Sinister Su Yu!

With his Heavenly Gate opened, battles between Great Daos held no secrets from Su Yu. Attacks that Princess Consort Xi believed were concealed were laid bare before his eyes. How her Dao fluctuated, where it would strike, whom she targeted, whether a feint was being thrown, or whether an eruption of power was brewing in secret... King Daqin and King Daxia, locked in heated combat, could hardly sense these subtleties. With Daos entangling and clashing violently, auras erupting in all directions, and the underlying Daos invisible to their sight, how could they ward against them effectively? But now, they had no need to think. Su Yu had it all at his fingertips! True, if Su Yu took her on by himself, it wouldn't work. Seeing an attack did not mean one could react in time. It was just like how Su Yu could now fell a Sun Moon with a single punch; even if the opponent knew a fist was coming, even if Su Yu told him to his face, "I am going to hit you with a fist," the opponent still couldn't block it. King Daqin and King Daxia, however, were peak Dao Integration experts. Having divided the Dao of the Desolate Heaven Beast between the two of them, they were already immensely powerful. Between Dao Integration cultivators, if neither gained the upper hand in Dao manipulation, victory came down to the physical body. And physical bodies... these two were physical Dao cultivators! Whether during their time with humanity or after assimilating the Desolate Heaven Beast, they cultivated the physical Dao. Judged purely on physical strength, Princess Consort Xi might not even match them. Princess Consort Xi's strength lay in rules! Chains that bound, flames that scorched. Control and attack! She walked two Daos. She might well have been a powerhouse from the ancient era, given how difficult cultivating two Daos became in later ages. Yet today, none of those advantages availed her against Su Yu. "Bastard, you deserve death!" Princess Consort Xi was driven back repeatedly, nearly driven mad with fury! Her might was overwhelming. King Daqin and King Daxia were formidable too, but their comprehension of rules was not as profound as hers. Prior to this, she had kept both of them—and even the Old Turtle's true form—firmly suppressed! In the blink of an eye, she was the one being pushed back! Kill Su Yu! Yes, kill Su Yu. If she didn't kill Su Yu, not a single one of her attacks could escape his sight, and she might truly lose. In the next instant, the void tore apart, and countless chains lashed out toward Su Yu! Sky-burning flames surged into the heavens! She would burn this bastard Su Yu to ashes! Su Yu swallowed a drop of Golden-Winged Roc blood essence. In that moment, he caught sight of the Golden-Winged Roc's Dao, stretching like a bird in full flight. The Dao floating above his head was somewhat illusory, as he was primarily borrowing the Dao through the Time Book. A barrier still separated him from truly borrowing the Dao directly. Even so, Su Yu gained immense enlightenment. His arms transformed into wings, darting effortlessly through the web of chains as his eerie voice echoed: "Qin, left three! Xia, upper six..." The two sovereigns didn't bother to overthink. Qin's spear and Xia's saber struck in unison! In this battle, they paid attention only to Su Yu's words. As for Princess Consort Xi, they acted as if she didn't exist—wherever Su Yu directed, they attacked! After all, Su Yu wielded Dao Integration combat strength at this moment. How could Princess Consort Xi possibly kill him in an instant? Even the Heavenly Kings could not insta-kill a Dao Integration expert! It took at least some time. What was more, Su Yu could see through the Great Dao, making him all the harder to slay, not to mention his countless tricks! Guided by Su Yu's directions, the two human monarchs struck relentlessly, pouring out their full strength! No defense! With the Heaven and Earth Inkstone covering them and their tacit coordination, the inkstone defended while they launched a furious assault! Boom! The Daos shook. The chains dwindled as Su Yu quietly shredded several, while the flames were swallowed bit by bit by Su Yu, infuriating Princess Consort Xi so much that she nearly coughed up three pints of blood! Princess Consort Xi grew frantic. Retreat was untenable, yet fighting on brought no breakthrough. Retreat... setting aside whether she could even escape, if the battle on the Western King's side remained locked in a stalemate, what if the Western King died once she pulled out? After all, the people here could go reinforce them! If she didn't retreat, she would gain no advantage dragging this out! Especially with that bastard Su Yu—despite his lack of raw overwhelming strength, he was causing her colossal trouble! Such a fight was utterly humiliating for her. With two Daos at her disposal, she had ranked among the very pinnacle of marquises even in the ancient era! An entity on the same level as the Four