Dividing Spoils, Solitude

Thunder rumbled! Li Hao truly paid it no mind. A man like the Human King was extraordinarily tough to kill. With the Supreme and the others at his side, Li Hao would be genuinely shocked if a little tribulation lightning like this could strike him dead. Only now did Li Hao have a moment to take stock of his gains from this battle. Several eighth-rank Sovereigns had been slain: Fengming, Earth Spirit, Samsara, and two eighth-rank Sovereigns from the Samsara World—nobodies whose names Li Hao hadn't even bothered to remember. Five eighth-rank Sovereigns! In addition, he had seized a world—a bona fide top-tier Great World that ranked among the absolute pinnacle of existences in the entire Chaos. Beyond that, there was nothing else tangible. Dismantling the Great Dao of Time and reconstituting it were internal gains. There were also some unexpected bonuses this time. For instance... Qian Wuliang was currently showing signs of advancing toward the seventh rank, and by all appearances, his breakthrough was almost guaranteed this time. Hong Yitang had relinquished the Great Dao Universe and directly fused the twin Daos! Qian Wuliang hadn't advanced yet, but Li Hao could tell that the fellow was deliberately suppressing it—treading on thin ice with immense trepidation, seemingly riddled with anxiety. A twin-Dao universe! Originally, with Hong Yitang around, Qian Wuliang had only been a deputy, which put his mind at ease. But now, he held the twin-Dao universe all to himself. If he broke through to the seventh rank at this moment, Li Hao himself was actually only at the seventh rank! Crucially, Silver Moon had practically grown by feeding off Li Hao's blood. If he stepped into the seventh rank now—and as a seventh-rank master of a twin-Dao universe at that—Qian Wuliang was terrified he might scare himself to death. He had integrated a portion of Hong Yitang's Great Dao river, but didn't dare absorb all of it. He was constantly holding back, not daring to advance; otherwise, the moment he absorbed it, he would surely enter the seventh rank! Li Hao could see right through him. However, he was in no hurry to address it. Looking across the crowd, his gaze soon landed on Sovereign Wanhua. Wanhua had taken part in the battle. Of course, the six seventh-rank Sovereigns had primarily served to bolster their momentum; Li Hao hadn't genuinely counted on them. Even so, the fact that they hadn't fled in terror was already quite commendable. Back then, the more timid among them had nearly bolted. Holding their ground to the very end was a success in its own right. Without beating around the bush, Li Hao said directly, "The two eighth-rank Sovereigns of the Samsara Domain were slain thanks to the assistance of you fellow Daoists... Now that Samsara is dead, the Dao power contained within those two eighth-rank Sovereigns is somewhat modest... I leave the power of these two eighth-rank Sovereigns to you to divide among yourselves." "This... we wouldn't dare!" Wanhua hastily spoke up. "How could we dare accept such generosity from the Venerable..." Venerable! This was an honorific reserved for top-tier Sovereigns, rarely heard. Yet at this moment, Wanhua no longer dared address him as a fellow Daoist, hurriedly adding, "We came solely for the sake of the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena. Now that the arena has been established, and we have even gained insights into the truths of the Great Dao, we have already received more than enough... To us, this is already an immense opportunity..." Li Hao smiled. "One matter does not cancel out another. Gaining enlightenment is your own capability and has nothing to do with the spoils of war. In this battle, the sheer fact that you dared make a move was already extraordinary, not to mention offending three overlords in the process. The remains of two weak eighth-rank Sovereigns mean little to me. Besides, Fellow Daoist Wanhua, you will likely need a considerable amount of Dao power if you wish to step into the eighth rank..." Sovereign Wanhua immediately hesitated. The other Sovereigns were also deeply tempted. However, they understood that while Li Hao claimed it was for all of them, it was effectively meant for Wanhua. Wanhua was at the peak of the seventh rank. With the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena successfully established, he might cross into the eighth rank before long. With the Dao power from the bodies of two eighth-rank Sovereigns, reaching the eighth rank was practically assured! Of course, Li Hao had phrased it politely by giving it to all six of them. But as long as the other five hadn't lost their minds, they wouldn't dare—and shouldn't—demand a share. Having an additional eighth-rank Sovereign in their alliance would completely elevate their status. Even if the power was given to them, they wouldn't be able to reach the eighth rank. Giving it to Wanhua made his breakthrough almost certain. Sovereign Wanhua wanted to say more, but Li Hao's voice, though quiet, was resolute. "Accept it, Fellow Daoist. Otherwise, I will find it hard to sit well with my own conscience!" Sovereign Wanhua's heart skipped a beat, and he hastily bowed. "Then... then many thanks to the Venerable for your grace!" "You earned this. I have never mistreated my friends." Li Hao smiled. Having bestowed the Dao power of those two Sovereigns to Wanhua and his group, Li Hao turned his gaze to the others. Fengming was of the demon race and cultivated the poison path. It seemed no one on his side cultivated poison. Moreover, he was a demon! Li Hao had a few members of the demon race on his side, such as