King Wen's Former Residence

King Dazhou was waiting for a turn of events. Tiangu, the Demon Emperor, and the others were also waiting—waiting for the ancient city guardians to reach their limits and withdraw from this war. Once the ancient city guardians withdrew, the myriad races would win an overwhelming victory, the Human Realm's home domain would inevitably fall, and King Dazhou and his forces would be trapped in the Tianyuan Realm, doomed to perish sooner or later. And the linchpin lay with Su Yu and the Old Turtle. If the Old Turtle could not hold out, the other guardians would be unable to withstand the assault either. If Su Yu could not hold out, all the guardians would be forced to retreat to their ancient cities. ... Meanwhile, Su Yu—the focal point of whatever change was to come—officially stepped through to the other side of the waterfall. Passing through the cascade. In an instant, as if penetrating an unseen barrier, Su Yu's vision blurred, and he found himself standing once more on Starfall Mountain. Yes, Starfall Mountain. What met Su Yu's eyes right now was indeed Starfall Mountain, yet it was completely different from the Starfall Mountain he had seen before. Starfall Mountain was called Starfall Mountain because of the vast canyon in its center surrounded by peaks. Legend had it that a falling star had crashed here, shaping the mountains, and that the central canyon had been carved out by the impact of that colossal star. The great canyon within Starfall Mountain was normally flat and barren, with nothing of note within it. Yet at this moment, the Starfall Mountain before Su Yu's eyes was entirely transformed! The mountains were still the same mountains! But in the center of the canyon stood a magnificent manor residence. Its layout resembled a countryside courtyard manor, yet it was encircled by flowers—masses of flowers, like a manor nestled within a sea of blossoms, crisscrossed by neat paths left for people to walk upon. Inside the courtyard hung a swing, which Su Yu could see with absolute clarity. The swing was gently swaying in the breeze. The floral fragrance drifted on the wind and reached Su Yu's nose—a delicate, pleasant scent, neither overpowering nor cloying, making one simply want to inhale deeply to savor it. "Smells so good!" The delighted exclamation startled Su Yu. Thumping the little fur ball that had just popped its head out, Su Yu muttered inwardly, *You scared the life out of me!* Popping up out of nowhere in a place like this was terrifying. This was King Wen and the Time Master's old home! Faced with the former domain of two supreme beings, Su Yu was on high alert. A private residence was not something to trespass upon lightly. Su Yu understood this well enough. If someone barged into his own house, would he be pleased? He would kill them just the same! Since King Wen and the Time Master had sealed this place off, if they were dead, fine, but if they weren't... Wait, that wasn't right either. He had come carrying the Time Book! Su Yu thought to himself, *I entered fair and square, using the key to unlock the door. I didn't break in.* Su Yu cleared his throat and spoke aloud, "Su Yu, Lord of the Human Holy Land, has come to pay respects to Senior King Wen. Might Senior be at home?" If a response of "Yes" came back right now, Su Yu would probably burst into tears. *Fuck, he'd still be alive!* Just as the thought crossed his mind, a voice actually echoed from the large manor not far away: "Not at home!" "..." The hair on Su Yu's neck stood on end! The little fur ball also instantly jumped onto Su Yu's head, every strand of its fur bristling! *Holy shit!* *There's actually someone here?* The voice sounded a bit childish, but... a voice had truly come from the ancient manor! Really! Su Yu's skin crawled. How long had this place been sealed? It had been sealed since before antiquity! The "antiquity" spoken of today was counted from when the Human Sovereign unified the heavens, and after that unification, King Wen had sealed this place and moved away. This place was older than the big fur ball! Yet today, here of all places, Su Yu heard a voice! Su Yu's mind reeled. The next moment, another question came from the ancient manor: "Who are you?" Su Yu suppressed the dread in his heart. His "Calamity" divine character only trembled slightly without violently shaking; perhaps... he was in no danger. Su Yu hastily answered, "I am the Co-ruler of the Human Race of this generation! I am also an inheritor of Senior King Wen's legacy and a successor to Lady Time Master..." He reasoned that whoever was inside the ancient manor probably wasn't King Wen. Otherwise, they