Star Gate-Chapter 1478: I Hope They’re Alright (III)

“Are there dao foundation sites in Skyriver Region?” asked Li Hao.

“Yes!” Big Claw immediately responded. “Where the Exalted Skyriver Emperor resides is one such place. It’s said that a sixth rank exalted emperor once cultivated there, which is why it still possesses significant dao echoes. There is far more there than at the Coiled Dragon Well and volcano that we visited before!”

“And what kind of person is this fourth rank Exalted Skyriver Emperor? Is he a good person? A bad person? A bandit? A robber?”

“Milord... to be blunt,” Big Claw transmitted. “There are almost no good people in Skyward or almost all of the exalted emperors traveling through the chaos...”

His words seemed to include Li Hao, so he immediately added, “Of course, that’s not always the case! But this Exalted Skyriver Emperor truly isn’t a good person.”

“What makes you say that?” Now Li Hao was appearing rather fake and hypocritical. He should kill those he wanted to kill and abstain from those he couldn’t. Asking in such detail was just to give himself an excuse and comfort for his actions. However, Big Claw didn’t dare think that way.

“This person once swallowed a minor world—the one that he came from. The tens of billions of life forms on that world were obliterated. Does that count as a good person?”

Li Hao shook his head. That did not. While it was hard enough for a fourth rank exalted emperor to rise out of a minor world, how the Exalted Skyriver Emperor was as a person had nothing to do with him.

This was the equivalent of killing his own family; Li Hao wasn’t interested in getting justice for another person’s family. It would be fine so long as this exalted emperor stayed out of his way. If he didn’t... then he might not take the fight outside of Skyriver Region. He would kill the other right then and there!

The thought flashed through his mind.

“You don’t need to come with me!” Li Hao quickly asserted. “I can go by myself! Just sketch the guy’s face for me.”

“Understood!” Big Claw quickly handed over a portrait without protest—it was a drawing of the Exalted Scintillating Emperor. He then produced another one of a stern and foreboding man—the Exalted Skyriver Emperor. “Milord, this is the master of Skyriver region!”

Li Hao nodded again, then took another look at Big Claw. “Your primary body is that of a monster spirit instead of human. You should be a... crustacean type of monster spirit?”

“Yes!” Big Claw quickly nodded. “My primary body is that of a giant star crab. Apparently, real giant star crabs can crush worlds with their claws!”

Li Hao nodded. “I don’t know much about monster spirits, but you can try combining your cultivation with the path of weapons. Giant crab... giant pincer... giant claw...”

The claw was also a type of weapon. And of course, if the process was as simple as adding another dao to one’s cultivation, Li Hao wouldn’t need to say anything at all. Anyone would be able to think of it.

“You can use the pincer as the medium to bear the dao of weapons! Since you cannot walk the path of a dao universe, you can only go at it from the myriad of daos in the chaos. You can try absorbing the power of the thousands of daos in the chaos and collect all sorts of strength in your body. As for the dao of weapons and dissemination, you can concentrate that in your pincers...”

“Milord, this way of training may be too disjointed for me.” Big Claw blinked and felt compelled to raise a cautious objection. “I am just an Empyrean King! One dao is hard enough. If I am to cultivate thousands throughout my lifetime, won’t I lack a hope of becoming an exalted emperor for the rest of my life?”

“That would be the case under normal circumstances!” Li Hao nodded. “No matter how strong your pincers are, you will find it difficult to become an exalted emperor! But you also won’t understand it if I go into the details. If you reach that stage and are unable to take a step forward due to the disarray of too many paths...

“You can come to me if I am still here or you are able to find me elsewhere. I will help you one time and organize the motley assortment of daos in your body. Your dao will be pure then! Otherwise, if you focus on just purifying one dao for the rest of your life, you’ll never make it to exalted emperor!”

Big Claw nearly jumped for joy. Really?? When would it ever be his turn to enjoy a shortcut on the path to becoming an exalted emperor? Every single personage of this august level only made it through arduous effort. But this one had just promised to help him once!

Although he was just a first rank exalted emperor, who cared? Big Claw knew that there was far more to the young man than met the eye. Organizing his disarray of daos! Ninety percent of exalted emperors in existence couldn’t accomplish the deed.

As for how Li Hao might do it or if he could do it at all, who cared?

Big Claw flung himself at the ground, prostrating himself with absolute delight. “My deepest gratitude for milord’s favor! If this humble one ever has a chance to gaze upon the exalted emperor realm, this humble one... will head to wherever the lord is, no matter where you are. I will seek out this chance!”

That was his fortuitous occurrence! No matter how many years later and no matter what the situation was, he could go to Li Hao on the basis of his word. He would be an exalted emperor so long as the young man was still alive!

The precursor was, he had to survive the trip. But what was a little danger worth if one could become an exalted emperor? At least he had a hope and a little light at the end of the tunnel.

The greatest of despair descended when there was no hope to be found. It was completely defeating if there was nothing promising in sight at all.

