Silver City.
In the end, Li Hao still chose this place.
He was born here and grew up here.
If his luck truly ran out and he fell here, it would at least be returning to his roots like a fallen leaf.
Moreover, the Sovereign seal was here, the eight main cities stood here, and all the world's intertwining destinies converged here. Most importantly, across numerous battles fought around Silver City, Li Hao had emerged victorious every time.
It could be considered his lucky place.
He had slain Ying Hongyue here, and he had slain Heavenly Kings here.
This place carried Li Hao's fortune.
Even though Heaven's Will had abandoned him, who said luck had to be tied to Heaven's Will?
The armies had withdrawn.
Of the eight main cities, seven still hovered above Silver City, acting as the seal that suppressed the Sovereign's true body.
And in every city, mighty experts stood guard.
At this moment, Li Hao drifted between heaven and earth, gazing at the seal as though lost in thought.
The Sovereign's true body!
The eight main cities were fundamentally divine weapons—immensely powerful ones. Controlled by Saints, they could even stall Heavenly Kings. Of course, by the time the eight main cities truly had to be deployed, the seal would already be broken.
Right now, various Saints and Dao Integration experts were stationed across the cities.
Could one say Li Hao had never harbored suspicions toward anyone?
Hardly.
There was an old saying: *do not employ those you suspect, and do not suspect those you employ.* Easy enough to say, but with subordinates of such complicated origins, how could he completely let down his guard?
Anyone reckless enough to do so would have had their bones ground to dust long ago.
Saying it out loud was merely to make everyone feel trusted.
In reality, Li Hao had taken precautions against many of them—such as Dao Jian, Qian Wuliang, and several Neo-Martial Saints. His current arrangement placed multiple Saints and Dao Integration experts in each city, almost never leaving a single faction in sole control.
After Ying Hongyue's death, the seal relied entirely on the suppression of the eight main cities.
If anything went wrong, it could easily cause the seal to shatter. It was only because Li Hao believed Zheng Yu and Li Daoheng had laid far more plans of their own—without much involvement from the Red Moon Sovereign—and neither of them would deliberately release the Sovereign's true body... Otherwise, stationing these people here wouldn't have been safe at all.
Fortunately, for now, Li Hao's objective aligned with Zheng Yu's and Li Daoheng's: half-step Sovereigns could emerge, but the Sovereign could not.
Therefore, even if there were pawns belonging to those two among the ranks, he could still rest somewhat assured, which was why Li Hao hadn't probed deeper.
Li Hao didn't know whether there were traitors among them, or if the enemy was deliberately trying to instill a sense of paranoia in him. But when it came to core secrets, he kept them closely guarded and rarely shared them with these people.
After inspecting the seven main cities, he found the experts quite calm. They were all in secluded cultivation or comprehending the new Dao.
They knew virtually nothing about the shift in ownership of the Great Dao.
Even now, Li Hao's mental world still held the Dao meridian stars of a select few individuals, just in case they attempted to disrupt the Great Dao Universe. Even after relinquishing control of the Great Dao, he hadn't returned them.
He was mainly worried that Hong Yitang might be too careless and get caught off guard by them.
...
High above Silver City, beneath the seal.
Li Hao made no effort to avoid anyone's gaze, looking as though he were merely undergoing routine cultivation. Sitting cross-legged in the sky, he silently pondered.
Within his sea of consciousness, the mental world surged relentlessly.
Energy from all directions began converging toward him.
In the city below, some glanced up but paid it no mind. Every time Li Hao cultivated, the commotion was never small.
Since no prior notice had been given, nobody thought much of it.
Right now, their enemies were all inside the Illusory Dao universe, making Silver Moon relatively safe. Although half-step Sovereign Tianji remained in the north, the Queen in the west was a Heavenly King expert, and Heaven's Will lurked in the shadows, none of them posed a significant threat to Li Hao anymore—aside from the one in the north.
In the distance, Zhang An took a few extra glances.
Lately, he too had arrived at a critical juncture, on the verge of officially stepping into the Heavenly King Realm. The Heavenly King rank he pursued was not as simple as that of the King of Dali or the Queen; otherwise, he could have advanced long ago.
What Zhang An sought was the fusion of the Origin Dao and the Bright Star Dao, using a single Great Dao Book to encompass everything and unite both paths.
As the grandson of the Supreme, remaining merely a quasi-Heavenly King to this day was honestly quite humiliating.
People like Zheng Yu and Li Daoheng were considered his juniors.
Their status and standing had been inferior to his.
