Clash

Within the Thunder Domain. A vast amount of thunder power flooded into Li Hao's river, continuously expanding one of the realms within it. The aura of the peak sixth rank manifested on Li Hao. Such an aura only signified that one of his Daos had stepped into the peak of the sixth rank. The increase in actual strength was not as grand as one might imagine; even crossing into the seventh rank might not bring an overwhelming surge in power. Even so, Li Hao was already thoroughly satisfied. In the Thunder Domain, the greatest harvest was neither about realm and strength, nor observing the transformations of the ten thousand Daos. Rather, it was that whenever lightning struck him in the future, ordinary seventh-rank lightning would no longer cause him any trouble. In fact, it would turn into his nourishment, feeding his Tribulation Sword Dao. That was what pleased him the most! Li Hao lingered for a short while near each thunder pillar, drawing out its Dao. This was not mainly for his own enlightenment, but to give Black Panther an understanding of thunder tribulations. He hoped that Black Panther could comprehend the Dao of Calamity. If so, they could build a special world centered around the Calamity Dao, completing a tripartite balance for Silver Moon's dual-Dao looped world, which would broaden Black Panther's future prospects. Black Panther had followed Li Hao all along. Li Hao did not want Black Panther to gradually fall behind the others simply because it was a beast. Thus, this was a rare occasion where Li Hao deliberately opened a back door for a certain someone... or rather, a certain hound. He seldom interfered with other people's cultivation methods, and when it came to choosing their Great Dao, it was extraordinarily rare for him to meddle. Even when his teacher had been unwilling to attain the Dao and become a Sovereign, he had not intervened. Be it the Queen, the King of Dali, or Lin Hongyu... All of them had chosen their own paths. As for the Earth-Overturning Sword, although Li Hao had yielded the integration of the Great Dao River back then, he had not interfered much in Hong Yitang's primary Dao choice. Yet when it came to Black Panther, Li Hao intervened heavily. Black Panther had always primarily cultivated the water path, heavily influenced by Liu Long's Nine Refinements Force. It rarely made use of the lightning chastisement power left by its ancestors, and though it also knew the Five Animals Art, it scarcely employed it. On the other hand, the Nine Refinements Force had endured to this day without ever being abandoned, and Black Panther had long since surpassed Liu Long by a wide margin. In truth, Black Panther possessed another innate ability: in Li Hao's eyes, its methods of concealment and transforming into the mundane were truly peerless, though they could only serve as supplementary tools. The power of calamity, however, possessed tremendous offensive might. Moreover, the Nine Refinements Force was centered on stacking ninefold bursts. The power of lightning tribulation also stacked continuously, completing a full cycle every nine iterations. "As the saying goes, when a man attains the Dao, his pets ascend to heaven!" At this moment, Li Hao was lecturing on the Dao to Black Panther. Warming to his subject, a wide smile spread across his face, revealing a rare trace of worldly warmth. Recalling the past, his mind drifted unconsciously, shifting the topic from the Dao of Thunder Tribulation to reminiscence. "Back then, you drank the very first sip of soup from the Starry Sky Stiletto... while I only got your footbath water... "Back then, when the red shadows of the Red Moon Organization appeared, I was terrified in my heart. But ever since I got a dog... I felt a bit more at ease. "Do you know why I took in a stray dog?" Li Hao chuckled. "The elders always said that cats and dogs can clearly see things that others cannot. I figured that being the only one seeing them was terrifying, so having one more set of eyes would be better... But the human heart is treacherous, and I didn't dare trust anyone, nor did I know who else could see them. Then I saw you. I took one look... and remembered the elders also said: white cats and black dogs are rare under the heavens, both being creatures of great spiritual awareness! "Sure enough, after taking you in, you really seemed able to see the red shadows... Back then, whenever I went out and had you with me, I felt a little safer." Black Panther wagged its tail. It naturally had never known all the twists and turns behind Li Hao adopting it. Li Hao had never mentioned it before. Earlier on, it had thought that it was perhaps out of pure loneliness—living alone, devoid of relatives or friends. Now it turned out it was also meant to bolster his courage. Thinking back, it was rather amusing. "Since you are willing to follow me... I cannot decide the fate of others, nor do I have the right to. But since you can neither speak nor express your thoughts, I will decide for you, taking my turn at mastering someone's destiny." Black Panther wagged its tail, its eyes filled with devotion and warmth, feeling entirely at ease. That was all it ever wanted. "So, the Dao of Calamity is indeed difficult to cultivate! You might not be able to master it... but since I am your master, I will naturally help you cultivate it. Even if you cannot master it on your own, I will forcibly help you succeed. Even if it merely mimics the form, that will be enough!" Having said that, Li Hao returned to the main topic. "These past few days, you've been quite diligent. But imparting so many Great Dao methods to you all at once means you can't truly ponder or comprehend them thoroughly..." Li Hao hesitated briefly before continuing, "I have an idea, though I don't know if you're willing." Black Panther looked at Li Hao without making a sound, only showing a hint of curiosity. Li Hao continued, "In my view, the Dao of Calamity should be much simpler than Time... I currently comprehend a thousand Daos