We Are Not the Same

Sword light blazed across the void. A crimson moon loomed over the world. Two top-tier powerhouses were clashing. Even from an immense distance, Li Hao could sense the detonation of overwhelmingly terrifying energy. Within the river, the Cangqiong Sword that was still being nurtured began to tremble violently. A swordsman! The Sword Venerable! The Sword Venerable had appeared, and he was trading blows with a seventh-rank Sovereign! Having experienced pseudo-seventh-rank power once before, Li Hao could tell in an instant. Wushan had not even mobilized yet to deal with the Red Moon powerhouses, yet the Sword Venerable had already made his move. A sixth rank battling a seventh rank! Defying ranks to fight an upper realm! In the chaos, let alone a sixth rank facing a seventh rank, even a third rank facing a fourth rank was virtually unseen. Even Li Hao himself had never truly engaged a fourth rank in combat when he was at the third rank. He had merely believed he could win. Of course, it would have required an immense expenditure of energy and time. As for a sixth rank slaying a seventh rank... Li Hao had not even contemplated such a thing yet. But today, he was witnessing it. Naturally, it was only a clash for now, not yet a slaying, but even being able to trade blows was something countless sixth-rank Sovereigns could only dream of. The seventh rank was high-rank Sovereign territory—the hallmark of Great World masters and Dao Lords. Hegemons of a domain! "Terrifying!" Qian Wuliang suddenly emerged from the river, visibly shaken. Even across such an immense distance, he could perceive that exploding sword intent. He was a Dao Lord as well, and crucially, whether corporeal or illusory, the stars of his Dao gathered in the shape of a sword. And this Dao had deep ties to the Sword Venerable. Now that the Sword Venerable's power was erupting, even Qian Wuliang felt his internal Dao and Dao meridians quivering. The Sword Venerable's sword was the embryonic form of the Silver Moon Dao universe. Without needing Li Hao to say a word, Qian Wuliang knew who it was. Xinwu's Sword Venerable! The Lord of Silver Moon... the Lord of Silver Moon from over fifty chaos years ago, the powerhouse whose influence had shaped all of Silver Moon. Among all the Xinwu powerhouses, he was the one who had influenced Silver Moon the most. In that single instant, Qian Wuliang realized just how profoundly the Dao universe was entwined with this man. If it was like this for him, Hong Yitang was naturally no exception. *** Elsewhere. Among the Sovereigns flying stealthily forward, Hong Yitang's body shuddered slightly. He looked toward that distant direction, eyes filled with astonishment. The Sword Venerable! At that moment, just like Qian Wuliang, his Dao meridians trembled within him. The Chaotic River merged into his body was churning as well. It was as if the river sensed that sword intent—sensed the aura of its very origin. Not only that, but the Sword Venerable's strike allowed him to immediately sense an aura of identical origin from another direction: Qian Wuliang! He was here! Did that mean Li Hao had arrived as well? Hong Yitang was both overjoyed and grave. The Sword Venerable was actually clashing with a Red Moon powerhouse. Crucially, that opponent was likely a high-rank Sovereign of Red Moon, while the Sword Venerable... was surely not a high-rank Sovereign, was he? Anyone roaming the chaos who didn't understand the terrifying might of a high-rank Sovereign had lived their life in vain. In the eyes of every Sovereign, high-rank Sovereigns were untouchable, peerless beings towering out of reach. Yet now, the Sword Venerable had attacked. "Quick!" Hong Yitang barked in a low voice. "Rendezvous with Senior Tianji's true body at once! Also, the Marquis of Silver Moon and his companions have returned. Let's join up with Tianji first to guide them to our position!" The three Sovereigns who had surrendered were also trembling with fear and awe. Was Xinwu's Sword Venerable insane? He dared to cross swords with a seventh rank! Earlier, Huilong and the others had actually plotted to hunt this man down? What a joke! So what if they had a few sixth ranks and a swarm of fourth and fifth ranks? Just judging by this aura and the sheer intensity of the sword intent... if Huilong ran into the Sword Venerable, he wouldn't survive a single strike! How could he be this strong? If the four sixth ranks of Tianfang ran into him, he'd probably slaughter all four of them in four swings, wouldn't he? In an instant, the three surrendered Sovereigns fell dead silent, quietly suppressing the sheer terror in their hearts. Even if the Sword Venerable was remarkably strong, going to war against a high-rank Sovereign of Red Moon was still outrageously reckless. What was worse, this was Red Moon's home turf. Starting a fight here was hardly wise. Moreover, with Xinwu's emergence, many had come to learn a certain fact: the Sword Venerable was a one-strike wonder. Perhaps calling him a one-strike wonder was a bit of an exaggeration, but his endurance was indeed poor. His explosive burst was too overwhelming, making it impossible to sustain. That was only natural—if he had both peerless burst and endless stamina, he wouldn't merely be a sixth-rank Sword Venerable. At this moment, the Sovereigns dared not voice their thoughts. Quickly linking up with Tianji and the others to flee together was what truly mattered. As for Li Hao's arrival, that wouldn't help