Seventh-Rank Universe

A chaos beast’s Great Dao power was far more tyrannical and immense than ordinary chaotic energy. Neither Er Mao nor the Queen—that unreliable pair—could absorb it themselves, so they funneled the vast torrent of chaotic energy entirely into Li Hao’s River of the Great Dao. The river surged violently, churning in tempestuous waves. In the depths of the water, a colossal beast seemed to writhe and take shape, as if attempting to resurrect. The Earth Dragon beast! Even in death, such an apex entity showed signs of reviving... It was truly terrifying. This was the most powerful seventh rank Li Hao had ever faced. Or rather, the seventh ranks he had encountered before had never unleashed their true might. Killing Sovereign Qishui had given Li Hao the impression that seventh-rank combatants were nothing special. And slaying the several seventh-rank Sovereigns of the Red Moon World had felt even easier, as none of them were masters of a Great Dao universe; they were merely powerhouses who dominated a single Dao within an eighth-rank universe. Only today did Li Hao truly realize just how formidable a seventh-rank Sovereign was at full strength. He and Kongji, so-called pseudo-seventh-ranks, had combined their might with Er Mao and the rest. Only through their joint efforts had they barely managed to slay the beast, and even then, it was because the creature had exposed a flaw—a flaw in its Chaos Great Dao. Otherwise, this battle would have been an exceptionally close call! Energy flooded frantically into Li Hao’s pocket realms, filling them one after another. Not only that, but new realms began to materialize. Beast! At that moment, a pocket realm rapidly swelled out from the river: the Beast Realm. The Dao of Beasts! The phantom of the Earth Dragon beast, looking completely tangible, branded itself directly into that pocket realm, brimming with tyranny and madness. A divine character instantly materialized: "Beast"! This was the first divine character Li Hao had gained from a chaos beast, as well as the first relatively unique Dao he had derived from one. Beast nature! "Roar!" A bestial roar echoed across the heavens and earth. The river rippled and churned with surging waves as a vast amount of chaotic energy was drawn into this realm. The pocket realm expanded rapidly, growing stronger at an astonishing rate. In a faint resonance, it even sought to link with the ambient chaotic energy of the outside world. Such was a chaos beast. Natural-born scions of chaos, their existence in the chaotic expanse was far simpler, easier, and freer than that of humans. Li Hao could not help wondering why these chaos beasts were so obsessed with settling in worlds. What was wrong with roaming freely without constraint? Each path had its merits. Stationing oneself in a world came with pros and cons, but for a chaos beast, it effectively chained its freedom. Was it really necessary? All around, the pocket realms continued to swell rapidly. The pace was astounding! Filling each pocket realm required at least ten million Great Dao crystals. In the blink of an eye, nearly a hundred realms were brimming with energy, equivalent to converting roughly one billion Great Dao crystals' worth of Great Dao power in that single instant. In one stroke, the Great Dao crystals he had gifted the Thunder Lord earlier were completely recouped. At this moment, Li Hao’s eyes still held a trace of savagery. A lingering sense of violent tyranny clung to his mind. Tyranny was also an emotion, a form of desire. Li Hao constantly steadied his mind and calmed his breath, gradually suppressing it. His mastery over the Dao of Emotions allowed him to keep it relatively in check. He continued absorbing the energy, silently taking stock of his condition. He remained at the fifth rank, but the number of filled pocket realms had exceeded seven hundred. The sixth rank would not be far off. Moreover, his strength had grown beyond what it was before. Yet Li Hao frowned slightly. He had noticed an issue within himself—a very serious one. He lacked a truly peerless killing method. Take this battle, for instance: although he possessed the Sword of a Thousand Daos derived from the Longevity Sword Art, the fusion of the Five Elements domain derived from the Five Animals Secret Art, and the stagnation of time inherent to time itself, he was profoundly short on a signature, surefire killing move of his own. The sword was something he had practiced all along. Yet the Longevity Sword Intent cast a long shadow before him. Although Li Hao had refined it into the Bright Moon Sword Intent, any change was merely a variation on the same theme; its core mold was still the Longevity Sword Intent. The Sword Venerable’s sword was indisputably mighty! There was no doubting it. If it were not powerful, how could the Sword Venerable have matched seventh ranks as a sixth rank? However, Li Hao was merely a latecomer. When it came to swordsmanship, he was inferior to the Sword Venerable. Li Hao would not let his ego swell to the point of believing his sword could rival the Sword Venerable’s. At least Kongji could merge six Daos. Even though his Six Daos Divine Fist was an offshoot of the Bright Divine Fist, the burst of combat power it produced was undeniably immense—it had even breached the physical body of a seventh-rank chaos beast earlier. Li Hao, on the other hand, had only severed the creature with his sword after it was already significantly weakened. In terms of instantaneous burst power, he truly fell short of Kongji. The Six Daos Divine Fist utilized only six Daos, yet its cohesive force was staggering, surpassing even Li Hao’s Thousand Daos Sword. *Dealing with sixth ranks is effortless, and against seventh ranks... as long as they aren't chaos beasts, I can manage as well...* However, he was currently in the Dragon Domain. His adversaries were all chaos beasts, and encountering seventh-rank chaos beasts was entirely normal. If he faced a situation like this again, even if he reached the sixth rank, he might not be able to truly suppress one. *My Daos are numerous, and my domains are plentiful, but they are somewhat fragile... Even when gathered together, they lack an overwhelming, instantaneous burst power...