Fire Phoenix Pavilion.
Led by Sovereign Fengshan, Li Hao entered once more. This time, however, he was not taken to the previous pavilion, but into an internal pocket world within the rear courtyard.
Li Hao showed no surprise at such methods.
As a Sovereign in control of worlds, what had he not seen? He was merely puzzled as to why they would construct a minor pocket space here.
Before long, Li Hao understood.
"Hmm?"
The power of the Great Dao was incomparably dense, making him feel as though he were wading directly through the long river of the Great Dao.
Wave after wave of Sovereign auras continuously drifted and rippled through the air.
Sovereign Fengshan glanced at Li Hao and said with a smile, "This is our Fire Phoenix World's External Affairs Office."
"External Affairs Office?"
"Indeed—the place where foreign Sovereigns rest and cultivate during ordinary times. Not every foreign Sovereign can be like you, Senior, possessing your own world and sharing a portion of Fire Phoenix World's territory."
Li Hao understood.
It was a holding station for incorporated Sovereigns.
There seemed to be quite a number of them. Many were chaos behemoths of colossal proportions, coiled across every direction. Beyond those creatures, there were also human and demon Sovereigns.
Each resided within their own miniature domain, somewhat resembling artificially partitioned chambers. Faint glimpses of powerhouses could be seen where individuals were ostentatious. If they restrained their presence and one did not probe carefully, they were difficult to spot.
"There are... many Sovereigns here?"
"Yes."
Fengshan smiled. "Our Fire Phoenix World is the only great world in the Dragon Domain open to outsiders, and it has remained open for over a hundred thousand years. Across the entire Dragon Domain—no, across the entire Four Regions, nearly ninety percent of the Chaos race have visited our world, and many chose to stay.
"There are also quite a few demon Sovereigns from the other three domains, solitary Sovereigns, down-on-their-luck Sovereigns, and those pursued by blood enemies... They all flock here."
Because Li Hao had formally joined them and even sworn a Great Dao covenant, he was among the select few even among foreign defectors. In Fengshan's eyes, such a foreign Sovereign was worthy of trust.
At the very least, he was far more trustworthy than most of the Sovereigns here.
Others might harbor thoughts of betrayal, but this one would not.
A Great Dao covenant was not something just anyone was deemed worthy to sign. Each signing required sacrificing at least one minor world, and some rank one Sovereigns were not even worth the price of a minor world.
*Hiss!*
Li Hao made a sharp intake of breath. "Then does that mean the Sovereigns here... could number over a hundred?"
Fengshan smiled without answering.
Li Hao asked no further, simply understanding that the number was immense!
Moreover, these Sovereigns appeared to live quite comfortably. The power of the Great Dao was supplied without restriction. While it might not be as pure as Great Dao crystals, cultivating here was undoubtedly more comfortable than wandering as rogue cultivators.
This was likely Great Dao power drawn directly from the Great Dao Universe by the Fire Phoenix World.
Li Hao sank into thought.
With the Fire Phoenix World gathering so many Sovereigns, the Dragon World must be aware, right?
Or perhaps the Fire Phoenix World and the Dragon World were already virtually one and the same. After all, a rank seven dragon was stationed right here, which was truly astonishing. The strength of a rank seven master lay in their Great Dao Universe and their world itself.
Yet a rank seven stood directly inside... capable of shattering the world at any moment. Losing the support of world power in such a circumstance would be disastrous.
"This way, Senior!"
Fengshan gestured, speaking as he walked: "The External Affairs Office is merely a resting place for low-rank Sovereigns. Strong practitioners like yourself, Senior, have their own arrangements and rarely linger here for long.
"When you leave the Fire Phoenix World for your fiefdom, Senior, you may select several low-rank Sovereigns to accompany you if you wish. Of course, you must provide some Great Dao crystals, or these Sovereigns will not willingly set out.
"Bringing you here serves partly to introduce you to these Sovereigns—though you need not meet them if you prefer not to. Primarily, there is a heritage crystal here containing intelligence, information, and secrets regarding the Dragon Domain that outsiders are not privy to."
Now Li Hao understood.
Soon, the two arrived before a pavilion. No mighty experts guarded it. Any Sovereign granted entry was qualified to access this heritage, so there was no need for heavy guard. Only an aged fire phoenix with a weak aura lay prostrate there, absorbing Great Dao power as if in retirement.
Fengshan said nothing, merely releasing a wisp of his aura before leading Li Hao inside.
