Su Yu's Coronation, Attack on Tianyuan

Nanyuan. The City Lord's Manor. Inside the manor, the massive plaza was packed with distinguished guests, every single one of them a formidable powerhouse. Among them were envoys from the myriad races as well as elites from the major human prefectures. At that moment, powerful Invincible figures suddenly materialized in the void. King Daming and the others had arrived! Just as Su Yu was about to greet them, King Daxia shot him a frigid glance and transmitted, "Don't move!" "..." Su Yu was at a loss for words. Why the grim face? Could he have caught wind of what King Dazhou and the rest were up to, gotten upset, and thrown a temper? *I didn't even spill the beans about your title as the greatest handsome man, and you still dare glare at me!* Su Yu grumbled inwardly, but let it go. Giving him some leeway on the off chance that King Dazhou had toyed with his feelings, Su Yu decided not to argue with him. If he said not to move, then he wouldn't move. Su Yu glanced up toward King Dazhou and the others in the air. Sensation-wise, their auras showed no discrepancies; they appeared to be the genuine articles. In any case, Invincibles wouldn't go around proactively flaunting overpowering auras without cause, so that seemed normal enough. He watched them for another moment before looking away, pondering how best to stall for time. Just as he was thinking, King Daxia stepped forward, his presence eclipsing even King Dazhou's, and proclaimed in a ringing voice, "I, Xia Wushen of the human race, leading the kings of the prefectures, congratulate Su Yu, Master of the Human Sacred Ground! Today, on behalf of the thirty-eight prefectures of the Human Realm, Xia Wushen crowns our Sacred Master!" The Human Realm had thirty-eight prefectures in all. It was merely that the All-Heavens Prefecture and the Dual Sacred Prefectures were not residential realms. At that instant, King Daming waved his hand. A colossal throne abruptly materialized high in the void, with nine hundred and ninety-nine steps cascading down from it, symbolizing the enduring prosperity of mankind. In the next breath, King Daxia shouted, "Sacred Master, pray ascend the throne!" Su Yu was momentarily taken aback. Was this really so solemn? He had assumed they would just go through the motions and brush it aside. Looking up at the throne in the void, he slightly raised an eyebrow. It didn't look like a prop; rather, it seemed quite authentic, crafted well in advance. It certainly looked grand and luxurious! King Daxia and the others turned their eyes to Su Yu. Everyone present looked at him, and even the myriad races were surprised. Was humanity truly taking this seriously? Weren't they just establishing a figurehead title and calling it a day? King Daxia said nothing more. Gazing steadily at Su Yu, he called out once more, "Pray ascend the throne, Sacred Master!" Su Yu gave a faint smile. King Daxia was remarkably formal today. Ah well, ascend he would; sitting up higher wasn't bad either. Just as he took a step, Marquis Xia beside him produced a gleaming golden robe, instantly draping it over Su Yu and concealing his white attire. The golden robe radiated a faint golden glow, dazzling enough to deter onlookers from gazing directly upon it. Surprised, Su Yu wondered when they had prepared this. Sensing it briefly, he furrowed his brow; it was extraordinarily valuable, giving off the feel of a Heaven armament-grade robe. Where on earth had this thing come from? Harboring doubts, he was just about to fly up to the throne when Zhu Tiandao's voice reached his ears: "Walk up!" "..." Su Yu was speechless. This coronation was turning out to be quite the elaborate affair. He truly hadn't anticipated this. Originally, he had only intended to half-ass the process and drag things out for time. Then again... walking up nine hundred and ninety-nine steps would inevitably take a while, which indeed served the purpose of buying time. Without a word of protest, Su Yu stepped onto the very first stair. The moment his foot touched down, King Daxia's grand voice resounded across the void, echoing throughout all of Nanyuan and across the entire Great Xia Prefecture. "In the 352nd year of the Anping Calendar, the thirty-eight prefectures of the human race establish the Sacred Ground of Emperor Yu Manor!" The thunderous voice rolled outward in waves, shaking heaven and earth. "The Sacred Ground opens, and the Sacred Sovereign emerges!" King Daxia's voice grew even more monumental! With that declaration of "the Sacred Sovereign emerges," the void trembled, and reverberations rippled outward again and again, rocking the firmament. The sound carried beyond Nanyuan, surged past Great Xia Prefecture, and penetrated into Great Ming Prefecture, Dashang Prefecture... "From antiquity to the present, the human race has weathered countless tribulations and nine tidal shifts, warring across the heavens and battling the myriad races... In this tenth tide, the Human Realm wanes while the myriad races covet our demise; the peril of extinction is right before our eyes!" "Our generation must rise and fight, open a Sacred Ground anew, appoint a common sovereign for humanity, and lead our