An Open Gambit!

Hurricane City. The Queen came after all. She didn't enter the city, instead conveying Li Hao's proposal from just outside the gates. Within the city, Zheng Yu couldn't help but chuckle. The several Heavenly Kings were furious, trembling with unbridled indignation. This was taking things entirely too far! Asking them to surrender Hurricane City and move into the Queen's moon instead... was this some kind of joke? "Does Li Hao truly believe he's the ruler of this world? Does he think he's a Sovereign?" One Heavenly King roared in fury, "Does he dare come to Hurricane City? If Lord Zheng offered to let him take up residence here, would he dare step inside?" Did he take a half-step Sovereign for an idiot? To think Li Hao could utter such preposterous words. Yet that wasn't even the crux of it. The real absurdity was that this foolish Queen had actually come! In other words, you fear Li Hao, but don't fear angering a half-step Sovereign? You dare invite a half-step Sovereign to live under your own roof? Just where did she get the nerve? At the thought, even Zheng Yu smiled, looking toward the Queen. "You fear Li Hao, so when he told you to come, you actually came. Do you... not fear me?" The Queen let out an angry snort. "Why would this queen fear him? It's simply that right now, none of you can step out, while he has countless allies roaming the outside world! Besides, the enemy of my enemy is a friend. Why should I fear you? Shouldn't you and I join forces to deal with him?" Zheng Yu chuckled softly. Not afraid? If you weren't afraid, would you have rushed here just to persuade a half-step Sovereign to relocate? "Do you truly wish for me to enter the Silver Moon?" "As you please!" The Queen's feelings were complicated. How was she supposed to know? Zheng Yu sighed softly. Her "as you please" was nothing more than terror speaking. In truth, she felt Li Hao made sense. The Moon Goddess had Li Daoheng on her side, while she had no one. Housing a half-step Sovereign... at the very least, offered some safety for the moment. She looked only at the present, blind to the future. Zheng Yu said nothing more, gazing quietly into the distance. Did Li Hao genuinely want Hurricane City, or was he feinting in the east while striking in the west? Young though Li Hao was, he was exceedingly difficult to read. Making such a spectacle of sending the Queen here... didn't necessarily mean he actually wanted Hurricane City. Just like last time: he had made a tremendous show of targeting Ying Hongyue, only for Thunder City to be crushed in the end, dealing even Li Daoheng a severe blow. The youth's mind was exceptionally agile! ... While the Queen bickered with Zheng Yu, Li Hao continued his travels across the Silver Moon. Claiming the eight cities was indeed one of his goals, but his sights were not set solely on them. Beyond these overt foes, there were hidden enemies lurking in the shadows. Such as Heaven's Will! The Heaven's Will of Silver Moon had vanished without a trace recently. The nascent will born of the world had actually disappeared... Clearly, that childish consciousness had matured considerably of late. Li Hao had a few suspects in mind, though he wasn't certain who had harbored Heaven's Will. Yet a slightly matured Heaven's Will... could deliver a fatal blow to him at a critical juncture. Last time, Li Hao had used it and even severed a portion of its will. Cold and devoid of emotion, Heaven's Will would inevitably seek retribution. There was also Dao Jian, whose progress was advancing by leaps and bounds; Sun Hongxiu, who was providing aid across the Divine Kingdom; the Ninth Prince of the Heavenly Star Dynasty... Any of them could potentially become hosts for Heaven's Will. On the surface, the situation across the Silver Moon seemed clear—exceptionally clear, in fact. Yet beneath that clarity lay intricate tangles of complexity. At this moment, Li Hao roamed the land, measuring heaven and earth with his footsteps. Just how vast was the Silver Moon? Where lay the barriers at the four cardinal extremes of the world? What did the very ends of this world look like? He had his own ideas—plans he would divulge to no one. It was just that... accomplishing them would be tremendously difficult. If he wasn't going to do it, fine; but if he did, he would do it thoroughly. He would lay down a heaven-encompassing gambit to lure every single one of them into the trap! His greatest advantage right now lay in a single fact: he could roam freely across the world. Zheng Yu and the others might possess clones outside, but a clone was not the true body. Li Hao knew all too well that clones were inherently inferior in reaction speed and adaptability. ... This time, Li Hao showed no trace of haste. He spent seven whole days traveling. With his cultivation, a single day was more than enough to circle the entire Silver Moon. Yet he took seven days, traversing every corner of the Silver Moon's land. He visited the four cardinal corners of the world. Now, at the northernmost edge of Dali, Li Hao sat cross-legged in the sky, lost in deep thought. It was difficult! Immensely difficult. Still, he wanted to try! He gazed into the distance toward Dali, where rugged peaks soared, wild beasts roamed in abundance, and... where an expert suspected to be a Sovereign's avatar resided. Currently, Zheng Yu and the others could not leave with their true bodies, whereas this individual was roaming free outside. If anyone possessed the greatest likelihood