Turmoil still roiled across chaos.
In the darkness.
Huntian continued his search for the new world. He could already sense faint traces of Order, but chaos was simply too vast and the aura too faint for him to pinpoint its exact location.
At this moment, he was growing irritable.
Lately, Xinwu and the others had been rampaging everywhere, demolishing ninth-rank worlds to strengthen themselves. Meanwhile, he had suffered devastating losses among his subordinates and had spent all his time searching for the new world, leaving him no leisure to intervene.
And now… as Xinwu and Silver Moon grew steadily stronger, he remained at a standstill.
"Order…"
Huntian cast a distant, cold glance at Tianfang.
That bastard had been shadowing him all this time… He truly wished he could eliminate him!
It was infuriating!
Several times he had been on the verge of finding it, only for Tianfang to appear and churn up the surrounding void, disrupting his lock on the target and causing it to vanish. It vexed Huntian to no end. He didn't know whether Tianfang was doing it intentionally or not.
Yet Tianfang's desire to stop him from claiming the new world was unmistakable.
That fellow would rather see a third-generation Time cultivator emerge than let Huntian seize it.
"Tianfang!"
Huntian's voice turned chilling. "Are you certain a third-generation Time cultivator will be easier to deal with than Li Hao? If you keep meddling on purpose, you'll only end up weaving a cocoon around yourself!"
Tianfang gave a soft chuckle. "Fellow Daoist Huntian misunderstands. That is not my intent. I merely hope to discover traces of the third-generation Time cultivator a little sooner… You have misjudged me, Fellow Daoist."
Huntian let out a sinister sneer.
Today, he was far gloomier and colder than before.
With the dissipation of Order, the negative emotions he absorbed—darkness, chaos, and desire—were all erupting. Furthermore, with the fall of Sovereign Hunluan, the Great Dao of Hunluan had been left without a master. At this moment, Huntian was already approaching the level of a Dao Lord of Hunluan.
He… was gradually taking control of the Hunluan Great Dao!
Truly, every sip and bite was decreed by heaven.
Originally, he had sought to wield Order and suppress chaos and darkness, with Order as the master and disorder as the secondary force. Who could have imagined that Order would disperse, leaving him in a position where… he might actually become the new Hunluan Dao Lord in this chaos!
It was somewhat helpless, and rather ridiculous.
He hadn't wanted this, yet he had no choice. Of course, after coming into contact with Hunluan, he also felt hesitation and wonder.
In chaos today, Order had collapsed and Hunluan held sway.
In truth… it was far simpler than uniting everything under Order.
The Dao of Hunluan seemed to have thoroughly permeated chaos.
His ambition had been to unify the will of chaos, only to discover that establishing Order… was too difficult. Hunluan, on the other hand, was ten or a hundred times easier. To build a land of Order in the west, he had spent a million years.
Yet taking over Hunluan… had taken only a few months, and he already felt close to becoming its Dao Lord.
How absurd!
Fate truly made fools of men.
With Order collapsed and chaos reigning, it had actually become his opportunity to step into the ninth rank. Yet Huntian… still felt unreconciled. Order was harder to establish, so naturally it would be stronger, and his true Dao was supposed to be the fusion of Order and Hunluan.
Now, if he attained the ninth rank through Hunluan… he didn't even know what to feel.
Opposite him, Sovereign Tianfang seemed to sense something and smiled again. "Huntian, with Hunluan dead, the order of the entire chaos has crumbled. Now, Xinwu, Silver Moon, and Chunqiu are slaughtering everywhere. Across all of chaos, darkness has fallen… Rising from the darkness might not be a bad choice."
Huntian sneered. "And what if I attain the Dao through Hunluan? Among ninth rankers, what did the previous Hunluan Dao Lord amount to? If all I wanted was to achieve the ninth rank, I could have done so long ago… Tianfang, do you really think I will attain the Dao through Hunluan alone?"
Only by fusing Order and Hunluan could he possibly stand against Tianfang.
Back then, the Lord of Order had been ambushed and slain by Tianfang. Clearly, Tianfang feared the Lord of Order. But Hunluan?
Tianfang feared no such thing!
Only Order rising from ruin could truly be powerful.
Tianfang offered no further persuasion, merely smiling without another word.