* Suppressing the residual energy, Li Hao pondered the problem. An idea suddenly struck him, and his expression shifted repeatedly. Who possessed the strongest offensive method in chaos? Was it the Sword Venerable? The Human King? Or the Dragon Lord? All of them were formidable, and their Daos were immensely powerful. Yet... Li Hao gazed toward a distant pocket realm and sank into deep thought. The offensive force that truly inspired dread in everyone—even the Human King—was actually the power of destruction, the chaotic thunder tribulation! The lightning element within the chaotic thunder tribulation was decent enough, but the Human King and others did not fear it. If that were all, the Thunder Lord would have been invincible. What everyone truly dreaded was the power of destruction! And Li Hao had experienced more chaotic thunder tribulations than perhaps anyone else in all of chaos. One could say that no one understood the chaotic thunder tribulation better than him, and no one knew the nature of destructive power more intimately. From inside Silver Moon to the present, from isolation to venturing into the wider world, Li Hao had undergone tribulation countless times. Every single time, he had worn it down by sheer attrition until the tribulation dissipated. Attempting to sustain an outright fight against it was impossible—his prior attempt at walking the path of life and death had proven that when the tribulation shattered him into dust! "The power of destruction... Should destruction be the core?" He fell into thought. Time was not yet fully mature, nor was it something he could deploy without consequence. What was genuinely mature and established was the chaotic thunder tribulation. *Should I make the power of destruction the core of my sword dao?* *Reconstruct the Bright Moon Sword, taking destruction as the master and lightning as the servant. Striking like a chaotic thunder tribulation—the moment the sword unsheathes, tribulation descends... This might be the target I should pursue next, a transformation in my swordsmanship.* Otherwise, his current sword dao relied primarily on life and death, the five elements, and nirvana and revival. He had plenty of tricks, but... their killing power was mediocre. In his eyes, failing to forcefully breach the physical body of a seventh-rank Sovereign was mediocrity. It left Li Hao rather dissatisfied. Before this, he had always felt his Thousand Daos Sword was already exceedingly powerful, pushed to the absolute limit. But today, the urge to change took root in his mind. "The chaotic thunder tribulation is currently a force capable of restraining even eighth-rank Sovereigns across chaos... Even eighth ranks dread it." "That shows no one has found a way to counter this destructive power yet!" Back in the Silver Moon World, Li Daoheng had harbored ambitions of surpassing the Longevity Sword by pursuing the Chaotic Destruction Sword. It was just that up until the moment Li Hao killed him, his Chaotic Destruction Sword had never reached completion. Even so, Li Daoheng had managed to leave a scar of sword intent on Li Hao’s river during that encounter. It was exceptionally potent! Li Daoheng had been remarkably talented, with his sights set on surpassing the Sword Venerable... While that might have been a bit overambitious, his concept of centering on destruction was not necessarily wrong. The chaotic thunder tribulation... The punishment meted out by the Great Dao's Seven Moons was precisely this! "The power of destruction... Or rather, a power of tribulation?" Li Hao murmured. Was the chaotic thunder tribulation strictly a combination of lightning and destruction? Or was it formed by combining many different Great Daos to produce a unified power of calamity and tribulation? Yes, tribulation. This phenomenon specifically targeted the dual polarities, the five elements, the power of time—anything that exceeded chaos’s expectations. That alone proved how truly formidable this power was; even time had to be kept in check by it before maturing. If time was the first among the myriad Daos and space was the second, could it be that this power of tribulation was actually the second? Or perhaps the three were simply impossible to rank against one another? After all, time was currently suppressed by the chaotic thunder tribulation. While part of that was due to Li Hao being too weak and his time dao being underdeveloped, time had always been invincible, yet it was repeatedly punished and battered by the chaotic thunder tribulation... "The power of the chaotic thunder tribulation might not be a simple combination of destruction, lightning, and chaotic energy. Like time and space, it is likely a tribulation power formed by combining multiple Great Daos!" Li Hao made a few deductions, and he felt confident that his guess was largely correct. While his time dao had not yet matured, he could orient himself around this power of tribulation. He would create his own Tribulation Sword Dao! All things in the world had to undergo tribulations! A single setback did not demoralize Li Hao; it only spurred him on. His enthusiasm ignited instantly. Yes, he needed to restructure his sword dao; he could not afford to repeat today’s performance. This battle had laid bare that without time, even if he gathered ten thousand Daos and a thousand realms, he still could not match Kongji. Kongji’s Six Daos Divine Fist had hit harder than his Thousand Daos Sword! In cultivating the Dao, a degree of competition was necessary. Without comparison, what was the point of cultivation? He had consumed no fewer resources than Kongji to reach the fifth rank, so why shouldn't he measure himself against Kongji? Kongji had shattered the beast’s body, whereas Li Hao had initially failed to sever it. From the standpoint of pure offensive power, he had lost a step. Refusing to admit defeat was the very drive that pushed a cultivator forward. "The power of tribulation... The key must be the power of destruction! I'll first use destruction to reconstruct a pseudo chaotic thunder tribulation... Once the next tribulation arrives, I can study it further, and perhaps forge an authentic chaotic thunder tribulation..." No sooner said than done. Li Hao was no longer