Setting a Small Goal

Within the chaos. A party advanced swiftly. At this moment, besides Li Hao and his companions, Qian Wuliang had also stepped into rank four. His breakthrough had carried both King Huai and Tianji into rank four as well. One had to admit that King Huai had made a tremendous killing this time, leaping rapidly from rank two all the way to rank four. All of a sudden, if those two were counted as part of the Silver Moon faction, Li Hao's side gained three middle-rank cultivators in the blink of an eye. Black Panther was about there as well. However, because Black Panther had not yet returned to Silver Moon and the Silver Moon World itself had not absorbed a vast amount of energy, Black Panther needed the world's coordination. Otherwise, it too should have been able to step into rank four. Hong Yitang had not absorbed much energy this time, so he remained at rank three. However, the dual Dao cosmos complemented each other; with Qian Wuliang advancing, his own breakthrough would not be far behind. The remaining ones were Mo, Xun Ruo, and Chan Xiu, none of whom had broken through this time. Mo had previously stepped into rank two, while the other two remained at rank three—though Chan Xiu had made a small step forward by one rank compared to when she first arrived. Xun Ruo had been rank three when he arrived and was still rank three now. Li Hao had told him earlier that he could leave, but Xun Ruo had not departed. Even though he understood Li Hao's thoughts, when the four great worlds of Red Moon were destroyed... Xun Ruo felt that even if he had to thicken his skin and abandon all dignity, he would not leave. Dangerous as it was, looking at the people around him, who among them was not making crazy progress? Thus, even when Li Hao brought it up again, he gritted his teeth and refused to go, claiming he was willing to die for Silver Moon... Whether that was true or not was another matter. Lin Hongyu remained at rank two. Her advancement was somewhat slower, closely tied to Li Hao. Zhang An had only just entered the Sovereign realm and still needed time to consolidate. As for teacher Yuan Shuo... he had currently been left behind in Li Hao's Long River, undergoing bitter cultivation. Whether he could step into the Sovereign realm remained to be seen. The very last one was the incomparably low-profile Er Mao. This time, it had absorbed a great deal of world source and felt much closer to physical reality. As for its strength... it was hard to judge. Even Li Hao found it difficult to assess, but judging from Er Mao's appearance, its harvest was substantial. After all, those were four great worlds—an immense amount of energy. Just what kind of power Er Mao would possess once it fully materialized in the real world was something no one knew, not even Li Hao. Perhaps... it could become the next Cang Emperor? Who could say! The Cang Emperor, after all, was a peak rank seven powerhouse. These people constituted the latest combat strength of Li Hao's party. Even excluding Li Zhu, two rank sevens gave everyone tremendous confidence. Meanwhile, Li Hao began calculating... when they should part ways. Sword Venerable had reached rank seven. For now, cooperating with Li Hao was no longer of great help to him. Similarly, in cooperating with Sword Venerable, it would be inappropriate not to give him a share, but giving him one... Li Hao could no longer afford it! As for Sovereign Wushan... perhaps there were still opportunities for cooperation. After all, Sovereign Wushan was aiming for rank eight! Currently, though he had freed himself from the Yunxiao World and worked for himself, he had not reached rank eight and still fell short. There were still chances to cooperate, depending on whether the circumstances were right. Then there was Kongji... at peak rank six, breaking through to rank seven would be no small challenge for him. He could continue cooperating with Li Hao for a while longer. All of it was merely cooperation! Li Hao had never intended to follow them forever, and likewise felt there was no need for them to keep following him. All feasts in this world eventually came to an end. Each had their own fortunes! He had never thought of gathering everyone together to dominate a region. If he wanted to, uniting Sword Venerable, Li Zhu, and Wushan right now, reconnecting with Xinwu, and roping in Sovereign Senlan would quickly turn them into a major faction. But... who would be the leader? Wushan refused to be exploited and had even abandoned the world that nurtured him. Senlan was unwilling to merge into Red Moon and would rather die resisting... Li Zhu and Sword Venerable had even taken the initiative to break away from Xinwu. Among this group, who was willing to become another's subordinate? From beginning to end... the only ones who could truly gather at his side were the people of Silver Moon. Only they, at this stage, still needed him. When the day came that they grew powerful as well, perhaps... they would no longer need him either. Li Hao pondered all these thoughts. His gains this time were immense. Without absorbing any of those Great Dao crystals, he had stepped into rank five. Over six billion Great Dao crystals, along with more than forty worlds... such foundations were more than enough to fatten Silver Moon in one go! Perhaps it was time to make a trip back to Silver Moon. Furthermore, regarding the Tianfang universe... could it be fully opened right now, or should it remain temporarily unopened—expelling everyone first before sealing it