Prelude

Suppressed by the Divine Kingdom, the Chaos Great Dao was clogged. Here in the west, Li Hao intended to open a heaven and earth, reopen primal chaos, and let worlds be reborn. Darkness descended upon Huntian. Order dissipated. With Li Hao persisting like this, Huntian no longer harbored any hope—any hope for peace. He had to stop Li Hao. Huntian turned his gaze to the others, fixing it upon Long Zhan. His voice remained calm. "If the Human King stops me or Chunqiu stops me, it makes sense! At any other time, if you were to stop me, that would make sense too... But Li Hao is opening a heaven, opening a chaos heaven, reopening chaos, and severing the path of chaos. The spirit of chaos will only disperse even faster. Are you going to stop me as well?" Li Hao intended to open chaos right here. Stirring up the Chaos Great Dao and even siphoning the spirit of chaos was hardly beneficial for the Primal Chaos clan. Did Long Zhan intend to support Li Hao too? Ahead, Li Hao stepped through the void without any sign of haste, pulling away from the crowd behind him as though searching for the perfect location. Long Zhan’s expression shifted. His ambitions were equal to Huntian’s; both desired to unify the chaos. Preventing Huntian from growing stronger was something he had to do. Yet Li Hao opening a heaven... was also something that had to be stopped. If Li Hao opened a heaven, it would inevitably throw the Chaos Great Dao into turmoil, deplete the spirit of chaos, and weaken the Primal Chaos clan even further... How could he allow Li Hao to succeed? Originally, having heaven-opening consume the descending spirits of the rank nines was a good thing. Now, however, the rank nines truly were not descending, yet the Primal Chaos clan would suffer the most. Long Zhan’s expression turned somber. The Primal Chaos clan held no advantage in this place; the human race was the truly dominant force. They were so dominant that even rank nines dared not casually slaughter trillions upon trillions of humans... Not before the eyes of other top human powerhouses, at least. Even if they dared in secret, they would never dare in the open. In the end, humanity still reigned supreme in the chaos. What should he do? He drew a deep breath. There was no clean way out. At this moment... if it was to save Li Hao from being killed by Huntian and thereby bolstering Huntian’s power, he ought to stop Huntian. Yet if Li Hao insisted on opening a heaven, he had to stop Li Hao. The situation changed in the blink of an eye! In a situation like this, a single misstep could lead to eternal doom! Long Zhan barked in a low voice, "Li Hao, if you return to the east and Huntian tries to stop you, I will certainly block him! But if you choose to open a heaven... you make yourself an enemy of my Primal Chaos clan!" Li Hao kept walking forward, his voice drifting back ethereally. "I didn't even spare my teacher. Do you think I care whether you make yourself my enemy? Long Zhan, you overestimate yourself. If you block me, I will kill you. It’s that simple!" It was indeed that simple. He had driven his own teacher to death—did he care about your stance now? He didn't care in the slightest. Li Hao’s voice was tinged with cold indifference. "Long Zhan, the energy to open a heaven might not be enough. Slaying powerhouses of your Primal Chaos clan might just fill the gap. When Chunqiu brought you here, I tacitly permitted it, knowing full well you would try to stop me. But now, I am the one giving you a choice, not the other way around. If you insist on opposing me... killing one is killing, and killing millions is killing all the same. Whether the Primal Chaos clan survives this calamity depends on you, not me!" Behind him, powerhouses rapidly caught up. Li Hao did not linger, seeming to press further into the depths, heading toward the end of the Ninefold Heavens. Huntian moved with astonishing speed. Paying no heed to anything else, he merely cast back a fierce shout: "Stop the Human King and Chunqiu!" The Ninefold Guard mobilized at once. At present, they still possessed ten rank eights alongside four other rank eights who had pledged allegiance, and their commander was exceptionally formidable, his strength staggering. Hearing the Dao Lord’s order, they spun around to charge toward the Xinwu and Chunqiu factions. Long Zhan’s eyes flickered, and he growled, "Stop Li Hao from opening the heaven!" Beside him, the chaos powerhouses stirred with excitement, feeling a rush of satisfaction. That was how it should be! Li Hao was their arch-enemy. Li Hao had slain far too many powerhouses of the Primal Chaos clan and bore blood debts with several rank eights: Feng Yan’s mother, Black Tiger Sovereign’s Dao companion, Qingqiu’s grand-aunt, the Red Moon World... All those people and worlds had been destroyed by Li Hao’s hands. When Long Zhan had compromised with Li Hao before, they had been deeply dissatisfied, but Long Zhan’s