of ruining his plans, it was him. Thoughts flickered across Li Hao's mind in rapid succession. After a long silence, Li Hao stepped through the void. He didn't wait until the very end to have Zhang An intercept this figure. If this person truly matched Zhang An's description... perhaps they could negotiate. ... Inside the Dali Temple. The God of Early Martial suddenly materialized, looking toward the northern horizon with a hint of displeasure. He felt this youth had been pestering him repeatedly. When Li Hao had been measuring the world earlier, he had known about it, but couldn't be bothered to intervene. Why had he returned? And from the looks of it... he was heading straight for him. Damn it! He glanced at the King of Dali not far away, who was still absorbing energy and on the verge of advancing. Growing impatient, the God of Early Martial flickered and vanished from the spot. ... At the northernmost reaches of Dali, an afterimage coalesced. This time, the God of Early Martial showed no courtesy, his voice chilled with indifference. "Li Hao, understand this: I choose not to meddle, but that does not mean I am unable to! Do not push your luck. Dali is merely a tiny speck of land; must you seize it? If you truly wish to take it, I have no objections... I have slept in the temple domain for ages. As long as you do not disturb me, I could not care less about you!" "Senior misunderstands!" Li Hao smiled. "I quite like someone of Senior's disposition. If you don't provoke me, I won't provoke you... I have no intention of disturbing Senior, nor do I intend to recruit you. As long as Senior maintains the status quo, that is enough. Senior has misjudged my visit. I did not come to suppress Dali, nor did I come to win you over." The God of Early Martial paused slightly. "Then what are you here for?" Li Hao said, "Senior is excessively powerful—that is the first reason! Second, the saber beneath the ruins of Star Suppressing City... is also terrifyingly powerful! The eight ancient cities absorb heaven-and-earth energy and all dispersing power to nourish that saber and that cat..." "Are you threatening me?" Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "Why would Senior say that? What reason would I have to threaten you? Please hear me out, Senior; why must you constantly jump to conclusions?" "You..." The God of Early Martial grew somewhat annoyed. Li Hao said softly, "I have an idea... but I require Senior's cooperation." "Hmph!" Li Hao was not angered. He continued calmly, "I hope Senior can suppress that saber for a brief period... along with suppressing the eight ancient cities. Not to aid me, but simply so that I do not disrupt Senior's plans, and Senior does not disrupt mine." "Plans?" The God of Early Martial was puzzled. "You want me to suppress them... How am I supposed to do that? Speak plainly! I have no patience for guessing and deducing—it takes too much effort. Just say it straight. You lack all decisiveness!" Li Hao smiled. "Then I shall speak plainly! I have a plan... to set up a grand formation across the world, enveloping the entirety of the Silver Moon! However, there are powerful entities within that I might struggle to cover. Those already suppressed are fine, but those who are unsuppressed... might shatter my formation!" "A grand formation?" The God of Early Martial sneered. "Are you joking? Who do you think you are, the Blood Sovereign? You want to emulate him and lay down the Qiankun Bagua Formation across heaven and earth? A single formation of his managed to trap a Sovereign for a hundred thousand years... If you possessed that capability, you could simply unite the world directly. Why bother with all this hassle?" Was Li Hao putting on a comedy show? What a ridiculous little brat! Li Hao said softly, "Senior, human effort can achieve anything. As of right now, aside from Senior, I might very well be the strongest person walking free in this world!" The God of Early Martial was somewhat baffled. "Just what kind of formation are you trying to set up? Do you even know how?" "I do. Formations are fundamentally simple—they are combinations, a type of combat technique in themselves! I once studied the Yuanping Chronicles, the battle techniques left behind by the Human King's younger sister. The core of it was the method of combining battle techniques once propagated by the Emperor of Battle Heaven..." Li Hao looked toward the sky and said in a low voice, "Over the next few days, I intend to raise a hundred stars into the sky to cover heaven and earth! Outwardly, I will announce that I am summoning the Great Dao universe to merge it into the Silver Moon world..." The God of Early Martial was stunned. "You want to summon the Great Dao universe to descend?" Has he lost his mind? Li Hao said quietly, "Why shouldn't I? Besides... it is merely an outward proclamation. Who knows whether it will succeed or fail? However, I need to isolate Senior, that saber, and the cat that may be reviving... along with isolating the Sovereign's seal, Hurricane City, and the moon above! My current thought is to first envelop the areas devoid of powerful experts and catalyze the evolution of the Great Dao..." The God of Early Martial's thoughts stirred. "Wait. You said 'outwardly announce'... Does that mean your goal isn't simply summoning the Great Dao universe?" Li Hao smiled. "Senior is indeed sharp!" Nonsense! You were the one who said it was just an outward proclamation. Li Hao added, "My true intention is to bait