The Stench of Love

At this moment, every single one of them blossomed with their own brilliance! The surviving members of the former Thirty-Six Heroes of Silver Moon were each striving to radiate their own light, even if that light was exceedingly faint, and even if all of it depended on the resources Li Hao had provided. Yet at this juncture, they were unwilling to accept defeat, nor were they willing to fade into obscurity! How magnificent was this chaos! With so many peerless powerhouses in existence, there ought to be a place belonging to Silver Moon as well! Their ancestral origin, the Neo Martial World, was radiant in this very way. Throughout the chaos, everyone knew of the Sword Venerable, the Supreme, the Cang Emperor, the Human King, the Blood Sovereign, and countless others... Yet for their Silver Moon, aside from the Silver Moon King, who else had made a name for themselves across the chaos? They refused to resign themselves to this! Even if they were to die, they had to die in a blaze of glory, did they not? Slaughter brought an end to violence! Several dozen Sovereigns were wiped out entirely by a group possessing roughly equivalent strength! Bathed in blood, the Sovereigns of Silver Moon exuded an overwhelming, towering aura. Even those severely wounded wore smiles on their faces. We are still standing! As the Black Panther effortlessly ambushed and struck down the final enemy Sovereign in the corner, thoroughly ending his life, all of the fifty-odd chaos Sovereigns who had arrived were completely annihilated! The entire clash had taken only about ten minutes. In a battle lasting barely over ten minutes, over fifty Sovereigns had fallen. One realm after another unfolded in the void, and within each of them, the slaughter raged on as the King of Dali fought with feral abandon! Inside one of the worlds, the King of Dali's momentum surged like an ocean! He had not attained the Dao either, yet at this moment, his presence was unbound and formidable. The true aura of a sovereign emerged. Among Silver Moon's five great monarchs—Li Hao, the King of Dali, Empress Dowager Shuiyun, the King of Dahuang, and the Western Queen—the one who most resembled a true monarch was actually the King of Dali. Even though he had fallen behind in cultivation later on and appeared somewhat ineffective, among the five kingdoms, the King of Dali had perhaps held the greatest sway over the hearts of his people. Li Hao, on the other hand, had conquered the world purely through overwhelming might. The King of Dali possessed the bearing of a hegemon, though his civil administration was merely average; for governance, one still had to look to Jiang Li. At this moment, throughout the various realms, countless humans grew frenzied. Even the native mortals of these realms rallied wildly to the cause, taking up arms and following the Silver Moon martial masters to join the slaughter! Wails of sorrow, roaring fury, and shouts directed at the heavens made the entire firmament tremble! This was not occurring in just one realm! It was unfolding across many—over fifty worlds in total. However, some worlds remained completely silent... because several of them surprisingly held... no one at all! Not a single human soul! There were only demon beasts and chaos beasts, without a solitary mortal in sight. Li Hao extended his perception inward... finding only soaring resentment and the stench of death. Had no humans been born in this world? He did not know... well, he did know. Humans had indeed been born here. In the worlds of the chaos, there was no realm without humans. They had all existed, but where were they now? Li Hao did not say, nor did he bring it up, because he knew their fate. Aside from being eaten and slaughtered, where else could they have gone? "Lingyue, go!" Li Hao's voice echoed outward. "Spread your faith and eradicate those fiends and monsters! Those who believe in you shall enter your Divine Kingdom! Choose the largest realm... never mind, take this sixth-rank world. Those who do not believe shall enter it!" "Gather the mortals! Devour the worlds! Dismantle the worldly Dao networks, swallow the world origins, and seize the worldly power!" At this moment, he chose not to take things slowly. No more gradual devouring! Previously, he had planned to devour them bit by bit, using his illusory realms to absorb them slowly. But now... Li Hao felt it was unnecessary, because the Dragon World had fled! Since that was the case, why should he bother with methodical schemes? He would accomplish it in one fell swoop! With over fifty worlds, he could fill over fifty illusory realms to absolute completion, then substitute the real worlds with illusory ones. Unless a top-tier powerhouse personally inspected the region, who would ever notice? Who could discover that so many worlds were missing? Then there were these fallen Sovereigns! Over fifty Sovereigns, including fifth-rank Sovereigns, their Great Dao power permeating the area. In addition, their physical bodies, their blood... they were all chaos beasts, every bit of them a treasure. These fellows all possessed Great Dao crystals to varying degrees, which were valuable treasures as well. This was perhaps Li Hao's easiest victory yet; he had not even lifted a finger. The Sovereigns of Silver Moon had handled these fellows with ease. Only now did Li Hao feel... comfortable. Utterly comfortable! The wealth spent earlier had not gone to waste. Turning his head, he looked at one person—none other than Yuan Shuo. "Master, I will select five realms. You shall merge the origins of those five realms