Heavy Losses

The void trembled. Someone was shifting through the void. Li Hao glanced sideways, his eyes flickering slightly, and swiftly led his companions away. The moment they departed, the void shattered. Three Sovereigns descended! Shihun gave a cold sneer. Their perception was sharp enough. For a newly ascended rank four Sovereign, he really seemed to have some ability, but... how far could they run? "Lord Shihun, should we split up to flank them?" Jingpo asked in a low voice. Pursuing a rank four Sovereign who was carrying a group along was still somewhat tedious. Of course, splitting up would make it much easier. Shihun remained silent for a moment. Should they separate? No matter what, Wandao had slain two rank four Sovereigns. Even if his true combat strength fell short of rank five, the gap was not significant. Separating still held some danger. After considering it briefly, he spoke: "You two work together. Don't split into three—two paths are enough!" Two rank fives! If it were just one, he genuinely worried the enemy might devour them. Even though he was nearby, he feared he might not arrive in time. "Pincer them from front and back, trap them, and kill them!" "Understood!" The two rank five Sovereigns said nothing more. They were not like the previous two rank four Sovereigns; in their hands, even two rank fours fighting together could not rival either one of them alone. The two swiftly flew in another direction. The void rippled as they moved at extreme speed. ... "Hmm?" At that moment, Li Hao was taken aback. Beside him, Kongji was also surprised, giving Li Hao a peculiar look. They had still been discussing how to cleanly slay two rank five Sovereigns without killing the rank six, making the rank six wary yet not overly terrified... Acting, in truth, was exhausting work. Yet... they had split their forces? Kongji wondered, "Why split up?" Li Hao paused, then slowly murmured after a while, "We... overestimated ourselves!" What did that mean? Kongji was momentarily stunned, but soon understood, his expression turning odd. We overestimated ourselves! The two of them felt that killing them would be exceptionally difficult. Two rank fives and a rank six was barely enough... Under such circumstances, why would the enemy split up? Yet... their greatest claimed feat was merely ambushing and slaying two rank four Sovereigns. In the eyes of the Red Moon Sovereigns, why should they fear you? Are you that strong? If two rank five Sovereigns joining hands could not kill a rank four and a flock of low-rank Sovereigns, what was the point of rank five Sovereigns existing? So... they had never anticipated that the enemy would split forces! Yet Red Moon had indeed split up. To them, it was just a flock of weaklings; once cornered, they would surely die! The difference in perspective caused an error in Li Hao's judgment. This was a good thing, but Li Hao and Kongji both felt slightly awkward. Clearly, overestimating their renown had led to a miscalculation in the plan... Perhaps things did not need to be as complicated as they had imagined, such as putting on a show right before the eyes of the rank six. As long as they quickly slaughtered the two rank fives before the rank six arrived... everything would be settled. Li Hao hardly knew whether to laugh or cry. "Fine then. This makes it simpler!" Kongji nodded as well, sighing with emotion. We really took ourselves too seriously. Too bad others didn't think much of us. Next time we should keep in mind that, in the eyes of others, this is just a rabble led by a rank four Sovereign accompanied by a bunch of low-rank Sovereigns. The rank four Li Hao appeared decent, but only decent. It was far from enough to make Sovereigns from a great world feel fear. "Shake off that rank six, dive toward the two rank fives... In a moment, Brother Kongji can finish off one directly, and I'll join hands with the others to kill the other!" This time, there was nothing to hesitate over. Kongji nodded, already barely able to contain his eagerness. These were merely the appetizers. Were it not for the worry that moving too fast might ruin the overarching plan, he would have loved to go all out immediately—unfurling a Nirvana Domain to annihilate them on the spot, while Li Hao unleashed a temporal freeze to lock them solid! In just a couple of moves, all of them would be wiped out. If that still proved insufficient, just as before, they could supply the Sword Venerable with a few bursts of vitality, and the entire Senlan World would be swept clean! Ever since joining hands to slay a rank seven Sovereign, both Li Hao and Kongji had grown rather cocky. And their strength... was indeed sufficient for them to indulge in a bit of cockiness before these opponents. ... "Still running!" Jingpo and Tansheng both sneered. Now that their group of three had split, the two of them coordinated to intercept and corner the prey from another direction. That group was about to collide head-on with them. Behind them, a rank six Sovereign was following closely! Jingpo gave a light chuckle. "A rank four Sovereign weapon—that's quite a treasure. It's said there is even a Dao domain inside. In that sense, it's likely not inferior to a rank five Sovereign weapon. The World Lord wouldn't care for it, but Tansheng, tell me... among the three of us, whoever kills him first, do you think there's hope of claiming it?" A trace of greed flickered in Tansheng's eyes, but he did not speak. He wanted it too. However, it would most likely go to Shihun. This fellow Jingpo clearly had designs on it, but he failed to consider: you are rank five, and the other is rank six—could it ever be your turn? Seeing that he remained silent, Jingpo sent a voice transmission: "Even if we can't keep it, the weapon holds a Dao domain left behind by a rank seven... Comprehending it for a time might be of immense help to us." Only then did Tansheng nod. That was true enough. A rank seven