Peace Across the Four Regions

The Dragon Lord paid a visit to Bright Light and threw three punches. It was not to wage war against Xinwu and Bright Light, but simply to tell them that if a real war broke out right now, both sides would only suffer mutual destruction. Xinwu and its allies might possess more eighth-rank Sovereigns, but he, Long Zhan, was stronger! The Bright Light Sovereign, backed by a great world, had been severely wounded after two punches. Either you retreat, or I retreat. There was no other way! As for who would retreat, it depended on strength. Refusal to retreat meant an inevitable battle. The Bright Light Sovereign had failed to withstand three punches... Xinwu was willing to withdraw, so the Bright Light Sovereign naturally had no choice. At this moment, the Bright Light Sovereign felt somewhat despondent, and also somewhat shaken. After a long while, he gave a soft sigh. "Long Zhan's might is terrifying beyond measure!" Earlier, he had not felt it. Why... had he suddenly grown so strong? At this moment, the Human King suddenly laughed. "He severed himself from the Dragon World, opened a Dao domain of his own, and embarked on the path of all Daos converging into one! This fellow is indeed troublesome. In the Four Regions, whether it's you, Red Moon, or Chiyang... none of you eighth-rank Sovereigns can compare to him!" The Bright Light Sovereign could not help asking, "Now that the Human King has stepped into the eighth rank, joining hands with the Cang Emperor, can you truly not fight him?" The Human King was exceptionally strong, having suppressed eighth ranks while at the seventh rank. Now that he had crossed into the eighth rank, could he still not battle that man? "Seventh rank or eighth rank—in truth, there isn't that much difference." The Human King shook his head. "Once you reach this level, it either comes down to the pinnacle of your Great Dao, the depth of your foundation, or the number of Dao principles you command. The Dragon Lord has fused over six thousand Daos; I cannot match him at this moment!" "All Daos fusing together?" The Bright Light Sovereign was lost in thought. He understood this concept, but... he knew how difficult it was. He could not help asking, "Then, Human King... how many Dao principles have you fused now?" "Guess." "..." Guess what! The Bright Light Sovereign was completely speechless. He was an old man with years behind him... Well, the Human King was still a youngster, but he himself was far from young; how could he be in the mood for guessing games? He judged that the Human King's internal world should also be a manifestation of his personal Dao domain. As for how many Dao principles the Human King had actually fused... that was hard to tell. Three thousand? Four thousand? In any case, it certainly was not six thousand; otherwise, with the Human King's temperament, he would have already fought the Dragon Lord. The fact that he hadn't fought meant that the Human King also knew he could not match the man. The Bright Light Sovereign felt a sense of dejection and suddenly sighed softly. "In truth, having reached the eighth rank, we also know that the road ahead is exceedingly difficult. How to proceed? Opening our own Dao, fusing our own Daos—perhaps that allows one to step into the ninth rank... But for us, the eighth rank was already achieved at countless costs... If we were to embark on the path where all Daos converge into one... if we succeed, all is well, but what if we fail? Abandon our great world? In a great world, all the people cultivate together, offering us hope of accumulating power over time to reach the ninth rank... quantitative change leading to qualitative change!" However... If one abandoned their great world, was there still any hope? Hardly any. A great world had the necessity and benefits of its existence. When more people cultivated, even if advancing remained difficult, the birth of more and more experts would continuously strengthen your Great Dao. Accumulating power, if a hundred thousand years wasn't enough, then a million years; if a million years wasn't enough, then another million years... Relying on the accumulation of time, even if one did not reach the ninth rank, one might become comparable to a ninth rank. That was the advantage of a great world. The Human King nodded. "That is indeed a path as well. The path of cultivation doesn't have to be just one!" He chuckled. At this moment, looking into the distance, bursts of powerful aura erupted. Dozens of seventh-rank auras manifested across heaven and earth, and even eighth-rank auras erupted in an instant. The Human King raised an eyebrow slightly. "That black tiger actually reached the eighth rank! That kid Li Hao is going to have a rough time. Didn't they kill that black tiger's wife?" "Black Tiger Sovereign..." The Bright Light Sovereign also raised an eyebrow slightly. Yet another eighth rank had appeared! Chiyang and Yunxiao had died, yet two eighth ranks had emerged in Xinwu, and now another one in Black Tiger, along with Wushan and the Thunder Master. The eighth ranks in the Four Regions had increased rather than decreased. Only... the older generation of eighth ranks had been replaced. Now, only he still maintained a world... But could the Bright Light World truly be maintained any longer? Even the Dragon Lord had abandoned his world. "Human King, if we leave, what about the human race of the Four Regions...?" He looked at the Human King. This world was home to countless humans of the Four Regions, and you are the Human King! The