Entering the Sixth Rank, Slaying the Seventh Rank with a Sword

The Earth Dragon World seemed to tremble. At this moment, on its outskirts, envoys from many Great Worlds furrowed their brows slightly. What was the Earth Dragon Sovereign doing? Why had so many worlds vanished from the surrounding region? One Sovereign after another gathered together. Feng Yan and her companions also joined the Sovereigns from those Great Worlds, exchanging words in bewilderment. As for anxiety, they felt a little, though not overly much. After all, this was the core territory of the chaos race, even if the Dragon World was no longer present. "The Earth Dragon Sovereign... why was he able to advance his world so quickly? And why have so many nearby worlds vanished? Could it be..." Someone ventured a guess. Could it be that those worlds had been devoured by him, and that the accumulated power had triggered the world's advancement? Was such a possibility realistic? Certainly. Yet could a seventh-rank Great World truly be elevated merely by devouring small worlds? If so... the Earth Dragon Sovereign had simply lost his mind. In the Dragon Domain, that was a cardinal taboo! Did the Earth Dragon Sovereign truly believe that advancing his world gave him the right to defy the Dragon Lord's majesty? "Everyone, exercise caution. The Earth Dragon Sovereign might genuinely have advanced by devouring worlds. Many worlds in the vicinity have gone missing. When I arrived, I could barely see any along the way, and even here, only several dozen worlds remain..." "Feng Yan, your Fire Phoenix Realm is closest to this place. Did you not detect any abnormality?" "No..." Feng Yan frowned. Nothing seemed to have happened recently. Moreover, worlds had only begun gathering here after he advanced to a Great World. Could the Earth Dragon Sovereign truly have been secretly devouring other worlds all along? At this moment, she too felt somewhat apprehensive. Nevertheless, she quickly sent a voice transmission: "Let us stay gathered together and not approach rashly. Furthermore... Sovereign Longxuan will return shortly. If there truly is a problem with the Earth Dragon Sovereign... there is no need to worry." Though the Earth Dragon Sovereign was strong, Sovereign Longxuan was a Sovereign of the Dragon World. Even if he proved no match for the Earth Dragon Sovereign, the Dragon Lord could descend here at any moment through Sovereign Longxuan! As long as the Dragon Lord was behind them, they had nothing to fear. "Truly? Sovereign Longxuan is returning?" "Yes, he will arrive in a day at most!" "That is good, then!" "No matter. We are all cultivators from Great Worlds. If Earth Dragon dares to commit such an outrageous offense... do not forget that our respective realm lords can also descend!" The moment those words fell, the others secretly grumbled. That applied to her, not to them! The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord was her mother, and the realm was situated quite close to this place. But they were different; they were merely envoys, and not every envoy was a child of a realm lord. What was more, some Great Worlds possessed only a single seventh-rank expert, and right now, they were laying siege to the five monster realms. How could they casually risk descending here? As for the Fire Phoenix Realm, it possessed more than one seventh rank. If real danger arose, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord truly might descend directly. That was also why none of them had fled yet; the situation remained murky, and with Great Worlds backing them, they held their ground. Otherwise, they would have fled long ago. At that moment, the entire chaos seemed to tremble faintly. As for the several sixth-rank worlds in the surrounding area, everyone had previously assumed Sovereigns were presiding within them, thinking those fellows were truly bold... Yet at this instant, the expressions of many changed drastically. In a flash, right before everyone's eyes, Tianhuang and two other sixth-rank worlds near the Earth Dragon World began visibly and rapidly collapsing! Boundless world power swept toward the Earth Dragon World in a torrential surge! At the same time, a powerful wave of spiritual consciousness swept out from the Earth Dragon World, carrying majesty and a chilling tone: "The realms of Tianhuang and the others have willingly submitted to my Earth Dragon World! Now that our realm has just attained the seventh rank, we are in dire need of capable hands. Do any of you have an interest in joining my Earth Dragon World?" "..." In the distance, Sovereign Feng Yan's expression shifted slightly. Another Sovereign directly bellowed in fury, "Earth Dragon Sovereign, without the Dragon Lord's permission, how dare you devour the surrounding worlds? You..." "Childish!" The voice echoed once more: "Without the Dragon Lord's permission, how would I dare do such a thing? Long before the Dragon Lord departed, I informed him that my world was on the verge of advancement. To expand my Earth Dragon World's strength and influence and establish the Chaos Thirteen Great Worlds Alliance, the Dragon Lord agreed to let me gather a portion of the Sovereigns under my banner! How laughable you juniors are. Did you truly believe I would dare betray the Dragon Lord?" Hearing this, the crowd froze. Could this... be true? Matters concerning seventh- and eighth-rank Sovereigns were beyond their station to question. Yet... had the Dragon Lord truly approved the Earth Dragon World's expansion? At this moment, Sovereign Feng Yan still hesitated. She suddenly spoke up: "Sovereign Longxuan will arrive in five or six days... If what the Earth Dragon Sovereign says is true... might we wait until Sovereign Longxuan returns before paying our respects to the Sovereign?" Five or six days? Li Hao sneered inwardly. That little phoenix hadn't hidden anything from the Black Panther, and the Black Panther