Star Gate-Chapter 1474: Fellow Daoist (II)

“The fellow daoist from Hao Moon is too polite!” The Exalted Void Emperor smiled as a myriad of thoughts ran through his mind. “I hear from Big Claw that you are interested in joining Dragon Observatory—is this true?

“A venerable exalted emperor being willing to join us is such a happy occasion! Thus, I couldn’t help myself and came for a look. I hope the fellow daoist does not find me discourteous that I did not notify you beforehand!”

“Senior Void is too polite!” Li Hao smiled back. “I really am so inclined. Of course, I am also just passing by. My heart remains in the chaos. Once I accumulate what I need for my cultivation, I will leave. I will not always remain here.”

“Naturally.” Void didn’t find anything untoward about these declarations. This was quite within the bounds of reason. Only exalted emperors without any ambitions or goals would want to stay in one place.

Exalted emperors were cultivators that’d earned the hard-fought ability to walk out of a world. Why would they trap themselves in another world to serve at someone else’s beck and call? What was the point in that?

They might as well stay in their minor world to lord it over others! They’d be undisputed tyrants there with no need to watch themselves around another.

“This is a trifling matter. Even I dare not say that I’ll stay at Skyward and the Dragon Observatory for the rest of my life!” Void chuckled. “Cultivators walk the path of dao and travel the cardinal directions to gain knowledge and comprehension. They journey until they can no longer move one day, or they put down roots somewhere, or return home. Whether it is factions or places along the way, those are simply the sights and views of the voyage!”

Li Hao blinked and took another look at the exalted emperor.

“The senior looks to actually cultivate dao as well,” he said with sincerity. “I came to Skyward because I thought everyone here pursued the great dao. But I arrive to find that self-isolation prevails.

“Not only that, people’s mindsets do not measure up to some of the powerhouses that I’ve previously met. They show no signs of attaining the vision of an exalted emperor! They fly into a rage at the drop of a hat and bark impotently in all directions. What is the meaning in that?”

His words were obviously pointed and directed.

“Some people relied entirely on luck or other people’s largess to advance,” Void laughed. “They do not have any true ability to their name. The fellow daoist has witnessed a joke.

“People like that will only be called exalted emperor in name for the rest of their life, they will not be an exalted emperor in truth! They lose face for exalted emperors and are a laughingstock. There is no need to pay any attention to them!”

“It is I who have a narrow mind,” Li Hao admitted. “I thought all exalted emperors in existence were thus.”

“Most of them are thus,” Void agreed. “No matter how valiant and high spirited we are in our youth, all of us have endured hardships and trials when we grow older. Some people can rise to the occasion and go even higher, others... while away the hours! There are many exalted emperors in a major world, but how many of them are truly devoted to dao?”

The Dragon Observatory exalted emperor smiled and waved a pavilion into existence within the volcano. “Fellow Daoist Li, why don’t we sit down for a chat?” he smiled.

“Very well!” Li Hao sat down without further ado. A stone table appeared over the lava and he brought out a jug of ale. “Does the fellow daoist drink alcohol? I have a good jug of ale here that you can try.”

“Alcohol?” Void chuckled. “I’ve heard of this substance but never partook in it. The customs of the various worlds are different, but I know that this is something fine. I shall broaden my horizons today!”

Big Claw jerked away and hastened forward. “Exalted emperors, please allow me to serve you!”

The Exalted Void Emperor was being so polite toward his guest! What was going on here? The conflict that Big Claw had thought would break out did not appear. How strange.

Big Claw didn’t dare say anything. He quickly picked up the jug that Li Hao had brought out, but immediately flushed red like he’d sunk into an ocean of desire. His face twisted between madness and utter stillness—death qi rose over him.

Void looked over when no ale was forthcoming. He saw that the guide was frozen in place. It took only a glance to understand what was at hand.

The power of Red Moon and of death!

This Li Hao was not a simple character and this jug of ale even less so.

“Ahem!” A soft cough rang through the area like an alarm for the entire world, or a tolling of the bell of dao. Big Claw snapped to his senses, the look in his eyes clearing.

He was calm again, but his heart quavered with fear! Understanding dawned in his mind.

“My thanks to the two exalted emperors!” He bowed. He seemed to have grasped something from the experience. It wasn’t very clear, but it seemed to him that he’d completed a trial of the heart.

Experiences of the heart were so critical for Empyrean Kings to become exalted emperors. Devouring a vast quantity of energy was far less important. Even so, it was a very difficult endeavor.

That had been terrifying!

Li Hao couldn’t help but study his counterpart. “The dao of notes... no, is that the dao of stillness?”

“Fellow daoist is... certainly well versed!” Void’s eyes widened and he smiled at Li Hao. “The dao of stillness... what a good name! I call it the dao of emptiness and name myself after it. I am as empty as the void!

