Transformation

In the north. Chaos and order clashed, sending Great Dao power churning. Huntian appeared... unable to withstand Chaos. Order was established far slower than Chaos could destroy it. Worlds were born; worlds were extinguished. In a single thought, the firmament shifted colors. A collision of light and darkness! Sovereign Chaos showed no expression. Though he held a slight advantage over Huntian, he felt no joy. In his eyes was only a fierce ruthlessness, yet it seemed directed at something other than Huntian. The law of chaos fluctuated, surging with spirituality. All around, between heaven and earth, a turbulent age seemed to rise and fall. "My Dao is the source of chaos!" Murmuring softly, he struck out with a sudden punch. Heaven and earth detonated as chaos erupted. Opposite him, Huntian fell back in orderly fashion. Countless strands of Great Dao power seemed to transform into soldiers, erecting a barrier that encircled the chaotic power to halt its spread. Suddenly. A character appeared in Huntian's hand. "Stabilize!" The character seemed to spring to life. In that moment, it bore some of the edge of Li Hao's divine characters. The divine character suppressed heaven and earth, appearing to calm the turmoil. In an instant, countless powers of Dao principles shifted from disorder to order, forcibly suppressed between heaven and earth. The Chaos Dao Lord was slightly surprised and looked at Huntian. Huntian's expression remained placid. "A minor borrowing. Chaos, the heavens have changed! The times have changed as well." He spoke as though declaring that this era was no longer that of a million years ago. The Chaos Dao Lord smiled. "Eras change, but the Dao remains the Dao, men remain men, and the strong remain the strong. Throughout these million years, the chaos has been the same chaos, never changing!" "No, all of the old shall pass away!" Huntian burst into laughter. "A new order is about to be established. Chaos, you have grown decrepit!" In an instant, light erupted! Radiant as a blazing sun! At that moment, the entire chaos seemed illuminated. Suddenly, countless powers of chaos began to decay, like the wither and flourish of spring and autumn. Huntian... appeared to be wielding the Daos of other overlords. The chaotic power shattered in an instant, but the Chaos Dao Lord merely sneered. Even when shattered, it was still chaos. Yet in the next breath, countless powers of the Great Dao seemed to revive. The Dao of Wither and Flourish revived within the chaos, and suddenly, an overwhelmingly powerful force of order erupted from the core. Boom! Heaven and earth seemed to rebuild themselves. Everything was transforming, and in an instant, heaven and earth ceased to exist. The Nine Heavens and their barriers emerged. The countless powers of Dao principles turned into innumerable clones, erecting an immensely formidable barrier that encircled Sovereign Chaos on all sides. Revival within destruction! Only now did the Chaos Dao Lord's expression slightly change. Suddenly, he let out a piercing shriek. Ten thousand black dragons manifested in the void, their roars reverberating in every direction. "This world remains a turbulent age! The hearts of men are in turmoil, heaven and earth are in turmoil, the chaos is in turmoil—your order is ultimately nothing more than a temporary peace in a quiet corner!" Boom! Outside the barrier, the ten thousand dragons charged frantically, instantly shattering countless clones of order. The two sides clashed, locked in a stalemate for the moment. Immense power rippled in all directions. Down below, fierce fighting broke out as the Five Elements Emissaries besieged the commander of the Ninefold Guards. Yet that dark shadow cut through like a sharp blade. The five great powerhouses who had once stood against Long Zhan could now barely keep their five elements formation from collapsing beneath the dark shadow's assault. Tianjin and his two companions were also beset by multiple experts of the Ninefold Guards, each of them immensely powerful. Even though they had once claimed to be the overlords of the north, they now found it difficult to break out. Instead, they were beginning to show signs of defeat. Scores of high-rank auras erupted, shaking the entire Nine Heavens as if it were about to be shattered. In the north, the aura of a chaotic age surfaced. At the same time, turmoil raged ceaselessly in the east as well. As the aura of a turbulent age rose from the eastern unrest, it seemed to strengthen the power of chaos, transmitting across the expanse. High above, the Chaos Dao Lord smiled. Chaos was the true mainstream! With him waging war against Huntian today, any opportunistic strike by the other factions merely bred more chaos. How could the power of order ever come as easily as chaos? Huntian was destined to lose! ... In the west. With war erupting in the north, the west grew increasingly peaceful. Aside from the fluctuating auras of several rank-eight experts, the entire west seemed as serene as a holy land. Some seemed to sense something and felt a hint of worry, but it quickly turned into prayers. It also turned into faith. They firmly believed that there was no trouble in the chaos the Huntian Dao Lord could not resolve. Regardless of whether it