At the edge of the Thunder Domain, a fourth-rank Sovereign was peeking inward, craning his neck to peer into the depths.
The Thunder Domain was a peculiar place within chaos.
As for the Four Regions nestled inside it, their name was known far and wide, but few ever saw anyone from there. Even when experts from the Four Regions emerged, ordinary people rarely had the privilege of laying eyes on them.
Furthermore, cultivators from the Four Regions seldom ventured out.
Exchange between the interior and exterior was sparse.
The most famous aspect of the Four Regions was the Tianfang World; legends surrounding that world were actually more widespread in the outer regions than within the Four Regions themselves.
Naturally, the Four Regions had once again drawn widespread attention recently.
The reason was simple: days ago, a cataclysmic war had erupted, and the auras of over a hundred seventh- and eighth-rank experts had surged from within the Four Regions, sending shockwaves through the chaos.
Even in the outer domains, the seventh rank represented the pinnacle—the absolute apex.
In the eyes of many, the Four Regions were actually tiny.
In such a small place... those unfamiliar with the truth had assumed the Four Regions was merely a minor territory, a tiny speck, home to perhaps a handful of seventh-rank experts, while whether any eighth ranks existed at all remained unknown.
Yet that recent upheaval had shaken the outer regions as well.
How could the tiny Four Regions boast so many experts?
Seventh ranks were as numerous as clouds!
At this moment, those inside the Four Regions wanted to get out, while those outside wanted to get in. Those seeking escape were cultivators who had seen the impending crisis and refused to stay; many rogue cultivators and even the masters of small and medium worlds had chosen to abandon or even devour their worlds to step outside.
Taking advantage of the relative calm in the Thunder Domain lately, Li Hao's group was not the only party heading outward. A number of Sovereigns had also braved the crossing to reach the outer domains.
Right here, a fourth-rank Sovereign stood watching, torn between impulses.
He wanted to slip inside and experience for himself what a chaotic lightning tribulation felt like.
Yet he was terrified of being struck to death.
Recently, whether entering or leaving, several Sovereigns had been pulverized by lightning, meeting gruesome ends.
Near the Thunder Domain, numerous Sovereigns were investigating.
Some sought intelligence, while others aimed to recruit talent. Whether or not Sovereigns coming out of the Four Regions had once been realm lords, they all became rogue cultivators upon leaving because they had abandoned their worlds.
Even seventh ranks had cast aside their worlds. Carrying a world across was impossible unless one was a member of the chaos race; and even for a chaos race powerhouse, if they wished to avoid being smote by lightning, it was best not to drag a world along. Otherwise, the encumbered speed would make it all too easy to perish under the strikes.
Consequently, any expert who made it out was reduced to a rogue cultivator, entirely ignorant of the outer domains. They could easily be recruited into local factions—which was one of the reasons so many experts lingered here.
Now, turbulence also rippled across chaos. Sovereign Huantian had advanced to the ninth rank, swallowing up all under heaven. While this meant little to many ordinary experts, to regional hegemons, it was a dreadful turn of events.
Many hegemons were expanding their reach, annexing worlds to empower themselves and contend with Sovereign Huantian. Meanwhile, small and medium factions, hoping to protect themselves or fetch a better price, were frantically recruiting manpower.
Some great worlds had even opened their Sovereign vacancies—once exceedingly rare and prized—to rogue cultivators without restriction.
At this moment, Sovereign Kanghan was still peering in, eager to try his luck.
*Should I go take a look inside?*
He had heard that after the fierce battles in the Four Regions, casualties were countless, leaving fractured worlds and damaged Great Dao universes scattered everywhere. To a cultivator, those were priceless treasures. Rumor had it so many experts had died, and so many others had fled in such haste that they hadn't even had time to devour their abandoned worlds...
If he could cross over by some stroke of luck, he would make a fortune.
Of course, if he died, the loss would be catastrophic.
As he hesitated, his expression suddenly shifted.
Nearby, a thunder pillar surged violently.
Lightning flashed.
In the span of an instant... *Boom!* The lightning dispersed, and before Sovereign Kanghan's stunned gaze, the heavens and earth seemed to be blotted out as a world emerged.
A world could traverse the Thunder Domain?
Sovereign Kanghan was astounded beyond measure. He didn't even have time to dwell on his shock before a single thought seized his mind: *Flee!*
A great world!
He could sense it—it was a great world! A top expert from the Four Regions had escaped, bringing an entire great world with them!
He was only at the fourth rank. Encountering them here... Even if most experts fleeing the Four Regions were cautious about stirring up trouble, if the master of a great world ran into him and simply struck him down, there would be nothing he could do.
Even as the thought crossed his mind, terror gripped him as he realized something had enveloped him.
A Dao domain?
Yes, a Dao domain!
A high-rank expert had set their sights on him!
Sheer dread washed over him.
The next instant, his body flew toward that great world involuntarily.
Moments later, he landed inside a palace hall. Lightning power permeated the air. This... seemed to be a lightning-attribute great world. It made sense; only a great world powerhouse aligned with lightning would be able to traverse the Thunder Domain.
He glanced around...
His entire body froze stiff.
