Long sword in hand, the Great Dao internalized within.
The prototypes of ten thousand worlds manifested—an exaggeration, of course; right now, Li Hao had only fashioned several hundred world prototypes, still a far cry from ten thousand.
Moreover, they were merely prototypes, not genuine worlds!
The smallest spanned a mere three to five square meters, while the largest were only a few thousand mu across. If word got out, Sovereigns would laugh their heads off—could these even be called worlds?
Naturally, if all several hundred world prototypes were manifested and fused into one... no Sovereign would dare mock Li Hao.
To a Sovereign, even if these weren't worlds, they were several hundred domains. And domains, in the eyes of ordinary Sovereigns, were the exclusive purview of the seventh rank.
What was more, Li Hao was still very young.
Even after two years in the chaos, he was still only twenty-four, with some time left before turning twenty-five.
……
The Senlan Great World.
As a Great World, its territory was vast. Under normal circumstances, a Great World's Great Dao Universe had an extensive reach that went beyond its native world, extending over the chaos outside.
This was the domain of a World Lord or Dao Lord.
Much like the Red Moon Lord, who could descend at any moment anywhere within the reach of his Great Dao Universe—even if he hadn't dared to descend last time, it didn't mean he lacked the ability.
The reach of a Great Dao Universe was often a key metric of a Great World Lord's strength. The mightier the world, the more aggressively it expanded its coverage to project authority.
Yet outside the Senlan Great World, not a trace of its Great Dao Universe's aura could be felt.
This meant that the other party had not expanded the Great Dao Universe outward, or was even incapable of doing so, leaving it confined within the world itself. It signaled that they were either powerless to expand or that the Great Dao Universe was unstable, forcing them to pull back their perimeter.
Every world territory possessed world gates. Some gates were closed, while others remained open... A Great World practically never shut its gates; doing so was an admission of weakness. Under normal circumstances, the lord of a Great World feared no one. Even if an eighth-rank Sovereign dared to enter a seventh-rank Great World, they would forfeit their home-field advantage and risk being defeated.
The Senlan World possessed world gates as well.
At this moment, however, they were tightly shut, barring anyone from entering!
Near the world gates, however, fissures had appeared that seemed impossible to suppress completely, riddling the entire boundary with tiny cracks—at least wide enough to let people slip through.
Sovereigns of the Senlan Great World stood guard near these cracks.
It was, after all, a Great World, and it had plenty of Sovereigns. While not like an eighth-rank Great World with over a hundred Sovereigns, Senlan still boasted twenty to thirty of them. Among them were seven or eight middle-rank Sovereigns.
Against any medium world, this would be an insurmountable force; it only appeared frail compared to other Great Worlds.
Right now, along the world barrier, Sovereigns were personally stationed at almost every crack to prevent enemies from infiltrating.
Yet... several cracks were peculiar.
The experts guarding them did not seem to be Senlan Sovereigns at all, but rather outsiders... or even from Red Moon!
Red Moon's seventh-rank experts had indeed suffered heavy blows. But as a Great World boasting over a hundred Sovereigns, its middle-rank Sovereigns were numerous—surpassing the total number of Sovereigns in all of Senlan. One could well imagine the stark disparity that could exist between different Great Worlds.
These cracks guarded by outsiders had become thoroughfares for certain travelers.
……
Inside the Senlan Great World.
In a somewhat dilapidated Great Dao Universe, a Dao river flowed and stars twinkled—as was common to most Great Dao Universes. Yet right now, the stars in this universe shook with turbulence and unease.
The Dao river roared wildly, as though it could be extinguished at any moment.
A majestic Sovereign clad in yellow robes sat astride the Dao river, suppressing heaven and earth. His face was slightly pale, his eyes sharp and ruthless.
He was well aware of every recent upheaval in Senlan. Yet he lacked the power to strike back.
As an entity at the bottom of the ranks among Great Worlds, Senlan had birthed both a Dao Lord and a World Lord separately, leaving neither willing to yield to unification and leading to rival factions. This split Senlan's forces in two.
As a result, the Senlan Dao Lord had grown discontented. Believing Xinwu had only recently risen and was suppressed by Red Moon, he conceived the notion of hunting the Xinwu Human King to seize Xinwu's power, advance to the seventh rank, and return to crush the World Lord to unite the world.
Yet... that fool had been easily slaughtered in the chaos. His death should have brought the Senlan World Lord boundless joy.
The problem was that once the fellow died, the Great Dao had fallen into ceaseless turbulence.
Normally, that wouldn't have been a fatal issue; given enough time, the World Lord could have unified the world and its Dao, perhaps even stepping into the seventh rank in one leap!
However... the chaos was plagued by turmoil!
