Coordination

Li Hao's phantom world merged seamlessly into the physical realm. The first step had been accomplished to perfection. A cuckoo seizing the dove’s nest; a plum tree dying in place of the peach. Meanwhile, within the world, the two half-step Sovereigns were swiftly gathering and organizing the human population. These mortals would soon furnish them with an inexhaustible stream of faith power. A minor world held a vast number of living beings. However... due to extensive massacres, the populations in the worlds of the Dragon Region were somewhat depleted. Take Silver Moon, for instance. Before its promotion, when it was still considered an unranked world, the Heavenly Star Dynasty alone had boasted ten billion people. Over the subsequent expansion and the passage of five centuries, that population had doubled and was continuing to surge. An ordinary medium-rank world could easily accommodate a hundred billion inhabitants. This minor world was actually larger than Silver Moon had been prior to its advancement, yet its human count fell well short of ten billion—it did not even reach five billion. Across the vast realm, there were perhaps only three to four billion souls. Far fewer than anticipated. Naturally, Li Hao found nothing amiss in that. Given how the Chaos beasts operated, the fact that so many people remained was proof that humanity’s greatest strength lay in reproduction and survival. Among intelligent species, humans were neither the mightiest nor the most naturally gifted, yet they possessed the greatest resilience. While certain beasts could reproduce even more rapidly, their intellect was simply far too low. ... Within the world. Li Hao descended. At that moment, Director Zhao’s aura fluctuated, and a faint wisp of chaotic energy drifted out. The next instant, a phantom silhouette materialized behind him, taking the form of a ferocious, monstrous rat. “This creature is called the Heaven-stealing Rat!” A voice issued from the rat’s mouth: “It christened this world the Huantian Rat Realm!” “The Huantian Rat Realm is subordinate to the Tongbao World...” Li Hao was taken aback. “What do you mean?” The rat—or rather, Old Zhao—explained, “In the Dragon Region, the Dragon Lord does not hold sole, unchecked dominion. There is actually a Chaos Alliance here! The masters of the great worlds are all members, meaning the rank seven and rank eight Sovereigns have formed a Chaos Alliance!” “The Tongbao World is a rank seven great world, and its ruler is the Tongbao Sovereign. He is also a rat, though of a different breed—a Tongbao Rat. Thus, the Heaven-stealing Rat of the Huantian Realm answers directly to the Tongbao World... But because the Tongbao World is a member of the Dragon Region's alliance, this realm is technically also an affiliate of the Dragon World.” Having plunged into the creature's sea of memories, Zhao had gleaned a substantial amount of intelligence. Previously, none of them had known much about the Dragon Region, so Li Hao's interest was piqued at once. “A Chaos Alliance?” “Correct. Aside from the Chaos Alliance, there are two smaller alliances in the Dragon Region. One is the Iron-Eating Alliance, formed by native demons to counter the Chaos beasts and led by several rank seven Sovereigns from the Iron-Eating Realm. The other is the Entrenchment Alliance, formed by the local humans. The Dragon Region has worlds dominated by humans as well, though their strength is modest. In the entire Dragon Region, there are currently as many as seventeen known rank seven great worlds!” “The Chaos Alliance consists of the rank eight Dragon World plus eleven rank seven worlds, making a coalition of twelve great worlds.” “The Iron-Eating Alliance, including the Iron-Eating Realm itself, comprises only five rank seven great worlds.” “As for the humans...” Li Hao was speechless. Was there even a need to calculate? He laughed wryly. “The humans have only a single rank seven great world?” Seventeen rank sevens, or eighteen if counting the rank eight Dragon World. And humanity possessed only one? Could that even be called an alliance? “Ahem!” Director Zhao cleared his throat. “More than one, technically... because there is actually another great world. However, its realm lord is only at rank six, much like the Senlan World Lord was previously. That said, he reportedly serves as both Dao Lord and realm lord and is on the verge of reaching rank seven. He simply doesn't dare make the leap rashly and has stayed in hiding, fearing that too large a commotion would attract the Chaos beasts—and what Chaos beasts covet most is usurping other people's rank seven great worlds!” Very well, two then. Still... there might only be a single rank seven expert between them. Even if that rank seven realm possessed more than one, it would be two or three at most. Outside of Xinwu, which boasted an unusual number of rank seven combatants, most great worlds only had one or two. “And that human great world hasn't been wiped out yet?” Li