A Shift in the Heavens

Chaos had cast aside his rank-nine power to throw the world into turmoil and fled outright. This turn of events defied everyone's expectations. Today, everyone—including Li Hao—had been convinced of one thing: Huntian had the capability to kill Sovereign Chaos. And yet... something truly intriguing had unfolded. Even Tianfang and the others had anticipated it. When Huntian revealed his power of darkness and surpassed Chaos at this moment, they too had believed that Chaos might fall and become the very first rank-nine Sovereign to truly perish. Yet, defying all expectations, Chaos had run. He had even abandoned his spirituality just to flee. Now, stripped of spirituality, heaven and earth churned in turmoil. Chaos himself cultivated chaotic power; once hidden in the primordial chaos, who could possibly track him down unless they were right on top of him? He was also the very first expert to break free of every constraint, but the price had been steep... his cultivation realm had fallen! And at this moment, no one seemed to have the leisure to care about him anymore. ... Huntian's aura locked onto Yuan Shuo, who was currently devouring the power of the Five Elements Domain. Meanwhile, Huntian effortlessly suppressed the frenzied minds of the Ninefold Guards. The next moment, the Huntian Dao Canon manifested. The Five Elements Emissaries, caught in the throes of chaos, were pinned down by the canon and snapped back to their senses—only for looks of pure despair to wash over their faces. Chaos had fled! Tianjin and the other two were dead. Now, only the five of them remained, alongside the four surviving rank-eight reinforcements from other domains. Nine rank-eight experts was formidable... but their opponent was a being from whom even Sovereign Chaos could only escape by detonating his own spirituality. There was nowhere to run! Expelled from the Four Regions all the way here, they had seen hope when Chaos descended... but that hope had rapidly curdled into despair. It turned out... nobody was a fool. It seemed they, and only they, had been the fools from start to finish. Every other powerhouse was a lord of their own domain. Only they served another, their lives never in their own hands. Even the seemingly invincible Tianfang Dao Lord had suffered setback after setback. Truly... the times had changed! Huntian looked at them with a faint smile. "Fellow Daoists, are you willing to forsake darkness for the light and make a contribution toward establishing order in the chaos?" "In these turbulent times..." Despair showed on the faces of the Five Elements Emissaries. Serve him? Surrender? They were cultivators of Tianfang. If they betrayed him... their master was the mightiest rank-nine lord, the supreme expert of the Space Dao. Huntian was strong today, but compared to the true Tianfang, he was still far behind. It was merely the difference between dying now or dying later! If they refused to surrender, they died immediately. If they surrendered, Huntian would certainly find ways to control them, and once Tianfang descended, they would still meet certain death. Dying here at least left a sliver of hope for revival... however faint that chance might be. Yet if they died at Tianfang's hands, who could ever resurrect them? At this moment, Sovereign Huoyan let out a soft sigh. "Rising and falling through a million years, delving deep into the chaos to stave off spiritual turmoil, meeting our doom when the calamity struck, only to finally awaken a million years later... In the end, it was all for naught!" All for nothing! Tianfang dominating the cosmos now seemed like nothing more than an illusory dream. The Light and Dark Emissaries had fallen; the Life and Death Emissaries had fallen; the Yin and Yang Sovereigns had fallen... Today, it was their turn. They were all merely pawns! The Five Elements overlords had ruled the north for a million years... yet they too were pawns to be discarded at whim. In the eyes of rank-nine Sovereigns like Chaos... they were nothing more than ants. Among rank-eight experts, only a select few were deemed worthy of attention. The vast chaos seemed to belong solely to those few figures; it was their stage, while everyone else was, without exception, just a pawn. He thought of Li Hao as well... Their brief encounter during that journey through time had forged a thread of goodwill, but in the end, that too had vanished like soap bubbles. Just like a golden millet dream! He chuckled self-deprecatingly and glanced at the other four. Not presuming to decide for the rest, he merely laughed softly. "I am tired. My brothers and sisters, if your hearts are still willing to wager on Huntian's future... feel free to surrender. As for the Dao Lord..." He said no more. Setting aside the fact that the Dao Lord could not come now, what about the future? Would the Dao Lord resurrect them? The chances... were minuscule. To be resurrected after leaving their domain and entering the chaos—where their current foe was the incomparably powerful Huntian—dying by his hand would probably require venturing deep into the chaotic source, just as Li Hao had done, to search for their origins within the source itself. Only then could there be any hope of resurrection. Would the Dao Lord... ever do that? Probably... not. They were only a handful of rank-eight experts, after all. Rank-nine was immensely difficult to achieve, but rank-eight... if one were truly willing to pay the