Slaying Rank Six

They were here! Seven rank six Sovereigns crossed the sky, accompanied by multiple middle-rank and dozens of low-rank Sovereigns—a force capable of sweeping through an entire world. At the peak of rank six, Shisha's killing intent shook heaven and earth. Far in the distance, the rank six Yan Fang trailed well behind without drawing close. Several middle-rank Sovereigns accompanied him, though their presence paled in comparison to the encroaching host. Those following Yan Fang belonged entirely to the World Lord's lineage. The Sovereigns of the Dao Lord's lineage were guarding the world gate, a measure that put the Red Moon faction at ease. A look of resentment surfaced on Ji Hao's face. He sent a voice transmission, "Elder Yan, they're crossing the line!" The Sovereigns beside him were equally indignant. *This is our Senlan!* Yet now, it had become entirely the stage of the Red Moon Sovereigns. Yan Fang said nothing. To fall behind was to invite a beating—an ancient truth. "Wait!" Yan Fang offered no further explanation, only following silently to prevent a battle from breaking out in densely populated regions. Once so many Sovereigns clashed, the fallout would engulf all of Senlan. Senlan had a vast population, but it could never endure such devastation. The lord of a great world still treasured his people; mortal populations were the very bedrock upon which a world grew strong. With only supreme powerhouses and no broad base of cultivators, a world's Dao could never flourish—unless one chose the path of a rogue cultivator. Up ahead, Shisha and his force paid them no mind. Having locked onto Li Hao and Kongji, they charged straight toward them. *** At that moment, Li Hao was setting up an array formation. Layer after layer, various forms of Great Dao energy were summoned at will, blanketing the void like an intricately woven Dao net! Li Hao was weaving a defensive barrier with the power of the Great Dao. Beside him, Kongji was also laying down his own Dao arts. Neither of them had fled; at this stage, waiting for the prey to come to them was the far better option. Watching Li Hao weave the Great Dao, Kongji was somewhat surprised. Although Li Hao was still only a rank four, he seemed markedly stronger than before, his comprehension of the Dao far deeper. When they had dug the subterranean tunnel together, it had essentially been a form of weaving a Dao net. At that time, he had felt Li Hao was somewhat inferior to him, yet in so short a time, Li Hao's woven Dao net had become so remarkably stable. "You improve so quickly!" Kongji remarked with emotion as he arranged his own grand array. Li Hao replied casually, "I dismantled a small world and a medium world. You can give it a try next time—just practice more! With my time reversal demonstrating the construction process of a Dao net, you can reverse-engineer how to take it apart... The results come fast! Once you get your hands on a world, I'll help you reverse time. Just give me half of the dismantled Dao net!" *You're not short on money anyway. When you get back, just have your old man send you dozens of medium worlds.* Kongji was speechless. The Bright Great World was wealthy, but wealth was not meant to be squandered like that. More importantly, he did not want to rely entirely on his family. Besides, the Bright Sovereign had an entire great world to sustain. Granting his son some special treatment was fine, but emptying the Bright World's coffers for him... would the other Sovereigns accept that? A balance had to be maintained. Still... Kongji thought about it again. If they succeeded this time, he could share in the spoils. Although he had initially told Li Hao not to give him a cut, they had later agreed on a twenty percent share for him. It was still something. That worked too! Dismantling worlds truly had such benefits... Of course, the prerequisite was being capable of dismantling them in the first place. Without time reversal, it would likely prove exceedingly difficult. Those who could dismantle them had no need to worry, and for those who could not, worrying was futile. The two remained thoroughly at ease. Being outmatched was one thing—the enemy possessed superior numbers, and against so many Sovereigns, they were certainly no match. But... did they not still have the Sword Venerable to back them up? In this battle, the two of them were merely the vanguard. The Sword Venerable was the decisive factor. *** At the same exact time. The Sword Venerable's palms were slightly damp with sweat. *Fuck!* Those two brats placed immense trust in him, convinced that he was all-powerful... The Sword Venerable thought so too—he *was* formidable. Yet... seven rank sixes, multiple middle ranks, plus dozens of low ranks... dozens of Sovereigns in total! He was indeed strong, but to claim he could single-handedly contend against dozens of Sovereigns, seven of whom were rank six, was an absurd overestimation. Even an authentic rank seven Sovereign might find such a situation troublesome. Crucially, he had not even stepped into rank seven yet. A single misstep, and he would take a disastrous fall. This force was far mightier than that of an ordinary medium world. Take Senlan, a great world—before the Dao Lord perished, it had only possessed three rank six Sovereigns. The Sword Venerable had obliterated medium worlds before, but this time... even he felt a thrill of trepidation. "Seven rank sixes, including one at the peak of rank six!" The Sword Venerable calculated rapidly. Slaying them would be difficult! With an ambush, he might instantly kill one rank six. If their reactions were sluggish, he could perhaps take down another. But if they reacted swiftly and the remaining six joined forces, he would be in deep trouble. Therefore, he had to ensure he eliminated two at maximum speed. As for the remaining five... if Li Hao and Kongji could pin down one, he would handle the other four. That would lessen the pressure substantially. As long as they could kill around four, the Senlan World Lord would have