King of Silver Moon

The seventh bolt of lightning tribulation crashed down. The instant the sixth-rank Sovereign fled, the fifth-rank power inside Li Hao was almost completely blasted apart. Sixth-rank lightning power! By past precedent, a lightning tribulation consisted of at least nine bolts. Under normal circumstances, someone like Li Hao—who had merely reversed time slightly to borrow a bit of strength—would typically face nine bolts. Yet at this moment, two bolts still remained. What was worse, the lightning tribulation now possessed sixth-rank power. If this continued, Li Hao would be the one to die. Crucially, he could not use the method of reversing time right now. Otherwise... the lightning tribulation would strike him endlessly, as time and chaos lightning tribulations were mutually conflicting. At that moment, several figures appeared around Li Hao. Li Hao dispersed them all. The Black Panther, Qian Wuliang, and even Lin Hongyu—who was still undergoing her metamorphosis—were all pushed back and cast aside by Li Hao. As Lin Hongyu stabilized her cultivation realm, she looked at Li Hao, then glanced at the eighth bolt forming in the sky, her face turning somewhat pale. Li Hao's fifth-rank power was dissipating; if this went on, he would hardly survive even the eighth bolt! And the ninth bolt would be even more perilous. Sixth-rank power was not something the current Li Hao could match. Reversing time was mighty, but the aftermath... brought an immense crisis every single time. If that sixth-rank Sovereign had not fled, Li Hao might truly have been done for. Of course, if the enemy had not run, Li Hao might have managed to drag him into enduring the tribulation alongside him again, which would not necessarily have been more dangerous than things were now. Li Hao's decision to scatter his allies clearly stemmed from apprehension. He feared dragging them into the disaster. "Senior Second Cat... can you absorb a portion of it?" Li Hao urgently communicated with Second Cat. This cat possessed devouring abilities and swallowed everything in sight, far outstripping the Black Panther's power to devour. The Black Panther could only swallow ordinary matter; a chaos lightning tribulation like this was completely beyond its digestion. Within the river, the chronically lazy Second Cat was now bristling with terror. "This lightning tribulation is too strong... Can you stop constantly provoking such monstrous things?!" Second Cat was aggrieved and mournful. "At most, this cat can only swallow thirty percent of its power! Can you withstand the remaining seventy percent?" Even if he survived this one, what about the one after that? The final bolt was usually the strongest. It could not possibly swallow two bolts in a row—it could hardly manage even one. Second Cat's strength was decent, but it was only around the second rank, weaker even than Li Hao. If not for its unique constitution, a single strike of lightning would have obliterated it on the spot, let alone allowed it to devour any power. Reversing time was out of the question now. He had to endure it with his true strength! If he used it again, the tribulation would strike without end, growing stronger and stronger. The more Li Hao reversed time, the faster he would die. *If Senior Second Cat absorbs thirty percent of the eighth bolt, the remaining seventy percent will be roughly comparable to a fifth-rank strike... A fifth-rank blow might not kill me... in fact, it probably won't! But the ninth bolt...* At this thought, Li Hao's expression turned grave. Last time, he had also borrowed power from a sixth-rank Sovereign, but back then, after slaying a fourth-rank Sovereign, he had still possessed surplus energy. This time was different. His fifth-rank power was utterly depleted. He had no strength left to resist the lightning tribulation. "Survive the eighth bolt first!" Li Hao said no more. He would take it one step at a time and focus on enduring the eighth bolt before worrying about the rest. *Boom!* Even as he thought it, a colossal streak of lightning descended like a divine weapon, striking downward. Chaos shattered! An enormous cat opened its maw and swallowed a portion of the strike. In an instant, its fur was charred black, and its entire body crashed onto the river with a deafening thud, sinking into the depths. Thirty percent of a sixth-rank blow was more than enough to give it a rough time. Meanwhile, the remaining lightning crashed toward Li Hao in a flash. Li Hao slashed with his sword. Life and death manifested, the myriad Daos converged, and destructive power erupted from within the river. Various Great Daos, stars, and domains appeared... *Boom! Boom!* Everything began to shatter. Qian Wuliang and the others turned pale. Too strong! The lightning tribulation was simply too strong. At this moment, they watched helplessly as everything belonging to Li Hao disintegrated—his domain, his river, his stars, his flesh and blood were all violently torn apart. It was as if the tribulation was bent on grinding Li Hao down to nothing! Fortunately, Second Cat had swallowed thirty percent of the blow. After a time, the eighth bolt vanished. Li Hao was reduced to a bare skeleton. Soon, flesh and blood rapidly regenerated, barely restoring a sliver of his strength. Looking up at the sky, he frowned slightly. He had already walked the path of life and death twice, but one could not walk that path indefinitely. Every journey along the Dao of Life and Death provoked the chaos lightning tribulation. Not only that, but according to Kongji, nine times was the absolute limit. Was he forced to walk the path of life and death once more for the ninth bolt? Yet if he walked it now, he would gain nothing from it. He was not in the midst of an ascension. Right now, he was at the peak of the third rank. Because he had not yet comprehended the Dao of Extreme Yin, he could not step into the fourth rank. Walking it this time would be an outright waste of an opportunity. At least during the previous two occasions, he had been in the process of advancing. Given his current condition, he knew he could not withstand the ninth bolt. Alternatively, he could use the corpses of the two fourth-rank Sovereigns and the other Sovereigns to activate Dao Chess and enter it, which might also allow him to evade this crisis. However... entering Dao Chess now would similarly exhaust the opportunity without granting him an ascension, wasting the chance all the same. