Contending for Supremacy

The three thousand realms were complete. The core of the three-thousandth realm was Desire! An intensely fierce desire. At this moment, Li Hao's eyes were no longer calm, but shone with a peculiar brilliance. Looking at him, everyone around felt their hearts skip a beat. At this instant, the Silver Moon martial masters seemed to see... a rather different Li Hao. Yet to some, this felt familiar. Those who had fought alongside Li Hao from the start suddenly felt a sense of familiarity... That was... early on in Silver Moon, when Li Hao had been called the Demonic Sword. Back when he led his Demon Hunting Squad to hunt down powerhouses everywhere, seize resources, strengthen himself and his squad, and battle across all quarters. Ever since then, Li Hao had seemed to lack any great desire. Yet today... Liu Long and those who knew him well seemed to see the Demonic Sword reborn! Li Hao! Desire could make one lose control, but it could also fill one with passion and drive. Standing up, Li Hao looked out in all directions and met everyone's gaze. His voice remained calm, yet it could not conceal the deep tremors beneath: "The ninth ranks are about to return. Chaos is about to erupt into turmoil! "I wish to open a heaven! "And people will surely stop me!" At this, he suddenly smiled. "Chaos has its thunder tribulations to punish those who disrupt order. Yet these thunder tribulations were merely constructed by certain individuals for selfish gain. These so-called rules are not fair! "Even if they were fair... to me, anything unfavorable to me is unfair!" At this moment, Li Hao seemed... filled with selfishness, shamelessness, and dark cunning. Unfavorable to me means unfair! Favorable to me means fair! Fairness lay with him, not with others. Li Hao smiled. "I want to do things that others deem unfair, that the thunder tribulation deems unfair! Originally, I felt conflicted. But today, I saw it—I saw that the so-called Lord of Chaotic Thunder Tribulation, the Master of Tribulation, is also unfair! "If he himself is unfair, what right does he have to punish others? Who is he? What does he count for? "Rules are made by the strong to punish the weak! If you want to establish rules, you must break rules. Whether Chaos is orderly or disorderly does not matter; what matters is who establishes it! "Order can exist, but order cannot be established by others!" At this moment, Li Hao seemed possessed. "Order should be established by ourselves! Chaotic thunder tribulation isn't a good thing either. Perhaps this time, there is a chance... to slay the thunder tribulation, to slay tribulation! "Those who bring tribulation upon others will surely suffer backlash. If no one can bring backlash upon him, then I, Li Hao, shall enforce justice in heaven's stead!" Enforce justice in heaven's stead! As soon as these words were spoken, ten thousand bolts of lightning seemed to manifest in the void, but Li Hao merely gave a cold sneer. At this moment, he seemed to possess an edge of ferocity. Desire could drive one mad, but it could also make one clearer-headed. Looking at the crowd, he spoke again: "So this time, the revival of the Thunder Domain... is an opportunity for me. Of course, for you, it may be a crisis! This campaign is purely for my personal, selfish benefit..." At this point, the Thunder Emperor, who had remained quiet all this while, spoke softly: "Haoyue... at this point, what talk is there of personal versus public benefit? Who among those present hasn't received your kindness? Talking about this now is meaningless! We yearn for freedom—that is our goal, not an excuse for ingratitude. When Chaos is in turmoil, where is there any fairness or freedom to speak of? Without breaking the rules you spoke of, how can we establish... rules of our own?" He suddenly chuckled. "In fact, I've wanted to say this for a long time. Since we've stepped out, since we've grown strong, since we've reached this stage... right now, freedom is the goal, and struggle is the process! All sides are contending for supremacy—why... can't we?" The Thunder Emperor's voice grew exceptionally deep. "Vying for supremacy isn't for the sake of supremacy, but for absolute freedom. Only with absolute power and absolute strength can there be absolute freedom! "Otherwise... all that talk of being carefree, wandering wild cranes is pure bullshit! I struggled in the Dragon Domain for three hundred thousand years. I yearned for freedom too, but because I lacked strength and lacked power, I could only... be a stray dog! "I've always wanted to speak up, but seeing that your heart wasn't set on this... I couldn't say much. Today, since you've brought it up yourself, my view is... why yield to others? Why sit and watch the changing clouds? Why watch others contend for supremacy? Why... can't it be us?" He pointed into the distance. "We have the human Saint, Hong Yitang, rescuing humankind! We have the Dao Lord of the Heavens, you, spreading the Great Dao freely! We have