Collision of Past and Present

Eight thousand Great Daos shattered! Almost in quick succession, five Sovereigns broke past the eight-thousand-principle mark. At this moment, Li Hao was brimming with excitement. Suddenly, he raised his head toward the sky and called out, "Dao Chess!" Dao Chess manifested. Cheat? Certainly! After all, I am the master here. Cheating was an option. Unexpectedly, Li Hao didn't mention that at all. Instead, he said, "Merge the five boards into one! Ask the other Sovereigns if they are willing. Having passed eight thousand squares, everyone is qualified to participate. Scattered like this, it is meaningless—let us combine the five boards into one and discuss the Dao together!" Dao Chess was taken aback. Merge the five boards into one? That meant everyone would be under the exact same chessboard. Would that... be appropriate? Would the others be willing? At this level, doing so meant one's Dao might be peeked at by others. Yet since Li Hao had spoken, Dao Chess said nothing more. Soon, a phantom of Dao Chess appeared across each of the other boards: "Seniors, Bright Moon Sovereign has a proposal. He wishes to merge the five boards into one to debate and comprehend the Dao together. What do you all think?" Though they were enemies, this was also a rare opportunity. Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for these figures to sit down together and discuss the Dao. Yet today... there was a chance. Passing eight thousand squares proved that all of them were true eighth ranks. A so-called true eighth rank meant everyone had a real shot at breaking through to the ninth rank. Those unable to reach eight thousand and beyond were still far from the ninth rank! What meaning was there in discussing the ninth-rank Dao with such beings? All of them pondered for a moment, and soon Daoist Huntian smiled. "Agreed!" "No problem!" "I have no objections!" "Whatever!" All four powerhouses consented almost simultaneously. Thus, at that moment, the five boards could merge. Below, the gathered cultivators froze in shock, and a stir rippled through the crowd. Dao Chess's voice rang out: "The five Sovereigns have decided to merge their five boards into one, walking the Dao and discussing it together..." "This... this..." An eighth-rank Sovereign could barely contain himself and couldn't help asking, "Can we... do we have the right to listen in?" An eighth-rank Sovereign! Asking if he had the right to audit the discussion. As soon as those words left his mouth, many Sovereigns sighed in awe. Such was the allure of the top Sovereigns. Reaching Li Hao's tier, Li Hao might not possess the strongest raw combat power, but this was a venue for debating the Dao. Dao Chess replied, "No! It is not out of unwillingness, but... none of you have walked past eight thousand Dao squares. Listening would only leave you utterly confused and cause you to lose your own path. At your current stage, comprehending more Dao principles may be your only way forward... Listening to what they say will not necessarily bring you any benefit. "To step into the ninth rank, reaching eight thousand Dao squares is mandatory. Whether through supreme strength or transcendent comprehension, one must at least possess one of the two. If you have neither... the path to the ninth rank remains infinitely far away!" At this moment, Dao Chess also felt deeply emotional. Without entering the eight-thousand-square realm, reaching the ninth rank was virtually hopeless. Even though there were many eighth ranks present, how many could actually reach eight thousand? Xinwu's Supreme might manage it, but as for the other eighth ranks... it was hard to say. Among the eighth ranks who had walked the board so far, not a single one had surpassed eight thousand squares. ... Li Hao, naturally, had no interest in saying much to the spectators. It wasn't a matter of refusing to share; they truly hadn't reached that level. Even if you told them, they wouldn't understand. A college professor teaching calculus to an elementary schooler was an utter waste of breath. The five boards rapidly merged into one. Only now, with everyone united on the same board, could they clearly see how far each had traveled. Li Hao led the pack, around square 8,200. Among the other four, the Human King was furiously hacking his way forward, nearing square 8,100. The other three had only recently breached eight thousand squares and were roughly neck and neck. At this point, all of them were finding it somewhat strenuous. This was the first time the five had shared a single stage, and only now did they clearly grasp each other's exact situation. Seeing the Human King hacking and slashing... Chunqiu Sovereign, the powerhouse who resembled a little girl, suddenly giggled. "Human King, even if you chop your way to the very end, what of it?" The Human King didn't care in the slightest. "Then it will prove that this so-called space, this fusion of myriad Daos, can be cleaved apart with a single saber!" At those words, Long Zhan also threw a punch! A dragon's roar reverberated as he blasted forward, nodding slightly. "I agree with the Human King's words. Whether all Daos converge into one or space reigns supreme, so long as one possesses sufficient power, it