Dao domain... Although Red Moon previously had many rank sevens, rank seven Sovereigns would never casually display their Dao domains for them to admire and study. "Enough talk of that. Slay them first..." Tansheng smiled. "The Great Dao power of a rank four Sovereign is still quite rich. Killing him and dividing the Great Dao power will be our true spoils!" As for other things, that was unlikely. Jingpo nodded. The two accelerated, flying rapidly toward Li Hao and the others' escape route. Across the entire world, surges of aura began to rise. ... In the sky, many people were spectating and waiting. Watching the three mighty Sovereigns swiftly compress the escape circle to a tiny space, many shook their heads. It was over! Boring! It seemed there wouldn't even be a chance to pick up any scraps. They had thought this Wandao might have a trick or two, but... the party behind him might still include a rank seven, though no one knew if they dared show their face here. ... The Senlan Grand Hall. At this moment, many Sovereigns were also watching. Ji Hao frowned slightly. "Should we intervene to stop them?" Yan Fang said nothing. Beside them, a rank five Sovereign said coldly, "Intervene? You want to stop them? Ji Hao, do you have any idea who that is? That is Shihun of Red Moon!" Ji Hao scowled, remaining silent. The scoundrels of the Dao Lord's faction... were truly loathsome. A flock of Sovereigns from Red Moon were hunting down Sovereigns hired by Senlan on their own territory. Regardless of Wandao's true purpose or real identity, at this moment, they represented Senlan. Yet... putting aside whether they could stop them, their attitude at the very least ought to be indignant and condemnatory. Instead, these fellows from the Dao Lord's faction acted as if Red Moon were their master, itching for the Red Moon Sovereigns to butcher Wandao and the others. He felt incensed! As someone of the World Lord's faction, he did not want Wandao and his companions killed, yet at this moment, he was truly powerless. He wanted to talk back, but the other party was a rank five... Just as he was thinking this, Yan Fang's voice reached his ears: "Pay him no heed! It is not that retribution will not come, only that the time has not yet arrived! On the day Senlan advances... all these people will be purged!" Yan Fang's expression remained unchanged, yet Ji Hao's heart jolted! "Just sit and watch... The situation is not that dire. We cannot make a move against Red Moon's people... however, if an unexpected change occurs in a moment, target those meddling experts immediately!" Ji Hao said nothing, his heart still trembling. Was there something he didn't know? The World Lord and Old Yan seemed to be plotting something. And Wandao... might be a crucial link within it. Yan Fang spoke no more, merely observing in silence. He wanted to see just how strong this group was, how many hidden cards they held, and how they intended to lure more rank sixes from Red Moon rather than a rank seven. As he watched, his gaze shifted slightly. That group... was about to clash with the two rank fives! He focused his spirit, utterly still, watching silently. Rank five! Would they die? ... Everyone was watching. The Senlan World Lord and Yan Fang were watching to see how long the two rank fives could survive, while the rogue cultivators and the three great worlds were watching to see how long Wandao could hold out and whether a rank seven would personally appear... Because at this very moment, the two sides were about to collide! Jingpo's laughter rang across heaven and earth, laced with chilliness: "Flee, then! A bunch of clownish buffoons, courting death!" Nowhere left to run, was there? At the same time, Li Hao shouted sharply, "Kill! Slaying them is our only chance of survival! The brave prevail on a narrow path!" Boom! A group of Sovereigns charged toward the two rank fives. The void shattered. Every Sovereign watched with bated breath. Wandao's group truly had nerve; pushed to this brink, even the low-rank Sovereigns dared to charge forward against two rank five Sovereigns of a great world. One had to admit they possessed remarkable grit. "Ha!" Jingpo roared. Suddenly, a soul-shaking force rippled outward, causing the Great Dao to tremble. Aside from Li Hao and Kongji, every member of Li Hao's group showed shock and dread on their faces. It was as if their minds were suppressed and intimidated! Jingpo—Soul Terrifier! On the other side, Tansheng chuckled slyly. His laughter rippled forth alongside the Great Dao power. In the next instant, a thought surfaced in the minds of Qian Wuliang and the others... I don't want to die! I must not die! Faintly, a thought even surfaced: surrender, kill Li Hao, surrender to Red Moon, and preserve our lives. Tansheng—Craving Life! Tansheng Sovereign's Dao was not about cherishing his own life, but making others fear death and crave survival in that instant. The Dao of Red Moon was truly extraordinary. Even though these Sovereigns knew they were bound to win, at least in the present moment... their hearts still could not help but wonder: that is a rank eight great world, what if we lose? We will die! With their minds shaken, the craving for life surged, and their footing grew unsteady. Rank five Sovereigns of a great world were far more formidable than imagined. Among the crowd, even Qian Wuliang wavered, his Great Dao power vibrating as he constantly tried to erode that feeling. He knew he had fallen under an attack, yet it was difficult to suppress the thoughts surfacing in his mind. In that single instant, the two rank five experts of a great world displayed their terrifying might. All low-rank Sovereigns were beneath mention in their eyes. Once their Great Dao power surged, these people were merely lambs awaiting slaughter! A smile appeared on Jingpo's face. Aside from that Wandao, the other Sovereigns were nothing. You think you can besiege us? You... lack the right! The