people to do battle across the heavens once more!" "..." As King Daxia's voice grew louder and more imposing, Su Yu almost wanted to laugh. They were really putting on an act as if it were real! Even if he were to lead humanity to war across the heavens, they would actually have to listen to him first! "In times of great peril, sages arise! In Great Xia Prefecture, within Nanyuan City, a sage has emerged from the Su clan, endowed with the spirit of heaven and earth, descending into the mortal world by the name of Yu..." Su Yu's face flushed slightly. His skin was actually rather thin. Such extravagant praise! He had become a sage just like that? Wild thoughts raced through his mind, and he wanted to chuckle. King Daxia was so deadpan. Was the guy deliberately dragging out the clock? Good job! It was Su Yu's first time realizing King Daxia possessed such a silver tongue, far more eloquent than expected. During their journey back together last time, the man had hardly uttered more than a few words. Meanwhile, King Daxia's voice resonated through the entire void, echoing endlessly. Beside him, King Daming wore an equally solemn expression. It wasn't just King Daming; Liu Wushen, Qin Zhen, Zhou Potian, King Tianzhu... even King Dayuan, despite his complicated look, were all listening intently. It was treated with immense solemnity. King Daxia continued to declaim, his voice climbing steadily until it rattled the mountains and rivers, as though the entire Human Realm were vibrating along with it. Step by step, Su Yu climbed the stairs in cadence with King Daxia's rhythm. He calculated in his head that at this pace, he might not reach the top until noon. That worked out nicely! King Daxia and the others were truly masters at stalling for time. He wondered if King Dazhou and his strike team had set out yet. "Today, the human race unanimously elevates Su Yu as the Sacred Master Emperor Yu!" "All thirty-eight prefectures wager the providence and future of their lands to unite in this grand cause, to battle across the heavens anew, to restore the ancient glory, uniting the hearts of all prefectures into one under the witness of the heavens..." King Daxia's voice grew even louder, reverberating with tremendous power! "Today, we forge the Sacred Master token for Sacred Master Emperor Yu, entrusting the providence and future of our human race to him. May the Sacred Master... cherish this trust!" That final phrase was delivered with heartfelt sincerity. Su Yu frowned slightly. At this moment, he began to feel that something was off. Right then, a massive formation manifested in the void. King Daming called out, "Heads of the prefectures, present your prefectural seals!" Below, the governors of the various prefectures displayed varied expressions—some resigned, some sighing, some solemn. A moment later, thirty-six governors produced their golden seals. Now, the golden seals floated in midair, seemingly coming to life. Upon each seal, an ethereal phantom of an Invincible emerged. Those were the imprints left behind when the seals were forged during the founding of the prefectures. Thirty-six large seals! Shortly after, on the side of the All-Heavens Prefecture, Wu Ji brought out a pitch-black seal brimming with murderous intent and spoke in a deep voice, "On behalf of the garrison army of the All-Heavens Prefecture, I use the All-Heavens Campaign Seal to initiate the slaughterous path of the Sacred Ground!" The black seal hung suspended in the air, erupting with terrifying malevolent baleful energy! Countless phantoms manifested upon it like disciplined military formations, as though legions of soldiers were deployed across the battlefield, roaring toward the heavens with deafening battle cries. ... In the plaza, none of the guests could remain seated. Foutuling and his peers stood up one after another. In the void, golden light and black baleful aura blanketed the sky, melding seamlessly without conflict. Foutuling knitted his brows, Moduona looked solemn, and Zhan Wushuang's expression turned exceedingly strange. What on earth was humanity doing? On the stairs, Su Yu continued to climb at a sluggish pace. He was equally bewildered. Was it truly necessary to make such a fuss over forging a Sacred Master token? He had originally intended to forge the weapon himself, but... this didn't seem to be the plan at all. No one had told him about this! Up in the void, King Daxia took a deep breath, snapped his gaze toward Su Yu, and transmitted, "Drip your blood! Condense a drop of essence blood!" Su Yu frowned slightly. King Daxia barked in a voice transmission, "Hurry up!" *Why so fierce?