The World Source

In the end, Kongji restrained his desire. Or rather, faced with something far more shocking, he forgot entirely about advancing. Li Hao was actually snapping the Dao principles within the Time Star. This was simply terrifying! In everyone's eyes, Time was the most miraculous Dao of all, nearly omnipotent. Even if a heavy price had to be paid every time it was used, there was no denying that the Time Dao had helped Li Hao accomplish countless incredible feats. Yet now, Li Hao was deliberately severing the Time Dao... Kongji suddenly felt that a mere rank seven breakthrough was nothing in comparison. Was that really a temptation? Not at all! It wasn't as if he was incapable of reaching rank seven on his own. Back when he walked the Dao Chessboard, he had made it all the way to the 6,999th square. Now that his comprehension was even deeper, he was confident he could surpass 7,000 squares if he attempted it again. If so, reaching rank seven was well within his grasp. Consuming the flower of life now would only be taking a step early, nothing more. Before Li Hao, he pressed down the greed in his heart. Feeling a surge of emotion, he glanced at Li Hao. When they first met, this young man had just walked out of Silver Moon and crossed into the rank one Sovereign realm. And now... he had grown utterly unbelievable. Time! Something countless beings could only dream of envying, yet he dared to treat it like a plaything. It was truly astonishing. "Let's continue!" Kongji said no more, putting aside all other thoughts. "I will continue plunging the world into nirvana. The world source hasn't appeared yet... Only when the world source surfaces will it signify that nirvana has reached its absolute peak, and the world is on the verge of total extinction." Li Hao nodded. He did not intervene further. Instead, he looked up at the sky and said, "Continue your nirvana. I'll go up to take a look." The Great Dao cosmos! Kongji furrowed his brows slightly, then quickly nodded. "Then be careful!" This extinguished Great Dao cosmos might not be truly dead; it was merely in a state of nirvana, not destruction. Back then, the Lord of Tianfang had only extracted all the Great Dao power within it, but the Lord of Tianfang... was still the master of this Great Dao cosmos! Had he left something behind? Kongji did not know, and Li Hao wasn't certain either. Everyone was scrambling to seize Tianfang, but had they ever stopped to consider... would the Lord of Tianfang truly allow them to take his Great Dao cosmos so easily? …… Li Hao took to the air. In an instant, he burrowed into the Great Dao cosmos. Billions of stars stood silently within the vast cosmos, unbroken, yet utterly dormant. At this moment, faint, dim glows emerged on many of the stars. This indicated that as the Dao resonance grounds erupted down below, these stars showed signs of being stimulated. Previously, knowing that this cosmos was dormant, Li Hao hadn't explored it deeply. They were nothing more than silent Great Dao stars. Yet today, Li Hao headed straight into the cosmos's depths in search of the Great Dao source. He wanted to see where this realm's Dao source truly resided and what it looked like. Li Hao had seen Red Moon's Great Dao source before. It was like a heart rooted deep within the cosmos. A convergence of the Daos of desire, forming the Desire Dao source. The other three great worlds were almost identical in that regard. As for Silver Moon's Great Dao source, it was initially the Time Star. Later, after Li Hao took the Time Star away, the two Great Dao rivers became the Dao source. Not every cosmos possessed a Dao river; forging one usually meant binding everyone together in shared fortune and woe. It wasn't that the masters of Great Daos couldn't forge them, but that they were unwilling. A Dao river connected to all living beings. Cosmoses like Red Moon, on the other hand, did not connect to the populace. They connected to the various Sovereigns; only the Daos of Sovereigns could tether to the Great Dao source. Not just anyone was qualified to link their heritage to the Dao source. Yet in Silver Moon, Li Hao had forged such a Dao river. Whether Hong Yitang and Qian Wuliang were willing or not... in the end, their Daos were bound together with all common mortals. At this moment, Li Hao flew at extreme speed. He shot straight into the depths of the cosmos. When the Sovereigns entered the Great Dao cosmos last time, perhaps they had found the Dao source, or perhaps they hadn't. Either way, the Dao source was undoubtedly dormant, or they never would have departed so easily. Back then, Li Hao hadn't caught sight of where the Dao source lay. He flew swiftly! All around him, stars shimmered with faint radiance. The Tianfang cosmos was not structured as a Dao river, and its stars were not gathered in a single cluster. In Silver Moon, the stars were grouped together, which had its pros and cons. The greatest hazard was that if an enemy invaded, they could easily wipe out the entire Great Dao cosmos in one fell swoop. A total sweep, leaving none behind. Li Hao did not pay much attention to these stars and continued forward. After flying for a time, the cosmos seemed to reach an end. With his current rank five Sovereign realm, his speed was