Wolves from All Quarters

Within the Samsara World. An eighth-rank sovereign was deep in meditation with his eyes closed when he suddenly snapped them open, something seeming to reflect within his gaze. He still looked puzzled... but in an instant, his expression changed. In the blink of an eye, he ripped through the void and vanished. Traversing space in a breath, he arrived near the world gate and gazed into the distance. Far off, an enormous iron-eating beast carrying a heavy iron rod was roaring in fury: "Bastards! I was merely passing by! Why can't I travel through here...?" Outside the world gate, a seventh-rank sovereign of the Samsara Domain barked coldly, "This is the Ninth Heaven! How audacious of you! What world do you hail from, to dare roam the Ninth Heaven...?" The Iron-Eating Sovereign seemed on the verge of erupting in rage, but then he suddenly glanced toward the world gate. For a moment, he seemed bewildered and hesitant, but in the next instant, his eyes turned bloodshot. "It's... it's you animal?!" "This is your world?" "You're asking for a beating!" While the seventh-rank sovereign opposite him was still dazed, the iron rod crashed down with immense ferocity. The peak seventh-rank power erupted in an instant, shattering the heavens with a single blow! Boom! With a thunderous explosion, that seventh-rank sovereign was blasted backward, coughing up blood continuously. He was completely dumbfounded—someone actually dared to attack a seventh-rank sovereign of the Samsara World right here in the Ninth Heaven! Insane! Has he lost his mind? In the next moment, his eyes bloodshot, the giant panda suddenly screeched, "Eighth rank? Bastard! You're worthy of being an eighth-rank...? Just you wait, I'll butcher you sooner or later!" The moment the words left his mouth, he whirled around, fled, and burrowed into the void at extreme speed. Only at that moment did the man near the world gate seem to wake up and register what had happened. *My senses weren't mistaken. It really is him!* Iron-Eater! In an instant, killing intent overflowed from his eyes. Past memories rushed before his vision. Many, many years ago, when he was young, he had roamed far and wide, crossing the Thunder Domain to venture into the Four Regions. One day, he encountered a band of demons. As for why they clashed or fought, he had almost forgotten. All he remembered... was that on that day, he killed two demons, but in the end, this detestable creature struck him with strike after frenzied strike of that rod, smashing him into an abyss. Every bone in his body had shattered, and he was nearly beaten to death on the spot. On that day, Long Zhan had appeared and stopped the creature from finishing him off... It was also after that ordeal that he had exerted himself to rise, finally breaking through to the eighth rank and becoming the fourth eighth-rank sovereign of the Samsara World. He had almost forgotten Iron-Eater... or rather, he had never forgotten the humiliation that day had brought him. However, the situation in the Four Regions had been uncertain, and the Samsara World had constantly been fighting to secure its position as the hegemon of the east. He had been so busy that he could not afford to care about the Four Regions. Yet today... right at his own front door, he had laid eyes on the creature he hated and wished to kill the most. Boom! The echoing blast snapped him out of his reverie. The sight of his mortal enemy had caused him to lose his composure—something that had not happened in a very long time. In that instant, he took a step forward and shot straight into the chaos. Behind him, several sovereigns manifested in a flash, and one of them shouted hurriedly, "Fusheng, where are you going?" Sovereign Fusheng was the fourth eighth-rank sovereign of the Samsara World and possessed an illustrious background. He was a descendant of the Samsara Sovereign... Though separated by many generations, he was the most talented and promising among them. From a very young age, he had grown up before the Samsara Sovereign, studying the Dao by his side and smoothly becoming a seventh-rank sovereign. He had originally thought the eighth rank would be immensely difficult, but during a trial, he had smoothly crossed that threshold as well. He had become the key to the Samsara World dominating the eastern chaos. Three eighth-rank sovereigns might not have been enough to claim absolute hegemony over the east. However, having four eighth-rank sovereigns—one more than before—made a world of difference. It allowed them to surpass the Polar Ice World in one stroke; the Polar Ice World possessed three eighth-rank sovereigns, while Samsara now possessed four! Recently, the Samsara World had been discussing how to deal with the other eighth-rank worlds. It was a critical juncture, and several eighth-rank sovereigns had gathered in the Samsara World. Seeing Sovereign Fusheng lose control so suddenly, they all grew anxious. Earlier, they had paid no heed to the commotion outside the realm, as skirmishes occurred frequently, though attacks on their own