Li Fuhai, and Black Panther barely counted as well. However... Black Panther had stepped into the sixth rank and had begun focusing on lightning. Tribulation lightning. Li Hao even intended to pass the Tribulation divine character to Black Panther. While this eighth-rank power would be useful to Black Panther, it would be somewhat wasted. As for Li Fuhai, he was far too weak. Poison path, demonic power... Li Hao pondered for a while, scanning the crowd, and ultimately decided to hand this demon's body over to Dao Chess. "Me?" Even Dao Chess was stunned! What? For me? Fengming was no pushover—a cultivator of four thousand Daos, hailed as the foremost demon beneath Chunqiu, though whether that title was deserved was another story. He was stronger than Dao Chess! Yet... why give it to me? Li Hao thought for a moment and said, "Giving it to Senior is not for you to use in cultivation—that would be too wasteful. I would like Senior to refine Fengming into an armament! Senior excels in spatial manipulation, and Fengming possesses countless poison barbs. It's fair to say that even a seventh-rank cultivator could easily be poisoned to death, and an eighth-rank cultivator would suffer a grievous setback if tainted by them... If Senior refines him into an Imperial Armament and pairs it with spatial traversing, you would be... an unparalleled assassin!" Traversing and striking! An eighth-rank cultivator of four thousand Great Dao rules, combined with spatial traversing and Dao Chess's suppressive trapping capabilities... Once successfully combined, even though Dao Chess possessed only the power of two to three thousand rules, he would be capable of fighting toe-to-toe should he encounter an opponent of four thousand rules. Dao Chess froze. Assassination! Become an assassin? This... Could I really pull that off? Was that appropriate? To have the corpse of a top-tier eighth-rank Sovereign handed to him was truly unexpected. Li Hao was genuinely a good man to associate with. When there were benefits, he truly delivered! Yet receiving so much left Dao Chess somewhat conflicted. Just the other day, he had devoured an eighth-rank universe, and now here was another gift... He hesitated. "Wouldn't it be better to let a seventh-rank Sovereign devour it? Perhaps they might have a shot at stepping into the eighth rank..." Li Hao shook his head. "Distribution must be rational and take into account the effort contributed. We cannot practice pure egalitarianism. We must also elevate the methods available to our top combatants! Senior Dao Chess will likely be busy going forward. Maintaining the arena will require a great deal of effort from Senior, which will consume much of your cultivation time..." Dao Chess felt a bit embarrassed and gave a dry cough. "This... then I..." "Senior, just accept it!" Dao Chess broke into a smile and finally nodded. "Then... it would be rude of me to decline! Furthermore, with my Myriad Dao Chessboard, I don't actually need extensive refinement. I only need to distribute the poison barbs across the chessboard's squares and fuse his Dao domain into one with myself. Since I am already an Imperial Armament, this simply grants me offensive methods!" Originally, he hadn't excelled at offense. That was why earlier, when three eighth-rank Sovereigns faced two, it had been difficult to instantly breach their defense. But now, with this, ten thousand poison barbs unleashed simultaneously would easily pierce the defenses of two eighth-rank Sovereigns. Dao Chess was overjoyed. Li Hao smiled as well, nodding. "Senior may arrange it as you see fit. I lack sufficient knowledge regarding armament refinement. If Senior runs into difficulties, you can also head to Xinwu to consult Xinwu's Creation Sovereign." Aside from Fengming, next was Earth Spirit, another top-tier Sovereign. Li Hao looked over the group, his gaze ultimately settling on Yuan Shuo. Seeing this, Yuan Shuo knew his disciple probably wanted to give him special treatment again. He felt a hint of joy, but also considerable pressure. Hong Yitang... had struck out on his own. From relying on Li Hao to now becoming independent, he no longer leaned on Li Hao. Meanwhile, Yuan Shuo had relied on his disciple all the way to the seventh rank, and now, Earth Spirit, a top-tier eighth-rank Sovereign... As he was musing, Li Hao spoke: "Earth Spirit possesses the power of the Five Elements. Master, use it to bolster your earth-element power, and strive to unify the Five Elements as soon as possible. I already threw down the gauntlet, after all, declaring that I will claim the Five Elements Sovereign's life sooner or later!" Yuan Shuo felt immense pressure! This time, the pressure was genuinely heavy. His mouth opened and closed, at a loss for words for quite a while. Suddenly gritting his teeth, he grunted, "Fine, give it to me!" With that, he added, "I... I'm going out to travel and temper myself!" "..." Li Hao was speechless. At your advanced age, where do you plan to go for tempering? The east was temporarily pacified. If you wanted to go anywhere, you could only head to the other three regions, which was extraordinarily dangerous. For someone your age, wouldn't it be much better to stay by my side? "I'm going to the north to temper myself!" Yuan Shuo added, clearly harboring his own motives. Li Hao brushed him off perfunctorily. "Oh, sure. Absorb it first, and we'll talk later!" "..." *Damn it!* Yuan Shuo cursed inwardly. *This little bastard is truly insufferable. He disdains me every day for being weak, yet when I want to head out, he won't let me go.* *Infuriating!