No matter how the outside world buzzed with discussion and commotion, Li Hao paid it no mind. His gains from this venture were substantial, and he naturally needed to digest them.
Alliance City No. 9.
Li Hao was also filling his small worlds. Ever since he had formed his Thousand Realms, he rarely expended energy to fill them himself, relying primarily on the Queen to sustain them. With her current fourth-rank power, she could provide him with a considerable amount of energy.
The pace was not slow. Relying on the Queen’s supply, Li Hao had filled seven or eight small worlds over the past few days.
However, comparatively speaking, there was almost no noticeable change.
Filling seven or eight small worlds in such a brief span was extraordinarily fast—frighteningly so. Yet to Li Hao, the number of new small worlds he had opened during this time far exceeded that.
Back then, he had worried the Queen might burst him from overfilling, but now he realized... that was a long way off.
If she wanted to burst him, she would have to wait until she reached the seventh rank.
At this stage, the energy the Queen provided could only be considered a light snack for Li Hao.
Paying no heed to this, Li Hao continued to open new small worlds.
In terms of comprehending Daos, Li Hao had certainly grasped more than a thousand.
It was just that previously, due to limitations of energy and time, he had focused mainly on perfecting his Thousand Realms rather than continuously opening too many small worlds. Now, as Li Hao opened small worlds, he pondered.
The key was the Dao of Rules!
Currently, the power of Great Daos was chaotic, or rather, rooted in chaos. The Great Daos of the entire Chaos were in a state of disorder. Was chaos truly better, or was order better?
In the past, it hadn't necessarily been clear.
Yet after the previous battle, Li Hao had formed some conclusions. Though that figure had only struck with a single sword slash without revealing more, it was evident that the orderly Dao of Rules was more formidable.
Its destructive power against disorder was far greater.
Countless thoughts swirled as his gaze turned once more to the Time Star.
As the Time Star continued to revolve, Li Hao had recorded many of its transformations. The myriad daos within the Time Star were constantly shifting, though initially no pattern could be discerned in those changes.
Now, however, Li Hao had begun to perceive certain patterns.
At this point, he couldn't help but marvel: the Emperor of Battle Heaven was truly a transcendent genius.
In that era, he had managed to complete the combination of ten thousand daos. The prerequisite for combining myriad daos was comprehending them all. After comprehending them, one had to arrange them in order, and after that, take it a step higher to enact their transformations!
Each layer was more difficult than the last!
The most foundational step—comprehending ten thousand daos—was something Li Hao had not yet achieved. Even though he had reached the seventh rank, he still hadn't completed this step. He had comprehended many daos now, but to say he had grasped ten thousand... was far from the truth.
And comprehending ten thousand daos was merely the foundation of Time.
Without even meeting the foundational requirement, the hope of independently forging his own path of Time was slim. Thus, Li Hao was still in the learning stage.
Having reached the seventh rank, he was still studying—learning from a sixth-rank Sovereign... If word got out, people would probably mock him.
Yet such was the truth.
Not just the seventh-rank Li Hao, but at this stage in Chaos, there was likely not a single person capable of constructing Time. Otherwise, Time would no longer be shrouded in mystery.
The Myriad Dao Pavilion might be Li Hao's opportunity to rapidly comprehend ten thousand daos.
Right now, he was merely puzzled: back then, how had the Emperor of Battle Heaven managed to comprehend ten thousand daos without even leaving Xinwu?
As for traversing the past and future... he could only do that after comprehending ten thousand daos and constructing Time.
In the beginning, he had surely comprehended ten thousand daos on his own.
Every world inherently contained the foundations of ten thousand daos.
However, each had its own emphasis.
Xinwu World possessed ten thousand daos, but some were so faint they were nearly imperceptible. How had he comprehended such daos?
Li Hao was deeply puzzled by this, but also full of admiration.
Had it been himself, he likely couldn't have pulled it off.
Sometimes, when making comparisons, outsiders viewed him as a genius... but in Li Hao's eyes, that was hardly worth mentioning. He himself could never have comprehended ten thousand daos merely from within Silver Moon.
From the battered Cracked Earth World, wisps of Great Dao power drifted out, filling those newly opened small worlds.
Among his original Thousand Realms, several had, in terms of sheer energy, stepped into the rank of medium worlds.
For example, the New Thunder Realm, the new Senlan Realm, and the Calamity Realm...
All were considered medium-level worlds.
