The Battle of Lanshan!

Dead Spirit Heavenly River. A divine character swiftly returned to Su Yu. He sensed its state, smiled, and said, "It's done!" "Marquis Lanshan agreed?" Xinghong was somewhat taken aback. "She agreed without even seeing you in person?" Su Yu chuckled. "Naturally. If she is truly still willing to fight for the human race, then as the current Human Lord, once I made the call, she would inevitably accept! If her loyalty was never to the human race, but merely to some individual, then meeting her face-to-face wouldn't have changed the outcome." Xinghong didn't understand. "You humans... are truly baffling at times!" Su Yu smiled. "There is nothing baffling about it. Your race might have perished; otherwise, you would understand that sometimes, one's race stands above all else!" "Fair enough!" Xinghong asked, "What do we do next?" Su Yu glanced up at the sky and took a deep breath. "Kill people! No, kill dead spirits! Once Marquis Lanshan revolts, the Eastern Heavenly King might not pursue her right away. We will slaughter the pursuers hunting her here. If the Eastern Heavenly King refuses to come... we'll force his hand! "My only hope is that Marquis Lanshan can hold out long enough to make it across. Otherwise... it would be nearly impossible for us to fight our way over. That side is the Eastern Heavenly King's domain, crawling with countless dead spirit monarchs. We are no match for them over there!" It was exceedingly difficult for dead spirit monarchs to cross the Dead Spirit Heavenly River, so fighting on this side was viable. But over there, Su Yu's modest force would be hopelessly outmatched. "Alright!" The three spoke no further. All they could do now was wait. If Marquis Lanshan failed to fight her way across and was slain right in the Eastern King Manor, the plan would fall through. Only if she battled her way over could she lure enough powerhouses into their trap. ... Eastern King Manor. Marquis Lanshan gazed at the painting hanging in the main hall—a faint, recognizable map of the Human Realm. She stared at it for a moment while the clamor outside grew louder. The next instant, an irate voice echoed from outside: "Lanshan, rein in your people!" Marquis Lanshan continued staring at the painting. After a pause, she moved to roll it up... but ultimately let her hands fall. In her palm, she tightly gripped the small seal. Step by step, she walked out of Lanshan Hall, heading toward Yueming Hall not far away. Marquis Yueming was an expert of the Nether race, an ancient marquis who had joined the Eastern King Manor after death. She had never gotten along with Marquis Lanshan. In the past, when the human race held absolute dominance, Marquis Yueming hadn't dared cross Marquis Lanshan. Now, however, she grew more arrogant with each passing day. Marquis Lanshan had been an ancient human powerhouse, slain during the great campaign to unify the heavens alongside the supreme experts of humanity. Her marquis title had been granted posthumously; in life, the title had yet to be bestowed upon her. She had been born in Mount Lanshan of the Human Realm, yet over the ages and upheavals of heaven and earth, Mount Lanshan had long vanished. Marquis Lanshan had been dead for countless eras. Likely very few among the living humans even remembered that an ancient Marquis Lanshan had once existed. She was one of the 360 Marquises of the human race, one of the precious few women among them. Among those 360 Marquises, dozens had received their titles posthumously! Scenes flickered across Marquis Lanshan's mind, bringing countless figures to life: the carefree, untamed King Wen; the unmatched, peerless King Wu; the crafty and insidious King Ming; the gloomy, rigid Prison King; King Zhan, who charged fearlessly into battle; King Gong, who never stopped talking... That era had been magnificent! That era had surged with burning blood! She had slaughtered across myriad races; she had decimated foes on every battlefield; she had led vanguard charges onto enemy ramparts; she had severed the heads of formidable enemies amid the thunderous roars of thousands of soldiers! Yet across these endless years, she had grown weary and exhausted. The human race had fallen into decline! Across nine tides, each had ended more tragically than the last, each leaving more dead in its wake. Yet she had managed to guide and receive so few dead spirits. Some had been secretly exterminated by experts under the Four Heavenly Kings, while others had never awakened to this day. The human race, once the absolute overlord of the heavens, had withered away even here in the Dead Spirit Realm! With these thoughts, she strode through the air, arriving at the grand hall moments later. At that moment, Yusheng and several other human dead spirit monarchs were pinned to the ground by a terrifyingly powerful dead spirit. They knelt in the dirt, their auras chaotic and frayed. Marquis Yueming had one foot planted squarely upon Yusheng's head. Glancing up at the arriving Marquis Lanshan, she said coldly, "Lanshan, your people have grown remarkably bold! By the Heavenly King's decree, granting them the honor of the vanguard