a god who saves all living beings, attaining godhood through faith! We have an emperor devoted to fusing civilizations, the King of Dali! We have a Lord of the Great Dao who commands emotions, following his heart through ten thousand Daos! We have the lightning-path Sovereign who punishes the world—me! We have Wushan, who commands destiny and the future; we have the Dao Chessboard, complete with ten thousand Daos; we have Kongji with his six Daos and three poles..." At this moment, the Thunder Emperor seemed to pour out all the resentment and indignation pent up in his heart! "Haoyue Sovereign, Dao Lord, Lord of the Great Dao, Dao Lord of the Heavens... why... can't we pioneer an era of our own?" Li Hao looked at him without a word. Around them, the Sovereigns were silent, yet a flicker of light seemed to appear in their eyes. The Thunder Emperor had originally been the sole human master of a top-tier great world in the Dragon Domain. For the sake of the Thunder Realm, he had struggled for three hundred thousand years—oppressed, furious, desperate, unwilling... In truth, he was not as simple and honest, or as open-minded, as he appeared. Suppressed for three hundred thousand years! Having narrowly survived deadly crises time and again, he followed Li Hao, even devouring and abandoning the Thunder Realm—was it merely to pursue so-called freedom? No! He wanted power, status, strength, everything! He wanted to make those people never dare bully or blockade him again! They had blockaded him for three hundred thousand years! He couldn't fight back on his own, having had no way to retaliate. But this time, there was an opportunity, a hope, because he was following Li Hao—the newly risen Li Hao, who now held a place of his own in Chaos. Previously, he hadn't dared speak up because Li Hao acted far too detached. He feared speaking would draw Li Hao's displeasure. Yet today, Li Hao had started the topic himself. The Thunder Emperor instantly grinned, overjoyed, letting everything burst forth. "Haoyue... in all of Chaos, who is more suited than you to redraw the rules? You wield Time, Tribulation, and Space; you possess the power to open a heaven, a heart of compassion, boundless courage, and immense boldness... Then let us upend this Chaos and forge it anew!" At this moment, everyone grew intensely agitated. Others were relatively calm, but several Silver Moon martial masters voiced their agreement: "Exactly! If we don't overthrow it, who will? The Thunder Emperor is right... We'll follow you to the end. From Silver Moon to this day, when have we ever suffered a major loss?" "Worst comes to worst, we'll do as Xinwu does—if we die, you resurrect us!" "Once the rules are overthrown, you can resurrect whoever you damn well please!" "Damn right!" Southern Fist and several other hot-tempered figures chimed in one after another. Every one of them was eager to see the world burn! Li Hao smiled. "In the past, I would have urged restraint... but today, I think there's nothing wrong with that! In this era, it all comes down to fists in the end! Whoever has the bigger fist has the final say! I don't harbor extravagant desires—power and status are secondary... But what I want to do, no one may stop me!" What power and status? What did those count for! What I want to do, I will do. No one can force me to do anything, yet no one can stop me, either. The Master of Tribulation's Chaotic thunder tribulations had interfered with him many times already. Not once or twice, but countless times. Now, he was actually reviving. Powerhouses of the Thunder Domain were reviving; what about the Master of Tribulation? Would he return as well? That old bastard was no good thing, repeatedly picking fights. Did he truly take Li Hao for a pushover? Toward Tianfang, Li Hao's feelings were actually complicated. He held no deep hatred or grudge, only mixed emotions, because in Tianfang, people had indeed helped him—that was a fact, undeniable. But toward Tribulation... fuck off! What right do you have to repeatedly target me? What right do you have to lay down the rules of Chaos? You don't even follow rules yourself, yet you presume to punish others—laughable. "The Thunder Emperor is right, and so are all of you..." Li Hao smiled. "Our Silver Moon faction isn't exceptionally strong, but we are growing, and very fast! Feeding war with war—Xinwu isn't the only one capable of that; so are we! "This time... I hope to see the birth of a great many powerhouses... This time... regardless of life or death!" The moment these words fell, the crowd was instantly energized. Regardless of life or death! He wasn't talking about enemies, but... their own side! Southern Fist grinned broadly. "You mean... we can fight with abandon, and it doesn't matter even if we die in battle?" "Right!" Southern Fist burst into wild laughter. "Fuck! I've been terrified of dying all this time, terrified that dying would put pressure and a burden on you! All these years have been tough on us. Every single one of