The Light master was utterly resigned and faced his difficult decision with disheartened glumness.

“Human King, I probably can’t take my world with me. It... won’t be all that useful if I devour it because I haven’t built an independent dao domain yet. Flare Sun could try swallowing it, that might propel him to eighth rank...”

Next to them, Flare Sun brightened with surprise. Would he be so lucky today? That was an option as well!

“But even if Flare Sun becomes an eighth rank, the increase to his battle strength will be limited,” sighed the Light master. “His comprehension of the great dao pales in comparison to me...”

Flare Sun bristled with consternation!

“In that case... I can see that the Human King’s internal world isn’t that strong. It might be able to advance to eighth rank if you swallow my world. The Human King’s battle strength will be unparalleled then and you... might be able to match the Dragon master?”

The Light master was uncertain of the final outcome, but had made up his mind. At this stage, he could indeed help Flare Sun enter eighth rank, but what use would that good-for-nothing be as an eighth rank?

He wouldn’t change the bigger picture! He would just be another Fog Mountain!

Fog Mountain was strong, but the Light master had a good idea of where the man stood. If he’d been defeated by two punches from the Dragon master, Fog Mountain was likely dead after one punch.

The same would go for Flare Sun if he became an eighth rank. In that case... he could just safely dwell at seventh rank!

“Is this appropriate?” grinned the Human King. “This is highly unorthodox...”

The Light master wanted to break out in curses!

Of the eighth rank major worlds in the four regions, New Martial had breached Blazing Sun and Skycloud. Silver Moon had broken through Red Moon, and while Light remained, it would be given to New Martial today...

The overlords of the four regions were all jokes now, apart from the Dragon master. Worst of all was that the Human King was playing coy after making out like a bandit!

Irritation and fury started to brew in the Light master’s heart. Thankfully, the merry Human King clapped his shoulder the next second.

“Ole Spark, we’re brothers from now on. We’re brothers for life! I got your back once we leave the four regions. We’ll come back sooner or later and beat that big worm to death!”

“......” Spark my ass! My title is Light, alright??

Supreme Zhang was in a slight daze. So Light... came into Fang Ping’s hands in the end. If this guy’s inner world advances to eighth rank after swallowing Light major world... will he... still stay with us?

The question had just risen in his mind when the Human King patted his shoulder. “Work hard in the future, Ole Zhang!”

“......” The supreme looked at him with resignation and asked softly, “Do you desire to leave us that badly?”

The Human King smiled affably and muttered under his breath, “Shit man, it’s been one thousand years! One thousand years standing guard over this blasted place... I’m bored out of my mind!”

“......” The supreme sighed after a long moment. “You spent half of that time wandering around outside. It wasn’t like you were confined to New Martial!”

“Pfft!” The Human King couldn’t deign to dignify that with a response. I spent the rest of that time running around for New Martial. It’s so annoying. You’ve got to let me have some time off and enjoy life, no?

He grinned widely and looked outside Thunder Region. I’m about to be free! My internal world is going to advance and I can leave New Martial. Ole Zhang can have my position, this will be nice! I can finally travel the universe!

The supreme said nothing else amid the depths of his emotions. The Human King had found success through New Martial, but was also defeated through New Martial. The world had become a burden to him over the past one thousand years.

He wasn’t the sort to stay behind and guard a place. His fondest wish was to head outside and roam freely through the chaos. However, his duties precluded him from doing so. Responsibility made him prioritize New Martial and stick around.

The Human King envied Li Hao because the young man could leave whenever he wanted to. Fang Ping could not, due to New Martial’s unique attributes. Everyone knew Yin and Yang well. If he ran off, that would easily cause New Martial’s doom.

Had he finally glimpsed the hope of change today?

The supreme looked back toward Dragon Region; the Dragon master appeared in his mind’s eye. Had that old dragon seen through something? Was he purposefully letting Fang Ping off the hook so the man could run off and have his fun?

The supreme struggled with a slight headache. Once the Human King was off the leash, there probably wouldn’t be anyone who could keep him in check. Trouble would beset New Martial then.

He then took a look at the Light master. You could’ve given your world to anyone but Fang Ping. This seriously just... creates more trouble. You’ll know after we leave the four regions that it would’ve been a better idea to give it to Flare Sun.

While the supreme grappled with a multitude of thoughts, a cat eagerly kneaded the air. It looked at the supreme. How about... this cat leaves too?

The supreme didn’t look back at the cat. If you leave with him, will there be a moment of peace known throughout the chaos universe anymore?

A cat that says it doesn’t fight, but fishes wherever it goes. If you head off with Fang Ping, you’ll create enemies for New Martial out of the entire universe!

......

On the outskirts of Thunder Region.

