Craving Fish

Defending Senlan meant first shearing some wool here to build up their own strength. At this moment, Li Hao genuinely hoped that Senlan would enjoy peace for a little longer. A rank-six Great Dao Universe was by no means his ultimate objective. The Sword Venerable and his peers were accustomed to striking in one place, taking care of business, and running away immediately. Yet if they wiped out Senlan, the surrounding major worlds—Cangjiang, Tianlan, Yueming, and Red Moon—would be placed on high alert and would likely hunt them down. If that happened, doubling back to strike again would become extraordinarily difficult. Furthermore, if the Sword Venerable lingered instead of leaving, showing himself here to dismantle Senlan, would the Lord of Red Moon still depart? Not necessarily! Cast a long line to catch a big fish. That was Li Hao's plan. Of course, it might not be what the Sword Venerable had in mind. Right now, Li Hao was also considering what to do if the Sword Venerable insisted on moving against Senlan. Should he object or agree? Their previous plan had been to hit and run. Now, Li Hao had changed his mind on the fly, diverging from the original arrangement... Would that cause complications? It might even trigger friction with Xinwu. Xinwu's mindset differed from his own. They firmly believed that every enemy killed was one fewer to worry about: kill one today, kill another tomorrow... Go after the big fish if possible, but if not, slaughtering a few weaklings still eroded the opposition's strength. One could not call them shortsighted—it was merely a difference in habits. …… Beside the fissure, Li Hao and his group stood together and began repairing the rift. All around them, will-auras belonging to Sovereigns wafted across the void. The entirety of Senlan was watching them. These people were truly insane. Barely days after arriving, they dared to slaughter several Sovereigns... Did these fellows truly have no fear of death? In another corner of the realm, the Red Moon Sovereign's gaze was venomously cold. This place was not far from Red Moon, and he was currently transmitting messages back, urging Red Moon to deploy more Sovereigns. Red Moon had suffered grievous losses among its high-rank Sovereigns, but it still possessed plenty of middle-rank Sovereigns. Even Senlan had more than a dozen, let alone Red Moon. Moreover, as a rank-eight universe, countless Sovereigns wished to throw their lot in with Red Moon. Those bastards had actually dared to slaughter Sovereigns of a rank-eight universe in plain view of everyone... Even if he hadn't announced his allegiance aloud, everyone possessed discerning eyes. Who didn't know he was backed by Red Moon? Though furious beyond measure, he held his tongue. As a rank-four Sovereign, he did not fear that Wandao Sovereign. Yet the other side had multiple Sovereigns. If they joined forces, he, as a single rank-four, could not fend off ten opponents at once. A rank-four Sovereign could manage two or three rank-three Sovereigns and would very likely triumph. Against ten or more, however... he might as well forget about it. …… Meanwhile. Within Senlan's Council Divine Palace. Phantom projections of Sovereigns manifested one after another. With the World Lord absent, the gathering was presided over by Senlan's other pillar—the ancient rank-six Sovereign mentioned by Jihao, Sovereign Yan Fang. He was also currently Senlan's sole rank-six Sovereign besides the World Lord. The hall was somewhat noisy, filled with an endless hum of voices. One Sovereign wore an indignant expression and said in a low voice, "Those people under Wandao are very likely vassals of another major world! They came here solely to provoke a direct conflict between us and Red Moon! We must deal with them to prevent Red Moon from completely turning against us!" "Ridiculous! Red Moon is the invader! Since they dare invade our Senlan, what does it matter even if Wandao and his men have hidden motives? If they dare kill, and dare kill people from Red Moon, then we should back them!" "It isn't that simple. They've killed numerous Red Moon Sovereigns just now... If... if our Senlan truly loses the war, how will we account for it?" "Account for it? Bullshit! What do we need to account to Red Moon for? Are we Red Moon's vassals? We are Sovereigns of Senlan World, not Red Moon's dogs! They are invaders! Are you suggesting we betray Senlan?" "I am merely stating the facts. We cannot forfeit our future for a moment of reckless bravado..." "Humph! The World Lord already stated that this is wartime! In war, those who surrender on their knees never meet a good end! Only by forging a name for ourselves on the battlefield will anyone take us seriously! Even if we truly cannot hold out in the end and must surrender, our Senlan will never be treated as nobodies!" "……" The Sovereigns of Senlan were split into two camps, one supporting Li Hao's cohort and the other opposing them. Li Hao's group had launched straight into slaughter, defying everyone's expectations. Most had assumed they were only offering inducements to keep