Star Gate

The fourth floor of the Night Watcher headquarters.

Quite a few people visited this floor—typically secretaries, drivers, and the like. It was a quieter floor as everyone had tasks to accomplish for the various directors.

Manager Yu possessed an office to herself. It was huge, bigger than Hao Lianchuan’s.

Li Hao knocked on the door.

The secretary’s crisp voice echoed from the other side.

The young man pushed open the door and swiftly saluted, the epitome of respect.

“Hello, Secretary Yu!” Li Hao stood ramrod straight.

Across the desk, Manager Yu inclined her head at him. She took out a box from a drawer without a word and opened it to reveal ten red pills.

“These are the blood pearls extracted from killing Red Hair. The director split the energy into ten parts because you aren’t strong enough to take it all at once. Nova is the equivalent of nine suns. If initial Solar is one sun, peak Solar is almost three suns. Solar is the start of three suns, and nine suns is its peak.

“Although this Nova blood pearl is split into ten portions, each portion is much stronger than those of the Sunflare level.” The secretary was very frank. “You’re just a half step Dominator, which means that the energy within one of these blood pearls exceeds the sum total of all of your internal force. I recommend that you take them only after becoming a Dominator and take only one at a time. One pill is sufficient for a month’s worth of digestion. If you take them all within a year, it will more than double your internal force!”

“Secretary Yu.” Li Hao was a bit confused as he listened intently. “Does this mean that one of these pills is only a bit stronger than a Sunflare level one?”

That would be such a shame! What’d you go and split that shadow for? That makes a Nova level shadow just a little stronger than ten Sunflares...

Li Hao was very familiar with the effects of Sunflare level blood pearls. This completely negated his anticipation for the Nova level shadow! It was very disappointing!

I didn’t tell you to split it into separate portions for me! All of it together will be much stronger than it being separated. It wasn’t just how much energy there was at times, there was also a matter of energy being stronger or weaker, and if it was one complete whole. There was no doubt that taking ten Sunflare blood pearls at the same time would lead to less of an effect compared to one Nova!

A Nova level blood pearl was defined by a complete whole. The value was completely different! One massive watermelon at five kilograms would always be more tasty than ten watermelon at half a kilogram, because the latter was yet to mature.

Manager Yu laughed when she glanced at the young man’s expression. “If you think that splitting them apart is a waste, you can take multiple at the same time. Don’t worry, they were created from the same whole. If you’re not afraid of death, you can take all ten at the same time for a Nova effect! But I don’t recommend you doing so. The director split them out of certain considerations—he’s concerned that you’ll pop from the energy!”

That’s good then!

“My thanks to the director and the secretary!” Li Hao smiled.

“There’s no need to thank me!” Manager Yu dismissed casually. “You traded for it with your sword. The director wishes for me to ask, do you know how to unseal the sword?”

It wasn’t a simple item even if it wasn’t the sword of the Lis. Hou Xiaochen had his suspicions, but the trade was still well worth it as the sword might be a sealed origin weapon.

Li Hao shook his head.

The secretary remained unmoved. It didn’t matter if the young man didn’t know. “Keep one thing in mind for the meeting later—emphasize the effects of the blood pearl. You can do as you see fit about any other topic!”

“Understood!” Li Hao saluted with solemnity.

“Dismissed!”

“Okay!” Li Hao excitedly put the box in his pocket.

Manager Yu frowned slightly at the door after the young man walked out. She wordlessly shook her head after a moment. Li Hao was probably already a Dominator! She could determine that from the director’s reaction that day. But that wasn’t important, it wasn’t like she’d never seen Dominators before. She was more curious whether Li Hao would be the same kind of Dominator as Yuan Shuo.

Probably not.

The young man hadn’t coalesced the auras of the Five Styles yet. He only seemed to have the sword aura. Li Hao wasn’t walking down the path of the Five Styles, and the key was that Yuan Shuo didn’t mind.

He forewent an established path to attempt the one of the sword. None of the Seven Swords had been a match for Yuan Shuo. How strong had the Sky Sword been? (f)reeweb(n)ovel.com

The results spoke for themselves.

Did Yuan Shuo think that his disciple would have greater accomplishments in sword dao than the Five Styles?

Manager Yu was confused, but it didn’t matter. As strong as Yuan Shuo was, he didn’t necessarily measure up to the director. That held true even though the old man had dominated an era. He’d been so domineering only because the director hadn’t paid attention to him.

A faint smile appeared on the woman’s face, one that quickly faded away. White Moon City was a complete mess lately. That was fine, all would be resolved once the director emerged from seclusion. But if the situation continued, perhaps she should do something as well.

......

If the Night Watcher headquarters were an antique, then the meeting hall was the epitome of modernity. Magnificent lights illuminated the massive hall, the seats were plush, and there were refreshments off to the side.

General seating was located on the first floor, private booths could be found on the second. Perhaps the Night Watchers had borrowed a faction’s auction hall instead? The setup was rather mysterious.

Powerhouses from the major factions and agencies were present. They didn’t draw much attention as they headed directly to the second floor.

