A Splendid World!

The Red Moon World was right before their eyes. At this moment, four great worlds had converged in close proximity: Tianlan, Cangjiang, Yueming, and Red Moon. Two rank seven Sovereigns stood guard over them—Sovereign Aihong in Red Moon and Sovereign Lanyue in Tianlan. Yet these four worlds held far more than just two high-rank Sovereigns. Crucially, all of them were great worlds. Counting Senlan, Red Moon alone possessed over a hundred Sovereigns, and the combined number across the other three worlds also exceeded a hundred. In truth, these were five great worlds! Even in the vastness of the chaos, it was extraordinarily rare for five great worlds to gather in one place. This was by no means just a matter of two rank seven experts. Li Hao and his companions had continuously plotted against high-rank Sovereigns—a testament to their sheer audacity and formidable skill. Even peak rank six Sovereigns, while inferior to rank seven, were terrifying adversaries, especially if someone like the monstrous Sword Venerable emerged among them. “Across the four worlds, aside from Senlan’s thirty-plus Sovereigns, there are nearly two hundred others. Among them, there are at least ten rank six Sovereigns, dozens of rank four and five Sovereigns, and over a hundred low-rank Sovereigns!” Looking toward the four worlds in the distance, Li Hao said gravely, “Our first stop is Red Moon! We take Red Moon first, then crush the other three worlds. Red Moon has one rank seven... and there is another rank seven nearby. If the other one rushes to their aid, they will arrive very quickly. The other Sovereigns will be slower to respond—and they might not even come to help at all! “Though we killed six rank six Sovereigns on the Red Moon side, plenty still remain. What's more, several of them are at the peak of rank six, actively attempting breakthroughs to rank seven!” Looking back at his own side... They actually had quite a few people. From Xinwu, they had Sword Venerable, Li Zhu, and Tianji. From Silver Moon, they had Li Hao, Hong Yitang, Lin Hongyu, Qian Wuliang, Black Panther, and Xun Ruo, who was still here. Yuan Shuo hardly counted since he was too weak, and though Er Mao was present, Li Hao did not count him either. There was also Kongji, as well as the three Sovereigns stationed in Red Moon. Yet most of them were low-rank Sovereigns. Red Moon still held around a hundred Sovereigns. Even if the forces from Senlan stayed their hand, the chances of them offering help without the Senlan World Lord present were slim. “Senior Wushan!” Li Hao turned to Wushan. “Sovereign Aihong is no weakling. Are you confident you can kill him swiftly?” “I...” *I’m crippled!* Just as Wushan started to protest, Li Hao barked, “Senior, going all out at your peak, inside the Red Moon World—their very headquarters—are you confident you can kill him quickly?” Wushan’s heart jolted, and he quickly replied, “I can kill him, but it will be very difficult! Killing a rank seven is never easy...” “What if you and Sword Venerable join forces?” Join forces? Wushan glanced at Sword Venerable, unsure of the man’s exact strength. Sword Venerable merely wore a calm expression. “Slashing him a few times for a brief moment won't be an issue...” Li Hao clarified, “His strength is roughly on par with when I cleaved Huilong in two with a single strike.” *Then he’s extremely formidable!* Wushan promptly said, “In that case... as long as he doesn’t flee, if we join forces and I regain my peak combat power, we can kill him very quickly!” *Very quickly!* “How quickly?” “Well... at least thirty seconds. And that’s assuming he doesn't run...” Li Hao nodded. Thirty seconds. The great worlds were practically conjoined right now; if the other rank seven came to reinforce them, they would arrive swiftly. For a rank seven Sovereign, a single flicker covered immense distances. It would probably take about thirty seconds at most. If they could truly kill him within that timeframe, the arrival of the other rank seven wouldn’t matter much. Li Hao barked out orders: “I will blanket Red Moon in lightning! Kongji, you will constantly restore me. I will rewind time to restore Senior Wushan. Senior Li Zhu, guide the lightning for me—use your Realm of Stealing the Sky and Switching the Sun to funnel my aura directly into the Red Moon World!” He rapidly distributed assignments. “Qian Wuliang, Martial Uncle Hong, the two of you will suppress heaven and earth with your Great Dao! Prevent Red Moon’s aura from leaking, stop their experts from escaping, and contain any turbulence in their Great Dao power... You are responsible for quelling unrest! “Lin Hongyu, you will siphon life and death. If anyone falls in battle...” He met everyone’s gaze. “...extract their Great Dao origins and await resurrection! Kongji, besides restoring me, keep your eyes pinned on Senior Sword Venerable. If anything goes wrong, burn your energy immediately to restore his strength!” Everyone nodded in agreement. At this juncture, even Li Zhu and Sword Venerable raised no objections. They understood all too well that when the decisive moment arrived, there could only be one voice in command. Neither of them was completely clear on the full details of this plan, nor did they know the others well. Li Hao, however, understood everyone thoroughly. They had to follow his instructions. If anyone tried to wrest control of the operation now, it would only infuriate Li Hao, and if the alliance shattered, no one would walk away with any gains! Sword Venerable nevertheless frowned and cautioned, “Don't forget those hundred-plus Sovereigns! A hundred is no small number. If that many Sovereigns combine their strength, they can bring down a rank seven!” They could not treat those people lightly. They were all genuine experts. Did anyone truly believe they were pushovers? Li Hao looked up. The chaos had no sky, only endless turbid mist. He chuckled, casting a glance at Li Zhu. “No matter. Senior Li Zhu, whether your method of stealing the sky and switching the sun is truly formidable or not, we will find out today! I want lightning to blast their Great Dao, shatter their world, and suppress their Sovereigns! If we can’t draw down enough lightning to hammer Red Moon... then you and I will get blasted to death together!” Li Zhu: “...” *I’ve seen the Human King’s overbearing arrogance, but now, meeting this kid for only the second time... why does he possess a brand of arrogance that feels entirely different from the Human King’s?