Huntian becoming a ninth ranker had both pros and cons.
Once he reached the ninth rank, he would understand even more clearly… that Time was the key to stabilizing that rank. Thus, once he reached the ninth rank, he might join their faction.
If he failed to reach the ninth rank… even though he was searching for the new world alongside Tianfang now,
it didn't mean… Huntian was on their side.
Order was never in the same camp as them to begin with.
Of course, it hardly mattered.
Without reaching the ninth rank, Huntian posed limited threat.
Huntian ignored him now, scanning his surroundings. Seeming to have discovered something, he vanished instantly. Seeing this, Tianfang's eyes flickered, and he quickly vanished as well, following behind.
Had this fellow found it?
As he sped through the void, Tianfang pondered. The third-generation Time cultivator… did not refer to Hunluan, but to a genuine cultivator of Time. What kind of person would they be?
Would they be a being born within the new world, or… the reincarnated spirituality of those who had died, like Long Zhan?
If it were Long Zhan and the others reincarnating… that wouldn't be too surprising.
Yet if it were someone entirely new, that would be truly extraordinary.
For a new figure to rise under the shadow of a host of supreme spiritualities cast into that world was an incredibly difficult, astonishing feat.
He actually hoped… that the so-called third-generation Time cultivator was Long Zhan, Yuan Shuo, or someone similar…
If it were Yuan Shuo, it wouldn't be a surprise either.
After all, he was Li Hao's teacher.
Li Hao might well have made some arrangements.
Before long, one after the other, the two arrived at the eastern fringe. Here, chaotic power surged continuously. Huntian furrowed his brows slightly, gazing toward that turbulent region of chaos.
Behind him, Tianfang smiled. "Here?"
Huntian ignored him, merely watching for a while.
After a long silence, he suddenly spoke. "Tianfang, this is already the extreme eastern edge. Li Hao's heaven-opening has given me some thoughts… Tell me, was chaos itself created by someone?"
"Is there any meaning in asking that?"
Huntian sighed. "Not much. It's just that… the path of cultivation seems boundless, as though it will never end. Is the ninth rank truly the end of the cultivation path? Even someone as powerful as you, possessing all ten thousand Daos, cannot effortlessly suppress heaven and earth! Is there a path beyond the ninth rank?"
Tianfang chuckled softly. "Who knows! If one could see the end of the cultivation path at a single glance… it would actually be quite dull! Take Zhan, that Time cultivator from the Xinwu World. Perhaps back then, it was precisely because he saw the end at a glance that he fell into… despair! Over these years, trapped deep within the chaos, the ninth rankers have all harbored similar thoughts. Reaching the end of cultivation is actually the beginning of agony…"
Huntian fell into thought and said nothing more.
Looking once more at the edge of chaos, at the roiling chaotic force, he vaguely sensed that Order… was within it.
That meant the new world was very likely in this vicinity.
It was simply veiled by chaos at the moment.
Like an unpromoted new world, it was difficult to find.
After a long pause, he said, "It should be in this region… Aren't you worried that once this world matures, Li Hao will summon it back? Tianfang, you and I still have room to cooperate… Let us seal off this entire region together. Whichever of us obtains it, it will be better than letting Li Hao take it back."
Tianfang looked thoughtful. "You mean…"
"You sever space, and I cloak it in darkness, completely enveloping this entire area and refining it bit by bit! We will force the new world to surface, leave it no escape, and completely shatter Li Hao's hopes of reclaiming it!"
Tianfang pondered for a moment and nodded. "Very well, I have no objections… However, refining it bit by bit will be quite an undertaking…"
"I'm not in a hurry, so what are you rushing for?"
Huntian sneered. "The Chaos Great Dao is still in turmoil. Dragging this out longer is actually an opportunity for you, and an opportunity for Xinwu. It's an opportunity for everyone—except me!"
He sneered repeatedly. He understood perfectly well what these people were thinking.
Right now, delaying time offered little benefit to himself—and perhaps to Li Hao—but it was beneficial to everyone else.
Once the Chaos Great Dao completely settled, even if their true bodies couldn't immediately return to their peak, they would at least be able to descend in the flesh, just as Hunluan had.
Tianfang said nothing more.
The two divided the task and began sealing off the dim void around them.
……
In the south.