* Su Yu was still somewhat bewildered. King Daxia had been rather amiable before, but right now he was outright harsh. He faintly sensed that something wasn't right! Yet, where exactly was the problem? Puzzled and hesitant, Su Yu gritted his teeth and quickly condensed a drop of essence blood. As the essence blood emerged, his aura dipped slightly, though not severely; a single drop would not damage his foundation. The drop of blood shot forth, suspending itself in midair. King Daxia's face brightened at the sight, and he bellowed, "The Great Xia Prefecture imbues the providence of Great Xia, wishing the Sacred Ground endless prosperity, wishing the human race endless prosperity, and wishing humanity across the heavens boundless flourish!" Su Yu's drop of blood came to rest amid the thirty-odd seals, settling directly above the black military talisman. At that moment, a brilliant golden light burst from the seal belonging to the Great Xia Prefecture, illuminating heaven and earth until the entire world seemed painted in gold! Suddenly, the topography of the Great Xia Prefecture materialized in the void, as if shrunk ten million times and projected from the seal! The mountains, rivers, and earth trembled faintly. Su Yu thought it was an illusion... but it wasn't! Nanyuan was genuinely trembling! A genuine tremor! In the plaza, some of the elderly figures stirred. Elders who had lived through the founding era wore complicated expressions, their faces marked by profound emotion. The spectacle of the founding era! Back then, endless warfare raged and everything lay in ruins. The thirty-six founding lords had carved out the great prefectures, sheltering the living, warring against the heavens, repelling mighty foes, and ultimately establishing the thirty-six prefectures seen today! Now, as the map of Great Xia Prefecture materialized, wisps of golden aura seemed to rise from its mountains and rivers, abruptly coalescing into Su Yu's blood. Gradually, Su Yu's blood began to shift in shape. Slowly, a small golden seal took form, hovering in the air and continuously absorbing the golden aura pouring in from all sides. Su Yu's expression changed. What was this? He didn't fully comprehend it, but he knew it was immensely important! Below, the myriad race experts exchanged baffled glances. Finally, an ancient Sun Moon powerhouse murmured, "Wasn't humanity just lending him a title? Why... why are they genuinely fusing human providence to forge a Sacred Master token for him?" At those words, the faces of several myriad race powerhouses changed dramatically! Human providence! In the next instant, voice transmissions flew back and forth in all directions as experts communicated their shock. ... Over by the Five Elements race. The Sun Moon elder beside Foutuling turned pale and transmitted, "They are fusing the providence of humanity! In the past, the lords of the thirty-six prefectures inherited the legacy of humanity, attained the Dao to become Invincibles, established their prefectures, and sheltered the people! Afterward, heaven and earth bestowed rewards, rule rewards... All thirty-six lords relinquished those rewards, fusing them into their prefectural seals to govern a portion of the land, protect their people, and tie their fates to providence! These lords are intrinsically connected to the people of their prefectures; the stronger their prefecture, the stronger the founding lord!" "Great Qin, Great Zhou, Great Xia, Great Ming... these prefectures are mighty, and their founding lords are exceptionally powerful, protected by heaven and earth! Rashly slaying one would invite a rule backlash!" Foutuling listened quietly before transmitting back, "Elder, are you saying that these lords are now linking their prefectures' providence to this newly forged Sacred Master token, so that from now on, the token will be inextricably bound to the fate of the human race?" "Precisely!" The elder nodded gravely and transmitted, "In this way, the Sacred Master token is no longer an empty shell! If it is shattered, it could even impact the providence of the entire human race. Though providence is merely one of the myriad Daos of the heavens, it truly exists!" "Once the prefectures integrate their providence to encompass the entire Human Realm, Su Yu's Sacred Master token will be a genuine Sacred Master token!" Foutuling drew a sharp breath. Weren't they supposed to casually establish a Sacred Ground just to tether Su Yu to the Human Realm? Why... why fuse their prefectural providence? He had thought King Daxia's chanting earlier was just empty rhetoric, never expecting them to follow through for real! ... By now, Su Yu's blood had fully solidified into a small seal. In the next instant, King Daming declared loudly, "The Great Ming Prefecture imbues the providence of Great Ming, fusing it into the Sacred Master token, wishing the Sacred Master longevity, wishing the Human Realm permanence, wishing the human race prosperity, and wishing peace to heaven and earth!" *Boom!