Human King appeared completely calm. "They aren't people of Xinwu! Fine, even if they're all humans, the Dragon Lord won't slaughter the human race right now after taking the Four Regions. His current goal is to take the entire Four Regions and forge it into his own backyard! The human great worlds across the three regions still number at least thirty or forty. If he went on a mad slaughter of the human race and stirred public outrage, even the human seventh ranks who originally had no desire to fight would have to join the war for self-preservation..." Given the Dragon Lord's situation, he at least would not do such a thing for now. The Bright Light Sovereign still sighed. He glanced into the distance again. "Are we truly leaving the demon race to their fate?" The eight seventh-rank Sovereigns of the demon race were probably finished this time. The previous plan had been that once the Dragon Lord moved against the demon race, Silver Moon and Xinwu could launch a pincer attack from front and back, perhaps severely wounding the enemy. But now, the Dragon Lord coming here alone had pinned everyone down. As for Li Hao's side... they hadn't shown up at all, and had very likely already left the Thunder Domain. Clearly, they didn't care about the demon race's survival either. These fellows were truly cold-blooded. The Bright Light Sovereign had thought they would treat the demon race as allies, but now realized they hadn't in the slightest. ... At the same time. On the edge of the Thunder Domain. A grand battle erupted. The eight demon Sovereigns instantly clashed in fierce combat with the attacking chaos beasts. Formidable pressure churned the void, and in the blink of an eye, dozens of seventh-rank auras surged. Brandishing an iron rod, the Iron-Eating Sovereign swung it wildly, shattering the void. Even the newly advanced eighth-rank Black Tiger Sovereign, facing an opponent who commanded the Great Dao of a world, failed to break through his defense for a time. The Black Tiger roared furiously! The Five Demon Realms were utterly detestable. If not for them last time, there might still have been a chance. Among the Five Demon Realms—Iron-Eating, Wild Bull, Iron Hawk, Fire Swine, and Flying Wolf—the Iron-Eating Realm possessed three seventh-rank Sovereigns, while the Flying Wolf Realm ranked second with two seventh-rank Sovereigns. Wild Bull, Iron Hawk, and Fire Swine each had only one seventh-rank Sovereign. At this moment, seeing the countless powerhouses of the chaos race, with seventh ranks having increased rather than decreased, surpassing their previous numbers, the threat was terrifying. The two realm lords of Wild Bull and Iron Hawk, who had long harbored thoughts of abandoning resistance, suddenly reacted. A colossal wild bull let out a roar: "I surrender!" Over there, the Iron Hawk spread its wings and soared high, its razor-sharp wings seemingly slicing open the void. After several failed escape attempts, it took the opportunity to shout, "Qingqiu, I also surrender! Last time, it was the Iron-Eating clan that forced us to strike back... The Iron-Eating clan was powerful, and we were powerless to resist!" Of the eight seventh-rank Sovereigns, two chose to surrender in an instant. Seeing that they were no match, preserving their lives was naturally more important. The Iron-Eating Sovereign said not a word. With only an iron rod, he shattered heaven and earth, erupting frantically, and even suppressing the Black Tiger. At this moment, within his blood-red eyes, there was only fury and helplessness! The demon race was not of one mind. There was nothing he could do. The chaos race was too strong. Last time, he had thought an opportunity had presented itself when the chaos race suffered grievous losses, and it truly had seemed like an opportunity. But who could have foreseen that the chaos race would abandon their great worlds, in turn producing multiple Sovereigns? Moreover, the dragon race had concealed multiple seventh-rank Sovereigns. Coupled with Black Tiger stepping into the eighth rank... all hope vanished in an instant. That human, Red Moon, had actually defected to them as well, making things even more hopeless. Originally, he had held out hope that when the chaos race attacked, Xinwu and Silver Moon might join the battle... but there had been no movement from either. The two demon lords choosing to surrender did not surprise the Iron-Eating Sovereign. If not for his suppression, these fellows would have surrendered long ago. At that moment, in the distance, the Qingqiu Fox gave a soft laugh. "Iron-Eating, among the demon race, your clan is the only one stubbornly persisting in folly! The Dragon Lord possesses grand talent and bold vision; in what way is he unworthy of your allegiance?" Although they completely suppressed the demon race now and the remaining Sovereigns among the demon realms were wavering, the Qingqiu Fox still found it puzzling why the Iron-Eating clan had constantly resisted and led the situation of the five realms. Why was the Iron-Eating clan so obsessed with resistance? Just at this moment, a streak of red light flashed and vanished. Before even the Qingqiu Fox could react, a seventh-rank Sovereign of the Iron-Eating clan locked in fierce combat with a chaos powerhouse suddenly had his eyes dim. In that instant, the Great Dao of that seventh-rank Iron-Eating Sovereign collapsed! "Damn you!" The Iron-Eating Sovereign roared and bellowed, going completely berserk! Completely mad! The Qingqiu Fox frowned slightly. The Black Tiger, still