Star Gate-Chapter 1747: A Missed Opportunity (II)

“Hao Moon, I can’t hold on for much longer...” Void felt compelled to say. He wanted to know what his friend was planning.

Li Hao breathed out, then looked at the dao of space in front of him, at that incredibly large star that was silent. This was Skyward master’s source of dao. The core of his dao rested here.

The world origin lacked many dao crystals that it should’ve contained, and that energy just so happened to be sufficient to revive all exalted emperors in the dao universe from scratch.

Two possibilities were at play here!

One, that a large sum of dao crystals existed somewhere, enough for Skyward to spontaneously return to its peak. That would be the peak of when all of its people left, and it could happen in a split second throughout the entire dao universe!

Second, Skyward had two dao universes, much like Silver Moon’s dao universe or the one of yin and yang. The other side of this dao universe must be the complete dao universe; it had maintained peak condition all this time.

The accumulation of a million years and all of the energy consumed would just so happen to fully revitalize all of Skyward’s powerhouses one time. No matter which possibility was the truth, they pointed to one conclusion.

Skyward’s heavyweights could return anytime. They just needed to send their wills back to their home!

They didn’t need to come with any energy, just their wills. That would result in a spontaneous revival. Their dao methods and comprehension still existed and there was sufficient energy for their needs...

They could instantly appear within the dao universe and return to peak battle condition in the blink of an eye!

Was this the contingency plan that the Skyward master had created? Just in case? Did he just so happen to collect sufficient energy in this period of uncertainty?

Various explanations raced through Li Hao’s mind. Where had Skyward’s people gone that even a ninth rank was prepared for the possibility of failure and was ready to return at any moment? And that failure was so absolute that he was prepared for his physical body and energy to be obliterated?

If they’d been annihilated just after departure, then there wouldn’t have been enough energy in the world origin to ensure their survival. That energy had required time to accumulate—time of one million years!

A world without a master needed one million years to gather all of the energy they would need for their return. Did that mean to say that the Skyward master had been ready to return a million years ago?

Why had he been able to plan one million years in the future?

Could it be... that he’d peered through the river of time and seen something a million years later... But how was that possible? He was a master of space, not of time.

However, simply tracing time or following its flow was much easier. Li Hao had once traced the past to visit Skyward’s powerhouses. Following the current was much harder and the results tended to change.

“Eh?” Li Hao blinked. That was right, tracing time!

I once traced time to Daoist Flamefire and the others. My current time stamp happens to be precisely one million years from them. Based on my experience of traveling through New Martial, perhaps a heavyweight like the Skyward master had detected a million years ago that someone was spying upon his world.

He wouldn’t need to peek through the river of time. He just needed to calculate that the guy who employs the power of time comes from one million years in the future!

“So this moment in time and accumulating enough energy to return... can’t possibly have to do with me, can it?” Li Hao’s thoughts proceeded down an exceedingly narcissistic path for a moment. It has everything to do with me!

This theory couldn’t be dismissed. He’d borrowed strength from Skyward powerhouses on several occasions and they’d been willing to lend theirs to him in an exceedingly generous manner.

Daoist Flamefire had been thus, the water envoy had been thus. Two of the elemental envoys had easily lent their strength to a stranger. Daoist Coiling Dragon had also once provided a lecture of dao to Li Hao.

Coiling Dragon had said that if they were to meet in Li Hao’s time, the young man might have to pay an enormous price in return for their help.

Some matters began surfacing in Li Hao’s mind. How big was an ‘enormous’ price? Did it have something to do with their return? What would an existence as powerful as the Skyward master want from me?

“Li Hao!” shrieked He Yong. “I’m a third rank now!”

Never in his life had he been so terrified of ascension. He was so panicked that he used the young man’s name outright. In regular times, he would play along and hail Li Hao as ‘marquis’. Now, he wailed Li Hao’s name like that alone would save him!

What are you doing?? Help me! We’re about to pop, why aren’t you coming to save us yet? Even if I don’t pop, your great love Void is about to die too! Aren’t you going to save him?

“Does Skyward wish to return? Li Hao frowned at the dao star in front of him. “Has everyone you’ve taken with you died? Do their wills linger on and you want me to help them return? If that’s the case, forgive me for saying that that’s too hard!

“I don’t know where they are and I can only utilize some of the dao foundation sites here to trace time to one million years ago. Don’t tell me that I’ll need to interact with them through this connection to bring them back here... You’re joking!

“I only borrowed strength twice—once from a sixth rank, another from a seventh rank. I also listened to two lectures on dao... so if that is what you want in return, that would be ludicrous.” Li Hao continuously shook his head.