had long since informed him through the river of time. Five or six days? Did she take him for a fool? That fellow would arrive in a day at most. At this point, he no longer cared. Precisely because he knew the fellow was arriving soon, he acted with utter brazenness, swiftly beginning to devour the surrounding sixth-rank worlds. "Even better!" Li Hao's voice rang out again, the power of Great Daos rocking heaven and earth. "However, before that... could all of you lend this seat some worlds? For Earth Dragon to step fully into the seventh rank, a Great Dao universe alone is insufficient. We still require a massive number of worlds to fill it out, expand the entire world, and achieve total advancement!" "..." None of the surrounding Sovereigns spoke. Before coming, they had indeed prepared some congratulatory gifts, including Great Dao crystals and even worlds. The various realm lords knew that for a sixth-rank world to step into the seventh rank, vast reserves of world power and Great Dao energy were required. Under ordinary circumstances, they would have handed them over without hesitation. Yet now... everyone harbored doubts. Furthermore, the sixth-rank worlds had been devoured, yet the Tianhuang Lord and the others had never appeared. This made them even more uneasy. How could they dare offer worlds and Great Dao crystals to him now? Sovereign Feng Yan possessed the greatest strength and highest status here. Seeing everyone looking at her, she had no choice but to brace herself and speak again: "Earth Dragon Sovereign, there is no need to rush these few days... When Sovereign Longxuan returns, he will likely preside over the advancement ceremony for you... At that time, we will naturally present our modest gifts!" At this moment, none of them suspected his identity. There was no other reason than the overwhelming pressure he exuded, which even surpassed that of Feng Yan, a peak sixth rank. Naturally, they assumed he was a seventh-rank Sovereign. And who else could be a seventh rank in the Earth Dragon World besides the Earth Dragon Sovereign? They were not intimately familiar with the Earth Dragon Sovereign, so they could hardly discern whether his aura was identical to before. Even if they tried, it would be useless. With the Time Star and the river of memory at his disposal, disguising himself was hardly a difficult task for Li Hao. The surrounding worlds were still being voraciously devoured by Li Hao. Within his long river, domains were rapidly filled, one after another. The world power provided by sixth-rank worlds was far beyond what ordinary small worlds could offer. At this moment, Li Hao sensed that he was approaching a critical threshold. When a thousand worlds converged, a major transformation would likely occur—perhaps even a true metamorphosis. In Dao Chess, a thousand squares often marked a point of transformation. When a thousand worlds and a thousand Daos converged, they would form a unique, grander Dao domain. That was precisely why Li Hao was certain that filling a thousand worlds would allow him to step into the sixth rank. Quantitative change led to qualitative change. Yet Li Hao was still unsatisfied—not with himself, as he had enough to advance to the sixth rank, but with Silver Moon. Recently, all the energy had been devoured by him alone. This group before him likely carried quite a few good things. If he could secure them... and channel them into the Silver Moon World, Silver Moon might also have hope of stepping into the sixth rank. Once it reached the sixth rank, setting aside the other Sovereigns, the two Dao Lords joining forces—and if the Black Panther could seize the momentum to step into the sixth rank as well—would allow two Dao Lords and one world lord to fuse into a single entity, commanding a dual-Dao universe. Even if they could not suppress a seventh rank, they could resist and stall one, reaching the level Li Hao, Kongji, and the pre-advancement Sword Venerable had once occupied. With a dual-Dao universe and the fusion of three sixth ranks as the foundation, alongside the other Sovereigns holding down the Great Dao tributaries, they would certainly be able to withstand a seventh rank. That would be equivalent to gaining another seventh-rank combatant on their side! Thus, at this moment, Li Hao had set his mind on taking these people down. If they offered the gifts voluntarily, so be it. If not... even if a seventh-rank Sovereign truly descended, so long as one dared to show up, Li Hao would dare to kill them! "This seat must now enhance our world power and strengthen the Earth Dragon World!" Li Hao's voice echoed once more: "Everyone... present your congratulatory gifts now! Feng Yan, if you think having Fellow Daoist Fire Phoenix behind you allows you to ignore me, by all means, give it a try! Right now, the Thunder Realm poses a far greater headache than my side. Present your offerings, and I can wait for Longxuan's return. Absorbing and refining world power takes time as well... at least three days. Three days from now, Longxuan should just about arrive, should he not?" At this moment, the Sovereigns from the Great Worlds turned grave. Was he... demanding them by force? What was going on? Sovereign Feng Yan also frowned, saying softly, "Earth Dragon Sovereign, these were gifts meant for you to begin with. If you need them, we can naturally offer them at any time... However... do your words imply that... if we wish to leave now, you will stop us?" His earlier words had clearly carried an undertone of threat. "Indeed!" Li Hao's voice boomed: "To prevent misunderstandings, wild fabrications, and rumors spread behind my back, once Longxuan arrives and everything is clarified, I will naturally permit you to come and go as you please! But not right now. If you loose-lipped youngsters depart, word might soon spread across the Dragon Domain that I, Earth Dragon, devoured the surrounding universe and