enough foundation to advance. It had to be done fast! Otherwise, if too many Red Moon Sovereigns fell, the Lord of Red Moon would inevitably react in short order. Sweat beaded on the Sword Venerable's brow. Exhilarating! This was far more thrilling than taking on Senlan alone. No matter how powerful the Senlan World Lord was, he was only one man; taking him on carried far less pressure. "Fated to be a blade my entire life!" the Sword Venerable suddenly muttered. In the first half of his life, he had constantly cleaned up after that brat Fang Ping. Now, having met two juniors in the chaos, he ended up cleaning up after them as well. Of course, if they succeeded, the gains would be immense. If he did not enter rank seven now, he would no longer be able to participate in higher-level wars. Fang Ping was already on the verge of stepping into rank eight. If he failed to reach rank seven, it would be difficult for him to be of any further use. To attain rank seven... he had to go all out this time! *** A succession of figures abruptly came to a halt. Ahead, arrays interwove densely, Great Dao energy permeating heaven and earth while killing intent overflowed. At the center of the grand array, two Sovereigns were still busily reinforcing the formations, tossing out Great Dao crystals one after another. Boundless energy swept in from every direction, enveloping the array. Shisha halted, refraining from launching a direct assault. A formation laid down by a rank six Sovereign of Life and Death presented an uncertain situation. Charging in recklessly risked the possibility of falling. The six rank six Sovereigns from Red Moon could not afford any more casualties. With such numbers, if another rank six perished, Shisha would have no way to explain it upon his return. Rank sixes were the reserve ranks for rank seven. The reason Red Moon was confident it could swiftly recover its vitality was that it had sufficient rank sixes to replenish its ranks. If too many of them died, catastrophe would follow. Shisha remained silent, casting a glance at a rank six beside him. That Sovereign wore a radiant, exceptionally gentle smile. His voice was soft and carried an earnest tone as it resonated outward: "Sovereigns Death God and Myriad Dao, my Lord has heard that you cultivate the Five Elements and Life and Death, and values you exceptionally!" "If you two are willing to join our side, Fellow Daoist Myriad Dao's advancement to rank six is virtually assured. As for Fellow Daoist Death God... you are also aware of our background. This is a rare opportunity; you may very well have the chance to glimpse the secrets of rank seven!" Recruitment? The rogue cultivators stirred slightly, unsure whether it was genuine or a ruse. In truth, it was half true and half false. If those two truly surrendered, it was not out of the question. They were clearly prodigies among Sovereigns. Inducting them into the Red Moon Dao system would make them reserve talents for Red Moon, full of potential. Of course, both obviously had backers, making their surrender unlikely. This gesture was merely a test. Inside, Kongji looked up, sensing waves of Great Dao energy seeping into the array. That man's Dao voice carried great bewitchment and allure; he was likely an expert who specialized in manipulation. He laughed as well. "It's not entirely out of the question! Since you Sovereigns hail from a major power, why not test the humble array Fellow Daoist Myriad Dao and I have set up? Come in one by one. If someone can breach the array intact and break it, we two will naturally surrender!" Shisha's eyes turned frosty. He inspected the formation closely, frowning slightly. A beam of killing intent shot from his eyes, slamming into the array. The formation trembled faintly, but did not shatter. Shisha's gaze shifted slightly—what a sturdy array! How had they managed it? For Sovereigns of their caliber, arrays laid down using Great Dao energy generally possessed limited might and could scarcely inflict real harm upon a rank six. Of course, they remained a threat to low-rank Sovereigns. For instance, the Eight Trigrams grand array inside Silver Moon had trapped Sovereign Shigu for countless years. Yet that was because Sovereign Shigu had been weak! He, Shisha, was a peak rank six Sovereign capable of breaching medium worlds. Yet now, this small array's defensive power was no weaker than that of an average medium world. They truly had some skill! "Has a domain been incorporated?" He sensed it—an inkling of a domain. Rumor had it that Sovereign Myriad Dao wielded a Sovereign weapon endowed with the power of a Dao domain by a top-tier Sovereign. It appeared the rumors were true. Beside him, Shihun sent a voice transmission: "Let's launch a full assault! This array appears formidable, but we have numbers on our side. Under a concentrated attack, it will surely break!" Just as he spoke, Li Hao's voice carried over: "This array is tethered to Senlan's terrestrial veins. If it is breached by force, Senlan will suffer catastrophic upheaval!" Li Hao sneered, "Yan Fang! Senlan World Lord! My brother and I provoked powerful enemies and shed blood in battle for Senlan's sake. In the end, not only did you lack the spine to offend these invaders, you even embezzled our spoils of war and sealed the world gate! If this array is broken by brute force, I'd like to see how many people in Senlan will die!" In the distance, Yan Fang's figure materialized. His brows furrowed slightly. A divine light gleamed in his eyes. The grand array truly was tethered to the surrounding terrain. For a moment, he could not tell whether this was an agreement Li Hao had reached with the World Lord, or... an independent decision. Shisha sneered, "You said it yourself—it's the Senlan World..." Li Hao sneered back, "If hundreds of millions of living souls in Senlan perish, the Dao of this great world will inevitably decline! Need I state where you come from? Why did you choose a gradual takeover instead of directly storming Senlan? Do you take every Sovereign under