wouldn't have said King Wen wasn't home. The Time Master? Surely not? The voice was rather childish, sounding more like a child than a woman. A descendant... of the Time Master and King Wen? Su Yu's mind churned. But that made no sense either—this manor had been sealed for over a hundred thousand years, hadn't it? Even the youngest child would be ancient by now! "Co-ruler of the Human Race?" A trace of confusion laced the voice from the manor. "Co-ruler of the Human Race... Is that the Human Sovereign?" "Uh... no. The Human Sovereign is the Universal Sovereign... Might Senior be...?" Su Yu couldn't be sure of the speaker's identity. At this moment, he was extremely cautious and on edge. There was someone here! Whoever it was, they were definitely an absolute powerhouse! Over a hundred thousand years... perhaps even longer. How long had human rule over the heavens lasted? Su Yu really didn't know! However many years that rule had lasted, add a hundred thousand years to it, and that was how long this ancient residence had been sealed. Over all these years, no one should have been able to enter; anyone who could would be a top-tier powerhouse on King Wen's level. Whether this being had lived here all along or entered later, they were not someone the current Su Yu could afford to provoke. Over a hundred thousand years—even a pig that lived that long without dying would at least be in the Dao Harmonization Realm! If not Dao Harmonization, could an Eternal live that long? He wasn't sure! In any case, the oldest Eternal Su Yu had ever seen was probably General Duobao, an Eternal Ninth Stage expert who was still alive after more than a hundred thousand years. Come to think of it, General Duobao was worse than a pig—having lived so long, he was still an Eternal and had never stepped into Dao Harmonization. The thought flickered through Su Yu's mind before he immediately squashed it. *Now is not the time for random thoughts!* Someone being inside King Wen's former residence was completely unexpected. It also shattered some of his hopes. Could it be that he wouldn't gain anything here today? Just then, the voice from the manor asked again, "If you aren't the Human Sovereign, why are you the Co-ruler of the Human Race?" It sounded genuinely puzzled, as if this were very strange. Su Yu guessed that this entity might truly have lived here all this time without ever venturing out. He immediately explained, "It has been over a hundred thousand years since the Human Sovereign, King Wen, and the others unified the heavens. A hundred thousand years ago, King Wen and the Human Sovereign disappeared. In the hundred thousand years since, the human race has been repeatedly besieged by the myriad races and has already fallen nine times. I am the Co-ruler of the Human Race for this Tenth Tidal Shift." "You're so weak!" "..." That stung! What a way to put it! Su Yu wondered suspiciously whether this speaker was simply too powerful to think otherwise, or just innocent and blunt. While he was pondering, the voice came again from within: "Co-ruler of the Human Race... how could you be so weak? You only seem to be in the Shanhai Realm?" Shaken, Su Yu cupped his hands in that direction and said, "Senior, I can fight Eternals. Among the human race, I am by no means weak. Nowadays, few humans are stronger than me!" "Oh... then you really are weak. No wonder you said you've been wiped out nine times! How pathetic!" "..." *Damn!* *That really cuts deep!* Su Yu had no time for small talk and urgently said, "Senior, today humanity is once again besieged by the myriad races and faces the danger of extinction. Bearing the Time Book, the Tombstone of Civilization, and the Token of the Human Holy Lord, I sought out Senior King Wen's former residence in hopes of receiving King Wen's aid to save the human race..." "But Master isn't home!" The voice replied once more, "Did you say Master has gone missing?" *Master?* Su Yu's mind stirred, a vague idea taking shape. He asked gingerly, "Senior, if Senior King Wen is not at home, could you perhaps... lend a hand to assist humanity?" "Me?" "I can't. I'm very weak, and besides... I have to watch the house!" Along with the voice, Su Yu finally saw who had been speaking! At that moment, from within the ancient manor's courtyard, a chubby little white dog... yes, a plump, white puppy, waddled out of the house, swaying as it walked! The chubby little dog was snowy-white and roly-poly. Before Su Yu's dumbfounded gaze, it lifted its head and floated into the air, looking across the spacious courtyard at Su Yu outside. "Master isn't home. I have to watch the house for Master!" Su Yu swallowed hard. A dog? A dog that had lived for over a hundred thousand years? *Holy crap!