Time Is Difficult to Cultivate

When a body died, its Dao dispersed. What if the body was merely torn apart? Li Hao wanted to find out. And so, he had everyone tear him apart, dividing him into pieces that filled the squares of the chessboard, letting Dao Chess carry him and bury him beneath the thunder pillars. "Neither the tearing nor the burial can be done haphazardly; they must correspond precisely to the Dao body and the Dao meridians! I currently govern a thousand worlds and understand a thousand Daos, so... for now, I will use a thousand Daos as my foundation. Moreover, Dao Chess can match them, but discerning the specific Great Dao tradition in each thunder pillar is difficult. Any error could be catastrophic." Li Hao looked at the group, his gaze ultimately settling on Black Panther. "Black Panther, you happen to need to sense the thunder pillars as well. Your sense of smell is keen, keen enough to distinguish the specific Great Dao. You will guide Senior Dao Chess and the others to find the corresponding thunder pillars!" "Seniors Wushan and Thunder Emperor, I will trouble the two of you to help neutralize the threat of the thunder pillars and suppress the lightning." "Brother Kongji, I trouble you to provide the power of vitality and recovery to my divided body parts so none are completely destroyed." He then turned to Er Mao. "Er Mao, you and the Blood Sovereign will have to take on some hard work: wield the Time Star for me and use the Dao of Time to draw out the power of the thunder pillars!" These two... one man and one cat, both possessed ties to Time. Perhaps only they could manipulate Time to act as a conduit, drawing out the Daos contained within the thunder pillars so he could perceive them clearly and thoroughly understand what common threads connected all these Great Daos. Who else could ever enjoy such treatment? Two eighth-rank Sovereigns and multiple seventh-rank Sovereigns all serving him, an ancient ninth-rank Sovereign weapon assisting him, and the Time Star at his disposal—such an opportunity was unprecedented. In that case... why not give it a try? At this moment, the Sovereigns wore grave expressions. Was it worth it? No one knew. Li Hao wanted to explore a new Dao, to probe the very essence of the Dao. He was not even taking this risk to grow stronger; he was risking his life simply out of a pure desire to see! At this moment, the Blood Sovereign remained silent. Li Hao, the Silver Moon King—a junior in the eyes of Xinwu! He felt a degree of admiration for this youth now... yet found it hard to truly like him, his feelings rather complicated. Perhaps he still preferred Fang Ping. Not because he had known Fang Ping earlier, but because... Li Hao was truly ruthless when it came to the Great Dao! The Human King was human first, and that was why he was the Human King. Yet this young man... in the Blood Sovereign's eyes, seemed like a true Lord of the Dao. Not to empower himself, not to counter powerful foes, and not for any other ulterior motive—he simply wanted to see what lay in the future of the Dao, what the true essence of the Dao was. And so, he did not hesitate to take such a risk, actually choosing to dismember himself in this perilous Thunder Domain to achieve enlightenment. Such a risk was something most would never dare, nor be able, to take. Those who might have dissuaded him had been left behind by Li Hao. Among those present, who could claim to be able to talk Li Hao out of it? In the end, Kongji spoke up: "I have no objections. Wherever you need it, I can go there to revitalize your flesh. But... how long will this take?" "I don't know. Perhaps a short while, perhaps a very long time. I just want to see and truly experience it..." Li Hao smiled. "The Thunder Domain is a great place. It's quiet here and very safe. The lightning tribulations are the only real enemy, and with the Thunder Emperor and Senior Wushan here, we actually have a moment of leisure." "..." A Thunder Domain that everyone else regarded as hell was, in Li Hao's eyes, the safest sanctuary. Everyone was filled with mixed emotions. At this moment, Dao Chess could not help but speak: "The configuration of the Dao of Space may not be identical to that of the Dao of Tribulation... If an error occurs in the matching..." "There will certainly be differences. That is precisely why I asked Senior to bring Black Panther along. If there is a slight discrepancy, Black Panther can sense it." "Black Panther!" Black Panther felt rather dispirited and kept quiet. It was terrified of making an error in perception. If it misidentified the Dao and matched the wrong one, what would the consequences be? Would that portion of Li Hao's body become nourishment for the thunder pillar? Or would it drag down the entire whole? Li Hao hadn't said, and perhaps Li Hao didn't know either. "Then... let us try!" The silent Blood Sovereign finally spoke up. "Let us give it a try. Since young friend Li Hao has this intent... we can only help fulfill it! Er Mao, you and I will work together to wield Time and project it over the Thunder Domain!" Er Mao swished its tail, glanced at Li Hao, and suddenly said, "When the schoolteacher was alive... he also loved research and taking risks. In that regard, you're actually somewhat like him... Don't worry, you won't die. If you really do die, we'll try to reverse time to resurrect you..." Li Hao laughed despite