A dignified seventh-rank expert had actually been forced to call a halt.
He was even a peak seventh-rank powerhouse.
Unfortunately, at this moment, he dared not draw upon the power of his Great Dao universe, let alone the power of his world. Moreover, his own reserve of Great Dao energy was far from abundant—his body was practically hollowed out.
On top of that, he had instantly faced thunderous strikes from two powerful experts. If that were not enough, the other side had miraculously restored themselves in the blink of an eye.
He could still parry a second sword strike, but what he feared was... would there be a third, or even a fourth?
These two fellows could probably take on an ordinary seventh-rank combatant all by themselves.
Countless thoughts flashed through the Thunder Lord’s mind in an instant!
Yet Li Hao’s sword did not stop.
He had vaguely guessed who was in front of him, but... he would slash first and talk later.
It was not that he was deliberately stubborn, but seventh-rank experts were far too dangerous. Once this opportunity was lost and the opponent regained his peak condition, the moment he and Kongji halted their assault, they might very well suffer a lethal counterattack!
Only by seizing this fleeting window to severely wound the man—even if he truly were a good person—could they ensure their safety.
That was true security!
Entrusting one’s life to a powerhouse met for the first time was fine for the Sword Venerable and his comrades, given the extraordinary bond between Neo-Martial and Silver Moon. But as for outsiders, Li Hao was never soft-hearted!
*Boom!*
The longsword slashed down, unleashing the force of a thousand realms. A savage glint flashed across the Thunder Lord’s eyes. *Damn it, this bastard!*
*Boom!*
The shockwave shuddered through the void. The Thunder Lord threw a punch, still refraining from using the power of his Great Dao universe, and withstood the blow by sheer brute force. With a loud crash, his body was hurled backward, and a bone-deep bloody slash split open across his chest.
Strands of Great Dao energy flickered and burst along the wound.
"*Pfft!*"
A mouthful of blood surged from his lips, laced with copious amounts of Great Dao power and lightning energy. The Thunder Sovereign’s face grew pale, yet he made no further move to strike.
He understood what the other side was thinking.
Even so, he could hardly conceal his fury and shock.
Opposite him, Li Hao stayed his hand. With a casual wave, Kongji, who had just expended massive amounts of energy, was instantly restored to his peak right before the Thunder Sovereign’s eyes... The sight nearly caused the sovereign’s jaw to drop!
*How is this possible?*
Li Hao’s gaze turned calm as he looked at the man and said in a deep voice, "The Lord of the Thunder World?"
"It is I!"
The Thunder Sovereign coughed, studying the two young men with shifting eyes. "Could you two be... the King of Silver Moon and the Divine Son of Bright Light?"
He had vaguely heard about the events in Tianfang.
However, because neither of them had reached the seventh rank and the matter had nothing to do with him—he had only paid attention because the Dragon Lord went there—he knew only that two young powerhouses had emerged and joined hands to slay Sovereign Qishui.
He had not taken the rumors too seriously. It was said that the Sword Venerable, the Catacombs King, the Neo-Martial Human King, and the Bright Light Sovereign had all been present that day. The rumors circulating outside might well have been exaggerations.
Yet right now, he believed it.
Working together, these two truly possessed the ability to slay a seventh-rank sovereign.
Provided, of course, that their opponent was outside his native world and outside his Great Dao universe. Under such conditions, they genuinely had the means to pull it off.
It was terrifying!
The gap between the seventh and sixth ranks was normally like night and day. These two could practically be called pseudo-seventh-ranks!
The Thunder Sovereign said in a low voice, "If it is you two, there is no feud between us; this was merely a misunderstanding! I cannot rashly draw on the power of my Great Dao universe... but if you press me too hard and force me to unleash it, we are not far from the Thunder World, and I am at the peak of the seventh rank. If that happens... you two might not gain any advantage!"
Li Hao had already deduced as much, but he merely gave a faint smile. "To find the Thunder Lord here... is truly a surprise. Still, you had better use your Great Dao power sparingly. Countless eyes are watching the Thunder World's Great Dao universe. The moment you tap into it, seventh-rank powerhouses will likely arrive in no time. I, for one, have nothing to fear... The Dragon World is not yet prepared to go to war against Bright Light and Neo-Martial simultaneously!"
Regardless of whether that was true, he would establish deterrence first.
Encountering a seventh-rank sovereign in the chaos, even a human sovereign, demanded the utmost caution.
Who in this chaos could be considered truly benevolent?
Whether it was Wushan or Senlan, it had taken multiple interactions and friction before cooperation was established. Only with Neo-Martial had they cooperated right from the start without any prior testing.
At this moment, countless thoughts raced through the Thunder Sovereign’s mind.
The Silver Moon King and the Bright Light Divine Son.
These two were actually here!
Why were they here?
And to think they possessed such staggering strength!
It was inconceivable!
Even as thoughts swirled in his head, he spoke quickly: "What a coincidence to bump into you two here... I mistook you for chaos beasts and came over to take a look. I harbor no ill will!"
Li Hao nodded. "I believe Senior bears no malice. Otherwise... I would not have stayed my hand!"
*Did you stay your hand?*
The Thunder Sovereign seethed with inward irritation!
*You call hitting me with a second sword strike staying your hand?*
He had to admit that the strike had been extraordinarily vicious. Even now, the sword wound across his torso had not closed and was bleeding continuously. Frowning slightly, he even sensed the wound gnawing away at his Great Dao energy... No, it was corroding it.
A burst of lightning power surged at the wound, dispersing the corrosive energy, but before long, it began to spread once more.
The Thunder Sovereign’s expression shifted, and he looked at Li Hao. "The power of destruction?"
"The Thunder Lord truly possesses broad knowledge!"
Naturally; it was the power of destruction inherent in chaos lightning tribulations, so of course he was familiar with it. Half of the Thunder World lay inside the Thunder Domain.
He had not expected the Silver Moon King to be capable of wielding the power of destruction.
It was indeed surprising!