was already showing them immense favor. Yet you have the nerve to egg these worthless wretches on to stir up trouble?" Marquis Yueming sneered. "What, the Heavenly King punished you, and you refuse to accept it? Harboring resentment toward the Heavenly King?" Marquis Yueming broke into laughter. "Lanshan, do you honestly still think this is the ancient era?" Marquis Lanshan looked at her—at this Nether race powerhouse. After a long silence, she said placidly, "Release them! Yueming, even if humanity declines and the myriad races unite, the one to rule will be the Celestials, the Demons, the Gods, the Dragons... but never the Nether race! You were a lapdog in life, and you're still eager to be a dog for the powerful races in death. Have you grown addicted to it?" Marquis Yueming glared at her, death qi erupting in her eyes. "Lanshan, are you provoking me?" Marquis Lanshan replied calmly, "Provoking you? No! You aren't worthy! What kind of creature do you think you are?" Fury blazed in Marquis Yueming's gaze! Dead spirits were dead spirits after all; no matter how powerful, no matter how firm their minds, they were prone to impulse and rage. Grinding her boot into Yusheng's head, rubbing his cheek into the stone, Marquis Yueming hissed, "Lanshan, wake up! This isn't the ancient era! This is the Eastern King Manor!" With a cruel sneer, she added, "Your Dao body was just lashed. Have you already forgotten the agony? Do you need me to ask the Heavenly King to drain your blood of death?!" "Are you an idiot?" Marquis Lanshan approached step by step. "If he dared kill me, he would have done so long ago! Weakened though my human race may be, there is more than one dead spirit marquis among the Four Heavenly Kings' domains! If the Eastern King dared slaughter me, wouldn't he fear retaliation from human powerhouses?" She said coldly, "If all-out war broke out, he might dare eliminate a few in the chaos. But there is no war right now! If he dared kill me, he would have done it already! Does it take your pathetic instigation to make a difference?" Marquis Yueming's expression shifted slightly. "What are you implying?" Marquis Lanshan replied impassively, "Nothing at all. The Eastern King may discipline me, but he dares not kill me. Understand? Do you honestly believe your puny brain filing complaints will achieve anything? How laughable. Now, take your filthy paw off Yusheng, or else... Yueming, you will regret it!" "Regret it?" Marquis Yueming laughed. "Lanshan, you don't actually believe that just because Qishan and the others were killed, you now have the standing to contend with us, do you?" Around them, faint ripples of aura began to stir. Other marquises were gathering, watching the spectacle unfold. Marquis Lanshan's subordinate was being punished by Marquis Yueming, and Lanshan herself had just been reprimanded by the Eastern King. The demise of Marquis Qishan and his peers had already enraged the Eastern King; now that these two were clashing, the Eastern King would likely punish Lanshan directly rather than Yueming! Could Marquis Lanshan endure it? Not only the Dao Integration marquises, but even ordinary dead spirit monarchs were watching with keen interest. Things were getting lively! Was the Eastern King Manor, peaceful for countless years, about to see real drama? Yet Marquis Lanshan held no advantage whatsoever. If matters escalated, the Eastern King would likely penalize her once again. ... Marquis Yueming kept her foot pressed against Yusheng, while Yusheng struggled violently, savage roars tearing from his throat in helpless fury. He was an Eternal expert, but his opponent was Dao Integration. Moreover, the rules of this place favored her suppression over him, leaving him completely unable to resist. Around them, over a dozen monarchs under Marquis Yueming held down his fellow comrades. "Oh, still struggling, are we?" Marquis Yueming sneered, her death qi flaring to crush him into submission! Yusheng was not weak! To be designated as the vanguard general, his strength was naturally formidable—an Eternal stage eight! Yet he was facing a marquis! Marquis Yueming grew increasingly smug, casting a provocative glance at Lanshan, deliberately trying to goad her. *Make a move! Come on, strike!* *If you dare make a move, no matter who started the trouble, the Eastern King won't punish me—he'll only punish you!* Marquis Lanshan looked down at Yusheng pinned beneath the boot, then glanced at the other dead spirit monarchs. With a soft sigh, she stepped forward. Marquis Yueming's brow furrowed. "What are you trying to do?" Marquis Lanshan ignored her, looking at Yusheng and sighing, "I've dragged you all into this." "My lord!" Yusheng let out a beast-like roar. "It is we who brought shame upon you! That wretched whore Yueming—I'll tear her apart with my own hands sooner or later!" "Insolent cur!" Marquis Yueming brought her foot down hard. With a sickening crunch, Yusheng's skull began to fracture. Marquis Lanshan's demeanor turned eerily calm. Sighing softly, she closed the distance between them. Marquis Yueming snapped, "What are you doing? Back off!" Marquis Lanshan said placidly, "You