Time Dissipates

Time slipped away bit by bit. In the Chaos, years held little meaning. A single month was nothing to the Chaos; it flashed past in the blink of an eye. Over the past month, the Chaos had been terrifyingly tranquil. While the Chaos was inherently silent, brutal warfare had raged incessantly not long ago, soaking the void in the blood of eighth-rank experts. Yet throughout this past month, even the turbulent eastern region had fallen into an eerie calm. At this moment, let alone high-rank Sovereigns, even mid- and low-rank Sovereigns could sense the impending storm! …… Secret Realm No. 1,000 of the Myriad Heavens had been fully established. In three days, teleportation into the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena would begin. The announcement rippled outward once more. The arena network spanning the eastern region was now fully operational. Its one thousand entrances were scattered across various realms, throughout the Chaos itself, and on desolate floating landmasses and cities. The entire eastern region waited in eager anticipation. Meanwhile, on the fringe of the eastern region. In a minor world. The Samsara Sovereign arrived. One of the secret realm entrances was located right here. The guardian stationed at this entrance was a third-rank Sovereign. Bowing low with utmost reverence and subservience, he stood behind Samsara and murmured, "Lord, this is the entrance to the secret realm!" The Samsara Sovereign examined it briefly without stepping inside. After a short observation, he remarked calmly, "The entrance is nothing more than an illusory realm fashioned from the Wanhua Sovereign's Myriad Dao Illusions. The entrance itself isn't what matters. The key to teleporting spiritual bodies lies in Li Hao's time!" Wanhua's Myriad Dao Illusions were decent, but only decent. In truth, they held little practical value. Samsara had known of them years ago but had never shown much interest, viewing them as merely a relatively isolated minor space. Beside him, the Pengcheng Sovereign showed some curiosity. "Stripping away and conveying spiritual bodies... quite intriguing. Fellow Daoist Samsara, can you sense where the core of time is located?" He had failed to detect it. Logically speaking, if teleportation was taking place—even if only for spiritual bodies—a transit channel had to exist. Yet he had been unable to locate one. The Samsara Sovereign had actually been probing for a while. Possessing the strength of nearly six thousand Dao Laws, he could faintly perceive something, though it remained faint and indistinct. Hearing Pengcheng's question, Samsara chuckled softly. "Once people begin teleporting, the commotion will be massive. Even if it's vague right now, it will become unmistakable then. When everyone teleports in a single direction, the disturbance won't be small. By that point, anyone wielding three or four thousand Dao Laws should be able to sense it." The present Li Hao was not overwhelmingly powerful. His time ability was formidable and deeply concealed, yet not quite potent enough. Unless Li Hao strengthened his time ability and deduced the Myriad Daos of Time to an even higher plane, it would be difficult to hide from supreme experts like them. Pengcheng nodded slightly. He glanced at the Samsara Sovereign again, hesitated, and asked, "Shall we send our spiritual bodies inside through the portal, or... have our true bodies track down the precise location and hunt him down?" Sending their spiritual bodies offered limited combat power and would hardly cause significant trouble, though it would allow them to probe the situation. On the other hand, if their true bodies pursued him, Li Hao's true body might be too far away, preventing them from pinpointing his exact whereabouts. Currently, rumors circulated regarding the location of Li Hao's faction, but nothing was confirmed. Some said he might be in Alliance City No. 9. Yet who could be certain he was still there? "If we want to kill Li Hao, we naturally must hunt him down with our true bodies!" Samsara let out a laugh. Then he glanced southward and smiled. "If we pursue him on foot, we won't be very fast... However, someone who is fast is arriving!" The moment his words fell, a heartbeat passed before Pengcheng felt a surge of fluctuations moving at astonishing speed. It was inconceivably fast. As if freezing all creation and traversing through space and time, a faint buzzing cry echoed, sending tremors through the void. In an instant, a colossal demon manifested. The creature was covered in needle-sharp quills, yet bore a pair of wings. The south was the domain of the great demons. Its overlord, Spring and Autumn, was also of the demon race. Pengcheng belonged to the Chaos race, which was practically kin to the demons. His gaze shifted slightly. He recognized this great demon; it was quite renowned—the Fengming Cloud Beast, a peculiar breed of demon. It was diminutive. Even after reaching the eighth rank, it stood only the size of a normal human, and this was its true form! Typically, the stronger a demon grew, the larger its true body became. Reaching the eighth rank usually meant an unimaginably massive frame. Yet this one was merely the size of an ordinary man. This Fengming Sovereign possessed