himself. Are you cursing me? Without saying anything more, Li Hao's body began to disperse—not in a gory, bloody mess, but as miniature figures of Li Hao stepping down from him, like regeneration from drops of blood. One Li Hao walked out, clutching a miniature world; more and more Li Haos stepped forward continuously, each holding a small world. By now, Li Hao had grown so accustomed to dismantling worlds and Dao webs that he had dismantled even himself. These Li Haos were diminutive in stature. Each seemed to shoulder a universe, carrying, hugging, or dragging a small world... Some were unyielding and unruly, some appeared wooden and dull, some were cunning beyond measure, some were peerlessly overbearing, and some were tempestuously short-tempered... These were different Daos, different facets of a person, different Li Haos. Life held a hundred states, and the Great Dao encompassed myriad variations. Each Dao corresponded to a distinct personality and attribute. At that moment, Dao Chess transformed into a chessboard displaying 9,999 squares. The diminutive Li Haos stepped into the squares one by one, each matching a different Great Dao and entering a corresponding square. Li Hao's voice resonated like a thousand voices speaking in unison: "Locating the thunder pillars is also a challenge. I leave that to everyone; I won't go searching for them one by one..." "Furthermore, if our commotion in the Thunder Domain grows too large, it might arouse the curiosity of some experts who will venture inside to observe... If they stay away from the thunder pillars, so be it, but if they draw near, I will also have to trouble you all to lend a hand!" "Just go in peace!" Kongji said with deep emotion. "Have a peaceful journey, and spare the chatter." "..." A thousand Li Haos laughed in unison. "Hearing that really sounds awful!" In the next instant, Dao Chess hovered in the void before darting off to search for the corresponding thunder pillars. This was painstaking work. Before this, no one had ever attempted to actively search out thunder pillars—let alone distinguish among them. To them, the pillars all seemed identical: the closer one got to a thunder pillar, the greater the danger! Soon, a square from the chessboard descended, coming to rest beneath a thunder pillar. As life force approached, lightning crashed down near the pillar. The two eighth-rank experts moved simultaneously to intercept it. This was brute physical labor. Once they dealt with the lightning, they also had to dig a hole to bury someone. Digging a hole essentially meant cracking open the thunder pillar to bury a part of Li Hao's body within it. Such work was beyond the capability of ordinary Sovereigns! ... Today, thunder roared incessantly across the Thunder Domain! The formidable power of lightning tribulation enveloped the entire domain, as if provoked once more into fury. In the Thunder Domain, which had remained dormant for countless years, anyone crossing it under normal circumstances hurried through; who would dare linger? Yet today... the crashes of thunder never ceased. Bolts of lightning spread frantically in all directions like maddened beasts. ... In the Outer Domain. At this moment, many Sovereigns were observing. The Thunder Domain had previously quieted down, and the great war in the Four Regions appeared to have ended; many harbored the thought of entering to see for themselves. Rumor had it that a battle involving over a hundred seventh-rank Sovereigns had erupted in the Four Regions. That was a grand spectacle unseen even in the Outer Domain! At this moment, experts gathered on all sides of the Thunder Domain. There were eighth-rank Sovereigns, seventh-rank Sovereigns, and scouts dispatched by various major factions. Even that ninth-rank Sovereign who had recently stolen all the limelight in the Outer Domain had sent people over. The most famous world in the Four Regions was the Tianfang World. Many in the Outer Domain knew this. It had been left behind by a ninth-rank Sovereign! Some senior Sovereigns had even seen the Lord of Tianfang in the past—peerless under heaven, he had once traversed the cosmos. The current ninth-rank Sovereign was rumored to have encountered him in his early years... Of course, whether that was true could no longer be verified, and no one would go ask that exalted figure if he had truly met him. However, just as the Sovereigns prepared to enter, they detected the upheaval in the Thunder Domain. Countless bolts of lightning erupted, and along the perimeter, thunder pillar after thunder pillar released terrifically overwhelming lightning power. Even some eighth-rank Sovereigns felt a tremor of trepidation. On one side outside the Thunder Domain. An eighth-rank Sovereign watched silently in the void, his gaze somber. He was none other than the eighth-rank Sovereign who had fled the Four Regions—the other eighth rank of the Gemini Universe. The Gemini Universe enjoyed great renown in the Outer Domain. Though neither of its two eighth-rank Sovereigns stood at the peak of the eighth rank, a world that could produce two eighth ranks was rare indeed. What was truly unprecedented throughout eternity was that these two eighth-rank Sovereigns were twin brothers! Yet at this moment, this eighth-rank Sovereign was in a foul mood. His brother was dead! He had died in the Four Regions. Two seventh-rank Sovereigns had also been lost. When the