A Wild Horse Broken Free

The chaotic void. Even Black Panther struggled to tell direction; all he knew was that running in the direction opposite Red Moon was the right call. For now, the greatest threat to Silver Moon remained the Red Moon Great World. In the boundless cosmos, encountering another living being was exceedingly rare. In the chaos, there was no distinction between black and white, no difference between day and night. All they knew was that ten days and nights had passed within the Silver Moon World. Yet in the chaotic universe, Black Panther felt as though he were remaining in place; the surroundings were completely identical. Far in the distance, a star seemed to hang... still impossibly far away. Li Hao felt somewhat wistful as well. Inside the Silver Moon World, an expert of his Sovereign stature could cross from south to north or east to west in an instant. Yet here in the chaos, travel progressed at a snail's pace. Finding a living creature was far too difficult. Earlier, he had envisioned picking and choosing, finding someone relatively weak to chat about the chaos... Yet far from having any choices, he had not encountered a single soul. When Silver Moon had opened the Star Gate, being able to encounter a chaos beast had practically been a stroke of luck. As for that Red Moon Sovereign, he had arrived under orders, which hardly counted as a chance encounter. Previously, Li Hao had assumed that chaos was teeming with powerhouses. Now it seemed that, on the one hand, the chaos was simply too vast; on the other hand, experts were few and far between. Once scattered across the void, there really were not that many. Or perhaps he simply had not reached a populated area. "Still haven't run into anyone?" Sitting atop the colossal Black Panther, Li Hao murmured with a sigh. Nowadays, he did not particularly enjoy lingering inside the Silver Moon World... An entire world was merely the internal space within Black Panther's belly, and to him, it felt far too cramped. Yearning for the chaos was a pursuit shared by all supreme experts. However... boundless as the chaos was, without people, it was also exceedingly dull. No people also meant there were no great opportunities to speak of. Black Panther, on the other hand, was perfectly content, inhaling and exhaling chaotic energy to strengthen himself. Doing so also nurtured the entire Silver Moon World; only if Silver Moon advanced could he continue his own advancement. Naturally, for the time being, Black Panther still had room to advance. But breaking free from the entire world was exceedingly difficult! Back then, Li Daoheng and the others had been obsessed with devouring the world, devouring the Great Dao, devouring the universe, devouring everything... Back then, Li Hao had not truly understood, but now he had gained some clarity. If they had completely devoured all of that, those fellows would have had a chance to enter the second stage—the second stage of the Sovereign realm—which was indeed far beyond ordinary Sovereigns. Of course, as things stood, even if they had devoured it all, they still would not have been a match for the Neo Martial Human King. That man had in all likelihood entered the third stage. Otherwise, he would not have blown an entire Great Dao Universe to pieces. Though Li Hao had not seen that day's explosion clearly, he had sensed enough to know that it was the spectacle of a Great Dao Universe shattering. It was vastly stronger than Silver Moon's Great Dao Universe. As Li Hao pondered, growing somewhat bored, he suddenly looked back. Someone? Had he finally encountered another person? His mood brightened at once... Though there was naturally a measure of vigilance and unease as well. Approaching from behind... could it be a powerhouse from Red Moon? Although he had stepped into the Sovereign realm, his cultivation was not high yet. He could hold his own against an ordinary Sovereign, but if he ran into a powerful being, he would have no way to resist. Meanwhile, what he carried was no small temptation. A Great Dao Universe, a Medium World—these were treasures coveted by any powerhouse. Especially a Great Dao Universe! Under normal circumstances, only Great Worlds birthed them, and Great Worlds all possessed top-tier powerhouses. Certain chaos wanderers loved nothing more than invading and devouring worlds left unguarded by powerful beings. "Black Panther, is someone there?" Li Hao asked, wanting to verify his senses. Black Panther let out a low bark. Indeed someone was there, and moving at no slow speed—at least faster than Black Panther, whose pace was severely weighed down by carrying an entire world. Right then, in the dark chaos far off, a silhouette emerged. In an instant, the newcomer seemed to notice Li Hao and his companion as well. He stopped in his tracks, even preparing to veer off. In the chaos, powerhouses generally disliked congregating; encounters often meant trouble. Almost anyone capable of traversing the chaos was a Sovereign-level entity. Unless one was a supreme powerhouse, the gap in strength was usually not vast, and if conflict broke out, it boded ill for everyone involved. The distant figure glanced in their direction. He had a human form, though his silhouette looked somewhat ethereal. His aura was slightly erratic, and he seemed to bear injuries. For a Sovereign, failing to heal while traveling indicated that the wounds were by