locked in battle with the Iron-Eating Sovereign, also had his expression shift slightly. In truth, regarding the subjugation of the Iron-Eating clan, even though his hatred ran deep, he knew this clan was exceptionally formidable. The Iron-Eating Sovereign was a peak seventh-rank powerhouse. With three seventh ranks in one clan, if they were truly willing to serve the chaos race, they would be powerful assets. Yet now, without a sound, Red Moon had launched a sneak attack on an Iron-Eating powerhouse, executing him directly! Having killed a member of the Iron-Eating clan, could they still expect them to surrender? The Iron-Eating Sovereign was already the vanguard of resistance; now, he would never surrender! Sure enough, the Iron-Eating Sovereign let out a frenzied roar, shattering the heavens with his iron rod as he bellowed in fury, "Red Moon! Even if I die today, this sovereign will slay you!" Behind him, the Iron-Eating Realm expanded frantically! Knocking back the Black Tiger Sovereign with a single swing, he ignored the enemy striking from behind and charged straight toward the Red Moon Sovereign, his eyes crimson, determined to slay this man! So what if you're an eighth rank? Powerful, yes, but a human Sovereign without a world had a fragile physical body and was not an eighth rank who had advanced through his own Dao domain. Why should he, Iron-Eating, fear him? In the distance, the Red Moon Sovereign gave a soft laugh and instantly retreated. He fell back behind the chaos beasts. Having sneak-attacked and killed a seventh-rank Iron-Eating Sovereign, he would not linger, nor would he clash head-on with this frenzied Iron-Eating Sovereign. In a true one-on-one duel, with the opponent holding the geographical advantage and backed by a great world while he himself had no great world to rely upon, he might not necessarily win. This was enough. Killing a seventh rank not only gave him something to report to the Dragon Lord, but more importantly... the Iron-Eating Sovereign would definitely refuse to surrender now, preventing the Iron-Eating clan from joining the dragon race. If they did, the already formidable dragon race would become even harder to deal with. Yes, he had done it on purpose, and no one could fault him for it! He had deliberately killed the opponent to ensure the Iron-Eating clan would not surrender. He had even hoped Silver Moon and Xinwu would come to their aid... ideally resulting in mutual destruction. Unfortunately... neither side showed any movement, which was utterly infuriating. As an eighth-rank Sovereign and a former ruler of a domain, how could he truly be content serving as someone's dog? Summoned at a beck, dismissed at a call! Yet the Dragon Lord was too strong, and commanded too many powerhouses. At this moment, he could only use such methods to disrupt him, preventing the dragon race from recruiting large numbers of experts. Otherwise, if a peak seventh-rank like the Iron-Eating Sovereign joined the Dragon Lord's side, he might have a chance of pushing toward the eighth rank! Though Black Tiger and the others did not comprehend all these nuances, they realized that since the Red Moon Sovereign had slain an Iron-Eating Sovereign, there was likely no longer any chance of subjugating them. The Black Tiger roared, "Kill them!" "No need to hold back any longer!" Originally, they had planned to hold back somewhat to see if they could suppress and capture them. Now, it seemed... they could only kill them. "I surrender!" At this moment, the Fire Swine Realm Lord yelled at the top of his lungs, clearly terrified. Seeing an Iron-Eating Sovereign slain, he feared suffering the same fate. The Iron-Eating clan was the foremost of the Five Demon Realms, and the Flying Wolf clan, possessing two seventh ranks, was considered the second. At this moment, the two seventh-rank Sovereigns of the Flying Wolf clan were both twin-headed wolves. Seeing the Iron-Eating Sovereign's frenzy—like a final burst of madness, repelling one seventh-rank chaos beast after another—they saw no hope left. The remaining seventh-rank Iron-Eating Sovereign followed the Iron-Eating Sovereign, charging forward... If this went on, penetrating deeper into the encirclement, both would surely die. The two wolf Sovereigns resisted no longer. Soon, one twin-headed wolf spoke in a low voice, growling, "My brother and I surrender!" Of the eight demon Sovereigns, five chose surrender in the blink of an eye. The Iron-Eating clan, which had commanded three seventh ranks, had lost one, and the remaining two would likely find it difficult to survive. The demon race's resistance was clearly futile. At this moment, the Iron-Eating Sovereign's eyes were filled with ferocity. Looking at the Red Moon Sovereign hiding behind the others, his gaze held only killing intent and hatred. If his kin had been killed by the chaos race, so be it. This human was shameless to the extreme! An eighth-rank Sovereign launching a sneak attack against his clansman! He deserved to die! If they had been killed due to inferior skill in direct combat, the Iron-Eating Sovereign would not have harbored such hatred. But you, an eighth-rank Sovereign, could have slain his clansman head-on—why resort to a sneak attack? And after the sneak attack, you hid behind the chaos beasts—how utterly disgraceful! As for the five demon Sovereigns choosing surrender, he did not care. Since there was no way out, if surrender could preserve their lives, perhaps it was worth it. As for himself, not to mention that he had never intended to surrender