two Sovereigns charged toward Li Hao and the others, intending to take advantage of this opening to eliminate Wandao first. They moved with extreme speed! In nearly the blink of an eye, they appeared right before the group. ... "It's over!" At that moment, everyone shook their heads. The rank six Yu Xiu shook his head, the Sovereigns of the three great worlds shook their heads, and several Sovereigns concealed in the shadows shook their heads as well. Boring! Far too easy. There was no chance for them to make a move. They had wanted to take advantage of the chaos, but Wandao's group was too useless. Of course, the Sovereigns of the Red Moon Great World were simply too powerful; once Red Moon's power appeared, even Sovereigns could be controlled. Within the Great Dao Universe, the Senlan World Lord also shook his head. Boring! With things turning out like this, it would be difficult to judge the true strength of the Divine Son of Bright Light and the Silver Moon King, nor could he determine where the Sword Venerable was hiding. A pity! He had genuinely wanted to test them, if only to have a clear idea in mind. ... The two rank five Sovereigns appeared, both wearing delighted expressions. Jingpo reached out directly toward Li Hao, Red Moon power radiating outward with soul-reaping force. Tansheng, meanwhile, clawed toward the other Sovereigns, aiming to wipe them out completely. Right at that moment, a sword flashed! Flames soared into the sky! Jingpo was not surprised and merely sneered. He knew the other wouldn't be so easily controlled, and the Dao domain had yet to appear. "Let me test the power of your Dao domain!" With a smile on his face, he thought: I've been waiting for you! If the Dao domain on a single sword could suppress him, it wouldn't belong to a rank seven Sovereign, but a rank eight. "As you wish!" Li Hao shouted in a low voice. The Dao domain manifested, and this time, a Fire Domain appeared, noticeably stronger than before. The World of Fire had been refined extensively by Li Hao; during the earlier process of splitting worlds, he had made further improvements to it. As the Dao domain manifested, it was like a fierce tiger pouncing straight toward Jingpo! "Ha!" A sharp roar echoed as Jingpo unleashed his Great Dao power. That soul-shaking force erupted once more, and even the fierce tiger was momentarily intimidated! Yet in the next instant, the tiger roared. Carrying intense killing intent, flames erupted and bore down suppressively. Boom! The collision of Great Daos produced a thunderous roar that echoed across heaven and earth. Jingpo was somewhat surprised. Quite strong indeed—worthy of a rank seven legacy, possessing some genuine skill... Still, it didn't matter. Tansheng would soon finish off the others. Hopefully, I can kill this fellow before he finishes the rest, or Tansheng will mock me. Just as this thought flashed through his mind... Beside him, Tansheng Sovereign, who was in the middle of attacking, suddenly froze. At that exact instant, Kongji, whose expression had remained placid all along, made his move. It was not the Nirvana Domain, nor the power of light, but death energy—an intensely concentrated surge of death energy erupted instantly! Death energy blanketed the entire world in an instant! A formidable aura shook the realm. The void seemed to transform into hell! In the blink of an eye, the death energy coiled around Tansheng, flooding into his body. Tansheng's Dao of Red Moon was completely overridden in an instant. Kongji resembled an emissary of hell, a god of the underworld. He whispered softly, "Craving life and fearing death—you deserve execution!" The death energy spread. In just a blink, Tansheng's life force drained away frantically, his physical body withering until, in an instant, he turned into something akin to an undead creature, his flesh rotting away. His Dao mark was laid bare. Kongji was not the least bit surprised... These people were far too arrogant. A rank five attempting to ambush a rank six, coming so close, and getting covered directly by his death energy—if he didn't die, it would be an insult to Kongji himself. In a single blink, the exposed Red Moon Dao mark was also engulfed by death energy. Tansheng's voice shook with shock: "Rank six!" Impossible! Where did a rank six come from? "Rank six!" "Stop!" At that moment, roars of fury and gasps of shock rang out. The furious roar came from Shihun in the rear, while the shock came from the other Sovereigns. A rank six Sovereign had actually appeared—beneath Wandao Sovereign's banner was a rank six Sovereign... No, perhaps this rank six was the true leader! A Sovereign of the Death path! Too late. Just as Shihun roared and tore through the void in pursuit, Tansheng's Red Moon mark began to rot away inch by inch. Tansheng's phantom appeared, filled with panic and terror, countless thoughts flashing through his mind. Surrender! His Dao of Craving Life was now backfiring upon him. He was accustomed to making others fear death and crave life, but when it came to himself, it was the exact same. Never had he experienced such dread and terror. I don't want to die! Yet... would Kongji pay him any mind? Naturally not. Death materialized as he walked amidst it with effortless grace, his robes fluttering like a true god of death descending upon the mortal world. Lin Hongyu, having just opened her eyes, changed color slightly, thoroughly shaken. The power of death! She also commanded life and death, but facing this man at this moment, she suddenly felt her own power of death was merely a drop in the ocean. The gap was too vast! Pure death energy directly overwhelmed the opponent's Red Moon Great Dao, shattering it in the blink of an eye. He lightly tapped out a finger! Crack! A red moon... no, a black moon suffused with death energy shattered completely in that instant! Tansheng died amidst boundless dread. A mighty rank five Sovereign had lasted only a moment