dare not kill me, so what good does acting ruthless do? Dare you kill me? I am standing right before you—do you dare strike me down? If you kill me, do you truly believe no one in the domains of the Four Kings will seek vengeance against you? Do you think the Eastern King would shield you? How hopelessly foolish you are!" She took another step closer, a faint smile gracing her lips. "I am right before your eyes. Come, kill me! Yueming, kill me!" Marquis Yueming's face hardened, her teeth clenched. She wanted nothing more than to butcher Marquis Lanshan! Yet Lanshan wasn't wrong. Though the human race was weak in the domains of the Four Kings, they were not devoid of human marquises! Killing Lanshan without cause would inevitably bring bloody retaliation! She could complain to the Eastern King to have Lanshan punished, but she wouldn't dare strike the fatal blow herself. Furthermore, she might not even succeed, even if Lanshan was wounded and her Dao body damaged. Marquis Lanshan moved closer step by step. Pressed by her presence, Marquis Yueming felt an urge to retreat, yet pride forbade her from losing face! She was still stepping on Yusheng. To retreat now—wouldn't that be conceding defeat? Wouldn't that be surrendering? All the others were watching! Marquis Yueming swallowed her discomfort, watching Lanshan close the gap step by step. She wasn't afraid of Lanshan doing anything rash; this was the Eastern King Manor, where Lanshan was completely isolated while everyone else belonged to the Eastern King's faction. Unless Lanshan had a death wish, she wouldn't dare! Marquis Lanshan saw straight through Yueming's thoughts. Step by step, she walked closer, until the dark luminescence on Yueming's face was clearly visible. Ten meters, five meters, three meters... In the final instant, the two stood face-to-face. Marquis Lanshan was tall, taller than Marquis Yueming. Looking down at her, she whispered, "You don't dare kill me, so why put on this ruthless farce?" Marquis Yueming ground her teeth and hissed, "And you? Do you dare kill me? Lanshan, no matter how tough you act, what of it? In this tide, your human race will surely perish!" "Whether humanity perishes or not, I cannot say..." Marquis Lanshan raised her hands, resting them gently on Marquis Yueming's shoulders. Yueming wanted to pull back, but her pride refused to yield. Gritting her teeth, she sneered, "If you really have the guts, try laying a finger on me!" Marquis Lanshan smiled. What a fool. Just as she had anticipated! Marquis Yueming was truly the easiest to slay. Look at her: with both hands resting on her shoulders, Yueming refused to take even half a step back, yet she lacked the courage to strike. Fierce in appearance, cowardly at heart... the myriad races were as foolish and spineless as ever! Marquis Lanshan lightly raised a hand, caressing Yueming's cheek. "In life, you were quite fair to look upon. How did you become so shrill and hideous in death? If I recall correctly, you were slain by Marquis Tianchang. I heard he took great pleasure in torturing his foes... Could it be... your death was too wretched?" Marquis Yueming was incensed! She looked up, glaring with boundless venom and fury, on the verge of lashing out to butcher Marquis Lanshan right then and there! Marquis Lanshan chuckled. "Stop staring. Right now, you are truly ugly..." "Lanshan!" "Shall I send you on your way?" Like a gentle elder sister, Marquis Lanshan stroked her cheek as she uttered words that drained the color from Yueming's face. The next instant, a beam of death light burst from Lanshan's palm! The light plunged straight into Marquis Yueming's skull. Yueming's form convulsed violently! A black Dao body manifested. Marquis Lanshan swept her hand across it like sweeping away trash; the black Dao body cracked apart, Yueming's eyes widening in sheer, unadulterated horror! *Are you insane?!* *You're trying to kill me!* *You've truly lost your mind!* She had allowed Lanshan to draw so close only because she was utterly certain Lanshan wouldn't dare kill her here. This was the Eastern King Manor! *You don't want to bide your time anymore?* *You don't care about receiving fallen humans anymore?* *You actually dared strike!* At this moment, Marquis Yueming genuinely could not comprehend it. It was impossible to accept. "See? You are as foolish as ever..." Marquis Lanshan smiled. Beneath Yueming's foot, Yusheng struggled, suddenly feeling the weight pressing on him go limp. Looking up, his soul trembled with disbelief! He saw Marquis Lanshan plunge her hand straight into Marquis Yueming's Dao body, ripping out a dead spirit mark! *Crack!* She crushed it! And swiftly devoured it! Marquis Lanshan was healing her wounds. Her movements seemed leisurely, but in truth, they were astonishingly swift. Her body blocked the view of Yueming, her back facing the onlookers. None of them could see what they were discussing or doing; they only saw Lanshan appear to draw something out, followed by the sudden cessation of Yueming's furious shouts. In that very instant, Marquis Lanshan's voice echoed directly into the ears of Yusheng and the others: "Follow me and fight our way out to the Spirit Suppressing Domain! We... are going to see the Human Lord!" At those words, the suppressed human dead spirit monarchs trembled violently! The Human Lord! Beneath Yueming's feet, Yusheng's eyes blazed with blinding brilliance, while Marquis Lanshan's voice rang in his mind: "Devour Yueming's remains at once! In a moment... you ride into battle with me!" Yusheng wanted to roar his acknowledgment at the top of his lungs! *Into battle!