them from causing trouble... Yet the newcomers had actually struck, and with a single move, four Sovereigns had fallen. It was terrifying. The bickering persisted. Even Sovereigns felt panic; others, however, were thrilled, believing those invaders deserved to die! Senlan currently retained twelve middle-rank Sovereigns. At this moment, everyone except the World Lord and Jihao was present. Aside from Yan Fang, the remaining nine middle-rank Sovereigns held conflicting opinions. Seated at the front, Sovereign Yan Fang appeared weathered with age. He had remained silent the entire time. He was merely discerning the World Lord's intentions. Did the World Lord... desire the presence of Wandao's group? He did! If he did not, then regardless of whether Wandao was affiliated with Xinwu, the World Lord would have found an excuse to execute them today as a concession to Red Moon. Yet he hadn't. Evidently, the World Lord also wished for this group to stir up murky waters. If the worst came to pass... if Red Moon truly triumphed and seized Senlan, and chose to hold them accountable, there would be scapegoats ready at hand. Naturally, Yan Fang understood the World Lord's thinking. If Red Moon didn't pursue the matter, winning over so many Sovereigns would bolster Senlan's own strength. As the two sides quarreled, a faction that had previously served as the late Dao Lord's direct subordinates opposed Li Hao's killings, arguing they should hand him over to Red Moon... That was completely natural. With the Dao Lord dead, these people were uneasy and terrified that the Senlan World Lord would purge them. Now that Red Moon sought to absorb them, they would rather serve the Lord of Red Moon than the Senlan World Lord. It was entirely expected. Furthermore, the late Dao Lord's direct faction was sizable. Of the nine middle-rank Sovereigns present, five belonged to the Dao Lord's lineage. The remaining four, plus Jihao, made five who were loyal to the World Lord. The Dao Lord had previously held a structural advantage. As the master of the Great Dao, he allocated Dao sources and Great Dao power—something the World Lord could not match. Furthermore, there were more rank-five Sovereigns among the Dao Lord's supporters. When the Senlan Dao Lord was still alive, he naturally showed greater favor and care to his own followers. The World Lord had only managed to push his own people to rank four, with very few reaching rank five. Among the four rank-five Sovereigns present, only one belonged to the World Lord's camp. Now, three rank-five Sovereigns and two rank-four Sovereigns expressed opposition. They wished to eliminate Wandao's group directly to avoid escalating their troubles. At this juncture, the World Lord's stance was pivotal, but so was Sovereign Yan Fang's. As Senlan's other rank-six Sovereign, his status was revered and his strength formidable. After the Dao Lord perished, although the World Lord seized the Great Dao Universe, Yan Fang also secured a significant foothold within it. At this moment, the Dao Lord's faction looked toward Yan Fang. When the Dao Lord was alive, Yan Fang had actually leaned toward his faction. If Yan Fang spoke up now... even if the World Lord was displeased, he would not dare openly oppose this faction at such a delicate time. Otherwise, half of Senlan's Sovereigns might rebel. "Elder Yan, what are your thoughts?" A rank-five Sovereign turned to Yan Fang and said in a grave voice, "When Sovereigns cross blades, it is usually in the spirit of sparring. Yet that Wandao and his cohort slaughtered their opponents right off the bat! In a single day, they executed four Sovereigns... How does that differ from the madmen of Xinwu? If outsiders catch wind of this, they might think we've allied with Xinwu..." Yan Fang coughed lightly and shook his head. "Do not speak recklessly! The World Lord verified it in person. Since that is so, they are not Xinwu people. Furthermore, Xinwu killed our Dao Lord; our Senlan shares an irreconcilable feud with Xinwu... Let this matter not be mentioned again." They must not link this group to Xinwu! Even if there were some tenuous connection, it must never be voiced. Yan Fang was shrewd and experienced... On Red Moon's doorstep, if Red Moon seized upon any pretext of Xinwu infiltration to launch an all-out assault, Senlan would have zero chance of survival. He looked at the speaking Sovereign and said softly, "Regardless of what any of you think, our Senlan must never bear the charge of colluding with Xinwu! In the Red Moon Domain, that is an absolute taboo! Besides, our Dao Lord died at Xinwu's hands... In anyone's eyes, it is impossible for our Senlan to share any ties with Xinwu... Do not go looking for trouble on your own." The Sovereign was slightly taken aback, then nodded. He had merely spoken in frustration. Yan Fang was right. If they truly labeled Wandao and the others as Xinwu agents, Senlan would face immense peril. Although Red Moon gaining a pretext wasn't entirely bad for some, colluding with Xinwu to ambush Red Moon people was a capital crime. By then, it might take the deaths of