and use the power of five worlds to vindicate your Dao as a Sovereign! Your Dao domain is already complete; today is the hour of your ascension!" Vindicating the Dao with five worlds—he dared not guarantee too much, but bolstered by a Dao domain, a third-rank Sovereign was practically guaranteed. Because with five small worlds, their worldly power amounted to only so much, making third rank already quite impressive. Yet as long as energy remained abundant, Yuan Shuo might soon advance straight to the fourth rank, or even... the seventh rank! All because of the Dao domain! A Dao domain was the foundation of a seventh-rank Sovereign, its truest manifestation. With a Dao domain, reaching the seventh rank was ultimately only a matter of time. As soon as he spoke, Li Hao reached out and grasped the worlds. In the blink of an eye, five minor worlds from the surroundings were seized into his palm. They were all merely minor worlds, with no medium worlds among them. Because among medium worlds, one could not assemble five corresponding to the five elements, which would cause an imbalance. Minor worlds, on the other hand, could be gathered to form a balanced set, and balance was preferable. The mortals inside those realms turned pale with horror as they looked upon the titanic hand covering heaven and earth, seizing their entire worlds. At that moment, the Queen's voice resounded across the expanse: "This is the mighty champion of the human race, the King of Silver Moon! Those who revere me may enter my Divine Kingdom; those without faith may enter the Kingdom of Dali!" Panic seized the five realms. Some entered the Divine Kingdom, while others stayed where they were. Only a moment later... the remaining mortals were transferred into a single world—specifically, the sixth-rank world acquired from the Fire Phoenix World. It was also the largest world in the area, capable of accommodating far more people. Among the fifty-odd worlds, aside from the handful devoid of human life, all the rest held inhabitants. The populous ones held tens of billions, while the sparser ones held several billions. If these were realms in human territories, medium worlds possessing populations of hundreds of billions would not be unusual. Yet here... one rarely saw a world with a hundred billion people. Perhaps even large worlds did not harbor that many, as the Dragon Lord had imposed severe restrictions on the unrestrained multiplication of the human race. Even so, across the fifty-odd worlds, the population still numbered in the hundreds of billions! Masses of mortals poured frantically into the Divine Kingdom. At this moment, the Queen's Divine Kingdom was expanding at breakneck speed. Never before had so many humans worshipped a single Sovereign simultaneously! What was more, she was merely a second-rank Sovereign who had just recently advanced! In virtually a single instant, the moon that was the Queen's incarnation swelled wildly. With a thunderous boom, cracks even seemed to appear across its surface... yet her aura surged into the third rank. Right now, even the Queen was gripped by dread! It was too fast! The power of faith was on the verge of converting her entirely! Coupled with the boundless chaotic power, she was thoroughly stunned. In the next moment, throwing caution to the wind, she ceased merely funneling chaotic power into the River of Time. Suddenly, an overwhelming surge of faith power burst forth, pouring directly into the Time Star. Li Hao sensed it immediately. Glancing over in an instant, he could not resist cursing, "What are you doing?!" Damn it! Who told you to dump a massive load of faith power on me? Endless power of faith now poured frantically out of the Time Star, leaving him utterly speechless. What was this woman playing at? The Queen kept silent, playing dead. She had had no other choice. It was simply too much. Absorbing hundreds of billions of humans in a single breath... the sheer, teeming density was unimaginable and completely out of control. Her Divine Kingdom was expanding to its absolute limit, to the point of overflowing. People were packed shoulder to shoulder... It was no longer a Divine Kingdom, but an ant nest that made one's scalp tingle with horror! Yet even so, countless people were still streaming inside, continuously feeding her power of faith. While it was true that she could advance rapidly as long as there was enough faith, she still needed a bit of time to consolidate herself. Furthermore, as her strength increased, the chaotic power pouring in multiplied as well. At the first rank, the chaotic power she drew was immense, beyond what ordinary sixth-rank experts could absorb. But now at the third rank, Li Hao felt that the chaotic power funneled from the Queen could genuinely rival the intake of a seventh-rank powerhouse! This was equivalent to a seventh-rank expert doing absolutely nothing else, wholeheartedly and maniacally devouring chaotic power just to pump it into the river. At this moment, minor realms were being filled at lightning speed. At this rate... it might truly take only a tiny amount of time—two or three days to fill an entire realm. And that was with the Queen only at the third rank. If she reached the fourth or fifth rank... By the later stages, would she fill a realm in a single day? Or perhaps even faster! At this thought... Li Hao sucked in a cold breath. Was she insane? At present, he only had four to five hundred minor realms left to fill, and new realms had not yet been conceived. With four to five hundred realms, wouldn't they all be filled in less than a year? At that