The Hero Li Yao

On Fog Island.

Luo Feng listened in a daze as Dongguan spoke with Hong over the communicator.

It was one thing for Dongguan, whom he knew fairly well, but Hong's lofty image in his mind kept crumbling.

Still, he couldn't help asking, "Brother Guan, won't Hong really get angry if you ask for this much?"

"No." Dongguan shook his head. "The Cloud-Touching Vine is worth far more than everything I asked him for. If I could beat it, I'd keep it myself instead of trading it."

Indeed, the things he had requested from Hong were valuable on Earth, but out in the universe, only the Sky-Escaping Shuttle and the Ancient Civilization Gravity Chamber had any real value-mainly the Sky-Escaping Shuttle.

And Hong had no use for the Sky-Escaping Shuttle. Trading everything else for that Cloud-Touching Vine was a tremendous bargain for him.

"Luo Feng," Dongguan said suddenly, "some of what I just asked for was for you. You can take one of the two aircraft, and one Black God Set too. You can also read the information."

He kept the Sky-Escaping Shuttle for himself. After all, he needed a telekinetic weapon too.

As for Luo Feng, if he obtained the Yunmo Star Inheritance, wasn't there an Arc Blade Disc waiting for him?

Of course, if Dongguan himself obtained the Yunmo Star Inheritance, he could give Luo Feng one of the weapons.

It wasn't that he had anything against Luo Feng obtaining the Yunmo Star Inheritance. It was simply that Babata would make that choice, not him.

He just wanted to venture into the universe sooner.

The spaceship and Hu Yanbo's secret techniques were indispensable. Whether Luo Feng obtained them or he did made no difference.

While waiting for the aircraft to arrive, Dongguan found a spot and took out several spirits of plants and trees useful to those at the Planetary Level, including the ten-thousand-year willow heart.

"One at a time."

First, he broke open the ten-thousand-year willow heart's shell and drank the liquid inside.

A soothing sensation spread through his body, and Dongguan narrowed his eyes.

Come to think of it, this was his first time using resources like these. Before, he had relied entirely on absorbing cosmic energy.

His starving cells devoured the energy ravenously, converting half into his body's origin energy and half into spiritual force.

Ever since the planets in his body and sea of consciousness had begun resonating when he broke through to the Planetary Grade, Dongguan had noticed that any energy he absorbed was divided equally between the two.

But he hadn't expected resources that should only strengthen his body to work the same way.

This was good news. It meant he could keep using resources that improved either his body or his spiritual force without a bottleneck in one holding back the other.

"Not enough." Dongguan realized the ten-thousand-year willow heart didn't provide enough energy.

He used all the others as well.

After consuming those spirits of plants and trees, the single "planet" in both his sea of consciousness and his dantian had become two, orbiting each other.

Planetary Level Second Order—achieved.

A blood-red aircraft arrived at Fog Island.

Hong flew out and immediately spotted Dongguan and Luo Feng, whose auras had grown stronger.

Whoosh!

He appeared before them as though he had teleported.

"Chief."

"Hong."

Luo Feng and Dongguan stood up.

"You've both grown stronger. Very good." Hong nodded.

He noticed that Luo Feng's spiritual force was remarkably strong. He should have reached the peak of the Apprentice Level.

Dongguan had also broken through, probably to the second stage of the Planetary Level.

"Where's the Cloud-Touching Vine you mentioned?" His gaze turned to Dongguan.

Dongguan had asked for so much. If there was no Cloud-Touching Vine, Hong would show him the consequences of toying with Earth's strongest man.

"Inside the island," Dongguan replied with an unconcerned smile. "There are lots of spirits of plants and trees here."

He had taken all the ones that were easy to obtain, but some still remained around the Cloud-Touching Vine.

He had originally intended to take those too, but had given up after alerting the Cloud-Touching Vine.

Hong surveyed the somewhat ravaged ground, including the remains of willow trees whose hearts had been dug out.

Indeed, there must have been spirits of plants and trees here.

Normally, discovering them would have been a fine thing, but Dongguan had told him there was a Cloud-Touching Vine.

He had come expecting a Cloud-Touching Vine. If the answer turned out to be spirits of plants and trees, that would only make him go a little easier when he beat Dongguan up.

"Luo Feng saw it just now too."

Hong looked at Luo Feng.

Luo Feng felt a little nervous. Though Hong's image had crumbled somewhat earlier, that didn't change how powerful he was.

"I did see it. A blackish-purple vine, a full five or six hundred meters long. Councilor Dongguan escaped from it."