* *What... what is going on here?* *It hasn't died even after all this time?* The little white dog wagged its tail. It didn't dislike Su Yu, as it had caught some familiar scents on him. Gazing at Su Yu with wide eyes, it said, "Hey, new human lord, did you hear what I said?" Su Yu snapped back to reality! Even if it was just a dog, it was King Wen's dog, bound to be formidable! Besides, after King Wen left, he had actually kept a dog to guard the house... That was even more frightening; it was very likely a top-tier powerhouse. "Senior..." Su Yu hurriedly said, "I heard you! But right now, humanity faces annihilation! King Wen is a sage of the human race; were he here, he would never sit idly by and watch humanity perish. Senior, I beg you to show mercy and save humanity... No one will trespass here; I can arrange people to guard Senior King Wen's residence!" The little white dog pondered, wagged its tail, and nodded. "If Master were home, he would definitely go save humanity! But Master hasn't come back in a very long time... Little Master hasn't come back in a long time either... Newcomer, you carry Little Master's scent on you. Have you seen Little Master?" "Little Master?" Su Yu paused, then suddenly realized. "The Time Master?" Just as he thought! The Time Master was indeed associated with King Wen, but... "Little Master"? What did that mean? Wasn't the Time Master King Wen's wife? Hesitating slightly, Su Yu looked at the tail-wagging puppy and asked tentatively, "Senior, are you referring to the Time Master?" "Time Master?" The little white dog thought for a moment and nodded. "Probably. I don't know what they call her outside. At home, I've always called her Little Master. Little Master left a long time ago too and hasn't returned... Have you seen her?" "No!" Su Yu answered quickly, "The Time Master disappeared long ago as well. I inherited her legacy, the Time Book! It was with the Time Book that I entered this place to seek King Wen's aid!" "The Time Book?" The little white dog thought again and asked, "Is that the book where a lot of food was stored?" "..." Su Yu's heart stirred. It made sense that this dog knew about it. While others might be clueless, this dog might genuinely know! Su Yu nodded. "That's the one!" Having said that, he looked at the little white dog with some uncertainty and asked cautiously once more, "Senior, could you leave this mountain to come to humanity's rescue? And... what is your cultivation level?" "Cultivation level?" The little white dog flicked its short tail, thought for a moment, and said, "Eternal? Probably!" Eternal? Su Yu frowned. *Only an Eternal!* Before Su Yu could speak, the little white dog added, "But I really can't leave! Since Master hasn't returned, I can't go. I have to watch the house!" The little white dog knew both its masters were human, but it had its own duty. While Master was away, it could not leave this place. It had to guard the home; that was its mission. Neither King Wen nor the Time Master had tasked it with saving humanity. It was merely a watchdog. Su Yu felt helpless for a moment. Even if this little white dog really went out, a single Eternal wouldn't change anything. Even an Eternal Ninth Stage couldn't turn the tide of the battle. Suppressing his frustration, Su Yu quickly asked, "Senior, did Senior King Wen or Senior Time Master leave behind any treasures? For instance, treasures capable of slaying Dao Harmonizers? If there are any, could you lend them to me for a time?" "Treasures to kill Dao Harmonizers?" The little white dog thought about it and shook its head. "Master and Little Master didn't keep treasures here. This is just a place to live—a place to eat, sleep, and read books. There are no treasures." Su Yu grew anxious. On top of his head, the little fur ball sprawled out, twitched its nose, and piped up, "Liar! There are treasures! I smell something delicious!" The little white dog seemed to notice it only now. After staring for a while, it looked curiously at the little fur ball. "Huh, I think I've seen you before... No, wait, you're so weak. Oh, oh, oh... I remember! A long time ago, Master brought back a creature just like you. I saw it!" "Doubao?" Su Yu ventured a guess. The little white dog nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, Doubao! Little Master was eating bean paste buns when she saw it, said it looked like a bean bun and wanted to eat it... So Master said, 'Then let's call it Doubao'..." *That's how Doubao got its name?* Su Yu sucked in a breath. *Little Master... that's the Time Master!