can naturally be broken!" Having said that, he added, "The Dao of Chaos is miscellaneous and chaotic. Everyone is busy sorting it out. In this process, one discards the dross and preserves the essence; unnecessary branches and leaves can all be lopped off, leaving only the finest core!" The Human King chimed in, "Old Dragon is right! Myriad Daos belong to me, and I am the myriad Daos. I myself am the Dao; the Dao resides within me. With every step I take, the Dao takes a step forward. You think I am brute-forcing my way through, but little do you know, this is my Dao!" He wasn't making excuses, nor was there any need to. He genuinely believed it. I am the Dao, and the Dao is me. When I advance, the Dao advances. So who cares whether you think I'm comprehending the Dao or not? At this moment, Li Hao also nodded. "I once thought: cells as worlds, blood as rivers. What is the Dao? Meridians? I do not know. Worlds house the Dao, and the Dao resides within the body. The Human King's Dao cultivates the self, cultivating the physical vessel and wielding a blade to break through the Dao—I actually agree with that!" With that, his body suddenly disintegrated, each cell manifesting and instantly fusing into a world. Countless worlds emerged in a flash. The domains appeared and recombined, reforming into Li Hao... Watching this scene, the Sovereigns' eyelids twitched slightly. The Human King's gaze also shifted. He cultivated an inner world, and this inner world was essentially a hidden internal Dao domain. Yet Li Hao... was no longer merely hiding a Dao domain inside him! What was this? The body itself as a world, the self as Chaos? The Human King's eyes grew somewhat solemn. "Transforming your very self into Chaos?" "You could understand it that way!" Li Hao nodded and continued moving forward, the fierce tiger still clearing the way ahead. His voice carried an ethereal quality. "Transforming into Chaos, my life is the source! Chaos has a source—the source of life. Today, I have developed some thoughts: if I transform into Chaos and make my body the world, my life will endure forever. Perhaps this is the true meaning of immortality..." "Is Chaos a single person?" Huntian murmured softly. Now that Li Hao had revealed the true essence of his Dao, Huntian no longer concealed himself as before. He exhaled a breath that transformed into astral wind, sweeping across heaven and earth and instantly shattering over a hundred Dao squares. He materialized not far behind Li Hao and said in a deep voice, "The Dao of Chaos is unimaginably chaotic. If, according to what you say, Chaos is a person, why is it so disordered? Is he injured? Dead? Or something else?" Li Hao shook his head. Further behind, Long Zhan's eyes flickered, and he suddenly transformed into a giant dragon. Powerful vitality surged in all directions like a blazing sun, carrying him a great distance forward in an instant. His voice was heavy: "You say the source of life is the life of a human... or the life of a living being. Does that mean we, the Chaos race, all originate from the foundation of that life? Then why were worlds born... According to your logic, is it cellular turnover? A dying world is a dying cell, and a nascent world is a newly born cell?" "I do not know," Li Hao shook his head. "Perhaps, or perhaps not. But it can be analogized like that!" Several of them were speaking, while only Chunqiu listened. The little girl seemed somewhat puzzled, yet also solemn. In an instant, the Dao squares withered and crumbled, allowing her to stride over them effortlessly. Even beyond eight thousand squares, she moved with utter ease, skipping along like an excited child. "Every year, a cycle of withering and flourishing... What I cultivate is not Time, but the Dao of Withering and Thriving! Years are heartless. People say the summer cicada knows neither spring nor autumn, yet my name... is Chunqiu!" Chunqiu Sovereign, the overlord of the south, suddenly puffed up her chest. Her diminutive frame radiated sheer defiance and unyielding resolve, devoid of her former giggles, carrying the weight of eons: "When I was weak, I once met a roc. 'A roc rises with the wind in a single day, soaring ninety thousand li into the sky!' The roc mocked me, saying a summer cicada knows neither spring nor autumn, knows nothing of the vastness of heaven and earth, knows nothing of the vicissitudes of time..." A sneer appeared on her face. "So I cultivated the Dao—the Dao of Chunqiu, the Dao of Withering and Thriving! I came to know spring and autumn, and I saw the world, and found it was nothing special. Even that roc soaring ninety thousand li was inferior to my cycles of withering and thriving!" A summer cicada... Only now was Li Hao completely certain. Indeed, her true form was somewhat incredible—she was merely a cold cicada! Born in spring and dead by summer, or born in summer and dead by autumn. It never saw both spring and autumn, incapable of witnessing both seasons in a single lifespan. Its life was exceedingly fleeting, fragile even among ordinary insects. Among the demon race, creatures with such brief lifespans could almost never become demons! Yet now... a Thousand Autumn Cicada stood before them! The amount of effort she had poured into this was