Comprehension and Deterrence

Li Hao knew that Huilong Temple might have noticed something. Yet... he had nothing to fear! Would Ju Ao dare speak of it? He would not! Indeed, Li Hao was certain the other party wouldn't dare. Sure enough, Ju Ao's face was slightly pale, yet he dared not utter a word, let alone send word back. A Sovereign... was gone. Vanished in a mere instant. Ju Ao even suspected: could the figure standing before him be a mighty Sovereign hiding his true cultivation? Otherwise... weak as a first-rank Sovereign was, could one truly be erased in an instant? Meanwhile, Li Hao had no mind to pay him any attention. Time reversal! Before Li Hao's eyes, a completely different scene unfolded, as if he had traveled into the distant past. ... Inside a colossal, boundless hall. A Daoist—or rather, a Daoist transformed from the Dragon Clan—sat cross-legged on a prayer mat. Below, countless cultivators and even beasts of the Demon Clan sat in meditation, their spirits radiant, listening intently to the teachings of the Great Dao. "The Dao of the physical body lies in its foundation... The foundation of the flesh, the foundation of the golden body: when the blood is strong, the bones are strong, and the flesh is strong... this is the Dao of the Physical Body! "My Tianfang World does not specialize in the physical body. Our World Master cultivates the Dao of Space. In Tianfang, spatial mastery is peerless, capable even of sundering the chaos itself... peerlessly formidable. As for me, my mastery lies in the physical body... Though I possess merely a seventh-rank frame, ordinary eighth-rank Sovereigns would struggle to breach my flesh..." That Daoist was peerlessly potent. Merely sitting there in the flesh, he exerted an aura that suppressed heaven and earth. At that moment, Li Hao, having attached his perception to one of the figures in the crowd, was deeply shaken! A seventh-rank Sovereign! A Sovereign of the physical body! This world, this very place, truly held immense opportunities and countless powerhouses! Even more astonishing to Li Hao was that the Lord of Tianfang cultivated the Dao of Space. In Li Hao's classification, life and death, yin and yang, and space were three paramount, top-tier Great Daos. A Space Dao Lord who was also a ninth-rank Dao Lord... It was simply unimaginable. Amidst his awe, the Dragon Sovereign suddenly seemed to perceive something. He glanced toward a figure in the crowd—precisely the person Li Hao was attached to—and faintly furrowed his brow. It seemed as if he had noticed something, yet also as if he hadn't fully discerned it. Under that furrowed brow, the world seemed on the verge of collapse. This was a seventh-rank Sovereign! An existence on the same tier as the Neo Martial Human King, peerlessly mighty and beyond imagination! After frowning for a brief moment, he seemed to pay no further heed to Li Hao, continuing: "The Dao of the physical body exists across nearly every major world and chaotic universe! It is the most common path, yet in my eyes, it is also the foundation of all ten thousand Daos! "Discarding the physical body is a crooked path! No matter how formidable your Great Dao may be, you will have no root to stand upon! "Today, I shall preach the method of attaining the Dao through the physical body!" The Daoist began his sermon. He expounded the method of attaining the Dao through the flesh. Whether this had been his original topic or whether he had started preaching these fundamental tenets because he had noticed something, this particular doctrine had clearly been taught before. Among the crowd below, quite a few listeners appeared indifferent. Li Hao, however, listened with utmost concentration. A great opportunity! In Li Hao's eyes, this was the true fortune. Every place of Dao resonance might hold such an opportunity. A site of Dao resonance often represented a high-rank Sovereign. In the chaos, high-rank Sovereigns were nearly impossible to encounter. Even if one ran into one, why would they preach the Dao to you? The gulf between them was far too vast! Yet at this very moment, this Sovereign began from the basics and delved deeper, thoroughly explicating the Dao of flesh and vital blood. Listening intently, Li Hao felt as if he were receiving a sudden divine illumination! With his experience touring Neo Martial, he was no stranger to the Dao of the physical body. Neo Martial cultivated the flesh as well! The Human King's physical body was exceptionally robust, the Blood Sovereign's flesh was terrifyingly potent, and the Iron Sovereign was likewise a formidable powerhouse of the physical body. Silver Moon, on the other hand, mainly relied on Dao meridians in the body. Li Hao had previously discovered several physical Dao meridians, but he had never cultivated them deeply. In his heart, the Dao of the flesh had always seemed rather crude. Yet now, he listened enraptured! So the physical body possessed so many