A complete ancient Great Dao, complete with a remnant soul that forcefully guided its descendant to merge with it, had propelled Jiu Yue directly into the ninth stage of the Eternal Realm.
A meteoric rise to the heavens!
It truly was reaching the pinnacle in a single step. Naturally, not just anyone could unravel King Yu's seal; even Liu Yue was powerless to undo it. Under such circumstances, throughout the myriad realms of this era, the little white dog was likely the only one capable of breaking it.
Even Old Turtle, revered as the greatest under heaven, seemed to lack a deep comprehension of the Great Dao and would probably struggle to break the seal.
At the cost of a single drop of the little white dog's blood essence, Su Yu had fostered an unrivaled powerhouse who might soon step into Dao Integration.
With that, his trip to the Iron-Eating Realm had attained a perfection far beyond all expectations!
Su Yu was in high spirits.
As for the little white dog's blood essence, it might have been enough to slay a Dao Integration cultivator. But the real issue was whether any Dao Integration expert would stand foolishly before him just to be killed. Using the blood essence to achieve another Dao Integration kill had become extraordinarily difficult.
Trading that blood essence for the true, heartfelt allegiance of the Iron-Eating race—that was the genuine harvest.
Not far away, Jiu Yue, having dodged his father's savage beating, flew toward Su Yu in immense excitement. "Human Master... no, Your Majesty Emperor Yu, is there any more of that stuff that lets people advance directly?"
Su Yu smiled faintly. "There is. There might still be two more in your Iron-Eating Realm."
Jiu Yue was overjoyed!
Su Yu then offered a light smile. "However... first, your race's founding Half-Emperor might not be dead. Second, if he is dead, that Great Dao is shared among far too many people and possesses no remnant soul, making it impossible to merge—unless you try slaughtering all your fellow clansmen. Then maybe two more could monopolize the Dao!"
Jiu Yue clamped his mouth shut instantly.
Su Yu continued, "You possess great fortune!"
At this moment, Su Yu regained his composure. "Your future will be longer and greater than His Majesty the Beast Emperor's! Or rather, in the myriad realms today, you... might hold the highest hope of advancing to the realm of a Ruler of Rules—or in other words, the Dao Realm!"
Beside them, Liu Yue said nothing, lost in thought. Powerhouses of major races like them understood something of the path of rules.
Perhaps Su Yu was right!
Jiu Yue might truly be the one closest to that level, for he alone commanded an entire Great Dao!
Jiu Yue felt somewhat surprised and a bit apprehensive. "Then I..."
"Don't overthink it!"
Su Yu chuckled. "Focus on cultivating well and strive to step into the Dao Integration Realm as soon as possible! Right now, Dao Integration is the pinnacle of combat strength. Even if you can't defeat a veteran Dao Integration expert, holding one down is an advantage! I may launch the second war of the myriad realms very soon!"
Jiu Yue's expression instantly turned solemn, though even when solemn, he looked comical.
Liu Yue looked equally solemn, the dark circles under his eyes seemingly fading a bit. "Emperor Yu, what do you mean?"
Su Yu said calmly, "I am not the type to wait passively! Once I possess sufficient strength, I will certainly counterattack! All the myriad races are waiting for the powerhouses of the Upper Realm to descend... No, I intend to fight my way up!"
Liu Yue was shaken!
Su Yu smiled again. "You didn't mishear. Yes, I won't sit idly by awaiting death, waiting for others to decide my fate! If I accumulate enough strength, I will lead our forces and take the initiative to charge into the Upper Realm. If I'm not mistaken, there are no powerhouses at the level of a Human King in the so-called Upper Realm, right?"
"None, at least none seen during the previous tides!"
Liu Yue said gravely, "There are quite a few Dao Integration experts in the Upper Realm, but even there, Dao Integration represents the very peak! In truth, many Eternal Realm cultivators migrated to the Upper Realm and subsequently produced offspring, so there should be plenty below the Eternal Realm as well... but there is no one above Dao Integration!"
Su Yu smiled. "If that is the case, why can't we fight our way up?"
Liu Yue drew a sharp breath. "It's difficult! Put it this way: every tide's shift is a time when geniuses rise, and nearly every race can produce Dao Integration experts! During those times, the rules of the Great Dao are active, making advancement simpler. There are even unconstrained Great Daos in the Upper Realm... Consequently, the Upper Realm possesses no small number of Dao Integration experts—perhaps no fewer than in ancient times! The ancient era declined, but under the Great Dao, powerhouses have accumulated over time rather than diminished!"
"Roughly how many Dao Integration experts are in the Upper Realm?"
Liu Yue pondered for a moment before speaking. "I'm honestly not sure, but our race still has three Dao Integration experts in the Upper Realm! Si Yue, Wu Yue, and Marquis Juzhu! Marquis Juzhu is an Iron-Eating powerhouse who survived from the ancient era, while Si Yue and Wu Yue are powerhouses from my lineage..."
"Your Majesty's father and grandfather?"
Su Yu asked. Liu Yue shook his head. "Wu Yue is my uncle, and Si Yue is my granduncle. During the third tide, Uncle Wu Yue's descendants fell in battle, after which I took charge of the Iron-Eating Realm, advanced to Dao Integration, and became the lower-realm Beast Emperor."
