Star Gate

“Many thanks to Yuming and Vice Head Qi!” Li Hao grinned at the two. “Please raise any requests that you may have for your body, Vice Head Qi. I’ll create one to your satisfaction as soon as possible.”

“I would like a more unique body, is that possible?” responded the man after some thought.

“Please voice your preferences!” Li Hao repeated extremely politely. After all, this was a personage who’d resolved many of his problems with a short conversation.

“I would like a very unique body that has only developed the potential of its brain,” said Vice Head Qi. “There should be many dao meridians in the brain. I don’t need any abilities of the body or any other supernatural abilities. I just want the pure excavation of the brain!”

Li Hao blinked, then frowned. This was a tall order. How many dao meridians were there in the brain? They’d tallied the meridians before and realized that there were less than ten known meridians of the brain at the time. That was far too few compared to other dao meridians—that wasn’t even enough to form a complete circulatory system. Thus, it was quite a headache to create a body that’d only developed the meridians of the brain…

“Then how about forgoing other abilities. I just want dao meridians of the physical body and the brain?” suggested the vice head when he saw how troubled Li Hao was. “I’d like to see what happens when I give up the other elements and only focus on the brain.

“The bodies of New Martial aren’t as complicated as those of the modern. The ones of this age… are a veritable treasure trove!”

Zhang An and the others had been quite disdainful of modern human bodies at first, but the vice head was highly admiring. Humans of this age were uniquely favored by the heavens!

If one viewed dao meridians not as locks or restraints, but as blessings from above and a natural dao body, then it quite induced jealousy. Perhaps these were the advantages conferred to humans of a new world and burgeoning consciousness.

“I can manage dao meridians of the brain and that of the physical body,” Li Hao replied. “But excavating the brain is a very dangerous endeavor. Even I haven’t explored a single meridian of that area. If the vice head wishes for this kind of body… then you must proceed with caution.”

“It’s an interesting idea precisely because no one else has done so,” chuckled the vice head. “What would be the point of doing something if another’s already walked that path?”

He felt that the young man spoke erroneously, very erroneously!

Only when one trod the path unknown was there a chance of creating results that were vastly different. This new age was a haven for research! What a pity that other powerhouses who loved to study new ideas back in the dead were either dead or not present. Otherwise, they were certain to raise a wave of research frenzy.

On the other hand, many people of the new age might be turned into lab rats. In that case, he should keep these words to himself.

Li Hao thought it over and felt that the vice head made sense. A shadow shot toward them as they conversed. Deputy Zhou landed and inclined his head at the New Martial seniors before quickly transmitting a report to Li Hao.

The young man listened quietly without a change in expression. Fourteen core origin replicas had come… that wasn’t a surprise. He just hadn’t anticipated that the disturbance of Director General Wang’s new body would be so great that it created a second sun.

To be honest, Li Hao felt that it was a sign of underestimation and arrogance that the hand in the shadows hadn’t taken action until now. I’ve already conquered the central region and seized the mine at Skystar ruins. How little do you think of me to send people against me only now?

At least they’d finally taken action, and sent fourteen replicas in one operation. That was acceptable.

“Lin Hongyu has done well. Her performance passes muster.” Li Hao smiled.

Deputy Zhou answered out loud since the young man had responded audibly. “Does Lin Hongyu wield too much authority?”

She’d outright commanded the student puppets and the Demon Hunters in Li Hao’s absence. Although Deputy Zhou had permitted her to take command, he’d done so because he wanted to see if these students and soldiers would still execute their orders when the young man wasn’t there.

As it turns out… they did.

The deputy didn’t know if this was a good or bad thing. Hence, he was still conflicted at the moment. It was unfathomable in the past that someone would be able to deploy so many troops without Li Hao’s direct order and kill 14 seven element Arcanus.

“That’s fine, she’s borrowing my authority,” Li Hao smiled. “It’s not really hers. It would also be troublesome if everyone only listened to me.”

Deputy Zhou nodded.

“Deputy, I haven’t paid much attention to your side of things since I’ve been absorbed in studying the new marital dao lately.” Li Hao gave Deputy Zhou his full attention. “You walk the path of core origin from New Martial. Now that we can build new bodies…”

“I know, but whether it is the dao of New Martial or the Hao cosmos, they are all great daos.” Deputy Zhou shook his head. “They will all be the same once the Star Gate opens. We have many enemies these days and plenty of indestructible matter, as well as unending core origin strength. I’ll be able to put all of the core origin energy to use when the commander kills more ancient enemies. This is a prime opportunity for me.

“When no one needs core origin energy, it’s my chance instead.” The man smiled.