Yet today, they were half-step Sovereigns who dominated all of Silver Moon.
These past few days, he had been constantly gaining insights into the new Dao while integrating the path of the Origin.
In the void, Li Hao continuously drew upon ambient energy. Countless energy stones instantly shattered—plundered from Hurricane City in massive quantities. Their destruction transformed the modest Silver City into a sacred land practically drizzling with energy rain.
The seal overhead seemed to sense this, its surface flickering with faint light.
Although the seal was suppressed by the eight main cities and hardly weaker than before, the original formation had indeed been broken. The remnants could not match its former state.
As Li Hao cultivated, a faint wisp of Red Moon power seeped through.
Just like in the past!
A gentle drizzle even began to fall from the sky, reminiscent of Silver City's rainy seasons of old.
Back then, stripping the bloodlines of the eight families during the rainy season was Ying Hongyue's frequent pastime, closely tied to this intruding Red Moon power.
On this day, as Li Hao cultivated, the drizzle resumed.
It fell upon Silver City!
In the void, raindrops laced with strands of crimson energy coalesced into a human face. It carried no offensive power; the Sovereign simply seemed bored and eager to come out for some fresh air.
Li Hao could have dispersed it with a wave of his hand.
Yet he didn't.
He allowed the drizzle to gather. Gradually, the rain thickened, and a distinct human face took shape.
"Li Hao!"
A majestic voice resonated beside his ears. Li Hao drove his mental world, where star after star brimmed with vitality, and opened his eyes to look at the massive face, which loomed far larger than a human body.
He merely watched in silence.
Seeing that Li Hao hadn't destroyed his projection, the Red Moon Sovereign chuckled. "As things stand today, if the world is divided into four factions, you are the weakest. Those two fellows, however, possess formidable strength. Have you considered working with me?"
"Do you sell rat poison?"
"..."
The Red Moon Sovereign froze. What did that mean?
"Pitching yourself to everyone you meet—has a Sovereign become so cheap?"
Li Hao's tone was calm. "You peddled yourself quite a bit in the Illusory Dao universe, didn't you? Hawking yourself to anyone in sight... how did you end up in such a state as a Sovereign? Is this all you say when meeting people? No constructive proposals whatsoever, just spouting empty talk of cooperation?"
The Red Moon Sovereign frowned slightly, displeased.
Li Hao remained unfazed. "If you want to cooperate, what can you offer? Do you have anything tangible? Running your mouth all day—do you take me for a fool, Zheng Yu for a fool, or Li Daoheng for a fool? Which of the three of us isn't smarter than you?"
The Red Moon Sovereign bristled with anger!
Li Hao chuckled. "Alright, I had time to kill, and so did you... That's why I let you out for a chat. I wondered if we might discuss something useful, but it turns out... aside from blabbering nonsense, you're utterly useless. And worst of all, your pitch lacks any sincerity."
The Red Moon Sovereign furrowed his brow and glared at him. "Does it require deception? Was anything I said an untruth? What qualifications do you have to compete with them right now? Whether it's Zheng Yu or Li Daoheng, neither is simple! Don't let their half-step Sovereign status fool you—both harbor the ambition to swallow the entire world! When the time comes... they may very well prove their Dao and become Sovereigns!"
Curious, Li Hao asked, "Does proving the Dao and becoming a Sovereign now require facing a Sovereign Tribulation?"
The Origin universe was gone. Was it still necessary?
If not, could they become Sovereigns immediately?
He was very curious about this.
The Red Moon Sovereign pondered for a moment. "Hard to say! The Origin is gone, Neo-Martial is gone, and the Sovereign Tribulation may have vanished as well! Of course, Neo-Martial's Sovereign Tribulation was artificially created by the Human King and his peers... Those two managed to reach half-step Sovereign and have always cultivated the Origin, so they might not be exempt from a Sovereign Tribulation. If one truly exists, it might seep in from beyond the Star Gate and could even damage the gate itself... That is why neither of them dares to undergo the tribulation lightly, fearing I might break free of the seal."
Li Hao fell into thought.
"So, a Sovereign Tribulation might still exist?"
"Yes."
Li Hao smiled. "You finally gave a decent answer."
The Red Moon Sovereign was speechless.
Li Hao spoke again: "Why did the Red Moon Universe wage war against Neo-Martial? Neo-Martial wasn't weak."
"You don't understand!"
