Order and Chaos

In the north, order was thrown into turmoil. The sounds of slaughter echoed across the cosmos. World after world began to shatter. Countless cultivators fled if they could, while those unable to escape were destroyed along with their worlds. The intent of chaos began to spread throughout the north. The northern domain was descending into anarchy. ... In the Five Elements Domain, Sovereign Chaos absorbed the burgeoning intent of chaos in high spirits. A turbulent world was the foundation of his existence. In truth, he had no desire to see the chaos calm down. Chaos as it had always been was best; it would be ideal if order was never established at all. Of course, if order could never be founded, the spirituality of the chaos might continually weaken. In the short term it might swell, but once all living beings died off and turmoil persisted unchecked, its spirituality would inevitably wane. Unless one could sustain chaos while establishing order within it. Perhaps this was the convergence point of order and chaos. As a rank-nine Sovereign, he understood clearly that the chaos would sooner or later be unified—perhaps by Tianfang, perhaps by someone else. For now, however, his own chances seemed slim. Yet his early descent this time was perhaps that one-in-a-million chance—his only chance. Slaughtering the successor or reincarnation of Order and seizing the Heavenly Plan of Order was likely his sole opportunity to rise and contend with Tianfang and the others. Otherwise, he could never rival an existence like Tianfang. He cast his gaze toward the west. Perhaps they were on their way. Perhaps they were preparing to deal with him. He had just descended and had yet to restore his strength to its peak. Huntian likely viewed this as the perfect moment to kill him. "Did Tianfang and the others consider this when they allowed me to descend?" Had they considered that his arrival would draw the lethal siege of Order? Tianfang would certainly have foreseen it! So what was Tianfang truly thinking? Was he hoping I would kill Huntian, or hoping Huntian would kill me to forge a far more formidable order? At this moment, he could no longer fathom Tianfang's intentions. Ever since Order perished and Tianfang made contact with the first generation of Time, Tianfang seemed to harbor countless inscrutable motives. "Huntian... the Ninefold Guards..." Neither was weak. And for this battle, numerous subordinates of other rank nines would come to assist him, as would Tianfang's people. Was Tianfang scheming to whittle down the strength of the other rank nines, letting their forces perish in this encirclement so that the Lord of Tianfang could once again seize the upper hand? As he drew in the intent of chaos, his mind grew increasingly lucid. Compared to the muddled state he had been in right after descending, he now possessed a measure of calm. "If I am slain by Order, Order will grow stronger. If Huntian truly edges infinitely close to rank nine, neither Chunqiu in the south nor Li Hao's trio in the east will be his match. Great unification will become inevitable!" That would eliminate many troubles. It might even compel Li Hao in the east to plead for rank-nine assistance, perhaps at great cost—even submitting to having Time brought under someone's control. On the other hand, if he killed Huntian and founded an order within chaos, the other rank nines would lose nothing. Most of the forces gathering here were the subordinates of other rank nines, not his own. Thoughts raced through his mind. Suddenly, Sovereign Chaos spoke: "Tianjin, come see me!" In the distance, the eldest of the Five Elements Overlords felt a flash of annoyance, but upon hearing the summons, he quickly manifested inside the Five Elements Hall that had once belonged to him. "What are your orders, Venerable One?" Sovereign Tianjin asked in a deep voice, still chafing under Chaos's endless demands. "Have the forces of the other Dao Lords arrived?" "A few, but not many. So far, only four rank-eights and seven rank-sevens have arrived... sent by the Yin-Yang Dao Lord, the Life and Death Dao Lord, and a few others." "Only that many?" Chaos appeared thoroughly displeased. "Before my descent, every rank nine promised me they would have their forces assemble under my command as quickly as possible! Yet now, aside from Tianfang and Five Elements, only four rank-eights have shown up?" It sounded like a respectable number, but in reality, it was pitifully few. There were so many rank-nine Sovereigns! Deep within the chaos, over twenty self-sealed rank nines resided. Each faction must have left behind a few subordinates. Even if their numbers could not compare to Tianfang's, they should not fall short by much. And yet now? A mere four! Did they take him for a beggar? Tianjin added, "Perhaps some have yet to awaken, or perhaps they do not know you are in the north. Even if Huntian attacks, the west does not possess that many rank-eights. With your presence, bolstered by us..." He truly could not understand what a