Stepping beyond the Star Gate, their first battle had ended in triumph.
Though the price paid was steep, slaying a Sovereign the very moment they walked out of the Star Gate made any cost well worth it.
They had prepared for this from the start.
Li Hao was remarkably calm.
He even felt that if it all ended just like this, it would be unnatural. The arrival of a single Sovereign had been the safest scenario anticipated; without at least three to five showing up, it would hardly be worthy of being called a world-ending tribulation!
In the distance, an impossibly towering silhouette seemed to emerge.
A second Sovereign had arrived!
Meanwhile, the surrounding chaotic aura churned restlessly. With the colossal bull-beast dead and no one to conceal the commotion, the disturbance grew larger and larger... Li Hao was actually more worried that if the lightning tribulation did not conclude soon, it might draw even more and far more powerful beings here.
Did Neo Martial... make any move?
He did not know, because he could not sense it; he had not reached that level yet.
At this moment, the sixth bolt of lightning had already descended.
Not only that, but far away, a figure descended above the chaos like a god or Buddha. The moment the newcomer drew near, Li Hao knew... someone from Red Moon had arrived. That power of desire spread without limit.
It was cut from the exact same cloth as Sovereign Shigu, yet vastly more powerful.
If Sovereign Shigu was merely the weakest rank of Sovereign, and the giant beast slain earlier belonged to the second tier, then this one... was very likely an existence of the third tier.
Li Hao sighed inwardly.
So the absence of three to five Sovereigns wasn't because the tribulation was weak, but because this single Sovereign was perhaps far more troublesome than several weaker ones combined.
At that moment, Tianji’s voice sounded beside his ear: "Things don't look good... This one... might be even stronger than my true self..."
Even stronger than Tianji's true self.
Among the Neo Martial Sovereigns, Tianji was not particularly weak, though of course he was not among the strongest either.
Yet this newcomer could be considered quite formidable among Sovereigns.
In the distance.
The suspended silhouette looked toward Silver Moon, enshrouded in the chaotic lightning tribulation. His eyes flickered slightly as he glanced around, and then he suddenly chuckled. "How interesting. A chaotic lightning tribulation was triggered not by some heavenly treasure, but by a single person! Silver Moon is actually advancing into a medium-tier world..."
Recognizing Silver Moon at a glance, this person clearly understood the situation.
He also knew this was the world where Neo Martial had been born: the Silver Moon World.
He had even come specifically for Silver Moon.
Red light gleamed in the man's eyes as he gazed across the void at Li Hao, his expression shifting slightly. "The Silver Moon World Master of this generation? I never would have imagined that after Silver Moon sealed itself for dozens of chaotic years, reopening would produce such a heaven-defying individual capable of provoking a chaotic lightning tribulation... It seems that river of the Great Dao of yours is truly extraordinary!"
This man was far stronger than the giant bull, and his discerning eye was vastly superior.
With a single look, he saw through a great deal.
Furthermore, he understood Silver Moon far better.
Li Hao looked up at the sky. The sixth bolt of lightning instantly descended, coalescing into a humanoid form and charging fiercely toward him.
Li Hao swung his sword in a slashing strike!
Two silhouettes engaged in a bitter struggle within the chaos, power of destruction and power of time intertwining!
On the periphery, the Sovereign grew increasingly astonished the more he watched.
Is that... Time?
No wonder!
To think, against all expectations, that the Dao of Time could actually be born here! No wonder it triggered chaotic lightning. As an expert from a Great World, he knew vastly more than the giant bull.
For a time, he felt both marvel and delight.
The Silver Moon World had birthed its own Great Dao!
Not only that, but the newborn Great Dao even encompassed the formidable power of time. This... was simply unbelievable!
A medium-tier world, a Great Dao containing Time—it was beyond imagination!
Within the Red Moon World, he was not at the absolute pinnacle, but he was certainly no weakling either.
Having stepped into the third rank not long ago, he was considered fairly prominent when looking across the entire chaos.
Almost all chaos rangers were Sovereigns.
However, the majority were first or second rank. Reaching the third rank placed one in the upper-middle echelon of chaos Sovereigns; out in the wider chaos, his status was scarcely inferior to that of an ordinary medium-tier world master.
With a bit of luck—like right now—if he could seize Silver Moon, take control of a medium-tier world, and master a Great Dao to become both a world master and a Dao master, he might be able to break through his current stage in one leap and become a candidate Great World Master!
A Great World was extraordinary even within the vast chaos!
Under normal circumstances, even a weaker Great World Master would be at the fifth rank or higher.
At this moment, the Sovereign’s heart pounded.
How many years had it been since he had felt this sensation?
