Terrifying

Slaying four low-rank Sovereigns would have seemed inconceivable in the eyes of ordinary people, but Li Hao paid it no mind. Those had merely been an appetizer. The real crux lay in the chaos lightning tribulation, the approximately sixth-rank Sovereign tracking them from behind, and the fourth-rank Red Moon Sovereign fast approaching nearby… A fourth-rank Sovereign from Red Moon was not terrifying in and of himself; what was terrifying was that this place lay within Red Moon's sphere of influence. Even if it was only the outer fringes, it was still Red Moon territory. Here, that fourth-rank Sovereign might prove far more troublesome. Within the River of Life and Death, Lin Hongyu was walking the Dao of Life and Death, but Li Hao did not focus on her. The Black Panther had devoured a third-rank Sovereign, and the two Dao Lords had devoured another, but Li Hao paid little heed to that either. Third-rank Sovereigns were not enough to make up for the loss of a fifth-rank Sovereign. Besides, he had no interest in opening the Dao Chessboard right now. At present, he had gained no deep insights into the Dao, nor had he conducted any research on the Dao of Extreme Yin. Entering the Dao Chessboard now would simply be wasting time and opportunity. He had to undergo the tribulation immediately, preferably slay that Red Moon Sovereign, and evade the sixth-rank pursuer trailing behind them! What a headache! At this moment, the others were busy absorbing and digesting their gains. Only Tianji had nothing to do. Though he was heavily wounded, he did not care much. He hurried forward with an emotional sigh. "You finally made it… By the way, what on earth is your situation?" His gaze was exceedingly complicated. We all hoped you would return to slaughter in all directions, but now that you really did slaughter in all directions… Holy crap, you're strong. I'm so weak! Even my true body probably can't take you. His true body was at the third rank. Even as a Sovereign backed by a Great World, he could only take on certain rogue third-rank Sovereigns at best; against two rogue third-rank Sovereigns, he would in all likelihood lose. Yet what about Li Hao? He had butchered them like watermelons, finishing them off in three swift strokes! Inconceivable. Furthermore, judging by the aura Li Hao currently exuded, compared to a hundred thousand years ago… or rather, fifty-odd years ago, not many back in Xinwu could surpass him. Unbelievable! How could this be? Li Hao had no interest in humoring him. Right now, even Tianji's true body did not amount to much. However, he soon realized something. "How far away is your true body?" "How did you know?" "…" Nonsense, everyone was out hunting you. "The Sovereigns I brought with me, including myself, all came to hunt down your true body!" Tianji stiffened slightly. Damn! They sure think highly of me. There were quite a few Sovereigns just now, seemingly with middle-rank ones among them. They all came to kill me? "There also seems to be a sixth-rank Sovereign not far behind me, also coming for your true body." Tianji was dumbfounded. Only after a good while did he realize something. After all, he was only an avatar and did not understand the full picture, but now things clicked. "In all likelihood, they aren't coming for me, but for the other Xinwu people! Though the ones you brought probably really were targeting me!" Li Hao nodded. "King Huai is there too." "Him?" Tianji froze, then chuckled. "Damn, I came with that old geezer?" He was older than King Huai, but mentioning King Huai made him laugh. "That old geezer came along too? How amusing. The Supreme must have arranged this, right? He sure dared to dream!" Even he found it unbelievable. The next instant, he realized something. "Then without a doubt, someone must be following my true body—if not a clone of the Supreme, then another Xinwu powerhouse, at least a sixth-rank!" "If King Huai and I were dispatched together… no sane person would feel at ease. There must be an underlying objective, and arrangements must have been made!" Knowing the situation was urgent, he did not wait for Li Hao to ask before continuing, "My true body isn't too far from me, but… at the speed of a first-rank Sovereign, it would take at least a month for us to meet… Of course, at your current speed, I think ten days at most would do!" He then added, "That's assuming only we are moving. If my true body rushes toward us as well—and I feel his speed isn't slow, probably piloting some treasure—heading toward each other might shorten the time to six or seven days… provided my true body doesn't run away!" Six or seven days was nothing in the chaos, passing in the blink of an eye. With Tianji's avatar present, pinpointing the location would be far more precise. The information Ming Hao and the others had received before, including coordinates, had only been a rough estimate rather than an exact location, because Tianji's true body was constantly moving. Six or seven days was not long. Yet under the current circumstances, rendezvousing with his true