Outside Light major world.

Battle had commenced. The three powerhouses had ultimately decided that they wished to attack Light first.

The Light master sat in residence on his home world and wielded formidable strength. Although the Dragon master was here with his world and equally domineering, he wasn’t so foolish as to dedicate his full strength into the fight and rush into the fray. He was looking to the Red Moon master for that!

The two sides had been locked in battle for a few days. Although seventh ranks were injured, Light’s defenses hadn’t been breached yet.

During a lull in hostilities, the Dragon master suddenly looked toward Dragon Region. A crystal was shimmering in his grasp. Moments later, he received a message from Dragon major world. Although he’d left the region with his world, he wouldn’t have left his previous address completely empty.

The report relayed two important pieces of information. Number one, the Thunder master had challenged Phoenix. Number two, Earth Dragon major world was about to give birth to a dao universe!

The Dragon master was surprised by the first, but not that startled. There was no other way out of the Thunder master! But the second...

While Earth Dragon was a seventh rank exalted emperor, one could only describe that major world as... operating below expectations. It was inferior to its neighbor Desolate major world. In fact, the Dragon master thought there might be a mistake!

It was more likely for the Desolate master to be the one ascending to seventh rank. But no, he read the message over and confirmed that it was Earth Dragon.

While this came as a major surprise, it was a good development. At the same time...

The Dragon master frowned and quickly returned to his world, ignoring Red Moon and Skycloud. There were eight seventh ranks within his world, but only four had shown their faces. The ones known in public were dragons, whereas the other four had kept to the shadows all this time.

“My liege!”

“So Earth Dragon’s managed to build up a seventh rank dao universe... that’s incredible!” This was the topic of conversation for the other exalted emperors as well. They were all surprised and envious.

The increase in power with a dao universe was of secondary importance. There was only so much a chaos beast could improve. What made a dao universe important was that it could continuously purify their dao strength!

That also meant they stood a chance of reaching eighth rank. It would no longer be out of sight. But if they wished to do so now... that was almost impossible.

“I still can’t believe it. Earth Dragon’s not weak, I’ll have to give it that, but its world... is a hot mess. Desolate runs a far tighter ship. I almost wonder if there’s something wrong with the report and it’s actually Desolate ascending. Maybe there’s a mistake because they’re so far away?”

“......” Joking abounded as people were envious. They weren’t serious as perhaps Earth Dragon really had gotten that lucky!

“This is good!” The Dragon master smiled. “I am... also completely caught off guard by Earth Dragon nurturing a seventh rank world.

“Red Moon and Skycloud aren’t willing to bring their full strength to bear against Light at the moment. I’m also not at liberty to reveal too much. It’s only a matter of time before Light capitulates, but I can’t go back at the moment either. Breaking through to seventh rank is a major event...”

Upon further thought, the Dragon master was inclined to send one seventh rank back for a look.

Firstly, Earth Dragon needed to be congratulated.

Secondly, perhaps they could come to an agreement in which a sixth rank was permitted to take temporary control of the dao universe before it finished forming. That would give the sixth rank hopes of setting foot into seventh rank as well. It would fortify Dragon Region with another seventh rank.

Although this wouldn’t be very fair to Earth Dragon, the Dragon master could make him whole.

Thirdly, this would be the first dao universe that chaos beasts produced independently of humans. If it wasn’t for the circumstances keeping him here, the Dragon master really wanted to go back for a look. How had Earth Dragon done it?

If this could be taught throughout the region, then he had numerous seventh ranks under his banner that could give rise to a dao universe. What would he need humans for?

He could just kill them all!

Of course, this was just wishful thinking for now that he couldn’t execute on.

As for the Thunder master issuing a challenge, the Dragon master did have a few words he wanted to send to Phoenix as well. Although he could transmit a message, communication was difficult in the chaos. Sending messages back and forth might not meet his expectations.

The other issue was that... he was slightly suspicious... if something may be brewing in Dragon Region. Why had a seventh rank dao universe appeared so suddenly?

The Thunder master issuing a challenge and not ambushing other worlds like they’d anticipated was also a departure from base expectations. The Thunder master was brash and impulsive, but not a fool. He’d depleted a great deal of his dao strength, so how did he still think that he could overcome a peak seventh rank?

“Long Xuan... make a visit back to Dragon Region for me!” The Dragon master looked at a seventh rank after a while. “First, tell Phoenix to be careful, no matter what. The Thunder master must be confident in his chances to make this move. Perhaps he’s somehow gotten his hands on an unexpected cache of dao crystals somewhere. She must be careful!

“Second, make a trip to East Dragon major world and convey my felicitations to him. In addition, discuss whether it’s possible that the chance to control a dao universe can be temporarily given to the Desolate master nearby. Desolate has good potential and stands a chance of entering seventh rank...

“Of course, I’ll reward him for his generosity when I return!” The Dragon master reeled off a string of instructions and continued, “In addition... ask Earth Dragon why he has managed to suddenly enhance his world. It’s fine if he doesn't want to go into detail, don’t force him. I’ll just ask him again when I get back.