* Whatever. Once he finished absorbing it, he would slip away. This time, after absorbing this top-tier eighth-rank Sovereign, he couldn't guarantee reaching the eighth rank—that was impossible—but at the very least, he would be among the top tier of the seventh rank. He said no more. In any case... *I'm definitely going!* "The Samsara Sovereign was an overlord in his own right, and originally I didn't want to do anything to him..." Li Hao paused, then continued, "But now that he's dead, letting his Dao power dissipate would be a waste. Brother Kongji, it's yours. Your Six Daos and Three Extremities encompass life and death as well. Absorb the power of Samsara. If that isn't enough, the Samsara Great Dao Universe is still around—absorb from it relentlessly. If you don't enter the eighth rank, I'll be the one feeling embarrassed." Kongji looked somewhat awkward. Hearing those words made it sound as though failing to reach the eighth rank were a crime, but... it wasn't that easy. He felt a slight headache coming on! "As for Seniors Wushan, Thunder Emperor, and Senlan... strengthen your Great Daos first and open your Dao domains before considering other steps. You seniors are formidable, but... your Daos are somewhat singular. At the very least, your Dao domains must be made more complete..." Li Hao added, "I will also absorb some Dao power to fill my two-thousandth world!" With that, roughly everything that needed allocating had been divided. Only then did Li Hao turn to Qian Wuliang, who had remained on pins and needles, and said calmly, "Since Martial Uncle Hong has chosen to relinquish it... then from this day forth, you, Qian Wuliang, are the sole Dao Lord of Silver Moon..." "This... absolutely not..." Qian Wuliang hurriedly spoke up. "Marquis, I believe it would be better to select someone else to inherit Silver Moon's Real Dao! I think many people would be suitable..." Li Hao thought for a moment and said, "Separating them is fine in principle, but... if Silver Moon wishes to produce top powerhouses, unifying the illusory and the real may still be necessary! Keeping them separated facilitates checks and balances, which I believe is beneficial for the future, but disadvantageous for the present..." Indeed, separating them was favorable for decentralizing authority, maintaining checks and balances, and ensuring fairness... Yet for the present moment, unifying the illusory and the real was the only way to swiftly produce a formidable powerhouse—a seventh-rank master of twin Daos. Unifying the Great Daos! This way, even if Qian Wuliang couldn't swiftly reach the eighth rank, taking another step forward within the seventh rank and uniting the twin Daos would allow him to be utilized as an eighth-rank combatant in the later stages. This was the best approach. Qian Wuliang wanted to protest further, but Li Hao said, "Let it be settled like this!" For a moment, Qian Wuliang was caught between eager anticipation and profound anxiety, his emotions terribly tangled. Ultimately, he gritted his teeth. "Wuliang will surely lay down his life for the Marquis..." Li Hao remained completely calm. "There is no need for that! Simply do not forget your original intention. Of course, 'not forgetting your original intention' does not mean indulging your ambition, but rather remembering that Silver Moon is your homeland, just as it is mine, and the homeland of many others!" "I wouldn't dare!" Li Hao said, "Whether you dare or not doesn't matter, so long as you remain relatively fair. Everyone harbors selfish desires, and no one can truly be completely impartial. But... I have only one requirement: do not cut off the path of future generations of Silver Moon!" "Wuliang understands!" At this moment, Qian Wuliang's emotions were intensely complex. Li Hao was truly unattached. He genuinely abandoned Silver Moon, assigning no one to take over the Real Dao universe. Of course, Qian Wuliang had never truly contemplated rebellion. Unless Li Hao died—and even if he did, Qian Wuliang would have to think long and hard about whether he could immediately revive him. Otherwise, he feared he would die a gruesome death. How many powerhouses had believed they could kill Li Hao, only to end up as souls claimed by his sword? He had seen far too many. Li Hao took stock: Samsara was a major world, so its reserves wouldn't be lacking. He likely had enough energy to fill his worlds up to two thousand. As for Kongji, he wasn't certain whether he could step into the eighth rank. For his master, it would probably be somewhat difficult as well. This time, the group's realms hadn't seen massive breakthroughs. Of course, Martial Uncle Hong had crossed into the seventh rank through faith and responsibility, and Qian Wuliang would have no issue either, which added two seventh-rank Sovereigns. As for the eighth rank... Wanhua was practically guaranteed, though Wanhua was not truly one of their own. Having slain so many powerhouses, their overall gains in cultivation realms appeared somewhat modest. However... Li Hao soon chuckled. It was already quite good. Right at this moment, Er Mao suddenly stuck out its tongue, panting heavily. "What about me?" "..." Li Hao paused, coughing lightly. "Senior Er Mao... continue devouring the world source of the Samsara Domain to restore your living physical body. Try to maintain your duplication ability while possessing a living body... That way, you will have a true sense of presence..." *I nearly forgot about you!* Without a physical body, Er Mao's presence was far too faint. Mostly, it was because its job was done, and Li Hao had clean forgotten. "..." Er Mao was speechless. *I knew it!* *He remembers me when he needs me and forgets me the moment he doesn't—what a jerk.