powerhouses were rare. Yet now Fusheng had charged straight out... This was troublesome, as it could very well be a trap. Sovereign Fusheng's voice drifted back, carrying a chilling frost: "I am of sound mind! That's Iron-Eater, the Iron-Eater of the Four Regions!" At these words, the two eighth-rank sovereigns behind him instantly recalled who it was. It had been so many years! It was also from that incident that Fusheng had broken through to the eighth rank. It was said that when Fusheng returned back then, his condition had been utterly miserable; even the Samsara Sovereign had nearly sent him into samsara, but fortunately, he was rescued in the end. Old enemies meeting face-to-face! The two eighth-rank sovereigns understood, yet they still advised, "Do not pursue him now. We know a little about Iron-Eater's situation. He clashed with Long Zhan in the Four Regions, had his world broken, and fled..." They had received this intelligence not long ago. The issue was that Iron-Eater might not be alone. More than one powerhouse had fled the Four Regions this time around. To just happen to run into him outside the Samsara World? They worried there might be trouble. Better to wait and see first! "I must kill him! No matter what, I must kill him! If not for the Thunder Domain blocking the way, I would have sought vengeance long ago. If I do not slay him, my mind will never find peace... I know the two uncles worry that we will be lured away and invite disaster... I shall go alone!" What they worried about was that if too many eighth-rank sovereigns departed, not only would it be perilous outside, but the Samsara homeland itself would be left vulnerable. Fusheng understood this as well, but... ask him not to pursue? How could he? Impossible! To see Iron-Eater and turn a blind eye would be an eternal nightmare! The two eighth-rank sovereigns behind him exchanged glances, feeling helpless. It seemed Fusheng was thoroughly set on this. Even if it truly were a trap, he would step right into it. Yet... could it really be a trap? They did not know either. However, it was impossible for three eighth-rank sovereigns to pursue Iron-Eater together; that was far too risky. The Samsara Sovereign was currently in secluded cultivation, making an attempt at a higher realm. If enemies attacked, it would lead to even greater trouble. "Men! Quickly mobilize two... no, four seventh-rank sovereigns to follow Sovereign Fusheng! If any danger arises, you shall answer for it!" They feared two seventh-rank sovereigns would not be enough. With four, even if they encountered an eighth-rank sovereign, they would be capable of putting up a fight. That way, even if there truly was a trap, unless the enemy deployed multiple eighth-rank sovereigns, taking down Fusheng and his group would not be so simple. Under normal circumstances, one eighth-rank sovereign was more than enough to hunt down a seventh-rank sovereign. Yet... at this stage, how could they dare let their guard down? Soon, four seventh-rank sovereigns sped forward in pursuit. Sovereign Fusheng sensed them and said nothing. He felt it was unnecessary, but naturally, with four seventh-rank sovereigns backing him up, once they caught up, Iron-Eater would be dead without any path of escape! At this moment, Sovereign Fusheng locked onto the other's aura and pursued relentlessly, his gaze exceedingly cold and grim. A trap? He knew a bit about Iron-Eater's affairs. The creature had lingered in the Four Regions and had never ventured out. What allies could he possibly have? Silver Moon? Xinwu? Or could it be... that the southern demon emperor, Sovereign Spring and Autumn, had extended his reach here and taken Iron-Eater under his wing? Otherwise, an ordinary world would not lightly shelter a demon sovereign who had offended a hegemon of the Four Regions like Long Zhan. Regardless of what it was or who was behind it... trap or not, now that he had seen Iron-Eater, this matter could not be dropped! On this day, powerful auras swept through the surroundings, traversing the chaos. No one cared about the boundaries of the Nine Heavens anymore, and ahead of them, the Iron-Eating Sovereign fled for his life! He had no idea how to flee. The Human King hadn't given instructions; he had only said... *just run.* *Run however you want, the faster and farther the better!* *But... how am I supposed to run?* *Where am I supposed to run?* *Could the Human King have seen how many powerhouses were trailing behind and made a run for it himself?