Transformation of the Iron-Eaters

Xia Longwu was thinking about playing mediator, but Su Yu had no such intention. It was best not to meddle in the business between King Miecan and Lan Tian. With King Miecan's attitude, would he really kill Lan Tian? For all anyone knew, old feelings might still linger. Outsiders had better stay out of it; otherwise, they would only end up offending both sides and getting blamed by everyone. This time, Su Yu hadn't stepped out of the Human Realm for trivial matters like that. His priority was to visit the Dao Integration experts of the allied races. In the recent great battle, the Iron-Eaters, the Ancient Hou, the Space Ancient Beasts, the Archaic Giants, and the two furballs had all put in tremendous effort. Many enemy powerhouses had been slain, yet those allies hadn't taken any spoils of war, and each race had suffered losses to varying degrees. Paying them a visit to foster goodwill and cultivate ties was absolutely essential. He couldn't act as if the human race didn't take them seriously. Even if King Dazhou had secretly reached some private agreements with them, that had nothing to do with Su Yu—Su Yu was the Human Lord! Connections built by subordinates like King Dazhou still had to be consolidated by Su Yu himself. Transforming King Dazhou's connections into his own was the proper path. No Human Lord would let their subordinates cozy up to other races while remaining detached themselves. Indeed, Su Yu simply did not trust King Dazhou. It was not that he feared King Dazhou would undermine the human race; rather, he worried the man might undermine him. Right now, the human race needed Su Yu, so King Dazhou lowered his head and acted as a dutiful subordinate. But what about the day they no longer needed him? Or what if someone descended from the Upper Realm whom King Dazhou considered more suited to be the Human Lord than Su Yu? Or even worse, what if King Dazhou had been the underling of a past Human Lord and was merely biding his time, waiting for his old master to return? Anything was possible. Therefore, when it came to relationships, it was best to reinforce them in person! …… His first stop was the Iron-Eating Beast Realm. Su Yu was in no rush to visit the God-Devouring ancient race. He already considered that place his home turf and had been there once before, whereas he had never set foot in the Iron-Eating Beast Realm. From far away, Su Yu donned his crown and released his destiny's power, proactively verifying his identity. Draped in the golden robe of the Human Lord, he radiated an aura that was powerful yet gentle and filled with goodwill. Halting nearly a hundred li from the Iron-Eating Beast Realm, Su Yu projected his voice clearly: "Su Yu of the human race has come to pay respects to His Majesty, the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor!" The sound resonated through the void! A moment later, an enormous ancient Iron-Eating Beast emerged at the realm passage. Looking at Su Yu, it spoke with simple honesty, "Please wait a moment, Human Lord. I have already informed our Emperor. His Majesty previously stated that he would welcome you in person..." This was partly out of courtesy and partly out of caution, just in case. Su Yu smiled and called out, "His Majesty the Beast Emperor is far too courteous!" Opposite him, the massive Iron-Eating Beast chuckled innocently without saying much more. After a short while, the passage glowed brightly. In the blink of an eye, seven or eight colossal Iron-Eating Beasts appeared. This time, Su Yu recognized the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor—not by his size, but because it wasn't wartime, and he wore a massive imperial crown atop his head. He looked... somewhat adorable. Su Yu chuckled. On the other side, the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor laughed heartily and said, "Forgive our lack of hospitality upon your arrival, Human Lord. Please, enter!" Su Yu stepped forward across the void! In an instant, he appeared before the gathered Iron-Eating Beasts. The Beast Emperor cleared the way at the entrance to the passage and smiled warmly. "Please!" At this moment, the seven or eight experts beside the Beast Emperor all looked toward Su Yu. Did Su Yu... dare to enter? Although humans were not subject to realm suppression, once inside the realm, the Beast Emperor would be far stronger, and this race possessed over a dozen Invincible-tier Iron-Eating Beasts. Su Yu seemed to have come completely alone. Even if he hadn't, experts from other races would still suffer suppression. Did Su Yu dare step inside? Without hesitation, Su Yu strode right in. Seeing this, the Beast Emperor followed alongside him, chuckling amiably. "The Human Lord's trust honors our race. Even so, you must remain cautious; entering another race's realm rashly carries inherent risks." Seeing Su Yu enter certainly made the Emperor feel trusted. Yet at the same time, he worried Su Yu was being too careless. If the Human Lord were ambushed and killed inside a minor realm, it would easily cause the entire alliance to collapse. The moment