comparable to a peak rank six. At this speed, unobstructed and able to gallop freely, it still took him a considerable amount of time to reach the edge. One could easily imagine just how vast this cosmos was. At the end of the world... a colossal star emerged, surrounded by smaller stars orbiting it. This gigantic star seemed to be the Dao source of the cosmos. An entity similar to the Time Star—a Space Star. However, it was currently completely lifeless, showing not the slightest stir. Last time, the Sovereigns of Red Moon and the other worlds had likely reached this place. At this moment, faint traces could still be seen upon the giant star. Traces of battle! Back then, Sovereign Bright Light and the others must have arrived here. They had even fought a battle here and tested whether they could control or activate this star, but they had all presumably failed. Otherwise, they wouldn't have simply retreated. Li Hao inspected it carefully. The gigantic star seemed to have strands of silk connecting to every star in the cosmos, using itself as the core to weave a massive Dao web that formed the Tianfang cosmos. Most likely, it connected to 9,998 or 9,999 stars. It was unclear whether the 9,999 merged into one to forge Space, or how it operated. Li Hao had never come to investigate before, knowing it would be pointless. Yet today, he had arrived. He silently watched the unimaginably massive star. He seemed lost in thought. A star of absolute stillness! Was this the heritage of the Lord of Space, the Lord of Tianfang? When he departed, he took all the Great Dao power with him yet left behind the Dao source... Did he not fear that once this place was activated, someone might use the Dao source itself to turn against him? Or was he so confident that he believed no one could ever activate the cosmos, and even if they did, they could do nothing to him? Or perhaps... just as Li Hao had once considered, this cosmos had simply been discarded by him? Li Hao often thought of abandoning a cosmos. As a rank nine Sovereign... what did it matter if the Lord of Tianfang cast aside a cosmos? Thoughts flickered across his mind one after another. Earlier, he had vaguely sensed someone peeping at him. Had that been the Lord of Tianfang? Had he been peering at him through this very star? Yet... he could not detect the slightest anomaly. In fact, that earlier sensation of being watched had vanished completely. "The Great Dao is dormant, yet the world is not! The Dao and the world were originally one and the same; they should share some connection..." "The Great Dao cosmos has been dormant for countless years. Logically, the world should have declined as well, regressing from rank nine to a lower tier... The world source has absorbed chaotic energy for countless eras, so why hasn't it revived this Great Dao cosmos?" The Lord of Tianfang and his companions had departed this place at least a million years ago! At the very least! Over a million years, a top-tier great world could draw in the surrounding chaotic power. Even a rank one Sovereign could absorb over three hundred Great Dao crystals in a year, which amounted to over three hundred million Great Dao crystals in a million years. Yet this was a rank nine world! It would be far more than that! A hundredfold was a modest estimate. No matter what, a world would absorb vastly more Great Dao crystals than that in a year—perhaps tens of billions, or even a thousandfold more... Even if the world source leaked energy to allow the cultivators within Tianfang to cultivate, it must have hoarded an astronomical number of Great Dao crystals. How many? One hundred billion? He had no idea. Even now, the world source had yet to appear, and Li Hao couldn't tell. The Dao Chess phantom had merely mentioned earlier that some would inevitably be left behind. "Perhaps... I can calculate it!" With a few thoughts in mind, Li Hao kept them to himself. He simply stood there, waiting in silence. Waiting for the world source to reveal itself! …… Tianfang World. Countless Dao resonance grounds roared ceaselessly. However, with Dao Chess and the four rank seven Sovereigns present, these grounds—holding merely residual Dao resonances from ancient times—could not resist Kongji's nirvana! Before Kongji, that flower of life grew larger and more vibrant. At this moment, Kongji held less greed and more ethereal detachment. Watching the boundary of nirvana spread wider and wider, a smile touched his lips. Once the world was revived later... perhaps he would witness something different. His Dao of Nirvana and Revival might experience an enormous leap today. …… Meanwhile. Across the various Dao resonance grounds, countless Silver Moon cultivators were either comprehending the Dao or absorbing Great Dao power. The two Chaotic Rivers also ceaselessly absorbed those Daos and comprehended those Dao resonances. For Qian Wuliang and Hong Yitang, this was an exceptionally rare opportunity. Tianfang was a rank nine world! These Dao resonance grounds were originally meant for Sovereigns to comprehend. In the past, it was difficult for them to erupt with Dao resonances, but today, they flared continuously, allowing the two to absorb and comprehend without pause. Coupled with Li Hao's earlier explanation of the Dao web system, this