A Bloodbath on All Sides

Four seventh-ranks arrived in an instant. Yet that dragon expert had still fallen, torn to pieces, his Dao marks shattered. This time, not even the Dragon Lord's voice rang out. Perhaps he had not noticed, or perhaps he had noticed but could not descend and simply made no response at all. With the seventh-rank dragon slain, his corpse was swept up immediately. Li Hao did not let Kongji devour it, but instead incorporated it into his Great Dao Universe, making the Silver Moon Universe even stronger. Though it could not yet reach the seventh rank, it was still bolstered somewhat. And at that moment, among the four arriving seventh-ranks, three were Lords of the Great Dao. Great Dao fluctuations shook heaven and earth. Four colossal chaos beasts blotted out the sky. Two fierce tigers, one black and one white, glared with exceptionally chilling eyes. The gleaming golden Tongbao Rat's beady eyes also radiated a sinister gleam. The massive white elephant possessed two razor-sharp tusks that seemed capable of piercing heaven and earth. Dao Chess was utterly speechless! He had arrived knowing nothing about the situation, only to immediately slay a seventh-rank dragon. In the blink of an eye, four more had arrived, while two others were fighting nearby... What kind of situation was this? "Silver Moon King?" The black tiger glared at Li Hao, his gaze cold enough to kill. "To come to our Dragon Domain and slaughter so many Sovereigns—you have immense audacity!" The four Sovereigns did not strike immediately. They were probing Dao Chess, faintly guessing his identity. His sudden arrival through spatial transmission had been far too shocking, and now they seemed to recognize who he was. "Dao Chess? That Sovereign weapon of Tianfang?" The black tiger barked coldly. "This is a war between the human race and the chaos race... You, Dao Chess, are merely a Sovereign weapon. Do you intend to take part as well?" Dao Chess felt completely innocent. *If I said I didn't want to get involved, would you believe me?* Four seventh-ranks! None of these chaos beasts were easy to provoke. Even if he could match one, and Li Hao could match one, Kongji was still somewhat lacking, as were the two Dao Lords... They *could* fight! But it would be unimaginably difficult. Moreover, this was the core of the Dragon Domain. Even if they could fight, there were other seventh-rank Sovereigns among the chaos beasts! And quite a few of them, at that. If they got bogged down without deciding a victor, the arrival of even one more seventh-rank would cause their complete collapse. Li Hao calculated things clearly enough. Yet... had he calculated how he could quickly take down the enemy in this situation? Dao Chess felt a throbbing headache. Up above, the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord shrieked, "Sovereigns of Fire Phoenix, Sovereigns of the three realms, exit your realms at once! Surround and slaughter these bastards!" The Fire Phoenix Realm had over a hundred Sovereigns. The three other realms also had many. Combined, there were nearly two hundred Sovereigns, and even more including the external affairs Sovereigns. Many ants could bite an elephant to death! The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord had quickly assessed the situation: a direct assault might not bring down the enemy quickly, so... they would swarm them! How dared these people act so arrogant on their home turf! All around, auras of Sovereigns surged into being. As for the Thunder Realm, they had only around twenty Sovereigns. Their expressions flickered erratically as they crowded near the realm gate, neither advancing nor retreating, their gazes trembling. Just moments ago, when Li Hao killed the Fire Phoenix elder and then swiftly dispatched the Dragon Realm Sovereign, their hearts had nearly leapt out of their chests. For an instant, they even thought there was hope. Yet now, despair quickly set in. The four surrounding realms possessed far too many Sovereigns. Even disregarding them, four seventh-rank Sovereigns now encircled Li Hao's group. Seeing this, they felt the Silver Moon King would surely fall! Though several sixth-ranks were formidable, they only seemed to have a single seventh-rank on their side. How could they match such power? What a pity! The Thunder Realm Sovereigns felt deep regret and helplessness. If it had only been the Fire Phoenix Realm, they might have turned the tables today. But four great realms surrounded them! Kongji and the others also blanched. The sudden emergence of countless Sovereigns jolted them to their senses... Right! Normally they wouldn't fear them, but now there were hundreds of Sovereigns. If so many Sovereigns unleashed a single joint burst of power alongside the four seventh-ranks, it would be enough to cost them their lives. Before, they had been so focused on strategizing with Li Hao against the seventh-ranks that they had overlooked these ordinary Sovereigns. A few wouldn't matter, but in large numbers, they could kill them just as well! Just as the thought crossed their minds, heaven and earth erupted! The four chaos beasts attacked simultaneously! Most chaos beasts possessed exceedingly powerful physical bodies and specialized in the physical Dao, but there were exceptions. The Tongbao Rat was bathed