Tribulation was dead.
Yet heaven and earth endured.
This world had not collapsed. At this moment, a ripple of Dao power spread downward, and in the void, the figure of a person—or perhaps a dog—seemed to emerge.
Black Panther looked around, somewhat dazed.
*Where is this?*
Why did it feel like absorbing the power of tribulation had come with something extra? A bonus gift?
It sensed its surroundings. It felt... remarkably like an entire world!
The next instant, it saw Li Hao.
Delight sparked within it.
Yet it was also a little uneasy—it hadn't broken the primal chaos source yet. After absorbing the power of tribulation, it had been getting ready to deal with the primal chaos source when it suddenly felt a pocket of space inside its body. It had popped in to take a look, and seeing Li Hao now made it rather nervous.
*The job isn't done yet!*
*I wasn't slacking off on purpose.*
It turned to flee and get back to the Great Dao of Chaos to handle the primal chaos source, but Li Hao materialized in an instant, smiling. "Why are you running?"
"Woof, woof!"
Black Panther barked. Even though this was merely its spirit rather than its physical body, it maintained its habit of barking instead of speaking.
"Don't rush. There's no hurry."
Li Hao stopped the departing hound and looked at the world before them. A divine character materialized in front of him—the very character "Tribulation" that had previously linked to the power of tribulation.
Li Hao glanced at Black Panther and said after a moment, "I intend to refine this world to replenish my Dao power and perfect the strength of my physical form. My willpower is sufficient, but it is best to balance the illusory and the corporeal..."
Black Panther had no objection; it didn't care either way.
Li Hao fell silent for a moment before continuing, "However, though I will refine this world, I will not govern its spirit. You shall command it! Place your core source within it and keep it concealed for now!"
Black Panther didn't understand Li Hao's intentions, but it didn't question him either, simply nodding its canine head.
It didn't need to understand. As long as Li Hao understood, that was enough.
Li Hao stroked the slightly illusory hound—this was merely Black Panther's spirituality. Soon, he spoke again: "Go back and keep working. When I need you, I will inform you. You'll just need to take a bite; leave the rest to me..."
"Woof!"
Black Panther said no more. Its spirit quickly withdrew, though not entirely—a portion of its core spirit remained behind, merging into the divine character "Tribulation." It didn't know what Li Hao was planning, but that didn't stop it from obediently doing as told.
Once Black Panther left, the Dao of the martial world before Li Hao rapidly collapsed.
Countless strands of the power of despair returned, instantly condensing into a longsword.
Looking around, Li Hao pondered for a moment. Soon, myriad divine characters surfaced, among them the character "Tribulation." In the blink of an eye, the longsword devoured the characters, causing tribulation energy to spill outward.
The surrounding heaven and earth trembled.
Before long, the entire world seemed to be refined by Li Hao, countless streams of Dao power surging into his body.
Originally, most of Li Hao's flesh and blood had been extracted by Er Mao and the others to create a decoy body. He had gathered the sources of the myriad realms to reforge his physical form, yet while he possessed willpower in abundance, he lacked sufficient Dao power. Now, as these divine characters merged into every single cell, Dao power began integrating into his flesh.
The Lord of Tribulation's Dao had centered on tribulation energy, but it contained the power of other Daos as well. Following the deaths of numerous powerful experts, almost all of their Dao powers had converged here.
Li Hao continuously absorbed it all. He had already gathered the despair of heaven and earth, and for chaos, tribulation energy was likewise a force of turbulence and upheaval. It could be said that the darkest forces in all of chaos were now converging upon Li Hao.
Vast reserves of Dao power poured into him, steadily refined. Outside his body, his white robes began to turn black, as if his entire being were drifting toward the dark side.
Li Hao looked up toward the sky. Tianfang had not appeared, nor had he intervened. It was impossible for him not to know that Tribulation was dead, yet Tianfang continued to wait—waiting for Li Hao to absorb the tribulation energy left behind.
What a confident man!
Or perhaps... it was not merely confidence. This was precisely the outcome Tianfang desired. This was what he had been waiting for all along.
Immense Dao power churned wildly.
The longsword at his side quivered violently.
This was the Sword of Black Scales!
