The One Who Knows Me Is the Human King

In the west. Outside the Huntian World. Li Hao stood beside the world gate, his long river suppressing six rank-eight cultivators. Peng Cheng and the others continued their ceaseless chatter, hoping Li Hao would see reason and join their side. Li Hao grew slightly impatient. A long sword manifested and lightly tapped Peng Cheng's massive head. In an instant, that colossal head split open under the sword's edge. Peng Cheng let out a muffled groan of agony. As if chiding a disobedient child, Li Hao smiled. "Talk less. You're not Huntian, after all, are you?" Peng Cheng shut his mouth at once. He couldn't afford to provoke him! Facing Li Hao right now, he was utterly powerless to fight back; the disparity was simply too vast. At a time like this, it was best not to antagonize this man. Preserving his own life came first. Once the Dao Lord returned, they would be saved. The elderly man who had remained largely silent—the deputy commander of the Ninefold Guard—stole a few glances at Li Hao. Li Hao seemed deep in thought, as if... he was waiting for far more than just the Dao Lord's return. The deputy commander was suspicious, but dared not pry. Moreover, Li Hao was constantly drawing upon the power of the west. By now, the western power of order and the Great Dao energy inside Huntian had been almost entirely drained by him. Even the six rank-eight experts had been siphoned to the brink of dropping a cultivation realm. Could Li Hao be hoping to take this opportunity to grow even stronger? That was unlikely. The deputy commander knew a bit about Li Hao's circumstances. Li Hao treated worlds as his Dao. The Dao Lord had once remarked that at an equivalent level, a Li Hao who walked this path was vastly more powerful than others. However, because his Dao was too formidable, subsequent advancement became excruciatingly difficult. Mastery was arduous. A Li Hao with five thousand Dao principles might rival a cultivator of eight or nine thousand Dao principles, but advancing to six or seven thousand would likely prove harder than an ordinary rank-eight cultivator stepping into rank nine. Everyone knew that taking worlds as one's Dao granted greater strength. Why, then, did so few pursue it? In truth, someone had. The Lord of Order in ancient times. Yet even the Lord of Order had not created everything entirely from scratch; instead... he had arranged his Great Dao through existing worlds, rather than pioneering an entirely new foundation like Li Hao. Starting from scratch was far too tedious and consumed too much energy—more than a normal person could ever amass in a lifetime. It was equivalent to recreating countless worlds! The several rank-eight captives remained thoroughly docile. Soon, ripples propagated through the void. Powerful waves of aura surged forward, serving both as an imposing deterrent and as an act of suppression. Before Huntian even arrived, dark silhouettes flickered through the void, traversing space in an instant. Peng Cheng rejoiced, and the old man breathed a quiet sigh of relief. They were back! The Ninefold Guard. Once the mightiest force under the Lord of Order, they boasted eleven rank-eight and seventeen rank-seven cultivators—twenty-eight top-tier experts in all! In fact, their ranks had been even greater in the past. The Ninefold Guard had once numbered nearly a hundred. But after the Lord of Order fell, a vast number perished. Led by Commander Jieduan, the survivors fled into hiding, preserving a formidable foundation that was eventually bequeathed to Huntian. The foremost dark figure was the first to manifest, revealing his true appearance, though it remained somewhat illusory, shrouded in shadows. These were the guardians of order. "Silver Moon King, release them!" Jieduan's voice was chilly. "The Dao Lord will return shortly. Release them now and retreat, and you may yet keep a slim chance of survival!" A formidable aura unfurled between heaven and earth. Commander Jieduan was stronger than anticipated. The aura he unleashed at this moment was actually no weaker than Li Hao's—a top-tier powerhouse possessing the strength of seven or eight thousand Dao principles. In terms of sheer might, this man could easily serve as a regional hegemon, not a whit inferior to the fused Five Elements overlords. At the same time, another formidable aura approached from behind. It was Huntian. However, he was in no hurry to draw near. He seemed to be observing something, waiting for something. The Ninefold Guard steadily closed in on Li Hao. Simultaneously, farther out, several Five Elements Emissaries arrived. Gazing at Li Hao, their expressions were laced with wistful sighs... And, naturally, deep hatred. Li Hao glanced toward them. One was missing: Sovereign Huoyan. He had likely... died. Li Hao merely looked on without saying a word. He and Huoyan had interacted in the past. Huoyan had been a true Daoist cultivator and had seemed decent enough... Still, in this era, once you chose to plunge into the struggle for supremacy, dying was simply the way of things. A large number of rank-eight experts arrived. So many. The count