Peerless Swordsman!

Catastrophe descended. Chaos roiled in turmoil. Myriad worlds converged toward the Four Regions. At this moment, the Great Dao of Chaos violently convulsed, as though the foundational roots of the Great Dao itself were unraveling with the successive falls of ninth-rank Sovereigns. It was as if the Great Dao of Chaos now urgently required the power of worlds, the source of worlds, to stabilize its fraying structure. World after world was pulled along by an irresistible suction. Even seventh- and eighth-rank Sovereigns could not hold their worlds steady; they could only watch helplessly as their realms drifted rapidly toward that distant edge. In an instant, boundless despair spread like wildfire. "It’s over!" "Countless worlds are about to collide... Chaos is completely finished!" "This clash of supreme experts affects our very lives, even though we aren't taking part!" "My people... doomsday is upon us!" At this moment, several world lords gave up all hope. Standing atop their worlds' highest peaks, they looked on in profound despair. "In the depths of chaos, supreme experts are waging a war of annihilation! Countless worlds are converging at terrifying speed toward the edge of chaos... Once they collide, everything will be obliterated, and I am powerless to stop it!" Some world lords were already giving their final declarations and farewells. A bitter helplessness washed over them. The mighty beings fighting in the center had not even perished yet, but the rest of them were destined to be destroyed first. Across countless worlds, chaos and terror broke out, plunging billions of living beings into immediate panic. They were utterly bewildered! How could this be happening? To many of these creatures, the grand concept of the wider universe was not entirely clear. But they knew one thing: their kings, their emperors, their invincible sovereigns were wailing in despair! …… The titanic battle raged with madness. The Human King and his companions were locked in brutal combat with the ninth ranks. At this moment, Li Hao was also struggling under the joint assault of three mighty experts. These foes fought with suicidal resolve, every one of them a pinnacle existence. Their attacks forced Li Hao to retreat step after step! Unlike the Human King and Emperor Yu, whose explosive onslaughts managed to suppress their two respective adversaries, Li Hao faced an extra opponent. It was difficult to gain the upper hand, and he was being pressed so hard he could scarcely catch his breath. Sword qi was extinguished again and again. Li Hao frowned as he backed away. Innumerable Dao domains manifested one after another; though a single Dao domain was not overwhelmingly strong, summoning a vast array of them still barely managed to entangle the three combatants. Boom! A thunderous explosion rang out, accompanied by Chunqiu’s pained wail: "Help!" Chunqiu had already been severely injured, and her clones were almost entirely wiped out. She had completely lost the power to contend with a ninth rank. In merely a few exchanges, she was beaten back relentlessly, forcing her to cry out for assistance! In the past, she knew that calling for help would likely fall on deaf ears. Yet Li Hao had told her earlier that keeping her alive was still of use... so she decided to give it a try. Li Hao snapped his head around, his brow furrowing instantly! Chunqiu was no match for the ninth rank! The others were holding their own. Yuan Shuo, leading the Silver Moon forces, was even managing to suppress his opponent. Only Chunqiu and Li Hao were in dire straits. Li Hao could at least hold out for a while longer, but Chunqiu was on the verge of collapse. Seeing that Chunqiu could not withstand her foe while the Human King and the others were tied down in vicious melee, Yuan Shuo suddenly roared, "The rest of you, go help Chunqiu! I'll take this one!" There were still survivors among Silver Moon's forces. Yuan Shuo alone could hardly match his ninth-rank opponent, but he could hold the line for a short time. Right now, only Silver Moon had any reserve strength to spare; the combatants of the Myriad Worlds had fused their Daos into the new heaven and could not detach anyone. Hearing the command, Qian Wuliang barked, "Go!" Instantly, dozens of Silver Moon cultivators wheeled around and charged toward Chunqiu. With their departure, the pressure on Yuan Shuo increased exponentially. The power of the five elements erupted violently, yet he was still outmatched by his opponent. He did not utter a single complaint. He simply unleashed his Five Forces with savage fury, interlaced with sword intent, silently doing everything in his power to stave off the enemy! Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced toward Li Hao. That brief look left him slightly stunned. Li Hao's form seemed to blur into an illusion. In a flash, an attack struck straight through his flesh, sending blood and gore flying. Yet Li Hao seemed to contract instantaneously—while blood and meat were torn away, his core form suffered minimal damage. Only his gaze grew increasingly cold and severe, as though filled with quiet fury. Yuan Shuo caught only a fleeting glimpse before being blasted backward by his foe. Roaring fiercely, he punched forward once more. A tiger’s roar echoed through the forest, shaking heaven and earth as the Five Forces coalesced again into a towering beast. Hovering above his head, it melded into his Great Dao and surged like a monstrous beast straight at his opponent's Dao! Yuan Shuo’s mind was racing. If this continued, even though the Human King and Emperor Yu were formidable, slaying two ninth ranks after revealing their hidden cards would still be an immense struggle. Chunqiu and his own side would inevitably collapse sooner or later. As for Li Hao... fighting one against three was already an astonishing feat, but by all appearances, he was on the verge of defeat as well. Even if he somehow exhausted all his strength and won, how could they possibly contest with Tribulation and Tianfang afterward? If everyone drained themselves of power, neither side would claim victory in the end, regardless of who prevailed between those two masterminds. "Qian Wuliang!" Yuan Shuo suddenly looked back. In the distance, Qian Wuliang and the others felt a jolt in their hearts! Now? They had thought they would need to stall a bit longer. Was it happening this quickly? Within the ranks, many silently looked toward Li Hao, then back toward Yuan Shuo. Qian Wuliang’s emotions peaked at this moment, and for the first time in his life, he let out a deafening roar: "I am here!" He was here! He had always been here. From the days when he had dreamed of becoming a rebel leader, only to be captured and forced to pledge allegiance to Li Hao, up until today—through battles large and small, he had always been present. He had never shirked a fight. Yet... the people of Silver Moon, or rather the martial masters of Silver Moon, had seemingly never cared for him. They had looked down on him and kept him at arm's length because he was hypocritical, calculated, and struggled to truly blend into their circle. Only a precious few understood that Qian Wuliang had never once slackened in his efforts to keep Silver Moon stable, paying immense costs to bring them to where they were today. He was here! He had never left. Yuan Shuo burst into boisterous laughter. "Good to hear!" Opposite him, the ninth rank who had been suppressing him narrowed his cold eyes, glaring fixedly at Yuan Shuo. Yuan Shuo glared back with equal chill, their powers continually clashing, their gazes locking in silent confrontation! As if guessing what these people were trying to do, the ninth rank sneered. "Yuan Shuo..." His voice rumbled through the void. "You are an incompetent wretch who only ever managed to advance by piggybacking on your disciple's success. To stand here and exchange blows with me today is the fortune of three lifetimes! Do you truly harbor the delusion that you can kill me?" Yuan Shuo bared his teeth, which gleamed snow-white. "The fact that I could borrow my disciple's strength to reach this level proves I have an exceptional eye for talent! Do you have that? Could you ever raise a disciple like mine? I eat what my disciple gives me, drink what my disciple provides—what business is that of yours? Are you jealous? Envious?" With that, he roared with laughter! He seemed exceedingly smug! "Taking in a disciple so you have someone to care for you in your old age is the fondest hope of countless Silver Moon martial masters, and I am the only one who truly pulled it off! Could any of you do it? Could you?" The ninth-rank Sovereign’s expression remained impassive. Seeing that Yuan Shuo was entirely unaffected by taunts, he said no more. At the same time, among the Silver Moon martial masters, the Dao stars inside dozens of experts began to pulse violently. Two long rivers, swirling like a taiji diagram, manifested above Qian Wuliang’s head. The moment this occurred, the other ninth ranks instantly realized what these people intended to do. Silver Moon, Neo Martial, and the Myriad Worlds were a trinity, their heritages closely intertwined. First, the Human King of Neo Martial had fused Yin and Yang; next, Emperor Yu of the Myriad Worlds had opened a new heaven to integrate myriad Daos. Now, the instant Qian Wuliang brought forth the rivers, everyone understood their plan! In a split second, the ninth rank fighting Chunqiu veered off and charged straight toward Qian Wuliang! These people were truly first-rate when it came to Dao fusion. Individually they were not particularly strong, but once they merged their Daos, their combat power would skyrocket. The three lineages traced back to the same origin! Having witnessed the previous two factions fuse their Daos to slay ninth ranks, how could anyone dare ignore this threat a third time? Right at this juncture, the Thunder Emperor exploded into action. Ten thousand arcs of lightning flashed as he abruptly drew upon the boundless lightning power filling the sky. Over in the distance, the Lord of Tribulation nearly cursed aloud! These brutes! Not only did they refuse to help him... they repeatedly siphoned the Dao power from the air. What absolute scoundrels! The Thunder Emperor’s face was grim. "If you want to interfere, you'll have to get past us first!" He materialized directly before the ninth-rank Sovereign. Simultaneously, several eighth-rank Sovereigns—Dao Chess, Kongji, Senlan, Wushan, and Wanhua—stepped forward one after another. Kongji glanced toward the distant Li Hao. At that moment, Li Hao also turned back to look, his brow furrowing slightly as if hesitating. Kongji looked at him and sighed softly in his heart. The Great Dao was truly ruthless. Even at a moment like this, Li Hao surely knew what everyone was doing. Yet... he did not utter a single word to stop them. Even if they would have proceeded regardless of his objections, hearing him try to stop them would have offered some small comfort. *Daoist Haoyue... everyone has followed you to this day... so let us repay you!