Star Gate-Chapter 1482: Complete Eradication (IV)

At the same time, in the outside world. Skyward.

Exalted emperors jerked and walked out of closed door cultivation, looking toward the end of the world with puzzlement and shock. Li Hao’s utilization of a sixth rank exalted emperor’s strength seemed to have drawn something out of hiding.

The dao universe!

Dragon Observatory Region.

The Dragon Observatory exalted emperor looked up with an excited and somewhat fearful expression. What was going on? Why could he sense the trembling of the world, as if the dao universe was about to appear?

How could this be?

Didn’t they say that one needed to ascend to seventh rank on Skyward in order to have a chance of summoning the dao universe?

Yet today... he looked in the direction of Skyriver Region. Something had happened in Skyriver—there was an immense surge of water energy there, and it seemed to be drawing in something. What was the reason for all that?

Nearby, the Exalted Void Emperor raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. How interesting! That person really had successfully borrowed another’s strength—and he’d done so from a sixth rank of the water attribute. It should be the dao strength of Ice Prism, one of the five elemental envoys of Skyward.

The Exalted Flamefire Emperor from the volcano that he’d met Li Hao at was another one of the five. Ice Prism was slightly weaker—just peak sixth rank. She was yet to set foot into seventh.

If she’d been seventh... then Li Hao might have really summoned some things today or even had a hope of creating a new dao universe!

“He’s truly done it...”

How? Why? Could it be that the young man’s main focus wasn’t the dao of life and death, or that the dao of life and death could truly summon the power of those dead?

Various thoughts rose in Void’s mind—the notion of time didn’t occur to him. The more one understood the great dao, the less likely they were to think of time as the concept was too incredible.

This was meant to be an unsettling day; all of Skyward was affected. Void looked at the Dragon Observatory leader. As he expected, the latter shouted, “Fellow daoists, come with me to take a look at Skyriver Region!”

Dragon Observatory Region was the closest to Skyriver. Something was taking place there. Wouldn’t they die of regret if they didn’t take a gander and it turned out to be a fortuitous opportunity?

A fifth rank and fourth rank materialized. The others didn’t join as they wouldn’t be able to travel fast enough as initial rank exalted emperors.

“I’ll stay back as a guard!” Void said after a glance.

The Dragon Observatory leader didn’t say anything. Leaving a mid rank exalted emperor on duty was just as well. Since the three of them were going, it was fine that they were down a fourth rank.

The trio quickly moved toward Skyriver!

......

Skyriver Region.

Li Hao once more stabbed at the air, dispersing a ray of resplendent light and revealing Scintillating’s true form. The latter was horrified as the sword pierced through his skull, dispersing his power!

A third rank exalted emperor had been executed with one blow!

The two first ranks were nearly out of their minds with terror. They tried to run!

But the area was surrounded by the river; the entire world was the river. Waves lapped in all directions and overwhelming water force churned everywhere. The two first ranks were mercilessly dragged back.

“I have nothing to do with Scintillating!” one of them shrieked.

The sword condemned him with the power of life and death. The two first ranks spontaneously aged and death qi filled the air. They immediately reached the end of life, their strength streaming out of their hands.

Crunch!

The two turned to dust from a swing of the sword. Not even their shock lingered on the wind.

In the distance, a man battled a ferocious wave by himself. He suddenly whipped his head in Li Hao’s direction with an exceedingly unpleasant expression.

“Time... borrowed strength... you’re not really a sixth rank! You’re just borrowing the strength of the master of the site! Who are you?!”

The power of time!

“Li Hao, the new king of Silver Moon!” Li Hao rushed him with an upraised sword. “I hadn’t wanted to set myself against you, but you insisted on tying yourself to Scintillating’s mast. In that case, I’ll send you on your way!”

“The new king of Silver Moon??” Skyriver’s eyes threatened to pop out of his head with anger. “Li Hao! Well well, you’re just borrowing an ancient’s strength! Do you really think you can kill me with that?! Let’s see how long you last!”

He was a fourth rank, not one of those initial rank exalted emperors! Someone of his level had undergone a metamorphosis and was therefore much stronger than a third rank. If Li Hao felt that he was the same as the rest, then the brat was gravely underestimating him.

Li Hao’s presence was starting to decline; his body was also aging even further. This was the consequence of using so much time that his body couldn’t endure it. His lifespan was fast depleting as well.

The chaos tribulation was coming for him and his opponent was a bonafide fourth rank exalted emperor! He was very difficult to kill! Not only that, but there was a fifth rank outside as well!

Li Hao could sense that there was a fifth rank on the sidelines, but that one had abstained from the fight thus far. Li Hao decided to ignore the man if he didn’t become involved. He might have something to do with Void.