* How many eras had passed since he last heard that word? In life, he had been Marquis Lanshan's vanguard general. In death, after the ancient unification, Marquis Lanshan had found him. Back then, the human race was still the supreme overlord of the heavens! For endless years, Marquis Lanshan had never once uttered the words, *We ride into battle again!* Even though he was dead, Yusheng wanted to weep. Into battle! To see the Human Lord! Just like the old days, following Marquis Lanshan to conquer all four quarters! He wanted to roar, but held it back, furiously devouring everything left of Marquis Yueming, while Marquis Lanshan counted the seconds. Yueming wasn't completely dead yet, but she was nearly gone. Once she died, the commotion would be immense! She supported the increasingly frail, dissipating Marquis Yueming, appearing as though she were whispering into her ear... The spectators around them found the scene bizarre. *Are those two whispering secrets?* Meanwhile, several dead spirit marquises sensed something amiss. One marquis laughed and called out, "Lanshan, Yueming, harmony above all! Yueming, let Yusheng and the others go..." He called out, but Marquis Yueming made no sound. Now, not only him, but several other dead spirit marquises felt something was wrong. How could Yueming stay completely silent?! Right at that moment, a marquis suddenly barked, "Yusheng, what are you doing?!" He sensed Yusheng's aura swelling rapidly, devouring something. And in that precise instant, heaven and earth trembled! *Boom!* "Kill!" Marquis Lanshan struck out with her sword! *Boom!* Around them, three Invincible monarchs under Marquis Yueming were instantly decapitated by her single sword sweep! Her other subordinates erupted in unison with a deafening roar! *Boom!* Before Marquis Yueming's monarchs could even react, they were slaughtered wholesale! Their dead spirit marks were seized! The monarchs greedily swallowed the dead spirit marks, while Yusheng roared furiously, his aura surging wildly as he bellowed, "Kill! Lanshan Army, charge with me!" *Boom!* At that exact instant, several marquises across the realm made their moves! Yueming was dead! "Presumptuous!" "Audacious!" "Kill them!" Countless dead spirits roared in rage. Yet Marquis Lanshan, leading her subordinates, charged outward like madmen! A longsword sweeping across the heavens! A single sword strike tore the sky apart! In the distance, atop the Eastern King Palace, a crowned powerhouse manifested instantly. Staring coldly in their direction, his voice was chillingly venomous: "Lanshan, what immense gall you have! Marquis Lanshan has rebelled! Generals of the Eastern King Manor, slay them!" "Understood!" Monarch after monarch and dead spirit marquises answered the call. Slaughter erupted in an instant! Having seized the initiative, Marquis Lanshan and her cohort cut down seven or eight dead spirit monarchs in the blink of an eye. Leading her group in a swift breakout, her voice thundered through heaven and earth: "Dead spirits of humanity, fight our way out! Break out of the Eastern King Manor! The Eastern King has committed treason—he has betrayed our human race, conspiring against the human realm! Traitors must be executed!" At those words, heaven and earth shook! In the distance, the Eastern King's expression twisted slightly. A traitor? Lanshan dared call him a traitor! Marquis Lanshan's roaring voice continued to reverberate: "Eastern King, my human race enfeoffed you as King, yet far from showing gratitude, you repay kindness with enmity and treachery! You shall be struck down by Heaven! Kill!" The roar shook the heavens! *Rumble!* A sword strike forced back an approaching marquis. Behind her, Yusheng roared, "A vanguard for the King, I am the tip of the spear! My lord, let me clear the path!" Yusheng surged to the front, a massive battle-axe materializing in his hands, hacking downward with tremendous force! *Boom!* Several powerhouses blocking the way were cleaved in two by his axe! And Marquis Lanshan, just as she had in ancient days, swept her blade outward, parrying the pincer strike of two dead spirit marquises. The group carved their way through, blood and slaughter painting the sky! *Rumble!