* Kongji murmured inwardly. He recalled when he first met Li Hao. The young man was not strong back then, yet he possessed an innate bearing—unyielding pride, calm composure, able to converse freely even before mighty experts. When speaking of the Great Dao, Li Hao was confident and poised, neither cold nor aloof, carrying the unmistakable romantic spirit of a swordsman wandering the realm. Lifting his sword, he had walked out of the martial world, entered Tianfang, and sought the Dao among immortal traces. The Li Hao of those days... was not like this, not someone who left others feeling so helpless, so close yet ten thousand miles away! The next instant, Kongji roared fiercely, "Stop him!" Multiple eighth ranks struck simultaneously! The Dao of dual polarities erupted in an instant, causing heaven and earth to change color as if sinking into absolute silence. The incoming ninth rank sneered, "Ants!" Did mere eighth ranks truly dare battle a ninth rank? They simply had greater numbers! In an instant, the power of a spiritual Dao burst forth. The Daos of Kongji and the others shook violently, their Dao power threatening to shatter. Behind them, though severely injured, Chunqiu let out a sharp cry upon seeing this. The hum of a cicada echoed! Heaven and earth seemed to shift as time flowed past, the Dao power within her draining away at a terrifying rate. Yet a second later, a small sapling suddenly appeared before her, while far away, the Dao power within Kongji was draining away frantically! It seemed as though he was plunging the entire chaos into silence! "Silence myself!" With a furious roar, his eyes turned lifeless and dead. Heaven and earth fell still as he drew upon his own strength and the power around him. In that breath, the sapling before Chunqiu blossomed and bore fruit; a single fruit appeared before her. Chunqiu was startled! Kongji roared hoarsely, "Eat it!" At this moment, Kongji was engulfed in billowing death energy, his entire body trembling. In an instant, life and death interwove, and he seemed to pass through a tribulation of life and death. In the span of a single breath, he aged, decayed, and then... manifested anew, completing an entire cycle of reincarnation! Yet Kongji looked considerably older, as if vast spans of his lifespan had been consumed. In the blink of an eye, another fruit appeared before Chunqiu, brimming with concentrated vitality! Chunqiu’s heart shook violently! She had just consumed the first fruit, and her injuries had already recovered by at least thirty percent in mere moments. When the second fruit appeared, Kongji did not need to say another word. She swallowed it instantly. Within her body, her wounds healed once more as a dense wave of life energy bloomed! What terrifying power of rejuvenation! She cultivated the Dao of Wither and Flourish. Now, as it blended with this resurgence of vitality, even several of her annihilated clones showed signs of stirring back to life. Meanwhile, Kongji continued to cycle through transformations! The Dao of Life and Death, the cycle of reincarnation. He had once said that one should avoid walking the path of life-and-death reincarnation whenever possible. He had advised Li Hao against it and cautioned himself as well. Yet today, he reincarnated rapidly, drawing on the surrounding power to undergo cycle after cycle in mere heartbeats! His memories began to grow faint. Certain recollections seemed to dissolve like smoke, scattering to the winds. Before him, the ninth rank had already arrived. Yet the gaze Kongji cast upon him held far fewer emotions, stripped of intricate complexities, leaving only a gentle melancholy. *So this is what the cycle of life and death is truly like.* *Do it too many times... and life loses all its flavor.* *Li Hao, was it the same for you?* *Haoyue... my fellow Daoist, perhaps we will never discuss the Dao again.* "Extinction!" He threw a punch with all the strength in his body, the accumulated might of a lifetime. Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, he still drove that fist forward without hesitation. This punch was like the gathering of myriad Daos, like Li Hao brandishing his sword! Kongji’s chilling voice rang out in all directions: "Grand Extinction!" The void seemed to freeze! All things seemed to be extinguished. Behind him, an aura of withering suddenly surged. Chunqiu’s face was now flushed with radiant color, her vitality restored and her confidence reignited. Working in concert with Kongji, she threw a punch as well, driving all creation toward oblivion! Meanwhile, Kongji’s body began to disintegrate into void. Extinguishing another was never as complete as extinguishing oneself! *If I am extinguished, the world is extinguished; if I am extinguished, my foe is extinguished. Perish together—I have done all I can!* *Haoyue... I hope you can return to the person you once were.* *A true companion of the Dao is hard to find.* *The path of a chivalrous wanderer is rare to encounter.* *The you of today is no longer yourself. Cold, detached, stripped of desire—how could that ever be Li Hao?!