against Kongji before being slain on the spot. Beside him, Jingpo turned pale with fright! Rank six? How could this be! Where did a rank six come from? At the same time, with Tansheng's death, a Great Dao Universe seemed poised to forcefully descend upon the world. ... Within the Great Dao Universe. The Senlan World Lord's expression shifted slightly. In the next instant, he gave a low shout, causing the Great Dao Universe to tremble as the power of myriad Daos gathered. His voice rang out like a great bell: "Red Moon Sovereign, stay your wrath! This is the territory of the Senlan domain. Within the realm, a rank six Death Sovereign took action and slew a rank five Sovereign. There is no need for the Red Moon Sovereign's rescue—my Senlan can handle a rank six Death Sovereign!" "I thank the Red Moon World Lord for his assistance... but Senlan still possesses the power to fight back!" His expression was solemn, yet his voice boomed forth. He made no mention of the fact that the dead Sovereign belonged to Red Moon... Everyone already knew, but what did that matter? At this moment, he used the alliance as an excuse to tell the other not to forcefully descend with his Great Dao Universe. Otherwise... it would be a fight to the death, even if the net failed to break. It was merely a rank six Sovereign, not a rank seven—what reason did you have to descend? Outside the Senlan World, the power of Red Moon surged. The resonance of a Great Dao voice drifted in, carrying a cold detachment: "Senlan World Lord, if Senlan cannot withstand the crisis, Red Moon, as your ally, will provide rescue at any time! There is no need to stand on ceremony with me... As long as you speak the word, Red Moon is more than capable of slaying petty scoundrels!" With that, the Great Dao voice resonated once more: "Though the Senlan World Lord is strong, if a rank seven truly attacks... I worry you will be unable to hold them off. Call upon me at any time!" The Senlan World Lord's voice also boomed outward: "I thank the Red Moon World Lord for his concern! When the necessary moment arrives, Senlan will naturally seek aid. At present, Xinwu's whereabouts are uncertain, so I dare not permit Sovereigns to deploy recklessly, lest Xinwu seize the opportunity!" "..." Red Moon power churned, sweeping across heaven and earth! Yet no further Great Dao voice resonated. In his fury, the Lord of Red Moon ultimately chose not to force his way in. The Senlan World Lord's words had sobered him from his rage—Xinwu! Damn it! Were it not for the fear of Xinwu launching a direct raid, would he ever have allowed this fellow to threaten him? Within the Senlan Great Dao Universe. The Senlan World Lord waited until the Red Moon power fully receded before letting out a sigh of relief. Droplets of sweat actually appeared on his brow; a peak rank six Sovereign was, at this moment, strained to the absolute limit. Because of repeated setbacks, the Lord of Red Moon had grown somewhat unhinged, even attempting a forceful descent! If not for the deterrent of Xinwu... that fellow might truly have charged in. Only now did he have the leisure to continue observing the battle. A single glance left him stunned once more. ... At the exact same time. Following Kongji's slaughter of Tansheng, the Fire Domain on Li Hao's side erupted completely, the roar of a fierce tiger echoing through heaven and earth. Just as Jingpo, terrified, resolved to flee... everyone witnessed an astonishing sight. Outside the Fire Domain, another domain-like presence suddenly surfaced: Water! Water and Fire blending together! In merely a fraction of a second... Boom! As the two opposed Great Dao powers collided, the twin domains abruptly broke apart, the Great Dao power rumbling and detonating directly. The terrifying force of the explosion blew flesh and blood flying from Jingpo's entire body in an instant, even though he was a rank five. The dual polarities of Water and Fire! Jingpo was horrified. This Wandao was a Sovereign of Water and Fire dual polarities, not a pure Fire cultivator! Dual polarity Sovereigns possessed terrifying combat strength to begin with. Coupled with the sudden collision and detonation of the domains, he was severely injured on top of having just been spooked by Kongji. "A Sovereign of Water and Fire!" "Dual polarities..." Cries of shock rang out from the surroundings once more. No wonder this fellow was so formidable; he was not simply a Fire cultivator. Before the cries of shock could fade, a long sword appeared, Water and Fire blending as a single strike slashed down! Boom! A thunderous roar pierced the clouds, and the world violently rippled. A wretched scream rang out as his physical body was torn apart. The power of fused Water and Fire erupted, and with a booming blast, a red moon swiftly fled through the void, attempting to escape! With his physical body destroyed, Jingpo only wanted to flee. However, the moment his Dao mark surfaced and the red moon took flight, his will suddenly trembled. Dread—boundless dread arising from nowhere—welled up from his heart. Not just dread, but terror, soul-loss, and a desperate craving for life... In that instant, it was as if he were perceiving the Dao source of Red Moon... as if he had cycled through countless emotions. In his momentary daze, a faint wisp of death energy crept over... He thought Kongji had acted and grew even more terrified! In the next instant, he snapped back to his senses, realizing the energy was somewhat weaker. Just as this thought emerged, a colossal sword formation crashed down from the sky, overturning heaven and earth. Having already fled some distance, he suddenly realized he was back at his original position—not through time, but via the Heaven-and-Earth-Overturning Sword! Jingpo was paralyzed with terror! Boom! He collided squarely with Li Hao's second Water-Fire strike. Rumble... The Red Moon mark exploded directly! Li Hao reached out, sweeping up the