provided an immense boost to both Dao Lords. The more one observed the Dao, the clearer it became! Having seen so much, neither Dao Lord was a fool. Both felt they were benefiting enormously as various Dao insights suffused their hearts. Crossing from rank four to rank five was merely a matter of accumulating energy. They had originally possessed sufficient energy, but because their advancements had been too swift, they had been suppressing their progress. Now, as the Dao resonances flowed into their rivers, distinct insights flooded their minds. For a time, both Dao rivers trembled. They showed signs of advancing! A trend of stepping from rank four into rank five. This brought immense joy to both Dao Lords. Meanwhile, the other Sovereigns stationed across the various Dao resonance grounds also reaped substantial gains. The ground Southern Fist currently suppressed was precisely Coiling Dragon Well. The dragon Daoist here specialized in the physical Dao and was erupting with Dao resonance at this moment. Li Hao had not completely drained the Dao resonance of Coiling Dragon Well; what he had borrowed earlier was only the Dao resonance of Mount Five Elements' fire peak. Southern Fist laughed uproariously in sheer ecstasy. Several other experts were nearby, including Director Zhou, who cultivated the golden body. Yet Southern Fist felt that his own gains were the greatest. Achieving the Dao through the physical body to suppress heaven and earth! Seeing that dragon giant flexing his physique and displaying an immensely formidable phantom, Southern Fist was overjoyed, convinced that he would take the lead ahead of everyone else this time. He had pulled strings with Qian Wuliang and the others to learn that a rank seven Dao resonance resided here, which was why he had deliberately rushed over. Now, a rank seven Dao resonance had truly manifested. "Hahaha... I'm probably going to become the very first rank two Sovereign..." Not counting those who had already been Sovereigns before, Southern Fist felt that among the newly ascended Sovereigns, he might surpass the others once more and become the first to enter the rank two Sovereign realm. His laughter was loud and arrogant. He could feel vast amounts of Great Dao power surging within him. The energy in this Dao resonance ground was simply too abundant! Who said this was an abandoned Dao resonance ground? Not far away, Director Zhou frowned slightly. In truth, he had sensed it as well. Countless strands of Great Dao power suffused his body; this Dao resonance ground seemed bursting with energy. Advancing from rank one to rank three required little Dao comprehension. With sufficient energy, one could generally advance directly. He also felt that he was about to reach rank two—an unstoppable sensation that came with unbelievable speed as limitless Great Dao power violently battered against him. While Southern Fist laughed arrogantly, Director Zhou wasn't nearly as thrilled. Golden light shimmered across his body. The next moment, his expression suddenly shifted, and he barked, "Move!" With that, he took to the air, intending to shift away. Southern Fist laughed boisterously. "Move where? You're just jealous of me..." Director Zhou cursed under his breath and snapped urgently, "Something's wrong..." "I know!" Southern Fist was far from foolish; he laughed loudly. "What's there to fear? Fortune favors the bold! Old Zhou, don't be scared..." With that, he bellowed at the top of his lungs, "The world source seems to be right here!" Southern Fist had knocked about the martial world for years. Though everyone had cursed him, he had survived to this day. He had a sharp, foul mouth, yet lived comfortably. He had even thrived within the imperial palace back then; he was certainly not an idiot. Even Li Hao had remarked that Southern Fist appeared reckless on the surface, but was actually the sharpest when it came to sizing up a situation. At this moment, he naturally sensed the anomaly. How could he not know that an abandoned Dao resonance ground was unlikely to hold such rich Great Dao power? Anyone using their brain could tell something was off. Yet he looked down on Director Zhou's timidity—fortune favored the bold! *I know the world source is most likely right here... but I also know that here, I have the greatest hope and likelihood of using the world source's energy and boundless life force to swiftly step into the rank three Sovereign realm.* *To quickly close the gap between myself and Qian Wuliang's group.* *To become one of the top Sovereigns beneath the Dao Lords—a rank three Sovereign.* Seeing Old Zhou flee while he absorbed more and more energy—to the point of threatening to burst him apart—he had no choice but to roar aloud. In the distance. Kongji was startled by the shout. He hadn't discovered where the world source was located, but hearing Southern Fist's shout, he swiftly flew toward Coiling Dragon Well. At this moment, limitless life force erupted from Coiling Dragon Well. It seemed poised to tear apart the surrounding realm of nirvana! *Thump!* *Thump!