A Massive Fortune

Give up? At this point, how could Li Hao possibly give up? It was normal for plans to go awry; he had never expected everything to go smoothly in the first place, and all he had to do was adapt. When the five Sovereigns appeared, even the likes of the Lord of Bright Light and his companions looked grim, clearly caught off guard that Red Moon had managed to persuade several lords of great worlds so quickly. It was indeed abnormal—it had happened too fast. Of course, they had no idea that the Lord of Red Moon had signed a Great Dao covenant without hesitation. That was something neither the Lord of Bright Light nor the Lord of Yunxiao would ever agree to lightly, as the restrictions were far too severe. Nor were they as desperate or pressed for time as the Lord of Red Moon, so they certainly wouldn't casually sign any Chaos Lightning Tribulation covenant with other worlds. Thus, when these people arrived, everyone was genuinely startled. Xinwu's Human King glanced sideways... and recognized the Lord of Red Moon at a glance. In truth, the two had never met before; the leaders of the two great worlds had never crossed paths. The Human King had loitered near the Red Moon World for a long time without ever approaching it, claiming he was "lost"... Tianfang was so far away, yet he hadn't gotten lost on the way there. Near Red Moon, however, he had been "lost" for ages. Moreover, over those years, he had been constantly wiping out Red Moon's allies—including worlds like Zhian and Jile, former allies of Red Moon, along with rogue Chaos cultivators. He had slaughtered countless foes, yet oddly enough, he had never set foot on Red Moon itself. This time, he recognized the Lord of Red Moon at a glance—a rank eight world lord, pervaded by the power of the red moon. He then glanced at Li Hao... *Luring this man here was your objective? You want to hollow out his nest? The old man's hope of advancing is right there in his nest, isn't it? Going to all this trouble, even opening the Tianfang Universe, all for this?* In that moment, the Human King understood everything! When the Lord of Red Moon appeared, he grasped completely what this new King of Silver Moon was scheming—helped, of course, by his familiarity with Sword Venerable. Yet in the next moment, the Human King raised an eyebrow slightly. *Still... five Sovereigns showed up, all high-rank Sovereigns. That probably wasn't in your calculations, was it?* It seemed the new King of Silver Moon's plan had hit a slight snag. The corner of his mouth curved upward. It was completely normal; from the days when he was weak all the way to the present, not a single plan of his had ever gone smoothly. Surprise, surprise! He grinned. The new King of Silver Moon was still too young. If he had tempered himself in Xinwu for a few years and roamed around with him, he would know that all plans were total bullshit... The process of a plan didn't matter at all; only the result did! Judging by the look of things, so many people showing up was definitely unexpected. He was curious to see how this King of Silver Moon would handle it. …… Li Hao continued to ascend in silence, heading straight toward the boundary of Tianfang. *Where the gate opens is up to me!* *That is initiative!* *What good does it do if those in front run fast? If the Great Dao Universe doesn't open, can you force it open? If you had that capability, you would have done it long ago.* Calculating in his mind, he wasn't flustered. The situation hadn't spun out of control yet! It was just a few more Sovereigns than anticipated... As Li Hao shot into the firmament, a fissure vaguely materialized in the Great Dao Universe high above. In the distance, a Sovereign launched a forceful strike, but it hit nothing at all, failing to even touch the Great Dao Universe. A rank seven Sovereign's expression shifted, turning to roar, "The rift is by Sword Venerable!" Needless to say, everyone had already seen it. Even Wushan couldn't help cursing inwardly! *Fuck!* *Didn't we agree to open the gateway along my path? Why did it go to your side? What the hell is the King of Silver Moon playing at! Could it all have been a ruse? Is this guy trying to go in by himself?* When they made the deal, the King of Silver Moon had been weak, but now he was anything but weak. Judging purely by his aura, he had reached rank seven; perhaps he wanted to monopolize Tianfang for himself. He swiftly wheeled around and bolted toward Li Hao. That bastard! He wanted to curse out loud! Behind, the Lord of Bright Light and the Lord of Yunxiao also quickly turned around. Further away, the five Sovereigns breached the world barrier and charged straight for this location. The Lord of Red Moon broke into a delighted smile. *Perfect timing!* The Great Dao had only just manifested and hadn't fully opened yet. Good news! He had thought he arrived slightly late, never expecting the fissure had only just opened. Was even Tianfang waiting for him? *Boom!