of rank-eight experts under Huntian's banner was unexpectedly high. Li Hao was suppressing six right here, and gathered on the perimeter were eighteen rank-eight Sovereigns, alongside a sea of rank-seven experts both near and far. Twenty-four rank-eight cultivators in total! Even Li Hao clicked his tongue in awe... Formidable as he was, against so many Sovereigns—with the shadow commander matching his own strength—he would be facing certain doom if they swarmed him in unison. Naturally, he might manage to kill a few. Yet in the end, death would be all but inescapable. Huntian wouldn't even need to lift a finger. Furthermore, these were not newly ascended rank-eight cultivators; they were seasoned Sovereigns, some of whom held seniority predating Huntian himself. Li Hao maintained his composure, casting a glance into the distance with a smile. "Fellow Daoist Huntian, there isn't any irreconcilable conflict between us. I haven't killed your men either. It was you who plotted against me first. I only ever reacted passively and neutralized your scheme... Taking all that into account, you're the one indebted to me. I haven't wronged you, have I?" From the distance, Huntian's voice drifted over, placid and gently spoken: "That is where you are mistaken. Had you not ventured to my Huntian Domain, Fellow Daoist Haoyue, there would have been no scheme to speak of. While I was engaged in battle with Chaos, you crept into the west... did you not?" Li Hao pondered this, nodded, and soon chuckled. "Couldn't I have simply dropped by for a look? Couldn't I have come just to observe? It wasn't set in stone that I came to cause trouble. You didn't teach me that lesson merely to keep me from meddling. Let's speak openly: yes, I harbored ill intent... but you tampered with me long before that, which makes you a bit worse than me." Huntian's soft laughter echoed back: "Wrong again. Had you not been greedy and refrained from refining my clone, how could it have come to that?" "Yet you gave it to me yourself. We negotiated the terms, and you agreed to hand it over. How can that be called greed? It was an honest transaction with a clear price." "I never agreed to let you refine it!" "..." In that moment, the two sounded like pedantic scholars arguing over who held the moral high ground. Jieduan and his companions knit their brows in perplexity. Why did the Dao Lord feel the need to waste so many words on Li Hao? It served no purpose! And Li Hao was genuinely audacious. Did he believe that suppressing six rank-eight experts and seizing the Huntian world gate gave him the leverage to threaten anyone? Delusional. The west remained stable because of the Dao Lord, not because of the world, nor because of those few rank-eight cultivators. Even if every one of them perished... it would not shake the west to its core. In fact, Jieduan believed it would be far better to execute Li Hao right here and now to eliminate future troubles. Right then, Huntian appeared. Beside him stood Yuan Shuo... and a thoroughly despondent great tiger. At this moment, the tiger was trembling in terror. Seeing Li Hao, it appeared startled, as if only just recognizing him... Inwardly, it cried out in despair. Trouble. So Chaos had been Li Hao all along... Well, the Chaos it had met was Li Hao. This fellow was ruthless, sure, but... he was also weak, clearly no match for Huntian. This was true trouble. Yuan Shuo, on the other hand, remained thoroughly nonchalant. Catching Li Hao's gaze, he shrugged and spread his hands, as if saying: *Your master here got captured. Nothing I could do; the opponent was too strong, and I was too weak.* Huntian remained as serene as ever, resembling a mild-mannered Daoist, calm and collected. A faint smile touched his face. Looking across at Li Hao, he said, "Release them, and I will release your master. Since you are unwilling to become a guardian of order, surrender Order's Heavenly Policy. I have no wish to kill you, Li Hao, as you well know." Li Hao nodded. "In this era, so long as Time remains under my control, powerhouses generally have no desire to kill me... except for the Human King." Li Hao chuckled. "To be blunt, I have never feared being killed by any of you! You won't do it, and those rank-nine Sovereigns won't either. Unless a second Time cultivator emerges... none of you will rashly kill me before stripping away my Time! Of course, the Human King is an exception. It's a good thing he's on my side; otherwise, I'd genuinely be terrified of him slaughtering me..." As he spoke, he laughed at himself. Why? Because... all of them had scruples. Perhaps the Human King did too, but the Human King was a madman who didn't give a damn about what catastrophes might follow if Time vanished... Dealing with someone like him was an absolute nightmare. *The stronger you all are, the less I fear you!