and condense a thousand realms. I can slice off a portion of Great Dao power from these thousand realms of mine... and construct a miniature, scaled-down Dao river for you! "You are now the Heaven's Will of Silver Moon... already governing the Silver Moon realm and connected to two Dao rivers. I was thinking: why not use the power of Heaven's Will to link the Dao rivers, and use this miniature Dao river to bridge the dual Dao universes? That way... every time I gain new insights, you only need to copy me step by step. Whatever I tell you to do, you do. This way, even if you don't understand, you can still produce the power of thunder tribulation..." In simple terms, it was tracing and copying. There was no need for Black Panther to understand. Expecting a hound to cultivate ten thousand Daos was simply asking too much; it was far better to follow his guidance—whatever he comprehended, Black Panther would simply carry out. Although this made it somewhat like a puppet combatant... to Li Hao, since Black Panther was willing to follow him and remain his pet, there was no need to overcomplicate things. He would arrange everything for it. At present, making progress had become very difficult for Black Panther. It had devoured an immense amount of energy, and two Dao Lords had already stepped into the peak of the sixth rank, yet Black Panther had grown slower and slower, losing its earlier rapid momentum. Even today, it was still struggling to reach the sixth rank. If this continued, the sixth rank might very well be Black Panther's absolute limit. "Black Panther, do you object?" Black Panther wagged its tail, and Li Hao smiled. "Then you don't!" Li Hao began to construct a miniature river of a thousand realms in his hands. In truth, this was also an experiment for himself; he wanted to test whether he could independently open an isolated mini-chaos within the greater chaos... Though calling it a mini-chaos was a slight exaggeration, as it was merely constructed from a thousand Daos. Yet if a Dao domain could exist independently, it meant a firm foundation had been established. It also proved that his path had not strayed off course. Miniature stars were gathered and formed by Li Hao. A longsword appeared in his grip, and Li Hao looked at Black Panther, staring at its head for a moment. "The miniature Dao river requires a space to accommodate it... It cannot remain in place; it must accompany you. Your body contains a space of its own, and Silver Moon lies within it. I want to enter your body again to see if I can open another independent minor space within you to house this miniature universe." This could be considered an unconventional creation of heaven and earth. Furthermore, Li Hao was very curious about the unique anatomy of chaos beasts. Why was it so effortless for chaos beasts to swallow worlds and store them inside their bodies? Aside from their formidable physical bodies, there had to be something distinctive. This was an opportunity for research as well! To cut Black Panther open and take a look... Black Panther, watching Li Hao holding a sword and staring at it, felt a sensation that made even a dog's scalp go numb. What was he planning to do? Li Hao gently patted the dog's head, as if sensing its nervousness, and chuckled. "Don't be afraid, it's fine. Could I possibly kill you? I'm just going to try opening an independent small space inside your body and, while I'm at it, study how an independent space can be constructed within the flesh. The Human King built an internal world, and I also want to try turning my flesh into chaos... but I've never found a good entry point." This was a point of hesitation for Li Hao. Even though his physical body was constantly being tempered, it simply could not match that of a chaos beast. Even if it eventually did... for instance, right now his physical body was certainly not weaker than Black Panther's, as Black Panther was merely at the fifth rank. However... carrying a world in his belly was not difficult for Li Hao, provided it was a compressed world, rather than one teeming with life and ten billion mortals. That was the crux of the matter! Why couldn't he do it? Furthermore, chaos beasts could do it, and so could the Queen's divine kingdom. The two originally had nothing in common, but Li Hao now surmised that it was largely related to the Chaos Great Dao they depended on. Both chaos beasts and the Queen could carry countless people and establish their own spatial domains, likely because they relied upon the Dao of Chaos. Figuring out how to emulate this and open a chaos within his own body would probably require deeper study. Though a little apprehensive, Black Panther obediently opened its maw. Its mouth was like a black hole! Li Hao laughed softly, holding his sword as he stepped into Black Panther's belly. ... The Silver Moon World lay inside Black Panther's body. The interior of a chaos beast seemed detached from heaven and earth, forming an independent minor space of its own. The method of storing Mount Sumeru in a mustard seed! In the past, Li Hao had not paid much attention to this. But now that he had his own ideas and his own path—wishing to become a self-contained chaos—the primary problem was resolving how to harbor Daos inside his own body. Otherwise, right now he only possessed a thousand realms, and his physical body was already unable to bear them or suppress them within himself. Once more realms appeared in the future, how could he possibly endure it? Entering Black Panther's belly, Li Hao sensed his surroundings for a long while before looking toward the Silver Moon World. It was hard to discern anything with the naked eye. His force spirit manifested. What the physical eye could not perceive, the force spirit might reveal. Sure enough, once the force spirit appeared, Li Hao faintly saw something. Chaos! Inside the chaos beast's body was a feeling akin to a world of chaos. It seemed as though, in the obscure distance, a Great Dao led straight into the depths of the