Finally Seized

The Lord of Red Moon had committed nearly everything at his disposal. Apart from himself—forbidden from leaving as he was bound to guard the world—he had dispatched an entire contingent of powerhouses to Senlan: one rank seven and six rank sixes. In truth, this represented the remaining foundation of Red Moon. Red Moon was exceptionally formidable! Yet no one had foreseen that three rank seven Sovereigns would perish in a single day. That alone was the true root of Red Moon’s grievous wound. If Wushan had not intervened that day, if the Sword Venerable had failed to slay Xingshen, if the Human King had never found the opening for an ambush... Everything had changed on that fateful day. Back then, Red Moon had not even cared for a mere rank six great world. It was far too weak. Even if acquired, accommodating it was troublesome, and devouring it would scarcely bolster the Red Moon World; he had looked down upon rank six great worlds entirely. Yet today was nothing like the past. The Lord of Red Moon gave a self-mocking sneer. A dignified rank eight Sovereign, now setting his sights on a rank six Great Dao universe, had actually... still failed to claim it! Was that not utterly laughable? *Perhaps I should emulate that Xinwu Human King and cast aside the Red Moon World, abandon Red Moon's territories, and discard Red Moon's prestige... An eighth rank Sovereign roaming free as a rogue cultivator...* Could an eighth rank Sovereign become a rogue cultivator? Naturally! At worst, he could directly devour the Red Moon Great World, preserving the realm no longer. By then, the Great Dao universe would anchor wherever he traveled. Yet... could he bear to part with it? Furthermore, a rogue cultivator without a great world lacked the cultivation of countless mortals, deprived of billions of living beings continually nurturing the Great Dao alongside him. Relying on a single individual to expand the Great Dao was extraordinarily arduous. Why did apex powerhouses refuse to become rogue cultivators, insisting on serving as world lords instead? Because... rogue cultivators truly had no future. Billions of living beings cultivating in unison, collectively strengthening your Dao and expanding your world—this was the path universally embraced by supreme experts. Within the Red Moon World, this rank eight realm lord inexplicably found himself harboring such absurd notions. Lately, things had been far too suffocating. He had actually contemplated becoming a rogue cultivator! How preposterous, how ridiculous. An eighth rank overlord! Red Moon had always swept through the chaos without rival, yet merely because of a single setback, he was already entertaining thoughts of giving up. Had the past years gone too smoothly? The Lord of Red Moon shut his eyes. Perhaps... this was not purely due to defeat, but rooted in his Dao. The Red Moon Dao was the Dao of Desires; every manner of emotion was pushed to its absolute zenith. In victory, it was domineering, arrogant, and manic. In defeat, it became despondent, fearful, and panicked. The Red Moon Dao of Desires brought both boon and bane, magnifying every emotion. His recent restlessness, dread, and repeated urges to charge out and abandon his great world were perhaps... the backlash of desires turned inward against him. Taking a deep breath to suppress the unease in his heart, the Lord of Red Moon began cultivating to quell the turbulent restlessness within. Over fifty years ago, he had resolved to wage war on Xinwu, yet now he actually felt a twinge of regret... His amplified emotions relentlessly echoed within him, telling him he should never have provoked Xinwu, never have attacked Xinwu... *All of this is mere delusion. My Dao cannot be so brittle!* Throughout the Red Moon World, the Great Dao was currently in turmoil. A faint ripple of emotion continuously washed over the cultivators within Red Moon's borders—at one moment despondent, the next disappointed, then gripped by panic, only to turn manic shortly thereafter. ... In the Senlan World. After two rank five Sovereigns were slain, the remaining two rank sixes fled beyond the Senlan World. They stationed themselves at the rift Li Hao’s group had previously occupied, neither entering nor departing. Evidently, they had no intention of allowing Li Hao and his companions an easy escape. Eleven rifts and one world gate. Of the twelve exits, three had been sealed earlier, leaving eight rifts and a single gate. Among them, the world gate and five rifts were guarded by Senlan. If Li Hao and his party wished to leave, they could proceed in that direction. However... if Senlan allowed Li Hao and his group to flee at this juncture, they would swiftly face a thunderous strike from the Red Moon Sovereigns. Because of this, as long as the remaining three rifts were guarded, Li Hao and his companions could not depart with ease. This was the sole measure the two rank six Sovereigns could manage for now. At the same time, they were actively liaising with rogue cultivators and Sovereigns from the three great worlds. Furthermore, near Senlan were several lords of medium worlds