Chaos has gone mad.
The Dragon King returned severely injured.
As a top-tier Eighth Order cultivator who had already condensed the second stage of Dao Spirit, the Dragon King was only one step away from the Ninth Order.
Even slightly weaker Ninth Order cultivators were no match for the Dragon King.
Yet, even so, the Dragon King was severely wounded.
"What happened?"
Seeing the Dragon King's condition, Chen Fan's expression grew solemn.
"I don't know."
The Dragon King's tone was grave. "I ventured into several places, and it's the same everywhere. It seems all the Chaos Spirits, except for those within the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, have gone mad. There's no safe haven."
"..."
Chen Fan remained silent for a long time.
This was the first time he had heard of such a situation.
He didn't understand.
"The Ninth Order cultivators should know," Chen Fan speculated after a long pause.
Previously, the Lord of Light and others had pursued the Lord of Order all the way out of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. If the Chaos Spirits outside had all gone mad, they would have witnessed it.
The fact that they didn't mention it upon their return proved they were all aware of this.
After pondering for a while, Chen Fan finally said, "Let's put this aside for now. Let's head to the Eighth Earth first. Perhaps we can find the answer there."
"Mm."
The Dragon King shared the same sentiment.
After recovering slightly, the group continued their journey.
This realm of chaos held a great secret. Both the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and the outer chaos, harbored profound mysteries.
These secrets needed to be unraveled clue by clue.
They had to search for the cause slowly.
They reached the domain wall of the Eighth Earth. A colossal sphere, as large as the sun... The Ninth Earth was similar.
The entire Nine Heavens and Ten Earths... resembled a string of incredibly massive luminous orbs.
Before the Eighth Earth's wall, they encountered no obstruction like they had when entering the Ninth Earth.
In the vast, open space, they met no resistance and walked straight in.
"Whoosh."
Upon entering, they felt the concentration of energy.
After a while, the Dragon King spoke, "It's much denser than in the Ninth and Tenth Earths."
No one was surprised by this.
*Hum.*
Space distorted.
A figure appeared some distance away from Chen Fan and his companions.
Though unfamiliar, the figure exuded an incredibly powerful aura and the presence of Dao Spirit.
A top-tier Eighth Order cultivator, who had condensed a Dao Spirit.
The woman wore a crown and a phoenix-embroidered court dress that trailed behind her for thousands of meters, resembling a cascading red river.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, radiating an aura of immense nobility.
Stopping from a distance, the woman bowed slightly. "May I ask if the visitor is City Lord Chen?"
Her reputation had preceded her arrival.
Chen Fan had anticipated this.
Since the woman had greeted him with such respect, Chen Fan did not act haughtily. He calmly replied, "I am Chen Fan. May I know who you are..."
Hearing his acknowledgment, the woman visibly relaxed.
She then responded, "I am Xue Mingxian, under the command of Dao King. I greet City Lord Chen."
Within the Ninth Earth, there were three Ninth Order cultivators.
Dao King was one of them, who walked the path of myriad paths becoming law, his words instantly followed by all laws.
Among the three Ninth Order cultivators in the Ninth Earth, one was a recluse who stayed out of worldly affairs. This person... was Dao King.
Chen Fan had inquired about these matters before entering the Eighth Earth.
Xue Mingxian was someone under Dao King.
Was she waiting for me?
Chen Fan pondered for a moment and asked, "Does honored Daoist seek me for a reason?"
His voice was soft, devoid of emotion.
Xue Mingxian was beautiful, and her smile was captivating. She chuckled, "Dao King learned of City Lord's arrival in the Eighth Earth and specially dispatched me to await you here. He wishes for City Lord to have a conversation."
Chen Fan: "..."
Dao King, inviting me?
Chen Fan's mind was racing.
He pondered for a long time but could not fathom why Dao King would invite him.
However, having just arrived in the Eighth Earth, and being invited by a Ninth Order cultivator, he had no reason to refuse. Thus, he nodded. "I trouble you, Daoist."
"Please..."
...
The group quickly traversed the chaos.
Simultaneously, the news of Chen Fan's arrival spread like a gust of wind throughout the vast Ninth Earth.
In the boundless chaos, a chessboard floated silently, drifting with the currents of the void.
The chessboard was not large, and a figure lay peacefully upon it, asleep.
*Chirp.*
A stream of light flashed, and the chaos was torn apart.
Subsequently, a figure emerged from the ripped space and bowed to the chessboard. "Reporting to Dao Lord, Chen Fan has arrived and was received by Dao King's people."
"..."
The chessboard continued to float serenely in the chaos.
The person upon it seemed to be in a deep slumber, showing no reaction.
However, the person who had specially rushed there knew that the other party could undoubtedly hear him.
He did not leave immediately but waited on the spot.
After a long while, the sleeping figure on the chessboard finally opened his eyes.
A faint pressure emanated, but it quickly vanished.
"Mm."
The figure on the chessboard merely responded with a hum and closed his eyes again.
Seeing this, Huo Gu cupped his fists once more, then... his figure rapidly departed.
Yi Tian Dao Lord, who uses the chessboard to determine the world.
*Whoosh.*
A breeze blew through the chaos, stirring the chessboard, which drifted further into the depths of the void.
The world knew that Yi Tian Dao Lord gambled with the heavens every day.
...
Meanwhile.
The last Ninth Order Dao Lord of the Eighth Earth had awakened long ago.
Her awakening was not due to Chen Fan's arrival, but because of two uninvited guests who had appeared much earlier.
Huan Zong, Guang Ming.
These two Ninth Order cultivators had arrived at Han Yuan long ago.
The figure sleeping beneath Han Yuan had also awakened some time ago.
The ten-thousand-zhang vast Han Yuan offered no glimpse of its bottom.
Only a pair of blood-red eyes bloomed from the depths of Han Yuan, coldly observing the two figures in the sky above.
"Huan Zong, Guang Ming..."
The voice of the Han Yuan Dao Lord emanated an eternal, unchangeable coldness.
This chill was more profound than ten-thousand-year-old ice.
"Your continued entanglement is futile. I have already said that the Heart of the Earth Stone is gone. If you two do not leave, do not blame me for taking action." The voice was cold and merciless.
Despite being a gentle female voice, it exuded an icy chill that pierced to the bone.
This was the Han Yuan Dao Lord, a mutated path of the void.
Hearing this, Huan Zong shrugged with some helplessness. "Han Yuan, we are old acquaintances. I am now severely injured, and only the Heart of the Earth Stone can heal my wounds. Why must you be this way?"
"I've already said, I'm willing to pay any price for a Heart of the Earth Stone."
Beside him, the Lord of Light nodded in agreement. "Indeed, as long as Daoist Han Yuan names her price, we are willing to pay any cost."
"Hmph."
The Han Yuan Dao Lord snorted. "I told you it's gone, and it's gone. Even if I had it, I wouldn't give it to you two."
With that, she had made her stance absolutely clear.
Obtaining the Heart of the Earth Stone was impossible.
"Alas."
The two Ninth Order cultivators felt a headache coming on.
Their injuries were severe, even more so than Qian Si and Wu Xing, who had left earlier.
Without the help of a Chaos Supreme Treasure, recovering from their wounds... might not even be possible in a hundred thousand years.
The injuries left by the Dao of Order were not so easily healed.