Turning Back

Within the dark chaos, a colossal cat swam lazily through the void. At this moment, within the cat's belly lay an immense world that housed countless cultivators and mighty experts. A refined, scholarly old man suddenly opened his eyes, a faint smile spreading across his face. "The King of Silver Moon!" As expected, the newly risen king of Silver Moon was truly extraordinary. Silver Moon had been out of contact for more than fifty years and had unsealed itself barely more than a year ago, yet this King of Silver Moon had already slain several middle-rank Sovereigns. Of course, compared to the Human King, this was still nothing remarkable. Back when the Human King had first stepped out into the chaos, he had been even younger than Li Hao was now, and by that time, the Human King had already slain the sixth-rank Heavenly Emperor. However... one had to take the world's foundation into account. During the era of the Heavenly Emperor, the Xinwu World had already been a Great World. Its Origin World had manifested, and though it had not been entirely complete, the Heavenly Emperor—as Lord of the Great Dao—had genuinely possessed sixth-rank power. The world’s ceiling had been extraordinarily high. Silver Moon's ceiling, on the other hand, was far too low. Under such circumstances, for this new King of Silver Moon to slay middle-rank Sovereigns in such a short time was exceedingly impressive, even though the old man knew it had to be related to the power of time. "It is good, and yet..." The old man frowned slightly. The emergence and fame of this King of Silver Moon might disrupt his plans a little. He hoped that young man would keep a lower profile. First, it was unsafe; with his current strength, he could easily be targeted and killed by Red Moon. Second, making such an uproar could easily interfere with Xinwu's arrangements. If Red Moon's attention was drawn entirely to him, certain hunting operations planned by Xinwu might run into complications. Tianji and King Huai had already gone over. Originally, the goal had simply been to hunt a few experts, but now... things could get troublesome. It might attract the attention of Red Moon's mighty figures, or even high-rank Sovereigns! Red Moon Great World did not possess many native high-rank Sovereigns, but lately, numerous Great Worlds in the Red Moon Region had migrated toward them and forged pacts. Once those Great World Lords mobilized, things would become exceedingly thorny. "The King of Silver Moon..." After pondering for a while, the old man closed his eyes. *** Meanwhile, elsewhere in the chaos. An elderly man with greying hair and razor-sharp eyes was roving about when the voice of the previous old man—the Xinwu Supreme—suddenly echoed by his ear. "Good, you haven't strayed too far." The grey-haired elder said gruffly, "You told me to stay out of trouble. I haven't been running around lately." "Haven't been running around?" The Supreme chuckled. *If you haven't been running around, how did you just kill another Medium World Lord?* Of course, he did not dwell on it, cutting straight to the chase. "Communication in the chaos is difficult, so let's keep idle chatter to a minimum. The Silver Moon World has appeared, and a new king has arisen—you know all of this. Furthermore... a new Great Dao universe has likely been born in Silver Moon..." "Naturally!" The grey-haired elder did not seem surprised at all. "Signs of that appeared years ago. Silver Moon sealed itself off for decades and severed its connection to the Origin. Without the suppression of the Origin Universe, it is only natural for a new Dao universe to emerge." "You really knew all along." The Supreme's tone turned subtle. "So when Silver Moon lost contact over fifty years ago, did you do that intentionally?" "Not entirely," the elder replied with a slight frown. "Back then, I was busy dealing with several Red Moon Sovereigns. I excel at offense, not defense, and lugging Silver Moon around was far too cumbersome. Don't go pinning baseless accusations on me." "Nobody is calling losing Silver Moon a crime," the Supreme remarked. "Besides, my grandson was inside, and isn't he still breathing? If he had died, only then would I hold you accountable!" "..." The elder could not be bothered to reply to that and snapped, "Say what you have to say!" "The King of Silver Moon has appeared and hunted two middle-rank Sovereigns, drawing the attention of the Red Moon Lord. News is now beginning to circulate among several Great Worlds. For Silver Moon's new king to be this formidable, even if they haven't pieced everything together, the fact that Silver Moon has birthed a Great Dao universe can hardly be concealed from those Great World Lords for long! From here on out, this King of Silver Moon will know no peace." "He certainly has a knack for stirring up trouble," the elder suddenly chuckled. "Still... to slay middle-rank Sovereigns in such a short time, the lad does have real skill!" At that point, he furrowed his brow slightly. "Back then, a Red Moon Sovereign slipped in. Add to that the birth of a Great Dao universe, the Xinwu heritages left behind, and the Silver Moon World itself... for the King of Silver Moon to reach the middle ranks shouldn't be too difficult." In truth, that had also been the calculation of Li Daoheng and his circle within Silver Moon back then. Devour everything! In the end, by swallowing even the Great Dao universe, they were confident they could become middle-rank Sovereigns. However... doing so would thoroughly exhaust Silver Moon's latent potential. Of course, back then, Li Daoheng