Secret Plot of Qin and Zhou, Gathering Storm!

Having bid farewell to the Old Turtle, Su Yu waited until Xinghong returned, and the two soon made their way back to Xinghong Ancient City. This excursion had not been a wasted effort. Rather, it laid the essential foundation for how Su Yu would proceed from here. Back inside the ancient city, Wan Tiansheng resumed his small lectures. He spoke of rules and laws. Only a clear mind revealed a clear path. Knowing what the core was, hearing Wan Tiansheng explain these concepts allowed one to grasp the overarching principles. That included why Wan Tiansheng wielded such potent rule power: it was explained by the fact that he possessed a vast number of divine characters, and each of them had to be exceptionally strong! Divine characters were rules! ... Meanwhile, Su Yu did not idle about. As he listened to the lectures, he digested his gains from the previous battles. Killing King Zhi and several other Invincibles had earned him immense heavenly and earthly rewards. He had not absorbed or digested them yet, having stored them away inside his civilization chronicle. Now, aware that these rewards were rule power and that cultivating divine characters was equivalent to cultivating the power of rules, Su Yu took a keen interest in them. Over the next few days, Su Yu spent most of his time studying these rule powers. ... At the same time, in the outside world. Word regarding Su Yu was spreading through the upper echelons—for instance, how his wicked armament required an ocean of vital blood and carriers to grow stronger. Su Yu was even itching to incite another war across the myriad realms! Killing more Invincibles to sate his desire! This struck fear into some, but it only strengthened the resolve of many others to see him dead. If this man did not die, he would surely bring about an apocalyptic catastrophe! ... Xinghong Ancient City. Wan Tiansheng was preparing to leave. This was his ninth day staying in the city. Inside the City Lord Manor, Wan Tiansheng had little left to say. He looked at Su Yu and smiled. "Then I shall take my leave! Being watched at every turn in this ancient city is rather stifling. The eyes of the myriad realms are all fixed here." Su Yu nodded. "Be careful, Manor Head. When you step out, someone might mistake you for me in disguise. There will certainly be probing attacks, or even an ambush!" "No matter. If danger arises, I'll call for you again. They won't dare ambush me recklessly..." Su Yu said no more and made no effort to dissuade him. The strong would never dwell under another's wing forever. Su Yu was currently cornered with no choice, forced by the myriad realms into being unable to step outside. Wan Tiansheng asked, "The outside world is currently rife with rumors that you need massive amounts of vital blood to temper your wicked armament. Are you planning to sell that item now?" Su Yu smiled. "No, not that. I'm selling this!" He brought out the "Record" character fragment. Wan Tiansheng paused in mild surprise. Su Yu chuckled. "I'll sell it to Duobao! Back to where it came from. If that doesn't work, selling it to the Tianyuan Half-Emperor is fine too." Wan Tiansheng stared at him, speechless for a long moment. Su Yu grinned again. "The one who wants it most is probably the Warden of Heaven. If he wants to buy it, that's fine too!" "Then... what about those humans in the Hunting Heaven Pavilion...?" Su Yu laughed. "I won't save them. I'm cold-blooded! Compared to those humans, advancing my own strength is far more important!" Wan Tiansheng gave him a profound look. "You truly intend to sell it?" Su Yu grinned. "We'll see!" In any case, he wouldn't sell the Smiling Lotus right now. Otherwise, connecting and comparing the dots before and after would make things far too obvious. Even if the Smiling Lotus were to be sold, it would have to be an inadvertent, reluctant transaction! Wan Tiansheng pressed no further. Su Yu had his own plans. Su Yu was no sheltered greenhorn who had never suffered the world's harsh beatings; he had fought his way from the Human Realm into the myriad realms, from the myriad realms into the dead spirit realm, and then fought his way back again, slaughtering his way through back and forth! In terms of sheer experience, today's Su Yu was inferior to no grizzled veteran. "Then take care of yourself!" Wan Tiansheng said nothing more. Soon, he rose into the air and swiftly vanished from sight. Su Yu also hovered in the sky, watching. The moment Wan Tiansheng departed, Su Yu sensed several ripples in the surroundings vanish with him, while others remained in place. At that exact instant, Su Yu abruptly charged out of the city and threw a punch straight into the void! *Boom!