The Red Moon Sovereign replied with a trace of arrogance, "The vast cosmos contains countless worlds... Devouring chaos can expand a world, but devouring another world accomplishes in one stroke what would otherwise take hundreds of millions of years of breathing chaos! My Red Moon Universe is peerlessly powerful. Throughout endless ages, the worlds surrounding us have all been annihilated! Everywhere, the big fish eat the small... The stronger Neo-Martial is, the better. Once we swallow Neo-Martial, the Red Moon Universe will naturally become even stronger!"
"Cultivation exists merely for ceaseless annexation?"
Li Hao looked at him. "You are a great world, after all. Couldn't you find another way forward?"
"Why seek another way? This is the fastest, easiest, and most direct method! Even if a hundred thousand years have passed in the outside world, spending a hundred thousand years to conquer a world is well worth it!"
The Red Moon Sovereign saw nothing wrong with this, believing Li Hao simply didn't comprehend.
He had no interest in explaining further to Li Hao, reiterating, "Cultivating on your own is too slow. Even if you control the tangible Dao universe now, how difficult will it be to advance to half-step Sovereign? Li Hao, cooperate with me..."
As he spoke, he suddenly sensed something amiss.
The ambient energy was multiplying rapidly.
Not only that, but even the strands of Red Moon power he emanated were being absorbed by the young man. He frowned slightly. "You truly devour anything without distinction!"
*You even dare swallow my Red Moon power?*
*The seal isn't what it used to be.*
*Swallow too much, and I might project myself straight out to slaughter you!*
Li Hao paid him no mind, sensing the strand of Red Moon power as he said, "Is Red Moon power driven primarily by desire?"
"Desire?"
The Red Moon Sovereign chuckled. "You could say that! If a cultivator spends their entire life devoid of desires and wants, do you think they would still possess drive? You have no idea how terrifying it is to live too long and lose all desire!"
"Countless worlds rot away precisely like that!"
The Red Moon Sovereign sighed. "Years ago, my Red Moon world attacked a certain universe. The world lord of that realm possessed terrifying might... yet in the final moment, he simply allowed my Red Moon to devour him. Why? He had lived too long! So long that he felt no difference between living and dying! Only my Red Moon remains brimming with vitality after countless eras!"
Li Hao paused, then nodded. That made sense.
Living too long!
A world lord could perhaps live for millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of years.
Worlds underwent great upheavals again and again, civilizations rose and fell repeatedly... In the end, perhaps only they remained in the entire world, swallowed by endless loneliness and solitude.
At that point, if all desire faded, suicide or seeking death seemed entirely natural.
The only dread was when no one could kill you.
For the Red Moon world to endure for countless years and still maintain an insatiable desire to conquer was indeed rare.
"Are all of your Daos the same?" Li Hao asked.
Meanwhile, the Red Moon Sovereign looked around, his brow furrowing deeper.
What was the point of Li Hao absorbing so much energy?
Hearing the question, he sneered, "That is the mark of an advanced world, do you understand?"
"Understand what?"
"All Daos ultimately return to one! Having too many flashy varieties is only characteristic of the early stages! In the later stages, ten thousand Daos merge into one... That is the ultimate form of a world!"
Li Hao's heart stirred, and he nodded. "Makes sense! So in the Red Moon world, ten thousand Daos returned to one, meaning all subsequent cultivators cultivate the same Dao?"
"Naturally!"
Li Hao looked puzzled. "Then in that case... don't newcomers have no hope of surpassing their predecessors?"
The Red Moon Sovereign was taken aback and shot him a glance. "Why should they surpass their predecessors? Are predecessors not people? The forebears opened the heavens, and the descendants enjoy the shade; they should simply accept it. Are they supposed to rebel?"
Li Hao was stunned.
After a long while, he murmured slowly, "So when the Great Dao returns to one, creativity is ultimately lost, leaving descendants perpetually inferior to their predecessors, with social hierarchy completely petrified! The world lord remains the world lord forever, Sovereigns remain Sovereigns forever... and newcomers have virtually no hope of rising above?"
"Not necessarily!"
The Red Moon Sovereign shook his head. "By invading great worlds and performing meritorious service, opportunities naturally arise! That is precisely why we constantly wage war. As you said, we cannot deprive newcomers of all hope... Our world lord wouldn't be so foolish, which is why wars were initiated. Every successful invasion gives birth to a batch of supreme experts!"
Li Hao's heart stirred again. That was indeed a solution.
When social hierarchy calcified and internal contradictions could no longer be suppressed, external war was used to resolve them. If newcomers had no opportunities... create opportunities for them.
War!
Endless conquest!