the others into attacking my Great Dao universe... whereupon I will detonate Dao meridians, damage the Great Dao, and once again use the suppression of heaven and earth to crush them to death!" "..." The God of Early Martial looked at him with an odd expression. "Crushing a half-step Sovereign to death? Not a chance. They won't die from mere suppression. Their only hesitation right now is that stepping out will overload the world with the presence of multiple powerful experts... causing the seal to shatter and the Sovereign to emerge! Do you truly think the world of Silver Moon can so easily suppress a half-step Sovereign to death?" Isn't he daydreaming? This kid... feels like he's harboring malicious designs! Li Hao smiled softly. "Senior, I need not worry about that. My purpose in meeting Senior now is solely for this... I hope Senior will avoid my grand formation to prevent misunderstandings and trouble. What does Senior think?" The God of Early Martial fell into thought. Only after a moment did he say, "Very well. I can't be bothered to meddle in your affairs anyway! On one condition... if you damage the core of the eight cities and interrupt the Blood Saber's absorption... I will not show you mercy!" Aside from that, he had no requirements. As for what Li Hao wanted to do, he couldn't care less. Suit yourself! Do whatever you want, as long as you don't disturb me. Li Hao beamed brightly. "Splendid! Thank you for your understanding, Senior! If this plan succeeds, I hope Senior will grant me much guidance in the future..." With that, Li Hao floated away. The God of Early Martial watched him leave, his brows furrowing slightly. Summon the Great Dao universe to merge with the world? What utter nonsense! What in the world is this brat trying to pull? Either way, he's definitely up to no good! ... While the God of Early Martial was still suspicious, several key figures received Li Hao's orders. Lin Hongyu in Heavenly Star City, Qian Wuliang on assignment outside, Zhao Shuguang handling administrative affairs across the realm... Even several Neo-Martial Saints received transmissions from Li Hao. Deploy a formation! What kind of formation? No one knew. For now, Li Hao had only issued orders. Zhao Shuguang, Wang Ye, and the Ninth Division Commander were assigned to garrison the western extreme. Qian Wuliang, Hong Yitang, and Li Fuhai were to hold the northern extreme. Redwood, Lin Hongyu, and the Old Turtle were stationed at the southern extreme. Diamond Wood, General Locust, Dao Jian, and Wang Ye took the eastern extreme. Every Dao Integration combatant under Li Hao's banner moved out simultaneously. None of them knew what Li Hao truly intended. Not only did the experts mobilize, but the five ancient cities floating within the Great Dao universe also set out. Boundless City, Thunder City, the Wulin Alliance, and Dingtian City each took up positions at the four cardinal directions. Battle Heaven City hovered above the Central Continent, high over Heavenly Star City, guarded and operated by dozens of monster plant soldiers. ... The world was thrown into an uproar. Four massive ancient cities traversed the skies. More than a dozen Saint-level combatants steered the ancient cities, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of troops, garrisoning the four quarters. Such massive movements instantly drew the attention of everyone across the realm. Furthermore, Battle Heaven City hung suspended in midair. Li Hao personally took command, joined by all non-Dao Integration experts of the Silver Moon and hundreds of thousands of soldiers to stabilize the ancient city. Battle Heaven City continued ascending until it reached an altitude of ten thousand meters, almost entirely eclipsing Heavenly Star City below before finally halting. With such a commotion, even Zhang An and his companions couldn't help paying closer attention. What was Li Hao... up to now? ... From every quarter, countless experts fixed their gazes upon Li Hao. And Li Hao seemed to have no intention of hiding anything. On this day, the sky screens were activated once more. Across the entire Hao Star Continent, sky screens lit up the horizons. Li Hao, who had not appeared publicly for months, manifested once again across the sky screens. "Everyone, I am Li Hao!" It was his usual opening line. In an instant, heaven and earth fell silent. Countless people either looked up or turned to the sky screens before them; pedestrians froze in their tracks, and cultivators ceased their training. At this moment, Li Hao was as calm and gentle as ever. "Today, the cultivators of our world number in the billions. From antiquity to the present, even in the Neo-Martial era, never has such a vast number of cultivators emerged in such a brief span of time!" "The common folk of this realm number over ten billion! The world of Silver Moon, the world we inhabit, is merely a minor world. It can no longer support the cultivation of ten billion people!" "Energy is scarce, resources are lacking, and opportunities are insufficient... Though everyone can cultivate, the world cannot sustain our progress indefinitely... If this continues, when will anyone ever reach the Mountain Sea Realm? When will anyone break through to the Sun Moon Realm?" "I desire to strengthen the martial path, to let every person become like a dragon... After much deliberation, perhaps... there is only one way! To open the Great Dao of heaven and earth... and merge it into heaven and earth!" "The Great Dao universe