“This map must be kept up to date in real time!” The Dragon master inclined his head without growing angry about his subordinates’ oversight. “All of you must understand that the chaos is too vast. The slightest error might impact our judgment of the entire war. It’s just one unlabelled fifth rank world today, what if it is a seventh or eighth rank world tomorrow? Would I remain unaware of the change if I did not ask about it?”

The group behind him jerked with horror and didn’t dare protest the question. The Dragon master had very stringent demands when it came to matters like these. He wanted an excruciating level of detail on everything regarding the human exalted emperors. However, it was also due to this level of attention that the dragons had attained their current dominance.

“It’s said that Silver Moon might have made its way to Dragon Region.” The Dragon master pointed at the map. “Silver Moon is insignificant. What makes it important is that the Silver Moon king and Void can jointly kill seventh ranks together!

“As strong as our region is, we cannot overlook this threat. Make a symbol for Silver Moon and designate it a roving world like New Martial. Have the other worlds be on the lookout. Swiftly annihilate that world if they discover traces of it!”

“Understood!” someone quickly responded from the rear.

The Dragon master didn’t look back. Silver Moon... he’d once glimpsed the Silver Moon king, just that once, on Skyward. The young man had acquitted himself admirably, but he was no threat to dragonkind.

The greatest threat was the New Martial Human King—he’d overcome the Skycloud master that day!

Although the Dragon master had identified that the Human King seemed to have depleted himself then, he hadn’t taken action. Any moves from him might result in further scrutiny from human powerhouses. The Human King might have also opted to borrow strength from the Ash Emperor. More about the Dragon master might’ve been revealed if they met in combat.

Many thoughts surfaced in the Dragon master’s mind. He thought back to when he traveled through Skyward and saw certain things in a dao foundation site. A frown crossed the dragon’s forehead.

New Martial... Yin and Yang... might have more than one hundred thousand years of history.

He’d seen an indistinct person in the images from the dao foundation site. They claimed to be from the world of core origin...

Core origin was another name for Yin and Yang. No other world called itself thus, apart from New Martial.

The Dragon master had even seen the Skyward master personally greet that person; the two sat down for a conversation. One had to know that the Skyward master was a ninth rank!

It was clear from this that New Martial might have been a premier world back in the day as well. Had the current New Martial inherited a ninth rank dao universe?

If so, then its potential was enormous indeed.

The Dragon master was confused about another point—the Skyward master had once gathered various powerhouses throughout the chaos. Apparently, more than one ninth rank had answered the invitation and attended with a variety of dao masters. That assembly was critical!

There were no ninth ranks in the regions outside now, one had been born only recently. That one sought to conquer the chaos, but that was a farfetched dream. Yet back then, there had been many in the outer regions.

They’d all... vanished, alongside the Skyward master.

Where had they gone? What had they done? Were they alive or not? If they were still alive, where were they?

It would be even more frightening if they were dead. Who could kill that batch of powerhouses from yesteryear? Had New Martial’s premier heavyweight left with the Skyward master?

Various questions surfaced in the Dragon master’s mind and he took a deep breath. Whether it was Skyward or the chaos, they were filled with secrets that he did not know. A ninth rank was now present outside the four regions and churning through the chaos!

And this was just the situation on the surface. Was there truly only one ninth rank?

He slightly furrowed his brows and looked outside. A world appeared in the distance, one that was sinking downward to make way for Dragon major world. The Dragon master didn’t recognize it; it was probably the so-called Black Dog World.

It looked to be a sixth rank world, one bequeathed by Phoenix major world. There were a plethora of worlds like these in the region, so the Dragon master usually ignored them. What drew his attention wasn’t the world or the trembling Black Dog...

There seemed to be another dao strength hovering on the edge of his perception within the void. It didn’t belong to Dragon, Phoenix, or the chaos. It was something that couldn’t be seen or touched, but truly existed.

How strange.

The look in the Dragon master’s eyes shifted; four worlds seemed to appear in them. He disappeared the next second.

......

Li Hao was doing his best to stay out of Dragon major world’s path. He was slightly apprehensive about events to come.

Damn, they’re really coming this way. This is freaking scary! Four massive seventh rank dragons are hauling a world along, that’s a huge procession! They want nothing more than for the entire chaos to know that Dragon major world is on the move!

But he was a minor character, so surely he wouldn’t elicit anyone’s attention. However, his heart nearly stopped beating the next moment!

He hadn’t been this nervous when meeting the Red Moon master. A grave unease was creeping into him—why was this happening? Why was an eighth rank paying attention to a tiny, foreign world?

Although this was Dragon territory, would such a lofty personage really be interested in a fifth rank?

