Fall of a Dao Harmonizer!

Within the Human Realm, Su Yu knew that even if lives were lost, he would be able to resolve the crisis. Yet what about outside the Human Realm? There were simply too many enemy powerhouses! At this moment, he had no time to ponder such things. King Dazhou and King Daqin had initiated this campaign, and Su Yu was merely fighting back reactively; this war was not something Su Yu had sparked. As for the outcome, Su Yu had no idea himself! Six Dao Harmonizers, over a hundred Invincibles... how could humanity match that? He had no time to dwell on it! The battle erupted in an instant. The Myriad Gate Tower Array blotted out the sky and obscured the sun. Five Invincibles surrounded Su Yu to slay him, leaving neither side any retreat. Su Yu had nowhere to run, and neither did the foreign Invincibles inside the Human Realm. Either slaughter every Invincible within the Human Realm, or await death. Even if they wished to flee now, they could not. These Invincibles had descended with all three bodies merged into one, rather than dispatching a single incarnation. Assault from both within and without! At this moment, outside the Human Realm, war was likewise erupting. The ancient city lords, King Daxia, and the others unleashed their might in succession. Just as Su Yu was slaying Invincibles within the realm... Beyond the domain's borders, thunderous booms shook the heavens! Tianmie and the other city guards strode forth from their ancient cities. Tianmie swung his club, unleashing a strike that shattered heaven and earth, yet it was parried by a sword slash from the Nether Emperor, who countered with a lethal sword strike of his own! Seventy to eighty Invincible experts stood arrayed, many of them high-stage. Thirty-five guards, together with King Daxia and the other human lords, could handle these Invincibles. However, no one could match the three Dao Harmonizers. Tianmie could only barely hold his ground against a single Dao Harmonizer. Fortunately, a moment later, an ancient city materialized. The Demon Emperor and Dragon Emperor turned their gazes toward Hongmeng Ancient City with intense wariness. Hongmeng had arrived! The Demon Emperor cast a cold glance and said indifferently, "Senior Hongmeng, if you interfere once more today... beware a riot in the dead spirit realm! The Eastern Heavenly King will not stand idly by and let Senior repeatedly meddle in the affairs of the living realm!" Old Turtle Hongmeng floated in the void, still maintaining the appearance of a young man. He looked at the Demon Emperor and smiled faintly. "The Eastern Heavenly King? You certainly know a great deal. The previous Demon Emperor ventured deep into the dead spirit realm and investigated extensively. Do you truly believe the Eastern Heavenly King would dare cause trouble in my territory?" The Demon Emperor smiled as well. "Not right now. But if Senior takes action and genuinely participates in this war of the myriad races... Last time was one thing, for Senior acted merely to protect your city lord, Su Yu. Is it the same today?" Old Turtle replied calmly, "Naturally!" The Demon Emperor chuckled. "Then how about this? Senior may take Su Yu and leave; we will not stop you! What does Senior say?" Old Turtle remained silent. The Demon Emperor sighed softly. "Senior, you cannot deceive yourself. Do you truly intend to lead these comrades who have stood by your side for a hundred thousand years into this war of the myriad races?" Last time, the ancient cities had acted for Su Yu. What about this time? This time, the Demon Emperor stated clearly that they could simply take Su Yu away rather than stand guard over the passageway for humanity. Yet Old Turtle said nothing, his stance self-evident! Not much time had passed since the last great war. For the ancient cities to intervene again and again made their position abundantly clear. In the distance, Tianmie traded blows with the Nether Emperor for a time until his hands throbbed with pain. Breaking off the clash, he quickly regrouped by Old Turtle's side and laughed boisterously. "Su Yu is now the master of the Human Realm, so the Human Realm belongs to Su Yu! And Su Yu is the master of the sacred cities, so what is all this nonsense!" The Demon Emperor glanced at the Nether Emperor, then at the Dragon Emperor. The three Dao Harmonizers exchanged looks. At this moment, outside the Human Realm, all thirty-six guards had gathered. In addition, five human Invincibles stood present: King Daxia, King Daming, King Dasui, King Dajin, and King Qushan. Four were founding prefecture lords, and one had achieved his rank afterward. One Dao Harmonizer and forty Invincibles. Nearly all were high-stage experts, with only King Qushan being slightly weaker. With such strength, they had no reason to fear the seventy to eighty Invincibles before them. Yet when it came to Dao Harmonizers, a clear gap remained. Old Turtle was powerful, but the opposing side possessed three Dao Harmonizers. Moreover, Old Turtle had to suppress the dead spirit realm to prevent an upheaval. The Demon Emperor knew this well! Since he had mentioned the