The New Master of Tianfang

All around, the rank seven Sovereigns wore grave expressions. Before, they had all been spectators watching the drama unfold, watching for the right timing, waiting for an opportunity... Yet before the clash between rank seven and rank eight could reach a conclusion, Bright Light's son had joined forces with the King of Silver Moon to slaughter Qishui. It was unbelievable. The King of Silver Moon! Some finally recognized him—not because they knew Li Hao personally, but because they knew the King of Silver Moon was on good terms with the Divine Son of Bright Light and had supposedly slain the rank four rogue cultivator Ming Hao. When he struck today, many guessed his identity. They had simply never imagined that this King of Silver Moon was already at rank five! In truth, rank five was nothing remarkable. Yet the strength he had unleashed... was terrifying. It surpassed many a rank six, rivaling even a peak rank six. In this battle, the Human King had displayed terrifying might and routed Yunxiao. That had not caught people entirely by surprise. The real shock was that Li Hao and Kongji, aided by a few rank three and rank four Sovereigns, had actually slain a rank seven powerhouse. That was what defied all belief. A chasm separated rank six and rank seven! This was not the gap between rank five and six, but between rank six and rank seven. Now, all the Sovereigns turned incomparably solemn. There were many Sovereigns present, including numerous rank seven experts. However, some from the Chiyang Domain had already fled, anxious over potential turmoil in their home domain. Qishui was dead, the Lord of Red Moon hung by a thread, and the Lord of Yunxiao had been battered into retreat... At this moment, only two beings could alter the overarching situation: The Dragon Lord and the Lord of Bright Light! If these two rank eight hegemons entered the fray, along with Yaoyang, who was at the peak of rank seven, the three of them would be more than enough to overturn the battlefield. But now... What was the deal with the Lord of Bright Light? Had he allied with Xinwu? Kongji did not represent the Bright Light World, yet when Kongji struck down Qishui, the Lord of Bright Light had acquiesced and even lent a hand... That was a clear stance. On Li Hao's side, there were three rank seven experts, plus two whose combined strength could kill a rank seven—comparable to four rank sevens. Add in the Senlan World Lord and the Human King, who could match a rank eight... If the Lord of Bright Light and Sovereign Yaoyang joined them, that would form a faction equivalent to eight high-rank powerhouses, two possessing rank eight combat power. If every Sovereign present swarmed forward together, they would surely win. Aside from them, there were many other Sovereigns here—nearly a dozen rank sevens and several rank eights. Yet... they had never discussed an alliance beforehand, nor was there anyone to rally and coordinate them. How could they cooperate? Some did not feel any need to get involved at all. Within the world, a rank seven Sovereign had already slipped away quietly. Seeing this, others' expressions shifted, and they departed in an instant. The Human King let out a chuckle laced with sneering disdain: "What's the rush? Why run? The Qishui World is just a rank seven world—does it smell sweeter than a rank nine? Stay right here and keep watching! Today, you might just get a chance to grab a rank eight world by the tail!" "..." In an instant, those who hadn't realized suddenly snapped awake! The Qishui World! Right, Sovereign Qishui was dead! The Qishui World now lacked a rank seven master, and it was likely hidden right in the vicinity! Instantly, at least five or six rank seven Sovereigns vanished into the void and bolted. Staying here might not yield any benefits. But the Qishui World! A great world without a rank seven presiding over it—a windfall dropped straight from the heavens! Knowing full well how perilous this place was, and seeing that the Tianfang universe had clearly not opened... Such were the perks of slaying a rank seven. How could those rank seven world lords fail to see the obvious choice? Of course they had to seize the Qishui World! All told, seven or eight Sovereigns fled. The remaining ones weren't uninterested; rather, those who had bolted were faster. Being noticeably slower, they were unlikely to reap any spoils if they gave chase now. Besides, they had their own private schemes... If these two sides clashed, perhaps... they could really fish in troubled waters. At this moment, Li Hao spoke up. Though his cultivation was weak, he chuckled slyly: "Red Moon is gone, but... Yunxiao remains! The Lord of Yunxiao is right here, Senior Wushan has broken away, and Sovereign Deep Sea is also here. A vast rank eight universe guarded by a mere two rank sevens... If three to five rank seven world lords gathered to breach a rank eight universe, they would gorge themselves! We just devoured Red Moon and birthed two rank seven Sovereigns! It even fully restored Senior Wushan, equivalent to three rank sevens... We ate our fill!" "Impudent bastard!" At these words, the Lord of Yunxiao flew into a rage, bellowing coldly, "So you are that new King of