Still, the throne had remained within their ancestral lineage.
Su Yu was genuinely astonished. This lineage was remarkably formidable—producing emperors and Dao Integration powerhouses one after another. Their bloodline power had to be terrifyingly concentrated.
This single race had three Dao Integration experts in the Upper Realm!
At this thought, Su Yu suddenly asked, "In that case, quite a few ancient figures are still alive. Why was it said before that not a single corpse of an ancient Eternal powerhouse remained?"
"Indeed, no corpses were left behind!"
Liu Yue explained, "After the ancient collapse, signs of falling powerhouses manifested, yet no corpses were found. Some say it was because powerhouses at the level of Ruler of Rules perished, their Great Daos shattering and causing the corpses of many under them to vanish entirely! Others claim that a portion of the powerhouses chose to step into the Dead Spirit Realm of their own accord, leading their subordinates there to evade the ancient war... In any case, there were no corpses of powerhouses who died during the ancient era, whereas those who survived were largely unaffected."
So it was true that no corpses of ancient powerhouses remained.
Su Yu had previously wondered why so many were interested when he sold corpses, assuming Tiangu and the others lacked contact with the Upper Realm. Looking back, he had misunderstood—those ancient dead truly left no corpses!
Had they all gone to the Dead Spirit Realm?
Or somewhere else?
At this moment, Su Yu's understanding of the myriad realms deepened, sparking several hypotheses.
For the ancient powerhouses still alive today, the masters of the Daos they merged into had either fallen before the ancient upheaval or were still alive and fighting somewhere.
Or perhaps they had opened their own Daos!
As for those who died in ancient times, perhaps their Great Daos had thoroughly collapsed.
The Dead Spirit Realm!
The Dead Spirit Heavenly River!
Su Yu pondered inwardly. The myriad realms were far more intricate than he had imagined. Naturally, complexity only made things more interesting. Su Yu smiled and asked, "Your Majesty the Beast Emperor, what exactly is the difference between the Upper Realm and our realm? Is it merely that they have more powerhouses?"
Liu Yue shook his head. "No. Though we call them Upper and Lower Realms, each has its merits! The Upper Realm has its perks. First, during the tide's shifts, one doesn't need to slumber! Second, it's easier to comprehend the power of rules; the Upper Realm seems to be where the source of rule power resides. Third, during the previous tides, the Lower Realm was always torn apart by war first, making it far more dangerous down here. Fourth, it is said that the Upper Realm still contains masterless paths of rules..."
With that, he glanced at Jiu Yue, then back at Su Yu. "Likely similar to the one just now!"
Su Yu nodded. That indeed meant the Upper Realm offered plenty of advantages.
Yet he remained puzzled. "Then why haven't many people gone up? Like Tiangu, or Marquis Jiantian and the others?"
With so many drawbacks down here, why hadn't they left?
Tiangu, for instance, had commanded the Immortal Realm since the first tide, and his descendants had already ascended!
Liu Yue chuckled. "The Lower Realm has its own benefits! Take rule suppression, for example. We can ascend to the Upper Realm, but when people from the Upper Realm descend, you've seen what happens. If they don't leave once the battle on the Allhead Battlefield ends, they are suppressed again! Even slain! Furthermore, while some claim the Upper Realm is the source of rules, others argue that the Lower Realm is the true foundation, because all ancient powerhouses originally rose from down here! The Upper Realm was merely carved out later! Only here is there hope of advancing further. I have never heard of anyone in the Upper Realm having hope of breaking through..."
Advancing!
Su Yu grew pensive. Figures like Tiangu, Old Turtle, and Marquis Jiantian were all close to mastering a complete Great Dao, but perhaps the Upper Realm had no one at that threshold.
In other words, the Lower Realm offered greater potential, whereas those in the Upper Realm might have lost all hope of further advancement.
Liu Yue continued, "Additionally, another vital factor is that ruins abound in the Lower Realm! The Star Residence Mansion and human ruins are all down here! The Upper Realm lacks deep heritage; its inhabitants all migrated there later!"
Su Yu nodded. That was true enough.
Liu Yue gave a simple, honest laugh. "And the final point: the Dead Spirit Realm! The Lower Realm connects to the Dead Spirit Realm, but the Upper Realm cannot!"
Su Yu frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The Dead Spirit Realm receives many fallen powerhouses from the Lower Realm, but virtually none from the Upper Realm!"
He explained, "That is to say, eight or nine out of ten powerhouses who die in the Upper Realm are never guided there, whereas those in the Lower Realm are. Some speculate that the power of the Dead Spirit Heavenly River penetrates into the Lower Realm, but not the Upper Realm! Unless someone up there is terrifyingly powerful—strong enough to summon the Dead Spirit Heavenly River on their own... Otherwise, when those above die, they truly die. For us, we still have a chance of reviving as dead spirits!"
So that was it!
Su Yu understood. No wonder so many in the Lower Realm turned into dead spirits while none had been heard of from the Upper Realm. There was actually such a distinction.
After conversing with Liu Yue a while longer, Su Yu did not linger. Soon, he said, "Prepare yourselves for war! Sooner or later, I will launch a second war that will sweep across the myriad realms. After that, if our strength is sufficient, I will fight our way up!"