a novice. His comprehension of the Dao was reasonably refined. A domain quickly manifested: the Realm of Destruction. Vast amounts of destructive power surfaced within the pocket realm. Over the course of several previous tribulations, Li Hao had managed to capture some of the tribulation’s power. Silently perceiving it, he began attempting to construct a sword dao centered on the power of destruction. A sword was merely a vessel. The essence lay in the nature of the power unleashed. However, the Cangqiong Sword was only a fourth-rank sovereign weapon, making it difficult to bear Li Hao’s full strength. Earlier, when slaying the Earth Dragon beast, it had nearly shattered completely. Even though it had not broken entirely, a small fragment had chipped away. This left Li Hao somewhat helpless. Forging sovereign weapons to higher ranks was extraordinarily difficult... Even a seventh-rank swordsman like the Sword Venerable lacked a blade that truly matched his level. With a seventh-rank sovereign weapon, the Sword Venerable’s strength would likely jump a significant notch. "Still... Although the Earth Dragon beast was chopped to pieces by me, its skeleton was exceptionally sturdy. Most of the bones are intact, and its flesh was extraordinarily tough... Using the Earth Dragon beast’s skeleton as a foundation to reforge the Cangqiong Sword might not be a bad idea!" As soon as he spoke, the Cangqiong Sword resting beside him seemed to thrum with excitement. As a sovereign weapon currently carrying the River of the Great Dao, a fourth-rank weapon was not bad. But having a master like Li Hao, who used it to hack at a seventh-rank chaos beast, was an exercise in frustration. Li Hao acted immediately. He did not know how to forge weapons, but that did not matter. In the art of smithing, a true master could turn first-rank materials into a second-rank or even third-rank sovereign weapon. That was a true master of smithing, like the Good Fortune Sovereign of Neo Martial. As for an inept smith... turning seventh-rank materials into a fifth-rank sovereign weapon was still an achievement. Thus, Li Hao was not worried about failing to elevate the Cangqiong Sword’s rank. As long as the materials were good enough, a slab of solid iron would still beat a blade made of tofu. Only the poor had to worry about turning first-rank materials into second-rank sovereign weapons. The wealthy just grabbed seventh-rank materials and casually churned out fifth- or sixth-rank weapons... Li Hao comforted himself with the thought. *What is there to fear? I have the materials!* *Even if I don't know the art of smithing, the Cangqiong Sword can devour materials on its own to strengthen itself... What's so bad about that?* With that in mind, bones brimming with chaotic energy materialized in his hands, exceptionally sturdy. Judging by these bones alone, they were not necessarily inferior to the Cangqiong Sword. Li Hao chuckled. "The most supreme sovereign weapons are often defined by the materials themselves. Take the Dao Chessboard—it was forged from an eighth-rank great universe. We might lack smithing techniques, but we can make ourselves the strongest! Cangqiong Sword, you are meant to pierce the heavens for me. Yet now, you can’t even breach the sky of chaos, and you couldn't handle slaying a seventh rank... You’re too incompetent! Devour these bones yourself. You must reach at least the fifth rank, or even the sixth rank. Otherwise, I might as well just beat people with these bones instead—it might be more effective!" The Cangqiong Sword did not waste any time. It vanished instantly, burrowing straight into a piece of bone. Indeed, if its master could not forge weapons, then as a weapon, it would simply forge itself. It would be a self-improving weapon! Lest it be discarded. Li Hao gave a soft laugh. That worked out nicely; otherwise, it would have been quite a headache. Leaving the Cangqiong Sword to enhance itself, Li Hao studied the power of destruction, sorting through his pocket realms and attempting to weave the Dao of the Destruction Sword into them, even elevating it to the primary place. Such an endeavor would likely take many attempts... but for Li Hao, it was not difficult. He was not foolish enough to constantly reorganize actual pocket realms. Instead, he simply drew out threads of energy and rearranged them using those Great Dao powers. Though it might not be entirely precise, it served well enough as a test model. After working away for some time, piecing things together bit by bit, Li Hao finally managed to integrate the destruction sword intent into his framework. Next, he began shifting his phantom realms on a large scale, arranging them according to his needs. That way, the next time he struck with his sword, he could construct a rudimentary Dao of the Destruction Sword! …… Li Hao spent three full days in Earth Dragon World. When he emerged once more, the entire Earth Dragon World had been completely brought under control. The few remaining Sovereigns within the realm had long since been eliminated by the others, and the Queen was busy taking in the human population of Earth Dragon World. Peace had returned to the entire realm. The nearby Tianhuang World had also been conquered. The Great Dao crystals seized from both worlds had been divided among everyone; these were merely small sums, and crystals were not what they truly valued. The two Dao Lords, along with the Black Panther, had all been heavily injured previously, but over the past few days, they had recovered significantly. Seeing Li Hao appear, everyone gathered quickly. Even Kongji, who had vanished earlier and stayed hidden as long as Li Hao was away, suddenly materialized out of nowhere. Many glanced sideways at him, marveling at how adept he was at concealing himself! "Has everyone recovered?" As Li Hao spoke, he suddenly looked at the Queen, his brows twitching slightly. *Third rank!* *Damn, that was fast.