The prerequisite was sufficient strength to avoid exhausting resources and manpower—and Red Moon clearly possessed such might, so much so that even the peerlessly powerful Neo-Martial was no match for them.
"Neo-Martial hasn't existed for very long... From what you're saying, Neo-Martial doesn't seem weak among the various universes?"
The Red Moon Sovereign was glancing around, growing increasingly bewildered. The commotion seemed to be escalating.
What they were discussing wasn't secret, so he answered casually, "Neo-Martial cycles through generations rapidly, each stronger than the last. Successors overthrow their predecessors so fast that their upper limit of combat strength climbs incessantly! Ordinarily, Neo-Martial's Early Martial era should have lasted hundreds of thousands or millions of years, but they quickly transitioned to the Origin era, which also didn't last long before being swiftly supplanted by Neo-Martial... This caused their ceiling of power to skyrocket, making them far from weak among the great worlds."
Li Hao, however, was confused. "In theory, a world is like a seed. A young seed absorbs less chaotic energy, and a world's total energy is fixed. How could it overtake Red Moon?"
"It didn't overtake us!"
The Red Moon Sovereign snapped, dissatisfied.
"Though Neo-Martial is strong, it is still inferior to my Red Moon world! That Red Moon failed to take Neo-Martial quickly was due to many factors. Furthermore..."
At this, he sneered, "Don't think the Neo-Martial Human King and his lot are good people. They claim they only seek self-preservation, but Neo-Martial's Yang Shen roams through various realms—do you think he's truly just traveling the cosmos? What a joke! Whenever that man enters a universe, he often devours massive amounts of world power before leaving... And not just him; many Neo-Martial experts roam the cosmos! Because Neo-Martial has two world lords—one of whom can endure solitude, meaning the Human King never feared betrayal—the Human King himself went out quite often..."
Li Hao's thoughts stirred. "You mean Neo-Martial secretly annexed some worlds as well?"
"Not annexed!"
The Red Moon Sovereign shook his head. "They acted like bandits... Entering a universe under the pretext of traveling, they actually devoured energy from every realm! While preaching that they never attack unprovoked, they committed plenty of filthy deeds behind closed doors... Otherwise, how do you think Neo-Martial expanded so rapidly?"
Li Hao stroked his chin. "Surely not?"
"Heh!"
The Red Moon Sovereign scoffed. "Put it this way... Those people are master anglers! They casually send someone to wander the worlds. Once that person is obstructed or killed... the Human King, the Supreme, and Yang Shen immediately descend, demanding either a life... or energy!"
"Many worlds that originally lay near the Neo-Martial world fled far away afterward! Why? Simply because Neo-Martial was far too domineering! Had my Red Moon Universe not been powerful, Yang Shen would have drained vast amounts of our energy back then!"
*Is that so?*
It sounded as though Neo-Martial had been the instigator.
Yet back when he heard the Human King speak, the man claimed they never looked for trouble, but never feared it either—if you try to kill me, I'll kill you...
Those two versions differed considerably.
Moreover, Neo-Martial's timeline was very short, seemingly only around a thousand years, followed by Neo-Martial losing contact and Silver Moon becoming independent.
"Isn't navigation extremely difficult in the chaos? Once you leave, you might not be able to return for many years..."
"That is said, but top-tier experts won't easily lose their way... The Neo-Martial Human King, however..."
He sneered, "He went out several times, claiming he was lost. He barged into several great worlds asking for directions, which inevitably sparked conflicts. What a laughable excuse! Would the lord of a world get lost? An absurd pretext!"
Li Hao stroked his chin again. "Hard to say. I read in some books that the Neo-Martial Human King... truly had a terrible sense of direction. He was constantly getting lost even when he was weak. Could it be that he genuinely lost his way and just wanted to ask for directions... and you all misunderstood?"
The Red Moon Sovereign scoffed, dismissing the notion entirely.
Who was he trying to fool?
A world lord getting lost? Chaos was complex, sure, but to get lost so easily—never able to find his own universe, yet always stumbling upon someone else's... who would believe that?
The two chatted casually like this.
Suddenly, the Red Moon Sovereign said in a deep voice, "What are you doing?"
All around them, energy was converging toward Li Hao like a tornado.
Above Li Hao's head, an energy storm had formed, sweeping across heaven and earth.
*Was this still ordinary cultivation?*
Even a half-step Sovereign's cultivation couldn't cause such a colossal stir!
What was he doing?