in golden light and appeared suited only for treasure-seeking, yet in an instant... it vanished. Speed! Extreme speed, as if traversing the void itself! It was the first to strike. Dao Chess instantly projected his Dao Chess domain to intercept it, but in the next second, Dao Chess's expression changed. "Not good..." Before Li Hao and the others could react, Dao Chess called out, "It can siphon the treasure light from my true form..." What was treasure light? Li Hao and his companions weren't entirely clear, but the other three chaos beasts revealed grins. Indeed, the Tongbao Rat! It possessed a rather niche ability—absorbing special energies from treasures. Yet at the seventh rank in the chaos, what great treasures could even be found? In ordinary times, this ability was almost useless. The Tongbao Rat had mediocre physical strength, but terrifying speed. Yet right now, it specifically countered Dao Chess! Flitting erratically through the void, it greedily siphoned beams of light. Dao Chess's phantom wavered in frustration. What dreadful luck! Dao Chess's true form was an eighth-rank universe, inherently formidable, but it had decayed over the years. Moreover, the Master of Tianfang had forged Dao Chess not for combat, but for Dao comprehension. Thus, its offensive power was mediocre. Dao Chess could only summon his true form to envelop the Tongbao Rat, tangling with it, unable to offer Li Hao further aid. The rat's speed startled Li Hao as well. Too fast! Without Dao Chess, he might not have responded in time. These chaos beasts clearly had distinct traits: the dragons and earth dragons had invulnerable bodies but ordinary abilities elsewhere, while this Tongbao Rat had a weak body but peerless speed. What about the other three? One glance at the colossal elephant made it clear: another pure physical powerhouse. As for the two tigers... Li Hao had long cultivated the Five Animals Art and knew the feline traits well. Mind stirring, he transmitted: "Watch out for sonic attacks and the tiger's awe..." Tigers, whether chaos beasts or demons, shared commonalities: the tiger's roar and tiger's awe were lethal trump cards. Li Hao transmitted again: "Kongji, join forces with the two Dao Lords to take on the two tigers... Be careful and focus on defense. Let Martial Uncle Hong control the Great Dao Universe! Qian Wuliang, fall back and maintain defense with the Earth-Overturning Sword!" The three experts wasted no words, charging at the two tigers. The black and white tigers were slightly surprised—these people were truly daring! Kongji roared: "My father is Bright! If you dare kill me, my father will slaughter you..." Whether it worked or not, intimidate them first. What if it did? Any hesitation or apprehension on their part would lead to mistakes, which was the ideal outcome. Meanwhile, facing Li Hao, the colossal elephant said nothing. Its massive tusks pierced straight through the void toward him, eyes cold as frost. The Giant Elephant Realm Lord boasted boundless physical defense and terrifying strength, surpassing even the Earth Dragon slain earlier. Furthermore, he possessed a Great Dao Universe—which, for chaos beasts, served both to purify energy and act as a reservoir. With a Great Dao Universe, he never had to worry about running out of energy. Such a chaos beast possessed nearly impenetrable defense and crushing offense, making it among the most troublesome of Sovereigns. Even if the Human King wanted to kill such an opponent, he would have to merge with the Cang Emperor. In a single instant, Li Hao knew that trying to kill this foe with the Thousand Realms Sword as before was out of the question. All around, hundreds of Sovereigns were rapidly closing in. Once the encirclement was complete, they would be dead. Yet since Li Hao had dared to show himself and gamble, he had naturally factored these Sovereigns into his plans. To pull off this ambush, he had long prepared a strategy. The Sky Sword in his hand was on the verge of fracturing completely. After slaying several seventh-ranks in succession, the sword could barely hold together, showing signs of shattering. The power of a thousand realms was enough against ordinary seventh-rank Sovereigns, but against a Realm Lord... difficult, far too difficult! Even a ninth-rank Sovereign weapon forged from an eighth-rank universe like Dao Chess struggled in its weakened state against the Tongbao Rat. The gap among seventh-ranks was clearly immense. The reason he had Kongji and the two Dao Lords take on the two tigers together was that only one tiger was a Realm Lord—the black tiger was the Weihu Realm Lord, while the white tiger was not. The elephant's tusks thrust forward. Li Hao merely attempted to defend with the thousand realms when a sharp crack rang out. The thousand realms shook violently as several seemed to be impaled directly; the defensive network woven from a thousand realms could not even halt the blow! Seeing this, the spectating experts changed color, and Dao Chess grew frantic. He had pinned his hopes on Li Hao winning and coming to their aid, yet Li Hao was simply no match for the giant elephant! The Thunder Lord, engaged in a fierce battle with Fire Phoenix, gritted his teeth and roared, forcefully repelling Fire Phoenix to reinforce Li Hao. But the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord