Chapter 2090: Prelude (III)

At the level of the current powerhouses in the field, they could be reborn from a drop of blood. However, the heart was the key to maintaining life force. Enormous harm was dealt once it was destroyed.

The heart also contained a large amount of life essence. After Li Hao dug it out of himself and started incorporating it into the false star of time... The star began beating with a rhythm of its own.

Long Zhan was starting to think that he didn’t need to do anything for Li Hao to be the end of himself. This crazy would really go down in flames thanks to his own efforts!

Just incorporating a heart was still not enough. It might maintain the false star of time for a while, but even if it really produced some life, it wouldn’t be long before all of that life force was quickly consumed.

The amount of life force within the false star was limited. Li Hao was very strong, but he was only an eighth rank at the end of the day. He couldn’t maintain the operations of an entire world by himself.

This would result in the world swiftly shriveling once more after giving birth to the first batch of inhabitants. That made for an utterly meaningless endeavor!

Something seemed to be brewing within the false star. Li Hao laughed when he saw it. The real star of time abruptly manifested and extended a surge of time toward it!

The false star quickly grew stronger!

Badump, badump, badump...

The heart beat with increasing vigor, but also swiftly withered. The heartbeats began to weaken.

Long Zhan once more sent the shadow flying backward and rushed for Li Hao.

“What is the point of this?” he sighed. “There’s no way that you’ll succeed! Why would my chaos race be thus if it was possible to create a source of life? I would just create another source and be done with it. Why would I set myself against all of existence??”

Li Hao was possessed by his obsession to create a new world!

The hardest dao to comprehend in the chaos wasn’t that of time, but of the source of life!

You’re just an eighth rank, but you want to create an origin of life. If it was that simple, then we would all create one and be the masters of our own chaos. Why struggle and be entangled with each other to no end in this chaos?

“You don’t understand!” Li Hao shook his head. “Life is a product of evolution. It’s not produced out of thin air. There is no creator of all life. All that is needed is a source of life. We just need it to give birth to the faintest, weakest life forms. After that, it’s only a matter of time before they further evolve into all beings!

“Then we just need to build a system that recycles life and death... then strengthen it bit by bit while absorbing power from the chaos universe outside. It will grow from weak to strong to the point of strengthening our own life.

“After death, it returns to the origin of life and helps the origin grow stronger. Do you understand?” Li Hao laughed. “This is also dao. The great dao itself is weak, but it will grow to its ultimate peak so long as you continue to strengthen it!

“Not to mention, I’m only creating a fake chaos. So long as it continues to take in chaos strength and transform it to life force, it will produce powerhouses. When they die, their energy will return to the life source. The reincarnation of life and death, this circulation loop... is enough!”

The difficult aspect to the source of life wasn’t in strengthening it, but in... how to ensure that it wasn’t extinguished!

It needed to continuously retain its spirit and vitality, that was the key. That needed to be solidified!

This source just needed to ensure that it continued to naturally evolve through the extension of time and didn’t go out. Yet for the moment, it was clear that the origin of life was inadequate. It was flickering, aging, and declining as it dwelled in time...

This represented that if this went on, it was only a matter of time before the entire origin dispersed.

It was missing a final piece.

Li Hao thought it over, then cocked his head at Long Zhan.

“Perhaps I need a little oomph,” he said chillingly with bloodshot eyes. “Tell me, Long Zhan, do you think I can maintain the source of life if I kill you and strip you of your spirit?”

Long Zhan was connected to the spirit of the chaos. Perhaps killing the dragon would suffice.

Since the spirit has suddenly surfaced out of chaos dao and moved toward Long Zhan, then I’ll give it another try after killing that big worm! It’s not like he’s going anywhere!

Long Zhan smiled without a word. He’d been wary when the young man remained immersed in chaos dao. But now that Li Hao had walked out of it, that actually made it easier to take down the human.

The spirit of the five elements shook, fading away and returning the strength to Li Hao.

The young man’s presence billowed.

Spring Autumn, the Human King, and Chaos Sky were still locked in combat in the distance. Despite the joint forces of the Human King and Spring Autumn, Chaos Sky had still forced them into a bedraggled state. Fang Ping was the worst off, which was the expected outcome since he was the weakest.

The Human King was no match for Chaos Sky if he wasn’t integrated with New Martial.

However, Li Hao believed that someone as tenacious as the Human King would not be easily defeated, so long as the young man himself didn’t fall in battle. The New Martial senior wasn’t all that strong, but had endured hundreds of battles in his time and could hold out for a while, no matter the opponent.

His inner faith and conviction were so strong that they were frightening!

“Hold on for a while longer, Human King. Once I finish establishing my chaos, all of the spoils of battle can go to you if we can kill some ninth ranks...”

The Human King flew backward after a loud collision, vomiting blood.