point, if he still could not rapidly comprehend new realms... he would probably have no choice but to kick the Queen away, or else both of them would blow up together! And that was only at the fourth or fifth rank. If she reached the seventh rank... at her speed, she might fill several minor realms in a single day. That would be... utterly terrifying. What a headache! At this point, he could not afford to dwell on it. Though he had cursed, the sudden torrent of faith power still had to be dealt with. The power of faith was a fine thing, but it was also a massive nuisance! Faith had its pros and cons; even for the Queen, who cultivated the Dao of Faith, absorbing too much could brainwash herself! Terrifying! This substance even carried many entanglements... a kind of... unspeakable responsibility. Indeed: hundreds of billions of mortals believing in you, trusting you, and willing to follow you. Damn it, this stuff could kill a person. Li Hao felt utterly helpless. Gritting his teeth, he let out a low shout. An illusory realm condensed entirely into an orb, directly absorbing the overflowing power of faith. Countless strands of faith surged outward, pouring into that illusory realm. Faith? How was this faith? This was responsibility—a monumental, heaven-shattering responsibility. Li Hao truly dared not absorb it. It was bad enough that the Queen had leaped into the pit herself; she could not drag him down with her. It was far too terrifying! "Suppress!" With a low bark, the Sky Sword manifested, directly suppressing the illusory realm. That world was pushed deep down into the River of the Great Dao. Li Hao wore a face full of lingering dread. "This realm must never be opened in the future... If it is opened, whoever cultivates the Dao of this realm will have to spend their entire life serving the people!" He shook his head. Terrifying! The conviction, trust, and reliance bursting forth from hundreds of billions of people in an instant... whoever cultivated this Dao was bound for misfortune, forever tied to the fate of the human race. Li Hao was no saint; he felt that he... truly could not bring himself to do it. *If you make me cultivate it, I fear I will go mad.* *Forget it. Storing it away is better than letting it go to waste. What if... some poor sucker is willing to absorb it?* He glanced around. Even the Queen averted her gaze from him. *Don't look at me;* she could still maintain control of herself right now, but the moment she absorbed this much faith power again, she knew she would be finished, entirely dominated by that faith for the rest of her life! She was willing to govern faith, but she refused to be governed by it. It was only because Li Hao was here that she could transfer it over. Otherwise, right now, in this very instant... she would likely have been reduced to a thrall of the Dao of Faith, a pitiful Sovereign whose sole purpose was serving humanity. That was not the outcome she desired! Elsewhere, the surrounding Sovereigns all looked away from Li Hao. Someone even whistled toward the sky with a nonchalant air, wearing expressions that practically screamed, *I'm not that kind of person, don't look at me to absorb it!* Kongji, however, showed some interest. "So much faith power bursting forth in a single instant, carrying the trust and reliance of hundreds of billions of mortals... whoever cultivates this Dao would be the true Emperor of the Human Race!" Li Hao cleared his throat and nodded. "Spot on. This realm ought to be called the Human Emperor Realm! Of course, even if this realm has a source of life, it would be difficult for living beings to be born within it. Looking back, why not forge it... into a Human Emperor Seal?" He suddenly smiled, flashing a grin. In any case, he wouldn't cultivate it. Whoever wanted to cultivate it could go right ahead. There was always the chance someone desired raw power at any cost, or genuinely wished to dedicate themselves entirely to humanity... anything was possible. It could only be said that they were all selfish, worldly martial masters; none of them were selfless saints. If such a saint truly existed, they might be overjoyed to absorb it! With that, he looked back at the Queen. "You cultivate the Dao of Faith, yet you refuse to absorb this burst of trust and reliance. You truly are a selfish person!" The Queen was helpless. She remained silent. She took it as an admission. *Yes, I admit it, all right?* *Do I look anything like a selfless saint to you?* *Do you think... I look the part?* *Am I worthy?* *I'm not worthy, all right!* *Besides, didn't you refuse to absorb it too?* *You even suppressed it in the depths of the river. Clearly, you didn't want to absorb it either. Why call the kettle black?* This was merely a minor interlude. After Li Hao scolded her for a bit, the matter passed. This Dao... ordinary people were unworthy to cultivate it. Well, he wasn't worthy either. Perhaps the Supreme of Neo Martial would fancy it... All right, most likely not. Because what the Neo Martial Supreme loved was the people of Neo Martial, not the mortals of myriad realms. If he absorbed this, he might flip Silver Moon upside down—assuming, of course, that he remained unaffected and was still willing to upend human worlds. Just thinking about it was chilling. This Dao... was best left hidden from the world! *** With that little episode resolved, Li Hao was just about to refine and purify the five realms when Yuan Shuo suddenly called out from the other side, "Jade Light, come here!" "..." Li Hao was taken aback. *What are you trying to do?