a fearsome reputation throughout the Chaos. The razor-sharp spikes covering its body were deadly, venomous quills. In the past, a single quill had poisoned a seventh-rank Sovereign to death! And this creature bristled with countless such quills! Its speed was mind-bogglingly swift, granting it a measure of spatial traversal. It was not a spatial-path Sovereign; its speed had simply surpassed ordinary bounds. Possessing extreme velocity, lethal toxins, piercing quills, and sonic attacks, such an entity posed a terrifying threat to any eighth-rank expert. The Pengcheng Sovereign's expression turned somewhat solemn. The creature's raw power was not the absolute pinnacle, roughly on par with his own at around four thousand Dao Laws. Yet Pengcheng knew full well that in a duel against Fengming, he might not prevail. It was not a matter of lacking raw power, but of failing to match Fengming's sheer speed. Setting Spring and Autumn aside, this creature was acclaimed as the foremost expert under Spring and Autumn's command. To think Fengming was the one sent! Pengcheng mused inwardly that this signaled just how seriously the Spring and Autumn Sovereign took the matter. "Samsara, Pengcheng, I'm not late, am I?" Though not imposing in size and lacking an overtly domineering aura, the Fengming Great Demon exuded a lethally oppressive presence. Its venomous quills could slay a seventh-rank Sovereign. They struck directly at the Great Dao itself! Truly terrifying. A smile surfaced on the Samsara Sovereign's face. "I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Fengming to come in person. Our odds of success are all the greater!" This creature was extraordinarily swift. Moreover, with its abundance of venomous quills that targeted the Great Dao, they could see whether Li Hao's multitude of Daos could withstand Fengming's Dao of Poison. A glint of amusement appeared in the Fengming Sovereign's compound eyes. "Has no one arrived from the north?" The northern Five Elements, ruling the Five Elements Realm, were five overlords of formidable might. Every single Five Elements Sovereign possessed a strength of no less than four thousand Dao Laws. Individually, they might not be peerless. Yet when the five joined as one, even Huntian and Spring and Autumn treated them with great wariness. Would one of the Five Elements Sovereigns come this time? Samsara looked into the distance and said softly, "They should be arriving soon." Fengming did not press further. It was swift, so arriving early was natural. The northern figures might not be able to match its speed. Just as the thought crossed its mind, a sudden ripple stirred through the Chaos. The entire chaotic cosmos seemed to solidify. After a brief moment, the Samsara Sovereign raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I never anticipated... that he would come in person!" The Fengming Sovereign's compound eyes narrowed slightly before relaxing. The Pengcheng Sovereign was equally surprised. "One really did come... The Earth Spirit Sovereign came in person. I thought the Five Elements Sovereigns never acted alone." The might of the Five Elements Sovereigns lay in their unison, making them fearless against any adversary. Individually, however... while the Gold Spirit Sovereign was exceptionally fierce, the other four were slightly weaker, inferior even to Samsara. If one ventured out alone and suffered a mishap, weren't they afraid of breaking their five-fold unity? What audacity! The void seemed petrified. Immense earth-attribute power formed a Dao Domain that enveloped the Chaos, instantly turning the nearby third-rank world to stone. Moments later, an ochre-faced Sovereign manifested before the group. He looked at Samsara, glanced at Fengming, and gave an earthy chuckle. "I have arrived!" The Samsara Sovereign broke into a radiant smile. "To think Fellow Daoist Earth Spirit would come in person. What a pleasant surprise!" Earth Spirit smiled simply without elaborating. The Five Elements Sovereigns had always acted as one. They rarely operated independently, for the fall of one would weaken the collective whole. Their position as northern overlords had always been rock-solid, but losing a single member could threaten that stability. Yet since he dared to come today, he naturally possessed reliance. The Fengming Sovereign spoke in a slightly shrill, trembling voice. "For Fellow Daoist Earth Spirit to venture out alone... could it be that the Gold Spirit Sovereign has already mastered the Dao of the Five Elements?" Unless their elder brother had grasped the other Daos, were they truly not afraid of losing one of their own? Strictly speaking, slaying Earth Spirit held greater strategic significance than slaying Li Hao. It would eliminate an entire regional hegemon! The Earth Spirit Sovereign offered an honest, simple grin. "Fellow Daoist Fengming truly has sharp insight!" Everyone froze at his words, and the Fengming Sovereign's heart clenched. The Five Elements Sovereigns were said to be quintuplet brothers. From birth, each had comprehended a single element, specializing so deeply that their individual paths were remarkably potent. When united, their Five Elements were peerless under the heavens. However, they shared a flaw: none could merge