Su Yu gazed into the sky, smiling. "I want to see just how high this sky is! Just how strong those powerhouses are! Why must the Upper Realm always slaughter their way down, while we cannot fight our way up?"
He would fight his way up!
Indeed, Su Yu genuinely harbored such intentions.
Without any Human King-level figures up there, was he supposed to fear them?
Liu Yue looked at him blankly, yet shock rippled through his heart.
This was the very first Human Master to speak such words!
Truly, across all ten tides, not a single Human Master had proposed taking the initiative to attack upward!
None!
None had ever harbored such a thought. The best-case scenario had always been fighting to the death in the Lower Realm while leaving the Upper Realm alone.
Even the Hundred Battles King, upon reaching that level, had never spoken of charging upward!
Yet Su Yu, whose strength was not yet absolute, possessed terrifyingly immense audacity!
"My race will be prepared!" Liu Yue responded.
Su Yu smiled. "Good! Furthermore, I gift your race ten carriers. May the Iron-Eating race birth a few more Eternal Realm cultivators!"
"Many thanks, Emperor Yu!"
Liu Yue offered his thanks. Su Yu smiled, his voice echoing in all directions: "The Iron-Eating race shall be the generational allies of the human race! As long as humans endure, the Iron-Eaters shall never perish!"
"Emperor Yu is sagacious!"
Resounding shouts echoed between heaven and earth!
With that, Su Yu drifted away.
Once he was gone, Jiu Yue dropped his earlier guileless demeanor and turned to Liu Yue, his broad face full of gravity. "Sixth Ancestor, is our race truly going to... fight to the death for the human race?"
Liu Yue said heavily, "We must pick a side! Su Yu... is too overbearing, too monstrous! He is far more domineering than the Hundred Battles King, with an even greater thirst for slaughter! If we don't choose a side now, anyone who remains neutral will surely be wiped out! Jiu Yue, choosing between Su Yu and figures like Tiangu, Jiwu, and Moyue, who would you support?"
Jiu Yue thought for a moment. "Su Yu!"
"Why?"
Jiu Yue said honestly, "He is terrifying, and the human race's heritage runs deep, far from exhausted. The legacies of powerhouses like King Wen and King Wu haven't even surfaced! Su Yu seems to have inherited King Wen's legacy. A single King Wen surpasses the entire human foundation revealed across the previous nine tides! Moreover... Su Yu has a profound, calculating mind and trusts only himself. If we don't support him now, he will settle scores later!"
Liu Yue nodded his massive head. Jiu Yue added, "Furthermore... he holds other hidden trump cards. I witnessed that scene in the Star Residence Mansion with my own eyes!"
Jiu Yue drew a sharp breath. "That was an extraordinarily terrifying existence. With merely a thought and a projection of a face, it effortlessly wiped out dozens of Eternals! I worry whether that was a trump card left behind by the humans!"
Liu Yue smiled. "You speak the truth, which is why... I chose to fight! That way, if the human race secures a sweeping victory, it is naturally for the best! If the human race falls... you must remember, even if humans fall, the Gods, Demons, Immortals, Dragons, and Underworld races will remain..."
Liu Yue grinned guilelessly. "When that time comes, we will still have room to choose!"
Jiu Yue also grinned honestly. "Sixth Ancestor means..."
The Beast Emperor nodded his massive head. You understand.
Even if humanity truly met defeat, as long as the ancient Iron-Eating race survived in the short term, they would have a second chance to choose—yes, a second chance!
When the myriad races clashed, exterminating humanity was merely the first step!
Afterward, there would still be an opportunity to back another race. That meant two chances. However, if they opposed humanity now and humanity emerged victorious, well, there would be no second chance!
There was only one chance!
Backing the humans left sufficient margin for error; backing the Immortals, Demons, Gods, or Dragons left none.
The premise was that if the humans fell, the Iron-Eating race would not be wiped out alongside them.
The two dark-circled Iron-Eating Beasts looked at each other and chuckled. Nearby, Ba Yue held a large bamboo stalk and whacked Jiu Yue over the head with it, saying with slight regret, "Grandfather, does that mean I won't get to be the Beast Emperor?"
It seemed... he had lost his chance!
The Second Ancestor had actually chosen his own son. What a shame—he was supposed to choose me!
Liu Yue gave a guileless chuckle. "You... attained the Dao too early. I felt it as well: the Second Ancestor wanted to pick you, but because you attained the Dao early, resolving your conflicting principles would be necessary. Moreover, the stronger you are, the harsher the rule punishment you must endure. The Second Ancestor's remnant soul probably knew he might not be able to fend off such powerful punitive forces!"
Jiu Yue had not yet attained the Dao, so the punishment was far weaker.
Ba Yue was already at the seventh stage of the Eternal Realm; a rule punishment capable of annihilating a Dao Integration expert might have descended!
By then, the remnant soul might not have been able to withstand it.
Ba Yue felt immense regret. For a time, a group of Iron-Eating Beasts of varying sizes stood deep in thought, a row of massive beasts nodding in unison.
It was a good thing Su Yu wasn't there; otherwise, he would have insisted on lining them up by height before letting them nod—a true blessing for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Unfortunately, Ba Yue was caught right in the middle, slightly smaller than Jiu Yue and smaller than Liu Yue, looking thoroughly out of place.