* With a thunderous roar, the Great Ming Seal below erupted with dazzling light. Golden aura poured forth! The topographical map of the entire Great Ming Prefecture surfaced instantly. Below, Zhu Tiandao held the seal, his face a mixture of smiles, lamentation, and boundless emotion as he watched the map of Great Ming gradually etch itself onto the small seal, where the map of Great Xia was already visible. ... Not far away. Yun Chen was watching quietly alongside the group from Liu City. Bai Feng was present as well, but he couldn't make sense of it. After watching for a while, he asked, "Grandmaster Yun, what is this?" "Presenting topographical maps signifies the collective veneration of the Human Realm and the submission of the prefectures! Fusing their providence means that henceforth, the Sacred Ground is tied to the Human Realm in life and death... If you survive, we survive; if you perish... we perish!" Bai Feng was utterly shocked. "But..." Wasn't this just a nominal title? Why had it come to this? Yun Chen sighed and transmitted, "Su Yu brought this on himself; he stepped into his own trap! He was the one who demanded that every prefecture present their maps. He didn't understand the weight of his words, thinking it was just a casual request, but the prefectures took it seriously... And since they took it seriously, they decided to establish a true Sacred Ground! Su Yu thought it was a joke, but the experts of the prefectures are not playing around. Otherwise, establishing a Sacred Ground wouldn't require such fanfare..." "Back when the previous sacred grounds were founded, three to five Eternals simply gathered, discussed it, and agreed to form one... thus creating the War God Hall and the Quest Realm. Today is different; today, all thirty-eight prefectures are unanimously endorsing him!" Yun Chen paused, then transmitted, "Su Yu got played!" "Then we have to stop it—" Before Bai Feng could finish, Liu Wenyan held him back and said softly, "Does he consider himself part of the human race?" Bai Feng froze. Liu Wenyan continued, "If humanity faces a crisis, can he truly stand by and do nothing?" Bai Feng shook his head. "Do you think that by this point, he... doesn't realize it himself?" Bai Feng suddenly looked toward Su Yu. Did Su Yu... really know? ... At this moment, Su Yu was indeed beginning to understand. *I... fuck, I was swindled!* These people were playing for keeps! What did this mean? Even if he hadn't fully grasped it, someone had already spelled it out for him. Inside his sea of consciousness, the mother ball hopped atop the civilization chronicle, drooling slightly. "Human providence! Ah, I want to take a bite!" "Ah, human providence has become so thin!" "Back during the Human Sovereign's sacred ceremonies, providence was like an soaring dragon that shook the heavens... Now there's only this tiny bit left!" The mother ball sighed with feeling. "The human race... really seems to have only this one chance left. If they lose this time, there might... truly be no more human race in the heavens!" The tenth time! Perhaps it was also the final time. If they lost again, humanity would be no more! After this, the myriad races would extinguish the human race. The glorious legacy of ancient humanity, sustained for a hundred thousand years, had run dry. It was reaching its end. They would either perish in this war or rise once more to look down upon the world! "Could it be... the All-Heavens Battlefield won't be sealed this time?" the mother ball guessed. "Ah, then it's definitely a fight to the death!" In the past, when the war reached its final stage, the All-Heavens Battlefield would be locked, sending everyone back to their homes to recuperate. This time... it seemed the battlefield would not seal itself again! Su Yu was shaken, but he kept silent. Indeed, this truly was the final round. He furrowed his brow, but soon relaxed it. Was he human? Yes! If the myriad races defeated humanity, would they spare him? Never! In that case... he might as well seize the initiative! Su Yu remained quiet, watching silently. Meanwhile, King Daming and King Daxia fused their prefectures' providence into the small seal. Su Yu felt a faint daze, as though he could see the Human Realm, see the existence of those two great prefectures, and see billions of living beings! He even saw ordinary citizens prostrating themselves and bowing in worship. A pilgrimage! A moment later, King Dazhou's voice rang out as well, booming and reverberating in all directions. "The Great Zhou Prefecture imbues the providence of Great Zhou, fusing it into the Sacred Master token!" Below, the golden seal of the Great Zhou Prefecture flared with a potent golden aura. The topographical map of Great Zhou Prefecture manifested in the void. "The Great Qin Prefecture imbues the providence of Great Qin!" Qin Zhen shouted at the top of his lungs! After a brief silence, Su Yu resumed his steps, climbing upward one stair at a time. It turned out that the Sacred Master token he had spoken of was entirely different from what they had in mind. He had planned to craft it himself, but as it turned out, that wasn't necessary. The Human Realm was using its own method to forge a Sacred Master token that belonged to him and to the Sacred Ground. Powerhouses from each prefecture spoke out in turn. If the founding lord was absent, the current governor's voice rang out instead, shaking the four directions. Even King Dayuan, with a complicated look in his eyes, merged the providence of Dayuan Prefecture into the Sacred Master token. The small golden seal grew increasingly dazzling! Upon it, the terrains of the great prefectures were rapidly merging and becoming one. Su Yu had assumed this coronation was a perfunctory ceremony, but these human experts were treating it with utmost gravity! ... On the All-Heavens Battlefield. Inside the great hall. King Daqin sat high upon his seat. Behind him, the Human Realm erupted with burst after burst of golden