Instant Kill

What was the Great Dao, after all? This was something Li Hao could not explain clearly, and in truth, neither could anyone else. Was it an enlightenment? Was it a way of utilizing energy? Was it a form of perception? No one could explain it with absolute precision. In truth, everyone’s comprehension of the Dao differed. In Li Hao’s eyes, the Dao was simply a way to utilize power—a concrete means of applying one’s own perception and abilities. This means could be divided into life and death, yin and yang, time, or various different Dao systems. In this process, one’s understanding of energy and of heaven and earth constituted the comprehension of the Dao. How to utilize finite energy to the utmost limit. This was one aspect of the Dao, but not all of it. It was like a chemical reaction: a Dao that seemed unremarkable on its own might erupt with unimaginable energy when combined with another Dao. That was the elevation and fusion of Daos. As for breakthrough via enlightenment, advancing one's realm of the Dao, in Li Hao's view, it was an elevation in perception. Just like a chemical reaction, if you did it right and the chemical equation was correct, you could achieve this advancement and complete the experiment. But if your equation was wrong... then you could not advance. That was the realm. Perhaps you could succeed and advance on your first try. Perhaps after thousands of attempts you still failed, meaning you were unfamiliar and unacquainted with this chemical reaction, unable to complete this transformation, leaving you no choice but to start over from scratch. These were Li Hao's own perceptions of the Dao. Others might see it differently. Preaching the Dao was merely expounding one's own philosophies; whether others agreed was their own affair. Of course, all Daos connected; like a chemical formula, the end result might be unique. That was the commonality of the Dao! However, the paths taken could be entirely different. Li Hao had always been this way. When listening to lectures on the Dao, he was merely listening to different processes to see if they yielded consistent results. That was his takeaway from listening to the Dao. And today, this Great Dao Chessboard essentially presented Li Hao with an immense, extraordinarily long chemical equation that ultimately yielded a Dao result. It might not be the only one! Yet for Li Hao, this was something he had never heard of or seen before. At this moment, he was effectively verifying this chemical reaction step by step, calculating to see whether he could make it his own. Whether it was the Records of Yuanping or the Zhang Family Educational Records, they were actually basic chemical equations. They were indeed very fundamental, and the Daos within were meant for experts who had not yet become Sovereigns. They were akin to elementary formulas. Now, Li Hao, like a high school student, could still use them, but they were falling behind his needs. Now, what lay before his eyes was an advanced, extremely long equation fit for a university chemistry major... In truth, he could not fully verify and calculate all of it, but it could broaden his horizons and expand his knowledge. This was the Dao! And the result of this equation was, in truth, the unity of ten thousand Daos—a true, authentic fusion into one. Every powerful cultivator pursued this unity. Li Hao did, the Human King did, the Sword Venerable did, the Supreme did... Whether through the Great Dao Book, an internal world, or the Longevity Sword, all of them were pursuing the exact same outcome: the unity of Daos! And the Great Dao Chessboard was the result of that unity. Of course, this was actually the simplest of advanced formulas; if it were any more complex... Li Hao would not understand it at all. He had no need for something incomprehensibly profound; what stood before him was plenty. Li Hao was ravenous with hunger, wishing he could sweep across all 9,999 squares in an instant. Yet he knew his perception was still shallow; even as a third-rank Sovereign, it was not enough. He needed to comprehend, attempt, and experiment bit by bit. He could not just look at the whole picture directly, or he would remain unable to understand it. He had to follow the formula step by step, executing each part and committing every step to memory. Once he grew proficient, he might not need to do this, but clearly, he could not skip steps now. Thus, even as Xunhan madly cleared squares beside him, Li Hao did not spare him a glance. He felt no rush whatsoever, steadily trying, fusing, arranging, and doing what he needed to do. As for the outcome, it did not matter. So long as he remembered all this, entering Dark Demon Ridge this time would already be his greatest success. However, Li Hao had now hit an obstacle. He had never comprehended, grasped, integrated into his river, or even encountered the Dao in this square. Consequently, he was stuck at this step. What Dao was this? Li Hao could hardly say. It was like encountering an unfamiliar element during an experiment—he could not supply this element, and the experimental process suddenly ground to a halt! "Division or duplication? Or mirroring? Or reflection? Repulsion?" Within this square, an exact duplicate of Li Hao appeared, relentlessly attacking him. Yet Li Hao could not determine what Dao it truly was. Division, duplication, mirroring, reflection—all were possibilities. Unfortunately... he had never comprehended any of them, making him look rather ignorant. Li Hao's brow furrowed repeatedly. After a long while, he decided to force his way through. He would commit this square to memory first, remembering this unfamiliar Dao, element, and chemical compound. Once he passed this stage, he could search for it and test it later. It would not hinder the subsequent experimental reactions. He felt a touch of helplessness; across these 9,999 squares, he was bound to encounter many similar Daos. He could only