much either. Last time Li Hao had borrowed power, he had only managed to reach the fifth rank. A fifth rank... in a battle like this, was nothing more than cannon fodder. Escaping with their lives would already be a miracle. Both sides sped toward each other. From the moment Tianji and the others departed Xinwu until now, they had drifted in the chaos for over a year. Meeting far earlier than anticipated, the two groups were about to formally convene in the territory of Red Moon. This was also the very first genuine, formal contact between the powerhouses of Silver Moon and Xinwu. Li Hao's journey into Xinwu's past didn't count, nor did running into Li Zhu along the way—especially when it couldn't even be confirmed if that man was truly Li Zhu. Only now could this be considered an authentic meeting between the two sides. Both parties were anxious to connect. Naturally, their speed was blistering. With a battle between high-rank figures underway nearby and no telling how long the Sword Venerable could hold out, none dared delay, completely abandoning any fear of exposing their tracks. A moment later. While the battle raged in the distance, a battleship materialized in the void. Tianji and King Huai swiftly walked out onto the deck and looked across at the approaching group, slightly surprised. Across from them stood Lin Hongyu, Hong Yitang, Tianji's clone, and Zhang An, accompanied by three other Sovereigns. Counting Tianji's clone, there were a total of six Sovereigns. Quite a few! Hong Yitang was a second-rank Sovereign, while the surrendered Chan Xiu and Gou Ruo were both second rank as well. Tianji quickly glanced at his clone, then at the others. A flicker of confusion crossed his face. His confusion stemmed from seeing Hong Yitang and sensing a peculiar aura. A Dao Lord? A Dao Lord was naturally the King of Silver Moon. A second rank? Not too weak, considering Silver Moon hadn't been unsealed for long. But... he wasn't quite as extraordinary as imagined, merely second rank. That was the first point. Second... this fellow looked a bit up in years. Not in terms of absolute age, but ordinary kings rose at lightning speed. A king hailing from an isolated small world was, in his expectation, someone in their twenties or thirties. Yet this man... looked to be fifty, sixty, maybe even seventy or eighty? He seemed a bit on the older side... Well, practically speaking, a Sovereign this young was already rare, but for an isolated world like Silver Moon to crown a fifty- or sixty-year-old fellow as king was somewhat disappointing. Third, this person felt... hard to describe, but he lacked the aura of sovereign rule. He didn't inspire that instinctive desire to prostrate and worship the way the Human King did. The Human King was domineering to the core; even if his strength hadn't necessarily surpassed yours, one look at him told you he was not to be provoked. He was the boss! Yet Hong Yitang's first impression on Tianji... was quite gentle and cultured, with a scholarly air like that of a teacher, alongside a grounded heaviness... Aside from that, there didn't seem to be much else. The King of Silver Moon wasn't a young lad. How disappointing, Tianji thought to himself. King Huai also sized them up rapidly. Without time for small talk, he barked, "Move first!" He steered the battleship and shouted, "Everyone, get on!" Hong Yitang and the others wasted no time and boarded immediately. The battleship was swift, capable of matching a middle-rank Sovereign when pushed to its limits. At this moment, shockwaves from the battle behind them were rapidly rolling in. King Huai shouted, "Unleash everything into defense! Don't let the shockwaves wipe us out! Protect Zhang An!" Zhang An was the only non-Sovereign present. They naturally recognized Zhang An and feared he might be killed by the aftershocks here, which would be a catastrophic loss. The surrendered Sovereigns looked toward Hong Yitang, who immediately called out, "Defend!" A vast surge of earth power manifested around Hong Yitang, while King Huai pushed the battleship into full flight. At that moment, Tianji's clone stared at the true body, but the true body ignored him entirely. Tianji merely glanced over the group, then hastily sent a divine message to King Huai: *Merge into his Dao?* King Huai replied via voice transmission: *No! We don't merge!* *...* Tianji was surprised. *Didn't you agree to merge earlier?* King Huai transmitted back: *He's only second rank. I'm disappointed! I thought he'd be third rank at least. A new king breaking out of his world should advance rapidly, yet he's only second rank. It falls short of my expectations! Besides... the Sword Venerable is fighting a desperate battle right now, yet this guy linked up with us without even offering a polite word, not even mentioning it. He doesn't seem dependable! Furthermore...* King Huai paused, then continued: *He seems to be under a woman's thumb. Just now when I asked, he glanced at that first-rank female Sovereign! That won't do. A henpecked man led around by women is a recipe for disaster—it's far too easy to walk into a pit! Merge with your clone immediately. At least your clone has reached the second rank. Even if it can't push you to the fourth rank, reaching peak third rank won't be an issue. Take the helm of the ship and get us out of here!