* Just then, a massive rift manifested in the sky, swiftly contracting until it gradually took the shape of a gateway. At the same time, down below at Dark Demon Ridge, a beam of light shot straight toward the vault of heaven, carrying immense imperial majesty, as if answering a summons! The pressure of a rank nine Sovereign radiated out. The Lord of Bright Light and the others were startled! In the next moment, a chessboard crisscrossed with squares appeared between heaven and earth. "Dao Chess!" someone gasped in astonishment. "A rank nine imperial weapon! It was actually in Dark Demon Ridge!" In that moment, everyone vaguely understood something. Perhaps the opening of the Tianfang Universe was linked to this rank nine imperial weapon! Many eyes burned with feverish greed; even rank seven Sovereigns who previously held little hope suddenly felt their blood boil. Rumor had it that Dao Chess had also been forged from a rank eight universe. That meant not only was there a rank nine universe here, but also a rank eight universe! This was simply astounding. Even if the rank eight lords seized the Great Dao Universe, they could at least get a share of Dao Chess, couldn't they? Right then, a wisp of darkness flashed and vanished from Li Hao's body. He sneered, his voice ringing like a bronze bell: "Give up on your futile hopes! This heaven, this earth, this world, and this Dao Chess all belong to me!" "I have already inherited part of the legacy left by the Lord of Tianfang. If not for that... how could this Great Dao Universe open so easily? Today is the day I, Li Changsheng, prove my Dao and attain rank seven... If you want to seize the treasures, you'll have to ask whether the sword in my hand agrees!" As he spoke, Dao Chess flew straight toward Li Hao! In a flash, Dao Chess pierced through the void and appeared beside him. The Sovereigns were shocked! *No wonder!* "Wushan, lend me a hand! Once I secure the Great Dao Universe, this Dao Chess will be your reward, helping you break free from Yunxiao's control and become the lord of a rank eight universe on your own!" Wushan tore through the air, giving no reply whatsoever. *You little brat, everything out of your mouth is half-true and half-false. I'll just pretend I didn't hear a word. You even managed to drag out Dao Chess! Stirring up such a massive commotion, what the hell are you planning?* What was he planning? Li Hao surged straight toward the interior of the Great Dao Universe, shouting thunderously, "Lord of Bright Light, Human King, Wushan! Lend me your strength to hold off the others and wait for the rift to seal! When I emerge from the universe once more, it shall be their doom!" With that, he charged into the fissure, plunging right into it in an instant. In the next instant, Wushan arrived first. His expression shifted slightly. *Should I... go in or not?* According to his agreement with Li Hao, now that the Lord of Red Moon had arrived, he didn't need to guard the rift and could enter directly. But... The arrival of the Lord of Red Moon, bringing along several Sovereigns, had clearly disrupted part of the original plan. *So do I still guard this place?* Li Hao clearly intended for him to do so. Hesitating for a fraction of a second... Wushan gritted his teeth and planted himself right in front of the fissure. A formidable power surged forth, transforming heaven and earth into a sea of clouds and mist. The Sovereigns rushing up from behind all paled. One Great Dao lord after another took action! *Boom!* Heaven collapsed and earth cracked. At this moment, the Lord of Yunxiao also roared in fury, "Wushan, what on earth are you doing? The Great Dao Universe is right before your eyes! Even if you want to break away, now is your chance! Are you actually standing guard at the gate for a rank six?" Wushan was truly guarding the gateway! Damn it! What a humiliating display! What right did this Sword Venerable have to make the number two figure of the Yunxiao World act as a doorkeeper? Wushan, what is inside your head? He was incensed! Even if Wushan broke away immediately to compete for the Great Dao Universe, it would be far better than this. Wushan wasn't willing to risk his life for him, yet here he was, throwing his life away for a rank six? Bastard! This was a slap to his face! The Lord of Bright Light's eyes flickered. He said nothing, merely knitting his brows slightly. Mingtang had asked him to intercept the Lord of Yunxiao... but what was the situation now? He couldn't make sense of it. Not just them; even Wushan couldn't understand. Li Hao had entered the Great Dao Universe... That was bizarre. …… "Senior, if all these people are locked inside, is it possible for them to seize the Great Dao Universe? Or could they blast through the Great Dao Universe directly to escape?" Li Hao asked quickly. A voice came from Dao Chess: "All of them? Outside, there are over a dozen rank seven Sovereigns and several rank eight Sovereigns... With so many Sovereigns of such immense power, if they join forces, they can indeed break through. After all, the Great Dao is dead and dormant now; it's not like the old days!" They could break it! The prerequisite was that they joined forces. Evidently, this Great Dao Universe truly was formidable. "Also... do you want me to teleport you out of here? It's possible... but the energy consumed will be far greater. That rank six you have on hand won't be enough. Piercing through the boundary wall of a Great Dao Universe is exceptionally difficult... On the outside, it would have been enough; from the inside, teleporting you away definitely won't suffice!" Dao Chess had also seen through some of Li Hao's intentions: trap everyone inside, then teleport away himself... A wonderful, beautiful idea. But the difficulty skyrocketed. That was also why Li Hao hadn't planned on entering before, yet now he had gone in voluntarily. When the situation changed slightly, adjustments had to be made. Another point was that Li Hao's borrowed power was about to expire. In truth, time seemed to drag on; one minute was very long for top experts, but by now, with even the Lord of Red Moon showing up, Li Hao's time was nearly up. According to the original plan, one minute would have been enough; by now, Li Hao should have been outside obstructing some of them, rather than entering this place to roam the Great Dao Universe. *Boom!