chaos, rooted inside the chaos beast. These chaos beasts were likely connected to the chaos itself by virtue of the Dao of Chaos. "So to speak... it's not that chaos beasts can nurture worlds on their own, but rather... their internal flesh is actually connected to and communicating with the chaos, which allows them to easily take in a world?" Only... if that were the case, could one not replicate the chaos beasts' ability without relying on the Dao of Chaos? The Queen could construct a divine kingdom because the divine kingdom also relied on the Dao of Chaos? And what was the Dao of Chaos? It was chaos itself, a mixture of disordered Daos. Yet within it lay things that ordinary disordered Daos lacked—such as the ability to birth life. A colossal fountainhead of life likely existed within the chaos. "In that case... it will be very difficult for me to imitate it..." "However, if I use the life source of a world combined with disordered chaos power, could I simulate a disordered Dao of Chaos?" Li Hao was unwilling to attach himself to the disordered Great Dao that existed in the chaos. Doing so would render all his prior efforts useless, requiring an immense amount of time to sort everything out. Since he could not depend on the true Dao of Chaos, could he construct a counterfeit Dao of Chaos, and then use this counterfeit Dao to extend outside his body, absorbing chaos power just like a Great Dao River and integrating it into a chaos space, thereby granting himself the ability of a chaos beast to carry worlds and run? Carrying worlds on the run was not his goal; the goal was to independently open a world within his own body. Idea after idea sprang forth. Li Hao sank into deep contemplation once again. After a long time, he slashed out with his sword, carving out a pocket of space within Black Panther's internal void. The next instant, miniature realms emerged upon the longsword. These minor realms instantly stabilized inside Black Panther's body. Gradually, they began to weave a Dao web. Black Panther felt no discomfort whatsoever. Li Hao swiftly carried out the construction. Slowly, a new universe seemed to take shape here, with stars suspended within it, somewhat resembling a Great Dao universe. The next step was to connect it to Silver Moon's Dao and the Silver Moon realm. Li Hao began linking the realms. The tiny stars spread like a spiderweb, permeating the entire Silver Moon World. The two Dao Lords sensed it, but neither showed themselves. They allowed Li Hao to weave the Daos of these minor realms into the Great Dao River, which then looped through the Silver Moon World and returned to its origin, forming a unique system of a thousand orbiting realms. ... In the Thunder Domain. Black Panther allowed Li Hao to do as he pleased, even though it was well aware that doing so would make it very difficult to ever part from Li Hao in the future... But why would it want to leave? Originally, it had been nothing more than a stray dog on the streets. Back then, cold and starving, it had nearly starved to death in the gutters. Li Hao had brought it home... Although he had only built a rudimentary kennel downstairs, it had food to eat and a place to stay, no longer kicked around and chased away. That period had felt like the true pinnacle of its canine life. As for the later cultivation and growing stronger... that had only been so it could continue following Li Hao. How grand an ambition could a dog harbor? It was not born a demon; it was just a mortal hound. As for being the descendant of the Demon Suppressing Emissary... that was a connection stretched across an eternity. Only after beginning cultivation did Black Panther feel a faint trace of it. Forget the descendant of the Demon Suppressing Emissary—even the descendant of the Heavenly Dog would starve when it was time to starve. Over the past hundred thousand years in the Silver Moon World, countless dogs had starved to death, and countless dogs had been slaughtered. Perhaps all of them were descendants of the Demon Suppressing Emissary. Now, it had reached the fifth rank and governed an entire world. That was already incredible! Everyone knew of the Cang Cat and Heavenly Dog of Neo Martial, their fame renowned across the Four Regions. But Black Panther had never harbored such thoughts. Why should one care about being known by others? What was the use? It was better to remain unknown. As long as it could always follow Li Hao, even if it never spoke a word its entire life... wouldn't that be perfectly normal? A dog—would a talking dog still be a dog? It was originally a dog and had never thought of becoming human. Could being human ever be as comfortable and carefree as being a dog? With such thoughts in mind, whether Li Hao was experimenting or doing something else, Black Panther lay prostrate in the Thunder Domain. Lightning tribulation faintly flickered above its head, yet Black Panther paid it no mind. Inside its body, changes seemed to be taking place. Li Hao was constructing a miniature calamity domain for it. As for whether it would succeed, whether it would make it strong, or whether it would be unable to strengthen itself independently in the future... none of that crossed Black Panther's mind. After an unknown amount of time, Black Panther suddenly felt an affinity with the Thunder Domain. It instinctively reached out to capture some lightning power... The next moment, a portion of the lightning tribulation overhead vanished, appearing before Black Panther's eyes in the blink of an eye, only to swiftly disperse without coalescing. ... The next moment, Li Hao stepped out from Black Panther's belly. He glanced at the Thunder Domain and murmured with a hint of regret, "The construction went smoothly... It's just that I haven't fully mastered the power of calamity yet. If I had, I would already be the Lord of Calamity! For now, I can only barely manipulate a portion of it... You can try focusing primarily on thunder power rather than calamity power!" Li Hao added, "You used