Taking a deep breath, the Thunder Sovereign asked, "What brings you two here...?"
"To slay monsters!"
"To purge demons!"
Li Hao and Kongji answered one after the other, leaving the Thunder Sovereign momentarily at a loss. What utter nonsense.
*Slay monsters and purge demons?*
*What a joke!*
Just as he was about to speak, Li Hao raised his eyebrows. "The Fire Phoenix World watches the Thunder World like a hawk. For Senior to leave the realm right now is far too reckless. If you are not careful, your domain will be breached. The moment your presence here is exposed, the Fire Phoenix World will immediately launch an assault on the Thunder World, cutting you off from the inside out and tearing through your realm!"
"Had Brother Kongji and I not cloaked the void and submerged the chaos in nirvana... the fluctuation from our brief clash just now would have leaked, and Senior... would be in dire peril!"
It was both a show of force and a warning!
*I know your situation.*
*If you dared to venture out, you must have taken a tremendous risk. Right now, I don't need to do much; just exposing your presence here would prompt the Fire Phoenix World to immediately attack the Thunder World.*
*They would isolate you inside and out, perhaps even seal off your Great Dao universe!*
*When that happens, trapped between attacks from within and without, you're dead!*
The Thunder Lord frowned slightly. "The Silver Moon King certainly knows a great deal!"
Li Hao smiled. "A fair bit. After all, I am an External Affairs Elder of the Fire Phoenix World!"
"..."
The Thunder Lord’s expression shifted, and he looked at Li Hao, who wore an easy smile. "I have even signed a Great Dao agreement with them. If I were to expose Senior's presence right now, the Thunder World would be in mortal danger!"
"A Great Dao agreement?"
"Indeed!"
The Thunder Lord found it hard to believe. "How could that be!"
"Why couldn't it be?"
Li Hao showed no interest in elaborating. Instead, he frowned slightly and asked, "Senior is out here... are you not planning to return yet?"
What rotten luck!
Truly, Li Hao was not simply being dismissive; it was genuine bad luck. With this fellow here, immense trouble loomed.
This man was not in the Thunder World but right here. Once Li Hao made a move on this side... the Fire Phoenix World would inevitably suspect that the Thunder Lord was behind it. Damn it, that meant even if Li Hao did not expose himself, he would be exposed by this guy.
Even a minor disturbance might draw their attention. Under normal circumstances, if the Thunder Lord obediently stayed in the Thunder World, nobody would care about minor incidents over here.
It was an enormous headache!
He had to get the Thunder Lord to go back and stop getting in the way.
The Thunder Lord cursed inwardly as well. *Do you think I wanted to venture out?*
*I had no choice!*
*If I don't find a solution here, my world's Great Dao energy will be completely depleted, and our sovereigns will soon have no supplies left. On top of that, the excess power of the chaos lightning tribulations means the destructive energy inside their bodies cannot be neutralized.*
He desperately needed to acquire a vast quantity of Great Dao crystals.
Seeing these two here annoyed him just as much.
*What are they planning to do?*
*Before I can accomplish anything, these two might stir up trouble and give away my location!*
What rotten luck!
The Thunder Lord felt equally cursed by fortune.
However, neither of them was weak. For now, neither side considered cooperating; they simply did not know each other well enough, had zero mutual understanding, and sought entirely different things.
The Thunder Lord spoke up: "This is the territory of the Dragon World, an extraordinarily hazardous place! Right now, the Fire Phoenix World and various other realms keep a close watch on the Thunder World, searching for traces of me... or rather, hoping that I will show myself here... Your presence here is perilous in the extreme!"
Li Hao raised his brows. "Does Senior mean to say we should leave?"
"This place is too dangerous; you two would do well not to linger."
He pointed toward the worlds in the distance. "Nearby, there are quite a few sixth-rank worlds! More importantly... I suspect a seventh-rank sovereign might be lurking in this vicinity. The Dragon Domain has long plotted to kill me. When the Dragon World departed, it left behind such a massive piece of fat; I do not believe the Dragon Lord would be so generous... Therefore, I was just pondering which nearby world hides a seventh-rank sovereign... A single wrong choice would spell catastrophic trouble!"
Killing a seventh-rank sovereign was no easy feat, and doing so would easily blow his cover entirely.
If exposed, he was confident he could win, but only if he drew upon the power of the Great Dao. That, in turn, would instantly cause the entire Thunder World to mirror the state of its Great Dao universe, and everyone would know he was no longer within the realm.
At that point, if the Fire Phoenix World struck the Thunder World first, he would be caught in an impossible dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.
"Oh?"
Li Hao arched his brow. "Senior intends to attack this area? Senior, you have been suppressed by the Dragon Lord; if you are to attack, you should target a seventh-rank or even an eighth-rank world. What is the point of killing these minor figures?"
He felt that this Thunder Lord... was somewhat... somewhat incompetent.
*Why would a seventh-rank expert bother hunting down such small fry?*
The Thunder Lord said nothing.
*Damn it!*
*I have no money.*
*I'm poor!*
*Do you understand?*
He knew outsiders might not believe it. How could the master of a seventh-rank great world be so impoverished?
A seventh-rank Great Dao universe could autonomously breathe in chaos energy and convert it into vast amounts of Great Dao crystals, enough to sustain a hundred sovereigns. But... but near the Thunder World, the chaotic energy had been sucked dry by other worlds, blockaded by the Dragon World for years, and relentlessly bombarded by lightning...
The consumption was astronomical, with no way to replenish it.
Thus, calling him the poorest seventh-rank world lord was by no means an exaggeration.
Even Realm Lord Senlan was wealthier than him. Senlan's seventh-rank world was at least functioning normally; its resources had only been temporarily depleted from advancing to the seventh rank, but Realm Lord Senlan never had to worry about starving the sovereigns within his realm.
A seventh-rank world produced vast amounts of Great Dao crystals every single day.
For a seasoned seventh-rank world like the Thunder World, supporting a cohort of sovereigns aside, keeping a reserve of over a billion Great Dao crystals was standard. Any surplus went toward cultivating powerhouses; if not spent on training experts, the savings would be even greater.