in the first place, now that his kin had been murdered, surrender was completely out of the question. Behind him, the Black Tiger Sovereign pressed forward. In all directions stood the Sovereigns of the chaos race. The Iron-Eating Sovereign glanced at his remaining clansman following behind him. At this moment, the situation was precarious; they could be slain on the spot at any moment... His wildly raging heart finally regained a sliver of clarity. "Red Moon!" The Iron-Eating Sovereign roared, "I will surely kill you!" The Red Moon Sovereign's expression shifted, and in the next moment, he barked, "Stop him!" Just then, the Black Tiger lunged from behind but grabbed empty air. At that precise instant, heaven and earth convulsed as a Great Dao universe seemed to collapse in an instant. The auras of the two Iron-Eating Sovereigns erupted violently, and the surrounding void seemed to cave in! A seventh-rank Great Dao universe directly detonated! In the next moment, the Iron-Eating Sovereign grabbed the remaining Sovereign and vanished into the void, darting into the nearby Thunder Domain in the blink of an eye. His enraged voice still echoed: "Red Moon, as long as I live, I will kill you!" The Red Moon Sovereign's expression shifted drastically! He looked at the chaos Sovereigns who had halted, then at the Black Tiger. An eighth-rank Black Tiger, standing so close to the enemy, had actually failed to seize him, allowing him to detonate his Great Dao universe and escape? His expression flickered. At that moment, not far away, a figure stepped casually out of the chaos, strolling forward with relaxed ease. It was none other than the Dragon Lord. No one knew when he had arrived. The Red Moon Sovereign had not sensed him earlier, and his face changed even more dramatically. Had the Dragon Lord just arrived? If he hadn't just arrived, that meant he had the chance to intervene and intercept them. Why... hadn't he? "Dragon Lord!" The Black Tiger Sovereign did not seem overly surprised, though he was somewhat confused and bewildered. It wasn't overt, but the confusion was real. Just now, he had actually had a chance to stop the Iron-Eating Sovereign. However... the Dragon Lord had sent a transmission that distracted him, allowing those two fellows to flee. Why? The Dragon Lord merely gazed quietly into the distance. After a long while, he said softly, "Let them flee if they fled. Their world is gone; they will either be destroyed by the Thunder Domain or flee to the outer domains. Iron-Eating is considered a talent among the demon race. Free from his great world, he might still have hope of entering the eighth rank..." Having said that, he shook his head, looked at the Red Moon Sovereign, and said softly, "If he steps into the eighth rank, he will definitely seek revenge against you. Be careful in the days ahead..." The Red Moon Sovereign's expression shifted. Damn it! What did this mean? He seemed to vaguely understand, yet remained somewhat perplexed. You keep Iron-Eating alive to check and deter me—aren't you afraid Iron-Eating will become a major threat to you? Is it worth it? Bastard! He seemed to realize that the Dragon Lord might have deliberately held back to let those two Iron-Eating demons escape. But... was it solely to keep him in check? Damn bastard. He cursed inwardly. He had wanted to kill an Iron-Eating powerhouse so the Iron-Eating Sovereign would battle these chaos beasts to the death. In the end, Iron-Eating had escaped, and now, he was the one in trouble. The Iron-Eating Sovereign was no weakling. Although he was only at the seventh rank and had now lost his Great Dao universe, if he truly stepped into the eighth rank as the Dragon Lord said... he would genuinely have to be careful in the future! "Red Moon... now that the five demon realms have surrendered, the Dragon Domain has no great foes left! Go on with your duties; help me recruit some human powerhouses..." The Red Moon Sovereign's expression shifted for a moment. Saying nothing more, he vanished from the spot. Once he had departed, the Black Tiger Sovereign could no longer hold back and sent a transmission: "Dragon Lord, why... did you let those two escape? Iron-Eating is very strong. If we don't kill him, I fear he will become a future disaster!" "To keep Red Moon in check, so he doesn't harbor reckless ideas." This... The Black Tiger felt there was no need for that. If Red Moon dared to disobey, they could just kill him directly. As he remained perplexed, the Dragon Lord smiled in the next moment and transmitted, "Well, that is one reason. Second, to let Iron-Eating seek out Li Hao. He has no other path to take; he can only go to Li Hao! Having entered the Thunder Domain, if he doesn't seek out Li Hao, no one else will help him." This... The Black Tiger could not hold back. "Dragon Lord, Iron-Eating is very strong, and the other Tiehan Sovereign of the Iron-Eating Realm is also quite formidable in combat. Isn't this..." Isn't this aiding the enemy? Why do this? He truly didn't understand. Knowing the other party would seek out Li Hao, sending two seventh ranks over to him—how could that be good? He would not question the Dragon Lord's actions, but he could not help feeling worried. "Iron-Eating has lost his world. In the short term, his combat strength will decline, and he won't enter the eighth rank," the Dragon Lord said. Then he continued, "Give Li Hao and the others something to occupy themselves with, so they won't focus solely on coming back to cause trouble for us. For now, I don't intend to