rank-nine Sovereign like Chaos had to worry about. The north was an overlord faction in its own right. Even if the west was stronger, the gap was limited. Granted, Tianjin admitted he was no match for Huntian, but wasn't Chaos here? On the surface, Huntian had only four or five rank-eights. Even with a few hidden in reserve, how many could there be? Meanwhile, their Five Elements faction possessed eight rank-eights, along with three rank-eights from outside the domain they could mobilize. Add the four newly arrived rank-eights, and they already commanded fifteen rank-eight Sovereigns! Together with a multitude of rank-seven Sovereigns, Tianjin felt that even if Huntian dared to attack alongside Chunqiu, they would be marching to their deaths. The Ninefold Guards? They had fallen countless years ago. Even if remnants survived, how many could there be? From what he knew, there were no signs of large-scale troop movements in the west either. Chaos was a rank-nine Sovereign—what was he afraid of? Sovereign Chaos merely gave him a cold glance. The northern Five Elements faction was truly foolish. No wonder they were the most despised among the four regions. Everyone looked down on them! Even as someone who cultivated the intent of chaos and was a rank nine, Chaos had not lost his head. Yet this fool who had stumbled into rank eight, whose two brothers had successively perished, still showed zero growth. Tianjin did not think himself weak in the slightest; he merely blamed his misfortune, clinging to the absurd delusion that the north had the might to unify the world. If everyone in the chaos were like this, Tianfang would never have needed to plot so extensively; he could have simply descended and wiped out every formidable foe with a single clone. Clones of both Tianfang and Tribulation had been extinguished, yet this fool still believed they were invincible in the chaos. Fifteen rank-eights! Were there many? Quite a few. Yet did they truly have no sense of their own strength? If they were fifteen individuals on par with Huntian, Chaos naturally would not worry. But among these fifteen, the Five Elements Emissaries together were barely comparable to Long Zhan, perhaps even slightly weaker, while the three Five Elements Overlords combined were unlikely to defeat someone of Chunqiu's caliber. What right did they have to be arrogant? They were likely inferior even to the commander of the Ninefold Guards. "How many Great Dao crystals have you gathered?" Chaos asked, disinclined to waste words. Tianjin raised an eyebrow. Seeing that Chaos did not pursue the matter, he could only answer, "Over ten billion. Most worlds do not have massive reserves, and quite a few powerhouses escaped..." Thus, the haul was somewhat modest. Sovereign Chaos frowned slightly. It was indeed not much. He thought to himself that simply devouring Great Dao power would not restore him to his peak unless the spirit of chaos grew more powerful. Enhancing its spirituality was the only way to strengthen himself. Turmoil in the north would bolster his Chaos Dao to an extent, but it was not enough. Glancing sideways at Sovereign Tianjin, he suddenly offered a faint smile. "Not bad. Furthermore, urge the others to arrive as quickly as possible. Huntian may already have reached the north. We must resolve this battle swiftly to avoid drawing the prying eyes of other powerhouses!" "Understood," Tianjin nodded. Just as he was about to withdraw, Chaos seemed to recall something and asked, "By the way, have you condensed spirituality?" "What?" Tianjin froze in confusion. Chaos shook his head. "Never mind. You may leave!" Tianjin could only turn and depart. Once he was gone, Chaos shook his head. Clearly, the man had condensed nothing—a useless fool indeed. Huntian certainly possessed it: the spirit of order. Li Hao possessed it as well. Though it was not the spirit of time, he held a spirit nonetheless, which he had used to set a trap for Tribulation last time. Whether the Human King had one was uncertain, but Long Zhan had the spirit of the chaos. Did Chunqiu have one? It was hard to say, but she most likely did. Only the northern Five Elements faction lacked one entirely. Then again, the spirits of the five elements were likely monopolized by the Five Elements Dao Lord, yet failing to condense even a shred proved how useless they were. Such a person would have found it difficult to attain rank nine even a million years ago. "Huntian..." he murmured. Saying no more, he resumed extracting vast quantities of Great Dao power to refine his cultivation, already making covert preparations. ... At the northern border, turmoil raged. Throngs of powerhouses fled, yet before they could get far, beings lurking in the darkness hunted them down. Formidable figures emerged one after another, and fleeing cultivators were picked off by the Ninefold Guards lying in ambush. While the north plunged into pandemonium, the surrounding chaos remained deathly silent. Sovereign Huntian stood expressionless. Let it be chaotic! Throwing the north