Great Wisdom Resembles Folly?

Li Hao loomed like a primordial giant. Hovering above Silver City, he looked down from afar at the Ninth Prince and smiled. Time and again, the prince painted him as a villain, a sinner leading the people of the realm to their doom. By seizing the moral high ground to condemn him, the prince was undeniably cleverer than those who had come before, hoping to coerce Li Hao into abandoning his absorption of heaven and earth. Yet things had already come to this. How could a few words change anything? "Back then, out of respect for Martial Uncle Southern Fist, I spared your life. Instead of showing gratitude, you colluded with Heaven's Will to sow chaos and bewitch the masses—an unpardonable sin!" "Now that Martial Uncle Southern Fist has passed... it is time you go keep him company!" Li Hao's voice was utterly calm. In the distance, the Ninth Prince's face shifted slightly. He gritted his teeth and barked, "Li Hao! Colluded with Heaven's Will? What a joke! This realm belongs under the dominion of Heaven's Will! Those who obey heaven prosper, and those who defy heaven perish! You are the one going against heaven!" "As for He Yong..." The Ninth Prince ground his teeth in fury. "The realm originally belonged to my Jiang family! My Jiang family supported him for twenty years! He knew no gratitude and instead bit the hand that fed him! Li Hao, don't you think what you're saying is laughable?" He did not dare approach Li Hao. Seeing that Li Hao seemed about to advance, he snarled fiercely, "If you dare come over, I will drag this entire Heavenly Star Continent down with me! I will never let you have your way and lead them to their deaths!" Li Hao smiled. "How amusing... Taking everyone to the Great Dao Universe means leading them to their deaths, yet threatening me with the lives of common mortals somehow makes you righteous? All reason lies on your side, does it? Then let me ask the people of this world: are you willing to accompany this Ninth Prince to your deaths?" "No!" A roar like an erupting ocean and a collapsing mountain shook heaven and earth! At that instant, a deafening clamor erupted like a landslide. Times had changed. The populace's minds had been opened for over a year! Universal literacy had been promoted, knowledge had been spread, martial arts were practiced across the land, and the realm was flourishing! This was no longer the past the Ninth Prince envisioned! At this moment, his status as an imperial prince of the Jiang family was utterly worthless. Countless voices roared in fury: "Execute the feudal remnants!" "Slay the remnants of the Jiang family!" "Down with feudalism!" "..." Waves of earth-shattering bellows echoed across heaven and earth. Did he really think this was the past? Did he think the people still lived under the reign of the Jiang clan? The heavens had changed long ago! At that moment, thousands upon thousands of supernaturals near the Ninth Prince raised their weapons and charged toward him, howling one after another, "Slay the villain and restore our world!" The Ninth Prince's expression changed. The world truly had changed. The era where a Jiang family member could raise an arm and draw the whole world to follow had long passed. Furthermore, they had gone through the era of the Nine Departments. Today, what prestige did the Jiang family have left? The changes of this past year had surpassed those of the preceding century. The Ninth Prince's attempt to manipulate the hearts of the people through such methods was thoroughly outdated. At this moment, sky screens across the continent were turned directly toward him, broadcasting his panicked expression before the eyes of the entire world. Seeing this... people wondered, *what kind of clown is this?* Right then, Li Hao's voice resonated through heaven and earth, laden with a chilling indifference. "I was reluctant to wipe you out completely. By the rules of the Silver Moon martial masters, some lineages should be left to pass down, and even if they seek vengeance later, so be it! But since you refuse to abide by the rules of the jianghu... and dared insult our fallen martyrs, today, your crime demands death!" The Ninth Prince's face flickered between fear and anger before he suddenly gritted his teeth. "Don't you dare! Li Hao, let me tell you, do you really think I did nothing all this time? Over so many years, the Jiang family stockpiled countless supernatural bombs! Right now, they are planted across the entirety of the Heavenly Star Continent! If you dare kill me, they will all detonate at once, and the entire continent will sink!" "Did you really think I didn't foresee the consequences?" "If you dare kill me, countless lives will perish with me! The continent will shatter, and all mortals will march to their deaths together! If I die, we all die!" He roared at the top of his lungs. Since he dared step forward, he naturally possessed some leverage. Was he afraid of dying? He was terrified! He knew Li Hao was terrifyingly strong and capable of killing him even with the empowerment of Heaven's Will! Thus, he knew this was likely the only leverage that could bind Li Hao: *If you kill me, I will blow up the Heavenly Star Continent!* Li Hao turned his head to look toward the Saints stationed in several major cities. The faces of several experts paled. If the prince truly had buried countless supernatural bombs... then everyone present had been negligent. Such a massive undertaking had gone completely unnoticed, even though the Ninth Prince was someone Li Hao had ordered kept under surveillance long ago. Yet the man had still managed, beneath their very noses, to bury countless explosives beneath the continent... Lin Hongyu and the others had all failed in their duties! In the distance, a flicker of delight surfaced in the Ninth Prince's eyes. A surge of excitement! *The masses help you cultivate your Dao, but you, Li Hao, also have weaknesses! You are bound by the masses as well!