There were not many people in the hall, but... none of them was someone he could see through. Each and every one appeared to be... a high-rank Sovereign?
How could that be?
Could this be an eighth-rank great world?
Yet from its exterior, it appeared to be seventh-rank at most.
The Thunder Realm had only recently advanced; though its Great Dao universe had reached the eighth rank, the world itself sat on the threshold between the seventh and eighth ranks, not yet a fully consolidated eighth-rank world.
"Kanghan of Kangxin World greets all seniors..."
Kanghan spoke with utmost care, his heart pounding in trepidation.
When others encountered cultivators from the Four Regions, they rarely saw anyone of the seventh rank, encountering fifth- or sixth-rank Sovereigns at best. And even if those Sovereigns ran into a fourth rank, they would not casually attack.
At worst, they would keep their distance.
Strangers in a strange land, they feared inviting trouble.
Besides, dealing with a fourth rank wasn't always trivial for a sixth rank.
*My luck is simply too good...* So good that Sovereign Kanghan shuddered.
Just as those inside knew little about the outside world, he knew very little about the Four Regions. At this moment, he felt doomed; these people were surely experts who had fled defeat.
Cultivators who fled their homeland after defeat were notoriously desperate and unhinged.
If they hadn't lost, why would a great world flee its home under normal circumstances?
"Kanghan?"
Li Hao's divine sense flickered. Soon, he let out a chuckle. "Don't be nervous. We just came out and are unfamiliar with this place. Seeing Fellow Daoist nearby, I took the liberty of inviting you in for a chat to ask a few questions. There is no other intention."
There were only a few top experts present in the hall.
The two eighth-rank Sovereigns said nothing.
Although they had exited the Four Regions and the Thunder Lord commanded the Thunder Realm—making him a top figure even in the outer domains—and could easily leave the group now, he never brought it up.
Li Hao would definitely return to the Four Regions, and so would they.
After all, it was the homeland where they had lived for hundreds of thousands of years.
The outer domains, in the end, belonged to strangers.
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare..." Sovereign Kanghan stammered in panic. "Whatever questions Seniors have, please ask away... I will answer everything I know..."
Before he could finish, Li Hao frowned slightly. "Thunder Lord, let us leave this place first. Bursting forth from the domain with an entire realm causes quite a commotion; someone likely sensed it."
Without waste of words, the Thunder Lord turned to Wushan. "Wushan, come with me..."
For a single eighth rank, moving an eighth-rank world was still arduous, even if the Thunder Realm had not fully stabilized at that rank.
Calling upon Wushan made things far easier.
Wushan was speechless!
He turned to look at Senlan. "Senlan, come along as well. Since Er Mao is carrying Senlan World for you, you're free anyway. Idleness does no good..."
*Manual labor shouldn't fall on me alone.*
The Senlan World Lord was left rather exasperated!
*It's just moving a world. Great as the Thunder Realm is, it isn't a true eighth-rank world yet. With two eighth ranks pushing, it'll move fast enough. Why call me?*
He glanced toward Kongji...
Kongji was exasperated!
*Why does nobody look at Li Hao?*
*Why are you looking at me?*
*For a trivial chore, each of you drags your feet.*
"Senior Dao Chess, care to join?"
"..."
Dao Chess was speechless too. *Damn it, what is wrong with these people?*
*What kind of crew is this?*
Helpless, Dao Chess said nothing. They didn't call Er Mao; Er Mao was still carrying Senlan World, so asking him to do manual labor was clearly out of line.
Without further words, the two eighth-rank and two seventh-rank Sovereigns vanished instantly.
The four powerhouses drove the Thunder Realm, shifting it as they fled toward the distance. The Domain of Extinction expanded, Dao Chess cast its shroud, and Wushan extended a five-fingered mountain amid swirling clouds and mist, cloaking the entire Thunder Realm.
With all aura suppressed, the four powerhouses moved the world away in a flash.
Meanwhile, back in the hall, Sovereign Kanghan was thoroughly shaken.
He hadn't been able to see through a single one of those who had just left.
*Were they all high-rank Sovereigns?*
If so... was this world truly an eighth-rank world?
Li Hao paid the departure no mind and looked at Kanghan with a smile. "Don't be nervous. Sit down and let us talk. Forgive my rudeness for bringing you here so abruptly."
"It's nothing, not a problem at all..." Kanghan replied hurriedly. He was somewhat puzzled: was this young man the master of this world?
It didn't quite feel like it.
On the other hand, the burly man who had just left crackled with lightning aura and seemed far more like the world lord. Kanghan couldn't quite figure it out.
...
At the same time, in the area where the Thunder Realm had just appeared, several figures materialized in an instant. Their auras were formidable; the weakest was at the sixth rank, and several seventh-rank experts had arrived as well.
After inspecting the surroundings, someone voiced confusion.
"Lightning power?"
"The Thunder Realm?"
"It is said that within the Four Regions, the Thunder Realm and Silver Moon joined forces in a bitter war against the chaos race, resulting in the fall of numerous seventh-rank Sovereigns... Could the Thunder Realm have exited the Thunder Domain?"
"Unclear... but it's possible!"
"Yet... how could a great world move so swiftly?"
"Could our senses have deceived us?"