into chaos was an act of self-mutilation by Tianjin and his brothers. How foolish of them to thoroughly destabilize their own northern domain. Yet this spared Huntian a great deal of trouble. Beside him, a shadow showed signs of excitement. "Dao Lord, vast numbers of northern powerhouses are fleeing, with countless casualties. Even if we do not conquer the north this time, it will be left utterly feeble..." "Mm," Huntian nodded slightly, gazing toward the Five Elements Domain. "Recall everyone. Prepare to advance with me to the Five Elements!" Was the attack beginning? The shadow grew thrilled, transmitting a faint pulse. Shadows converged swiftly from all directions, powerhouses arriving in silence, though excitement simmered beneath their composure. Order had returned! The Ninefold Guards had once again manifested in the chaos, just as they had long ago, striking awe into all factions! Moments later, dozens of dark figures stood assembled—over a dozen rank-eights and scores of rank-sevens, all resembling silhouettes carved from the dark. Beneath order, darkness also dwelt. To establish radiant order by wielding overwhelming deterrence to crush all dissent—that was true order. The ancient Lord of Order had not been ruthless enough, leaving many dissenters alive, and order had collapsed as a result. Today's Huntian was far more iron-fisted than the previous generation of Order! Only in this manner could true order be founded. Any existence that resisted had to be crushed and slain! Only then would order endure firmly. This was Huntian's realization from years of cultivating order. Facts proved its success: after years of enforcement in the west, all resistance had been eradicated. Now, even if turmoil arose in the west, their own foundation would not catch fire. Only external forces could disrupt western affairs; native powerhouses could stir no waves whatsoever. "The chaos must be unified!" "Chaos and order are eternally opposed! The only way to dissolve chaos is to establish order, resolving turmoil through order to build a truly ordered cosmos! Only then will order endure forever..." Sovereign Huntian's voice was calm. "Now, the true body of Chaos has descended, while the other rank nines have not. This is our greatest opportunity! Slay Chaos, expand order, and rebuild the Nine Heavens! "Let the mortal remain mortal, with each tier of heaven governing its own order, distinctions between strong and weak clearly defined all the way to the Ninth Heaven! "This is the purpose of the Ninefold Guards: to divide the chaos into nine realms, shedding light across the cosmos and banishing darkness. You all walk in the dark! As long as darkness exists, the Ninefold Guards shall never perish! When darkness fades, that is when the Ninefold Guards shall emerge again!" Shadows in the dark! Without darkness, there were no Ninefold Guards; where darkness lingered, their shadows remained. They were trailblazers in the dark as well as the banishers of darkness—a complex, contradictory synthesis. Darkness might never truly vanish, and so the Ninefold Guards would endure eternally. The eyes of the Ninefold Guards burned with fervor. "We swear to follow you unto death! Expel the darkness, establish order, and bring clarity to the chaos!" the leader of the Ninefold Guards roared in a low tone. The surrounding cultivators echoed the shout, their unified voices shaking the surroundings. Sovereign Huntian smiled faintly. "Order encompasses all Daos; darkness, too, falls within its embrace. Yet darkness shall not be the mainstream of order, nor shall chaos! "Chaos descended from the depths of the cosmos perhaps to resist the expansion of my order. Since that is the case, I will not let them have their way! This time, I shall personally execute Chaos. You will eradicate all strong foes and thoroughly obliterate the northern intent of chaos!" "By your command!" the crowd shouted in unison, their fervor reaching a peak. Huntian said no more. Stepping through the void, he headed straight for the core of the north. Chaos, I am coming! ... At the same time, in the west. The Nine Heavens. A colossal world stood atop the pinnacle of the Ninth Heaven. Li Hao stood in the chaos as if he did not exist, quietly observing, sensing, and experiencing the power of order around him. It was potent and peculiar, capable of rectifying all things. Yes, rectifying all things. Standing here, even if your heart harbored turmoil and resentment, it felt as though all agitation was smoothed away. Here, one felt able to lay down all burdens. Order... Li Hao gazed into the distance, lost in thought. Every now and then, powerhouses of the Huntian Domain came and went, bustling about. There were no particularly powerful figures among them, but Sovereign cultivators traveled naturally between realms. Smiles lit their faces; to them, this place was like a sacred land where all troubles were forgotten. Beneath order lay radiant light. However... Li Hao frowned slightly and remained silent for a long time. The west was the