no means light. Gazing across the chaos, the newcomer looked over with vigilance in his eyes. Likewise, Li Hao was on high alert. He quietly probed as well. As a Sovereign of Life and Death, sensing life force was second nature. After assessing the newcomer, he let out a slight breath of relief; the man was not overwhelmingly strong. He was roughly on par with the chaos beast Black Panther had possessed. Not the weakest sort of Sovereign, but not significantly stronger either. That was reassuring; otherwise... he would have needed to be much more wary. The person in the distance had originally intended to detour, but perhaps he too had gauged their strength: a second-rank chaos beast, and what appeared to be a mere first-rank Sovereign... Manageable; not excessively formidable. Taking a detour in the chaos could easily cause one to lose direction, adding a prolonged journey and exposing oneself to greater dangers. "Fellow Daoists ahead, I am a chaos wanderer named Zu An, bound for the Tianfang Great World. Are you two heading there as well?" He did not draw near, instead vibrating the chaos across the void to transmit his voice. Li Hao looked at him and replied, "I do not know where the Tianfang Great World lies. I am Li Hao, lord of the Bright Moon World. The Bright Moon World is merely a newly born Minor World, and I know very little of the chaos. A few days ago, upheaval broke out behind us, so this chaos beast and I are traveling afar to seek refuge!" A newcomer? The master of a Minor World? Zu An started slightly. How had the master of a Minor World gotten mixed up with a chaos beast? How strange! He looked at the colossal chaos beast again... Some doubt rose in his heart. The master of a Minor World rarely left their world unless... it had been swallowed up! The situation was somewhat complicated. Of course, he did not press for details. It was enough knowing the other party was not an expert from some Great World. Under ordinary circumstances, Great World experts would not bother pretending to be anyone else... unless their reputation was thoroughly ruined, like those Neo Martial fiends. But those Neo Martial lunatics were best left unmentioned! "Fellow Daoist... Li Hao, may I approach?" Li Hao nodded. "Of course... Fellow Daoist Zu An, please, there is no need to stand on ceremony. This is the open chaos, not my private domain; anyone may travel anywhere..." Zu An marveled internally. A newcomer! Truly a fledgling! Anyone could travel anywhere? What a joke. The dangers of the chaos were far greater than you could imagine. Furthermore... letting someone approach so casually? Well, perhaps that was because Zu An himself was not terrifyingly strong. Otherwise, normally people stayed as far apart as possible. Unless acquainted, who would let a stranger get close? He scanned the area carefully to ensure it was not an ambush. After a thorough probe, it did not seem like one. Only then did he tear through the void, approaching the colossal beast. Sizing it up once more, he wondered: why isn't this beast speaking? Before he could ask, Li Hao said, "Fellow Daoist, please, come right up! This chaos beast is actually my pet; we have depended on each other since youth. Because I knew nothing of such matters, it still cannot speak... and I never taught it." "..." Zu An almost burst out laughing. What utter nonsense! A second-rank Sovereign, and you're telling me it's your pet and can't even talk? You... you're only first-rank yourself, aren't you? Yet looking at Li Hao's sincere demeanor... The universe was full of wonders, and perhaps it was true. Anything could happen in the chaos; it was not unheard of for chaos beast cubs to drift into worlds, or seek refuge within one after being wounded. That was also how some world cultivators found their great opportunities. He did not completely doubt the tale, but merely figured... having reached the second rank of the Sovereign realm without being able to speak, the beast might not truly be mute, but simply unwilling to talk. Perhaps it harbored an unspeakable past. Since Li Hao had extended an invitation, he abandoned any further hesitation and stepped across the void. Only now did he get a clear look at Li Hao. What a remarkable world lord! Indeed, even the master of a Minor World was often favored by heaven and earth, blessed with limitless fortunes. Looking at this Li Hao, he brimmed with vibrant life force, his face still showing traces of youth, his gaze utterly clear... This was genuinely a young man! Only newly ascended worlds could possibly produce such a young Sovereign. Newly ascended worlds held abundant fortunes; though few powerhouses emerged, those who did were often remarkably youthful. Meanwhile, Li Hao was also secretly delighted. He had met a living person! And in human form at that. Rumor had it that the chaotic realm was home to all manner of creatures; encountering humanoid entities was relatively common, but they were not necessarily true humans—often just humanoid beings. "Fellow Daoist, you've arrived at just the right time!" Li Hao was not reserved either, acting like a newborn calf—bold, fearless, and straightforward. "These past few days, I've been quite troubled, knowing nothing of the chaos and at a loss for what to do! I don't know where to go, nor do I know how to communicate with fellow Daoists in the chaos... Within my Minor World, ancient civilizations existed that