who had not entered Senlan; these individuals were likewise prime targets for recruitment. The two Sovereigns harbored great hope of resolving Li Hao and his entourage independently before Red Moon’s reinforcements arrived. If they succeeded, their prior troubles would cease to be an issue. In an instant, the entire Senlan World—and the regions beyond—bustled with activity. Sovereigns came and went, many already initiating contact with Red Moon. A great world, a rank eight great world—even if it had suffered catastrophic losses—remained an eighth rank entity. Rogue cultivators were still keenly interested. ... Atop a towering mountain. Li Hao and his group rested temporarily. Having slain two rank five Sovereigns, Senlan ceased providing Great Dao crystals. Whether they were out of stock or held back out of fear of Red Moon was uncertain; although Senlan’s Sovereigns had intimidated the Red Moon faction this time, they dared not press any further. Consequently, they publicly declared the termination of their retainer agreement with Li Hao’s party. Since the agreement was terminated, the payment naturally did not need to be made. Li Hao remained composed, but Tianji was rather disgruntled. "Senlan really knows how to calculate. Two rank fives—going by the prior rates, that should be worth at least a hundred million Great Dao crystals, or even two hundred million! Now, with a single sentence terminating the contract, they dismiss us just like that!" Watching earned wealth slip through his fingers left him thoroughly annoyed. The people of Xinwu were meticulous accountants. They would never demand extra, but they absolutely would not accept a coin less. Li Hao chuckled. "They might not even be able to produce that much anymore." "How could that be?" Tianji dismissed the notion. "They are an established great world, after all. Though weak, their accumulations over the years are immense. Do not underestimate them. They aren't Xinwu, nor are they Silver Moon!" Those two had existed for far too brief a period. Under normal circumstances, an old world's reserves were bound to be vast. Having stood for hundreds of thousands or even millions of years, a great world like Senlan—constrained by the limited number of Sovereigns it could accommodate—naturally halted progress for those below, keeping consumption low. The world continually operated, drawing in the energy of chaos. Over extensive spans of time, an established great world accumulated mountains of Great Dao crystals. Senlan certainly had them! Li Hao smiled and nodded. "They definitely have some left, but... to advance to rank seven, the moment one breaks through, the Great Dao universe must instantly replenish its vast reserves of Great Dao power. Otherwise, he will possess the realm of rank seven without the actual combat strength of one." Senlan undoubtedly possessed deep reserves, but Li Hao also knew that the Senlan World Lord yearned to break through. In that case... it was only natural for a single advancement to drain the world's accumulated hoard dry. "You..." Tianji fell silent, saying no more. If Li Hao wasn't anxious, why should he be? He simply felt it a shame. Had this been the Human King, he would have flown into a rage long ago and marched straight to their doorstep to chop them down for daring to withhold payment! Li Hao truly did not mind all that much. Two hundred million Great Dao crystals? Even three hundred million—what of it? Truth be told, Great Dao crystals were undeniably useful as sources of energy and condensed Great Dao power... but even if Li Hao were handed a billion right now, he might not successfully step into rank five. Giving Qian Wuliang and the others even more would not guarantee a forced breakthrough into rank four. At times, pure energy was not the sole deciding factor. Naturally, had Senlan handed it over, all the better; since they had not... it could be addressed later. If things went smoothly, he would let it slide. If Senlan stirred up trouble down the line, they would repay it a hundredfold sooner or later. If Senlan cooperated with him to plunder Red Moon, Li Hao genuinely would not care about a paltry two hundred million Great Dao crystals. "How many rank six Sovereigns will Red Moon send this time?" He glanced at Kongji and asked further, "Will that remaining rank seven come?" Kongji shook his head. It was difficult to say. Impossible to judge! Though he was the son of a rank eight Sovereign, he was not one himself and could not fully fathom how a rank eight thought. Moreover, every apex Sovereign possessed their own habits. Were it Xinwu... they would have swarmed over in a single wave. As for Red Moon, having lived for so long, they might act far more cautiously. Li Hao lightly tapped his leg and gazed beyond the heavens. Earlier, the Senlan World Lord appeared to have had a brief clash with the Lord of Red Moon... which signified that the Lord of Red Moon might have truly been provoked. The issue was that an eighth rank Sovereign becoming enraged over the deaths of two rank five Sovereigns... was not quite the outcome Li Hao wished to see. He was now concerned