Star Gate-Chapter 1670: Returning to Skyward (II)

“You might have an idea of establishing your own dao universe,” said Li Hao. “But how can you do so without sufficient energy? Your home world is strong, but can your father give you all of Light’s reserves? Is he going to keep nothing for everyone else? Even if he agrees to do so, none of the other Light exalted emperors will permit such a thing!

“Red Moon might not be enough for me, you, and New Martial. As for dao chess... We’ll have an additional eighth rank universe in our back pocket if we obtain its support. At that time, there will be enough for at least you, me, the Sword Sovereign, and a few more! 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

“The three of us might cause a large disturbance when we ascend to seventh rank. I think it’ll create more of a disruption than the Orchid Forest master’s ascension. It’ll require more than that level of resource depletion as well.

“Just a few sixth ranks? Pfft. Will either of us advance without a dao universe to devour?”

Void nodded in agreement.

“Your family is very rich, but can your father give you a dao universe just because you need it?”

Void stared speechlessly at Li Hao. Of course not. Light would devour any dao universe it owned, much less give it to their crown prince. There were many seventh rank dao universes in the chaos, but they couldn’t all imitate New Martial and attack whoever they ran into, could they now?

New Martial didn’t dare randomly go on the offensive either. They focused their efforts on Red Moon’s allies. Despite being such a brazen person, the New Martial Human King didn’t dare go overboard when he visited Skyward Region. He ensured he had legitimate reasons for all of his attacks—such as being provoked.

Otherwise, a reckless slaughter would result in being hunted on all sides.

Void carefully thought things over and realized... so I’m not as rich as I thought.

Light would supply him all of his cultivation needs below seventh rank. His old man would give him anything he asked for. But if he wished to set foot into seventh rank and inherit the family business... It would be too hard while his father was still alive.

He couldn’t wish his own father into an early grave now, could he?

Void really had felt that he was very rich before. But now that Li Hao expanded further on the topic... he found himself mediocre! Just run-of-the-mill! Better than most, but worse than a lot. He was just middle class!

Since when did a crown prince of an eighth rank major world find himself poor?

“Ah... I agreed to a twenty percent split with the Sword Sovereign. Is that too little? Should I ask him for a thirty percent split when we see him next?” Void suddenly found himself too generous. How about a thirty, thirty, forty division?

“That doesn’t matter,” Li Hao chuckled. “When it comes to our partnership with Senior Sword Sovereign, it’ll be over once he reaches seventh rank or accumulates enough resources for that level. He’ll return to New Martial and we’ll continue on our path.”

Li Hao didn’t want to stay with the Sword Sovereign after the man reached seventh rank. Void blinked at the declaration.

To be honest, everyone wished for greater strength by their side. But based on Li Hao’s words, he wouldn’t stay with the Sword Sovereign even if the man was willing to bring them along.

Li Hao preferred to be a pivotal character in a team. Yet once the Sword Sovereign became a seventh rank heavyweight, then he and Void would be of very limited use. They would be downgraded from partners to lackeys.

“Does this mean that even if you bump into the New Martial Human King at Skyward... you won’t be joining his party?”

“That’s right,” Li Hao nodded. “And it’s not like he’ll necessarily want to work with me either! I’m too weak! In the same vein, I don’t wish to become a burden to anyone. You and I can help the Sword Sovereign and he also needs us. What’s the point of tagging along after him once he’s so strong that he doesn’t require our help?”

“I feel the same way.” Void nodded with emotion. “Otherwise...”

Otherwise I’d stick with my father. It’s better to be independent. It took me five hundred years to think through this, but Li Hao came to this conclusion in a few days. As expected as someone worthy of being my friend!

Some people wouldn’t think through this for the entirety of their lives.

......

Skyward.

It was much quieter lately. Ever since Fog Mountain and the others killed two Red Moon exalted emperors, the major world was no longer sealed away. Many exalted emperors entered Skyward, but only reaped growing confusion after a round of searching.

The dao universe that’d been present before seemed to have thoroughly disappeared. Without the dao universe as a catalyst, the situation was much more stable and calm. Everyone was looking for it and turning over every rock in Skyward, but no one found it.

New reports came from Red Moon instead.

The Orchid Forest master had set foot into seventh rank and joined Red Moon. The New Martial Sword Sovereign and Silver Moon king had ambushed Red Moon on Orchid Forest and killed some Red Moon sixth ranks.

But to masters of major worlds, Red Moon had not come off worse in the exchange at all. In fact, they’d benefited immensely. They’d traded some sixth ranks for a seventh rank dao universe. They’d made out like bandits!

People were rather envious of what they heard. Although Red Moon had suffered enormously at first, they ultimately came out on top. There was no need for sympathy. In fact, that sympathy ought to be directed at the New Martial Sword Sovereign. All of his hard work had gone to benefit someone else! He’d killed a few sixth ranks, but the Orchid Forest master reaped the benefits instead.

