The borderlands between the Dragon and Phoenix worlds.
Word had reached the surrounding worlds that the Fire Phoenix World had appointed a new overlord...
Naturally, most world lords did not pay it much mind.
An overlord?
In the Dragon Region, only the Dragon Lord was the true overlord, followed by the masters of the great worlds. Beneath them... all were on equal footing. Who was nobler than whom?
Formidable strength still commanded respect, of course.
Yet what kind of overlord was a mere rank five Sovereign?
If they felt inclined, they might humor him with an acknowledgment. If not, would he dare to strike them down? In the Dragon Region, without an order from the Dragon Lord, who dared slay a Sovereign on a whim?
Sovereign Black Dog, rank five Sovereign.
That was all the information available on the new overlord.
He did not belong to the direct lineage of the Fire Phoenix World. He was said to be a roving chaos beast from one of the other three regions... In truth, all chaos beasts were wanderers by nature, but within the Dragon Region today, wandering beasts had become the minority.
They had learned to take root within worlds—a transformation wrought by the Dragon Lord.
Originally, when the newcomer summoned everyone to assemble, none of them had shown much interest.
A world was a treasure.
Chaos beasts possessed an advantage in being able to carry worlds with them on the run, yet dragging a world along was exhausting. Under normal circumstances, they anchored themselves to a specific expanse. To attend a gathering, they would undoubtedly have to haul their worlds with them.
What a bother!
However, Fengshan had circulated an additional piece of news: the new overlord had received a reward from Princess Feng Yan—a rank six world. The purpose of this assembly was to devour and refine this rank six world, which was bound to release a substantial overflow of world power.
All at once, the Sovereigns who had previously scoffed were instantly intrigued.
Setting aside the middle-rank Sovereigns, a rank six world was the pinnacle of what low-rank Sovereigns could even conceive. Anything greater was an overlord world of the absolute elite, far beyond their reach to covet.
With that, the world lords who had resolved to ignore the summons promptly swallowed their worlds and began drifting toward the central territory.
This was the greatest advantage of chaos beasts.
They could relocate their homes at any moment!
For an ordinary rank one Sovereign, moving a rank one world was immensely difficult. Even if they managed it, they had to inch it along gradually, or else eradicate all living beings within it to compress the world directly. Otherwise, intact transport was nearly impossible.
On this front, chaos beasts enjoyed an unparalleled edge.
...
The borderlands between the Dragon and Phoenix realms, quiet for so long, now grew bustling with activity.
Sovereigns who usually could not be bothered to lift a finger now revealed their gargantuan forms, drifting toward the central territory.
Even several worlds belonging to the Dragon World’s side caught wind of the news.
Regrettably, because this was not an overlord under the Dragon World, they felt embarrassed to show up, leaving them with mild disappointment.
...
Meanwhile.
Just as these world lords set off, the colossal Dragon World was not swallowed by the Dragon Lord. Instead, beneath the vessel of the world, four rank seven true dragons directly heaved the vast rank eight great world onto their shoulders!
The Dragon Lord did not assume his true form to swallow and quietly carry the world off.
The commotion was monumental!
The four true dragons had reverted to their true forms without compressing the world in the least. Each dragon stretched hundreds of thousands of meters across the heavens and earth. Though still dwarfed by the great world itself, dragon forms of such immense size remained exceptionally rare, as dragons rarely assumed such exaggerated proportions during ordinary times.
Each dragon bore a single corner, lifting the rank eight great world clean up to drift across the chaotic void. Wherever they passed, terror swept through the reaches as surging energy and earth-shattering pressure shook the heavens!
The Dragon World had set out on its campaign.
Outside the realm, countless other dragons circled, every one of them a Sovereign. Across the entire Dragon World, Sovereigns numbered well over a hundred!
The sheer grandeur of the procession loudly announced to all that the Dragon World had taken to the warpath.
...
On Li Hao’s side.
The Silver Moon World stood quietly.
Naturally, to guard against unforeseen risks, Li Hao had nested worlds within worlds. He had unfolded the rank six water-attribute world bestowed by Feng Yan, draping it over Silver Moon's exterior. From the outside, it appeared as nothing more than a rank six water-attribute world.
This was perfectly normal. The fusion of twin worlds served not merely to devour, but to augment and expand the foundation. No one would find such a choice suspicious.
It was also meant to prevent passing Sovereigns from peering too deeply inside and uncovering anomalies.
The Silver Moon World was, in truth, quite ordinary.
What was extraordinary was its Dao universe.
Now, to prevent supreme experts from prying, Kongji and Er Mao were tasked specifically with concealing and suppressing the Dao universe, keeping it from being detected.
Moreover, according to their deductions, the Dragon Lord would likely pass through on his way to join the war in the Chiyang Domain.
Though this location was not strictly on the Dragon World's necessary path, passing nearby remained perilous. If an eighth-rank powerhouse like the Dragon Lord passed by with time on his hands and decided to probe deeply into the area, everything would be ruined.
Li Hao was taking a gamble.
He was gambling that even if the Dragon Lord passed by, he would have neither the inclination nor the desire to pry into a mid-tier world. The greater the figure, the more they cared about their dignity. An overlord of the Dragon Lord's stature always presented an affable demeanor toward those within his domain.
