Time Reappears

Time slipped away bit by bit. In the outside world, countless people craned their necks in eager anticipation, waiting for heaven and earth to merge with the Great Dao. Three days passed. Countless sky screens materialized. Li Hao's figure manifested between heaven and earth once more. Bearing boundless majesty, he let out a low shout that reverberated across the world. "Today, I summon the Great Dao universe to descend into the mortal realm and strengthen our Silver Moon world!" In an instant, heaven and earth turned upside down! It seemed as though the sky had collapsed. At the same time, hundreds of millions of stars emerged between heaven and earth, bringing the palpable sensation of a true Great Dao descending. Beneath the countless stars, something suddenly seemed to tremble. At that exact moment... amid the stars, someone seemed to stand up. A single person had transformed into a river of stars. The sound of gurgling water arose between heaven and earth, echoing in everyone's ears. It was Li Hao, transformed into a mighty river, rising from within the Great Dao universe. The sight left countless onlookers stunned. It looked as if a colossal titan capable of blanketing heaven and earth had risen to his feet across an entire universe, looking down upon everyone. *** "As expected!" Seeing this, certain observers were not entirely surprised. It matched their suspicions: Li Hao was indeed different within the Great Dao universe. That he had transformed himself into a river of stars, however, was rather unexpected. At this moment, the towering titan gazed across the Great Dao universe as if observing all living beings under heaven. On the sky screens, Li Hao's voice rang out again: "I have merged with myriad Daos in my own body, opening one hundred and forty-four meridians. I must anchor them throughout the realm and fix the positions of one hundred and forty-four stars, locking heaven and earth in place to pull the myriad stars with my body. All of you, hear my command: stir the river of stars, gather myriad Daos, and secure the foundation of the world! "Everyone, by my command, circulate the first aperture of your first meridian and shake the river of stars!" *Boom!* Hundreds of millions of cultivators activated their apertures simultaneously. The heavens changed color, and boundless energy swept across the realm. Of the three hundred and sixty regions, one instantly began glittering with stars as a colossal dragon soared over Li Hao's river form. The commotion was utterly terrifying. Heaven and earth trembled violently! Vaguely, a star erupted with boundless radiance. A Dao meridian in the form of a massive dragon battered frantically against the world, as if seeking to breach the universe and plunge into the mortal realm. "Circulate the second meridian!" *Boom!* The river surged once more. Countless people looked up at the sky as Li Hao's voice echoed through the world: "Circulate all ten apertures of the first meridian! Open the apertures of heaven and earth, pull the world's meridians, and anchor them to the mortal realm!" *Rumble!* Lightning flashed and thunder roared. Myriad Daos shuddered and countless stars shone, unleashing an upheaval so immense that it felt like the apocalypse had arrived. The experts seemed to understand a bit of what was happening. Li Hao wanted to channel the strength of the populace through his own Dao meridians to pierce the Great Dao universe, lock onto the Silver Moon world, and drag the entire Great Dao universe down. It seemed entirely plausible. *** Inside the Great Dao universe, the colossal dragon roared. It crashed frantically against the barrier of the Great Dao world! At this moment, the stars were the dragon, and the dragon was the stars. An entire region of stars trembled in unison, shedding dazzling light as boundless Great Dao power converged. The dragon roared repeatedly. It battered heaven and earth with utter frenzy! Deafening rumbles reverberated through the entire universe, generating a monstrous disturbance. After an unknown amount of time, the dragon seemed to pierce through the universe. Suddenly, an incomparable aura erupted, roiling the world. *** Outside. High above, a giant dragon suddenly seemed to roar and thrash frantically, forcing its head through and soaring into the air. Instantly, the entire world was flooded with an influx of Great Dao power, which began spilling outward in all directions! Li Hao's voice sounded again: "The first star is about to break through the realm... Everyone, gather the Great Dao's power once more! Repeat this process until all one hundred and forty-four stars enter the mortal realm, and the Silver Moon will pull the Great Dao universe down!" Even as he spoke, heaven and earth churned. The dragon thrashed, and the sky turned blood-red. Countless bolts of lightning converged! The massive dragon gradually morphed into an enormous star. Gathering boundless Great Dao power, it hung suspended in the sky, fluctuating violently between reality and illusion. Just then, Li Hao suddenly appeared in midair. He reached out, gathering boundless energy into his grasp. The next moment, with a low shout, he slashed his sword through the heavens. It looked as though he had torn open the universe. Reaching in, he hauled out a dragon's tail, shouting fiercely as he forcibly melded everything together. *Boom!