and the others had no idea what a "middle-rank Sovereign" even meant. They had merely known that if they succeeded, they would stand just beneath the peak Sovereigns of the Human King's caliber. "Not necessarily so!" the Supreme's voice sounded again. "His Dao might not be what you imagine..." "Is it not the sword?" The elder was puzzled. "By my estimation, he should be walking the sword Dao—a pure swordsman." "It may be related to another power... time." "Time?" The elder hesitated for a long while before murmuring, "Can someone truly cultivate time? Or was that portion of power that bled away from Xinwu back then truly the power left by the Emperor of Battle Heaven? Did... did Battle Heaven truly cultivate time?" "I do not know," the Supreme said softly. "No one can say for sure, not even Fang Ping. It's just that Battle's energy did leak away, and Fang Ping chose to let it go rather than reclaiming it. It was originally meant to fulfill you... to make you the next high-rank Sovereign..." "I had no need for it!" The elder's expression remained utterly indifferent. "A swordsman should remain pure!" "You are as stubborn as ever... but that is your own Dao. Walking your own path may indeed suit you best!" The Supreme did not press further. Some people were simply like that—unwavering in their convictions, single-mindedly treading their own road. No matter how formidable an external Dao was, they paid it no heed. Such individuals either achieved nothing or soared to the very pinnacle. Whether the Sword Venerable could come from behind, surpass his peers, and become Xinwu's next seventh-rank Sovereign was something no one could guarantee, nor could anyone deny the possibility. The Supreme dropped the subject and spoke briskly. "Go find Tianji and the other." "To meet the King of Silver Moon?" "No need... Your primary objective is to weed out a few troubles!" the Supreme said. "He needs neither protection nor shelter. The young man is walking his own path, and we have no call to interfere! Still... taking out a few top-level figures at appropriate moments is entirely necessary!" The elder pondered for a moment and nodded slightly. "Very well... But I have my own methods. I understand the situation. Just give me Tianji's position, and leave the rest to me!" The Supreme said nothing more. A gleam of light suddenly flickered across the elder's body. Sensing it, the elder detected a tiny point of light—undoubtedly the location of Tianji and his companion. In the chaos, positioning and transmitting messages were exceptionally difficult. Yet for the Xinwu Supreme, whether it was transmitting messages or locating allies, it seemed effortless. In truth, this Supreme rarely took the field in person. Most battles were fought by the Human King and others; even the Yang God fought far more often than he did. For many years, he seemed to have remained within Xinwu. Yet everyone understood that he was the brain of Xinwu. He directed all of Xinwu's powerhouses, nibbling away at Red Moon's forces step by step, strengthening Xinwu piece by piece. Over the course of a thousand years, Xinwu had grown from the weakest sixth-rank Great World to what it was today—an achievement credited to the Human King and his comrades, but equally to this Supreme. Sitting in command, he had steered Xinwu from a newly born Great World to its rapid ascendancy. By now, in the entire Red Moon Region, only the Red Moon Great World was worthy of being their match. The Sword Venerable sensed the location; it was not too far from him—relatively speaking, of course. Without another word, he swiftly altered his course and flew toward that region. Originally, the Supreme had likely made other arrangements, but it appeared he now found them insufficient, anticipating even greater trouble. The Sword Venerable still trusted Old Zhang's judgment. It seemed this new King of Silver Moon was no pushover either. Which was only natural! If he were soft-hearted, he would never have become the newly risen king of Silver Moon, nor would he have ever walked out of the Silver Moon World. *** Within the Xinwu World. The Supreme opened his eyes and gazed toward the sky, lost in thought. After a long while, he suddenly called out, "Someone, go invite Senior Earth Emperor to see me!" Presently, an affirmative response came from outside the hall. This time, the Supreme did not transmit his voice directly; he sent an attendant to convey the invitation. Furthermore, he addressed him as "Senior." A moment later, an old man who resembled a rustic peasant walked in, carrying a faint scholarly air... or perhaps an indolent demeanor. Striding leisurely, he entered the great hall, sat down beside the Supreme without a word, picked up a teacup, and drank. The Supreme watched him quietly. After draining his tea, the elder finally asked, "What is it?" Prior to Xinwu, the Nine Emperors and Four Sovereigns had dominated the realm. Among them, the Heavenly Emperor governed the Origin. Beneath him was the Earth Emperor, a master of peerless schemes who had stirred up winds and clouds. He had once disguised himself as Daoist Fengyun, throwing heaven and earth into chaos. His house had produced multiple Sovereigns, and all three of his sons were top-tier experts; his youngest son, Li Zhu, had been the greatest nemesis of the Neo-Martial era. The very birth of Xinwu had been deeply intertwined with this family. In the end, the defeat of the Heavenly Emperor had likewise been heavily tied to them. In Xinwu's final battle, his entire family had marched to their deaths, rendering monumental contributions toward