* In the distance, Jade Light Sword was also startled. *Why is he calling me?* "Why bother cultivating Silver Moon's Dao? Silver Moon's Sword Dao is dominated by the Earth-Overturning Sword, and Heavenly Sword has claimed most of the rest. Remaining in Silver Moon, you will never surpass them in your lifetime. Come to my side! Merge your Sword Dao into my Dao domain! In this life, my Dao domain shall hold only you!" "..." *Damn!* At this moment, everyone around them froze. Parading his affection! This old bastard truly had no shame. Jade Light Sword's face flushed crimson. She looked around, at a loss for words for quite a while. "This... this..." Yuan Shuo acted with overbearing dominance, barking, "Come! If you don't come, are you going to be a concubine to Hong Yitang?" Hong Yitang was speechless! *Damn it, who wants her?* *Get lost!* *The more people leave, the fewer competitors remain, freeing up another quota. In this era, who doesn't want to vindicate their Dao as a Sovereign?* *Take your woman away; I have no interest in her.* *Seriously!* *Just so your woman could vindicate her Dao, I went out of my way to yield a portion of the Sword Dao. You old bastard not only show no gratitude, but after shoving your affection down our throats, you still mock me!* *What a wretched old thing!* Jade Light Sword, now slightly embarrassed and bashful, flew over in the next instant. Before she even arrived, the River of the Great Dao rippled, and a branch suddenly snapped. She was merely a first-rank Sovereign; severing her connection now would cause minimal loss, not to mention that the spoils from this battle were enormous, ensuring no complications would arise. The onlookers were speechless! *Good heavens!* *His Dao domain hasn't even succeeded yet, and you... you already severed your Dao to leave? If his ascension fails, are you going to become an unaffiliated rogue cultivator?* Jade Light Sword flew over, her sword intent soaring into the sky! The Five Elements Dao Domain manifested in an instant, blotting out heaven and earth to envelop her Jade Light Sword Dao. Yuan Shuo threw his head back and laughed loudly. "My domain accommodates only one person! The rest of you, stop staring—even if you stare, you're not worthy!" "..." A collective roll of eyes rippled through the crowd. *Heh!* *Abandon a fifth-rank Great Dao Universe to join yours?* *Heh!* *Who cares?* *Who wants to?* *You're not even a Sovereign yet, all right? Who are you trying to impress?!* Li Hao was equally at a loss for words. His master was well on in years, yet here he was... shameless enough to flaunt his romance in front of everyone. This was a battlefield; what in the world was he doing? Glancing around... He was done for! He spotted Hou Xiaochen not far away, who had just finished fighting and still looked somewhat dazed. Hou Xiaochen squirmed uncomfortably under Jade Rakshasa's resentful, trusting, and yearning gaze. Looking at Yuan Shuo, Hou Xiaochen could not help but inwardly curse! *Damn it!* *That old bastard is so infuriating.* *Can just anyone open a Dao domain?* *Even if one opens it, can just anyone succeed?* *Even if one succeeds... all right, it's a huge hassle regardless. I... I never even considered opening a Dao domain, and I feel it's too difficult, probably hopeless. Pulling a stunt like this right now is utterly obnoxious!* Not far off, Liu Yan glanced at Liu Long... and quickly looked away. *Forget it. My wooden block probably has no hope. No point counting on him.* Liu Long was speechless, keeping his mouth firmly shut. *Your assumption is correct; in this lifetime, it's basically impossible for me to open a Dao domain. Reaching Sovereign was already thanks to Li Hao's care; expecting me to open a dedicated Dao domain is pointless, no matter how much you look at me.* They were an old couple now; he didn't care anymore, and looking was futile. *I'm not Hou Xiaochen, who likes to play at romance when he has free time. Now he's stuck on a tiger's back... Let's see what that sickly ghost does in the future!* *He'd better just keep pretending to be sick!* Even farther away, Bright Light Sword looked around. Her gaze swept past Li Hao and landed on Kongji. Kongji also possessed a Dao domain, and a dual-pole, six-path one at that, which included light and darkness—the most suitable match for Bright Light Sword... At her look, Kongji shuddered all over, hurriedly looking toward Li Hao. *Good heavens!* *Why are you Silver Moon cultivators like this?* *Why are you looking at me?* *My Dao domain has no room for anyone else!* Li Hao could bear it no longer and barked, "Enough! Master, focus on your cultivation! How can domestic trivialities be the conduct of jianghu martial masters? Merge the realms and vindicate your Dao at once! The Dao of five realms and a Five Elements Dao Domain are bound to attract a chaos lightning tribulation. I will open the concealing barrier... you will face the tribulation yourself!" "..." Yuan Shuo was speechless. *Good grief, didn't I just express my feelings and show off a bit?* *Why do you all look like you want to throttle me?* *Face the tribulation myself... Fine, let it come! Am I afraid?