Eastern Heavenly King, he had likely already established contact with him. The three Dao Harmonizers assessed the situation. They knew battle had already commenced inside the Human Realm and they could not simply sit by and watch their people get slaughtered. Something seemed amiss within, as several Invincibles had perished in rapid succession. The Demon Emperor sighed. "If the lineage of the sacred cities insists on meddling... do not blame us for showing no mercy! Kill!" With a low bark, the three Dao Harmonizers lunged toward Old Turtle in an instant! Old Turtle's expression turned grave. This would be a difficult fight! Taking on three at once was hard enough, to say nothing of the potential upheaval in the dead spirit realm. Yet at that very moment, another figure emerged. A colossal form descended! "Iron-Eater, why must you do this!" The Demon Emperor gave a soft sigh. In that instant, an illusory figure materialized, revealing a strikingly glamorous empress. Her figure swayed gracefully, yet the sight caused the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor to lower the food in his paws, his gaze turning solemn. The Spirit Emperor! The Dao Harmonizer of the Spirit race! At this moment, the Spirit Emperor swayed slightly, her crisp voice echoing across heaven and earth. "Does the Iron-Eating Beast race truly wish to stand with humanity?" The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor looked at her, fell silent for a moment, and then resumed chewing his food, replying in an innocent, slow drawl, "Doesn't the Spirit race stay out of conflicts? Why meddle in this?" The Spirit race was among the top ten races in strength. Yet they had always maintained an astonishingly low profile! Today, however, she had joined the fray! The Spirit Emperor spoke gently, "Humanity initiated this war on their own accord, invading the Tianyuan Realm. I seem to see the ancient era returning—humanity slaughtering across the heavens once more, unifying the myriad worlds! I am neither willing nor wishful to see that. In the ancient era, humanity invaded the Spirit Realm, committing countless slaughters and butchering my people to refine pills, medicines, and weapons. In the eyes of humanity, we spirits of vegetation, mountains, and seas were mere treasures... How would you have me choose?" The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor sighed. That was true enough. It was hard to define who was good and who was bad. It seemed entirely justified for the Spirit Emperor to join the battle. In the ancient era, humanity had indeed committed such deeds; this could not be denied. Yet with this turn of events, defending the Human Realm became vastly more difficult! The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor had originally come to stall the Dragon Emperor and the others, but now he was blocked by the Spirit Emperor. Not only that, nearly twenty Invincibles from the Spirit Realm were advancing toward the Human Realm at this very moment! The Spirit Emperor had merely arrived a step ahead! Since they had entered the war, there was no turning back! The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor hesitated briefly, but soon made his decision. Powerful presences tore through the realm barrier from the Iron-Eating Beast Realm. Since the choice was made... let war commence! The Iron-Eating Beast race did not send many Invincibles, merely a dozen or so. Yet... that was far more than the rumors suggested! Rumor had it that this race barely had any Invincibles left. Now, over a dozen had appeared all at once. Over on the other side, the Demon Emperor sighed. "Has the moment arrived for the myriad races to take their sides? The Iron-Eating Beast race should consider this carefully. Even if humanity holds the advantage right now, once the thousand-year deadline arrives and the rules loosen... can humanity withstand what follows? A wise man submits to circumstances! Your Iron-Eating Beast race has carried on its heritage for countless eras; do you truly wish to see it buried in this tide?" Indeed, humanity was not weak at present. However... that was only for now. Once the rules governing the myriad worlds loosened and upper-realm powerhouses could join the battle, Dao Harmonizers would descend. How many Dao Harmonizers would humanity have left? Perhaps not even one! Even if a few remained from the ninth tide, the crucial point was that war was not absent in the upper realm over all these years. Those surviving human Dao Harmonizers might have long been slain. Even if still alive, they would merely be clinging to their last breaths. Humanity was a sinking ship! Among great races like the Gods, Demons, Immortals, Dragons, and Nethers, who lacked a few Dao Harmonizers in the upper realm? The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor fell silent. The Spirit Emperor said softly, "Iron-Eater, for the sake of a single Su Yu, a human who accomplished seventy-two castings, will you truly disregard the survival of your race? Is it not wonderful to live freely and comfortably as we do now? Must you restore the ancient era and let