* Outside, battle had already erupted. Someone was forcing their way in, and Sovereign Wushan, blocking the gateway, fought them. But in the blink of an eye, he was driven back step by step, because more than one rank seven had made a move. Facing multiple foes alone, Sovereign Wushan was clearly outmatched. The Lord of Bright Light and the Human King hadn't made a move, whether waiting for an opportune moment or simply not taking what they had discussed with Li Hao seriously. By this point, the plan seemed entirely in disarray. These powerhouses were completely uncontrollable; they wouldn't just attack whoever Li Hao wanted them to! Although the Lord of Yunxiao hadn't attacked yet, no one was stopping him either. The Lord of Red Moon arrived quickly with his men, and no one moved to stop him either... Everyone abruptly paused, glancing at Wushan as if waiting for something. Waiting for the Lord of Yunxiao! As a rank eight Great Dao lord, he actually had choices right now: either help Wushan, or... suppress Wushan directly, since the power Wushan drew upon originated from the Yunxiao Universe. …… Inside the Great Dao Universe. Li Hao sped forward, paying no heed to what was happening behind him. He had also sensed part of the situation—the Human King and the others hadn't followed his plan... It was somewhat regrettable, but he didn't take it too hard. These figures were clearly not people he could command. If anything, it only reinforced his conviction: relying on others would never work. Even with the Human King, it wasn't that he did this on purpose, but in the Human King's eyes, the timing wasn't right. Who would he strike? The Lord of Red Moon? Even if he could match the Lord of Red Moon, there were four rank sevens beside him. Thus, they had their own judgments... They weren't Li Hao's subordinates who would execute his orders without question. Both of them were biding their time. In Li Hao's ear, the phantom's voice sounded again: "They don't seem prepared to attack right now... How about closing the Great Dao Gate? If they can't enter, we can just outlast them. For a while, these people won't be able to open the Great Dao Universe." Li Hao ignored Dao Chess, continuing to dash into the void. He moved at extreme speed! He seemed unconcerned with what was happening outside, rushing forward along his senses. After a while, the power began to recede. Li Hao grew slightly weakened, though not overly frail. The one minute was up. During this minute, the rank seven power seemed to have served little purpose other than displaying the might of Sword Venerable, wasting this borrowing of strength. The phantom sighed inwardly... *Still too weak.* Cultivators of Time were mighty, but at this stage, he was still weak... There was nothing to be done. What a mess! Li Hao's eyes, however, lit up. He had already spotted a world shimmering with faint radiance. "Senior, that is the Silver Moon World!" *I know! So what? An isolated medium world without a single Sovereign inside—it's not like I don't know that. What's the use of finding Silver Moon?* "Silver Moon's dual-Dao universes are right here!" Li Hao said rapidly. "Senior, can you do me a favor?" "Speak!" "Conceal the Great Dao fluctuations slightly. I want to descend through the dual-Dao universe!" The phantom was startled. *What does that mean? Descend to where?* "Can Senior do it?" "Within the Tianfang World?" "Yes." "Fine then!" "Great!" Li Hao said nothing more, swiftly approaching the Silver Moon World. In an instant, he seemed to dive into a Great Dao universe, bringing Dao Chess along with him. In that single moment, Dao Chess sensed something unusual. A dual-Dao universe... intriguing. Even though Li Hao had mentioned it before, this was the phantom's first time seeing it. Still, it was very weak. A rank three universe. Even if you controlled the entire place, what good would it do? At this moment, Li Hao quickly manifested a Time Star. The two universes seemed to merge instantly, and stars emerged across the void. Li Hao rapidly locked onto one star. In the next moment, he shot straight toward it. In any case, Dao Chess had no idea what this guy was trying to do. Li Hao quickly drew near the star. It flickered, not very strong. To Dao Chess, it felt like it hadn't reached the Sovereign level yet; of course, it was close, but not even a Sovereign... Just then, Li Hao's long river materialized, beginning to excavate this star... The phantom wondered, "You want to descend into this person's body? This person is very weak; if you descend, your strength will be severely diminished as well. You... aren't very strong to begin with..." *What are you trying to do?* Li Hao said hastily, "Senior, help me conceal the fluctuations in a moment, and also hide Silver Moon so that no one discovers it... Other than that, I won't need Senior's help!" This was also one of the conditions agreed upon earlier, so the phantom didn't refuse. Concealing Silver Moon within the Tianfang Universe wasn't a big deal. Still... watching Li Hao excavate that star as if digging a passage, exiting neither through the way he came nor opening another gate, but taking this route instead... it felt utterly superfluous. What was he doing? The phantom couldn't understand... but couldn't be bothered to care either. Watching Li Hao merge little by little into the star until he seemed one with it, the phantom was finally slightly surprised. Intriguing—such a weak star could actually withstand Li Hao's energy. Almost as if... they shared the same origin? Was this Li Hao's disciple? Thinking this, the phantom helped conceal the fluctuations. They weren't very intense fluctuations anyway, and with the fierce battle breaking out outside between rank seven and eight combatants, they weren't noticeable. "Your disciple?" "My master!" "..." The phantom was struck speechless. *Your master? Your master... isn't even a Sovereign?* *Holy crap!