"A Black-Purple Vine, five or six hundred meters long." Hong considered the information. It did sound like a Cloud-Touching Vine, but he couldn't be certain.

"Come on. Let's go in."

From Luo Feng's description, he now understood that Dongguan had told him about the Cloud-Touching Vine solely because he couldn't defeat it.

That only made the story more credible.

To maximize his gains, Dongguan had told Hong about it in exchange for those items.

If Hong had been in Dongguan's position, he certainly wouldn't have wanted to give up the Cloud-Touching Vine. He would only trade it if he couldn't obtain it himself.

Although Hong had said, "Let's go in," he had no intention of waiting.

In the blink of an eye, Hong vanished before them.

"Come on. Let's take a look," Dongguan said to Luo Feng.

The two headed forward.

Meanwhile, Dongguan mentally gauged the gap between himself and Hong.

With his domain included, Hong was invincible at the Planetary Grade, making comparison pointless. Without it, Hong was at the sixth stage while Dongguan was at the second—a sixteenfold gap in their base strength.

Even if Hong had neither a domain nor any amplitude, Dongguan would need an amplitude of sixteen to surpass him. His mental power amplitude was only ten, and his strength multiplier only seven-nowhere near enough.

Besides, 《World Destruction》 was Hong's own technique. His strength multiplier was at least six.

By that calculation, Dongguan would need a mental power amplitude or strength multiplier of nearly a hundred to defeat Hong.

Shaking his head, Dongguan stopped thinking about it and continued deeper inside.

Whoosh!

The enormous purple-black vines appeared again. This time, there wasn't just one, but more than ten.

Hong hovered in the air, enveloped in a pitch-black domain. He touched one of the long vines and smiled.

"Sixteen long vines. It really is a Cloud-Touching Vine." In that moment, the joy of his discovery washed away his displeasure at being fleeced by Dongguan.

Luo Feng clearly saw some azure feathers beside the long vine. Following them with his eyes, he spotted a bird carcass with a large hole through its body, carelessly tossed aside.

"Is that Little Blue?" Luo Feng still remembered the name of Dongguan's mount.

"Little Blue?" Dongguan paused instead. "Oh, right. Yes."

"Aren't you sad it died?" Luo Feng remembered reading on the Warrior Forum that taming beasts required building a bond over a long period. Beast tamers often treated their beasts as members of the family.

"It's just a monster. There are plenty of them. If it dies, I'll catch another." Dongguan didn't care in the slightest.

"Catch another?" Luo Feng was puzzled.

Was taming beasts that easy? Should he learn it too?

Within the dark domain, the Cloud-Touching Vine struggled helplessly, but Hong eventually captured it.

Glancing at Dongguan and Luo Feng as they approached, Hong appeared before them.

Seeing Luo Feng's bulging backpack, Hong smiled. "Luo Feng, you must have collected quite a few spirits of plants and trees too. Once we're back, you can trade them with me."

Naturally, Hong claimed all the remaining spirits of plants and trees behind him.

"Trade them?" Luo Feng was a little bewildered.

"Right, you're already a Psychic at the peak of the High-level War God rank. You shouldn't stay in the Training Camp competing with the youngsters anymore. According to your contract, once you prove your strength, you'll automatically become an Inspector. You want to go to Jiangnan Base City, correct?"

"Yes." Luo Feng nodded stiffly.

Having obtained the Cloud-Touching Vine, Hong was in a good mood and spoke a little more than usual.

When he turned back to Dongguan, however, his expression became cold again.

"Councilor Dongguan, you still haven't proven your strength since becoming a Councilor, have you? The Long-Armed Ape King has now appeared near Jiangnan Base City, and due to unknown factors, it has reached the Planetary Level Second Order." Hong left it at that and departed.

Dongguan had hunted quite a few Lord-level monsters, but had yet to kill a single King Level one.

"The Long-Armed Ape King appeared near Jiangnan Base City?" Dongguan and Luo Feng had been so absorbed in exploring Fog Island that they hadn't paid any attention to this news.

The two opened their Communication Watches and began browsing the Warrior Forum.

It was true.

And that wasn't all.

In City 003, the High-level War God Li Yao had discovered it and used his Black God Set to keep it occupied. Councilor Yan Hai had then arrived intending to kill it, only to discover that the Long-Armed Ape King had broken through.

Afterward, the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King appeared. Yet it actually joined forces with the Long-Armed Ape King, which it had fought fiercely last time, to battle Councilor Yan Hai together.