Li Hao suddenly looked back, raised an eyebrow slightly, and soon smiled.
Impressive!
Chaos was so immense, yet so quickly, the two of them had actually locked down the approximate location of the new world. It had been fast; to powerhouses, what were a few months?
A mere blink of an eye!
In such a short time, they had actually narrowed it down to a small region… It seemed the power of Order was growing stronger, meaning the power of rules was developing rapidly within the new world.
"Back then, when I entered the new world, only three days passed outside while I experienced several centuries within… and that was before the River of Time was placed inside."
Li Hao calculated. Only four months had passed since the opening of heaven.
One hundred and twenty days, based on the previous temporal ratio, would only be around ten thousand years.
However, after the River of Time was established, the flow of time might have become even more wondrous. Li Hao had no way of knowing exactly how much time had passed within the new world.
Pondering this, he felt no worry.
He glanced in that direction with a cold chuckle.
Huntian wanted to seize the new world; that was inevitable.
But Tianfang?
Would he… truly be in such a rush?
"Only if Time fails to mature would he be anxious… He isn't afraid of someone controlling Time at all; what he fears is that Time will never mature…"
In Li Hao's hands, the Dao of Time had always remained merely a sixth-rank Dao.
When it reached Hunluan's hands, it quickly grew to the seventh rank, even approaching an eighth-rank Dao of Time!
Later, during the opening of heaven and earth, absorbing the power of countless Daos, the Dao of Time formally stepped into the eighth rank, becoming the strongest Dao in the new world. However, it was still not a ninth-rank Dao!
A ninth-rank Dao required sufficient spirituality.
After all these years, perhaps… the Great Dao of Time within the new world possessed enough spirituality. After all, countless people were cultivating, constantly filling and perfecting the Great Dao of Time. The moment Time emerged, it might well step into the ninth rank!
That was what Tianfang truly desired, wasn't it?
"Still, it will be difficult… The Daos of the new world are not sufficiently complete. I only merged five thousand Daos into it. Using five thousand Daos to forcibly push it to the ninth rank… will certainly pose challenges, unless that future emperor can remedy those flaws."
Li Hao reflected. Perhaps the Dao of Rules would be stronger, allowing five thousand Daos to rival eight or nine thousand ordinary Daos, and combined with Time, it could even fight ninth rankers. But fundamentally, some flaws remained.
He wouldn't concern himself with that.
Whether that person could resolve it depended on themselves; it had nothing to do with him. Helping them gather five thousand Daos was already generous enough.
At this moment, Li Hao had shrunk substantially, resembling a young boy!
If he walked out right now… he would probably be mistaken for being in the same group as Chunqiu.
A young boy and a young girl… well, both were ancient monsters.
In the distance, another ninth-rank world was devastated.
Over the past several days, Xinwu had been launching frenzied assaults. Li Hao looked into the distance; that, too, was likely the work of Xinwu's people.
He furrowed his brows slightly.
The Human King…
The Human King's strength had certainly improved, but he probably hadn't reached the ninth rank yet.
Back then, the Human King had abandoned Time outright, choosing not to cultivate it or even comprehend it… Li Hao admired that greatly. Yet now, the Human King was frantically devouring and absorbing domains from all sides.
With himself as the spirit, could he use this to step into the ninth rank?
Li Hao felt doubtful.
It would be very difficult!
Lately, the Human King had likely been filling his internal world. Having swallowed multiple ninth-rank worlds, his internal world might have reached its limit. Continuing forward was no longer a question of energy.
Rather… it was a question of spirituality and Dao principles.
A thousand years ago, after pacifying Xinwu at barely over twenty years old, the Human King had remained quiet for a full millennium. Over the past few years, he had progressed rapidly, yet during that thousand-year span, he had only moved from the peak of the sixth rank to the peak of the seventh rank.
A thousand years to advance a single tier.
To call it fast, it was fast.
To call it slow… relatively speaking, it was quite ordinary.
Li Hao gazed in that direction without speaking, lost in thought. As for the Human King… Li Hao could see through him easily enough; the Human King was a straightforward, uninhibited person. Yet he, too, harbored secrets.
His greatest secret… in Li Hao's view, lay in his long-vanished queen, and in certain vanished Sovereigns of the Xinwu World who were not particularly famous, yet… were deeply connected to him.