* That was truly unexpected. No wonder the energies blended so seamlessly. But what was the use of descending into your master? You were only a rank four Sovereign now, and even if stronger than an ordinary rank four, without borrowed power, what could you do once outside? Li Hao ignored him, gradually fading away along the void. Soon, the star dimmed. Hovering within, Dao Chess couldn't help but chuckle. "Aren't you afraid I might just swallow this world whole?" Though very weak, it was still a special dual-Dao universe. He certainly trusted him enough. Of course, he wouldn't look twice at a mere rank three universe anyway. Soon, an aura flickered, concealing the entire Great Dao universe and the Silver Moon World. In the vast void, countless dim stars drifted. Silver Moon was entirely inconspicuous among them. …… Outside. Yuan Shuo and the others were scavenging scraps. In truth, there wasn't much to scavenge. So far, Li Hao had killed only a few Sovereigns, releasing a bit of energy. The rest was just shockwaves dissipating from the clashes of top Sovereigns; if the ripples were too strong, they didn't dare absorb them, and could only suck up scraps. They were like a bunch of scavengers picking through rubbish! Yuan Shuo was one of this scavenger brigade, scavenging all around... He looked utterly pathetic, and his mood wasn't great either. He had recognized Li Hao, seen him enter the Great Dao Universe, and heard his voice calling for the Human King and the others to act. Yet only Wushan had made a move... Yuan Shuo was cursing incessantly in his heart. He felt the Human King was giving no face! Li Hao hadn't offended Red Moon for his own sake, but for Xinwu's sake, yet the Human King didn't give him face at all... As he was cursing inwardly, his face suddenly changed. Without a word, he quickly found a spot and sat cross-legged. Very quickly, his aura surged. In a single instant, the aura of a Sovereign flared... and vanished just as fast. In the next moment, Yuan Shuo seemed uncomfortable, his own voice echoing in his mind: *You little bastard, what are you doing crawling out from inside me?* *What is this kid doing? Good thing my constitution isn't bad; otherwise, a rank four Sovereign crawling out from my Dao meridians... would be the death of me! If our energies weren't so well-matched, a Heavenly King like me would have been blasted to smithereens!* "Teacher, shut up for a moment!" "..." *Unfilial disciple! Traitorous rebel! Who are you telling to shut up?* Yuan Shuo cursed furiously in his heart, but still clamped his mouth shut and said nothing. Was Li Hao about to make a run for it? There didn't seem to be any harvest this time. The Great Dao territory's gateway was still open—wasn't that just throwing away the Great Dao Universe? Or was he going to close it before running? Up above, Sovereign Wushan could hold out no longer, cursing frantically. *I can't block them anymore!* He was about to enter, and whether the others entered or not... was beyond his control. They had agreed that Xinwu's Human King and the Lord of Bright Light would make a move, but... they hadn't lifted a finger, damn it! Wushan was ready to plunge inside! Just then, the Lord of Yunxiao, who had remained quiet all this time, suddenly let out a soft snort. Wushan felt his aura violently destabilize. With a resounding boom, he took a direct hit from a Sovereign, instantly bathed in blood! He turned his head to look at Sovereign Yunxiao. Sovereign Yunxiao's face was indifferent, saying nothing. Yes, he was suppressing Wushan! Sovereign Wushan said nothing. He should have prepared for this long ago, but he had still somewhat misjudged his world lord. He had initially thought that even if the world lord turned hostile, it would be when he completely severed ties. Facts proved... there was no need to wait until then. The other party had struck first to gain the initiative! He was rapidly stripping away his Great Dao power. The Lord of Yunxiao said nothing. *You're leaving anyway... Why would I allow you to take energy with you? Leave the Great Dao power behind first.* Though stripping Great Dao power from Wushan at the peak of rank seven was difficult, Wushan was locked in bitter combat right now—the perfect opportunity. At any other time, it would be difficult to handle, and forcibly stripping it would damage the foundation of the Great Dao Universe. Sovereign Wushan felt no sorrow, only a bitter smile. "A bit early... but understandable!" After all, he was leaving. He had just naively thought the man might show a shred of sentimentality. *Look, right now is actually ideal for me to break away, yet I didn't, precisely out of concern that the Lord of Bright Light and the others might target you.* Unfortunately... Yunxiao seemed to think Wushan was simply unable to leave at this moment. Sighing inwardly, Wushan quickly regained his smile. In the next instant, a majestic power shook heaven and earth, sweeping in all directions. Vast energy billowed out, and a universe seemed to emerge in the sky! The Lord of Yunxiao's expression shifted slightly. Just then, his Yunxiao World manifested directly. Within it, an enormous star twinkled into view. Sovereign Wushan looked at him across the distance. *Yunxiao... this time, it really is farewell!