body would be useless unless, as Tianji said, the Supreme's clone was present or a sixth-rank powerhouse was following along. Only then would there be hope of staving off the pursuer behind them. That pursuer had likely sensed something—perhaps even spotted the dark clouds of the chaos lightning tribulation—and was rapidly rushing over. It was only because Li Hao had moved fast earlier that he had managed to pull ahead by a wide margin. Hearing Tianji's explanation, Li Hao wasted no words and said rapidly, "Let's go. First, we eliminate that Red Moon fellow. The rest of you, cultivate if you need to, and advance if you can. Senior Tianji, can your true body accelerate toward us?" "Accelerate?" Tianji's avatar hesitated slightly. "My true body is very cautious… and King Huai is as timid as a mouse. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't do that." After thinking for a moment, he added, "But it's not impossible… Whether it's my true body or King Huai, both actually crave benefits. How about this: if you have spare energy and Dao power, give my avatar some to absorb and see if I can break through to the second rank. My true body will be able to sense the breakthrough. Seeing that there are benefits to be had, he might run a bit faster." "…" Li Hao stared at him. Are you trying to fleece me? Tianji looked innocent. He was serious! Otherwise, expecting his true body and King Huai to speed up was simply too difficult. Those two fellows… Well, one of them was himself, and he knew his own nature. Without sufficient benefits, why would he rush over? If his avatar reached the second rank so quickly, his true body would surely assume that endless benefits awaited here. Once he told King Huai, that fellow, normally timid, would run faster than a rabbit the moment he caught wind of benefits. A journey of six or seven days could be cut down to five days even if he had to risk his neck. Any faster would probably be difficult. He knew himself too well, and he knew King Huai just as well. Li Hao calculated in his mind. It was still somewhat far… but better than months away. Five or six days? Probably more. Because he could not sustain fifth-rank speed indefinitely. His fifth-rank power this time had not come out of thin air; it came from the corpse, meaning it would last somewhat longer, but once Xunhan's original energy was depleted, it would be gone. Sustaining it for a few hours was already pushing the limit. Sustaining it for five or six days… was out of the question. Turn around and fight the pursuer? Forget it. A fifth-rank fighting a sixth-rank, especially when he was not a genuine fifth-rank, was a guaranteed loss. Creating too much commotion here would attract other Red Moon powerhouses, which meant certain death. While he still had strength left, fleeing was paramount. Having made up his mind, he swept his sleeve and gathered everyone into the river. Disregarding their reactions, Li Hao said swiftly, "A sixth-rank Sovereign is about to arrive. We withdraw immediately!" No one spoke up. With Li Hao back, everyone felt at ease. Whatever Li Hao said, they would do. Lin Hongyu was still in the middle of her breakthrough, and the remaining few were absorbing energy. Li Hao had only given them a heads-up. The next instant, grabbing Tianji, he flew into the distance. Over there, battle had already erupted. Ming Hao and his group had not fled, perhaps feeling that they were too close to get away. …… Not far away. The Red Moon Sovereign's expression was grim. His Great Dao manifested, and potent Red Moon power swept in all directions. The weaker Sovereigns among the opposition flushed red in the face, their minds shaken. The Red Moon Sovereign was furious. "Ming Hao?" What audacity! He knew Ming Hao. He even knew that Ming Hao had accepted the mission to hunt Tianji and the others. The crux was, instead of hunting Tianji, this fellow had actually come to attack him. Had he lost his mind? Though both were fourth-rank, who was he? He was a Sovereign of a Great World! Ming Hao was a mere rogue Sovereign originating from a medium world. Even his world lord would not dare act so brazenly before him… Of course, once people like Ming Hao left their world to become rogue cultivators, their ties to their native world were usually severed completely. Some world lords would even take the initiative to announce a complete break from these rogue cultivators. For no other reason than that rogue cultivators roaming outside were prone to courting disaster. Thus, these people were generally considered rootless rogues; even if someone killed them, those medium world lords would not utter a peep. Ming Hao's scalp went numb as well! A fourth-rank Sovereign from a Great World was, of course, somewhat stronger. Yet right now, there were ten Sovereigns on his side, so he did not fear the man. The problem was that they were right inside Red Moon's territory. He truly felt like dying. Still, compared to the monster behind them, his dread toward the opponent before him was far lesser. That monster would truly kill him at any