* A deafening explosion rang out as a Sun Moon was shattered to pieces by the single blow. A tome manifested, stretching across the heavens and earth, instantly devouring the fallen Sun Moon. Yet the tome did not stop, expanding even further. Pages unfolded one after another as if flipped by unseen hands. Across the void, pockets of space were torn apart, and phantom silhouettes emerged, charging straight into them. In the blink of an eye, six or seven Sun Moons were swallowed whole by countless phantoms. The tome continued to descend. Within moments, it blotted out the sky and sun, shrouding the entire ancient city before continuing downward into the ocean. Within the Sea of Stars, demonkin and aquatic beasts outside the city, weak and strong alike, were slaughtered in droves! At this moment, Su Yu seemed like an evil fiend. A saintly path demon! Above the ancient city, Su Yu stood with a serene expression, hands clasped behind his back, his white robe pristine as snow. Watching the civilization chronicle consume countless lives with his own eyes, Su Yu spoke in a calm voice that resonated across the surroundings. "Within a hundred li of Xinghong Sacred City, no living creature is permitted! If you wish to seek me out, send word. Do not approach uninvited. The myriad races of the heavens—no exception for anyone!" In the distance, an expert in the void yelled in fury, "Su Yu! You slaughter rampantly without a word! Are you truly not afraid of being hunted down by all races together?" Su Yu wore an indifferent expression. "How many times have the myriad races already united to kill me? What's the point of spouting such laughably stale words! If you could have killed me, you would have done so long ago! Do you think Tiangu and the God Emperor don't want me dead? Laughable! Get lost. If you don't scramble, I'll drop my sacred city upon you and slaughter you to consecrate my banner! We'll start another war of the heavens!" In the distance, the furious expert dared not utter another word and fled through the void. Around the perimeter, several lurking experts also retreated farther away. These people were all watching Su Yu, watching his every move, waiting to see whether he would leave the city and where he might go. Right now, the myriad realms were watching Su Yu. His instantaneous massacre of all living beings within a hundred li quickly became known to every race. They also witnessed his civilized armament blotting out the sky, utterly sinister as it devoured living souls! All at once, Su Yu's wicked infamy echoed across the myriad realms! *This* was a true slaughterer of men! Compared to Su Yu, people like Xia Longwu and Qin Zhen were practically saints of conscience. This fellow Su Yu was an unmitigated butcher of boundless carnage, yet no one could do anything against him, and he was terrifyingly powerful! ... Eastern Rift Valley. By now, a large number of Invincibles were stationed at the Eastern Rift Valley almost continuously. The great clash had already erupted; the war of the heavens had arrived. It was no longer the peaceful era of before. Here at the Eastern Rift Valley, the Vanguard Camp had become the gathering point for all the Invincibles. Not long after Su Yu finished his slaughter, a soldier rushed into the grand hall to report, "Reporting to Your Majesties, Manor Head Wan has departed the city. City Lord Su took the opportunity to clear out the surrounding scouts, killing seven Sun Moons and countless individuals below that realm. No living beings are permitted within a hundred li of Xinghong Ancient City, or they will be slain without mercy!" "What 'Manor Head Wan'!" Someone scoffed coldly. "Wan Tiansheng is no longer any manor head! He betrayed the human race of his own accord. Just refer to him by name!" The reporting soldier said nothing. He offered no argument, but neither did he change his wording. Justice lived in the hearts of the people! Wan Tiansheng had battled traitorous Invincibles, slain invading Invincibles, rescued Xia Longwu, participated in the recent war of the heavens, and killed multiple Invincible powerhouses... Such a figure was resented by the human Invincibles primarily because he had dismantled the two sacred grounds and executed numerous Invincible descendants. Yet to ordinary soldiers... Wan Tiansheng was a saint. Whether he was a devil or not, they had their own judgment. "Humph!" Seeing the soldier remain silent, as an Invincible, how could he not discern the man's thoughts? The Invincible snorted in displeasure. "Dismissed!" "Understood!" The soldier said no more, quickly rising and turning to leave. Among the crowd, someone chuckled softly. "Alright, don't vent your anger on a frontline soldier. If you're truly