with the other paths. None could cultivate the other four elements on their own. Yet Earth Spirit's implication was that their elder brother was now capable of cultivating other Daos, and with remarkable progress. If Gold Spirit could truly unite the five elements alone, that would be monumental. The Samsara Sovereign laughed and offered his congratulations. "Then congratulations are in order! By uniting the five elements, I foresee... Fellow Daoist Gold Spirit having hope of attaining the ninth rank! No wonder Fellow Daoist Earth Spirit came in person today. Is the Chaos about to witness the birth of its second ninth-rank expert in a million years?" The Earth Spirit Sovereign chuckled naively. "It's still early. Eldest Brother has only comprehended a bit of the earth element. May your auspicious words come true, Fellow Daoist Samsara; we hope he grasps the remaining three soon." The Samsara Sovereign smiled and refrained from saying more. Internally, however, he grew solemn. Had Gold Spirit truly only comprehended the earth element? If they dared reveal this much... it might be far more than that. Could this era be returning to the state of a million years ago, bringing forth a swarm of ninth-rank experts? Earth Spirit of the north had arrived, Fengming of the south was here, and Pengcheng of the west stood alongside him. Adding his own trio of eighth-rank Sovereigns, six eighth-rank experts were now gathered. Moreover, none were ordinary eighth-rank cultivators. Aside from Samsara's two companions who were slightly weaker, the rest wielded around four thousand Dao Laws at minimum. Such a lineup was terrifyingly formidable. Furthermore, Huntian had other eighth-rank experts who had not yet appeared, but they should be arriving soon. Samsara smiled and held his tongue. He looked toward the floating gateway—the entrance to the Myriad Heavens Secret Realm and the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena. *Li Hao, your ambitions are vast... but this time, you have miscalculated.* Three days would pass in a flash. At this moment, the Sovereigns fell silent, observing the Myriad Heavens Secret Realm. The third-rank guardian was extremely nervous, yet harbored a sliver of regret. The Myriad Heavens Dao Arena was an extraordinary place, and he had even been appointed as one of its guardians. Alas... the Silver Moon King had been too ostentatious. Had he conducted this in secret, nothing might have come of it. To make such a grand display was simply courting disaster. Amid the quiet, three days trickled by. Suddenly, the secret realm entrance began to emit a faint luminescence. The Sovereigns snapped to attention. The third-rank Sovereign stammered nervously, "Seniors, the arena has officially opened! According to the rules of the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena, today... all of us guardians must teleport to the core arena to attend the founding assembly!" The Samsara Sovereign's eyes flickered. He turned to the two eighth-rank Sovereigns beside him. "The two of you, send your spiritual bodies inside and teleport over! We will carry your physical forms and track the spatial ripples right behind you! Maintain contact at all times. If anything unexpected happens, shatter the arena and re-establish a link with your bodies!" Without a word, the two eighth-rank Sovereigns turned to the third-rank guardian. The guardian dared not delay and hurriedly activated the gateway. The portal radiated a soft glow. Within the secret realm beyond the portal, another gateway manifested in the sky, emitting faint fluctuations. Samsara and the others peered inward. Though slightly blurred, their vision easily pierced through the interior. In the next instant, the two eighth-rank Sovereigns and the third-rank Sovereign stepped through the portal together. In a flash... they vanished without a trace. The Samsara Sovereign's gaze sharpened. Life-and-death aura surged in his eyes as he traced the faint ripples, probing the surroundings. A moment later, his eyes lit up. "Impressive technique!" He had sensed it! At this moment, not just here, but across the entire Chaos, ripples surged from every direction. Countless Sovereigns were converging toward a single point along the secret realms and branch pathways at unimaginable speed. "Pursue!" With Samsara locking onto the coordinates and the Fengming Sovereign carrying the group, their speed reached the absolute extreme. In the blink of an eye, they tore across the void in pursuit! These eighth-rank Sovereigns were terrifyingly powerful. Tearing through the fabric of the void, their transit through the Chaos bordered on instantaneous teleportation. …… Looking down upon the Chaos at this moment, countless invisible channels appeared, conveying the spiritual bodies of innumerable Sovereigns toward a single destination. Such massive turbulence naturally caught the attention of many formidable figures. Even experts in secluded cultivation sensed the tremors sweeping through the Chaos. Outside the Four Regions. Long Zhan gazed in a certain direction, let out a slow breath, and without a word, led his followers in pursuit. …… In the Extreme Ice World. A cohort of eighth-rank Sovereigns stood on edge. Soon, the Extreme Ice Sovereign issued a