Dao said, could that Primordial Flame actually be another form of light force? Had Yang Hao really undergone yet another baptism of light?
In truth, Yang Hao’s thoughts weren’t without merit. Three light baptisms and three dark baptisms—could someone really experience these so easily? Ordinary people might never even encounter half of such an event in their entire lives, and even if they did, they likely wouldn’t survive them. It was precisely for this reason that the divine realm had so much trouble finding someone capable of carrying out their tasks.
Yet Yang Hao’s luck was truly extraordinary. He had actually obtained the Primordial Flame, a divine treasure so rare it was practically impossible to find. Coupled with the sword-forging ceremony presided over by Amanda, a significant amount of the Primordial Flame’s energy was released, enabling Yang Hao to complete this latest baptism of light.
Still, without that final bit of assistance, Yang Hao might have ended up helplessly burned to death by the Primordial Flame.
Now, that mysteriously appearing object was floating around Yang Hao. More precisely, it was spinning around his neck, dangerously close to slicing it clean off.
Yet Yang Hao showed no concern at all, instead watching it with great interest. The object was crescent-shaped, with both its convex and concave sides sharpened into icy blades. Its material was unidentifiable, a black hue laced with faint golden tones, and its edges shimmered with a blue glow. Even more importantly, intricate patterns covered the curved blade—designs that seemed as though written by gods themselves, faintly radiating the aura of a divine artifact.
If he wasn’t mistaken, this was undoubtedly a genuine divine treasure.
What exactly was a divine treasure? It was something that shouldn’t even exist in this world. True divine treasures were forged by high-level gods or Golden Immortals and then cultivated over long periods of time. In the mortal world, no more than twenty such treasures existed, and most of them were already in the hands of the world’s greatest experts.
The few swords Yang Hao had seized from the Ten Sword Sect were capable of sealing divine beings and could certainly be considered divine treasures. However, since Yang Hao couldn’t control them, they were no different from ordinary swords.
But this one before him was different—it was his soul-bound weapon.
A soul-bound weapon was not the same as a traditional flying sword. Flying swords were linked to a cultivator’s mind and heart, allowing the wielder to control them at will. But a soul-bound weapon was etched directly into the cultivator’s soul. From the moment of its forging, it merged with the cultivator’s very being, making it even more effortless to command—able to vanish when desired and reappear instantly. More importantly, since it was part of the cultivator’s soul, it couldn’t be stolen or controlled by anyone else.
That was why the blade had passed through Yang Hao’s Nascent Soul without causing him any harm, actually helping him escape the range of the Primordial Flame’s deadly effects.
To have a divine treasure become his soul-bound weapon—this dangerous ordeal had been more than worth it. Even all his previous flying swords combined couldn’t compare to this divine treasure.
“Shadow Moon!” Yang Hao quickly named the divine weapon. With a mere thought, the blade’s surface suddenly flared with intense flames similar to the Primordial Flame, then instantly transformed into pure blue ice crystals.
It turned out that while refining several of his flying swords, the weapon had absorbed their elemental properties. This unexpected discovery delighted Yang Hao even more.
The Shadow Moon gently skimmed along Yang Hao’s body before finally vanishing completely into the air.
Without a doubt, the invisibility attribute had also been inherited.
With such a soul-bound divine weapon, Yang Hao would no longer be at a disadvantage in any future battle. Whether facing the top hundred warriors or even those ranked within the top fifty, he would likely emerge unscathed.
Combined with the power of his sword core and the enhancement of his Nascent Soul stage, Yang Hao felt that his quest for revenge—and even the task for the divine race—had suddenly become far less daunting.
He lifted his head, gazing at the clear blue sky, his heart equally bright and unburdened. Even as the massive sword-forging furnace, along with the Primordial Flame, slowly crumbled into dust, he remained completely indifferent.
At this moment, Yang Hao truly felt a bit like an unrivaled expert of the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Night fell.
In the most secret conference hall of the Three Crystal Seas, located one kilometer beneath the surface of the main planet, Steve had spent an entire year having seven master engineers construct it. This chamber had become an almost indestructible fortress. Steve was confident that even if the entire Three Crystal Sea system were destroyed, the hall would survive independently, drifting through space like a small satellite.
Such extreme precautions were necessary—even if the chamber remained unused for centuries, its existence was justified for this single night alone.
Tonight was the first-ever full summit of the Anti-Empire Alliance. More than a hundred system leaders sat in chairs with silver backs inside this chamber, the walls of which were constructed almost entirely of pure silver, glowing with pale blue flames that formed a barrier capable of blocking the Elder Council’s surveillance.
