Within the Thunder Domain.
Lightning flashed incessantly as the Thunder Emperor fended off the violent bolts. Many of the lightning giants that had gathered earlier had dispersed, some had been slain by the experts, and a portion had returned to the Thunder Domain.
Now, they had coalesced into an endless expanse of tribulation clouds, blanketing the entire Thunder Domain.
Had the Thunder Realm not been an innate lightning world, it might have been destroyed by now.
Furthermore, having devoured two great worlds, the entire domain showed signs of advancing to the eighth rank; otherwise, it might not have been able to withstand this ferocious lightning tribulation.
At this moment, Li Hao, Er Mao, Kongji, and the two Dao Lords were madly absorbing and digesting their spoils from earlier.
Li Hao had directly swallowed an entire eighth-rank universe.
This was his first time devouring a Great Dao universe. Before this, the most he had done was absorb some Red Moon energy—he had never engaged in the business of consuming a Great Dao universe.
In this battle, Kongji, Er Mao, and the others had made substantial advancements. Er Mao in particular had descended into physical reality, while Kongji had stepped into the seventh rank.
Silver Moon, on the other hand, had not seen its two Dao Lords reach the seventh rank, even after devouring an entire world.
It was virtually impossible!
Li Hao understood this clearly, so he never expected Silver Moon to advance to the seventh rank with ease. Even after absorbing limitless Dao energy, devouring countless seventh-rank corpses, and swallowing a whole seventh-rank world, breaking through remained inherently arduous for a Dual-Dao universe.
Right now, neither of them had reached the peak of the sixth rank.
This showed just how difficult it was for Silver Moon to become a true great world.
Though Dao Chess felt somewhat depressed, it conscientiously began cultivating to consolidate its seventh-rank power. While it had surrendered an eighth-rank universe, it had claimed an entire seventh-rank world in return.
As for the others, the Queen was mending herself while continuously subduing the mortals from several great worlds. Most of the humans from those worlds were now packed into a single world.
Li Hao did not care whether she could subjugate them all or not.
The Queen was pursuing her own ambitions.
She knew very well that immense trouble awaited her.
The Black Tiger had escaped!
That seventh-rank Sovereign knew the truth. If the Dragon Lord learned that she could sever the seventh-rank Dao, he would already be determined to kill Li Hao, but then he would annihilate them at all costs.
Thus, the Queen yearned to become stronger.
The fourth rank was within reach.
Her speed in reaching the fourth rank had even surpassed Li Hao's, yet she still felt it was far too slow.
Elsewhere, Lin Hongyu was consolidating her Death Hell. Many new corpses lay within it—all Sovereigns, some of whom had not been killed by her. She was currently experimenting to see if she could incorporate them into her hell.
Yuan Shuo was also attempting to absorb five-elements energy, hoping to step into the fourth rank as soon as possible. He had already been on the verge of the fourth rank before. With his Dao Domain, cultivation realm was not an issue; the only issue was energy.
Now that a multitude of Sovereigns had fallen, energy was no longer an obstacle. The fourth rank was right before his eyes.
Everyone was cultivating.
Their harvest this time was colossal.
The spoils from five great worlds went beyond this—there was still an immense amount of world power waiting to be absorbed. The Black Panther was currently absorbing it, while the others primarily focused on the power of the Great Dao universes.
Eleven seventh-rank Sovereigns had been slain. While the energy of several had completely dissipated, the physical bodies, corpses, and Dao power of others had been preserved.
And the physical bodies of these chaos beasts were the greatest weapons.
At this moment, Li Hao handed them over to the Sky Sword.
Devour!
The Sky Sword was reduced to a mere fragment, a pathetic sight. A fifth-rank Sovereign weapon could no longer withstand Li Hao's explosive power. Now, the Sky Sword ravenously consumed the corpses of those experts.
The bones and flesh of these chaos beasts were extraordinarily formidable.
Even cultivators would grow significantly stronger by consuming them, but Li Hao did not give these chaos beast carcasses to the Silver Moon martial masters. Throughout his cultivation journey, he had rarely, if ever, consumed monster beasts—hardly ever!
Even though monster beast flesh was tremendously nourishing, Li Hao almost never partook.
In fact, he had never eaten it at all.
It was not that he felt scruples over them having gained sentience, but rather that chaos beasts and monster beasts mostly preyed on humans. Li Hao occasionally wondered about the taste, but the thought immediately ruined his appetite.
Killing people to seize energy, or killing monster beasts to seize energy, stirred no aversion in him.
Yet knowing monster beast flesh might contain the digested remains of countless humans completely extinguished any desire he had.
Nor would he offer it to others on his own initiative. If others wished to eat it, he would not stop them, but he would never hand it out proactively. In this moment, it became a stroke of fortune for the Sky Sword.
One had to realize that an abundance of seventh-rank Sovereigns had been slain this time, and among them were several complete seventh-rank carcasses.
For the Sky Sword to consume them was a celestial opportunity; even Dao Chess had likely never enjoyed such a fortune.