* In that instant, a gigantic star materialized in the sky, solidifying from illusion with sharp, overflowing sword intent. "The first star is complete!" *Boom! Boom! Boom!* The star blazed with limitless sword intent that blanketed heaven and earth. Those nearby felt boundless, incomprehensibly vast energy washing over them. "Let the five major cities join in Dao Integration to seal the four directions and solidify heaven and earth!" Li Hao's voice echoed once more. The Dao Integration Saints dared not delay. They promptly unleashed their formidable power, maintaining the halo of light radiating from the ancient cities to suppress heaven and earth. In truth, they could not clearly see through what was actually happening. All they knew was that it seemed deeply profound and formidable! They could vaguely follow some of it, though certain questions remained unanswered. For instance, was it truly necessary to establish all one hundred and forty-four stars? Or could it descend directly, albeit at a far higher cost? They did not understand. Since they didn't understand, they simply obeyed orders. At this moment, every being across heaven and earth had become a piece on Li Hao's chessboard, being placed down one by one. *** Simultaneously. Li Hao was pulling off a grand deception. The star in the sky shone with sword intent—not the sword intent of a Great Dao star, but of a sword intent star. Still, the two were remarkably similar, with very little difference between them. Furthermore, atop the star lay a tiny aperture through which boundless Great Dao power poured. In truth, a tear into the Great Dao had indeed been opened here. It was not entirely fake! A pure sword path star could never release such dense Great Dao power on its own. Did he really need one hundred and forty-four stars to anchor everything? Not at all. What Li Hao needed was to bring forth all one hundred of his sword intent stars to achieve full coverage with his spiritual sea. The commotion had to be massive. If it were too small, others would easily see through it. He also needed a genuine connection between his spiritual sea and the Great Dao universe. Otherwise... how could he lure the Time Star here? *** At this moment, countless pairs of eyes were watching. Zheng Yu was watching, Ying Hongyue was watching, the sword-carrying man was watching, and many others watched in silence. Looking up at the sky, they beheld the star shaped like a sword radiating across heaven and earth, its sword intent soaring and Great Dao power swirling. Their expressions turned solemn. Could he truly drag the entire Great Dao universe down? Right now, this seemed to be only the beginning. *** With one star manifested, Li Hao resumed directing the people of the world. The second meridian began stirring. The two Li Haos—one in the Silver Moon and one in the Great Dao universe—seemed to be joining hands to pierce through the universe. In fact, they were genuinely piercing it! Except for the final step, where the condensed star was replaced by his spiritual sea world to become a star above the Silver Moon, every other step was real! Nine parts truth, one part falsehood! Only the final, most crucial step was fake. As a result, even beings as powerful as Zheng Yu would find it difficult to tell truth from falsehood without inspecting it in person and sensing it firsthand. Besides, a sword path star was also a Dao meridian; it merely had the quality of an illusory meridian. Replacing real meridians with illusory ones and solidifying them with sword intent, Li Hao believed that unless Li Daoheng's true body appeared to inspect it, even Zheng Yu might not be able to tell the difference. With such a massive commotion, he naturally knew that everyone under heaven was watching. The entire world seemed enveloped in Great Dao power. The five major cities also formed a barrier, sealing off the Silver Moon. *** In Dali. The God of Early Martial was observing as well. After watching for a while, he vaguely sensed that something was amiss, though he could not pinpoint what it was. He did not understand the new Dao well enough. Beside him, the King of Dali and Jiang Li could only stare blankly, unable to detect anything wrong in the slightest. Racking his brains, the King of Dali said with a headache, "Is there a trap? Could it be that anyone who enters the Great Dao universe will be killed by