numerous Sovereigns to appease Red Moon's wrath. Who could guarantee that they themselves wouldn't be the ones sacrificed? Yan Fang added softly, "Our Senlan can be defeated; we can lose... But as long as the Red Moon Domain remains under the control of Red Moon World, and is still called the Red Moon Domain, we must have no entanglements with Xinwu... Xinwu killed multiple rank-seven Sovereigns of theirs; the Lord of Red Moon is overflowing with fury. Do you wish to become the targets of his wrath?" "Wandao was hired by us... He has already been hired, he has already killed, and the World Lord has personally verified him... At this point, let alone the fact that he isn't from Xinwu, even if he were..." The old man paused, then said coldly, "He still isn't!" Everyone present immediately turned solemn! *Even if he were, he still isn't.* They understood the old man's meaning. Right now, there was no need to dwell on Wandao's true background. Even if they had indeed come from Xinwu, they had to be cleared of suspicion, and no further words were permitted. "Elder Yan, we understand!" The rank-five Sovereign had no choice but to nod, though he remained somewhat unreconciled. "However, if this group continues killing indiscriminately, it could easily cause massive trouble!" "Mm." Yan Fang nodded slightly. "Still, it is of little consequence. They are merely a cohort of low-rank Sovereigns, and those they killed were also low-rank! Within Senlan, there are many middle-rank Sovereigns. Even if they keep killing, how many could they possibly eliminate? Besides, Red Moon will certainly not swallow this loss. I expect reinforcements will arrive soon..." At this point, he smiled faintly. "Let us watch quietly for now. Do not be in such a rush to pick sides. What if our Senlan manages to produce a rank-seven on our own?" He looked at the members of the Dao Lord's faction with deep meaning. "You must understand that outsiders will always remain outsiders. Without having performed meritorious service, and facing a bitter enemy like Xinwu that has already slain multiple rank-seven Sovereigns, joining a rank-eight world at this stage is perilous. Everyone admires rank-eight worlds, and so do I. In truth, I would love to join a rank-eight major world, but at this stage, do I dare?" He chuckled softly. "At this stage, are you not afraid of becoming cannon fodder?" "Unless you are like Wandao... just as mad! Isn't Senlan's predicament essentially Red Moon's predicament as well? Though they appear to be in better shape with the Lord of Red Moon still present, do not forget that Wushan of Yunxiao recently killed Hongyu! The Light Godchild is on excellent terms with the Silver Moon King... Two rank-eight universes and one peak rank-seven universe—what if those three worlds truly join forces?" Was Red Moon genuinely that much better off than Senlan? As a rank-six Sovereign, he would have a better chance of attaining rank seven by joining a rank-eight major world! In the past, he had been a supporter of the Dao Lord! Yet now... things were different. He did not wish to join right now. Even if he were to join Red Moon, he hoped it would be after their World Lord broke through to rank seven. Only then would he, as a Senlan rank-six, have any hope of carving out a position as a rank-seven Sovereign within Red Moon World. Otherwise, would Red Moon permit Senlan to cultivate two rank-seven Sovereigns? Once these words were spoken, everyone understood his stance. He supported the World Lord! The Sovereigns from the Dao Lord's lineage had shifts in expression. The two rank-six Sovereigns of Senlan had reached an accord... With that, there was nothing left for them to say. Meanwhile, the rank-five Sovereign from the World Lord's camp looked delighted. "Elder Yan, does this mean we should continue supporting Wandao's group going forward?" Yan Fang pondered for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "Appropriate support remains necessary! We can use them to suppress the arrogance of those outsiders. By borrowing their momentum, we can keep the middle-rank Sovereigns in check... Of course, this will also compel the low-rank rogue cultivators in our realm to band together... In doing so, creating two opposing camps will actually help us stabilize Senlan's situation!" Another Sovereign from the Dao Lord's faction spoke up: "However, the price for their kills is exorbitant! This time, they took away a full one hundred and sixty million Great Dao crystals. Counting the ten million from earlier, that's one hundred and seventy million Great Dao crystals! With enough luck, that could buy two medium worlds!" "Though our Senlan's foundations are relatively deep, we are only a rank-six major world. Burning through resources like this..." Yan Fang chuckled softly. "They exchange dead Sovereigns for money. Are Sovereigns so easy to kill? Are there that many for them to butcher? Besides, more than ten Sovereigns took action, risking their lives. When killing a rank-one Sovereign, the payout averages out to barely a million Great Dao crystals per person... The cost isn't