that if several rank six Sovereigns were slain, the Lord of Red Moon might genuinely intervene in person. The other party... having lost three rank sevens previously, might already be on the verge of erupting. He looked toward Qian Wuliang. "Wuliang, when the Dao of Desires is cultivated to the absolute peak, does one's self-control grow stronger, or weaker?" Qian Wuliang froze. Li Hao had not consulted him on such momentous matters in a long time. Pondering deeply, he replied cautiously, "I cannot judge an eighth rank Sovereign. As for myself, since I am not invincible, I am... rather more cautious, considering far more before taking action." This was the honest truth. He dared not deceive Li Hao, adding after a moment of thought, "However, if I were an overlord invincible under the heavens... emotions and desires are not entirely identical, yet they share common traits. At that stage, intense emotional outbursts might occur far more readily!" Li Hao rubbed his brow. "In other words, if we truly slay several rank sixes this time, he might genuinely disregard everything and descend in person. We previously considered that when the Senlan World Lord advances to rank seven, Red Moon would stay behind to suppress him... But what if he feels his authority has been gravely insulted and ignores the Senlan World Lord entirely, choosing instead to hunt us down?" He had considered this possibility before, yet logically, suppressing the Senlan World Lord should take priority for Red Moon's overall strategy. What if? What if the Lord of Red Moon simply could not hold back? Why did this thought surface now? Because Li Hao had merely killed two rank five Sovereigns, yet the man had already attempted to descend, only to be rebuffed by the Senlan World Lord. This indicated that this rank eight was not as profound and calculating as imagined, but rather easily provoked! That was only over rank fives. Once multiple rank sixes died, could he still restrain himself? This initial probe had left Li Hao with a growing sense of unease. Kongji had not paid it much heed, but hearing this, he furrowed his brows in slight perplexity. "The Lord of Red Moon is an apex rank eight Sovereign, after all... Lately, he has indeed been somewhat irritable. He seeks to descend over the death of a single rank five, threatening to descend at every turn. For a Sovereign of his caliber, honestly, what if all his rank fives die? What if all his rank sixes perish?" *Your home lair is hardly secure, yet you itch to descend outside day in and day out. What are you playing at?* Qian Wuliang chimed in softly, "He might be suffering from the backlash of desire! Red Moon’s desire is not just a single Dao, but many branches of Dao. With several rank sevens dead, there are fewer experts to suppress those negative Daos of desire. Now he bears it all alone, making it far easier to lose control." Li Hao nodded. Without lingering on the topic, since things had progressed to this stage and there was no turning back, he said, "Then we must prepare for a more dangerous contingency: if rank six Sovereigns are killed and he descends, targeting us instead of suppressing the Senlan World Lord... how do we escape from the hands of a rank eight?" He placed no hopes on the others, looking directly at Kongji. Kongji felt a headache coming on. *Why look at me?* *Have my father come?* *Yet... if my father comes, that brings trouble of its own. This is not the Tianfang Region, but the Red Moon Region. Descending into their home territory—setting aside whether he would come at all—even if he arrived, would he truly wage war against a frenzied rank eight?* "Xinwu!" Kongji said. Only Xinwu remained. Li Hao looked thoughtful and nodded. Indeed, only Xinwu would instill caution in him... "Then we need an additional arrangement!" Li Hao stated, "Yet the only apex Xinwu expert present is the Sword Venerable. We likely need another Xinwu powerhouse who, when Red Moon descends... strikes the Red Moon homeland or deters the Lord of Red Moon across the void, making him hesitate to pursue rashly!" They had to fabricate another deception! How? In an instant, Li Hao thought of the Supreme from before... and of Er Mao... If Er Mao posed as the Cang Emperor, who would pose as the Supreme? Zhang An! However, Zhang An was not even a Sovereign; he was far too weak. Posing before a rank eight—even across the void—would scarcely withstand an instantaneous probe. Er Mao, on the other hand, had a chance; Er Mao was remarkably mysterious. Ordinary Sovereigns could detect nothing from him. To prevent that scenario, perhaps Er Mao and the others would need to step forward and deliver a deterrence... At the same time, this would leave the Lord of Red Moon with further suspicions afterward—namely, that the figure who had deterred him was not a Xinwu powerhouse at all, but an impostor, thereby prompting him to leave Red Moon. Otherwise, if Xinwu showed no sign of movement, that fellow might never dare leave. Li Hao had no idea when Xinwu would make its move. One thought after another surfaced. At this moment, Li Hao formed a preliminary plan. Er Mao