command, barking in a low voice, "Move! To Xinwu!" They had only one objective... even if they could not annihilate Xinwu, they had to prevent Xinwu from sending reinforcements. The group of powerhouses vanished rapidly into the void. …… Alliance City No. 9. In a space hidden from sight, a colossal illusory realm lay concealed within the void. The Wanhua Sovereign and his companions had already arrived, every one of them fraught with tension. The true forms of the three eighth-rank Sovereigns also manifested inside the secret realm. The realm was far from barren; it was breathtakingly magnificent, resembling an immortal paradise. Countless gateways dotted the perimeter—the one thousand secret realm entrances. The expanse held mountains, rivers, pavilions, and terraces. While cultivators paid little heed to scenery, this place was truly celestial, brimming with exceptionally pure Great Dao energy. Faint murmurs of the Dao resonated through the air. Stepping inside felt like being thoroughly cleansed. Several powerhouses from the Medium World Alliance had entered in their physical bodies rather than as spiritual projections. Though all were seventh-rank Sovereigns, they were currently on edge. Right then, a portal rippled. A cluster of light manifested. The light immediately coalesced into a human silhouette, though its features and aura were concealed. The newly arrived Sovereign seemed momentarily dazed as he looked around... and caught sight of the figures standing atop a prominent peak ahead. He gasped in shock! So many powerhouses! His own aura was thoroughly suppressed, but the figures standing on that mountain peak openly radiated their power—high-rank Sovereigns! And not just one, but multiple! "Welcome, Fellow Daoist, to the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena!" A resonant voice echoed throughout the secret realm. Portal after portal began to shimmer with light. Sovereigns arrived in rapid succession. Some came alone, while others emerged in small groups. Though the prior agreement permitted only one representative per entrance, several portals produced multiple figures, yet no one raised an objection. The reason they were so bold was that the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena had declared that any who insisted on coming should not be turned away; all seekers of the Dao were welcome. At that moment, the Thunder Emperor's voice boomed across the realm. "Here, there is no status, no prestige, and no hierarchy—there is only the Dao! The Myriad Heavens Dao Arena is a sanctuary for debating the Dao! We welcome fellow Daoists from all quarters to commune through the Dao!" Clusters of light materialized one after another. The voice continued to reverberate in everyone's ears. The arriving Sovereigns felt a cocktail of thrill, excitement, and trepidation. Some looked around cautiously, careful not to reveal their identities. Others were remarkably bold, revealing their true appearances openly, seemingly unconcerned about exposure since everyone present was merely a spiritual body. Still others probed in all directions with their spiritual senses, attempting to peer into the outside world. A few reckless individuals even cast their senses directly toward the experts gathered on the distant mountain. …… Atop the mountain peak. The Wanhua Sovereign wore a grim expression as he sent a voice transmission: "Has Fellow Daoist Li... still not emerged from seclusion?" Today was the appointed time for the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena to open. Originally, Li Hao was supposed to preside over the assembly and lead the discourse on the Dao. Yet even now, he had not shown himself. Wanhua had begun to worry that the young man had fled, which would be disastrous. Fortunately, the Thunder Emperor and his companions were still present, offering a measure of reassurance. All three eighth-rank Sovereigns were here! That at least provided some comfort; he probably hadn't fled, or these eighth-rank Sovereigns would have departed as well. Down below, the secret realm bustled with activity. Suddenly, an insolent voice echoed through the crowd: "The master of the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena is said to be the Silver Moon King, the Bright Moon Sovereign... Why is the Bright Moon Sovereign nowhere to be seen today?" "Indeed!" "Rumor has it that this arena gathers the Sovereigns of the Chaos merely to devour their spiritual bodies. Is this true or false?" A murmur of unease rippled through the assembly. Though a spiritual body was not a cultivator's entire existence, having it devoured would still inflict severe trauma. Of course, many remained indifferent, though their expressions were guarded. Evidently, hostile factions had mingled their own Sovereigns into the crowd. The Wanhua Sovereign's face turned icy as his voice rolled out like thunder. "The Myriad Heavens Dao Arena originated from my Myriad Dao Pavilion! Earlier, the Myriad Dao Pavilion opened branches in Alliance City, where many of you participated in discussions to great acclaim! At that time, we simply lacked the means to extend it across the wider regions. Now that we can assemble the Sovereigns of the Chaos under one roof, free of status and hierarchy, solely