Within the grand pavilion sat only a solitary, fiery-red crystal.
Fengshan smiled. "We know that the Chaos race has no appetite for poring over texts and studying tedious knowledge. Thus, what we use now is forcibly instilled information that becomes instantly known upon contact.
"It is not top-secret... but once outside the External Affairs Office, it is best kept confidential."
Controlling the black dog's head, Li Hao nodded.
This was straightforward enough.
If it required actual study, he had neither the inclination nor the time to waste.
Of course, such inheritances carried both merits and drawbacks. The merit was convenience; the drawback was that having it crammed wholesale into one's mind made it difficult for earnest learners to absorb subtle nuances, while those uninterested might never bother to sift through it, rendering the instillation useless.
"Senior need only touch the crystal."
Following the instructions, Li Hao made contact with the red crystal.
In an instant, a wave of spiritual fluctuations surged into him.
Li Hao's expression shifted slightly!
He had assumed it would be an ordinary knowledge transmission. Simple inheritances were straightforward: compressed knowledge displayed like miniature projections, allowing one to view whatever one chose.
Yet the moment he touched it, he sensed a peculiar spiritual fluctuation!
Others might not recognize or understand it, assuming it was merely compressed spiritual energy from the knowledge repository. But Li Hao instantly detected its uniqueness. This was a sliver of Dao source power from a supreme expert—most likely the Master of the Fire Phoenix World!
What was its purpose?
It seemed of little practical use... save for one crucial function: tracking!
Locking down one's location!
Surveillance?
No, outright surveillance would be too obvious. It was purely positional tracking. Wherever you were, wherever you went, the other party could perceive it!
*Damn! He had come this far, and they were still guarding against him? Had that Great Dao covenant been signed for nothing?*
A moment later, Li Hao realized it was not targeted at him specifically, but at all defecting Sovereigns. He was simply swept up in the protocol; the crystal itself was forged with this function.
Many of the other Sovereigns had not signed any Great Dao covenant. Naturally, there had to be some means of control.
Such tracking anchored by the Dao source of a great world's universe was nearly impossible for any Sovereign below rank seven to detect.
Li Hao, however, had encountered far too many Dao sources!
The Dao source of Silver Moon, the Time Star, and the Dao sources of the four great worlds...
He had likely seen more Dao sources than many rank seven or eight Sovereigns. After all, for those Sovereigns to see one usually meant conquering another's world.
*The aura of Fire Phoenix World's Dao source...*
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. In that split second, Li Hao locked onto the wisp of aura. The spiritual energy sought to surge toward Li Hao's Dao source to merge with it. At that very moment, a miniature realm surfaced within Li Hao's long river.
The Dao of Adhesion!
The Realm of Adhesion!
The Dao source within this spiritual energy sought to cling to Li Hao, while his Dao of Adhesion was designed precisely for attachment. In an instant, the two forces meshed seamlessly, fusing together.
A faint luminescence shimmered within the Realm of Adhesion.
***
Fengshan watched in silence.
Seeing the black dog Sovereign press against the crystal, a smile touched his lips. His sole purpose here was to witness the Sovereign touch the crystal with his own eyes.
Now, his task was complete.
As a powerhouse of the Fire Phoenix clan, he was not entirely ignorant of the crystal's true function. Even if no one had explicitly told him, the whereabouts and deeds of foreign Sovereigns were always swiftly known to the World Master.
The purpose of the crystal was obvious enough.
Of course, he also felt it mattered little to the black dog Sovereign. The Great Dao covenant had already been signed, so this served merely as an added layer of assurance. It might even save his life: should he encounter peril, his location could easily be found.
***
At that moment, Li Hao had no mind to ponder such things.
Seeing the Dao source power assimilate into the Realm of Adhesion, he breathed a sigh of relief. He could carry it with him ordinarily, and whenever necessary, leave that small realm behind, stripping the Fire Phoenix World Master of any ability to track him.
Fortunate indeed!
Otherwise, matters would have been troublesome. It was not that he couldn't expel it, but expelling it would signal that he had discovered it. What normal rank five Sovereign possessed the qualifications to perceive the Dao source aura of a Great Dao Universe?
Had that happened, all his preceding efforts would have been in vain.
At that moment, the spiritual energy released waves of information, flashing past his vision like phantoms.
None of it was critically confidential.
Yet Li Hao felt immense inner delight. For one, a complete map unfolded before his eyes—not of the entire Dragon Domain, but of the entire Fire Phoenix World territory.
