Star Gate-Chapter 1583: Exchanging Blows! (II)

The Ash Emperor could not brashly appear in public view since it had a major world in tow. It might be greeted with a devastating strike as soon as it showed itself.

The Sun God was New Martial’s only mobile unit among the seventh ranks. Everyone was aware of that. Since this was general knowledge, it also meant that the Sun God might not be able to exact himself from any situation he was in. Added to that his injuries from the Red Moon taste many years ago, that meant that the Sun God was usually resting and recovering.

The supreme was taking a large gamble this time.

But under normal circumstances, small fry like Celestial Pole and the Pagoda King would not draw the eyes of seventh ranks. There were too many matters for a seventh rank to attend to. Laying in wait here was a very dangerous course of action.

Weren’t they concerned that New Martial might throw caution to the wind and just kill one of them?

Therefore, the change in situation might stem from Silver Moon. Why else would the minor world continuously tell New Martial to wait?

Silver Moon... dao universe... the Silver Moon king...

It might be that Silver Moon’s dao universe had been exposed!

The Pagoda King’s thoughts were that a dao universe was sufficient temptation for a seventh rank. And with Silver Moon being born of New Martial, it might raise attention from Red Moon if the world tried to approach New Martial.

The Silver Moon king’s movements and goal... have probably been predicted by others over the course of traveling to us. It’s even being considered as high priority in Red Moon. That is why we’re being shown this treatment!

A multitude of possibilities ran through the Pagoda King’s mind. He looked at Celestial Pole—the man seemed lazily unconcerned, but he knew that this esteemed senior of his was also very nervous.

The son of the western emperor was one of the earliest Empyrean Kings in the New Martial era. Almost all of the other Empyrean Kings had ended up dead, but this one had gone on to become an exalted emperor. It was even said that the Human King couldn’t be bothered to kill him after Celestial Pole’s father died.

Despite Celestial Pole being completely left alone, he protected himself with a very convincing act of buffoonery and general foolishness. People said that he was lazy, cowardly, and afraid of death, but the Pagoda King had never thought that way.

“Senior Celestial Pole... we might have to save ourselves,” he transmitted, even going to the depths of encrypting his transmission. “We might not be able to rely on the supreme!”

“......” Celestial Pole didn’t respond. They’d be in for it if the supreme intercepted this message. Supreme Zhang wouldn’t do anything to them on the surface, but he’d torment them in private.

“There’s probably a seventh rank keeping an eye on the premises!”

There was nothing wrong with that conclusion! Celestial Pole shared it.

“We’re bait being dangled in front of everyone’s eyes. It’ll be hard for us to get away. However, the supreme seems to have cast his line for too big a fish. We have two sixth ranks at most on our side, with the supreme’s replica at most a sixth rank!

“There might be another one of ours following us from behind. They might not have been there at the beginning, but now there is. The only one who dares fight a seventh rank with sixth rank strength is the Sword Sovereign!”

Celestial Pole still didn’t respond, but agreed with the other’s judgement. New Martial knew New Martial the best.

There was an exceedingly large difference between sixth and seventh rank. Not even the Sword Sovereign would likely manage to cut down a seventh rank, but almost no one else could harm a seventh rank or fight them for a brief period of time.

Fight as in direct, frontal combat, not ambushing through a scheme.

In terms of plots and schemes, that was the supreme’s forte. If his plans were being employed, the two of them might be able to ensnare or even eliminate a sixth rank. But outright attacking a seventh rank? That could only be handled by the Sword Sovereign.

“The Sword Sovereign had issues with stamina in battles early on. Even though he’s gotten better, he can’t continuously erupt with power. Therefore, he should be able to handle a seventh rank for a short period of time, but won’t be able to do it in a prolonged engagement.

“It doesn’t look like the supreme can redeploy anyone else to hunt the seventh rank right now. He would’ve done so already if he could! Something else might’ve happened. The Human King isn’t nearby, the Ash Emperor can’t leave, and the Sun God might be in seclusion or gone elsewhere.

“Whatever it is, we can’t take on a seventh rank!”

“I know that!” Celestial Pole finally transmitted back. “Cut the long-windedness and get to the point!”

“Run!” declared the Pagoda King. “We can’t wait any longer, we need to run! This seventh rank isn’t making a move yet because he’s probably waiting for the Silver Moon king! That or he’s waiting for the dao universe or Silver Moon.

“Red Moon is waiting for them to convene with us. The moment that Silver Moon appears is the moment the seventh rank will take action! You and I know that they’re not too far from us.”

Celestial Pole’s expression didn’t change at all. Indeed, his replica was very close to him. But how were they to run?

You’re a second rank, I’m a third rank. We’re sauntering our way through the chaos and there’s no cover in the void. The only kind of cover would come from worlds in the surroundings, but we wouldn’t dare rashly enter any sort of world that we came across. That’d be putting ourselves in the hands of the enemy.

It was very hard to run out from beneath a seventh rank’s nose.