The blade trembled for a moment until Li Hao reached out and grasped it, finally quelling the vibrations. Within Li Hao's body, countless Dao powers permeated outward, a dark aura endlessly billowing forth only to be swallowed whole by the sword.
The darkness shrouded Li Hao alone.
As the sword vibrated, the entire newly created world suddenly began to shrink. Moments later, this nascent heaven was thoroughly absorbed into the longsword, which hummed with burgeoning, formidable power.
***
The void rippled.
Li Hao stepped forward.
The Human King and his companions breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Chunqiu let out a breath as well.
She was somewhat surprised that Tribulation had truly died—and so quickly, slain by Li Hao in hardly any time at all. This fellow truly defied expectations.
Tianfang, who had remained silent all this time, smiled faintly. "Not bad!"
He looked at Li Hao and nodded slightly. "Very impressive!"
He seemed exceedingly pleased—pleased with the current Li Hao, pleased with the state of affairs.
Across the entirety of chaos, boundless forces of despair continued flowing toward Li Hao, accompanied by endless streams of calamity, while the power of darkness was absorbed together by Li Hao, the Human King, and the others.
The skies of chaos seemed to truly brighten.
The boundless murk that once effortlessly devoured experts now resembled an illuminated expanse of void, stripped of its terrifying devouring pull.
Several hidden worlds now revealed themselves, glowing like stars to light up the vast chaos.
Even worlds that had once been dim now radiated a soft luminescence, growing brighter by the breath.
Tianfang looked in all directions, watching the darkness drift toward the group, and sighed wistfully. "Ever since my birth, I have never seen chaos so bright.
"Darkness, gloom, turmoil—they make people uncomfortable and oppressed. Only light can truly open one's heart.
"Alas, the sky of chaos has always been so dim."
Tianfang seemed lost in memory—recalling the chaos of countless years ago, remembering eons of turmoil and upheaval.
With another sigh, he murmured, "Until that day, when someone stepped across time from the future and told me that the darkness would eventually fade, and light would inevitably cloak chaos... I thought he was merely joking, yet he was so earnest... that I believed him."
Li Hao smiled faintly. "And so... you simply believed him and took action?"
Tianfang smiled in return. "It was exceedingly difficult! You must understand, back then, there were nearly thirty ninth-rank Sovereigns. Though I was strong, I was not invincible. That was the first obstacle. The second was that everyone was in their prime back then, unlike the weakened remnants you slaughtered today. Only Tribulation managed to recover a fraction of his peak at the very end.
"Back then, accomplishing anything was arduous in the extreme... What's more, I knew full well that the root of all turmoil did not lie with them!"
He shook his head. "The root cause was never them. Li Hao, do you know where the root lies?"
Li Hao shook his head. "I don't. Where there are people, there is turmoil; there is the martial world. I do not believe that extracting all the darkness and killing every expert will bring peace to chaos. Blindly chasing absolute peace... is fundamentally unreliable."
Li Hao added, "Where there are people, there are disputes. Unless you intend to follow Huntian's path. If that's the case... I would be thoroughly disappointed."
Li Hao sighed. "If all you seek, Tianfang, is great unification like Huntian's, establishing a world devoid of desires, perhaps war would cease for a time. But... that would last only for your generation! Once you die, things will turn far more horrific!"
If Tianfang merely wanted to be a stronger version of Huntian, Li Hao would have far less reason to fear him.
"No, no, no, I am not Huntian!"
Tianfang shook his head, as calm and confident as ever. Looking at Li Hao, he smiled. "You are right. Where there are people, there are disputes; where there are sentient spirits, there is conflict! What I despise is not conflict or turmoil. Quite simply, I despise those who ruin beautiful scenery."
Tianfang looked at Li Hao and smiled. "What I wish to do does not necessarily conflict with your goals, understand? You killed them, and I did not stop you. Su Yu thought I did so to absorb the darkness, but he was mistaken."
He shook his head and looked at Li Hao again. "From beginning to end, I have had little interest in any of that. In your eyes, perhaps I seem like someone who wants to dominate the world, conquer chaos... that everything I've done was merely to kill my rivals. Those are all misconceptions."
Li Hao raised a brow.