again? Thought after thought surfaced in his mind. Meanwhile, ahead of him, Wushan and the others also had complicated feelings—especially Wushan! Just moments ago, he had been forced to give up his energy and choose to depart Yunxiao, believing his life was ruined and his cultivation crippled. Yet at that very moment, Li Hao had appeared and helped him restore his peak combat strength. He had lost nothing and had even calmly freed himself from Yunxiao's shackles. Returning now... his emotions were intricate. In truth, there was one thing he hadn't mentioned. Yunxiao! Right now, the Yunxiao World Lord was absent, and Sovereign Shenhai was over there as well. With Wushan gone, Yunxiao only had two rank seven Sovereigns left! If... He didn't dare say it! Bright Light was in a similar state, but Bright Light currently had three rank sevens guarding it, making it incomparably formidable. Three rank sevens consolidating Bright Light made it far sturdier than Yunxiao. Crucially, he was from Yunxiao! If he were willing... the two rank seven Sovereigns in the Yunxiao World could potentially be plotted against and slain directly by him! Another rank eight great cosmos! Yet he had not brought it up. Did Li Hao know? Wushan felt that a clever person like the Silver Moon King could not possibly be ignorant of it. Yet Li Hao hadn't mentioned it either. It was as if everyone had forgotten Yunxiao. No one brought it up. Two rank seven Sovereigns consolidating their home world would be difficult even for a rank eight to breach. But what if it were breached from within? Wushan had stayed in Yunxiao for far too long. He had always been the Sovereign stepping forward to handle all affairs—the foremost figure beneath the Lord of Yunxiao. Did he really have no foundation there? At this moment, who knew how many Sovereigns within Yunxiao were still willing to listen to him. Wushan was actually deeply conflicted! He feared that Li Hao would propose it. If that happened, what was he to do? Another rank eight great world... this time, they truly would be utterly enriched, and he could even banish the Yunxiao World Lord, take control of the Yunxiao World himself, and become the master of a rank eight realm. But... had he been willing to do that, he wouldn't have relinquished his energy earlier. The group hurried along, each lost in their own thoughts. Amidst this silence, Li Hao took the initiative to speak. "The situation at Tianfang is still very complicated. Three rank eights... Chiyang and the Dragon Lord may have arrived by now as well, though they might not have been able to enter since the Great Dao cosmos is closed. The rank eights of the Sifang Domain are probably all gathered there." Everyone nodded. That was very likely. With a rank nine cosmos opening, even if those two were slightly further away, once they received word, rank eight masters would not sit idly by; they would definitely rush over. Right now, they were most likely waiting nearby, or searching for an opportunity to enter the Great Dao cosmos. "Our strength isn't weak... it's quite decent! With Senior Wushan and Uncle Li here, our combat power is formidable. Kongji and I, together with the others, may not dare claim we can kill a rank seven, but barely holding one off should be manageable. Our side barely counts as having three rank sevens, and if Senior Li Zhu arrived early... that makes four. Even encountering a rank eight, there's no need to panic." None of them were fighting on home ground. Away from home, the gap between a rank eight Sovereign and a rank seven Sovereign wasn't overwhelmingly vast—though a difference certainly existed. If fighting on home ground, the gap would be impossible to gauge, depending on whose domain it was. "There are objectives for this trip!" Li Hao said swiftly. "First, rescue the Human King and the Senlan World Lord. United, they are not weak, but the worry is that the three rank eights might join forces against them. "Second, get everyone out. The Tianfang Great Dao cosmos hasn't revived yet, and Silver Moon is still inside. With all of them present, it's far too unsafe! "Third, avenge grievances and settle debts!" Li Hao looked toward Wushan. "For instance, those Sovereigns who provoked us earlier, like Qishui... kill them if we can. Leaving enemies alive only invites future disaster; they must be wiped out entirely!" He didn't mention anything about Yunxiao. Reaching this point, Li Hao concluded, "And the final point: if we can kill the Lord of Red Moon, that would be the best outcome. If not..." Li Hao said grimly, "Then we must heavily wound him! A rogue rank eight is terrifying. Once we scatter, encountering him would make us far too easy to pick off! Even if we can't kill him, we must knock him down from rank eight. Even if he maintains rank eight power right now, it is extremely unstable! It will be relatively easy to knock his realm down. A rank seven rogue cultivator we do not fear, but a rank eight rogue cultivator is far too dangerous!" Everyone nodded again. Achieving four objectives would not be easy, but it wasn't hopeless. At this moment, Kongji couldn't help chiming in, "Haoyue, fulfill a wish of mine—I want to find a great world to directly extinguish!" You have to consider my needs too! Right now, I really want to find a great world to extinguish. The problem is... with the previous four great worlds, Li Hao and the others were merciful after all and didn't slaughter them. Is there a great world that can be directly extinguished? With the extinction of