Yuhuang Mansion

The conference regarding the Sacred Ground drew to a close. They had not even settled on a name! Su Yu said there was no rush; he would take his time thinking about it. As for the third agenda item of the conference, Su Yu had also declared that they would discuss it after his coronation as Master of the Sacred Ground the following day. There was no hurry! Everything was shelved! There was only one topic remaining: tomorrow was his father's grand birthday celebration, and everyone had to attend. The humans must come, the myriad races must come—every last one of them had better show up! Anyone who failed to attend was refusing to give him face! And anyone unwilling to give Su Yu face had better think long and hard about the consequences. The newly reconstructed Nanyuan would be tomorrow's main stage. …… The meeting was over. Su Yu walked out of the grand hall and looked at the several Invincibles who were still forging the formation. Smiling, he stepped into the air and approached them, asking, "Your Majesty King Daming, will this formation be completed today?" King Daming was somewhat speechless. He glanced at the great array and replied, "No. You broke quite a few parts of the Myriad Gates Pagoda earlier. We've only forged five thousand portals so far. It will take at least another two to three days!" Su Yu smiled. "Then I'll have to trouble Little King Zhou to accelerate time a bit so the gate-forging goes faster. Tomorrow... I'll also have to trouble you gentlemen to make a trip to Nanyuan to witness me take up the position of Master of the Sacred Ground!" Accelerate time! Little King Zhou's brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Su Yu. Su Yu said calmly, "Can't you do it?" Zhou Tianyuan frowned. "Do you need to use it in such a hurry?" Su Yu replied teasingly, "Of course! Tomorrow is my coronation. Would the myriad races truly just stand by and let me take power? If they come to assassinate me, shouldn't I use the great array to kill them? Holding the birthday celebration in Nanyuan is precisely to find a place with fewer ordinary civilians. Anyone who refuses to submit will be slain! At a critical juncture, I can even open the dead spirit channel! I, Su Yu, would love to see if there are any fearless fools tomorrow willing to test their luck with me!" Little King Zhou was utterly helpless! This reason was unassailable! Indeed, Su Yu had stated it outright: by going to Nanyuan, he was prepared to slaughter people! He had chosen not to do it here solely because there were too many people around. Accelerate time for me, finish the formation, and tomorrow I will go kill people! Would there truly be someone so blind as to court death? Hard to say! At that moment, Su Yu turned his gaze toward the contingents of the Great Chu, Great Yue, and Great Liao Prefectures. His smile was dazzling, revealing two rows of stark white teeth that appeared exceptionally chilling! Within the three prefectures' ranks, quite a few people blanched. Some secretly grumbled about their own prefecture governors: why did they have to stick their necks out? What was the point of being the bird that sticks out and gets shot? Now they were being targeted by a madman like Su Yu. How could their days ahead be easy? Su Yu said playfully, "Once I am formally crowned Sacred Master, whoever I say is a rebel is a rebel! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!" "..." As soon as these words landed, King Daxia snapped in reprimand from nearby, "Su Yu, stop talking nonsense! The position of Sacred Master is not a toy for your amusement; it is a sacred trust placed in you by the human race!" Su Yu beamed and replied, "Of course, I understand completely! Rest assured, Your Majesty King Daxia, I don't kill indiscriminately. You make it sound like I'm a madman who kills for pleasure! Whenever I kill, there is always a good reason!" "..." Nobody had a comeback for that. Among the thirty-six prefectures, some could not help glancing toward the three dissenting prefectures, their eyes overflowing with sympathy. Meanwhile, the governors of Great Chu and Great Yue were wondering in their hearts: were their two houses the fish that Su Yu had baited, or were they all bait together? If they were all bait, there was nothing more to say. The real terror was... what if they were the fish that had been caught? Then the trouble would be immense! Under normal circumstances, nobody should have been so stubborn, right? Thirty-three prefectures had agreed, so what was the point of casting a dissenting vote? Antagonizing Su Yu for no good reason? Nobody would be so foolish, would they? Both the Great Chu and Great Yue governors were thinking along these lines. Yet when they glanced toward Great Liao Prefecture, something felt off. The governors of Great Chu and Great Yue exchanged a look and then observed the Great Liao governor... The man wore an expression of blatant dissatisfaction. Was it an act, or was it genuine? If it was genuine... things were going to get interesting. …… Su Yu paid no attention to them and turned his gaze back to Little King Zhou. Zhou Tianyuan drew a deep breath. "I will do my best!" Su Yu smiled. "Little King Zhou's