Star Gate

Chapter 180: Peak Sunderer (II)

“That cheap?” Li Hao blinked. “My teacher spent three hundred cubes to buy the one off our director, and Director Hao said he couldn’t sell it!”

Cheap?? Wang Ming was at a loss for words. This reaction and tone... was so damned arrogant!

But to tell someone whose teacher had killed two Solars that two hundred cubes was very expensive... Forget it, this guy didn’t know jack!

“It’s different!” Wang Ming doggedly explained. “There’s a limit to the number of treasures we can trade for, or else everyone would be sending in requests to upstairs. Treasures that are traded for are relatively cheaper because there’s restrictions placed on them. There’s no such limitations on rewards. Opportunities like this one are quite rare for most people.”

Fine then, but being one hundred cubes more expensive than the going price doesn’t make it cheap.

On the other hand, two to three hundred cubes of mysterious power could be extracted from Sunflare powerhouses. It was a similar estimate for scarlet shadows, so the price was reasonable. Any higher would mean that one might as well cultivate with mysterious power. That energy was more convenient for supernaturals than the scarlet shadow.

Wang Ming should be able to afford two hundred cubes. He’d been allotted one hundred cubes from the earlier operation and his family was wealthy and powerful. That sum should be no problem for him. But judging from the looks of things, the guy seemed quite conflicted and highly concerned that it’d prove ineffective. So... two hundred cubes appeared to be a massive sum for him.

Li Hao grasped a deeper understanding of the supernatural domain now, but was rather surprised that Wang Ming said he had the potential to be greater than Solar.

“Go ahead and put in your request. If you don’t want it, I’ll buy it off you for three hundred cubes. You’ll actually turn a profit. Does that work?”

“Really?” Wang Ming brightened. Was such a lovely deal just falling into his lap? He’d be benefiting even if he sold it instead of using it. This was gifting him money!

Otherwise, Liu Long should be willing to put in a request for Li Hao if the young man went to the director. Even if the limitation was that he could only ever trade once for it, Liu Long most likely wouldn’t care if he used his only chance for Li Hao.

Li Hao nodded. Would this be a loss to him?

Not at all. Not to mention, he couldn’t find a suitable person to trade for a blood pearl. While he didn’t know if such a trading opportunity was important or not, the chief might need this chance in the future since he’d just set foot into Dominator. They were scheduled to excavate the ruins next, so anything might be on the table then.

“Don’t ask chief to help you, you have your own path to walk, so you should resolve this yourself!”

Wang Ming nodded. He was just voicing possibilities, he hadn’t planned on actually asking Liu Long for help.

......

The two continued heading downstairs. Li Hao was truly surprised to see Wang Ming still walking by his side. I’ve said everything I want to say, so trade for the blood pearl if you want. What are you still following me for?

“You...”

“I want to see how you and Director Liu fight. Is it open to spectators?” Wang Ming explained himself. “I’m also practicing the Five Styles lately, right? But teacher gave us nothing else apart from a booklet. I don’t really feel at liberty to ask him either, I can only fumble around on my own. I feel like I’ve improved, but not really either. Li Hao, can I watch how you fight?”

He, too, was interested in martial dao these days and was studying the Five Styles. Sadly, Yuan Shuo had only given his honorary disciples the secret method and regular breathing technique. Thus, Wang Ming felt that progress was out of reach.

“I’ve been using the Five Styles less these days,” Li Hao answered honestly. He focused on comprehending aura and the sword more, so their sparring did not center on the Five Styles.

“Very well, I can take a hint. Look at you being so mysterious! Next time I spar with someone, you can watch however you like!”

Li Hao smiled without a word. He might reach perfection over the next couple of days and not to mention, it was better to keep a low profile. Too many people knew about his strength now. While Wang Ming was a decent person, he was too connected to White Moon City. It would hardly be ideal if Li Hao’s secrets were leaked... This guy talked too much—plainly put, he was too naive. He answered whatever anyone asked of him!

A lot of what Li Hao asked was confidential, but the guy answered without second thought. If Li Hao was Hou Xiaochen, he wouldn’t say a second word to a guy like Wang Ming and also forbid him from speaking to others!

The guy even gave a thorough overview of origin weapons! If it wasn’t for Wang Ming not knowing the particulars, Li Hao believed that the young man would spill the beans if he delved into that as well.

......

Li Hao and Wang Ming parted ways. The supernatural turned back to look at Li Hao entering the basement and curled his lip with amusement.

“You must really think I’m a fool, heh. The guy’s very possibly entered mid Sunderer. Damn, that’s terrifying!” Wang Ming was very proud of himself! My guess must be right—look at Li Hao trying to hide it from me!

So fast!

He bumped into Li Meng before long and sighed with emotion, “Work harder, Li Meng. Li Hao’s going to leave you behind in the dust if you don’t enter Halfmoon soon. He seems to be a mid Sunderer now!”

Li Meng’s heart clenched with surprise. So fast? The buns that she’d just bought spontaneously lost their allure.