Li Hao smiled. "Nothing, just cultivating! The commotion is merely a bit loud... The Sovereign wouldn't mind, would you? By the way, pardon my asking, but your clone is composed of Red Moon power. How has it survived so many days in the Illusory Dao universe without being struck dead?"
"Could it be that the Illusory Dao universe has no Great Dao lightning?"
The Red Moon Sovereign had no desire to humor him. Surveying the surroundings, confusion filled his eyes. Looking up, the seal maintained by the eight cities was trembling slightly.
What kind of trouble was this brat trying to stir up now?
Seeing that he didn't answer, Li Hao's demeanor flipped instantly. "I ask you a question and you don't even reply. What use are you!"
*Boom!*
A single palm slammed down, instantly shattering the powerless projection.
The speed with which he turned hostile was unimaginably swift!
The Red Moon Sovereign's phantom disintegrated in a flash, bearing fury and resentment. That bastard had shattered him just because he hadn't answered a single question—infuriating!
And what on earth was he doing?
...Li Hao had no interest in continuing their idle chatter either.
At this moment, his mental world fluctuated violently. Stars began to shudder, and within his physical body, the Dao meridian stars trembled intensely as well, preparing to merge!
Inside Li Hao, a star slowly emerged, instantly transforming into a colossal dragon.
The dragon coiled!
In a flash, the dragon plunged into his sea of consciousness, entering through the glabella.
...
Within the seven main cities.
Some saw it but couldn't comprehend; others understood the situation, such as Lin Hongyu, whose heart instantly clenched with tension.
...
Inside the sea of consciousness.
The colossal dragon plunged in and began to soar, causing the entire mental world to churn violently in an instant.
Heaven and earth overturned!
One hundred and eighty stars trembled frantically. The dragon seemed to seek out an appropriate star to merge with. Suddenly locking onto one, it flew toward that mental star.
The dragon dove straight in... *Boom!*
At that moment, as though the world were splitting apart, the entire sea of consciousness shook violently. Countless powers of spirit, qi and blood, the new Dao, and force churned madly!
The fusion of illusory and tangible was an earth-shattering transformation!
The entire world seemed to shudder. And this was only the first star. Moreover, Li Hao's illusory and tangible paths were not within a genuine Great Dao Universe; one could only imagine how terrifying the fusion of illusory and tangible would be within the true Great Dao Universe.
At this moment, the Great Dao of heaven and earth seemed to undergo a subtle shift.
The entirety of Silver Moon was affected.
Opening a Physical Body Heaven within heaven and earth... this was Li Hao's choice. Yet doing so also posed a distinct threat to the world itself.
*Boom!*
Countless bolts of lightning seemed to gather in the sky.
In the far distance, Heaven's Will appeared to churn.
...
At this moment, ripples spread in all directions.
Inside the Illusory Dao universe.
The universe shuddered. In the next instant, Li Daoheng's voice rang out, laden with confusion and annoyance: "Who is destabilizing the universe!"
Two figures materialized at once.
Zheng Yu looked around. At this moment, an anomaly seemed to have occurred across the entire Illusory Dao universe; it trembled faintly. The disturbance wasn't massive, but this was a Great Dao Universe—without extraordinary circumstances, how could it erupt in unrest?
He frowned slightly, remaining silent.
The Red Moon Sovereign's clone swiftly manifested as well, saying nothing, merely pondering in silence.
...
Inside the tangible Dao universe.
The long river rippled, and a figure emerged, gazing into the distance. At that moment, a star seemed to surface faintly, yet the perception was indistinct. The disturbance wasn't particularly large; it surfaced for a brief instant before vanishing again.
...
In Dali.
Tianji looked into the distance, his brow knitting slightly as he cursed under his breath: *What is he doing now?*
He glanced at the King of Dali nearby. The King of Dali was currently swinging his fists, as if preparing for something. Tianji had no choice but to speak, his voice low: "Bei Wu, what are you doing?"
Without turning his head, the King of Dali replied, "Cultivating!"
*Cultivating my foot!*
*Throwing punches counts as cultivation?*
"You met Li Hao earlier. Did he say how he plans to deal with those fellows?"
"He did: take things as they come!"
Nonsense!
Tianji asked no more, merely gazing toward Silver City with deep suspicion. The commotion was huge again—couldn't the boy stay quiet for a few days?
Time and again, was there no peace to be had!
...
A star merged with a dragon.
The disturbance was enormous!
Li Hao hadn't expected that merging just a single star would trigger such a massive chain reaction. More importantly... where did this lightning come from?
At this moment, dark clouds blotted out the sky above.