heaven for a fool? If you truly slaughter Senlan, killing countless mortals and weakening its Great Dao Universe, is that the outcome you desire? I would certainly like to see whether claiming a decayed Senlan and killing us would be considered a merit or a crime for you, Sovereign Shisha!" Shisha frowned slightly, staring coldly at them. What a glib-tongued fellow! Did they care about casualties in Senlan? Not in the slightest! However, if Senlan suffered horrific casualties and countless commoners perished, the Senlan World would undoubtedly weaken... It was hard to say how much it would decline, but the whole point of annexing Senlan was to replenish and strengthen Red Moon. If it deteriorated too drastically, what would be the point of annexing it? "Sever the terrain tethering his array!" Shisha abruptly sent a voice transmission to Yan Fang. "Have your World Lord step forward and utilize the world's power to directly sever the connection between their array and Senlan's territory!" Yan Fang's eyes held a trace of helplessness as he transmitted back, "The World Lord is in secluded cultivation." "Hmph!" Shisha snorted coldly. Seclusion? It was not impossible; he might truly be making a breakthrough toward rank seven. But right at this moment, was there truly no alternative? To allow an outsider to so easily tether himself to Senlan's earth veins? Evidently... Senlan might be intentionally giving them leeway. The Sovereign beside him transmitted urgently, "Shisha, launch a direct assault and break it! If Senlan suffers heavy casualties, that is Senlan's problem. Even if the Great Dao Universe is damaged, it won't be catastrophic..." At worst, the outcome might be slightly imperfect. Shisha said nothing. He stared at the array and fell silent for a moment before declaring, "Dismantle the array!" Not a brute-force assault, but dismantling the array. A direct assault meant violent destruction, whereas dismantling meant breaking it through technical means. Beside him, Sovereign Wushang frowned slightly. "Is this... appropriate? By tethering the array to Senlan, those two clearly hope we will abandon a brute-force breach. If we enter the formation... we might fall into a trap!" It was something anyone with eyes could see! "No matter. We enter together!" Shisha said coldly. "Did they think we would divide our forces or enter one by one? We go in together. If they dare show their heads, they die! No matter how strong the array is, that is all it amounts to. If we all enter together, could they possibly possess the strength to annihilate all of us?" At these words, everyone nodded, and the rogue cultivators breathed a sigh of relief. They had feared that Shisha, in his arrogance, would force them rogue cultivators forward as cannon fodder to break the array. In that scenario... casualties would have been catastrophic. Now that they were entering together, there was little cause for concern. Shisha barked coldly, "Enter the array!" Under his lead, the flock of Sovereigns swiftly entered the formation. Shisha turned to look at Yan Fang and his group, sneering, "Since you cannot sever the terrain, then suppress the surrounding area to prevent innocent lives from perishing in vain! Yan Fang, we have no desire to see Senlan turn into a dead domain. What we want is a thriving Senlan!" Yan Fang's face was grim. He said nothing. Only after they entered did he bark softly, "Take positions in the four directions and suppress the earth veins! Once the array is broken, you must suppress any tremors. Understood?" "Understood!" The Sovereigns dispersed rapidly to the four quadrants. Having stepped into the array, Shisha chuckled and remarked softly, "Good. With this, they can only suppress the surrounding territory, sparing us many worries. Otherwise, I would have had to worry about those fools trying to meddle!" *** Inside the grand array. Li Hao glanced over and chuckled softly. "The people of Red Moon are as arrogant as ever. They treat us with the same contempt, always believing that hailing from a rank eight great world guarantees their victory!" Kongji thought about it carefully, then turned to Li Hao with utter earnestness. "Were it not for you and me, their victory would indeed be guaranteed! It would be the same for my Bright World. A rank eight great world fielding seven rank six Sovereigns and dozens of others against a single rank four and a rank six—why shouldn't they be arrogant?" "..." Li Hao was left speechless. In Kongji's eyes, Li Hao's perspective was simply skewed. Why would they ever think they couldn't crush you? They had you completely outmatched to begin with! All right, Li Hao thought. It was a matter of perspective. If I hailed from a rank eight great world, I might think the same way. He said no more, turning his gaze toward the figures entering the formation, and smiled. "Shall we begin?" "Whenever you're ready!" Without another word, Li Hao triggered the array. Great Dao energy surged forth, attacking the incoming experts. The Dao of Adhesion materialized; Li Hao only possessed a rudimentary grasp of it, so its effects were minimal. Its sole function was... to taint them with a trace of his aura, the aura of time. It was that simple! This Dao inflicted almost no damage on those Sovereigns, and was easily shattered by them. The art of Stealing the Sky and Swapping the Sun gradually began to dissipate. Li Hao had accumulated a considerable amount of chaotic lightning tribulation. Restoring the Sword Venerable, restoring Kongji, reversing time to observe world sources, observing the formation of Dao nets... accumulated together, the tribulation was far from weak. At that moment, Shisha, having just shattered a wave of Great Dao energy, frowned slightly. He felt as though something had adhered to his body. It was a very weak strand of Great Dao energy. Yet it was somewhat peculiar, clinging to him like glue. He felt a faint twinge of unease; though weak, it clung tightly and proved difficult to expel, causing slight discomfort. Simultaneously, the other top