the Human King's slaying of the Heavenly Emperor. Because of this, they earned the Human King's respect. After taking control of the Netherworld, the Human King had reversed Yin and Yang at tremendous cost to resurrect their entire family. "Senior... where is Li Zhu?" "Out enjoying himself, probably. I'm not too sure." The Supreme smiled faintly, not minding in the least. "There is a matter I'd like him to handle." "Contact him yourself!" "My relations with him aren't great... He has never paid me much heed." The Supreme chuckled again. He and Li Zhu had clashed repeatedly in the past, matching wits and schemes. Their mutual friction was common knowledge. Even though the Xinwu Supreme possessed immense renown, that man did not care much for it and rarely stayed within the Xinwu World. The Earth Emperor laughed. "He ignores you? Does he have the guts?" The Supreme did not bother pursuing that thread and said, "Right now, certain rumors are circulating through the chaos. I wouldn't feel comfortable entrusting this to ordinary people... With Li Zhu handling it, I can rest easier. I want him to serve as an envoy to the Bright God Realm!" The Earth Emperor instantly sat up straight, turning to frown at the Supreme. "That eighth-rank Great World in the Tianfang Region?" "Yes." The elder knitted his brows. "An alliance?" "In a manner of speaking." "Not very dependable." "I know... but even a nominal one will suffice! Yunxiao of Tianfang has also been eyeing our Xinwu greedily, not to mention Red Moon... If a battle of high-rank Sovereigns truly erupts, having an additional eighth-rank Great World join against us would leave Xinwu in dire peril! If the Bright God Realm can help us keep them in check... we will have a fighting chance." "This won't be easy!" the Earth Emperor said bluntly. "Relying purely on a glib tongue to ally with an eighth-rank Great World is as difficult as ascending to heaven!" "If Li Zhu goes as envoy, even if he fails to recruit them... they won't easily turn hostile, will they?" The Earth Emperor chuckled. "You certainly place great trust in him." "Senior's family is full of exceptional talents, after all, isn't it?" On this day, the Supreme was exceptionally courteous. The Earth Emperor chuckled again. "Fine, I will pass the message along. But he doesn't listen to me nowadays; he gives even me, his own father, the cold shoulder. His wings have hardened, and I can hardly manage him, nor do I have any right to, considering I never really did much for him." The Supreme was unfazed; that was only natural. The Earth Emperor had spent countless years plotting across heaven and earth, rarely looking after that son of his, so it was only normal for Li Zhu to ignore him. Still, he was his father after all, and that connection carried some weight. Entrusting this task to others left him uneasy, but leaving it to that old rival gave him peace of mind. After a moment's reflection, the Supreme added, "If he happens to be near Silver Moon... have him drop by to observe that King of Silver Moon and make an assessment. I need to make some evaluations." The Earth Emperor smiled broadly. "The King of Silver Moon? What, after grooming a Fang Ping, you want to manufacture another new king?" The Supreme smiled as well. "That is beyond my power; my reach is not that long. I merely wish to assess whether he could become a threat to Xinwu." "Could he really be that formidable?" "Hard to say." "Understood." The Earth Emperor rose to his feet. "Is that all? Nothing else?" "Nothing else." "Then I'll take my leave." The old man turned to depart. Just as he was about to step outside, the Supreme suddenly spoke up. "Senior, do you have any hope of stepping into the seventh rank? Among the surviving emperors from back then, I believe you hold the greatest prospect... Yet over these years, you have rarely taken action..." "Not a chance!" The old man did not even turn his head. "Since when has reaching the seventh rank been that simple? Besides, I died once!" "I died once as well..." A note of mockery crept into the old man's voice. "You died, yes. But when Fang Ping reversed Yin and Yang, did he use the same method for you close confidants as he did for the rest of us? To resurrect you all, he endured the chaos lightning tribulation. He did no such thing for us. Our Yin energy is too heavy and our Yang energy too scarce. With Yin and Yang out of balance, how could I possibly enter the seventh rank?" The Supreme frowned slightly and nodded without disputing the point. He merely added, "He has not yet stepped into the eighth rank; he falls just short. Once he enters the eighth rank and attempts to reverse Yin and Yang once more... it should remedy the issue! Furthermore, we have been searching nearby for an Extreme Yang Great World. If we can capture one, reaching the seventh rank won't be difficult for Senior." "An Extreme Yang Great World?" The old man shook his head faintly without further comment. It was not that simple. Right now, they had no leads whatsoever; where were they supposed to find an Extreme Yang Great World? Even if they did find one, there was already a long line of people waiting for its resources. Reversing Yin and Yang had its inherent limitations after all. Something suddenly occurred to him, and having already walked some distance away, he abruptly looked back. "If Yin and Yang are in discord, can the Dao of Life and Death balance them?" The Supreme hesitated, then shook his head. "I am not entirely sure. Although I also cultivate a bit of Life and Death, I am not a true Lord of Life and Death... However, that King