"One minor world in exchange for ten million Great Dao crystals!"
"Ten million prime blood morsels in exchange for one hundred thousand fire-element Great Dao crystals..."
"One medium world, rank four, containing thirty billion humans! World ownership transferable in exchange for rank seven Dao charm crystals... Quantity negotiable upon discussion!"
"Newly formed world discovered! Exact coordinates provided. World has yet to open, containing countless treasures... Seeking one rank three world in exchange!"
"..."
As Black Panther strode down the colossal thoroughfare, signs branded with dragon-script willpower hung outside gigantic buildings lining both sides of the street.
Transactions!
There were trades for worlds, Great Dao crystals, Dao charm crystals, and even trades for the coordinates of newly birthed worlds or the trafficking of living populations.
Every building was enormous, concealing whatever lay within.
Some had their gates thrown wide, while others remained shut tight.
If anything caught one's eye, one could step inside to negotiate.
Of course, from the open doorways, passersby could glimpse portions of the merchandise... including caged humans, both young and attractive, placed on display racks as commodities awaiting purchase.
Crowds thronged the street... or rather, beings who were not human.
Human forms and shapes simply happened to be convenient vessels favored by many demons and chaos beasts for their transformations.
The Fire Phoenix Realm had formed a comprehensive, well-ordered marketplace.
Here, anything could be freely bought and sold.
Further ahead, storefronts stretched endlessly into the distance. All one needed to do was pay a single Great Dao crystal to secure a stall. Whether one hung a placard, chose to show one's face, or remained concealed, anything was permitted.
Once inside, the Fire Phoenix Realm guaranteed one's safety.
It likewise guaranteed that one's merchandise would not be seized by force.
Even Li Hao was somewhat shaken. In the three regions—including Tianfang—he had never witnessed a trading city for powerhouses developed to such perfection. The reason was simple: no one elsewhere could guarantee the safety of visiting guests.
A feat the human race had failed to accomplish was achieved here by chaos beasts.
Even if only within the boundaries of their realm!
Li Hao grew increasingly solemn.
Kongji frowned as well. The Bright God Realm had marketplaces too, but they were reserved exclusively for realm inhabitants. Conducting commerce with outsiders beyond realm borders was perilous, requiring utmost caution. Back then, Huilong Temple had hosted a similar trading hub.
Yet the most precious goods there were minor worlds, and ten million Great Dao crystals marked the pinnacle.
Here, however... medium worlds were traded openly.
A moment later, both of their gazes fell upon a nearby storefront. The establishment was shuttered, its door branded with inscribed characters:
*Seeking to purchase one rank seven world endowed with a Great Dao Universe! Terms negotiable for any prospective seller. Inquire within for details!*
Li Hao nearly gasped.
*What the hell!*
Someone was trading a rank seven world here?
Was this real?
A rank seven world and a rank seven master stood at the true overlord echelon of the entire four regions. Though not comparable to the handful of rank eight existences, a rank seven master was still exceedingly rare. Who would trade an entire world?
Then again... perhaps chaos beasts genuinely would.
Chaos beasts had no inherent need for a Great Dao Universe.
Li Hao felt a jolt of shock. The prospective buyer had to be at least at the peak of rank six, if not rank seven outright. Otherwise, one would have neither reason nor capital to pursue such an exchange.
Scarcely had he entered the city, and Li Hao was already astounded.
Someone was attempting to purchase a rank seven world in broad daylight!
Was this merely an eye-catching stunt, or had someone actually pulled it off here before?
He did not know.
Right then, a humanoid cultivator suddenly approached, laughing softly. "I noticed Fellow Daoist observing this stall for quite some time. Could it be... you possess resources to trade a rank seven world? If so, please feel free to step inside for a detailed discussion..."
Black Panther glanced at him, and Li Hao's voice drifted out: "And you are...?"
"My master established this trading parlor a thousand years ago, and I oversee it on their behalf. If any senior wishes to negotiate, we can speak within... My master wields formidable strength, and any reasonable demand can be met..."
Judging by his aura, this cultivator seemed to be genuine human, not a beast or chaos beast masquerading in human form.
His strength was considerable—a rank four Sovereign!
A medium Sovereign serving as a shopkeeper guarding a modest storefront was no small matter. Moreover, a faint golden dragon mark hovered upon his forehead. Li Hao realized at once that this was a human recognized by the Dragon World, just as the Fire Phoenix had mentioned earlier.
Li Hao responded promptly, "If anyone had a rank seven world, wouldn't they be an idiot to trade it away? If I possessed one, refining it for myself would easily guarantee rank six, if not rank seven... Who in their right mind would sell a rank seven world?"
The cultivator looked slightly disappointed, though not disheartened. He offered a polite smile. "What Fellow Daoist says is reasonable. However... anything is possible. A few years ago, a rank seven world was successfully traded right here in Fire Phoenix City. Regrettably, it lacked a Great Dao Universe. My master wished to purchase it, but the asking price was too steep to justify; a rank seven world without a Great Dao Universe fell short of expectations... Still, this proves one can indeed purchase such things in Fire Phoenix City."
The human proved remarkably communicative.
It was not so much talkativeness as the fact that he saw the black panther Li Hao inhabited staring fixedly at the sign. Recognizing the newcomer as a rank five Sovereign, the shopkeeper had approached with the intent to try his luck.