Every minor and medium world was marked in detail.
Upon certain stars, even the strength, race, and origin of their respective world masters were annotated.
To the Fire Phoenix World, intelligence on these small and medium worlds was trivial.
Since he was now one of their own, he was entitled to know the numbers and ranks of experts across Fire Phoenix World's domain.
To Li Hao, however, this was an extraordinary windfall!
This was precisely what he needed, and they had thoughtfully annotated their power, numbers, and races. Only their Great Dao attributes were omitted, being matters of personal privacy that could not be casually disclosed.
To Li Hao, that hardly mattered.
He was overjoyed; this map alone made the venture worthwhile!
Beyond the map, there was a wealth of other details, including the Fire Phoenix World's allies and adversaries.
Adversaries here did not mean humans versus demons. The Chaos Alliance, including the Dragon race, comprised twelve factions in total. While united externally, internal rivalries persisted, and this information clarified friend from foe for newcomers like Li Hao.
For instance, the Fire Phoenix World was on strained terms with the Cloud Snake World, which was likewise governed by a rank seven chaos beast. The Cloud Snake World Master was also a female rank seven Sovereign, and the two factions were said to have had friction.
Suppressed under the Dragon World's authority, their clashes had not escalated into open war. Yet if their members crossed paths outside with no witnesses around, a bloody skirmish was inevitable, and casualties were commonplace.
Scraps of intelligence surfaced one after another.
Then came a sight that shook Li Hao. Emerging next was intelligence regarding renowned great worlds such as Xinwu, Red Moon, Bright Light, Yunxiao, and Chiyang—detailing their powerhouses, appearances, and cultivation ranks.
There was also information on various rank seven worlds, though little on those below rank seven.
Li Hao's expression grew increasingly solemn as he read.
If the Fire Phoenix World knew this much, what about the Dragon World?
How had this intelligence been gathered?
Who provided it?
Had they gathered it themselves?
Why would a rank seven world pay such close attention to the entire Four Regions? Even the Bright Light World had not shown such sweeping interest in every world across the Four Regions.
Next, he spotted intelligence concerning himself.
*"The Silver Moon World vanished into the chaos over fifty years ago, sealing itself off. Formerly the territory of the Sword Venerable, it is suspected to have been birthed from the dispersed origin of Xinwu... The new King of Silver Moon, formerly styled Bright Moon Sovereign, possessing rank five strength. In the Tianfang World, allied with Bright Light's Divine Son Ming Tang (now known as Sovereign Kongji) to battle and slay Sovereign Qishui, a rank seven Sovereign...*
*"Possesses rank six combat strength, excels in sword dao, wields the aura of life and death, capable of fusing the five elements, commands a Dao domain, wields mid-rank Sovereign armaments...*
*"Upon the fall of the Red Moon Great World, the King of Silver Moon breached their Great Dao Universe, and the Red Moon Sovereign severed his Dao to escape, suspected to have been coerced by the Bright Moon Sovereign..."*
Line after line of intelligence unfolded, mostly detailing the capabilities Li Hao had exposed back in Tianfang. Tianfang was extraordinarily distant from here, yet even with numerous rank seven Sovereigns present back then, the Fire Phoenix World had managed to compile such comprehensive intelligence so quickly. For the chaos, this was no simple feat.
And this was merely the public information. In secret, they might know even more.
Li Hao's gravity deepened.
Introducing him was secondary. Crucially, just like Red Moon, a bounty was placed upon him: to capture and seize him, primarily to claim Silver Moon!
The Silver Moon World could be used to track Xinwu's location.
Could it actually track it?
Everyone assumed so, believing that because Silver Moon had drifted out from Xinwu, tracking was possible due to their shared origin.
Yet it truly could not!
Li Hao felt helpless. What had drifted away was not the power of the Origin Universe, but the power of the Emperor of Battle Heaven. The two energies were not identical. Had it truly been energy from the Origin Universe, Xinwu could indeed be tracked.
As things stood, if tracking were possible, would Li Hao not know?
It simply could not be tracked!
Nor could Xinwu locate Silver Moon; otherwise, they would have found it long ago over the past fifty-odd years.
The faint resonance felt before was solely due to the Star Gate.
Now, while the Star Gate still existed, the world was isolated within the Black Panther's belly, and all connection had long been severed. These fools were fixated on seizing Silver Moon to locate Xinwu... when Xinwu had already stepped out into the open, why were they still staring at Silver Moon?