First, upheaval struck Tianfang, and several of Red Moon's seventh-rank Sovereigns perished, drastically weakening Red Moon's deterrence.
Second, Red Moon had originally been an ally. Now that it had suffered catastrophic losses, it might still seek to woo and cooperate with other Great Worlds, but it cast covetous eyes upon Senlan to recoup its losses.
Red Moon's intention was practically written across its face.
They hadn't openly declared anything or taken direct hostile action; they merely offered an excuse: Senlan's defenses were lacking, so they dispatched several middle-rank Sovereigns to help suppress certain world fissures out of pure goodwill.
Accept, and you fell right into their trap.
Refuse... and those Sovereigns in the open might simply operate in the shadows. More importantly, without Red Moon's deterrence, Senlan might face an onslaught of Chaos Rangers.
As for whether those so-called rangers truly were what they claimed, everyone knew the truth in their hearts.
"He is forcing my hand!"
While suppressing the world's Great Dao, the Senlan World Lord said coldly, "That man suffered no small loss, and now he is practically laying bare his stakes! We have only two paths before us. First, surrender voluntarily, become their vassal, and merge our world and Great Dao Universe into theirs. He might grant me the opportunity to step into the seventh rank.
"Second, they still care about appearances and won't strike openly lest other allies feel the chill of our demise. Instead, they will incite or even orchestrate those so-called chaos wanderers to assault Senlan and force my capitulation! By then, if we don't submit, Senlan won't be able to escape either!"
Around him stood seven or eight Sovereigns, both middle-rank and low-rank, all his trusted confidants. Others were stationed at the fissures, while still others were outside suppressing unrest within the world. Some had been the former Dao Lord's confidants and were now marginalized.
Those former confidants... were the very reason Red Moon had infiltrated so easily. Fearing the Senlan World Lord would purge dissidents, some had proactively reached out to Red Moon—utterly abominable!
The Senlan World Lord looked at the Sovereigns around him. "Do you wish to merge into an eighth-rank Great World?"
Among the Sovereigns, one responded in a deep voice, "Of course not!"
Though they said so, the World Lord knew some were undoubtedly willing.
Staying here meant serving as subordinates. Would merging into Red Moon be any different?
Red Moon was still an eighth-rank Great World. It had suffered considerable losses—three seventh-rank Sovereigns dead—which meant it desperately needed manpower. Though Red Moon appeared gravely wounded, the eighth-rank Red Moon Lord remained. For Sovereigns, the world's overall strength hadn't suffered a truly fatal blow.
In that light, now was actually an opportune time to join Red Moon.
Those truly unwilling were likely just the World Lord himself and a handful of Sovereigns loath to see their native world swallowed up. Most of the rest simply didn't care.
The Senlan World Lord continued to suppress the Dao's turbulence as he said slowly, "I don't care whether you truly think so or are merely placating me! All I wish to say is this: if we can stabilize Senlan's Great Dao, I can seize the opportunity to step into the seventh rank. Once I attain the seventh rank, the Great Dao stabilizes, and the world unifies, everyone present will rise with the tide! Those at the fourth rank will enter the fifth, and those at the fifth will have a chance at the sixth!"
He looked around and said steadily, "At that point, I will be a seventh-rank Sovereign, and all of you will be stronger. Even if we truly must merge into Red Moon... is it better to merge now as a broken, defeated remnant, or then, with high morale, formidable troops, and robust strength?
"Red Moon lost three seventh-rank Sovereigns! If we merge Senlan into them after I advance to the seventh rank, I won't just be filling an existing vacancy. Quite the contrary—incorporating Senlan's seventh-rank power will strengthen Red Moon. As a gesture to attract talent—buying horse bones for a thousand gold pieces—Red Moon will have to grant Senlan another seventh-rank quota in addition to mine! Only then can he recruit more experts to offset his losses!"
This wasn't an empty fantasy.
It was simply a statement of fact.
If Senlan merged into them today, it would at most receive a single seventh-rank quota for the Senlan World Lord. The positions for seventh-rank Sovereigns in an eighth-rank Great World were limited, and Red Moon would never grant Senlan a second one.
However, if Senlan merged as an existing seventh-rank force... that would be an alliance of titans, and Red Moon would have to pay a far steeper price.
The Senlan World Lord added, "Whether I advance to the seventh rank or not, if we truly merge with Red Moon, a seventh-rank position is guaranteed for me! That holds true even right now. But I want what is best for Senlan!"
He looked at them, his voice softening slightly. "You are all Sovereigns who have lived through countless ages. You understand this logic! Bowing and scraping before Red Moon today will buy you neither standing nor fortune. On the contrary, only by displaying Senlan's unyielding resolve can we secure greater benefits!