displeased with Wan Tiansheng, go settle scores with him yourself! It was only one son and two grandsons of yours he killed, after all..." These words only poured oil on the fire. The previously irate Invincible snapped furiously, "I have campaigned on the frontlines for years! Even if I did raise a few useless prodigals, so what? Wan Tiansheng didn't say a single word before chopping them down on the spot! By what right? Even if those scoundrels of mine were cowards who feared death, how did that hinder him? After all my years of service, couldn't I let my descendants enjoy some comfort?" When he spoke these words, the group of Invincibles fell silent. The words were crude, but the logic held! The Invincibles fought across the heavens, and naturally harbored the desire for their descendants to enjoy peace and privilege. At the head of the room, King Daqin said calmly, "Enough! Wan Tiansheng killed people because Sun Moons disobeyed military orders. That was during a period of martial law; he did not execute people for indulging in comfort, but for defying military command! Do not confuse the issue!" "Humph!" That Invincible said nothing further. Wan Tiansheng had seized on that exact justification, butchering them on the grounds of defying military orders. Otherwise, there would certainly be Invincibles seeking him out for vengeance right now. King Daqin had no wish to dwell on Wan Tiansheng's matters. He said in a deep voice, "What we are discussing right now is not Wan Tiansheng, but Su Yu!" "Although the previous great battle has concluded, its end does not mean everything is over. It was merely the beginning!" "You have all seen the reserves of the myriad races, especially the Immortals. They deployed multiple ninth-stage Eternals with ease, and their high-stage experts are beyond count! Their Eternal Realm powerhouses likely exceed a hundred!" "The Immortal race alone is enough to crush our human race! Not to mention the other major races, all of whom possess countless powerhouses!" "Through these recent upheavals, our human race's strength was not diminished; rather, it increased somewhat, and we gained several newly ascended Eternals... Yet it is still not enough, far from enough! Without a Dao Integration powerhouse, we cannot intimidate the surrounding realms!" "..." King Daqin spoke slowly, emphasizing every word. Toward the end, he said solemnly, "Right now, the reason the myriad races aren't focusing their attacks on humanity is not because we are exceptionally strong, but because they intentionally wish to divide us—splitting us into the human race and Su Yu as two separate factions!" "If the lips perish, the teeth freeze. Once Su Yu dies, humanity will inevitably be besieged by the myriad races!" "Previously, the myriad races had not reached a consensus; the Gods and Demons feared that besieging our human race would allow the Immortals to take advantage. But now, the Immortals have suffered grievous losses, which has only hardened their resolve to oppose us! Thus, all the powerful races have come into agreement!" "Right now, their target is Su Yu. Su Yu deters the world with the dead spirit realm and the Star Residence Mansion. However... the powerful races will not give up; they will inevitably find an opportunity to kill him..." King Daqin spoke at length before concluding, "Therefore, Su Yu cannot die. If he dies, the windbreak wall shielding the human race will collapse! You all must understand that this time, Su Yu stepped forward largely for my sake, and for the sake of several human Eternals..." Finishing his words, King Daqin glanced around the room. Someone asked in a low voice, "Old Qin, what do you mean?" "Stand by at all times, ready to reinforce at all times, ready to take the field at all times!" King Daqin declared sternly, "If crisis strikes on Su Yu's side, the Human Realm must be prepared to march at any moment! We will keep a standing force of ten Eternals specifically monitoring the ancient city's movements, just in case!" "The Human Realm already has few Eternals. Now we must draw strength away just to protect Su Yu?" "It is not protection; it is cooperation!" King Daqin frowned. "Do you understand? I believe you do! You have all lived for so many years; it's impossible not to understand my meaning. If the lips perish, the teeth freeze—do you not understand this principle?" "He has the ancient city guards to assist him. Does he even need our help?" King Daqin frowned once more. "The ancient city guards are not human after all. At a critical juncture, they might not be wholly dedicated to saving Su Yu." "Su Yu doesn't acknowledge the human race either..." King Daqin exhaled, speaking coldly, "Then according to your views, leaving