betrayed the Dragon Lord. When that happens, even if I wish to explain, I will be powerless to do so... Therefore, I must restrict you for the time being until Longxuan arrives to make a decision!" The crowd felt slightly relieved. He wasn't suppressing them outright, only making them linger here. Regardless of whether he harbored malicious intent... Longxuan would arrive in a day at most. When that time came, the truth would naturally come to light. "Princess Feng Yan, stall the Earth Dragon Sovereign for now... Let us not suffer an immediate loss. Even if the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord can descend, the Thunder Realm is of utmost importance right now. Let us give him the Great Dao crystals and worlds first; it will take him some time to absorb them... Perhaps Sovereign Longxuan will arrive in the meantime!" Feng Yan pondered swiftly and said no more, nodding as she spoke: "Since the Sovereign requires them, we naturally have no objection!" With a wave of her hand, several worlds and countless Great Dao crystals floated before her. She said, "This is the congratulatory gift from my Fire Phoenix Realm to the Sovereign: one medium world, five small worlds, and one hundred million Great Dao crystals. We hope the Sovereign will accept them!" Was it a lot? Not particularly. For a seventh rank, it equated to roughly two to three hundred million Great Dao crystals. Yet as a congratulatory gift, it wasn't meager either; no one would empty their entire household for another. The Fire Phoenix Realm was wealthy, fabulously so, but this gift... could only be considered average. Perhaps there was more that Feng Yan had held back. After all, doing this could be aiding an enemy. Still, for a seventh rank, one or two hundred million Great Dao crystals wasn't much and offered no substantial breakthrough. For a world hoping to cross into the seventh rank, such an amount was certainly not enough. At this point, the Sovereigns of the other ten realms took out their gifts one after another. Of the twelve Great Worlds in the Chaos Alliance, excluding the absent Dragon World, all eleven other realms had sent representatives. A seventh-rank Sovereign advancing a seventh-rank world naturally warranted respect. Altogether, the eleven factions presented five medium worlds, a substantial twenty-one small worlds, and even more Great Dao crystals, totaling eight hundred million. Taken together, it surpassed 1.5 billion Great Dao crystals. ... Li Hao clicked his tongue in secret. Eleven Great Worlds had gifted an average of over a hundred million each; these chaos beasts were quite courteous! Look at the humans—when Realm Lord Senlan advanced, no one had sent gifts at all. How pathetic! Of course, human factions were scattered and owed no allegiance to one another, so naturally, they wouldn't send gifts. The chaos race, on the other hand, was effectively a unified power, all eating from the same pot. At this moment, none of them were stingy. Thinking back to how the Thunder Lord had agonized and looked so pitiable over a mere one billion Great Dao crystals... Li Hao couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy. Look at these chaos beasts: advancing a single world here easily raked in well over a billion in gifts. And that was without the Dragon World present; otherwise, as the suzerain, they would have offered even more benefits. Li Hao showed no hesitation. A long river swept forward, immediately hauling all those gifts away in a single sweep. The envoys' brows furrowed slightly. A Great Dao river? Though they didn't fully understand a newly advanced Great Dao universe, they knew a bit. It was said that a newly advanced Great Dao universe was chaotic and scattered, making it difficult to form a Great Dao river so quickly. Now... had Earth Dragon simply advanced at lightning speed, or had this Great Dao universe not been born recently at all? At this point... their suspicions deepened. Yet even with suspicions, they had no choice but to endure. Facing a seventh rank, they could not resist. Even though nearly all the Sovereigns present were sixth ranks, including Feng Yan at the peak of the sixth rank, in their minds, the difference between the seventh and sixth ranks was like night and day! A dozen sixth ranks might not necessarily defeat a single seventh rank. Sovereign Feng Yan said nothing more, merely undulating her Great Dao power continuously, hoping to transmit a message through the Great Dao universe to her mother that something might be amiss here. Had Earth Dragon... truly rebelled? Who knew. ... At the same time, in the Fire Phoenix Realm. The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord frowned instantly. Although the message transmitted by her daughter was faint, she still perceived a trace of it. Had a problem arisen over there? At this moment, the Fire Phoenix Realm was already near the Thunder Realm. The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord looked into the distance, as if beholding the Thunder Realm and the Thunder Lord. Over these past days, the Thunder Lord had hovered continuously near the Thunder Realm's world gate, his aura deterring all four directions. The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord watched for a moment, her brow furrowing deeper. Why would Earth Dragon rebel? With the Dragon Lord around, who would dare? Even though Longxuan had headed over, if Earth Dragon had truly rebelled... Longxuan might not be able to subdue him. As for the Dragon Lord, setting aside that he had entered Tianfang, even if he hadn't, a battle was raging over there; how could he casually depart? What a nuisance! "You two!" She looked toward the two seventh-rank Sovereigns beside her, frowning slightly. "The situation isn't quite right. The Thunder Lord has made no moves these days, yet something seems to have gone wrong on Earth Dragon's end... Longxuan has gone over... but the