strength reaches to the heavens; I have full faith in you. It's just accelerating time; it will be over in no time!" Zhou Tianyuan remained silent. He made it sound so simple, but manipulating the laws of time carried an enormous consumption. How could it be that easy? Su Yu said no more. The next moment, his voice boomed across the surroundings, echoing in every direction: "Tomorrow is my father's birthday banquet, a grand feast in Nanyuan! If you do not disdain it... please gather at Nanyuan tomorrow! Through some stroke of luck today, the various prefectures of the human race elected me to serve as the master of this new Sacred Ground. By coincidence, we shall hold both events together!" Su Yu laughed heartily. "I ask the heavens and realms to bear witness! Tomorrow, I shall forge the Sacred Master Token. I invite every prefecture governor to bring their respective prefecture seals to empower my Sacred Master Token, so that I may command the human race hereafter!" As soon as those words were uttered, the experts of the thirty-six prefectures who had not yet departed turned their gazes toward Su Yu, and then toward King Dazhou and the other senior Invincibles. King Dazhou raised an eyebrow. Su Yu announced loudly, "Furthermore, I request that tomorrow, all of you present your topographical maps, military rosters, and registers of everyone at and above the Shanhai Realm... I intend to compile an official register! Anyone not listed in the register shall be treated as non-human! If encountered, they shall be executed without mercy!" "..." At these words, everyone's face fell. A registry! Everyone at and above the Shanhai Realm had to be registered. This was demanding that every prefecture lay bare the entirety of their strength and forces. Registering those below Shanhai was pointless, but by controlling this roster... if Su Yu killed anyone not on it, no one would dare object! If they didn't fill it in, anyone encountered by Su Yu would surely die. If they did, all of humanity's hidden power would fall entirely under Su Yu's control! Su Yu said impassively, "Henceforth, all newly ascended experts must register according to my requirements! Anyone not listed may be slain on sight by any human! Not on the roster means not human! I shall establish three rosters: the Eternal Register, the Sun-Moon Register, and the Shanhai Register! Anyone absent from the roster or omitted from the names shall be put to death, and the slayer shall be blameless!" How ruthless! Even King Dazhou and the others changed expression at these words. He hadn't even officially taken office yet! All at once, he was demanding that every power hand over their full lists of experts. They had to reveal all their hidden cards! In this era, what was most important? Not resources, not population, not cultivation methods or secret scriptures, but experts! Everyone at and above the Shanhai Realm was a formidable combatant! Who said Su Yu didn't know how to govern? He knew very well! He had seized the core of the issue in a single stroke! Not only that, if some old monster emerged in the future without having registered... a simple declaration of "you are not on the register, therefore you are not of the human race... you shall be executed" would settle it! What could they do? Who could refute him? Su Yu remained calm and said indifferently, "What is it? Is it that difficult? Could it be that the various prefectures are unclear on the number and identities of the experts within their borders? If so... then the management of these prefectures is truly too lax! A proper census will also leave the All-Races Cult with nowhere to hide!" Was the All-Races Cult even still a thing? Several people cursed inwardly! This fellow was lying through his teeth! Yet how could they argue back? At this moment, King Dazhou coughed softly and said, "Sacred Master Su, compiling a registry is not difficult in itself! However, there are some people who have been in seclusion for many years..." Su Yu smiled. "Do you not even know if they are alive or dead? If they're alive, register them. If they're dead, they're dead. If they come back to life after being reported dead... then there is a conspiracy afoot. This is for everyone's safety!" "What if someone concealed their true strength...?" Su Yu chuckled. "Why conceal it? Have they reached the Invincible Realm? If they haven't reached Invincible, what is there to hide? If they aren't Invincible, there is even less need to hide it; they're so weak that the myriad races wouldn't even look at them twice!" Su Yu smiled and added, "Surely none of you mind this matter, do you? It is merely compiling a registry; I haven't even demanded that they appear in person. Could it be... that this so-called Master of the Sacred Ground is just a fart? That this so-called Sacred Ground is merely a joke? Is it so difficult to simply register your experts? If that is the case... we might as well scrap this Sacred Ground, and I might as well not be this Sacred Master! It's all bullshit anyway!" King Dazhou sighed inwardly! This kid hadn't even assumed the mantle, yet he was already stirring up trouble! He clearly had no intention of just being a figurehead! The