deal with them; let them stay in disarray for a while..." The Black Tiger still did not understand. If those two went over, would they dare cause internal strife? The Dragon Lord pondered for a moment before explaining further: "Do you know why Iron-Eating, knowing it was dangerous to stay, never left until we marched on them, never even thinking of escaping outward? Because... the outer domains are even more dangerous for him. Iron-Eating's refusal to surrender to me actually has a reason. Long ago, very early on, the Iron-Eating clan had five brothers, all exceptionally formidable. The Iron-Eating Realm had the hope of stepping into an eighth-rank great world in one leap... "However, later on, a seventh-rank Sovereign from the outer domains entered and clashed with the Iron-Eating clan. The opponent was formidable and killed two Iron-Eating Sovereigns—two brothers of the Iron-Eating Sovereign. Originally, Iron-Eating had the chance to slay the opponent and seek revenge... "Later, I stepped in to stop him and let that person go. Iron-Eating has harbored resentment against me ever since." The Black Tiger truly had not known about this matter and was somewhat surprised. "Why?" He was perplexed once more. The Dragon Lord was domineering! The Iron-Eating clan was within the borders of the Dragon Domain. In those early years, the enmity should not have been as deep as it was now. With the Dragon Lord's grand ambition, why would he allow an outsider to charge into the Dragon Domain and kill two brothers of the Iron-Eating clan? Even if he hadn't managed to prevent it in time, when the Iron-Eating Sovereign sought revenge, logically, he shouldn't have stopped him. The Dragon Lord seemed lost in memory. After a long while, he said, "Back then, it was inappropriate to kill that person. At that time, the Dragon Domain had only just stabilized, and that person came from a significant background. If he had died in the Dragon Domain, it would have brought trouble upon us. Back then, our chaos race had just taken root here and had not yet secured a firm footing. If killing a seventh-rank Sovereign drew one or two eighth-rank Sovereigns over, it would have been catastrophic!" At this point, he let out a breath. "This time, sparing Iron-Eating's life... can be considered somewhat making up for that choice back then..." "Dragon Lord, you mean that seventh rank... had a powerful background?" "Yes." The Dragon Lord nodded slightly. "The outer domains also possess overlord-level figures. Aside from the recently advanced Huantian Sovereign, there are also several peak eighth-rank powerhouses, each commanding one or two eighth ranks and quite a few seventh ranks beneath them... Back then, that seventh rank was a descendant of one of those overlords." He sighed with emotion. "Back then, I wasn't as strong as I am today. I had only just entered the eighth rank and barely established a foothold in the Dragon Domain... In those days, this place wasn't even called the Dragon Domain yet. If Iron-Eating had killed that person and invited retaliation, that would have been one thing, but worse was the fear that it would disrupt my pace of unifying the Dragon Domain... Thus, I suppressed Iron-Eating and let the man go. Iron-Eating has despised me ever since..." This was also the first time the Black Tiger had learned the reason behind it. No wonder the Iron-Eating Sovereign, despite being suppressed for so many years, never spoke of peaceful coexistence with the chaos race, thinking only of counterattacking and resisting. So there was such a backstory. "Then... does the Dragon Lord mean that if Iron-Eating finds Li Hao and the others, it might trigger a clash between Li Hao's group and that chaos overlord?" Would it? Did the other party even remember that grudge? Even if they remembered, would they retaliate against Iron-Eating? After all, Iron-Eating was the aggrieved party. The other person hadn't died, and had even killed two Iron-Eating powerhouses. "I don't know. Perhaps," the Dragon Lord laughed softly. "Right now, the frequent disturbances in the Four Regions have surely drawn the attention of some chaos overlords. If they don't see him, so be it, but if they see Iron-Eating stepping out of the Four Regions... Iron-Eating nearly killed him back then. If he can take revenge now, why wouldn't he? "If that happens... if Li Hao dares take them in, he will have to shoulder that trouble. Based on my understanding of Li Hao, if he truly accepts people, even knowing it brings trouble, he will take it on!" This way, he would have ample time to conquer the entire Four Regions. Solidify the Four Regions first. Having said this, he added, "Take the three realms of Fire Swine, Iron Hawk, and Wild Bull, and deliver them to the Human King!" "What?" The Black Tiger froze, truly astounded this time. Without elaborating, the Dragon Lord looked toward the nearby newly surrendered seventh-rank demon Sovereigns and smiled. "All beings of these three realms, including everyone from the ruined Iron-Eating Realm, are to be migrated into the Flying Wolf Realm! "Because of certain agreements reached with Xinwu and Bright Light, to have them withdraw, three worlds must be exchanged... I can't be bothered with extra trouble; less trouble is better than more. Do the three realm lords have any objections?" The three seventh-rank demon Sovereigns remained silent. Objections? Even if they had any, they couldn't voice them. They had surrendered, originally thinking their worlds could be preserved, yet the Dragon Lord was giving