* Fortunately, it had spoken up; otherwise, Li Hao might have truly overlooked its existence. Luckily, it had still secured the life source of the Samsara World. "Then what about the Samsara Domain... and its countless living beings..." "Leave that aside for now. The world will not be destroyed; it has merely lost its power, its Great Dao Universe, and its life source. In a few days, I will make arrangements, including those within the Queen's divine kingdom and those from the Dali realm. There is no need to worry about this right now!" Li Hao made arrangements one by one. None of these matters were urgent. At this point, Dao Chess spoke up: "Xinwu made a massive fortune this time! Leaving aside Polar Ice, there were so many eighth-rank Great Worlds. Some fled directly, while others were swallowed whole... In any case, Xinwu's harvest won't be small, and they have the corpses of multiple eighth-rank Sovereigns... I expect those who self-detonated will not only recover, but perhaps even take a step further." Li Hao chuckled. Dao Chess was quite concerned about Xinwu. Naturally, the fellow was rather amusing, always wanting to measure up against Xinwu. Xinwu currently had five eighth-rank Sovereigns, counting the Sun God and Brightness. Yet on Li Hao's side, Li Hao himself was not technically one, leaving them with only three at present. Dao Chess always felt somewhat displeased and hoped more would emerge to completely overshadow Xinwu. Xinwu had reaped a substantial harvest this time, but they had also paid a heavy price. The Sword Venerable and the others had all self-detonated, and restoring them to their peak... would consume no small amount of resources. Taking Polar Ice and another Great World was barely enough for their recovery, and that was with Li Hao supplying a tremendous amount of life force. It remained to be seen whether Xinwu could secure greater gains going forward. "There's no rush!" Li Hao smiled. "For now, the situation is rather favorable to us. Together with Xinwu, one on the inside and one on the outside, we have joined hands to occupy the east. Coupled with Long Zhan's intention to contend with Tianfang, the three of us have formed a fragile alliance to resist the three overlords!" "Meanwhile, Chunqiu and Five Elements have each lost a top-tier Sovereign. Right now, they must also remain on guard against the Huntian Sovereign!" Li Hao sighed with emotion. "In this manner, the Chaos can maintain a period of balance for the time being. As long as we don't go looking for trouble with others, no one will come looking for trouble with us in the short term... provided that Tianfang's return doesn't stir up complications." At this point, divine light flickered in his eyes. Tianfang would return soon. Very soon! He had a premonition that it could be as soon as the next moment, or three to five years at the absolute latest. In short, the time for Tianfang's return was nearly at hand. Choosing to return at this juncture... they had to have certain calculations in mind. *I hope they don't cause me trouble.* *Owing a favor to three Tianfang cultivators doesn't mean I owe the entirety of Tianfang. Besides... even if I truly reneged on the debt, what could they do?* *It all comes down to my own conscience!* Li Hao didn't care much about the so-called backlash of time. Such things ultimately depended on one's own Dao heart. "Moving forward, the critical priority lies in the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena!" Li Hao announced, "It is best for everyone to immerse themselves in the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena alongside me to comprehend the myriad Daos! I will open small worlds without worrying about filling them for now. By merging into the Chaos, I can fill some of them myself... The primary goal remains opening Dao rules!" "As for the rest of you, whether Senior Wushan's group or anyone else, regardless of the rules you cultivate, it is normal to have a primary Dao. However, you cannot completely neglect other Great Daos. A Dao domain... is the best and most orthodox path to advancement." He paused, then added, "Furthermore... I have some other ideas regarding the Great Dao... I won't mention them for now; they primarily concern spirituality. We can discuss them after everyone constructs their Dao domain and reaches that stage!" His arrangements were thorough. To the side, Wanhua and his companions had been listening the entire time, their hearts filled with wistful sighs. Li Hao was ruthless and possessed countless schemes, yet crucially... he treated his own people exceptionally well. Yet this very same person had previously threatened to obliterate the Four Regions to force Long Zhan's retreat. For a time, Wanhua did not know how to judge Li Hao. A saint? A demon? He did not know. "In addition, I must trouble the members of the Medium World Alliance... to continue assisting me in maintaining the arena's operation. I will be entering seclusion for a period of time!" Li Hao smiled. "Earlier, I merely borrowed external strength. It does not mean I truly possessed the power to slay Samsara. Once I complete two thousand worlds this time, I will likely only rival a cultivator of three to four thousand rules... Compared to Samsara, there is still a massive gap!" He seemed utterly unconcerned that others might learn his true strength. Sovereign Wanhua and the others merely listened, not daring to take his words at face value. He said that, but who would believe it? Even Samsara hadn't dared believe it! And those who believed it were all dead. They had died miserable deaths! Li Hao