***
Having absorbed all this intelligence, Li Hao finally possessed a relatively concrete understanding of the Dragon Domain.
Opening his eyes without unnecessary words, he conjured a map. "This is the territory of the Fire Phoenix World. Princess Feng Yan previously promised me a hundred worlds as my fiefdom... May I designate my territory directly upon this map?"
Fengshan gave a light laugh. "Naturally... However, certain areas must be excluded. Regions containing rank six worlds cannot serve as your territory, Senior. Even our Fire Phoenix World exercises only nominal jurisdiction over rank six worlds; in truth, they are subordinate worlds of the Dragon World!
"Additionally, there are two areas that serve as fiefdoms for Sovereigns of the External Affairs Office, just like yourself. Some experts dislike remaining in the Fire Phoenix World due to the stifling concentration of powerhouses and choose to venture out. Those two areas are unavailable!"
He marked out these regions one by one. Not only were the rank six worlds themselves off-limits, but the surrounding zones were also excluded to prevent friction, given that the black dog Sovereign was merely rank five.
With these restrictions in place, the available choices dwindled considerably.
Li Hao examined the map. The Fire Phoenix World occupied the center.
Its territory bordered four great worlds: the Dragon World, the Tongbao World, the Giant Elephant World, and the Mighty Tiger World. With the Fire Phoenix World situated in the middle, half of the surrounding space in each of the four directions belonged to Fire Phoenix territory, and half to the other four great worlds.
The Dragon World lay to the east of the Fire Phoenix World...
Comparatively speaking, that direction was far more perilous, teeming with far more powerhouses.
Moreover, the Dragon World's territory bordered it, and the Dragon World was the undisputed overlord. Choosing the eastern side of Fire Phoenix territory would be exceedingly uncomfortable.
Yet Li Hao's eyes swept over it, and he soon pointed toward an eastern sector. "Can I choose here?"
Fengshan was surprised. He nodded. "Of course... However, I must remind you that just beyond this area lies the domain of the Dragon World. Some individuals dislike bordering the Dragon World..."
Li Hao chuckled. "Safe! Near the Dragon World, flanked by the Dragon World on one side and the Fire Phoenix World on the other—is there anywhere safer than this? Even if an eighth-rank master arrived here, they wouldn't dare act rashly!"
That was true enough!
Fengshan nodded with a wry smile. "Safe... it is indeed very safe! However... you must be somewhat careful, Senior. Within the Dragon World's territory, certain figures are extraordinarily domineering. They occasionally cross the border. We cannot say much, and while they generally dare not go too far, they invariably come looking for extortions and handouts. That is why there are no rank six worlds anywhere near here; if there were, they would have found ways to relocate. It is simply too troublesome!
"Still, you need not worry excessively. Those fellows are not dragons themselves, and our Fire Phoenix World is not to be trifled with either. At most, they will demand some blood morsels... If you encounter them, Senior, simply toss them some blood morsels to send them on their way!"
Li Hao's voice took on a disgruntled edge: "They dare solicit extortions? Are they not afraid of provoking a battle and drawing the Dragon Lord's attention...?"
"It will hardly come to that; it is merely a few blood morsels... Of course, I understand that you have wandered the chaos for many years, Senior, and may be unaccustomed or reluctant to part with them... Rest assured, whatever losses you incur, the Fire Phoenix World will compensate in full. In the Dragon Domain, it is considered customary for passersby of great strength to demand some blood morsels."
Sure enough, what that old rat monster said had been accurate: in the Dragon Domain, passing by a world and demanding blood morsels was utterly routine!
The so-called blood morsels were, of course, humans.
Eaten as sweet snacks.
Even the Fire Phoenix World considered giving them away perfectly ordinary—they were merely some humans, after all, and humans were never in short supply. If you were reluctant, they would simply compensate you later.
Earlier, despite noticing that they imitated humans and adopted an all-embracing posture allowing humans to join, the humans recognized by these chaos beasts were only Sovereigns. Those beneath the Sovereign rank were not considered humans in their eyes.
They were merely two-legged beasts, mere blood morsels.
Li Hao said nothing more on the subject, quickly adding, "Then I select this place and shall anchor my world in the vicinity... Are all the worlds in this surrounding area under my jurisdiction?"
*Ahem...*
Fengshan cleared his throat and cautioned, "They are not under your governance, Senior. They are merely required to pay tribute to you. You cannot mobilize the various world masters. Of course, regarding the relocation of worlds that Her Highness promised earlier, you may proceed if you wish... but you cannot muster troops..."