price, many could still be nurtured. Rather than resurrecting a batch of aged relics whose lifespans were nearly spent, it would be far better to train fresh blood. He was tired. He had struggled, hoped, and yearned. He had once wished for Tianfang to return and reign supreme over the chaos once more. Sadly... times had truly changed. Without another word, flames ignited across his body. He burned himself, walking amidst fire. Beside him, the four other rank-eight emissaries paled. "Huoyan, you..." Daoist Huoyan remained serene. Burning in the inferno, slowly dissipating in brilliance, he gazed toward the east. Perhaps in this moment, he wished to return to his homeland—not to see anyone in particular, but simply hoping... that fallen leaves might return to their roots. In the past, amid the visions of bygone days, he had counseled Li Hao once. Borrowing strength from the past would sooner or later demand a tremendous price. He had been the only one who repeatedly warned that power from the past was not easily borrowed, that paying a hundredfold or thousandfold price would crush you... In truth, he too had desired peace. Yet his strength did not permit it; his status did not permit it. He was a man of Tianfang, an emissary of the Five Elements. In this moment, Huoyan burned himself, feeling neither joy nor sorrow, neither weeping nor laughing, harboring neither resentment nor hatred. Resent whom? Hate whom? It was all meaningless! Having campaigned for Tianfang his entire life, he was no saint either. He had slaughtered countless people, obliterated worlds, and massacred across the realms... His life had been worth living. It was just that... in this final moment, there was a touch of regret. *I... ultimately failed to fall within the Tianfang World.* That was perhaps his only regret. Opposite him. Huntian Sovereign was cloaked entirely in the aura of darkness, yet his eyes remained as tranquil as still water. With a wave of his hand, the void rippled, and a wisp of flame, mingled with dust, drifted away toward the east. Huoyan had self-immolated. Severing his own Dao source and incinerating his own flesh, he was perhaps the very first rank-eight expert in all these years to choose self-termination. Huntian had granted his wish without interference. Even though the flames consumed Great Dao power—a heavy loss—he had made no move to stop him. Even cloaked in darkness, looking exceedingly sinister, Huntian still retained his Dao heart. With his Dao heart intact, he remained who he had always been: Huntian! Darkness was merely a means he controlled. It did not mean his Dao heart was tainted. Power was defined purely by how it was wielded. Huoyan was dead. At this moment, eight rank-eight experts remained here, yet none offered resistance, nor did they have the strength to do so. Even with eight rank-eight experts, what could they accomplish? Huntian alone could probably wipe them out. What was more, their vitality had just been severely depleted, and the Ninefold Guards were present as well—numbering a full ten rank-eight experts and many rank-seven experts, dozens of Ninefold Guards encircling them. There was nowhere to escape! Huntian was the true master of the foremost power in the chaos; the number of rank-eight experts under his banner far exceeded anyone's imagination. And back in the Huntian Domain, there were still six more rank-eight experts. The remaining eight rank-eight experts exchanged glances... Even the other four Five Elements Emissaries felt a profound sorrow and helplessness... In the end, Sovereign Jinyang, cultivator of the Metal element, let out a sigh and spoke: "We... are willing to surrender!" Die now, or die later? Before Huoyan died, he had said that they could wager on Huntian's future! Evidently, he had also meant: *Surrender today.* If they did not surrender, death would be absolute. Huntian Sovereign's expression remained calm. Whether these people surrendered or not would not alter the greater picture. In this vast chaos, aside from the rank-nine Sovereigns, there were few individuals left whom he deemed worthy of attention. The fleeing Chaos, in fact... was far more deserving of wariness than these experts. He was a rank-nine, after all! Moreover, he had severed his own arm with absolute resolve; though embodying chaos, his mind was not chaotic in the least. How could such a being ever be underestimated? He looked toward the eight cultivators before him, flat and impassive. "Jieduan, you deal with them!" The commander of the Ninefold Guards gave a light chuckle. "Dao Lord, I will handle it properly." "Mm." Huntian said nothing further. He merely cast a glance toward the west, then flew toward the Five Elements Domain that was on the verge of total collapse. Yuan Shuo... was just a minor figure. Yet he had a disciple who was by no means minor. On the contrary, to escape Huntian's scheming and walk free from Order's Heavenly Policy proved that Li Hao... was far more troublesome than imagined. Li Hao had besieged the Huntian Domain without slaughtering them. Perhaps... he was waiting for him? Perhaps! *Li Hao, how much is your master truly worth?