Chapter 1743: The World Origin (I)

Li Hao hadn’t been willing to investigate the source of the dao universe on prior occasions because he’d known that doing so would be a futile endeavor. But today, he paid a visit and looked silently at the massive star.

The young man sank into deep thought. This was a dead and silent star! Was this the dao heritage of the Skyward master, the master of space? He’d taken all of the dao universe’s strength with him when he left, but left the source of dao.

Aren’t you afraid of someone using this against you when they activate the star? Or are you so confident that you think no one can bring the universe to life, that they won’t be able to do anything against you even if they do?

Or do your thoughts mirror mine and this dao universe is actually something you’ve thrown away?

Li Hao often thought of abandoning a dao universe. Since the Skyward master was a ninth rank, so what if he discarded a dao universe?

Various thoughts ran through the young man’s mind. Had it been the Skyward master that he’d sensed spying upon himself? Had the man peered into Skyward’s dao universe through this dao star?

But... Li Hao didn’t sense any abnormalities at the moment. He didn’t have the same sense of being spied upon as he had before.

“The great dao has fallen silent, but the world has not! The great dao and the world should have been one, with a certain amount of connection between the two...

“Since the dao universe has been silent for so many years, logically speaking, the world should be in decline as well. It should have devolved from ninth rank. Why has the world origin not been able to revitalize this dao universe after countless years of absorbing energy from the chaos?”

The Skyward master and his comrades had departed this world at least one million years ago!

Even a first rank could create more than three hundred dao crystals after a year of absorbing energy from around them. They would produce more than three hundred million dao crystals after a million years. A major world would see far more than that!

One hundred times that number would be considered too little. A world would certainly collect that many dao crystals over a year. It might produce thirty billion or perhaps one thousand times that number if the world was a ninth rank!

Even if energy dissipated from the world origin to benefit the cultivators within the world, Skyward should have accumulated untold numbers of dao crystals all the same.

How many?

One hundred billion?

Who knew?

The world origin was yet to appear even now, so Li Hao was uncertain as well. He’d simply heard from the dao chess that there would be some dao crystals available around the world origin.

Perhaps I can calculate just how much!

Li Hao didn’t voice these thoughts out loud. He simply stood on the spot and waited quietly, looking for the world origin to appear!

......

Skyward.

Countless dao foundation sites roared incessantly. But with the presence of the dao chess and four seventh ranks, those lingering remnants of yesteryear could not defy Void’s silencing!

The flower of life in front of Void grew stronger. There was less greed to be found in the man now and more detached calm. He smiled at seeing the world of emptiness expand in front of him. Something different might develop within it when he revitalized the world.

His daos of emptiness and revitalization might take an enormous leap forward today.

......

At the same time.

Silver Moon cultivators were gathered at the dao sites. Some were comprehending dao, others were absorbing dao strength. Two rivers of the chaos continuously pulled from the daos and incorporated their reflections.

This was an exceedingly rare opportunity for Gan Wuliang and Hong Yitang. Skyward was a ninth rank world!

These dao foundation sites were meant for exalted emperors and rarely stirred with activity in normal days. But today, they flared constantly to supply cultivators with new enlightenment.

Added to that Li Hao’s previous lecture on the dao net meant that this opportunity was an enormous improvement for both masters of dao.

The dao sharpened into focus in their eyes!

The two masters of dao were no fools. They both felt that they benefited tremendously from the occasion. A variety of understanding flooded their minds and hearts.

Ascending from fourth rank to fifth rank was just a matter of accumulating energy. The two possessed sufficient energy, but had been suppressing their breakthrough. Different comprehension bloomed in their hearts as dao flowed into the rivers.

Two rivers of dao trembled, showing signs of breaking through! This delighted both dao masters. In a similar vein, exalted emperors elsewhere were also realizing great gains.

Southern Fist was located at Coiling Dragon Well. The draconic fellow daoist that it belonged to specialized in body dao. It, too, was erupting with dao foundation; Li Hao had not emptied it. He’d simply borrowed from the volcano on a previous occasion.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Southern Fist roared with laughter, completely beside himself with joy. There were some other powerhouses near him, such as Deputy Zhou who cultivated the golden body. However, He Yong felt that his gains were greater.

He would be able to suppress the world with his body once his dao was perfected!

The old man stared raptly at the draconic giant shaking his body, the shadow immensely powerful. He was sure to surpass the others this time! He’d made use of his connections and asked Gan Wuliang where a seventh rank dao foundation site might be. That was why he was here.

And a seventh rank dao foundation really had appeared!

