The Gemini Universe.
A mighty realm in the chaos where two brothers had both attained the eighth rank and many seventh-rank sovereigns served under their banner, the Gemini Universe stood a tier above any of the eighth-rank worlds within the Four Regions.
Yet... not long ago, Sovereign Tianyang had perished, taking two seventh-rank sovereigns down with him.
Now, within the Gemini Universe, Sovereign Diyang kept an exceedingly low profile.
The turmoil in the Four Regions had inflicted a catastrophic loss on their world. They had originally ventured into the Four Regions to seize the Tianfang Universe and strive for the ninth rank. Even if they failed to break through to the ninth rank, the twin brothers reaching the peak of the eighth rank would have been enough to dominate their own territory—the east was still lacking an absolute hegemon.
Alas... all of that had vanished like a dream.
To make matters worse, the chaos was beginning to churn.
After Sovereign Huantian broke through to the ninth rank, he had embarked on his path of grand unification. In the south, Chunqiu was expanding; in the north, Five Elements was doing the same. In the east, Sovereign Samsara was exceedingly formidable, and aside from the Samsara World, several other eighth-rank universes were far from weak. The Gemini Universe had originally been counted among their ranks.
Now, however, it had fallen to the bottom tier of eighth-rank worlds.
It wasn't rock bottom, but compared to before, it was a far cry. Losing an eighth-rank expert stripped away a tremendous amount of competitiveness.
At this point, even self-preservation might prove troublesome.
Several powerful worlds in the east were also expanding. Up until now, rumors had spread about Tianyang’s death, but none had been confirmed. Once verified... the Gemini Universe might face an existential crisis.
Sovereign Diyang sat lost in thought.
He was contemplating the future of the Gemini Universe.
The chaos was in upheaval. Huantian's breakthrough had shattered the tacit understanding among the hegemons. As for himself... where should he go from here?
He was reluctant to surrender the Tianfang Universe in the Four Regions.
Yet his brother was dead. Inside Tianfang, Xinwu was powerful, and the Dragon Lord was formidable... Alone, he had no hope of matching them. Unless...
His mind drifted back to the overtures made by Sovereign Huantian's side.
That seventh-rank Sovereign Xiaochen had met with him a few days ago, showing a clear intent to recruit him... Could he borrow Huantian's might to reenter the Four Regions and seize the Tianfang Universe?
Though doing so was essentially asking a tiger for its hide... it was still better than his current predicament.
These thoughts swirled in his mind, leaving him increasingly restless.
As for the recent rumor that the Thunder Realm had emerged from the Four Regions, he hadn't paid it much mind. When he left, the Thunder Lord had only been at the seventh rank, and by all accounts, he had been brutally suppressed by the Dragon Domain.
The other three regions had barely even heard his name.
If he had escaped, so be it. What did that have to do with him?
A mere seventh-rank world. Even if the Gemini Universe had suffered grievous losses, a seventh rank was hardly in a position to provoke them. Besides, he believed he had no enmity with the man, so there was no reason it would concern him.
Thoughts fluttered through his mind in succession.
Right at that moment, an elegant woman glided into the hall and spoke in a soft, gentle voice, "Sovereign, Sovereign Xiaochen requests an audience."
"Hmm?"
Diyang raised an eyebrow slightly. That fellow Xiaochen was back again?
The man was the Huantian World's representative here. Though many knew it, none dared act rashly against him. While some wished to secretly finish him off, he possessed formidable strength and had remained quite active.
Meeting him openly wasn't a good look; after all, this was not the Huantian World's territory.
After a moment's contemplation, he said, "Tell him to wait outside the realm!"
He refused to let him enter the world.
If Xiaochen came inside, he might pry into the realm's true situation and discover that his elder brother had fallen, which would bode ill.
"Understood."
The woman withdrew.
Sovereign Diyang remained seated, pondering and weighing his options. Finally, with a flash, he vanished from the spot.
***
Outside the Gemini Realm.
Sovereign Xiaochen stood with an immortal, ethereal grace, carrying an easygoing air.
He waited patiently, showing no haste.
Being told to wait rather than leave... was a promising sign.
In the eastern territory, there were sixteen eighth-rank worlds—far more than one might imagine, even outnumbering those in the other three directions. This was because no absolute hegemon ruled here, and a portion of these worlds had migrated from the other territories.
Among them, the Gemini Universe had previously ranked among the top five, boasting two eighth-rank sovereigns and eight seventh ranks. Such strength was exceptionally fierce.
Yet... it was hard to say now.
Xiaochen mused quietly as he looked at the world before him, noting the powerful expert stationed near the realm gate. Surprisingly, a seventh-rank sovereign stood guard... Under normal circumstances, an eighth-rank great world had no fear of invaders.
Forget a seventh rank—even a sixth rank was unnecessary.
Now, this felt like an awkward attempt to hide something.