While Red Moon lost three seventh ranks previously, they’d instantly gained one. Once Orchid Forest was fully assimilated, Red Moon would be further stabilized and could likely produce another seventh rank or two. By then, they would have fully recovered.

......

Dragon Observatory.

Fog Mountain was still in residence. He appeared proudly aloof as he sat alone. Another seventh rank was close by, also from Skycloud. Ever since Fog Mountain clearly stated his intentions, the Skycloud master sent another seventh rank as opposed to coming in person. The other seventh rank represented Skycloud.

“Fog Mountain, this Orchid Forest master certainly made the right decision at the right time!” laughed the seventh rank. “Apparently he chose to open his dao universe as soon as the Red Moon master appeared and asked to be part of Red Moon. So the temptation of an eighth rank major world is still tremendous, even a seventh rank master of the world offered their fealty! With all of the unrest in the chaos these days, eighth rank is the basis for security. Seventh ranks are still a bit too weak!”

He spoke of the Orchid Forest master, but the connotations were clear.

Do you see that? So what of a seventh rank master of the world? He still bowed his head and tucked in his tail when he met an eighth rank and asked to join their banner. He didn’t dare resist at all.

So many people wish to be part of a major world, but some people want to leave it!

Fog Mountain was a premier existence in Skycloud. He was essentially second-in-command after the world master. Before the other seventh rank came to Skyward, the world master had subtly hinted at Fog Mountain’s intentions. The other seventh rank hadn’t understood then.

Yes, it was true that everyone wished to set off on their own. But the right timing was very important!

That would be fine in moments of peace, which was plainly not the times they were in. High ranks were dropping like flies, with multiple seventh ranks dead in a very short period of time. An insistence on leaving Skycloud now would be an immensely irritating decision to both sides.

Skycloud would lose a peak seventh rank and Fog Mountain would have no place to go after leaving. Would he become Skycloud’s enemy? Would he join another major world? All of that was unknown!

Just look at the Orchid Forest master! He ascended to seventh rank and is a master of dao, but he still joined an eighth rank dao universe at the end of the day!

Fog Mountain sipped from a cup of tea, completely at peace. Sitting beneath them, Dragon and the rest of the Observatory exalted emperors pretended they didn’t hear anything. How would they dare when two Skycloud seventh ranks were in residence and Fog Mountain being a peak seventh rank?

The man had even killed another seventh rank not too long ago!

“Deepsea, to each their own!” Fog Mountain said calmly to his counterpart after a sip of tea. “Don’t you think all of my contributions to Skycloud over the years warrant my freedom?”

Deepsea didn’t know what to say. Did they?

He did think Fog Mountain’s accomplishments were enough, but... the situation was different at the moment. You’re a peak seventh rank. The world master isn’t comfortable with letting you go and it would be a grave loss to our world.

Freedom...

Are you not free now?

Granted, they weren’t as free as they could be, given there was a world master ruling over them. But we’re lofty entities and invincible in the eyes of outsiders. Take that Dragon, for example. He’s a sixth rank, but has to scrape and bow before us all the same!

He’s a local overlord in Skyward, the boss of the southern region. But is he free?

Fog Mountain, do you think you’ll be better off than him once you leave?

“You saw the dao universe appear before,” Deepsea changed the topic. “Fog Mountain, there’s been no sign of it lately. It’s disappeared! Do you think it’s going to revitalize, or was that simply a flash in the pan that won’t last?”

“It’ll revitalize, sooner or later.”

No shit! I know that too! But how soon is soon and how late is late? One year? A million years?

Deepsea didn’t want to wait here that long, it’d be a waste of time.

“Ah, yes, the Light crown prince—Ming Tang—cultivated here for a very long period of time,” Deepsea continued. “But there’s been no word from him lately. Has he left?”

There was news from Red Moon, but none that mentioned Void. Red Moon had sealed off that detail. They pretended not to know Void’s identity, even when they knew full well who he was. If word got out, then that would guarantee Light’s enmity with Red Moon! As things stood now, there was a gray area to work with.

The Red Moon master had suppressed that bit of news and those in the know were mostly dead. Those still alive were now part of Red Moon, so they wouldn’t be passing along information either.

Deepsea was suddenly curious. Was that guy no longer here?

As for Demon Summit, it was still the Observatory leader in charge. Based on what he said, Void no longer seemed to be in closed door cultivation at the dao foundation site. There was no further information on where he’d gone.

“I’m not sure.” Fog Mountain sipped his tea with full knowledge of where the Light crown prince was.

The Silver Moon king was at Red Moon, as was the Sword Sovereign. Therefore, Void was there too. Perhaps they were behind the death of the Exalted Clarity Emperor. News of Clarity’s death came soon after Void teleported out.

And this time, the trio had created such an uproar in Orchid Forest without corresponding movement from the Ash Emperor and the rest. It indicated that only the three were behind everything at Orchid Forest. It didn’t have much to do with New Martial.

Perhaps New Martial was no longer at Red Moon Region. Where were they?

Who knows.

Perhaps they’d come to Skyward.