The Chaos Universe, at the edge of the region enveloped by the Red Moon World.
A colossal beast traversed the sky.
Several powerhouses hovered above the behemoth. At this moment, all of them looked nervous and grim.
The enemy had caught up after all!
These pursuers had set their sights on them back near Tianfang and had trailed them ever since. Silver Moon had attempted to shake them off multiple times, only to fail every time… all because of the Black Panther!
It was simply too slow.
Even as a second-rank Sovereign, carrying a minor world in its belly weighed it down immensely, rendering it no faster than an ordinary first-rank Sovereign.
Consequently, though chaos usually made tracking a single beast nearly impossible, these pursuers had managed to follow their trail all the way here.
"I really wish those guys were the Human King!" Tianji's avatar lamented, feeling rather gloomy.
The Human King was truly capable of losing his way.
Losing his quarry was standard practice for him.
The outside world claimed the Human King deliberately picked quarrels. While that was true at times, he genuinely took wrong turns on many occasions—Tianji knew that full well. Of course, taking a wrong turn meant nothing to someone like the Human King.
At this moment, Tianji truly wished the bastards tailing them were as directionally challenged as the Human King.
If they got lost in the chaos, finding Silver Moon again would take decades, if not a century.
Unfortunately, they were not!
Tianji looked back, frowning deeply. Two third-rank Sovereigns, one second-rank Sovereign, and one first-rank Sovereign.
This was an organized team, or rather, a small syndicate.
At the start, there had certainly been more than just them hunting for Silver Moon, but only this group had ultimately caught up.
Four Sovereigns!
Meanwhile, on Silver Moon's side, even with the most generous count, they had only the Black Panther, Tianji's avatar, and two Dao Lords who rivaled a Sovereign when merged—the equivalent of merely three Sovereigns, with the strongest being only in the second rank.
Granted, both Dao Lords were on the verge of ascending to Sovereigns.
If they made the attempt, they might have a shot at attaining the Dao today.
Yet even if they succeeded, they would only be two first-rank Sovereigns. While that would balance their numbers, the gap in cultivation ranks was vast. Even within the lower ranks of Sovereigns, a first rank was simply no match for a third rank.
"My true self is still a great distance away… It might take about a month before we can rendezvous…"
In the grand scheme of chaos, a month was not long at all.
Yet once battle erupted, a month was far too late—everything would be over, and their corpses would have long turned to dust.
Lin Hongyu and the others were also on the Black Panther's back.
The experts glanced backward.
The enemy was still some distance away, but the Sovereigns had already begun fanning out, clearly intent on cutting off their escape route and cornering them to the death.
Encountering powerful foes in the chaos left nowhere to hide.
Unless there happened to be a world nearby—and more importantly, that world had to be formidable, and its masters willing to offer shelter… Otherwise, barging into another's world was nothing short of suicidal.
Hong Yitang's expression was grave as he said in a low voice, "Qian Wuliang and I will attempt our breakthroughs! After a year of accumulation, our Dao power is nearly sufficient, and the entire Great Dao Universe has grown significantly stronger. Advancing shouldn't be too difficult! Afterward, if we attempt to fuse into one, perhaps… we can hold back one third-rank Sovereign!"
Having spent some time in the chaos and listened to explanations about its workings, they all understood the divisions of Sovereign power.
There were clearly two third-rank Sovereigns behind them.
Traveling through the chaos made it difficult to completely mask one's aura. Even if Hong Yitang and Qian Wuliang broke through, merged, and stalled one third-rank Sovereign, and the Black Panther drew upon the world power of a medium world to contend with the other, that still left one second-rank and one first-rank Sovereign… which could only fall to Tianji!
Tianji's avatar looked thoroughly disgruntled.
*I’m just an avatar! Even though I've reached the Sovereign level, I'm only at the weakest first rank. I might have some confidence against a first-rank Sovereign, but taking on a second-rank on top of that… Aren't you overestimating me?*
Of course, if his true self were here, backed by the power of a Great World, he would have had a real shot, as these rogue cultivators possessed rather chaotic Daos.
The crucial issue was that he was merely an avatar.
At this moment, he was virtually no different from a rogue cultivator himself.
The enemy had an extra Sovereign on their side!
Lin Hongyu and the rest had not yet attained the Dao. Against a Sovereign, even a peak half-step Sovereign was powerless.
Though Lin Hongyu walked the Dao of Life and Death, she had not reached the Sovereign rank. For a half-step Sovereign, contending with a true Sovereign was extraordinarily difficult.
In all these years, this past year had likely seen the most Sovereign-level battles Tianji had ever experienced.
He felt intensely depressed.
His true self was simply too slow.
He had originally hoped that meeting up with his true self would bring safety, but now it seemed they might not even get the chance.
"Do we keep running, or do we halt and fight?" Hong Yitang looked at Tianji, then at Lin Hongyu. "If we run, they'll surround us shortly, leaving us no time to react. If we stop and fight… without resolving our foes, we won't even have a chance to flee."
Lin Hongyu remained silent, merely looking into the distance.
She faintly sensed that Li Hao might not be far from here.
Yet… how far was "not far"?
She had no way of knowing or making a precise judgment. She was not the master of the River of Life and Death; Li Hao could pinpoint her distance, but she could only vaguely guess his without perceiving the exact situation.
Pausing for a moment, she spoke: "I will face that first-rank Sovereign! The Black Panther will carry the world's power to confront one third-rank Sovereign. You two must advance quickly and fuse together to hold off the other third-rank Sovereign. Senior Tianji… the remaining second-rank Sovereign will be up to you!"
"We need to stall for time!"
At those words, everyone frowned.