Hao found it rather astonishing. To survive in a place crawling with so many Chaos beasts and native demons was no small feat! Director Zhao explained further, “Surviving here is exceedingly difficult, but their world is said to border the far east. An extraordinarily treacherous zone known as the Thunder Region exists out there. The master of that world is a lightning-path expert, and half of his realm is perpetually engulfed in lightning. The Dragon Lord once went there in person, but reportedly failed to gain much advantage. Whenever too many powerful foes arrive, they simply retreat into the Thunder Region... which is why they have managed to endure to this day.” “That does take some real skill!” Li Hao nodded in approval. Real skill indeed. Without it, being the sole human realm among eighteen great worlds would have resulted in being devoured long ago. For them to remain standing meant this human lord was extraordinary. He was bold, too, refusing to flee. Of course, he might simply be unable to flee, not daring to venture far from the Thunder Region. As for traversing the Thunder Region entirely, perhaps he lacked the strength to do so and could only use it as a temporary sanctuary. Holding defensible terrain was the only reason he barely held on. “What is that world called?” Director Zhao shook his head. “That, I don't know. The Heaven-stealing Rat's memories only mention it in passing. As a mere rank one Sovereign, it is an absolute nobody here; alliance affairs are far beyond its purview, and it only knows bits of hearsay. It does know that the human expert is called the Lord of Thunder, so the world is probably named the Thunder Realm or something similar.” Li Hao gave a slight nod. To find a human-dominated rank seven world here was quite a surprise. Experts from the other three regions might not even be aware of his existence. Otherwise, the Senlan World Lord would have mentioned it. From the sound of it, the man lived a miserable life, constantly besieged and likely not daring to step half a foot out of his world, lest it be lost the moment he departed. “Is there severe conflict between the native demons and the Chaos beasts?” “It's manageable, nothing too extreme. After all, both are demonkind. While there are distinctions between native demons and Chaos beasts, broad clashes aren't overly fierce. The Dragon Lord is actually a visionary of great ambition; his original intent was to absorb the native demons. But the Iron-Eating Realm refused, joining forces with four other demon worlds. With plenty of rank seven Sovereigns on their side, the Dragon Lord is reluctant to wage a reckless war, fearing excessive casualties...” Thus, both sides enjoyed a rare period of peace. However, the native demons occupied a very small territory, their worlds huddled tightly together. In the Dragon Region, only worlds held by Chaos beasts dared to scatter across the expanse without apprehension. Scattering had its perks—chaotic energy was abundant. Clustering together, on the other hand, meant limited chaotic energy in a single area, making world growth difficult and cultivation for the strong arduous. If this persisted for tens of thousands of years, the native demons might well self-destruct. For a supreme powerhouse, waiting tens of thousands of years for an adversary to naturally dwindle without losing a single soldier was an extraordinarily worthwhile trade. At this point, Li Hao possessed a general grasp of the Dragon Region's overall landscape—at least in broad strokes. As for the fine details—how many rank seven experts each world had, how many rogue rank sevens existed among the Chaos beasts, how many rank sevens had yet to claim a world of their own—none of that was known. “By the way, what's the deal with the Dragon World's patrols? Do you have any specifics on that?” Director Zhao shook his head once more. “Not entirely. I only know it's a patrol agency established by the Chaos Alliance. Every great world assigns a contingent of Sovereigns to it, and there is even a rank seven Sovereign overseeing them! Their primary duty is to patrol the Dragon Region and search for newly born realms. Whenever a new realm appears, they dispatch Chaos beasts to seize it, stamping out any potential human resurgence at the root!” That was the extent of his knowledge, though he added, “Another duty is conducting regular inspections of various worlds to prevent human rebellions or unrest among native demons. Typically, at least two Sovereigns travel together—and more likely than not, they operate with one in the light and one in the shadows, just in case!” Li Hao frowned and nodded. The Dragon Lord... Li Hao had seen him once before. Back then, he had seemed unimpressive, hesitant and unwilling to commit to the great war, appearing somewhat incompetent. Yet viewing him through the lens of the Chaos beasts, the Dragon Lord was by no means foolish or inept. Very few rank eight Sovereigns were truly incompetent, after all. Still, he was