Even though the Red Moon World had eradicated Great Worlds before... those spoils belonged to the entirety of Red Moon. Red Moon boasted over a hundred Sovereigns, numerous top-tier Sovereigns, and the Lord of Red Moon himself...
A mid-level figure like him could never claim much of the reward.
Coming here today was indeed the right choice.
Those cowards, intimidated by the Sword Venerable and wary of Neo Martial, hadn't dared to come. Yet he had chosen to make the journey, and now he had stumbled upon such a tremendous prize.
The power of desire swelled boundlessly in his eyes.
Glancing sideways at the slain chaotic beast, he remained somewhat cautious. Befitting a world that had given birth to Neo Martial, this group of people had actually slain a second-rank Sovereign—this was no weakling like Sovereign Shigu!
Shigu had merely been a first-rank Sovereign.
Years ago, ignorant of the Neo Martial Sword Venerable's might, they had dispatched figures like Shigu... Shigu had not fallen to the Sword Venerable, yet he had perished now. Evidently, he had likely been slain by these people as well!
This person currently undergoing the tribulation was probably not inferior to Shigu.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind. Seeing Li Hao still occupied with the tribulation, the man cast his gaze past the Star Gate, his eyes flickering slightly. He suddenly let out a laugh. "Silver Moon's reappearance is truly worthy of celebration. Ascending to a medium-tier world today is a joyous occasion for the entire chaos. I have come to welcome Shigu's return... Where is Shigu?"
All was silent, save for the crackling of lightning.
Yet at that exact instant, at the entrance of the Star Gate, two streams of Great Dao lightning suddenly intertwined with a thunderous roar. The lightning exploded, and a wave of Red Moon power spilled inward, only to be obliterated by the lightning!
Hong Yitang materialized, his face somewhat pale.
He wore an expression of sheer horror!
This person was unimaginably strong!
Silver Moon's Great Dao was inherently averse to the power of Red Moon, so each time it encountered Red Moon energy previously, it would unleash Great Dao lightning to swiftly eradicate it.
Today, he had merged with Qian Wuliang, gathering the power of all living beings and uniting the twin Daos.
Li Hao had said... they could rival a Sovereign!
Hong Yitang had also felt that even if Shigu were reborn, he could personally slay the fiend this time!
Yet... this newly arrived Red Moon Sovereign had merely called out across the void, and the seeping Red Moon power had provoked a tribulation of the Great Dao, instantly consuming an immense amount of Dao power.
This feeling... brought far greater losses than slaying a half-step Sovereign.
Could... Qian Wuliang and I truly be considered Dao masters?
Can we truly rival a Sovereign?
Earlier, that giant bull had pierced straight through their defenses. Now, this newly arrived Sovereign was even more terrifying, immediately subjecting him to agonizing distress.
A voice whispered relentlessly beside his ear: "Go, launch a sneak attack on that man... Slay him, and you shall be the world master!"
Hong Yitang's Chaotic River even began to shift color.
In that instant, he realized... he was in grave trouble.
Fortunately, he possessed some understanding of Red Moon. Otherwise, he knew he would soon lose control of these thoughts. In a split second, Hong Yitang made his decision, knowing he could scarcely hold out on his own!
"Qian Wuliang, take control!"
He did not hesitate or waver for a single moment, terrified that he might genuinely fall under the bewitchment and launch a sneak attack against Li Hao.
Thus, even though they had agreed earlier that he would helm the twin Daos,
Hong Yitang chose to step back at this crucial moment and let Qian Wuliang take over.
In the blink of an eye, Hong Yitang’s consciousness receded, and Qian Wuliang took command. Nervous, thrilled, and excited, this was his first time taking the reins of the Twin Dao Universes!
He suddenly felt boundlessly powerful, though he knew full well this was an illusion!
Yet Qian Wuliang understood that at this moment, he truly possessed the power of a Sovereign. Hong Yitang’s consciousness was fading into the River just as his own had been suppressed earlier; now, both Daos were under his complete control!
He looked toward Li Hao not far away!
Li Hao was locked in a fierce, deadlock battle against the sixth tribulation bolt. Right now, if he launched a sneak attack from behind and severed Li Hao’s connection to Silver Moon, that Sovereign from Red Moon would very likely be able to kill Li Hao on the spot...
Of course, the thought vanished as quickly as it came. He knew even better that this mighty Sovereign had come to claim Silver Moon.
Li Hao, at the very least, had dared to grant him mastery over the illusory Dao.
This newcomer... would most likely devour him until not even scraps remained!
Not far away, the Sovereign glanced over, slightly surprised. This new Dao of Silver Moon was rather peculiar; it seemed to be controlled by more than one person. How intriguing—this made it seem even more interesting and full of potential.
He could even detect the presence of two distinct consciousnesses.
