Star Gate-Chapter 1490: Two Maniacs (I)

“Big Claw has returned!” An Empyrean King, possibly a captain of the guards, greeted Big Claw. He quickly looked at Li Hao and smiled. “And a respectful welcome to the return of an exalted emperor!”

No matter how little he thought of the young man, this was still an exalted emperor. He also apparently had some connections to the fifth rank Exalted Void Emperor. Thus, the guard was quite ready to jump to attention. He made sure to be polite, but was not as humble as one might expect.

Li Hao didn’t care. He thought nothing of it—whether this was important to him or not, it was insignificant to the bigger picture.

But while the young man didn’t mind, Big Claw’s expression was unpleasant. This behavior should not be taking place!

According to custom, Li Hao was an exalted emperor that Dragon Observatory had recruited. This was his first visit to Dragon Observatory territory. While they wouldn’t go so far as to wash the streets for him, there should be much more fanfare!

At the very least, an exalted emperor should be out to welcome him. There were more than thirty exalted emperors in Dragon Observatory these days! With so many in the ranks, it was more than appropriate that an exalted emperor be present at the gate!

Big Claw didn’t understand why Li Hao was suffering from such treatment. He was so infuriated for a moment that he could barely speak! Why was his guest being shown such disrespect?!

He speared the guard with a wrathful look, to which the other looked innocently back at him. What are you glaring at me for? I didn’t arrange this!

In truth, no one had arranged anything.

However, the guard grew afraid that the exalted emperor would misunderstand him, seeing as Big Claw kept glaring at him. This was an exalted emperor, after all.

“Don’t look at me, Brother Big Claw,” he transmitted an explanation. “It’s not that we’re giving your guest the cold shoulder, it’s just an unfortunate coincidence! Today is when the Utmost Dark exalted emperor officially joins us with his five exalted emperors. Everyone’s at the palace to welcome them!”

It really was just bad timing, nothing nefarious on anyone’s part!

Big Claw’s hackles were still raised. Even so, they should at least be able to send out one exalted emperor for a short while, no? He looked at Li Hao, as if ready to rip this impertinent guard to shreds as soon as the young man gave the word.

Li Hao had actually heard the transmission. He smiled and headed inside the city without a word.

Big Claw snorted disdainfully, flicking a withering glance at the guard before swiftly following Li Hao inside.

The captain of the guard wordlessly watched them leave. This guy’s... getting full of himself!

If in times past, it would be an honorable appointment to be serving a first rank. But now, they had so many exalted emperors in their halls that they didn’t have enough people to serve these august personnel.

Just look, he was the captain of the guards, but was sent to guard an exalted emperor’s doors. His exalted emperor was a third rank, so he really had nothing to fear when he faced Big Claw.

Your master is just a first rank.

The guard captain had once envied Big Claw for his posting. But now, he felt absolutely nothing at all. Having so many exalted emperors join them all of a sudden made serving one no longer an honor. It was serving a fifth rank or a mid rank that was a promising post.

For an Empyrean King to follow a third rank was even a bit dismal. It was incredibly unlucky to follow a second rank, and worst of all was to follow a first rank!

Does Big Claw think that things are still as before? The guard captain curled his lip.

......

Within the city.

Big Claw was still offended on Li Hao’s behalf. “Milord, they...”

“Quiet.”

Big Claw immediately shut up.

“This is just as well,” Li Hao smiled as he walked. “I’m just passing through...”

Passing through?

No, perhaps they would become enemies! After all, Dragon Observatory wished to hunt down the Sword Sovereign!

There was no need to say anything else. Anyone who wished to harm the Sword Sovereign was his enemy. Not to mention, they’d allied with Utmost Dark. He and Dragon Observatory would be fighting each other to the bitter end.

When it came down to things, the demise of Utmost Dark actually had something to do with him. The Human King had destroyed that major world for him—at least, that was what the Human King said he would do.

Thus, it was only a matter of time before there were open hostilities between Li Hao and Dragon Observatory.

A sixth rank and three fifth ranks... That made them quite an extraordinary faction. Even New Martial didn’t have that many mid ranks, did they? So why did everyone have their sights set on New Martial and not Red Moon?

Wasn’t it Red Moon that was public enemy number one? This turn of events was entirely the Human King’s fault!

Look at you, I mean just look at you! Li Hao inwardly rolled his eyes. There are people who want to kill you on the other side of the chaos! Your reputation seriously sucks!

And look at me, no one’s saying that they want to kill me! If it wasn’t for being collateral damage for New Martial, there would be no one calling for Li Hao’s head...

Of course, that also had to do with him not being that famous. Another point was that anyone who wanted to kill him had been killed first in return.

Li Hao suddenly laughed out loud, whereas Big Claw abruptly realized something. He was suddenly aware of Li Hao’s identity—the new king of Silver Moon!

Utmost Dark was enemies with New Martial. New Martial... was one with Silver Moon. Didn’t that mean to say that the exalted emperors arriving today were the enemies of this great one? Big Claw’s expression twitched, his heart conflicted.

That quickly faded away. Dragon Observatory may be the faction that he’d sworn allegiance to, but that was all it was good for. The person in front of him might be the greatest fortuitous opportunity on his path to becoming an exalted emperor. The young man would be his guide to higher peaks.