* ... In the west. The Huntian Domain. Sword in hand, Li Hao pierced straight through the old man without killing him. Turning, he brought his foot down, pinning beneath him the giant roc that Sovereign Pengcheng had transformed into. Its wings were snapped by Li Hao, while the other four rank-eight Sovereigns were enveloped by his five thousand Dao domains and suppressed under his great river. Six rank-eight experts were routed almost in the blink of an eye. All around, countless strands of chaotic power, Great Dao power, and the power of order surged into Li Hao's body. He did not open any new worlds, choosing instead to strengthen his existing minor worlds. His power was still increasing, though not as rapidly as when he had been opening new worlds, yet Li Hao showed no inclination to continue opening more. Chunqiu had wiped out a rank-eight world, venting the fury in her heart. Having also observed that Chaos had not died, she was in a much better mood. Appearing in an instant, barefoot in the void, she seemed to sit in midair, swinging her small feet as she watched Li Hao suppress the six rank-eight experts. She giggled, "Huntian is about to return." "Li Hao, why don't we seize this chance to join hands and fight him? Maybe... he isn't as strong as we thought. Order's Heavenly Policy is gone, and he failed to kill Chaos..." Li Hao said nothing. An immense chain bound all six rank-eight experts. Li Hao frantically drew out the Great Dao power within their bodies, while the Great Dao River bore down to suppress them. Strolling leisurely, Li Hao walked into the domain. For the very first time, he truly set foot inside the Huntian Domain. It was colossal! All around, numerous armored Sovereigns emerged. Even though they trembled with fear, powerhouses continued to appear in an attempt to block Li Hao. Li Hao turned back, looking toward the suppressed rank-eight Sovereigns. "Tell them to stand down. I only came in to have a look around and have no intention of destroying the Huntian Domain... But if they persist, I will start slaughtering." By now, the old man also knew the situation; he knew Chaos had been defeated. Rejoicing inside, he recognized that preserving their strength was paramount right now, so he barked hastily, "Stand down, all of you!" As long as their Dao Lord returned, they would fear nothing, even if Li Hao and Chunqiu joined forces. Their Dao Lord was invincible in the chaos. At least in the chaos of today, he was invincible. The Sovereigns on the perimeter were well trained. Reluctant as they were, they retreated in good order. Li Hao ignored them, paying no heed even to the many rank-seven Sovereigns among them. Instead, he strode step by step toward the colossal hall floating in the void. The Hall of Order! Even now, the Hall of Order was still operating. Behind him, Chunqiu followed swiftly. Walking barefoot through the Huntian Domain, her eyes flickered as if contemplating the destruction of this world. This domain was immensely powerful! Without it, even if Huntian's personal strength did not diminish much, the experts under his command would inevitably be affected. Ahead of her, Li Hao paid her no mind. He took a step into the hall. Very few people remained here now; unlike the earlier bustle, everyone was outside resisting his intrusion. Within the Hall of Order, countless mirrors floated. Chunqiu caught up, looking at the mirrors with a cold sneer. "Observing the scenes of all heavens with zero privacy. The entire west falls under Huntian's scrutiny—so this is the Ninefold Heavens!" Li Hao gave a slight nod and said softly, "Setting aside right and wrong, monitoring the heavens actually helps resolve disputes... Of course, it's hard to judge whether it's purely good or bad. For the weak, it serves as a form of protection; for the strong, it imposes restraint..." Chunqiu was a mighty expert, so she naturally despised such a system. As for Li Hao, he too was strong and disliked surveillance... yet for countless weak beings, such scrutiny could perhaps ensure their peace. Different positions bred different perspectives; there was no absolute good or bad to speak of. Chunqiu waved her hand, intending to obliterate everything. Li Hao, however, raised his hand and stopped her once more. In that instant, Chunqiu genuinely lost her temper, her eyes turning chilly. She did not fear Li Hao, and she had given him plenty of face, yet he had interfered with her and stopped her time and time again, pushing her to fury. She was a demon! Huntian could return at any moment; if they didn't take this opportunity to tear down his foundation, when would they ever do it? She detested Li Hao constantly standing in her way! "It's a fine creation, not easily built..." Li Hao remarked, then said no more, turning his gaze toward the Ninefold Heavens reflected in the mirrors. Even if it represented only a quarter of the chaos, he sank into deep contemplation as he looked upon it. Long ago, he had surmised that the division of worlds within the Ninefold Heavens was not simply based on the strength of worlds, but also... Dao! A design that used worlds as chess pieces, similar to his own approach yet bolder, establishing an orderly layout where real worlds formed the Dao. Entering the Huntian Domain today was merely to take a look. For no other reason than... he wanted to open the heavens. Perhaps he needed to study how this Lord of Order had laid out worlds and structured the chaos in ancient times. Even though this place only represented the layout of the western region, he already had some understanding of the east, had traversed the north, and only had yet to visit the south... Studying this might offer some inspiration. Seeing him ignore her, Chunqiu grew even more irritated. "If you don't deal with these people quickly, do