prestige was too immense for them to object. Today... turning against Li Hao was precisely what they wished to see. In an instant, Black Tiger’s roar shook heaven and earth. "Kill Li Hao!" Kill that beast! Feng Yan was equally thrilled. Weak though they were relative to the top figures, they were still rank eights, and hope for vengeance flared within them. The Human King’s side had many rank eights, and together with Li Hao’s subordinates, their total count was substantial. However, top-tier powerhouses were scarce. At this moment, Chunqiu Sovereign’s expression shifted, and she called out, "Human King, leave this place to them! Let’s follow Li Hao..." The Human King slashed out with his long saber, driving back the Ninefold Guard commander. Yet his opponent’s strength was terrifying. The Human King’s blade vibrated; the clash had merely ended in a draw. And this was only one of Huntian’s subordinates, not Huntian himself. The Human King bared his teeth in a grin. Strong! Ahead, Huntian was still pursuing Li Hao, whom he clearly outmatched. Long Zhan’s forces were charging toward the Thunder Emperor and the rest, while Long Zhan vaulted into the air, darting straight toward Li Hao. If the two joined hands, Li Hao was dead beyond doubt. The Human King cursed under his breath, "Whether he opens it or not has jack shit to do with me..." Why should he help Li Hao? He had come to watch the show! Li Hao opening a heaven brought him no benefit either. At that moment, the Supreme chuckled. "Go on, leave this place to us! Whether you’re watching the show or borrowing Li Hao’s hand to butcher every strong enemy, drop the act. Silver Moon did come from our Xinwu, after all..." With a light laugh, the Great Dao Book emerged, and tens of millions of avatars manifested. Looking around, he shouted, "Powerhouses of the Chunqiu Domain, heroes of Silver Moon, comrades of Xinwu—heed my command! Slay the powerhouses of the Primal Chaos clan and the Huntian Domain!" Chunqiu’s side still had five rank-eight great demons. Xinwu and Silver Moon also fielded multiple rank eights, combining into over a dozen rank-eight combatants. Between Long Zhan and Huntian, their rank eights also numbered more than a dozen, so the numbers were roughly balanced. The crux was that if the Human King and Chunqiu departed, the Ninefold Guard commander would be exceedingly difficult to handle, being extraordinarily powerful. The Supreme looked toward the Yang God. "Old Yang, if you and I team up, can we hold him?" The Yang God was speechless. The nicknames these people used... truly left one helpless. Could they hold him? The commander of the Ninefold Guard commanded terrifying combat prowess around eight thousand Daos. Both he and Zhang Tao were cultivators of only four to five thousand Daos. Never mind two of them—even three or four working together might not match the man. Yet if the Human King and Chunqiu did not leave, Li Hao facing two top-tier hegemons on his own had zero hope. Only by sending the Human King and Chunqiu to assist Li Hao—ideally to pin down Huntian, leaving Li Hao to fight Long Zhan alone—would there be any glimmer of hope! It would be brutal! Yet having come this far, and knowing that after the heaven was opened Emperor Yu might descend... the Yang God’s gaze sharpened, and he nodded. "Let’s try! But... it’s damn dangerous!" The Supreme smiled. Excellent. He added with a grin, "Your fist techniques are peerless. Why don't... you go first, and I’ll follow!" *Fuck!* the Yang God cursed inwardly. This guy really wasn't human—pulling this crap even now. Still, things had reached this point... there was nothing more to say. The next instant, the Yang God’s aura erupted completely. Divine characters materialized, suppressing heaven and earth as he roared, "Old ghost, come fight me!" Earth-shattering force surged as a fist struck out, hurtling straight at Jieduan. Jieduan was also a pinnacle powerhouse. Seeing the Human King break away and soar into the sky, his eyes turned frosty. His combat power was formidable; in this place, Li Hao, Long Zhan, and the Human King were all around eight thousand Daos, on par with him. Chunqiu was somewhat stronger, and Huntian was naturally stronger still. If one were to rank the top five, Jieduan would easily make the cut. Yet now the Human King ignored him to chase after the Dao Lord. Jieduan sneered. Fine. In that case... he would slaughter all the rank eights of Xinwu, Silver Moon, and Chunqiu before going to assist the Dao Lord! "Ninefold Guard, Primal Chaos clan, hear my command: kill them!" His aura exploded with astonishing ferocity as his sword thrust toward the Yang God. Strong though the Yang God was, it was only relative; this man who had merged three bodies might advance quickly, but compared to Jieduan, he was still far off. Over thirty rank-eight powerhouses instantly clashed in the void, locked in desperate battle. Heaven fell and earth split! The