humanity unify the heavens once more? Shall we become humanity's rations again?" Was the present not good enough? Choosing humanity solely because of Su Yu? The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor grunted heavily, "Ever since ancient times, my race has been on good terms with the Human Sovereign, and humanity has maintained friendship with my race for countless ages... This is not because of Su Yu alone!" This was the moment to choose sides. A wrong choice meant total ruin! Ultimately, the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor remained firm in his choice. Looking around, he dropped his goofy demeanor and spoke with solemn gravity, "Everyone, since the upheaval of the first tide concluded, humanity has ceased seeking hegemony over the heavens! From the second tide onward, humanity has mostly focused on defense... It was all of you who forced humanity to ignite wars across the heavens! If you had agreed to humanity's proposal at the start of the second tide to establish an alliance of the heavens and live in peaceful coexistence..." The Dragon Emperor scoffed. "Naive! Humanity's ambitions have never been extinguished. That so-called alliance was merely a stalling tactic! Humanity is greedy to the marrow, eager to seize everything! It was only because their strength was insufficient; once powerful enough, they would inevitably tread the ancient path once more!" There was no resolving this debate. Both sides had their arguments! The myriad races feared humanity's resurgence, pressing them again and again, invading the Human Realm the moment the battlefield of the heavens opened. Humanity had no choice but to fight back! Humanity had proposed establishing an alliance and ending conflict, but no one believed them. As for whether humanity had been sincere, the dead could not speak, and who could prove it was not a stalling tactic? By now, in the tenth tide, it had become an ingrained conviction. They had to crush humanity! Humanity, knowing reason was useless, could only resist. With four Dao Harmonizers present on their side, the Dragon Emperor said coldly, "Since the Iron-Eaters are obstinate... let us waste no more time. Kill! With the dead spirits rioting, let us see how long these guards can hold out!" Boom! In an instant, war erupted! At this stage, further words were meaningless. All were Dao Harmonizers, possessing unyielding wills. Once a choice was made, none would easily back down. Presently, battle raged within the Human Realm. If they did not launch a coordinated strike from inside and out, once this chance slipped away and humanity consolidated their realm defenses, attacking later would come at an even steeper cost! *** Meanwhile, outside the Tianyuan Realm. The God Emperor and Tiangu descended. A moment later, Warden Tianhou arrived—three top-tier Dao Harmonizers! Counting Half-Emperor Tianyuan inside, that made four, and with four on the other side, eight Dao Harmonizers stood involved! At that moment, the void tore open. A fur ball peered at them with a sneaky look. Tiangu wore an indifferent expression. "Doubao, if you interfere today, we shall slay you first!" The three Dao Harmonizers instantly materialized in three directions. All were mighty experts; Doubao had admitted that he was inferior to both Warden Tianhou and Tiangu, to say nothing of the formidable God Emperor. At this moment, Doubao stood alone, as Master Chui had gone to the Human Realm. "Why not kill him first?" The God Emperor smiled. "Senior Doubao is a steadfast ally of humanity. Taking advantage of the other's absence to kill him now would resolve a major trouble!" As soon as these words were spoken, the three Dao Harmonizers edged forward step by step. Right now was indeed the best opportunity to kill Doubao! Even if Half-Emperor Tianyuan were slain, eliminating Doubao would make it well worth the cost. Within the spatial rift, Doubao drew back. He sensed danger! An intense sense of mortal peril! He was powerful and ancient, yet no matter how formidable, he could not overcome three top-tier Dao Harmonizers working together. Meanwhile, the Invincibles they brought along were violently assailing the realm barrier. They sought to smash an opening and allow Half-Emperor Tianyuan to escape. If left unchecked, once the realm barrier breached and Half-Emperor Tianyuan broke out, humanity's campaign would end in failure. Slaying a few Invincibles was useless; Dao Harmonizers were the true threat. Doubao was caught in a dilemma! What should he do? Should he... leave? If he did not leave, with three Dao Harmonizers present, they would soon breach the Tianyuan Realm together. Doubao said dryly, "Don't hit me... You can't break the Tianyuan Realm! Dead spirits will pour out. Once the realm breaks, everyone will suffer rule punishment..." Tiangu smiled faintly. "No matter. A council token can still be used a few times! Suppress the area, slay the humans, drive back the dead spirits, and reseal the realm—everything will settle naturally!" Doubao felt conflicted. That was true! Had humanity acted too rashly this time? Continuing like this would spell