Contention of Daos, Fall of the Dao, Samsara Dies!

At this moment, Li Hao was exceptionally calm. He disliked having to react on the fly in the heat of battle. It was entirely uncertain whose side Long Zhan would take, and leaving him on the field made him the single greatest variable. In that case… Long Zhan harbored ambitions of forging a grand hegemony; he sought to lead the Chaos clan against fate itself and become the overlord of the entire Chaos! Such being the case, he was bound to fall back and defend his own. He would never allow the Four Regions to be obliterated by the Thunder Domain. Such was the human heart. Killing Li Hao or killing Samsara paled in comparison to the countless Chaos beasts within the Four Regions. By now, a vast number of Chaos beasts had entered the Four Regions. It was fair to say that if the Four Regions were destroyed, ninety percent of the Chaos clan would be wiped out. Even if Long Zhan was capable of defying heaven and altering destiny, if the Chaos clan ceased to exist, whose destiny would he be changing? At this moment, in the distance, the Human King sent the Extreme Ice Sovereign flying with a single slash of his blade. He burst into hearty laughter that resonated across the void: "Ruthless enough! Li Hao, you little bastard… you're truly ruthless!" It was genuine, cold-blooded ruthlessness. A dog that bites doesn't bark—that was the Human King's impression of Li Hao. He had known long ago that Li Hao was merciless, but he had never imagined the kid's methods would be so vicious that he would wager an entire domain containing countless worlds, countless mortals, and innumerable living beings! All just to gamble that Long Zhan would fall back to defend. That was Li Hao. If Long Zhan had ignored it… the Four Regions would have been annihilated by the thunder tribulation. The seventh-rank human Sovereigns wouldn't even have had time to escape, and who among them would stand against a thunder tribulation for the sake of the Four Regions? Moreover, it was the thunder tribulation of an entire Thunder Domain. It was utterly terrifying! The Samsara Sovereign was still smiling. Li Hao merely watched him in silence. At this moment, the Dao Domain manifested once more around them. He looked at the Samsara Sovereign and his companions, fixing his gaze on Samsara: "Do you… still think you have a chance?" The smile vanished from the Samsara Sovereign's face. Did he still have a chance? Beside him stood several eighth-rank Sovereigns and a number of seventh-ranks. Did he still have a chance? He did! Yet the odds were no longer in his favor. Now, Long Zhan had been forced back to the Four Regions by Li Hao's venomous scheme. By the time Long Zhan dealt with the thunder tribulation, this battle would likely have already ended. On the Human King's side, although there were many Sovereigns, once Extreme Ice fell, the rest would inevitably rout! Even though everyone knew they shouldn't break formation, who among them would want to die upon reaching the eighth rank? Once Extreme Ice died, having more than a dozen eighth-ranks would be futile. They would inevitably scatter! Samsara turned to look west and cast his gaze in every direction. The hegemons—Huntian, Chunqiu, Five Elements—had not shown themselves. They had to be aware of what was happening, yet they had not appeared. What did that mean? Did they feel that these people weren't worth worrying about? That was impossible. If they truly didn't care, why send their subordinates here in the first place? Or was it… that the eastern region was not a place they could set foot in so lightly? Tianfang was here, the Thunder Domain was here, and many other secrets lay hidden here. Perhaps… because it concerned the ninth rank, those existences dared not act rashly, fearing they might trigger something unforeseen. Just then, Pengcheng's voice sounded in his ear: "Samsara… let us retreat!" The roc was wavering. Retreat! Fengming was dead, and Samsara's two eighth-rank Sovereigns were dead. Huntian's side still had three eighth-rank Sovereigns present, plus Earth Spirit… Earth Spirit clearly felt their chances were slim as well, and that it would be better to withdraw. Li Hao had already broken through the predicament of this battle. The Myriad Heavens Dao Arena would clearly be established. It would be exceedingly difficult to organize a coalition like this again. Each faction still needed to guard its home territory; after all, the Chaos was not unified, and none of the so-called hegemons had yet managed to claim all the worlds within their respective territories. A reckless deployment invited unexpected disasters at home. From start to finish, far too many eighth-rank Sovereigns had perished on this eastern battlefield. "Retreat?" The Samsara Sovereign chuckled. Retreat where? To the west? Would Li Hao even let him leave? Even if he could… his three eighth-ranks had fallen completely, never to be resurrected. A batch of seventh-ranks had died last time. His dream of hegemony was thoroughly shattered. Huntian treated him like a servant. If he went west, was he to become Huntian's servant, just like this bird? Since he had launched this campaign, he had never intended to retreat. Be it life or death… as the former supreme expert of the eastern region, he would run no more. At that moment, he suppressed the fluctuations of his Great Dao. He looked toward Li Hao and took a deep breath. A millstone hovered above his head, and the path of life and death opened. Looking at Li Hao, he let out a slightly playful laugh: "King of Silver Moon, there was never any deep-seated hatred between us… Though bringing that up now is utterly meaningless!" "Things have come to this; my bid for hegemony is completely over, and the path to the ninth rank is beyond reach… I wish to witness Time!" He smiled. "My Dao encompasses life and death. Li Hao, do you dare step into my Gate of Life and Death and fight me one-on-one? A battle untouched by anyone else—what do you say?" Li Hao was somewhat surprised by the proposal. He looked at Samsara, then glanced at the figures behind him who were already harboring thoughts of retreat, and chuckled: "Samsara, I have dabbled a bit in the Life and Death Dao myself, and I know