involved the Dao of Order, order would ultimately greet a new dawn. At this moment, Li Hao still had not made a move. Sitting cross-legged in the void, his Great Dao merged into the western territory as he sensed the subtle shifts and felt the power of faith and order permeating the chaos. Even his state of mind grew tranquil. The powerful auras wafting from the west were forgotten by Li Hao for now. Faith, order... All manner of thoughts surfaced in his heart. Must a person establish faith in order to strengthen order? What about those without faith? Xinwu had faith, Long Zhan had it, Chunqiu had it, Huntian had it... What, in the end, was my faith? Li Hao pondered. For the time being, he put aside the thought of attacking the Huntian World. Neither Huntian nor Chaos had emerged victorious; striking now might only hand Chaos an opportunity. Li Hao did not intervene. At this moment, he suddenly extracted a star from the Great Dao River, radiant as a holy sun. He looked at this star and sank into deep thought. What was this? This was the power of the Dao of Faith and the Human Sovereign Dao absorbed by Hong Yitang. Every moment, the Queen produced countless orbs of faith. Her Divine Kingdom held far too many mortals, and with every passing breath, that power of faith and responsibility burst forth. The Queen did not dare absorb it herself. Knowing that Hong Yitang had absorbed this Dao principle before, she grew even more uninhibited and channeled all of these Dao powers into Li Hao's Great Dao River. Her reasoning was simple: Hong Yitang needed it anyway. Yet Li Hao had not given it all to Hong Yitang. Bearing a portion of responsibility was called duty. Bearing all of it, bearing infinite burdens, was called... being a puppet. Looking at these spheres of light—not just one, but many more lingering in the depths of the river—Li Hao felt considerable wariness toward this Dao. Thus, he had never meddled with it, only keeping it suppressed. When Hong Yitang needed it, Li Hao merely allowed him to draw a portion, never the entirety! Now, basking beneath the faith and order of the west, Li Hao gazed at the orb of light, his thoughts wandering slightly. If you did not seek to understand a Dao, to delve deep into it, you would never truly comprehend it. A Dao was neither inherently good nor evil. That was a phrase he often kept on his lips. "I still don't understand this Dao well enough. Huntian uses it, Uncle-Master Hong uses it, and perhaps others will use it in the future. This Dao stems from the faith and perseverance deep within human hearts... What harm is there in giving it a try?" At this moment, he paid no heed to the Huntian World, nor to the great battle in the north. Looking at the orb of light before him, he gave a soft chuckle and incorporated it into his Great Dao system. A star began to emerge, and countless orbs of light drifted out from the river, merging into that small realm. In that instant, innumerable voices seemed to echo in his mind. "I want to live forever..." "Better to be a dog in peace than a man in a turbulent age!" "Mother, I want to study..." "I want to become strong!" "It's so dark outside. Where has the sun gone?" "..." Countless voices and thoughts surfaced in Li Hao's mind, threatening to tear it apart. Those intense wishes and intense convictions made him feel, for a fleeting moment, as though he had become those countless mortals... All of them seemed to have their own desires, their own faith, their own perseverance. At this moment, a burden heavy as a mountain pressed down upon the river. Li Hao... you ought to strive for peace across the chaos! Meanwhile, within the Nine Heavens, a strand of faith also spread over and was absorbed by the star. Li Hao did not stop it! He allowed the energy to seep in. Gradually, it combined with the star and suddenly... began drifting toward the Realm of Order, the five-thousandth realm—drifting toward the core Li Hao had prepared to forge that very realm. Huntian's clone resided there. In that instant, all the voices in his mind seemed to unify into a single voice, a single will... "All living things and spirits establish order; when will is unified, the chaos shall naturally find peace!" Li Hao allowed that power to permeate him. He merely experienced it and perceived it. At this moment, he even seemed to form a faint connection with the order of this place. Li Hao's gaze remained steady as he silently watched the massive star grow frantically. Order! The power of the Human Sovereign Dao was now fusing with—and linking to—the Dao of Order. This was Huntian's true core: order, faith, responsibility, and perseverance. The voice continued to echo in his mind, seemingly originating from Huntian! Li Hao's eyes remained unchanged, deepening slightly. Huntian... were you certain I would come here? Were you confident I would come to the west? Perhaps not today, perhaps in the future—but so long as I came, was it all... within your calculations? Using order and faith to lower my guard, using tranquility to ease my emotions, and using the power of your clone to cloud my judgment, thereby causing me to establish the Dao of Order as well? More and more power of order surged toward Li Hao. Ahead, inside the Huntian World. Several rank-eight