“But ninety-nine percent of cultivators don’t understand the profundities within and some of them think I’m skilled at the dao notes! This is our first encounter with each other, but the fellow daoist can see through to my true nature. Your breadth of vision far eclipses what a first rank exalted emperor typically would have!”

He himself was also shaken to his core. Being strong didn’t mean being knowledgeable or having a clear understanding of the great dao. Take that New Martial Human King for instance...

Alright, all he knew about that personage were just rumors in the outside world.

In actuality, the Human King must have a deep understanding of the dao of yin and yang, at least, to say nothing of other daos. He’d set foot into seventh rank so quickly! The man must be pretending to be so crude and brash.

Void didn’t dare underestimate the Human King! Everyone said he was simply lucky—yeah right!

Void might accept that explanation up to sixth rank, but to swiftly enter seventh rank and as an exalted emperor of yin and yang... If that was still down to blind luck, then all exalted emperors in existence were trash!

Void’s thoughts turned to Li Hao again. A first rank exalted emperor? Perhaps the young man really was so, but he had a very deep perception of dao. How could such a person have this level of understanding?

Perhaps... he’s the new king of Silver Moon! The one who’s walked out of the minor world after fifty years! Is... he related to the Sword Sovereign?

Who knew, but that wasn’t important!

Big Claw filled their cups and Void raised his up high. The power of death erupted and a surge of desire rose into the air, seeking to burn him alive!

Desire sought to immolate him, but the icy-cold power of death exploded at the same time to extinguish desire.

“My actions were superfluous.” Void turned to Big Claw. “Desire burns, death extinguishes. If it wasn’t for my interference, the effects of these twin forces would have awakened you more clearly to what dao is!

“I have acted out of order!” He looked apologetically at Li Hao. “And here I thought the fellow daoist was testing me.”

“I would not dare do so!” Li Hao laughed. “People are usually wary of the power of death. Fellow Daoist Void did so for the good of Big Claw. Some people would rather see an Empyrean King die just so they could test their opponent and see what their trump cards are. Fellow daoist is much better than the exalted emperors I’ve met so far.”

“I have been a nuisance all the same!”

“My thanks to the Exalted Hao Moon Emperor for your guidance!” Big Claw quickly said, having realized what’d happened.

“It’s just a jug of ale!” Li Hao laughed. “It’s brewed from the power of a Red Moon exalted emperor and some of my own death energy.”

“This Red Moon exalted emperor...” Void laughed. “Should be the Exalted Ying Hun Emperor of Red Moon major world, a third rank! But as strong as exalted emperors of major worlds are, that’s only a portion of them. Some are just tagalongs! This one was just an ordinary exalted emperor among third ranks!”

“I’m not certain how other third ranks are... but this one was difficult to manage,” Li Hao nodded.

“Only relatively speaking. If you were a third rank as well, it’d be like shooting at fish in a barrel for you!”

Big Claw’s jaw dropped! Oh my heavens! What are these two talking about? And has the Exalted Void Emperor discovered this person’s identity? Is he really the new king of Silver Moon? But... look at how young he is!

No matter how many year had passed in Silver Moon, it was only fifty-some in the eyes of the outside world. There were instances of an exalted emperor being born after losing contact for fifty years since minor worlds often quickly produced exalted emperors. But for a newly born exalted emperor to kill a third rank... what kind of notion was that?

Weren’t all exalted emperors immensely powerful existences?

Wasn’t Li Hao afraid of trouble from the Dragon Observatory in revealing his identity here? They could obtain a mid world by killing him!

Big Claw didn’t understand the situation at hand, nor did he understand the Exalted Void Emperor. The latter was a fourth rank. If Li Hao wasn’t the New Martial Human King and just Silver Moon’s new king, then it was easy for Void to kill him!

Both Li Hao and Void ignored Big Claw.

“Perhaps!” Li Hao said after some thought. “It’s just that it’s hard to reach third rank!

“Is that hard for you?” Void smiled after taking a sip of alcohol. “You might be able to outright set foot into third rank if you collected enough energy. That’s not an obstacle for you. It’s fourth rank where you might have some issue.”

“I’ll need time.” Li Hao didn’t opt for a humble stance. “Based on my current speed, I’ll need three to five years.”

“......” Big Claw was so stunned that he couldn’t make a sound.

“Impressive!” Void blinked and smiled. “Three to five years... and here I was thinking thirty to fifty, or even three to five hundred years. Any of those figures would still make you a genius! It looks like you’re more confident and self assured than that. That makes sense. After all, you are an existence that comprehended dao by yourself!”

“No no, I borrowed the tutelage of other seniors!” Li Hao shook his head.

“That is impressive all the same!”

The two were talking in riddles to Big Claw. He shuddered and forgot to fill up their cups for a moment. Void had to tap his empty cup to jerk the guide back to his senses.