The Eastern Martial World, also known as the Land of Martial Arts, is a place entirely dominated by martial prowess.
Ling Long Town is one of many towns in Sejong Province, whose capital is the Great East City. Within the Qi Dynasty, the eastern regions consist of four martial provinces where martial artists are everywhere you look.
This land is governed by the Qi Dynasty and ruled by a Heavenly Realm martial master known as the Eastern Martial Lord.
The Eastern Martial World is comprised of 17 top sects and 23 top families, each maintaining branches throughout all provinces under its control.
Among the most powerful, the Supreme Martial Sect stands at the very top, led by the Eastern Martial Lord himself.
Top 10 Forces in the Eastern Martial World:
1. Supreme Martial Sect
2. Eternal Demon Sect
3. Feng Family
4. Lu Family
5. San Family
6. Taiche Sect
7. Eternal Buddhist Palace
8. Li Family
9. Demon Buddha Sect
10. Zhen Family
For contrast, a low-ranked force like the Song Family sits at rank 892.
The top powers possess early-stage proficiency in the Heavenly Realm. Others have Heavenly Realm cultivators too, but not at that level of mastery.
The Song Family once had an ancestor who stepped into the Willful Realm, earning them temporary status as a top power. However, unlike others, they don't reside in Seoul — the central city of the Eastern Martial World — where only the true top powers hold influence.
Li Hao studied a map. The Qi Dynasty spans 48 provinces, each controlled jointly by top forces and the government. A single top force typically governs four provinces, each guarded by a Celestial Master at the Fifth Turn, Fifth Level. The Qi Family, standing above all, boasts a master at the Fifth Turn, Sixth Level.
Other Fifth Turn, Fifth Level powers include:
Li Family
Dong Family
Zhu Family
Ji Family
Lin Family
Tang Family
Supreme Martial Sect
Great Void Gate
Divine Sword Sect
Holy Lotus Palace
Vodra Palace
"All these forces are far stronger than me—not just by a small realm, but two major realms," Li Hao thought.
"Just give me a little more time, and I'll be on their level," he muttered as he traveled.
His current destination wasn't far — only 1,635 miles away. A modest trip, considering that distances in this world can span millions of miles. This wasn't a planet — it was a vast world, measuring 10 light years in diameter from its center.
Li Hao moved at his top speed. Any average Third Turn cultivator would burn out their spiritual power quickly, needing recovery. But for Li Hao, only a small portion of his energy was required.
He soared through the sky — a privilege Third Turn powers share with Second Turns, though limited. Second Turn cultivators can barely defy gravity for long. Even Third Turn cultivators can only fly for one to two hours due to the immense spiritual cost. True sustained flight requires the Primordial Spirit of a Fourth Turn cultivator, who could fly for months without stopping.
Li Hao's spiritual power, however, was different — he possessed Heavenly Yellow Spiritual Power. This not only allowed him to fly for several days but also let him absorb the abundant Heavenly Yellow energy in the skies.
He flew for 1 hour and 54 minutes at his current limit — 661 meters per hour. But if he activated his Incarnation Golden Crow Divine Art, he could push to 820 meters per hour.
On his way to Sejong, he spotted a town engulfed in flames. He stopped mid-flight, watching it from above — a raid was underway.
The town's top powers were absent or had already been killed. The raiders were from a local gang led by a Third Turn peak neutral realm expert wielding a tiger-engraved spear — the Dragon Tiger Gang. The town magistrate, the strongest remaining defender, was only at the Entry Natural Realm.
"Maybe because I'm closer to Sejong, the powers around me have grown stronger. I should probably not get involved... I'm only at the entry level after all," he thought.
Just as he turned to leave, a voice stopped him.
"Hey, you mean gang! Why do you attack our town? What did we ever do to you?"
It came from a little girl, no more than eight years old — about the same age as Li Hao. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pale, delicate appearance. Her eyes could charm anyone her age.
The gang leader sneered.
"Hmph. A little girl in the dead of night? Just kill her and keep raiding," he ordered.
"You won't even look me in the eye. You're just a big fat bully. I bet your mom is ashamed of you!" she shouted.
His face darkened. As he turned to leave, anger welled up in him. With a flick of his spear, imbued with violent intent, he slashed toward the girl.
The attack collapsed into itself and exploded harmlessly.
A voice echoed from the sky.
"You have the will to kill a child... don't you think you deserve to die too?"
The gang boss looked up, fury in his eyes.
"Why get involved in something that has nothing to do with you?"
Li Hao descended slowly, eyes cold and firm.
"Trying to kill a little girl? Now it involves me."
"Then you'll die here... with that girl," the boss growled.
"Mister, you don't have to do this... I can handle it on my own," the little girl said, looking up at Li Hao with tearful, yet brave eyes.
Li Hao turned to the little girl and asked, "What's your name?"
"Umm... My name is Lu Lang, from the Lu Family's Breach Branch," she replied.
"Well, Lu Lang, you should be thankful I'm here," Li Hao said calmly.
The gang leader, Zhang Tou, sneered from behind her, his voice cold as he shouted, "Die!"
