tendrils of the power of time wafted around Li Hao. Sword intent continued to gather around him. This was the heart of Sword City, so one was able to call upon a bit of the city's power here.

Cultivation was an intoxicating pastime. The three tattered spirits were in an anxious rush, but Li Hao was calm and collected...

His cultivation continued for several days until one day, a surge of sword intent erupted. The three swiftly appeared, so agitated that their primary bodies were shaking. What was this that they saw?!

Eternal Sword intent was erupting within Li Hao's body and blowing him up!

"Li Hao!!" screamed the tree. Was he dead?!

How could that lunatic do something so crazy?? How could he commit suicide with the Sword Sovereign's sword intent?!

Indeed, this was a suicide.

The sword tree had seen with its own eyes Li Hao detonating a strand of sword intent out of curiosity. The young man seemed to have wanted to temper himself with it, but ended up blowing himself to pieces!

These were the actions of an absolute lunatic!

However, the faint power of time circulated the surroundings and a shallow river pulsed slightly. But it seemed to be struggling as a faint sword intent was suppressing and even erasing this power of time.

The sword tree instantly understood. "That... madman..." it said with pain. "This is the Sword Sovereign's sword intent, not a blow from that crippled exalted emperor..."

The Sword Sovereign could kill exalted emperors! His sword intent was much stronger than the Red Moon exalted emperor's on a purely fundamental basis! Even the Red Moon exalted emperor in prime condition would not measure up to the Sword Sovereign.

Why did you have to use the Sword Sovereign's sword intent to commit suicide?? You could've used anything else!

It screamed and transformed back into its primary body. A sword-shaped tree in extremely poor condition flung out some broken branches, absorbing the sword intent that was slowly erasing Li Hao!

Since it was used to this sword intent, it could absorb some. It wasn't until the sword intent was completely gone that the river shook and an illusory figure walked out. The young man's face was pale, but he was quite excited. "Impressive, so impressive!"

His power of time was too weak—he'd nearly been killed by the sword intent!

"My thanks!" he addressed the sword tree.

"What are you doing??" The wrathful sword tree transformed into a middle-aged woman again. Although they hadn't known each other for long, the three of them viewed Li Hao as their sole hope. They'd pinned all their hopes on the guy!

These spirits were used to relying on someone else. The Sword Sovereign had been their support back in the day. After he left, they'd been on their own and fought for the past one hundred thousand years. They were both horrified and wracked with guilt to find out that their first independent efforts in so long had been to forge a sword for the enemy.

Li Hao swiftly resolved some problems as soon as he arrived, letting them think that hope laid with him!

And yet, the young man had nearly offed himself!

If it wasn't for the fact that the sword tree could absorb some sword intent, Li Hao would already be gone. What was he, if not a lunatic??

The young man walked out of the void, pale as a sheet. His hair was stark white, but his youthful features were restored with a quick shake of the river. This attempt had only cost him some of his lifespan.

Since he was now part of the river, he would live at least several hundred thousand years, if not a million? The sword intent looked to have depleted one thousand years of his life, more or less?

That was a trifling matter.

"I was too curious and couldn't help myself," he readily admitted to his mistake. "I hadn't thought that the Eternal Sword's nature would be far greater than Red Moon power! Or is it that the Red Moon exalted emperor is unskilled and less than the Sword Sovereign in terms of absolute strength?

"Then... it looks like I really am not an undying and indestructible existence," Li Hao took in a deep breath. "Once Li Daoheng and the others erupt with this kind of strength, I will still be erased after they disrupt my energy!"

The young man sank into deep thought.

"Remember that you are just a Saint!" the sword tree couldn't help but say. "Even a peak Saint is just a Saint! There is still initial, mid, late, and peak Empyrean King between you and exalted emperor. There's even half step emperor! That's another level with a great difference between it and exalted emperor. Aren't you just courting death to try the offensive power of an exalted emperor right now?"

Li Hao nodded, but seemed reluctant to accept this conclusion. "Is there a big difference between exalted emperor and half step emperor?"