lightning earlier on. Now, follow your original habits to control the lightning. First use lightning power as your means of attack, and then gradually try adding things of your own... such as the water element. Water lightning is still lightning..." Li Hao chuckled and looked at Black Panther. At this moment, Black Panther looked rather delighted. It swiped its paw, and faint traces of lightning emerged. The next moment, as it swung its paw, it was not an explosion of lightning, but its paw clawing into the void. The paw seemed wrapped in lightning power; as streams of lightning gathered, some water energy leaked out, instantly shocking Black Panther so hard that its fur stood on end! "Take your time. It's bound to feel unfamiliar at first, but you'll get used to it over time." "Woof! Woof!" Black Panther nodded its massive head, thoroughly excited. It didn't find anything bad about it at all. Li Hao looked at Black Panther, filled with emotion... This hound was as obedient as ever. He actually had quite a few beast allies around him. Er Mao was one, as was Li Fuhai, along with those demon plants... Er Mao was very strong, and Li Hao had always been exceedingly polite toward Er Mao. But only with Black Panther could he be completely unconstrained and unreserved, because this was the dog he had raised with his own hands. Er Mao was not. Even though Er Mao seemed cuter and more powerful, and was genuinely kind to him... facing Er Mao ultimately carried the mindset of facing a senior. But with Black Panther, Li Hao knew deeply that this fellow had been raised by him from the start. ... Li Hao stayed in the Thunder Domain for several more days, absorbing some tribulation power to replenish his consumption, refine his system, and strengthen his Calamity Sword. He also helped Black Panther capture a portion of tribulation power to serve as resources for its subsequent cultivation. Li Hao did not wait until he truly reached the seventh rank before halting his cultivation. Whether he reached the seventh rank or not was of little concern to him. After lingering at the peak sixth rank for a period, Li Hao ceased cultivating. Truly stepping into the seventh rank might draw too much attention. Right now, being at the peak of the sixth rank was neither too strong nor too weak; he wouldn't be considered weak anywhere, but he wouldn't draw wary stares like a seventh-rank Sovereign would. This suited Li Hao's temperament better. It was fine as long as he didn't draw too much attention while ensuring no one looked down on him. ... In the Thunder Domain. Wushan returned, and this time, he had brought back the Senlan World Lord with him. The Senlan World Lord was glad to come, having also sensed the turmoil across the Four Regions. Senlan had only recently stepped into the seventh rank. Although devouring a large amount of Red Moon power last time meant Senlan was not weak, the Senlan Sovereign had cooperated with both Neo Martial and Li Hao. If the Dragon Lord truly struck, a solitary seventh rank like him could never withstand those powerhouses. When Wushan went to find him, the Senlan Sovereign had readily followed along, and the world had been taken into Er Mao's belly. Facing lightning tribulations, Er Mao was somewhat unique and could traverse the Thunder Domain, though not very quickly. Within the realm. When Li Hao returned, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Thunder Master was somewhat puzzled. "Were you unable to reach the seventh rank?" Li Hao had previously said he would attempt to cross into the seventh rank, yet he had returned now. Had he failed to advance? "The seventh rank draws too much attention, so there's no rush. If I want to enter, it's not difficult... but it wouldn't bring a massive boost to my strength. Stepping in or not makes little difference." Li Hao chuckled and looked around at everyone. His side now boasted a gathering of powerhouses. Two eighth-rank Sovereigns! Then, Er Mao, Kongji, Dao Chess, and Senlan were all seventh-rank Sovereigns. He himself could likely be counted as a seventh-rank combatant as well. Such strength was not the least bit inferior to an eighth-rank universe. Even if the two eighth-rank Sovereigns were only comparable to an eighth-rank Sovereign holding court in their native territory, it was more than enough. From the time he walked out of Silver Moon until today, only a little over three years had passed. Li Hao had gone from having only himself as a first-rank Sovereign in Silver Moon to now possessing nearly a hundred Silver Moon Sovereigns, including several high-rank Sovereigns. It was already utterly staggering. Wushan Sovereign did not say much, merely stating, "The Four Regions have been very quiet these days! Only the Red Moon Sovereign has been traveling everywhere, seemingly trying to persuade several seventh-rank masters not to participate in the conflict between Neo Martial, the chaos race, and Silver Moon. Meanwhile, the Dragon Domain has shown virtually no movement at all..." He felt somewhat conflicted. "The quieter it is, the more worried I become. So many powerhouses of the chaos race died previously, yet the Dragon Lord, a peak eighth rank, hasn't made a single move... It makes one feel uneasy instead!" If the other party had flown into a furious rage, that would have been better, showing that he was truly incensed. Getting angry would indicate that he had been heavily affected. Yet right now, the Dragon Domain was terrifyingly quiet. Even he felt something was amiss, to say nothing of the others. Over in the Dragon Domain, the five demon realms were deeply worried that the Dragon Lord would settle scores with them. These days, they had been steadily drawing closer to the Thunder Domain, likely fearing a thunderous strike from the Dragon Lord, yet not knowing who to ally with. Neo Martial was difficult to deal with, while here in Silver Moon, Li Hao seemed to have no interest in allying with the demon race. The demon race had eight seventh-rank Sovereigns, after