* His body began to disperse into void, spreading upward from his feet. The ninth-rank expert roared in fury as the surrounding space seemed locked tight, the Dao of Extinction spreading frantically around him. Dao Chess transformed into a massive chessboard. Ten thousand venomous spikes erupted from its surface, slicing space and segmenting the world! The ninth rank was trapped within! An eighth-rank great universe descended to shroud the area. A phantom of Dao Chess materialized, casting a complicated gaze toward the distant Tianfang. At that moment, the Lord of Tianfang also glanced in this direction, his expression entirely calm. Dao Chess had been a weapon forged by his own hands in the distant past. Yet... ever since it chose to follow Li Hao, it had been unwilling to return. Tianfang said nothing of it; you chose your own path. Dying in battle today and shattering your own vessel was merely courting your own destruction! Seeing his utter indifference, Dao Chess actually smiled, as if a weight had been lifted from his heart. "Being an artifact spirit... really wasn't very comfortable. Tianfang, your so-called overturning of all things was never fair. An artifact spirit... is also a living soul!" *Fairness?* Tianfang said nothing. So-called fairness had never existed in this world. An artifact spirit was an artifact spirit, created solely to serve him. How could there be fairness? Did one forge a weapon to treat it as an equal, rather than to serve oneself? Was that even possible? Even Li Hao could not manage that. *Dao Chess, you are simply too naive!* Dao Chess paid no heed to his thoughts. Nearby, Wushan plucked at the beam of light before him... The Lord of Tribulation truly could not endure it any longer and bellowed in rage, "Aren't you bastards taking this too far?!" *Must you pluck feathers from a single goose?!* First Su Yu siphoned the power of tribulation, then the Thunder Emperor drew upon the lightning power, and now this Wushan was brazenly drawing upon the power of fate. It was outrageous! Tianfang held him pinned down, and his Dao power was leaking in all directions. Though the amount these eighth ranks siphoned was not catastrophic, when everyone took a bite, it made him miserable! *Damn it, are you that terrified I won't die fast enough?!* Wushan ignored him. His five fingers plucked at the pillar of fate, and a howling gale swept through the void. His fingers instantly shattered into dust. Wushan switched hands, and those fingers shattered as well, leaving both hands completely ruined! He said not a word. On that day long ago, he had returned his power to Yunxiao. On that day, he thought he was already dead, and that even if he survived, his journey had reached its end. On that day... he had discovered to his astonishment that he had been saved! Nurtured by an entire great world! It was a sense of peace he had never known before. In Yunxiao, he had spent countless eras racking his brains and exhausting his life's blood for the sake of the realm. He had merely wanted to leave, to find quiet for a time, to taste the flavor of freedom—yet it had been denied him! And that man, someone he barely knew, with whom he had exchanged only a few words across the distance, using threats and mutual exploitation... Had paid an astronomical price to restore him completely. From that day on, he had understood... this chaos was not entirely pitch-black. Though friends and kindred spirits were rare, the friendship between gentlemen was as pure and untroubled as water. Li Hao was aloof, but aloofness did not mean heartlessness. He was a man of chivalric bone and tender heart... Even though the wider chaos regarded him as a demon, in the eyes of Wushan and his companions... the demon in the world's eyes was their friend and confidant. There were no lavish pleasantries, no excessive warmth; there was a vast difference in age, yet they were friends across generations. He did not know how Li Hao viewed it, but that was how he felt. Perhaps... Li Hao had never truly cared, but what did that matter? With both hands shattered, he coated the pillar of fate in a layer of darkness! The ninth-rank expert’s vision seemed occluded; in that instant, absolute darkness covered his eyes! Wushan was playing a funeral dirge of fate! A mournful wailing drifted through the chaos, as though sending this ninth rank to his grave. The ninth-rank expert roared in fury as lightning crashed down upon his head! Before him, Kongji drove a fist forward, coating him in the power of extinction. Behind him, Chunqiu’s cicada hum seemed to accelerate the world, watching the years slip away. Above, the grid lines of Dao Chess’s board shattered inch by inch. Farther out, the domain of Senluo Hell expanded. The Senlan World Lord remained as quiet and understated as ever, yet his hellish aura wrapped around the perimeter, determined to drag their enemy into the abyss! These experts outside the Silver Moon system were the few true friends Li Hao had made over these years. From the Four Regions across the entire expanse of chaos, taking step after step together, it was these friends who had supported and sustained one another, allowing Silver Moon, this young world, to make it to this day. Not far away. Qian Wuliang, in the midst of integrating the Silver Moon stars, looked over with an immensely complicated gaze. They were not doing this for Silver Moon; they were doing this solely for Li Hao. When Li Hao made friends, he never asked about their origins or their prospects, only whether their temperaments aligned. He rarely befriended anyone, but once he did, he treated them as true friends, without schemes or exploitation, leaving everything to affinity. Whether you stayed or left, he showed little clinging sorrow, only looking forward to the next reunion. Today... these friends of his had not let him down. At this moment, several eighth ranks, using their comparatively frail strength, blocked a ninth rank and sounded the funeral dirge of his fate. Qian Wuliang turned to look into the distance, looking straight toward Li Hao! Li Hao... merely showed regret and furrowed his brows, as though... he felt no profound grief. Qian Wuliang let out a bitter smile. *Have you truly... truly become like this?