Most of the other realms still fell into the category of small worlds. Compared to real worlds, what these phantom realms lacked now was the source of life.
New realms were opened one after another.
At this moment, another figure existed within the River of the Great Dao... Dao Chess.
Dao Chess had now reverted to its true form, revealing the Myriad Dao Chessboard and opening it fully for Li Hao to observe. Dao Chess had been left behind by the Lord of Tianfang, who had inscribed his own myriad spatial daos onto Dao Chess's true body.
For Li Hao, observing Dao Chess after it had restored itself to the eighth rank yielded even greater gains.
Not only that... near Dao Chess lay a book: the Great Dao Book.
It came from the Xinwu Supreme.
The Xinwu Supreme had also entered the eighth rank. Exactly how many Great Daos he had comprehended, Li Hao did not know; he had only heard "a thousand pages, a thousand emperors." One had to admit that his path bore an uncanny resemblance to Li Hao's.
Li Hao transformed Daos into worlds, while the Xinwu Supreme did nearly the same thing, except he outlined the Dao rules into a book—merely a different form of expression.
At this moment, Li Hao felt quite fortunate.
He did not worry about bottlenecks.
Before he had even finished comprehending Dao Chess's Dao, the Supreme's Dao had been delivered to him. Fully absorbing and digesting it all would take who knew how long.
Page after page of the Great Dao Book unfolded.
Characters like divine characters drifted before his eyes, soon transforming into figures of the Supreme, as if demonstrating the Great Dao. Delineating the Dao into a book made it far more intuitive.
Li Hao had always entertained a similar idea, but having turned divine characters into worlds—one character per world, one world per Dao—compressing them was exceptionally difficult.
He hadn't reached the Supreme's level yet.
The Supreme's ability to compress Dao rules into a book indicated that his comprehension and mastery over the Great Dao were a notch above Li Hao's.
Li Hao, for now, could only continue turning divine characters into worlds.
All around, tiny realms continuously emerged from Li Hao's comprehension, surfacing in all directions like bubbles. Soon, vast amounts of Great Dao power surged into them, filling the small worlds.
This time, Li Hao had a single objective: open two thousand realms first.
As for whether they could be filled, that would be addressed later.
Opening the small worlds first would make what followed a straightforward process of filling them.
The first thousand realms had ultimately been dominated by the Dao of Calamity, forming the Thousand Realms Calamity Sword. Now, Li Hao considered what Dao should anchor the second thousand realms to forge his Second Thousand Realms Sword.
Once all two thousand realms were completely filled, Li Hao believed his combat strength would leap forward. Even if it couldn't match a top eighth-rank, it would at least wield the power of three thousand Dao rules or more.
Compared to those eighth-rank cultivators who hadn't transformed Dao into worlds, the power of each of his realms was at least fifty percent stronger—and that was merely the baseline.
Therefore, once the two thousand realms were complete, his strength would rival a cultivator of three to four thousand Dao rules.
Currently, across the entire eastern region, few eighth-rank cultivators possessed such might. Most were relatively weaker, falling in the range of two to three thousand rules. The Thunder Emperor and his peers were actually at this stage.
"The Bright Moon Sword: First Sword, Calamity Dao Sword!" With the first thousand realms as the sword's foundation, how could the second sword become even stronger at this level? That was what Li Hao was contemplating now.
Which realm should anchor the second thousand realms? Life and Death? Silence and Revitalization? Yin and Yang? Or something else?
In the early days, he hadn't focused on the Calamity Sword Dao, yet it had been the first to enter the seventh rank, mainly because he had undergone so many Chaos Thunder Tribulations, giving him the requisite foundation.
The Calamity Sword Dao's destructive power was formidable, making it a decent choice for the First Thousand Realms Sword. Of course, it was not a true ninth-rank Dao, or it wouldn't be this weak.
The Second Thousand Realms Sword naturally couldn't be a true ninth-rank Dao either, but it should serve as a complement to perfect his Bright Moon Sword, playing a major role when facing powerful enemies.
"Combat between the strong comes down to trapping, suppressing, breaking, and destroying."
Thoughts surfaced in Li Hao's mind. The Calamity Sword possessed sufficient power to break, but its ability to trap and kill was weak. Currently, his primary method against formidable foes was freezing Time to suppress them before striking to kill. Yet Time was not truly his own after all. What if the Time Star truly shattered?
"The second sword dao should still focus on suppression and entrapment. In that case, the Dao of Silence will be of great use, and the Dao of Revitalization can restore me..."