all... Originally, the Iron-Eating Sovereign had thought both sides would proactively approach them, but neither had paid them any heed, which put them in an awkward spot. They had originally thought that after killing so many seventh-rank Sovereigns, the Dragon Lord's strength would be greatly reduced, and with Sovereigns like Yunxiao and Chiyang still around, the Dragon Lord would be somewhat wary and wouldn't dare fight the demon race to the death. Who could have guessed that those two eighth-rank Sovereigns would also perish? "The Dragon Lord..." Li Hao nodded. "He is a formidable figure! The quieter he is, the more terrifying he becomes! Senior's perception is not mistaken. Just as we are digesting the gains of the last war, the Dragon Lord is inevitably doing the same. He didn't come away empty-handed either, having slain two eighth-rank Sovereigns and two seventh-rank Sovereigns... Still, for now, he shouldn't bother with us." Wushan nodded and thought for a moment before asking, "Do you have any thoughts regarding the demon race? The five demon realms haven't been having an easy time lately. I feel that if someone from our side were to say a few words, we might directly gather eight seventh-rank Sovereigns! We could even bring all five worlds under our command..." This was an exceptional opportunity to strengthen themselves! At worst, they could make a few trips to transport the five seventh-rank worlds into the Thunder Domain, carry them with the Thunder Realm, and move them out to develop in the outer domains. With the assistance of eight seventh-rank Sovereigns... the strength of Li Hao's faction would undergo an earth-shaking transformation. They would instantly become one of the true three hegemons of the Four Regions! Even in the outer domains, they would be an overlord faction. The outer domains were vast, powerful, and full of experts, yet rarely did a single faction gather two eighth-rank and over a dozen seventh-rank Sovereigns. "No!" Li Hao shook his head. "The demon race is unwilling to submit to anyone; they weren't even willing to submit to the chaos race. The Iron-Eating tribe has a fierce spirit of resistance, ready to fight to the death. Going to recruit them would only bring trouble upon ourselves! As for the other realms, they actually have the intention to submit, but are currently being swept along, led in resistance by the three Sovereigns of the Iron-Eating tribe..." After considering the situation, Li Hao continued, "In my estimation, if the Iron-Eating tribe truly wants to lead all five demon realms out of the Four Regions, it is largely impossible. If the Iron-Eating Sovereign is wise, he might take only the Iron-Eating tribe and leave on his own to seek independence and freedom. Otherwise... they will sooner or later be slaughtered by the Dragon Lord!" Hearing this, the Thunder Master grew solemn. "Then... won't we stop him?" "Stop him?" Stop what? Li Hao shook his head. "The Dragon Lord is not someone to provoke right now, and there is no need for us to look for trouble. The demon race chose to resist that day; having chosen resistance, they should have been resolute. Yet later on, only the Iron-Eating tribe remained steadfast, while the other realms wavered... Taking them in would likely bring even greater trouble!" Saying this, Li Hao looked outside the Thunder Domain. "We need not concern ourselves too much. Whether it brings fortune or disaster, they know best, and they must make their own choice. Either abandon the five worlds outright and flee while the Thunder Domain is still peaceful, or else... it will be too late! "Reluctant to part with their worlds, hoping for others to save them, yet unwilling to exert themselves—that is impossible." Li Hao said no more about the five demon realms. If the Iron-Eating demon tribe was wise, they would simply abandon their seventh-rank great world, find a small or medium world, take their clansmen inside their bodies, and flee directly. Taking a great world along was largely impossible, but for three seventh ranks to carry a small or medium world was not an issue. That way, they would still have a way to survive. Besides, they were not particularly close. The previous cooperation had merely been each taking what they needed; Li Hao had no inclination to resolve the demon race's crisis for them. "It's time for us to leave!" Li Hao looked around and soon said, "We have stayed in the Thunder Domain for a while. If we stay any longer, even the Thunder Realm won't be able to bear it!" "Leaving already?" The Thunder Master looked outside, sighing with emotion. "To the outer domains... I don't know much about the outer domains, only that a ninth-rank Sovereign recently emerged and seems to be launching wars. The outer domains are not peaceful either!" The chaos was vast, yet it also felt small. The Four Regions were not peaceful, and neither were the outer domains. Li Hao raised his brow. "At the level of a ninth rank, still thinking of unifying the chaos... is actually quite childish! At that stage, unless it's to establish order, there's no need to unify the chaos. Even devouring ten thousand worlds might not strengthen oneself... At that level, one should consider how to take another step in unifying the ten thousand Daos into one." Hearing that an outer-domain ninth rank was still waging war to unify the chaos... Li Hao felt that this ninth rank was probably nothing impressive. Yet he was also somewhat skeptical. Was it truly a ninth rank? A ninth rank had fused at least nine thousand Daos. Such an expert could be said to crush eighth ranks with ease; even someone like the Dragon Lord would be hard-pressed to match them. If a ninth-rank powerhouse truly emerged, unless there was another ninth rank to counter them, they were practically unstoppable. Was there any need to go through so much trouble? He did not understand fully, but Li Hao was not overly afraid. "No matter. For now, the fighting shouldn't reach this vicinity. Both the Lord of Calamity and the