Had the visitor been a low-rank Sovereign, he would not have bothered.
Even among the servants of mighty experts, only a medium Sovereign possessed enough sway to broker a rank seven world. A low-rank Sovereign was not worth engaging with unless he were the direct offspring of a rank seven master.
"Someone truly traded a rank seven world?" Li Hao asked, utterly surprised.
"Naturally!"
The cultivator smiled again with refined gentility, explaining, "It is standard practice. For the Chaos race, once a rank seven Sovereign possesses one rank seven universe, acquiring a second is useless unless they can ascend to rank eight. Trading it for treasures serves them far better than hoarding two Great Dao Universes.
"In all four regions, only Fire Phoenix City boasts buyers who can meet such prices and dare to conduct transactions openly without fear of betrayal... Here, the Lord of Fire Phoenix, a peak rank seven supreme powerhouse, holds sufficient might to suppress all treachery. Not to mention, the Dragon World lies close at hand...
"Is this Fellow Daoist's first visit to Fire Phoenix City?"
Black Panther nodded its massive head in seamless coordination with Li Hao.
Li Hao held his tongue, inwardly marveling. Viewed through the lens of commerce and civilization, this supposedly barbaric frontier made the other three regions look like desolate wastelands. When he first encountered the world of the rat demon, he had assumed this domain was pure chaos. Facts proved otherwise.
Only the weak, marginal worlds were rife with turmoil. Here, civilization flourished.
Li Hao cast a passing glance at the parlor. He did not inquire about the master's identity. The patron had to be at least peak rank six, and most likely a rank seven chaos beast. There was no need to probe.
Just as he was about to have Black Panther move on, the human cultivator spoke again: "Fellow Daoist appears to belong to the Chaos race wandering the expanse. My master does not merely seek rank seven worlds. If... during your travels through the other three regions, you happened across coordinates for unknown rank seven worlds, or could supply specifics regarding their resident powerhouses... those too can be traded!"
Li Hao's thoughts stirred. What was the motive here?
Did they actually dare march into the other three regions to seize rank seven worlds?
Certain rank seven worlds maintained an astonishingly low profile, remaining entirely unknown to the broader cosmos until stumbled upon by roving cultivators. The shopkeeper was clearly fishing for coordinates of obscure great worlds, likely intending to conquer them.
What audacious ambition!
Li Hao even suspected that more than one rank seven Sovereign stood behind this parlor. Otherwise, who would dare plot against a rank seven world?
"I have seen several rank seven great worlds... though I know nothing of their exact power, only their general reputations outside. Would those suffice?"
Hearing this, the cultivator maintained his polite smile, though a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes. "They are acceptable... but their value is modest. If you could provide the location of an obscure, lesser-known great world concealed from outsiders, and the intelligence is verified, Fellow Daoist could receive an entire medium world as remuneration!"
A medium world merely for providing information.
Li Hao clicked his tongue inwardly. *Damn, these beasts are loaded.*
Then again, discovering such worlds was exceedingly rare.
"What a pity... My strength is decent, but I dare not wander recklessly. Had I truly run into such a great world, surviving would have been an accomplishment!"
Seeing this, the human cultivator pressed no further.
Li Hao dropped the subject, and Black Panther resumed padded strides forward.
The human cultivator watched the hound retreat in silence. *Rank five, a rogue cultivator... From his aura and gait, he might harbor an internal world. Did he swallow a world without digesting it, intending to nurture it within himself?*
Experienced figures could tell at a glance whether a chaos beast carried an internal world.
*Carrying an internal world... Then in all probability, he isn't the Heavenly Dog, is he?*
The cultivator pondered inwardly, though it was merely a preliminary assessment.
Xinwu possessed only a single internal world, harbored within Cangmao.
As for the great or medium worlds conquered by Xinwu, their fates were fully documented.
His post here served genuine commerce, but probing for intelligence alongside it was equally real.
Neither interfered with the other.
If someone truly came to sell a rank seven world, all the better; as for the steep price, that fell outside his responsibility.
***
Meanwhile, Li Hao frowned slightly, sending a mental message to Kongji: "That human's master is extraordinary. Judging by his speech, demeanor, and Dao charm, that man is a cultivation genius. He is no unrefined brute, nor does his Dao lean toward chaos. Subduing such a rank four Sovereign—or raising a human Sovereign within one's own world—requires remarkable ability. If the backer is human, so be it; but if it is a chaos beast..."
Li Hao paused.
That would be even more terrifying!
To break past ingrained racial prejudice, cultivate human talents, and command such absolute loyalty that the man called him master without the slightest resentment, even before strangers... judging the whole from this detail alone was deeply unnerving.
Li Hao suddenly felt as though he had stepped into a quagmire within the Dragon Region.
This place was far more perilous than anticipated.
He had likely underestimated the Dragon Region!
Not just him—the other three regions had probably misjudged this territory. The humans here were not necessarily locked in rebellion either; a considerable portion might have been thoroughly assimilated. Reality defied his preconception that humans in every world were resisting amid misery.
If the Dragon Lord was truly wise... he might intentionally project an image of rampant oppression to the outside world, while covertly absorbing large numbers of human powerhouses.
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
"Brother Kongji... did your father ever offer an assessment of that one?"
"He did."