Su Yu died, many of the Dao Integration experts who had joined the recent battle would likely withdraw from the alliance—such as the Old Turtle. Su Yu smiled. "Your Majesty's concern is appreciated. I wouldn't enter an ordinary realm, and even if I did, I wouldn't do so with great fanfare! Besides, if real trouble arose, rest assured, Your Majesty, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve!" "That is true!" The Beast Emperor chuckled warmly. "The Human Lord commands countless methods. If an ordinary Dao Integration expert encountered you alone, they probably wouldn't dare make a reckless move against you either!" Su Yu nodded. By now, they had cleared the passage. Taking in the surroundings, Su Yu couldn't help but smile. This realm was filled with towering mountains and lush peaks, brimming with origin qi. Gigantic emerald-green bamboo grew abundantly everywhere throughout the realm. Faintly visible among the mountain ranges were many smaller Iron-Eating Beasts. This was Su Yu's first time stepping into a foreign minor realm! He sighed with genuine emotion. "This is my first time entering another realm. My rise happened so quickly. I originally wanted to take time to travel through the various realms. They say traveling the worlds helps broaden one's knowledge, widen one's horizons, and improve oneself... Unfortunately, I've never had the time!" Beside him, the Beast Emperor sighed appreciatively. "That is only because the Human Lord's talent is so extraordinary that you surpassed what countless beings accomplish in a lifetime in just a short span." Su Yu smiled. Suddenly, he closed his eyes and quietly began to comprehend his surroundings. The Beast Emperor felt a twinge of curiosity and doubt, but he refrained from interrupting. Su Yu wasn't putting on an act. He was genuinely experiencing a realization! Back when he was weak, he had heard that human experts loved traveling across the various realms, touring them in secret—not just to kill, but sometimes staying in small realms for extended periods. At this moment, Su Yu sensed something different. Realm suppression... Yes, every realm exerted some degree of suppression, except the Human Realm, and among all races, only humans were exempt from suppression! When humans entered other realms, there was no suppression. Where had that suppression gone? Right now, with the Fire of Inheritance burning bright, Su Yu's mind was crystal clear. Quietly observing, he realized that the instant he entered, a force had indeed seemed to suppress him, but almost immediately, that suppressive force had vanished! How had it vanished? It seemed to have been neutralized by another power! *Rules... Great Daos...* Su Yu muttered to himself inwardly. A realm's suppressive force had to be a Great Dao—likely the Dao belonging to the native race, or perhaps the conventional Dao they had integrated into. The power of that Dao was extraordinarily distinct and dense in this realm. Su Yu could sense that the Beast Emperor beside him was resonating with that Great Dao right now! Inside this realm, the Emperor's combat strength was undoubtedly higher than outside. That was because he was closer to their own native Dao here. Su Yu grew pensive. The Human Realm lacked suppression... Was that absence intended to make it convenient for the myriad races to pay homage, or did ancient human experts believe humanity needed to embrace all rivers and not bind itself to integrating a single Dao forever? If one rule of the Great Dao permanently pervaded the human race, human powerhouses would gradually gravitate toward sensing and integrating that single Dao. It might make them powerful initially, but over time, they might gradually weaken. Su Yu began sensing the Dao of the Iron-Eating race. Their greatest strength lay in their physical bodies. Did that mean their Dao was also a physical Dao? Of course, it was not necessarily the same physical Dao that belonged to humanity. As he observed and experienced it, divine characters pulsed and vibrated within him. Beside him, the group of Iron-Eating Beasts looked at Su Yu with odd expressions, then glanced back at their Emperor as if asking, *What is he doing?* The Beast Emperor also stared at Su Yu with a naive, blank look. What was this man comprehending? He himself couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary. He had lived in this realm for countless ages and had never noticed anything special or experienced any grand epiphany here. …… *The Iron-Eating race possesses three innate skills. The Iron-Eating Seventy-Two Castings isn't a cultivation technique, but an innate skill! In addition, there are Devouring the Void and Heaven-Shaking Strike.* *An innate skill represents a rule, a Great Dao. That means the Iron-Eating race ought to control the power of three Great Daos!* *Yet right now, I sense that most Iron-Eating Beasts are cultivating either the Dao of Heaven-Shaking Strike or the Dao of the Iron-Eating Seventy-Two Castings. Hardly any of them walk the Dao of Devouring the Void.