* Li Hao actually felt like saying... *Go ahead and detonate them.* But on second thought, he let it go. That would be letting down Martial Uncle Hong, especially now when Martial Uncle Hong's connection with the masses was growing tighter; it would be far too dangerous for him. If Li Hao truly slaughtered without restraint and destroyed Silver Moon, the Great Dao River might collapse as well. The benefits and drawbacks went hand in hand. At this moment, lightning gathered overhead. Inside his sea of consciousness, stars continued to merge. The fusion was not yet complete; in fact, it had merely begun. Up to this point, it was only the preliminary stage. The critical moment had not even arrived. For a mere jumping clown to dare threaten him... it was truly laughable. The man was nothing more than a pawn used by the various factions to test his hand. "A great pity..." Li Hao sighed softly. "Back when I first met you, you still appeared rather poised and elegant. When the Jiang family collapsed, seeing that you hadn't committed too many atrocities, I spared your life. Yet you didn't cherish it, choosing instead to tangle with that damned Heaven's Will..." Li Hao's smile turned radiant. "Then... allow me to grant your wish!" In that split second, a river of chaos manifested. Li Hao instantly appeared atop the river, drifted along its current, and vanished from his spot. The Ninth Prince's expression changed drastically, and he roared once more, "You dare?! If you come any closer, I will detonate all the bombs immediately!" At this moment, he at least possessed the strength of a Saint. Yet he knew Li Hao was far too terrifying. What was a Saint? Before Li Hao, even Heavenly Kings were useless! Seeing Li Hao ignore his warning entirely, the Ninth Prince's face twisted in horror. Gritting his teeth, he abruptly flew toward the bright moon hanging in the sky—the location of the Moon God. Beyond that, energy fluctuations truly seemed to ripple from various corners of the world. A look of madness flared in his eyes. "You forced my hand! Li Hao, you shameless hypocrite, you truly don't care about their lives! In that case... let them all be blasted to death!" At that instant, he chose to trigger the detonation! *Li Hao, you forced me!* Meanwhile, he bolted straight toward the Moon God, intending to flee to her side and enter the Illusory Dao universe at the critical moment so he wouldn't be slain by Li Hao. At least for now... they still had a foundation for cooperation. "I will make your myriad Daos shatter!" The Ninth Prince grew increasingly deranged. In all directions, countless bombs began to detonate simultaneously! The people of the world were horrified. Just how many explosives had this man buried? How many would die this time? Right at that moment, a slightly different river suddenly manifested at the end of the chaotic river, spreading outward to instantly encircle the Ninth Prince. Time seemed to flow backward! The Ninth Prince, who had been shooting upward into the sky, suddenly felt his vision blur. In the next breath, he felt dazed, as though he had returned to his starting point. What had happened? In all directions, the detonating bombs suddenly dissipated—or rather, vanished—as though nothing had ever occurred. At that very moment, Li Hao stepped out from the end of the river and reached out with a single hand toward him! A wisp of Heaven's Will instantly trembled, causing the void to shudder. The Ninth Prince abruptly snapped back to his senses, but Heaven's Will fled in the blink of an eye! Terrifying! Li Hao paid no heed to Heaven's Will, his reaching hand clamping down toward the Ninth Prince. *Crack!* His head caught in Li Hao's grasp, boundless terror seized the Ninth Prince's face. "What did you do to me?!" Li Hao let out a soft sigh. "A waste of Martial Uncle Southern Fist's good intentions... My apologies, Martial Uncle Southern Fist!" Not to this man, but to Southern Fist, he felt some guilt. *Crack!* *Boom!* The skull instantly ruptured, and the physical body pulverized into dust. Boundless energy spilled into the surroundings, drifting toward the ordinary cultivators rushing forward. Li Hao's voice echoed: "This power is bestowed upon you as your reward!" *Boom!* Explosions sounded ceaselessly as the Ninth Prince was utterly obliterated from head to toe. A shrill, tragic scream tore into the clouds, laden with disbelief and despair. Just like that... he was killed? ... At the entrance of the Illusory Dao universe. The eyes of several mighty figures shifted slightly. Zheng Yu murmured, "This fellow truly possesses control over time. He actually... reversed time!" Even if only for a few seconds! The Red Moon Sovereign's expression also flickered. "Only across a minuscule area. Still... to truly reverse time is indeed incredible. Controlling time is usually merely relative—freezing an area, not reversing it!" The two were entirely different! Freezing meant time halted in only one localized area while continuing to flow everywhere else, akin to a pause. But Li Hao had just brought about a rewind within a tiny patch of space! This signaled that Li Hao's mastery over time was growing increasingly terrifying! Though it was only for a fleeting instant... to mighty experts, this was still an astonishing feat. The Ninth Prince's probing... had not been entirely useless. At the very least, it forced Li Hao to reveal a deeper trump card. This man was even more terrifying than before. However, Zheng Yu soon shook his head. "It wasn't a complete reversal! He merely rewound the Ninth Prince alone, without covering a large area—just a sliver, perhaps just a single person! The bombs didn't explode because it involved karmic cause and effect... Regardless, such a technique is already incredible! In the Neo-Martial era, no one mastered time. Why would this new Dao