disaster. King Daqin and the others would be trapped, perhaps even killed! If they did not emerge, they had already sensed the upheaval among the dead spirits in the Tianyuan Realm and would sooner or later be worn to death by the dead spirit realm and the power of the rules. If they emerged, surrounded by a horde of Dao Harmonizers and numerous Invincibles outside, they would likewise perish. Once he retreated and Half-Emperor Tianyuan broke free, four Dao Harmonizers would face them, and humanity would truly reach a dead end! Taking the initiative was good, but it had to match one's strength. Doubao was torn. Seeing the three Dao Harmonizers closing in to cut off his retreat, he prepared to flee. Being cornered and slain here would change nothing. Yet at that very moment, the void trembled violently. A powerful presence tore through the void and arrived. Towering and immense! An archaic giant! This was an archaic giant, the king of their race—the Archaic Giant King! The expressions of Tiangu and the others shifted slightly. This colossal entity stepped through the void, his muffled voice vibrating across heaven and earth. "Zhou Tianqi, I have arrived!" This presence, likewise a Dao Harmonizer, strode forward and said coldly, "Tiangu, if you wish to wage war, I shall accompany you!" Tiangu was surprised and said softly, "Why have you come?" The king of the Archaic Giant race was a king, not an emperor. This race possessed no emperor! Yet he was a genuine Dao Harmonizer! The Archaic Giant King said indifferently, "If I wish to come, I naturally come!" The God Emperor was equally surprised. "In the previous tide, the Archaic Giant race joined the encirclement against humanity. What are you thinking?" Their surprise and continued questioning were not because of his overwhelming strength. Choosing sides was normal. However, in the previous tide, the Archaic Giant race had been among the myriad races besieging humanity, even participating in the final battle against King Baizhan. Yet in this tide, they were actually siding with humanity. It was utterly baffling! The Iron-Eating Beast race was one matter. That race had previously abstained from battle, remaining neutral, so their intervention was not entirely shocking. Yet the Archaic Giant race... was completely beyond their expectations! What were they after? Faith? What a joke! If it were faith, they would not have besieged humanity in the previous tide! As for not taking the title of emperor, it was merely because the Archaic Giant race considered their lineage ancient, predating the ancient era and descending from archaic times. In those days, there were no emperors, and the Archaic Giant race had always identified as an archaic power rather than an ancient one. Hence their name, the Archaic Giant race! This had little to do with humanity. Therefore, everyone was stunned. *Does this have to do with Zhou Tianqi?* As the thought crossed their minds, the Archaic Giant King said no more. A massive battleaxe materialized in his hands as he strode through the void. "Gentlemen, you had better wait until the battle between humanity and the Tianyuan race is decided!" "Just with the two of you?" Tiangu laughed. "You are not weak, and Doubao is not weak either. But... can you stop us?" "What if you add me?" At that moment, another formidable presence strode forth from the void. "The Ancient Spatial Beast race!" Tiangu's expression shifted slightly as he looked at the old man in human form, his voice turning grave. "Do you also intend to stand with humanity? When your descendant Kongkong stole our supreme treasure, I let it pass out of respect for you. I thought you would know better, never imagining... you would make such an unwise choice!" The Archaic Giant race, the Iron-Eating Beast race, and the Ancient Spatial Beast race—three ancient races had all chosen humanity. Inconceivable! It was virtually unbelievable! Humanity was on the verge of ruin. Had they chosen humanity in the ninth tide, people could have understood. Yet in the tenth tide... it was incomprehensible! In the ninth tide, King Baizhan was extraordinarily powerful, making such a choice reasonable. What about this tide? Humanity did not possess a single Dao Harmonizer! To make this choice now—were they seeking to be buried alongside humanity? Were they courting death? At this moment, even Warden Tianhou found it difficult to understand. He asked in confusion, "Shikong, I cannot comprehend your choice!" The old man replied calmly, "There is nothing incomprehensible about it! Humanity is overbearing and arrogant, yet... as long as humanity exists, we ancient races can survive! Once humanity is extinguished and you have no more apprehensions or rivals... I believe our extinction will only come faster!" He looked at them and said softly, "Humanity is domineering, but they are also unique—so unique that when they enter other realms, they suffer no realm suppression. Because of this, they never destroy realm barriers to fight! You are different. If you win and a final victor emerges... to subdue us and conquer the heavens while suffering from realm suppression, I