***
High above.
The Thunder Emperor was digesting his gains while resisting the lightning tribulation. Around him, fewer than twenty Sovereigns remained from the Thunder Realm, all circling the Thunder Emperor to assist in withstanding the tribulation.
Naturally, they were also basking in the benefits. Having absorbed two great worlds, the Thunder Realm's Great Dao universe, which had always been dirt-poor, was now fabulously wealthy!
The key point was that the Thunder Realm, an entity on the verge of stepping into the eighth rank, had only about twenty Sovereigns.
Which eighth-rank world did not possess over a hundred Sovereigns?
The Thunder Realm's Sovereigns were pitifully few, far fewer even than Silver Moon's.
These Sovereigns reaped immense advantages.
The Thunder Emperor could not absorb everything alone, and the other Sovereigns had long been starved of energy. Now, as they absorbed it, every single one of them beamed with uncontainable joy.
Yet, whenever they looked down at the group below, their expressions were a mixture of wariness, dread, envy, and reverence!
The Thunder Realm had survived in the Dragon Domain for hundreds of thousands of years in utter misery, constantly blockaded and suppressed... pathetic beyond belief for a seventh-rank great world.
The Thunder Emperor had never been able to break those shackles.
Even this time, he had merely wished to flee, never daring to contemplate striking back...
Yet now, the Thunder Realm, which had been on the brink of annihilation, had joined forces with the King of Silver Moon and his retinue, slaying seventh-rank Sovereigns by the double digits and slaughtering over a hundred ordinary Sovereigns!
Now, the Thunder Realm had retreated into the Thunder Domain, and the entire domain was showing signs of advancing to the eighth rank...
All at once, these people were swept with excitement and veneration.
Still, some felt uneasy, and one of them sent a voice transmission to the Thunder Emperor: "Emperor, will they... will they refuse to leave?"
Could they be planning to seize our realm?
There was inevitably a sliver of worry.
If they truly intended to take it, even if the Thunder Emperor reached the eighth rank... frankly speaking, none of the Sovereigns present had any confidence in defeating this group.
"What are you thinking?"
The Thunder Emperor replied via transmission: "The King of Silver Moon has his own world. If he truly wanted a Great Dao universe, he wouldn't have abandoned so many seventh-rank universes to let me and the others devour them. If he wanted one, he could have taken control of a universe long ago—why wait to seize one now?"
He had seen through Li Hao: the King of Silver Moon did not care about ordinary universes.
This man possessed towering ambition!
A thousand worlds!
When Li Hao manifested a thousand worlds and summoned the river of time, the Thunder Emperor realized that Li Hao had his own grand vision—such as opening his own domain, and not an ordinary domain at that. If Li Hao truly succeeded in establishing his realm, it would be unimaginably terrifying!
Now, after devouring an eighth-rank universe, Li Hao's thousand worlds remained a thousand worlds!
Yet those thousand worlds were showing signs of evolving into medium worlds, which was truly alarming.
Furthermore, the previously scattered thousand worlds now showed signs of converging together thanks to the presence of the Great Dao universe. That had been the key to Li Hao's overwhelming might when he slew Tongbao with a single sword strike.
That young man could now be considered a genuine realm-lord-level seventh-rank expert.
If one were to categorize seventh-rank experts, the first tier belonged to figures like the Human King—supreme beings capable of battling and even suppressing eighth-rank combatants. Such people were exceedingly rare.
The second tier consisted of peak seventh-rank chaos beasts bolstered by Great Dao universes, or peak seventh-rank Dao Lords and Realm Lords combined, reigning within their native universes.
The third tier comprised chaos beasts without a Great Dao universe, or rogue cultivators who advanced to the seventh rank via a Dao Domain. Rogue seventh ranks were formidable, for only those who broke through on their own merit truly qualified as rogue seventh ranks.
The fourth tier included seventh-rank Sovereigns within eighth-rank universes; usually, they were only proficient in a single Dao, though they remained respectable thanks to the amplification of a great world.
The fifth tier comprised seventh-rank Sovereigns detached from an eighth-rank world—the weakest category of seventh ranks in the entire chaos. Li Hao had not encountered any of them yet. Even though Wushan had detached, he had done so as a peak seventh rank; otherwise, he too would have been quite weak.
Having devoured an eighth-rank universe, Li Hao now stood between the second and third tiers of seventh-rank experts, roughly on par with the Sword Venerable. Kongji's advancement placed him in this tier as well.
A Sovereign wielding six Daos and three polarities was clearly no ordinary figure.
The previous Fire Phoenix had belonged to the second tier, whereas the other chaos realm lords were slightly inferior; not being at the peak of the seventh rank, they belonged to roughly the third tier.
The Thunder Emperor looked down at Li Hao and the others, turning these thoughts over in his mind.
Right now, Li Hao's faction possessed substantial seventh-rank combat power.
