Star Gate

Chapter 903: Battle (I)

Chapter 903: Battle (I)

“Weren’t you so confident in following me just now?” Hong Tu laughed softly at Li Hao. “You came with me just because I told you to, so what are you afraid of now? The Mirror of Wind and Cloud is right here. Take it if you want!”

Li Hao shook his head with a slight frown, suddenly saying, “For some reason... when I look at you... I feel that you and I are very similar. Is that a strange thing to say?”

“Not at all,” Hong Tu laughed. “Do you know why I chose not to conserve my mental strength and opted for reincarnation? Do I not know that there are many problems with this path? I’m not that much of a fool, but I still chose to do so. Do you know the reason why?”

Li Hao continuously backed away, unease starting to set in. He’d subconsciously followed the other to this place, and he seemed to see himself when he looked at Hong Tu. Indeed, arrogant and self assured...

He hadn’t thought of himself that way at first; he used to be a very prudent person. According to logic, he should’ve let Director General Wang make the move and outright kill this guy. He shouldn’t have ventured deep into enemy territory alone with his opponent. Hong Tu was a seven element Arcanus at the end of the day, if not even stronger.

Li Hao suddenly felt rather uncomfortable and was even a little scared. How had the situation developed to this point?

Hong Tu walked up to the throne of the great hall in a noncommittal manner.

“I’d thought that the world might be mine after I emerged with the second awakening!” he sighed. “But after seeing you, I knew that my previous concerns were right. Do you know why I’ve been targeting you all this time?”

Li Hao took a deep breath, energy from the five elements circulating within his body. This place was isolated from the aura of heaven and earth. He wrapped himself with the auras of the five elements to feel a bit more awake.

Indeed, he didn’t seem to have been that awake up to this point. He’d suddenly relaxed upon meeting this fellow who seemed a bit similar to him. Li Hao had abruptly thought nothing of everyone in the world.

He realized something as he listened to Hong Tu’s words and took a deep breath. “The consciousness of the world? No... you reincarnated as opposed to coming back to life because you wish to become the new master of this world, don’t you?”

“You’re very smart!” Hong Tu laughed. “Or rather, your subconscious told you.”

He nodded. “That’s right! This world is a small world separated from the main world and is closely tied to the main world. The Human King didn’t destroy this world back in the day because he wished to gift it to your ancestor.

“Countless years ago, the Human King split the main world into three. He held one third, the Green Emperor held one third, and the various powerhouses of the world held another third. Therefore, no matter how the powerhouses of the world allied together, they could at most reach a draw with the Human King.”

Li Hao’s heart quailed from the implications!

“Thus, almost no latter day descendant could surpass the Human King. However, changes soon occurred because of the Silver Moon world!

“It is a world that the Human King gave to your ancestor, but your ancestor had other thoughts in mind. Or perhaps he wasn’t willing or couldn’t devour it. Or maybe he was too proud to do so. Regardless, Silver Moon world remained as it were until changes happened. The Sword Sovereign left, Silver Moon was sealed off and became ownerless. There was no one to suppress this world anymore.

“I hadn’t thought of undertaking this plan at first,” Hong Tu laughed. “And didn’t dare to. But once the Star Gate closed, I knew that my chance had come!”

Li Hao looked at him with a shifting gaze. His chance had come!

“To devour the world?”

“Yes!” Hong Tu chuckled with a nod. “Not returning to life is a function of our pride as a New Martial citizen. I’m not interested in resurrection either. This weak body and weak mental strength is such a far cry to who I was before!

“But when the energy of the world died out, I knew that it was only a matter of time before it revived. The world would awaken again and everything related to New Martial would sink into oblivion. Everything would start anew and the world would be reborn after countless years of quiet! My chance would come when the world shook off the influence from New Martial and started over from zero again!”

Li Hao finally understood the man and looked at Hong Tu with a frown. “The chance that you speak of... is the chance to become master of this world?”

“Correct!” Hong Tu nodded. “You don’t understand—the world is an ignorant entity, particularly a new world like this one. If a genius appears at this time that conforms with the dao of the world, such a person easily takes control of the world and substitutes for its will as the master.

“Even the master of a small world is still the master of a world. A minor world is also connected to the major world. If something happens to the major world and the Human King and Green Emperor are no more, then with the linkage between the major and minor worlds, you can replace them to become the true masters of the world!”

Li Hao breathed out gently, thinking back to the scene that he’d once witnessed. Had the Exalted Blood Emperor been addressing him or the world?

So this world had been a gift from the Human King to the Li family. Meanwhile, he’d incorporated his auras into heaven and earth when he was in the outside world.

A variety of thoughts floated into Li Hao’s mind. He finally understood why he felt uncomfortable at seeing Hong Tu, even a bit irritated, like he’d seen himself.