The Human King's wife, his sister… these people had never appeared.
Of course, it was said they were cultivating within.
Tianji, King Huai, and the others even ran into them often… yet during several battles where mass self-detonations had erupted, those individuals had never shown themselves.
The impression the Human King gave was one of complete openness!
Yet Li Hao had walked through Xinwu's past… Was the Human King truly that open and artless?
"The Human King's wife, Fang Yuan, and the others have practically never appeared. Last time, the Human King told me that having a wife and child gave him peace of mind… Could he actually have children as well?"
Li Hao stroked his chin. If so… where had the Human King sent them?
Were they still in the Xinwu World?
Chaos was vast, yet only so vast. Moreover, the Human King had previously operated exclusively within the Four Regions, never even venturing beyond the Thunder Domain. Where could he have sent them?
Right now, Tianfang and the others cared more about the cultivator of Time.
They overlooked the Human King.
They assumed his limit was at most the ninth rank, not posing too great a threat. But they failed to realize that despite knowing how formidable Time was, the Human King had refused to take it up!
That alone was incredible!
He had even forbidden anyone from Xinwu to claim it, including the Supreme.
Why was he so certain that Time would become immense trouble?
Even if he didn't want it himself, plenty of people in Xinwu would have wanted it. Why not give it to someone else?
Could it be… purely out of fear that someone would surpass him?
"Black Panther… where do you think the Human King sent his family?"
Li Hao murmured. The Human King's protection of his own family was terrifyingly fierce. Even during the chaotic upheavals of the Neo-Martial era, when others died in battle and the Human King himself brushed with death multiple times, his sister and parents remained safe and sound.
This man, a thousand years older than him, was actually quite selfish… yet the people of Xinwu accepted it by default, because the Human King shouldered the responsibility of Xinwu with his own life.
With his family enjoying some privileges, no one complained.
"Woof woof!"
The Black Panther shook its head. It didn't know, had no clue.
Li Hao chuckled. Indeed, asking you is pointless.
"My teacher's spirit remains in the new world. If he emerges this time… he has always been one to accumulate deeply before breaking through, though one could also say he's always a step behind… When he comes out this time, his eighth-rank realm will surely be stabilized! As for whether he can step into the ninth rank… it will be difficult. I cannot guarantee it."
Li Hao shook his head.
Yuan Shuo… had talent and brilliance, but his luck had never been great. Always a step slow, and though that was a slow accumulation of strength, it was… quite agonizing and tragic.
This time, even if he seized an opportunity in the new world… he would most likely still be a step behind. Thus, Li Hao held zero hope that his teacher would become the master of the new world!
Yes, zero hope.
Yet with his teacher's character, talent, and judgment, even if he couldn't become the master of the new world, he could at least claim a place for himself.
He would become one of its powerhouses.
"If Teacher has lived in the new world for many years, his spirituality will certainly be stronger. It was already formidable back then; once he recovers his memories, he will only be more powerful… This is the only opportunity I could secure for him…"
Li Hao smiled again. "People say I am fair, but in truth, I'm not. In the end, everyone has a bit of selfishness… Teacher excels in the Dao of the Five Elements. Therefore, in the new world, I set up some obstacles for the Dao of the Five Elements. Unless one possesses the inheritance of my Five Animals Secret Art, unless one carries the spirit of my Five Animals… whoever merges the Five Elements shall die!"
"……"
The Black Panther's eyes went wide!
*Holy crap!*
Li Hao patted the dog's head and smiled. "What are you staring at? Back when I walked out of Silver City… how hard was it? How many people helped me? Boss Liu and the others are old, their talent limited, and I am willing to let them enjoy peaceful lives… But since Teacher still wants to fight, how could I not give him a chance? Therefore, in the future world, there will either be no Master of the Five Elements, or… it will be Teacher alone!"
His tone was resolute.
This was one of the rare instances where he had left behind his own arrangements in the future world and the River of Time.
Perhaps many among the innate gods and devils cultivated the Five Elements as well.
Some might even merge the Five Elements!
Yet Li Hao guaranteed that the day anyone fully mastered the Five Elements, unless it was his teacher… all of them would perish!
