Catching a Turtle in a Jar!

Zhang An voraciously absorbed the shock and insights brought by the myriad worlds. Though time was extremely tight and the Red Moon powerhouses could arrive at any moment, Li Hao did not rush him. Success or failure, if this plan fell through, they could simply switch to another. Attaining the Dao was a monumental affair; he could not force someone to become a subpar Sovereign against their will. Fortunately, Zhang An also knew that time was in short supply. Reluctantly, he stepped out of a small world. Glancing at Li Hao, he took a deep breath. "I am going to attain the Dao! Your concept of myriad worlds has been of immense help to me. Today I lack the time to fully comprehend it... I hope there will be time in the future!" With that, the Great Dao Book materialized, Dao rhyme circulating across it. It had to be said that Zhang An's Great Dao Book was quite intriguing. Li Hao took a look; it was more formidable than before. The Dao rhyme was even richer! Zhang An spoke swiftly: "Then today, I will attain the Dao right here in your Great Dao river! You want my Great Dao Book to carry your worlds, so I must make an audacious request..." "Speak." "I want... the Great Dao Book to merge with the worlds!" What? Li Hao froze and glanced at him. What did he mean? He broadly understood, but... Li Hao frowned slightly. "I will be taking those worlds back!" If the Great Dao Book merged with the worlds, once he took them back, would Zhang An latch onto him for the rest of his life? Zhang An took a deep breath. "I know. It will not matter if you take them back. When you do, I will simply give up the Great Dao Book!" "What do you mean?" Li Hao's brows knitted tighter as he looked at him. "The Great Dao Book is the core of your Dao. Senior Zhang An, we have a good relationship, but if you do this, you aren't expecting me to take pity on you and give up these worlds when the time comes, are you? If I were stronger, it wouldn't matter. But right now, I paid an enormous price to forge these worlds..." Some things had to be stated upfront. If Zhang An thought Li Hao would feel too embarrassed to take them back later, he was mistaken. Too much was at stake! Li Hao had now broadly determined his own path and would not casually surrender the worlds he had painstakingly created for any sentimental reason. "I have no such intention." Zhang An shook his head. "Merging the Great Dao Book into the worlds is actually so I can peer deeper into your Dao! If I can reap greater insights, giving up the Great Dao Book does not mean giving up my Dao! Perhaps... I will gain even more." He looked at Li Hao. "I only hope to thoroughly merge and comprehend true unity between Dao and world!" Li Hao studied him for a long while before nodding. "Very well!" If you are willing, I have no objections. Regardless, my worlds cannot be given to you permanently; giving them away would spell trouble for me. Zhang An said no more. In truth, he had been capable of advancing to the Sovereign realm long ago. It was just that in the beginning, he had been reluctant to give up any of the Daos within the Great Dao Book, and later he had hoped to accommodate the Daos of two worlds. He was somewhat indecisive by nature; only when pushed into a corner did he finally become frantic. Accustomed to being managed, this was likely related to having the Supreme as his grandfather—disciplined and guided since childhood, he had almost never stepped outside the oversight of the Zhang family's Supreme. Now, Zhang An did not waste another breath. A Great Dao Book manifested in the river. The Great Dao Book opened page by page. Phantom figures stepped forth one after another. Originally, these figures carried the silhouettes of others, such as the Human King, the Blood Sovereign, the Sword Venerable, and the like... Yet gradually, these phantoms began to transform. They shifted toward Zhang An himself! Li Hao's eyes flickered. This was somewhat similar to his own method of opening worlds: domains manifesting, realms appearing, phantom figures suppressing them—one world per character, one world per Dao. Zhang An had never previously broken free of those figures' influence. Today, what seemed like a mere change in silhouettes signaled an effort to break away from their shadow. This top expert, whom Li Hao had met in his earliest days, had been a top Saint with quasi-Heavenly King strength back when almost everyone in Silver Moon was beneath the Peak Realm. Now, when Li Hao had become a rank four Sovereign and quite a few Sovereigns had emerged in Silver Moon, Zhang An was still only a half-step Sovereign. In truth, this pace was not slow compared to others, but for Zhang An... only he knew what he had endured these past few years. The sheer sense of disparity! In Silver Moon, he had also made wrong choices, causing him to miss several opportunities; otherwise, he probably would have advanced to Sovereign long ago. At this moment, Zhang An let go of his reservations. Pages of the Great Dao Book slowly revealed themselves, turning into phantoms as streams of Great Daos emerged. The Daos merged directly into the