Chapter 1658: Fish in a Barrel (III)

The void of the chaos.

Four exalted emperors swiftly moved forward. A seventh rank behind them lurked in the shadows, a malevolent look in his eyes. They were almost at Orchid Forest.

The four sixth ranks were quiet. Their mission was simple. Kill everyone who resisted, even if that included the exalted emperors of Orchid Forest. In addition, they were to recruit the local chaos wanderers when they landed.

According to the world master’s instructions, they could take in a portion of the wandering cultivators since Red Moon had lost so many exalted emperors lately. Although Red Moon had slightly declined at the moment, it remained a major world at the end of the day. As such, it posed an incomparable temptation to chaos wanderers.

“Don’t be in a rush to make a move or recruit after we arrive. The sixth rank Yu Xiu is a premier chaos wanderer within Red Moon Region. He was the master of a world a long time ago. He just chose to stay with the chaos after his world was destroyed.

“Apart from that, we must unearth all of the exalted emperors hidden within Orchid Forest, just in case!

“There might be a few more fifth or sixth ranks hidden among them—we’ll find them all. That cultivator of life and death is strong. If possible, we’ll have Yu Xiu whittle them down first. Apparently, that exalted emperor of life and death has very strong powers of recovery!”

“......” One of the sixth ranks spoke first to make certain arrangements. Not even six sixth ranks felt sufficient if they wished to guarantee success.

Nothing could be permitted to go wrong. The world master was already furious beyond belief. If anything else went awry this time, perhaps all of them would be punished for it.

“Orchid Forest currently has eight barrier cracks. We’ll try our utmost to control all of them when we arrive. Otherwise, the Orchid Forest master might lean towards helping Myriad Dao’s group and creating an opportunity for them to get away!”

“We don’t need to worry about offending Orchid Forest. They don’t know what’s good for them. If they dare stand in our way, that will be the moment they seal their doom!”

“No worries, we’re well aware of the situation!”

“Mmhmm. In addition to our standing orders, we also need to corral the exalted emperors near Orchid Forest. Either they join us or... they die. They die too if they don’t vacate the area!”

“Naturally. It’s not that easy to glean pickings from Red Moon.” One of the sixth ranks bore an exceedingly flinty look in his eyes. “We have suffered immensely in recent times and become a laughingstock in the chaos. Even a portion of chaos wanderers dare set their eyes upon us! How dare they!”

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

“We need to express Red Moon’s stance that we are certain of success. We also need to let Orchid Forest know that to resist will result in their destruction!”

“Absolutely!”

“Understood!” chorused the exalted emperors. The one giving orders was naturally a cut above the rest. He was the one within Red Moon most likely to set foot into seventh rank; his name was Bloodlust.

Bloodlust focused on the dao of slaughter. A love for killing was also one of the desires. He was a peak sixth rank!

He was also the one that the Red Moon master had the highest hopes for. There was a lack of strong exalted emperors from a dao of slaughter among the other seventh ranks of Red Moon. Although there were other sixth ranks also executing the mission, this one was their leader. He was the primary battle strength sent to handle the exalted emperor of life and death.

Bloodlust would even be the main battle force against the Orchid Forest master in critical moments. As another peak sixth rank, the only area in which he fell short was control over a dao universe.

Having lost three seventh ranks, Red Moon was in dire need of high rank replenishment. Bloodlust stood a very high chance of taking one of these spots. If he could kill those two troublemakers and achieve great merit during this operation, no one within Red Moon would object to his ascension.

......

At the same time.

Soul Eclipse received news at his position on the outskirts of Orchid Forest. “Four of them are coming and Bloodlust is leading them,” he clucked his tongue. “Even that guy’s coming... a good show is incoming.”

A good show?

Sorrowless rolled his eyes.

Bloodlust is a guy who can turn on his own blood and flesh. It’s more like we’ll be the ones providing a good show!

Although they were all sixth ranks, Bloodlust was a peak sixth rank and so strong in battle that Sorrowless could not afford to get on his bad side either.

“Cut the crap. Bloodlust sent word that we should focus on recruiting the wandering cultivators first and plug the barrier cracks. We can’t let those two get away!” intoned Sorrowless. “It’s fine if some of the minions ran off, but if these two quietly get away... then there is no future for the two of us!

“The world master has given orders that we’ll be taking in ten exalted emperors this time. Mid ranks will be given priority. Extra spots can be given to wandering cultivators if they attain decent accomplishments!”

There were always wandering cultivators willing to be cannon fodder for major worlds, so the two weren’t concerned that they wouldn’t be able to recruit any chaos wanderers.

As expected, wandering cultivators gathered around them when news spread. There were some mid ranks—half of the group that Yu Xiu had recruited before promptly answered the Red Moon summons.

As opposed to hanging around a stronger chaos wanderer, it was better to throw their lot in with a major world.

......