to debate the Dao—do you truly believe we spent countless resources establishing such a blessed ground merely to devour your spiritual bodies?" Wanhua continued furiously, "Could mere spiritual bodies ever compensate for the resources expended to construct this Myriad Heavens Dao Arena? Most of you present belong to our Alliance. The Medium World Alliance has always been dedicated to discussion, exchange, and mutual preservation... What does the struggle for Chaos hegemony have to do with us? What benefit does an overlord bring to any of you? The arena is a sanctuary for us to elevate ourselves! I believe very few among you genuinely wish to see it destroyed. Only certain ambitious schemers oppose this exchange, seeking to monopolize the Great Dao and sever the very roots of our progress!" His speech struck a chord, and another Sovereign chimed in, "Senior Wanhua speaks the truth! What does the battle for supremacy or the unification of the Chaos have to do with the weak among us? Since the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena exists, those unwilling to participate can simply leave!" "Precisely!" "High-rank Sovereigns possess Dao Universes with clearly defined paths. But we rogues and rulers of minor and medium worlds have no path, no direction, and no discourse. We grope blindly in the dark... Advancing from the first rank to the second is harder than scaling the heavens! Why deny us a chance to survive?" "……" The secret realm erupted with commotion as numerous Sovereigns voiced their support. They harbored immense resentment toward those stirring up trouble. The Thunder Emperor paid no heed to the petty bickering. His booming voice swept over the realm once more. "With the arena freshly founded, many of you remain guarded and hesitant, reluctant to take the initiative to lecture before your peers. "The Dao Master has decreed that we high-rank Sovereigns will each lecture on the Dao for three days to start the ball rolling! "Furthermore, the true body of Dao Chess is enshrined right here within the Myriad Heavens Secret Realm, encompassing 9,999 Great Daos. Anyone may enter Dao Chess to comprehend them... provided you pass the assessment by preaching within the secret realm and having your Dao resonant sound recorded by Dao Chess!" A collective jolt ran through the crowd. The Thunder Emperor added, "The Daos contained within Dao Chess belong to the former overlord, the Lord of Tianfang! The Master of Spatial Dao held 9,999 Daos. Though only concise elucidations, each is a path leading directly to the heavens!" Down below, even the instigators fell silent, listening with rapt attention. Dao Chess, the Lord of Tianfang. They had actually made Dao Chess public! Many knew that Dao Chess held the Daos of Tianfang. For Li Hao to openly share an overlord's Great Dao was nothing short of madness! Yet it turned everyone's eyes bloodshot with desire! Preaching one's Dao and having its resonance imprinted onto Dao Chess granted entry to comprehend the game? Moreover, these high-rank Sovereigns were actually going to take turns lecturing for three days each! This was a monumental blessing! In that instant, countless Sovereigns felt an overwhelming surge of excitement, mingled with fierce determination. They refused to let this arena be ruined. This was likely the greatest opportunity of their lifetimes to grasp supreme Dao truths. Even Wanhua and his companions felt their hearts race. They had not known about this beforehand. They had worried that Sovereigns would be too guarded to speak freely. But with high-rank Sovereigns lecturing and Dao Chess as an incentive, the path of a supreme ninth-rank Sovereign lay right before their eyes... With this alone, so long as no one disrupted it, the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena would become an unrivaled sacred ground for cultivation! Once word spread, the Sovereigns of the entire Chaos would go wild. At that moment, another Sovereign's voice rang out, "Making Dao Chess public is indeed commendable. However... we are even more curious whether the Bright Moon Sovereign's Dao of Time will also be made public!" Innumerable gazes snapped toward that cluster of light! Was that person insane? Whose agent was this now? Making Dao Chess public had already exceeded all expectations, yet someone dared to covet time itself. The Thunder Emperor's gaze turned chillingly sharp as he stared at the light cluster. "Even if it were made public, would you possess the qualifications to learn it?" The light cluster showed no fear. Even if slain, it would merely suffer the loss of a spiritual body. What was there to dread? Its voice remained cold and eerie. "The Bright Moon Sovereign seeks to gather all Daos under heaven to perfect his own path. In that case... why not share time so that everyone may cultivate it together? The Bright Moon Sovereign rose to the seventh rank in a matter of mere years. Clearly, that is the true path to the heavens. Since he is so benevolent, why not reveal it openly and let the rest of us try to reach the seventh rank...?" Though many felt the request unreasonable, no one spoke up in objection. In truth, they harbored profound anticipation. Time! The most mythical and enigmatic Great Dao of