* He had not noticed it earlier because chaotic energy had been surging constantly, making him assume it was just unconsumed energy from the Earth Dragon beast. It turned out this fellow had actually advanced again! The power of faith was truly terrifying, wasn't it? No, it was the nature of the Chaos Dao. No matter how devoid of bottlenecks the power of faith was, going from first to third rank in a matter of days was simply absurd. He glanced subconsciously at Lin Hongyu... She was still at the third rank, but her aura of death was overly heavy, giving off a sense that life and death were falling out of balance. Instead of pursuing the matter with the Queen, he turned to Lin Hongyu, his brow furrowing slightly. "Your vitality is unbalanced!" Life and death were out of balance; the aura of death was too strong! Lin Hongyu nodded, her expression composed. "I know. The dual-polarity Dao suits geniuses. I... might have been considered a genius back in Silver Moon, but on the path of a Sovereign, I am not one. So... I have an idea. I want to break the balance and specialize purely in the Dao of Death! Mastering a single Dao is simpler. A thought of life and death... Life is easier than death, while death is truly difficult... I believe that if I can reach the end of this single Dao, it won't be weak either!" Li Hao remained silent for a moment. "Then you won't be able to tread the cycle of life and death or reincarnation in the future..." Lin Hongyu gave a light laugh. "The Dao of Life and Death, the Dao of Reincarnation... Walking through reincarnation isn't necessarily a good thing. Reincarnating over and over doesn't change the essence, nor does it change one's true age, does it?" Li Hao was taken aback. Why bring that up again? He looked at Lin Hongyu, then suddenly glanced sideways at someone else. The Queen looked intensely guilty, putting on a brave face while inwardly cursing that old hag Lin Hongyu for secretly lodging a complaint behind her back! Utterly shameless! Li Hao frowned slightly. After a long pause, he nodded. "The cycle of life and death isn't necessarily suited for everyone. Undergoing it once reduces the upper limit of one's lifespan. Since you wish to follow the Dao of Death, it isn't out of the question. The Dao of Death has its own merits. I don't understand it deeply, but seeing signs of a Death Domain beginning to manifest around you... the Dao of Death might indeed suit you better!" Lin Hongyu's current path of death was somewhat unique. When she killed someone, the victim became her puppet, almost giving the impression of constructing a hell. A hell could also be considered a form of Dao domain. A Dao domain was exceedingly difficult to form. Though she had not reached that stage yet, could a single Dao of Death form a domain on its own? He did not know. Yet this was indeed a viable path. Could taking a single Dao to its utmost limit make one exceptionally powerful? Li Hao was unsure. Most of the powerhouses he had met did not specialize in a single Dao. Only some seventh-rank Sovereigns from eighth-rank great universes pursued that solitary, dominant path. "Since you want to walk the Dao of Death..." After a moment's consideration, Li Hao said, "You can try killing a few Sovereigns to see if you can turn them into your death guards. If you can, that would be a personal Sovereign guard!" The fourth-rank Sovereign killed previously had been turned into a guard and currently remained within Lin Hongyu's Hell of Death. However, while he had been fourth rank before, he had grown severely weakened recently. Li Hao had noticed that he now possessed only second-rank strength at best. This meant the state could not be sustained for very long. How to preserve—or even strengthen—the deceased's original power was something Lin Hongyu needed to ponder. If she could kill a Sovereign, turn them into a guard, and continuously maintain or even increase their rank... that would be truly terrifying. Lin Hongyu nodded. "I understand, but I've run into some difficulties... The biggest problem is that the consciousness of a dead Sovereign gradually dissipates. Furthermore, my Hell of Death lacks an energy source and cannot actively absorb power to maintain their strength..." A dissipating consciousness! Li Hao nodded slightly. That was indeed a problem. Once the consciousness dissipated, the energy in their body would inevitably disperse. There was no doubting that; how could a corpse incapable of maintaining consciousness stay at its peak? Of course, a Sovereign's physical body was exceptionally strong on its own. Yet no matter how strong, a fourth-rank Sovereign would be reduced to first-rank strength at best after some time. Preserving consciousness... was actually quite troublesome. If it were fully preserved, what if the subject remembered their past life...? A thought struck Li Hao, and he spoke up: "This might not actually be that difficult... What if you put these corpses through the Dao of Life and Death, washing away their memories to turn them into beings without past consciousness... into unique lifeforms? What do you think? You've experienced life and death reincarnation before. We intentionally preserved our memories, but what if we chose not to restore theirs?" Lin Hongyu paused. "Wouldn't that be reviving them?" "Not reviving. What I mean is, using death energy as the core within the Life and Death Star, you could construct a Wheel of Life and Death Reincarnation inside your Hell of Death... Any deceased entering it would undergo a restructuring... Something along those lines. As for the exact method, that will depend on your own thoughts. When they emerge, they would be a blank slate. That way, you could even use their Daos to construct your Hell of Death and see if it can fully transform into a Dao domain..." Li Hao spoke for a while. The listeners were all deeply intrigued. Using the Daos of the dead to construct one's own domain? Establishing a life and death reincarnation... no, a reincarnation of death! Lin Hongyu's eyes flickered. Li Hao smiled and added, "Your curved blade is rather interesting. It resembles the so-called Scythe of the Death God described in certain legends and storybooks. You... are quite fascinating. A natural-born god of death?" Lin Hongyu was caught off guard. A curved blade... the Scythe of the Death God? A faint smile soon appeared on her face. "It does... seem that way. Since you put it that way, my blade will be the Scythe of the Death God from now on!" A Death Domain? Constructing a reincarnation of death and borrowing the Daos of the departed to forge her own domain... Li Hao’s words were far from baseless. The crowd felt an even deeper appreciation for his genius; with just a few simple sentences, he had practically laid down the foundation of a seventh rank for a Sovereign. The prerequisite was that Lin Hongyu could successfully construct it. This was the true transmission and exchange of the Dao. At that moment, Southern Fist squeezed through the crowd. He had long reached the peak of the third rank, yet he remained unable to step into the fourth rank. Seeing Li Hao point Lin Hongyu in a clear direction with just a few words, he grew anxious. "Li Hao, what about me?" Most of the time, he addressed Li Hao directly by name, and right now, he was genuinely desperate. *I'm at the peak of the third rank!