Scrambling for Dominance

On the Thunder Realm's side, both seventh-rank masters possessed Great Dao Universes. The two parties signed a Great Dao pact. With an eighth-rank lightning tribulation as the penalty, the two seventh-rank Great Dao Universes soon surged into view and clashed in full fury. Thunder and fire erupted instantly across the void, shaking the cosmos in every direction! The observing Sovereigns swayed in the turbulence, thoroughly awed. Only this was the true power of seventh-rank lords! Meanwhile, the seventh-rank Dragon and Phoenix experts on the Fire Phoenix Realm's side looked on from a distance, making no haste to enter the Thunder Realm. Even if they intended to enter, they had to wait—at least until the Thunder Lord was completely pinned down. Otherwise, if he executed a sudden retreat, trapped them inside the Thunder Realm, and fought desperately to take one down with him before dying, they would suffer a terrible loss. Still, as long as the Thunder Lord was thoroughly entangled with the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord, they would have to move. If they did not go in, what if that lunatic destroyed the Thunder Realm? Both seventh ranks waited patiently. All around, the experts from the Giant Elephant, Mighty Tiger, and Tongbao Realms watched from afar, maintaining their perimeter to ensure the Thunder Lord could not flee. Even if he managed to escape, he had to surrender his Great Dao Universe before doing so! This time, the Thunder Lord had nowhere left to run! …… At the same time. Outside the Yunxiao Realm. A group had trekked across great distances and finally arrived: the Xinwu Supreme, the Sword Venerable, Li Zhu, the Sun God, along with a cadre of peak sixth-rank Sovereigns such as the Blood Sovereign and the Earth Emperor, who had not yet crossed into the seventh rank. They were merely a sliver away. The main issue was that advancing demanded far too many resources. The previous Zhiyang Region had not yielded nearly enough for their breakthrough. Four seventh ranks, plus numerous peak sixth ranks who could match seventh ranks in battle. Sovereign after Sovereign hovered beyond the Yunxiao Realm. At that moment, however, a figure appeared before them—Wushan, someone who had departed earlier. His expression was grave as he met their gazes. After a long pause, he spoke. "I have come to ask a favor! Whether it is the world or its Sovereigns... execute whoever should be executed. But the hundreds of billions of mortal humans within Yunxiao are innocent. When the Silver Moon King, Li Hao, breached the Red Moon World, he did not slaughter the mortals either. Therefore... I have come here to ask for this mercy!" When those peak experts had been trapped in Tianfang, he had known that Yunxiao was in grave danger. That fool, the Lord of Yunxiao, had fallen straight into a trap. Of course, Wushan had no interest in meddling in that fool's fate. Yet he had still returned to Yunxiao. Looking at the Sovereigns before him, he said in a heavy voice, "I know Yunxiao intimately and can infiltrate it. While you are exceptionally powerful, the realm holds the home-ground advantage with two seventh ranks overseeing it alongside a hundred Yunxiao Sovereigns. Breaching it instantly without prior preparation will cost you considerable effort and casualties..." A slight smile formed on the Supreme's face, taken somewhat by surprise. Wushan had actually appeared here! Glancing at Wushan, the Supreme chuckled. "Slaughtering mortal humans is naturally not something we do. However, when supreme experts clash, collateral damage is inevitable. We do not style ourselves as saints; if any are caught in the crossfire, death is simply death. Even so, since Daoist Wushan has stepped forward in person, we will naturally grant you this face!" Wushan stood at the peak of the seventh rank. His strength was formidable, though the Supreme and the others did not fear him in the least—even if he joined forces with the two remaining seventh ranks of Yunxiao, they would still hold nothing back. Yet they had cooperated before, after all, and all Wushan asked for was the safety of those ordinary mortals. That was simple enough. "If Daoist Wushan is willing to lend a hand, that would be ideal..." At this point, the Supreme's tone took on a playful, amused edge. "Daoist Wushan, you hail from Yunxiao. How about this... once we take Yunxiao today, we gift it to you?" "What?" Sovereign Wushan froze. The Supreme appeared entirely relaxed. "Once Yunxiao falls, it is yours! Whether you hold it as your own or devour it to break through to the eighth rank, do as you please! You share the same origin, so reaching the eighth rank will be as easy as lifting a hand!" Sovereign Wushan was thoroughly dumbfounded. He had merely come wishing to spare Yunxiao's mortals. Yet... he wondered if his ears were deceiving him. Xinwu had paid an astronomical price to conquer Yunxiao, with the Human King and the Cang Emperor teetering on the edge of catastrophe. All of that just to crack open an eighth-rank world—and now they were going to give it to him? Was this a joke? The Supreme smiled again. "Do you not want it, Daoist?" All around, the other Sovereigns remained silent, merely looking at the Supreme. Since he had made the offer, he certainly had a plan. Sure enough, the Supreme continued, "Once you step into the eighth rank, Daoist, you only need to do us one small favor: help us breach Chiyang! Chiyang still has four native seventh ranks guarding it, and not only that—there may be outer-domain experts present as well, perhaps another seventh rank or two, or even an eighth rank. Chiyang is our true objective; Yunxiao is merely an appetizer!" "If you can step into the eighth rank, then with an eighth-rank Sovereign aiding us, Chiyang will surely fall!" What was Yunxiao in comparison? Taking Yunxiao might produce only two or three seventh ranks—such as the Blood Sovereign and the Earth Emperor. The others could not benefit because they