* A Five Elements Dao Domain was considered a special Dao domain, and vindicating the Dao would inevitably draw a chaos lightning tribulation. But Yuan Shuo was fearless; he was only just advancing, so even if a tribulation arrived, it would be second- or third-rank at most. Once he succeeded, he was guaranteed to become a third-rank Sovereign. Not to mention a third-rank tribulation—even if it were fourth-rank, he had the guts to test it! "Face it I shall!" Yuan Shuo brushed it off. He glanced at Jade Light Sword and laughed loudly. "In a moment, when I vindicate my Dao, merge your Sword Dao into my domain. My Dao domain accommodates only you. Absorb as much Great Dao power as you need without hesitation. I do not cultivate the Sword Dao; from now on, in the Five Elements Sword Domain, I shall cultivate the five elements, and you shall cultivate—" Before he could finish speaking, the five realms suddenly shattered! Five extraordinarily powerful streams of five-element power instantly merged into his Dao domain. Many onlookers looked toward Li Hao and nodded in unison. *Splendidly done!* *Li Hao, even if you were committing patricide right now, we would support you!* *This Old Demon Yuan is utterly intolerable.* Li Hao wore a tranquil expression, yet beneath that calm exterior, he had pulverized the five realms directly, not even bothering to dismantle them neatly. If he took the time to dismantle them... who knew how much longer his master would blabber? *That's enough already!* *A man of your age, who are you showing off to?* *Who wants to see your public display of affection?* As five streams of formidable worldly power surged into the Dao domain, Yuan Shuo swiftly circulated his technique and roared, no longer having the leisure or energy to flaunt his romance! *Boom!* His physique expanded wildly as the Dao domain continuously absorbed that Great Dao power. An imposing pressure emerged from the Five Forms Gods behind his back. Yuan Shuo bellowed, "Lend me a surge of Longevity Sword Intent!" Li Hao raised his brow. In the next instant, the River of the Great Dao rippled, and a surging, monstrous sword intent appeared, instantly merging into the Dao domain. Yuan Shuo laughed heartily and reached out to grasp it. In a single instant, blood splattered from his arm, yet he paid it no heed, forcefully subduing and suppressing it! Sword intent permeated the entire Dao domain! Under the shaken gazes of the crowd, he compressed it maniacally until that sword intent seemed to transform into a star, studding the center of the Dao domain as its central star—and its only star! "Open, my Demon Eye!" *Boom!* Between his brows, a third eye opened, and the star instantly sank into it. In that breath, while Jade Light Sword watched in awe, her Sword Dao merged into the third eye, fusing into that star. "You reside between my brows! If I die, you die; if I live, you live!" At this moment, Jade Light Sword stood dazed, momentarily lost. At this moment, she suddenly felt that even if the world were destroyed, it would mean nothing. Yuan Shuo, a demon, a true cultivator of the demonic path, dared to think, dared to speak, and dared to act! He had fused her Dao into his domain and into his brow, opening a third eye. The Five Elements Dao Domain had become the Five Elements Sword Domain! If I grow strong, you grow strong. If I die, you die. As long as I do not die, no one can shatter my third eye. The surrounding crowd felt their teeth ache with sour envy. Over to the side, Lin Hongyu glanced at Li Hao. Li Hao acted as if he hadn't noticed, swiftly looking up at the sky with a slight frown, appearing lost in thought. Not far away, Secretary Yu looked toward Hou Xiaochen with tender, longing, and profoundly envious eyes... The men felt their teeth ache with envy, while the women... were mad with jealousy. *Heavens!* *The old demon is so manly!* She looked at Hou Xiaochen, her eyes practically speaking: *Will I... ever live to see such a day?* Hou Xiaochen could barely keep his balance! *Madness!* *We're in the middle of killing people here.* *We're handling serious business, yet everyone has gone mad.* His coughing, which had not sounded for a long time, could no longer be suppressed at this moment. "*Cough, cough, cough...*" It sounded as if he were coughing his lungs out. *Why does this chaos reek of such a sickeningly sweet stench?* *I can't take it anymore.* Meanwhile, the instigator over there, Yuan Shuo, paid no attention to any of them. The Five Elements Sword Domain expanded wildly, and wherever it reached, it seemed to become his personal world. Between heaven and earth, there existed only the five elements and the Sword Dao! Yet that Dao of the five elements seemed capable of accommodating myriad Daos. The Five Forms Gods grew terrifyingly powerful, looming behind him like demons descending upon the mortal world. That monstrosity, fusing five gods and five beasts, was exceptionally ferocious. At this moment, Yuan Shuo truly resembled a demon incarnate. "Form!" With a fierce roar, his Dao domain devoured the power of the five realms, swallowing it whole. In the sky above, a bank of clouds seemed to materialize. Dark clouds gathered in an instant, and lightning crackled into being. A chaos lightning tribulation! It wasn't particularly powerful; to Li Hao's eyes, it was roughly around the third rank. Still... this seemed to be his master's first time facing a tribulation. Could he endure it? Just as the thought crossed his mind, Yuan Shuo let out a savage roar, all three eyes wide as sword light surged to the heavens! "I am vindicating my Dao—how dare you act insolent!" *Boom!