“The senior just needs to be careful,” Li Hao said. “If something can’t be done, then the senior can ignore the one month timeline. It’s fine if you focus on running for safety. To be frank, everyone’s attention will only be on you so long as you’re out in the open. Thunder World is more important than some mid and minor worlds at the moment!”

“Don’t worry, Thunder World will not fall that easily,” the Thunder master exhaled easily. “They can try to mount an offensive, but they’d rather kill me off world. That will avoid damaging Thunder World, which is important because the world is a critical part of the Dragon master’s plan for conquering the outer regions!

“I knew that a long time ago. If it wasn’t for that, I would already be dead!”

“The outer regions?” Li Hao blinked.

“Correct!” nodded the Thunder master. “They wish to make Thunder World a transport hub in and out of Thunder Region. Otherwise, there is no way of fording that region with their own world. This applies for those coming in from the outside regions and those of the four regions who wish to leave.

“There is only my world that is one of thunder and lightning among the four regions. We have endured many years of chaos tribulations, so even if other seventh rank worlds of thunder and lightning appeared, they will not be as hardy against chaos tribulations as we are!

“Therefore, they won’t want to break Thunder World in the short run. They’ll just want to force me out and kill me! There will have to be no other options available for them to deviate from that course of action.”

Li Hao understood! So this was the case.

No wonder. I was wondering how you could force the Dragon master into retreat when everyone knows you’re not in peak condition due to lack of dao crystals. So it’s because they don’t want to damage the world!

The outer regions huh... the Dragon master definitely has quite a bit of ambition. He has more than I thought! His ambitions exceed the mere four regions.

That’s just as well. It means that he won’t easily attack so long as the Thunder master is within range of his world. He’ll only suppress the man to force him out to search for dao crystals.

The eight hundred million that we’re giving him today will help him with a bit of that. That’s good!

“Then let’s give them a surprise.” Li Hao grinned brilliantly. “The senior will continue to string them along for a bit, letting them think that Thunder World is really at the end of its tether. Perhaps... we might get one over them!”

“Those are my thoughts too.” The Thunder master smiled equally radiantly. “Therefore, I won’t take out the dao crystals after I return. I’ll turn them into an ultimate killing move at a critical moment. I hope I can deliver a harsh blow to Phoenix!

“In addition, I wish the two little friends smooth sailing!”

These little guys were truly outrageous and had the strength to back it up. He didn’t think highly of their plan to sweep through a thousand worlds, but there was no need to discourage them. His life was hard enough already, he didn’t have the right to douse their enthusiasm.

The Thunder master disappeared after they bid each other farewell. Li Hao started chuckling, as did Void breathe out in relief.

“Thank goodness that he left with a few hundred million dao crystals,” he said. “He can also distract the region for us. Had I known this would be an option, I would’ve absorbed fewer dao crystals. Who would’ve thought that we can have a seventh rank work for us by paying them enough to do so?”

Damn, this was nice!

Li Hao looked wordlessly at him. What are you saying, man?

“I hadn’t thought that Thunder World would be so poor,” the young man smiled as well. “Damn, that’s sad! But it’s good for us. When the Thunder master makes his move, Thunder World isn’t too far away from here. According to what we’ve agreed on, his flurry of action is the cue for us to take action.

“Brother Void, if there’s a seventh rank around for us to kill, it’ll further prove that a seventh rank dao universe really is appearing!”

Void smiled as well. His smile was charged with emotion. They would be killing a seventh rank in the true notion of the idea this time. There would be nothing that they could rely on. How exciting!

Could they do it?

Of course they could!

The Thunder master hadn’t won any part of their exchange, albeit he’d been without his world and dao universe. But in that case, what did they have to fear about a chaos beast that also lacked a world and dao universe?

They would just kill such a target!

......

One day later, Thunder World.

Immense might manifested in the void and a magnificent voice boomed in the four corners, shaking the worlds.

“Phoenix, don’t you want to seize Thunder World and kill me?” The Thunder master’s angry roar echoed in all directions. “This seat will give you that chance! You and I will fight each other in a month. I will hand over Thunder World if you win, and I will require only one billion dao crystals if you lose!

“Humans of Dragon Region, our rise is predetermined so long as this emperor still exists within the region. If I fall in battle, you will be left to your own devices. There will be nothing I can do then!”

The Thunder master’s voice boomed through Dragon Region, stunning all those who caught wind of what he said.

Phoenix major world. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The Phoenix master paused for a long while and murmured, “So... he didn’t leave! That’s... completely not what I expected!”

We arranged a lot of ways out for you, but you didn’t take a single one. I know full well what your situation is. You lack dao strength, so what you want to do now is to find a way to seize some dao crystals, not fight me!