Lin Hongyu said in a deep voice, "I have a feeling Li Hao might be returning… Of course, I cannot be certain, but we have nowhere left to run. Since they've caught up, shaking off four Sovereigns is nearly impossible! Our only option is to fight!"
She turned to the two Dao Lords. "Will advancing be difficult for you two? Will it take long?"
Qian Wuliang considered his words carefully before replying, "Over the past year, because we connected with the chaos and the energy has grown dense, our world has just advanced, and everyone's cultivation has progressed well. On top of that, a portion of our people gave up cultivating all Daos to specialize in single paths. Overall, breaking through won't be overly difficult for us… It will take a little time, but advancing while fleeing should work!"
Hong Yitang was more forthright: "The breakthrough itself isn't difficult. The real issue is…"
He paused. "Once we advance to Sovereigns, the Great Dao Universe will be bound to us!"
His words carried heavy implications.
Both Dao Lords had already fulfilled the conditions to advance to Sovereigns.
Yet neither had chosen to take that step, waiting instead for something. Even now, with crisis upon them, they still seemed hesitant.
Lin Hongyu understood their thoughts.
Advancing to Sovereign meant integrating the Dao into the body.
Which Dao?
The Great Dao!
The Great Dao Universe, the Chaotic River.
Once that happened, detaching themselves from it would become extraordinarily difficult and come at an immense cost.
Neither of them was completely ignorant about the Great Dao Universe anymore; they knew how many Sovereigns—even sixth-rank Sovereigns—coveted such a treasure.
And this was a dual-Dao universe!
Li Hao was the true hegemon of Silver Moon. Though he had previously designated them as Dao Lords… once he ventured outside, he might come to realize just how rare and precious this Great Dao Universe truly was.
If they advanced now and bound themselves to the Dao, what would happen when Li Hao returned?
Though his River of Life and Death was remarkable, strictly speaking, its current potential fell far short of the Great Dao Universe, which had an entire populace aiding its cultivation. Such an opportunity was enough to make countless peak sixth-rank experts salivate.
The two had delayed for an entire year. In truth, not long after the Great Dao Universe came into contact with the chaos, both had possessed the opportunity to advance.
Yet later, the Dao power had been granted to Tianji to break through, while neither of them had claimed it for themselves.
Hong Yitang wished to return it to Li Hao, whereas Qian Wuliang… was genuinely frightened.
Although Li Hao had only been a first-rank Sovereign when he departed, and they too would only be first-rank Sovereigns upon advancing, both knew how difficult it was for Sovereigns to advance in the chaos. Li Hao was likely still a first-rank Sovereign right now—in all probability, he had remained so.
After all, only a single year had passed!
Yet… they were afraid.
What if Li Hao returned and felt they had usurped the Great Dao Universe? Hong Yitang was close to him, but Qian Wuliang was not. What if he were beaten to death?
They were torn!
Thus, even faced with a grave crisis, they still hesitated.
Lin Hongyu frowned, then made a swift and decisive judgment: "Advance immediately! Do not overthink it. If he wanted it, he would have taken it long ago. The fact that he didn't take it with him means he doesn't want it… Martial Uncle Hong, don't you understand him by now? His heart has never been set on the Great Dao Universe. Besides, the situation is critical. If we don't advance now, we will die, the world will perish, and the Great Dao Universe will be lost anyway…"
Hong Yitang coughed dryly. "Hard to say. These Sovereigns cannot take the Great Dao Universe, and he might rush back very soon…"
"Nonsense!"
Lin Hongyu flared with anger. "Advance, right now! In his eyes, no Great Dao Universe is worth more than your lives. He will only be furious if you die! Advance this instant, without a moment's delay!"
The two exchanged a look. Seeing that Qian Wuliang dared not speak, Hong Yitang nodded. "Fine, we'll advance immediately!"
The next instant, the two vanished. Qian Wuliang breathed a secret sigh of relief.
*This had nothing to do with me!*
*Lin Hongyu gave the order, Hong Yitang agreed first, and I was merely complying passively… When Li Hao returns, that will be my explanation.*
Once the two disappeared, Tianji grumbled resentfully, "I'm only first-rank!"
Why hadn't anyone consulted him?
Could a first-rank like him really take on a second-rank?
"Senior has been a Sovereign for ages. Even though your avatar just advanced, your control over power remains top-tier!" Lin Hongyu said with utmost earnestness. "Senior is a seasoned Sovereign…"
Tianji rolled his eyes. *Sure, I'm seasoned, but every damn Sovereign in the chaos is older than me! Do you think you're comparing me to Silver Moon folks? Which Sovereign in the chaos isn't older than me? How many years has it even been since I became a Sovereign?!*
Yet now…
"Besides, Senior is merely an avatar. If you die, you die!"
Were those even human words?
Tianji was thoroughly exasperated.
Utterly heartless!
Was an avatar not a person? Was an avatar's life not a life?
His avatar had been independent for a hundred thousand years and had long developed its own style… Though his style was identical to his true self's, he still considered himself an independent individual.
Even as these thoughts crossed his mind, he knew that when the nest was overturned, no egg remained intact.
If Silver Moon fell, his avatar would meet no good end either.
He could certainly flee on his own… but wasn't Zhang An still here?
If he abandoned Zhang An and fled, it might have been fine in the past, but now Silver Moon was connected to the chaos. If Old Zhang found out he had deserted Little Zhang, both his avatar and his true self would suffer horribly.
As for wandering the chaos, forget it. With his temperament, finding a cozy spot to lie flat was best. A vagrant life was the last thing he wanted.
Still, he couldn't help remarking, "Those two are truly cowardly. Li Hao isn't even here, yet they're still terrified of him holding a grudge…"
"It isn't cowardice!" Lin Hongyu shook her head. "They simply hoped Li Hao could use the Great Dao Universe to reach greater heights, allowing Silver Moon to secure a foothold in the chaos. Both Martial Uncle Hong and Qian Wuliang feel incapable of achieving that themselves."
