Star Gate-Chapter 1577: Ascension (III)

Li Hao ignored what everyone else was thinking and silenced his entire river of dao. He started forming the star of emptiness, bringing forth a corresponding surge of emptiness from the river...

What was emptiness?

Li Hao didn’t know if his understanding was the same as Void. In his eyes, emptiness was a deep sleep. It was different from death. There was the possibility of reawakening from emptiness, whereas a reawakening from death was reincarnation.

Currents of energy rose in the air as tendrils of dao strength began to gather. A dim star gradually formed in the void, hovering next to the star of life and death.

It was much weaker in comparison and not yet complete. Li Hao needed to slowly combine emptiness and revitalization, so he’d only extracted some power of emptiness at the moment and none of revitalization.

......

Just as Li Hao entered closed door cultivation to ascend to fourth rank.

Inside Demon Summit.

Void set foot into the Hall of Darkness after completing his comprehension of life and death. He wished to challenge the first trial. Once he fended off the newly born dark puppets, he would walk through dao chess again and prepare to set foot into sixth rank.

A seventh rank had arrived at Skyward today. Fifth rank exalted emperors were no longer the ceiling of strength on the world. Neither were sixth ranks.

Seventh and even eighth ranks would become the key players in the days to come.

......

Outside Demon Summit.

All four world gates to Skyward were closed. The order had come from an exalted emperor of a major world—Fog Mountain!

Who dared disobey his orders after he gave them?

Fog Mountain didn’t do anything else after that. He simply found a place to enjoy himself. However, all of Skyward was shaking from his command. A seventh rank had come to Skyward, sealed off the world, and then vanished within it.

Everyone knew why!

He wanted to seize the dao universe for himself! The Skyward dao universe!

A variety of messages flew in all directions through special means. Meanwhile, the carefree Fog Mountain also received a transmission from the Skycloud master.

Inside a restaurant.

A figure had appeared in front of Fog Mountain—the Skycloud master.

“Fog Mountain, has Skyward’s dao universe truly awakened?” he asked solemnly.

“It has,” nodded Fog Mountain. “Of course, not all of it, just a small part of it! I’m investigating at the moment...

“I haven’t found the one who killed Crimson Cloud either, but my guess is that it’s the Silver Moon king. I can’t be bothered with him because a dao universe is so much more important. I had Ming Tang take the fall for it. He’s friends with that guy and will compensate us three mid worlds for Crimson Cloud!”

“The Silver Moon king?” The Skycloud master refocused on Fog Mountain. “Has Ming Tang agreed?”

“He has.”

“Now that is interesting. Are you certain the dao universe has come back to life?”

In that case, Crimson Cloud’s death wasn’t important anymore. The Light crown prince was willing to shoulder the blame and pay them three mid worlds. That would put an end to the matter.

What, were they supposed to kill the Light master’s son to retaliate for Crimson Cloud?

“I am certain!” Fog Mountain nodded. That was the truth. The Skyward dao universe had indeed revitalized, but just a portion instead of all of it.

It can’t be accessed without the Silver Moon king, but I haven’t lied.

“Then have you found it?” asked the Skycloud master after some thought.

“Not yet, I’m looking for it,” smiled Fog Mountain. “I should be able to find some clues and traces as I investigate further.”

“It’s said that the might of a ninth rank was felt. Is that true or false?”

“That is true, I sensed it through the air,” nodded Fog Mountain. “It might not have been the Skyward master’s presence, but one from a weapon or Skyward itself. Or perhaps the weapon resides in the dao universe and was activated by its revitalization.”

The Skycloud master delved into his thoughts once more.

“You’ve alarmed everyone by sealing off Skyward. Red Moon and Light are now convinced that the Skyward dao universe has revitalized. We’ll have no end of trouble now.

“Fog Mountain, with your intelligence, you would’ve taken action in the shadows even if you’d truly detected the revitalization of a dao universe. You wouldn’t have been so high profile. These actions make it more convincing to others and harder for them to set the matter aside.”

This wasn’t Fog Mountain’s personality. Even if he’d discovered something, he wouldn’t have acted with such fanfare. He would’ve searched quietly and sought out chances from the darkness.

Now look at the situation. You went to the extreme of sealing off Skyward. There’s a dearth of everything but scouts from a variety of factions in that world! They might not have believed the commotion before, but now they certainly do.

“I know!” Fog Mountain nodded once more. “But the Skyward dao universe is hard to find and an eighth rank might come for it. It might be the world master, it might be the Light or Red Moon masters. Perhaps it’ll be the Dragon master or others. It will be difficult for me to seize it then.

“In that case, the more seventh ranks that come, the better.” The man grinned. “I might be able to take a dao universe of my own then.”