how formidable it is… If you withdraw now, I have no intention of pursuing you…" Of course, he might not necessarily be able to kill Samsara anyway. After all, they still had multiple eighth-ranks and seventh-ranks on their side, and their collective strength remained formidable. Driving Long Zhan away had merely given both sides more room to maneuver; it did not mean Li Hao held all the winning cards. Furthermore, unleashing powerful ultimate techniques in succession took an immense toll. Within the long river, the worlds were already trembling faintly. If this continued, he might not be able to sustain it for much longer. If Samsara truly chose to flee, Li Hao might not pursue him. Every defeat struck a heavy blow against them. Slaying a few eighth-ranks at a time to whittle down their forces step by step might even be preferable. Killing a few each time… by now, a large number of eighth-ranks had already perished here. Such an outcome was well within Li Hao's expectations. Yet… the Samsara Sovereign actually refused to run! A cold glint appeared in Samsara's eyes: "Do you look down on me? Why should I run? The east is where I have been rooted for countless years; if anyone should leave, it shouldn't be me!" He stared at Li Hao. There was a trace of madness in his eyes. Perhaps this was his final opportunity. If he couldn't kill Li Hao now, after repeated failures, would he ever be able to? He was no fool. Nor was he deliberately throwing his life away. He knew all too well that despite gathering power time and again, they had failed to kill Li Hao. Next time? Where would there be a next time! From the very beginning, when Li Hao's side barely managed to kill Diyang, to when they slew Sun and Moon, Lietu, and Fusheng, and now to today, slaying Fengming and the others—it had only been a few short months. The Chaos was vast, and traveling a single distance took an eternity. Next time? Next time he encountered Li Hao, he might simply be killed on the spot. Dying a worthless death! Once the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena was established—an endeavor for which Li Hao had paid an enormous price—the next time they met, he might be slain in an instant. That was not the end he desired! "Li Hao… do you dare?" The Samsara Sovereign let out a low growl: "I am the supreme expert of the eastern region! Only by killing me can your name be etched into the Chaos for all eternity! Only by killing me can you intimidate the four quarters and establish the foundation of your myriad Daos!" "Naturally… if I kill you, I shall slay the Human King today and reunify the east!" A desperate, all-in gamble! Matters had reached this point; what was left to consider? At these words, Pengcheng and the others grew anxious. Rather than dueling him one-on-one, wouldn't it be better to swarm him together? They were stronger than the three people on Li Hao's side! They also had more seventh-ranks. Since they weren't running, joining forces was obviously the superior choice. They felt Samsara must have truly gone mad. With several eighth-ranks of his world dead, had this fellow lost his senses? Otherwise, working together was undeniably more powerful! Yet the Samsara Sovereign did not even spare them a glance. Join forces? When joining forces, everyone harbored their own reservations. Would that truly be better than a duel? Pengcheng's group had three people, all from Huntian's faction. The moment they fell into a disadvantage, they would likely turn tail and flee immediately. The Earth Spirit Sovereign was clearly the same. In that case, he might as well fight Li Hao in a pure duel! As for those people, they could simply hold the perimeter! It wasn't that he looked down on them—they were all very strong—but so what? The Human King's side still had over a dozen eighth-ranks facing him, and what good had that done? Only an all-out gamble, a fight with their backs to the wall, could unleash all potential in a desperate bid for survival! This, perhaps, offered a greater chance! Such were Samsara's thoughts. On Li Hao's side, the Thunder Emperor and the others wore peculiar expressions. Wushan said in a deep voice, "Do not agree… They must have some scheme…" Having Li Hao enter the Gate of Life and Death? Trap Li Hao and then slaughter the rest of them? That was entirely plausible! The three of them were indeed no match for that group; there was no doubt about that. In any case, they believed it was a trap. Taking advantage of their joint strength, a chaotic melee between both sides, paired with the Human King's side potentially finishing off Extreme Ice, would completely overturn the situation. Li Hao looked at Samsara and broke into a smile: "A duel?" He chuckled softly. This time, his smile was remarkably sincere. "Back in Silver Moon, when martial masters fought to the death, it was usually like this! Martial masters prefer to fight one-on-one. I actually dislike chaotic brawls, even though chaos creates more opportunities for me!" Li Hao's smile broadened. "I truly savor exchanges between martial masters—to determine superiority, and to determine life and death! Only then do I feel that I am still a martial master, still a gallant rogue, and that the Jianghu still exists!" Li Hao took a step forward and looked at Samsara. The Gate of Life and Death manifested before Samsara as he looked at Li Hao: "Do you accept?" "Not yet," Li Hao said softly. "You chose to stay and resolve life and death with me. Though we are enemies, I can bring myself to trust you to an extent! But the people beside you—I do not trust them!" Samsara chuckled. "What must happen for you to trust me?" "How can I trust them?" Li Hao murmured softly. The next moment, his laugh rang in everyone's ears: "If one more dies, I will trust them!" Everyone was shocked! What? The Samsara Sovereign's eyes flickered, but he neither spoke nor moved, remaining rooted in the void without stirring an inch. At that exact instant, a sword flew west! It shot straight toward Pengcheng. Horrified, Pengcheng fled at once, transforming into a giant roc to soar through the void. Samsara didn't even attempt to stop the sword! The Earth Spirit Sovereign's face also changed drastically. For a moment, he didn't know whether