“The seventh rank will definitely make a move as soon as we run... or follow us!” transmitted Celestial Pole. “I would’ve run off a long time ago if we could get away. Do you think you’re the only one who thought of this idea?”

Who is he looking down on! I want to run too!

“The Sword Sovereign can hold him off for a while.” The Pagoda King ignored Celestial Pole and continued transmitting, “He’ll have to take action as soon as we flee, because the seventh rank will jump us!

“We’ll take advantage of that moment to quickly meet up with Silver Moon. The Silver Moon king must not be traveling with the world if he’s able to approach us undetected. He might only have exalted emperors with him... the dao universe is probably elsewhere as well.

“But if he’s the master of dao, he will have a dao river. We can swiftly merge with it and expunge core origin presence from our bodies. That presence is too dense on us and must be the key to how they’re locking onto us.

“After we become part of his dao river, we can run off together...”

Celestial Pole frowned. It sounded easy, but the caveat was that the Sword Sovereign was able to hold them off for a while. The other precursor was that they’d be able to outrun the ensuing pursuit.

And another requirement was that Silver Moon really did possess a dao universe, and that the Silver Moon king was actually here. What the hell would the two integrate with if there was no dao river?

The dao presence of a premier seventh rank dao universe was very concentrated; Silver Moon could not measure up to it. If the two didn’t erase their core origin presences, they would find it very difficult to shake off their pursuers.

The Pagoda King didn’t care about all the necessary prerequisites and continued transmitting, “We have to sacrifice your replica. Have your replica pilot the ship and run in a different direction! We need to split up.

“Even if the seventh rank keeps after us after beating off the Sword Sovereign, he’ll still need to choose between two directions. We’ll have a fifty percent chance of survival!

“The thing you’re carrying is most likely the supreme’s replica. If it is... throw away the replica. That makes it a choice between three directions and raises our chances of survival to seventy percent!”

“And our direction of escape?” asked Celestial Pole.

“We’re near Red Moon major world. I believe there are at least nine worlds nearby. I’m not sure of the particulars after the Human King killed the Utmost Dark master. Subtracting Elysian fields, New Martial, and Red Moon, that leaves at least five major worlds!

“Four of them are near Red Moon with a lot of other mid and minor worlds nearby. We’ll head there!”

Celestial Pole sucked in a sharp breath. No way! Are you crazy? He understood what the Pagoda King intended. It was too difficult to hide in the chaos, so what should they do instead?

They could only slip away to the heart of enemy territory. There were a lot of worlds circling Red Moon these days, and quite a few major worlds. Due to this increase in people, cultivators, and exalted emperors, Red Moon decided to abstain from enveloping all of them with the Red Moon dao universe.

If they did so, they would not be trying to recruit new allies. They would be conquering the new arrivals. At the very least, they had to make this distinction clear.

We of Red Moon wish to make friends, not new vassals.

Once the joint New Martial and Silver Moon contingent entered the area, Red Moon would find it difficult to track them. It wouldn’t matter if they rushed into a world or simply wandered around them. Red Moon exalted emperors could not easily enter the other worlds, that would be an invasion.

People were here to join an alliance, not to be invaded.

That zone did indeed offer possibilities of survival. But... Red Moon might investigate on a large scale once an alliance was formally reached. They would be stepping right into the trap then and putting their head in the noose!

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure!” The Pagoda King nodded firmly.

Celestial Pole looked wordlessly at him, taking a while before he transmitted back, “Fine then. To be honest, I agree with your idea! But I’m even more afraid of... you know what.”

“I do,” the Pagoda King replied with equal trepidation. “You’re afraid of the Human King barging in. He won’t have time to determine anything, he’ll just start hacking around. He’ll pop a world with a single stroke. If we’re inside that world when he decides to swing at it... we’ll be gone!”

Indeed, while there was a certain degree of threat from Red Moon, they wouldn’t do anything too brash in front of their own front doors.

So what was the New Martial duo afraid of?

That the Human King would show up. He was loitering around the place to begin with, and now that numerous worlds had gathered, he might find an opportunity to rush in once he caught the scent of new targets. He would lay about indiscriminately with his weapon, not caring who he hit.

Celestial Pole was equally resigned. Yep, I’m afraid of this too.

“We can only take the gamble!” transmitted the Pagoda King. “We need to bet on him not being nearby. Otherwise, with a seventh rank keeping an eye on us, he should’ve been here already. He wouldn’t wait until now.”

The conversation had taken the turn of whether or not the Human King was nearby. They would be safer if he wasn’t. Their liege was quite unparalleled at taking down someone’s home. It didn’t matter if he was lost or not, he instinctively raised his weapon when he saw someone’s abode.

The Human King didn’t care that this would alert their enemies ahead of time. His focus was on there being so many enemies that one fewer was one better.

He didn’t care if he woke a sleeping lion!

One less enemy was one degree less of danger.

It didn’t matter what the overall strategy and direction was. The Human King was a staunch proponent of the fact that one could not create powerhouses out of thin air. Killing any one would set the enemy back a long period of time.