occasionally mentioned the chaos, but their understanding was meager at best. My invitation earlier was in the hope of gleaning some information from you..." Though he spoke thus, had this person been overwhelmingly powerful beyond imagination, Li Hao would never have dared invite him over; avoiding him would have been best. But since this man was roughly equal to Black Panther, Li Hao had little to fear. In that case, there was no need to pretend to be knowledgeable about the chaos. Both were experts; any extensive exchange would likely expose his ignorance anyway. It was far better to play the part of a naive newcomer—not to mention that he truly was ignorant of the chaos. Meeting in the vastness of chaos was a form of fate in itself. Without pause, Li Hao asked, "Fellow Daoist mentioned 'chaos wanderer'... Is that what the records in my world refer to as a 'chaos ranger'?" "Ranger?" Zu An paused, then laughed. "You could say that! But 'ranger' is likely your local dialect or phrasing. In the chaos, those who roam about are called chaos wanderers. Naturally, they are usually beings without a world backing them. Those backed by a world don't typically call themselves that; they announce their sect or world—provided it is a Great World. Medium and Minor Worlds are far too obscure to warrant that privilege!" The two were currently communicating through spiritual intent. The chaos had no shared spoken tongue, nor did experts require one. In any single world, languages were already countless, let alone across the entire chaos. Learning spoken languages was a waste of time; divine sense communication was infinitely more convenient and effortless. Zu An also relaxed slightly. He had been looking for a place to rest and recuperate, yet feared danger. Seeing how green Li Hao was, an idea occurred to him. "Fellow Daoist Li, might I take a brief rest here to nurse my injuries? I was caught up in the great battle over there earlier and sustained some wounds..." "Of course!" Li Hao offered warmly. "Do you need any help from me?" "No need for that!" Zu An sat cross-legged and began to heal, though he kept his awareness sharp, not daring to enter deep seclusion. It was only their first meeting... Even if the master of a Minor World was young, he had fought his way up from within his world. Zu An knew full well that Li Hao could not possibly be as innocent and harmless as he appeared. In the chaos, anyone who genuinely believed a stranger to be a good, pure-hearted person was an utter fool. However, so long as their interests did not clash, conflict rarely arose. Seeing Li Hao looking eager—likely genuinely desperate for knowledge—Zu An did not put on airs either, smiling and saying, "Fellow Daoist Li wishes to ask about the chaos? There is no need to hold back; feel free to ask whatever you don't know... Though my own understanding of the chaos is limited as well. People like us operate in relatively small regions." Li Hao did not stand on ceremony either, immediately saying, "Earlier, you mentioned you were caught up in a great battle... I saw some phenomena earlier, where something seemed to explode violently. Could you enlighten me a bit? Having just stepped out of my Minor World, running into something like that scared me half to death!" A Minor World... a chaos beast! Zu An's thoughts stirred. In that case, this man's Minor World was likely carried inside the chaos beast's body. What audacity! He reached a conclusion in his mind but did not voice it directly, merely smiling. "That was the Great Dao Universe of a Great World shattering! I wonder if Fellow Daoist has heard of Neo Martial's Yin-Yang World?" Li Hao nodded. "I have." Zu An paused. "You know of them?" Li Hao explained, "In the distant past, it seems experts from Neo Martial passed through my world and left behind some traces of an ancient civilization... But that was many years ago, tens of thousands of years by our count." "Tens of thousands of years ago?" Zu An was startled, then nodded. "It seems your world was indeed an isolated Minor World with a different flow of time! Neo Martial has only existed in the chaos for a thousand-odd years... Neo Martial people visited? That makes sense... Many of Neo Martial's powerhouses roam the chaos. It seems your world only recently advanced and isn't very strong. Neo Martial people are decent in that regard; under normal circumstances, if you are too weak and do not provoke them, they won't provoke you either." At this, he continued, "Since you know of them, that makes it simple! A few days ago, Neo Martial launched a surprise raid against the Bliss Great World and the Absolute Darkness Great World, breaching two Great Worlds in one fell swoop and slaying two supreme Sovereigns! The Neo Martial Human King directly detonated the Great Dao Universe of Absolute Darkness, while also slaying multiple powerful Sovereigns, including a sixth-rank Dao Lord... Utterly terrifying!" "Sigh!" Zu An shook his head. "Clashes between supreme beings like that are pure misery for chaos wanderers like us. I was dreadfully unlucky, happening to be near the flank of the Yueming Great World when it suddenly relocated, nearly crushing me to death! Fortunately, luck was on my side and I escaped, but I had no choice but to flee the area to avoid getting killed!" Li Hao still did not fully grasp the details, but hearing that Neo Martial had breached two Great Worlds in a single