Kongji reflected for a moment. "Formidable martial prowess, profound comprehension of the Dao, peerlessly overbearing... Yet constrained by his identity, the Dragon Region cannot expand indefinitely. Chaos beasts in the four regions are finite, after all. He may hold his ground in a corner, but lacks the capital to vie for hegemony across the four regions..."
Why did he lack it?
Because he was a chaos beast. That alone doomed any claim to total hegemony across the four regions. With numerous rank eight humans in existence, none of them would allow the Dragon Lord to stand triumphant.
Such was the Bright Sovereign's evaluation.
Li Hao listened quietly, filing it away.
"Brother Kongji, I suspect we might have run headfirst into an iron wall this time!"
Kongji nodded, sighing soundlessly. *I sense it too.*
Earlier, they had assumed these chaos beasts were crude, brainless brutes who knew only slaughter. With a bit of scheming, slaying a rank seven beast would be child's play; provoke them slightly, and a rank seven would chase them outside their world, falling straight into an ambush.
Now... that confidence waned.
They had overestimated themselves.
Li Hao rubbed his temples repeatedly. This trip had proved illuminating. After destroying the four worlds, he had grown somewhat dismissive, concluding that even the Lord of Red Moon was unremarkable, and that duping a brute like the Dragon Lord would be trivial.
Yet now he realized... careless arrogance would dig his own grave.
Meeting a random human in Fire Phoenix City had revealed vast underlying depths. Despite their brief exchange, the cultivator had let slip numerous critical details.
For instance, he deduced that Black Panther was a rogue cultivator wandering the chaos who might have visited the other three regions... Whether that came from intelligence supplied by the Fire Phoenix Realm's experts or his own deduction, it showed remarkable acuity.
Unless he recognized every single medium Sovereign among the chaos beasts, how could he deduce so swiftly that Black Panther did not hail from the Dragon Region?
As Li Hao pondered, two chaos beasts approached from the opposite direction, muttering in hushed tones:
"They say the Chiyang Domain is in utter shambles. Xinwu and the Chiyang World have officially gone to war... I wonder if our Dragon Region will participate. If the Dragon Lord marches out, that so-called Human King is merely rank seven; our lord could squash him with a single palm... Should we go reap some scraps?"
"Are you suicidal?"
"Suicidal? Why would you say that? Don't you believe in the Dragon Lord? By the way, the Dragon World has been stirring lately, recruiting powerhouses. I suspect it's preparation to deal with Xinwu. Want to try our luck?"
"Go all the way to the Dragon World?"
"No need. Fire Phoenix City has a recruitment station right here. If you want to go, we can go together... Once there, we can devour worlds at will. Everything is chaotic over there anyway; nobody will stop us. The Lord of Chiyang can barely save himself, let alone manage others!"
"That does sound like a fine opportunity... Rare indeed. Let's go take a look, and perhaps get acquainted with the great figures of the Dragon World along the way..."
The two chaos beasts were decent in strength, both rank three Sovereigns in human guise.
Chattering casually, they brushed past Li Hao.
Hearing news of Xinwu piqued Li Hao's interest. Had Xinwu and Chiyang formally clashed?
He had not known this.
Moreover, the Dragon World maintained a recruitment station here to enlist Sovereigns. Were they preparing to enter the fray officially?
That was promising news!
While not necessarily advantageous for Xinwu, it was great for him. He initially wanted to step forward and inquire... but paused, checking Kongji instead. Kongji had been listening intently as well, and upon catching Li Hao's gaze, transmitted, "Xinwu is fierce as ever; looks like battle has truly erupted... Say, with the Dragon World recruiting experts, could we infiltrate their ranks and stab them in the back?"
Li Hao frowned slightly, eyeing Kongji. "You want to infiltrate them?"
"Since we have nothing pressing, slipping inside isn't a bad idea. After all, Xinwu counts as our ally; we cooperated with the Sword Venerable before..."
Li Hao grew thoughtful. True enough.
If one were allied with Xinwu, hearing such news would naturally provoke interest. With no other obligations, infiltrating would not only yield rewards, but could also strike from within at a pivotal moment.
Furthermore, it would allow them to track the Dragon World's movements and pin down its location. Should the Dragon Lord take the field, embedding themselves would provide Xinwu with invaluable support.
Except...
Li Hao's brow furrowed deeper. He could not pinpoint what felt wrong, but something seemed off... Why did these two Sovereigns happen to pass by mentioning Xinwu? It felt as if news of Xinwu followed him everywhere. Did low-rank Sovereigns genuinely pay such close heed to the distant Human King?
In the other three domains, ordinary low-rank Sovereigns paid little attention to clashes between great worlds. They obviously could not participate, nor could they profit.
Carelessness would only cost them their lives!
Li Hao kept silent as Black Panther continued forward. Soon, a crowd gathered ahead. Various demon beasts and chaos beasts had not assumed human guise, retaining their original shapes at reduced sizes.
All of them encircled the entrance of a shop.
Curious, Li Hao urged Black Panther onward. Leveraging its formidable rank five aura and considerable bulk, the hound easily nudged its way to the front. Seeing a rank five Sovereign arrive, the onlookers dared not obstruct him. A gathering of Sovereigns stood packed together like commoners, watching the spectacle.