lacked yang energy. By then, could six seventh ranks storm Chiyang successfully? Not necessarily! Chiyang was guarded by four native seventh-rank Sovereigns, possibly accompanied by outer-domain Sovereigns, and the Supreme even suspected the presence of an eighth-rank Sovereign! While the Supreme was confident in Xinwu's ability to take it by force, the cost could be tremendous! Yet if Yunxiao was handed to Wushan—who had cooperated with the Sword Venerable and possessed decent character—gaining an eighth-rank ally would change everything. An eighth rank could easily deal with two or three seventh ranks on their own. As for the Blood Sovereign and Earth Emperor, even if their breakthroughs were delayed, it would not matter. Once Chiyang was conquered, its abundance of yang energy would provide more than enough resources for far more than two seventh ranks to advance! Wushan felt dazed. Whether it was Li Hao, the Human King, or the Xinwu Supreme... Every one of them had left an indelible, astonishing impression upon him at their very first meeting. This was his first time seeing the Xinwu Supreme. The man asked for nothing; when Wushan came asking for a favor, the Supreme agreed without hesitation, and went so far as to give away the Yunxiao Realm entirely! Giving away an eighth-rank Great World—what staggering audacity and magnanimity! He could not help but think of Li Hao. That young man was much the same: after conquering four worlds, he had waved his hand and distributed them generously, caring nothing about claiming one for himself. These people brimmed with such grand spirit that an eighth-rank universe seemed beneath their notice! For a moment, Wushan was lost in thought. The Supreme spoke again. "Does Daoist Wushan have misgivings? If you worry about your reputation once word spreads... we can cut the weeds and dig out the roots!" The Supreme spoke casually, as light as the breeze. Yet Wushan felt a chill in his heart. "Cutting the weeds and digging out the roots" was no ordinary phrase—it meant annihilating every soul in Yunxiao! Taking a deep breath, he said, "The Xinwu Supreme truly lives up to his reputation! Making your acquaintance is my great fortune. I will not play coy: if you truly offer it, I will take it! Not only will I take it, but I also wish to spare certain lives. Rest assured, they are all my loyal followers. It was only because I was not the Dao Lord that they were forced to lie low in Yunxiao!" "If I can step into the eighth rank... I, Wushan, will serve as your vanguard in storming Chiyang!" He discarded all hesitation and false modesty. He even took the initiative to add, "I only ask for a sixth-rank world to settle the mortal humans. Once I devour the Great Dao Universe, reaching the eighth rank is a certainty! As for the eighth-rank world energy..." He glanced at the Blood Sovereign and the Earth Emperor. "These two Daoists seem only a single step away from their breakthroughs, much like the Sword Venerable was back then. The world energy of an eighth-rank world should be sufficient to help at least one of them reach the seventh rank!" "The world itself can simply be devoured!" The Supreme smiled, pleasantly surprised. This Wushan was quite interesting. Wushan had cast away all reservations. Since the offer had been made, why refuse? That fool in Yunxiao had insisted on antagonizing Xinwu, and now the realm was doomed! In that case, as a native of Yunxiao, reaching the eighth rank would at least allow Wushan to preserve some of his people. He felt no guilt. He had been abandoned by Yunxiao long ago. Behind the Supreme, the Sovereigns exchanged glances. The Sword Venerable and Li Zhu were already familiar with Wushan. At this moment, the Sword Venerable smiled and said, "Brother Wushan is a discerning man. If he reaches the eighth rank and aids us, taking Chiyang will be vastly easier! Otherwise, Chiyang has anywhere from four to six or seven seventh- and eighth-rank Sovereigns holding the line. While we are confident of victory, losses would be inevitable. With neither the Cang Cat nor Fang Ping present, we cannot deploy the full power of our world. Taking heavy casualties would be hard to justify!" His words served as a mediator, easing any lingering reservations on both sides. Wushan drew a deep breath. "In that case, let me contact my followers first. Storming an eighth-rank Great World from the outside is extraordinarily difficult. With the Red Moon World as a lesson, even with only two seventh ranks holding the fort, they are bound to have made defensive preparations..." "I will attempt to merge back into the Yunxiao Universe. If it works, a pincer attack from within and without will shatter them. I know those two well—they will not hold out for long!" The Supreme beamed and nodded. This was the cleanest and most direct method. Wushan... truly was interesting. The Silver Moon King, Li Hao, seemed to possess an eye for unique allies—Kongji, Wushan, Senlan—all fascinating figures. For a young man, his judgment was remarkably sharp. Had Wushan made a hysterical fuss about living and dying with Yunxiao... they would have granted his wish and buried him alongside it! At this juncture, Fang Ping and the Cang Cat were mired in perilous trouble at immense cost. The Supreme would never abandon the conquest of Yunxiao just because of an acquaintance. That would have only turned them into bitter enemies! Just then, a voice transmitted into his ear: "Lao Zhang, be cautious. If that fellow merges with Yunxiao and commands it with peak seventh-rank power, our trouble will only grow... One must never let down one's guard!" The Sword Venerable was relatively straightforward, leaving someone else wary. Yet the Supreme chuckled and transmitted back, "No need to worry. Even if my eyes failed me, Li Zhu spent considerable time around him and hasn't said a peep. That man's heart is narrower than the eye of a needle; if he deemed Wushan untrustworthy, he would have spoken up long ago..." The sender nodded faintly. Fair enough! With that, Wushan vanished from sight. …… Moments later. Ripples stirred within Yunxiao, and the auras of two seventh-rank Sovereigns flared with sudden volatility. After a brief pause, a thunderous roar reverberated through heaven and earth: "It is you?! Wushan... how dare you..." Amidst the furious outcry, Wushan's voice echoed in all directions: "I have returned! The Lord of Yunxiao is devoid of virtue and competence, now trapped with no way out. The collapse of the Yunxiao Realm is imminent, and I have come to save you all..." "Nonsense! Wushan, you—" *Boom!