Li Hao's comprehension of the Dao of Silence and Revitalization was not weak, though inferior to Kongji's. Still, he was very familiar with it. Perhaps the second thousand realms should be anchored by Silence and Revitalization—silencing and suppressing the enemy to freeze them for an instant, then executing them with the Calamity Sword Dao, while Revitalization could drain life force, comparable to the Dao of Life and Death.
With a shift in thought, a realm swiftly emerged within the River of the Great Dao and expanded in an instant. The Dao of Silence and Revitalization had long since coalesced into stars. However, extracting them from the original thousand realms and reordering them to prevent disrupting the Dao rules was no small undertaking. For Li Hao, this process of destruction and reorganization was itself an opportunity for self-improvement.
...
Over ten-odd days, Li Hao condensed another thousand small realms. Naturally, almost none were filled. During this time, the Great Dao power had gone toward opening small worlds; only a dozen of the new thousand realms were fully filled, yielding a negligible boost to Li Hao's strength.
For the second thousand realms, Li Hao ultimately decided to anchor them with Silence and Revitalization. Having spent days in closed-door cultivation, Li Hao was completing their general framework. The entire river surged turbulently. Densely clustered realms hovered along the River of the Great Dao, looking imposing, but in truth his combat strength had barely changed, making the increase virtually inconsequential.
Boom!
With a tremendous roar, the second thousand realms settled completely.
At that moment, a cat appeared above the river, eyeing the scene up and down with a slight twitch of its whiskers. Soon drifting before Li Hao and looking at the two thousand realms floating upon the River of the Great Dao, it asked in puzzlement, "You should have grasped some of Time's composition... Why not follow Time's path? Going along with your own ideas like this... you might not end up forming Time in the end."
The arrangement of Time had its own unique properties. Li Hao understood the sequence of Time's ten thousand daos to a degree. Simply copying Time's order would suffice, yet he insisted on doing something unconventional and building a new system. It was troublesome and might not even yield Time.
Li Hao smiled. "Time changes; it isn't set in stone. Besides, Time looks different in everyone's eyes... Moreover, this is only a temporary structure. Do you really believe that copying the Emperor of Battle Heaven's Time is the only valid way?"
"I didn't say that," Er Mao muttered. "It's just that if you walk this path, when you reach three thousand or four thousand... it might become very difficult."
"No rush, one step at a time." Li Hao exhaled. "For now, let's focus on filling and perfecting my two thousand realms. What I lack is an immense amount of chaotic energy to fill them. Destroying worlds is fast, but where would I find so many worlds to destroy? As things stand... the Queen's Dao is good, but far too slow!"
For a fourth-rank Queen to push Li Hao to the eighth rank was simply too difficult.
Li Hao fell silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "Er Mao, what if I temporarily attach and integrate Time into the Dao of Chaos? I'll enter Chaos myself! Relying on others is never as good as relying on oneself, and hoping Lingyue can continually provide me with vast amounts of chaotic energy... isn't realistic."
Perhaps only by personally stepping into Chaos and merging into it could he hope to swiftly perfect his orthodoxy. That was the first reason! Second, merging his Dao into Chaos meant that against Chaos beasts like the Dragon Lord—whose Daos mostly adhered to Chaos—he would pose a tangible threat in their next encounter.
Er Mao's chubby face scrunched up.
Li Hao always had these sudden whims. In other matters, Li Hao was methodical, but when it came to comprehending the Dao, he always loved to take risks—to try it out, see what happened, and mess around as long as it didn't kill him.
Merging body into Chaos... merging Dao into Chaos! A fourth-rank Queen had nearly tormented Li Hao to death. Li Hao himself had already entered the seventh rank! If he merged into Chaos, how much chaotic energy would he absorb? The speed would be fast, but... was going too fast truly a good thing?
If a seventh-rank Li Hao merged his Dao, the second thousand realms might be perfected very quickly, but would he be able to rapidly expand to a third thousand realms then?
Li Hao had only been musing aloud rather than seeking Er Mao's approval. He continued to murmur to himself, "Next, I need to construct the Myriad Dao Illusion. My comprehension of the Daos will definitely accelerate, so the third thousand realms won't necessarily be difficult! Besides, Dao Chess and the Supreme's Great Dao Book can both provide me with insight and assistance... When the time comes, perhaps I can swiftly comprehend three thousand, even four thousand Great Daos..."
Er Mao was speechless and could only urge, "Then wait until you've successfully constructed it before merging into Chaos."