barriers of the Ninefold Heavens shattered wildly, the shockwaves sweeping across the entire west. The Yang God and the Supreme struck out together, engaging the supreme powerhouse. Though outmatched, they managed to hold on for the moment. In truth, two cultivators near five thousand Daos lagged far behind their adversary. Crucially, however, a cat was present, moving without a sound, liable to appear at any moment. A fishing rod bobbed over Jieduan’s head from time to time, annoying Sovereign Jieduan to no end. This cat was not to be provoked either. When it came to causing chaos, it was second to none. …… Li Hao continued forward. Behind him, Huntian, Long Zhan, the Human King, and Chunqiu pursued in haste. Li Hao moved with blistering speed, treading across time itself, his figure flickering and vanishing in the blink of an eye. Each time he reappeared, he was already vast distances away. Huntian was in no hurry now. The farther Li Hao went, the better. This was the core of his western territory; a pitched battle here would blow the entire west apart. If Li Hao was willing to move further away, that was ideal—preferably to the far end of the west, the true edge of the chaos. Clearly, Li Hao had no intention of blowing up the west. Otherwise, lingering here with so many powerhouses fighting would plunge the west into upheaval and shatter order completely. Leaping through the void, crossing time and space with every stride. Li Hao pressed on without pause, while the powerhouses trailing him refrained from trading blows, focusing entirely on the chase. After a time, Li Hao halted. In the distance lay what seemed like endless darkness. A tempest of turbulence swept through heaven and earth, yet it did not cross a certain boundary, as though confined to a specific zone. This place was the end of the west, and perhaps one of the ends of the chaos. Behind him lay the boundless expanse of the western domain. Li Hao stopped. Huntian materialized in an instant, looking at him. "At least you have some sense!" It was a relief. Not near the Huntian territory. The Human King and the others quickly caught up. At this stage, differences in strength—or rather speed—were plain to see. Chunqiu looked relaxed, while Long Zhan and the Human King were slightly out of breath. Their speed was fast compared to most, but Huntian was immensely powerful, Chunqiu mastered the years, and Li Hao commanded time—all were adept at traversing great distances. The two of them were half a step behind. The Human King let out a breath. "Fuck, why'd you run so far?" Chasing him was exhausting! Running this far meant that if Old Zhang got beaten to death back there, he wouldn't even make it in time to save him. That Jieduan was extraordinarily formidable. Even with Old Zhang and the Yang God teaming up, matching him was a tall order—just as Li Hao had easily subdued six rank eights. Jieduan might not possess as many tricks as Li Hao, but his raw power was hardly weaker. Li Hao turned back, looking at Huntian. "Is this the end of chaos?" Puzzled, Li Hao asked, "Is chaos... singular?" Just like worlds: inside a world, one assumed the world was unique. Only after stepping outside into the chaos did one realize worlds were not singular. In fact, there were many, many more! Countless worlds! Dwelling within the mountain, one knew not of the mountains beyond. Huntian had regained his calm. At this moment, he even had the leisure to reply, "No one has ever walked out of chaos. Whether chaos is singular or not, perhaps... one can only know by walking out. Besides, there is no need to know right now. We haven't even unified chaos, so why speak of anything beyond?" It didn't matter. True enough! Li Hao nodded. "This place is good. Relatively quiet, peaceful, and close to order." As his words fell, a long river emerged, piercing through heaven and earth in all directions! Tributaries branched out, and stars manifested, transforming into domains. At this moment, Li Hao seemed enveloped by worlds, surrounded by domains on all sides. The quiet edge of chaos instantly lost its tranquility. The long river surged! "Right here will do!" The massive commotion seemed to draw the attention of creatures across the surrounding expanse. At this quiet western border, the end of chaos, living beings seemed to perceive something, glimpse something, and in an instant, the place was no longer peaceful! Li Hao did not dally. Countless domains orbited him as heaven and earth shifted color. Across the entire region, all Daos seemed to fall silent in an instant, expelled by his presence. Huntian appeared in the blink of an eye! The Human King and Chunqiu arrived just as quickly. Chunqiu manifested tens of millions of avatars, nearly frenzied, and in that moment reverted to her true form: a cicada, petite, translucent, and extraordinarily beautiful. "Huntian, what if he does open a heaven?" Chunqiu’s chirp resonated like the revival of heaven