Everyone blinked at his response, then broke out in laughter. That made a lot of sense! If everyone switched to the new martial dao, then they wouldn’t have much use for core origin energy. That would indeed mean a lot of opportunities for Deputy Zhou. If the Star Gate opened again and core origin dao flooded through it, then it was unknown who had a brighter future.

No one dared say that the Hao Cosmos was stronger than the core origin universe.

They hoped so, but that didn’t mean the truth was so. Too many powerhouses had come from core origin dao. Even the Human King’s inner world was that of core origin.

That era had produced so many heavyweights that modern humans could not hope to measure up to them, at present.

“Director General Wang can keep experimenting with the bodies.” Li Hao adjusted his shirt. “The rest can come with me. Although I want to spend more time exploring martial dao and developing the lives of the people, I also know that we are surrounded by strong enemies. We need to focus on killing enemies first! Let’s go!”

The group followed him, whereas Director General Wang jumped up. “I want to go too! I don’t need more time to acclimate. The body I’m in now will do. I can swap out for another in the future if I don’t like it anymore!”

He was currently in a body with 108 dao meridians.

“Opening thirty-six meridians will bring me to peak Apex of our time,” chuckled Director General Wang. “If I open all 108, I’ll be just as strong as an Immortal!”

This one would do for now.

“Alright then, let’s go!” Li Hao smiled. There was no need to say anything else.

Yuming quickly followed their footsteps. He had to finish setting up the sky canopy system throughout the region. There were plenty of sky canopies in the warehouse at the research center, which would save a lot of time.

Vice Head Qi chose to stay at the mine. He wanted to keep Zhang An company.

Zhang An didn’t require his company.

The latter prepared to head elsewhere in the ruin after the group left, but Vice Head Qi spoke up, “Dean Zhang.”

Zhang An looked at him, taking a moment to remember who he was. “Junior Qi.”

Junior!

So Qi Yun had attended Demonic Martial as well.

Many of the Lu Zhen Research Center were alumni of Demonic Martial. Lu Zhen himself was a counselor at Demonic Martial, even the principal. His daughter—the Human King’s teacher—was a senior executive at Demonic Martial and his son-in-law once a principal as well.

Qi Yun looked older than Zhang An, but his actual age wasn’t. He smiled at hearing Zhang An hail him junior brother. “Senior Zhang, I have something to report to you.”

“What is it?”

“It has to do with the center’s research. I wasn’t at liberty to speak of it before when so many were present.”

“Speak of it.” Zhang An raised an eyebrow.

“The research center focused on eight topics, including the range of core origin dao…”

Zhang An nodded.

“This Commander Li has discovered the Hao Cosmos. I’ve been musing if the break in core origin dao has to do with the Hao Cosmos? Are dao universes connected to each other? If they are, are we able to locate the core origin universe and reestablish communication with New Martial again?

“We are weak and unable to explore the Hao Cosmos. Senior Zhang might be the strongest New Martial citizen and Demonic Martial alumni in this age! As the Human King’s guard, the supreme’s grandson… I feel that the senior has a duty and obligation to sacrifice yourself and enter the Hao Cosmos!

“You must explore its great dao and find a way to reconnect with core origin dao!” He looked at Zhang An. “I see that the senior has remained quiet all this time and has not mentioned searching for New Martial. Commander Li and the others can set that aside because they are not of that age. They do not care. But why doesn’t the senior work hard to find the way back?

“Are you really going to sit back and wait for Li Hao to open the Star Gate before searching for New Martial again?

“You and I are both of Demonic Martial. The university had many students, but those truly of Demonic Martial are few and far in between. The senior is in the same class as the Human King. Are you unwilling to give up your Saint strength?”

“Is Junior Qi lecturing me?” Zhang An raised his eyebrow.

Qi Yun had been mild and placid before, but now he nodded and spoke frankly. “As the strongest alumni of this age, we should all be flocking toward you! Senior’s identity and status are great and you are our leader. I am very happy to see the senior here, but… you have not expressed any plans to return to New Martial, nor have you moved to search, rescue, or investigate its current condition! Even Wang Ye is attempting to try the new dao so he can return to New Martial. Why does the senior not say anything?”

“I have my considerations.”

“Are your considerations to wait, to observe from the shadows?” Qi Yun asked bluntly. “No wonder… no wonder they say that senior was the most mediocre out of imperial descendants in that age. They say that you have no ambition and can only stay at Principal Fang’s side to curry favor with her.

“She was a legendary heroine! How could she have found you pleasing to the eye? The Human King wouldn’t accept a brother-in-law like that either. Therefore, don’t even think of it, senior! This is not what those of Demonic Martial are like!”

Zhang An looked at him silently with a cold look in his eyes.

etvolare’s Thoughts

Wtf, the vice head has gone nuts. This is a strange way to ask someone for help...