wondrous applications and divine abilities. It could even transform into a world! Li Hao drew a sharp breath! Transforming the physical body into a world, using the flesh as barriers to serve as the world boundary... This was no longer just an inner world; it was becoming one with the world itself, bearing a resemblance to the chaotic behemoths. Devouring worlds and assimilating them for one's own use! "When the physical body is strong, strength births the Dao. When one Dao is forged, ten thousand Daos open. The Great Dao ultimately returns to oneness; it is nothing more than primary and secondary. Every high-rank Sovereign unites ten thousand Daos into one; the only distinction lies in which Dao serves as the primary. "Our World Master takes the Dao of Space as his primary, stirring clouds and rain, upending chaos. With a single thought, worlds are born... Worlds arise from the void..." At this moment, Li Hao was profoundly shaken. *With a single thought, worlds are born.* How terrifying was that! Could a being truly reach such a level? Opening a small world of his own had been an ordeal fraught with difficulties that had even summoned chaos thunder tribulations. Yet according to this person, the birth of a world was merely a matter of a single thought. Was this what a ninth-rank Sovereign was capable of? Such an existence ought to be indestructible, surely? Did that mean the Lord of Tianfang was truly still alive? Merely no longer in this region? Thoughts flashed wildly through his mind, and in the end, the Dragon Sovereign even passed down a Dao scripture: the *Chaos Physical Body Art*. Li Hao was not particularly interested in the technique itself. The crucial elements were the concepts—including turning flesh and blood into a world, forging worlds out of flesh, along with various miraculous methods, even creating worlds with a thought and casting world boundaries from the physical frame... To Li Hao, these techniques were almost miraculous. He pondered and analyzed them ceaselessly. At this moment, he suddenly realized that the physical body was not crude at all. On the contrary, it was the foundation. Cultivators should not be unbalanced or cast aside the flesh; no matter how powerful their Great Dao, they should never abandon their physical vessel. Thought after thought surfaced in his mind. While Li Hao was deep in contemplation, the Dragon Daoist suddenly spoke: "Fellow Daoist from the depths of time. The chaotic universe is vastly intricate, and Tianfang is willing to befriend powerhouses from all quarters. Today I have offered a brief discourse on the Dao of the physical body; if there are any shortcomings, pray pardon them. If we are fated to meet in the future... we could perhaps exchange insights on the Great Dao. That you take an interest in the Dao of the physical body is a blessing for this lineage..." Li Hao remained silent, his heart quite calm. Seventh-rank Sovereigns could generally detect traces of time. In that case... was the Supreme of Neo Martial truly a seventh-rank Sovereign? The Cang Emperor and the Human King were undoubtedly seventh-rank, but what about the Supreme of Neo Martial... was he seventh-rank as well? Otherwise, how could he have detected Li Hao so easily that day? "This junior was rash to spy upon your teachings... Should the opportunity arise to meet Senior in the chaos... we may exchange insights on the Dao, and I shall speak of my Dao of Time..." Li Hao offered a response. The Daoist seemed taken aback. Visibly moved, he soon spoke once more: "The Master of our world is the ninth-rank Lord of Space... He once invited esteemed friends far and wide, gathering Dao Lords of various realms—the Life and Death Dao Lord, the Yin-Yang Dao Lord, the Physical Body Dao Lord, the Five Elements Dao Lord... Yet he never encountered a Time Dao Lord! "If Fellow Daoist has the opportunity, you may visit our Tianfang to converse..." Tianfang! Yet Tianfang today no longer held any of these people. Just as Li Hao was about to say something, the long river suddenly roiled violently. His expression shifted drastically, and he plunged instantly back into the river. That brief exchange had seemingly disturbed something fundamental, sending an immediate sense of mortal peril crashing down upon him. Li Hao dared not linger. He hastily retreated through the long river, returning to the future. ... Soon, Li Hao regained consciousness. His expression shifted slightly as he looked up at the sky. A thunder tribulation had not descended, yet in that split second, he had felt that continuing the conversation might provoke a catastrophic disaster! Rewinding time was an act that defied the heavens to begin with. Conversing with a powerhouse of the past was even more brazen. If they spoke any longer, he might trigger an unpredictable calamity. More importantly, from that single brief exchange, Li Hao discovered that an immense amount of his lifespan had been consumed. A