A Massive Harvest!

Senlan's defection dealt a fatal blow to the Lord of Red Moon. Or perhaps it couldn't even be called a defection—forced melons are never sweet. When you force someone to surrender who refuses to yield willingly, you should expect a backlash. It was just that the Lord of Red Moon had never imagined the backlash would come so swiftly. The Great Dao covenant! What he had once considered a masterstroke was now dealing him a deadly strike. Boom! Lightning descended, accompanied by an incomparably domineering broadsword. The Human King was ecstatic, laughing heartily. "Damn, this feels good!" In the next instant, the Lord of Red Moon roared, his Dao of Desire churning violently! The entire world of Tianfang seemed enveloped in desire. He bellowed, "Can you kill me? Are you even worthy? I am a rank eight Sovereign!" One of the very strongest beings of this era! For the Human King, killing rank seven was possible, but rank eight... was indeed a stretch. Even between two rank eights, killing another rank eight was extraordinarily difficult. The Human King slashed several times, sneered, and abruptly pivoted, charging straight toward the two rank seven Sovereigns. Fine, you can take a few more lightning strikes first! Those two are far weaker than you, aren't they? He could slay rank sevens on ordinary days, and now those two were being bombarded by rank seven lightning, making the job even easier. The two rank seven Sovereigns were petrified with terror. The Lord of Yueming was on the verge of collapse. Earlier, the Human King had killed the Lord of Extreme Darkness and insisted on claiming it was the Lord of Yueming. He had been terrified out of his wits back then, and this time... he might truly die at the Human King's hands. "Lord Bright Light, Lord Yunxiao..." the Lord of Yueming shouted frantically. "Save me! Save me, My Lords! My Yueming World is willing to merge into yours!" At first, the two rank eights felt a stir of temptation. Yet the Human King burst into laughter. "Fine! As long as they're willing, I'll let you go. Keep your word and merge into them—just like Senlan!" "..." In the distance, the two rank eight Sovereigns froze. In the past, they would have been overjoyed to absorb a rank seven world for free. But now, that joy evaporated. A thought even crossed their minds: in the future, if they ever merged another world... they would kill the master first before merging! Senlan was a lesson right before their eyes. Someone like the Lord of Yueming was two-faced and treacherous. Even if he might not have the guts of the Senlan World Lord, what if? Look at how miserably Red Moon had been screwed over! The Human King's words hit where it hurt most. If you come save him, I'll let him go. So... are you going to save him or not? The two rank eight masters exchanged looks, their eyes flickering... No saving him! However, they still wanted a piece of the pie. Now the situation had shifted. Three rank sevens and one rank eight were being bombarded by lightning. How could they not take a cut? Leave it all to the Human King? In the next breath, the Lord of Bright Light's voice boomed like a bronze bell. "Human King, we are all world lords; why must you drive them to extinction? Yueming is under my protection!" Light power swept across heaven and earth, rushing toward Fang Ping. The Human King's gaze chilled. He knew the other party might not truly be trying to save anyone, nor necessarily targeting him... but Bright Light had clearly seen an opportunity. The Senlan World Lord had created an opening for everyone. A chance to feast! To rank eight world lords, a rank seven world lord was no small prize. Even if they couldn't devour the opponent's Great Dao universe and world here, a rank seven inherently contained boundless Dao power and Dao insights. Killing one was guaranteed to yield massive gains! Over there, the Lord of Yunxiao's eyes flickered as well. "Human King, we are all cultivators of the chaos. Why drive them to extermination? The only one you bear a grudge against is Red Moon..." As soon as the words left his mouth, he unleashed a strike, heading straight for the Lord of Cangjiang. This one is mine. The two rank eight masters reached an instant consensus: they didn't dare subjugate them alive anymore, but if they killed them and forcibly absorbed them, what could happen? Could dead men come back to life? Anyone surviving in the chaos had keen wits. In that case... kill! In an instant, an all-out battle erupted. The Human King grunted softly and said nothing. He knew he wouldn't gain a massive advantage here, though he wouldn't leave empty-handed either—there was still the Lord of Red Moon! Raising his blade, he turned back to charge at the Lord of Red Moon. Screw it! If he could kill the Lord of Red Moon today, that would be ideal. He couldn't let this bastard have an easy time. Combat erupted in all directions. Meanwhile, the Senlan World Lord was also undergoing tribulation, and his tribulations were even fiercer. Around him, other Sovereigns watched like tigers eyeing their prey. Many rank seven Sovereigns had entered this realm. Seeing that the others were already targeted by rank eights or an expert like the Human King, but none of those top experts had attacked Senlan, several rank seven Sovereigns quickly emerged from the shadows. Among them was Sovereign Qishui, whom Wushan had despised earlier, along with several other Sovereigns. The Senlan World Lord blocked a bolt of lightning, but sustained heavy injuries. He was not as strong as the Lord of Red Moon, and was even weaker than the other two rank seven world lords. With rank eight lightning descending, a single strike wounded him, causing him to cough up blood continuously. If someone attacked him now, he would clearly be unable to resist. Seeing that he was defenseless and likely to be slaughtered here... in the distance, the Human King hesitated for a fleeting moment. As Xinwu's Human King, Red Moon was his