Striking the Heart

The blood-colored star shone with ever-increasing brilliance. With Red Moon dead, Li Hao’s enemies were now virtually extinct. As for the current rank-nines—Huntian, Chunqiu, and the rest... Strictly speaking, these people were not enemies. They shared no deep-seated grudges. At most, theirs was a contest of Great Daos. In Li Hao's eyes, who lived and who died in a clash of Daos was entirely natural. There were no grievances to speak of—it came down purely to whose fist was bigger. He turned his gaze toward Chaos. At that moment, Chaos had already slain several rank-nine clones and cut down multiple rank-eight experts. He grew fiercer as the battle raged on, seemingly holding the upper hand. That alone showed just how formidable this rank-nine true body was when bolstered by the power of time. Yet Li Hao sighed inwardly. *Time!* Sometimes, it truly was a deadly poison. Just like when he had first come into contact with time, the sensation had been so intoxicating that one could never pull oneself away. Relying on time, he had defeated many enemies, but the price paid was... undergoing four cycles of reincarnation between life and death! Without those cycles of life and death, Li Hao would have perished long ago, consumed by time itself. *Chaos, you are no longer young!* These people had already attained rank-nine a million years ago. How could they possibly be considered young? Constantly driving the power of time made him invincible and overwhelmingly powerful, slaughtering clone after clone of the rank-nine Sovereigns, but... was his lifespan truly limitless? He had pushed time almost to the level of rank-eight. Every single activation incurred an immense, staggering toll. Yet in truth, Chaos barely felt it. Only those who had wielded time understood that wandering through the River of Time made one feel truly immortal. In his early days, Li Hao had merely made simple use of it a few times, yet his lifespan was exhausted again and again. He had walked straight to the very end of his life. *Chaos, can you reverse life and death?* *If you cannot... how long can you sustain such an intense, grueling battle?* *With your rank-nine cultivation, how long can you live?* *Two million years?* *Three million years?* *Or even longer?* Time sealed off the heavens and the earth, shattering those rank-nine clones into oblivion. He indeed appeared peerlessly ferocious, but... hadn't he noticed that his hair was already turning white? How many could withstand the temptation of time? In fact, Li Hao himself had once failed to resist it. In the beginning, he had deployed time again and again, borrowing strength from the future, roaming into the past... When had he finally awakened? Only after dying several times in succession! Only when his lifespan was halved, his memories eroded, and his emotions dulled—when he reached a state of having almost no desires or cravings—did he realize that time had lured him to the brink of an abyss. Even as mighty as the Human King was, he had never dared to lay claim to time, because he knew that in all likelihood, he would be unable to withstand its allure. His greatest strength was simple: he flatly refused it! *I know I cannot resist it, so I will not take it.* Li Hao had lacked the luxury of refusal at first. Later, his eyes were opened, so he too chose to let it go. Thus came today's scene of Chaos wielding time. Right now was perhaps the most glorious moment in Chaos's entire life! Over twenty rank-nine clones and dozens of rank-eight Sovereigns had gathered. Aside from the few slain by Long Zhan, Chaos had already slaughtered seven or eight of them! Such a zenith surpassed even the moment he had first stepped into rank-nine in the distant past. "Hahaha!" With a booming laugh and a thunderous roar, Chaos Sovereign smashed another rank-nine Sovereign clone to death. Panting heavily, laughing wildly, he had truly reached the pinnacle of his life. Invincible! Surrounded and besieged by so many, facing experts who had once acted so arrogant before him—even though these were merely clones, each still represented the true power of their masters. Yet now, they were being slaughtered by him one by one! An onslaught of this scale was potent enough to slay an actual rank-nine, but now... their numbers dwindled as he butchered them relentlessly! Time was simply too potent! He didn't know how to use it in complex ways; mastering just two methods was more than enough. First, freezing space and time. Second, shuttling through the River of Time. The former rendered enemies completely immobile, while the latter boosted his speed to the absolute extreme. Killing people—killing top experts—was actually this simple. At this moment, Chaos seemed to finally understand why Li Hao had remained undefeated through a hundred battles! With an ability like this, who could stand against him? Against those of the same rank, it was practically an instant kill! ... *Huff!