two brothers had entered together, their goal had been Tianfang, hoping to attain the ninth rank, or at least reach the peak of the eighth rank. Two peak eighth ranks would have been enough to battle the ninth-rank expert currently rampaging across chaos. That figure was in the midst of unifying the chaos. A while ago, he had even ambushed and killed an eighth-rank Sovereign, causing many to feel threatened. Although that threat remained far away and the Four Regions was a remote corner, one still needed to prepare for a rainy day. Yet who could have foreseen that he alone would escape? Xinwu! Hatred festered in his heart; his brother's demise was almost certainly tied to Xinwu. And now, the Thunder Domain had suddenly erupted again... He had no idea what was happening. Just what were those bastards in the Four Regions trying to pull? Evidently, the disturbance in the Thunder Domain was likely connected to the fellow who had previously summoned a lightning tribulation over a hundred seventh ranks—the Silver Moon King aligned with Xinwu. Was today's upheaval in the Thunder Domain related to him as well? As he pondered, a figure materialized nearby—another seventh-rank Sovereign. Looking toward his position with a genial, breezy smile, the newcomer asked, "Dare I ask whether I stand before Dao Lord Tianyang or Dao Lord Diyang?" Heaven and Earth, Twin Yangs—the Gemini Universe. The Gemini Universe was not a universe of pure Yang; rather, "Yang" signified that heaven possessed two sovereigns, one ruling the sky and the other the earth, hence the Twin Yangs of Heaven and Earth. "Diyang!" The eighth-rank Sovereign replied coldly. He seemed to have guessed who the other was. "Greetings, Dao Lord Diyang. I am Xiaochen..." The seventh-rank Sovereign introduced himself with a soft chuckle. "My master holds both Dao Lords in the highest esteem and has repeatedly wished to discuss the Dao with you both. Regrettably, entanglements and mundane duties have left him no leisure to look elsewhere..." Sovereign Diyang said aloofly, "Many thanks for Sovereign Huntian's kind intentions! However... we two brothers have long resided in this borderland and grown accustomed to peace. We have no interest in heading west!" Huntian! He was the being who had recently attained the ninth rank. Marching from the west on a continuous campaign of conquest, he had swept through numerous worlds. Because he was a ninth-rank Sovereign, many worlds had submitted to him voluntarily. His power was now immense! His advance was not swift; rather, he consolidated his territory step by step. Whenever he brought a universe under his sway, he gradually integrated it into his own system, then advanced methodically with all the worlds in tow. That steady, unassailable momentum made resisting him exceedingly difficult. Like a nebula, countless worlds orbited his domain. While not as convenient as using chaos beasts to carry worlds, having a host of experts steadily relocate worlds toward this region was formidable nonetheless. At this rate, it might take several millennia or even tens of millennia to reach this place, but he was in no hurry at all. For a monumental feat like unifying chaos, what were thousands or tens of thousands of years? Steady and sure was best! Otherwise, abandoning one's rear would leave it vulnerable to attack. The newly ascended ninth-rank Sovereign also intended to use this time to stabilize his realm—a shrewd calculation indeed. Now, dispatching someone here showed that he had been keeping a close eye on the Four Regions as well. Sovereign Xiaochen took no offense and chuckled. "No matter. Xiaochen has another request. Since high-rank Sovereigns rarely cross the Thunder Domain into the Four Regions, and I heard Senior Diyang entered some days ago... could you share some information regarding the region? Of course, if Dao Lord has any demands, please do not hesitate to name them!" Sovereign Diyang chuckled, his laughter cold and sinister. "Are you looking to ask about the high-rank battle from a few days ago?" "That... is indeed part of it." Xiaochen did not deny it, asking with curiosity, "It is said that Tianfang World might have revived. Does Dao Lord know if this is true? Word has it that the great war was triggered by Tianfang's revival... Additionally, I have a presumptuous question... Dare I ask Dao Lord, are there many powerhouses in the Four Regions? How many eighth ranks are there? What about seventh ranks?" "Eighth ranks?" Sovereign Diyang chuckled. "Not many. The Four Regions isn't very large, so there are only about three to five eighth ranks, and a few of those might be dead... Right now, the strongest should be the Dragon Lord of the Dragon Domain, Bright Sovereign of the Tianfang Domain, and the Human King of the Red Moon Domain. There's also a newly ascended eighth rank, Wushan. Oh, and whether Red Moon Sovereign is dead or alive remains unknown... That's all of them." Had he lied? No. Yet he smiled again and added, "The overall strength of the Four Regions is mediocre... There were only about a hundred seventh-rank Sovereigns in total, and a large portion of them just perished; fewer than a hundred might remain. That is the entirety of the Four Regions' power. If Dao Lord Huntian is interested, he can enter and have a look. The moment a ninth rank arrives, he will surely annihilate all the powerhouses in the Four Regions in an