river! Meanwhile, the phantom figures walked toward the small worlds. The book pages enveloped the small worlds, gradually beginning to fuse with them. At this moment, Li Hao gained a spark of enlightenment. Comprehensions of various Great Daos flooded into his mind: the Human King's saber, the Sword Venerable's sword, the Supreme's book, the Blood Sovereign's arrow, the God Casting Envoy's forging methods, the Heaven Suppressing King's suppression arts... This man knew far too much. He possessed nearly every Dao technique of Xinwu's top Sovereigns. And above Zhang An's head, a star suddenly floated into view. This star originated from the Silver Moon universe, born of the Dao of Silver Moon, which he could no longer fully accommodate. He had to abandon it! A choice of one or the other. Zhang An exhaled softly. Suddenly, the star above his head shifted and gradually began to melt. Reaching out, he caught it and began forging it bit by bit. To Li Hao's slight surprise, Zhang An did not destroy the star. Instead... he was forging a weapon! The star was gradually forged by Zhang An into a book's spine. The myriad Daos, like silken threads, spread along this spine toward the surrounding small worlds. Guided by the tug of myriad Daos, Li Hao's small worlds actually began to shift toward the book spine in Zhang An's hands. Those small worlds faintly took on the appearance of book pages. He intended to... forge worlds into a book, and forge the book into his Dao! Now, Li Hao understood completely! The breakthrough of a half-step Sovereign—truth be told, now that Li Hao had reached rank four and witnessed numerous rank seven and even rank eight Sovereigns, a half-step Sovereign was someone he could crush at will. Yet right now, he felt something different. Zhang An, the grandson of the Supreme, was laying bare before him vast swathes of Xinwu's Dao, allowing Li Hao to see and witness firsthand whether the Xinwu heritage was truly as outsiders claimed—nothing but reckless brute force! It was not! Li Hao was shaken. At that moment, Zhang An reached out, and a small world condensed directly into a divine character... Li Hao's expression shifted. Zhang An knew divine characters? Zhang An's voice rang out: "Aren't divine characters just an evolution of Star Suppressing City's secret arts?" Li Hao froze, then nodded. He had almost forgotten the origin of divine characters. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he remembered that the most famous battle technique of Xinwu's Star Suppressing City was the Word Incantation—one character, one Dao. It was just that what Li Hao had encountered in the past were only faint remnants handed down through countless generations. He had never seen anyone wield the true ultimate arts of Star Suppressing City. Simultaneously, a book page settled upon the book spine and instantly merged into it, displaying a single character upon its surface: "Fire!" The World of Fire! And the phantom figure merged into the World of Fire also carried the power of the fire element. Er Mao murmured, "The Dao of Casting!" In the Dao of Casting, fire came first. Li Hao's heart stirred. In his mind, a figure seemed to emerge: tremendously robust, wielding a colossal hammer, fashioning heaven and earth, forging divine armaments, creating worlds—Xinwu's God Casting Envoy! The next moment, a sword-shaped page was swiftly drawn into the book, becoming a leaf upon which a single character appeared: "Sword!" In Li Hao's mind, another figure surfaced: peerless sword drawn, severing longevity—Xinwu's Longevity Sword! Page after page was gathered and bound. Zhang An's aura soared exponentially! With the Dao of Silver Moon as the spine and the Dao of Xinwu as the heart, he had not completely abandoned the Silver Moon Dao, but rather turned it into the foundation of his own Great Dao! This shared a wondrous resonance with Li Hao's opening of worlds and opening of the river! Li Hao sat cross-legged. As Zhang An attained the Dao, Li Hao provided the platform, but this was not solely Zhang An's opportunity; it was also a broadening of Li Hao's horizons. Zhang An had seen far too much. Now, as Daos merged into the realms, Li Hao was granted a firsthand glimpse of the might of Xinwu's Sovereigns and the profound subtleties of their Dao arts. Xinwu's Sovereigns each possessed their own unique Daos: The overbearing tyranny of the Iron Head Sovereign, the supreme self-sovereignty of the Qin Sovereign, the archery Dao of the Blood Sovereign... Zhang An's comprehension might not be exhaustive, but it was far more extensive than anything Li Hao knew. At this moment, while Zhang An was attaining the Dao, Li Hao was also contemplating, absorbing those distinct nuances. One small world after another vanished from the flanks of the river. And the river surged wildly. Zhang An's body sank slightly as the book in his hands grew heavier. Looking toward Li Hao, he suddenly said, "Using the river as the spine would actually be superior, but the river is not the foundation of my Dao after all! If you ever have the chance, I suggest you try gathering everything, merging all Daos into one, with