cultivators were shaken. Suddenly, they sensed something: a vast amount of order was beginning to flow outward, converging outside their world. At this moment, no one dared rashly venture out to investigate. Yet all of them sensed the draining of their power of order! It was as if... someone was absorbing it? ... In the north. Boom! Huntian's order suddenly faltered. He fell back several steps, coughing softly as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He looked toward the west, but in that moment, he smiled—a radiant smile. Li Hao, you... have gone to the west! You went to the Huntian Domain! Opposite him, the Chaos Dao Lord's expression shifted slightly. He said in a deep voice, "Why does your power of order feel so much weaker? Where is Order's Heavenly Policy? Why haven't you used it? Huntian, what scheme are you brewing?" Huntian's strength seemed to have diminished slightly in that instant. It was as if... a massive amount of order was draining away. Draining toward the west! Had something happened in the west? Had someone attacked Huntian's home territory? Was that it? The Chaos Dao Lord felt a hint of delight, but... Huntian's expression was wrong. He showed no surprise, nor any sign of worry. At this moment, he was actually smiling. Huntian was indeed smiling. "I have said before: at the end of time lies order! All things shall be governed by order; even time itself will be suppressed by order! Time is singular; reversing time is an act of chaos!" He seemed to be speaking to Chaos, yet also to someone else. The destination of time was order. Li Hao's reversal of time was disorder. His meddling with time and the chaos was wrong. Time should neither flow backward nor accelerate; time... could only drift along with the passing of years. Li Hao... can you understand my good intentions? I am not scheming against you... I only wish to make you understand that this chaos needs order! ... In the west. A vast amount of order poured into Li Hao's Great Dao River. At the same time, an object resembling a book materialized in the sky, drifting toward Li Hao. Those countless powers of order seemed to emerge directly from this book. Within its pages were mountains and rivers, sun and moon, worlds and stars, and the cosmos divided ninefold... Even from afar, Li Hao sensed a... power of rules, even the flavor of spirituality. The book flew toward Li Hao. Faintly visible upon it were several characters of will: Order's Heavenly Policy! Li Hao, who had remained as immovable as a mountain until now, suddenly changed countenance and let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "What an extraordinary move!" In this moment, he suddenly found himself unable to understand Huntian. From the moment Huntian gave him the clone, he seemed to have calculated everything, anticipating that Li Hao would eventually venture to the west. One step following another, he had ultimately... even used Order's Heavenly Policy as bait to hook Li Hao. Now, Order's Heavenly Policy flew toward his Dao river, overwhelmingly powerful, faintly exuding... an aura surpassing rank eight! That was... rank-nine power! Li Hao's expression shifted slightly. He understood Huntian's plan now. Huntian actually intended to use Order's Heavenly Policy to forcibly invert his Dao river, transforming him into a vessel of order, a successor to order, so that time... would be suppressed! "Damn it..." Li Hao cursed under his breath, caught between laughter and tears. Huntian, are you scheming against Chaos, or scheming against me? To think you left such a formidable treasure of laws behind in the Huntian World instead of taking it to deal with Chaos. And now... because Huntian's clone was present, and because Li Hao had used it as the core of his five-thousandth realm... this power of order was beginning to spread throughout his Great Dao River! Even the Time Star at the core was being squeezed! It was being overtaken, covered over! Once Order's Heavenly Policy entered the Dao river, Li Hao might very well be turned into an agent of order, a spokesman for order. The other man did not seek to control Li Hao, but to... transform his nature, turning him into a cultivator of the Dao of Order. "What an extraordinary move!" Was this done for me? Or for someone else? Or was it that whoever came to strike the Huntian World would face this, their identity transformed from attacker to guardian? If that was the case... then Huntian truly was incredible. "The power of order is pouring into me... Huntian's order is receding... And behind order lies... chaos, darkness, turmoil..." As if realizing something, Li Hao snapped his gaze toward the north. Once Huntian's power of order was drained completely, perhaps... that was when Huntian would become the most terrifying Huntian. "The power of order pours into me, forcing me to shoulder the role of order to maintain the west and fend off all encroaching enemies. Meanwhile, Huntian uses the power of chaos and darkness—the desires and ambitions hidden beneath order—to slay Chaos?" Only now did Li Hao seem to see through it all. Huntian... you have immense courage and boldness. Aren't you afraid that after losing order, you will be consumed by desire and darkness? ... In the north. More and more power of order