The seventh-rank experts exchanged thoughts in rapid succession.
Unlike the Sovereigns of small and medium worlds, they possessed some understanding of the Four Regions. Because the Four Regions contained universes left behind by ninth-rank Sovereigns, powerful factions paid close attention to it; though interaction had been sparse over the years, there had still been contact.
Moreover, since several Sovereigns had recently emerged from the Four Regions, some people were aware of the recent war. While the finer details remained unknown, they knew that the master of the Thunder Realm and the master of Silver Moon had allied and provoked a clash in the Dragon Domain in the Dragon Lord's absence.
The experts investigated swiftly, their brows furrowing.
A great world emerging from the Four Regions was a matter demanding serious attention. High-rank Sovereigns were entirely different from low- or mid-rank ones; they could alter the balance of an entire region. What was more, the Thunder Realm might possess more than one seventh-rank expert.
Rumor held that while the Silver Moon King had not yet stepped into the seventh rank, he possessed the might to slay seventh ranks and was not to be underestimated.
Though the specifics were murky, they knew this faction possessed at least two combatants on par with the seventh rank: the Thunder Lord and Li Hao.
"Could it be that they didn't bring the world out, and only the Thunder Lord emerged?" someone asked. Or perhaps only Sovereigns from the Thunder Realm had come out, not the Thunder Lord himself.
Otherwise, without a chaos beast present, it was exceptionally difficult for human cultivators to flee with a great world. If it were that simple, the experts of the Four Regions would not have agonized over their inability to pick up and run with their worlds at any time.
"Let us search the surroundings first..."
Several experts vanished rapidly.
The rest lingered to observe. The upheaval in the Four Regions and the influx of refugees represented opportunity, but potentially crisis as well. Weaklings escaping mattered little; but if top powerhouses fled into the outer domains without a trace, that was fraught with peril.
...
Inside the palace of the Thunder Realm.
Li Hao questioned him briefly, but this fourth-rank Sovereign did not seem to know a great deal.
"According to what Fellow Daoist Kanghan has said... this outer domain... or rather, to you, this is the entire chaos, while the Four Regions is merely a remote, sealed corner. And the entire chaos is boundless and divided into nine heavens?"
"Yes, yes!" Sovereign Kanghan nodded repeatedly. "It is actually just a conventional division, but generally speaking, everyone abides by it! Chaos has no up or down, no front or back, no left or right, no cardinal directions... But to avoid unnecessary trouble, chaos has categorized every world into nine tiers of heaven and earth... and a world of a given rank generally remains active in its corresponding tier.
"Between them, there are no physical barriers. Usually, the layers are simply separated by denser bands of chaotic energy..."
Dividing chaos into nine heavens, where each rank corresponded to a layer.
Aside from distinguishing status and strength, it also served the practical purpose of preventing weaklings from inadvertently offending powerhouses.
"Apart from this, are there many hegemon factions in chaos... or rather, great worlds of the eighth rank and above?"
Kanghan replied nervously, "My world is only a sixth-rank world, so my knowledge of higher worlds is limited. I only know that in the west, the Huantian World has risen; Sovereign Huantian advanced to the ninth rank and is sweeping across chaos, seeking to swallow up all under heaven... In the north sits the Five Elements Sovereign of the exceedingly formidable Five Elements World. It is said there are five eighth-rank powerhouses spanning all five elements, who can contend with a ninth rank when joining forces!
"In the south is Sovereign Chunqiu, said to be an incomparably powerful demon sovereign with eighth-rank subordinates. Demons run rampant under his banner. Sovereign Chunqiu is said to command time; a single cry from him can upend heaven and earth..."
*Hm?*
Li Hao froze. Time?
Chunqiu—Spring and Autumn?
He was momentarily stunned. In the Four Regions, ordinary people were utterly ignorant of the Dao of Time. Yet out here, someone actually commanded time, and a demon at that? How... could that be?
Of course, he would not underestimate the heroes of the wider world, but it still caught him off guard.
Sovereign Chunqiu?
A great demon?
"Then which region does our Four Regions belong to?"
"The Four Regions lies at the easternmost edge..." Sovereign Kanghan said hurriedly. "In the east, there are no overwhelmingly dominant overlord worlds, but there are plenty of formidable ones, all eighth-rank worlds. For instance, not far from here is Gemini World, home to two eighth-rank Sovereigns, Sovereign Tianyang and Sovereign Diyang, both at the eighth rank with numerous seventh ranks beneath them—incredibly powerful! Further away is Samsara World. Sovereign Samsara is said to command life and death, unmatched in prowess, with two eighth-rank subordinates under him as well... In addition, there are several other eighth-rank great worlds here, all mighty..."
He explained, "The east lacks an absolute hegemon, but eighth-rank worlds are numerous. As for why there is no supreme overlord, it is said that over a million years ago, when the Lord of Tianfang walked out of the Four Regions, he seemingly... killed several top powerhouses and destroyed several worlds. Many of the great worlds in the eastern region today were born over the past million years."
In other words, this region might once have harbored absolute hegemons akin to the other territories, but the Lord of Tianfang had slain them in passing.
Thus, even after a million years, no peerless overlord had emerged here.