overly extravagant. You can't expect them to work without offering any benefits, can you?" He did not consider this price particularly outrageous. It only seemed high because so many had been slain at once. Over a hundred million was indeed no small sum, and to a middle-rank Sovereign, it was a massive fortune. But... they had many people. Divided among them, it wasn't that much. A little over ten million each—who among the Sovereigns present couldn't scrape together that kind of savings? If you have the capability, go kill some yourselves. "Moreover, this was only the first time... Moving forward, the Sovereigns in Senlan will be on guard. They won't be foolish enough to let themselves be surrounded and slain like that again. Paying a small price on the first occasion also demonstrates Senlan's sincerity!" The assembled Sovereigns pondered this and ultimately held their peace. If they had to spend money, so be it. …… Li Hao naturally knew nothing of Senlan's council. However, when Qian Wuliang returned with those Great Dao crystals, Li Hao understood that Senlan had ultimately chosen to retain them. Otherwise, they wouldn't have handed over so many crystals. At best, they would have stalled! The other party hadn't stalled, nor had they refused. Instead, they had delivered them promptly and cleanly. Such a massive sum of Great Dao crystals could never have been disbursed without the assent of Senlan's two rank-six Sovereigns. "One hundred and seventy million!" Li Hao revealed a smile. It precisely matched what they had harvested from slaying that rank-seven Sovereign, yet the price paid and the risks undertaken were worlds apart! As expected, killing a rank-seven was the worst possible bargain! Unless they were an enemy... killing a rank-seven was simply too unprofitable. If they were a World Lord, it was acceptable; but slaying an ordinary rank-seven who wasn't a World Lord would make anyone weep from regret. Of course, if one killed a rank-seven who possessed both a major world and a Great Dao Universe, the profits would be enormous. Around the fissure, the other Sovereigns also wore expressions of delight. Li Hao swept his gaze over the crowd and spoke: "Our harvest this time is substantial, but everyone understands the situation... One hundred million will be allocated to Qian Wuliang, Hong Yitang, and Black Panther. That is equivalent to devouring an entire medium world. "Of the remaining seventy million, I will take fifty million, and the rest—twenty million—will be shared among everyone for daily cultivation." No one objected. Providing resources to the two Dao Lords and the World Lord was entirely understandable. If those three did not advance, it wouldn't matter how much energy the rest absorbed—it would all be in vain. They couldn't wait for those three to swiftly reach the third rank. Once that happened, Tianji and Xun Ruo could advance straight to the third rank. They had originally been rank-three Sovereigns, held back only by the limits of the two Dao Lords. Tianji was straightforward as well: "It makes no difference whether we absorb energy or cultivate right now; our consumption is negligible. In my view, we might as well give it all to those three!" The other Sovereigns voiced their agreement in turn. As for Li Hao taking a share... no one raised any objections. He was a rank-four Sovereign, unrestricted by the Great Dao Universe. If he could step into the fifth rank, that would be for the best. "Let's leave it at that for now. One hundred million is enough for the three of them to absorb and digest for a while. Reaching the third rank is no great obstacle; ranks one through three are merely a process of accumulating energy!" Li Hao continued, "Only when you break through to the third rank can we better carry out our future plans." Qian Wuliang and the others nodded repeatedly. There was no refusing it! If they didn't reach the third rank, no one else could advance either. Now was not the time for false modesty. At this moment, Hong Yitang sent a mental transmission: "They only investigated you just now. If we reach the third rank... will they come to examine us as well?" Li Hao possessed the ability to conceal himself, but they did not. Moreover, they were Dao Lords. The moment they entered the other party's Great Dao Universe, their respective Great Daos might clash violently. They would be exposed instantly! Previously, Li Hao had stood at the forefront to shield them, so the Senlan World Lord hadn't paid them any heed. But going forward, that wouldn't hold. "Don't worry!" Li Hao replied via voice transmission, "What he currently controls is merely a somewhat damaged rank-six Great Dao Universe! Later, when you truly advance, hand the Dao river over to me, and I will lend you the Dao of a minor world... That will suffice! I can temporarily take custody of the Dao river without leaving any flaws." Li Hao could temporarily assume control of the Dao river and the Great Dao Universe. As long as the Time Star could still be retraced, he could continue taking charge of the Great Dao Universe. However, Li Hao could no