drained away. Sovereign Huntian was driven back by Chaos, and a massive amount of chaotic power began to rebound, lashing out toward Huntian. At this moment, Sovereign Huntian seemed to have lost the strength he should have possessed, his aura steadily weakening. Yet he kept smiling. Li Hao was in the west now. Chunqiu... or the Human King, or Long Zhan... even if you went to the west, it would be useless. You dare not come here rashly, and if you go to the west, what you face might be the new King of Order! And I... have never been the Lord of Order. I never was. I am Huntian, the sky of the chaos! Standing above order! You do not understand me. Li Hao, even though you wield time, you do not understand either. "Why is your strength still waning?" The Chaos Dao Lord's expression changed. Even though his opponent grew weaker, he felt no joy, only a mounting sense of foreboding. Why was Huntian's strength diminishing like this? The power of order was wildly receding. Where had it gone? What on earth was happening? And why was he smiling! "Isn't my weakening precisely what you desire?" Huntian fell back several paces, blood dripping from his chin, his face beaming with a smile. "The chaos continues to fall into turmoil. The more battles rage, the stronger you become. You wish for the chaos to remain in endless turmoil; you wish for our war to continue forever!" "Chaos, you believe time is on your side, don't you?" He laughed aloud. "The more who die, the more spirituality disperses, and the stronger the power of chaos becomes. So long as this goes on, you... will defeat me sooner or later, will you not?" The Chaos Dao Lord remained silent. It was true. Yet at this moment, he felt an unsettling unease. His expression flickered, and without another word, he struck out suddenly. Previously they had fought across the void, but now he materialized instantly. Wherever chaos existed, he was present. Like a teleportation, he appeared in the blink of an eye, throwing a punch that shattered heaven and earth. Huntian fell back repeatedly, utterly suppressed by Chaos. Even while maintaining over eight thousand Dao principles, he was forcefully beaten down! The power of order upon him continued to drain. Growing weaker and weaker! Yet this only deepened the Chaos Dao Lord's unease, as though... some entity was on the verge of awakening. Beneath Huntian's smile seemed to hide a monstrous secret. Huntian smiled continuously. Even as he was repeatedly injured, and massive amounts of chaotic power corroded, swallowed, and suppressed him, he felt no worry. Instead, he grew happier and happier. The moment order vanished completely, Chaos would behold the true Huntian! ... Deep within the chaos. Countless statues seemed to be sensing something at this moment. Suddenly, the Lord of Tianfang frowned slightly, gazing out beyond the chaos. Worlds and chaos reflected in his eyes, as if he could see the battle between Huntian and Chaos, as well as the draining of the power of order. Tribulation and the others were also watching and sensing. The Lord of Tribulation suddenly spoke: "Huntian seems on the verge of defeat. His order is crumbling..." The others watched as well. Someone added, "Order is unstable. Establishing order in this chaos without absolute strength to suppress it... In my view, collapse was only a matter of time. He isn't even rank nine; how could he establish order? Does he truly fancy himself the Lord of Order?" "Order's Heavenly Policy doesn't seem to be in his hands!" "Chaos's intervention can still suppress him. Even if his power hadn't drained, with the Chaos Dao Lord present, he wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble!" Several rank-nine Sovereigns conversed among themselves, faint smiles gracing their lips. Once Huntian fell this time, the chaos would be thrown into disarray. With Chaos securing a foothold... the chances of their descent would increase drastically. Excellent! They had not chosen the wrong man. Meanwhile, the Lord of Tianfang seemed to be searching for something—searching for the direction in which the order was draining, its final destination. Since Huntian's power of order was flowing away, and order did not simply perish, it had to be going somewhere. Where had it gone? He did not know. At this moment, he was searching, yet something seemed to obstruct his vision... something like Order's Heavenly Policy! A strand of order spread through the Great Dao of the chaos, shielding his sight. Huntian... appeared to have prepared in advance, blocking his prying eyes. Where on earth has the power of order gone? The Lord of Tianfang's brow furrowed slightly. It was one thing for the second-generation Time cultivator to be disobedient, but now, even the second-generation Order cultivator seemed to have been scheming all along, quietly doing something in the shadows. What... is he doing? ... In the west. Order's Heavenly Policy was descending toward the river, beginning to spread. Even now, Li Hao did not stop it. He merely watched in silence, as if unable to stop it—or perhaps lacking the desire to do so. A vast amount of order began to permeate the river, combing through the entire river and establishing a Dao river that belonged to order. In the void, the Time Star was forced to