expect that will be the day the realm barriers of the myriad races are shattered!" Humanity was strong, yet because of their unique nature, when they unified the heavens in ancient times, they had no need to destroy realm barriers! In any case, humans suffered no suppression upon entering, so whether realm suppression existed or not mattered little to them. However, once the Immortals, Demons, or Gods triumphed and a single victor emerged, to unify the heavens, they would almost certainly destroy realm barriers! Without breaking realms, even if powerhouses submitted to humanity, they would retain a chance of survival. If the realms were broken... they would become wanderers across the cosmos! Sooner or later, their race would perish! Such reasoning made Tiangu furrow his brows. "Shikong, to make your decision based on an uncertain future..." "The future is always uncertain!" The old man said impassively, "Whether humanity will be destroyed is likewise uncertain! Yet one thing I know for certain: even if humanity wins... things will remain as they are. If my race submits, we at least will not be eradicated! If your race wins, I believe it may well mark my doom, the doom of the Ancient Spatial Beast race!" "Ridiculous!" Tiangu said coldly, "How laughable that you choose humanity on such grounds..." "No, it is not laughable!" The old man replied calmly, "Because I know my race lacks the strength to contend for supremacy over the heavens! Our numbers are too few; even in the upper realm, there are hardly any of us! These myriad worlds do not belong to us; they belong to the great races—Humans, Gods, Demons, Immortals, Dragons! It is because of your vast numbers and rapid reproduction... Humanity multiplies the fastest, while the Gods, Demons, and Immortals are comparable. Though the Dragons are slower, their numbers are still substantial, whereas we... are exceedingly scarce!" Their numbers were far too small! They could never claim dominance over the heavens! Whether humanity won or the Gods and Demons won, the Spatial Beast race would never become the hegemon. If humanity triumphed, they suffered no suppression and would not shatter realm barriers. That alone was sufficient reason for his choice! Tiangu was rendered speechless. Looking across at the three powerhouses, he fell silent for a time. These beings had likely reached an agreement with humanity beforehand, or they would not have appeared so quickly, nor would they have made their choices so decisively. He drew a deep breath and asked, "Did King Dazhou seek you out? Did he persuade you?" Neither Shikong nor the Archaic Giant King spoke. *Guess for yourself!* Tiangu gave a slight smile. "Truly... surprising!" Humanity was indeed worthy of having once ruled the heavens. A lean camel was still bigger than a horse! Even on the brink of collapse, they could still persuade Dao Harmonizers and ancient races to exert their strength for them! Tiangu let out a sigh and spoke in an ethereal tone, "It seems that today, the myriad races of the heavens will all make their choices. Fellow Daoists, I wonder how you will choose? What shall your decisions be?" Today, fourteen Dao Harmonizers had already revealed themselves! Six here, six at the Human Realm entrance, and one each in the Human Realm and Tianyuan Realm. Most Dao Harmonizers across the heavens had emerged. All had made their choice! However, a few had yet to appear. For instance, the Fate Emperor, Phoenix Emperor, Heavenly Spirit Ape Emperor, Golden-Winged Peng Emperor, and Hou Emperor. The ancient races possessed many Dao Harmonizers but few Invincibles, so they generally focused on self-preservation; with a single Dao Harmonizer garrisoning their native realm, most could safeguard themselves. Some races possessed many Invincibles but lacked Dao Harmonizers, such as the Five Elements race, which had none. Tiangu sighed softly. At this moment, several ancient beings awakened from slumber within the Immortal Realm and walked forth. They were not Dao Harmonizers, but each was at the ninth stage of the Eternal Realm. The ancient experts who had appeared previously now flew in this direction. Not only that, several ancient Eternal ninth-stage experts flew out of the God Realm as well! A gap certainly existed between Dao Harmonizers and Eternal ninth-stage experts, but as for being insurmountable... one Dao Harmonizer could take on three to five, but no more! For instance, Half-Emperor Tianyuan had struggled tremendously against King Daqin and King Dazhou. Of course, those two were peerless combatants who could each take on multiple ninth-stage opponents single-handedly. Yet the surviving old fossils of the Immortal and God races were no weaklings either! If humanity could recruit Dao Harmonizers, what about Eternal ninth-stage experts? The ancient races possessed very few Invincibles. Having a dozen or so already qualified them as a mighty clan; it was precisely because of their scarce numbers that they were called ancient races. Furthermore, the moment these experts flew forth, a phoenix cry echoed across the void. A colossal, immensely powerful