Sovereign's lifespan was virtually infinite, yet at this moment, he could distinctly feel that he had aged slightly. Of course, his true body was still exceptionally young. Having cultivated anew, he was only around eighteen years old, though this moment had indeed cost him a considerable portion of his years. As Li Hao awakened, the death qi around him dissipated, revealing his true self! Beside him, the two Sovereigns looked puzzled, turning their gazes toward Li Hao. Just now, the Dao resonance around him had felt rather peculiar and complex. Both of them had observed it, only to find they couldn't see through it. What kind of path did this man walk? Behind them, Ju Ao dared not utter a single word, still immersed in terror even now. Killing a Sovereign... Many could slay a first-rank Sovereign. Multiple figures within Huilong Temple could accomplish that. However, directly killing a Sovereign over a mere verbal spat was extraordinarily terrifying. Crucially, the power this man had displayed was also only at the level of a first-rank Sovereign. By now, Ju Ao didn't dare believe this person was merely first-rank. He even suspected that this man was at least fourth-rank! More importantly, had this man infiltrated the Tianfang Great World with some hidden agenda? Should he report this to Huilong Temple or not? These thoughts swirled incessantly. Li Hao paid them no heed. Suddenly, his physical body shuddered as his vital blood surged vigorously. Not only that, but Great Daos coiled around him, and the energy of a Sovereign briefly manifested, only to be instantly drained and absorbed by him! The power of the Sovereign he had slain earlier had been directly purified, leaving less than a third of the original energy. Now, it flowed into the acupoints throughout his body. Recalling everything from the sermon, Li Hao began strengthening his physical form. Several Dao meridians within him that had previously remained closed were pried open once more. He had already opened 360 Dao meridians before, yet now, several more were unsealed. Those colossal Dao meridians, resembling living dragons, suddenly merged into the long river. An idea took shape in Li Hao's mind: why not use his physical Dao meridians as world boundaries? That way, he could replace the sword, the seal, and the tree. Back then, he had promised those three venerable experts that they would each become worlds of their own in the future. Yet presently, they were all integral parts of his River of Life and Death; if this continued, they might never be able to separate from his river. Better to seize this opportunity to support the river with his physical power... and in the future, open separate heavens and earths for those three! As Li Hao continuously cultivated his physical Dao meridians, he also pondered the future. To him, the Tianfang Great World was a land of supreme fortune. Many high-rank Sovereigns had once resided here. Through a single reversal of the past... he had gained tremendous benefits. Having a high-rank Sovereign expound upon the Great Dao was far more exhilarating to Li Hao than devouring a medium world. More importantly, the Huilong Domain alone possessed four sites of Dao resonance. And this domain was merely one of the ten great domains of the southern region of the Tianfang World. Just how many high-rank Sovereigns had existed across the entire Tianfang World? Regardless of whether they were high-rank or otherwise... anyone who reached the Sovereign realm was an extraordinary figure, especially Sovereigns of a great world. Their willingness to expound upon the Great Dao represented a tremendous opportunity for Li Hao! What could be more enticing than that? As for the cost to his lifespan... it was trivial! Li Hao was both thrilled and awed. The master of this world truly was a ninth-rank Sovereign! Crucially, he was a supreme Sovereign of the Dao of Space. Space... The teleportation array he had used to arrive from the world gate—had it been established by Huilong Temple, or had it existed all along? Furthermore... as the most powerful Sovereign of Space... was the entire Tianfang World truly just what met the eye? A ninth-rank Space Sovereign was beyond comprehension. Was this Tianfang World truly the Tianfang World he was seeing? Did different layers of space exist? Why had an entire great world migrated away? And why had that World Master reportedly sought to assemble the supreme figures of every Dao? To discuss the Dao? That seemed unlikely to be the sole reason. At this moment, ten thousand thoughts surged through Li Hao's mind. The vital blood within him continued to rise, and the energy compressed from the first-rank Sovereign was transformed into crystals of chaotic Great Dao power. Li Hao had no interest in the inheritance of a weak Sovereign. Casting it aside entirely, he extracted only the pure energy he needed. He was a Sovereign nonetheless. This energy was sufficient to