moment he arrived, he demanded the list of experts. Every prefecture would soon be stripped bare of their secrets. Su Yu continued, "Once the registry is completed, when I find time, I shall inspect the Human Realm to take stock of the experts. Anyone unfamiliar or unregistered shall be dealt with as members of the All-Races Cult! The All-Races Pit in the Great Xia Prefecture seems like the perfect resting place for them! The myriad races making an enemy of me doesn't bother me, but any traitor who sprouted within the human race must die!" Su Yu laughed heartily. "Moduona, wouldn't you agree? Does your Demon race still have spies in the Human Realm? If you do, take them with you. Keep them by your side right now, and I'll consider them to have formally defected; I won't forcibly execute them in front of your face. I'll give you that much face!" In the distance, high in the sky, Moduona looked toward Su Yu and said calmly, "There are none. The Demon race's Beginning Demon Cult was founded by Lan Tian. Whether there are any left, he knows far better than we do." Su Yu smiled. "Good, then! I am giving everyone face. Whoever has spies or informants, take them away before tonight. I am offering them a chance at life. Otherwise... I will begin a massacre!" Around them, several experts of the myriad races were left speechlessly exasperated. You're really something! Telling us to take them away ourselves—where would we even take them? The All-Races Cult had been a complete farce from start to finish. Whenever anything happened, humanity would drag them out and purge a wave. The Great Xia Prefecture had practically treated the All-Races Cult as a cherished scapegoat to divert attention; whenever something arose, they slaughtered a batch, repeating the cycle until Great Xia's cultists were entirely wiped out! First came Yun Chen, then Lan Tian; the two strongest factions had both been forged by humans themselves. What threat could the remnants possibly pose? …… "He's definitely not one to be trifled with!" At this moment, the experts of the other major prefectures were filled with complicated emotions. They looked at one another, nursing splitting headaches. Nothing else was even needed; this single roster of experts alone was enough to give everyone a massive headache. At this time, a group of second-, third-, and fourth-generation youths had gathered beside Xia Huyou. Someone sent a sound transmission: "Everyone looks so gloomy. It's just a registry—what's so bad about putting people on record?" The group looked at the youngster and sighed helplessly. It was a young woman from the Zhu family, Zhu Qingyan. Forget it, what could a woman like her know? Xia Huyou transmitted his voice: "Among the major prefectures, who doesn't have some hidden strength? In our Great Xia Prefecture, did any of you know we had so many Sun-Moons before? Last time, more than half perished in battle—over twenty Sun-Moons, and counting Liu Wenyan and the others, the total exceeded thirty... But how many Sun-Moons did each house show on the surface? To say nothing of the others, if your Great Daming Prefecture has fewer than thirty Sun-Moons, I'll take your family name!" Zhu Qingyan was startled and sent back, "No way! The registered Sun-Moons in our prefecture number only eighteen!" Xia Huyou shrugged. Nonsense—if Great Daming didn't have at least thirty Sun-Moons, he would crawl on all fours! Xia Huyou was full of admiration. This single move... was enough. There was no need to overcomplicate things; this lone tactic was enough to make every prefecture suffer. Would they disclose their people or not? If they did, Su Yu would have a crystal-clear understanding of the Human Realm's true capabilities. If they didn't... heh, the next time an unregistered Sun-Moon popped up, Su Yu would execute them on the spot in front of everyone! What could they say? What could anyone say? Anyone unregistered was off the books, non-human. Even if they were human by blood, they would be labeled traitors cultivated by the myriad races! And he was going to patrol the Human Realm personally! …… Over there, Su Yu smiled and said, "There is no need for everyone to be so anxious. It is merely a registration. If someone is at the ninth level of the Sun-Moon Realm, I might even be in a good mood and bestow a few carriers to aid their Dao validation! When it comes to your strength, you must never conceal it! If you are at the ninth level and insist on reporting the first level, you will forfeit your own opportunity, and you cannot blame me, Su Yu, for lacking human sympathy!" The crowd stirred once more. Did Su Yu have carriers? He definitely did! He was rich! This fellow was truly wealthy enough to do whatever he pleased; a single civilization chronicle of his was worth dozens of carriers. At this moment, King Daxia smiled and said, "Very well. Tomorrow, the Great Xia Prefecture will submit the full list of everyone at and above the Shanhai Realm, both inside and outside the prefecture, to Sacred Master Su!" "The Great Qin Prefecture shall do the same. We have nothing to hide; the strength of the Great Qin Prefecture has always been plain for all to see!" Over there, Qin Zhen chimed in as