existence of the Thunder Realm prevents us from becoming distracted..." After a moment's thought, she said, "Let us wait. If Longxuan cannot subdue Earth Dragon, or if it is merely a misunderstanding... if it is a misunderstanding, so be it. But if... Earth Dragon truly has a problem, I may have to depart! You two must be careful. Once I leave, the Thunder Lord will be fighting on home turf while presiding over the Thunder Realm; the two of you must join forces to pin him within the Thunder Realm!" "The Realm Lord... intends to go there?" The aged fire phoenix looked surprised. The Thunder Realm was the paramount priority! Even if Earth Dragon had truly rebelled—let alone when it wasn't confirmed—they should still prioritize this side. The one-month deadline would arrive soon. The Thunder Lord had even proactively initiated contact, hoping both sides would sign a Great Dao covenant. At such a juncture, she wanted to go there? The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord took a deep breath. "We resolve the weaker threat first. If Earth Dragon truly poses a problem... we will be attacked from front and rear. I will descend there, join forces with Longxuan, and crush him as quickly as possible! Besides... Feng Yan is still over there." "According to the timeline, Longxuan will certainly arrive in a day... There is still time!" The two Sovereigns exchanged glances and nodded. The elderly dragon said softly, "If all else fails... I can go to the Dragon World. With Longxuan there, I can attempt to rush over using a dragon secret technique. The Realm Lord should still focus primarily on the Thunder Realm!" "I understand. My thanks!" The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord said no more, feeling only irritation. The Dragon Lord had entered the Great Dao universe and lost contact—that was the first issue. Second, Earth Dragon was acting up. Third, the situation with the Thunder Realm had put them on the spot, forcing her to linger here. With three matters occurring at once, she felt uneasy. If it were just one, it would be manageable. Of course, she quickly added, "Fortunately, the five monster factions have not moved. However, the Iron-Eater Clan is too formidable. Leaving aside their three seventh ranks, the Iron-Eater Sovereign is at the peak of the seventh rank, with an exceedingly sturdy and ferocious physical body. The other Great Worlds cannot be moved rashly... Still, Weihu, Juxiang, and Tongbao near us can make a move at a critical juncture!" Currently, those three Great Worlds were also surrounding the Thunder Realm. Aside from the Thunder Domain at its back, the Thunder Realm was flanked by the Fire Phoenix Realm in front, the Weihu Realm on the left, and the Tongbao Realm on the right. However, the Juxiang Realm could still maneuver. If trouble truly erupted on Earth Dragon's side... Juxiang could pull away, so things weren't entirely rigid. The four Great Worlds here were all targeting the Thunder Realm. Meanwhile, the other seven realms were targeting the five monster factions; their numbers could not be reduced, or they might fail to match the five monster realms. ... Meanwhile, Li Hao swiftly drew out vast amounts of world power, funneling countless Great Dao crystals into Silver Moon's Great Dao universe. He himself no longer absorbed any. At this moment, Li Hao had filled 999 domains; only the final realm remained unfilled. And for that final realm, he planned to fill it with a Sword Realm! Indeed, Li Hao had previously been filling other realms. As for the Dao of the Sword, in Li Hao's view, the sword was merely a vessel. The Dao of the Sword did not mean one had to use a sword for it to be a sword dao. Yet now, to enhance his offensive might, he had filled a Realm of Destruction, bolstering destruction. With the power of destruction augmented, he required a Sword Realm to further empower his sword dao—pure sword dao! The Sky Sword would serve as the vessel for this Sword Realm. Thus, with the thousandth realm as a Sword Realm, destruction as the core, and the Sky Sword as the vessel... his Thousand Dao Sword would achieve true perfection. Before that, if he could advance Silver Moon to a sixth-rank world, that would be ideal. Masses of Great Dao crystals shattered wildly, surging into the Great Dao universe, and Li Hao swiftly merged small worlds into the Silver Moon World one after another. Ever since Silver Moon stepped into the fifth rank last time, it had absorbed considerable Great Dao power, including some of Tianfang's power back when they were there. All told, Li Hao had poured in at least ten billion Great Dao crystals. Yet even now, it had failed to step into the sixth rank, primarily because its Great Dao universe was a dual-Dao universe. While the benefits were immense, the consumption was equally staggering. Currently, perhaps only Xinwu possessed a dual-Dao universe, with Tianfang being another possibility. Silver Moon came next. "Uncle-Master Hong, Qian Wuliang, do you think there is hope of stepping into the sixth rank?" Li Hao sent a transmission. At this moment, within the Great Dao universe, the two Dao Lords were also wildly absorbing Great Dao energy. The other Silver Moon Sovereigns were stationed within the tributaries, striving to absorb that energy to strengthen the entire Great Dao universe. Hearing Li Hao's words, Hong Yitang pondered and transmitted back: "It is somewhat difficult... Between the fifth and sixth ranks, there is no issue regarding comprehension of the Great Dao. However... a dual-Dao universe expends energy too rapidly, consuming an enormous amount... We also have many Sovereigns, and sustaining their consumption is terrifyingly taxing..." This made Silver Moon's advancement far harder than other worlds. Other worlds, after devouring so many Great Dao crystals and worlds, would have long since reached the sixth-rank level. "Then... if we kill another