most orderly, secure, and heavily defended place he had ever seen. Yet beneath this surface lurked something that made him uneasy. In truth, he had already sensed a part of it. He even understood why order had been established so rapidly in the west. He had personally encountered this type of power before—the very power he regarded as devilish! "Huntian..." Murmuring the name, Li Hao looked toward the north, his gaze complex. Have you truly built a new order? Within this order mingled... faith! Faith was not necessarily devilish, but it carried far too many complications. It was like that faith power shouldering the mission of the human race, which he had termed devilish power and also called Human Sovereign power. Here in the Nine Heavens, within this Huntian Domain, he sensed it. Moreover, it was not hoarded by a single individual. Countless people bathed in this Great Dao power, leading them to form faith and a sense of duty, forgetting their personal troubles and shedding their selfishness. This was not Human Sovereign power, which bore only the will of the human race. This was a faith power blended with many elements, including the preservation and establishment of order! Or perhaps, was this a byproduct of order? Li Hao fell into deep contemplation. Order was simply too difficult to maintain. Where living beings existed, every individual had their own mind and their own selfish nature. Yet here, this unique power of faith gradually made them forget all of that. In essence, it was simply an enlarged Divine Kingdom! Just like in the Divine Kingdom, where countless mortals chanted praises of the Queen's holiness. But was the Queen truly sacred? No! Li Hao had never thought so; that was merely the influence of the Great Dao, not the true hearts of those mortals. "Is what Huntian doing good or bad?" For a moment, he could not tell. Such a realm, such a kingdom of order, truly eliminated many troubles, creating internal peace and preventing living beings from acting out of self-interest or attempting to break the rules. Yet emotions, desires, darkness, and selfishness—all of these might ultimately vanish. Huntian was constructing a utopia belonging to himself or to Order. "Everyone possesses a selfish side, a dark side. He intends to purify them..." From then on, people would be left with only their luminous side. In that instant, Li Hao understood completely why order in the west had been established so quietly and yet flourished so grandly: this special power of faith was influencing the entire western domain. He felt it was wrong, yet could not pinpoint why. He believed it extinguished human nature, yet for the present chaos, it might be the swiftest and most convenient method. The Queen's Divine Kingdom was similar, perhaps even more blunt and direct. Before this, Li Hao had found it unsuitable, which was why he sought to open a heaven and place the rescued humans back into the chaos—into a relatively safe chaos. Yet on second thought, would a relatively safe pseudo-chaos end up identical to the west? An order laced with faith to deter slaughter? "No... it shouldn't... If desires are extinguished, society will eventually collapse. Desires must exist!" At this moment, Li Hao had an epiphany. Originally, he might have envisioned creating something akin to the western kingdom of order. But now, understanding dawned on him. When people lost desires and emotions, possessing only obedience, the development of society, the progress of civilization, insights in cultivation, and innovations in the Dao would all grind to a halt. When everyone believed society had reached perfection, devoid of ambition, change, or renewal, that society stood on the brink of collapse. Ambition and desire were the driving forces that propelled countless geniuses, madmen, visionaries, and inventors forward. "The future pseudo-chaos should not contain only order and rules; it must also contain desire!" Li Hao muttered to himself. To build a kingdom of order, Huntian had sacrificed much and bestowed much, yet he had stripped away the desires, emotions, and ambitions of countless people. That was wrong. Granted, for the present, it might be simpler. Perhaps Huntian intended to gradually loosen restrictions in the future; that was not impossible. Huntian had to understand that a pure utopia could not exist. Could it? Li Hao looked once more at the Huntian World before him. It was wondrous—desires, emotions, ambition, chaos, and darkness had all been banished. It was truly a sacred realm that countless beings might yearn for... yet it also felt somewhat artificial. "The future shouldn't look like this... which is why the shifting of eras will still occur in the future chaos!" That was why the traveler from the future he had seen before could still emerge. There would still be a master of the chaos, still new masters. Witnessing the Huntian World broadened Li Hao's perspective. Within order, those aspects should not be completely extinguished. Desires might be humanity's greatest enemy, but one could