arch-nemesis, and right now, he had an opportunity to seize this moment and kill the Lord of Red Moon. Yet... Xinwu's Human King was peerlessly domineering and utterly unreasonable, regarded by the experts of the chaos as a rogue, a despot, a hooligan... In truth, however, those who truly understood him knew that the reason he could rise from Xinwu and win the steadfast support of countless people came down to one thing: he valued loyalty and righteousness above all! He didn't know the Senlan World Lord. Strictly speaking, there was even bad blood between them—the previous master of Senlan's Great Dao had actually been killed by the Human King. Yet today, at this critical juncture, this man had suddenly rebelled, slain the Lord of Tianlan, and caused the other Sovereigns to be struck by lightning... In an instant, a long blade swept across the void! A single slash tore through the world! The Human King let out a fierce roar. "Scram!" In this moment, he gave up on the Lord of Red Moon. The Lord of Red Moon turned and fled without any intention of tangling with him, hurtling into the depths of the universe while dragging the tribulation lightning along. The Human King didn't pursue, merely sneering coldly. "Get lost! That wretch Red Moon is rank eight. If he gets heavily injured by the tribulation, that's your real chance! For rank sevens wanting to advance, a rank eight is your fortune! As for Senlan, I'm protecting him!" He slashed out, and opposite him, Sovereign Qishui still wanted to test his luck—boom! Under that single strike, Sovereign Qishui spewed blood uncontrollably, terrified out of his wits, and turned tail to flee! The other Sovereigns lurking in the dark were thoroughly horrified! So powerful! The next moment, they scattered in flight. Some pursued the Lord of Red Moon, while others vanished back into the shadows. At this moment, the Lord of Bright Light gave Yaoyang a glance, and Sovereign Yaoyang vanished instantly, darting toward the Lord of Red Moon. Over on the other side, Sovereign Shenhai had also received instructions and locked his eyes on the Lord of Red Moon! Since Xinwu's Human King had given up pursuit to stay behind and guard Senlan, that became their opportunity. The two rank eight lords reached an instant consensus: finish off these two rank sevens first, then figure out a way to deal with the Lord of Red Moon. Eliminating a major rival was an excellent outcome! The Senlan World Lord looked at Xinwu's Human King with some surprise. "Human King... why go this far?" The Human King sneered. "A bunch of petty cowards, what's there to fear? Just focus on your tribulation. The rank eight lightning is fierce, but... as long as you survive most of it, if any remnants linger, I'll shatter them with a single blade!" Normally, no one could endure a Chaos Lightning Tribulation for another. Yet Xinwu's Human King seemed to possess that very ability... He was one of the rare Sovereigns in the chaos who had personally survived a Chaos Lightning Tribulation. Hearing this, the Senlan World Lord said no more. Xinwu's Human King... Today, he had gained a deeper understanding of this man. The Lord of Red Moon was the Human King's arch-enemy. If he could slay that enemy today, it would save Xinwu endless trouble. Yet the Human King, for the sake of a total stranger, had ultimately chosen to give up that chance. Because he was the Human King! Not the Human King of all people, but the Human King of the people of Xinwu. Since his rise, his creed had always been simple: repay every kindness and avenge every grievance. Vengeance was best served before nightfall, and debts of gratitude were best settled just as swiftly! Holding his long blade, the Human King stood tall in the void, uttering not a word. He merely swung his blade once, completely shattering the lingering Dao mark of Tianlan, which had still been struggling! Rumble! This rank seven Sovereign and world lord didn't even have time to utter a final complaint, for he didn't even know whom to blame. The Great Dao covenant had utterly ruined them! Yet before this, they had rejoiced, thinking that signing the covenant made them allies, ensuring the Lord of Red Moon wouldn't dare absorb them. Who could have foreseen such an abrupt disaster? Having struck down his target with a single blow, the Human King took no further action. He simply watched the other two battlefields in silence. It wasn't difficult for those two rank eights to kill two rank sevens enduring tribulation. However, neither of them exerted their full might. Perhaps they were wary of each other, or worried about expending too much energy. They dragged it out for a while before finally slaying the two resentful Dao masters on the spot. As the Lord of Yueming drew his last breath, he was filled with boundless bitterness: "Bright Light... you shameless hypocrite!" How infuriating! He hadn't died at the Human King's hands last time, yet now he was slain by the Lord of Bright Light. The Lord of Bright Light was impassive. In Kongji's eyes, he was a good father; in the eyes of the Bright God Realm, he was a good sovereign; in Yaoyang's eyes, he was a good elder brother... Yet in Yueming's eyes right now, he was a demon. Did they have a grudge? None! However, as far as Bright Light was concerned, having spotted an opportunity to strengthen himself, if he didn't seize it, someone else would. Even if they weren't enemies now, they would be in the future. In that case... kill! There was no right or wrong, no moral dilemma. This was exactly what Li Hao had meant when discussing why storybooks often ended with light being the villain. He was never a benevolent saint to begin with, and how many saints were there in the chaos anyway? Of the four rank seven Sovereigns who had arrived with the Lord of Red Moon, three had now been slain on the spot. In a single day, three world lords of great worlds had perished. Yet the Human King remained motionless as a mountain. He had gained little from the