a great world as the price, his Dao of Extinction was bound to advance. Li Hao was taken aback, glancing at him. He had almost forgotten about this fellow. Kongji seemed to understand his look and was rendered speechless! Seeing Li Hao make no mention of him, he knew this guy had been stringing him along with empty promises earlier—truly unscrupulous. At this point, he had no choice but to speak up: "There's a fifth point!" Saying this, his tone turned low: "Seize Tianfang! Activate the world boundary's power and expel everyone. The Tianfang Great World doesn't have a large population; those people can be driven away entirely or settled somewhere else. We can garrison Tianfang first and use it temporarily as a base. I will extinguish the Tianfang World—a rank nine great world extinguished... will certainly be extraordinary! "Years ago, Tianfang was actually extinguished once... Later, when people arrived, it gradually began to revive. "This way, the Silver Moon World will also have a window for development..." He looked at Li Hao. "You should understand this. Why didn't you mention it?" Li Hao frowned slightly. "The difficulty is too great. Besides... to consolidate Tianfang, one or two rank sevens won't be enough. Even if we shut the boundary gates, the Tianfang Great Dao cosmos hasn't fully revived. To control it and withstand rank eights would require the coordination of multiple rank sevens at least..." If that happened, quite a few people would be tied down here. Kongji couldn't help saying, "Haoyue, we've collaborated multiple times! With Sword Venerable and Senior Wushan, our cooperation has been quite pleasant as well... Frankly speaking, this time, we all feel it's rather unfair to you. We're all of the same kind; it's not as though just because you feel everyone else is satisfied, you ought to be satisfied too! "Consolidating Tianfang and temporarily seizing it can serve as your reward for orchestrating the downfall of the four great domains. That includes the Xinwu Human King—his teacher entered rank seven, and Xinwu's great peril was eliminated. Even though a rogue rank eight remains alive... the Xinwu Human King still owes you one! "The Senlan World Lord owes you even more..." He looked at Li Hao. "If your Silver Moon wants to develop, it must settle down for a period of time. I know you haven't set your heart on Tianfang, but... Silver Moon has been drifting displaced all this time. When will it ever get the chance to develop?" He turned to Sword Venerable and Wushan. "Seniors... do my words make sense? This time, we seize Tianfang for Silver Moon and gift it to Haoyue as the distribution of spoils from this battle. That way, nobody owes anyone! Between gentlemen, friendship is as pure as water. Haoyue thinks that if he takes less and everyone else takes more, we will be happy. Do the two of you feel... very happy about that?" The moment these words came out, they struck right at Wushan's heart. Wushan had still been struggling internally; hearing this now, he spoke up immediately: "Well said! An excellent idea! The difficulty is immense, but if there were no difficulty... how could it count as compensation?" He seemed genuinely delighted. "This is a great idea. I also feel Silver Moon needs a quiet period to develop. I can buy Silver Moon some time. Working together, we can consolidate Tianfang for a while... a hundred years wouldn't be long at all..." He felt that this way, he wouldn't have to torment himself with indecision anymore! Otherwise, he would be torn to death. Li Hao had taken too little. As for those six billion Great Dao crystals... Great Dao crystals didn't mean a damn thing! The Great Dao cosmos—that was the true treasure! Great Dao crystals could always be procured if you put your mind to it; if all else failed, wiping out a few small or medium worlds would eventually yield six billion. But could you easily slay the master of a great world? In his eyes, those things were insignificant! "Seize Tianfang?" Li Hao raised his brows slightly and glanced at the group. Truly, birds of a feather flocked together. His philosophy was that when collaborating, partners shouldn't suffer a loss, and neither should he; everyone winning together was best. Taking a bit less didn't matter—his strength was what it was, and taking too much might not be a good thing. Yet perhaps he had misjudged. He thought it natural for them to take more, but they felt that even if he was weaker, success had relied entirely on his orchestration; taking too little made them feel ashamed. But earlier, they had had no choice but to take it. Now, with Kongji putting it this way, both Wushan and Sword Venerable found it agreeable. It was quite good! If they could take Tianfang, even if Tianfang was just an empty shell... with several rank sevens holding the fort and consolidating the world, it would grant Silver Moon a period of rapid development. At the very least, they wouldn't have to drift displaced, worrying about being wiped out at any moment. Moreover, Tianfang was a great world containing places of opportunity like Dao charm lands. Once the Tianfang universe revived, the fortunes would be even greater. "The difficulty is significant..." Before Li Hao could finish, Kongji cut in: "Without the Great Dao cosmos reviving, the difficulty isn't actually that grand. Everyone currently has their eyes glued to the Great Dao cosmos. As long as we can prove that the Great Dao cosmos won't revive anytime soon, who would fight to the death against multiple rank sevens