How could such a place lack funds?
To the point of eyeing a medium-tier world?
Was that not like begging for scraps?
Li Hao had not considered this because he had previously calculated the sheer number of Great Dao crystals produced by a ninth-rank world—it was staggering—and he had never heard of a seventh-rank world lacking money. Realm Lord Senlan did not count, being newly ascended.
Thus, in Li Hao's eyes, the Thunder Lord was acting purely out of vengeance.
Moreover, the Thunder Domain was rumored to harbor an abundance of chaos lightning tribulations and lightning energy. For the Thunder World, was that not the finest nourishment?
How could they possibly be in need of supplies!
At this moment, he looked down on the man somewhat... Rather than seizing the opportunity of the Dragon Lord's absence to confront seventh-rank sovereigns or simply relocate his world, he had come all this way just to pick on minor fry... and compete for scraps against poor folks like them. It was truly grating!
His own camp had massive appetites—himself, Kongji, the Silver Moon World... all of them were voracious energy consumers. Because they had risen so rapidly, even their fifth-rank universe had only just begun generating Great Dao power, which was barely enough to satisfy the native sovereigns.
*And you came all this way just to hit a sixth-rank world?*
Both men harbored their own thoughts.
In the end, the Thunder Lord decided to say a few words to send these two packing. He said in a deep voice, "My realm severely lacks Great Dao crystals. Some of our sovereigns can no longer maintain their peak states. I must first seize some Great Dao crystals, world power, and Great Dao energy... to help everyone restore their strength before we can break out of the encirclement!"
"Telling you two young friends to leave is also to avoid dragging you into our mess!"
"Over the years, the Dragon Domain's blockade against us has been too tight. I would love nothing more than to launch a direct assault on a seventh-rank universe... but alas... my strength falls short right now..."
Li Hao was taken aback and glanced at him.
Even Kongji froze. "What?"
*Great Dao crystals?*
*Sovereigns running out of Great Dao power?*
*What kind of joke is that?*
A seasoned seventh-rank world!
It was not newly ascended; unless it was preparing to advance to the eighth rank, how could it possibly lack Great Dao crystals?
The Thunder Sovereign sighed. "You two are not from the Dragon Domain, so you may not know. My Thunder World has been blockaded by the Dragon Domain for a full three hundred thousand years, half of it sitting in the Sifang Domain and half in the Thunder Domain! On the Sifang Domain side... we can hardly draw in any chaotic energy, while on the Thunder Domain side, everything consists of chaos lightning tribulations. When we draw in chaotic lightning, we require vast amounts of Great Dao power to neutralize the destructive energy within it."
"Since the Silver Moon King wields the power of destruction, you should understand how troublesome it is. Anyone who does not cultivate the Dao of destruction cannot endure it; it can only be neutralized with Great Dao power! Yet my Thunder World’s Dao is pure... After being struck by lightning for countless years, it is filled entirely with lightning energy, and no one cultivates the power of destruction. Even if someone did, not even a seventh-rank sovereign could consume so much destructive power..."
*Now do you two understand?*
*I can barely put food on the table!*
*Stop adding to my troubles here.* It would not matter so much if they were here, but the crux was that he did not know where their loyalties lay or what their background was, and he was terrified of being ruined by them!
If these two joined forces against a seventh-rank sovereign stripped of his Great Dao universe and native world, the sovereign might truly fail to escape their clutches.
He was treating them as equals.
Otherwise, he would never have adopted such an attitude.
"You're out of money?"
Li Hao was stunned. It took him a while before he asked, "Senior means... this time, you came out... to scrounge for handouts?"
"..."
One could put it that way, but hearing it said so bluntly bruised his pride.
Yet that was the reality.
The Thunder Sovereign said nothing more.
Li Hao’s expression shifted slightly. "Then that means the Fire Phoenix World and the others are aware of your situation?"
"Of course!"
Li Hao’s face darkened further. "Then we're in trouble!"
The Thunder Sovereign was surprised. Why was it trouble?
Li Hao, however, transmitted his voice to Kongji: "We're in massive trouble. This guy is broke, and the Fire Phoenix World definitely knows he’d have to come out to scrounge for funds. The moment any disturbance occurs here, the Fire Phoenix World will immediately guess that he has arrived... Damn it!"
Earlier, he had thought it was no big deal—just a trivial matter.
Yet if the Thunder World was truly strapped to this extent... then the Thunder Lord’s appearance here was clearly part of the Fire Phoenix World’s open scheme: to force him out to find funds, expose his whereabouts, launch an all-out assault on the Thunder World, and surround the Thunder Sovereign!
In doing so, this fellow was about to completely ruin Li Hao’s own plans!
Li Hao was utterly speechless.
He had genuinely not known that the Thunder World was destitute to such a degree. Hearing the man’s explanation made everything clear: if he had not run into the Thunder Sovereign and had instead triggered a major disturbance here... they might very well have been mistaken for the Thunder Lord!
What a nightmare!
Once mistaken for the Thunder Lord, they would face a siege by seventh-rank experts.
What a relief!
Li Hao counted his blessings inwardly. Fortunately, they had crossed paths beforehand, and the man had not yet struck against those worlds. Otherwise... powerful experts might already have been converging on them from all directions.
What awful luck!
As the thought flashed across his mind, Li Hao immediately asked, "Senior, how many Great Dao crystals is your realm lacking?"
"Eh?"
The Thunder Lord was puzzled, but Li Hao continued directly: "We empathize with the hardships of the human race! If Senior is not short by much, we can provide you with some assistance. Senior can take these Great Dao crystals and quickly return to guard the Thunder World. I worry that if you return too late, they will grow suspicious. When I was in the Fire Phoenix World earlier, I noticed that all their sovereigns had already gathered!"
Li Hao wore a look of deep concern and anxiety. "Senior must have snuck out in secret this time, and the Fire Phoenix World will surely probe relentlessly. The moment they confirm you are absent, they will launch an all-out assault on the Thunder World! At that point, disaster will strike!"