day left him clicking his tongue in awe. "Are Great Worlds... very powerful?" "And what level is the sixth rank?" "..." Zu An chuckled. This fellow truly was clueless. Of course, the chaos had no shortage of such people, but under ordinary circumstances, the master of a Minor World rarely ventured outside their domain. "Throughout the chaos, worlds are divided into four tiers: Great Worlds, Medium Worlds, Minor Worlds, and unranked worlds that don't even qualify as Minor Worlds! The birth of a Sovereign elevates a realm to a Minor World, granting its people the baseline qualification to traverse the chaos!" Li Hao nodded. Zu An added, "As for the sixth rank... Because there are countless world lords and Sovereigns across the chaos, everyone established a unified standard to gauge relative strength, dividing the Sovereign realm into nine ranks! "The first rank corresponds to those who have just attained the Sovereign realm... like yourself, Fellow Daoist!" Li Hao felt a bit awkward. "Is that very weak?" "Not particularly!" Zu An chuckled. "Only relative to the boundless chaos. The chaos is simply too vast, with innumerable worlds. Whenever a world advances to a Minor World, it produces at least one Sovereign... which makes them seem numerous. First-rank Sovereigns are indeed plentiful, and by far the most common. "Next is the second-rank Sovereign. Generally, reaching the second rank is not difficult. A first-rank Sovereign roaming the chaos for a few years, absorbing some chaotic energy, and refining their cultivation system can reach the second rank—it is merely a matter of time!" Li Hao nodded slightly, unable to resist asking, "Sovereigns... are divided into nine ranks? Then... is the Neo Martial Human King a ninth-rank Sovereign?" "No," Zu An shook his head. "Just because the ranking exists doesn't mean there are necessarily people in it! The area we are currently in also has a name in the chaos: the Red Moon Region! Under normal circumstances, for ease of identification, a region is named after the strongest world within it. "The strongest world here is the Red Moon Great World. It is said that the Lord of Red Moon might be an eighth-rank Sovereign... Whether that's true or not, no one knows; it could be legend, or it could be fact! "As for the Neo Martial Human King, he should be at the peak of the seventh rank; otherwise, it would have been difficult to slay the Lord of Absolute Darkness!" At this moment, Li Hao was somewhat incredulous. "The Neo Martial Human King... isn't the strongest?" The Lord of Red Moon was actually stronger? Moreover, they weren't ninth-rank? I thought these people were the absolute peak among Sovereigns! Zu An laughed. "To people like us, it makes no difference! Seventh rank or ninth rank... we are nowhere near their match! Besides, in our entire lifetimes, reaching such heights is practically impossible... Of course, a fellow Daoist who has just stepped out of his world might not understand how immense the gaps are between Sovereigns. "To become a seventh-rank Sovereign requires at least two prerequisites: first, your world must attain the caliber of a Great World; second, your Great Dao must be complete, having reached its zenith! Only by simultaneously being a Dao Lord and a World Lord do you have any hope of becoming a seventh-rank Sovereign! Just meeting those conditions... is hopeless for us!" He shook his head. Li Hao felt a bit dazed, nodding. "I see. Then why did Neo Martial attack those Great Worlds?" "It's a long story. Neo Martial and Red Moon are probably the two strongest Great Worlds in the Red Moon Region. Several decades ago, the Red Moon Great World prepared to conquer and assimilate Neo Martial, only for Neo Martial to counterattack... Before they even clashed with Red Moon, chaos broke out, and they wiped out several Great Worlds like Bliss and Absolute Darkness. The Neo Martial Human King likely did this intentionally, knowing he was no match for the Lord of Red Moon, hoping to devour worlds and break through to the eighth rank!" Naturally, he did not know the exact details either; it was merely speculation. He did not dwell on the matter, pointing ahead instead. "The Red Moon Region is unsafe right now; with all-out war breaking out, it's utter chaos! The Tianfang Great World ahead is relatively safer. Although things are turbulent there as well, it has been chaotic for so many years that an unwritten order has emerged. There are also many chaos wanderers there, which actually makes it safer." He explained to Li Hao, "In the past, it was best to avoid it; Sovereigns fell frequently there, making it perilous! But now, with a war engulfing the Red Moon Region where even seventh-rank Sovereigns have died, Tianfang at least won't see clashes of that magnitude..." He sighed wistfully. "I stayed in the Red Moon Region for many years, thinking it was safe. But then... they all went mad without warning. The Yueming Great World migrated without a word of warning, just up and moved... nearly squashing me flat! The other Great Worlds did the same, turning the whole place into a tangled mess. It's much better for me to head toward the Tianfang Great World." Li Hao nodded. By now, he had gained some preliminary understanding of the chaos, though it was clearly just snippets. Seeing him nod, Zu An smiled, then added, "However... if possible, Fellow Daoist Li had best stay away from the Tianfang Great