beyond ordinary imagination. A mere summer cicada that could only live for a few months had become the overlord of the entire southern Chaos! Yet Chunqiu Sovereign had not spoken to boast, and her thoughts differed from the others. She took a step forward, arriving directly behind Li Hao, an aura of deathly stillness like the depths of hell settling over her: "Bright Moon, through the cycles of withering and thriving, countless members of my clan have died of old age! My clan's lifespan is fleeting: born in spring to die in summer, born in summer to die in autumn. I want to ask: why is Time so heartless? We are all demon beasts, yet some useless trash can live for millions of years, while my clan is so wretchedly humble? "The Human King speaks of struggle. I have fought against fate for countless years, withering and thriving year after year, shedding my shell year after year. The husks I have cast off number in the tens of millions. Why... can my clan not be granted boundless time?" She looked so young not because she deliberately chose to or enjoyed it, but because a summer cicada faced a strict lifespan limit—one that persisted even at her level. Moreover, it was exceedingly troublesome. To avoid death, she had to continually shed her shell. Coming to see Li Hao today, she only wished to ask why Time treated her clan so harshly. She also wanted to know how to fight it! To this day, among the cold cicada race, she was the only one who had broken through the cycle of life and death, rendering the passage of time unable to claim her life. Almost none of her kin could successfully cultivate; in a span of mere months, even peerless geniuses found it impossible to shatter the shackles of mortality! This was an immensely tragic, yet unimaginably miraculous feat—Chunqiu had defied her limits! At this moment, even as domineering and arrogant as the Human King was, his expression sobered slightly. A demon beast that could only live for a few months had actually walked all the way to this height. Considering how much she must have endured, even he recognized that this girl might look youthful, but she was definitely formidable beyond measure! A being who could climb from the lowest, most helpless state to such a peak was far more terrifying than those born inherently powerful. Li Hao pondered for a while before answering, "Heaven creates all things, and each possesses its strengths. Survival belongs to the fittest. For the cold cicada to endure countless years without going extinct, how could it be limited purely to dying between seasons? Isn't the cycle of withering and thriving precisely the key to your attainment of the Dao? When lifespan ends, you slumber into the earth, and the following year, new shoots sprout from the withered wood..." Chunqiu shook her head. "That is a new life! It is no longer the old body. If you father a son, is your son still you? Bright Moon, you are brushing me off!" Li Hao gave a bitter smile. "I am not brushing you off. This lifespan constraint... though I cultivate Time, I have not truly mastered it. I cannot give you a perfect answer as to why some living beings are born with different lifespans. This... is something I cannot answer!" At this point, Long Zhan spoke up: "The so-called lifespan restriction is nothing more than rules! And rules possess spirit! Your cicada clan has a short lifespan for only one reason: a deficiency of spirit!" Chunqiu blinked. A deficiency of spirit! Long Zhan looked at Li Hao. "All things possess spirit. According to your words, the Dao also has spirit; everything has spirit, and spirit forms the rules... Within a race, some possess more spirit, while others possess less. In truth, it is a form of wisdom... The higher the wisdom, the longer the lifespan one may obtain..." The Human King disagreed. "The baseline lifespan of humans is far inferior to your Chaos race, yet your Chaos race is packed with fools. Are you trying to flatter yourself?" "..." Long Zhan felt stifled and somewhat irritated. What kind of talk was that! Your race is the one packed with fools! Chunqiu was also displeased. Was he calling her clan stupid? Well... maybe a little. Still... your Chaos race spends its days in muddled stupor, so how are you any better? With spirit mentioned, Li Hao didn't stay silent. He immediately said, "What Fellow Daoist Long Zhan says might not be entirely correct, but there is some truth to it. Rules possess spirit; only with spirit can there be rules. Wisdom births rules, or rather, establishes rules! Right now, the Chaos is disorderly because the rules are unclear and spirit is deficient! All things possess spirit, but the things themselves are chaotic, with no one to integrate them... Fellow Daoist Huntian wishes to unify the Chaos, likely in order to establish a grand unified dynasty and integrate this spirit, correct?" Huntian nodded. "Indeed! I may not fully grasp everything you said earlier, but hearing you put it this way gives me some clarity. What you call spirit, in my eyes, should be will!" Huntian explained, "All things have myriad wills, and these wills are not aligned! Some desire chaos, while others desire peace; minds are scattered, and spirits are divided. If the Chaos is unified, will becomes singular. Using