phoenix shattered the void and descended by Tiangu's side. Soon, the phoenix transformed into a mature woman. Looking across the field, she sighed, "Since you fellow Daoists have made your choice, it is time I made mine as well! The Phoenix race has no wish to oppose you, yet we are equally unwilling to see humanity rise again!" The fifteenth Dao Harmonizer of the day had arrived! Six on humanity's side, nine on the myriad races' side! The myriad races also possessed far more Invincibles than the human alliance. *** Within the Tianyuan Realm. Half-Emperor Tianyuan sensed those auras! He smiled. Disheveled and panting, he struck King Daqin with his ruler until the latter coughed blood repeatedly, laughing breathlessly, "Zhou Tianqi, your arrangements were quite impressive, but... your human race remains a sinking ship. How many are truly willing to board?" Outside, seven Dao Harmonizers were present, and four had come to rescue him! Moreover, a massive horde of Invincibles was arriving. Right now, as long as they breached the Tianyuan Realm barrier and he fought his way out, the humans inside would never dare pursue him outside, leaving them trapped to die within the Tianyuan Realm! At worst, he would let the Tianyuan Realm be destroyed, dragging these humans down into the grave alongside his race! King Dazhou looked up at the sky and said softly, "Breach the Tianyuan Realm? With you here, it will not be so easy for them to break through. Are you not the core of this realm? Therefore, as long as you do not leave, they cannot breach the barrier so quickly..." "Is that so?" Half-Emperor Tianyuan chuckled. "You have lost your gamble! Do you realize that?" "Lost?" King Dazhou smiled, and at that moment, his aura began to swell! Stronger and stronger! "I had originally thought that slaying you before harmonizing with the Dao would produce better results... Now it seems that slaying you after harmonizing will amount to the same thing..." King Dazhou's aura surged with terrifying intensity! Half-Emperor Tianyuan's expression shifted drastically! He was about to harmonize with the Dao? "Can humanity... still harmonize with the Dao?" he muttered. King Dazhou walked toward him step by step, smiling. "Why not? The Dao of warriors is indeed difficult to harmonize with, but I... am not a warrior!" *I am a Civilization Master, do you understand?* *I am no warrior!* At this moment, a divine character hovered above his head. It was exceedingly peculiar, appearing both like a convergence of countless divine characters and like a single character alone. As it rotated, it absorbed boundless power, growing steadily stronger! It still appeared to be a Sun Moon divine character, yet... it was entirely distinct. Its aura was terrifyingly potent! King Dazhou advanced toward him step by step, while all around, the human powerhouses had nearly wiped out the Tianyuan experts! A swarm of Invincibles was besieging the few remaining Tianyuan Invincibles. At this rate, the slaughter would soon be complete! Moreover, with absolute numerical superiority, killing the remaining Invincibles would incur no further losses. At the cost of three Invincibles falling, obliterating the Tianyuan race was a massive victory! The Tianyuan race's greatest pillar, this Half-Emperor, had failed to alter the situation in the slightest. Half-Emperor Tianyuan's face drained of color! King Dazhou was truly on the verge of advancing! This man was already extraordinarily difficult to deal with! Once he truly broke through, Half-Emperor Tianyuan would almost certainly be no match for him, facing the very real peril of death! "You want to kill me? In your dreams!" Lingyuan roared. His willpower swept in all directions as death qi surged through the void. Hurling a council token forward, he instantly turned to flee! He could fight no longer! If this man truly advanced, he would die. Behind him, King Dazhou furrowed his brows slightly and gave chase at once. King Daqin dragged his heavily injured body forward as well, thrusting his spear through the void. Trying to run? Letting him escape now would be catastrophic! Yet Lingyuan paid no heed to anything else. Even as King Daqin attacked, he bore the strike head-on, ignoring how the spear qi blasted the flesh of his back into bloody tatters! The threat King Dazhou posed to him was far too immense! In a flash, King Dazhou appeared directly in front of him without a sound and struck out with a palm! Boom! Lingyuan countered with a strike from his ruler, forcing King Dazhou back, before fleeing rapidly once more. The three of them clashed violently through the void! Drawing closer and closer to the passageway! Over at the passageway, the restrictive formations were fully active. King Jintian was panting heavily, severely wounded after slaying countless Sun Moons. Seeing the three powerhouses battling their way toward him, his expression shifted slightly. King Dazhou's voice rang out, "Seal the passageway! Jintian, hold him!" King Jintian's face stiffened; this opponent was a Dao Harmonizer! Of course, stalling him for a brief moment was within his power. He had laid down