Star Gate

Chapter 460: Metamorphosis (III)

“The royal family keeps a very low profile and has waited patiently since their forced abdication. They’ve just been accumulating their strength this entire time.

“Also, don’t underestimate the nine ministries!” he laughed after putting the black armor back on. “Why do you think the nine ministries were able to force the royal family into stepping back? Was it through a position of moral superiority or public sentiment? That’s bullshit, it was through pure strength! They were already quite strong eighty years ago—what they display now is just the tip of the iceberg. Do you really think the ministries rule through logic and reason? After so many years of biding their time, do people like Hou Xiaochen really dare openly rebel?”

Li Hao manifested his silver armor as well. “So why do they hide themselves?” he asked curiously.

“Those old guys are mostly the same as us—in neither a state of advance nor retreat. It hurts to fight on the battlefield, so they have to pretend to be weak. That is one of the reasons. The other is that the nine ministries, three great organizations, and the royal family all know certain secrets. I know some as well, but I won’t tell you as there isn’t a point to that.”

Then don’t even mention secrets! Li Hao half rolled his eyes and didn’t ask further. Deputy Zhou put on a show like he had a lot of secrets and obviously wanted me to ask him. I couldn’t be bothered.

It was the same case now. Just talk about them if you want to!

Hong Yitang chuckled, not minding the conversation and walked out of the tavern. “Don’t listen to his blathering,” he said as they headed back to the inner city. “There’s another main reason, and it has to do with a struggle between some of the ministries and the royal family. The conflicts involving some of the border provinces is actually a process of shuffling cards. A lot of people want to eliminate their opponents and even crown a new Human King!

“The people’s hearts are not one and morale is low. Some are purposefully creating war and hardship to inflict suffering on the people. They conceal themselves in the chaos and demonstrate weakness to their opponents, hoping to claim the final victory and become the dynasty’s only sovereign! The nine ministries, royal family, and provinces are the three major factions in play. The three great organizations are just borrowing the hands of some ambitious characters to eke out a comfortable survival. Or did you think it was that easy to find one’s footing in the early days of confusion?”

Human King?

“A Human King?” Li Hao burst out laughing.

“Yes.”

“Aren’t they thinking a bit much?” Liu Yan chortled. “I know there was one in the ancient civilization who was terrifying beyond belief. Can such an existence be born today?”

“Our times are not necessarily less than the ancient. Li Hao, don’t think so little of modern man just because you’re well acquainted with the might of the ancients. Everything is possible and unknown!” Hong Yitang emphasized. “If you think this way, then you can give up cultivation, breakthroughs, and your search for dao. If you already deem the ancients to be greater than you and unsurpassable, why cultivate when the ancient civilization has already fallen?

“People die. Dying now is death, dying later is death. Why bother seeking dao? Your teacher must be touched in the head to explore becoming a Summoner.

“The ancients are indeed strong, of that there is no doubt. We are just learning how to walk compared to them. But take the supernatural domain for example, even if we speak of nothing else. There might be existences above in Nova in just twenty years of development. We couldn’t surpass the ancients in twenty years, but how about thirty, forty... or even one hundred or two hundred?

“If the modern man’s goal is not to surpass the past, then there isn’t much value to our existence!”

Li Hao paused as he stared at Hong Yitang.

“Your teacher is not here, or he’d slap you across the face!” Hong Yitang continued walking. “Do you think that in Yuan Shuo’s heart, he believes he is better than the ancients and will exceed them sooner or later? Why else did he modify the Five Styles? Do you think the version he excavated wasn’t complete? It must have been, but he felt that he could create an even greater one! Referencing the ancients, extracting the essence to leave the dross, imitation, catching up, and then surpassing... That is the path of modern humanity!”

Li Hao nodded solemnly. Indeed, modern society was less than the ancient past in his heart. He’d witnessed stronger existences, his forefather’s move, the imperial majesty who wrote the characters for Battle Heaven, and someone who was possibly the Human King reign unrivaled in the battlefield...

He’d always found the modern man to be weak and fragile in comparison, but could later descendants truly not outstrip their forebears?

The young man thought of his teacher. Hong Yitang said that his teacher would slap him if he was present—would he?

Perhaps!

Li Hao thought of his teacher’s reaction to the streak of sword qi running through his palm. His memory was a bit hazy, but he could recall how his teacher was first afraid, startled, and then... excited!