"Red Moon does not dare invade Senlan by force so easily. Nearby lie the Yueming, Tianlan, and Cangjiang Great Worlds. If they destroy Senlan today, what about tomorrow? Who would dare cooperate with them then? Red Moon would cut itself off from the chaos, and no one would ever ally with them again.
"Therefore, we must face this crisis together. Crush those disorganized stragglers, slaughter them, and use their Great Dao power to offset our losses! We can even kill a few Red Moon Sovereigns to make them understand that Senlan is not to be trifled with!
"Surrendering on your knees is entirely different from standing tall to crush your opponents, only to choose surrender in the end when no other choice remains! In the chaos, enemies only respect you once you make them feel pain!"
The Sovereigns pondered his words.
They were not foolish and understood what the World Lord meant.
What he said was true... but once he actually reached the seventh rank, would the World Lord still be willing to surrender to Red Moon?
Hardly likely!
Of course, if they truly became a seventh-rank Great World, they might not want to merge into Red Moon either. The competition in Red Moon was far too fierce, and outsiders would always be treated as outsiders.
Thinking it through carefully, preserving Senlan was indeed more aligned with everyone's interests.
Soon, the Sovereigns spoke up one after another. "The World Lord speaks with great wisdom!"
The Senlan World Lord said no more.
Some things were better laid bare.
He thought exactly as they did: once I actually reach the seventh rank, why would I surrender?
Yet if he truly did surrender after reaching the seventh rank... it would naturally achieve the expected outcome he had outlined. Red Moon would pay a greater price. In short, preserving Senlan and becoming a seventh-rank power was a guaranteed win.
He merely hoped to instill some fighting spirit into the Sovereigns before him, rather than have them collapse the moment they heard Red Moon was making a move.
If that happened, Senlan truly could not be defended.
Right now, he still needed to expend massive energy suppressing and merging the Great Dao. Slaying the Sovereigns causing unrest from the outside would depend on these people.
"Be it Red Moon or wanderers, there is nothing to fear!
"The strongest among them are merely sixth rank; no seventh rank will come! Seventh-rank experts have either gone to Tianfang or are holding down their home territories. Red Moon has only one seventh-rank Sovereign left. Do you think he would dare risk coming to Senlan? Sixth-rank experts are strong... but don't forget, this is our home territory!
"At a critical juncture, suppressing them is well within our power!"
Every sentence was sound and grounded in reason. The Sovereigns nodded in agreement once more.
"Everyone, this is a time of tribulation for Senlan. I still need to suppress the Great Dao, so... Senlan's safety rests entirely on your shoulders!"
This was his true objective.
The Sovereigns replied with solemn gravity, "We will do our utmost to fight for Senlan!"
The Senlan World Lord nodded, offering no further words.
Whether they truly acted as they claimed would depend on how circumstances developed.
Besides, if the time came and these fellows proved disobedient, prompting him to truly surrender to Red Moon... as a seventh-rank Sovereign, he was guaranteed a high place. Those people should think it through: even in Red Moon, they would remain low- or middle-rank Sovereigns, constantly crossing paths with him. If that happened... they would face the consequences!
"You may withdraw for now. It suffices for me to suppress this place!"
"Understood!"
The Sovereigns quickly departed. The Great Dao Universe was in much better shape than before.
Back when the Dao Lord died, that had been true pandemonium.
Having weathered the most dangerous period was part of the Senlan World Lord's confidence. Had the current predicament arisen right when the Xinwu Human King slew the Dao Lord, he would have found it troublesome to handle.
Right now, however, time and terrain were on his side. Rogue cultivators hoping for a piece of the pie ought to look in a mirror first!
……
While the interior of Senlan was fraught with turmoil, Li Hao lingered outside the world, in no hurry to enter. He observed and waited.
After watching for a while, he made no effort to conceal his presence. Soon, someone traversed the void toward him—unquestionably a Sovereign.
The expert circled Li Hao for a brief moment before approaching cautiously. "Fellow Daoist, do you intend to enter the Senlan World?"
Li Hao understood at once.
As expected!
He had guessed that the unrest in Senlan was instigated by someone pulling strings in secret—ninety percent likely the Red Moon World, ten percent the surrounding Great Worlds. It seemed his assumption was correct.
"Indeed!"
Li Hao nodded and looked at the speaker. For a dignified Sovereign, the fellow had an oddly shifty, rat-like appearance.
Looking closer... good heavens, wasn't this an actual rat?
Could a rat become a Sovereign too?
Well, if a cat could become a seventh-rank Sovereign, what was so odd about a rat achieving it? The boundless universe was truly teeming with diverse species; there was probably even a rat world ruled by a rat king!
Li Hao wasted no words, transmitting directly, "I wish to enter. Do you have a way, Fellow Daoist?"
"Of course!"