to step in and intercept, hold his ground, or flee… The moment that hesitation surfaced in his mind, Li Hao's laughter rang out: "The wrath of a ninth rank is something I cannot bear. Fellow Daoist Pengcheng, you overthink! Besides, you are subordinates of Senior Huntian; how would I dare recklessly kill you?" As his voice fell, a long sword hovered in the void, radiating the peerless, matchless power of the Five Elements. At this moment, the gods of the Five Elements seemed to manifest. The Five Elements Dao Domain expanded instantly, enveloping the surroundings and sweeping straight toward Earth Spirit. Li Hao's voice drifted eerily: "The Five Elements of the North dare participate in this battle as well? The Five Elements Sovereigns are strong together, but are you still strong when separated?" The sword was like a god! The Five Elements manifested—an ape, a tiger, a raptor… A fierce tiger emerging from its cage! A sword stroke with no return! The moment the strike unleashed, the Five Elements domain collapsed instantly. Inside the long river, Yuan Shuo coughed up blood and tumbled out from a world, vomiting blood continuously as he looked toward Li Hao with shock on his face. What was this little madman doing now? *Bang!* The Five Elements shattered. Li Hao's sword thrust forward, piercing through the Earth Spirit Sovereign's defense in a single blow. The earth element was most adept at defense, yet it was breached in an instant. The sword of absolute annihilation fell in the blink of an eye, and with that strike, Kongji also tumbled out from a world. Having forced out two seventh-ranks in succession and emptied the energy of the worlds they occupied, the long sword came crashing down! *Crack!* The Dao Domain fractured; the mountain peak crumbled. The sword returned as the fierce tiger roared, sending tremors through the Chaos. *Rumble!* With a tremendous crash, a streak of blood appeared on the Earth Spirit Sovereign's forehead. He stared blankly at Li Hao. Great Dao energy scattered frantically from his body. At that moment, several figures manifested in the northern region, their elemental energies of fire, metal, wood, and water churning violently. Li Hao's Great Dao energy unfurled, his sword intent soaring across heaven and earth as his Dao fluctuations shook the surroundings: "If anyone seeks to kill me, I shall kill them! World of Five Elements, even if you do not come, I will visit you sooner or later to slay you all, seize the Five Elements, and fulfill my teacher's path! In the Chaos of the Five Elements, the Five Animals hold supreme!" Arrogant, overbearing, brazen! Li Hao sneered coldly, scorning all beneath the heavens, utterly fearless of the Five Elements. Did you dare come? If you dared not, how dared you meddle in the affairs of the east? The void rippled and the Great Dao stretched forth. After a brief pause, the void trembled in the distance, and a Sovereign suddenly materialized. At this moment, his expression was frigid, exuding an aura far beyond his natural cultivation, his voice chillingly cold: "Then I shall await you! Li Hao of Silver Moon, I am Jinling! The reason you are alive today is not due to your own strength…" Li Hao sneered contemptuously: "Without the heart to rival a ninth rank, how can you ever prove the Dao of a ninth rank? Fearing Tianfang, fearing the master of the thunder tribulation, not daring to make a move—your eighth-rank cultivation has been practiced in vain! If you do not come, I will come for you sooner or later. Wait for me!" In the distance, the peculiar aura dissipated from that Sovereign's body. Coming back to his senses, the Sovereign turned pale, said nothing more, and fled into the void at once. Just now, a hegemon of the north had possessed the body from afar. It possessed no great combat power, but rather conveyed towering fury, descending to deliver a few harsh threats. Li Hao shook his head. "Huntian is the strongest, Chunqiu comes next, then Long Zhan… The Five Elements Sovereigns are five people after all. Even Jinling is merely so-so, inferior to Long Zhan and inferior even to you, Samsara. At best, their fortune was better, five born from a single womb, blessed by heaven and earth…" Only now did the Samsara Sovereign seem to acknowledge that Li Hao had slain Earth Spirit with a single sword. He suddenly smiled. "Fortune is also a form of strength! Speaking of fortune, yours isn't bad, nor is mine. Reaching where we are today, who doesn't have a bit of fortune? But you are right: the Five Sovereigns of the North are indeed inferior to Long Zhan. In the struggle between the four quarters, the north will certainly fall first…" He seemed to completely disregard Earth Spirit's death. Looking back at Li Hao, his eyes flickered slightly: "No wonder you were so formidable, boosting your strength in an instant. However… you cast out two seventh-rank Sovereigns and drained two high-rank worlds of their energy. Did you feel… that you were far too superior to me in our previous clash?" "No!" Li Hao smiled. "A martial master's exchange relies on fairness! I used the power of two seventh-rank worlds to slaughter Earth Spirit and remove an unfair advantage—fair to you, and fair to me!" He was weaker than before. To kill Earth Spirit, his teacher and Kongji's power had been completely extracted and depleted by him, instantly stripping away the power of two worlds. If he originally wielded close to six thousand Daos of power, he now possessed roughly five thousand-plus Daos, on par with Samsara. This was fairness in Li Hao's eyes. He looked toward the fleeing roc in the distance and smiled: "Fellow Daoist Pengcheng, why run so fast? As I said, Senior Huntian is a ninth-rank hegemon; how would I dare casually kill his subordinates? Not fearing the Five Elements does not mean I don't fear Huntian! Come back and stay. Fellow Daoist Samsara and I will have an exchange. If he dies, you can collect his corpse… Leave the Samsara Domain behind. Carrying the domain with you, you… won't escape!" In the distance, Pengcheng's expression shifted. He gazed at Samsara from afar, his heart filled with an indescribable mixture of emotions. Samsara had not stopped Li Hao from killing Earth Spirit. Clearly, in that