legends. Inconceivable. Granting immortality, reversing the flow of years. In everyone's eyes, Li Hao's meteoric rise to the seventh rank in just a few years was entirely due to time. Perhaps while others cultivated for ten thousand years, he traversed ten thousand years in a single day. That was simply miraculous. These troublemakers were merely trying to stall for time, awaiting the arrival of their experts. Lightning flickered in the Thunder Emperor's cold gaze. "You are an eighth-rank Sovereign yourself. If you come sincerely to discuss the Dao, we welcome you. But if you come to make trouble... do not blame me for being ruthless!" The revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd. This one was also an eighth-rank Sovereign? From which faction? The light cluster remained completely unfazed and chuckled. "What, are powerful experts not allowed to participate in the discussion? Is this Myriad Heavens Dao Arena truly a sanctuary for Dao exchange, or a tool to satisfy your selfish ambitions? I have heard that the Dao of Time requires devouring the myriad Daos to reach completion... So, did you establish this arena for scholarly debate, or to devour the myriad Sovereigns of the Chaos? If Li Hao wishes to vie for hegemony and unify the Chaos, he should state it openly. Why bother hiding behind pretexts?" The Thunder Emperor's face darkened further! Beside him, the Wushan Sovereign remained calmer. He looked down at the light cluster and said, "If you find it inappropriate, you are free to leave, or you can establish your own Myriad Heavens Dao Arena and share your own Dao. With your eighth-rank cultivation, imparting some Daos should be effortless... Why have we never seen you preaching to the Chaos?" Wushan sneered with open disdain. "You people are generous only with what belongs to others, yet you have accomplished nothing for the Chaos across a million years! You fight for hegemony and prey upon the weak instead of cultivating your own paths. The Great Dao is meant to be cultivated, not devoured! Now that the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena is established, you repeatedly cause trouble. Your motives are plain for all the Chaos to see!" Both sides seemed to be stalling for time. They traded verbal barbs without actually crossing blades. Wushan and his allies were waiting for Li Hao, while the infiltrators were waiting for the supreme experts to descend and annihilate Li Hao's faction in one stroke. …… Outside the illusory realm. At this moment, countless cultivators floated above the Silver Moon. Sovereigns and Dao Integration cultivators hovered within the Dao Universe, brimming with both excitement and anxiety. Li Hao conjured his River of the Great Dao. Sensing the realms nestled within the river, the assembled powerhouses felt a profound surge of emotion. They felt a deep sense of familiarity! It was as though those realms were identical to their own Daos. The realms within Li Hao's river were undergoing subtle transformations. He looked at the gathered crowd and exhaled slowly. "Success or failure hinges on this single move! Whether you can fully integrate into my Dao will be decided today!" He turned his gaze toward the two Dao Masters. Qian Wuliang looked visibly nervous. Total integration... this was not the casual coordination of the past, but the complete fusion of his own Dao power into Li Hao's realms, taking full command of the Daos within Li Hao's worlds. Could it work? He did not know. Hong Yitang was equally tense. He was unsure whether this method of fusion was viable, but at this stage... it was likely their only hope. Taking a deep breath, Hong Yitang stepped forward. "I'll go first!" With those words, he shot straight toward one of the realms. Transforming into a river of the Great Dao, he plunged into the world. Gazing upon the somewhat scattered Dao Laws before him, he took a deep breath and dissolved himself into the laws. In an instant, he felt as though he had merged into the boundless Chaos. The sensation was entirely familiar. Hong Yitang was shaken by the sheer completeness of the fusion. This minor world had originally possessed only the power of a first-rank world, but the moment he merged into it, the world expanded violently as its Dao reverberated! Infused with Hong Yitang's Dao power, the world swelled rapidly, its Dao energy thickening exponentially. Second rank, third rank... In the blink of an eye, this single realm rocketed to the peak of the sixth rank! Witnessing this, everyone gasped in astonishment! Total integration! Seeing this, Qian Wuliang beamed with delight. His form fragmented into numerous avatars that plunged into various worlds. Realms that had previously possessed only first-rank power suddenly expanded one after another. Their Dao power surged dramatically in an instant! The other Sovereigns waited no longer. Tracing the familiar auras, they flew toward their corresponding worlds. Within the illusory realms, Sovereigns merged into the fabric of the worlds one by one. The power of the minor worlds climbed relentlessly. Previously, Li Hao had merged a thousand worlds, but all had been mere first-rank illusory worlds. The strength of each individual world had been feeble, equivalent only to an ordinary Sovereign. But