World Revival

Having seen off one rank seven Sovereign after another, the Dao resonance phantoms across Tianfang World diminished drastically in an instant. The phantoms of ranks seven and eight were virtually all gone. The four rank seven Sovereigns had all been liberated. Now, only the phantom of Daoist Panlong at the location of the world source remained. There was no need for anyone else to intervene; four rank seven Sovereigns dealing with the phantom of a single rank seven Sovereign was child's play. Yet at this moment, someone still had not obtained one. Yunxiao Sovereign's expression shifted erratically. Everyone else had gotten one. Even Sovereigns Chiyang and the Dragon Lord had dispatched rank seven Sovereigns over to claim a star. Only he and Red Moon—having hesitated and pondered endlessly—were left empty-handed. Everyone else had gained the freedom to enter and exit the Tianfang Cosmos, yet they had not. At this moment, Yunxiao spoke up with a solemn tone: "Silver Moon King, there is still the phantom of Sovereign Panlong. This seat wants it!" "No need!" Li Hao manifested near the realm gate, looking at him with a sneer. "You kept quiet before, and now you aren't needed! You're so late you couldn't even catch a fresh bite of shit while it's still warm!" Yunxiao Sovereign glared at him coldly, his eyes gloomy. It was indeed a bit too late. The four rank seven Sovereigns were freed. Moreover, Bright Light Sovereign and Yaoyang Sovereign were also present. Even if he launched a forceful assault, he and Red Moon joined together could not take on so many people. He felt a twinge of regret. Had he known, he should have demanded entry early on... Now, even if Li Hao allowed him in, he worried he would be surrounded, slain, and trapped within the Great Dao cosmos. Right then, Red Moon Sovereign spoke in a chilling voice: "Li Hao, if you don't let us take one... Mingtang is still extinguishing the world, the crisis has not been fully averted, and the projection of the Lord of Tianfang could appear at any moment. For Yunxiao and me to join forces and cause some destruction would be quite simple!" Li Hao frowned slightly and gave him a frigid glance. A rank five Sovereign facing a rank eight Sovereign, yet without the slightest fear. Li Hao fell silent for a moment before speaking: "Fine. Ten billion Great Dao crystals! I will allow Yunxiao Sovereign entry... Otherwise, forget it." Yunxiao Sovereign knitted his brows. "You want to... charge me a fee?" What a joke! None of those rank seven Sovereigns were charged, and Li Hao had even offered them active help. Now... he was actually demanding payment? Li Hao remained utterly calm. "That's right! Earlier, there were many rank seven Sovereigns, and I worried your intervention would spark a riot. Now, they have left. Even those who haven't left have obtained a Great Dao star and won't join you in your schemes. In that case, why should I fear you? Why should I let an enemy gain the right to enter and exit the Tianfang Cosmos? As for you and the Lord of Red Moon causing trouble... at worst, I will abandon Tianfang, contact Xinwu, and concentrate entirely on dealing with Yunxiao. Right now, the powerhouses across the chaos are all contemplating Tianfang's Dao—who has time to care about you? They would love nothing more than to eliminate two competitors, especially such formidable ones!" "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. Do you think those rank seven lords will join you against us?" "The best outcome for them would be... mutual destruction!" Li Hao looked at the two of them. "You are a step too late! You hesitated too long yourselves. Since that is the case, if you want it, pay the price! This is an open scheme. The reason I gave away so many Great Dao stars was to ensure the other rank seven Sovereigns wouldn't help you oppose us... Quite the opposite: right now, they wish above all else that you never gain entry. Who would help you?" At these words, the gazes of both rank eight Sovereigns turned stern. It was true. Both of them were rank eight. Earlier, those rank seven Sovereigns had eagerly hoped they would act as the vanguard, but now... having taken their Great Dao stars, they could enter and exit at will. At this point, they wished all rank eight Sovereigns would die off, or at least that not a single one could enter. Otherwise, the chances for rank seven Sovereigns would be far too slim. Right now, would anyone be willing to strike at Li Hao just to help the two of them obtain a Great Dao star? Most likely impossible! The Lord of Red Moon looked grim. Yunxiao Sovereign remained silent for a moment before suddenly speaking: "This seat does not wish to have a major conflict with you! I do not have ten billion Great Dao crystals either. Ten billion is out of the question—one billion Great Dao crystals in exchange for a Great Dao star... But you must suppress Daoist Panlong, seal him into the star, and deliver it outside. That way, we will not enter, nor will we interfere with you; we can coexist in peace. Otherwise... Li Hao, if Red Moon and I cannot obtain access, you are forcing us to attack right now!" He would not go in. Right now, he feared that if he entered, he would truly be ambushed and slain. There were four rank seven Sovereigns inside! As for Red Moon... what bloody use was he? Bright Light Sovereign was right here. It was too dangerous! Money, was it? To a rank eight world lord, one billion Great Dao crystals was not an exorbitant sum. He had no desire to trigger a conflict. Since that was the case... spending some money to have Li Hao and the others directly deliver a Great Dao star would be ideal. Of course, he would inspect it thoroughly to prevent these fellows from leaving any traps. Li Hao sneered. "Is that possible?" Yunxiao Sovereign smiled, looking leisurely and composed. "Of course it's possible! If Red Moon and I attack by force right now... yes, you may not necessarily be harmed, but Mingtang's nirvana technique will be completely disrupted, and the world source will still backlash against you! You've paid such a heavy price and will reap no benefits at all! Both sides benefit if we cooperate. You've already given