* Su Yu pondered this. He had almost never seen an Iron-Eating Beast use that innate skill. What did that signify? It meant this race had either abandoned that Dao, failed to discover it, or the Dao had been damaged, preventing them from attaining Dao Integration through it. All three Daos should have been conventional paths for the ancient Iron-Eating race. The rule power of this Dao was still buried within their bloodline. Realizing this made Su Yu appreciate the power of the Time Book even more. *Devouring the Void...* The name sounded formidable, yet practically none of them used it. Why was that? Had someone sealed it away? Perhaps the secret lay within this minor realm. Even if some Iron-Eating Beasts possessed such an innate skill, they might not have unlocked it or even realized it existed. Su Yu opened his eyes, looked at the Beast Emperor, and asked, "Your Majesty, is your race skilled in the Dao of Devouring?" The Beast Emperor's expression turned slightly peculiar. "We were, but no longer. Our records state that in the ancient era, our race had many top powerhouses proficient in the Dao of Devouring, capable of swallowing all things! After the ancient era, they became rare. Today, some young ones might manage a bit of devouring, but only through extremely crude methods... It works for eating food, but devouring enemies is out of the question!" Su Yu nodded slightly. "The Dao of Devouring should have been a path to Dao Integration for your race! However, I wonder if that Dao still exists..." With that, Su Yu smiled and asked, "Would any senior be willing to lend me two drops of blood essence?" The surrounding Iron-Eating Beasts exchanged odd looks. Two drops? That was quite a lot! Su Yu added with a smile, "Preferably Eternal Realm blood essence. It doesn't have to be from the same individual; two seniors giving one drop each works too!" Before the Beast Emperor could speak, a chubby Iron-Eating Beast beside him asked in a deep, naive voice, "I can lend it to you, but will the Human Lord return it?" Su Yu chuckled. "I won't return the blood, but I can repay you with other treasures. Would you be willing?" "Food?" Su Yu grinned and brought out an enormous dragon tail. "Will you eat this?" The Beast Emperor drew in a sharp breath. "The Dragon Emperor's?" "Yes..." The moment the word left Su Yu's mouth, two drops of blood essence floated before him. The chubby beast, which had seemed slow and clumsy moments before, had appeared right in front of him in a flash. With the two drops suspended in the air, it hugged the colossal dragon tail and asked innocently, "Is it mine now?" "..." The Beast Emperor was speechless! Su Yu laughed. "Of course. Might I ask senior's title?" "You can just call me Jiu Yue's dad!" "..." The chubby beast chuckled warmly. "Or call me Ba Yue. My father was Qi Yue, but he died long ago. Our lineage runs from Yi Yue to Jiu Yue..." Su Yu coughed lightly. Really? What a straightforward naming convention! Clear at a glance! No wonder Jiu Yue was named Jiu Yue—so that was the origin. The Beast Emperor gave a dry cough and said, "I am Liu Yue!" "..." So... you're his grandfather? And Jiu Yue is your great-grandson? Fair enough! Su Yu understood now. The Beast Emperor's lineage was formidable indeed, having produced so many powerhouses. Jiu Yue was strong in his own right, though there was a gap where Qi Yue had fallen. As he was thinking, the Beast Emperor continued, "Qi Yue died in the previous tide." He looked at Su Yu, the naive expression on his face fading somewhat. "During the last tide, the Hundred Battles King rose to prominence among humanity. Our race originally intended to aid him, and Qi Yue went to the Human Realm on my orders to join the war... Just three days after arriving, he was killed!" It had happened long ago, so the Emperor wasn't overwhelmed with grief, merely wistful. "And so... I gave up! Back then, humanity flourished, and the Hundred Battles King and his peers were immensely powerful. Yet... every major battle that mighty king fought resulted in heavy casualties! Non-human allies suffered especially severe losses. Whenever a major war erupted, half the human forces died, and half the non-human forces died... Humanity had an abundance of powerhouses, but we did not!" The Beast Emperor shook his head. "It was not that we feared death, but rather that we hoped the Hundred Battles King would minimize losses in smaller engagements. He was undeniably powerful, but he possessed a glaring flaw: he always wanted to gather all might unto himself, turning the tide single-handedly! In every battle, he charged at the vanguard. He was an exceptional general, but not a good Human Lord... Once engaged in battle, he fought with utter frenzy, completely heedless of how many others were dying around him..." He looked at Su Yu once more. "Your race's King Daqin resembled him greatly at first! He improved later, but we were still afraid..." He stated solemnly, "That is why during King Daqin's era, our Iron-Eating race refused to support him!" It was simple: once war broke out, figures like King Daqin fought too ruthlessly. By throwing themselves into the thick of it, they caused massive