spoils, merely watching the two distant rank eight Sovereigns with an indifferent gaze. The two cleaned up the battlefield and swept up the Dao power left behind by their victims; no Great Dao universe appeared. Clearly, the Great Dao universes remained back in their respective worlds. The Lord of Bright Light looked at the Human King and smiled. "Human King, are you interested in joining forces to deal with that one? Rank eight lightning might not kill him. A rank eight Sovereign's combat power is formidable. If the three of us join hands, we can eliminate a major threat!" They certainly could kill him, but the main issue was fearing complications. Above all, they didn't want the Human King to swoop in and reap the benefits. Though he called himself a rank seven, in truth, he was no weaker than an ordinary rank eight. This fellow could instakill rank sevens—under normal circumstances, even a peak rank seven couldn't instantly kill someone of the same rank. Even Wushan, an exceptionally powerful Sovereign, couldn't pull that off. "Fuck off, not interested!" The Human King didn't mince words. Those two had snatched his spoils, which pissed him off, and he was known to hold grudges. In his mind, he had already marked both of them as enemies! Naturally, he wouldn't show any politeness! The Lord of Yunxiao's eyes flickered slightly as he glanced at him, chuckling softly. "Since the Human King has no interest... so be it!" With that, he vanished. The Lord of Bright Light didn't take offense either. At his level, he knew the Human King had a foul mouth; what was a curse word to him? With a light laugh, the Lord of Bright Light disappeared as well. In the surrounding space, the Sovereigns lurking in secret dispersed toward various destinations. Some went looking for Dao sources, while others went to hunt down the Red Moon Sovereign. When the Lord of Red Moon had arrived, he had been the strongest, flanked by four rank sevens, yet now, he was the most wretched! The Human King cursed inwardly, glancing at the Senlan World Lord, who was still struggling through his tribulation. Without interference, surviving the tribulation was somewhat easier. Still... damn it, he's undergoing tribulation, and I'm stuck standing guard here like some miserable sentry! ... Red Moon. When the Senlan World Lord launched his sudden surprise attack, lightning also manifested here. And in more than one place! While Li Hao and the others were still bewildered, four Great Dao universes suddenly manifested simultaneously. Rumble! Countless bolts of thunder and Chaos Lightning Tribulation instantly materialized. In this moment, everyone was stunned. What was going on? Well, in truth, lightning had appeared in three worlds; Tianlan had none, because before the Lord of Tianlan could retaliate, he had already been blown apart! At this moment, above the Tianlan World, a rank seven expert's face turned pale. What happened? Why was this happening? Who had broken the covenant? Was it the Lord of Red Moon, or one of the other two Dao masters? She trembled in sheer terror. In the distance, Red Moon seemed to be enduring not just tribulation lightning, but also an assault from formidable experts. Just as the thought crossed her mind—boom! A tremendous roar and a shrill scream echoed across heaven and earth. "I refuse to accept this...!" Aihong shrieked in agony. With the second wave of tribulation lightning descending, he was already outmatched by Wushan and had suffered a slash from Sword Venerable, leaving him battered. Then, hit out of nowhere by rank eight lightning, his plight turned truly pathetic! In the next instant, a sword slashed forward! A finger jabbed out! Rumble! This rank seven Sovereign, the very last rank seven of Red Moon, was blown apart on the spot. His Dao power collapsed, and the moment his Dao mark surfaced, it was cleaved to pieces by a sword strike. A rank seven Sovereign fell right there! At the same time, the entire Red Moon World violently shook! Rumble! The Great Dao universe emerged, and rain of blood poured down. The fall of a top Sovereign of their own world damaged the Great Dao, causing the world to shudder instantly. Every Sovereign was seized by boundless terror. The tribulation lightning struck again! "Ahhh!" Miserable shrieks echoed through the world. As Sovereigns, their Daos were bound too tightly to the Great Dao universe. Now that Red Moon had breached the covenant, they were already burdened with part of the Dao lightning diverted by Li Hao; with this new, compounding tribulation crashing down, numerous Sovereigns were blasted into smithereens in a flash! Amid the chaos, King Huai and his companions turned deathly pale! How did this happen? Such terrifying tribulation lightning! It was far stronger than before, vastly exceeding their expectations—this had surely reached the rank eight level! Had everyone not shared the brunt together, they would have been fried long ago. Even so, seeing the foremost Sovereigns blasted to death, King Huai gasped. Fuck, this is bad! If I don't sever my connection now, I might really get blasted to death! Just as King Huai was preparing to give up... Suddenly, the world gate was blasted open. In an instant, two overpowering auras blanketed the heavens and the earth. The next moment, looking quite battered and braving some lightning strikes, Li Hao descended into the world—the Red Moon World! He hadn't sneaked in; this time, he had forcibly breached the defenses! Compared to what Red Moon was enduring right now, the lightning above Li Hao's head was like a drop in the ocean. He turned his head to look at Wushan and the others. "Senior Wushan, Senior Sword Venerable, you two go slay Lanyue! Exterminate all Sovereigns over there. Do not let that rank seven escape! I sense their Great Dao churning violently—a rank seven must have fallen. Do not let that world lord get away!" The two exchanged glances and, without a word, vanished in a flash. At this moment, Li Zhu was eager to