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. The next moment, not far away, Lin Hongyu suddenly shouted, "Swap the stars!" *Swap the stars?* Li Hao froze. Swap what? A moment later, understanding dawned. He looked toward Lin Hongyu. She wanted to sacrifice herself in his stead—using her newly ascended Sovereign star to replace Li Hao's Life and Death Star! The Life and Death Stars of both parties resided within the River of Life and Death, sharing the same origin of aura. Moreover, the lightning tribulation was also targeting Lin Hongyu, as she had just ascended to become a Sovereign of Life and Death. In truth, the tribulation's terrifying strength was partly due to the compounding effect of her breakthrough. Thus, Lin Hongyu could be the one to endure the final bolt. Yet she was only a first-rank Sovereign... Facing a sixth-rank lightning tribulation, her Life and Death Star would shatter in an instant. Whether she could even undergo a second reincarnation of life and death was in doubt. Whereas he actually had alternatives. First, the reincarnation of life and death. Second, Dao Chess. He had options; he simply felt they were not worth the cost. Yet when Lin Hongyu sensed Li Hao's predicament and offered to swap stars, she likely believed that as a mere first-rank Sovereign, her death would not matter much. Li Hao could probably resurrect her afterward, with the worst outcome being a drop in cultivation rank. However... how could he allow that? Li Hao looked up at the sky, let out a breath, and smiled. "Three deaths and three lives... A third time might be the least worthwhile, but what does it matter?" The limit might be nine times. Yet in a short span, Li Hao would have walked through three reincarnations of life and death. No matter how many lives he had, they should not be squandered like this. Still, since matters had reached this point, what choice did he have? At the very least, compared to Dao Chess—which could only be used once for now—he should still be able to undergo the reincarnation of life and death several more times. The next instant, Li Hao's river manifested, and his Life and Death Star hung high in the sky. He turned to look at Lin Hongyu and the others. "Standard procedure. If it fails to obliterate me completely later... which it almost certainly will, I will go with the flow and enter the reincarnation of life and death! If it wipes me out entirely... remember to salvage my River of Life and Death. You cannot let the river be shattered, or I won't have a chance to revive." The Dao of Life and Death was not without constraints. If an enemy was sufficiently powerful and directly shattered his River of Life and Death, he would lose any chance of undergoing the reincarnation of life and death. The chaos lightning tribulation was not a sentient being. It clearly lacked such awareness. Therefore, once it struck him dead, it would likely disperse, meaning the River of Life and Death would probably remain intact. If so, he would still have the opportunity to walk the river once more. "Let me do it!" Lin Hongyu shouted loudly. "I will face the final bolt! If I die, you can resurrect me! I have only just entered the first rank, so the loss will be minimal!" She flew rapidly toward Li Hao. Li Hao was clearly well beyond the first rank. If he were struck dead, reviving him would be far more troublesome and waste far more resources. Furthermore, Li Hao had hesitated earlier, suggesting that undergoing the reincarnation of life and death too many times might carry severe repercussions. Lin Hongyu did not know whether Li Hao had walked it again over the past year and more... but she guessed he probably had. For her, this had only been the first time. If she could be revived, what did it matter if she walked it a second time? With a wave of his hand, Li Hao knocked the incoming Lin Hongyu back. He did not bother indulging her. Whether as a martial master or as a man... he had no habit of letting a woman die in his place. Since both options involved walking the reincarnation of life and death, sacrificing Lin Hongyu might seem more cost-effective from a pragmatic standpoint... but did his dignity count for nothing? To a Silver Moon martial master, pride was greater than the heavens. In front of a woman, could he possibly make such a choice? *Now, if Qian Wuliang could die once in my place... that actually sounds pretty good.* A smile appeared on Li Hao's face. He looked up at the sky, gazing at the lightning tribulation taking shape above. Watching silently, thoughts turned in his mind. *This will undoubtedly waste a lot of resources. As a third-rank Sovereign, resurrecting myself will cost at least the energy of a fourth-rank Sovereign.* *Yet I have no hope of breaking through right now, so... I can't let it go entirely to waste.