memorize them one by one, for it was impossible to master them all. Committing this place to memory, Li Hao swiftly shattered the clone-like entity with brute force and stepped into the next square. This was also the first time Li Hao had forced his way through with brute strength. By this point, he had expended virtually no energy. Meanwhile, Li Hao had only traversed a hundred-odd squares, while Xunhan beside him had already illuminated over seven hundred squares. Having charged forward furiously, Xunhan paused for a moment and glanced at the neighboring board... A chill glinted in his eyes. Sovereign Haoyue didn't seem all that impressive. He himself had crossed over seven hundred squares, while the other had only done a hundred-odd—he was five times faster. This indicated that the fellow was very likely just a third-rank Sovereign, not the middle-rank Sovereign he had anticipated. If so... no matter how the other Sovereigns of the Absolute Darkness Great World had died, their deaths would be laid at this man's door! A faint, cold sneer curled at the corners of Xunhan's mouth. Dao Chess was a test of one's comprehension of the Great Dao, but it was also a test of raw strength. With his strength as a fifth-rank Sovereign and his potent Dao resonance, even charging heedlessly allowed him to break through over seven hundred squares. Next, he wasn't far from reaching a thousand. Once past a thousand, he might try for two thousand, or three thousand... Of course, he wouldn't push beyond that, as he was already feeling somewhat fatigued. ... The phantom watching them sighed inwardly. Forcing his way through! This Xunhan hadn't gained anything at all. Gaining nothing was one thing, but he had even saddled himself with numerous Dao injuries—what was the point? I had you play Dao Chess, not smash through it with brute force! In your condition, even if you were given the Dark Emissary's daily insights, you wouldn't be able to grasp a thing. A fifth-rank Sovereign of the Absolute Darkness Great World, a great world in its own right, yet why did this fifth-rank Sovereign seem inferior to ordinary low-rank Sovereigns? A wasted trip! At this point, the phantom paid him no more heed and focused intently on Li Hao. Up to now, Li Hao had only encountered a single square he could not comprehend. For someone who was only a third-rank Sovereign, this was already remarkable. It seemed his own comprehension of the Dao was substantial and quite deep. Only... he was still at the third rank. No breakthroughs in realm or elevations in raw strength had occurred; even though Li Hao was constantly learning and adapting, no such progress had manifested. The phantom observed for a long while before finally reaching a conclusion. "Interesting... A cognitive barrier?" The phantom murmured. Or perhaps not a cognitive barrier, but rather that this person harbored certain thoughts and notions, believing he needed to comprehend another powerful Dao, fuse it, and surpass life and death before he could advance? Why would such an idea arise? Under normal circumstances, any Dao could lead straight to the ninth rank! Life and death was hardly a weak Dao. Treading the path of life and death directly to the ninth rank was entirely possible. Yet Li Hao seemed to have developed a cognitive barrier. The phantom could sense that this man seemed to wish to advance through other means, making his Dao more perfect. "He left some blanks... choosing not to fill them with other Daos, always saving them for something else..." "It is as if... the outcome of his Dao fruit was decided long ago?" The phantom's heart stirred. How strange. Rather peculiar! This person seemed to have an expectation for his Dao fruit, for the ultimate conclusion and result of his Dao, rather than advancing haphazardly. He needed to fill in the current blanks before completing the perfection of his Dao. What Dao could possibly be more worth anticipating than life and death? Were it not for this, with the substantial gains the man had obtained in the Great Dao Chessboard, reaching the fourth rank would not have been difficult at all. Yet Li Hao still showed no inclination toward advancing his realm. In other words, no matter how much this fellow comprehended, he would not advance to the fourth rank. How truly strange! The Dao of Life and Death was truly not inferior. Even the Lord of Tianfang, who walked the Dao of Space as the Dao Lord of Space, would not dare claim he could look down upon the Dao Lord of Life and Death. If they met at the same rank, who would win and who would lose remained uncertain. "What exactly does he want to comprehend?" This was the phantom's greatest puzzle at this moment. ... Meanwhile, Li Hao was full of anticipation. Anticipating what? Anticipating yin and yang! Yes, in his plan, the next step was to comprehend yin and yang. Life and death, yin and yang, the universe! This was the plan Li Hao had set for himself: comprehend life and death at the third rank, yin and yang at the sixth rank, and the universe at the ninth rank. The universe was space, and perhaps also time. Spacetime! In this process, he would fuse ten thousand Daos, perfecting the three primary Daos he cultivated, and ultimately converge all Daos into Time. Only then would he, Li Hao, truly be a genuine Lord of Time, the Dao Lord of Time! Whether it was life and death, yin and yang, or nirvana and revival... in Li Hao's eyes, none compared to Time. Time was the lifelong pursuit of cultivators. Pursuing eternal life without death, youth without aging, time without passing... Therefore, he suffered no cognitive barrier; he merely possessed his own Dao heart and convictions. He had to perfect the other Daos before he could continue forward; otherwise, if he reached the fourth rank and missed the opportunity for transformation, he might never complete the fusion of Daos or step onto the true Dao of Time. At this moment, he absorbed the Dao power