* “Is the lightning powerful?” “Extremely!” Li Hao said in a low voice, “Earlier, I borrowed rank seven power, which guarantees a rank seven tribulation! Now, if I restore Senior Wushan, peak rank seven lightning is certain to fall... Factoring in the multiple times I have manipulated time, even if it doesn't compound all the way to rank eight, it will at least reach the absolute peak of rank seven. At least nine bolts of rank seven lightning will crash down...” Li Zhu fell silent for a heartbeat, then nodded. “Very well! But you and I will likely have to bear the lightning ourselves—at least nine strikes, each equivalent to the full-strength blow of a rank seven. Of course, once distributed across Red Moon, it might not be quite as fierce, reducing from the peak of rank seven to early rank seven... I can hold out without much trouble, but what about you?” He was confident in himself. But what about Li Hao? Li Hao smiled and looked at Kongji. Kongji froze, then caught on a moment later, thoroughly speechless. Understanding the plan, he said quickly, “I will constantly revive you, but... if you get blasted to cinders in one shot, I lack the ability to bring you back from the dead!” As long as a strike failed to kill Li Hao outright, Kongji could continuously revive him. But if Li Hao died instantly... his Dao of Life and Death had not yet reached such heights. “That is enough. Also, keep an eye on the safety of King Huai and the other two!” With those final words, a Realm of Nirvana manifested alongside the technique of stealing the sky and switching the sun. Without a word, Li Zhu instantly unfolded a domain, enveloping everyone present. Everyone swiftly masked their auras. Ahead, the crimson moon was already in sight. Ever since leaving Tianfang, Li Hao had been laying traps and scheming. Though minor hiccups had occurred along the way... the time for harvest had finally arrived. There were many Sovereigns, but as long as the lightning was powerful enough, they would all bear it together. Whoever was struck dead first was simply unlucky! …… Within the Red Moon World. With the departure of the Lord of Red Moon and the others, the remaining Sovereigns did not feel overly uneasy. After all, five top Sovereigns had set out from Red Moon this time—a force rivaling the entire peak combat strength of a rank eight world. Worlds like Yunxiao would never deploy their entire forces, so the defenders had little cause for concern. At present, their greater worry was whether Xinwu might launch an attack. Yet because Xinwu had not acted previously, it suggested they might not be nearby, which brought a measure of relief. The rank seven Sovereign Aihong was currently guarding Red Moon alone. Sovereign Lanyue of rank seven was stationed in the neighboring Tianlan Great World, not far away, so Aihong was not particularly anxious. All great worlds possessed world barriers. As long as the world gate remained intact, it was difficult for ordinary intruders to pierce the boundary. Moreover, this was an occupied world, not an ownerless one. Even for a rank nine world like Tianfang, had it possessed a master, shutting the world gate would make it difficult even for a rank eight Sovereign to break in. …… At the same time. King Huai suddenly looked up. As a newly surrendered Sovereign, he was unlike the Sovereigns of Senlan. While the Senlan Sovereigns faced certain restrictions, they enjoyed relative freedom. King Huai, on the other hand, was surrounded entirely by Red Moon Sovereigns. In truth, it was a form of confinement, indicating that Red Moon had not yet fully placed their trust in them. Which was only natural! At this moment, King Huai seemed to sense something, or perhaps had caught a faint message. Though indistinct, he grasped the general situation. He glanced at the two Sovereigns not far away who had surrendered alongside him—Mo and Chan Xiu. The fact that these two had not sold out Li Hao after joining Red Moon was already the greatest display of loyalty. After all, one side was a rank eight world, and the other merely rank three. Had they turned traitor and sold Li Hao out, King Huai would have considered it completely natural. The fact that they hadn’t proved they were reasonably loyal... Though they had not joined long ago, King Huai deemed them dependable enough. He transmitted his voice: “Soon, an upheaval will occur! We have two choices... The moment the chaos erupts, we can instantly sever ourselves from Red Moon, abandon their energy, and await rescue! “The second choice...” King Huai hesitated slightly before continuing, “...is to remain, standing alongside the Red Moon Sovereigns to resist the blow! By absorbing more of Red Moon’s power, the three of us could swiftly advance to the peak of rank three... If the right opportunity arises and those two break through to rank four, we might be able to ride the momentum and step into rank four as well. It carries greater risk—what do you two choose?” The two stiffened, their hearts leaping. *Is Li Hao coming?* *Yet there is a rank seven guarding this place!* *Even the Senlan World Lord has departed... Are they still going to attack?