"Fair point!"
At this moment, the two still had the leisure to chat, appearing less panicked than one might expect.
When Silver Moon stepped into the chaos, they knew trouble would follow.
It was an ordeal they were bound to face sooner or later, so they felt little dread.
Meanwhile, the Black Panther silently shifted its massive body, saying nothing. It remained quiet, merely stalling for time. Escaping would be ideal; if they couldn't, they would strike together once Hong Yitang and Qian Wuliang attained the Dao.
……
In the rear.
The pursuing Sovereigns wore looks of delight.
Silver Moon had nowhere left to run.
They knew Silver Moon had two Sovereigns.
Yet with only one at the first rank and another at the second rank, they couldn't stir up any real waves.
The Red Moon Great World was offering a staggering bounty.
A medium world was the baseline reward. Furthermore, seizing Silver Moon came with the prospect of joining the Red Moon Great World. Although the positions for Sovereigns in Red Moon were nearly saturated, rumors said several vacancies had recently opened up… because some had been killed.
For instance, Li Hao had slain two Red Moon Sovereigns.
Xinwu had likewise dispatched several Sovereigns.
Those vacated spots could now be claimed by newcomers.
Thus, with an eighth-rank Great World offering open positions, claiming Silver Moon offered far more than just a medium world—it meant gaining entry into an eighth-rank Great Dao Universe. If a third-rank Sovereign seized Silver Moon and devoured the medium world, reaching the fourth rank would be practically guaranteed.
With subsequent access to the Great Dao Universe, reaching the sixth rank… though difficult now, would be virtually assured in the future.
To these Sovereigns, such an opportunity was exceedingly rare.
Moreover, the risks were minimal.
At this moment, the Sovereigns exchanged rapid voice transmissions through the chaos: "Cut them off! Don't let them flee any farther! Also, keep the commotion small and make it quick! We aren't far from the Red Moon Great World. If Red Moon's people beat us to it… we'll walk away with nothing!"
"It's said that Red Moon Sovereigns are also searching nearby for Silver Moon's trail… Everyone, a monumental opportunity lies right before us. We cannot afford to miss it!"
"I'll take on the chaos beast. You handle that first-rank Sovereign and watch for any unexpected variables…"
The Sovereigns swiftly divided their tasks.
Excitement gleamed in their eyes.
Even if they couldn't split the spoils evenly, the gains would still be immense.
According to their prior agreement, if dividing Silver Moon proved unfeasible, it would be converted into Great Dao crystals—either way, everyone would strike it rich.
Of course, they had collaborated on multiple occasions; otherwise, they would never have joined forces so readily.
After all, with opportunities like this, having one fewer person to share with meant taking a larger slice for oneself.
The next instant, the Sovereigns accelerated. The two third-rank Sovereigns surged forward at extreme speed, aiming to intercept Silver Moon and ensure this prime piece of meat did not slip away.
Meanwhile, inside Silver Moon.
The entire world had entered a state of full alert. Every citizen was cultivating, ready to assist at any moment. The people of Silver Moon knew that venturing into the chaos meant constant peril, so when the two Dao Lords manifested and required the populace's cooperation, virtually no preparation was needed.
This was not the first time.
Myriad Daos converged in an instant.
At that moment, two Great Dao rivers wrapped around the whole of Silver Moon like a Taiji diagram. Casting aside all hesitation, the two Dao Lords chose to attain the Dao and become Sovereigns today.
Although only a year had passed since Li Hao's departure, Silver Moon's overall strength had soared.
Today, the number of Dao Integration Realm cultivators had already broken into double digits, steadily approaching triple digits.
All in a mere year!
Compared to established worlds, this was naturally still far behind, but Silver Moon had previously been an unranked world. Such speed was already unimaginable—another testament to the advantages of a Great Dao Universe.
Cultivation was orderly and progressed naturally for everyone.
Furthermore, Li Hao had previously made his Dao techniques public, offering the Sword of Bright Moon for all citizens to comprehend. The people of Silver Moon were truly blessed… Though along with that blessing, they had inevitably lost some of their independent enlightenment.
Most followed Li Hao's insights. Li Hao learned from the ancients, and they learned from Li Hao, which tended to make their Daos similar.
Yet not everyone was capable of blazing their own Dao.
Reaching the Dao Integration Realm was already no small feat.
As the populace converged their Dao power, the two Dao rivers surged violently.
Every other Dao Lord was at least at the sixth rank, making these two Dao Lords who were not even Sovereigns an unprecedented anomaly.
The next instant, the Dao rivers churned.
A wave of Great Dao power washed over heaven and earth.
Two towering figures materialized within the rivers.
Their bodies merged into the torrents, drawing myriad Daos into themselves.
The river of the corporeal Dao universe was still somewhat stronger than that of the illusory Dao universe, though only marginally so.
A great number of cultivators cultivated the illusory Dao now, most of whom were powerful figures.
As streams of Great Dao power flowed into the rivers and into their physical forms, advancing to Sovereign became an entirely natural progression.
Before long, thunderous roars echoed across heaven and earth!
A Sovereign's Dao aura rippled in all directions.
In the corporeal Dao universe, Hong Yitang broke through the barrier first, integrating the river into himself and stepping into the Sovereign realm. The vast presence of the earth infused the world. Though he commanded myriad Daos, he still walked the sword path best suited to him: the earth carrying all things, the Earth-Overturning Sword!
At this moment, within the Silver Moon World.
Some watched with envy, others with jealousy.
And some looked on with blatant disdain—such as Yuan Shuo, who muttered, "Nothing special!"
The old man was feeling rather envious.