Heavenly Kings! Second only to those ancient Human Kings who had walked the physical Dao. Yet here she was, driven to this extremity by two fellows who were clearly a notch below her! Her face turned grim as she fought while turning thoughts over in her mind. She needed to contact the Western King before deciding whether to retreat or fight. As for Su Yu sealing off the surroundings, she could still break through if she was willing to pay a price. And at that moment, behind her, the Old Turtle slowly opened his eyes. His Dao body had merged with his true form! Strictly speaking, the Old Turtle was stronger than King Daqin and King Daxia, and only slightly weaker than Princess Consort Xi—the gap was not vast. Earlier, he had suffered a grave disadvantage. Now that his Dao body had merged, he was eager to strike, intending to land a sneaky blow while she wasn't paying attention! The little white dog would be coming up soon as well. Once he struck, the dog would follow up... This woman was as good as dead! Every combatant present today was a top powerhouse! A Heavenly King was terrifyingly strong, but that depended on whom they were compared to. Taking on five Dao Integration experts at once? The Old Turtle could take on four! Could King Daqin or King Daxia not take on two? And Su Yu broke into a smile. Resolved! It had concluded much faster than he imagined. The little white dog was truly formidable. Without even asking, he knew the dog had settled the battle down below. Excellent. Princess Consort Xi wasn't going anywhere! The crux now was... how to take her out without making a sound. Slaying Princess Consort Xi posed a problem. She was a living being! Yes, an overwhelmingly powerful living being—perhaps the strongest living being in existence right now. Slaying her would inevitably trigger heavenly phenomena across the myriad realms. Once Princess Consort Xi died, Tiangu and the others would immediately know something was wrong. When that happened, they would open the Upper Realm passage at any cost, or simply wage a mad war of mutual destruction against humanity! "The Upper Realm passage won't open naturally for about ten years, but if rule power is depleted excessively, it could force the passage open early... If the various races truly wish to drag everyone down with them and open it ahead of time, there are ways..." From what Su Yu knew, there were quite a few methods. First, every race had stockpiles of death qi. They could open dead spirit channels, letting dead spirits flood the living realms to trigger rule punishment. Naturally, vast numbers of people would die, so the myriad races wouldn't resort to this unless pushed to the brink. Second, they could force some Sun Moon cultivators to abandon the Past, Present, and Future Method and attain Dao through alternative paths. The races surely retained such knowledge; the ancient era had not been completely erased! Third, wanton slaughter across the Allheaven Battlefield—slaughtering their own kin and other races to trigger rule rewards. Any of these methods could consume massive amounts of rule power. Right now, the races felt ten years was not long and that they could afford to wait, which was why they hadn't chosen a path of horrific self-inflicted losses. Yet if Princess Consort Xi died—a peerless powerhouse like her—Tiangu and the rest would likely cast all caution aside, disregarding any cost to force open the passage and welcome the Upper Realm's powerhouses back! "Princess Consort Xi... isn't easy to kill! In fact, she cannot be killed right now!" Su Yu narrowed his eyes, weighing the situation. Yes, though she deserved to die, killing her now was ill-advised. To kill her, it had to wait until he amassed enough strength, eliminated Tiangu and the others, and stood ready for war against the Upper Realm—that would be the right time. With this in mind, Su Yu sent a voice transmission to the Old Turtle, knowing he was almost recovered: "Find a way to pull her into the dead spirit realm, surround her, blow up her physical body, shatter her Dao body, force her down a realm, and leave her with half a breath!" Su Yu didn't want to kill her right now. Killing her would be satisfying in the moment, but it would bring enormous trouble to his plans. He had her completely under his thumb! Indeed. Under these circumstances, if a single Princess Consort Xi could turn the tables, the top combatants on Su Yu's side might as well retire. The Old Turtle felt somewhat stifled. Not kill her? He had been eager to finish her off quickly! Vengeance! In all these years, he had never been beaten this badly. During the past nine tides, he had not joined the wars. As an ancient Guardian who stayed out of conflicts and possessed top-tier strength, very few people were bored enough to seek trouble with him! Today, however, if Su Yu hadn't stepped in with a plan, he would have almost perished. Though disgruntled, the Old Turtle considered it and understood