It sounded great in theory, but what if it failed when the time came? Wouldn't he be finished?
Li Hao shook his head. "If I don't merge now, even my second thousand realms will be difficult to perfect, and my combat strength will remain stuck at the seventh-rank level. If an eighth-rank comes looking for trouble, I won't have a way to deal with them! As for you all... I can't expect you to act as my bodyguards forever, can I?"
Presently, everyone claimed the Silver Moon faction was formidable, but in reality, all the powerful figures were outsiders. Three eighth-ranks, several seventh-ranks... all came from beyond Silver Moon. Although their relations were excellent, these high-rank experts had walked out of the Four Regions in pursuit of freedom. He couldn't keep relying on them to serve as his guards indefinitely.
"During the construction of the Myriad Dao Illusion, we might run into trouble. As for Xinwu, they have their own affairs to attend to. So... I must be strong myself!"
Once filled, the two thousand realms would rival a cultivator of three to four thousand Dao rules; reaching two thousand would firmly place him among eighth-rank Sovereigns. At this moment, Li Hao was infinitely close, but he was indeed not an eighth-rank, let alone capable of slaying one!
Er Mao was still resigned; it truly was dangerous. What was more... this guy wanted to use the Time Star to merge into the Dao of Chaos as an intermediary nexus. If anything went wrong, the Time Star could easily burst.
Yet Er Mao knew that since Li Hao had spoken of it, his mind was made up. Dissuasion was futile; nine times out of ten, he was already preparing for the merger.
"When Lingyue merged with Chaos, she had only just attained Dao. You, however, are already at the seventh rank..." Er Mao pondered aloud. "Will an entity of your level merging Dao into Chaos trigger unexpected developments?"
Li Hao shook his head. "I don't know, but Chaos beasts can merge even at the eighth rank..."
"They merely adhere loosely. You want to merge completely, don't you?"
What Li Hao wanted was to bind completely to the Great Dao of Chaos, just like the Queen. Chaos beasts merely clung to it lightly. It was completely different!
Li Hao nodded slightly. Er Mao added, "Why not gather everyone to discuss it? If you truly want to merge, and something goes wrong, maybe we can figure out a way to resolve it... Just don't go sneaking off to merge on your own!"
How dangerous was that! This guy was always pulling these reckless stunts; usually he seemed reliable, but at critical junctures, he was terrifying.
Li Hao smiled. "Fair enough. Discussing it together works too."
He said no more, sending Er Mao to inform the others while he closed his eyes in contemplation. Merging Dao into Chaos... ideally, it wouldn't just be Time, but the River of the Great Dao itself. That aligned with his earlier thoughts: constructing a pseudo-chaos required inexhaustible energy, something he could never provide alone unless he destroyed myriad worlds! That... was far too horrifying. Only by fully integrating the River of the Great Dao into the Great Dao of Chaos and drawing upon chaotic energy could he establish a second Chaos within Chaos. Right now, this was merely taking that step ahead of time. Although he had not yet constructed the pseudo-chaos, he could integrate into it in advance.
...
Before long, Sovereigns appeared one after another. Everyone had made progress, but the one who gained the most was naturally Yuan Shuo. Most of the energy and Great Dao power this time had been channeled to him alone. At present, Yuan Shuo's Dao domain had expanded drastically, brimming with power. His aura was somewhat unstable, fluctuating around the seventh rank with his power slightly erratic. Whether he had truly stepped into the seventh rank depended on his upcoming efforts to stabilize himself. If he succeeded, he would be a seventh-rank; if he failed, he would merely rival a sixth-rank Sovereign backed by a Great Dao Universe. Aside from Li Hao, he was currently the closest to the seventh rank in the Silver Moon World.
Yuan Shuo was in high spirits, but upon hearing that Li Hao intended to merge Dao into Chaos, even he—normally reticent to interfere—couldn't help saying, "Why such a rush? Wouldn't it be better to forcibly elevate Lingyue first..."
Beside them, the Queen was struck speechless! The nerve of that suggestion! Yet it was true: she was currently only at the fourth rank and had already merged with Chaos. Forcibly elevating her carried risks, but it was far safer than Li Hao doing it. Yuan Shuo's words were somewhat selfish, yet the Sovereigns present kept silent. In truth, they thought the same.
As things stood, a seventh-rank Sovereign merging into Chaos might draw in an unimaginable deluge of chaotic energy. If Li Hao quickly filled the two thousand realms and then hit a bottleneck, unable to construct the third thousand realms... he could very well be dissolved by the Great Dao!