* The moment he laid eyes on the Silver Moon group, he resolved not to merge. For no other reason than they failed to meet his expectations. Even if one planned to coast on someone else's coat-tails... one couldn't just latch onto anyone. They had to rely on themselves! It wasn't that these people weren't talented. Becoming Sovereigns at such a young age—who could call them anything less than brilliant? However... they didn't inspire that overwhelming sense of awe. In that case... no merging. Otherwise, none of them would make it out alive. If they were going to hitch their wagon to someone, it had to be someone who appeared genuinely capable of pulling it off. Such reliability didn't necessarily mean being steady and down-to-earth; it could be madness, high-spirited arrogance, utter recklessness, or lunacy... Any of those would do. Being steady was not what was needed. In a crisis like this, a steady person... was the most unreliable of all. Hong Yitang was honest and solid, plainly a decent sort who wouldn't harbor foul intentions. But... with someone so grounded, they had no faith he could turn the tables. Better to run! Tianji understood at once. He glanced at the group, said nothing, and looked at his clone with hesitation. The clone wasn't weak; should he merge? These people had raised his clone to the second rank... surely at no small cost, right? If I merge with it, won't I owe them a massive favor? Just as King Huai said, they had come looking for a backer, but now it looked like these people saw *him* as the backer! Dammit, if I take on this favor, I'll have to act as their shield... Not a chance in hell. I'd rather ditch the clone! In a flash, both men worked through the situation. Tianji didn't even want to merge his clone anymore, transmitting to King Huai: *Forget it, no merge! We came looking for someone to shield us from the storm, but it looks like we'd be shielding them. Too much trouble! Worst comes to worst, send the clone to fight to the death. If it dies, so be it, I don't care anymore!* *...* Even as he said this, the clone's voice transmission sounded in his mind: *Stop overthinking things, both of you. True body, are you afraid of taking on responsibility?* *...* *The clone can hear that?* Tianji froze, then realized: *Damn it, I forgot to block him! We're one and the same. Usually we aren't synchronized, but being this close, our thoughts align like a single person. He can probably hear my voice transmissions effortlessly.* *Cut the crap, clone! You're me, and I'm you. Aren't you afraid of responsibility?* *I am!* *Then that settles it! If we merge, we're both finished... If we don't, you incurred the favor, so you go fight to the death! If you die, so be it—at least my true body survives!* *...* *Is this considered talking to himself?* King Huai was speechless. This guy... The clone rapidly transmitted: *Enough with the nonsense. You've got it all wrong—this isn't the King of Silver Moon.* *...* *How could that be?* *Merge with me and you'll understand,* the clone urged. *Hurry up, why are you wasting time? The Sword Venerable is still fighting! Merge with me first, I don't feel like explaining. Hurry up, unite!* *...* *Not happening!* The true body felt this was a trap. The clone just wanted to shirk the burden onto him, but he refused to take the bait—he wouldn't merge even if it killed him. King Huai couldn't be bothered with their antics. Right now, running was top priority. Who knew when the Sword Venerable might fall? Flee, quickly! *Boom!* The battleship shuddered with a deafening rumble as a mighty shockwave swept over it. Cracks spiderwebbed across the hull. The Sovereigns turned pale. Terrifying! This was merely the fringe aftershock of the battle, yet multiple Sovereigns defending together had nearly seen their barriers shattered. Utterly horrific! Right at that moment, Lin Hongyu spoke up: "Head north, full speed!" *...* King Huai ignored her, but Tianji's clone suddenly said, "Listen to her! Go north, we have people waiting there!" *...* *More people?* Tianji's clone was exasperated. The true body simply didn't believe him. He had already explained that Hong Yitang wasn't the King of Silver Moon, but... then again, who would believe a Dao Lord wasn't the king? He hadn't believed it himself before. Since he hadn't believed it, of course his true body wouldn't either. Fine. Since that stubborn fool refused to merge, their memories couldn't synchronize. There was nothing for it but to rendezvous with Li Hao and the others first. Since Lin Hongyu gave that instruction, Li Hao's group had to be nearby. King Huai was just turning the ship when his heart stirred. Tianji's true body also paled, swiftly glancing outward. A figure materialized in the void. Tianji's expression changed. A middle-rank Sovereign! Where did he come from? Trouble! A seventh rank was right behind them. If they were intercepted here, even if their group of Sovereigns might not lose against a middle-rank Sovereign—and might even win—being stalled for even a breath would spell total disaster. "Marquis!" "Li Hao!" "Bright Moon Sovereign!" *...