Lord of Tianfang might still be alive. If the other party is also a ninth rank, they should be able to sense it..." On the territory of two ninth ranks—though once outside the Four Regions it might not strictly be their domain—a newly ascended ninth rank shouldn't rashly attack this place. "Let's go to the outer domains to take a look first..." Li Hao pondered and said, "Going out this time... our primary goal is no longer devouring Great Dao power or seizing worlds. Of course, if we encounter something like the Gemini Universe, we can certainly make a move. "This time... my greater goal is still to establish the system of ten thousand Daos... So I would rather genuinely discuss the Dao with some experts, rather than fighting to the death the moment we meet!" Li Hao felt helpless. In truth, that had been his intention from the beginning, but the experts in this chaos seemed to have no such inclinations. Who had the time to discuss the Dao with you? A bunch of seventh- and eighth-rank experts spent all their days plotting to swallow worlds, having no interest in discussing the Dao with you. Only after you killed the other party and they died could you properly comprehend their Dao. It had to be said... that was what Li Hao found regrettable. Having cultivated to this stage, wasn't it good to exchange insights? Aside from thinking about devouring other worlds, these fellows seemed to have nothing else to do. The group said no more. The Thunder Emperor steered the Thunder Realm, slowly beginning to move toward the exterior of the Thunder Domain. ... At the same time. In the Dragon Domain. The Dragon Lord completed the construction of his own Dao domain. Within the perimeter of the Dragon World, a towering aura surged forth. A black tiger, resembling a vengeful wraith from hell, materialized between heaven and earth. In that instant, the chaos beasts were ecstatic! Eighth rank! It was definitely the eighth rank! The chaos race had birthed a second eighth-rank Sovereign! At this moment, a faint smile appeared on the Dragon Lord's face. Black Tiger had lived up to expectations, finally stepping into the eighth rank. Although he had devoured the corpses of two eighth ranks, reaching the eighth rank was still extremely difficult, as those two eighth ranks had not brought worlds or Great Dao universes with them, only possessing eighth-rank Great Dao power. To birth an eighth rank under such conditions was no small feat. "Congratulations!" The Dragon Lord drifted forward. Below, Sovereign Black Tiger was excited, thrilled, and also filled with rage. Looking toward the distant Thunder Domain, he lowered his head and growled, "Thank you for fulfilling this, Dragon Lord! Now that Black Tiger has stepped into the eighth rank, I will sooner or later slaughter that Silver Moon King to avenge everyone!" The Dragon Lord nodded slightly, saying nothing. The next instant, Black Tiger seemed to sense something. Looking at the Dragon Lord in confusion, he noticed that while the Dragon Lord had previously seemed completely unified with the Dragon World, he now felt somewhat out of place. In fact, the Dragon World even seemed to exhibit a slight sense of rejection toward him. What... was going on? "You noticed?" Black Tiger was bewildered and could not help asking, "Dragon Lord, this is..." "Feng Yan inherited the Dragon World." Black Tiger was greatly shocked! How could that be? "There is no need to make a fuss. Reaching the eighth rank..." He looked at Black Tiger. "At this level, constructing your own Dao domain is the key! If you wish to walk further with eighth-rank power... you must learn this truth." The Dragon Lord smiled, then looked around at the experts swiftly gathering from all directions, speaking aloud, "Black Tiger has entered the eighth rank... Feng Yan has entered the seventh rank, and six new seventh ranks have now been born..." Having devoured six worlds, six peak sixth-rank chaos beasts had completed their breakthroughs. With this, the number of seventh-rank powerhouses under his command reached as many as twenty. And including himself, there were a full three eighth-rank Sovereigns. Such strength, gathered in one place, was enough to sweep away all opposition. "Black Tiger, join hands with Red Moon and lead everyone to take the five demon realms!" He looked at Black Tiger. Black Tiger was taken aback. "Can... can I do it?" Although the five demon realms had only eight seventh-rank Sovereigns, all of them occupied worlds. Furthermore, the Iron-Eating Sovereign was a peak seventh-rank top Sovereign of formidable combat strength; fighting on his home turf, he might not be inferior to a newly ascended eighth rank like him. "Rest assured. Regarding the eight Sovereigns of the five demon realms... if you go, especially with me still here, at least several of them will surrender..." The Dragon Lord's face remained calm. "This time, they will certainly be taken down! "As for me... I will go to Bright Light to take a look." The Dragon Lord smiled. "Neo Martial might interfere; I will go over there to watch them..." "Then... what about Silver Moon?" Black Tiger hesitated. The Dragon Lord glanced toward the distant Thunder Domain and smiled. "Silver Moon... might not necessarily interfere. That Li Hao didn't take the people of the five demon realms with him before, and he might not care this time either. If he truly steps out of the Thunder Domain, I wouldn't mind slaying him!" Having said that, he spoke no further. "I will go to Neo Martial to take a look. You all depart directly. You carry no worlds this time, and I will have Red Moon accompany you to ensure nothing goes awry!" "Dragon Lord, why not let Red Moon accompany you? Over there, it is said that Neo Martial has completely entered the eighth rank... and the Bright Light Sovereign is a seasoned eighth-rank Sovereign..." The others were somewhat worried. Feng Yan also materialized instantly. Her aura was somewhat unstable, but still possessed seventh-rank power. At this moment, she too