stars to everyone else; do you really care about giving us one more?" He chuckled softly again. "If Mingtang dies, will Brother Bright Light just sit by and watch? Will he continue collaborating with you? Part of your confidence comes from Bright Light, but what if... Mingtang dies from the backlash? Brother Bright Light, am I right?" He looked toward Bright Light Sovereign. Bright Light Sovereign frowned slightly and said coldly, "You are welcome to try!" Yunxiao chuckled. "It's not that I want to test it, nor do I wish to offend Brother Bright Light. But... when everyone else gets a share while Yunxiao and Red Moon get nothing, then nobody plays at all!" He had also hardened his resolve, glaring at Bright Light! I couldn't care less that your son wants to extinguish the world. But if an opportunity open to everyone is denied to me, then don't blame me for being ruthless—I will turn hostile on the spot! Did you really think I feared you? The atmosphere between the two sides instantly congealed. In secret, other Sovereigns were observing, silently praying: *Fight!* Mutual destruction would be best! Of the four rank eight Sovereigns in the Sifang Domain, three were present right here. Xinwu had numerous rank seven Sovereigns, two of whom were here as well... Kill them all! The fewer that remain, the better. Only when you die will the rest of us have a chance. Two rank eights against one rank eight and five rank sevens—the outcome was truly difficult to predict. Of course, while rank eight Sovereigns were formidable, if they truly faced an assault by five rank sevens... having no Great Dao cosmos to rely upon, the Lord of Red Moon would most likely be the first to be slain. That would actually be great—everyone was quite wary of a rogue cultivator like Red Moon. One powerhouse after another watched the show from the shadows, not a single one stepping forward to speak a word. At this moment, Li Hao's eyes flickered. After a brief silence, he said slowly, "I don't want Great Dao crystals. I want Dao charm crystals!" Yunxiao immediately frowned. "Where would we get Dao charm crystals? Usually, only high-ranking Sovereigns can condense them..." When they killed Xingshen, Li Hao and the others had obtained quite a few. At Dark Demon Ridge, Li Hao had also acquired some. Dao charm crystals contained a high-ranking Sovereign's comprehension of the Great Dao. Such items were far more precious than ordinary Great Dao crystals. Li Hao looked at them for a while before saying slowly, "If others didn't have them, I would find it normal. But do two rank eight world lords have none? Have you never conquered a rank seven great world? Even if you haven't, you produce Dao charm crystals from your own cultivation... This is my final concession: take the trade, or don't! Otherwise, let us suffer mutual destruction!" The Lord of Yunxiao fell silent for a moment before speaking: "We don't have many. Half Dao charm crystals paired with half Great Dao crystals. Li Hao, this is also my final concession!" After considering it, Li Hao nodded. "Agreed!" With that, he turned his head to Bright Light Sovereign. "Senior Bright Light, please inspect the payment for us while I go suppress Daoist Panlong's Dao resonance phantom... By the way, these crystals will all be given to Brother Kongji to use in a moment..." Bright Light Sovereign was speechless! This kid was truly something else. Were you that afraid I would plot against you as well? For my son's use... Fine. He said nothing more, feeling slightly awkward that he hadn't contributed any money himself... Ahem, since Li Hao hadn't brought it up, then... he would save a bit. Since it was for his own son, he would naturally inspect it with extreme rigor. Otherwise, harming his son would be disastrous. Yunxiao Sovereign raised his brows slightly and said nothing. He had originally intended to leave a few traps; since the other side lacked a rank eight Sovereign, they might not have spotted them. Yet Li Hao was cunning as a ghost. That old ghost Bright Light was no saint either. Under normal circumstances, he might turn a blind eye, but... if it was for his son's use, the old ghost would surely be meticulous to the utmost. Of course, it was merely an incidental scheme. If it didn't pan out, it didn't matter. To two rank eight Sovereigns, around one billion Great Dao crystals was truly not much. Even though Red Moon had been separated from his Great Dao cosmos, it did not mean he had no savings left. A rank eight Sovereign going out would never keep his entire fortune at home. What he carried on his person was the bulk of it. Red Moon would certainly have to shoulder a portion of this cost as well. In any case, it wasn't much money. …… Coiling Dragon Well. The world source was still pulsing, but at this point, it had exhausted all other means. Summoning phantoms was the world source's strongest defensive measure. In the past, it had been invincible. Yet this time... one formidable Sovereign after another had suppressed the phantoms. Even when they erupted simultaneously, it was useless; they were still suppressed. At this moment, the world source had only one final resort left. To summon the foremost figure in Tianfang World throughout history, the supreme powerhouse—the Lord of Tianfang! Once his phantom manifested, a rank nine Sovereign—even as a mere projection—could exert the power of rank eight. However... at this moment, the world source failed to summon him. The Lord of Tianfang, whose imprint was the deepest, seemed to have vanished, unable to be summoned, or perhaps unwilling to appear. Without the Lord of Tianfang, the world source was nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter. And right now, the only entity left capable of guarding the world source was the phantom of Daoist Panlong, a rank seven Sovereign. Li Hao shifted over rapidly. Two Sovereigns were stationed here: one was Southern Fist, and the other was Director Zhou. At this moment, Southern Fist was in high spirits, feeling thoroughly delighted. What a wonderful place! The spot he had chosen was truly magnificent. Not a trace of his earlier regret remained. *I'm at rank three now, and still advancing toward peak rank three!