* Last time, with the aid of the world source, he had broken through in a single step. However, the path to the fourth rank had proved extraordinarily rocky. He had engaged in multiple battles and absorbed countless Great Dao crystals, yet... it still wasn't working. He could not cross into the fourth rank! He was not the only one. So far, aside from the two Dao Lords and the Black Panther as a world master, not a single fourth-rank Sovereign had emerged from Silver Moon. Even Yuan Shuo was included, though Yuan Shuo merely lacked time to accumulate power. People like Southern Fist, however, lacked direction in the Great Dao. Li Hao glanced at Southern Fist. Southern Fist's fist techniques were centered on the fire element; fist intent and fire were both crucial. Crossing into the fourth rank was neither truly difficult nor by any means simple. After pondering for a while, Li Hao said, "Compared to the third rank, the fourth rank requires a deeper and higher comprehension of the Dao! Our Silver Moon has its own advantages and special traits, namely force!" "The force of our Silver Moon is essentially a form of spirit! Strengthening the spirit also strengthens the Dao..." Li Hao considered his words before continuing: "To step into the middle ranks, force is a breakthrough point. Naturally, comprehending the Dao is an advantage as well... But at this stage, comprehending the Dao requires either slaying a large number of seventh-rank Sovereigns to seize their Dao charm crystals, or it becomes extremely difficult... Thus, you must shift your thinking: use the strength of your force to nourish your spirit and expand your Dao, breaking through the barrier..." Southern Fist grew flustered, scratching his head in frustration. "But force doesn't have a specialized cultivation method. It's incredibly ethereal. You could say your force sometimes strengthens for reasons you don't even understand. Under those circumstances, how am I supposed to deliberately strengthen my force alone?" This was even more abstract than comprehending the Dao! With the Dao, at least you knew that if you had seventh-rank Dao charm crystals, you could comprehend and strengthen it. But with force, he truly had no idea how to intentionally build it up! Li Hao looked toward Yuan Shuo. At that moment, Yuan Shuo was staring intently at Er Mao, looking as though he wanted to reach out and pet it... He was remarkably daring. The Old Demon was truly an old demon! Noticing his disciple looking over, Yuan Shuo finally snapped back to reality. Beside him, Er Mao shot him a sidelong glance, practically itching to swat him to death with its tail! Seeing everyone staring at him, Yuan Shuo shook his head. "I don't know how you should strengthen it. I grew strong through the fusion of five forces! Nurturing force and cultivating spirit! That was the method I used in my earlier years. It can still be used today, but the efficiency is terribly low!" Southern Fist complained, "Then how did you construct a Dao domain so quickly? You old codger are just holding out on us, afraid we'll surpass you!" Yuan Shuo was speechless and rolled his eyes. *Get lost!* He rarely held back secrets... Well, nowadays at least. In the past, he certainly had to keep things to himself. After some thought, he added, "Force is partly nurtured and partly forged through battle! Relying purely on nurturing will definitely be slow. The reason I was so fast is that through the fusion of five forces, I used quantity to elevate quality! You only have one strong force, so my advice is to fight more!" It was as good as saying nothing. Seeing everyone looking disheartened, Yuan Shuo had no choice but to add, "There is another method: nourishing a world!" Everyone looked bewildered. What did that mean? Yuan Shuo explained, "Find a pocket realm that aligns relatively well with yourself, and use your force to nourish the realm, while using the realm to nourish your force! Try to construct a simple domain on your own... not a Dao domain!" "In my view, being a world master has a massive advantage: you can embody Heaven's Will. And the greatest benefit of Heaven's Will, as I see it, is that it allows you to comprehend a domain!" "Unfortunately, current world masters all seem obsessed with pursuing Great Dao universes... But they fail to consider that a Great Dao universe is fundamentally an expansion of a domain..." "Li Hao has dismantled many Dao webs for us, which you've all likely seen. Even though he hasn't dismantled a Great Dao universe, a Great Dao universe is simply countless Great Daos forming a Dao web, ultimately becoming a universe. We can start from pocket realms, nurturing our own domains. When a domain is nurtured to its absolute limit, it becomes a Dao domain!" Everyone listened attentively, lost in thought. Yuan Shuo had constructed a Dao domain after all, and was the first to utilize one; his insights were genuinely inspiring and helpful. Li Hao considered this, then said, "This method works, but nourishing a world... you..." He looked at the crowd, feeling a slight headache coming on. "There are quite a few of you, and you might not necessarily find worlds that match your attributes. Even if you do, that's at least fifty-odd worlds... Sigh!" *Damn, I can't afford to support this entire bunch.* *Go figure out your own solutions!