boundless Great Dao power in one grasp. On the other side, Kongji had already cleaned up the aftermath. He glanced at the others, finding the scene slightly peculiar. Qian Wuliang had acted, using emotional power to affect Jingpo whose body had been destroyed; Lin Hongyu had interfered with death energy; Hong Yitang had deployed the Heaven-and-Earth-Overturning Sword to reverse the enemy's direction; and the Black Panther had made a move, swallowing the void to drag the opponent back by force. He had crashed squarely into Li Hao's blade. One could say their coordination was exceptionally seamless. In just an instant, a rank five Sovereign was slain directly by this group. Far faster than anticipated. Kongji had assumed he would still need to step in... In the end, he didn't. In the brief moment he spent collecting some spoils, Jingpo was already dead. The two rank fives had not even lasted ten seconds combined. Behind them, Shihun, who was charging forward, halted abruptly. He did not continue the chase! His face was livid, carrying a trace of shock. A rank six Death Sovereign slaying a rank five was something he could understand—in that instant, Tansheng had been too close to him. But... but Wandao Sovereign, cooperating with a band of weak subordinates, possessed Water-Fire power that, while strong, was at most on par with rank five. Yet combined with several other Sovereigns, they had also instantly slain a rank five! This... was unbelievable! His expression twisted. A rank six Death Sovereign, and a rank four Sovereign capable of killing a rank five... If he pursued them alone, it might simply be suicide. How was this possible! How could this have happened? It was clearly just a rank four leading a band of low-rank Sovereigns, yet two rank five Sovereigns from a great world couldn't even survive three exchanges! ... "Madness!" Among the rogue cultivators, the group of Sovereigns froze. Yu Xiu's expression shifted repeatedly. A rank six Death Sovereign who could instantly kill a rank five, a rank four Sovereign of Water and Fire dual polarities, low-rank Sovereigns who dared attack a rank five... Just what was the origin of these people? So formidable! Even though he was a rank six, his heart trembled at this sight. Those were rank five Sovereigns from a great world! Yet they had been instantly slaughtered. Even if they had underestimated their foes... they died far too quickly. Crucially, the Red Moon World had not descended. He had faintly sensed the movement, but also noted the fluctuations of Senlan's Great Dao Universe. Clearly, the Senlan World Lord was holding his ground as usual, refusing to allow the Red Moon universe to descend. As for why the Lord of Red Moon didn't force his way in... the threat of Xinwu still loomed. Now Red Moon had suffered a colossal loss. Two rank fives dead! The instant that thought surfaced, Li Hao shouted in a low voice, "Kill him!" He and Kongji charged straight toward Shihun! Shihun Sovereign's expression shifted drastically. Bastards! Although he felt he might not necessarily fear them... at this moment, he chose to turn and flee. Simultaneously. The six Sovereigns of the three great worlds all showed a change in expression, tempted to act. Perhaps this was an opportunity... Just as they were about to move, the void rippled, and Yan Fang Sovereign manifested. Saying nothing, he merely stared at them with a frigid gaze. The Sovereigns changed color. Senlan... was going to help them? "Yan Fang..." Yan Fang Sovereign said coldly, "Do you intend to get involved? I reached an agreement with those few... They may hunt Wandao, but they are them, and you are you!" A rank four Sovereign said solemnly, "These people are not simple. Yan Fang Sovereign, a dual-polarity Water-Fire Sovereign, a Death Sovereign... Where did they come from? None of these are ordinary Daos. These people... their origins are suspicious!" "Is that so?" Yan Fang smiled faintly. "That has nothing to do with Senlan. They... are no longer employed by Senlan. My presence here is merely to tell you that this is Senlan territory. You are not Red Moon; you are not permitted to wander freely in Senlan!" It was that simple! He did not even mask his voice, letting it reverberate across the four directions. Li Hao and his group had already been dismissed by them and were no longer in their employ, bearing no relation to them. However, they were currently exercising the authority of Senlan Sovereigns. This is our territory! You are not permitted to roam freely. ... Among the rogue cultivators, Yu Xiu kept silent. His expression was rather grim. Senlan was preparing to act as well. The key point was that anyone with eyes could see Wandao's group was extraordinary. Perhaps a major power backed them from behind. Otherwise, could a nameless rank six Death Sovereign simply pop out of thin air? ... At this moment, several Sovereigns hiding in the shadows all paled. Red Moon had lost two more Sovereigns! In total, the number of Sovereigns Red Moon had lost in Senlan was approaching double digits. Counting the three rogue cultivator brothers, exactly ten Sovereigns had perished. Shihun was fleeing! His expression was exceedingly unsightly. The two behind him were extremely fast. That rank six Death Sovereign's speed was even greater than his own; if this continued, he would be overtaken, and that scoundrel Yan Fang was intimidating the surroundings! Just as he was thinking this, his expression flickered. At that exact instant, a formidable Great Dao power, akin to a descending red moon, surged straight toward Kongji. Kongji's expression shifted, and without a word, his death energy erupted. It was as if a god of death materialized in the sky! It clashed directly against that red moon. With a resounding rumble, two titanic forces erupted. Boom! A shattering blast echoed as an illusory figure appeared with a frosty gaze. Looking sideways at the fleeing Shihun, he barked, "Come