262: Chapter 262 Two Sovereigns Approaching

The order was issued, and the crowd took their leave. Only Ling Hao remained in the main hall. He sat back in the primary seat, and with a wave of his hand, seven tokens rotated slowly before him, their seven-colored brilliance reflecting on his face in a play of light and shadow.

[System Notification]

[All seven tokens collected. The Lords Token Array can now activate 'Seven Stars Shining'.]

['Seven Stars Shining' Effect: Within a radius of one thousand five hundred feet, all non-Origin power is suppressed. Early Integration Stage Cultivators' combat power is reduced by fifty percent, Mid-Integration Stage Cultivators' combat power is reduced by thirty percent, and Void Refining stage Cultivators' combat power is reduced by seventy percent. Duration: Thirty breaths.]

[Cost: Burn the Rule Mark within one token. That token will temporarily lose its effect and recover after thirty breaths.]

[Note: Burning a Rule Mark will cause permanent damage to the token. Multiple burnings may lead to the token's destruction.]

Ling Hao looked at the System's light screen, his brow furrowing slightly.

The suppression effect of Seven Stars Shining was extremely powerful, capable of weakening even a Mid-Integration Stage by thirty percent. However, the price was not small—burning the Rule Mark would permanently damage the token. Although it could recover after thirty breaths, the token might be completely destroyed if used multiple times.

These tokens were the keys to opening the eye of the heavenly dao. If any single one was destroyed, it would be impossible to enter the eye of the heavenly dao.

"This can only be used as a final trump card." Ling Hao put away the tokens and stood up to walk to the window.

Outside the window, the commoners of Tianhuo City were evacuating in an orderly fashion. The groups arranged by Jiang Wanshan were retreating toward the mountains along the north gate—the elderly, children, women, and those ordinary people without combat capability. The shops in the city had already closed, and the streets were empty, with only the occasional patrolling Loose Cultivator passing by.

Watching this scene, a surge of complex emotions rose in Ling Hao's heart.

This city was his starting point in the Central Region. From an initial foothold to its current status as a major stronghold in the Central Region, every step had been soaked in blood and sweat.

He could not let it be destroyed in a single day.

---

Three days later, in the early morning, a commotion broke out outside the North City stronghold.

When Ling Hao stepped out of the secret room, he saw Shadow Seven leading a middle-aged man in gray robes with an ordinary face into the courtyard. Upon seeing Ling Hao, the man knelt on one knee, his voice low and urgent.

"Young Lord, your subordinate Han Lie has returned. I have not failed my mission."

Han Lie was a manager under Star Lord Luohou whom Ling Hao had once met at the Thunder Abyss outside Tianhuo City. After being implanted with a Chaos Restriction, he had been sent back to the Heavenly Dao Palace to lie low. His cultivation was not high, but his courage was extraordinary; having operated within the Heavenly Dao Palace's intelligence System for many years, his connections were vast.

"Rise and speak," Ling Hao helped him up. "What is the situation over at Tianque City?"

Han Lie took out a Jade Slip from his robes and presented it with both hands.

"This is the complete defensive deployment map of Tianque City. It includes the positions of the formation bases, spiritual energy nodes, guard rotation times, and the distribution of all hidden sentries. It took your subordinate three months to collect it all, and I was nearly discovered by Star Lord Jidu's people during the process."

Ling Hao took the Jade Slip and sent his Divine Sense into it. A massive city defense map unfolded within his Sea of Consciousness.

Tianque City, the headquarters of the Heavenly Dao Palace. The city walls were a hundred zhang high, built entirely of Astral White Jade, with nine layers of defensive formation runes carved onto the surface. There were nine formation bases in the city, arranged in a Nine Palaces formation, their spiritual energy interconnected to form a 'Zhou Tian Star Array' that covered the entire city. When this array operated at full power, it could trap a Body Integration Peak Cultivator, and even a Void Refining Cultivator would have a slim chance of survival upon entering.

However, the deployment map marked the weaknesses of every formation base as well as the gaps in the guard rotations. Every three days, at the third quarter of the Hour of the Rat, the North Gate formation base would have a brief gap lasting about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. During this time, a tiny crack would appear in the array's coverage.