In their eyes, a so-called peerless hegemon likely possessed the might to rival the ninth rank.
Li Hao drew a sharp breath. How formidable.
In that case, the Dragon Lord—the strongest in the Four Regions—would not count for much here?
The gulf between the eighth and ninth ranks was vast.
Yet...
Li Hao frowned slightly. Could there really be so many eighth ranks capable of rivaling the ninth rank?
Huantian, Chunqiu, Five Elements...
One ninth rank, one master of time, and five eighth ranks of the Five Elements who could combine their five elements into one...
As for Gemini Universe, he was already aware of it.
Tianyang and Diyang?
Which one had been slain by the Dragon Lord previously?
And which one had fled from Xinwu?
They hadn't seemed all that impressive, and it was said Wushan could tangle with them for a while, though that enemy had not brought their world along and was not in peak condition.
Li Hao nodded slightly. "Then... are there worlds here that are open to outsiders? I mean great worlds, for things like Dao exchanges, trading goods, and the like..."
"There are!" Kanghan answered immediately. "In the Ninefold Barriers—the chaotic transition zones separating the tiers of worlds—such places exist. However, they are not worlds; worlds are generally not open to outsiders. Instead, they are chaotic isolated islands... artificially created continents floating in chaos. Some are occupied by experts who welcome rogue cultivators and open trade. They generally guarantee a degree of safety, though they charge fees.
"Dao exchanges also take place there, where rogue Sovereigns confer with one another. However... as Senior knows, Great Daos are unique. Even those of the same attribute may not align, so one must remain guarded when communicating with others..."
At this point, he cast another cautious look at Li Hao before continuing, "Of course, there are also barren islands overseen by powerhouses from great worlds, which are safer and feature more experts. Worlds, Great Dao crystals, Sovereign armaments, and even Dao techniques are traded there. Naturally, slaves are traded as well..."
*Slaves?*
Li Hao grew thoughtful.
After thinking for a moment, he asked softly, "Does war break out often here?"
"War?" Kanghan grew tense and glanced at Li Hao. "Does Senior mean... internal wars within worlds, or wars between worlds?"
"Between worlds, of course."
"There are some, but not too many... though they have become more frequent recently." He sighed. "Sovereign Huantian is advancing from the west, reportedly intending to establish a unified Huantian Universe! The other hegemons are also frantically expanding their influence. Although our eastern region lacks such a supreme overlord, there are many eighth-rank worlds waging war against each other. It is truly miserable for small and medium worlds like ours."
He added helplessly, "In earlier days, small and medium worlds were relatively peaceful... but now that a ninth-rank Sovereign has appeared in chaos, turmoil reigns everywhere. That is why many Sovereigns from small and medium worlds linger near the Thunder Domain: on one hand, to recruit experts emerging from the Four Regions; on the other, to gather intel and see if they can seek refuge inside the Four Regions..."
Li Hao chuckled. "Seek refuge inside the Four Regions?"
The Four Regions had degenerated into total chaos!
These outer domain cultivators actually wanted to flee inside for safety... Well, they certainly dared to dream.
Yet it was quite amusing.
Those inside the Four Regions wanted out to escape disaster, while those outside wanted in for refuge. The Thunder Domain had become a dividing line, leading these people to view it as a natural sanctuary.
"Have you ever seen Sovereign Chunqiu of the south?"
The moment Li Hao asked, he felt it was a pointless question.
Sure enough, Kanghan said with embarrassment, "He is the hegemon of the south. Furthermore... though we speak of east, south, west, and north, to low- and mid-rank Sovereigns like us, the distance is impossibly vast. In our entire lifetime, we might not even cross the eastern region alone!"
Never mind the southern hegemon; he hadn't even laid eyes on many of the eighth-rank great worlds in the east. They were absurdly far away, and without a Great Dao universe to travel through, they had to fly across the void by sheer physical propulsion!
How long would that take?
Decades or centuries of travel were normal. Weaker Sovereigns would be slaughtered before ever reaching their destination. Who dared travel too far?
"Are there teleportation arrays in the outer domains?"
"Teleportation?" Sovereign Kanghan blinked, then shook his head. "Building teleportation arrays inside a world is feasible, but out in chaos, chaotic and turbulent Daos permeate everywhere. To build a teleportation system here... unless the Lord of Tianfang returns!"
Evidently, they also knew that the Lord of Tianfang was a ninth-rank powerhouse of the Spatial Dao.
Li Hao nodded. It seemed no overwhelmingly powerful spatial Sovereign had arisen here.
"What about the chaos beasts in the outer domains—in chaos itself? Are they strong?"
"Chaos beasts?" Kanghan shook his head. "Not particularly strong overall, but a tremendous threat to rogue cultivators! Most chaos beasts are born within chaos, wandering without fixed abode and devouring worlds at whim. They are the common enemy of many worlds, and some territories regularly purge them. Some barren islands also sell chaos beasts. They have one advantage: they can carry worlds. If tamed, carrying small or medium worlds is effortless for them.
"In chaos, many experts specialize in capturing chaos beasts to sell to masters of small and medium worlds... Of course, there are top powerhouses who might even capture seventh-rank chaos beasts... but that is far beyond anything we could imagine!"