The rat spirit chuckled slyly, rubbing his fingers together. "Only..."
"How many Great Dao crystals?"
The rat spirit adopted an approving look, glancing at Li Hao with a glint in his eyes as he chuckled cunningly, "Not expensive, not expensive at all—a thousand Great Dao crystals."
"Are you robbing me?"
Li Hao looked at the rat spirit.
A thousand crystals would take a first-rank Sovereign three years to condense.
It wasn't quite highway robbery, but it certainly wasn't cheap.
"Fellow Daoist, you speak wrongly! A mere thousand Great Dao crystals... Everyone knows what those coming to Senlan at this stage are after. If fortune smiles upon you, that's an entire Great Dao Universe—a Great World!"
"Do I look like someone capable of seizing a Great World?"
Li Hao looked at him and laughed softly. "I'm just here to join the fun, see if there are scraps to pick up, and even that comes with mortal danger. One hundred crystals, and I'll go have a look to join the crowd."
The rat spirit shook his head, looking troubled.
Li Hao was in no rush.
You people want nothing more than for that place to descend into utter chaos; every additional Sovereign means more trouble. You ought to let me in for free.
Haggling here was completely normal. Rogue cultivators didn't earn money easily, and even Sovereigns were strapped for cash. Those who were exceptionally generous were either formidable experts or backed by major factions.
True rogue cultivators were stingy to a fault.
Though Li Hao hadn't roamed the chaos like a true rogue cultivator, he had traveled with them. A fourth-rank Sovereign like Ming Hao had been stingy to the extreme along the way, terrified that Great Dao power might leak during cultivation for others to take advantage of.
Which genuine rogue cultivator wasn't like that?
As for the Sword Venerable and the rest, Li Hao didn't need to worry about them. They were all seasoned veterans. Someone like Kongji didn't resemble a rogue cultivator, while the Sword Venerable... was more of a rogue cultivator than the rogue cultivators themselves. Li Hao had no need to fret over him.
Opposite him, the rat spirit said with an awkward look, "Fellow Daoist, one hundred crystals is far too little. You must understand, we are taking risks as well..."
"A thousand crystals is fine too!" Li Hao transmitted. "However, you must give me comprehensive information on the Senlan World—details on all Sovereigns, including the strength and origins of those who arrived earlier..."
The rat spirit cursed inwardly!
Keep dreaming!
Where did this sour, stingy rogue cultivator crawl out from?
You want all that for a thousand crystals? Do you think your Great Dao crystals smell sweeter than everyone else's?
"Fellow Daoist, we haven't gathered such things either..."
"Then one hundred crystals!"
Li Hao continued to drag his feet, prompting the rat spirit to curse inwardly again.
This guy was absurdly tightfisted.
I thought I was stingy enough, but I've run into someone even stingier.
Still, orders had come from above: any Sovereign arriving here was to be funneled inside Senlan. The more Sovereigns in Senlan, the faster friction would spark, and the greater Senlan's troubles would become!
He could let him in even without payment.
Of course, he had to squeeze out a token amount; this revenue was extra pocket money for Sovereigns like them.
The chaos was entirely about profit. Without profit, no one was accommodating.
"Five hundred!"
"One hundred!"
"Add a little, Fellow Daoist. Entering a Great World isn't worth delaying a single year's worth of effort? Three hundred, then!"
Li Hao thought for a moment, then nodded. "Deal!"
The rat spirit breathed a sigh of relief. What bad luck to run into such a stingy rogue cultivator—truly a headache.
Just as he reached out to collect the payment, Li Hao said, "I'll pay once I'm inside!"
The rat spirit was speechless, but didn't argue further.
As a Sovereign, a cultivator wouldn't renege on an agreement over a few hundred Great Dao crystals.
He led Li Hao along the world barrier of the Senlan Great World, winding left and right for quite a while before stopping at a section of the barrier. Li Hao looked in that direction; a fissure seemed to have opened in the world wall.
The rat spirit chuckled slyly. "Fellow Daoist sees it? We worked hard circling the entire Great World and clashed with another band of wanderers before finally seizing this fissure..."
Li Hao nodded and said nothing.
They were both sharp-witted; who was he trying to fool? Why bother with excuses? This was either secretly backed by Red Moon experts or by experts from the surrounding Great Worlds.
Two Sovereigns were currently stationed at the fissure.
Counting this rat spirit, that made three Sovereigns—a luxurious lineup, even if they were all low-rank!
Soon, Li Hao reached the crack.
The other two Sovereigns quickly stepped out of the fissure and glanced at the rat spirit, who seemed to transmit a few words. The two Sovereigns looked Li Hao up and down. His exact strength was hard to gauge, but he appeared to be low-rank.