seventh rank and feed it in, will that suffice?" "That... would certainly work, but..." Both Dao Lords grew solemn. Was he preparing to fight and slay that seventh-rank dragon? If that drew the Dragon Lord over, the trouble would be catastrophic. Li Hao, having made his own assessments, pondered for a moment and quickly replied via transmission: "The reason I haven't left, have stayed behind, and haven't advanced to the sixth rank yet isn't because I cannot, but because I am unwilling to advance right now and leak my aura for others to sense... I want to feign weakness to see if I can slay that fellow..." "As for the Dragon Lord..." Li Hao took a deep breath. "The Dragon Lord should be near Tianfang and Chiyang right now. To descend and return, he must pass through Tianfang..." He didn't possess clear intelligence on that side, but he knew one thing: whether the Dragon Lord was attacking Bright Light or Xinwu, he would inevitably have to pass through the Tianfang World. With that in mind, Li Hao added, "I am thinking of contacting Dao Chess to have him teleport us away at the critical moment... If the Dragon Lord descends, he will be far from Tianfang; we can see if we can use that window to teleport directly away..." "This... then what about Kongji?" Hong Yitang asked. Their prior plan had been to breach a seventh-rank world. "I didn't expect a Sovereign from the Dragon World to return either... Of course, the best outcome would be that the Dragon Lord and Xinwu have already engaged in battle and have no time to return!" If so, there would be no need to flee. If the Dragon Lord did descend, Li Hao would play the time difference, fleeing the moment the Dragon Lord arrived. Dao Chess had absorbed many Great Dao crystals last time and had recovered considerably, regaining at least seventh-rank power! Prior to this, they had left one teleportation opportunity unused. In truth, Dao Chess no longer cared about the limit on teleportations; had Li Hao not refused, Dao Chess might have run off with him already. Yet over such a vast distance, teleporting so many people would certainly entail massive consumption. Li Hao had recently repaid some favors... and would soon owe more. But at this stage, Li Hao didn't care. He had to try! At this moment, Kongji's voice transmitted through the river of time as well: "Do not worry about me. If the Dragon Lord truly descends, we run—straight back to Tianfang! The Tianfang Great Dao Universe hasn't revived yet, and only Li Hao can open it. We can duck into the Great Dao universe for a few days first..." An unrevived Tianfang Universe could only be opened by Li Hao; everyone else's Great Dao stars were most likely in a dormant state. That being the case, safety was still guaranteed. "Then it is settled!" Li Hao added, "The moment that dragon Sovereign arrives, I will advance to the sixth rank... and directly attack Feng Yan to trigger the chaos lightning tribulation! When the seventh-rank tribulation descends, I will channel the lightning into my Thousand Dao Sword and slay that seventh-rank Sovereign with utmost speed!" Li Hao had planned this out. He had signed an agreement with the Fire Phoenix Realm stipulating that he could not attack Feng Yan and her companions; striking them would trigger the chaos lightning tribulation... And that was precisely what Li Hao wanted. He was currently cultivating the Sword of Destruction, so the arrival of a lightning tribulation was ideal. Forcefully incorporating the tribulation into his Thousand Dao Sword of Destruction to strike down that seventh-rank Sovereign was his exact plan. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed Feng Yan and the others to linger nearby. Furthermore, when the agreement was signed, there was another clause: aside from Feng Yan and the two seventh ranks, any other Sovereigns from the Fire Phoenix Realm who attacked Li Hao would also trigger the tribulation. Thus, no matter how many Sovereigns the Fire Phoenix Realm had, Li Hao feared nothing. The more there were, the less they dared touch him—and if they did, all the better! Having settled these plans, Li Hao calmly wove his Thousand Worlds Dao Domain, while Kongji and the Silver Moon martial masters began absorbing world power. Li Hao directly merged his final realm into the Earth Dragon World itself. That would serve as the filler for his final realm. The moment the opponent arrived, he would strike immediately, giving them no time to prepare. ... In the chaos, a giant dragon traversed the void at extreme speed. At this moment, the giant dragon was puzzled. The small worlds in the vicinity had decreased drastically. He had initially assumed they had all gone to witness the Earth Dragon Sovereign's world advancement... but having nearly arrived, he saw scarcely any worlds. There had been a few along the way, but very few. Why had the Dragon Realm become so desolate? By now, he could see a world in the distance, but... it seemed to be the only one, standing all alone. What was going on? Nearby, quite a few Sovereigns were gathered. At this moment, they seemed to spot him as well. One Sovereign after another grew exceedingly excited. Sovereign Longxuan had arrived faster than anticipated; rather than taking a full day, he had arrived in just half a day. "Greetings, Sovereign!" "Greetings, Sovereign Longxuan!" A swarm of Sovereigns undulated their Great Dao power from afar, their excitement evident beyond words. He had arrived! Now their minds were at ease. Whether something was wrong with Earth Dragon would soon be known. Sovereign Longxuan accelerated, shifting across the void from the distance in an instant. Stopping, he assumed human form and twitched his nose. A dense, pungent stench of blood hung heavily in the air, nearly impossible to dispel! Strange! Where did such a heavy stench of blood come from? He glanced around. Where were the other worlds? And... he cast another look