Councilor Lan Ran, who lived in seclusion in Jiangnan Base City, stepped in, but she only managed to reverse their losing position. She couldn't defeat the two beasts either.

"No wonder." Both Dongguan and Luo Feng were shocked by the news.

Luo Feng was especially worried. What if a monster tide invaded Jiangnan Base City? His home was in one of its satellite cities.

There were fifty-two Base Cities worldwide. While some, such as Hongning Base City, had several Planetary Grade fighters, others didn't have even one.

The chances of another Councilor appearing in Jiangnan Base City were very low.

Luo Feng grew anxious.

Dongguan tossed his backpack to Luo Feng, left him with one sentence, and turned into a streak of light, flying north.

"Look after my bag."

Holding one backpack and wearing another, Luo Feng stood rooted to the spot.

Just then, a purplish-red triangular aircraft arrived above Fog Island. Inspector Liu He and the personal guard Iceberg flew out.

They had come to search for the remaining Spirit of Plants and Trees.

As for Hong, he had gone back to test the Cloud-Touching Vine.

City 003.

The Long-Armed Ape King was locked in combat with Yan Hai and Li Yao, while "Ice Blade" Lan Ran fought the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King.

"Keep holding on. The other Councilors will be here soon," Yan Hai encouraged Li Yao.

Li Yao didn't answer. Entirely enveloped in the Black God Set, he stretched his arms and legs like long whips, occasionally launching sneak attacks on the Long-Armed Ape King while Yan Hai engaged it.

As the only fighter on the battlefield who wasn't at the Planetary Grade, he was struggling.

But whenever he recalled the satellite footage of Li Wei dying beneath the Ape King's feet, killing intent surged through him, and his body unleashed even more strength.

Fueled by hatred, his potential was drawn out to the fullest.

Hearing Yan Hai's words, the intelligent Long-Armed Ape King began considering retreat.

After clashing with Yan Hai once more, it shifted some distance toward the battle between the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King and Lan Ran as it withdrew.

Yan Hai and Li Yao pursued it.

Gradually, the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King, Lan Ran, the Long-Armed Ape King, Yan Hai, and Li Yao converged-three humans and two beasts.

The Long-Armed Ape King and the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King joined forces against the three.

Suddenly, the Long-Armed Ape King's body swelled from over a hundred meters tall to several hundred meters.

Just as the others thought it was about to attack the three humans, it suddenly kicked the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King.

Caught completely off guard, the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King tumbled toward the three, while the Long-Armed Ape King fled the battlefield in great strides.

Yan Hai and Lan Ran exchanged a glance and struck the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King together.

"Together! Kill the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King!"

They understood each other's intentions.

They would let the Long-Armed Ape King go for now and kill the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King first.

Li Yao, however, couldn't accept it. After all this effort, what he wanted was revenge-to kill the Long-Armed Ape King, not slaughter that irrelevant Blood Moon Azure Wolf King.

"I'll chase it." With those words, Li Yao elongated his legs and pursued the Long-Armed Ape King.

Yan Hai and Lan Ran said nothing. Both had set their sights on the wounded Blood Moon Azure Wolf King.

Satellites overhead monitored the ground below.

On the Australian Continent.

Aboard the purplish-red triangular aircraft, Luo Feng stared intently at the screen.

It displayed the satellite footage. Yan Hai and Lan Ran were beating the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King so badly that it couldn't fight back.

But the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King was thick-skinned and tough. Even as ice blades pierced wound after wound into its body, it held on.

It fled in every direction, but the two worked together to block every escape route.

Their victory was only a matter of time.

The feed switched to the other side.

The Long-Armed Ape King raced through the ruined high-rises of City 003, with a tiny pitch-black figure pursuing relentlessly behind it.

At last, the Ape King grew impatient.

It was now some distance from the earlier battlefield. Turning around, it threw a vicious punch at the pitch-black figure.

The pitch-black figure-Li Yao-neither dodged nor evaded. Instead, he turned into something like a puddle of mud and clung to the Ape King's fist.

The moment the Ape King pulled back its fist, he sprang away and landed on its face.

The Ape King reached up to tear him off, but Li Yao dodged again and leaped onto its shoulder.

An enormous body could sometimes be a burden.

The Ape King's body began shrinking, from several hundred meters to over a hundred, then to several dozen, then to just over ten.

Even when it stood only a little over ten meters tall, Li Yao kept leaping around its body like a sticky wad of candy it couldn't shake off.

Li Yao carried a tracking device. As long as he kept the Ape King occupied, its position would remain locked.