give birth to temporal power?" They didn't care about the Ninth Prince's death. A Saint—and a forcibly induced Saint at that... what was he worth? If several Heavenly Kings died, none of them would bat an eye. An imperial descendant, a member of the Jiang family... was nothing more than a joke. In their eyes, the Ninth Prince's greatest function had been forcing out some of Li Hao's hidden methods. That was his greatest contribution! "How much longer?" Zheng Yu frowned slightly. "Something feels amiss... Li Hao actually used temporal power against a minor nobody. This means... he might have an even greater secret, an even larger ambition! Li Daoheng, whatever tricks you have, use them all to stall Li Hao!" A minor nobody! Even in death, the Ninth Prince likely never imagined that this was how these supreme beings regarded him. At this moment, the sword-bearing man in the distance furrowed his brow slightly. "He indeed has greater ambitions. I have already sensed something off! Li Hao isn't merely doing this to devour heaven and earth. Zheng Yu, at this point, neither of us needs to hide anything. Minor tricks work on the weak, but against you and me, they are of little use. We might as well unleash them together!" Zheng Yu smiled and nodded. "Fine! Let's unleash them, then... Let there be no delay!" ... Meanwhile. The Queen of the God Nation, hovering in the sky, suddenly experienced a drastic change of expression. In that instant, a boundless force surged into her body through the true form of Silver Moon. It was... a familiar power! The power of Silver Moon! The Moon God! As expected! Just as she had guessed, and just as Li Hao had surmised, in the eyes of the Moon God, Li Daoheng, and Li Hao, she was nothing more than a pawn. No matter how strong she became, she could not escape the fate of being a chess piece. Not only that, but in that very moment, figures suddenly materialized around her. The Queen recognized them well—she saw several gods: the Prophet God, Misfortune, Fate, Disaster... Multiple gods of the Illusory Dao! These gods possessed formidable auras, far beyond ordinary Saints. They originally wielded Saint-level strength, and now they seemed to have restored themselves to their peak, perhaps even stepping further. Their auras erupted instantly as powers of misfortune and disaster permeated the entire world. Meanwhile, the Queen's aura instantly transformed into that of the Moon God. Li Daoheng's voice rang out: "Slaughter heaven and earth, slay all cultivators, and bring disaster to the mortal realm!" "Acknowledged!" The gods had seemingly not lost their consciousness; their expressions were somewhat complicated. Glancing at the struggling Queen nearby, they began flying in all directions, intending to bring disaster upon the world of mortals. The Queen gritted her teeth and looked toward the other side of heaven and earth, toward that bright moon. That was the Moon God's true location. Yet right now, a formidable force was sweeping across heaven and earth, coercing and controlling her. She had thought she was in control of her own power, but it had all been a joke; she had always been a pawn to these people. A cold sneer appeared on her face. Gritting her teeth, a red glint flashed in her eyes. *You bastards!* *Did you truly think I knew nothing and prepared nothing?* *Did you think you could manipulate this queen however you pleased?* At this moment, her physical body forcibly dragged her forward, flying toward Li Hao as though intending to use her as a pawn to probe and delay him once more. These people didn't actually expect the Queen to kill Li Hao. Having absorbed a massive amount of Silver Moon's power, the Queen currently was not weaker than a late-stage Heavenly King, not inferior to Li Hao himself. Yet whether it was Li Daoheng, Zheng Yu... or even the Queen herself, all knew she could never match Li Hao. He was someone whose strength could not be judged purely by realm. As the Queen flew toward Li Hao, her gaze flickered. After a long moment, as she drew close to Li Hao, a flicker of joy and relief suddenly surfaced in her eyes. *Manipulating my life felt great to you, didn't it?* Not far away, Li Hao watched silently, seemingly waiting for something. Right at that moment, Li Hao frowned slightly. He looked at the Queen... somewhat puzzled. A bright moon hung in the sky, radiating an immensely powerful aura. Li Daoheng and his cohort no longer seemed to conceal anything, perhaps feeling there would be no need for it later. A monstrous power swept through the world, encompassing far more than just the power of Silver Moon. There was also a force charging straight for Dao meridians! The Queen's Dao meridians! Li Hao knew where the Queen's physical Dao meridians lay, and he had them pinned down within his mental world. At this moment, that power was lashing against his mental world. Of course, this too was within Li Hao's expectations; it was no big deal. Yet just as he was about to snuff out this force... The Queen suddenly cracked a smile. It was not the smile of the Moon God, but the Queen's somewhat foolish, invariably smug smile whenever she thought she had outsmarted everyone. The moment he saw that smile... Li Hao felt something was wrong! *Don't tell me... she's going to screw people over again?