not exist without them. One merely had to learn restraint and moderation. "Also... where did the desires, emotions, and darkness of these countless cultivators and mortals in the Huntian Domain go?" Li Hao suddenly started! His expression shifted as deep contemplation overtook him. Desire, darkness, and ambition were innate to the human heart, existing eternally and continually being born. Even the mortals of the Divine Kingdom were no exception; they still possessed them. They had merely been temporarily suppressed, leaving them like the living dead, their intellect suppressed in a state of suspended animation. Yet the cultivators and living beings of the Huntian Domain were active and seemingly normal. This meant that their darkness, emotions, and desires had been extracted by someone. By whom? Huntian? Huntian... Li Hao's expression hardened. If that were true, Huntian might have gathered boundless darkness, desire, and ambition within himself. The thought made his skin prickle. It meant Huntian was likely far more terrifying than imagined. If that seemingly genial Daoist were ever corrupted by darkness, his power would be dreadful. ... In the Five Elements Domain, Sovereign Chaos snapped his eyes open, his brow furrowing. So fast! Is he that confident? He surged into the air, his aura slowly spilling outward. Instantly, powerhouses assembled around him, some puzzled, others fearful. Sovereign Chaos said solemnly, "Our enemy has arrived! You may not know me well, but you came here on the orders of your respective Dao Lords. For their descent, and to ensure that people are no longer shackled by the chaos, you must all contribute! "Huntian of the west bears the legacy of Order. Order may appear luminous, but in truth, it is far more tyrannical than any other Dao! Everything must bow beneath it—that is true order! "A million years ago, the Lord of Order established the Nine Heavens. Back then, all worlds were suppressed beneath Order, as were all Great Daos! "In those days, cultivators lived in constant dread. The existence of Order brought existential peril to every cultivator! Nine heavens, nine tribulations—advancing a single step was as arduous as a mortal ascending to the skies! "Time may represent eternity and longevity, yet it is not necessarily our greatest foe. Order, however, is the greatest adversary to cultivators who defy the heavens!" His words might not resonate with everyone present, but they were the heartfelt reflections of a rank nine. Order was their greatest enemy. Cultivators defying the heavens did not need an order that suppressed all things. The ancient Lord of Order had failed to understand this; did this generation's Huntian understand it? Why did he believe cultivators would willingly submit to such order? Cultivation and immortality were inherently acts of defying the heavens—shattering mortal constraints and transcending lifespans were fundamentally rebellious acts. "Tianjin, Jinyang... follow me!" Without another word, he flew toward the outer void. At this moment, many powerhouses were gathered in the domain. Tianjin and the others felt a mix of excitement and unease. Was Huntian truly coming? Tianjin gave brief instructions, leaving two peripheral rank-eights to guard the Five Elements Domain just in case, while the rest charged out of the domain into the chaos. ... At the Nine Heavens, chaos and order began to collide. The power of the chaos churned like a vortex, sweeping across the cosmos. Before the armies even met, monstrous waves had already surged. Huntian halted his forces at the edge of the vortex. Chaotic power like hurricane winds battered everyone, grinding cosmic dust to absolute nothingness. Faint wisps of spirituality scattered. The Dao principles of chaos and order clashed as one domain rose and the other fell, both sides constructing their own battlefields that seemed to envelop the Nine Heavens. A moment later, the two hosts faced each other across the void, catching sight of one another. Huntian stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance with profound eyes. Far away, Sovereign Chaos was enveloped in turbulent Dao power, resembling the most violent, primordial state of the cosmos, worlds rising and falling at a single thought. Spirituality clashed with spirituality, suffocating several rank-seven Sovereigns. Sovereign Chaos's eyes flickered as he looked at the Daoist standing in the chaos. After a long silence, he laughed. "Order?" Huntian shook his head. "No. Huntian—the Heaven of Chaos. Order is not the sole path; the chaos requires a heaven. Within it, order is the mainstream, yet chaos also exists. Huntian encompasses all things!" "What a Huntian!" Chaos chuckled. "I thought it was merely a casual Dao title, never imagining it held such meaning. Whether you are Order or Huntian, wishing to impose order over others strikes me as pure delusion!" Huntian took no offense, nodding calmly. "It is difficult, but I will accomplish it! Chaos, you must understand that all things born under heaven—including