In the history of the Empire, there had likely never been a gathering of so many rebel leaders. This was the most concentrated assembly of anti-Empire forces in decades. If the Empire had discovered this meeting and managed to send assassins, the Alliance might have been wiped out in a single night.
But obviously, that was impossible. The Anti-Empire Alliance had grown into a force that could no longer be ignored. It had countless warriors and assassins, and its security measures were no worse than those of the Imperial Palace.
As Yang Hao entered the conference hall, every leader’s gaze immediately turned toward him. Most of them had never met him before, and they likely doubted their own eyes.
Anyone who saw Yang Hao would have the same reaction—how could someone so young have repeatedly challenged and defeated the Empire’s strongest warriors, led a single battleship to victory in the Dual Sun War, and even gained the favor of the divine race?
Since returning from the Divine Realm, Yang Hao had changed completely. He was no longer that somewhat childish and carefree youth. He now carried an air of leadership, his steps and gaze filled with the calmness born from countless brushes with death.
Today, Yang Hao wore a deep blue outfit adorned with intricate golden patterns, a form-fitting swordsman’s attire. In the Galactic Empire, only those who had proven their combat prowess were allowed to wear such garments. Though Yang Hao had surpassed the rank of swordsman and entered the realm of grandmaster swordsman, there was no need to flaunt it.
Over his outfit, he wore a gray-black long robe with a stiff collar that framed his thin, slightly pale face. Easily noticeable on the left side of his chest was a strange symbol, somewhat resembling an ancient talisman. This was the former insignia of the Alchemical and Sword Cultivation Sect. Yang Hao had adopted it as the new emblem of the Hao Sword Corps, signaling the full return of the Alchemical Sect to this world.
Seeing Yang Hao walk in with Longyun and Maya, Steve—who held great disdain—had no choice but to stand. In an instant, all the leaders from across the systems rose to their feet, applauding Yang Hao.
Even though Yang Hao’s leadership was nominal and he technically commanded no armies, the fact remained that he had returned safely from the Divine Realm and had repeatedly defeated Imperial forces. In fact, in the past few decades, the Anti-Empire Alliance had never achieved such significant victories as it had in the past half-year alone.
Moreover, Yang Hao actually controlled two key systems—Raymond and Saint Bear—as resource and warrior supply bases, making them impossible to ignore.
Thus, even Steve had to temporarily bow his head and offer Yang Hao the central seat of the hall, the position representing the Alliance’s leadership. As Yang Hao sat down without hesitation, Steve inwardly fumed, wondering how long he could keep that seat.
Yang Hao’s gaze pierced like a sword, landing on Steve’s face and causing the planetary governor’s heart to tighten. Though Steve was a politician, he was also a high-level martial artist. He felt as though Yang Hao could see straight into his thoughts, making him feel uneasy.
Indeed, Yang Hao could read his mind, though only briefly. In the Divine Realm, he had consumed the Dragon Essence Pill that Hunyuanzi had sacrificed his life to obtain, greatly enhancing his spiritual power. Though his mental strength was still no match for a dragon’s, it far surpassed that of ordinary humans. Against someone like Steve, he couldn’t control him, but he could easily detect a few thoughts.
“This kind of grand meeting must be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion,” Yang Hao suddenly said with his old grin. “Mr. Steve, I hope you’re not holding a beauty contest tonight!”
A low chuckle rippled through the room. It was no secret that Steve had a preference for male beauty. Some of the male politicians who considered themselves attractive instinctively tensed up, fearing they might catch Steve’s eye.
Steve didn’t seem offended. Instead, he smiled and said, “Then let’s begin, Leader.”
“Let’s begin,” Yang Hao nodded, leaning back against the silver chair. The embedded gemstones couldn’t better highlight his status—they were more of a burden than an enhancement.
This was also how Yang Hao viewed power. But recently, he had studied the situation with Hunyuanzi and Longyun, who both believed that Yang Hao now had to become a true leader and wield real authority, or he wouldn’t be able to complete his mission or protect those who followed him.
So Yang Hao had grown colder, abandoning his previous carefree demeanor and becoming as cold as ice in front of these politicians.
“First, I have some good news to share with everyone,” Steve stood up and announced loudly. “According to our intelligence, the Mournshade Assassination Squad remains stationed at the comet source on the eastern front of the Three Crystal Seas, showing no signs of movement.”
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