moment! At this moment, his mind could barely keep up. The situation on Li Hao's end was too convoluted, but the only thing he knew was that he could not run away. Therefore, his only choice was to intercept or even slay this Red Moon Sovereign. Die right now, or be pursued by Red Moon later… Was there even a need to deliberate? Ming Hao was a fourth-rank Sovereign as well. At this moment, he unleashed his fourth-rank might, turning heaven and earth upside down with a single move as he channeled the power of his fist Dao. For rogue cultivators, elemental Daos were relatively difficult to master, and weapon Daos lacked good armaments, so most chose the more direct and unrefined Dao of the physical body. As his fist struck out, space trembled, and chaotic energy violently erupted. Coordinated with the other nine Sovereigns, they managed to suppress the Red Moon Sovereign for a time. Though the opponent was formidable, he was in the same rank as Ming Hao after all. Ming Hao was filled with anxiety, able only to roar, "Fubi, it's not that I want to target you! I am acting under orders, forced by circumstances…" He had to leave himself a way out. If they failed to kill this fellow and he escaped, or if he drew other Red Moon Sovereigns over… Ming Hao hoped the blame would not fall on him first. He was merely a hired hand; if they wanted vengeance, they shouldn't seek him. The powerhouse known as Fubi had a slight change of expression. Acting under orders! Whose orders? Xinwu? Aside from Xinwu, who else wanted to kill Red Moon powerhouses? Yet Xinwu had never been known to recruit outsiders. Strange! One against ten… he was clearly at a disadvantage. Even if the other Sovereigns were only early-rank, it was still overwhelming. Knowing better than to fight a losing battle, he sent a rapid voice transmission: "In that case, open a path and let me leave! Ming Hao, there's no need to push things to extremes just working for someone else! Otherwise, if I really die here, can you bear the consequences? I give you my word: step aside, and after I leave, I will not seek revenge against you!" Ming Hao hesitated slightly. Leave a margin in dealing with others today so you can face them tomorrow. This was the survival rule of rogue cultivators in the chaos. Someone with a significant background, situated right on their home turf, was far too easy to bring disaster upon them. Xinwu at least had no fixed abode, but this was Red Moon's backyard. Ming Hao weighed the options and transmitted back, "Fellow Daoist Fubi, I truly have no intention of targeting you; the situation simply forces my hand. As for opening a path… that puts me in a difficult spot. The one commanding me is right behind us…" "Then what are you dawdling for? While that person isn't here, hurry up and open a path so I can make a swift exit! Otherwise… if you kill me while still within our Great World's domain, once my Lord investigates… can you hide it?" Another eighth-rank Sovereign! Using that to threaten me again! Being a rogue cultivator was so hard. Ming Hao felt helpless, yet he still harbored the intention of not offending either side… Though he had already offended this one, he knew Fubi might want to settle scores later. But as long as he did not kill Fubi, if Red Moon truly attacked, he could simply surrender! A middle-rank Sovereign still had value worth winning over. The next instant, he made up his mind. Since he couldn't win against either side… and people from both sides were present, why not just go through the motions? "Fine… Fellow Daoist Fubi, it's not convenient for me to let you pass on my end. Mo over there is only a first-rank. Break through from her side in a moment…" Just as he was speaking, his expression shifted abruptly. A dark cloud rolled over to blanket the area. A peerless sword ray slashed through the air with terrifying force, carrying the thunderous momentum of rolling lightning. A voice like a great bronze bell resonated through the chaos: "The Ming Hao Sovereign Band slays a Red Moon Sovereign here to display the might of chaos wanderers!" Ming Hao's face tightened. The next instant, the voice rang out again: "Watch my sword! Mo, stand aside—Senior Ming Hao has already laid a trap to execute this man!" Ming Hao's expression twisted in horror! He knew! And that Red Moon Sovereign's expression morphed drastically as well. Without a second thought, he charged straight at Ming Hao. In that instant, he felt the immense pressure of fifth-rank power! He instantly suspected that this was indeed a trap set by Ming Hao. Naturally, tensions were running too high right now; if he had time to think it over carefully, he would likely realize Ming Hao had no reason to do this. Yet at this moment, with sword intent bearing down upon him, how could he have time for careful thought? Ming Hao's expression flickered rapidly. What should he do? Step aside? Retreat? Pretend to be overpowered, get repelled by Fubi, and let the man break through and flee? However… Bright Moon had told Mo to step aside and declared that Ming Hao had set a