and earth. Sun and moon emerged, and time and space grew radiant. What if he does open a heaven? Huntian remained silent. Easy to say when it wasn't your own territory! Chunqiu spoke lightly, but what if Li Hao opened a heaven in your south? I would say 'what if he does' too! Without a word, Huntian unleashed the power of darkness, throwing the entire chaos into violent upheaval. Li Hao’s river energy was instantly repelled, but Li Hao, crowned with sun, moon, and stars, paid it no mind. Long Zhan transformed into a golden dragon, soaring into the sky and lunging straight for Li Hao! Huntian could handle two opponents alone. Long Zhan’s task was to stop Li Hao from seizing the spirit—the spirit of the Chaos Great Dao. The golden dragon roared, its tail piercing the void. With a single strike, the river shook, stars shattered, and tremendous force manifested across heaven and earth, cracking chaos itself. In an instant, Long Zhan appeared near Li Hao, his massive eyes brimming with cold determination. "Li Hao, stop!" By this point, Long Zhan knew Li Hao would not stand down, yet his feelings were complicated. In his eyes, Li Hao was a crucial figure in dealing with the rank nines. He did not wish to make an enemy of Li Hao right now. Truly. He had accepted Chunqiu’s invitation not to target Li Hao, but events had moved too fast, leaving him no choice but to intervene. Li Hao said nothing. Five thousand domains manifested around him, their immense energy sweeping across all of heaven and earth. He looked at Long Zhan. The golden dragon’s aura was staggeringly powerful, its blood qi so abundant it nearly fractured the chaos. Today’s Long Zhan seemed even stronger than before. Li Hao chuckled lightly. His long sword appeared and slashed out, sending domains hurtling like colossal astral bodies—five thousand stars aligning in a single straight line. Myriad Daos shifted in formation. The five thousand stars marshaled like troops, transforming into a dragon of their own under the sword’s direction and charging directly at Long Zhan! Li Hao himself did not close the distance. His opponent was a supreme powerhouse of the physical path; engaging him in melee offered no advantage. Sun, moon, and stars flickered in Li Hao’s eyes. In an instant, the Time Star surfaced on his brow, sending myriad Dao fluctuations rippling with radiant brilliance. Opening a heaven was not as simple as carving out a space. It was exceedingly troublesome! Li Hao had simulated it several times, yet he still felt a tremor of tension. He drew a deep breath. Suddenly, the Time Star seemed to collapse, revealing myriad Daos and small domains, cloaking the entire world in time. In that breath, the whole universe trembled violently. One Great Dao star after another converged into a line, seeming to envelop the void and trap Long Zhan within. In every direction, rivers appeared, circling heaven and earth. Long Zhan’s massive tail swept across! His blood qi was formidable to the utmost. Shattering the void with brute physical force, a single blow pulverized several stars. Li Hao gave a soft grunt. With Long Zhan obstructing him, opening heaven would be difficult; it was not something accomplished in a heartbeat. He turned to Long Zhan, who fought with savage ferocity, charging straight through and obliterating every sword ray in his path. Nurtured by Li Hao, the Cangqiong Sword had grown exceptionally potent, yet sparks still flew as the dragon’s tail struck it. Countless cracks appeared, mended in an instant, and were shattered anew. Li Hao frowned slightly. He extended a hand, and drops of blood welled from his fingertips, dripping into the world. The blood coagulated, taking the form of multiple copies of Li Hao, who marched into the Cangqiong Sword and merged with the blade. Instantly, two divine characters surfaced upon the divine sword: *Cangqiong!* "With my blood, I suppress the Cangqiong!" With a low shout, the Cangqiong divine characters flared with dazzling brilliance. It was as though the chaos gained an additional layer of heaven and earth; where once there was neither sky nor ground, distinct realms were now demarcated! The two divine characters drank in countless drops of blood, and heaven and earth struck in unison! Sword qi flooded the void! Fierce sword intent struck at Long Zhan, while on the periphery, the clash of the other three powerhouses left the chaos devoid of light, obliterating all Daos! Unruffled, Li Hao did not aim to kill Long Zhan—merely to hold him off for a moment. Opening the heaven had only just begun. The Time Star began to crack. Above Li Hao’s head hung a colossal Great Dao—the Chaos Great Dao itself. The Queen seemed to surface within it once more. At the end of the Dao, countless eyes seemed to peer down at them. Li Hao paused briefly and looked upward. Suddenly, turning his body into a sword, he merged into the Chaos Great Dao in an instant. Body and blade severed the