is boundless, and the power of the Great Dao is inexhaustible!" Li Hao spoke slowly, "Some among you may know that the Dao you cultivate is the new Dao, which I call the Hao Star Dao! The new Dao possesses a new Dao universe... a universe of the Great Dao!" "I wish... to share this with everyone. I cannot allow the Great Dao universe to remain a sacred ground solely for myself and a select few... while ten billion people are left with only faint, negligible scraps of energy to open their apertures!" "Therefore, just as I once did in Silver City, in my homeland, I intend to summon the Great Dao universe to descend upon the world of Silver Moon, merging it into our world. Even if it cannot merge completely, we shall pour the power of the Great Dao into heaven and earth, expanding our world so that energy is no longer scarce!" "Our Dao Integration cultivators now guard the eight directions, with four major cities as the foundation and Battle Heaven City as the core... I wish to anchor this Great Dao permanently in the Silver Moon... so that the people of Silver Moon, like myself, may partake in the wonders of this holy ground!" "To achieve this, I need everyone's help. Only by uniting our wills, summoning the Great Dao, beckoning it to descend under my guidance... can there be any hope of merging the Great Dao universe into heaven and earth! This endeavor will not only benefit yourselves, but also ensure that our descendants for tens of thousands of generations will never have to slaughter one another over resources..." The world fell into dead silence. Those who didn't understand were bewildered, while those who understood were thoroughly horrified! What kind of nonsense was this? Summoning the Great Dao universe to merge with the Silver Moon? What sort of joke was this? How could that possibly be accomplished? Of course, if it were anyone else, it would be impossible. But Li Hao... those who were well-informed knew that he had previously opened the Great Dao universe voluntarily, allowing people inside. And now, he was no longer content with just that! ... In all directions, the experts garrisoning the ancient cities were utterly dumbfounded. What? Summon the Great Dao universe to merge with the Silver Moon? What... was the meaning of this? ... Inside Hurricane City. Zheng Yu listened quietly, momentarily lost in thought. The Heavenly Kings around him looked increasingly dazed, muttering, "What does he mean... merge the Great Dao universe into the Silver Moon? How could that be possible! It would be simpler to just move the Silver Moon into the Great Dao universe..." That might actually be easier! Zheng Yu murmured, "Moving into the Great Dao universe would require seizing control of the entire Silver Moon. But summoning the Great Dao universe to merge into the Silver Moon... requires no such thing! As long as he possesses control over the Great Dao universe, or over the portion he currently commands, there is a chance he could pull it off!" And yet... Zheng Yu remarked softly, "What is he after? Does such a selfless saint truly exist in this world? If he succeeds—or even if he fails and the Great Dao merely merges into the Silver Moon for an instant—it could turn the entire Silver Moon into a sacred cultivation ground, perhaps even elevating the tier of the Silver Moon world! The Silver Moon was originally just a minor world. If this succeeds... the world will experience another revival. Not only that... the entire Silver Moon world will be comprehensively strengthened!" Has Li Hao gone mad, has the world gone mad, or have we gone mad? Here we are... listening to the most fantastical tale of all time! Someone wants to merge a Great Dao universe into a minor world. Damn it, even Zheng Yu laughed. Just what kind of surreal delusion was this? Even the Human King had never conceived such an idea! Granted, that was because the Origin universe had already been highly integrated with the Neo-Martial world from the beginning, whereas today's Great Dao universe had a very low degree of integration with the Silver Moon world. He rapidly analyzed the situation... Was this a trap? A conspiracy? What was Li Hao really trying to do? It felt far too elaborate to be this simple! Of course, the act itself was anything but simple, but... there was an indescribable bizarreness to the whole affair. At this moment, Li Hao's voice continued echoing across the realm: "Regardless of whether we succeed, the Silver Moon will surely benefit. Heaven and earth will undoubtedly yield veins of energy—Great Dao ore veins far better suited for our cultivation!" "And this requires our united effort!" "Some say that the will of the people is utterly useless in the era of superpowers! I do not believe that! I believe that if billions of cultivators unite as one, we can pull the Great Dao universe closer, dragging it out from illusory space!" "The will of the people is the mightiest power of all! No matter how formidable our enemies may be, they cannot withstand the unified will of billions upon billions of our people!" Li Hao's voice grew uncharacteristically fervent, laden with excitement and passion. "If we succeed this time, the world of Silver Moon will become a sacred land for every single one of us! The barriers of heaven and earth will grow stronger, the world will become firmer, and not even a Sovereign will easily breach our world's gates! My friends, are you willing to join me, Li Hao, in laying the foundation for this glorious age?" In that