"Twin Daos?"
he murmured internally. The Great Dao Universe was actually composed of dual Daos, the illusory and the real. This revealed the true latent potential of this universe; under normal circumstances, a universe possessed only a single Dao, which was the standard across the cosmos.
A Twin Dao Universe... plus the individual who mastered Time, and that strand of Heaven's Will currently assimilating the chaotic beast...
Judging by the current situation, this tiny Silver Moon had the potential to birth four world masters!
Unbelievable!
Such a phenomenon was exceptionally rare even among Great Worlds.
Neo Martial was an anomaly, having birthed the dual Yin and Yang Masters. Typically, other Great Worlds had at most one world master, or two at best—one world master and one Dao master.
Yet this place... could actually bring forth four!
Tiny Silver Moon was merely a subsidiary world of Neo Martial; where did such staggering potential come from?
A single probe had yielded a wealth of insight.
Soon, however, a faint smile surfaced on the Sovereign’s face.
Not bad at all!
If a first-rank Sovereign had come here, they truly wouldn't have gained any advantage. A second-rank... like that giant demonic beast, had also perished here. But observing the aftermath, he could deduce several things.
That giant demonic beast had been slain here by the master of Time utilizing some methods left behind by the Sword Venerable.
He hesitated no longer; delays brought complications.
Ignoring Li Hao and the Twin Dao Masters, he lunged toward the giant beast in an instant, intending to eliminate Heaven's Will inside first. The corpse of a Sovereign, still intact... was an extraordinary treasure to him as well.
Uproot future troubles!
Lest the other party truly gain control of it and turn it into a lethal weapon against him. Moreover, that Heaven's Will possessing the beast might harbor thoughts of devouring the world and fleeing through the chaos with Silver Moon.
The Sovereign saw through all of this in an instant.
As for Li Hao, he was not worried.
Li Hao's tribulation was far from over; one glance at the tribulation clouds made it clear that much remained.
Whether the boy could even survive the tribulation was still a question!
***
Having just shattered the sixth lightning strike, an ashen-faced Li Hao frowned slightly.
The outcome he least wanted to see had unfolded!
If this person had attacked him or done anything else, it would have been favorable, buying Black Panther time to master the beast and swallow Silver Moon, whether to flee or fight. But the enemy had gone straight for Black Panther... this was the worst possible development.
Evidently, this Sovereign had grasped the whole picture in an instant.
Once Black Panther was slain and the beast's corpse seized... even if they could somehow kill this Sovereign in the end, without the corpse, Silver Moon could not be moved, and staying here would mean certain death.
Unless Li Hao abandoned Silver Moon and fled alone!
At this moment, Li Hao had no choice but to intervene. He vanished from his spot and materialized before the giant beast, thrusting his sword out to block the advance. Yet in that very instant, a wave of Red Moon power flooded his mind.
"Lower your weapon..."
That soul-corrupting whisper caused his mind to waver. Across from him, a silhouette faintly materialized, smiling faintly as he stepped forward, eyes glowing crimson with the power of Red Moon.
A mighty existence, acting with utter composure.
Though Li Hao was formidable and his Great Dao unique... he was ultimately only a half-step Sovereign, not a true Sovereign.
***
Li Hao gripped the Sky Sword, his hand trembling slightly—a tremor so severe that he could scarcely draw or swing his blade. Faced with a powerful Sovereign, he seemed entirely helpless.
A flush of redness crept onto Li Hao’s face!
Is he truly this strong?
"Good boy, be obedient..."
The man's voice echoed in his ear, laced with endless amusement. Li Hao's body felt as though it were slipping from his control, and the voice sounded again: "Draw your sword, strike down the giant demon..."
Li Hao’s arm lost control, drawing the sword to strike at the giant beast behind him!
Such terror!
Li Hao possessed an indomitable will and top-tier strength, yet right now, he felt as though he were being puppeteered, commanded to swing his sword and destroy the giant beast's corpse!
His consciousness remained somewhat lucid, but crimson energy was steadily invading his River, and the Time Star between his brows struggled fiercely.
His realm, not yet fully matured, felt as if it were being forcibly dominated.
Before absolute strength, all schemes and stratagems seemed utterly futile.
Right at this critical juncture, a shrill, piercing cry from behind shattered the enchantment.
"Marquis, I'm here!"
A shriek sharp enough to pierce the chaos rang out. Qian Wuliang’s voice was extraordinarily shrill and grating, yet timed with absolute perfection, striking at the pivotal instant.
A distinct power of desire permeated the chaos.
Qian Wuliang’s eyes flared with crimson light, as if desire had consumed his true self. Li Hao’s arm shuddered, his gaze hardened, and he slashed his sword toward the Sovereign before him!