light, shaking the entire realm. King Daqin wore a cold, stoic expression as the gathered Invincibles watched in silence. After a long time, someone gave a bitter smile. "I hope... he proves worthy of our trust!" King Daqin remained completely calm and silent. A moment later, the void inside the hall rippled. Several figures emerged. King Dazhou materialized instantly. Wasting no words, he brought forth a massive divine character and said flatly, "Get on!" The crowd exchanged glances, then quickly turned to King Daqin. King Daqin was the first to step onto it, remarking indifferently, "Having not waged war for so long, everyone has grown rusty! The myriad races have never given up their desire to destroy humanity. Today, we collectively venerate Su Yu as the Master of the Sacred Ground and fuse our providence into it! If Su Yu dies, humanity perishes! Slaying the myriad races is for Su Yu, and for humanity! Gentlemen, do you still dare fight?" Among the crowd, some were thrilled, some were solemn, and others remained composed. A moment later, expert after expert stepped onto the divine character. Someone chuckled softly. "After so many years of silence, life-and-death battles have practically vanished. These old bones are stiff, but if King Daqin can still fight... then in this life, I shall follow King Daqin to wage war across the heavens once more!" "If King Daqin takes the field, how dare we refuse?" "..." Invincible after Invincible stepped onto the divine character. The founding Invincibles wore smiles on their faces. What a distant feeling this was! Over four hundred years ago, just like today, they had followed King Daqin and King Dazhou to oppose the heavens, battling gods and demons, slaying dragons and phoenixes, and throwing the heavens into turmoil. Before the founding of the prefectures, there had been far more Invincibles than this. Many had died! Later, thirty-six survived to establish the thirty-six prefectures. Even later, several more perished in battle, and fewer and fewer of the original thirty-six founding kings remained. Today, most of the survivors were gathered here. King Daqin was momentarily lost in thought before finally speaking: "It has been a long time since we gathered like this! After the prefectures were founded, the fighting ceased. The Immortals, Demons, Gods, and Dragons sowed discord, and our prefectures grew isolated from one another. Some of us wished to fight, while others did not... I once thought that in this lifetime, I would never have another chance to lead you brothers to battle across the heavens... I never expected this day would still come!" King Daqin glanced back toward the Human Realm and smiled. "Su Yu took the bait! If we fall in battle... with him around, humanity's strength will not suffer too great a loss! If we do not eliminate our enemies now, we will have no chance later! Today, as Su Yu becomes Sacred Master, we shall slaughter a realm to congratulate him!" He looked at the crowd and asked in a low voice, "Can we win?" "Victory is certain!" Blood boiled within them, just like in the old days. Four hundred years ago, it had been the exact same. King Dazhou smiled. "Extinguish a realm, fight to the death, and do not rest until we die! Unless a realm is eradicated, we will not retreat!" "Extinguish a realm, fight to the death!" the group echoed in low shouts! King Dazhou grinned, his eyes gleaming as he looked back. "Wait! Wait until the providence of the prefectures merges into one, shaking the Human Realm and disturbing the heavens. Then, we teleport and kill the enemy!" "Kill the enemy!" They responded once more, their auras gradually boiling. ... Across from the Eastern Rift Valley, Tianmie looked toward the Human Realm, frowning slightly. Soon, Tianmie transmitted, "Something seems off with the Human Realm. And the other side seems unusual too. King Daqin and the others have been gathered in the hall for a long time. Their auras are still there, but... there's a boiling murderous intent!" He had sensed a trace of it! At this moment, the thirty-five ancient cities surrounded the area, creating turbulent auras, yet he still caught wind of the disturbance across the way. It wasn't just him; the other Invincibles were gradually picking up on it as well. The main cause was the upheaval within the Human Realm! Above the realm's barrier, the vague outline of a massive seal seemed to manifest, its presence rippling through the heavens. ... In the Immortal Realm. A figure slowly materialized in the void. Tiangu! He gazed toward the Human Realm from afar, taking in the sight of that immense seal. After watching for a while, he said softly, "It seems... I underestimated humanity!" Humanity was actually linking their providence directly to Su Yu. Were they mad? Su Yu was marked for death! The myriad races were determined to kill him! Humanity possessed such audacity, such daring resolve! At that moment, not only him, but projections of Dao Merge realm experts manifested across various realms, turning their gazes toward the Human Realm and the colossal seal reflecting light across the cosmos. Golden brilliance blazed! "Will a new Human King be born in this tide?" "Even King Baizhan was