sustain Li Hao's cultivation, steadily unsealing his physical Dao meridians. Each time one was opened, Li Hao merged it into the long river, turning it into the river's boundary wall! Not only that, but he also integrated his vital blood into the river, making it part of the River of Life and Death. In this manner, although Li Hao's cultivation rank did not advance, his strength experienced a considerable surge. This filled Li Hao with excitement. Having stepped into the Sovereign realm, advancing in cultivation had become exponentially harder. Reaching the second or third rank was no simple feat; even if it didn't require tens of millions of years, it would still take several years. Yet if he could maintain this pace of progress... he might soon reach the third rank. Provided his comprehension of the Dao was sufficient. "Fellow Daoist!" While Li Hao was deep in thought, the female Sovereign beside him suddenly spoke, tinged with a hint of doubt: "Have you gained some comprehension?" Li Hao turned his head and offered a smile. "A modest gain." "..." The female Sovereign looked perplexed. *Was that real?* Countless people had passed through this place, yet very few ever gained any insights. *You come here for the very first time, meditate once without even activating the Dao resonance, and claim to have gained insights? What boastful talk!* Yet she had felt fluctuations in his vital blood just now. For a moment, she couldn't quite tell. However, she had spoken not for this, but for another matter. She transmitted her voice: "It seems to me that you only recently ascended to the Sovereign realm. Your comprehension of the Dao and your lack of resources must both be severe issues! "Lately, we chaos-wandering Sovereigns are preparing to join forces and accomplish something... If you are willing, you may join us. It is an opportunity!" "What matter?" Li Hao was somewhat curious. These chaos wanderers had unremarkable strength, yet they wanted to stir up trouble? What kind of trouble? "Do you know of the Red Moon Domain?" "A little." Li Hao's heart stirred. Related to the Red Moon Domain again? It seemed he could never escape the influence of Neo Martial. "A war broke out over in the Red Moon Domain... Recently, word came from the Red Moon Great World that anyone who hunts down a Sovereign of the Yin-Yang World below the third rank will receive ten million chaotic Great Dao crystals! For mid-rank Sovereigns... the rewards are unimaginable; one can even enter the Great Dao Universe to comprehend the Red Moon Dao. The Red Moon Sovereign is an eighth-rank Sovereign, a peerless powerhouse! "The Red Moon World has stood in the chaos for countless years, possessing profound heritage. In the past, they always fought alone, but this time they took the initiative to spread the word among chaos wanderers. Clearly, Neo Martial has put immense pressure on them! "Furthermore, the Yin-Yang World has an affiliated small world. As far as I know... Red Moon has offered an astronomical price for it! It is said to be merely an unremarkable minor world that was lost in the chaos over fifty years ago. Whoever can find it, capture it, and deliver it to Red Moon will even receive a medium world in exchange..." Li Hao's heart stirred faintly. So fast? It was normal for Red Moon to take action, but this was remarkably swift. He had only just arrived, yet a bounty for Silver Moon was already circulating. "Are you saying... we should join forces to deal with Neo Martial powerhouses?" Li Hao frowned. The female Sovereign transmitted: "We are only a part of it. Lately, not just Red Moon, but various factions in Tianfang, various domain lords, and even powerhouses from great worlds near Tianfang have been eyeing the Yin-Yang World greedily! "That world is extraordinary. In just over a thousand years, the Neo Martial Human King advanced from a mid-rank Sovereign to the seventh rank, even slaying seventh-rank Sovereigns—he is terrifyingly formidable! "Some even suspect that if the Neo Martial Human King and the Cang Emperor truly fuse together... they might possess eighth-rank might! "Fellow Daoist, you must know how difficult Sovereign cultivation is! Which world master of a great world hasn't endured thousands of tribulations? All are the absolute cream of the crop within their worlds. The Neo Martial Human King isn't extraordinarily special, so how could he advance so swiftly? It is said that Neo Martial's Origin Universe is truly out of the ordinary..." The female Sovereign spoke at length before adding: "I see that you fear no danger and are young. If you wish, I can recommend you to join our Chaos Ranger alliance... If we can slay a Neo Martial powerhouse, Red Moon's deep reserves will surely grant us tremendous rewards. A single venture will be enough for us to rest easy for thousands or tens of thousands of years!" Li Hao was mildly shaken. *Red Moon is borrowing outside forces to deal with Neo Martial?