them to the Human King! Meanwhile, the two seventh-rank Sovereigns of the Flying Wolf clan felt secret delight. Did this mean the Flying Wolf Realm could be preserved? The Dragon Lord smiled and said, "The Flying Wolf Realm is now considered the foremost realm among the demon race. With the Iron-Eating Sovereign fled and the Iron-Eating Realm shattered, you two wolf realm lords are now the leaders of the entire demon race! "Across the three regions, there are still some demon realms... even a few demon great worlds, rare as they may be. Moving forward, you two may have to work a bit harder to help me suppress and subjugate the demons of the three regions! "Once Xinwu leaves, the Four Regions will soon achieve unification!" Having said that, the Dragon Lord added, "I have no wish to plunge the world into misery and ruin. If we can coexist peacefully, that would naturally be best. Whether demon race, human race, or chaos race, if all can maintain peace... that would also be a blessing for the Four Regions!" The two Sovereigns of the Flying Wolf clan hurriedly voiced their agreement. This task was not difficult. If Xinwu truly left, and the Bright Light Sovereign didn't leave... he probably wouldn't dare move either. Right now, the Dragon Lord's side possessed three eighth-rank powerhouses and dozens of seventh-rank Sovereigns. With such strength concentrated in a single faction, even if the powerhouses of the three regions had many seventh ranks, they were not united. Would they dare resist? At this moment, the Dragon Lord looked around, his gaze finally resting on Feng Yan with a touch of regret. The Fire Phoenix was dead! The Fire Phoenix had been a crucial deputy of his. Over the years, she had handled many affairs for him, including planting large numbers of operatives and chess pieces across the three regions. Now, she was dead... He did not dwell on it, soon turning to Feng Yan and saying, "You are familiar with the circumstances of the Fire Phoenix Realm, Feng Yan. Your mother must have left you instructions before her passing. Now that the Four Regions are on the verge of unification... some realms have operatives planted by your mother in the past. I want you to contact these people—persuade them to surrender, accept their allegiance, or eliminate them! "Only by taking the Four Regions will we possess sufficient resources to allow some of our experts to step into higher realms! "A ninth-rank Sovereign has emerged in the outer chaos and is currently unifying heaven and earth... Here in the Four Regions, the Tianfang World is about to revive, which is also a secret realm watched closely by all factions. They will not give it up easily..." Feng Yan nodded, her heart filled only with reverence. After thinking for a moment, however, she spoke up: "Dragon Lord, upon reaching the ninth rank, unifying chaos... requires immense effort and toil. If one is not of the chaos race, one doesn't even need to fight for status. If it's a human, a natural overlord, why must they campaign across heaven and earth?" She did not quite understand. Was it merely for power and fame? As for the Dragon Lord, he had no choice. Across the chaos, the chaos race was discriminated against and hunted down everywhere. Without conquering a domain of their own, the chaos race could only wander the chaos endlessly, becoming prey pursued and hunted by all races. Furthermore, members of the chaos race generally possessed internal worlds; killing a chaos beast often meant immense gains. Therefore, the Dragon Lord sought to lead the chaos race to secure a place of their own so they would no longer endure humiliation. Unifying heaven and earth was necessary for them. But why would that Huantian Sovereign do so? The Dragon Lord had not understood this previously, but now had gained some insight. He smiled and said, "That Huantian might not be a true ninth rank! He may still be advancing toward the ninth rank and has likely sensed something... In truth, unifying the chaos has its benefits: establishing the order of the chaos! "Order... is the finest means to step into the ninth rank!" Order? Many chaos Sovereigns were bewildered. The Dragon Lord suddenly sighed. "And in the eyes of the human race, our chaos race wanders the chaos, representing the greatest destabilizing factor in the entire chaos. Therefore... if our chaos race steps out of the Four Regions, we will also be targets he must eliminate!" At this moment, the Dragon Lord's expression shifted slightly. Having reached his current level and detached himself from the Dragon World, he had discovered that the path to the ninth rank was intimately connected to order. This might be a shortcut—not as complicated as having to fuse all ten thousand Daos into one. And the chaos race was the greatest manifestation of disorder in the chaos! Utterly scattered, roaming everywhere, devouring worlds, clinging to the Chaos Great Dao... If the chaos race was not wiped out, how could that Huantian Sovereign establish order? That person should be stronger than himself, perhaps having comprehended seven thousand Daos, or eight thousand Daos, or perhaps fewer but possessing other opportunities. In short, he was most likely not a true ninth rank. And right now, subjugating various factions was meant to establish order, build his own system of Dao principles, and truly step into the ninth-rank realm! Many chaos beasts didn't fully understand, yet grasped the core meaning. The Black Tiger muttered in a low voice, "The Dragon Lord means that whether we step out of the Four