powerhouses sensed it as well. Shisha warned, "Expel that strange energy from your bodies and exercise caution..." He still offered a reminder. Though weak, an alien power clinging to oneself warranted vigilance. The Sovereigns began attempting to dispel the energy. However, the essence of the Dao of Adhesion was adherence—a passive Great Dao power that either assimilated you or was assimilated by you. As they exerted their strength, instead of dissipating, the adhering power was instantly absorbed by them. Everyone was startled. What kind of energy was this? It had been absorbed and assimilated so easily! It seemed to be nothing of consequence. Far too weak! *** At the same time. The Senlan World Lord was slightly startled as dark clouds rapidly gathered! A chaotic lightning tribulation. An advancement tribulation? Just as the thought crossed his mind, he sensed it carefully and breathed a sigh of relief. It was not. Understanding dawned on him—it was that Silver Moon King. Rumor had it that whenever the Silver Moon King acted, he would summon chaotic lightning tribulation. It seemed the rumors were true. It was not excessively powerful, roughly possessing the strength of a rank five or rank six Sovereign. Though Li Hao had accumulated quite a bit, he was only rank four himself. Furthermore, he had been cautious and restrained, avoiding calling down overwhelmingly powerful tribulation lightning. It was manageable! Just as he thought this, the lightning tribulation materialized with startling speed. Perhaps having repeatedly sensed the aura of time, the tribulation was growing irritated. Every time it wiped it out, the power of time reappeared shortly after. Infuriating! The lightning tribulation swiftly condensed into a humanoid figure wielding a colossal warhammer, plunging straight into the Senlan Great World in an instant. Simultaneously, in the distance, a rank seven Sovereign was observing. He too noticed the lightning tribulation. Yet... after a glance, he paid it little heed. Rank five or six in strength. After brief consideration, a thought occurred to him—perhaps it belonged to that Sovereign of Life and Death. It seemed this Sovereign was somewhat stronger than the World Lord had claimed. The Daos of Life and Death were in the midst of fusion, not unmerged as previously assumed. Cultivating Life and Death and merging them would trigger chaotic lightning tribulation. As a high-rank Sovereign, he naturally understood this. *** The crowd still dismantling the array suddenly sensed an anomaly. Above their heads, a figure of lightning manifested, ignoring the formation and bypassing all barriers. In the next instant, it unleashed an indiscriminate strike! *Rumble!* Above everyone's head, a bolt of tribulation lightning materialized and came crashing down with an earth-shattering roar! It gave them no time to react. Seeing this, Shisha's expression shifted slightly, but he relaxed a moment later. It was not excessively strong—just chaotic lightning tribulation. *Damn it!* How had those two managed to direct the lightning tribulation onto them? Was it that strange energy from earlier? There was no time to ponder. A sword appeared in Shisha's hand, and he struck outward, the Dao of Slaughter surging forth. With an ear-splitting boom, the phantom above his head was sliced to pieces by his sword! His sheer power was astonishing. It was merely rank five or six lightning energy, after all! Above the heads of the others, lightning tribulations erupted as well. Having annihilated his own bolt, Shisha spun around and slashed, shattering the tribulations above several other Sovereigns. The rank six Sovereigns dealt with it with relative ease. Working together, such a tribulation was not overly difficult to handle. "Triggered by the Dao of Life and Death?" Shihun even found the leisure to remark with a laugh. "Chaotic lightning tribulation doesn't seem like much. Rumors always describe it as terrifying and relentless..." The seven rank six Sovereigns handled it effortlessly. The low-rank Sovereigns faced some danger, but with the high ranks shielding them, the Red Moon Sovereigns did not deliberately sabotage them or shirk the lightning. Thus, with everyone sharing the burden, the damage was negligible. Yet right at that moment, the extinguished lightning tribulation suddenly reappeared! Over on the other side, Li Hao was still channeling time. This time, he made no attempt to conceal or shield it. The lightning struck him as well, and even more tribulation condensed as Li Hao assisted Kongji's recovery. Kongji continuously unleashed waves of unique energy that permeated the array as the Quiescence Realm began to expand outward at a steady crawl. He did not need to recover his expended energy on his own; Li Hao replenished it for him alongside his own. The lightning tribulation struck continuously! *Boom! Boom! Boom!* Deafening crashes rang out endlessly. Inside the array, the Sovereigns remained relatively calm. Shisha's voice rang out: "They are suffering the bombardment as well. I'd like to see who gives out first!" Laughable! If Li Hao were exempt from the lightning, they might worry that these two could sustain the tribulation indefinitely, posing a grave threat. But Li Hao was being struck by lightning as well! If a rank four could endure it, how could they possibly fail? The intruders advanced toward the core while shattering the lightning. *Rumble!