It wasn’t long before the White Moon trio learned that Li Hao was possibly a mid Sunderer. Hu Hao was also quite nervous when he became aware.

Li Hao had guessed correctly. Wang Ming was willing to say anything to someone he thought was a good person. He was willing to voice even speculations.

......

At the same time.

In the basement.

Liu Long took a deep breath and looked at Li Hao.

“I feel that you’re almost there! I’m going to act differently today—I’ll be primarily using my aura for today’s fights! You know the aura as well. I’ve only used it in passing before and never employed my consciousness to pressure you. But now that you’re almost there and you recover impossibly fast... I won’t be worried about hurting you.”

He’d discovered Li Hao’s perverse characteristic a few days ago. In that case, it was time to push the young man harder. Perhaps he could even let the young man experience what true life and death were!

Yuan Shuo was correct—Liu Long was sometimes daring enough to really bring his full strength to bear.

“Let’s do it, chief.” Li Hao nodded uncaringly. “I also want to see the true strength of a Dominator! After all, I might run into Dominator or Sunflare level powerhouses anytime when I reach perfection. Experiencing their full strength ahead of time will let me know how to better handle them in the future...”

“Alright!”

Immediate pressure bore down on Li Hao as he finished talking and the young man sank a few millimeters into the floor! Liu Long held nothing back—apart from not using the Nine Forged Force. If he utilized that, he would no longer be a typical Dominator. That was a method that he assessed could break the defenses of a Solar.

His consciousness was on full display!

A hatchet appeared in Liu Long’s hands to cut through all obstacles, cleaving through Li Hao’s aura of the earth. When they first exchanged blows a few days ago, Liu Long ended the day with lacerated fists. After that, the two opted for weapons as they thought.

He hacked forward with the hatchet and nearly split the ground with a boom!

Li Hao finally experienced the real might of a Dominator of Thousands; the world teetered beneath him. He roared viciously and stomped his foot.

Rumble!

The entire basement trembled. With how fractured the floor already was, it sank in slightly. Li Hao planted himself firmly with one stop, brandishing a longsword that his teacher had given him. Although it wasn’t a supernatural object, it was much more formidable than the ordinary longsword he’d used before.

A mighty slash cut through the air—sword and hatchet clashed into each other with a clang!

The exchanges were no longer an even match. Overwhelming pressure crashed down on Li Hao and the longsword spun out backward. The part of his hand between index finger and thumb split open, but the young man didn’t have time to react before the hatchet came for his head.

Li Hao hastily stumbled backward, sensing tremendous waves circulating around him. They seemed to have locked onto him. Despite tilting his head to the side and bending sideways, he was unable to avoid Liu Long’s descending hatchet. The sharp blade sliced through his shoulder until it hit bone. Incredible pain wracked Li Hao to the point that it didn’t feel like his right arm belonged to him anymore!

Hesitation dawned in Liu Long’s eyes, but it quickly vanished. The young man was fine! Yes, the injury was severe, but Li Hao could recover from it. Liu Long had accidentally broken a few of Li Hao’s bones a few days ago, but the young man quickly recovered as well. While the wound ran deeper this time, Liu Long trusted that Li Hao was fine.

At the same time, this kind of sparring ran outside the confines of other people’s imagination. Liu Long applied more pressure to the buried hatchet, giving the impression that he really did want to split Li Hao apart with one stroke.

It was true that the director wasn’t keeping much strength back. The stimulus of life and death... Well, this was stimulus enough, wasn’t it?

“AHH!!” Li Hao roared with extreme pain. He reached his left hand toward the hatchet to grab it away from his opponent, whereupon Liu Long yanked it out and swung it at the young man’s left hand.

Defeat was certain for Li Hao! He didn’t have room to maneuver for a response as they were too close to each other. Liu Long fully suppressed him. But when the hatchet sliced forward, Li Hao did not withdraw his left hand. Liu Long’s eyes widened with shock—this would sever the young man’s arm!

However, the hairs on the back of the man’s neck suddenly rose. A third hand had appeared near his crotch and it came with a tendril of sword qi!

“Be careful, chief!” Li Hao grabbed for his target before he finished speaking. The Hand That Brings Back Life! You’re the one who hacked at me first, so don’t mind if I do.

Cold horror pinpricked Liu Long’s neck. A third hand?? How is he doing it?? He hadn’t realized that Li Hao had swung a fake left hand over. He’d fought the young man in close quarters so many times, yet hadn’t discovered where Li Hao kept his third hand. Or had the lad worn a prosthetic on his left hand the entire time?

That prosthetic was too real if that was the case!

Liu Long rapidly backed up, but still felt a stinging pain as sword intent had split his pants. He quickly shuffled a few more steps back before steadying himself.

Meanwhile, Li Hao didn’t care about this. He circulated sword energy for a full revolution inside his body, greatly alleviating the agony. His next sword stroke was much stronger than before!

An explosion of sword intent!

A stroke soundlessly stabbed forward, running through the hatchet with a soft plink. Liu Long’s throat lay exposed behind it!