And somewhat disdainful as well… even if feigned, disdain was disdain.
Though he was now a Dao Integration expert, he remained far from becoming a Sovereign. Yet there was no helping it; his Dao still resided within the Great Dao Universe, and since the Dao Lords had only just become Sovereigns, he couldn't even dream of it yet.
Nearby, Hou Xiaochen and the others smiled.
They knew danger lurked everywhere. For the two Dao Lords to choose to attain the Dao at this very moment meant they had encountered a crisis beyond their handling. Yet… what could they do besides smile?
They were merely at the Dao Integration Realm. Far from fighting Sovereigns, even stepping out into the chaos was hazardous.
They could only pretend not to know.
Yuan Shuo sighed with emotion: "That disciple of mine… has been gone for a year without a single message! Watching the Earth-Overturning Sword and Qian Wuliang attain the Dao one after another while we're still stuck in Dao Integration… Who knows when we'll be able to roam the chaos ourselves?"
Hou Xiaochen coughed lightly and smiled. "What, you haven't given up yet?"
"Given up?" Yuan Shuo sneered. "Why should I give up? Just because I can't keep up for now doesn't mean I won't keep up for a lifetime! I haven't given up in the slightest. Even if I can't become the master of myriad Daos and advance to Sovereign that way, I'll become a Sovereign sooner or later! So what if it's only the Five Elements Dao? The chaos is vast—does walking the Five Elements make one weak?"
"Aside from the Human King, didn't Xinwu's Supreme, Sun God, and Blood Sovereign forge their own paths? Did being unable to become Dao Lords make them failures?"
He would never give up!
Turning to the surrounding Silver Moon martial masters, he projected his voice: "Don't compare yourselves to my disciple; you can't compare! Just like in Xinwu, those Sovereigns don't compare themselves to the Human King… While we fall short of those above, we are still ahead of those below! We can't just say that because Li Hao is strong, we can idle away our lives waiting to die!"
"Now that the Dao Lords of the Great Dao Universe have advanced to Sovereigns… that's our opportunity too! Now that they are Sovereigns, and many people have chosen to specialize in single branches, we have hope of becoming Sovereigns by pioneering our own branches…"
Of course, it was merely hope. Currently, both Dao Lords were only in the first rank, making it exceedingly difficult for others to attain the Dao.
Under normal circumstances, a world's upper limit was determined by its Dao Lord.
With the Dao Lord at the first rank, breaking through was nearly impossible for anyone beneath them.
Only when a Dao Lord reached the second rank would others have a realistic chance of attaining the Dao and becoming Sovereigns… though such cases were rare. Normally, masters of Great Worlds were in the seventh rank, while those in the sixth rank were mostly successors who had inherited their positions.
Without sixth-rank power, even inheriting was difficult.
At that moment, someone nearby asked, "Yuan Shuo, with the Dao Lords only at the first rank, it's hard for us to attain the Dao… Lin Hongyu hasn't attained the Dao yet either. Could that be because Li Hao is only at the first rank as well…?"
Since Lin Hongyu still hadn't attained the Dao, people speculated that it might be linked to Li Hao's River of Life and Death being too weak.
That river was akin to a Great Dao Universe as well.
Granted, it was on a smaller scale.
Yuan Shuo shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure, but the main reason is that Li Hao hasn't returned. Once he does, I doubt Lin Hongyu will have any trouble attaining the Dao… After a journey outside, I refuse to believe Li Hao hasn't at least reached the second rank!"
It had only been a year.
Though everyone knew a year was nothing in the chaos and making no progress at all was completely normal, he remained convinced that Li Hao was at least in the second rank!
*That disciple of mine is a natural-born monster.*
*What's so hard about reaching the second rank?*
The others could only share that hope.
Someone looked up toward the sky in silence. They couldn't see anything from within the world, especially with the Black Panther's body shielding them from the outside, blocking any view of the chaos.
Yet Hong Yitang and Qian Wuliang had just successfully broken through one after the other.
Without so much as exchanging pleasantries, they had immediately sped off.
Evidently, crisis had arrived.
Everyone understood that they were under attack by Sovereigns outside, but there was truly nothing they could do.
Seeing the despondent mood, Yuan Shuo suddenly spoke up: "It's fine. If they look down on us and won't tell us… we'll just do what we need to do. I'll summon the Five Elements cultivators to form the Five Beasts Extermination Array with me! We won't go outside… but if anyone forces their way in, we'll trap them with the array. I actually hope a Sovereign barges in… so we can take a shot at him!"
He chuckled, appearing not the least bit nervous. "Back then, we trapped Red Moon's Bone Corroder. Now the eight main cities are gone, and the Star Gate is gone, but we've grown stronger! A group of Dao Integration experts forming a massive array on our home turf… might actually have a shot at bringing down a Sovereign!"
Hearing this, though everyone knew the chances were slim—and if the outer defenses were truly breached and an enemy stormed in, their odds would be virtually nonexistent—they still listened to Yuan Shuo and dispersed to make preparations.
At the very least, it provided some measure of comfort.
……
Meanwhile, out in the chaos, battle erupted swiftly.
Following the two Dao Lords' breakthroughs, a Sovereign-level clash broke out outside shortly after.
As the fighting commenced, the gazes of the two third-rank Sovereigns changed completely, overtaken by boundless greed and sheer madness!
A Great Dao Universe!
A Dao river!
A nascent Great Dao Universe was something beyond belief, utterly unimaginable! When the two Dao Lords emerged, fused into one, and manifested the Great Dao river, all the pursuing Sovereigns realized… what lay before them was something no medium world could ever rival.
It was a Great Dao Universe!
Amid their frenzy and greed, a deep terror seized them as well—not fear of their opponents, but fear of passersby, fear of Red Moon experts arriving.