* The chaotic lightning tribulation seemed thoroughly enraged, unleashing even fiercer destructive might as it blasted toward everyone. The entire sky was thick with dark clouds! Shisha accelerated, ignoring the lightning entirely as he charged forward without hesitation. Relying on his formidable might, he dismantled the formation from within, severing one array foundation after another. The other rank sixes focused on handling the lightning. Once the source was slain, the tribulation would naturally vanish. Shisha was blisteringly fast, his combat prowess ferocious. He understood the duo's intention—to exhaust everyone's strength... But as if only their Great Dao energy was being consumed! Were the defenders not expending theirs as well? Layer after layer of the array was rapidly torn apart. On Li Hao's side, he no longer had the bandwidth to maintain the formation. At this moment, Li Hao had to face the lightning tribulation on one hand while channeling time to restore Kongji on the other. He could only allow the array to be breached; it was meant to be a buffer zone anyway, and losing it mattered little. Meanwhile, the other rank six Sovereigns were growing somewhat impatient. Enduring their own lightning was fine. Now, they had to shield these low-rank Sovereigns as well, which proved exceedingly tedious. Shihun barked softly, "Don't just stand there watching! Join forces and shatter the tribulation together! With so many hands, it's not as if we can't disperse it!" You were brought here to serve as fighters, not pampered young masters. Hearing this, the rogue cultivators dared not dawdle and unleashed their attacks. Bolts of tribulation lightning were shattered one after another! With so many Sovereigns joining forces, the commotion shook heaven and earth, their strength not to be underestimated. In the blink of an eye, a massive amount of lightning was obliterated, which in turn drew down even more thunderous fury. *** "Are you ready?" By now, Li Hao was also feeling the strain, his flesh lacerated by the lightning strikes. Was Kongji's quiescence array finally prepared or not? Kongji chuckled and nodded. It was ready! "Then I'll retract the time." "Mm." Li Hao swiftly dispersed his time energy and activated the art of Stealing the Sky and Swapping the Sun. The remaining tribulation phantoms seemed indignant, but having lost the scent of time, the tribulation had no reason to persist. A final wave of tribulation crashed down, only to be shattered instantly by the defenders. Soon, the lightning dissipated entirely. Shisha and his companions sneered. An exercise in futility! By this point, those two were lambs to the slaughter. Only the final few layers of the array remained, on the verge of complete collapse. "I feel a little excited..." At that very moment, Kongji chuckled and glanced at Li Hao. "Step back a bit!" Li Hao retreated naturally. Young Master Kongji was about to unleash his full might; he would simply watch. "Rise!" With a low shout, the entire area was instantly plunged into darkness as the power of quiescence flooded all of heaven and earth! The entire region fell deathly silent in an instant. It was as though even heaven and earth had been extinguished! "Die!" The power of death erupted in an instant, rumbling violently! Shisha's expression shifted slightly. With a low shout, he slashed his sword across heaven and earth, a look of suspicion surfacing in his eyes. Was this... the power of quiescence? Could it be? Rumor had it that Ming Tang, the Divine Son of Bright Light, had abandoned the Dao of Light to cultivate the power of quiescence... Just as the thought arose, a tiny, exquisitely delicate flower manifested within heaven and earth—so minuscule that it was virtually invisible in this world of darkness. Kongji laughed softly. "Revival!" The world began to revive, and the flower began to blossom, yet it lacked sufficient vitality. At that very moment, the Dao of Life erupted, and a violently voracious pull of life force swept across the entire realm! The Quiescence Realm materialized instantly, enveloping everyone. Shisha and the others felt their life force being siphoned away. Shisha's face turned icy as he roared, "Kill him!" All seven rank six Sovereigns attacked simultaneously! *Boom!* The entire world trembled violently, while the low-rank Sovereigns cried out in agonizing torment. The power of quiescence caused their bodies to stiffen, while the fusion of revival and vitality siphoned their life force to supplement what the power of revival lacked. At the same time, behind them, stars materialized in Li Hao's hand once more—this time without summoning the lightning tribulation. He had already cloaked it once again. The entire domain suddenly seemed to undergo temporal acceleration! The life force that had been trickling out now began to hemorrhage at a frantic pace! A rank one Sovereign, who had managed to hold on initially, suddenly turned pale with utter terror. Sovereigns were virtually immortal and indestructible, yet at this moment, his body aged and withered at a rate visible to the naked eye! An aura of decay surged from him in an instant, massive amounts of life force drained away in a single breath! The middle-rank Sovereigns could still resist somewhat. Yet against the combined offensive of Li Hao and Kongji unleashing their ultimate moves from the start, the low-rank Sovereigns were defenseless. In the blink of an eye, that rank one Sovereign let out a shrill scream of panic and weakness: "I... I..." In virtually a single instant! His physical body decayed and crumbled to dust like ash, rotting to the point of total disintegration. His Dao mark manifested—the Dao mark of a rogue cultivator, riddled with impurities. Yet the vitality within this Dao mark was also draining away frantically. Cracks began to spread across the Dao mark. The surrounding Sovereigns were scared out of their wits by the sight! How could this be? A Sovereign should have lived for hundreds of thousands of years at the very least. Yet in this brief span, his vitality had been completely drained, and even his Dao mark could not hold out! Before they had even clashed directly, he had been sucked dry! Even Li Hao's expression shifted slightly. Life and Death paired with Quiescence and Revival was terrifyingly potent! Coupled with his temporal acceleration, this rank one Sovereign had been thoroughly drained in just a few breaths! At the center of the realm, beside Kongji, that tiny flower seemed to be growing steadily, swaying gracefully and brimming with vitality. It was the siphoned life force that nurtured its bloom! *Boom!