* Did Red Moon feel threatened, or had they lost confidence? In a war between great worlds, they were the aggressive invaders... yet now they were recruiting chaos wanderers to oppose Neo Martial. This was hardly good news. He also knew Neo Martial well—in truth, they were... dirt poor! The Human King was a man who drank today's wine today; whatever resources he had, he consumed immediately! In his words, if you didn't use them now, you'd only leave them for the enemy. Thus, Neo Martial had practically no reserves to speak of. Red Moon could hire people with wealth, but Neo Martial could not... because they were broke. Chaos Rangers were not particularly strong. Generally, they were below the third rank! Yet an army of ants could bring down an elephant. Moreover, not everyone in Neo Martial was a high-rank Sovereign. High-rank figures were scarce, mid-rank Sovereigns weren't overly abundant, and the vast majority were low-rank Sovereigns. Most remained within the Neo Martial World. However, over the years, a portion had ventured outside to temper themselves across the chaos, and there might even be some within this very Tianfang World. At that thought, Li Hao frowned slightly. Neo Martial had shown him kindness. Not only that, Silver Moon traced its roots to Neo Martial. Furthermore, Silver Moon had become a target of Red Moon's bounty; unaware that Silver Moon had advanced to a medium world, they were willing to trade an entire medium world for it. A medium world held immense temptation for peak third-rank or even fourth-rank Sovereigns. Thoughts flashing, Li Hao transmitted: "Why did you seek me out, Fellow Daoist? The one earlier accused me of being a Neo Martial spy. Aren't you worried I might sell you out?" Approaching him so suddenly... felt unusual! The other man had just called him a Neo Martial spy. Was she not worried in the slightest? The female Sovereign chuckled and transmitted back: "What Neo Martial spy... That man knows nothing of Neo Martial. The people of Neo Martial all cultivate the origin path, and the Great Dao aura of a great world is very distinct—anyone can recognize it at a glance! You have no origin aura whatsoever... how could you possibly be from Neo Martial? "Besides, Neo Martial is insular... They rarely recruit outside powerhouses. Combined with their brief time in the chaos, generally speaking, no Sovereign would rashly align with Neo Martial right now. That Neo Martial Human King stirs up trouble everywhere; everyone assumes disaster is about to strike them, so even we chaos wanderers wouldn't rashly pledge allegiance to them!" Formidable though Neo Martial was, boasting more than one seventh-rank Sovereign and surpassing ordinary great worlds, who among the chaos wanderers would defect to them? They would have to be insane! The Neo Martial Human King was mad to the extreme. Over these years, he had never truly rested, perpetually picking fights and killing people everywhere. How many Sovereigns had he slaughtered? Who would dare throw in their lot with such an existence? Naturally, none dared! As for Li Hao, this newly ascended Sovereign, his specific Great Dao was hard to discern for now, but it was definitively not the origin path. The aura of the origin path was unmistakable; powerhouses familiar with great worlds could tell at a glance which world an aura belonged to. A Red Moon spy might have been plausible, as Red Moon had recruited numerous foreign experts. Neo Martial, however... was fiercely isolationist and had never recruited outsiders. Therefore, any Sovereign without the origin aura could not possibly belong to Neo Martial. This was also why Ju Ao and the female Sovereign spoke openly before Li Hao about targeting Neo Martial. Neo Martial had no allies; it was an isolated, self-contained force! Though powerful, they had no friends. The entire faction was an insular circle of Neo Martial natives keeping to themselves. Even a well-known figure like the Sun God of Neo Martial, who didn't strictly walk the origin path, was heavily steeped in the origin aura. Besides, an expert of that caliber had no need to conceal his identity. A seventh-rank Sovereign! Such a figure might be slightly weaker than some great world masters because he lacked a Great Dao Universe and world power, but he was a genuine high-rank Sovereign... Why would he impersonate a novice? Li Hao raised a brow and transmitted: "Do you have many people? Whom from Neo Martial are you targeting? From what I know... everyone in Neo Martial is ready to self-detonate at a moment's notice. They are ferociously violent and terrifying..." "No matter. This time we have several third-rank Sovereigns, and... a fourth-rank Sovereign will lead the team! Our targets are actually not strong. To be frank, they are merely two peripheral Sovereigns of Neo Martial... practically the embarrassments of Neo Martial!" She smiled. "If they were Neo Martial's top Sovereigns, we wouldn't dare provoke them; they are far too terrifying! But this time, our targets are two marginal figures. One is Sovereign Tianji, and the other is a surrendered vassal within Neo Martial, King Huai! Between the two, one is second-rank and the other is third-rank... Crucially, they are exceptionally cowardly, infamous for running away..." Li Hao's heart gave a violent jolt! King Huai and Tianji. *Good grief!