The Human King scoffed.
Su Yu frowned, saying nothing.
Even now, no one was entirely clear on what Tianfang truly wanted. They had made many deductions, but Tianfang had never given them a definitive answer.
"Zhan and I once talked for a very long time!"
Tianfang continued, "We hit it off immediately, regretting only that we hadn't met sooner. Alas... he was an idealist, not a pragmatist. He felt that seeing it through would cost too many lives, far too many. That was why he didn't truly want to meet me; he feared that if we met, he might be persuaded by me..."
Tianfang chuckled. Today, everything that needed to be laid out had been laid out. Everything that needed to be prepared was prepared. He didn't mind speaking of these things.
"Any grand endeavor requires sacrificing the interests of a few to fulfill the needs of others—provided, of course, that you fulfill the majority while sacrificing the minority! Take this time, for instance: Tribulation and the others were sacrificed. Naturally, they were unwilling. Since that was the case... they had to die, lest they interfere with our plan."
Tianfang sighed deeply. "Chaos is vast, yet it is also small. I do not know whether chaos formed naturally or was opened by someone, just like these worlds and realms... Whether man-made or natural, none of that truly matters!
"Li Hao, do you know why I kept waiting, waiting for you all to extract all the darkness and chaos?"
Li Hao looked at him and shook his head. "I don't. I assumed you wanted to merge light and dark, uniting the corporeal and illusory. It seems that wasn't your plan after all."
"Because the opposition of Daos stabilizes heaven and earth..."
Tianfang explained, "The two opposing polarities clash, yet they also anchor the realm! In truth, whether it is light and darkness, yin and yang, or life and death, neither can be missing! There is no pure light without darkness, nor pure darkness without light. If only one existed, this chaos would shatter sooner or later!"
Li Hao nodded.
That was indeed true.
Tianfang clearly understood this principle better than anyone, which meant his goal was never to eradicate darkness.
Tianfang continued, "Zhan cultivated time, while I cultivated space. Spacetime—do you consider them two opposing polarities, or two entirely unrelated Daos?"
Were time and space opposites? Was there an inherent contradiction between them?
Li Hao had cultivated time for a long time. After a brief silence, he said, "I don't think they are opposites. Time is time, and space is space..."
"No, no, no!"
Tianfang shook his head. "You speak of absolute space and absolute time as being unrelated. In my view, the two are inextricably linked! Furthermore, time and space are both absolute realities, not mere subjective perceptions..."
At this moment, the real Tianfang seemed to emerge.
His demeanor even brought to mind another person: Zhan.
Previously, Tianfang had shared little in common with the Emperor of Battle Heaven. Yet now, he seemed almost fanatical. That intensity... even though Li Hao had never met Zhan in person, hearing these words made him think of him.
"Chaos has always been expanding, continuously dilating. Li Hao, did you know that?"
He looked at Li Hao. "This proves that space expands; it exists concretely, rather than being an illusion of perception. Having cultivated the Dao of Space, I can sense it clearly!"
Li Hao raised an eyebrow and remained silent.
"As for time, it is equally real..."
Tianfang continued, "Therefore, in my eyes, both are corporeal Daos that truly exist, rather than illusory Daos!"
"This is different from what you imagined—an illusory Dao born of willpower!"
Li Hao's heart stirred.
Those had indeed been his thoughts. In his view, if the Daos of heaven and earth were divided into corporeal and illusory, spacetime ought to belong to the realm of the illusory; only tangible, observable phenomena counted as corporeal Daos.
Tianfang was arguing that spacetime was also a corporeal Dao.
These were merely Li Hao's personal theories, yet Tianfang had seen right through his thoughts.
Li Hao frowned. "Then what Senior Tianfang means is... even if both are corporeal Daos, they are not opposing polarities. I still don't understand your point."
Tianfang frowned slightly. "Who says a corporeal Dao must oppose an illusory Dao? In your eyes, are life and death corporeal or illusory? Does their opposition stem from the difference between corporeal and illusory? What about yin and yang? What about light and dark? Li Hao, your understanding of spacetime is far too shallow. Your grasp of the Great Dao is impressive, but it is hardly peerless!"
Li Hao had just been openly disparaged.