* An idea formed in Li Hao's heart. *With this final strike, perhaps I should attempt to glimpse the true essence of the chaos lightning tribulation.* *Try to comprehend the power of destruction!* *Otherwise, getting battered so terribly every single time is simply too pathetic.* Knowing he was certain to die... at that moment, Li Hao left behind the River of Life and Death, cast aside the Sky Sword, deposited all his treasures into the river, and took the initiative to fly toward the chaos lightning tribulation above. *I want to see how this thing is actually born.* *Where does it come from?* *Where does its energy originate?* *Why does it get provoked into striking?* *The chaos lightning tribulation is also a rule... yet almost all rules are established by someone. I want to know if the chaos lightning tribulation is a rule crafted by human design!* Li Hao charged straight toward the tribulation. As if perceiving the provocation, all the dark clouds instantly converged, condensing into the silhouette of a Daoist. In a flash, it transformed into a lightning-like phantom and swept down to envelop Li Hao. In the void. Lin Hongyu and the others blanched. In the distance, the three remaining Sovereigns also underwent a drastic change of expression. What was happening? This Sovereign Haoyue's aura had suddenly weakened considerably, while the lightning tribulation had abruptly grown far more terrifying. Could he... be struck dead? Just moments ago, an eighth-rank Sovereign had refrained from descending to kill him, and a sixth-rank Sovereign had fled. They had assumed Haoyue would achieve a total victory this time. Why had it turned out like this? *Boom!* An earth-shattering blast resounded through the cosmos. The next moment, they witnessed an unforgettable sight: Li Hao was instantly pulverized into flying ash. Below, the River of Life and Death violently trembled. A Life and Death Star shook frantically, even developing fissures. The lightning in the void, shaped like a human figure, completely executed Li Hao on the spot. The phantom lightning did not fully disperse immediately, seemingly intending to annihilate the River of Life and Death as well. Yet at that exact instant, a phantom seemed to emerge from within the river. It appeared to be Li Hao, yet its aura felt slightly different. When a person died, their Dao dissolved; having died once, his karmic debts seemed wiped clean. The lightning tribulation appeared to lose its target. It froze for a moment, then gradually began to disperse. Within the river, Li Hao's phantom also began to slowly dissipate. The world fell silent. In the distance, the expressions of Mo and the other Sovereigns flickered erratically. *Is he... dead?* He seemed dead indeed; even the lightning tribulation had faded away. At this moment, on Silver Moon's side, five figures emerged: the Black Panther, Lin Hongyu, Hong Yitang, Qian Wuliang, and Tianji. Five Sovereigns, but only the Black Panther was at the second rank, while the rest were first-rank Sovereigns. Moreover, having merged their Daos with Li Hao earlier, all of them bore injuries. On Mo's side, there was still a third-rank Sovereign and a second-rank Sovereign, neither of whom was wounded. If they struck now... they might not necessarily lose. In fact, they stood a chance of winning. If they won, the fortune would be astronomical: a Great Dao Universe—in fact, there seemed to be two of them—plus a World Master, the River of Life and Death left behind by Li Hao, the energy remaining from two fourth-rank Sovereigns, and the energy of several low-rank Sovereigns. Whoever claimed all of this would strike it rich beyond imagination! However, at this moment, none of the three Sovereigns moved a muscle. They were truly terrified. Too many Sovereigns had died today! Their expedition, including Li Hao, had totaled twelve Sovereigns, and now only three of them remained. Xunfeng's squad of four Sovereigns had been wiped out entirely, and the fourth-rank Red Moon Sovereign Fubi had been slain. Counting Li Hao himself, fourteen Sovereigns had fallen in a single day! Among them were two fourth-rank Sovereigns, while Li Hao's true depth remained inscrutable. On top of that, a sixth-rank Sovereign had fled, and an eighth-rank Sovereign's will had nearly descended... It was simply too terrifying! Because of this, no matter how immense the temptation, none of them dared to make a move. Besides, victory was far from guaranteed; the opposing side still had five Sovereigns, and those five seemed capable of merging together... Thus, even after watching Li Hao get blasted to cinders, the three Sovereigns did not dare act. Amidst this profound silence. Without a single word, Hong Yitang and Qian Wuliang immediately followed their previous routine, using their two Chaotic Rivers to construct a circular perimeter around the River of Life and Death. Lin Hongyu's Life and Death Star also began spinning rapidly, stimulating the aura of life and death within the river. During the previous two occasions, Li Hao's physical form had still existed when he succeeded in the reincarnation of life and death. This time, not even a trace of him remained. Of course, there had been an earlier instance where the lightning tribulation had blasted away everything, leaving nothing behind, but that time, he had relied on the power of time to revive. This time, the power of time seemed to have completely vanished. Everyone felt uneasy! They did not know whether he could revive once more... He should be able to, as the River of Life and Death was still intact. Right then, within the river, the vast Sovereign energy previously harvested began to form whirlpools, coalescing together. Everyone let out a sigh of