In short: they were merely indulging him, granting him some resources and territory. Beyond that, the worlds had nothing to do with him.
Li Hao said grumpily, "Then there should be no issue if I summon them for a grand assembly, right?"
"Well... if the world masters are willing, we naturally have no objection."
Fengshan smiled, inwardly speechless. *Hold a meeting? How idle can you be?*
Those world masters might attend if they felt generous; after all, he was a rank five Sovereign, so some face had to be shown. Low-rank Sovereigns would likely show up, but mid-rank Sovereigns might well ignore him.
This region held over a dozen medium worlds, all led by mid-rank Sovereigns, including two rank five Sovereigns who were simply not direct retainers of the Fire Phoenix World.
Li Hao's status was relatively higher than theirs, as he served the Fire Phoenix World directly.
"That will do!"
Li Hao brushed it aside, paused, and added, "What if those fellows are swayed by my charisma and voluntarily offer themselves into my service as vassals? Would that be permitted?"
"This..."
Fengshan felt compelled to remind him, "Senior, the law of the chaos is the survival of the fittest! But in the Dragon Domain, you must remember one rule: there are laws here—the laws of the Dragon race!
"If a world master genuinely wishes to serve you, no one will stop them! However, should you use force to subjugate them... that is strictly forbidden! Except for members of the alliance, no world may proactively attack another. The twelve alliance great worlds may do so, but even they must give prior notice!"
If someone was so servile that they insisted on following you, nothing could be done about it.
However, you were forbidden from using military force to suppress them!
Li Hao sneered. "Why would I need force? I am a rank five Sovereign with profound Great Dao comprehension. Can I not simply use Dao-preaching methods to take on a few servants? Rest assured, I know the rules of the Dragon Domain; how could I offend the Dragon Lord?"
"As long as you understand, Senior. Otherwise... feel free to act as you please!"
Fengshan smiled again. "Aside from this, there is one final matter. Should the Fire Phoenix World require your presence, you will be summoned..."
With that, he handed Li Hao a piece of jade. "Communication in the chaos is difficult, but fortunately, the various alliance worlds have reached an understanding, permitting great worlds to extend their Great Dao power over certain ranges. This is a Fire Phoenix Stone. If it shatters, it signifies that we are summoning everyone for an urgent matter. When the Fire Phoenix Stone breaks, Senior need only rush back to the Fire Phoenix World. The Fire Phoenix World places few restrictions on you experts."
"Understood!"
Li Hao wasted no more words.
Eager to depart, he asked, "Then I may leave now?"
"This... Will you not refine the rank six world here, Senior?"
"No, I shall do so once I arrive at my territory!"
With a booming laugh, Li Hao said, "In any case, no one in the Dragon Domain dares ambush me to steal treasures, so what should I fear? I also want to see... if someone does attack me, whether anyone will pay the price. If not... then..."
He gave a sly chuckle. "I might secretly try it out myself!"
*What a reckless fool!*
Fengshan was at a loss for words. These wanderers of the chaos were all cut from the same cloth: audaciously reckless, yet possessing a convoluted streak of cowardice. If no one tried something, they dared not try it either. But the moment someone else dared, their courage surged, and they would rush to do the same!
Such profoundly contradictory creatures fit the temperament of chaos beasts. Of course, Fengshan and his kin now held established territories and a fixed race, so they rarely acted this way anymore.
Those with nothing to lose feared no consequences, but these chaos beasts seated atop great worlds had long since put on shoes.
"Rest assured, Senior. The place you are heading to sits upon the border between the dragons and the phoenixes. Who would be so tired of living as to run wild there? Experts frequently pass through that area, even rank seven Sovereigns!"
Li Hao smiled. "Good!"
Then he added, "Then I shall take my leave... By the way, once I arrive, how do I prove this territory belongs to me?"
"If you do not mind, Senior... I can accompany you. Once we arrive, I will pay visits to those medium worlds to deliver the news. As for the minor worlds, even without direct orders from the Fire Phoenix World, they would never dare provoke you."
"That works!"
Li Hao did not object to having the fellow tag along. His presence would lend greater credibility.
A fine development!
***
Soon, Li Hao lingered no longer in the Fire Phoenix World, heading straight for the borderland between dragon and phoenix.
Choosing that location was for a single reason: a gamble!
A gamble on what?
A gamble that the Dragon World would depart!
Once the Dragon World left, there would be no other great worlds in that direction. The path would be wide open!
A position from which to advance or retreat at will.