said no more, looking at the crowd. "Disperse, and attend to your own tasks. We can finally enjoy a few days of peace!" His gaze drifted into the distance. The three overlords would likely make their moves next, wouldn't they? At this moment, another question lingered in his mind: What on earth were those ninth-rank experts doing? Could they... truly return? If Tianfang returned this time, perhaps he would be able to discern a clue or two. Furthermore, within the Chaos, it seemed only Tianfang had left behind its old base. What about the other ninth-rank experts? For instance, the Lord of Tribulation, or the supreme powerhouse who had ranked the Nine Heavens of the entire Chaos, as well as the other ninth-rank experts... What had happened to their old bases when they departed? Had they taken their worlds with them, or what? Were the experts of their worlds dead or alive? Would they also return one after another? Why did they choose to return after a million years... Did it have to do with time, or something else? These were all mysteries Li Hao had yet to unravel. The pressing priority remained raising his own strength. He needed to completely perfect two thousand worlds first. By then, he would truly possess the power of an eighth-rank combatant. ... With the battle in the east, Li Hao's fame spread far and wide. Across the myriad heavens of the Chaos, no expert remained unaware of his name. Even Samsara had died at Li Hao's hands. This unimaginably young powerhouse had risen across the Chaos in an instant with peerless might. His Myriad Heavens Dao Arena also became renowned throughout the realm. Debating the Daos of the world, gathering the heroes of the Chaos! ... In the west. The Huntian World. Within the Supreme Palace. The Huntian Sovereign looked down at the three eighth-rank Sovereigns below, saying nothing. At this moment, Pengcheng was trembling with fear. This time, Huntian appeared to have suffered no losses, but in truth, the damage was immense. All of their arrangements in the east had gone up in smoke. Otherwise, according to their earlier plans, the east would have already fallen into Huntian's grasp. Now, however, nearly all the personnel Huntian had planted had perished. The three of them had returned, but... the formidable Samsara had died over there. After a long silence, Huntian said calmly, "I am not surprised that Samsara died there. Even if he had won, he wouldn't necessarily have come to the Huntian World. Yet... that he actually died in the end still caught me somewhat off guard." Samsara was not one to willingly serve as a subordinate; he was difficult to tame. It was merely a pity that he had died. Otherwise, he could have provided some measure of assistance. "I hold no grievances against you three. Returning in one piece this time was already no easy feat..." Huntian spoke, and just as Pengcheng felt slightly relieved, the Huntian Sovereign said coldly, "What displeases me is that you have lived in comfort for too long, undefeated for too long. You three... have grown somewhat... complacent! Powerhouses are forged through battle, through slaughter! This was actually an opportunity, yet you retreated at the first sign of difficulty. When Li Hao and Samsara were locked in combat, even if you didn't ambush Li Hao, did you truly have to just stand by and watch? Why didn't you attack the Thunder Emperor and the others?" "Were you afraid?" Huntian frowned in clear dissatisfaction. "If Li Hao truly had the strength to slay all of you, do you think he would have let you go? That man is ruthless, vicious, and cuts roots without hesitation. Yet you were frightened by him!" Though he hadn't been present, he possessed a clear grasp of the situation. Shaking his head, he said, "Once a battle begins, fear is the greatest taboo! Your failure against Xinwu and Silver Moon lies in... fear! With a single command from the Xinwu Human King, a host of heroes detonated themselves. Five eighth-rank Sovereigns routed fifteen eighth-rank Sovereigns... How laughable!" "Polar Ice and his followers were greedy for life and fearful of death, which was their undoing!" He shook his head once more. "On Silver Moon's side, in that previous clash, had you been just a bit bolder, just a bit more reckless... you would never have suffered such a rout!" "How many eighth-rank powerhouses have been dragged down over this period?" "In a million years, the number of fallen eighth-rank Sovereigns was far fewer than those who have perished in the east recently. And all of those eighth-rank Sovereigns died at the hands of Xinwu and Silver Moon..." Pengcheng was left speechless. Had he been afraid? Yes, he had. Even toward the end, when he perceived Li Hao's weakness, he had still been terrified, wanting nothing more than to flee immediately. Yet... how could he not fear? Li Hao had killed far too many eighth-rank Sovereigns. Huntian sighed inwardly, feeling somewhat helpless. Some truths were obvious to everyone—who didn't know them? Everyone understood! Understanding was one thing. Even street thugs knew that the fierce feared the reckless, and the reckless feared those who threw away their lives! The problem was... everyone knew it, but did you dare be the one who threw away his life? No! If everyone threw away their lives, the saying wouldn't exist in the first place. Cherishing one's life was human nature. "Enough. You may withdraw!" The three eighth-rank Sovereigns did not dare say another word, quickly making their exit. Once they had left, the Huntian Sovereign said softly, "Those fellows in the east are troublesome! Right now, Chunqiu and Five Elements are also extremely wary