Incomprehensibly colossal lightning converged, leaving Li Hao baffled.
*What did I do?*
Lightning in this world was formed either by Heaven's Will or by the Great Dao.
*Would Heaven's Will dare provoke me?*
*Or did Great Dao lightning spill out into the open?*
*Is the Great Dao itself trying to obliterate me?*
Bizarre!
Or had this lightning emerged from somewhere unknown?
Plagued by countless doubts, he looked up at the sky, his brow furrowing slightly. He hadn't anticipated lightning being born.
In the distance, Zhang An murmured, "A Sovereign Tribulation?"
Why did it look somewhat like a Sovereign Tribulation?
It shouldn't be!
Setting aside whether a Sovereign Tribulation could exist within Silver Moon right now, even if it did, it wouldn't be Li Hao's turn... Of course, this lightning didn't seem strong enough. It lacked the instantaneous manifestation of myriad bolts where any single strike could annihilate a Heavenly King.
Yet this... seemed to be only the beginning!
What on earth was Li Hao doing?
Zhang An realized he could no longer see through Li Hao.
The lightning gathered, but did not fall. Dark clouds merely eclipsed the sun, filling people with unease.
Li Hao ignored it and continued merging Dao meridians.
Another colossal dragon flew out, plunging into his mind to seek out the next star for fusion. At that moment, the lightning grew increasingly dense.
This lightning was not formed by Heaven's Will.
...
At the same time.
Inside the seal.
The Red Moon Sovereign's expression shifted slightly. Above his head, the gate of the crimson moon—that gate glistening with brilliant starlight—seemed to be pierced by something. Strands of lightning power mingled with chaos surged inward from outside!
His heart jolted violently. Without hesitation, he charged directly upward!
*Had the Star Gate opened?*
*Could I break through the seal, exit through the Star Gate first, recover some strength, and then return to smash the seal?*
Just as he collided with it... *Boom!*
Lightning exploded above him. Below, the seal trembled; above, the Star Gate flared with brilliance, barring his way and unleashing terrifying, apocalyptic bolts of lightning!
*Boom!*
The Red Moon Sovereign was blasted until his flesh split open. "Why?" he roared in fury.
Why did power surge inward while he was barred from leaving?
Why?
And where did this lightning power come from, suddenly penetrating the Silver Moon world from the outside? Who had provoked it?
A Sovereign Tribulation?
How could that be!
Neither Zheng Yu nor Li Daoheng had become Sovereigns, and as for Li Hao... he had just seen him moments ago; the kid was only at the fifth layer of the Dao Integration Realm, nowhere near a Sovereign!
He could only watch helplessly as those powers bypassed all barriers, permeated the seal, and descended below.
"Li Hao..."
Murmuring the name, he was filled with confusion and shock. What had Li Hao done to draw lightning power from the outside world? Was it meant to destroy him?
There were lightning tribulations in the chaos!
He knew of this.
Though he had never witnessed one, it was said that tribulations existed within the chaos, usually triggered by supreme beings. As for why they appeared, he had not yet reached a level to understand.
Perhaps comprehending the Dao had resonated with the chaos.
Perhaps someone had committed an act so monstrous that even the chaos could not tolerate it.
Perhaps there were other reasons...
Yet Li Hao was inside Silver Moon. What could he possibly have done?
Silver Moon was a sealed small world.
Granted, the lightning power was very weak right now. Sensing it, the Red Moon Sovereign noted that the lightning seeping in was extremely faint, and grew weaker still as it penetrated downward—at most, it could kill a Saint, and even that was an overestimation.
"Strange!"
Yet gradually, the lightning power grew denser and denser, continuously seeping through and intensifying.
...
Below, Li Hao continued merging stars.
One, two, three...
The aura radiating from his body grew increasingly complex and powerful.
The dark clouds overhead expanded further. Li Hao's thoughts stirred, and the secondary Wind and Cloud Treasure Mirror appeared before him, activating the sky screen once more.
"Citizens of the Bright Star Continent, there is no need for alarm! Last time, the descent of the Great Dao Universe failed... This time, I intend to have the Great Dao Universe swallow the Bright Star Continent! Since it cannot descend, we shall proactively enter and assimilate heaven and earth! That way, billions of cultivators can comprehend the Dao at close range..."
Originally, as the dark clouds spread and heaven and earth trembled, the people had been filled with confusion, guessing that Li Hao was up to something again.
Hearing his words now, their hearts settled.
So that was it!
Since it wouldn't come, he would go to it.