* At that moment, the Silver Moon contingent called out one after another. Li Hao didn't speak. In an instant, Qian Wuliang and Black Panther emerged as well, darting swiftly onto the ship—two more second-rank Sovereigns. Tianji raised an eyebrow. That was quite a few second ranks. And... this newcomer... who was he? Moreover, he looked at Qian Wuliang. Who was *this* guy? Why did he carry an aura identical to that fifty- or sixty-year-old fellow from earlier? What was going on? A Dao Lord? Where did two Dao Lords come from? Li Hao swept his gaze over the two Xinwu Sovereigns. He was well familiar with Tianji; the clone and the true body looked identical. He gave Tianji a slight nod, then glanced at King Huai. Was this King Huai? The one with the notorious reputation? At this moment, King Huai looked at Li Hao with a warmer, slightly flattering smile... He was a middle-rank Sovereign, after all. Li Hao paid it no mind. Standing on the ship, he looked back and reached out, snatching a tangle of sword intent and Red Moon power straight from the void. A bloody gash appeared on his palm. Li Hao raised his brow. Immensely strong! "Fly toward the Red Moon Great World!" Li Hao commanded. "Head toward the surrounding great worlds and find a safe spot to lay low!" King Huai was startled, but didn't argue. That had been their original plan anyway. Li Hao looked at the two Xinwu figures again, frowning slightly. "The origin aura on you two is too thick and hard to conceal. Step into the Dao river to hide for now! Qian Wuliang, fuse your Dao with Uncle-Master Hong's, and take the helm together." King Huai blinked, looking at Li Hao. Li Hao explained, "When their Daos merge, their speed matches a third rank, which isn't slow! You two hide for a moment. Your origin aura is too potent, and Red Moon recognizes it intimately—it stands out far too much!" King Huai said nothing more, swiftly reining in his aura. At that moment, the auras of the two Dao Lords fused, and an imposing power surged forth. Both were second-rank Sovereigns, but their fusion indeed produced power no weaker than a third rank. They quickly relieved King Huai, taking control of the battleship and fleeing toward the Red Moon domain. With a wave of Li Hao's hand, his domain expanded. It draped over the entire ship. The next moment, a long river coiled around, shrouding the entire vessel. The Sky-Stealing Method was instantly deployed, and within the blink of an eye, the entire ship seemed to vanish into the chaos. Both King Huai and Tianji were stunned. This man... a fourth-rank Sovereign wielding an astonishing array of techniques. He wasn't a Dao Lord, yet he possessed a Dao river and a Dao domain... Was *this* the King of Silver Moon? Neither side had formally conversed yet. Yet now, both men understood: the clone hadn't lied. Neither of those two was the King of Silver Moon—this newcomer was! A fourth-rank King of Silver Moon! This completely defied their expectations. They had thought the King of Silver Moon might have reached the third rank at most, considering he had only just broken out of his world. But fourth rank? That was absurdly fast. "The opponent is a seventh-rank Sovereign, and the Sword Venerable is merely sixth rank. While he seems capable of holding his ground, he is barely withstanding the assault. If the battle drags on, he will definitely lose!" Li Hao said. "Is the Supreme's clone not present?" King Huai hurriedly replied, "He is, but we left him behind. His power isn't very formidable. The Supreme likely had other matters to attend to and withdrew part of his strength, descending with only a fraction of his might—barely around the fifth rank. He is within the perimeter of the battle, likely looking for an opportunity to help the Sword Venerable withdraw once he's defeated." In a breath, King Huai laid out his deductions, explaining that the Supreme's clone was still there but hadn't followed, guessing it was to assist the Sword Venerable's retreat. A seventh-rank Sovereign! It was ninety-nine percent certain the Sword Venerable couldn't kill him. Since he couldn't kill him, escape was the only option. Li Hao quickly calculated. He certainly couldn't match a seventh rank. That was beyond question! Yet once the Sword Venerable was defeated... that would spell trouble. The seventh-rank Sovereign would inevitably pursue them. If he couldn't catch the Sword Venerable, he would turn on their group instead, and then they would be doomed. With a thought, Li Hao expended a portion of his energy, causing an imprint to surface within the river. The next instant, Li Hao sent a transmission: *Busy?* *Watching the show! Wushan refuses to open the world gate and is facing off against several seventh ranks. Looks like a fight might break out,* Kongji's voice echoed back. Li Hao wasted no time: *Dao Chess can teleport people. It transported me out of the chaos, so it can bring you over as well! Have you reached the sixth rank?* *I have!* *Do you have the resources to teleport here? The Sword Venerable is battling a seventh-rank Red Moon Sovereign. Interested in joining in?* *...* *** Tianfang. Kongji froze, rendered speechless. *Holy crap!* *Has he lost his mind?* *What is this guy talking about?* The Sword Venerable was fighting, and Li Hao wanted him to cross over, team up, and jump a seventh rank? The next moment, Li Hao's voice came through again: *Deploy your World of Silence to conceal the commotion, and use your power of revival to restore the Sword Venerable. He's at the sixth rank right now, and you can replenish him! As for me... I'll pitch in too. A chance like this is rare!* Kongji was shaken. *You really want to play that big?* He had originally intended to join the fray at Tianfang. Yet Li Hao's point was... there were too many high-rank figures at Tianfang, making it pointless to stir up trouble there. Better to cause chaos in Red Moon. *Isn't going bigger better? If we can kill this guy, we can roam around the Red Moon territory. There are plenty of great, medium, and small worlds nearby—all enemies of mine. Every one of them can be destroyed, plunged into silence! The Dao of Silence only gets interesting in Red Moon. The Tianfang Dao universe can't even be unsealed, so why linger there?