instant, a mutual understanding had formed between the two. You kill Earth Spirit to preserve balance; of course, Li Hao also relinquished two seventh-rank worlds, diminishing his own combat strength. This was balance in their eyes. The life of an eighth-rank Sovereign seemed… utterly insignificant to them. The Samsara Sovereign also spoke up: "Fellow Daoist Pengcheng, if I die, leave the Samsara Domain behind and take the living beings of my Samsara World into the Huntian Domain… After all, there are still several seventh-ranks among them; they still hold some use!" He smiled faintly. "If I win… Li Hao, do not self-detonate. How about leaving behind some traces for me to observe?" "Dao traces?" "Indeed!" "Fellow Daoist Samsara truly has grand ambitions… You still harbor wild desires, it seems, wishing to peer into Time…" Samsara nodded. "Among the powerhouses of the Chaos, who doesn't covet it?" At this moment, the two spoke as if they were old friends enjoying a lighthearted conversation. In the distance, earth-shaking battle cries resounded! The Human King was far more direct: when he meant to kill, he killed. He wasted no words on his opponents, spewing curses when he had the breath and staying silent when he didn't—a professional killer through and through. Li Hao's side, on the other hand, was far more refined. Of course, the Sovereigns who died were no fewer. Right now, it had become a duel of refinement, a one-on-one contest. Li Hao looked at the two gates of life and death before him and smiled: "I will walk the path of life and death once. If I walk out alive, and you are still alive as well… will you take a walk through my River of Ten Thousand Daos? Fair?" "Very fair!" Samsara nodded. At this point, the Thunder Emperor and the others were extremely uneasy. Li Hao turned back to look at them: "I will enter his Dao to observe life and death. The rest of you, watch Pengcheng and his companions here. Those people cannot be trusted, nor are they worth trusting! Three on three, with only a few fewer seventh-ranks on our side. Though they are slightly stronger, you can still fight them for a while without being routed instantly… This is the opponent I leave to you!" Li Hao chuckled and stepped forward. He liked duels like this. Martial masters had always been this way. A gang brawl did not display the style of a martial master. Of course, to say he was entirely alone was inaccurate; many people still resided within the river. Yet their individual strength fell short; at the very least, this moment was fair. "Li Hao, which gate will you enter?" "The Death Gate!" Li Hao looked at the two gates of life and death, his gaze settling on the Death Gate as he chuckled: "I want to see what death truly looks like in your eyes." "Please!" The Life Gate vanished, leaving the Death Gate manifest before him, swirling with chilling winds and seemingly inhabited by countless specters. Behind him, the Thunder Emperor and his companions were still deeply anxious. This… Li Hao was truly unpredictable at times. He was actually going to step into the opponent's Dao gate! Li Hao cultivated life and death as well, but his cultivation of life and death differed from Samsara's: he merely used life and death to gain extra lives. The opponent, however, had proven his Dao through life and death and was known as Samsara. The group hesitated, wanting to speak, but didn't know what to say. One could only say that Samsara was a capable figure who seemed to have seen through Li Hao's mindset, even allowing Li Hao to kill Earth Spirit just for this one-on-one duel. Otherwise, Li Hao might not have agreed. Perhaps this was Li Hao's weakness as well? They didn't know and couldn't say much. They looked toward Yuan Shuo, who had tumbled out. At this moment, Yuan Shuo appeared completely calm. Seeing them look over, he suddenly chuckled: "Let him do as he pleases!" It was entirely normal. Silver Moon martial masters had always been like this. If an opponent was willing to duel you one-on-one at comparable strength, it was something everyone welcomed with joy. Why refuse? He even spoke up proactively: "A duel of life and death—let no one interfere! If Li Hao dies in battle here… that is fate! As long as the duel has not concluded, no one may step in… This is… the rule!" The eighth-rank Sovereigns were left speechless. What bullshit rules! In the Chaos, what rules could there possibly be? Li Hao smiled and nodded: "My teacher is right; these are the rules! And they apply to you as well…" He looked toward Samsara. "If Pengcheng and the others dare interfere… Fellow Daoist Samsara, do not blame me for breaking the rules to kill them, which would bring our duel to a premature end!" "Naturally!" Samsara seemed to understand this very well and smiled: "Having come this far, to this very point, this may be my only chance to kill you. If I still couldn't comprehend that, I would have lived a million years in vain!" "Then… let us begin!" Li Hao smiled and stepped into the Death Gate in an instant. In a single breath, the Death Gate vanished. The Samsara Sovereign sat cross-legged in the void, his spirit seemingly dissipating completely as he immersed himself in his own Great Dao. Pengcheng and the other two Sovereigns wore grave expressions. They were stronger than the three opposite them, but just as Li Hao had said, being slightly stronger was useless—they couldn't beat them to death instantly. In a one-on-one fight, they would still be entangled for quite a while. In that case, it was better to wait for the outcome. If Samsara won… once Li Hao was dead, these people wouldn't be worth worrying about. For a moment, this side fell into an eerie silence. Meanwhile, the Sovereigns observing from the shadows probed cautiously, unable to understand what was going on with these people. Seeing that they seemed to have stopped fighting… they had no choice but to shift their gaze toward the distant Xinwu battlefield. Over there, the fighting was raging fiercely! Under the Human King's lead, those people were truly ferocious, trading blow for blow, every slash drawing blood! By now, two eighth-rank Sovereigns had already fallen, both from the Polar Ice World. Aside from the Extreme Ice Sovereign, of the three