the river as the spine!" Using the Great Dao river as the spine of a Great Dao Book! Li Hao's heart stirred. The Sky Sword currently enveloped the river, which was already a form of compression. Did Zhang An mean... concealing a Dao book within the sword? Using worlds as divine characters, and divine characters to compose chapters, writing the Dao of myriad worlds? A book hidden within the sword, a sword concealed within the book! Or holding a book in one hand and a sword in the other. The fusion of civilization and savagery. The union of civilization and martial force! When reason failed, sever it with the sword! As these thoughts surfaced, Zhang An's aura surged dramatically. The Great Dao Book integrated into his person, and in that instant, he stepped into the Sovereign realm far more smoothly than others. Li Hao's mind was flooded with a myriad of epiphanies. The river surged with violent waves, then gradually contracted slightly. There was no Sovereign lightning tribulation, for the place where Zhang An fused his Dao traces was not an origin world. He had effectively become a Sovereign of Li Hao's incomplete river, his Great Dao anchored here. Much like Lin Hongyu. ... Li Hao opened his eyes, looked at Zhang An, and smiled. "Congratulations!" Zhang An also smiled. There had been no earth-shattering cataclysm, no Sovereign lightning tribulation, and no primal chaos lightning tribulation. Yet... he was deeply content and satisfied. In this moment, the world in his eyes had changed. Pages of the Great Dao Book faintly shimmered within his body, wisps of Dao rhyme wafting outward. Zhang An bowed slightly. "Thank you!" Thank him for what? Thank him for the opportunity to fuse his Daos with myriad worlds. Thank him for providing a place to anchor his Great Dao so he did not have to wander as a rogue cultivator absorbing chaotic Dao power, which would have made advancement terribly difficult. And thank him for pushing him this once, compelling him to attain the Dao now. Now that he had truly become a Sovereign, he felt a sudden wave of emotion... Perhaps... this truly was the path he was meant to walk. "It is I who should thank you, Senior!" Li Hao's eyes gleamed as he chuckled. "I have gained some insights as well—arranging the myriad worlds and myriad Daos... writing them into prose, fulfilling some of my former dreams, some of my fanciful ideals!" Li Hao smiled. "Perhaps... I will compose a text of myriad Daos that belongs uniquely to me! Leaving behind my own heritage of Dao arts within this primal chaos. In the past, I wished to leave my text of the Great Dao in Silver Moon... In the future, perhaps the entire primal chaos will be my canvas!" He sighed with feeling. "Expressing Dao arts through Dao characters, and recounting my Dao through Dao arts! When the day comes that the emergence of a single text shakes heaven and earth, and a single character can suppress an entire world—perhaps that will be when my Dao arts reach great completion!" The river as the spine, the myriad worlds as the book. Forging a Dao Book of Myriad Worlds! Zhang An smiled, suddenly feeling a surge of pride. The Great Dao Book had not been created by him, but by his grandfather. Li Hao clearly saw merit in this technique of merging Daos and wished to draw inspiration from it. This was a good thing, and a mark of recognition. He knew very well how proud and arrogant Li Hao could be. Yet today, Li Hao spoke again of merging a book of myriad Daos and forging a book of myriad Daos. This meant he truly believed that turning worlds into characters and characters into Dao arts was an approach well worth learning. To be recognized by someone like Li Hao... was genuinely something to take pride in. At that moment, Er Mao chimed in, "A book containing myriad Daos, a single book holding a universe of primal chaos. A book is a symbol of culture, an emblem of civilization. In truth, it aligns with the Dao of heaven and earth. This is how cultivators of the Dao ought to be! Brawlers practicing the Dao only cheapen its elegance." "..." Li Hao looked at Er Mao... Who are you taking a jab at? Seeing Li Hao's look, Er Mao explained, "I wasn't talking about the Xinwu Human King. He only pretends to be ignorant while understanding everything perfectly well in his heart. I meant the Big Cat!" "..." Li Hao laughed helplessly. You... Never mind. The Big Cat seemed to miss Er Mao quite a bit, yet Er Mao spent all day belittling the Big Cat. Be careful that the Cang Emperor doesn't find out and hold your head down for a beating. Still, the Big Cat was probably the one Er Mao mentioned the most. Evidently, it wasn't that Er Mao liked badmouthing anyone; perhaps... it missed that cat born of the same origin. In this world, Zhan was gone, and the Cang Emperor was likely the one closest to its heart. Li Hao said no more, turning to Zhang An. "Can you manifest an image of the Supreme?" "Not quite." Zhang An shook his head. "I am still too weak. I am only rank one, having just crossed the threshold! Even though I know my grandfather thoroughly, it would be difficult to create an illusion convincing enough to deceive