of me. The three of us hold one another in check, making it impossible to move lightly! Long Zhan certainly wouldn't want us invading the east either. His combat strength is formidable—seven thousand rules, a Chaos body, and perhaps some hidden trump cards..." That was the true trouble. Knowing it was trouble that could breed calamity, he still couldn't resolve it rashly. Otherwise... he might bring fire upon himself. At this moment, a dark shadow emerged from behind the scenes and spoke: "Tianfang will return soon! Tianfang's return might present an opportunity. As the overlord of the east, Long Zhan has occupied the Four Regions—can Tianfang tolerate that? If not, when two tigers fight, one is bound to be injured!" "Secondly, in the north, Earth Spirit has fallen. Although Gold Spirit has grasped the path of earth, the Five Elements remain somewhat unbalanced... Perhaps our eyes should first turn toward the north! The east is troublesome, and Chunqiu in the south is hard to deal with. The north... suits us best! If we can seize the north this time and control the Nine Heavens, the momentum of grand unification will be unstoppable, and you will surely be able to observe the Dao of the Nine Heavens! By then, the Dao Lord will certainly be able to take another step forward..." Huntian said in a deep voice, "Take another step forward? I am not optimistic... As the Four Regions have emerged, the current situation has only grown more troublesome..." Pausing, he pondered and asked, "Do you think I need to intervene in the upheaval of Tianfang?" "It can be considered... but it is unwise to get too deeply involved! The Lord of Tianfang and his cohort are terrifying..." Huntian fell silent. After a long while, he sneered, "That group isn't necessarily of one mind either. Otherwise... Enough, let us not speak of that. Tianfang's return may only be the beginning. Those powerhouses under the other ninth-rank experts... do you think... they will return?" "Hard to say." The dark shadow shook its head. "The path of return is not easy; otherwise, they would have returned long ago! However... this time, a massive number of Sovereigns have died, all of them top-tier Sovereigns. As their Dao power dissipated, the capacity of the Chaos expanded. Perhaps... this will introduce uncertain variables, and some Sovereigns might return!" The shadow added, "Even if they do return, it might not be a bad thing for the Dao Lord. The Dao Lord's power is currently sufficient to claim supremacy over the Chaos!" Huntian remained silent for a moment, saying no more. Claim supremacy over the Chaos? That was only because those figures had not yet returned. Once they came back, could a pseudo-ninth-rank like him dominate the Chaos? The momentum of grand unification was an imperative! Only by taking command of the Nine Heavens might he truly step into that realm. He looked toward the east, his brows furrowing slightly. Li Hao cultivated time, but what did the Xinwu Human King primarily cultivate? It was bizarre! And what connection did Xinwu share with those ninth-rank experts? Then there was Long Zhan. How had that fellow managed to cultivate to such a level entirely on his own? Among Chaos beasts, Pengcheng was considered top-tier, yet without Huntian's aid, even reaching four thousand Daos would have been difficult. Seven thousand Daos... was utterly unthinkable. Going forward, neither the south nor the north would remain peaceful, and Tianfang was on the verge of returning. At this moment, even the Huntian Sovereign felt a headache brewing. ... Deep within the Chaos. A circle of statues sat in profound silence. Time had manifested once more. Right then, the entity whose eyes crackled with lightning suddenly spoke: "Tianfang, are your people... about to return?" The Lord of Tianfang opened his eyes, looked toward the Lord of Tribulation, and said slowly, "It is time to return. If they don't return now... it will be too late!" "I only fear... it won't go too smoothly!" The Lord of Tianfang continued slowly, "Furthermore, to formally return, we will likely need that person's assistance..." The Lord of Tribulation was silent for a moment before speaking: "That person is no benevolent soul. He dared to weaponize the power of my Thunder Domain to strike the Four Regions, nearly obliterating them... This young fellow is ruthlessly vicious, treating billions of living beings like ants. Is it truly fitting for such a man to wield time? Tianfang, you have laid many schemes, weighed many considerations, and waited for countless years. If the Time Lord we have awaited turns out to be a ruthless, cutthroat figure... is he truly worth our wait? Back then, the first-generation time cultivator was rather benevolent... I met him once. If he had formally attained the position of Dao Lord, there would be nothing to say. But this one..." The first-generation time cultivator had been a pure seeker of the Dao, truly drifting like time without a trace—a passing traveler of time. That fit the image of a Time Lord held in everyone's hearts. As for this second generation... they hadn't known much about him before, but this time they had learned: he was a ruthless character, willing to obliterate the Four Regions directly to threaten a Chaos beast. No one would believe it if word got out. One statue after another opened its eyes. None spoke, yet all showed a hint of wariness. After a long silence, someone said, "He may not be suitable to wield time... Tianfang, when your people return... I suggest... eliminating him! The Time Lord we require must be impartial, selfless, and willing to sacrifice..." The Lord of Tianfang fell