instant, across every corner of the world, countless people cried out in unison: "We are!" Excitement, fervor, and exhilaration surged through the crowds. Ten billion people united, pulling that unimaginably mysterious Great Dao universe into the Silver Moon to strengthen the entire world so cultivators would no longer suffer from a lack of energy! Cultivators were simply too numerous nowadays! Practically everyone was cultivating! In the past, things had been manageable with a trickle of energy. Now, even though the world was reviving and steadily emitting energy, it couldn't sustain this sea of people! If the Great Dao could truly be merged into the world as Li Hao claimed... wouldn't everyone be able to cultivate effortlessly from then on? At the thought... how could they not be thrilled? Li Hao continued, "From this day forward, gather sufficient rations and make all necessary preparations! Cultivators, be ready to cultivate at any moment. Non-cultivators... attend to auxiliary duties. Those with young children or the elderly who are difficult to care for may apply to your local government offices... Over the coming days, I will release boundless life energy across heaven and earth, more than enough to sustain the people!" "This time, I am emptying my personal wealth and exhausting every resource the administration possesses... If we fail... we will all have to tighten our belts together from now on!" Li Hao showed a bright smile. "During this time, there may be wicked, villainous individuals who do not wish to see us prosper, who do not want us to grow stronger! They may come to sabotage us, to sow chaos and disruption... But we must believe that all reactionaries are paper tigers! With me here, with our mighty martial masters here, with the army standing guard... they are nothing more than clownish buffoons!" "The time is set for three days from now. When the moment arrives, cultivators across the realm must watch the sky screens and await my command!" "If we are to do this, let us do it grandly!" Li Hao's voice soared once more. "Nothing is impossible! As long as we dare to dream, it can be done. If we fail once, we will try again! A day will come when all of us become the masters of heaven and earth—masters of our own destiny!" The world erupted in high spirits, blood boiling with zeal. Masters of our own destiny! In three days, summon the Great Dao universe to descend upon the world. ... In Dali. The King of Dali stared blankly before dashing frantically toward the Early Martial Temple. The God of Early Martial was still deep in thought. Seeing the King of Dali barge in, he snapped unhappily, "Who gave you permission to come here?" "No, Senior... what is Li Hao doing?" Li Hao had previously orchestrated a small-scale descent of the Great Dao universe back in Silver City, but the scope had been tiny. How large was Silver City? A mere patch of dirt! Even that hadn't been a true descent of the Great Dao universe. From the sound of it, was he playing for keeps this time? He wanted to encompass the entire world? What was going on? Having reached the fourth tier of Dao Integration, did this brat truly think he was a Sovereign? Even a Sovereign wouldn't dare entertain such reckless notions lightly. Manipulating ten billion people to drag the Great Dao universe... why did it sound so absurd? The God of Early Martial also frowned, taking a long moment before saying, "Just wait and see!" Even he hadn't determined whether this was genuine or a ruse. In short, the entire matter reeked of suspicion! Li Hao was becoming increasingly impossible to decipher. He did everything out in the open... yet you never knew if that was his actual objective. ... At the same time, above the Silver Moon. The sword-bearing man furrowed his brows slightly. The statue of the Moon Goddess was equally perplexed. "Is he joking?" Summoning the Great Dao universe to descend! Setting aside the potential benefits, the danger was colossal. It would expose the Great Dao universe to everyone... Was Li Hao truly fearless? Or did he believe it didn't matter because none of them could leave their domains? Yet... once the Great Dao universe was fully exposed, anyone bold enough—even a half-step Sovereign—would have time to charge inside. The Great Dao universe's presence might even shield them from the suppression of heaven and earth. Charging into the Great Dao universe in a split second was entirely within the capabilities of a half-step Sovereign, wasn't it? Wasn't this courting death? The Moon Goddess asked in confusion, "Could this be a trap? Is he deliberately baiting everyone to rush out? If you and Zheng Yu charge out, he might abruptly withdraw the Great Dao universe... leaving you crushed by heaven and earth, which would shatter the seal?" That was indeed a possibility! Yet... once it descended, could he really withdraw it at will? If Li Hao possessed that level of control, he wouldn't be at the fourth tier of Dao Integration—he would be at the ninth tier! The sword-bearing man fell into deep thought, only speaking after a long silence: "It is hard to say!" With virtually no clues, it was genuinely difficult to judge. At this moment... he too felt that Li Hao had spiraled completely out of control. He had become someone impossible to guess or see through. "It is most likely still a trap; he wouldn't seek his own death!" The sword-bearing man said softly, "He should know that under these circumstances, there is a very high probability we would enter