* At that moment, on the outer perimeter, nearly a thousand dead spirit soldiers charged into the unprepared forces of the Eastern King Manor. These were soldiers under Marquis Lanshan's command! At their head was a female dead spirit powerhouse whose voice shook all directions: "Charge in with me! Carve through the enemy lines for our lord!" "Kill! Kill! Kill!" A massive war erupted across the Eastern King Domain! In the distance, the Eastern King wore an icy expression as he strode toward Marquis Lanshan. From beneath his feet, a dead spirit monarch suddenly tore into the sky, hurtling toward him in an ambush! One of Marquis Lanshan's loyalists! "Fools who know not life from death!" The Eastern King snorted coldly, freezing the dead spirit monarch mid-air. He declared icily, "Traitors shall be put to death!" "Are you talking about yourself?!" The frozen dead spirit monarch laughed wildly, then detonated with a cataclysmic boom, roaring, "Lanshan Army, escort our lord out! I go first!" "General!" Anguished cries tore across the battlefield as carnage erupted everywhere. *Boom!* Yusheng cleaved an Invincible monarch to pieces with his axe. Catching sight of his comrade self-detonating from the corner of his eye, blood-red death qi flared in his gaze. That had been an old comrade-in-arms, a brother from ancient times. Today... wiped out of the myriad realms forever! When a dead spirit died, there was no second chance! "Die!" Yusheng's aura surged violently as he burned everything. A single axe strike sent a dead spirit marquis flying! The marquis looked on in shock, while Yusheng directly ignited his dead spirit mark. Looking back at Marquis Lanshan, who was soaked in blood, he gritted his teeth. "My lord, go!" "Kill!" His axe swept across all directions. Having just devoured Marquis Yueming, he had advanced straight to Eternal stage nine. Now, burning his dead spirit mark, his combat strength skyrocketed, sending another dead spirit marquis flying with a mighty swing! On the other side, Marquis Lanshan's sword swept across heaven and earth, its ringing resonance echoing through the clouds as she fought while breaking out! *Break out and see the Human Lord!* *Boom!* A sword strike impaled a dead spirit monarch, only to be blocked by a dead spirit marquis. That marquis attempted to speak, but Lanshan gave him no chance. She had no interest in talk—only slaughter! The sword flashed! *Clang!* The opponent countered quickly, sword meeting warhammer. Marquis Lanshan possessed immense combat experience; the moment her strike was parried, she retracted the blade, guided the hammer's momentum, twisted her frame, and thrust again. *Squelch!* The blade pierced clean through his skull! At this moment, Marquis Lanshan remained utterly cold and composed. Fighting to the death was impossible to win. Eight marquises, plus the Eastern King himself—how could they possibly win? The only option was to break out! Carve a path forward! That was what the Human Lord intended; he was waiting for them in the Spirit Suppressing Domain! In the adjacent void, a chain whipped out, about to coil around Marquis Lanshan. Behind her, a monarch leaped forward; the chain ensnared him instead, igniting black flames that tore agonized screams from his lips. Marquis Lanshan did not slow her pace, nor did she look back! Back then, these very people had fought to the death across the heavens for her sake. Today was merely a reenactment of the ancient past! In the ancient era, she had failed to break out and had perished. Today... she refused to fail! She wanted to see this Human Lord of humanity with her own eyes! *Squelch!* Death qi burned ablaze. A sword strike forced back a marquis and decapitated the monarch behind him. Marquis Lanshan continued carving her way forward, soon linking up with the human dead spirit soldiers on the perimeter. By now, the thousand soldiers had dwindled to merely a few hundred. The female general at the lead was covered in wounds. Seeing Marquis Lanshan arrive, she was overjoyed, roaring fiercely, "Break out! Charge!" "Understood!" The female general bellowed at the top of her lungs, "Who reigns supreme across the heavens?!" "The human race reigns supreme!" Hundreds of soldiers roared in unison! "Who remains undefeated through the ages?!" "The human race remains undefeated!" "When contesting for hegemony over the myriad realms, who dares contend?!" "None dare contend!" "Kill!" Hundreds of warriors roared, their voices shaking the heavens! For a moment, their indomitable momentum struck terror into the surrounding dead spirits, forcing them back. The dead spirit monarchs watched with shifting expressions, involuntarily recalling the ancient days when they had been slaughtered by humans. The human race! The grand army that had once unified all under heaven had charged forth once more! A suit of armor materialized over Marquis Lanshan—a gift King Wu had personally sent after her death! *A human marquis in life, a peerless hero in death!* King Wu had said: *The human race unifies the heavens, across the realms of the living and the dead. All that my gaze encompasses belongs to the Human Realm!* *What I see is mine!* *Wherever my eyes fall is the territory of my Human Realm!* *Our race marched forth from the Human Realm, conquering the heavens and sweeping aside all mighty foes. What is a mere hundred thousand years? We can fight once more!* "Follow me and break through!" Marquis Lanshan let out a thunderous roar. *Boom!