The Gathering Storm

The Myriad Heavens Dao Arena. In a small realm down below, Li Hao sat cross-legged. Sovereigns gathered around him from all directions. Eighth-rank figures like the Thunder Emperor and Wushan were all present. At this moment, Li Hao spoke: "Chaos is about to fall into turmoil!" The crowd was puzzled. Chaos had always been turbulent, so why bring it up now? Li Hao said calmly, "This coming turmoil across Chaos will no longer be limited to a mere clash between overlords. It will encompass vanished ninth-rank figures, vanished worlds... and the fact that my intent to open a pseudo-Chaos may draw hostility from everyone!" Indeed, through that earlier probe, he had realized many things. No one would permit him to open a new heaven! Because he sought to open a new Chaos within the Dao of Chaos, which meant breaking the Dao of Chaos and siphoning its power. That would cause spirituality to disperse. That was the first reason. The second was that it drew too much Chaotic power... Only today did Li Hao learn that all ninth-rank power originated from the Dao of Chaos! Who would allow that? The moment Li Hao used the Dao of Chaos to open a heaven, he would be stripping away their source of power! Upon hearing these words, the expressions of the Sovereigns shifted slightly. Li Hao smiled again. "There is good news as well. The good news is that when I open the heaven, the current eighth-rank Sovereigns of this era will not stop me!" Everyone was startled. Why? "Because opening a heaven weakens the ninth rank—or rather, cuts off their backup power source. For the current eighth-rank figures, this is a good thing. While they may experience some minor interference, it will not affect them nearly as much as the ninth rank!" Thus, Li Hao was certain that Huntian and the others would not interfere with his heaven-opening. Perhaps this was a silver lining amid misfortune. Yet... ninth-rank figures would interfere, which was far more troublesome. Fortunately, because spirituality was currently lacking, those beings might not necessarily return right away. Even if they did return, ninth-rank Daos stripped of sufficient spirituality might not be so difficult to deal with. Of course, as Huntian had said, even without their spirituality, they were still no weaker than him. When the time came, many experts on par with Huntian might descend upon him! All to stop Li Hao from opening the heaven. Yet... should this heaven be opened? Of course! Without opening it, how could he perfect his Dao? As for their displeasure once he opened it... he would open it regardless! Their displeasure was their own problem. "Chaos will inevitably be plunged into upheaval next..." Having said this, Li Hao added, "Worlds like Tianfang will return one after another—not just one, but likely many ninth-rank worlds. Their powerhouses may all return. Their departure in the past was likely for spirituality, for power, and for stability... rather than anything else!" "In all probability, none of them are dead!" At this point, Li Hao said softly, "As for me, from the looks of it, I don't really have any mortal enemies at the moment..." The crowd nodded. From the recent events, Li Hao's interactions with the various overlords seemed decent enough. Of course, there was enmity with Long Zhan, but Long Zhan was striving to rise and would not deliberately provoke a Li Hao who was already formidable. Soon, however, Li Hao murmured, "Yet... what I pursue is freedom, the Dao. And now... I may be in for some trouble." Regardless of whether those ninth-rank figures needed him for something, or needed Time—a grown Time—for something, he would be caught up in trouble. Someone had set their eyes on his Dao of Time. No, they had set their eyes on the Emperor of Battle Heaven's Time. At this moment, Li Hao felt somewhat helpless. What had Zhan seen back then? Why had he committed suicide? Or had he seen the future, and refused to strengthen his Time because... he was unwilling to satisfy certain people's desires? After all, the Time Star was currently only a sixth-rank star, but it was growing rapidly and nearing the seventh rank. Throughout these days, the Time Star had indeed been growing. Once it grew to the eighth or ninth rank, it might become exactly what certain people desired. Zhan had not necessarily acted out of fear. Perhaps... it was merely disdain, disgust! Just like back then, when he saw parts of Xinwu's future and the Heavenly Emperor's future, he felt disgust and disdain, and thus refused to meddle, merely leaving behind arrangements for successors to resolve. Just like now: perhaps the ninth rank truly needed his Time to stabilize something, and Zhan had seen this as well. So he simply cast Time aside—whoever inherited it inherited the misfortune. Whoever got it had to deal with it! A voluntary bargain: Time granted countless conveniences and benefits, but cause and effect dictated that