a rank eight." Li Hao frowned slightly. Zhang An smiled again. "However, it isn't entirely impossible." "Why keep me in suspense, Senior?" Li Hao chuckled. "Just speak!" "Give me a small world, or a medium world... Detonate the world domain, make myriad Daos resound in unison, with world-shaking aura, surrounded by the Dao river, with Senior Er Mao presiding and me wielding the Great Dao Book... In that moment, who would believe I am merely a rank one Sovereign?" Li Hao froze, feeling a pang of headache. It still required money! Lately, money had been flowing like water. Worlds... he had none left. He had previously had two, but he had disassembled them into nothingness. Detonating a world—Xinwu people truly were violent to their very bones. Li Hao exhaled. "All right, I'll go try. Right now, our only choice is to borrow one from Senlan!" Senlan should still have small worlds. Earlier, it had been agreed that killing a rank four could be traded for one, and later they had directly gifted him a medium world. They likely still had small worlds, though medium ones were probably gone. Conveniently, sending people out would also require cooperation from the Senlan World Lord; otherwise, concealing their tracks would be difficult. With a shift in thought, Li Hao rose. "Then it's settled. Once the Red Moon World Lord descends, the commotion will surely be immense! We have a safe haven outside the Senlan realm, neither too far nor too close, perfectly situated. You will conceal yourselves there..." After giving instructions, he said no more and rose, departing the river. ... Yan Fang quietly appeared before long. This time, Li Hao did not contact the Senlan World Lord. It was only a small world; speaking to Yan Fang was sufficient. As a rank four, constantly bothering the rank six master of a great world was inappropriate. "A small world..." Yan Fang was slightly startled. A small world was virtually useless to Li Hao now. What did he want it for? As for their rank three Sovereigns, they had only just advanced, so it wouldn't be of much use to them either. At this juncture, asking him for a small world... While Yan Fang was still pondering, Li Hao spoke: "Senior, I can trade Great Dao crystals for it. I still have some Great Dao crystals on hand..." "That won't be necessary. Fellow Daoist Wandao, speaking like that slaps us in the face. Our Senlan was invaded, and you and your companions exerted yourselves for our sake. Now, forced by circumstances, we have had to draw a line between us... If we were to take Great Dao crystals for a mere small world, where would Senlan's face go?" "Senlan still has small worlds, but... it isn't very strong, just one that formed not long ago..." "That doesn't matter!" Li Hao smiled, and Yan Fang quickly said, "Then please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist. I'll have Ji Hao bring it over shortly!" He did not even ask the Senlan World Lord, nor was there any need. A single small world was well within his authority to decide. Following that, Li Hao added, "This Red Moon assault will be exceptionally perilous. I have considered it carefully... Aside from the three merged into the Great Dao, and aside from myself and Fellow Daoist Death, I wish to send the rest away in advance!" "Senior, would that be convenient?" Sending people away? Yan Fang glanced at the others. Among this group, there were only two middle-rank Sovereigns; even if the rest left, it was no great loss. Only... With those people present, they still possessed some combat capability. A group of low-rank Sovereigns who had coordinated well with Li Hao earlier provided an extra layer of safety. Of course, without those low-rank Sovereigns, the two middle-rank Sovereigns might find it even easier to maneuver. "Naturally, no problem at all!" Yan Fang agreed readily. "Currently, Senlan has many fissures! Three of them are outside our control. If your fellow Daoists are careful, as long as they don't expose themselves... it won't be an issue. Even if they are exposed, it won't matter! If worst comes to worst, might I trouble the two of you to launch a fierce assault on one fissure to draw everyone's attention and feign an escape? Meanwhile, your other companions can feign an attack on a fissure guarded by Senlan... That way, Senlan will have a plausible excuse." Li Hao nodded. That would not be difficult. The two parties quickly reached an agreement, and Yan Fang departed first to make arrangements. ... Once Yan Fang left, everyone turned their eyes toward Li Hao. Lin Hongyu frowned slightly. "All of us have to leave?" Li Hao nodded. "All of you! Staying behind won't accomplish much and will only be perilous. Of course, leaving does not mean you will be safe; it might even be more dangerous! You aren't leaving to wander aimlessly, but because you have a mission." King Huai and his companions did not need to leave; they were part of Li Hao's plan and faced their own dangers. To eat meat, everyone had to take risks. Lin Hongyu did not offer any excessive pleasantries, merely reminding him, "Then you and Brother Kongji must be careful..." Saying this, she assumed a