Li Hao’s side quickly received word as well. Six sixth ranks! And there might be more! There was a sixth rank among the wanderers out in the open that was yet to answer Red Moon’s call. Thus, they might face more sixth ranks to come, as well as more fifth and fourth ranks...

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Li Hao smiled at Void. “The Sword Sovereign won’t make a move before they’re gathered together, so it’ll be the two of us against all of them!”

“How would I be afraid if you’re not afraid?” Void burst out laughing.

I’m a sixth rank, alright?

“There’s no fear of exposing our identities this time,” chucked Li Hao. “We can’t fully rely on the Sword Sovereign either—we need to more or less demonstrate our own abilities first. Setting aside those sixth ranks, we’ll give those fourth and fifth ranks what for if they dare move against us!”

Since push had come to shove, so be it if they were exposed.

“What’s the plan?” asked Void.

“Let’s hit them where it hurts!” Li Hao smirked, then transmitted, “I’ve accumulated a lot of tribulations lately, none of them have landed. We can try letting them play out! But it might scare the crap out of the Orchid Forest master...”

Again?

Void repressed an eye roll.

Chaos tribulations have almost become your home.

But it was a rather interesting proposition.

“You can have some fun with thunder and lightning,” he transmitted back, unwilling to let Li Hao have all the fun. “I have some ideas I’d like to try out as well...”

“What ideas?”

“I’ll need your cooperation!”

“Shoot.”

“I’ve had some new comprehension lately about the dao of revitalization and life!” transmitted Void. “Revitalization requires extractions of energy and the dao of life can replenish vitality, extract it, replenish energy, and revitalize a world. This forms a cycle, but I haven’t fully integrated them enough, so it’s hard to set the cycle into motion.

“I need an assist from your power of time to accelerate my efforts. I’ll slam it into the sixth ranks and bring down everything I have on them. I might be able to deplete a bunch of exalted emperors in one go!

“After that, I’ll create a flower of life within the world of emptiness for the Sword Sovereign to use. That will perfectly offset his consumption and your reversal of time won’t be needed anymore. It takes a lot out of you to have the Sword Sovereign recover once!”

Li Hao raised his thumb.

What a good brother, he knows how to take care of people.

The Sword Sovereign’s consumption was so great that it was difficult to help him recover to peak condition. Void was proposing extracting the life force of other exalted emperors to bloom a flower of life...

“I walk the paths of life and death, emptiness and revitalization as well, but I’m not integrating them as quickly as you are,” Li Hao said enviously.

“It’s because you understand too much!” Void shook his head. He didn’t say that was bad, since Li Hao had his own path to walk. Meanwhile, Void only had six daos to focus on. That was a lot already; they were of life, death, emptiness, revitalization, light, and darkness.

And Li Hao?

Li Hao researched everything, but wasn’t well versed in any of them. His knowledge was a bit of a motley disarray. Void would roll his eyes at anyone else who did so and think less of them.

But when Li Hao did so, he found the young man impressive.

Void wasn’t inclined to imitate the young man. It was enough to have three pairings of extreme daos as his major focus. That was more than enough to propel him to seventh rank.

Li Hao said nothing else, there was no use in being nervous. He didn’t want to limit himself at present, so all he needed to do was to take it slow.

A transmission pendant sparkled in the young man’s hand.

“The Red Moon exalted emperors have arrived!”

“They’re here!” Li Hao breathed out. That was fast.

......

Outside the world.

A solemn killing intent filled the chaos as the four exalted emperors arrived. Even the Orchid Forest master was alarmed; the dao universe swayed slightly.

The Exalted Bloodlust Emperor ignored him after taking a glance. His majestic voice boomed through the world. “All non-Orchid Forest exalted emperors are to leave as soon as possible! The evildoer Myriad Dao cannot be pardoned for his crime of killing my fellow daoists! In order to prevent misunderstandings, all non-Orchid Forest exalted emperors will be killed on sight!”

His dao note reverberated through the world in a display of utmost arrogance!

While it sounded like he was being considerate of Orchid Forest exalted emperors, it was more than likely that he would slay any Orchid Forest exalted emperors that he came across as well.

......

General panic and fear spread through Orchid Forest. Some of them clung to their daydreams and refused to leave.

Orchid Forest exalted emperors were infuriated by the development. Some wanted the world master to put in a showing and say a few words, but the Orchid Forest master was nowhere to be found.

He was in the dao universe, ready to ascend!

If the Sword Sovereign and others couldn’t kill the Red Moon delegation, he would make a move himself. These reservations had to be cast aside if he wished to become a seventh rank. Wasn’t Orchid Forest suffering under the heel of another because of how weak they were?

The Orchid Forest master was well aware of why there wasn’t more respect shown to his world. There was no point in responding in a threatening manner now. Bloodlust was a premier Red Moon sixth rank and would not be concerned about the Orchid Forest master in the slightest if the latter wasn’t a seventh rank.