* “Fellow Daoist King Huai, what... what do you think?” The two asked tentatively. This young man from Xinwu—to them, King Huai was indeed quite young. Yet they dared not underestimate him now. King Huai transmitted back, “I’m betting on the second option. This is a tremendous opportunity! If Red Moon suffers heavy damage, it could prove to be an enormous windfall. If we sever ourselves now, rejoining later will be nearly impossible. After all, the Lord of Red Moon is still alive, so the Great Dao universe won't collapse entirely—at most, it will take severe damage. Meanwhile, we might seize even greater benefits, provided we stay alive.” The two hesitated; it sounded far too dangerous. In the next instant, they looked at King Huai and gritted their teeth. A man as shrewd and shameless as King Huai... well, that was how they saw him—if even he wasn't afraid and dared to gamble, if this fellow renowned as the disgrace of Xinwu didn't fear death, what was there for them to fear? It truly was an opportunity! “King Huai, can... can the Silver Moon King pull it off?” At this point, that was their biggest worry. Two rank seven Sovereigns were stationed here, and the other could arrive at any moment. Furthermore, there were countless Sovereigns within the realm; those hundred-plus Sovereigns alone made their scalps tingle with dread. Only after joining Red Moon had they understood why great worlds were so formidable. So many Sovereigns was truly a terrifying sight. “Drop the ‘can’! If he can’t, we all die! If he can, we all win!” King Huai didn’t even bother contemplating failure. If they failed, everyone went down together. If they succeeded, it would be time to share the spoils. Thus, he only considered the aftermath of victory. As for how Li Hao planned to achieve it, he gave it no thought. Though he hadn’t known this new Silver Moon King for long and the young man seemed pleasant enough on the surface, he was a ruthless operator through and through. Moreover, he was far more patient. To scheme against the Red Moon Great World, Li Hao had laid plans for an extended time, even relinquishing the rank seven Senlan Great World. To be frank, had it been the Human King, he would have slaughtered them one by one as they came; he would never have waited this long. …… In the void, dark clouds faintly gathered. A star materialized before Li Hao. All around, Dao domains expanded—the Nirvana Dao Domain, the Stealing the Sky Dao Domain... Both Kongji and Li Zhu unleashed their domains, and Li Hao formed several Dao domains of his own to conceal the surroundings. Before him stood Sovereign Wushan. At this moment, Wushan’s expression shifted rapidly. *What is this?* He wasn't entirely certain, but he had faint suspicions that felt utterly inconceivable. *Could this be... time?* *Reversing time?* Indeed, what Li Hao intended to do was reverse time to restore him—to bring him back to his peak state from before. Li Hao spoke: “Senior, energy cannot appear out of thin air. Restoring you to your peak right now does not mean you can sustain it indefinitely. It simply means that Kongji’s energy and my own will temporarily stack you back into your former peak state for a short period! “Exactly how long, I cannot say... but it won’t be very long! “Afterward, your energy will dissipate again, and you will have to rely on devouring a Great Dao universe to recover... If we succeed this time, you will naturally have ample opportunity to recover. If we fail... then it's all over.” Wushan felt an immense weight in his chest. Looking at Li Hao, he asked, “This defies the heavens! Aside from the Chaos Lightning Tribulation, is there any other price?” “A bit of lifespan.” Li Hao gauged his state and said slowly, “I have repeatedly used the power of time. My lifespan is nearly exhausted!” “What?” Wushan was startled. *You’re about to die?* *Just about!* Li Hao said nothing more. He had wielded time numerous times, and each reversal of time consumed a significant amount of his lifespan. But... it didn't matter. It was of no consequence. He had undergone three births and three deaths! Technically, he should have experienced his fourth death last time, but with Kongji’s aid, he had managed to evade it. This time, avoiding it would be nearly impossible; continuously invoking time carried an enormous toll. If they succeeded, dying once more hardly mattered. If they failed, it mattered even less, for failure meant he would likely perish once and for all. Time began to reverse! Vast amounts of time power coalesced onto Wushan. In the initial moments of reversal, Wushan was merely an ordinary cultivator, so rewinding was not overly difficult. Yet as the aura around Wushan began to swell with power, massive beads of sweat rolled down Li Hao’s forehead. His face aged visibly. Restoring a peak rank seven was by no means an easy feat. Even a temporary restoration took a tremendous toll on Li Hao. Beside him, Kongji continuously channeled his revival arts, condensing the water of life to restore Li Hao. The two alternated their efforts constantly, just barely managing to grant a peak rank seven Sovereign a fleeting resurgence. Energy did not manifest from nothingness. It came at the cost of Kongji’s and Li Hao’s energy, and at the expense of Li Hao’s lifespan, yielding only a brief window of recovery for this peak rank seven Sovereign. This was not borrowing power; it was better than borrowing power because Wushan was originally a peak rank seven. He possessed complete mastery over that strength and could wield it instantly without needing a period of acclimation or excessive attrition. Nearby, Li Zhu’s face grew increasingly pale, turning thoroughly bloodless. His Realm of Stealing the Sky was struggling to endure. He could already feel a boundless oppressive might—the lock of the Chaos Lightning Tribulation, a lock charged with fury. The technique of stealing the sky was magnificent, yet repeatedly dodging the tribulation only increased its intensity and wrath. Li Zhu said in a low voice, “How much longer? My Dao domain might shatter very soon!” Once the domain shattered, their auras would be exposed. The tribulation would descend instantly! This time, even if it wasn't a rank eight tribulation, it would at least be a peak rank seven tribulation. Even if they diverted it into the Red Moon World to share the burden, it would still pose a massive problem. Sharing the tribulation did not mean completely negating it; it merely diluted a portion of the force. “Senior, hold on a little longer! Think about it, Senior... this is a rank seven great world!” “...” Li Zhu was exasperated. *Cut the nonsense, I know that already.