the chaos, including the hearts of men—ultimately yearn for order rather than perpetual turmoil! Be it mortals or cultivators, not everyone desires to be an overlord. Even if order inconveniences a few, it fulfills the needs of the majority. The minority yielding to the majority is also a law of the chaos!" As he spoke, radiant light seemed to bloom across the cosmos, and the spirit of the Great Dao quivered faintly. The turbulent Dao power was suppressed, and the vortex ground to an abrupt halt. Unruly chaotic power calmed into gentle currents. Huntian said slowly, "See? Even the chaos desires an end to violence. You have already attained rank nine—why do you fail to understand? You are the Chaos Dao Lord. If you were willing to suppress chaos with all your might, becoming its master rather than its creator, you would be far stronger!" Chaos laughed. "I could do that, but who decreed that I must do it for you? For Order? The order in your eyes may not be the order in mine, is it?" Huntian sighed. "Stubborn and obstinate. You may speak with some reason, yet you still fail to comprehend that you will never be the mainstream!" "Whether I am or not, only the victor has the right to decide! Huntian, since you are not truly Order, your arrogance has no backing!" Instantly, the cosmos collapsed! Countless Great Dao powers churned wildly. The vortex that had just vanished reappeared, sweeping across the void and brushing against Huntian's side. Weaker Ninefold Guards trembled, nearly unable to keep their footing under the impact of that formidable, chaotic Dao power. This was a rank nine! Even below his peak, a rank nine was terrifyingly strong—this was his true body, not a clone. Sovereign Huntian shook his head gently. Indeed, powerhouses at this stage possessed their own Dao spirits. Their Daos had come alive; they could not be swayed by mere words. A debate before battle served only to clarify their own Dao hearts. Chaos... since you remain obstinate, then die! In a flash, an earth-shattering power surged. Huntian vanished, his voice reverberating: "Slay them!" Soaring upward, he entered another layer of the cosmos. "Chaos, I await you!" Sovereign Chaos's eyes flashed, suppressing the shock in his heart. He laughed. "Well spoken, Huntian! Very well, let us test your mettle!" He vanished instantly, his voice echoing across the ranks: "Slay the Ninefold Guards! Remember—the Ninefold Guards are the puppets of Order! The so-called Order wields a butcher's blade in one hand, and the Ninefold Guards are that blade. Only by slaying them will I have hope of killing Huntian!" With those words, he was gone. He had seen through the truth: the Ninefold Guards were Huntian's arm, a vital link in the existence of Order. Once that blade was shattered, Order would lose its stability. Huntian, did you think I would fail to see that? ... High above, bordering the edges of the chaos, two figures manifested. The confrontation between chaos and order manifested as two roaring dragons of Great Dao power—one immaculate, one turbulent—clashing in the void until the entire cosmos seemed to tremble. It was a collision of light and darkness, of order and chaos. Standing atop the chaos, they exchanged blows in eerie silence. Dao principles formed and dissolved in rapid succession; no sooner did order arise than chaos shattered it, and no sooner did chaos erupt than order suppressed it. With a single thought from the Chaos Dao Lord, countless worlds seemed to manifest at the apex of the chaos, rife with war and disaster—tribulation and chaos intertwined. "When heaven and earth opened, when the chaos emerged and living beings were born, the source was chaos!" the Chaos Dao Lord's voice boomed like a bronze bell. "In seeking to establish order and eradicate chaos, you seek to destroy the source!" At his words, chaotic power surged like the dawn of creation, shattering the surroundings so that order could not take root. Huntian's voice remained placid. "The origin of living beings holds neither fixed good nor evil; only order allows them to endure! Chaos is merely temporary, while order is eternal! Enlightenment and civilization are the inevitable fruits of order. Time is everlasting, and at the end of Time lies only order!" "Sheer insolence!" the Chaos Dao Lord scoffed. The end of Time is order? What grand words! As the Dao surged, order crumbled and living beings suffered. Formidable Dao power swept across the four directions, absorbing all turbulent forces. Destruction was far easier than creation. Huntian, let us see if you can build faster than I can destroy! With a wave of his hand, the Dao dragon roared ferociously, annihilating everything in its path and turning the ruined expanse into a domain of chaos. Sovereign Huntian waved his hand in return, establishing a Dao domain of immaculate order, yet his pace was slightly slower. Construction could never match the speed of destruction. ... At this moment, ripples spread across the Four Regions. In the east, the Human King and the Supreme looked