Su Yu's rationale. Killing Princess Consort Xi would bring endless trouble. As for dragging her into the dead spirit realm... Having lived for so long, the Old Turtle was no fool; he had plenty of ways. In the next instant, the Old Turtle snapped his eyes open and suddenly swept a claw toward Princess Consort Xi! He soared into the air, pressing down on her like a heavenly suppression! As for his displayed power... it was roughly equivalent to his state before merging with his Dao body! He left an opening toward the passage! Princess Consort Xi's objective of killing him today had failed; she had no choice but to retreat. Retreat where? Exhaust her strength and pay a steep price to tear through the sealing formation and flee into the living realms, or find a way into the dead spirit realm to regroup with the Western King? The Old Turtle knew she had no other choice! Her best move was to dive into the dead spirit realm right now, where she might still have a chance to reverse the situation alongside the Western King. Here in the living realm, Su Yu had plenty of allies. Many Dao Integration experts hadn't even joined the fray! Sure enough, as the Old Turtle lunged forward, Princess Consort Xi fell into conflict. Damn it! Her plot to kill Hongmeng had collapsed! She had to abandon it! She hadn't foreseen monsters like King Daxia and King Daqin appearing, nor had she expected Su Yu to see right through her Dao. Fighting on here was pointless. Around them, those two massive locks hovered faintly in the void. If Princess Consort Xi wanted to break through the seal, she would have to burn at least several drops of blood essence. And if she was overtaken after breaking out... she would still be in danger. In contrast, in the dead spirit realm, even if the Western King hadn't overcome the Old Turtle's avatar, they would still have the power to defend themselves. She had to go back! Back to the dead spirit realm! Princess Consort Xi cast a venomous glare at Su Yu, suddenly letting out a shrill shriek. A terrifying, tangible chain materialized—a physical weapon, perhaps even a divine weapon. Ignoring the Old Turtle, she struck viciously toward Su Yu! Her strike was extraordinarily formidable. The faces of the Old Turtle, King Daxia, and King Daqin changed, and all three leaped in front of Su Yu to parry the blow! Taking the hit wouldn't kill them. Their only fear was something happening to Su Yu! With Princess Consort Xi striking with all her might, the three experts were forced to rescue Su Yu. Breathing heavily, she spat out with icy malice, "Su Yu, I will definitely return for you!" Filled with venomous hatred, Princess Consort Xi plunged headfirst into the dead spirit channel! She was escaping! As for what lay on the other side, even if a dead spirit monarch blocked her path, she would strike it dead. She wasn't worried in the slightest. Rumble! A thunderous collision rang out from the three experts as the chain was repelled. The Old Turtle instantly resumed his original position, crashing down with a deafening rumble to seal the passage. Seeing King Daqin and King Daxia about to give chase, Su Yu barked, "Seal the channel! Plug the entrance, don't let anyone back up!" Though they didn't know what Su Yu was planning, King Daqin and King Daxia didn't hesitate and carried out the order immediately. Soon, their power suppressed the channel. Su Yu shouted again, "Blast your power into the channel! The stronger the better, don't worry about anything else—strike!" Boom! Without a word, the three experts unleashed barrages down into the channel! ... Inside the dead spirit channel. Princess Consort Xi was consumed by rage and venom. Damn it, it had failed! Bastards! Not only had she failed to slay the Old Turtle, but she had also exposed herself. "Find the Western King first and see what's happening on his side..." She flew swiftly toward the exit, deeply frustrated. There were no dead spirit monarchs in the channel, but she paid it no heed. Hetu held command here, and since Hetu was gone, their absence made sense. She could already see the light at the other end. Meanwhile, outside the channel, seven experts were assembled: the little white dog, Book Spirit, Tea Tree, Tianmie, Tianyue, Yunxiao, and Xinghong. Just moments ago, the Old Turtle's voice transmission had arrived, telling them to intercept a powerhouse! A very strong one! They had to stop them, and they had to be careful. Very strong? How strong? The seven experts were curious. Earlier, the Old Turtle had warned that his true form had nearly been slain, so they remained vigilant. They had to be on guard! Even the little white dog hadn't brought out that shoe, but it had prepared plenty of other things—like its play ball, dog collar, and chew leash. Ready for action! Book Spirit formed countless characters into a colossal net right outside the channel mouth. They had to be careful; the enemy was formidable! Tianmie and the others were braced