Li Hao remained as coolly composed as he’d been with the queen. He sized up Hong Yitang, saying, “The queen came by and said you’re Li Daoheng’s replica. Are you, martial uncle?” “......” Hong Yitang’s eyes widened slightly as he took in the young man. “She said that Martial Aunt Hongxiu is the replica of the Moon God, that she’s busy in the west because she’s gathering the power of faith. She will resurrect the Moon God in a critical moment. What do you think about that?” “......” Hong Yitang blinked. “She also said that you’ve been keeping an eye on me from the start, that your sword supernatural character is meant to be a replacement for my ‘dao’ character. Apparently you’re going to be the next master of the great dao once my character disappears. Does the martial uncle find any flaws with the queen’s reasoning?” “......” Hong Yitang smiled ruefully and thought over the postulations. “It’s flawless! I am indeed very suspicious based on what she’s saying! There doesn’t even seem to be another viable candidate by your side to be Li Daoheng’s pawn!” The more he listened to the queen’s theories, the more he believed them himself. There wasn’t anything he could say in his defense. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs N0velFire.ɴet “But if I don’t defend myself, that means I admit to all of the accusations!” The man was quite resigned. “Yet... it... also doesn’t seem that appropriate if I argue against them? What do you say? “If you trust me, then you wouldn’t suspect me. But that doesn’t seem to be a good course of action either if I really am a plant,” Hong Yitang laughed wryly. “This is... quite the conundrum!” “That it is,” Li Hao nodded. “So my conclusion is that the queen delivered some unwelcome news. I’ve given her some thought and feel that the best response is just giving martial uncle the corporeal dao universe. That will help you combine the two dao universes as quickly as possible!” “So you choose to believe her...” Hong Yitang sighed. This was a test. There was nothing he could do about this course of action, either. “No, I mean it.” Li Hao shook his head. “You can have the dao universe!” “......” Hong Yitang blinked, freezing in place. “I said that I’ll give the dao universe to martial uncle!” Li Hao regarded him steadily. “I’ve been thinking that too much of the dao universe has been exposed lately. The stars, the river of chaos, and everything else is known! “I almost have no aces up my sleeves to speak of anymore!” sighed the young man. “Everything is fully revealed to my opponents. Therefore, I’ve given it a lot of thought and decided to leave the river of chaos behind. Martial uncle can watch over it, I need to think outside the box again! “It doesn’t matter if martial uncle really is Li Daoheng’s replica or not,” Li Hao chuckled. “It’s all the same. I’ll support you if you are, and I’ll support you even more if you aren’t! “The universe of sword dao should be grasped by a swordsman! The sword character is capable of a myriad of permutations, which makes you more qualified to lead the dao universe than me!” Hong Yitang’s face flickered through a variety of changes; he regarded Li Hao with a weighty look! ...did the young man actually trust him or not? Was this a ruse, or had Li Hao truly completely lost his mind?? He’d just schemed against some powerhouses and risen to fifth level Fused Dao, but now the young man wanted to withdraw from the dao universe?! What was he thinking? “Don’t be so surprised, martial uncle!” Li Hao grinned. “I don’t mean to withdraw entirely from the dao universe. I’m going to take some things with me, as well as leave some things behind. Additionally, I can forgo everything in the dao universe but that star!” The heart of great dao! The Hao Cosmos would be no different from a regular dao universe in the absence of that star. It wouldn’t be much removed from core origin. “What in the world are you talking about??” Hong Yitang demanded hotly. “What do you have in mind now?? Everyone’s pinned their hopes onto you, but this is what you propose?! “You are fifth level Fused Dao and New Martial Saints are converting to the new dao, which means you should be able to set foot into sixth level soon. You will be the most premier battle strength in the world beneath half step emperor...” “Martial uncle can achieve the same too!” Li Hao said softly. “Let’s put it this way, martial uncle,” Li Hao insisted solemnly. “I need