“Stop painting pretty pictures!” he cursed. “Your ancestors were single cells when I was painting them for others!”

Who are you trying to fool?!

I did that to countless people when I was young. I only stopped and retired from it when there was no one worthy of my tricks later on. What’s a kid fresh behind-the-ears trying to do the same for?

Knock it off!

Li Hao smiled bashfully. Fair enough, he’d forgotten that this was what the Human King was most skilled at.

“Then... I’ll write an IOU to you. I’ll owe you one...” said the young man.

“Oh shut up!” The Human King slashed his blade through the void and abruptly transformed himself into a blade as well. “Eat this!”

Blade qi raced through the void!

Chaos Sky took a half step back. A Human King going all out was not an easy person to get on the wrong side of either. He wasn’t afraid, but there was also Spring Autumn in the picture. The cicada was sending thousands of her replicas at her opponent, withering and flourishing the seasons and a myriad of daos.

Each of them alone was no match for him, but a Human King at full force and Spring Autumn running interference was difficult to deal with. He wasn’t truly invincible at the end of the day!

Chaos Sky breathed out and waved a hand, sending ripples through the nine layers and shaking all of the worlds in the western region. Strength from countless worlds swept toward them!

His control over the west ran far deeper than outsiders imagined.

Tens upon thousands of worlds withered as world strength collected on him. Chaos Sky thrust his palm out, slapping the new wind out of the Human King!

Fang Ping’s body crumbled and blood flowed from a copious number of wounds. The Human King grunted, but smiled, “Nice, there was some bite to that. I like that! That felt good! C’mon Chaos Sky, another! Your head will be on the chopping block if you don’t take me out of the picture!”

Someone as shamelessly pestering as the Human King would never know the meaning of fatigue if he wasn’t defeated in one blow!

Fang Ping let loose with a string of vulgarity.

“You have such a little dick that we couldn’t even see it when your pants ripped! You hit like your limp dick! Are you giving me a massage??”

“......” The Human King’s insults rang through the void and the four cardinal directions.

Chaos Sky glowered forebodingly. He thought that he had limitless patience, but the Human King... was really too crude. The latter was supposed to be the liege lord of New Martial, the overlord of a region!

He’s more disgusting than the cheapest hooligans when he insults people!

......

Li Hao couldn’t help but laugh. The Human King was sincerely a very energetic person. He was still running his mouth despite being badly beaten.

Long Zhan had fully broken away from the shadow and made his way to Li Hao. The golden dragon blazed with earthshaking presence. He no longer attempted to speak reason into the young man as Li Hao was fully possessed.

The dragon swept his formidable body through the air, eschewing fancy techniques or displays. As the strongest member of the chaos race, his body was his greatest asset!

The formidable body immediately shattered all dao strength. Even Li Hao’s power of time broke apart when it came his way!

All power of dao and establishing the chaos was fragile in Long Zhan’s eyes.

Li Hao erupted with the five elements, life and death, emptiness and revitalization, desire...

All manner of great dao appeared, but they were swept aside again and again.

Long Zhan advanced on the young man. The chaos was ripped apart beneath their feet and the nine layers were completely pierced through.

Li Hao backed a few steps away and sighed with a shake of his head. This was a difficult opponent!

Long Zhan was meeting all developments by not changing himself. It didn’t matter what methods or techniques one brought to bear, he answered with the same tactic. That made it difficult for someone versed in multiple great daos as Li Hao to handle the dragon.

Long Zhan was really finding his stride and called out, “Li Hao, if you cannot stand against even me, then you’re definitely thinking too highly of yourself if you want to create another chaos. There’s still time for you to stop...”

“Although you’re a chaos beast, Long Zhan, you’re the most indecisive one here. You don’t show the slightest hint of wanting to press forward at all costs!” jeered Li Hao.

The dragon didn’t respond.

I know, but I’m... not them.

I have an entire race behind me, whereas you guys...

The Human King can blow up New Martial any time. You’ve just forced your master to his death. Spring Autumn’s kind won’t live past two seasons. She’s numb to the thought of life and death.

As for Chaos Sky, a certain degree of sacrifice is necessary since he wishes to conquer the chaos.

Only my kind is born amid difficulty. My goal isn’t to conquer existence either. I just want enduring prosperity for my people. Our goals are different.

Li Hao continued to back away, chuckling merrily as he did so. “Long Zhan, you might be stronger if you let loose some. At the very least, you wouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as me and the Human King. You’d have the right to fight Spring Autumn. It’s your hesitation that is the root of your inability to rival them.”

“Damn it, who are you talking about?!” The Human King coughed up blood. “I’m peerless beneath the heavens! Are you saying that I’m on the same footing as you?”

“......”

It was embarrassing to be on the same level as Li Hao!

“You won’t be once I succeed!” Li Hao grinned. “Don’t be mad, Human King!”

“......” Screw you!