you really think you can match Huntian once he returns? He forced even Chaos to sacrifice his rank-nine spirit! Do you think your mere eight thousand Dao principles can hold him off? Even if the two of us join forces, we might not win!" "Not to mention that when this battle ends, he is bound to reap gains and become even stronger than before!" Did Li Hao understand or not? Or was he pinning his hopes on the Human King and the others arriving? Who even knew what the Human King was doing right now! As for Long Zhan... she did know a bit. That dragon was currently in the south. Of course, he hadn't dared to enter the Chunqiu World directly; instead, he had dashed to other domains to rescue his so-called kin. Vast numbers of the Chaos Race were being gathered by him. Evidently, those individuals might not come at all right now. If they didn't come, the two of them might not be able to match Huntian. It would be far better to slay these rank-eight Sovereigns now, destroy the Huntian Domain, and make their escape before Huntian got back. Even if he wanted revenge by then... he'd have to find the chance. Li Hao said nothing, merely staring at the mirrors to observe world after world, lost in thought. *So this was how he arranged it?* The Lord of Order... had indeed been a cultivator of immense vision. A pity... he was ambushed by Tianfang and the others. Otherwise, had true order been established back then, he might... have genuinely had the hope of surpassing Tianfang. At the very least, he could have rivaled Tianfang instead of leaving Tianfang alone at the pinnacle today. Li Hao observed it all without expression. At this moment, the Great Dao River flowed as steadily as ever, unchanged. Yet inside Li Hao, blood and vitality surged, his flesh and blood constantly reorganizing. At this juncture, Li Hao was already planning ahead, preparing for his own future—be it the Dao River, time, or order... His Dao River was formidable, but it was also chaotic and cluttered, bearing the imprint of too many disparate concepts. The Dao River was far more powerful than before; commanding it, he could battle cultivators of eight thousand Great Daos. This was the culmination of everything Li Hao had amassed over the years. Killing enemies and looting treasures, slaying powerful foes, raiding worlds, plundering the chaos... Bit by bit, he had forged the Dao River into what it was today. Yet deep down, he had always held onto his original thought: the Dao River was too cluttered, too chaotic, and none of its core components had been forged by himself. Time had always been the core of the Dao River. Yet this time did not belong to him either. Now, it had even absorbed massive amounts of the power of order, the power of faith, the power of responsibility... None of these were what he truly sought. Everyone believed Li Hao wanted to open the heavens, imagining that once he did, he might step into rank-nine, become the Lord of Time, become the Time Dao Lord, and wield the time left behind by the Emperor of Battle Heaven... Yet Li Hao had never thought of doing so. The Lord of Time was not him. The Time Dao Lord was not him. He... was not someone who chased after time. Others might think so, but he alone did not. The human body, martial masters, vital energy, Dao meridians, the internal organs, force, spirit, law... These were perhaps the jianghu he pursued, the freedom he sought. As Li Hao pondered, flesh and blood shattered within him and reassembled. Without the Dao River, Li Hao was not particularly strong; his physical body was only average. Even though nurtured by the Dao River, without it, he could at best be counted as an expert. He would probably retain rank-seven strength. Yet in this current chaos... what was a rank-seven? Rank-seven had no chance whatsoever. However... it was enough. Even if it was only rank-seven, such a rank-seven belonged to him alone—it could not be stripped away, devoured, or abandoned. *My Dao belongs to me.* The Human King's "all Daos converge into one, my Dao is mine alone" followed this very principle. "The Source of Chaos is the true origin of chaotic energy..." He looked up at the sky, seemingly deep in thought. Behind him, Chunqiu grew increasingly impatient. "Li Hao, what in the world are you trying to do? Waiting to die?" Li Hao turned back. "Fellow Daoist Chunqiu, don't you think the worlds in these mirrors are beautiful?" Chunqiu looked over, her gaze flickering. "Are you talking about the Lord of Order's Great Dao combination? I advise you to give up on that idea. The Lord of Order back then was said to be extraordinarily strong, yet in the end, he died on this very path!" Clearly, she had recognized it. She simply hadn't studied it deeply. Knowing Li Hao was not merely admiring the scenery, Chunqiu said in a low voice, "Constructing one's own Dao domain using countless worlds... wishing to become the master of the entire chaos—this was the Ninefold Heavens chaos that Order wanted to build! But that would mean the entire chaos fell under his control. A million years ago, rank-nine Sovereigns abounded; why would they bow their heads?" "And Huntian today is even more tyrannical!" Chunqiu shook her head. "So... in my view, we should lie low for now, let Huntian fight those rank-nines first, and steer clear of his edge! We can plan our next move later. Neither side is good, and it doesn't matter if one or two die..." Her assessment of the situation was crystal clear. She had