instant!" Sovereign Xiaochen smiled without saying much. In truth, he was more curious about something else... Where was Sovereign Tianyang? He possessed his own intelligence sources, but could not confirm the matter. Because the Gemini Universe had two eighth ranks, if one died, outsiders might not necessarily sense it. He had heard rumors that Tianyang might have been slain. Yet... was it true? The Gemini Sovereigns were hardly nobodies, even in the Outer Domain. The two brothers had ventured to Tianfang together and allegedly allied with a local hegemon. Could they truly have suffered a casualty? Still, lately, only Sovereign Diyang had been seen. He did not ask directly, turning instead toward the Thunder Domain. "Dao Lord Diyang, a violent disturbance has broken out in the Thunder Domain... Do you know why?" "Perhaps the Dragon Lord is hunting down the Silver Moon King, who fled inside?" Sovereign Diyang smiled. "A few days ago, the Silver Moon King, Li Hao, ambushed the Dragon Domain, killing numerous Sovereigns and triggering a chaos lightning tribulation that annihilated a cohort of experts. Now that the Dragon Lord has returned, he would naturally hunt him down... Perhaps the two sides are clashing within the Thunder Domain. Right now presents a prime opportunity. If one enters, they might catch them off guard... and eliminate several of the biggest hazards in the Four Regions..." "The Silver Moon King?" "Yes, the king of a world subsidiary to Xinwu... His strength isn't all that remarkable, but his ability to summon chaos lightning tribulations makes him a nuisance. Of course, inside the Thunder Domain, whether he can summon tribulations hardly matters anymore." Having spoken his piece, Sovereign Diyang chuckled and vanished from the spot in an instant. I've told you what I should. If you're interested, go see for yourself. If the Dragon Lord truly is fighting the Silver Moon King, that would be splendid. Let you bastards go in and test the waters, and see whether the folks of the Four Regions are tough or not! It's best if a huge swath of you dies! Watching him depart, Sovereign Xiaochen said nothing, merely staring for a long while before murmuring, "Did Tianyang truly die there?" If true, with one of the Gemini brothers gone... the Gemini Universe would pose far less of a threat. Otherwise, with both brothers holding down the Gemini Universe backed by home-field advantage, even Dao Lord Huntian would have had to weigh the cost of a direct assault. Of course, the Gemini Universe remained far from their territory. Still... it was wise to plan ahead. At this moment, many were observing the Thunder Domain, and some daring figures with ulterior motives even ventured into it. ... Within the Four Regions. Nearby experts also sensed the fluctuations in the Thunder Domain. On the side of the Dragon Domain, the Dragon Lord sensed them as well. At this moment, he looked into the distance, where explosive cracks of thunder resonated through heaven and earth. The Thunder Domain was the natural barrier of the Four Regions. It was a cage that trapped the Four Regions, yet also a shield that protected it. No matter how powerful outside Sovereigns were, they could not cross with their worlds in tow. Thus, even if a ninth-rank Sovereign truly entered the Four Regions, the Dragon Lord did not fear him overmuch. Backed by the Dragon World, he was fully qualified to battle such a foe. The Thunder World was perhaps the only world capable of traversing the Thunder Domain. Capturing it had been vital to him, offering the versatility to attack or defend at will. Alas... he had plotted for a full three hundred thousand years! The opportunity to seize the Thunder World intact had finally arrived, only to fall short at the final hurdle! "Li Hao... Thunder Emperor..." he murmured. Were those people up to something in the Thunder Domain again? Had they triggered this eruption of lightning? He had visited the Outer Domain before and crossed the Thunder Domain, though few knew of it. He had conducted some dealings with the Outer Domain; he was not completely isolated. He knew that the Thunder Domain did not usually rage like this. Why was it doing so today? Was someone disturbing the thunder pillars? The thunder pillars... He thought to himself that they were the very foundation of the Thunder Domain, likely a Dao web left behind by a supreme being. Formidably potent, the thunder pillars were most probably individual Daos within that web's system. He, too, had once contemplated seeking enlightenment from them, but drawing near triggered lightning tribulations. Having to contend with tribulations while attempting to comprehend the Dao was exceedingly difficult. After all, he was not a lightning-attribute Sovereign. The Thunder Domain appeared over a million years ago, seemingly right around the time the Lord of Tianfang vanished... Pondering this, he looked back into the distance, making no move to enter and investigate. Doing so would be meaningless. A figure materialized beside him. Feng Yan. Fires of rage burned in her eyes as she looked into the distance, her gaze dripping with hatred. "Do you hate them?" "I do!" Feng Yan seemed to have grown up and matured overnight. Before the Fire Phoenix, she had behaved like a child, but now she was far darker and more somber. Li Hao! That man had caused her mother's death, slaughtered countless Sovereigns of the