* A meteoric rise! This was a genuine meteoric rise. In just a short while, he had gone from rank one to rank three—it felt utterly splendid. Now, he had no fear of bursting from excess energy. As long as Sovereign Panlong's phantom was suppressed, he could leave or stay whenever he wished. What did he have to fear? It was just that... Li Hao had arrived alone. Could Li Hao suppress the phantom of a rank seven Sovereign? Even if it wasn't the true body, it was still immensely powerful. As he was pondering, Li Hao shifted into position and glanced at Sovereign Panlong's phantom. He had met Sovereign Panlong before; in fact, Panlong was the first Tianfang Sovereign he had truly interacted with. The man had once guided him in the cultivation methods of the Physical Dao. Right now, although it was merely a projection, it was also a reflection of his true body, formed by the convergence of ancient imprints left behind in Tianfang. Its eyes were somewhat hollow, seemingly devoid of consciousness. Li Hao watched it for a moment before speaking: "Senior once imparted the Physical Dao method to me, and I have no wish to fight you! Return to the Physical Dao star and go to the Yunxiao Cosmos!" The phantom remained unmoved. Li Hao waited in silence for a moment, then said nothing more. Instantly, the Domain of Ten Thousand Worlds manifested, and the Great Dao pressed down. The phantom, however, seemed to offer no resistance at all. The phantom of a rank seven Sovereign was suppressed by Li Hao with ease! In the blink of an eye, a strand of Dao charm power resembling a golden dragon coiled and swam within Li Hao's river. Li Hao glanced at it, then sped directly toward the Great Dao cosmos. A moment later, he locked onto the position of a star. Soon, he arrived near that relatively large star and poured all the golden dragon Dao charm into it. The star flashed with brilliance, and in that moment, the figure of Daoist Panlong, whom Li Hao had met that day, seemed to faintly emerge. His phantom flickered within the star. Li Hao took a look, reached out, and gripped it. The star condensed rapidly, compressed by his power. Saying nothing, Li Hao shot straight toward the firmament! …… Outside the realm gate. Holding the star in hand, Li Hao looked at the two rank eight Sovereigns, then turned to Bright Light Sovereign: "Senior Bright Light, did they hand over the Great Dao crystals and Dao charm crystals?" "They did." With a casual wave, Bright Light Sovereign sent a compressed pocket space packed with countless crystals flying toward Li Hao. Yet before Li Hao could receive it, a flash of sword light appeared, scooping up the pocket space with a sword tip. Sword Venerable grinned, clutching the pocket space as he chuckled, "Much obliged. Thank you!" Bright Light Sovereign raised his brows slightly and said nothing. These people were truly vigilant enough. My son is inside, after all. The Lord of Yunxiao said in a deep voice, "Give me the Great Dao star!" Li Hao looked at him and smiled. "To you, or to Red Moon?" Yunxiao sneered! A crude attempt at sowing discord. "To me!" Red Moon was a fellow without a Great Dao cosmos; even if he held it, he couldn't house it properly. Besides, he had to rely on me right now, so how could he possibly fight me for it? *Li Hao, you think too simply.* And indeed, the Lord of Red Moon said nothing, merely standing beside him with indifference. Li Hao said no more and tossed the star over, chuckling softly. "Can a lord of desire like Red Moon truly restrain himself from wanting control over the Tianfang Cosmos? That would truly be a waste of the Dao of Desire!" The Lord of Red Moon said indifferently, "Silver Moon King, there is no need for you to worry about that!" With that, he glanced at Tianfang World and smiled faintly. "Moreover, as for yourself... with merely the power of rank five, your alliance tactics are quite impressive! However, with Bright Light on one side and Xinwu on the other, without your own strength, Silver Moon will never be anything more than a vassal! In my eyes, you have great ambition, formidable methods, and fine talent... What a pity!" "If Mingtang truly seizes this opportunity to enter rank seven... it won't be you, Li Hao, stepping into rank seven. Bright Light will simply gain another rank seven Sovereign, and one that required no resources of their own. Brother Bright Light must be overjoyed!" At this moment, several people had seen through the dynamic. Previously, they had always thought Li Hao was merely a vassal of Xinwu, but looking at it now... that was not necessarily the case. Because he had seized a vast amount of resources earlier, yet this man had actually used them to nurture the people of Silver Moon, giving birth to dozens of Sovereigns. One had to understand that so many resources, enough to nurture dozens of Sovereigns, might have been sufficient to push a rank six Sovereign of Xinwu into rank seven. Xinwu was dirt poor; what was the point of nurturing a bunch of rank one Sovereigns? At this stage, what they needed were top-tier Sovereigns! Evidently, this was the Silver Moon King's own idea, his own calculation. Even Kongji seemed to be connected only to him. Having reached this stage, everyone could discern a few things: Bright Light and Xinwu did not necessarily have any deep ties. The crucial link was that this Silver Moon King and Kongji seemed to have a good relationship. That was the foundation that connected two powerful worlds. Li Hao chuckled. "Then I hope Brother Kongji steps into rank seven as soon as possible. That way, the next time he runs into Senior Red Moon... perhaps Brother Kongji's Dao of nirvana and revival, his Dao of two poles, can suppress Senior, a rogue cultivator!" *A rogue cultivator!