follow. When he arrived, he had said he wanted to deal with a rank seven, and now the opportunity was right here. However, Li Hao didn't seem inclined to send him there. Looking at the raging tribulation lightning, Li Hao turned to Li Zhu. "Senior Li Zhu, go protect King Huai and the other two! Use the method of stealing the sky and switching the sun to shield them... Since they haven't severed their connection, there's no need to do so anymore. Our chance has come!" Hearing this, Li Zhu paused slightly, nodded without argument, and quickly departed. At this moment, he felt an unusual sensation. Operating alongside this Silver Moon King was undeniably thrilling, yet not as perilous as imagined. This young man seemed to have calculated everything in advance; he didn't just blindly pit weakness against strength every time. It might look reckless on the surface, but in reality, he had immense confidence. With the Human King, every move was an immense gamble fraught with extreme risk. But with Li Hao, everything was meticulously arranged. Even without the Senlan World Lord's betrayal, it wouldn't have been that dangerous. Such was the way of those who ruled by intellect. In truth, Li Hao had paid many prices along the way; he hadn't charged in on an impulsive whim. He had made thorough preparations. Even without the Senlan World Lord... they would still have won today. Li Hao's voice rang out majestically: "I am Li Hao, Silver Moon King, also known as Sovereign Wandao! Senior Yan Fang and fellow seniors, though the Senlan World Lord has departed, you all know why this upheaval occurred... Follow me to hunt down the Red Moon Sovereigns! Cut them down to the roots, leave none alive!" Yan Fang soared into the air at once. Around him, numerous Senlan Sovereigns appeared. They faced the lightning as well, but had hidden behind the Red Moon Sovereigns rather than confronting it head-on. Though the Red Moon Sovereigns were furious, the Senlan faction had considerable numbers and were huddled together, leaving Red Moon no time to settle scores with them. Yan Fang looked at Li Hao, somewhat stunned. Hunt down all Red Moon Sovereigns? Li Hao barked, "Senior Yan Fang, do you have any objections?" Yan Fang thought quickly and replied in a low voice, "None! The World Lord reached an agreement with Fellow Daoist earlier... I don't know the specifics, but before leaving, the World Lord left a message: if... Fellow Daoist Wandao arrives, we are to obey your commands in all things! But this lightning tribulation..." "Kill first!" Li Hao wasted no more breath. At this moment, miniature worlds manifested around him. Looking at Kongji, he smiled. "You and I join hands... Let's see who can match us with no rank seven around!" Kongji smiled and nodded. In a flash, both vanished. A Sovereign struggling against the lightning turned pale. The Red Moon Sovereigns were hastily assembling, but some were hopelessly ensnared by the lightning and unable to disengage. This person's face warped in horror. He was a rank five Sovereign! Yet the moment the World of Silence emerged and the power of myriad worlds surfaced to suppress heaven and earth, a longsword swept past. Countless Dao domains descended in crushing force, and in an instant—boom! The rank five Sovereign exploded! The energy Li Hao expended was instantly replenished as vitality surged, restoring him to fullness in the blink of an eye. As for the tribulation lightning overhead, it was already heavily depleted, and Li Hao paid it no heed, letting it crash down while directly using his miniature domain to absorb the lightning's power! Within the long river, Er Mao was also devouring the lightning power with all his might, granting Li Hao greater freedom. At this moment, everyone gave their all. In the distance, Li Zhu looked on with mixed feelings. Beside him, King Huai watched for a while, then glanced at Li Zhu... King Huai had originally been Li Zhu's subordinate. In the past, Xinwu's greatest enemies had been the heroes of the Catacombs, and King Huai had been a king only because above him stood an emperor! Li Zhu! "My Lord..." King Huai looked at Li Zhu, but Li Zhu remained calm and silent, ignoring him. He harbored no resentment over King Huai's betrayal; that was all in the past. Besides, hadn't he been playing the entire world himself back then? He simply didn't care to engage with King Huai. "My Lord, what do you think of this Silver Moon King?" "What do I think?" Li Zhu said placidly, "I think nothing of it. If you want to ask how he compares to the Human King... each has his own traits. The Human King's traits and personality are too distinct, his individual martial prowess supreme under heaven! This young man... possesses more of the Martial King's scheming and less of the Human King's impulsiveness. As for who is better... until the very end, who can say? At the very least, right now, he cannot match the Human King." One was rank four, the other peak rank seven; naturally, there was no need for comparison. As Li Zhu spoke, he saw Sovereigns charging toward him. The Red Moon Sovereigns' eyes were bloodshot. Watching Li Hao and his allies slaughter their kin, some spotted this group. Full of madness, fury, and hatred, they roared, "King Huai, you wretched bastard, this is all your fault—" Before the attacker even arrived or finished speaking, Li Zhu waved his hand, and a domain materialized, instantly engulfing the foe! Chuckling softly, a black book suddenly hovered above his head, blazing with radiant light as myriad Daos erupted. With a boom, that rank four Sovereign dissolved instantly into nothingness! King Huai's heart jolted! Mo and Chanxiu also gasped. Though only a rank four Sovereign, that was still middle rank, yet before this man... instantly slaughtered! This man was terrifyingly strong! Li Zhu watched his surroundings in silence. His domain expanded, and the black book emanated black light. A breathtakingly formidable energy detonated—rumble! Amid consecutive