Kanghan sighed with emotion. "There are some seventh-rank Sovereigns among chaos beasts. Reaching the seventh rank seems somewhat easier for them than for humans, and they can carry great worlds. For many great world lords, exhausting their fortunes to buy a seventh-rank chaos beast serves not only to move their worlds, but also provides a vanguard in battle, as chaos beasts possess immense physical strength..."
"Capture a seventh-rank chaos beast?"
Li Hao was rather surprised. "Under normal circumstances, even a seventh-rank realm lord would struggle to capture one. Would an eighth rank make the move? The price would hardly be cheap, and very few could afford it."
"The cost is astronomical... I don't know the details; I've only heard rumors..."
Li Hao nodded once more.
It was good the Dragon Lord wasn't here, or he might have flown into a rage—though that had nothing to do with Li Hao.
To Li Hao, his prior slaughter of chaos beasts was because they devoured humans indiscriminately. To the Dragon Lord, if humans could eat chaos beasts and capture them as slaves, why couldn't the chaos race eat humans?
This was an inherent racial conflict.
The crucial crux lay in a flaw of chaos beasts: they could not give birth to worlds, and they fed on worlds. That in itself was a fundamental contradiction.
If they did not devour worlds and relied solely on absorbing the turbulent power of chaos, advancing in cultivation became extraordinarily difficult.
One could only say that this friction—and even hatred—was inherent and unavoidable.
Li Hao seemed deep in thought. After a long while, he asked again, "Do you know where the Gemini Universe is located?"
"Ah?" The other man paused, then answered after a moment, "I do. The Gemini Universe is the closest eighth-rank world to us, situated in the Eighth Heaven. At my speed, it would probably take about three years of flight from here... But if Senior is a high-rank Sovereign... even without traveling through a Great Dao universe, you could arrive in about a month. If you utilize a Great Dao universe, it would be even faster..."
With a Great Dao universe, travel was swift.
Li Hao nodded; that truly was not too far.
Yet, even for a high-rank Sovereign, it took roughly a month... In reality, that was still dreadfully distant. Chaos was indeed vastly larger than the Four Regions. The Four Regions had already seemed terrifyingly huge to Li Hao before!
Yet looking at it now... it truly wasn't all that grand.
"Does chaos have an edge?" Li Hao asked another question.
The Four Regions had edges bounded by the Thunder Domain. Since chaos was divided into east, south, west, and north, did boundaries exist here as well?
"Ah?" Kanghan froze once more, baffled by why this expert kept posing such bizarre questions.
Pondering for a moment, he replied, "This... I am truly not certain, but I have heard that it does. However, it is unlike a conventional border. The edge of chaos is said to still be chaos, but it is so utterly turbulent that the moment you approach, you lose your mind entirely and fall into madness—a disordered zone!"
A disordered zone?
Li Hao's heart stirred.
"Disordered?"
"Yes, that's what I heard. I don't know the exact details because we are too weak and have never traveled that far. It is said that some high-rank Sovereigns once reached it, and subsequently went mad... Even high-rank Sovereigns went mad..."
Kanghan shuddered slightly. "So even if we know of it, we would never dare go. It's far too dangerous."
Li Hao fell into contemplation once again.
The edge of chaos was still chaos, but a completely disordered zone where even high-rank Sovereigns were driven to madness upon entry.
Such disorder was truly terrifying.
He had assumed current chaos was already disordered enough, being exceedingly hostile to anyone below Sovereign; anyone below that level who left a world either died or went mad. In comparison, the outer boundary was exponentially more perilous.
"Then do you know where the ninth-rank Sovereigns went?"
"What?"
"The Lord of Tianfang and the others." Li Hao asked, "The Lord of Tianfang and his peers should not be dead. Do you know where they have gone?"
"What?" Kanghan gasped. "Not dead?"
How was that possible!
Li Hao frowned. So he didn't know, and had not even considered that the Lord of Tianfang was still alive.
Yet the Lord of Tianfang had to be alive.
If he were truly dead, the Tianfang Universe would likely have been thoroughly destroyed.
Those who had never set foot in Tianfang might not know, but any powerhouse who had visited would be able to deduce that figures like the Lord of Tianfang and the Lord of Calamity were likely still among the living.
If so, where had these ninth ranks gone?
He had originally thought he might glean some news upon reaching the outer domains.
Perhaps Kanghan was simply too weak and possessed too little information; or perhaps even the powerhouses of the outer domains remained ignorant, believing the ancient ninth ranks were dead, assuming the Tianfang Great Dao Universe endured only because it had entered extinction ahead of time and thus was preserved.
Yet Li Hao had sensed certain clues; he knew the Lord of Tianfang was almost certainly alive.
These thoughts arose repeatedly.
Li Hao glanced at Kanghan... A fourth-rank Sovereign was not considered weak, but unfortunately, he still knew too little.
"Let me venture another question... In chaos, are there any top powerhouses who preach the Dao publicly?"
"..."
Kanghan looked awkward. *How... how could you ask such a question?*
Of course not!
Seeing his reaction, Li Hao fell silent for a while before saying, "So none of the top powerhouses in chaos are willing to publicly preach the Dao?"