just for an empty shell? I will persuade Bright Light; that leaves only Yunxiao, Chiyang, and the Dragon Domain. "As for Yunxiao..." He glanced at Wushan, hesitated slightly, but spoke nonetheless: "As for Yunxiao... if we can slay Shenhai, then without Senior Wushan, the Lord of Yunxiao had better behave obediently and return to guard his world. Otherwise... does he want to become the next Red Moon?" Wushan remained silent. Li Hao also looked at Wushan. Seeing them all looking at him, Wushan gave a helpless sigh and addressed them: "Stop looking at me. To tell the truth, when you mention Yunxiao, that is after all the world I lived in for hundreds of thousands of years... However... earlier, our ties were severed completely! If they refuse to let the matter rest, then... kill them!" Wushan said gravely, "I am not truly foolish! It was only that I couldn't part with past sentiments. But Yunxiao forced me to surrender all my energy; everything I could repay has been repaid... If you do not actively seek out Yunxiao, yet Yunxiao comes looking for trouble with you... then handle it as it should be handled!" Only one condition: do not take the initiative to attack the Yunxiao World. But if the other side refused to drop the matter... then kill whoever needed killing. He was neither stupid nor pedantic. It was simply that after countless years of sentiment, even though he had severed ties, he had no intention of actively seeking revenge. That prior parting had marked a clean break. Hearing him say this, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief. In truth, the pressure had been quite heavy earlier. Mainly because they were working together, making it awkward to openly discuss dealing with Yunxiao. At this point, Sword Venerable suddenly said, "There is no need to worry about Chiyang. Xinwu's home world should have already arrived at Chiyang Domain. They may launch an attack soon—not necessarily against the Chiyang World itself, since it's a rank eight great world, but perhaps Zhiyang Great World in the Chiyang Domain... Once Xinwu strikes and breaches Zhiyang Great World, the Lord of Chiyang will withdraw no matter what. He will worry that after breaking Zhiyang, Xinwu might turn to attack Chiyang!" Hearing this, everyone's thoughts stirred. "Then only the Dragon Domain remains a problem?" Sword Venerable nodded. "However, the Dragon Domain is far from here—that is one factor. Second, the Dragon Domain reportedly contains a Jingang Great World, which is also an extreme yang great world. Once Zhiyang is breached, if Xinwu announces they will attack the Jingang Great World, the Dragon Domain will also have to return to defend!" "Then Xinwu will become the target of all..." Li Hao remarked. Sword Venerable wore an odd expression, casting him a glance. "You think... it isn't already?" "..." Silence. Sword Venerable chuckled. "A rank seven great world running all over the place—how many have you seen? A rank seven great world that can roam at any moment is far too rare. In truth, the Cang Emperor carrying Xinwu around is already a massive threat! To easily carry a great world on the run requires a chaos beast of rank seven or higher... In the Dragon Domain, some chaos beasts are indeed formidable and capable of doing so... but none can do it as effortlessly as the Cang Emperor." The Cang Emperor was an exceptionally peculiar entity. It could haul Xinwu around at will without leaking much aura. That was what made it terrifying. For Silver Moon to achieve that step, Black Panther would first have to enter rank seven, and even then, it might not conceal things as well as the Cang Emperor. Otherwise... one could only drag and haul by brute force. With such a massive world right there, its fluctuations would be fierce and nearly impossible to hide. Therefore, Xinwu's ability to roam freely was already a lethal threat to several great worlds. Otherwise, in the Red Moon Domain, it wouldn't have been so easy for multiple great worlds to form an alliance aiming to exterminate Xinwu. Li Hao had said Xinwu would become the target of all... Sword Venerable felt it already was. There was no need to worry about that at all! At this moment, Kongji smiled as well. Having his proposal acknowledged brought him immense satisfaction. "Exactly, Brother Haoyue, what is there to fear? We've already come this far... Seize Tianfang and let Silver Moon's cultivators train in Tianfang, comprehending the Dao of a great world—a genuine rank nine world! Soon, with so few people in Silver Moon, every last one will be a powerhouse. Your Great Dao cosmos will develop rapidly, and you don't lack Great Dao crystals—burn them directly to fuel cultivation! Forget becoming a rank seven great world; rank six will happen in no time! "That way, Silver Moon can accommodate even more Sovereigns, on par with the former Senlan... In fact, thanks to the dual Dao cosmos, it could hold twice as many Sovereigns as Senlan! "Only like this can Silver Moon achieve rapid development. Otherwise, skulking around in shadows like this, how many years do you think it will take for Silver Moon to step into rank seven?" Li Hao looked at them. "It's not that I'm being pretentious... it's just that I feel... doing this, for everyone..." Wushan cut him off: "Say no more. If we don't do something, frankly, taking all those spoils doesn't sit comfortably with me! Even though I killed two rank seven Sovereigns alongside Sword Venerable, would you truly have failed without me? Taking an entire rank seven great world