“Kang Han of the world Kangxin greets the various seniors...” Kang Han greeted the group amid great trepidation.

Those of the outer regions almost never met any seventh ranks of the four regions. They encountered fifth or sixth ranks at most. Exalted emperors of those levels wouldn’t attack fourth ranks on sight. At most, they’d take the long way around.

Exalted emperors from the four regions generally opted to stay out of trouble since they were unfamiliar with these new surroundings. Not to mention, it wasn’t an easy task for a sixth rank to face a fourth rank.

I am... so... ‘lucky’...

He was so lucky that Kang Han shuddered from dread of his good fortune. These outsiders must not know much of the outer regions, but neither did he know anything about the four regions. He just felt that this was the end of the road for him. These people must certainly be powerhouses that’d escaped from the four regions.

They must be crazed after their defeat. Otherwise, why would they have left their worlds behind to flee?

“Kang Han?” Li Hao’s mental ripples reached the man. He laughed. “Don’t be nervous. We’ve just emerged and know nothing of our new surroundings. We happened to see the fellow daoist nearby and decided to invite you in for a chat. We just want to ask a few questions and have no other intentions.”

There weren’t that many people in the great hall, just Li Hao and his group of premier powerhouses. The two eighth ranks didn’t say anything. Although they’d left the four regions, the Thunder master was still in possession of a world. He counted as a heavyweight in the outer regions and could absolutely leave for greener pastures.

However, he didn’t express anything in that vein.

Li Hao was certain to return to the four regions, as were they. It had been their home for several hundred thousand years, after all. The outer regions were just the territory of outsiders.

“The seniors honor me...” Kang Han nearly stammered. “Please ask anything you are curious about... I will speak of all that I know...”

“Thunder master, let’s leave this place first.” Li Hao frowned before Kang Han could finish expressing his sentiments. We caused quite a fuss when we emerged with a world. I’m sure others have sensed our disturbance as well.”

The Thunder master immediately turned to Fog Mountain. “Fog Mountain, come with me...”

It was difficult for one eighth rank to move an eighth rank world, despite Thunder World not fully ascending to that level yet. It would be much easier with Fog Mountain’s help.

The man looked on wordlessly.

“Let’s go together, Orchid Forest.” He turned to the Orchid Forest master. “Number Two is carrying Orchid Forest for you, so you’ve got nothing to do. In that case...”

I just feel that I shouldn’t be the only one tapped for hard labor.

The Orchid Forest master suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. You’re just being asked to move a world. As big as Thunder World is, it’s not a real eighth rank major world. Two eighth ranks will move it quickly enough. What are you calling me over for?

With that, the man looked at Void...

A deadpan Void stared back at him. Why isn’t anyone looking at Li Hao? What are you looking at me for? Look at you guys, dragging your heels for something small!

“Wnt to come with us, Senior Dao Chess?”

“......” What’s wrong with all of you?

The dao chess gave up the fight. It didn’t turn to Number Two. The cat was already transporting Orchid Forest major world! It would be out of line to ask it to do more.

With that, two eighth ranks and two seventh ranks quickly disappeared.

Four powerhouses steered Thunder World swiftly into the depths of the outer regions. The world of emptiness shrouded it, as did the dao chess. Fog Mountain deployed his five mountains. Wreathed in cloud and mist, they obscured Thunder World.

No other presence could be detected as four powerhouses moved the world out of the vicinity.

Within the hall, Kang Han’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t been able to see through a single person that’d left just now, so did that mean they were all high ranks?

In that case, was this world an eighth rank world?

Li Hao ignored the fuss and focused on Kang Han again. “Don’t worry,” he smiled. “Let’s sit down for a chat. I’m remiss in my manners to invite the fellow daoist over in such a way.”

“That’s alright... it's no trouble at all...” Kang Han hurriedly responded with some bafflement. Was this person the world master?

But he didn’t seem like it.

The big guy that’d just left had sparkled with lightning. He seemed more like the world master than the young man. It was a very confusing situation.

......

At the same time.

Some figures appeared where Thunder World had just been. They brimmed with powerful presence, with their weakest being sixth rank and some seventh ranks in their midst.

Puzzled looks developed on faces after they looked around.

“The power of thunder?”

“Thunder World?”

“Apparently Thunder World has allied with Silver Moon and fought the chaos beasts. Large sums of seventh ranks died from the battle. Can it be that Thunder World has emerged from the four regions?”

“Not sure... but it’s possible!”

“But... can a major world move that quickly?”

“Are our senses mistaken?” The seventh ranks quickly exchanged thoughts.

They knew only a little about the four regions, marking them different from the exalted emperors of mid and minor worlds. Since there was a world in the four regions that was left behind by a ninth rank, they paid a great deal of attention to that part of the chaos universe.

Although there wasn’t much interaction and exchange of information over the years, there was still a bit.