Were they worried someone would enter by mistake and discover the truth?
It seemed Sovereign Tianyang really was dead.
A fine thing!
If he weren't dead, there would be no need for Xiaochen to come here. If he were alive, such a powerful eighth-rank world wouldn't give him any face. But now, even with Tianyang dead, this was still a world that had produced two eighth-rank sovereigns.
It might very well nurture another eighth-rank sovereign in time; such a world held immense potential.
A moment later, Sovereign Diyang appeared. He frowned slightly, his expression cold and aloof. "Fellow Daoist Xiaochen, you are a rare guest at our Gemini Realm... The realm is crude, so it is inconvenient to host you inside..."
"No matter, no matter!"
Sovereign Xiaochen smiled warmly. "Senior Diyang, please do not misunderstand. I came today because I happened to obtain some intelligence that might concern you, Senior... so I came specially to deliver the report."
"Oh?"
Diyang remained impassive, though doubt stirred within him. What intelligence?
Xiaochen smiled and said, "This news came from the Four Regions, though I cannot verify its authenticity for now. It is said that within the Four Regions, Xinwu, Bright Light, Silver Moon, and the Thunder Realm have all suffered defeat, and the Dragon Lord of the chaos beast race has unified the Four Regions!
"Among the chaos beasts, Sovereign Black Tiger broke through to the eighth rank, while Sovereign Red Moon pledged allegiance. Sovereigns Chiyang and Yunxiao, along with an unidentified eighth-rank sovereign, were killed by the Dragon Lord... Oh, and Chiyang appears to have died at the hands of the Xinwu Human King.
"Currently, the dragon race has achieved a temporary unification in the Four Regions... Xinwu and Bright Light have retreated from the Four Regions and reportedly entered the outer domain. Rumors also spread earlier that the Thunder Realm and Silver Moon have entered the outer domain as well. It is said... the Thunder Lord might have advanced to the eighth rank. Furthermore, according to the news I received, Silver Moon and Xinwu belong to the same family, both originating from the same world..."
He relayed all the intelligence he had gathered.
These were matters of public knowledge in the Four Regions.
However... ever since Sovereign Diyang had fled, he had received no further news from within. At this moment, his expression shifted several times before quickly stabilizing.
His brother truly was dead.
He had known that much already, but he hadn't known who did it. Now he knew: it was the Dragon Lord.
Meanwhile, the Xinwu faction had retreated from the Four Regions. Earlier, he had clashed with their experts, incurring some bad blood. And now, the Dragon Lord of the Four Regions was a blood enemy!
Silver Moon and the Thunder Realm were on the same side, and Silver Moon and Xinwu were family. In other words... he had essentially made enemies with every surviving eighth rank from the Four Regions!
Yes, every single one.
His gaze turned grim.
The Bright Light Sovereign's son was with Silver Moon—that much he knew. Xinwu and Bright Light had withdrawn together, Red Moon had defected to the Dragon Lord, and Wushan was also aligned with Xinwu...
Adding it all up, a single journey into the Four Regions had not only cost him his elder brother, but had turned every eighth rank in the Four Regions into his foe!
Sovereign Xiaochen observed him closely throughout the explanation, feeling a surge of satisfaction.
It was almost a done deal.
Without an external threat, even if he lost an eighth rank, Diyang might not submit to anyone. But now... Xinwu had stepped out into the open, reportedly advancing to an eighth-rank world with two eighth-rank sovereigns.
Add to that the Bright Light Sovereign, and the Thunder Lord from Silver Moon's side...
With multiple eighth ranks threatening him, wouldn't he feel fear?
Fearing that wasn't quite enough, Xiaochen added in a soft voice, "By the way, besides the Four Regions, I hear that realms like Samsara and Extreme Ice in the east have grown restless lately. They seem to have descended to the lower heavens and absorbed quite a few worlds... Chaos is about to engulf the east."
He sighed softly, feigning concern over the impending unrest.
Sovereign Diyang glared at him with chilling eyes. *You have the nerve to say that?*
If Huantian hadn't initiated campaigns of conquest, how many years would the chaos have remained peaceful?
Wasn't all of this caused by your side?!
Still... even worlds like Samsara couldn't sit still anymore?
It was only natural.
With the grand trend bearing down, no one could remain indifferent.
Yet once chaos erupted here, he would be in trouble. As one of the higher-ranking eighth-rank worlds, the Gemini Universe would inevitably draw covetous eyes—whether to subjugate or destroy, both were common practice.
In the past, he would have had nothing to fear. Guarding their realm alongside his brother, even if the Samsara World possessed four eighth-rank sovereigns, so what?
Aside from Sovereign Samsara being somewhat formidable, he feared none of the other three.
Stationed in their native world, unless the enemy attacked with reckless abandon, no one dared mount a rash offensive.
But now...