Extreme Ice Sovereigns, only the eldest brother remained. At this time, the Human King's blood vitality surged into the heavens. The Supreme and the others frantically blocked the other Sovereigns from intervening. Even the Bright Sovereign was swept up in the frenzy, shattering heaven and earth with his Bright Divine Fist as deafening battle cries shook the skies. That was where the true spectacle lay, at least for the watching Sovereigns. Secondly, the Four Regions was also a spectacle: boundless thunder tribulation energy surged forth, sweeping across the four quarters. As Long Zhan returned and used Feng Yan's body to draw the thunder tribulation, countless bolts descended upon him. Long Zhan frantically tore through layer upon layer of tribulation, and the entire Four Regions surged with the power of the Great Dao crisscrossing heaven and earth. …… Looking back to Li Hao's side. The moment he entered the Death Gate, countless specters suddenly appeared before him, stretching endlessly into the distance. This place seemed like a realm of the dead. Death energy of extreme density surged toward Li Hao in an instant. At this moment, the silhouette of the Samsara Sovereign materialized in the sky, resembling a king among the dead, with boundless undead prostrating themselves behind him. "Li Hao!" The Samsara Sovereign's voice rang out: "This is the Gate of Death! That you dared enter earns my admiration… Here, this is my world, and the rules are dictated by me!" Rules! Li Hao raised his head: "You dictate the rules? You are not capable of that yet… It's merely a half-crippled world of rules; do you truly take me, Li Hao, for an ignoramus?" He looked at Samsara, and then cast his gaze toward the end of heaven and earth, spotting an object resembling a beating heart. He smiled: "Shattering that object will sever your Dao! Samsara, I am going to destroy it!" Stepping into the air, his Great Dao manifested, causing heaven and earth to tremble. Yet at that moment, countless undead surged forth, completely devoid of fear, charging in an instant. Swarms of specters rushed forward; even when obliterated in a flash, they reconstituted in the blink of an eye. The distant heart resembled a river, and the slain undead were restored from it in an instant, walking forth endlessly, as if they could never be fully extinguished. In the void, the Samsara Sovereign sat at the center of heaven and earth. He did not move; countless undead simply continued to manifest without end! This was death, and this was rebirth. Slay one, revive one; slay one, revive one… A single undead was not strong, but countless undead charged continuously and revived endlessly. Even an eighth-rank Sovereign would be ground down to death. "Suppress!" Li Hao's divine characters materialized, directly exerting suppression rather than killing. Countless undead were instantly pinned in place, but the next second, they detonated themselves, revivifying within the distant heart a moment later to charge once more. Such was the cycle, infinite and inexhaustible! This was Samsara's life and death. At this moment, many figures Li Hao had killed even began to manifest around him, such as the newly slain Fengming, the two newly slain Samsara Sovereigns, Diyang, and Ying Hongyue! All of these were people Li Hao had killed. And here, they seemed to have come back to life. "Li Hao!" "Li Hao!" "Give me back my life!" "Kill him!" "……" At that moment, these undead seemed to truly come alive. Floating in the sky, the Samsara Sovereign chuckled and said softly: "The more people you have killed, the more powerhouses you have slain, the more dangerous you are in this place!" How many eighth-rank Sovereigns had Li Hao killed? The three Samsara Sovereigns were counted among his kills; even if they had actually died at the hands of the Thunder Emperor and his companions, all their resentment was directed at Li Hao. There were also the two Sovereigns of Sun and Moon, the Diyang Sovereign, the Lietu Sovereign, the Fengming Sovereign, the Earth Spirit Sovereign… There were also seventh-rank Sovereigns like Fire Phoenix, White Tiger, and Giant Elephant—far too many. At this moment, all of them seemed to have been revived. Li Hao did not waste words. He merely looked into the distance, watching that beating heart, and let out a light laugh: "Infinite resurrection… but every resurrection consumes your power, doesn't it? It's not as if they truly cannot be killed!" "Indeed, the cycle of life and death ultimately has its limitations, but… I am already very satisfied." The Samsara Sovereign did not deny it. He smiled as well: "If you had chosen the Life Gate, it might have been simpler. In the cycle of life and death, what comes after death is far more perilous. The living would only manifest as living people who left a deep impression on you…" Yet here, everyone was dead. At this moment, the Samsara Sovereign added: "Right now, they are only your enemies. Soon… the relatives and friends you care about may appear. Everyone who has died will be revived here. Li Hao… how do you find my realm of the dead?" "Not bad, but… I don't like it very much!" The Great Dao River manifested. Around him, those seventh-rank and eighth-rank Sovereigns, though not as powerful as when they were alive, were still immensely formidable at this moment, charging toward Li Hao with boundless hatred. Li Hao cleaved one down with a single sword slash, only for the opponent to revive from the distance in the blink of an eye. Such was the cycle of life and death—truly terrifying. Under normal circumstances, had Li Hao not stepped into the Gate of Life and Death, it might not have been this dangerous. If the Samsara Sovereign could easily unleash this in the outside world, he would have done so long ago; this Dao Domain was not fully mature. That was why he had allowed Li Hao to slay Earth Spirit just to draw him into this place for battle. Here, he held an absolute advantage. It took an immense toll on him as well, but now, a multitude of powerhouses were besieging Li Hao together. All he needed to do was continuously revive those people and consume energy, while wounds instantly multiplied across Li Hao's body. Within the river, the energy in world after world