Although Li Hao himself didn’t think so and would never admit to it, by now, Big Claw thought of Li Hao as kind of a teacher. On one side was the faction he was loyal to, on the other was someone he could regard as a teacher. It was easy enough to determine how he should decide.

He didn’t say anything as he was too weak for the moment. He didn’t have the right to say anything.

A palace towered ahead of them like a temple. Individual halls clustered together to form the entirety of the palace complex. This was Dragon Observatory.

Currents of formidable presence shook the void and hearts. There was also a unique ripple among them. Li Hao carefully probed it and found it to be... strength of darkness? He raised an eyebrow and looked at Big Claw.

“Milrod, Dragon Observatory sits on a dao foundation site called Demon Summit!” Big Claw quickly transmitted back, understanding the young man’s question. “It was said to be the cultivation site of a premier dark powerhouse back in the day on Skyward.

“Skyward possessed the light and dark envoys, the divine beasts of the four directions, the envoys of the five elements... and other monikers for heavyweights on Skyward. This site is where the dark envoy trained in his time.

“Dragon Observatory sits at the core of the southern region and occupies the best dao foundation site in the proximity. I told milord once before that mid rank exalted emperors do not need to join the faction to meditate there.

“Initial rank exalted emperors can use the site for free once every hundred years, but they’ll need to undertake a mission. Since milord has not conducted any missions, you are not able to use it for free.”

Li Hao took note of the name—Demon Summit! No wonder Void would remain here—there was a lingering darkness around the area. The addition of Utmost Dark also seemed quite reasonable. It would be very helpful for them to meditate over the dao echoes here.

One had to know that there were four premier sixth ranks in Skyward, yet the Utmost Dark delegation had chosen this faction. This site must have played a significant part in their decision.

After returning to Dragon Observatory territory, Li Hao visited Coiled Dragon Well first. This might be the site of one of the four divine beasts—the dragons were renowned for practicing formidable body dao.

The other was the powerhouse of the volcano, a seventh rank fire exalted emperor. They might be one of the five elemental envoys. As for the woman in Skyriver, she was only sixth rank. Could she be the water envoy?

Surely not, there was quite a difference between sixth and seventh rank.

Skyward was purported to have possessed many high rank exalted emperors in its heyday, there might have been a water seventh rank. Li Hao turned over many notions in his mind.

Dragon Observatory was particularly quiet on this day, everyone was at the palace. No one paid any attention to the young man, even though he’d come with Big Claw. They cocked their ears, hoping to hear any whispers upon the wind or the discussions of dao between premier exalted emperors.

......

At the same time, within the depths of Dragon Observatory.

Laughter and conversation rang out of a large hall.

“All of Dragon Observatory has come alive with Fellow Daoist Drouth joining us! [1] What a string of happiness this is!

“Additionally, the Exalted Void Emperor has also set foot into fifth rank. He’s been halted at fourth rank for a long time. Fellow Daoist Drouth is the exalted emperor of a major world, alright! The fortune that comes with you is unparalleled!”

Drouth was the fifth rank from Utmost Dark. He was calm in the face of such praise. “Brother Dragon praises me too highly! I am just a person who has encountered grave misfortune.”

“It is but a momentary setback!” The Dragon Observatory leader smiled broadly. “Yin and Yang rebels against the natural order of things and will be punished for it sooner or later! It is also just a matter of time before Utmost Dark returns to the ranks of major worlds! Fellow Daoist Drouth will be the master of a major world then. When that day comes, please remember us at Dragon Observatory...”

“Surely Brother Dragon jests.” A smile finally crossed Drouth’s face. “But if such a day does come by, I will not forget Dragon Observatory’s warm hospitality!”

It was an immense surprise to everyone that Utmost Dark had been destroyed. Only a few of its exalted emperors who had not been on the planet survived. Of them, Drouth was the leader because he was the highest level.

He was a fifth rank!

Their seventh rank master of the world, two sixth ranks, and multiple fifth ranks had all fallen to the Human King’s sword. None of them were spared. All of the lower exalted emperors were exterminated as well!

It was quite chilling that only a few souls were left of a once vast major world. In the past, Drouth wouldn’t have bothered to look at a sixth rank of motley daos like the Dragon Observatory leader. But now, the tiger had been forced out of the mountains and into the plains. He had to shelter under someone else’s roof.

Though a smile clung to his face, he was inwardly dismissive. He thought absolutely nothing of the leader’s fawning words and didn’t give the newly ascended Void second thought.

Drouth was a fifth rank of a major world! Void was just a mixed breed fifth rank lucky enough to strike gold. There was a large gap between the two.

Besides, all of the other exalted emperors seemed to be here this time, except that newly advanced Void. According to the leader’s words, he was still in closed door cultivation. Drouth barely managed to endure this display of disrespect.

What closed door cultivation? I sensed the guy coming to take a look a while ago, he’s just whiny that I stole his spotlight! Would I steal your mixed breed thunder if I had a choice? I was once an exalted emperor of a major world!

1. The characters for Drouth are 巽旱 (xun han). Xun is part of the eight trigrams and represents wind, han means drought. Together, they mean a severe drought. I didn’t want to call someone Severe Drought or Really No Rain, so Drouth is the late Middle English variant of ‘drought’. ☜