Li Hao chuckled. "It's not that dangerous; even the Queen survived merging... Besides, constructing a pseudo-chaos inherently requires astronomical chaotic energy. We can't rely on destroying worlds forever! Chaos is vast, and chaotic energy is omnipresent. Compared to Great Dao Universes and worlds, chaotic energy is somewhat impure and thus more violent, but it is everywhere, ready to be drawn upon at any time. That is the true prize we should set our sights on."
Always trying to seize pure Great Dao power was too difficult. Nowadays, destroying an eighth-rank universe might only fill a few hundred worlds for him. How many eighth-rank worlds would he need to obliterate? In fact, filling even a few hundred was a stretch. To complete ten thousand realms, wouldn't he have to destroy at least forty or fifty intact eighth-rank universes? By then, he would have wiped out nearly every eighth-rank universe in the entire Chaos!
Moreover, they were grouped together, and the others needed to progress as well. Even when they did destroy a world, like this time, Dao Chess and the other eighth-ranks hadn't taken a single shred of spoils! Once was fine, but who would be willing if it happened every time? No matter how good their relationship was, continuing like this would erode their goodwill. Risking life and limb in battle alongside him without ever receiving spoils, while nursing injuries each time—eventually, parting ways would be inevitable, if not outright falling out. They might not care right now, but Li Hao had to take it into account.
"I didn't gather everyone here to dissuade me..." Li Hao smiled. "My mind is made up. There is only one reason I called you all: the moment I merge into Chaos, it will trigger an immense torrent of chaotic energy erupting into the river... I may not have the capacity to comb through and suppress it all, so I must trouble everyone to help me steady and suppress it!"
"Upon initial integration, the chaotic energy is bound to be turbulent and disorderly. Thus, I need you all to perform a rudimentary purification so it doesn't wash away my two thousand realms!"
With these words, it was obvious Li Hao's decision was set in stone.
Yuan Shuo frowned slightly. "Merging with Chaos will cause an enormous disturbance, sweeping in chaotic energy from all around! The east isn't peaceful yet... If strong enemies strike right then, it will be disastrous!"
At that point, he pondered and added, "Furthermore, Xinwu wishes to claim the eastern territory. If you instantly drain immense chaotic energy, will it strain our relationship?"
After mulling it over, he looked at Li Hao. "I have an idea..."
"What does Master propose?"
"Let's... go to the Four Regions!"
Yuan Shuo suddenly chuckled. "The Chaos beasts also rely on chaotic energy to grow strong. As long as we merge Dao instantly in the Four Regions before Long Zhan and his cohort can react, drawing away massive amounts of chaotic energy, we can weaken them in the process! Of course, it's also dangerous, as we could easily be attacked... I think we should consult Xinwu and have them protect your Dao together with us. Even if Long Zhan notices, he won't be able to do anything... and we'll have pulled the rug from under his feet!"
How much chaotic energy would Li Hao draw upon merging Dao? It was still unknown. But when the Queen had merged Dao upon attaining first-rank Sovereign, she had drawn in energy far exceeding her level. For Li Hao to drain the equivalent of an entire great world in an instant would hardly be surprising. Such a commotion was perilous and might even attract the attention of the hegemons of the other three regions.
In the Four Regions, however, the Thunder Domain would act as a screen against prying eyes from other powerhouses, leaving them to face only Long Zhan's faction.
Long Zhan was no benevolent figure. He was an enemy! Li Hao had slain scores of Chaos beasts; the absence of renewed conflict did not mean the grudge had vanished. Quite the contrary—Long Zhan holding back now only meant a thunderous blow awaited in the future!
"It is said that previously, the Extreme Ice worlds dispatched eight eighth-ranks, yet ended up losing one eighth-rank and multiple seventh-ranks..." Yuan Shuo warned. "You must not forget this archenemy! That fellow is far more troublesome than Samsara! If the opportunity arises this time, I'd even suggest teaming up with Xinwu—and perhaps roping in the Extreme Ice worlds—to wipe out Long Zhan and his cohort once and for all!"
Long Zhan leaving Li Hao alone was courting disaster by feeding a tiger. For Li Hao, the reverse was equally true: failing to deal with Long Zhan now was nurturing a tiger to his own detriment.
