Chapter 1879: A Split in Strength (III) |
Li Hao shared his theories with the group. The others didn’t have much of an opinion. Whether it was seventh ranks or estimation of dao strength, cultivation levels were cultivation levels to them. It didn’t make much of a difference.
“Your way of splitting strength is indeed more precise!” The Exalted Blood Emperor was the only one to nod thoughtfully. “As of the moment, sixth, seventh, and eighth rank are all general terms for a major cultivation level. There’s a large difference between each of them!
“But based on what you say, you’ve categorized the strength of dao rule to define the strength of each level, haven’t you?”
Li Hao nodded.
“So based on your hierarchy, seventh rank starts at one thousand daos, which means they are one thousand times the energy concentration of a first rank. Is that… right?”
Surely it wasn’t that high?
He himself was a seventh rank, so he knew the level well. The difference wasn’t that stark. Although seventh ranks would have no issues slaughtering one hundred first ranks, or even more, it… didn’t seem correct that they wielded one thousand times the energy of a first rank.
“If regular minor worlds can support one first rank, then my worlds can now support one thousand first ranks,” Li Hao explained. “I’m not the typical seventh rank, so if we consider the usual ones… I think one seventh rank would be the equivalent of five hundred first ranks.”
That was more like it!
“If in terms of energy… pretty much!”
Supreme Zhang came to mind. If the supreme’s one thousand replicas became one, would that put him on par with Li Hao?
No!
Another thought came to the Exalted Blood Emperor’s mind. The supreme’s replicas could nearly all act independently. That was a more difficult task than Li Hao’s one thousand worlds, so he ought to command even greater strength!
That meant that Old Zhang should be much stronger than Li Hao.
The Exalted Blood Emperor raised an eyebrow at this thought. So Old Zhang really has swallowed a lot of dao strength over the years. Look at how many worlds Li Hao has eaten to create only one thousand worlds. Ole Zhang embezzled so much with no one realizing!
Seeing that Li Hao had some ideas in mind and goals in sight, the Exalted Blood Emperor said nothing else. The young man even had two eighth ranks backing him up.
“Number Two.” The Exalted Blood Emperor glanced at the cat. “Since you wish to stay, I won’t bring you back to New Martial. Big Cat misses you and says you can come for a visit when you’re free. Then… I shall take my leave. New Martial has some things that must be taken care of…”
He wasn’t prepared to travel with Li Hao’s group. Unfamiliarity was one reason, a lack of need for his help was another. In that case, he might as well leave.
“Is the senior leaving?” Li Hao was rather surprised, but also not at the same time. New Martial powerhouses were accustomed to departure. They came and went like the wind, rarely staying long in one place.
They were very dashing and carefree individuals!
“I’m leaving, what about you guys? Are you going to stay in Thunder Region, return to the four regions, or head out?”
“I’ll stay in Thunder Region for a while longer.” Li Hao gave the matter some thought. “And probably won’t be heading back to the four regions. The Dragon master is there. I killed so many of his people. It’s one thing if he doesn’t see me—he might not hunt me down then. But if he does… he’ll attack me, if only to respond to his people’s expectations.”
The four regions was a difficult place for him to return to at the moment. As for Skyward’s revitalization… it should take a while longer. Some of the dao stars that he’d given away last time might’ve returned to the dao universe after so many exalted emperors died in the last engagement. Or perhaps they were taken by other exalted emperors as well…
It would take a while to nurture those dao stars to the point of being able to access the dao universe, anyhow. Not to mention, that probably ranked very low on priority lists at the moment.
The last two Skyward dao universe revitalizations had been fake. That had likely killed all hope in the seventh ranks. They might even think the real revitalization was still fake and not head inside so easily.
“Then… be careful if you are heading to the outer regions. Apparently a ninth rank has been born there—our intelligence reports aren’t all that clear either. You’ll be fine if you encounter eighth ranks, since you have Fog Mountain and the rest.
“But if you come across a ninth rank… Even the weakest ninth rank will outmatch us.”
Li Hao nodded in agreement. That was true. Based on his thinking, ninth ranks would wield at least nine thousand daos. He would have to create six thousand worlds to truly rival one. At present, he’d expended everything he had to collect one thousand.
Fighting a ninth rank… was a complete daydream.
Even the Dragon master would have to duck out of the way if he met a ninth rank, since he only wielded six thousand daos. The difference was massive.
The Exalted Blood Emperor turned and left without a word. He vanished as quickly as he came, as if he’d truly visited just to take a look at Number Two and Li Hao.
Number Two watched him leave, then grumbled, “He’s still a bit like the one who teaches.”
“He is his own person, don’t always tie him to the one who teaches,” Li Hao laughed. “Everyone wants to live as their own self and not someone else. Just like you, would you be happy if everyone always said you were the Ash Emperor?”
Number Two thought for a bit before nodding, agreeing with the young man. That was true!
“Then I won’t say that next time…” it mumbled. The cat then looked at Li Hao. Actually… you’re a bit like him too.
But just as Li Hao said, everyone wanted to be their own person. I don’t want people to treat me like Big Cat either.