was no pushover. Flames scorched the skies as a piercing phoenix cry echoed through heaven and earth! You want to leave? In your dreams! The Thunder Lord roared, "Do you want me to destroy the Thunder Realm?!" The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord shrieked in fury, "Destroy it if you want! Thunder Emperor, today I will have your life!" Threatening her with that now? Two Sovereigns of the Dragon World had died. Even if they took the Thunder Realm, they would still face severe consequences. If they didn't kill Li Hao and his cohort, how could they answer to the Dragon Lord? As for the Thunder Realm... so what if it was destroyed! She had cast all caution aside! The Thunder Lord's face paled. Huge trouble! The Silver Moon King and his companions were terrifying—sixth-ranks holding their own against seventh-ranks—yet they were still one step short. If this went on and the encirclement closed, they would quickly collapse! Right now, they were only barely holding on. What a pity! If only they had just one more seventh-rank! Just one more could turn the entire battle. He felt helpless; what they had achieved was already beyond imagination, but they lacked that final seventh-rank! The world source of the Thunder Realm seemed to be reviving; he could perhaps withdraw with the realm now. But Li Hao's group had stepped up on his behalf. If he retreated and Fire Phoenix joined the main fray, Li Hao's side would fall apart even faster. As these thoughts flashed through his mind, a deafening boom sounded. Fire Phoenix's talons ripped across him, drawing blood across his body as lightning burst wildly around him... Yet at this moment, Li Hao remained unhurried, even as the Giant Elephant Realm Lord brought down a massive hoof that threatened to crush him to dust! Li Hao ignored the stomp. The thousand realms manifested alongside a colossal Dao domain spreading across them, seemingly covering heaven and earth, even enveloping the chaos itself. In that instant, each of the thousand realms seemed to transform into a real world! How grand was the sight of a thousand worlds? Yet the Giant Elephant Realm Lord sneered. Flashy but hollow! It looked terrifying and majestic, but no matter how many minor worlds there were, under his hooves, they were destined to become powder! Right then, Li Hao laughed softly. "I have undergone Chaos Lightning Tribulations countless times! The same goes for the Thunder Realm. Thunder Emperor, you've survived quite a few tribulations yourself, haven't you?" "I hear that the Thunder Domain is entirely composed of Chaos Lightning Tribulations. How terrifying... Chaos Lightning Tribulations that never dissipate. What a miraculous place. It's a pity I haven't entered to explore it deeply... What a pity!" Everyone froze in confusion. At that very instant, a star appeared at the center of the thousand realms—the Time Star. "Er Mao!" In the void, a cat emerged—Er Mao. Yet Er Mao possessed only sixth-rank strength right now, weaker even than the two Dao Lords. The cat looked slightly bewildered and helpless. Why call for me...? I can't change anything. "You came from time itself. If I forcibly bring you into this mortal realm... what will happen?" What would happen? Er Mao was dazed. In recent days, it had constantly tried to descend forcibly, but it had lacked that final push; it was not yet a true living being. "When illusion descends into reality, chaos will not tolerate it!" Li Hao murmured to himself, smiling calmly despite the mortal danger. "Time, open for me!" Heaven and earth shook as the thousand realms spread and time flowed! In a flash, boundless Great Dao power and time power converged on Er Mao. Er Mao suddenly felt time flowing frantically. It felt a change within its chubby body—where no heart had existed before... A heart seemed to materialize. *Thump...* Faintly, a heartbeat sounded. *Manifest me into the mortal realm, make me reach the seventh rank, and change everything?* *But...* While Er Mao was still pondering, dark clouds suddenly engulfed the heavens. A creature foreign to the chaos was forcibly materializing from another spacetime, reviving completely into a true living entity! This defied the heavens! The controller of time would be punished, and Er Mao would be punished as well. Yet at this exact moment, one of the minor worlds absorbed vast quantities of time power. In an instant, the world of attachment sucked in immense time power and then, like smoke, abruptly exploded with a roar! One of the thousand realms had detonated. Carrying boundless time power, the Dao of Attachment swept across heaven and earth. Time energy suddenly clung to every Sovereign and every combatant present, bound together by the Dao of Attachment! Li Hao smiled, glancing into the distance... toward the Thunder Domain! The Thunder Domain was home to endless Chaos Lightning Tribulations. Under normal circumstances, a Chaos Lightning Tribulation consisted of only nine bolts. But what if endless Chaos Lightning Tribulations lay right nearby? How many would strike? Nobody knew! At this moment, all the experts touched by the Dao of Attachment shivered in shock. Then, one by one, they stared dumbfounded at the sky. A veritable army of lightning seemed to descend from the heavens! Yes, an army! Not