* One eighth-rank... The Human King had claimed that at most two seventh-rank sovereigns would follow. Good grief, why were there four? The Human King had stepped into the eighth rank, meaning that even if the Human King brought Tie Han and went to deal with Fusheng, he and Tie Han might have to face a siege by four seventh-rank sovereigns from an eighth-rank universe! Wasn't this... still ridiculously dangerous? Could this still be called fishing? And that bastard Fusheng, why was his courage so tiny? A dignified eighth-rank sovereign who ran into an enemy at his own doorstep actually brought along four seventh-rank sovereigns! Did seventh-rank sovereigns in the Samsara World have no dignity at all? Were they mere hired thugs? Deploying four at once was on par with the total powerhouse count of an entire eighth-rank world. Word was that Samsara possessed only a dozen or so seventh-rank sovereigns in total, and now a third of them had been mobilized just to kill him. Was this really appropriate? Iron-Eater, who had prided himself on being fierce and unyielding his whole life, was somewhat on the verge of breaking down. *Human King, where are you?* *When are you going to make your move?* Fusheng was remarkably swift. If he hadn't needed to keep pace with the seventh-rank sovereigns behind him, he might have caught up already. ... The Iron-Eating Sovereign continued to traverse the void. Running and running, a world seemed to loom in the distance. He couldn't care less about inspecting it and simply skirted past its flank as he fled. Inside that world, a group of people were currently surveying their surroundings. Suddenly, Li Hao looked outside. In the next breath, he materialized near the world gate, his mouth falling open. Beside him, Kongji was equally dumbfounded. After a long while, Kongji looked at Li Hao: "Is that... Iron-Eater?" Bizarre! How could they run into the Iron-Eating Sovereign here as well? The group had just arrived in the Xiaochen World and was still looking around. It was like touring a house. Yet before they could do anything, they caught sight of the Iron-Eating Sovereign. With that iconic large iron rod and those colossal black-and-white eye rings, who else could it be? There was absolutely no mistaking him. Li Hao shook his head, baffled. Only... in the next instant, his expression shifted slightly, and he retracted himself behind the world gate. Right then, an eighth-rank aura surged forward as an icy voice reverberated in all directions: "I am Fusheng of the Samsara Domain! I am pursuing my blood enemy, Iron-Eater. Forgive any intrusion as I pass through your realms. Should any realm lord be willing to assist in intercepting him, Fusheng shall reward you handsomely!" Samsara, Sovereign Fusheng. At this moment, Sovereign Kanghan looked shaken and whispered, "An eighth-rank sovereign of the Samsara World..." Li Hao, meanwhile, was bewildered. *Iron-Eater has enemies here too?* *Truly bizarre!* Well, that wasn't the main point. The main point was, this guy was truly capable of stirring up trouble! Fortunately, he hadn't traveled with him back then. Look at him—he had barely emerged, and he was already tangling with one of the strongest factions in the eastern region! Never a moment of peace! Why did you have to run near the Samsara World of all places? Clearly they had bumped into each other. The chaos was vast; couldn't you two avoid each other? As he pondered this, he sensed the fluctuations of four more seventh-rank auras. He clicked his tongue in wonder: "Five experts—one eighth-rank and four seventh-rank... Iron-Eater is in deep trouble!" By the looks of it, he was about to be caught. The distance between them wasn't great. This was the Seventh Heaven, and it seemed the chase would continue for a while longer. However, Iron-Eater was clearly slower than his pursuer. Had the pursuer not felt obliged to call out whenever passing a world to avoid misunderstandings, he would have caught up long ago. The Iron-Eating Sovereign was an outsider and didn't care, but an eighth-rank sovereign of the Samsara World suddenly tearing across the land with four seventh-rank sovereigns in tow—who wouldn't be on high alert? At this moment, Li Hao also called out: "Greetings, Senior Fusheng... Unfortunately, I did not hear your transmission earlier and was too late to intercept him. Had I known sooner, I would have certainly helped..." He had disguised his voice as Xiaochen's. Sovereign Fusheng didn't even stop and didn't care much either; in truth, he had merely given a heads-up so everyone knew he was hunting an enemy and not coming for them. Whether other realm lords actually took action was of no consequence. He couldn't be bothered to engage in polite chatter, but since someone had replied, he gave a perfunctory response: "No matter!" With those words, he had already vanished! Wushan and the others all turned to look at Li Hao. *You certainly have a lot of nerve. We are outsiders here, thieves in someone else's home, yet you aren't afraid of him actually stopping to confer with you and ask you to join him outside?* *You truly have too much time on your hands!