* Battle erupted violently across multiple locations, proving that Wushan's subordinates had launched their own assault. Outside. The Supreme took a look and smiled. Breaching such a Great World from the outside was notoriously arduous against dense defenses, but if internal chaos erupted... breaking through became child's play. "Let's go!" The Supreme laughed softly. In an instant, the group shifted, plunging straight through the world gate. To their surprise, the gateway was entirely unguarded. The two seventh ranks had been stationed there, but once Wushan slipped inside, alarm and terror had driven them both to confront him. Suddenly, the gate stood completely empty! An eighth-rank Great World possessed formidable native defenses, but once the world gate was breached and enemies invaded, anyone who was not the World Lord would find it impossible to hold the line—especially with only two seventh ranks. Before the two seventh-rank Sovereigns entangled with Wushan could even react, a colossal fist came crashing down. The Sun God, clad in his oversized boxers, wasted no breath on words. His terrifying might shattered the surrounding space into dust! It seemed like a casual blow, yet it instantly battered one of the seventh ranks into scattered pieces. In terms of pure destructive force, it was on par with Li Hao's recent strike that had cleaved Longxuan. Even the Human King without yin and yang united was merely around this level. While the Sun God pulverized one seventh rank with a single punch, the Supreme acted with effortless grace on the other side. A tome materialized, and the Great Dao Book instantly engulfed the second seventh rank, easily suppressing him! At that moment, the Great Dao Universe shuddered violently, and an enraged howl shook heaven and earth: "Scoundrels! How dare you invade my Yunxiao—" "Noisy!" The Sword Venerable slashed toward the Great Dao Universe. *You cannot even leave your trap, so what are you yammering about?* In a single breath! *Boom!* The Great Dao Universe fractured, and the voice was snuffed out. The two seventh ranks were utterly incapable of resistance, subdued almost instantly. The Supreme laughed softly. "Do not kill them. Strip their Great Dao power and hand them over to Brother Wushan to deal with! And not just these two—the same goes for the rest of Yunxiao's experts. Strip their Great Dao and leave them to Daoist Wushan!" Opposite them, Wushan was inwardly shaken. These people were frighteningly strong. A single powerhouse was one thing—the Human King was mighty enough to instantly slay a seventh rank! Yet every single one of these individuals was remarkably powerful, each outclassing ordinary seventh ranks. This was truly extraordinary. A shiver ran through him; fortunate indeed that he had not acted rashly. With these people united, they could probably crack open an eighth-rank world even if an eighth-rank expert guarded it. "Brother Wushan, quickly absorb the Great Dao power and devour the Great Dao Universe before the Lord of Yunxiao severs his ties and siphons away too much of it..." Though the Lord of Yunxiao could not escape Tianfang, he could still reach his Great Dao Universe. Last time, had Li Hao not severed the Dao source of the Red Moon Sovereign, the latter would have drawn away far more Great Dao energy. Wushan wasted no words. Ordinary people found it difficult to step into the Great Dao Universe, but as the former second-in-command of Yunxiao, entering was second nature to him. Had the Lord of Yunxiao been outside, it would have been hard, but with the man trapped, it was effortless! Without hesitation, he began to drain the energy of the entire Great Dao Universe, seeking not to preserve it, but to devour it completely! As Li Hao had once said, they were all masters meant to forge their own worlds, so why cling to another's universe? If one could swallow it, swallow it whole to avoid endless complications down the road! Wushan had clearly taken that philosophy to heart. Otherwise, preserving an eighth-rank universe and becoming its Dao Lord was generally preferable. But seeing how several eighth-rank Sovereigns were perpetually burdened by their Great Dao Universes and worlds... Wushan ultimately decided to devour it first and foremost! For a peak seventh rank, advancing to the eighth rank was exceedingly difficult. Yet Yunxiao shared his exact origin, and he had already been its second-in-command. His devouring proceeded at astonishing speed. Deep within the Great Dao Universe, a colossal star trembled violently—the Lord of Yunxiao was sensing everything, consumed by uncontrollable fury! Bastard! Wushan! It was Wushan devouring his Great Dao Universe! After the disaster that had struck Red Moon, he had been exceptionally cautious, yet he had still fallen into the trap, pinned inside Tianfang in an ordeal almost identical to Red Moon's! …… Inside the Tianfang Universe. *Boom!* Eighth-rank power erupted in frenzy. The Lord of Yunxiao roared furiously, severing his connection to his Great Dao Universe with a deafening rumble while desperately drawing in immense Great Dao power to preserve his eighth-rank cultivation! His face turned dreadfully dark. Damn it all! Nearby, the Red Moon Sovereign sighed with an expression of sympathy... but deep down, he was gloating, barely able to suppress a laugh. *So your day has come too?