Star Gate-Chapter 1526: Rules (II)

New Martial had destroyed some major worlds to defend themselves against Red Moon. So was it Red Moon that was in the wrong?

Indeed, that was Li Hao’s line of thinking.

“Some might attribute the source of all trouble to Red Moon,” Mo continued. “But Skyward Region is next to Red Moon Region. Within Skyward, there’s the hotly ambitious Light major world and Skycloud major world. Both of them seek to become ninth rank major worlds. If Red Moon did not invade New Martial, they would become the first target after the other two major worlds resolved their conflict. Red Moon invaded out of self-preservation as well.”

Li Hao blinked.

“So are Light and Skycloud in the wrong?” asked Mo.

The young man didn’t make a sound.

“They’re not, either!” Mo shook her head again. “Such is the way of life in the chaos! You might disappear if you don’t grow stronger! There are other eighth rank worlds near Skyriver Region too. They all want to become ninth ranks. If Light and Skycloud doesn’t seek to do the same, doesn’t that make them sitting ducks?

“Therefore, there is no right or wrong. There is only one law in the chaos, and that is those who have a bigger fist make the rules!

“Well, it might also have something to do with the disappearance of Skyward. When Skyward major world was present, it possessed a certain ability to rule the area since it was a ninth rank major world helmed by a ninth rank. The surrounding regions were much quieter back then.

“We’re all exalted emperors that have emerged from our worlds. We understand that when an area lacks a ruler, everyone will seek to fill that spot! But once there is a ruler in place, it is peaceful and quiet before that personage is defeated...”

Almost all exalted emperors had walked out of a world. Who wasn’t an overlord of their home? Who didn’t know this logic?

They all did!

But what use was this knowing?

Li Hao nodded in acknowledgment. “Then why don’t the overlords of the various regions establish a more peaceful treaty? They can keep each other in check. All of this disturbance is not good for the chaos either. It’s only a matter of time before large numbers of exalted emperors die from all of this.”

“Who would be in charge of leading it?” Mo shook her head. “The problems that exist within the chaos are one issue, it’s too big. The distance between each world is too great and there is only so much one can do.

“Even if a treaty is reached, and someone violates it with a continued invasion, their target might be dead by the time enforcers show up. Are you really going to take further action for a world that doesn’t exist anymore?

“The second issue, there is no absolute sovereign among us. Even though we have a high number of nobility within the chaos, there are too many of them. Eighth ranks are definitely premier powerhouses, but some seventh ranks are the masters of their world and great dao. They don’t think they’re any worse than an eighth rank. Who’s giving the orders then?

“Third is the problem of resources!” Mo looked at Li Hao. “Cultivation resources are all too rare at our level! Not even a dao universe possesses unlimited strength, energy, and great dao. That then creates an upper limit for the possible number of exalted emperors.

“Once the exalted emperor ranks are saturated, no one else in the major world can become an exalted emperor. Too many emperors will lead to insufficient great dao...

“If you do not create a battlefield and deplete the number of exalted emperors at that point, or try to devour other dao universes, then it is only a matter of time before your world rots!” Mo was very serious. “Even an eighth rank world can support only a limited number of exalted emperors. A seventh rank world can contain one hundred or so exalted emperors. An eighth rank can hold more, maybe two hundred.

“But there are tens of billions of living beings in a world, and that’s just one era of mundanes. Even if they’re refreshed every fifty years, do you know how many years the chaos has existed?”

An exalted emperor wasn’t simply the product of a particular age. They’d reigned supreme for countless ages.

A world might possess a population of several tens of billions, but of them, one exalted emperor might emerge after a dozen ages. What should the rest of the population do once the ranks of exalted emperors were filled?

They had no hope of a future!

The dao universe was occupied and there were no seats. There were no chances for anyone else.

Li Hao had once heard Bone Eclipse say that Red Moon’s exalted emperor ranks were actually full, that they could not produce new exalted emperors.

What could they do about it?

Invade someone else!

Red Moon chose to retain desire and continue their conquest. They continuously strengthened their dao universe, which meant that they were able to support more exalted emperors. Otherwise, there was no hope for all future descendants!

This wasn’t a problem faced by the worlds alone, but an issue for all of the chaos.

It was why wars were never ceasing in the universe. They were partially meant as tools to eliminate weak and useless exalted emperors, and partially meant to create space for future generations. Since you’re not up to the job, step aside and let someone else do it!

How would wars end under such circumstances?

Li Hao listed intently, agreeing with what he heard.