* *Otherwise, would I have come?* *Two rank sevens, hundreds of Sovereigns, and the impending Chaos Lightning Tribulation—anyone else would have pissed their pants long ago. The fact that I'm standing here talking to you proves I'm already ridiculously bold.* *Men die for wealth!* *Since Tianfang holds no opportunities for me, I have to seize one here no matter what!* At that exact moment, Wushan’s aura surged with terrifying power. The surrounding Dao domains began to tremble, showing signs of fracturing. Dark clouds manifested at breakneck speed. It was as if the tribulation couldn't wait another moment! It brimmed with wrath! …… Inside the Red Moon World. Aihong was just sighing with relief, glad to have a brief moment of respite, when he suddenly frowned slightly. He glanced up at the sky with a hint of perplexity. Why... was there a feeling of suffocation? Strange! Hesitating for a brief second, he vanished on the spot. …… A moment later, he arrived near the world gate. The Red Moon World had only one world gate. With the Lord of Red Moon away and concerns about potential trouble, four rank six Sovereigns along with seven or eight rank four and five Sovereigns were stationed here. Even if a rank seven arrived, breaking through the gate in short order would be difficult. “Lord Aihong!” Seeing Aihong arrive, the assembled Sovereigns bowed respectfully. Aihong knitted his brows slightly. “Did you feel anything?” “Well... there seems to be a slight suffocating sensation,” a rank six Sovereign pondered for a moment before speaking. Aihong frowned. *I’m not the only one who felt it?* That meant there truly might be an issue. Strange. What could possibly give him a sense of suffocation? He scanned the surroundings. At this moment, Li Hao and the others were actually not here, but on the opposite side. He saw nothing, yet dared not step outside rashly. Leaving Red Moon would put him in extreme danger. Just then, a Sovereign pointed off to the side: “My lord, over there... did a shadow just appear?” He added with a grave expression, “Could a chaos beast be trying to invade?” A massive shadow indeed resembled an encroaching chaos beast. Aihong looked into the distance, his brow furrowing deeper. A chaos beast? Chaos beasts were plentiful in the void. Yet... powerful though they were, how could they dare attack a rank eight great world? Were they suicidal? “My lord, should we notify Lord Lanyue of Tianlan?” Aihong replied with a frown, “No rush. We haven't confirmed a problem yet. Recklessly alarming the Sovereigns of other worlds... wouldn't that make them look down on Red Moon? But remain vigilant... Pass the word down: have the other Sovereigns patrol the perimeter and refrain from secluded cultivation for now. If a chaos beast truly attacks, we must be prepared...” As he spoke, he suddenly froze. At that moment, something seemed to latch onto the Red Moon World, and even onto the deeply mysterious Red Moon Universe. Yes, latch onto them! The Red Moon Universe was concealed and hidden; under normal circumstances, outsiders could hardly pinpoint it. However, three Sovereigns residing here hailed from the Silver Moon World and still carried faint traces of Silver Moon’s power. This gave Li Hao the exact anchor he needed to lock on. The seemingly useless Dao of Attachment proved its worth once again! The method of stealing the sky and switching the sun executed a transference... and in that very instant, an immeasurably colossal dark cloud, vast enough to blot out more than half of the Red Moon World, instantly shrouded heaven and earth! Aihong was stunned, utterly incredulous. He recognized it... yet dared not believe it! *Is... is this a tribulation?* *A Chaos Lightning Tribulation?* His expression shifted drastically as a terrifying thought struck him, and his face drained of color: “Not good! This... dammit... could... could our Lord...” *Did the Lord of Red Moon attack the three Sovereigns?* Yes, that was his immediate thought. He knew of the Great Dao covenant and had been an active participant. He was well aware that under the covenant they had signed, if the Lord of Red Moon took the initiative to attack the Sovereigns of the other worlds, he would be struck by a Chaos Lightning Tribulation—a rank eight tribulation! That was the agreement both sides had made! Seeing such a terrifying Chaos Lightning Tribulation materialize so abruptly, this was naturally the first possibility that crossed his mind. His expression twisted in panic: “Do not summon Lanyue!” At this moment, the heavens seemed to favor Li Hao once again. Li Hao knew nothing of the covenant. Yet the sudden arrival of a terrifying Chaos Lightning Tribulation instantly convinced Aihong that this was no foreign invasion, but rather... the Lord of Red Moon scheming against the three world lords! He had broken the covenant, drawing down the lightning. Had Li Hao known, he wouldn't have needed to worry about the two Sovereigns joining forces at all. If Sovereign Lanyue arrived, her first move might well have been to attack Aihong, suspecting that the Lord of Red Moon had betrayed their pact! Unfortunately, Li Hao was unaware. Otherwise... the Chaos Lightning Tribulation alone might have allowed him to reap the spoils without lifting a finger. At this juncture, how could Aihong dare summon Lanyue? What a joke! The moment Lanyue arrived and saw this spectacle, there would be no explaining it away. How could he explain why Red Moon was suddenly being blasted by lightning? With his expression shifting wildly, Aihong roared, “All Sovereigns, unleash your Great Dao power to resist the lightning! Quickly!” *Dammit!