one or two, but countless lightning giants coalesced in an instant, as if the Thunder Domain was their nest and someone had brazenly provoked them right on their doorstep! An army emerged! One, two, three... In the blink of an eye, over a hundred giants possessing apocalyptic might marched out from the Thunder Domain... Yes, marched out! Not appearing out of thin air, but striding forth from the Thunder Domain itself. Even Li Hao was seeing this for the first time. The next instant, he burst into laughter: "Gentlemen, it's every man for himself! Let's see who... can survive the tribulation! If you can't... then die!" "Bastard!" The giant elephant's body shook violently as it tried to shake off the Dao of Attachment. It knew the lightning tribulation targeted them because this wretched trick had marked them with time energy. Whoever bore this aura was an enemy the tribulation sought to destroy! And it wasn't just the elephant. Everyone present—even Kongji and the others—bore the mark. Kongji couldn't help roaring in fury, "Why did you mark us too?!" Li Hao said nothing. Why? To be safe, of course. It wasn't just individual targets; the entire area had been saturated with the Dao of Attachment. Otherwise, did Kongji think it would be so easy to snare multiple seventh-ranks so they couldn't shake it off? There was no other choice; they had to endure it. Besides, Kongji had been struck by Chaos Lightning Tribulations plenty of times, hadn't he? They had experience! What was there to fear? Not only them, but even the Thunder Lord above was thoroughly shocked. Even he was targeted by the lightning tribulation, as was the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord. Both stared blankly at the lightning giants marching out from the Thunder Domain! It looked as if the world was ending! The entire Thunder Domain seemed to be collapsing into extinction, perhaps because so much lightning tribulation was being drawn out, causing vast chaotic energy throughout the Thunder Domain to surge toward this location! Giant after giant materialized, and every single one... was seventh-rank! Over a hundred in total! Everyone was stupefied! Could a Chaos Lightning Tribulation really take human form, organize into an army, and send out over a hundred at once? How was that even possible?! "Madman!" The Fire Phoenix Realm Lord shrieked, "You lunatic! Over a hundred seventh-ranks... Do you want us all to die?!" Insane! Doing this would get everyone killed. There were currently only seven seventh-ranks present, plus Li Hao's group of sixth-ranks who could match three seventh-ranks—amounting to only ten combatants! Yet the tribulation numbered tenfold! Was this meant to annihilate the world? Li Hao chuckled and comforted them, "Don't worry, it's not just targeting us. There are still hundreds of Sovereigns! Everyone near this place was marked. These seventh-rank lightning tribulations will kill them too, and killing them will deplete a great deal of energy... Everyone, enjoy the feast together!" *Boom!* The giants struck downward in an instant. The Sovereigns who had come to form the encirclement turned deathly pale and fled outward like madmen. Chaos Lightning Tribulation! Damn it all! Lunatic! ... At that moment. Far away. Here lay twelve great realms: five demon realms and seven chaos worlds. Originally, the experts here had sensed the battle erupting over there, but the experts of the chaos worlds couldn't easily leave, because the five demon clans were growing restless. Three seventh-ranks of the Iron Eater clan had stepped directly out of their realm gate. They were all looking toward the battle. Although the chaos worlds were more numerous, their number of seventh-ranks only exceeded the five demon clans by one. The five demon clans had eight seventh-ranks in total. The seven worlds had only nine seventh-ranks—one more was not necessarily enough to suppress them completely. The Dragon Domain was certainly not lacking in seventh-ranks. Li Hao had already slain four, several were fighting over there, and there were seven alongside the Dragon Lord... In the entire Dragon Domain, there were perhaps over thirty seventh-rank Sovereigns, though some were not present here. One had to know that in the Red Moon Domain among the three domains, there might not even be twenty seventh-ranks, whereas the Dragon Domain had over thirty. Yet right now, every seventh-rank was dumbfounded! Surges of boundless power swept across heaven and earth as countless lightning giants seemed to project across the entire Dragon Domain—over a hundred! Every single one carried the aura of a seventh-rank! Over a hundred... This was simply unbelievable! The entire Four Regions seemed able to witness it. At this moment, it was even more dazzling than when the Human King detonated a Great Dao Universe—after all, a Great Dao Universe belonged to only one seventh-rank Sovereign. Yet now... over a hundred seventh-rank Sovereigns seemed to appear over there! In the entire Four Regions, the total number of seventh-ranks was probably only around this number! ... Near the Chiyang World. The Supreme and the others looked eastward. In the sky, over a hundred titanic giants emerged, their lightning illuminating the entire Four Regions, turning the dim chaos bright! The Supreme's jaw dropped. "Holy