Once Councilors Yan Hai and Lan Ran killed the Blood Moon Azure Wolf King, they would naturally come over. He only needed to buy time and keep the Ape King from escaping.

Finally, the Ape King shrank again, leaving it only a few meters tall.

Its strength had now dropped considerably, to only the first stage of the Planetary Grade.

"But it's enough to kill you." The Ape King's golden eyes fixed on the pitch-black Li Yao, filled with intense irritation and killing intent.

Li Yao was still clinging to him.

Bang!

A fist slammed into Li Yao.

With his body so much smaller now, the ape was far more agile, and his blow struck Li Yao squarely.

"Pfft!" With the Black God Set protecting him, Li Yao's clothes had not even torn, but the impact damaged his internal organs, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yet with the aid of the Black God Set, he remained attached to the Ape King.

Bang!

Another punch.

Li Yao spat out another mouthful of blood.

Still, he refused to let go.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The blows kept coming.

Everyone watching the scene via satellite felt their hearts tighten.

Aboard the Limitless Martial Arts Hall's fighter jet, Luo Feng watched the scene and remembered how Candace had targeted him back in January and February, all because Li Yao and his wife had taken their anger over Li Wei's death out on him.

He felt he was innocent. After all, what Warrior General would want to encounter a King-level Monster in the Wilderness Zone?

Li Wei's death had been entirely an accident.

That was why he had found the couple unreasonable and felt somewhat angry.

But watching this scene now, Luo Feng forgave him and silently praised him: Li Yao, you're a real man.

There was simply nothing he could do to help over there.

Dongguan was already rushing toward the scene. A Planetary Grade Psychic was fast, but he could not teleport.

The villa on Huayao Peak, Jiangnan Shanshui Residential District, Jiangnan Base City.

Vina watched the images on the screen, praying over and over in her heart: God, please let Yao come back safely.

At that moment, she was even willing to let go of her desire to avenge her son. All she wanted was for her husband to come home safely.

She kept making calls.

Li Yao, Yan Hai, and Lan Ran were all fighting and could not answer.

The other Councilors were all too far away to help.

So all she could do was pray.

"Yao, come back safely."

To others, Li Yao was the selfish, brooding Vulture. To Vina, Li Yao was her hero. He always had been.

The towering buildings had all collapsed, leaving nothing but rubble.

The Long-Armed Ape King hammered away wildly with his fists, unable to understand how someone who had not even reached King Level could have held on this long.

Li Yao's mind was a jumble. His internal organs had long since been shattered, their fragments forcibly held in place by the Black God Set.

He had only one thought left.

Keep him tied down.

Earlier, he had still been able to blame Yan Hai and Lan Ran for being too slow, but now, he had lost even the ability to think that much.

At last, he saw light before his eyes.

A streak of white light swept across the sky, drawing closer and closer before descending.

A long saber whistled toward the Long-Armed Ape King's head, while ten streaks of silver pierced through him, punching ten holes in his body.

The wounds healed visibly, but the pain still made him stop his barrage.

Everyone watching their screens saw the newcomer clearly.

He had medium-length, layered hair and a forehead protector, and wore a black Combat Suit with a silvery sheen and combat boots. A long saber was in his hand, and ten silver throwing knives circled him.

Councilor Dongguan.

"War God Li Yao, leave the rest to me."

Although he had not seen what happened earlier while rushing here, Li Yao's horrific condition was still shocking to behold.

Li Yao let go and collapsed on the ground like a puddle of black mud, barely retaining a human shape.

"Kill him." He pointed one finger at the Gray-Furred Ape King, his voice weak.

"All right." Dongguan nodded solemnly.

His long saber whistled, and his throwing knives darted through the air.

Seeing the enemy who had killed his entire family arrive in a new guise, the Ape King roared in fury.

He no longer wanted to flee.

"The Water of Life! Who has the Water of Life?" Watching Li Yao's broken body on the screen, Vina frantically searched the house.

"Found it!"

Holding a vial of deep blue liquid, she rushed outside.

The Water of Life could heal injuries. They had bought some in the War God Palace while the price was low, and had yet to use it.

"Yao, wait for me."

But she did not notice that, on the screen she had left on, the pitch-black Black God Set was gradually gathering around Li Yao's right arm, forming a bracer.

And the light had faded from his brooding eyes.

"Li Yao is a hero."

Everyone watching on the other screens agreed with those words.

Even Luo Feng, who should originally have killed Li Yao to prove his Councilor Level strength.