the side. Li Hao's other Great Dao powers were tainted by the power of order, some suppressed, others squeezed aside. At this moment, the five thousand Dao principles failed to mount an effective defense. With order at its core, the five-thousandth realm expanded wildly! The realm was rapidly filled! Li Hao, who had already been close to opening all five thousand realms, now saw the remaining several hundred realms filled continuously. The strongest among them, the Realm of Order, surged madly at this moment. Originally, Li Hao's comprehension of the Dao of Order was limited, but now, as the book drew near, everything changed. The power of the entire realm swelled without limit. Huntian's voice seemed to echo within the river: "Only by establishing order can the chaos find complete peace. Turmoil shall cease, and all shall fade into the dark..." At the core of the Realm of Order, a figure emerged, resembling... Huntian as well. This realm had originally been forged from the power of Huntian's clone. Now, Huntian seemed to revive, seizing the initiative to forcibly suppress Li Hao's will, using the will of order to interfere with and assimilate Li Hao's consciousness. Li Hao did not attack, yet he was not idle either. A vast amount of faith continued to fuse into it wildly. The passage forged by the Time Star was also forcibly opened at this moment. Li Hao did not contact anyone else, reaching out instead to the Queen. Plucking the passage connected to her, his voice transmitted through: "Channel the thoughts of faith and responsibility into my Dao river!" "Open the floodgates and pour in as much as you can!" The moment Li Hao's words fell, the Queen—who seemed to have been waiting impatiently—unleashed a torrent of faith into the Dao river, fusing instantly with the power of order. "Protect the human race..." "Save all living beings!" Those countless thoughts merged frantically into the Realm of Order. Li Hao watched as the phantom deep within the realm—the one resembling Huntian's clone—gradually shifted, seeming to reflect ten thousand faces and ten thousand minds! At this moment, Order's Heavenly Policy also merged into Li Hao's river, instantly bringing forth boundless order. Li Hao's aura surged wildly. In an instant, all five thousand realms were filled to completion. Order remained dominant. At this moment, Li Hao was not the slightest bit weaker than the Su Yu who had walked out from the future that day; he was only stronger. Five thousand Dao principles! And as Order's Heavenly Policy merged into the river, the Realm of Order expanded once more, spreading across nearly half of the Great Dao River. At the same time. Outside the Huntian World. A little girl suddenly appeared—Chunqiu! The moment she arrived, she looked toward Li Hao and frowned. "Am I too late?" She seemed somewhat frustrated and regretful. Looking at Li Hao in the distance, she sighed helplessly. "This makes no sense! You took my clone and established the Dao of Wither and Flourish. As long as you used it to wither his order, even if you were weak, you could have held out for a time. Why... were you assimilated so quickly?" She was baffled! And deeply annoyed. She wasn't entirely surprised that Li Hao had run here. What surprised her was why... he had been swallowed by order so quickly. What a... weakling! What was wrong with this useless fool? How infuriating! Back then, when they walked the River of Time together, Li Hao had asked for one of her clones, as well as one of Huntian's. To both of them, Li Hao had been extraordinarily bold and mad—to actually dare ask for their clones! Of course, Chunqiu had agreed because Huntian did. So long as Li Hao refined her clone, refining Huntian's clone wouldn't be too big an issue. The Dao of Wither and Flourish was immensely powerful, and that had been her strongest clone. She was confident that as long as Li Hao used it, he could surely hold out for a while. And she would have arrived quickly. Yet she was still too late! At this moment, Li Hao opened his eyes, looked at Chunqiu, and suddenly asked, "Why have you come to the west?" Chunqiu looked at Li Hao and sighed. "Absolute order is something I cannot tolerate, nor will I allow the ancient order to persist. So-called order is merely rules! I want to break all existing rules. Between Huntian and Chaos... I would rather Chaos win! Not Huntian. Do you understand?" "Therefore... it is best if Huntian falls to Chaos! Let Chaos throw the entire cosmos into disarray..." At this point, she showed a trace of regret. "I only didn't expect that with time and my clone of wither and flourish, you would... collapse so quickly. Even with Order's Heavenly Policy present, you shouldn't have fallen so fast. Li Hao, you have truly disappointed me!" She shook her head repeatedly. Li Hao smiled. "So you came to destroy order?" "That's right!" Chunqiu did not care what he said and smiled. "Between Huntian and Chaos, I fear Huntian more. If Chaos wins, I'm not afraid. But if Huntian wins, that would be troublesome!" With that, she sighed. "Forget it. You've already become the spokesman for order. I miscalculated this time, and I didn't expect that you hadn't grasped the true essence of my Dao at all. Giving you that clone was a complete waste!" "I thought