* *You weren't like this!* *You were never a heartless person! When I first met you and suggested abandoning the common people of Silver Moon, you refused. Whenever I proposed plans that harmed the innocent, you rejected them all!* *You might not be an ideal leader, and you might not be the easiest superior, but you... possess the heart of a chivalrous wanderer. Your sympathy, your compassion, your sense of justice—the weaker the person, the more clearly you displayed it.* *Why is it that today... when your friends are throwing away their lives for you, all you can do is slightly furrow your brow?* "Fuse!" Qian Wuliang roared with all his might: "Silver Moon's force, merge into my Dao—the Great Dao has heart!" Emotions and desires erupted at this moment! *Marquis, what everyone wants to see is not the person you are right now, but... who you used to be! Even if you are stronger now, this is not who we want to see!* *Neo Martial was willing to die for the Human King; the myriad races were willing to die for Emperor Yu; and for our Silver Moon, even outsiders are willing to die for us!* *You should be far more successful than them!* Right at this moment, a soft sigh seemed to echo across heaven and earth. At this instant, the countless converging worlds seemed to tremble. Tianfang and Tribulation, locked in their relentless clash, suddenly paused, both frowning as they looked deep into the void! They looked toward the direction of the Four Regions. Both scowled at once. A towering surge of sword intent, brimming with helplessness and ancient sorrow, along with a surge of boundless desire, tore through heaven and earth and burst across all four directions! In a flash, countless faces paled! Innumerable worlds suddenly shimmered with light. Vast clouds of despair were instantly drawn away. A wry chuckle, mixed with helplessness, regret, and a touch of sorrow, reverberated like the trembling of the Great Dao itself, echoing through heaven and earth: "I had planned everything so carefully... why must you do this? What virtue or capability do I, Li Hao, possess? I am not the Human King, nor am I Su Yu. I don't need others to die for me. All I ever wanted... was to be myself!" The voice held a trace of scolding, a trace of pride, and an indescribable melancholy: "So, this is what the martial world is truly about!" "Endless enemies to slay, boundless friends to cherish. What a pity there is no wine today; otherwise... I would drink my fill!" In an instant, heaven and earth shifted, and the cosmos shook! In that corner of the realm, in the span of a single breath, time seemed to manifest anew! Great Daos crisscrossed between heaven and earth, pathways appearing across the myriad realms. A towering aura converged together, spreading along the Daos, drifting away on the wind and returning on the breeze! "Li Hao!" "Li Hao!" "Impossible!" The Lord of Tribulation wore a look of sheer disbelief. The Lord of Tianfang merely narrowed his eyes slightly, as if seeing through the truth. Kongji’s gray eyes snapped toward the distance! From the void, a figure walked forth. Robes white as snow! A sword hung at his waist, and at this moment, that sword was pitch-black beyond measure! It was darker even than the Human King’s blade! It was filled with despair, with helplessness, and with boundless desire! That person traversed the void in a single stride, crossing heaven and earth as if the chaos beneath his feet were nothing more than a wide boulevard. Before he even arrived, his sword was drawn, the long blade sweeping across the sky, pointing straight at the gathered heroes! Meanwhile, the "Li Hao" who had been locked in brutal combat with the three ninth ranks suddenly exhaled. His voice held a hint of grievance and complaint: "You promised... just for a little while..." The three ninth ranks turned pale in shock! Over on their side, the Human King looked slightly surprised, while Emperor Yu let out a breath and smiled, muttering under his breath, "I knew it... that didn't seem right!" Black Scales! The spirit of desire born within the Myriad Worlds, the Dao of Desire contained within the Star Gate, and the emotional Dao that Li Hao had once buried within himself—it had not died in the final battle of the Myriad Worlds after all! On that day, Su Yu had let it go! Yes, he had released Black Scales. During that decisive battle, he had killed Demon Flame, the entity that had devoured chaotic origin, but he had spared the spirit of desire born from the Human Gate. Because they held no personal enmity back then, and only Su Yu knew that Black Scales’ sole wish was to walk out and regain its freedom. "Black Scales... we meet again!" Su Yu chuckled, looking toward the approaching Li Hao. *As expected, I always felt something was off. Since that power of desire belonged to Li Hao himself, why did Black Scales vanish without a trace?