the Great Dao universe directly! Even if he doesn't bring it down near us... it makes no difference. Your true body can move, and Hurricane City can move... A single instant is all it takes!" It was a suicidal maneuver! Yet was Li Hao the kind of person who courted death? Could he possibly be unaware of what everyone was thinking? He knew full well! Therefore, there had to be a trap! The Moon Goddess hesitated. "Could he be doing the opposite—could he... genuinely want the Great Dao to descend and turn the entire Silver Moon into a sacred cultivation land? Of course, if the Silver Moon becomes a sacred land, it would also be a boon for me. After all, I am the Heart of the Silver Moon... For him, the benefits wouldn't be small either; a host of experts would surely be born!" At this moment, reading Li Hao's true intentions was impossible. Across the realm, countless sharp minds were pondering the matter. Zhang An, Ying Hongyue, the God of Early Martial... Every one of these figures was guessing. They all agreed there had to be a trap. But... where was it? ... Even Li Hao's closest confidants were utterly bewildered. Qian Wuliang, Lin Hongyu, Hong Yitang... all of them frowned in deep contemplation. They could sense the immense peril and knew Li Hao wouldn't blindly seek death, meaning there had to be a scheme. The problem was... if you faked it, these experts could easily tell. If you did it for real... you could easily end up killing yourself! Li Hao, what in the world are you thinking? ... Above Heavenly Star City. Inside Battle Heaven City. At this moment, the only Dao Integration cultivator beside Li Hao was Black Panther. The black dog didn't understand either, but it didn't care. Understanding or not made no difference to it. Li Hao's voice resounded through the city: "All monster plants, spare no expense! Disperse the Spring of Life across the Central Continent! Whatever you consume, as long as I, Li Hao, have anything left, I will repay you all!" Di Wei's voice rang out: "We shall do our utmost! Marquis, rest assured, the monster plant army will hold nothing back..." "Go!" One monster plant after another soared into the air. Dozens of monster plants scattered in all directions. This time, Li Hao seemed genuinely intent on sparing no cost. If so... then they would carry it out. Drops of the Spring of Life fell from the skies, turning into life-giving rain. At this sight, people throughout the world were utterly astonished. This wasn't happening in just one place, but across the entire realm. Dozens of monster plants... even if they drained themselves completely, it was still a drop in the ocean. Simultaneously, in depots everywhere, stored divine energy stones and energy stones... any usable resource was hauled out on Li Hao's orders. Massive quantities of energy stones were shattered, releasing vast torrents of energy. Those who witnessed this felt their hearts tremble with shock. Was he abandoning all thought for tomorrow? Leaving behind not a shred of reserve... how would the experts cultivate later? Once experts exhausted their strength, recovering was a troublesome ordeal. Leaving no resources at all—did he plan on ending everything in a single battle? Yet Li Hao paid no heed to any of this. He merely ordered the experts stationed at the four quarters to unleash all the energy stored within their cities. Soon, the five ancient cities began releasing energy as well. Not only that... Li Hao issued another command: with the five ancient cities serving as the foundation and formation nodes, exhaust all reserves to stabilize heaven and earth in preparation for the descent of the new Dao universe! ... At the northern border. Ying Hongyue frowned, racking his brains as he muttered, "What is he doing? That madman... what on earth is he planning!" He couldn't fathom it! Yet he knew it was likely meant to strike at certain people—such as Zheng Yu, or Li Daoheng... Still, how could that be achieved? Li Hao had painted his objective plainly on his face, yet no one could see through it. This feeling was thoroughly agonizing. ... At the same time, in Hurricane City. Zheng Yu looked at the Queen before him and said softly, "Perhaps... we truly need to cooperate. Galaxy City has locked onto us. If the Great Dao truly descends, perhaps... I will have to enter the moon. It's just... you..." He looked at the Queen. "You are a troublesome person! I worry that cooperating with you will lead me into a dead end!" Zheng Yu seemed somewhat helpless. The Queen was speechless. What kind of talk was that? Perplexed, she spoke up: "Do you mean that if the Great Dao universe truly descends... and Hurricane City cannot move, you will charge into the Great Dao universe alongside me?" Zheng Yu gave a slight nod. The Queen said heavily, "Wouldn't that fulfill Li Hao's desires? He might have stirred up such a massive commotion precisely to lure you out of Hurricane City!" Zheng Yu nodded. "I know. But if... the opportunity is genuinely right before our eyes, do you think I can refuse?" He murmured, "I know Li Hao might be aiming for Hurricane City... but... if a genuine Great Dao universe is right in front of us... do you think I shouldn't take the gamble?" The Queen thought for a moment and nodded. Yes! If it were her, she would gamble too! Let alone a half-step Sovereign, an invincible powerhouse. She added, "What if the Great Dao universe is fake?" "Could you and I fail to distinguish the real from the fake?" Zheng Yu smiled. "Don't forget, you