Thoughts swirled again. Looking at the emissary, Diyang stopped beating around the bush and spoke directly, "Joining the Huantian Universe is not out of the question... However, I reside in the east, while Huantian is far to the west. The distance is immense, and it will be a long time before the Huantian World can fight its way over here! In the meantime, I may run into trouble..."
He paused, then added, "Unless... I can enter the Four Regions and seize the Tianfang Universe. Reaching the ninth rank may be difficult, but if I can attain the peak of the eighth rank... I will be able to echo Sovereign Huantian from across the chaos..."
Xiaochen frowned slightly. "This..."
What an appetite.
Yet it was exceedingly difficult.
He still offered a reply: "Presently, the dragon race controls the Four Regions. Aside from boasting two eighth-rank sovereigns, they command dozens of seventh ranks..."
This was no simple task.
Could a ninth-rank sovereign personally descend merely to recruit an eighth-rank world?
Far from his home realm, if Sovereign Huantian were besieged by eighth ranks, even he would be in danger.
Diyang's brow furrowed. "The Four Regions contain many human factions. Are they all willing to be ruled by a pack of beasts? As long as someone resists, it will surely draw echoes from other experts..."
Xiaochen let out a dry laugh. *Do you even believe that yourself?*
Hard to say.
Xiaochen added, "It is said the Dragon Lord is extremely powerful..."
Sovereign Diyang said in a deep voice, "That has nothing to do with me! Right now, everyone is fighting their own battles. I am too far from the Huantian World. If you think cheap words alone can make me serve as Huantian's vanguard... do you think that's possible?"
Sovereign Xiaochen hesitated. That was true enough.
Still, he exhaled and said, "The difficulty is enormous... Taking the Four Regions right now is no easy feat. However... we can help you resolve some minor troubles first, Senior. For instance, the Thunder Realm, or Silver Moon... And if Xinwu emerges as well... Xinwu is not weak, but since they were forced out by the Dragon Lord, we hold the home-field advantage here. It is not impossible to deal with them..."
He looked at Diyang. "I heard that Senior Diyang once fought Xinwu at Chiyang. They say Xinwu seeks revenge for the smallest slight; having left the Four Regions, they will certainly not let that grudge go!"
Now it was Sovereign Diyang's turn to ponder.
Resolving the lingering threats of Xinwu and the others in exchange for his allegiance to Huantian... was it worth it?
Was Xinwu hard to deal with?
Extremely hard!
After a moment's thought, he said, "If Xinwu has stepped into the eighth rank, they have at least two eighth-rank experts. And that Xinwu Supreme... is exceptionally strong! Add Wushan, and that Thunder Emperor you mentioned—if he has reached the eighth rank... they will be terribly troublesome to handle!"
Xiaochen smiled. "After all, this is our home ground. As long as you are willing, Senior... could the vast east truly be incapable of dealing with a few fellows who were trapped in the Four Regions?"
This place was far stronger and offered far greater advantages than the Four Regions. At the very least, they could deploy their Great Dao universes here. If convenient, they could even bring their worlds along—unlike the Four Regions, where one had to venture in bare-handed.
Sovereign Diyang fell into deep contemplation. After a long while, he nodded. "I can consider it... However..."
Mid-sentence, he glanced into the distance as if sensing something, his brow furrowing slightly.
Seeing this, Sovereign Xiaochen looked over as well, but saw nothing. He asked in confusion, "What is it?"
Sovereign Diyang watched for a moment, then shifted his gaze away, somewhat puzzled. He said nothing. Was a powerhouse merely passing by?
That was normal enough.
Yet... a faint unease lingered.
***
At the same time.
In the distance.
A group gathered.
Li Hao and his companions retreated swiftly, caught off guard. Sovereign Diyang was actually outside his realm; they had nearly run straight into him.
They had spotted the world and intended to draw closer to inspect it. Had the jade pendant in his robes not flashed a warning, they would have stepped into his sensory range. Clearly, the man possessed an immense perceptual reach.
"Phew!"
Li Hao exhaled. "It seems he's talking with someone outside the realm?"
What a coincidence.
Sovereign Wushan looked sheepish. As an eighth rank, he had actually been slow to notice, sensing the person outside only when they were practically on top of them. Had they met by chance, Diyang would certainly have recognized him.
Meanwhile, Sovereign Kanghan craned his neck to peek into the distance, nervous, fearful... and inevitably curious.
An eighth-rank great world... In his entire life, he had never dared approach one so casually.
Yet following this group, they had drawn so close... What audacity.
He hadn't seen clearly just now before being dragged away, and he had no idea what was going on. He merely asked in confusion, "Who could warrant an eighth-rank sovereign personally coming out of his realm to meet them? Is that person an eighth rank as well?"
He was merely curious about the other party's identity, but upon hearing this, Li Hao's heart stirred.
Indeed.
An eighth-rank sovereign talking with a seventh-rank sovereign outside the realm... that was rather interesting. Did this person have a notable background?