explosions, seven or eight surrounding Sovereigns, though low-rank, were instantly blown apart! In the blink of an eye, all were slain on the spot! "My Lord... you're about to advance!" King Huai murmured in amazement. The former Sovereign of the Catacombs was now close to advancing to rank seven. So fast... Considering he had none of Xinwu's backing—it was already fortunate enough that the Human King hadn't killed him. Li Zhu remained utterly placid. "Still far from it. Mostly, the energy is insufficient! But this time... the chances are great! Provided that this Silver Moon King is willing to grant me a universe." "That shouldn't be difficult!" King Huai said quickly. "Though the Silver Moon King is young, he handles matters fairly..." Pausing, he transmitted via voice, "Perhaps... even more fairly than the Human King!" The Human King was still somewhat selfish, as he himself admitted. To his mentors, his friends, his supporters... those who had walked the path with him, he gave unconditional support, even at monumental costs, even at the cost of being unable to step into rank eight! Yet to people like them, it was completely different. Worlds apart! Li Zhu said nothing. Hopefully. If the Silver Moon King felt his contributions didn't warrant a Great Dao universe... that would be understandable too. Li Zhu knew full well that even without his involvement, this side could have succeeded. Why give you so much? A rank seven Great Dao universe! Still, time would tell. ... In all directions, the slaughter raged on! Li Hao, who had previously given off an impression of benevolence, now fought alongside Kongji, bathed in blood, showing not a shred of mercy. Not just Sovereigns—any Heavenly Kings they encountered were slain with a casual sweep! The Red Moon World was enormous with numerous Sovereigns, and naturally even more Heavenly Kings. Many Heavenly Kings charged at them recklessly. Every world had its heroes; watching their world crumble and their Sovereigns perish, these Heavenly Kings launched frantic charges! Rumble! Countless corpses shattered in all directions; blood flowed like rivers! Red Moon's nearly one hundred Sovereigns had lost some earlier; now some were struck dead by lightning, another batch was slaughtered by Li Hao's group, and the remainder were locked in bitter combat with the Senlan Sovereigns! The collision shattered heaven and earth! Both sides suffered casualties. Some Sovereigns attempted to flee. Yet burdened by the tribulation lightning, how could escape be so easy? Furthermore, two Great Dao universes circled outside; anyone fleeing, unless overwhelmingly strong, was swiftly slain on the spot! A massacre! This time, it wasn't just raiding the home base—it was razing it to the ground! In fact, things had gone even smoother than Li Hao anticipated. Amid the slaughter, Li Hao was panting heavily, and Kongji was also growing weary. Although Kongji could recover, he too needed time to replenish. He and Li Hao had specifically hunted middle-rank Sovereigns, having slain an untold number by now. At this moment, in the distance, a blood-soaked rank six Sovereign tore through the void, filled with sorrow. "You... are butchers! Even if Red Moon stood against you, many Sovereigns were innocent! You slaughter indiscriminately... do you not fear retribution?" Li Hao said nothing, merely swinging his sword! There was nothing to say. This person cultivated the Dao of Sorrow; answering him would only lead to self-doubt. Li Hao was not as kind as people imagined. He didn't know why people harbored the illusion that he was benevolent. Of his enemies, strong or weak, how many were still drawing breath? His sword slashed out! At this moment, the Five Elements domain manifested and crushed downward, releasing explosive combat power. Though only peak rank four, Li Hao's displayed strength was not in the least inferior to rank six! With a thunderous crash, that rank six Sovereign's physical body was shattered. Kongji waved his hand casually, summoning silence, death, and darkness to envelop the space. With a snap, a crimson moon shattered. With the two of them joining forces, rank sixes were practically fodder; only a rank seven could contest them. Of course, neither could match a rank seven. With massive numbers of Sovereigns falling, the lightning had nearly dissipated by now. It was unclear whether the tribulation had ended, the Lord of Red Moon had been struck dead, or the rule-based power granted by the Great Dao covenant had simply been exhausted. Throughout the world, devastation was everywhere. Corpses littered the ground, weeping and wailing rang out on all sides, and countless cultivators fled through the sky and into the earth in every direction. In the distance, Sovereign Yan Fang slew the last resister. He quickly gathered the remaining Sovereigns and converged toward Li Hao and the others. At this moment, Yan Fang was deeply shaken. Suppressing the tremor in his heart, he had never imagined that this overwhelmingly powerful rank eight great world wouldn't be breached by Xinwu, but by Li Hao—this Silver Moon King—alongside their own group! Senlan's Sovereigns had also suffered casualties; it had not been without cost. He reported quickly, "Fellow Daoist Wandao, our side slew nineteen Red Moon Sovereigns, losing seven Sovereigns in combat, while three died under the lightning tribulation... Senlan... has lost ten Sovereigns!" He glanced at Li Hao, and Li Hao glanced at the Senlan Sovereigns. The survivors didn't seem terribly grief-stricken, likely because many belonged to the Dao Lord's direct lineage. One might even wonder how those ten had died. Of course, that was none of Li Hao's concern. He nodded. "This time, the Senlan World has rendered great service... We will discuss everything after the battle!" With that, he looked around. "Everyone, endure a little more hardship..." He looked toward Li Zhu in the distance. "Senior Li Zhu, I must trouble you and Fellow Daoist Kongji to