of Silver Moon today appears to be cultivating Life and Death, though I don't know the exact details. You can mention this to Li Zhu; his Yin and Yang are also out of balance. He can try to see if he can glean any insights from the King of Silver Moon." "Is that so?" The Earth Emperor considered this and nodded. Soon, he vanished from the spot. Once he was gone, the Supreme lapsed back into deep thought before finally closing his eyes and letting the matter rest. Since rumors claimed that the King of Silver Moon held some connection to the Bright Great World... perhaps they could pull in an ally, even if an unreliable one. Everything would depend on how circumstances developed. "Life and Death, time..." The Dao of Life and Death had not actually been publicized. Even on Red Moon's side, they only knew he cultivated abilities prone to triggering chaos lightning tribulations, and time could likewise provoke tribulations. The reason the Supreme deduced this was that the youth had struck repeatedly, yet only triggered the chaos lightning tribulation on rare occasions, rather than every single time. This meant... he had likely dispersed his time power. Having dispersed time after experiencing it firsthand, ordinary Daos would hardly catch the King of Silver Moon's eye. He would either cultivate Life and Death, Yin and Yang, or Space. Space was difficult to master exclusively, and Yin and Yang—as the Supreme well knew—lacked the necessary catalyst. Life and Death, on the other hand, was something that youth had likely experienced repeatedly, making it his most probable pursuit. *** At this moment, although Li Hao was unaware of how the various factions were reacting, he knew the Red Moon Lord had explicitly ordered his execution. Evidently, some of his information had leaked. Furthermore, the sixth-rank Sovereign who had fled might also spread word about him. As for the location of Tianji and King Huai, it was likely under the close watch of many experts right now. Those two were essentially beacons of light. Xinwu, Red Moon, and certain shadowy experts behind the scenes all viewed the pair as bait in their high-stakes game, because they were rare low-rank Sovereigns acting independently on Xinwu's side. Their profile was massive! Other Xinwu Sovereigns operated with absolute stealth. Only these two, lacking sufficient strength and having likely had their whereabouts compromised, found themselves under the gaze of thousands. Meanwhile, the cultivation of the others had temporarily hit a bottleneck. Li Hao distributed all the immense resources he had traded from Kongji. The treasures obtained in exchange for so many Dark Dao Crystals were vast in quantity, and all were profoundly beneficial for those below the Sovereign realm. Some of these treasures were items Li Hao had never even heard of—things that bolstered the physical body, fortified spiritual power, or specialized in cultivating various elemental Daos... These treasures, plentiful as cabbages, had been shipped from an eighth-rank Great World to Kongji's hands to trade for those Dark Dao Crystals. They had little effect on advancing someone into the Sovereign realm, but for those beneath it, they were supreme treasures. In an instant, an unprecedented cultivation frenzy swept through the entirety of Silver Moon. *** On the back of the Black Panther. A hollowed depression rested upon the colossal beast. By now, the panther looked more and more like a hound... a deliberate transformation it had constantly worked toward. It had originally possessed the body of an ox, but had gradually reshaped itself to resemble a dog. Within the depression stood several Sovereigns alongside non-Sovereigns, including the three newly joined Sovereigns. Only now did they learn for certain that Bright Moon Sovereign was none other than the new King of Silver Moon whom everyone had been discussing. It was incredible, yet he truly was the new king of Silver Moon—and reputedly unimaginably young. "Senior Tianji!" Tianji looked toward Li Hao, who said, "As things stand, your true body's location is almost certainly the focal point of attention for various Great Worlds... Rendezvousing with him will no longer be simple. "Had I not killed those people, we might not have attracted the gaze of top-tier beings. But I slew Ming Hao and his cohort, and the Red Moon Lord's will personally ordered my death. Now, Red Moon Great World will certainly pay close attention!" Previously, it had merely been a skirmish among low-rank Sovereigns, involving middle-rank Sovereigns at most. But this time, the Red Moon Lord discovered that Li Hao could slay middle-rank Sovereigns and deduced that Silver Moon had birthed a new Dao universe... A new Dao universe was practically synonymous with a seventh-rank, high-rank Sovereign! Under such circumstances, the enemy would surely spare no expense. They would never sit idly by and allow Li Hao to rendezvous with his allies. Though Tianji was lazy, he was no fool. He nodded. "Indeed. What's worse, my true body might not know the news yet and is still heading toward us. And since I reached the second rank, his speed has noticeably increased..." He felt a throbbing headache. "My true body has been constantly watched; that's a certainty! Trying to escape now is virtually impossible!" He felt utterly helpless. The situation was far more troublesome than anticipated. If word hadn't leaked after Li Hao killed that group, things would be manageable. The problem was that the news was out, giving him a splitting headache. To make matters worse, Li Hao—Silver Moon's strongest fighter—had