Li Hao, Kongji, Dao Chess, Er Mao, and the two Dao Lords, whose fused strength was now superior to an ordinary seventh rank, formed five seventh-rank-level combatants.
And how long had Silver Moon ventured into the chaos?
Three years!
In a mere three years, a group of people had grown to such a terrifying height—it was utterly miraculous.
Now, as an emperor on the verge of the eighth rank, he too could be considered their ally, could he not?
It was said that Wushan of the Yunxiao World and Senlan of the Senlan World were also this man's friends.
Looking at it this way, in just a few short years, a cadre of top experts had gathered around Silver Moon, even without counting Xinwu.
At this moment, the Thunder Emperor looked outside the Thunder Domain and sighed softly.
The Dragon Lord must have gone completely mad this time, right?
Who knew if he would charge directly into the Thunder Domain to hunt them down?
If he did, immense trouble would follow.
***
While the Thunder Emperor was pondering these matters...
In the Bright Light World.
A multitude of people gathered.
Numerous experts manifested, exerting tremendous pressure on the Bright Sovereign.
Xinwu had arrived.
Eighth-rank Wushan, seventh-rank Supreme, Yang God, Blood Sovereign, Earth Emperor, Sword Venerable, and Li Zhu, together with the Cang Emperor and the Human King—there were nine high-rank Sovereigns in total!
Moreover, there were many other experts with formidable auras who also seemed to have hopes of stepping into the seventh rank.
The Bright Sovereign had no say here. After conferring briefly with the Human King, the Supreme asked via voice transmission: "We took the eighth-rank Chiyang Great World intact, and its yang qi is roughly sufficient to balance all of Xinwu. The question now is: should the eighth-rank Chiyang world power be used to completely advance Xinwu to the eighth rank, or to help a portion of our people break through to the seventh rank?"
This was an important question.
Strictly speaking, it shouldn't have been a dilemma.
Advancing Xinwu should naturally take priority. Xinwu was not yet a true eighth-rank world; it was comparable to the Thunder Realm, just a sliver away.
Therefore, neither the Cang Emperor nor the Human King had formally crossed into the eighth rank, though they hovered on the threshold.
With a menace like the Dragon Lord looming, advancing Xinwu was paramount.
Yet the Supreme still raised this question.
The Human King raised an eyebrow and shot him a glance.
For the Supreme to ask this now carried deep implications.
The Human King sent a transmission: "What are your thoughts?"
"My thoughts? I'm afraid that even if we give it all to you, it won't be enough for you to enter the eighth rank!"
The Supreme felt somewhat helpless. What else could he be thinking?
"Your inner world is also on the verge of advancing. Once it's divided between you, and the Big Cat takes a share... after splitting it among you, will an eighth-rank great world truly be enough for you to advance?"
Earlier, the Cang Emperor and Human King had fought Sovereign Chiyang, an eighth-rank from an outer region, and two seventh-rank Sovereigns to a standstill, yet in truth, both of them were merely seventh ranks.
If they wanted to enter the eighth rank, the Supreme worried that a single Chiyang World would be insufficient!
As for Yunxiao, it had long been sucked dry by Wushan.
What he was considering was whether to let a portion of the sixth ranks advance first, lest these two bottomless pits consumed everything without breaking through, resulting in a massive loss. After all, at their current level, there was little practical difference between them and true eighth ranks.
The Human King curled his lip. "You think I eat too much?"
Nonsense, of course you do!
"You eat plenty yourself!"
The Human King retorted via transmission: "With so many clones of yours, all the energy Xinwu generated over the years was nearly drained by you. If not for the Dual-Dao universe's capacity to absorb energy, the Yang God and the others being self-sufficient, and Old Man Li's group remaining independent outside, Xinwu would have starved to death long ago."
The people of Xinwu had this virtue: few loafed around waiting for handouts. Someone like Tianji was weak and consumed very little, so even if he slacked off, he took almost nothing.
Most of the others had to feed themselves.
Thus, over the past millennium, the majority of the energy absorbed by the Dual-Dao universe had been consumed by these top figures to sustain the Supreme's thousand clones. Otherwise, the Supreme rarely ventured out—where else could he have obtained the energy to forge a thousand Sovereign-level clones?
"Use it for my advancement to the eighth rank!"
Banter aside, the Human King spoke candidly: "The Dragon Lord is extraordinarily formidable, standing at the very apex even among peak eighth ranks! In the Four Regions, no one can rival him right now!"
"If I don't reach the eighth rank... counting on Brother Bright and Brother Wushan will likely be difficult!"
He shook his head. "Even if the two of them join forces, they might not match the Dragon Lord."
At these words, Wushan took no offense, while the Bright Sovereign frowned slightly. He was, after all, the master of an eighth-rank Great Dao universe!
Yet, on second thought, he conceded with a sigh. It was probably true; he hadn't realized the Dragon Lord was so terrifying, killing an outer-region eighth rank in three punches and crushing Yunxiao in two. Truly monstrous.