well. King Dazhou remained silent for a moment before saying, "The Great Zhou Prefecture will provide ours as well. However, the identities of certain spies planted among the myriad races will not be handed over for the time being. Whether they are human or from the myriad races, they are effectively serving humanity; even if they aren't human, they were cultivated or backed by the human race..." As soon as these words came out, the faces of several experts of the myriad races turned green. What did that mean? What list of spies...? To their ears, it sounded like a blatant scheme to sow discord, yet... yet it was hard to dismiss. Had the human race truly planted spies among them? Just look at the Hunting Heaven Pavilion! It was truly impossible to rule out the possibility completely! Su Yu smiled. "That is fine. The roster of experts planted among the myriad races can be passed to me privately later. It is enough so long as I know." "Agreed!" King Dazhou nodded. Su Yu actually believed him; this man truly might have planted agents among the myriad races. Whenever the King of Great Shady spoke, Su Yu believed ten percent at best and doubted the other ninety. With the three strongest prefectures voicing their agreement, the others were left with no room to refuse. For a time, everyone was left pondering whether they should hand over their complete rosters of experts. Su Yu paid no heed to their hesitation, sending a voice transmission to King Dazhou and the others: "That includes the list of any hidden Invincibles; I want all of them as well!" King Dazhou said nothing. King Daxia transmitted back: "There really aren't many. Just a few who suffered injuries in past years and had their past, present, and future incarnations shattered. Some are currently recovering, while others have been relocated to small realms." "I want that list as well!" King Daxia was speechless, but had no choice but to reply, "Fine!" He'll give them all to you! If you said this guy didn't care about governance, he demanded all of this right off the bat, proving to be an exceptionally difficult master to deal with. Yet if you said he did care, he hadn't even bothered to name the Sacred Ground! Tomorrow, he would forge the Sacred Master Token and compile the rosters of experts from every prefecture. Once that was done, everyone would know that he was the universally acknowledged master of the Human Realm's Sacred Ground! Su Yu didn't hold back either, transmitting his voice to Marquis Xia: "Marquis, spread word of the Sacred Ground's significance, its authority, and everything concerning it far and wide. Let every human know that from now on, I have the final say in the Human Realm!" Everyone had to be made aware that he was their future leader. As for whether they were genuinely convinced, that didn't matter. He didn't need their heartfelt obedience; surface compliance was enough. Disobedience meant death! Marquis Xia chuckled and gave a slight nod. A trivial matter! …… Zhou Tianyuan began accelerating time for the grand formation, and King Daming and the others quickened their forging pace. Meanwhile, the Great Xia Prefecture swiftly dispatched people to Nanyuan to make preparations. They had to host both the myriad races and the various human prefectures. …… The news spread with lightning speed. Not just within the Human Realm, but across the myriad realms, word spread quickly. Su Yu had actually succeeded! Without a ripple of turbulence! He had claimed the seat with such ease, and the human race had mounted practically no opposition. …… The Immortal Realm. Tiangu sighed with emotion and chuckled softly. "King Dazhou!" …… The Divine Realm. The God Emperor sighed. "King Dazhou!" …… The Demon Realm. The Demon Emperor said impassively, "It appears King Dazhou has consented. The so-called discord and infighting in the Human Realm have always been quietly managed and even orchestrated from behind the scenes! All to lower the vigilance of the myriad races!" "King Dazhou, Zhou Tianqi—equaling the heavens. Does he truly intend to rival the heavens themselves?" The Demon Emperor smiled faintly. "It seems that the so-called peace faction of the Human Realm... is entirely within his grasp! Which of the human Eternals advocate peace, or even surrender—King Daqin might not know, but he certainly does!" "To pacify the human race, we must first kill King Dazhou, and then King Daqin. Otherwise... the human race will never be subdued!" Beside him, an elderly demon king said in a low voice, "Emperor, now that Su Yu has reached the peak and become master of the Human Realm..." "Master of the Human Realm?" The Demon Emperor shook his head and laughed. "No, Su Yu is merely a figurehead for now; he cannot control a single Eternal! King Dazhou and King Daqin set up Su Yu as a banner solely as a precaution against worst-case scenarios, preventing the Human Realm from falling into leaderless chaos should they fall! And what Su Yu truly seeks is not the status or position of master of the Human Realm; what he wants is a righteous excuse to eliminate anyone who opposes him! An open, legitimate pretext!" "Thus, both sides hit it off immediately!" "The various experts of the Human