Li Hao looked profoundly uneasy and fraught with worry. "Right now, the Thunder World is the sole great human world in the Dragon Domain. If it falls... the loss to our human race will be catastrophic. Trillions of humans will have no one left to rely upon!"
"Senior, how many are you short of?"
The Thunder Sovereign was momentarily taken aback, his gaze flickering. After a long pause, he coughed softly and said, "There is no need to make you two young friends spend your own wealth..."
"In the Dragon Domain, we are all humans; were this in the other three domains, I would not speak of this! Senior, speak freely. My friend Kongji is the Bright Light Divine Son; he does not lack money!"
The Thunder Sovereign still felt a bit shy about saving face and cleared his throat. "There is no need for that. I only need to conquer one or two sixth-rank worlds to resolve the immediate crisis."
"Only that..."
Li Hao swallowed the word "little."
One or two sixth-rank worlds did not possess much Great Dao energy. Scraping together everything, obtaining a billion Great Dao crystals would already be considered quite good.
For a seventh-rank world... that really was not much at all.
One had to remember that earlier, Red Moon Sovereign and the Lord of Yunxiao had each spent around a billion just to purchase a single Great Dao star. Before that, Realm Lord Senlan had spent hundreds of millions of Great Dao crystals just to have them slay a few sovereigns.
And Realm Lord Senlan was hardly considered wealthy, as he still needed to prepare for his own breakthrough at the time.
Li Hao quickly calculated and said, "Senior, a billion is quite a sum, but... Brother Kongji and I can pool everything we have, squeeze out what we can, and siphon a bit more world power... We should be able to scrape together enough!"
"..."
The Thunder Sovereign was dumbfounded. He stared at Li Hao. What did this mean?
A billion was genuinely no small sum.
*He's... giving it to me?*
*Could such a benevolent person truly exist under the heavens?*
Li Hao added, "However, I also know that Senior is an unyielding hero of steel and might not be willing to accept it!"
*If you give it, I'll take it!*
*I was practically ready to murder and take immense risks just for this! If you actually hand it over, how could I refuse?*
The Thunder Lord almost wanted to roar out loud!
*If you dare offer it, I dare accept!*
Li Hao continued, "Yet the human race truly cannot afford to lose the Thunder World. Otherwise, the Dragon Domain will completely become the territory of chaos beasts, and our human race will never have a chance to rise again here! Senior, I know this is difficult for you to accept... but how about this: we won't give it to Senior for nothing. As long as Senior agrees to one condition and establishes a Great Dao covenant, we will scrape together a full billion Great Dao crystals for you!"
"..."
The Thunder Sovereign’s expression shifted slightly. "A Great Dao covenant? What... do you want me to do?"
Li Hao said with solemn gravity, "It is nothing major; it is merely to display the might of our human race. Once Senior receives the Great Dao crystals... return to the Thunder World, stand atop the pinnacle of your domain, unleash your full aura, and announce to the entire Dragon Domain that all humans are welcome to seek refuge in the Thunder World! Call upon people of noble vision across the chaos to join forces in resisting the invasion of the chaos beast race! That way, as long as the Thunder World stands, our human race will still have a chance to rise again and awaken once more in this Dragon Domain!"
"..."
The Thunder Sovereign looked at him with an odd expression. What kind of condition was that?
That was hardly a condition at all.
He quickly weighed the matter. Where in this world could one find such an utterly selfless, virtuous person? Was having him return and show his face publicly merely meant to prove that he was still in the Thunder World?
In other words, these two had their own schemes and felt they could reap far more on this side.
They were simply worried that he would disrupt them...
*Damn it!*
*I was worried about the exact same thing from them.*
His eyes flickered. "The Silver Moon King is truly a paragon of humanity! Still... this feels somewhat inappropriate. A billion Great Dao crystals is no small sum..."
Li Hao added, "If Senior feels uneasy about it... then issue a direct challenge to the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord! In my view, at this stage, you should disrupt their plans first. They are certainly preparing to launch a full-scale assault on the Thunder World; Senior can easily test the waters first and shatter their predetermined timeline..."
"..."
*Good heavens, drawing the attention of the powerhouses across the chaotic realms... what on earth are you two planning?*
He was filled with suspicion. Was it just to conquer these few sixth-rank worlds?
*Even if you take them, the gains won't be that great.*
*Furthermore, I already said there might be a seventh-rank sovereign lurking here.* He could not help but say, "There might still be a seventh-rank sovereign hiding in this area... If you two truly wish to take down the nearby sixth-rank worlds... perhaps I can assist..."
The other party possessed a Dao domain that could conceal heavenly secrets, which was immensely useful. His own Lightning Dao Domain made far too much noise.
Li Hao’s art of stealing the sky and switching the sun, along with Kongji’s Nirvana Realm, were both peerless Dao domains for killing and plundering!
He truly envied them!
If he had such domains, he would not fear being discovered either.
Li Hao, however, shook his head. "There is no need for that. We harbor no such intentions. Moreover, if Senior takes action here, it will be far too easy to blow your cover. That would plunge Senior into mortal peril and cast aside the safety of the entire Thunder World. That is absolutely out of the question!"
He would rather do the killing himself!
As long as the Thunder Lord obediently went back and stirred up a bit of a commotion, even if there was some disturbance over here, those seventh-rank realm lords would pay it no mind—all eyes would be fixed on the Thunder Lord!
*Go raise hell! Consider this billion Great Dao crystals my sponsorship, even if it cleans me out completely.*
Every word and sentence dripped with concern for the Thunder World and the human race.
The Thunder Sovereign was momentarily dazed. Did this youth truly harbor no ulterior motives?
*I already warned them that a seventh-rank might be here. Strong as they are... they could still capsize in the gutter. Besides, a billion Great Dao crystals... is a massive sum. Even if they conquer several worlds here, they might only harvest that much.*
*Are they doing manual labor for me?*
*That doesn't make sense, does it?*
*Or could it truly be... just as this Silver Moon King said, born out of sympathy for the human race's plight, leading him to sponsor me?*
*Could that be right?*
He could not help but say, "This is not appropriate..."