Li Hao's gaze fell upon the inscription branding the shop's facade:
*Recently, an expert near the Dragon Region spotted an exotic demon race with a golden body, a single horn, mastery over lightning and devourment Daos, and leopard-spotted fur. Its strength ranks between rank three and rank four... A high reward is offered for the capture of this exotic demon: one rank five medium world, one hundred million Great Dao crystals, and one hundred rank seven fire-element Dao charm crystals...*
The price was absurdly inflated.
A rank three or four demon beast could never command such value.
A rank five world was already more than sufficient, and that assumed the beast was at rank four; otherwise, even a rank five world would be excessive.
No wonder so many spectators had gathered!
Anyone with modest strength would be sorely tempted by such a bounty—especially given the inclusion of Dao charm crystals, which only rank seven existences could produce and carried staggering worth.
Li Hao failed to react for a brief moment.
Kongji marveled at the sheer wealth of chaos beasts, while Black Panther's eyes showed a flicker of confusion. Yet the hound gave it no further thought; since Li Hao remained silent, it held no opinions of its own.
However... the description sounded vaguely familiar.
Li Hao finally snapped out of his daze, pausing before transmitting in disbelief, "Could this be... Jiao?"
The Demon Suppressing Emissary!
Black Panther's ancestor?
Of course, the ancestor of its ancestor was the Heavenly Dog.
Examining the description, it matched Li Hao's impression of Jiao from his past tour of Xinwu. Black Panther had even assumed Jiao's likeness previously.
Li Hao froze. Was Jiao near the Dragon Region?
He knew many Xinwu powerhouses had wandered abroad, but Jiao was not particularly powerful. According to the description, it was only rank three or four—likely just rank three. It was said Jiao was not even a Sovereign back then, making rank three or four quite remarkable already.
What was it doing around here?
A heartbeat later... Li Hao froze again, frowning as he looked at Kongji. "That sounds like Xinwu's Demon Suppressing Emissary!"
Kongji was taken aback. "Around here? Then it's in deep trouble. With someone offering such a massive bounty, discovery means certain death..."
Li Hao's frown deepened. After a lengthy silence, he said, "Something is wrong. Have we been targeted? Shortly after entering the city, Xinwu seems to surround us at every turn—first talk of battling Xinwu, now a bounty on the Demon Suppressing Emissary..."
His suspicion flared.
Where had they slipped up?
Surely it wasn't this obvious?
Or was this merely routine probing? Yet if the Fire Phoenix Realm subjected every incoming Sovereign to such trials, wouldn't they be exceedingly idle?
Connected to Xinwu...
The Demon Suppressing Emissary!
The next instant, Li Hao slapped his forehead, caught between laughter and dismay. "I get it now... a dog!"
Could they suspect Black Panther was the Heavenly Dog?
The Heavenly Dog was exceptionally mighty, and it was entirely plausible that it wandered the cosmos. He hadn't dwelled on that, but his expression grew grave. *Even I didn't know the Heavenly Dog was roaming abroad, yet the moment Black Panther entered the city, they reacted instantly and orchestrated a string of tests.*
*This...*
Furthermore, devourment and lightning were the signature techniques of the Demon Suppressing Emissary—devourment learned from the Heavenly Dog, lightning innate to its lineage. Jiao was an obscure Xinwu Sovereign. Did they truly spot it nearby, or did they simply possess comprehensive intelligence on it?
The Emissary's capabilities were common knowledge within Xinwu, but Xinwu remained an enigma to the wider chaos. Aside from top-tier powerhouses, only notorious figures like Tianji and King Huai were widely known. The Demon Suppressing Emissary was a middling figure with virtually no outside renown!
"Brother Kongji, we might be in serious trouble!"
Li Hao felt a mounting sense of crisis. The moment they arrived in canine form, their watcher had instantly associated Black Panther with the Heavenly Dog and staged a rapid sequence of tests. Only the master of this domain, the Lord of Fire Phoenix, possessed such capability.
In other words, eyes were on them.
A rank seven Sovereign was watching them.
*Dammit, had I known, I wouldn't have let Black Panther transform into a dog. An ox would have worked fine.*
A miscalculation!
Granted, transforming into a dog matched Black Panther's habits, making it easy to inhabit. Transforming into an ox might have revealed awkward discrepancies, inviting greater peril.
"Now this is interesting!"
Li Hao quickly transmitted to Black Panther, "Before entering, did we tell that Fire Phoenix that we wished to join the Dragon World?"
Black Panther wagged its tail—yes, seemingly so.
Li Hao frowned. *In that case... when those two mentioned joining the Dragon World earlier, I shouldn't have reacted with utter indifference. After all, wasn't that our stated goal for coming here?*
*Damn it all!*
Showing interest was risky, yet feigning indifference was equally suspect...
By now, Kongji had also caught on. Having paid little heed earlier, he now recognized the danger, transmitting hurriedly, "We're being watched?"
"Yes."
"What a nuisance. Even upon entering the Bright God Realm, our people wouldn't gather intelligence on a strange Sovereign so rapidly... For Fire Phoenix Realm to lock onto us so quickly demonstrates formidable espionage. They know Xinwu well, yet Xinwu has roamed the chaos for merely fifty years, gaining wide renown only after initiating war against Red Moon..."
Li Hao nodded. Indeed.
Merely fifty-odd years.
Yet a rank seven world held detailed files on obscure Xinwu Sovereigns. Transmitting intelligence across vast reaches required time.