Fire Phoenix Realm, and wiped out the Fire Phoenix clan. With the world destroyed, the remaining Fire Phoenix clansmen would undoubtedly perish! "It is right to hate, but hatred changes nothing," the Dragon Lord said softly. "You stepped into the seventh rank, but only barely. You did not achieve the seventh rank through a Dao domain; you merely forcibly devoured seventh-rank power to reach that level. You cannot compare to genuine itinerant seventh ranks, who formed their own systems through Dao domains. You... can only be counted as a seventh rank tied to a single Dao beneath a greater universe!" "You are my child. Did you know that?" Feng Yan fell silent. After a long pause, she nodded. "I know." Perhaps she hadn't known in the past, but later on, after her mother repeatedly emphasized certain things, she had come to realize it. The Dragon Lord smiled. "I have many children... yet not truly many, and of them, you are the only one to reach the seventh rank. Although coincidences played a role, your mother fought to secure this for you!" "If you wish to become a truly top-tier expert, this is far from enough. A seventh rank... especially one attained by force like this, lags far behind Li Hao!" "He could slay Tongbao with a single sword strike. You... would suffer the exact same fate!" Sovereign Feng Yan remained quiet. "You signed a Great Dao agreement with him... To date, you may be the only powerhouse who still retains a connection to him. Li Hao might not care much about it, nor fear seventh-rank lightning tribulations—even if attacking you invites tribulation strikes. Yet sometimes, such disregard is precisely where opportunity lies!" "Dragon Lord... I..." The Dragon Lord cut her off, giving her no chance to speak, and murmured softly, "You are my child. I want to give you an opportunity... but I do not know if you can seize it!" "I hope you can give Li Hao a surprise... Because through Li Hao's ploys, I can sense that he is a vigilant, calculating cultivator, not someone who relies on sudden flashes of inspiration like the Human King." The Human King favored improvisation, possessing greater tactical mobility. The Silver Moon King, on the other hand, preferred laying plans in advance—such as infiltrating the Dragon Domain beforehand and orchestrating events with painstaking care. "He understands me, so if I want to kill him, it will actually be extraordinarily difficult... Even though I am stronger than him, I might not be able to corner or kill him!" Sovereign Feng Yan fell silent. The Dragon Lord continued: "In his eyes, you are a fire-attribute cultivator. When the agreement was signed, you were the dominant party and he was the subservient party. Therefore, you can actually sense him, while he may not be able to sense you..." The Dragon Lord turned his head toward the Dragon World and smiled. "Look at that!" Feng Yan turned and looked at the Dragon World, puzzled. Look at what? "The Dragon World is vast, isn't it?" Feng Yan nodded. "Is it powerful?" "Yes!" Feng Yan nodded again, her eyes holding traces of envy and longing. "Very, very powerful!" "No, it isn't powerful," the Dragon Lord chuckled. "This world was not created by me; I merely seized it! We of the chaos race are not adept at constructing Great Dao universes ourselves. Very few among us truly have the ability to build one!" "Ninety-nine percent of the major worlds today were plundered—plundered from the hands of the human race!" "Feng Yan, tell me... if I give this Dragon World to you and let you inherit the seat of Dao Lord, are you confident you can step into the eighth rank?" Feng Yan froze, thinking the Dragon Lord was joking or testing her, and hastily replied, "Feng Yan has no such thoughts!" "No, I am serious." The Dragon Lord looked at the Dragon World. "In truth, I have come to realize that for our chaos race, worlds become a burden in the later stages! Our chaos race is wild and free; without a world, our combat strength suffers little loss!" "Moreover, we are freer and far more mobile!" "This time, the slaughter of so many experts of our chaos race was tied to our lack of mobility. Had worlds not anchored them, your mother and the others would never have been so passive... Nor would Qingqiu and the others have voluntarily sacrificed experts for the sake of preserving their worlds." "And for me... the time has come to discard this world!" The Dragon Lord sighed with emotion. "At my level, if I wish to advance further and become a true ninth rank, in truth... even Tianfang might not grant me that opportunity. My desire to seize Tianfang was never to devour it to reach the ninth rank, but to verify and compare certain insights I sought, aiding me in constructing my own Dao domain!" Feng Yan did not understand; the chaos race never possessed a particularly keen perception of the Dao to begin with. What was more, she was merely a Sovereign whose cultivation had been forcibly elevated to the seventh rank. The Dragon Lord added: "I have held the Dragon World for many years. You carry my bloodline, so inheriting my position as Dao Lord will encounter far less resistance, and the world will not reject you. However, you... might never reach my height." "Of course, even if you cannot match me... reaching the eighth rank will be enough. Right now, Li Hao does not yet have the power to contend with an eighth rank!" "If you can become an eighth rank before he