Otherwise, it wasn't as though the Gemini Universe lacked seventh ranks.
Why would an eighth-rank powerhouse personally emerge to receive him?
"He's only a seventh rank..."
The moment Li Hao spoke, Kanghan froze. "A seventh rank?"
Which seventh rank possessed such face?
Soon, guessing struck him, and he whispered cautiously, "Could he... be someone sent by one of the hegemons? Otherwise, even if it were a seventh-rank sovereign from the Samsara World, the Gemini Universe wouldn't need to show him so much face, right?"
Li Hao didn't know much about the outer domain. Hearing this, his thoughts stirred again.
Sent by a hegemon?
The hegemons Kanghan spoke of were naturally Huantian, Chunqiu, and their ilk.
It was very possible.
Had the Gemini Universe hooked up with them?
That would be somewhat troublesome.
Right then, Sovereign Wushan grew nervous. "Should we strike now?"
"..."
Li Hao was speechless. He shook his head. "Don't think about striking just yet. The man is an eighth rank, after all, with multiple seventh ranks in his home world, plus another seventh rank just arrived... Why do you want to attack at every turn? Senior, when did you turn into such a warmonger?"
"..."
Wushan had no words to rebut.
Li Hao stroked his chin and smiled. "No rush. Since they met outside the domain, it means this seventh rank won't stay long and will leave shortly. Let's follow him and see... We might gain something. A powerhouse from a hegemon faction? I'm rather curious."
The others nodded in understanding. So they were going to hit the hegemon's man first.
Right?
Understood!
Kongji and the others even began to imagine killing this seventh rank from a hegemon faction, then impersonating him—wouldn't that fit Li Hao's style perfectly?
Disguise as him, then breach the Gemini Universe directly?
If so... not bad at all.
In an instant, several of them had already formed a plan: impersonation!
It wasn't their first time doing such a thing; they had plenty of experience. As for which hegemon it was, what did it matter to them?
Since he was colluding with the Gemini Universe, he was an enemy.
If they had no enemies, they could make their own.
The chaos was vast; were they afraid of lacking foes?
Li Hao hadn't thought that far ahead. At this moment, he hadn't made up his mind to attack Gemini. Even if he conquered the Gemini Universe, it might not offer much benefit to him right now.
Among the sovereigns by his side, none of the seventh ranks were in a position to step into the eighth rank.
Er Mao, Senlan, and Kongji were all incapable of it; having just reached the seventh rank, it wouldn't happen so fast. Even with an eighth-rank great universe, it would take time.
As for the Dao Chessboard... settling for a seventh-rank universe would do.
As for himself, what he lacked right now wasn't energy... well, actually, he was quite short on that too.
Regardless, following the fellow came first.
The group waited in place. In the distance, that seventh-rank sovereign discussed a bit more with Sovereign Diyang before departing alone.
Seeing this, Li Hao swiftly led his people to follow.
***
Meanwhile, Sovereign Xiaochen was in high spirits.
Finally, things were looking up!
The Gemini Universe was no weakling. Winning over a great universe for the Huantian Universe would be a tremendous achievement. Though the other party had conditions... that was only natural. Having no conditions would be truly alarming.
As for the Four Regions, the Huantian World was interested, though their reach currently fell short.
"If we secure Gemini... the east will finally have a formidable power taking root..."
The only troublesome part was that, according to Sovereign Diyang, they needed to show sincerity... and that sincerity, naturally, was Xinwu.
Xiaochen knew of Xinwu.
Supposedly, they were quite strong... but that was only within the Four Regions. The Four Regions was a small place after all; no matter how wildly rumors exaggerated, it was merely a seventh-rank world. Even if it had just entered the eighth rank, it amounted to little.
Xiaochen truly harbored no great dread.
It was certainly easier than dealing with the Dragon Lord.
Even Sovereign Huantian knew of that chaos beast powerhouse. Long ago, they had crossed paths once, and the Dragon Lord had been quite formidable back then. That had been an eternity ago; he was likely far stronger now.
Moreover, the Dragon Lord had slain powerhouses like Yunxiao and Tianyang. Clearly, his strength was terrifying, and he commanded several eighth ranks and dozens of seventh ranks... Attacking the Dragon Lord was far harder than dealing with Xinwu.
As he pondered this, he suddenly glanced behind him.
He didn't perceive anything, yet he felt... as though someone were following him?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, his senses caught something. Moments later, a sixth-rank sovereign emerged, rapidly giving chase from behind. Sovereign Xiaochen frowned slightly. Where had a sixth-rank sovereign come from?
There was no aura of a great world. Could this be... a sovereign who had ascended from below?
Quite audacious.
This was the Eighth Heaven.
Roaming here without the aura of an eighth-rank great world meant that crossing paths with experts from great worlds could result in being struck dead on the spot.