him entirely to his own devices is best?" "That's not what we mean either... My point is that Su Yu can hold out on his own right now, so let him hold out first. Humanity should take advantage of this rare period of calm to let more people confirm the Dao! It will be difficult for the myriad races to gather a second massive force to obstruct our people's Dao confirmations right now! This is the best opportunity! Our human race still has this many Eternals; can the myriad races currently pull together fifty or sixty Eternals to stop us?" "It's best not to interfere in Su Yu's affairs for now, letting the myriad races realize that humanity's threat has not reached its peak, and that Su Yu's threat is paramount..." King Daqin said coldly, "A fine notion! Indeed, this is a good opportunity to strengthen humanity! Then let me put forward a proposal and see what you all think." "Speak, King Daqin." King Daqin looked around. After a long pause, he said impassively, "The two sacred grounds in the Human Realm have been destroyed and cannot be rebuilt for now. Recently, some individuals have grown lax, no longer dedicating themselves to study and research. I've thought it over: we should invite those individuals from Liu City back to the Human Realm and reopen a sacred ground! Just like back in Xia Chen's era when the Quest Realm was opened! Liu Wenyan will take charge of the new sacred ground, guarded by Nan Wujiang, Yun Chen, and the others, while we invite Su Yu to serve as the head of this new sacred ground. This will strengthen the ties between the Human Realm and the ancient city, using Su Yu as an intermediary to forge an alliance between us..." Just as he reached this point, someone said in displeasure, "King Daqin, do you mean to invite Su Yu back to serve as the master of the Human Realm's sole sacred ground?" "Indeed!" "Impossible!" Someone immediately objected. "Su Yu is wildly untamable and bathes in boundless slaughter! He hasn't only killed members of the myriad races; he has killed plenty of humans as well! He lacks the heart of a sage and possesses little sense of belonging to the human race. How could he shoulder such a monumental responsibility?" Several Invincibles were inwardly shaken. Having returned from the Star Residence Mansion, King Daqin actually wanted to nominate Su Yu as the master of the Human Realm's sacred ground—and the sole sacred ground at that! At such a juncture... this signal was far too strong! Without proper title, words lacked legitimacy! Once Su Yu truly became the master of the Human Realm's sole sacred ground, what would come next? If something happened to King Daqin and his peers, or if they stepped down, who would become the leader of the Human Realm? Someone pushed back, "King Daqin, I fear this is merely wishful thinking on your part. Su Yu himself might not even be willing! Furthermore, Su Yu is strong, but no matter how strong he is, he is still beneath the Eternal Realm! He is far too young. Does King Daqin truly intend to let a twenty-year-old youth preside over a sacred ground?" "Why not?" King Daqin said calmly, "If everything comes down to age, Tiangu and the others have lived long enough—why not invite them to serve as sacred ground masters instead?" "King Daqin..." King Daqin cut them off. "Reopening a sacred ground is my idea! Su Yu might not agree. Whether he agrees or not, I will convey my intent. Agree or disagree, it can merely be a nominal title! If he is unwilling, let his teacher or father hold the title instead!" King Daqin said indifferently, "As for whether to open the sacred ground... since our opinions differ, let us decide by vote! This is my proposal. I will not force anyone, but I vote in favor!" Currently, counting Yun Chen, there were exactly fifty Invincibles on humanity's surface roster. In reality, several others had suffered severed incarnations and were currently recovering. Fifty Invincibles—King Daqin chose to decide by vote! He felt that this shouldn't be much of a problem. King Daqin's thinking was simple. Beneath his generation, although Xia Longwu and a few others possessed fine aptitude and great strength, they were unable to lead the Human Realm into battle against the myriad realms to face this Tenth Tide Change. As for himself, two of his three incarnations had been severed, leaving his future path unclear. As for Old Zhou and the rest, they had no hope of Dao Integration. Right now, humanity needed a powerhouse, a genius with the prospect of Dao Integration, to lead and unify the human race! Su Yu... he felt was suitable! Naturally, Su Yu's relationship with the human race was not particularly harmonious. But this time, King Daqin felt that deep in his bones, Su Yu still