a price must be paid. "Right now, the one facing the greatest difficulty isn't me, but Long Zhan." Li Hao continued, "He is truly surrounded by enemies on all sides! When Tianfang returns, the first to suffer the blow will surely be him. With Tianfang back, the contention for supremacy in the Four Regions, and the contention for the East, will become major problems... Meanwhile, Long Zhan dares not step out rashly. Stepping out brings trouble... and staying put means facing Tianfang's contention..." Thinking of Long Zhan, Li Hao sighed softly. He did not like Long Zhan. That was a fact, not for any petty reason, but because back when he visited the Dragon Region, he saw Long Zhan's subordinates slaughtering humans en masse. It displeased him. Even though Long Zhan had not committed the deeds personally, he had indeed tacitly permitted them. Conversely, if Li Hao's people were madly slaughtering Chaos beasts, Long Zhan would also despise Li Hao. This had nothing to do with anything else; it was merely personal friction from looking down on each other's ways. Yet... Long Zhan was leading his race to rise, resolved to defy fate. That was immensely difficult. The Chaos race was born of the Great Dao of Chaos. Thus, to truly defy fate, first, the Great Dao of Chaos had to be filled with spirituality once more. Second, the ninth rank could no longer merge their Daos into Chaos to plunder the Dao's spirit. Third, there had to be another way to nurture spirituality, or they had to sever themselves from the Great Dao of Chaos altogether, so the Chaos race could find their own path and exist independently beyond it... which was as hard as ascending to the heavens! His path... was perhaps even harder than the path of unification. Of course, Li Hao felt he himself was also rather unfortunate... Li Hao believed he had always treated people with goodwill, yet now, that group of ninth-rank figures seemed to have fixed their gaze upon his Time, and would also stop him from opening a heaven... Both were inevitable. This meant that despite his friendliness toward others, he might end up just as unlucky as Long Zhan. He had no need to lead an entire race against fate... yet the enemies he offended were not necessarily fewer than Long Zhan's. That was truly unjust. Yes, Li Hao felt quite wronged. Unless... he cast Time aside? And washed his hands of it? That would not work either! He had already wielded Time. Even if he discarded it now, nobody would believe him. Even if they did believe him, they might still kill him to silence him! "Time..." Countless thoughts crossed Li Hao's mind. He thought back to that person from the future. It was said that Time was unique... That fellow from the future did not seem to cultivate Time as his primary path, but rather divine characters, yet he was born from within Time... If I open a Chaos and that person emerges to take command of the River of Time, does that... mean he is the true Master of Time? Li Hao's eyes flickered. Then what about me? Could I still cultivate Time? Time was unique... How could an era harbor two Masters of Time? He calculated endlessly, but... it felt rather treacherous. Naturally, the one being set up was not himself, but that future person. If things truly unfolded this way, the moment that fellow emerged, he would face endless trouble. No wonder... he said I left behind a whole mess of trouble for him... Could he have been referring to this? Li Hao mused inwardly. If he dumped Time onto that person while the ninth rank kept their eyes on him... the poor fellow who had not even appeared yet might become public enemy number one across Chaos the day he stepped forth. How tragic! "No... if I do that, how am I any different from Zhan?" Li Hao suddenly shook his head and muttered to himself. He could not do that. Even if he passed it on to that person, he had to resolve as many troubles as possible. Otherwise... it would be far too wicked. His conscience would not allow it! He still possessed a shred of conscience. At this moment, he felt Zhan was truly heartless. The Great Dao was emotionless indeed. As expected, a man who had stripped away even his desires was far more ruthless than him. Li Hao at least still had desires, along with his ties to Silver Moon... He was much better than Zhan! Countless thoughts swirled in his mind. He was too weak! Everyone was stronger than him. His own future path was actually fraught with difficulty. Even if the resources promised by the overlords arrived, catching up to them quickly would be exceedingly tough—unless... he opened a heaven! Yet opening a heaven invited massive trouble... It was a vicious cycle! Rally a faction to his side? The various overlords? They did not belong to the same camp as those ninth-rank figures from a million years ago, but everyone held grudges against one another. Li Hao fell silent. The Sovereigns around him frowned slightly. They could feel how