* Of course, he didn't even know whom to curse—likely the Lord of Red Moon. *Why on earth did you go and break the covenant again?* *If you were going to do this, you shouldn't have signed it in the first place!* *Even if you signed it... you should have left Senlan behind! It was agreed upon, yet you took Senlan and left Lanyue. Did you think you couldn't handle four rank sevens on your own, so you took three of them away?* He was practically bursting with fury! …… “Huh?” At this moment, Li Hao and his group were also taken aback. Li Hao frowned, deeply puzzled. Not only him, but everyone else found it bizarre. The lightning had appeared, yet... Aihong on the Red Moon side seemed to have lost his mind. He hadn’t come out to investigate the source, nor had he paid any attention to them. Instead, he simply ordered the Red Moon Sovereigns to resist the tribulation... *Did... did he see through our plan?* According to the original plan, Wushan and Sword Venerable were supposed to ambush him right here. The moment he came out to investigate, they would hit him with a thunderous strike and finish him off! Yet he hadn't come out. Not only had he not come out, he didn't even seem surprised by the appearance of the lightning. Reacting instantly, he had directly rallied the Red Moon Sovereigns to unleash their Great Dao power and weather the tribulation. *What is going on?* Sword Venerable glanced at Li Hao with a hint of sympathy. *Your plan seems to have been seen through again.* Wushan also drew a sharp breath: “It seems this Aihong is quite the cunning and decisive strategist!” To choose pure defense in an instant—though defense carried major issues of its own, it provided an opportunity to hold out until the other rank seven arrived to reinforce him! Now things were troublesome! Of course, they were overthinking it entirely. Aihong was no brilliant strategist; he had simply assumed his boss had betrayed the covenant, triggering the tribulation. Under such circumstances, what could he do besides defend? He was terrified that Sovereign Lanyue in the neighboring Tianlan World would notice. If she saw this, she would reach the exact same conclusion... and all hell would break loose; she might even attack him! Yet by sheer coincidence, because he hadn’t ventured out to investigate, he had narrowly avoided walking straight into an ambush by multiple peak experts. Otherwise, death would have been certain. Meanwhile, Li Hao’s mood plummeted. He felt thoroughly stifled! He wanted to weep, but had no tears! *Did my plan really have that many holes?* *Can just anyone see right through it?* *Aihong... who would have thought that someone in the Red Moon World hadn't been consumed by desire? He actually suppressed his curiosity and suspicion to mount an immediate defense. What bloody madness is this!* Left with no other choice, Li Hao watched the lightning descend swiftly. At this moment, it struck not only above his head, but also over Kongji and Li Zhu. Wushan, ironically, drew no lightning; he was merely the beneficiary, not the manipulator. Furthermore, countless bolts of lightning flooded into the Red Moon World in an instant. They scattered, crashing down toward the Sovereigns! Violent lightning power erupted instantly. Li Hao gritted his teeth, thoroughly incensed! *Aihong actually refused to come out and investigate!* *Perhaps he already guessed who his enemy was... After all, the Chaos Lightning Tribulation is practically my trademark... Even though this tribulation is far too powerful to match my current cultivation, who else would summon lightning out of thin air?* Li Hao ground his teeth! “We can’t wait any longer! He might have already alerted the other rank seven. If we delay, the two rank sevens will join forces and we’ll be in deep trouble. While the other Sovereigns are still busy weathering the tribulation, Senior Wushan, Senior Sword Venerable... breach the realm and force-kill him!” There was no alternative now! Both sides were operating under severe misjudgments. Communication across the chaos was terribly prone to failure, making real-time intelligence impossible. Li Hao knew nothing of the covenant, and Aihong had no idea Sword Venerable and the others were nearby. *Wasn't Sword Venerable supposed to be at Tianfang?* The Lord of Red Moon had even mentioned it before departing. …… *Rumble!* In that instant, countless bolts of lightning cascaded from above, leaving the Red Moon Sovereigns utterly dumbfounded! What a terrifying tribulation! They were finished! Above them, Aihong roared, “Join forces and withstand the tribulation! Quickly!” A Sovereign cried out in terror, “Lord Aihong, why has a tribulation formed?” Aihong was too ashamed to admit the Lord of Red Moon had broken the covenant, so he could only bellow, “Pay it no mind! In all likelihood... our Lord has seized the Great Dao universe and might have... broken through to rank nine! Everyone, this is our opportunity—Red Moon’s opportunity! Even if we die, we must withstand this tribulation! Once our Lord enters rank nine, he can easily resurrect us...” Hearing this, the crowd felt a wave of relief. *So that’s what it is!* In the next breath, everyone grew wild with excitement. *Could it be true?* *Rank nine?* *That... that is simply incredible.* Meanwhile, King Huai and the other two were also dazed. *Rank nine...* Due to the gap in information, they were equally confused. Was this caused by Li Hao, or by the Lord of Red Moon? Yet there was no time to ponder. The lightning slammed down instantly! *Rumble!