* He knew both of them; Tianji was particularly familiar. Yet how could those two possibly have ventured outside? Li Hao was utterly stunned. He transmitted: "I actually know a bit about those two. Rumor has it they would rather lie down than stand, remaining within Neo Martial at all times. Unless a final battle erupts, they would never step out of the Neo Martial World. How could they have come out to give us a chance to hunt them?" "That is where you are mistaken! We don't know the exact details, but the two of them have indeed stepped out of the Yin-Yang World this time! Slaying them won't just yield whatever spoils they carry upon their deaths; the Red Moon World will also pay a handsome bounty! Not only that... to counter Neo Martial, several neighboring great worlds have offered bounties as well! "We aren't claiming a reward from just one faction, but multiple, and... all of them honor their bounties! Neo Martial has offended too many people over the years, and they are even more aggressive than Red Moon, making many deeply apprehensive! "The Neo Martial Human King slaughters across the realms... His very existence exerts immense pressure even on the masters of great worlds! They dread that over a single disagreement, he might claim he lost his way and launch an invasion... Neo Martial is even more notorious than Red Moon! "We cannot handle top-tier Sovereigns... but slaying one below the fourth rank... yields benefits comparable to killing a fourth-rank Sovereign. For chaos wanderers, this is a massive fortune!" The female Sovereign went on. She had invited Li Hao primarily because she found him agreeable. First, Li Hao was handsome. Second, he remained calm under both honor and disgrace. Third, he carried an air of scholarly composure and refined elegance. Though he had shown an aggressive edge earlier, his unflinching composure in the face of another Sovereign's provocation proved he was extraordinary. All these reasons combined led her to invite him. For a newly ascended Sovereign... such opportunities were exceedingly rare. What great fortune could a first-rank Sovereign typically hope for? Li Hao had originally intended to refuse, but he was now shaken to the core. Two Neo Martial Sovereigns had stepped out of their world... and one of them was Tianji. Why? The next instant, understanding dawned on him: they were searching for Silver Moon! Yet... such news ought to be classified. How had it leaked? Could Neo Martial have a traitor? It was not impossible! Back then, Li Daoheng and the others had betrayed them; why couldn't another arise? Moreover, not everyone agreed with the ideals of the Human King and the Supreme. Their methods were far too mad, making betrayal entirely plausible. Yet the news had leaked with terrifying speed. Neo Martial must have dispatched Sovereigns to search for Silver Moon roughly a month after Silver Moon had appeared. In just one month, word had already reached the Tianfang Great World! This was... far too fast. This was the chaotic universe, not the interior of a world. For information to travel so quickly was truly alarming. Having initially had no interest, Li Hao now changed his mind. He quickly asked: "If we kill them, won't we invite vengeance from Neo Martial's powerhouses?" "No need to worry! Certain powerhouses have already made preparations for that! The Neo Martial Human King wouldn't dare recklessly enter the Tianfang Domain. If he does... trapped between opposing forces, do you think he could still escape? Right now he remains unharmed only because of his unpredictable movements!" The Human King's habit of getting lost had been interpreted as unpredictable maneuvering. Yet that was indeed the reality. He claimed to be searching for Red Moon, but in truth he wandered aimlessly. No one had any idea where he would show up next! Because of this, surrounding him was impossible. Previously, someone had caught up to the Human King... only to be completely wiped out by him! Not a single survivor! Now, who dared pursue him? Ever since detonating the Great Dao Universe of the Absolute Darkness Great World, the Human King had vanished without a trace once more... Operating in the shadows made him all the more dangerous. While Neo Martial was conspicuously exposed, the Human King roamed alone in the dark. No one knew where he would strike next—not even those within Neo Martial. At this moment, Li Hao also understood. Many wished to hunt down the Neo Martial Human King! Because he was formidable, refused to play by the rules, and, most