"Good," Ling Hao put away the Jade Slip. "You have worked hard. Go rest first; we will discuss the details tomorrow."

"Young Lord, there is one more thing," Han Lie lowered his voice. "Star Lord Taiyang and Star Lord Jidu are personally leading an expedition to Tianhuo City, taking sixty percent of Tianque City's military strength with them. The Temple Master has not yet emerged from seclusion; it is estimated that as long as Tianque City is not breached, he will not appear for the time being."

"I understand," Ling Hao interrupted him. "Tianhuo City cannot be lost. You go down and rest first."

Han Lie cupped his fists and followed Shadow Seven out.

Ling Hao stood in the courtyard, looking toward the northeast. Tianque City was empty, but that was not his primary concern right now. Star Lord Taiyang and Star Lord Jidu had already brought a grand army to Tianhuo City, and the tokens were very likely on their persons. As long as he defeated them, the tokens would be within reach.

"Pass the order," Ling Hao turned around. "Have Gongshu Yuan speed up the Star Gate's calibration. Within three days, I want the Star Gate to be fully operational."

"Yes."

At noon,

In the southern sky, crimson clouds surged like a tide. Countless flags could be seen fluttering within the clouds, embroidered with golden sun patterns—the military flags of the Heavenly Dao Palace. Beneath the clouds was a dense, dark army. Three thousand elites marched in formation, their Killing Intent reaching the heavens.

At the very front of the army, two figures walked side by side.

Star Lord Taiyang was clad in a Scarlet-Gold Divine Robe, his face resolute and his thick brows like blades. He rode a scarlet-gold Qilin beast and held a Scarlet-Gold Long Halberd. A scorching pressure radiated from his entire body; wherever he passed, the air distorted, and the vegetation on the ground ignited spontaneously without fire.

Star Lord Jidu was dressed in ink-black robes, his face feminine and his skin as pale as paper. He rode a pitch-black Netherworld Tiger and held the ancient void-piercing mirror. His aura was as cold as an abyss, forming a sharp contrast with Star Lord Taiyang's heat.

Eight Void Refinement Deacons followed closely behind, followed by dozens of Soul Transformation Cultivators and three thousand elites.

Such a lineup was enough to trample any power in the Central Region.

"They're here." Ling Xiao stood on the city wall, gripping the thunder gods war hammer.

Ling Hao did not speak, only quietly watching the army approach.

Tianhuo City's defensive array was already operating at full power. Five layers of light shields enveloped the entire city. Gu Yue stood at the eye of the array, holding a Formation Plate in his hand, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

The army halted ten miles outside the city.

Star Lord Taiyang rode his beast forward, his Scarlet-Gold Long Halberd pointing toward Tianhuo City, his voice rolling across the sky like thunder.

"Ling Hao! Come out and meet your death!"

The sound waves were so powerful they made the Loose Cultivators on the wall turn pale; those with weaker cultivation even struggled to stand. Ling Xiao snorted coldly, and with a stomp of his thunder gods war hammer, dark golden lightning neutralized most of the pressure within the sound waves.

Ling Hao stepped into the air, hovering above the city wall.

His green robes were simple, and his aura was restrained. Seven tokens vibrated slightly in his sleeves. Outside the city, Star Lord Taiyang and Star Lord Jidu stood side by side, the scarlet-gold and dark-green brilliance intertwining, reflecting light and shadow across half the sky.

"Star Lord Taiyang, you traveled thousands of miles to Tianhuo City just to say that?"

Golden flames flickered in Star Lord Taiyang's eyes: "Ling Hao, you have successively defeated seven Star Lords of my Heavenly Dao Palace, stolen their tokens, and destroyed their cultivation. Today, this Lord will have you pay in blood!"

"Pay in blood?" The corners of Ling Hao's mouth curled slightly. "That depends on whether you have the ability."

He raised his hand, and five tokens flew out from his sleeves, hovering before him. Five-colored brilliance unfolded silently as the basic suppression of the Five Elements Forbidden Domain instantly covered the entire field.