would likely have to do some work, while Zhang An... had yet to step into the Sovereign realm and was far too weak. Lately, Li Hao dared not even let him show his face. Surrounded entirely by Sovereigns, any stray clash could annihilate him. Allowing the grandson of Xinwu's Supreme to perish here would be impossible to answer for. Zhang An's Great Dao Book bore the closest resemblance to the Supreme's! Yet his Great Dao Book was too frail. However... what if myriad worlds manifested within the Great Dao Book? Would it still be weak? Hardly! Even if it appeared faint, with myriad worlds manifesting within the Great Dao Book, pulling off the deception was feasible. On one side was the Xinwu world where the Cang Emperor resided, on the other was the easily suppressible Senlan World. On one side, the Cang Emperor might borrow the Human King's power, combining their strengths to battle a rank eight... while on the other, suppressing Senlan would bolster Red Moon... Faced with such a choice, no matter how furious the Lord of Red Moon became, he would not lightly pursue them. "While the Red Moon Sovereigns have yet to arrive... I will go speak with Senior Zhang An!" Li Hao glanced at Tianji. "Would Senior like to accompany me?" "Why would I go see him?" Tianji said, exasperated. He had no intention of going. Li Hao was puzzled. *What, do you find Zhang An displeasing?* Tianji could not be bothered to explain. *Even seeing his grandfather annoys me; if I see his grandson, I might not resist thrashing him. Killing or crippling him would only bring trouble. Less trouble is better than more, so forget it—I have no interest in seeing that kid Zhang An.* ... Within the Dao river. Zhang An remained in secluded cultivation. Was he anxious? Extremely! The path of a Sovereign was exceedingly arduous. Or rather, the ordinary Sovereign path was straightforward, but having witnessed so much, his ambitions were immense. In the past, there had been his grandfather and the Human King; later, there were Li Hao and his peers. The Sovereigns of Silver Moon were either Dao Lords or world lords; at the very least, Lin Hongyu cultivated Life and Death. Could he resign himself to becoming an ordinary Sovereign? He could not! Had he been willing, he would have broken through long ago. Yet he refused to resign himself, clinging to his Great Dao Book while continuing to cultivate the myriad Daos of Xinwu. Simultaneously, he cultivated the Dao of Silver Moon. Fortunately, the two universes were relatively harmonious; otherwise, a clash would have erupted long ago. Yet at this juncture... attempting to fuse the Daos of two worlds was simply too daunting. Having stepped into the half-step Sovereign realm, he remained stuck here, unable to advance an inch, which left him utterly disheartened! *Was I wrong?* *I lack the talent of my grandfather and his peers, their opportunities, and their decisiveness. If I insist on walking such an intricate path, can I truly succeed?* Many of Xinwu's Sovereigns had already stepped into the middle ranks. Back then, fellow classmates and colleagues who had served alongside him had now attained Sovereign status. As the Supreme's grandson, what about him? He still lingered at the half-step Sovereign level. Now having stepped out of Silver Moon, he seemed just as insignificant as he had been in the past. Dejection, loss, unwillingness... a flood of emotions gathered in his heart. When Li Hao laid eyes on Zhang An, he was momentarily taken aback. Zhang An seemed on the verge of Qi deviation. This was... a deviation born of cultivation! "Senior Zhang!" A low shout resonated across the Dao river. Zhang An opened his eyes and saw Li Hao. His gaze flickered before he rose, sighed softly, and spoke: "Pardon the embarrassing sight." Li Hao looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly. "Senior has always seemed serene to me. Why... why must you push yourself to this?" Merging the Daos of two universes... no, two worlds, was simply too difficult. Li Hao considered himself reasonably talented... yet while he would consider swallowing a world, he would never contemplate fusing the Daos of two separate worlds. Zhang An fell silent. Li Hao watched him. After a long while, Zhang An chuckled self-deprecatingly in defeat. "I feel... my talent falls short of many, and my strength is inferior to many. If I follow the standard path, how can I ever keep pace with everyone? Thus, I thought... perhaps I should walk a unique Dao. That way, perhaps I could swiftly cross into rank four, or even rank seven!" When mentioning rank seven, he seemed somewhat excited, agitated, his eyes flickering with an inexplicable light. Li Hao paused. "Rank seven?" "Yes, rank seven!" Zhang An nodded with deep solemnity. "Rank seven is an overlord!" *An overlord?* *You want to be an overlord?* *No, you are not that kind of person.* Li Hao furrowed his brows slightly, studying him for a moment. Having once traveled through Zhang An's past, he seemed to suddenly understand something. In his memories, the Human King's sister had a single phrase constantly on her lips: *My brother this, my brother that.