far more troublesome than anticipated. Li Hao genuinely wished the Dragon Lord would take his world to the Chiyang Domain to join the fray. If he remained here, stirring up trouble in the Dragon Region would prove exceedingly difficult. His grasp over the Dragon Region far surpassed that of the overlords in the other three regions. At that moment, Kongji spoke up, “Should we seek cooperation with the Lord of Thunder, or the Iron-Eating World Lord...?” “Neither!” Li Hao shook his head. Kongji froze. Why? Previously, their partnership with the Senlan World Lord had gone very smoothly. When conquering the four worlds, they had also cooperated with Xinwu’s Sword Venerable and the others to pull off a swift victory. Facing such formidable opposition now, how could they manage without allies? Li Hao countered, “Native demons are still demons; they cannot be trusted! As for that Thunder World Lord... forget it. His situation is even more precarious than ours. He's an enormous target who wants nothing more than to stay huddled by the Thunder Region, so how could he possibly mobilize? If we go to him, we might draw unwanted eyes!” “No rush!” Li Hao smiled. “Let us carry out my plan first: seize minor worlds and replace them from within! If I can use this opportunity to step into rank six, that would be ideal. Once I reach rank six, armed with the power of a thousand worlds, the two of us joined together can slay ordinary rank sevens!” Yet after a moment's contemplation, Li Hao frowned. “The Dragon Region is an airtight net. One or two worlds might slip under the radar, but dozens... hundreds? That will inevitably be discovered! Therefore, another crucial objective is to divert the Dragon Region's attention away from their homeland... Ideally, the Dragon Lord should take the Dragon World—and perhaps summon a host of experts—to encircle and annihilate Xinwu in the Chiyang Domain!” Kongji bared his teeth. Encircle and annihilate Xinwu... You truly aren't worried about Xinwu dying, are you? “But that isn't something we can control!” Kongji frowned slightly. “Unless... my father publicly declares support for Xinwu and enters the war. An alliance between Xinwu and Bright would pose the ultimate threat to everyone else. Even if the Dragon Lord were reluctant, he would certainly intervene. Otherwise... once the two join hands, Chiyang will inevitably fall!” Having said that, he shook his head. That was his father's decision, concerning the entire future of Bright. He would not meddle in it. Aside from lacking the authority, even if he possessed it, he would not presume to make that choice on his father's behalf. Choosing to support Xinwu at this stage meant making enemies of the entire Four Regions. His father would almost certainly refrain from making such a rash decision right now. Li Hao pondered for a moment and likewise shook his head. It was exceedingly difficult for him to influence the choices of rank eight worlds—he could barely sway rank sevens, let alone rank eights... There was Senlan, yes, but its influence was negligible; no one gave a single rank seven world any real weight. “Let us take it step by step. No matter how refined a plan is, if it gets exposed...” Li Hao exhaled. “We pivot! No plan is set in stone. If one path fails, we take another... In any case, the Dragon Region represents our final great opportunity to grow strong, at least within the context of the Four Regions. Xinwu is causing havoc in the Chiyang Domain, the Red Moon Domain is half-ruined, and the Tianfang Region is beyond our reach. Only in the Dragon Region can we slaughter these Chaos beasts without the slightest burden of conscience...” This was the optimal choice, and the best one available. Kongji nodded in agreement; he was eager to attain rank seven here as well. Li Hao surveyed their surroundings, taking in the entire world. The phantom world was rooted here, but there was one flaw... many of the local beasts and Chaos creatures had been killed, and the remaining ones were herded together rather than roaming freely as they once had. From outside the realm, probing was difficult, but once someone stepped inside... the truth would be exposed. In a world ruled by Chaos beasts, how could humans be permitted to roam freely? One glance at those humans would reveal the power of faith residing within them. In short, no outsiders could be allowed to enter the realm, or the ruse would be far too easy to see through! Just as the thought crossed his mind, Li Hao’s brow suddenly furrowed. A foreboding sense of crisis descended from the void. Beside him, Kongji also felt deeply unsettled. He glanced at Li Hao. Li Hao stiffened for a second, his expression shifting rapidly. The next instant, his voice echoed via transmission in all directions: “Quickly! All Silver Moon natives, return immediately!” Before long, the Silver Moon cultivators converged from every corner of the realm. All of them were bewildered. What was happening? Li Hao's expression had turned