possess a natal star as well... Since Li Hao has made such a massive spectacle, while the possibility of fabrication exists, it is exceedingly slim... I suspect he has prepared some hidden moves within the Great Dao universe instead. As for a fake Great Dao universe—do you take us Heavenly Kings and half-step Sovereigns for blind fools?" The entire world was watching. Faking it would be nearly impossible! The Queen considered this; it did make sense. Whenever she listened to these people talk, they always sounded reasonable. Still, she added, "I can send you inside, but I won't enter myself! Li Hao might have a conspiracy. You are a half-step Sovereign and can withstand it; I cannot! Even if it is a genuine Great Dao universe, there could still be immense danger! Therefore... once I send you in, I will leave. If you agree, then we have a deal!" At this point, she added, "It would be best to bring Hurricane City inside with you... Otherwise, I worry Li Hao caused all this commotion solely to take Hurricane City." Though it didn't seem likely, who could say for certain? Zheng Yu pondered for a moment and nodded slightly. However, Hurricane City was a massive ancient city, and its reaction speed was inherently slow. Beside it, Galaxy City was keeping watch. While that member of the Zhang family couldn't match him and would struggle to seize Hurricane City, being entangled would still prove troublesome. Behind him, a Heavenly King said in a low voice, "Lord Zheng, if you enter the Great Dao universe... and Li Hao... truly comes to seize Hurricane City..." Zheng Yu glanced at them, and after a long silence, said slowly, "Seven Heavenly King-level experts! Even if Li Hao has a plot, even if he entangles me, even if he attempts a seizure... can seven Heavenly Kings not hold out for even a brief moment?" A trace of anger tinged his low voice. "A full seven Heavenly Kings! Li Hao is merely at the fourth tier of Dao Integration. If he truly has a conspiracy, he still has to expend his energy dealing with us. Over a dozen Neo-Martial and Silver Moon Saints who attained Dao Integration are scattered across the four quarters... Just how many people does Li Hao have left beside him? Even if Zhang An and a few others are nearby... against a mere handful of Saints, do you truly lack even a shred of confidence?" He was genuinely on the verge of losing his temper! Even if there is a conspiracy, I will be the one entering the Great Dao universe, bearing the greatest risk. Can the seven of you Saints truly not hold off a single fourth-tier Dao Integration cultivator? To ask such a question! Do you still count as Neo-Martial people? In the Neo-Martial era, seven Heavenly Kings would dare encircle and hunt a half-step Sovereign; even in defeat, they would never show cowardice! Damn it! Incompetents! At this moment, he felt genuine fury. Though he cared little for these people, their conduct filled him with immense disappointment and despair. Zheng Yu said coldly, "Not only me—Li Daoheng will also surely step forward to meet his challenge! That means Li Hao will have to face two half-step Sovereigns! If he still has the energy to target you under those circumstances... you could kill him simply by self-detonating! What is more, this time, whether it is Ying Hongyue or Heaven's Will, both will likely expend everything to deal with him. He is taking on every single expert in the Silver Moon realm all at once!" With Li Hao acting so arrogantly, of course they would take up the fight! If seven Heavenly Kings couldn't hold Hurricane City at a time like this... what use were they? The Heavenly Kings looked awkward and sheepish. Neo-Martial Heavenly Kings? Did they... truly qualify as such? In the land of Silver Moon, what kind of Neo-Martial Heavenly Kings were they? Moreover, having betrayed Neo-Martial... they had best stop calling themselves Neo-Martial Heavenly Kings. They were merely a bunch of people who had never experienced the desperate, bloody battles of the early Neo-Martial era. The Heavenly Kings said no more, though apprehension still lingered in their hearts. Meanwhile, the Queen curled her lips in secret contempt. A bunch of Heavenly Kings... what useless trash. She herself was now barely equivalent to a Heavenly King. Although she feared Li Hao... she would still dare to resist if confronted by him! She had even nearly killed Li Hao once! With just a casual move, that fellow Li Hao had set half-step Sovereigns and Heavenly Kings on pins and needles... At this moment, the Queen also felt the man was truly demonic. Why was everyone so terrified of him? ... The world remained restless with tension. Li Hao's plan to summon the Great Dao universe continued moving forward. Everyone was waiting, watching. At this moment, Li Hao sat motionless in Battle Heaven City. The spiritual sea world shifted and transformed ceaselessly. A spiritual sea world constructed by three Saints was formidable... yet it still risked being seen through. Yes, the spiritual sea world. That had been Li Hao's plan all along. The so-called summoning of the Great Dao universe... setting aside whether he possessed the ability, even if he did, the chances of success were slim. Only by summoning the spiritual sea world was there any possibility of tricking Zheng Yu and the others into entering. "In this spiritual sea world, all three Saints are at the peak of the Saint realm. Ordinary Heavenly Kings won't see through it. Combined with my Bright Moon sword intent... the