* It sounded like the beating of a heart. In an instant, places that had previously succumbed to nirvana began reviving one after another. The world source was also the source of life, the fountainhead of vitality. As for why it appeared near Coiling Dragon Well, it likely had to do with the physical Dao. Li Hao had cultivated the physical Dao before, which gave birth to immense life energy. With Southern Fist's roar, everyone's attention shifted toward Coiling Dragon Well. The four rank seven Sovereigns also quickly focused their gazes. Over there, the Dao Chess phantom grew somewhat nervous. The world source, the life source of a rank nine world... Normally, a world source possessed little combat strength and couldn't resist much, which was why the world sources of small and medium worlds were easily devoured. Yet at the rank nine level... unexpected developments might arise. That heartbeat... As the sound echoed out, the entire world seemed to be reviving. As Kongji rushed over, his own heart suddenly began pounding furiously—*thump, thump, thump*. Kongji felt an agonizing wave of discomfort. As the world source radiated life fluctuations and actively revived the entire world, it caused an immediate backlash against Kongji—the invader and extinguisher! *Thump!* The heartbeat resounded through heaven and earth. *Spurt...* A mouthful of blood sprayed out. Kongji's heart beat violently, almost rupturing. Boundless power of nirvana converged toward him, as if seeking to extinguish Kongji himself. Right at this moment, a gleam of sword light flashed, seemingly slicing heaven and earth apart! The next instant, a dark cloud gathered, veiling the world and enveloping Kongji to shield him from the heavenly workings! Sword Venerable and the others acted simultaneously. The Dao Chess phantom also trembled slightly, sending out an urgent shout: "Suppress the world source!" Quickly! Otherwise, Kongji would face the backlash of the entire world, turning upon himself. The suddenly emerging world source appeared far more formidable than imagined. Before it even fully surfaced, a single heartbeat had nearly severely wounded Kongji at the peak of rank six! Plunging a world into nirvana would inevitably trigger the world's counterattack. It was just that ordinary worlds lacked the power to retaliate against a peak rank six Sovereign; even rank seven or eight worlds might not possess such ability. Yet now... a rank nine world certainly did! Not only that, but because Southern Fist was right at the source, he saw and felt something that frightened him out of his wits. No longer caring about his breakthrough, he bellowed in panic, "Not good, something seems to be appearing..." Just then, the phantoms that had previously dispersed in several Dao resonance grounds suddenly reappeared. Furthermore, in an instant, these phantoms seemed imbued with energy and life force, solidifying one after another. While the others had yet to understand, the Dao Chess phantom recognized it immediately and blanched. "Not good!" The phantom roared furiously, "Damn it! The world source has granted these Dao resonances life energy to revive them..." It wasn't truly a resurrection. However, all these experts of Tianfang had been born from Tianfang World. Strictly speaking, the world source was like a mother to all Tianfang natives. Right now, it sensed the destruction of the world. As for Kongji's intention to revive it later... that was Kongji's business. To the world source, it only sensed that the world was on the brink of doom, facing an existential crisis. Thus, at this moment, it spared no cost to grant these Dao resonance phantoms life force. The experts who had walked out of Tianfang World seemed to have their Dao resonances brought back to life at this very moment. Waves of unimaginably formidable auras and pressure swept through heaven and earth! Even rank seven and rank eight pressures began to emerge. Kongji turned pale! How could this be? He had plunged small and medium worlds into nirvana before, but such a terrifying situation had never occurred. Sword Venerable and the others also changed countenance. Sword Venerable barked in a low voice, "These phantoms have been granted energy... It isn't entirely sufficient and can only sustain them for a brief moment, but be on guard!" Even if it only lasted a moment, there were simply too many Sovereigns from Tianfang. Not only that, there were rank seven, rank eight, and even rank nine existences among them. At this moment, the world source was fighting for self-preservation. It was materializing these existences once again. If even the Lord of Tianfang was projected... that would be truly catastrophic. …… Deep within the cosmos. Li Hao sensed it as well. He quickly looked toward the stars in the void; they had not changed much, still flickering with faint light, showing no signs of revival. Yet within Tianfang World, waves of formidable auras swept across the entire realm. …… Outside Tianfang World. The Sovereigns lurking in hiding vaguely sensed something as well. Several of them felt the shift, their expressions changing slightly as they hastily used their means to contact their respective world lords. …… Yunxiao World. Sovereign Yunxiao was still furious with the Lord of Red Moon over his earlier scheme that had killed Deep Sea. However, what was done was done, and he was currently discussing with the Lord of Red Moon how to retaliate and take back Tianfang... Suddenly, the Lord of