Not only would they perish, but their lifelong cultivation would remain within the Dao of the Five Elements, benefiting his teacher.
This could be considered his final gift to Yuan Shuo as his disciple.
*In any case, I know you dawdle, take your sweet time, awaken slower than others, cultivate slower than others, and lag half a beat behind in everything. 'Five Animals Old Monster' doesn't fit you; 'Five Animals Old Slowpoke' suits you better. Since that's the case… let others accumulate Five Elements power for you. If you can walk out, you will surely master the Five Elements and become the future hegemon of the Five Elements!*
Having spoken of his teacher, Li Hao added, "As for those who walked out of Silver City back then, Boss Liu and the others are living out their years in peace, which actually satisfies me. Teacher refuses to accept old age, and you… you have always stayed by my side…"
The Black Panther looked up.
"I don't like arranging other people's destinies… but I must plan for you two. Right now, I can't support all the Silver Moon cultivators, but supporting Teacher and supporting you is no great problem!"
As for his teacher, because he was always a step slow, Li Hao had no choice but to arrange things for him.
The Black Panther, on the other hand, lacked initiative and was accustomed to following his arrangements, so Li Hao needed to chart a path for its future.
"Back then, I had you switch to the Dao of Tribulation… and you achieved some results… but now, chaos has a Lord of Tribulation. Even if you cultivate to the extreme, surpassing him will be difficult!"
The Black Panther still looked indifferent.
Li Hao smiled. "You'd better think it through. If you can't grow stronger, I might not take you along wherever I go in the future. How can you follow me if you're too weak?"
"Woof, woof, woof!"
The Black Panther wagged its tail. *I'll listen to you!*
*Whatever you say goes.*
"The power of tribulation is actually a power of the mind, a power of will. The Dao of Tribulation is relatively unique… formed from the convergence of all disasters and trials!"
Li Hao said, "I conducted some experiments and simulations in the new world, but the results were average. While some cultivators of the Dao of Tribulation might emerge, walking out might not make them a match for the Lord of Tribulation."
"Right now, chaos is facing tribulation and disorder. Therefore, at this time, the Dao of Tribulation and the Dao of Hunluan are exceptionally easy to advance!"
This was the golden age for Tribulation and Hunluan.
Of course, there were also Death and Slaughter. With so much erupting recently, this was a golden era of cultivation for all such practitioners.
"The Tribulation Dao Lord views me as his mortal enemy, and I slew his clone. He… hates me to the bone!"
Li Hao smiled. "When that fellow emerges, the first person he seeks trouble with will probably be me!"
"Black Panther, if I ask you to do something, are you willing?"
The Black Panther nodded.
"I knew you were the most obedient!"
Li Hao smiled and stroked the dog's head, sighing with emotion. "It hasn't been easy getting to this point… For you to become the Lord of Tribulation would be immensely difficult. Your only hope of becoming the primary choice for the spirit of Tribulation is to overtake him on a sharp bend by surviving the greatest tribulation of all!"
The Black Panther didn't quite understand.
Li Hao said, "Do you know what the greatest tribulation in this chaos is?"
The Black Panther shook its head.
Li Hao smiled. "The collapse of chaos! Therefore… what I want you to do is similar to what Long Zhan did back then, but… harsher! I want you to… shatter the Chaos Source. Of course, the Chaos Source is immensely powerful, and as a seventh-rank cultivator, it is virtually impossible for you to shatter it… Yet only in this manner will you experience the greatest tribulation of your dog life. Once you survive it… you will surely have a chance to usurp the Dao spirit of the Lord of Tribulation!"
The Black Panther's jaws fell open.
*What?*
Shatter… the Chaos Source?
Are you joking?
With a bunch of ninth rankers guarding it, how am I supposed to shatter it?
Besides, even without guards, Long Zhan's dragon soul had been formidable, yet biting off a single chunk was his absolute limit.
Hunluan was powerful, wasn't he?
Even his final self-detonation hadn't shattered the Chaos Source…
It was merely a seventh-rank dog that had reached this point relying on Li Hao. How could it shatter it? And even if it actually did, the backlash from the entire chaos was definitely not something it could endure!
In plain terms… it was a road straight to death!
No hope of survival!
"I'm just asking if you dare, regardless of whether you succeed or not…"
The Black Panther's tail swished. It dared… but this was suicide.