It was petty underlings who relished brandishing power and looking down on others. The higher one’s station, the easier they were to converse with—provided one did not offend them. An underling might be helpless against you, but a supreme figure could reduce you to ash on a whim.
Such was reality.
Thus, Li Hao was less worried about the Dragon Lord passing by than he was about domineering rank six Sovereigns who might happen across the area and insist on probing him to flaunt their authority.
Those types were truly tiresome.
Outside the world, Li Hao still occupied Black Panther’s body. Gazing into the distance through the hazy void, he vaguely saw a world in motion... and yet it seemed unreal, like a trick of the eye.
Even if the Dragon World set out on campaign, it should have been the dragons moving, not the realm itself.
Yet at this moment, Li Hao caught a faint glimpse of an immense world in the distance, drawing somewhat closer. That was the Dragon World, as everyone knew, but the Dragon World itself was not supposed to move.
After watching for a while, Li Hao withdrew his gaze.
Right now, he had only one task: conceal himself thoroughly, conceal the world, conceal the Dao universe, and then... wait for the Dragon World to depart.
He would wait for the other world lords to deliver themselves to his doorstep, saving him the trouble of hunting them down one by one.
...
In the Fire Phoenix World.
The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord had learned of the outcome ahead of Li Hao.
At this moment, Sovereigns were congregating within the Fire Phoenix World.
Clad in crimson robes, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord suddenly burst into hearty laughter. "The Dragon World has marched! Our Dragon Region shall reign supreme over all under heaven!"
The aura of this rank seven powerhouse surged skyward in an instant, exerting immense pressure in all directions!
The power of fire shook heaven and earth.
The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord surveyed her surroundings. The Fire Phoenix World was a great world; she was not its sole rank seven. In addition to the rank seven dragon expert, another powerhouse of the Fire Phoenix clan had stepped into the seventh rank.
Three rank seven experts in total!
Even among rank seven worlds, this stood at the very pinnacle.
"Now, summoning all Sovereigns back serves a single purpose: to launch a campaign against the Thunder World!"
The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord's voice resonated through the grand hall. Those gathered here were native Sovereigns of the Fire Phoenix World whose Great Daos were rooted in the Great Dao world. Aside from the dragon elder, all were trusted confidants.
As for the Sovereigns in the External Affairs Office, there was no need for them to know anything more. They had only one task: march into battle!
Murmurs broke out instantly among the Sovereigns below.
Attack the Thunder World?
Even Feng Yan was somewhat taken aback. Though she had known this day would come, from her mother's demeanor and posture, action seemed imminent.
Above, the elder of the Dragon race smiled without uttering a word.
The other rank seven expert of the Fire Phoenix clan was also a woman in human form, appearing somewhat aged. In terms of seniority, she surpassed the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord, though in strength, she fell short.
Her expression turned grave as well.
The Thunder World!
The sole human great world in the Dragon Region. If it were easy to conquer, it would have fallen long ago. Years ago, the Dragon Lord had personally led an assault against it, only for the defenders to retreat into the Thunder Domain.
Within the Thunder Domain, chaotic lightning tribulations were legion.
Even a cultivator of the Dragon Lord's stature would draw far more ferocious thunderous strikes upon entering. The stronger the intruder, the more terrifying the tribulation. In the end, the Dragon Lord had been forced to withdraw to avoid suffering injuries that foreign enemies could exploit.
Although the Thunder World possessed only a single rank seven Sovereign, the Thunder Lord was exceedingly formidable. Had he not deliberately suppressed the Thunder World's growth, it might have fostered more than one rank seven by now.
The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord was at the peak of rank seven, but the Thunder Lord was likewise a peak rank seven.
Moreover, humans exercised far greater mastery over great worlds and Dao universes. Fighting on their home turf made breaking their realm extraordinarily difficult, even with three rank seven experts present.
"Ever since Xinwu's rise, the Four Regions have undergone catastrophic upheavals. The Red Moon World was destroyed, Bright Star and Yunxiao stand locked in standoff, and Chiyang is at war with Xinwu... The once-mighty human factions are waning!"
"The Thunder World had pinned its hopes on reinforcements from the other three regions, but now... that chance is gone!"
The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord declared in a resounding voice, "The Thunder World is vital—far more important than an ordinary rank seven great world. The Dragon Lord could have crushed it long ago, but... his methods are overbearing. Once he unleashes his full force, the Thunder World will be destroyed!"
"Leaving aside the loss of a Dao universe, the critical point is that it would sever a vital passageway. The presence of the Thunder Domain has blocked countless Sovereigns from entering and exiting the Four Regions. In the entire Four Regions, the only world capable of traversing the Thunder Domain without destruction is the Thunder World!"
This was paramount!
Utterly essential.
If one only cared about the Four Regions, it mattered little. But once one's ambitions stretched beyond, the Thunder World became invaluable—its world and its Dao universe alike—because it could freely navigate the Thunder Domain.
Though danger still existed, the current Thunder World dared not make reckless crossings simply because they were weak, possessing only a single rank seven Sovereign alongside depleted internal reserves.
Once claimed by the Dragon race and bolstered by an eighth-rank powerhouse to stabilize its heaven and earth while infusing limitless energy, the Thunder World would cease to be a mere world; it would serve as a bridge connecting the inner and outer reaches.