* "I will only strip away seventy percent of my power, and return thirty percent in Red Moon power to you... leaving myself with the strength of an early rank seven. To you, there is no great loss!" Wushan's voice rang like a great bell: "If you forcibly obstruct me and we fight to the death, your losses will only be greater. Yunxiao, let us part on good terms!" The Lord of Yunxiao's face turned icy cold! Looking at him, he said in a low voice, "Severing ties with Yunxiao at this very moment—you call that parting on good terms? You know full well what the situation is, you know full well how important the Tianfang Great Dao Universe is to me, and you know that Yunxiao holds no advantage in this four-quadrant territory... Yet you insist on leaving now. Wushan, is this what you call parting on good terms?" Wushan sighed. "To each their own aspirations... I said I would only strip seventy percent of my power, which poses no great loss to you. Afterward, if the opportunity arises and I manage to fight and kill a rank seven... all the plundered Great Dao power will belong to you. Even if it doesn't fully make up for the loss, it won't be far off! What more do you want from me? For all these years, everything you instructed, I carried out scrupulously according to your word. Not for a year or two—I have been a rank seven for three hundred thousand years! It has been far too long. All these years, you went into seclusion, you cultivated, and practically everything within the world was handled by me... Is that still not enough?" "Hmph!" The Lord of Yunxiao sneered. "That was valuing you. Do you not know what's good for you?" Wushan chuckled softly. "Yet I... explicitly refused. I said I wanted to rest for a while." The Lord of Yunxiao ignored that, continuing to glare at him coldly. He knew the Human King, Red Moon, Bright Light, and the others seemed to be waiting for an opening from this dispute. But he knew Wushan wouldn't give them that chance. He simply stared at Wushan: "If you strip your rank seven power right now, I might die here, and Yunxiao might be destroyed!" Far from fearful, he knew Wushan well. At this moment, a smile appeared on his face: "Wushan, forcibly breaking away right now isn't impossible. Just as you said, stripping away seventy percent wouldn't matter much on an ordinary day, but what about now? Do you... want Yunxiao to perish?" He pointed a finger at the figures on the periphery and sneered, "They are like vicious wolves. The moment they see an opportunity where I am weakened, they will inevitably strike! But now, it is difficult for you and me to coexist... Wushan, renounce all your power and I will grant you a chance to leave, or keep the strength of a rank six. That is my bottom line!" Rank six! Though only one rank apart, it was a world of difference. Under these circumstances, retaining only rank six strength was practically marching to his death. Wushan stared at him. The Lord of Yunxiao remained calm. "To tell you the truth... before this, I transferred a massive amount of Great Dao energy to Shenhai. Shenhai is on the verge of stepping into the peak of rank seven! Right now, I am barely maintaining rank eight. If you forcibly break away and pull away power, my cultivation might plummet..." As soon as these words were spoken, the Sovereigns all around changed expression. The Lord of Bright Light and others were quite surprised. Was this true or false? Behind him, Shenhai suddenly released a powerful aura, no longer showing any sign of the near-collapse from the Human King's earlier blade slash. Looking at Wushan with complex emotions, he said, "Wushan, what the World Lord said... is true! If you forcibly break away now, the World Lord might drop in rank. The World Lord trusts you deeply; he believes you won't condemn Yunxiao to destruction!" Wushan froze. He looked at the two of them. At this moment, the Sovereigns besieging him chose to stop, and for a time, many pairs of eyes were fixed on Wushan. Who could have expected to watch such a drama unfold here? It wasn't a forceful suppression, but rather... using the safety of the Yunxiao World and the risk of the Yunxiao World Lord dropping in rank as stakes to gamble on Wushan's conscience. Some Sovereigns almost wanted to laugh. *Are you crazy? Counting on a peak rank seven Sovereign to have a conscience... Has the Lord of Yunxiao lost his mind?* At this moment, no one was in a rush. Although Sword Venerable had already entered, the Great Dao Universe remained quiet, showing no sign of recovery yet. With rank eight Sovereigns guarding the vicinity, everyone would have to rush in together amidst chaos anyway! What Wushan would choose... was a rather interesting spectacle. …… "Shameless!" Yuan Shuo suddenly cursed inwardly, his voice sounding in the mind: *Is this Lord of Yunxiao trying to bind that Wushan with morality? If it were me, I'd never accept such coercion. Brat, what do you think?* *I'm breaking away no matter what! If you drop in rank, that's your problem, what does it have to do with me? As long as I have no morals, no one can bind me!* *And that Sovereign Shenhai—looks like the internal circle of Yunxiao reached a consensus. Wushan can leave, but he can't take any rank seven power with him; the Great Dao power must stay. The Lord of Yunxiao used Wushan's energy to do a favor and secure the backing of the other Sovereigns.* *Otherwise, Wushan had good relationships, but good relationships meant nothing. To rank seven Sovereigns, sharing the power of a peak rank seven... was far more valuable than friendship!* "A good thing!" Li Hao smiled and transmitted his voice: "Teacher, heaven is on our side!" *What the hell? Heaven is on your side my ass; I see heaven actively targeting you. This fellow seemed to be on your side, and if he really gives up his peak rank seven power... it'll be hard for you to accomplish anything. Out of so many powerhouses, he was the only one who listened to you.