conflicted he was. After a long while, Li Hao spoke: "All of you have been comprehending myriad Daos during these days, and Dao Chess has continuously absorbed everyone's Dao comprehensions... Have you found any leads?" The projection of Dao Chess emerged, somewhat apprehensive: "Leads?" Ninth rank? Don't joke around! Li Hao was speechless. "I mean regarding your own Dao domain. Senior, you don't have a clue?" Upon reaching the eighth rank, without opening a Dao domain, becoming a top eighth rank was as hard as ascending the heavens! A single Dao reigning supreme? That was possible! The Human King's Dao was somewhat eclectic, essentially a single Dao standing supreme, yet that single Dao was peculiar—it encompassed myriad Daos, where myriad Daos were all him. Could Dao Chess compare to the Human King? If so, he wouldn't need to open a Dao domain! This time, not only Li Hao, but Dao Chess as well had absorbed the insights of several eighth-rank overlords. Did he truly not have a single clue? Was opening a Dao domain really that difficult? Sword Venerable and the others had opened Dao domains at the seventh rank, even if they were not particularly strong. Yet they were genuine Dao domains! Could he not do it? Dao Chess breathed a sigh of relief. Subconsciously, he felt somewhat fearful of Li Hao now... not because Li Hao was overwhelmingly powerful, but because... with that extra fragment in his memories, he knew this group had dared to reverse time, return to the past, and challenge ninth-rank beings! Now that was formidable! "I... should be about ready, I suppose?" Dao Chess did not commit fully, explaining, "After all, I am an artifact spirit. Breaking through the limitations of an Imperial Weapon is still rather difficult..." Li Hao nodded in understanding. He then looked at the others—the Thunder Emperor and Wushan. Wushan seemed somewhat eccentric. Seeing Li Hao look over, he lamented, "Fate is fickle..." "Can Senior open a Dao domain?" "To perceive truth within darkness..." "Can Senior open a Dao domain?" "..." Wushan was left speechless. After a pause, he said helplessly, "Just about, but..." "As long as Senior can open it, that's enough!" "..." Wushan was entirely at a loss for words. This brat... fine, whatever. Before Li Hao could even ask, the Thunder Emperor chimed in, "I'm just about ready too, right? It should be... um, just about!" Li Hao turned his gaze toward Kongji. Kongji wore a conflicted expression. "Why are you looking at me? I have already entered the eighth rank, but... I've advanced too quickly lately. Life and death, annihilation and revival, light and darkness—all have stalled somewhat. I already have a Dao domain, it's just not very strong. My entry into the eighth rank only gives me the strength of a weak eighth-rank with a bit over two thousand Dao principles." Going from being an invincible powerhouse among peers of the same rank to a weakling among the eighth rank felt rather miserable to him. Of course, no matter how weak, he was stronger than before. Yet it still rankled. From now on, he would hardly be able to hold his head high among eighth-rank cultivators. How humiliating! Li Hao said nothing, turning his attention to Qian Wuliang, who had entered the seventh rank. Compared to before, Qian Wuliang was much steadier and stronger. Seeing Li Hao look his way, he said cautiously, "I have no Dao domain, only a Dao river and a Dao universe..." Would that suffice? "You..." Li Hao paused in thought. "Cultivate your Dao first, and do your best to help Black Panther so it has a chance of stepping into the seventh rank..." At this thought, something struck him. A divine character suddenly floated out, settling directly onto Black Panther. "Comprehend the 'Tribulation' divine character and reach the seventh rank as soon as possible... With Tianfang returning, the Thunder Domain might stir. They know I possess the Dao of Tribulation now, but I dislike having everything about me known! If you command this Dao, you can impersonate me at crucial moments!" Everyone knew Li Hao could wield some of the Dao of Tribulation, and they would guard against it accordingly. Yet now, Li Hao showed no lingering attachment, tossing it straight to Black Panther. Black Panther had been steadily advancing under Li Hao's nurturing. Though not exceptionally dazzling, Black Panther never mind acting as Li Hao's shadow. In fact, it was what it longed for. To others, Li Hao was a Dao Lord or a Realm Lord, but to Black Panther... he was its master. It was different! Whether it was mediocre or inept, and whether it possessed its own path or not, none of that mattered. As long as Li Hao was powerful, and as long as it could be of help to Li Hao, that was enough. Li Hao added, "Right, Black Panther, over the coming days, get in touch with... with Hu Qingfeng, that fellow!" Li Hao's eyes glinted. "Qian Wuliang, lend Hu Qingfeng a hand and try to make him stronger. Even