* The sound of heavy, ragged breathing echoed across the area. Every expert was drenched in blood, their expressions solemn and grim. Even the Lord of Tianfang was panting violently. Though they were merely clones, they had manifested fleshed bodies. Relying on the power of time, Chaos was systematically eradicating them. When they had descended, there were more than twenty rank-nine clones, but now, only half remained. Many of the rank-eight reinforcements had also been slain by Chaos. At this moment, if Sovereign Huntian had not proven exceptionally formidable and led the Ninefold Guard to besiege Chaos, the latter might have already broken through their encirclement! However... The rank-nine experts all seemed to notice something, and the look in their eyes changed. Chaos's once-black hair was now almost entirely flecked with white! A faint aura of decay began to seep from his body. Everyone's expression shifted slightly! Some turned their heads toward Li Hao, sudden thoughts flashing through their minds. *This...* Chaos’s use of time was undeniably terrifying, but... why did he feel... as though he were marching toward decay? Several looked toward the Lord of Tianfang. At this point, the Lord of Tianfang seemed to have anticipated this long ago. He merely cast a glance at Li Hao and said nothing. Time could kill! Cultivators of time traveled through past and future and froze space-time. Whenever they utilized a power of time that was not natively cultivated by themselves, it inevitably invited grave consequences, consuming a vast amount of lifespan. In fact, Li Hao had rarely used time for direct combat in the later stages. He had mostly used it for support. And in the early days... Li Hao had walked through cycles of life and death multiple times. Chaos, however, did not know the Life and Death Dao. Even if he did, he had never condensed a heart of life and death. Could someone like him reverse life and death? And even if he could... would he possess enough energy to traverse reincarnation? He was a rank-nine Sovereign! Tianfang looked toward Li Hao, his gaze flickering. That brat must have known about the pitfalls of time all along, yet he had never uttered a word. Surrounded by enemies and desperately trying to break out, Chaos was bathed in the glory of slaughtering countless foes. In such a state, even if he sensed the drain on his lifespan, he would hardly care. If this continued... would Chaos literally die of old age? Tianfang stared fixedly at Li Hao! Just then, having finished off Red Moon, Li Hao suddenly spoke: "Chaos, it's best you give up on time.... Time hastens aging. Using the power of time is, after all, borrowing external strength rather than cultivating it yourself. Each use burns away a massive amount of your lifespan!" "You have battled so fiercely until now and expended far too much. If this goes on, beware of dying of old age!" "Give it up?" In the distance, Chaos Sovereign stood peerless and overbearing. Sovereign Huntian, who had previously suppressed him, was now being beaten back step by step. Chaos felt as though he had truly reached the pinnacle of existence! His white hair flew wildly in the wind as he said with chilling coldness, "Li Hao, I know you excel at scheming. Perhaps... all of this is within your calculations! But now that time is in my hands, do you truly think I would give it up?" He had felt it. He had sensed the drain on his lifespan. Yet having reached this stage, give it up? He had already paid an immense price! He had thoroughly offended every rank-nine Sovereign. On top of that, this feeling of invincibility under heaven, this sensation of manipulating existence itself, left him... completely unable to pull away! Hadn't all his cultivation up to this day been for this very moment? To be invincible beneath the heavens! Li Hao chuckled softly. "Time is the ultimate desire—I said so long ago. A good word cannot dissuade a ghost bent on dying. In that case, you had better hurry up. Kill all your enemies as quickly as possible, or else, when your lifespan runs dry at the end, you won't have a shred of hope left! Right now, your only way out is to slaughter every single one of them, break through their encirclement, comprehend life and death, condense a cycle of life and death, and gather enough power of reincarnation. That way, even if you die of old age, you can still be reborn!" "Li Hao!" the Lord of Tianfang barked furiously. *Damn it!* That brat was doing this deliberately. Yes, it was glaringly intentional. Chaos knew his lifespan was being consumed, so he had actually maintained a degree of restraint, likely pondering how to resolve the problem. Now, Li Hao had handed him a straightforward solution. Kill everyone swiftly, seize their energy, break out of the encirclement, cultivate life and death, establish a cycle of reincarnation, and live another life. Then all troubles would vanish. How could Chaos fail to be moved by such words? Sure enough! Chaos’s eyes flickered slightly. He glanced at Li Hao, forced Huntian back with a punch, and said coldly, "Why... are you telling me this?" Li Hao smiled. "You are a rank-nine. Even seduced by time, there is no way you wouldn't perceive your lifespan draining away. Second, if you don't kill them quickly and drag this out, variables are bound to arise. Third, as long as you remain alive, they won't have the time to bother with me. If you truly end up dead, with so many