* "Um... if I may ask, what relation is Lady Time Master to Lord King Wen?" "Little Master is Master's younger sister!" *Sister?* Su Yu's expression turned odd. *And here I thought she was his wife—turns out she's his sister?* The Time Master was actually King Wen's sister! *Holy shit!* Did anyone across the myriad realms know this? Wait, did the Human Sovereign and the others not know? Maybe... they did? Then between King Wen and the Time Master, who was stronger? Well, that wasn't important right now. At this moment, Su Yu was getting frantic. *Am I really going to leave empty-handed after coming all this way?* That would be a huge problem! Although he felt King Dazhou might have some contingency plans, the price paid might be immense. Now that he was effectively the Co-ruler of the Human Race and had managed with great difficulty to enter King Wen's former residence, he had to take something back with him, no matter what! "Senior, humanity truly stands on the brink of ruin! Billions of humans face mortal peril, and our race is on the verge of extermination... For the sake of King Wen and the Time Master, who were both humans, I implore Senior to save our race just this once!" The little white dog was utterly torn. "But... but I really can't leave! Before Little Master left, she told me to take good care of the house and not cause any trouble. She said she'd inspect everything when she gets back!" Saying that, the little white dog seemed to remember something and quickly dashed back into the main house. Moments later, it emerged carrying a watering can in its mouth, its voice ringing out, "I have to water the flowers. If I don't water them and they die, Little Master will punish me when she returns!" With that, it floated into the air and, holding the watering can in its jaws, began to water the flowers surrounding the manor! Su Yu... froze slightly. That watering can... looked like an armament! He looked closely. As an armamentsmith, he was intimately familiar with weapons. His eye twitched slightly. This was... a Heavenly Armament! Without a doubt! And the water... *Holy shit, that's not water, that's Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid?* *Could it be?* *It definitely is!* Su Yu's mind shook violently! What was Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid? It was a supreme treasure used by Sun Moon Realm powerhouses to expand and strengthen their apertures, the finest resource for Sun Moon cultivation and breakthrough. And these flowers were being watered with *this*? Before this, Su Yu had only smelled the floral fragrance without paying attention to what kind of flowers filled the valley. Now, he looked again. He observed them carefully! At a closer look, his heart pounded with shock. He took a sharp breath! These flowers all seemed to be treasures. He looked back at the little white dog. It was clutching the watering can in its mouth, sprinkling liquid everywhere while chattering, "Newcomer, is humanity in danger? Then there's nothing I can do to save you... How about you hide here? No one else can get in. If you hide here, you'll be safe!" Su Yu gave a wry smile. "Senior, I am the Co-ruler of the Human Race. If I hide... humanity is finished!" "Oh..." The little white dog felt torn too, but that didn't stop it from watering the flowers. It said as it watered, "Then your enemies must not be very strong, right? You're so weak, yet you get to be the Co-ruler, and you said hardly anyone is stronger than you. Doesn't that mean your enemies are also very weak? If they're weak... maybe there's a way." "Weak?" Su Yu explained, "They aren't weak. The enemy has many experts in the Dao Harmonization Realm!" The little white dog continued watering the flowers while saying, "Then they really aren't weak! Dao Harmonization is very formidable! What Daos have they harmonized with, and how many Daos did they harmonize? In that case, even if I could go out, I couldn't beat them! I've only opened one Dao, and it's very small. Compared to Master and the others, it's not even worth looking at... I haven't opened it very far yet. Newcomer, I wouldn't be a match for them either!" Su Yu froze. *Opening a Dao?* *This dog opened a Dao of its own?