way, causing the Chaos Great Dao to shudder and roar! He was severing the Dao of Chaos! Long Zhan let out a sudden roar. The Chaos Great Dao convulsed violently, attempting to cast Li Hao out entirely. Long Zhan possessed the spirit of chaos and held a measure of authority over the Chaos Great Dao. Limited though it was, he could still counter Li Hao’s cutting. Li Hao glanced back at Long Zhan with slight exasperation. This fellow... was truly an annoyance. Stopping him time and time again! He needed another layer of obstruction. "Five Elements gather force!" With a low shout, the five elements that had scattered across all directions reconvened in an instant. A phantom materialized, bearing some resemblance to Li Hao, yet also resembling... Yuan Shuo! The phantom appeared, gathered the five elements, and threw a punch. Straight at Long Zhan! Still not enough. Li Hao slashed his own flesh again. In that instant, his five viscera appeared, resembling five blood-red figures no larger than fists, carrying the blood qi of his body as they manifested. They merged into the phantom! The phantom surged with power and charged toward Long Zhan. …… Deep within the chaos. The supreme powerhouses were watching closely. The Five Elements Dao Lord spoke up: "What a ruthless man. Mobilizing his internal foundation, fusing essence, qi, spirit, and blood, and uniting the five elements with the five viscera... Though he can barely withstand Long Zhan for now, over time his viscera will collapse and the five elements will shatter. Even if he succeeds in opening a heaven, it might not strengthen him—it could very well deplete his own power." He could not quite understand Li Hao’s decision. Opening a heaven was meant to strengthen yourself, not weaken yourself. If you carry on like this, even if you succeed, how much stronger could you become? You might only end up weaker. "His teacher’s spirit has merged with the surroundings to wield the five elements for him, which isn't weak. But... against Long Zhan there are three parts hope; against Huntian, it will be harder than ascending to heaven. This attempt is likely doomed to fail." Some did not favor Li Hao’s chances. Though the Human King and Chunqiu were strong, they were still inferior to Huntian. Long Zhan had delayed Li Hao’s progress, and Li Hao was struggling immensely just to lay the foundation for opening heaven. Actually opening it would be near impossible! …… Li Hao’s face was somewhat pale now. He didn't mind. He remained inside the Chaos Great Dao. Behind him, Long Zhan was still tangled with the phantom, but the phantom was outmatched and forced into steady retreat. Clearly, Long Zhan’s might surpassed the phantom’s strength. Long Zhan unleashed a dragon roar that shook all directions. Blood coursed within the phantom as countless droplets ruptured and scattered across heaven and earth. Li Hao did not look back. Embodying the sword, he hacked at the Chaos Great Dao. He had even wanted to sever a portion of the source of chaos, but unfortunately, the source lay even deeper, behind the rank nines. Reaching it was hopeless unless he charged into the depths of chaos right now to wage war against the rank nines. They hadn't intervened while he cut the Chaos Great Dao. If he barged in, however... he would likely be torn to shreds in short order. "A pity..." Li Hao murmured. What a shame. If he had the source of chaos to assist him, it would have been stronger and far simpler. Alas, he couldn't reach it. Nothing could be done! He could wait no longer; waiting would only breed more trouble. At that moment, Li Hao exhaled, and a Time Star manifested once more, as though the star he had earlier dissolved into myriad worlds had reformed. Only, this Time Star lacked some of its luster. Exclamations of surprise rang out! Where had a second Time Star come from? Soon, someone seemed to recognize it. In the depths of chaos, the Lord of Tianfang looked over and shook his head. "A fake. It has the form, but not the spirit. Li Hao reassembled it through special means; it is not true time!" This went to show that even if one truly grasped myriad Daos, it might not yield Time! This star had actually been copied by Er Mao and later reassembled by Li Hao to form a Time Star. In truth, it was merely an imitation, devoid of any temporal capability. …… Even as Tianfang revealed the star's origin, Li Hao understood it better than anyone. Time was singular. With the original still existing, this one could not possess temporal power, nor did he need it to reverse time. The moment this counterfeit star appeared, Li Hao’s flesh tore open, and blood streamed into the star alongside his Dao. In an instant, boundless Great Dao energy poured into it. Endless chaos energy flooded in. Within Li Hao’s body, Dao meridians that had long become stars assumed astral form once more, merging into the counterfeit star. Having severed a section of the Chaos Great Dao, Li Hao deposited