* Three marquises charged in. Marquis Lanshan fought with boundless ferocity, sweeping her sword without regard for life or death, utterly fearless! Though the three marquises were powerful, their momentum was shattered! These were marquises of the myriad races slain during the ancient era, cut down by humans back then! Seeing humanity charge again shook their very souls! On the other side, several human dead spirit generals ignited their dead spirit marks one after another, fighting to their last breath! Since Marquis Lanshan sought to break out, they would carve out a path of survival for her with their lives! *Boom!* Explosions echoed endlessly. A massive clash raged as the thousand soldiers tore open a bloody path in the blink of an eye, though over seventy percent of their ranks were already lost! Marquis Lanshan's blade impaled one dead spirit marquis, but a saber strike from another carved deep across her back, sending black blood splashing onto the ground and corroding the earth! Farther back, the Eastern Heavenly King watched the battle coldly, striding forward step by step. Dead spirits continually hurled themselves into the sky to block his path, only to be obliterated on the spot! A bunch of mindless madmen! Even a few quasi-Invincible dead spirits dared throw themselves at him—utterly laughable! How long could they possibly delay him? "Lanshan, you are seeking your own destruction!" The Eastern Heavenly King crushed an Invincible dead spirit to dust, his voice chillingly calm. "You bided your time for so many years; why erupt now? You painstakingly gathered a sliver of strength for your human race, yet now it is squandered entirely. What could you possibly hope to gain? "When Qishan and the others were killed, this King merely administered a light warning. I never imagined you would harbor such resentment as to murder Yueming. Your crime is unforgivable!" A great seal materialized in his hand. He said coldly, "I think you had better stay right here!" *Boom!* The great seal pressed directly toward Marquis Lanshan! The Heavenly King Seal! The Dead Spirit Heavenly King Seal! Right at that moment, a seal manifested from Marquis Lanshan's body, echoing with a voice steeped in utter disdain and cold detachment: "These heavens belong to the human race! Using a seal granted to you by humans, how dare you punish humans?!" *Boom!* The golden seal burst into blinding brilliance, releasing immense fortune qi! With a thunderous crash, it sent the black Dead Spirit Heavenly King Seal flying backward! Under this clash, the Eastern Heavenly King's expression changed drastically! Marquis Lanshan had not anticipated that the Human Lord Seal would unleash such power either! The next instant, realization struck, and she roared, "Break out! The Human Lord awaits us in the Spirit Suppressing Domain! Break out of the Eastern King Domain and see the Human Lord!" "See the Human Lord!" The surviving soldiers bellowed in unison. Having unleashed its strike, the Human Lord Seal dimmed considerably, settling back onto Marquis Lanshan's person, yet it had shattered the localized pressure of the realm's rules. Seizing the momentum, Marquis Lanshan forced back an obstructing marquis with a vicious sword strike, leading her survivors in a desperate dash toward the Spirit Suppressing Domain! Behind them, the Eastern Heavenly King's expression darkened. The Human Lord! The Lord of the Human Race?! Damn it! No wonder Marquis Lanshan had rebelled at this exact moment—the Lord of the Human Race had entered the Dead Spirit Realm today to summon her! That Human Lord Seal... its fortune qi was formidable indeed! It had actually deflected his Dead Spirit Heavenly King Seal! "Do not let a single one escape!" The Eastern Heavenly King barked, and even more dead spirits surged forth to hunt down Marquis Lanshan and her cohort! Bloody skirmishes raged without pause along the path! Countless human dead spirits fell, yet they escorted Marquis Lanshan forward with their dying breaths! Generals remained behind one after another to guard the rear! ... Gradually, their numbers dwindled. Before long, barely any powerhouses remained. Yusheng cleaved an enemy powerhouse to death with his axe. Gasping violently, he smiled. "My lord, your subordinate can go no further! If there is a next life, I would still fight for you, fight for the human race... but I fear... there is no next life!" With those words, he turned and charged back toward the pursuing dead spirit marquises! One axe shaking the heavens! Gathering the entirety of his life's power, Yusheng unleashed a final blow, roaring, "Break out, see the Human Lord, and let the human race pacify the heavens once more!" *Boom!* A deafening explosion rang out! "Yusheng!" Marquis Lanshan cried out, tears welling in her eyes. The next instant, she bellowed with raw agony, "Kill! Break out!" "Break out!" The remaining seven or eight generals roared in fury. The next moment, three dead spirit monarchs turned back to face the pursuers. "We will hold the rear! General Hongyun, escort our lord away!" Hongyun, the female powerhouse who had spearheaded the charge, was covered in black blood. She roared, "I will not fail this duty! Brothers, kill!" *Boom!