you were a clever man and that Huntian's little tricks wouldn't fool you. Who knew I overestimated you in the end? Indeed, you are too young..." She seemed to have found the perfect justification for her failure. Li Hao was too stupid, too young. That was why he couldn't comprehend the true essence of wither and flourish, couldn't counter the invasion of order, and ultimately fell into Huntian's scheme to become a puppet of order. What a fool—wasting his cultivation of time! Li Hao didn't mind this at all. His Great Dao River fluctuated violently, the power of order even beginning to spill outward. The formidable Order's Heavenly Policy almost completely enveloped the entire Great Dao River. At this moment, all five thousand Dao principles seemed to possess only a single will... order! Even time was suppressed until not a trace of it could be seen. Li Hao sighed. "So back then, when I asked for your clones, both of you... thought it was a fine opportunity? You thought that day was the perfect time to control me?" Chunqiu raised an eyebrow. "I had no such intention, nor any interest. As for Huntian... I merely noticed something off about him. Giving you my clone was meant to help you. In the end... you were just too stupid! How could you dare accept things from just anyone?" With that, she said, "It seems the only way to shatter order today is to destroy you. Li Hao, I had no desire to kill you; the Dao of Time might still have been of use to me... but today, I have no choice!" In an instant, she appeared before Li Hao, as if countless Chunqius had manifested. A small hand emerged, like the Thousand-Armed Guanyin. Stamping down upon the void! Withering! The world withered, the chaos was extinguished, all living beings were wiped out, and time left no trace. Li Hao's hair whipped about, and in just an instant, his lifespan seemed to drain away frantically. His hair turned white, and even order began to recede! Chunqiu had struck. Or rather, she had struck against this puppet of order. She would not allow, nor did she wish for, Huntian to stabilize order. Otherwise, breaking the shackles of her race would become even harder! In this instant, her terrifying strength was fully revealed. At this moment, Li Hao's five thousand Dao principles were comparable to eight thousand Dao principles of an ordinary rank-eight cultivator, yet he was still no match for her. Years withered and flourished, lifespan drained away, and the chaos itself seemed to rot. Order's Heavenly Policy erupted with dazzling radiance! Fresh power of order burst forth once more, the Dao river churning to block the invasion of her withering power. Chunqiu let out a cold snort, her petite body seemingly packed with endless energy. The next moment, densely packed figures appeared behind her, far too many to count—every single one of them Chunqiu! She took a step forward, and countless phantoms shattered, merging into her body. "You have a past and a future; I have countless pasts and no future. My past merges into me—I am Chunqiu!" A palm struck out! A jade-white hand pierced through heaven and earth, shattering the Dao river. As her clones—or rather, her past selves—fused into her, her battle prowess soared, her formidable aura shaking the entire world. "Huntian, you know what I seek. Using Li Hao to stop me was a clever thought, but... he is no match for me after all!" Chunqiu shouted softly. You know what I seek. Yet why is your order... equally unjust? Why can my Spring Autumn Cicada race not find new life within this order? Your order is not my order! Only by building and breaking everything oneself can one usher in a new life. Li Hao—it was a pity, yet not a pity. A fool who fell into a trap deserved what he got. At this moment, within Li Hao's Dao river, deep inside the Realm of Order, a voice seemed to echo: "Chunqiu, order is about establishing, not tearing down what originally existed. Only that is fair! Mortals and all living things alike have their destiny; that, too, is part of order..." "Destiny? Don't you find yourself laughable?" The corners of Chunqiu's small mouth curled up in mockery. "Fine, then! Let destiny dictate that even humans are limited to a lifespan of a hundred years. If you are willing to live a hundred years, I will gladly live a single spring and autumn! That would be true order. Otherwise... all order is merely the expansion of your ambition! You are bold indeed. Chaos is a rank-nine, after all, yet while facing him, you dare divert your attention to deal with me... Impressive methods!" With that, her aura grew even stronger as more clones merged into her body. "I have lived for eight hundred thousand springs and autumns. How long do you expect Li Hao to hold me off?" A cicada's cry echoed across all directions. The chaos broke into a freeze, and the passing of time came to a halt. Li Hao was pushed back as Order's Heavenly Policy unleashed an overwhelming surge of order once more to halt Chunqiu's advance. ... At this moment, Li Hao seemed to have become a mere bystander. By now, he understood Chunqiu's pursuit. He couldn't say much about this Spring Autumn Cicada. She wanted to shatter the racial limitations and ensure that the Spring Autumn Cicadas—or rather, she herself—would never again endure the agony