frail demeanor and turned to Kongji. "Brother, my husband is young and not as strong as you. This time, I hope Brother will look after him well!" Kongji felt somewhat awkward. What kind of talk was this! I... I'm just an innocent bystander along for the ride. Li Hao came up with the plan, and the one deciding the overall outcome is the Sword Venerable. A mere rank six like me... All right, I understand. At the crucial moment, my father might descend—is that what she means? Kongji was exceptionally sharp and swiftly caught the woman's drift. He smiled and nodded. "I will do my utmost!" Li Hao was speechless and did not bother to comment. When had he ever needed anyone's care while roaming the martial world? "Enough, say no more!" Li Hao looked at the group. "Once outside, follow the arrangements of Senior Zhang An and Senior Er Mao in all matters!" Having said that, Li Hao looked at Xun Ruo. "Fellow Daoist Xun Ruo, once outside, if you do not wish to remain with Silver Moon, you may leave of your own accord once past the danger!" Xun Ruo was shaken and hurriedly replied, "What are you saying? I yearn to stay; why would I leave..." Li Hao gave him a deep look and only said after a pause, "Back then, circumstances forced your hand, but forced melon is not sweet. Willingness is all that matters! I force nothing. Once you are out of danger, you may leave at any time." Xun Ruo opened his mouth to say more, but Li Hao cut in: "My words stand. Whether you stay or leave depends entirely on you, Fellow Daoist! You did not take the initiative to attack my Silver Moon back then, so I am willing to give you a choice." Xun Ruo sighed and nodded. He understood Li Hao's meaning. Nothing more than this: in the past few battles, Xun Ruo's performance had been mediocre. As a rank three Sovereign, the impact he made was inferior even to Chanxiu, who was rank two, and his initiative lagged behind Mo, who was only rank one. Perhaps Li Hao felt there was no longer any need to keep him around. Xun Ruo felt helpless. In truth... this was simply the common ailment of rogue cultivators. At critical junctures, holding back a bit—who would fight with all their might? All rogue cultivators were like this! Not just one or two; whenever a group fought together, they all had this habit. And Li Hao clearly had no tolerance for such ways. The unspoken meaning was: if you continue like this, I will not keep you even if you wish to stay. Once you are clear of danger, go your own way. In consideration of the fact that you did not attack Silver Moon alongside Minghao and the others back then, I am granting you a path to live. The others said nothing. In Silver Moon, Li Hao was the ultimate authority. ... After waiting a while, Ji Hao delivered a small world. He did not linger; both parties conducted the exchange in secret. With the small world acquired, Zhang An and Er Mao departed the river one after another, though Zhang An's Great Dao Book was now closely linked to the river and would not detach from it. Apart from Li Hao and Kongji, the others formed a single group, while Li Hao and Kongji were to attack a fissure to feign an escape. They would draw the fire, allowing the others to depart smoothly. ... Boom! Deafening explosions echoed between heaven and earth as the might of Sovereigns blanketed the entirety of Senlan once more. Outside the realm, Sovereigns Shihun and Wushang struck simultaneously, Great Dao power shaking heaven and earth. Shihun bellowed, "Suppress them!" Wandao and his companion wanted to flee. How could that be permitted! At the same time, multiple Sovereigns manifested around the two, striking together to suppress Li Hao and Kongji. A fierce battle erupted. Some of these Sovereigns were rogue cultivators, while others hailed from the three great worlds. The reason was simple: they knew reinforcements from Red Moon had arrived. Moreover, they had received the news even faster than Senlan. From the direction of Red Moon, four rank six Sovereigns had arrived in one go this time. Wandao and his crew were thoroughly finished. Just then, chaos erupted in the distance. The area guarded by Senlan Sovereigns also dissolved into turmoil. Wushang glanced toward the distance, his expression changing slightly. In the next breath, he roared, "Ignore them! Suppress these two! Do not allow them to escape, and that is enough!" The others were mere small fry. Perhaps they were cannon fodder intentionally thrown out in hopes of making them split their forces. Not this time! They only needed to keep their eyes on these two big fish. As for splitting forces—they had suffered from that once before, so how could they fall for it again? As for those low-rank Sovereigns, their speed was not fast. Once these two were slain, not a single one of the others could escape! Boom! Li Hao and Kongji also unleashed immense commotion, shaking heaven and earth and causing the fissure to fluctuate violently. Outside, the group of Sovereigns suppressed them aggressively, giving neither man an opening to escape. The two sides clashed for a time, neither gaining an advantage. Li Hao and Kongji tossed out a few harsh words