relief! They knew Li Hao was about to revive. As for consuming the energy of the slain Sovereigns... no one cared. Let it be consumed; Li Hao was the one who had killed them anyway. In the blink of an eye, a figure appeared within the river, instantly plunging into the Life and Death Star. With a forceful toss, Lin Hongyu threw the phantom into the River of Life and Death. The next moment, Lin Hongyu—who had expected an infant to emerge—suddenly froze. Within the river, a child of six or seven years appeared, not a newborn. Moreover, the current Li Hao seemed to retain all his memories. He looked up at the River of Life and Death, frowning slightly. This time, he had not been born as an infant, but had manifested directly as a child of six or seven. And his memories remained intact. What did this imply? He had a faint realization: *Next time I walk the path of life and death, I might be born at ten years old, or even older... The time after that, in my teens, and the next... until I appear at my actual age.* *No longer an infant.* *Once I reach my actual age upon succeeding in the reincarnation of life and death, it means one thing... I will no longer have the chance to walk the River of Life and Death. In essence, it signifies that my fundamental source of life and death is being depleted.* Li Hao understood! Was appearing older a good thing? No. Only if he consistently returned as an infant would it be a good sign, proving he could revive indefinitely. But this time, he had grown significantly older... It was a stark warning that every revival depleted his core source of life and death. *What a terrible loss!* At this moment, such a thought surfaced in Li Hao's mind. Indeed, he had suffered a massive loss this time. The fifth-rank corpse was gone, and of the several fourth-rank Sovereigns he had killed... after his revival, he would be lucky to preserve the energy of just one. Almost nothing below the fourth rank remained, his cultivation realm had not advanced, and he had learned nothing useful about the chaos lightning tribulation... Furthermore, he had exposed himself before an eighth-rank Sovereign and a sixth-rank Sovereign. Even if they did not know his exact situation, they would know he might be the new King of Silver Moon. And on top of that... he had squandered one of his chances at the reincarnation of life and death. He had lost big time! Li Hao felt a surge of emotion. For the first time, he felt that killing people was a losing proposition, but given Silver Moon's precarious situation earlier, he had possessed no alternative. To outsiders, he looked glorious, but only Li Hao knew how badly he had lost out. If he had advanced to the fourth rank this time, it would not have been so bad. The crux was that he had not advanced! Without saying a word, he swiftly began walking the River of Life and Death. Vast quantities of energy converged, rapidly rebuilding the severed Life and Death Bridges. His aura swelled quickly; this time, he did not require anyone's assistance. Nor was there any need for it. Retaining his memories... was not entirely a good thing for Li Hao. It meant he would miss the innate receptivity of an infant state, where he could absorb and learn certain concepts—such as when Kongji had previously infused his power of nirvana, allowing Li Hao to instantly comprehend profound insights in that pristine state. Now, such opportunities were virtually gone. The limitations of the Dao of Life and Death were laid bare at this moment... It was formidable, yes, but not as omnipotent as imagined. True immortality and indestructibility remained impossible to attain. After a while, an elegant youth emerged. It was Li Hao! However, the energy of the Sovereigns slain earlier was almost completely exhausted, preserving at most the power of a single fourth-rank Sovereign. Before leaving Tianfang, Li Hao had at least possessed the corpse of a fifth-rank Sovereign. This time, it truly was a grievous loss. Around him, Tianji and the others gathered, their faces lit with joy. They had not discerned the nuances; they only knew that Li Hao had slaughtered all the enemies with unfathomable might, had returned to life, and seemed completely uninjured... How terrifying was that? Further away, the three Sovereigns trembled with fear. *He revived?* *How is that possible!* *Is Haoyue truly immortal and indestructible?* "The Dao of Life and Death..." the third-rank Sovereign murmured, shivering inwardly. This man truly could not be killed; even in death, he could revive... This was terrifying beyond belief! The next instant, the three exchanged glances. Without a word, they rushed toward Li Hao. Now that he was alive... they certainly could not run away. Fleeing might be even more perilous. Not only had they witnessed numerous shocking secrets, but even if Li Hao did not silence them, once the fled sixth-rank Sovereign returned or Red Moon's eighth-rank Sovereign arrived... the three of them would be in deep trouble. Even if they leaked every scrap of information about Li Hao... the other side might not believe them. They might even assume the three were Li Hao's accomplices, interrogate them, and then execute them immediately. After all, they were merely low-rank Sovereigns who had no bearing on the grand scheme of things. "Greetings, my Lord!" The three Sovereigns, including Mo, felt their hearts pounding with apprehension. Meanwhile, Lin Hongyu and the others wore grim expressions. These people had seemed to be on Li Hao's side earlier... yet seven of them had turned traitor in the blink of an eye. If not for their betrayal, Li Hao might not have needed to die again. It was precisely their