Since he was merely a sixth rank, Xiaochen didn't pay him much mind.
In the outer domain, a sixth rank was hardly considered a top expert. Recruiting him was fine, but there was no need for a seventh rank like him to do the honors... Besides, not just anyone was worthy of recruitment.
He chose to ignore him.
Yet Li Hao, pursuing from behind, was not slow. Seeing the other continue on his way, he called out hastily, "Senior!"
"..."
Xiaochen paused. Calling out to him?
What nerve!
He halted his steps. The warm, breezy demeanor vanished, replaced by cold detachment and arrogance. Looking at Li Hao rushing up from the distance, he quickly assessed him: Peak sixth rank?
Decent enough.
An expert from a medium world?
He didn't sense any unique Great Dao universe aura... Why was he calling out to him?
Of course, he had nothing to fear.
Li Hao arrived briskly, looking somewhat breathless, and offered a smile. "Senior, I was just passing by the Gemini Universe... A friend of mine mentioned that you might hail from a hegemon faction, Senior..."
"..."
Sovereign Xiaochen paused, asking coldly, "Is there something?"
"It's like this. I wanted to ask, Senior, are you representing a major power to recruit the Gemini Universe?"
"..."
Xiaochen was stunned. Who asked questions like that?!
His face grew chilly, and he frowned with detachment. "Is this a matter you should be prying into? Who are you, where do you come from, and why have you come to the Eighth Heaven?"
Li Hao explained, "Senior, please don't misunderstand. I have no other intentions; I merely wished to verify the situation. If you truly represent a hegemon faction seeking to recruit the Gemini Universe, I wanted to ask... do we have a chance to join? Or could you introduce us, Senior, so we might join the Gemini Universe? The chaos is in turmoil, and we simply wish to find a way to survive..."
All this fuss was for that?
Xiaochen was rendered speechless!
Still, with a peak sixth rank delivering himself to his doorstep... it was an easy pickup. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "I was merely passing through..."
"No, Senior, I actually have hope of breaking through to the seventh rank!"
Li Hao added immediately, "I can already manifest a Dao domain!"
With a wave of his hand, a Dao domain unfolded, enveloping their surroundings. Xiaochen was startled. This... just stepping outside, he casually stumbled upon a cultivator on the verge of breaking through to the seventh rank?
This was truly... dumbfounding.
No wonder the lad was so bold!
Manifesting a Dao domain at the sixth rank meant he truly had hope of reaching the seventh rank, perhaps even leading his entire world to advance to the seventh rank and become a great world. Even an embryonic seventh-rank great world was enough to grant one the status of a top-tier powerhouse.
No wonder!
He sensed the incoming Dao domain. Hmm, not bad. It seemed centered on... darkness or deathly silence?
A fine Dao domain.
By the looks of it, it hadn't been condensed yesterday.
His expression softened slightly, and he chuckled. "Not bad. Congratulations, Fellow Daoist. It appears the chaos will soon welcome another seventh-rank sovereign!"
His attitude shifted entirely from before as he smiled. "Fellow Daoist, you may stow your Dao domain. I am Xiaochen of the Huantian Universe! This trip is indeed as you surmised... Of course, certain details cannot be disclosed for now. If you truly have the heart to join, you may accompany me..."
Since you came, don't even think of leaving.
Stay with me for now.
He had been considering summoning reinforcements anyway; a free pseudo-seventh rank would make a fine enforcer.
Li Hao beamed. "The Huantian Universe? The power of that western hegemon, the ninth-rank sovereign... Indeed, to make the Gemini Universe submit, an eighth rank falls short, but a ninth rank... that fits!"
At this, Li Hao asked eagerly, "Senior, will the Huantian World dispatch powerhouses to garrison the Gemini Universe?"
"..."
Xiaochen's brow furrowed. He scanned the surroundings, finding nothing. Otherwise, he would have suspected this fellow had come looking for trouble.
Was this how one spoke to a seventh rank?
It felt like provocation!
Fortunately, there was no one around, and this place wasn't too far from the Gemini Universe, so he wasn't overly concerned about enemies. Besides, the powerhouses of the eastern territory were not yet prepared to make an enemy of Huantian.
He said in a low voice, "That will naturally be considered later... This is not something you should concern yourself with. If you wish to join, come with me this time and perform some merits. Perhaps my Huantian will help you step into the seventh rank early, making you a true seventh-rank sovereign..."
Li Hao sighed.
It seemed they truly intended to absorb Gemini.
What a nuisance!
Once they absorbed it, dealing with Gemini would mean dealing with Huantian. He had arrived in the outer domain only days ago, and by this count... had he already offended the most powerful force in the outer domain?
Indeed, wherever he went, people targeted him!
"It seems Huantian and Gemini have reached a complete consensus..."
Xiaochen was already sensing that something was amiss. At this point, he only wanted to depart. Was this fellow insane?