longer exercise absolute mastery. Now that the two had stepped into the Sovereign realm, their harmony with the Great Dao Universe was exceptionally high. If Li Hao wanted complete control without their cooperation, it would be difficult. Unless he killed them both. Yet with their consent, utilizing the Time Star to maintain control for a period posed little issue. Furthermore, with the Time Star retraced now, as long as he didn't push things too far and made use of the method to steal heaven and swap the sun, not even chaotic lightning tribulations would manifest. Besides, the true Great Dao Universe wasn't actually here; they merely held sway over the River of Ten Thousand Daos. The authentic Great Dao Universe resided back in the Silver Moon World. Hearing his explanation, Hong Yitang felt somewhat relieved. Otherwise, once exposed, they would have had nowhere to turn. "What about next... Everyone is deeply on guard against us. Should we continue the slaughter?" "Wait!" Li Hao said, "Wait until we digest our harvest! Wouldn't it be a waste not to assimilate what we've gained? Once we digest these gains, we can pick them off one by one!" "Understood!" The group said no more. Soon, all the Great Dao crystals were distributed by Li Hao. The two Dao Lords each received fifty million Great Dao crystals. Since the others declined their share, Li Hao did not stand on ceremony and gave the remaining twenty million to Black Panther. Black Panther was a World Lord who had reached rank two early on, and it had previously devoured the corpse of a rank-three Sovereign. With this additional influx, reaching rank three would pose no problem. Silver Moon had already attained the level of a medium world. These individuals shouldn't have been stuck at their current strength in the first place. What they lacked was merely energy. …… Li Hao did not remain idle either. Fifty million Great Dao crystals was a substantial sum, more than enough to further refine the development of his minor worlds. Furthermore, he needed to provide some support to Lin Hongyu. Lin Hongyu cultivated Life and Death... Li Hao didn't expect her to pioneer much of the Dao of Life and Death on her own; his idea was for her to simply follow his blueprint. She could just emulate his path! Building Life and Death Bridges. If nothing else, once she succeeded in erecting three hundred and sixty bridges, she would reach the pinnacle of the third rank among Life and Death Sovereigns, which was nothing to scoff at. Someone like Lin Hongyu... was in a position akin to Kongji in the past. With a rank-eight father to chart a course, one could simply follow that path without encountering many bottlenecks. Now that Li Hao had become a rank-four Sovereign and his Great Dao river was exceptionally robust, it was more than capable of supporting Lin Hongyu to the third rank. Aside from them... there was one more person. Zhang An! To this day, Zhang An had not even become a Sovereign. That fellow was still cultivating dual Daos—one being the Silver Moon Dao, the other the origin path—and was currently in secluded cultivation within the Dao river. His prolonged inability to step into the Sovereign realm... frankly made him appear somewhat inept. Li Hao took stock of the situation and planned to have a thorough talk with Zhang An after absorbing and digesting these Great Dao crystals. As the grandson of the Supreme, Zhang An possessed vast experience; reaching the Sovereign realm shouldn't have been overly difficult for him. It was just that Zhang An... appeared scholarly and detached on the outside, yet harbored no small ambition within. He stubbornly refused to abandon cultivation of the Great Dao Book; otherwise, he could have stepped into the Sovereign realm long ago. Xinwu's origin path and Silver Moon's new Dao possessed some compatibility, but not overwhelmingly so. Refusing to abandon either, and seeking to fuse the traditions of two distinct Great Dao Universes to break through to the Sovereign realm... was as difficult as ascending to heaven. …… On this day, Li Hao paid no heed to how the outside world guarded against them or judged them. He began cultivating his own path. Within the long sword, the river surged. Li Hao once again opened several minor worlds. Small though they were, they served as his foundation. Until the day when every Dao within the river transformed into a world and every world grew powerful... his Dao would finally reach fruition. As for when he would step into the fifth rank, Li Hao was in no rush. Whether rank four or rank six, in Li Hao's eyes, they were all part of laying a foundation. Letting nature take its course, so long as he had enough domains and his river grew strong enough, he would naturally advance to rank five, or even rank six, throughout this process! Of course, rank seven currently offered little hope. Following his approach, even if he reached rank six and sought to comprehend Yin-Yang and Time... advancing would still prove arduous. He might need to assemble all ten thousand worlds, and furthermore, those worlds might have to fuse together to