This meant they had been keeping a close eye on Xinwu all along.
Where did they get the audacity?
Or perhaps it wasn't the Fire Phoenix Realm, but the Dragon World itself.
"We shouldn't linger here!"
Li Hao transmitted swiftly. "Yet before entering, I might have misspoke by claiming we wanted to join the Dragon World. If we bolt now instead of heading toward the Dragon World, wandering aimlessly will only draw greater suspicion! Still, staying here is dangerous too..."
Though safer than the Dragon World itself.
Thoughts flashed through his mind. Ever since crushing the four worlds, he had grown disinclined to overestimate his adversaries. Now, his mind raced at full speed.
"Black Panther, stop staring. Let's go ask around for someone selling a rank six world—preferably a water-element one!"
Though Black Panther did not fully grasp Li Hao's plan, it paid no heed to the specifics. After gazing at the shop's inscription a moment longer, it turned and patted a burly man nearby with its paw, careless of the fellow's race so long as he was weaker.
Li Hao's voice promptly transmitted: "Where can one find a rank six world for sale? A water-element world..."
The burly man was merely a rank two Sovereign. Finding himself pinned beneath the gaze of a rank five Sovereign, he dared not act insolently, despite feeling safe from outright violence within the city. He answered hurriedly, "Rank six worlds are exceptionally rare... and specifying an element makes it rarer still... Ordinarily, one must wait a very long time and rely on luck. However, if you are in urgent need, you can inquire at the Fire Phoenix Pavilion. That is the Fire Phoenix Realm's official establishment. You can post commissions, state requirements, or have them assist in searching... though the fee is exorbitant..."
"Where is it?"
"Right ahead!"
Li Hao asked nothing more, and Black Panther sauntered forward with swaggering steps.
***
High above in the sky.
The golden-haired young woman gazed down across the entire city. After observing for a time, she turned to her mother beside her, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "Is it the Heavenly Dog?"
"What do you think?" the Empress of Fire Phoenix asked with a smile.
The golden-haired girl shook her head. "Hard to say. Based on our intelligence, if it truly were the Heavenly Dog... Jiao is its descendant and Xinwu's Demon Suppressing Emissary; it ought to care! Furthermore, if it learned that the Dragon World plans to move against Xinwu, it might have sought to enlist among the recruited Sovereigns..."
"It could also be feigning indifference intentionally,"
the Empress laughed softly. "Of course, there is no rush; we can observe at leisure. Besides... though the Heavenly Dog is crude, your probing was overly hasty. Successive tests risk alerting the target. Then again, if it isn't the Heavenly Dog, it won't perceive anything amiss. This canine Sovereign can serve as your personal observation subject for now... If it truly is the Heavenly Dog, capturing it would be a monumental achievement! If not, treat it as practical training."
"Thank you, Mother Empress!"
The Empress smiled and rose. "Keep watching. Emissaries from the Thunder Realm have entered the city. With the Thunder Region currently in a stable period, powerhouses from external regions appear to have crossed into our four regions and established contact with the Thunder Realm. This is a welcome development. If external powerhouses truly enter... it may present our greatest opportunity!"
"Opportunity?"
The golden-haired girl looked puzzled. Her mother explained, "The Lord of Thunder guards against us with utmost vigilance, but he will not maintain such caution against external powerhouses. He might even harbor hopes of securing their support! Over these years, our blockade has starved the Thunder Realm of resources; we have siphoned away the ambient chaos energy surrounding it. Suffering from severe scarcity, even without allied reinforcements, he yearns to obtain Great Dao crystals, Sovereign weapons, and Dao charm crystals.
"Therefore... he might admit external powerhouses into his realm, or venture out personally to trade with them. In the past, they conducted covert transactions within our Fire Phoenix City, but that was far from enough..."
The Empress chuckled. "I can already estimate how many Sovereigns remain within the Thunder Realm: one at rank seven, roughly four or five at rank six, fewer than twenty at ranks four and five, and at most thirty low-rank Sovereigns... Furthermore, all of them suffer from severe energy depletion!"
Fewer than sixty Sovereigns in total—perhaps even less.
All of this had been deduced from the volume of Great Dao crystals and resources covertly traded through their markets. The Fire Phoenix Realm served as far more than a trading hub; intelligence regarding the entire Dragon Region, including the domains of the native demons, rested firmly in her grasp.
Joy lit the golden-haired girl's eyes. "Then Mother Empress means... this time, we have a genuine chance to conquer the Thunder Realm once and for all!"
"Indeed. That is why you need not expend excessive effort on that dog. You may play with it for now, but the Thunder Realm remains our paramount objective!"
The Empress laughed. "I shall go inspect the situation. If you still feel uncertain, you may approach that dog in person. A rank five Sovereign is well worth recruiting for our realm, so an approach will not appear unnatural."
"Understood."
Saying no more, the Empress departed swiftly.
Even if a rank six Heavenly Dog were genuinely here, it could not compare to an entire rank seven world. Uprooting the Thunder Realm would obliterate the human resistance across the Dragon Region in one fell swoop, eradicating human influence here entirely.
Over the years, they had deliberately permitted rebellious humans to flee into the Thunder Realm. Wiping them out in a single sweep would do far more than claim a great world; it would solidify their dominion over the Dragon Region, elevating the human collaborators they groomed to supplant the Thunder Realm as the spiritual pillar for all humans here!