It felt bewildered, then thought of something. As a dog… why think so much?
It nodded its head.
*I can do it!*
Li Hao smiled, thoroughly delighted. "That's the spirit. Would I ever harm you?"
With that, he sent a mental voice: "Once I finish my business here, you will disappear! No one will care much about a missing dog… The day the new world surfaces, the ninth rankers of chaos will all focus their attention on the new world, on me, on the Human King, on Chunqiu, on Huntian. Absolutely no one will care where you are!"
"You were originally the spirit of Silver Moon… and the Silver Moon Universe, or rather, any Great Dao Universe, is actually connected to the Chaos Great Dao!"
"On that day, if the turmoil in the Chaos Great Dao settles, those ninth rankers will likely descend—descending from the depths of the Chaos Great Dao in their true bodies!"
Li Hao continued his voice transmission: "What you must do at that moment is slip into the Chaos Great Dao. Your greatest talent is concealment… You must evade those ninth rankers, sneak into the depths of chaos, and lie in wait!"
The Black Panther listened until its dog brain felt ready to explode.
*Can a mere seventh ranker like me truly hide from ninth rankers whose Daos are fused with the Chaos Great Dao?*
*Master, aren't you overestimating me?*
*I'm just a dog! Giving me such a high-difficulty mission is beyond my abilities!*
Li Hao patted its head, smiling. "You can do it. Your greatest advantage is that people tend to overlook you. They say black dogs are rare; in earlier years, whenever I fought others, you always hid exceptionally well…"
"Woof!"
"I know you're weak… It doesn't matter. Even if you are sensed, do you think ninth rankers will care about a seventh-rank dog heading into the depths of the Chaos Source? In their eyes, going there is just suicide. Even Hunluan couldn't break it open; what could you possibly do?"
*That makes sense too!*
The Black Panther nodded, looking blankly at Li Hao. *True, but as you said, how can a seventh ranker like me pose any threat to the Chaos Source?*
Li Hao continued, "It is difficult for you to contend with the Chaos Source, but I suspect… something exists within it. Either Tianfang's spirituality, someone else's, or something inherent to it. The Chaos Source must possess spirituality!"
"On your own, there is little you can accomplish. You only need to do one thing… merge into it! Merging into it will inevitably draw rejection from others, who will try to obliterate you. Their spirits are far stronger than yours, so you will easily be killed!"
The Black Panther looked innocent.
*And then?*
"At that moment, what you must do is use the hands of others to force them to employ the power of the source, compelling them to forcibly relocate you instead of killing you—relocating you into an appropriate Great Dao… such as… the Dao of Tribulation!"
The Black Panther was dazed. *They can kill me, but won't, and will even lend me a hand… Is he… dreaming again?*
Li Hao transmitted a few more sentences. The Black Panther listened intently, its gaze shifting.
*Could this actually work?*
Never mind. Whatever Li Hao said, whether it worked or not, it believed him.
Who cared!
"Woof, woof, woof!"
"Understood?"
"Woof!"
"Then once things wrap up on my end, off you go. No need to tell anyone."
"Woof!"
The Black Panther nodded.
Li Hao exhaled and smiled. With the Black Panther arranged and his teacher's path prepared, he had no mind left to manage anyone else.
As for Lin Hongyu…
Li Hao felt a bit of a headache. Back then, it had merely been a jest, though weighed against pros and cons before making a choice. In the end… things were rather awkward now.
"Aura of death…"
Murmuring, Li Hao sank into contemplation.
As for the Dao of Death, Sovereign Life and Death held the Dao of Life and Death within chaos, while in the future world, he had suppressed a segment of the Dao of Death back then, which might also give birth to a powerhouse of Death.
In that case, there were at least several experts specializing in the Great Dao of Death.
Lin Hongyu held no advantage among them.
One was a veteran ninth ranker, another a future cultivator holding a severed segment of a ninth-rank Dao—and a rule-based Dao of Death at that. Surpassing both of them to become the true paramount cultivator of Death… would be immensely difficult!
When Lin Hongyu departed previously, she was merely at the peak of the sixth rank.
Even with substantial gains this time, she would at most reach the seventh rank; the eighth rank was practically out of reach.