"Senior!"
Li Hao’s tone was solemn to the extreme. "The Thunder World is the final bastion of our human race here! Trillions of humans are waiting for Senior to rise up and rescue them from their misery!"
*Understood.*
*He absolutely insists that I leave.*
The Thunder Sovereign finally caught the drift. His eyes shifted as he said, "According to your wishes, after I return, I am to issue a challenge to the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord to draw the entire Dragon Domain's attention. That is feasible, but... for how long must this last?"
"One month! One month from now, Senior will duel him... Of course, whether you actually fight depends on the circumstances. It does not mean you must genuinely clash; it is merely to declare your resolve to the Fire Phoenix World and the Dragon Domain—that our human race still possesses the power to fight back, that a great world still stands, and that we can still resist! Let the chaos demon beasts know not to push our human race too far!"
*One month?*
*So you two plan to make your moves within this month?*
*What exactly are you trying to do?*
He could not quite fathom it.
Thoughts swirled within his mind. A billion Great Dao crystals in exchange for issuing a challenge to the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord one month from now—whether he actually fought or not was irrelevant, so long as everyone knew he was in the Thunder World and had not stepped outside!
With a billion Great Dao crystals, both he and the sovereigns within his realm could be restored to their peak. If so, they might even catch the Fire Phoenix World off guard.
After all, the enemy had deliberately choked off his supply of Great Dao crystals.
Those who could produce a billion Great Dao crystals in one go were few and far between, usually limited to the masters of great worlds.
Yet in the entire Dragon Domain, he was the only human lord of a seventh-rank great world.
As countless thoughts surged, the Thunder Sovereign spoke: "Very well... but let us skip the Great Dao covenant. I will certainly fulfill my part. Signing a covenant would require sacrificing a minor world..."
Li Hao, however, remained firm. "It must be signed! This is also to put Senior’s mind at ease, and we will not reveal the fact that Senior appeared here... We will place our trust in each other. Whichever party breaches the contract shall be visited by a seventh-rank... no, an eighth-rank chaos lightning tribulation!"
A seventh-rank tribulation would not suffice!
Li Hao felt even an eighth-rank was cutting it close. Had he not feared causing complications by mentioning a ninth-rank tribulation, he would have demanded that instead.
Was a billion Great Dao crystals worth having the man draw the attention of the chaos beasts?
Of course it was!
It was merely the reserve of one or two sixth-rank worlds. Once his grand plan succeeded, he would have far more than just one or two worlds—he was not setting his sights on a couple of realms, but hundreds, perhaps even thousands!
Naturally, the Thunder Sovereign probably could not even imagine such audacity—that these two were ambitious enough to try sweeping up all the worlds across the Dragon World's entire territory!
Furthermore, there was another advantage: with the Thunder Lord constantly commanding the spotlight, any fluctuations here would naturally be overlooked. Compared to the Thunder Lord, minor disturbances here would be considered insignificant.
That was the greatest benefit!
Li Hao had been anxious earlier, but now... if the Thunder Lord agreed, those troubles would cease to be troubles at all.
Did Li Hao actually have a billion Great Dao crystals?
Not on hand.
However, he still had several hundred million. If that fell short, he could siphon some from the various worlds. If nothing else, the chaos energy currently supplied by the Queen was condensing Great Dao crystals at a frantic pace.
By pooling their resources, they could barely scrape it together.
At any rate, his situation was far better than the Thunder Lord's; that man had been reduced to contemplating selling Dao charm crystals, which showed just how utterly destitute he was.
The Thunder Sovereign took a deep breath, now fully understanding Li Hao’s intentions. He said with genuine sincerity, "You two, if you truly intend to conquer some worlds, I require nothing from you. I will not interfere with your plans, and I can return to the Thunder World right now..."
In any case, he was thrilled to see strikes against the Dragon World's forces.
Right now, it felt a bit like they were paying him to get lost so he would not disturb them.
It bruised his dignity somewhat!
"No, this is for the human race!"
"..."
Li Hao spoke with high-sounding righteousness. He simply could not bring himself to trust the man, and there was no other reason.
*Take the money, sign the pact, and let's go our separate ways.*
*If possible, once I reach the sixth rank, we might cooperate. Before I step into the sixth rank... there will be no cooperation; it is far too dangerous.*
In fact, Li Hao would only consider cooperating with local factions after he reached the sixth rank and Kongji reached the seventh. Otherwise, cooperating with them would be akin to asking a tiger for its skin. They were not Neo-Martial and could not earn Li Hao's implicit trust!
The Thunder Sovereign was somewhat surprised. He had practically spelled it out: there was no need to give him Great Dao crystals, and he would gladly coordinate with them... yet he had been flatly refused!
It was truly astonishing!
What on earth was their objective?
To give away a billion Great Dao crystals at the drop of a hat indicated that their goal far surpassed that amount. Yet... unless they conquered a seventh-rank world, he could not fathom how they planned to reap greater profits.
For a moment, he was lost in thought.
After a long silence, he asked, "Then the Silver Moon King means... the Great Dao covenant has only one condition: that I return, reveal my whereabouts, and challenge the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord to a duel one month from now? That is all?"
"Correct!"
"There are... no other requirements?"
"We can add a clause: neither party shall reveal our tracks. Likewise, our lips will remain sealed regarding this matter, including the billion Great Dao crystals!"
The Thunder Sovereign took a deep breath. "Very well! I accept. I also thank you two for your generosity. If the Thunder World manages to escape the encirclement... I will certainly repay you double!"
Li Hao smiled. "There will be an opportunity... Senior will surely succeed! Qian Wuliang, go collect the Great Dao crystals. Have everyone hand over all their savings. Even if they must halt their cultivation, even if it hollows out the Silver Moon Great Dao universe, Senior's needs must be prioritized!"
"..."