Of course, if the Dragon World did not leave, matters would become troublesome. Experts would pass by frequently, and that was the true hazard. If the rank eight Dragon Lord happened by one day, spotted Li Hao, and insisted on having a chat, it might well end in disaster.
Yet choosing that location was also advantageous regarding the Fire Phoenix World. It further proved that Li Hao had nothing to hide. Who with ulterior motives would dare choose such a place?
Were they courting death?
Li Hao did not bid farewell to Princess Feng Yan. Following Fengshan, he exited the world directly and headed east.
***
Fire Phoenix City.
Feng Yan knew the black dog had departed, though she paid it little heed. She had granted Li Hao ten years, during which she would demand nothing of him.
Since that was the case, he was free to leave whenever he pleased.
Still, looking at the territory Li Hao had chosen, she could not help but shake her head. What a choice! Experts from the Dragon World's territory would inevitably pass through that area. Though she was not well-acquainted with the black dog, she could sense his haughty pride.
She only hoped no major conflicts would erupt.
***
At the same time.
Rat World.
The Time Star rippled faintly. A phantasmal river drifted into view, and a wisp of consciousness flowed forth.
Director Zhao swiftly received the message, instructing him to notify the nearby Silver Moon Sovereigns to converge at the designated spot—with utmost caution, as the location bordered the Dragon World's domain.
"How audacious!"
Looking at the map, Director Zhao drew a sharp breath.
Right at the doorstep of the Dragon World!
Utterly mad!
And... how had he managed to infiltrate all the way there?
Was it really that simple?
Did no one oversee this?
Li Hao had managed to sneak right up to the Dragon World's front door?
Moreover, this position... with the Dragon World in front and the Fire Phoenix World behind, Li Hao truly had nerves of steel!
Pincer-trapped from both sides!
Should his identity be exposed, he would be thoroughly doomed; not even the Human King could save him!
After marveling for a moment, another thought crossed his mind. Had Li Hao not always been this bold, Silver Moon would never have reached its current heights, nor could it have attained the status of a rank five world so quickly. If he could truly establish a firm foothold here...
Perhaps Silver Moon would advance to rank six?
As for Li Hao himself, he would likely step into rank six as well. At rank five, Li Hao had dared battle a rank seven; though he had been outmatched, once he reached rank six, he might truly be able to contend with a rank seven!
***
East of the Fire Phoenix World.
The vast, boundless chaos.
Tearing through the void and rushing without pause from the Fire Phoenix World to this location, Li Hao and Fengshan traveled for over ten days, despite being mid-rank Sovereigns.
For low-rank Sovereigns, the journey would likely have taken upwards of a month.
Across the entire Fire Phoenix World, aside from the Fire Phoenix World Master who could shift the Great Dao Universe to arrive swiftly, anyone else—even if Feng Yan wished to come—would need five or six days to reach this place.
To the chaos, that was close; to Li Hao, five or six days was enough to conclude an entire war.
Naturally, if a rank seven world master wished to come, nothing could stop them.
Yet if one truly came while their world was not nearby... perhaps he might even reap some benefits. He was not overwhelmingly afraid.
Arriving in an uninhabited region where energy was not particularly rich, Li Hao came to a halt and laughed heartily: "Right here! I shall establish my Black Dog World here! Brother Fengshan, you may go inform those medium worlds now. Furthermore, help me extend an invitation to everyone: in half a month, I shall host all Sovereigns of the Black Dog Domain in the Black Dog World!
"Time is pressing... everyone must arrive promptly!"
Fengshan opened his mouth, then hesitated. *Why bring humiliation upon yourself?*
Li Hao laughed boisterously. "Ah, I forgot to mention: I will formally absorb the rank six world only in half a month. If they attend, they might... share a piece of the pie. When a rank six world is refined, some world power will inevitably disperse. To rank five or six Sovereigns, it may be negligible, but to others, it offers some benefit!"
At these words, Fengshan drew a breath. *You are truly generous!*
"Forgive my bluntness, Daoist Black Dog... do you intend to carve out a faction of your own here?"
He was somewhat puzzled. This sounded like the rhythm of building an enterprise and establishing a legacy.
Li Hao laughed heartily. "Having wandered for years, I know all too well how wretched it is to lack one's own domain! If the Dragon Domain unifies the realm, the Fire Phoenix World will surely expand its territory. At that time, if I have rendered meritorious service and hold some territory of my own... would that not be perfectly natural? For myself, I also hope to advance to rank seven—who doesn't? Since we lack a Great Dao Universe, let us see if holding vast territory can land me a rank seven universe to play with..."