Advance to attack, retreat to defend!
Outside experts who came could not bring their worlds along.
Yet if we wish to venture outward, we can use the Thunder World to transport our worlds beyond. That is the crux of the matter.
If one harbored no ambition toward the greater chaos, it was irrelevant.
Yet with such ambition, the Thunder World had to be claimed, and claimed intact. The Thunder Lord had to die, and his Dao universe and world had to be seized. Whoever commanded the Thunder World would hold a preeminent position and advantage on the Dragon Region's side during the coming cosmic upheavals.
And this was the gift the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord had prepared for her daughter.
A gift to celebrate her breakthrough to rank seven!
It was also... a gift to establish her as the Dragon Lord’s successor. Though the Dragon Lord was peerless, mighty beyond measure, immortal and indestructible, securing the title of successor would at least win the recognition of most Dragon race experts.
The Fire Phoenix clan could become the foremost race beneath the Dragon race!
At this moment, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord burned with unyielding ambition. The Dragon World had marched; if they failed to take the Thunder World now, they might never have another opportunity.
Moreover, among the twelve great worlds of the Chaos Alliance, setting the others aside, that seductive serpent, as well as that vixen from the distant Qingqiu Fox World, were her greatest rivals.
Fighting for favor?
No!
This was a struggle for their clan's destiny!
A battle for the species' future!
Whoever seized the upper hand at this juncture would stand as the foremost clan of the chaos beneath the Dragon race once the Dragon Lord achieved his hegemony. Resources, worlds, experts, and Dao universes would all be theirs to claim first.
Thus, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord's voice grew even more impassioned: "All Sovereigns, prepare yourselves! The war of the Dragon Lord and his forces lies outside! Our war lies in the Thunder World! Executing the Thunder Lord is our task. Your task... is to slay every expert of the Thunder World! Do not damage the realm; seize everything intact... The Sovereigns of the External Affairs Office will serve as the vanguard. Do not inform them of our true objective; they need only obey orders!"
"The Fire Phoenix World has gathered countless Sovereigns over the years and bestowed boundless benefits upon them. Now is the time to put them to use! Summon all external Sovereigns back immediately. Any who refuse to return... shall be executed without mercy!"
"..."
Below, Feng Yan frowned slightly. She had not expected war to erupt so soon.
Ten years was hardly a long time.
Yet her mother was already mobilizing the troops. From the look of it, the grand battle would ignite shortly. In that case... what of Sovereign Black Dog, the rank five Sovereign who had just departed with a rank six world? Should he be summoned back?
Her mother was still rallying the assembly, so Feng Yan refrained from interrupting.
She intended to ask her mother afterward.
They had just sent him off, and he had likely begun absorbing the rank six world, which required time. To demand his immediate return now... seemed improper. Furthermore, they had agreed not to assign him any tasks within ten years.
The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord continued her rousing speech before dismissing the Sovereigns to make preparations and cultivate. In the coming days, the Fire Phoenix World would supply Dao energy without restriction.
Not only that, but accumulated treasures and Dao charm crystals would also be distributed freely.
This sent waves of excitement through the Fire Phoenix Sovereigns.
...
Once the others had dispersed, Princess Feng Yan stepped forward with hesitation and asked, "Mother, will our move against the Thunder World happen in the immediate future?"
"Yes, within three to five months at most... But we must wait for the Dragon Lord to reach the Chiyang Domain and formally make contact with worlds like Xinwu and Chiyang, or even engage them in battle. Once that intelligence reaches us, the Thunder World will be at its most unguarded!"
Three to five months in the chaos was the mere blink of an eye.
Even travel demanded time.
Hearing this, Feng Yan knew the great battle was at hand. She could only say, "Earlier, I assumed we would have more time, so I promised that black dog we wouldn't draft him for ten years. Now that battle is upon us, Mother..."
"No matter!"
The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord laughed lightly. "A minor matter. We do not lack a single rank five Sovereign! However... once we attack the Thunder World and our Fire Phoenix World departs alongside the Dragon World, battles may erupt in other areas, and the Dragon-Phoenix border might not remain safe... Let that black dog weigh the risks himself!"
A rank five Sovereign was decent, but hardly decisive. One more or less made no difference.
The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord paid it little heed.
She continued, "You need not fret over such things. He is a mere rank five. If we claim the Thunder World this time and you seize the chance to reach rank seven... Yan'er, you must understand that only rank sevens are true powerhouses in the chaos! Only at rank seven do you possess the standing to accomplish great deeds, understand?"
"I understand."
"Good!"
The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord exhaled softly. "This time, with the Dragon World marching from the twelve-world Chaos Alliance, our primary target is the Thunder World. If complications arise, the Giant Elephant, Mighty Tiger, and Tongbao worlds will assist us! The remaining seven worlds will target the five monster race worlds, surrounding them without attacking while awaiting our triumph, after which we will negotiate or fight. Whether the entire Dragon Region can be unified hangs on this operation! Yan'er, if you can establish sufficient merit before the Dragon Lord returns... your future will be far vaster than mine!"
Feng Yan nodded quietly.
The Dragon Region, tranquil for so many years, was about to plunge into turmoil.
Since her mother deemed it unnecessary... there was no rush to summon the black dog back.