from many squares, but instead of using it for comprehension, he used it to build Life and Death Bridges. Earlier, he had absorbed so much dark power that he hardly dared draw in any more. Now, however, Li Hao began absorbing the power of other Daos to continue perfecting his Life and Death Bridges. At this stage, Li Hao held his own ideas and convictions. Though he greatly admired and envied the expert who had refined Dao Chess, that did not mean he would walk the exact same path. Even if the master had been the Lord of Tianfang, Li Hao could learn from him, imitate him, and revere him, but he could not become him. He had his own ultimate goal. Thus, in the eyes of the phantom, Li Hao experienced no breakthrough in realm. He merely memorized the order of those Daos and comprehended them, yet chose not to absorb the profound Dao principles within. Instead, he used this energy to build Life and Death Bridges... an absolute waste. Had any other third-rank Sovereign been here, they might have advanced to the fourth rank by now. Yet Li Hao went about his business, carrying out his own plan. The Life and Death Bridges continued to increase. From 280 bridges, it had already grown to 290. On average, every twenty squares allowed him to construct nearly one more bridge. He was still seventy bridges away from the peak of the third rank. At this rate, and given that progressing further would only grow more difficult, Li Hao would likely need to traverse roughly two thousand squares to reach the peak of the third rank. "Yin and yang... still haven't encountered them." At this moment, Li Hao was not disappointed, because he had encountered Light! That incandescent Dao of Light differed somewhat from the light he had imagined and perceived. That extreme brilliance, that luminous clarity, that gentle radiance left him somewhat entranced. Was this the power of light? He was intimately familiar with Aunt Bright Light's Bright Light Sword, but it had never given him this sensation. Aunt Bright Light's sword was actually sharp and piercing, yet the light here possessed none of that sharpness. There was only gentleness, luminosity, and magnificence... "Is this true light?" "Or rather, light takes many forms... seeing light in darkness..." Li Hao murmured. It differed from his understanding. Right now, he continually absorbed these insights. The more he comprehended now, the more he could integrate everything he saw and heard today into the Great Dao Universe upon returning to the Silver Moon world. Then, everyone from Silver Moon could comprehend them in the Great Dao... Even if they did not cultivate them, it would serve as reference material left behind by a supreme Sovereign. It mattered not if Li Hao did not cultivate it; for others who did, it would provide an elevation to some degree. "Are there nirvana and revival?" Li Hao felt a bit parched. What a pity that Kongji hadn't come here to play Dao Chess; otherwise, Kongji would surely have gained some insights into the Dao of Revival. He continued his comprehension, ignoring everything else. Meanwhile, Xunhan was panting heavily, hairline fractures appearing across his body, yet he grinned. Nine hundred squares! Only a hundred squares left to succeed. As for Li Hao, he had only traversed about two hundred squares so far, lagging far behind. "I'm about to succeed!" He was beside himself with ecstasy. In the next moment, without bothering to recover, he charged into the next square. A violent commotion erupted within it as the might of a fifth-rank Sovereign was fully displayed, instantly shattering the powerful Dao resonance in square 901! Xunhan plunged into the next Dao square, drawing ever closer to success. ... Three days had passed. Factoring in the days lost outside and during the first trial, nearly half a month had elapsed since Li Hao and the others entered this place. By now, Li Hao had traversed nearly three hundred squares. His pace had not slowed, advancing at roughly one hundred squares per day. Unrushed and unhurried. Neither decelerating nor accelerating. In contrast, Xunhan’s speed had dropped. On the first day, Xunhan had charged through nearly 700 squares, and on the second day, he reached over 900. By the end of the third day, he had reached over 980 squares. Across this entire day, he had only advanced sixty-odd squares. The gap to 1,000 squares was minuscule now. Xunhan was thrilled, yet utterly exhausted. Numerous Dao injuries had been etched into his Dao marks. But Xunhan was not worried; while Dao injuries were troublesome, as long as he comprehended the Dark Emissary's Dao resonance and successfully entered the sixth rank, the moment he broke through, all his Dao wounds would heal. That was his plan. And there was nothing wrong with it. These Dao injuries were not enough to cripple him, merely troublesome; once he advanced, they would cease to be an issue. For now, he decided to pause briefly, resting and recuperating. He turned to look at the adjacent board. Li Hao wasn't slow, having reached 300 squares by now—slightly better than expected. Xunhan had thought the fellow might stall out later. Reaching 300 squares was quite decent after all. Moreover, Li Hao's aura seemed slightly stronger than before... though in Xunhan's eyes, such a tiny improvement was negligible. In his view, this Sovereign Haoyue lacked vision. To waste so much time just to absorb the energy in those Dao squares! One had to realize this place could close at any moment. Instead of striving to complete the trial swiftly, he was trickling through to absorb meager bits of energy. Even if that brought him to the peak of the third rank, so what? Looking up at the phantom, Xunhan noted that it had remained completely silent over the past few days. As if sensing Xunhan's gaze, the phantom suddenly spoke: "Fellow cultivator of the Absolute Darkness Great World, your Dao injuries are not light. While still within Dao Chess, you may