casualties among their own allies. That was something the Iron-Eating race could not accept. Back then, the Beast Emperor had dispatched his own son to battle as proof of his sincerity and commitment to the alliance. The crown prince of the Iron-Eating race had gone to the front lines, only to die in three days! Under such circumstances, how could he dare go all-in again? He didn't dare! If even the son of a Dao Integration expert died within three days of joining the fray, what hope was there that the Hundred Battles King would protect the other Invincibles of their race? If they committed fully, their race might face extinction before long! Hearing this, Su Yu felt somewhat surprised. He asked, "Then why did Your Majesty choose to help me?" Su Yu smiled faintly. "I don't seem particularly reliable either." The Beast Emperor gave a simple smile. "You are different! Since your rise, very few of the people around you or the mounts you subdued have fallen in battle! You also prefer fighting personally, yet when you do, nine times out of ten, you emerge victorious! More than that... you possess something the Hundred Battles King lacked... such as fairness." "Fairness?" Su Yu was startled. Did he? The Beast Emperor chuckled. "The fairness I speak of is defined by your perspective and toward those close to you! You have a standard for all things: only those who support you are your people. Those who do not—even if they are fellow humans—are not your people!" "Let me put it this way..." The Beast Emperor pondered for a moment before continuing, "Take the God-Devouring race or Tianmie and his peers. In your eyes, aren't they far more trustworthy than people like King Dazhou?" Su Yu considered it and nodded slightly. The Beast Emperor smiled. "Now suppose danger struck both sides at once. On one side are Tianmie and his companions; on the other are several human Eternals you don't know well. You can only save one side. Whom would you save?" Su Yu thought it over for a long while before replying, "Hard to say. It would depend on who was in greater peril. Of course, unless those human Eternals were truly irreplaceable, in all likelihood, I'd choose Tianmie and the others. I faced a similar situation before, and I chose to rescue the sons of King Daqin and the others instead of rushing to save my own teachers..." "Precisely!" The Beast Emperor smiled. "Your choice depends partly on closeness, and partly on strategic value and necessity... The Hundred Battles King would never do that. He looked solely at whether someone was human or non-human! That comes down to a matter of perspective... or rather..." The Emperor organized his thoughts before saying, "The Hundred Battles King was different from you. From the moment he rose, the human race supported him with everything they had. Consequently, he was fiercely protective of humanity! If a human Sun Moon and an allied foreign Eternal were in danger at the same time, if he had the power to save someone, he would save the human first. Unless he had spare strength, he wouldn't save the non-human." At this moment, Su Yu understood completely. He laughed. "I see! That's only natural; our life paths were different! If humanity had supported me with everything from the very beginning, treating me like a beloved son while I was still in the Soaring Realm, and if human Invincibles had fought to the death for me when I was in peril at the ancient city... I would feel that same loyalty toward them! I could do without foreign allies, but I couldn't do without human support! The Hundred Battles King wasn't necessarily wrong; we simply had different upbringings and experienced different things!" Su Yu continued with a smile, "Back when I faced my first crisis in Tianmie Ancient City and my second in Xinghong Ancient City, very few came to my rescue. Only King Daxia, King Daming, and a few others were willing to risk their lives for me. So if human experts are in danger, I will naturally save King Daxia and King Daming first... It's only human nature!" The Beast Emperor nodded. "That is why we chose you! At critical junctures, I fought on your behalf twice! I trust the Human Lord remembers that, yes?" Su Yu smiled and nodded. "Naturally!" "Then our choice was only logical!" The Beast Emperor said, "I don't want my choices or our participation in war to turn my race into cannon fodder for humanity; that is not an outcome I wish to see! I aid humanity partly due to ancient pacts, partly because the myriad races are wary of ancient races like ours that are friendly toward humans, and partly because, compared to humanity, I fear the Immortals, Demons, and Gods becoming masters of the myriad realms even more... Our race lacks the strength and foundation to rule. Thus, I choose humanity—but not in every tide..." He looked at Su Yu again. "In the previous nine tides, the nine Human Lords were nearly identical! They all grew up protected within the human race. You alone are different; you rose from the outside!" "The other nine Human Lords all rose from within, likely because surviving human experts from previous tides sheltered them. In