A fourth rank was peering inside. Thunder Region was a very unique place in the chaos. The four regions found at its center were only known in legends. While some powerhouses occasionally departed the four regions, most people weren’t able to meet such figures.

The heavyweights rarely left their homes, anyhow. There wasn’t much interaction between the four regions and outer regions.

The most renowned world in the four regions was Skyward major world. There were more stories about it in the outer regions than at home. And today, the four regions once more raised general attention.

A massive war had erupted within it the last couple of days. More than one hundred presences of seventh and eighth ranks had flared within them, shaking the chaos.

Seventh ranks were peak, premier existences within the outer regions. The four regions were a tiny place to those outside. Those less in the know even thought that the four regions might be just one small region, perhaps equipped with a few seventh ranks. Perhaps they didn’t even have eighth ranks!

Hence, the battles shocked the outer regions. How did the minuscule four regions have so many powerhouses?? Their fourth ranks were as numerous as the clouds!

At the moment, those of the four regions wanted to leave their home, whereas those of the outer regions wanted to head inside for a visit. The former was motivated by a sense of danger. Wandering cultivators streamed out of the four regions and even some masters of mid or small worlds chose to abandon their worlds. There were also those that chose to devour their worlds and pass through Thunder Region while it was relatively quiet.

Li Hao wasn’t the only group to head outside. Some exalted emperors were taking the risk of making the same trip.

And on the other side, there was a fourth rank looking around. He wanted to head inside to get a taste of what a chaos tribulation felt like, but was also afraid of being smote to death. Recently, no matter which direction one traveled in, there were exalted emperors that died in grisly fashion.

Many exalted emperors were assessing the conditions inside. Some did so for intel, others wanted recruitment targets. Exalted emperors from the four regions were wandering cultivators once they emerged, no matter if they were world masters inside or not. Anyone that traveled through the region discarded their world.

Even seventh ranks had to relinquish their world. Only chaos beast powerhouses could travel with their worlds, but it was best not to. Their speed would be affected with a world in tow, making it easy to fall to chaos thunderbolts.

Hence, all heavyweights that exited the four regions were wandering cultivators that didn’t know anything about the outer regions. They were easily recruited into various factions, which was why outer region heavyweights lingered in the area.

With the upheaval in the chaos, premier heavyweights didn’t care about Chaos Sky’s ascension to ninth rank and conquering the universe. However, this was extremely bad news for some local overlords.

Hence, the latter were expanding their faction and influence at the moment as well. They devoured worlds to strengthen themselves in preparation for a clash with Chaos Sky. Mid to small factions were also furiously recruiting personnel, whether to protect themselves or to sell themselves to the highest bidder.

Some major worlds were opening up precious exalted emperor spots to wandering cultivators. Tight restrictions were no longer being levied on these positions.

At the moment, Exalted Emperor Kang Han shuffled his feet eagerly on the edge of Thunder Region. Should he head inside?

The four regions had apparently suffered high casualties as of late—there were broken worlds and fragmented dao universes littered throughout their space. Those were invaluable treasures to cultivators. Apparently there were so many dead powerhouses and abandoned worlds that they were just drifting around. No one had devoured them...

If he could make it past Thunder Region, he’d be rich!

And of course, it would be the greatest loss if he died.

Kang Han’s eyes widened while he hesitated. A nearby thunder pillar had suddenly erupted violently. Lightning arced through the void, but only for a split second. It dissipated with a rumble and a major world loomed out of the gloom in front of Kang Han’s disbelieving eyes.

Could a world pass through. Thunder Region??

Kang Han didn’t even have time to be shocked. The only thing on his mind was... run!

A major world!

He could sense that it was a major world, and that a premier heavyweight of the four regions had escaped with their world!

He was only a fourth rank. While those from the four regions wouldn’t dare cause trouble upon arriving in the outer regions, there would also be nothing he could do if a major world outright killed him upon discovery.

Horror overcame him the next second as something seemed to envelop him. A dao domain?

Indeed, it was a dao domain! A high rank had their eyes set upon him!

Kang Han almost gibbered with fear. His body flew uncontrollably toward that world. He landed in a palace overflowing with thunder and lightning. This... seemed to be a world of the thunder attribute. That made sense, since it could pass through Thunder Region.

His body stiffened when he took in the scene. There weren’t that many standing in the palace, but... he couldn’t see through any of them. That meant... they were all high ranks??

How was that possible?! Was this an eighth rank world?! But it only looked to be a seventh rank world from the outside.

It hadn’t been long since Thunder World’s ascension. While the dao universe had entered eighth rank, the world itself hovered on the intersection of seventh and eighth rank. It wasn’t a fully complete eighth rank world yet.