* The Lord of Red Moon's gaze turned chilling once more. Soon, he let out a laugh. "Your glib tongue is formidable enough. Unfortunately... rank five is just rank five. No matter how strong a rank five is, he remains merely rank five!" With that, he paid Li Hao no further heed. Meanwhile, the Lord of Yunxiao stowed the Great Dao star, inspected it, and found no issues. Not lingering, he laughed and said, "Then I offer my early congratulations to Nephew Mingtang on stepping into rank seven, greatly increasing the strength of the Bright Light World! Brother Bright Light, you played a brilliant game—I am impressed!" Regardless of what Bright Light Sovereign thought, he directly tore open the void, revealing the entrance to his Great Dao cosmos, and departed with Red Moon Sovereign. If he didn't return now, he was genuinely worried someone might launch a surprise attack on the Yunxiao World. Right now, only two rank seven Sovereigns were guarding it. Seeing them leave, those in the shadows felt a bit of regret. *Damn it, they actually didn't fight! What a disappointment.* *The Lord of Yunxiao, that coward!* To think he actually bought the Great Dao star with money; they had thought he would launch a forceful assault. Since both rank eight Sovereigns had fled, and it was now clear that Tianfang would not revive—and that time was needed to comprehend the Dao of the stars—the Sovereigns in the shadows quickly retreated. As for Kongji extinguishing the world... let him extinguish it! At most, one more rank seven Sovereign would emerge. Yet if they intervened, perhaps more than one rank seven would die. As long as Tianfang did not revive, one additional rank seven Sovereign was harmless. If it did revive, a rank nine might appear—that was what truly concerned everyone. At this moment, Bright Light Sovereign showed no inclination to leave. He still wanted to see whether his son, by extinguishing and reviving the world, could step into rank seven. Li Hao said nothing to him, merely exchanging a glance with Sword Venerable. Sword Venerable nodded slightly; he would keep watch right here. He would not let Bright Light enter! Even though he was Kongji's father, that still wouldn't do. In the chaos, one could never pin one's hopes on another's benevolence. If he saw an opportunity, perhaps this Bright Light Sovereign would also take action. Kongji was Kongji, Bright Light was Bright Light; Li Hao had never regarded them as a single entity. …… Tianfang World. Li Hao's voice echoed: "The Dao charms of the high-ranking Sovereigns have been suppressed. Right now is an excellent opportunity for everyone to comprehend the Dao charms of the mid- and low-ranking Sovereigns! The world source has bestowed sufficient vitality upon the Dao charms... Such an opportunity is rare; this is a heaven-sent boon for our Silver Moon! Everyone, seize the moment and cherish everything!" Having said this, Li Hao added: "The chaos is just this dangerous! Just this... pragmatic! If not for the four rank seven Sovereigns stationed here today, and Senior Bright Light, a rank eight Sovereign and the father of fellow Daoist Kongji, holding the line, our Silver Moon would have been utterly incapable of holding Tianfang. Even so... to ensure everyone's safety, I had no choice but to give up the Dao charms of those high-ranking Sovereigns, and even yield the rank nine Great Dao cosmos with both hands!" Though Li Hao's voice was calm, the Sovereigns and Dao Integration cultivators outside all felt their spirits sink. Some clenched their fists tightly! Yes, they had seen it. They had seen those powerhouses carry away one powerful Dao charm body after another, take away the Great Dao stars; they had seen the Marquis of Silver Moon forced to compromise, yielding the greatest benefits of Tianfang World! Because... Silver Moon was too weak. They didn't know Li Hao's exact calculations. Even the four rank seven Sovereigns felt it was a pity. If no one had caused trouble and they had suppressed the phantoms themselves, those high-ranking Sovereign Dao charms would have offered immense benefits! Comprehending the revived Dao charms of high-ranking Sovereigns... even if one couldn't become a high-ranking Sovereign, it would be of colossal help to one's Great Dao comprehension. What a waste! So many high-ranking Sovereign Dao charms had simply vanished, carried away by those powerhouses, and with them, the control over the Tianfang Cosmos. Southern Fist, who had been beaming with joy just moments ago, fell silent now. He let out a soft sigh! Silver Moon was dragging Li Hao down. Dragging him down constantly! Ever since stepping out of Silver Moon, they had strived to catch up, but... they were too slow, too late. Reaching Dao Integration depended on Li Hao; becoming Sovereigns depended on Li Hao. Li Hao had burned far, far too many resources on them. Dozens of worlds, billions of Great Dao crystals! And now, for their sake, he had surrendered a rank nine world. Suddenly, they felt they were too useless. They only knew how to consume money, yet could bring Li Hao no help, no return whatsoever! Merely rank one Sovereigns, or even rank three Sovereigns... in an occasion like the one just now, they seemed completely useless. What did numbers matter? More than thirty Sovereigns joining hands would likely still be slaughtered by a single rank seven! Such was the might of a high-ranking Sovereign! Yet the entire Silver Moon did not possess a single high-ranking Sovereign. There was only Li Hao, walking a tightrope time and time again, fighting for opportunity after opportunity on everyone's behalf. …… Across the entirety of Tianfang World, those Silver Moon cultivators were completely silent. Some observed the Dao charms. Some absorbed energy. Some contemplated the Great Dao, while others closed their eyes in bitter cultivation. No one spoke, and there was nothing to say. Falling behind meant getting beaten. Silver Moon's progress was actually astonishingly fast, impossibly fast. Only a few years after stepping out of the Star Gate, Silver Moon had already become a rank four world! And right now, it was rapidly climbing toward rank five. But... It was too slow! Right now, this was the world of rank seven Sovereigns, the world of rank eights. Even though Silver Moon had quite a few Sovereigns—over thirty of them—so what? How many were in the middle ranks? The opportunities Li Hao had secured for them far exceeded those of rank six worlds, but... Every Silver Moon martial master was unwilling to accept this, yet felt deeply helpless. A helpless despair! *We are actually very fast... and yet still so slow.