betrayal that had forced Li Hao through another death. Li Hao, however, said nothing of the sort. With Ming Hao dead, these few were of little consequence. He glanced overhead and said, "Let us withdraw first! This is Red Moon's territory, after all. The sixth-rank Sovereign who fled earlier might return once he sees the lightning tribulation dissipate... We should put some distance behind us before anything else!" With that, the river swept up everyone. None of them resisted, allowing the river to carry them away. Li Hao's speed was not particularly fast; with the strength of the third-rank peak bolstered by the River of Life and Death, he could only barely match the speed of a weaker fourth-rank Sovereign. They swiftly fled, moving to escape Red Moon's sphere of influence. As they flew, Li Hao spoke: "Earlier, the Black Panther devoured a third-rank Sovereign. Qian Wuliang, you and Martial Uncle Hong also absorbed the power of a third-rank Sovereign. Quickly digest their energy... For the Black Panther, advancing to the third rank should not be too difficult, as Silver Moon is a medium world!" "As for you two, you are both Dao Lords... Disperse a portion of the absorbed Dao power to the inhabitants of Silver Moon. By complementing each other, you might also advance quickly..." As for Lin Hongyu, there was nothing he could do for now. Li Hao himself was short on life and death power and could not support her. Moreover, she had just broken through; ascending again would take time. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the remaining three Sovereigns. Mo was quite familiar. Chanxiu was also somewhat familiar. The other third-rank Sovereign, however, was someone he barely knew, having had little communication with him. Yet during the earlier betrayal, while everyone else had turned, this one had not, which was rather peculiar. Mo and Chanxiu's restraint was understandable; both had interacted with Li Hao over a year ago and harbored a natural fear of him. But this one... what was his story? As if sensing Li Hao's probing gaze, the refined-looking third-rank Sovereign quickly spoke up: "Lord Haoyue, my name is Xunruo, a Sovereign of the Shimmering Light World. The Shimmering Light World... can loosely be considered a subsidiary world of the Bright Light Divine Realm. Of course, that is merely how we describe it; in truth, our Shimmering Light World simply latched onto them, and the Bright Light Divine Realm has never publicly acknowledged us..." Li Hao understood. "So, you were showing deference to Kongji?" "I wouldn't dare claim so!" Xunruo said hastily. "My Lord's strength is boundlessly formidable. Even if we had opposed you, it would have been a path straight to death!" Of course, his decision not to join Ming Hao and the others had indeed been related to Kongji. He had not dared to oppose Li Hao out of fear that Kongji would find out. The others could run and hide, but he was a Sovereign of the Shimmering Light World, a realm situated right beside the Bright Light Great World. Others might not know his background, but Kongji could easily track it down. And find him! That would truly be waiting for death. Now, he felt only immense relief. All those Sovereigns from before were dead. Li Hao said nothing. He glanced back, then looked at the three of them, speaking calmly: "Right now, I have neither the time nor the inclination to painstakingly win anyone over. Earlier, I showed goodwill toward Ming Hao and the rest... but now, I worry that the three of you might pull something. As it happens, I have a Great Dao Universe here. Why don't the three of you merge your Daos into Silver Moon's Great Dao?" "..." The expressions of the three shifted slightly. Mo quickly composed herself, saying nothing. For her, it made little difference. The other two, however, showed conflicted faces. The two Dao Lords were only at the first rank. Under standard rules, those who merged their Daos could not surpass the Dao Lord, meaning they could maintain at most first-rank strength. Climbing from the first rank to the second, and then to the third, had cost them immense effort and time. Joining a great world was a dream come true for many. The master of a great world was at least of the sixth rank, which would represent an opportunity. But with an embryonic Great Dao Universe like this... if it failed to mature, if they were not the Dao Lords, and if the Dao Lords advanced slowly, it would be difficult for them to ever recover their second- or third-rank strength! Li Hao said calmly, "They have absorbed the power of a third-rank Sovereign. If the three of you merge into it as well... and the two of them still cannot advance the Great Dao Universe, I will integrate all of Ming Hao's power into it... That should be sufficient to push the Great Dao Universe into the second rank! Fellow Daoist Chanxiu need not worry about anything. As for Fellow Daoist Xunruo, you might drop a rank, but you will have joined a Great Dao Universe. Even if it is currently weak, you will no longer be a rogue cultivator, and your Dao power will be purer. I won't claim you're getting a bargain, but you certainly won't be cheated!" Integrating the power of a fourth-rank Sovereign! The hearts of the two stirred. Chanxiu hurriedly said, "I would be more than eager to join, how could I have any objections? I am merely a rogue cultivator. To join a Great Dao Universe... one with boundless potential, no less—I couldn't be happier! It is Fellow Daoist Xunruo who might feel a bit of regret..." Xunruo cursed inwardly. *Who are you trying to undermine?