If outsiders discovered a Great Dao Universe here—a nascent one at that—what chance would they have left?
They would be lucky if they weren't silenced to death.
A nascent Great Dao Universe practically guaranteed the emergence of a future seventh-rank powerhouse. It might require time, but everyone could afford to wait!
At that moment, the two third-rank Sovereigns seemed to realize something else.
This Great Dao Universe… appeared similar to a Yin-Yang universe, capable of supporting two Dao Lords.
Both of them were in the third rank… Perhaps…
The thought of silencing everyone even crossed their minds.
Had they not known that killing each other would be nearly impossible at their shared rank, they would have definitely sought to monopolize this prize!
Yet for now, their thoughts aligned: since monopolizing it was impossible, dividing it between the two of them—with two fewer people to share—might be just as fine. As for the other two Sovereigns… they could forget about it.
Such selfish calculations and greed were quickly exploited.
Qian Wuliang was a master in this field.
Though he and Hong Yitang could not defeat a third-rank Sovereign after merging, they could barely hold one back. At this moment, a peculiar Dao power began permeating the surroundings, influencing the enemy Sovereigns. The forces of desire—greed, fear, and jealousy—spread in all directions.
Their sole hope was to provoke internal strife among these Sovereigns.
Otherwise, Tianji wouldn't hold out, to say nothing of Lin Hongyu. Though she cultivated Life and Death, she was not a Sovereign. A cultivator of Life and Death was nothing extraordinary before reaching that rank, and she was being brutally suppressed by the first-rank Sovereign.
Had the appearance of the Great Dao Universe not shaken that Sovereign, she would have been crushed long ago.
The Sovereigns were no fools either. Knowing that this Great Dao Universe had appeared, the first-rank and second-rank Sovereigns realized they might be sidelined by the two third-rank leaders, so they both held back slightly.
They hoped the other battles would result in mutual destruction; otherwise, how could Tianji or Lin Hongyu ever hope to fight above their rank?
Thus, despite Silver Moon being at a severe disadvantage, the battle settled into a bizarre equilibrium.
The third-rank Sovereign fighting the Black Panther hoped the other would suffer mutually assured destruction against the two Dao Lords; the other third-rank Sovereign hoped the Black Panther would mutually destroy his counterpart. Meanwhile, both hoped the other flank would conclude quickly to prevent unexpected complications.
All at once, the battle became far less brutal than anticipated.
All manner of conflicting thoughts swirled in their minds, largely thanks to Qian Wuliang's abilities.
……
At the same time.
In another corner of the chaos.
Li Hao frowned slightly.
Within his river, a star of Life and Death fluctuated violently, indicating that its owner was engaged in combat. This meant Silver Moon had already clashed with an enemy.
His River of Life and Death was essentially a weakened version of a Great Dao Universe.
If it were a powerful Great Dao Universe, he could have extended it across the distance to directly descend there or channel vast amounts of energy to Lin Hongyu.
Yet that was currently impossible; Li Hao was not yet that powerful.
*At this speed… it will take at least half a day to a full day to arrive.*
Li Hao glanced at the Sovereigns around him. Their pace was leisurely.
They were still quite far from that battle and could not perceive any energy fluctuations, so they remained unaware that Silver Moon was directly ahead, locked in combat with other Sovereigns.
When experts fought, half a day was an eternity—everything would be decided by then!
What should he do?
There were quite a few Sovereigns here. Moreover, was anyone secretly tailing them?
A fourth-rank Sovereign was no weakling. Li Hao possessed some confidence in fighting a fourth-rank Sovereign, but doing so would take time. If there were Sovereigns lurking in the shadows… powerful ones at that, he had nothing nearby to draw power from.
This was not Tianfang.
Ruins were not scattered everywhere in the chaos… Of course, since he had dared to venture out and accompany a fourth-rank Sovereign, he naturally had his own trump cards. For instance, suppressed within his river was the corpse of a fifth-rank Sovereign…
With the reversal of time, dealing with a fifth-rank Sovereign was no longer a matter of borrowing power—he could straight up possess the body.
Yet if someone above the fifth rank was lurking in the dark, things would become troublesome.
*Perhaps… no one is following. After all, by their reckoning, we haven't even reached the Red Moon territory yet, so encountering Tianji and the others should still be a long way off…*
He looked back at the Sovereigns beside him… In truth, they weren't entirely repulsive.
Should he kill them?
As various thoughts crossed his mind, Li Hao suddenly spoke up: "Sovereign Minghao!"
Ahead, the fourth-rank Sovereign turned his head, looking somewhat puzzled. What did he want?
He still treated Li Hao with a degree of courtesy.
How could one not be polite to a friend of a Great World's crown prince?
"Fellow Daoist Haoyue, what is it?"
Li Hao said softly, "The truth is, I have deceived you all…"
Everyone froze. What did he mean?
Li Hao continued, "I am actually half the master of a Great Dao Universe… similar to Fellow Daoist Kongji. However, my faction is actually allied with Xinwu…"
Everyone stared dumbfounded.
*What the hell does that mean?!*
Li Hao added, "So here is the situation: I wish to recruit all of you on behalf of the alliance between Xinwu and the Bright Light Great World!"
Li Hao wore an expression of utmost sincerity.
He felt these rogue cultivators weren't entirely wicked; everyone simply served their own masters. Xinwu couldn't be bothered to recruit them, but he didn't mind.
"The benefits the Red Moon World offered you are nothing more than minor worlds or absorption into the Red Moon Great World… The alliance between Xinwu and Bright Light can grant you the exact same things!"
Li Hao spoke in all earnestness: "Furthermore, the Red Moon Alliance has too many people and too many rogue cultivators. Ninety percent of the experts in the Tianfang Great World support Red Moon… Do you really have so little faith in Xinwu, which obliterated two Great Worlds?"