reaches that level... then among all of us, perhaps you alone will be able to kill him!" Feng Yan was shaken, glancing at the Dragon Lord from the corner of her eye. Bathed in the radiance of the Dragon World, she suddenly found this unfamiliar father of hers so towering and magnificent! Truly magnificent! Could the peak eighth-rank Dragon World truly be... nothing more than a burden to him? "As my descendant... you will enjoy certain advantages, but they may also become disadvantages!" The Dragon Lord continued: "Regarding the seventh rank and the eighth rank, you know what they are, but not why they are! You lack genuine accumulation. Even if you force your way into the eighth rank, you might remain stuck at that level for the rest of your life!" "Of course, in the days ahead, if you can perceive more Daos and comprehend more Daos, you might still have a chance. My only fear is that once you enter the eighth rank, you will completely lose yourself!" "Feng Yan... I am offering you the Dragon World. Do you want it?" He asked once more. Feng Yan trembled, whether from excitement or fear she could not tell, rendered speechless for a moment. The Dragon Lord said softly, "There is no need for this. Li Hao dared to let the Thunder Master step into the eighth rank, and the Xinwu Supreme dared to let Wushan reach the eighth rank... I, Long Zhan, am hardly inferior to them. And even if I were... you are of my direct bloodline. They could give such power to outsiders, while I am merely giving it to my daughter!" "Neither of them were eighth ranks themselves at the time. Even if the Human King has achieved the eighth rank now, that is only recent... whereas I have long stood at the peak of the eighth rank!" The Dragon Lord let out a sigh. "Perhaps I should have done this long ago. Whether handing this world to your mother or to someone else, our chaos race might have gained another eighth rank much earlier... My mind was simply not broad enough; I was too narrow-minded, thinking that one eighth rank like myself was enough for now..." He felt a touch of regret. In truth, he perhaps should have relinquished the Dragon World long ago! Had the Fire Phoenix commanded the Dragon World, she might have stepped into the eighth rank long before! If she had been an eighth rank, the previous disaster would never have unfolded. Over these past few days, he had pondered and deliberated, finally arriving at a decision: when it was time to let go, one had to let go. What use was this Dragon World to him? What he truly needed to prepare now was his own Dao domain... No, it was no longer just a Dao domain; to step into the ninth rank, he likely needed to construct a true Dao world! "Dragon Lord, I... I..." At this moment, Feng Yan was trembling with nerves. The Dragon Lord suddenly reached out. Feng Yan flinched, but in the next second, he gently stroked her head and smiled. "What are you afraid of? What is there to fear? In this chaos, no one can make us fear so! The chaos race is not as savage, crude, and rabid as everyone imagines..." "Humans eat demons, demons eat humans; humans eat beasts, beasts eat humans... Having you study human culture was never about turning you into humans. 'Human' is merely a definition coined by humanity itself. No one ordained that the chaos race cannot be humans!" "If I am strong enough, and I say that the chaos race is human while humans are beasts and food... then no one will dare object!" The Dragon Lord spoke placidly, adding: "The Four Regions is small and may not be our final destination! Even if Xinwu and Silver Moon are currently our greatest threats... they are not necessarily troubles we must solve right now! Growing stronger and keeping from falling behind is the key." "Outwardly, we will maintain the posture of seeking revenge, but inwardly, let me tell you... they are difficult to kill and difficult to deal with, far more troublesome than imagined!" "Therefore, you must strive to strengthen yourself!" "The secrets of chaos extend far beyond the Four Regions. Where did the Lord of Tianfang go? Where did the people of Tianfang go?" "Over countless years in chaos, where have all the ninth ranks gone? Is there truly only one newly ascended ninth rank in the entire chaos? That so-called newly ascended ninth rank, that Sovereign Huntian—I have actually met him before... He is nothing special!" He spoke with sweeping authority; even a temporary defeat had not disheartened him. Having spoken with his daughter, an entrance to a universe materialized before him. "Let us go. Pay no heed to whatever Li Hao and the others are doing. It is nothing more than seeking enlightenment, constructing a Dao domain, or refining a Dao tradition. Trying to obstruct them is of little significance. Flaunting one's might against a weaker foe is not what we should do; what we must do is grow stronger as our foes grow stronger! Having formidable enemies nearby and harboring hatred may well be a blessing, giving us greater drive. Black Tiger is on the verge of stepping into the eighth rank—such is the power of hatred!" At this moment, Feng Yan felt only that her father was boundlessly majestic! He... truly seemed never to fear anything. "The Dao of the Dragon World centers primarily on the Dao of the physical body, strengthening the flesh. This is our foundation and accords perfectly with the chaos race; that is why I remained in the Dragon World