lost his means of borrowing power, and the fifth-rank Sovereign corpse was gone. Handling middle-rank Sovereigns would be extraordinarily difficult, and encountering a high-rank Sovereign would be tantamount to suicide. Li Hao remained silent. Before him, a massive map materialized, dotted with star-like points of light. To the north lay the Red Moon Region. To the south lay the Tianfang Region. Between north and south was a stretch of chaotic void with very few worlds. The Red Moon World and Tianfang Great World sat on the peripheries of their respective regions, separated by this buffer, with Tianfang Great World serving as the dividing barrier between them. Since Tianfang Great World no longer possessed high-rank Sovereigns, it posed no real threat. To the west lay an area Li Hao had never visited, reportedly known as the Chiyang Region. Its strongest power was the Chiyang Great World, an eighth-rank Great World that rarely interacted with this side. To the east lay what was called the Dragon Region, the domain of the demon race. It was said to house the Dragon Great World and other demonic Great Worlds; nearly all demon factions gathered in the east. In the chaos, the demon race was by no means weak. Numerous chaotic behemoths roamed that region as well, sharing common origins with the demon race and boasting terrifying strength. Such was the distribution of powers across this sector of chaos. Between every two regions lay a blank expanse—an artificially created buffer zone. Hardly any worlds existed within these zones, save for a few newly born Small Worlds. Great Worlds never resided within these dividing expanses. At that moment, Li Hao pointed to a glowing dot. "This is Red Moon Great World!" The dot emitted a faint red radiance. "We are here!" Li Hao pointed again. On the map, they were very close, practically adjacent to that dot. "Your true body is here!" Based on Tianji's avatar's perception, Li Hao marked another location not far to their south—the position of Tianji's true body. It was exceedingly close as well. Beside them, Yuan Shuo spoke up. "Must we rendezvous? We currently lack the power to participate in a war of this scale. A clash of Sovereigns involving even high-rank Sovereigns... It's not that we want to leave them to their fate, but Xinwu must have its own plans. Making contact rashly might not be a good thing! With Senior Tianji's avatar right here, I share this view: the priority for Silver Moon right now is self-preservation!" Self-preservation was difficult enough, yet Li Hao seemed intent on making contact. That was not wise; it was far too perilous. Li Hao had slain those experts, and the sixth-rank Sovereign had fled. For now, they had slipped out of the enemy's surveillance grid. The chaos was vast; finding a place to hide—even if not permanently—would buy Silver Moon precious time to develop. Li Hao had brought back abundant resources, sparking an acceleration in cultivation across the entire population. Setting others aside, the two Dao Lords, carried by the momentum of the populace's cultivation, had a real shot at breaking into the third rank. Of course, reaching the fourth rank would be far too difficult. Yuan Shuo continued, "My thought is that we keep a low profile for now... Senior Tianji's true body will naturally have Xinwu looking out for his safety. We shouldn't overreach beyond our capabilities." Tianji nodded in agreement. "I think so too... At this stage, the trouble has grown even larger! If we can avoid meeting, I suggest we don't! As long as I steer clear of my true body, he isn't an idiot—he'll know there must be compelling reasons and will actively avoid us as well!" He looked at Li Hao with a sigh. "Honestly, you don't need to worry about my true body." Li Hao truly was a man of loyalty! Li Hao chuckled. "Senior, allow me to ask a bold question. Does your true body understand the Dao of Yin and Yang?" Tianji froze, then shook his head. "No. That stuff is too complicated; how could I know it?" "Then are there many in Xinwu who understand Yin and Yang?" "Not many... though there are a few. Especially the Dao of Extreme Yin—most of those who died back then know it." Tianji explained, "In the past, many Xinwu figures died in battle and were later resurrected when the Human King reversed Yin and Yang..." "You didn't die in battle, Senior?" "..." Tianji looked up at the sky, saying nothing. *Take a wild guess!* "What about King Huai?" Tianji looked at the sky again. *Guess again!* Li Hao smiled and pondered for a moment. "What about the other Sovereigns? Did many die in battle?" "Of course, many." "Did the Supreme die in battle?" "Mm." Li Hao nodded. "I don't necessarily need to meet your true body, Senior, but I want to meet an expert who understands the Dao of Yin and Yang—and the Dao of Extreme Yin would be best of all!" He was not going out of his way just to find Tianji. The crucial point was that Xinwu was the world with the deepest understanding of Yin and Yang that he currently knew of. He needed to comprehend the Dao of Extreme Yin, fuse it with the Dao of Extreme Yang, and merge Yin and Yang to advance to the fourth rank. Otherwise, having reached the peak of the third rank, his only choice would be to switch Daos. Switch to what? Extinction and Revitalization? The problem was that while he understood Extinction somewhat, Revitalization... even Kongji himself hardly understood it well. Aside from that, walk the Five Elements? That did not align with his vision. Therefore, meeting someone at this juncture was the ideal path, in hopes of gaining some insight. Yuan