...
Su Yu had a general idea of what the Iron-Eating race was thinking.
He did not linger.
His second stop was the Ancient Hou race.
The Ancient Hou race had been the last to show up. Su Yu understood that they still harbored reservations; otherwise, they would have joined the fray much earlier.
Yet they hadn't!
The Hou Emperor had only stepped in at the final moment, when Su Yu was besieged by the Golden-Winged Roc. Back then, the Hou Emperor must have struggled and agonized over whether to intervene.
His father had been King Wu's mount. "Mount" was hardly an honorable title. Even though the Hou Emperor hadn't complained and had simply noted that the strong commanded respect, it didn't mean he held no lingering grievances.
Furthermore, the Ancient Hou race had dispatched only the Hou Emperor to battle, with none of their other invincible powerhouses participating.
That was another telling sign!
He had made up his mind, but he hadn't fully cast everything aside to share life and death with the human race.
This race would be harder to handle than the Iron-Eaters.
...
Indeed, reality proved no different.
The Hou Realm.
A dim sky hung over a cold, desolate domain steeped in deathly silence.
Upon Su Yu's arrival, two powerhouses emerged to receive him. One was the ancient Hou Su Yu had encountered outside the Brightlight Bird Realm, and the other was Tuntian, who had ranked seventh on the Dao Attainment Board.
That ancient Hou was remarkably strong. He had previously treated the Brightlight Bird Realm as his personal hunting park, casually dropping in to feast on a few birds whenever he pleased.
He was also Tuntian's father.
This race was few in number, even scarcer than the Iron-Eaters. Stepping into the realm, Su Yu felt its desolate stillness.
The Hou King sighed with emotion. "I never imagined you would become the Human Master! City Lord Su, when we met before, I never expected it would happen so soon."
He added, "That day, King Dazhou asked if you would return to the human race, and what you would do if you became king... I thought you might never return in this lifetime."
Su Yu smiled. "I didn't expect it to happen this quickly either!"
Beside them, Tuntian—a smaller Hou—spoke in a low voice: "City Lord Su, our race has very few living members. Across the vast Hou Realm, fewer than a thousand Hou survive. When our Emperor chose to fight... we were honestly all taken aback!"
Their numbers were truly meager.
Across the myriad realms, a population under a thousand meant they were on the brink of extinction!
They had been stunned when the Hou Emperor chose to enter the war, as it could easily lead to their race's annihilation.
Su Yu nodded slightly and smiled. "I was also quite surprised that the Hou Emperor joined the battle. That day, I was thinking that if no more powerhouses stepped forward, I would have Book Spirit and Tea Tree enter the fray while I ambushed another Dao Integration expert... We likely could have slain one or two Dao Integration experts, but we never would have achieved the feat of felling multiple Dao Integration experts!"
Had the ancient Hou not joined, and with two Immortal Dao Integration experts descending alongside Moji, Su Yu might have slain the Golden-Winged Roc, but killing the Dragon Emperor, the Spirit Emperor, and King Bing would have been exceedingly difficult!
The Hou Emperor had, after all, held off the Ape Emperor from start to finish.
Both Hou felt somewhat uncomfortable.
He spoke of slaying Dao Integration experts so casually, yet the Ancient Hou race possessed only one. Such a war across the myriad realms filled them with dread; should the Hou Emperor fall, their entire race might be wiped out.
Soon, an ancient great hall came into view, bearing a primitive, desolate style, resembling a cavern carved out of a colossal boulder.
The moment Su Yu arrived, a voice sounded from within: "Pardon my negligence toward the Human Master! I sustained injuries in the previous battle and could not come out to greet you personally!"
"You are too polite!"
Su Yu smiled. "Your Majesty the Hou Emperor is far too courteous; it's merely a few extra steps! Just now, the entire Iron-Eating race came out to receive me, which made me feel quite awkward. I had no choice but to take out ten carriers and present the Dragon Emperor's tail... In public, I care deeply about saving face! In reality, my heart was aching with grief! In passing, I elevated Jiu Yue to the ninth stage of the Eternal Realm. In a few days or months, he will likely step into Dao Integration. It practically broke my heart!"
"..."
Silence!
Absolute silence!
Tuntian couldn't help but exclaim, "Jiu Yue... ninth stage of the Eternal Realm?"
He couldn't believe it!
How could that be possible!
Did he mean Ba Yue?
Could he have mistaken the name?
Su Yu chuckled. "Yes, Jiu Yue is at the ninth stage of the Eternal Realm! Brother Tuntian, you and Jiu Yue are both figures on the Dao Attainment Board; you need to work hard as well! On that board, Manor Head Wan and Lan Tian are currently pursuing their own Daos, Tianzhou was slain by me, Kongkong has attained the Eternal Realm, and the remaining few will eventually be killed by me if they don't surrender... Brother Tuntian, you must attain the Dao soon!"
At these words, Tuntian's massive eyes filled with strange light, though he said nothing.
Outside the hall, a colossal ancient Hou emerged, his eyes reflecting complicated emotions. "How did the Human Master accomplish this?"