Regions or not, we might end up fighting that ninth-rank world?" "Yes." The Dragon Lord nodded. "If my conjecture is correct, in his process of establishing order, this is not merely conquering for the sake of conquest, but to achieve the true path of the ninth rank. If we stand in his way, we are severing his Dao... that is a blood feud! But... is our chaos race to be eradicated just like that? Therefore, a war will inevitably happen!" The beasts felt a heavy weight. How had they suddenly gained a ninth-rank enemy? Even though the Dragon Lord said the opponent might not be a true ninth rank, everyone in the outer domains said so; he was clearly terrifyingly powerful. Could the Dragon Lord... match him? At this moment, the Dragon Lord spoke again: "Taking the Four Regions is, on one hand, to strengthen ourselves and strengthen you all; on the other hand, it is to seize the Tianfang Universe. The Tianfang Universe was forged by a top-tier ninth rank and is extraordinarily powerful. If we can secure Tianfang... even if it doesn't guarantee reaching the ninth rank, we can gain enlightenment from it. Additionally, it prevents the human race from obtaining it; otherwise, a ninth rank might emerge from among humans..." He looked toward the Bright Light region again and smiled. "The Human King of Xinwu, Li Hao of Silver Moon—these people are top geniuses born of the Four Regions, fellows unwilling to be ruled. Driving them out... might yield unexpected surprises! One side seeks to rule the chaos to complete their path to the ninth rank, and these human troublemakers are precisely the ones who must be dealt with, for they are disruptors of order! "Rather than painstakingly trying to kill them ourselves, why not... let them turn on each other?" The Dragon Lord seemed convinced that these people would clash with that ruler. When that time came, there would be a good show to watch. The beasts did not understand the subtleties, but found it profoundly impressive. The Black Tiger said no more. Although he felt gifting three great worlds was akin to aiding the enemy, since the Dragon Lord was willing to let the two seventh-rank Iron-Eating Sovereigns flee to Li Hao and even gifted three Great Dao universes... then so be it! It was somewhat regrettable, yet he believed the Dragon Lord would lead them all toward a bright future. ... At the same time. The Human King gazed into the distance and remarked with emotion, "The five demon realms were taken down. That was fast!" It seemed few had died. Did the Dragon Lord have no desire for a massacre? The Human King pondered inwardly. Meanwhile, the Bright Light Sovereign was in utter agony. The demon realms were gone—five demon realms, eight seventh-rank Sovereigns! The Iron-Eating Sovereign was said to be very strong, at the peak of the seventh rank; even if inferior to the eighth rank, the gap wasn't massive. Just like that, they were gone? The Dragon Lord hadn't even personally participated. If that was the case... once Xinwu departed, Bright Light obviously could not withstand them. And as the sole remaining eighth-rank world, it would inevitably be targeted by the Dragon Domain. "Human King... will you truly not consider staying?" "At this stage, we are no match for him. Why stay? It's much more interesting outside!" "..." Fine! It seemed there was no persuading him. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Then... if we leave, Human King... does your side have a way to take my Bright Light World along?" "Of course!" The Human King smiled warmly. "I'll leave the Xinwu World behind and have the Big Cat carry Bright Light. Naturally, we can leave." To hell with you! The Bright Light Sovereign was speechless. Wasn't that utter nonsense? At this moment, the Human King looked at him with a grin, seemingly waiting for him to make a decision. The Bright Light Sovereign was torn to pieces—truly, agonizingly torn! An eighth-rank great world! Who could just let that go? If he were truly able to cast it aside so easily, he would not be the Bright Light Sovereign of today; he would have long become an expert on par with the Dragon Lord. Desires, greed, reluctance to part with things—these were the key shackles binding the strong. Even if you understood it clearly in your mind, you could not easily let it go. After a long while, the Bright Light Sovereign sighed. "Then if I use a sixth-rank world to migrate the humans of the Bright Light World into it... could the Cang Emperor help carry it?" "Of course, no problem!" The Human King smiled warmly, watching him once more. The Bright Light Sovereign was thoroughly helpless. Only after half a beat did he say, "I have operated the Bright Light World for nearly a million years!" "Yeah, I know." The Human King nodded. I know, you don't need to harp on about it. Just tell me directly: how are you going to deal with this world? Are you giving it to me or not? I won't force you, but if you don't give it... once I lead you out into the outer domains, I'll take off and won't play with you anymore. The Bright Light Sovereign was completely out of options. In the end, with difficulty, dejection, and despondency, he said, "Human King, I probably cannot take my Bright Light World with me. If I cannot take it, devouring it myself... won't be of much use, because I haven't constructed an independent Dao domain. Yaoyang could try devouring it; perhaps he could enter the eighth rank..." Beside him, Sovereign Yaoyang was pleasantly surprised. There was such a good thing? That works too! Yet in the next moment, the