* Yunxiao had actually been stripped of his Great Dao Universe as well! Earlier, Red Moon had become the laughingstock among eighth ranks, and now Yunxiao had joined him. Yet watching the Human King still fleeing wildly in the distance, the Lord of Red Moon lost his smile. He looked toward the Dragon Lord nearby, frowning slightly. "It seems Xinwu's target was our worlds all along. We assumed they were after Chiyang, but they turned around and set their sights on Yunxiao instead." At this moment, the Lord of Yunxiao's aura began to plunge, ending up in a state even more miserable than Red Moon's, barely clinging to his cultivation realm. His face was pale and livid. He too had assumed that if Xinwu plotted anything, it would be against Chiyang. Yet... they had marched upon Yunxiao! Damn them! Curse them all! He had lost his Great Dao Universe. Had he not severed the link in time, even his Great Dao star would have been swallowed by that beast Wushan! In the distance, the Chiyang Sovereign cast a glance over, his expression utterly impassive. *Setting your sights on my Chiyang?* *Wishful thinking!* Ever since those fools failed to properly assist him in crushing Xinwu, he had brought in a massive number of outer-domain experts to secure his own survival. Two seventh ranks and an eighth rank had entered alongside him! Outside, another eighth rank stood guard to ensure nothing went awry. That outer-domain eighth rank and the one inside shared the same world, forming a rare dual eighth-rank universe! Coupled with the four native seventh ranks holding the fort, any attempt by Xinwu to storm Chiyang would be nothing short of suicide. Thus, he was hardly worried. Yet at that moment, the Lord of Yunxiao said through clenched teeth, "Wushan is devouring my Yunxiao Universe. He might break through to the eighth rank..." Those words took everyone aback. The Chiyang Sovereign frowned. "How could it be Wushan? Was it not Xinwu?" "Xinwu was involved... I sensed the Sword Venerable's sword intent!" At this, the Chiyang Sovereign's brow furrowed deeply. He looked toward the Human King lingering not far away and said in a low voice, "We must get out! Immediately! We must unite to blast open the Great Dao Universe and break free..." With that, he turned to the Dragon Lord. "Dragon Lord, you command an eighth-rank world and are the only eighth rank who brought a world inside. Even you have no way to completely breach Tianfang?" The Dragon Lord exhaled, his gaze brooding. "It is difficult! Furthermore... a seventh-rank Sovereign of my realm has fallen. Longxuan was killed, and the details remain unclear. I too wish to leave as soon as possible..." He said as much, yet even now, he held back from unleashing his full might. For no other reason than... Yunxiao and Red Moon's worlds had both been conquered, and the Dragon Lord harbored his own designs: he was waiting for Chiyang to be breached as well! Chiyang posed a massive threat too. Once these human eighth-rank Sovereigns lost their worlds and Great Dao Universes, their combat prowess fell far short of chaos beasts. The human race was devouring itself from within. Though Xinwu was producing new experts, they had to kill multiple seventh ranks just to raise a single one. Overall, the number of human seventh ranks was plummeting rapidly! Longxuan was dead, and the Dragon Lord genuinely wanted to leave... yet with Yunxiao conquered and Chiyang in peril, he was actually inclined to stall. He looked toward the Human King in the distance, his eyes flickering with shifting thoughts. *Nurturing a tiger brings trouble!* He knew Xinwu was an enormous headache, but... Xinwu was also systematically purging the supreme experts of the Four Regions. Xinwu was a fearsome blade, but the Dragon Lord did not necessarily fear it! The Dragon Domain was immensely powerful. With twelve Great Worlds, seventh-rank Sovereigns were abundant, with only eighth ranks being few in number. Yet if all these eighth ranks became wandering rogues... then seventh-rank chaos beasts, even if slightly outmatched, would no longer face an insurmountable gulf. In the distance. The Human King had not fled far; he had to prevent these figures from combining their power to blast through the boundary and escape. Bathed in blood, the Human King chuckled roguishly. The Dragon Lord, Chiyang, Yunxiao, Red Moon, plus an outer-domain eighth rank—all of them were troublesome opponents, yet every single one feared that he would single them out for a mutual-destruction strike. Meanwhile, the Guangming Sovereign had not intervened up to now. Yet his presence exerted its own pressure on the group; after all, they had besieged him earlier. Together, the Human King, the Cang Emperor, and the Guangming Sovereign could not defeat the opposing force, but neither did the opposition have a chance to combine their might and break the domain boundary. The Human King could even see straight through the Dragon Lord's intentions. *That old dragon is no good sort.* An eighth-rank powerhouse wielding an eighth-rank universe, yet the strength he displayed... truthfully, the Human King felt it was weaker than his own combined might with the Cang Cat. It made no sense; the old dragon was clearly holding out! Judging by Yunxiao's wretched state, the plan to raid Yunxiao had succeeded. However... Chiyang was likely going to be troublesome. He looked at the outer-domain Sovereigns... none of whom showed any signs of disturbance. It seemed Lao Zhang had failed to find their home base. What a pity; otherwise, that outer-domain eighth rank's home base was bound to be an eighth-rank universe! Thoughts raced through his mind. Watching the others communicate via voice transmission, he thought they might still be planning to kill him before departing. He too was reaching his limit. After so many days, Lao Zhang had only just taken Yunxiao. His efficiency was dreadfully slow. *Who knows what he's been doing? What a dawdler!