World." "Why?" Li Hao was puzzled. "Didn't you say it was safer?" "Relatively speaking!" Zu An explained. "That applies to me. It's not a matter of strength, but rather... Fellow Daoist travels with a chaos beast and comes from a Minor World. It's very easy to deduce that you... brought your Minor World right along with you!" Li Hao paused, then nodded. "Indeed." Zu An chuckled. "Fellow Daoist likely doesn't understand the dangers involved! Though a Minor World lacks a Great Dao Universe, the world itself is a treasure. One can devour it directly to empower oneself, or refine it into a supreme treasure! "Out in the open, Medium Worlds are relatively secure since they house plenty of experts. But a Minor World typically has only a single Sovereign, and they usually wish they could hide their world in the deepest depths of chaos where no one can find it! "Yet if carried around... even mid-tier Sovereigns will be tempted. Naturally, to high-tier Sovereigns, a Minor World isn't worth their attention..." A treasure invites trouble? Li Hao nodded slightly in thought. "However, even if a Sovereign completely devours a Minor World—say, a first-rank Sovereign like me—it would still be hard to reach the third rank, wouldn't it?" "Very hard!" Zu An nodded, adding, "However, for certain peak second-rank Sovereigns, devouring one might push them into the third rank! And for a peak third-rank, devouring one might grant a glimmer of hope to break through to the fourth rank... Even a mere glimmer is a monumental opportunity to countless people!" Li Hao frowned slightly. "Reaching the second or third rank shouldn't be that difficult, should it?" "..." Zu An glanced at him and laughed. Truly... newborn calves know no fear of tigers! "It's not hard for a select few, and some world lords start out thinking the same! After all, who among those who become world lords doesn't possess pride? But reality dictates that without immense fortune, advancing from first to second rank... might take a thousand years of wandering the chaos to have any hope. Going from second to third rank might take tens of thousands of years, or even longer! "As for advancing from third to fourth rank... that is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Without an extraordinary opportunity, there is virtually zero hope! Unless your Minor World advances into a Medium World, which is even harder than cultivating on your own! "Or, through some stroke of luck, you join a Great World, and its Dao Lord personally ushers you into their Great Dao Universe, willing to grant you sufficient Dao territory. Only then do you have a chance to break through! "Or... you conquer a Great World, seize its Great Dao Universe, and become the Dao Lord yourself... "All in all, becoming a mid-tier Sovereign is impossible without a Great Dao Universe! Yet Great Dao Universes are exclusive to Great Worlds—that is the crux of the problem!" He shook his head and said, "Therefore, chaos wanderers of the first, second, and third ranks are almost all Sovereigns or chaos beasts from Minor and Medium Worlds! Those above the third rank are either experts from Great Worlds or individuals blessed with colossal fortunes... who have devoured Minor Worlds or even Medium Worlds to gain sufficient opportunities. Otherwise... breaking through is impossible." So that was how it was! In that case, a Great Dao Universe was truly extraordinary. Li Hao knew that a Minor World might not draw the attention of high-tier powerhouses. But carrying a Great Dao Universe—let alone a dual-Dao universe... even a sixth-rank Sovereign might take interest. He weighed it in his mind. The chaos beast Black Panther was currently at the second rank. That Red Moon Sovereign slain earlier was probably at the third rank, having undergone no qualitative transformation. Against a third-rank, Silver Moon still stood a chance. Against a fourth-rank, they would likely be utterly hopeless! "Thank you, Senior!" Li Hao voiced his gratitude, but Zu An chuckled and waved it off. "No need for that. It's just common knowledge. Fledglings might not know, but every chaos wanderer is well aware of it. Besides, both of us are Sovereigns and stand on equal footing; addressing each other as 'Fellow Daoist' is plenty. Calling me 'Senior' will only invite laughter!" "Then... I shall dispense with formalities. Thank you, Fellow Daoist Zu!" Li Hao said, "Your guidance has given me a much better grasp of the chaos, which serves as a rule for survival. So, traveling with a chaos beast means people will assume I am carrying a Minor World, which could attract the attention of certain powerhouses?" "Normally, third-rank Sovereigns might target you. For fourth-rank... a Minor World isn't of much use anymore!" Zu An explained. "At the fourth rank, a Minor World—especially a newly formed one—does little for them. Of course, if a powerhouse is narrow-minded, in dire need of materials to forge weapons, or has descendants who need a Minor World to advance, they might still conspire to seize it." Li Hao nodded once more, then suddenly asked, "Then why did you tell me all this, Daoist Zu? If you..." Zu An chuckled. "Fewer troubles are better than more. I am only at the second rank myself; even if greed struck me, I might not be able to deal with this chaos beast. Besides, if I brought someone stronger... what good would their plunder do me? To avoid loose ends, they might even kill