Realm are merely pawns in their game, fish in their net!" "These individuals conducted an exchange. Having completed this transaction, even if Su Yu dies, it will not disrupt the Human Realm's grand situation. By the same token, if King Dazhou and King Daqin perish, it will not disrupt the situation among the ancient cities!" The so-called alliance was built entirely upon the foundation of these three individuals. Unless all three were killed, the death of anyone else would not affect the other side. The Demon Emperor said no more on this subject, asking instead, "Has any news come from the dead spirit realm?" "We have made contact with Yanmo for now... Yanmo reported that last time, Hetu, Xingyue, and several other dead spirit monarchs reached out to various parties to attend a banquet... Only he, having retreated to nurse his wounds, did not attend and was not invited! Afterward, it was said that Marquis Qishan did arrive, but the one who repelled Marquis Qishan was not any of the other monarchs, but a newly arrived dead spirit monarch. Word has it that this newcomer consumed some sort of treasure, instantly gaining formidable strength, and held off Marquis Qishan at the Dead Spirit Heavenly River. Following that, Su Yu and his cadre slew King Zhi..." "I see!" The Demon Emperor nodded slightly. "I knew Marquis Lanshan would likely have neither the opportunity nor the desire to intervene. Marquis Lanshan holds little authority in the Eastern King's estate and has long been suppressed. Opposing Marquis Qishan would only invite further subjugation... In other words, this newcomer is exceptionally powerful!" "That appears to be the case." "Is their identity in life known?" "It hasn't been uncovered yet, but they are said to have a close connection to Hetu, and were initially recruited by Hetu himself." "Hetu?" The Demon Emperor fell into deep thought. "Could it be an expert from the First Tide? In theory, experts of the First Tide should be awakening around now! Moreover, if they truly hail from the First Tide and possess such might right upon awakening, they could not have been weak in life! How could someone so powerful have ended up in the Spirit Suppressing Domain?" The old demon king asked gravely, "What does the Emperor imply?" "They might not be from the First Tide, or their identity is somewhat unique... There is a high probability they were a human expert." With that, the Demon Emperor smiled. "Never mind, forget about that for now! Instruct Yanmo to keep a close eye on the dead spirit realm and report back immediately if anything happens." The old demon king said in a heavy voice, "The sacred cities are currently dominated by Su Yu, especially Yunxiao Ancient City! Yanmo is severely suppressed right now, making communication very difficult. Yanmo's request is for the Demon race to open a dead spirit channel..." The Demon Emperor replied indifferently, "How could it be that simple? Besides, even if we opened one, it would be difficult to control right now. The ancient rules remain in effect. If we open one and the dead spirits spread out of control... we would only end up destroying ourselves!" The rules were merciless! Could a dead spirit channel be opened? Apart from the thirty-six legitimate passages, it was indeed possible to open one covertly, provided there was enough death qi. Which expert among the myriad races hadn't collected a bit of death qi? However... what happened after opening it? Once opened, could you guarantee one hundred percent that you could close it? If you failed to close it... and the dead spirits ran amok, it was over—the ancient rules would inevitably strike you down! Even if the rules didn't find you, the thirty-six city guardians would, because you had broken the rules! Hearing this, the old demon king said no more. The Demon Emperor smiled and said, "Very well, let us refrain from rash actions for now. Let us see if the Eastern King's estate makes any moves, and see how the Immortal race arranges things. The Immortal race has laid plans in the dead spirit realm for countless years; Marquis Qishan is merely one piece. Tiangu can still contact certain figures, and even shares some acquaintance with the Eastern Heavenly King. Whenever Su Yu opens a dead spirit channel, it almost always falls within the Eastern King's territory. So long as the location is carefully calculated, if Su Yu dares enter the dead spirit realm, it will be a road to certain death!" They would wait quietly for the Immortal race's arrangements! The old demon king nodded. "Still, Su Yu's progress is remarkably fast..." "So long as he has not reached the Dao Integration Realm, he is not worth worrying about!" The Demon Emperor said placidly, "He is a genius, but no matter how gifted, he still requires time; he still needs to break through realms! No matter how formidable his brute force may be, compared to a Dao Integration expert, he falls far too short!" The old demon king nodded once more and asked, "Emperor, do we truly leave the human race alone for the time being?" "We will intervene!" The Demon Emperor smiled. "Of course we will, but not right now! There is no hurry; an opportunity will present itself very soon!" "An