lead everyone to conquer the remaining two worlds!" "Today, we conquer four worlds!" Li Zhu's eyes moved slightly. Having us leave? What... are you planning to do? Though puzzled, he said nothing more and nodded. "Very well!" It was about time he contributed, since he hadn't done much yet. Li Hao looked at Yan Fang. "If we take the four worlds today, Senlan's contributions will be monumental, and you shall certainly receive your due reward!" Yan Fang pondered this and nodded without refusing. Though he worried they were being used as cannon fodder, the World Lord seemed to place immense trust in this young man... Saying no more, he quickly led the remaining Sovereigns out of the world domain alongside Li Zhu and the others. Li Hao flew swiftly, appearing before King Huai and the others in the blink of an eye. Glancing at them, he chuckled. "It's fortunate you haven't severed your ties yet! Since things have reached this point... the Senlan World Lord seems to have done something. If we don't seize the Great Dao universe now, it would be a huge loss. You three, come with me into the Great Dao universe!" Now that they had come this far, if they still stuck to the original plan of only wanting world power and Dao power... that would be underestimating Li Hao. This time, he wanted the Great Dao universe as well! The three were thrilled and didn't dare say much, quickly revealing their Daos. Li Hao attached himself to them and merged into their Daos, slipping in an instant into the universe. At this moment, this universe was also somewhat fractured. Countless stars had been destroyed! An intense wave of desire swept over them. Li Hao frowned slightly and said nothing. Too much desire, too chaotic! He reached out with a grab, and space seemed to fracture, pulling someone forward directly. Qian Wuliang was startled, and Li Hao said, "No need to guard outside for now. You lead the way!" Qian Wuliang was taken aback and said hastily, "Marquis, the power of desire is too dense!" With it this dense, if he led the way and absorbed too much, he feared losing control. Though he cultivated the Dao of Emotion, it was still different; emotions could be restrained, but desire was exceedingly difficult to suppress. "You and King Huai go together!" Behind him, King Huai was stunned. "Me?" "Yes. With desire... the most important thing is restraint. Who doesn't have desires? As long as you can restrain them, you are masters of desire. If you cannot... you are slaves to desire. I hold high hopes for both of you. You two... though weak, can certainly restrain your desires!" As for the remaining two, he looked at Mo and Chanxiu. "You two, stay behind. Do not follow, it's too dangerous!" The two rogue cultivators looked somewhat embarrassed and said nothing. Upon entering the Great Dao universe, they were already struggling to keep their desires in check, trying to suppress them yet barely managing. Meanwhile, Qian Wuliang and King Huai—though one was young, he was a Dao Lord, and the other was a survivor who had weathered Xinwu without dying—possessed a mastery over desire that ordinary men couldn't match. Li Hao said rapidly, "Go, find the Dao source! The Dao source is the core of the entire universe, just like the Time Star. Once we control the Dao source, this universe is ours!" "What about the Lord of Red Moon..." "If he were still able to control it, would he have waited until now? He would have suppressed us long ago. Something must have happened to him—he was struck by lightning, and likely the others as well. In that case... would the Human King, the other rank eight Sovereigns, or even the rank seven Sovereigns let him go?" Li Hao smiled. "Right now, his only path to survival is to abandon the Red Moon Universe, become a complete rogue cultivator, and rid himself of the tribulation lightning. Once he severs his tie to the Great Dao universe, the lightning should stop striking him. Though his strength will diminish significantly, it gives him the capital to survive! Without the lightning and without the Great Dao universe, the price to kill a rank eight is too high, and the returns disproportionate. Only then might the two rank eights abandon their pursuit!" Both understood instantly. King Huai said hurriedly, "He hasn't given it up yet, right?" "Not yet. The Great Dao universe hasn't completely declined, meaning he hasn't drained enough Dao power... What we need to do is not prevent him from severing his tie, but ensure that when he does, he takes less energy with him, leaving behind more Dao power!" Understood! The two said no more, quickly forging ahead in the direction where desire was thickest. Along the way, Li Hao constantly suppressed the power of desire! The Lord of Red Moon might not be willing to cut the tie just yet. Perhaps... I should give him the nudge to make that decision. As for whether the Human King can kill him... it's hard to judge right now. For now, he's definitely not dead. If he were dead, it wouldn't be this quiet. ... Soon, Li Hao reached the depths of the universe. There, he saw an immense star resembling a beating heart—a crimson moon from which boundless waves of desire radiated. Fame, joy, greed, dominance, women, power... At this moment, King Huai and Qian Wuliang were both on the verge of losing control. Li Hao quickly suppressed them, pinning them beneath his long river. This colossal moon seemed to pulsate, and with every beat, a vision emerged. Those visions represented the Lord of Red Moon's desires. There were even visions of exterminating Xinwu, advancing to rank nine, and unifying the chaos. In the visions, the Lord of Red Moon appeared extraordinarily frenzied and seductive. All of this was the desire he couldn't let go of! Li Hao also felt a momentary trance, as if being affected. It was too potent—the desire of a rank eight, compelling one to be dominated by desire and become its slave! And Li Hao naturally had desires of his own. Scenes surfaced in his mind. It seemed as though