me along with you!" That was indeed how things typically worked. If he brought in a fourth-rank expert who killed Li Hao and seized the Minor World, that expert would likely silence Zu An as well to prevent complications. None of the spoils would ever reach Zu An anyway! Offering a word of advice could forge a bit of goodwill instead—provided the fellow before him knew gratitude. Furthermore, this youth had mentioned that the Bright Moon World held legacies from Neo Martial... Ghost knew whether he had real ties to them. Though infamous, Neo Martial was undeniably terrifying. Breaching two Great Worlds in a single day proved that both the Human King and Cang Emperor of Neo Martial were at the seventh rank, and far from weak ones. Add to that Neo Martial's renowned Yang God, who had escaped from the Lord of Red Moon and was either seventh-rank or peak sixth-rank, and Neo Martial's Supreme, a bona fide sixth-rank. With so many powerhouses, if this youth had any connection to them... Zu An could never afford to offend him. Naturally, there was no need to explain all this in detail to Li Hao. As for Li Hao, the reason he had brought up Neo Martial and claimed to possess their legacy was precisely to avert trouble. His Dao methods, along with those of the people of Silver Moon, were deeply entangled with Neo Martial. Powerhouses would easily see through it; rather than hiding it, he was better off admitting it openly. Neo Martial had numerous experts who roamed far and wide; leaving behind some inheritance in a passing world was hardly unusual. As long as no one discovered that Silver Moon had originated as a subordinate world of Neo Martial, all would be well. "Fellow Daoist Zu, could you elaborate on the Tianfang Great World?" A Red Moon World guarded by an eighth-rank Sovereign... Li Hao felt it was best to keep his distance from that side. It was far too dangerous. "The Tianfang Great World..." Zu An smiled. "In fact, the region ahead is generally known as the Tianfang Region! It is said that many years ago, the World Lord of the Tianfang Region advanced to the ninth-rank Sovereign realm... possessing matchless might that swept across the chaos! "However, that is merely a legend... Later, something supposedly happened, and this World Lord suddenly departed with the inhabitants of the Tianfang World. The Great Dao Universe was either taken along or ceased to exist, leaving only the physical world behind. "After all, as a Great World, it was inherently immensely sturdy. In time, many chaos wanderers took root there, treating it as a sanctuary within the chaos. Gradually, more and more chaos wanderers settled in the Tianfang Great World! "Some stayed permanently, while others passed through to exchange Dao insights or trade treasures... using it like a cultivators' market! In the eyes of chaos wanderers, the Tianfang Great World is regarded as a prime treasure land! "It has also gathered many experts whose worlds were shattered, along with a few weaker cultivators... "When worlds face calamity, get breached, or are devoured, not everyone perishes. Survivors relocate and seek new places to dwell. "For instance, with the destruction of the Bliss Great World and the Absolute Darkness Great World this time, survivors undoubtedly fled, and their first choice would inevitably be the Tianfang Great World!" Zu An continued, "In past years, many worlds were eradicated in the Red Moon Region as well, and some of the survivors certainly escaped there..." Li Hao understood. "I see. So the Tianfang Great World is a sanctuary for vagabonds, with no one ruling over it, right?" "No one rules it, but precisely because of that, it is utterly chaotic! Nearby experts visit as well. Those with good temperaments go to look around and trade; those with foul temperaments... robbing you outright is an everyday occurrence! "Unlike an ordinary Great World where a seventh-rank World Lord presides and no one dares act lawlessly. On their own turf, even visiting seventh-rank Sovereigns wouldn't dare stir up trouble. But the Tianfang Great World has none of that—only chaos!" Li Hao nodded, having grasped the overall situation. Ahead lay the domain of chaos wanderers, a lawless borderland, but one that certainly lacked no danger. "Then has no one devoured the Tianfang Great World?" Li Hao asked suddenly. "According to what you said, Tianfang was once the world of a ninth-rank Sovereign. Now that its World Lord is either dead or gone, why hasn't anyone devoured it?" Wouldn't that be far more enticing than a Minor World? "Why wouldn't they?" Zu An shook his head. "Plenty of people have tried... But although the Tianfang Great World lost its Great Dao Universe and its World Lord, it remains indestructible to the extreme! It can even withstand battles between seventh- and eighth-rank Sovereigns... Anyone below the seventh rank can forget about damaging it! As for those above the seventh rank... that is beyond my knowledge. We have also wondered why no lords of Great Worlds went to devour it. Perhaps a ninth-rank Great World possesses unique qualities that make neighboring Great World lords wary... or perhaps the master of Tianfang is still alive, unknown to the likes of us." Is that so? Li Hao mused inwardly. If the Neo Martial Human King went there... even if the owner were still alive, he probably wouldn't care. Of course, devouring a world stripped of its Great Dao Universe