always acted accordingly. Whoever was strongest, she would temporarily weaken. If Huntian was strong, she would weaken him, never allowing Huntian to wipe everyone out and unify the chaos before the rank-nines descended. Li Hao said nothing, standing quietly and watching for a moment. Just as Sovereign Chunqiu was about to turn on her heels and leave Li Hao to face Huntian alone, Li Hao turned and walked outside. Chunqiu hadn't stayed because she had fallen for Li Hao. She simply didn't want Li Hao to be killed by Huntian, which would disrupt the balance of the chaos, nor did she want Li Hao to be captured and made into a puppet of order like before... that too would be exceedingly dangerous. The best outcome was for Li Hao to stay alive and serve as a bulwark against Huntian unifying the chaos. Seeing him finally leave, Chunqiu cursed under her breath! *So you know fear after all!* *If we don't leave now and that fellow returns, do you really think the two of us can beat him on his own turf?* Li Hao walked while pondering something. Soon, he reappeared near the world gate of the Huntian Domain. Nearby, a throng of Sovereigns watched like tigers eyeing prey, eager to make a move, even harboring thoughts of stopping Li Hao and Chunqiu from leaving to await their Dao Lord's return! They could feel it: the Dao Lord... was coming back! The rank-eight experts suppressed beneath Li Hao's Dao River also showed hints of delight in the depths of their eyes. The Dao Lord was returning. Order was being rebuilt. Indeed, the immense power of order that Li Hao had previously drained from the western region seemed to be flowing back. The weakened west was growing stronger by the moment. Chunqiu had evidently sensed this long ago, which was why she had been anxious. Now that Li Hao was at the gate, she was no longer in a hurry. They could leave whenever they wanted! For this rabble to try to hold them back was utter delusion. Had Li Hao not continually intervened, she would have razed the entire Huntian Domain to the ground by now. Still... best to drop that thought, lest Huntian go completely berserk and hunt her down. And an unreliable fellow like Li Hao might not even help her. "Let's go!" Chunqiu swung her feet and stepped outward, but Li Hao came to a halt. "You go ahead, Fellow Daoist. I will wait for Fellow Daoist Huntian. My master was in the Five Elements Domain earlier; by now... he has likely been captured." Chunqiu froze, then couldn't help but roar, "Are you waiting here to die? Do you really think you're that powerful? With a mere eight thousand Dao principles, do you think you're invincible?" *His master?* *If your master dies, so be it!* *A mere weakling, a rank-seven cultivator—if he dies, who cares?* "Besides, aren't you planning to break through to the chaotic source to resurrect people? If your master dies, just resurrect him along with the others! While there is green hill, there will be firewood to burn—do you not understand that?" For the first time, she found Li Hao infuriatingly indecisive! She was furious! Li Hao smiled. "You go first, Fellow Daoist. I still have six rank-eight experts suppressed. Fellow Daoist Huntian won't just stand by and watch me slaughter them. So... at worst, we exchange hostages. My sparing their lives was specifically for this, lest bridges be completely burned and an exchange rendered impossible." It seemed he had been certain from the very beginning that his master would be captured. There was no helping it; the gap was simply too vast. Even if his teacher devoured the entire Five Elements Domain and stepped into rank-eight, even reaching the level of the Five Elements overlords, before Huntian... he would still possess no room to resist. "You..." Chunqiu was genuinely enraged, her gaze turning lethal. "You're going to release these people? Let Huntian grow even stronger? If Huntian uses your master to blackmail you, will you end up serving him?" If that was the case... *I'll kill you first today!* Her eyes grew vicious! *Li Hao, if you insist on this, don't blame me.* In an instant, she ceased all hesitation. This bastard... was infuriating! Surging toward Li Hao like a vast army, countless phantoms manifested. Chunqiu had made up her mind: she might as well slaughter this kid! And kill the rank-eight Sovereigns of the Huntian Domain along with him! How could she allow these people to live? Huntian had far too many experts under his command. Six rank-eight experts couldn't do anything to her, but what if there were ten? Fifteen? Even more? She wasn't truly invincible, not a true rank-nine. While a gap existed, it was not so vast that numbers ceased to matter! Li Hao fell back. "Why must you act like this, Fellow Daoist? If you truly tangle with me and Huntian returns, both of us will be injured, playing right into his hands. If you leave before Huntian returns, we haven't done any real damage to the Huntian Domain, nor will we ruin our rapport. With the rank-nine Sovereigns still around, Huntian won't risk open hostility either, lest he give the rank-nines an opening!" He retreated continuously at extreme speed, as though traversing time, with years even beginning to wither and thrive... This drove Chunqiu furious! *What a Li Hao! When dealing with Huntian, you didn't use the Dao of Withering and Thriving, yet facing me, you actually use the very Dao I taught you against me!