silent. After a long while, he asked slowly, "If we eliminate him, who is suitable to wield time?" The crowd fell silent once more. Indeed, who was suitable? If it were truly that simple and anyone could wield it, would they have waited until Li Hao's era? Born in the world where the Time Star originated, endowed with extraordinary talent, following the natural course of the Dao... All of this had forged the second-generation time cultivator. Who else was fit to wield it? Suddenly, someone spoke up: "If he is not suitable... then... the third generation!" At this moment, someone remarked coldly, "In the unseen depths of fate, I caught a glimpse of a third-generation time cultivator... Perhaps... this also signifies that Li Hao is truly not the person we have been waiting for!" Even the Lord of Tianfang was startled, snapping his gaze toward that speaker. Among the ninth-rank experts, that figure was not top-tier. However, his Great Dao was unique, resembling destiny, the future, and precognition. He claimed he had seen a third-generation time cultivator? How could that be possible! "When did you see this? Why didn't you mention it sooner?" "Not long ago!" The figure said softly, "Only recently did I perceive a trace of it..." *Not long ago?* The Lord of Tianfang calculated rapidly. Could it be... that Li Hao of the second generation was truly not the one they were meant to wait for? Otherwise, logically speaking, a third-generation Time Lord shouldn't appear! If he were truly the person they awaited, wielding time, he would be virtually immortal. In the same era—even within the same Chaos—it was impossible for two time cultivators to exist simultaneously. Time... was singular! This was something the first-generation time cultivator had stated in the past. Time was unique. In other words, in a single era, there could never be two cultivators of the Dao of Time—only one! Yet this person had glimpsed a third... which meant Li Hao might die, and was not the person they awaited? At this moment, even the Lord of Tianfang's expression changed. Could it be? Who else could wield time? Aside from Li Hao, who could wield time... Could it be... that Silver Moon Dao Lord? He had also been born within the Silver Moon Universe! Logically, outsiders had virtually no way to wield it. These Silver Moon cultivators were born from within time itself, and furthermore, only people of this era could do so. Because Li Hao had taken time away, those born afterward lacked this capacity. Could there be someone more suitable than Li Hao? At this moment, he knew very little about the entirety of Silver Moon. He said, "Once my people return... we can investigate. If... let us observe a bit longer! I don't know this Li Hao well, nor do the rest of you. His previous actions... do not necessarily prove..." He didn't even know how to finish the sentence. A fellow who dared harness the power of the Thunder Domain to wipe out countless worlds in the Four Regions—someone willing to destroy his own homeland—was undeniably ruthless. It was only natural that everyone felt wary. He was already like this now; what would happen once he reached the ninth rank? Time was extraordinarily formidable. Once he attained the ninth rank... with Li Hao's temperament, could he truly get along with the rest of them? To put it more bluntly... he would be impossible to control! Even though everyone knew how powerful time was, as longtime ninth-rank experts, none of them wished to be controlled by time; they wanted to control time instead. Someone murmured faintly, "If he can be replaced, do it sooner rather than later! Dragging it out may not be a good thing. In short, I am rather dissatisfied with this person... and I believe someone here shares my thoughts!" Tianfang looked toward that figure without speaking: the Life and Death Dao Lord! In this battle, the Dao of Life and Death had suffered a crushing defeat at Li Hao's hands, sustaining damage in the process. It was entirely natural for this Dao Lord to hold a grudge against Li Hao. Though the full details remained unknown, Samsara had indeed been an agent secretly groomed by Life and Death. It was just a pity... that before matters could be properly settled, the man was gone. "Let us observe further." The Lord of Tianfang said no more. Everything would wait until their return. Li Hao... time... a third-generation Time Lord? What did all of this portend? At this moment, even this supreme powerhouse hesitated. Where had the third generation come from? Why... had there been no omen? ... At the same moment. Above a certain long river, a newly awakened young man led a group of people, journeying against the current. Puzzlement filled his eyes. "Can we walk our way out? Is the end... outside this Chaos, or is it... a dead end? As we walk onward now, are we walking into the past, or walking out of the Chaos?" The people behind him looked bewildered, shaking their heads. How could they know? They had never tried it. Then again, you slept for so long, and the moment you woke up you wanted to head out—what rattled you this time? "Emperor Su... why don't we just live our own quiet lives? Leaving aside whether we can get out, even if we really did, walking back into the past... is that really possible?" The young man stroked his chin and smiled—a rather bizarre smile. "I didn't want to get involved either, but I've probably caught sight of the Time Lord twice now. Third time's the charm! Both times I saw him, he seemed to be in trouble... What worries me now is: if he dies, will he still be able to open the River of Time? Yeah, it's contradictory. But if we truly exist in the