to deliver an all-out strike! Seven Dao Integration experts plus a white dog—they should win, right? Within the channel, a powerful aura rapidly approached. Escaping in haste, Princess Consort Xi had no time to conceal her presence; she was about to emerge! "Su Yu!" Mid-flight, Princess Consort Xi looked back once more, eyes dripping with malice as she snarled, "I will return to slaughter all of you bastards!" The next instant, she flew out of the channel. Time to find the Western King! The moment she emerged, she froze in horror! Right at that instant, seven or eight weapons struck forward, all carrying terrifyingly vast auras. Not only that, a massive net fell over her! "No—!" Princess Consort Xi's face drained of color in sheer terror! What was going on? Outside... why were there so many Dao Integration experts?! Not one or two, but a whole crowd! Hadn't the Western King led a horde of dead spirit marquises to raid the Eastern King's domain? How could this be? Rumble! A colossal roar reverberated across the dead spirit realm. With a deafening explosion, Princess Consort Xi's physical body was blown to pieces, leaving behind a golden Dao body. The little white dog looked at the others with curiosity and confusion. Was she strong? The Old Turtle had said she was very strong, so none of them had held back—they had struck with everything they had. Yet... she seemed rather foolish. She had charged straight out! Not only did she charge straight out, but their combined strike instantly obliterated her physical body. Blood splattered in all directions. The moment her Dao body emerged, the little white dog smashed it with its play ball, cracking it open. Golden blood spilled endlessly, and rule power bled away. This... didn't look very formidable at all. Though surviving a combined strike from seven Dao Integration experts was impressive enough. "And here I thought she was a Ruler of Rules!" The little white dog muttered under its breath, feeling cheated. It had genuinely thought a Ruler of Rules was coming. The Old Turtle wasn't weak, so why hadn't he explained things clearly? Scared it half to death, droning on about how terrifying she was and telling everyone to be careful... How boring! At the channel mouth, Princess Consort Xi's Dao body was battered and mangled. Lifelike as a living person, it snapped its eyes open, filled with bewilderment, despair, and grievance. Why? Why were there so many powerhouses here?! Impossible! "Where is the Western King?!" She wailed shrilly. Where had the Western King gone? How could this be happening?! Right then, from behind her, countless saber and spear beams blasted into the channel. Boom! Her Dao body shattered further, her aura plummeting drastically as golden blood dripped continuously, leaving her in utter despair. A pincer attack from within and without! That had been her and the Western King's objective, with the Old Turtle as their intended target. In their minds, this was the exact scene they had envisioned for him—trapped inside the channel, beset by enemies from both sides, blasted to death! And now, she was the one trapped in the middle. Princess Consort Xi cried out in despair, "Where is the Western King?!" "Dead!" Ahead of her, Tianmie chuckled. "Wiped out! Not a single one survived from the Western King's domain—they all came just to deliver free heads! So you're that Princess Consort Xi they were talking about? Truly impressive! Seven of us jumped you together, and we didn't manage to kill you in one blow!" Was that praise? Yes. She really was formidable! The seven of them had been waiting in ambush, backed by the little white dog, yet their opening salvo hadn't killed her. She was indeed something! He had rarely won a fight before, so did this count as a victory? How invigorating! Surrounding and pummeling a peak powerhouse was a rare treat. Previously, when fighting alongside Su Yu, they had always fought from a position of weakness against stronger foes. Today, the tables were turned: the strong bullying the weak! Before, enemies always held the numbers and encircled them; today, they had the numbers and ambushed the enemy! Exhilarating! Tianmie felt thoroughly elated! What a thrill! And at that very moment, Su Yu's voice echoed from within the channel: "Capture her, do not kill her! I want to use her to force the Prison King's lineage into the open and exchange her for the heritage treasures of the Prison King's Great Dao..." Yes, Su Yu did this deliberately. He was worried that in her despair, Princess Consort Xi would self-detonate! She mustn't blow herself up; the self-detonation of such a powerhouse was nearly impossible to stop. I only want to exchange you for treasures and find the Prison King's lineage. You still have a way out! Reaching this realm wasn't easy, so don't you dare die. I can't bear to let you die! If you die, what do I do? If you die, the heavenly phenomena across the myriad realms will be staggering. A peerless