toward the north. The Human King's eyes flickered; he raised an eyebrow and remained silent. The Supreme murmured, "A clash between Order and Chaos? Huntian and the Lord of Chaos?" After a moment of thought, the Human King nodded slightly. "That was fast!" With that, he paid it no further heed, merely looking at the Supreme. The Supreme gave a wry smile. "We cannot intervene." The Human King fell into contemplation before suddenly remarking, "Whether we intervene or not doesn't matter. I only want to know: is Xinwu the source of chaos, or the representative of order?" The Supreme paused, then shook his head. "Hard to say. I believe chaos and order coexist; neither can exist in isolation. If only one existed, how could there be a distinction between them?" The Human King seemed to have asked merely in passing. Was he in the camp of order or chaos? Neither! He laughed suddenly. "Neither order nor chaos can represent Xinwu. Xinwu represents... wherever I stand, that is Xinwu! No order, no chaos, no rules—all rests in me!" The Supreme chuckled. "How tyrannical!" "Yes, absolutely tyrannical!" The Human King rose, looking into the distance. "Ignore it, pay it no mind, ask no questions. Today, the east shall be completely unified! Slay all who refuse to submit! Seal the Four Regions completely—either leave, or die!" Grasping his long saber, he bellowed, "The east belongs to me; all worlds shall prostrate! March with me!" Around him, Sovereign figures emerged one after another. Xinwu was going to war! ... In the Four Regions, Long Zhan sensed everything, silently gazing toward the depths of the chaos. Huntian, are you beginning? The Four Regions were trapped between wolves and tigers. Leaving was impossible, yet staying was equally perilous. After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "The north is in turmoil; the struggle for the chaos has officially begun! Follow me out of the Four Regions to rescue all cultivators of the Chaos race. Any world that has enslaved our kin shall be destroyed! While war erupts, gather our entire Chaos race together! With one heart and mind, the clouds will eventually part to reveal the sun!" Today, he would not join the battle, but he would lead his people to rescue every imprisoned member of the Chaos race. The spirit of the Great Dao trembled faintly, guiding his direction. Saying no more, he looked back at the gathered crowd. "Wherever the Dao spirit points, our brethren await rescue. Only by saving ourselves can we grow strong. Follow me!" A host of formidable Chaos race cultivators vanished into the void, departing with Long Zhan. With both north and east in turmoil, this might be the golden opportunity for the Chaos race to rise. ... In the south, Sovereign Chunqiu, appearing like a child, smiled faintly and looked toward the west, murmuring, "The fighting has started..." She seemed to harbor no ambition to conquer the cosmos, yet seemed driven by an unwillingness to submit to fate. A light smile graced her face. "When heaven and earth reverse, spirituality is redistributed, the chaos shatters, and races are dissolved... my race can be redefined!" She smiled, two dimples appearing on her youthful face. Behind her, countless silhouettes emerged in an instant, every single one of them her. Stepping forward, she vanished without a trace, her destination unknown. None knew what this powerhouse, rising from humble beginnings, had truly been fighting for over the years. She seemed to treat the world as a game, yet was omnipresent. Little did they know that Chunqiu's ambitions had long surpassed the squabbles of overlords. She sought to invert the chaos, shatter racial limitations, and redefine the cosmos entirely. No one had decreed that a cicada could live for only a single season. It would be difficult, but so what? Wearing a smile, Chunqiu vanished from the south. ... At the same time, in the west, Li Hao also sensed the fluctuations. Across the western domain, the mighty order began to tremble faintly. Within the Huntian World ahead, powerhouses seemed to take notice as well, their formidable auras rising to project deterrence in all directions. The weak remained oblivious, continuing their daily routines bathed in happiness, bearing somewhat illusory smiles that made it impossible to discern truth from falsehood. Li Hao did not move, quietly watching, sensing, and reflecting. In the north, war had broken out—a clash between Huntian and Chaos, an expansion of order and chaos. Who would prevail? At this moment, he leaned toward Huntian. Chaos, perhaps you should have come to the west to see for yourself. Perhaps then you would understand that Huntian might truly be the greatest chaos of all! Only by coming here had Li Hao perceived a glimmer of it. Alas, Chaos had not come. Here in the west, the Dao of Order seemed to grow even purer. Imperceptibly, something seemed to be fading away. Even Li Hao felt a faint serenity wash over him, the desires lingering in his heart dissipating considerably. The west was truly a terrifying place.