“It’s just... this came about too abruptly. I was observing the nearby sixth rank worlds before and only held hopes for Desolate major world...”

“My liege, we need everyone we have at the moment...” Long Xuan quickly said. “If I leave...”

Although the Dragon master had eight seventh ranks with him, there were plenty of seventh ranks in the three regions. One less seventh rank was one less under the Dragon master’s command.

“It’s alright!” smiled the Dragon master. “It will set the others more at ease to see us go down one dragon. Go back and try to be as fast as possible.

“There’s only twenty-some days left until the battle with the Thunder master. My dao universe cannot extend in that direction for now, so you’ll have to travel by yourself. It will take you more than ten days to reach it, so... be careful!”

“I understand!” Long Xuan nodded. “And if Earth Dragon is not willing to transfer his dao universe to Desolate...”

“Then forget it!” The Dragon master wouldn’t push the issue. “It’s to his credit that he was able to nurture a seventh rank dao universe. Although I’m very curious how he did it, and I even suspect that he’s privately cooperating with some human powerhouses... but it’s fine. We can turn a blind eye so long as he doesn’t do anything out of hand.”

The Dragon master didn’t believe that Earth Dragon could do the deed himself without help from humans. A dao universe was a dao domain woven out of many great daos. It wasn’t possible to create one with just one strong dao.

“Very well, I shall return as fast as I go back...” 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

“No need, stay until the affair of Thunder World is finished! It’s best if we can take down Thunder World. If not, we can set it aside for now.”

“Understood!” Long Xuan said nothing else as it would take him more than ten days to return home from Light. There was no dao universe he could utilize, and he needed to maintain some of his strength as a seventh rank.

It so happened that the matter involving Thunder World and Earth Dragon’s ascension were happening at the same time. Who knew if further complications might develop?

Long Xuan was soon on his way and the Dragon master left his world.

“Something’s developed within Dragon Region,” he explained to a puzzled Skycloud and Red Moon. “A major world has rebelled, so I sent Long Xuan back to handle it.”

The two understood and Red Moon guessed that it was Thunder World. He didn’t say a word, despite the only human world in Dragon Region being sentenced for destruction. What, was he supposed to try to persuade the Dragon master otherwise?

He couldn’t be bothered with this affair!

The Skycloud master simply smiled at the explanation. He looked at Light major world with a cold look in his eyes. Several of Light’s seventh ranks had suffered injuries over the past couple of days. He’d almost killed Flare Sun, a peak seventh rank.

How is that old fart still not surrendering? Does he really want his world to be conquered? What a pity that Red Moon and Dragon aren’t putting their full effort on the line. We would’ve finished with this a long time ago!

......

At the same time, within Light.

The Light master brooded. Although he occupied home ground advantage in fending off the invasion, the Dragon master was here with his world. He hadn’t invested too much effort, just kept some seventh ranks busy. But even so, it was growing hard to withstand a joint offensive between Skycloud, Red Moon, and some draconic seventh ranks.

Flare Sun was gravely wounded. If this continued, he could either surrender and sign a dao treaty, or see the end of his world!

Damn it!

Damn these guys to hell!

The Light master was conflicted about signing a dao treaty against New Martial, but there didn’t seem to be any other choices.

“Boss, we can’t give it,” a limping Flare Sun forced out through grit teeth. “We need to see this through to the bitter end with them. We just need to kill Red Moon. Their alliance will break up if an eighth rank is dead!”

I know that too, but do you really think that Red Moon is trash simply because he doesn’t have a world anymore? You put too much trust in me. It’s always hard going one against two. They also have more seventh ranks on their side. It’s a testament to my strength that I didn’t die from the engagement.

“If it comes down to it... we’ll go down with them!” Flare Sun proposed. “We’ll send someone out of the siege, or send you out to look for Ming Tang. He’s going to be a seventh rank soon. When boss dies in battle, you can pass on the dao universe to him. Ming Tang will absolutely become a seventh rank then, or even an eighth rank... He’ll avenge you!”

...how about you drop dead right now? Do you have any brains in that head of yours?? Are you cursing me to an early death?! I’m doing just fine, why should I give the world to my son?

Not to mention, I don’t even know where the kid’s gone to. How am I supposed to find him?

If it wasn’t for the kid colluding with New Martial... Fine, befriending the Silver Moon king, then why would I be in these straits?? Even that sniveling Skycloud dares treat me this way!

Did the kid do this on purpose?? He’s not thinking that he can inherit the family business after I die, is he?

Otherwise... it was hard for his son to outlive him if he didn’t make it to seventh rank. It was too difficult for the children of powerhouses to inherit the family’s legacy!

There were countless worlds in the chaos, but few were those passed onto the descendants of dao masters. It was truly a pitiful amount. Unless something unexpected happened, then even a world master like Orchid Forest taking over his own dao universe was one in a million.