he had returned to the past... back to many years ago. His parents were still alive, his childhood friends were still there. He seemed to plunge directly into memories of the past, unable to tear himself away. This was a rank eight universe! In his memory, the world was peaceful and harmonious, without superhumans, without slaughter, just serene tranquility... where he would grow up happily, forever and ever. Within the river, Er Mao was startled awake, alarmed. Not good! Just as Er Mao was about to intervene, Li Hao suddenly sighed softly. "Desire is truly a wonderful thing! No wonder everyone likes it; I like it too..." Li Hao opened his eyes. Er Mao was stunned. You... broke free? This was a rank eight Great Dao universe! Li Hao looked down at Er Mao in the river and smiled. "I was merely testing it. It's too fake. If I truly wished for it... I could have turned back time long ago, like you, immersing myself forever in the past! Am I unable to do that?" I can! I simply refuse to! I have desires, but they are certainly not something the Dao of Desire can fulfill or bestow upon me. Even my Dao of Time struggles to grant my truest yearning; what can your rank eight Dao possibly give me? Fake at first glance! I already disdained my Dao of Time for not being strong or real enough; you conjure an illusion of desire—Li Hao wanted to ask: who are you looking down on? It wasn't that the Great Dao wasn't potent, but rather that he had a far better option. Thus, this trivial illusion of desire naturally couldn't hold him. He had only tested it, finding it nothing special! Li Hao bared his teeth in a sudden grin. "Senior Er Mao, I'm going to... dismantle it!" Er Mao was stunned. What are you going to dismantle? "Dismantle the Dao of Desire!" With that, time swiftly rewound, and Li Hao aged rapidly. He burst into laughter. Yes, I'm going to dismantle the core Dao source of a rank eight universe! Before the Lord of Red Moon can flee, I'll dismantle it first! If the Lord of Red Moon sensed it and fled with the moon, there was nothing he could do, but... right now, he still had an opportunity! He quickly reversed time! The next moment, his eyes lit up as he plunged into the crimson moon. In an instant, a Great Dao was dismantled and pulled out by him—it seemed to be the Dao of Anger! ... At the same time. The Lord of Red Moon was still resisting the lightning tribulation, which was nearing its end. He was unwilling to just flee and abandon his Great Dao universe to become a rogue cultivator, so even while besieged, he wanted to hold on! As long as the tribulation lightning fully dissipated, he would still have the power to fight back. Yet at this very moment, his face changed! Disaster! Aihong of rank seven was dead—he knew this. The other Sovereigns were nearly wiped out—he knew this as well. The Great Dao universe was shaking—he was aware of that too. However, as long as he didn't die, the Great Dao universe wouldn't change masters and couldn't be stolen... Yet at this instant, he suddenly sensed something: someone had entered the Dao source! And had not been devoured by desire! Not only had they not been devoured, they were... they seemed to be... dismantling his Dao source? Could it be? He couldn't believe it! How could this happen? Who was it? Boom! The Bright Divine Fist struck. The Lord of Bright Light sighed inwardly. What a tough bastard—he really wasn't easy to take down. The lightning was ending soon; if they didn't finish him off quickly, things would become troublesome. Could he actually escape? Just as the thought crossed his mind, the Lord of Red Moon, who had been resisting vigorously, suffered a disturbance in his Great Dao. Failing to defend in time, boom! He was sent flying by Bright Light's punch! The next moment, lightning crashed down! Seeing this, it seemed likely to be the very last bolt; once endured, he would no longer face the tribulation. Yet right now... the Lord of Red Moon felt not an ounce of joy, only madness and fury! Someone was wrecking the Dao source! Dammit! If this continued, his power would spiral out of control. "Bastards!" Luck was truly running against him today. He roared, "You forced my hand!" "Fine... fine!" You forced me! All of you pushed me to this! Then today, I abandon this rank eight universe! I abandon Red Moon! From this day forth, I am Red Moon, the rogue cultivator! A rogue cultivator... with zero constraints. You will regret this! The reason Xinwu was feared was that the Cang Emperor could drag their great world along and escape anywhere, while others were bound by constraints. Yet today... you people forced me! Boom! In that moment, a crimson moon manifested, blotting out the sky and sun, blanketing the entire universe. And atop the crimson moon, there seemed to be a person. Only now did the Lord of Red Moon see who it was. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, "Silver Moon King! Good, very good! So it's you!" The Lord of Bright Light and the others were stunned. He had actually severed his ties to the Great Dao universe, and... by the looks of it, had the Silver Moon King drilled straight into the Dao source? How... was that possible? The phantom flashed and vanished. The Lord of Red Moon was manic. At this moment, his crimson moon bore massive defects, as if missing numerous pieces. In the next breath, even his anger seemed gone, replaced by bewilderment! The Dao of Anger had been dismantled and removed! He seemed not even to know what anger was anymore! Dao power drained away frantically. In the blink of an eye, his aura plummeted, dropping from a relatively strong rank eight until he nearly fell below rank eight! By just a hair's breadth! The Lord of Bright Light and the Lord of Yunxiao both changed expression. A rogue cultivator! This fellow had directly given up his Great Dao universe. This meant that in the future, it would be almost impossible for him to advance, but it also meant that Red Moon was free of all constraints. "Kill