The Thunder Sovereign was made to feel thoroughly embarrassed.
A billion was genuinely an enormous sum.
Selling blood... no, selling Dao charm crystals would require parting with a massive batch. *Alas, a dignified peak seventh-rank sovereign has fallen to such a pathetic state, needing juniors to smash their pots and sell their lands to help me...*
Granted, he knew the pair had their own agenda.
Yet had he not ventured out precisely to obtain Great Dao crystals?
He had even prepared himself for the prospect of being besieged!
Now, he could bypass all those hazards. Even if these two had ulterior motives, what did it matter?
"Many thanks!"
The Thunder Sovereign dropped all pretense of polite refusal. If he managed to break through the encirclement this time, he would definitely repay them—not merely for face, but for his pride!
It was far too humiliating!
Begging juniors for money... if word got out, the entire chaos would look down on him.
Meanwhile, Qian Wuliang vanished swiftly, beginning his collection: the Great Dao universe, Li Hao’s river, the savings of the various sovereigns...
After a while, Qian Wuliang silently reappeared and handed Li Hao a storage space, transmitting his voice: "Marquis, everything has been gathered, but it only comes to around eight hundred million..."
It was not enough.
That was apparently the sum total of their entire fortune.
Li Hao and his companions earned money rapidly; wiping out so many worlds earlier had yielded a staggering haul. But they spent it just as quickly. Li Hao burned through resources like flowing water—just filling his thousand realms had consumed an unimaginable amount of wealth.
Kongji and the Silver Moon universe were equally voracious energy sinks.
Ordinary people would have gone broke long ago trying to support them.
Upon hearing they were two hundred million short, Li Hao realized he had slightly overestimated their financial reserves. It seemed everyone was consuming resources at a terrifying rate; the spoils from dozens of worlds were already nearly gone.
No matter!
Moments later, Li Hao said, "Senior, we were only able to scrape together eight hundred million Great Dao crystals... However, we possess a treasure that continuously generates chaotic energy in immense quantities. The only issue is... this is the natal star of one of our sovereigns. If we entrust it to Senior..."
Upon hearing this, the Thunder Sovereign immediately said, "That won't do..."
Li Hao pondered for a brief moment, then gritted his teeth. "A promise made must be kept! Let us do this: besides these eight hundred million Great Dao crystals, we shall temporarily leave this item with Senior. Once we have a free moment, we will come to retrieve it..."
With that, he added, "Additionally, Senior, I must state beforehand that this item possesses a tracking effect. In other words, once taken to the Thunder World, we will be able to perceive the exact location of your realm. If Senior feels uneasy..."
At these words, the Thunder Sovereign’s heart stirred. Tracking?
A Great Dao star having a tracking function was only natural. He considered the matter. Strictly speaking, it would be best to refuse, but... having taken their wealth, his hands were tied. Since they had stated it openly, then... accepting it temporarily was not out of the question. When the time truly came for the Thunder World to flee, he might... discard it.
Just not right now.
He adopted a solemn expression. "What does that matter? Young friend thinks too little of me... In that case, I shall accept it all and properly safeguard this Great Dao star to ensure your subordinate sovereign suffers no harm..."
Yet doubt lingered in his mind. Generating chaotic energy?
What kind of Dao was that?
Could such a thing even be done?
How much could it produce?
The next instant, he found out. Right then, a star manifested. It was actually quite weak, merely a Dao Integration star—it was none other than the Queen’s star, one of which Li Hao had retrieved.
At this moment, it was frantically producing chaotic energy. At this rate, generating a few hundred Great Dao crystals a day was entirely normal.
This... was somewhat miraculous.
A few hundred a day was hardly a massive amount, but over the course of a year, it amounted to tens of thousands. And Li Hao possessed a full three hundred and sixty such stars, meaning they could produce tens of millions of Great Dao crystals annually.
And that was based on the Queen being merely a second-rank sovereign.
In a year, that equaled the output of several minor worlds. Once she reached the third rank, or the sixth rank... it might match the yearly output of a great world! That was the truly terrifying prospect!
Naturally, Li Hao would not say as much; giving away this one item was practically a drop in the bucket.
Yet upon this Dao star, an illusory realm existed, fused into it by Li Hao. The Thunder Sovereign sensed something and raised his eyebrows slightly. This Great Dao star was indeed a Dao star, but... there seemed to be more to it.
It seemed... to contain a Dao domain!
His eyes flickered, and he looked at Li Hao. Li Hao explained, "To prevent this star from collapsing after leaving this vicinity, I attached a miniature Dao domain of my own to it!"
A Dao domain!
Indeed!
The Thunder Sovereign hesitated inwardly. He had a Dao domain as well, but once detached from the host and taken to another realm, it served little practical purpose. Yet... was such a measure necessary?
Did he fear that the Thunder Sovereign would destroy the star?
Then why insist on giving it to him?
For a moment, he felt conflicted. Although the young man before him was merely a fifth-rank sovereign... yes, merely a fifth-rank, the Thunder Sovereign felt vaguely uneasy. Could this star possess some other function besides tracking?
Did it?
It certainly did!
The River of Time was something a seventh-rank sovereign like the Thunder Sovereign could not detect. With this star in place, it was equivalent to... creating a realm gate to the Thunder World!
Yes, a realm gate!
With an illusory world nestled inside the Thunder World, if Li Hao arrived in the vicinity, he could even... lead his forces directly into the Thunder World.
One could never be too cautious!
Naturally, it was not merely a defensive precaution; he harbored other ideas as well, though the timing was not yet right. Seeing the Thunder Sovereign’s hesitation, Li Hao quickly added, "I can establish a clause in the Great Dao covenant swearing that I will never commit any act harmful to the Thunder World!"
This item was not intended to harm the Thunder World, but rather for an emergency... If the Thunder World were breached, plunged into crisis, or conquered by the Fire Phoenix World, and Li Hao had an opportunity, he could lead his forces directly into the realm, which might yield an immense strategic effect!