rank-eights and rank-nine clones around... wouldn't all their eyes turn straight to me?" This group of people was exceptionally intricate. None of them were truly on the same side. One moment they wanted to protect Li Hao, the next they wanted to kill him—their motives constantly shifted with the changing tide of battle. At that moment, in a corner of the battlefield, the Lord of Tribulation gritted his teeth and rasped, "Tianfang, everyone, why don't we just kill this bastard first and be done with it!" He was thoroughly enraged! Did that scoundrel truly think everything was under his control? A mere rank-eight, yet here he stood, dictating the fates of all, playing everyone in the palm of his hand. Did he truly believe no one dared to kill him? If Li Hao were killed, would it truly be impossible to activate time again? With that in mind, he added, "Even if we don't kill him, we cannot leave him unchecked! Suppress him first so he doesn't cause any more trouble! We cannot let him roam free and act as he pleases!" Suppress Li Hao! Everyone still harbored deep misgivings about actually killing him, but suppressing him was entirely feasible. Even Chaos would support it. Perhaps it might even grant everyone a moment to catch their breath. Li Hao looked at him and smiled. "Tribulation, I haven't dug up your ancestral graves, so why make yourself my enemy? It was merely a clash in our memories a million years ago. You are far too petty and bear too much of a grudge! Look around me. Are there any enemies left nearby? Has anyone else called me wicked? Why must you be the odd one out?" "..." The Lord of Tribulation’s face twisted in fury! *No enemies left?* *Everyone here is your enemy!* It was just that everyone who held a genuine personal grudge against him had already been slaughtered clean by this little bastard! Of course he had no enemies left! Meanwhile, Chaos Sovereign said nothing. His aura surged once more, and just as he was about to strike out and butcher the surrounding experts, Li Hao spoke again: "Right, Senior Chaos, do you know how to reverse time? Back then, a million years ago, you were a true rank-nine.... If you reverse time, you can return to your peak state from those ancient days—a genuine rank-nine Sovereign!" "..." The entire battlefield fell dead silent for a fraction of a second. Even Chaos Sovereign could not help but roar in fury, "Do you take me for an idiot?! Reversing a million years of time—do you think I don't know the consequences? I would instantly die of old age..." Li Hao chuckled softly. "Dying of old age is still better than being killed by others! First restore your peak strength, slaughter everyone here, and seize their life force and Great Dao energy. That way, you'll still have a shot at sustaining yourself.... Of course, it's best kept as your trump card. At a critical juncture, you could even break through the Chaos Great Dao, wield time to charge into the depths of the primal chaos, slay a few true rank-nine bodies, and plunder the Chaos Source... and then you'll instantly recover!" "..." Chaos’s expression shifted drastically! *Fuck!* These were the whispers of a devil. He didn't want to listen, yet right now, he couldn't stop himself from listening, couldn't stop himself from pondering it. *If I truly return to the peak combat power I had a million years ago, while still commanding time, and instantly fight my way back into the depths of the primal chaos, could I... kill a few rank-nine true bodies, seize the Chaos Source, and directly refine it?* *And then... would I become truly invincible?* *Then I wouldn't have to fear time consuming my lifespan!* He knew! He knew full well that this was Li Hao’s scheme, that Li Hao was tempting him, yet he... was teetering on the edge of madness. He roared in rage, "Do you take me for a fool?! How could that be possible! Over twenty rank-nine true bodies stand guard there! Now that you've said it out loud, how could they not be on guard? It is impossible for me to succeed!" Nearby, the Lord of Tianfang spoke in a low, grim voice: "He is bewitching you! Chaos, if you truly take this seriously, you will surely die! Chaos, time has already ensnared you beyond salvation. Relinquish time! If you continue like this... you will die without a doubt!" It was the truth. He could sense that Chaos was genuinely wavering. Anyone else in his shoes would waver too. Every single word Li Hao spoke was the truth! Li Hao’s suggestion was viable, and the outcome was real—provided everything unfolded flawlessly: breaking through the Chaos Great Dao, slaying rank-nines, delving into the depths of the Chaos Source, refining the origin... Then Chaos would truly reign supreme! However... was that possible? Chaos himself knew the chances were slim. Yet a slim chance meant there was still a sliver of hope. To beings of their level, having even the faintest hope of becoming the supreme hegemon of the primal chaos—the sole hegemon... was still worth a gamble. Even if he couldn't do it right now, when the final moment came, when he was on the verge of defeat and death, wouldn't anyone in his position stake it all on one desperate gamble? Anyone would! Chaos Sovereign snarled in anger, "Do you think I'm an idiot? That I would believe him? As for giving up time... Tianfang, you are daydreaming! You want it for yourself, all of you want it, so why shouldn't I be the one to wield it? You had no opportunity, but I do! If time were in your hands, would you ever give it up?" All these rank-nines kept preaching the evils of time purely because they had failed to seize it themselves. If it were handed to them, guaranteed not a single one would utter another word against it. Chaos was furious beyond measure! *Just because I'm weaker than you?