into the distance. The Earth Dragon World had continuously emitted the Earth Dragon Sovereign's aura, but at this moment... a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, piercing through that layer of disguise. Huh? Longxuan froze. This... this wasn't Earth Dragon. Earth Dragon's aura seemed to have dissipated. Dammit, what was going on? Beside him, several Sovereigns quickly stepped forward, seemingly intending to explain the situation. Yet at that exact instant, Longxuan's expression shifted drastically. Reverting to his true form in an instant, a colossal dragon loomed in the sky, his roar resounding through heaven and earth: "Who are you? Audacious scoundrel, how dare you run rampant in my Dragon Realm!" It wasn't Earth Dragon! He instantly sensed that something was wrong. In that very moment, a figure emerged from the Earth Dragon World, possessing only a fifth-rank aura, yet bearing a placid expression: "Longxuan? Earth Dragon has already submitted to my Silver Moon. I am Li Hao of Silver Moon!" What? The crowd was shocked, while others looked bewildered. Silver Moon... what was that? Some knew of Silver Moon, while others did not. When Xinwu was mentioned, everyone knew of it, but Silver Moon... and the person before them possessed only fifth-rank power. "It is you!" Sovereign Longxuan understood in an instant, bellowing in fury: "Insolence!" He realized at once that the King of Silver Moon and Kongji had joined forces, likely ambushing Earth Dragon. Dammit, those two bastards! Golden light glinted in his eyes as he swept his gaze across the surroundings. "Mingtang, why hide?" Mingtang was bound to be here! Wherever Li Hao went, the Son of the God of Light was sure to follow. The void split open, and an aura of silence and extinction instantly blanketed heaven and earth. Kongji stepped forth, chuckling softly: "Greetings, Sovereign Longxuan. I have changed my name; call me Kongji!" "It truly is you!" Longxuan flew into a rage: "What immense gall you have! Were it not for the sudden opening of the Tianfang Universe, your Bright God Realm would have already been annihilated..." Hearing this, Kongji was startled. Li Hao froze as well. Just as he was about to strike, he paused, his eyes flickering. What? The Tianfang Universe had opened? Why didn't he know about this? By his estimations, even if the various domains nourished it, it would take years to open. Why had it happened so fast? "When did this happen?" Li Hao demanded instantly. Yet how could Longxuan be willing to answer? In his fury, he attacked directly! When it happened was none of your business! These two little brats truly dared trespass into the core territory of his Dragon Realm! Damned bastards! They deserved death! Earth Dragon had likely been plotted against and slain by them. These two had killed Qishui in the past; if they launched a true ambush, Earth Dragon's dull wit might genuinely have led to his demise. But right now, he was no Earth Dragon! "Join forces and kill them!" He didn't dare be too careless, roaring out. Nearby, there were many Sovereigns, including quite a few sixth ranks. Meanwhile, he charged straight for Kongji! Kongji was a peak sixth-rank powerhouse, commanding the Six Daos and Three Extremes—a fact many were aware of. The news of him extinguishing Tianfang last time had also spread; this person could likely clash with ordinary seventh ranks. A terrifying figure! Killing Kongji first was paramount; the King of Silver Moon was nothing to fear. Yet at this moment, Li Hao was overcome with boundless joy. The Tianfang Great Dao Universe had revived? Impossible... unless it was a trap! Who set it? He didn't know, but most likely... Xinwu? Was it? He couldn't be certain, but he knew this was almost certainly a ruse, meaning... if the Dragon Lord and the others entered, they would likely be trapped. Heaven helps me! No, if Xinwu was behind it, it wasn't just heaven helping him—Xinwu had shared his line of thinking, pulling off a massive gambit! That suited the King of Men's character. And for Li Hao, this was simply a monumental opportunity. "The Tianfang Great Dao Universe has opened!" Li Hao roared, as if confirming it, as if informing Kongji, and as if venting his exhilaration! All prior worries evaporated. Without the Dragon Lord returning, why should I fear any of you? "Open!" With a furious bellow, heaven and earth shook, and the chaos convulsed. In an instant, the entire Earth Dragon World collapsed! A long river materialized between heaven and earth. Atop it, a thousand worlds emerged, blotting out the sky and sun, as if filling the entire chaos! Li Hao roared, launching an indiscriminate assault against the surrounding Sovereigns! It wasn't particularly powerful! Yet the power of Great Daos swept across heaven and earth, engulfing Feng Yan and her companions in the process. Feng Yan, still reeling from the revelation that the Earth Dragon Sovereign might be dead, was caught off guard as the attack struck her. It wasn't severe. Yet in the next moment, as if something had been triggered, her heart skipped a beat, and she stared at Li Hao in utter disbelief... This... seemed to have triggered something. Was it... the Great Dao agreement? How could that be! We have never met; how could there be a connection between us? That thought flashed by in a split second. The next instant, the chaos lightning tribulation materialized! A seventh-rank lightning tribulation! In the blink of an eye, dark clouds gathered and took human form. The moment Feng Yan was attacked, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord back in the Fire Phoenix Realm sensed an issue. Just as she prepared to breach the void and descend... Her expression suddenly changed. A chaos lightning tribulation? The Great Dao contract had been triggered! A chaos lightning tribulation had instantly manifested around her daughter, even bearing a connection to the Fire Phoenix