* Not far away, the Guangming Sovereign silently trailed the group. He never attacked, but he followed persistently without a word, occasionally casting dark, chilling glances at Yunxiao and the others, keeping them thoroughly on edge. Now, seeing Yunxiao's Great Dao violently convulsing, the Guangming Sovereign suddenly let out a cold smile. Yunxiao and Red Moon truly were two peas in a pod! It seemed the Tianfang Domain had only one eighth-rank universe left: his own! Yet in the next breath, he looked toward the Human King. Yunxiao was not far from Guangming; although Guangming had four seventh ranks guarding it, if Xinwu dared make a move against his realm, he would immediately join forces with these Sovereigns to crush them! The Human King was looking back at him and suddenly broke into a boisterous laugh. "Brother Guangming, congratulations! From now on, you reign supreme in the Tianfang Domain! If you and I join hands, we can stride across the world unhindered!" "..." The Guangming Sovereign remained silent. This Human King was a wicked rogue. Inside the Tianfang Universe, he had been exceedingly courteous to Guangming lately; anyone who did not know better would have thought they were blood brothers. Everyone understood the Human King's game. Yet it had to be said that the tactic worked. Coupled with Guangming's earlier refusal to sign the Great Dao pact, the other Sovereigns had never trusted him and had even attacked him before. Now, they were all the more wary of him turning on them at any moment. Just then, the outer-domain eighth rank spoke up, a rare occurrence: "Fellow Daoist of the Dragon race... you command an eighth-rank world and immense personal strength, supported by three seventh-rank Sovereigns. Logically, your power should not be so limited. Now that the Yunxiao World has fallen, Chiyang is in peril... Daoist, will you continue to sit idly by?" The Dragon Lord narrowed his eyes slightly. "My world is here, but my Great Dao Universe is cut off outside!" "The chaos race does not rely heavily on Great Dao Universes to begin with!" The outer-domain eighth-rank Sovereign stated softly, "In the outer domains, there are eighth-rank chaos experts of unmatched ferocity. Could it be that the Dragon Lord's might pales before them?" The Dragon Lord glanced at him. He could not gauge this man's precise strength, but he knew the fellow was no weakling. Having stayed quiet until now, the man was finally showing urgency. Clearly, his people were among those guarding Chiyang. A glint surfaced in the Dragon Lord's eyes. "The Human King and the Cang Emperor also command the Xinwu World and are difficult to handle... If you and Brother Chiyang can join forces to suppress them, it is not impossible for the rest of us to break the boundary!" The outer-domain eighth rank fell silent for a moment before looking at Sovereign Chiyang. He had not wanted to intervene, but his own brother was currently holding the line in Chiyang. Though an eighth rank holding the fort offered immense safety... what if an accident occurred? After a moment's consideration, he nodded. "Very well!" Earlier, none of them had been willing to exert their full strength, but witnessing Yunxiao's miserable fate, he resolved to act: suppress the two Xinwu figures swiftly and break through the domain boundary first, even if they could not slay them. The Dragon Lord swept his gaze across the crowd and said nothing more. Instead, he sent an urgent voice transmission into the Dragon World within his belly, where four seventh-rank Sovereigns had been lying in wait all this time. "Stall for a few more days... We will break out the moment Chiyang is conquered! When the time comes, I will join the others in shattering the boundary... and you four will ambush Chiyang! Once Xinwu breaks Chiyang, we cannot let them monopolize the spoils; we must kill the Chiyang Sovereign! He must not fall into Xinwu's hands. You four will deal with Chiyang, I will strike down Yunxiao, and the other three will finish off Red Moon!" Inside the Dragon World, the four seventh-rank Sovereigns were thoroughly shaken! In the next instant, ecstasy filled their hearts! The Dragon Lord was finally going to unleash his true might. Indeed, the Dragon Lord had made his decision. Whether Xinwu killed them or he killed them... was the objective not to eliminate these original overlords all the same? Originally, aside from the Dragon Domain, the Four Regions held four eighth-rank worlds. Now, with the exception of Guangming, all were teetering on the brink of ruin. Since that was the case... while Xinwu seized their worlds outside, he would slaughter their true bodies here! Killing the true bodies of eighth-rank Sovereigns was a monumental harvest in its own right. Wipe out these eighth ranks! Even if Xinwu rose to prominence, the Four Regions would no longer be crowded with so many chaotic factions. It was time for a complete reshuffle! And the appointed moment would be the day the Chiyang Realm fell! By then, the Chiyang Sovereign would be at his absolute weakest. This reshuffling would inevitably bring seismic upheaval to the entire Four Regions. Thoughts churned through the Dragon Lord's mind. Xinwu... had actually done him a tremendous favor. Excellent! Otherwise, conquering several eighth-rank universes would have been extraordinarily difficult. …… On this day in the Four Regions, every overlord harbored their own schemes and plotted their own survival. At this moment, outside the Thunder Realm, the Thunder Lord was fighting desperately for his fate and the fate of his world, waging a ferocious war against the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord. He had been besieged for far too many years, his strength diminished significantly from his peak. Yet now, having absorbed numerous Great Dao crystals and fighting with suicidal resolve, his lightning blasted the heavens and earth apart. For a time, though the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord was at the peak of her power, she found it difficult to overpower him despite both possessing peak seventh-rank might, even