* Countless bolts descended in unison. Aihong bore the brunt of it; the strike made him shudder violently, while below, countless Sovereigns trembled as one. Only by pooling their strength did they manage to barely resist the blast. Several rank six experts erupted with frenzied power! *Hold the line!* There would be at least nine strikes. Right at that moment, Aihong’s expression shifted slightly. He sensed a rank seven aura. Though it didn't quite feel like Sovereign Lanyue from Tianlan... he gritted his teeth and soared into the air, barking, “Hold off the tribulation! I will step outside for a moment and return shortly!” “My lord...” *Stepping out now?* Aihong cursed inwardly. *What else can I do?* He had to intercept Lanyue! Otherwise, if Lanyue barged in and saw everyone weathering a tribulation, even a fool would realize what had happened. He had to do everything possible to convince Lanyue that there was no tribulation, only a minor disturbance within his realm. …… “Huh?” Wushan was stunned again. “He... he seems to be coming out!” Sword Venerable was equally perplexed. Both men were thoroughly baffled. *If you saw through the plan, Aihong, why come out now? To die?* *And if you didn't see through it... why did you choose pure defense right off the bat? That makes no sense either.* Wushan was at a loss for words. At this point, he couldn't care less: “Never mind! Kill him the moment he emerges...” *Damn it all, what kind of madness is this?* He was being driven dizzy by Aihong’s bizarre actions! He didn't know how long his restored strength would last, so striking first was paramount. Everything else could wait. This battle had begun in utter bewilderment. Pushing all doubts aside, the instant Aihong stepped out of the world gate, Wushan struck with everything he had, holding nothing back. He vented all his prior rage, unwillingness, and frustration into this single blow! *I’ll beat you to death, you bastard!* *Scoundrel!* *It was all because of you that I had to give up my power. How could you be so utterly shameless?* *Boom!* A colossal roar tore through heaven and earth! Aihong was knocked backward. His face drained of color as he looked across the void. Stunned, he realized it wasn't Lanyue! *Dammit!* *It's not Lanyue!* *It's... Wushan!* He recognized Wushan instantly, his face contorting in sheer shock: “How can it be you?!” *How could Wushan be here?* In the next heartbeat, his shock deepened into pure horror: “Sword Venerable?!” *Impossible!* *This is impossible! Isn't Sword Venerable at Tianfang?* *Why are they the ones here?* Sword Venerable and Wushan were equally taken aback. *Nonsense, who else would it be?* *Even if you didn't guess Wushan, wouldn't it be completely normal to expect Sword Venerable?* *So this whole time, you bastard didn't figure out a single thing?* *Then why were you defending so frantically just now?* In the next instant, Sovereign Aihong roared at the top of his lungs: “Lanyue!” His roar shook the chaos, reverberating across heaven and earth: “Come quickly! Enemy attack!” “...” Wushan and Sword Venerable were utterly dumbfounded. *You... you hadn't alerted her before?* *We thought you had secretly notified her and that she was already on her way!* *If you didn't call for help, why on earth did you run out here all by yourself?* Aihong spun around, desperate to flee! *How could I have known it was you? Dammit, curse it all, I made a mistake!* *Could it be... that the Chaos Lightning Tribulation wasn't caused by the World Lord after all?* Yet now that he had stepped outside, the two Sovereigns would never give him the chance to retreat. Knowing that the other rank seven Sovereign hadn’t even received word until now—and that even hearing the roar, it would take time for her to rush over—Wushan’s face lit up with wild joy! *It turns out... this fool knew nothing at all.* *An opportunity!* *The heavens are helping us!* “Die!” Wushan thrust out his hand, five fingers pinning down heaven and earth. Seas of clouds and mountains of mist surged forth once more. This time, something peculiar seemed to manifest within his Dao domain—a string? Sword Venerable couldn't see it clearly! All he saw was Wushan’s colossal palm seemingly plucking at something. This peak rank seven Sovereign had surrendered without putting up much of a fight before Yunxiao and the others earlier, never displaying his true might. Yet now, heaven and earth shuddered violently! The heavenly secrets themselves seemed to have been plucked! Aihong’s face warped as a bizarre Great Dao power washed over him. That power seemed to scan clean through him in an instant, an overwhelming sensation he could not resist. A profound change came over Sovereign Wushan’s eyes. At this moment, he resembled a transcendent deity who had seen through the fabric of reality. His massive hand plucked a solitary string within the sea of mist as he uttered a chilling, low cry: “Sever the Four Quarters!” *Boom!* His five fingers snapped off, instantly descending to suppress heaven and earth, transforming into five towering mountains that sealed off all directions. “Isolate Heaven and Earth!” With another low chant, the world became a cage, veiled in swirling clouds and mist. “Shroud the Six Senses!” Clouds and mist billowed in an instant, stripping Aihong of all sense of direction. Terror seized him. “Wushan!” *What kind of Dao is this?* The outside world only knew that Sovereign Wushan cultivated the Dao of the Cloud Sea, supposedly a mere branch of the Water lineage. Yet looking at it today, that was clearly far from the truth. Sever the Four Quarters, Isolate Heaven and Earth, Shroud the Six Senses! No direction, no heaven, no earth, no self, no clarity! Even Sword Venerable was stirred. *What a magnificent Dao!