Naturally, he didn't argue, simply nodding.
Perhaps that was so.
He was young—though in truth, not entirely young. His Dao of Desires had experienced countless ages across the myriad realms, and he had once journeyed through Xinwu. In chronological age, he was young, but in mindset and experience, he was anything but.
Still, having rich experience did not mean surpassing Tianfang.
He contemplated Tianfang's words, pondering their deeper meaning.
"Then what... does Senior wish to do?"
Tianfang smiled. "Never mind. Since you don't quite grasp it, I shall put it simply! I have been waiting for an opportunity to pit opposing Daos against one another, pushing them to the absolute extreme to achieve an absolute balance!
"A balance that will never be broken. I believe that when opposing Daos reach their pinnacle, or reach a certain threshold, unification will occur!
"In other words, a state of perpetual changelessness will emerge—an absolute balance, absolute justice, and absolute stillness!"
He sounded almost euphoric. "For instance, when time and space collide at their absolute limits, a state of absolute space and absolute time will manifest! There, space will be infinite, with no need for expansion; anywhere you walk will be space! And there, time will be boundless, without death or destruction. Everyone will enjoy eternal life... In such a state, conflict becomes completely meaningless!
"Societies will develop, civilizations will flourish, and they will endlessly explore toward the edge of space... an edge that does not even exist! They will explore toward the end of time, an end that likewise does not exist!
"Darkness, light—none of it will hold any significance there!"
Tianfang laughed. "All conflict, all struggle for hegemony, is fought over lifespan, territory, or domain size. But what if domain is boundless? What if time is infinite? Li Hao, in such a chaos, do you think your so-called martial world would ever arise?"
The entire group stared at Tianfang as if looking at a lunatic.
Everyone always claimed Li Hao was mad, the Human King was wild, Emperor Yu was unhinged...
Yet at this moment, the look in their eyes as they stared at Tianfang was identical to the looks others gave them!
Yes, the exact same look.
This man was completely out of his mind!
Absolute space, absolute time...
Li Hao furrowed his brows, lost in thought.
Could such a thing exist?
He didn't know.
He didn't dismiss Tianfang's words outright, but... it sounded utterly inconceivable. When time and space collided, an absolute expanse of space and time would form, boundless and without end...
There, struggling for dominance or power would be utterly pointless.
Everyone would be immortal. Everyone's territory could expand indefinitely. As long as you wished to journey, you could walk into boundless reaches at any moment.
In that case... conquest and strife would lose all meaning.
The polarities and turmoil of chaos might be eradicated entirely in such an era.
Once and for all!
Yet... how could that be possible?
Only at this moment did Li Hao fully understand Tianfang's mind. His expression shifted slightly. "So Senior means that you wield the Dao of Space and the path of light and order, while we command the Dao of Time and the path of chaos and darkness... and so... Senior wishes to pit our Daos against each other in equilibrium, to see if we can forge this absolute spacetime?"
"Yes, and no!"
Tianfang said excitedly, "It's not a question of *if*, but a certainty! Unless we aren't strong enough! As long as we are powerful enough to achieve balance, I know it will exist! You and I... or rather, myself and all of you together in opposition already represent the pinnacle of this chaos! If even we cannot create absolute spacetime, those who come after us will never stand a chance!
"Tribulation and the others never inspired such hope in me, which is why... they had to die. Death was a release for them; if they hadn't died today, they would have perished eventually. But their deaths were not in vain. On the contrary, their sacrifice was meant to empower you!
"Years ago, when Zhan and I debated the Dao, our discussion ultimately settled on the question of absolute spacetime. Zhan believed it was theoretically possible, but he felt that theoretical existence did not warrant practical pursuit; many concepts exist only in theory. Yet I believe... since the theory supports it, why not put it to the test?"
At this moment, the Human King grinned. "So that's what Senior Tianfang has been after... Well, that's simple enough. Senior, feel free to keep playing by yourself. There's no conflict between us. Like I've always said, there's no need for all this bloody fighting; we're all cultured men here..."
Everyone turned to stare at the Human King.