* He charged straight into the lightning, doing battle with the tribulation! At this moment, the old demon truly seemed boundlessly arrogant. His sword intent towered into the sky, the five elements suppressed all around, and a cage enveloped the tribulation, as if he intended to refine the chaos lightning itself! He was a ruthless man! He had been too weak before, constantly keeping himself suppressed. Now that he had vindicated his Dao in a single day, his arrogance knew no bounds, as though no one beneath the heavens could ever restrain him again! Behind him, a flash of jade sword light shone across heaven and earth! One domain holding only one person; only she could stand beside him at this moment to resist the lightning tribulation together. Her sword light pierced the heavens, yet her eyes held an endless, tender affection... Sickening! Cloying! Unbearable to witness! The cultivators around them turned their heads away one after another! Even Er Mao used its paws to cover its eyes. What a cloying stench of love... *Tsk tsk tsk, Li Hao's master reeks of sickening romance.* At this moment, one man and one woman—the man overbearing, the woman tender—staged an intimate display of affection in the empty void of chaos, surrounded by corpses. Li Hao and the others all looked up at the sky and sighed. *The Five Birds Old Demon is nothing special after all.* *In the end, he still fell for a woman, ruined for the rest of his life.* *What a pity!* *Boom!* The lightning tribulation shattered. The Five Elements Sword Domain expanded furiously. With a thunderous blast, the sword intent from his third eye erupted once more, thoroughly blowing the dark clouds apart. A towering aura surged from Yuan Shuo's body, for a moment even suppressing the group of newly ascended Sovereigns. Only the middle-rank Sovereigns could withstand it. Yuan Shuo, peerlessly arrogant, surveyed the surroundings. He glanced over everyone, finally fixing his eyes on Hong Yitang. "You're the next one I surpass! Give me a little time, and of the Thirty-Six Heroes, there will be only one hero and thirty-five useless bums!" "..." Hong Yitang was good-tempered and couldn't be bothered to engage with him. *One gets used to it!* At this moment, Yuan Shuo's aura was still rising, his strength still multiplying, swiftly leaping from the first rank into the second, and even pushing toward the third rank. At this moment, he truly surpassed the others, including those like Southern Fist who had vindicated their Dao earlier. The crowd felt begrudgingly impressed! Yet... they had no choice but to accept it. They felt rather glum. Yuan Shuo was the first Sovereign in Silver Moon, aside from Li Hao, to vindicate his Dao by opening a Dao domain. Even Li Hao had not opened a Dao domain at the very moment he attained Sovereignty. One could only say... they were half-convinced. Defiant in speech, but convinced in their hearts. The man had reached the third rank in a single day; there was no point being jealous. While they held their peace, Jade Rakshasa suddenly gave a soft huff from the side: "Our minister will surely open a Dao domain when he vindicates his Dao in the future!" "..." Seeing everyone turn their eyes toward him, Hou Xiaochen appeared calm and aloof, meeting each of their gazes in turn. Yet behind his back, his clenched fists had already turned white. *This... what can I say?* Yuan Shuo laughed heartily. "Good! I'll be waiting for you, Hou Xiaochen!" "..." *Waiting for your grandfather!* Hou Xiaochen kept his expression unchanged and said nothing. *Don't wait for me; if you want to wait, wait for someone else.* *What an annoying fellow.* *Years ago, I knew you were trouble, and now you're still just as obnoxious!* *This fellow should have stayed stuck at half-step Sovereign forever; back then, he was obedient and did whatever he was told. Now... forget it.* Meanwhile, Li Hao also had a headache. "Congratulations, Master! However... having opened a Dao domain, nourishing it will not be easy. Since you have advanced to Sovereign, you will have to find your own ways to gather Great Dao power to fill it in the future!" *Since you're so capable, Master, you can play by yourself.* *I already have a headache having to support another Dao domain opener, yet you just had to show off like this... You can find your own solutions from now on. When the Sword Venerable opened a Dao domain to vindicate the seventh rank, he absorbed an entire seventh-rank large world, and that was when he was already at the peak of the sixth rank.* *You've only just entered the third rank. Reaching the sixth rank will be a massive hurdle, and if you want to reach the seventh rank... I doubt you can do it without devouring an eighth-rank world!* Yuan Shuo fell silent instantly. He glanced at his disciple, then looked at the adoring Jade Light Sword, curling his lips. *I'll get it myself if I have to...* Even as he thought this, he was speechless. *This brat is actually jealous of me too. Truly hopeless.* Amidst the banter and laughter of the crowd, Yuan Shuo had completed his ascension through a Dao domain, instantly obliterating the chaos lightning tribulation. It had to be said that this display of strength earned him a new level of respect even from Kongji, the outsider! These people of Silver Moon appeared weak, but they were truly extraordinary. Even Hu Qingfeng, whom many ridiculed, possessed an exceedingly unique Dao that commanded respect. At present, Li Hao was not yet invincible across heaven and earth, but if the day came when Li Hao truly stood unmatched and overwhelmingly powerful, then at that moment, perhaps Hu Qingfeng would genuinely forge a Great Dao that others could hardly surpass! Since ancient times, there had never been a Sovereign who attained the Dao purely through faith in another person. A Sovereign—even the master of an eighth-rank world—generally could not inspire such devotion... In Kongji's eyes, this fellow was likely one of a kind across myriad realms, an