As for striking him down, there didn't seem to be much need; the fellow had just claimed he wanted to pledge allegiance to Huantian.
Just as he thought this, the surrounding Dao domain abruptly expanded, instantly locking down the entire void around him.
"How insolent!"
Xiaochen was furious. He was no weakling, but a genuine seventh-rank sovereign, and far from weak among his peers. How dared a pseudo-seventh rank take the initiative to attack him?
The Gemini Universe was nearby; if the commotion grew slightly larger, Diyang would surely sense it.
Had this man lost his mind, or was he hallucinating?
Yet in the very next second... a thousand worlds manifested, and from within them stepped several figures. In an instant, Xiaochen's face turned deathly pale. What?
An eighth rank?!
And... multiple seventh ranks!
In a single flash, Wushan struck, shrouding heaven and earth. Kongji threw a punch instantly, his Divine Fist of the Six Paths interwoven with a realm of absolute stillness, blanketing the surroundings once more. Er Mao yawned and inhaled, siphoning vast quantities of Great Dao power away from Xiaochen.
The Dao Chessboard melted into the void, and in the blink of an eye, tens of millions of Great Dao strands materialized, binding him tight.
As for Li Hao, he didn't even draw his sword. He merely delivered a feather-light punch infused with the power of world-destroying thunder. With a thunderous boom, he hammered the man into the void, nearly shattering his physical body in an instant.
"The Thunder Lord?!"
Xiaochen cried out in terror. Lightning affinity?
Could it be the Thunder Lord?
No, that wasn't right!
At this moment, he felt utter despair. Who were these people?!
To deal with him, they had deployed an eighth rank and multiple seventh ranks! When had he ever warranted such grandeur?
The next instant, time seemed to grind to a halt.
Heaven and earth froze solid.
Li Hao moved, divine characters sweeping out like a Dao domain, blanketing and completely suppressing the source of the Great Dao within the man's body. Li Hao evaluated him, then asked in bewilderment, "Aren't you a sovereign of Huantian?"
Why... did his world power feel so weak?
Xiaochen's face warped. He was a sovereign of Huantian, yes, but... At this moment, he felt nervous and grim. He said in a deep voice, "Since you dared to strike, do you truly not know? Why ask when you already know the answer? I am a sovereign of the Huantian Universe, but I am also the realm lord of the Xiaochen Realm in the eastern territory..."
"..."
Li Hao was speechless. After all that, he was just a local collaborator?
And here he had thought the man was a native sovereign of Huantian!
"Oh, no wonder you're so weak... I mean, no wonder your Great Dao universe power is so weak. I was worried that killing you would cause a disturbance in the Huantian Universe..."
Li Hao sighed helplessly. It seemed he had overthought things.
Otherwise, why go to all the trouble of capturing him?
Taking him alive had been out of concern that killing him would alert Sovereign Huantian. What if that man personally descended?
Though the probability was low—a ninth-rank universe had a limited reach and couldn't possibly extend directly from the west all the way here, otherwise how could the other sovereigns even play?—it was still a risk.
Meanwhile, Sovereign Kanghan was trembling in sheer terror.
At this moment, he recognized Xiaochen. A lord of a seventh-rank realm was an absolute titan in his eyes, yet... in the hands of these people, he had been captured alive in a single instant!
Captured alive, not killed!
That was far harder than killing.
When experts clashed at comparable strength, killing an opponent was possible, but capturing them alive was monstrously difficult.
Yet now, Sovereign Xiaochen had been captured alive!
Knowing that the man wasn't a native sovereign of the Huantian Universe, Li Hao cast his wariness aside and smiled. "What did you talk about with that fellow from the Gemini Universe?"
"Who are you?"
Xiaochen looked around, his face grave.
One eighth rank, multiple seventh ranks...
And... this one was a sixth rank.
His thoughts raced, and the next moment, realization struck him. Could they be... from the Four Regions?
This person... was the Silver Moon King?
Then this one... wasn't the Thunder Lord, but... Wushan?
Yes, Wushan!
And the one who threw the punch was the Bright Light Sovereign's son, Sovereign Mingtang?
Pieces clicked into place. If the Human King appeared, he might recognize him on sight even without prior acquaintance, but the Silver Moon King, Li Hao, kept a much lower profile. Though many knew Li Hao's name, very few had seen him. Even if someone had, meeting the unassuming Li Hao without his entourage, hardly anyone would guess he was the Silver Moon King.
Disaster!
His gaze flickered. Just moments ago, he had been discussing taking them down as a bargaining chip for Gemini's allegiance.
Who could have thought they would cross paths so coincidentally?
And that he would be captured alive!
His mind raced, and he said in a low voice, "Are you cultivators from the Chunqiu World or the Five Elements World? Capturing me to obtain intelligence on the Huantian World? I am merely an emissary in the east and have never stayed in Huantian; I know very little..."