As for what that one might be sensing of the situation, it would be limited since the river obscured everything. But he would know that Li Hao had borrowed the strength of the dao foundation site and was exuding the presence of a sixth rank water exalted emperor.

If he dared extend his senses into the river... then Li Hao would add another number to his kill count today!

The young man wouldn’t do anything to the other so long as they stayed out of the river.

Fourth and sixth rank were both mid rank exalted emperors, but there was a gap between them nonetheless. Li Hao’s strength was flimsy and temporary. Killing the other four exalted emperors had delayed him for a period of time.

Skyriver had a keen eye for assessing the situation. Dragons of great dao swirled around him as a wall of water rose up protectively in front of him. The water even created a weapon as part of his defenses.

He was going to stick to defense!

So long as he stalwartly defended himself and held up against Li Hao’s fatal blows, he would then either see the waning of Li Hao’s strength or the arrival of the Dragon Observatory leader.

“Li Hao, why are you not running yet?” he jeered, at ease. “I bear no hostility toward you. You’ll have no place to run to once Dragon Observatory arrives! Their leader is a real sixth rank who comes from a major world!

“Although he isn’t connected to his world’s dao universe at present, he can return at any time! He’ll be a sixth rank exalted emperor of a major world then...”

He wanted to intimidate the brat to get the kid to give up the chase. Even just making him uneasy would do!

Li Hao didn’t say a word—he struck with his sword, the immense sword intent flickering through endless permutations. Unstoppable, the weapon crashed through layers of defenses, but was ultimately exhausted when it reached the treasure of water energy.

It couldn’t break through that barrier!

Skyriver breathed a slight sigh of relief, this was good! He was safe!

Li Hao furrowed his brows. The water attribute wasn’t that useful when it came to offense. It was more adept at defense instead. Borrowing from a sixth rank water exalted emperor wasn’t the most useful. If it’d been fire, he would’ve burned through his opponent’s defenses in a snap. What a pity.

Li Hao said nothing and quickly commenced his next option. The star of time appeared and time reversed.

All of Skyriver’s defenses were restored to a whole and complete condition, then vanished. A sword hurtled through the air before Skyriver could react!

He froze with incomprehension, unable to understand the situation at hand. Time?

A sword was embedded in his skull. Not only was his great dao shattered, but a world within his body pierced through as well.

Li Hao panted heavily; there wasn’t much strength left inside his body. He pulled out the sword without a word and stabbed it through the world!

Boom!

An explosion sounded, the immense shockwave rattling the entire river. Skyriver was equal parts incredulous, bitter, despairing, and despondent. “Why...”

I just recruited a third rank exalted emperor and was about to come into my glory! How did I run afoul of this nightmare and die to him?? And I saw some hope in our fight just now, thinking that he couldn’t handle my defenses. Why did all of them spontaneously break...

Is the power of time really that omnipotent?

He looked again at Li Hao. Li Hao... seemed to be on the verge of death from old age.

“I see!” Skyriver laughed, somewhat comforted. You’ll die too. Borrowing the strength of a sixth rank is a harrowing gesture that consumes endless lifespan. You also just forcefully reversed time just now and broke my defenses.

He saw Li Hao move feebly with old age!

You don’t have much time left to live! You’ll die with me! In that case, I am at peace.

Li Hao said nothing. He annihilated everything with another blow, turning all of it into energy ripples that he suppressed in the depths of the river.

I’ll die?

He was a good guy, so he didn’t like to have his enemies die in a despairing or bitter mood.

I wield the dao of life and death. I can always walk it again.

Although this dao wasn’t all-encompassing, it could handle the depletion of a single lifespan.

Boom!

The river trembled. Li Hao looked in a certain direction, at a crack formed by the parting of the rivers. There was a figure there also looking at him.

“Fellow daoist, please stay away,” Li Hao said courteously. “The chaos tribulation is about to arrive and I don’t want anyone interfering with me when I weather it.”

The other hadn’t ventured deep with his investigation, so Li Hao addressed him politely. Even though he was a doddering old man now, he still displayed a genteel manner.

Go, now! The chaos tribulation is about to come. It will be quite strong given my usage of a sixth rank’s strength.

In the distance, the powerhouse hidden in the void frowned at Li Hao’s weakness in old age. He was tempted to test the young man, even...

But then his thoughts turned toward His Highness. That was a terrifying existence! He’d been a fifth rank, then fell to third rank when he relinquished the dao universe and the identity of a major world exalted emperor. He cultivated anew and set foot into fourth rank again...

A variety of thoughts rose in his mind. The man wasn’t afraid of Li Hao, he was concerned that His Highness would be dissatisfied. That was a ruthless person that the man was very much fearful of.

Not to mention, His Highness bore a very special identity.