He carried a sword on his back... True sword experts kept their swords unseen. For Sovereigns, carrying a weapon meant one was either overwhelmingly powerful or... remarkably weak.
Top-tier Sovereigns like the Human King carried a saber, and everyone knew that saber was formidable and not to be provoked.
Low-rank Sovereigns who equipped weapons usually carried low-tier Sovereign weapons or hadn't grown accustomed to fighting with Dao arts. An inferior Sovereign weapon was sometimes a hindrance that restricted the expression of their techniques.
As for overwhelmingly powerful... that was out of the question here.
Nor did his body carry the aura of a Great Dao Universe.
After assessing him, a dog-headed Sovereign looked at Li Hao, his canine face splitting into a smile. "How should we address you, Fellow Daoist?"
"Are you checking my background?"
"Not at all! I merely see that you are a fellow chaos wanderer. If fate permits, vast as the chaos is, we might cross paths again and perhaps even cooperate..."
Li Hao nodded. "Fair enough. I hail from the Ten Thousand Daos World. You may call me Wandao..."
The Sovereigns kept straight faces, though they sneered inwardly.
Sovereign Wandao?
Quite an arrogant tone!
Of course, that was normal.
Sovereigns from small worlds had narrow horizons. When they first stepped out of their worlds, they all thought they were kings of the chaos. Let alone Sovereign Wandao, they had encountered Sovereigns with all sorts of grandiose titles.
The lower-ranked the world, the more arrogant they were.
God of War, Undying, Peerless...
These Sovereigns bore bizarre names. While some were truly invincible in their small worlds, only after stepping out did they realize... they had no say in this chaos.
"Fellow Daoist Wandao!"
The dog-headed Sovereign offered a perfunctory smile and said no more.
He pointed to the fissure behind him. "This is the fissure leading into the Senlan World. After entering, keep a low profile and tread carefully. Senlan is a Great World after all, with plenty of native Sovereigns, including seven or eight middle-rank Sovereigns... figures none of us can afford to provoke!"
Li Hao nodded. "Thank you for the advice!"
Without further words, he stepped toward the crack, took out three hundred Great Dao crystals, counted them one by one, and handed them to the rat spirit.
Then, stepping through the fissure, he slipped into the Senlan World.
Once he was gone, the rat spirit couldn't help but grumble, "That guy... stingy to the extreme! A mere three hundred Great Dao crystals. In ordinary times, would such a paltry price get anyone into a Great World?"
The dog-headed Sovereign ignored him. Beside them, the final Sovereign imprinted Li Hao's appearance, aura, and Dao title onto a bronze mirror, adding an assessment of his strength: second or third rank.
In any case, he wasn't first rank; a first-rank aura wouldn't be so steady.
Soon, the information on the bronze mirror faded away.
Only then did the third Sovereign say solemnly, "Enough. Pocketing extra cash isn't the priority! However many wandering Sovereigns we encounter nearby, send them all inside. We get a bounty for every one we usher in!"
The other two nodded.
The rat spirit transmitted cautiously, "You two, how long do you think it will take before Senlan descends into chaos?"
Struggles between Great Worlds were exceedingly dangerous for cultivators of their caliber.
The dog-headed Sovereign transmitted, "It won't be long. Red Moon definitely wants a swift resolution to take Senlan and recover its vitality. Can Red Moon afford to ignore Tianfang? The Xinwu Human King went there, as did Yunxiao and Guangming. Word has it that Tianfang's Great Dao Universe is about to officially revive. While still at the seventh rank, the Xinwu Human King slew several of their seventh-rank Sovereigns. If he reaches the eighth rank... do you think Red Moon isn't terrified?"
At those words, the third Sovereign hissed in a low transmission, "Watch your words! We aren't far from Red Moon!"
The dog-headed Sovereign said no more.
In any case, his judgment was that chaos would erupt very soon.
It wouldn't take long.
If the Red Moon Lord didn't swiftly take Senlan, offset his losses, and recruit a seventh rank, would he dare leave? If he didn't dare leave, would he just leave Tianfang unattended?
Impossible!
Before long, a battle of Sovereigns would erupt in Senlan. Who knew how many Sovereigns would die this time?
The dog-headed Sovereign sighed, transmitting, "Lately, the Sifang Domain has been in absolute chaos! How many Sovereigns have died? In the fifty-odd years of conflict between Xinwu and Red Moon, countless worlds have been destroyed, and as many as five seventh-rank Sovereigns have perished!"
He shook his head, feeling helpless.
Seventh-rank experts!
Invincible entities.
Yet in just two years, five seventh-rank experts had died—terrifying beyond measure.