if he can't reach the seventh rank, get him to the sixth. Tell me whatever resources he lacks!" Qian Wuliang's gaze shifted! Hu Qingfeng. A weak fellow... though fairly decent now, a Sovereign nearing the fourth rank from the third, not considered utterly feeble. His sole outstanding trait was both laughable and bizarre. He could summon Li Hao! Of course, it was merely an illusion, but... it resembled the real Li Hao so closely that even Li Hao himself sometimes struggled to tell them apart. Aside from the disparity in strength, everything else... in fact, the version Hu Qingfeng summoned was even more like Li Hao than Li Hao himself, utterly flawless! That was the perfect Li Hao conceived in Hu Qingfeng's imagination! At this moment, the Sovereigns harbored their own guesses. Black Panther wielded the Dao of Tribulation, while Hu Qingfeng could summon a faux Li Hao... Was Li Hao planning an impersonation scheme? Clearly, Li Hao was plotting against someone again. Did it have to do with Tianfang's revival? "Rest assured, Marquis, I know what to do." Qian Wuliang nodded slightly and added, "Marquis, Professor Yuan headed north... and there is still no word. Also... also Director Hong, he..." "What happened to Uncle Hong?" Hesitating briefly, Qian Wuliang spoke up: "Director Hong went to the Four Regions!" Li Hao frowned slightly. He had not been aware of this. "Did he say what he was going to do?" "He said... if unexpected changes occur in the Four Regions, he wishes to bring back some humans... Other places are manageable, but the Four Regions are ruled by the Chaos race, and Chaos beasts are excessively cruel to humans..." A somewhat saintly compassion. Yet he could not be blamed. Back then, to secure victory for their side, Hong Yitang had integrated the convictions of hundreds of millions of humans. In Li Hao's eyes, Hong Yitang's current state was quite tragic. That rubbish Dao... Li Hao had always viewed it as a puppet Dao. "A way must be found to sever it..." Li Hao murmured. However, Qian Wuliang chimed in, "Director Hong... I feel... I feel he is actually quite lucid!" Looking at Li Hao, Qian Wuliang said, "He... is not necessarily controlled by the Dao! He naturally possesses a compassionate heart and sympathizes with the plight of humanity. Years ago in Silver Moon, those unfamiliar children and orphans—he didn't know them either, yet he was willing to save them! Now, the humans of the Four Regions are perhaps no different in his eyes from those displaced by war back then!" "He is the Earth-Overturning Sword; the earth is inherently accommodating, carrying all things with broad virtue!" Qian Wuliang added, "Therefore, regarding his merging with the Human Sovereign's Dao, I actually feel Director Hong undertook it willingly. It may not... be the desperate act that you believe it to be, Marquis!" Li Hao frowned slightly, but said nothing more. Carrying all things with broad virtue... Hong Yitang! This Silver Moon martial master whom he had known for so long had indeed always been a good-natured man. Within the martial world, he could be considered a rare virtuous soul. As for the others... one couldn't say they were terrible, but they were hardly saints. Killing and plundering were things they had all done plenty of. Southern Fist welshing on debts was hardly a first. Thunderbolt Leg used to frequent brothels... and whether he had engaged in dishonorable exploits back then could no longer be investigated. In short, none of them were virtuous men. Hou Xiaochen and his ilk had countless lives on their hands. Hong Yitang, on the other hand... was genuinely honest and kind. Thoughts flashing through his mind, Li Hao spoke: "Leave Uncle Hong be for now. He went to the Four Regions... even if Long Zhan spots him, he won't do anything right now. Long Zhan is in a precarious position. Though there is bad blood between us, he won't rashly offend me, and might even hope I intervene to take the humans away, saving him some trouble." "Our strength... is insufficient. Of course, I don't mean you all, but myself!" Li Hao exhaled. "At this stage, without at least six thousand Daos, it's difficult to gain a foothold, difficult to truly master anyone's fate. Currently, with two thousand realms filling my aperture, my strength is merely around three to four thousand Dao principles... still far from enough!" "Qian Wuliang! Continue spreading the method of divine characters so that all Silver Moon cultivators cultivate the Dao of Divine Characters!" Qian Wuliang nodded repeatedly. After a moment's contemplation, Li Hao conjured a book. "This is the Scripture of Divine Characters. Pass this book down and integrate it into the Dao universe so that all cultivators may comprehend the Dao of Divine Characters. Silver Moon shares a common origin; at a critical juncture, I may borrow divine characters to nurture my Dao spirit... You may pass these words down and inform