every tide, surviving experts selected several geniuses from the start, groomed them, and ultimately saw one become the Human Lord. You were not like them!" Su Yu had risen from the outside inward. He had first established himself as the overlord of the ancient cities, carving out a foothold across the heavens, before returning to humanity to take the reins of supreme power. Now, Su Yu gained a deeper understanding of the past nine tides. It turned out the previous Human Lords were fundamentally different from him. Their positions had been predetermined from within! Chosen from a handful of groomed candidates! Indeed, had it not been for him, according to King Dazhou, the Human Lord would likely have been Xia Longwu, Zhu Tianfang, or Qin Zhen—one of those designated candidates. Such figures would naturally prioritize humanity above all else. In war, humanity would come first, and allied races second; that was expected. Understanding this, Su Yu smiled and said, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. In my eyes, only those who support me are my friends... Anyone who opposes me, human or non-human, is an enemy! I have no need for excessive opinions. Call me opinionated or selfish—I admit it, and I don't care! I want only one thing: when I speak, you listen; when I finish speaking, you execute!" Maintaining his smile, Su Yu continued, "If I tell you to attack Tiangu, do not attack Jiwu instead. Even if attacking Tiangu is far more dangerous, you must obey! I don't need you to negotiate with me about the danger... That is not your concern! I will weigh the costs and benefits myself. You may offer suggestions... but whether I listen to them is entirely up to me!" "Overbearing!" The Beast Emperor laughed. "The Human Lord's words are exceptionally domineering!" Domineering enough to serve as a veiled warning... No, it was practically an outright declaration! Su Yu didn't mind. Absorbing the blood essence, he smiled and said, "Domineering or selfish, none of that matters! Across humanity, the ancient cities, and the Sacred Lands, I require only one will: I command, you act! If someone else commands, you report to me; only if I approve may you proceed!" With meaningful emphasis, Su Yu added, "Whether it is the Iron-Eating race or the Archaic Giant race, some may not have been contacted by me or rallied for my sake... However, right now, humanity speaks with only one voice! Even if the ancient era returns, I expect that voice to remain singular!" The Beast Emperor stared at Su Yu. Beside him, the Invincibles of the Iron-Eating race all turned their gaze toward Su Yu as well. The message was unmistakable! If you want an alliance, you ally with one person alone. Not the human race, not King Dazhou, not King Daqin—only Su Yu! The Beast Emperor's eyes flickered as he sank into thought. After a long silence, he suddenly said, "Then the Iron-Eating race allies with Sacred Lord Emperor Yu, not... the Human Lord!" There could be countless Human Lords throughout history, but there was only one Sacred Lord Emperor Yu—Su Yu! Su Yu smiled, a radiant grin spreading across his face. At that moment, he suddenly threw a punch forward. The void cracked open, and Su Yu opened his mouth wide, swallowing the fractured space in a single gulp! Faintly, a Great Dao manifested. Naturally, not just anyone could see it, but in that instant, the group of Iron-Eating Beasts all seemed to sense something. Having devoured Ba Yue's blood essence, Su Yu used Ba Yue's power to unlock a Dao! The Dao of Devouring! The Dao of Devouring belonging to their race! Su Yu smiled. "Your race has another Dao. It doesn't seem to have disappeared, but rather... feels like it was sealed away!" Su Yu unleashed the power of devouring once more! Devouring the Void! An innate skill! Within this realm, the innate skill of Devouring the Void became markedly more distinct and potent! Su Yu chuckled softly. "Interesting! It seems the Iron-Eating race may soon have another Dao to choose from!" The devouring force grew increasingly powerful! The Daos borrowed through the Time Book were normally those collected by the Time Master herself, but right now, this illusory Dao seemed to act as a tether, drawing forth the true Great Dao. The Iron-Eating Beast Realm trembled slightly! In the void, a Great Dao seemed to vibrate, as if bound by chains! While the others couldn't see it, a shocking sight appeared in the Beast Emperor's eyes: a Great Dao materialized in the void, but its exterior was tightly ensnared by something! Chains! He watched for a moment, then gasped in horror. Looking toward Su Yu, he sent a frantic voice transmission: "Chains... this... I recall certain legends... chains... binding... No, this... this seems to be the trademark method of an ancient Human King..." "King Yu?" Su Yu transmitted back. The Beast Emperor nodded in shock. Yes, King Yu! Su Yu couldn't see it with total clarity, but he vaguely sensed it. He grinned. King Yu! How fascinating! Impressive, truly! That man had actually shackled the Great Dao of the Iron-Eating race. What had he been trying to accomplish? Weaken