...
*Rumble!*
The world advanced.
What had initially seemed an illusion became unmistakable as the Dragon World steadily shifted forward. Dragon experts even flew ahead to clear the path, ordering worlds along the route to yield. In an instant, the entire Dragon Region learned that the Dragon World had embarked on its campaign!
There was little worry, mostly sheer excitement and fervor.
Lord Dragon Lord was setting out to conquer the great worlds of humanity!
Long ago, the Dragon Region had been human territory. The present rank seven worlds, and even the rank eight Dragon World, had originally belonged to humans. Later, under the Dragon Lord's leadership, this expanse had gradually become the domain of chaos beasts.
At this moment, older Sovereigns recalled scenes of bygone eras.
Back then, it had been just like this: the Dragon Lord marched forth with countless experts trailing in his wake, expanding their territory and tearing a massive chunk out of human lands!
And the Dragon World’s heading was indeed bearing toward Li Hao's location.
...
Within the Dragon World.
The Dragon Lord sat perched on high. He was in no rush, studying a map of the Four Regions sprawled before him, complete down to the smallest worlds.
Countless worlds were densely marked across the surface.
Within the Dragon Region, every world aside from the monster race and the Thunder World was marked in gold. Gold represented the Dragon World's sphere of influence.
Curiously, a scattering of golden stars appeared within the other three regions as well.
These also denoted the Dragon World's reach and authority.
Others were half gold and half red,
or half gold and half white.
Gold signified control, red meant enemy, and white denoted those that could be either slain or absorbed.
Beyond these were several massive stars. One, however, could now be erased. With a wave of his hand, the Dragon Lord swept away a star representing Red Moon.
The Red Moon Domain was practically crippled.
It had lost a rank eight great world and five rank seven great worlds, while Xinwu had fled. A few rank seven worlds remained, but in an era dominated by rank eights, unallied rank sevens could only huddle in isolation.
Soon, his gaze shifted toward the Tianfang Domain. With the Tianfang World as the core of the Four Regions, the Tianfang Domain boasted the greatest strength, possessing two rank eight great worlds and over a dozen rank seven worlds—not a whit inferior to the Dragon Region.
Currently, most were marked in red, a few in white, and an exceedingly rare few bore hints of gold.
Further away in the Chiyang Domain, golden stars were fewer, but still present.
At this moment, a crimson star drifted ceaselessly across the map. This was Xinwu. Unable to pinpoint Xinwu's exact coordinates, the Dragon Lord could only use this wandering star to represent it.
He watched the stars in silence. Whom should he uproot first?
Bright Star?
Or Yunxiao?
Xinwu wandered the cosmos, exceedingly difficult to lock down.
Or perhaps... Chiyang?
Thoughts surfaced in rapid succession.
As he pondered, he suddenly tilted his head and asked an attendant, "A cluster of worlds seems to be congregating beneath the Dragon World. What has occurred?"
"Reporting to the Lord, the Fire Phoenix World recently recruited a rank five dog Sovereign and designated that area as his territory. That dog Sovereign, Black Dog, is currently summoning the world lords within his domain to the Black Dog World to share the rank six world gifted by the Fire Phoenix World. Consequently, numerous world lords are converging upon the Black Dog World."
"It is not marked on the map," the Dragon Lord remarked flatly.
The attendant behind him turned pale with dread and hurriedly answered, "He only established himself there very recently! We shall update the map at once!"
The Dragon Lord showed no anger, merely nodding slightly. "Be swift! Update it continuously. You must understand that the chaos is boundless; sometimes, the slightest oversight will compromise strategic judgment... Today it was merely an unrecorded rank five world. If a rank seven or rank eight world had appeared and I failed to ask, would I remain blind to the shift?"
The attendants behind him trembled, daring not utter a word of dissent.
The Dragon Lord held exceptionally strict standards for such matters.
He was far more meticulous than human Sovereigns, to an agonizing degree. Yet precisely because of this, the Dragon race had achieved its present glory.
The Dragon Lord pointed at the map once more. "It is said that the Silver Moon World may have slipped into the Dragon Region. Silver Moon itself is trivial, but the crux lies in the Silver Moon King and Kongji joining hands to slay a rank seven! Though our Dragon Region is mighty, we cannot overlook them. Mark the Silver Moon World on the map as a wandering world like Xinwu, and alert every realm to eliminate it immediately upon discovery!"
"Understood!"
A subordinate behind him responded swiftly.
The Dragon Lord did not look back. Silver Moon... He had caught sight of the Silver Moon King once. Only once, but the youth's performance had been quite impressive. Still, he posed no threat to him.
The one posing a grave threat was the Human King of Xinwu, who had suppressed the Lord of Yunxiao that day.
He had faintly discerned that the Human King was overextended, but he had chosen not to act rashly then. Striking out might have drawn the scrutiny of human experts, and the Human King might still have drawn upon the Cang Emperor's power. Clashing then could have exposed more than he wished.
Thoughts continued to churn in his mind.
He recalled his travels in Tianfang years ago, when he had glimpsed certain sights within a ruin, a repository of Dao charm, causing him to furrow his brows.
Xinwu... the Yin-Yang World possessed a history far exceeding a mere hundred thousand years.