* *This... Fine! Then I'll notify Wushan to open the gates and start swinging, masking the disturbance of Dao Chess. I should be able to teleport over by claiming an advance reward... But...* Kongji pondered for a moment, then quickly added: *I'm familiar with you, but can you guarantee Xinwu won't sell me out?* He wasn't afraid of joining the fun; if he were, he wouldn't have rushed to the sixth rank instead of pacing himself. He also trusted that Li Hao wouldn't betray him. What he feared was that Xinwu's people would stop at nothing to drag the Bright World into the conflict, exposing his identity and embroiling his home world. Personally, he didn't care. Li Hao fell silent for three seconds. *I vouch for it! If Xinwu sells you out... you came because I called you, which means they sold me out too. From then on, all ties between Xinwu and me are severed. If the Bright God World gets dragged in, they can take my life first. Of course, my life might not be worth as much as the Bright World getting embroiled... but that is the best promise I can give.* *Fair enough. I trust you!* Kongji said no more. He didn't know Xinwu. He knew Li Hao well enough. Since Li Hao gave his word, if Xinwu ever betrayed his identity, he would simply hunt down Xinwu powerhouses alongside Li Hao. The thought flashed past in an instant. He quickly turned to Sovereign Yaoyang beside him, who had been granted entry by Wushan. Wushan was only barring Red Moon's people; in Wushan's words, this was Tianfang's internal business, and the Red Moon Region could piss off! "Uncle Yaoyang, do you have a Bright Source?" "What?" "Lend me one!" Sovereign Yaoyang glanced at him, not probing further. Such an item was exceedingly precious, though of limited use to himself. As a high-rank Sovereign, he was entitled to a quota, and he did possess one. It could instantly replenish the entire power of a fifth- or sixth-rank cultivator, which underscored just how invaluable it was. Still, since Kongji was asking, there was no need to hesitate. "I do!" He produced a crystal orb. Kongji swiftly took it, then added, "Uncle Yaoyang, it's boring here. I'm heading back!" With that, he turned and walked off. Sovereign Yaoyang blinked in bewilderment. *Boring?* *Heading back?* *Even this is boring to you?* Several seventh ranks were about to throw down, and he found it dull? *If you're going back... where on earth are you going?* *Bizarre!* Just as he was pondering this, his senses caught something, and his expression shifted. *Where is he going?* *Why is he running straight toward Wushan?* *Doesn't he value his life?* Of course, Wushan wouldn't kill him without cause, but... it was wildly dangerous! *** Wushan was still sipping tea near the world gate when a voice suddenly sounded in his ear: *Senior, time to honor the agreement. Strike now! You don't need to kill anyone, just kick up a massive commotion!* Wushan paused, startled. *A big commotion? How big?* *How big?* *Big enough that even if heaven and earth shake, everyone will assume it was caused by your clash.* *Heaven and earth shaking?* He turned the thought over rapidly in his mind, then grew puzzled, transmitting back: *Heaven and earth shaking... Don't tell me that fellow plans to use Dao Chess to return to Tianfang?* *No.* *No?* If not that, then what for? Perplexed, he swiftly speculated: *Could it be that you want to go out? What good would you going out do? Are you going to fight a seventh rank and backstab two Red Moon Sovereigns from behind?* *Either of them could crush you one-on-one, let alone both.* The thought vanished in a flash... Still, he had an agreement with Li Hao. Since Li Hao requested it, fulfilling this would count as honoring the deal... That sounded rather convenient; it would get a troublesome matter off his plate. *Fine! When?* *Immediately!* Wushan was taken aback. *So urgent?* *Very well!* Without another word, he abruptly flung the world gate wide open. Outside, the two Red Moon Sovereigns were still bellowing demands for him to open the gate. The next instant, the gate swung open. Before they could utter a word, a veil of misty vapor swept across heaven and earth, engulfing the chaos. In an instant, the world seemed to spin upside down. The two seventh-rank Sovereigns both blanched as they lost sight of each other. *Not good!* Wushan had attacked without warning! "A measly Red Moon dares make a mockery of my Tianfang Region?!" Like thunder shaking the cosmos, heaven collapsed and earth shattered! In a single breath, a colossal Dao universe descended directly. A giant stepped forth from Tianfang, smashing a palm downward. The chaos morphed into a sea of mist and cloud-draped peaks, dizzying the senses until the chaotic void resembled a celestial realm! *Boom!