*Boom!*
The Sovereign frowned slightly and raised a hand, shattering the sword intent with a single punch. Looking somewhat displeased, he turned to glance at Qian Wuliang, then suddenly laughed. "Intriguing. This Dao is truly intriguing! It suits my Red Moon Dao so well... If a Red Moon Sovereign could command this Dao... it would be utterly exquisite!"
He had been slightly annoyed,
yet now he broke into a broad smile.
The Great Dao of the Silver Moon World had likely been influenced by Shigu as well; when it came into being, it had actually manifested such a potent Dao of Desire!
He deduced several things in a flash.
Earlier, the power of this Great Dao was brimming with the intent of ten thousand Daos returning to one, likely shaped by the Sword Venerable's influence. And now, this intensely overpowering desire was almost certainly the legacy of Shigu.
When a Great Dao is first pioneered, it naturally draws upon the strongest forces present in Silver Moon.
Ten thousand Daos returning to one was represented by the Sword Venerable.
Boundless desire was represented by Red Moon's Shigu.
As for Time... perhaps, just as Li Hao had guessed, Silver Moon's very creation had stemmed from the power of the Emperor of Battle Heaven. Thus, Silver Moon's Great Dao Universe encompassed several distinct lineages!
Li Hao struck with his sword, only for the attack to be shattered instantly.
At this moment, it was equivalent to two first-rank Sovereigns fighting a third-rank Sovereign. Even if outmatched, they still had a sliver of hope.
Except... the seventh bolt of lightning was already gathering!
The desire in Qian Wuliang’s eyes dimmed considerably.
He felt utterly helpless!
If not for the lightning tribulation, joining forces with Li Hao would allow them to hold out for a while. If Black Panther gained control of the giant beast's corpse and swallowed Silver Moon, the three forces united would not fear this enemy too deeply, even if they remained at a disadvantage.
However... the crux of the matter was that the chaotic lightning tribulation persisted!
Under these circumstances, Li Hao would have virtually no opportunity to fight; he had to focus entirely on withstanding the lightning.
According to Li Hao's prior arrangements, Tianji and the others were not meant to appear right now, but rather to await an opportune moment... But where was that opportunity?
He could see no opening!
No opportunity at all!
Li Hao had claimed that Neo Martial might create an opening... but where was it?
The Red Moon Sovereign opposite them seemed in no hurry. Instead of pressing the attack, he stepped back a short distance with a faint smile, looking up at the sky. The tribulation was about to strike!
Once the lightning arrived, he wouldn't need to worry about Li Hao; he could simply execute this fellow who also wielded desire and wipe out Silver Moon's Heaven's Will!
Li Hao looked up at the sky with a grim expression.
He still had cards to play!
Er Mao!
Er Mao could help him withstand the lightning for a bit, but there was no telling how many strikes it could take. The crucial issue remained the lack of opportunity; what he needed was the opening created by Neo Martial...
When traveling to the past, both the Neo Martial Human King and the Supreme had promised that they would create an opening for him at this juncture.
Yet... Li Hao saw nothing.
Where was the opportunity?
Only if Neo Martial accomplished something monumental that shook the entire chaos could Tianji, Zhang An, and the others reveal themselves to instantly deter this mighty Sovereign, buying Li Hao and the others a chance to slay their foe!
Otherwise... with the tribulation raging and Silver Moon's full reserves already laid bare, there was little hope of overcoming this formidable Sovereign!
At this moment... Li Hao sighed inwardly.
Can Neo Martial truly create an opportunity for me?
I do not know!
Yet I have no other path; only in this lies any hope of victory.
His strength was still increasing, but only marginally. The chaotic lightning tribulation was no shortcut for rapid advancement; even if he gained insights, he would have to digest them slowly after the battle.
A mid-battle breakthrough... had far too slim a probability.
***
At that very moment.
In a place immensely distant from Silver Moon.
The Extreme Darkness Great World.
A saber descended, cleaving across the chaos. An ancient being materialized in an instant, throwing a punch. Darkness swept outward, scattering the chaos, leaving only boundless obscurity to envelop the saber.
The Extreme Darkness Great World had existed far longer than the Yin-Yang Great World.
Darkness swept through the chaos.
In that instant, the Neo Martial Human King was directly engulfed within it. Simultaneously, behind the Human King, several overwhelmingly powerful beings abruptly appeared—not just one, but multiple experts striking in unison!
Kick a man while he's down! The Neo Martial Human King, who rampaged through the chaos, should cease to exist this very day!
The Lord of Extreme Darkness had appeared... With someone deflecting the Human King’s saber, the threat he posed plummeted drastically.
Multiple experts struck simultaneously!
A pincer attack from front and back!