the collective will of sentient beings to steer the will of the Chaos will ultimately establish order!" Though they used different terms, the underlying meaning was the same. Huntian wanted to unify the Chaos, gather the spirits of all living things, and align them to bring order to the entire Chaos. This was a method to directly bestow spirit upon the Great Dao. As for Chunqiu, her pursuit of immortality and enduring through cycles of withering and thriving was essentially a phase of seizing spirit for herself. At this moment, some distinctions became apparent. Chunqiu's strength fell short of Huntian's because Huntian was already in the process of establishing spirit, whereas Chunqiu was still on the road of pursuing it. There was a clear gap in their progression. The Human King shook his head. It wasn't that he disagreed, but rather that he couldn't be bothered to listen. He said bluntly, "I cultivate my own vessel. My body has spirit, and my body has Dao. I establish the spirit of my Dao: I am the Dao, the Dao is me, and the spirit is also me! Li Hao, do you think I can enter the ninth rank like this?" Li Hao scratched his head and thought for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure. What the Human King says seems sound, but..." The Human King laughed. "Then that's enough! If you say there's no problem, there shouldn't be any problem!" "..." Li Hao was speechless. Did I say that? He only possessed a broad, simple impression of everyone's Dao; he didn't know the specifics. The Human King was something else. He hadn't been asking for advice at all; he just wanted to declare that his own Dao was great and he was sticking with it! If so, why did you bother asking me in the first place? As for Sovereign Huntian... Li Hao knitted his brows slightly and looked at Sovereign Huntian, the seemingly gentle Daoist. After a long pause, he sighed. "Fellow Daoist Huntian... has already embarked on the path of pursuing spirit. In that case, there isn't really a need to discuss much with us. Unifying the Chaos is your pursuit. Once the Chaos is unified and will is aligned, you can overturn heaven and earth, birth spirit within the Great Dao, and attain the ninth rank!" Huntian's Dao was already fixed. He had pursued it for countless years and would not alter it merely because of someone else's words. They were already charging down their respective Great Dao paths. They had clear targets! Huntian had to unify the Chaos. As for Long Zhan... the conflict between Huntian and Long Zhan was likely the most severe. Yes, the most severe. The Human King cultivated the self, Long Zhan sought to defy fate, and Huntian aimed for hegemony... As for Chunqiu, one could also discern her path. Hegemony was not her primary goal; her main objective was shattering the shackles of time and fate, breaking through the limits of lifespan. Therefore, Chunqiu was probably the most interested in the Dao of Time! However, in front of two overlords determined to unify the Chaos, even if you had no desire to take part, you would ultimately be swept into the storm. Unifying will! How could the wills of these supreme beings not be unified? In just a few sentences, everyone had seen through one another's goals. At this moment, Long Zhan remained silent. Between him and Huntian, a battle was destined—a fight to the death, unless one died beforehand. And between the two of them and the others, a life-and-death struggle was also inevitable, unless the others chose to submit. By now, the Human King understood it all. He smiled, saying nothing more on the subject, and swiftly redirected the conversation: "In our bid to enter the ninth rank, we are all pursuing different spirits. Then how did those fellows a million years ago step into the ninth rank so easily?" Spirit! It was simply too difficult. He refused to believe that over the past million years, all successors were inferior to their predecessors. Yet not a single person had reached the ninth rank. Including Huntian! Huntian was not a ninth rank. If he were, he wouldn't be here discussing the Dao with them; there would have been no need. Huntian spoke in a deep voice: "Because... the spirit born from the Chaos is limited! The Chaos as a whole remains disordered. Those individuals from a million years ago seized the majority of that spirit. They attained the Dao, but in doing so, they severed the path for future generations! "In other words... a million years ago, the Chaos was actually... orderly!" Huntian's gaze turned cold. "Severing the path of those who follow is a last-resort method seen in many worlds. I do not blame them, nor do I have the right to. However, they failed to leave behind a single sliver of hope for future generations... I do not hold them in high regard!" Everyone was startled. Still, only Li Hao and the Human King seemed truly surprised; the veteran Sovereigns appeared to have understood this already. At this moment, Li Hao was momentarily dazed. So that was it! A million years ago, the Dao might have naturally possessed spirit; perhaps back then, there was no need to deliberately comprehend spirit. Because a million years ago, the Chaos might have still been in order. Until a group of experts became ninth ranks and completely