* *So I am unworthy?!* *Damn it!* His heart blazed with fury, and he could not stop his mind from turning over Li Hao’s words. Naturally, one couldn't take everything Li Hao said as gospel; he was describing an ideal scenario. Breaking through the Chaos Great Dao, entering the Chaos Source, seizing the origin, becoming the greatest under heaven... Yes, it sounded magnificent... but it was far too difficult. However... what if he truly reversed time to return to a million years ago, and what if... what if he fought and slew a single rank-nine? For instance... the Life and Death Dao Lord? Could he seize the power of life and death and directly enter reincarnation? Then... would there be hope for rebirth? Li Hao’s words circled in his mind like the insidious whispers of a demon. At this moment, he could feel his lifespan constantly draining away. Although his enemies were fewer, completely crushing them might truly require him to exhaust his lifespan entirely! What should he do? While he was still brooding over this, Li Hao spoke up once more: "Oh, right, I forgot to mention: aside from reversing time, you can also accelerate it forward, or even summon the future... just like I did last time, calling forth a future powerhouse to fight for you. It's just that the future is uncertain! Perhaps your future is bleak, one of utter ruin, in which case summoning it might yield... absolutely nothing. The past is still far more reliable!" "Furthermore, there is one more thing.... Your Chaos Dao is currently still merged within the Chaos Great Dao, bound and restricted by it. Although it isn't as cumbersome as Long Zhan's situation... once you win, those people in the depths might strip away your Dao of Chaos. So if I were you, I would find a way to sever the Chaos Dao from the Chaos Great Dao.... Time can accomplish this: reverse back to the past, and you can extricate your Chaos Dao from the primal chaos..." "Perhaps the true bodies of those rank-nines are already working on doing just that right now!" "Li Hao!" "Li Hao!" "..." In an instant, furious roars erupted from all sides—from Tianfang and his cohort, and from Chaos himself. *Damn it!* *Bastard!* *I can barely take this anymore! That's right, my Chaos Dao is still rooted deep within the Chaos Great Dao. Now that I have turned against them, what if they join forces to sever my Chaos Dao?!* Although time was immensely powerful, his mastery over it was not yet deep... Suddenly, Chaos grew anxious! Deep within the primal chaos, on its outer perimeters, countless Great Daos stood erect, almost manifesting as physical pillars—the very sources of their Great Daos. If... those rank-nine lunatics decided to snap his Dao at all costs, he might truly find himself in grave peril! At the thought of this, Chaos grew frantic! Tianfang and the others were also on the verge of losing their composure! Yes, this was indeed a contingency measure they held in reserve. Chaos might not have considered it before; amid the chaotic battle, he had no time to ponder such things. Yet now that Li Hao had voiced it... They were deeply worried that Chaos might truly reverse time to a million years ago and restore his peak combat power! If that happened, disaster would strike! Li Hao yawned and continued, "And another thing: the Dao of Tribulation has always been inextricably entwined with time. If you don't kill the Lord of Tribulation, it will be very difficult to evade his tracking. Even if you slaughter them all and flee, he will still be able to lock onto your location.... That fellow's tribulations are everywhere!" *Crackle! Boom!* Lightning converged in an instant. At that moment, the Lord of Tribulation could bear it no longer. He abandoned all concern for Chaos. He wanted to tear this bastard Li Hao to shreds! If this dog didn't die, he would be nothing less than a devil incarnate. Every single sentence he spoke was the absolute truth, yet every single sentence dripped with boundless malice and irresistible temptation! How could a mere youth be this vicious? He was more of a calamity than Tribulation itself! He was an outright catastrophe! "Tribulation..." the Lord of Tianfang called out in a low voice, his brows furrowing slightly. Their fury was genuine, but killing Li Hao right now... The Lord of Tribulation roared, "I won't kill him, I will suppress him! No one stop me! You deal with Chaos, while I suppress this beast! I will infect him with plagues and torment him with heavenly lightning until he begs for death!" "Human King, Chunqiu... work's here!" Li Hao called out with a chuckle. "You two shouldn't bother meddling in the rank-nine