might not yield that much benefit. Weighing pros and cons, the Human King might not bother devouring it either. Furthermore, the Neo Martial Human King wasn't actually the strongest in the chaos... What a pity! Li Hao had assumed that man was number one in the chaos. With that domineering swagger... anyone unawares would have thought he swept through the chaos unvanquished. Earlier, he had even declared he'd cut down the number one figure in the chaos just for kicks; Li Hao had genuinely believed he was at the ninth rank. He muttered a few criticisms in his heart, but naturally kept them to himself. A tiny first-rank minnow like him had no business airing such thoughts. Meeting a relatively welcoming chaos wanderer had provided Li Hao with considerable reassurance. He asked again, "Fellow Daoist, for weaklings like us, are there any other opportunities to advance in the chaos aside from devouring worlds?" "Of course there are!" Zu An smiled. "Didn't I mention it earlier? Join a Great World and cultivate its Dao! The Great Dao of a Great World is far stronger than what we have. People like us either cultivate the chaotic, disordered Daos that naturally exist in the chaos, or the Dao of Chaos itself—which sounds nice, but in practice is a disorganized mess that will drive you mad just trying to untangle it! "Otherwise, you cultivate the Great Dao radiating from some Great World... For example, in the Red Moon Region, many Minor Worlds are influenced by the radiation of the Red Moon World. You can cultivate that, but when you attain Sovereign status, it will inevitably draw the attention of the entire Great Dao. If the Dao Lord is in a good mood, they might take you on as a lackey; if in a foul mood, striking you down on the spot is perfectly normal!" Li Hao understood this. Back then, the people of Silver Moon had cultivated the origin path—an origin path radiating outward from Neo Martial! To attain Sovereign status, one had to undergo a tribulation, which was a trial set up by Neo Martial! Without a Great Dao Universe of your own, you could only live under another's roof; otherwise, you didn't even have a chance to attain the Sovereign realm. Li Hao could not help asking again, "Yet I've heard—gleaned from ancient texts left by Neo Martial—that if one lacks a Great Dao Universe, one can pioneer a new world, a new heaven and earth on their own..." Zu An fell silent. Only after a long while did he say, "That is indeed a method... but one better left unmentioned! Forging a new heaven, opening a new world... do you have any idea how much ability that requires? It is completely beyond an ordinary Sovereign!" Is that so? Then what about the River of Time I forged, and now the River of Life and Death? Li Hao was spoken to with such conviction that his confidence wavered, yet he truly had attained the Sovereign realm that way. "Not everyone can forge one?" "..." Utter nonsense! Youngsters always aimed higher than the sky. Zu An explained, "It's not just about whipping up some earth and sky to call it a new world! The so-called opening of heaven and earth requires a complete Dao heritage, natural Dao order, the capacity to support life and survival, the stability to anchor the Dao, and... it will even summon chaotic lightning tribulations! If nothing else, that final point alone will finish you off—once the chaotic lightning tribulation arrives, opening a reckless domain will get you blasted to dust!" Assuming Li Hao was clueless, he elaborated, "The chaotic lightning tribulation is a tribulation born of the chaos itself! Once it falls, it's practically a death sentence! For instance, if you are a first-rank Sovereign, the tribulation you face could easily wipe out a second-rank Sovereign! What's more, the chaotic lightning tribulation cannot be intercepted or endured by anyone else on your behalf..." Li Hao remarked inwardly: But it can. Er Mao could eat it, and back when I became Heaven's Will, others could block it on my behalf. Of course, under ordinary circumstances, creatures like Er Mao were exceedingly rare. And becoming Heaven's Will... meant the beings inside that world were all weaker than you, so they probably couldn't block it anyway. As for the King of Dali and the Queen, who had helped him intercept it once before, that was because both were already targets for lightning strikes—one was a half-Heaven's Will, and the other had borrowed a past body; both were entangled with time, so getting struck was only fair! "I see. I had thought one could simply open a new domain at will!" Li Hao wore an expression of mild regret. Zu An smiled without responding. Everyone who learned of this probably harbored the illusion that they could pull it off. They were all Sovereigns, so who lacked pride? But... reality would teach you: stop daydreaming. So what if you are a Sovereign? The chaotic universe has no shortage of Sovereigns. But how many have ever opened a new heaven and earth? At least none that he knew of. As a means of advancement, one would be far better off pledging allegiance to a Great World; with a stroke of luck, one might still become a top-tier Sovereign. Having regained some confidence before this newcomer, Zu An nursed his wounds while sharing anecdotes and knowledge of the chaos with Li Hao. Black Panther continued swimming slowly forward. Along the way, aside from Zu An, not a single ghostly shadow was seen. And so they traveled for