numerous restrictive formations, which could bind the passageway for a short while. King Jintian gritted his teeth and shouted, "Understood!" Half-Emperor Tianyuan clenched his teeth. The aura of King Dazhou pursuing him from behind was growing ever stronger; he had to escape immediately! Furthermore, the other Tianyuan Invincibles were nearly wiped out! If he delayed any longer, over thirty human Invincibles would swarm him, and he would surely die! Lingyuan waved his hand, and a dead spirit abruptly materialized before him through a displacement technique. The moment the dead spirit appeared, King Daqin smashed into it from behind, blasting it to pieces! Yet in the next instant, more dead spirits appeared all around! Half-Emperor Tianyuan continuously displaced dead spirits, summoning more and more into the area. Over where the humans were besieging the remaining Tianyuan Invincibles, dead spirits began emerging as well. In the distance, a dead spirit monarch let out a booming laugh as it flew forward. "We are out!" A dead spirit monarch had arrived! With the boundary wall opened, dead spirit monarchs had sensed it and were rushing toward the Tianyuan Realm! Half-Emperor Tianyuan fled swiftly, the passageway just ahead! Suddenly, a dead spirit monarch materialized right before King Dazhou! King Dazhou furrowed his brows slightly. The divine character above his head erupted with blinding radiance, pinning the dead spirit monarch to the ground with a resounding crash. Meanwhile, Lingyuan reached the entrance in an instant. From behind, King Daqin thrust his spear once more. Half-Emperor Tianyuan whirled around to counter, repelling King Daqin with a tremendous blast, and immediately began assaulting the binding formations! Having suppressed the dead spirit, King Dazhou rushed forward. His aura grew even more terrifying! It was already surpassing the threshold, faintly radiating the aura of Dao Harmonization. At this moment... Within the passageway. King Jintian faced two choices. He could hold the line with his life, perhaps buying enough time for King Dazhou to arrive! At worst, it would mean death! The second choice was... to open the passageway. To ensure his escape, Half-Emperor Tianyuan would not waste time trying to kill him. King Jintian glanced at King Dazhou suppressing the dead spirit monarch, then looked back at King Daqin, who had been repelled while coughing blood, only to wheel around and pursue once more... In that single instant, an intense internal struggle waged within him. The next moment, a faint aura leaked out. Half-Emperor Tianyuan, who was breaking the formation, felt a jolt and snapped his head toward him! Their gazes met. A look of delight surfaced in Half-Emperor Tianyuan's eyes! This aura... this peculiar wave of aura, he... had encountered it once before! It was him! It was actually him! The next instant, Half-Emperor Tianyuan roared and swung his ruler along the path of those specific aura fluctuations, instantly shattering seven or eight layers of the sealing arrays! Every single formation within the passageway disintegrated! King Jintian coughed blood and was hurled backward, gravely wounded! Half-Emperor Tianyuan was overjoyed! The passageway was open! Outside, several Dao Harmonizers sensed it—Half-Emperor Tianyuan... seemed about to emerge! Humanity's encirclement had failed. If Half-Emperor Tianyuan was not slain and broke out as a Dao Harmonizer, the balance of power would shift drastically, plunging the already weaker human faction into an absolute disadvantage! This preemptive strike had failed! This had likely been humanity's last hope! Half-Emperor Tianyuan traversed the void in jubilation. Ignoring King Jintian, he shot straight down the passageway to flee outside. In the distance, King Dazhou let out a soft sigh. "A final chance... why must you do this?" It was unclear to whom these words were addressed. A final chance! He had given King Jintian one last chance after all. Rather than slaying him directly, he had given him an opportunity to stall Half-Emperor Tianyuan's retreat for just an instant. If his actions had merely been targeted at the Multiple Divine Characters faction... King Dazhou might have found a way to spare him, seeing as Ye Batian was already dead. He had held onto a sliver of hope! Yet King Jintian had ultimately failed him! He had intended, even if things were irreconcilable, to grant King Jintian an honorable exit with the title of hero! Yet now... he was unwilling. He was unworthy! King Dayue, King Hong, and King Daliang had died in battle—they were true heroes. This man... was unworthy. A traitor was a traitor. A hero was a hero! At this moment, watching Half-Emperor Tianyuan flee outward, a meaningful smile suddenly curled on King Dazhou's lips! Just as Half-Emperor Tianyuan was about to step outside, he suddenly froze! Yes, completely froze! As a Dao Harmonizer fleeing for his life, he actually froze in place! Because... the passageway before him was blocked! No, not blocked... the exit had shifted! It was as though he had suffered immense misfortune. In that critical split second of escape, he had taken a wrong turn—which was impossible! The passageway was straight. He had flown straight along it his entire life, countless times; it was impossible for him to deviate! Such a thing could not happen! Half-Emperor Tianyuan was truly astounded. The real exit lay far to his side, dozens of li away... reaching it would take time! This made no sense! It was impossible... Half-Emperor Tianyuan was shaken to his core. What on earth had happened? Meanwhile, King Dazhou smiled faintly and looked toward the void, as though gazing right through the realm barrier. *How unfortunate!