Yunxiao's expression shifted slightly. "An anomaly has occurred in Tianfang. The pressure of numerous experts seems to have surfaced..." The Lord of Red Moon raised an eyebrow. Compared to his constant worries and hesitation back in Red Moon World, he now held far fewer qualms and much more arrogance. He sneered, "Auras? Many of them... Interesting... I think I've guessed what it is." The Lord of Yunxiao nodded as well, his eyes flickering. "Shall we go take a look?" The Lord of Red Moon looked at him. "Are you willing to let me travel through your Great Dao cosmos?" Without traveling through a Great Dao cosmos, even rank eight Sovereigns could not travel very quickly—at least relative to the vastness of the chaos. Traversing via the Great Dao cosmos, however, was exceptionally swift. The Lord of Yunxiao smiled. "Just to take a look... I command the entire Yunxiao cosmos; would I lack the courage to escort a single person through my own Great Dao cosmos?" With that, he directly opened the cosmos gateway. The Lord of Red Moon chuckled with deep meaning... Yunxiao wanted to assimilate him... what wishful thinking. He was a rank eight Sovereign after all, the master of Red Moon. Would he care about such petty tricks? Winning over people's hearts? Dream on! He didn't even hold Yunxiao in high regard. In the eyes of the Lord of Red Moon, the Lord of Yunxiao was inferior even to himself. At least he hadn't been abandoned by all his followers, whereas on Yunxiao's side, Wushan—the second-in-command—had fled. Saying no more, the two quickly rushed toward Tianfang through the Great Dao cosmos. …… Meanwhile. In Bright Light World, the Lord of Bright Light frowned slightly. Looking toward Yaoyang, he said in a low voice, "Come with me!" Yaoyang looked at him, and the Lord of Bright Light said with a frown, "They might have... stirred up some trouble! I knew it—those brats are too young and know nothing. That entire group over there is young; even the oldest, Wushan, was merely a deputy before and never truly served as a world lord or Dao lord..." At this point, he sighed helplessly. "Let's go. Mingtang may have caused a disaster!" Sovereign Yaoyang was somewhat surprised. Caused a disaster? What disaster could he possibly cause? They had four rank seven Sovereigns holding down the fort over there, including a peak rank seven. Furthermore, Mingtang and that Li Hao working together could match an ordinary rank seven. Such strength was not far behind a rank eight great world. Under normal circumstances, at this stage, unless Yunxiao and Red Moon joined forces, piloted their rank eight great worlds, and charged straight for Tianfang, it would be difficult to breach even if the two teamed up! Of course, bringing along Yunxiao's other two rank seven Sovereigns would give them a chance... but if they left, they'd have to worry about their home base being ransacked! Though confused, he quickly followed, asking, "Eldest Brother, what disaster did Mingtang cause?" "He might have plunged Tianfang World into nirvana!" *So what?* Yaoyang didn't understand and asked directly, "So what if he did? That's an opportunity... Extinguishing a rank nine world should yield immense gains." "Ignorant!" The Lord of Bright Light was exasperated. "If Tianfang were that easy to destroy, after all these years, wouldn't a single great world have tried to seize Tianfang and merge it into their own? Even without a Great Dao cosmos, it is far beyond ordinary worlds. Devouring a medium world can boost oneself, let alone a great world!" "Isn't that... because Tianfang World sits at the center of the four domains, watched over by four rank eight worlds, and everyone's mutual wariness gave Tianfang the chance to exist?" *Was that not the reason?* Sovereign Yaoyang was puzzled. In everyone's eyes, that was the case. Sovereign Bright Light quickly said, "That is only part of it! If that were the only reason, our four worlds would have devoured Tianfang long ago and simply divided the spoils!" He frowned. "The crux is... Tianfang is a rank nine world, and the Sovereigns who departed Tianfang might not be dead—they are likely alive, including the Lord of Tianfang! Therefore, once Tianfang World is broken, it will strike back! It possesses a certain level of self-defense. Leaving aside whether it can recall the ancients of Tianfang... you think those countless Dao resonance grounds in Tianfang are just for show? Those grounds are all Dao arenas left behind by Sovereigns. If they are still alive, once Tianfang is swallowed, those Dao resonance grounds might all be activated!" *Activated?* *What did that mean?