Su Yu smiled. "The Iron-Eating race possessed a sealed Great Dao of rules. I unsealed it and left it to Jiu Yue, who instantly stepped into the ninth stage of the Eternal Realm! Once he integrates with the Dao, I believe that unless he's a fool, he should be stronger than ordinary Dao Integration experts!"
Because he monopolized an entire Dao!
"A sealed Great Dao..."
The Hou Emperor muttered, his colossal eyes fixing on Su Yu. After a long pause, he asked, "Human Master, do you see any sealed Great Dao in our race?"
"Unclear!"
Su Yu smiled. "Since entering the Allhead Battlefield, I have never killed a single Hou! Without killing a few, I truly cannot know your race's situation."
The Hou Emperor stared at him.
Su Yu smiled. "Your Majesty, do not misunderstand. I harbor no hostility toward any race that aids me! But does Your Majesty know what this world fears most?"
The Hou Emperor said in a deep voice, "Please enlighten me, Human Master."
Su Yu smiled. "Fence-sitters! Helping this side today, that side tomorrow, and someone else the day after... In any endeavor, that is what people despise most! Once a resolution is made, one must push forward with all their might! Otherwise, it is easy to alienate both sides! Or simply follow the Destiny race's example: refuse to fight entirely, no matter who kills whom, and only look for trouble once a victor emerges!"
The Hou Emperor was no fool; he understood Su Yu's meaning. He sighed. "The Human Master speaks the truth. I harbor no intention of wavering! Otherwise, I would not have participated in the previous battle!"
Su Yu looked at him. "Then why does the Hou Emperor seem to lack the enthusiasm he once had toward my arrival?"
The Hou Emperor surveyed the surroundings before saying, "Human Master, please, come inside and take a seat."
"Much obliged!"
Su Yu did not stand on ceremony and strode into the cavernous hall. Within his sea of will, the blood essence belonging to the Dragon Emperor was already suspended and ready. The Hou race seemed less warm than before.
He had to be cautious!
He stepped into the great hall, which was completely vacant, without even a chair. Su Yu didn't mind; he casually manifested a chair for himself, sat down, and looked toward the Hou Emperor.
The Hou Emperor had no seat either. Retaining his true form, he stepped onto the only elevated dais, crouched there, and looked back at Su Yu, while Tuntian and his father crouched on either side.
After a moment of silence, the Hou Emperor said, "I shouldn't be so hesitant. Having joined the battle, there is no need to put on airs. However... our race's Dao Integration expert in the Upper Realm may have fallen. We originally had two Dao Integration experts up there... Just a few days ago, I sensed the Great Dao shudder. One of our Dao Integration experts must have perished. I do not know whether it was related to my recent intervention... but now, I am wavering."
His colossal eyes looked toward Su Yu with a mixture of helplessness and anguish. "There is only one Dao Integration expert left from our race in the Upper Realm! If he dies as well, our race... might be utterly wiped out in the impending war! I had originally thought that even if our Lower Realm forces fell, our race would still retain a foundation in the Upper Realm..."
Su Yu understood!
So that was why!
No wonder this Emperor seemed disheartened. Previously, he believed that even if they were wiped out down here, having two Dao Integration experts above provided some pillar of support. Now that one had died—with no way of knowing if it was linked to his actions—the Hou Emperor's hesitation was entirely understandable.
Su Yu pondered for a moment before speaking. "Then what is the Hou Emperor's intention now?"
The Hou Emperor said softly, "I have no intention of backing out, nor any regret! Having already joined the battle, I have no way out... It is just that I hope I will be the only one from our race to fight, while the rest of the Hou find a place to seek refuge from danger! If the Human Master can provide an absolute safe haven for my race, I am willing to continue fighting for the human race!"
"No, not for the human race!"
Su Yu said calmly, "For me, Su Yu. I ask that the Hou Emperor understand my meaning!"
The Hou Emperor's eyes flickered. "This old one understands. I am willing to fight for Your Majesty Emperor Yu!"
The premise was ensuring his race would not go extinct.
Su Yu tapped his chair. An absolute safe haven?
Where could be absolutely safe?
King Wen's former residence, or the Star Residence Mansion?
"There is a place that might be safe, but... I cannot bring outsiders in right now! Furthermore, even if it is absolutely safe, I do not wish to bring too many in. Your race may select three to five seeds as a contingency! Moreover, they must follow the rules!"
He looked at the Hou Emperor. "I understand wanting to preserve a few kin. However, expecting a handful of Hou to rise again is exceedingly difficult. At best, it offers psychological comfort to put your mind at ease. What does Your Majesty think?"
The Hou Emperor remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I was asking for too much. But I have witnessed far too many races meet their end. Across the nine tides, over a hundred ancient races fought for humanity, and nearly all were wiped out! The humans endure, yet I... cannot help but worry."
Su Yu smiled. "I make no guarantees for the human race. I can only guarantee one thing: so long as I have not died, your race will not perish! If I die, then I can no longer care! The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor said that previous Human Masters favored humans, leading to heavy casualties among foreign allies, whereas he considers me relatively fair. I wonder if the Hou Emperor agrees?"
The Hou Emperor pondered for a moment and nodded his massive head. "He may be right."