"Speculation… can sometimes be quite a gamble! On behalf of Xinwu, backed by another Great Dao Universe, I am offering to secretly recruit you all. I wonder if you might be interested?"
"……"
Minghao was utterly flabbergasted.
*Holy shit!*
*What in the world are you talking about?!*
*We set out to hunt down Xinwu experts, and now you're telling us you want to recruit us?!*
*Are you out of your mind?!*
Beside him, Mo was equally stunned, staring at Li Hao. What did he mean?
Li Hao said briskly, "You all understood my words, didn't you?"
Minghao's expression turned exceedingly grim.
*Damn it!*
*My head is about to explode!*
*There's a Xinwu spy right among us.*
*Fuck!*
More critically, this person's background was extraordinary. This… this was truly catastrophic, especially since it even involved the Bright Light Great World. After all, Li Hao was a close friend of the Divine Son of Bright Light.
They were about to go mad!
They had merely taken someone's money to eliminate someone's troubles.
Now, before even laying eyes on the Xinwu experts, Li Hao was trying to recruit them. Worse, the power struggle involved terrified them.
Killing Tianji or King Huai was a minor matter.
In a war between Great Worlds, low-rank Sovereigns were insignificant.
Yet clearly, what Li Hao represented did not pertain to low-rank Sovereigns.
The Divine Son of Bright Light was involved!
Moreover, he seemed to represent yet another Great World that was neither Xinwu nor Bright Light.
What kind of madness was this?
Even knowing this man might be a spokesperson for Xinwu, at this moment, not one of the eleven Sovereigns dared to make a move or strike, despite the man before them being only a first-rank Sovereign!
Minghao's expression stiffened. "Fellow Daoist must be joking! We… we are on our way to hunt down two Xinwu Sovereigns… Please, do not jest. If… if you are unwilling, you may leave right now. I will not stop you!"
Li Hao chuckled softly. "Everyone merely takes money to solve troubles… If that is so, why not defect to Xinwu? What difference does it make?"
Minghao was at a loss for words.
What difference?
The difference was… they didn't favor Xinwu's chances!
Why?
Because Xinwu had no eighth-rank Sovereign!
Yet what if the Bright Light Great World was involved?
Then again, rumors said the Yunxiao Great World might also have its eyes on Xinwu…
Their thoughts were in complete disarray.
Because Xinwu had never recruited outsiders or formed alliances, they had never considered joining them. Now, out of nowhere, someone appeared, claiming he wanted to recruit them… It felt like an absurd joke.
Li Hao spoke again: "Fellow Daoists, my time is limited, and I am exceedingly busy! What concerns me now is whether someone is following us from behind. Even if they aren't close, a major disturbance here might draw them over… Thus, my intention is for everyone to remain peaceful. If we can resolve this peacefully, let us not resort to violence."
He looked at them, his expression turning serious: "If you refuse to cooperate peacefully… then as of right now, you are surrounded by me!"
"……"
Minghao wondered if this man had lost his mind.
Was he raving mad?
Even Mo was dumbfounded. What on earth was he saying?
Li Hao reiterated, "I am speaking in all seriousness. My time is very tight. Fellow Daoists, having traveled together, we share some camaraderie. Normally, I wouldn't even ask a second time. Right now, I will give you all one more chance… I originally intended to find Tianji and the others alongside you, but that is no longer possible! I ask one final time: are you willing to be recruited?"
Everyone stood frozen.
Eleven Sovereigns: one in the fourth rank, four in the third rank, three in the second rank, and three in the first rank.
And now, a first-rank Sovereign was asking if they were willing to be recruited?
And that if they refused, they were surrounded by him?!
It was the most absurd, laughable joke in the world!
At that moment, Li Hao pointed at one of them. "Fellow Daoist Yunxu, I know you might be a scout for some faction… It doesn't matter; spies have no human rights anyway. If you are willing to be recruited, I am willing to take you in! However… do not attempt any petty tricks. It's useless. If you act rashly, I will not be polite!"
Li Hao remained utterly serious: "I give you all one final minute. Either agree, or… you can only die!"
His time was exceedingly tight.
Recruiting them would be best, keeping disturbances to a minimum so that even if someone were tailing them, they wouldn't notice a thing.
After all, this was the chaos, with nowhere to hide.
Anyone following would certainly not tail them closely, as that would be far too conspicuous.
Yet if they refused… the battle for Silver Moon had begun, and he would have to start killing!
"Haoyue!" Mo could no longer hold back. "Stop acting crazy! Don't talk nonsense! How could you possibly be a Xinwu cultivator…"
"I am not a Xinwu cultivator. As I said, I am allied with Xinwu!" Li Hao explained. "Sister Mo, are you willing to surrender?"
He glanced at the crowd and sighed. "It seems a carrot alone won't do; one needs a stick. Understandable. I am merely a first-rank Sovereign… My words carry no weight or intimidation. I only thought that traveling together for a month counted for some fate…"
In that split second, Li Hao moved.
While Sovereign Minghao was still in shock, darkness swept before everyone's eyes as time seemed to freeze for an instant.
As a third-rank Sovereign, dealing with mighty experts was difficult for Li Hao.
Yet here… was a group of weaklings. Even the fourth-rank Sovereign wasn't exceptionally strong.
In an instant, while Minghao still maintained relatively coherent thoughts, everyone else appeared frozen. The next moment, a sword manifested, bearing the power of Life and Death. A second-rank Sovereign seemed intent on making some noise, a faint object appearing in her hand—perhaps a transmission device resembling smoke in the dark, a common method of signaling in the chaos.
Yet before she could even produce it, a sword thrust through her!