* If this woman simply followed the script and acted according to Li Daoheng's plan, Li Hao wouldn't worry. What he feared was... this fellow would not only sabotage her teammates, but end up sabotaging everyone! He truly felt the Queen was a walking disaster. Clever people could anticipate the thoughts of clever people, but when someone who wasn't so bright took action, they often did things nobody could possibly foresee. In that split second, the Queen sneered coldly. "Manipulate my life? Is this queen someone so easily pushed around?" Hearing those words, Li Hao immediately sensed disaster! He barked urgently, "Don't do anything reckless!" The Queen ignored him. In an instant, a monstrous power erupted as a surge of crimson energy swept across heaven and earth. A certain Sovereign trapped within the seal was momentarily stunned. At the center of the seal, a small opening suddenly appeared. He froze for a moment, and in the next breath, a boundless force seeped outward. The Red Moon Sovereign was somewhat dazed as well! Naturally, there was no time to ponder it. This... had originally seemed to be the location of Silver Moon. In that instant, the Queen laughed wildly. "All of you, go die for this queen!" *Boom!* Monstrous Red Moon power swept outward. In an instant, another figure appeared beside her, formed of Red Moon power concentrated to the extreme. It was not the Red Moon Sovereign's true body, yet... it was actually another clone, and its power was remarkably formidable. It was not even weaker than the clone manifested earlier! The Red Moon Sovereign's second clone was also somewhat bewildered. *Just like that... I divided out another clone?* The Queen, however, was ecstatic. She abruptly summoned the true form of Silver Moon; a bright moon manifested and hurtled straight toward the Red Moon Sovereign's clone. Her voice rang out shrilly: "Detonate together for me!" The Red Moon Sovereign's second clone froze for an instant. In the next breath, without a word, he threw a punch straight at that bright moon! Inside the Illusory Dao universe, the sword-bearing man instantly turned to the first clone. The first clone remained silent, watching quietly. *I produced another clone!* *In that case... I'll let it be. If this clone can enter the Illusory Dao universe and merge with me, I will become even stronger. As for how the Queen managed to open the original passage, even I have no clue.* Last time, the Queen hadn't appeared directly inside the seal; she had walked through the original fixed passage, which had subsequently been locked down. How had she reopened it? Who knew! Yet for him, there was no loss. Since his true body could not emerge for the time being, drawing out whatever power he could was a gain. If this happened a few more times... his true body wouldn't even need to emerge; short of lacking a true Sovereign physique, all of his power could seep out. To him, this was an immense boon. ... Li Hao, on the other hand, had a colossal headache! Li Daoheng's schemes, Li Daoheng's plans... he could handle all of them. But this Queen, acting as a pawn, refused to follow the moves on the board and insisted on making her own mess—this was utterly infuriating! It was enough to drive one to despair. *Fuck!* She had released yet another clone of the Red Moon Sovereign! Judging by its strength, even if it wasn't a half-step Sovereign, it wasn't far off. Another near-half-step Sovereign? He was truly speechless. He wasn't prepared to deal with an entity approaching half-step Sovereign right now. Crucially, heaven and earth could not yet accommodate a half-step Sovereign, and the reason this clone could appear was entirely due to that half of the moon! He truly felt like tearing his hair out. *Don't you dare ruin my grand plan!* The Queen, however, wore a look of immense satisfaction, sporting a thoroughly gratified smile. *You lot plotted against me, did you?* *Fine, this queen isn't incapable of scheming either!* *Did you really think this queen was easy to bully?* If Li Hao dared cross her, she would summon the Red Moon Sovereign to slaughter all of them! She turned her head toward Li Hao, seemingly wanting to tell him: *I'm not someone to be trifled with. Do you see now? This queen can scheme against Li Daoheng just as well!* Yet when she looked over... Li Hao's face was completely ashen! The Queen was taken aback. *What's with him?* *For you, isn't the appearance of the Red Moon Sovereign's clone to deal with the true form of Silver Moon a good thing?* *It saves you from clashing with this queen! Li Daoheng plotted against me, and I'm helping you deal with him. Why aren't you happy?* Right then, Li Hao cursed furiously, "What the hell are you doing?! You foolish wretch!" Li Hao rarely lost his temper! He had known that the moment this woman started having ideas, she would inevitably bring disaster to everyone. If the two Red Moon Sovereign clones merged, it would spell catastrophe for all parties. She was causing pure chaos! He roared in anger, suddenly bellowing, "Li Daoheng, detonate it!" Inside the Illusory Dao universe, the sword-bearing man also looked grim. Suddenly, that half of Silver Moon erupted with brilliant light, and a colossal boom echoed across the entire world! A majestic and boundless power swept through heaven and earth. Half of the moon detonated directly! The Queen spat blood wildly, looking toward Li Hao with utter bewilderment. *Are you... joining hands with Li Daoheng?* Li Hao couldn't be bothered to explain. Seeing a blood-red shadow shooting straight into the sky, attempting to breach the Great Dao Universe and enter the Illusory Dao universe, Li Hao unleashed his river across heaven and earth without hesitation, slashing toward the red silhouette! Inside the Illusory Dao universe, the Red Moon Sovereign's first clone wore an ugly, sinister expression. "How... interesting!" Whether it was Li Daoheng or Li Hao, the instant his second clone appeared, their immediate choice was to kill it! Damn them! They had even detonated half of Silver Moon without hesitation. Truly damned! Zheng Yu merely watched the show, chuckling. The Red Moon Sovereign had overestimated himself and underestimated them—overestimated his own cunning and underestimated their resolve. Neither he, Li Daoheng, nor Li Hao wanted to go to war with a Sovereign. At least not right now! If the two clones merged, this fellow might be able to puncture the seal from the inside and let his true body out. The Queen's reckless meddling had