possessed a fierce sense of racial identity, and that was enough! Otherwise, he would not have taken such risks in the Star Residence Mansion. Nor would he have raised such a massive disturbance afterward. Now, all of Su Yu's hidden cards were exposed, placing him in far greater danger than before. Someone said in a low voice, "Decide by vote? King Daqin, even if the resolution to reopen the sacred ground passes, are you not afraid that, just like before, the sacred ground's emergence will be useless and only intensify the infighting among the prefectures?" A sacred ground had already been established once before! And what was the outcome? Last time it was them, this time it would be Su Yu. Who would become the next Wan Tiansheng? King Daqin said in a heavy voice, "At least in the short term, such matters will not recur, and that is enough! Right now, the war of the heavens is imminent! I don't wish to waste further breath. First, pull Su Yu's heart back to the human race! Opening a new sacred ground is the first step! Second, the new sacred ground will be led by the Liu City lineage, with every prefecture contributing funds, resources, and personnel!" The Invincibles wore strange expressions. King Daqin was dead set on this! Someone remarked, "Then we must at least consult Su Yu's opinion and Liu City's stance, shouldn't we? If we act on impulse and establish the sacred ground, only for nobody to come—Su Yu refusing and Liu City declining to return—won't we become a laughingstock?" "Indeed. Establishing a new sacred ground only for it to turn into a farce would be a devastating blow to your authority, King Daqin. I think we should wait and see!" King Daqin glanced at the speakers and said no more. "Then I shall seek the opinions of Su Yu and the others. When the time comes, I hope the establishment of the sacred ground will not be obstructed!" He rose and walked away. Beside him, King Dazhou smiled and addressed the room, "Calm yourselves, everyone. Old Qin has been in a poor mood lately. I'll go have a word with him. We can discuss the sacred ground later!" ... Soon, King Dazhou stepped outside. Before long, he caught up with King Daqin and sighed softly. "You were too hasty!" "Hasty?" King Daqin turned his head. "Old Zhou, if we don't pull him back now, do you think we can pull him back later? A mistake once, a mistake twice... there won't be a third chance! Right now is his most difficult juncture, with far too many eyes fixed upon him! Once he survives this hurdle, the sky will be wide open for him to soar! If he resolves his current crisis, he will have no need to rely on the human race whatsoever! Your surprise attack on the Dragon Realm this time managed to reclaim some ground, but it's not enough!" King Daqin stared at him. "How can one expect a harvest without sowing anything? At this critical moment, there are still people hoping Su Yu will take the brunt while we quietly develop... Let me ask you: how much time do you think we have left?" King Dazhou remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly, "A few years, or a few decades. Roughly that much." "In a few years or decades of quiet development, how many Eternals can emerge? How many Dao Integrators? Can we match Tiangu and the others? Can we deal with the God Emperor?" King Daqin looked into the distance. Walking through the air, he stepped onto the peak of the Eastern Rift Mountain, gazing afar. "Old Zhou, there's no time left! There are no more chances! I originally intended to gamble everything on stepping into Dao Integration, but I failed! Without me reaching Dao Integration, even if you do, a single hand cannot clap alone! You overthink things. You are far too cautious, always striving for perfection, but how could that ever be possible!" King Daqin gazed toward the distant horizon, as if looking upon Xinghong Ancient City, and said heavily, "Therefore, at this juncture where Su Yu faces encirclement by the myriad races, humanity must stand up and tell him: we stand together, we are by your side! Only then can past grievances be wiped away, allowing him to let go! Otherwise, will there be a next time?" King Dazhou nodded gently and said softly, "I understand your intentions. In truth, people aren't opposing just for the sake of opposing; they are worried..." "Worried about what?" King Daqin turned to look at him. "Worried that, just like the Ninth Tide, Su Yu will become the next Hundred Battles King? Or worried that Su Yu won't even be able to step into Dao Integration, and all the investments humanity poured into him will end up as a joke?" "Both." King Dazhou sighed softly. "Humanity's foundation today is not as profound as it once was. We only have this much left; once it's