now, a vast number of medium worlds emerged! The entire Silver Moon Universe seemed to empty out in an instant. Boundless energy and Dao Laws boiled within Li Hao's territory. Kongji laughed, instantly plunging into a world—the Realm of Extinction and Revival. This world was also the core of Li Hao's second thousand worlds, originally at the fourth rank. The moment Kongji entered, it surged wildly. In a flash, despite lacking an independent Dao Universe, it transformed into a seventh-rank great world! At this moment, Li Hao felt an unimaginably vast ocean of power! His River of the Great Dao surged tempestuously! Boundless Dao power flowed into the river, blending and harmonizing without the slightest obstruction. This was true stacking! A complete, seamless stacking of power, not just a minor enhancement. Li Hao even felt a momentary loss of control; his power had multiplied too drastically in an instant. The influx of Dao power caused his illusory worlds to balloon from the weakest Sovereign level to immense heights. There were still only a thousand-plus realms. Numerically, it was not much different from before, but... in terms of quality, it was night and day. Previously, the worlds had been truly minor, the weakest of their kind. Now, a large portion had become medium worlds, and several had even reached the strength of high-rank worlds: Extinction and Revival, the Asura Hell, Tribulation... These realms had all attained the caliber of high-rank worlds. Li Hao quietly sensed the change. Watching the powerhouses seated within their respective realms, he took a deep breath. He felt power surging like an endless tide! Never before had he felt so formidable! Probing carefully, he found that while he still maintained a thousand realms, his strength had jumped from nearly two thousand Dao Laws to nearly four thousand—virtually doubling. Such might was likely no weaker than the Pengcheng Sovereign's. However... even after fully integrating the Silver Moon, this seemed to be the ceiling. It had propelled Li Hao from the peak of the seventh rank into the eighth rank, making him formidable even among eighth-rank experts. Yet compared to the Samsara Sovereign, a gap remained. From within the realm, Kongji's voice echoed, "How is it?" Li Hao smiled. "I believe I can match Pengcheng. That Chaos Roc might not be my match!" Kongji felt an initial surge of joy, followed immediately by dejection. *Damn it, only that much?* *That's not enough!* Both he and Senlan had merged into the realms, along with a multitude of Silver Moon martial artists and Sovereigns. Yet it had only pushed Li Hao to this level. How could that suffice? He had thought Li Hao would be able to fight Samsara! "That's not enough!" Kongji sounded helpless. In other realms, the Silver Moon martial artists were equally disheartened. *Only this level? We thought that integrating our Silver Moon would at least push you to the peak of the eighth rank, enough to brawl with Long Zhan.* Li Hao chuckled. Integrating the powerhouses of a peak sixth-rank world had propelled him to a respectable position among eighth-rank combatants, yet these fellows felt it was insufficient. Had they overestimated him, or overestimated themselves? Furthermore, Er Mao could currently replicate only seventh-rank Daos. It could not replicate the stronger Daos of the eighth-rank Sovereigns. Perhaps this was Er Mao's limitation. Unless Er Mao grew stronger, replicating seventh-rank Daos to forge seventh-rank illusory worlds was its absolute limit. Moreover, Li Hao himself had only been a seventh-rank Sovereign; without stepping into the eighth rank, integrating eighth-rank Daos was inherently difficult. At this moment, Yuan Shuo, who had not yet merged, grinned. "You're still missing me. Once I merge... you should get another boost. My Five Elements Dao isn't weak, you know..." He had been searching for a Five Elements realm, but Li Hao's five elements were kept separate rather than unified. Yuan Shuo wondered if he should open an independent Five Elements realm and merge with that instead. Li Hao chuckled wryly. "Master, you've only just entered the seventh rank. Even if you merge, the increase won't be significant—maybe from 4,000 Dao Laws to 4,100?" That was likely the limit. Yuan Shuo was rendered speechless. *Only that much?* His expression turned grave. "Then after all your preparations up to today... setting Samsara aside, you can only handle Pengcheng. Even with the Thunder Emperor and the other two, it probably won't be enough!" *Doesn't that make all these preparations futile?