construct a single unified major world before he could successfully break through to rank seven. Li Hao himself had no idea how long that would take. In the past, he had felt that rank seven was within reach, but now... he would simply have to wait. Inside the Sky Sword, the river rippled. Minor worlds... Li Hao felt embarrassed even calling them that. Tiny domains... little dark rooms began manifesting one after another. Fifty million Great Dao crystals could be traded for five minor worlds! That showed just how rich in energy these Great Dao crystals truly were. Yet on Li Hao's end... each minor world was supplemented a little, and the river was supplemented a little. These minor worlds were all maintaining a single breath, sustaining the circulation of the breathing technique, consuming an immense amount of energy! At times, Li Hao felt he had brought trouble upon himself by insisting on copying the chaos to create myriad worlds. With consumption like this, and without the ability to draw energy entirely from the chaos... how long would it take to nurture these things into genuine domains? …… Within the river. Er Mao watched in silence. Lately, it had been sleeping very little, spending much of its time stabilizing the river. As the domains increased, the river's power was drawn upon in a manner that created slight imbalances, requiring an expert to anchor it. Li Hao lacked the time and energy, so he had no choice but to ask Er Mao for help. Recently, Er Mao had begun finding it a nuisance. Yet it had agreed of its own accord back then, claiming it was a minor matter... Only after doing the work did it realize how bothersome it truly was. A cat in the martial world could not always do as it pleased. Still, watching the minor worlds appear one after another, a trace of pleasure surfaced in Er Mao's eyes. However... there was a problem. Currently, it was only a rank-two Sovereign. Stabilizing the river with that level of strength was growing somewhat taxing. Although Li Hao was still at rank four, he was advancing continuously along that stage. If this continued, ranks five and six would pose no obstacle to Li Hao. By then, if the river still wasn't stable... it might no longer be able to anchor it. *Has Big Cat reached the peak of rank seven now? Maybe it's even close to rank eight?* Er Mao pondered inwardly. Yet... it had merely maintained the strength it held in that past spatial realm, which was already quite formidable, equivalent to an Emperor of that era. Back then, it had been very powerful. Now, however... having entered the chaos, a rank-two cat was simply not strong enough. "Cats... aren't meant for fighting," Er Mao mumbled inwardly. Yet glancing not far away, it saw Lin Hongyu continuously tempering herself with life-and-death aura. All these people were cultivating and advancing. Only itself, ever since reviving, had been sleeping around the clock, as if it had never cultivated at all. "But my... methods of cultivation aren't the same as theirs." Er Mao thought to itself, looking once more at the worlds still being born. *Should I follow Big Cat's path?* That wasn't what it wanted. Big Cat was also itself... yet it had long ceased to be itself. Big Cat was simply Big Cat. Big Cat walked its own path, while it... seemed it shouldn't imitate Big Cat and follow that same road. Otherwise, just as Big Cat carried the Yin-Yang World, Er Mao felt that if it offered to carry this river for Li Hao... Li Hao would probably agree, wouldn't he? Yet if it did that, it would merely be a copy of Big Cat. Though it originated from Big Cat to begin with... Er Mao was unwilling to live as Big Cat's duplicate. Just like the Blood Sovereign, who was unwilling to live as Zhan, and Zhan, who was unwilling for anyone to live as an exact duplicate of himself. "I am the past, and I am the future... I was born from time... I was born from illusion..." Er Mao had always known how it should proceed. It was just that, at times, it didn't really feel like taking that step. Its thoughts were complex, far more so than Big Cat's. Big Cat never bothered thinking about such messy things. Though overwhelmingly powerful, and though it looked fierce and terrifying, Big Cat... actually lived a very pure life. The Human King looked after it remarkably well. At worst, it fought battles and ate fish; everything else seemed just as it had been back then. *In truth, it wasn't Big Cat that changed, but me,* Er Mao reflected. The one who changed had never been Big Cat. Big Cat was still the same as it was back then... It was just that, in Big Cat's eyes, killing people was no different from a cat eating fish—nothing to make a fuss about. *It's me who is truly different.