began to run dry. The river was also starting to dry up. Countless wisps of death energy poured into it. Li Hao's world of life and death expanded frantically, but it was futile; even though Lin Hongyu absorbed the energy of life and death with all her might, it remained a drop in the ocean! Not enough! Lin Hongyu was anxious beyond measure, yet there was nothing she could do. She was merely a fourth-rank Sovereign. Commanding the world of life and death, it was already exceedingly difficult for her to swallow even a sliver of life-and-death energy. Around Li Hao, eighth-rank Sovereigns erupted repeatedly, unleashing various death Dao arts. These people seemed to have genuinely returned to life. Li Hao's long sword had already snapped. He threw punches instead, continuously pushing forward, pushing the Five Animals arts to their utmost limit. Divine characters emerged one after another, suppressing the surroundings, only to be shattered again and again. Li Hao coughed up blood, which had turned entirely black. At this moment, Li Hao wore an expression of utmost solemnity. This Dao was difficult to break! He said nothing. Inside the river, myriad worlds manifested, rotating and interchanging incessantly. Soon, the power of thunder tribulation appeared, though it was extremely faint. Thunder tribulations crashed down with a deafening roar! Countless undead turned to ash, only to be revivified shortly after. They could not be thoroughly eradicated! If this continued, the Samsara Sovereign's consumption would be limited, but Li Hao didn't mind. He continued to cycle the myriad worlds. Above, the Samsara Sovereign watched as well, amazement flickering in his eyes. The myriad Daos were displayed; Li Hao… was arranging them! He was cycling the power of the myriad Daos, hoping to pick out a Dao that could counter the undead and counter death energy. The Great Dao underwent continuous transformations. Soon, Li Hao arranged the life and death Daos, placing life and death at the forefront. Vast numbers of undead crumbled and were absorbed by Li Hao, but in the next breath… a muffled groan came from within the river. Although the world of life and death had expanded, Lin Hongyu could not bear the strain and showed signs of collapsing. Li Hao raised an eyebrow slightly. Clearly, his life and death was too weak; it wouldn't do, unable to withstand Samsara's life and death. He swiftly shifted tactics, placing annihilation and revitalization at the forefront. He annihilated a portion of the undead, but soon encountered another crisis… At this moment, within this Dao Domain, both men displayed all their methods. Samsara pushed life and death to the absolute limit, steam even rising from his body—the result of his spiritual power being pushed far beyond its threshold. Yet his gaze remained razor-sharp, locked onto Li Hao the entire time. Can you break my Samsara? *Boom!* With a massive collision, Li Hao was sent flying backward. His body was completely charred black as death energy bled out from him. Opposite him, not a single formidable figure had diminished, though they were considerably weaker than at the start. Within the river, a martial master presiding over a world could bear it no longer. Southern Fist roared furiously: "Get out! You'll be ground to death by him…" "Shut up!" Li Hao barked coldly, leaving Southern Fist fuming with exasperation! If this continued, he was truly going to be worn to death. Why did this kid have to insist on a duel right now? Li Hao caught his breath and looked at the heart still beating in the distance, his brow furrowing slightly. Here, the rules were dictated by Samsara, and they were actually quite simple: those who died could be revived indefinitely at the cost of energy, with the heart serving as the core. Shattering the heart would put an end to the resurrection! Yet even against such a simple rule, he found it difficult to break. Rules! This was an application of the future rules he had witnessed before. Of course, Samsara had only touched upon it, and it was not yet fully defined, but in truth, it was the Dao of rules belonging to the future. He wielded it even more profoundly than Li Hao currently could. "The cycle of life and death…" Li Hao murmured. The infinite cycle of samsara weakened them, but it weakened him even faster. If this went on, he truly might not be able to break it. No wonder Samsara had been so confident, insisting on a duel. Did he regret it? Naturally not; instead, he smiled, delighting in discovering something new. At this moment, Li Hao looked at Samsara with some curiosity: "The cycle of life and death, establishing rules… To establish them, one must integrate into the Dao. Have you integrated with the Life and Death Dao?" The Samsara Sovereign's heart shook. Looking at Li Hao, he was also filled with astonishment, yet he soon shook his head: "I did not integrate with the Dao; rather… over all these years, I have killed countless people, and countless people have died within the Samsara Domain. These people eventually converged into a spirit, which allowed the Life and Death Dao to spontaneously give birth to a sliver of spirituality… Li Hao, you are truly remarkable!" He understood rules! At this moment, the Samsara Sovereign was thoroughly shaken. Li Hao knew! Indeed, he had sensed earlier that Li Hao's power was mingled with a peculiar energy. So that was it—he was exploring rules as well! "Remarkable!" Li Hao voiced his praise, and then marveled: "So that's how it is. One doesn't need to integrate with the Dao; one can also nurture and integrate a spirit! Life and death—the life and death of countless people forged a Dao spirit… Then it seems other Great Daos can be nurtured the same way. Impressive! I understand a bit now…" "Divine characters!" At this moment, Li Hao seemed to undergo an epiphany: "Integrating divine characters into the Dao, all living beings cultivating divine characters, body, mind, and spirit unified. Divine characters nurture the Dao, one Dao dividing into millions of divine characters—cultivating the spirit, cultivating the Dao, nurturing the spirit!" Combining this with some of the scenes he had glimpsed from the future, he seemed to completely understand how the Dao would