When that day came, dissenting voices in the Dragon Region would cease completely. As for the demon great worlds, they could be negotiated with; chaos beasts and demons shared ancestral roots after all.
Humans remained the true nemesis of the four regions.
***
Meanwhile, Li Hao had arrived at the Fire Phoenix Pavilion.
A resident Sovereign received Black Panther personally.
When Black Panther stated its requirement, the Sovereign appeared conflicted. Soon, however, he seemed to receive a transmission and hurriedly said, "Honored guest, a rank six world is too monumental a transaction for me to decide! The Fire Phoenix Pavilion is overseen directly by our realm's princess, Sovereign Feng Yan! Transactions involving rank six worlds are exceedingly rare even in our realm. If you genuinely require one, I can notify Princess Feng Yan to meet with you personally!"
Black Panther appeared to deliberate before nodding. "Very well. I did not expect to trouble a rank seven lineage successor... but fair enough, this is indeed a major transaction."
"Please wait a moment, honored guest..."
The attendant stepped outside to deliver the notification.
Li Hao turned toward Kongji: "Slip into Silver Moon for now. Your aura differs from Black Panther's; close proximity risks detection."
Without a word, Kongji vanished into the world.
***
After a brief wait, a golden-haired young woman in human form materialized in a flash.
"Apologies for the delay, Fellow Daoist!"
Upon appearing, she measured Black Panther with her gaze, offering a sweet smile.
Li Hao promptly projected mental fluctuations: "Greetings, Sovereign Feng Yan!"
"You are too polite!"
The princess displayed impeccable courtesy, smiling. "I heard Fellow Daoist requires a rank six world, preferably of the water element. Is this for personal use, or...?"
"For personal use. I broke through to rank five years ago, but reaching rank six... is simply too difficult! Over these years, I nurtured a rank five world within myself, but advancing it proves arduous. I require a rank six world, ideally water-element, as I specialize in the Dao of Water. Devouring it might enable my internal world to advance to rank six..."
"I see!"
Princess Feng Yan nodded understandingly. "Rank six worlds are rare to begin with, and one of the water element is rarer still! Furthermore, the cost is steep..."
"Is it very expensive?"
"Exceedingly so!"
Princess Feng Yan nodded. "At present, Fire Phoenix City has recorded past transactions of rank six worlds. A standard rank six world—naturally not a great world endowed with a cosmos—commands a baseline price of roughly two billion Great Dao crystals."
"That expensive?"
Li Hao feigned shock, though he was genuinely taken aback. That was outrageously costly.
It wasn't even a rank six world with a Great Dao Universe, merely an ordinary world. While Li Hao routinely spent tens or hundreds of billions, an ordinary rank six Sovereign cultivating from scratch would consume only several billion Great Dao crystals to reach that stage.
An empty rank six world hardly guaranteed a rank six Sovereign; it merely offered hope of advancement for someone at the peak of rank five.
"Indeed. And that is the floor price..."
Princess Feng Yan added, "If not paid in Great Dao crystals, it depends on what treasures Fellow Daoist can offer. To powerhouses, Dao charm crystals, Great Dao crystals, and worlds are necessities. Powerful Sovereign weapons can also be traded... as well as supreme Sovereign corpses or top-tier techniques, though only rare, peerless items qualify."
At this, she chuckled softly. "Does Fellow Daoist hold high confidence in advancing to rank six?"
Li Hao's thoughts stirred. "I possess confidence, though nothing is absolute. It comes down to fortune. What does Sovereign Feng Yan mean by asking?"
"If you hold strong confidence yet lack the Great Dao crystals to pay... you might consider joining our Fire Phoenix Realm!"
Princess Feng Yan spoke candidly: "Our Fire Phoenix Realm recruits powerhouses. However... paying such an immense price requires a commitment from Fellow Daoist in return!
"For instance, the rank six world you require is valued at two billion Great Dao crystals. You provide half, and our Fire Phoenix Realm covers the remainder. Given your strength, condensing crystals through your own efforts yields roughly ten thousand per year! One billion amounts to one hundred thousand years of labor...
"Should our Fire Phoenix Realm cover this half, you need only sign a ten-thousand-year Great Dao agreement, pledging ten thousand years of service to our realm. That saves you ninety thousand years of toil!
"Moreover, during your service, injuries or deployments earn supplementary stipends. Should you successfully step into rank six, additional benefits await. If our realm seizes rank seven worlds in the future, those with distinguished merit enjoy priority allocation!"
"..."
Li Hao felt a jolt of shock. *Good grief, recruiting me straight out of the gate!* Ten thousand years of service, contingent on him coughing up half the resources himself. As for their half... it was likely empty talk; whether they had one on hand or purchased it from an outsider, their actual cost might barely touch one billion crystals.
In essence, they would secure a rank five—potentially rank six—Sovereign to serve for ten millennia virtually cost-free, bound by a Great Dao agreement... Truly ruthless. Li Hao understood all too well how the four worlds had been dismantled back then!
Agreements like this were not to be signed lightly; the Chaos Lightning Tribulation would genuinely strike!
Then again, Li Hao was accustomed to being struck by lightning; he cared little.