* Yet today’s Li Hao had not radiated the slightest aura of desire. Su Yu had assumed Black Scales had fled, died, or been destroyed. It seemed... he had been wrong; it hadn't! Only... Su Yu suddenly sighed softly, feeling a touch of helplessness. At this moment, the Human King also seemed to understand, and he could not help but curse, "You came out too early!" It was indeed too early! Li Hao had been biding his time in hiding all along. In fact, the Human King had faintly sensed something amiss. Though the saber in his hand had not spoken and the Big Cat had remained silent, it had tried several times to bound toward the earlier Li Hao. He hadn't paid much attention to it then, but thinking back now, he understood instantly. That was not Li Hao—that was... Er Mao! Since he had decided to remain in hiding, why reveal himself now? In the distance, stepping through the sky as if strolling through an empty courtyard, Li Hao let out a light laugh, dashing and unrestrained. "I know I came out too early. I know that even if they died in this battle, I could still resurrect them after slaying Tianfang!" "I know all of that!" "I also told myself not to be hasty, to take it slow, to strike at the very end, kill Tianfang, and become the sole supreme being of this world!" "Reason told me that stepping out now was a mistake!" "And yet..." Li Hao suddenly laughed loudly. "And yet, my friends, my emotions, my desires, my martial world told me that my companions were about to die, my teacher was about to die, my people were about to die! They seemed determined to awaken my conscience!" "They seemed to believe that the me standing there was not truly me... They are far too perceptive!" Li Hao laughed heartily. "They still remember me, they still care for me. I thought to myself, if I didn't come out and let them see me one last time, even if they died, they would die with regret and bitter dissatisfaction! Success and failure turn to dust in the blink of an eye—why be so obsessed with it?" Li Hao threw his head back and laughed. "'I wish to ride the wind and soar away, yet fear the jade towers are cold and high.' If my friends are gone, my teacher is gone, my elders are gone, my companions of the Dao are gone, and the martial world itself is gone, what else is left? Nothing at all!" The man arrived! The sword struck! A single sword stroke illuminated the chaos, cleaving through boundless darkness and shattering myriad despairs. As that sword swung, the martial world seemed to be reborn! "I could have waited until the very end, yet you just had to force me out... What a bunch of troublesome fellows. You've never let me rest easy, not even once..." His laughter and scolding echoed across the chaos! "Qian Wuliang, you useless, incompetent fool! I thought you would be more rational, that you would fulfill your duties as a Dao Lord. You've disappointed me—how can an irrational leader govern Silver Moon?" "Teacher, I thought that after dying several times, you would finally wisen up, yet you're still as naive as ever! The 'Demon of Five Animals' hardly suits you—you ought to be called the 'Saint of Five Animals'!" "Brother Kongji, Haoyue hasn't let you down; I am still myself... But after going through several cycles of life and death, you might not be yourself anymore. You truly don't know how to let a man relax! You wanted to catch up to the Human King, but you're still a step behind—look how composed he is!" "Thunder Emperor, Wushan, Senlan, Dao Chess... you actually joined in their madness! Have you all grown tired of living? I am not the Human King, nor am I Su Yu. It is their incompetence that forces the experts of their realms to march to their deaths time and again! Ever since I let the Silver Moon martial masters die once in this life, I have regretted it to my very core. When Teacher died a second time, I knew I should never again let anyone die for my sake... You people... are truly... utterly unreasonable!" That Li Hao smiled radiantly, bright as the blazing sun! Despair and hope, darkness and holiness, desire erupting, passion in full bloom! The Li Hao of this moment was entirely distinct from the Li Hao formed by Er Mao. He was also completely different from the Li Hao in everyone else’s expectations! "I fancied myself matchless in calculation, always trying to control the entire board... but alas, the ones who disrupt my plans are always my own people. Incompetent allies truly leave one feeling helpless!" His voice rang with laughter and scolding, chuckling even as he reprimanded, "Hu Qingfeng, tell me: your summoning technique can fool even me, so why couldn't it fool them? Why did they think you were heartless? Am I an unfeeling, disloyal wretch in your eyes? You useless flatterer, only good at kissing up, completely useless when it actually matters!" The "Li Hao" who had been fighting the three experts suddenly wavered and rippled. Hu Qingfeng’s voice issued from "Li Hao's" mouth, speaking in a sickeningly sweet tone of flattery: "The Marquis is peerless under heaven, chivalrous and tender-hearted! I couldn't replicate a ten-thousandth of your grace. What Senior Er Mao copied was merely the stern, awe-inspiring image of the Marquis in my mind; how could that ever substitute for the true Marquis? The Marquis is one of a kind, and this only proves that the true Marquis is great not because of his strength or appearance, but because of his matchless heart!" "Sickening! Disgusting!" In that moment, the "Li Hao" who had held off three ninth ranks on his own spoke with such shamelessly fawning words that the three