The rat spirit lamented as well. "Indeed, and far more of the rest have perished! Besides, we need to be careful ourselves. Sovereign Xingshen's recent death was reportedly Xinwu's doing, right on the fringes of Red Moon, not far from here! That Xinwu isn't to be trifled with. Now that Red Moon has suffered heavily, I fear they might charge straight over."
"Unlikely. The Xinwu Human King is at Tianfang."
"Aren't you afraid he might double back and strike?"
"He doesn't know the way..."
"Are you an idiot, or is he? You actually believed that?" The rat spirit thought the dog-headed Sovereign was a fool. "If he truly didn't know the way, how does he kill with pinpoint accuracy every time, only avoiding Red Moon? Red Moon is an eighth-rank Great World with the largest radiation range, yet he specifically avoids it while targeting other Great World Lords connected to it—and you believe him?"
The dog-headed Sovereign offered no reply, merely shaking his head.
Whether to believe it or not didn't matter.
What mattered was that Xinwu claimed so, and the Xinwu Human King himself said so. What else could be said?
Low-rank Sovereigns like them could only gossip. As for whether Xinwu dared strike directly... there were at least several Great Worlds nearby, making it somewhat safer than the open chaos.
Once Senlan fell into chaos, they would flee and watch the show from near other worlds. Who would take risks here?
……
Heaven and earth seemed split asunder.
The moment Li Hao emerged, several overwhelmingly powerful consciousnesses locked onto him.
Many of them!
More than one; the arrival of any Sovereign drew considerable attention.
In an instant, Li Hao sensed the auras of at least thirty Sovereigns.
Too many!
Although Senlan was vast—far larger than Silver Moon, stretching beyond the horizon so that his perception couldn't encompass the entire world—having thirty Sovereigns within sensory range was truly frightening.
Senlan was not Tianfang.
This was a world with a master.
However, Li Hao also sensed subtle fluctuations in the Great Dao Universe. It seemed the World Lord might not have the leisure to attend to them. Of course, the possibility of a trap couldn't be ruled out.
He might wish to round up all these rogue cultivators in one swoop to offset his losses.
The chaos was just that cruel.
With the slightest misstep, being butchered to replenish a Great Dao Universe was completely standard.
Li Hao didn't sense the auras of the Sword Venerable or Kongji. He had no idea where the two sixth-rank experts were hiding right now. He did, however, sense the location of Qian Wuliang and the others.
He breathed a small sigh of relief.
All was well.
Since they were here, there shouldn't be any major problems. The worry had been that failing to sense them might mean Red Moon had captured them. Sensing them here was good news.
The entire Senlan World was suffused with an air of turbulent unrest.
Some Sovereigns concealed their presence, while others made no effort to hide their auras, practically daring anyone to cause trouble.
Li Hao ignored the approaching Sovereign auras around him and swiftly sped away, flying directly toward the direction where he sensed Qian Wuliang and the others.
Moving through the void of a Great World was far easier and more relaxed than traveling through the chaos.
……
"Li Hao is inside!"
In a grand courtyard within a city, Lin Hongyu suddenly spoke.
As Sovereigns, their entry here was no secret. Since it wasn't a secret, there was no need to shortchange themselves. Purchasing a massive mansion in this sprawling city was effortless; an ordinary Great Dao crystal had plenty of cultivators fighting tooth and nail to sell.
Hearing Lin Hongyu's words, everyone brightened.
Even King Huai and Tianji let out a slight breath of relief.
Li Hao was here!
If he was here, what about the Sword Venerable?
If the Sword Venerable had come as well... that was a pack of fierce figures capable of slaying seventh-rank experts! Their confidence surged immediately. With the area turbulent and Sovereign auras crisscrossing the skies, even with numerous Sovereigns on their side, they had felt somewhat apprehensive.
After all, they were only low-rank Sovereigns.
Furthermore, they were right under Red Moon's nose.
King Huai offered a fawning smile. "The Silver Moon King's arrival here is truly great news. Now we have something to look forward to."
Qian Wuliang cast a sidelong glance at him and said nothing.
He felt utterly helpless about this senior who kept stealing his job, but couldn't say much.
He only thought to himself that once Li Hao arrived, as a long-standing Silver Moon veteran who had followed Li Hao from the start, he had to make sure he was the first to flatter him.
Lin Hongyu had only sensed his approach a moment earlier.
A breath later, a figure materialized in the courtyard.
The Sovereigns' eyes flickered, and they quickly walked out into the courtyard.
Quite a crowd of Sovereigns had gathered here.
On Silver Moon's side, there were Qian Wuliang, Hong Yitang, Black Panther, Lin Hongyu, plus the three Sovereigns who had surrendered to them—a total of seven. Adding Tianji's clone, Tianji's true self, and King Huai, there were ten in all.
Li Hao was taken aback.
He looked at the two Tianjis. Although both had altered their appearances and auras to avoid suspicion...