Shuo seemed to catch his drift and frowned slightly. Since Li Hao's advancement was at stake, it had to be attempted even if it was dangerous. All of Silver Moon's trump cards and confidence stemmed from Li Hao. After a moment's contemplation, Yuan Shuo glanced at everyone and said, "We still need to split up! One group will act as bait to lure people into hunting us, while the other covertly makes contact with Senior Tianji's true body! "Of course, most people are still watching Senior Tianji and won't easily shift their gaze..." Yuan Shuo considered the matter and proposed, "My suggestion is... to use the Great Dao universe as bait! No matter how enticing Senior Tianji and his companion are, they cannot compare to a Great Dao universe. Right now, the existence of our Great Dao universe may have been exposed, and Red Moon might not announce it to the world, but we no longer care whether only Red Moon knows or the entire chaos knows—there is little difference. "Only by using this to seek life within death can we possibly draw attention away from Senior Tianji and King Huai!" Beside them, Qian Wuliang hesitated before adding, "Agreed! Furthermore, we should strike now—assault a Small World or even a Medium World affiliated with Red Moon Great World to cause a major disturbance! We can openly expose the reality of our Great Dao universe! Then the Marquis can take Senior Tianji's avatar, slip away in secret, and seek an opportunity to make contact..." When that happened, Silver Moon would naturally be plunged into immense danger! Yet since Li Hao was determined to make contact, he clearly had his reasons, so no one tried to dissuade him. Li Hao remained silent, lightly tapping his thigh. In Silver Moon, because he understood the terrain and circumstances, he could lay traps and orchestrate schemes. But out in the chaos, he lacked familiarity, and the expanse was simply too vast; certain maneuvers were exceedingly difficult to pull off. Right now, too many eyes were fixed on Silver Moon and Xinwu. It was a massive headache, and shaking off their gaze would be nearly impossible. After weighing his options repeatedly, Li Hao spoke. "I want to return to Tianfang Great World!" Everyone was stunned. Go back? Why? Li Hao explained, "In the chaos, I have too few trump cards and no way to contend with top experts. I need to return to Tianfang to hunt certain powerhouses—like Sovereign Huilong and his ilk!" "..." Beside him, the three newly joined Sovereigns gasped in unison. *Holy shit! Are you insane?* *A sixth-rank Sovereign—and you want to hunt him? What are you thinking?!* Li Hao continued, "However, I must extract Senior Tianji's true body... Not only that, but I also need to conceal both of them so that they vanish from everyone's sight alongside Silver Moon!" The crowd fell silent, staring at Li Hao. This task sounded utterly impossible. "I will go to Tianfang and make a scene!" Li Hao said. "You will go extract them! "The Black Panther will come with me; the world is with me, and I myself will be there... In everyone's eyes, Silver Moon will be right where I am! Meanwhile, Qian Wuliang, Martial Uncle Hong, you will go fetch them." Qian Wuliang started to speak, then stopped. Li Hao added, "The Origin aura of a Great World is quite distinct... With the consent of the two seniors, I hope to dissipate their Great World aura—in other words, sever their connection to their Origin." Everyone was stunned again. Was that even possible? Silver Moon's Great Dao universe was currently far too weak. Would they ever agree to that? Tianji's avatar, however, stroked his chin in silence. Knowing himself, if they promised that his true body wouldn't have to fight... would his true body agree to join Silver Moon's universe? It was very likely! In fact, his true body would jump at the chance. In any case, joining Silver Moon didn't count as betrayal. "Thus, it requires the two Dao Lords to go fetch them! "Of course, I cannot guarantee with absolute certainty that I will draw all eyes away... After all, I am only at the third rank right now. Unless an earth-shattering event occurs in Tianfang that surpasses everyone's interest in Xinwu—for instance... the revival of Tianfang's Great Dao universe!" The group was taken aback yet again. Li Hao went on, "But that is far too difficult, practically impossible... Therefore, we may need the two Dao Lords to separate..." Pausing to reflect, Li Hao added, "We can use Silver Moon's Great Dao universe to impersonate the reviving Dao universe of Tianfang. This is an opportunity, because a reviving Tianfang Dao universe would naturally start out very weak, and Silver Moon's Dao universe happens to be weak right now. It perfectly matches the profile of a revival. If it were too powerful, people wouldn't believe it!" He looked at the two of them. "Impersonating things is Qian Wuliang's specialty! Qian Wuliang, how about you come with me to Tianfang, while Martial Uncle Hong goes to fetch our allies? As long as Tianfang's Great Dao universe revives, forget Senior Tianji and his companion—even seventh-rank Sovereigns locked in combat would halt! But... it will be exceedingly thrilling, and extraordinarily dangerous!" He smiled faintly. "Thrilling to the point that if you get caught... you will certainly be skinned and eaten alive!" "..." Qian Wuliang was at a loss for words. Impersonating the revival of Tianfang's Great Dao universe right under the noses of a swarm of Sovereigns, potentially luring in multiple high-rank Sovereigns... *Holy shit, this is practically dancing in front of King Yama!