us held back, endured, scared to death of getting ourselves killed and making you grieve, putting you in a difficult spot, making things hard for you... "We're not afraid of dying! Walking out from Silver Moon, from martial masters to this day, I've lived enough! If not for fear of making you worry and grieve... I'd have gone out wilding long ago! Why stay here taking crap?" Southern Fist seemed to be venting his frustrations. He had felt stifled. He wasn't like Tianji and the others. Silver Moon martial masters loved taking risks, but ever since leaving Silver Moon, they had kept low profiles to avoid causing trouble for Li Hao. They feared dying—not because they feared death itself... Rather, they worried that Li Hao would have to resurrect them, would have to scramble for ways to save them, that he would be heartbroken and pained. He already seemed to have so little to hold on to; if everyone died, what would become of him? Now, the phrase "regardless of life or death" fired him up. I'm not afraid of dying! Worst comes to worst, I just die. Having lived until now, I've already gotten my money's worth. At this moment, Southern Fist was pumped, and the other Silver Moon martial masters all broke into smiles. Regardless of life or death! The Thunder Emperor and the others were also stirred. Even Wushan, who had constantly harped on about freedom... merely shrugged and said nothing. Indeed! Without status, without strength, without backing, where would freedom come from? Without Li Hao backing them, had their group walked into the east, the Reincarnation World alone would have been enough to wipe them all out. Freedom? As for Huntian, Chunqiu, Wuxing, and those reviving old antiques, which of them could they contend with? Without status and strength... what freedom was there to discuss? They had originally thought themselves rather indifferent to worldly ambition, yet following Li Hao, they found him even more untethered—drifting wherever the wind blew, fighting if he ran into trouble, letting things be if he didn't... In truth, after several such instances, they had felt a tinge of regret. Sometimes, opportunities had been missed. Today, Li Hao was actually taking the initiative to wage war, just as when he had plotted against the Dragon Domain back then. It was a rare occasion. Ever since leaving the Four Regions, Li Hao had taken things as they came; even with the Myriad Heavens Dao Arena, he had merely waited for others to pick a fight. If they didn't come, he wouldn't go either! This time, he was actively looking to cause trouble. A rare occasion indeed! "Good!" Li Hao wasted no words, speaking swiftly: "Then this time, our primary objective is to deal with the Thunder Domain. For now, ninth-rank figures may not be able to return, and even if they do, it will most likely be avatars or the like! "Our second objective is to repay debts: rescue three individuals... merely saving their lives... to settle the debt! "Our third objective is to gather sufficient resources—everyone is in dire need of them! "Our fourth objective is to weaken the strength of all ninth-rank factions, without exception, including Tianfang! "Fifth... deal with Long Zhan!" Everyone was startled. Good grief, when you don't act, you do nothing at all, but once you do, you take on everyone! Li Hao smiled. "Long Zhan—I admire him! But... I will slay him! There is no contradiction. I admire his struggle for his race, admire him holding up the Chaos beast clan on his own. Yet he is my foe, a mortal enemy! I killed his wife, killed his subordinates, and seized his subordinate worlds. Likewise, I do not wish for the Chaos beast clan to become rulers... So killing him comes last for now, but when the opportunity is ripe, I will strike!" With that, he looked toward the crowd again. "This time, I hope everyone makes progress, especially Lin Hongyu!" Lin Hongyu started. Me? What did this... have to do with her? By now, she had only just stepped into the fifth rank. Truth be told, in this era where high ranks ran rampant, the fifth rank didn't amount to shit. Li Hao smiled. "This time, you must construct Hell well. I am going to kill. When people die, there are corpses, lingering souls, spirits, and origins. Whether through revival or resurrection, if you aren't strong enough, how can I capture their origins and spirits to resurrect them when my people fall? If we can preserve their corpses, I can even reverse heaven and earth to resurrect them directly with their full strength intact! "No need to reverse Yin and Yang like the Human King—that's honestly shoddy work. Sure, he resurrects people, but their strength drops drastically, and they have to absorb immense energy anew to recover... damaging both sides!" The crowd was speechless once more. You... look down on the Human King? You really are a piece of work! "In addition, Director Zhao, mobilize all Silver Moon cultivators immediately to cultivate divine characters! I want to... gather divine characters and nourish the