Three hundred and sixty stars flared with light as Life and Death manifested. Her life force was instantly drained, and deathly qi engulfed her entirely.
In the blink of an eye, the light in the second-rank Sovereign's eyes vanished.
Within her body, her Great Dao imprint crumbled.
Just as it was about to detonate, a river swept forward!
A cultivator of Life and Death like Li Hao, who commanded a River of Life and Death akin to a Dao river and possessed the aid of temporal power—even if he dared not use too much—could resolve a battle against a second-rank Sovereign in an instant at his peak third-rank level!
This was the very Sovereign he had warned earlier, yet she had refused to listen.
In a flash, the Sovereign vanished.
The others snapped back to their senses. Minghao had recovered even earlier, and his face was now completely drained of color.
A second-rank Sovereign… slain in an instant!
This man was not in the first rank!
Absolutely not!
Never mind a first-rank, even a third-rank killing a second-rank could never do so with such effortless grace. It was too fast—fast beyond their ability to react.
Out of eleven Sovereigns, only ten remained in an instant.
Li Hao's river receded. He looked at the crowd, his expression no longer gentle, but solemn: "Fellow Daoist Yunxu refused to cooperate, so I had no choice but to kill her. In the depths of the chaos, the death of a Sovereign means nothing. The minute is almost up. Fellow Daoists, make your choice! That includes you, Fellow Daoist Minghao. If you believe you can take me on, feel free to try. I am merely at the peak of the third rank, not a mid-rank Sovereign!"
*Fuck!*
*You call that a third rank?!*
Minghao's expression shifted erratically as he said in a low voice, "Are you… truly a Xinwu Sovereign?"
"No. As I said, a Sovereign of the Xinwu alliance!"
Minghao didn't dwell on the distinction; he felt only shock and dread.
That meant Xinwu… already knew about the plot to hunt down their experts!
Disaster had struck!
His eyes darted rapidly. Before he could speak, Li Hao said, "Put it this way: I killed the six Sovereigns of the Absolute Darkness Great World! I killed the two Sovereigns of the Yunyang World! I killed the four Sovereigns of the Tianhe Domain! I have slain many Sovereigns, and a few more make no difference… Truly, I am only speaking to you out of sentiment for our shared journey. Otherwise, I wouldn't waste a single breath!"
"Ten seconds left. Make your choice!"
As he spoke, he casually waved his hand, and a corpse appeared, its formidable aura still rippling outward.
Minghao stiffened instantly!
He recognized it!
Not just him—everyone recognized it. An expert from the Absolute Darkness Great World who had recently joined Huilong Temple to considerable fanfare.
Xunhan!
Fifth rank!
*Heavens!*
In an instant, cold sweat drenched the Sovereigns. Li Hao's words were sparse, but they sounded terrifying beyond measure.
Six Sovereigns from Absolute Darkness, four from the Tianhe Domain, two from the Yunyang World…
A total of twelve Sovereigns.
One in the fifth rank, one in the fourth rank.
Adding the one just now… that was thirteen Sovereigns in total!
While the others were still reeling in shock, Mo and the other second-rank Sovereign, Chanxiu, paled. In an instant, both recalled the scene from a year ago—the day that first-rank Sovereign from Yunyang had stepped out for a moment… and vanished without a trace.
Never to be seen again!
Back then, they hadn't thought much of it, but today, enlightenment struck.
Li Hao had killed him!
In a single instant, just like today when he struck down a second-rank Sovereign in a flash—terrifyingly monstrous.
His movements hadn't even seemed fast; they had all seen it, yet none had the power to intervene. With a single sword strike, she was killed on the spot. Was this how one killed a Sovereign?
How could a third-rank kill a second-rank like this?
Moreover, he claimed to have slain fourth-rank and fifth-rank Sovereigns!
The corpse of a fifth-rank Sovereign was lying right before their eyes!
This…
Mo swallowed hard and looked at Chanxiu. Chanxiu's face twisted, and before Minghao could even speak, Chanxiu said in terror, "I surrender!"
Mo chimed in hurriedly, "Fellow Daoist Haoyue, we were only doing a job for pay… We haven't even received Red Moon's money yet! We are merely chaos wanderers and hold no enmity toward Xinwu. I surrender!"
In an instant, two Sovereigns chose surrender.
One's life was what truly mattered.
Aside from the mid-rank Minghao, who among the other Sovereigns wasn't terrified?
It was simply too horrific!
The next moment, the other seven low-rank Sovereigns chimed in one after another: "I surrender!"
"……"
Minghao looked grim as he stared at Li Hao. Now, he was the only one who hadn't spoken.
This journey… had utterly broken him.
*Damn it, what is this madness?!*
"Are you… truly in the third rank?"
Li Hao nodded. "Truly in the third rank! As a Sovereign of Life and Death, I can barely contend with a fourth rank… Sovereign Minghao is strong, and subduing you won't be easy! But I am pressed for time. Normally, I'd welcome a spar, but right now, if Sovereign Minghao refuses, I still have a few tricks to dispatch a Sovereign in an instant!"
"……"
*Fuck!*
*Since you've put it that way, am I supposed to believe you or not?!*
If any other third-rank Sovereign had said that, he would have treated it as hot air.
Yet the man before him had produced the corpse of a fifth-rank Sovereign, instantly slain a second-rank, and was on intimate terms with the Divine Son of Bright Light… If he claimed he didn't believe him, wouldn't he lose his life on the spot?
Having cultivated to this stage, he feared death!
In fact, he feared death even more than most!
He wanted to display his courage—after all, he was a mid-rank Sovereign!
Yet Li Hao suddenly spoke: "Time is up. Since Fellow Daoist has made no choice…"
At that moment, Minghao felt a lethal crisis—a genuine threat of death!