before disengaging from the battle. Meanwhile, over on the Senlan Sovereigns' side... despite clearly having a middle-rank Sovereign stationed there, people had still escaped. The Sovereigns of Red Moon and the three great worlds knew this full well in their hearts: Senlan had deliberately gone easy on them. Completely normal! However, this was not the time to make a fuss. As long as Senlan did not let Wandao and Death escape, everything was fine; if those two were let go, that would be another matter entirely. ... The battle concluded. All the Sovereigns under Wandao had escaped—this was now known to all sides. Many rogue cultivators, along with several Sovereigns from the three great worlds, were still pursuing them around the perimeter. Yet the focal point once again converged on Li Hao and Kongji. At the same time, the Senlan World Lord also received word. Red Moon had dispatched four rank sixes, who would soon arrive at Senlan. Six rank six Sovereigns! Such strength was enough to sweep Senlan flat if the Senlan World Lord did not intervene. ... In the void of primal chaos. Four Sovereigns advanced swiftly. Behind them, a rank seven lingered in secret, his eyes chillingly cold. Senlan was nearly within reach. The four rank six Sovereigns remained silent. Their mission was simple: kill all who resisted, including Sovereigns of the Senlan realm. Furthermore, upon arrival, they were to recruit the local rogue cultivators. According to the World Lord's instructions, Red Moon had suffered heavy losses recently, opening up many Sovereign positions, so a portion of rogue cultivators could be absorbed. Joining a great world, even if Red Moon was currently in decline, remained an irresistible temptation to these rogue cultivators. "Upon arrival, do not rush to strike. First recruit the rogue cultivators. That rank six rogue cultivator, Yu Xiu, is considered a top rogue cultivator even across the Red Moon Domain. In the past, he was the lord of a world, but after his world was destroyed, he chose to wander the primal chaos." "In addition... we must ferret out all other lurking Sovereigns in the Senlan World, just in case!" "There might be some rank five and rank six Sovereigns hidden among them... Dig them all out! That cultivator of the Dao of Life and Death possesses formidable strength. If possible, have the rogue cultivators wear them down first. It is said that Sovereign of Life and Death has extraordinary recovery capability!" "..." Among the rank six Sovereigns, someone spoke up, laying out arrangements. To ensure absolute certainty, even six rank sixes felt insufficient to them. They had to be even more cautious. This time, no mistakes could be permitted. The World Lord was already beside himself with rage; if another mishap occurred... everyone might be punished. "Senlan currently still has eight fissures. Once we arrive, do our utmost to take control of all fissures; otherwise... the Senlan World Lord might favor them and manufacture an opportunity for them to escape!" "No need to worry about offending Senlan. Senlan does not know what is good for them. If they dare intervene and obstruct us this time, it will mark Senlan's destruction!" "Rest assured, we understand!" "Also... drive away the Sovereigns near the Senlan World. Either join us, or... be slain directly. If they do not leave, kill them all!" One Red Moon Sovereign's eyes were exceptionally ruthless. "Profiting off Red Moon is not so simple! Recent heavy losses have made Red Moon a laughingstock to all sides, so much so that mere rogue cultivators dare covet our possessions. Utterly absurd!" "Make Red Moon's stance clear: we are determined to prevail, and let Senlan understand that resistance brings only ruin!" "Rest assured!" "Understood!" The Sovereigns chimed in one by one. The one issuing commands was naturally no ordinary figure; he was one of Red Moon's most promising candidates to step into rank seven, known as Sovereign Shisha. He primarily cultivated the Dao of Slaughter—and slaughter was also a form of desire. A peak rank six Sovereign! He was also someone the Red Moon World Lord held in high regard. Among Red Moon's previous rank sevens, they lacked formidable Sovereigns who hailed from the path of slaughter. This time, although six Sovereigns were carrying out the mission together, he was their leader. He would also be the primary force tasked with handling that Sovereign of Life and Death. At the crucial moment, he would even be the main vanguard against the Senlan World Lord. Both were peak rank sixes; what he lacked compared to the Senlan World Lord was merely the control of a Great Dao universe. With three rank sevens dead in Red Moon, replacements were needed, and his chances were immense. If he could slay those two troublemakers and claim merit this time, no one within Red Moon would object. ... At the same time. On the periphery of the Senlan realm, Shihun also received word and clicked his tongue: "Four have come, led by Shisha no less. Since that fellow is coming... there will be quite a good show to watch." Wushang was speechless. A good show? Shisha was ruthless enough to disown