of metamorphosis. A metamorphosis each year, a rebirth each year. Even after reaching this stage and becoming an overlord of the chaos, she still had to endure the death of spring and autumn. For such a weak race to give rise to Chunqiu, she had already seemed to shatter destiny, breaking the order and rules of the chaos. Therefore... she was not, as Li Hao had previously thought, someone without desires or conflicts with others. On the contrary, anyone who maintained the original system of rules was her enemy! Whoever maintained it, whoever preserved it, was her foe! Huntian was, and those rank-nines... all were. Her ultimate goal was likely... the Source of Chaos! Thus, Li Hao's goal of reviving certain people deep within the Source of Chaos might align with hers. At least before reaching the Source of Chaos, their objectives were identical. That was why, when Huntian gave a clone, she had given one as well—her strongest clone, even urging Li Hao to comprehend wither and flourish, hoping he could withstand Huntian's schemes. Who would have guessed... Li Hao hadn't resisted at all, allowing the power of order to invade him. He had even actively drawn upon faith to invite the integration of order, providing it with more opportunities and convenience. It had happened at an unbelievable speed—so fast that even with Chunqiu's swift arrival, she was still a step too late! Chunqiu struck again! Above the Great Dao River, Order's Heavenly Policy blazed with dazzling light to suppress the Dao of Wither and Flourish. Yet Chunqiu was truly formidable; her cicada cry rang out once more, causing even Order's Heavenly Policy to tremble violently as its holy radiance dimmed. At this moment, Chunqiu was fighting Huntian—the Huntian of the Dao of Order. Even so, Huntian, an existence infinitely close to rank nine, was being suppressed by her. Such strength was something Li Hao hadn't anticipated earlier. "Huntian, I won't let you succeed... and those rank-nines needn't dream of ruling over me!" Chunqiu vanished again and reappeared in an instant, drawing near to Order's Heavenly Policy and even stepping into Li Hao's Great Dao River. Countless Chunqius were suddenly suppressed by order, shattering one after another! The closer she got to Order's Heavenly Policy, the stronger the order became. All who defied order would perish. With every step she took, Chunqiu left behind countless corpses—all of them herself. Yet she cared nothing for it! What did it matter? Today, she would shatter Order's Heavenly Policy and destroy the old order completely! Meanwhile, Li Hao remained comfortably sheltered behind Order's Heavenly Policy, watching Chunqiu and the falling corpses, then looking at the wildly erupting Order's Heavenly Policy... watching like an outsider. After watching for a while, he looked toward the north. The power of order should be nearly drained by now. If Huntian was going to erupt, it would be very soon. Once Chaos was slain and Huntian returned, Chunqiu would likely be no match for him. At this moment, among Li Hao's five thousand Daos, nearly all except order were squeezed, suppressed, and forced to submit... The entire Dao river was held down by Order's Heavenly Policy. "Order... shouldn't just be like this." Li Hao murmured. Within the river, Chunqiu, who was locked in battle against Order's Heavenly Policy, seemed to hear his voice and felt a flicker of confusion. At this moment, a holy light surfaced in Li Hao's eyes. It also seemed to carry a light of compassion. Countless voices cried out. The river seemed to roar as the voices of countless billions of humans shouted, clamored, and screamed... disrupting the mind and leaving no peace. Even the cicada's cry was suppressed at this moment. Chunqiu's expression shifted. A new transformation seemed to emerge within order. "Ten thousand worlds, ten thousand Daos, ten thousand people with ten thousand hearts—how could there ever be any absolute order..." Li Hao shook his head. After devouring a vast amount of faith, he had realized that whether it was the power of faith, the power of responsibility, or the power of order, none of it was absolute. The moment such things became absolute, they became wrong. They would be replaced as the times advanced. Each person's desires were different, and each civilization's desires were different. The desires of all living beings were never the same. Huntian's order was powerful, yet... it lacked adaptability. When the cries of countless humans rose, his order seemed on the verge of collapse, entirely unable to bear the shifting of eras. Once there were too many civilizations and too many minds, his order would shatter. Therefore, true order... "True order shouldn't be eternal. Just like time, it isn't immutable either. It... can change!" The years shifted as well. How could there be any absolutes? Once a rule involved absolutes... it would be refuted. Li Hao smiled. At this moment, he noticed things he had never paid attention to before. Every creator hoped the rules they established would be followed forever, enduring for countless generations. History was like this, dynasties were like this, civilizations were like this... They even hoped their rules would become ancestral precepts, ancestral laws. Yet they... were