* Huntian smiled. "Those are the reservations of the other rank-nine experts, not necessarily mine. Time... perhaps it truly can stabilize chaos and preserve spirituality, which is why the other rank-nine experts yearn to descend and naturally refrain from killing you. But do I... need it? Even if spirituality ceases to be and rank-nine experts cannot descend, I need only preserve my current strength, and I am already invincible under heaven..." Li Hao chuckled. "I don't believe you." "..." It wasn't that he doubted Huntian's strength, but rather that he didn't believe Huntian would settle for the status quo and abandon further advancement. Just how vast was the utility of Time? Li Hao did not truly know, nor did Huntian necessarily know. Perhaps Tianfang and the others understood, but everyone recognized one thing: Time was likely the linchpin for stabilizing the spirituality of chaos. Under such circumstances, how could Huntian resign himself to remaining stagnant at this level forever? Upon entering rank nine, he might well be forced to take refuge in the chaotic depths like the other rank-nine experts. That was not what he sought. "Release my master," Li Hao said earnestly. "To me, capturing my master merely gives me slight pause; it changes nothing fundamental. Capturing Peng Cheng and the others was solely to prevent them from causing trouble. I never imagined that a handful of rank-eight cultivators could force your hand. "Release my master, and I will release them. Huntian, how does that sound?" Huntian smiled. "It is of little consequence. A cultivator newly ascended to rank eight whose realm is still unstable is hardly worth my concern." Pausing, he added, "You chose to stay behind rather than flee, waiting for my return. Is there something you wish to say, or something you intend to do?" The onlookers were somewhat bewildered. Since he didn't care... then simply take Li Hao down! Why waste words with him? Yet Huntian remained as calm and composed as ever, displaying none of the domineering arrogance he had shown against Chaos, nor the slightest hint of chaotic frenzy. Li Hao explained, "I merely had a few doubts and wanted to consult Fellow Daoist." "Speak your mind." "Fellow Daoist gathered boundless darkness and chaotic energy, reducing yourself to the filth lurking behind order. This seems somewhat familiar to me; Xinwu did something similar, though Xinwu was never as... absolute about it as you! Xinwu merely had the Cang Emperor absorb the foul energy within the source, leaving human hearts, thoughts, and desires untouched." Li Hao continued solemnly, "Fellow Daoist turned yourself into a garbage bin... Well, perhaps that sounds derogatory, but I truly mean no offense. I admire your resolve, but why... must you absorb everything in existence without exception?" Huntian smiled. "The human heart is greedy, and desire knows no bounds! All that people truly seek is peace—a life free of hardship, free of sorrow, free of worry... Is such an era not wonderful?" Li Hao shook his head. "Not particularly. How would such people differ from puppets?" "The difference is immense!" Huntian laughed again. "They retain their own thoughts. I haven't snuffed out their spirit; I have merely purged and absorbed their unwholesome aspects, leaving behind only the good! When chaos is thoroughly united, the entire chaos will reflect only beauty and virtue! There will be no more wars, no more conflicts, no more slaughter. The elderly will be cared for, and the weak will be nurtured... Li Hao, do you truly believe such a chaos would not be vastly greater than what we have now?" Among the crowd, some nodded while others fell silent. Of the newly surrendered rank-eight Sovereigns, some kept quiet while the eyes of others flickered with uncertainty, though none spoke out. Before Li Hao could answer, Yuan Shuo chimed in with a scoffing laugh. "Bullshit! Utter nonsense! Little Hao, don't listen to his drivel! If anyone had to live in an era like that, they'd be better off in chaotic times! Stripped of desire, stripped of greed, stripped of every negative emotion... do they even count as human? The seven emotions and six desires are human nature!" Huntian smiled faintly. "Yuan Shuo, you do not understand. You are too weak. Once you reach my height, you will realize the true magnificence of such a world!" *Magnificent?* Yuan Shuo sneered in disdain, utterly unimpressed. Li Hao smiled as well. "Master, the weak should show some courtesy to the strong. Even I must show Fellow Daoist Huntian a bit of respect, so don't be so brazen, old man. You're a captive; be careful he doesn't swat you to death in a fit of rage!" Yuan Shuo's bravado evaporated at once. With a helpless sigh, he nodded. *True enough.* *I'm the weak one here!* *Forget it, better to keep quiet and stay low.