* Dropping from the third rank to the second was infinitely better than dying! Besides, this Great Dao Universe possessed immense potential. Once these two advanced to the third rank, wouldn't his strength be restored? He immediately spoke: "My Lord has misunderstood. I am only concerned that our meager strength might waste the Sovereign allocations of the Great Dao Universe!" He wore a look of utter sincerity. "Our strength is weak. If the Great Dao Universe is frail, the number of Sovereigns it can support is limited. At this stage, I suspect it cannot bear too many. If there are too many, not only will it fail to advance the Great Dao Universe, but it might also cause it to rupture... The three of us might waste three allocations." In truth, he was hinting to Li Hao that accepting him, a third-rank Sovereign, was fine, but the other two were not worth the trouble. Being weak, they might as well die! While a Great Dao Universe grew stronger the more Sovereign power it devoured, if the two Dao Lords could not endure it and failed to advance... the universe would be unable to accommodate more Sovereigns. Too many would cause the Great Dao Universe to burst. This was why even some seventh- and eighth-rank Great Dao Universes could not accommodate an infinite number of Sovereigns. The limit of the Dao Lord's strength set the ceiling! Without the Dao Lord advancing, relying solely on devouring power to upgrade the Great Dao Universe was exceptionally difficult. More Sovereigns did not necessarily mean better. Li Hao smiled. "There is no rush for now. If the three of you are willing, that is for the best! I have no desire to kill..." All three shuddered inwardly. *No desire to kill... You just slaughtered more than a dozen Sovereigns, and earlier you claimed you killed more than a dozen in Tianfang. Adding it all up, nearly thirty Sovereigns have fallen by your hand! That's more terrifying than destroying an entire medium universe!* *This murderous fiend actually claims he doesn't like killing!* A seventh-rank Great Dao Universe only accommodated around a hundred Sovereigns, yet he had killed nearly thirty—the equivalent of wiping out a third of a great world's Sovereigns! And in how short a time? Such a terrifying, ruthless person... Even Mo no longer thought Li Hao possessed any scholar-like naivety. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing! Utterly savage and terrifying! Li Hao spoke slowly: "Since you three have agreed, then join my Silver Moon World!" He looked at them and said, "Mo, among the three of you, according to Silver Moon's classifications, Xunruo of the Shimmering Light World should belong to the corporeal Dao. Mo, your path resembles the illusory Dao. Chanxiu's path resembles Silver Moon's physical sanctification... Thus, you shall join the corporeal Dao and illusory Dao universes respectively." He continued, "Martial Uncle Hong, Qian Wuliang, once the three of them merge their Daos, it should not be difficult for the two of you to advance from the first rank to the second. Moving from the first rank to the third is simply an accumulation of power. If it is still not enough, I will infuse some fourth-rank power, which should suffice!" Qian Wuliang said hurriedly, "Marquis, please keep that person's energy for yourself." "No need. Fourth-rank power is useless to me; there is too little of it!" Li Hao shook his head. He was not necessarily weaker than ordinary fourth-rank Sovereigns, so what would he need it for? It served little purpose! Fourth-rank power could not activate Dao Chess either. Keeping it would only let it go to waste. Allocating a portion for their breakthroughs, and giving whatever remained to Tianji's avatar so it could reach the second rank, would make the best use of everything! He could not advance right now, but having these people advance was a good alternative. Even if they remained a group of low-rank Sovereigns! Silver Moon originally had five, plus himself making six, and with these three, they now totaled nine Sovereigns. When the time came, aside from Mo and Lin Hongyu, everyone else would have stepped into the second rank, which was respectable. This was the standard configuration for many weaker medium worlds... If he reached the fourth rank, they would meet the baseline requirements for a medium-tier world. Some masters of medium worlds were only at the third rank, though those were typically newly established ones. Seeing Li Hao's resolve, Qian Wuliang naturally raised no objections. Mo and the other two, however, were somewhat bewildered. There were two Dao Lords... This Great Dao Universe was far from simple. Yet why had Haoyue himself not taken the position of Dao Lord? Li Hao was not considered a Dao Lord. Everyone could see that. Although he had fused their powers earlier... that did not mean Li Hao could control the Great Dao Universe; he had merely used the Time Star to facilitate the fusion. Had he taken command personally, he might have been even stronger. Borrowing the power of the Great Dao Universe, he might have crossed into the fourth rank. They could not understand it. Under normal circumstances, if any of them encountered a rare Great Dao Universe, they would have seized it long ago. What was the point of Li Hao creating an artificial river of Dao? It would be far better to directly take command of the Great Dao Universe! Judging by the attitudes of the two Dao Lords, they were exceedingly deferential toward Li Hao. Of course, both were Sovereigns now, so yielding the position of Dao Lord might be troublesome and could even lead to death... but would a slaughterer like Li Hao care about killing two more first-rank Sovereigns? Li Hao, however, said nothing. He focused solely on traveling at high speed. He