opportunity?" The Demon Emperor said calmly, "Let us wait for now—wait for Marquis Jiantian! That man has roamed carefree for a hundred thousand years, but he is about to face trouble! In these hundred thousand years, Su Yu is the one who most resembles King Wen; he might even possess parts of King Wen's true heritage, and his luck is defying the heavens! According to the ancient records, Marquis Jiantian might be inextricably linked to the Dao of Fortune. The stronger Su Yu becomes and the greater his fortune, the deeper it stabs into Marquis Jiantian's heart! He will not wait for long; he will definitely seek an opportunity to strike at Su Yu! Once he attacks Su Yu... we can seize the chance to strike at the human race!" The old demon king could not help smiling. "Emperor, is he truly that wary of Su Yu? In terms of strength, Marquis Jiantian is likely on the verge of taking that final step..." "You do not understand!" The Demon Emperor smiled. "Throughout endless ages, Marquis Jiantian has feared almost no one—save for one single person: King Wen! King Wen tasked him with guarding the Heaven Monitoring Pavilion, yet he stole from his own post and absconded with the Heaven Hunting Ranking! You must understand, across these countless years, he has faced crises as well, yet he avoided them all with heaven-defying fortune! But now, he has encountered an inheritor of King Wen, someone who likewise possesses miraculous luck... If King Wen left behind any contingencies, who will die if not him?" Based on this, Marquis Jiantian would inevitably strike at Su Yu. He would never pin his hopes on Su Yu sparing him. No formidable expert would ever entrust their future and their life to a young fledgling, praying that the youth would show mercy and let past matters slide. Marquis Jiantian would not dare take such a gamble! The old demon king nodded slightly, finally grasping the Demon Emperor's intent. For now, there was no rush. Su Yu was a tough nut to crack; they would leave him to the equally troublesome Marquis Jiantian. All they needed to do was strike at the human race once disaster befell Su Yu. …… Every race was conferring and debating. They discussed Su Yu becoming the master of the human race; even if it was merely nominal, it warranted serious attention. At the same exact time. The Tianyuan race. The Tianyuan Half-Emperor sat inside a grand hall. The hall was pitch-black; indeed, the entire Tianyuan Realm was steeped in darkness, an eternal gloom hanging over the realm year-round. He had just sent away the Master of the Southern Tower. Marquis Jiantian wanted to trade for the character 'Tu'? Dream on. The Tianyuan Half-Emperor caressed the fragment in his hand, upon which the character 'Tu' was carved. Looking closely at the fragment, countless silhouettes and diagrams seemed to emerge, depicting the powerhouses and prodigies of various races. The Tianyuan Half-Emperor fiddled with the item. After a while, a figure seemed to materialize upon the fragment, but it quickly dissolved into nothingness. The Tianyuan Half-Emperor's brow furrowed slightly. Leaving that phantom alone, he soon summoned another silhouette. Gradually, the projection condensed, vaguely resembling Xia Longwu. Frowning with hesitation, a droplet of pitch-black blood appeared at his fingertip, and he guided it toward the phantom. Pfft! A flash of saber light cleaved straight toward him. The Tianyuan Half-Emperor's droplet of blood was instantly slashed into drifting smoke. "Is his willpower so potent?" The Tianyuan Half-Emperor murmured, feeling a touch of regret. He sighed softly. "Pity, it cannot manifest Su Yu's image..." After a moment's thought, he cast the matter aside and called out, "Someone come!" Soon, a figure stepped inside, completely draped in darkness and clad in a black robe. A chilling voice sounded: "Emperor." "Has the dead spirit channel been opened yet?" "Not yet." The Tianyuan Half-Emperor pondered for a moment before saying, "Lure a group of monarchs over. That Master of the Southern Tower arrived on behalf of Marquis Jiantian, seeking to trade for the Heaven Hunting Ranking fragment in my possession... I worry that having failed to trade for it, he may harbor other designs." "Emperor, even if Marquis Jiantian were to come in person, entering the Tianyuan Realm would only lead to his demise at Your Majesty's hands!" The Tianyuan Half-Emperor nodded slightly. That was true; within this place, there was the suppressing power of the realm itself. Marquis Jiantian did not possess the ability to shatter the Tianyuan Realm. He was merely feeling uneasy—a faint, lingering foreboding. After thinking it over, he said, "Still, make early preparations just in case!" "Understood!" The figure quickly retreated. Once the dark silhouette was gone, the Tianyuan Half-Emperor murmured, "I have no fear of Marquis Jiantian... What I fear is the human race... The human race moves unimpeded!" At this thought, he hesitated briefly before retrieving an object—a black orb. Looking at the fragment in his hand, he tossed the black orb into it. Soon, a wisp of dark smoke drifted up. A moment later, an illusory silhouette appeared, taking the shape of a person whose