his own kin; he would more likely give the two of them a hard time. Though they were all rank sixes, Shisha was at the peak of rank six and possessed terrifying combat prowess—someone he could not afford to provoke. "Save your breath... Shisha sent word ordering us to recruit rogue cultivators first and seal the fissures. We must not allow those two to escape under any circumstances!" Wushang said in a deep voice, "It doesn't matter if some small fry escaped, but if those two slip away without a sound... you and I will truly never see the light of day again! The World Lord ordered that ten Sovereigns will be inducted this time, with priority given to middle ranks... If rogue cultivators render meritorious service, the quota can even be expanded!" Even if it meant serving as cannon fodder for a great world, there were plenty of rogue cultivators eager to accept. They had no fear of failing to recruit rogue cultivators. Sure enough, as the news spread, more rogue cultivators gathered around the two Red Moon Sovereigns before long, including several middle-rank rogue cultivators. Over half of the people previously recruited by the rogue cultivator Yu Xiu abandoned him in an instant. Riding the coattails of a rogue cultivator was nowhere near as good as siding with a great world. ... On Li Hao's side, they quickly received the news as well. Six rank sixes! And there might be even more, since on the surface there was already a rank six rogue cultivator who hadn't defected yet; what happened next was hard to say, and there might be even more. And that was just the rank sixes—there were also rank fives, rank fours... "Thrilling, isn't it?" Li Hao looked at Kongji and chuckled. "Before they gather together, the Sword Venerable won't intervene. The two of us will have to hold the line!" Kongji chuckled. "If even you aren't afraid, why would I be?" I am a rank six, after all! Li Hao laughed. "This time, we don't need to fear exposing our identities. We can't rely entirely on the Sword Venerable either... We have to do our part. Not to mention the rank sixes, but those rank fours, rank fives, and low-ranks who dare stand against us—we have to teach them a harsh lesson!" At this stage, if they were exposed, so be it. "What do you plan to do?" Kongji asked, and Li Hao smiled. "We have to hit them with something ruthless!" With that, Li Hao transmitted his voice: "Lately, I've provoked quite a lot of lightning... but none has fallen yet. We can try bringing it down! My only worry is scaring the Senlan World Lord out of his wits..." Again? Kongji was speechless. Primal chaos lightning tribulations had practically become his personal backyard toy. Still, it was somewhat interesting. Kongji wasn't content to let Li Hao steal all the limelight, transmitting back: "You can play with lightning, and I have some methods I want to test as well..." "What methods?" "I need your coordination!" "Just name it." Kongji quickly transmitted: "I recently had a flash of comprehension—fusing the Dao of Revival with the Dao of Life! Revival requires drawing energy, while the Dao of Life can replenish vitality. Siphoning vitality, replenishing energy, reviving the world... forming a cycle. But my fusion is not yet thorough, making it hard to activate. I need your time to coordinate slightly, speeding me up. I'll drop a massive move right on them... Perhaps it can drain a whole flock of Sovereigns to death in an instant!" "Once drained to death, a flower of life will bloom within my realm of Nirvana... perfectly suited for the Sword Venerable to use. That way, we can replenish the Sword Venerable's expenditure without you having to rewind time. Rewinding time for the Sword Venerable incurs an enormous cost!" Li Hao raised a thumb. Good brother, he really knew how to look out for people. The Sword Venerable's consumption was immense, making recovery exceedingly difficult. This fellow intended to siphon the vitality of other Sovereigns to blossom a flower of life... Li Hao felt a tinge of envy. "I cultivate life, death, nirvana, and revival as well, but my fusion isn't as fast as yours." "You contemplate far too many things!" Kongji shook his head. He didn't say it was bad; Li Hao had his own path. It was just that Kongji currently focused solely on six Daos—which was already a great deal—namely life, death, nirvana, revival, light, and dark. What about Li Hao? Li Hao studied every Dao imaginable, yet mastered none fully, making his foundation somewhat cluttered. If an ordinary person did this, Kongji would roll his eyes and scoff in contempt. Yet with Li Hao doing it, he actually felt it showed immense boldness. In any case, Kongji had no such desire for now. Focusing primarily on the three pairs of dual polarities was plenty; it was more than enough to cultivate him to rank seven and beyond. Li Hao said no more. Envy was pointless, and right now, he didn't want to limit himself to only these few Daos; taking things slowly was fine. Soon, the transmission jade in Li Hao's hand flashed. "The Red Moon Sovereigns have arrived!" "They're here!" Li Hao exhaled. That was fast. ... Outside the realm. As the four