future, existing within the River of Time... existing in a pseudo-Chaos... I worry that changes in the past might alter the future! That would be a huge headache. I'd love to sleep my fill—I'm exhausted—the trouble is, what if someone beats time to death..." At this point, he let out a sigh. "What a pain! Human Emperor, you've traversed the River of Time, and I've journeyed against the current, even reaching the end... Why... can we still not walk our way out?" Behind him, a solemn middle-aged man pondered for a moment before saying, "Walking our way out is likely very difficult unless... he opens the River of Time, making past and future consistent! In that scenario, under the temporal distortion, there might be a chance. The flow of time is different; we are a kind of inner world with a faster flow of time. Perhaps the instant he opens it, we will be able to walk out... But right now, if he hasn't opened it yet... we merely exist in one of tens of millions of possible worlds in the future... Then there's nothing we can do!" The young man nodded slightly; that made some sense. His mind raced with deductions and conjectures, thinking of many possibilities, and he couldn't help sighing: "Who knows when that fellow will finally open the river? His strength doesn't seem like much! I dislike being passive; I prefer taking the initiative. If it's truly as you say, and we are merely one of tens of millions of future possibilities... then we must prepare for a rainy day. We can't just wait; we must strike preemptively! The instant he opens it... we'll slip out immediately and make the future a reality! That way, with inside and outside unified, we won't vanish just because he gets killed... Even if he dies, we'll still exist..." The others were at a loss for words. Could that happen? He was the Time Lord—could he really die? It seemed unbelievable! Had this young man seen wrong, or had his mind grown muddled from sleeping too much? "Don't slander me in your heads; I know everything!" The young man laughed, looking toward the end of the river and stroking his chin again. "Even if we get out, there's no telling what we can do. The outside seems full of terrifying monsters... Let's cultivate as we walk! Come to think of it, when the future me meets the past him, will he ask me for benefits? After all, I took quite a few benefits from him, didn't I?" "..." No one understood this question, and all shook their heads. Who could guess what you'd do? Besides, even if he asked, would you give them? "Out there, are there cultivators who exceed fifty Great Daos?" someone asked. The young man shook his head. "I don't know, their system is somewhat different! I tried clashing with them once last time, and their Daos were somewhat jumbled! Qiong, what do you think?" "Very little of my memory remains..." Behind him, a figure shook his head, yet his expression carried excitement and anticipation. "But I know that he... must be very strong!" "..." Nonsense! Asking you is completely useless. What a blockhead. And to think you were formed from the Sky Sword divine character—not a shred of useful information. Fortunately, the figure behind him seemed to recall something after a moment and added, "However... I still vaguely have a faint impression... In that era, the Dao... was divided into nine ranks!" Nine ranks? Too vague! The young man thought about it and decided not to dwell on it. Whatever, it was best to go out and see first. Ideally, he wouldn't run into that guy—he was afraid the fellow would ask him for money. Of course... there was another lingering apprehension: that guy wouldn't capture him to serve as a sword spirit, would he? The River of Time was that fellow's place for nurturing swords. Having devoured the others, he wouldn't end up turning into that guy's sword, would he? *Pah!* *If you dare try that, I'll turn on you on the spot!* The young man thought to himself, growing increasingly agitated the more he pondered it. *If you dare treat me like a sword spirit, I'll fight you tooth and nail day and night... In any case, right after opening the River of Time, you might not even be that strong.* ... At this moment, across the Chaos, in both past and future, ripples of change occurred. Yet Li Hao had already vanished, embarking on his seclusion. Not far from his place of seclusion, the Human King—charred black from head to toe—had finally weathered the tribulation lightning. Looking toward the direction of Li Hao's Dao arena, he grumbled cursed words. *What an insolent brat who doesn't respect his elders!* *He watched me get struck by lightning for three days and three nights without so much as a word of greeting. You could have at least been polite!* *The Great Dao is heartless; he truly is a cold-blooded fellow.* *I, on the other hand, am as warm as fire!* Looking at the resurrected crowd, he beamed with a broad smile. "Welcome back, everyone!" Yet what greeted him was a barrage of curses! "If there's a next time, we'll blow you up first!" The Human King shrugged. It was just self-detonation; they'd get used to it. With a brilliant smile, he declared, "A grand feast for three days to celebrate our Xinwu claiming supremacy over the east! We'll infuriate that little brat and leave him all alone in seclusion!" The crowd was speechless. You truly... have way too much time on your hands! At this moment, everyone laughed, yet they couldn't help glancing into the distance. In the far-off void, an illusory domain hovered in solitude... For some reason, a wave of pity washed over them. His side never seemed quite as lively as theirs. The path of pursuing the Dao was, perhaps... just that lonely.