Bright Light Sovereign sighed again. "But even if Yaoyang enters the eighth rank, his increase in combat strength will be limited. His comprehension of the Great Dao is inferior to mine..." Sovereign Yaoyang was rendered speechless! "Since that is the case... I see that the Human King's internal world is not powerful enough. If it devours my Bright Light, perhaps your internal world can enter the eighth rank. When that time comes, the Human King's combat strength will be peerless... perhaps... you will be able to match the Dragon Lord?" He was somewhat unsure, yet at this moment, he ultimately made his choice. Things having reached this point, letting Yaoyang enter the eighth rank would actually be nice, but... that blockhead Yaoyang, even if he entered the eighth rank, what difference would it make? It wouldn't change the grand scheme of things! Even if he entered the eighth rank, he would just be the next Wushan. Wushan wasn't weak, but the Bright Light Sovereign knew Wushan's true strength; he himself had been defeated in two punches by the Dragon Lord, and for Wushan, it would probably take just one. Likewise, the same would apply to Yaoyang if he crossed into the eighth rank. In that case... he might as well stay peacefully in the seventh rank! The Human King grinned, showing his teeth. "Is that really appropriate? That wouldn't be right..." The Bright Light Sovereign was speechless! Utterly exasperated. Among the eighth-rank worlds of the Four Regions, Chiyang and Yunxiao were breached by Xinwu, Red Moon was breached by Silver Moon, and now, though Bright Light still stood, he was about to gift it to Xinwu... The overlords of the Four Regions had all become jokes in the end, except for the Dragon Lord. The worst part was that the Human King was playing innocent after getting such a bargain! He felt both helpless and infuriated. Fortunately, in the next moment, the Human King smiled warmly, patted his shoulder, and said with a chuckle, "Old Guang, from now on, we're brothers—brothers for life! Once we're outside, I'll look out for you. Sooner or later, we'll fight our way back and kill that Dragon Lord!" "..." You're Old Guang; your whole family is Old Guang. My title is Bright Light; my actual name isn't Bright Light! Beside them, the Supreme was somewhat lost in thought. Bright Light... in the end, it was falling into Fang Ping's hands. That fellow... if he devoured Bright Light and his internal world truly crossed into the eighth rank, would he... still stay? As this thought surfaced in his mind, he saw the Human King pat him. "Old Zhang, work hard from now on!" "..." The Supreme was helpless. He glanced at him and said softly, "Are you truly that eager to break free?" The Human King chuckled. As he laughed, he cursed under his breath, "Damn it, a thousand years—over a thousand years... Every single day guarding this wretched place; I'm sick to death of looking at it!" "..." The Supreme remained silent for a long while before sighing helplessly. "In over a thousand years, you spent half your time wandering outside... When were you ever stuck in Xinwu the entire time?" "Tch!" The Human King scoffed dismissively, too lazy to argue. The remaining half of the time had been spent bustling about for Xinwu, which was annoying enough. Shouldn't a man get to go out, catch some fresh air, and run wild? Grinning from ear to ear, he looked beyond the Thunder Domain. Yours truly is finally going to be free! With his internal world advancing and breaking free from Xinwu, letting Old Zhang take over his post—yep, sounds pretty nice! He could finally make a run for it! The Supreme said no more, merely feeling emotional. For the Human King, success was due to Xinwu, and burdens were due to Xinwu. Over these thousand years, Xinwu had truly held the Human King back. He was not the type to stay behind and guard a nest; he wished and longed to go out and roam wild. Yet as the Human King, he had responsibilities. Responsibility had kept him circling Xinwu, never truly leaving. Li Hao of Silver Moon was perhaps someone the Human King envied... running whenever he wanted to run. But the Human King couldn't; he couldn't run off recklessly. The Xinwu World was unique, as everyone knew, and wandering off recklessly could easily lead to Xinwu's ruin. Now, had he finally awaited his chance? He looked into the distance toward the Dragon Domain. In his mind, however, the Dragon Lord's figure emerged. Had that old dragon seen through something? Had he deliberately freed Fang Ping so he could run wild outside? The Supreme felt a slight headache coming on. Once the Human King was freed from his restraints, it was unlikely anyone could hold him back anymore. When that time came... trouble would inevitably follow in heaps. Glancing at the Bright Light Sovereign again... of all the people this fellow could have gifted it to, he gifted it to Fang Ping. Truly... asking for trouble. Once you get outside, you'll realize that gifting it to him was worse than using it to advance your own Yaoyang. For a moment, countless thoughts raced through the Supreme's mind. Nearby, a cat seemed somewhat eager to try something, looking at the Supreme... What if this cat just left too? The Supreme said nothing, merely staring quietly into the distance. If he leaves and you leave too, will there ever be any peaceful days left in this world? A cat who claims he doesn't fight, yet goes around fishing for trouble at the drop of a hat—if you follow Fang Ping, Xinwu's enemies will sooner or later span every corner of the chaos.