While he knew this was only normal, having truly not a single one was still a pity.
What a shame.
At this stage, Li Hao was genuinely interested in Dao exchange.
He wanted to converge ten thousand Daos, the prerequisite being an understanding of them. He had seen and comprehended many Daos, but most were not strong; only the Daos of top powerhouses were sufficiently profound.
An exchange or sparring session with a supreme expert might equal tens of millions of years of solitary contemplation.
Sovereign Kanghan chuckled sheepishly. "There should be none... Of course, if you join their faction, that is another story. It is said that some seventh- and eighth-rank Sovereigns preach periodically within their worlds..."
For outsiders, though, it was out of the question.
Li Hao nodded in understanding.
They talked for a while longer, covering general circumstances, but Kanghan clearly knew nothing more specific.
After some time, the several experts returned.
The Thunder Lord spoke up: "We've temporarily settled in an uninhabited spot. Shrouded by the Domain of Extinction, it isn't very conspicuous..."
With that, he added in bewilderment, "The chaotic energy here is quite rich, yet no one lives here and no worlds exist. The outer chaos domains are extravagant indeed..."
Reflecting on himself, he had lived miserably.
The Thunder Realm had been blockaded for countless years, and the surrounding chaotic energy had been drained dry by the Dragon Lord and his forces. Chaotic energy, which ordinary people took for granted, was something he valued deeply. The location they had just chosen was actually excellent.
The chaotic energy all around was dense and abundant.
It was richer than in many parts of the Four Regions. A great world needed sustenance; if chaotic energy was insufficient, even converting it into Great Dao crystals would prove difficult.
At this point, Kanghan's expression changed slightly, and he whispered, "Senior... Senior may have placed the world in the upper three heavens! Chaos is divided into nine tiers, and there are few worlds in the upper three heavens. While some eighth-rank great worlds occupy the Ninth Heaven... ordinary eighth-rank worlds dare not easily venture to the Ninth Heaven to clash with the hegemons of other eighth-rank worlds. Consequently, in the upper three heavens, each world commands an enormous territory and spans a vast expanse... ordinary worlds are not permitted to establish themselves there..."
As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and relaxed a bit. "However, since Senior also commands a great world, it should not be an issue. But it would be best... best to negotiate with nearby great worlds to avoid conflict."
He had almost forgotten that these people appeared to be high-rank Sovereigns, and this world was a great world as well.
The Thunder Emperor laughed. "The upper three heavens? Such divisions exist? I've encountered people from the outer domains before; none were good sorts. Back when I was under blockade, some of those fellows crossed over to trade with our Thunder Realm... greedy and ruthless to the bone!"
Bringing this up filled him with resentment.
Kanghan smiled awkwardly, saying nothing.
Facing these mighty figures, the pressure on him was immense.
The Thunder Lord ignored him and turned to Li Hao. "So we establish ourselves here for now?"
Li Hao nodded slightly. "We'll stay here for a time and see how things unfold... Wherever we relocate, our primary objective remains strengthening ourselves. Let's see if we can find a trading hub to dispose of some clutter on our hands."
What clutter?
Corpses of powerhouses, damaged Sovereign armaments, and plenty of Dao charm crystals...
Anything expendable could be liquidated.
Ideally, they could trade for items useful to them—such as Great Dao sources or intact small and medium worlds to deduce Dao webs, which were far superior to mere raw energy. While Li Hao lacked energy, he was currently in greater need of directions for enlightenment.
With his Thousand Realms now saturated, he was attempting to open new realms. If he didn't, given the Queen's pace, the chaotic energy she supplied was growing exponentially; continuing like this would sooner or later burst him.
"Are we still going to Gemini World?" the Thunder Lord asked, sounding somewhat eager.
He had no interest in stirring up trouble with strangers for now, but the Gemini Domain was allied with Chiyang, had made an enemy of Xinwu, and had fought Wushan. Since Xinwu and Silver Moon were on the same side... and Gemini was an eighth-rank great world after all, why not go pick a fight?
Having recently attained the eighth rank, he was itching for action.
He hadn't truly traded blows with an eighth rank yet!
Li Hao was speechless.
*Is the Thunder Lord a warmonger as well?*
"Let's wait. We still don't know the exact situation in the outer domains..."
At this point, Li Hao paused before continuing, "Personally, I'd like to visit the south."
The south—Sovereign Chunqiu!
A great demon, eighth rank, most likely peak eighth rank, overwhelmingly strong, a peerless hegemon, skilled in time... Ever since hearing that, Li Hao had been intrigued.
Up to now, he had been the only one cultivating Time.
Yet now, a second seemed to exist.
Furthermore, to the north lay the Five Elements Great World, an eighth-rank world with five eighth-rank Sovereigns of the Five Elements. As for the five elements, Li Hao was proficient in them, and his teacher even more so.
Perhaps he could visit there as well.
Even in the east, there was Samsara World and Sovereign Samsara. "Samsara" usually referred to the cycle of life and death; did that mean a Sovereign adept in the Dao of Life and Death?
With so many fascinating destinations, why bother going to Gemini World?
In the Four Regions, several eighth ranks each specialized in a unique Dao, but the Red Moon's Desire, the Bright Light Sovereign's Light, the Chiyang Sovereign's Crimson Sun... were not extraordinarily special.