everyone!" Qian Wuliang raised no objections. This was harmless, and no one would complain. At this moment, Li Hao turned his gaze toward Er Mao, who sat faintly visible and utterly low-profile. "..." Er Mao seemed quite helpless. "Why are you looking at me?" Why look at a cat? It now understood what Big Cat meant by 'cats don't fight.' Right now, it dearly wanted to say: cats don't work! I'm just a cat too! I don't want to work. Don't bother me! Li Hao smiled. "Senior Er Mao..." "I'm not your senior, I'm just a cat!" Er Mao grumbled, "Don't call me senior, I have it rough enough already." "Don't say that, Senior Er Mao." Li Hao smiled and said, "Senior possesses an independent personality and is an independent living being..." Er Mao rolled its eyes! Here it comes! "So this time, I mainly wish to trouble Senior to duplicate for me... the Daos of the four Sovereigns!" "Whose?" "The four Sovereigns who entered Dao Chess this time, excluding myself..." Damn your mother! Er Mao wanted to curse. Those Sovereigns might not be ninth rank, but they were top-tier eighth ranks! Did what you just said sound like human speech? "I am a seventh-rank cat!" Therefore, I cannot duplicate eighth-rank Daos. Forget about it! Li Hao nodded. "I know. That's why this time... I want to elevate Senior to the eighth rank!" Li Hao said, "Senior is a Dao spirit. Previously, I didn't know how to elevate a Dao spirit, but now I do..." I... Er Mao wanted to die! It stared at Li Hao, and Li Hao looked back at it. "A Dao spirit can strengthen itself by devouring Daos of the same attribute. I have already verified this! Duplicated Daos of the same attribute certainly exist... Coupled with a vast amount of life source, becoming an eighth rank will be simpler for Senior than for others. You only need to strengthen your core Dao! So... I'm thinking..." "Don't you dare think!" Li Hao sighed. "Senior, how difficult is this era! Even if one doesn't work, one might still be killed by others." "Just let me die!" "..." Li Hao was speechless. How had this cat learned from Big Cat? It refused to listen! "Senior..." Er Mao felt utter despair and said helplessly, "Duplicating their Daos... is very hard!" "With avatars present, as long as Senior enters the eighth rank, it won't be difficult!" "Fine!" Er Mao was completely dejected. "When will it truly be the last time?" I don't even believe you anymore. Why revive me in the first place? It would have been better to stay dead. Too miserable. For once, Li Hao looked a bit embarrassed. "Soon..." Soon? Er Mao fell entirely silent. The others chuckled dryly; this... really had no solution. Li Hao added, "In short, the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena is enjoying a rare moment of peace, which is an opportunity and a stroke of fortune for everyone. When Sovereigns discuss the Dao, whether strong or weak, there is always something to learn! Of course, comprehend on your own and avoid leaking others' Daos!" The crowd nodded. Indeed, now was an opportunity. "Then... when will Tianfang return?" "Soon." At this moment, Li Hao merged into Chaos, looking toward the hidden teleportation channel. After a long while, he spoke: "There are fluctuations. At most three months, at least a few days... Sometime in the near future!" Having said this, he suddenly frowned slightly and glanced at his Time Star, speaking in a heavy voice: "It might... use me as a transit station!" What? The crowd was stunned. Li Hao looked at the Time Star. It was currently undulating. Back then, Zhan seemed to have forged a connection between the Time Star and this teleportation channel, so when Tianfang returned, it might... pass through the Time Star. Why was that? The dark channel around Xinwu had also been linked to the Time Star back then, and this teleportation channel seemed to have been linked by Zhan as well. Why had Zhan done this? Did passing through him serve some purpose? Thoughts surfaced continuously. "Taking a pass through Time..." Li Hao was somewhat puzzled. In that process, could he directly intercept and detain the three of them? If so, perhaps some trouble could be avoided. However, if he detained them, what if they were unwilling? Debts of gratitude had to be repaid—that was a principle! Yet regarding the favor owed back then, if those people expected him to pay an enormous price, that would hardly be justified. Remembering his entry into the Tianfang Dao Universe back then, the other party had seemed eager for him to take control... Thinking back to what might have happened if he had accepted that day, a chill ran down his spine! Then today, it wouldn't be a debt to three seventh-rank figures, but a debt to a ninth-rank powerhouse! That would truly be impossible to repay. Fortunately, he had been wise enough not to make that choice back then. Otherwise, though he might have become powerful early on, he would never have had so much room for choice as