pause briefly. Absorbing some Dao resonance energy now can still mend your wounds." Xunhan smiled. "No need. I am close to one thousand squares; I will complete this trial today!" Pause now? Am I out of my mind? "Senior, does the Dark Emissary's Dao resonance... truly still exist?" "It does," the phantom said softly. "Though inferior to its former glory, it will suffice for you." "That is good." Of course, if this phantom went back on its word, that would be troublesome. Pondering this, Xunhan glanced back at Li Hao. That fellow had lingered at square 300 for quite some time. Pay him no mind; let me finish the trial first. If possible, I still want to clear two thousand squares! Thus, he asked again, "Senior, if I clear one thousand squares, may I first comprehend the Dao resonance, and then... continue traversing Dao Chess?" Requesting the reward in parts! After considering for a moment, the phantom actually nodded: "You may! However... even if you clear one thousand squares, your Dao injuries will certainly be severe. Comprehending a powerful expert's Dao resonance will only aggravate your wounds. If you fail to advance, I advise you not to proceed further." "Thank you for the reminder, Senior!" Xunhan smiled, merely thanking the phantom without taking the advice to heart. We will see when the time comes. If I clear two thousand squares, I will demand the condition Sovereign Haoyue sought—a domain, a sealed internal world. I want to try that as well. The phantom said no more. It couldn't be bothered. We'll see! If you fail to advance, you'll clear two thousand squares over my dead body. The phantom looked back at Li Hao. This time, Li Hao had lingered for quite a while. The phantom knew what Dao was in that square—merely a simple insight into the Dao of the Sword. Why had he lingered for so long? This man was also skilled in the sword; logically, he should have passed in an instant. Why remain until now? ... Meanwhile, Li Hao was studying a sword. Myriad swords manifested, their destructive power startling. Li Hao merely dodged, neither destroying, blocking, nor shattering them, watching silently. Curiosity and intrigue shone in his eyes. The sword! He had used swords from very early on. He had studied many sword Daos, even the immensely powerful Longevity Sword Intent, yet at this moment... Li Hao remained halted at this square because he saw a different kind of sword. A sword of absolute purity! Whether the Longevity Sword or other sword Daos, all seemed imbued with elemental attributes, personal styles, and unique traits. Yet this time, he saw a sword of consummate purity! Just a sword! Unadulterated by anything else, bearing only the foundational elements of the sword Dao—elemental sharpness and destructive lethality. This... was a sword! In this instant, Li Hao gained an epiphany: this was the true Dao of the Sword. Others, whether the Sword Venerable's or his own, were not pure. Their swords were amalgams of various Daos and fused insights, forming sword Daos rather than the quintessential Dao of the Sword. At this moment, Li Hao did not alter his own sword Dao. Instead, he looked down at the Sky Sword in his hand: "As a sword, as a weapon by nature, you are too cluttered!" Li Hao murmured. This trial gave him some insights into himself, but even more into weapons—specifically into the Sky Sword. The Sky Sword was merely a weapon. Yet now, just like him, it appeared cluttered, messy, and disorganized. He could still organize himself. The Sky Sword, however, could not. If this continued, the sword's future achievements would be limited. As he grew stronger, this sword would most likely fail to keep pace. "Returning to simplicity, returning to the true self... A sword is a sword. Boundless sharpness and boundless durability are enough... You have no need for diverse special forces or peculiar Daos!" Li Hao felt deeply moved. This time, he had witnessed the true, quintessential sword. For him, this was an elevation; for the Sky Sword, it was an even greater one. "I should purge those miscellaneous elements from your body, letting you return to your true self... At most, retain one or two unique Daos, rather than possessing ten thousand Daos like me. You are merely a weapon, possessing some spirituality, but little intellect!" "Expecting you to organize ten thousand Daos is nearly impossible!" With this realization, Li Hao stepped out of the square. From then on, while cultivating and building bridges, he also continually helped the Sky Sword purge unnecessary, cluttered Daos. For a sword, sharpness and durability were enough. Everything else was peripheral. Purity belonged to weapons. Complexity belonged to humanity. Seeing this, the phantom sighed inwardly once more. This young man had remarkable discernment. In the phantom's view, following Li Hao was truly a blessing for that sword. Other weapon masters wished their armaments could master everything, possess every Dao, and resolve any crisis... Yet Li Hao stripped away the cluttered attributes from the Sky Sword. Though it appeared weaker, in reality, what Li Hao preserved was the very essence of a sword. For the Sky Sword, this was discarding the dross and keeping the essence. While the phantom was lost in thought, a muffled groan suddenly sounded. The next moment, a battered Xunhan emerged from a square, covered in blood, his Dao leaking away in agony. Yet his face was split into a joyful grin! "Senior, I have cleared it!" One thousand squares! Not one short! The phantom glanced at him. His Dao injuries were quite grave; using raw power to force his way through a thousand squares was not easy for a fifth-rank Sovereign, though not overly difficult either. Yet was this how Dao Chess was meant to be used? With the strength of the Dark Emissary, an eighth-rank Sovereign, what weapon could withstand him if he forced his way through? Even the weapon of the Lord of Tianwang wouldn't suffice! Wouldn't Dao