nearly shattered everyone's plans. At this moment, if they didn't kill his clone, whose clone would they kill? When a clone's power grew stronger than the suppressing force, would breaking the true body's seal still be difficult? With internal and external coordination... the three men were considering far deeper ramifications than the Queen. At that point, this Sovereign might break his seal completely. Who would dare allow a Sovereign to break out at this juncture? Otherwise, the seal of the eight cities wasn't truly unbreakable; it would have been shattered long ago! Below, Li Hao soared into the sky, the river surging. At this moment, Li Daoheng, Zheng Yu, and even the gods who had intended to slaughter mortals all halted in their tracks, granting Li Hao the time he needed. To dispose of this clone! One clone was enough! Another would disrupt everyone's plans and benefit no one. Such tacit understanding... was something the Queen completely lacked. Thus, at this moment, Li Hao's sword pierced heaven and earth, slashing toward the Red Moon Sovereign's clone. The second clone was thrown into disarray and roared in fury, gritting his teeth, "Fool! Once my clones merge, I will deal with those two first! Do you think those two are easy to handle?" *Li Hao actually dares block me!* *Curse you!* Li Hao remained silent. If the clone dealt with those two, he would naturally be delighted... but today, the Sovereign's true body could not be released under any circumstances, or disaster would follow. If the clones merged, he might summon his true body directly. Did he think they hadn't considered that? The longsword pierced the world! Yet this clone was formidable. Right then, another bright moon manifested instantly, crashing down with a thunderous roar to suppress the world. With a massive bang, the red shadow stumbled backward—it was the Moon God's true body! A frost-cold figure stood atop the moon, casting a glance at the Queen, who was still coughing blood, seemingly wondering... *Why on earth did I choose this fool back then?* This second-generation successor... was truly... maddening! The longsword thrust forward! Simultaneously, the Moon God's true form erupted with terrifying power once more, pressing down upon the world to suppress the red shadow again. The red shadow threw a punch, cracking heaven and earth! The Moon God had originally intended to deal with Li Hao, yet the situation had shifted unpredictably. Fortune truly toyed with men; two sides that had been on the verge of fighting to the death an instant ago had instantly formed a cooperation. *Rumble!* The second clone was suppressed, pierced through by the longsword as time froze. The Red Moon Sovereign's second clone roared, "Bastards! Damn you all! You mere ants dare slay a Sovereign's clone?!" *Boom!* A tremendous explosion erupted. The massive red silhouette blew apart, and boundless Red Moon power scattered in all directions. The Red Moon Sovereign's voice echoed with chilling malice: "If you kill a Sovereign's clone, this seat shall turn heaven and earth into a realm of the Red Moon!" At that moment, the boundless energy began sweeping through the entire world, seeking to envelop the realm and transform it into a land cloaked by the Red Moon. Li Hao frowned and prepared to strike again. Suddenly, a chaotic river manifested, instantly blanketing the entire world. Boundless Red Moon power was devoured, and in the blink of an eye, countless bolts of Great Dao lightning boomed outward! Wisps of Red Moon power were shattered one after another! One strike followed another! Meanwhile, Li Hao's expression shifted slightly. He vanished and reappeared within the river. In the sky, the Moon God did not intervene further, instead turning toward the Queen with chilling eyes. The massive moon plummeted directly toward the Queen to crush her! This woman was useless now! She did nothing but botch matters time and again! If not for the Queen's meddling, none of this would have been necessary. Half of her true form would not have been wasted, but instead dealt Li Hao a heavy blow! Of course, for Li Hao, had the Queen not botched things by summoning the Red Moon Sovereign's clone, he might have traced back through that half-moon to the Moon God's true body and found a way to slay her directly! Now, neither side had gained any advantage. At this moment, the Queen sensed an overwhelming crisis—as well as everyone's sheer disgust! She grew furious as well! *You treated me as a pawn... Did you really expect this queen to remain a pawn for the rest of her life?!* *Bastards!* Seeing the Moon God's true form descending directly to crush her to death, it was clear the other party felt she was useless and that keeping her alive was only a liability. "Did you... truly think this queen knows nothing?!" The Queen shrieked shrilly, followed by a piercing howl: "Faith of the realm, gather into my body!" "Believers of the Divine Kingdom, burn yourselves and offer up your lives!" In that split second, countless figures floated into the air across the western lands with expressions of devout reverence. They spontaneously ignited, chanting beneath their breath: "The Heavenly God descends, burning my flesh to illuminate heaven and earth; burning my form, the God arrives in the mortal realm!" Instantly, boundless power of faith erupted across the Divine Kingdom, blazing furiously as a mighty force surged into the Queen's body. The Queen snorted coldly. "This queen has governed the Divine Kingdom to this day... Did you truly think it belonged to you?" In an instant, she completely recovered from her heavy injuries, her aura surging wildly. Not far away, Li Hao glanced over... somewhat surprised, finding it utterly bizarre. *What a... fucking joke!