spirits! Soldiers are maintained for a thousand days to be used for a single hour. I want to expand my spirits so they can govern myriad Daos. That way, during combat, I'll have the chance to grow continuously. Right now, although I've opened three thousand realms, I'm very weak—at most, possessing the strength of around five thousand Daos! "What does such strength amount to? In the ranks of those contending for supremacy in Chaos, I am nothing!" "Understood!" Everyone accepted their orders, each feeling a thrill of excitement, as if... they had returned to those days when they fought together against Heavenly Star. Yet Li Hao was not satisfied with just this. Looking around, his gaze finally fell on one person: "Lingyue!" The Queen quickly manifested, feeling somewhat apprehensive. "What is it?" Why call on me? Li Hao looked at her and smiled. "Your billions upon trillions of humans—you've gathered countless numbers, but having them simply worship you is far too monotonous. Right now, there is no safe place to settle them, but we cannot leave them completely idle either. What use is them putting all their hearts into worshipping you? What can you give them?" "..." Lingyue was speechless. What did that mean? Li Hao smiled. "Right now, Chaos has another truth: strength lies in numbers!" The Queen seemed to grasp his meaning. Sure enough, Li Hao chuckled. "Your people worship you, so have them... all cultivate divine characters! I don't care whether everyone succeeds; among countless humans, someone will. I need divine characters to nourish my Dao spirits! Trillions upon trillions of humans—even if only one in ten thousand succeeds, that is a trillion; even one in a hundred thousand yields a hundred billion divine characters. I said long ago that the hearts of the people are the most terrifying force of all! "Your people are devout. Go have them cultivate without delay. As for the energy needed, I will find a way... Next, Senior Er Mao, I'll need your help. If anyone's Dao is completely incompatible with ours... I'll have to trouble Senior!" Simply put, duplicating. Er Mao looked ready to die. Are you kidding? One or two was fine, but trillions upon trillions? Just let me die! Seriously this time, I don't want to live anymore—what's the point of living? The Queen's heart also skipped a beat. Trillions upon trillions of humans cultivating divine characters... that was terrifying. She couldn't help but say, "Their Daos all carry power of faith. If there is too much of it, I'm afraid..." Li Hao smiled. "What am I afraid of? If there's too much, just fuse it all into Martial Uncle Hong!" "..." Are you even human? Everyone was speechless. They were also caught between tears and laughter. Fine, they understood. Previously, Li Hao had never considered having these humans assist him because massive amounts of faith power were involved—it was too devout, which was terrifying. But now, Li Hao seemed to have found a trash bin. Hong Yitang. Indeed, who told him to embrace the Dao of Faith? Then it was him! The Queen said no more. Fine, I understand. In any case, it didn't affect her much. The energy consumed by so many people would be staggering, but Li Hao said he would handle it, so it had nothing to do with her. Besides, being idle was no good; those people were nearly robots by now, doing nothing but praying, which wasn't healthy either. Over time, their original hearts would be completely wiped out. Cultivating to divert their attention would be a good thing. "Understood!" "Good." Finally looking at everyone, Li Hao suddenly smiled. "On this expedition, uphold justice, display our divine might, guard righteousness, hunt demons, and spread the Dao!" "..." Everyone was speechless. This... slogan he used to fool people all those years ago, he was bringing it back again? Back then, quite a few people had died under that slogan. Among the crowd, former members of the Demon Hunting Squad felt a daze. We haven't said that in so long; hearing it now is almost embarrassing. At that moment, Li Hao smiled. "Silver Moon people are great in every way, save for one flaw—they care too much about saving face. Look at Xinwu... this time, we must learn from the Human King. Shamelessness is also a skill! Over on Xinwu's side, not a single person cares about saving face..." Everyone roared with laughter. In the crowd, several Xinwu cultivators were speechless. How could he say that? Fine if the Human King was shameless, but they still cared about their dignity! Yet on second thought, they too burst into laughter. This wasn't an insult; to them, it was high praise. Only the shameless... could thrive anywhere. ... The void rippled. Hidden from outside sight, countless phantom figures emerged within a passage, advancing toward Tianfang from afar at incredible speed. Among these silhouettes, some were excited, some agitated, while others were rather subdued. Returning to Tianfang! They had been away from Tianfang for far too long. Yet this return might not be smooth. At