“You’ll have that chance!” Li Hao smiled and looked around them. “What direction is Skyriver in?”

“Ten chaos meters to the south. Milord will reach it within a day!”

“Alright!” Li Hao promptly vanished.

Big Claw was still very agitated when the young man was gone. So I... have a hope of becoming an emperor?

It was hard to understand how the promise from a first rank exalted emperor could enliven him to such a degree. Logically speaking, Li Hao had just become an exalted emperor himself. Voicing these kinds of words was just blowing hot air.

But somehow, Big Claw really thought that the future ahead was bright!

......

At the same time, Dragon Observatory.

Great halls forested the scene. Each hall was the residence of an exalted emperor. Among them, one hall in particular was extremely quiet, as if all of existence was still.

A figure flashed into the hall; the Exalted Void Emperor was meditating in the center of the hall. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked at his visitor. This was a very formidable person.

“He’s gone to Skyriver Region,” the visitor said softly.

“He has quite the confidence!” Void laughed. “And quite the boldness! A first rank seeking out a third rank, and doing so in the territory of a fourth rank! There’s even multiple other exalted emperors within that territory. How absolutely fearless!

“Go take a look... but keep your distance, of course. There’s no need to hide anything if you’re discovered. Just say I wanted to take a look at how he would accomplish taking down a third rank when he is a first rank. I also want to see if he can really borrow strength. You can be frank!”

“Ah...” The person paused.

“It’s fine!” Void laughed. “I have a clear conscience! This is nothing major to him or me. I am just curious, he shouldn’t mind it. It’s you who doesn’t have to do anything. I won’t do anything about it if you’re killed because you tried to probe him!”

“Your Highness, I am a fifth rank!” The other burst out laughing after a beat of surprise. Was that a joke? I can’t say that I’d be uncontested in Skyward, but a fifth rank really is a premier existence no matter where we go. Even though the leader of Dragon Observatory is very strong, I wouldn’t say that I’m afraid of him.

I am an exalted emperor of a major world! I hold the great dao of a major world in my hands! Although I do not match a sixth rank, I may not lose if I fight one!

“Oh, you!” Void chuckled. “Whatever you wish. You can try however you’d like if you’re not afraid.”

“I wouldn’t dare!” said the man. “How can I provoke someone that His Highness values!”

“Do as you please!” Void laughed, then said casually, “You don’t need to address me by such honorifics, just call me Void or Emptiness or Stillness or whatever...” 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

“I would never dare,” laughed the man. “No matter what, I cannot use Your Highness’ given name. If Your Highness truly minds, I could address you as ‘fellow daoist’ since we are of the same generation...”

“You can forgo that thought!” An aloof Void rejected out of hand.

“......” The other blinked, looking at Void with an odd look in his eyes. “Then I shall continue to address you as Highness!” He said after a long while.

“Whatever you wish!”

“Then I take my leave, Your Highness!” The man said nothing else, leaving swiftly when he saw Void nod. It wasn’t until he left the hall that he frowned slightly. So what of fellow daoist? Why wasn’t that permitted?

You even let me use your name, I was just offering ‘fellow daoist’ because that is a term used between peers in the chaos universe. It even means a certain degree of respect. Why are you so stand-offish about it?

While these thoughts swirled in his mind, he didn’t spend too much time thinking about them. This one was known for being eccentric, and he’d become even more so after coming to Skyward.

The man’s thoughts turned toward the weak exalted emperor called Hao Moon. A first rank exalted emperor... why is His Highness so interested in him? He even seems to be warning me off.

......

Within the hall.

Void let the matter lie. Whether that guy listens or not, I did my part. I won’t lift a finger if you’re killed because you just had to try.

Fifth rank? That’s very strong, there’s no doubt about it. But that one said before that he could borrow strength—borrow whose strength?

He revealed some of his capabilities to the Dragon Observatory beforehand. What if it’d been the leader that went and not me? The leader’s a sixth rank! Can he handle one?

The gap between a first rank and a sixth rank was the gap between heaven and earth. And yet, why did the young man seem so confident?

The volcano had been where seventh rank Daoist Flamefire once cultivated. That was another extremely powerful personage, and fire was already an explosive attribute. The young man seemed to have been comprehending something when Void arrived.

Void had his guesses, but he wasn’t able to reach a definitive conclusion at the moment. How had the young man borrowed strength from Daoist Flamefire? There were countless exalted emperors in Skyward and heavyweights in history. Could he borrow from all of them?

Would he utilize those methods in Skyriver Region?

Such an act would be heaven defying indeed. If a first rank exalted emperor could kill a fourth rank, he would have to employ such staggering techniques. The chaos tribulation was sure to descend then, and in full fury.

How would the young man respond to that?

And even if he did so successfully, there would be powerful exalted emperors on the scene shortly thereafter. At least one would be sent to the southern region, what would he do then?

Various questions rose in Void’s mind.