There was no need to target the Thunder World, but he felt... the Thunder Sovereign might truly be unable to defeat the Fire Phoenix World. Those beasts were no simpletons!
If the Thunder World truly fell, as long as this star remained and the illusory world was intact, Li Hao could strike straight at their heart at any time, marching right into the dragon's lair!
Better safe than sorry!
It was just that while in the Fire Phoenix World, he had lacked the opportunity and dared not act rashly. Otherwise, he would have left one in the Fire Phoenix World as well to serve as a back door.
Then he could invade the Fire Phoenix World whenever he pleased!
The Thunder Sovereign’s expression shifted. He was tempted to say there was no need and that he trusted Li Hao, but then thought... *Forget it, I don't trust him. We've only just met after all; establishing a Great Dao covenant is far more reassuring.*
*Yes, just a precaution. It doesn't mean I suspect you, so don't misunderstand.*
This Silver Moon King definitely had an ulterior motive; otherwise, there was no reason to give him this item... The Thunder Sovereign was certain of that. Whether the motive was directed at him or someone else was hard to say for now.
Li Hao was also wary of speaking too bluntly and offending the man.
*Could I say this is a back door prepared in case your realm falls and I need a way in?*
*Wouldn't that be looking down on the Thunder Sovereign?*
*It's enough that you understand; there's no need to say it out loud.*
With both sides reaching a consensus, the rest went smoothly. Signing a Great Dao covenant was relatively straightforward: it required two conditions, a Great Dao universe as a medium, and the sacrifice of a world. Li Hao still had a few minor worlds to spare.
As for the Great Dao universe, the Thunder Sovereign could not easily touch his, so Silver Moon's would do; it was merely a medium.
With their previous experience in establishing covenants, the process was remarkably smooth.
The two parties quickly sealed the agreement!
Having acquired eight hundred million Great Dao crystals plus a star that perpetually generated chaotic energy... the Thunder Sovereign still felt as though he were in a dream. Had he truly... accomplished his objective just like that?
It was truly surreal!
Now that the Great Dao agreement was signed, the Thunder Sovereign spoke much more candidly: "Young friends, you have given me so much that I feel rather ashamed. Furthermore, I must caution you: if you think these worlds of the chaos beasts are treasure troves, you are mistaken. A sixth-rank world actually holds very little. Chaos beasts devour everything, and under normal circumstances, they leave almost nothing behind..."
Li Hao nodded. With the agreement signed, he felt much more at ease. He smiled and said, "We know that a single world holds little value. But what if there are dozens, hundreds, or thousands of them... then the value becomes immense!"
"..."
The Thunder Sovereign froze and stared at Li Hao. Li Hao smiled. "Senior need not be so astonished. Prior to this, we already wiped out around fifty-odd worlds in the Fire Phoenix World's territory. We came here precisely to wipe out even more chaos beast worlds!"
"..."
*Madmen!*
*Utter madmen!*
*Why do you need to seize so many worlds?*
At this moment, the Thunder Sovereign felt these people were genuinely unhinged.
No wonder they had repeatedly urged him to leave. It turned out they were not eyeing just a handful of worlds, but... hundreds or thousands!
It was too crazy.
"The Dragon Lord will not remain in the outer domains for long. Within a year at most, he is certain to return..."
He was still somewhat uneasy. They were too reckless; with so many worlds, just traveling between them would take an eternity.
"Within a month, we will take down as many as we can. Senior can rest assured!"
*Oh, they were boasting.*
*That's a relief.*
In just one month, even if they wanted to conquer so many worlds, they could not possibly cover the distance.
At this thought, he relaxed slightly, but offered a final warning: "You two are very strong, but... there is a high probability that a seventh-rank sovereign truly lurks in this area. You must still be cautious! Earlier, I had a vague premonition that either in the Earth Dragon World or in the nearby void, a seventh-rank sovereign is definitely stationed. That was the primary reason I held back from making a move. Although your concealing abilities surpass mine... a seventh-rank sovereign is no simple matter!"
Li Hao nodded. "We understand. Thank you for the warning, Senior. In return, I must also remind Senior that the Fire Phoenix World is far from simple!"
Li Hao said solemnly, "They have more than one seventh-rank sovereign. Aside from their own, there is a seventh-rank sovereign from the dragon race, and the Fire Phoenix World reportedly harbors another seventh-rank sovereign—a full three seventh-rank sovereigns! Furthermore, their External Affairs Office contains over a hundred sovereigns, all recruited from outside! Additionally, the Fire Phoenix World has been biding its time, and there may be their hidden spies inside the Thunder World... When Senior slipped away, they might already have been probing..."
"There were. Earlier, I personally executed one..."
"One? Far more than that!"
Li Hao shook his head. "Definitely more than one! I did not see the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord, but I met the Princess of the Fire Phoenix World and that seventh-rank dragon sovereign; both are extraordinary figures. The sovereigns you have absorbed over the years are likely compromised!"
The Thunder Sovereign was startled. *Could that be true?*
Li Hao added, "In any case, Senior should exercise caution. If things become untenable, there is no need to adhere strictly to the one-month deadline; you can simply flee. Frankly speaking, as long as you remain in their sights, they will ignore other regions, because right now, the Thunder World is vastly more critical than a few small-to-medium worlds!"
The Thunder Sovereign exhaled. "Rest assured, breaching my Thunder World is no easy task. While an all-out assault is possible, they would much prefer to kill me outside the realm without destroying the Thunder World itself, because the Thunder World is crucial to the Dragon Lord’s conquest of the outer domains! I have long known this; had it not been the case, the Dragon Lord would have slain me ages ago!"
Li Hao was taken aback. "The outer domains?"
"Correct!"
The Thunder Sovereign nodded. "They hope to use my Thunder World to ferry worlds in and out of the Thunder Domain. Otherwise, transporting worlds across the Thunder Domain to the outside is practically hopeless! That holds true for outsiders entering, just as it does for those leaving the Sifang Domain! In the Sifang Domain, mine is currently the sole lightning great world. Furthermore, our Thunder World has weathered chaos lightning tribulations for countless years; even if another seventh-rank lightning world were to emerge, its resistance to the chaos tribulations would pale in comparison to ours!"