* "Wushan is a man of honor and trust; he will give up his power!" Li Hao said quickly. "He made some agreements with me, and he loyally executed every one of them. If he treats outsiders like that, then toward the Yunxiao World... as disgusting as the Lord of Yunxiao is, Wushan will not truly let him drop in rank. That is why the Lord of Yunxiao is so fearless! They know Wushan well. Even I, who only had brief contact with him, could see it, let alone them..." So Wushan was essentially an honest man. Even though he was very smart, sometimes it wasn't a matter of cleverness, but rather the bottom lines in his heart that he couldn't bring himself to cross! The Lord of Yunxiao used a disgusting method, coercing him with the life and death of the Yunxiao World... Even knowing this, Wushan would likely still choose to give it up! At this moment, Li Hao quickly activated the Dao Chess imprint and transmitted: "Kongji, don't wait... Go to Wushan immediately, and find a way to pass a message to Sovereign Bright Light: the conditions have changed. He doesn't need to deal with the Lord of Yunxiao, just preserve Wushan's life! In the event Wushan relinquishes his power... you take Wushan away!" In the distance, Kongji was also taken aback. *The plan changed?* He didn't say much, flying straight into the sky. Right now, he didn't conceal his aura; in front of this crowd of experts, it couldn't be concealed anyway. Many glanced down, not paying much heed. Some recognized his aura—the Lord of Red Moon, for instance, whose eyes turned cold, though he said nothing. The Lord of Bright Light was still here! The Lord of Bright Light glanced sideways at his son... frowning slightly. This place was not suitable for his son. If he was hiding, he should have hidden thoroughly; suddenly exposing himself—had the plan broken down? "Father... in a moment, when Wushan relinquishes his power... save his life and attack forcefully to break the current deadlock... As for the rest, do as you see fit, Father, just ensure Wushan's life is spared!" *That simple?* The Lord of Bright Light said nothing. If that was all, it would indeed be easy. Right then, Sovereign Wushan glanced at Yunxiao and the others, then toward the interior of the Great Dao Universe. His expression gradually calmed. Everything was even more disgusting than anticipated. Yunxiao, a world lord, actually used the safety of the world to threaten a man who wanted to leave. How laughable! He understood! He understood all too well! Yet... he chuckled, looking at Yunxiao and then at Shenhai: "It seems Yunxiao has reached an internal consensus; you don't want me to take away a shred of energy, do you?" The two were silent. Indeed, that was it! "In truth, even if I forcibly broke away, Yunxiao, you wouldn't necessarily drop in rank. If push came to shove, you could at worst reclaim the Great Dao power you granted to Shenhai. I believe you have backup plans and wouldn't truly gamble on my conscience..." He looked toward Shenhai again: "Actually, you know this as well, yet you stepped forward. In doing so, you are telling me that if I take the energy, you won't be able to step into the peak of rank seven. And so, past fellowship turns into enmity, doesn't it?" Shenhai's expression was conflicted, and he remained silent. Yes! *But I... also want to become a peak rank seven!* "Sigh!" Wushan sighed with some regret. In the end, he had still overestimated these fellows. He had thought they would use harder methods; he had thought too highly of them. "Risking my life for people like you all these years... really wasn't worth it!" He shook his head and laughed softly, tinged with contempt: "I already had such thoughts, and now it has been proven that my choice to break away is correct, because... you aren't worth my giving so much!" "Today, I return everything to Yunxiao. From this day forward, I owe you nothing more! No, I never owed you anything in the first place; it is merely that the Yunxiao World birthed me and raised me... Since that is so, I shall return everything I gained from Yunxiao back to Yunxiao!" With those words... *Boom!* A thunderous blast shattered heaven and earth. The star that was about to break away suddenly detonated inside the Yunxiao Great Dao Universe, and a surging torrent of energy instantly flooded into the Great Dao! The Lord of Yunxiao and Sovereign Shenhai swiftly absorbed the Great Dao power. As for Wushan, his entire body was covered in cracks, and his aura withered away instantly, plunging from rank seven. He paid it no heed, merely glancing sideways at the Great Dao Universe behind him and letting out a sigh. *The cooperation ends here!* *I imagined things so beautifully... but reality isn't that nice. This is the fate of working for someone else for hundreds of thousands of years—without a free body, one remains so humble to the very end!* *King of Silver Moon, it seems... this time, both of us have failed!* All around, some Sovereigns seemed to sneer. Foolish! None of them thought Wushan was noble; they only thought he was an idiot. Reaching this point, even if relations soured, they would never genuinely give up taking their power. With peak rank seven strength, the Lord of Yunxiao wouldn't dare easily tear all face with him. What an absolute fool! In the next instant, the Lord of Yunxiao suddenly reached out to grab him! Just at that moment, a blade slash emerged, and a great sun rose. The Human King and the Lord of Bright Light suddenly made their moves at the same time! The Human King laughed heartily: "Old fellow, not bad! Come to my Xinwu—Xinwu welcomes your joining!" A blade slashed through heaven and earth! He had taken a liking to Wushan. Even if his power was gone, what did it matter? His rank seven comprehension remained, his Dao remained; he had merely lost his energy. Although restoring it was immensely difficult... as long as they seized a rank seven Great Dao universe, Wushan could immediately become a rank seven again! The Human King thought highly of him! As for the Lord of Bright Light, he acted on his promise to his son. Two top powerhouses attacking simultaneously caused the Lord of Yunxiao's face to change instantly. Damn it! "You bastards, this seat is purging a Yunxiao traitor... How dare you!" "Noisy!" The Human King's blade fell instantly! *Boom!