Chapter 1692: Striking Gold (I)

After a slight hesitation, Fog Mountain set his jaw and turned his back on the crack. Immense strength surged upward and transformed the entire world into a mountain of clouds and sea of fog. The exalted emperors rushing forward behind him pulled up short with astonishment.

Various masters of dao made their moves!

Boom!

The world fell apart and the Skycloud master roared, “What are you doing, Fog Mountain?! The dao universe is right at hand, this is your chance too! Even if you wish to leave us, why are you standing guard for a sixth rank?!”

Fog Mountain really was protecting the Sword Sovereign! Damn it all to hell! This was utterly humiliating! What right did Sword Sovereign have to employ the second strongest of Skycloud as his doorman?!

What’s going on in your mind, Fog Mountain?!

The Skycloud master raged!

He would think much better of Fog Mountain if the man declared independence and vied for the dao universe.

You’re not willing to work for me, but you’re willing to work for a sixth rank?!

This was the utmost humiliation for himself!

A light glinted in the Light master’s eyes; he didn’t make a sound. Instead, he furrowed his brows. Ming Tang wanted him to obstruct the master of Skycloud... but what was the situation at hand?

The Light master didn’t understand it, and he wasn’t the only one. Fog Mountain couldn’t make sense of it either. Li Hao entering the dao universe was a very strange development.

......

“Senior, will these people possibly seize the dao universe if I shut them all in here?” Li Hao quickly asked. “Or can they break right through the dao universe and head out from here?”

“All of them at once?” came the dao chess’ voice. “There’s about ten seventh ranks out there and multiple eighth ranks... With so many exalted emperors around, they will be formidable! They will be able to break through the dao universe if they act together. The great dao is silent these days, it is not what it once was!”

They could indeed break through the dao universe! Assuming they worked together, that was.

Clearly, the dao universe was incredible.

“Also, do you want me to transport you out from here? I can do that... but it will consume more energy. The sixth rank you have with you will not be enough—it will be hard for me to send you through even the world barrier. It would be enough in the outside world, but here, it is far from sufficient!”

The dao chess had surmised some of Li Hao’s plans—the young man wanted to lock all of the exalted emperors inside the dao universe and then teleport out of it.

It was a beautiful thought, but one extremely difficult to execute on. It was why Li Hao hadn’t thought of entering the dao universe before, but chose to do so now. Since the situation had shifted, then he would shift with it.

Another additional point was that time was running out on his borrowed strength. Time had passed very slowly already. One minute was a very long time for premier powerhouses. But with the arrival of the Red Moon master, Li Hao’s time was up.

One minute was sufficient according to the original plan. The young man should be outside obstructing people, not inside traveling through the dao universe.

Boom!

Battle ignited outside as people tried to force their way inside. Fog Mountain was standing in front of the entrance and fighting challengers, but was forced back in the blink of an eye. There was more than one seventh rank facing him. He could not take all of them by himself.

The Light master and the Human King were yet to make a move. They might be waiting for the right timing or wholly ignoring what Li Hao had previously discussed with them.

The plan seemed to be in tatters at this point. None of these heavyweights could be controlled. They wouldn’t strike someone just because Li Hao pointed at them!

Although the Skycloud master was yet to make a move, no one stopped him. No one stopped the Red Moon master either when he arrived with his people. Everyone halted in front of the crack, looking at Fog Mountain and seemingly waiting for something.

They were waiting for the Skycloud master!

As an eighth rank master of dao, he had a choice at the moment. He could either help Fog Mountain or... suppress the man. He could strip Fog Mountain of the latter’s strength since it originated from Skycloud dao universe.

......

Within the Skyward dao universe.

Li Hao quickly moved forward and didn’t care what was coming behind him. He could sense a few other circumstances developing. The Human King and others hadn’t taken action according to his plan...

What a pity.

But he didn’t dwell too long on it. These weren’t people that he could command.

Instead, it solidified some of his other thoughts, that he could not rely on anyone, not even the Human King. It wasn’t that the Human King was purposefully throwing a wrench in his plans, but that the man felt that the timing was off for him to take action.

Who was he supposed to attack if the timing wasn’t there? The Red Moon master? Even if he could stand against the Red Moon master, there were four more seventh ranks to consider!