that into it as well. The entire star seemed to come alive. At this moment, the rank nines seemed to realize what Li Hao was trying to do: he wanted to create... a simulated source of chaos. Among the rank nines, a mighty existence chuckled. "He wants to create a source of life by gathering myriad Daos and nurturing it with flesh and blood. But he is mistaken. A source of life cannot be manufactured so simply. We can all open worlds and Dao domains, yet none of us can open a world capable of truly giving birth to living beings..." Because the source of life originated from the source of chaos at the very end of the Chaos Great Dao. That could not be created! Li Hao thought he could turn a fake Time Star into a source of life by gathering myriad Daos and feeding it with his own flesh and blood—it was simply too naive. A source of life created like this might serve a brief purpose, but it would soon degrade into uselessness. The other powerhouses seemed to realize this as well. In the distance, the Human King, sent flying by a punch from Huntian, couldn't help shouting, "Fuck! Opening a heaven before you're even prepared? Can that damned thing become a source of life? Stop messing around! Just open an empty heaven, get an epiphany from the birth of myriad Daos, and be done with it..." Did he truly intend to create a chaos capable of birthing life? Could that even work? It was plainly absurd! Their assumption had been that Li Hao would simply open an empty heaven to observe the dawn of myriad Daos, but Li Hao’s ambitions were far greater: he wanted to forge a true chaos and manufacture a source of life! To actually birth living beings between heaven and earth... wasn't that pure nonsense? Li Hao still ignored him. In this world, even Great Daos could give birth to living beings, and spirits of the Great Dao could manifest—so why couldn't a source of chaos appear? The essence of life lay in spirit. It lay in intelligence! When the astral Daos possessed intelligence and spirit, they would naturally become a source of life. Of course, it was extraordinarily difficult. While Long Zhan was still occupied, Li Hao glanced at the star before him. Just as the others thought, though a faint glimmer of spirit had emerged, turning it into a source of life was practically impossible. Li Hao took a deep breath. Right then, he plunged a hand into his own chest and tore out a bloody, beating heart. In a soft voice, Li Hao said, "Being heartless isn't so bad. At my level, my heart... must contain a tremendous amount of life spirit. Merging it inside might temporarily substitute for a source of life, wouldn't it?" "..." The combatants in the distance couldn't help glancing over. Long Zhan struck the phantom back and looked at Li Hao, his massive eyes flickering with gravity. Li Hao had gone completely mad. At their level, regenerating from a drop of blood was well within reach. Yet the heart remained the crux of one’s lifespan and vitality. Destroying it was a grievous injury. Moreover, the heart held immense life essence. Now Li Hao had carved it out himself... and was merging it into the counterfeit Time Star. The star began to throb. Long Zhan even felt... he didn't need to intervene; Li Hao might just kill himself! This madman could truly end his own life right here. Even with the heart merged, however, it was not enough. It might sustain things for a short while, but even if some life were born, it would soon be exhausted. The life force within was ultimately finite. Li Hao was powerful, but he was still only a rank-eight cultivator. It wasn't enough to sustain an entire world’s operation. After birthing an initial generation of creatures, the world would likely wither away again. Then it would all be meaningless! Inside the counterfeit star, something seemed to be brewing. Li Hao seemed to catch sight of it and let out a light laugh. In an instant, the true Time Star converged, and a wave of temporal power washed over! The entire counterfeit star expanded rapidly! *Thump, thump, thump...* It sounded like a heart beating, growing stronger and stronger—yet it soon began to wither, the beats growing fainter. Long Zhan knocked away the approaching phantom once more and charged straight for Li Hao, sighing, "Why bother? It cannot succeed! If a source of life could be created, why would my Primal Chaos clan need to go this far? We could simply create another source of life instead of making enemies of the entire world!" Li Hao was possessed! He had fallen completely into madness just to create a world. Across the chaos, the hardest Dao to decipher was not Time, but... the origin of life! You, a mere rank eight, wish to conjure a source of life out of nothing? If it were that easy, everyone would have made their own and ruled their own chaos, rather than tangling endlessly in this one. "You don't understand!" Li Hao shook his head. "Life evolves; it isn't conjured from nothing. There is no