* "Li Hao!" A phantom figure materialized within the river. Li Hao had been busily opening minor worlds, but hearing the call, his projection manifested before Er Mao's eyes, looking somewhat puzzled. "Does Senior need something?" Er Mao rarely approached him of its own accord. Did it want to sleep? Did it find anchoring the river too exhausting? Surely not? Er Mao looked at Li Hao, fell silent for a moment, and said, "This cat is craving fish!" Fish? Li Hao was taken aback, a chill running down his spine. He knew very well what those dried little fish actually were. "Senior... this... how about this: I'll kill a few people later and make them into dried fish..." Er Mao rolled its eyes, its massive orbs brimming with exasperation and disdain. "I'm not Big Cat!" "……" What did that mean? Er Mao fell silent for another moment, then spoke: "I am fundamentally an illusion. Do you understand?" Li Hao blinked, then nodded. He understood. Er Mao was merely Cang Emperor's past, a segment severed from the past. Then the Emperor of Battle Heaven had employed supreme methods to pull that segment directly out of the past into reality, giving birth to Er Mao. To tell the truth, even Li Hao found such methods baffling and awe-inspiring—how could anyone achieve that? An illusion... that part was certainly true. "Then what does Senior mean...?" "I am fundamentally an illusion, not a living being that genuinely originated in the chaos!" Er Mao said softly, "To nourish an illusory entity requires illusory spirits! My ideal sustenance is pure life force..." Li Hao understood. "Killing people and extracting their life force..." "No!" Er Mao grew somewhat annoyed. Why had this fool turned out just like the Human King? Why did he only ever have one thought—that one had to kill people? Exasperated, it said, "Not that kind of life force! A cultivator's life force is ultimately just a drop in the ocean! Do you understand, meow?" "……" Li Hao was stunned. Why was it acting cute all of a sudden? Er Mao realized it had slipped into old habits and quickly reverted to its original tone: "Do you know where life force is purest and most abundant in the chaos?" Li Hao pondered for a moment and answered, "Worlds!" "Correct!" Er Mao nodded. "Furthermore, do you know what kind of world has the most abundant, most delicious life force?" "Major worlds?" "Wrong!" Er Mao shook its head. "Newly born worlds! Do you know why I was able to revive?" Li Hao's eyes flickered. "The instant a world advances, life force is born. In other words, Silver Moon was a newborn world to begin with, and Senior had been continuously drawing upon the power Silver Moon released..." "Correct!" This time, Er Mao nodded. "Therefore, when I want to eat fish, what I eat are pure fish of life! I'm not an omnivore like Big Cat who eats anything. I want to consume the purest life force to project my illusory form into reality! "Right now, I am not actually complete. I have merely revived; I haven't truly descended from the past into the present..." Li Hao pondered this deeply for a long while before speaking: "Then Senior means that I should seek out newborn worlds and extract their world power—is that the kind of fish Senior desires?" This difficulty... was far greater than dealing with Cang Emperor. Cang Emperor ate anything. Kill a Sovereign and turn them into dried fish, and Cang Emperor would eat it with relish. Who knew... Er Mao was such a picky eater! Li Hao had a headache! He had to agree to Er Mao's requests. There was no other way; from the beginning, he had borrowed many things from Er Mao, asking for its help time and again, always claiming it would be the last time. As for Er Mao, it asked for nothing, simply hugging the Time Star without making any demands. Li Hao had constantly been thinking about how to repay it. Today, Er Mao had finally made a request, yet it gave him such a headache. Where was he supposed to find newborn worlds? They were exceedingly rare! Moreover, newborn worlds hid deep within the chaos, shrouded by chaos so that people couldn't detect them. That was a rule of the chaos, designed to protect newborn worlds, just like Silver Moon had been. Er Mao nodded. "The power of such newborn worlds is the best! However, there are substitutes..." Li Hao was delighted. "There are substitutes?" "Yes," Er Mao continued. "World sources!" Li Hao knew what that was. Every world had its own source, just like a Dao source. For example, in the previous dual-Dao universe, the Dao source was the Time Star. Of course, that was no longer the case. Now, the Dao source of the dual-Dao universe was the two Dao Lords' own Great Dao rivers. "World sources... Do major, medium, or minor ones all work?" "They all work!" Er Mao nodded. "They just don't taste as good as the power of newborn worlds, but the effect is similar. However... I can only absorb a portion. I don't need messy impurities. Big Cat eats everything, but I only eat pure source energy." Li Hao smiled wryly. What a pampered master. A picky cat wasn't a good cat. Still, the fact that Er Mao had finally made a request relieved him; it was a good thing. "This... can be done!" Li Hao nodded. "I have a minor world allocated to me earlier that I haven't used yet. Once I finish examining its structure, I'll dismantle the minor world and let Senior absorb the source within it..." Er Mao said softly, "I need a lot!" "……" A minor world sold for ten million Great Dao crystals on the outside, and the crux was that one couldn't buy them just