Thus, they were acting according to their own assessment. They weren’t Li Hao’s subordinates to faithfully carry out his orders. Both the Human King and Light master were waiting for the right opportunity.

“They don’t seem prepared to make a move...” sounded the dao chess in Li Hao’s ears. “Why don’t you close the door of great dao? They’ll have to settle in for the long haul if they can’t enter the dao universe. None of them will be able to access it in the short term.”

Li Hao ignored the dao chess and sped through the void at a very fast pace! He didn’t care what was happening outside. The young man followed his senses forward, finding that his strength was beginning to recede.

Li Hao was slightly weaker than before, but not by much. His minute was up, and he hadn’t seemed to have done much with his seventh rank strength apart from demonstrating the Sword Sovereign’s might. This had been a waste of his borrowed strength.

He’s still too weak...

sighed the dao chess.

Cultivators of time are powerful, but he is too weak at present. There’s no helping it. What a mess!

Li Hao’s eyes gleamed brightly, however. He saw a world glittering with faint light. “Senior, this is

Silver Moon!”

I know! So what?

It’s a mid world isolated from the universe without a single exalted emperor inside. I know that much. So what if you’ve found Silver Moon?

“Silver Moon’s twin dao universe is here!” Li Hao explained rapidly. “Can you do me a favor, senior?”

“Speak of it!”

“Slightly conceal the dao ripples for me, I’m going to descend through the dao universes!”

The shadow blinked. What did that mean? Descend where?

“Can the senior do it?”

“Within Skyward?”

“Yes.”

“Then yes, I can!”

“Very well!” Li Hao rapidly drew near Silver Moon and seemed to dart into a dao universe, taking the dao chess with him. The treasure felt something a little different as soon as it entered. This twin dao universe... was a bit interesting!

It was the treasure’s first time coming across one. What a pity that it was still very weak—a third rank dao universe!

A place like this is useless even if you fully control it.

Li Hao quickly materialized a dao star of time; the two dao universes spontaneously combined as one. Dao stars manifested in the void and Li Hao quickly locked onto one.

He sped straight for that star, leaving the dao chess in the dark as to his intentions.

Li Hao swiftly drew near the sparkling star. It wasn’t very strong and imparted the feeling of not yet reaching the exalted emperor level. Of course, it was near that cultivation level, but had not fully reached it...

Li Hao’s river of dao appeared and began filtering into it.

“You’re going to descend into this person?” asked the puzzled shadow. “This person is very weak. You’ll be greatly weakened if you enter them and you’re... not that strong... to begin with...”

What do you want to do?

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

“Senior, help me conceal the dao ripples that will appear in a bit. In addition, hide Silver Moon for me so that people don’t discover it. I don’t need your help with anything else!”

That was one of their previous conditions, so the shadow didn’t decline the request. There was no problem in hiding a mid world within Skyward’s dao universe. It was just... it watched as the young man dug a tunnel out of the star. The young man didn’t exit through the entrance or create another door, but chose this passageway instead.

It seemed like a superfluous action.

What is he trying to do?

The shadow didn’t understand it, but it couldn’t be bothered. As the young man entered the star, he seemed to become one with it. That further surprised the shadow—how could such a weak dao star endure Li Hao’s energy?

It was like... they were of the same origin? Was this Li Hao’s heir?

The shadow ran through the possibilities as it concealed the ripples. They weren’t too strong and further masked by the battle between seventh and eighth ranks raging outside.

“Is this your heir?”

“My master!”

“......” The shadow was speechless.

Your master? Your master... is not yet an exalted emperor? The hell?!

Now that was surprising. No wonder the energy between the two was exceedingly harmonious. However, what use was there in descending upon his master?

You’re only a fourth rank, albeit one stronger than usual fourth ranks. You can’t borrow more strength, so what can you do in the outside world?

Li Hao ignored the shadow and gradually vanished from the void. The star dimmed.

“Aren’t you concerned that I’ll devour this world?” The dao chess couldn’t help but chuckle at the young man’s audacity. Although the world was weak, it bore a unique characteristic of twin daos.

He certainly trusts me a lot. To be fair, I wouldn’t want a third rank dao universe either.

A presence flashed through the vicinity, hiding Silver Moon and the dao universe. Countless dim stars were scattered throughout the void. Silver Moon was utterly inconspicuous among them.