trap to execute Fubi. The moment those words fell, Ming Hao knew that Bright Moon had seen right through him. It was not necessarily surveillance; rather, Bright Moon had predicted that he might do this. Damn it! This fellow truly understood the mentality of rogue cultivators. A fierce glint flashed across Ming Hao's eyes. As a rogue cultivator who had roamed the chaos for years, he knew he only had two choices right now: first, execute Fubi! Second, join forces with Fubi and turn around to confront Li Hao. A binary choice! There was absolutely no middle ground. At this stage, he had to throw his lot in with one side; fence-sitting was out of the question, or disaster would strike. This was the hard-earned experience of rogue cultivators and the survival wisdom of chaos Sovereigns. Should he choose Red Moon's Fubi, or the inscrutable, unfathomable Bright Moon behind them? One was currently stronger, at the fifth rank. The other was on his home turf, within Red Moon's sphere of influence. Even if it was only the outer fringes, killing him would inevitably shake the Great Dao Universe. While it would take time for other Sovereigns to arrive, the only real terror was the Dao Lord of Red Moon—the Lord of Red Moon himself traveling through the Great Dao Universe. His speed would be terrifyingly fast! He had that capability. After only an instant of hesitation, Ming Hao made his choice. Two fourth-rank Sovereigns had a good chance of holding off a fifth-rank! Indeed, in this moment, Ming Hao chose to oppose Li Hao rather than Fubi. This was because this place was an eighth-rank Sovereign's territory, whereas Li Hao had only brought an imprint of an eighth-rank imperial armament. He was terrified! Yet compared to an unknown eighth-rank Sovereign, the Lord of Red Moon was right nearby. Perhaps by doing Fubi a favor now, he could even get Fubi to help him remove the imprint. The next instant, Ming Hao turned around. Instead of meeting Fubi's attack, he sent a rapid voice transmission: "Join forces to kill him! His fifth-rank power is only temporarily borrowed, and he carries the chaos lightning tribulation! Furthermore, there should be a sixth-rank Sovereign trailing behind… likely an ally of Red Moon!" He was no fool; he had deduced that there was at least a sixth-rank powerhouse behind them. Under these circumstances, joining forces with Fubi to confront Li Hao was the obvious choice! As long as they stalled for a while, even if they could not kill Li Hao, once that sixth-rank arrived or Red Moon powerhouses showed up, victory would naturally tilt toward Red Moon, not Bright Moon. Even if the latter was backed by the Bright Light Divine Realm and Xinwu, neither was here right now. Crucially, there was one more point: if both sides suffered mutual destruction—if Bright Moon and Fubi ended up with one dead and one crippled—then he… A flicker of greed ultimately surfaced in his heart. The Great Dao Universe! He had seen it! He was certain Silver Moon had birthed a Great Dao Universe, and right now, Fubi was unaware. As long as Bright Moon died and the others perished, even if Fubi survived, Fubi would not know the full story. Perhaps… he could seize the Great Dao Universe for himself. The mindset of a Sovereign—a middle-rank Sovereign—shifted in an instant. Greed, desire—perhaps influenced by the power of Red Moon, or perhaps simply the true nature of chaos Sovereigns. In this moment, Ming Hao chose to stand against Li Hao. No matter how one looked at it… even if two fourth-rank Sovereigns could not kill a fifth-rank, stalling for time would be effortless. As Ming Hao abruptly turned traitor and charged alongside Fubi toward Li Hao to counter his sword intent, the other nine Sovereigns were momentarily stunned. They were not overly surprised, merely somewhat… bewildered. What should we do? They were merely low-rank Sovereigns. Li Hao's killing prowess was terrifying, but two fourth-rank Sovereigns joining forces against a fifth-rank, right on Red Moon's territory… Instantly, they were thrown into indecision. Seeing this, Ming Hao roared, "Kill him! There is a sixth-rank Sovereign rushing up behind him, and Red Moon powerhouses are right at hand! Kill him, and Red Moon will surely reward us lavishly!" Fubi was overjoyed as well! "Indeed! Join forces to kill him, and my Red Moon will not skimp on rewards!" At this moment, Li Hao's expression remained tranquil. Sure enough, stories were all lies. There was no such thing as love at first sight, nor any supreme aura of dominance that subdued all four corners. Ming Hao had turned after all! Naturally, he had been coerced in the first place. Li Hao simply hadn't expected it to happen so fast—or rather, subconsciously, he had assumed Ming Hao wouldn't turn quite so quickly… Yet the man truly had! Even killing someone to intimidate them had been useless. Once the man weighed the pros and cons, he made an instant decision to betray Li Hao! Rogue cultivators truly could not be relied upon. Though he had never counted on them from the start, this moment proved once again