* The next instant, Sovereign Yaoyang understood. As he stepped out of the Great Dao cosmos, Tianfang lay directly before him. At this moment, countless waves of pressure spanned the heavens of the entire Tianfang World! Even rank eight Sovereign pressure had materialized! In the distance, the void tore open, and two figures stepped out. Yunxiao and Red Moon glanced over. The Lord of Red Moon let out a soft, playful chuckle, devoid of his earlier bitter resentment and filled with mockery. "Bright Light, it seems... that group values your son quite highly!" The Lord of Bright Light remained indifferent, ignoring him. He looked toward Tianfang World ahead. The entire world appeared smeared in a dull, deathly gray, but at this moment, that gray was receding rapidly. The power of nirvana! As a rank eight Sovereign, he saw through it at a glance: his son had tried to extinguish Tianfang, which in turn caused Tianfang's world source to surface, granting life to the Dao resonance grounds to launch a counterattack! Too reckless! The Lord of Bright Light felt a headache coming on. Among the four rank seven Sovereigns left behind, only the Senlan World Lord was a true master of a rank seven great world—and Senlan World had only just advanced. They had no understanding of what formed the foundation of Tianfang's existence. The Lord of Tianfang wasn't dead. The world source still existed! The entire world was still functioning. Facing this backlash now... let alone four rank seven Sovereigns, even four more might find themselves in grave trouble. Why had no rank eight world dared to touch Tianfang? A rank eight world only possessed four or five high-rank Sovereigns, roughly equal to the strength of Sword Venerable's group—not much stronger. If a single rank eight world took the initiative to attack and devour Tianfang, it might very well be destroyed! Who would dare do something so rash? Unless one first gained control of the Great Dao cosmos and then suppressed the world source. *Boom!* Sword light flashed as an expert moved to suppress those Dao resonance phantoms. Sword Venerable! His fierce offensive power caused the Lord of Red Moon and the others to frown slightly. Formidable indeed. Xinwu's Sword Venerable truly lived up to his reputation as a top-tier sword cultivator; his Longevity sword intent was exceedingly fierce among peers of the same rank. Though he had only just broken into rank seven, he was hardly inferior to Sovereign Yaoyang. The Sovereigns observed from outside, not entering Tianfang. Though the Lord of Red Moon and the Lord of Yunxiao were powerful, entering now might cause trouble if Sword Venerable's group ignored everything else to tangle with them. As for Kongji suffering a backlash, wasn't the Lord of Bright Light standing right here? Could he simply stand by and watch? At this moment, Yunxiao and Red Moon exchanged a glance, both sporting cold sneers. It would be best if the Lord of Bright Light intervened! To save his son, he would have no choice but to clash with those phantoms and fight the entire Tianfang world source. Once he was tied down... the two rank eight Sovereigns, Red Moon and Yunxiao, would have their opportunity. Yunxiao even chuckled softly. "Nephew Mingtang possesses magnificent audacity—plunging an entire rank nine world into nirvana while merely at rank six! A newborn calf fears no tiger; a formidable father begets no cowardly son!" Sovereign Bright Light's face was chillingly cold. He glanced at him and said softly, "Yunxiao, you've dragged along a destitute outcast, and that makes you arrogant? Wushan left, Deep Sea died, and a fellow like Red Moon is a typical fence-sitter. The moment you are wounded, the first to destroy you might not be your enemies, but him... Stop provoking me. Otherwise, even at great cost, I will severely wound you, and whether your Yunxiao World still belongs to you will be hard to say!" The Lord of Red Moon laughed. "Bright Light, there is no need to threaten anyone. If you truly dare to initiate war, then even though my Red Moon has fallen on hard times, I will not cause my ally to feel wary. Internal strife... has already happened once. If you dare strike, so what if I simply join Yunxiao World?" Right now, Yunxiao was wary of him. However, if he truly merged into Yunxiao's Great Dao cosmos, Yunxiao's strength would soar, and a Dao Lord held a degree of control over integrated Sovereigns. By then, the Lord of Yunxiao would likely have little left to fear. The Lord of Bright Light sneered. "Would you like to test that?" "Why not?" The Lord of Red Moon wore a defiant look! With two rank eight Sovereigns standing here, he did not fear the man in the slightest. The Lord of Yunxiao, however, had no interest in bickering with Sovereign Bright Light right now. Red Moon was just talking big; it couldn't be taken seriously. He merely looked toward Tianfang World, and after observing for a moment, he smiled. "This looks bad. Vast amounts of nirvana power have been shattered. It seems... Nephew Mingtang cannot withstand the world source's backlash and is about to be completely suppressed!" Sovereign Bright Light's expression shifted slightly. He saw it too: within the unimaginably vast world, the deathly gray was currently vanishing as vast amounts of vitality began spilling over. Nirvana had failed, and his son was about to suffer the backlash of a rank nine world! *These reckless fools! Courageous beyond reason!