was concerned. For the Dragon Lord to go alone to Neo Martial's side... was still extremely perilous. Although everyone believed his strength was monstrous, the Neo Martial Human King and Cang Emperor had been able to suppress eighth ranks when they were merely at the seventh rank, let alone now that both had crossed into the eighth rank! "We might not truly fight... Rest assured!" The Dragon Lord chuckled. "Between us and Neo Martial, if you speak of enmity... it isn't very deep, or rather, there is none at all." Was there? In truth, there was really no deep hatred. The one who had a feud with him was Li Hao. Neo Martial had a Supreme who was a clever man. Would he turn against the Dragon Lord right now? Not necessarily. He was merely going over to have a look. The Dragon Lord said no more, chuckling, "I'll head over first... It is best if you can capture them. If you cannot, kill as many as you can. Furthermore, tell Iron-Eating that if he is willing to surrender, I can spare his life! If he refuses, he will surely die!" With those words, he vanished. Seeing this, Black Tiger's expression shifted slightly, but he said no more. Gritting his teeth, he let out a roar, "It's time... for our revenge!" Since they couldn't go kill Li Hao, they would go slaughter those fellows of the demon race. If not for those fellows causing trouble last time, their losses wouldn't have been so catastrophic. The high-rank Sovereigns were all incandescent with rage. Without another word, they plunged into the void one after another, heading straight for the five demon realms! ... Without a Great Dao universe weighing him down, the Dragon Lord traveled at extraordinary speed. Wherever his Dao domain covered, he could instantly appear. A Dao domain constructed entirely by himself was far smoother to wield. In just a moment, the Four Regions, which had previously taken a long time to cross, was easily traversed by him. In the distance. Within the Bright Light Divine World. The Human King frowned slightly. The next instant, he appeared outside the realm's perimeter, and in the blink of an eye, a cat silently followed at his side. A moment later, the Bright Light Sovereign appeared, his expression solemn. Soon, seventh-rank Sovereigns arrived one after another. The Bright Light Sovereign glanced around. Seeing only the Dragon Lord appearing in the distant void, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. Fortunately, this was likely not an invasion, as only the Dragon Lord had come alone. At this moment, a divine light flickered in the Human King's eyes as he looked at the Dragon Lord. After a long while, he suddenly gave a low laugh. "Old Dragon, you've got some guts!" The Dragon Lord also looked at the Human King, sizing him up before smiling. "Seeing you strike to kill Chiyang last time, I knew you weren't as reckless and impulsive as you seemed! However, even now, I still have a few doubts left unresolved. Has your Neo Martial... ever birthed a ninth-rank Sovereign?" The Human King bared his teeth in a grin. "Take a guess." The Dragon Lord smiled. "Previously, I thought one must have been born; otherwise, no imprint would have been left in Tianfang... Later, seeing the Dao Li Hao wielded, I thought... perhaps I was mistaken. It might have been an exceptionally formidable cultivator who reversed time... Of course, that too is terrifying!" Saying this, he asked curiously, "Are they dead? Otherwise, why would it fall into Li Hao's hands?" The Human King's expression did not change, but he felt a pang of emotion. This fellow had indeed figured it out! Time could not be hidden from him after all. He did not say much, merely glancing at the Dragon Lord and asking with curiosity, "How many Dao principles have you constructed?" "Over six thousand. What, are you interested as well?" The Dragon Lord smiled, but the Human King's expression changed slightly. Over six thousand! "As a member of the chaos race cultivating the Dao of Chaos, you can comprehend so many Dao principles?" The Dragon Lord chuckled. "Is the chaos race not allowed to produce an occasional genius? Besides, the chaos race actually possesses the best talent and the finest foundation. As long as one can properly sort out the order of the entire Chaos Great Dao... let alone over six thousand, even over nine thousand, what would be strange about that?" Easier said than done! The Human King was truly solemn now. He had entered the eighth rank, yet at this moment, he had no confidence against this man. Of course, with the Cang Cat, Bright Light, and Old Zhang present, he wasn't overly worried about anything. Only... he glanced into the distance and slightly raised an eyebrow. "You want to take down the five demon realms?" "Correct." The Dragon Lord nodded. "I hope that what happened last time does not repeat itself! Therefore... I have an impudent request in coming here today." The Dragon Lord smiled. "How about... Neo Martial temporarily withdraws from the Four Regions? As for Bright Light, whether you stay or leave doesn't matter. I hope the Four Regions can become my backyard, free from any more fires breaking out behind me. You either leave, or... fight!" The moment these words fell, the Bright Light Sovereign grew displeased and said in a deep voice, "The Four Regions was originally the territory of the human race. You of the chaos race are merely latecomers, including you, Long Zhan!" Telling them to leave? What a joke! The Dragon Lord chuckled. "How about this, Bright Light. You are currently in your native universe. If you can withstand three punches from me and refuse to leave, then I will leave, taking the chaos race with me to temporarily depart the Four Regions. How about that?" Three punches? The Bright Light Sovereign's eyes flickered. Last time, the Dragon Lord had beaten eighth ranks to death in two or three punches because those opponents lacked the amplification of a Great Dao universe and world power, while the Dragon Lord had carried the Dragon World with him. Moreover, those