Li Hao pretended not to notice anything... but that act had to be discarded the next second. He jerked like he was noticing the Dragon master for the first time, looking upon the other with dread, trepidation, and on tenterhooks...

The Dragon master looked around the premises instead of fixating on the black dog. “Do you know me?” he addressed Panther after a moment.

“I... I do not... but one glance... is sufficient... Greetings to the Dragon master...”

“There is no need to stand on ceremony!” The Dragon master didn’t say anything, he was simply confused. “You come from Phoenix major world. Is anything happening there lately?”

“Anything...” Li Hao repeated with bafflement. Are you not here to capture me? He shook the dog’s head with incomprehension. “No... wait, there seems to be. The Exalted Phoenix Mountain Emperor said that all local exalted emperors are to return for closed door cultivation at once. Can it be that the world master is about to ascend to eighth rank?”

Bullshit!

The Dragon master didn’t ask further; he scanned the surroundings instead. Is my perception off? But that’s impossible!

I definitely detected a faint, unique strength nearby. It felt like the extension of a dao universe, but it wasn’t one.

How strange!

He didn’t know and neither did Li Hao, that the sensation came from the changes wrought by Li Hao’s river of time. As Silver Moon exalted emperors spread throughout the regions with some minor worlds, they formed a massive net that exuded an intangible miasma of time energy.

Thankfully, Li Hao had not placed the dao star here. Because of that, it was only some energy wafting through the area. It hovered in and out of existence without gathering in one place.

The Dragon master continued to scan the proximity, gradually fixing on one area in the distance—Rat World locality. Was it there? Near Skyward Region?

Li Hao took a caution peek at the Dragon master; his heart nearly skipped a beat! Is he looking at Skyward or the tiny world that Director General Zhao is on?

Surely not! We’re really far from them!

But there’s nothing else that would arouse the Dragon master’s attention...

No, wait, the star of time!

Li Hao guessed at something and didn’t dare twitch a muscle. His heart quailed from shock. How is this possible?? The strength of time is almost impossible to detect. Time is everywhere!

Has the star of time caught the Dragon master’s eye? Or am I mistaken and he’s just looking at Skyward Region...

The Dragon master looked down at Li Hao, his voice softening from the air of severe authority.

“That is no matter. I’ve come to take a spin around the chaos after staying in Dragon major world for so long,” he spoke with even a hint of softness. “I hear that you are the new leader appointed by Phoenix. Not bad.

“Cultivate well and seek to set foot into sixth rank as soon as possible. Conquer a seventh rank world once you are a sixth rank, that will give you a chance of becoming a seventh rank!”

“My thanks to milord Dragon master’s tutelage!"

“I didn’t teach you anything, just offered some advice. Cultivators should focus on purity of heart as they train. Single-mindedly devouring worlds is not the proper way forward. Comprehending dao is key!” the Dragon master spoke with great conviction. “Swallowing worlds is just the process of laying our foundations. Those lacking strong dao will not amount to much even if they set foot into seventh rank!

“The chaos race bears a natural advantage when comprehending dao. Chaos dao is not any worse off compared to that of the worlds’—it’s stronger! But chaos dao is just more jumbled, yet also more comprehensive...”

He casually spoke a bit more and vanished after another glance at Black Dog.

As an eighth rank master of the world, he had no desire to pry into a mid rank world. Not to mention, the changes he’d sensed did not seem to originate from here.

“Accelerate toward Skyward Region. We will stop for a moment on the border!” His voice echoed in the ears of the seventh ranks when he returned to Dragon major world.

The four giant dragons erupted with energy, zipping through the void with the massive world on their shoulders. It created a turbulent wake in the chaos while the Dragon master silently perceived the weak energy.

The energy seemed to fill the region and was very weak elsewhere. Yet, there seemed to be a ball of light at the intersection of Skyward and Dragon Region!

What kind of energy is this?

The Dragon master was highly puzzled. He’d never encountered this energy before.

Thoughts of a slow procession flew out of his mind and he was no longer interested in stopping by Phoenix. He’d been prepared to pay a visit and give the Phoenix master a few instructions.

But now, that energy held his attention.

......

Dragon major world swiftly vanished. Li Hao watched as the other traveled at a pace ten times faster than before. He frowned at the sight.

The Dragon master suddenly appeared... and then suddenly left.

Did he want to visit me because I’m handsome? But that only has to do with Panth, it’s none of my business. He could’ve just killed me with a punch if I was involved.

So why did he suddenly pop up for a second and then leave just as quickly? He’s going way faster than before instead of the slow amble.

“...the star of time?” muttered a disbelieving Li Hao.

He’d used it in front of seventh and eighth ranks before, but no one paid it any attention. So why...

Could it be that some ripples had developed from the star of time not being under his control? Had some energy leaked because he was creating a river of time?

The young man shifted uneasily.