expression was ethereal and numb. The Tianyuan Half-Emperor glanced at the phantom and smiled. "You are still around. Does that mean your master has not yet died? As expected, Fenhai was not that person. I knew a fool like Fenhai couldn't possibly be him!" The phantom trembled slightly, its eyes regaining a glimmer of clarity. After a long silence, it spoke with difficulty: "If you have business... speak quickly... there is no time to waste..." "Inform your master that I need to know the human race's recent movements, especially the whereabouts of King Daqin, King Dazhou, King Daxia, and King Daming!" "Master... has no obligation to heed you!" The Tianyuan Half-Emperor said in a sinister tone, "Your master may have forgotten that you are still under my control! Since I can locate you, sooner or later, I will track him down." The phantom sneered. "I am merely a dog kept by my master... liable to self-detonate and die at any moment. Even if you find me, what use is it?" The Tianyuan Half-Emperor fell silent for a moment before speaking: "Have him investigate for me, and I shall provide a fitting reward. I can take action once on his behalf to kill someone. A promise from a Dao Integration expert is still valuable! In the past, when he wished to kill Ye Batian, did I not assist him as well?" The phantom fell silent for a time, then replied shortly, "I will pass word to the master!" "That would be best!" Soon, the phantom dispersed. The Tianyuan Half-Emperor lightly tapped his armrest. Why... did he feel a faint trace of unease? In this world, so long as I do not step outside my realm, who could kill me? No one can! Whether it be Hongmeng or Tiangu, both would be suppressed upon entering the Tianyuan Realm, and I could utterly crush them! "Could it be Marquis Jiantian?" The Tianyuan Half-Emperor mused. With the character 'Tu' exposed, perhaps the other party truly was tempted. Unfortunately, he would never surrender this treasure. In fact, he even entertained thoughts of claiming the entire Heaven Hunting Ranking for himself! Pity, Marquis Jiantian was simply too strong! …… Meanwhile, Su Yu was sitting and waiting for the grand array to take shape. If it wasn't finished soon, it would be too late. King Dazhou had said they would leave tomorrow. Once they departed this time, King Jintian might very well be eliminated. If he was eliminated, who would help forge the formation? As for King Jintian or King Mican playing tricks... Su Yu was not worried in the slightest. King Daming was the one presiding over the formation; more importantly, getting caught playing petty tricks would be sheer self-destruction. A true traitor would never do something so reckless. Besides, King Dazhou and King Daxia were standing right by, watching. The sky gradually darkened. Come daybreak tomorrow, Su Yu would depart for Nanyuan. King Dazhou and the others were set to leave, intending to use fake divine characters to create clones and have Su Yu cover for them. He wondered whether these fake divine characters were reliable or not. Furthermore, King Dazhou intended to take only Xia Longwu, King Jintian, and King Mican with him. Wouldn't King Jintian suspect something if he was singled out? And on the All-Realms Battlefield, how was King Dazhou going to transport so many people? Would they need the city guardians to cover for them? Teleporting to the Tianyuan Realm involved an immense distance, reaching even near the Divine Realm. If the assault failed and word leaked, it would be catastrophic; they could easily be encircled and trapped within the Tianyuan Realm. As Su Yu was lost in thought, an expert suddenly arrived from the distance—a Sun-Moon Realm cultivator. Seeing so many supreme experts gathered in the area, the Sun-Moon expert appeared somewhat apprehensive. He bowed slightly to the Invincibles. King Jintian, who was still forging the array, furrowed his brows slightly and asked, "Lao Qi, what is it?" "My lord, the Second Young Master and the Ninth Young Master came into conflict over minor matters during their cultivation. The two came to blows and are locked in a fierce fight. This old slave was unable to stop them, my lord..." "Nonsense!" King Jintian frowned slightly. "Understood. Return and suppress them! Tell them it is my order: if they dare cause more trouble, both will be punished!" "Understood!" The Sun-Moon expert swiftly withdrew. Beside Su Yu, King Dazhou had arrived at some point, chuckling softly. "You don't recognize him? A servant King Jintian took in many years ago. The Second Young Master and the Ninth Young Master... refer to King Jintian's disciples. Both are exceptionally talented, but neither will yield to the other, so they bicker and fight often. We all know a bit about it." Su Yu smiled and nodded. "His strength isn't bad—seventh level of the Sun-Moon Realm." "Indeed. In the past, he was also a prodigy listed on the Heaven Hunting Ranking. Regrettably, he was injured later on, and King Jintian saved him. He voluntarily became a servant, handling miscellaneous affairs for King Jintian over the years." Su Yu nodded again. Over there, King Jintian paid no further mind to the matter and resumed helping to forge the formation. Su