Realm. Where did a chaos lightning tribulation come from? The Black Dog? The thought surfaced, and her expression shifted. She didn't dare descend immediately; descending now might place her directly beneath the chaos lightning tribulation. Dammit, had the Black Dog Sovereign attacked her daughter? ... "You..." Sovereign Feng Yan was stunned. Was this person the Black Dog? No, then who was the Black Dog Sovereign beside her? She turned her head to look... and with just a glance, her eyes nearly tore from their sockets. The Black Panther, which had previously maintained a negligible presence, suddenly struck, tearing several nearby Sovereigns to pieces with a single swipe of its claws! It hadn't signed any Great Dao contract. As for the chaos lightning tribulation, it didn't worry; it was thoroughly accustomed to Li Hao undergoing tribulations. At this moment, Li Hao undulated his long river, manifesting a thousand worlds. Attacking Feng Yan served precisely to suppress the fluctuations of her Great Dao universe, ensuring the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord wouldn't dare descend lightly. He hadn't killed Feng Yan, so the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord wouldn't recklessly risk descending, would she? He couldn't care about any of that now! The instant the lightning tribulation materialized, Li Hao charged straight toward it. A long sword appeared in his grip, instantly transforming into a realm as the entire Earth Dragon World collapsed completely! Having just launched his assault and clashed briefly with Kongji, Sovereign Longxuan probed with his spiritual consciousness, only for it to be obliterated instantly by the lightning tribulation. He was secretly shocked. A seventh-rank lightning tribulation... this King of Silver Moon was truly mad, frequently triggering chaos lightning tribulations. Was he attempting to advance to the sixth rank? Just as the thought crossed his mind, a fist slammed toward him—the Divine Fist of the Six Daos! Kongji was equally berserk today. He didn't bother using his Domain of Extinction at all, directly fusing the six Daos and throwing a punch that shattered heaven and earth! Prior to this, aside from dealing with Earth Dragon, he had never revealed this before outsiders. Boom! A colossal fist manifested. The dragon race's physical body was extraordinarily formidable, even stronger than the Earth Dragon Beast's, yet it was still struck squarely by the punch. With a thunderous boom, Sovereign Longxuan was forced backward, while Kongji's aura also flagged. A bloody gash appeared on the dragon's body, blood pouring forth. Longxuan found it unbelievable! He knew these two had slain a seventh rank before, but breaking his physical defense with a single punch showed offensive power that was nothing short of appalling. He grew instantly solemn! Just as he was about to go all out against Kongji, the lightning suddenly seemed to vanish. How could it disappear in an instant? He wanted to probe, but Kongji erupted once more, hurling punches with the Divine Fist of the Six Daos like a berserk dragon. The roles seemed reversed: at this moment, Kongji looked like the chaos beast, while Longxuan seemed like a physically frail human. Boom! Colossal fists hammered wildly! Longxuan was forced to focus entirely on the fight. This fellow's instantaneous burst of power had truly reached the seventh rank and could not be underestimated. As for why the lightning tribulation had vanished in an instant, he had no time to look or ponder. Meanwhile, under the stunned gazes of Feng Yan and the others, Li Hao let out a low shout as the thousand worlds converged into one! The long sword gleamed brilliantly, and an aura of destruction surged forth. The Sword of Destruction instantly devoured the lightning tribulation. Just as the tribulation seemed about to erupt and shatter the thousand worlds, time manifested, freezing space-time to suppress the tribulation for a single breath! That was enough. That single breath was all he needed. At this moment, Li Hao stepped into the sixth rank, his aura skyrocketing! The thousand worlds transformed into a domain of destruction, the densely packed small worlds making one's scalp tingle. The several sixth-rank Sovereigns turned pale with terror! How could he be so strong? "Thousand Dao Sword, strike!" Li Hao shouted in a low voice. Cracks suddenly surfaced along the blade; even having attained the fifth-rank level, the Sky Sword seemed unable to endure this sudden burst of energy. To ensure success, Li Hao let out a fierce roar as time seemed to reverse. Bellowing again, he slashed out another sword strike, stacking the two together as the Nine-Forging Dao erupted simultaneously! The Dao of Adhesion surged along the void, latching onto Longxuan in an instant! The sixth ranks before him were not his target; they were far too weak. He wanted to kill Longxuan in a single strike, giving the opponent no chance whatsoever. The Thousand Dao Swords fused instantly into one, merging two strikes into a single blow alongside the lightning of destruction. In that very instant, the lightning broke through the temporal freeze and erupted completely! Having advanced not long ago, the Sky Sword began shattering once more, an imperial weapon of the fifth rank entirely unable to withstand the explosive force of this strike. "Die!" The sword descended! Mid-clash with Kongji, Longxuan had just gained the upper hand when his expression changed drastically. A chill crept up his spine, his dragon scales standing straight on end—a cold so intense it nearly froze him stiff! What? Boom! The sword fell, and the lightning erupted—seventh-rank lightning unleashed in an instant, intertwined with the fusion of two thousand-dao sword intents. It was as if two thousand domains had slammed into his body simultaneously. Two thousand domains! Boom! A shattering blast resounded across the