leaves me uneasy!" Li Hao pondered for a while upon hearing this, then smiled and nodded. "Fine!" The group was actually setting their sights on Tianfang now. They intended to take Tianfang, bring it under control, and make it a leveling ground for Silver Moon. Was it fitting for a rank four world to use a rank nine world as a temporary residence and training site? Extremely fitting! Borrowing a hen to lay eggs! Coincidentally, Tianfang's Great Dao cosmos was extinguished, which was perfect—the dual Dao cosmos could temporarily substitute for Tianfang's universe without any conflict. The difficulty was immense! Yet even if it were greater, what did it matter? "Then this time... we seize Tianfang!" Li Hao laughed. Beside him, King Huai and the others couldn't help feeling a thrill of excitement. They were still managing to keep their composure, but Qian Wuliang was already feeling the rush, even thinking that if they could usurp Tianfang... then... Well, he dared not let his imagination run wild! This was borrowing a shell; whether it would succeed depended on strength, luck, and careful planning. But looking at the current situation, things seemed quite promising. Weighing it carefully, Li Hao recognized that this was indeed a colossal development opportunity for Silver Moon! If it succeeded, it would be nothing short of a godsend for Silver Moon! Having set a few small goals, the group sped up once more. This time, with clear objectives in mind, everyone was even more invigorated. ... Tianfang World. Sovereigns stood in clusters, many keeping watch at this moment. Across the entire Tianfang World, several auras were peerlessly mighty. Among them, two rank eight auras shook all of Tianfang. There were also several rank sevens who, having arrived late, were unable to enter and had each occupied a spot in deep regret. They had arrived a step too late! As a result, others had entered first, and the Great Dao cosmos had sealed itself. They could no longer locate any traces. Yet leaving was out of the question; they were unwilling to walk away, worried that someone might claim Tianfang's Dao and fully become rank nine! That would mean immense trouble. They were all waiting for the outcome. If someone claimed the Tianfang universe... a rank seven would be manageable, but if one of those rank eights took it, they would become the target of all. Neither faction would tolerate anyone becoming a rank nine Sovereign! In that case, the long-masterless Sifang Domain might see the rise of an absolute hegemon! "Old Dragon!" At this moment, where the Great Dao cosmos gate had previously opened, a wisp of will suddenly descended. An expert resembling a scorching sun manifested as a phantom. A blazing sun hung in the sky, incomparably domineering. In the next instant, an aura capable of tearing heaven and earth apart surfaced as a formidable dragon resembling a golden giant beast appeared in an instant, its voice weathered and ancient: "Chiyang, do you have an idea?" "A few." The Sovereign resembling a sun spoke with burning heat in his voice, saying softly, "Join forces with the other rank seven lords to see if we can lock onto the coordinates and forcefully breach the Great Dao cosmos to enter. Waiting like this... once one of those figures seizes Tianfang's Dao, it will be a lethal threat to both you and me!" "Can you pinpoint the location?" "Previously no, but now... perhaps! My Chiyang World also has a rank seven Sovereign inside. As long as I lock onto his position, I can use him as a medium to directly shatter Tianfang's Great Dao barrier!" The Dragon Lord considered it for a moment before speaking: "I have no objection! But... what if we still fail..." Sovereign Chiyang sneered: "If we still fail, then... we launch a full assault on Yunxiao, Red Moon, and Bright Light to force those fellows out! If we can't have it, they shouldn't expect to take it easily either. A single party attacking would be difficult, but if you and I join hands, they will naturally have to weigh whether to come out or continue!" Regardless, allowing several rank eights to seize the Tianfang universe was intolerable. Right now, rank eights were kings, each dominating their own territory. If one of them advanced to rank nine, the others would never accept it. "Let us first try breaking open the Great Dao cosmos. Otherwise, if it truly comes to that... all pretenses will be dropped!" It wasn't that they couldn't attack together, but doing so would completely tear away the veneer of peace among the rank eight hegemons, likely triggering an all-out war across the entire Sifang Domain. Yet when left with no alternative, that would be the only way. Yunxiao's garrison strength was currently very weak, and Red Moon was the same, both having only one or two rank sevens holding the fort. Taking them wouldn't be overly difficult—provided their rank eight lords didn't return. However, Sovereign Chiyang added: "From the looks of it, Tianfang's Great Dao might not have fully revived. Otherwise... reasonably speaking, there should be some Great Dao fluctuations, yet I haven't sensed any! How it opened earlier is a question in itself—perhaps it had to do with Sword Venerable and Dao Chess, not an actual revival of the Great Dao cosmos. If it hasn't revived... those fellows will probably have to come out soon." Over the past few days, they had analyzed the situation and continually felt that the Tianfang Great Dao cosmos had not succeeded in reviving. Otherwise, why was there not the slightest ripple of Tianfang's