Li Hao using that river of stars? Otherwise, where is the trap?" Li Hao had practically announced that he was setting a trap to screw people over! Yet now that he had laid everything out in the open, no one could tell what was wrong. At the very least, the King of Dali couldn't see a single flaw. Pausing, he added with some doubt, "Could it be... that there is no trap at all, and Li Hao is deliberately bluffing? He might just be using this opportunity to scare everyone so no one dares make a move while he prepares to advance again. Senior, do you think that's possible?" Was it? The God of Early Martial considered the thought. Perhaps it really was. He said nothing, as it was hard to draw conclusions right now. Looking up again at the star radiating true sword intent, he murmured, "A star as a sword... sword intent flourishing, Great Dao power surging... From this perspective, it certainly matches the characteristics of a Great Dao star. Is there really nothing wrong with it?" He raised a brow and quickly said, "No rush. Let's keep watching!" The King of Dali kept quiet. They would just keep watching! Time ticked away. In the void, a second star emerged, another sword path star. The God of Early Martial watched it for a while and found nothing amiss. Like him, Zheng Yu and the others were watching continuously, yet none of them detected any problem. *** However, as star after star continued to appear, the God of Early Martial frowned slightly. There was still nothing visibly wrong... but thirty-six stars had already emerged. According to Li Hao's previous classifications, thirty-six stars should form a cycle and display some kind of change. Yet right now... there wasn't much difference. More than half a day had passed. At this rate, gathering all one hundred and forty-four stars might take longer than a full day. *** Upon the moon. The Moon God's true body shifted continuously, making subtle movements as she drifted along the world's barrier, silently sensing her surroundings. Inside the moon. The Moon God statue spoke: "They seem to be genuine Great Dao stars... and they truly seem to have pierced through the Great Dao universe. With so much Great Dao power spilling out, it doesn't look fake! What do you think?" Without raising his head, the sword-carrying man continued gazing down at heaven and earth, murmuring, "Truth and falsehood—who can say? In any case, even if it is fake, we won't see through it easily. Otherwise, Li Hao would be nothing more than a clown!" If he truly meant to scheme against them, would he make it so obviously fake that they wouldn't fall for it? The Moon God didn't mind his dismissive tone, feeling slightly stirred. "Then... should we attack the real Dao universe? Li Hao wants to gather one hundred and forty-four stars... but I think we might not need that many. If we launch a forceful assault before he finishes... we should be able to break into the Great Dao universe as well!" They could break Li Hao's control over the real Dao universe and seize everything! The premise was that one's foundation in the real Dao wasn't weak; if it was too feeble, taking control would likely be impossible. The Moon God added, "Zheng Yu has probably been moved as well; he is our greatest rival! Could Li Hao be planning to sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight, using the Great Dao universe as bait to make Zheng Yu and us slaughter each other? Meanwhile, he could seal the Great Dao universe and let us battle inside without necessarily losing control over it." This conjecture held some merit. The sword-carrying man pondered for a moment and gave a slight nod. "It's a possibility... Of course, it's hard to say for sure right now. The only thing I can confirm is that Li Hao gained substantial benefits from within the seal. Each of his natal stars has condensed a different type of sword intent!" The sword-carrying man murmured, "More than thirty different sword intents already... Li Hao truly is a sword path genius! The Longevity Sword Intent was formed by merging ten thousand sword intents, establishing the Sword Venerable's renowned name! Though Li Hao is still far from matching the Sword Venerable... over all these years, I have contemplated the Longevity Sword Intent countless times, yet I still couldn't merge ten thousand Daos..." Never mind ten thousand Daos; even merging a hundred or a thousand was as difficult as ascending to heaven. How long had he lived? And how long had Li Hao lived? At this pace, even if he only grasped thirty-some sword intents a year, Li Hao would successfully comprehend ten thousand Daos in three hundred years! Of course, it would undoubtedly grow harder the further he progressed. Yet for true powerhouses, deeper cultivation often brought swifter comprehension. The sword-carrying man gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "If left entirely