defeated. Can Su Yu... win?" "In the ninth tide, King Baizhan swept across the heavens, only to end in crushing defeat, squandering humanity's accumulated foundation for nothing... Can Su Yu defy the heavens in this tide?" "..." Ancient beings seemed to exchange thoughts, or perhaps they were merely murmuring to themselves. ... At that moment, Su Yu continued his ascent. In the void, the small golden seal grew more dazzling by the second! It shone so brightly that it seemed visible across the myriad realms, and alongside it, Su Yu's silhouette. He was drawing closer and closer to the throne! Just then, as the fusion continued, an enraged shout erupted: "Our Daliao Prefecture refuses to consent!" Su Yu didn't even turn his head. In that exact instant, King Daxia's blade light illuminated the heavens! *Buzz!* A slash descended, and with a sickening crunch, a head rolled and a fragmented sun shattered! King Daxia said coldly, "Let the new governor of Daliao Prefecture succeed the position. Continue!" Among the contingent from Daliao Prefecture, people trembled in terror. After a moment, a young man stepped forward, grief-stricken, and gritted his teeth. "Daliao Prefecture does not consent—" *Splatter!* Blood sprayed three feet high! Swinging his blade, King Daxia shouted, "Let the next governor succeed!" Total silence fell over the surroundings. He had slain two descendants of Invincibles in succession, including a direct son of an Invincible, yet no one dared utter a peep. In the crowd, many turned deathly pale. A ninth-stage Sun Moon, slain on the spot; the direct son of an Invincible had died with less dignity than an ant. After another moment, another person emerged from Daliao Prefecture and sighed. "Daliao Prefecture imbues the providence of Daliao, fusing it into the Sacred Master token!" They had submitted! From beginning to end, Su Yu never looked back, nor did he pay any mind. Blade in hand, King Daxia turned his gaze toward the Dachu Prefecture. The governor of Dachu blanched. *Why are you looking at me?* In the next instant, he hastily shouted, "Dachu Prefecture imbues the providence of Dachu, fusing it into the Sacred Master token!" Silence reigned! Now, no one dared object or protest. With multiple Invincibles present and King Daxia cutting down a governor without anyone intervening, it was obvious that even if an Invincible protested right now, they would likely take a blade strike as well! A ninth-stage Sun Moon—a being with the potential to attain the Dao—had been executed, representing a heavy loss for humanity, yet not a single person voiced a reprimand. Over by Dashang Prefecture, Shang Tianjiao's face went white. It wasn't just her; the young men and women who had previously shown reluctance were now ashen, drained of every shred of defiance. A governor had just been butchered on the spot like nothing! If you disagree, you die. If the next person disagrees, they die too! They would keep killing until someone agreed! No one would praise you for your courage; they would only call you foolish! Thirty prefectures, thirty-one... The providence of each prefecture poured continuously into the golden seal. Golden patterns formed naturally upon it—one, two, three... In the blink of an eye, 108 golden patterns appeared on the small golden seal. It was surging toward the rank of a Heaven armament! *Boom!* A tremendous vibration rang out as the 109th golden pattern manifested—a Heaven armament! A naturally formed Heaven armament! The golden patterns continued to multiply! Su Yu had already passed the 900th step, continuing his climb. The golden light had completely enveloped Nanyuan and was spreading toward Great Xia Prefecture and Great Ming Prefecture. All things revitalized! The golden patterns gradually climbed to 120, and the engravings across the seal grew richer and more intricate! Su Yu pressed upward. The higher he climbed, the greater the pressure grew. He couldn't tell whether it was psychological or tangible. Right then, the providence of the final prefecture crashed into the golden seal with a tremendous roar! With an earth-shattering boom, golden light pierced heaven and earth, bridging sky and ground, its brilliance reflecting all the way onto the All-Heavens Battlefield. Above the entire Human Realm, an incomparably colossal golden pillar of light rose into the sky! The gazes of the myriad race powerhouses converged instantly! At that very moment, in the great hall, King Dazhou let out a soft chuckle. Divine characters scattered across the ground, and seizing the moment of cosmic upheaval, he instantly teleported everyone away. ... In the territory of the Space Ancient Beast race. Above their ancient realm. A gargantuan ancient beast suddenly cast its gaze in a certain direction, its eyes flickering. Beside it stood an elderly man and a young woman. As the old man looked toward the behemoth, the beast's eyes flickered, and it said in a deep voice, "A great war... is coming!" "Ancestor, is the war among the myriad races about to erupt?" The old man was shaken. The behemoth replied calmly, "Yes, it is about to erupt! In this war, none of the myriad races in the heavens can escape... Kongkong, by saving this human and taking