Red Moon's Desire barely counted, yet in Li Hao's eyes, the Red Moon Sovereign's grasp of desire was merely mediocre, hardly more intricate than the Dao of Emotion.
Li Hao had cultivated Life and Death, Five Elements, and Time...
Out here, formidable figures could be found for each of those paths. If they were willing to engage in Dao exchange, it would be of immense benefit to him. And if they truly exchanged insights, he wouldn't hold back either; Li Hao considered his own breadth of vision quite expansive.
Dao of Calamity, Dao of Time, Dao of Space—though his understanding of each was elementary, it was respectable enough. Holding an exchange with eighth ranks shouldn't pose any hurdle.
"The south?"
The Thunder Lord was surprised, so Li Hao explained briefly.
The Thunder Lord stared. "Time?"
Could that be possible?
Just then, Er Mao also froze and looked at Kanghan. "You're saying the southern hegemon cultivates the Dao of Time?"
Kanghan grew terrified. *Does this cat... eat people?*
Shivering in fright, he said, "I... I've only heard rumors. The distance is too great, and... he is a supreme being who has no intersection with people like us. I only heard some experts mention it... That Sovereign Chunqiu can reverse time and drain lifespan. With a single cry, he once turned an entire world into withered skeletons... causing the whole world to extinguish completely!"
Li Hao listened and nodded slightly; that certainly carried the essence of Time.
However... instantly reducing an entire world to withered bones was no small feat.
Er Mao, however, was restless. Unlike Li Hao's calm demeanor, it was full of disbelief. "Impossible! I don't believe anyone else can cultivate Time—let alone a demon... It's impossible!"
The Schoolteacher might not have possessed peerless combat power, but his wisdom, breadth of knowledge, and talent were beyond question; Er Mao firmly believed this.
How could anyone else cultivate the Dao of Time?
Even Li Hao, who in Er Mao's eyes was an exceptional genius with vast exposure—having even witnessed the Daos of other ninth ranks—had still not figured out how Time was constructed. Could someone else truly achieve it?
"The world is vast, with countless geniuses, Senior Er Mao... I feel that nothing is impossible," Li Hao offered.
Er Mao fell silent, though its stubbornness remained: *Impossible, I simply don't believe it.*
After a long while, it said, "If you go south... take me with you."
It wanted to see for itself.
The Thunder Lord had a headache coming on and couldn't help saying, "The southern hegemon... The two eighth ranks of Gemini Universe are considered ordinary here, while the five Five Elements Sovereigns are all eighth rank, even peak eighth rank, yet they only count as one regional hegemon... But this demon stands alone and dominates an entire region. He must be terrifyingly strong—perhaps even more powerful than the Dragon Lord..."
*Are you sure you want to go?*
*Isn't this asking for trouble?*
*What are these people thinking?*
One eighth-rank expert of the Gemini Universe right in front of them had died, and nobody knew it yet. Why not head there? With himself, Wushan, Li Hao, and the others, they had nothing to fear!
Seeking out the southern hegemon, on the other hand, was fraught with danger.
They might as well have stayed in the Four Regions to fight the Dragon Lord!
Li Hao exhaled softly. "We'll see. Let us understand the situation first."
Go he certainly would.
He was simply too interested!
As for danger... it was irrelevant; everywhere was dangerous. If he didn't go see it, he wouldn't be satisfied.
Seeing this, the Thunder Lord said no more, feeling only helpless.
He couldn't fathom what went through this kid's head.
There were many ways to comprehend the Great Dao; one didn't have to take such reckless risks. Taking things step by step was far better.
As for Kanghan, he was scared out of his wits.
He felt certain he was about to be silenced!
These people spoke with astonishing boldness: one wanted to attack the Gemini Universe, while the other wanted to go south to examine the southern hegemon's Dao...
Could this group be eighth ranks?
Very likely! Otherwise, where would such confidence come from?
Had the internal strife in the Four Regions reached such an extreme level?
Even eighth-rank Sovereigns had been driven out?
...
Meanwhile, inside the Thunder Domain.
Another figure had entered the Thunder Domain, still carrying a large saber and strolling casually through the lightning as though no one else were around.
A brilliant smile adorned his face.
Soon, however, a hint of curiosity flickered across his eyes as he looked toward a certain spot. Amidst the lightning, the Iron-Eating Sovereign, his body battered and broken, had failed to locate Li Hao's group. In truth, the Iron-Eating Sovereign had wanted to find them, but had failed to cross paths with them.
He didn't really want to go to the outer domains, yet he couldn't return to the Four Regions either. Trapped here, struck daily by lightning, he was on the verge of being blasted to death.
He was just pondering whether he should head to the outer domains to avoid being smote into oblivion.
Just then, feeling a sudden, potent surge of saber intent, the Iron-Eating Sovereign looked over in deep wariness. Before his eyes, a figure materialized in a flash.
The Iron-Eating Sovereign's face drained of color!
The Human King looked him up and down, smiling. "Iron-Eater?"
"You..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign's expression shifted continuously. After a long while, he asked in a low voice, "The Human King?"
"Oh? You recognize me?"