“Hahaha, I’m gonna be the first second rank out of everyone... Sucks for you guys!” He Yong hadn’t been among the first batch of exalted emperors. Hence, he felt that he might be able to catch up and surpass the rest with this ascension. He would be the first to become a second rank!

He Yong threw his head back with laughter because he could sense dao strength surfacing within his body. There was such an abundance of energy here! Who said this was an abandoned dao foundation site??

Nearby, Deputy Zhou frowned slightly. He could sense it as well. Endless dao strength drifted through his body—this site brimmed with energy.

One did not need to comprehend much dao to rise from first to third rank. Just collecting enough energy was enough. The deputy could sense that he was about to reach second rank too. It was a sensation that he could not tamp down even if he tried. His rate of improvement was so incredible as endless dao strength rammed at him.

He Yong brayed with laughter, but the deputy wasn’t as happy as him. Golden light sparkled over the latter and his expression suddenly shifted.

“We need to get out of here!” Deputy Zhou suddenly took to the air and prepared to leave.

“What for?” hooted He Yong. “You’re just jealous of me...”

“Something’s wrong!” cursed the deputy.

“I know!” He Yong didn’t appear as dumb as he looked. “So what? Those who are bold will pop from their gluttony, and those who are cowardly will starve to death. Don’t be afraid, Ole Zhou... This seems to be where the world origin is!”

He Yong had made his way through the martial world for many years. Although everyone called for his head, he’d survived to present day. His tongue was sharp and sarcastic, but he lived a good life. He’d even had an enjoyable time during his stay in the palace, so he wasn’t a real fool.

Li Hao had once said that He Yong was simply a brute on the surface, but one of the keenest judges of the circumstances.

The old man naturally sensed what was off about the dao foundation site. Of course he knew that an abandoned dao foundation site wouldn’t contain such a dense concentration of dao strength. It only took the slightest bit of thought to realize that something was amiss with the situation.

At the same time, he looked down on Deputy Zhou’s cowardice!

I know that the world origin is likely here, but I also know that I stand the best chance of borrowing the world origin’s strength and unlimited life force to enter third rank. That will quickly decrease my distance with Gan Wuliang and the rest.

I’ll be the cream of the crop for those below the masters of dao!

He Yong couldn’t help but yell after the deputy’s departure. All of the energy went to him to absorb; there was so much that he was about to explode from it.

In the distance.

Void jumped with surprise when he heard the sound. He was looking for the world origin, so he rushed to Coiling Dragon Well when he heard He Yong’s shout.

Untold life force had exploded around the dao foundation site—they threatened to destroy the world of emptiness around them!

“Bam!”

“Bam!”

It sounded like the beat of a heart. Some of the areas that’d been silenced began to revitalize. The origin of the world was also its source of life. That it’d appeared near Coiling Dragon Well might indicate a connection to body dao.

Li Hao had once cultivated body dao and produced a great deal of life force. He Yong’s shout drew everyone’s attention, including the four seventh ranks. The dao chess was also slightly nervous.

The world origin of a ninth rank world and its source of life... Under normal conditions, the world origin didn’t possess any battle strength. It could not offer any resistance either, which was why the world origin of mid and minor worlds were so easily swallowed.

But at the ninth rank level... some unexpected developments might occur.

The heartbeat reverberated through the air, calling the world back to life. When Void rushed over, his heart pounded in unison with it. He suddenly felt a wave of anguish as ripples of life spread from the world origin, revitalizing the world.

Being an invader and silencer, Void suffered from the backlash!

“Bam!” The heartbeat echoed through the land.

“Pfft...” A mouthful of blood rushed out as Void’s heart jumped violently. Endless strength of emptiness rushed toward him, as if wanting to silence him.

A streak of sword light appeared, seeking to cut through the world!

A thundercloud materialized as well, blotting out the sky and enveloping Void, hiding him from the heavens!

The Sword Sovereign and Li Zhu had acted at the same time. The dao chess also trembled and called out, “Suppress the world origin!”

Hurry!

Or Void will face a backlash from the entire world!

The world origin that’d abruptly surfaced was stronger than they’d imagined. Just one heartbeat prior to its actual appearance almost gravely wounded Void!

Silencing the world would result in its backlash, but an ordinary world didn’t have the ability to attack a peak sixth rank. Not even a seventh or eighth rank world would have this ability.

But now... a ninth rank world did!

Not only that, but He Yong saw more things because he was on the immediate premises. His eyes widened from what he sensed and he ignored the fact that he was about to ascend.

“This is bad!” he roared. “Something’s about to appear...”

Some of the dissipating shadows at the dao foundation sites reappeared once more. They seemed to have been bestowed new energy as they coalesced into a more coherent form.