humanity's allies? Shackling a Great Dao—what terrifying power! That meant the Iron-Eating race's strength had likely been curtailed. Born with three innate skills, they now hardly had anyone who could use Devouring the Void! Divine light suddenly erupted from Su Yu's eyes as a trace of the little white dog's bloodline power surged. He still had one drop of the little white dog's blood essence. He didn't consume it now, merely drawing upon a tiny fraction of its strength. Peering into the void, he saw it clearly. Sure enough, a massive Great Dao was bound tight by heavy chains! It was struggling! Good grief. If King Yu had done this, his might was truly horrifying. He had actually imprisoned another race's Dao! At this moment, several ancient Iron-Eating Beasts began to look uncomfortable. Ba Yue muttered in confusion, "Why do I feel like my power wants to rise, but... it's being suppressed?" The Beast Emperor's eyes shifted toward Su Yu. "Ba Yue might be naturally aligned with this Dao..." Yet he soon added with conflict in his voice, "However, this Dao is sealed. Even if it weren't, switching Daos now is harder than before. The Three Incarnations Method restricts us; our race practices that method and currently walks the Dao of the Iron-Eating Seventy-Two Castings, which is essentially a physical Dao!" Su Yu nodded slightly. The restriction of rules was one issue, and the sealing of the Dao was another. With a flicker in his eyes, Su Yu said, "If this Dao was sealed during the ancient era, the subsequent rule restrictions might not necessarily prevent your race from treading it! The restrictions of the Three Incarnations Method may have come about later!" "The urgent priority is breaking the seal!" Su Yu smiled. "Now that the Great Dao has manifested, can Your Majesty break the seal?" The Beast Emperor stared at it for a moment. Suddenly, a Great Dao manifested above his head and slammed directly toward that Dao of Devouring! Upon the Beast Emperor's rule Dao, a colossal Iron-Eating Beast materialized, wielding a massive bamboo stalk, and swung it fiercely against the chains! Rumble! Heaven and earth shook! Yet the chains remained steadfast, merely trembling slightly. The Beast Emperor looked crestfallen. "It won't work..." Su Yu fell into contemplation. It wouldn't work! In truth, there was one Dao that might: the little white dog's Dao of Biting. But Su Yu had only one drop of its blood essence left. The dog had given him three drops in total, and he had already used two. If he used this one, he would have none left. Of course, he now possessed the blood essence of other Dao Integration experts—the Golden-Winged Roc and the Dragon Emperor—which he could also use. Yet none were as formidable as the little white dog's! To use it, or not? If he used it and broke the seal, the Iron-Eating race might produce another Dao Integration expert! Ancient beasts like Ba Yue seemed exceptionally compatible with this Dao. As Su Yu weighed this, the Beast Emperor was no fool. He had recognized the opportunity as well. Suddenly, the Emperor turned toward Su Yu and declared, "Emperor Yu, if Your Majesty can unseal our race's Dao of Devouring, the Iron-Eating race is willing to fight for Your Majesty to the very end!" Pausing briefly, he added in a low, resolute voice, "We shall honor only Emperor Yu!" Su Yu smiled. Trading one drop of the little white dog's blood essence for the undivided, full-fledged allegiance of the Iron-Eating race... Perhaps it was worth it! The next instant, the drop of blood essence erupted! Boom! In the void, the little white dog's Great Dao manifested! This time, the expected realm suppression never arrived. In the void, the phantom of the little dog let out a sharp bark and lunged to tear into the chains! Meanwhile, Su Yu's aura surged with terrifying power! In the void, the chains and the little dog clashed violently. The Dao of Devouring itself was also thrashing with all its might. At this moment, the Beast Emperor let out a low roar, his Dao transforming once again into a giant bamboo that struck furiously at the chains! Rumble! Now, it was effectively the little white dog, the Beast Emperor, and the Dao of Devouring joining forces three-on-one against the ancient seal left behind by King Yu. Deafening booms echoed endlessly! The little white dog was truly ferocious, gnawing wildly at the black chains until countless links began to snap! Beneath them, the Dao of Devouring vibrated intensely! Rumble! The entire Iron-Eating Beast Realm seemed to tremble violently! After a fierce stalemate, the void suddenly seemed to tear apart with an earth-shattering crash. A massive, dragon-like Dao shattered the remaining chains. In that instant, everyone seemed to hear a roar of profound liberation. Within the void, an unimaginably colossal Iron-Eating Beast appeared! "King Yu, you killed me, but you could never steal my Dao!" The colossal beast roared with wild abandon, "I am free!" The next moment, the towering Dao seemed to look downward, glancing at the Beast Emperor and then at Su Yu, seemingly understanding everything. The colossal