The Skycloud master was silent for a very long time before he said, “Have you grown impatient after all these years?”

“Not impatient,” Fog Mountain shook his head. “But that... world master, it should be normal to seek some freedom at my level. I have no desire to betray Skycloud, but I do not wish to always remain in it and imprison myself that way. What does the world master think?”

The Skycloud master was once more silent.

Fog Mountain was a mainstay of Skycloud major world. Of the multiple seventh ranks they possessed, Fog Mountain was the smartest and most capable.

However, the world master could tell that Fog Mountain had some thoughts of his own and wanted to strike out independently. But for Skycloud to lose a premier seventh rank while they faced Light, Red Moon, and others...

“Fog Mountain, what will you do when Skycloud is in trouble after you seize a dao universe for yourself?”

“I will naturally do all that I can when Skycloud needs me!” Fog Mountain sighed softly. “It’s just... world master, this depends on if someone is invading Skycloud or if the world master seeks to dominate the chaos and become a ninth rank. If the latter, then I am but a mere seventh rank and would be hard pressed to participate.”

“Your strength stems from Skycloud!” frowned the Skycloud master. “I will not obstruct your pursuit of freedom, but you must recall that your strength, dao methods, and everything that you are comes from Skycloud! Even if you set off on your own, you are taking Skycloud’s foundation with you!”

Fog Mountain was silent for a while before nodding, “I understand.”

“You can think over our conversation. In addition, I might personally visit Skyward if the timing is appropriate!”

Fog Mountain inclined his head without saying much else. He breathed out heavily with a sigh only after the Skycloud master’s image disappeared. My strength comes from Skycloud.

That’s true!

This was why some masters of dao were unwilling to permit exalted emperors to leave. Or that exalted emperors could leave, but they had to leave behind their energy and dao heritage.

Otherwise, the sectioning of great dao by a seventh rank and moving away with it would be an enormous loss for a major world.

“Seventh rank...” Fog Mountain murmured. He wanted to take his strength with him, which meant... he might have to kill a seventh rank. If he killed one, stripped them of their dao strength, and incorporated it into Skycloud... that should fill in the hole created by his departure.

Skycloud wouldn’t be able to say anything then.

I have established quite the meritorious distinction in Skycloud over the years. If I then kill a seventh rank to make up for my loss, so that my departure will not affect the world... or it might even ensure that Skycloud can give birth to a new seventh rank when I am gone... that should take care of everything.

“Red Moon, is it?” murmured Fog Mountain. Red Moon and Light were both eighth rank major worlds. Hence, their seventh ranks wouldn’t be weak. However, they wouldn’t be on par with some masters of seventh rank worlds, because those would wield the power of a world and dao universe.

Masters of dao were hard to kill, as were masters of a world. But other seventh ranks were much more easily disposed of.

On the other hand, the New Martial Human King could kill a seventh rank master of dao. That was the hallmark of a true premier seventh rank. Fog Mountain knew that he didn’t measure up to such an exalted being.

“Then I’ll do it this way!’

If Skycloud still isn’t willing to let me leave then... then we won’t be parting on good terms. I would have made up for all their losses and worked for Skycloud for nearly one million years. I’ve paid back everything I should pay back. You guys can’t expect me to work for you for the rest of my life, can you?

“World master... I hope that we can end on good terms!” A cold glint shone from Fog Mountain’s eyes as he smiled in a direction beyond the world gate.

As for who his target was, he was unaware of that at present. Perhaps Red Moon would be his first choice. Killing one of their seventh ranks would draw their entire attention, complete his plan of compensating Skycloud, fulfill his promise to the Silver Moon king, weaken Red Moon so that New Martial and Red Moon could keep fighting, and extend a friendly overture to Void.

If I set up shop independently then... the only one who will give me trouble is Skycloud.

If that really happens, they can’t blame me for being merciless!

Fog Mountain looked deeply into the distance. The Silver Moon king, New Martial, Crown Prince void, Light...

The resurrection of Skyward! Perhaps my opportunity really is here.

He grinned, vanishing on the spot. There might be new guests at the doors in a few days.

......

All regions in Skyward bubbled with action as their dao universe came back to life, the might of a ninth rank could be felt, and Fog Mountain of Skycloud sealed off their world.

A ninth rank dao universe!

Various exalted emperors of incomparable strength rushed toward Skyward. Apart from various eighth rank major worlds in the regions of the chaos, there were also many of seventh rank. These masters of the world were naturally unwilling to relinquish this opportunity to potentially become an overlord at ninth rank.

Seventh ranks also had an opportunity to become an eighth rank—the dominator of a region!

Skyward was their greatest and most prominent opportunity. Many even set aside the war in Red Moon Region.

The conflict between a seventh and eighth rank world was not so easily settled. Things were very interesting at Skyward!