Chess be cleared in an instant? What meaning would there be in that? Just for fleeting gratification? If there were no comparison, it wouldn't be so bad. But with Li Hao diligently comprehending by his side, this fellow's reckless rampage left the phantom thoroughly unimpressed. Ordinarily, the phantom wouldn't despise such a brute; if comprehension failed, forcing through and obtaining the reward at least showed self-awareness. Yet comparison was the thief of satisfaction. Against Li Hao... the phantom found him utterly repulsive! Not bothering to say a word, the meditation cushion on the floor materialized instantly. Something seemed to lie beneath it, but darkness fell over it in an instant, concealing it from view. Only the cushion manifested in the phantom's hands. "This is the meditation cushion used by the Dark Emissary during his daily cultivation, containing some of his ambient Dao resonance. The Dark Emissary cultivated upon this cushion for countless years... Take it and comprehend!" With those words, the cushion fell into Xunhan's hands. Xunhan was stunned! He had thought the phantom was the true spirit of this cushion—was it not? If it was, why give it away so readily? He had expected to expend plenty of breath, or even settle it by force should the other renege, yet none of that happened. Was this real or fake? For a moment, he hesitated. The phantom grew even more impatient. Hesitate my foot! Since you came here for comprehension, whether real or fake, shouldn't you try it? Otherwise, what was your purpose? Besides, the Dark Emissary's insights were genuine, with nothing worth concealing. Whether you could comprehend them depended on your own ability. No one had ever surpassed an expert purely through that expert's insights without forging something of their own. What a joke! Xunhan hesitated briefly, then gritted his teeth and immersed his consciousness into it. Instantly, he felt a majestic aura of Dao resonance, and wild delight erupted within him. He was ecstatic, bordering on madness—insights of an eighth-rank Sovereign, the Dao resonance of an eighth-rank Sovereign... It was truly real! As a fifth-rank Sovereign, that grandeur, that feeling of the Great Dao laid bare before his eyes, that sensation of being unable to extricate himself—this was definitely genuine. He was wild with joy, wanting to laugh maniacally. This trip was worth it! This place was made for me. For so many years, no one had directly comprehended the Dark Emissary's Dao resonance, yet I obtained it on my very first visit! Unbelievable! ... Beside him, Li Hao glanced over and paid it no mind. Insights of an eighth-rank Sovereign? A fine treasure! However, it belonged to the darkness lineage, which he had little desire to comprehend right now. Frankly, delving too deeply into such profound matters made it easy to lose oneself. It was better to build from the basics, comprehending other Daos. To maintain balance! He had no great interest in the Dark Emissary's insights... though if it were pure energy, he would be very interested. Right now, he had already built 300 Life and Death Bridges! A few more, and he would become an expert at the peak of the third rank. Li Hao smiled faintly and stopped paying attention. He would not stop until he saw yin and yang; otherwise, he would remain here. As for wasting time... comprehending the Dao was never a waste of time. As for Tianji and King Huai... if they missed their chance, they would have to fend for themselves. Once he comprehended what he needed, he would go out and find them. ... Another three days passed. Li Hao had reached square 600. In fact, his pace had quickened in the later stages. By now, Li Hao's River of Life and Death looked completely different, far more orderly. Not only that, but he had erected 310 Life and Death Bridges—thirty more than when he had first entered. Within the River of Life and Death, the number of stars remained the same, but the river water itself seemed more intricate, enriched by more Daos. Over the past three days, Xunhan beside him had alternated between frowning, raging, and breaking down... Li Hao didn't know what he had comprehended and couldn't be bothered to care. He only saw the man's physical body collapse several times, cracks spreading across his Dao marks... Hopefully, this fellow wouldn't meditate himself to death. Of course, if he died, so be it. At this rate... Li Hao suspected a new shadow puppet would appear in the Dark Divine Hall. A fifth-rank shadow puppet! Was that how shadow puppets were formed? Nearly twenty days had elapsed since Li Hao entered this place. ... Outside. Kongji looked toward Huilong Hall, raising an eyebrow slightly. So many days had passed. Last time, he had stayed inside for five days in total. He had entered the Dark Divine Hall, and while he hadn't found the cushion, he had engaged with shadow puppets, even slaying one to seize its dark Dao resonance crystal and comprehend dark power. His gains had been respectable. Yet five days had been enough. This time, Li Hao and the others had been inside for nearly twenty days. Normally, five or six days were sufficient for anyone; staying longer merely meant absorbing dark energy, which held little value. "Did they find a breakthrough?" Kongji thought to himself. What changes would that fellow undergo when he emerged? Would he reach the third rank? It wasn't impossible; Li Hao hadn't been far from the third rank previously, and reaching the third rank didn't require profound comprehension—sufficient energy was enough. Of course, for many Sovereigns, even with endless energy, advancing to the third rank required substantial time. Pondering this, his figure vanished. Over the past few days, the Huilong Sovereign had been unable to see anything inside. He had been meditating with closed eyes, nursing the injuries sustained previously. Suddenly opening his eyes, a flicker of displeasure surfaced before turning