* While he was lost in thought, the little white dog finished watering across the area. It soon returned the watering can to the main house, thought for a moment, and trotted over to the front gate of the courtyard. Pushing open the wooden gate, it said, "Newcomer, Master isn't home, but you can come in. You can only sit in the courtyard, though. Master isn't home, so you can't go inside the house!" Su Yu's gaze flickered; the dog was unexpectedly hospitable. After a brief hesitation, he stepped toward the courtyard. The little white dog wagged its tail in welcome and quickly dashed back into the main house, calling out, "Make yourself comfortable! I'll pour you some tea. Master still has some good tea leaves left. Since you're here, you're Master's guest. Even though you can't go inside the house, Master won't mind if you have a cup of tea..." Without saying a word, Su Yu walked over to the stone table in the courtyard and sat on a stone stool. The courtyard was spotless. It had clearly been swept regularly and didn't look abandoned in the slightest; this little white dog probably cleaned it every day. The courtyard was paved with smooth, clean bluestone, bordered by flowering plants and herbs. Beside the stone table stood an exceptionally tall ancient tree whose broad canopy cast a pleasant shade—an ideal spot for sipping tea and conversing. Yet Su Yu's eyes flickered continuously with shock. This ancient tree... was a supreme treasure! Undoubtedly! It gave off an intensely dense Heaven Yuan Qi, faintly laced with the ripples of rule power. Had this tree achieved sentience? And the stone table, having been nurtured by Yuan Qi over countless ages—when Su Yu looked closer, he drew in another sharp breath. *Could this stone table... have become a Divine Armament?* His immediate impression was that it was even more formidable than a Heavenly Armament! His heart pounded wildly! Entering King Wen's former residence today, even though he couldn't enter the main house, merely taking in the surroundings filled him with profound shock. Was this what the dwelling of King Wen and the Time Master was like? As he was thinking, the little white dog emerged. It carried a tea tray in its mouth, upon which sat a teapot and two teacups. The little white dog expertly set the tray down on the table. It seemed to have no desire or intention of taking human form, carrying everything in its jaws. Skillfully holding the teapot by its mouth, it filled both cups and said, "Have some tea, you two!" Su Yu hadn't originally been in the mood for tea, but as the aroma wafted into his senses, he felt instantly refreshed and invigorated. With a slight stir in his heart, he picked up a cup and smiled. "Thank you, Senior!" "You're welcome!" As for the little fur ball, usually a terribly picky eater, it swooped down in a flash, plopped itself right in front of the other teacup, and stuck out its tiny tongue to lap up a drop. The next instant, a faint golden radiance spilled from its body. Stunned, Su Yu raised his cup and took a gentle sip! The moment the tea touched his tongue, Su Yu felt the blood and qi throughout his entire body surge! From his brutal battles outside, his physical body had been damaged. Even after absorbing countless treasures, lingering injuries remained. But now, black blood was forced out through his pores. Newly formed flesh and blood were strengthened at an astonishing rate. Just a single sip of tea! Su Yu possessed many treasures for physical recovery, including the lotus root of the Laughing Lotus. But as his physical strength grew to match that of a high-stage Eternal, the efficacy of the Laughing Lotus root had drastically diminished! What kind of tea was this? To think it could heal him so effectively—this was a supreme treasure! Awestruck, Su Yu asked, "Senior, what tea is this?" The little white dog replied, "This tea... it tastes very good! Usually, it's only brought out when guests arrive. It comes from a tea tree that Master and Little Master planted inside the River of Time... It can only be harvested once every many years." As for what specific variety it was, it was homegrown, so it didn't really have a name. Su Yu fell into a daze. *Planted inside the River of Time!* *These two siblings are utterly terrifying!* While everyone else feared the River of Time beyond measure, those two built a house and grew tea inside it, treating the River of Time as their own backyard! Su Yu said nothing more and took another sip. With this second sip, the sensation shifted. His sea of will began to churn continuously. Su Yu's willpower had already reached the Shanhai Ninth Tier, and among his thirty divine characters, several had advanced to the Sun Moon divine character tier, though most remained at the Shanhai tier. Now, with this mouthful of tea, an intensely concentrated, pure burst of willpower erupted within his sea of will. As if beholding an ultimate treasure, the divine characters swarmed eagerly toward the erupting willpower. A divine character plunged into that pool of pure willpower, and in an instant, it began to advance! Yes, advancing! With just that single mouthful of tea, a divine character broke through! It was the Fire of Inheritance! Su Yu had wanted to upgrade this character for a while, but had lacked the opportunity, having prioritized characters he used more frequently. Now, the Fire of Inheritance seized the initiative, devouring vast amounts of refined willpower and advancing toward the Sun Moon tier! Moreover, within that pure willpower, Su Yu faintly sensed the presence of rule power! This wasn't mere willpower! Otherwise, the divine character could never advance so quickly! Shock rippled through Su Yu's heart once more. *A supreme treasure!