*What an ambitious fellow!*
*Splendid!*
Fengshan smiled. "Very well! Inviting them would normally have been extraordinarily difficult. But if you intend to refine a rank six world, Daoist Black Dog... many experts might actually show up. Of course, once I deliver the notifications, I must return immediately, so I will likely miss this opportunity..."
Li Hao chuckled. "No matter. Besides, would Brother Fengshan care about such scraps? If I were a Sovereign of a great world, blessed with a Great Dao Universe and infinite pure Great Dao power, I wouldn't spare a glance for a medium world either!"
"That is not what I meant. It is not that I look down upon it, but that many matters require attention recently."
Having chatted along the way, the two had grown somewhat familiar.
After all, Li Hao was a rank five Sovereign, so Fengshan gave him face, smiling as he said, "I truly do not intend to dismiss your invitation, Daoist Black Dog, but the Dao Lord has issued an order: all members of the Fire Phoenix clan must return to our world as soon as possible!"
Li Hao's heart stirred. Feigning indifference, he asked in confusion, "So strict? Not even a brief tour outside is permitted...?"
"No, no. Ordinarily it wouldn't matter, but there may be tasks in the near future..."
This was no grand secret, at least in Fengshan's eyes. He explained, "Recently, there has allegedly been movement in the human rank seven great world, the Thunder World. This may be a precaution against upheavals from the Thunder World... Of course, I cannot say for certain. But since you have only recently joined, Brother Black Dog, you should not be troubled even if something happens. You can enjoy some peaceful days... unlike us, who must keep bustling about."
Li Hao roared with laughter. "That is well! How could I simply enjoy myself? Being here, I must cultivate as well!"
Yet internally, his thoughts churned. *The Fire Phoenix World intends to strike at the Thunder World?*
*Yet... the Thunder World is said to reside near the Thunder Domain, readily retreating into it at a moment's notice. Even the Dragon Lord failed to capture them; what makes the Fire Phoenix World dare target the Thunder World?*
*Coupled with the possibility that the Dragon World might leave...*
*Depart?*
*Yes! Once the Dragon World departs, the Thunder World will inevitably lower its guard.*
In that instant, countless deductions formed in Li Hao's mind. Did this tie into that?
A rank seven great world feared only rank eight great worlds.
If the Dragon World truly departed, the Thunder World, vigilant for so many years, would surely relax its guard. If the Fire Phoenix World could locate them at that moment and storm into the Thunder World... this human great world, entrenched in the Dragon Domain for years, might genuinely be breached.
Even if one faction struggled alone, by entangling them while neighboring great worlds arrived to reinforce, taking down the Thunder World would not be overly difficult.
Previously, the Thunder World had been vigilant in the extreme, fleeing into the Thunder Domain at the slightest sign of trouble. Would the Dragon World's departure cause them to drop their vigilance?
It was highly probable!
Fengshan's words had not revealed much, and he likely did not grasp the full picture himself. But piecing it together with his own deduction that the Dragon World would march on the Chiyang Domain, matters suddenly grew intriguing.
*The Fire Phoenix World might also lead all its experts away... If so... tsk tsk. With the Dragon World gone and the Fire Phoenix World taking all its experts along... then...*
*Does that mean I will become the overlord of this region?*
Li Hao was secretly startled.
*Could it be?*
Fengshan's rush to return indicated great urgency. Returning would take roughly ten days, yet he was unwilling even to stay for the sharing assembly. Evidently, the Fire Phoenix World would launch an operation in the very near future.
And before that... the Dragon World would surely depart first.
In that case... was the Dragon World truly about to leave?
The thought crystallized in Li Hao's mind. He gazed into the distance. Out there lay the perimeter of the Dragon World—though still quite far from the Dragon World itself.
*Is the Dragon Lord about to lead the Dragon World out to war?*
***
At the same time.
Dragon World.
Within a resplendent, golden palace, the Dragon Lord sat aloft, gazing down upon all living beings with boundless majesty.
In appearance, the Dragon Lord seemed domineering and brutish, fitting the classic temperament of a chaos beast.
Yet upon closer inspection... he lacked the usual impulsive bloodlust, possessing an air of cold calculation.
At this moment, he looked across the hall, where powerhouse after powerhouse stood. Externally, the Dragon World claimed to possess only four rank seven Sovereigns—the same number as other rank eight worlds, which represented the standard capacity an ordinary rank eight world could support.