grave. The moment they arrived, he swept them into the Silver Moon World. Black Panther instantly reverted to its beastly form, and without caring what the hound thought, Li Hao pulled it straight into the River of the Great Dao. The next instant, the art of stealing the sky and swapping the sun was invoked, a tiny Dao Domain enveloping him. Even so, his face remained solemn. Looking at Director Zhao, he took a deep breath. “This is bad... The Lord of Red Moon might be nearby!” Director Zhao's face drained of color. Why would he say that? “Kongji and I absorbed a massive amount of Red Moon power, and I even dismantled his Dao. For both of us to suddenly sense danger... it most likely means he is roaming nearby. He could be seeking out the Dragon Lord, or perhaps on his way out...” Li Hao spoke rapidly, casting a troubled glance around the world. A rank eight expert! Trouble! Could he be passing right past this place? He turned swiftly to Director Zhao. “Go to the realm gate at once, and show no flaws whatsoever... If he truly comes and even probes you, pretend to know nothing. If he addresses you first... you... you use the Dragon Lord to intimidate him!” Li Hao trusted Director Zhao's wits in handling the situation. However, if a rank eight master insisted on a thorough investigation, nothing could be concealed. A dreadful headache! Why had that bastard wandered over here at a time like this? At this thought... he hesitated briefly, then called out to two figures: “Queen, King of Dali... do not hide... I worry he can sense the presence of faith. If he passed by earlier, he might notice a discrepancy... You two... you two and Director Zhao must inflict some injuries upon yourselves to feign that a battle has just concluded...” He had no idea whether it would work, his expression flickering between doubt and dread. A rank eight Sovereign! Fleeing now was out of the question. If he merely passed by, all would be well. But if he noticed something amiss, chose to linger, or even entered the realm... they would be in dire straits. The chaos was so vast—how in the world could it be such a damn coincidence? The man was right nearby! Had Li Hao and Kongji not absorbed vast quantities of Red Moon power, they might not have sensed anything at all. Yet precisely because they carried that energy, they had to be doubly cautious about being detected by the Lord of Red Moon. He looked at Kongji and drew a heavy breath. “Extinguish our presence completely and conceal ourselves near the world source. If he truly discovers us... we fight with everything we have, and whoever can escape, escapes. A rank eight Sovereign... even joined together, we would only be slaughtered! Our sole hope is for one of us to hold him off for a fleeting moment to buy a chance for the other...” Kongji nodded silently. Would the Lord of Red Moon actually come here? Nobody knew. Yet if he did... their chances of escape were practically nil. The gulf between rank eight and rank six was simply insurmountable; even if they could rival a rank seven, they were hopelessly outmatched against him. ... Out in the chaos. The Lord of Red Moon drifted along at an unhurried pace. Although the Dragon Lord had not formally agreed, he was clearly weighing the matter, and agreement remained a distinct possibility. However, he could not linger in the Dragon World for long. The Dragon Lord had been perpetually guarded against him, wishing he would clear out immediately. Not wanting to wear out his welcome, he had wrapped up their general discussions and was now making his way toward the Tianfang Region. Stripped of his Great Dao Universe, he was reduced to traveling across the void like this, a fact that vexed him to no end. What true overlord traveled in such a pathetic fashion? Normally, one would expand their Great Dao Universe, blanket the void, and descend in an instant... Only weak rogue cultivators traveled on foot like this. At that moment, he glanced ahead... That minor world seemed somewhat familiar. When passing by some time ago, he had sensed wisps of faith power and even mentioned it in passing at the Dragon World. But the Dragon World had paid it no mind—just two half-step Sovereigns causing a ruckus, who cared? The Lord of Red Moon hadn't cared either, merely observing the spectacle for amusement. Having reached this point, he wasn't far from the Tianfang Region. He pressed onward, having no inclination to greet a weakling—it simply wasn't worth the effort. Furthermore, it was a Chaos beast, crude and uncivilized, a lowly rank one Sovereign. Yet out of casual curiosity, his divine sense swept across the world. That sweep... gave him pause. So fast! Faith had spread with startling speed. On his previous pass, only a small region bore the inception of faith, yet today's scan revealed that more than half the realm appeared to have fallen. And near the realm gate, the giant rat seated in meditation... appeared wounded. “It couldn't even best two half-step Sovereigns?” Even