"Therefore... in the short term, they have no wish to destroy the Thunder World. They will only force me out to surround and slay me! Unless it truly comes down to no other option, they will do everything in their power to preserve the Thunder World intact!"
Li Hao understood instantly!
*So that’s how it is!*
No wonder—even though the enemy knew the Thunder World lacked Great Dao crystals and was far from its peak, someone as mighty as the Dragon Lord had still backed off... It turned out they did not want to destroy the Thunder World.
The outer domains... The Dragon Lord’s ambition was staggering indeed.
It far exceeded expectations!
It turned out the Sifang Domain was not even his ultimate goal; the beast possessed tremendous audacity.
That was good news. It meant that as long as the Thunder Lord stayed within his domain, the enemy would not easily launch a full-scale assault; they would only continue to suppress him and force him out to seek Great Dao crystals to resolve his crisis!
His eight hundred million Great Dao crystals would buy the man some breathing room.
That was excellent!
At this moment, Li Hao beamed brightly. "Then let us give them a surprise. Senior can continue wearing them down for a while... When they truly believe the Thunder World has reached the end of its rope, perhaps... you can set a trap for them!"
The Thunder Sovereign chuckled. "Yes, that is precisely what I had in mind. So upon my return... I will not rashly expend these Great Dao crystals. Instead, I will save them as a trump card for a crucial moment, hoping to deal the Fire Phoenix World a heavy blow!"
"Furthermore, I wish you two young friends... smooth sailing in your endeavor!"
The Thunder Sovereign offered his blessing. What a pair of crazy youngsters, yet undeniably formidable!
Of course, he had little faith in their grand plan to sweep through a thousand worlds, but there was no need to dampen their spirits. In his own miserable state, what right did he have to belittle others?
After bidding each other farewell, the Thunder Sovereign vanished in an instant.
Li Hao grinned, while Kongji let out a long breath. "Not bad. We sent him off with a few hundred million Great Dao crystals, and he'll draw their attention for us. Had I known, I would have absorbed fewer Great Dao crystals... Who knew money could actually hire a seventh-rank expert to risk his neck!"
*What a thrill!*
Li Hao was speechless. He shot him a glance. *What are you babbling about?*
The next moment, he also smiled. "I simply didn't expect the Thunder World to be impoverished to this extent. How miserable! Still... for us, it's currently a blessing! Let us wait. Once the Thunder Lord makes his move, the Thunder World is not too far from here. According to our agreement, the moment he erupts to draw their gaze will be our cue to strike. Brother Kongji, this time... we slay a seventh-rank and seize the worlds. The presence of a seventh-rank expert will only further prove that the emergence of a seventh-rank universe is real!"
Kongji smiled as well.
His smile brimmed with excitement. Slaying a seventh-rank expert... This time, it would be in the truest sense—proactively hunting down a seventh-rank expert without relying on anyone else. Just thinking about it was thrilling!
Could they do it?
They definitely could!
The Thunder Lord, stripped of his Great Dao universe and native world, had failed to gain the slightest upper hand against them. In that case... what was there to fear from a chaos beast lacking both a seventh-rank world and a seventh-rank Great Dao universe?
They would simply slaughter it!
……
One day later.
The Thunder World.
Suddenly, an earth-shattering pressure manifested between heaven and earth. A thunderous voice echoed across the four directions, shaking the firmament.
The Thunder Lord’s furious roar reverberated everywhere: "Fire Phoenix, did you not wish to seize the Thunder World and take my life? This seat gives you the chance! One month from now, you and I shall duel. If you win, I surrender the Thunder World; if you lose, this seat requires merely one billion Great Dao crystals!"
"Humans of the Dragon Domain! As long as this Emperor lives, the human race shall rise again... But if this Emperor falls in battle, then every one of you must fend for yourselves, for I shall be powerless!"
The Thunder Sovereign’s voice boomed with majestic resonance!
This declaration stunned countless onlookers.
Inside the Fire Phoenix World.
The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord froze, murmuring after a long silence, "He... he actually didn't leave! How... unexpected!"
*We laid out so many paths for you, yet you took none of them.*
*I know your situation intimately.*
*Right now, your Great Dao power is severely depleted. What you should be doing is finding a way to seize Great Dao crystals, not challenging me to a duel!*
Obviously, an empty verbal challenge meant nothing; they would surely sign a Great Dao covenant!
If the man truly lost... then... The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord’s eyes gleamed with excitement. *Could it be... I can truly claim the entire Thunder World intact?*
As for killing the Thunder Lord, that was far less important than securing the Thunder World itself!
That was the crux of the matter!
At this thought, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord laughed uproariously, filled with immense delight. *Thunder Lord, do you wish to gamble?*
*Can you defeat me?*
*You overestimate yourself!*
Even the seventh-rank dragon powerhouse chuckled. "The Thunder Sovereign is staking it all on a single gamble! If we can truly sign a Great Dao covenant and claim the Thunder World intact, Fellow Daoist Fire Phoenix will have achieved an epoch-defining merit!"
Securing the Thunder World peacefully was the best possible outcome.
Not only Fire Phoenix, but he too would be credited with monumental achievement!
The Thunder World was something the Dragon Lord was determined to obtain; even sacrificing several seventh-rank sovereigns would be well worth the price.
The Fire Phoenix Sovereign smiled brightly and said, "This is also thanks to the assistance of all our fellow Daoists; otherwise, how could the Thunder Sovereign have been driven into this desperate corner? Then we shall wait for one month... However, before that, gather our forces and encircle the Thunder World! Since he is no longer coming out, there is... no need to intentionally leave an opening!"
Previously, they had deliberately left an opening to lure him out. Regrettably, he had not taken the bait, but the result was the same now!
Just days ago, they had still been probing.
Yet the fellow had ultimately chosen this path. How intriguing indeed.
Chapter 528