that moment, someone suddenly said, "This time, the Dao Lord also instructed us to make contact with the Time cultivator. We aren't familiar with him... Panlong, you and a few others had contact with him. Even though it was only for an instant, you should have some impression, right?" Among the group, the Panlong Sovereign, who remained in human form, pondered for a moment when he saw people looking at him. "Hard to say. I only encountered him once in the past during a Dao discussion, and the second time was on the day of the Dao Lord's banquet, as everyone knows... As for this man... I can't say for sure, but I believe that anyone who can cultivate Time is neither weak nor benign..." He didn't elaborate. In truth, he wanted to say... this time, try to avoid too much contact with Li Hao. That man was ruthless. Because he had borrowed power to kill many people—a vicious, merciless character who didn't consider future consequences too much. Had he truly weighed the consequences, weak as he was back then, he wouldn't have borrowed power in the first place. Once borrowed, debts were not easy to repay. "What's there to fear? Doesn't he owe you a favor?" Someone chuckled. "The trouble this time is Long Zhan. If the three of you run into that Li Hao, it would be best to have him help us solve the trouble that is Long Zhan... ideally with both sides mutually destroyed!" The Panlong Sovereign knitted his brows slightly. "He isn't an idiot..." What were they thinking? Had a million years of dormancy dulled everyone's senses? Just as he thought this, the speaker from before suddenly gave a cold snort: "He isn't an idiot, and neither are we. What I'm thinking is that Long Zhan is also of the dragon race. Panlong, I hope you understand that you are a Tianfang cultivator!" We aren't idiots, but we know you're a dragon too. So... this time, you must use this favor from Li Hao to deal with Long Zhan. Understand? The Panlong Sovereign's face darkened. He said nothing. Tianfang had quite a few envoys, all powerhouses, including several eighth ranks. Even if some hadn't been eighth rank before, upon this revival, they would likely reach the eighth rank, meaning he would likely become an eighth rank as well. However, he was not human, let alone a Tianfang human. He was actually a Chaos beast—an assimilated Chaos beast. A dragon! Evidently, the others didn't fully trust him. Seeing Panlong remain silent, Daoist Huoyan spoke up from the side: "There is no need to make things difficult for Panlong. Given such an opportunity, we will naturally take it. Death Envoy, we will weigh matters ourselves; there's no need to doubt anyone. Panlong joined our Tianfang a very long time ago and is no different from a Tianfang cultivator..." No different—yet ultimately still different. The Panlong Sovereign sighed inwardly, though he said nothing. Daoist Huoyan was relatively easy to talk to; despite cultivating the fire element, his temper wasn't fiery. The others, however, had always looked upon Panlong with disfavor. This time, with the opponent being of the dragon race, they were even more guarded. "Enough!" At the front of the group, the Bright Light Envoy suddenly interrupted them. "We have yet to enter Tianfang and have not fully revived. There is no need to discuss these matters! With our return this time, everyone will advance a step further. What is important is fulfilling the Dao Lord's plan, not... killing someone!" With that, he smiled. "Back then, I left Bright Light and was also an outsider when I joined Tianfang. Once joined, we are one family, without distinction! What puzzles me now is whether my old realm still preserves its heritage. I recall that when I left back then, someone in the realm was already rising..." "If it still exists, how strong must it be today?" Curious and wondering, he turned to the Dark Emissary: "Darkness, I remember you departed the Utmost Darkness Great World back then. I wonder how it fares now..." The Dark Fiend Envoy shook his head slightly. "Not sure. After so many years, who knows how things stand." Yet the Bright Light Envoy chuckled: "I faintly sense something... very weak, but the Bright Light World's heritage might still remain!" Everyone smiled; none directed hostility toward him. The Light and Dark Envoys were both outsiders, yet both were human. Moreover, they had abandoned their respective worlds early on to join Tianfang, becoming the Envoys of Light and Darkness. Powerful and formidable, they were eighth-rank experts in Tianfang's early days, back when the Lord of Tianfang had not even reached the ninth rank. Thus, though outsiders as well, they were treated with far more esteem and respect than Panlong. As they chatted, the Bright Light Envoy glanced back at the lightning giant behind them and frowned slightly. As they drew closer to the Four Regions, this lightning giant was undergoing subtle changes. Originally, it had been a single will, but now, countless strands seemed to appear within it, making several