* At the very least, he needed to reach Samsara's level to stand a chance of repelling this assault. Delaying the opening of the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena would have been preferable to this. Yet Li Hao simply looked upward, his eyes reflecting the Great Dao of the Chaos. He had integrated himself into the Chaos, and all his Daos were connected to it. Looking up, Li Hao fixed his gaze on a star. The Time Star! Within the Time Star resided the Myriad Daos. Yet these myriad Daos were not overwhelmingly potent; combined, they wielded only sixth-rank power, meaning none of the individual paths had attained great strength—they were all quite weak. The strongest among them was merely at the sixth rank, or perhaps not even that. This was the Time Star left behind by the Emperor of Battle Heaven... or rather, merely a seed of time. Li Hao turned his gaze toward Er Mao, who was panting heavily. The cat lay sprawled across the river, utterly exhausted and unwilling to budge. Over these past days, it had been worn ragged, so drained by today that it didn't even want to twitch a paw. "Four thousand Dao Laws are naturally not enough..." Li Hao murmured softly. After a pause, he whispered, "If four thousand Dao Laws remain chaotic, there is little difference between me and any other cultivator wielding four thousand laws... But what if they are ordered?" Time... possessed order! It definitely did! Li Hao smiled and looked at Er Mao. "Er Mao, I need one last favor from you..." Er Mao felt like weeping! *What now?* "Replicate this Time Star... just a general copy will do. I want to shatter the Time Star, pour the power of the Myriad Daos into my river, and transform my river into an ordered sequence!" Er Mao's teeth ached, and its head felt ready to burst. "I can't replicate that..." "I know. But once it's shattered, you can replicate the Myriad Daos first. That will be simple—they're weak Daos. Later on, I will reassemble them!" Er Mao froze, staring at Li Hao in shock. *Are you serious?* *If you fail to reassemble them, time will be gone forever!* *Besides, if it shatters now, won't the River of Time disappear? And if it disappears... won't your Myriad Heavens Dao Arena be finished?* "Can you... really reassemble them?" Er Mao was deeply skeptical. Li Hao chuckled. "If I had no foundation whatsoever, I naturally couldn't. But with you replicating the Myriad Daos, I only need to sequence and combine them. I can certainly reconstruct it!" *Really?* Er Mao hesitated, but finally nodded. "Time is only at the sixth rank... Once broken down, I should be able to replicate the pieces..." It was not an overwhelmingly powerful Dao. Its internal structure was simply exceedingly intricate, preventing Er Mao from copying it whole. Li Hao hesitated no longer. Reaching out, he plucked the Time Star from above. The small star trembled faintly. Taking a deep breath before the stunned and bewildered onlookers, Li Hao caused the Time Star to vibrate violently. With a thunderous boom, a single Great Dao was stripped away from the star. As if its core had been wrenched out, the entire star began to collapse in an instant. Faint Great Daos scattered frantically in all directions. Er Mao hurriedly began replicating them, glancing at Li Hao in sheer terror. *He's playing with fire!* *This maniac actually tore it apart!* Yet Li Hao's eyes were filled with pure joy and exhilaration. *I've always wanted to dismantle it, but I never dared. I couldn't bear the thought, terrified of losing time permanently; I was full of dread.* *Yet today... I dismantled it!* Time was about to vanish. At this moment, he even forgot the approaching enemies. Countless Daos flashed madly through his vision as he observed and deduced relentlessly. Meanwhile, the River of Time spanning the eastern region began to show signs of collapse. With the Time Star gone, the river linking the thousand realms would naturally crumble. The Sovereigns gathered in the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena were completely unaware. Had they realized, they would have known... once the river collapsed, their spiritual bodies might never return. …… At the same time. Within the Chaos. Several figures were pursuing the spatial ripples when their expressions shifted. Frowning, they surveyed their surroundings. The ripples of the river had grown violent. They showed signs of... collapse. *What is going on?* The Samsara Sovereign, having nearly closed the distance, narrowed his eyes and frowned. The destination lay just ahead, yet something seemed to have gone awry. His gaze flickered. "Something seems to have happened to Li Hao's time!" The other Sovereigns had not noticed anything amiss and looked on in bewilderment. *What problem?* …… Outside the Four Regions. Long Zhan's brow furrowed instantly. He muttered in a deep voice, "Bizarre! Has Li Hao... been attacked?" *Could they have been that fast?* His temporal ripples were beginning to fade. What did that signify? Was time... dissipating? …… Deep within the Chaos. Where the ancient statues rested. The Lord of Tianfang snapped his eyes open. Shock and disbelief flickered across his face, followed by an indescribable rage. His voice boomed outward: "Bastard!" Beside him, another statue opened its eyes, solemnity filling its gaze. "Tianfang, time... has dissipated?" The Lord of Tianfang remained silent. Time seemed to have vanished. He was on the verge of madness. Time had dissipated! Why had this happened? A battle had not even erupted yet! Why had this occurred? *Bastard! Did that scoundrel shatter time himself?!* *Would anyone actually destroy time of their own accord?* Impossible! Absolutely impossible! No one could resist the temptation of time. Who would ever destroy it? It defied belief! Even a supreme powerhouse like him found it hard to fathom. Or could it be... that without his knowledge, that person had been ambushed? It was simply inconceivable!