*Cultured? You?*
The Human King blinked at their stares and snapped, "What? I'm not refined? I'm a bona fide graduate of Shanghai Magic Capital Martial Arts University! Do you know how impressive that is? The two of you, looking at me—what are you staring at? Did either of you graduate from college? For that matter, do they even have universities where you're from? Scum! Keep staring and I'll hack you to pieces!"
Li Hao chuckled. Su Yu, looking thoughtful, said, "We understand Senior's words now. In other words, both you and we are pursuers of peace, seekers of the Dao's ultimate end... However..."
He sighed softly. "Senior, none of us alone can stand against you, which means we cannot reach this so-called balance. Does Senior have other ideas in mind?"
Li Hao laughed lightly. "Of course he does. For instance... if we can't do it individually, then we fuse together to give it a try, right?"
Tianfang smiled and nodded. "Precisely! You are all clever men. Truly, I harbor no desire to kill you, nor do I wish you harm... However, though you grow quickly, and though I could wait until the day you achieve balance with me... the limits of chaos are right here. If this drags on, I might reach the end of my lifespan!"
He let out a sigh. "I am two million years old. I would gladly keep waiting, but if I die, will another cultivator ever reach the apex of the Dao of Space? Even if one does, will they match you? Balance would never be attained!
"I have thought it over. If the three of you fully fuse... Silver Moon, Xinwu, and the Myriad Worlds share a single origin, all nurtured by time. So, will the three of you fuse willingly to battle me, or... shall I assist you?"
He was deadly serious!
He had no interest in killing them right now; that wasn't his goal. He looked at the three of them, hoping they would merge voluntarily to reach a state of equilibrium with him.
To collide using the strongest opposing polarities, attempting to unlock his so-called absolute spacetime!
One didn't fear a powerful opponent;
one feared a lunatic.
That was what enemies facing Li Hao and his peers dreaded most. Today, Li Hao and the others shared the same thought: they didn't fear Tianfang's strength, but having Tianfang be a madman...
That was troublesome.
The Human King was still in the mood to joke: "Tianfang, you mean you want to knead the three of us into a lump of dough and have a go at you? I don't mind, but can I not be the rear end? Let Li Hao or Su Yu be the butt... How about I be the head?"
Su Yu chuckled. "Human King, I don't care much for that phrasing. Of course, if Time has no objection, I won't refuse! It's just... from what Senior Tianfang says, even if we're kneaded together, do our wills have to merge as well?"
Tianfang nodded solemnly. "Naturally. Absolute spacetime requires an absolute will! The three of you harbor too many stray thoughts, which does not suit my vision. In that state, discrepancies could easily arise. Therefore... only one will must remain to prevent complications..."
The Human King asked curiously, "Whose will? Mine? I think that could work!"
Li Hao felt helpless. "Senior Human King, Senior Tianfang isn't joking with us. He's entirely serious!"
The Human King grinned broadly. "I'm serious too! Just asking. If it's mine, I might consider it..."
Tianfang shook his head. "Not yours. You are far too reckless. As for Su Yu, I know little of him, but I sense madness. I know Li Hao best; he is the most rational. Therefore, I wish to preserve Li Hao's will!"
Rational!
Li Hao smiled. "I'm flattered!"
The Human King bristled. "Looking down on me?"
Su Yu shrugged. *I'm not crazy. Compared to you, I consider myself perfectly normal.*
Only a lunatic considered everyone else mad. This lunatic actually wanted to forge some absolute spacetime... Now *that* was real madness.
Until one stepped outside the Myriad Worlds, one never knew—only upon leaving did one realize just how dangerous chaos truly was.
Lunatics everywhere!
By comparison, he seemed quite normal.
Even Lan Tian wouldn't seem like a pervert anymore; he'd seem totally normal.
At this moment, they all understood that Tianfang hadn't sought them out or waited for them over personal grudges, nor to unify chaos. Like Zhan, this man was an obsessed cultivator.
As for absolute spacetime... they didn't entirely reject the theory, but such an outlandish concept was something no one would pursue unless given a genuine chance to test it.
To fulfill his vision, Tianfang had turned all those ninth ranks—and everyone present—into targets, mere cogs in his design.
And his goal... was to eradicate all inequality across chaos.
To eradicate darkness, to eradicate turmoil.