Within the residual images in that Dao repository, he had glimpsed a hazy figure who claimed to hail from the Origin World...
"Origin" was an alternate name for the Xinwu World.
No other world went by that name.
He had even witnessed in those images the former Lord of Tianfang personally stepping out to welcome the visitor, and the two appearing to hold an audience... That had been a ninth-rank Sovereign!
One could only imagine that the Xinwu of antiquity might have been a pinnacle great world.
Had the present Xinwu inherited a ninth-rank universe?
If so... Xinwu’s latent potential was terrifying.
He harbored another doubt: back then, the Lord of Tianfang had summoned the mighty of the chaos. It was said that more than one ninth-rank Sovereign had attended, with Dao Lords from every faction gathering together!
In the current era, ninth-rank Sovereigns were virtually nonexistent in the outer reaches. Rumor had it that one had emerged only recently, striving to unify the chaos... though the task was monumental.
Yet over a million years ago, the outer reaches were said to have boasted multiple ninth-rank Sovereigns. In the end... all of them had vanished, disappearing alongside the Lord of Tianfang.
Where had they gone?
What had they done?
Were they truly dead?
If not, where were they?
And if they were dead... that was even more terrifying. Who could have slain that cadre of peerless beings?
Had that supreme expert of Xinwu also departed with the Lord of Tianfang in those ancient times?
Thoughts swirled endlessly.
The Dragon Lord drew a deep breath. Tianfang and the chaos alike harbored secrets beyond his knowledge. Now, a ninth-rank Sovereign had emerged in the outer chaos, sweeping across the expanse!
And that was merely the one who had revealed himself. Was there truly only one ninth-rank?
As he pondered, his brows suddenly knitted slightly.
He cast his gaze outward, a single glance seeming to pierce heaven and earth. In the distance, a world appeared, currently descending to yield way to the Dragon World.
He did not recognize it; it was presumably the so-called Black Dog World.
From the exterior, it was indeed a rank six world,
bestowed by the Fire Phoenix clan.
Such worlds were numerous, and he rarely paid them any heed.
What arrested his attention now was neither the world nor the slightly trembling black dog...
None of those mattered.
What caught his attention was... faintly, within the chaos, there seemed to exist another kind of Dao power. It was not the power of the Dragon World, nor the power of chaos, nor the power of the Fire Phoenix.
It was... invisible, intangible, yet palpably real.
Strange.
The Dragon Lord’s gaze shifted as four directions of heaven and earth seemed to reflect within his eyes. In the next instant, he vanished into thin air.
...
At that moment, Li Hao was maneuvering his world aside to make way for the Dragon World,
feeling uneasy.
It was actually passing right by. Truly terrifying. Four rank seven true dragons hauling a world—what an ostentatious display, as if eager for the entire cosmos to witness the Dragon World setting out!
Naturally, he had assumed a minor figure like himself would never draw anyone's notice.
Yet in the very next breath, Li Hao’s heart nearly seized.
Even when encountering the Lord of Red Moon previously, he had not felt such crushing dread. How could this be?
Why would an eighth-rank titan care about a tiny foreign world?
Even if this was his domain,
did an eighth-rank overlord possess the idle whim to inspect a mere rank five Sovereign?
He pretended not to notice...
Yet a moment later, pretense became impossible. He jerked his head up as if just noticing, terror, unease, and trepidation flooding his eyes in an instant...
The Dragon Lord did not look at him, instead sweeping his gaze across the surroundings. After a pause, he looked toward the black dog Li Hao inhabited and asked mildly, "You recognize me?"
"N-No... but one can tell at a glance... Greetings, Lord Dragon Lord..."
"No need for ceremony!"
The Dragon Lord offered no further pleasantries, asking with mild curiosity, "You hail from the Fire Phoenix World. Has anything occurred there recently?"
"Occurred...?"
Li Hao was bewildered. He hadn't come to capture me?
Confused, he shook his canine head. "I don't think so... wait, actually, Sovereign Fengshan mentioned that native Sovereigns of the Fire Phoenix World were being recalled into closed-door cultivation... Could it be that the Realm Lord is about to reach rank eight?"
Nonsense!
The Dragon Lord did not press further, his eyes continuing to sweep the surroundings. His brows furrowed once more. Had his senses betrayed him?
Impossible!
Near this place, he had faintly detected a whisper of peculiar power, reminiscent of a Dao universe expanding and permeating the area, yet distinct from the feel of an ordinary Dao universe.
Bizarre!
Unbeknownst to him or even Li Hao, this was a ripple brought about by the River of Time Li Hao had established. As the Silver Moon Sovereigns scattered across the region carrying minor worlds, weaving a grand web, a subtle, illusory temporal force had begun to diffuse.
Fortunately, Li Hao had not kept the Time Star here, leaving only faint traces of drifting energy.
Flickering and indistinct, it had not coalesced into a single point.
The Dragon Lord swept his gaze outward, gradually turning his eyes into the distance... toward the region where the Mouse World lay. He wondered in confusion: *Over there? Near the Tianfang border?*
He fixed his gaze in that direction. Below, Li Hao stole a cautious glance at the Dragon Lord... and his heart jolted violently!
Was he looking at Tianfang, or at the minor world where Director Zhao was stationed?
Surely not!
The distance was immense!