The Human King continued, "Combining the Chiyang World's world power and Dao power should barely push Xinwu into the eighth rank. Even if it falls slightly short, with my Brother Bright here, would he treat me shabbily?"
The Human King chuckled. "Bright Light is also an extreme yang world. If we're a sliver short, my good brother can just sprinkle a little water and siphon some energy, and it'll be enough for Xinwu to advance!"
"..."
The Bright Sovereign nearly coughed up blood!
This... this guy...
What audacity!
What utter shamelessness!
Did he mean that if he fell slightly short of advancing, I was supposed to sponsor him?
The Human King continued, "Right now, I look like an eighth rank, but I'm not one yet. If I don't advance quickly, the Dragon Lord will settle his issues and come after us before long! Furthermore, Silver Moon is our ally after all. The young fellow was forced to hide in the Thunder Domain, which is no long-term solution. So, it's best we advance as soon as possible!"
"Right now, Xinwu is penniless, but Bright Light surely has some reserves. After all these years, you can't have nothing..."
The Human King grew much more earnest: "Brother Bright, your son is with Li Hao, and you are with me. It's safe to say your Bright Light World is destined for an irreconcilable feud with the Dragon Lord! If you sponsor us a bit and Xinwu advances, everyone will be safe. Don't you agree?"
"Of the former overlords, Yunxiao and Chiyang are completely gone, and Red Moon has become the Dragon Lord's dog. Only Bright Light has suffered no losses so far, but luck doesn't last forever. Besides, Xinwu can move and depart at any time. If we still can't advance, we'll just pack up, leave, and find a place to hide..."
The Bright Sovereign's gaze flickered. Exhaling a breath, he nodded. "I understand!"
Though the Human King's words carried a teasing edge and a hint of threat, they were undeniable facts.
Worst-case scenario, Xinwu could simply run.
The Cang Emperor was here!
Could Bright Light run?
No, unless they detached from the Great Dao universe and abandoned their world entirely; otherwise, where could they flee?
The Bright Sovereign took a deep breath. "My realm has accumulated significant reserves over the years. In terms of Great Dao crystals, I can currently produce three to five billion, all of them Bright Light Dao crystals, which count as extreme yang power. Does the Human King deem that sufficient?"
Three to five billion!
Was that a small amount?
Not in the slightest!
The Human King stroked his chin. Seeing this, the Bright Sovereign added, "My Bright Light Realm also possesses three uninhabited medium worlds and twelve uninhabited small worlds. If needed, Xinwu may devour them as well!"
Was that enough?
The Human King smiled. "Let's give it a try!"
Was it enough?
Combined with Chiyang, it was roughly sufficient.
The critical issue was that Bright Light didn't seem particularly wealthy either.
His inner world likely had no hope of advancing to the eighth rank.
What a pity!
Thinking carefully, the Four Regions held not only Xinwu, an insatiable glutton, but also Silver Moon!
That Silver Moon kid had devoured a heap of worlds as well.
Then there was the Dragon Lord's side, a pack of ruthless beasts who consumed people whole. The territory of the Four Regions was simply too small to feed all three factions!
The Yin-Yang World should have no trouble reaching the eighth rank.
The problem was that many sixth-rank Sovereigns lacked the energy to advance to the seventh rank.
Figures like King Zhen Tian had long met the criteria for the seventh rank, but like the Sword Venerable, every single one of them needed to consume a seventh-rank world. Where could they find so many seventh-rank worlds to eat?
The Human King was thoroughly exasperated!
Now, the remaining seventh-rank worlds hid deeper than ever. Currently, only the beasts of the Dragon Domain had gathered around the Dragon Lord. Did anyone dare pick a fight with them right now?
The Human King felt a headache coming on.
Soon, he dismissed the thought: "Big Cat, go devour the Chiyang power! If it's not enough, devour Brother Bright's reserves as well."
At this point, the Human King rubbed his chin and chuckled: "On our side, let's count four eighth ranks. As for seventh ranks, Bright Light currently has four, and Xinwu has six, making ten seventh ranks and four eighth ranks."
"On the Dragon Lord's side, about seven seventh ranks gathered earlier. Adding them to his original forces makes fourteen seventh ranks and two eighth ranks..."
Comparing the two, the gap did not seem large.
In fact, their side had more eighth ranks!
However, the Human King knew that even if he advanced, he and the Big Cat working together would likely struggle to match the Dragon Lord; holding him at bay would be fine, but defeating him was unlikely. Bright Light and Wushan together could certainly handle Red Moon, but the Dragon Lord had slain two eighth ranks earlier, and he might use that opportunity to forge a new eighth rank. That would complicate things.
If the gap between the two sides was narrow, an all-out clash could easily result in mutual destruction.
Just then, the Supreme spoke: "Li Hao and his people ambushed so many Sovereigns, wiping out five chaos great worlds and slaying eleven seventh-rank Sovereigns. Their strength cannot be underestimated. Right now, the Dragon Lord is indeed the greatest threat in the Four Regions. Should we seek them out? If we can join forces, we won't need to fear whatever the Dragon Lord attempts!"