* Li Hao didn't mind at all. Caressing his chin, he looked in the direction the group had gone and smiled faintly. "The Iron-Eating Sovereign... is quite bold. Word is that the Samsara World is located in the Ninth Heaven, right? He actually ran all the way to the Ninth Heaven, and right near the Samsara World... What a coincidence!" Why did this feel... somewhat out of character for the Iron-Eating Sovereign? He was upright and unyielding, not insane. Since they were blood enemies, he should have known something about the situation. There was no reason for him to head straight into his enemy's territory the moment he left the Four Regions. Was he tired of living? Li Hao glanced into the distance and chuckled softly. "Truly interesting. This style... is somewhat... unusual!" Beside him, Er Mao looked thoughtful and nodded. Indeed, an unusual style. Yet this style... felt faintly familiar. Li Hao chuckled again: "With such a massive commotion, the experts across the Ninth Heaven will all be heading over to watch the show. Six high-rank powerhouses—one fleeing, five pursuing, an eighth-rank hunting a seventh-rank, cutting across heaven and earth... With such huge waves... why is it that wherever that person goes, he always wants to stir up trouble?" While the others were still dazed, Er Mao understood. The Human King? Could this be related to the Human King? Who knew? Looking at Iron-Eater's situation, it was simply too coincidental—so coincidental that it felt like an intentional provocation. In the entire Four Regions, who else dared to act so unscrupulously, actively picking fights and dangling bait... other than the Human King? Li Hao broke into a smile. "That senior of ours is always so considerate. Though my Silver Moon has taken the blame for him several times, I have to admit... he brings us pleasant surprises every time!" Pausing there, he laughed. "Since that's the case... let's... pull off a score. I just happen to owe him a seventh-rank universe. Yes, this one will do nicely!" He looked toward the Xiaochen World and grinned. "Let's get to work. Pack up the Xiaochen World and take it with us. Gather all the inhabitants into the world of faith... Well, it's hard to make them believe, so dupe some first. Those who can believe, let them believe; those who can't, we'll deal with later... As for the rest, plunge them into quiescence and pack up the entire world..." With that, he glanced at Sovereign Xiaochen, whose face had drained of all color, and smiled. "What unfortunate timing. I'm going to be busy, so I'm afraid I don't have time to play with you anymore." Sovereign Xiaochen's face warped in horror! "You..." In a flash, a sword streaked forward, decapitating him on the spot! The Great Dao Universe immediately fluctuated with no small commotion, but who would care at this moment? Six powerful auras were surging nearby; what was so strange about a local world being startled into mobilizing its Great Dao Universe to mount a defense? Li Hao stepped into the Great Dao Universe in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he reached its depths. A Dao source star was revealed. Colossal, pulsing like a heart. The primary Dao Sovereign Xiaochen cultivated was not overly unique. Li Hao briefly comprehended it. At this moment, Xiaochen's will was still fluctuating violently, roaring in frenzy: "You cannot kill me! If you kill me, the Huantian World will certainly find out about all this..." "Does Huantian even know who I am?" Li Hao let out a light laugh. "Even if he does... he won't care soon enough. In this place, even an eighth-rank sovereign can die, and one from the Samsara World at that. Who is going to care whether you live or die?" Xiaochen was stunned. What did he mean? Was he saying Fusheng was going to die? How could that be? Before he could think further, Li Hao charged into the Dao source. Like a demolition crew, he rapidly unraveled the Dao star thread by thread. With a violent shudder and a rumbling crash, the seventh-rank Dao source was completely dismantled by him! The entire Great Dao Universe instantly fell into turmoil. Xiaochen's phantom manifested in sheer terror, howling, "I... I can surrender... I am the master of a seventh-rank world..." A top-tier entity! A seventh-rank sovereign was considered an expert anywhere. If one surrendered and signed a Great Dao agreement, they rarely dared to violate it. *I can surrender!* Yet the moment Li Hao heard this, he got a headache. He already felt that too many experts were joining his side, and he could barely manage them all. He was entirely unwilling to take in strangers. Wushan, the Thunder Lord, Kongji, Senlan—these people had either collaborated with him for a long time or had been observed over a period of time... In any case, they largely shared a common language. A fellow who wanted him dead shared no common language with him whatsoever. Boom! A sword rippled out, and in the blink of an eye, the phantom collapsed. Within the Xiaochen World, the various sovereigns soon sensed it, their expressions changing drastically. The world's Great Dao shook wildly, and the world itself was thrown into violent upheaval. Kongji and the others all made their moves! A group of seventh- and eighth-rank sovereigns dealing with a crowd lacking high-rank sovereigns... was simply too easy! At this moment, the Queen also got to work. This time, these people did not believe in her. However... having reached the fourth rank, the Queen was far beyond what she had been at the first rank. Although this was a major world that had been relatively peaceful before, making