* The Queen had actually hidden a trump card! In the next instant, his head ached again. Hong Yitang's voice sounded in his ear: "What do we do? She suddenly burned the entire Divine Kingdom's power of faith. If Hongxiu truly is the Moon God's clone, won't she... have no faith left to use?" "..." Li Hao was speechless as well. *How the hell would I know?!* How could he have known that after all his careful calculations, the Queen would suddenly leap out, seeking to jump off the chessboard and play a game of her own, pulling off a brand-new stunt? He hadn't foreseen it, and Li Daoheng likely hadn't either. Who would have guessed that the foolish Queen had kept a card up her sleeve and could actually command the Divine Kingdom's continued faith in her! They had assumed that after multiple defeats and being captured by Li Hao, the Divine Kingdom's faith had long collapsed. Who would have thought there was still a massive cohort of zealots willing to follow this Queen to the death... Who would believe it? In an instant, the Queen's aura surged dramatically. A scepter appeared, and suddenly, a blazing sun rose above her head! "Hmph!" The Queen snorted coldly. "I am the Heavenly God! With the bright sun hanging in the sky, what is a mere moon?!" *Boom!* Endless energy erupted instantly, blasting apart heaven and earth. The Moon God's true form was battered, struck squarely by the scepter! Li Hao said nothing. His chaotic river encircled heaven and earth, suppressing and devouring the scattered Red Moon power. The Moon God was caught off guard by the strike. With a loud bang, a deafening explosion echoed across heaven and earth! The Queen's strike landed true, scoring a massive advantage by shattering half of Silver Moon. Just as Li Hao was contemplating what to do next, the Queen vanished, turning into a ray of sunlight that dissolved into heaven and earth. "Li Hao, this queen shall execute those traitors! I leave this one to you!" She had actually learned how to run! She vanished in an instant, darting toward the distant Prophet God and the others. The so-called "traitors" were those gods—though in truth, they belonged to the Moon God and were hardly traitors to her. Li Hao smiled and materialized within the world. He said nothing; though the plan had altered slightly, the Moon God's true form had been wounded by the Queen and delayed here... so there was no need for him to be polite. At this moment, the Moon God's cold face finally showed a ripple of emotion, fraught with anger and vexation. Losing her composure, she spat coldly, "Scoundrel!" Everything the second generation possessed had been granted by her. Yet today, she had been played by her own creation. The Queen had incinerated the Divine Kingdom's entire faith in an instant. Had she known earlier... she should have slaughtered her long ago! In the distance, the fleeing Queen charged straight toward the Prophet God with a cold sneer. "Prophet God, could you foresee this moment?" As her words fell, the scepter descended, shattering heaven and earth! A bitter look surfaced on the Prophet God's face. He had failed to predict this. In everyone's eyes, the Queen was a synonym for failure, an emblem of foolishness. Yet she had actually laid secret preparations. She had claimed that Sun Hongxiu was controlling the Divine Kingdom, but in truth, this woman had done plenty behind the scenes. Otherwise, ever since the Divine Kingdom was breached last time and faith collapsed, how could so many still believe in her? She had undoubtedly employed other means. Only that could explain why hundreds of thousands of zealots had disregarded everything, burning their lives and their faith to fulfill her. She was ruthless indeed! As the scepter struck, boundless power swept downward. Simultaneously, the other gods' expressions changed drastically, and they rapidly converged to mount a defense. Yet right at that moment... Heaven's Will suddenly swept across the surroundings! The Queen bore a blazing sun above her head, and in this instant, streams of Heaven's Will surged madly toward her. Her aura skyrocketed once more, her scepter seemingly taking command of heaven and earth! As the scepter struck, the Prophet God—who had been about to flee—paled as a premonition of doom struck him. *Boom!* Heaven and earth shattered as the Queen smashed him to pieces with a single strike. Shifting through the void, she instantly appeared before the other gods, pulverizing them one after another with consecutive blows! Li Hao had just thrust his sword forward, drawing a pained grunt from the Moon God. Glancing sideways... he froze for a moment. "Heaven's Will... is on you?!" *You hid it that deeply?!* When had Heaven's Will been taken by the Queen? In the distance, the Queen smashed the gods to death one after another. Seeing Li Hao look back at her, she barked, "Are you going to let that one escape? Kill her!" As for Heaven's Will being on her... The Queen felt it was completely natural, wasn't it? In this era, Li Hao had discarded it, and the King of Dali had a Sovereign clone beside him. Everyone in the realm thought she was foolish... but in truth, she had been born bearing Heaven's Will as well. Now that Ying Hongyue was dead, she had originally been the tool used by the Moon God and the others to capture Heaven's Will, making her the most suitable vessel to accommodate it. *Heaven's Will being with me—what's so strange about that?