Swallowing the Bright Star Continent?
Was that possible?
Who knew!
At that moment, the Great Dao Universe split open, and a long river surged within it, its waves roaring. Li Hao's voice echoed again: "Do not be afraid. As the river merges with the world, I am attempting to assimilate the Silver Moon world so that every Silver Moon person becomes a citizen of the Dao! A citizen of the Great Dao! Neither Heaven's Will, half-step Sovereigns, nor Sovereigns will ever be able to disturb the people of Silver Moon again!"
In the void, the lightning grew thicker and more violent.
Li Hao's voice rang out once more: "It seems the heavens, the earth, and the world itself will not tolerate my assimilation of Silver Moon... Yet I, Li Hao, insist on defying heaven!"
His voice was harsh and severe, reverberating between heaven and earth.
Beyond the shock it caused, it left everyone utterly awestruck.
*The world could not tolerate it?*
*The Great Dao's descent had failed, so Li Hao turned around to swallow the world instead?*
At that moment, a moon manifested in the distance, followed immediately by another—two full moons. One was the Queen, and the other was the Moon God who had survived multiple brushes with death. Both were deeply shaken.
Li Hao wanted to swallow heaven and earth?
Damn it!
Even the Queen sensed it: if heaven and earth were truly swallowed by the Great Dao... at the very least, the core of Silver Moon, the true body of Silver Moon itself, would suffer catastrophic damage!
Further away, Heaven's Will seemed to roil violently!
Heaven's Will was founded on the basis of heaven and earth. If heaven and earth were swallowed, leaving behind a massive void devoid of people, even if Heaven's Will survived, could it still be called Heaven's Will?
This was pulling the rug out from under them!
That bastard Li Hao!
Despicable!
Coupled with the lightning above Silver City, everyone believed it now. They had no reason not to; with such a massive disturbance, there was an eight or nine out of ten chance he truly intended to swallow all of Silver Moon. The thunderclouds were on the verge of blanketing the entire Silver Moon Province, terrifying beyond measure.
Meanwhile, Li Hao's aura grew increasingly formidable!
He transformed into a giant ten thousand zhang tall.
Wisps of chaotic power seeped from his body. Li Hao's voice boomed like a bronze bell: "Li Daoheng, Zheng Yu, Heaven's Will... I don't care what you do. I only want the tangible Dao universe, and I only want this Bright Star Continent!"
"I will take my people with me... Their births, aging, illnesses, and deaths will all reside within the Great Dao Universe! Whether it is the Time Star or the Silver Moon world... you can have it all! Once I swallow the Bright Star Continent, I will seal the Great Dao Universe. From then on, you fight your battles, and we mind our own!"
Li Hao sounded earnest!
His voice echoed again: "Do not attempt to stop me! If you try to interfere, I will break the seal and let the Sovereign strike! Red Moon Sovereign, all I want is a single continent and the tangible Dao universe; it has nothing to do with you!"
At that moment, the Illusory Dao universe slowly split open.
Three figures faintly appeared, though none stepped out.
The Red Moon Sovereign's voice resounded between heaven and earth, tinged with amusement: "Be my guest!"
Li Hao wanted to swallow the world?
To him... that truly posed no loss. But if Li Hao succeeded, Zheng Yu and Li Daoheng certainly wouldn't be pleased, nor could Heaven's Will possibly agree.
This fellow loved stirring up trouble every single time!
And this time was exceptionally massive.
Still, he remained somewhat puzzled. Glancing at the gargantuan dark clouds and flickering lightning, he frowned slightly.
*Would swallowing heaven and earth invite a chaos lightning tribulation?*
As a Sovereign, even as a clone, his discernment was not lacking. This lightning tribulation had clearly seeped in from the chaos. While it wasn't Neo-Martial's Sovereign Tribulation, its power was nothing to scoff at.
Could it be that the Great Dao Universe swallowing heaven and earth was an act intolerable to heaven, earth, and chaos alike?
It seemed rather strange!
Yet with such a massive commotion, this appeared to be the only plausible explanation: chaos forbade it, the Great Dao forbade it, and heaven and earth forbade it!
They would not permit the assimilation of Silver Moon!
Another star merged, and heaven and earth trembled even more violently.
Faint shrieks could even be heard—the overstrained screams of Heaven's Will.
*It cannot be allowed!*
At the same time, the Illusory Dao universe seemed to draw closer to the earth, as if preparing to descend into the mortal realm.
The sword-bearing man wore a cold, detached expression.
Swallow the world?
How could that be allowed!