entire chaos! The colossal dragon body was blown apart in an instant, sliced clean through. A seventh-rank giant dragon was severed directly into two halves under this single sword strike! The dragon race's physical body was even sturdier than the Earth Dragon Beast's, yet under this strike, it was sliced right in two! "Roar!" A frenzied roar shook the entire Dragon Realm territory. Longxuan's agonized bellow stunned the envoys from the Great Worlds. How could this be? A seventh-rank dragon! A clan virtually invincible among chaos beasts, renowned for peerless strength among peers of the same rank... yet such a being had his formidable body cleaved in two by a single sword strike! At this moment, a Great Dao universe seemed to emerge above Longxuan's head, an imposing pressure attempting to seep through... yet that pressure was suppressed right back. At this instant, though the Dragon Lord could not clearly perceive everything, he knew disaster had struck. Longxuan had been grievously injured, his Great Dao nearly severed. How could this be? ... No time was given for the Dragon Lord to ponder, nor for Longxuan to escape. Having cleaved him in two with one strike, Li Hao let out a low cry. Time manifested to freeze the void. Holding his shattered sword, he gazed indifferently at a chaos Great Dao extending from that Great Dao universe and slashed out once more! While not as terrifying as the previous strike, it was still far beyond what any sixth rank could hope to achieve. As the sword slashed out, a thousand worlds emerged once more. Boom! A thunderous crash, the sound of snapping, of collapse, of shattering—under everyone's horrified gazes, it all erupted in an instant! Sovereign Longxuan's severed body suddenly began to crumble. Countless Great Dao crystals and Dao charm crystals condensed at this moment. Longxuan's phantom image surfaced, filled with bewilderment, unwillingness, confusion, and inexplicable shock. I... was instantly slain by a sixth rank! I am a seventh-rank Sovereign! I am a Sovereign of the dragon race, the strongest among the chaos race! I have the blessing of a Great World... Even if I am not a Dao Lord, I am a seventh-rank Sovereign of an eighth-rank world! Yet he still couldn't withstand a single strike from the opponent. His strongest physical body had been cleaved apart, leaving him no opportunity to resist. His Great Dao had snapped! Under ordinary circumstances, the Dragon Lord could descend in an instant and even save him. But today... the Dragon Lord seemingly could not come. "Li Hao..." A murmur echoed through heaven and earth. "King of Silver Moon..." He had rushed back from Tianfang seemingly only to be slain by a single sword strike, witnessing the rise of a supreme powerhouse! A seventh-rank Sovereign slain in a single strike—even if special methods had been employed, across this chaos and the Four Regions, this man could now dominate a region, rightfully called an overlord! Boom! The phantom shattered, leaving only that thunderous blast echoing between heaven and earth. At this moment, a universe manifested above Feng Yan's head. In an instant, a hand emerged, grabbed Feng Yan, and vanished immediately! She did not descend; she merely whisked Feng Yan away. The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord's voice reverberated: "Li Hao, King of Silver Moon? What a King of Silver Moon... The Dragon Domain will hunt you down with everything it has!" She did not descend because she had sensed Longxuan being slain instantly. Even if she descended now, she would likely suffer a massive loss unless she brought both seventh ranks with her... But if she brought both, the Thunder Lord would surely attack the Fire Phoenix Realm. In an instant, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord realized that the two might be in league! What she had thought was an opportunity had turned into the Fire Phoenix Realm being pinned down by the Thunder Realm! Perhaps... the Dragon Lord entering the Tianfang Universe was also problematic. Otherwise, how would this King of Silver Moon dare act so brazenly, directly slaying a seventh-rank Sovereign of the Dragon Realm? A trap! Meanwhile, Li Hao's voice echoed between heaven and earth: "With the Dragon Lord absent, what can you do to me?" Laughter rang out across the cosmos! The Dragon Lord truly couldn't return. Hahaha! Without an eighth rank, as strong as Fire Phoenix and the others were, attempting to encircle and kill him was pure fantasy! Dragon Domain, here I come! Li Hao's aura surged wildly. With a sweep of his sword, Sovereigns were struck down one after another. Various Great Dao universes fluctuated faintly, yet... not a single person descended upon this place! In the distance, within the Thunder Realm, a burst of lightning seemed to ripple! The Thunder Lord's booming voice resonated through heaven and earth: "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist!" Even from afar, he did not forget to offer congratulations. Though he couldn't perceive every detail, he knew Li Hao had slain a seventh rank! That erupting might had swept beyond the bounds of the Dragon Realm. Among humanity, another powerhouse had risen. In the Four Regions, another supreme existence had emerged. As for how he killed him, that did not matter. Any seventh rank who sensed the power of that sword strike was filled with immense dread. Otherwise, why would no one dare descend now? At this moment, Li Hao broke into a smile—brilliant and radiant! Three years. It had been three years since entering the chaos, and at long last, he possessed the strength to protect himself. "Clear the battlefield, devour Longxuan... let's go!" The Great Dao river swept across heaven and earth, and in an instant, everyone vanished without a trace. Only countless vengeful spirits seemed to wail in this place. The entire Dragon Realm territory had been turned into a graveyard. (End of Chapter)