shit!" What was happening? Was the world ending? Or was the outer domain invading? Sword Venerable also stood slack-jawed. After a long pause, he muttered, "Is... is this something created by the trick of stealing the sky and switching the sun?" He seemed to have guessed something! Li Zhu's lips twitched slightly. After a long moment, he said in a low voice, "Stealing the sky and switching the sun probably couldn't achieve this... This is... likely his so-called Dao of Attachment, attaching to countless Sovereigns... Right near the Thunder Domain, he thoroughly provoked it, driving the Chaos Lightning Tribulation... completely insane!" Indeed, the Chaos Lightning Tribulation had gone mad! ... Beyond the Four Regions: The Four Regions was immense, but around its perimeter stood colossal pillars forming the Thunder Domain, encircling the Four Regions and cutting it off from the outer domain. Many knew the Four Regions held a ninth-rank world, so numerous worlds permanently resided nearby, hoping to find a way inside. Today... Sovereigns within these worlds emerged into the chaos, mouths agape, looking into the distance where countless fierce giants had materialized. Seventh-ranks! Over a hundred! "The Chaos Lightning Tribulation is going to destroy the world!" someone murmured. "War has broken out in the Four Regions, slaughter is everywhere, numerous seventh-ranks have fallen... and today, over a hundred seventh-rank giants of chaos have appeared... What happened in the Four Regions?" Others had flickering eyes: with the tribulation concentrated there, could one safely cross the Thunder Domain into the Four Regions now? Was the Thunder Domain clear of tribulations? Some Sovereigns who hadn't been able to cross previously gritted their teeth and advanced into the Thunder Domain, attempting to cross into the Four Regions! A fifth-rank Sovereign had just stepped into the seemingly tranquil Thunder Domain when it suddenly went berserk. The dormant remnant tribulations surged wildly. Everyone had thought the peaceful giant pillars were just special pillars meant to gather tribulation lightning. They were right! Yet they were also wrong. At this moment, those giant pillars suddenly flashed with nets of lightning—no longer mere bolts, but a web of lightning, as if thoroughly enraged! Li Hao had provoked it over there, and now someone dared to make trouble here! *Boom!* The web of lightning descended directly over that fifth-rank Sovereign. A Sovereign who might normally put up a struggle was pulverized instantly, shredded into pieces by countless lightning nets, reduced to ash in the blink of an eye! Watching this, the other Sovereigns retreated in terror. Had the Thunder Domain gone mad too?! ... *Boom!* Screams, explosions, clashes of battle, bursts of lightning, death throes... At this moment, the lightning giants slaughtered indiscriminately! They slaughtered the Sovereigns who had converged to surround the area, slaughtered Li Hao's group, slaughtered Er Mao, slaughtered Kongji—slaughtered every expert covered by the Dao of Attachment. Someone was using time—and worse, using time to bring an entity that did not exist in chaos into the chaos itself. That was akin to a tumor upon chaos that had to be eradicated! And since every being in this area bore the power of time, then... kill them all! Battered backward by a lightning giant, Li Hao smiled with brilliant radiance. He never expected anyone to save or assist him, nor was there any need. Enduring lightning was something he was used to! In the past, he could already withstand seventh-rank tribulations; now... it was even less of a problem! Had these chaos beasts ever experienced this? Chaos Lightning Tribulation was quite entertaining. He was used to it, but others certainly weren't. The two Dao Lords had no leisure to fight the tigers, nor did the tigers care to bother with them. The two Dao Lords were besieged by two seventh-rank lightning giants, not just one. At this moment, Qian Wuliang shrieked in agony, trembling as lightning blasted him out of sync, separating him from Hong Yitang. "Marquis..." He wailed continuously. If even he suffered so, one could imagine the fate of the Sovereigns on the perimeter—those below the sixth rank were blasted to nothingness! The Thunder Realm, either by luck or by Li Hao's deliberate exclusion, had not been covered. The Sovereigns within swallowed hard. Who was the real lightning cultivator here? The Silver Moon King was practically every lightning cultivator's ultimate fantasy! Indeed, every lightning cultivator dreamed of summoning and dismissing the Chaos Lightning Tribulation at will! Still... did he really have to take it to this extreme?! They even saw traitors who had betrayed the Thunder Realm and specialized in lightning power—under this tribulation, they were like specks of dust, instantly shattered into pieces! Seventh-rank tribulation! Even Sovereign Feng Yan at the peak of the sixth rank struggled desperately, drenched in blood, transforming into a little golden phoenix that shrieked as it resisted! The area had transformed into an absolute purgatory! Countless Sovereigns were falling. Those who hadn't been swept up watched in terror, their eyes filled with dread that would likely haunt them as an inner demon for the rest of their lives. The