battle. Let them tear into each other. Why not come over here and lend me a hand? Now that things have reached this point, let the dogs bite dogs, and we can... just watch the show!" In the distance, the Human King was busy absorbing Yin-Yang energy. Hearing this, he laughed. "Are you worried Chaos will go berserk and kill everyone in one fell swoop, so you want us to take refuge with you? I'm afraid that if he does go berserk, the very first person he'll want to kill is you!" He spoke without the slightest hesitation. Jokes aside, the Human King still stepped across the void, shouting toward the figures within the circle of battle: "Chaos, when you erupt in a moment, kill Huntian first! That fellow's order has collapsed, and he's practically turning into chaos himself. He might try to contest your authority over chaos. Kill him first... and then you can kill Li Hao! Just don't come after us. We're very supportive of you! See, I even helped you kill the clone of the Yin-Yang Dao Lord!" Over on the other side, Sovereign Chunqiu had no idea what to say. She could only mutter sullenly, "I helped you kill... killed the clone of the Life and Death Dao Lord!" In short: kill whoever you want, just leave us out of it. Chaos Sovereign was thoroughly infuriated. He blasted Huntian away with a punch and roared, "Bastards! Do you think this seat needs to reverse time?!" *I don't need to!* These bastards were acting completely certain that he was going to reverse time—it infuriated him to no end! *I know this is Li Hao’s trap. Would I fall for it so easily?!* *What if I reverse time and drop dead of old age right on the spot?!* *Will you take responsibility?!* At this moment, Tianfang also said in a deep voice, "Chaos, do not listen to them any longer. Every single one of them excels at deception! They are merely bewitching you. Reversing a million years of time means certain death!" *Damn it,* he was furious too! The more they spoke and reminded him, the angrier Chaos became, and the more it proved that Chaos had actually taken it to heart. If a dignified rank-nine didn't care, would he bother arguing back in the middle of battle? He had clearly been swayed! At this moment, the Human King slashed a saber toward the Lord of Tribulation’s clone, laughing, "Jinx, get lost! I have no interest in killing you!" The Lord of Tribulation’s face turned ash-gray! *A jinx?!* The Human King chuckled. "What are you glaring at me for? If the Lord of Tribulation isn't a jinx, what else could you be? That's what you are, don't deny it! If your true body were here, I might fear you by three-tenths, but you're just a clone. Long Zhan butchered several of you just now, and I just slaughtered Yin-Yang. Do you think I can't kill you?" He chuckled again. "Chunqiu is here too, along with Li Hao. Unless three to five of you come together, you don't stand a chance. But right now, can you even spare three to five rank-nine clones? Once my Xinwu experts arrive... we won't fear even five of you! Scram and go fight Chaos, or else... I'll truly slaughter you!" Li Hao also stood in the void, looking at the Lord of Tribulation with a smile. "Don't look at me, I didn't insult you! Jinx... ah, no, Tribulation Dao Lord, instead of wasting time coming to pick a fight with me, wouldn't it be better to deal with Chaos Sovereign? Why keep staring at me?" The Lord of Tribulation’s face was livid with rage! Yet he also knew that alone, he was no match for these people. In a one-on-one fight, any one of them possessed the capability to slay a rank-nine clone, unless their true bodies descended. Right now, pulling several rank-nine clones away was completely unrealistic, and... the others might not even agree to it. Fury blazed within his chest! Suppressing his burning desire to punch Li Hao to death, he spun around and left, charging straight back into the melee. Li Hao laughed and called out, "Chaos Sovereign... in that case, I will begin opening the heavens. Tianfang, senior Sovereigns, please help me hold him off for a while.... When I am halfway through opening the heavens, I hope you will have slain Chaos so that time can return right on schedule without delaying my affairs!" "Chaos, don't die too quickly either! If you die too fast, I worry... that time will return prematurely and interfere with my creation of the new world! Keep tangling with Huntian for a while, and don't rush to unleash everything at once. From what I see, your lifespan can still hold out a bit longer..." "..." Every expert glared back with eyes spitting fire! *Bastard!* *Despicable!* *Detestable!* *This person... deserves death!* At this moment, Tianfang and the others were thinking: let Li Hao open the heavens. Once the new world was created, time would return. Li Hao... might truly surrender time. Since he had dared to hand it to Chaos, he would dare to hand it to someone else. Besides Chaos, a fourth-generation cultivator of time might emerge... and in any case, anyone would be better than these two! Meanwhile, Chaos Sovereign was grinding his teeth in pure hatred! *Damn you, opening the heavens?