Silver Moon? So young, yet possessing such a vicious heart! Wushan, you were born of Yunxiao, yet you egg others on to attack Yunxiao! You demon, as expected, you harbored treacherous intentions all along!" At this point, he was already entertaining thoughts of retreat. Yunxiao was left with only two rank sevens guarding it; that was a fact. Right now, seeing that defeating the enemy was near impossible, that he was even being heavily suppressed by the Human King, and that the Dragon Lord refused to fight... he felt deeply frustrated. It would be difficult for the Human King to kill him, but if he were truly pinned down, what if some madman dared to raid Yunxiao? Xinwu was nowhere to be found, Bright Light was guarded by three rank sevens, Sovereign Chiyang had returned, and the Dragon Lord had come alone. Across the entire Sifang Domain, among all the rank eight worlds, his Yunxiao was the most vulnerable! In the past, none would have dared. Yet with Red Moon serving as a precedent—conquered even by the King of Silver Moon and his band, and birthing three rank seven Sovereigns in the process—one could well imagine just how bountiful a rank eight world was! As Li Hao finished speaking, the Human King gave a cold laugh. In the next breath, he dragged his saber forward, charging straight toward the Lord of Yunxiao with booming laughter: "This king will pin this bastard down! Killing him might be tough, but tangling with him so he can't go home is child's play! If any of you breach Yunxiao today, when we cross paths in the chaos tomorrow, this king will spare your lives!" Faint ripples propagated through the void. In the chaos, there was no sentimentality—only profit. Xinwu was hard to track down, and the Human King was difficult to kill. In that case... why not go check out Yunxiao? If there was no opportunity, so be it, but what if... there was? What if the Human King truly pinned him down and prevented his return? Two rank sevens defending a world was far inferior to the three guarding Bright Light. Furthermore, the Lord of Bright Light hadn't engaged in the fight and could disengage at any moment. If so... Yunxiao was far too enticing! In an instant, ripples shook the void. Rank seven Sovereigns slipped away in secret—more than one. Perhaps they had struck a clandestine pact, for several Sovereigns departed in the blink of an eye. The Lord of Yunxiao's face contorted in shock. Bastards! Were these madmen out of their minds? They dared attack a rank eight world? There were still two rank sevens holding the fort! Without three or four rank sevens, Yunxiao could not be broken—didn't they know that? Yunxiao had the home-field advantage! In the next breath, the Lord of Yunxiao could wait no longer. He tore open the void, manifesting his Great Dao; he was obviously preparing to flee. Seeing this, the Human King roared, "You dare run?" His long saber swept across the sky, dominating heaven and earth! Simultaneously, the Lord of Red Moon erupted into action. With a deafening boom, an explosion rang out as he smashed through his restraints. Bathed in blood, with many of his Great Daos snapped and Great Dao power leaking uncontrollably, he plunged straight into the void and rasped, "Together!" The Lord of Yunxiao's eyes flickered, but he did not stop him. A rank eight! What if Red Moon joined Yunxiao? With Wushan gone, Yunxiao had only lost a rank seven... Of course, taking in a rank eight was extraordinarily perilous; it might lead to a clash between two kings. Yet the present situation was far too tangled. Having an additional rank eight might bring immense advantages. His thoughts raced, and he refrained from barring Red Moon from entering his Great Dao cosmos. Dangerous though it was, falling into infighting now would obviously hand the Human King and the others an opening. Red Moon was no fool; fighting now would only end with both of them doomed. The Human King bellowed! In reality... he was running on fumes. Suppressing a rank eight and even forcing him into retreat—he was only rank seven, not rank eight. To leap realms and fight at such an echelon spoke volumes of the Human King's prowess... but right now, he was at the end of his tether. If the battle dragged on, he lacked the power to detain a rank eight. If he had the power, given his temper, he would have slain the man outright. Why waste time rambling endlessly? Seeing the two flee, Sovereign Deep Sea scrambled toward the Great Dao in the void. His boss had already fled; staying behind would be suicide! There were far too many Sovereigns here. Wushan, Sword Venerable, and Li Zhu did not intercept him, separated by too great a distance. The Human King was drained, to say nothing of Li Hao and Kongji, who lacked the capability to stop him. These people fleeing was actually a good thing. Fighting further while the Lord of Bright Light's attitude remained ambiguous would be fraught with uncertainty. Just as everyone sighed in relief, a ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the Senlan World Lord. He had been locked in a duel with Deep Sea all this time. Having absorbed a large portion of Wushan's energy, Deep Sea had grown substantially stronger than him, keeping him suppressed and helpless. Now, the