* Sharpening the blade did not delay the woodcutter; exchanging insights on the Dao had been worthwhile. Everyone was advancing rapidly toward the third rank, which was purely an accumulation of energy. The true hurdle would be breaking into the fourth rank. Whether these people could step into the fourth rank remained an open question. If they did, it meant they would face few obstacles before reaching the sixth rank. On his side, low-rank Sovereigns were plentiful, but middle-rank Sovereigns were nonexistent; even Lin Hongyu, who had advanced early, was still stuck at the third rank. As for the two Dao Lords, their path was simple enough: before the seventh rank, they faced few difficulties. As long as the myriad Daos grew stronger, they grew stronger—practically riding to victory on his coattails. However, advancing to the seventh rank might still pose some difficulty. While a Great Dao universe was standard for a seventh rank, many sixth-rank Dao Lords remained stalled at the sixth rank indefinitely. …… With their discussion concluded, Li Hao quickly began setting up his trap. This time, rather than devouring the two sixth-rank worlds, he would use Earth Dragon World as a foundation to construct a faux Great Dao universe, baiting countless experts to come. Five days had already passed of the one-month deadline. Spreading the news required time, and experts traveling here would also need time. Even for cultivators near the Dragon Domain, traversing the distance took days; chaos was simply too vast. How many worlds could arrive within a month remained uncertain. Furthermore, if too many Sovereigns showed up, luring them into the trap and picking them off one by one, rather than fighting them all at once, was paramount... Otherwise, if several hundred Sovereigns descended, no matter how powerful Li Hao and Kongji were, wiping out so many simultaneously would be nearly impossible. A method was required! On this day, a faint ripple of a Great Dao universe began emanating outward from Earth Dragon World. Above the world, the faint silhouette of an immense earth dragon hovered, blotting out the sky and covering the sun! Aftershocks of the Great Dao began to ripple outward. The first to sense it were several neighboring sixth-rank worlds. At this moment, several sixth-rank world masters were both shocked and overjoyed. Shocked, because Earth Dragon World appeared on the verge of birthing a Great Dao universe. Overjoyed, because... the Earth Dragon Sovereign was a seventh-rank Sovereign. Others might not know, but they did. Since he was already a seventh-rank Sovereign... while a Great Dao universe was important, all he needed it for was to purify his Great Dao power. Did that mean... it could be temporarily lent to a sixth rank to attempt a breakthrough to the seventh rank? It was not impossible! As for the fact that Earth Dragon World was actually advancing to a seventh-rank world... everyone was somewhat surprised. Although the Earth Dragon Sovereign was strong, his comprehension of the Dao was generally mediocre, and his governance of his realm was equally lackluster. No one had expected him to actually achieve a breakthrough. Earth Dragon World had seemed far less likely to reach the seventh rank than Tianhuang World. Yet at this moment, no one had time to dwell on that... Before long, the surrounding sixth-rank worlds began heading in this direction. They were all on the same side, after all; normally, when an unfamiliar world advanced, they would never dare rush over recklessly. Here, however, everyone was part of the Dragon World faction. Even if they couldn't get a share of the spoils, observing a sixth-rank world birth a seventh-rank Great Dao universe was an invaluable experience that would aid their own comprehension. The ripples of the Great Dao spread further! Very few had ever witnessed a medium world advance to a high-tier world. As the Great Dao fluctuations rippled across the surrounding region, more and more Sovereigns caught wind of it. To spread the news even faster, Li Hao took a risk: he had the Black Panther adopt the persona of the Black Dog Sovereign, return to its original territory, and broadcast the news along the way. As for why a territory master under the Fire Phoenix Realm knew the news ahead of them... that was not something anyone stopped to question. Perhaps the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord had notified him? Who knew! Sovereigns who had previously been kept in the dark quickly received the news: Earth Dragon World was advancing to a seventh-rank world, and a Great Dao universe was manifesting! The news spread like wildfire! …… At the same time. Outside the Bright Light World. A battle was currently raging. The three great powerhouses had ultimately decided to join forces and deal with Bright Light first. The Lord of Bright Light held the home-field advantage within his territory, displaying fierce and domineering strength. Although the Dragon Lord had brought his world along and possessed immense might, he was not foolish enough to fight at full tilt and lead the charge himself; he was counting on the Lord of Red Moon to expend his strength. Under such circumstances, the two sides had been locked in a stalemate for several days. Although some seventh ranks had been wounded, they had yet to breach the Bright Light Domain completely. During a brief lull in the fighting, the Dragon Lord suddenly glanced toward the Dragon Domain. A crystal within his robes flashed with light. After a moment, he received news from the Dragon World. Even though he had brought the Dragon World away with him, it was impossible for him to lose complete control over his home territory. Two pieces of news! First, the Thunder Lord had challenged Fire Phoenix to a duel. Second, Earth Dragon World was actually advancing to a seventh-rank Great Dao universe. The first matter surprised him, but not overly so; the Thunder Lord had run out of options, after all. As for the second matter... The Earth Dragon was indeed a seventh-rank Sovereign, but his management of Earth Dragon World could only be described as barely passable—worse even than the neighboring Tianhuang World. The Dragon Lord had almost thought there was a mistake! Tianhuang World should have had a higher chance of advancing to the seventh rank. Yet facts had