ninth ranks opposite him were momentarily dazed! This... Was this... the fellow who had been entangling them for so long? Who was this man? Hu Qingfeng? They had never heard of him—a complete nobody! He... alongside a cat, had actually killed several ninth ranks and kept the three of them tied down for so long? How was that possible?! It defied belief! Even if both were seventh or eighth ranks, they couldn't possibly be this monstrously strong! Even if the real Li Hao had displayed such might, it would have been hard enough to accept, let alone a mere disguise conjured by a man and a cat. How could they be this powerful? And Li Hao—the true Li Hao—had actually been hiding the entire time, only to step out now! He had abandoned his concealment! As their thoughts flickered, the sword intent descended. In an instant, boundless desire, boundless passion, boundless madness, and boundless despair seemed to drown their minds and spirits! "Myriad worlds, gather my source!" With a light laugh, the world sources of countless realms suddenly churned, as though claimed by an outside force. In the span of a breath, those vast sources of life coalesced like flesh and blood to cover Li Hao’s entire body! Li Hao’s life force erupted to its absolute zenith! Meanwhile, countless worlds seemed to plunge into extinction! Li Hao’s laughter was clear and bright: "Today, I, Li Hao, borrow the sources of your worlds! Once I shatter the chaos origin and reshape heaven and earth, I will surely return them! The Myriad Heavens Dao Arena manifests once more! Anyone willing may enter my Silver Moon realm and lend our Silver Moon a helping hand—battle the ninth ranks, slay Tianfang, execute Tribulation, and restore clear skies to our chaos!" "Despair belongs to me; keep hope for yourselves!" Li Hao’s laughter shook heaven and earth as his sword fell! A universe seemed to be born in that instant. The vanished Myriad Heavens Dao Arena seemed to descend between heaven and earth at once. As that sword stroke landed, the expert being besieged by Kongji and the others saw his vision blur! The Dao severed! Heaven collapsed! Li Hao swung his sword, and sword qi swept across the four directions. All darkness was swallowed in an instant; all extinction was eclipsed. While Chunqiu was still frozen in shock, the ninth rank before her shattered into dust! Chunqiu’s face drained of all color in horror! Li Hao’s laughter rang out again: "Chunqiu, you've done well! People of Silver Moon, divide the rivers and separate the worlds—merge the Dao river into Chunqiu’s body! Today, Daoist Chunqiu shall slaughter in all directions! One body for each soul, ten thousand souls for ten thousand bodies, fighting to seize a glimmer of survival for your Monster Race!" His words carried the weight of Heaven's Will! His intent washed over them, and boundless Dao power converged, flooding instantly into Chunqiu. Her extinguished clones seemed to restore themselves in a flash; time itself appeared to reverse. Chunqiu stood entirely dumbfounded! Was this... time? How could this be?! Was time flowing backward? Hadn't they said it was destroyed? As her myriad clones materialized, Li Hao’s sword intent expanded, instantly shrouding everyone, including Qian Wuliang. He laughed and scolded, "What are you staring at, you idiot? Link the Silver Moon River to Chunqiu’s clones, weaving between past and present, substance and illusion! I will make Daoist Chunqiu the supreme powerhouse of the Monster Race... Sovereign emperors of chaos, living beings of the myriad heavens, those who wish to aid me may enter and take command of a body; those who do not may simply watch the show!" Qian Wuliang’s expression shifted drastically. Overjoyed, he was simultaneously gripped by overwhelming regret, regret to the depths of his soul! "Marquis!" He let out a mournful cry, as if Li Hao had already fallen, his remorse reaching its absolute peak. It was ruined! The Marquis had originally been biding his time in the Four Regions, waiting for the optimal moment. But because they failed to grasp the crux of the plan—and because Li Hao had feared leaking the secret, combined with Hu Qingfeng’s vow that the summoned Li Hao would be indistinguishable from the original, plus Er Mao’s mimicry, Li Hao had felt fully confident. After all, the flesh and blood used had truly belonged to him. Li Hao had assumed that fooling Tianfang’s eyes would be enough, so he hadn't explained further. Who would have guessed... that these people would actually try to 'awaken' him? Awaken my foot! In Li Hao's own eyes, there was hardly any difference at all, yet every single one of them had decided he was no longer Li Hao! It was truly... beyond words. He could have continued to bide his time and ignored them. At worst, he could have shattered the chaos origin later and reconstructed them. Yet in the end, he had stepped out anyway. A victory earned like that was not what he desired! *I am Li Hao!* *I do not pursue victory for its own sake. The path of the Great Dao is not heartless, and the journey of the martial world is not walked this way.* *Knowing there is a tiger on the mountain, one still strides toward it!