be cultivated in the future. Unifying one's body, mind, and spirit to condense divine characters; a single Great Dao cultivated, perfected, spiritually merged, and integrated by countless people to nurture a spirit. When a Dao possesses a spirit, rules naturally arise! So that was it! Previously, he hadn't seen it clearly, only knowing that someone had to integrate with the Dao for a Dao spirit to be born. Now, he understood that that was an acquired Dao spirit—a Great Dao could give birth to a spirit on its own! Hundreds of millions of people cultivating the same Dao together, regardless of race, gender, or talent, constructing divine characters—with identical divine characters, they could cultivate the same Dao together! So that was it! This bore some resemblance to the Silver Moon Dao meridians, but Dao meridians were cultivated separately, which prevented them from strengthening the power of a single Dao; one had to completely merge the Dao meridians of the same attribute together! At this moment, the Samsara Sovereign's expression shifted slightly. A single sentence from him had apparently granted Li Hao an epiphany. Of course, matters having progressed to this point, they were bound to resolve life and death. If he died, it wouldn't matter if Li Hao knew; if Li Hao died, it would matter even less. From all directions, countless Sovereigns struck once more. At this moment, it was no longer just them; even people Li Hao had recently encountered while traveling into the past began to manifest… mingled among the undead. There were his parents, there was Zhang Yuan, and there were also some very weak cultivators he had slain in the past. Such as Sun Moxian, the disciple of the Eyebrow Staff, who had been killed by him in his very first martial duel… Even now, Li Hao had not forgotten that person. All of them manifested at this moment. Whether grieving or sorrowful, they all swarmed toward Li Hao. In the sky above, the Samsara Sovereign watched in silence. The Dao of Life and Death, the Dao of Samsara, also possessed the power to shatter one's Dao heart. Everyone had weaknesses, and those who had died were perhaps his weakness. Li Hao, do you truly have no weakness? I don't believe it! Yet in that moment, Li Hao did not fly into a rage. Even as his parents attacked him, even as Zhang Yuan charged at him, he felt no anger, only an… indescribable melancholy and joy. He seemed… to know how to break this Dao! At that moment, the myriad Daos shifted, and vast numbers of Daos vanished in an instant. In the blink of an eye, the Daos began to recombine, and gradually, a crimson power emerged from Li Hao's body. Looking at his loved ones and friends swarming toward him… He looked up at Samsara and smiled: "Thank you, Samsara. I have always wanted to give this a try… but I was always… afraid to… unable to!" Those who had died were simply too important to him. Do you know what my greatest desire is? Not a wish, but a desire! At that moment, a burst of Red Moon power erupted from Li Hao's body, far denser than the power of desire wielded by the Red Moon Sovereign. "I want… to revive them!" Li Hao let out a furious roar, howling with wild abandon: "In reality, I dare not, I cannot… But here, I dare!" Countless undead? Then… revive them, completely revive them! If life and death cannot revive them, then use desire—use boundless, limitless desire to revive them! An intense desire surpassed everything else at this moment. Even the Samsara Sovereign's phantom form trembled at this moment; he felt an overwhelmingly powerful Dao of desire, a desire so intense it drove people mad, making them lose their minds. …… At this moment. In the Four Regions. The Red Moon Sovereign whipped his head around, his eyes filled with shock! Long Zhan turned his head at the exact same time. Far away in the distance, a surge of desire, intense and concentrated to the absolute extreme, erupted in an instant! Even Long Zhan was stunned. Desire? That overwhelming desire even permeated the entire void, as if someone was crying out, roaring: *I will… revive you all!* The Red Moon Sovereign was dazed, completely lost in thought. Desire? What kind of desire could be so intense as to reach such a degree, far surpassing his own Dao of desire, sweeping directly across the entire heaven and earth? At this moment, that mad, frenzied roar seemed to echo in the minds of everyone, every powerhouse. "Revive!" Spending a lifetime, paying any price, giving up everything—I will revive you all! Who did he want to revive? Just who did he want to revive? …… At this moment. In the realm of death. Countless undead struggled frantically, yet mutations began to occur continuously. Specter after specter seemed to be completely brought back to life. Li Hao no longer killed them; instead, he revived them. The power of desire spread furiously. The desire, intense to the absolute extreme, caused countless undead to begin reviving, even seeming to regain their memories, regaining their clarity… At this moment, vast numbers of the revived undead suddenly turned and charged toward the Samsara Sovereign. "Samsara!" "You are still alive!" "Die!" Many of these boundless undead were powerhouses slain by the Samsara Sovereign. Yet at this moment, under the revitalization of desire, they were brought back to life, driven mad, and turned against him! High in the sky, the Samsara Sovereign was dazed. Revival… not the revival of life and death, not his previous kind of resurrection—merely the awakening of undead—but… the awakening of memories. Desire! The Great Dao of the Red Moon World, the Dao of a very weak eighth-rank world, an eighth-rank world that had long since been crushed by Li Hao… A Great Dao he had barely paid any attention to was actually the nemesis of his Dao of Life, Death, and Samsara. Indeed, with so many dead stripped of their memories, they were merely undead. Once completely revived and their memories stimulated… many of them were his sworn enemies. *Boom!* Countless undead, their expressions contorted with malice, charged toward Samsara, while a portion of the undead also struggled and roared, attacking Li Hao! Li Hao, however, laughed heartily! Revive them! Weren't they immortal and indestructible? Then revive them completely and restore their memories! Enemies were still enemies, but for the vast majority of the undead, their enemy was not him. *Rumble!