Moreover, there was nothing over there to draw the Dragon Lord's interest... Wait, the Time Star!
In a flash of intuition, Li Hao guessed the truth. He remained utterly still, daring not utter a sound while his mind raced with shock. How could this be? Temporal energy was notoriously difficult to perceive.
Time was omnipresent!
Had the Time Star drawn the Dragon Lord's attention?
Or had he misunderstood, and the Dragon Lord was merely looking toward Tianfang...
At that moment, the Dragon Lord said no more. Looking down at Li Hao with a calm demeanor, his voice seemed stripped of its terrifying majesty, tinged with mild gentleness. "No matter. I grew weary within the Dragon World and came out for a look. I hear you are the newly appointed overlord of the Fire Phoenix World. Good. Cultivate diligently and strive to enter rank six soon. Once you attain rank six, conquering a rank seven world will give you hope of stepping into the seventh rank!"
"Thank you for your guidance, Lord Dragon Lord!"
"Hardly guidance. A cultivator’s path lies in sincerity; blindly devouring worlds is not the kingly way. Dao comprehension is the key!"
As if struck by reflection, the Dragon Lord smiled faintly. "Devouring worlds is merely laying the groundwork. If your Dao is feeble, stepping into the seventh rank amounts to little. The chaos race possesses an inherent advantage in comprehending the Dao. The Dao of Chaos is not inferior to the Dao of worlds; it is only stronger. It is merely somewhat chaotic, yet correspondingly more comprehensive..."
He offered these casual remarks, cast another look at the black dog, and vanished into thin air without another word.
As an eighth-rank overlord, he had no intention of forcibly prying into a mid-tier world.
Moreover, the anomaly he sensed did not seem to originate from here. The instant he reentered the Dragon World, his voice echoed in the ears of the four rank seven true dragons: "Accelerate! Proceed directly to the Tianfang Domain and halt briefly at the border!"
The four true dragons unleashed their power without hesitation. The immense Dragon World flashed past, churning up colossal waves across the chaos.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Lord quietly traced that faint thread of energy.
It seemed dispersed throughout the entire region, exceptionally faint elsewhere, but... near the border of Tianfang and the Dragon Region, there appeared to be a cluster of light!
What manner of energy was this?
The Dragon Lord was perplexed; he had never encountered it before.
At this moment, he could not be bothered to maintain a leisurely pace, nor did he care to visit the Fire Phoenix World. He had previously considered stopping by to confer with the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord and impart instructions.
Now, however, that energy had completely captured his interest.
...
The Dragon World vanished in short order.
Li Hao watched it depart, noting that its speed was at least ten times faster than before, his brow furrowing deeply.
The Dragon Lord had appeared abruptly, and then... vanished just as quickly.
Because I look handsome?
Even if so, that was Black Panther's face.
It likely had nothing to do with him, or the man would have simply crushed him with a single blow. Why then appear for an instant and depart so swiftly, moving far faster than before?
He was no longer ambling along.
"The Time Star?"
Li Hao’s expression grew grave. Surely not.
He had used it in the past, even before rank sevens and rank eights, yet none had noticed. Why now... Could it be that because the Time Star was detached from his person, it generated fluctuations? Because he was forging a river, causing power to leak?
Unease gnawed at him.
Even if his deduction was not entirely accurate, if the Dragon Lord truly was heading for the Time Star, disaster loomed.
The Time Star was stationed in the Mouse World, where Director Zhao remained, alongside the King of Dali and the Queen, who were still gathering humans...
Li Hao drew a deep breath. Perhaps he should tell them to evacuate.
Regardless of the truth, caution was paramount.
Furthermore, the Dragon Lord was terrifying.
That he could genuinely perceive the power of time was extraordinary.
Once the Dragon World was far in the distance, Li Hao slipped into Silver Moon.
Within, Er Mao and Kongji were frantically suppressing the Dao universe to prevent its fluctuations from being detected. Taking a deep breath, Li Hao materialized before Er Mao.
"Senior Er Mao, can an eighth-rank powerhouse perceive the Time Star's existence?"
Er Mao blinked in confusion, shaking its head after a long pause. "I don't know."
Li Hao was speechless.
"Just now... the Dragon Lord materialized here for an instant and vanished, after which the Dragon World accelerated toward Tianfang. Do you think he sensed the Time Star?"
Er Mao pondered for a moment and nodded. "It is possible! The Time Star... is merely an embryonic form, still tender and not exceptionally powerful on its own... You connected so many illusory worlds to it, causing energy to disperse... Still, if he sensed it, it means he is extraordinarily sensitive to the Great Dao, having comprehended numerous varieties, because the Time Star encompasses countless Daos..."
Only someone who had comprehended many Daos could do so. Ninth-rank Sovereigns often needed to grasp countless Daos to weave a Dao web, just as the Lord of Tianfang had comprehended 9,999 types.
Such beings were terrifyingly potent; a shift in any single Dao would draw their notice.
The Time Star was likewise a confluence of myriad Daos.
Those whose comprehension was shallow could sense nothing, but one steeped in deep Dao understanding might pick up its anomalies.
Li Hao’s expression shifted slightly. "It's inconvenient to activate the River of Time now, lest my location be exposed, making it difficult to notify Director Zhao..."
He frowned. In terms of speed, he could never outpace the Dragon Lord.