two rank eights had been the first to plunge into the Great Dao cosmos, leaving Deep Sea a step behind. The Senlan World Lord suddenly grinned, his eyes cold and chilling. "Myriad Manifestations of Senluo!" A ferocious shout resounded through heaven and earth. The world transformed in an instant, turning into a purgatory. A domain of Senluo manifested like an eighteen-layered hell, blanketing all directions. With a savage roar, the Senlan World Lord's physical body detonated, dissolving entirely to form the domain of Senluo. The Myriad Manifestations of Senluo was a formation designed to trap and slaughter. For reasons unknown, he had suddenly sacrificed his physical body to manifest this realm, shattering his flesh just to forcibly pin Deep Sea down. This twist caught everyone off guard. A battle between two rank sevens rarely ended in death. Furthermore, both sides were clearly disinclined to continue fighting, and the enemy was already retreating... Why did the Senlan World Lord suddenly go to such extremes? In the sky, a bounded domain materialized. The Senluo Hell trapped Sovereign Deep Sea inside in an instant. Sovereign Deep Sea paled in terror. Though he ripped through the void, he could not break out of this domain. Over on the other side, the Lord of Yunxiao, having just entered the Great Dao cosmos, was waiting for Deep Sea before sealing the cosmos and returning directly to Yunxiao. Who could have imagined that the inconspicuous Senlan World Lord would suddenly pay such a massive price, burning his physical body to trap the man! Startled, the Lord of Yunxiao moved to step back out of the cosmos. This was a rank seven Sovereign of Yunxiao! The Lord of Red Moon's expression shifted, and he transmitted his voice urgently: "Go, quickly! I can't hold on much longer... If we linger, I will die, and once I'm dead, do you think you can escape?" What? Yunxiao's face hardened. He couldn't just abandon Deep Sea! That was a rank seven Sovereign, and one at the peak of rank seven at that! To drive away Wushan and secure their assent, he had bestowed an enormous amount of Great Dao power onto Deep Sea. If Deep Sea was left behind, his losses this time would be catastrophic! He turned, intent on stepping out. He couldn't abandon Deep Sea—not out of affection, but because Yunxiao could not bear the loss of two rank sevens in a single day. Otherwise, he would become the next Red Moon Sovereign! Yet just as he was about to step out, the Lord of Red Moon bolted straight into the depths of the Great Dao cosmos. Clearly, he had no intention of staying behind; doing so meant certain death. "You!" The Lord of Yunxiao turned pale with shock! If he stepped outside while this man stayed within the Great Dao cosmos—a rank eight Sovereign, wounded or not—should Yunxiao be delayed for even a moment... what if this bastard launched a sneak attack on his Great Dao origin and seized his rank eight Great Dao cosmos? That would be an unmitigated disaster! "Red Moon!" he roared in fury. Bastard, I saved your life, and you repay me like this? Damn you! Trapped within, Sovereign Deep Sea had seen Sovereign Yunxiao about to come to his rescue and was just about to breathe a sigh of relief. The next moment, his face twisted in horror, and he bellowed, "Red Moon!" You animal! Dammit, bastard! Why did the World Lord let him into the Great Dao cosmos in the first place? ... None of Li Hao's group had anticipated this cascade of developments. Before they could even plan their next move... Yunxiao had brought a wolf into his fold. In truth, had Red Moon not fled and instead joined Yunxiao in shattering the Senluo Hell to extract Deep Sea, it would have been exceedingly difficult for the Human King's side to stop them. With three powerhouses united and the Human King nearly spent, nothing short of an intervention from the Lord of Bright Light could have held them back. Yet... What was this? Even the Human King stared dumbfounded. He glanced at the Lord of Red Moon—this guy was an absolute disaster of an ally! Of course, being gravely wounded and fearing death was only natural. Still... the Lord of Yunxiao had saved your life and was even ushering you into his Great Dao cosmos to teleport you away... and this was how you repaid him? The Human King was stunned, and everyone else froze as well. We haven't even done anything yet! In the next instant, the Human King, Sword Venerable, Li Zhu... Except for Wushan, who showed a momentary hesitation, everyone charged like madmen, tossing caution to the winds. The Human King didn't even care if anyone realized he was running on empty. Even the weaker Li Hao and Kongji looked as if they had spotted a giant slab of fat meat! Everyone erupted together, hurtling maniacally toward the Senluo Hell! Good heavens, another juicy scrap to scavenge? A peak rank seven—not bad at all! Right now, the enemy hadn't even had time to withdraw the Great Dao power. At the very least, all the energy Wushan had lost earlier could be reclaimed, perhaps even giving Wushan a glimmer of hope to break through to rank eight... Of course, that was beyond their considerations right now. Every one killed was one fewer enemy! "Kill!" Sword Venerable didn't bother concealing his identity anymore. His rank seven Longevity Sword Intent erupted furiously with overwhelming power. This strike surpassed any he had ever delivered before, executed with the fervor of a man laying eyes on a peerless beauty. On Li Hao's side, myriad worlds erupted in unison as the long river surged forth. Sovereign Deep Sea turned pale with terror and roared desperately, "World Lord!" The Lord of Yunxiao was caught in a dreadful dilemma. He bellowed, "Dragon Lord, help me just this once..." The Dragon Lord stirred, feeling that helping once wouldn't hurt; it would be a favor that Yunxiao would surely have to repay. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he sensed something. Not far off, the Lord of Bright Light and Sovereign Yaoyang seemed to be watching him closely. The Dragon Lord's face shifted slightly. Instantly, his Great Dao cosmos manifested, and he plunged into it, vanishing on the spot. Forget it! Not worth the risk. If something happened to Yunxiao and that bastard Red Moon seized his Great Dao cosmos, that scoundrel would never honor any favors. "Bastards!" The Lord of Yunxiao cursed bitterly. Looking back, Sovereign Red Moon had already driven deep into the Great Dao cosmos. Forcing him out now would be an immense hassle. Gritting his teeth, he turned and fled! Seeing this, despair flooded Sovereign Deep Sea's face. He let out a shrill, agonized roar: "Wushan!" Now, his only hope lay in Wushan. The World Lord had abandoned him! Only Wushan could possibly save his life. Sovereign Wushan curved his lips in a faint smile and made no move. He merely gave a slight shrug, as if to say... this has nothing to do with me; I am no longer a Sovereign of Yunxiao. "Wushan! You treacherous dog who betrayed your master..." Sovereign Deep Sea roared. With a thunderous crash, he punched out, sending violent tremors through the Senluo Hell. Wushan felt rather helpless. Those words truly wronged him. You betrayed me, yet I never settled the score with you. Now Yunxiao has abandoned you, Senlan trapped you, and Red Moon dragged you down... You don't curse any of them, but you curse me? Is kindness always trampled upon? Everyone else joined hands to kill you, while I'm just standing here watching without lifting a finger, yet you curse me? Wushan was utterly exasperated. With a chuckle, though he stood some distance away, he reached out a hand. A mountain peak materialized in the void. He gave it a flick, and an ocean emerged from within the peak. The moment the ocean surfaced, a connection seemed to spark with the Yunxiao World. Sovereign Yunxiao, who was in the midst of sealing his Great Dao cosmos, suffered a slight change in expression. In the next breath, a great star within the Yunxiao Great Dao cosmos seemed to be nudged. Boom! The great star trembled. Deep Sea, who was in the middle of tearing through the Senluo Hell, suddenly coughed up blood in disbelief. Wushan chuckled softly: "You absorbed my Great Dao power, and yet you curse me?" How innocent was I! You absorbed my Great Dao power only a few days ago—have you even digested it yet? And you dare provoke me? Bully me? Was bullying me once not enough that you had to do it again? Boom! As the great star shuddered, Deep Sea trembled from head to toe. With a sharp crack, the Senluo Hell shattered, and in that very instant, a saber, a sword, and a book came crashing down together. In the next breath, a long river surged forth, and the realm of extinction erupted. Sovereign Deep Sea's physical body pulverized in an instant, reduced to ash. Boundless Great Dao power spilled forth, hurtling toward the Great Dao cosmos in a bid to return. Wushan smiled: "I told you, that power belongs to me..." His fingers, sharp as blades, plunged into the ocean before him. Boom! The Great Dao power dispersed instantly as a ferocious backlash swept through. The next moment, a bloodcurdling shriek rang out, and Deep Sea roared in utter despair: "Wushan... you beast!" "..." Sovereign Wushan shook his head wryly. Well, this time, his insult wasn't unearned. I'll take it! Still, you cursed me first. So many people wanted you dead, so many people screwed you over, yet you spared them all and singled me out... Otherwise, I might not have even intervened. Now... your cursing isn't entirely wrong. Boom! The Great Dao power completely collapsed. Within the Yunxiao Great Dao cosmos, a star shattered in an instant, exploding with a thunderous roar. The Lord of Yunxiao's expression darkened. He shot a complicated look at Wushan, then sealed his Great Dao cosmos shut and vanished entirely from the spot. Wushan... had struck back! In their impression, Wushan never struck back. In their minds—including Deep Sea's—they believed they knew Wushan inside and out. Even if they cursed him, nothing would come of it; Wushan might even feel guilty and rescue him. Yet... he hadn't. The Wushan who had severed ties with Yunxiao seemed to have changed. In the past, it was because they were all on the same side, colleagues and friends of hundreds of thousands of years. He had been willing to bear petty grievances. Otherwise, as a peak rank seven, why would he take on every burden himself when the other rank sevens could have shared the load? Yet Wushan was older, and