Li Hao showed a trace of doubt. "Senior... what is... the meaning of this?"
Both Tianji and King Huai had merged into the Dao river, so why hadn't they unified? Why keep a clone around at this point? Were they bored?
Or had Tianji's clone conceived thoughts of rebellion?
He couldn't understand.
Had something gone wrong with the clone?
Tianji's clone rolled his eyes, thoroughly annoyed. "Why? No reason at all, except I find it utterly bizarre. Since ancient times, have you ever heard of a true self refusing to take charge, insisting instead that the clone's consciousness take the lead?"
Li Hao froze. What did that mean?
Tianji's clone continued, "He insists that I take charge!"
"..."
Li Hao blinked, then turned to Tianji's true self.
Tianji's true self looked utterly relaxed, chuckling amiably. "Now that we've merged with Silver Moon, I don't know Silver Moon very well. In Xinwu... my main duty was bringing up the rear, and I rarely ventured into the chaos. Seeing that my clone had trained in Silver Moon for a full hundred thousand years, I figured it would be more convenient for his consciousness to take the lead. Who would have thought he'd refuse!"
"..."
Around them, everyone stood speechless, none daring to speak.
These two... no, this single person was truly an oddity!
Even Li Hao was momentarily dazed.
He understood now!
The clone wanted the true self to absorb him, but the true self refused, insisting the clone's consciousness take charge. The clone refused in turn, and the two... no, this single man had reached a stalemate with himself, refusing to merge.
Damn it, did I hear that wrong, or are they serious?
I knew Tianji was lazy, but... surely not to this extent?
Though they would still be one person after merging, if the clone took the lead, having spent a hundred thousand years in Silver Moon, his attitude toward Silver Moon would certainly be different.
If the true self took the lead, having always stayed in Xinwu, he would undoubtedly be closer to Xinwu. That was inevitable.
Li Hao had never even considered having Tianji's clone take the lead; in his subconscious, the true self should naturally reclaim the clone.
And yet... what on earth was this?
At this moment, even King Huai felt embarrassed. Just as he was about to speak, Qian Wuliang saw his opening and quickly smiled. "Marquis, you have just arrived and must be exhausted from traveling. Why not rest inside and have a cup of tea? By the way, Marquis, rendezvous directly with us upon arriving... might that be somewhat indiscreet?"
"..."
King Huai glanced at Qian Wuliang and smiled, withholding further words.
As a seasoned master of trimming his sails to the wind, he knew to tread carefully before this unfamiliar Silver Moon King. It was best not to clash with the veterans right off the bat, so he remained quiet, uttering not a word.
Qian Wuliang, initially pleased with himself, quickly stiffened.
This fellow is truly difficult to deal with!
His patience is remarkable; he isn't flustered in the slightest.
Li Hao ignored their petty squabbles and nodded slightly. "Let's head inside first. It doesn't matter. Would a low-rank Sovereign dare barge into a Great World rashly? Naturally, I'd have a team; that's completely normal! Meeting up with my team is expected. Otherwise, would a bunch of low-rank Sovereigns dare come in to claim a piece of the pie?"
Qian Wuliang hurried to flatter, "The Marquis is wise!"
Li Hao ignored him and checked the others. Their strength hadn't changed much. Qian Wuliang and Hong Yitang were still second rank, and even Tianji's true self had become second rank.
The two Dao Lords represented the ceiling.
Even with two Xinwu experts merging into the Dao river, the two Dao Lords hadn't stepped into the third rank, showing just how difficult advancing a Great Dao Universe truly was.
Now, a cluster of second-rank Sovereigns had emerged.
Only Lin Hongyu and Mo remained at the first rank.
Entering the main hall of the courtyard, Li Hao took the head seat without hesitation. Tianji and King Huai hadn't wanted to sit in the adjacent front seats, but were practically pushed into them.
They were, after all, Xinwu seniors; basic courtesies were necessary.
"Seniors, merging into the Dao river this time cost you considerably. What a pity."
Li Hao sighed with emotion. Tianji, a third-rank Sovereign, had actually merged. The fact that the clone hadn't merged was actually a blessing in disguise; even if they merged, there was no hope of advancing.
Tianji's true self smiled easily. "It's nothing. Second rank or third rank makes little difference to us."
At this point, he transmitted, "How is the Sword Venerable?"
"Doing well!"
Tianji nodded. That was good.
It seemed old man Li hadn't suffered any injuries.
The next moment, Li Hao's transmission rang out: "My purpose in coming here is simple: resolve Senlan! Give Red Moon no chance to recover, no chance to grow stronger! Blinding Red Moon's surveillance over this world is what we must do."
Li Hao skipped pleasantries and got straight to the point: "Scout out the locations of all fissures, seize control of them, and seal them! Allow no outsiders to enter, leave, or monitor at will!