At the seventh rank, like the Black Panther, seizing the initiative… was difficult beyond measure.
"Forget it, we'll see!"
Besides, one of the rivals might well be a powerhouse under that future sovereign. A woman… being excessively strong didn't carry much meaning anyway; they would address it when the time came.
At this moment, Li Hao had thought everything through.
As for the rest, he wouldn't interfere.
Everyone would fight for their own lives and leave it to luck.
If they truly fell in battle, at worst, when he resurrected, he would resurrect them along with himself…
"How comfortable!"
He suddenly chuckled. Having fewer people to look after and not having to worry about everything was far more relaxing.
In the past, he had to consider everyone. Now, with his strength diminished, everyone had become far more proactive instead. It seemed his overwhelming power had placed too much pressure on them. Now, each of them was gleefully competing with Xinwu for spoils, which was quite nice.
……
On the other side.
The Human King swallowed massive amounts of energy. Inside him, energy even began overflowing, condensing into Great Dao crystals; clearly, he was approaching saturation.
His aura grew increasingly ferocious.
At this moment, he was not in the least inferior to Huntian. The Human King let out a satisfied belch and grinned. He was stuffed.
Over these days, he had eaten with immense satisfaction!
Not only him, but all the powerhouses of Xinwu had made gains and experienced breakthroughs.
However, unlike Li Hao, in his case, he had to satisfy himself first. He was the main force. His philosophy differed from Li Hao's: only by being the strongest could he charge at the forefront.
The strong bore greater responsibility.
Therefore, they deserved the lion's share of the spoils—more work, more reward.
Having campaigned in all directions, he had finally eaten his fill. Belching, he spoke: "I won't absorb the rest. Divide it amongst yourselves!"
Hearing this, the others swarmed forward to divvy up the spoils.
The Supreme approached, looked at him, and frowned slightly. "Eighth rank… hit the ceiling?"
At this moment, the Human King's aura was formidable, seeming no different from Huntian when the latter went on his rampage. Yet… he lacked that invincible aura of absolute suppression.
In the Supreme's eyes… this chaotic turmoil ultimately had to be settled and suppressed by the Human King.
As for Li Hao or someone from the future… none were as dependable as their own people.
The Human King would surely pacify all enemies in chaos!
No one could replace him.
Nor could anyone lead Xinwu except the Human King.
Yet now, the opportunities across chaos were nearly exhausted. The ninth-rank worlds had been almost entirely wiped out; even having a few more wouldn't help much. What the Human King lacked right now was foundational depth and a proper breakthrough opportunity.
Otherwise… this was his limit: peak eighth rank, infinitely close to nine thousand Daos, yet unable to truly cross that threshold.
"Hit the ceiling!"
The Human King nodded.
The Supreme said in a deep voice, "What if we merge Xinwu into you again? Could you slay a ninth ranker?"
"Difficult!"
The Human King shook his head. "At my level, even if all of you merged into me, the boost would be limited!"
The Supreme frowned, then suddenly said, "Then… earlier, we left behind some Great Dao inheritances in the future world. If… we strip them out, could that help you take another step?"
The Human King chuckled. "Come on, drop that idea. Mentioning it to me is fine, but that future world was opened by Li Hao; he has his own thoughts and plans. Furthermore… anyone who rises in that new world will definitely not be weak. Even the Yang God said… Strictly speaking, that future Emperor Yu, Xinwu, and Silver Moon are all part of a single entity, even a closed loop!"
"Our Xinwu might be a crew of villains… but we shouldn't cross the line with our own people, right?"
The Supreme sighed and said no more.
He wasn't afraid of bearing infamy, committing crimes, or offending anyone, nor did he fear death. If the Human King could stand once more at the pinnacle of chaos, he would gladly sacrifice everything.
Yet the Human King… was sometimes fiercely loyal to sentiment.
To the Human King, Silver Moon and the future world were branches split off from his own Xinwu World, sharing the same origin. As long as the other side didn't actively pick a fight, the Human King wouldn't scheme against them.
"I understand your meaning."
The Supreme nodded. "As long as they don't take action against Xinwu, our Xinwu won't do anything to them… Then what about you…"
The Human King smiled. "Don't worry! It'll be fine…"
At this, he looked around, thought for a moment, and said, "Li Hao has his own plans, and those walking out of the new world aren't weak either—they have their own plans. I won't interfere with whatever they do! But our Xinwu must also have our own trump cards… We can't actually let ourselves be suppressed."