suffering multiple lightning strikes. At this point, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord had reverted to her true form to battle! The two spectating seventh ranks clucked their tongues in awe. To think the Thunder Lord could muster such strength after falling to such depths. Incredible! He had been besieged for countless years, trapped in a long period of depletion, and had even sold off much of his own Dao charm crystals, which had inevitably taken a toll. Had he not been hemmed in, would he not have stood a chance at reaching the eighth rank? At this moment, the seventh-rank Dragon transmitted his voice: "The battle has reached a fever pitch... Life and death could be decided at any moment. The Thunder Lord might not break his oath, but if he does... we cannot afford the gamble!" The Thunder Realm was too important! It had to be seized intact! The elder looked toward the other seventh-rank Phoenix beside him and asked, "Should you go, or should I...?" Secure the Thunder Realm first! "I will go!" The seventh-rank Sovereign from the Fire Phoenix Realm transmitted back, "Lightning and fire intertwine, and our realm's Great Dao Universe already blankets the Thunder Realm. If I go, I will face minimal suppression. If Elder goes, you might be suppressed by the Thunder Realm's Great Dao Universe..." The Dragon elder nodded; that was precisely what he had wanted to say. With the Dragon Lord absent and the domain boundary isolated, he could not draw upon much power from his own Great Dao Universe. Entering the Thunder Realm might leave him suppressed by its native laws. It was better for the Phoenix elder to go. Of course, he could not say so directly; they were peers in rank, after all, and this was the Fire Phoenix's territory. It was best that she volunteered. "Be careful then... I will keep watch on the Thunder Lord. If he breaks the pact and tries to turn back, I will intercept him alongside the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord..." "Understood!" The Phoenix elder said no more. Her safety was well guaranteed. If the Thunder Lord tried to charge back, he would have to endure an eighth-rank lightning tribulation, with two seventh ranks watching him outside and several more in the surrounding area. Their cautionary words were born of sheer prudence; in reality, the Thunder Lord was powerless to alter his destiny! Though he appeared to fight the Fire Phoenix to a standstill, the Great Dao power in the Fire Phoenix's Great Dao Universe had practically materialized into physical substance, whereas the Thunder Lord's universe was nearly an empty husk! If the battle dragged on, the Thunder Lord was doomed to fall! …… "She's here!" Near the world source. Li Hao suddenly smiled. She had arrived. Waiting here had indeed been the right move. He already sensed a seventh-rank Sovereign descending from outside the realm. The few remaining Sovereigns of the Thunder Realm were powerless to stop her—and even if they could, the Thunder Lord had to protect the lives of ten billion mortals, meaning they could not fight recklessly. Furious though they were, they could only watch helplessly as the Phoenix entered their world! This was the first time a chaos beast had ever set foot inside the Thunder Realm! Upon entering, the Phoenix elder smiled faintly. The lightning energy here was remarkably rich, though unfortunately mingled with far too much destructive power, leaving the world somewhat desolate! A seventh-rank Great World—and a peak seventh-rank world at that—might have hoped to step into the eighth rank had it not been besieged for so many years. What a pity! The world bore signs of looming decay. Her sole objective now was to secure the world source; even if the world itself was damaged, as long as the source remained, pouring in vast reserves of energy would restore it in time. That was the crux of the matter! She wondered if the scoundrel who had wreaked havoc earlier had injured the root of the world source. Carrying these thoughts, the Phoenix elder followed the aura of vitality, heading straight for the world source. Behind her trailed a group of Thunder Realm Sovereigns, whom she ignored entirely. There were perhaps twenty Sovereigns left, the vast majority at the low ranks, with only six or seven middle ranks. Such a lineup was barely on par with an ordinary medium world. For a glorious peak seventh-rank Great World to be reduced to this was truly pathetic. Even if they joined forces, they were not enough to survive a single blow from her, a seventh rank! The Phoenix elder smiled faintly, completely disregarding them as she flew toward the world source. The Thunder Realm Sovereigns behind her could only fume in helpless rage, stifled to the point of suffocation! How they longed to attack and wage a life-and-death battle against that wretched bird! …… "Kongji, Martial Uncle Hong, Qian Wuliang—we strike together in a moment and kill her instantly!" Li Hao transmitted his voice rapidly: "Act swiftly. The moment she dies... we burst out of the realm and slay that Dragon expert! I have a pact with the Fire Phoenix Realm forbidding me from attacking their sixth and seventh ranks; doing so triggers a lightning tribulation... and being right next to the Thunder Domain with its dense chaos lightning, a terrifying tribulation might be provoked! Keep your distance from me later. Once the tribulation is triggered, I will redirect it to deal with that Dragon Sovereign..." The group listened in silence, their nerves taut. One had to remember that four seventh ranks waited outside... four besides the ones right here! Giant Elephant, Mighty Tiger, Tongbao—the Mighty Tiger Realm had two seventh-rank tigers. None were far away. The slightest misstep would easily lead to disaster. All of them felt the tension, and even Kongji was unusually nervous. Strictly speaking, their side did not possess a single seventh rank—the Thunder Lord could hardly be counted as their man. To dare plot against seven seventh