* Huntian chuckled. "You master and disciple are truly amusing. Li Hao, debating these matters today serves little purpose. This is my path; this is how I must walk it, and the only way I can! In the past, the Lord of Order was willing to preserve everything, but in the end... his fate was miserable! Tianfang and that lot, driven by their own ambition and desire, joined forces to plot against him and struck him down..." Li Hao nodded. "Fair point. By the way, are you the reincarnation of Order?" Then he shook his head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter! Whether you are a remnant of his spirit or something else, since you do not walk the path of Order in its entirety, you are Huntian. Just like me—I dislike it when others call me the incarnation of the Emperor of Battle Heaven... It leaves a sour taste in my mouth." "Li Hao, those words resonate deeply with me!" Huntian smiled once more. Indeed, he hated being regarded as Order, nor did he consider himself Order. He was Huntian! The two made idle conversation, as if both were waiting for something. After a time... The void began to ripple. Disturbances surfaced in the distance, and figures materialized one after another. In every sector, an incarnation of Chunqiu emerged. And trailing behind Chunqiu were several contingents of powerhouses. From the south, Long Zhan's figure manifested, followed by several rank-eight cultivators. From the east, the figures of Xinwu appeared, accompanied by the Thunder Emperor and his companions. In another direction, a solitary figure emerged, soon joined by several towering great demons brimming with monstrous demonic qi—all from Chunqiu's faction. At this moment, Sovereign Chunqiu smiled cheerily, stepping barefoot upon the void as she looked toward Li Hao. Her expression seemed to seek credit, yet carried an air of flaunting: "Li Hao, what do you think?" As if to say: *I saved you!* The battle had not erupted. And she had brought the strongest assembly of experts in the present chaos. On Long Zhan's side, besides Long Zhan himself, there were Black Tiger, Qingqiu, Red Moon, Feng Yan, Panlong, and a newly ascended rank-eight cultivator—seven rank-eight cultivators in all. On Xinwu's side stood the Human King, the Yang God, the Supreme, the Cang Emperor, Bright, Yaoyang, along with a newly surrendered rank-eight expert who had not yet been integrated into their system—likewise numbering seven. Beyond them were the Thunder Emperor, Dao Chess, Kongji, Wushan, Wanhua, and Er Mao—six rank-eight experts—accompanied by Qian Wuliang, who had reached rank seven. As for Chunqiu, she had brought five great demons, including the butterfly Li Hao had glimpsed once before. In terms of sheer numbers, the coalition of various factions only matched Huntian's forces. However, with Long Zhan, the Human King, and Chunqiu present, unless Huntian proved overwhelmingly powerful, the Ninefold Guard alone would be no match for this assembly. Li Hao merely swept a glance over them without dwelling on it. He looked toward the Human King and the others. The Human King stood with his arms folded, grinning cheerfully as though he had merely come to watch the spectacle. In the distance, Long Zhan studied Li Hao for a moment, then looked toward Huntian, maintaining his silence. Their arrival served two purposes: to assess Huntian's strength, and to prevent Huntian from killing Li Hao or forcing him into submission, which would spell immense trouble. Huntian seemed to have anticipated this long ago. Unperturbed, he offered a light laugh. "I warmly welcome everyone as guests in my western domain! It has been quite some time since the west received so many distinguished visitors! "In the present chaos, the rank-nine Sovereigns still endure. Between us, there need not be only enmity. On the contrary... at this critical juncture, we are precisely the ones who must unite to withstand the return and descent of the rank-nine experts! "Right now, the chaos is in turmoil, which presents an opportunity for the rank-nine Sovereigns to descend. It is not that they are incapable of doing so; rather, their strength will be diminished upon arrival. Even so, there are likely over twenty rank-nine Sovereigns remaining. If they descend en masse... even if individually inferior to me, they will be no weaker than the rest of you." With so many powerhouses descending, their spirituality might not suffice to display the power they held a million years ago. Yet... even if each possessed merely eight thousand Dao principles, could this assembly truly stand against so many? The rank-nine experts held back solely out of caution—fearful that once their strength declined, they might be slain by others, suffering an unbearable loss. Just like the Lord of Chaos: had he possessed his ancient strength, Huntian likely would have found him impossible to match, yet this time, he had nearly been slaughtered by Huntian... To those rank-nine experts, dying in such a fashion was far too pathetic. Better to wait a little longer! Huntian did not bother elaborating further. Turning to Li Hao, he said, "Withdraw from the Huntian Domain, leave behind Order's Heavenly Policy, and release these captives. I will release your master, and we will consider this matter settled!" At this, Sovereign Chunqiu breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The best possible outcome! She looked toward Li Hao, waiting for him to release the hostages and make his exit. *Know when to stop!* *The man isn't even demanding that you return that siphoned Great Dao energy.* *Antagonizing Huntian at this stage is hardly wise.* *Your master will be freed as well; he's absorbed plenty of Five Elements energy to step into rank eight, and you've drawn immense Great Dao power to cross into the eight-thousand Dao principles tier. Aside from Huntian, you've reaped the greatest harvest of all!