After the war in the four regions, some exalted emperors had fled to the four regions. They brought word of the latest developments with them. So while the outer regions were unaware of the details, they knew that the Thunder master and Silver Moon king were working together. The two had ignited battle in Dragon Region after the Dragon master left.

Frowns crossed their foreheads as the group of heavyweights probed the area. A major world had exited the four regions, a development that prompted attention. High ranks were not mid or low ranks—they could change the status quo.

It was also possible that there was more than one seventh rank on Thunder World. Although the Silver Moon king was purported to still be a sixth rank, he had the strength to kill seventh ranks. The king was not to be underestimated.

It meant that this partnership had at least two powerhouses on par with seventh rank—the Thunder master and Li Hao.

“Can it be that only the Thunder master has emerged, that he left his world behind?” someone asked. Or perhaps a Thunder exalted emperor had come out and not the world master.

If not, humans were hard pressed to travel with their worlds in the absence of a chaos beast. If it was that simple, the powerhouses of the four regions would not be so conflicted about leaving their worlds behind.

“Let’s look around for a bit...” Some powerhouses vanished, leaving some to observe the surroundings.

The disquiet in the four regions and exodus of its heavyweights was a chance for the outer regions. It might also be a source of danger. Weaklings emerging were of no concern, but if premier heavyweights quietly slipped out, then it would be dangerous indeed.

......

Thunder World, the great hall.

Li Hao asked for basic information since the fourth rank didn’t seem to know much.

“According to Fellow Daoist Kang Han... the outer regions... No, this is the complete chaos universe to you guys, whereas the four regions are just a remote corner that’s isolated. The chaos universe itself is unlimited and divided into nine layers?”

“That’s right!” Kang Han hastily nodded. “It’s just a simple division, but people generally keep to their layer! There is no up or down, left or right, front or back, or north south east west in the chaos. But in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, we’ve sorted the chaos into various layers.

“Worlds are active in their corresponding layer, yet there’s nothing to isolate the layers from each other. Only a denser collection of chaos strength might mark the boundary of one layer from another...”

The chaos was portioned into nine layers, with one layer pertaining to one rank.

That bestowed a social hierarchy upon the inhabitants, as well as the bonus of preventing weaklings from running afoul of powerhouses.

“Other than that, are there many overlords... or rather, major worlds eighth rank and above in this part of the chaos?”

“My world is only sixth rank, so I don’t know much about high rank worlds,” Kang Han answered nervously. “I only know that Chaos Sky major world has risen in the west. The Chaos Sky master is a ninth rank and sweeping through the universe, seeking to conquer it all.

“There are exalted emperors of the five elements in the north, each overseeing a formidable world. They are apparently all eighth rank and can jointly fight a ninth rank!

“The Exalted Spring Autumn Emperor can be found in the south. Apparently they are a monster spirit whose might knows no bounds. They also have eighth ranks under their command and are said to command time. They can change the world with a single cry...”

Eh?

Li Hao blinked. Time?

Spring Autumn?

No one knew about the dao of time in the four regions, but there was a monster spirit here that wielded time! How... was that possible?

While he wasn’t the sort to underestimate others, the young man was still surprised. A major monster spirit that went by the name of Spring Autumn?

“So where are the four regions located in the grand scheme of things?”

“The four regions are found at the edge of the east...” answered Kang Han. “There are no mighty worlds here, but plenty of strong eighth rank ones. Gemini is not too far away from here. It is led by two eighth ranks called Sky Yang and Earth Yang. They have many seventh ranks under their banner and are a force to be reckoned with!

“The world of Reincarnation can be found further away. The world master is said to wield life and death. He has two eighth ranks for subordinates. In addition, there are some other eighth rank worlds nearby that are daunting...

“There is no absolute ruler of the east, but there are many eighth rank worlds in the region. Apparently, there is no ruler because the Skyward master may have left the four regions a million years ago and killed numerous premier heavyweights. He destroyed some worlds as well. The major worlds in the east were all born within the last one million years.”

In other words, there might have been a tyrant of the east a long time ago, but the Skyward master killed them. None other had been produced all this time.

So overlords in their eyes... were all ninth rank equivalents?

Li Hao took in a sharp breath, that was incredible. So that means that the strongest of the four regions—the Dragon master—isn’t worth much here?

There’s an incredible gap between eighth and ninth rank, and yet...

Li Hao frowned slightly. Were there really so many eighth ranks that could go toe-to-toe with a ninth rank?

Chaos Sky, Spring Autumn, the five elements...

One was ninth rank, one wielded time, and one set of five could combine the five elements into one...

He knew of Gemini, the one that the Dragon master had killed last time, no? So which one had fled from New Martial? He didn’t seem good for much. Apparently Fog Mountain had been able to keep him preoccupied for a while. Granted, the other had hardly been in peak battle condition since he hadn’t been here with his world.