* The battle reignited. Marquis Lanshan was resolute; swallowing her agony, she led the remaining few forward! Endless slaughter, relentless injuries, continuous fallen comrades... Gradually, the Dead Spirit Heavenly River came into view ahead! By Marquis Lanshan's side, only a single Invincible remained: General Hongyun. Gritting her teeth, her aura fluctuating wildly, General Hongyun said, "My lord, charge... charge across! I will hold the rear... When you see the Human Lord, please... tell him that our Lanshan Guard... can fight in life and in death! If my lord escapes today, rebuild our Lanshan Guard!" *Boom!* Hongyun turned back and charged! Marquis Lanshan clenched her jaw, not uttering a word as she tore through the air. A dead spirit marquis attempted to intercept her, but Hongyun let out a ferocious roar and detonated her dead spirit mark! With a massive boom, the dead spirit marquis was wounded. Lanshan charged on, the Dead Spirit Heavenly River right before her eyes. The next instant, space tore open, and a dead spirit marquis stepped out, panting with a smirk. "Lanshan, this path is closed..." "Die!" Marquis Lanshan let out a piercing shriek. In the next breath, her Dao body shattered with a colossal explosion! Her Dao body detonated! A shattered Dao body and a severed Great Dao meant falling from the Dao Integration Realm, yet Marquis Lanshan did not care in the slightest. She had detonated her Dao body with terrifying decisiveness—the opponent hadn't dreamed she would be ruthless enough to self-detonate without hesitation! With a cataclysmic boom, the newly arrived marquis was blown to pieces, his Dao body exposed! Marquis Lanshan thrust her sword forward! *Squish!* The blade impaled the opponent's Dao body, and it blew apart! *Boom!* Heaven and earth trembled—a second dead spirit marquis was slain! Marquis Lanshan's aura plummeted, her entire body soaked in blood, yet she paid it no heed. She plunged headfirst into the Dead Spirit Heavenly River. Across that river was the Human Lord—she had made it! A look of sheer resolve was etched across Marquis Lanshan's face! *I have fought my way across. The Lanshan Guard I built, my brothers and sisters, have all died in battle just so I could see you. Can you... show me hope?!* ... Across the river. Su Yu sat with his eyes closed. In that moment, he seemed to perceive something and snapped his eyes open, a fierce glint surfacing within them. "What immense audacity!" "Tianmie, Xinghong, Yunxiao!" Seeing his sudden fury, the three experts trembled. Tianmie asked hurriedly, "What happened?" "Unseal and kill!" Su Yu said coldly, "In a moment, no matter how many powerful enemies arrive, kill them all! Break your seals and kill!" The three's expressions shifted, but they swiftly answered, "Understood!" Meanwhile, the Civilization Tombstone in Su Yu's hand morphed into a long saber. He swallowed a drop of Golden-Winged Roc blood, followed by another drop of essence blood! Space tore open! The greatest strength of the Golden-Winged Roc was speed! Marquis Lanshan had slain two marquises! On the other side remained seven marquises and one Heavenly King! The Human Lord Seal had deterred the Eastern Heavenly King; he might not pursue her directly! They had to kill several of his marquises to force the old bastard's hand! Right then, the Dead Spirit Heavenly River churned. In the distance, a female dead spirit in battered armor, her sword broken and hair disheveled, flew toward Su Yu's group. Behind her, three marquises materialized in an instant! Further back, four more marquises were giving chase! "Lanshan, you have nowhere left to run..." Before the words could finish, the void was violently ripped apart. Above the Heavenly River, a rift tore open as though Su Yu had physically parted heaven and earth. He manifested in an instant, the civilization chronicle conjuring countless illusory figures that pressed down toward the three Dao Integration experts! The binding formation erupted, and the Human Lord Seal flew into Su Yu's grasp, smashing down toward one of the dead spirit marquises! The next instant, the Civilization Tombstone saber cleaved downward in an Open Heaven strike! This strike was overwhelmingly powerful, imbued with the strength of the Golden-Winged Roc! Saber light reflected across heaven and earth! It was as if it would sever the Dead Spirit Heavenly River in two, Su Yu's voice ringing out across all directions! "Eastern King, you old dog, your gall is boundless! I will slaughter you!" *Boom!* The blade slashed down. With a sickening blast, a dead spirit marquis was cleaved in two by this sudden strike, his Dao body exploding along with him! At that exact instant, the seals on the three stone statues shattered. Tianmie and the other two bellowed furiously, their might boundless as the three joined forces to strike the remaining two marquises! *Boom!* A titanic roar rattled the entire Dead Spirit Heavenly River. Marquis Lanshan seized the opening, whirling around to plunge her sword toward one of the marquises! "How dare you—" In the distance, a roar of pure fury echoed—the voice of the Eastern King! *Boom!