“Thus, you reincarnated to become a member of the new human race and fully assimilate into this age, didn’t you? You wanted to rise in the modern world and become a unique existence that could dominate the world and take it for your own.”

“That’s right.” Hong Tu nodded with a smile. “So I felt it was inappropriate when you rose. As strong as the older guard of New Martial citizens were, it was of no matter. I was most worried about the rise of the new guard, such as you. You’ve risen so fast that you remind me of someone—the Human King!

“Therefore, I wanted to see if you are a resurrected New Martial citizen or a true modern human. Now I see it, you are of the new age.” The man shook his head with some regret. “I knew the moment I saw you why I’ve been ill at ease lately, even wavering in my convictions. I also knew why I am unable to meld into the world and become one favored by heaven.

“It’s because this world has a new choice!” Hongtu laughed with resignation. “You are the choice of the new, muddleheaded world. You must have done some things to make its consciousness think that you are a better choice than me. That cannot stand. If this continues, then my rebirth will truly become a joke. I have paid too great a price for this. I had a chance of leaving Silver Moon Territory otherwise and didn’t need to stay here trapped like a prisoner...”

Li Hao frowned without a word, a light brimming in his eyes as he looked around. He knew that he’d come to this hall because his opponent had purposefully lured him here via playing dumb. The mirror gave him a very dangerous feeling.

Hong Tu sat on the chair and stared at Li Hao for a long time, suddenly saying, “You’ve set foot into seven elements, haven’t you?”

Li Hao looked woodenly back without saying a word.

“You must have something special about you to be able to live peacefully in the outside world. How about this, Li Hao. I’ll let you live if you tell me everything you’ve done. You are favored by heaven...”

“No, I’m not!” Li Hao suddenly laughed with a shake of his head. “You have a lot of thoughts rattling in your brain, Hong Tu, but you’ve got one thing wrong. Any so-called favor is a result of my own work, not a gift fallen into my lap from above!

“I have my accomplishments today because I’ve worked hard for all of them! Just from this point alone... you’re really not much of anything!”

“It’s not a good thing to not know that you’re being appreciated and lifted up!” Hong Tu laughed after staring at the young man coldly for a while. “Do you hope for those outside to eliminate Revered White and save you? You won’t be leaving after I’ve brought you here!”

He punched the young man without saying anything else, not utilizing the ancient golden body or core origin dao, but supernatural force!

His supernatural abilities were different from everyone else’s, however. It seemed to break the void and a variety of abilities, such as invisibility and the dark attribute, erupted at the same time. Li Hao vanished as soon as Hong Tu made a move, but the mirror flared with faint illumination!

A beam of light enclosed Li Hao in the pitch-black hall and forced him into the open.

“Why do you think I want to kill you here, Li Hao?” Mirrors floated into view on all sides, showing only one person on them—Li Hao. Hong Tu had vanished without a trace, only his voice could be heard in the air. “You must want to kill me and probably felt the same as me when you first saw me. That’s because I’m also devouring heaven and earth as I wish to become the master of the world.

“I must thank you. If it wasn’t for your appearance, I may have been slowly eroded by this world until I became a smear of intent without consciousness...” Hong Tu’s laughter echoed in the surroundings. A pair of fists appeared in the countless mirrors and smashed down on Li Hao!

Bam!

His golden armor shattered. Li Hao wanted to flee through the air, but there was nowhere for him to go. The young man was still shaking his head, trying to clear it. Something was wrong! A foggy sense had gripped him ever since he entered this structure. He hadn’t been able to think clearly since.

Countless Li Haos appeared in the mirror as they all suffered attacks at the same time. Boom! His armor shattered, revealing his fragile body. Blood gushed out as the blow landed on him.

Li Hao struck with his sword! A mirror broke apart into fragments, but many more mirrors quickly manifested around him.

“Stop struggling, Li Hao! A mere seven elements will not escape from a copy of the Mirror of Wind and Cloud! You were destined to die the second you entered the hall! This is the will of heaven! They are hesitating to see which is their chosen one, which is why both you and I feel the interference.”

Li Hao constantly dodged and evaded in the hall, avoiding being reflected by mirrors, but his movements were useless. Interference from the will of the world? Choosing one out of the two of them?

“What bullish interference, the hell are the heavens worth?” Li Hao sneered.

“You are... truly arrogant, Li Hao!” Hong Tu laughed. “Then... you can die!”

Hong Tu appeared with a palm strike!

Kaboom!

The world itself seemed to explode with the massive collision. Li Hao spat out a mouthful of fresh blood that illuminated the world. Blade light glinted and beat back Hong Tu!

A wave of blade intent stood between heaven and earth.

“Blade intent??” Hong Tu exclaimed with astonishment. “Aren’t you a sword cultivator??”