Yu let out a yawn and said with a smile, "Now that Your Majesty mentions it, it reminds me: all of Your Majesties possess deathsworn guards or personal servants. Those at or above the Shanhai Realm must also be registered!" King Dazhou smiled. "Are even those necessary?" "Of course!" Su Yu gave a chuckle, glancing toward the recently departed Lao Qi, and remarked, "That fellow has one foot in the grave. I'd say he's even tainted with a bit of death qi. Advanced in age and carrying old injuries from the past—what a pity!" "Death qi?" King Dazhou glanced at him, looking thoughtful. Su Yu wore an entirely nonchalant expression: I am the grand ancestor of death qi! Who could hide it from me? Between the realms of life and death, the dead spirits were accustomed to death qi and likely couldn't detect subtle traces, but Su Yu, straddling life and death equally, was exceptionally sensitive to it. King Dazhou nodded slightly. "He has indeed grown old!" Su Yu smiled faintly. It was enough that King Dazhou understood. That servant suddenly seeking out King Jintian might carry some hidden issue, but Su Yu couldn't be bothered to pry. With King Dazhou present, he felt reasonably at ease. As for their conversation, nothing seemed amiss on the surface. But the crucial point was: was such a trivial matter worth making a trip for? The Second Young Master, the Ninth Young Master... just two students. For a minor squabble and brawl, shouldn't a seventh-level Sun-Moon expert be able to suppress them with a wave of his hand? Of course, perhaps this old servant simply didn't dare to overstep. Su Yu couldn't be bothered to pursue it; it had nothing to do with him. King Dazhou did not pursue the topic either, asking instead, "Have you thought of a name for the Sacred Ground for tomorrow?" Su Yu smiled. "I've thought of it: Yuhuang Mansion! To honor Human Sovereign Xingyu!" "..." Are you serious? At that moment, King Dazhou froze. Over there, King Daxia and the others all turned their heads, every one of them struck dumb. Are you out of your mind? Su Yu maintained an indifferent expression. "As the Sacred Ground of the human race, we naturally must honor the ancient Human Sovereign! The Star Residence Mansion is right there; I suspect that might be his Dao title, or perhaps his name. It doesn't matter either way. To avoid conflicting with the Star Residence Mansion, let us simply call it Yuhuang Mansion!" "..." Do you have any shame at all? The crowd was dumbfounded. You truly have no face whatsoever! Whether you're actually honoring the Human Sovereign or not, do you really think we can't see through you? Damn it! Even King Dazhou could barely keep his composure. He coughed softly and said, "Isn't that a bit too high-profile?" After a beat, he added, "The title is too immense; it will shorten your lifespan!" Su Yu laughed. "Yuhuang—Sovereign Yu! The Sovereign of Star Residence, the Emperor of Humanity, a supreme existence who united the myriad heavens! Is he not worthy of commemoration? Or do you all believe we should simply forget the ancient glory?" The Invincibles felt a wave of sheer helplessness wash over them! Kid, your intentions are plain for the entire world to see. This is truly... taking shamelessness to the absolute pinnacle! Honoring Human Sovereign Xingyu, my foot! Who would believe that? Su Yu yawned and said with a smile, "Let's leave it at that. If you gentlemen find it unpleasing to the ear, we can call it Yuhuang Heaven instead. 'Heaven' might sound a bit grander than 'Mansion.' Whatever you prefer, it's not a big deal!" Is it the second word we care about? It's the 'Yuhuang' in front! King Daxia said in a hollow tone, "Why not call it Suhuang Mansion then?" Su Yu chuckled. "That would be too direct; I couldn't bear such weight. Yuhuang Mansion is better. It has nothing to do with me; it's all to commemorate the ancient Human Sovereign! If you don't mind, you may address me as Sacred Master Yuhuang in the future... If you find that too long, you can just drop 'Sacred Master'!" "..." The Invincibles were entirely rendered speechless. Not one of them uttered a word. When a person became completely shameless, what could anyone possibly do to him? Yuhuang—Sovereign Yu! This kid truly had no fear of shortening his lifespan! An Emperor... was that title so easily assumed? Was it so easily proclaimed? Nowadays, even those Dao Integration experts were referred to as Emperors, yet who among them truly dared consider themselves an Emperor in the ancient sense? In the Ninth Tide, King Baizhan had been immensely powerful, yet he had only dared call himself a King, never an Emperor! Su Yu was getting way ahead of himself! King Dazhou remained silent for a while before speaking: "Such ambition. The only fear is... what if the ancient era truly returns one day?" Su Yu narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Even if they do, it won't matter. Anyone who fusses over trivialities with their juniors isn't a good person. Anyone who isn't a good person isn't human. And anyone who isn't human... I'll beat them all to death!" Flawless logic! King Dazhou was thoroughly at a loss for words and clamped his mouth shut. Fine, have it your way!