Creator. As long as the source of life can birth the faintest trace of life, it will eventually evolve into all things!" "Then we establish a cycle of life and death, of recovery and return... expanding bit by bit, drawing in chaos power from outside, growing from weak to strong, strengthening our own lives. After death, returning to the source of life, allowing the source of life to grow on its own... do you understand?" He smiled. "This too is a Dao. The Great Dao is weak at first, but as long as you continually reinforce it, it will eventually reach the pinnacle! Besides, what I am creating is only a pseudo-chaos. As long as it absorbs chaos power, transforms it into life force... gives rise to powerhouses, who then perish and return to the source of life... a cycle of samsara, revolving endlessly... that is enough!" The difficult part of a source of life was not strengthening it, but... keeping it from extinguishing! Maintaining spirit and vitality without fail—that was the key. It required stabilization! It must not extinguish under the passage of time. As long as that was achieved, natural evolution would take over. Yet right now... it was not enough. Under the cover of temporal power, it was extinguishing, aging, decaying... Carrying on like this meant that given enough time, the entire source of life would dissipate. Something was still missing. Li Hao pondered, then turned toward Long Zhan, his eyes tinged with crimson. "Perhaps something is missing. Long Zhan, tell me: after killing you and stripping away your spirit, will it keep life from extinguishing?" Long Zhan was tied to the spirit of chaos. Killing him might do the trick. With that thought in mind, Li Hao suddenly emerged from the Chaos Great Dao, striding toward Long Zhan. Since you won't leave, I’ll kill you first and see! Long Zhan smiled instead. While Li Hao remained merged with the Chaos Great Dao, he had felt somewhat wary. Now that Li Hao had stepped out, he would be far easier to handle. In that moment, the five elements spirit wavered. It dissolved in an instant, its power returning to Li Hao’s body. Li Hao’s aura surged. In the distance, the battle between Chunqiu’s trio was still raging. Even fighting together, the Human King and Chunqiu were battered by Huntian. The Human King had it worst... as Li Hao had expected, since he was the weakest among them. Without merging with Xinwu, the Human King was naturally no match for his opponent. Yet Li Hao believed that a man like the Human King, who had survived hundreds of battles and possessed boundless resilience, would not be easily slain by Chunqiu or Huntian as long as their side didn't collapse. He might not be the strongest, but against anyone, he could endure for a time. His conviction was frighteningly steadfast! "Human King, hold on a little longer. Once I succeed in opening heaven, if I can kill a few rank nines, everything will be yours..." *Boom!* The Human King was thrown back, coughing blood. He cursed, "Quit painting goddamn cakes for me! When I was scamming people with empty promises, your ancestors were still single-celled organisms!" Who are you trying to fool! When I was young, I conned countless people, washing my hands of it only when no one left was worth conning. A wet-behind-the-ears kid like you trying to string me along? Give me a break! Li Hao let out an embarrassed chuckle. Right, he had forgotten. The Human King was a master of that craft. He added, "Then... I can write you an IOU. Let me owe you for now..." "Shut your damn mouth!" The Human King’s saber shattered. Roaring, he transformed his very body into a blade and howled, "Eat my strike!" Blade qi tore across heaven and earth! Huntian retreated half a step. A desperate Human King was not to be taken lightly. He did not fear him, but Chunqiu was beside him, manifesting tens of millions of avatars as cycles of time withered and obliterated myriad Daos. Neither alone was his match, yet the Human King fighting for his life alongside Chunqiu’s disruption was genuinely vexing. He was not truly invincible after all! Huntian exhaled, then waved a hand. The Ninefold Heavens rippled, and across the entire west, thousands of worlds shook as boundless world power seemed to surge toward him! His grasp over the west was far greater than outsiders imagined. In an instant, thousands of worlds seemed to wither as their world power converged. Huntian struck out with a palm, swatting the Human King—who had only just surfaced—straight back into the void! Flesh tearing and blood streaming, the Human King grunted, then grinned. "Nice! Plenty of kick! Just the way I like it—feels damn good! Huntian, hit me again! If you don't kill me, you’re the one who’s gonna die!" A hardened scoundrel like this, if not killed in a single blow, seemed never to tire! Vulgar curses spewed endlessly from the Human King’s mouth. "You fucking prick! Pull down your pants and I can't even see a damn thing! Your