phantom sent forth a roar heard by no one else: "King Yu slew me and sought to usurp my Dao. I refused, and so he sealed it! King Yu has committed treason... and I have fallen..." Sensing the realm, it chuckled. "The world has changed! Hahaha, so be it, let it change..." "I am free!" The giant beast smiled faintly. Then, turning its gaze toward Ba Yue, it hesitated for a fraction of a second before looking further out toward Jiu Yue! "You shall inherit my Dao!" Boom! The massive, dragon-like Dao vanished instantly, reappearing directly before Jiu Yue the next moment. Jiu Yue hadn't actually seen anything. Yet at this moment, he seemed to sense something profound, and his aura skyrocketed abruptly! Jiu Yue was not an Eternal! He had never broken through! Yet now, his aura surged violently, eclipsing the Eternal Realm in an instant. Jiu Yue cried out in shock, "My incarnations were destroyed, yet I seem to be attaining the Dao! How is this possible?" He had fought bitterly in the Human Realm, where his incarnations had been obliterated. Yet now, he was merging directly with a Great Dao, stepping straight into the Dao Fusion Realm! At that moment, a blood tribulation manifested in the void. Su Yu frowned slightly. *He's still subject to the blood tribulation!* That meant Jiu Yue's integration would still face punishment and restriction. This was troublesome. Could Jiu Yue withstand it? Just as Su Yu wondered whether he should intervene and halt the process, the giant phantom of the Iron-Eating Beast reemerged upon the Dao merging with Jiu Yue! "Rules?" "Council rules?" "Restrictions?" "Laughable! Even in death, I am not something you can restrict!" Boom! The Great Dao shook heaven and earth, sweeping across the void with thunderous roars! "Descendant of mine, integrate the Dao and advance! As long as you grow faster than this blood tribulation and suppress it, the rule punishment can do nothing to you!" The booming shout rang through Jiu Yue's mind! Jiu Yue's aura exploded with power! He had already been immensely formidable from the start, comparable to a third- or fourth-stage Eternal. Now, his strength surged continuously as he integrated the Dao—or rather, inherited his ancestor's Great Dao. Rumble! Jiu Yue seemed to understand as well. Soaring into the air, he opened his maw wide and swallowed the blood tribulation in a single gulp! He devoured it! The Dao of Devouring! He swallowed the blood tribulation whole. Even as it reformed, Jiu Yue grew stronger and swallowed it again! The tribulation grew fiercer, but Jiu Yue grew stronger still! His affinity with that Great Dao was exceptionally high. The Dao had chosen Jiu Yue over Ba Yue precisely because of his superior affinity. Right now, Jiu Yue's aura was even showing signs of reaching the seventh stage of the Eternal Realm! Continuous devouring, continuous strengthening. The two sides remained locked in contest! Su Yu and the Beast Emperor watched with solemn expressions. Neither had anticipated that a remnant consciousness would linger within the Great Dao, but it was proving to be a blessing! That remnant consciousness was actively assisting Jiu Yue in merging with the Dao, saving him countless years of cultivation! Boom! Jiu Yue's aura underwent another qualitative leap. Unlike others, he was merging directly with the Great Dao. Because he had never attained the Dao before, he had never integrated one, meaning no competing Daos interfered. He was directly assimilating a pristine Dao that no living being occupied! The remnant will helped him fuse rapidly. Seventh-stage Eternal! Eighth-stage Eternal! Watching this, Su Yu felt his teeth ache. *Damn, that works too?!* If this was possible, why couldn't the four Daos left behind by King Wen be directly integrated? Was King Wen less capable than this fallen Iron-Eating Beast Emperor? Surely not. Or did forced integration carry severe drawbacks? As he was pondering, the phantom atop the Great Dao suddenly looked toward Su Yu. "The Human Sovereign of this generation? Do not overthink it... My descendant's future achievements will be limited. By forcibly integrating this Dao, he can at most become a Master of Order commanding a single Dao in his lifetime... far weaker than one who reaches it through personal comprehension... He will have no hope of mastering multiple Daos... Among Masters of Order, he will merely be at the bottom... I have cut off his potential... and yet... he didn't seem to have much hope to begin with... The world has changed!" At that moment, Su Yu understood. The key was... *Damn it, isn't a Master of Order at the level of a Human King?!