* *One could open the heavens without time, but what was the point of a world without time? If time was uniform, a pseudo-chaos without time wouldn't be particularly strong... Are you so convinced that I'm doomed to die?!* *Still, fine!* *If those three bastards run off to open the heavens, they won't have the time to join the battle!* *That works out nicely!* For both sides, these people leaving to open the heavens was indeed a blessing. Otherwise... with a group of powerhouses watching from the sidelines, both sides felt immense pressure and apprehension. And Li Hao, by stating this openly and magnanimously, was doing so precisely to put their minds at ease. *We won't cause trouble!* *Keep fighting, stake your lives on it!* *We are off to open the heavens!* The Human King glanced at Li Hao. Li Hao smiled. "Let's go. Not just you... Xinwu, Silver Moon... oh, and everyone under Chunqiu can take part as well! Opening the heavens is quite fascinating. The preparations are almost complete; all that's missing is the return of time. No rush!" He glanced toward Chaos and the others, chuckling. "By my estimation, Chaos will most likely either be beaten to death or die of old age... and time will return! Even in the worst-case scenario... well, the probability of his downfall remains the highest!" With that, he turned and walked outward. The Human King gave a wicked grin and quickly followed. He had no intention of continuing to fight here anyway. Over there was a large pack of clones, with hardly any true bodies present. What was the point of killing them? If they were true bodies, he might have been interested in snatching some spoils. Since they were merely clones, killing one brought little substantial benefit. He had already killed Yin-Yang; the rest hardly mattered to him. Sovereign Chunqiu was completely bewildered. Such a massive battle had erupted across the entire Western Region, and though Li Hao was clearly the instigator of it all, he was now walking away like an innocent bystander. She couldn't understand it; even now, she was utterly baffled as to how these people had ended up fighting like this. ... Soon, the trio departed from the battlefield. The Queen swiftly followed. Behind them, figures continued to gather. People from Xinwu, from Silver Moon, as well as the experts under Chunqiu’s command. The Ninefold Guard had rushed off to battle Chaos, and the experts of the Primal Chaos clan had been thoroughly wiped out. For now, they had no major enemies left to face; their foes were all too busy fighting amongst themselves. In an instant, those who had stood at the absolute center of the conflict were reduced to mere spectators. Li Hao looked toward Dao Chess. "Let's go. To the Four Regions!" "What?" Dao Chess froze. Go where? "To the Four Regions!" Li Hao smiled. "That is a fine place. It is where Silver Moon, Xinwu, the Tianfang Great World, the Tribulation World, and many other worlds were founded. It is also where the Chaos Spirit first emerged.... We will go there to open the heavens and split the earth! The Western Region has already been smashed to pieces, so why bother opening a world here? Let's go. Even if they know where we are headed, they won't chase after us immediately!" *To the Four Regions?* Dao Chess was completely dumbfounded! *You fought here for half a day, completely ruined the Western Region, and now... you're going to the Eastern Region to open the heavens?!* *Are you even human?!* *If you had planned this from the start, you could have just gone directly to the Four Regions, and Huntian wouldn't have fought you in the first place.* *So all along... you were just stirring up shit on purpose?!* The others were also filled with complex emotions. Even the Xinwu Supreme's mouth twitched slightly. This kid was truly ruthless to the core. So from beginning to end, he had never intended to open the heavens in the Western Region! His goal all along had been the Four Regions! The Four Regions were currently the safest place—for no other reason than that its powerhouses had already been slaughtered clean! As Li Hao walked, he said, "Shatter the order of the west, and let the entire primal chaos be dominated by chaos! That way, when the new heaven is established, it will naturally become the gathering place for natural order. Do you understand what I mean?" Some did not. The Supreme chimed in: "You mean... order must inevitably exist. Since the west has fallen into disarray, the entire primal chaos has plunged into chaos, and order cannot currently be established here. When you open a new heaven, the natural reaction of the primal chaos will cause order to take root within the new world?" Li Hao nodded. "As expected, the Supreme understands me best! That is precisely what I mean. In this manner, order will return, restraining chaos, and Chaos will sooner or later be beaten to death... though that's another matter. Within the new world, order will naturally come into being without requiring too much effort on my part. Without breaking the order of the Western Region, there would be no way to establish a complete order in the new heaven!" "..." *He is far too sinister!