drained that spirituality. That was why the Life and Death Sovereign, the Tribulation Sovereign, the Sovereign of Tianfang... this group of Dao Lords had emerged, exhausting all the spirit of the Daos sharing their attributes! After spacing out for a moment, Li Hao murmured, "So the Chaos was originally orderly, but those ninth-rank Sovereigns turned it into disorder. A million years later, we are searching once again for the path of order... Then why did they disappear?" Huntian said calmly, "To await the appearance of the Time Dao Lord!" "What?" Li Hao froze again. Why did they have to wait for Time? Now, everyone was exploring the secrets of the entire Chaos, but this was also a form of questioning the Dao. Only by understanding the reasons could they gain deeper insight into the Great Dao. Huntian pondered for a moment and shook his head. "I cannot be certain. Perhaps it was to solidify the orderly Dao; perhaps the spirituality was dissipating and required Time to reverse it; perhaps every million years marks a cycle, and for their descendants to reach the ninth rank, they need Time to nurture spirit. Countless possibilities exist! But let me say this: their disappearance may not have been mere hibernation... Perhaps they are waiting for an opportunity!" He continued, "Furthermore, we cannot assume they are all villains. I have also considered that perhaps... they are pursuing eternal order!" At this point, he sighed with emotion. "Can order only last for a period before collapsing into chaos? Did those Sovereigns journey somewhere to discover the secret of order, seeking to permanently solidify it so the threat of disorder never returns? Perhaps... that is the truth!" This was the most optimistic outcome. A cohort of ninth-rank Sovereigns setting out to find a way to permanently fix order. Rather than waiting out a cycle, waiting for the next powerhouse—the master of Time—to solidify or reverse it for them! Chunqiu Sovereign sneered, "Regardless of the reason, Time is likely the target they have kept their eyes on all along, and not necessarily with good intentions. Bright Moon, do not assume that their waiting for you means they want you to succeed. Perhaps the day of your success will be the day of your demise—or perhaps they simply want Time to stabilize the Chaos, stabilize the myriad Daos... and stabilize order!" The Human King's expression shifted slightly. Remembering something, he said in a heavy voice, "In the past, our Xinwu realm created a big cat—the Cang Emperor! The Cang Emperor's role was to collect the universe's filth and stabilize the cosmos, which is why we quietly nurtured him..." He looked at Li Hao, his gaze turning piercingly sharp. "Are you... or rather Zhan, the second trash bin that certain individuals wanted to cultivate? A trash bin for the entire Chaos? Or perhaps not a trash bin, but something else—a stabilizer, a support jack? What if Time is meant to stabilize the Chaos? To solidify the myriad Daos?" Li Hao remained silent. His brows furrowed deeply. Could it be like that? Chunqiu might just be trying to frighten him, but the Human King... he might truly believe it. Xinwu had done exactly that in the past. The Cang Emperor was not merely everyone's pet; while appearing favored by heaven, he was essentially a garbage bin collecting all the refuse of the universe! And Xinwu belonged to the era following Zhan's, while Zhan and the Cang Emperor were extremely close... Did all of this foreshadow something? Was Zhan trying to tell everyone something? Why did Zhan choose suicide? Doubts surfaced in everyone's minds. Li Hao stayed silent, while the Human King said in a low voice, "Can Time... establish order? Long-lasting order?" Li Hao exhaled. "I believe it can. The Dao of Time is somewhat special; Time is unique... That is to say, once the myriad Daos are assimilated by Time, they become the sole Dao within Time. With the Dao unified and sequence stabilized, order naturally follows!" "..." Everyone's expressions changed slightly. Could the hypothesis truly be correct? Huntian was also stunned, then said suddenly, "In that case, if I kill you, the ninth ranks will not tolerate it! If I do not kill you, unifying the Chaos will be impossible... Whether I kill you or not, I find myself in a bind?" Li Hao let out a breath. "Let us not speak of this! For now, do not speak of it, do not discuss it! I do not know the details, nor do you. Fellow Daoists... let us return to discussing the Great Dao!" He steered the topic away and got straight to the point: "Our cultivation methods and styles may differ, but the ultimate result, I believe, is the same. We are all establishing orderly rules, and within orderly rules, nurturing spirit is a crucial process... Currently, you are all pursuing this very path..." The others nodded, though that didn't stop the Human King from continuing to hack his way forward; he was on the verge of overtaking Li Hao. Li Hao felt helpless. The Human King's competitive drive... was terrifyingly fierce. While everyone else was consumed by curiosity, this fellow was solely focused on hacking forward with absolute obsession! Of course... remembering the tens of billions of Great Dao crystals that could fill many small worlds, Li Hao subconsciously