However, chaos beasts had a unique advantage: they could step into rank seven without relying on a Great Dao Universe!
Consequently, the rank seven Sovereigns present exceeded what the outside world knew.
Beyond the four rank seven dragons—excluding the one stationed in the Fire Phoenix World—there were several rank seven Sovereigns of other races. Beneath the Dragon Lord stood eight seats!
This indicated that besides the four dragon rank sevens, there were four other rank seven Sovereigns unknown to the outside world.
This was the true foundation with which the Dragon World dominated the Dragon Domain.
Eight rank seven Sovereigns—no, nine, counting the one in the Fire Phoenix World.
Such strength was terrifying.
Their number of rank seven Sovereigns matched that of two rank eight worlds combined, not even counting vassals like the Fire Phoenix World Master who had thoroughly submitted to him.
Only the nine experts were present in this hall.
None below high rank were qualified to enter.
After a long silence, the Dragon Lord spoke: "Chiyang, Yunxiao, Red Moon, and Bright Light all keep their eyes on us. If we do not enter the war, they cannot rest easy and dare not wage an all-out struggle!"
The Dragon Lord let out a sneer. "It is said that Chiyang has even colluded with foreign experts from outside the domains to bolster their ranks, while Xinwu has already clashed violently with Chiyang. Ever since Silver Moon withdrew from Tianfang, unusual movements have stirred continuously in Tianfang as well. Certain fellows who obtained Great Dao stars seem to have stimulated them toward revival...
"With non-stop disturbances on that front, yet our Dragon Domain remaining utterly aloof, none of the three factions dare wage an all-out war... In their eyes, we are merely sitting on the mountain watching tigers fight... They are mistaken!"
The Dragon Lord chuckled softly. "I was merely concerned that they might join forces to besiege us, which was why I refrained from acting rashly before... Now, those factions have thoroughly shed all pretense of cordiality. Red Moon is no longer a concern. If we can join forces with them to annihilate Bright Light first, then unite to deal with Xinwu... in the end, perhaps the Four Regions should be renamed the Dragon Domain!
"Gentlemen, the opportunity for our Chaos race... has arrived!"
His voice turned icy: "In the Four Regions, across the chaos universe, we of the Chaos race are the native beings! We were born of the chaos and raised in the chaos. Yet ultimately, the chaos became the territory of mankind, and these birthed worlds are like malignant tumors, covering our chaos universe like festering sores...
"Our Chaos race was reduced to wandering the four corners like beggars, daring not linger in any single place... Do you know why?"
Below, a Sovereign said in a low voice, "Because our Chaos race lacks a rank nine Sovereign!"
There was no other reason: humanity had produced rank nine Sovereigns, and more than one.
That was the crux!
Their strength fell short.
Chaos beasts were uniquely blessed by heaven, finding it somewhat easier to reach rank seven than humans, yet virtually none had ever stepped into rank nine. And rank nine was the true overlord of the chaos!
The Dragon Lord said in a low voice, "Once we seize the Four Regions... the opportunity will be ours! In ancient times, the Lord of Tianfang attained rank nine within the Four Regions. If we conquer several rank eight worlds, conquer Xinwu, and conquer Tianfang... rank nine will be well within our grasp!
"In three days, the Dragon World marches! We march openly and magnificently, announcing to the Four Regions that the Dragon World has arrived! We shall also inform those petty scoundrels hiding in the gutters that I have departed, and the Dragon Domain... is now theirs to run wild in!"
He began to laugh. "I hope that upon my return, the world outside has changed, and within the Dragon Domain... those little ants will have all been dealt with! My strength alone does not mean the Chaos race is strong; everyone must contribute. Whether Fire Phoenix and the others can take down the Thunder World and conquer the five demon races... I hope they can deliver a satisfactory answer!"
"The Dragon Lord is peerless! Victory is assured!"
The eight rank seven Sovereigns cried out in unison like fervent disciples, a sight exceedingly rare.
Rank seven Sovereigns had long passed the point of fawning over others, yet at this moment, they displayed unbridled fanaticism!
The Dragon Lord roared with laughter.
With such morale, how could their grand ambition fail?
*The Chaos race lacks a rank nine? Then I... shall be the first rank nine expert of the Chaos race... Not a chaos beast—'beast' is a derogatory term. When that day comes, the so-called humans will be the beasts!*
*And our Chaos race shall be truly supreme!*
Chapter 520