considering that the other rank sevens were weaker and needed more time to cultivate, he had handled all the chores himself. Yet it seemed no one appreciated a benevolent peacemaker. They took it as his obligation; worse, they assumed giving him more authority was something he should be grateful for. Deep Sea hadn't dared to curse anyone else—he had only dared to curse him! Wushan chuckled softly, staring into the void as the Great Dao cosmos faded away. Yunxiao, I am no longer Wushan of Yunxiao. I am Wushan the rogue cultivator. Before, I helped everyone because I was Wushan of Yunxiao! It was you who were heartless! Had you let me depart while retaining my rank seven power, I would have died before letting anyone attack Yunxiao. To breach Yunxiao, they would have had to strike me down first! Yet you... abandoned me first! In the blink of an eye, Yunxiao, Red Moon, the Dragon Lord, and Chiyang had all fled. Two Sovereigns, Deep Sea and Qishui, had been slain. Counting the multiple Red Moon factions, Zhiyang... and the two just now, in a matter of days, the chaotic universe had lost eight high-rank Sovereigns. Add in those from earlier, and in the span of two years, thirteen rank seven Sovereigns had fallen! At this moment, the remaining few rank seven Sovereigns scattered like frightened beasts, fleeing through the void without looking back. At this point, a phantom projection of the Senlan Sovereign materialized from Dao traces. Li Hao frowned slightly. Although he was thoroughly satisfied by the death of another Sovereign, he couldn't help saying, "Senior Senlan, there was no need to take such a risk to keep him here..." Though they had successfully retained Deep Sea, it had been far too perilous just now. What was Senlan playing at? The Senlan World Lord said nothing initially. His projection merely looked toward the Human King: "Human King, my share of this man's Great Dao power, along with my share from the previously slain Tianlan Dao Lord, belongs to you! Consider this repayment for your kindness in protecting me for three days... If that is not enough, Senlan will assist Xinwu once more in the future!" The Human King arched an eyebrow and looked at him. Destroying your own physical body to trap the enemy just to seize some Great Dao power to pay me back? He laughed with blatant swagger: "Is three days of Fang Ping's protection worth only this pittance?" The Senlan World Lord was silent for a moment before nodding: "The Human King speaks the truth! Given the opportunity, Senlan will repay you again." The Human King sneered. Suddenly, a slip of paper appeared in his hand. "Words are wind. Write an IOU. You owe me one rank seven great world—call it the price of your life! A useless rank seven from a rank eight cosmos isn't worth that much!" "..." Silence fell over the surroundings. Li Hao was mildly surprised, yet found it familiarly normal. He had traveled through Xinwu before, and it seemed... the IOUs in the Human King's possession could pile into a mountain. In particular, the IOUs signed by Sovereign Qin alone were enough to fill an entire room! The Lord of Bright Light hadn't anticipated this scene either and was rather surprised. An IOU? This Xinwu Human King... was truly full of surprises! He had no desire to meddle in their affairs, however. Glancing at Kongji, he sent a mental voice transmission: "Come with me! You brat, you do nothing but stir up trouble!" He felt quite helpless! To be honest, he considered Xinwu a scourge and a nuisance. Earlier, he had entertained thoughts of joining forces with the others to eradicate Xinwu first. Xinwu was nothing but trouble, which he knew all too well! In the end... his son had completely undermined him. It wasn't that he couldn't stop him. In fact, it would have been simple—one slap to send Kongji flying. Could a mere rank six resist him? It was just that... his son was all grown up. He had actually fought above his realm to slay a rank seven! To tell the truth, he felt immense gratification, thrilled and proud. My son fought up a rank and killed a rank seven! He simply hadn't had the heart to stop him! Yet... he had been royally screwed. Xinwu was indeed a massive headache. Now the outside world believed he had allied with Xinwu, making things even more complicated. "Father, I am grown. I am not leaving; I will stay behind to guard Tianfang... This time, our goal was to seize Tianfang. As it turns out, our plan succeeded. It was rather simple—killing two rank sevens was enough to frighten everyone away..." Fuck your mother! Killing two rank sevens was "simple"? You little turtle bastard... forget it, you brat, do you have any idea what you're saying? "My Bright Light World dominates the chaos, yet we only have five high-rank Sovereigns, which is generally the limit an ordinary rank eight cosmos can support. It's not that we couldn't have more, but to have more... people would have to sever their ties to the world and become rogue cultivators, and rogue cultivators can't be controlled. Slaying two rank sevens is simple in your eyes?" "The Tianfang universe hasn't even revived yet—what bloody use is guarding it? Today we merely caught everyone off guard. Soon, they will return in force! Staying here... are