[Name: Zhang Tou]
Age: 986 years
Realm: Natural Realm Peak
Relation: Li Family Mercenary, Dragon Tiger Gang Leader
Zhang Tou took a step forward and leaped at Li Hao, spear in hand, aiming for a fatal strike. Li Hao, sensing the attack, shifted into a defensive stance. His left hand formed the Yin Yang Flipping Heaven Seal, ready to block.
Zhang Tou swung the spear horizontally, aiming for Li Hao's head. Li Hao responded with a palm strike, his left hand making contact with the spear. The power behind his strike sent a ripple through the air, but Zhang Tou's spear was strong enough to resist and only slightly staggered backward. Li Hao's hand was also pushed back by the force.
Zhang Tou quickly recovered, twirling the spear above his head and preparing a vertical strike. Li Hao, unfazed, raised his right hand and used the Flipping Mountain Form again. The spear collided with the power of the form, but Zhang Tou's grip held steady as the strike tore at the skin of his arm, though he only took a few steps back.
The two stood in a tense standoff, sizing each other up. Zhang Tou's gang watched in disbelief, one of them whispering, "Did you see that? That guy just repelled two attacks from the boss!"
"It must be a powerhouse, equal to the boss. But I thought there were no cultivators of this level within a 50-mile radius," another murmured.
"It must be one of the Lu Family's guards. But how could they send such a young one out without protection?"
"But then... how did we kill her mother, and no one came to stop us?" another voice questioned.
"Don't you see?" one of the gang members said. "She's just a stray wanderer. Why would her family care about a daughter of a slave?"
"Yes," a different member chimed in. "Her mother was treated like dirt. And her father? That useless young one from the Lu Family, sold to the Li Family as a slave. He revolted, was injured by the Li Family head, and ran away, leaving his daughter behind."
Li Hao and Zhang Tou locked eyes. Zhang Tou broke the silence.
"You're strong, I admit it. Equal to me. But it's one against ten," he sneered. "What can you do?"
Li Hao paused for a moment, then turned to Lu Lang. "Do you have parents in this town?"
Lu Lang hesitated, then spoke softly, "Yes... I had my mother. But she was killed by those bad people."
Li Hao looked at her, seeing the pain in her eyes. He asked gently, "Do you want me to burn this entire town to the ground, along with them?"
Lu Lang's voice was full of quiet hatred. "If you can, do it."
Her mother had been wronged, treated poorly by the entire town, and yet had done nothing to deserve such a fate. Now, Lu Lang wanted revenge, even if it meant destroying it all.
Behind Li Hao, Zhang Tou moved quickly, using the Thunder Spear Art. With a crack of thunder, the spear was thrust toward Li Hao's head.
Li Hao turned calmly. As the spear drew near, his body shifted. His right hand shot up, palm out, as he declared, "Yin Yang Flipping Heaven Seal, Third Form... Flipping Heaven!"
The moment the spear collided with his palm, it was swallowed by the power of the Flipping Heaven Seal. The lightning condensed into a spiral, causing the spear to bend and shatter. A massive explosion rocked the area, sending debris flying and killing several of Zhang Tou's men.
Li Hao shot forward with blinding speed, slamming a palm into Zhang Tou's chest. The impact sent him flying back several steps, and as Zhang Tou looked down, he saw golden seal text imprinted on his chest.
Zhang Tou's face twisted with shock and fear. He looked up to see Li Hao standing before him, a cold smile playing across his lips. The feeling of helplessness gripped him, and he screamed, "I'll get my revenge... in the afterlife!"
But before the words could fully leave his mouth, his body contorted violently. His organs shifted, his heart twisted, and his bones cracked. With a final, sickening sound, Zhang Tou's body collapsed into a compact sphere, his life snuffed out by the Flipping Heaven force.
The remaining gang members stared, their faces pale with fear. They had just witnessed the brutal death of their leader, their strength no match for the overwhelming power of Li Hao.
Their terror deepened as they locked eyes with Li Hao, feeling a suffocating aura of death surrounding them. Before they could react, Li Hao disappeared from his spot, appearing behind the second strongest member of the gang. In a flash, a cold palm pressed into the man's back, marked by the chilling seal of Flipping Heaven.
Without hesitation, Li Hao dispatched the rest of the gang members, each falling to the power of the seal.
With all the gang members dead, Li Hao turned to Lu Lang, his expression softening. He walked toward her, gently patting her head. "It's fine now. I've avenged you and your mother."
He looked around, noticing no one had come to collect the girl, no family or guardians. His heart felt a pang of pity for her. Losing both parents, with no one to protect or care for you... it was one of the cruelest fates.
An idea came to him, and he smiled at her. "Lu Lang, since you have no one to protect you, would you like to come with me on my journey?"
Her eyes lit up, tears still glistening as she hesitated. "Really? I can go with you?"
"Yes, really," Li Hao reassured her.
"Then let's go!" she exclaimed, a bright smile spreading across her face. Her cheeks flushed red as tears streamed down.
Though her beloved mother was gone, Lu Lang felt a new sense of hope. With Li Hao, perhaps she could find happiness again.
Li Hao gently lifted her in his arms, and with a powerful thrust, they soared into the sky, cutting through the air as they traveled east, ready for whatever journey lay ahead.