* Heaven collapsed and earth cracked! Yet it wasn't the Lord of Yunxiao who countered, but the Lord of Red Moon behind him, who struck instantly! In that moment, several Sovereigns attacked the Human King at once, their terrifying Great Dao power making even the Human King's expression shift. *Motherfucker, a whole gang ganging up on one person—have you no shame?* *Fine, I'm used to being mobbed!* When the new King of Silver Moon asked him to attack, he had ignored it partly because of this... Red Moon was obviously watching him. Striking meant the other side would strike to kill him. Toward the King of Silver Moon, the Human King felt no guilt. In a moment like this, it was every man for himself; that brat had attracted quite a crowd. They weren't so easy to deal with! Meanwhile, the Lord of Bright Light also unleashed a punch—the Bright Divine Fist, peerless and domineering! One punch shattered heaven and earth, directly suppressing the Lord of Yunxiao's strike. Sovereign Shenhai also moved! A massive palm swept straight toward Wushan. Right at this moment, Sovereign Yaoyang intervened in an instant, snorting coldly: "Stupid as Wushan may be, he is not someone a person like you can kill!" Earlier, Wushan had picked a fight out of nowhere and made him lose face, leaving him thoroughly disgruntled! Yet... no matter what, he and Wushan were hailed as the two strongest rank sevens in the Tianfang Region—Wushan of Yunxiao and Yaoyang of Bright Light were figures of equal renown. What the hell was Shenhai? Did he even deserve to stand on equal footing with them? *Boom!* The powerhouses clashed one after another. Seeing this, the Lord of Yunxiao frowned. Disregarding the clash, he pulled back his hand and instantly shifted toward the Great Dao rift. The trouble with Wushan had already been settled. With one less nuisance, why would he waste time bickering with them now? Sword Venerable had been inside for a while. If he didn't enter the Great Dao Universe now, when would he? Wushan was powerless now, nothing more than a cripple; if he wanted to kill him, he could do so sooner or later. He teleported away in a flash. Seeing this, Shenhai hastily shook off Yaoyang as well... At this moment, seeing the opening, the other Sovereigns rushed toward the Great Dao rift. Sovereign Wushan glanced at Yunxiao without a word, plummeting rapidly from the sky. *None of this has anything to do with me anymore!* Seeing Yunxiao enter, the Lord of Bright Light and Sovereign Yaoyang also charged into the Great Dao Universe immediately. Since Yunxiao had gone in, they naturally had to go in as well. Over on the other side, the Human King was in quite a wretched state. Turning on his heels, he ran. Fighting one-on-one against the Lord of Red Moon was already uncomfortable enough, let alone one against five... Yet he wasn't flustered in the slightest, chuckling: "Still hitting me, dammit? Keep hitting me, and once those guys go inside and seize the Great Dao Universe, you're done for!" The Lord of Red Moon gave him a cold look, in no rush to enter. Instead, he kept besieging him, as if wanting to force him inside as well! The Human King understood, sighing, "You're really terrified of dying... Afraid that once you go in and can't come out right away, I'll go attack Red Moon? Am I that kind of person?" *You are!* The Lord of Red Moon said nothing; that was precisely the truth! At this moment, his combat strength was terrifyingly vast, a torrent of red moon power sweeping across heaven and earth. If the Human King didn't enter, he dared not enter rashly. Otherwise... if the Human King really fled and turned around to attack Red Moon, this fellow possessed frightening combat power capable of instantly killing rank sevens! That was no ordinary threat! Seeing this, the Human King sighed. What a nuisance—this grandson was determined to force him in! He didn't really want to enter... but weighing the situation, he let out a cold sneer and suddenly darted toward the rift, plunging inside in an instant. Seeing this, the Lord of Red Moon was finally relieved, sneering, "Go in!" In an instant, several Sovereigns flew toward the fissure at once. The battle for the Great Dao Universe was something to be decided once inside; without finding the Dao source core, controlling the Great Dao Universe would be impossible. In the blink of an eye, all these figures plunged in. Only Sovereign Wushan, completely drained of strength, was caught by someone—Kongji. Wushan's expression was placid. He merely looked at Kongji and sighed softly: "Our cooperation has ended. Set me down." Kongji ignored him, looking up at the sky. Seeing the Red Moon faction plunging inside, he instantly transmitted a voice message: "If something happens at Red Moon, injure yourself immediately—find an opportunity to heavily wound yourself..." The words were spoken to Sovereign Senlan, who was at the very rear. Sovereign Senlan was slightly startled. *Even at this point, you haven't given up?