he did today. Right at this moment, Li Hao's heart stirred! ... Li Hao instantly appeared outside Alliance City Nine. At this moment, a Kunpeng soared upward, riding the wind. Seeing Li Hao, it showed a hint of fear, but quickly regained its composure. "I come by command, delivering twenty billion Great Dao crystals and... an avatar of my lord!" With that, it added with a grave tone, "My lord says... you may use it, but you may not... insult it!" Insult? Li Hao froze, then chuckled. "My thanks to Fellow Daoist Huntian... but insult? Am I supposed to string it up and whip its corpse?" "..." Peng Cheng was at a loss for words. Li Hao did not press him further on that, smiling. "Fellow Daoist Huntian is indeed wealthy and generous..." Then, curious, he asked, "This time, the Chaos race might face a crisis... Did Fellow Daoist Huntian mention it to you? Will you go to the Four Regions?" It was merely a casual curiosity. Peng Cheng's expression was conflicted. Soon, he replied, "I will not! I am a cultivator of the Huntian Realm... why would I assist Long Zhan? Besides, Long Zhan is a bold and decisive overlord... I believe he will have no need for my help and can resolve it himself!" Li Hao asked no further. Everyone had their own aspirations. Peng Cheng served Huntian, so not going was only natural. At this moment, Peng Cheng glanced in the direction of the Four Regions, his gaze growing increasingly complicated. He had actually heard Huntian mention that this might be a great crisis, and Huntian had asked him the exact same question as Li Hao. Yes, Huntian had asked too. Are you willing to go help? He did not know whether Huntian had been testing him or genuinely asking, but he had refused. Huntian had said nothing further. He had merely dispatched him to deliver the supplies Li Hao needed. Perhaps... it was still a test? Who knew. Now, Peng Cheng wished to say no more. A small realm materialized before him, drifting directly to Li Hao's side. "Silver Moon King, please count them. My mission is complete. If there is no error, I shall take my leave!" He was reluctant to linger here. Li Hao had left a considerable shadow on his mind earlier. "Very well, no need to count." If Huntian wanted to renege and not give a single coin, Li Hao would have had no recourse anyway. Since it was delivered, there was no need to verify. Of course, Li Hao suddenly thought of the Human King and wanted to laugh. Perhaps... the Human King truly would count them. Ahem, one shouldn't think of him that way; the Human King was still a good senior, and shouldn't be judged too harshly. Peng Cheng rode the wind and departed! Just then, Li Hao recalled something and suddenly called out, "By the way, did you go to the South eight hundred thousand years ago?" "Hmm?" Peng Cheng paused. Eight hundred thousand years ago? How many years had it been! Why ask about that? "I don't recall..." Who would remember something from eight hundred thousand years ago? "Oh, then never mind! If you did, be careful yourself. After all, making that trip wasn't easy." What did he mean? Peng Cheng was bewildered, but did not ask, departing swiftly. Li Hao was merely reminded of Chunqiu. According to her, a Kunpeng had mocked her back then. Li Hao was puzzled: a Kunpeng could soar ninety thousand li into the sky, while she was merely a winter cicada who might not even have become a Sovereign yet—would someone like that bother? If that were truly the case, for a Kunpeng capable of roaming Chaos to mock a cicada... it was either intentionally provoking her, or simply far too bored! If it was Peng Cheng... he had better be careful. Judging by Chunqiu's demeanor, she seemed like someone who held deep grudges. ... While he was pondering this, the next moment, Li Hao smiled again. These overlords truly kept their word. Space rippled, and in an instant, a butterfly seemed to flutter forward gracefully. Li Hao's gaze shifted. A butterfly? A demon? Butterflies didn't have long lifespans either! A great butterfly demon! It seemed to be an eighth-rank Sovereign as well. Was this a powerhouse under Chunqiu? The butterfly danced through the air. Its speed appeared slow, yet in the blink of an eye, it materialized before Li Hao. Folding its wings, it transformed into a gorgeous young woman, looking at Li Hao with a mixture of curiosity and resentment. Fengming had died at Li Hao's hands. "I am Mengdie of the South!" The great demon spoke, "Is the one before me Sovereign Bright Moon of the East?" "It is I." "I come by order of the Dao Lord to deliver the Great Dao crystals and the Dao Lord's avatar..." With that, the young woman added with some anger, "May I ask where the remains of our Sovereign Fengming are?" Li Hao: "..." Where? Inside the myriad Dao grids of Dao Chess! "Gone." "Gone?" Mengdie seemed to realize something, growing even angrier. "Everyone says you, Sovereign Bright Moon, view all living beings as equal. Why... do