* To think Aihong could be trapped so effortlessly. This peak rank seven Sovereign was truly extraordinary. Wasting no time observing, Sword Venerable slashed outward with his sword! Soundless and without a trace! It was as if heaven and earth were snuffed out, as if the chaos was cleaved open—ten thousand Daos unified into a single blade! The heavens were forged anew by this singular sword! Sever Longevity! The Longevity Swordsman! Sever myself, sever you, sever the Dao! *Boom!* A deafening roar pierced the skies. In that instant, a Great Dao universe manifested directly—the Red Moon Universe! In that moment, a voice seemed to roar across the boundless void: “Bastards!” The Lord of Red Moon! *Dammit!* The Lord of Red Moon seemed to have sensed something. Detecting the upheaval in Red Moon, he erupted in towering fury! *Who?* *Who dared ambush Red Moon?* *Xinwu?* *Yet Xinwu only has two rank seven Sovereigns, and we left behind two of our own along with hundreds of Sovereigns! Besides, Xinwu's Human King can't possibly lend his power to the Cang Emperor right now, because the Human King is currently being hunted down by me!* *Lending power now... would be suicide!* …… Inside the Tianfang Great Dao Universe. The Lord of Red Moon flew into an instantaneous rage! Sovereign Senlan also sensed the disturbance, his expression shifting slightly. *Li Hao and his people really did ambush Red Moon!* Moreover, by the looks of it... they might actually succeed. The violent fluctuations in the Great Dao indicated that Aihong, who had been left behind, was facing an existential crisis and was frantically mobilizing Great Dao power, shaking the entire universe. Sovereign Senlan’s thoughts raced, though his face remained impassive. Looking at the furious Lord of Red Moon, he spoke rapidly: “My lord, launch an all-out assault on the Human King immediately! Force him to draw upon the Cang Emperor’s power to relieve the crisis at Red Moon! Otherwise, isolated as we are behind dual Great Dao universes, escaping will be nearly impossible. A rank nine Great Dao universe... is exceedingly difficult to break!” At these words, the Lord of Red Moon snapped to his senses, his face icy. He barked, “Regroup! Stop searching for the Dao origin—hunt down the Human King and slaughter him!” With that, he accelerated wildly, charging recklessly toward the Human King! The Human King had originally been moving about rather leisurely. After entering, everyone had been searching for the Dao origin, and even the Lord of Red Moon hadn’t relentlessly pursued him... He had been having quite an easy time, but now, his expression twisted. *Fuck!* *Have you lost your mind?* *Instead of looking for the Dao origin, you're coming after me again?* “Red Moon, did your father just die?” The Human King was notoriously foul-mouthed. He burst into uproarious laughter: “What, chasing after me because you want me to be your daddy? No way, you’re not worthy! I don’t have such an unfilial son!” “Bastard, die!” *Boom!* A crimson moon erupted instantly. The Lord of Red Moon had no patience for banter. He was utterly convinced that Xinwu had ambushed Red Moon. Now, only by pushing the Human King to the brink of death and forcing him to divert the Cang Emperor’s power would Red Moon stand a chance of holding out! As for why two Sovereigns had failed to hold off Xinwu... how the hell should he know! *Useless trash!* Aihong was useless trash, and that Lanyue was useless trash as well. *Curse them, damnable fools!* He had placed his trust in these two rank sevens for nothing; he was practically ready to explode with rage. *Is this really necessary?* The Human King cursed under his breath. *Fuck, did I provoke you?* *Striking with such viciousness, acting like you don't even care about surviving—if you fight me to mutual ruin, do you still expect to claim the Tianfang Universe?* *Are you giving up on it entirely?* Meanwhile, Senlan hastily transmitted his voice to the other three Sovereigns: “Come quickly! Let us join forces to slay the Human King! It seems Xinwu has ambushed Red Moon, and the three worlds are all nearby...” Hearing this, the three Sovereigns paled in shock! *Xinwu truly launched an ambush!* *Dammit!* *Two rank sevens and hundreds of Sovereigns, and they couldn't even defend their ground?* *They even had the home-field advantage!* At this moment, Sovereign Senlan’s gaze flickered. He glanced across the three Sovereigns and finally settled on the slightly weaker Tianlan Dao Lord. The Tianlan Dao Lord lacked world power, as it resided with Lanyue, making him relatively weaker. *Kill him!* The thought crystallized in his mind. *Ambush him and kill him! Lanyue will inevitably suffer a massive blow, just like I did back then. That will make things far safer on the other side.* *Crucially, I am also a signatory to the Great Dao covenant!* The Lord of Red Moon had overlooked one critical detail. Though he had remained wary of Senlan, the Great Dao covenant had still included Senlan among its signatories. If Senlan attacked them... Red Moon would also be struck by lightning! That meant Red Moon would be subjected to a Chaos Lightning Tribulation—a rank eight tribulation! It would strike from both inside and outside; they had it there, and they had it here... If these three retaliated, it would be the same story, and all three worlds would suffer a rank seven tribulation! Because the Great Dao covenant had been signed in such haste, none of them had thought this through. They had assumed no conflicts would arise between them in the short term. *Li Hao’s side has already moved, while I was forced to come here... Yet I want a share of the spoils too!* *Is the Red Moon Universe truly impossible to seize?* *Not necessarily!* *Even if the Lord of Red Moon cannot be killed, he must be forced to sever himself from the Red Moon Universe to dodge the lightning! That would turn the Red Moon Universe into an ownerless realm, reducing the Red Moon Sovereign to a rogue cultivator... and perhaps he might even be slain by the Human King!