Wushan said solemnly, "He will not be easy to deal with. Eight eighth-rank Sovereigns couldn't take him down, and one was even killed... If we join forces with Xinwu, we have plenty of experts... but once a full-scale battle erupts while we are surrounded by enemies on all sides, it will only result in mutual destruction!"
Yuan Shuo nodded. "I know this full well. Just as we have reservations, Long Zhan does too. That being the case, if we can drain the chaotic energy of the Four Regions, let us drain it! At the very least, we should degrade the cultivation environment of the Four Regions so they don't produce more powerhouses. Having slain an eighth-rank and several seventh-ranks, I worry they might give rise to another eighth-rank Sovereign... Chaos beasts struggle to advance, but under his command are several peak seventh-ranks, like Sovereign Qingqiu..."
If things dragged on and more eighth-ranks emerged, they would be even harder to manage. Li Hao hadn't originally planned on heading to the Four Regions, but his master's words held merit. Since the enmity between them ran deep, weakening them however much they could was worthwhile.
"Fair point..." Li Hao mused. "All right then, we'll go to the Four Regions to merge Dao! Besides, with the Thunder Domain acting as a barrier, it will help avoid external trouble. If such an enormous disturbance caught the attention of the three regional hegemons and prompted them to cross the void, it would pose grave danger to me!"
In the Four Regions, even if it caught the notice of the three hegemons, they might not venture in. And even if they did, despite having deep grudges with Long Zhan, Long Zhan would have to prioritize repelling the three hegemons by joining hands with Xinwu and Silver Moon. Otherwise, letting those hegemonic powerhouses enter the Four Regions would invite utter catastrophe.
At this point, the Thunder Emperor chimed in, "By the way, Sovereign Wanhua has arrived... Do you want to meet him now?"
"No rush," Li Hao shook his head. "First I will merge into the Dao of Chaos. Once that's done, we can talk. Doing so beforehand won't carry much weight!"
"The sooner, the better..." Li Hao said. "Let's visit Xinwu and invite several eighth-rank powerhouses along... It's merely for deterrence; a battle won't necessarily break out. Long Zhan is an enduring man. It's just draining some chaotic energy; he knows clashing with us isn't in his interest..."
With that, Li Hao suddenly smiled. "We'll go near Tianfang! Tianfang... feels on the verge of revival, but draining some chaotic energy can slow its recovery. Tianfang reviving right now might not be a good thing; it could play into Long Zhan's hands."
Decision made, the group wasted no time. Li Hao swept his river forward, vanishing without a trace as the River of Time manifested, allowing him to step through the void. He did not know where Xinwu was currently located, but knowing where Tianji was was enough. Finding Xinwu would be easy.
...
Ninth Heaven. The Supreme and the others were also cultivating and digesting their spoils. By now, Xinwu had produced several new seventh-rank Sovereigns, boosting their strength once more. Suddenly, the Supreme sensed something, and in an instant, several eighth-ranks materialized.
By now, the Human King's injuries had nearly healed. It had to be said that suffering such horrific wounds seemed like an everyday occurrence for him; he recovered with astounding speed, possessing an absurd resilience.
When Li Hao appeared, the Human King and the Supreme looked on with some curiosity. Why had this fellow come looking for them on his own initiative?
"Seniors, I have a matter that might require your assistance."
"Speak!"
The Human King skipped pleasantries and said bluntly, "As long as it's not fighting myself, anything goes. A fight is a fight..."
Li Hao chuckled and shook his head. "It won't necessarily be a fight. I want to make a trip to the Four Regions to cultivate. The commotion might be substantial and draw Long Zhan's attention. With seniors present, we can talk amicably if possible, and if not, we'll at least be safe."
"To the Four Regions?" The Human King stroked his chin. "Last time, Long Zhan gifted me three great worlds to get lost. I took the benefits and agreed to clear out until Tianfang revives..." He was relatively faithful to his word. After a thought, he grinned. "How about this: Old Zhang and I will linger around the perimeter of the Thunder Domain... If Long Zhan doesn't pick a fight, we won't go in! But if he looks for trouble—if he initiates it—we'll charge in and beat the tar out of him! That way, I won't be breaking my word. I, Fang Ping, am a man of my word through and through..."
The surrounding Xinwu Sovereigns cast side-eyes at him. Are you sure about that? He was decent enough to his own people, but to enemies, not a single word he uttered could be taken seriously! He was probably just embarrassed to reveal his true nature in front of a junior like Li Hao and felt compelled to save face!