spent, it's gone! Su Yu is tremendously gifted and skilled in battle, but he lacks a tolerant heart. He is domineering, refuses to suffer any slight, and will not take a loss—that is why his current situation is so precarious..." "You're wrong!" King Daqin said firmly, "He refuses to take slights or losses from outsiders. If he has a flaw, his only flaw is that he sees things too clearly! He cuts straight to the core! You are either friend or foe! If you're not a friend, he'll beat you into an enemy! That is his true flaw. What you call domineering, refusing to suffer slights, and refusing to take losses—in my eyes, those are all virtues!" King Dazhou smiled. "You... Forget it. Actually, I don't have many objections. I only have one slight concern. When I asked him last time, you know what he said. He stated that if he truly returned and took up the mantle of leadership... he would first kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, executing several Eternals to consecrate his banner!" King Daqin fell silent for a moment. "If he truly executes a few to consecrate his banner without causing major turmoil, why not?" "Old Qin... they are comrades-in-arms of several centuries, after all!" King Dazhou sighed. "When that moment truly arrives, do you think you could bear it? Could the others bear it? It would only brew a bellyful of fury." King Daqin knitted his brows, his gaze suddenly turning cold. "Then it's simple. We will serve as his blade and prune away the deadwood first! When the new king takes the throne, he can advance unburdened, and naturally no one will oppose him!" King Dazhou gave a wry smile. "You..." King Daqin snorted coldly. "There is always a way! Consecrating banners with lives—it's not as though I haven't done it before! Furthermore, humanity didn't suffer any losses in these recent clashes, so some fellows think this arrangement is wonderful: no losses, only gains... In any case, Su Yu is destined to be the vanguard; whether he wants to or not, he has to! They think they have Su Yu wrapped around their fingers! Without even considering why Su Yu ended up in this position! You are a clever man; you ought to understand!" King Dazhou nodded slightly. "Naturally, I understand! Su Yu... in truth, is willing to serve as this wall, this bronze rampart and iron bastion standing before humanity! It's just that he refuses to say it aloud..." "It's good that you understand! If you understand, the other races naturally understand it too!" King Daqin shook his head. "Su Yu thinks too much. Great wars always cost lives! A war without casualties is no war! A war without deaths will inevitably breed trouble down the line! Arrogant troops are bound to fail! A war without deaths will make everyone think the myriad races are nothing to fear!" With that, he said coldly, "In the near future, find an opportunity to launch a war! I will tell Su Yu that he doesn't need to act, nor do any of those outsiders need to act. Let humanity fight a battle of our own! Let humanity witness what a true battle of life and death is! If three to five Eternals don't die, they won't know the pain!" King Dazhou hesitated. "In the near future?" "In the near future!" King Daqin said solemnly, "Humanity has run out of resources! We lack carriers, vital blood, heavenly treasures, weapons—we lack everything! Sitting here all day long, are we just waiting to exhaust our mountain of food? Waiting to die? I've made up my mind: the Dragon Realm! You, Old Xia, and I will join forces to intercept the Dragon Emperor, storm into the Dragon Realm, and slaughter it! Make everyone fight with their lives on the line! Plunder resources! Stop daydreaming about comfortable days! Back when we rose up, who among us didn't spend their days in constant warfare?" King Dazhou took a deep breath, inwardly shaken. Even he was astonished! King Daqin intended to lead an army to slaughter the Dragon Realm! "Neither of us has figured out how many Eternals the dragons possess... If we truly kill too many and draw out the Dragon Realm's old monsters... Old Qin, that would be far too dangerous!" "It's bound to happen sooner or later!" King Daqin said calmly, "If they don't emerge now, they will emerge eventually. If they emerge now, there are at least rule restrictions! Once we reach the later stages and they emerge while humanity has no old monsters left... are you certain humanity still has old monsters alive? If not, and there is no counterweight while our people have grown arrogant without pressure, how long do you think we can survive?" "Prepare for danger in times of peace! Before we have even reached safety, some people have already forgotten the crisis! Laughable!" King Daqin said firmly, "My mind is