* Two crimson moons emerged from the swirling clouds, and Ji Huo's furious roar rang out: "Wushan, have you gone mad?!" One against two! And attacking outright without the slightest hesitation! Did he truly think Red Moon was nothing? Did he think Red Moon's Sovereigns were made of paper? Two seventh ranks! And he dared attack them both head-on! Wushan said not a word, stretching his hand to blot out the sky. That giant hand instantly transformed into mountain peaks shrouded in mist. His five fingers formed a colossal screen that veiled the heavens, and in the next second, became five towering mountains standing proud in a sea of clouds. The sea of clouds churned, completely engulfing the two crimson moons. Wushan reached out, and five heavenly pillars pressed downward toward the two Sovereigns! Suppression! Like the mythological five-fingered mountain suppressing the monkey demon! "Bastard!" The two Red Moon Sovereigns were enraged. They were all seventh ranks; even if Wushan was slightly stronger, the gap was minuscule. Daring to take on two of them at once meant he was begging for a beating! *Boom!* The two crimson moons crashed outward against the sky, shattering the five-fingered mountain in an instant. The sea of mist roiled in all directions, and an all-out battle erupted, defying everyone's expectations. How could this happen? Had Wushan lost his mind? Attacking outright like this—did it mean powerhouses from the Yunxiao God World were about to arrive? *** At the same moment. Dark Demon Ridge. Kongji sprinted into the divine hall, pulled out a massive pile of Dao crystals, and shouted, "Senior, lend a hand! Teleport me to Li Hao's location. Consider this an advance on my reward for reaching five thousand squares!" He had been too busy lately to continue playing Dao Chess. Last time, he had stopped around the four thousand-square mark before exiting. A phantom materialized and looked at him, sighing with emotion. "Have you all lost your minds?" The phantom could monitor their divine transmissions; after all, Dao Chess itself was the conduit for the communication. Li Hao was insane, and now this one was losing his head too? He asked you to help kill a seventh rank, and you're actually going along with it? Are you an idiot? Kongji smiled. "Senior, can I claim an advance? If yes, teleport me; if not, forget it! Worst comes to worst... I'll take the six-thousand-square reward in advance too, how about two chances?" As for whether they could kill the man... how would they know without trying? The Sword Venerable fighting a seventh rank! How thrilling was that? Watching high-rank Sovereigns clash here only allowed him to fish in troubled waters, which was utterly boring. Joining a direct battle against a seventh rank—now that was entertaining! To participate personally and hunt a seventh rank... if they succeeded, it would be extraordinary. And if they failed... they'd deal with that when it happened. Even if the assassination failed, as long as no Red Moon seventh-rank Sovereign died, what did it matter if Red Moon discovered his involvement? Red Moon would likely pretend not to know! After all, acknowledging it would mean moving against the Bright World, and the Bright World was no pushover. Kongji's mind raced through these calculations in an instant. The Sword Venerable was sixth rank, he was sixth rank, and Li Hao was likely fourth rank. Going there, his primary role would be support; the crucial factor remained the Sword Venerable. If they pulled it off... the experience of slaying a seventh rank would be of tremendous benefit to his cultivation path. Cultivating the Dao wasn't just about closed-door contemplation; one had to put it into practice. "You're taking the five-thousand-square reward in advance. If you die, I'll take a massive loss..." The phantom no longer tried to dissuade him, speaking after a pause: "Forget it. Between you and that fellow... you probably won't both die. Even if just one survives, it'll suffice! Slaying a seventh rank from below... you youngsters truly are brazen!" With that, the temple trembled, and for a fleeting moment, a chessboard seemed to manifest between heaven and earth. A vast amount of Dao crystals were instantly absorbed. Dark Demon Ridge quivered slightly, but at this moment, the entire world was trembling. Near the world gate, three seventh-rank Sovereigns had erupted into full-blown war, so what did this minor tremor amount to? In that single instant, Kongji was teleported away. Spatial methods! This was the art of spatial teleportation, and this place was the world of Tianfang. The disturbance was far less grandiose than one might imagine. Kongji vanished from the Tianfang world in a flash. Locked in combat, Wushan seemed to catch a slight ripple. Others paid it no heed, but he took note, his eyes flickering. *Kongji was teleported away!* *That fellow went to the King of Silver Moon!* *To do what?* He didn't know, feeling thoroughly mystified and curious. Kongji should have stayed in Tianfang to see if an opportunity presented itself, yet he had fled outright! *** Meanwhile. In the chaos outside Tianfang. A saber-carrying young man suddenly snapped his head around toward a certain direction, frowning slightly with flickering eyes. "Teleportation?" Teleportation across the chaos! What was going on? Who could accomplish such a feat? The Lord of Tianfang? Indeed, he broke through the mystery—he seemed to know of the Lord of Tianfang. Frowning slightly, he initially considered slashing out with his saber to test the waters... but after a moment's thought, decided against it. If a ninth rank was truly orchestrating a teleportation... he couldn't afford to provoke such a being for now. Better to keep a low profile. Against seventh and eighth ranks, he could be arrogant without fear! But a ninth rank... if the Lord of Tianfang was truly still around and was the one conducting this teleportation... he would play blind and pretend he saw nothing. He was merely puzzled: was it truly the Lord of