* As Shisha shattered the final layer of the array with a sword strike, a boom resonated behind him—the Dao mark of that withered rank one Sovereign shattered into dust, perishing completely! The death of a rank one was negligible. A rogue cultivator, no less! Yet dying before even engaging in direct combat filled the other Sovereigns, whose vitality was still slipping away, with dread and unrest! How could this be happening? "Seeking death!" Shisha barked coldly, "Kill them, and the Quiescence Realm will naturally break!" He could see it now—this person truly might be the Divine Son of Bright Light. He was harvesting the life force of Sovereigns to nurture that flower. Damned bastard! Kongji smiled faintly. Just before the enemy reached him, he murmured softly, "Revival and quiescence... Quiescence is not merely a Quiescence Realm, but... Great Annihilation!" In a single instant, the dark Quiescence Realm around them erupted with a tremendous roar! The entire realm shattered instantly! Boundless quiescence energy rippled outward, followed by the power of death. Beneath Great Annihilation lay death; there was no pure quiescence, for someone would always die! Only when death walked alongside quiescence was it true destruction! *Rumble!* Darkness descended, plunging heaven and earth into pitch blackness, as though dragging all of Senlan into a void where one could not see one's own hand before one's face! The sky had turned completely black! The power of darkness. Kongji had said he studied six Daos, among which were Light and Darkness. "It truly is you!" Shisha's voice rang out as he struck. A longsword thrust forward without a sound, lunging straight for Kongji! It truly was the Divine Son of Bright Light! But so what? If this man dared come to cause trouble for Red Moon, he would be slain all the same! In the darkness, numerous low-rank Sovereigns cried out in agony. Some were stripped of their vitality, while others were smothered by quiescence and death, gravely wounded before being devoured by the pull of life force! The little flower before Kongji became the sole source of light, swaying gracefully and appearing exceptionally vibrant. Right beneath the eyes of seven rank six Sovereigns, he had slaughtered multiple low-rank Sovereigns in an instant. Sovereigns wailed in the darkness, fading away one after another. Someone seemed to recognize Kongji, their desperate screams echoing: "It's him... it's the Divine Son of Bright Light..." The power of quiescence, the power of darkness... A rank six Sovereign! Who else could this be but the Divine Son of Bright Light? Simultaneously, six red moons rose into the sky, illuminating the world of darkness, carrying an overwhelming mixture of fury, despair, madness, bloodlust, and enchantment... In an instant, the entire realm was transformed into a Red Moon domain! Joining forces, the six Red Moon Sovereigns suppressed the darkness and manifested the Red Moon Dao domain! It instantly engulfed the entire Quiescence Realm! Of the seven Sovereigns, six charged straight for Kongji. The rogue cultivator Yu Xiu hesitated slightly; having recognized Kongji, he felt apprehensive and dared not make a move to kill him. In the next instant, he gritted his teeth and dashed straight toward Li Hao. He dared not kill Kongji, but six rank sixes were more than enough—he would deal with Li Hao instead! Meanwhile, Li Hao continued to channel the stars in his hand. The swift deaths of those rogue cultivators were largely due to him. His temporal acceleration had magnified the loss of their vitality by hundreds and thousands of times. That was the crucial factor driving those Sovereigns toward rapid demise. He had already sensed seven or eight low-rank Sovereigns falling here. Seeing that rank six Sovereign charging straight at him, Li Hao smiled, and the time energy in his hand dispersed. He ceased channeling the power of time. At that moment, a sword materialized in Li Hao's grip. He delivered a gentle slash, and in an instant, Dao domains manifested one after another, overlapping across the surrounding space. In a single breath, Yu Xiu felt as though he had plunged into a quagmire! It felt as if he were trapped within countless worlds. His expression changed, and with a furious roar, he threw a punch, intending to shatter this realm. At that moment, the Five Elements emerged, water and fire blending together! Rank six Sovereigns from great worlds were difficult for Li Hao to deal with, but was a rogue cultivator of rank six truly that formidable? He was, after all, a genuine top-tier rank four Sovereign who commanded the Great Dao River, wielded myriad Daos, and possessed a Sovereign weapon. As for a rank six rogue cultivator... not everyone was the Sword Venerable! The power of the Great Dao River manifested, surging like violent waves! "Destruction!" With a low shout, *boom!* Heaven and earth shattered as if the realm had been annihilated in a great world collapse. Li Hao paid no heed to Kongji's side; he wanted to see just how strong this rank six rogue cultivator truly was! The longsword slashed out once more, infused with the power of myriad Daos, ultimately condensing into a sword of quiescence! The sword fell! A beam of quiescence sword radiance appeared across heaven and earth, slashing downward with a thunderous roar! Great Dao energies collided! Li Hao was knocked backward, the immense recoil causing his physical body to crack. Meanwhile, the rogue cultivator Yu Xiu's expression twisted violently. A bloody gash appeared on his fist, spreading rapidly until the power of destruction erupted, obliterating his fist in a resounding blast! The surrounding area fell completely silent for an instant. A clash between a rank four and a rank six—Li Hao seemed to have suffered a minor disadvantage, but... an invincible existence among rogue cultivators had actually had his fist severed by a single sword strike! "The Silver Moon King!" At this moment, Yu Xiu seemed to piece it together, his expression changing. He now knew the identities of both men. One was the Silver Moon King, and