* *Damn!* *Everything in King Wen's domain is a treasure!* And this was just a single cup of tea! He wasted no more time, drinking the tea steadily. Gush after gush of willpower and Yuan Qi surged forth, nourishing his flesh and enriching his sea of will. Su Yu was completely immersed! One divine character after another advanced to the Sun Moon tier! His entire sea of will expanded, swelled, and strengthened. His 360 divine apertures absorbed that energy as well; previously merged into nine divine apertures, those nine apertures hovering above his sea of will now showed signs of converging together. This was the precursor to stepping into the Sun Moon Realm! Opposite Su Yu, the little fur ball seemed intoxicated, wobbling unsteadily as copious golden light radiated from its body. Moments later, the golden glow reached dazzling brilliance! In the blink of an eye, the little fur ball's aura transformed! The fur ball had broken through to the Shanhai Realm some time ago—well, from Su Yu's perspective, though in reality it hadn't been that long. However, because the fur ball had rarely been useful in major battles, Su Yu had largely overlooked its strength. Now, it was actually advancing to the Sun Moon Realm! The commotion snapped Su Yu to attention in an instant! He opened his eyes and looked at the fur ball. It seemed drunk, tottering around with sheer bliss in its eyes. Its aura grew steadily stronger before stabilizing, appearing to have firmly stepped into the Sun Moon Realm. Yet previously, whenever it reached a higher realm, rule rewards would descend. This time, there were none. Had it broken through or not? It had indeed broken through! Recovering its senses, it looked at Su Yu and cheered in delight, "So tasty, so sweet, so good! Smells so nice! I reached Sun Moon!" Su Yu frowned slightly. "No rule reward?" Nearby, the little white dog asked curiously, "What rule reward?" Su Yu hastily explained, "Under normal circumstances, when geniuses break through, the rules bestow rewards..." "Oh!" The little white dog seemed to understand. "There's nothing like that here. Rule rewards... rule punishments... I think I've heard of them. Aren't those things established by Master and the others? This place is not bound by the rules!" Su Yu understood immediately! Right! The rules had been established by King Wen and his peers, so why would their private domain be subject to them? This place likely blocked all rules automatically! No wonder! By now, many of Su Yu's divine characters had advanced, most reaching the Sun Moon tier. Yet if that was all, a pot of tea could not solve the crisis. Even if all thirty of his divine characters reached the Sun Moon tier, his willpower fully entered the Sun Moon Realm, and his willpower became a match for an Eternal First or Second Stage, that would merely be impressive. What good would that do? Treasures were not what Su Yu truly needed. He didn't lack ordinary ones—though he was certainly short on items of this caliber that he desired. What Su Yu lacked most of all was a means to deal with Dao Harmonizers! Without a way to counter Dao Harmonizers, even if his strength increased a bit more, it would be of little use. Su Yu took a deep breath, looked at the little white dog, and said earnestly, "Senior, is there truly no way at all?" The little white dog looked at him and said with conflict, "Dealing with Dao Harmonizers... and there are many of them... That's very troublesome! If Master were here, of course it wouldn't be an issue, but Master isn't here, so I can't..." Then it added, "Tell me more about the exact situation. I'll try to think of something. If I can't, I'll go ask someone else..." Su Yu was stunned. "Senior, there's someone else here?" "No, there isn't." "Then who... will you ask?" The little white dog explained, "Ask the tea tree! Didn't you just drink its tea? The tea tree has developed a spirit too. I can ask it; it has the power to enlighten and awaken wisdom. If it doesn't know, I'll ask the Book Spirit! The *Classic of Ten Thousand Daos* written by