As for the other seventh-rank realm lords of the Four Regions, they hadn't even considered allying with them—they were completely unreliable!
There was also the demon race; the five demon great worlds possessed several demon Sovereigns as well. Yet at this moment, the five demon great worlds dared not make a move, and for now, the Dragon Lord hadn't moved against them either.
The Dragon Lord was likely still digesting his gains, and he might also worry that attacking the demons would trigger a joint siege from Xinwu and Silver Moon. Conveniently, those two factions were positioned on opposite flanks—one in the Thunder Domain, the other in Tianfang, with the demons in the center.
Attacking the demons would draw both factions out, sparking a cataclysmic war!
It would be the ultimate showdown of the Four Regions!
Whoever won would become the final hegemon of the Four Regions... or perhaps the Four Regions would suffer mutual destruction. If the casualties were too catastrophic, Sovereigns from the outside might breach the barrier; even without their worlds, sufficient numbers might allow them to break into the Four Regions.
Hearing the Supreme's suggestion, the Human King nodded slightly.
That made sense!
Silver Moon had been insignificant before, but its current strength could not be overlooked.
Li Hao was definitely capable of slaying seventh ranks; otherwise, he wouldn't have dealt such heavy damage to the enemy. Bright Light's son had likely reached the seventh rank as well, and there was reportedly a lightning seventh rank. Furthermore, Dao Chess had fled earlier and presumably joined Li Hao...
Calculating it all, their strength was formidable!
Just then, the Big Cat, which had been squinting lazily, yawned and mumbled, "Er Mao has completely descended!"
At these words, the Blood Sovereign froze amidst the crowd.
He turned to look at the Big Cat, which yawned again. "This cat has... lost connection with Er Mao."
Lost connection!
Rather than a deepened connection.
Previously, Er Mao had remained its projection; it was the original, while Er Mao was merely an illusory existence.
Yet this time, when Er Mao stepped out, the Big Cat discovered that their connection had severed.
This signified that Er Mao had transformed into a genuine living being.
In the past, the two cats were one entity.
Now, at best, they could be considered brothers. They were no longer tightly linked as before. When Er Mao awakened previously, the Big Cat could clearly sense it.
This time, that sensation was gone.
There was a slight hint of melancholy, but the Big Cat was also happy for Er Mao: "This cat still owes Er Mao some dried fish. Too bad I never got to meet Er Mao... Now that Er Mao has left with that new King of Silver Moon, who knows how long it will be before we meet again."
The Blood Sovereign's expression shifted. "Er Mao has revived... completely revived?"
"Mm."
"That's good..."
At this point, the Blood Sovereign took a deep breath. "I want to make a trip to the Thunder Domain to see Er Mao and the new King of Silver Moon, Li Hao. On one hand, I can discuss an alliance; an alliance between Xinwu and Silver Moon holds natural advantages—there is no need to fight alone!"
"On the other hand, I want to see them..."
The Blood Sovereign gazed into the distance, pausing for a long moment before saying, "It will also serve as a true farewell to the Silver Moon World. Er Mao's revival means it has found a new home, which puts my heart at ease."
Everyone claimed he was Zhan's reincarnation.
Yet how could Zhan reincarnate?
He was merely formed from a portion of Zhan's will and energy that had dispersed into heaven and earth, coalescing into unique power that forged his strength, but he was not Zhan's reincarnation.
If he was, so was the Human King, and so should be the entirety of Silver Moon.
Nevertheless, he had benefited from Zhan's legacy. Now that Er Mao had revived, he had to go see it.
The Supreme stroked his beard and smiled. "That works! It's good for you to go. Back then, you left behind Battle Heaven City, and by all accounts, they cooperated well with Li Hao; some people from Battle Heaven City seem to form the core strength of Silver Moon. Coupled with your bond with Er Mao and your connection to Li Hao, there is a natural rapport..."
"Silver Moon is our natural ally. With the Dragon Lord so formidable in the Four Regions right now, uniting is our best course!"
"However, if the Thunder Realm departs the Thunder Domain, you might not be able to find them..."
He considered for a moment and added, "Silver Moon is difficult to locate now, though that boy Zhang An is still over there..."
"No need!"
The Blood Sovereign shook his head. "The spiritual will of the words 'Battle Heaven' that I left behind years ago remains in Silver Moon to this day. If I seek it, I can find it, provided they don't deliberately conceal themselves from me. If they truly wish to avoid me, then so be it!"
With that, he looked toward the Human King: "Absorb the world power quickly and reach the eighth rank, lest you get surpassed by a junior from Silver Moon and lose face."
The Human King burst into laughter: "Old Wang, what are you saying? Would I fear being surpassed? Besides... even if that kid reaches the seventh or eighth rank, so what? It's only because my inner world hasn't expanded into the eighth rank. Once I become a complete eighth rank, what does the Dragon Lord amount to?"