needed to put distance behind them first. The three Sovereigns dared not dally for a second. Terrified that Li Hao might execute them, they quickly began discussing the process of merging their Daos, which essentially amounted to opening a tributary upon the Great Dao River. Transplanting their own Daos into it. For practitioners from other great worlds, this would have been troublesome, but for Sovereigns who possessed no Great Dao Universe power, it was relatively simple. Their Daos were originally rooted in chaos. Joining a Great Dao Universe from chaos was a natural transition. The difficulty was vastly lower. In contrast, Sovereigns belonging to a Great Dao Universe who wished to join another had to sever their ties with their original universe first. Normally, a great world would not take in Sovereigns from another great world. Otherwise, it could easily trigger a war between the two realms. Li Hao paid it no further heed, focusing entirely on their flight. The Dao merging proceeded without a hitch. In truth, integrating three Sovereigns was still insufficient to advance the Great Dao Universe. After all, the three were not particularly strong, and elevating a Great Dao Universe was inherently more difficult, as it required raising the ceiling of the entire universe. Li Hao began infusing his remaining fourth-rank power into the Great Dao Universe. Only after consuming more than half of it did the entire Great Dao Universe complete a minor elevation. Originally, it would have been difficult and time-consuming for the two Dao Lords to accumulate enough power to move from the first rank to the second. With Li Hao's help, however, they progressed much faster, naturally stepping into the second rank. By this point, the Black Panther, Qian Wuliang, Hong Yitang, Chanxiu, and Xunruo had all attained the status of second-rank Sovereigns. Li Hao did not bother keeping the remaining energy, channeling it directly into Tianji's avatar. Tianji's avatar accepted it without hesitation! Now that Li Hao was back, he felt he no longer needed to act as the vanguard. In that case, having more energy and power was a good thing. At least when he met his true body, he would possess some capital. Once he absorbed all the energy, he broke directly into the second rank. Moving from the first rank to the third required only sufficient energy, with no need for profound Dao comprehension—especially since his true body had been at the second rank back in the day. With this, Li Hao's camp now possessed one third-rank, six second-rank, and two first-rank Sovereigns. This did not count Second Cat; including it, there were exactly ten Sovereigns. In a brief period, Silver Moon had amassed considerable strength. Li Hao also formed some new plans in his mind. Having this many Sovereigns was enough for now; he did not intend to recruit anyone else. This time, had it not been decided beforehand, he would not have taken in these three. He still needed to cultivate Silver Moon's own people! The Sovereign allocations of a Great Dao Universe were limited. Giving them to outsiders meant one fewer spot for their own. Currently, the Black Panther did not take up an allocation; as a World Master, it was a special case. Tianji did not take up one either; he was merely an avatar. Although his power reached the Sovereign level, fundamentally, he remained an Origin Sovereign. Second Cat did not take up a spot either. It was even more unique; Li Hao could not even determine what kind of Sovereign it was—a Great Dao Universe Sovereign, a chaotic miscellaneous Dao Sovereign, or perhaps... a Sovereign from another dimension? Who knew! Lin Hongyu did not occupy a spot either. All told, the Great Dao Universe currently supported only five Sovereigns, two of whom were Dao Lords. *They are only at the second rank... Below the third rank, the universe cannot accommodate many Sovereigns... I cannot casually recruit people or let others merge their Daos. If we lack Dao power... we kill enemies to take it!* Li Hao thought silently. *Our overall strength has increased significantly... As for me, comprehending the Dao of Extreme Yin must be put on the agenda. Otherwise, I won't even dare use Dao Chess...* If he had possessed some comprehension of the Dao of Extreme Yin this time, he would have chosen to enter Dao Chess to contemplate the Great Dao rather than walking the reincarnation of life and death. What a pity! The Dao of Extreme Yin... He had never encountered it so far, but he knew the Yin-Yang World certainly possessed it. Regarding the Yin-Yang World, Tianji was only an avatar, Zhang An was not yet a Sovereign, but Tianji's true body... Tianji's true body was a practitioner of the fist Dao, exceedingly powerful. Yet there was another person: King Huai, who was reportedly treacherous and exceptionally cowardly... Did being sinister count as extreme yin? Li Hao suddenly chuckled! Regardless, interacting with two true Sovereigns from the Origin World might aid his comprehension of the Dao of Extreme Yin. According to Tianji's avatar, the other party might be accompanied by an avatar of the Supreme or a sixth-rank Sovereign, which might also provide an opportunity for exchange. Accompanied by an avatar of the Supreme... Li Hao was actually aware of this. He had traveled through Xinwu, and that Supreme was ubiquitous. Splitting into countless avatars! Li Hao had always felt that having too many avatars was unhealthy and prone to driving one mad... Yet that Supreme had not gone mad to this day. Perhaps he had a method to prevent it. Or perhaps he had already gone mad, and Li Hao simply had not noticed. "Senior Tianji... let us go find your true