you also treat our Demon race as meat?" Li Hao was momentarily speechless. After a pause, he smiled. "He came to kill me first; killing him was only natural! Do not bind me by the standards of a saint. I am no saint. If you do not provoke me, whatever your race, it matters not. If you provoke me, even if you are human, I will kill you just the same! Fellow Daoist Mengdie, do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you. Saints... do not exist. Even if they do, they are saints of a single race, saints of a single faction. Just like me, I would not demand that you treat every living being with kindness." Mengdie fell silent for a moment. Saying nothing more, she handed over what Li Hao had requested. Suddenly, she asked, "Why was the Dao Lord willing to give her strongest avatar to you?" Li Hao smiled. "Fellow Daoist Chunqiu didn't say?" "No." "Then perhaps it's because I'm young?" "..." Mengdie was struck speechless! Asking no more, she turned to leave, but then seemed to recall something and said, "Furthermore, the Dao Lord said that turmoil may arise in the East. So that you all need not worry, there is no need to concern yourselves with the North, and the South will temporarily not interfere with the East! We will grant you all a tranquil environment... and hope to hear good news!" Li Hao's eyes flickered. No need to worry about the North, nor the South, and Huntian had swiftly delivered the supplies... All at once, he connected the dots and understood. He had nearly failed to catch on! So that was it! They hoped he would grow rapidly to contend against Tianfang? Yet regarding Tianfang... was Long Zhan not enough? Frowning slightly, he nodded. "I understand. My thanks to Fellow Daoist Chunqiu for her goodwill!" The butterfly vanished swiftly! Mengdie lingered no longer. Though she remained curious as to why such words were spoken and why Sovereign Chunqiu supported Li Hao... none of this concerned her. Overlord Chunqiu's order was the will of heaven in the South! "It seems both Huntian and Chunqiu believe... Long Zhan's side may not be able to resolve Tianfang's trouble?" Seen this way, things might be even more troublesome than anticipated. Both of them were veteran powerhouses and overlords! Yet now, neither seemed optimistic about Long Zhan. Swiftly delivering their avatars and Great Dao crystals was likely in the hope that Li Hao would grow stronger and join the fray to intercept and slay Tianfang's powerhouses... or perhaps... deal with Long Zhan? Who knew! Supplies from both sides had arrived, but Long Zhan's had not. This indicated... Long Zhan was likely short on funds. He probably wouldn't break his word, but since he hadn't sent them yet, he likely wanted to wait a while. With Li Hao's understanding of Long Zhan, he was a proud man. If he weren't strapped for resources, he wouldn't delay delivery. Not even sending an avatar meant... he desperately needed even the meager combat power of an avatar! Instantly, Li Hao thought of much more. And the Human King... he wouldn't welsh on his debt, would he? Without even an IOU? ... While Li Hao was thinking of the Human King, the Human King had cast aside his usual flippancy. At this moment, Xinwu also appeared to be holding a council. Over the past few days, they had conquered an eighth-rank world and several seventh-rank worlds—some surrendered, while others were annihilated. At this moment, the Human King sat high upon his throne, stroking the armrest, and suddenly said, "When Tianfang returns—as I said before—Xinwu... shall return to the Four Regions!" "Long Zhan drove me out... but the Four Regions remain the old nest of my Xinwu..." He looked at everyone. "Now, there are three choices! Help Tianfang, help Long Zhan, or help neither and hit both!" There was no such thing as neutrality! It did not exist! His three choices were either to strike one, or strike both; he had no intention of watching peacefully from the sidelines. The others seemed accustomed to this. The Bright Sovereign was still somewhat unaccustomed. Just as he wanted to speak, the Human King said impatiently, "Don't be a fence-sitter, watching the show. Bystanders are often the first to die! How can we allow others to snore beside our bed! Either join forces with one to strike the other, or strike both! The Four Regions are also in the East; peaceful coexistence is impossible. Don't pin your hopes on anyone's good conscience—they're all heartless bastards!" "In principle, I actually lean toward Long Zhan... Though we are not of the same race, he is actually somewhat similar to me!" The Human King lamented, "Besieged on all sides, fraught with crisis—how similar to Xinwu's situation back then! Yet looking to the future, once Long Zhan overcomes his ordeal, though he might not rival a powerhouse like Tianfang, this man is exceptionally tenacious. Frankly, such a formidable enemy... is very dangerous!" "Therefore, regardless