* What did he mean by "at most commanding a single Dao"? Did this ancestor have any idea what the current situation outside was like? By now, the phantom was beginning to disperse. While Jiu Yue's aura continued to rise, the fading figure looked at the blood tribulation still gathering in the void, chuckled softly, and shot upward into the sky. Boom! A massive explosion shook heaven and earth once more! The blood tribulation shattered abruptly! Just as Tiangu and his peers had once suppressed a tribulation by charging into its core and obliterating its source, this phantom did the same, expending its final remnant will to instantly destroy the blood tribulation! The tribulation vanished! The phantom faded! The skies cleared, pristine and bright! Yet something had fundamentally changed. A moment later, Jiu Yue's bewildered voice echoed, "I... seem to have become much stronger!" Holding a giant bamboo stalk with a dazed expression, he suddenly took a gulp toward his father, Ba Yue! Ba Yue was formidable, possessing the strength of a seventh-stage Eternal. Yet at that moment, an overwhelming suction caught him, and with a crash, he was sucked straight into Jiu Yue's mouth! "You little bastard, spit me out...!" Jiu Yue hastily stopped and muttered, "I can actually swallow my own dad in one bite..." *Incredible!* Looking thoroughly shocked, he spat Ba Yue back out. Ba Yue tumbled several times before a massive bamboo stalk materialized in his grip. With a loud *thwack*, he swung it straight at Jiu Yue! "You dare try to eat me?!" *Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!* Jiu Yue fled frantically, holding his head as he scurried away! Ba Yue chased behind him in hot pursuit! Unfilial wretch! Simply outrageous! Meanwhile, the Beast Emperor felt an overwhelming urge to weep. Looking at Su Yu, he said, "Jiu Yue... seems to have reached the ninth stage of the Eternal Realm. He... he might reach Dao Integration very soon!" He was utterly astounded! Su Yu, on the other hand, smiled. "It shouldn't be long. How intriguing—a sealed Great Dao... Does Your Majesty recognize that ancient Beast Emperor?" "He was likely our race's second Beast Emperor..." the Emperor said with deep emotion. "Our race has produced two true Emperors; I do not count, as I am merely a Dao Integration expert! Of those two Emperors... the second vanished during the upheaval of the ancient era, leaving behind not a single word... Who would have thought... he truly died!" He turned to Su Yu, his expression grave. "King Yu!" Su Yu nodded. "He committed treason. It doesn't matter; pay it no mind!" The Beast Emperor was at a loss for words. After a moment, he bowed deeply. "The Iron-Eating race is willing to fight across the heavens on behalf of Your Majesty Emperor Yu!" In the distance, the two scuffling beasts stopped. Jiu Yue seemed to realize what had happened as well and bowed deeply. "Jiu Yue expresses his gratitude to Your Majesty Emperor Yu for bestowing the Dao!" "Our humble thanks to Your Majesty Emperor Yu!" Ba Yue also bowed in gratitude, visibly excited. Jiu Yue was on the verge of Dao Integration! Su Yu smiled. "You are too polite!" Trading a single drop of the little white dog's blood essence for a future Dao Integration expert for the Iron-Eating race hadn't yielded much direct power for Su Yu himself, but... the outcome was remarkably good! This time, the Iron-Eating race was bound to him with complete devotion! Moreover, Su Yu had gained deeper insights. Fascinating indeed! King Yu had sealed the Dao, the ancient Beast Emperor had fallen while the Dao endured, and the ancestor had forcibly helped his descendant integrate the Dao... All of this seemed to be opening the doors to a whole new world for Su Yu! A moment later, resonant cheers echoed across the entire Iron-Eating Beast Realm. "The Iron-Eating race is willing to fight across the heavens on behalf of Your Majesty Emperor Yu!" Exultant shouts reverberated between heaven and earth! The other Iron-Eating Beasts also seemed to sense a shift, many feeling as though they had gained an additional innate skill! The Beast Emperor's voice echoed through the realm: "Our race is about to welcome our second Dao Integration Half-Emperor! Once Jiu Yue attains Dao Integration, the throne of Beast Emperor shall pass to him. I shall abdicate to focus entirely on cultivation, ensuring our race endures forever between heaven and earth!" "Wise is our Emperor!" Countless giant beasts roared in approval! In the distance, Jiu Yue looked bewildered. *So suddenly?* *I'm not ready for this!* *My dad was just beating me! Now I'm supposed to become the Beast Emperor?* Su Yu smiled faintly as he looked at the Beast Emperor. Clever! Compared to the Emperor, Jiu Yue naturally owed Su Yu far more, and their relationship was much closer. From the Star Residence Mansion onward, Jiu Yue had fought alongside Su Yu multiple times, and he had even risked his life in the Human Realm, losing two incarnations in the process. Now Su Yu had aided him in attaining the Dao—integrating a path that hadn't previously been accessible. Their bond had become far more intricate. Once Jiu Yue became the Beast Emperor and ruled this race, their cooperation would become even tighter! Who said appearing naive meant being foolish? This Beast Emperor was sharp as a tack! Of course, Su Yu welcomed it gladly. This was wonderful! He liked this outcome, and having another Dao Integration expert in the Iron-Eating race would be of immense help to him! At this moment, Su Yu's smile broadened. Radiant and bright! The Great Dao... was truly fascinating!