* She was of the same generation as Li Hao, both born carrying the providence of heaven and earth. Previously, due to repeated defeats and Li Hao seizing Heaven's Will's favor, she had been suppressed. Later, Li Hao gave it up of his own accord, infuriating Heaven's Will. In this world, who was more suited for Heaven's Will than her? At this moment, the Queen's aura climbed continuously, not a shred weaker than before. Seizing the opportunity, she had detonated the true form of Silver Moon, burned her power of faith, and completely broken free from everyone's control! Taking advantage of this opening, before Li Hao had even begun his layout, she had taken the initiative and completed her own plan! With a few swings of her scepter, the Queen battered those gods to death. Looking up toward the void at the sword-bearing man and Zheng Yu... she snorted. "Thinking you could manipulate this queen? Pure fantasy! Plotting and scheming all you want... didn't this queen break free in the end?" Inside the Illusory Dao universe, Zheng Yu and the others exchanged glances and chuckled. Zheng Yu sighed softly. "This has grown rather interesting... Li Daoheng, it seems plans cannot keep up with changes!" Before Li Hao could make a move... This Western Queen had taken the lead in concluding her own arrangement. She had thoroughly broken free from Silver Moon's control and shattered Silver Moon's clone. Crucially, looking back now, her borrowing of the Red Moon Sovereign's power had likely not been sheer stupidity, but deliberate calculation. She had known they would never allow the two clones to merge, and so seized the opportunity to let Silver Moon's true body perish alongside the Red Moon Sovereign's clone. And... she had succeeded! Otherwise, breaking free would never have been so simple. Furthermore, this woman had captured Heaven's Will long ago; it had likely resided within her all along. The Ninth Prince had merely been a puppet of Heaven's Will. She was the sole chosen vessel of Heaven's Will. ... Li Hao laughed. He wasn't angry! He merely felt... after hunting geese all his life, he had been pecked in the eye by a gosling today. *I truly misjudged her!* Of course, he had suffered no loss. It was just that with Heaven's Will captured by the Queen... he would have to dispose of this woman eventually. For now, he would slay the Moon God first! Scheming back and forth... only for someone else to seize the initiative. He didn't mind. That was the nature of plans; they could never unfold entirely according to one's desires. It could only be said that the Queen's so-called bad luck had all been an illusion. For herself, it was good fortune. It seemed he had truly underestimated her. Her good fortune naturally brought bad luck to everyone else—that was the essence of Heaven's Will! And Heaven's Will truly had no better alternative! Choosing the Queen was the optimal result, for she was powerful and exceptionally talented, possessing advantages over anyone else. Right then, Li Hao slashed out with his sword, rending heaven and earth! The river encircled them! The Moon God's face was grim. Suddenly, the void above her shattered, and the entrance to the Illusory Dao universe manifested. Clearly, she wanted to flee. She was certain Li Hao wouldn't dare enter the Illusory Dao universe. Even though the universe had not fully descended and the half-step Sovereigns could not step out, Li Hao still wouldn't dare charge in recklessly. Li Hao raised an eyebrow slightly. He had anticipated this outcome. If she fled again... it wouldn't matter much. Just as he was thinking this, a blazing sun manifested once more. The fleeing Queen had suddenly returned, and atop the sun, Heaven's Will fluctuated violently! Like mountains crumbling and oceans surging! Heaven and earth swept across the four directions as Heaven's Will surged, bringing misfortune with it. In that split second, the entrance to the Great Dao Universe shifted off course. Not only that, the Queen snorted coldly and ground her teeth. "Go die, you old hag! Who do you think you can manipulate?" "Is this queen so easily pushed around?!" *Boom!* The sun instantly shattered, blowing heaven and earth apart. Furthermore, Heaven's Will morphed into a massive face, appearing somewhat shocked. The Queen gritted her teeth, and Heaven's Will began fluctuating with violent intensity! Trapped within that shattered, detonating sun, the Queen roared, "Li Hao, you kill Heaven's Will! This old hag Moon God is mine!" This time, Li Hao was genuinely stunned! In that moment, feeling a touch of disbelief and the daze of having his calculations disrupted, he struck toward the blazing sun with his sword. Heaven's Will fluctuated violently, and a wisp of worldly intent suddenly resonated: "Why?!" *I entered your body and helped you succeed! Why... do you abandon me now?!* The Queen did not say a word! Why? To survive! To break free of everything! She charged straight toward the Moon God. She wanted to swallow the Moon God and discard Heaven's Will, boosting her strength once more. With Heaven's Will slain by Li Hao, she could completely avoid Li Hao's killing intent, escape the Moon God's control, and shed the manipulation of Heaven's Will... Why? Naturally, to liberate herself! Who could control this queen? Sure enough, caught off guard, Li Hao began laughing. His longsword erupted with incomparably formidable might, slashing toward Heaven's Will as the chaotic river encircled the broken sun! Meanwhile, the Queen manifested instantly and charged the Moon God. A monstrous power erupted as her scepter shattered the Moon God's form, and she began devouring her raw—where was any trace of her usual silly demeanor? Gulping down half of the small moon, her scepter battered down frantically. The Moon God's true form emerged, bearing cold fury: "You dare—" "Fool!" This time, the Queen sneered coldly. *Boom!* An even greater power erupted as her scepter blew the other party's head apart. "What makes the Moon God so special? What makes gods so grand?" *This lady isn't afraid of you!* *Devour you!* *Devour you without your traps, rather than that broken half-moon from before!* *Boom!* Another explosion erupted. Nearby, Li Hao struck again and again. Heaven's Will roared, shaking the surroundings. A small sword even materialized in the mouth of the giant face. It did not look at Li Hao, but stared at the Queen: "You had the hope of becoming the master of Silver Moon... You actually... Damn you... Fool..." Everyone called her foolish, yet the Queen sneered repeatedly! *I'm foolish?