* Her eyes were cold. Seeing that several assaults failed to harm Li Hao, that slaying him would likely demand an immense price, and sensing that Huntian truly was on the verge of returning... In her uncontrollable fury, she threw down a parting threat and turned to plunge into the void. "If you submit to Huntian, I will be the first to slaughter you!" Furious, she vanished from the spot in an instant. Once she was gone, the rank-eight experts within the river breathed a sigh of relief. Today was unfortunate, yet fortunate all the same. The fortunate part was that Li Hao had continually stopped Chunqiu from killing, leaving the Huntian Domain practically unscathed; aside from losing some Great Dao power and sustaining minor injuries, nothing grave had occurred. The unfortunate part was that an attack had genuinely struck, launched by two supreme experts. Fortunately, the Dao Lord had made preparations, and Li Hao... had stayed his hand to save his master. It was a stroke of fortune amidst misfortune! Once the Dao Lord returned... everyone would be safe. With Chunqiu, the greatest threat, gone, they felt far more at ease. At this time, Sovereign Pengcheng found a bit more courage and took the initiative to speak: "Silver Moon King, you know our Dao Lord's might. Even if the rank-nine Sovereigns return, the Dao Lord can rival them!" "This time, you did not destroy the Huntian Domain, nor did you slaughter its cultivators... While we suffered some injuries, they are merely minor matters. If the Silver Moon King can join our Huntian World... the unification of the chaos will surely be accomplished here and now..." The old man pierced by the long sword and pinned down also coughed and said, "The Silver Moon King might not know, but our Ninefold Guards were once under the command of the ancient Lord of Order. There are not many of us; only twenty-eight have survived from back then until today! Counting myself, that makes eleven rank-eight experts and seventeen rank-seven experts..." Eleven rank-eight experts! And beyond the Ninefold Guards, there were Pengcheng and four other rank-eight experts—sixteen rank-eight powerhouses in total. At this moment, they did not yet know that Huntian had subdued four of the Five Elements Emissaries along with four other rank-eights. If they knew, their spirits would be even more galvanized—a staggering twenty-four rank-eight cultivators! Such martial might exceeded even the Tianfang of old in numbers of rank-eight experts. When Tianfang returned at its peak, it only had twelve rank-eight cultivators. As for the other factions, even combined, they might not possess as many rank-eight experts as Huntian commanded. Only if Xinwu, Silver Moon, the Chaos Race, and Chunqiu of the south joined forces could they perhaps muster such a number of rank-eight experts. One could well imagine that the power Huntian had cultivated over all these years far surpassed anyone's wildest dreams. Li Hao remained silent. At this moment, he continued siphoning the Great Dao power of the Huntian Domain. It was rich indeed; a premier world was in no way inferior to certain rank-nine worlds, and far richer than those extinct rank-nine worlds. Countless strands of Great Dao power flowed in: half merged into the Dao River, while the other half was absorbed directly into Li Hao's body. The rank-eight experts were also constantly weakened by him. This left Pengcheng feeling uneasy! This man was still draining their Great Dao power. If this continued... they might be drained until their cultivation realm fell! And that was secondary; the real question was, could this guy... be planning to fight the Dao Lord head-on? Even Chunqiu had fled in fear. Did Li Hao truly dare to do this? ... In the chaotic void. A person followed beside Huntian: Yuan Shuo. At this moment, Yuan Shuo's aura was unstable and fluctuating, swinging between rank-eight and rank-seven. His face was pale, and he said nothing. His skills were inferior; the gap was simply too great. Even though he had fought and killed a rank-eight expert—the one left to guard the Five Elements Domain—on that very home ground, before Huntian he was still like a toddler, suppressed in an instant. He couldn't even run! Seeing that Huntian had merely captured him, he realized something. Now, seeing that they were heading back west, his brow twitched. "My disciple is still in the west?" Huntian Sovereign nodded slightly. The power of darkness around him was gradually dissipating, replaced once again by order. He returned to his previous gentle demeanor. "He is. He hasn't left. He merely seized my people without killing them. It seems he is waiting for my return... to make an exchange. It appears he values you greatly." With that, he chuckled softly. "He helped you fulfill your promise, destroyed the Five Elements, and let you absorb their power to strengthen yourself and advance to rank-eight... That disciple of yours is truly devoted. Rest assured, I will not kill you." Yuan Shuo fell silent. Behind Huntian followed a host of experts. Besides the group of rank-eights, there were also rank-sevens. At this point, the commander of the Ninefold Guards whispered, "Dao Lord, the power of order has dissipated significantly..." It hadn't dissipated; it had been drained by Li Hao. They all knew this full well. Moreover, Order's Heavenly Policy remained in Li Hao's hands... Sovereign Jieduan, the commander of the Ninefold Guards, felt a flare of fury. *That Li Hao is truly brazen beyond belief, courting death!