powerhouse dying out of nowhere would leave me in a terrible bind. Upon hearing that the Western King was dead, Princess Consort Xi had indeed contemplated detonating herself. It was over! Defeat! The Western King had fallen, and ten Dao Integration experts stood flanking her, many among them peak powerhouses. Her physical body was destroyed, her Dao body mangled; she had zero hope of survival! She had been ready to self-detonate! Even if she couldn't kill or grievously wound these people, she could at least make them pay dearly. Yet the moment she prepared to detonate, Su Yu's words drifted over. Princess Consort Xi's heart leaped. Not kill me? No one wished to die, especially at her level of cultivation—one step higher, and she would be a Ruler of Rules! As long as she lived, there was a chance to turn the tables! In that moment, she nearly burst into wild laughter. Su Yu isn't going to kill me! He actually wants to trade me for treasures and seek out the Prison King's lineage. Doesn't that fool know that as long as a powerhouse like me remains alive, there are countless possibilities to reverse my fortunes at any time? Su Yu's voice echoed out once more: "You mongrel, if you cooperate properly, perhaps... I will give you a chance to redeem yourself through meritorious service! As the Human Master, I possess a heart broad enough to accept all rivers! Your strength is formidable; if your ancestors have fallen, perhaps you still hold hope of mastering their Dao. If I kill you, and someone else in your lineage reaches Dao Integration, they might grow far stronger, which serves no purpose..." "Mongrel, submit to me, and I will spare your life!" Su Yu's voice reverberated with insufferable arrogance! Yet Princess Consort Xi sensed only stupidity! He won't kill me! He actually wants to subjugate me! How utterly laughable! At this moment, she felt it defied all heavenly reason that such an idiot could have opened the Heavenly Gate! She had been marked for certain death! The next instant, Princess Consort Xi smiled and called out, "You want me to submit? It is not that simple! Su Yu, you have not yet reached the point where I would bow to you!" As if to say: submission is possible, but right now, it isn't enough! Playing hard to get! Princess Consort Xi understood the minds of men all too well. He wanted her submission; if she surrendered immediately, not only would Su Yu doubt her sincerity, but he would also be deprived of the thrill of conquest! Yes, the desire to conquer! In a flash, countless thoughts raced through her mind. Perhaps... I can wrap Su Yu around my finger! Princess Consort Xi swiftly adopted a cold, aloof tone: "I am of the direct bloodline of the Prison King and the Demon Emperor, within five generations! My status is exalted! I wield Heavenly King-level strength and command two Great Daos! I govern the Western King's domain of the dead spirit realm, standing above millions upon millions. Are you worthy?" She laid out her pedigree to remind Su Yu just how elevated her status was! Didn't men relish this very thing? I stand high above, with noble blood running through my veins! So what if it was mixed blood? On one side was one of the Four Directional Human Kings, on the other the Emperor of the Demon race—was such a pedigree not lofty enough? In the dead spirit realm, I ruled a quarter of the world! I too am a sovereign! Do you, Su Yu, wish to conquer me? If you do, there is ample room to manipulate you later! Princess Consort Xi did not want to die! In these brief words, she had not spoken a single phrase of surrender or submission to Su Yu, yet her desire to survive was laid bare for all to see. As she spoke, the little white dog piped up anxiously, "Su Yu, are we killing her or not? If we are, hurry it up! I need to get back, I have an urgent matter, a huge problem! When I left, half my flowers were still unwatered before you dragged me away... I'm worried to death!" Hearing this, Princess Consort Xi nearly wished she were dead. And Su Yu seemed in quite a rush as well. "Half the flowers aren't watered yet? Then hurry! Hey, mongrel, get a move on! Detonate your golden body yourself, leave just your sea of will, let Book Spirit seal you, and Senior Feiqiu can add some seals too to cut off your connection to the Great Dao! Settle this quickly—we can't let such pretty flowers wither!" The little white dog felt thoroughly gratified! Su Yu understood it! This woman was so annoying, prattling on and on. It didn't want to hear her drivel; it just wanted to go home immediately. Fortunately, Su Yu understood! A Su Yu who understood it was so lovely! Only a tiny bit behind the Master and Little Master! Princess Consort Xi felt like dying. In the next instant, Su Yu barked, "Hurry up! Don't delay Senior Feiqiu from going home to water flowers! Ten seconds! If you don't detonate your golden body, Senior Feiqiu will kill you—quit wasting time!" "One, three, nine..." Boom! Her Dao