that twisted melons did not bear sweet fruit. The combined might of the two fourth-rank Sovereigns instantly shattered Li Hao's sword intent. Meanwhile, the tribulation lightning overhead was gathering strength, looking formidable beyond measure. Seeing that the lightning tribulation was about to descend fully, signs of fifth-rank lightning power began to manifest. Not only that, as Lin Hongyu underwent her own Dao breakthrough, the tribulation lightning continued to compound. Behind them, the aura of a sixth-rank Sovereign could even be faintly sensed now. All at once, Li Hao's situation shifted from overwhelming dominance to a massive crisis with Ming Hao's betrayal. "Clever!" Li Hao sighed with emotion, taking a slight step back as he looked at Ming Hao. Was this choice wise? Very wise! By all logic and reason, Ming Hao was originally hired by Red Moon, they were on Red Moon's home turf, and judging by the overall situation… not betraying him would actually be abnormal. Only an absolute gambler would bet on Li Hao still having trump cards. Ming Hao actually felt a twinge of dread, an inexplicable terror. But at this point, he could care less! Gritting his teeth, he barked in a low voice, "You forced our hand! We are merely rogue cultivators who take people's money to eliminate disasters for them! We took Red Moon's money to deal with Xinwu in the first place. You forced us into your service yet offered zero benefits, treating us like slaves… Who do you think you are? Bright Moon, your fifth-rank power is false and cannot last long! If you retreat now, you might still have a slim chance of survival…" He did not actually want to fight Li Hao to the bitter end. Deep down, he was still somewhat afraid. "Retreat?" Before Li Hao could speak, Fubi of Red Moon sneered, "Work together to pin him down! Even if we can't kill him, give me just a little time, and powerhouses from Red Moon will arrive shortly! To dare run wild within Red Moon territory—you seek death!" Right now, Fubi was brimming with confidence, strutting proudly. Just moments ago, he had only wanted to flee, but with Ming Hao's defection, his heart was at ease. A single fifth-rank could not overcome them. Behind them, among the nine Sovereigns, some hesitated while others snapped to attention immediately, shouting, "Bright Moon, you're dead! You threatened us and ordered us around like slaves—you deserve to die!" At this moment, these fellows turned traitor faster than flipping a page. Such was the chaos! Follow whoever was stronger; being fence-sitters was their very nature. Besides, it was the truth—Li Hao had coerced them. Of the remaining nine Sovereigns, six immediately closed ranks with Ming Hao and Fubi. Only Mo, Chan Xiu, and another third-rank Sovereign hesitated slightly. They feared Li Hao as well. Mo had conversed with Li Hao for quite a while earlier and felt that Bright Moon Sovereign hailed from a momentous background. Offending him now was risky; if Bright Moon didn't die, wouldn't they be in immense trouble? At that moment, Li Hao cast a backward glance. This time, he truly sensed the aura of a Sovereign rapidly closing in on him. If he delayed any longer, it would be too late. Across from him were eleven Sovereigns. Eight were charging at him, while three hesitated. Those three could not sway the overall situation anyway; they were not particularly strong, with the strongest being merely a third-rank Sovereign. Furthermore, those three might not dare help him either. Li Hao had never counted on them in the first place! To expect a group of people he had coerced into surrender to lay down their lives for him, especially at a time like this, was utterly naive! In that instant, Li Hao's face turned icy cold. Without a single word, the River of Life and Death manifested. In a flash, a Time Star emerged. The next instant, two Great Dao rivers appeared alongside the River of Life and Death, leaving everyone stunned! A Great Dao Universe! This time, it was unmistakably clear. With the Time Star serving as the core, the three had originally been one whole. In truth, the Time Star was the core of the Great Dao Universe all along; Li Hao had merely stripped it away before. In an instant, the three rivers merged into one. Li Hao's aura surged once more. Not only that, Li Hao reached out and grabbed the colossal chaos beast. It suddenly compressed into a sphere, shrinking steadily until, in the blink of an eye, it was as tiny as a red dot. In a flash, it sank into the space between Li Hao's eyebrows. A world! The Silver Moon World! At this moment, the power of a world radiated from Li Hao's body. World Lord, Dao Lord! In this instant, he chose once again to integrate the Silver Moon World with the twin Dao universes. He became the World Lord of Silver Moon and the Dao Lord of the twin Dao universes. "My people, bestow your strength upon me!" His voice boomed like a giant bell, shaking heaven and earth. Within the Silver Moon World, the millions of people were instantly invigorated. The Marquis of Silver Moon! He had returned! Earlier, everyone had been lending their strength as well, but because the recipient was not Li Hao, their fervor had been muted. Now, hearing Li Hao's voice—that familiar voice—even Yuan Shuo and the others arranging the grand formation felt their spirits soar. The next instant, roars erupted in unison: "We are willing to die for the Marquis of Silver Moon!" *Boom!