Chapter 152: Even Beating a Dog Requires Permission from Its Master

Facing the oppressive pressure from all sides, Li Hao wore an expression of fury, but deep down, he felt little panic.

If this had been the past, confronted by the weight of so many factions, he would’ve surrendered immediately—offering up the spiritual treasures in exchange for his own and his family’s safety.

But now, things were entirely different.

With the revival of spiritual energy inevitably leading to a reshuffling of power, he was bound to clash with the major forces sooner or later. Backing down now would only mark him as weak and easy to trample.

Granted, he didn’t have the strength to oppose all these factions directly…
But he wasn’t alone anymore.

Even if you wanted to beat a dog—you’d still have to see who its master was.

Li Hao glared at Xu Shaolin and shouted indignantly:

“Spiritual energy is reviving, and monsters roam unchecked. I entered Mount Beimang precisely to seek a method to combat these threats.”

“If I were to discover such a method, it would bring unimaginable benefits to the Federation—and even to all of human civilization!”

“My actions are for the Federation. What crime have I committed?”

This shameless claim stunned everyone present.

They hadn’t expected Li Hao to twist his trespass into some grand act of righteousness for humanity.

“What a joke!”

It was the federal envoy Shi Zhiyuan who finally spoke, his face cold.

“Even now, Councilor Li continues to distort right and wrong.”

“If you surrender all findings from Mount Beimang, I—on behalf of the Federation—will overlook your transgression.”

“But if you insist on being stubborn… then don’t blame us for what happens next.”

As he spoke, armed soldiers stepped forward, weapons raised, surrounding Li Hao.

Li Hao calmly reached into his case and retrieved the Red-Blood Ginseng.

“Is this what you’re all after?”

The moment the ginseng was revealed, everyone caught a whiff of its rich, otherworldly fragrance.

Even Shi Zhiyuan and the others couldn’t hide their astonishment. Their gazes locked onto the ginseng with unblinking intensity.

Even without touching it, that extraordinary scent alone confirmed it—this was a spiritual treasure brimming with energy.

“Yes! That’s it!”

“That peach pit barely radiated anything strange, but this ginseng… it’s on a whole other level! Could this be a real spiritual plant?”

“What the hell did Li Hao dig up in Mount Beimang?”

Everyone’s throat bobbed with greed, desire clearly written on their faces.

Who could blame them? The importance of this spiritual plant was simply too great.

Even regular ginseng was regarded as a top-tier longevity tonic. One that contained spiritual energy? Its value was beyond imagination.

If it had even the slightest life-extending effect, the overlords of the mega-corporations would kill to obtain it.

The moment they laid eyes on the Red-Blood Ginseng, they knew they had to get it—no matter the cost.

Federal envoy Shi Zhiyuan couldn’t hide his excitement. He stepped forward and offered:

“If you give me the ginseng, I can promise—on behalf of the Federation—that you’ll be guaranteed a seat in the division of Mount Beimang’s resources.”

But Li Hao didn’t budge. His expression instead turned solemn.

“If this ginseng were mine, I would gladly offer it to the envoy.”

“But this treasure was a gift from my master. As his subordinate, I do not dare barter it away.”

“Your master?” Shi Zhiyuan immediately caught the implication. So did everyone else.

Ignoring their confusion, Li Hao turned toward Mount Beimang, dropped to his knees, and bowed heavily.

“Li Hao is incompetent. I humbly beg my lord for assistance!”

The next instant, a cold snort exploded across the crowd like a thunderclap.

The mists surrounding the scenic area twisted violently, as though torn by invisible hands.

Inky-black fog surged forth from a rift in space, devouring all light like a living creature.

The representatives from all factions stared in horror as the once-mild mists transformed into a nightmare of darkness.

A suffocating silence fell over the area. Every heartbeat thudded like a war drum. Fear chilled them to the bone.

Someone tried to scream, but the sound was swallowed by the black mist—reduced to a faint wheeze.

From the depths of the fog came whispers—soft and mocking—like demons murmuring from the pits of hell, stabbing straight into the soul.

People clutched anything within reach, hoping to anchor themselves as the sunlight vanished and Mount Beimang fell into eternal night.

Only now did they finally understand why Li Hao had remained so confident.

“Useless.”

From within the darkness came a voice, cold and indifferent.

Li Hao, who had faced down the factions with unshakable composure, now instantly panicked.

He shouted desperately:

“I have disappointed you, my lord. Please forgive me!”

He knew clearly—none of these factions could truly harm him.
But Lu Yan? A single word from him, and Li Hao would be plunged into ruin.

After that casual rebuke, Lu Yan’s attention turned toward the assembled forces.

To his surprise, two familiar faces stood among them.

One was the regional manager from the Qingwu Group. Lu Yan had seen him once in the library of the Qingwu Sect. In the Xianxia version, he had been a Golden Core Elder.

The other was Chu Zhuoqun, Vice Director of Personnel at the Archaeological Association—someone Lu Yan had previously encountered.

At this moment, both men—once towering figures in the Xianxia version—weren’t bowing like Li Hao, but they trembled all the same, on the verge of collapsing to their knees.

Lu Yan could sense the underlying reasons for the faction’s arrival.

On the surface, it seemed Xu Shaolin’s betrayal had led the others here by selling out Li Hao to the Federation.

But Lu Yan smelled something else—a faint trace of the Urban Heaven’s Will interfering in the background.

It had accelerated events, prompting the factions to converge on Mount Beimang with unnatural speed—likely to derail Lu Yan’s plans.

Perhaps Xu Shaolin’s betrayal was merely a fleeting thought at first, but with the Heaven’s Will pushing the timeline forward, everything had been amplified.

Still, none of that mattered.

Because in the face of Lu Yan’s transcendent power, such resistance was utterly meaningless.

“Nothing but a dying gasp.”

Lu Yan sneered inwardly.

The thick, black fog solidified, slowly forming a massive, colossal face.

It was majestic and solemn, with divine light flickering in its eyes, as though it had seen through time and now gazed down upon the mortal realm.

Every change in its expression made space itself tremble, as if the heavens and earth were holding their breath beneath its stare.

“What kind of backer has Li Hao found?”

The representatives trembled—from flesh to soul.

And then, under that divine gaze, a question rang out like a divine judgment:

“You dare trespass into my Mount Beimang?”

(End of Chapter)