back!" Shihun Sovereign was startled, then overjoyed. Wushang Sovereign! This was another rank six Sovereign from Red Moon. He had known the other was lurking in Senlan, but hadn't expected him to show himself... In the next instant, he inwardly groaned. Trouble. Wushang was supposed to remain hidden, yet he had appeared to save him. He couldn't afford to overthink it now. His only path was to redeem himself through merit! Coordinate with Wushang to kill these people. He swiftly turned back! Meanwhile, Kongji transmitted to Li Hao: "Not a weak fellow... I might need to use the dual polarities of Life and Death; otherwise, I won't pose enough of a threat!" Li Hao nodded and transmitted back: "I'll try fusing the Five Elements! Though I may not be able to trade blows with a rank six, I can offer you some support. As long as we can repel them and leave them unable to deal with us—if two aren't enough, and even one more rank six couldn't kill us... then they'll have to send at least two more. That achieves our objective!" "You know how to fuse the Five Elements?" Kongji was somewhat surprised. Li Hao couldn't be bothered with him. From the very beginning, I cultivated the Five Elements, didn't you know? It was just that among the Five Elements, the other three—Earth, Metal, and Wood—were considerably weaker, so the boost from the Five Elements fusion wasn't as massive. At this moment, the two even had leisure to chat. The two Red Moon rank six Sovereigns swiftly converged. Wushang Sovereign, who had just appeared, did not berate him openly, but sent a voice transmission: "Shihun, if you and I cannot take them down... our chance to advance to rank seven will be lost! You bastard, who told you to split forces?" Shihun had grievances he couldn't voice! How could I know a rank six was hiding among them, or that Wandao was a Water-Fire Sovereign? It was you bastards whose intelligence was inaccurate and sent back flawed reports! Moreover, everyone had been on guard against the rank seven Sovereign behind Wandao, so the Red Moon Great World had kept watch outside Senlan to prevent a rank seven from descending. Yet... who knew a top-tier rank six was hiding inside? You blame me? I haven't even blamed you yet! "Wushang, this isn't the time for this... We must take them down, or we're in serious trouble. The rank seven seat is currently vacant; if we fail, the ones laughing at us won't be outsiders, but those bastards back home!" How many rank six Sovereigns were waiting for that opening? If he and Wushang failed, those people would laugh themselves to death. "Join forces and kill them!" Wushang said no more. He had no choice but to show himself; if Shihun were killed, remaining hidden would be useless. Watching multiple Red Moon Sovereigns get slaughtered without doing anything would invite relentless attacks from his rivals back in their realm. The two attacked simultaneously! Great Dao power manifested, and the entire world seemed shrouded by a red moon. Red Moon's Great Dao appeared singular—the power of desire—but in truth, it branched into many distinct types. At this moment, Shihun Sovereign's Great Dao power carried a potent corrosive force, seeming to corrode heaven and earth, Great Daos, and souls alike. As for Wushang Sovereign, his Great Dao power was also extraordinarily formidable; a profound, agonizing sorrow welled up in the hearts of Li Hao and Kongji. Neither of these Sovereigns was weak. Kongji let out a low cry. Death manifested, the god of death descending upon the world. In the next instant, a rich surge of life force erupted, and everyone in the realm felt as if their vitality were being drawn away! Wushang was utterly shocked! "Life and Death!" This was another dual-polarity Sovereign, damn it! Were dual polarities so easily attained? Boom! Life and Death erupted, tearing heaven and earth asunder. The two Sovereigns' Red Moon Daos shook violently. Simultaneously, the power of the Five Elements surfaced as Li Hao struck with his sword, sending the Five Elements churning. This time, they were not as shocked. If one mastered Water and Fire, mastering the other three was not surprising. Furthermore, the other three elements were not overly potent; one could only say Wandao was stronger than expected. As for fusing the Five Elements, the fusion of Water and Fire was the hardest part, so the rest did not inspire as much dread. Even so, Kongji's eruption of strength subjected both of them to immense pressure. Though Li Hao's sword intent was sharp, it remained within tolerable bounds. "Trouble... Wushang, he is a Life-Death Sovereign. We... probably can't take him down!" Shihun grew utterly disheartened in an instant! The two opponents might not necessarily defeat them either, but... this meant the mission had completely failed. If they couldn't take these two down, there would be no way to account for themselves. At this moment, Wushang also cursed inwardly, then let out a low roar: "These two are Xinwu sinners! Yu Xiu, come aid the battle and seize these Xinwu criminals!" In the distance, the rogue cultivator Yu Xiu cursed inwardly. Damn it! You're calling on me to act now? Nobody was blind; these two likely couldn't handle the enemies and wanted others to help because they were reluctant to request more people from Red Moon. Otherwise... even though rank six Sovereigns held high status, failing this time would guarantee neither of them got a shot at the rank seven vacancy! Should he intervene? As Yu Xiu pondered, Yan Fang's calm voice drifted from afar: "Do not speak nonsense! As for Wandao and his companions' identities, Senlan makes no guarantees... but without conclusive proof, nobody should dream of framing Senlan! If it can truly be confirmed they are Xinwu sinners, my Senlan will be the first to step forth and slay them! Our realm's Dao Lord died at the hands of the Xinwu Human King; our hatred is irreconcilable! Wushang, speaking such words... are you