The problem was... it looked like he was swallowing the world, but why did it also feel somewhat different?
In the distance, the colossal Li Hao emanated faint traces of chaotic power. That power seemed slightly distinct from the power of the Great Dao's long river.
At this moment, the fusion of Li Hao's stars progressed further.
*Boom!*
The lightning in the sky intensified, on the verge of descending upon the mortal realm!
The sword-bearing man suddenly said, "Is he... truly swallowing the world?"
It didn't quite look like it!
Zheng Yu watched silently, his eyes flickering. "How much longer?"
"Half an hour!"
The sword-bearing man murmured softly, "What worries me more is that as this lightning grows stronger... will it breach the Star Gate? This tribulation seems to be an external lightning, not native to Silver Moon!"
With that, he glanced around, as if searching for something.
Heaven's Will... was likely unable to sit still any longer!
If Li Hao truly pulled this off, Heaven's Will would be finished.
Zheng Yu suddenly said, "Why not let Heaven's Will go check first..."
"Can you control Heaven's Will?"
"I meant you!"
"Heh!"
The two exchanged a brief exchange.
Just then, a figure manifested in the distance, rapidly approaching Li Hao's position. Halting far away in Li Hao's direction, standing atop the Central Continent, he shouted coldly, "Li Hao, halt this immediately! If you truly intend to swallow the Heavenly Star Continent, I will slaughter every human in this realm!"
A formidable power swept in all directions as Heaven's Will roiled!
It seemed to roar!
Within the seven main cities, someone's eyes flickered as they whispered, "It really is him!"
The Ninth Prince of Heavenly Star!
That remarkably young prince, Southern Fist's disciple, for whom Southern Fist had nearly turned against the Silver Moon martial masters.
In the void, Li Hao appeared utterly composed.
The Ninth Prince?
Looking into the distance, Li Hao chuckled. "You failed to learn the good, only picking up the bad!"
Far away, the Ninth Prince's aura surged with the power of the Dao Integration Realm. Gritting his teeth, he yelled, "Li Hao! Heavenly Star belongs to my Jiang family, not you! Bewitching the people was bad enough, but now you want to drag tens of billions of humans to their deaths! The Great Dao Universe is barren; once the Heavenly Star Continent enters, casualties will be astronomical! How vicious can you be—slaughtering billions of citizens just to perfect your own Dao?"
The world trembled with unease.
The Ninth Prince's voice rang out again: "People of Heavenly Star, I am of the Heavenly Star imperial family! Li Hao's perverse actions have incurred the wrath of heaven and the resentment of men! This lightning is a tribulation sent to destroy him! He owes everything he has today to your faith. As long as you sever that faith, Li Hao cannot succeed... He wants to drag us into the Great Dao Universe, a barren domain where nothing grows! Entering it is a near-certain death sentence! At least ninety percent of the world's population will perish!"
At these words, the continent rippled with unrest.
Li Hao said calmly, "The Jiang family is rotten to the core. Out of respect for Martial Uncle Southern Fist, I spared your life. Yet you dare collude with Heaven's Will to cause chaos? Do you think I, Li Hao, lack the resolve to kill you?"
The Ninth Prince gritted his teeth. "Even if I die, I will expose your true colors! Li Hao, you have gone mad trying to prove your Dao! Dare you claim that swallowing heaven and earth won't result in deaths? You are courting your own destruction! Swallowing the world might even draw out the half-step Sovereigns and the Sovereign... Li Hao, as long as you die, the world will have peace, and these mighty experts will not lay a hand on ordinary people!"
He looked up toward those supreme experts: "Senior Zheng, Senior Li... do any of you harbor the intent to exterminate the world?"
Zheng Yu smiled. Chuckling softly, his voice carried across heaven and earth: "How could we? If we wanted to kill them, we would have slaughtered the realm long ago. What purpose is there in killing ordinary people? Whoever rules the world needs ordinary people; otherwise, could heaven and earth still be considered heaven and earth? A world would cease to be a world!"
"Did you hear that?"
The Ninth Prince's voice amplified, shaking the space between heaven and earth.
"Li Hao, you demon! For your own selfish desires, you disregard the lives of ten billion living beings... What right do you have to command the ten thousand Daos of the world?"
Heaven's Will surged, sweeping across heaven and earth to sway the hearts of the people.
At this, Heaven's Will was exceptionally adept.
Yet Li Hao merely watched in silence.
The Ninth Prince... was probably not Heaven's Will's only pawn.
Truly interesting!
Chapter 407