Sovereigns of the other three realms had better luck; except for a few swift experts—like certain sixth-rank Sovereigns who were screaming in agony—the weaker Sovereigns rejoiced that they were too slow to have joined the encirclement in time. They backed away frantically, eyes filled with nothing but raw fear! Middle-rank Sovereigns who usually carried themselves with absolute arrogance were blasted into dust beneath the hundred giants of the Thunder Domain, instantly pulverized. Limitless Great Dao power and chaos power turned the entire area into an extension of the Thunder Domain! Up above, the Thunder Lord grunted in pain, clashing with a seventh-rank lightning giant, his eyes flickering. So many seventh-rank tribulations? Could the path of lightning really achieve such heights? If he could do this... what would an eighth-rank Sovereign even count for? Over a hundred seventh-rank giants would swarm and kill them in an instant! Yet... The Thunder Lord couldn't help glancing at Li Hao's group. Their cultivation was lower and their physical bodies weaker. An indiscriminate tribulation was troublesome for chaos beasts, but wouldn't it be even deadlier for them? As for himself... he had weathered tribulations before and was a lightning cultivator, so his situation was much better. Smiling, he bore the attacks of the seventh-rank tribulation and charged straight toward the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord! *This time, I'm going to suppress you!* ... "Marquis... save me..." The only one who could scream so pitifully was Qian Wuliang. He was a Lord of the Great Dao. The other Sovereigns were inside the Great Dao Universe, merely anchoring branches, so their danger was minimal. But he was a direct target of the tribulation! Hong Yitang was skilled in defense, whereas Qian Wuliang cultivated only the Dao of Emotion; he truly couldn't hold on! I'm going to die, I'm going to die! Countless Sovereigns had been struck dead nearby. The Fire Phoenix Realm Sovereigns had been closest, and nearly a hundred external affairs Sovereigns had been struck down—utterly terrifying! Some native Sovereigns fled into their Great Dao Universe, while others were struck into oblivion. Qian Wuliang was on the brink of collapse: *I'm going to be struck to death too!* The chaos beasts were also struggling, but were far better off than him. On their side, only Li Hao and Kongji were in relatively good shape, while he and Hong Yitang were in dire straits. Wouldn't this scheme kill them first? Li Hao said nothing. He was merely waiting, watching. Watching whom? Er Mao! This was his true trump card. Er Mao had to manifest, descending completely into the mortal realm. Even if it couldn't duplicate the Cang Emperor's near-eighth-rank might, it would still possess the seventh rank! And Er Mao... could also devour all things! As long as Er Mao succeeded, it could devour the tribulation lightning around them and shoulder the tribulation alone, freeing Li Hao and the others to strike and kill! In the void, numerous tribulations surrounded Er Mao. Boundless time power continued to spread. Er Mao's body seemed to undergo changes. It had eaten many world sources, which represented life, yet it had never manifested true life. Now, as time power spread, Er Mao seemed to digest all of it. Only... Er Mao was thoroughly disgruntled. Looking at Li Hao, looking at everyone, looking at the boundless tribulation lightning... "Meow!" A cat's cry rang across heaven and earth, filled with helplessness and grief. Didn't you say Kongji would take the chance to enter the seventh rank? Good grief, you lied to a cat! Kongji had no chance at all; the one with the chance was me! Now, I'm being struck by lightning and scourged by time, and when I truly manifest and descend into the chaos, maybe... everyone will strike me together! Er Mao grew even more indignant. Back then, you promised there wouldn't be a next time, but it's just one 'next time' after another! So you placed your hopes on me all along—you're actually counting on a cat to turn the tide?! Down below, Li Hao looked at Er Mao and smiled. Big Cat Cang Emperor was probably doing great things alongside the Human King... Now that Er Mao was by my side, how could I let you fall behind Big Cat? That would never do! Er Mao ought to have its own ambitions! Everything depends on you! As long as you fully descend and hold off the lightning tribulation for us, we win this battle—a total victory! Moreover, this way, other seventh-ranks won't even be able to come to the rescue. Who would dare step inside? Since Li Hao had chosen to act, he would never give the enemy a chance. Relying purely on a reckless gamble wouldn't do; he needed some certainty! "Meow!" The mewing grew increasingly clear, shedding its ethereal quality. In that moment, the cat seemed to become the sole focus of heaven and earth. Nearby, several lightning giants materialized to crush Er Mao! Yet Er Mao... had not yet fully materialized or descended, so the giants seemed somewhat at a loss regarding how to attack it. "Meow!" The cry rang out again, faintly accompanied by the sound of a beating heart. It was truly becoming a living creature of the chaos. Born long ago in an illusory world, perishing in an illusory world, reviving in Silver Moon, and now... it was about to descend fully into the chaos as a unique living entity! No longer Big Cat's shadow, no longer Big Cat's past. It was Er Mao! *Teacher... I am about to fully descend into the chaos!