* Stepping into the Sovereign realm was something once thought miraculous. Earlier, everyone had been ecstatic, but today, seeing those immensely powerful entities enter Tianfang as if strolling into an empty land, carrying away one formidable Dao charm phantom after another right before their eyes... they could only watch! This feeling of despair and powerlessness was something they had not experienced in a very, very long time. …… Up above. Sword Venerable watched in silence. The Xinwu of the past had actually been like this as well, and in circumstances even more arduous than this. The people of Silver Moon seemed even more proud and haughty than the people of Xinwu. Perhaps... it was because they had never been defeated. Under the leadership of this Silver Moon King, these people seemed to have had smooth sailing all along. Even if the Silver Moon King wasn't the strongest being, every choice he made and every scheme he laid out had succeeded. Therefore, the people of Silver Moon were all proud. Yet... pride was useless. Xinwu was very proud as well, but after stepping into the chaos, Xinwu had actually drifted homeless for a long time, even losing Silver Moon back then. Sword Venerable glanced at Li Hao. He didn't know whether ceding those Great Dao stars this time was part of Li Hao's plan, or... truly a matter of having no choice. In truth, had they fought back just now, although it would have been troublesome, it wouldn't have been entirely hopeless. At the very least, they could have escaped while retaining control of the Tianfang Great Dao cosmos. Yet Li Hao had given it up. It was only at this moment that Sword Venerable felt he truly could not see through this young man. Among Sovereigns, he was very young; among rank seven Sovereigns, he was a rarity of rarities, unbelievably young. Yet Li Hao was only in his twenties. As young as the Human King had been back then. And back then, the Human King had at least had Old Zhang, himself, and the others following him all along. Even at the final moment, during the decisive battle against the Heavenly Emperor, Old Zhang, Xiao Wang, the Earth Emperor, and the rest were all present, all able to participate in that battle, all able to help the Human King resist the enemy together. Xinwu was not the Xinwu of the Human King alone. Yet Silver Moon... looking at it now, only this young man had been bearing the burden all along, shouldering the rise of the entire Silver Moon. How difficult that was! Silver Moon's foundation was simply too poor, just an unranked world. Even though the Time Dao existed, it was merely an embryonic form. To be able to produce a rank five world and dozens of Sovereigns in such a short span of time... was already incredible. …… While Sword Venerable was still pondering, Li Hao, having motivated the Silver Moon people, felt no gloom at all. Instead, a slight smile appeared on his face. In an instant, he descended near the world source. *Thump! Thump! Thump!* The world source, resembling a pulsing heart, was still beating, but... it was at its wit's end, helpless and unable to resist. Li Hao suddenly spoke: "You are the source of life, an existence that gives birth to life. You should be able to sense that this is merely extinguishing the world, not destroying it. A friend of mine seeks to cultivate the Dao of nirvana and revival, not the Dao of destruction and creation. Revival can still be achieved!" "The more fiercely you resist now and the more you consume, the less likely it is that you can be revived later. It would be better to preserve your vitality, enter nirvana first, and if my friend fails to revive you... you can then find a way to revive yourself, which is far better than struggling now!" Li Hao then looked at the Great Dao crystals around it and said, "In just this short while, out of eight billion Great Dao crystals, a full one billion was burned by you, benefiting others... Of what remains, I will leave you one billion, which is enough for your revival. Hand over the remaining six billion to me!" The world source thumped, seemingly devoid of consciousness. Yet if the source of a world truly had no consciousness at all, how could it fight back? Evidently, some level of awareness still existed. "Unwilling? Or reluctant to part with them? I'm not asking for much, and most of it will be given to Senior Dao Chess. Dao Chess is also a Sovereign weapon of your Tianfang World... I won't keep much for myself... perhaps taking a few hundred million or a billion to satisfy our cultivation. You aren't losing anything! For you, you can soon absorb vast quantities of Great Dao crystals again. But if you persist, perhaps... I will destroy you!" Li Hao let slip a faint trace of killing intent. A moment later, the beating heart slowly ceased its throbbing. The surrounding Great Dao crystals stopped burning. In the distance, several Dao resonance phantoms also began to gradually dim. Evidently, the world source ultimately chose to cease its resistance... not because of Li Hao's threat. In truth, the world source did not seem particularly afraid of Li Hao's threat. But at this moment, a Great Dao river manifested, and a cat floated above the river, curiously sizing up the world source. The world source compromised! Er Mao! This was a cat that specifically fed on world sources. Unlike the Cang Emperor, who ate everything, Er Mao was very picky, exclusively devouring world sources and having eaten many of them. That sensation posed far too great a threat to the world source! Er Mao licked its lips, seemingly reluctant to let it go, and said, "What a huge fish!" This was a genuine super-sized fish! Er Mao felt that if it ate this, it could instantly descend into the present world. Not only that, it might even leap into the ranks of top powerhouses, at the very least no weaker than Big Cat. It wanted to eat it so badly! It glanced at Li Hao with lingering longing... *How about eating this big fish?* *It doesn't have much strength to resist anyway!