* Adoration, yearning, admiration, fanaticism... The rank seven Human King! Li Hao seemed to grasp the truth. Looking at Zhang An with a hint of pity, he thought: *That sister of the Human King is fiercely wild because of her brother. What about her captivated you so?* *Moreover, Zhang An was often thrashed by her... Did he develop an addiction to being beaten?* Only now did he truly comprehend Zhang An's mindset. Following the standard path... how could he ever catch her eye or move her heart? Her brother was an incomparably arrogant overlord, the Human King. Whether the Supreme or the Sword Venerable, all doted upon her, and the Cang Emperor was kept by her like a pet... though in truth, the Cang Emperor kept her as a chef, which amounted to the same thing. Having seen so many extraordinary men, when one possessed such an exceptional brother, she would naturally draw comparisons when choosing a companion. Yet across the vast chaos, how many could compare to the Human King? No matter how one disparaged the Human King, he remained an invincible overlord who swept across the realms. For Zhang An to aspire to become the Human King's brother-in-law... was truly a mad ambition. At this moment, Li Hao understood his mental knot. Becoming a Sovereign through standard means would earn him no respect; attempting an unconventional route to achieve something unique was beyond his power. Fusing the Daos of two worlds was perhaps his sole chance to ascend to the heavens in a single leap. Even knowing the hopes were slim, he stubbornly persisted. Even knowing that abandoning one Dao would allow him to immediately become a Sovereign, he remained unwilling and resentful, lingering in stalemate... seemingly prepared to wait until the end of his days. It was not that he was ignorant—he knew full well! Zhang An understood completely. He was an instructor himself, a teacher and dean of academic affairs at Yuanping Martial Arts University. How could he not understand? He understood everything. He was simply unwilling to accept reality. The tragedy of a lovesick man—and worse still, the woman herself was stronger than him. "Senior wishes to attain rank seven to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Human King?" Zhang An chuckled awkwardly. "Not shoulder to shoulder. I recognize that I am far inferior to the Human King. I... I merely thought that if I could reach rank seven, I would at least become a pillar of Xinwu! No longer merely the 'Supreme's grandson' that everyone mentions in passing." In other words, people would no longer say Zhang An possessed only an empty title without matching strength and status. Put another way, when a certain someone bragged about what her brother had achieved... he would have the standing to chime in: *"The Human King is indeed formidable; just yesterday we discussed the Dao, and such and such..."* He would no longer feel inexplicable fear and trepidation whenever the Human King's name was uttered. He did not expect to surpass the Human King, but at the very least, he wished to hold some standing before him... Li Hao smiled wryly. This... Zhang An’s preoccupation was truly helpless. This problem was terribly difficult to solve. What kind of man was the Human King? Even Li Hao dared not claim he would one day surpass the Human King, let alone have the ability to help Zhang An surpass him. "So, you merely wish to attain rank seven, and it does not necessarily have to be an unconventional rank seven, correct?" "Without being unconventional, can one reach rank seven?" Zhang An asked helplessly, looking at Li Hao. *Which rank seven isn't unique!* Li Hao smiled. "Not necessarily. Some rank sevens from rank eight great worlds are actually quite mediocre. Simply by being the confidants of rank eight realm lords, supported by the full might of an eighth rank great world, they can naturally be ground into rank sevens! Or by simply seizing a rank seven Great Dao universe, one can also hope to attain rank seven. The path to rank seven is not limited to a single road." The logic was sound, yet... it was thoroughly unrealistic. *How am I supposed to seize a rank seven Great Dao universe?* *Gathering the full might of an eighth rank Great Dao universe to nurture me... Even if you, Li Hao, become a rank eight, you aren't the Silver Moon Lord, and that Dao river of yours doesn't accept outsiders anymore.