* Explosions rang out frantically as countless undead detonated. The heart began to beat violently. The Samsara Sovereign, who had maintained its operation until now, was swarmed by countless undead. They clambered over him, reviving again after death, charging toward him once more… They gnawed at the Samsara Sovereign, slain time and again, slain one after another, yet constantly reviving as immense amounts of energy were consumed. The Samsara Sovereign's face turned faintly pale. He looked toward Li Hao, who was likewise engulfed and bombarded. Yet Li Hao wore a radiant smile, because at this moment, Samsara was also fighting himself, using his own power to revive the undead to attack himself! If this continued without him halting the revival, his consumption would be twice that of Li Hao's. The first to die would likely not be Li Hao. "Desire… a minor Dao… how could it break my Samsara?" The Samsara Sovereign could hardly believe it. Looking at Li Hao while letting the countless undead tear at him, he felt deeply unreconciled. This time, he truly could not accept it. His Dao had already achieved rules! Why… was it broken by desire? "How can a Great Dao be inherently strong or weak?" Li Hao chuckled. "Desire is human nature, a mighty Dao. Red Moon was merely trash; how could he truly understand desire?" At this moment, he smiled and looked at Samsara: "Perhaps, in the future, I will thank you. Because you have let me know that an intense desire might summon back the true origin of those I wish to revive… I can bring them back! Samsara, you have granted me some experience!" *Boom!* Under the massive, frantic consumption of energy, that heart detonated directly at this moment. The Samsara Sovereign did nothing to stop it, because if he didn't blow it up, he would continuously suffer the backlash of power, overrun and destroyed by the countless undead. *Rumble!* As the heart exploded, the entire domain collapsed. Countless undead were instantly reduced to ash, including Li Hao's acquaintances. Li Hao didn't spare them a second glance… because it was all merely the mischief of the Dao spirit. *Boom!* With a tremendous roar, in the eyes of outsiders in the Chaos, only an instant had passed. The Dao of desire roared, and in the next breath, the Samsara Sovereign suddenly vomited blood. Vast amounts of death energy spilled forth as his face turned deathly pale. Li Hao stepped forth from the void, while the Samsara Sovereign's aura withered in an instant. Pengcheng and the others were pale with fright! How could this be? Samsara, at the peak of the eighth rank, had been crushed by Li Hao in a single instant? At this moment, the Samsara Sovereign wore a wretched expression. His rules, his Dao spirit, his Samsara… had all been shattered by Li Hao in this single clash. There was self-deprecation, and there was dejection. For a cultivator of the Dao, having one's Great Dao broken… was the greatest blow of all. He had been proud and arrogant, believing his Samsara to be matchless. Even if his strength fell short of the several hegemons, he believed Samsara possessed the greatest potential! Yet today… it had actually been undone by a mere Dao of desire! He looked at Li Hao and smiled: "Desire… Of course, not the desire of trash like Red Moon; he wasn't worthy… Li Hao… perhaps it was not merely desire, but… boundless madness! Was it not?" Li Hao had actually longed so intensely to revive those few mortals. It was incredible! Was there anything left in the mortal realm worthy of such attachment? Li Hao remained calm. "Do you… wish to walk through my Time?" "*Cough, cough…*" The Samsara Sovereign laughed: "No… Instead… let me catch a glimpse of what true Time really is. Can you unleash the power of Time?" "As you wish!" At this moment, Li Hao waved his hand. The myriad worlds manifested once more, condensing into a single star as Time seemed to freeze. "This is not my Time; this is the Emperor of Battle Heaven of Xinwu… no, the Time of the Emperor of Battle Heaven from the Yin-Yang World!" Li Hao murmured softly. The sword intent of Time manifested once more, sweeping toward him in a single strike! Pengcheng and the others were terrified! Samsara was already severely wounded; taking this sword strike now would likely result in his complete demise. Seeing that Li Hao was also heavily injured, they intended to intervene, but the Samsara Sovereign turned his head to glare at them and barked coldly: "Get lost!" That roaring shout stunned Pengcheng and the other two Sovereigns. The next moment, the Samsara Sovereign's millstone of life and death manifested once more. Though heavily fractured, it still rose proudly as he roared: "Born in the east, dying in the east—having lost the contention of Daos, I accept it!" He had lost the contention of Daos! It was nothing else: his Dao had been broken. Sinking into death in battle, he accepted it. There was no resentment, only sorrow! Yet he still wished to catch one more glimpse of the Dao of Time, reputed to be the strongest Dao in the Chaos! The next moment, he seemed to plunge into Time. Memories flickered, the past and the future materializing. Standing upon the long river, the sword descended. He seemed to see something as the strike came down upon the crown of his head! Looking toward the end of the long river… the Samsara Sovereign suddenly smiled: "Li Hao… in the future… life and death… remains mighty! Desire cannot overcome life and death!" *Boom!* The explosion resonated through the Chaos, his voice of Samsara continuing to reverberate across the four quarters. "Desire cannot overcome life and death!" I saw it! Li Hao, I saw it, do you know? In the future, I am the one who won, not the Dao of desire! *Rumble!* The Great Dao collapsed. At this moment, the commotion was unimaginably massive. A powerhouse wielding nearly six thousand Daos, someone who had even grasped a measure of rules, fell completely beneath this single strike. Only a single sentence echoed far and wide across the void. *Desire cannot overcome life and death!* It was merely I who could not overcome you, Li Hao.