* Li Hao, however, shook his head slightly and transmitted his voice: "The Lord of Tianfang is the Lord of Space, yet up until now, I haven't sensed the existence of any secondary space in Tianfang. Therefore... Tianfang might be a true world of reality and illusion, a dual-layered space, and right now, this is merely the surface world! Be careful: eating this fellow might invite immense trouble, or even... summon the Lord of Tianfang. They might not care about us causing a ruckus on the surface, but once it involves the deeper layer, be careful not to get beaten to death!" Hearing this, Er Mao nodded and said no more. Meanwhile, Li Hao reached out and grabbed, scooping countless Great Dao crystals into his hands once again. Er Mao transmitted its voice: "Aren't you going to keep them for yourself? There are so many. If you hadn't used them recklessly before and gathered them all together, you might have been able to step into rank six!" Earlier, the consumption had been as high as ten billion, and now he had obtained seven billion more, plus the one billion given by Yunxiao Sovereign—nearly twenty billion crystals in total... A normal rank seven would only consume ten billion. One could well imagine how immense Li Hao's consumption was. If he had kept them all, he might have been able to step into rank six by now. For an abnormal cultivator of ten thousand worlds like Li Hao, stepping into rank six was harder than others reaching rank seven. "No rush! Rank five or rank six makes no qualitative difference to me at the moment! Better to elevate the others first: push the entire Silver Moon into rank five, let Dao Chess recover, and let Kongji advance to rank seven..." Once he pushed these people to their limits, all the resources obtained afterward would naturally be his. Er Mao said nothing more. It simply felt that... at times, Li Hao was too much like Zhan. At times he wasn't, but in moments like this... giving the good things to others first, Zhan had been just like that back then, as though he never cared about these things himself. If it were Er Mao, it felt it would definitely elevate itself to rank six first before anything else. Yet had it not been for Li Hao's character... how could four rank seven Sovereigns be gathered around him right now? Every cause had its effect; who could say whether it was right or wrong? Meanwhile, Li Hao collected the Great Dao crystals and looked toward the sky. "Senior Dao Chess!" A moment later, a phantom descended. It seemed slightly nervous and hesitant. Because this time... it had failed to suppress the world source. It had failed to accomplish what it had promised Li Hao earlier, so now... "Now, I present five billion Great Dao crystals to Senior. Earlier, Senior mentioned that borrowing your strength once required roughly the price of a rank seven Great Dao cosmos. Five billion Great Dao crystals isn't too much; if a rank seven world were converted into Great Dao crystals, it would be worth at least ten billion or more! At the very least... I will count it as fifteen billion Great Dao crystals. Repaying this portion now leaves me still owing Senior ten billion Great Dao crystals, correct?" The Dao Chess phantom felt somewhat awkward. "This... there is no need for this. Back then, I merely..." "No, one thing I admire greatly about the Human King is... keeping public and private matters strictly distinct!" Li Hao sighed with emotion. "At least the Human King would convert things into numbers. Favors are difficult to replace with numbers, but... when it comes to debts owed, I, Li Hao, rarely fail to repay them!" He smiled. "Right now, I owe the Human King a rank seven world! I owe Senior ten billion Great Dao crystals... and I owe Daoist Panlong, Daoist Huoyan, and Daoist Shuixing of Tianfang one favor each." Looking around, he murmured softly, "To everyone else... I should have cleared my debts." *As for the Lord of Tianfang, I owe him nothing.* *The debts I ought to repay, I have repaid.* As for extinguishing Tianfang, that was Kongji's doing. Even if it were mine, it was my own capability. You left it behind; if you don't like it, you can descend. If you don't have the ability, naturally I won't hesitate to extinguish your world. Aside from that, there was the Time Star in his hand, which Li Hao did not mention. That had likely been left behind by the Emperor of Battle Heaven. In the future... perhaps it would also have to be returned. He had always conducted himself in this manner, disliking owing debts to others, even if he had to suffer a slight loss himself. Seeing the Dao Chess phantom's awkward demeanor, Li Hao pushed the Great Dao crystals forward. "Senior, please accept them!" From the world source, roughly six billion Great Dao crystals had been retained: five billion were given to Dao Chess, and the remainder would be for Kongji to walk the path of life and death. There were also the crystals given by the Lord of Yunxiao earlier; Li Hao calculated that they could perhaps be used by experts who had gained insights into certain Daos. He needed to push the entirety of Silver Moon into the rank five tier as soon as possible. The Dao Chess phantom seemed to let out a breath and said, "Then... thank you!" "Senior is too polite!" The Dao Chess phantom said no more and swept the Great Dao crystals away. A Dao Chessboard hovered between heaven and earth, and countless Great Dao crystals were instantly absorbed into it. In the blink of an eye, a formidable aura surged from the chessboard. This was, after all, a treasure refined from a rank eight cosmos! Personally refined by a rank nine Sovereign! Having burned so many Great Dao crystals, Dao Chess seemed to have recovered considerably. A moment later, the Dao Chess phantom spoke: "Having absorbed this Great Dao power, I can unleash even greater strength for a short period... If you have need, you may call upon me! Even if you borrow my strength, there is no need to borrow from thin air like before. I have..." "Thank you, Senior. If the need arises, I will speak up!" "That is well!" The Dao Chess phantom said no more, glancing at the fleeing world source without adding anything. The phantom of the Lord of Tianfang had not appeared; perhaps the Dao Chess phantom realized something, or perhaps... that person had been watching Tianfang all along. Since that was the case, it would say nothing further. …… The next moment, Li Hao shifted