* Li Hao surveyed his surroundings, then glanced toward the Human King and the others. With a slight smile, he nodded. "Very well, my thanks to Fellow Daoist for your generosity... However, Order's Heavenly Policy was actively merged into my Dao River by you. Right now, it permeates almost the entire river, and I have no way to purge it cleanly. I'm afraid I cannot return it to you..." The moment those words fell, the atmosphere tightened instantly. Sovereign Chunqiu's expression shifted, and she furrowed her brows as she looked at Li Hao. Order's Heavenly Policy... She couldn't help but urge, "Extract it..." Li Hao shrugged helplessly. "How could it be that simple? It isn't that I covet it intentionally; rather... it has completely fused into my Dao River. Of course, if Fellow Daoist Huntian insists on having it back, I can hand it over..." With that, Order's Heavenly Policy manifested from within the Dao River, though it appeared somewhat battered compared to before. Yet that was not the crucial point! Huntian took a single look, his expression shifting. He said softly, "Li Hao, are you doing this on purpose?" Upon Order's Heavenly Policy, there was not merely the power of order; it was also suffused with boundless power of faith, as though tens of trillions of mortals were prostrating in worship! It shone like a blazing sun! The moment it appeared, the cultivators trapped within the Dao River grimaced in discomfort. Countless thoughts surged into their minds: protect humanity, guard humanity, shield humanity... Even Huntian frowned. He, too, utilized faith. Yet... never in a manner so difficult to put into words as Li Hao's. Far too much power of faith was entangled with the power of order. If he took it back, even he would suffer tremendous interference. He began to understand how Li Hao had resisted the invasion of Order's Heavenly Policy. Fighting poison with poison! *You want me to protect order? Then I will have you protect humanity—not merely protecting them, but dying for them, sacrificing yourself, and fulfilling every human desire...* And this ran completely counter to Huntian's Dao of Order. The order he enforced demanded that everyone discard desire! Desire had no place. One needed only live an honest, dutiful life. Yet the faith Li Hao had gathered encompassed all of those desires, and was extraordinarily dense. Reclaiming Order's Heavenly Policy might well provoke a conflict within Huntian's own Great Dao. No wonder Li Hao had said that if he wanted it... it wasn't out of the question. Provided he was actually willing to take it. Huntian closed his eyes briefly, seemingly lost in thought. A moment later, he spoke: "Order's Heavenly Policy is the symbol of order and its very wellspring! Li Hao, I have no desire to clash with you at this moment. You should be capable of severing everything within it yourself. Even if you cannot, that Hong Yitang of your Silver Moon should be able to manage... Return Order's Heavenly Policy, and this matter ends here!" A hint of impatience crept into his tone. Li Hao seemed to be trifling with him! Li Hao shrugged. "That won't do. Martial Uncle Hong is still a normal human being. If he siphons off this much faith, he'll turn into a genuine puppet. Think of a way to peel it away slowly yourself... If you want it, I'll return Order's Heavenly Policy right now. If you don't, it will simply remain here..." "Li Hao!" Huntian snapped in irritation, "Do not test my patience repeatedly! Or do you truly believe that because Chunqiu and the others are here, you can act without restraint?" Li Hao regained his calm. "I'm not testing you; you were the one who merged it into my Dao River in the first place. To resist your invasion, I had no choice but to draw upon this faith to counter your order! Now that the two are inextricably entangled, is that my fault? If you want it, I will give it to you. What more do you want?" Huntian felt a surge of vexation. He couldn't tell whether Li Hao was deliberately provoking him or was truly powerless to separate them, but right now, a headache was setting in. Reclaim it? If he took it back, stripping away that faith would pose a severe challenge. A tremendous hassle! If he didn't reclaim it... order in the west might spiral out of control. He did command the Dao of Order, but the power of order within Order's Heavenly Policy was the wellspring of order itself, not even native to the chaotic Great Dao. Invading Li Hao earlier had cost him a fortune. Furthermore, he needed that power of order to suppress the surging darkness within himself. "You... seem not to care about Yuan Shuo's life?" he said slowly. Li Hao shook his head. "I am no cold-blooded monster. People always love to misunderstand me, but I care deeply. Master, wouldn't you agree? Look, I'm offering six rank-eight experts and the Huntian World in exchange for my master, who has only just entered rank eight and is utterly feeble... Frankly speaking, are you still not satisfied with such an exchange?" Huntian did not answer, merely