He’d been excited!

It was the agitated confirmation of something he’d suspected—that there was a stronger existence and path out there. It was such an agitation that he hadn’t been willing to let Li Hao heal his wounds. He’d maintained that bloody hole until it healed on its own.

In this moment, Li Hao found himself deeply inferior to his teacher. He perked up the next moment, finding himself lacking to a great many people. Hong Yitang, He Yong, Hou Xiaochen... all of these people were stronger, more tenacious, thoughtful, and knowledgeable than him.

But I am young! My path has only just begun! Strictly speaking, I’ve only been on it for less than three months!

I’ll leave them in the dust one by one so long as I continue to improve. Li Hao’s spirits brightened. Yes, I can do that. I’ll surpass everyone first, then the ancients, then my ancestor, then the imperial majesty, then the Human King...

He’d gained so much on this trip to Battle Heaven—not only in terms of battle strength, but a metamorphosis in terms of mentality. He had a deeper understanding of martial dao and a new positioning of his life goals.

The young man continued to change. No one was born invincible or a flawless saint. He had too many failings, but he was improving bit by bit. Li Hao followed the two veteran martial masters with a humble attitude of learning. All of them possessed points of sparkle and wonder that were worthy of him to learn from.

......

When the three Silver Armors saw him again, they felt something different about their newest brethren.

The Seventh Troop leader looked at the young man with confusion. “Well done, Troop Leader Li, but why... do you seem a little different?”

“Learning has helped me improve!” Li Hao sent humble thought ripples back. “Elder brothers, as a fellow member of the Battle Heaven army, what should I keep in mind in the great battle to come?”

“Charge!” The Seventh Troop leader answered mechanically. “Charge until the enemy no longer exists! Do not retreat, do not flee, and trust your comrades, your brothers-in-arm. Your enemies are simply those in front of you. You do not need to think of anything else so long as there are comrades around you. The Battle Heaven army is a unit worthy of trust. Perhaps the times change, but people are still people and your comrades are still your comrades. That does not change!”

Li Hao nodded, not sure if he’d gained anything from the response.

The Seventh Troop leader looked into the distance, at the supernaturals in the plaza. “If they work together, they are sure to breach our defenses. It will be quite a pity... and that victory goes to the side that is united! That has ever been the case since time immemorial. Such was the truth even in our times, when powerhouses such as the Human King rose to prominence. They were not born invincible, but made their way upward on the bodies of their enemies.

“If the Human King was one person, he might not have made it to the peak himself. The group of people he could trust was key. Victory is always guaranteed when hearts are united!” He suddenly raised the longsword in his hand and spoke with a bit more emotion. “Therefore, as a new recruit, you can observe first when battle breaks out later. I will teach you how to be a good soldier! A true soldier is invincible. He is defeated only in terms of strength, not heart!”

Li Hao nodded emphatically, reaffirming to himself that his greatest gains this trip was not from battle ability, but the thought patterns of the ancients. He’d walked out of his tiny hometown to observe the world at large. Rapidly transforming, he was changing some of his own thoughts.

......

At the same time.

Large sums of wandering cultivators retreated back to the plaza. Fear percolated through the crowd when they registered that some powerful existences had gone missing. There were a lot fewer now!

On Red Moon’s side, Green Moon’s expression was incredibly unpleasant. While she normally kept her face unreadable, there was a time and place for that. With Yellow Moon dead, she was perfectly right to display noticeable shock and fury.

Blue Moon and Violet Moon remained quiet, prompting questions from others. What had happened for such a heavy atmosphere to drape over these three leaders?

“When I rushed over just now, I saw a Black Armor killing someone.” Xu Feng came back at this time. “It was incredibly powerful and killing Yama’s Xie Gang. It might’ve used a martial dao secret art!

“I suspect that there are powerful martial masters who’ve put on the armor to conceal their tracks while they kill others!”

Hou Xiaochen flicked a glance at him and couldn’t be bothered to respond. Idiot! What was the point of announcing this r? Did he simply want to create more panic? You don’t have to speak of it just because you know it. Voicing it aloud won’t show how strong you are. It will only make people fearful and cause wandering cultivators to doubt those around them. These central region powerhouses are too green!

Indeed, the wandering cultivators rustled with unease after the young man’s words. Martial masters were subject to sidelong glances all around.