Star Gate

Watercloud Dynasty lacked divine spirits, desolate beasts, or a god of Initial Martial. It was the only one of the four nations without any sort of underlying faith. Everyone panicked upon seeing the demise of the black robe.

The empress dowager glanced at Li Hao, seeming to read the aloofness within the young man’s gaze.

“As expected, the commander is valiant without comparison,” she sighed. “However, all four nations have been compelled to enter the central plains. Watercloud is a weak nation that cannot afford to offend the other three. Neither can we give offense to the ancients, and to the commander least of all!

“We are not the commander’s greatest threat either. Why not let my nation make camp here for a period of time?”

“And why should I?” Li Hao looked at her.

The empress dowager stepped forward and walked through the air, saying softly, “Because you are not an unreasonable person!”

Water mist surrounded them when she waved her hand. They were suddenly the only two people left beneath the heavens.

“Watercloud is indeed weak and cannot afford to provoke any side,” murmured the empress dowager. “We do not desire to invade Skystar either, but we would become a common target for the rest if we didn’t!”

“You wish to fight me?” Li Hao raised an eyebrow.

“That is borne out of resignation. If I am so lucky as to win by even one move, then I would request that the commander lend this place to us for a while.”

“Are you sure?” Li Hao smiled. Is she for real?

“Of course!” sighed the Watercloud empress dowager. “I will lead my navy back home if I am defeated. Or, we can submit ourselves to the commander’s mercy!”

Damn, she’s confident! Li Hao raised a mental eyebrow. There were almost no trump cards possible when it came to Watercloud. Or was their trump card the empress dowager? “Suit yourself!”

“I hear that the commander is skilled at the sword. I happen to know a few sword techniques as well, but they are unfit to be presented. Today... however... I would ask that you bear with me!”

She stabbed her sword toward the heavens! Sword light descended as if a waterfall, threading through the void like a river.

Li Hao slashed with his sword as well—rumble!

Two currents of sword intent clashed, but the empress dowager’s intent wrapped around Li Hao’s in multiple layers. It was like the repeated circulation of a water current.

“The Eternal Sword Sovereign’s sword intent is immense! No wonder it was hailed as the foremost offensive sword technique in New Martial!”

The empress dowager plainly wasn’t favored by the heavens, but she brought more strength than could be imagined to her stroke. Li Hao couldn’t understand the reason why for the moment—why was this the case?

Had she broken the limits of the world? But how was that possible?

Neither the Great Li king nor the Divine Nation queen had said anything. Even local divine spirits suffered from the void when they exceeded the limits of what was possible. Why didn’t the same happen to the empress dowager? freewebnøvel.coɱ

Li Hao had swung that blow with force at least fourth level Sun and Moon. That was the strength of approximately twenty meridians, but his move had been blocked!

It was incredible!

The strongest in Watercloud was roughly ten meridians or so, no? And that was with the recent advances in martial dao! Yet, their empress dowager was stronger than the entire nation. Why was that??

Despite his surprise, Li Hao slashed forward again!

The empress dowager’s counterattack floated into being and she said softly, “Is the commander confused why I can break the limits of heaven and earth?”

“A little.”

Although the empress dowager had her face covered, she could still sense her opponent’s confusion. “That is because even though Silver Moon has broken free of the main world, its origins still lie with the main world. There are two masters of the main world—the Human King and the great emperor!

“Apart from those two, there is another in the main world with an exceedingly high status...”

“Supreme Zhang?” asked Li Hao.

“Although the supreme’s status is naturally high, the supreme is the supreme. Since there is a Human King, then there is also a Human King Consort. His consort is part master of the world as well!”

Li Hao blinked, then seemed to understand what she was saying. “Do you mean that you’ve inherited the Human King Consort’s heritage? This is why the world doesn’t dare levy restrictions on you?”

“The Human King is the master of the world and the Human King Consort is half of such a master. I only know surface level tricks. The heaven’s will of this world doesn’t dare defy the Human King Consort’s heritage, that is all!

“It will ignore this concern once it grows stronger. All I’m doing right now is enjoying first mover advantage!” chuckled the empress dowager. “Watercloud is a small and weak nation, there are even fewer powerhouses within our borders. Without any other foundations, this humble one was so fortunate as to obtain some of the Human King Consort’s legacy.

“I do not have the wish to reign supreme, nor do I have the strength to support such ambitions. How is one person to conquer the world? I am... simply following the majority rule. I would request that the commander throw us a lifeline!”

Li Hao was highly surprised by what he heard. The Human King Consort!

So the empress dowager had practiced that heritage to this level of accomplishment! Heaven’s will didn’t dare suppress it either. One had to know that this world suppressed the descendants of Supreme Zhang all the same. Why didn’t it dare do the same to the Human King Consort’s heritage?