someone... to offer me strong support, someone who can give me a helping hand in critical moments! “Since I called upon my future self, I am preordained to face a crisis in the future. It will be a crisis that no one can save me from—at least that’s how it appears at present. None of the people by my side are strong enough. Only martial uncle stands a strong chance of being able to highly influence the outcome if you wield the dao universe!” Hong Yitang’s expression turned a bit unpleasant. “Martial uncle has always bided his time and become accustomed to doing so. Therefore, no matter how fast your strength improves in the period to come, you are not to reveal anything! Since Li Daoheng wants me to suspect and eliminate martial uncle... I’ve thought about it a lot—let’s make martial uncle even more frightening! “If you really are Li Daoheng’s replica, then I think there won’t be much that ties me to Silver Moon anymore,” Li Hao laughed. “So I might as well grant you your wish—it will be a nod to the help that martial uncle gave to me in the past! “If you are not his replica... then I win the gamble and martial uncle can be my right hand man when I need you the most! “I’d already been considering this plan for a while—the queen’s visit today solidified my thoughts!” “Do you mean this? Are you really not testing me?!” Hong Yitang’s face completely slackened. “I mean it and this isn’t a test.” “You’re completely crazy!” It was Hong Yitang who was on the verge of losing his mind. “Have you gone utterly mad?? You’ve finally developed the dao universe to its current stage of existence, all of the people cultivate and trust in you. You’re going to give all that up? What will you do afterward? What will everyone else do? What will Silver Moon do?” “I’m not giving it up!” Li Hao shook his head. “I didn’t say that. I only said that I would temporarily relinquish my control over the dao universe. I’m going... to create my own world!” “Regardless of corporeal or immaterial dao, the two can’t be successfully combined at present!” Li Hao laughed. “I can’t do anything to that guy, and neither can he do anything to me. We’re at a standstill! Thus, I’d like to simulate the combination of the two, as well as the addition of a tiny star of time...” And I happen to have all three ingredients! Li Hao’s grin stretched from ear to ear. I have dao stars of the corporeal dao, dao stars of the immaterial dao that I created myself, and the star of time that forms the core of my sword of time. While they’re all miniature versions, I personally built and fashioned them bit by bit! So how about I create a real dao universe inside my body? It’s gonna be dangerous as hell, but it’s all coming from me! It’s mine from beginning to end. If I can’t utilize the chaos to create a world, then I’ll use myself to create one and extrapolate a dao universe from there. How about that? It was an incredibly crazy idea, but Li Hao was tempted. I have the foundation to do so! No one has better foundations than me. The construction of the mental world was the finishing touch that supplemented his lack of the immaterial dao universe. This was true opportunity as bestowed by the heavens! I’m going to create a world and even a dao universe that truly belongs to me! “......” Hong Yitang had no idea what to say anymore. He had no words and barely any thoughts. Is this the Li Hao that I know? He doesn’t care about anything that people fight over! Whether it’s the dao universe, Silver Moon world, the great dao, or the Sword Sovereign’s sword intent... None of it matters to him! Do you guys want it? He’ll hand over whatever you want! Li Hao would remain only himself and cultivate just himself! Hong Yitang truly didn’t know what to say. As the minutes dragged on, his throat grew dry. “Do you... actually mean this?” Li Hao nodded with a brilliant smile. “Martial Uncle, swordsmen should walk their own sword dao! Not to mention, I’m not a pure swordsman. I said so before, I’m a dao master! I would rather everyone call me that, but what kind of dao master am I if I was handed everything I have? “I know this will be very hard and that I’m full of it, that I’ve completely lost my head in this, but... I want to give it a try!” The young man grinned radiantly. “Those who are able should attempt what is not doable! We need to think outside the box! “What you care for, I do not. What you hold dear, I do not! I don’t want the bloodline of