absolute anomaly! "All right, quickly sweep the battlefield, absorb the worldly power of these realms, and assimilate the Great Dao power! Qian Wuliang, Martial Uncle Hong, swiftly harvest the scattered Great Dao power. Even if dozens of Sovereigns cannot propel Silver Moon into the sixth rank, they can lay the groundwork... Once we resolve this place, we... advance! We shall sweep all nearby worlds clean! March straight into the territory of the Dragon World and swallow the worlds surrounding it!" Everyone's hearts tightened in an instant! This was merely the beginning. Li Hao intended to swallow all the worlds within the Dragon World's sphere of influence first. One had to realize that near the Fire Phoenix World alone, there were hundreds, nearly a thousand worlds; the Dragon World would have even more. This time... it seemed Li Hao was truly set on reaching the sixth rank before doing anything else. "Clear the battlefield!" Following Hong Yitang's command, everyone began cleaning up: the corpses of the Sovereigns, the scattered Great Dao crystals, the shattered worlds, the drifting Great Dao power... At this moment, all of it was swiftly devoured and digested by the crowd. Meanwhile, the Black Panther moved like a spirit of the dark night. Without anyone telling it what to do, it prowled the perimeter, lurking in the shadows to help clear the field. In this moment, everyone seemed to have found their purpose in life. Each and every one of them wore radiant smiles! Li Hao also smiled brilliantly, continuously absorbing that Great Dao power and worldly power to fill his minor realms. At the same time, Er Mao wandered nearby, swallowing portions of world origins. It felt no shame about doing so; although it hadn't participated in the fight, it would be responsible for hauling that sixth-rank world later on. Running away with a giant sphere in tow was heavy physical labor—how could it manage without eating its fill? *Eat!* Everyone was thoroughly satisfied. *** Meanwhile. In the Fire Phoenix World. The Thunder World remained dormant, biding its time, but the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord was growing somewhat impatient! She urgently wished to subjugate the Thunder World. Currently, a few individuals from the Thunder World were venturing outside, but their numbers were sparse, and none were key figures. At this moment, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord issued a command: "Swiftly eliminate all scouts from the Thunder World! Sweep away all remaining eyes and ears across the territory! Do not allow the Thunder World to bring back a single Great Dao crystal! I want to force the Thunder Emperor to come out personally to seize Great Dao crystals!" "By your command!" The Fire Phoenix World had long mapped out various channels used by the Thunder World. Reaching this stage was all about forcing the Thunder Emperor to risk his life and step out on his own! If he didn't come out, he wouldn't obtain resources and couldn't cross the Thunder Domain. If he remained waiting in his realm... aside from a seventh-rank like him, anyone else who ventured out would be killed on sight. The Thunder Emperor would lose his patience sooner or later! Their years of preparation were finally bearing fruit. A faint smile appeared on the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord's face. *Reaching this point, you have no choice but to stop hiding.* *Even if you wish to hide, I will smoke you out!* Right at this moment, someone stepped forward and said swiftly, "Reporting to the Realm Lord! The Dragon Lord previously issued an order to search for the human Sovereign who vindicated the Dao through faith. Someone seems to have spotted a trace: earlier, they faintly saw a bright moon traversing the void, seemingly heading... heading toward the eastern border! That area is currently the territory of Black Dog Sovereign. In accordance with Her Highness's instructions, no one is to intrude without cause. Should we instruct Black Dog Sovereign to capture this individual of the Dao of Faith?" The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord looked toward Feng Yan. Sovereign Feng Yan had not expected that the fugitive wanted by the Dragon Lord would head in that direction. Nodding, she said, "This is a minor matter. A mere first-rank Sovereign, while Black Dog possesses fifth-rank strength and currently commands a hundred worlds in the vicinity. Transmit the order: have him capture that person alive!" "By your command!" This was indeed a trivial matter—a mere first-rank Sovereign. Of course, the fact that the Dragon Lord had personally ordered a manhunt meant the fugitive was not simple. However, Black Dog was at the fifth rank. No matter how monstrous the target was, encountering him would mean instant capture. The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord, however, knitted her brows slightly. "Heading that way right after the Dragon World left... She has quite the nerve. Does she think it's safer over there because the Dragon World has departed?" With that, she chuckled and shook her head. "Foolish! The Dragon Lord is brilliantly perceptive; how could he truly leave a vulnerability behind? Although there is currently no seventh-rank great world in the Dragon World's territory, there is still a peak sixth-rank world. More importantly... its realm lord is a seventh-rank Sovereign!" Indeed, a seventh-rank Sovereign. It was merely that because a Great Dao Universe had not yet been born in that world, it could not advance to the seventh rank. Currently, that seventh-rank Sovereign