took a step forward as well. As soon as he moved, the others swiftly followed. The Human King cursed under his breath and kept hacking! Li Hao spoke as he walked: "Let us treat this as mutual learning. If there is something I don't understand, I will discuss it with you, and if you have questions, we can talk as well..." Li Hao began, "I have discovered something. When a Dao births a spirit, it might not just be the spirit of a single Dao. The Chaos is disorderly perhaps because there are too many Daos, and they need to be categorized!" "Like that fierce tiger?" Li Hao nodded. "Yes. However, I now have a question... In the end, will a collective spirit be born as well, like the current Chaos Great Dao?" As soon as these words were uttered, Long Zhan's expression shifted slightly. The others also seemed to look toward him. Long Zhan fell silent for a long moment before finally saying, "Perhaps it will!" Li Hao's eyes flickered with a subtle change. The Chaos race was naturally bound to the Chaos Great Dao. Could this mean... Huntian, however, dragged the topic back toward the ninth ranks: "If the Chaos Great Dao also birthed a Dao spirit, would that Dao spirit be the crux of all Daos in the Chaos? Were those ninth ranks trying to capture this Dao's spirit, destroy it, or something else... Is it related to their disappearance? Where are they hiding? Could they be deep within the Chaos Great Dao, rather than at the so-called edges of the Chaos?" "..." Everyone was silent, but they quickly began pondering along those lines. Li Hao's eyes shifted, and he said, "Fellow Daoist Long Zhan might know. You intend to prevent Tianfang's return... is that right?" Long Zhan said calmly, "Yes." "Why?" "It has nothing to do with this Dao discussion!" Long Zhan clearly had no desire to answer. The Human King sneered, "With you knowing so many Daos, you wouldn't happen to be the incarnation of that Dao spirit, would you?" Long Zhan ignored him. The Human King grinned. "Could you be the Dao spirit's disciple?" Long Zhan still said nothing. Seeing this, the Human King pushed further: "Your wife? Lover? Parents?" "..." Long Zhan said coldly, "Human King, we are discussing the Dao. Stop gossiping; you are utterly boring!" The Human King chuckled. Slashing out with his saber, he overtook Li Hao in an instant and laughed heartily. "Fine, I won't ask! Li Hao, are you currently nurturing spirit to devour Daos?" "Yes." The Human King nodded. "Reasonable, good idea. In that case, since I am the spirit, maybe I should learn from the Big Cat and start devouring Daos too!" Chunqiu was far more direct than the rest and quickly chimed in: "Is Time related to devouring Daos?" "It's hard to say, but Time is fluid and changing... Originally, I said whoever took first place would be granted personal access to observe and touch Time... In truth, it isn't any great secret. Since everyone is here now..." In an instant, Time manifested around Li Hao. Myriad Daos rotated, pulsing faintly. Li Hao slowly presented the myriad Daos within, letting them circulate rapidly and shift through countless variations. At this sight, Chunqiu Sovereign's eyes flickered, as though she wanted to reach out and touch it herself. Li Hao swiftly retracted it. "Chunqiu Sovereign, you are not in first place... so... for now, there is no touching. In fact, I've already shared the core theory: the Daos within Time have likely been devoured and combined before!" Chunqiu Sovereign looked somewhat regretful, but quickly said, "Then does that mean spirit must be nurtured first?" "Most likely." "Yet methods to nurture spirit... are scarce. For instance, Huntian is pursuing grand unification... How did you nurture your current spirit?" "Emotions, intent, and one's own will. The Human King should understand this to some degree." The Human King nodded. "Indeed! It is essentially a form of force—the force of the heart. My heart is invincible, so my force is invincible. Force becomes form, form becomes spirit, spirit nurtures the Dao, the Dao strengthens me, making me stronger, which in turn strengthens my force... It is a continuous cycle!" In a few simple sentences, he explained Li Hao's divine form with crystal clarity. Li Hao nodded repeatedly. That was exactly it! Chunqiu Sovereign fell into thought and asked no more. Figures like them needed only a single hint to understand; further explanation was unnecessary. At this moment, Huntian suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Bright Moon, your Time can reverse the past and future, correct?" "More or less." Huntian smiled. "Today, regarding spirit and rules, everyone already possesses an understanding. Through this exchange, we have merely brought greater clarity to our foundational hearts! As for what those ninth ranks are plotting, we needn't worry too much—we will deal with them as they come! "Continuing forward on this board will not yield any greater insights for us..." Having said that, he looked at Li Hao, paused for a moment, and said, "I have an audacious request..." The Human King cut in: "Then keep it to yourself!" Huntian ignored him. You are just a troublemaker, shut your mouth! "From what I see of Fellow Daoist Bright Moon's intent, you wish to forge Chaos within