Sovereigns arrived, an aura of slaughter permeated the entire primal chaos. Even the Senlan World Lord was alerted, the Great Dao universe rippling faintly. Sovereign Shisha merely cast a glance at it, paying it no heed. In the next moment, a grand voice carrying solemn chill echoed across Senlan: "All non-Senlan Sovereigns, depart Senlan immediately! The scoundrel Wandao slew my fellow Daoists—an unforgivable crime! To avoid misunderstanding, any Sovereign encountered who does not belong to Senlan will be slain on sight!" Shisha's Great Dao voice reverberated through the entire world. Arrogant beyond measure! Aside from Senlan Sovereigns, anyone else encountered would be killed immediately... Sounds fine, but if any Senlan Sovereign dared intervene, he would undoubtedly slaughter them just the same. ... Within the Senlan realm, many Sovereigns felt panicked, while some harbored illusions, unwilling to leave. The native Sovereigns were indignant. Some hoped their World Lord would step forward to say a few words... but the Senlan World Lord made no sound and uttered not a single word. At this moment, within the Great Dao universe, the Senlan World Lord was already making preparations—preparations to advance! If the Sword Venerable and the others failed to slay these people this time... he would strike as well. To achieve rank seven, he could no longer afford to hesitate. Today, Senlan's face was being trampled in the dirt—was it not precisely because they were weak? The Senlan World Lord knew very well that spouting harsh words right now was entirely futile. Shisha was a top rank six of Red Moon; unless he entered rank seven, Shisha would not fear him in the slightest. ... As a portion of the Sovereigns exited, nearly thirty Sovereigns gathered around the six Red Moon Sovereigns in the blink of an eye. Low-ranks made up the majority, but there were also quite a few middle ranks; excluding the Red Moon contingent, there were seven or eight middle-rank Sovereigns. Such power was enough to sweep Senlan flat! In the end, the rank six rogue cultivator, Sovereign Yu Xiu, felt helpless and resigned. Ultimately, he joined Red Moon's ranks. The Red Moon World Lord had offered him terms: Join Red Moon, and if he rendered meritorious service this time, while rank seven was not so simple, he would receive priority consideration the next time an opportunity arose. For a rogue cultivator, this was already the best possible outcome. At this moment, the host gathered seven rank six Sovereigns. Yet they were in no hurry to encircle and hunt down Li Hao and his companion. As everyone waited, Sovereign Shisha took out countless Great Dao crystals. Before everyone's shocked eyes, he channeled the Great Dao crystals into the fissures one after another, and the three previous fissures immediately began to mend. Sovereign Shisha's voice rang through heaven and earth once more: "This time, in disturbing the realm of Senlan, I, Shisha, also offer compensation! Before arriving, I prepared a vast sum of Great Dao crystals, sufficient to repair the fissures born from the fall of Senlan's Dao Lord!" "All eight fissures can be repaired. Senlan Sovereigns need only gather at the world gate and guard it. We will repair these fissures!" "..." Within the Great Dao universe, the Senlan World Lord's brow furrowed slightly. They truly were... generous! Repairing eight fissures consumed countless Great Dao crystals. Red Moon was indeed a top-tier rank eight great world, possessing no shortage of Great Dao crystals. To extinguish any hope for Li Hao and his companion, they intended to seal all the fissures outright! Evidently, the earlier escape of the others had alerted them to the fact that Senlan might let those two go at any moment. In that case, repair them first! If Senlan could not even guard the single remaining world gate, they would be utterly useless. With Shisha bleeding wealth, the fissures began to close one by one. The Senlan Sovereigns stationed at the fissures were helpless, but they had received orders from Yan Fang to withdraw from the fissures and let them repair them. Red Moon was deadly serious this time; refusing now would inevitably ignite an all-out war. The group took their time, spending an entire day to successfully repair all eight fissures. In all of Senlan, only a single world gate remained—catching a turtle in a jar! Or perhaps... a sheep walking into a tiger's den? In a grand display of might, dozens of Sovereigns marched openly through the world gate straight into the Senlan realm, their powerful wills sweeping across the heaven and earth of Senlan. "Over there!" Before long, they detected the two men's whereabouts. With Shisha's cry, the throng of Sovereigns surged straight toward that corner of Senlan. Meanwhile, three rank fours were left behind to guard the world gate—not to seize control of it, but simply to keep watch. If those two truly fled in this direction, it would prevent the Senlan Sovereigns from overtly looking the other way. The other Sovereigns, radiating world-shaking pressure, crossed the world, their senses already locked firmly onto Li Hao and Kongji.