Granted, these were just his conjectures. Perhaps he thought too highly of himself and the Skyward master didn't seek this from him at all.

Or perhaps Skyward really did possess a second dao universe that no one had ever discovered. The Skyward master’s actions were simply to facilitate his heavyweights to complete the cultivation of twin daos. The two dao universes were waiting for the day in which they came together. Once they were one... perhaps a unique breakthrough might result.

Having decided these conclusions, Li Hao was now quite wary of this silent dao universe. Skyward was not a benign place. Although he’d borrowed strength and comprehended dao here before, the young man was highly alert at the moment!

I feel like... I might have fallen into a million year old trap the moment I peeked in on Daoist Coiling Dragon. If that’s the case... then I’ve really got to give it to the Skyward master.

Of course, he also knew that it had to do with his over reliance on the power of time. He’d used it to borrow strength quite a few times earlier.

“Li Hao!” shouted an increasingly frantic He Yong.

“What are you yelling for??” Li Hao rolled his eyes. “Void is almost dead, but he’s not raising a fuss like you! How much time have you saved in outright entering third rank? Instead of being happy, you shout and holler instead!”

He Yong abruptly fell silent. Li Hao wasn’t the sort to sit by and watch his allies die! So in that case... were they not in that much danger?

The others were much quieter since they were accustomed to Li Hao’s character—he would not let them die without trying to save them in response. He must have his own plans in mind. Only someone like He Yong would create such a ruckus for no reason instead.

Hadn’t he seen that no one else was stressed?

......

Li Hao did have a way out of the current situation. It wasn’t difficult—he just needed to trace time if it came down to it. Granted, tracing time on such a large scale might force him to walk life and death for the fifth time. That would not be a worthwhile endeavor.

Or perhaps he could destroy some of the dao stars that corresponded to the erupting dao foundation sites. That might eradicate some of the shadows. But the price to be paid for such actions might be grievous. It could cause him to catch the eye of another as well!

It would be very troublesome if a ninth rank came for him!

They weren’t in a great deal of trouble at the moment—the worst off was Void due to a lack of sufficient dao crystals. He might not be able to revitalize once the power of emptiness silenced him, because of a lack of energy.

Li Hao ran through possibilities and struck upon the idea of communicating with a powerful personage in an unknown locale through the star of space!

And then perhaps... would he owe another favor? This time to a ninth rank?

Was it worth it to doom himself for some dao crystals?

Li Hao looked at the spatial dao star. He’d sensed that he was being spied upon, which was why he’d come here. But if the Skyward master was the one doing the spying, would he have sensed it so easily?

That thought rose in his mind once more.

Li Hao took a deep breath and walked out of the dao universe. It rippled as he entered Skyward. The young man ignored everyone. The star of time hovered in front of him, freezing all of the dao foundation shadows that sought to stop him.

Li Hao strode through the air and headed for the world gate.

......

Outside the world domain.

Three eighth ranks were very nervous. The Light master had to be nervous, whereas the other two’s nerves were stretched taut with excitement. They couldn’t wait to take action.

And suddenly... one of the world gates opened. Someone walked out of Skyward!

Everyone turned their attention to Li Hao; the Red Moon master immediately glowered with a cold look in his eyes. He recognized this person—the Silver Moon king. It was this person who breached the Red Moon dao universe and dismantled the core of his great dao. That’d forced him into disengaging from his own dao universe!

“How dare you come out??” The Red Moon master’s presence rippled through the void, shaking the world.

“Fellow Daoist Void is caught in a crisis.” An unflappable Li Hao pointed behind him. “We’re thinking of ways to save him. The four seventh ranks aren’t truly helpless, they just don’t wish to provoke a greater response from the world if they strike back.

“You, however, dare make a move. The Light master is also here. If the Red Moon master thinks that you and the Skycloud master can stand against four seventh ranks... No, make that five seventh ranks and one eighth rank, then attack me however you’d like!”

The Red Moon master’s eyes narrowed forebodingly!

“I’ve come out here to discuss a transaction with everyone,” said Li Hao. “We want to save Void!”

The Light master looked wordlessly at Li Hao and said, “Let me in. Nothing is a problem if I’m inside!”

“The backlash from the world can be big or small.” Li Hao looked at the Light master. “We hadn’t anticipated this reaction beforehand. The Skyward master’s shadow is yet to appear. Once it does, it might target Senior Light as well! That would be dooming Brother Void and creating an opening for these two, as well as others in the shadows...”

The Light master furrowed his brows. I don’t care! It’s my son in there! Do I need you to give me these reminders?

He knew full well what the consequences might be, but his son seemed on the verge of disaster. That was the greatest trouble of all.