* The power of ten thousand Daos surged violently, far stronger than before. The Heaven's Will Black Panther instantly mobilized the full power of the world, holding nothing back as it poured everything into Li Hao. Between a World Lord and a Dao Lord, friction was common. Yet in Silver Moon, the Black Panther harbored no such contention. Without holding back in the slightest, it channeled all the power of Heaven's Will and the world, and the two Dao Lords did the exact same. At this moment, the corpses of the fallen Sovereigns burned within the great river. The Sovereigns slain just moments ago, along with the second-rank Sovereign killed earlier… their physical bodies and Great Dao power all ignited within the river formed by the confluence of the three rivers. Opposite him, Ming Hao and the others blenched! Li Hao at this moment felt even more powerful, stronger than ever before. A surge of Great Dao power and world power manifested. A genuine Dao Lord! His face pale with dread, Ming Hao roared, "Kill!" At this point, turning back was useless. Switching sides once or twice might work, but defecting back and forth repeatedly would ensure that no one ever trusted him again. Fubi's expression shifted as well. A phantom universe seemed to appear above his head as a potent power of desire surged. He immediately joined forces with the others, tearing through the void to attack Li Hao! They only needed to hold out for a short while! Both fourth-rank Sovereigns sensed an aura sweeping toward them from the distance, which should arrive before long. Li Hao's voice was frigid: "Ming Hao, this was your choice, and it shall be your destiny!" Destiny? What a joke! The next instant, the Time Star flared, and heaven and earth seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second. The two fourth-rank Sovereigns were not heavily affected, but the other Sovereigns were drastically impaired. Li Hao was currently near his peak state, no weaker than when he had borrowed the power of Water. How could low-rank Sovereigns hope to stop him? The power of time exerted far too great a deterrent over these low-rank Sovereigns. Heaven and earth seemed frozen! Ming Hao had witnessed this before, yet he was still filled with shock. He roared, "What kind of power is this?!" He threw a punch straight at Li Hao! What kind of power was this, so terrifying that it immobilized the other six Sovereigns in an instant, while even he and Fubi felt their movements become noticeably slower than usual? "This is… the power of time!" Li Hao looked up toward the sky. At this moment, tribulation lightning manifested in the heavens. In an instant, the tribulation lightning surged violently. Because Li Hao had deployed the power of time on a massive scale. The river swept across the surroundings. At this moment, what manifested was not just the river, but also divine characters—many, many divine characters—which suddenly coalesced into a colossal domain, draping a thin film over the river. It enveloped Li Hao and everyone else inside. The domain emerged! The domain he had long cast aside had gained new depth of comprehension at Dark Demon Ridge, and after entering the Dao Chessboard, he had gained even more insights. Manifesting it now was not to kill enemies, but… to undergo the tribulation together! Li Hao had used this trick before. Back then, he had been Heaven's Will. Today, he transformed into a domain that enveloped everyone. My domain is my world! Within my world, I am the ruler! Since these two fourth-rank Sovereigns could not easily break his domain, they could endure the tribulation alongside him! *Boom!* A tremendous roar shook heaven and earth! The tribulation lightning erupted instantly. Because Li Hao had repeatedly utilized the power of time, the lightning tribulation was thoroughly enraged, its power faintly reaching the sixth rank this time. In the distance, an approaching Sovereign stopped dead in his tracks, his face pale with horror! The chaos lightning tribulation! A steadily intensifying chaos lightning tribulation! Even though rumors claimed that the chaos lightning tribulation would not affect bystanders, that sixth-rank Sovereign halted instantly, terrified. This thing was far too dreadful. *Boom!