trying to make it impossible for Senlan to stand in the chaos?" With righteous indignation, he said coldly, "You fight your battle, and Senlan is willing to provide the arena—that is already the height of magnanimity. If you dare slander Senlan again... are all of Senlan's Sovereigns dead?" Boom! A series of formidable auras erupted in unison. Senlan had no small number of Sovereigns. At this moment, whether from the World Lord's faction or the Dao Lord's faction... all released their auras, shaking the four directions. Even if the Dao Lord's faction was unwilling, they could not show it right now; the World Lord was watching. Besides... the Xinwu Yan Fang mentioned was the nemesis who had slain their Dao Lord. If they did not take a stance now, the Dao Lord's faction would have no standing left; their hatred with Xinwu was irreconcilable! As these Sovereigns unleashed their auras, the entire Senlan Great World grew turbulent. Yu Xiu and the other rogue cultivators breathed a sigh of relief instead. It wasn't that they weren't giving Red Moon face; Senlan had intervened, so they couldn't meddle either. ... Wushang and Shihun were both furious! Wushang's voice was infinitely cold: "Yan Fang!" This move was no different from severing their path to rank seven—a mortal feud. Was Yan Fang looking to die? By intimidating everyone else and forbidding interference, what choice did they have other than seeking aid from Red Moon? Once they sought aid, the mission was a failure, and failures had no right to attain rank seven! Yan Fang did not yield an inch. At this moment, he displayed the true demeanor of a powerhouse, his voice frigid: "This is Senlan! Senlan may be weak, but behind Senlan stand allies such as Red Moon, Tianlan, Cangjiang, and Yueming! You rogue cultivators disrupt Senlan—do you truly believe the four great worlds have no one? Do not force our Senlan World Lord to personally take action and execute you all! Even if there are many rogue cultivators, can you match Senlan's Sovereigns? Can you match the high-rank Sovereigns of the four great worlds?" In an instant, heaven and earth went silent! Many held their breath, saying nothing. Those words... Claiming right in front of Red Moon Sovereigns that Senlan had Red Moon at its back... it was laughably absurd. Yet that was indeed the pretext. Wushang and Shihun were beside themselves with rage! Bastard! If the other party truly sought aid from Red Moon, that would be ideal, as the Lord of Red Moon would descend directly. The crux was that Yan Fang was clearly just being obnoxious; he had no intention of asking Red Moon for help. It was just talk! The two of them alone posed no serious threat to Senlan. While the two were seething with fury, a deafening boom rang out. Kongji merged Life and Death, smashing a stellar body through the heavens. The two red moons shook violently. Kongji seemed genuinely angered! Two bastards, daring to be distracted while fighting us! Courting death! With a massive crash, Great Dao power flooded forth as if free of cost, slamming the two backward repeatedly! Yet the two were delighted! Did this fellow not know this was Senlan? Here, depleted Great Dao power was difficult to recover. To erupt so recklessly... They wanted to wear him down! However, while Kongji unleashed wild outbursts, his recovery speed was frighteningly fast, keeping him near his peak at all times. Moreover, Li Hao was leading the other Sovereigns nearby, harassing them relentlessly... After a round of clashes, both rank six Sovereigns bore injuries and had no choice but to flee! That Life-Death Sovereign left them utterly speechless, damn it. His Great Dao power seemed endless! Not knowing what was going on, they could only guess that the fusion of Life and Death resulted in low consumption and rapid recovery... If the fight dragged on, the two of them would be drained dry first! In truth, Kongji was secretly employing arts of restoration. It was just as they guessed: low consumption, rapid recovery. Unless an expert could kill him in an instant, Kongji feared no one in a battle of attrition. As the two rank six Sovereigns fled in haste, the entire world fell silent. Li Hao's voice echoed in all directions: "If you want to kill us, be prepared to pay the price! Slashing down two rank fives today should show you that your granddaddies aren't easy targets. Fellow Daoist Death and I harbor no ill will toward any faction... We came to Senlan merely to earn a few cultivation resources. Why must you drive us to the wall?" "..." Silence reigned on all sides. Bullshit! Did you really just come to earn money? What a joke! Just for money, you dare slaughter so many Red Moon Sovereigns? A rank six, yet completely unknown in the chaos—heaven only knew where he crawled out from. Only a great world possessed such a foundation. ... Outside the fissure, the two rank six Sovereigns who had fled looked thoroughly miserable. Shihun felt helpless and dejected, sighing, "Joining hands, we still couldn't kill them..." Trouble! Wushang wore a gloomy expression, glaring at him as he said coldly, "You truly deserve to die!" Shihun flared up as well: "It was your intelligence that was faulty! The report you sent back only mentioned a newly ascended rank four. Did you think you could push the blame onto me? A rank six Life-Death Sovereign popped out of nowhere—strictly speaking, Wushang, the greater blame might not be mine!" Trying to pin the blame on me? Dream on! Wushang was furious, yet also helpless. It was the truth. Inaccurate intelligence... was indeed a massive problem. Damn it! He took a deep breath. "Internal bickering is useless. Right now, only by killing this group can we redeem ourselves! A rank six Life-Death Sovereign, a rank four Five Elements Sovereign, plus the Dao domain of a Sovereign weapon... You and I can hardly handle them! Senlan is blocking other Sovereigns from meddling, clearly watching our humiliation... Now, our