Su Yu smiled. "Therefore, if the Hou Emperor trusts me, you can set your mind at ease. If not, you may withdraw from this alliance right now! However, let me offer a reminder: it may already be too late! I am not threatening you; the Hou Emperor knows full well in his heart that participating in the last battle has already made you mortal enemies with several major races!"
"Indeed!"
The Hou Emperor sighed. "Since Emperor Yu could help the Iron-Eaters gain a quasi-Dao Integration powerhouse, I wonder... could our race enjoy such an honor? If so... I would have no worries. With two Dao Integration experts, I would harbor no lingering concerns!"
Su Yu thought it over, glanced at Tuntian and the Hou King, and smiled after a pause. "It's not impossible, even if your race has no sealed Great Dao..."
With that, Su Yu suddenly took out an object and looked at the Hou Emperor. "Does the Hou Emperor recognize this?"
The Hou Emperor's expression shifted slightly. After a long silence, he spoke word by word: "The legendary... Heaven and Earth Inkstone?"
Su Yu smiled. "Indeed."
The Hou Emperor seemed to sense something. After a moment of inner conflict, he said, "Is it... crafted from the corpse of the ancient... ancient Desolate Sky Beast? My race... has records indicating that King Wen's Heaven and Earth Inkstone might... might be a supreme treasure!"
He stared at Su Yu, his eyes filled with struggle, yearning, greed, and even a fleeting urge to strike.
Su Yu said calmly, "It is this! I am not gifting it to you; I merely believe the Great Dao legacy within this inkstone is quite compatible with your race. If your race possesses a genius—such as Tuntian—once I or someone I choose gains mastery over this Dao, Tuntian can choose to align with it and advance to Dao Integration! Naturally, it depends on Tuntian's own aptitude! If his talent is truly exceptional and neither I nor my chosen candidate can harmonize with this Dao... then this Great Dao will belong to Tuntian! An ancient scaled creature's Dao is probably not well-suited for humans anyway."
"A Great Dao..."
The Hou Emperor's eyes blazed. "Does this object truly contain the rules of a Great Dao?"
Su Yu nodded. "Of course. It was stored in King Wen's former residence and gifted to me by a supreme powerhouse under King Wen's lineage! That supreme powerhouse is also the one who lent me blood essence previously... Does the Hou Emperor recognize them?"
The Hou Emperor was instantly shocked!
"Your Majesty Emperor Yu means... the one who lent you blood essence is alive?"
Su Yu looked surprised. "Of course!"
This time, the Hou Emperor was truly shaken. "I... I thought..."
He had thought the entity was dead!
Not just him; many had assumed the same.
Su Yu chuckled. "Of course it is alive! Book Spirit and Tea Tree were both sent by it to assist me! Otherwise, how could I so easily command two powerhouses born of worldly spirits to fight on my behalf?"
The Hou Emperor drew a sharp breath. "That one... is extraordinarily powerful! When you slew the Dragon Emperor, I felt that immense pressure and threat... That was merely borrowed blood essence. If its true body took the field... Your Majesty Emperor Yu, why... did it not join the battle this time?"
Su Yu smiled. "It does not wish to leave King Wen's former residence lightly. That place... holds too many things it must guard!"
Su Yu sighed, then smiled again. "However, if true danger arises, it will fight! Previously, having Book Spirit and Tea Tree participate was enough. If that hadn't sufficed, there are other worldly spirits residing in King Wen's former residence capable of battle..."
"There are more?"
The Hou Emperor asked in shock, "There are... still powerhouses like that?"
"Yes."
Su Yu smiled. "I haven't explored deeply, but an ancient Wood Spirit tree is planted right in King Wen's courtyard. I'm not sure of its strength; it might just be an ordinary spirit."
"..."
Could a spirit born in King Wen's courtyard ever be weak?
Impossible!
By now, the Hou Emperor's heart was churning violently. He said slowly, "Your Majesty Emperor Yu, then this Heaven and Earth Inkstone... was gifted to you by that supreme powerhouse?"
"Yes!"
Su Yu smiled. "It hoped I would find an inheritor for this inkstone or comprehend it myself! But I possess far too many such treasures; where would I find the time to study it?"
Su Yu chuckled. "I comprehend many rules of the Great Dao, and I hold no shortage of such inheritances! It's merely a new Dao, and a non-human one at that. To be blunt, I don't lack it, nor do I care!"
"..."
Hearing this, the Hou Emperor felt an urge to kill!
He genuinely wanted to kill him and seize the treasure!
Yet he dared not. Even though he was a Dao Integration expert and Su Yu was merely in the Sun Moon Realm!
Su Yu smiled faintly. "Your Majesty the Hou Emperor, I do not guarantee that your race will produce another Dao Integration expert... But if Tuntian is truly compatible, I can lend him a hand, perhaps even enabling him to attain the Dao without facing rule punishment. I wonder if Your Majesty is satisfied with such a promise?"
The Hou Emperor was silent for a breath before nodding. "I am ready to fight at a moment's notice!"
"Not enough!"
Su Yu said calmly, "At least half of the Hou race's Eternals must be ready to fight at all times!"
The Hou Emperor fell silent. An instant later, he made his decision. "Agreed!"
Su Yu smiled. "Then you have my thanks!"
The Hou Emperor also exhaled in relief. "It is only right! Then regarding Tuntian..."
"We will discuss it after I merge with the Dao!"