At this point, one couldn't even clearly label him as good or evil.
"What do you say?"
Su Yu looked at Li Hao. "What's your take?"
Li Hao sighed helplessly. "If Senior Tianfang merely wanted unification or the union of polarities, we might still have a chance, a way out... But now, he fights for his Dao, his dream, his theory... a theory that even earned Zhan's recognition. We have nowhere left to retreat!"
Su Yu nodded.
That was indeed true.
Nearby, Chunqiu's eyes flickered. *In that case... this has nothing to do with me?*
*If I stay out of it, will I be fine?*
Tianfang only wanted to deal with these three to forge his absolute spacetime.
*Can I just leave now?*
As she pondered, Li Hao suddenly smiled. "Senior, if this concerns only the three of us and no one else, can the others leave?"
Tianfang first nodded, then shook his head. "None of those from Xinwu, Silver Moon, or the Myriad Worlds may leave. You are all entangled with Zhan's time. To ensure absolute certainty, I must fuse all of you together! As for Chunqiu..."
He glanced at Chunqiu, appearing to weigh whether keeping her was necessary.
Chunqiu's heart tangled in knots!
A moment later, Tianfang shook his head. "Had she not devoured the Daos of the ninth ranks, she could have left; one bystander at the eighth rank wouldn't matter. But she was greedy and swallowed the Daos of several ninth ranks. That will not do. I fear it might disrupt the final balance..."
Chunqiu wanted to curse aloud!
*Did I want to swallow them?*
*They shoved them onto me!*
What an unwarranted disaster!
She had stumbled into a den of lunatics.
A pack of madmen!
Now she didn't need to hesitate anymore. The man had decreed that even as a minor player, she had to stay as a spare measure.
Li Hao sighed. "It seems there really is nothing to discuss."
Tianfang nodded. "There is no room for negotiation. I may not necessarily win; once you fuse into one with a unified will, you will be my equal. I do not claim that I must be the victor. As long as absolute spacetime emerges, perhaps the victor will be you, and you will be the winner... In truth, none of that matters.
"What I seek is absolute spacetime itself... Therefore, Li Hao, reveal the power of time once more!"
He gazed at Li Hao. Time would not dissipate; it existed absolutely.
He was certain of it!
"Only then can you match me... Otherwise... you have no hope at all!"
With those words, his aura began to climb, swelling with terrifying momentum!
The entire chaos seemed pushed past its breaking point.
His rising aura warped the very fabric of chaotic space. Ten thousand Daos converged, and at this moment, even the Great Dao of Chaos manifested, a heart seeming to throb above his head.
Countless strands of spirituality gathered toward him, spilling forth from that chaotic heart!
They rushed directly into him!
That was the spirituality accumulated over a million years.
All around, the Dao power and chaotic energy surged toward him. In an instant, Tianfang's aura grew unimaginably vast. Ten thousand Daos permeated the void, gradually converging and merging into the Great Dao of Chaos.
Tianfang took a step forward. "Gentlemen, will you cooperate willingly, or... shall I lend a hand? If I intervene, my touch may be rougher, and you will suffer more pain, but the final outcome remains the same!"
At this moment, the others unleashed their auras as well. The Human King merged yin and yang, the saber in his hand trembling.
Behind Su Yu, a world of ten thousand Daos expanded over him. A book gathered the myriad realms into its pages, as if a cosmos was emerging and civilizations were erupting.
Chunqiu felt bitterly conflicted, yet she had no choice but to join forces with them to confront this terrifying adversary.
Only at this stage could one truly comprehend Tianfang's power.
This man, who had laid his plans a million years ago, had truly been watching from the sidelines all this time, waiting to fulfill his ultimate ambition.
In his every gesture, one could sense a suffocating pressure capable of strangling them.
The spirituality that had dispersed over the past million years had truly been claimed by him alone.
All for this day—to forge the ultimate Dao of Space, the ultimate Dao of light and order, to clash against time.
Thus, he had never intended to kill them before this.
Instead, he had continually aided their growth.
His goal was not even ultimate victory, but merely to prove the validity of his theory.
Li Hao felt a headache coming on.