to his own devices, in a tranquil world, would Li Hao attain the position of Sovereign in three hundred years? Alas!" He sighed softly! Perhaps the era had shaped Li Hao. Even so, grasping so many sword intents in such a short span of time still inspired awe. *** The stars continued to converge, appearing one after another. Boundless Great Dao power flooded the realm, interwoven with strands of sword intent that made many swordsmen feel as though they had stumbled upon an immense stroke of fortune. Overall, Li Hao's sword intent was certainly inferior to the Sword Venerable's, and even weaker than Li Daoheng's. Yet each individual sword intent was deeply realized, holding its own against anyone! Swordsmen felt as though they had stepped into an ocean of the sword path, the joy in their eyes beyond words. The Silver Moon Province had an abundance of swordsmen. Around the region, strands of sword intent surfaced over people one after another in boundless excitement. This was nothing short of a swordsman's paradise. And they were not alone. Even swordsmen like Sky Sword and Bright Sword were silently contemplating the phenomena, utterly dazzled. They couldn't help but feel as though they had wasted their entire lives. Once upon a time, Li Hao had needed their guidance. Now, Li Hao had grasped so many sword intents. Sky Sword and his companions felt this even more profoundly than others, because among those sword intents, they could faintly identify the sword intents they cultivated—so familiar, yet so foreign! Within Battle Heaven City, Sky Sword and the others felt conflicted, yet they gained immensely. Positioned at the center of the world, the stars hung not far from them. With boundless Great Dao power sweeping past, Sky Sword vaguely sensed that this was his opportunity to break through to the Dao Integration Realm! Perhaps this time, he could use the opportunity to step into Dao Integration. This was a sensation shared by several swordsmen. Having comprehended so many sword intents, their hopes of advancing were high. *** Forty, fifty, sixty... The number of stars grew. The Great Dao universe seemed poised to descend at any moment, exerting a pressure that left people breathless. In the sky, the stars seemed to form the shape of a sword. A sword that could strike down at any time! A full day passed, and darkness fell. Ninety-nine stars now hung suspended in the sky. The next moment, a brilliantly radiant star suddenly emerged. The world seemed to pause for an instant! The appearance of that star seemed to bring heaven and earth to a standstill. *** In Dali. The God of Early Martial's expression shifted slightly as he murmured, "What potent sword intent... what a peculiar sword intent..." Now, the other stars seemed to revolve around this single star. He sensed its uniqueness. Without saying more, he continued observing. After a short while, another star emerged. "Eh?" The God of Early Martial was suddenly taken aback. Beside him, the King of Dali had been craning his neck until it grew sore. Hearing the sound, he turned with a puzzled glance. *What is it?* *He's already formed over a hundred stars. What's left to be surprised about?* Ignoring him, the God of Early Martial continued watching, somewhat uncertain. This one hundred and first star was also distinct, sweeping in Great Dao power, but its sword intent seemed somewhat dissipated, not nearly as intense as the previous ones! On the surface, there was no noticeable difference. Yet... why did it give off a feeling of being slightly out of sync with the first hundred stars? He watched in silence. Could the problem lie here? Were the stars after the hundredth flawed? The thought lingered in his mind, refusing to fade. His interest was piqued. Having watched for a full day without spotting an anomaly, this was the first time he had noticed a discrepancy. His day of watching hadn't gone to waste! Still, although the subsequent stars were slightly different... he couldn't detect any major issues with them. Just then, the stars shifted, and a few even appeared above Dali. The God of Early Martial paid them no mind. Existing halfway between illusion and reality, shattering one or two would achieve little, so he had no interest. However... a moment later, he frowned slightly. At that instant, something felt different beneath the ground. A peculiar power seemed to have seeped into the earth, blanketing the entire ground. He sensed it quietly. Standing upon the earth, he suddenly gave a gentle stamp. The ground felt extraordinarily solid! Now, another change occurred throughout heaven and earth. A river traversed the world as Li Hao's voice boomed: "I wash heaven and earth with the Chaos River, scouring the mortal realm to help the Silver Moon integrate more easily with the Great Dao universe... Everyone, do not move recklessly, lest you be swept away by the Chaos