Su Yu said, "Before I merge with the Dao, no outsider can enter that place. Before I merge with the Dao, my grasp over the rules of the Great Dao is not profound enough to guide Tuntian in comprehending a new Dao!"
The Hou Emperor nodded, watching as Su Yu put the inkstone away. He smiled faintly. "Your Majesty places great trust in our race. Just now... this old one was truly tempted..."
Su Yu chuckled. "Natural enough! But a wise person knows what choice to make. Since I dared to bring it out, I was naturally prepared... Consider it a test of sorts. A little greed is fine; what I fear is insatiable greed. With such fools... I, Su Yu, have no desire to cooperate, even if they are in the Dao Integration Realm!"
Su Yu smiled faintly. "One can be foolish, but one must be obedient! Those foolish to the point of disobedience deserve to die! Otherwise, they only drag us down! I don't shy away from plain speaking: I can understand the Hou Emperor's hesitation, reluctance, and worry... If you don't wish to cooperate, we can part on good terms. But if you agree to cooperate and subsequently drag your feet or play petty tricks behind my back... I apologize, but even our own people... will be slain! And slain all the more ruthlessly!"
The Hou Emperor gave him a deep look, then nodded after a long silence. "Understood! Such a thing will not occur in our race! Your Majesty Emperor Yu has not yet visited the Space Beast race and the Archaic Giant race, correct?"
"Not yet."
The Hou Emperor considered before speaking: "Your Majesty may visit the Space Beast race, but regarding the Archaic Giant race... you should think twice! Even I was puzzled as to why they entered the battle this time. If Your Majesty goes now, you might not achieve the desired outcome! It would be better to wait until Jiu Yue achieves Dao Integration or Your Majesty attains the Dao before approaching them. By then... we may also step forward on your behalf!"
Su Yu grew thoughtful. "You mean... their participation this time... was not necessarily an alignment with humanity?"
"Indeed. In the recent clash between the Archaic Giant King and the Phoenix Emperor, everyone could tell he held back! To put it bluntly, I at least cleaved through half of the Ape Emperor, whereas he and the Phoenix Emperor walked away virtually unscathed... The Space Beast powerhouse was no match for Jiwu; holding him down was already an achievement. But the Archaic Giant King is stronger than the Phoenix Emperor, yet accomplished nothing."
Su Yu nodded. "Understood! King Dazhou arranged that contact; I will question him later. For now, let it be. King Dazhou is, after all, humanity's first Dao Integration expert. If my strength is inferior to his, I won't make a rash move. Rest assured on that front, Hou Emperor; I am not so foolish as to stir internal strife right now. I simply refuse to be anyone's puppet and intend to hold full control myself!"
"It is good that Your Majesty understands!"
The Hou Emperor breathed a sigh of relief. He too was worried Su Yu might clash with King Dazhou, which would spell disaster.
"Then I still need to make a trip to the Space Beast race... Your Majesty the Hou Emperor, your race may prepare for war. In the future, I may mobilize troops to sweep across the heavens!"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty!"
Su Yu smiled and tossed over a storage ring. "Here are a few small trinkets for Your Majesty to distribute, consider it part of the compensation for the previous battle. I will visit again when time permits!"
With that, Su Yu's figure dissipated.
The Hou Emperor said nothing. Once he was gone, he opened the storage ring—ten carriers lay inside!
The Hou Emperor stared at them for a while before tossing them to Tuntian and his father. "Distribute them to the Sun Moons below..."
Then he looked at Tuntian. "Do not rush to attain the Dao; await your opportunity! Jiu Yue is actually... about to achieve Dao Integration!"
He sighed with countless emotions. "This Emperor Yu... is far more domineering and far more generous than I imagined, but he tolerates not a single grain of sand! Tuntian, go slay Gudang of the Immortal race and deliver his corpse to them... Tell the Immortals... our race harbors no hesitation whatsoever!"
"Understood!"
Tuntian vanished in an instant!
A short while later, not long after Su Yu's departure, a fierce battle suddenly erupted in the void near the Ancient Hou Realm, both combatants remarkably powerful!
One was Tuntian, formerly ranked seventh on the Dao Attainment Board, and the other was Gudang, an Immortal powerhouse ranked eighth!
The clash was swift and intense!
The battle did not last long. Following a deafening roar, Tuntian emerged from the void, covered in wounds and radiating ferocious savagery. Clamping Gudang's mutilated corpse in his jaws, he flew at extreme speed toward the Immortal Realm. Dropping the corpse not far from the Immortal Realm entrance, his voice shook all directions: "Tuntian of the Hou race has slain Gudang outside the Hou Realm! The Hou race harbors no wavering heart! If the Immortals send envoys again... all shall be slain without mercy!"
Tuntian departed swiftly. Moments later, a furious roar echoed from within the Immortal Realm as an invincible powerhouse appeared, overcome with rage!
Just as he was about to charge out of the realm, Su Yu's voice shook the firmament: "Those beneath the Eternal Realm may fight; if any Eternal steps out, they shall be slain without mercy! If you refuse to accept it, declare war!"
His voice reverberated across the heavens!