into a smile: "Kongji has arrived!" "Temple Master." Kongji's expression remained calm. "Do you know when Haoyue and the others will emerge?" "Hard to say," the Huilong Sovereign replied with a smile. "Though it should be soon. Having stayed inside for so many days, they might have entered the Dark Divine Hall and encountered some opportunities." "Have any Sovereigns of the Absolute Darkness Great World perished?" Kongji asked bluntly. The Huilong Sovereign chuckled. "That is unclear... Perhaps... yes? I cannot say for sure." "Then they have." Kongji nodded slightly. If he claimed it was unclear, then it was certain. He didn't press further, adding, "I will remain here for the next few days. Is that acceptable, Temple Master?" The Huilong Sovereign frowned slightly, then nodded: "Of course... though... is there any need?" "I shall wait and see." Seeing this, the Huilong Sovereign said no more. Did this fellow fear he might strike at Haoyue? Besides, both Haoyue and Xunhan had entered the Dark Divine Hall; after so many days, whether they were even alive remained uncertain. He pressed no further, simply waiting alongside him. Twenty days was not long for them. Were it not for Dark Demon Ridge, twenty days in the chaos would pass in the blink of an eye. ... Time continued to slip away. "Pfft!" Xunhan spat blood again, his eyes reddening. Something was wrong, still wrong! Why? He had already seen the Dark Emissary's Dao and was treading the Dark Emissary's path forward, but why... setting aside the eighth rank, why was even the sixth rank so agonizingly difficult? Was it fake? No, it was real! He felt his progress, felt that walking this path could lead him to that height, but why did problems arise every single time? Glancing at the adjacent board, his gaze turned fierce. Unrushed and unhurried, Haoyue had actually reached over 900 squares today! Damn it! Though significantly slower than him, this fellow was full of vigor, showing none of his own battered wretchedness. Curse him! What exactly was the issue with reaching the sixth rank? Unable to restrain himself, he looked up: "Senior, why am I unable to advance?" The phantom replied indifferently, "You ask me this question?" "I implore Senior's guidance!" "Traverse another thousand squares, and I shall tell you. That, too, can serve as a reward." Xunhan's expression changed, turning grim. Another thousand squares? Could he even continue walking? He could already sense his Dao injuries worsening, becoming ever more severe. Curse it all. The eighth-rank Dao resonance was already overwhelming for him, and with existing wounds, it was escalating rapidly. Traversing another thousand squares might cost him his life. His eyes flickered with thought, and he suddenly asked, "Senior... if... Sovereign Haoyue clears one thousand squares, may he substitute his question? Instead of asking other things, he could ask my question—would Senior be willing to answer?" The phantom paused, then smiled: "Of course!" Xunhan's expression settled into composure. He turned his gaze toward Li Hao. Over there, Li Hao remained immersed in the Dao squares, not far from reaching one thousand. Li Hao had practically forgotten about this matter. Xunhan, however, was scheming. Since I have no chance to ask... what if Sovereign Haoyue asks on my behalf? As for refusing... he was certain the other was merely a third-rank Sovereign! Moreover... another thought struck him: "Senior, is combat prohibited here?" "Combat?" "Yes, between challengers!" "It is not prohibited," the phantom replied calmly. "This is a place where experts gathered to comprehend and discuss the Dao; comparing martial prowess to test the Dao is only natural." The phantom understood his intent. However, with severe Dao injuries, having suffered in the first trial and then forcibly comprehending an eighth-rank Sovereign's Dao, Xunhan's current combat power had fallen below the fifth rank, barely hovering at the fourth rank. Meanwhile, that fellow was a peak third-rank Sovereign of Life and Death... frankly, a gap certainly existed. Yet in the phantom's view, Xunhan's Dao injuries left him riddled with glaring weaknesses that could be easily exploited. Once he clashed with Li Hao, the victor remained uncertain. The leap from the third rank to the fourth rank was a transformation. The disparity between Sovereigns was vast. Yet for a peak third-rank Sovereign of Life and Death, normal rules didn't necessarily apply. Xunhan asked no more, watching Li Hao in silence. He knew his hopes of forcibly advancing right now were slim. There had to be a flaw! Since the phantom wouldn't speak, he couldn't gauge the phantom's strength. In that case... he could only use Haoyue as his stepping stone. Li Hao was also approaching the one-thousandth square. ... By now, Li Hao had constructed 330 Life and Death Bridges, just shy of perfection. However, his River of Life and Death had grown remarkably powerful. The stars in the sky shone brilliantly. Li Hao's entire spirit and vigor had elevated immensely, his eyes filled with pure delight. The harvest was immense! Not just for the present, but for the future. His comprehension of ten thousand Daos, of how to empower and flesh out his path toward yin and yang or other Daos—he had gained insights into it all. The key to this harvest lay not in the immediate present, but in the future, in the foundation! And at this moment, he stepped into the one-thousandth square. An instant later, Li Hao's face lit up with joy! Yin and yang! No, not yin and yang—the Dao of Extreme Yang! I found it! He was overjoyed. Only now had he finally encountered yin and yang! Even if it was incomplete, encountering one of the paired Daos was a tremendous cause for celebration. The first step was always the hardest. As long as he kept advancing... he would soon find the Dao of Extreme Yin. This time, ripples disturbed Li Hao's River of Life and Death. He began to comprehend