the hearts of the people difficult to subdue, what did that matter? On one hand, she manifested her Silver Moon incarnation to deceive the masses, duping as many as she could—there would always be some who believed. On the other hand, the Divine Kingdom manifested like a heavenly paradise. Believers would willingly enter the Divine Kingdom, but today, beneath the Divine Kingdom, an infernal hell emerged, resembling Lin Hongyu's death hell. The Queen's voice resonated: "Those who believe in me shall enter the Divine Kingdom! Those who do not shall be cast into hell to sink into eternal oblivion!" Within that hell, all sorts of tortures and nether demons brimming with death aura appeared... Among them, the faint outline of a female demon lord seemed to manifest. Looking closely... she actually... actually bore some resemblance to Lin Hongyu. Li Hao emerged from the Great Dao Universe and caught sight of this, his expression shifting slightly. On one hand, he was shocked that the Queen had opened up a distinct realm, establishing a so-called hell beneath the domain of the Divine Kingdom—that was indeed astonishing. Yet in the next moment, he clicked his tongue in exasperation. *Are you looking for trouble?* *Why does the demon lord in this hell... look a bit like Lin Hongyu?* It was only because Lin Hongyu wasn't here right now; she had gone to the Dali Realm to comprehend life and death and construct her own death hell. Yet here the Queen was, depicting her as the demon lord of hell. If Lin Hongyu saw this one day... wouldn't she cause trouble for her? Asking for it! Li Hao couldn't be bothered to intervene. Materializing between heaven and earth, he reached out and grabbed. Innumerable Great Dao laws collapsed as he rapidly compressed the entire world, while countless living beings fled frantically. Some cast themselves into the Divine Kingdom, some were sucked directly into hell, and some tried to flee the realm, only to be instantly plunged into quiescence before they could step outside! Quiescence was not death; everything was merely suspended in silence. It could still be revived. Above, Kongji was also plunging everything into quiescence, ensuring no creature could escape and leak word. The silenced beings were also drawn into the Queen's hell one after another. Through this process, the vast seventh-rank world and its countless inhabitants were completely gathered up and cleared away in the blink of an eye, vanishing without a trace. Meanwhile, the world itself was compressed furiously. Left uncompressed, a seventh-rank major world was colossal, but under Li Hao's hands, it gradually shrank smaller and smaller. As for whether the disappearance of a seventh-rank world here would be observed or noticed... Under normal circumstances, it would, but not today. After today... what did it have to do with him? The Human King did it! The Xinwu Human King was fierce and brutal; seeing a seventh-rank world that rubbed him the wrong way, he might very well have hacked it to pieces with a single slash. Right? Who would care about a seventh-rank sovereign? Even if he was Huantian's subordinate, it could just as easily be other eighth-rank worlds fishing in troubled waters. There was definitely more than one or two people who wished to snuff out Huantian's scouts. At this moment, Li Hao's smile was exceptionally radiant. After a while, with a rumbling sound, the world turned into a small orb and landed in Li Hao's hand. With no living beings inside to carry, compressing it directly was manageable; although a seventh-rank major world was immensely heavy, to Li Hao, it was no longer much of a burden. Tossing the world casually to Er Mao, Li Hao laughed, "Sorry for the trouble, Senior Er Mao. Hold onto this for now; I'll use it to repay a debt later." To whom? The Human King. He looked into the distance, faintly sensing several auras, and chuckled. "We're in for a good show this time. I expect everyone is watching... Come on, let's head to Gemini to watch the spectacle!" The others' eyes flickered, and Kongji smiled: "No more communications?" "They're trying to kill me, so what is there to communicate?" Li Hao laughed and vanished in an instant, heading straight for the Eighth Heaven. The Gemini Universe possessed one eighth-rank sovereign and currently about six seventh-rank sovereigns. Their combat prowess was formidable, and backed by their native universe, they were even stronger. His side wasn't afraid of them, but taking them down quickly would be quite difficult. The Thunder Lord and Senlan hadn't come. Had they been present, their chances would have been very high. Countless thoughts surfaced in his mind, but he didn't turn back to fetch the Thunder Lord and the others. Instead, he said hurriedly, "Senior Wushan, he recognizes you. Er Mao, he likely recognizes the Cang Emperor as well. You two fall behind a bit..." "I'll disguise myself as Xiaochen. With this sudden upheaval, he has likely sensed some changes as well. Heh... the timing couldn't be better. Truly, the heavens are helping me... No, the Human King is helping