the Lord of Red Moon was surprised. A Sovereign and realm lord had actually lost to two half-step Sovereigns, forfeiting the lion's share of control? What was going on? Now this was interesting! Had the two half-step Sovereigns been slain and their faith eradicated, he wouldn't have spared it a second glance. Yet now, this world seemed to have undergone an unexpected turn of events. Fascinating! Of course, alongside his amusement came a slight frown. This realm... carried a faint trace of familiarity. That... imperceptible power of desire felt remarkably like Red Moon power. Moving swiftly, he drew closer and closer to the world. The giant rat at the realm gate seemed entirely oblivious. Only when the Lord of Red Moon was nearly upon it did the rat sluggishly turn its gaze toward the distance. That single look triggered immediate terror, followed by a burst of mental fluctuation: “A two-legged beast... No, a human? A human Sovereign? Audacious... A human Sovereign dares to walk the Dragon Region?!” In an instant, the giant rat seemed ready to screech. A surge of chaotic Dao erupted from it, brimming with resentment and fury: “Are you the reinforcements those two summoned? You're the backer behind them?!” *Squeak!* A piercing shriek rattled the surroundings. Enraged beyond measure, the giant rat bellowed, “This king finally understands why they were so arrogant! So it was a middle-rank Sovereign pulling the strings... Excellent!” “Even Lord Dragon, you dare defy—?!” With those words, the giant rat abruptly tore through the void to flee, spitting with rage: “Just you wait! What does it matter if I yield this world to you... Let's see how long your arrogance lasts!” The creature’s abrupt reaction took even the Lord of Red Moon by surprise. He had merely been passing by, and sensing a familiar whiff of energy, had approached for a closer look... Yet before he had spoken a single word, this little rat had suddenly flown into a frenzy! Judging by its words... it had suffered at the hands of those two half-step Sovereigns and assumed he was their backer. The Lord of Red Moon let out a cold chuckle. He feared nothing, of course, but it was a Chaos beast after all. The Chaos beasts of the Dragon Region were relatively cohesive; provoking one meant provoking them all, and that Dragon Lord was hardly a magnanimous fellow. In an affair that had nothing to do with him, he had no desire to stir up misunderstandings over a trifle. He was currently solitary and without an army. If besieged by the Dragon Region's powerhouses... he might suffer a terrible loss. “Little rat!” In a flash, he materialized right in front of Director Zhao. Director Zhao's heart nearly leapt out of his chest. Only his decades of forbearance on Silver Moon kept him from collapsing of fright on the spot. Even so, he trembled violently, stammering, “W-who are you? If you dare harm me... I am a vassal of the Dragon Lord...” Chaotic energy billowed from his body as he bared his fangs and brandished his claws, putting on a blustering display: “I'll give the world to you! I don't want it anymore! Seizing a minor world might not bother the Dragon Lord, but if you dare kill me—if you kill a Chaos Sovereign—the alliance will never let you off!” The next instant, before the Lord of Red Moon could speak, he shrieked again, “Are you one of the Thunder World Lord's men from the Thunder Region? You cannot kill me! If you do, the alliance will pay any price to storm the Thunder Region...!” The Lord of Red Moon frowned slightly. “Silence!” A crushing pressure instantly subdued the creature. Director Zhao was terrified out of his wits; right now, he was nothing more than an empty shell. He could not make a single move, for fighting would instantly blow his cover. Nor could the enemy probe too deeply; once that thin outer veneer of chaotic aura was pierced... his true foundation would be laid bare. It was fair to say he was an absolute paper tiger. Forget an eighth-rank expert—even a fourth-rank expert, should they dare lay a finger on him, would expose him instantly! Having no interest in exchanging endless drivel with such a minor figure, the Lord of Red Moon snapped, “I am Red Moon! I merely passed by—why are you running?” Director Zhao was thunderstruck. “Red... Red Moon Sovereign...?” He appeared utterly shaken, his eyes brimming with pure terror, as though shouting in his heart: *Red Moon has invaded our Dragon Region...!