powerhouses turn solemn. What was going on? It seemed this giant was not composed of a single person, but tens of millions! At this thought, several powerhouses frowned. This might not be good news. Looking away, changes seemed to unfold ahead. At this moment, they were drawing ever closer to Tianfang. The dark passage around them gradually grew somewhat translucent, allowing them to make out some of the outside world, filling everyone with joy. A million years! Top powerhouses could observe the heavens, but they could not. Had they not been slumbering, they would have gone mad long ago. Now, being able to see familiar Chaos once again was thrilling. Yet... after looking for a while, someone remarked, "It seems a bit desolate, inferior to our time. Indeed, cultivation declines with each generation! In my eyes, those so-called Chaos overlords are nothing special..." "Enough!" The Bright Light Envoy scolded once more: "Nothing special? Have you forgotten the scene from a million years ago in your memories?" What were they thinking! Nothing special? If they were nothing special, had they forgotten how they had joined forces back then only to be effortlessly routed? Were those people easy to provoke? Had they forgotten? "That was merely the past..." someone whispered. "Besides, that was their Time interfering with the past; it doesn't mean we truly fought them. Moreover, back then, the strongest group of modern Chaos had joined forces! And we are far stronger now than we were a million years ago!" They still couldn't accept being effortlessly defeated by latecomers. The battle during the banquet a million years ago was very shallow in their memories—like a mere imprint rather than an actual duel. Hence, some still scoffed at being so easily crushed by Li Hao and the others. The Bright Light Envoy couldn't be bothered to argue further. Tianfang cultivators were arrogant, which was normal, and they had the right to be arrogant. Furthermore, over these million years, they hadn't been idle; much of their time had been spent comprehending the Dao, comprehending ninth-rank Daos. In terms of heritage, they were naturally far superior to the present cultivators of Chaos. Present Chaos certainly could not compare to a million years ago. "Quiet down, everyone. This time... we still need to be cautious." As they spoke, a disturbance seemed to occur ahead. "Huh, what is that?" The dark passage ahead looked somewhat different, as if something extra had appeared. It seemed as though a river had joined the passage. Baffled, the crowd couldn't understand. Had the Dao Lord done this? This passage had been established by the Dao Lord, and the methods of a ninth rank were beyond their comprehension. Why had a river appeared? How strange! And right at that moment... A pair of eyes seemed to appear above the river. ... Yes, it was Li Hao. The Time Star! He had remained merged with Chaos, observing heaven and earth. At this moment, he too noticed something unusual. He had known earlier that the Time Star seemed to have once intersected this teleportation passage. Zhan had done it. Li Hao hadn't known why. Now, he perhaps understood a little. Surveillance? Or... to intercept and ambush powerful foes? Through the Time Star, he actually caught sight of that group at this moment—countless silhouettes, illusory figures. With just a glance... Li Hao's heart stirred. So many! Almost all of them were high-rank Sovereigns! Tianfang hadn't brought everyone back, including mortal cultivators; instead, it was... Sovereigns! High-rank Sovereigns! At a rough glance, there were at least thirty or more. One had to know that back when Reincarnation was mighty, at its peak, four eighth ranks and a dozen or so seventh ranks represented Reincarnation's total strength. Yet before his eyes... a quick look showed at least thirty to forty. So many! A ninth-rank world... truly worthy of the ninth rank. Yet it also seemed fewer than expected. Remembering the banquet a million years ago when Time had been reversed and he had seen some of them, perhaps... others had yet to revive, hadn't returned, or had died completely? Then he saw the lightning figure behind them. These must be the powerhouses reviving in the Thunder Domain, right? They had actually fused into a single lightning spirit—interesting. "Should I ambush them?" Li Hao's thought flickered, but he quickly dismissed it. Perhaps he could, but moving now would expose him. Besides, if these people didn't return, how would he repay his favor? If they didn't return, how could he make Long Zhan suffer? If they didn't return... and Tianfang noticed, would Tianfang itself return through here? Indeed, this setup hadn't been made to deal with others, but... to guard against Tianfang returning prematurely! Understanding dawned in Li Hao's heart. Though these people seemed strong and posed a great threat for now, at present, they were merely small fry. The real big fish were the ninth-rank Sovereigns. Would a ninth-rank Sovereign return through