me... Actually, that's not right either; it's just that the Human King is always so... delightful!" Li Hao laughed. Were the heavens helping him? No. It was the Human King! Had the Human King done this intentionally? No, because the Human King simply wanted to stir up trouble himself. That was great—the Human King's temperament gave people headaches, but it also brought delight. With him around, you never had to worry that a place would be too peaceful or too quiet to make your moves. With him around, those who fished in troubled waters had their greatest opportunity. A rare chance. Taking advantage of this moment was critical; any later, and someone might catch on. Li Hao moved with extreme speed, pushing himself to the limit. Traversing continuously, he even stepped onto the River of Time, his pace growing even faster. ... Soon, in the Eighth Heaven, the Gemini Universe came into view. Although divided into the Nine Heavens, there were no distinct physical barriers between them. Aside from the chaotic energy being slightly denser and acting as a demarcation, the Eighth Heaven and Seventh Heaven occupied the same spatial dimension. At this moment, Sovereign Diyang had indeed sensed the commotion. In their relentless chase, the Iron-Eating Sovereign and his pursuers weren't too far from the Gemini Universe. Just as Sovereign Diyang was furrowing his brows, an aura drifted in from outside. His expression shifted slightly. *Xiaochen, who just left, is already back?* *He barely departed a moment ago.* He vanished swiftly and soon appeared near the world gate. Outside, Sovereign Xiaochen's aura seemed slightly erratic and unstable as he panted for breath, yet he looked overjoyed: "Senior Diyang, great news!" "What?" Diyang was slightly taken aback. Li Hao pointed into the distance. "Did Senior sense it?" Diyang frowned slightly and said calmly, "I felt something, like some disturbance occurred. What is it? Do you know?" "Sovereign Fusheng of Samsara is pursuing the Iron-Eating Sovereign of the Four Regions..." *So that's what it is!* *I thought something had happened.* He didn't care much, only furrowing his brow slightly: "Hunting a single seventh-rank requires such a massive display?" *Could his drunkard's intent lie elsewhere?* *Intimidating the surrounding regions?* *Or trying to do something in secret?* He instantly fell into deep thought, but Li Hao said urgently, "Senior might not know, but Iron-Eater and the Xinwu Human King have actually joined hands in secret and converged. This means... the Xinwu Human King is preparing an ambush for Sovereign Fusheng!" "Hm?" Sovereign Diyang froze. Looking at Li Hao, Li Hao appeared ecstatic: "Senior Diyang, this is an opportunity! We were originally planning to deal with Xinwu and wipe them out, and now they've delivered themselves to our doorstep! Having reached the eighth rank, the Xinwu Human King is bound to be insufferably arrogant—that's the only reason he would dare ambush an eighth-rank sovereign of Samsara! This is our chance... to reap the fisherman's spoils! Since they're ambushing him, they must have some confidence, but Samsara is no pushover either. No matter who dies, we lose nothing... Senior, if we rally our forces and set up an ambush quickly, they will never expect that someone else would dare lay an ambush behind them! The Human King thinks no one knows, but my Huantian World possesses immense intelligence networks and received the news long ago..." Diyang's eyes flickered, turning somewhat cold. The Human King? Xinwu! Last time, he had been routed by Xinwu and fled in utter disgrace, nearly dying over there. Toward Xinwu, he felt intense loathing. The Dragon Lord was the enemy who killed his brother, while Xinwu was the enemy who humiliated him! Neither could be spared! His gaze shifted slightly. "If Xinwu... has stepped into the eighth rank, then even Fusheng... is in danger! But if we are to ambush them, have your forces... all arrived?" Li Hao said hurriedly, "Not yet, but soon. On short notice, only one eighth-rank sovereign and several seventh-rank sovereigns were mobilized... They are currently rushing over, but they won't arrive immediately. I didn't expect the clash to erupt so quickly either. Time waits for no one. Does Senior wish to act now, or... wait a bit longer? If we wait, I can summon a few more experts, but we might miss this opportunity..." He said anxiously, "The chaos is too vast, so arriving quickly is difficult. For now, the only confirmed reinforcement is one eighth-rank sovereign, and at most two or three seventh-rank sovereigns..." Diyang quickly calculated. One eighth-rank plus himself made two. As for seventh-rank sovereigns, he had six on his side, and Xiaochen had three or four including himself... Two eighth-rank sovereigns and around ten seventh-rank sovereigns—that was not weak at all, definitely formidable! As for Fusheng's side... because of the distance, he couldn't sense it too clearly, so he asked, "How many did Fusheng bring?" "Four seventh-rank sovereigns!" Diyang nodded slightly and reassessed. Four plus Fusheng meant Xinwu wouldn't find it easy to take them down either. Thoughts raced through his mind. He looked at Li Hao and said in a low voice, "Are you certain the eighth-rank sovereign you summoned can arrive in time?" "Certain!" Li Hao nodded, then added, "However, I cannot guarantee the exact time. Still, if they don't arrive... we can simply call it off. We can just shadow them without necessarily striking immediately. Delaying for a time until I gather all the forces might be safer..." *Safer?