rather than any other realm! Strengthen your physical body. You inherited my bloodline, as well as your mother's... An existence like yours is rare indeed..." "When your physical body grows powerful to the extreme, capable of contending against worlds, against chaos, and against lightning tribulations... and even using the physical vessel of our chaos race to birth an internal universe... that is the absolute pinnacle of this Dao!" "The Human King forged an internal world, yet he possesses merely a human body. Li Hao constructed the fusion of a thousand worlds, yet he can only manifest it externally... The human race has its strengths, but also its shortcomings. Our chaos race's greatest advantage over them lies in our physical bodies!" "..." The Dragon Lord continually instructed his daughter, which was also a review of his own Dao tradition. He guided her on how to refine the Dragon World bit by bit, while he himself began gradually disentangling his Dao tradition and detaching from the Dragon World to complete a flawless handover! He was also, to date, the first being in the entire Four Regions to voluntarily relinquish his world without dying. An eighth-rank major world! Among all eighth-rank hegemons, none dared say they would give up their world. Bright Sovereign's son was also outstanding, yet he had never been seen offering to genuinely hand his world over for his son to govern. How could one gain without letting go? When the time came to let go, one had to let go. The Dragon Lord felt that his realization might have come late, but not too late. Perhaps only by letting go would the path to the ninth rank open before him. As for whether Sovereign Huntian had let go, he did not know. Yet could a person like that truly let go? Perhaps he had taken a shortcut. "Li Hao, Fang Ping..." he murmured inwardly. Fang Ping had not relinquished Xinwu, yet he walked his own path of an internal world, not placing as much weight on Yin and Yang as outsiders imagined. As for Li Hao... he hadn't bothered taking control of a Great Dao universe at all, continually forging his own instead... Though weaker and younger than him, these people possessed tremendous boldness. His choice to let go now was perhaps influenced by them as well. At this moment, the Dragon Lord truly relinquished the Dragon World, abandoning his obsession with a Great Dao universe. Little by little, within his body, he constructed a Dao domain that belonged solely to him. Dao principles descended one after another, integrating into the Dao of Chaos to form a small domain. One thousand Daos, two thousand Daos, three thousand Daos, four thousand Daos... Great Dao principles converged relentlessly. When they reached over six thousand Daos, the Dragon Lord paused his cultivation. According to the classification of Dao Chess, over six thousand Daos was merely the level of a sixth-rank Sovereign. In reality, constructing a Dao domain relying solely on oneself that contained over six thousand Daos was unprecedented! Even Li Hao, a sixth-rank Sovereign, had only constructed a world Dao domain of one thousand Daos thus far. As for Sword Venerable and the others, their Daos were weak, containing at most three to four thousand principles. A Dao domain was a manifestation of attainment, not brute combat power. Being able to construct a Dao domain meant one possessed the qualifications to enter the seventh rank; for these individuals, the seventh rank was merely a starting point. A brand new beginning! Anyone who constructed their own Dao domain was a genius with the right to aspire to the ninth rank! At this moment, the Dragon Lord felt the world grow clearer, and the chaos grew clearer still, as if he had glimpsed a new universe. Looking toward the distant Thunder Domain, he murmured, "The Thunder Domain... how many Dao principles was that Dao domain constructed from?" Could one only become a ninth rank with over 9,000 Daos? If so, he still fell far short. And that Sovereign Huntian—if his strength could not reign supreme over him and slay him with ease, then he could not be considered a true ninth rank. Perhaps only someone like the Lord of Tianfang truly deserved to be called a ninth rank. "Over six thousand Daos..." The Dragon Lord pondered, gazing toward other corners of the Four Regions. Perhaps he, too, ought to comprehend more Dao principles rather than focusing solely on boosting raw power. After all, raw power had its limits. ... At the same time. The Time Star radiated across heaven and earth, a thousand Daos beaming into a thousand thunder pillars. Upon pillar after pillar of thunder, Li Hao's silhouettes emerged. At this moment, Li Hao seemed to open his eyes, clearly beholding the lightning tribulations and the Thunder Domain for the very first time! "9,300 pillars..." Li Hao murmured. Far more than expected. Over 9,000 thunder pillars! This had been left behind by a supreme powerhouse who had fused over nine thousand Daos—a peerless expert, the Lord of Tribulation! This... was almost certainly not the Lord of Tianfang. Which meant there had been more than one ninth rank in the chaos. Right... back when I reversed time, Panlong and Huoyan said that the Tianfang Dao Lord once gathered many ninth-rank Dao Lords... In their eyes, only a ninth rank was truly a Dao Lord, a Master of the Great Dao! Many... and among them, perhaps, was the Lord of Tribulation! Li Hao thought