this passage? An avatar? Or the true body? Regardless, for Li Hao right now, hiding carefully was the right move; otherwise, he would lose the greater for the lesser! He swiftly withdrew his gaze and looked no more. Then he thought of Zhan. That Zhan had linked the Time Star to this passage back during Xinwu's era, when they had stepped out and seen this passage... now that was intriguing. Did Zhan want the Human King and the others to charge straight across? Wasn't that overestimating the Human King and his group? Fascinating! "Once they pass my position... it won't be long." Withdrawing his gaze, Li Hao looked toward the distant Four Regions and laughed softly. "Let's go! Move out!" Soon. Of course, arriving in Tianfang would still require some time for them to revive, and the Lord of Tianfang had surely made preparations. At this moment, Long Zhan was most likely unable to enter Tianfang to cause destruction. For such a top-tier ninth-rank existence, setting up safeguards was simple. Thinking of something, Li Hao suddenly said, "Senior Dao Chessboard, move together with Black Panther and the others for now... Also, you were once the Sovereign weapon of the Tianfang world. If you hold different views, I understand; you need not get involved..." Hearing this, the Dao Chessboard hesitated for a moment before saying, "I harbor no intent to betray Tianfang, it's just..." He said somewhat awkwardly, "It's just that recently, after devouring some worlds and power of the Great Dao, I seem to have... recovered a bit... a bit of memory from my original universe. In life, I might... have been the realm lord of an eighth-rank universe who was slain by Tianfang. So I should... count as his enemy, right?" Li Hao looked at him with slight suspicion. Simply put, he suspected this fellow wanted to rebel yet feared bearing a bad reputation, so he had... deliberately concocted an excuse. Why rebel? It was simple! With Li Hao, he was treated with immense respect and as an independent person. Yet in Tianfang, he was merely a weapon. Frankly speaking, once a weapon developed a spirit, rebellion was completely normal. Li Hao could understand it; who would want to remain someone's weapon for a lifetime? Once endowed with a spirit, one naturally wanted to be oneself. The Dao Chessboard rebelling didn't surprise him in the least... It was just, this excuse was probably fabricated, wasn't it? The Dao Chessboard grew embarrassed. Understanding Li Hao's look, he could only explain, "It's true! I... I wouldn't lie!" It really is like that! I have a grudge against him, I'm not lying to you... Well, maybe lied just a tiny bit. The memory was real, but he might not have been that realm lord or Dao lord; he was more likely formed from the fusion of souls of countless living beings from that world. As for hatred... there truly wasn't much. Still, it gave him a graceful way out. Regardless, he didn't want to be a weapon anymore; even if he was a weapon, he wanted to be a free weapon. Freedom felt too good. Look at him now: on Silver Moon's side, he was treated like royalty. Not anyone's tool. Even when Li Hao used the Dao Chessboard, he discussed it with him beforehand instead of just using him at will. Having tasted freedom, who would want to return to Tianfang to be a cold weapon? I certainly wouldn't! "Then, Senior Dao Chessboard... move with Black Panther and the others for now. I fear Tianfang's people can locate your presence. Black Panther, Hu Qingfeng, Senior Dao Chessboard—the three of you: one possesses the Dao of Tribulation and might be tracked by Thunder Domain powerhouses; one is a Tianfang weapon and might be tracked by Tianfang; as for Hu Qingfeng..." In the crowd, a man beamed with a sycophantic smile: "Marquis, rest assured! I know what to do. The moment the Marquis gives word, I will immediately invite the Marquis forth!" Inviting a deity! Not summoning—he wouldn't dare frame it that way; he truly invited a deity. Inviting Li Hao! Li Hao was utterly speechless. Damn it, what on earth was the thing Hu Qingfeng invited? Sometimes he didn't feel at ease about it himself! Lest one day Hu Qingfeng truly invited a "Li Hao" who wasn't him... that would be awkward. The Great Dao possessed a spirit; this guy had better never reach the ninth rank in his life. If he did and truly invited a spirit-bearing Li Hao, that would be truly mortifying! "Fine. Everyone has an illusory realm on them; we can communicate at any time and summon one another at will! This time... the name of Silver Moon will surely shake the world once more!" Dangling a grand vision before them, Li Hao said no more and led the group straight toward the Four Regions. Tianfang had returned completely. ... Boom! A colossal roar echoed through heaven and earth. Long Zhan threw a punch, attempting to breach the realm, yet was forced back several paces. A chilly look surfaced in his eyes: Tianfang—truly formidable. An array laid down a million years ago had actually halted him. When a ninth-rank