* The group cursed silently once again. At this moment, Qian Wuliang couldn't help but ask, "Marquis, what about... what about Master Yuan and the others?" "They're fine. Their spirits were extracted by me and merged into the new heaven... Don't worry!" Li Hao smiled. "Did you really think I would slay my master to prove my Dao? I'm not that kind of person!" He chatted and laughed breezily, as though the fierce battle raging in the distance had nothing whatsoever to do with him. At this point, even Chunqiu could no longer hold back: "Was this your plan from the very beginning? Staying in the west, using me to bring everyone along, opposing Huntian, driving your master to his death, getting Long Zhan killed... was all of this part of your scheme?" Li Hao shook his head. Chunqiu let out a sigh of relief! Li Hao explained, "I didn't plan it this way at the start. Originally, I assumed no one would help me, and I was contemplating how to smoothly open the heavens on my own. Back then, my thought was: if Chaos didn't show up, I would hand time over to you. Paired with your Spring and Autumn cycle of withering and flourishing, you could revive your millions of clones. At that point, you would be peerlessly powerful, and you might even charge into the Chaos Source to strengthen your clan.... You might have fought even harder than Chaos! Crucially, your Dao of Withering and Flourishing matches well with time; turning all your clones into true bodies... tsk tsk..." Li Hao clicked his tongue. "To tell the truth, even I was a little worried. If you truly managed to wield it, restoring all your past bodies to their peak strength from the past... just how terrifying would you be? You could take on a hundred single-handedly.... At that time, with you storming the Chaos Source, my chances might have been even greater!" *Fuck!* Sovereign Chunqiu’s expression turned extraordinarily complex. *Fuck!* *Is... is this true?* *Or is he saying this deliberately?* Yet thinking carefully about it, if—if she truly commanded time, and all her clones were restored to their peak under the effects of time, would she... be even stronger than Chaos? Perhaps... yes! She possessed far too many clones, shedding a new form every year! It was only because her power transferred with each molt that her clones weren't overwhelmingly strong. But if she used the power of time to restore them all to their peak periods, how many rank-eight clones alone would she have? Even she swallowed hard. "Can it really restore clones to their peak combat power?" "It requires energy, and second, it requires consuming your lifespan to sustain them.... You don't have much lifespan left, but you could unleash an instant of blinding brilliance, restoring all your clones to their peak simultaneously to blow everyone away in one fell swoop.... Of course, you would be dead for sure, but that wouldn't be my problem anymore." *He truly has a heart of pure coal!* Sovereign Chunqiu’s heart trembled. She gritted her teeth and said, "I will never accept your time!" *If I don't take it, how can you scheme against me?!* Li Hao looked at her with a peculiar gaze and smiled. *You won't accept it?* *Are you serious?* *I don't believe you!* Of course, if she truly refused it, there was nothing he could do, but... was that really possible? Meanwhile, the others drew sharp breaths of cold air. *Holy fuck!* If what Li Hao said was true, and his original plan had been to transfer time to Chunqiu so she could revive all her clones, what kind of horrifying concept was that? Would an even more terrifying battle have erupted today? No wonder this fellow had remained so calm and unhurried, appearing completely unconcerned whether Chaos showed up or if variables arose. As it turned out... Chaos had merely been his secondary target, while his primary target was actually Chunqiu! Li Hao continued, "Don't overthink it, everyone. In truth, giving the power of time to anyone is better than keeping it myself! For instance, if I gave it to Long Zhan, and he channeled time to strengthen himself and agitate the Chaos Great Dao, it would also draw the siege of the rank-nines! If I gave it to Huntian, and he unified order, it would likewise draw a rank-nine onslaught.... Therefore, with those rank-nines around, handing it to anyone will inevitably trigger a war!" Giving it to Chaos was merely one of several backup options. In any case, as long as he was prepared to give it away, the outcome was practically predetermined. Giving it to anyone was fine, so long as it wasn't kept by someone who knew restraint. If any top expert got their hands on it, they would pose a far greater threat than Li Hao—primarily because Li Hao exercised restraint in using it, while others would not. The Human King grew displeased. "Are you saying you wouldn't give it to me? That I'm not as strong as them?" Li Hao sighed. "If I gave it to you... you'd cleave it apart with a single saber slash. How would I play the game then?" *What nonsense are you talking about!* *Weren't you the one who didn't want it in the first place?* *The Human King refused it. If I gave it to him and he hacked it to pieces... well, then nobody gets to play anymore!* The Human King chuckled. "Come on, I'm not that kind of person. Honestly... if I were you, just giving it away for free would be a waste. Why not hold an auction and sell it off? You could even make a handsome profit!" "..." Everyone was utterly speechless! *Enough out of you two!