because one wanted to. Moreover, minor worlds were in high demand, usually purchased by rank-three Sovereigns. "How many does Senior want to eat?" Er Mao flicked its tail. "Let's start with ten fish to try." "……" Ten worlds? If they were minor worlds, it wasn't an absurd amount. If they could be bought, one hundred million would suffice. The problem was... they might not be available for purchase! Er Mao added, "After eating ten fish, I can do something for you so you won't take a loss." "What is it?" Li Hao didn't particularly care about taking a loss. In truth, it wasn't really a loss: after buying a minor world, Er Mao would only consume the source within it, while Li Hao could analyze the world's structure and toss the remainder to the two Dao Lords and Black Panther. That wasn't a loss at all. It was just hard to buy. Besides, Er Mao had helped him before. Now that it wanted to eat fish... could he afford to be stingier than the Human King? Whenever the Human King had good things, he fed them to Cang Emperor. Could Li Hao afford to be petty? Er Mao glanced at Li Hao and mumbled, "Feed me until I'm full, and I'll filter the Great Dao river for you." "What?" Er Mao glanced at Li Hao again. "Haven't you traveled through Xinwu? Don't you know what Big Cat's true nature is?" Li Hao froze, casting his mind back. The next instant, understanding dawned! What was Cang Emperor's true nature? Cang Emperor had originally been created by the Heavenly Emperor back then as a trash bin specifically meant to filter out the foul filth of the origin world! The origin universe contained impurities and negative elements—all Great Dao Universes had them, in fact. The Heavenly Emperor had been a towering figure; Cang Emperor had originally been created to purify the entire origin universe! His expression shifted slightly as he looked at Er Mao. Somewhat displeased, Er Mao grumbled, "What are you staring at? This cat is also a past projection of Big Cat. What Big Cat knows, I naturally know as well! I was just too lazy to work for you. If you feed me until I'm full... your river might look pure on the surface, but it's actually an untidy mess. If I help you purify it, your river will attain true purity!" Delight instantly erupted in Li Hao's eyes! Er Mao could help him purify the entire river? Just by eating fish? As for being too lazy to work for him... none of that mattered. Right now, Li Hao's river was indeed chaotic. Coupled with the fact that it was undergoing a period of explosive growth and he was constantly modifying his path, Li Hao had to comb through it every single time because it was simply too cluttered! If Er Mao helped him comb through and purify it directly, Li Hao could save an immeasurable amount of effort. "Ten minor worlds will do?" "Eat ten fish, purify it once for you!" Li Hao didn't care about the restriction—once was enough! Purifying it once would keep it free of clutter for a very long time. Overjoyed, he immediately said, "Good! I'll find a way right away. I don't know if Senlan has enough minor worlds, but if they do... next time, I'll demand minor worlds!" "Mm, that's settled then!" Er Mao paid him no further heed. Turning around, it waved its tail toward Li Hao with its large cat rear facing him, drifting lazily away along the river. A faint trace of bewilderment lingered in its eyes. *Am I truly going to descend into the real chaos?* Once it absorbed enough life force, it would become a genuine creature of the chaos. In truth, it currently possessed a supreme advantage that even Li Hao was unaware of: it was immortal and indestructible! Even if it died, the Blood Sovereign's methods from back then could revive it. Even now, if it perished, it could be revived again just as it had been back then. Yet if it thoroughly transformed into a living creature... dying again would mean resurrecting it would be like resurrecting any other Sovereign—as difficult as ascending to heaven. It would no longer be a matter of nurturing it within a minor world to bring it back. Er Mao didn't know why it had suddenly craved fish. Perhaps it missed the taste of the fish of life? Perhaps it was because it saw that Big Cat raised many fish and even had its own little fish pond, while it had none? Perhaps... it was because, gradually, it wanted to integrate into this world? *Will I forget the Teacher?* *No, I won't!* *It's just that... the Teacher can never come back.* With its rear facing Li Hao, it didn't look at the overjoyed youth. Young people were always so noisy and frantic. The Teacher would never be like this; the Teacher was never like that... Li Hao simply couldn't compare to the Teacher. Its tail gently swayed as a faint Time Star manifested before it. Hugging that tiny Time Star, Er Mao rested its head upon it and drifted off to sleep. *Teacher, maybe... I won't miss you anymore.* Drip, drop. Large tears slid down, flowing into the river. Yet it didn't know why it was crying. Perhaps reviving in Silver Moon was simply its destiny? Behind it, Li Hao glanced back and froze slightly. For a long time, he did not utter another sound.