* Among the crowd, a first-rank Sovereign—the only first-rank other than Mo—was instantly blasted into pulverized dust. Of the eleven Sovereigns, three had not been enveloped. Eight were trapped inside. Two fourth-rank, three third-rank, one second-rank, and two first-rank Sovereigns. In a single strike, the sixth-rank lightning power obliterated one of them. They could not move! Unable to resist or defend themselves, blanketed by the power of time, everyone endured the chaos lightning tribulation together. A single strike of sixth-rank tribulation lightning… Aside from the three middle-rank Sovereigns, the rest either coughed up blood continuously, collapsed heavily wounded, or were struck dead on the spot! In just one strike, a first-rank Sovereign had been blasted to pieces! "How can this be?!" "This is… a domain?" Fubi was horrified. "A domain of Dao… Is this the domain possessed only by Dao Lords?!" They were trapped inside a domain! "Break the domain!" Fubi roared. He had suffered injuries from that single strike as well. Though not severe, that was only the first strike. They had to escape this domain! Ming Hao came to his senses immediately, and the two attacked the domain trapping them like madmen! *Boom!* A deafening crash shook heaven and earth. Their attacks and the lightning descended simultaneously. Li Hao's domain began to fracture, while the second bolt of lightning struck down instantly, blasting the other first-rank Sovereign to death! The surviving Sovereigns were all gravely wounded, their physical bodies on the verge of crumbling. Ming Hao and his companion were injured, and Li Hao had suffered minor wounds as well. Li Hao looked on coldly as the domain showed signs of collapse. Perhaps with one more strike, the two would break through it! However… would they get the chance? At that moment, the third bolt of lightning descended. Li Hao paid it no heed and struck out with his sword, heading straight for the two fourth-rank Sovereigns. The two fourth-rank Sovereigns faced a dilemma: should they resist the third lightning strike, ward off the sword intent, or continue breaking the domain… Soon, the two made different choices. Ming Hao turned and threw a punch at Li Hao's sword intent. Fubi slapped a palm toward the domain. As for the lightning tribulation, both ignored it. Though the tribulation was powerful, it was only the third strike and not yet lethal enough to kill them. Breaking the domain and blocking Li Hao's attack… that was enough. *Boom!* The lightning tribulation detonated across everyone simultaneously. Li Hao's body shuddered. The two fourth-rank Sovereigns coughed up blood. Of the remaining four Sovereigns, the second-rank was blasted apart directly, and of the three third-rank Sovereigns, one was instantly obliterated into powder. The remaining two had their physical bodies shattered, their Dao traces preparing to flee. *Boom!* The domain shattered alongside the blast. The four surviving Sovereigns beamed with delight! With the domain gone, the lightning tribulation above their heads suddenly vanished, no longer threatening or enveloping them. Right at that moment, Li Hao smiled. A bared-teeth grin, showing snow-white teeth. "How about we do it once more?" What did he mean? The next instant, time seemed to reverse. The lightning tribulation in the sky strengthened abruptly, the domain reconstituted instantly, and the four Sovereigns seemed to take a synchronized step backward, returning inside the domain. Meanwhile, the power of the lightning tribulation surged by a significant margin. If it had previously possessed early sixth-rank offensive power, this time it was at least middle to late sixth-rank… Everyone, aside from Li Hao, was dumbfounded! "Time…" Ming Hao murmured, while Fubi's face was painted with despair. How could this be?! They had risked their lives to break the domain, yet the domain had reappeared. *Boom!* The fourth lightning tribulation manifested. This time, with a deafening bang, the two third-rank Sovereigns were blasted into nothingness, the destructive tribulation instantly executing them! The two remaining middle-rank Sovereigns coughed up blood repeatedly, cracks spreading across their physical bodies. This time, both were plunged into absolute despair. How could it be like this?! Li Hao wore a faint smile. This was the power of time. Controlling supreme powerhouses was difficult, but controlling the two of you… was that hard? What did it matter if the tribulation grew stronger? With the two of you helping me bear it… the outcome was pretty much the same as me facing a weaker tribulation alone. *Boom!* The fifth lightning tribulation descended with a world-shaking crash. All three coughed up blood simultaneously. Even the fifth-rank power clinging to Li Hao was partially dissipated by the blast. As for the two fourth-rank Sovereigns, their plight was far worse! Ming Hao, the rogue cultivator, had his physical body shattered directly. Amid miserable shrieks, he cried out in bitter indignation, "A power like this shouldn't exist in the chaos…" "Indeed. That's why the chaos lightning tribulation exists, isn't it?" Li Hao laughed heartily. "Do you understand now why the chaos lightning tribulation appeared?" Silence! He was right! The next instant, the sixth lightning tribulation followed closely behind. *Rumble!