you waiting for death?" "Father, I know what I must choose! You should head back first, Father. Otherwise, Bright Light won't be safe either. A pack of Sovereigns is eyeing it greedily right now. The myth of the invincible rank eight universe was shattered with the Red Moon World! Father, if you don't return soon, Bright Light will be in danger!" Fuck! Sovereign Bright Light cursed internally! He felt a mix of anger, exasperation, and... a touch of pride. My son! Truly magnificent! As for Li Hao, the Human King, or Sword Venerable—none of them held a candle to his son! Slaying a rank seven as a rank six! As for Li Hao's contribution... he hadn't noticed it. All he saw was his son unleashing Great Extinction and Qishui perishing! Yet remaining in Tianfang was bound to be dangerous. "You..." He wanted to curse, but on second thought, he let it go. Having no desire to converse further with the Human King, he sent a rapid voice transmission: "If you won't leave... I won't force you! But remember, you do not represent Bright Light! Bright Light does not belong to me alone. Stop acting recklessly! Just wait until the day you come crying to me, begging me to take you back!" With that, the void fractured, and he took Sovereign Yaoyang with him as they fled into the distance. The Human King glanced toward him, grinning with bared teeth: "Brother Bright Light, let's chat more when you're free! As for your son, my grand nephew, I'll take good care of him!" "..." Sovereign Bright Light didn't even deign to reply, vanishing from the spot in an instant. The Human King burst into laughter. Once everyone had left, his body suddenly went limp. Sword Venerable caught him swiftly and couldn't help nagging: "Reckless as always! The moment you opened your mouth, I knew you were drained again. Everyone says my sword drains me dry, but now you're no different!" The Human King laughed heartily: "Birds of a feather! Old man, congratulations on reaching rank seven! Hahaha!" With that, he turned his head toward Li Zhu, the smile vanishing from his face to be replaced by indifference: "Old Li, rank seven now, eh?" "..." All around, everyone was dumbfounded. The speed at which the Human King swapped faces was truly breathtaking. Wasn't that man also a Xinwu powerhouse? Li Zhu was accustomed to this and said placidly, "Thanks to the Human King's blessings!" "Cut the crap!" The Human King sneered. "I never wanted you to reach rank seven. Nothing good ever comes from you breaking through! But... no matter. I'm almost at rank eight, so your rank seven is useless anyway. If you want to beat Old Zhang to death, I've got no objections, but if you dare lay a finger on anyone else, I'll beat your father to death first!" "..." Li Zhu was thoroughly speechless. After a moment of silence, he simply vanished. He couldn't be bothered to talk to the Human King. Communicating with the Human King... was exhausting. You talk about east, he talks about west. You talk about west, he threatens to beat your father! If he can't beat your father, he threatens your eldest brother, your second brother... In short, impossible to communicate. With the Martial King, one could at least exchange a few coherent sentences. "Hahaha!" The Human King laughed boisterously again, watching Li Zhu slip into the world boundary and disappear. After laughing for a while, he finally turned to Wushan and nodded, offering a semblance of courtesy. Then he looked at Li Hao... This time, he studied him for a while before smiling. "Let's settle the accounts! This time, Old Li stepped into rank seven, so having me block Red Moon here for you is wiped clean! Li Zhu doesn't count—that fellow is my adversary, and I won't credit his rank seven to anyone! "Back then, I breached a world for you—a rank seven world. So, tallying it up, you still owe me one rank seven world! "Of course, earlier you teamed up with the old man to kill a Red Moon Sovereign, giving me the opportunity to slay a rank seven of Red Moon, and afterward, you broke the Red Moon World... "Calculating it like that, our slate is wiped clean once more!" Li Hao looked at him and nodded. The Human King kept a clear ledger in his mind. This man was truly a legendary figure. The Human King continued, "However..." Li Hao looked at him, and he looked back at Li Hao. "Silver Moon separated from my Xinwu. Silver Moon belongs to you now! Originally, it was Old Li's fief, but we don't want it anymore. That place is actually quite miraculous!" A complicated look entered his eyes, though it quickly faded: "Becoming the King of Silver Moon is your own fortune! But Silver Moon is an extraordinarily special place, separated from our Xinwu. So... I can forfeit Silver Moon, but you must trade a rank seven universe for it! Is Silver Moon worth a rank seven universe?" Li Hao nodded. It was worth it! For one reason alone: time! "Good, then sign!" At some point, the Human King had produced an IOU and handed it to Li Hao, chuckling: "You and Senlan both owe me a rank seven universe! Once paid, we're even!" With that, he tossed out a vast amount of Great Dao power: "This is the power of that Tianlan Dao Lord or whatever, plus the power of that Deep Sea guy we just killed... All junk, I'm not interested in