her in, I fear our Space Ancient Beast race... will also be unable to avoid this calamity!" "Ancestor, I..." "Say no more!" the behemoth murmured. "A hundred thousand years have passed since the fall of antiquity... It is time for a conclusion. Go, convey my orders to our kin: prepare for war!" "Prepare for war?" Kongkong was stunned. Was the Space Ancient Beast race truly going to join the fray? "Go!" "Understood!" Kongkong dared not say more, swiftly taking Huang Jiu away. Huang Jiu glanced back toward the Human Realm, only to see a beam of golden light illuminating the heavens and radiating across ten million li. Once Kongkong was gone, the behemoth looked toward that direction once more, a sigh echoing in its heart. Humanity... was taking the initiative to wage war! Indeed, rather than waiting passively, breaking the deadlock proactively might just present an opportunity! This generation of humans remained as domineering as ever—even with inferior strength, they remained utterly decisive. Was Kongkong saving this child a blessing or a curse for their race? The behemoth sank into contemplation, turning its gaze away. In this world, its race was the most proficient in the Space Dao. What might be hidden from others could never be hidden from it! ... At that moment. In the Human Realm. The golden light radiated across the entire realm, and King Daxia's booming voice resounded through heaven and earth. "Su Yu, are you willing to fight for the human race?" On the steps, Su Yu frowned and said in a heavy voice, "I fight only for those I deem worthy!" King Daxia's face remained frosty. Without dwelling on it, he called out again, "Are you willing to share life and death with the Human Realm?" Su Yu replied once more, "If the Human Realm treats me well, I will treat the Human Realm and the human race well! If you do not fail me, I will not fail you!" He answered from the bottom of his heart! If you treat me well, I will treat you well! If you betray me, I will abandon you! This clearly fell short of the standard expected of a Sacred Master or a sage. Yet King Daxia didn't care in the slightest, roaring once more, "If you become a sage, if you become a king, remember this: you are human. In life you are human, and in death you are human; in life and death, you belong to the human race! Whether you become an emperor or a sage, humanity is your identity, your root!" This time, Su Yu did not deny it. He was human to begin with; that was an immutable truth. "In life or death, I am human!" "Good!" King Daxia shouted in approval. Stepping forward, he caught the small seal descending from the void with both hands, and it instantly transformed into a crown! By then, Su Yu had officially cleared the final step and reached the high platform. Taking a deep breath, he seated himself firmly upon the throne! Holding the crown in both hands, King Daxia walked up the platform step by step! Golden patterns flashed across the crown, faintly revealing 140 patterns now. There were even signs of an imminent breakthrough! King Daxia ascended the platform. A moment later, right before the throne, he suddenly dropped to one knee. Just as Su Yu reached down to help him up, King Daxia kept his head lowered and spoke with a voice like a striking bell: "We invite Sacred Master Emperor Yu to crown himself! Within the Human Realm, the Sacred Master reigns supreme!" No one held the qualifications to crown Su Yu! Only he himself! At this moment, King Daxia was declaring to humanity and to the myriad realms that the human race had gained a common sovereign! Regardless of what anyone thought, regardless of whether anyone was willing, this was an undeniable fact. Su Yu was momentarily dazed. *Do I... accept it?* At this instant, he suddenly hesitated. He knew he had been schemed against. Everything he had planned seemed to have been accounted for by others. He had only wanted the benefits without the burdens, yet today, that mountain-like burden had abruptly come crashing down upon that crown! It had arrived so suddenly! He had been played! He knew it. In fact, he had realized it the moment his foot touched the steps. Yet now, with the crown resting before him, bearing the providence of the entire Human Realm, Su Yu looked at it and hesitated! In the sky, King Daming and the other Invincibles landed one after another. King Daming glanced up at Su Yu, let out a soft breath, smiled, and then dropped to one knee, shouting, "We invite the Sacred Master to don the crown!" Behind him, the Invincibles hesitated briefly or sighed, but soon, every one of them sank to one knee. This... was a first for this tide. "We invite the Sacred Master to be crowned!" In the next instant, whether willing or not, the experts of every prefecture dropped to one knee, shouting in unison, "We invite the Sacred Master to be crowned!" The sound of thousands kneeling echoed between heaven and earth. Over by Liu City, Liu Wenyan and the others knelt as well... High above on the throne, Su Yu's body shook slightly. He wanted to stand, wanted to flee this place... Right now, he felt only overwhelming pressure and dread; the excitement from earlier had vanished completely! *I don't fucking want this anymore!