Meanwhile, the Supreme was somewhat doubtful and asked, "Cultivating in the Four Regions... Are you planning to open Tianfang?"
"Not at all," Li Hao explained. "Lately, I've been severely lacking in chaotic energy and Great Dao power for cultivation. I want to integrate into the Great Dao of Chaos and connect directly to Chaos..."
Hearing this, the Sovereigns opposite him were stunned. Even the Supreme stared at him for a long moment before saying, "Years ago, I actually considered that too!"
Clearly, he knew the problems and difficulties involved. He furrowed his brows slightly. "You're young and confident, thinking you can endure it, which is understandable! Xinwu also operates on the principle that as long as it doesn't kill you, push it to the absolute limit! However, if you hit even a minor plateau, it could turn into a disaster... We didn't do it back then, and that was the right choice. If we had, being bottlenecked by an insufficiency of yang qi, we likely would have burst long ago!"
Looking at Li Hao, he pondered and said, "If you've considered this issue, we won't nag you about it. You've surely weighed the pros and cons. Furthermore, there's another point: the Great Dao of Chaos—and I mean the true Great Dao of Chaos—is intensely turbulent and disorderly... Currently, the disappearance of numerous ninth-rank Sovereigns might be tied to the Great Dao of Chaos! You should keep this in mind: all ninth-rank Sovereigns sought to establish an orderly world and an orderly Great Dao... Could the Great Dao of Chaos have come into conflict with them?"
Li Hao grew thoughtful and nodded. "I understand. However... what I am attempting right now is also to transform disorder into order. If the Great Dao of Chaos is the crux of disorder, then all the more reason to integrate into it. If you don't delve deep within, how can you truly understand it?"
The Supreme smiled. "Then I have nothing more to say. If you have a sense of measure and are resolved, go ahead! Fang Ping and I can provide support around the Thunder Domain. Long Zhan is a clever man; he won't rashly make a move against us. This time, we'll most likely just show our faces to each other..."
Li Hao smiled. "That's also because you seniors possess formidable strength capable of deterring him. Otherwise, Long Zhan would have pulverized me with a single punch long ago!"
This trip would likely be nothing more than crossing paths and perhaps exchanging harsh words. The probability of an all-out battle was slim. Even so, one needed the backing to pull it off; otherwise, Long Zhan—hardly someone to be pushed around—would have blown his lid already.
"Then the sooner the better. Let's make the trip!" The Supreme said no more. He didn't find Li Hao's choice beyond comprehension; after all, he had once considered this path himself, only to abandon it in the end. Back then, Xinwu suffered an imbalance of yin and yang, trapping many at a bottleneck, himself included. Had he walked the Dao of Chaos, he would have burst. Now that he had reached the eighth rank, he was disinclined to pursue it. Though he still lacked Great Dao power, his need wasn't as desperate as Li Hao's.
The group was decisive, and once resolved, they wasted no time. Li Hao directly activated the River of Time, setting coordinates near the Thunder Domain. The Human King and Supreme showed no outward curiosity—or rather, maintained their senior dignity and refrained from peering closely. The Bright Sovereign, on the other hand, couldn't resist sneaking a few looks. This thing was quite the novelty! It functioned much like teleportation through a Great Dao Universe, yet was far more stealthy. Beside him, Kongji felt somewhat embarrassed: his old father, well advanced in years and arguably the eldest present, was more blatantly curious than a bunch of youngsters. It was truly mortifying.
...
Along the way, everyone merely chatted casually. Upon reaching the vicinity of the Thunder Domain, the Human King and the other eighth-ranks opted to stay behind rather than venture deeper. Li Hao, leading Wushan and the others, traversed the Thunder Domain and headed straight into the Four Regions.
...
Four Regions. Tianfang World.
The Dragon Lord had remained here recently. Even after foreign enemies invaded and were driven back, he had returned here once more. Lately, Tianfang showed signs of awakening—this time, it truly was about to revive. During these days, he had been waiting, preparing to capture the Lord of Tianfang's will and even strip away some of the Lord of Tianfang's power of desires... He was daring indeed!
Yet at this very moment, Long Zhan suddenly frowned and turned his head to look outside. The next instant, an immensely violent tremor rippled across the surroundings, and boundless chaotic energy throughout the Four Regions began to churn frantically.
Arriving nearby, Li Hao was exceedingly decisive, making no elaborate preparations whatsoever. He began merging Dao directly!