At this moment, Su Yu was peerlessly overbearing as he barked coldly, "I expect all races to obey this order! Tiangu, Jiwu, Moji, keep your clansmen in line! When you are ready, come and try to kill me! Otherwise... we will reopen the battle of Dao Integration!"
Heaven and earth fell dead silent.
The smaller races trembled!
Su Yu of the human race was growing increasingly domineering!
He had actually forced the various races to refrain from initiating an Eternal war, and he was threatening the three strongest races at that!
No one answered.
Yet in the end, that invincible powerhouse of the Immortal race did not step out.
Were they prepared to kill Su Yu?
No!
Since they weren't... they had to accept it.
...
Immortal Realm.
Tiangu kept his eyes closed in silence.
...
Demon Realm.
Moji acted as if he hadn't heard. Seeing his son frown slightly, he said softly, "Endure him for now. The number of Dao Integration experts in the Lower Realm is currently fewer than his allies. Sticking our heads out now yields no benefit."
Moyue nodded. "I understand!"
...
God Realm.
The God Emperor chuckled softly. "An increasingly overbearing fellow. So be it; no Eternal may leave the God Realm! It wouldn't be worth it to be ambushed and slain by him! Wait!"
"Understood!"
Below, dozens of God race invincibles assented one after another. Some felt stifled, while others breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Jiwu looked into the sky with a slight smile, saying nothing. That fellow was truly not someone to provoke right now.
...
"The Human Master is truly peerless in his overbearance!"
At this moment, the Space Beast Emperor walked out of his realm, sighing with emotion in an aged voice as he looked toward Su Yu. "The Human Master honors us with his presence; forgive our lack of a proper welcome!"
Su Yu smiled. "It is only right for me to come! Coming here, I must also thank Kongkong for taking the blame on my behalf for so long."
Behind him, Kongkong took human form and walked out. Beside him, Huang Jiu followed closely, gazing with a peculiar expression at Su Yu standing in the void. He truly possessed outstanding grace, intimidating the entire cosmos!
A single word from the young Su Yu had shaken the myriad realms—invincibles dared not venture forth, and Half-Emperors remained silent.
It had to be said that such a figure was far too brilliant, making others feel inadequate in comparison!
The Space Beast Emperor sighed. "I... seem to see King Wen..."
Su Yu smiled. "Senior has met King Wen?"
"I am quite old. I once had the fortune of seeing him from afar..."
The Space Beast Emperor chuckled softly. "King Wen was like the sun and moon, while we were like candlelight, incomparable."
Su Yu laughed. "Not necessarily. Predecessors were strong, but successors will only be stronger! It is merely that this era does not permit us to grow stronger. Once we shatter this era, we can naturally walk further!"
"Too difficult!"
The Space Beast Emperor sighed. "Truly far too difficult!"
Su Yu chuckled. "Does Senior believe I cannot achieve it?"
The Space Beast Emperor wanted to say something, but Su Yu smiled. "Then let us wait and see! I only hope Senior does not rush to make a decision! The Upper Realm has not yet opened; making a misstep now could cause all prior efforts to fall flat!"
The Space Beast Emperor looked at Su Yu, only speaking after a long pause: "Then in the human race, is it you who holds supremacy, or King Dazhou?"
"Me!"
Su Yu said calmly, "The Human Realm has only one voice!"
"This old one understands!"
The Space Beast Emperor pondered briefly. "Pardon my forwardness, but the Hundred Battles King might not be dead. If he returns, who will hold supremacy?"
"Me!"
Su Yu remained completely calm. "Whether he is dead or alive makes no difference! Leaving the human race, I am still myself; he might not be!"
"Then I understand!"
The Space Beast Emperor's voice sounded ethereal: "So long as humanity does not fall into internal chaos and Emperor Yu can command the overall situation, the Ancient Space Beast race will stand firmly by Emperor Yu's side!"
Su Yu broke into a smile, and a storage ring shot forth: "Thank you! These are spoils from the previous battle! I won't say more; the future will reveal all! Senior need only wait and see!"
"This old one... awaits that day. I believe heaven and earth may change color!"
Su Yu smiled. "Without a doubt!"
With that, Su Yu did not enter the ancient realm, tearing through the void and vanishing instantly.
Once he was gone, Kongkong drew a sharp breath. "Ancestor, this man..."
The Space Beast Emperor said softly, "No need to say more. Let us observe his future performance. Regarding King Dazhou... there's no need to say much for now. If he is merely a Dao Integration expert, he represents nothing."
"Understood!"
Kongkong nodded, then turned to Huang Jiu beside him with a smile. "Do you wish to return to the Liu family?"
Huang Jiu shook her head. "I'll stay here. The Liu family... I'm not familiar with them."
Kongkong nodded. "Then stay here. And stop staring. A person like Su Yu is far too extraordinary; if he doesn't die, a lifetime of warfare is inevitable. If he dies, all comes to naught. Across the myriad realms, there is likely no one who could easily tame him."
At this point, Kongkong remarked with emotion, "Throughout history, exceptional female powerhouses have been far too few. Looking across all of antiquity to the present, there are probably very few women who could subdue Su Yu!"
At those words, the Beast Emperor ahead chuckled softly. "Your horizons are too narrow... In ancient times, women held up half the sky, possessing unfathomable might! Enough, there is no need to bring up such matters."
Chapter 654