* *Stepping out from the past.* *No longer that illusory cat keeping you company.* Er Mao looked at the Time Star, feeling a sense of daze. Though it had made this decision long ago, now that the day had arrived and it was about to step out from illusion into reality, sudden apprehension gripped it. *And... Big Cat, I am no longer your past, no longer your shadow. I am a true living being, a true member of the chaos.* "Meow!" A single cry shook heaven and earth. A cat seemed to traverse spacetime, stepping out into reality, its body swaying, tail swishing, its four short legs setting foot onto the domain of chaos for the first time in true reality. Er Mao had descended! A seventh-rank power manifested between heaven and earth. In a place brimming with countless seventh-rank tribulations, it was not particularly conspicuous, yet everyone's eyes were drawn to it. Even the Fire Phoenix Realm Lord was stunned. What was that? The Cang Emperor? But... how could there be two Cang Emperors? The Cang Emperor had entered the Tianfang Universe; there was no reason for him to emerge. Then... what was this cat? A seventh-rank! Bathed in lightning and time, the cat had truly come alive. Nearby, three lightning giants seemed to have been waiting. The instant Er Mao fully manifested, the three giants charged! Er Mao did not resist by force. Instead, it opened its mouth wide. These lightning giants were not real seventh-ranks, but manifestations of lightning—Chaos Lightning Tribulation! In an instant, the three giants were swallowed into its belly! They seemed to vanish completely. Er Mao let out a burp, looking slightly choked, and mumbled, "So... full!" "Er Mao!" Li Hao roared. The time had come! Hurry! Er Mao looked utterly numb. *I don't want to!* *I know what you want me to do, but I... really don't want to.* *Big Cat has it so rough, fighting every single day. I don't want to be like Big Cat...* Yet, thoroughly frustrated and helpless, it opened its mouth wide and swallowed the giant above Qian Wuliang's head, then turned toward Hong Yitang and gulped down the other giant! Li Hao roared, "Charge!" Ignoring the giant above his own head, he wielded his great sword and slashed at the giant elephant! The giant elephant was currently fighting off a lightning giant that was not easily dispatched. Seeing Li Hao charge in, its eyes turned vicious, and its long trunk shattered the void, whipping straight toward Li Hao! At the same time, the two Silver Moon Dao Lords charged forward! The Giant Elephant Sovereign's expression changed, and he bellowed, "Help me! Help me block the tribulation..." Nearby, the other three Sovereigns cursed under their breath! How could they help? This was their first time facing a Chaos Lightning Tribulation; completely inexperienced, they were flustered and disoriented. Li Hao and his group had been through this countless times, and even Qian Wuliang and the others had experience. These chaos Sovereigns had no experience whatsoever and were being pushed to the brink of collapse by the tribulation. Yet... they couldn't just leave him to die. If one of them was surrounded and killed, disaster would follow. The Black Tiger Sovereign roared furiously, his massive tiger paw swatting down the lightning giant above the white tiger's head as he barked, "Go save the elephant!" One against two! This Sovereign was putting his life on the line. The giant elephant could not die. If one died, everything might crumble. The lightning giants were decreasing in number, yet none had been thinned from their side. Glancing over, Li Hao was also astonished. Formidable! That fellow could fight one against two and still free up the white tiger to provide backup... These chaos beasts had astonishing physical resilience, and the Dragon Domain under the Dragon Lord's rule was remarkably united! If this were the other three domains, they would have fled for their lives rather than saving an ally. Li Hao couldn't help thinking that in the other three domains, after he slew four seventh-ranks, other Sovereigns wouldn't even dare get involved. Yet here, not a single one ran. That alone commanded respect! "Er Mao!" Li Hao yelled again. But Er Mao was truly stuffed now, burping repeatedly as lightning surged from its mouth. It could barely walk. Seeing Kongji eagerly staring at it, waiting for it to eat the giant in front of him... Er Mao wanted to cry! I can't eat anymore, I can't swallow another bite... Opening its mouth wide with immense effort, devouring power erupted, forcibly pulling in the lightning giant before Kongji. Er Mao's fur poofed out in an instant like a puffy ball! "*Burp... boom...*" It burped, sending lightning erupting from its mouth. Kongji was overjoyed—it was gone! Without another word, he charged toward the white tiger, unleashing his Six Paths Divine Fist while screaming madly, "Kill them, quick!" *Boom!* He intercepted the white tiger, who roared in frenzy. If the giant elephant fell, the chaos side would collapse! The two clashed instantly. Kongji pushed his Six Paths Fist to the utmost limit, blowing the void apart. *I need to reach the seventh rank; I definitely won't let the white tiger get past!