With the Queen's precedent, Li Hao knew the exact procedure and method; the difficulty lay not in merging Dao, but in the raging tide of chaotic energy that surged afterward!
Now, Long Zhan sensed it. His expression shifted, turning slightly grim. In Tianfang World, which had been fluctuating, vast amounts of chaotic energy and Great Dao power abruptly began to drain away. At that moment, within the Tianfang Universe, a pair of eyes seemed to manifest, gazing down upon Tianfang... Evidently, Li Hao's act of merging Dao into Chaos had touched a nerve with the Lord of Tianfang. The immense energy Tianfang had just gathered was draining once again. Deep within the Great Dao Universe, a star seemed to have grown a pair of eyes, silently watching with inscrutable emotion.
...
Long Zhan vanished swiftly, and several eighth-rank Sovereigns followed suit. Outside Tianfang World, at a location not far away, a group stood encircling Li Hao. At that moment, vast currents of chaotic energy swept toward him, making it seem as if the entire Chaos had erupted in riot!
Long Zhan materialized. Gazing at the group in the distance, he let out a sigh. "Li Hao, instead of staying properly over in the east, you return to the Four Regions just to absorb this chaotic energy and merge your Dao into Chaos. Must you insist on carrying this grudge to the bitter end?"
Li Hao remained silent. At that moment, behemoth after behemoth of Chaos beasts rapidly emerged. The moment it saw Li Hao, the eighth-rank Black Tiger's eyes blazed with madness and bloodlust! Li Hao!
The Dragon Lord cast a glance at Li Hao, anger flaring in his eyes before quickly dissipating. He looked around, and soon, in the distance, several eighth-rank auras flickered into perception. The Human King, the Supreme, the Bright Sovereign, and the Cang Emperor were all here! Adding the eighth-ranks on this side... These fellows were audacious indeed! Yet their strength was genuinely terrifying.
From afar, the Human King's laughter reverberated through the void, shaking heaven and earth: "Old Dragon, I didn't step inside! You gave me three great worlds, and I, Fang Ping, keep my promises! But... don't go looking for trouble, or else it won't count as me breaking my word!"
Long Zhan looked deeply at Li Hao, then at the rest of them. After a long pause, he gave a faint chuckle. "Merging Dao into Chaos... It seems even you people think the cultivation method of the Chaos Race is the true orthodoxy! That's fine. Only, Li Hao, to merge completely with Chaos shows bold spirit, but be careful not to play with fire and burn yourself..."
Chuckling, he said nothing more, waved his hand, and swiftly vanished with his begrudging followers.
Now was not the time for an all-out battle against this group. Their foothold in the east actually served as a buffer for him; igniting conflict would do him no good. As for Li Hao siphoning off massive amounts of chaotic energy—and potentially even delaying Tianfang's revival—it naturally annoyed him, but Long Zhan suppressed his irritation.
In his heart, he merely pondered: would completely integrating into the Great Dao of Chaos bring more harm than good, or vice versa? Could he... attempt it as well? As the strongest among the Chaos Race, he was already half-attached to the Great Dao of Chaos. Now, a human was going so far as to merge his Dao into it; evidently, Li Hao believed there were benefits to doing so.
Yet... He looked up at the sky, gazing at the boundless Chaos. Was the Great Dao of Chaos disorderly or orderly? Would Li Hao's action provoke complications? Earlier, someone on Li Hao's side had merged, but she was weak. Now Li Hao had already entered the seventh rank, yet dared to merge completely... He had better watch out, lest he bite off more than he could chew!
...
At the same time. Deep within Chaos.
Where countless statues stood, statues began opening their eyes—no longer just one or two, but many of them. In their eyes flickered scenes of the immensely distant Four Regions.
After who knew how long, a voice echoed: "Tianfang..."
Before the speaker could finish, a statue slowly cut him off: "I know!"
"Good that you know. When will your Sovereigns of Tianfang return?"
"Soon."
The questioner fell silent. The Four Regions were Tianfang's domain; since he was aware, there was no need to say more.
And now, reflecting the scenery of the Four Regions within its gaze, the colossal statue even mirrored Li Hao's likeness. After a long while, it closed its eyes. The Sovereigns of Tianfang ought to return sooner. These youngsters, each more reckless than the last... If this continued, who knew what chaos they would stir up? Merging Dao into Chaos... Chaos was disorderly and boundless; he had better beware reaping what he sowed. This person seemed to be the cultivator of the Dao of Time. If he died, it would be such a pity.
Chapter 561