ranks with such meager strength... Li Hao was truly insane! …… The Phoenix elder swiftly located the world source. She descended toward it and soon caught sight of the orb, pulsing like a heart that was grinding to a halt. She chuckled softly. Fortunately, it had not been destroyed! A seventh-rank world source lay right before her eyes. The Thunder Realm had fallen entirely into Fire Phoenix's grasp. The grand ambition of countless years had reached a pivotal milestone today. Once the Thunder Realm was secured, they would hold a bastion from which to advance or retreat at will, and becoming masters of the Four Regions was not far off... of course, the master would be the Dragon Lord, not her. Behind her, one of the Thunder Realm Sovereigns bellowed in fury, "Get away! That is our realm's source! Our Lord has not yet lost... what do you think you are doing?" The Phoenix elder turned back with a cold, mocking smirk. "You humans always possess such filthy mouths! Your Lord already stated that win or lose, the Thunder Realm will be surrendered. He went to great lengths to beg for a chance at life for you all; learn to cherish it!" "I am merely taking control of this world source for the time being, and that too is to save you. Otherwise, if someone carelessly damages the source and angers us... the prior promises might no longer hold..." Right at that moment, several Thunder Realm Sovereigns suddenly dropped their jaws. Their eyes filled with sheer shock! The Phoenix elder paused. *Frightened senseless?* In the next instant, she realized something was terribly wrong. A chilling sword intent, a terrifying fist intent saturated with deathly extinction, and two peculiar forces resembling Great Dao power encompassing all myriad Daos erupted from behind her all at once! In a single instant! A sword and a fist fell simultaneously! Two great rivers of the Great Dao locked around her like chains. The sword slashed out, sundering her physical body—though unlike against Longxuan, it did not cleave her in two, as Li Hao had not stacked his two swords this time! Yet Kongji's fist supplemented the blow. With a deafening boom, before she could even revert to her true form, her human body was punched straight through, severed at the waist! The two Great Dao rivers snapped tight like iron chains! *Crack!* Her body shattered completely! Under their tripartite assault, the seventh-rank elder was obliterated in an instant, her face frozen in terror. Outside the realm, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord engaged in fierce combat with the Thunder Lord sensed it immediately. In an instant, she went berserk, flames soaring to the heavens: "Bastard! Thunder Emperor, you court death—" *Boom!* The Great Dao Universe convulsed. Seizing this split-second opening—as the death of a seventh rank shook the Great Dao and distracted Fire Phoenix—the Thunder Lord erupted. A blanket of lightning descended with a deafening crash! Colossal bolts fell continuously, battering the opponent who had suppressed him all this time into a mangled mess of blood and flesh! The Thunder Lord sneered. "What does this have to do with me?" *It wasn't I who broke the pact!* *Those people arrived on their own—what does that have to do with me?* *Boom!* In the distance, the entire Fire Phoenix Region shook violently. The death of a seventh rank caused the whole domain to convulse. The seventh-rank Dragon Sovereign's expression shifted drastically! Damn it! A trap? Truly? How was that possible?! It was the Silver Moon King and his cadre, but they had been near the Earth Dragon World—an immense distance away. Even if they had been nearby, how could they have slipped into the Thunder Realm without making a sound? The Thunder Realm had been tightly sealed all this time! Had they entered so easily, they would have been discovered long ago! Disaster had struck! No one had anticipated such a turn of events. Things had gone terribly awry. Thoughts raced through his mind. For a moment, he could not decide whether to flee or stay. If he fled, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord would be in catastrophic danger... *Hold on for a moment!* He roared at the top of his lungs: "Enemy attack! Reinforcements, come!" Instantly, the four seventh-rank Sovereigns from the three surrounding Great Worlds erupted with their auras without waiting to be told, tearing through the void to rush over! Something had gone wrong! The Silver Moon King was utterly mad. There were seven Sovereigns gathered here; even with one ambushed and slain, six remained. *Where... where did you find the courage?* …… At the same time. Inside the Tianfang Universe. Dao Chess sensed the fluctuations, glanced into the distance, and chuckled. *I'm out of here!* This place was growing far too dangerous. The perpetually sealed Tianfang Universe suddenly cracked open a tiny fissure. Nearby, someone spotted it and shouted, "What is that?" Dao Chess reverted to a chessboard form and slipped straight through the rift. "It's Dao Chess!" "It was hiding here!" Several nearby seventh-rank Sovereigns rushed over, and eighth-rank Sovereigns in the distance turned their heads. Even the Human King was somewhat surprised. *Why is that fellow fleeing?* He had known Dao Chess was here. *But... why run?* *It's not as if outside is safe! By hiding, no one knew you were here and assumed you had been taken away already.* Dao Chess said nothing, completely focused on running for its life! It burst out of the Tianfang Universe, and the rift sealed shut behind it in the blink of an eye. Without a word, Dao Chess rippled with spatial power and teleported away. The moment it exited Tianfang, it expanded into an entire Great Dao Universe, sending massive shockwaves echoing through the cosmos! Yet today, there were hardly any powerhouses left in the Four Regions... In the distance, however, a group of experts sensed it. The Supreme glanced that way, and the Sword Venerable frowned in bewilderment. "Dao Chess... where is it going?" Why had Dao Chess run out? What was it doing? The spatial fluctuations quickly vanished, but the tremors of an eighth-rank universe lingered. The Sword Venerable looked into the distance. "That's... toward the Dragon Domain. Is Dao Chess going to find Li Hao and the others?" How strange! *At a time like this, you could run anywhere, yet you head for the Dragon Domain? Aside from the Dragon World, not a single Great World of the Dragon Domain has left. Have you lost your mind?