* It was beyond thrilling! And the dancer wouldn't even be a beauty, but a succulent piece of prime meat that made everyone drool—who wouldn't want to swallow it whole? At this moment, even the three newly recruited Sovereigns could barely contain themselves. Mo whispered, "Is this truly necessary? Isn't this... a bit too insane? I feel that if you wish to extract them, you could take your time and plan carefully. Why must you do this... Th-that will easily make you the target of even more people..." She felt Li Hao was only blowing the situation up further! Was it really worth doing all this just to pick up two low-rank Sovereigns? It didn't seem worth it at all! Li Hao explained, "The situation in Tianfang is complex, which actually makes it relatively safer! But if we don't create a major disturbance, it will be virtually impossible to divert everyone's attention. As for attacking Small or Medium Worlds... that would actually be a giveaway, making everyone even more certain that we intend to meet up with Xinwu! "Whereas in Tianfang, as long as we act with sufficient vigilance... it won't be overly dangerous!" He made it sound simple, but he quickly added, "In Tianfang, we have far more room to maneuver!" Moreover, at crucial moments, he could borrow power there. Out in the chaotic universe, where could he borrow power from? It was nearly impossible now, and the fifth-rank Sovereign corpse was gone. Li Hao wasted no more breath. "Me, the Black Panther, and Qian Wuliang will head to Tianfang! The rest of you will go retrieve Senior Tianji's true body! Of course, remember this: you must obtain the Supreme's avatar or establish communication with the Sovereigns backing Senior Tianji. "I need their insights into the Dao of Extreme Yin... That is my objective!" Having said that, Li Hao added, "As for when to make contact... Hongyu will go with you. Since the distance is too great for me to communicate directly, I will damage a few of your Life and Death stars... When you suffer inexplicable injuries, that will be your signal to initiate contact, indicating that I have made a massive disturbance on my end... or you might be able to sense it yourselves." Everyone frowned, still feeling the plan was far too dangerous! Just then, Yuan Shuo spoke up. "Tianfang has the Five Elements Envoys? Then take me along. I'd like to visit Tianfang and comprehend the power of the Five Elements; it might be of help to me." Li Hao frowned. "It is very dangerous there." "Do you think I'm afraid?" Yuan Shuo scoffed. "Even Qian Wuliang and Hong Yitang have become Dao Lords. Would I cower before a little danger?" "..." The two Sovereigns kept silent; they couldn't afford to provoke this old man either. After a moment's thought, Li Hao could only nod. "Fine!" He said no more. If Yuan Shuo didn't accompany him, he would have to stay with the Black Panther anyway, and the panther had to go with Li Hao; otherwise, its profile would be too conspicuous. In truth, his teacher would remain by his side regardless. No one objected to Li Hao's plan. Mo and her companions looked ready to weep. *Madmen! These people have nerves of steel! Instead of fleeing right now, they insist on heading back to stir up trouble...* Although according to Li Hao, the three of them would only need to follow Hong Yitang, that was perilous enough on its own. Who knew if the forces surrounding Tianji would withdraw? All they wanted was to run away! Li Hao continued, "Time is of the essence; I must return to Tianfang immediately to prepare for the 'revival' of the Great Dao universe... If the plan succeeds this time, we will quickly rendezvous. Once I acquire the insights into the Dao of Extreme Yin, I can take everyone into hiding for a while to shake off pursuers." That would require using the Dao Chess! And the Dao Chess required energy to activate. Of course, inside Tianfang Great World, energy was not needed, but Li Hao could not enter from within Tianfang; otherwise, everyone would know he was still there. He had weighed many factors and laid out a broad blueprint for their future plans. Man proposes, but Heaven disposes. Whether they succeeded would depend on luck. If it worked, he would have a shot at stepping into the middle ranks and could find a safe haven to lay low for a spell. That was far better than making direct contact with Xinwu! The others exchanged glances, and Hong Yitang nodded as well. "I have no objections, but... I need to bring one more person." "Who?" "Senior Zhang An!" Li Hao smiled and looked toward Zhang An. Seeing this, Zhang An nodded. "Very well. If I go, I can at least facilitate communication when we encounter the two Sovereigns." "Good!" Li Hao said. "All of you, enter the corporeal Dao universe and step into the Dao River... Although the true body of the Great Dao universe resides in the Silver Moon World rather than the Dao River, having the Dao River present is sufficient! "If rendezvousing proves truly impossible..." Li Hao pondered for a moment. "If you manage to obtain the Dao of Extreme Yin, you can integrate it into the Dao River. The root of the Dao River—the Great Dao universe—resides in Silver Moon, so I can attempt to comprehend it across space from within Silver Moon! "If meeting up is too difficult, abandon the rendezvous... lest we be caught all in one net!" Comprehending across space was obviously inferior to in-person comprehension, but meeting up was fraught with risk. If pushed to extremes, trying this method was an acceptable alternative. At that point, Lin Hongyu spoke up. "If I absorb the Dao of Extreme Yin, can I transmit it back through