the other... the Divine Son of Bright Light! No wonder both were so terrifying. A rank six Sovereign like him had actually suffered a setback at the hands of a rank four. Li Hao, however, was dissatisfied, his brow furrowing slightly. He was a rank four, yes, but his opponent was merely a rogue cultivator! He wasn't claiming he could run rampant among rogue cultivators, but after planning for so long and exhausting his arsenal—aside from not using time against this man—that seemingly casual sword strike had been his full power. Yet he had only wounded the man, shattering his fist. He couldn't even kill the weakest rank six! It wasn't arrogance; his benchmark was someone like the Sword Venerable. Against powerhouses of the same rank from great worlds, he ought to be invincible. He should even be able to defeat a rank five Sovereign of a great world, so he certainly ought to be able to contend against a rank six rogue cultivator! His battles were always arduous, unlike the swift efficiency of the Human King and his peers, because Li Hao constantly faced formidable foes. Still... it left a bitter taste. *He's just a rogue cultivator. If I can't even kill a rank six rogue cultivator, wouldn't that be an utter disgrace?* Over on the other side, Kongji had already erupted with power, radiant light bursting forth as he fused six Daos—all pairs of opposing extremes. In an instant, six Daos swept through heaven and earth, startling even Shisha! Li Hao cast another glance at Yu Xiu. Though he and Kongji did not expect to wipe out the entire enemy host on their own... they at least had to eliminate every Sovereign outside the Red Moon faction to prove they were capable of orchestrating such schemes! They couldn't simply rely on the Sword Venerable to sweep the board with his peerless blade! If that were the case, the Sword Venerable could have acted alone—what use would they be? "I have a technique, and Fellow Daoist is the first to test it. Why not give it a try?" Even as he asked, Li Hao unleashed his power. At that very moment, realms materialized one after another, swiftly interweaving to construct a web of domains—a Dao net! The Dao net manifested! Yu Xiu's expression changed. His fist rapidly regenerated, and he threw a punch at Li Hao. However, Li Hao condensed time, accelerating his own speed in an instant. Three hundred and sixty realms merged into the river, and the river merged into his sword. Using the sword as the spine, Li Hao pushed the weapon to its limit, causing a hairline fracture to appear along the blade. A formidable power erupted in an instant. The Thousand Dao Sword! A thousand Daos condensed into a sword, using domains as Dao and the river as the foundation. "Sever!" *Boom!* A colossal net materialized in the void, descending directly toward Yu Xiu. Yu Xiu's expression shifted, and he threw a punch! The net descended rapidly. His strike failed to shatter it. Though Li Hao spat blood, a smile surfaced on his lips as he struck with his sword, unleashing the power of suppression! *Boom!* A deafening explosion eclipsed all other sounds. Even Kongji, who was furiously unleashing his ultimate techniques, could not help but cast a glance from the corner of his eye, visibly startled! The rogue cultivator Yu Xiu was cleanly cleaved in two from head to toe by that single strike! The two halves of his body began to regenerate frantically! Yu Xiu's eyes were filled with profound horror. Was this person... truly only a rank four? Amidst his horror lay disbelief and jealousy. How was this possible? Even a rank four Sovereign from a great world could not possibly be this formidable! In that single instant, he had felt suppressed by myriad Daos! It was as though he had been suppressed by a World Lord. But even if the man was the Silver Moon King, the Silver Moon World was not here—how could he suppress him, even for an instant? However... it was only a single strike. He couldn't kill him! Just as that thought surfaced, Li Hao's face darkened slightly. One strike was not enough! He could contend against a rank six rogue cultivator and even gain a slight upper hand, but... he couldn't kill him, just as the Sword Venerable could not kill a rank seven. Yet that was the Sword Venerable. He was not the Sword Venerable! He felt slightly annoyed. In a single instant, the energy he had just exhausted was suddenly restored. Yu Xiu, who was still in the midst of recovering, saw his body begin to collapse once more. The longsword in Li Hao's hand materialized again, and he bellowed, "Sever!" *Boom!* The second strike was even faster than the first, crashing down in a single instant! *Bang!* Half of Yu Xiu's body was reduced to ash by Li Hao's blow. Li Hao, however, was depleted once more, his expression growing grimmer. Three or four strikes! Yes, he had formed a basic assessment. It would take at least three to four strikes to kill a rank six—roughly on par with the Sword Venerable's performance. Meanwhile, the remaining half of Yu Xiu was terrified out of his wits and roared in terror, "Sovereign Shisha...!" He had actually suffered such a disastrous defeat at the hands of a rank four. If the opponent struck once or twice more, he truly might die. This was far too terrifying. At this moment, how could he care about face? What was pride compared to his life? There was no need for him to shout! In truth, of the six Sovereigns fiercely assaulting Kongji, one had already crept over in secret. He too was horrified. Casting aside all hesitation, he silently materialized behind Li Hao, a colossal palm lunging straight for Li Hao's head! The Silver Moon King! This fellow was monstrously defiant as well, crossing ranks from four to challenge six. Even if rogue cultivators were looked down upon, a rank six was still a rank six, yet he had nearly been killed by this boy! A terrifying surge of Red Moon energy erupted from his palm. Die! At this point, who cared about taking prisoners? A man capable of slaying a rank six could not be left alive! Two rank sixes attacked in pincer