Let alone a rank six tribulation, he had weathered rank seven tribulations before... Come to think of it, this sounded like an opportunity. Li Hao drifted into contemplation. *If I freely sign Great Dao agreements, could the descending lightning fail to kill me, serving instead as material for me to comprehend lightning power?*
A flurry of bold ideas sprouted in his mind.
This princess of the Fire Phoenix Realm had appeared in person so readily. Did a rank five Sovereign warrant a peak rank six Sovereign attending to him personally? Did the Fire Phoenix Realm have no other rank six Sovereigns?
Thoughts raced.
A Great Dao agreement, ten thousand years of service... All of this might be a probe. Yet the crux was—he didn't fear the Chaos Lightning Tribulation in the slightest!
What did breaking an agreement matter?
"Well... well... I don't possess half the resources either. Could I... could I serve the Fire Phoenix Realm for twenty thousand years in exchange for a rank six world?"
Li Hao stammered, "If not... thirty thousand years! Thirty thousand years at most... I am willing to sign a Great Dao agreement. If I breach the covenant, if I betray the terms during that period, I am willing to... to endure a rank five Chaos Lightning Tribulation..."
Princess Feng Yan was momentarily stunned. *This fellow... is almost certainly not the Heavenly Dog.*
Moreover, the brute was trying to pull off an empty-handed swindle. A rank five Chaos Lightning Tribulation?
Could that even kill a rank five Sovereign?
Princess Feng Yan smiled. "My apologies, but all agreements signed by our realm are anchored to a rank seven tribulation!"
*Even if you were the Heavenly Dog, would you dare sign under a rank seven tribulation?*
*Betray it, and you die!*
She added, "Furthermore, for cases like yours... where our realm must fully furnish a rank six world, truth be told, we have no shortage of rank five Sovereigns seeking such arrangements. We must conduct assessments covering strength and Dao affinities before the Dao Lord determines whether to recruit you."
*Rank seven?*
Li Hao cursed inwardly. *Brutal!*
Even a genuine rank seven Sovereign would dread a rank seven tribulation. Facing a rank seven tribulation over a mere rank six world would leave any rank seven Sovereign groaning in misery; a rank five Sovereign daring to breach it would face certain death!
Of course, such pacts had to be voluntary; she could not force it, as involuntary pacts failed to bind. Moreover, establishing a Great Dao agreement carried costs; invoking the Chaos Lightning Tribulation was a nuisance that ordinary great worlds preferred to avoid.
Black Panther displayed outward signs of agonizing hesitation.
A rank seven tribulation!
Decades of millennia in servitude.
Was it worth trading that for a rank six world?
After a long silence, Li Hao spoke: "Signing an agreement naturally isn't done with intent to betray it. Rank five or rank seven makes no difference to me! However, I am a rank five Sovereign; an ordinary rank six world may not guarantee my advancement... How about this: if the Great Dao covenant guarantees my breakthrough to rank six and your realm shoulders all necessary resources... otherwise, both parties endure a rank seven Chaos Lightning Tribulation upon breach, then I would deem it worth the gamble... Otherwise, forget it!"
"This... Fellow Daoist puts me in a difficult position. After all, every member of the Chaos race differs. It is entirely possible that one might fail to advance indefinitely..."
Princess Feng Yan shook her head. While enlisting a rank five Sovereign was attractive, she was no fool; agreeing to such terms was out of the question.
Besides, she was aware of what happened to Red Moon; reckless covenants had resulted in catastrophe.
Li Hao pondered for a moment before probing, "Then... how about this? There is no need for your side to match the rank seven tribulation. However, if I truly pledge allegiance to the Fire Phoenix Realm, could you demarcate a territory for me within the Dragon Region? The larger the better, capable of drawing abundant chaos energy. Furthermore, I must hold absolute dominion over the surrounding minor and medium worlds. Naturally, I won't devour them recklessly, but I may demand tribute in Great Dao crystals...
"Whenever the Fire Phoenix Realm requires my service, I shall answer the call immediately... Otherwise, I can only try my luck in the Dragon World. Perhaps only the Dragon World possesses the stature to grant such terms. I am a rank five Sovereign; though inferior to rank seven, once I attain rank six, I will possess the standing to command a domain in the chaos..."
At that moment, countless ideas swirled through Li Hao's mind.
A Great Dao covenant was a marvelous thing!
He could sign it. If they truly granted him a fiefdom governing several hundred worlds... that would be magnificent!
Princess Feng Yan sank into swift contemplation. Was it worth it?
Actually, it wasn't unreasonable.
Mighty worlds exercised jurisdiction over weaker worlds. In the Dragon Region, the Dragon World led the chaos, while rank seven great worlds possessed their own spheres of influence from which tributary worlds paid dues.
It was standard practice!
However... he was merely a rank five Sovereign demanding an expansive fiefdom. That was somewhat excessive.
"How large a territory does Fellow Daoist envision?"
"Ideally covering a thousand worlds!"
"..."
Princess Feng Yan felt this creature vastly overestimated itself, devoid of self-awareness and dripping with greed. After a pause, she chuckled, "Within the coverage of our Fire Phoenix Realm, the currently surveyed worlds total six hundred and twenty-six. Only sixty-eight are medium worlds; the rest are minor worlds..."
Li Hao turned intensely solemn—not for any other reason, but because she possessed precise intelligence on every single world within their jurisdiction.