body detonated! Princess Consort Xi nearly lost her mind. She had no time to think. Su Yu was a lunatic! Yes, in this moment she felt that all of them were stark raving mad! They genuinely seemed in a hurry! This wasn't a joke! They really were desperate to go back and water flowers! If she didn't detonate her Dao body, she would die without a doubt! Madmen! In the middle of subjugating a Heavenly King-level powerhouse, you offer zero promises, zero benefits, and your only damn concern is going home to water flowers?! Even in death, Princess Consort Xi could never accept this! If she was killed simply because she delayed someone from going back to water flowers... even if she died and became a dead spirit, she would never rest in peace! Book Spirit swiftly manifested countless characters, sealing her remnant sea of will! By detonating her own Dao body, Princess Consort Xi had actually kept a trick up her sleeve; she had not detonated it completely, leaving behind remnants so that her Dao connection was merely obscured rather than severed! If she had detonated it completely in the normal manner, her connection to the Dao would have snapped, causing her cultivation realm to plummet! Princess Consort Xi had held back just enough. That way, she would retain a chance to reverse her fortunes; once healed, she could rapidly recover her peak combat strength. Only then did Su Yu emerge from the dead spirit channel. He glanced at the sea of will sealed by countless characters and smiled. Idiot! Thinking of turning the tables? The moment the second grand war breaks out in the Lower Realm, I will snuff you out. You actually think you can turn things around? He looked at the little white dog. Without wasting words, the dog quickly brought out its ring, snapped it firmly around the sea of will, and said hurriedly, "This is my toy, Little Master gave it to me! Don't lose it! Alright, I'm leaving..." With that, it vanished in the blink of an eye! Heading home! It was in far too much of a hurry! Book Spirit and Tea Tree rushed to follow, but the dog called back, "Go back with Su Yu! I'm heading home first. I can't bring you inside—only I can enter!" Tea Tree and Book Spirit had no choice but to stop. Indeed, the little white dog could only bring them out; returning, it could only enter alone. Su Yu glanced at Princess Consort Xi's sea of will. Even with all this, Su Yu was not fully at ease. Grinning, he took out a great seal—not the Human Master Seal, but... the Sacred Transformation Seal! King Wen's possession! If even this couldn't suppress you, you'd have to be a Ruler of Rules! The Sacred Transformation Seal pressed down! It pinned the ring securely, and then Su Yu stowed the whole assemblage into the Civilization Chronicle. First layer: Book Spirit's seal. Second layer: the little white dog's ring. Third layer: the Sacred Transformation Seal. Fourth layer: the Civilization Chronicle! The fourth layer was the weakest, but that didn't matter. If she could break the first three layers, Princess Consort Xi would likely have become an extraordinary Ruler of Rules. Only now did Su Yu exhale in relief, a smile spreading across his face. Far away, the Dead Spirit Heavenly River stirred once more. Su Yu frowned slightly and said briskly, "Head back up!" Having so many living beings down here could easily stir up trouble. He swiftly gathered the remnants of Princess Consort Xi, including her flesh and blood and fragments of her Dao body—all of which were treasures. This time, slaying the Western Heavenly King and suppressing Princess Consort Xi had solved two massive troubles across both the living and dead realms. And the key was... no one knew! Princess Consort Xi was not dead! In the realm of the living, not a soul knew that such a peerless powerhouse had met her downfall just like that! Su Yu chuckled under his breath. Those fools had actually ambushed the Old Turtle. Fortunate, too, that it happened at this exact time. Any earlier, before he had opened the Heavenly Gate and before King Daxia and King Daqin possessed such strength, even if they had won, it would have been an immense ordeal and inevitably unleashed tremendous battle shockwaves. "Let's head back first!" Su Yu said no more. Casting a glance toward the distant Dead Spirit Heavenly River, his brows knitted slightly as he sensed several formidable auras stirring into wakefulness. Too many living beings—all powerful experts—had entered this time, likely disturbing some slumbering dead spirits. ... A short while later, the group returned. The little white dog was gone. Inside Hongmeng Ancient City, there were now nine Dao Integration experts gathered! The most heavily injured was the Old Turtle; his true form had nearly been shattered. His shell was fractured, and the ancient city stood battered. Now that his Dao body had returned, however, his injuries ceased worsening. Seeing Su Yu and the others return, the Old Turtle sighed and said, "I have