Li Hao was facing the audience and seated right beneath the pulpit; he was flanked on both sides. Peak Sunflare Director Zhou was on his left—the man seemed to have changed after the excavation. He was possibly headed toward Solar.

As for Li Hao’s right... Wang Ming looked around attentively. Li Hao found it strange that this guy could get a seat representing the agency at this meeting. Did he call upon his connections last night?

These three were the only ones from the Night Watcher. Hao Lianchuan wasn’t here, Manager Yu wasn’t here. It would seem that they didn’t place much importance on this gatherin.

Many martial masters were present in the hall. He Yong had the right to sit upstairs, but he sat in the front row of the first floor instead. He stared excitedly at Li Hao, barely able to contain himself.

Li Hao looked out over the assembly. Most of them were martial masters, but there were also quite a few non-martial masters. How’d they get in here? The second floor was populated mostly by balls of light. Most of them were supernatural and the ones without were possibly Dominators.

The young man even saw a very familiar ball of light—Hong Yitang! The leader of the Sword Sect was here!

Li Hao glanced at the second floor; so many heavyweights had come without making a fuss! And, what was Hao Lianchuan hiding on the second floor for? Not only did the young man see the familiar sight of Hong Yitang’s ball of light, there was another one he was well acquainted with—Hu Dingfang. There might be someone else in his booth, the senior sister that he’d yet to meet.

If there were military representatives here, then the provincial government might’ve sent people too.

“Everyone’s here, then.” After a while, Director Zhou began with clearing his throat. “I’ll keep it short. Li Hao just arrived yesterday and isn’t familiar with everyone. We can skip the introductions. Li Hao will call upon people. Those who are recognized can ask their questions. He’ll answer everything he can!

“So when it comes to questions he cannot or will not answer, I hope that people won’t force his hand!

“Everyone wishes to see martial dao be further perpetuated. I’m sure he won’t voice random nonsense or mislead us!” The director turned to the young man. “Try your best to satisfy everyone if you can. Also, there are some martial masters from the central region here today. They might have deeper questions to ask. You can converse with them afterwards if you don’t wish to answer on the spot.”

Eyes darted around in the crowd. Had powerful martial masters come from the central region?

“We don’t need to talk in private.” Li Hao smiled. “My master says that, apart from the core method of a martial discipline, we should speak freely of everything else we know! As martial masters, none of us wish to see martial dao decline! So long as everyone does not ask about the Breathing Method of the Five Styles, I will share all that I possess!”

“As things should be!” someone whooped with approval. “There should be free and open discourse in martial dao apart from our core methods. That is how we improve ourselves. None of us are rookies—those who dare ask about the core method are purposefully making trouble. There is no such allowance in the martial world! To seize one’s core method is to exterminate the discipline. Those who ask such questions are fake martial masters and should be hunted down by everyone!”

A large sum of martial masters wholeheartedly agreed with his words. Although there was high interest in the Breathing Method of the Five Styles, just as Li Hao said, whoever asked about it was picking a bone. It was perfectly normal and expected if the two sides fought each other to the death on the spot.

......

The second floor, inside a booth.

Hu Dingfang furrowed his brows and looked at his lady sitting beside him. “Is the core method... of a discipline... really... really that important?”

Being a martial master, it wasn’t that he didn’t understand this. However, neither did he fully understand it. He was a martial master of the army and the core methods that the army collected were shared with all of their own. Hu Dingfang knew that the Breathing Method of the Five Styles was very important, but the martial world had almost been stamped out when he learned it. He knew about the rules of the martial world, but had never experienced it for himself.

It felt different today. The martial masters below could fully empathize with Li Hao’s declaration that core methods could not be revealed. It was as heinous as attacking one’s parents and punishable by general fury!

His wife didn’t say anything and simply inclined her head. Hu Dingfang said nothing further.

On the stage, Li Hao continued, “My master once disseminated the Method of the Five Styles as a book. Quite a lot of people know it, and that’s fine. The Five Styles fortifies the health and body. It’s a good thing if people know a thing or two about it. That will also build my discipline’s reputation!

“But I would like to speak a little more on a certain matter.” The young man rose with a cupped fist salute. “Many are those who know the Five Styles and some have created their own variations or modified a breathing method to use in conjunction with it. That is also normal. But whether it is to kill people or in sparring, the Five Styles cannot be used in official settings! If it is, you must leave your own unique mark within! Otherwise, outsiders will think that my master is randomly killing people or that my Five Styles is in the business of establishing bizarre blood feuds!

“There is only my master and I in the Five Styles discipline now! The disciples that he accepted before have gradually gone on their own ways. It is my master’s generous nature that he did not retract the Five Styles when they left. But these people cannot use the discipline’s name in pursuit of their nefarious aims!

“Whether it is my master or myself, we will admit to anyone we kill. Those of the Five Styles fully own up to our deeds! If anyone sees another using the Five Styles to kill people, that has nothing to do with us! Whether you wish to kill or punish them, all is fine so long as the Five Styles discipline is not involved!”

The martial masters didn’t react to the speech, but hushed whispers flurried in the second floor booths. Why did these words seem to be aimed at someone?

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