* The Dead Spirit Heavenly River shook. One marquis had been slain on the spot by Su Yu, while Tianmie and the others battered another until he fractured apart. The moment his Dao body emerged, Marquis Lanshan cleaved it in two with a single slash! *Rumble!* Heaven and earth trembled once more—a fourth marquis had fallen! The remaining one was still clashing with the civilization chronicle, shattering countless phantoms. But seeing the horrific scene, he was frightened out of his wits and retreated instantly! He regrouped with the four marquises behind him, while further back, the Eastern Heavenly King tore through the void in absolute fury. Su Yu sneered, drew a thumb across his throat, and grabbed the dying Marquis Lanshan, leaping backward: "Go!" With a low bark, Tianmie and the other two swiftly followed! Su Yu's voice thundered out: "Traitorous cur, once I put my realm in order, I will execute you!" The Eastern King's expression was unsightly in the extreme! *This is the Human Lord?!* He glanced at the Dead Spirit Heavenly River, glaring coldly at Su Yu and his companions, then barked, "Pursue!" The six powerhouses crossed the Dead Spirit Heavenly River in an instant, giving chase! Meanwhile, the Eastern Heavenly King's gaze was venomous as he scanned the surroundings. The realm was tranquil; Old Turtle was evidently still suppressing the entrance. Fearing that Old Turtle might cause trouble, he bellowed across the realm, "Eastern King Guard, enter the Spirit Suppressing Domain and apprehend the traitors!" From the rear, countless dead spirits rushed toward the Heavenly River! The Eastern King intended to use them to tie down Old Turtle and the other guards, leaving them unable to provide reinforcements! If they dared reinforce, these dead spirits would march out into the living realm! Leading five dead spirit marquises, the Eastern King gave chase, his heart burning with rage and anguish. In mere moments, four marquises had been killed. Lanshan had rebelled, and two marquises had been killed previously... the strength of the Eastern King Manor had plummeted drastically! This was utterly intolerable! Damned bastards! Though this move had completely purged the human faction within the Eastern King Domain and annihilated the Lanshan Guard, the Eastern King was still consumed by fury and distress! The losses were simply too catastrophic! He had been careless earlier—or rather, the Human Lord Seal had startled him and wasted precious time. Who could have imagined so many would die in the blink of an eye?! ... Ahead, Marquis Lanshan coughed up blood as Su Yu carried her. Looking up at Su Yu in a daze, she muttered weakly, "King Wen..." It felt as though she were seeing King Wen! Su Yu said with a cold face, "Call me Su Yu, Human Lord, or Emperor Yu! If you call me King Wen again, I'm dropping you! If you weren't so heavily injured, I wouldn't even be carrying you!" Coughing blood, Marquis Lanshan suddenly smiled and said loudly, "The Lanshan Guard has fulfilled its mission... I... have fought my way out! "Lanshan pays respects to the Human Lord!" Her shout echoed across the void! She had made it out! Even though all her brothers and sisters had stayed behind, dying on that soil, such was war, was it not? Marquis Lanshan's voice carried a tinge of desolation as she shouted. Even in death, the human race could still fight! Su Yu's expression was solemn. After a long pause, he barked, "At ease!" "Understood!" "Flee first!" "Understood..." Marquis Lanshan froze. Flee? The domineering Human Lord from a moment ago had suddenly ordered a retreat; she couldn't process it for a second. Su Yu ignored her. Nonsense, of course they had to run! The Eastern Heavenly King was terrifyingly strong! He had to be lured away! Otherwise, the Eastern Heavenly King alone could wipe them all out. Even with Su Yu swallowing Golden-Winged Roc blood, it wouldn't be enough. Even swallowing the white dog's blood might not guarantee victory in this place! To the teleportation passage! Once they reached that place and left the Dead Spirit Realm, even if Old Zhou proved unreliable, the Eastern Heavenly King's combat strength would be severely impaired without death qi and the realm's rules backing him! Then, swallowing the white dog's essence blood might actually give them a fighting chance! Leading the group, Su Yu tore through the void, fleeing toward the distance! In the rear, the Eastern Heavenly King frowned. This Human Lord wasn't fleeing toward the passage to the living world, but running straight ahead... was there a trap waiting? Yet within this Dead Spirit Realm, even if Old Turtle came in person, he would be no match for the Eastern Heavenly King. What trap could possibly kill him? With a hint of hesitation, the Eastern Heavenly King furrowed his brows. Should he keep chasing? If he didn't... without killing this Human Lord, he would never know peace! Earlier, the other party's Human Lord Seal had genuinely suppressed his Heavenly King Seal. That was an ominous sign; if this Human Lord grew stronger, he might truly be able to suppress him! Suppressing his doubts, the Eastern Heavenly King barked, "Hurry, after them!" He resolved to pursue! In the Dead Spirit Realm, he refused to believe anyone could rival him!