* "I know. It's fine." Huntian smiled, striking up another conversation with Yuan Shuo. "As far as I know, aside from you, his master, Li Hao doesn't seem to have any other family, does he? Are the ones he has always wanted to resurrect his parents and kin?" Yuan Shuo remained silent. "You need not be so guarded, Fellow Daoist. Even if Li Hao were here and I asked, he wouldn't mind answering." Yuan Shuo considered it; that was indeed true. Li Hao... never really hid these so-called secrets. He gave a faint smile, and though his face was pale, he showed little fear as he nodded. "Indeed. His parents and friends... all died violent deaths, slain by enemies back when he was still an ordinary mortal." "An ordinary mortal..." Huntian remarked with a sigh, "Blessed by time, it is truly incredible that he has come this far in just a few short years. In truth, I wish even more to meet... the cultivator who forged time. I hear he came from Xinwu as well?" "If you want to meet him, you can do so anytime!" Yuan Shuo quipped, growing bolder. "He committed suicide. If you want to see him... it's very simple!" As for Huntian believing Li Hao had achieved all this solely on the strength of time... Yuan Shuo said nothing. Perhaps so. Yet... when had time actually fallen into Li Hao's hands? It was only after Li Hao, through his own wits and strength, outmaneuvered a host of mighty figures—Li Daoheng, Zheng Yu, the Red Moon Sovereign, and Ying Hongyue—that he took control of time and seized the Time Star. Before that... had he relied on time? In Silver Moon, he had relied on himself, advancing step by step to that height, surrounded by mortal threats from countless foes, slaying every single one of them before finally seizing time. It was not as though time had belonged to Li Hao from the start. In Yuan Shuo's eyes, that was putting the cart before the horse! Without Li Hao's rise, how could he ever have obtained the Time Star? It was not having the Time Star that made Li Hao who he was today. When those words left his mouth, Huntian didn't mind, but the Ninefold Guards beside him flared with anger, while the newly surrendered Sovereigns sighed inwardly. *You have a sharp tongue now!* *In a little while... that might not be the case.* *Li Hao is strong, but how could he ever match Huntian?* *Thinking of threatening Huntian to buy your survival... is as difficult as scaling the heavens. He might even drag himself into the grave.* ... In the east. The Human King slashed a rank-eight expert flying with his saber. Looking toward the west, he couldn't perceive things very clearly, but he could still deduce a few matters. He also glanced toward Alliance City No. 9, curling his lips. *Damn it, that guy ran off long ago and was even guarding against me... Seriously... makes me want to hack him to death!* By now, almost every rank-eight world in the eastern region had been conquered by him. The rank-eight expert who had been slashed flying was badly injured and felt boundless grievance. "Human King, I already agreed to surrender..." *Damn it, why did you still hack me?* The Human King sneered, "Did I tell you to surrender? I slaughtered my way through! You suddenly surrendering throws me completely off! I've always just killed people and been done with it. Now that you've surrendered, what am I supposed to do with you? If I absorb you, I worry you won't obey. If I kill you, people will say executing prisoners is bad and ruins my reputation... Couldn't you resist to the bitter end? Spineless coward!" He looked thoroughly annoyed! Opposite him, the rank-eight Sovereign was utterly helpless. *I'm obviously no match for you; what else was I supposed to do besides surrender?* *The chaos is a complete mess right now, totally unsafe—how am I supposed to survive if I don't surrender?* In the past, there had been many rank-eight experts in the east, but now they were dead or fled. Today, two rank-eight experts hadn't even had the chance to shout their surrender before being hacked to death by the Human King. Seeing that, he had panicked and hoisted the white flag before the Human King even arrived. *Can't I just surrender?* And yet... the Human King was annoyed by it! No wonder the Human King had moved so fast earlier, giving people no chance to speak. It turned out... he hadn't planned to recruit anyone at all. At this moment, even Bright Light Sovereign sighed inwardly. What kind of logic was this? Truly... words failed him. Counting it up, he had gotten off lucky. At least when he joined Xinwu, they were quite polite to him—unlike now... Look at that: the Human King was wishing the fellow opposite would fight to the death! When the guy actually surrendered, the Human King was furious instead. As the Human King was cursing, he suddenly frowned slightly. In the distance, the void fluctuated. As if years were flowing and heaven and earth were withering and thriving, an illusory figure manifested in an instant. The Human King raised his saber to slash, but the little girl in the distance furrowed her brows slightly. "Hold your blade, Human King. This is merely an avatar of mine; killing it serves no purpose... Li Hao is trapped in the west. Huntian routed Chaos and is now returning, having captured his master, Yuan Shuo. If Li Hao stays in the west, disaster may strike..." It was actually Chunqiu! The Human King's brow furrowed slightly. "He didn't leave?" "He didn't. Yuan Shuo was captured." The Human King rubbed his chin and understood. Yuan Shuo had been taken... While