* Li Hao also smiled, choosing not to elaborate. "Let's not dwell on this. Activate the teleportation array; we're going to the Four Regions! If Chaos wins, it will take time. If Tianfang wins, he can descend at any moment, so he won't fear me running away!" Dao Chess said nothing more. Although teleporting a crowd of powerhouses consumed an immense amount of energy, who could care about such things at a time like this! Right then, Li Hao turned back to look at Chunqiu. "In a moment, please contribute some resources..." Chunqiu’s face turned sour! Li Hao explained, "The stronger the new world is, the better. When the heavens open, everyone will merge their spirits into it and comprehend the rebirth of the myriad Daos in the new world, which will benefit everyone! It will allow you to experience the true opening of heaven and earth! I have already paid an unimaginably massive price.... Of course, if you are unwilling, you don't have to participate!" "What about the Human King?" Chunqiu asked, clearly irritated. Li Hao explained, "He's poor, but you aren't! Besides, Xinwu and Silver Moon are of the same family. You, after all, are an outsider... right?" *Fuck!* Chunqiu truly wanted to curse aloud! She hadn't even wanted to take part... fine, she did have some interest now. She nodded, gritting her teeth. "Fine!" "Thank you for your generosity, Fellow Daoist Chunqiu!" Li Hao smiled. "Personally participating and observing the evolution of life and the myriad Daos will be an elevation for everyone. It will surely be very interesting!" At this point, he added with anticipation, "When time returns, it will be even more interesting.... I hope Chaos can be slain at the optimal moment. Dying too early is bad, and dying too late is bad as well!" "..." Everyone felt deeply exhausted. This guy was truly venomous! ... "Li Hao has fled!" Back on the battlefield, Chaos Sovereign roared in fury, "Are you still going to pester me?! He ran away! My control over time is not yet as refined as his. If you truly kill me and he successfully opens the heavens, bolstering time once more, he will be far more troublesome to deal with than I am! He went to the Four Regions—that is the root of the primal chaos! Opening the heavens there... everyone will be affected!" *Why must you insist on making trouble for me?!* Tianfang was also somewhat exasperated. "Then just give it up! Chaos, without time, you won't die! If Li Hao could surrender it, why can't you?" "..." Chaos had no words. *If you got your hands on it, you wouldn't be willing to give it up either. In any case... I will not let it go!* The next instant, Chaos Sovereign flew into a rage and cast all caution aside, freezing time once more. *Boom!* With a thunderous explosion, a clone of a powerful expert was instantly blasted to pieces by him. His combat power remained at its peak, but... his hair grew even whiter. He knew his lifespan had been depleted far too much! If this continued, they would truly grind him to death. These enemies were merely clones; only Huntian and a few others were true bodies. Slaying their clones caused their true bodies no real heartbreak, but he... would truly die. *You are all forcing my hand!* His heart blazed with unprecedented rage. *Because you won't die, you force me without the slightest scruple!* He cast his chilling gaze toward Huntian. *Others are clones, but what about you?* *You dare push me too?* *I'll slaughter you first!* At this moment, Chaos was engulfed in extreme fury and unwillingness. With Li Hao, the main instigator, having fled, Chaos felt deeply resentful that he had become the scapegoat, yet he remained utterly unwilling to part with time. In an instant, he was torn to the absolute extreme! "It's all because of you!" With that roar, he charged straight at Huntian, bellowing in madness as his power erupted uncontrollably! *I'll beat you to death, you bastard!* *The Lord of Order is no good, and you're even worse!* Huntian was also driven back step by step, coughing up blood repeatedly. His gloom at this moment was not a whit less than his opponent's. *My Western Region... has been completely devastated!* *Li Hao, that bastard, ran away.* *He never planned to open the heavens in the Western Region in the first place!* *Bastard!* *Had I known this would happen, I never would have done this! Now, not only have vast numbers of my subordinates died, but the Western Region has collapsed, order has crumbled, my own combat strength has been damaged, and I am being suppressed and pummeled by this bastard Chaos!* *Li Hao has truly brought disaster upon everyone!* At this moment, the Chaos Great Dao convulsed once again. Clearly, Li Hao’s earlier words were coming true. Those rank-nine true bodies... were shaking the very foundation of Chaos: his Chaos Dao! They intended to forcefully suppress, sever, and snap the Dao of Chaos! Chaos Sovereign’s eyes gleamed with savage ferocity. *Don't push me. If you push me too far, I will grant Li Hao’s wish—I'll reverse time, return to my peak, and fight you all to the bitter death!*