* Li Hao continued, "Blind seclusion is not a long-term solution, and current opportunities are rare... Senior and I became acquainted early on, but I cannot promise to endlessly procure resources for you without cause... In truth, I don't even have enough for myself." Li Hao said earnestly, "Now, the chaos is shifting. Red Moon is our common enemy, but also our opportunity! This time, I may require Senior's assistance, but you must at least reach the Sovereign realm to coordinate with me; otherwise... you lack the qualifications!" "If Senior is determined to pursue the fusion of dual Daos before advancing, then forget this venture. In the future, Senior may continue meditating in seclusion, and my Silver Moon Dao will remain open to you." "However, if Senior makes a choice this time, abandons one Dao, advances to Sovereign, and coordinates with our plan, the harvest should be substantial. I cannot promise you a swift ascent to rank seven, but the peak of rank three is well within reach! Opportunities will surely present themselves later; the path must simply be walked step by step!" Zhang An was momentarily dazed. Having persisted for so long... was he to give up now? Li Hao added, "Does Senior still remember Li Daoheng?" Zhang An paused. Of course he did; it had barely been any time. "Had Li Daoheng not aimed too high and pursued too much, he could have stepped into the Sovereign realm long ago. If he had become a Sovereign earlier instead of waiting for the Silver Moon Great Dao universe to manifest, slaying Sovereign Shigu early on to liberate Silver Moon, he would have been at least a rank two or three Sovereign by then!" "Having rendered great merit, he could have returned to Xinwu to participate in the war against Red Moon. Now that Xinwu has conquered great worlds, rewarding merit accordingly, he could have forcibly broken into rank four. His comprehension of the Dao was formidable; even rank five or six was within reach!" "He was someone valued by the Sword Venerable, who can now rival a rank seven! Once the Sword Venerable formally steps into rank seven, with his guidance and immense strength, should he establish his own universe, Li Daoheng entering the Sword Venerable's universe would make reaching rank six effortless!" Li Hao continued, "By then, would he have died in Silver Moon as he did, dying so pathetically? The Sword Venerable has no powerful descendants, and as the Human King's half-master, the Human King would surely value such a valiant general. Once a rank seven great universe was conquered, that might well have been his opportunity to enter rank seven!" He had laid out an entire alternate path for Li Daoheng. According to his words, rank seven was difficult, but rank six... had truly been well within reach, with immense promise. Li Daoheng's talent had never been lacking. He could be considered among the most elite figures of Xinwu's later generation. His family background was illustrious as well! He possessed talent, lineage, strength, and capability... yet in Silver Moon, he insisted on scheming for more, only to end up with nothing. Mapping this onto himself... Zhang An felt a wave of dizziness. He... had been trending down Li Daoheng's path. Furthermore, through his recent cultivation, his mentality had already begun to unravel. Just like Li Daoheng, he refused to live in the shadow of others or be looked down upon. Li Daoheng had once remarked that Zhang An was remarkably similar to him, though Zhang An had one saving grace: he could still rein in his inner desires and uphold his principles. Thus, over a hundred thousand years, Zhang An had never degenerated. Yet now, not long after leaving Silver Moon, Zhang An's balance was slipping. Having once watched the Human King rise, he was now watching Li Hao rise, throwing his composure into disarray. Zhang An closed his eyes in silence. Seeing this, Li Hao struck with a ruthless blow: "Senior, Principal Fang Yuan favors decisive men. She idolizes a peerlessly domineering figure like her brother, someone who means what he says and acts without hesitation, remaining a hero in her eyes even in failure! In Xinwu parlance, a timid, effeminate man like Senior catching Principal Fang Yuan's eye... would mean she was blind! Xinwu has only one style: fight for it!" "You..." Zhang An bristled with anger! Yet a moment later, he let out a wry laugh. True enough. *Effeminate?* *Could... could I truly be described as such?* Not strictly so, but in the context of Xinwu, perhaps... perhaps one could indeed say that. He felt utterly helpless. "I know, but..." Li Hao sighed. "Add a 'but', and Senior has no hope left!" Zhang An was rendered speechless. After a long while, he spoke: "If I advance to Sovereign now and swiftly reach rank three... in Silver Moon, I would be shackled by the Dao Lord, but if I walk the Dao of Xinwu..." Zhang An exhaled. "First, the Origin Universe is not here. Second, even if it were, as a newly ascended Sovereign, securing a high position would be difficult..." Li Hao considered this briefly. "No matter. I believe Xinwu’s breakthrough to rank eight is just around the corner! Senior currently fears being shackled by Silver Moon while worrying over Xinwu's origin... That is fine; I will lend Senior a hand. I will temporarily anchor Senior's Dao in my river, which conveniently allows you to comprehend different Daos!" "What?" Li Hao smiled. "Ten thousand Daos!" What ten thousand Daos? "The Daos of myriad worlds!" Zhang An grew even more bewildered. Li Hao chuckled. "A single Great Dao Book carrying the Daos of myriad worlds! Frankly speaking, were it not for needing Senior's help, generous as I may be, my Dao is not yet perfected, and others would not easily glimpse it! Yet today, an exceptional opportunity presents itself. Senior, such a chance may... come only once!" He was speaking the truth. His Dao was