* *I guessed you would face misfortune, but even I did not expect your luck to be this abysmal.* *The entrance to the passageway... actually ran away.* King Dazhou's smile turned radiant! *Warden Tianhou... are you not afraid I will see through you?* *Or do you think... I cannot see it?* He glanced at King Daqin, then at King Jintian... Indeed, neither of them had seen through it. They only saw that Half-Emperor Tianyuan had reached the threshold, yet seemed to hesitate, unwilling to step out. King Daqin was dumbfounded. Just moments ago, he had been filled with fury and despair, but now he was utterly bewildered. What was happening? Why had he stopped running? King Jintian's face also changed. Why wasn't he fleeing? Up ahead, Half-Emperor Tianyuan roared in utter despair, "Who is it?!" Boom! At that exact instant, a monumental aura surged! The divine character above King Dazhou's head erupted with overwhelming, boundless might! He traversed the void and the passageway in a single bound, materializing right before Half-Emperor Tianyuan in the blink of an eye! He said softly, "Why must you be so greedy?" To offend two beings blessed with overwhelming karmic luck... it would be a miracle if you survived! Warden Tianhou did not care whether you lived or died; he only wanted the Heaven Hunting Ranking! Before King Dazhou's words had even faded, his divine character transformed into a sword of peerless sharpness. A gentleman carries a sword, and he considered himself something of a gentleman! *Slash!* A faint sound rang out. It was not the sound of Half-Emperor Tianyuan being slain, but of a grid line in the void being severed by the blade! Yes, a line that originally did not exist had now manifested, only to be sheared apart by his sword! *Pfft!* Half-Emperor Tianyuan spat a mouthful of blood. Within his body, the power of rules violently erupted, and with a thunderous boom, his physical form burst open! His eyes bulged as he stared at King Dazhou! "You... the rules..." King Dazhou smiled. "The Dao you merged into is too weak, and what you merged... is far too little!" With a hum, another sword strike flashed forth! Boom! A deafening explosion rang out as he shattered the grid lines with yet another strike! Half-Emperor Tianyuan's face was filled with complete disbelief! Impossible! "Civilization Masters manipulate rules... something you will never understand!" King Dazhou chuckled. His slender blade unleashed ten thousand strikes in an instant, and with a thunderous roar, Half-Emperor Tianyuan was blown apart! *Rumble!* The myriad worlds shuddered violently, and the Tianyuan Realm underwent a catastrophic upheaval—mountains crumbled, seas surged, and the firmament split open! Half-Emperor Tianyuan's body steadily disintegrated. Filled with disbelief and bitter resentment, he muttered, "Who... did you plot with... to trap me..." He had been set up! King Dazhou smiled faintly. "Who do you think?" "It was... him..." With unyielding hatred, despair, and fury, Half-Emperor Tianyuan realized the truth—Warden Tianhou! It had to be him! He was the one who had trapped him! "You realized too late. Greed... will cost you your life!" To dare covet the Heaven Hunting Ranking—it would be strange if Warden Tianhou didn't kill you! Boom! A colossal roar sounded once more as Half-Emperor Tianyuan's physical form completely disintegrated. In the next instant, a massive grid line manifested in the void, and a thin thread attached to it steadily unraveled and collapsed! *Rumble!* Thunderous roars reverberated across the myriad worlds. In this moment, the heavens fell deathly silent. Half-Emperor Tianyuan... was dead? His death... had come far too abruptly! How could this be?! *** At this moment, outside the realm... The Dao Harmonizers were struck with unspeakable shock. Dead? Among the crowd, Warden Tianhou wore an indifferent expression. He was dead. That fragment should now be in King Dazhou's hands. As long as King Dazhou did not die, the item would end up with Su Yu! Lingyuan was simply too greedy; otherwise... he had no interest in helping humanity eliminate a formidable foe. Too greedy! Why bother? You were neither worthy nor qualified to hold such a thing, did you know that? A pity, for reaching Dao Harmonization was no easy feat! Why must you do this? I had already sent people to rescue you in exchange for your fragment; you could have lived! As these thoughts crossed Warden Tianhou's mind, a downpour of blood began to drench the heavens. The rules shuddered! A Dao Harmonizer had fallen!