In that split second, from faraway regions, multiple mighty beings turned their gazes toward this clash, fixing their eyes entirely on this spot. As for the trivial skirmish of low-tier Sovereigns on the other side, those faint ripples... not a single top-tier existence paid them any heed.
A figure like the Neo Martial Human King was the true threat.
What was more, the fighting today was not confined to a single battlefield. In an even more distant expanse, the second world master of the Yin-Yang World was launching a campaign against the Extreme Bliss Great World, an assault that had drawn in several high-tier Sovereigns!
Darkness swallowed heaven and earth. From behind, various Great Daos emerged, and faint outlines of Great Dao Universes even manifested... indicating that the ambushers from behind were very likely Dao masters of Great Worlds!
More than one top-tier being was involved!
At this moment, the Human King, engulfed by the darkness, flickered in and out of view, as though about to be swept away into the void. The Human King was no longer mad, no longer arrogant, no longer insolent...
In his eyes, an expression of incredulous terror surfaced.
Suddenly, amid the surrounding silence, the Neo Martial Human King let out a shocked scream: "Impossible!"
"..."
What was impossible?
The attacking experts were startled. What could be impossible?
Did you not expect us to ambush you?
Then you severely underestimated our courage!
Or did you think you walked into a trap too easily, finding it... unbelievable?
That just means you were too stupid!
What could be impossible about that!
The moment the various Great Daos crashed into the Human King, terror resurfaced in his eyes. He whipped his head around to look at the attackers behind him, looking past them with a look of boundless dread. "Impossible... How could the chaos collapse and cave in..."
The hearts of the striking experts jolted!
What?
The chaos is collapsing?
How could that be!
The experts were filled with horror. The Human King's eyes were brimming with dread, boundless terror. At this moment, these peerless experts could genuinely feel his fright, his panic, his helplessness...
Why haven't we sensed anything amiss?
Gripped by overwhelming terror, they couldn't help but divert their attention for a fraction of an instant, sending their spiritual senses backward to investigate. What did he mean, the chaos was collapsing?
Across from them, the Lord of Extreme Darkness, whose punch had just connected, was facing them and looking past their backs. Frowning slightly, he instantly swept his spiritual will in all directions: "Do not—"
Do not lose focus!
You fools!
You have cultivated to this level—even if something has truly happened, do not lose your focus! The Neo Martial Human King before you is no ordinary foe.
However, it was a fraction too late!
The Neo Martial Human King did not dodge or evade, taking the Lord of Extreme Darkness's punch head-on. Coughing up blood, his eyes remained filled with boundless terror, as if signaling that since death was inevitable anyway, taking a punch mattered little.
In that instant, the several experts were distracted once again.
The vomited blood instantly dispersed into a boundless mist of blood, blanketing heaven and earth. In that exact fraction of a second, the terror in the Neo Martial Human King’s eyes vanished without a trace. His saber abruptly materialized, cleaving downward!
This single strike tore the chaos asunder, forcibly cleaving open a Great Dao Universe. As the saber cleaved through the cosmos, countless lineages within that Great Dao Universe instantly collapsed!
The Human King curled his lip. A bunch of idiots.
One trick mastered is enough to rule the world.
When I deceive someone, I never miss.
The saber fell!
A Great Dao Universe was cleaved into utter ruin. Among the ambushers, one person's body disintegrated instantly. The blade flashed again, that person's form collapsing into dust, and the saber swept across heaven and earth once more!
Behind him, the fist of Extreme Darkness struck again!
Yet the Neo Martial Human King still neither dodged nor evaded. His golden body manifested, illuminating all the heavens and instantly lighting up the chaos, shattering the darkness. Another fist slammed into the Human King!
Taking two punches in succession, the Neo Martial Human King paid them no heed, allowing the darkness to erode his body while his saber ripped through the chaos!
*Boom!*
A deafening roar reverberated across the entirety of the chaos. With one slash, the remaining experts who had ambushed him had their Daos severed, their worlds broken, and their lifelines cut short!
*Bang!*
Explosive detonations resounded through the chaos.
Like a torn sack, the Human King plummeted heavily into the depths of the chaos, coughing up blood incessantly. Yet a wicked grin spread across his face, and in the next instant, he burrowed deeper into the chaos. Shrill shrieks instantly pierced the void!
A group of rangers, the weakest among them being third-rank Sovereigns, were suddenly ambushed by him from the depths of the chaos. In the blink of an eye, several Sovereigns perished, their Daos extinguished!
The Lord of Extreme Darkness's expression twisted!
Looking back at the ambushers... they had all been reduced to dust. Various unique Dao energies drifted through the void, and even a battered Great Dao Universe was crumbling!
Dead!
Curse it all!