* *And with such a massive disturbance!* *Do you think those seventh ranks are blind?* Tianfang, Red Moon, and Chiyang were relatively safe right now; only the Dragon Domain was extraordinarily dangerous. Heading there... The Sword Venerable roared urgently across the void: "No! It is dangerous over there..." Not only was Dao Chess in danger, but its massive disturbance would immediately expose Li Hao and his group if they were in hiding! Had this Dao Chess been an artifact spirit for so long that its brain had turned to mush? Dao Chess paid no heed—or perhaps it had not heard. It tore through space in an instant. Inherently possessing teleportation abilities, its speed was astonishing as an entire Great Dao Universe crossed directly into the Dragon Domain! Many experts across the Dragon Domain looked up in shock. Within the transmission corridor, the phantom of Dao Chess materialized, looking ahead with a radiant grin. *Teaming up to hit a single seventh rank isn't bad...* In the next instant, it crossed through—and suddenly froze. One, two, three, four... The phantom quickly scanned the area, its expression stiffening. *I shouldn't be stopping here... I'm fast enough that they can't intercept me, right?* *Just how many seventh ranks are here?* *There are seven left, one seems to have just died with its aura still dissipating... which means there were eight seventh-rank Sovereigns in total?* *I shouldn't be stopping here...* In an instant, the teleportation came to an abrupt halt. The designated coordinates were right here. Dao Chess materialized, its phantom trembling as it stared blankly at Li Hao and the others before it. *Damn it all, why did you summon me here?!* "No time to explain—Senior, kill!" "..." Still reeling from shock, Dao Chess was dragged along by Li Hao, vanishing and reappearing before a Dragon expert in the blink of an eye. Li Hao slashed out with his sword, roaring at the top of his lungs, "Smash him! Whether we feast today depends entirely on this!" "Kill!" Kongji's expression turned feral, and the eyes of the two Dao Lords burned crimson. Every single one of them seemed entirely unhinged, consumed by absolute madness. Before the four incoming seventh ranks arrived, they had to kill this seventh-rank Dragon! Otherwise, surviving today would become nearly impossible. "Senior, strike!" Li Hao bellowed. Dao Chess was far too slow to react! *Fuck!* *This guy has been an Imperial Weapon for so long that his reflexes are dull! When I called you, didn't I say we were going to kill people together?!* Dao Chess seemed to finally snap out of it and cursed furiously, "There are this many?!" *Why didn't you say so earlier!?!* *Had you told me, I wouldn't have come! The Tianfang Universe was at least somewhat safer since no one noticed me, but here... the fluctuations of my Great Dao Universe are so intense that everyone knows exactly where I am!* No time to think—kill! If they did not kill him, Dao Chess was finished. Casting aside all other thoughts, Dao Chess manifested fully, suppressing heaven and earth as countless small squares formed a cage that instantly ensnared the Dragon Sovereign. In the past, it had been a ninth-rank Imperial Weapon. Though it had fallen far from its prime, it still erupted with terrifying might! The Dao Chess Domain—an eighth-rank universe—blanketed the space! The Dragon Sovereign had thought he was facing only the Silver Moon King, yet another seventh-rank entity had appeared out of nowhere. Terror gripped him! *How did this get here?* *Teleportation?* *Chaos allows teleportation?!* This was the first time he had ever learned of this—and perhaps the last. Li Hao, Kongji, the two Dao Lords, dozens of Sovereigns, and Dao Chess... Every expert struck at the same time! Dark clouds gathered above Li Hao's head as a lightning tribulation threatened to descend. The seventh-rank Dragon turned deathly pale, instantly reverting to his true dragon form. Yet while he might have held his own against one opponent, against so many... each unleashing the might of a seventh rank... since when had anyone in the chaos been able to fight seventh ranks as sixth ranks?! "Save me!" He let out a bloodcurdling shriek. The four incoming seventh-rank Sovereigns tore through the void at breakneck speed, drawing nearer by the second. Yet at that very moment, a sword slashed down, and a fist smashed forward... Too late! The four Sovereigns halted abruptly in their tracks. Their eyes turned razor-sharp and cold. *Curse them! Curse them! Two seventh-rank Dragons dead in a single day! It was one thing for a Phoenix to die, but two seventh-rank Dragons... This is an absolute catastrophe!* *Boom!* A deafening explosion rang across heaven and earth. This seventh-rank Dragon—whose name Li Hao did not even know—followed in Longxuan's footsteps in the span of a breath, becoming the second seventh-rank Dragon to fall, and the fourth seventh-rank Sovereign slain in the Dragon Domain! In the distance, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord let out a shrill, furious shriek: "You are dead! Kill them, now!" The four Sovereigns surged forward again, hurtling toward the scene! Two ferocious tigers, a giant elephant, and a rat gleaming with treasure light—the four supreme experts, their gazes icy with murderous intent, arrived in an instant. Looking upon the torn, shattered remains of the Dragon expert whose Dao marks were splintering into dust, every single one burned with the urge to slaughter! *Damn them! These people must die!*