Tianfang? And that teleportation trajectory... was it pointing toward the Red Moon Region? In that moment, he seemed able to distinguish the direction. *** Aboard the battleship. Li Hao received the confirmation: Kongji was coming immediately. Li Hao exhaled softly. Had he not witnessed Kongji's regenerative capabilities firsthand, and had he not seen the Sword Venerable engaging a seventh rank directly, he never would have entertained such a notion. Yet now that he knew... now that the opportunity had presented itself, he naturally had to seize it. His own power of revival was too weak, but Kongji could do it. Kongji was fifth rank before and had now reached sixth rank. Previously, Kongji had managed to replenish even Li Hao's pseudo-seventh-rank power. Formidable as the Sword Venerable was, he was still at the sixth rank, so Kongji should be able to restore him as well. With Kongji present, deploying the World of Silence alongside the Sword Venerable, there was a genuine hope of bringing down a seventh-rank Sovereign. As for himself... this time, he might have an opening to contribute as well. He said nothing, merely waiting in silence. The battleship continued its escape. Suddenly, Li Hao called out, "Halt!" Without a second word, Qian Wuliang brought the ship to an immediate stop. King Huai and Tianji exchanged bewildered glances, baffled as to why they were stopping. The two had still been conferring via voice transmission about whether it was safe to coast on this fourth-rank expert's coat-tails. Before they could reach a conclusion... the ship had suddenly ground to a halt. The next instant, Li Hao's river surged forth, churning violently as a spatial fluctuation manifested within it, leaving the onlookers dumbfounded. A moment later, a figure emerged. Kongji! Kongji appeared with a faint smile, looking straight at Li Hao without glancing at the others. Stepping out of the river, he remarked, "Accurate enough!" With that, he probed outward with his senses and inhaled softly. "Xinwu's Sword Venerable—he truly lives up to his name!" Li Hao nodded. "You feel it?" "Naturally!" "Can we do it?" Kongji chuckled. "Of course we can! Since I've already made the trip, wouldn't it be a waste of resources and opportunity if we couldn't? By the way, you're footing the bill for all the expenditures this time. Let's make that clear upfront—this trip cost me quite a bit!" Li Hao nodded. "No problem, put it on my tab!" Turning to the others, he said, "You all fall back first. Head toward the perimeter of the Red Moon Great World, but do not enter it for now. Await my return... If I do not return for a long time, find your own way to escape!" The expressions of the crowd turned solemn. The Silver Moon group seemed to understand what he intended to do. King Huai appeared to have guessed as well, staring at Li Hao in sheer shock before glancing at the newly arrived Kongji. On one hand, he was stunned that Li Hao had somehow summoned a fifth- or sixth-rank Sovereign out of thin air. On the other hand, he was floored by what the two were about to attempt! Before anyone could ask, Li Hao explained, "Kongji and I are going to help the Sword Venerable kill that man! The opportunity is simply too rare. If we miss it now, we'll hardly find another chance like this. Two seventh-rank Sovereigns went to Tianfang and are currently pinned down! Red Moon has five high-rank Sovereigns in total: one is here, two are over there, which leaves at most the Lord of Red Moon and one remaining seventh-rank Sovereign in the Red Moon Great World... With battle erupting at Tianfang, Red Moon may even need to dispatch another to reinforce them... The Lord of Red Moon won't dare leave rashly right now. As long as we keep the commotion contained, hunting this man offers the best possible odds!" He offered a few extra words of explanation to reassure them that it wasn't as suicidal as it seemed. The only opponent they had to face was this single seventh rank. The eighth-rank Lord of Red Moon was very unlikely to descend in person; otherwise, wouldn't he fear having his own home base sacked? The most perilous moments would be during the heat of battle and right after slaying the target, depending on whether the eighth-rank lord would go berserk and forcefully descend regardless of the consequences! King Huai's heart pounded furiously! *Holy shit!* *Is that really what they're doing?!* He had suspected as much just moments ago, and now that it was confirmed, a thought struck him immediately. He blurted out, "This is far too perilous! Of course, we aren't privy to the King of Silver Moon's full strength, so it's not our place to comment. But for the sake of the King of Silver Moon's safety, Senior Tianji and I can merge into the King of Silver Moon's... this... this Dao river right now! Not only would it mask our origin aura, but it would also bolster the King of Silver Moon's might!" Li Hao's Dao river was vastly different from the other two's. This time, they had to gamble! They had to hitch a ride! A fourth-rank Sovereign actually... actually dared to go hunt a seventh rank! Say no more—on that alone, this King of Silver Moon was worth betting on. Riding his coattails might just yield a fortune! As for the danger... when had things ever *not* been dangerous? Was Xinwu not dangerous? Was the chaos not dangerous? Who cared about that! Danger was everywhere, so naturally, one had to gamble for the greatest reward. Li Hao paused, then shook his head. His river did not accept others. Seeing this, King Huai felt a pang of disappointment. What a shame! However... in the next moment, he gritted his teeth: "Then we'll merge into the Dao river of these two Dao Lords to erase our origin auras, lest we get discovered while hiding!" *...