shamed the Human Master." He was exceedingly strong, yet he had almost fallen this time. Su Yu smiled. "Senior Hongmeng jokes. If Senior had not been fighting on two fronts, those fellows could never have threatened you. If anything, it was I who implicated Senior!" Then he added, "As long as the outcome is good, that is all that matters!" To the side, Tianmie couldn't resist chiming in: "Why didn't you kill that woman? Don't tell me you really expect her to submit. Let me warn you, that's dangerous..." Su Yu narrowed his eyes at him, prompting Tianmie to mutter sheepishly, "Fine, I didn't say anything." Su Yu offered a faint smile. "She cannot be killed right now." He wouldn't tell him why—let him figure it out himself! Soon, he looked toward Tianyue, who had remained quiet all this while, and smiled. "Warden Tianhou is in the middle of battle over there. Do you want to go take a look?" A conflicted look crossed Tianyue's face. He had been groomed by Warden Tianhou. Of course, he was also a human from the First Tide, when humanity was still relatively strong and everyone considered Warden Tianhou an ally. Though Warden Tianhou had not fought in that era, he had secretly aided humanity. Thus, unlike humans who joined in later eras, Tianyue had never forgotten humanity's former glory. Yet Warden Tianhou was, after all, his mentor. He knew full well how deep Su Yu's foundation ran and how many powerhouses stood on his side; his mentor... was likely truly finished. "My Lord..." Tianyue struggled before saying, "Perhaps... perhaps I could persuade him..." Su Yu said calmly, "No need! Disloyal once, unrepentant to the grave—do you think I could ever trust him? Even if I spared you this time and you persuaded him to surrender, what about next time? Do you think I would give him another chance?" "He is different from the myriad races. The myriad races were conquered by us; from their perspective, there is nothing wrong with resisting us. Do you understand?" "The Fortune Spirit, however, was personally nurtured by King Wen. It is entirely different!" The two cases were completely different! Regarding the rebellion of the myriad races, if Su Yu were not human, he would find it only natural. Why should they serve as underlings? You've declined, so why should they keep groveling before you? Are they fools? Rebellion was the obvious course! The Fortune Spirit, however, was different. Spirits like Doubao, the Fortune Spirit, and the white dog were raised by King Wen; they were treated like family. King Wen had even entrusted the Hunting Heaven Pavilion to him, making him the only retainer granted the title of marquis. Yet he had betrayed them! That was an unforgivable betrayal! Tianyue sighed and said softly, "Then... may the Human Master permit me to sit out the battle against my master... I fear I... would hesitate!" Su Yu nodded. "Granted!" "Thank you, Human Master!" Tianyue fell silent, having nothing more to say. Su Yu dropped the subject and smiled. "Then act as if nothing happened. Keep this quiet for now, pretend nothing took place, and don't let the myriad races notice any clues!" Turning to Book Spirit and Tea Tree, he added, "I vanished for a bit, so the myriad races are likely wondering where I went. The two of you come with me. We will launch an ambush on Warden Tianhou together, making the myriad races believe I merely left to fetch your aid!" "Understood!" The two nodded. Su Yu looked to King Daqin and King Daxia. "You two rest and recover here first. Senior Hongmeng is injured, so please assist in healing him. I will return once I finish my business!" "Understood!" The two human sovereigns were also thrilled. They had fought with abandon today! A thoroughly satisfying clash! Suppressing a terrifyingly powerful Dao Integration expert like that had left them exhilarated. Su Yu then looked at the Old Turtle. Seeing how weakened he was, Su Yu remarked helplessly, "Senior's Dao is not weak! However... you should spend more care on the Great Dao. When I have time, I'll take Senior to examine your Dao!" The Old Turtle was exceptionally strong, but he utilized very little of his Dao's true power. Before this, it had never felt like an issue because he faced weaker opponents, but against a true expert, he had been at a loss. The Old Turtle felt deeply ashamed. Having lived for so long, he had never really paid much attention to what the Great Dao truly was. Su Yu added, "The Dead Spirit Heavenly River seems to have stirred slightly; keep an eye on it. Tianmie, the rest of you quietly return to your ancient cities and don't show off! Especially you, Tianmie!" Su Yu emphasized sternly, "Do not expose yourselves right now! Don't mess things up for me! If we can resolve the myriad races' Dao Integration experts without paying a price, that's ideal. Don't go forcing a situation where several of our Dao Integration experts die at the end. That would be like the last general dying right before the