was waiting for a Great Dao Universe to form, after which he would merge with it and perhaps step into the peak of the seventh rank. His strength was not to be underestimated! Did they truly think there were no peerless powerhouses guarding the Dragon World's territory now? What were they thinking! Let alone a first-rank Sovereign, even if a seventh-rank Sovereign went there, the moment a battle broke out and they were pinned down, countless Sovereigns from the surroundings would swiftly arrive to reinforce. No matter how formidable a Sovereign was, once trapped in the Dragon World's territory, they would be doomed! Did they genuinely believe that with the Dragon World gone, the area had become an empty void? Still, that was a trap set for the Thunder Lord and his allies; she wondered if the Thunder Lord would take the bait. If the Thunder Lord came out, he might... share the same thought, avoiding seventh-rank great worlds to take advantage of the Dragon World's territory first. If he were pinned down there, it would truly be a gift from heaven! *** At this moment, Li Hao couldn't care less about any of that. Frantically absorbing worldly power, his illusory realms were being filled to the brim one by one. Over this period, he had consumed an astronomical amount of resources—so much that it was terrifying. Only now did his illusory realms officially reach the milestone of six hundred completed realms; previously, he had only filled just over five hundred. Had he not breached the four great worlds last time, he couldn't have even dreamed of reaching the fifth rank. Yet six hundred was still not enough. In Li Hao's estimation, around one thousand would probably suffice—enough for him to officially step into the sixth rank. By now, comprehension of the Great Dao was no longer his bottleneck; only energy—boundless energy—held him back! "Four hundred realms left..." After all, the Fire Phoenix World was still here. Even devouring all the surrounding realms wouldn't be enough; he had to advance toward the Dragon World's territory. Three days later, illusory realms were left behind in this region, floating suspended in the void. Li Hao, however, issued a command and led all the Sovereigns straight toward the Dragon World. He did not leave behind a single person to guard this place. If anyone came, he would sense it. Furthermore, he had laid down the River of Time here, once again letting the river permeate heaven and earth. *I refuse to believe that with you, Dragon Lord, off in the Chiyang Region and the Tianfang Region, you can still perceive this place!* Having established the river, he might even be able to vanish into the chaos in a flash when he returned. One illusory realm after another, resembling authentic worlds, drifted across the surrounding void. Meanwhile, Li Hao had already departed with his followers. The Black Panther steered Silver Moon, Er Mao carried the sixth-rank water world, and the Sovereigns swarmed like a plague of locusts, full of excitement and anticipation as they crossed realm boundaries toward the Dragon World. *Dragon World, here we come!* *This time, Silver Moon will sweep across heaven and earth!* *** At that moment, near the Tianfang World, the Dragon Lord frowned slightly and turned his head to look behind him. Toward the Dragon Region... he felt a faint, indistinct sense of unease. Was it the Thunder World, or the five demon worlds? Soon, his brow smoothed out, and he dismissed the thought. Right now, he had far more important matters to attend to. Eleven of the chaos's twelve great worlds were gathered there; if those left behind couldn't even suppress the situation... it could only be said that they were utterly useless, and perhaps a culling was in order. "We cannot wait any longer... In three days, attack Bright Light first! Either annihilate them, or force them to sign a covenant to jointly exterminate Neo Martial! Otherwise, leaving a major threat like Bright Light in our rear will leave no one at peace!" Lord Yunxiao spoke up, and the Dragon Lord chuckled softly. "I have no objection! In fact, there is no need for me to participate; perhaps Brother Red Moon alone can take them down!" "..." *Fuck your mother!* At this moment, the Lord of Red Moon was consumed by rage. *Just how did I offend this bastard?* *Lately, he acts like this at the drop of a hat. It is truly infuriating.* Previously, he hadn't realized the Dragon Lord could be so thoroughly obnoxious. This time, he genuinely felt the fellow had a screw loose. A chaos beast was a chaos beast; neither meddled in the other's affairs, so why go out of your way to constantly needle me? *If I could fight Bright Light single-handedly, would my great world have been breached by a few brats?* *Who are you mocking?!* *What an absolute bastard!* It was only because the Lord of Red Moon possessed little wrathful emotion right now; otherwise, he would have erupted in fury long ago. The more he looked at the Dragon Lord, the more disgusted he felt! As for the Dragon Lord, he also raised his brow, equally disgusted by the other. *You've already exposed yourself before me, yet you insist on putting on an act. What are you pretending for? We know each other inside and out. It's one thing to put on an act before Yunxiao, but acting before me as well is utterly sickening.* Humans truly were hypocritical. He had tried to confer with Red Moon several times, but the fellow always adopted the posture of being weak while letting Yunxiao call the shots, which disgusted the Dragon Lord to no end. *You bastard, sooner or later I will slaughter you!*