the Lis or the eight families! The dao universe and Silver Moon world were left behind by others, so those aren’t treasures to me either! “I’m not the Sword Sovereign, Human King, or Exalted Blood Emperor. My strength is less than theirs, but I’m going to exceed them in terms of mentality!” Li Hao was in the highest of spirits. “Everyone thinks that I owe my success to the Li family bloodline and the dao universe. Then I’ll give them up and just be Li Hao! Does martial uncle think it’s doable?” Hong Yitang’s jaw dropped as his soul quaked with shock. Were these the words of someone who’d just turned twenty-one? He said he only wanted to be himself! “Of course, I’m kind of tooting my own horn here,” Li Hao smiled bashfully. “I’m still going to use a bit of what the seniors left behind, such as the star of time from the Sword Sovereign’s dao universe. I also want to learn the true meaning of their great dao. I’ll imitate first, then catch up, and ultimately surpass them! “Also, I would request that martial uncle doesn’t get up to anything inside.” Li Hao suddenly sat up straight. “The dao stars of my master and the others may be in the dao universe, I still want to resurrect them! So nothing untoward can develop. Do you think all of this is feasible, martial uncle?” “......” Hong Yitang was still open-mouthed with astonishment. He swallowed hard. “Do you think... there’s a possibility that I’m Li Daoheng’s replica, but I don’t know it either? If you give me the dao universe...” “Then become your own person!” Li Hao raised a fist, waving it around like an exuberant child. “It’s just like the Exalted Blood Emperor has become his own person, despite everyone saying that he’s the reincarnation of the War Sovereign. If you really are an oblivious replica, then live as Hong Yitang! “You’d be in control of half of the dao universe then, why should you be afraid of him? Once you kill him, you can call yourself Hong Yitang or Li Daoheng. I don’t have an opinion either way! “As for the blood debt of the Li family, that’s on Li Daoheng. What does it have to do with you?” Li Hao chuckled. “Does it matter if you’re a replica or not? The most important is that you are Hong Yitang in my work. You are Earthturner Sword, the martial uncle who taught me sword dao. “It’d actually be great if you’re a replica! You can catch him off guard when he wants to reclaim you and seize the immaterial dao universe! Once you have it, I only ask that you resurrect my master and the others. I’ll focus on my own universe!” “......” Hong Yitang felt like numerous thunderbolts were smiting him. What was Li Hao talking about? It doesn’t matter if you really are his replica, just live as yourself. Be Hong Yitang. I don’t want the dao universe, I will bequeath it to you out of consideration for our past relationship! “Li Hao, do you really have no emotions at all?” Hong Yitang murmured. Were these the actions of someone full of passion and affection? No, it was the complete lack of emotion! The young man didn’t care about any of that or most things. He only cared about the select bits that he treasured. He seemed to be willing to forsake everything else. How terrifying was this?? Hong Yitang suddenly felt that Li Hao was so terrifying that he well deserved the Demon Sword moniker! A shy expression spread across Li Hao’s face as he suddenly took out a silk banner. “Don’t be getting the wrong ideas now, martial uncle. I once received recognition from countless people. Take a look at this!” Serving with joy and unbounded love for the people. As presented to Inspector Li Hao. Hong Yitang stared blankly at it. What... the heck was that? It looked a bit raggedy, where had it come from? “The people gave this to me when I worked at the Inspectorate...” Li Hao smiled beatifically. “As I thought, everyone knows that I am filled with unbounded love and gain so much joy from helping people. I thought I’d lost it, but found it when I visited the ruins of the Inspectorate, so I brought it back.” The fuck?? Whoever gave this to him was as blind as a bat! Hong Yitang narrowed his eyes as the silk banner. And Li Hao went looking for it?? The young man looked on merrily, caressing the sword in his hand. I’mg going to establish my little universe now, what a glorious day! Only with that can I truly break out of the status quo! I, Li Hao, am never less than anyone else. What the Sword Sovereign didn’t want, I don’t want it either!