and study it earnestly, even attempting to form an Extreme Yang Star above the river. Previously, no matter how powerful other Daos were, he had never tried to condense them into Dao stars. At this stage, having too many Dao stars was not necessarily a good thing. Above, the phantom understood at last. "Yin and yang... Life and death first, followed by yin and yang?" "What immense ambition, what boldness!" Both life and death, and yin and yang, were supreme Daos. This man was using life and death as the bedrock, yin and yang as the core... Could he intend to comprehend the chaos universe next? Tsk, tsk! What an ambitious little fellow! After an unknown span of time, with a deep rumble, a modest star manifested above Li Hao's River of Life and Death. It blazed with infinite light, saturating the river and void with potent yang energy, even melting away a portion of the heavy darkness within the river. Wildly elated, Li Hao stepped out of the square, instinctively moving toward the next. Then he heard the phantom speak: "You have traversed one thousand squares!" So fast? Li Hao paused. Had he already hit one thousand? "No rush, I will wait..." Li Hao had no interest in comprehending a domain or a sealed internal world right now; those were not critical, and he would master them sooner or later. Right now, continuing his comprehension in Dao Chess was far more important. "Sovereign Haoyue!" Just then, Xunhan suddenly spoke: "Since you are in no rush, why not ask a question on my behalf?" Li Hao froze and looked at him. Help you? Why should I? Do you think I'm an idiot, or what? "Fellow Cultivator Haoyue, I am merely one step away from the sixth rank!" Xunhan spoke earnestly: "It is just that I have encountered a bottleneck, a minor obstacle. So long as you help me clarify it and have Senior grant some guidance, once I enter the sixth rank, I will repay you a hundredfold!" His face was the picture of sincerity: "Once we depart, whether you desire Dao crystals or even minor worlds, I will secure them for you!" Li Hao shook his head. "I have no need of those." "Fellow cultivator..." "I intend to continue comprehending Dao Chess. Fellow Cultivator Xunhan, resolve your own difficulties. If all else fails, walk another thousand squares!" Xunhan's expression darkened, turning chilly: "Fellow Cultivator Haoyue, I am speaking with utmost sincerity! Furthermore... you might not know, but combat is not forbidden here!" Li Hao glanced at the phantom, who nodded: "It is not forbidden. This is a venue for discussing the Dao; exchanging martial insights is most welcome!" Li Hao drew a deep breath: "I want to comprehend the Dao!" What a waste of time! I still want to get outside and participate in hunting Tianji. Xunhan chuckled: "Haoyue, ask a question for me, and you may continue your comprehension. Aren't you in no rush? When you reach two thousand squares, you can take your time asking your question. Once I enter the sixth rank, I will continue walking as well. When I reach two thousand squares, I will give you my remaining opportunity... consider it a repayment. And once outside, my promise stands. How about it?" A forced twist yields sour fruit. The crux was that if he truly killed this fellow and he refused to ask... wouldn't that cause trouble? Li Hao shook his head. "That will not do. What is mine is mine. If I am unwilling, can you force me? Besides, Fellow Cultivator Xunhan, your injuries are grave. If you ask me, you would be better off cultivating for a while to heal your wounds. Otherwise... you likely don't possess the power of a fifth-rank Sovereign right now, barely scraping the fourth rank at best!" Xunhan's expression turned grim: "Between the fourth rank and third rank lies an insurmountable chasm! Fellow Cultivator Haoyue, you likely have never clashed with a middle-rank Sovereign. The middle ranks are nothing like the low ranks!" Li Hao felt a headache coming on. These days... some people simply loved courting death. If you were at full fifth-rank strength, arrogance might be excused, but you're only at the fourth rank! What are you posturing for? It wasn't as if I haven't killed fourth-rank Sovereigns! Borrowing power here... was too troublesome; he dared not borrow the power of an eighth-rank Sovereign. However, this bastard's Dao injuries were severe. If this continued, his Dao might even collapse. Does he have a death wish? I am a Sovereign of Time! Not merely a Sovereign of Life and Death! Yet catching a glimpse of the phantom from the corner of his eye... the crux was whether he should expose his secrets before this entity. This entity was not necessarily benevolent either. Li Hao was torn. He had two choices... and either way, Time would be revealed. Of course, if he fought the man directly... dragging it out, he wouldn't necessarily lose. He was a Sovereign of Life and Death, after all. But that would waste far too much time. Dragging it out until this fellow's Dao collapsed... would take at least a week or ten days! By then, the others would already be hunting Tianji! The phantom believed Li Hao stood a chance if he dragged out the fight. Li Hao, however, had no desire to stall. He wanted to comprehend the Dao! A week or ten days was enough for him to traverse another thousand or two thousand squares. Such an opportunity was rare! Was it worth squandering this fortune on Xunhan? Li Hao's head ached, but in the next heartbeat, he made his decision. If it must be exposed... so be it! Borrowing power was out of the question. However, you people know nothing of Time. He vanished from the square and materialized outside Dao Chess, looking at Xunhan with clear annoyance: "Come out!" Xunhan was stunned! The next moment, he laughed—a laughter tinged with madness: "You have lost your mind!" He immediately emerged outside Dao Chess, grinning at Li Hao. This fellow was utterly mad. Li Hao frowned at him: "Are you insane? Your Dao injuries are severe; your