"Not to mention suppressing all enemies, at the very least… we can't let ourselves be bullied!"
The Supreme laughed. "You've certainly become restrained. Normally, you'd say that only you can suppress all existence; today your standards are rather low."
Fang Ping gave a mischievous grin. "A little modesty, a little low profile. One shouldn't be too arrogant!"
"……"
The Supreme burst into helpless laughter.
The Human King smiled again. "This time, bring back all our foundational assets. At this stage, there's no need to hide anything. Of course, it's enough that just you and I know!"
The Supreme's heart stirred. Looking at Fang Ping, he hesitated for a long while before speaking: "Are you sure? Even if Xinwu falls, you… could still preserve them. But if…"
"It's fine. To be honest, a thousand years… I think it's enough!"
The Human King laughed heartily. "Living a thousand years makes one an old demon among mortals; there's nothing to regret! Back then, I couldn't bear to let anything happen to them because… everyone was too young and hadn't had a chance to enjoy life. Now, Xinwu has enjoyed a thousand years of peace… Even if everyone dies, I won't truly grieve!"
His tone grew much calmer: "You are the same, and so am I! A thousand years is not short. For this millennium, our Xinwu has been peaceful and untroubled, enjoying the years. Life must have some meaning; what is the point of merely obsessing over longevity?"
"Even if one lives forever, what of it?"
"Of course, even in death, we of Xinwu will never commit suicide like Zhan. If we die, we die gloriously and magnificently!"
He laughed with wild abandon. "Hack everything clean! At worst, we flip the board and start over. Everyone perishes together, awaiting the rebirth of chaos to inaugurate a new era. That wouldn't be bad either. I don't want to die only for my enemies to sever my head, laughing merrily as they turn my skull into a wine cup!"
"They won't!"
The Supreme said decisively, "Rest assured, if that day truly comes, no one who kills you will survive!"
The Human King chuckled, clapped the Supreme's shoulder, and sighed. "What a pity you didn't have a daughter; otherwise, I could have taken a concubine…"
"You've grown bold!"
The Supreme laughed. "I have a granddaughter!"
The Human King chuckled. "Just a joke, and you took it seriously. Your granddaughter… is old too!"
"……"
The Supreme was speechless. *To hell with you!*
The Human King paid him no mind. Rising, he looked around, then gazed into the distance where faint disturbances seemed to ripple. He watched for a moment, evaluating. "Tianfang and Huntian have probably found where the new world is. Li Hao hasn't made a move, which means… the new world might have reached its peak!"
He turned to look at the Xinwu powerhouses meditating in cultivation and gave a low shout: "Move out! Return to the Four Regions! A grand battle is about to erupt, and the Four Regions shall be our battlefield! In this war, the name of Xinwu shall suppress chaos and resound through the heavens!"
"Battle! Battle! Battle!"
One Xinwu cultivator after another soared into the air with roaring cries!
The Human King laughed uproariously. "Let's go! Let them know who this era truly belongs to! Li Hao's era? Emperor Yu's era? Wrong, neither! This era still belongs to me, Fang Ping!"
He laughed with boundless arrogance. "Old ginger is spicier than young shoots! I, Fang Ping, have lived a thousand years. Do two junior brats fit to be my grandsons think they can contend with me? In this battle, our Xinwu shall be invincible beneath the heavens!"
The crowd roared in frenzy, their blood surging to the heavens.
Xinwu would fight!
This time, they fought for dignity, for face. Could cultivators of two junior eras truly surpass them?
The Human King laughed heartily and strode through the void.
……
On this day.
In a dim realm.
Su Yu suddenly opened his eyes and laughed. His laughter was gentle, yet tinged with madness: "Everyone, it is time to return! Stop playing… Time has aligned, and the era belonging to us has arrived!"
Behind him, laughter echoed—not crazed, not impassioned, but filled with… endless cunning and anticipation.
"The name of Su Yu shall resound across this new era!"
Emperor Yu gave a soft chuckle. A book materialized in his hand, and raising his brush, he inscribed a line:
*This era… I have arrived!*
Chapter 612