to himself. In this moment, looking upon the Thunder Domain, he clearly saw for the first time how each Great Dao diffused, combined, and gave birth to chaos lightning tribulations! This was the first time he had thoroughly discerned the structure of chaos lightning tribulations. Furthermore, having a thousand Li Haos observing and perceiving simultaneously was an utterly extraordinary experience for him. "So Daos are ever-changing... growing strong and weak, living and dying, waxing and waning... A static pattern was not the secret to these Dao Lords' success..." A cascade of insights surged into his heart. Countless thoughts flashed across the minds of a thousand Li Haos simultaneously. The power of tribulation! The lightning tribulations here were merely a fraction of the chaos lightning tribulations, not the true source of all chaos lightning tribulations... The entire chaos was suffused with the power of ten thousand Daos, which meant chaos lightning tribulations could be formed anywhere at any time! "Chaos lightning tribulations come and go without a trace... not because they travel from some distant origin, but because... they are constructed right on the spot!" Li Hao understood! Why were lightning tribulations omnipresent? Why could you encounter them wherever you went? Because wherever chaos energy existed, triggering a certain mechanism would instantly transform the state of the ten thousand Daos' power, shifting it from chaos energy into chaos lightning tribulation! "In that case, Time and Space work the same way! Dao Chess can teleport; spatial power isn't about truly traversing space, but... changing the form of chaos energy so that wherever you arrive, it is spatial power..." "Does Time operate like this too? Whether reversing or flowing forward, you merely alter the chaos energy within a certain radius, causing images of the past to reappear..." Li Hao grew excited. At this moment, commanding his thousand pieces of flesh and blood, he abruptly cut off the transmission of power from several thunder pillars. The next second, countless bolts of lightning lost control. Wushan and the Thunder Emperor let out muffled grunts of strain! Kongji frantically channeled his power of vitality! Er Mao and the Blood Sovereign struggled to control the Time Star to suppress the surrounding area, baffled as to why the tribulations had suddenly gone wild. Soon, comprehension dawned on them, and they began cursing him inwardly! Lunatic! What are you doing now? Yet at this moment, Li Hao had formed new insights. In the next instant, over a thousand thunder pillars blazed with brilliant light, and a sword abruptly materialized in the void—the Sky Sword! Presently, the Sky Sword was shivering violently! Amidst its trembling, an explosive surge of lightning power condensed from a thousand thunder pillars and converged into the Sky Sword. The sword was nearly blasted apart; even having reached the sixth rank, it felt utterly minuscule! In an instant, a sword light manifested—a sword of destruction, or rather, a half-sword of tribulation! It slashed toward the firmament! Boom! In that instant, as if heaven and earth ruptured and chaos tore apart, the strike threatened to annihilate the world! Li Hao had borrowed a portion of the thunder pillars' power, using his own Dao to gather and construct a sword of lightning tribulation. With just that single strike... even the eighth-rank Thunder Emperor and Wushan blanched in horror! Stop fooling around! If that thing hits us, even we'll be gravely injured! ... "Ah, what a pity..." At this moment, Li Hao's voice drifted out from the thunder pillars, filled with regret. "A pity I cannot dig up these thunder pillars and carry them away..." Hearing this, everyone shivered. Don't you dare! ... At the same time. Deep within the chaos. In the profound depths of the void where countless Dao webs formed the corporeal Dao, a statue suddenly opened its eyes. Within those eyes, worlds seemed to crumble, lightning seemed to annihilate creation, and chaos seemed to collapse! Gradually, the reflection of a Thunder Domain surfaced in its gaze. "Tianfang!" The statue spoke abruptly, its will fluctuating. In the distance, the statue that had previously opened its eyes on several occasions snapped open its eyes as well: "What is it?" "In the Four Regions, someone has integrated into my Dao web, copying the tribulations of the Thunder Domain..." "Oh?" "Just what are you waiting for?" "Waiting for the Lord of Time!" "The Lord of Time... Can anyone truly cultivate Time?" "I do not know." "A waste of time..." "You don't have to wait!" "..." The statue whose voice resonated like thunder chose to hold its tongue. Gradually, its eyes began to close, though its will continued to ripple: "I also saw Time—I saw an exceedingly feeble manifestation of Time. But back then, even he could not attain Time. Can a junior of today truly succeed? The first generation failed, and this second generation... I believe it is nothing but wishful thinking!" In the distance, the other statue fell silent for a long time before replying, "Then we shall wait on. We wait until... the heavens grow old and the earth decays, until chaos itself collapses!" The Lord of Tribulation couldn't be bothered to say more and returned directly to slumber. Was Time truly so difficult? Could even Tianfang not attain it? Could anyone in this chaos truly master Time?