wrong. The times would change. Never mind rules from a million years ago—even yesterday's rules might not apply today. Every day, every moment, rules ought to change, filled in by those who came after. How could someone who did not live in the present establish rules to govern future generations? "I know how the rules of the pseudo-chaos should be established! And how order should be built. It shouldn't be absolute rules, but merely... an outline, a rough framework. Having the bones is enough, and even the bones... can change in accordance with the times!" "Those who come after should have the courage to overturn ancestral laws... Ancestral laws can be defied! So long as it accords with the times and the flow of years... no ancestral law cannot be overturned!" Li Hao muttered to himself, his voice growing louder until the resonance of the Great Dao seemed to pierce through heaven and earth. A smile appeared on his face. He looked at Chunqiu. "No one decreed that laws cannot be overturned! So long as they accord with the times, fit current conditions, cause no evil, and keep a loose framework with slight restraints, laws... can be defied! Order should never be absolute!" Boom! Heaven and earth seemed to collapse. Within the Dao river, Order's Heavenly Policy trembled violently. At this moment, the five thousand Dao principles shook frantically and counterattacked. The cries of billions echoed through the Dao river, devouring that power of order. Li Hao smiled faintly. Did you think a single Order's Heavenly Policy could invade me? Huntian, you underestimated me too much! Your laws are not invincible. I merely wanted to look deeper to see whether your rules and your order were usable, all to better prepare for my own creation of heaven and earth. At this moment, the Time Star remained motionless. The five thousand Dao principles suddenly began to reorganize, and the original Great Dao River collapsed in an instant. The five thousand Dao principles vibrated wildly, trapping Order's Heavenly Policy directly within their midst. Li Hao chuckled softly. "Whether rules or order, they are like a book. A book can be referenced, but never treated as a sacred relic. Order's Heavenly Policy was originally a book; why did you not understand this truth? One should take history as a mirror, not... repeat it!" In that instant, the five thousand Dao principles transformed into divine characters, character after character recombining endlessly. At times they became a book, at times a sword, at times a ruler of the Dao, and at times a sentence, a passage of text, a story... Li Hao smiled. This was the way! Just like time—time could change as well. I have finally found some of the true essence of time. Why must time always be time? Zhan, only today have I perhaps reached the level of comprehension you possessed when you first created time... Your comprehension of Dao principles was truly too profound. The five thousand Dao principles shifted continuously. The rules no longer applied; order was no longer maintained. Countless powers of order collapsed in an instant! Deep within the Realm of Order, a phantom emerged, resembling Huntian. He looked at Li Hao and shook his head. "Order is absolute. There is only one will. Li Hao, the freedom you speak of has already compromised your Dao. Loose undisciplined freedom is never true order!" "You are wrong!" Li Hao shook his head, yet felt no desire to argue. Neither could convince the other. At their level, it was impossible to sway the other's choice through words. This was the foundation of their Daos! In an instant, the five thousand Dao principles transformed into a sword that settled into Li Hao's hand. As the sword struck, it was formless and unpredictable. In a flash, sword intent, saber intent, spear intent... Countless intents erupted! Order's Heavenly Policy trembled slightly. Chunqiu's eyes flickered with a smile. In an instant, the Dao of Wither and Flourish erupted to suppress the surroundings. Order's Heavenly Policy shook, unable to escape! The sword fell! Crack... Order's Heavenly Policy began to shatter. Huntian's phantom gradually dissipated, bearing no resentment, only a hint of regret: "Those on different paths cannot make plans together. Once I slay Chaos, all of you shall be my enemies!" Li Hao, you cultivate time, and I gave you a chance. You and I could have held order together. You could have been the Lord of Order, and I your deputy. Yet you... broke it all yourself. I thought you and I were fellow travelers. Chunqiu is possessed, the Human King is too overbearing, and Long Zhan is like Chunqiu. Only you—I thought you and I... could walk the same path! Li Hao smiled. "A forced melon is not sweet. I thank Fellow Daoist Huntian for your kind intentions!" The sword fell. Crack... Order's Heavenly Policy began to collapse completely! Countless wails seemed to ring out at this moment. Not far away, Sovereign Chunqiu looked at him and suddenly smiled. "Before entering the Source of Chaos... you and I can walk together!" Afterward, they would see to their respective desires. She looked toward the Huntian World before them and grinned. "While he slays Chaos, you and I shall destroy his world! We will shatter order completely!" The old order must be smashed to pieces!