it. Put together, it's still not worth a rank seven universe!" He laid out the accounting with utter clarity, having them sign IOUs and settling the figures cleanly and transparently... Yet both Li Hao and the Senlan World Lord felt exceptionally at ease right now. This was good! It was best to make things clear. They liked people like the Human King. Not a shred of hesitation or pretense; whatever the price was, that was that. He had saved the Senlan World Lord, so demanding a rank seven universe was fair—that was the worth of a rank seven world lord! He had bestowed Silver Moon upon Sword Venerable, but Sword Venerable hadn't devoured it and had preserved it, and ultimately Li Hao had acquired it... Li Hao had originally intended to return Silver Moon to Xinwu, preparing at worst to wander the chaos with his people. Yet now that the other party named the price of a rank seven great world... Li Hao calculated it—it was worth it! Acceptable! Quite good, in fact. Therefore, Li Hao signed without the slightest hesitation and asked, "Does it require the Great Dao as witness?" "No need!" The Human King was decisive to an unimaginable degree, laughing heartily: "An IOU is enough. If you don't pay... interest will accrue. As for whether you pay or not... heh... we'll see!" Chuckling, he glanced at the group: "Seize Tianfang, take control of Tianfang? What are you planning?" Li Hao said, "We hope to use Tianfang to nourish Silver Moon!" "Oh..." The Human King nodded, then quickly added, "I should have stayed behind to lend you a hand... but that probably won't do!" Regret colored his voice: "I had originally set my sights on Bright Light, which was why I lingered here all this time. But now Old Zhang has gone after Chiyang. Whether our Xinwu can formally advance to rank eight still faces some hurdles; perhaps... we need to take down Chiyang to manage it! I must regroup with them!" He turned to Sword Venerable: "You and Li Zhu stay behind. We don't need you for now. I'll head back first to rendezvous and see if anyone can step into rank seven this time... If our strength is sufficient, we'll launch a direct assault on Chiyang!" "It's time... for Xinwu to enter rank eight!" A ferocious chill glinted in his eyes: "Until we reach rank eight, every nobody thinks they can pick a fight with us! Sooner or later, I'll slaughter them all!" At this moment, he was incomparably domineering. He looked back toward Li Hao: "Three rank sevens won't be enough to suppress Tianfang! Yunxiao and Red Moon have hooked up, which poses no small problem. Xinwu can only stir up trouble in the Chiyang Domain for a while to keep Sovereign Chiyang from coming over. The Red Moon Domain is half-crippled... but the Dragon Domain and the Tianfang Region still have plenty of powerhouses. They won't let the opportunity of Tianfang slip away!" "The Lord of Red Moon needs time to recover, and forming an alliance will take time as well. Your window of opportunity is limited!" "Three rank sevens are sufficient to hold down the fort on normal days..." At this point, he smiled and glanced at Kongji. "If you can get my grand nephew's father to take action, your troubles will be vastly reduced. See to it yourself!" Finally, he looked toward the long river: "Er Mao, come out and show your face!" As the words fell, Er Mao emerged from the long river. They had met before. Er Mao looked at him rather uncomfortably. The Human King laughed loudly, stepped forward, grabbed its head, and vigorously rubbed and ruffled it. "You're a bit thinner than Big Cat! You've lost weight over the years! Big Cat looks like a pig these days, but you're much more slender. You're welcome to visit Xinwu anytime. Big Cat is waiting for you, and there'll be plenty of dried fish!" Er Mao mumbled, "Don't wanna eat." "Tch!" The Human King scoffed. "Eat it or don't. Since when do cats not eat fish? Er Mao, stop dwelling on that guy. It's pointless. He sought his own death; it's not like we hounded him into his grave. He was overly sentimental. Of course, if he felt life had lost its meaning, that was his business. Personally, I think being alive is plenty of fun!" "You..." Er Mao grew indignant. With a loud smack, the Human King cuffed its head: "A cat eating fish, sleeping, fishing, taking a dump—that's all normal. A cat overthinking things is abnormal! Old Wang didn't resurrect you so you could brood all day. That's that! Since the new King of Silver Moon inherited that thing... just switch masters and keep being a cat! What's so hard to move past?" Thwack, thwack, thwack! He gave Er Mao's head a flurry of pats. Looking satisfied, he laughed: "You people are quite fascinating, very interesting! I love making friends... though making friends requires the right qualifications. Right now, even Wushan falls a bit short!" "Not that I'm arrogant..." He chuckled, then roared with laughter: "I *am* arrogant!" "In short, work hard, everyone! The chaos is immense, and the Sifang Domain is far too small. People say I'm prone to getting lost, but they're dead wrong—how could anyone get lost in a shoebox like the Sifang Domain?" He cast a meaningful look over the crowd. "If our Xinwu had wanted to launch a full assault on Red Moon, we certainly had the