hits are as tiny as that little tool of yours... what, giving me a massage?" "..." The Human King’s profanity echoed between heaven and earth, shaking all directions. Huntian looked utterly livid. He considered his forbearance unmatched, yet the Human King... was simply too foul-mouthed. A sovereign of Xinwu, a king of a great realm, cursing worse than the sleaziest street thug. …… Li Hao couldn't help laughing. The Human King was truly bursting with vitality. Even beaten to such a state, his mouth remained as stubborn as ever. Now, Long Zhan had broken free of the entanglement and appeared before Li Hao. The golden dragon unleashed its aura, shaking heaven and earth. He offered no more advice; Li Hao was beyond reason. His immense physical body swept directly forward, devoid of flashy technique. As the supreme powerhouse of the Primal Chaos clan, his physical might was his greatest weapon! Formidable bodily power shattered all Dao strength in its path; even when Li Hao’s temporal power washed over, it was smashed apart by the sheer force! Myriad Daos, heaven-opening force—in Long Zhan’s eyes, it was all the same: overcome by sheer strength. Li Hao unleashed the five elements, unleashed life and death, unleashed decay and revival, unleashed desires... Great Dao energies surfaced continuously, only to be swept away and shattered again and again. Long Zhan pressed closer. Beneath their feet, chaos was torn asunder, and the Ninefold Heavens were thoroughly pierced through. Li Hao took several steps back, catching his breath. He shook his head. Troublesome! Long Zhan met all changes with constancy, relying purely on that invincible physical body. No matter what techniques Li Hao switched to, Long Zhan countered with the same brute force, leaving a cultivator versed in countless Daos at a loss. Finding his rhythm, Long Zhan spoke again, his voice rolling out: "Li Hao, you cannot even match me, yet you wish to open heaven and recreate chaos? You are being overly arrogant! Stop now—there is still time..." "Long Zhan, beast of chaos though you are, you are the most indecisive person here, without a shred of relentless drive!" Li Hao mocked him. Long Zhan said nothing. I know. Yet I... am not like them. Behind me lies my entire race, whereas you... the Human King can blow up Xinwu at any moment, you can drive your teacher to death, and Chunqiu’s kind cannot survive past a single year—born and dying in cycles, she fears little. As for Huntian, his ambition is to unify the realm, and necessary sacrifices mean nothing to him. Only my Primal Chaos clan struggles to give birth to new life. My ambition is not world conquest, but the enduring prosperity of my people. Our pursuits are different. Li Hao continued backing away, his laughter carrying over: "Long Zhan, if you let go a little, you might be stronger—not standing on equal footing with me and the Human King as you are now. You would at least qualify to fight Chunqiu. Your hesitation is the root of why you fall short of them." In the distance, the Human King coughed blood. "Damn it, who are you talking about? I’m number one under heaven! Are you saying... I’m on the same level as you two?" "..." He always felt being lumped into the same tier as Li Hao was somewhat humiliating. Li Hao smiled. "Once I open heaven, I won't be. Don't be vexed, Human King!" "..." Get lost! The Human King ignored him; those words held no goodwill. He had no energy left to retort anyway, for Huntian was growing stronger. On his own western turf, that monster fought with rising ferocity, and the Human King was on the verge of being beaten to death! Though getting beaten was a regular occurrence, this time he genuinely had almost no means to strike back. It was infuriating! Glancing out of the corner of his eye toward Li Hao, he saw that beneath the carefree laughter, the guy had actually worn himself down. Fighting Long Zhan, he was squarely on the back foot; three against two, yet they were being overwhelmed. As for reinforcements, forget it. If Old Zhang wasn't killed by Jieduan, it would already be a stroke of luck. If reinforcements arrived, they would belong to Huntian, not them. Huntian landed another punch that cracked his bones, prompting the Human King to yell, "If you can't handle Long Zhan soon, I’m running... I’m about to get killed!" At this point, Huntian felt a wave of relief. The Human King was about to retreat. Though outmatched, that fellow was far too stubborn, launching frantic attacks again and again. Even if he suffered far worse wounds just to leave a tiny scratch on Huntian, he celebrated as though he had scored a kill! Trading blows with someone like that was a massive headache. Li Hao was also in steady retreat. Yet his eyes began to shine with growing brightness. It should be just about ready! *Long Zhan, you brought this entirely upon yourself. The Primal Chaos clan will not perish, but it will surely fall into deep decline.*