* *I was wrong!* *I won't be this Sacred Master!* He wanted to scream it aloud: *I don't want to do this!* Beside him, King Daxia's voice transmission sounded: "Sit down and put it on! King Daqin and the others have departed to purge the heavens of formidable foes for you. In this battle, they will not rest until Half-Emperor Tianyuan is slain! Only by slaying a Dao Merge expert will you have an extra fighting chance!" "Since you stirred up the heavens and ignited a war across realms, Su Yu... you brought this upon yourself, created this yourself! Did you think you could just reap benefits without paying a price? Because of you, humanity has lost fifty years of preparation!" Su Yu wanted to argue! *This wasn't my doing...* Yet was it truly not? If he hadn't slain so many mighty foes across the heavens, just as King Dazhou had said, humanity would have had at least fifty more years! Only fifty years later would King Dazhou and the others have made their move. Not now! Su Yu felt a wave of melancholy and helplessness. It seemed... he really had cut humanity's timeline short by fifty years. Yet he hadn't intended for things to turn out like this. He looked at the crown with resignation. He had been so excited earlier, but after this ceremony, all the excitement had evaporated! Su Yu sighed inwardly. Slowly extending his hands toward the crown, he gripped it with both hands. It felt as heavy as a thousand jin, weighing on his arms so heavily that he could barely lift it. "Su Yu, do not forget, you are the Sacred Master—be decisive!" King Daxia's voice transmission boomed, rattling Su Yu's eardrums until they felt ready to rupture. Taking a deep breath, Su Yu seized the crown, raised it with both hands, and lowered it onto his head. At that moment, the entire Human Realm quaked! Mountains and rivers trembled! It was as though the realm was rejoicing and offering its congratulations! Auspicious clouds and radiant light painted the sky! The entire Human Realm seemed to exult—humanity had once again given rise to a common sovereign! ... At that exact instant, King Dazhou and his group traversed the void at terrifying speed, appearing above the Sea of Stars in the blink of an eye. Below, the Old Turtle's heart trembled. Without sparing a glance, King Dazhou initiated another space warp. Taking advantage of the radiant light illuminating the heavens and shaking the four directions, his spatial jump stirred not the slightest ripple. In another blink, he crossed the Sea of Stars, leaping from the Eastern War Zone straight into the Western War Zone! The Invincibles with him wore grave expressions. Weapons were already drawn in their hands! Another warp veered slightly off the western path, heading toward the territory occupied by the Demon race. Traversing the void once more, King Dazhou seemed to breach a realm barrier a moment later. In the next instant, an endlessly dark realm that seemed to plummet into an abyss appeared before their eyes. The Tianyuan Realm had been reached! With one final warp, King Dazhou appeared at the entrance of the passage. Waving his hand, an enormous sky-covering shroud enveloped the entire Tianyuan Realm! Half-Emperor Tianyuan, whose projection hovered above the realm, underwent a drastic change in expression! The moment he saw the group of people at the entrance, his face warped in horror! An enemy raid! Humanity... had launched an invasion! "Humans, how dare you!" Half-Emperor Tianyuan roared in fury! King Dazhou's face was impassive. King Daqin held a long blade that shifted into a spear as he barked coldly, "Kill!" *Buzz!* A strike cleaved downward, as though splitting the entire Tianyuan Realm in two, instantly obliterating the projection in the void! King Dazhou and his vanguard charged straight into the Tianyuan Realm. The Sun Moons guarding the passage were slaughtered in an instant! The great war erupted! The slaughter had begun! At the center of the Tianyuan Realm, an enormous palace shook violently. A terrifyingly powerful entity manifested above the palace. Half-Emperor Tianyuan's face turned grim. Sensing his surroundings, he found the entire Tianyuan Realm completely sealed off! Humanity had come thoroughly prepared! "All Eternals, assemble and slay the enemy!" A furious roar reverberated across the entire realm, throwing all of Tianyuan into turmoil. Invincible figures surfaced one after another. Deep beneath the earth, ancient presences were slowly awakening as well! "The peril of extinction is upon us! Humanity invades—follow this Emperor to slay the foe!" Half-Emperor Tianyuan's enraged roar shattered the sky, accompanied by rolling thunder! The entire realm convulsed violently. Humanity had invaded! For countless eras, this was the first time humanity had ever breached the Tianyuan Realm! No, there had been one time during antiquity. Yet a hundred thousand years had passed since then. Even throughout the previous nine tides, humanity had never managed to fight their way inside. In this tenth tide, when humanity was at its weakest, they had actually invaded the Tianyuan Realm! In an instant, nearly twenty Invincible auras surged into the sky, hurtling toward the realm entrance! The sky had collapsed!