crucially, had cultivated for an astoundingly short time! Li Hao considered himself a genius, yet having reached the first-rank Sovereign realm... could he become a seventh-rank Sovereign in a thousand years? No one could say for certain! Yet the slaughterous Neo Martial Human King was already a seventh-rank Sovereign! It was utterly terrifying! Thoughts flashing, Li Hao asked: "When do we set out?" "In one year! We need time on the road, along with preparations and waiting for others. It cannot be rushed, so a year is not long!" A year? Li Hao's heart stirred. That was indeed not long. After entering the chaos, he had realized that a single year was practically nothing. Spending a year just traveling was commonplace. Right now, he was merely a first-rank Sovereign, while a fourth-rank Sovereign was reportedly leading the expedition. He had some hope of dealing with a third-rank opponent. A fourth-rank... he could forget about it. Yet if he advanced to the second rank... or even the third rank, he would stand a chance. As for sending word to Neo Martial... Setting aside whether the power of time could trace back to Neo Martial again, even if it could, those two had already stepped out into the chaos, meaning Neo Martial couldn't contact them either! Therefore, within this year, he had to reach at least the second rank, or even the third rank, to have any hope of defusing their crisis! "I accept!" Li Hao transmitted directly: "Thank you for the guidance, Elder Sister! Without you, I wouldn't have had the chance to take part in this operation... By the way, will the major factions of the Tianfang World participate?" "They are different from us. Even if they participate, they won't target the weak; they'll go after the strong! Their targets are likely the Neo Martial powerhouses roaming the chaos, such as the Sword Venerable, the Blood Sovereign, the Heaven Suppressing King, and Sovereign Qin Fengqing!" The female Sovereign sighed. "Those individuals are all mid-rank Sovereigns; they are the true targets! As for us... we can only handle the weaker Sovereigns. As for the mighty ones, they hail from a great world; how could they be so easily dealt with?" Li Hao understood, though his heart grew heavy. Neo Martial... truly knew how to make enemies. They had been like this in the past, and they were still like this now. Even forces outside the Red Moon Domain were plotting against them. These people truly excelled at inviting trouble. *Look at me... I never stir up trouble!* *Even after slaying a Sovereign, I remain utterly low-profile.* Of course, when it involved beings who were too powerful, he was helpless. He could only do what lay within his power. He suddenly looked at Ju Ao. "Fellow Daoist Ju Ao, I will remain in the Tianfang World for a time. During this period, please accompany me as my guide. As for Huilong Temple, could you help negotiate on my behalf? I am interested in joining, but... I may require some resources." Ju Ao's heart skipped a beat! At this point, he didn't even dare recruit this man anymore. While recruiting a Sovereign brought substantial rewards, this person's background was completely unknown. If he harbored ulterior motives, joined Huilong Temple, and then fled, Ju Ao would be ruined! Of course, vetting was the Sovereigns' responsibility. It had nothing to do with him! Yet his cultivation was humble... If he were dragged into this, it would spell disaster. Even as these thoughts raced through his mind, a smile formed on his face. "Of course! I will certainly pass along your message. If Senior is willing to join Huilong Temple, it will add yet another layer of foundation to our temple!" Inwardly, he was weeping bitter tears! *Why did I have to encounter such a troublesome existence?* For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what Li Hao was scheming. Li Hao, however, transmitted: "Do not worry. I merely seek an identity here to cultivate peacefully for a while and avoid unnecessary trouble... I will depart after a year, so why be so wary? If you pretend to know nothing, you will gain a Sovereign friend, perhaps even several... But if... even if Huilong Temple offers you rewards, I fear you will not live to enjoy them!" Ju Ao groaned internally! *I know that!* *Otherwise, I would have reported you long ago.* "Senior... but those two... they also saw that man leave. If he fails to return for a long time and news spreads... that will cause trouble. Those two will certainly suspect something!" Out of sheer desperation, he transmitted another warning. *I can keep my mouth shut, but what about those two?