not yet complete. He was not stingy, but at this stage, he would not lightly open it to outsiders. Yet if Zhang An was to successfully impersonate the Supreme, the Great Dao Book carrying the Daos of myriad worlds offered the best prospect. Zhang An would thus seize the chance to peer into Li Hao's Dao—a tremendous fortune! At any other time, Li Hao would never have opened the River of Ten Thousand Daos to Zhang An so readily. Zhang An froze, his expression shifting. At this moment, a resolve seemed to form within him. Gritting his teeth, he nodded. "I... will attain the Dao!" He took a deep breath. "I shall first attain the Sovereign realm through the Origin Dao. Naturally, unable to merge into the Origin, I can only temporarily reside in your river, which also averts Xinwu's lightning tribulation! Rest assured, when I rendezvous with Xinwu, I will withdraw from the river and not put you in a difficult spot." "Senior has decided?" Li Hao was surprised. A man like Zhang An was extraordinarily resolute; otherwise, he would not have persisted for so long. Though he had pressed him with arguments, Zhang An had agreed surprisingly swiftly. Zhang An glanced at him, speaking sullenly after a long pause, "Because I realized something..." "What?" "You haven't even achieved peerless invincibility, yet you managed to secure a wife. You clearly possess some tricks. Perhaps... I should heed your advice!" "..." *What kind of nonsense is that?* Li Hao was stunned. Zhang An paid him no heed; that was genuinely his line of thought. Li Hao appeared detached and devoid of desires on the surface, but in truth, he was remarkably adept at drawing people in. Even the Human King had not taken a wife before attaining peerless invincibility. Look at Li Hao: effortlessly landing a fiancée, with a line of admirers waiting behind her... Li Hao was left speechless. Had Zhang An suffered Qi deviation? What was going through this fellow’s head? Seeing Li Hao's baffled expression, Zhang An suddenly laughed. "Just a joke. In truth, I have been pondering this myself lately. To be frank, seeing everyone advance by leaps and bounds dealt me quite a blow! Watching Hong Yitang and the others rise from weakness, step by step, straight to rank three Sovereigns in the blink of an eye... I genuinely could not sit still any longer. If this continued, I truly would have fallen into Qi deviation!" He sighed softly. "At this stage, I must make a choice; otherwise... I would truly succumb to inner demons, becoming the Zhang family's Li Daoheng and bringing shame upon the Zhang clan... That would fail my grandfather, and fail my father even more!" The Zhang family was a lineage of loyalty and righteousness. He had indeed felt his own internal changes. His mental state was on the brink of complete collapse. Now that Li Hao had presented him with a choice—an exceptionally favorable one... he naturally had to seize it. Just as Li Hao had said: if you missed this opportunity, could you ever expect another? He looked toward Li Hao. "I also wish to see what this Dao of myriad worlds is, and how it compares to my Great Dao Book." A trace of pride surfaced unexpectedly. His Great Dao Book was extraordinary! Li Hao glanced at him, offering a dry chuckle after a pause without saying much. *If you said the Supreme's Great Dao Book was formidable, I would concede... Yours... You gathered many Daos, but the key is that you aren't particularly proficient in any of them.* *What is there to swagger about?* *Is Zhang An trying to reclaim a bit of pride before me?* "Then let us quicken the pace. The Red Moon Sovereigns could arrive at any moment, and I still need to arrange Senior's deployment... It will take some time; we can talk as we go. This mission is no light task—deceiving an eighth rank Sovereign! If we don't need to deploy it, wonderful; if we do... Senior must consider the consequences of exposure: being instantly torn to shreds!" Deceiving an eighth rank Sovereign! Zhang An’s heart jolted! "You mean..." "The old playbook. Just like when we opened the Silver Moon Star Gate and impersonated Xinwu, only this time it will be far more thrilling! We may need Senior to deter the eighth rank Lord of Red Moon by directly posing as the Xinwu world! You will pose as your grandfather, and Er Mao will pose as the Cang Emperor..." *Damn it!* Zhang An suddenly felt a pang of regret. *Are we playing this big?* "A rank eight..." "What is there to fear! Senior, you wish to rapidly reach rank seven—do meat pies just fall from the sky without taking risks?" Zhang An said helplessly, "That isn't it. It's just that pulling off the disguise will be exceedingly difficult. My grandfather is at least at the peak of rank six, not to mention the Cang Emperor is at the peak of rank seven..." "No matter. With the enhancement of time, and Senior Er Mao being naturally mysterious and impervious to probing, as long as you act convincingly, there won't be much issue. A Great Dao Book carrying myriad worlds... one glance, and good heavens, that looks beyond rank six, exceeding even rank seven!" *Is that so?* Zhang An smiled wryly. *Fine, whatever you say.