Master also birthed a spirit after Little Master left. It knows much more than I do!" Su Yu was flabbergasted. There were two other beings here! Or rather, spirits born of heaven and earth. Such beings weren't entirely uncommon. There were many in the Spirit race, the Five Elements race counted as well, and the Warden of Heaven had attained the Dao from some Spirit of Luck. Even the God-Devouring race, if they attained the Dao through rules, could be considered spirits of a sort. And here, there were two more! The little white dog was a living creature, while the other two were spirits of heaven and earth! One was a tea tree that had attained the Dao, and the other was a Book Spirit. The *Classic of Ten Thousand Daos*! That was what occupied Su Yu's thoughts. A book written by King Wen? Was this book... powerful? Could he read it? Suppressing his wandering thoughts, Su Yu quickly recounted humanity's current plight, including the enemies they faced and humanity's dire circumstances. He painted an even bleaker picture, stopping just short of claiming the Human Realm was about to fall at any second! Even winning some sympathy would help! If nothing else, taking the little white dog, the Book Spirit, and the tea tree outside should be equivalent to three Eternals, right? That wouldn't be bad either! The little white dog listened quite attentively. After a while, it remarked, "Oh my, that really is miserable! Even the dragons and phoenixes are attacking humanity? Those two races used to be very obedient. Little Master killed lots of them and brought them back to eat, so many that we threw up..." Ate them... until they threw up? The corners of Su Yu's mouth twitched. How many dragons and phoenixes had the Time Master slaughtered to eat until she vomited? If the Dragon and Phoenix races heard this, they would probably explode with rage. Just as Su Yu assumed it was the Time Master who had thrown up, the little white dog added, "I never want to eat dragon or phoenix again in my life. I threw up so many times! Every time I ate them, I got so sick of them that I didn't want any meat at all. Little Master kept insisting I eat more so I'd grow big enough for her to ride. I can actually grow bigger on my own, but she insisted I had to grow naturally..." "..." *Holy hell!* *So it was you who ate until you puked?* *Not the Time Master!* Su Yu could easily picture it: the Time Master slaughtering a mountain of dragons and phoenixes and bringing them back to feed the little white dog, which hated the taste and ate until it threw up, growing more and more nauseated... Looking at the little white dog, it was indeed very small, roughly the size of a one- or two-year-old infant. There was certainly no way to ride it. Was the Time Master planning to ride a dog across the heavens? The little white dog continued, "You said you're also the city lord of those ancient cities suppressing the dead spirit passages, and that you have to bear a lot of death qi, right?" "Yes. Once I can no longer bear it, the guardians will be forced to withdraw from the battle..." Saying so, Su Yu revealed his death qi. Even here, he could still sense the death qi; the connection had not been severed. The little white dog immediately spat a mouthful of saliva. In an instant, every trace of death qi on Su Yu vanished. The dog said hurriedly, "Death qi ruins the environment! Don't bring out death qi here. If the flowers and plants die, Little Master will punish me when she comes back!" Su Yu, meanwhile, was completely dumbstruck. He hadn't had time to defend or resist. The death qi on him, dense to the absolute extreme, had only just been released before it was extinguished in a flash by the little white dog's spit! And right now, droplets of the dog's spit still lingered on him. It seemed even more potent than the tea. Su Yu suddenly realized that his 360 Yuan apertures were frantically absorbing this saliva! Faintly, he felt this stuff was even more effective than the Emperor Saliva he had collected before! Dazed, Su Yu stared blankly. *What cultivation level does this dog have?