Dao across the Tianfang World? As they were discussing, Sovereign Chiyang suddenly frowned slightly, and the Dragon Lord over there also showed a hint of confusion. At that very moment! Auras manifested within the Tianfang World, making no attempt to conceal their presence. With so many people, including two rank sevens, concealing their aura was no easy feat. "Eh?" "Wushan?" Both were stunned. Wushan? What was going on? Though they had arrived a bit late, they had learned about the events of that day. Wushan had relinquished all his energy and was ultimately taken away from Tianfang by Mingtang, the Divine Son of the Bright God Realm. Right now... Wushan was... at peak rank seven? He had recovered? The two were dumbfounded! How could that be? To fully restore peak rank seven strength was no small matter. Otherwise, as a rank eight lord, Yunxiao wouldn't have insisted on making him leave his Great Dao power behind—it was simply too vast! Without an entire rank seven cosmos, a full recovery was practically impossible. The Bright God Realm? Their expressions grew solemn. Could it be that the Bright God Realm had paid a tremendous price? One had to know that the Bright God Realm possessed a treasure known as the Source of Bright Light. It was said to only assist rank five and six cultivators in recovering; rank seven was a completely different matter. Could the Bright God Realm possess some hidden trump card? If so... it would make sense. But would the Bright God Realm truly be willing to pay such an enormous price to aid Wushan? If Wushan refused to stay in Yunxiao, could he possibly remain in Bright Light? Furthermore... there was another rank seven cultivator! A rogue cultivator? There were no ripples of a Great Dao cosmos. In the chaos, where would a rank seven rogue cultivator come from, unless their great world had been destroyed, forcing them into vagrancy? A swordsman? The first person that came to mind was Sword Venerable. But Sword Venerable was only rank six, and for someone like him, advancing was exceedingly difficult. Moreover, Sword Venerable was said to be the first to enter the Great Dao cosmos. As for a rank six like Kongji and a rank five like Li Hao... the two rank eight lords disregarded them entirely. They were bewildered, mainly by Wushan and Sword Venerable. One had recovered in an absurdly uncanny fashion! The other was actually a rank seven sword-cultivating rogue... it was simply unbelievable. What in the world was happening? At this moment, they were not the only ones to notice. Several rank seven lords also detected the abnormality. Among them, someone seemed familiar with Wushan and sent a voice transmission directly: "Brother Wushan... what happened to you..." How did he recover? It defied belief! Wushan wore a calm expression. "I consumed a rank seven great world; naturally, I recovered!" "..." Everyone was stunned. Consumed a rank seven great world? Which one? How come we didn't know? Moreover... you say it so casually, as if rank seven great worlds were worthless. And why have you come here now... to take revenge on the Lord of Yunxiao? But the other party is rank eight and hasn't emerged yet. Even if you've recovered, you are no match for him. However, Wushan seemed to have roped in a rank seven sword cultivator as well. In that case, things were hard to predict. Two rank sevens, and sword cultivators were notoriously formidable in battle... Right now, news of Red Moon's destruction had not reached here. The Sovereigns of the four great worlds had been nearly wiped out. Those who survived and fled were few, and none dared flee toward Tianfang; all had run in the opposite direction. Information had actually been cut off, known only to some people inside the Great Dao cosmos. "Brother Wushan, this sword-cultivating Daoist looks unfamiliar... Since when did a rank seven sword cultivator emerge in the chaos?" Someone asked inquisitively, feeling suspicious. Where had this person popped up from? Even those who had previously seen Li Hao masquerading as Sword Venerable dared not connect the two. Primarily, the two were distinct; Li Hao's disguised Sword Venerable bore little resemblance to the Sword Venerable before them now. The crux lay in rank seven! A rank seven sword cultivator was entirely different from rank six. Wushan smiled. "An old friend of mine whom I met in the chaos in years past. Knowing today that I was injured and stripped of my power, he specially came here to help me reclaim my dignity! If you do not wish to bring trouble upon yourselves, I suggest you leave as soon as possible! "Tianfang's Great Dao cosmos has not fully revived! Earlier was merely a setup! Its main purpose was to deal with certain individuals. You will know soon enough—Tianfang's Great Dao cosmos remains deathly still; it was merely opened using Dao Chess!" The moment these words fell, the two rank eights listening in could no longer contain themselves. Suddenly, a wave of scorching power swept over: "Wushan, is what you say true? A setup? Who laid this trap? And who was it meant to deal with?" Wushan wore a nonchalant expression. "Is that Sovereign Chiyang? Who laid the trap, and who it was meant to deal with... you will all know soon enough! There is no need for you two to worry about someone seizing the chance to step into rank nine; that's impossible! This time, the Tianfang cosmos is merely a graveyard that has buried quite a few rank seven Sovereigns... Once it opens again, you will see how many rank sevens died this time... And I