The Human King grinned. "We've never met before, but your appearance is quite distinctive, so I recognized you at a glance. How do you recognize me? Is it because I'm too handsome?"
"..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign was both apprehensive and speechless. *You... you're the Human King?*
*Really?*
*Who greets someone like that?*
*And why are you here?*
Filled with wariness, he asked in a low rumble, "Human King... how come you are here?"
"Oh, I couldn't stay in the Four Regions any longer. The Dragon Lord insisted on driving me out, so what choice did I have?"
He sighed. "The Dragon Lord gave me three demon great worlds—seemed to belong to your crowd, Wild Bull, Fire Swine, Iron Hawk, three great worlds anyway—and then chased me out... Having taken his gifts, I had to pack up and run. You don't mind, do you?"
The Iron-Eating Sovereign felt a surge of fury, but quickly calmed himself. Those three traitors... good riddance!
He replied in a heavy tone, "It has nothing to do with me... Naturally, I don't mind!"
The Human King smiled and nodded. "That's good! By the way, why are you still lingering here instead of leaving? Aren't you afraid of getting struck dead?"
The Iron-Eating Sovereign fell silent.
The Human King continued to study him with curiosity and chuckled. "Are you a giant panda? In my homeland, there are giant pandas too. Quite cute..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign's expression shifted slightly as he rumbled, "The Human King must be joking. Our Iron-Eating Clan is not of the same race as those creatures who do nothing but eat, drink, and sleep..."
Well, barely related.
In truth, they shared a common bloodline power, but those creatures had degenerated completely into useless lumps long ago; he had no desire to be lumped together with them.
"Oh? Sounds like you know of them and have seen them?"
The Human King grinned from ear to ear, baring his teeth. "Now that gives me a sense of kinship. How about going out to gallivant together? When we return next time, I'll slay the Dragon Lord with a single saber strike, and in return, you let me ride you for a spin, how about that?"
"..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign flew into a rage!
This fellow was truly just as the rumors claimed: utterly arrogant, insufferably insolent! He actually... actually wanted to ride him!
Bastard!
The Human King chuckled again. "You look adorable when you're angry, even more fun than my Big Cat. Big Cat rarely gets angry unless someone steals his fish. When you get mad, even the circles around your eyes turn black..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign nearly exploded with rage. Had he not known he was no match for this man, he would have fought him to the death right then and there!
The next moment, the Human King chuckled. "All right, jokes aside. Are you coming or not? If you are, let's go together. Look at you, all pitiful. If I run into Li Hao out there, I'll drop you off with him. I don't want to drag along a burden. Didn't you cooperate with Li Hao last time? That's perfect. That kid has plenty of troops and horses now, and shares a deep grudge against the Dragon Lord. If you join him, you might even be of help..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign remained silent for a moment. In truth, it was precisely for that reason he had wanted to find Li Hao; after all, Li Hao had killed numerous seventh-rank Sovereigns of the chaos race, giving them a shared enemy.
Yet... after hesitating, he said, "In the outer domains, I made bitter enemies of certain experts years ago..."
"Experts? How strong?"
"Reportedly, there are several eighth ranks backing them..."
"Oh!"
The Human King seemed unfazed and laughed. "Bullying a giant panda? What scoundrels. Don't worry. Coming out this time, I'm in the mood to cause some havoc anyway. Tell me, which faction is it? If nobody picks a fight, fine; but if they do... heheh, I never fight a battle without justification. Forget looking for Li Hao! Tell me straight up who your grudge is with, and we'll go pick a fight and bicker with them! Having a righteous pretext... only that suits my style!"
"..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign thought he was joking, but... the Human King showed no hint of jest.
After a long while, shaken, the Iron-Eating Sovereign looked at the Human King and spoke: "It is reportedly called Samsara Realm. Supposedly... they possess several eighth ranks, and their realm lord is a top powerhouse even among eighth ranks... Of course, it wasn't me who picked a fight; their people killed two of my brothers..."
The Human King grinned, flashing his teeth. "Even better... *Cough*, I didn't mean it like that, my condolences! What I mean is, they're so despicable! We are all one family, fellow cultivators of the Four Regions. For them to dare kill your brothers is tantamount to killing my brothers... Samsara, was it? Good! We'll go cause them trouble and send them into samsara!"
"..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign was rendered utterly speechless. *Did you... even listen to what I said?*
*Not one eighth rank, but... possibly several!*
*And they are extremely strong!*
He hadn't dared venture outside heedlessly precisely because he feared running into them and being slain on the spot, forfeiting any hope of vengeance.
Yet now, this man wanted to go directly looking for trouble?
Meanwhile, the Human King was thrilled beyond measure. He had been fretting over how inappropriate it was to provoke outsiders who hadn't provoked him first.
Now this was solved! No need to drop this giant panda off with Li Hao anymore.
*Just stick with me!*
*Baiting enemies—that's my specialty!*
*Using this giant panda as bait... time to go brawl!*
His inner world had just advanced to the eighth rank and still needed vast amounts of energy to reach completion. This was truly a pillow tossed to him right as he grew drowsy.
As for the enemy being strong... *Fight first, talk later!*
Chapter 546