* An Eternal? Which stage of Eternal? When that mouthful of spit came flying, Su Yu had possessed zero awareness of defense and hadn't prepared at all! What was more, the death qi had been so dense that Su Yu had been struggling to endure it, yet in an instant... the death qi was virtually gone! Now it was only beginning to accumulate anew, and the crushing pressure from before had vanished in a flash! Under these circumstances, Su Yu felt he could hold out for a very long time. The little white dog didn't care about any of that and simply continued, "Don't release death qi anymore! Also, you have lots of death qi inside your Heavenly Gate aperture. You'd better clear it out quickly, or you'll turn into a dead spirit..." Su Yu gasped in horror, "Senior can see that?" The little white dog nodded. "I didn't notice earlier, but once you released the death qi, I paid attention and saw it! So much death qi! There's even a thread connected to it. Were you converted by a dead spirit?" "..." Xingyue's dead spirit channel! Su Yu himself didn't even know where that channel was located, yet the little white dog could see it! The little white dog added, "Do you want that thread severed? I can cut it for you..." "No need for now!" Su Yu sucked in a breath. *This dog... something isn't right!* Hesitantly, he asked, "Senior, which stage of Eternal are you?" "Stage?" The little white dog blinked. "What stage of Eternal? Eternal is just Eternal! Being Eternal means opening a Dao. Once you open a Dao, you are an Eternal. When that Dao can attach to the heavens, that becomes a rule!" Su Yu pressed hastily, "Then Dao Harmonization also belongs to the Eternal Realm. Is Senior in the Dao Harmonization Realm?" "Dao Harmonization is Dao Harmonization!" The little white dog explained, "Eternal is Eternal, and Dao Harmonization is Dao Harmonization! They're different! An Eternal opens their own Dao! Dao Harmonization is merging with someone else's Dao—when you merge to a certain degree, that's Dao Harmonization! Eternal and Dao Harmonization aren't the same. Didn't you know that?" "..." Su Yu drew a sharp breath. He understood now: the little white dog's definitions were different from his! In its eyes, "Eternal" meant blazing one's own path, while following someone else's path was called "Dao Harmonization"! So when the little white dog claimed to be an Eternal... its actual combat strength might be at the Dao Harmonization level? Su Yu quickly asked, "Then what do you call the realm of following someone else's path without reaching that stage, only merging slightly?" "Oh, that's called Dao Merging!" The little white dog explained, "That means beginning to merge with a Grand Dao. Once Dao Merging reaches a certain level, it's called Dao Harmonization... Beyond Dao Harmonization, they're actually the same, both meaning you've mastered rules!" Whether Eternal or Dao Merging, it was merely a difference in path: one borrowed a hen to lay eggs, while the other laid eggs itself. The end result was identical—wielding the power of rules. "Then Senior, has your Dao opening reached a point comparable to Dao Harmonization?" Su Yu probed carefully. The little white dog thought for a moment and said, "About so! But there are too many Dao Harmonizers. Even if I went out, I couldn't beat them all. You said there were a lot!" Su Yu's heart leaped! *Holy hell, you said you were an Eternal, and I thought you were just an ordinary Eternal—turns out, by current standards, you're a Dao Harmonizer too!* Here was a Dao Harmonization-level existence who had opened its own Dao! At this moment, Su Yu was sorely tempted. *I have to sweet-talk it! I have to coax it into leaving!* What about the tea tree? What about the Book Spirit? If they were all like this, wouldn't that make... three Dao Harmonizers? If three more Dao Harmonization-tier powerhouses joined the fray, this war could definitely be fought! An opportunity! Su Yu's thoughts raced. Needless to say, if he could coax these three into heading outside today, any crisis could be resolved! *I have to coax them!* *But how do I trick it?* *I'm in such a rush!* The little white dog insisted on watching the house and refused to leave. *This is so tough!* Meanwhile, the little white dog looked at him curiously and remarked, "Stop darting your eyes around! One look and anyone can tell you're trying to trick someone—it's way too obvious! Newcomer, are you trying to steal Master's things?" "..." Su Yu was embarrassed. *Was it really that obvious?* *I thought I was being pretty discreet!* "Senior, humanity truly is on the verge of destruction. Once humanity falls, the myriad races will surely invade. If they invade, they'll destroy King Wen and the Time Master's home! Senior, why don't you come out with me, slaughter the powerhouses of the myriad races, and then come back to guard the house..." "Don't try to fool me! That's impossible—they can't get in!" The little white dog shook its head. How could that be possible? "You only got in because you had Little Master's book. Otherwise, you couldn't have entered either!" Who was he trying to fool? Invade here? Completely impossible! Su Yu felt increasingly helpless. *Just how on earth am I supposed to coax this dog out?!*