body!" Li Hao laughed and quickly plunged into the void. Tianji's avatar smiled as well... though with a touch of melancholy. When he met his true body, whose memories would take precedence? Or would both be dominant? Although he felt that less trouble was better and merging into the true body would save him headaches, losing the memories of these years still carried a tinge of sadness. Of course... if the true body absorbed him and spared him from having to fight anymore, that would be nice too. Tianji quickly let it go. He was merely an avatar anyway... Who cared! ... On this day, Li Hao's group fled. Soon, however, ripples of shock spread through various quarters of the chaos. News of Li Hao's killings did not leak immediately, as communicating across the chaos was not easy, but the great worlds possessed their own methods. Within the Tianfang Great World. At Huilong Temple, a line of text appeared on the communication talismans of all practitioners: "Bounty for the new King of Silver Moon. Strength unknown... estimated between the fourth and sixth ranks, exact level undetermined! Characteristics: when unleashing great power, prone to triggering chaos lightning tribulations; suspected practitioner of Life and Death or Yin-Yang. Additionally, may be skilled in the Sword Venerable's sword Dao, possessing sword intent." "Those who successfully hunt him shall be rewarded with one medium world, one sixth-rank imperial armament, and ten eighth-rank Red Moon Dao-resonance crystals! Furthermore, they may join the Red Moon Great World and be allocated Great Dao power." "Beyond the above characteristics, another point: this individual may be a member of Ming Hao's team. Both Ming Hao and Fubi were slain by him, and Ming Hao's team has been annihilated. Any survivors are likely connected to this individual..." ... At this moment, countless people were shocked. The King of Silver Moon! Fourth to sixth rank? How could that be! Wasn't Silver Moon said to have only just broken its seal, having been isolated for merely several decades? How could a middle-rank Sovereign emerge from it? Furthermore, both Ming Hao and Fubi had been killed by him! Ming Hao's small band had possessed formidable strength and considerable renown. An expedition of more than a dozen Sovereigns, and all of them were dead? Moreover... it was said that one among them had been a good friend of Kongji. ... At this moment, Sovereign Huilong had waited in vain for Xunhan to appear. Receiving messages from both Red Moon and Yunxiao, he suddenly looked in a certain direction, his expression shifting. A member of Ming Hao's team! Fourth to sixth rank, slayer of Ming Hao, sword Dao practitioner, provoker of chaos lightning tribulations, the King of Silver Moon... He had suspected Li Hao for a while, but because the man was not a Great Dao Universe practitioner, he had remained uncertain. Yet today... he realized the truth. Moreover, if the man was of the fourth to sixth rank... then... Xunhan... might be dead. He hadn't refused to come out; he had been slain by the other party through unknown means! His face fell! The King of Silver Moon, Kongji! Xinwu, Bright Light Divine Realm! Had these two factions joined forces? How was that possible! Of course, it was not entirely impossible. Yunxiao was already showing signs of allying with Red Moon. If so, for the other great world in the Tianfang Region, the Bright Light Divine Realm, to ally with the notorious Xinwu was hardly unthinkable. The enemy of an enemy was a friend. Sovereign Huilong's expression turned grim. He was certain that Haoyue was almost certainly this King of Silver Moon! Yet the King of Silver Moon was not a Great Dao Universe Sovereign, so how could he have become a middle-rank Sovereign? Without being a Great Dao Universe Sovereign, how could he advance so quickly? Or could it be... this person was actually a Xinwu cultivator who had long been a Sovereign, merely hiding within the Silver Moon World all along? For a moment, he could not make sense of the specifics. Shouldn't Xinwu's Sovereigns be Origin Sovereigns? And what about Kongji... As he was pondering, Kongji's voice drifted into his ears: "Pity my friend Haoyue—could he have been killed by that King of Silver Moon? Temple Master, when do we set out to hunt the Sword Venerable? I wish to leave Tianfang to seek out my fellow Daoist Haoyue. If I run into that King of Silver Moon, I shall slay him!" "..." Sovereign Huilong cursed inwardly. *Cut the nonsense!* That Haoyue was almost certainly the King of Silver Moon. The more he thought about it, the more he regretted his choices. Had he known earlier, perhaps... he should have detained the man. Glancing at Dark Demon Ridge, which he had been guarding all this time, he cursed once more. *Guard what! There's nothing left to guard!* That person was gone! Not only was Xunhan gone, but all the Sovereigns of the Absolute Darkness Great World were gone as well. It was a disastrous loss. *What a Haoyue... just you wait!* *And this Kongji has most likely joined hands with Xinwu... Of course, this fellow is not to be trifled with. It would be best to get rid of him first.* On this day, the name of the King of Silver Moon began to spread throughout the Tianfang Region. And within the Red Moon Region, the name of this previously obscure King of Silver Moon began to circulate as well. People had known of him before, but they had assumed he was merely a first-rank Sovereign unworthy of attention. Yet slaying two fourth-rank Sovereigns with his own hands and drawing a bounty directly from the Lord of Red Moon left everyone profoundly shaken. The King of Silver Moon, a middle-rank Sovereign!