chance... but we never did! Xinwu is far stronger than you imagine... Red Moon is actually not the crux... Tianfang is an intriguing place! Contemplate it thoroughly here; perhaps you'll gain some insights!" This seemingly reckless and utterly straightforward Human King was suddenly speaking in riddles. Li Hao glanced at the Human King, but without waiting for him to ask, the Human King laughed: "I'm off! The chaos is vast, yet it is also small; we can run into each other anytime!" With that, he looked at Sword Venerable and waved: "Stay here for a while, and come home soon!" "Understood." Sword Venerable nodded. "Be careful on your way back. Don't stir up trouble on the road..." "Got it!" "And one more thing..." "You talk too much! The older you get, the more long-winded you become. Am I eighteen? I'm over a thousand years old! I'm off!" Before the words faded, he was already gone! Li Hao looked at Sword Venerable, suddenly feeling a twinge of envy. Under the somewhat surprised gazes of Sword Venerable and the others, he abruptly released someone. Yuan Shuo looked around, bewildered. What happened? I was still in seclusion! Li Hao looked at Yuan Shuo and sighed wistfully, "Teacher, other people's teachers are either rank seven or rank eight, immensely powerful..." Yuan Shuo's face darkened! All around, Lin Hongyu and the others were taken aback. One by one, they averted their eyes and looked elsewhere, seemingly choking back laughter. Li Hao paid them no heed, continuing wistfully: "Other people's fathers are either rank eight or rank nine..." Kongji was speechless. *My father is only rank eight, not rank nine!* Yuan Shuo was struck dumb as well! With a face full of helplessness, Li Hao said, "Teacher, my father is dead, and I have only one teacher... who is merely a Heavenly King!" "..." Yuan Shuo lost all face. With a dark expression, he glared at Li Hao, while Li Hao looked completely innocent: "Just now, the Human King came and went. When he left, Sword Venerable nagged him to be careful. Sword Venerable is rank seven!" "..." Yuan Shuo couldn't hold back any longer and exploded in fury: "How old is Sword Venerable? Over a thousand years old! How old am I? I'm in my seventies! Give me a thousand years, and even a dog could reach rank seven!" "..." All around, killing intent flared! Yuan Shuo suddenly snapped to his senses and coughed dryly: "Apologies. Disciplining my disciple... a bit of a slip of the tongue!" Cursing aside, he felt helplessly frustrated. Gritting his teeth! Me... a Heavenly King! It cut straight to the quick. The worst part was that this little brat had dragged him out in front of all these people just to tell him to his face: you're too weak, look at others, their fathers are so strong, their masters are so powerful... Was there any need to stab him right in the heart like this? Gritting his teeth, he plunged back into the long river. He had no face left to show; if he didn't attain the Sovereign realm this time, he wouldn't come out! Once he was gone, Li Hao grinned, baring his teeth, and looked at the others: "My teacher is a genius! Sooner or later, he will reach rank seven!" Since he said so himself, who would contradict him? Yet Sword Venerable and the others were somewhat surprised. A genius? Really? Didn't seem like it! Was a Heavenly King in his seventies that impressive? Sword Venerable pondered. In his seventies... I only began rising in my sixties or seventies, and wasn't even at the Peak Realm yet. It might not be out of the question. He was merely intrigued by Li Hao's actions. Li Hao seemed desperately eager for his teacher to grow strong, but... with you being such a genius, could your teacher truly keep up with you? Why burden your teacher with such immense pressure? Li Hao said nothing, merely smiling. My teacher is a genius! Truly! Sooner or later, he will step out and forge his own path. I have to provoke him—every time I push him, my teacher explodes with potential. Looking around once more at the world, he smiled: "Tianfang is mine!" At least, for now, it was his! Not far away, having been ignored by the Human King, the Senlan World Lord's phantom projection trembled slightly as he spoke: "King of Silver Moon, since the Human King refused it... consider my share a congratulatory gift for Fellow Daoist's conquest of Tianfang!" Li Hao glanced at him, smiled, and nodded: "Very well!" The Senlan World Lord breathed a sigh of relief. That was good. Otherwise, if this one refused it too, it would have been dreadfully awkward. Even though he had offered what the Human King rejected to Li Hao... as long as it was accepted, all was well. Li Hao smiled: "Silver Moon is impoverished, so I must trouble everyone in the days ahead! Three rank seven Sovereigns... Senlan World Lord, please return to Senlan as soon as possible. Senlan is unsafe. As for the three of you, guarding the boundary gate will suffice! "Brother Kongji, you will be responsible for purging the living beings inside Tianfang, driving them all out... Simply relocate them into a small world! We are going to cleanse Tianfang from top to bottom!" Kongji nodded, brimming with delight! Extinguishing a rank nine great world directly—splendid! Rank seven, I'm coming for you too!