* The deafening sound drowned out heaven and earth, cracking the very chaos apart. The physical bodies of both fourth-rank Sovereigns were completely pulverized. Just as the two fell into despair, a gleam of sword light flared. A single sword pierced through Ming Hao's Great Dao! Li Hao appeared before him. Sweeping his river forward, he preserved some of the energy, coughing up blood incessantly as he chuckled, "Don't let it go to waste!" "Lord Bright Moon… spare me…" *Boom!* The Dao trace shattered! Li Hao sighed with emotion. "Earlier, I actually spared you. Otherwise, I should have killed you… I found an excuse for myself not to kill you, but you failed to cherish it!" Am I a kind person? In truth, I harbored killing intent long ago! I merely needed a hypocritical pretense of righteousness to convince myself not to kill you! Yet you threw it away yourself. When has Li Hao ever been kind? Never! Kindness was reserved only for acquaintances, friends, and kin… and you were none of those. *Boom!* A middle-rank Sovereign perished completely. The lightning descended once more. As the sixth bolt crashed down with a tremendous roar, the Dao trace of Sovereign Fubi from the Great World was laid bare. At this moment, a Great Dao Universe manifested overhead. The Red Moon Universe! In that instant, an unimaginably vast pressure seemed to seep through, overpowering even the chaos lightning tribulation. Yet the chaos lightning tribulation seemed utterly fearless. It did not change in the slightest! A hazy consciousness seemed to descend, peering into the scene, its attention immediately drawn to the chaos lightning tribulation. "Chaos lightning tribulation again…" An ethereal voice echoed. Time after time, the chaos lightning tribulation had appeared repeatedly. The deaths of the Sovereigns here all seemed related to the chaos lightning tribulation. This time, it even involved a fourth-rank Sovereign, and the hazy consciousness could sense the intensity of the tribulation. Sixth-rank! What on earth was going on? Back when Bone Corrosive was killed, a first-rank chaos lightning tribulation had still been acceptable. Yet in the blink of an eye, a sixth-rank tribulation had appeared within Red Moon's domain. This was unacceptable. If this continued, wouldn't seventh- or eighth-rank tribulations start appearing? However, that mighty consciousness did not strike, nor did it descend fully. Descending might be construed as a provocation by the chaos lightning tribulation, potentially drawing down an eighth-rank tribulation. Under normal circumstances, there was no need to fear; at worst, one simply endured the tribulation. At his level, who was a pushover? Yet… not right now! Xinwu was eyeing them like a tiger watching its prey, and other territories bordered them. He could not afford the risk. The consciousness of the Lord of Red Moon began to recede, but his voice reverberated across the area: "Tribulation crosser… I remember you! You must be connected to Silver Moon and Xinwu, perhaps even the King of Silver Moon himself… You shall be marked for death by Red Moon!" The Lord of Red Moon had not actually seen Li Hao, nor did he need to. With his intellect, he quickly deduced that it was in all likelihood related to Silver Moon. As for whether the person would die here, that did not matter. What mattered was that if the person survived, Red Moon would relentlessly hunt him down! Without a word, Li Hao thrust out his sword, thoroughly shattering Fubi's Dao trace. The Great Dao Universe trembled for an instant before quickly vanishing. The voice of the Lord of Red Moon began rippling out in all directions. At this moment, in the distance, that sixth-rank Sovereign was shaken to his core. An eighth-rank Sovereign's consciousness had descended… or half-descended here! The new King of Silver Moon? How could that be? That was a sixth-rank tribulation! Impossible! *Boom!* Another bolt of tribulation lightning descended. Li Hao withstood this strike, and the next instant, he charged straight toward that sixth-rank Sovereign. That Sovereign turned around instantly and fled without looking back. He did not know the specifics; he only knew that this chaos lightning tribulation was different from legends—it struck everyone! I don't want to get struck dead! That sixth-rank Sovereign had no time for other thoughts, running at top speed, desperate not to let the lightning tribulation catch up. Within the tribulation, Li Hao was drenched in blood, but a smile spread across his face. I knew it! Who among mortals doesn't fear death? Even if rumors claimed that the chaos lightning tribulation wouldn't strike uninvolved bystanders, multiple Sovereigns had just been struck dead right before his eyes. Seeing that, how could he not be afraid? Li Hao smiled brightly, glancing toward the three Sovereigns in the distance who were trying to slip away quietly. His voice was calm: "You three, stay right where you are. If I survive, leave with me. If I die… then you can run!" The three froze in place, their bodies utterly rigid. At this moment, only terror remained. Even the eighth-rank Lord of Red Moon had transmitted his voice here—it was too terrifying! A spectacle like this was something they had never witnessed in their entire lives.