The power that had frozen Sovereign Yunxu earlier seemed to manifest once more. Though Minghao could still move, he felt crushing pressure, and broke down in an instant: "I surrender!"
Having spoken, sweat soaked his entire body.
He felt utterly defeated and speechless.
He had merely accepted a bounty mission, hadn't even laid eyes on the targets… So how had he ended up surrendering to a third-rank Sovereign?
What kind of nonsense was this?
At this moment, Li Hao broke into a smile. "You have all made a very wise and swift choice! As for the rest of you, I have no fear of you rebelling. But Sovereign Minghao is too strong, so I worry about your loyalty…"
Minghao's expression shifted, struggling as he asked, "Fellow Daoist Haoyue, what do you mean?"
Li Hao smiled. "Nothing cryptic, just what it sounds like. Of course, I'm not a hypocrite, so I'll be direct: to keep Sovereign Minghao in check, I want to plant an eighth-rank Emperor Armament imprint in your body! The imprint doesn't do much; it's just an eighth-rank Emperor Armament that can pierce your Great Dao at any moment… It can track you whenever needed. The master of this armament is exceptionally powerful… though of course, it isn't me!"
Minghao and the others turned pale.
*Holy shit!*
*An eighth-rank Emperor Armament?!*
*Where on earth did an eighth-rank Emperor Armament come from?!*
Even an eighth-rank Sovereign might not be able to forge an eighth-rank Emperor Armament!
Even the Lord of Bright Light didn't possess an eighth-rank Emperor Armament, did he?
In an instant, Li Hao's background became unfathomably complex to them, plunging them into absolute horror and shock.
Was there an eighth-rank powerhouse backing him?
Who?!
Li Hao said nothing more. An illusory imprint manifested in his palm—merely a duplicate of the imprint left by Dao Chess within his river. Li Hao wore a relaxed expression: "Just this. Reveal your Dao scars, and I'll place this imprint inside! If you find it inappropriate, you may refuse! Furthermore, if you get far enough away, the eighth-rank Emperor Armament might not be able to lock onto you… Or you could find an eighth-rank Sovereign, or perhaps even a seventh-rank, who could probably undo it directly. It won't have much of an impact."
Minghao glanced at the illusory imprint. With just a single look… countless expletives raced through his mind!
Though it was merely an illusion, a single glance revealed countless Daos intertwining, dazzling the senses. As a fourth-rank Sovereign, he had some discernment.
He could tell at a glance that even if this item wasn't an eighth-rank weapon, it was at least a seventh-rank Emperor Armament!
At the very least, a high-rank Sovereign stood behind Li Hao!
*Bloody hell, have high-rank Sovereigns become worthless now? Are they everywhere?!*
The next moment, he swallowed hard, gritted his teeth, and nodded. "Fine!"
Li Hao then turned to the others, his smile radiant. "No need to worry, everyone; I won't do this to you. You are merely low-rank Sovereigns… If any of you wish to leave, I won't stop you… One strike of my sword is enough to slay a low-rank Sovereign!"
Silence fell.
Was this contempt… or deterrence?
Perhaps it was simply the blunt truth. Slaying a fourth-rank Sovereign was hard, but for those below the fourth rank, he couldn't even be bothered to restrict them—whoever ran would die!
For a moment, they felt both relief… and sorrow.
They didn't even have the qualification to be restrained!
At this moment, Minghao wanted to weep. An eighth-rank Emperor Armament imprint… It meant an eighth-rank Sovereign might be watching him. For a fourth-rank Sovereign, this was quite the honor!
Where was he supposed to find a high-rank Sovereign to remove the imprint?
Would he even dare to seek one out?
Moreover, the Xinwu faction was far too complicated. Leaving Xinwu aside, there was the Bright Light Great World, and behind this Haoyue, perhaps an eighth-rank Sovereign… It was completely absurd.
*Why do you big shots drag us rogue cultivators into your cosmic clashes?*
*How are we supposed to survive?!*
Wanting to cry yet lacking the tears, he obediently revealed his Dao scars. Li Hao casually tossed the imprint onto his scars and smiled. "It's merely a copy of the imprint. The true imprint remains with me, so yours is only a secondary imprint… Run far enough, and even an eighth-rank Sovereign might not be able to find you."
Minghao flashed a grimace… a smile uglier than weeping.
What did those words even mean?
Was he telling him to run?
Or was he daring him to try?
He didn't dare!
"My lord…"
"Don't. Just call me Haoyue!" Li Hao said solemnly. "We are all Sovereigns; there is no need for this. Calling someone 'my lord' is a joke! Everyone, we're on the same side now. I'll take you along to kill a few Sovereigns for fun. If we encounter Red Moon Sovereigns, we'll join forces to slay one as your pledge of loyalty. That way, I won't have to worry about you running off."
"……"
No one uttered a word.
Hearing this, they truly felt they were boarding a pirate ship.
Not killing a Red Moon Sovereign was fine, but once they killed one… they would have to walk this dark path to the very end!
At this moment, even Mo wanted to weep.
This young man wasn't handsome in the slightest anymore; she suddenly found him utterly despicable!
He disguised himself with such gentleness, yet was terrifying when he killed!
He had slain Yunxu with a single stroke… Yunxu had been quite the beauty, yet had he felt nothing at all?
Then again, this fellow truly lived up to his cultured appearance.
Even his manner of killing was remarkably refined.
Methodical, with a gentle thrust of his sword, followed by a sweep of something—and the person was dead, without a drop of blood spilled… *Bah, how can I, a Sovereign, think such thoughts?!*
*He is a terrifying demon Sovereign!*
Meanwhile, Sovereign Minghao's eyes brimmed with sorrow… *I have it the worst. I'm the one being watched by an eighth-rank Sovereign!*
Chapter 452