These useless fools—one of them had even been a sixth-rank Dao master, yet he was slaughtered just like that!
Idiots!
Utter fools!
The Human King had used merely an expression, a single look... and these peerless beings had actually wavered, daring to divert their attention while launching an ambush against him!
It was... beyond words!
As the Great Dao Universe crumbled, the chaos rangers pursuing the Human King let out endless screams of despair. Even having cultivated to this height, they were frightened out of their wits! How could this be?
Moreover, the Lord of Extreme Darkness had failed to cripple the Human King even with two consecutive punches.
In practically a single instant, the experts who had been pursuing the Human King were completely wiped out following the fall of that Dao master!
That Dao master had been the core of those rangers.
With him dead, how could the other Sovereigns possess the strength to face the Human King?
At this moment, the Human King's saber dripped with blood. He turned toward the Lord of Extreme Darkness, who was preparing to deliver a third strike, and bared his teeth in a grin. "Today, I slay the Lord of Yueming, to broadcast the might of my Neo Martial and celebrate our glory!"
Lord of Yueming, your ancestors!
The Lord of Extreme Darkness said nothing, throwing another punch. Do not be so arrogant; though those fools died, you did not have an easy time enduring two consecutive punches from me. What right do you have to be so brazen? In a clash between top experts, the slightest disparity can reverse the entire tide of battle!
Yet at that exact instant, a mad grin suddenly broke across the Human King’s face.
"Big Cat, hold on tight!"
He seemed to be speaking not to the Lord of Extreme Darkness, but to the Cang Cat far in the distance.
In a single instant... a Great Dao Universe suddenly manifested within the chaos, appearing above the Human King. The power of both Yin and Yang instantly converged upon the Human King’s body.
Simultaneously, the Cang Emperor, who was engaged in a bitter battle against the Extreme Bliss Great World... suddenly lost all of his power.
Beside him, the expressions of several top-tier beings shifted drastically. The next moment, the Supreme cursed under his breath: "Fuck!"
That damned bastard!
After all these years, he hasn't changed one bit. Pulling this stunt now—do you truly not care if I die?
Are you that eager to see me dead?
The Yin-Yang World was shared by two masters, which had its pros and cons. The upside was that if one died, it didn't matter much... The downside was that a certain bastard frequently loved to drain all the energy from the other, and worse, he was actually capable of doing so.
The main issue was that the foolish cat was truly an idiot. No matter how dangerous the situation was... it would let him drain everything without refusing.
Take right now: the Lord of Extreme Bliss was surrounded by them and on the verge of being overwhelmed, when suddenly, the top-tier combatant Cang Emperor lost all his power... This was an utter farce!
Yet the Cang Emperor... without a single word of protest, simply let the other party siphon away all his strength.
Goddammit!
A Great Dao Book materialized instantly, countless Daos unfolding to shield the Cang Emperor. In the center, the Lord of Extreme Bliss looked overjoyed. Originally, the coordinated siege from top-tier beings like the Yang God had placed him in dire straits.
Yet the strongest among them, the Cang Emperor... had suddenly lost all his energy!
An opportunity!
Seize this chance to slaughter them all!
In an instant, boundless power surged forth. A Great Dao Universe manifested to suppress heaven and earth, causing the Great Dao Book to violently shudder.
At the very same time.
On the other side, the Neo Martial Human King’s strength skyrocketed. The Lord of Extreme Darkness’s punch landed, his expression shifting violently. He knew the characteristics of the Yin-Yang World, but everyone here was a top-tier being.
Everyone knew that Neo Martial had launched simultaneous attacks against two Great Worlds.
Therefore, he had never considered that the Neo Martial Human King would siphon the other's power... Unless the Neo Martial Cang Emperor was an absolute idiot, being drained of power right now would trigger a ferocious counterattack from the Extreme Bliss World, potentially causing the entire Yin-Yang Great World to be wiped out.
He simply had not believed that this Neo Martial Human King could be so utterly insane.
At a moment like this, you dare to drain the Cang Emperor's power over there?
Have you lost your mind?
If that side collapses and the Yin-Yang Great World is destroyed, you will suffer devastating backlash as well. Both of you will go down; it isn't a one-sided affair.
"Old Zhang, the Yang God and the others can hold the line... That's plenty of time for me to kill you!"
The Neo Martial Human King grinned, showing not the slightest hint of wariness or fear.
What was there to fear?
With those people holding the line, he had never once been afraid. The rear was solid and would never crumble; if it truly did... then they would all perish together, no big deal.
In this world, only by being ruthless—more ruthless than anyone else—can you secure a foothold!
If the paragons of Neo Martial were not ruthless, how could they stand tall in this dog-eat-dog chaos?
In this single battle, I will make the surrounding Great Worlds view me as a demon!