* The Lord of Red Moon caught the look. He was exasperated beyond words! Even if I were invading the Dragon Region, it wouldn't be up to a rank one Sovereign like you to discover it. Had the creature not been a Chaos beast, he would have swatted it dead with a single palm. But this was the Dragon Region... Suppressing his irritation, he said coldly, “This seat has no interest in your petty squabbles. The two half-step Sovereigns in your realm have nothing to do with me either. I have no appetite for scheming over a paltry rank one world of yours!” Director Zhao nodded frantically, his beady eyes shifting in that rat-like face, looking thoroughly wretched: “Understood, understood! This lowly one misunderstood! Does My Lord... require some blood-food?” “...” A glimmer of murderous intent flashed in the Red Moon Sovereign's eyes. While he didn't care about these mortals, he was human himself. Offering blood-food right to his face? Director Zhao seemed frightened by the reaction, his body shivering as he stammered, “N-no, that wasn't what I meant... I meant...” As he spoke, he looked so thoroughly terrified that his body convulsed, and suddenly, a foul stench erupted. A sky-piercing flatulence! Red Moon: “...” At the Sovereign level, someone could... actually... fart? Even the Red Moon Sovereign was dumbfounded! *Fuck!* It stank revoltingly—a rancid, putrid stench. Did he... soil himself out of sheer terror? Was that really necessary?! You're a Sovereign! He was thoroughly... repulsed. A dignified rank eight Sovereign had transcended such vulgar bodily functions countless eons ago. Yet here was a Sovereign so terrified that he had lost control of his bowels right before his eyes... For a moment, he feared he might actually frighten this cowardly rodent to death. In a flash, all his interest vanished, replaced by disgust and disdain. He said coldly, “No need. Keep it for yourself!” With those words, he vanished into thin air. Director Zhao was still letting them rip... The stench grew more and more foul, as though even the surrounding chaos was being suffocated by the rot. Drifting into the distance, the Red Moon Sovereign shook his head slightly. For a Sovereign to lose control from fright... it seemed Chaos beasts and humans were cut from the exact same cloth. These Chaos beasts were nothing more than bullies who cowered before real strength. He couldn't be bothered to dwell on the matter any longer. As for that faint wisp of desire power he had sensed earlier, he tossed it entirely out of his mind. Perhaps this world harbored a cultivator of the Dao of Desire, or perhaps that little rat was simply brimming with base cravings, or perhaps... In any case, thanks to Director Zhao's foul blast, this august figure had zero desire to linger. Utterly tasteless! Shifting through space at blistering speed, he vanished in the blink of an eye, traversing the chaos and heading straight for the Tianfang Region. Back at the realm gate, Director Zhao crept carefully back toward the entrance. Not daring to move an inch, he remained frozen, feigning lingering terror, letting out another foul puff every now and then... As a veteran politician, he understood precisely what these aloof, exalted figures cared about. Threats, intimidation... Such things meant nothing to them. Defilement, however... that they cared about. A rank, revolting fart would guarantee an eighth-rank lord swept his sleeves and departed. Of course, letting one rip without cause would get you slapped into paste. Terrified out of your mind and losing control? Well, in that case, the man could only steer clear to avoid soiling himself. ... Director Zhao was drenched in cold sweat from lingering fear. A moment later, Li Hao materialized. Director Zhao blinked in surprise. “Why did you come out...?” Li Hao smiled. “An expert of that caliber has no interest in lurking in the shadows to spy on us. If he had sensed an anomaly and truly suspected we were here, he would have charged straight in. Why would he bother hiding?” That would be underestimating the Lord of Red Moon. If he had actually deduced Li Hao's presence, would he stand guard in secret? What did killing a rank one Chaos beast matter? If it meant slaying Li Hao, he wouldn't hold back even if the Dragon Lord were present. Therefore, his absence meant he had truly left. Li Hao exhaled a long breath. “That was terrifying!” Then he chuckled. “He must have just left the Dragon World. It seems those fellows really are courting the Dragon Lord, though it's unclear whether the Dragon Lord has agreed.” He added, “Furthermore... we actually fooled a rank eight!” His grin broadened. “As long as we don't engage in combat, it seems plunging into the river of memory, absorbing memories, and simulating their Great Dao really does work!” A mere facsimile could be an art form in itself! Li Hao's eyes glittered. Even if the man had paid little heed to a rank one Sovereign, an eighth-rank Sovereign was endowed with innate insight. To fool his eyes entirely was the ultimate testament to success. Li Hao beamed radiantly! Now, he possessed far greater confidence. The Lord of Red Moon had served as the ultimate test subject, and passing his scrutiny proved the method was exceptionally viable—and that the power of time was formidable indeed. And this was merely an auxiliary technique. At that point, Li Hao coughed lightly. “It really does reek, Director Zhao. Please don't do that again next time.” Director Zhao was thoroughly exasperated. *Damn it, wasn't it all for you lot? Do you think I don't know it stinks?