* He felt secretly furious! Had he known earlier, he would have given a warning. But previously, he hadn't anticipated this scene, nor had he imagined that after seizing Tianfang, they would actually hand it to his son to practice nirvana on. He was truly at a loss for words. What were the Silver Moon King and those madmen thinking? It was a rank nine world after all! You just handed it to my son as a training ground for nirvana? He watched with a dark, heavy gaze, not rushing to intervene. The final moment had not yet arrived. Moreover, with two rank eight Sovereigns nearby, he could not act rashly. Right now, he could only wait and see whether Sword Venerable and the others could suppress Tianfang's backlash. Faint fluctuations rippled from the surroundings as well; several rank seven world lords had likely arrived. As for Chiyang and the Dragon Lord, neither seemed to have come. They were probably guarding against a surprise attack from Xinwu. Thinking of Xinwu, Sovereign Bright Light sneered, "The two of you linger here without fear that Yunxiao might be breached?" The Lord of Yunxiao laughed. "Not at all. Xinwu attacking my Yunxiao holds little meaning. But Bright Light... holds immense value to Xinwu!" "..." This time, the Lord of Bright Light no longer bothered to deny it and laughed. "How could that be? Xinwu... also needs allies. I spoke with the Human King, and we had quite a pleasant chat. Yunxiao, would you like to know what we discussed?" The Lord of Yunxiao's face turned somewhat grim. "Be careful of a backlash; that man is an untamable wolf!" As for whether the two had truly formed an alliance, it was hard to say. Regardless, it was not impossible. Kongji being allowed to extinguish Tianfang here implied Xinwu's consent and tacit approval; otherwise, with Sword Venerable and Li Zhu present, how could they have let Kongji do as he pleased? The rank eight experts merely sparred with words, holding back from true combat. All of them were observing the situation. Meanwhile, within Tianfang, the immense pressure had already blanketed heaven and earth! …… *Boom!* Countless Silver Moon cultivators trembled in terror. When they had first entered Tianfang, they hadn't sensed anything amiss, only thinking that the Marquis of Silver Moon had exaggerated. Where were all the experts? Yet now... in this supposedly dying Tianfang where no inhabitants remained, countless auras erupted all at once, nearly crushing cultivators beneath the Sovereign realm to death. Fortunately, Silver Moon had many Sovereigns present who swiftly released their energy to resist the pressure and counter the Dao resonances, preventing the weak from being crushed. Liu Yin and his group were in a miserable state. They had chosen quite well—picking the rank eight Dark Demon Ridge, thinking that because a rank eight Sovereign had resided here, opportunities would be plentiful. Initially, it had been fine; as the rank eight Dao resonance erupted, everyone had comprehended much and felt deeply satisfied. Yet the suppressed Dao resonance suddenly flared with unprecedented fury, unleashing an unimaginably terrifying rank eight might. These weaker individuals were nearly crushed to death. At this moment, Sovereigns like Bright Sword and Ju Ao were resisting the pressure here, but they still struggled to withstand it all and were heavily suppressed. Bright Sword was drenched in sweat, his face pale as paper. They were in massive trouble! How had the Dao resonances across the entirety of Tianfang been awakened? The world source actually possessed such power! Not far away, Kongji roared furiously as his nirvana power expanded once more. At this moment, phantoms from various Dao resonance grounds surged toward him with terrifying force! Sword light erupted! Over by Li Zhu, a black book expanded to blanket heaven and earth. Sovereign Wushan also roared, slamming his five fingers downward, while the Senlan World Lord's Senluo Hell manifested alongside it! They had also sensed the presence of several experts outside. All of them were filled with deep apprehension. None of them had anticipated this. Tianfang's world source actually possessed such capability. Right at this moment, light and darkness suddenly converged, forming an enormous Dao domain. The phantoms of Tianfang's Divine Envoys of Light and Darkness merged instantly, manifesting a domain that trapped the longsword directly within! Simultaneously, five other locations—including the ruined area of Mount Five Elements—erupted with immense pressure. In the blink of an eye, the five energies merged into a multicolored Dao domain, directly suppressing Li Zhu's Book of Darkness! A Light-Dark Dao Domain and a Five Elements Dao Domain! This sight shook everyone to the core. The next instant, more phantoms emerged one after another, fusing together. The Senlan World Lord groaned sharply, and Sword Venerable's expression changed slightly. At that moment, a Yin-Yang Taiji fish seemed to materialize between heaven and earth. Yin and Yang! Kongji couldn't help but curse, "Tianfang had experts of Yin and Yang as well?" Previously, he had only known of the Five Elements Envoys and the Light and Dark Divine Envoys. Only now did he realize there were Yin-Yang Envoys who had likely been rank seven back then. Tianfang possessed far more rank seven Sovereigns than anyone had imagined. Fortunately, Wushan hadn't been suppressed yet. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he cursed himself for jinxing it. At that very moment, pressures surged from all directions. In an instant, the power of thunder surfaced, resembling a chaotic lightning tribulation. Streams of pressure merged into it, forming a domain of thunder that directly shattered Wushan's Five-Finger Mountain! Sovereign Wushan groaned, feeling thoroughly depressed. "What is this..." *A chaotic lightning tribulation?