How could he warn Director Zhao's side?
Better safe than sorry.
What if... it truly had been detected?
This development was completely outside Li Hao's calculations; he had assumed no one could perceive it.
Seeing his concern, Er Mao thought it over and said, "You think the Dragon Lord truly noticed? If so, he is exceedingly formidable. I suspect he may have reached the peak of rank eight, having comprehended over five thousand Daos, perhaps even more, and is weaving a web of myriad Daos!"
Otherwise, detecting temporal fluctuations would not be so easy.
Er Mao added swiftly, "If he is heading straight there, there is only one solution..."
Li Hao looked at the cat. Er Mao might understand the Time Star better than he did.
"Time is omnipresent, yet past and present are unique!"
Li Hao fell into contemplation upon hearing this.
Er Mao continued, "Therefore, there is only ever one Time Star... Right now it resides in the Mouse World, but if it vanishes from the present, it will cease to exist in the Mouse World!"
Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "Senior, you mean..."
"Attempt to step into a moment in the past and retrieve the Time Star. That way, the present Time Star will also disappear from its current location!"
Li Hao’s brows shot up. Could that work?
Was this a joke?
"It should be feasible!" Er Mao explained. "At the very least, this Time Star is unique! Since it has been detected, the only choice is to recall it to Silver Moon's Dao universe. It originally belonged here anyway, and returning to the Dao universe allows it to be concealed far better..."
Li Hao considered the matter. "But I do not have the Time Star on me now. How can I immerse myself in the past?"
"You are the Time Star's master. Even without it in hand, you should be able to immerse yourself in the past... You simply haven't attempted it! Your Dao has long intertwined with time, making them nearly impossible to separate!"
Li Hao mulled it over and nodded. He would give it a try.
If all else failed... he was not without other options.
It would depend on who was faster.
For instance, he could stimulate the Dao Chess imprint, prompting Dao Chess to emerge from Tianfang and race over to retrieve the Time Star. Or he could trigger Lin Hongyu’s Star of Life and Death to wound her, hoping she would comprehend the warning... Regardless, communicating across the chaos was an agonizing ordeal.
Li Hao felt utterly helpless.
Wasting no more words, he promptly attempted to immerse himself in the past. His mind churned with countless thoughts; the Dragon Lord might be stronger than all other rank eights, which was the truly frightening realization.
...
After experimenting for a time, Li Hao gradually caught the rhythm.
Moments later, the power of time seemed to surface within his eyes. Daring not venture outside, he remained concealed within Silver Moon’s Dao universe.
Gradually, he began to sink into the past.
This time, there was no need to go anywhere else; this very spot sufficed, as the Time Star had originally resided within this Dao universe.
After a long while, Li Hao opened his eyes.
It felt as though he had genuinely returned to the past. The Dao universe was exceedingly frail, reminiscent of the day he had first encountered the Time Star.
All things stood frozen!
Li Hao’s figure flickered between substance and shadow.
According to Er Mao, the Time Star was unique. The star he saw before him was one and the same with the one in the Mouse World, merely projected into two locations: one in the present, one in the past.
At this moment, he felt more acutely than ever how incomprehensibly complex the Dao of Time was. How had the Emperor of Battle Heaven managed to forge such a Dao source?
What a terrifying figure!
Daring not delay, Li Hao materialized his form and grabbed directly for the Time Star!
The power of time faintly surfaced around his hand.
The Time Star, as if meeting Li Hao for the first time, resisted instinctively and sought to flee, only to be caught in Li Hao's grasp. The instant he seized it, it felt entirely solid.
Li Hao’s heart trembled. It actually worked?
Immersing oneself in the past usually yielded mere phantom projections!
Yet now, he seemed to have gripped a tangible object.
...
Meanwhile.
In the Mouse World.
Director Zhao froze, looking up at the sky. A star had been hovering overhead, but now, an invisible giant hand seemed to manifest... and in the next breath, the Time Star was simply gone!
He stood dumbfounded!
How could that be?
Disaster!
That was Li Hao's Dao source! Had someone stolen it?
That was impossible!
If even that could be stolen... had Li Hao been slain?
In the next instant, the King of Dali and the Queen flew over, looking up at the sky in shock. Not only had the Time Star vanished, but the River of Time had disappeared alongside it. The minor world, which had been drawing energy, suddenly began to shudder.
The illusory world enveloping the Mouse World shook violently, and then... like a shattered dream, it suddenly fractured into pieces!
All three gasped!
How could this happen?
Director Zhao frowned deeply. Such an abrupt turn of events caught them completely off guard, and he worried even more that something had happened to Li Hao. Just then, the Queen spoke up: "Did he take it back himself?"
"Hmm?"
Director Zhao turned to her. The Queen explained, "Who else could take it? If a supreme expert had arrived... would they need to steal it? They would have seized it openly and killed us on the spot! He took back the Time Star without warning, causing the illusory world to collapse, and now even faith energy is leaking out... We can no longer hide this place!"
Her brow furrowed. "We were acting in secret before, but now he has retrieved it. Either he encountered grave danger, or he is warning us that this location can no longer be concealed..."
Director Zhao came to his senses, nodding solemnly. "Indeed! A sudden change must have occurred. We leave at once!"