Was the Human King much more frightening than the supreme? But it was only the Human King Consort’s sword legacy in the field, not the consort in person. For heaven’s will to stay away in such a case... it only dared to pick on easy targets, didn’t it!

Li Hao’s strength rose once more and he struck with his sword!

The empress dowager responded in kind, but she kept to defense instead of attacking. “The commander is very strong... I may not be able to withstand you even if I brought my full strength to bear... but the commander doesn’t wish for Watercloud to fall, do you?

“The ancient powerhouse came to demand that the four nations send out its troops. I find that their concerns are not with conquering the world, but to create endless slaughter.” The Watercloud empress dowager seemed to have guessed at the true nature of the situation. “Nothing will change if the commander kills me. Instead, it will throw my nation into complete chaos. Will the commander then kill the hundreds of millions of my people?

“The commander does not have the capacity at present to suppress any riots in Watercloud. But having too many die is not a good thing for you either.”

“Then why insist on this course of action since you see things so clearly?” Li Hao laughed.

“This humble one simply does not wish to be the only one awake! Otherwise, the ancient city can send a dozen replicas to massacre my nation. How do you think Watercloud should react, commander?

“I am the only one in my nation who can withstand the outsiders. The others... would find it very difficult to do so. I cannot stand guard over the entire nation all the time. If we did not send out our navy, it would have been our doom!

“Watercloud lacks an Initial Martial god, powerful divine spirits, or desolate beasts. We are a small and feeble place that can only go along with the flow.”

As bleak was the picture that she painted, Li Hao didn’t pity her in the slightest. “So invading my Skystar, butchering my people is what should be done?”

“The commander misunderstands... this is just to set the ancient city at ease for now!”

The two sides had exchanged several hundred blows as they talked. The empress dowager kept backing away while sword intent clashed into each other. Although she was formidable, Li Hao could tell that her strength was around twenty meridians. That was her limit, which made her slightly less in comparison.

The empress dowager continued to only defend without attacking. “Commander, why be so ruthless? What we seek is the same as you—we wish for the ancient city powerhouses to be eliminated so that the blade hanging over our heads is lifted! Aren’t you preventing the arrival of the second awakening in refusing to bring your full strength against the four nations? You dare not extinguish any of the nations because of this.”

“I also will not permit an enemy to sleep soundly next to my bed!” Li Hao ripped off the empress dowager’s face veil with his next stroke. Although she was a stunning beauty whose face could incite people to fight over her, he wasn’t the least bit tempted. “Watercloud is weak. Since you’re the only one of note in your nation, I will cut you down today. Then I’ll capture all of your generals and soldiers. What can you do about that?”

“Is there a need for the commander to be so cruel...” the empress dowager said mournfully. “There are one thousand city annihilation missiles buried in my nation as well. Once I die and the nation falls, there will be countless casualties among the wreckage of Watercloud Dynasty. The world will awaken and the second awakening begin. When ancient powerhouses are able to freely walk around... that is when true misery will descend!”

“You’re certainly ruthless!” Li Hao’s eyes widened at the new piece of information.

“No, it’s just... I have no other choice,” sighed the empress dowager. “This was what the Human King had to do in order to eke out a survival when he was surrounded by strong enemies. So this... is how I try to survive as well! This is the tragedy of the weak and not a sign of a ruthless heart!”

Her phoenix crown shattered with a crack! Blood trailed down from her head and dyed her cheeks red. However, she remained staring at Li Hao and even sheathed her sword. “Watercloud is sure to fall if the commander kills me today. That is also the fate of hundreds of millions... The commander doesn’t wish to see this come to pass either, do you?”

“I’ve seen threats before, but this is the first time I see an entire country and its people being used to threaten the leader of an enemy nation,” laughed Li Hao. “How... ludicrous!”

“Such is the misery of the weak!” There was still blood on the empress dowager’s face, but she continued to appear the very image of gentle fragility. “I would not be so if I was as strong as the commander and had the help of Silver Moon martial masters... No one wants to use this tactic to eke out a survival.”

“How pathetic!” Li Hao sneered. “I can spare you, but you must help me with something.”

“Please speak of it.”

“Fight one battle for me! If you do so, I will let your people stay here.”

“Who might the enemy be?” asked the surprised empress dowager.

“There is no need for you to ask! Are you willing to do so or not? If not, I don’t necessarily need to kill you—I can cripple you instead. That might give rise to some interesting developments!” The young man’s presence built many times over. “Perhaps you’re hiding some strength still, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t think you can withstand a Saint no matter how strong you are.

“I happen to have a Saint nearby who can help me!” Li Hao grinned. “You know the sword method of the Human King Consort. I surmise that there should be a lot of people who also know it. Those who revere the Human King should also revere his consort, no?”

A sudden thought struck the empress dowager. Who would be afraid of the Human King?

Those of New Martial!

Did Li Hao intend to march against New Martial? The ancient cities? Or some powerhouses within the ruins?