two had been in a weakened state. Yet he was at his peak! Not only that, he was currently in his native world; he truly did not believe that the Dragon Lord could do anything to him in three punches! In fact, here, he was confident he could trade blows with the Dragon Lord! "You said it?" The Bright Light Sovereign said warily, "If you go back on your word, Neo Martial's two eighth-rank Sovereigns are also here. Don't blame us if we join forces to besiege you!" "Rest assured!" The Dragon Lord chuckled, looking at him. "Are you ready?" "Of course..." In an instant, the Dragon Lord vanished. A punch was thrown, bearing no overwhelming momentum, only the shrouding of a Dao domain. Great Dao laws shifted, and heaven and earth seemed to turn into a cage! The Bright Light Sovereign's expression shifted, and his Bright Light Divine Fist erupted! World power and universe power reinforced him simultaneously. To the side, the Human King and the Cang Emperor retreated, the Human King watching with a solemn gaze. The next instant, the Bright Light Sovereign let out a muffled grunt, the light power on his fist shattering instantly! This punch seemed to strike straight into the Great Dao universe, turning the Bright Light Sovereign pale with shock. He was an eighth-rank Sovereign, fighting on his home ground! The next instant, the Dragon Lord chuckled, "Second punch!" Another punch smashed down, silent and soundless. The Bright Light Sovereign roared furiously, his Bright Light Divine Fist blazing like a scorching sun, illuminating all of heaven and earth. In an instant, the fist exploded forward, and the two fists collided! Boom! A thunderous crash echoed. The Bright Light Sovereign was sent flying, drenched in blood, his flesh seemingly crumbling and his fist pulverized! The Dragon Lord smiled. "Do you still wish to take the third punch?" Right at this moment, the Human King laughed. "How about I take a punch instead?" In a flash, a long saber emerged, slashing out! Yin and Yang manifested, and beneath Yin and Yang, an invincible force seemed to surge forth. The Human King struck with his saber, his eyes instantly turning blood-red. The Dragon Lord threw a punch in response; in an instant, the saber shattered, and Yin and Yang collapsed alongside it! The Human King fell back, an extraordinarily powerful unique force surging over his body, suppressing all the residual shockwaves in an instant, though blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. The Dragon Lord looked at his fist, where a bloody gash had appeared. He glanced at the Human King and said with a light laugh, "A pity your internal world hasn't stepped into the eighth rank, possessing only seventh-rank power... There is a vast gap between you and me. Had you stepped into the eighth rank, you would indeed have had the strength to battle me!" The Human King wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and bared his teeth in a grin. "Tough enough, I like it! I love hacking people like you—stiff and tough, it feels much better to chop! I can hack away however I want!" With that, he chuckled. "You're very strong... but you aren't invincible. With me and Big Cat joining hands with Bright Light, we aren't afraid of you!" The Dragon Lord nodded slightly. "Precisely because of that, I came merely to negotiate, with no other intentions." Were it not for that, he would have simply suppressed them directly. Seeing this, the Human King smiled broadly. "How about this: I'm not an unreasonable person. It's not impossible for me to withdraw from the Four Regions... Before Tianfang revives, I can agree not to return... provided you give me three seventh-rank worlds. Don't you still have six or seven great worlds?" The Dragon Lord looked deeply at him. The Human King wore a nonchalant, roguish posture, smiling unscrupulously. "Otherwise, we definitely won't leave. At worst, we'll just fight it out!" The Dragon Lord smiled, and after a long while, said slowly, "Deal! However, I don't trust the Human King's word. How about this: once I have the worlds, we will sign a Great Dao agreement stating that you will not return before Tianfang fully revives, and I will fulfill my promise!" He glanced at the dazed Bright Light Sovereign, laughed softly, and without looking back, vanished from the spot in an instant. The Bright Light Sovereign stood in a daze, utterly incredulous. How could this be? Possessing the home-field advantage, he had been crushed in two punches? At this moment, the Human King grimaced, rubbing his body and muttering, "Damn, that was hard! Stop staring; that old dragon didn't have it so easy either, he just has a tougher body, so he made it look effortless! Still... over six thousand Daos..." Only now did his tone turn solemn. "You're still far behind him, and so am I! If this fellow truly brings Red Moon along with those chaos beasts, unless we join hands with Li Hao and the others, he will truly be difficult to deal with!" Saying this, he looked into the distance and said in a deep voice, "He probably doesn't have any worlds left in hand—no seventh-rank worlds. Perhaps... they've all been devoured! The number of seventh ranks on his side might have increased. The worlds he mentioned will likely be taken from the demon race; he certainly is full of confidence..." "Then..." The Bright Light Sovereign's face was filled with inner conflict. Were they truly going to withdraw? But what about his Bright Light World? He couldn't take it with him! The Cang Emperor could, but he was already carrying Neo Martial! To the side, Sovereign Yaoyang behind him wore a look of regret and whispered, "It seems... Mingtang might not even get the chance to succeed the throne." "..." The Bright Light Sovereign cursed under his breath. At a time like this, when their old nest was practically gone, you still have the mind to worry about that? Besides, that's my son, not yours! What is this fellow thinking about all day long? Those who didn't know better would think Mingtang was your son!