River..." The roar of an ocean sounded! Towering waves crashed! An ocean seemed to appear between heaven and earth, the rushing waves pounding against the realm. The God of Early Martial frowned slightly, letting the waves sweep past. Being half-real and half-illusory, they didn't actually strike him. Seeing that no one around was paying attention, he reached out, feeling somewhat like a thief. He thrust a hand into the void. Wavering between illusion and reality, his hand seemed to reach into another space-time. The next instant, he withdrew his hand. In his palm sat a drop of water, slowly dissipating. His eyes flickered. Suddenly, he popped the drop of water into his mouth, tasting it quietly as thoughts raced through his mind. "It feels somewhat like... a convergence of sword intents... as well as condensed willpower and sword intent, with plenty of other energies mixed in. It seems... there's also a peculiarly unique energy?" An ocean of myriad Daos? Not quite. There didn't seem to be that many Daos, which was likely because Li Hao had not mastered that many. The sword intent, however, was exceptionally potent! Aside from that, there was a... peculiar flavor that seemed rather familiar. Recalling the earlier tremors in the ground, his eyes flickered. "The taste of rock fragments... Strange... An earth sword intent?" No! Still not right. Overall, it carried the flavor of the Sword Venerable's Longevity Sword Intent. He reached out again, thrusting his hand into the void to scoop up another drop of liquid. Suddenly sensing something, his expression shifted. *Wait... there's also a flavor of... withered wood meeting spring.* Stone, wood... Just as the God of Early Martial seemed to realize something, a long river tore through the void, looking as though it walked from the ends of heaven and earth. An illusory figure materialized nearby. The King of Dali's face changed! The God of Early Martial's expression also twitched, looking somewhat awkward. Before the illusory figure could speak, he coughed lightly. "The King of Dali is ignorant. Go about your business; this has nothing to do with us. We don't care what you're doing!" Puzzled, the King of Dali glanced over. *What did I do?* *I didn't do anything!* Li Hao's phantom merely stared quietly at the God of Early Martial. He had sensed someone intercepting the water of his spiritual ocean here. He had let the first time slide, assuming it was likely the God of Early Martial's doing. But then came a second time! If he didn't intervene, he worried this man might sever his spiritual ocean altogether! The King of Dali had barely scraped into the Heavenly King Realm... How could he possess the ability to intercept his spiritual ocean? However, since the man had spoken thus, Li Hao found it awkward to press further. His voice carried the resonance of the Great Dao: "King of Dali, do not do such things again. If you wish to observe, you will have plenty of chances in due time. You are not my enemy. But if you ruin my plans, King of Dali... you and I will become bitter foes!" The King of Dali felt completely wronged! *What the hell!* *What did I do?* *I didn't do a damn thing!* He opened his mouth to defend himself, but the God of Early Martial coughed lightly. "Young friend, go attend to your affairs. The King of Dali is young and knows no better; I will discipline him!" "Then I shall trouble Senior to do so!" Li Hao remained exceedingly polite. Standing at a distance without drawing near, his river tore through the void once more, vanishing between heaven and earth. The King of Dali opened his mouth to speak, but Jiang Li gave him a subtle look. *Your Majesty, shut up!* *Can't you tell?* *Those two reached an understanding and don't want a conflict. Clearly, the God of Early Martial did something to displease Li Hao just now, prompting Li Hao to cross the realm to confront him.* *The God of Early Martial is making you take the blame!* The King of Dali wasn't truly stupid... Grasping the hidden dynamic, he cursed inwardly! What rotten luck! *** Meanwhile. Li Hao's phantoms traversed the entire realm, seeming to appear everywhere at once. A projection of Li Hao materialized before every major powerhouse. Li Hao's voice was calm as he looked at them: "I have no intention of provoking any of you. Today's actions are solely to elevate the strength of my people... I hope you will refrain from causing disruption!" Inside Hurricane City. Zheng Yu looked at the illusory figure before him. The unusual powers had bypassed Hurricane City without blanketing it, and even the stars in the sky kept their distance from the city. Looking at Li Hao's projection, he smiled. "Li Hao, is this playing hard to get? Are you... hoping we'll cause some trouble?" Li Hao smiled. "Zheng Yu, if you think so, then so be it! Still, I must warn you... do not interfere with me. If the seal breaks