* He knew that by revealing himself now, he was likely no match for Tianfang. But... what did it matter? Victory or defeat, it was nothing more than an intoxicating spree in the martial world! With these friends, with these companions, where under heaven could one not find a kindred spirit? Why fight merely for the sake of winning? And so, he had stepped forth. Walking with his sword at his waist, crossing through time and space, he had emerged from the roots of chaos. He could have grown vastly stronger, but he had cast that aside—it held no meaning now! With one sword stroke he slew a ninth rank, restoring Kongji and the others. His smile was bright, just like when they had first met. "A single day apart feels like three autumns! Everyone, I, Li Hao, have returned!" "'A youth of the noble tombs, brimming with a scholar’s spirit.' All say the mortal world is tainted with filth, yet in my youth I fell in love with it, walking the roads of the martial world to declare: this fine head of mine rests right here—who among you can take it from my shoulders?" Li Hao felt boundless exhilaration, his laughter reverberating across the heavens! *When I was young, I dreamed that one day I would make a few close friends, roam the martial world, leap across rooftops and vault over walls, rob the rich to help the poor, and enforce justice on behalf of heaven. The stronger a person grows, the harder it is to remain true to oneself.* *Now, I cast these worries aside and let my desires lead the way—what harm is there in that?* "Tianfang, Tribulation, you two have wasted a million years in vain! You have no friends, no family, no brothers, no companions of the Dao! Even if you defeat me... what of it?" With a sharp cry, sword intent cold as frost pierced through heaven and earth! The world fell silent, save for that single sword stroke that seemed to tear through the cosmos and shatter the darkness. *I have returned!* *Scheming against the heavens, biding my time in the shadows—I wanted to do that, but my friends would not let me.* *My brothers refused to let me sink into cold oblivion.* *In that case, let us fight! Let us do battle! I have already surpassed you countless times over!* "Brother Haoyue!" Kongji’s eyes suddenly shone with brilliant light, and he laughed from the bottom of his heart. "I'm sorry, I didn't know... I'm sorry, truly sorry... but I... I am so very happy..." He hadn't known Li Hao still had a plan. For that, he felt apologetic! Yet he was truly, immensely happy. His fellow traveler of the Dao was peerless after all. "Disciple, your old master... misjudged you!" Yuan Shuo bared his teeth with an apologetic grin, then broke into wild, arrogant laughter, roaring at the top of his lungs: "My eye for disciples... is unmatched under heaven!" "The Marquis is peerless!" Across heaven and earth, only this cry seemed to remain, venting, shouting, roaring. Li Hao had returned! Yes, this was the Demon Sword Li Hao—seeming like a demon yet not a demon, someone whose demonic nature came not from slaughter. At this moment, the Human King exhaled, chuckled, and muttered a curse. *What a pity my Neo Martial forces have fused into me; otherwise, they would have shouted 'The Human King is peerless' to compete with you!* At this moment, Emperor Yu smiled. *The Lord of Time... mm, not bad, not bad at all.* *If the Li Hao formed by Er Mao had been the real Li Hao, I would have been truly disappointed. Did you open the heaven of my Myriad Worlds only to amount to this?* *So you are still you after all. Mm, wonderful!* As for stepping out early and ruining the plan—what plan? Who cared about a plan? Better to die standing than to live on their knees just to scheme for a fleeting advantage! "Time, if there’s a chance, let's share a drink!" Emperor Yu laughed boisterously. "On the path of seeking the Dao, searching high and low, it is exceedingly rare to meet someone of like mind! Today, I shall address you as senior. Senior Time, my greetings!" Li Hao laughed freely: "Let's kill them first, then drink! Kill!" The single word "Kill" shook heaven and earth. Countless cries of "Kill!" erupted across the myriad heavens in an instant, permeating the chaos. "Kill!" Heaven seemed to collapse and earth seemed to shatter. In that moment, morale soared to the heavens, and everyone was seized by frenzy. At this juncture, Sovereigns throughout the myriad worlds looked into the distance. Suddenly, someone stepped onto the great path, charging straight toward the distant Myriad Heavens Dao Arena. "My path is mine to walk; my future is mine to decide!" "To fight for a glimmer of survival, I will take control of this battle myself!" "Wait for my return! Even if I die in battle, I will not despair!" "..." In a flash, Sovereign after Sovereign fused their spirits into the Great Dao, holding nothing back as they poured forth in full force, staking everything on the line! The Sovereigns of the east did not hesitate for a moment; over ten thousand Sovereigns surged out in a tidal wave! *This heaven, we shall decide!* *This future, we shall determine!* In the distance, Tianfang looked toward Li Hao and smiled. But as he smiled, he let out a long sigh: "I thought... I would await the strongest version of you, the you who had absorbed all the darkness. I never expected that what I waited for... was merely... a you who has lost his mind! Li Hao, you have disappointed me." Li Hao laughed heartily: "Do not measure others by your own narrow standards. You are not a fish; how could you know the joy of a fish? Ignorant fool!" The single word "fool" struck heaven and earth like a bolt of thunder. It shattered the darkness and let the light bloom. Sword intent surged. At this moment, Li Hao, clad in white with a long sword in hand, was the peerless swordsman of the world!