formation, front and back. Before him, Yu Xiu, though missing half his body, was consumed by nothing but fear and rage. He threw his remaining fist toward Li Hao with all his might! Kill him! Otherwise, he would spend the rest of his life living in the shadow of this moment. Being nearly killed by a rank four was the greatest humiliation of his life! *** Within the darkness. The Sword Venerable was already poised to strike. He felt the two had performed admirably, far exceeding his expectations. He could make his move now! First, slay the two rank sixes near Li Hao, then join forces with Kongji to kill the rest... The opportunity had arrived! Just as the Sword Venerable was about to act, he abruptly stayed his hand, suppressing his aura. His gaze shifted, revealing a hint of astonishment. "Where the Dao resides, myriad arts are extinguished!" A murmur escaped Li Hao's lips. In the void, divine characters materialized one after another. As they assembled, they formed a massive Dao domain in a single breath. Domain linked with domain, unleashing waves of differing Great Dao fluctuations until a colossal star suddenly manifested. Life, Death, and Quiescence! Domains connected, quiescence spread, and myriad arts were extinguished! The Red Moon power dissipated in an instant. The ambushing rank six Sovereign was startled—how could this be? And those interconnected Dao domains seemed to coalesce into a book. What astonished the Sword Venerable was precisely this sight... The Great Dao Book? Had Old Zhang passed on his Dao? No, Zhang An? But could that foolish brat Zhang An pass anything on to Li Hao? Colossal book pages manifested, suppressing myriad arts in an instant. In Li Hao's hand, a massive broadsword suddenly appeared. At that moment, it was as if he were possessed by the Human King, unleashing an exceedingly berserk saber strike! "Die!" *Boom!* Yu Xiu was horrified as his remaining half-body was pulverized by the saber strike. Just as his Dao mark surfaced, the Great Dao Book crashed down with an earth-shattering roar. With a resounding bang, the Dao mark was shattered into fragments, transforming into streaks of light that merged into each of the small domains! He was dead! Behind him, the Red Moon Sovereign was equally shocked. Red Moon power surged once more, tearing through Li Hao's suppression, about to crash down upon Li Hao's skull! Just as the Sword Venerable prepared to strike, Li Hao barked, "Over there!" The Sword Venerable understood and wasted no time. Turning around, he drove his sword straight toward Shisha and the others. Li Hao didn't seem to need saving! This brat had defied all expectations by genuinely slaying a rank six. And from the looks of it, he even wanted to clash with a rank six from a great world... Of the seven rank six Sovereigns, the first to die was a rogue cultivator... which was normal, but being killed by Li Hao was anything but normal. In that single instant, a streak of sword light illuminated heaven and earth! The Sword Venerable struck, his overwhelming sword intent dispelling the darkness in a flash. Kongji felt slightly crestfallen—*damn it, Haoyue beat me to it.* He felt a tinge of disappointment. The sword struck! The heavens fractured! *Boom!* Shihun glanced sideways, scared out of his wits. A sword slashed down like an ambush from a rank seven. Looking down, he saw his physical body completely shattered. His Red Moon Dao mark surfaced, only to be pulverized in the next breath! Shihun's consciousness was still dazed. *Am I... dead?* In a single instant, he seemed to have been slain. He had thought that lingering on the periphery would grant him an easier time, yet on the periphery, he had ended up being the first to die! No, Yu Xiu had died before him. Yet... what was a rogue cultivator like Yu Xiu worth? *I am a Sovereign of a great world with the potential to reach rank seven!* With that final thought, Shihun's consciousness was thoroughly extinguished by the sword light. *I am dead!* *Boom!* Only at that moment did the explosive roar reverberate through the world. The entire world was completely illuminated. Darkness had fallen earlier, but now that darkness was dispelled and the Quiescence Realm had dissipated. The Senlan Sovereigns suppressing the exterior, who had sensed nothing before, suddenly saw the light return. When they looked again... they were struck dumb. Two rank sixes were missing, and seven or eight low-rank Sovereigns were gone. In a single instant, in the blink of an eye, ten Sovereigns had vanished! "Sword Venerable!" Shisha roared, jolting everyone awake. It was the Sword Venerable! Xinwu! A single ambush had instantly slain a rank six with unbelievable speed. In the blink of an eye, two rank sixes had fallen. "Fall!" A sword domain manifested instantly, myriad swords descending. At the same time, Li Hao and Kongji erupted simultaneously, their domains overlapping! The Quiescence Domain, the Myriad Dao Domain, and the Sword Dao Domain! Three domains converged, layering upon one another. Suppressing heaven and earth! All of Senlan ground to a momentary halt. The Sword Venerable swung his blade once more, slashing downward. *Rumble!* Another deafening roar echoed as a rank six Red Moon Sovereign was instantly blown apart! *Boom!* Another crimson sword struck, shattering the suppressive force with a resounding clang. In an instant, the remaining three Sovereigns scrambled backward. The rank six Sovereign who had been battling Li Hao was also pale with fright, retreating frantically! In the blink of an eye, three had died! As Shisha retreated, he let out a furious roar, Red Moon power shaking heaven and earth as a Great Dao Universe seemed on the verge of descending. Filled with disbelief, he roared, "Sword Venerable, Silver Moon King, Ming Tang!" It was them! The death of Sovereign Xingshen had been tied to these very people! Everything had unfolded too quickly, leaving everyone stunned. In an instant, the Sword Venerable had slain two rank sixes. Could he... even be considered a rank six? Unbelievable!