That was right, there were too many problems to grapple with, which made war inevitable. Even the chaos could not break free of this logic. It was the same as Silver Moon—an increase of people meant an increase in powerhouses, which caused a lack of spots and resources. What could be done about that?

Conquest!

Such was the scene that played out in any nation.

“Has no one ever thought of resolving this issue since we have innumerable exalted emperors in the chaos?”

“Of course people have!” Mo answered. “Many worlds have similar measures in place, such as extinguishing further cultivation, or toppling old civilizations to create anew, or crafting heavenly tribulations to decrease the number of cultivators...

“If there is more than exalted emperor in a world, sometimes they purposefully march on each other to reduce the number of cultivators.

“There are worlds that relinquish cultivation entirely. They choose science or other mundane civilizations, erasing cultivation entirely from their history. However, that only treats the symptoms and not the cause!

“You cannot completely give up on cultivation either. If you do, you are left defenseless when invaded!”

Forsaking cultivation meant that the world would not be able to create new powerhouses and future geniuses. There would be no defenses to call upon once invaded—destruction would be the only possible conclusion.

And if one didn’t forsake cultivation, then they had to face the issue of exhausted resources.

Hence, many exalted emperors had no choice in the end but to abandon their world, devour it, or let it develop freely while they roamed the chaos. That was how there came to be chaos wanderers.

Some of them might be the defeated from the conflicts of their world. Mid to minor worlds could not support too many exalted emperors either. Since they’d lost, they could only choose to leave.

The other exalted emperors were also listening quietly to Mo’s explanation. The second rank who’d been silent all this time, Cicada, suddenly joined the conversation.

“Fellow Daoist Hao Moon, perhaps you’re still young or the only exalted emperor of your world. Thus, you don’t understand what we speak of. You might not care at first, but after stagnating for one thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand years...

“Or seeing your world being unable to produce more exalted emperors or heavyweights... and you have enjoyed and experienced all there is to life... You will find that your friends, family, and everything familiar to you vanishes from your world as time goes on.”

That kind of loneliness, helplessness, and isolation was enough to drive an exalted emperor crazy.

“You will fight then even if you don’t wish to!” Cicada said with emotion. “If you still do not walk out of your world to participate in the wars, then the only course of action left to you is for a powerhouse to discover your world one day and seize it, devour it, or destroy it!”

Li Hao scratched his head. He appeared quite young and childish in this moment.

And truth be told, that was exactly how he was compared to these people.

“That is true,” nodded the young man. “Although I’ve yet to experience it, but I’ve more or less felt that the problems we face are inherent to the entire chaos, not just one person. That is why deception, subterfuge, strife, and conflict exist in the universe, just like they do in the worlds.

“I used to think that exalted emperors of the chaos were dashing and carefree existences, that they could travel wherever they wished to discuss dao. I later discovered that this wasn’t it at all! That they struggle with mundane problems and are somewhat removed from the exalted emperors of my imagination. I understand now.”

The other exalted emperors grinned at his words. Who wasn’t the same in the beginning?

Reality all dealt them harsh smacks in the face soon enough.

“But I think the key issue lies with lifespan!” Li Hao insisted childishly.

The others looked at him.

“If the rules of the chaos really were perfect, then I think there should be limits placed on the lifespan of heavyweights!” he explained himself. “There are so many powerhouses now because our lifespans are nearly infinite! It will take around one million years for an exalted emperor to die, right?

“I think an overly long life is the crux of everything! Our lifespans, including those of cultivators, should be restricted! For example, cultivators should live ten thousand years at most. Exalted emperors should live one hundred thousand years before dying of old age. That’s enough to enjoy everything there is to enjoy.”

The group blinked before Hao Ming laughed from his position of leader of the pack. “Then what do we cultivate our entire lives for? Don’t we train to seek immortality? If exalted emperors are curtailed in this manner, what do we work so hard for? And not to mention, who can restrict an exalted emperor?”

Exalted emperors were the overlords of the chaos. If their lifespans were limited... then what was the point of existence?

“One hundred years is an advanced age for regular people!” Li Hao declared after some thought. “If an exalted emperor lives one hundred thousand years... Under normal conditions, ten thousand years should be enough to verify their dao, right? We could also do a public survey about that...

“After they verify their dao, living another ninety thousand years... should be enough, right? That’s a very long period of time!”

He felt it was enough, anyhow. All sorts of problems abounded in the chaos these days due to an accumulation of generations. A large generation of the old guard occupied the higher positions and had a chokehold on exalted emperor placement, extinguishing the hopes of those who came later.

That caused a lack of resources, positions, hope, and ideas to improve. Those who came before them were also unable to further take steps forward. They could only just sit back and wait to die.