"We have numbers on our side, which is our advantage—we can divide our forces. Everyone merging into the Dao river brings another benefit... we can concentrate our strength as one, using the Dao river to cloak and seal the fissures!"
At his words, Tianji and King Huai exchanged glances, groaning inwardly.
Sure enough, figures like this were natural seeds of chaos.
Good grief. The moment he arrived, he began doling out assignments without a single wasted word, aiming straight for a Great World to seize it!
Utterly ruthless!
"Excluding myself, but counting Senior Tianji's clone, we have ten Sovereigns here!
"Even with numerous Sovereigns present in this world, ten Sovereigns—mostly second rank—constitute a formidable force!
"I'm not yet certain of the Sword Venerable's arrangements, but sealing fissures is straightforward work, so we'll take that on first. Otherwise... we might have to battle middle-rank Sovereigns. Seniors Tianji and King Huai, which task do you choose?"
Hearing this, the two groaned inwardly once more.
Good grief, he has read us like an open book.
Naturally, we don't want to fight middle-rank Sovereigns!
In that case, sealing fissures was the obvious choice. Though economical with his words, this fellow went straight for the jugular the moment he arrived.
The two exchanged a glance, and Tianji said glumly, "Sealing the fissures, of course!"
Li Hao nodded, a smile gracing his face. "Excellent!"
He continued, "Then we divide our forces. Also, King Huai and Qian Wuliang will go recruit some rogue cultivators and chaos wanderers—low-rank ones will do! We have plenty of hands, all Sovereigns, so we aren't nobodies. If we don't make some noise here, others will think we're plotting something even bigger!
"As for how to persuade or dupe those you recruit, figure it out yourselves!
"Black Panther, go get friendly with some chaos beasts. You share a lineage after all..."
The moment Li Hao arrived, he swiftly assigned tasks to everyone.
Time to get to work!
He didn't intend to linger in Senlan for long; there was little point. Go straight for the goal, take Senlan, escape, and move on to wreak havoc on the next world. Right now, he needed far too much energy.
The world prototypes had taken shape, and all Li Hao lacked now was energy.
Boundless energy!
A Great Dao Universe and a Great World were obviously brimming with energy. Red Moon had to care about external perceptions, but he had no such concerns. Even if perceptions soured, that would be the impression Xinwu projected to the outside world, having nothing to do with him.
Seeing his brisk, decisive manner, the others said nothing more and accepted their orders.
Once the rest had received their tasks, Li Hao finally looked toward Lin Hongyu. "Enter seclusion for a while and stay out of these affairs. Lately, I have gained some insights into life and death; you may enter my long river to contemplate them!"
Lin Hongyu started, then nodded slightly, understanding his meaning: he considered her too weak.
She offered no excuses. If that was the case, she would simply grow stronger.
Soon, the Sovereigns left the courtyard, scattering in all directions to begin their work. Their movements drew considerable attention. There were already plenty of Sovereigns here, and today a sword-bearing newcomer had arrived, followed almost immediately by Sovereigns mobilizing.
Evidently, many deduced that the leader of this group had arrived!
Previously, they were all first- and second-rank Sovereigns; this newcomer was likely a third-rank.
For a time, this faction became the focus of attention for various parties in Senlan.
When had such a sizable band of low-rank rogue Sovereigns appeared in the chaos?
Li Hao, meanwhile, sat peacefully in the hall, waiting for whoever might come knocking.
Red Moon?
Senlan?
Powerful rogue cultivators?
Who knew? Someone was bound to come trying to recruit them. A group of low-rank Sovereigns was still a group of Sovereigns; no one could remain indifferent to the emergence of such a force.
As for where the Sword Venerable and Kongji were lying low or what they were preparing, Li Hao didn't know. Once those two were ready, they would seek him out.
Senlan must be devoured!
He even... wanted to infiltrate Red Moon and devour it too. Not now, but when upheaval struck Tianfang and the eighth-rank lord departed—that would be the opportunity. In this moment, Li Hao's ambition seemed to have swollen considerably.
Mainly because... he was far too poor.
For a time, he was filled with endless emotion.
Poverty truly was the ultimate motivation to strive.
To forge ten thousand worlds, he lacked resources far too desperately. Previously, he hadn't possessed such awareness, thinking he was flush with wealth and a rich man after slaying so many Sovereigns. In the blink of an eye, he had been knocked straight to rock bottom—he was dirt-poor!
No wonder the Sword Venerable and the others were so full of drive; they weren't even necessarily as poor as he was.
The power of ten thousand worlds... just how many Great Worlds would he have to destroy to gather it all?
Li Hao pondered this, sighing with emotion once more.
Chapter 473