as a result, don't say I didn't warn you! If you dare enter my Great Dao universe, I will seal it off. Even if it holds you for only an instant... that will be enough for me to forcefully slaughter Ying Hongyue and shatter the seal!" Zheng Yu smiled without answering. Was Li Hao making a genuine threat, or playing hard to get? What a complicated person! Having suffered losses several times before, Zheng Yu found it hard to be certain. Seeing Li Hao about to depart, he suddenly said, "A few of those stars in the sky seem somewhat off. Li Hao, did you leave those flaws intentionally, or is there really something wrong with them?" "Senior worries too much!" Li Hao drifted away. Zheng Yu fell silent. Beside him, the Queen looked up at the sky. *The stars are off?* *Could the trap be there?* "Senior Zheng... is he deliberately baiting you into making a move?" "..." Zheng Yu couldn't be bothered to respond. The Queen added, "Why don't we just hold Hurricane City at all costs? I believe that as long as we remain inside and refuse to be swayed, none of Li Hao's schemes can succeed!" Her words were entirely sound. That was certainly the reality. As long as they didn't take the bait, Li Hao could do nothing to a half-step Sovereign; otherwise, he would have attacked long ago. No matter how many schemes you have, what can you do if I don't move? However... Zheng Yu looked silently toward the sky. He could vaguely see a universe descending, giving the distinct impression that the Great Dao universe was truly about to arrive. He could already sense a peculiar ripple blanketing the entire Silver Moon. This was... a universe of the Dao! Could he bring himself to give it up? If he gave it up, would Li Daoheng do the same? Was this using a single peach to kill three warriors? Using the Great Dao universe as bait to make him and Li Daoheng fight to the death? *** Elsewhere. Ying Hongyue fled in a hurry. Li Hao's projection materialized, watching the direction of his flight and speaking softly: "Ying Hongyue, do not cause trouble for me! Otherwise, even if I cannot kill you, I will make things miserable for you. Don't go looking for suffering!" Fleeing, Ying Hongyue looked back at Li Hao, his eyes flickering slightly. A gentle smile returned to his face, though his eyes held a gloom they previously lacked. He chuckled softly. "Li Hao, the one you need to deal with isn't me! You and I are both pitiable souls. We aren't the masters of this world, so there's no need to keep targeting me... Whether you're scheming against the two half-step Sovereigns today or against the heavens' will... none of it has anything to do with me, and I certainly won't meddle. I assume you don't truly want the seal broken either. After several incidents, the seal is already extremely fragile. If your people target me again, I fear I won't be able to hold it... If the Sovereign is released, you will suffer far more than I!" Li Hao ignored him and vanished instantly. Ying Hongyue exhaled softly, letting out a cold scoff. Beside him, Flying Sword Immortal frowned. "I sensed his malice! He must desperately want to kill you..." "Naturally." Ying Hongyue said calmly, "Of course he wants to kill me. If I weren't linked to the seal, do you think he truly lacked the means to do so? He talks big about breaking the seal and going down together... but in truth, he fears it immensely. He knows it, I know it, and Zheng Yu and the others know it! Otherwise... the seal would have broken long ago. Li Hao still has ambitions; he won't be content to truly break the seal unless there is no hope left!" Flying Sword Immortal was silent for a moment. "Then with him taking such a risk this time, if the two half-step Sovereigns truly seize his Great Dao universe, would he throw caution to the wind and forcefully kill you?" Ying Hongyue pondered and nodded. That was a possibility as well. Yet with Li Hao laying a trap... he might also have a shot at victory. Still, caution was necessary. *** Stars glittered across the realm. The waters of the long river washed over heaven and earth, and an ocean of the spirit seemed to blanket the entire universe. More and more stars appeared in the sky. Great stars adorned the mortal realm, lending it a magnificent, dazzling splendor. Li Hao's voice echoed across the Silver Moon once more: "The stars are nearly gathered! Soon, I shall summon the entire Great Dao universe to descend! Today, heaven and earth shall become a holy land of cultivation!" *** Countless people held their breath. It was almost time! Inside the Great Dao universe, a colossal river crossed heaven and earth, manifesting above Battle Heaven City. Hundreds of millions of stars shone with brilliance. Li Hao's clone and true body instantly fused into one. Only a single Li Hao remained between heaven and earth. At this moment, Li Hao let out a low shout: "All members, cultivate! Pull upon the Great Dao... Let the Dao converge with heaven and earth!" *Boom!