* In that single split second, despite having made no prior arrangements with Li Hao and the others, this Senlan World Lord displayed audacious courage, embarking on a thoroughly insane gamble! Just as the experts converged to encircle and slay the Human King... As an ally and one of the signatories of the Great Dao covenant... no one believed he would ever ambush his own people. After all, they were indeed on the same side; with Red Moon under attack, he was part of that collective! Yet in that very breath, he struck. *Boom!* Myriad Phantasmagoria! *Rumble!* A full-strength strike delivered from behind punched clean through the Tianlan Dao Lord. The Tianlan Dao Lord’s physical body shattered instantly. With a look of bewildered disbelief, his Dao traces surfaced as he stared back at Senlan... At that moment, Great Dao lightning materialized out of thin air! Rank eight lightning! It surged directly toward Senlan and the Lord of Red Moon... The Lord of Red Moon nearly went insane on the spot. *Fuck!* *Why?* “Why?!” He roared in frenzied fury, “Senlan! You bastard!” *Why?* *Why would you proactively attack someone from the three worlds?* The Senlan World Lord retreated swiftly, glancing at the distant Human King with a light chuckle: “Human King, rank eight lightning has descended! I leave the Lord of Red Moon to you—whether you can kill him depends on your own skill! Hahaha!” With that, he lunged toward the remaining two Sovereigns. The two Sovereigns were struck with terror. *Dammit, this development was completely unforeseen!* *Boom!* Sensing mortal danger, they had no choice but to retaliate... yet the moment they struck, the covenant was shattered, and tribulations descended upon them. Though only rank seven... both Sovereigns couldn't help unleashing a barrage of curses! “Red Moon, you idiot... why did you include him in the covenant?” They were going mad! Of course, had they not included this rank seven back then, they would never have agreed to the covenant in the first place. But... who could have guessed that this lunatic would rather endure rank eight lightning just to attack them?! “Senlan, what are you after?!” they roared. *What do you gain from this?* *Can you even survive a rank eight tribulation?* *We are only rank seven, but what about you?* Meanwhile, the Human King... was slightly stunned, genuinely flabbergasted. *Holy crap!* *What the hell is going on?* Out of five Sovereigns, one had suddenly rebelled, another was virtually obliterated with only Dao traces remaining, and the remaining four were all crowned by Chaos Lightning Tribulations... *Just... what kind of situation is this?* Small wonder he was bewildered; even in the distance, Yunxiao, Bright Light, and the others were completely stupefied! *Are these people... joking around?* *Has the Chaos Lightning Tribulation become so worthless?* “A Great Dao covenant!” At that moment, someone realized the truth and stared dumbly. *Did these people just sign Great Dao covenants willy-nilly?* Meanwhile, the Lord of Red Moon’s face had turned utterly livid! *I... this seat... I...* At this moment, he wished he could slaughter eighteen generations of the Senlan World Lord’s ancestors. He should never have brought this beast under his banner in the first place! “Senlan! You animal!” He cursed in unbridled fury, no longer able to maintain the slightest shred of composure. Could composure put food on the table? *I must have lost my mind to accept Senlan's surrender! I've been royally screwed this time!* The Senlan World Lord let out a soft laugh, gazing up at the sky with a grin. How fascinating. This time, perhaps... a great many amusing things were about to unfold. *If the Silver Moon King can truly conquer the Red Moon Universe... this won't just be a raid or a quick snatch of spoils, but... the seizure of an entire rank eight Great Dao universe!* *My Senlan will surely claim a share, won't it?* *Hahahaha!* Even if he died weathering this tribulation, so what? The Senlan World would surely emerge as a victor—provided that the Silver Moon King kept his word and proved to be an honorable man! Otherwise, he would suffer a catastrophic loss! “Who is willing to be another man’s slave?!” The Senlan World Lord’s furious shout echoed in all directions: “Red Moon, Wushan was unwilling, and did you think I, Senlan, would be willing? I have roamed the chaos for countless ages—are you worthy of being my master?!” *You are not worthy!* *So even if I die, I will defy you!* *Besides, I see an opportunity!* *Blame only your own stupidity for actually believing I would submit to you. What right did you have to demand my submission?* At this moment, Sovereigns stood frozen in the distance, utterly dazed. Even the Lord of Bright Light couldn't help glancing at Sovereign Yaoyang beside him. The events of this day had shaken them to the core! Wushan’s departure, Senlan’s rebellion, the assault on Red Moon... Everything proclaimed the same truth: no one was willing to be a slave, and no one was content to remain subservient! Having reached the heights of rank seven, to demand their submission... you simply lacked the qualifications! “Yaoyang...” The Lord of Bright Light actually wanted to say: *After this is over, if you... if you want to leave, just leave. If you stay, I won't be able to sleep at night.* *Fuck!* For the first time in countless years, he felt such a vivid, lethal sense of threat. Sovereign Yaoyang, however, was thoroughly speechless. *I never said I wanted to leave!* *And besides... these people...* Well, he couldn't say much either. In truth, if a world lord treated their subordinates well, relating to them as brothers, there wouldn't be any issue. It was simply that Red Moon and Yunxiao alike had exploited the Sovereigns beneath them far too severely, ultimately sparking such violent revolts. Before the ownership of the rank nine great world had even been decided... a vast swath of top-tier experts might very well perish this day!