* *How long would that take?* This was indeed a rare opportunity! "Are you sure Xinwu and Iron-Eater have joined forces?" "Certain!" Li Hao said solemnly, "This is intelligence sent back by my Huantian Universe's hidden agents; it cannot be false. Senior, rest assured. Huantian has laid plans in the chaos for many years and paid close attention to the Four Regions. Otherwise, we wouldn't have known about Senior Tianyang... ahem, we wouldn't understand the Four Regions' affairs so thoroughly!" He added seriously, "This time, Iron-Eater provoked Fusheng and deliberately showed himself in the Ninth Heaven to lure Fusheng out. It must be an ambush laid by the Human King to slay powerhouses! Of course, if Senior Diyang feels it is improper... we can send a message to the Samsara World and have the Samsara Sovereign take action personally..." Diyang kept quiet, thinking it was utter nonsense. Why notify Samsara? The Samsara World was the target of wariness for all eighth-rank worlds in the east. If an eighth-rank sovereign died, that would be for the best, bringing them on par with the Polar Ice World. Losing an eighth-rank and four seventh-rank sovereigns was something he would gladly welcome. Why would he notify the Samsara World? It would be best if they actually died! The ideal outcome was mutual destruction, allowing him... to reap the fisherman's spoils. His mind moved quickly, and he said, "We can strike, but... I can only mobilize myself... and bring at most three seventh-rank sovereigns..." He intended to leave three seventh-rank sovereigns behind to guard their homeland and prevent any mishaps. Li Hao frowned slightly. "That... could work, but if the Human King and the Cang Emperor have both reached the eighth rank on Xinwu's side, along with the Xinwu Supreme, then on my end... well, that's fine too. I can wait a bit longer and act based on the situation. If not enough experts arrive on my side, we can wait for the next chance..." Sovereign Diyang's brows furrowed. After a moment's hesitation, he said swiftly, "I will bring four and see how it goes, leaving two seventh-rank sovereigns to guard the Gemini Universe... Otherwise, if any unexpected changes occur, it would be troublesome. With two seventh-rank sovereigns present, even if an eighth-rank mounts a heavy assault, they can hold out for a while until I return!" Li Hao nodded. "As it should be. Gemini comes first. Huantian also hopes the Gemini Universe can remain here and stay rooted in the east. If Gemini were destroyed, that would be a colossal loss for Huantian!" With that, he said urgently, "Then without further delay... shall we depart?" "Alright!" Sovereign Diyang's eyes flickered as he looked into the distance. *The Xinwu Human King?* *Truly a madman. You just left the Four Regions, yet you dare actively provoke Samsara! You have far too much nerve!* *If we fail to ambush and slay you this time, it won't matter. When the time comes, not only will Samsara want your life and I will want your life, but Huantian's forces will also want your life, and even the eighth-rank powerhouses of the eastern region might step in to kill you!* *Because you are far too disruptive—an unstable element destroying the peace!* Soon, he mobilized four seventh-rank sovereigns and said directly, without pleasantries, "Come with me. Conceal your auras and act with caution!" He then turned to the two seventh-rank sovereigns left behind and said in a heavy voice, "Guard the world gate well. Before I return, no one is permitted to enter! Station yourselves near the world gate, one inside and one outside, ready to assist each other at any time! If any changes occur, vibrate the Great Dao Universe directly, and I will return immediately! Remember, do not leave. Even if someone provokes you or anything else happens, do not act rashly!" With Samsara serving as a cautionary tale, he also feared someone might pull the same trick on him. The two seventh-rank sovereigns definitely could not leave. As long as no one entered the realm and discovered the truth, no one would know he had departed... Only those present knew, so there was nothing to fear. As long as these two seventh-rank sovereigns held firm, even if others arrived, not knowing whether he was present, they would never dare act against Gemini rashly. He looked toward the turbulent world in the distance once more. *I am not as reckless as Fusheng!* *Too ostentatious!* *This time, I shall maintain a low profile, lie in wait, and act from the shadows.* *A lesson learned is a lesson gained; being too ostentatious never ends well.