the Dao of Life and Death?" "Too far!" Li Hao shook his head. "My River of Life and Death is not as powerful as the Great Dao universe, nor is its structure stable enough. It lacks the stability of the Great Dao universe." Lin Hongyu nodded and said no more. "Then it's settled!" Li Hao looked at everyone. "Whether Silver Moon can stand firm in the chaos... this endeavor is crucial. I hope that all of us—myself included—succeed!" He said nothing further, paying little mind to this parting. Soon, leading the Black Panther, Qian Wuliang, and the others, he departed, doubling back toward Tianfang. This time, he intended to cause a massive scene in Tianfang. Just as when the Star Gate opened, the Xinwu Human King had obliterated a Great World to generate a cataclysmic commotion that diverted everyone's attention from Silver Moon, Li Hao's diversionary maneuver was learned straight from the Xinwu Human King. *** Once Li Hao left, Hong Yitang let out a long breath. This time, their group had only one goal: obtain the insights into the Dao of Extreme Yin and transmit them back to Li Hao. The crux lay in whether Xinwu could provide them, and whether the two sides would find an opportunity to make contact. As for meeting up again, it would likely be extremely difficult. The distance was too great. Their strength was insufficient, and they would all be on the run when the time came; where would they find the time to converge? Transmitting it through the Dao River... would still be difficult. Just then, Lin Hongyu sent a mental transmission. "No need to worry. As long as we obtain the insights... let me comprehend them, and there will be a chance to transmit them back!" Hong Yitang started and glanced at her. Lin Hongyu said no more. She now understood the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation. *If I die, I can potentially revive within the Life and Death stars... When that happens, as long as my memories and comprehension remain intact, I can naturally pass them back to him.* *** At this moment, various factions were still tracking Silver Moon, as well as the whereabouts of Tianji's true body and King Huai. Yet no one believed—nor could anyone even imagine—that Li Hao had turned back and was speeding toward Tianfang. Without the massive target that was the Black Panther, finding a handful of Sovereigns was exceptionally difficult. The Black Panther carrying the Silver Moon World was the hardest thing to conceal. The Xinwu Supreme was still thinking of ways to rescue Li Hao, yet Li Hao had no desire for their rescue at all. Providing him with some insights into the Dao of Extreme Yin would already be the greatest help they could offer. If those Xinwu experts made a move... it might only invite greater trouble. Furthermore, inside Tianfang, if he could find suitable grounds rich in Dao resonance, he stood a good chance of striking back at certain powerhouses. At this moment, Li Hao treated Tianfang as his base for counterattacking. *** Meanwhile, aboard a warship, Tianji suddenly furrowed his brow slightly. "My avatar deviated from his course... It seems he's deliberately putting some distance between us..." King Huai said thoughtfully, "He probably ran into danger and doesn't want to meet up immediately." "Right." Tianji thought it over and nodded. That was likely the case. "Also... the avatar reached the second rank." "..." King Huai was speechless. *Holy shit! That means a Great Dao universe was definitely born in Silver Moon! Otherwise, where would so much Great Dao power come from? As expected, my guess was right.* After a while, Tianji suddenly said, "My avatar's message is telling me to wait." "Huh?" King Huai was surprised. You can't communicate directly with your avatar, so how do you know he's telling you to wait? Tianji sighed with emotion. "My avatar seems to have gotten smarter; he's actually started using his brain. Following the shifts in my perception of his path, I seem to have made out a character—'Wait'!" King Huai's heart stirred. A character? In other words, that fellow's avatar was pulling off some wild maneuvering in the chaos, constantly altering his position and direction, essentially writing a character across the void for Tianji to sense and deduce? It was a clever method... but positioning in the chaos was hazy, so to write out a recognizable character, the scale had to be unimaginably vast. It looked like the chronically lazy Tianji would run his legs off this time. "A brilliant method, Senior!" King Huai praised. Tianji sighed ruefully. "Indeed, quite a method... How did the avatar get so smart? Tell me, after we fuse, should I let the avatar's consciousness take the lead?" "..." *Get lost! With that brain of yours, you truly dare to think of anything.* No one had ever heard of someone willingly letting an avatar's consciousness replace their own. Even though they were the same person, their experiences were somewhat different. Tianji stroked his chin, genuinely pondering the idea. *The avatar is so capable... should I just let him be the main body? I've been annoyed to death lately! Look at how industrious the avatar is. To let me sense a character, the area he has to cover is enormous. For the avatar to willingly run across such a massive distance, he's clearly far more diligent than me. If it were me, even if I thought of it, I'd probably be too lazy to do it.* Thinking was one thing, but he said no more aloud. He merely deduced that some developments were likely underway on Silver Moon's side. He only hoped that going to Silver Moon wouldn't mark the beginning of endless trouble.