* Hundreds of millions of people cultivated, erupting with energy. Above Li Hao, countless stars blazed with radiant light! In that instant, a universe seemed to truly descend into the mortal realm. *Crash...* The long river surged with the sound of flowing water, and Great Dao power permeated every corner of heaven and earth. Stars emerged in the sky one after another—some dazzling, some dim, some seemingly real, and some illusory... As time passed, a universe seemed on the verge of completely descending and merging. Yet neither Hurricane City nor the moon in the sky showed the slightest movement. Were they not going to strike? The thought arose in countless minds, filling them with intense anxiety. Even Zhang An in Galaxy City felt slightly tense. Was Zheng Yu truly not going to strike? Strange! Or did they sense something wrong and refuse to act? What exactly was Li Hao scheming? Just as Zhang An was pondering this, the stars suddenly blazed. A gigantic hound manifested between heaven and earth, turning into a golden hound whose heaven-devouring power swallowed the Great Dao power between heaven and earth! As if that weren't enough, the power of myriad Daos suddenly erupted from the hound's body! Zhang An's face changed drastically. He cursed wildly in his heart: *Wait... my Great Dao Book!* *Bastard!* Phantom silhouettes suddenly appeared over the golden hound and were instantly swallowed by it. That was clearly his Great Dao Book! What a bastard! Zhang An was furious! How could Li Hao do this? Silhouettes that seemed to pierce the world were swallowed by the hound and absorbed into its body. The Black Panther threw back its head and roared, unleashing an even fiercer devouring power that swallowed the world, the universe, and the stars in the sky! Zheng Yu and the others held their breath, watching in silence. What trick was this now? Yet even that was not enough! An Imperial Palace manifested between heaven and earth, and the hound opened its maw once more, swallowing the palace in a single gulp. *"Roar!"* The golden hound erupted with boundless, formidable power, yet Li Hao frowned slightly. It was useless! The Time Star had not appeared! This was the most crucial step. Without the Time Star... the entire realm still felt slightly fake. That Zheng Yu and the others hadn't acted had to be related to that lingering hint of falseness. They weren't ignorant fools like the King of Dali. Though the realm looked grand and magnificent right now... it still felt as if it lacked something tiny. And that tiny missing piece was enough to make the two half-step Sovereigns hold back! He had to make the Time Star appear; otherwise, the descent of the Great Dao universe would lack three parts of its profound mystery. Was it not enough? The enormous Black Panther roared frantically, turning to look at Li Hao. It hadn't worked! That star had not appeared. Evidently, such petty tricks couldn't pique the star's curiosity. Li Hao took a deep breath. It seemed... he would have to try it himself. Without another word, he hovered between heaven and earth. Suddenly, a long river flowed, the rushing water growing even louder! Li Hao gathered the stars in the sky. Among them, he swallowed the core star of the hundred sword paths—the slightly smaller Time Star—in a single gulp. A change swept through the Chaos River. Li Hao didn't know whether this would work. Hovering between heaven and earth, he spoke softly: "I hold the past and the future. I capture the past, I seize the future... Time... is boundless!" Instantly, heaven and earth spun! Countless people looked toward Li Hao. Zheng Yu and the others widened their eyes to watch. What kind of trick was Li Hao pulling now? At that moment, a river turned transparent, seeming to run through universal space-time! Li Hao roared furiously! "I have a past, never to be forgotten!" *Rumble!* An ethereal silhouette seemed to emerge above the long river. Reversing time, upending the cosmos, and turning the sky upside down, an illusory Li Hao materialized over the river. Li Hao roared, and the power of time surged forth! The distance between the illusory Li Hao and Li Hao himself closed in an instant. Li Hao barked, and a long sword appeared. "With the Firmament Sword, I bear my past self to merge with my present! No past, sever the future!" *Boom!* The Firmament Sword instantly merged into the void, guiding the illusory figure forward toward Li Hao. In that moment, both Zheng Yu and the sword-carrying man widened their eyes in shock. *Boom!