The Blood Sovereign smiled. Despite his bravado, Fang Ping was clearly under some pressure.
Granted, the people of Xinwu were also quite young.
Yet a millennium later, if he were surpassed by a later king from a world that had drifted away from Xinwu, Fang Ping would probably want to dig a hole and bury himself.
"I'll go check on things for you and scout out the situation..."
"Forget it!"
The Human King chuckled. "Until that kid breaks away from the old methods, he won't enter my eyes! That's the truth. If he doesn't ask, fine; but if he truly harbors ambitions of surpassing me, convey those words to him!"
The Blood Sovereign nodded thoughtfully.
He understood Fang Ping's meaning.
Though Fang Ping had inherited many paths and arts from his predecessors, he had ultimately forged his own path and his own world under Yin-Yang.
If Li Hao could not step out from Zhan's shadow, no matter how powerful he grew, Fang Ping would not take him too seriously.
"Alright, then I'll take a detour over!"
Just then, Sovereign Wushan spoke up: "Um... how about... I go with you?"
The Human King glanced over, and Sovereign Wushan looked somewhat embarrassed.
He knew that his advancement to the eighth rank was largely thanks to Xinwu's help. However, staying with the Xinwu faction made him feel rather suffocated and pressured.
Xinwu's Human King was domineering beyond measure!
Xinwu's Supreme calculated every detail without fail.
Even an eighth-rank Sovereign felt tremendous pressure before the two of them. He disliked this feeling—a pressure even heavier than when he had worked under Yunxiao.
With Li Hao, on the other hand, Li Hao was not stronger than the Human King, and his temperament was vastly different—much more calm and detached, rarely barking orders.
If they got along, they talked more; if not, they spoke less or simply parted ways.
In Xinwu, under the shadow of the Human King and Supreme, he felt like a nobody.
In Silver Moon... at least he felt he wasn't too weak, too foolish, or too clumsy. Even though Li Hao also liked setting schemes, there were at least traces to follow, whereas the Human King and Supreme operated on unfathomable whims.
Still, having advanced to the eighth rank with Xinwu's aid—even though he had held off an eighth rank and helped secure Chiyang—he felt somewhat sheepish.
Moreover, the threat of the Dragon Lord loomed large...
Just as he was hesitating, the Human King smiled and said, "You want to leave? Sure, go ahead! Li Hao's side isn't as strong as ours, and the Dragon Lord might enter the Thunder Domain to hunt him down since he offended him so severely. Your presence there will provide some backup!"
Wushan grew even more embarrassed: "This..."
He felt genuinely awkward.
The Human King seemed unbothered, laughing: "Just go. You're not a person of Xinwu; there's no need to obey me! We're merely partners, and Silver Moon isn't my enemy. If you were heading toward the Dragon Lord, I'd cut you down with a single saber strike. Since you're not going there, do as you please!"
Wushan took a deep breath and cupped his fists: "Rest assured, Human King, I will never do anything to harm Xinwu. Wushan owes his breakthrough to the eighth rank today to Xinwu's generous assistance! If Xinwu ever makes a request, Wushan will certainly comply! However... Xinwu is immensely powerful, with the Supreme calculating without flaw and your combat strength peerless. You truly do not lack one person like me. Silver Moon may be in greater distress right now, so... I shall take my leave!"
Even if he departed, this side was not weak.
Once the Human King and his companion crossed into the eighth rank, Bright Light was also present, and the Supreme was not to be underestimated. Wushan felt that even as an eighth rank, he might not necessarily be stronger than Xinwu's Supreme!
With such strength, his absence would not cause their collapse.
Silver Moon likely needed him more.
At this moment, the Supreme smiled. "Fellow Daoist Wushan, there is no need for such formality; it was merely mutual assistance. Very few cultivators earn the respect of both the Human King and the King of Silver Moon. When you meet the King of Silver Moon, please convey a thought of mine... If they venture into the outer regions, they might want to take a look at the Gemini Universe... We likely won't leave for now, as the Bright Light World cannot be easily moved..."
He had harbored designs on the Gemini Universe all along.
Now, Xinwu could depart at any moment, but if they left, unless the Bright Sovereign abandoned his world, he would be left behind to take a beating!
If Li Hao's side had the confidence and time, they could investigate it.
A Dual-Dao eighth-rank universe!
Had Li Hao and his retinue not slain a vast number of seventh-rank Sovereigns this time, he wouldn't have brought it up. Even though that universe had lost an eighth rank and two seventh ranks, multiple seventh ranks and an eighth rank likely remained.
It would be exceptionally difficult to conquer!
Yet with Wushan present, along with the Blood Sovereign and Li Hao's existing forces, they might truly be able to take down an eighth-rank universe!
That would be a colossal windfall!
Sovereign Wushan was taken aback. "Is this... appropriate?"
The Supreme chuckled: "Think nothing of it, consider it a small token of my goodwill. Whether he can conquer it depends on his own ability! Additionally, my grandson has been over there all this time, so I must ask him to look after the boy."