* The two seventh-rank sovereigns staying behind nodded hurriedly, not daring to object. They appeared solemn, yet they also felt quite secure; after all, aside from them, no one knew the realm lord had left. It wasn't a big problem. "Let's go!" Sovereign Diyang said no more, and Li Hao quickly followed. Right now, he was merely an empty shell, disguising himself as Sovereign Xiaochen through the River of Memories. Everything was fine so long as he didn't actually fight. If he fought, he would be exposed. He truly possessed immense daring born of skill! He was certain Diyang would not strike at him, and that was enough—he had directly lured the snake out of its hole, drawing the man out instead of letting him remain in his major world, which would have been far harder to deal with. Once they reached the Human King's side... whether he dealt with this group himself or the Human King dealt with Fusheng's party, both sides could provide mutual support. Of course, the Human King might not know he was nearby. No matter; once the fight started, what was unknown would become known. Neither side had communicated, but Li Hao was already prepared to assist, because he felt the Human King... might have come alone. Otherwise, would the Xinwu Supreme have allowed him to run wild like this right after emerging? If the Human King was alone—the Human King was powerful, Li Hao believed that much, but having just stepped into the eighth rank, could he really easily slay Fusheng and four seventh-rank sovereigns? There were other major worlds in the vicinity. Once they intervened, many variables would arise. Had the Human King considered any of this? Probably not. At times, the Human King didn't bother considering such things at all. He likely held the mindset of running if he couldn't win, ignoring potential accidents entirely, because overthinking could erode one's confidence. At this moment, Li Hao rippled the River of Time. With illusory realms held by the other experts, he swiftly transmitted a message: "Follow me at a distance. Don't come out until I tell you to... Senior Wushan, be sure to conceal your aura well!" Meanwhile, he observed Diyang. Seeing that Diyang showed no reaction, he felt at ease. *A weakling!* Simply because he hadn't sensed the fluctuations of Time, he was a weakling. Of course, that was just a passing thought; as of now, the only one who could clearly perceive the fluctuations of Time was the Dragon Lord. That one was the true source of trouble! ... At the same time. Outside the Samsara World. In the void. Two silhouettes flickered faintly. The Dragon Lord wore an indifferent expression, suddenly letting out a soft laugh: "I guessed they wouldn't stay quiet. Samsara was bound to clash with them. What I didn't expect was that it wasn't Li Hao who took him in, but... the Human King!" Indeed, judging by the style, it had to be the Human King! This was not Li Hao's style. This made things even more interesting. He had emerged as well. Not only had he come out, but he had headed straight for Samsara upon emerging, believing Samsara would inevitably clash with that group sooner or later. As it turned out, he had guessed right. Yet he had also guessed wrong. Iron-Eater had actually thrown in his lot with the Human King. Still, that was fine too! At this moment, a faint smile appeared on his face. Tossing a peculiar mask that pulsed with a distinct aura to Red Moon, he gave a dark chuckle: "Wait! Wait until Fusheng sends an urgent call for help, wait until the eighth-rank sovereigns on Samsara's side move to reinforce him... and kill the eighth-rank sovereign who comes out! Brother Red Moon, I have great faith in you. I hope you won't disappoint me. Help me entangle at least one eighth-rank sovereign; otherwise... an eighth-rank must die this time. If it isn't them, it might just be someone else!" "..." At this moment, the Red Moon Sovereign felt like cursing out loud! A threat! A blatant threat—if he didn't pin down an eighth-rank sovereign, the one who died wouldn't be anyone else, but him. Damn it! These bastards, these madmen, these animals. A faction as mighty as Samsara was actually being targeted by one schemer after another. The Dragon Lord was actually planning to ambush and slay their powerhouses as well! As for the Dragon Lord, his expression was completely detached. Of course he had to kill them; Samsara was a threat to the dragon race stepping out of the Four Regions. If he could eliminate a few eighth-rank sovereigns this time, he wouldn't fear the Samsara Sovereign in the slightest! The Samsara Sovereign might not be stronger than him. However, four eighth-rank sovereigns together were far too troublesome. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, how could he let it slip by? He smiled, his expression carrying deep meaning. As expected, driving Xinwu and Silver Moon out had been the right move. This step had been played brilliantly! At this moment, the entire Samsara World remained utterly peaceful. Little did they know that pairs of eyes were already fixated upon them, like hungry wolves!