gazing at Yuan Shuo. Yuan Shuo sighed helplessly. "Why are you looking at me? I'm just a captive, powerless to do anything. Besides, hasn't he offered you everything? Look: the people, the world, Order's Heavenly Policy... Just put in a little elbow grease and strip the faith out yourself; it shouldn't be that much trouble!" Huntian's gaze turned dark. This master and disciple seemed completely indifferent to their own survival! Sovereign Chunqiu looked as if she wanted to say something, but Li Hao turned to her and smiled, explaining, "Fellow Daoist Chunqiu, I appreciate your good intentions. Order's Heavenly Policy is merely laced with some power of faith and a few stray desires... Neutralizing the order is actually a good thing. That way, it might even keep Fellow Daoist Huntian's darkened heart in check... and restore his clarity." Chunqiu's heart stirred. She had previously focused solely on getting everyone to set aside conflict for the moment, but now her thoughts began to turn. *Right!* *Suppressing absolute order with faith and desire, neutralizing it entirely, and keeping the darkened Huntian in check along the way—that might not be a bad thing at all.* At this, she spoke up: "Huntian, it is merely some power of faith. Since Li Hao is willing to return it, just take it! It is human faith, and you are human yourself. If I, a demon, haven't objected, why do you care so much?" "..." Sovereign Huntian looked toward Chunqiu and murmured softly, "Chunqiu, are you playing dumb, or are you truly a fool?" His gaze turned sharp. "I have always understood your motives. It's just that... as a cicada that broke the cycle of fate, you ought to cherish what you have, rather than... craving ever more. Greed is bottomless, and your desires have already transgressed order and broken the rules!" He then looked toward Long Zhan in the distance. "The rise of the Primal Chaos clan does not necessitate ruling the entire chaos. Peng Cheng is living well right now. So long as your Primal Chaos clan abides by the rules of chaos, or integrates from chaos into the Great Dao Universe, many troubles can naturally be resolved..." Long Zhan had remained silent throughout. Seeing Huntian address him directly, he let out a soft sigh. "A Primal Chaos clan integrated into the Great Dao Universe... wouldn't that make us mere demons? Naturalized demons... are inferior even to true demons! The Primal Chaos clan was once the darling of the chaos, yet after naturalization, we would become slaves of chaos, servants of myriad worlds... Huntian, since all you care about are the rules... how about letting me govern them on your behalf?" He suddenly smiled. "My demands are modest. The Primal Chaos clan is small in number, and I have made certain preparations... Humanity is vast and numerous; I could never truly exterminate the human race!" Here, he revealed his true intention: "Certain civilizations possess totemic symbols—spiritual anchors of faith. I have an idea, though I do not know if you will agree: my Primal Chaos clan can exist independently outside the myriad worlds, but to ensure our spirituality is not lost and our heritage endures, humanity... may select one of us as a civilization's spiritual totem! "Merely a spiritual solace and symbol. My Primal Chaos clan will not interfere in human affairs; we ask only that our clan serve as your human spiritual faith for generations to come. That would settle everything!" The moment those words fell, expressions shifted slightly. The Human King curled his lip. "We humans revere only ourselves, never anything else... Of course, I speak only for myself. If others are willing, it makes no difference to me; it has nothing to do with me anyway. My Xinwu... will never revere a beast!" Long Zhan looked back at Huntian. The Human King's opinion mattered little; his focus was entirely on Huntian: "My visit today was not to oppose Fellow Daoist Huntian. I merely seek a future for my Primal Chaos clan! If Fellow Daoist agrees, I can even abandon my aspirations and cease striving for chaotic hegemony... withdrawing entirely from the struggle for supremacy..." Making such a concession was agonizing, but he knew that for the Primal Chaos clan to rule the entire chaos was harder still. Under the circumstances, settling for second best might prove the wiser course. Huntian said nothing. At this moment, a single sentence might suffice to bring Long Zhan into the fold, but... a spiritual faith? How could that be permitted? His order demanded absolute freedom from desire—or rather, the complete eradication of all negative impulses. The Primal Chaos clan embodied savagery, ambition, and madness. The west bowed only to order, not... some so-called Primal Chaos clan. Even stepping back, Long Zhan was still opposing him. Huntian did not take the bait. Long Zhan understood. He smiled, a mixture of resignation and relief washing over him, and chuckled softly: "I see. I knew that things begged for... are never reliable. It's just that seeing how formidable you all are made me somewhat cowardly!" In that instant, he achieved complete peace of mind. You couldn't beg for