yourself, to make your body Chaos... Your current obstacle is likely the source of life... correct?" Li Hao nodded; it was no great secret. A single glance was enough to glean the outline. Huntian smiled. "In truth... we are very interested in this as well. Would you be interested in joining hands with us to reverse heaven and earth, reverse time, and together... take a look at the Dao of a million years ago? Including... the world source!" Everyone was startled, and Li Hao froze as well. Sovereign Huntian's aura turned somewhat cold and domineering: "Reversing time, returning to a million years ago to see the Dao of that era! To see the heaven and earth back then. I believe this would be of immense help to all of us. However, we might run into some trouble—for instance... the ninth ranks of that era! "Yet if we join forces, returning to the past with our mental will, perhaps... we can even play a round with a true ninth rank!" At these words, the Human King was instantly intrigued. "This sounds great, I like it! But I took first place this time, right?" "..." Huntian frowned slightly. This fellow's obsession with winning was truly a headache! He had no choice but to say, "We will provide the Great Dao crystals... but they will serve as the resources consumed by Fellow Daoist Bright Moon's Time, rather than... being given to you!" Now the Human King was displeased! "On what grounds? I walked the farthest, didn't I? I have reached square 8,800, and where are you?" He was interested in witnessing the world of a million years ago, but if they lost, they had to pay up! How could they renege on their debt? Li Hao felt somewhat helpless. In truth, he was very intrigued by Huntian's proposal. Alone, he wouldn't dare attempt it, nor could he pull it off; he might even lose his life. But if they went together... they truly had a chance! The Human King probably wanted to go as well—no, he definitely wanted to go. It was just that this fellow insisted on claiming first place! Right now, he had indeed traveled the farthest. Under his frantic hacking, he treated himself as the Dao and never considered it cheating; thus, his Dao remained stable, and his Dao heart was unshakable! Yet if the Human King kept arguing like this, it would only waste time. Li Hao was also deeply interested in Huntian's proposal. Therefore... in the next moment, Li Hao rode the fierce tiger and charged straight ahead at blinding speed. The tiger shattered square after square, while Li Hao unleashed the myriad Daos of Time, accelerating furiously. In the blink of an eye, he left the Human King behind. Seeing this, the Human King cursed under his breath! This brat! Li Hao surged forward without impediment until he reached square 8,999. Halting before the nine-thousandth square, he called out, "I arrived first! Going any further is meaningless! Everyone should be able to reach this point. Beyond this... nine thousand Dao principles involve spirit. The Dao here is illusory and possesses no true depth of exploration..." Li Hao's eyes flickered, and he added, "However, this place involves space. If we reverse time from here, perhaps... we can return to Tianfang—the Tianfang of a million years ago! We can meet the Lord of Tianfang, and perhaps... even interact a little!" Hearing this, even the Human King stopped caring about making money. He charged forward, hacking wildly with excitement: "You mean we can go straight to Tianfang, the Tianfang of a million years ago, and witness the glory of that era?" "Yes!" The others also moved at top speed, flashing across the board. Whether it was Huntian or the seemingly weakest Long Zhan, their speed was astonishing as they arrived in an instant. The auras of their mental bodies were slightly turbulent. Nevertheless, they quickly reached the spot. Moving any further involved spirit, and Dao Chess lacked spirit, so the squares ahead were largely devoid of meaning. Yet all five of them could reach this point! This was utterly terrifying. It meant that all five possessed an understanding of the Dao that was close to or already at the ninth rank. The only reason they weren't ninth ranks lay in spirit, not in the Dao! Li Hao was actually somewhat surprised. Still, he said nothing. Seeing the others had yet to speak, Li Hao asked, "Regarding the Five Elements side, could Jin Ling reach this place?" Huntian scoffed and shook his head. "Him?... Forget it! If all five elements combine, they might barely fight Chunqiu! Right now, he has only merged two elements. Alone, even Long Zhan could defeat him. He might only be slightly stronger than you and the Human King, and only by a thin margin..." The Human King sneered, "Stronger than me? Are you serious?" Sovereign Huntian remained silent. Whether he was serious was hard to say, but with Jin Ling merging two elements, he definitely possessed the strength of six thousand Daos, perhaps even more. But that was all; even if he was stronger than the Human King, it was only by a small margin. Chunqiu was even more blunt: "The Five Elements brothers can be considered formidable if they join hands. Separated... they are at most on the level of Reincarnation, nothing worth mentioning! Pay him no heed. In the end, whoever takes the north is the true winner. Why