Now, he truly felt the sheer terror of his opponent. He had thought the man's willpower might not be overwhelmingly strong—though that had only been wishful thinking. Now that he truly sensed that will, he even felt the presence of force!
Tianfang was simply too powerful.
Ten thousand Daos gathered, bolstered by force, fortified by indomitable will—such a being instilled pure despair, appearing utterly flawless!
The entire Great Dao of Chaos was commanded by him!
His source of Dao power was inexhaustible, whereas Li Hao and the other two could only rely on dissipated Dao power to replenish themselves.
"Gentlemen, I can wait no longer!"
Tianfang took another step, easily appearing near the trio, a smile on his face. "Li Hao, if the power of despair is insufficient to empower you, you may attempt to master other Daos of will. I will not stop you; in fact, I hope you succeed! Your Heart Gate is quite remarkable. If you feel it still falls short... you may draw freely upon the sources of the countless domains in chaos! Everything is merely temporary. Once absolute spacetime appears, worlds will no longer be needed! Worlds hinder the progress of civilization! Worlds obstruct the development of the Great Dao! Merged completely into one, without distinction of race or civilization—that is the spacetime everyone truly desires!"
"Lunatic!"
"Nutjob!"
"Madman!"
The trio smiled wryly, each cursing under their breath.
For once, their opinions were completely united.
The Human King ceased his banter and licked his lips. "I have no desire to fuse with you lot. Of course, it'd be fine if I were in charge, but if I'm not calling the shots, count me out. So... our only choice is to hack this old lunatic to death!"
Su Yu smiled as well. "I'm not fond of being controlled by others either. At worst, I'll be killed—not like I haven't died before. Death is nothing special!"
Li Hao chuckled. "Nor do I share your eccentric tastes—harboring the wills of countless people at every turn... Let alone annihilating them entirely. At most, I'd borrow some spirituality, but obliterating you completely to reshape you into me... Frankly, the thought makes me sick."
He laughed again. "Since neither of you has any such desire... then let us spar with Senior Tianfang! At a time like this, bring out every trick you have. Otherwise... I fear we won't get another chance!"
The Human King gave a low chuckle. Endless yin and yang energy gathered around him once more, boosting his aura slightly, though the change was marginal. He had already reached his limits.
Yet compared to Tianfang's world-enveloping pressure, he fell far short; the disparity was immense.
Li Hao also drew upon vast currents of willpower, his aura surging violently.
Seeing this, Chunqiu wanted to say something—could they really win?
Yet seeing that none of them paid her any heed, she quietly kept silent, feeling rather pessimistic. Sensing Tianfang's invincible aura, she finally realized that the gulf between ninth ranks could be this staggering!
Behind them, Yuan Shuo and Er Mao quietly retreated into the distance. Though they had battled ninth ranks earlier, they stepped back now; this was a fight they had no hope of joining.
The flesh and blood cloaking Er Mao suddenly melted away, wrapping around Li Hao like a garment in the blink of an eye.
Flesh and blood began to regenerate, shedding its former pallor.
Li Hao reached out, and the power of the five elements surged forth from Yuan Shuo's body, swept up into Li Hao's grasp. Yuan Shuo raised an eyebrow, and Li Hao smiled. "Borrowing this for a moment. Otherwise, Senior Tianfang would have to beat you to death, Master."
Tianfang chuckled softly. "It makes no difference. They are tainted by time, so... they must fuse with you regardless. Do as you wish; it is merely a matter of time."
With those words, he took another step forward. Boundless pressure bore down on them, forcing the three back as their insides churned like stormy seas.
A saber, a sword, and a book hovered between heaven and earth.
Tianfang could wait no longer!
Without a word, the three unleashed their saber, sword, and book simultaneously, cleaving through heaven and earth as if recreating the dawn of creation.
Light illuminated chaos, only to be snuffed out in an instant!
A burst of spatial force obliterated everything in its path, and Tianfang's sigh drifted through the void: "It won't do. It's not enough. You are far too weak! Fuse! Such power is insufficient to spark absolute spacetime—it falls far too short!"
No one answered.
Only the saber, sword, and book manifested once more.
They were outmatched, but unless they tried, how could they know the outcome?
Even if... the result fell short of their hopes.
Chapter 624