merely seized the opportunity to devour a Great Dao cosmos, which is how I recovered my power!" Everyone was shocked! Who died? More than one? Wushan's ability to recover... was actually related to this matter. That meant he was one of the participants, one of the schemers? Then did that mean... this sword cultivator was as well? Wushan continued, "Everyone, speak openly if you have something to say. Before the Great Dao cosmos opens, I don't mind telling you... we have all joined an extremely mysterious faction in the chaos. I cannot say too much about the details, but I can tell you... our power extends far beyond this!" Sovereign Chiyang suddenly sneered: "Wushan, have you cultivated yourself into senility!" Who are you trying to frighten? This man, having recovered his power, was actually running here to bluff people. Frighten whom? What a joke! A mysterious faction in the chaos? What kind of ridiculous nonsense was that? Sovereign Wushan's face remained placid. "I am merely speaking my mind; whether you believe it or not has nothing to do with me! I only caution you that Tianfang... is no benevolent ground! This place is a tomb burying many people. I can only say that many high-rank Sovereigns of the Sifang Domain took part in this, including... Xinwu!" He sneered. "This seat does not fear letting you know that besides Xinwu, there are many others, including myself and the fellow Daoist beside me! Our goal is simple—not to kill anyone, but merely to protect ourselves... Thus, there is no need for you to worry." At this moment, both rank eight Sovereigns frowned slightly. They had heard earlier that Wushan was colluding with Xinwu. And not just Wushan... glancing at Kongji, this Divine Son of Bright Light was here as well. Could it be... the Bright God Realm had participated too? Like the Lord of Red Moon, they were beginning to grow suspicious and paranoid. There was no helping it; Wushan's recovery was too bizarre. They still didn't know which rank seven great world had been destroyed. Meanwhile, Li Hao paid no heed to what Wushan was saying. This fellow's mystical bluffing might truly hoodwink a bunch of people. As for whether they believed it or not, once they learned the four great cosmoses were gone, they would believe it whether they wanted to or not. Quite a few rank sevens had died this time. Three had died inside the Great Dao cosmos, and two had died outside—a full five rank seven Sovereigns dead! Adding the three that Li Hao and his companions had killed earlier, and the two Xinwu had slain... In two years' time, ten rank seven Sovereigns had fallen. For the entire chaos, this was a massive earthquake. Rank seven was difficult to cultivate! Ten dead—all the result of countless years of bitter cultivation and accumulation. And recently, the Sifang Domain had only seen three new rank sevens born: Sword Venerable, Li Zhu, and the Senlan World Lord, far from matching the number of casualties. Li Hao observed his surroundings, transmitting his voice: "Two rank eights, and about six rank sevens... I don't know if that's all of them, but there are actually eight high-rank Sovereigns out here!" He wasn't entirely clear on how many had entered earlier, but Kongji was. Three rank eights had gone in. As for rank sevens, counting the Human King and the Senlan World Lord, there were sixteen in total. Inside the Great Dao cosmos, there had been nineteen high-rank Sovereigns... Of course, there were sixteen at most now. Adding the eight outside made twenty-four high-rank Sovereigns. Plus Wushan, Sword Venerable, and possibly Li Zhu lurking nearby, the high-rank Sovereigns gathered at Tianfang World right now numbered as many as twenty-seven, including quite a few rank eights. If the deceased were counted, the number reached thirty. The entire Sifang Domain had only forty to fifty great worlds. While some great worlds had more than one rank seven, and rank eight cosmoses had even more, across the vast Sifang Domain, all high-rank Sovereigns combined only numbered around a hundred. This was the entire Sifang Domain, an unimaginably vast territory! In everyone's eyes, this was the entire chaos. The distance between each great world was extremely far; for an ordinary Sovereign to fly between them, taking decades to arrive was normal. Yet right now, roughly a third of them were gathered here, and all the rank eights were present. Wushan replied, "Do we open the Great Dao cosmos now?" "No rush... I want to wait!" Li Hao transmitted: "The best timing is when Xinwu makes its move... Logically, the timing is ripe now. If the Xinwu Supreme has sensed anything, he should choose this moment! "Unfortunately, we cannot communicate. Otherwise, opening the Great Dao cosmos right before Xinwu strikes would force the experts inside to come out whether they want to or not..." Xinwu launching an attack to wipe out a great world wouldn't necessarily cause less commotion than what happened at Red Moon. News from Red Moon was hard to transmit here, and logically, Xinwu's attack would also be hard to transmit. However... Xinwu couldn't possibly wipe out all the surrounding great worlds. As long as Sovereigns from neighboring worlds investigated the situation and sent messages here, the news would spread easily. Li Hao observed and evaluated for a moment, transmitting: "Let's wait a bit longer. Ideally, once news arrives, I will open it. At that point, both Chiyang and the Dragon Lord will choose to leave... That way, our chances will be much greater!" At this moment, he felt deep