* By then, Kongji was also nursing lingering dread. “We almost tripped up. Compared to a rank eight, we fall far too short. If we hadn't sensed him in advance... we would truly be finished.” He then frowned. “We absorbed massive quantities of Red Moon power and haven't fully purged it to this day. While it allows us to sense him in advance... even without his Great Dao Universe, he should still be able to detect a trace of it. This time, we were just lucky he didn't pay attention... Haoyue, is there a way to purge it completely?” Both of them had walked the line of life and death, yet they still hadn't cleansed it entirely! Had Director Zhao's foul blast not repulsed the man into an early departure, they would have been doomed. Li Hao laughed. “It's fine. Later on, we'll have Qian Wuliang scour us a few times, and it will gradually fade away!” “Can he manage that?” “Shouldn't be a problem.” “If all else fails, undergoing a few rounds of lightning tribulation will scour it clean as well!” Li Hao didn't elaborate further, casting another glance in the direction the Lord of Red Moon had vanished. For an eighth-rank Sovereign to exert himself to such an extent, personally playing the lobbyist, he was certainly dedicated. Yet he possessed no Great Dao Universe... Even if he killed the Human King, would anyone hand Xinwu's Great Dao Universe over to him? Why put in so much effort? The more zealously the Lord of Red Moon worked... the deeper his schemes ran. The Lord of Yunxiao would do well to watch his back when dealing with him. Of course, Yunxiao was no saint either; if the Lord of Red Moon did him in, it might well be a blessing. Putting those thoughts aside, this was no place to linger. Li Hao said briskly, “Let's go, we're heading to the Fire Phoenix Realm! It's said they allow outsiders to enter... Black Panther, set off! Let's probe the depths of that rank seven world. If the situation permits... it might just be the first rank seven world we target!” Against a rank seven, Li Hao and Kongji working together could still pull the tiger's tail. A rank eight was out of the question—touching that would be suicide. Along the way, they might even conquer a few more minor worlds. First, they needed to erect the framework of the River of Time. That way, even across great distances, they could maintain contact and even transmit personnel. Though the Dao of Space was not yet integrated into it, their assembly speed would still be remarkably swift. As long as the road was free of danger, two Dao Lords could also leverage their Great Dao Universes to travel at high speed. ... Just as Li Hao and his party set out for the Fire Phoenix Realm... Within the Chiyang Domain. The Human King's brows knit slightly as he stared toward the distant Chiyang Great World. The Supreme, who rarely ever left the Xinwu World, was present as well. They had not brought the Cang Emperor along, scouting the situation as a pair. At this moment, the Supreme murmured softly, “We missed our window! That fellow recruited experts from who-knows-where... There might be other rank eight beings among them!” He shot a sidelong glance at the Human King. “You insisted on stalling to wait for Li Changsheng's return. Otherwise... had we launched an early assault, we might have taken it by force. Now, new powerhouses have arrived, likely from beyond the Thunder Region.” “Are you blaming me?” The Human King rolled his eyes. “When I said wait, didn't you agree as well? You sure know how to shirk responsibility. Believe it or not, I'll announce publicly that you're irresponsible!” The Supreme was at a loss for words. This fellow was truly tiresome. At that thought, he suddenly smiled. “It seems the Chiyang Sovereign was quite on edge... Still, luring in experts from beyond the Four Regions isn't necessarily a good thing for him. It seems the allure of the Tianfang Universe is simply too great...” The Human King nodded, then broke into a grin. “A good thing!” A playful glint flashed in his eyes. “A few more experts arriving makes things interesting! Otherwise, with only the Four Regions playing among ourselves... how dull would that be?!” “We haven't reached rank eight yet!” The Supreme arched an eyebrow. “We should step into rank eight before anything else!” The Human King gave a wicked chuckle. “What's the rush? Rank eight... For the big lazy cat and me to enter rank eight together is extraordinarily difficult; a single rank eight world might not suffice. Adding a few more experts might just do the trick—enough for both the big cat and me to ascend to rank eight! Only then will it be fun; otherwise, if I enter rank eight alone, Yin and Yang might fall out of balance!” He chuckled again. “The more experts, the better! The more there are, the more rank seven Sovereigns my Xinwu can produce!” “Are you going to do the killing?” The Supreme gave a faint laugh. “Boast like that once you can actually kill them!” The Human King replied leisurely, “No hurry. Li Hao