of what happens, we must participate in this battle and claim our share of the spoils!" "When Tianfang returns, a Great World will return completely. How much Great Dao power, how many spiritual materials, how many powerhouses... must all be carved up!" The Human King sneered, "There are no good people in Chaos! Who is good and who is evil cannot be clearly defined. Just remember one thing: whoever is stronger than you wants to screw you over—that is absolute truth!" At this moment, the Supreme also nodded slightly. "What do you think? Fighting two at once probably won't work; we must join forces with one side. Do you lean toward Long Zhan? Right now, he appears to be at a disadvantage, but the enmity between Long Zhan and Silver Moon is quite deep..." Li Hao had killed the Fire Phoenix, who was his Dao partner. Though Long Zhan had many Dao partners, a man like him would never let vengeance slide. The time simply hadn't arrived yet. If they helped Long Zhan now, what would Silver Moon say? Although they were not a single entity and remained independent, Xinwu and Silver Moon were still the best of allies. They couldn't alienate Li Hao for Long Zhan's sake. "Li Hao... what objection could he have?" The Human King laughed. "That kid has immense ambitions. Don't let his seemingly carefree attitude fool you; in truth, his casualness is the least casual thing about him! That fellow would love nothing more than to have the final say throughout Chaos. As long as it aligns with his interests, do you think he'll care?" He seemed to understand Li Hao very well. In truth, that was indeed the case. "Furthermore, that kid has grand ambitions—he wants to open a second Chaos! He tested the waters once before. In all likelihood... the ninth rank are all troubles for him. His trouble is actually greater than anyone else's! Therefore... he won't mind any eradication of the ninth rank's forces!" The Supreme nodded slightly. "Then for Tianfang's return this time... do we need to join forces with him?" "To each their own. He won't listen to me, and conversely, I won't listen to him either!" The Human King smiled faintly. "Everyone just needs to do their own thing. Even if he aids Tianfang against Long Zhan... it doesn't matter. We'll adapt to circumstances. If we cross paths, we can just pretend we don't know each other!" The Supreme nodded once more. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Do we need to consider the West, South, and North?" "No need for now. This Dao discussion bore some fruit after all; at least for the short term, a brief tacit understanding was reached!" Having said this, the Human King suddenly added, "However, there is a problem... My strength is somewhat lacking, not enough!" He said in a heavy voice, "Those people are very strong—stronger than I anticipated! But my internal world has reached its limit. Breaking through further will be very difficult..." He looked at the Supreme. The Supreme froze for a moment. Why are you looking at me? The Human King said softly, "So... give Xinwu back to me. I want to devour Xinwu. You... go back to being number two!" "..." Damn it! The Supreme nearly cursed aloud! You bastard, does what you do count as human behavior? The Bright Sovereign wanted to flee. At this moment, his heart trembled with dread. An internal strife? Holy crap! The Human King was directly asking the Supreme for control over Xinwu... The Supreme had only been the boss for a few days and had painstakingly strengthened Xinwu, yet you... want it back already? He truly wanted to run away! At this moment, the Supreme shook his head helplessly. "I knew you'd want it back sooner or later... Give me two days, I'll untangle myself first... You truly... give people a headache!" The Human King shrugged nonchalantly. "I didn't even want it; didn't I have no choice? Relax, once there are no enemies, I'll give it back to you..." "Heh!" The Human King shrugged as well. Why 'heh'? That 'heh' sounded awful. The others wore expressions of watching a spectacle, none intervening. This left the Bright Sovereign entirely speechless. Even this... was acceptable? A top-tier eighth-rank Great World, transferred back and forth just like that? Was the Human King truly not afraid the Supreme would refuse? Wouldn't that cause conflict? While he was still pondering this, the Supreme chuckled softly: "Fellow Daoist Bright, just like when you transferred your world to Kongji, it really... doesn't matter." The implication being that the Human King was no different from his own son. The Human King caught the drift, huffing with a sneer: "Why can't it be Kongji transferring the world to his father?" "..." The Bright Sovereign was helpless. These two... fine, pretend I heard nothing. Then again, even transferring it to my own son made me hesitate. You two are truly beyond words. Yet at this moment, they also sensed the gathering storm! Chaos was no longer stable.