surprising, it made sense. If Old Man Li were captured, I wouldn't leave either. Naturally, I'd fight if I could, and if I couldn't, I'd prioritize keeping Old Man Li alive first. Evidently, Yuan Shuo's capture had produced the same effect. But Chunqiu... this old witch had actually run all the way here to fetch reinforcements! His eyes gleamed. "Weren't you over there? Why the hell are you calling me!" Chunqiu sighed. "Li Hao is stubborn and arrogant. Several times I offered to help, yet he refused... I thought that since the Human King shares the same roots with him, perhaps... he would feel more at ease if you went." The Human King sneered, "Do you think I don't know what you're plotting? Huntian is no walk in the park. Even Chaos couldn't beat him when descending—and you're counting on us? Not that I'm afraid of him, of course..." "So the Human King won't intervene?" The Human King shrugged. "By the time I get there, the tea will already be cold. It's so far... impossible to reach in time." "No matter, I can assist you!" Chunqiu replied earnestly, "Using my method of withering and thriving to traverse the years, a single cycle of spring and autumn can deliver us to the west in an instant!" The Human King chuckled. "Why should I go save him? He isn't my son, for crying out loud!" Chunqiu frowned. Weren't Xinwu and Silver Moon... one and the same? Had they had a falling out? At this moment, the Supreme also furrowed his brows slightly in contemplation, then looked toward Sovereign Chunqiu and spoke softly: "What about Long Zhan? Senior, have you found Long Zhan? Huntian's power is vast. Perhaps... only by joining hands can we better resist his invasion!" "Another avatar of mine has already gone to inform Long Zhan. If all goes well... we might even be able to suppress Huntian somewhat this time!" The Human King was still pondering. The Supreme looked at the Human King, awaiting his decision. At this juncture, he refrained from intervening. Meanwhile, Sovereigns rapidly converged from all around. Thunder Emperor and several others seemed to have received the news as well, rushing over without pause, each wearing an expression of acute anxiety. Li Hao seemed to be trapped in the west. And Huntian had just dealt with Chaos and was now returning. Even a rank-nine Sovereign had lost, let alone Li Hao. Li Hao was only a rank-eight after all, and far too young; his Great Dao law principles numbered merely in the thousands. How could he match Huntian! Kongji showed no hesitation, speaking up anxiously: "Senior Human King... Fellow Daoist Haoyue is trapped... Could you... lend a helping hand..." The Human King sneered, "Earlier, didn't you say he ran off? Now you come looking for me?" He gave another sneer and added, "Since he dared to stay, would he really be unprepared?" Of course, despite his grumbling, he suddenly laughed. "All right, let's go! Let's go take a look. With everyone present, I can feel a bit more at ease—no need to worry about being singled out. If a fight breaks out, they won't hit me first anyway. Watching the show will be fun too!" He didn't seem worried about what might happen to Li Hao. That kid... had always claimed to be heartless. If Yuan Shuo truly couldn't be exchanged back... Li Hao wouldn't just sit and wait for death. Perhaps a good show awaited in the west. A thought struck him, his eyes flickering slightly. Opening the heavens—the west was actually a fitting place for it. *Little Li Hao... what in the world are you trying to do?* *Chunqiu... was tricked by you, wasn't she? Running all over the place rallying people, acting more enthusiastic than if she were the one trapped and besieged. What an idiot of a demon.* *Well, none of my business.* *Hitching a ride works just fine too.* He laughed. "Then let's go together! With Chunqiu and Long Zhan present, if Huntian dares make a move, we'll beat him to death. With two great demons around, they can swallow him in one bite!" "..." Sovereign Chunqiu was rendered somewhat speechless. What an absurd thing to say. Still, she didn't want to argue right now. Uniting their strength to prevent Huntian from unifying the chaos was the crux of the matter. Otherwise, none of them would have an easy time ahead. If they could weaken Huntian somewhat, that would be ideal. She was also secretly pleased that the Human King was willing to step in after all. Combined with Long Zhan, herself, and Li Hao's side—even if Li Hao were killed—they could still contend with Huntian! The Supreme glanced at the Human King and transmitted, *Are you truly going?* *Let's go have a look!* The Human King replied via transmission, *I don't know what that kid is planning. Maybe he wants to use this chance to do something. Otherwise... knowing his personality, it would be a miracle if he lingered in the west. Chunqiu running everywhere to gather people was probably part of his calculations all along. Only that old witch Chunqiu would genuinely fear the kid dying over there and handing everything to Huntian... As if that could happen.* If Li Hao wanted to leave, he had countless methods. The River of Time was the best of them. That rascal simply refused to run; otherwise, with Huntian not yet returned, he could have fled with a few rank-eight captives and conducted an exchange across the distance. Why remain there and ramp the danger up exponentially? These people didn't understand Li Hao at all. Perhaps... this time, the heavens truly were about to change.