it! There was only... war! One had to fight for it with one's own hands. Behind him, the experts of the Primal Chaos clan wore complicated expressions. The Dragon Lord had exposed his own vulnerability before the other hegemons, willing to abandon his original ambitions just to secure a chance of survival for the Primal Chaos clan. Yet... the others refused to grant it. Even though Long Zhan was exceedingly strong. It still wouldn't do. Even when all he asked for was a mere spiritual symbol, it was denied. He had no right to make such a request! At this realization, the Primal Chaos experts felt a surge of rage and humiliation. Like Long Zhan, they sank into absolute silence. Matters had reached an impasse. The two sides held each other in check. Yet Huntian refused to give up Order's Heavenly Policy. "There is another way..." Huntian spoke again: "Li Hao, since you are unwilling to surrender Order's Heavenly Policy, then... assimilate into order and govern it on behalf of my west! My earlier proposition still stands: join the ranks of order, and you shall be the Lord of Order!" Li Hao shook his head. A glint of dark radiance surfaced in Huntian's eyes. "I have already yielded again and again, stepped back time and time again!" A formidable aura seeped outward, sending tremors through the void. One after another, the rank-eight powerhouses unleashed their immense pressure, intimidating every direction. The Human King yawned, glanced at the assembly, and muttered, "If you're going to fight, just fight already! You two have been prattling on forever, but in the end, isn't it still settled with fists? What's the point of all this posturing?" Chunqiu and the others turned to look at the Human King, thoroughly speechless. Everyone was exercising restraint precisely because the rank-nine Sovereigns still endured. If the rank-nine Sovereigns weren't around, people would have been tearing each other apart long ago; who would waste time on so much empty chatter? Right now, if everyone fought to a bitter end... should a few rank-nine Sovereigns descend, wouldn't they all be wiped out in one fell swoop? At that moment, Li Hao chuckled. "From the very beginning, I knew this would be hard to negotiate, near impossible to settle! Everyone here is domineering; I'm the only exception. But even if I'm not overbearing... I can't just retreat endlessly, can I? I offer you Order's Heavenly Policy, but you won't take it. I offer six rank-eight experts and the Huntian World for my master, but you refuse... You want to deal with me, yet dread the intervention of rank-nine experts; you want to kill me, yet fear shattering Time..." He laughed softly, turning his gaze toward the others. "Honestly, before today, plenty of people had the power to kill me. Tianfang's clone, Calamity's clone, Long Zhan, Chunqiu, Huntian—any of you could have..." "Yet each of you merely talked about it, never truly steeling your resolve to pay the price required to put an end to me... Aside from Senior Human King, all of you have reservations, higher pursuits. Including Long Zhan—even if everyone had agreed to your proposal, you wouldn't necessarily have accepted... You were merely finding a graceful way to step down." Long Zhan knit his brows slightly. Li Hao continued, "What you dread is not me; it is merely the rank-nine Sovereigns, merely Time! "I must thank the Emperor of Battle Heaven for granting me so many opportunities—so many chances to survive! "To have reached this point today, the Time left to me by the Emperor of Battle Heaven has played an immeasurable role!" Li Hao spoke with utter sincerity, for it was the unvarnished truth. The Emperor of Battle Heaven had given him countless chances. Chances to stay alive! The weak could not contend with Time, and thus could not kill him. The strong hesitated repeatedly because they needed Time and feared no one else could wield it. Whether it was Calamity's clone or Tianfang's clone, in truth, the one they primarily wanted to deal with wasn't him. They did not wish to kill him, but merely to suppress and subjugate him... and the same held true for Huntian. Long Zhan had held back repeatedly, never using full force against him even in the Four Regions. Why? For this exact reason! Time! The crowd merely listened, offering no rebuttal. Li Hao went on, "Because Time exists, I have received far too much leniency and preferential treatment. If Time were gone, or if someone else could wield it, I imagine... everyone would waste no time eliminating a troublemaker like me." Li Hao smiled. "Huntian, wouldn't you agree? If not for Time, you would have pulverized me with a single punch by now. Why bother talking this much? Offering me the position of second-in-command, negotiating and making concessions again and again... Fellow Daoist Chunqiu is the same, terrified that I might surrender to you or meet some mishap, rushing about trying to save me..." The Human King chuckled. "So you do have some self-awareness! I thought you genuinely believed everyone was in love with you!" Li Hao laughed. "How could I? It's not like I'm universally adored. I've killed plenty of people and