Li Hao didn't bother interrogating further. In his hand, a star materialized—the Time Star.
He smiled, tossing it lightly, and looked at Wushan and the others. "Pin him down and suppress him; I'll see for myself!"
The others nodded in agreement.
Before Sovereign Xiaochen could grasp what was happening, his vision blurred. He felt as though he were being dragged into a great river.
Still bewildered... he was plunged into the currents.
The next instant, time seemed to flow backward. A second later, he was seized with sheer terror at what he witnessed... Sure enough, in a single breath, he returned to moments ago, reduced to a drifting wisp of consciousness.
And there he stood, conversing with Sovereign Diyang.
*"Eradicating Xinwu will not be too difficult... If you are willing, Senior Diyang, I will assemble men to scout Xinwu's whereabouts and wipe out Xinwu, Silver Moon, Bright Light, and the Thunder Realm together, presenting them as a welcoming gift for your allegiance to Huantian..."*
At that moment, Sovereign Xiaochen's consciousness trembled in horror.
What was this?
Could... could this be Chunqiu's technique?
Had he guessed wrong? Was this not the Silver Moon King Li Hao, but Sovereign Chunqiu?
Impossible...
In a flash, he breached the surface of the long river, and in the next, he returned to reality. Across from him, Li Hao exhaled softly. He hadn't bothered to ask, knowing the man might not speak the truth.
Through the method of memory regression, he had led him on a stroll through the river of memories.
At this moment, Li Hao frowned slightly, looking at him. "Was that necessary? I was thinking that we only arrived in the outer domain a few days ago and haven't offended anyone... Granted, I just ambushed you, so I'm treating you as an enemy now... but plotting against us beforehand was truly uncalled for!"
Sovereign Xiaochen's heart shook violently. He had seen it too!
He had seen it!
This person... truly seemed to be the Silver Moon King.
Time—yes, time regression!
It had to be!
This person actually wielded the Dao of Time. No wonder he had risen so rapidly. Supposedly very young, he had orchestrated a bloodbath in the Dragon Domain.
Li Hao looked at the others and shrugged. "What terrible luck! This fellow represents Huantian to cooperate with Gemini, and the condition was slaying me, the Human King, and the rest... Oh, including all of you as well!"
Wushan chuckled, while Kongji laughed aloud. "See? What did I tell you? Wherever we go, enemies abound! You refused to believe it, but now do you? In the eyes of outsiders, a bunch of shrimps and crabs like us can hardly compare to the Gemini Universe. To win them over, slaughtering us as a gift... is quite a bargain!"
"..."
Li Hao was at a loss for words.
He looked at Xiaochen and said with a smile, "A mere seventh rank, yet you speak with such grand airs! I have always been one to treat others with kindness and rarely kill. Look, Sovereign Kanghan and I cooperate splendidly; once my business is finished, I'll let him go home..."
"You, on the other hand... I originally thought to capture you, pry out some information, and let you go once everything was settled. But with you acting like this, how am I supposed to release you?"
Sovereign Xiaochen panicked and stammered, "A misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding! I merely said it in passing, with no real intention! I am the Huantian World's representative in the east. If anything happens to me, it might prompt Sovereign Huantian to descend..."
"You... truly overestimate yourself!"
Li Hao chuckled. How could that be?
If the hegemon could descend on a whim, why would he need you to recruit people?
Who were you trying to scare?!
"Enough, let's not waste words. Let's go see your home... Come, take him along, we're off to the Xiaochen Realm!"
Li Hao said no more. Heading to the Xiaochen Realm came first.
As for this fellow... killing him was a given, but not right now. Slaying him would cause too great a disturbance in the Xiaochen Realm, alerting everyone. They needed to set up their arrangements before finishing him off.
Since you planned to kill me, I won't hold back.
Li Hao muttered inwardly... *I was an honest man. Look, they forced my hand. I'm not the Human King; he's the savage one, while I remain thoroughly refined.*
He glanced back at the Gemini Universe and smiled.
It seemed the outer domain was just the same.
If you want to kill us, then don't blame me for being ruthless.
Moreover, the Human King and his group had indeed emerged, and the Dragon Lord had unified the Four Regions. Li Hao's brow furrowed slightly. Unifying the Four Regions... in the short term, there probably wouldn't be large-scale slaughter of the human race.
The Dragon Lord wouldn't care about such trifles either.
Still... with the chaos beast race ascendant, the humans of the Four Regions would likely have a rough time.
He wasn't hypocritically compassionate, but he felt... he bore a certain responsibility for this outcome.
Had he not ambushed... well, had it not been for him, things might have been worse. With eleven more seventh-rank sovereigns, the Dragon Lord might have forcefully suppressed the realm outright, rather than taking the initiative to send Xinwu away as he had now.
Thoughts flickered through his mind. Glancing once more at the Gemini Universe behind him, ideas took shape. Dealing with Gemini right now would create too much noise; how should they conceal it?