nearly a month. Zu An lingered no longer; his injuries were fully healed, and he bid farewell: "Fellow Daoist Li, I shall head ahead to the Tianfang Great World. You had best find a place to conceal your world, or simply leave this chaos beast behind... Otherwise, the Tianfang Great World is exceedingly chaotic; if you arrive bringing this fellow, coupled with being merely a newly minted first-rank Sovereign... the danger is far too great! Furthermore, the Tianfang Great World doesn't welcome chaos beasts very warmly; those creatures love devouring things indiscriminately, which causes endless trouble! "From here, going ten thousand chaos chi to the north will bring you into the perimeter of the Tianfang Great World! A chaos chi is the distance covered by a first-rank Sovereign shifting with all their might in a single leap. Ten thousand shifts will bring you to Tianfang!" Li Hao clicked his tongue; that was still quite a distance! It would take at least several days of traveling at full speed. The chaos was indeed unimaginably vast. And this was the world closest to Red Moon! "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Zu!" Li Hao thanked him once more. "Once I have settled my world, I will head to the Tianfang Great World. If luck is on my side, perhaps we will meet again, and I may have to trouble you once more!" Zu An laughed. "Minor matters are fine, but in major crises... I am powerless as well! Lastly, one final piece of advice... when roaming abroad, it is best not to mention having any connection with Neo Martial! Neo Martial's Yin-Yang World harbors far too many madmen and carries a notorious reputation. Over the years, they've wiped out quite a few worlds, and some of the survivors fled to the Tianfang Great World—there might even be fifth- or sixth-rank Sovereigns among them... Even if you merely received a superficial inheritance, those people cannot touch Neo Martial, so taking it out on you is well within the realm of possibility!" Li Hao felt a chill and nodded. "Of course! Thank you for the warning, Fellow Daoist." "You're welcome!" As a veteran chaos wanderer, Zu An felt no lingering attachment. Traveling together for a stretch was merely a temporary alliance; he had shared ample information with Li Hao and used the beast's back to heal his wounds, making them even. Without further ado, he swiftly tore through the void and departed. The Red Moon Region was no longer habitable, so he would seek his fortunes in Tianfang. After he left, Li Hao fell silent for a moment. He couldn't take Black Panther along? Currently, Lin Hongyu and the others were striving to attain the Sovereign realm. Should he wait for a while longer, or scout ahead first? Would leaving the Silver Moon World in the chaotic void be safe? Wandering aimlessly in the chaos forever was not a viable path. One had to make contact with the outside world eventually. Whether exchanging Dao methods or pursuing other avenues, it was far better than endless vagrancy; otherwise, there would truly be no opportunities to advance. "The Neo Martial Human King can already slay seventh-rank Sovereigns, while I am merely the weakest first-rank... According to Zu An, if I simply wander the chaos for the rest of my days until I die of old age, I have zero hope of reaching the seventh rank..." Li Hao glanced back. He still had to return eventually. The Lord of Red Moon might be an eighth-rank Sovereign! This time, the Neo Martial Human King and Supreme had shattered two Great Worlds, perhaps with their own motives in mind... but in Li Hao's eyes, it had indeed served to draw attention away from Silver Moon and his own opening of the Star Gate. Had Neo Martial not made their move, Red Moon might have dispatched far more experts that day—perhaps even the Lord of Red Moon in person. "I must return to the Red Moon Region... but only once I possess sufficient strength!" Far in the distance lay that famed world of vagabonds in the chaos: the Tianfang Great World. As for its chaos... wasn't that for the best? If order reigned supreme, where would opportunities come from? A moment later, Li Hao reached a decision. Black Panther and the others would find a place to stay hidden, while he would head to the Tianfang Great World to investigate first, waiting until Lin Hongyu and the others advanced to Sovereign status. Of course, Lin Hongyu's ascension would require his assistance. For now, she was still accumulating foundation, so there was no rush. Having made up his mind, Li Hao hesitated no longer. Giving a shout to Black Panther and sending a transmission to a few powerhouses, Li Hao chose to depart... Only after putting some distance between them did Li Hao grin from ear to ear. So refreshing! When departing, he had looked reluctant and nostalgic, but in truth... at the thought of encountering countless Sovereigns, excitement suddenly surged through him; where was there any reluctance left? In any case, Silver Moon was right there. As long as it faced no danger, it would always be there, and it wasn't as if he wouldn't return. Not a shred of reluctance! In his exhilaration, Li Hao bolted like a wild horse broken free of its reins, charging straight toward the Tianfang Great World. As for losing his way... how could he? The Human King getting lost had to be a deliberate excuse to pick fights; clearly, the north smelled much more like people—he could practically smell it already!