* *Tianfang could fuse into that too?* Though these Dao resonances were not their true bodies, nor were they the Tianfang Sovereigns at their peak, fusing into multiple Dao domains at once was enough to suppress several rank seven experts! It might not last long, but it was immense trouble—especially for Kongji, who might be killed by the backlash. The power of nirvana was compressing back toward Kongji himself... It was attempting to plunge Kongji into nirvana instead! At this moment, Sword Venerable roared, "Dao Chess, act and suppress them!" Dao Chess was still there... even if... it might be useless. Sure enough, the Dao Chess phantom took on a solemn demeanor and said in a deep voice, "I am an empty shell!" It was as simple as that—he was an empty shell. Otherwise, why would he need energy? He spoke with utmost gravity, yet his words were infuriating. *If you're an empty shell... why say it so loudly?!* Sword Venerable abandoned all hope in him and instantly cast his gaze toward Li Hao... At this point, perhaps only Time could suppress this. Otherwise, Kongji was finished. Yet Li Hao merely sat deep within the Great Dao cosmos, gazing at that dormant Space Star and glancing downward. He did not intervene, nor did he return. Seeing this, everyone was taken aback. Why? Kongji, on the other hand, cursed up a storm, abandoning all his refined elegance. Gritting his teeth, he roared, "Ignore me! Just suppress the four directions!" *Why bother with me?* *At worst... I'll just walk the path of life and death.* That had been the plan all along. Earlier, he had even considered taking it directly. Now, Li Hao wasn't coming out, likely waiting for him to be extinguished so that walking life and death would follow naturally. *The only problem is... I don't have enough Great Dao energy!* Kongji was helpless; he hadn't seized enough Great Dao crystals yet. Otherwise, taking that path would be fine; walking the Life and Death Dao was what he had anticipated. But wasn't he unprepared? *What's the use of Li Hao just sitting by that dead giant star?* Near Coiling Dragon Well. Southern Fist and the others were currently flooded with endless energy, feeling as though they were about to burst. Southern Fist was thoroughly distraught. *I'm about to break into rank two, but I'm not happy at all!* This energy surged boundlessly. At this rate, after stepping into rank two, he might even be pushed into rank three. And after reaching rank three... he wouldn't be able to forcefully advance to rank four without sufficient comprehension. If this continued... he would simply blow apart! He had truly picked a wonderful spot this time. Southern Fist wanted to weep, but had no tears! At this moment, he vaguely spotted something resembling a heart. It was colossal, and atop it, phantoms seemed to emerge—the very experts who had once walked out of Tianfang. The world source was manifesting all of these phantoms. This was the foundation of Tianfang! It had given birth to countless mighty Sovereigns! What shocked Southern Fist even more was that around the entire heart, countless Great Dao crystals had formed mineral veins that solidified to encircle the heart. That staggering ocean of Great Dao crystals was the key to why the world source could swiftly empower those phantoms. With so many... how long could they last? Sword Venerable said they could only sustain themselves for a moment, but Southern Fist cursed internally. This was far more than a moment. He saw the Great Dao crystals burning frantically, but with so many, they could burn for an entire day and night! An entire day and night... It was over! Everyone would be finished! Southern Fist looked up toward the Great Dao cosmos. What was Li Hao doing? Right now, everyone was suppressed, including the two Dao Lords who were pinned down and unable to move. Only Li Hao, having entered the Great Dao cosmos, remained unsuppressed. Their only hope lay in Li Hao resolving this crisis. If all else failed, reversing time would work too! *Boom!* Within his body, endless Great Dao power surged forth, pushing him directly into rank two. Yet he felt not the slightest joy, only helplessness. *I'm going to burst to death.* "Old Zhou... suck up some more..." In the distance, Director Zhou was helpless. His aura also surged violently as he stepped directly into rank two. He looked toward Southern Fist with utter despair. *I want to absorb more... but I'm just like you. Rank three is our limit, and it's just a matter of who bursts first!* "He Yong, you'll be the first among our batch to become a rank three Sovereign... Keep at it, wishing you a swift breakthrough!" Hearing this, Southern Fist flared with rage and cursed furiously, "I wish you reach peak rank three this very instant!" What a vicious curse! At peak rank three, with nowhere left to advance, he would inevitably burst! Director Zhou was rendered speechless; the curse was simply too venomous. For a time, the entirety of Tianfang seemed suppressed by this erupting world source—a situation far more troublesome than anticipated. The critical issue was that the phantom of the Lord of Tianfang had yet to appear. Once he did... everyone would be done for!