left Tianfang, didn't he? Tianfang is masterless once more, right?” “Yes.” “Do you still remember the fake Heavenly Tomb back then?” “Hmm?” The Supreme raised an eyebrow. Of course he remembered. That scheme had trapped and slaughtered a vast number of enemies, buying Xinwu precious time to develop. That turning point had allowed Xinwu to rise meteorically from a position of oppression. And on that occasion... truth be told, the Supreme had claimed top credit. He had led a large force of Xinwu experts inside to serve as bait, while Fang Ping had led a detachment outside to conquer the world... “How about we run it back?” The Supreme fell into deep thought, studying the Human King. The Human King chuckled. “Little Li Hao dared to stage a fake revival, trapping scores of experts—even including me... Old Zhang, let's play the same game: lure a batch over and butcher them for meat!” The Supreme frowned slightly. “Our strength might not be sufficient.” The Human King laughed. “It's enough! Why wouldn't it be? Don't worry, I won't make you take the vanguard this time. The big cat and I will act together... As for you, you don't need to go. You have only one objective: take our people and conquer the Yunxiao World!” “Yunxiao?” “Yes!” The Human King grinned broadly. “Everyone says I must attack Chiyang—that I can't reach rank eight without taking Chiyang. Why must it be Chiyang? After taking Yunxiao, even if I don't reach rank eight, our side can still produce one or two more rank sevens, which is plenty good!” “The Lord of Yunxiao is an idiot... His own people rebelled against him, showing how pathetic he is. Now he's mingling with that Red Moon fellow. Rather than letting Red Moon profit, we might as well claim it for ourselves!” He offered no detailed plan—in truth, he had none. A single objective was enough. As for the execution, that was left to the Supreme's scheming. Of course, he might not strictly adhere to the plan anyway; he was merely floating the idea. When it came to improvisation on the battlefield, the Human King was the undisputed master. Even he didn't know what his next move would be, so how could his enemies ever guess? He suddenly smiled again. “Say... if several outside experts have arrived here in Chiyang, does that mean their home worlds beyond the Thunder Region... are currently unguarded?” “Hmm?” The Supreme looked at him again, a splitting headache coming on. “Stop changing your mind every two seconds. Don't tell me you want to go out there and raid their home nests?” “Why not?” The Human King laughed heartily. “They were bold enough to run all the way here... Shouldn't I give them a little surprise?” He chuckled, “How about you lead our people into the Thunder Region to raid their old nests? If you can't manage the raid, then loop around the Thunder Region, enter through the Tianfang Region, and ambush Yunxiao instead... If we pull it off, we'll feast on a massive chunk of meat...” “Meanwhile, I'll draw the eyes of every powerhouse in the Four Regions right here!” The Human King's demeanor turned fiercely ruthless as he sneered, “These bastards insist on fighting me! If that's how they want it, don't blame me for being merciless!” The Supreme calculated rapidly, then said, “Then you can only take the Cang Cat with you. Everyone else must come with me! Can the two of you... really pull it off?” One was an utter lunatic, daring to do anything. The other was a muddlehead, believing and listening to anything. The Human King chuckled. “You don't trust me?” *Indeed, I don't.* The Supreme was speechless. Could he really trust him? Well, maybe a little. Yet he was still faintly worried. “It's not that I don't trust you; I'm worried you'll act recklessly...” “Bah!” The Human King laughed. “What is there to fear? Without acting recklessly, how can we smash the enemy's plans? Besides, what's even more interesting is that little Li Hao went to the Dragon Region. That kid had the guts to launch surprise attacks across all four regions before. If I draw the Dragon Region's powerhouses over, do you think he'll dare raid their great worlds?” The Supreme's eyebrows shot up. “Does he have enough strength?” “Not enough, but... what's the harm in placing a little faith in him?” The Human King laughed. “If push comes to shove, he can use Time. At worst, he pays a price; even if the Time Star blows up, it might actually be a good thing. That settles it! Let's see how much courage he has. If he has the guts, we feast together; if not... the kid isn't up to it, and we play on our own!” The Supreme nodded, not dwelling on it too much. Silver Moon was simply too weak after all. Fang Ping was merely joining in the fun, hoping to bring them along for the ride... The crux was that without any communication, the other party might not even grasp their intentions. He turned his gaze toward the distance... Beyond the Four Regions? Perhaps that truly would be more interesting! Xinwu would never remain confined to the Four Regions forever!