* *You are all the fools!* *Boom!* A strike of her scepter brought the Moon God to the verge of complete collapse. Opening her mouth wide, she swallowed again, draining the Silver Moon power dry. In the distance, the sword-bearing man seemed on the verge of stepping forth, but the Queen paid him no heed! At this moment, a bright moon manifested above her head once more! "Today... this queen is the true God!" She threw her head back to look at the sky. In the next breath, the moon above her engulfed the Moon God entirely. *Boom!* Explosions sounded without end! Nearby, Heaven's Will shuddered! It roared violently, yet it was being chopped to pieces by Li Hao. Furthermore, the chaotic river and the river of time surged forth simultaneously, scouring heaven and earth to utterly eradicate Heaven's Will! The entire Silver Moon firmament seemed on the verge of tearing apart! After an unknown length of time, *boom!* A colossal roar shook heaven and earth. *Rumble!* Rain of blood suddenly fell from the sky, pouring in torrents. It was not because Li Hao had slain Heaven's Will, but because at that instant, a massive star inside the Illusory Dao universe suddenly exploded! The Moon God had fallen! The sword-bearing man turned to look, visibly shaken and bewildered. The Moon God's natal star was here; logically, even if she was killed, only her physical body should have perished. How could her true self have completely fallen? Heaven's Will was not even completely dead yet! Before Li Hao could finish off Heaven's Will, the Queen had killed the Moon God first! Over here, the Queen frantically devoured the boundless Silver Moon power, looking thoroughly stuffed and immensely smug. At this moment, she seemed to return to her previous state, laughing wildly and foolishly: "Heaven and earth only need one god! This queen devoured her, seized the Moon God's meridian, and simply detonated her natal star! I am her, and she is me! Permeating this queen all these years unified our power origins long ago! Li Daoheng, did you fail to foresee even this? You refined me as a clone... so this queen replaced the true body with the clone!" *Boom!* Her body trembled slightly, coughing blood repeatedly—clearly the result of detonating the natal star—yet she laughed with wild abandon! *I won!* A bright moon floated into the sky, instantly vanishing into the depths of the world. The Queen's voice drifted back: "Li Hao, I don't owe you anything! I killed the Moon God, you kill Heaven's Will; each gets what they desire! From now on... I am the true Moon God! The sole God!" *Boom!* At that exact instant, Heaven's Will collapsed, the small sword snapped, and boundless energy swept through the world, devoured by Li Hao's river! In all directions, heaven and earth seemed fractured as massive torrents of blood-rain poured down, mingled with boundless energy and a sense of grief. Heaven's Will... had actually been screwed over to death by a foolish woman! Everyone else had been puppets and pawns to Heaven's Will; only the Queen was someone Heaven's Will genuinely wanted to ally with, fuse with, and unify with. Yet... the Queen had abandoned it, swallowing the broken moon instead of choosing to merge with it. ... "Brilliant!" At this moment, in the north, Tianji let out a low cheer. He grabbed the King of Dali and punched him in the head, his face beaming with excitement. "What a formidable character! Shattered the broken moon, discarded Heaven's Will, appeased Li Hao, resolved Li Daoheng's hidden cards, killed the Moon God, replaced her... and became the sole God in the world! That foolish woman... no, that remarkably formidable woman, turned the tables in a single stroke! Now, you've become the stupidest one!" The Queen's series of maneuvers left even Tianji thoroughly shaken. The King of Dali was utterly dazed, murmuring, "She... by doing this... hasn't she offended Li Daoheng to death?" *Thwack!* A fist cracked against his skull. Tianji gritted his teeth. "Idiot, they were mortal enemies to begin with! They treated her as a tool to gather Heaven's Will, and the Moon God treated her as a reserve vessel to disperse energy. In the end, even the tool managed to turn the tables, yet you still don't get it, whining about mortal enemies... As long as she doesn't offend Li Hao to death, she's fine! She discarded Heaven's Will and took the Moon God; Li Hao won't say a damn thing... he even has to praise her for a job well done! And here you are, worrying about who she offended to death!" The King of Dali snapped back to reality, nodding and murmuring, "Wasn't this woman... supposed to be very stupid?" She had turned the tables just like that! Now, he felt like he was the only one who hadn't turned the tables! ... Meanwhile, amid the pouring blood-rain, countless stars began merging within Li Hao's mental world. A portion of the slain Heaven's Will was captured directly into his world, absorbed by the three great Saints! Another portion was forcefully devoured by the chaotic river—by Hong Yitang! Li Hao looked into the distance, where a bright moon was rapidly fleeing... Li Hao murmured, "I truly underestimated the people of the world!" The Queen, whom he had always regarded as a pig-headed teammate... had been the first to break free of the chessboard, slaying the Moon God and eradicating Heaven's Will. Could this woman have been putting on an act with him all along? Hong Yitang's voice slowly resonated in his ear: "Is Heaven's Will completely dead?" With blood-rain pouring from the sky, it appeared thoroughly dead. Yet Li Hao replied, "No. As long as heaven and earth remain, it isn't truly extinct... It still has a chance to rise from the ashes. But with its main force wiped out, it can hardly turn the tables anymore. Still, I never expected it to be screwed over so miserably by the Queen!" Truly... whoever partnered with the Queen died!