Clearly, a verbal agreement to fight was no guarantee. They would sign a dao agreement for it! And if he really lost...

The Phoenix master’s eyes darted around. Am I really going to be able to take Thunder World in one piece? Killing the world master isn’t as important as laying hands on the world itself! That’s the most critical of all!

The Phoenix master threw her head back with laughter—sheer, unadulterated joy.

Does the Thunder master want to take a gamble? Do you think you’ll win? You think too highly of yourself!

The seventh rank dragon powerhouse was also laughing. “The Dragon master is putting everything on the line! If you really can sign a dao agreement for this and take the world whole, Fellow Daoist Phoenix will have rendered the greatest service of all!”

Peacefully taking Thunder World was the best possible outcome. Phoenix wouldn’t be the only one with great merit to her name—so would he!

The Dragon master had his sights set on Thunder World. Obtaining it was nonnegotiable. It was fine if several seventh ranks were lost in pursuit of it.

“It’s also thanks to the numerous fellow daoists, how else would we have forced the Thunder master into a corner otherwise?” The Phoenix master smiled winningly. “Then we wait for a month. But before that, we’ll surround Thunder World with our troops. Since he won’t be leaving his world, then there’s no point in leaving an opening for him!”

They’d purposefully created some exits for him. It was a shame that he hadn’t taken advantage of them. But it was just as well now!

They’d been probing his world a few days ago, so to think that he would choose this course of action! How interesting.

......

The Thunder master had outright challenged the Phoenix master in a domineering show of might! Meanwhile, Li Hao and the others waited quietly at Dragon major world’s old spot. The young man grinned widely!

It was done!

A fourth rank world was only worth one or two hundred million dao crystals. Eight hundred million was quite a few mid rank worlds. Everything was worth it in this moment.

“Let’s go!” Li Hao commanded. Void, Number Two, and Panther followed close behind him. Their first target was still Desolate major world. It didn’t matter where that seventh rank was hiding. If it came down to it, they could just roll over all of the sixth rank worlds in the area!

......

Desolate major world.

The Desolate master hovered near the world gate and looked into the distance. The chaos beast was taken aback by a patch of chaos in the distance that roiled with presence. The Thunder master was so bold! It was not a good idea to provoke the Phoenix master.

Although the Exalted Thunder Emperor was strong, everyone knew that he was currently very weak. He was courting death and just giving up his world!

The Desolate master was actually envious for a moment. Who would the Thunder dao universe go to? If the Phoenix master took it, then it would probably go to Princess Feng Yan. How nice it was to become a seventh rank at such a young age!

Who knew when Desolate major world would produce a dao universe?

The world master abruptly blinked its giant eyes. Was that a living being in the distance? It peered into the gloom of the chaos and could barely make out something. Was someone passing by?

It wasn’t ill at ease. It might’ve been worried before, prior to the Thunder master’s eruption. But now... what was there to be afraid of? That wouldn’t be the Thunder master, in any case.

Two massive beasts appeared in front of it as its thoughts ran wild—one dog, one cat.

The most famous dog and cat combination in the chaos was the Ash Emperor and Heavenly Dog. Clearly, these two weren’t it...

The peak sixth rank exalted emperor was a bit suspicious of the two strangers.

“I am a Phoenix envoy,” the newcomer said before the world master had a chance to ask any questions. “I am here to gather sixth rank exalted emperors to mount an offensive on Thunder World!”

A stone manifested over the dog’s claws, one that contained the core essence of Phoenix. It was what the major world used to contact exalted emperors off world and verified the holder’s identity.

The Desolate master blinked, but quickly recognized the stone. “I am a Dragon vassal and follow only Dragon major world’s orders...”

It was confused, despite the response. Had the Dragon master issued secret orders to Phoenix?

Attacking Thunder World was what they should be doing, but... wasn’t that going to happen in a month’s time?

And are we joining in as sixth ranks?

Should I go? Will there be some opportunities for me if I do?

The chaos around it quieted into absolute silence as such thoughts flashed through its mind. It was... cut off from the rest of the universe?

The Desolate master had never fathomed that it would be attacked in the heart of region territory. Who would dare do so, apart from the Thunder master?

And the key was, it was a peak sixth rank, whereas these two...

The silence exploded as soon as this incredulity registered to it! The massive lizard seemed frozen in the void.

Emptiness of a myriad daos!

Only in this moment could one sense the gap between Li Hao, Void, and the rest. Not every sixth rank could overcome a seventh rank!

The lizard was petrified for one second, but it lost its head the next!

The massive lizard head fell off its neck. A peak sixth rank hadn’t been able to put up any resistance!