only choice is to call for reinforcements!" The two exchanged a glance, left with nothing but helplessness. This time, they were in deep trouble. In the eyes of the World Lord, both of them were surely useless trash. Rank seven was likely out of reach! "Call for help!" Shihun shook his head, looking resigned. I didn't want this either! Wushang nodded, and after a long silence, asked morosely, "Who do you think... will come this time?" "Given the World Lord's temperament, after successive failures..." Shihun sneered, "This time, I expect quite a few of our peers will arrive, perhaps... not just to deal with those two!" Senlan might also be targeted. Yan Fang and his people had dared interfere, enraging the World Lord. Even if he didn't descend personally, sending three to five rank sixes would be the bare minimum for Senlan. Wushang nodded. The likelihood was high. Just wait and see! Only... he and Shihun were done for this time. Rank seven would probably have to wait for the next opportunity. ... Meanwhile. As detailed intelligence was transmitted back. The Red Moon Great World. The Lord of Red Moon's aura was chillingly cold. Two more rank fives were dead. Earlier, two rank fours had died, and before that, the Silver Moon King had killed a rank four, while Xinwu had slain three rank sevens... In such a short span of time, Red Moon had lost five mid-rank Sovereigns and three high-rank Sovereigns... Back then, swallowing an entire great world hadn't cost them this many Sovereigns. Red Moon seemed to have fallen on ill fortune lately. After a long silence, he spoke slowly: "A rank six Life-Death Sovereign, a rank four Five Elements Sovereign... Where do you think they came from?" No one answered. It was difficult to judge. "Xinwu?" someone murmured softly. The Lord of Red Moon frowned slightly. "We have a tally on Xinwu's Sovereigns and experts! Given Xinwu's temperament, if they truly had such experts, would they hide them? Furthermore, in the Xinwu world, cultivating Life and Death is exceedingly difficult. Their world was once shattered, dominated by Yin and Yang, suppressing Life and Death..." Xinwu could scarcely produce a Life-Death Sovereign, so that rank six Life-Death Sovereign most likely did not originate from Xinwu. This was something Li Hao and his companions did not know. The Lord of Red Moon, however, knew. In a Yin-Yang world, numerous Sovereigns suffered an imbalance between Life and Death. Under such an imbalance, if a Life-Death Sovereign could still emerge, it would mean their world had achieved complete equilibrium, and they might step directly into a rank eight great world! Therefore, he could almost certainly not be a Sovereign of Xinwu. "Additionally, the fusion of Life and Death did not trigger the Chaos Lightning Tribulation, meaning their fusion of Life and Death isn't truly thorough—merely a superficial imitation!" Saying this, the Lord of Red Moon felt somewhat reassured. After a moment's thought, he said slowly, "Who is willing to go take them down, slay them, and uphold the might of Red Moon?" Seeing that no one spoke, he frowned slightly, waiting no longer, and casually pointed: "You, you, and you... the four of you go together!" Four rank sixes were singled out directly. The other Sovereigns' hearts jolted. Adding the two already there, that made a full six rank six Sovereigns. On the surface, Red Moon only had nine rank six Sovereigns, with a few more in hiding, but those few were striving toward rank seven and could not conveniently act. Seeing that the World Lord had named them directly, the four dared not object, stepping forward to receive the command. "Remember, once you reach Senlan... if Senlan's Sovereigns dare intervene... kill them outright!" The Lord of Red Moon's eyes turned chillingly dark. The others shivered inwardly. Was this... a move to forcefully seize Senlan? "We obey your command!" The Sovereigns swiftly departed. Once they had left, he suddenly sent a voice transmission: "Follow behind them. Do not enter Senlan—remain hidden outside the Senlan domain. If an unexpected development occurs, strike!" "Understood!" The space rippled. Red Moon's sole remaining rank seven Sovereign also departed. The Lord of Red Moon exhaled lightly. He could not easily leave; in truth, it was best that even that rank seven did not leave... yet he had truly been provoked! The Senlan World Lord was also far too arrogant! In that case... they would await the opportunity to forcefully take Senlan. One rank seven working with six rank sixes would be more than enough. "Xinwu... just where are you?" he murmured. Those damned bastards—if they didn't show themselves, he was pinned down. Or should he simply take the Red Moon World and leave this place altogether? Yet if he did... the hegemon of the Red Moon Domain migrating with his entire world would not look good. "Xinwu... just where are they? Why haven't they shown themselves?" He frowned. Those bastards were wildly arrogant and had killed three rank sevens. Logically, he wouldn't even be surprised if they launched a direct assault on Red Moon now, but... their continued absence made him uneasy. "Or... did they go to Tianfang?" he thought to himself. Would the Great Dao Universe of Tianfang truly open? Things had reached a point where he didn't even dare go take a look—truly infuriating. Suppressing the agitation in his heart, he thought: as long as Red Moon produced another rank seven, or they seized Senlan and the Senlan World Lord stepped into rank seven, integrating into their world, he would have no more worries. With two rank sevens holding the fort, he wouldn't fear Xinwu raiding his home. Therefore, whether Senlan could be taken also dictated whether he could move freely. It was a matter of utmost significance; otherwise, sending that rank seven out right now was also quite perilous. The Lord of Red Moon suppressed his racing thoughts. At this stage, he had no other choice.