world sealed itself, under normal circumstances an existence like him could surely force it open, yet right now, he couldn't. He had been repelled. If he were truly willing to pay the price, he perhaps could, but paying a heavy toll to cleave open the realm before even seeing a single person... was hardly worthwhile. At this time, several eighth-rank cultivators were tense and solemn. The Red Moon Sovereign felt even more apprehension... the Dao of Desire still inflicted some backlash upon him. Watching silhouette after silhouette descend from the sky and manifest instantly within the Tianfang realm, followed by the appearance of the Tianfang Great Dao Universe as stars were ignited one by one, he asked nervously, "Dragon Lord, it cannot be breached?" Could they not ambush them beforehand? Could they only wait passively for them to revive and come out? This... made him doubt whether Long Zhan could rival these people, since he couldn't even break open the realm, leaving Red Moon uneasy. Long Zhan remained silent. It wasn't that simple. Breaching it was possible, but... breaching it might not be a good thing. Tianfang likely had schemes in place; relentlessly forcing the formation might only grant greater assistance to Tianfang's revival. Meanwhile, in the distance, the Thunder Domain also rumbled continuously. Within pillars of lightning, human silhouettes seemed to take shape. ... Within the Tianfang world. As the figures manifested, boundless power of the Great Dao surged frantically, and hundreds of millions of Great Dao crystals shattered, merging into everyone's bodies in varying amounts. The entire world seemed to come thoroughly alive. Even the world source seemed to awaken. The Great Dao Universe began to radiate brilliance. Stars were ignited one after another, and within the crowd, certain people's auras surged wildly. Among them, the Panlong Sovereign was somewhat surprised. When he left back then, he had only been at the seventh rank. Upon returning this time, he believed he could step into the eighth rank... Yet his Great Dao star seemed infused with boundless power of the Great Dao, and... it matched him exceedingly well. In an instant, his aura skyrocketed, and he became... the very first among everyone to recover seventh-rank power, and in the next breath, an eighth-rank aura surfaced! Immediately, the surrounding cultivators frantically absorbing the Dao power looked over in utter disbelief. Eighth rank? He was the first to reach the eighth rank, faster even than the Sovereigns who had originally been eighth ranks! How was that possible? What was going on? At this moment, the Panlong Sovereign frowned slightly... Not good! Dammit! Suddenly, understanding struck him: Long Zhan! The power he had just absorbed was a perfect match—it was Long Zhan's power! Both belonged to the dragon race, so naturally it matched. Was Long Zhan scheming against him? No... in the next instant, he realized the full truth. Because right now, the gazes directed at him from all around were tinged with suspicion. Trouble! They suspect me! The Panlong Sovereign's expression shifted. Long Zhan had done this on purpose? Yes, definitely on purpose. He intentionally... sowed discord. Before Panlong had even fully revived, he had already fallen under everyone's suspicion. Sure enough! In the next moment, someone said coldly, "Brother Panlong is truly capable, becoming the first eighth rank. Back then, I was an eighth rank, yet now I've only recovered to the seventh rank. How swift! This Dao dragon essence is certainly a perfect match. It seems that this time in Tianfang, Brother Panlong is the foremost person! No, the foremost dragon!" Panlong remained silent. At this moment, explanations were futile. Those who believed would believe, and those who didn't would never believe. Looking beyond the world, he seemed to vaguely perceive a colossal dragon, catching that... somewhat mocking gaze, as if asking: Do you like the gift I sent? All around, powerful auras rose continuously. Tianfang had officially revived and returned. At this moment, a magnificent voice resonated across the four directions: "The Tianfang world officially revives today! We have returned to Tianfang. The realm gates will open wide in due course, welcoming fellow Daoists from all quarters to come discuss the Dao in our Tianfang!" The voice echoed unceasingly! Outside the realm, Long Zhan remained silent, merely waiting. A faint smile appeared in his eyes. Good that you returned! Panlong... I await you. As for the others, he cared little. What mattered more to him was whether the Lord of Tianfang's avatar had returned or not. Glancing toward the periphery, the Thunder Domain was also churning incessantly. Pockets of powerful auras were spilling over and erupting, though without the fanfare of Tianfang, making no official declaration of return. The cultivators who heard the proclamation instantly tensed. Two overlords in the Four Regions! This... a great war would likely be unavoidable.