* Li Hao let out a fierce roar as two Great Dao rivers merged directly into him. Instead of having the two Sovereigns attack, he channeled all their Great Dao power into his own body. Li Hao's aura soared once more! "Time, freeze!" With a ferocious shout, time power erupted, attempting to freeze the white elephant in place. Fighting off the lightning tribulation while battling Li Hao, the white elephant was now struck by time power. Roaring in fury, he struggled wildly, blood oozing across his body as his Great Dao Universe shook violently! "Reinforce me!" He bellowed continuously, no longer calling to the Sovereigns nearby, but shouting, "Azure Fox! Cloud Snake!..." He was calling out to the chaos demons of the other seven realms in the distance! He couldn't care about the five demon realms anymore! If reinforcements didn't arrive, once this side collapsed, a disaster would sweep across the entire Dragon Domain! This Silver Moon King was a lunatic—so crazy that, in his eyes, he was even worse than the Xinwu Human King! Who would dare manipulate the Chaos Lightning Tribulation like this? Weren't they afraid of getting everyone killed? Yet this bastard dared! At this moment, the Thunder Lord also roared: "Demons of the five realms, if you do not fight today, you will never have another chance to turn the tables!" They couldn't let other seventh-ranks join the fray... Otherwise, once the tribulation cleared and more seventh-ranks arrived, they would be doomed. In this moment, he truly saw an opportunity—a massive opportunity! They... had a chance to win! He felt wild ecstasy and awe. There was hope of victory! This was the greatest chance in three hundred thousand years, an opportunity he had never even dared imagine. ... In the distance. The seven chaos worlds trembled continuously. Soon, chaos behemoths flew out from their worlds, preparing to cross the chaos and traverse space using their Great Dao Universes to rush to the rescue. Yet in that instant... three colossal pandas appeared. The Iron Eater Sovereign, a peak seventh-rank Sovereign, wielded a titanic iron rod. It was not bamboo, but a true rod of iron. With a thunderous boom, the rod slammed down, seemingly taking root within the chaos! The gigantic panda's eyes were vicious, its teeth razor-sharp: "Who dares leave?" He too was shaken and deeply awed. Yet in this moment... he saw an opportunity, a chance to shatter the Dragon Lord's rule! He had never expected that over there, among the four great realms—counting the Earth Dragon and Longxuan—nine seventh-rank Sovereigns, equal in number to the seventh-ranks of the seven worlds here, would actually face the threat of total annihilation! It was unbelievable! Yet... who had time to dwell on that? Right now, only one thought filled his mind: the chance had come! They could not allow any Sovereigns from here to reinforce the battle, or the tide might turn back in the enemy's favor! In an instant, the auras of over a dozen seventh-rank Sovereigns erupted, shaking the cosmos! All seventeen seventh-rank Sovereigns appeared in the chaos without exception. An enchantingly alluring Azure Fox demon murmured softly, "Do the five demon realms intend to fight us to the bitter end?" The alliance of the chaos behemoths was rock-solid. At this moment, every chaos behemoth radiated murderous intent. If the five demon clans would not retreat, then fight! The chaos race had lived too miserably across the wider chaos; only in the Dragon Domain were they the masters. If anyone sought to upend this status quo, it would be a battle to the death! The Iron Eater behemoth bared his fangs and roared: "Then fight! In this chaos, in this Dragon Domain, you are the outsiders! We are the native demon race; it is not your place to enslave us!" "Kill!" *Boom!* The battle erupted as seventeen seventh-rank Sovereigns clashed instantly, rending heaven and earth! The Iron Eater Sovereign fought one against two. Swinging his massive iron rod, he forcefully blocked two seventh-rank Realm Lords, his black-and-white ringed eyes filled only with killing intent and madness! If they did not fight today, the native demons would never have another chance. *Rumble! Boom! Boom!* On this day, fierce battles raged throughout the entire Four Regions. In the Chiyang Domain, an eighth-rank clash had even broken out, with as many as ten seventh-ranks taking part. Xinwu had made their move! Excluding the Tianfang Great Dao Universe, over a hundred seventh-rank auras surged across the exterior of the Four Regions. Meanwhile, within the Tianfang Great Dao itself, intense battles raged in all directions! The Four Regions had plunged into its greatest upheaval and chaos in history as countless high-rank Sovereigns spilled their blood across the cosmos. Who was in the wrong? No one was in the wrong; this was simply the chaos. The soaring, suffocating pressure even radiated beyond the Thunder Domain. In this moment, even eighth-rank Sovereigns lingering outside the Thunder Domain felt profound trepidation. Had the Four Regions... gone mad? Everyone was fighting to the death. Had the ninth-rank world revived, or was it something else? Why did there seem to be more than one battlefield? War seemed to have erupted in every corner of the cosmos.