This was terrifying!
Not a single faction in the other three regions could accomplish such a feat.
"So few?" Li Hao remarked.
She was left speechless. *Few?*
Across the entire Dragon Region, there were over a dozen great worlds. Excluding the human Thunder Realm, if every other domain covered hundreds of worlds, the total would surpass ten thousand!
In truth, there weren't that many. Demon-controlled domains encompassed few worlds, and the Fire Phoenix Realm stood among the largest.
Even so, the entire Dragon Region contained only several thousand worlds, most being minor or unranked worlds. This fellow opened his maw asking for a thousand—did he even know how to count?
Still, his willingness to sign an agreement backed by a rank seven tribulation allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief.
While Princess Feng Yan considered this, Li Hao offered a concession: "Then... I want a territory of one hundred worlds... Granted, the request might be steep, but within the Fire Phoenix Realm, if I do not enter the Great Dao Universe, I cannot cultivate. Your native powerhouses don't require tribute from worlds, but an outsider like me does. If there aren't many external powerhouses in the Fire Phoenix Realm, I believe... securing this much makes it worthwhile to sign the Great Dao covenant and bear the threat of a rank seven tribulation..."
"I cannot decide this matter alone. If Fellow Daoist is genuinely interested, you may reside here for a few days. I shall report to the Dao Lord. If terms are amenable, we can discuss the particulars!"
Indeed, she could not grant this on her own authority. It was merely territory, not granting world cores outright; even if assigned, the land still belonged to the Fire Phoenix Realm, akin to appointing a regional commander.
Princess Feng Yan had not expected the exchange to progress so smoothly, despite the steep price.
One rank six world, plus a sizeable territory.
Territory depended on how the terms were framed. Moreover, the Dragon Region ultimately belonged to the Dragon World; no matter what this hound did, it wouldn't dare pillage or swallow worlds wholesale—that would be seeking death!
As for tribute, it couldn't demand too much, lest the subordinates revolt.
She fell into deep contemplation.
A rank five Sovereign with potential to reach rank six... A rank six Sovereign who did not enter the Great Dao Universe, yet agreed to thirty thousand years of service, was extraordinarily rare.
Under normal circumstances, a rank six Sovereign would never pledge fealty to a rank seven world, as ascending to rank seven there was impossible; joining a rank eight world was their only path. The ceiling for a rank seven world's recruitment rested at rank five.
Only a rank five Sovereign held hope of stepping into rank six under their banner.
Over the years, the Fire Phoenix Realm had recruited several external Sovereigns, but those at rank five numbered only four or five, all secured at great cost.
They had numerous native Sovereigns, including quite a few at rank six.
Yet most belonged to the Fire Phoenix bloodline.
Outsiders had virtually no hope of integrating into their Great Dao Universe.
Recruiting those few rank five Sovereigns had cost dearly, yet regrettably, none had successfully advanced to rank six.
Pondering this, she suddenly said, "My apologies, I neglected to ask: what is Fellow Daoist's name?"
"Black Dog!"
"..."
*Crude!*
Princess Feng Yan sneered inwardly at the bluntness.
Chaos beasts from the outside were undeniably barbaric. The Dragon Lord had promoted dragon culture tirelessly over the years, rendering long-term resident chaos beasts far more cultured than roving wanderers.
Still, it mattered little.
"Then, Fellow Daoist Black Dog, please make yourself comfortable here for a few days. Once I have an answer, I shall return to meet you."
"Very well!"
Li Hao agreed cheerfully, feeling a spark of excitement. A rank six world was secondary; the crux was... territory!
*If I can truly secure a territory... my apologies, but that land will soon become my fishery to nourish my minor world!*
*When that time comes, I will truly prosper.*
However, caution was paramount. It would be best to stipulate in the Great Dao agreement that without his permission, no outsiders could enter his domain.
Li Hao's thoughts spun wildly.
He suddenly felt that the Fire Phoenix Realm presented a magnificent opportunity.
While others dreaded Great Dao agreements, he harbored no fear. This might prove his greatest stroke of luck. Though a rank seven tribulation was formidable, facing it alongside Kongji and Er Mao should make weathering it manageable.
Li Hao had already prepared himself to breach the agreement; he had no intention of genuinely serving them for thirty millennia.
Once the princess vanished, Li Hao transmitted to Kongji, beaming with delight: "I might need to linger in the Fire Phoenix Realm for a while. Dealing with cultured chaos beasts is quite pleasant; the more they scheme, the easier I can adapt!"
Had they relied solely on raw fists without further thought, matters would have proved troublesome.
Kongji remained silent, shaking his head faintly. *This Fire Phoenix Realm... what audacity!*
Recruiting Li Hao? If they truly took him in, their entire nest might be overturned.
That Fire Phoenix princess seemed sharp, so why was she duped so easily?
Then again... placing himself in her shoes as the Divine Son of Bright God, recruiting a rank five Sovereign bound by a Great Dao agreement seemed entirely devoid of risk.
Facing a rank seven Chaos Lightning Tribulation, who would seek their own demise?
Even a rank seven master harbored deep dread for such a thing!
At this moment, Kongji offered silent condolences to the Fire Phoenix Realm. If they genuinely granted that territory, those hundred-odd minor worlds would likely become Li Hao's possessions. It all came down to whether they would bestow the land.
Chapter 518