* One first-rank, one second-rank. Both were troublesome! If the news leaked, wouldn't they suspect him? Crucially, he had witnessed it with his own eyes, and they had seen it too. When the time came, he would be implicated! Li Hao glanced at the two Sovereigns. A first-rank was easy to kill... but a second-rank was somewhat troublesome. Silence them with death? Forget it! That would be improper! Li Hao was not that kind of person. Even though this female Sovereign planned to hunt Neo Martial powerhouses, she was merely doing so for standard benefits, not deliberately targeting him or Neo Martial... She had even kindly invited him! That being the case... Li Hao was no villain. The next instant, an eruption of vital blood suddenly soared into the sky from the site of Dao resonance. A colossal dragon coiled between heaven and earth. At that moment, the two Sovereigns beside him were startled, followed immediately by wild delight. "Dao resonance!" The two Sovereigns were ecstatic. Paying no further attention to Li Hao, they surged frantically toward the colossal dragon in the air. Li Hao smiled faintly, looking at Ju Ao. "Will this do? Comprehending Dao resonance... for a year isn't considered long, is it?" Ju Ao stood dumbfounded! Dao resonance! How was that possible? How could the man before him manifest Dao resonance at will? This was unmistakably his doing; otherwise... the timing was far too coincidental! He was utterly flabbergasted! It surpassed all imagination. He even felt a creeping terror—could the man standing before him truly be a seventh-rank Sovereign? Otherwise, the Dao resonance here had been on the verge of fading completely. How could it manifest so easily! This had originally been the site of a high-rank Sovereign's Dao resonance; ordinary people had no way to call it forth. Li Hao glanced at it and chuckled. "This is just enough for two low-rank Sovereigns to cultivate and comprehend. Mighty experts wouldn't deign to come, and if ordinary people arrive, those two won't yield... Whether they quarrel or fight... it no longer has anything to do with us! Let's go, we'll find another spot... Our strength is humble, so we won't compete with the two Sovereigns!" With that, Li Hao called out aloud: "Fellow Daoists, I shall take my leave first! The Dao resonance here does not seem sufficient to accommodate three people... I have no intention of competing. The Dao of the physical body does not align well with my Dao of Death, so I shall look elsewhere... Fellow Daoists, until we meet again!" The two Sovereigns were delighted to hear this. It was best that he didn't join! Even though the female Sovereign had invited Li Hao earlier, now that the moment had arrived, she was reluctant to share the prize. She was only first-rank, not second-rank; if a scramble ensued... she might be pushed aside. Although she believed she was not weaker than Li Hao and that he might not outcompete her, avoiding extra trouble was always preferable. She hastily transmitted to Li Hao: "Then we shall meet in one year... By the way, may I ask your esteemed title?" "Bright Moon Sovereign!" She quickly replied: "I am Mo. You may call me Ancestor Mo or Fellow Daoist Mo..." "Very well. Many thanks, Sister Mo. I shall return in one year!" Li Hao gave a light laugh. Saying no more, he departed with easy grace. Once he was gone, the second-rank Sovereign said gravely: "Now that he has left... could he leak word of this...?" The sudden manifestation of Dao resonance was an extraordinary fortune. Crucially, the disturbance was small, confined right beside them. Although Sovereigns came and went frequently here, with good luck... it was entirely possible that no one would arrive for some time. The only fear was that this man might spread the news far and wide once he left! Ancestor Mo pondered briefly, then shook her head. "Hard to say, but he carries an extraordinary bearing, unlike someone from a small world. Yet... he displays no power of a Great Dao Universe. Since he has departed... let us hurry and comprehend; this is our fortune! Even if word leaks, there is nothing we can do. Those above the third rank generally won't come, and as for third-rank Sovereigns... this is only a fragment of Dao resonance, not the complete inheritance, so they might not be interested..." In any case, they would try their luck! The second-rank Sovereign said no more, quickly immersing himself in comprehension. In an instant, he felt the profound mystery of the Great Dao! For a time, he was excited beyond measure. Not just any Sovereign had the opportunity to receive guidance from a high-rank Sovereign. Across the entire Red Moon Domain and Tianfang Domain, how many high-rank Sovereigns existed? Every single one was a supreme existence of a great world; who among them would care to pay attention to mere chaos wanderers? ... At this moment, Ju Ao had been shaken to the point of daze. He now harbored grave suspicions that the figure before him... was a concealed high-rank Sovereign. It was utterly terrifying! Meanwhile, Li Hao wore a radiant smile as he glanced at him. By his estimation, this man wouldn't dare speak. His loyalty to Huilong Temple... was superficial at best. Factions not bound together as a unified world had exceedingly limited cohesion.