again, instantly appearing before Kongji. At this moment, Kongji's face was filled with deathly stillness. Seeing Li Hao, he looked slightly embarrassed. "Apologies, I..." "No need for that!" Li Hao smiled. "One billion Great Dao crystals is enough for you to walk the path of life and death! However, there is a small favor I need your help with, considered repayment for my running about on your behalf this time..." Kongji turned solemn. "What is it?" "When you revive heaven and earth in a moment... extinguish all of my Silver Moon cultivators first, and then revive them! Let them experience what it feels like to be extinguished and revived by a rank six Sovereign. When you walk the path of life and death, demonstrate it to Lin Hongyu... I want her to walk the Dao of Life and Death with you! True life and death!" Although Lin Hongyu cultivated the Dao of Life and Death, she had never walked it in the true sense. As for the time she advanced to Sovereign, that could only be called an imitation and an attempt. Back then, she didn't even truly understand life and death. This time, Lin Hongyu had gained some insights; perhaps... it was time to walk it once more. Reaching rank three should no longer pose any difficulty. Kongji had wondered what it was, but hearing this, he smiled. "Simple!" This was far too simple. Meanwhile, Li Hao's voice shook heaven and earth: "I have asked fellow Daoist Kongji to perform nirvana and revival for all Silver Moon cultivators! He will extinguish you, and from nirvana, guide you toward revival! Together with a rank nine world, enter nirvana; together with a rank nine world, revive!" "Whether you can gain insights and reap rewards... depends on yourselves! If Silver Moon cannot step into a rank five world this time, we will not linger here much longer, and stepping into rank five later will be exceedingly difficult!" Originally, he had even hoped to step into rank six, but looking at it now, it would likely only reach rank five. The rapid promotion of an entire world was far harder than anticipated! Still, matching himself was fine: himself at rank five, the world at rank five, the Great Dao cosmos at rank five... a fitting balance. A rank five dual-Dao cosmos should be no weaker than an ordinary rank six cosmos. If the two Dao Lords stepped into rank five, their combined strength could rival rank six. That way, if crises arose in the future, as long as they weren't facing high-ranking Sovereigns, they would have the power to fight on their own! "Thank you for your grace, Marquis!" At this moment, shouts resounded from all directions. There was no excessive sentimentality, only gravity and solemnity. Having devoured so many resources this time, if they still couldn't step into a rank five cosmos, the two Dao Lords would want to kill themselves. …… At this moment, Kongji delayed no further. The power of nirvana spread out once more, diffusing frantically. Without the obstruction of the world source, the entire Domain of Nirvana instantly expanded to its limit. Viewed from the outside, the entirety of Tianfang turned a deathly gray in a flash! Outside, Bright Light Sovereign grew slightly nervous. He was terrified his son might fail at the revival... Failing was fine in itself, but crucially, failure would mean a flaw had appeared in his Dao of two poles, which would be no small blow to Kongji. Across all of Tianfang, everything was entering nirvana! All people, all things, even the world source that had fled—all were entering nirvana at this moment. Li Hao sat cross-legged in the void, allowing the power of nirvana to sweep over him without blocking or resisting. Yet the power of nirvana could not extinguish Li Hao; he seemed immune to it, or perhaps because he cultivated this Dao himself, he felt no great effect. Nearby Silver Moon cultivators, however, instantly fell into states of nirvana one after another. In this instant, only six living people remained throughout all of Tianfang. The four rank seven Sovereigns, Li Hao, and Kongji. Of course, there was also a cat hiding in the river. *Boom!* A tremendous roar reverberated across all of Tianfang. The world of Tianfang, which had been rotating on its own, suddenly ground to a halt. The colossal centrifugal force seemed ready to fling heaven and earth away! Meanwhile, Kongji was drenched in sweat. A rank six Sovereign had truly extinguished a rank nine world! At this moment, the small flower of life before him even bore a fruit, its fragrance permeating heaven and earth, as though taking a single bite could allow one to instantly attain the Dao and become an immortal. Kongji suppressed the wild turbulence in his heart. Drenched in sweat, he looked at Li Hao, then at heaven and earth in all directions. Gritting his teeth, he roared thunderously, "Revive!" *Boom!* The flower shattered, the fruit shattered, and boundless life force—vitality rich to the absolute extreme—erupted with him as the epicenter at this moment! The entire world seemed to awaken from slumber in an instant! A wave of life force swept across heaven and earth. Wherever it passed, birds sang and flowers bloomed in an instant, green grass sprouted, the sun emerged, rivers began to flow, and mountains began to pulse... The cultivators of Silver Moon also began to emerge from nirvana. Even if it had lasted only a moment, it felt like an eternity had passed! In that instant of nirvana, they had seemed to sink into absolute silence, absolute deathly quiet. And at this moment, having experienced the sensation of revival, their very lives seemed reborn. Li Hao was also brushed by this energy, which swept through his body, making him feel so comfortable he nearly groaned. As for Kongji, two energies erupted from his body, intertwining with each other. At this moment, an aura of majesty emerged—the majesty of rank seven... It was not that he had truly reached rank seven, yet he exerted the oppressive presence belonging to rank seven. Kongji quietly experienced it as well. His Domain of Nirvana was dissipating, replaced by the birth of a Domain of Revival. Within the domain, a flower emerged once more. This was his very own flower of life! And above the flower of life, suddenly, black