waste words on that?" The Five Elements Sovereigns hadn't come today. Their absence led everyone to conclude that the Five Elements realm lacked the qualifications to rule a territory. They had failed to display sufficient deterrent force! Nor had they demonstrated adequate potential. Thus, the two overlords appeared to have already decided their fate. Huntian spoke again: "Fellow Daoist Bright Moon, reversing time to return to Tianfang will undoubtedly be fraught with extreme danger... Tianfang was likely the strongest among the ninth ranks! We are all merely mental constructs... I have a suggestion; I wonder if you can accept it?" "Speak freely, Fellow Daoist!" "We will fuse our mental constructs into you. You will wield Time to reverse the flow and take us back, using your body to contend against Tianfang! We will unleash our strongest power in a combined strike. Naturally, your danger will be greater, as you must descend with your true mental construct..." The Human King stroked his chin. "How about my true self goes?" He seemed completely fearless of death! In fact, he was eager. Fighting the strongest would surely be exhilarating! If you're going to fight, fight the very best! He was curious about Tianfang as well. Originally, this group had come merely to discuss the Great Dao and rules... but now, every single one of them wanted to journey into the past, to see the world of a million years ago, interact with the strongest of that era, and perhaps... even trade blows! A bunch of utter madmen! If killed in the past, Li Hao might die outright, while the others would suffer severe injuries. Yet the Human King didn't try to stop it; he was even interested in jumping in personally! Li Hao hesitated slightly. "The Lord of Tianfang might not be a villain. Perhaps... he is quite hospitable..." Sovereign Huntian merely stared at him without a word. The Human King crossed his arms and chuckled, while Chunqiu giggled teasingly, "Fellow Daoist, you are being somewhat hypocritical. Peeking at Tianfang's Dao from this very spot—the 9,000-square mark—and peering directly into the core Dao of space... do you think Tianfang would just let you watch? Peeking at his spirit, peeking at his core... instead of hitting you, is he supposed to invite you for drinks?" "..." Li Hao cleared his throat lightly. That was true enough! "Tianfang and I..." "You only owe favors to Tianfang's three subordinates, not to the Lord of Tianfang himself! This time, we are merely going to look. If he isn't hospitable... we will join hands and beat him up!" Even Long Zhan chimed in, sneering, "I too wish to see what Tianfang was truly plotting! And I want to test whether the most supreme figures of today's Chaos, joining forces, can kill the Tianfang of a million years ago!" "..." How domineering! Li Hao curled his lip, then quickly smiled. "Then... we can give it a try. However, I will be in greater danger, and using Time will likely cost me a substantial amount of lifespan. First place belongs to me, but... that is still not quite enough. If any traces of your mental constructs remain after this journey... when I release you to return and contact your avatars, how about you give those avatars... to me?" Fuck! Everyone froze, cursing inwardly. Your appetite is even bigger than the Human King's! The Human King only wanted Great Dao crystals, but you, you shameless bastard, quietly opened your mouth like a lion! Demanding their avatars outright! Their avatars were no weaker than ordinary eighth ranks; this was equivalent to directly demanding the energy of several eighth-rank Sovereigns. And avatars of the supreme overlords at that! The Human King put on an innocent expression. I don't have an avatar, so that doesn't include me, right? Excellent! This youngster finally knows how to respect his elders! Meanwhile, the others felt a surge of anticipation and longing. After a slight hesitation, Huntian was the first to speak: "I... have no objections!" Nurturing a tiger that would cause trouble later? Perhaps! Yet at this level, what did giving it away matter? Since Li Hao was willing to take the gamble, how could they begrudge a mere avatar? Chunqiu also smiled. "I have no objections either. I have plenty of avatars; you can have as many as you want. Of course, this one is the strongest!" Long Zhan felt somewhat helpless; he wasn't particularly wealthy. In the end, he nodded as well. This journey might aid him in dealing with Tianfang, so he agreed. At this moment, Li Hao finally broke into a broad smile. Wonderful! The Great Dao crystals were his, and these experts were willing to leave their avatars behind... Splendid. Furthermore, he could borrow their power to make a trip to a million years ago! I imagine... it will be quite fascinating. Perhaps he could even interact with the Lord of Tianfang directly, gaining a clearer understanding of the future. Once the group made their decision, they were exceptionally decisive, preparing to act immediately. Meanwhile, the people outside were still waiting to see who would claim first and second place... unaware that without a sound, these figures were already beginning to reverse time, preparing to travel back a million years to touch the true pinnacle powerhouse of the Chaos.