him!" The Lord of Bright Light lunged at him! Yet the Lord of Yunxiao's eyes flickered, and he chose not to pursue. When Shenhai beside him moved to chase, Yunxiao sent a voice transmission: "Don't pursue. This is fine. With Red Moon collapsed, Xinwu will grow stronger. Leaving behind a rank eight rogue cultivator... will serve to check Xinwu!" He flashed a meaningful smile. Yet soon, he frowned slightly. "Silver Moon King... If so, an upheaval has occurred in the Red Moon World. Silver Moon King... Did Xinwu forcibly attack the Red Moon World? Could they have seized the rank eight universe?" If that were the case, it would be troublesome. ... Boom! The crimson moon disintegrated and shattered, the Great Dao oscillating violently. The universe shook continuously, and much of the Dao power was drained away. Li Hao had detached several Daos, preventing him from draining all of it, but now with the Dao source collapsed, the entire Great Dao universe showed signs of dissolving. Li Hao felt a trace of regret. "A pity!" A rank eight Great Dao universe was formidable, but unfortunately, the Lord of Red Moon had drained away at least forty percent of its Dao power. That meant the entire world, which could originally accommodate a hundred Sovereigns, one rank eight, and several rank sevens, had lost forty percent. Even if preserved, it might now accommodate only a few dozen Sovereigns, at most two or three rank sevens, and would struggle to sustain a rank eight. It showed signs of slipping from rank eight. It might be stronger than ordinary rank sevens, but was no longer as powerful and stable as a rank eight Great Dao universe. He hadn't been able to strip it completely before the other party sensed the change and made a swift choice. What a pity. A slight regret. Furthermore, that fellow had indeed survived. He wondered what the Human King was doing—failing to kill him and giving him the chance to break away... Was the Human King not as powerful as imagined? Soon, however, he seemed to realize something. In the distance, that world which hadn't completely merged yet... was rather quiet right now; its integration with Red Moon hadn't fully finished. Li Hao's heart stirred... Could the Human King be acting as a Dao protector for the Senlan World Lord? If so, he needed to re-evaluate the Human King. If that was truly the case... this Xinwu Human King possessed far more humanity than he had assumed. If failing to kill the Lord of Red Moon was for the sake of protecting Senlan, Li Hao actually found it admirable! Soon, he concluded that this was almost certainly what happened. Otherwise, there was no way to explain why the Senlan domain remained stable right now and hadn't destabilized alongside the Red Moon universe. That meant a rank seven was still presiding over it and still alive! The Senlan World Lord hadn't died. "The Human King... is quite something!" Li Hao smiled, chuckling. For an unfamiliar stranger, even an enemy—simply because that enemy did something that made him feel indebted, he chose to surrender the chance to slay his arch-foe to protect him... Xinwu's Human King truly hadn't changed. Wasn't the essence of Xinwu protection? Protecting the human race! At this moment, Li Hao felt genuine admiration. At this level, truly not everyone could remain true to their original aspiration. Xinwu's Human King, who looked like a hooligan on the surface, had chosen to forgo killing Red Moon at this critical juncture. Earlier, he had also stepped in to protect Wushan... Such a man was truly worth befriending. "Red Moon Universe!" Li Hao smiled. The next moment, he released someone: Qian Wuliang. "Qian Wuliang, absorb Dao power!" In an instant, Li Hao also released hundreds of miniature worlds. With his longsword hovering in the air, he laughed. "Drain it for me!" Countless streams of Dao power surged in frantically! Drain Red Moon first! Right now wasn't the time to divide the spoils, but the Great Dao was oscillating violently. If this continued, it might detonate, so he had to stabilize it first. This harvest was truly colossal! ... At the same time. In the Tianlan World, Wushan finally slew that rank seven Sovereign and wiped out a vast number of Sovereigns, though a few managed to flee. He and Sword Venerable had intended to pursue them, but both of their powers began to lose control. They had no choice but to give up the pursuit; not many had escaped anyway. Meanwhile, in the two neighboring worlds, a great number had been struck dead by lightning. Lacking powerful experts to hold the fort, the rank seven lightning tribulation blasted numerous Sovereigns to death. Some fleeing Sovereigns were intercepted right at the world gates by Li Zhu and his group. Slaughter erupted, killing an untold number of Sovereigns. The entire region soon fell quiet. Before long, the three great worlds were shifted and dragged by the experts, swiftly converging toward Red Moon! In the distance, Red Moon had also quieted down. Clearly, Red Moon had been thoroughly conquered! At this moment, every Sovereign was beside themselves with joy! Four great worlds! This time, they had struck it unimaginably rich. Even setting aside everything else, just four Great Dao universes and the worlds themselves were astronomical fortunes. Furthermore, having existed for countless years, how could the four great worlds have no accumulated reserves? Four worlds had sustained two hundred Sovereigns, one rank eight, and nearly ten rank sevens—how could they have no reserves? Sword Venerable dragged Tianlan; in the distance, Li Zhu dragged Cangjiang, and Kongji dragged Yueming. All three were overjoyed; even Li Zhu could no longer maintain his composure. This time, the harvest was simply astronomical! Meanwhile, Sovereign Wushan's power began to dissipate completely, returning him once more to a powerless state. At this moment, a lingering fear suddenly struck him... Can I... get a share of the spoils? Right now, I'm just a lamb waiting for slaughter!