offended just as many. I even killed Long Zhan's woman, yet he treats me with nothing but courtesy... Don't tell me he wants to take me home as his wife?" Long Zhan's face darkened. Feng Yan's expression twisted with fury, and Black Tiger radiated cold, murderous intent. Li Hao was truly abominable! "In this era, apart from Xinwu, no one lacks a grudge against me... Well, even with Xinwu there are minor grievances. I've stolen Senior Human King's thunder a few times; had we been enemies, he would have slapped me to death long ago..." The Human King roared with laughter. "You're not wrong about that! But since you're my junior, I'll let it slide!" The two bantered in perfect harmony. Then the Human King grinned. "You look to me like someone who's tired of living. How about this: open a heaven! Renounce Time, sever the chaotic Great Dao for a spell to disrupt the descent of the rank-nine Sovereigns, and without Time weighing on you, you'll be completely free! You can kill whoever you want, and whoever wants to kill you won't hold back in the slightest! Without Time, you're nobody; if you want to die, no one will stop you! Right?" Li Hao beamed brilliantly. "Senior Human King... you truly know what's in my gut like a tapeworm..." "Get lost!" The Human King cursed with a chuckle. "If you can't come up with a decent metaphor, keep your mouth shut! What do you need that extra tongue for? Do you think I don't see through your little schemes? Now that everyone's here, open the heaven! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! Of course, what everyone's worried about right now is that once you open a heaven, you'll grow even stronger and shoot straight for rank nine... Would you truly give it up? I believe you, but they sure don't!" He laughed heartily. "Truly, I believe you! In my view, Time brought you great achievements, but it also bound you in chains. You're an insufferably pretentious hypocrite: since they don't try to kill you, you feel embarrassed killing them... To put it plainly, you're so thoroughly melodramatic that you need a bit of self-abuse to feel good!" He burst into another round of laughter. "I know your type all too well—hypocritical to the bone, yet convinced that it's righteousness... Well, not entirely wrong either; righteousness has always been hypocritical!" He surveyed his surroundings, his voice booming with merriment: "See, I'm not like Li Hao; I don't play games. Li Hao wants to open a heaven, discard the Dao River, merge Time into it, and select a third-generation wielder of Time... Do you believe it? If you do, help him achieve it! If you don't... then we're going to have ourselves a grand time playing today!" Li Hao sighed with emotion. "My parents gave me life, but the one who truly knows me is the Human King. Human King... if anyone ever badmouths you again, I'll cut them down for you." The Human King laughed uproariously, then spat out a curse. "Do I look like I need you to cut people down for me? You really think you're stronger than me now?" The Human King sneered in mock disdain. *This brat is taking liberties with me!* At this moment, Huntian and his followers seemed to finally realize Li Hao's true objective. Huntian's gaze flickered. Li Hao... intended to open a heaven! So that was it! He wanted to do it right here... Huntian's face turned grim in an instant. This was the west—his territory—and Li Hao wanted to open a heaven right here! Bastard! Chunqiu and her companions were visibly shaken. Chunqiu's eyes darted about as she stared at Li Hao, cursing inwardly: *No wonder you refused to leave! You sneaky little bastard!* *So calling for reinforcements was part of your plan all along?* *Utterly shameless!* In an instant, auras surged in turmoil. Formidable presences spanned the four directions. Huntian stared coldly at Li Hao. Opening a heaven was fine, but doing it in the west was out of the question—that was the first issue. Second... he didn't believe Li Hao would genuinely abandon the Dao River. In other words, after opening a heaven, Li Hao would likely emerge even stronger! When that happened, he would become a colossal menace to the entire chaos. No one yet knew what benefits opening a heaven would bring, but at the very least, pioneering heaven and earth would elevate one's comprehension of the Great Dao. Li Hao might instantly open six thousand worlds, or even seven thousand... If that came to pass, would anyone still be capable of subduing him? ... At this very moment. In the chaotic depths. The Lord of Tianfang suddenly opened his eyes. "Chaos has failed. Li Hao may be about to open a heaven. The west is a suitable location. Whether a third-generation Time cultivator emerges, or Li Hao continues to wield it... may well be decided today! Everyone, shall we wait, or... intervene once more to take control ourselves?" One stone statue after another opened its eyes. Opening a heaven? Today? How could that be! Yet for Tianfang to speak thus, he had clearly perceived things the others could not see, sensing what they had failed to detect. For a time, even the depths of the chaos began to churn in turmoil. To stop him, or not?