He glanced down at the countless humans within the minor world. Faith had already converged, but now... what were they to do?
They were exposed!
Concealment was impossible!
Though it was merely a rank one world, moving it presented immense difficulty.
Should they abandon it?
Or what?
He looked toward the King of Dali and then the Queen. "We are leaving... Do you still intend to take these people?"
The Queen frowned, lapsing into silence for a moment.
Take them?
There were too many!
Transporting them was nearly impossible.
Unless...
She glanced at the King of Dali, exhaled softly, and smiled. "I went to great lengths to gather this faith; I am loath to discard it... How about this: you may have forgotten, but I... am Silver Moon!"
The two stared blankly. What did that mean?
The Queen smiled. "Silver Moon is a world, it is Heaven's Will, and it was the first deity of Silver Moon! I was that deity's surrogate—though now, I am the true self!"
"I shall prove my Dao through faith and forge the Silver Moon Divine Kingdom!"
"A divine kingdom is like a world, yet distinct from one; it is a realm born of my faith... I can usher these people inside to continue providing me with faith, and I can carry them with me at a moment's notice!"
At this moment, she seemed to make up her mind, hesitating no longer.
While the two watched in astonishment, she suddenly transformed into a colossal silver moon radiating brilliant light that illuminated the cosmos. Her voice rang out across heaven and earth:
"Those who believe in me, enter my Divine Kingdom!"
"This realm is filthy and vile. Ascend with me to the Divine Kingdom and become my subjects... I am the Heavenly God; the Divine Kingdom shall endure eternally! Attain my divine Dao and bear witness with me to the God of Chaos!"
In an instant, the world seemed to unravel.
Below, countless humans fell into religious ecstasy. Before their eyes materialized a vast, radiant divine kingdom adorned with countless palaces, resembling an ultimate paradise.
Countless people unconsciously took a step forward, seeming to cross into the divine kingdom in an instant!
The King of Dali drew a sharp breath, glancing at the Queen before sending a voice transmission to Director Zhao: "This woman... is terrifyingly formidable. Old Zhao, watch your back. She actually constructed a Divine Kingdom of Faith right here... If this spirals, she might genuinely become the Heaven's Will of the chaos one day..."
Hmm?
Director Zhao was startled. Could that truly happen?
He understood little of the Dao of Faith, but the scene before him was already incredible. Could someone genuinely become the Heaven's Will of the chaos?
Did chaos even possess a Heaven's Will?
He did not know, yet the Queen's aura was surging exponentially. In the blink of an eye, she crossed into the Sovereign realm as countless humans flooded into the divine kingdom.
With a single thought, they could step inside, provided their faith was genuine.
And the vast majority truly believed.
Soon, the entire minor world seemed drained of life. The Queen, embodied as the silver moon, swallowed the entire minor world whole. Before the other two could react, she swept them up in an instant and vanished without a trace!
Just after they departed,
the Dragon World, which had been near Li Hao moments earlier, materialized abruptly. The Dragon Lord appeared, his expression shifting slightly before he let out a cold snort: "The power of faith? Audacious! Someone dares prove themselves a God of Faith within the Dragon Region!"
He frowned. Was what he had sensed earlier truly faith power?
It did not seem quite right!
Yet... following his perception to this spot, he encountered an overwhelming density of faith power!
Someone had achieved Sovereign status here, and through the exceedingly peculiar path of a God of Faith. He had encountered Sovereigns who attained the Dao through faith in the past, yet this... seemed somewhat different.
How was it different?
He sensed the lingering traces for a moment, his expression changing subtly. This... did not appear to be an ordinary breakthrough via faith. He looked up toward the chaotic void, his brow furrowing.
Had he crossed paths with a madman or a lunatic?
The person... seemed to have anchored their divine ascension directly into the chaotic void! He did not know what made it unique, only that such a madman would likely be devoured whole by the chaos!
Every Great Dao required an anchor.
That person just now had perhaps anchored their Dao entirely within the chaos, behaving more like a chaos beast than the chaos beasts themselves!
"Peculiar..."
The Dragon Lord looked into the distance, choosing not to pursue. The target had already fled. He was somewhat astonished, however: had they known he was coming?
He had arrived with immense speed!
Yet right at this moment, the person had achieved Sovereign status and vanished. Had he not mentioned the detour solely to the four rank seven Sovereigns, he would have suspected betrayal!
He had only mentioned to the four rank seven dragons that they would briefly halt here... and the person had fled precisely then.
What a coincidence!
He glanced at the four true dragons and promptly suppressed his suspicion. Impossible. These four were cornerstones of the Dragon race; they could not betray him, nor would they have had the time.
It could only be an extraordinary coincidence.
Or perhaps the power of faith possessed a unique ability to sense approaching danger?
He could capture a few faith practitioners later to interrogate.
Setting the escaped entity aside, he examined the location. It lay on the fringes of the Dragon Region, yet devouring a world remained a provocation. He ordered swiftly, "Dispatch word to all quarters: search for a Sovereign who attained the Dao through faith. Upon discovery... capture them alive!"
Everything else could wait; he was already on the verge of leaving the Dragon Region and had no time to hunt down the fugitive.
A God of Faith... It seemed someone had set their sights on the myriad humans within his Dragon Region!
Evidently, it was a human who had broken through.
Chapter 521