proven that it was actually Earth Dragon World. Surprising as it was, it was undeniably a good thing. Still... the Dragon Lord frowned slightly. Ignoring Red Moon and Yunxiao for the moment, he swiftly returned inside the Dragon World. At this moment, eight seventh-rank Sovereigns were present within the Dragon World. Only four of them, all dragons, had revealed their identities to the outside world; the other four had remained hidden all along. "Dragon Lord!" "That fellow Earth Dragon actually nurtured a seventh-rank universe... Truly unbelievable!" The other experts were also discussing the matter, filled with both surprise and envy. Gaining a universe offered only a modest boost in raw combat power for chaos beasts, but the crucial point was that it would allow them to continuously purify their Great Dao energy! This meant the eighth rank was within reach, no longer an impossible dream. At present, it was virtually impossible for them to step into the eighth rank. "It really is hard to believe. That fellow Earth Dragon’s combat strength is decent, that much must be admitted... But his Earth Dragon World is a chaotic mess, far inferior to the well-managed Tianhuang World next door... I almost wondered if there was a mix-up, and Tianhuang was the one advancing, but people mistook it because of the close distance." "..." The crowd bantered with traces of envy, but none genuinely believed it was a mistake. Perhaps Earth Dragon had simply struck dumb luck! The Dragon Lord smiled faintly. "This is a good thing!" He paused in thought before adding, "However... Earth Dragon nurturing a seventh-rank world was completely outside my expectations, to be honest." Pondering further, he frowned slightly. "Right now, Red Moon and Yunxiao are unwilling to go all out against Bright Light, and it isn't wise for me to expose too much. If this stalemate drags on, Bright Light will likely collapse sooner or later. But I can't head back right now, and advancing to the seventh rank is a major event..." Weighing his options, he decided to send a seventh-rank Sovereign back to take a look. First, to congratulate Earth Dragon. Second, to see if they could negotiate having a sixth-rank Sovereign temporarily take control of the Great Dao universe before it fully solidified, giving them a chance to step into the seventh rank. That would add another seventh-rank combatant to their ranks. While somewhat unfair to Earth Dragon, the Dragon Lord could compensate him later. Third... this was the very first time a chaos beast had nurtured a seventh-rank universe entirely on its own without relying on humans. If circumstances permitted, the Dragon Lord would have loved to return and see how Earth Dragon had pulled it off. If the method could be replicated, and a seventh rank could nurture a universe independently... he had plenty of seventh ranks on his side. If every one of them nurtured a Great Dao universe, what need would they have for humans? They could simply slaughter them all! Of course, that was merely a passing thought; it was not feasible yet. As for the Thunder Lord's duel, he had a few words he wanted relayed to Fire Phoenix. While messages could be transmitted across chaos, long-distance communication was notoriously difficult and prone to distortion, meaning the message might not accurately convey his intent. Furthermore, he harbored a faint suspicion. Could there be an issue with Earth Dragon World? How had it suddenly advanced to a seventh-rank universe? The Thunder Lord suddenly issuing a challenge instead of following their original plan to ambush worlds affiliated with the Dragon World was also unexpected. From what he knew of the Thunder Sovereign, the man was impulsive and rash, but not completely brainless... His Great Dao power was severely depleted; did he truly believe he could defeat the peak seventh-rank Fire Phoenix? After a long silence, the Dragon Lord looked at a seventh-rank dragon: "Longxuan... Return to the Dragon Domain on my behalf! First, tell Fire Phoenix to exercise extreme caution. If the Thunder Sovereign dares to challenge her, he might hold a trump card. Perhaps he stumbled upon a stash of Great Dao crystals somewhere and replenished his reserves. She must treat this matter with the utmost seriousness!" "Second, pay a visit to Earth Dragon World... Relay my thoughts, and congratulate Earth Dragon on successfully nurturing his world! Additionally, negotiate with him to see if he is willing to temporarily yield the opportunity to control the Great Dao universe to Tianhuang Sovereign next door. Tianhuang possesses good talent and stands a chance of crossing into the seventh rank..." "Naturally, Earth Dragon will be compensated. Once I return, I will reward him handsomely!" The Dragon Lord gave his instructions one by one, then added, "One more thing..." He frowned slightly. "Ask Earth Dragon... how he managed to advance his world so suddenly. Of course, if he is unwilling to say, let it be. Do not force him... I can ask him myself once I return. Still... this happened far too quickly. I have observed the nearby sixth-rank worlds for a long time, and aside from Tianhuang, I never held high hopes for any of the others." Longxuan, a seventh-rank dragon, hurriedly responded upon hearing this: "My Lord, at this crucial juncture... every hand is needed. If I depart..." Although the Dragon Lord had brought eight seventh-rank Sovereigns, the three domains held a multitude of seventh ranks. Losing even one was a loss of strength. "No matter!" The Dragon Lord chuckled. "With one fewer dragon on the surface, those fellows will feel more at ease instead! Make haste on your return... There are only twenty-odd days left before the duel with the Thunder Lord. Since the Great Dao universe cannot project that far back right now, you will have to travel on your own, which will take at least ten-odd days... Be careful on the road!" "Understood!" Sovereign Longxuan nodded, then asked, "What if Earth Dragon refuses to yield the Great Dao universe to Tianhuang...?" "Then forget it!" The Dragon Lord did not force the issue, chuckling. "Nurturing a seventh-rank universe is his own achievement, though I am certainly curious! I even suspect the fellow might have secretly