This is the Dao of the Demon King!
In that instant, the siphoned power fused completely, Yin and Yang uniting as one. An overwhelmingly supreme power erupted from the blade. As the saber cleaved down, the chaos shattered!
In the distance, the masters of several Great Worlds blanched.
The Lord of Extreme Darkness’s face twisted in sheer horror. "You lunatic!"
He was out of his mind!
He regretted everything; had he known, he never would have provoked this man.
He was a top-tier Sovereign. Under normal circumstances, if he didn't provoke this lunatic, the man might not have come looking for trouble. Knowing full well that this man acted without restraint and that his true target was the Lord of Red Moon, why on earth had he gotten involved?
Yet there was no time left to ponder.
The saber descended, shattering the fist!
The fist of darkness crumbled in an instant.
Terrified, the Lord of Extreme Darkness attempted to retreat into his world, hoping to rely on his territorial advantage to hold out. As long as he could stall for a brief moment, the Lord of Extreme Bliss on the other side would slay the Cang Emperor and the others, destroying the Yin-Yang World, and this Neo Martial Human King would undoubtedly perish as well!
Just a brief moment was all he needed!
I can do this!
We are both seventh-rank Sovereigns. Even with Yin and Yang fused, he hasn't surpassed the boundary of the seventh rank; I can definitely hold out!
Block him!
Retreat into the world and hold him off for just a fraction of an instant...
In the distance, the Lord of Extreme Bliss seemed aware of the situation as well. A Great Dao Universe resembling a paradise manifested between heaven and earth, bearing down to crush the Neo Martial experts.
Yet at this moment, a saber, a sword, a book, a fist...
One mighty figure after another erupted with suicidal fury. Several Sovereigns even detonated themselves on the spot, the sheer destructive force sweeping across heaven and earth!
"Neo Martial is invincible! The Human King is peerless! We await your reversal of Yin and Yang!"
These Sovereigns fought with such madness that they seemed not like aggressors, but like defenders fighting with their backs against the wall.
They self-detonated so naturally!
They had absolute faith that Neo Martial would triumph, that the Human King would prevail, that he would slay the enemy and reverse Yin and Yang to resurrect them all!
Such trust far exceeded anything the Sovereigns of the chaos could conceive.
All around, Sovereigns of the Extreme Bliss Great World were blown to pieces, boundless energy churning in every direction.
And at this very moment, a furious roar shook the chaos from afar.
The saber cleaved down, Yin and Yang manifesting like the Bagua.
"Let's slaughter a supreme powerhouse for fun..."
A demonic laugh reverberated through heaven and earth.
The Lord of Extreme Darkness’s face twisted in horror. The Great Dao Universe above his head was cleaved open by the single strike.
There is still a chance!
The Lord of Extreme Darkness’s expression shifted rapidly. There was still a chance, still time. As long as he waited a little longer, the Lord of Extreme Bliss on the other side would kill the Cang Emperor... The other party surely understood that he had to kill the Cang Emperor right now, or they would all be finished!
He laid down layer upon layer of defenses. Though his Great Dao Universe had been cleaved, it would not be destroyed so easily; he was no ordinary Dao master, and the power of his world surged forward instantly to form a bulwark!
Block him for just a moment!
Clinging to this conviction, he instantly erected a boundless defensive formation.
Yet right at this moment, the frenzied Human King suddenly grinned. "So stupid!"
Stupid?
The Lord of Extreme Darkness’s heart jolted. In that very instant, all power drained from the Human King’s body, leaving him as powerless as an ordinary mortal. With effortless poise, he chuckled, "Kill Extreme Bliss first, then kill you! Why trap yourself inside a turtle shell? I have no power right now—a single breath from you could blow me to death..."
The Lord of Extreme Darkness’s expression changed drastically!
He hurriedly moved to dismantle his own defenses, but the Human King chuckled again. "If you break them open, my power will return, and I will definitely kill you!"
The Lord of Extreme Darkness hesitated instantly.
True!
Yet in that split second of hesitation, the Cang Emperor’s aura in the distance suddenly exploded. The Cang Emperor, who had been completely devoid of power, suddenly surged with strength to an absolute zenith.
The Lord of Extreme Bliss was just about to crush this cat to death!
Suddenly, his face fell, and he let out a furious roar: "Bastard!"
Who was he cursing?
Perhaps it was the Lord of Extreme Darkness!
You utter fool!
However, it was too late.
"Meow... what a big fish!"
At that moment, an immense devouring force swept toward the sky. In the blink of an eye, the Extreme Bliss Great Dao Universe above the chaos was sucked straight into the cat's belly. The Lord of Extreme Bliss's face turned pale with shock!