made up!" "Then... do we tell them?" "No! We'll tell them when the time comes!" King Dazhou fell silent for a moment. "Rather than choosing the Dragon Realm, I think it would be better to pick another." "Another?" King Daqin asked in puzzlement, "The Gods, Demons, and Immortals are not easy to deal with!" "No... the Tianyuan!" King Dazhou said in a low, measured tone, "The Dragon Realm is actually difficult to conquer. If we're going to gamble, let's gamble on the Tianyuan Realm! First, they don't have many Eternals! Second, they are close to the dead spirit realm; we might be able to enter the dead spirit realm from there. Third, they harbor enmity with the Multiple Divine Characters Department; Su Yu and his people would be far more eager to see them slaughtered! Fourth, the Tianyuan Half-Emperor previously ambushed Su Yu; we can attack under the pretext of avenging Su Yu! Fifth, he possesses the 'Diagram' character catalog, which is crucial!" King Dazhou smiled leisurely. "If we truly fight, we strike this realm! Linked to Heavenly Fate above, connected to the dead spirits below... The Tianyuan Realm is the truly ideal location. The myriad races wouldn't dare shatter the Tianyuan Realm recklessly, lest the dead spirits burst forth! Thus, when the myriad races come to attack, we can enter the Tianyuan Realm first to fight. Even if we are besieged within, we will have a retreat route. If we attack the Dragon Realm and get besieged, shattering it... that would be a true catastrophe!" "This way, not only will we alleviate pressure on Su Yu, earning his profound gratitude, but we can also seize control of a realm as a path of retreat. Other realms aren't suitable for retreats..." No matter how strong a major realm was, it made for a poor retreat. The Tianyuan Realm, however, was quite suitable. Its boundary practically overlapped with the dead spirit realm! If that realm were shattered, a slight misstep would breach the dead spirit realm, letting the dead spirits run rampant, leaving everyone to wait for death! King Dazhou continued faintly, "Furthermore, if we are truly besieged, humanity will be in peril, and we will be in peril! At that moment, if Su Yu can truly step forward to turn the tide, when he ascends to power, no one will oppose him! The Tianyuan Realm is far from the ancient cities, so it would be understandable if Su Yu couldn't reinforce us in time... The Dragon Realm is too close; if he failed to reinforce us, even if he eventually took action, some people would harbor resentment, wondering why he didn't come sooner!" Hearing King Dazhou lay it out, King Daqin was instantly enlightened. "Right! Old Zhou, you still have so many crafty schemes! Indeed, attacking the Dragon Realm might truly be less suitable than the Tianyuan Realm! However, it's too far. Can you teleport us there? Otherwise, moving so many people would expose us far too easily!" The Tianyuan Realm was even farther than the Dragon Realm. The Human Realm was in the east, while they were in the west, close to the God Realm's territory, yet not quite there—rather, at the very edge, almost at the end of the All-Heavens Battlefield. From the eastern edge to the western edge! "Doing it in a single bound is certainly out of the question..." King Dazhou shook his head. "Dividing it into two or three hops, there is still hope!" "Then can you..." "If you truly want to fight, I can hold out!" King Dazhou looked at him. "I only want to know: are you certain you want to fight? Two of your three incarnations are destroyed, and the Tianyuan Half-Emperor is immensely powerful, even stronger in his native realm. Even if you, I, Old Xia, and Old Zhu join forces, we might not necessarily defeat him! After teleporting, I might not have much strength left to continue fighting." King Daqin exhaled. "Fight! We have no choice but to fight! If we don't, given our current situation, how much longer do you think we can hold on? It just so happens that while all sides are still somewhat wary and the Dao Integrators dare not move rashly, this is our opportunity! Su Yu has roped in several Dao Integrators, which is also a tremendous boon. Which Dao Integrator dares to venture out alone right now?" In the past, they had dared! Otherwise, the Demon Emperor would not have stepped forth! Yet two fur balls had shown up, and now, many Dao Integrators truly did not dare appear alone without good cause, lest they be eaten by accident with nowhere to plead their case! King Dazhou smiled as well. Indeed, right now was truly an opportunity. However, this was no minor affair. A single misstep... could easily bring disaster! "We must find the right opening!" King Dazhou said softly, "At least find a moment when the myriad races