With that, a jade pendant flew toward Wushan: "This jade pendant can locate the position of that eighth-rank Sovereign, though not necessarily the location of the eighth-rank universe."
Wushan nodded and accepted the jade pendant, filled with admiration.
This man had actually locked onto that eighth-rank Sovereign—truly incredible!
A moment later, without further words, Wushan and the Blood Sovereign slipped into the void and vanished from the Bright Light World.
***
At the very same time.
In the Dragon Domain.
Seven great worlds orbited within the chaos.
Inside the Dragon World, fourteen seventh-rank Sovereigns sat in two opposing rows.
As an eighth-rank Sovereign, the Red Moon Sovereign took a seat below the Dragon Lord. On the other side sat Feng Yan, a peak sixth rank, looking thoroughly disconsolate.
The Dragon Lord's expression was grim and imposing.
Without wasting words, he looked around at the gathering and spoke slowly: "This time, the blame lies with me. I was overly greedy!"
Indeed, he had been greedy.
Had he not succumbed to greed, knowing two seventh-rank Sovereigns had fallen, he should have emerged long ago instead of waiting to kill Yunxiao and the others. It was his own avarice!
"Dragon Lord, it was our—"
The Dragon Lord raised a hand, cutting off the Black Tiger's words, and said flatly: "If it is my fault, it is my fault! When Long Xuan fell, I sensed it. At that moment, I had the certainty of stepping out of Tianfang, but considering how enticing an eighth rank of the Four Regions was to me, I chose not to leave... which brought about today's outcome!"
Giving no one a chance to speak, the Dragon Lord swept his gaze across the assembly: "This time, the fall of Fire Phoenix and the others is a catastrophe for our chaos race, but it is also an impetus! Black Tiger, Qingqiu, you preserved our vital strength and did remarkably well. Under their schemes, and when they likely wielded the power of time, managing to preserve so many experts is already deeply gratifying to me..."
Time!
Everyone was startled; none of them had mentioned time, as they hadn't clearly discerned it.
How did the Dragon Lord know?
The Lord of Red Moon was also surprised. The Dragon Lord said calmly, "I made several mistakes. Thinking back today, that fire phoenix and black dog back then were Li Hao, correct?"
He looked at Feng Yan. Though dazed, Feng Yan gritted her teeth and nodded: "It was him!"
The Dragon Lord sighed. "In truth, I sensed something unusual back then, but I assumed it was the work of faith. Only today do I realize that it was not faith at all. Based on what you described, I deduce that it was likely the legendary power of time!"
"The one who crossed paths with me that day was Li Hao!"
What a missed opportunity.
Of course, he merely reflected on it; what was missed was missed.
"As for the cultivator you spoke of who severed the path of chaos, I also know of her. She was the human faith cultivator who fled that day... That was my third mistake: in my rush to reach Tianfang, I did not hunt her down!"
He had possessed multiple opportunities, yet he had let them slip. He could have slain Li Hao, and he could have slain the Queen... but at the time, Xinwu was the sole focus of his mind, leading him to underestimate Silver Moon and bringing about today's predicament.
Setting that aside, he continued: "I killed Yunxiao, an eighth rank from the outer region, and two seventh-rank Sovereigns..."
He looked at the crowd: "I am already at the peak of the eighth rank; relying on them to push me into the ninth rank is nearly impossible! The power of the two seventh ranks will be given to Feng Yan. Feng Yan, I hope you can step into the seventh rank and add another seventh-rank Sovereign to our chaos race!"
"As for the power of the two eighth-rank Sovereigns..."
He scanned the crowd, finally fixing his gaze on the Black Tiger Sovereign: "Black Tiger, among all the experts here, you and Qingqiu have the best hope of reaching the eighth rank..."
The Black Tiger Sovereign's eyes were bloodshot: "Dragon Lord, I am a sinner... I..."
"No, you are a hero!"
The Dragon Lord declared solemnly: "You would have fought to the death there; I know your character. Yet, entrusted by the Fire Phoenix to escort Feng Yan back, you surrendered an honorable death on the battlefield and chose to flee. You watched with your own eyes as your Dao companion self-detonated to buy you time... I know how agonizing it must have been for you!"
The Black Tiger Sovereign trembled, utterly speechless.
The Dragon Lord understood him!
"Therefore... what I need is precisely this conviction of grief, despair, rage, and madness! You must avenge the fallen heroes of the chaos race; you must avenge your Dao companion! The power of two eighth ranks does not match you well... It will be tremendously difficult for you to step into the eighth rank... yet I believe that by harnessing this fury and madness, you will charge into the eighth rank! You will become the second eighth-rank Sovereign of our chaos race!"
The Black Tiger Sovereign instantly rose to his feet. He had assumed human form, clad in black robes beneath a cloud of gloom. In this moment, with solemnity, he bowed deeply: "Black Tiger will not fail your trust! This time, I will certainly achieve the eighth rank, and in the days to come, I will sever Li Hao's head as a sacrifice to the fallen heroes of our chaos race!"