Troublesome!
Having just arrived, he had wanted to keep a low profile for a few days. He truly wished the Human King would find someone to brawl with right about now to divert attention!
Unfortunately, the Human King had only just emerged; he likely hadn't found anyone, nor did he have enemies here. Who could he even fight?
A real headache!
***
At this very moment.
The Human King had also gotten a clear picture of the Samsara World's strength: four eighth-rank sovereigns, sounding rather formidable!
Still... he wasn't afraid. Sovereign Samsara was most likely not as powerful as the Dragon Lord.
At least, that was his estimation.
If everyone were stronger than the Dragon Lord, then the chaos would have far too many monsters.
He grinned and looked at the Iron-Eating Sovereign beside him. "Metal-eater, do me a favor. Cut the chatter and go take a stroll near Samsara so we can start fishing! My saber is already starving..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign was speechless!
Right now, he was terrified that this unreliable fellow would get him killed.
He felt utterly helpless.
"Four eighth ranks... four! And over ten seventh ranks—over ten!"
*Did you even hear that?*
*Is this how you go fishing?*
*You're asking for my old life!*
*If you have this kind of strength, go fight the Dragon Lord! You couldn't even defeat the Dragon Lord's three eighth ranks, even counting Bright Light and the others, yet now, all by yourself, you want to take on Samsara?!*
As if reading his thoughts, the Human King chuckled. "It's different. Not all eighth ranks are built the same! You don't understand how terrifying a cultivator who has comprehended over six thousand Daos is. Add the fact that he's a chaos beast with a ridiculously tough body, and he can practically be counted as seven thousand Daos... A monster like that is far more troublesome than any Samsara, even though I haven't met this Sovereign Samsara..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign's expression shifted slightly. "You mean, Human King, that Long Zhan is stronger than Samsara?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
The Human King chuckled. "Definitely! I refuse to believe just any eighth rank in the chaos commands seven thousand Dao principles. If that were true, I'd wash up and go to sleep; life wouldn't be worth living!"
The Iron-Eating Sovereign hadn't felt the specifics as keenly, knowing only that the Dragon Lord was formidable. But according to the Human King, he was terrifyingly strong.
Was that possible?
He was baffled, but could only brace himself. "Then what if the powerhouses of the Samsara Realm mobilize en masse..."
"Do you think you have that much face?"
The Iron-Eating Sovereign thought about it and felt dejected. Fine, he didn't.
A peak seventh rank who had lost his great world was troublesome, but hardly warranted all eighth ranks deploying together. At most, one eighth rank would step out, accompanied by two seventh ranks, which would already be showing him immense respect.
He took a deep breath. "I'm not sure... if he still remembers me..."
"He definitely remembers!"
The Human King laughed. "By your own account, you nearly split him in half with your club. How could he forget? If it were me, I'd have sought revenge long ago. Now that his enemy has appeared on his doorstep, and he may have stepped into the eighth rank, would he pass up the chance to retaliate? Alright, go on, give it your all! I'll await your good news!"
The Human King guffawed. "Once this job is done, I'll help you break through to the eighth rank. Once you reach the eighth rank, you can go pick a fight with the Dragon Lord yourself—it'll feel much better!"
"..."
Though skeptical, the Iron-Eating Sovereign felt a stir of excitement.
Would the Human King... really help him reach the eighth rank?
Perhaps... he would?
Gritting his teeth, he nodded. "Fine, I'll go! But... Human King, please look after Tie Han..."
He referred to the other seventh-rank Iron-Eating beast. Looking as though he were embarking on a journey of no return, he gritted his teeth and said, "It doesn't matter if I die, but the Iron-Eating race must leave behind an heir to our lineage..."
The Human King shrugged and said with a chuckle, "Don't worry. Besides, if you die, Tie Han might just follow you to the grave anyway, so you won't die!"
With that, he added, "How about changing Tie Han's name? I have a brother I always liked calling 'Tie Hanhan'..."
The Iron-Eating Sovereign was utterly speechless. Was this the time to be discussing names?!
Besides, their names merely held similar meanings, not that they shared the exact same name. The languages of each race differed, and it was merely a translation of their spiritual will. This man... was truly impossible.
Meanwhile, the Human King felt a small thrill of excitement.
Time to do something big!
After all these years, he could finally unleash havoc without restraint.
He glanced back, slightly puzzled... Was Silver Moon still lagging behind?
Slower even than him?
What was Silver Moon up to?
Forget it, whatever. Once this job was done, he would run first and ask questions later.
As for the Iron-Eating Sovereign, bearing a grim expression and the resolve of a martyr, he charged straight toward the territory of the Samsara Realm. If he died, so be it. Tagging along with the Human King felt utterly unreliable... yet when the Human King sweet-talked someone, it truly stirred the blood and made the heart race.
Time to do this!
Chapter 548