“Everyone, I’ve completed the general comprehension and will now lead Panther on a trip through Thunder Region. We will visit the various pillars and study them, absorbing some of their energy to see if it can notify my sword dao of calamity to seventh rank!
“You are free to cultivate yourself or visit Thunder World. You can also head outside Thunder Region, but I do not recommend returning to the four regions!”
This was only a suggestion. If these people wished, they could head back to Light major world. It was only too dangerous in Dragon Region.
“We can go back to discuss great dao…” Despite Fog Mountain’s response, he didn’t wish to return to the four regions. He’d finally entered eighth rank. If he returned now, he might really meet his death at the Dragon master’s hands.
Neither did he wish to head to New Martial. It would be better to fall in step with the Thunder master and converse with him instead.
“Ah, Orchid Forest is still in the three regions.” A sudden idea struck Fog Mountain. “Orchid Forest’s an interesting guy. His world is only seventh rank. Why don’t we ask Number Two to make a trip and fetch that world, so we can all catch up…”
He and Orchid Forest had spent some time with each other. Now that utter mayhem had gripped the four regions, New Martial was busy standing guard over Light. It might not have time to look after Orchid Forest.
A seventh rank world was a formidable faction, but the Dragon master was on the verge of losing his mind. If he couldn’t find Li Hao and didn’t dare take on New Martial yet, then Orchid Forest would become the easy target!
On the other hand, Number Two was a seventh rank now and counted as a chaos beast. It wouldn’t be able to move as fast as Ash Cat once it swallowed a seventh rank world, but it could still run with Orchid Forest.
“Orchid Forest, hmm?” Li Hao thought it over. “There is indeed strength in numbers. We can ask. If the Orchid Forest master is willing, I have no problem with him joining us. It’s also fine if he’s not. The Dragon master might not really make a move against him. It’ll take a while to find his world too…”
But if he was willing to come, there was also Thunder World here to befriend. A major world by itself would find it hard to survive in Thunder Region, even inside a chaos beast. It would cause the dao universe to be invaded by tribulations.
But if the chaos beast was inside Thunder World, defense was much easier. It was why the Dragon master had always wanted to lay hands on Thunder World.
Movement would be free and easy once they left Thunder Region.
“Then I’ll approach Orchid Forest.” Fog Mountain was immediately interested. “I’ll have to trouble Number Two to make a trip with me. We left contact information with each other last time, so I should be able to locate his world very quickly…”
As eager as Fog Mountain was, was as unwilling as Number Two was. I’m not a moving company!
But…
“Then I’ll have to trouble Senior Number Two to make the trip,” said Li Hao.
The cat didn’t know what to say!
I have to go to work again! How annoying!
But since Li Hao had spoken, it had to leave with Fog Mountain despite its reluctance.
“Didn’t you say last time it’s better if we all split up?” Void was rather surprised. “People can leave if they want. So why are you tasking Senior Fog Mountain to bring Orchid Forest to us…”
“The four regions are too unstable at the moment! Since we all know each other, perhaps the outer regions will be safer,” Li Hao explained. “The Dragon master really isn’t to be underestimated! I suspect that he’s infiltrated many worlds in the three regions and might invade at any time to conquer them!
“New Martial won’t sit idly by. Therefore, if we stay in the four regions, we might become his prisoners or just another pile of corpses under his foot…”
“Is the Dragon master really that strong?” Void still didn’t have a clear understanding of this personage. “My father is strong and working with New Martial… They should be able to stand against the Dragon master, no?”
“It’s hard to say!” Li Hao shook his head. “New Martial is very strong, but they’ve only just ascended to eighth rank! The Human King…
“I suspect that the Human King hasn’t paid much attention to the development of his world and focused on his internal world. His internal world may not be that strong. I think that he might give up Yin and Yang, handing it to the Ash Emperor or Supreme Zhang. If that’s the case, then his strength will temporarily decline for a moment…”
“Eh?” Void blinked. “What makes you say that? Yin and Yang is the core of the Human King’s dao. Will he give it up so casually?”
“It’s tough to say,” Li Hao answered after some consideration. “He might have cultivated in secret if he wasn’t exposed. But since he has, he might fully let loose. That’s just how he is. He’s very bold, so letting loose might be a kind of release and freedom to him.
“He seems to have wanted to toss New Martial to the supreme for a while, so I really think it’s possible. But if that’s the case, the supreme’s not the sort to go on the offensive or seek out Dragon major world. He’ll choose to shy away from danger and bide his time for a while…
“In that case, your dad will either have to give up the Light dao universe or… have to swear fealty to the Dragon master. New Martial might run at any time.”
Void’s jaw dropped. “He… shouldn’t. My father… has killed many Dragon exalted emperors. He’s not a fool, so he probably won’t do that.”
“It’s really hard to say,” Li Hao laughed. “I just think that New Martial’s not the sort to stay behind and stick to defense. They’ll leave sooner or later. If your dad isn’t prepared, he might encounter danger any second…”
Void was quite resigned. If this was the case, then Light was indeed in great danger. An eighth rank world was once an absolute overlord… But they might fall any second once New Martial left.
What a miserable existence.
It would seem that an eighth rank major world wasn’t good for much after all. In fact, it was a burden.