* Li Hao stared blankly for a second, glancing at him and then at Tianji before quickly saying, "Up to you... We're off. Be careful!" With those words, he and Kongji vanished instantly. A domain emerged, accompanied by the World of Silence. Kongji was already champing at the bit; he had no time to waste on these people. Watching them depart, King Huai looked back at Tianji. Tianji's eyes flickered as he turned sharply to his clone: "We're merging! Right now, make it quick, and then we merge into their Dao river!" The clone rolled his eyes so hard they nearly turned inside out. *I fucking knew it!* Sure enough, earlier the true body had looked down on Hong Yitang and the rest. Even when Li Hao arrived, he hadn't said a peep. But the moment these two decided to team up and hunt a seventh rank... the true body threw caution to the wind. Was he certain they could succeed? Of course not! However, merging now counted as sending charcoal in the snow. If they waited until these people succeeded and actually butchered a seventh rank... merging then wouldn't be sending charcoal in the snow; it would be shameless, brazen opportunism! Since Li Hao refused, settling for second best wasn't bad either. A dual-Dao universe? It seemed decent enough! It would do! They could barely be considered to have slipped into the Silver Moon camp. Taking advantage of the fact that there weren't many Sovereigns yet—and that those three seemed to be outsiders who probably ranked below them—they were Xinwu natives, after all. With the clone already embedded here, they naturally enjoyed a closer bond. Aside from the original Silver Moon natives, the two of them would count as senior figures of high status. In an instant, both men made up their minds. Merge first, think later! *** Outside. Within the chaos. Kongji was slightly tense, and so was Li Hao. Kongji looked at him. "Borrowing power?" "Nothing to borrow!" Borrow what? He had already refined Chiyun's physical body to break through to the fourth rank, so where was he supposed to borrow power from? Kongji frowned slightly. Then what were they going to do? Li Hao's fourth-rank power wouldn't deal much damage to a seventh rank. Li Hao smiled. "Don't worry, just watch!" Hearing this, Kongji said no more. Braving the explosive fury of the energy shockwaves, the two flew swiftly toward the battlefield. The World of Silence and Li Hao's domain trembled constantly, while the Sky-Stealing Method operated without pause as they closed the distance. *** Further away. The Sword Venerable was panting heavily, staring across at his adversary. The seventh-rank Sovereign opposite him bore crack-like wounds across his body, yet he chuckled. *Had enough?* The Sword Venerable was truly formidable. If he had reached the seventh rank, the Red Moon Sovereign would definitely be no match for him—a hundred percent certainty, beyond all doubt. Unfortunately... even if you are no longer a one-strike wonder, you seem only capable of holding out until now. *Changsheng Sword, you're a dead man!* The Sword Venerable also furrowed his brows slightly, glancing into the distance. In such a short span of time... had those fellows managed to flee far enough? His consumption was too severe; he truly couldn't defeat a seventh rank! What a pity, but there was nothing for it—he had to run. If only I had a bit more power, a bit more time to recover, I would grind you to death! Regrettable as it was, he was out of options. He knew this opportunity was rare, but since he had missed it... next time would have to do. He was going to retreat! *Old Zhang's clone, hurry up and self-detonate to make an opening for me! Otherwise, escaping won't be that easy.* On the perimeter of the battlefield. An elderly man's body was vibrating. He was preparing to kick up a distraction to give Li Changsheng a window to flee. Otherwise, if Li Changsheng fell here and Fang Ping found out, he'd hack me to pieces with a single saber strike upon his return. The next instant, the clone suddenly turned his head and caught sight of a bounded domain, freezing slightly in surprise. *Who... who are these two fellows?* Li Hao smiled and opened his mouth: "Senior Supreme, we're going in to take a look!" *The King of Silver Moon?* In a flash, the clone understood. *These two... want to go in?* Right then, a furious roar thundered from within: "Die!" The signal had come. The Changsheng Sword was growing desperate. *Why the hell haven't you self-detonated yet?* *I can't hold on much longer!* The Supreme's clone glanced at the two young men, then quickly nodded. "Be careful... Youngsters these days truly are different!" So arrogant! Well, he had seen even more arrogant people before. Since they were this confident... letting them try wouldn't hurt. At worst, instead of one person fleeing, it would become three people fleeing. It didn't seem to make much difference. "If things go south, run immediately! Follow Li Changsheng—he's got abundant experience in running away. He can even burrow holes through the chaos..." Li Hao and Kongji had already crossed into the combat perimeter, catching that parting word of comfort. *Burrowing holes through the chaos to run... is that considered a compliment?* Xinwu truly was... different!