regret that communication was so underdeveloped. Otherwise, they could have executed a brilliant coordination with Xinwu! ... At this very moment. Chiyang Domain. At the periphery, a scorching world spanned heaven and earth. Not far away, a cat squinted, staring into the distance. Within the realm, the Supreme seemed to be gathering intelligence, clone after clone relaying back numerous reports. Suddenly, the Supreme opened his eyes: "The time is about right!" A smile appeared on his face. "Although it's only a rank seven world, once breached and successfully taken, many of our Xinwu prodigies will surely restore their peak strength today! Rank seven will be right around the corner!" He looked toward several Sovereigns in the crowd. These were the ones with the highest hopes of stepping into rank seven. Blood Sovereign, Earth Emperor, Iron Head Sovereign, God-Splitting Sovereign, Heaven Suppressing King, God Casting Envoy, the Human King's Consort... Their chances were immense. Furthermore, their yang energy was not weak. The Human King had paid no small price for them... Well, the Earth Emperor actually lacked sufficient yang energy; perhaps the Earth Emperor was the one with the highest hope. He looked up at the sky and gave a soft chuckle: "Everyone... whether we succeed or not hinges on today! Additionally, Xinwu may have good news to share with all of you. I cannot judge whether it is accurate, but Xinwu... may have birthed a new rank seven!" The Earth Emperor and the others maintained calm expressions. In the crowd, Tianji's father, the Western Sovereign, even yawned, casting a glance at the Supreme with boredom in his eyes. Are you talking about yourself? Just say it straight! No need to beat around the bush; it's pointless. The Supreme smiled. "I'm not talking about myself!" The crowd continued to ignore him. The Supreme chuckled again: "Perhaps... it is Li Changsheng, or perhaps... Li Zhu!" He looked toward the Earth Emperor. The Earth Emperor remained nonchalant, wearing an expression as calm as drifting clouds when met with the gaze. What are you looking at me for? Although that's my son... I don't know the situation either. Besides, it's just your claim—do you think I'd believe it? Does this bastard hope I'll fight to the death? Thinking that since my son reached rank seven, as his father, dying in battle wouldn't be a loss? You fool people every damn time! The Earth Emperor looked utterly indifferent. The Supreme watched him for a while... and was silent for a long time. Forget it! I genuinely sensed something, but alas, they don't believe me; nothing I can do. Finally, he looked toward another person... a fellow wearing nothing but shorts. This was the Yang God, famous throughout the chaos... In truth, compared to him, the Human King seemed normal; this guy was truly eccentric. All year round, he wore nothing but shorts and cradled a big coconut, drinking from it endlessly! All he was missing was a beach beauty! "Senior Yang God, this battle... will require your effort!" The Yang God looked up, cast him a glance, then looked at the big cat above his head and smiled. "Zhiyang is fairly strong—a rank seven world lord with peak rank seven combat power! Defending their home ground makes them difficult to breach. Still... with you and this big lazy cat together, it should be about enough..." "Senior jests." The Supreme sighed. "Without Senior, we could only borrow Fang Ping's power. We just worry he might be in danger right now; if we borrow his power, he'll be done for!" The Yang God chuckled, saying no more. Zhang Tao, the Martial King, the Supreme... In any case, this guy was always like this—an unlikable figure in Xinwu. But... forget it, no point bickering with him. Not a single word from this fellow was true. Even Xinwu's own people didn't understand him, let alone enemies. And precisely because of that, Xinwu had been able to reach this day. Who knew how many trump cards this guy possessed? This fellow was the true Xinwu Human Sovereign! When the myriad people were strong, he was strong. Over a thousand years, Xinwu had accumulated tremendous power. Who would believe he wasn't strong? Never mind that the Human King and the Cang Emperor were the world lord and Great Dao master—this guy... could perhaps be considered a master without the title. To this day, the Human King had never severed his Human Sovereign Dao, which was the truly terrifying part. That kid Fang Ping had actually watched with open eyes as this guy grew stronger, completely unconcerned that this bastard might sell him out! While the Yang God was thinking, the Supreme chuckled: "Alright, the time is about right. Then... let us move!" In an instant, dozens of Sovereigns swarmed forth. The Cang Cat directly shifted the world, heading toward Zhiyang Great World. It could eat fish again... Speaking of which, Er Mao seemed to have grown much stronger recently; it could actually sense the other's presence somewhat. Was it about to materialize? I haven't prepared many dried fish snacks! It feels so fast. Yawning, Er Mao seemed on the verge of returning completely! "Go fishing!" The big cat mumbled. In the next instant, far in the distance, a powerhouse manifested in a flash. The moment he saw the big cat, he roared violently: "Xinwu is attacking! To arms! Call for reinforcements!" Reinforcements from whom? From the Chiyang World, naturally. Disaster had struck—Xinwu, roaming the Red Moon Domain, had actually appeared here. In an instant, battle erupted. Heaven and earth shattered!