* The entire Great Dao universe seemed to undergo a transformation, the roaring river shaking heaven and earth. A long river appeared before the eyes of countless onlookers. A river that seemed to run through the past and the future! The illusory figure took on Li Hao's appearance—it was another Li Hao! Linked by the Firmament Sword, the two Li Haos stepped together and began merging. Li Hao's aura surged dramatically! Zheng Yu's face changed drastically at the sight! What was this? In that single instant, Li Hao seemed to leap from the fourth tier of Dao Integration straight into the fifth tier! "With the Chaos River, I receive my future self! Future... merge with my present!" Instantly, he seemed to leap outside heaven and earth. At the end of the world, the river ran through, and an incomparably formidable existence seemed to stride forward from across space-time—overbearing and peerless, walking step by step from the ends of the world! That too was a Li Hao! He carried an added sense of weathered age, and every step seemed halting and weary, yet his aura was terrifyingly strong! At that exact moment, a star suddenly emerged within the Great Dao universe. As if filled with curiosity and doubt, it flew out from the depths of the universe. The moment it appeared, the world shuddered, and heaven and earth fell completely silent. In northern Dali. The God of Early Martial froze, staring blankly at the flickering star before a divine light flashed in his eyes! He shifted his feet, seemingly about to tear through the void! His eyes were filled with shock and desire! A desire he had never shown before! What was that? What kind of natal star was that? That seemed... to be time! Li Hao had grasped time! He had actually grasped time, and he had summoned the past and the future! In that instant, even someone as detached as him could no longer sit still. He wanted to rush forward to see, perhaps even... capture that star. *** In Hurricane City. The moment Li Hao summoned the past and the future, Zheng Yu grew restless, filled with shock. When that star appeared, several Heavenly Kings in the city seemed to freeze for an instant, and he could no longer suppress himself. At this moment, did traps even matter? A star of time! Summoning the past and the future, grasping time itself! He instantly jolted the Queen awake, his roar echoing in her mind: "Charge out!" The Queen dared not delay. Zheng Yu looked ready to kill, which terrified her. A bright moon materialized instantly, and she charged into the sky. Yet before she could fly far, she was enveloped by the star's light and froze once more. Hovering inside the moon, Zheng Yu was delighted rather than shocked! It truly... could freeze time! Even a Heavenly King like the Queen had been immobilized! He shouted again: "Charge!" The Queen regained her senses, feeling dazed, and charged into the sky once more. Above, the other bright moon began flashing as well. The sword-carrying man's eyes blazed with divine light as he shouted, "Wake up, quickly!" The Moon God statue alternated between clarity and confusion. At this moment, she cast everything aside and charged straight toward where the stars gathered in the sky. There, a half-real, half-illusory star was gingerly approaching the two Li Haos... In that moment, heaven and earth seemed frozen; save for a handful of powerhouses, everyone was immobilized! The God of Early Martial shot toward the sky. The next instant, his face changed slightly. Glancing into the distance, he gritted his teeth... and turned back. No! This wasn't his mission! He couldn't get involved! No good would come from meddling! Especially with something so crucial... He was merely a clone. He must not get involved, absolutely not... Constantly convincing himself, he turned and fled! *I'm going back to sleep!* *I can't watch anymore!* *If I keep watching, I'll be tempted. I resisted temptation for a hundred thousand years; I can't succumb now!* While convincing himself, he marveled inwardly: *Was that time?* *Does the new Dao... truly take time as its core?* *Doesn't that mean its potential surpasses even the Source?* *** In the sky, Li Hao merely stared blankly at his future self... Was this truly him in the future? He seemed frail, yet boundlessly powerful, looking as though he had endured countless battles... That face was full of murderous intent, with a touch of madness. Was this... really me? At this moment, he felt slightly dazed. He didn't even pay attention to the two moons charging toward him, merely staring at his future self, who seemed a single step away yet unimaginably distant. Until the next moment, when a star came between them. Li Hao snapped awake instantly! The Time Star... had emerged! The Time Star seemed curious as well, instantly piercing the void to draw near the future Li Hao, as if wondering what this was. From both flanks, two giant moons came hurtling forward! Two half-step Sovereign auras tore through heaven and earth! The sword-carrying man and Zheng Yu exchanged a glance across the void. In this instant, did any trap truly matter? It didn't! Kill Li Hao, seize the universe, and capture this star!