* But there was no time to ponder it now. Just then, Sovereign Senlan looked back... The Great Dao rift suddenly began to knit together, sealing shut. Ahead, the Red Moon Sovereigns sensed it too. The Lord of Red Moon frowned slightly, but quickly dismissed it. Closed or not, all the powerhouses had already entered! Besides, if they truly wanted to leave, by joining forces or gaining control of the Great Dao Universe, they could naturally get out. …… Just as the fissure closed, Yuan Shuo flickered and appeared beside Kongji. Yuan Shuo grabbed Wushan, who merely stared at him with cold detachment. Just then, Li Hao's uproarious laughter rang in their ears: "Hahaha, we've struck it rich!" "..." Wushan thought he had lost his mind. Moreover, when had this guy come out? Before he could think further, Li Hao laughed maniacally, "Quick, let's go... We've truly struck it rich this time! Though there are still some troubles... we might be making a massive fortune!" He was overjoyed! At this moment, the River Dao Seal flickered. The Tianfang Universe was also situated within the Tianfang World, so there was no need to pierce through the world barrier of the Tianfang Great Dao. Even though Dao Chess's true body had departed, it still retained the ability to teleport. The freshly slain Sovereign Huilong was quickly used by Li Hao as fuel. Li Hao emerged directly from Yuan Shuo's body, wild ecstasy burning in his eyes. He looked at Wushan as if looking at an invaluable treasure, gritting his teeth: "Let's risk it! Senior Wushan, this time, you have to pull your weight!" *What? I'm already crippled!* "Four great Great Dao universes... are waiting for us!" In his wild joy, Li Hao was just about to initiate the teleportation when he suddenly looked up. A figure appeared, gazing at the sealed Great Dao gateway with a slight frown before looking at Li Hao: "Open it again. I'm going in too!" Li Hao was startled. *You're still here? I thought you ran off!* Li Zhu! "Senior wants to go in?" "Yes." Li Zhu nodded with some regret. Those bastards actually hadn't fought outside, all rushing in instead. What a shame! It had caused him to stand watch for nothing! Li Hao glanced at him, then back at Wushan... After a brief hesitation, he said, "Senior, are you interested in... pulling off a heist somewhere else?" *One Wushan might not be enough.* *This time, there are three more worlds; there should be plenty to share.* "Hm?" "Red Moon!" Li Zhu frowned. "There are at least two rank sevens left..." Following these powerhouses, there was still a chance to get a piece of the meat; following you, wouldn't that just be seeking death? Then he looked at Wushan, slightly stunned as if realizing something, and looked back at Li Hao... In the next instant, he plunged straight into Li Hao's long river. Li Hao was taken aback: *Weren't you going to leave?* Li Zhu spoke: "Let's go! My demands aren't high: out of three universes, giving me one is enough. As for Fellow Daoist Wushan here, divide it as you see fit... Between the two rank sevens, I can stall one!" Li Hao hesitated for a split second, then quickly gritted his teeth and nodded. "Good!" Although the demand wasn't low, the man had taken the initiative to offer to stall a rank seven... Never mind, let's do it! Better to be safe! Wushan was still in a daze when Li Hao instantly activated the teleportation. In a flash, Wushan found himself dragged into a teleportation channel. Struggling weakly, he asked, "Where are we going..." *I'm already crippled, what are you dragging me along for?* Li Hao gritted his teeth: "In a moment, Senior will stall one rank seven—it doesn't matter if you kill them or not. Senior Li Zhu and Sword Venerable will deal with the other, and we... will slaughter the remaining Sovereigns! Today, we're making a killing! If a few of you can break through to rank seven... you can return to assist the Human King and the others!" Wushan was still stunned. *But I'm crippled!* *Does this guy understand a word I'm saying?* *I said I'm crippled! I'm a useless cripple now!* *Motherfucker, are you deaf?* Yet Li Hao seemed not to hear him at all. Crippled? Cut the crap! Move faster—if we delay too long, how am I supposed to reverse time for you... You've only been crippled for a brief moment, so it's fine. If too much time passes, it'll become troublesome. So much nagging! At this moment, Li Hao was overjoyed. Indeed, heaven was helping him! Hopefully the Human King wouldn't be finished off so quickly... After all, Red Moon had brought several rank sevens with them! *Human King, hold on!* Li Hao cheered silently. *My seizing the four great universes over here is helping you too...* The teleportation channel swiftly expanded, heading straight in the direction of Red Moon! In the Tianfang World, some of the weaker Sovereigns hadn't been able to enter the Great Dao Universe. At this moment, some sensed something unusual and felt puzzled, but... the Tianfang Great Dao Universe was still right here... Soon, no one paid it any mind. Right now, they were all hoping for an opportunity to reap some benefits. If a few of those powerhouses died inside the Great Dao Universe, a vast amount of Great Dao power might spill out. Under these circumstances, Li Hao and his group quickly touched down where Kongji had teleported to last time. "Hurry up, faster!" Racing against time, Li Hao sped toward Red Moon, constantly vibrating the Life and Death Star to tell Lin Hongyu that he had arrived. Only now did he remember that his teacher had been brought along as well. With no time for lengthy explanations, he merely gave a quick instruction: "Teacher, don't run around blindly later. Once we enter the world, just find a spot to curl up and hide!" Yuan Shuo was speechless, saying nothing. Not long after, Sword Venerable arrived with his people, and the two sides joined up. Sword Venerable glanced at Li Zhu, frowned slightly, and couldn't be bothered to acknowledge him. Li Zhu didn't pay him any attention either. Though both hailed from Xinwu, neither acknowledged the other right now, which was rather amusing. "Hurry!" Li Hao didn't care about that at all, quickly leading everyone straight toward Red Moon. The group accelerated frantically. Red Moon was already in sight!