"Good!"
The Dragon Lord nodded. This was an excellent outcome!
With such conviction, success was guaranteed!
He then looked at the six realm lords: "Everyone has worked exceptionally hard this time... However, I have one more request!"
The group straightened solemnly. Qingqiu Fox abandoned her coquettish air, becoming completely grave: "Please command us, Dragon Lord!"
The Dragon Lord fell silent for a moment.
After a long pause, he said slowly: "I want you all to abandon your seventh-rank worlds. Select the six most outstanding peak sixth-rank experts of our chaos race, and have them devour the six worlds to attempt... attaining the seventh rank!"
His eyes turned chillingly stern. "All of you shall enter my Dragon Realm, relinquishing your factions, your Great Dao universes, and your worlds. Can you do this?"
At these words, even the Lord of Red Moon was dumbfounded!
What the hell?!
You dare ask for that?
To a seventh-rank Sovereign, their world and Great Dao universe were a perpetual-motion machine of energy. With them, one never had to live under someone else's roof, walk on eggshells, or worry about nurturing experts...
They were the defining symbols of faction leaders!
Without a Great Dao universe and a world, no matter how powerful you were, you were merely a rogue cultivator.
Yet in the next breath, defying his expectations, the six Sovereigns chorused in low, resolute voices: "We obey the King's decree!"
Red Moon drew a sharp breath. Dammit!
This Dragon Lord... was terrifying.
Back when he had tried to recruit Senlan, who was merely at the peak of the sixth rank, the man had resisted with all his might...
Comparisons truly were infuriating!
He then realized that if this plan succeeded, six new seventh ranks would be born. Add Feng Yan, and that would be seven new seventh ranks, nearly making up for their previous losses in one stroke.
If the Black Tiger could reach the eighth rank, combined with his own defection... this...
Though eleven seventh-rank Sovereigns had perished earlier, under the Dragon Lord's orchestration, they might end up not a whit weaker than before!
This beast was truly formidable.
He commanded them to give up seventh-rank universes, and they actually complied!
Probably no one could have anticipated such a scene.
A faint smile appeared on the Dragon Lord's face, though his eyes remained icy: "Both Xinwu and Silver Moon are troublesome adversaries, yet the five Iron-Eating Worlds dared to rebel as well. Considering that they are of the chaos race—demon beasts being half our kin—I had barely spared them a path of survival. Who would have thought they wouldn't cherish it?"
"It seems that because I haven't taken action in years, those demons truly believe I cannot kill them!"
He looked into the distance, where five worlds orbited one another. They dared not leave right now, lingering there in hopes of forming a third faction and escaping annihilation by the Dragon Lord.
Eight seventh-rank Sovereigns!
And five universes.
That was no small sum.
"No rush... Red Moon, restore your full strength as soon as possible. Black Tiger, the day you step into the eighth rank... will be the day the five worlds perish!"
The Black Tiger Sovereign instantly turned solemn: "Black Tiger will achieve the eighth rank without delay!"
Vengeance!
This time, he would reach the eighth rank, slaughter the five demon worlds to the last beast, and tear the King of Silver Moon to shreds!
"Red Moon... you must exert yourself as well. I'll trouble you to lobby some of the human great worlds..."
The Dragon Lord chuckled softly: "Xinwu has slaughtered countless Sovereigns, and Silver Moon has done the same. Xinwu and Silver Moon are birds of a feather. How many seventh ranks have died in this Four Regions? Dozens, all told... but not by my hand. I only killed three fellows from the outer regions, along with Yunxiao... Let them weigh for themselves who is more dangerous—me, or Xinwu and Silver Moon!"
"Even if they don't help me, we cannot allow Xinwu and the others to win them over!"
There were at least twenty to thirty independent human great worlds in the Four Regions, and those were just the known ones; there might be even more.
Even if these great worlds did not assist him, they must not be swayed by the likes of Fang Ping and Li Hao.
It was inconvenient for him to show his face, but Red Moon... could handle it.
This fellow was a veteran eighth-rank Sovereign, one of the only two surviving overlords of the three domains alongside the Bright Sovereign.
The Red Moon Sovereign was also terrified of lingering here under suffocating pressure, so he immediately replied: "I will certainly not fail your trust..."
He had signed a Great Dao agreement under the threat of a ninth-rank lightning tribulation, so he dared not risk running away.
The Dragon Lord laughed heartily: "Then I leave everything in your hands, Brother Red Moon!"
"I dare not claim such honor..."
After exchanging pleasantries, Red Moon quickly departed. The Dragon Lord watched him leave in silence, snorting softly after a long pause. That two-faced scoundrel—had he not been useful, the Dragon Lord would have slaughtered him long ago!
His gaze drifted toward the distant Thunder Domain. The power of time was indeed intriguing, but just how much of it could that boy truly command?
Chapter 539