collaborated with some human experts... But... never mind. As long as he doesn't step out of line, there is no need to dwell on it too much." He truly doubted that Earth Dragon could nurture a seventh-rank universe entirely on his own without human assistance. A universe required a Dao domain formed by weaving together many Great Daos; simply having a single powerful Dao—and a Chaos Dao at that—was not enough to produce a Dao domain. "Very well, I shall return as quickly as possible..." "No need. Wait until the matter with the Thunder World concludes before returning! If you can take the Thunder World, that would be ideal. If not, setting it aside for the moment is fine too." "Understood!" Sovereign Longxuan said no more. Returning from the Bright Light World without the aid of a Great Dao universe was a journey that, even for a seventh-rank Sovereign maintaining his power without overexpending himself, would take about ten days. As it happened, the Thunder World matter and Earth Dragon's advancement were converging at the same time; who knew if one might delay the other? Soon, Sovereign Longxuan departed. The Dragon Lord quickly left the Dragon World as well. Facing the questioning looks of Sovereigns Yunxiao and Red Moon, he offered an explanation: "A minor issue arose within the Dragon Domain—a rebellion in a major realm. I sent Longxuan back to handle it." The two understood. The Lord of Red Moon seemed to guess it was the Thunder World, but kept his silence. Speaking up now would accomplish nothing... If the Dragon Lord wanted to wipe out a human realm—the sole human realm in the region, no less—was Red Moon supposed to dissuade him? He had no interest in meddling in such affairs! As for the Lord of Yunxiao, he had heard whispers of the situation as well. He smiled faintly without saying anything, merely turning his gaze toward the Bright Light Divine World, his eyes chilling. Over the past few days, several seventh-rank Sovereigns on the Bright Light side had suffered severe injuries. He had nearly slain Sovereign Yaoyang, a peak seventh-rank expert, outright. That old bastard Bright Light still refused to compromise. Did he truly want to see his world destroyed? Unfortunately, Red Moon and the Dragon Lord were dragging their feet, holding back their true strength. Otherwise, they would have conquered the Bright Light Divine World long ago! …… Meanwhile. Inside the Bright Light Divine World. The Bright Light Sovereign remained silent. Faced with the assault of three eighth-rank powerhouses, his home-field advantage had kept him afloat, but the Dragon Lord had also brought a world along. Even though the Dragon Lord had not exerted much effort over the past few days, merely tying down a few seventh-rank Sovereigns, the combined siege of Yunxiao and Red Moon—along with several dragon seventh ranks—was pushing him to his absolute limit. Yaoyang was severely wounded. If this continued... he would have no choice but to surrender and sign a Great Dao agreement. Otherwise, Bright Light would be eradicated! Damn it all! Those despicable scoundrels. Signing a Great Dao agreement to fight Neo Martial left him conflicted, yet at present, there seemed to be no other way out. Beside him, the heavily injured Sovereign Yaoyang gritted his teeth. "Boss, we can't compromise! We'll fight them to the bitter end! As long as we slay Red Moon and eliminate one of their eighth ranks, their alliance will crumble!" The Bright Light Sovereign was speechless. *I know that, but do you really think Red Moon is useless just because he lost his world?* *How could it be that simple?!* *You overestimate my strength.* Fighting two against one was already an uphill battle, not to mention the several seventh ranks joining the fray. The fact that he hadn't been beaten to death was proof enough of his power. Sovereign Yaoyang spoke again: "At worst... we fight to the death! We can send someone to break through their lines, or you can break through yourself, Boss, and search for Mingtang. He's almost at the seventh rank. Once you fall in battle, pass the Great Dao universe on to him. Mingtang will surely reach the seventh rank, perhaps even the eighth rank... When the time comes, he will avenge us..." *Screw you!* The Bright Light Sovereign cursed inwardly. Did this fellow have a screw loose? *Are you putting a curse on me?!* *I’m alive and well—why on earth would I pass my world on to my son?!* Besides, he had no idea where the boy had run off to; where was he supposed to find him? He couldn't help cursing internally again. If that brat hadn't insisted on colluding with Neo Martial... fine, if he hadn't insisted on befriending the Silver Moon King, things would never have reached this point, and an upstart like Yunxiao wouldn't dare push him around! Could the brat have done it on purpose? Could he be hoping his father would get beaten to death so he could inherit the family business? Otherwise, an eighth-rank Sovereign... without reaching the seventh rank, his son might not even outlive him. For the children of powerhouses, inheriting the family business was extraordinarily rare! Across the countless worlds of chaos, children of Dao Lords actually inheriting their parents' domain were exceedingly few—pitifully so. Unless an outright catastrophe occurred, let alone children, even an outsider inheriting a Great Dao universe like Senlan was one in ten thousand. With a heavy sigh, he finally spoke after a long silence: "Hold on for a few more days. If... there really is no other way, we can only compromise! After all, compared to the destruction of our world, joining forces with them to attack Neo Martial at least pushes the crisis further into the future!" Sovereign Yaoyang was silent. Only after a long while did he murmur, "What a pity. When I met the Human King last time, he actually seemed like a decent person..." The Bright Light Sovereign shook his head, saying nothing more. *I know that too, but... there is no righteousness to speak of in chaos. I won't bury Bright Light for Neo Martial's sake.* *My son... what a pity. There is nothing I can do.* *In the future, if you continue tangling with the Silver Moon King or even join hands with Neo Martial, I might not be able to protect you.*