stars are genuine too... Yet... when a half-step Sovereign's true body enters, there is still an immense likelihood they will see through it instantly..." What should he do? This was Li Hao's greatest dilemma! If they saw through it immediately upon entering and attacked it outright, the losses would be catastrophic. "Unless..." Li Hao thought to himself: unless... he could draw out that star once more. It might not be able to freeze a half-step Sovereign, but it would certainly allow them to sense the vastness, grandeur, and profound mystery of the spiritual sea world! Yet that entity had been stabbed by his sword last time, and with nothing novel recently, luring it out would be difficult! "Novelty... it must be connected to the Dao!" No matter how novel something was, that entity wouldn't care unless it pertained to the Great Dao; only then would it manifest. After all, it was the core of the Dao itself. Li Hao calculated step by step, knowing he could not afford a single mistake. A single misstep would plunge him into eternal doom! But if he played it right... he could send Zheng Yu into the Illusory Dao universe to keep Li Daoheng company! Meanwhile, he could calmly reclaim Hurricane City. He could also... directly execute Ying Hongyue. Furthermore, he might even flush out Heaven's Will and eliminate it... This time, he could resolve several major headaches all at once, while engineering an opportunity for Li Daoheng and Zheng Yu to slaughter each other. Thoughts flashed through his mind in rapid succession. A golden gleam surfaced in his eyes. Watching him, Black Panther felt a headache on his behalf. Thinking this much day in and day out... he was bound to go bald sooner or later! How miserable! For Li Hao, the greatest challenge now was deceiving two half-step Sovereigns... Li Daoheng was most likely not a true body, so dealing with him would be easier. The only real issue was Zheng Yu... How could he make the Time Star appear again? And... that God of Early Martial might also notice something amiss. Hopefully, as he had promised, he wouldn't meddle. Otherwise... if exposed, it would be troublesome. Suddenly, Li Hao looked at Black Panther, a sharp glint surfacing in his eyes. "Black Panther... I need your help!" "Woof woof woof?" Black Panther widened its canine eyes. Me? How am I supposed to help? I'm so weak, so utterly useless. Li Hao suddenly smiled as an idea struck him. A Great Dao Book materialized in his hand, and he murmured, "Black Panther, this Great Dao Book contains myriad Daos... While it isn't a true Sovereign's Dao, if you swallow it and briefly fuse myriad Daos... could you release an overwhelmingly powerful Great Dao fluctuation? You won't need to do anything else. What do you think?" "..." Black Panther shivered. I think Zhang An will beat me to death! That Great Dao Book is his core Dao. If I go and swallow it... "Don't be afraid... You can just spit it back out later, no big deal! Of course, that alone isn't foolproof; that entity might not appear just for this..." At the thought, Li Hao added, "Black Panther, I'll have Di Wei cooperate with you to summon the Palace of the Cang Emperor... I imagine the Cang Emperor might also be a core of the Great Dao. Using a core to lure a core might grant us a chance... What do you think?" "Woof woof!" "You agree? Good boy!" Black Panther wanted to weep but had no tears. Li Hao quickly calculated: was there hope of drawing it out this way? Perhaps... it was still lacking slightly! Maybe he needed one more person's help, such as... the Queen. Using half the moon, which also counted as the core Dao of the Silver Moon—with all these combined, could he entice the Time Star? If that still wasn't enough... things would be very troublesome! He gently stroked Black Panther, who was fidgeting with unease. I was refusing just now, not agreeing! Li Hao's comprehension skills are terrible... I feel like bad luck is about to hit me again! Following Li Hao had brought plenty of benefits, but every single time... this guy specialized in screwing over dogs! Right at that moment, Li Hao's eyes flickered. "If that still isn't enough... I will seize Hurricane City as swiftly as possible, summon the Blood Saber, and use that reviving cat to lure the star... Or... instead of that, I can use the illusory Dao to summon past and present lives!" In this instant, Li Hao reached his decision! No matter what, this time, he had to lure that star out. As for exposing his trump cards... what did it matter? If he succeeded this time, he would become stronger and have greater confidence. Trump cards were useless without sufficient strength anyway! Also... would that Sovereign be able to lend a hand this time? He didn't know whether that star had sent that wisp of blood into the Illusory Dao universe. If it hadn't... trouble might arise this time as well. "Ying Hongyue..." Li Hao murmured softly. It had been so long. In truth, he could have killed him long ago, yet he had waited until today! The two half-step Sovereigns weren't his primary targets this time. You are—do you know that? A faint smile appeared on Li Hao's face. Yes, everything else was merely preparation to facilitate the execution of Ying Hongyue. Only by seeing the rest of the plan through could he eliminate Ying Hongyue without restraint! I think your time has finally come to a close! A fierce glint flashed across Li Hao's eyes! Four years! My parents have been dead for four years. It's time for you to pay your debt.