Dao could collapse in a day or two, or at most a week or ten days. Why must you fight me now?" Xunhan sneered: "Does resolving you require that long? Haoyue, if you ask for me... I will only reward you, never making things difficult for you. Even if... you killed the other Sovereigns, it will not matter! But if you refuse... you will still be left with no other choice in the end. Otherwise, I will certainly kill you!" Seeing that reason could not reach him and that he was bent on suicide, Li Hao felt helpless. He couldn't be bothered to waste another word. In an instant, deep within the river, Er Mao snapped awake, and the Time Star within his body surfaced once more. Er Mao curled his lip: here we go again. This kid... clearly had the ability to battle this crippled Sovereign, yet insisted on taking shortcuts... Though doing so did save time. The next moment, the Time Star converged again. The phantom suddenly trembled violently. What... was that? Xunhan was still speaking, but in the next instant, his expression shifted. At that exact moment, Li Hao slashed out with his sword! Unbelievably fast! This strike was remarkably pure, stripped of all extraneous forces—save for a single exception: the power of Time. For a Sovereign, the passage of a few days, dozens of days, or even decades... meant virtually nothing. None would miss a few decades of lifespan. Forcing the aging of a fifth-rank Sovereign to burn decades of his life might cost the attacker ten or a hundred times the price—it was never worth it! Yet when a fifth-rank Sovereign was critically wounded with severe Dao injuries that would erupt in two or three days, or at most ten days to half a month... paying a tiny sliver of a price was negligible. Li Hao hadn't wanted to do this. At this pivotal juncture of comprehension, he had no desire to deal with Xunhan. At worst, they could leave together, and if this fellow caused trouble outside, Kongji could deal with him. Yet this bastard insisted on picking a fight! Infuriating! Forcing me to expose Time! In an instant, Time was unleashed. Before Xunhan could even strike, he found his Dao injuries deteriorating rapidly. A mouthful of blood erupted from his lips, his eyes filled with disbelief and horror! How could this be? His previously stable Dao injuries worsened in a flash, pushed straight to the brink. The next moment, his Dao injuries erupted with a thunderous roar! Inside him, vast reserves of dark power surged violently as the foundation of his Great Dao began to crumble! Horror flooded Xunhan's eyes! How could his Dao injuries erupt all at once? Impossible! Li Hao had hardly mobilized much Time power, merely triggering it for a fleeting fraction of an instant, yet the other's Dao already showed signs of collapse. He nudged it once more. The next instant, the power of Time vanished. He silently prayed that the phantom hadn't noticed... Although it was wishful self-deception, it had only lasted an instant, so praying was all he could do. In the next heartbeat, the long sword transformed into life and death. Vitality was siphoned away; death energy surged forth. The Dao of Nirvana enveloped him, and destructive power erupted! As his Dao collapsed, Xunhan's eyes were filled with terror and unwilling rage! No, I am a fifth-rank Sovereign! I know my limits; my Dao injuries could never erupt right now! Even in combat, I could have held on for several days... Why now? Wait... was that... the acceleration of Time? How could that be possible?! The moment the thought surfaced, his vitality dispersed completely. Death energy blanketed his entire body, his flesh entering nirvana, his Dao collapsing, and destructive power obliterating the vessel of his Dao... Terror and sheer disbelief filled his gaze! He stared at Li Hao, who remained expressionless, thrusting his sword straight into Xunhan's crumbling Dao. The Great Dao instantly detonated. Through the sword, vitality was drained, and death energy utterly overwhelmed the man. A fifth-rank Sovereign... stood in pure disbelief. Would I, Xunhan, die here like this? So easily, at the hands of a third-rank Sovereign? Impossible! The thought had barely crossed his mind before all sank into silence, his very consciousness snuffed out. He hadn't even had the chance to attack before the eruption of his Dao injuries shattered his Great Dao entirely. All life was annihilated in an instant! The river surged forth, sweeping the fifth-rank Sovereign into its depths. This time, Li Hao did not devour him immediately, choosing instead to suppress the corpse at the bottom of the river. A fifth-rank Sovereign... keep him for later! He would deal with it after entering the fourth rank; for now, he had no shortage of energy to reach the peak of the third rank. Without pausing for a moment, Li Hao plunged straight back into Dao Chess to continue his next step. Above, the phantom reached out a hand to intervene... but pulled its arm back in the next instant, its eyes filled with utter shock. "So that's how it is!" The phantom murmured. So that's how it is! Time! Life and death, yin and yang—all of it was to lay the foundation for Time. This man's ultimate objective was the Dao of Time! Unbelievable. More importantly, he already wielded the power of Time, however shallow it might be. No wonder he bore the auras of the three emissaries. No wonder he instantly killed an injured fifth-rank Sovereign... So that's how it is! At this moment, the phantom understood completely. It found it... simply inconceivable. In this era, a cultivator of the Dao of Time had actually appeared. The Dao Lord of Time that the Lord of Tianfang had spent ages searching for... Could it be... this person? Of course, he was still far from it today. Yet what about the future? No wonder the three emissaries had left their marks upon him! Utterly incredible! At this moment, even the phantom was shaken to its core. For a long time, it truly did not know what to say.