and white intertwined, light and darkness mingled, life, death, nirvana, and revival... At this moment, Kongji felt himself enter a special state. His domain expanded frantically. Closing his eyes, his hair began to grow in alternating strands of black and white. In this instant, he felt that with a single step, he could cross into rank seven! However... he had not yet walked the path of life and death! A star manifested. He stepped onto it with one stride. Li Hao said nothing, revealing a Great Dao river, while in the distance, Sword Venerable manifested his sword domain, serving as anchors alongside the Great Dao river. At this time, Kongji walked toward the river. After taking a few steps, life began to drain away, and his visage began to age. He reached out and grabbed; in the distance, Lin Hongyu suddenly appeared. She looked somewhat astonished. Li Hao glanced at her, nodded slightly, and transmitted his voice: "Follow him! Experience a different Dao of Life and Death..." Lin Hongyu's expression shifted slightly, but she said nothing. Soon, following Kongji's path along the river, she stepped onto the bridge of life and death that Kongji had constructed, one step at a time. Heaven and earth had just entered the revival phase, and now, life and death manifested! All at once, everyone seemed to perceive something. Meanwhile, Kongji's face aged rapidly. Reaching the end of the river, he suddenly turned back to look at Li Hao, filled with emotion and sighing: "In this life, you... are the only friend I have made... I hope... I will not forget you!" From knowing Li Hao at rank four to walking the path of life and death today, possessing six Daos and three poles, even if he did not enter rank seven, he could rival rank seven! A mere few years had passed! He had lived for a thousand years, yet these past few years had been the most interesting, the most fascinating period of his life. I hope... I will not forget this memory. Li Hao smiled and nodded. "I hope not!" Lin Hongyu, following behind him, felt somewhat helpless. Suddenly... as if urging him on, she squeezed forward a bit. The river rippled. Kongji seemed to want to say another word, but was instantly bumped off the river. His physical body began to dissipate, plunging into the Star of Life and Death to head toward his next life! Lin Hongyu didn't look back. At this moment, she was also withered and aged, yet she suddenly sent a voice transmission: "Walking the path of life and death, walking it once more... I... will be younger than you!" Li Hao was stunned! What did that mean? Younger than me... *Oh!* Realization dawned. Right, that was true. An older maiden in her thirties... walking the River of Life and Death, she had walked it once before and he hadn't paid much attention. So walking it this time, she could end up eighteen? Li Hao couldn't help but chuckle! A woman, even at this stage, never forgot about her age. *I never said you were old!* At the very least, compared to the Sovereigns and women he knew, she was younger than all of them. Back then, Hong Qing and the others, who had been younger than her, were now over five hundred years old. She was probably the youngest woman he currently knew. The next moment, the sound of an infant crying resounded through heaven and earth. With a wave of his hand, Li Hao veiled Lin Hongyu... As for Kongji, let him be naked! Accompanied by this infant's cry, the world underwent rebirth. It was as though new life had been born into Tianfang World; suddenly, spring returned to the earth, and the world seemed to revive once more! The extinguished world source also pulsed gently at this moment. Everything seemed entirely different! Meanwhile, Li Hao quietly sensed it all. This was Kongji's fortuitous encounter, and Lin Hongyu's as well... Of course, Lin Hongyu had merely piggybacked on Kongji's opportunity. Li Hao seemed to have gained nothing. Yet at this very moment, Li Hao let out a soft laugh. Within the Great Dao river, one domain after another suddenly emerged. A Life Domain, a Death Domain, a Nirvana Domain, a Revival Domain... The stars to which these Great Dao powers had originally attached suddenly crumbled, dividing into four great domains. These four domains corresponded in pairs, distributed on opposite sides of the river. Li Hao's strength had not increased, yet the four domains had been split apart by him, transforming into four distinct realms. The waters of the Great Dao river flowed... and suddenly, a touch of vitality seemed to be added. At this moment, the entirety of Tianfang became far clearer. A gleam flashed in Li Hao's eyes as he looked toward the distant world source; that world source seemed to be experiencing rebirth as well! That pulsing heart... faintly seemed to produce a double beat. Li Hao smiled! Tianfang... was perhaps even more formidable than he had imagined. What had the Lord of Tianfang gone off to do, after all? And at this moment, in the distance, two Dao rivers began to roar frantically, and a black dog howled toward the heavens! The Silver Moon World floating in the air seemed to expand once more! Qian Wuliang, Hong Yitang, and Black Panther—the three powerhouses—all saw their auras transform rapidly at this moment, as if they, too, had attained rebirth. Accompanied by the pulsing of the world source and Kongji's infant cries, Silver Moon, having devoured countless resources, finally stepped officially into rank five! Li Hao let out a light laugh: "Those who can vindicate their Dao may do so now! With the world's advancement, Sovereign positions have opened up once more. As a rank five world, the Silver Moon World can accommodate around fifty Sovereigns!" This was Silver Moon; previously, it could only hold thirty, which meant a fresh batch of quotas had suddenly appeared. When it reached rank six, perhaps the number of Sovereigns it could accommodate would be no less than an ordinary rank seven world. In this instant, waves of vital energy shot straight into heaven and earth! The powerhouses who had failed to advance last time were overjoyed, surging one by one into the Dao rivers to begin this round of elevation. Tianfang was truly Silver Moon's land of opportunity!