Suddenly, a fist struck from his flank.
The punch of the Yang God!
Immediately following, countless lethal strikes erupted simultaneously.
The gigantic cat reached out with a paw, and like popping a balloon, it squashed the Lord of Extreme Bliss on the spot!
The cat paw kneaded downward. The Lord of Extreme Bliss, his face drained of all color, was crushed along with the countless experts behind him, all swept beneath the paw and turned into little fish.
And in that very instant... the colossal cat’s power vanished once more.
In the distance, the Human King bared his teeth in a grin.
At this moment, he was a fraction stronger than before. With a thunderous roar, he struck at the Lord of Extreme Darkness, who was still agonizing over whether to dismantle his defenses to slay the Human King. The Lord's face twisted in terror once more!
*Boom!*
The saber cleaved through!
The world crumbled, the Great Dao dissipated, and the Human King unleashed his blade with utter abandon!
One strike, two strikes, three strikes...
Holding him off for a moment was possible, but holding him off for long... was out of the question.
After cleaving downward hundreds of times... with a thunderous roar, the Great Dao Universe collapsed, and the Extreme Darkness Great World fell to ruin. The Lord of Extreme Darkness wore an expression of sheer despair, while the Human King grinned savagely. "Killing you... is that a loud enough commotion?"
*Boom!*
A final strike cleaved out!
As if the chaos itself were collapsing, the entire expanse shuddered violently. The Human King’s body suddenly grew immense, his saber spanning the cosmos as he held aloft a battered Great Dao Universe in his hand. Knowing that the disturbance was still not grand enough,
he chose not to swallow the Great Dao Universe. Instead, he threw his head back and laughed. "Let's set off a firework for fun—I love watching them!"
The battered Extreme Darkness Universe suddenly detonated with apocalyptic fury in that instant!
*Boom!*
The deafening blast sent shockwaves rippling across the entirety of the chaos. Amid the pitch-black chaos, a dazzling firework lit up every direction!
Slaying powerhouses wasn't loud enough?
Then what if I... detonate a Great Dao Universe!
As for the enormous benefits of devouring it... so what?
Silver Moon had reappeared in the chaos. Silver Moon was under his protection, after all, and someone had seemingly dared to attack his inscribed plaque. Showing so little respect... blowing it up was well worth it. He wondered if that little fellow who had traveled to the past possessed enough skill to seize this opportunity and dispatch his foe.
Besides, wasn't there still an Extreme Bliss Universe left behind?
The firework blazed with dazzling brilliance!
In that instant, every Great World was struck dumb with horror. The Human King's voice reverberated across the chaos: "Fang Ping of Neo Martial has slain the Lord of Yueming here!"
Far away, the Lord of Yueming's face went deathly pale.
You got the wrong person!
At this moment, he was certain the man had mistaken his identity. After all, having already killed his opponent, there was no need for further humiliation; the deceased had been stronger than himself, and given the Human King’s maniacal temperament, slaying a being mightier than the Lord of Yueming gave him no reason to cite the name of a weaker foe.
Suddenly, overwhelming relief washed over him.
In his relief, he gathered his Great World, shifting it with immense effort as he fled in the direction of the Red Moon Great World!
Disaster had struck!
This Neo Martial lunatic... was far too terrifying!
In a single day, he had shattered two Great Worlds!
At this moment, countless world masters trembled in shock, shaken to their very cores with overwhelming terror.
***
And at this very moment, that colossal firework, ignited at the cost of an entire Great Dao Universe, suddenly bloomed in the dark chaos.
No matter how vast the commotion from the clash between supreme powerhouses had been, it had not reached Li Hao and his companions.
Yet at this moment, that boundless radiance illuminated even Silver Moon!
A mighty Great Dao Universe had been directly ignited and detonated by a madman!
Li Hao smiled.
The Red Moon Sovereign, who had been toying with Qian Wuliang, snapped his head around, his eyes wide with sheer terror!
Unbelievable!
He could even faintly hear a voice echoing alongside the detonation of the Great Dao Universe: Neo Martial has slain the Lord of Yueming!
How could this be?
The fireworks blazed with dazzling brilliance, yet they scared him out of his wits. The Yueming World was not too far from Red Moon... Could it be that the Red Moon Great World was about to clash with Neo Martial?
However, the location of the firework seemed slightly off.
It seemed... far more distant than the Yueming World!
How could that place possibly be the Yueming Great World?
Filled with shock, dread, and horror, his mind momentarily drifted.
Such a lapse in focus should never have occurred in a Sovereign. Yet at this moment, who could possibly remain calm? A Great World had been annihilated, and more astonishingly, the victor had detonated the Great Dao Universe instead of seizing it. What madness, what sheer insolence!
Chapter 427