* *This truly is thrilling enough!* ... Upon entering the Great Dao River and gazing at the small worlds floating within... Zhang An froze, glancing at Li Hao. Li Hao did not linger, saying, "Senior may examine them first before beginning your breakthrough. I will not keep you company!" "You..." "Go take a look first. I have to speak with Senior Er Mao." *Very well!* Zhang An's curiosity was thoroughly piqued, and he flew swiftly toward those small worlds. Meanwhile, Li Hao moved swiftly downriver along the current, calling out, "Senior Er Mao!" "..." After a long pause, at the river's end, a cat materialized, drifting with its massive body. It soon appeared before Li Hao, looking somewhat disgruntled. *I told you, this cat wishes to slumber.* *Why are you here again?* "Senior... I need Senior's help with a small matter: impersonating the Cang Emperor and coordinating with Senior Zhang An to pose as Xinwu! Senior doesn't need to do much—just clamor a few times across the void, and that will be that." Er Mao stared at him. *You call this a small matter?* *The target of that clamoring is a rank eight, isn't it?* *You call that a small matter?* *What a wretched fellow!* *Just because I ate your fish, you truly show no courtesy now!* Glancing at Zhang An in the distance, who appeared to have been completely sweet-talked... hoodwinking a rank eight... only Li Hao would dare conceive such a thing! Er Mao said in exasperation, "The power of a rank eight is beyond imagination. If even the slightest flaw is detected... we will all die!" Li Hao nodded. "Indeed. So if that moment truly arrives, everything depends on Senior Er Mao's and Senior Zhang An's capabilities. If you can frighten him for a mere instant, he will choose to suppress the Senlan World Lord instead. Once he commits to an opponent, even if he discovers the ruse later, he won't be able to disengage!" Er Mao considered this before speaking: "It isn't impossible... but you must take the others away. We need the Great Dao River encircling us, the power of a world manifesting, and Black Panther along with those two Dao Lords coordinating together!" Only with the Great Dao River encircling them and world power manifesting would it bear the hallmark of Xinwu. Otherwise, it would be seen through far too easily. Li Hao furrowed his brows slightly. Having so many people depart at once caused too great a commotion, making it easy for others to notice their escape... Yet Er Mao made a valid point. If Xinwu was descending, lacking the Great Dao River's presence and world power, with only the Great Dao Book and the Cang Emperor... the enemy might suspect the Xinwu world was not actually present and risk a reckless probe! "Fine, I will arrange it!" Li Hao nodded. "When disaster looms, each flees on their own; it is only natural for a few of you to run! Then Senior Er Mao... has agreed?" Er Mao cast him a glance, speaking only after a long pause: "What do you think?" "..." Li Hao gave an awkward smile. Er Mao added, "No need for embarrassment. My fee this time will be thirty little fish!" "..." *Splendid!* Li Hao grinned and nodded. "Deal!" "Then wait for that fellow to break through!" Er Mao glanced at Zhang An, shaking its head slightly. "The Dao of myriad paths isn't suited for everyone. That fellow... lacks a certain drive." What drive it was, it did not say, nor was it easy to articulate. Yet a single glance revealed it clearly. Zhang An might have hopes of reaching rank seven, but throughout his life, it was best that someone held authority over him, forcing him to make decisions. He was a passive individual who would never take the initiative. Commonly known as—henpecked! This fellow either needed someone pressing him to act or a fierce wife who beat him whenever he slacked off. The talent was there; Er Mao considered its judgment of character rather sharp. Only in this manner did Zhang An have a future. Meanwhile, Zhang An was already overwhelmed with shock. This... was no longer mere myriad Daos; Li Hao intended to forge myriad worlds! Only after a long while did Zhang An recover his senses. His heart trembled. The Dao of myriad worlds, the Great Dao Book... his decision to agree this time was perhaps... truly a monumental fortune. The Great Dao Book, containing myriad worlds within its pages—a page for a Dao, a page for a world! Under normal circumstances, where could one find such an opportunity? In an instant, Zhang An was seized by immense excitement, no longer feeling the slightest trace of dejection. An opportunity like this—he, Zhang An, had finally seized one! It had been far too difficult! For a moment, he felt an urge to weep. From the Neo-Martial era to the Silver Moon era, right up until today, he had missed opportunity after opportunity. This time, it seemed he had finally caught hold of one. Over there, Zhang An was so moved he was close to tears. Li Hao and Er Mao watched in silence. Soon, both man and cat shook their heads. He was practically sobbing—truly a bit effeminate. They could only hope that after attaining the Dao, Zhang An would carry himself with a touch more dominance.