won't dare invade our Human Realm... For example... inviting Su Yu back to the Human Realm to preside over it for a period. Even Su Yu himself wouldn't know he is presiding over the Human Realm... We draw the eyes of the myriad realms onto the Human Realm and onto Su Yu, and then we depart right under their noses!" The darkness beneath the lamp! It was an audacious scheme! Invite Su Yu back to the Human Realm, make him the focal point, and free the other human Invincibles from the spotlight, thereby granting them the chance to launch a lightning strike against the Tianyuan Realm! King Daqin glanced at him and chuckled. "You fellow, when people call you timid, you're the most timid of all! When they call you bold, you're the boldest of all! Only you would dare concoct such an idea!" Inviting Su Yu back to the Human Realm, and then... while everyone was watching him, the human Invincibles would strike the Tianyuan Realm. Just thinking about it was thrilling! "Then if the myriad races invade the Human Realm... won't Su Yu weep?" King Daqin laughed, and King Dazhou laughed too. "That will also serve as his reason for being unable to reinforce us—completely reasonable! As for the rest, Su Yu won't die that easily. I can't speak for other places, but if a dead spirit passageway opens in the Human Realm, the Immortals, Demons, and Gods most likely won't foresee it! Aren't they afraid that beneath the Human Realm lie the dead spirits of ancient human kings and emperors?" "If it truly comes to that, open the passageway!" King Daqin drew a light breath. Old Zhou was as mad as ever—no, calmly mad! When he was calm, he was terrifyingly calm. When it came to madness, few could match him. King Daqin fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I already laid some groundwork earlier. In that case... I will invite him to gather in the Human Realm once more! We will announce to the public that we are negotiating the alliance between the ancient city and the Human Realm, and leak the news about the new sacred ground! That way, it won't arouse too much suspicion!" King Dazhou nodded, then smiled again. "No, there's another reason: invite Su Yu back to celebrate his father's birthday! His father happens to turn fifty this year. Fifty counts as a milestone birthday, after all!" King Dazhou laughed. "He can refuse other pretexts, but can he refuse this one? If his father is celebrating a milestone birthday and he doesn't return, that would be going too far!" King Daqin smiled as well. "Fifty... counts as a milestone birthday?" Fine! Let it count! He didn't know whether the outside world would laugh upon hearing this excuse. Probably not—Su Yu's father was fifty, and perhaps after returning, they might even celebrate Su Yu's twentieth birthday! At twenty years old, he had terrified ancient fossils tens of thousands of years old! They probably wouldn't find it funny at all! "Once Su Yu arrives, winds and clouds will surge across the Human Realm!" King Daqin exhaled. "We must still be cautious. If it truly comes down to it, let Old Xia stay behind!" "We'll see!" The two reached an accord. Having made their decision, they had no intention of informing anyone else. The plan devised by King Daqin and King Dazhou was far too shocking. ... Soon, over at the Eastern Rift Valley, Xia Huyou, who had only just returned, took the invitation and letters and led a contingent toward the ancient city. Inviting Su Yu to attend his father's fiftieth birthday celebration! Before Xia Huyou had even stepped out of the Eastern Rift Valley, word of this pretext had already spread. All at once, the gaze of the heavens focused sharply on the Human Realm, on Su Yu, on the Eastern Rift Valley, and on Su Long, who was celebrating his "grand birthday"! Fifty years old... it sounded like a joke. To ancient fossils who routinely lived for hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of years, what was fifty years? Did this even count as a round milestone? At the very least, one had to reach a hundred to count as a milestone! Yet this was Su Yu's father, his only kin in the Human Realm. Needless to say, the odds were nine out of ten that Su Yu would return; even if it was perilous, he would most likely go. This was something every race knew. All at once, the winds and clouds stirred once more. What kind of storm would Su Yu's return to the Human Realm unleash? Did the human race simply wish to form an alliance with Su Yu this time, or was there something more? Or did they intend to merge with Su Yu entirely? Instantly, the Immortals, Demons, Gods, and Dragons all turned their gazes toward the location of the grand celebration—the Great Xia Prefecture! Once again, it was the Great Xia Prefecture!