founding of a dynasty—even in death, that general wouldn't rest easy. Be careful they don't turn into dead spirits and haunt you!" Tianmie bared his teeth. What kind of talk was that? Why single me out? Xinghong loves showing off way more than I do! Su Yu said no more. Looking around, he quickly said, "Retrieve as much of the sealing grand formation as possible. Later, I'll have King Daming inspect it. This formation... is ingenious! Sealed beneath it, a clash between multiple Dao Integration experts leaked zero aura. Truly formidable!" Princess Consort Xi did have her skills. If this formation were used to cover an entire realm? They could annihilate a realm without anyone realizing! King Daming... if King Daming could master it, slipping into realms to assassinate Dao Integration experts would be the ultimate option! At present, the formation had a small hole torn in it—courtesy of the little white dog, who had truly been in a rush. Su Yu didn't dwell on it. Not much time had passed. He would go out and show his face first, lest people suspect he was concocting some conspiracy. He wasn't that kind of person—he had merely gone back to call for reinforcements! Soon, Su Yu flew out along the River of Time. Concealing their auras, he led Book Spirit and Tea Tree toward Warden Tianhou and the others. ... At that moment, the myriad realms were still watching the battle in the endless void. Two peerless powerhouses were tearing heaven and earth asunder. Su Yu had appeared briefly earlier, but had since vanished, and no one knew where he had gone. Everyone was on high alert! Warden Tianhou was also watching in all directions, listening attentively! In the next moment, Warden Tianhou's expression shifted drastically. Without another word, he unleashed a frantic barrage against King Dazhou, forcing him back, before turning to flee into the void, shouting shrilly, "Do not force me into mutual destruction!" Right at that moment, Su Yu suddenly appeared nearby, accompanied by two new Dao Integration experts! Su Yu roared furiously, "King Dazhou, you useless fool, what are you doing?! Pursue! Pin him down! Trash! I told you to pin him down and kill him, and you let him run?! Damn it!" He sounded utterly incandescent! Across the myriad realms, the watching powerhouses all breathed sighs of relief! Just as they guessed! They knew this grandson was never one to swallow an insult. Sure enough, he had gone back for reinforcements, hoping to launch a sneak attack. Unfortunately for him, Warden Tianhou was no weakling and had stayed on guard the entire time! King Dazhou kept silent and gave chase! Su Yu, bristling with rage, shouted, "Book Spirit, Tea Tree, after him! Slay this bastard! Even if you can't kill him, seize the Heaven Hunting Ranking!" "Warden Tianhou!" Su Yu's voice shook heaven and earth. "If you don't surrender the Heaven Hunting Ranking, I will make you beg for life and beg for death! Try me if you dare! Surrender the ranking, and I will leave your corpse intact!" Domineering! Even if he surrendered it, he would still be killed! Warden Tianhou would have to be an idiot to hand it over! Warden Tianhou didn't bother replying at all, fleeing swiftly into the endless void until he disappeared. King Dazhou chased relentlessly! Book Spirit and Tea Tree quickly followed. Su Yu gnashed his teeth and soon bellowed, "If he's truly gone, stop the pursuit! Do not press a desperate foe, beware of that grandson ambushing you! Scour the world for that bastard Duobao! Find him and finish him off—he's easier to kill than Warden Tianhou!" The moment the words fell, in the void far away, Duobao erupted—not to attack, but to flee for his life! I was just watching! With a sharp hum, the void tore open, and he made his escape! That lunatic Su Yu wanted to murder anyone who lingered on the Allheaven Battlefield right now. Forget it, better find a place to hide and leave the Allheaven Battlefield for Su Yu to rule over! ... At this moment. The various realms all breathed quiet sighs of relief. As long as nothing happened, good! With Warden Tianhou and Duobao both running, and Su Yu regaining some sense after the failed ambush, he likely wouldn't press further. This was for the best. Otherwise, if full-scale war erupted and they had to leave their realms to fight, the losses would surely be severe. Right now, everyone was waiting for the Upper Realm to open! Until the Upper Realm opened, none of them had any interest in serving as the vanguard. Their lives belonged to themselves. In the Immortal Realm. While Tiangu breathed a sigh of relief, his brows furrowed slightly. Su Yu had erupted quickly and reined it in just as fast—somewhat unhinged, yet walking away without gaining any tangible benefits. Why bother? Pondering this, he turned to King Fu and asked, "Do you sense anything amiss?" King Fu pondered and said hesitantly, "Amiss... Does My Lord mean... Su Yu targeting Warden Tianhou was a trap? Or could it be... Warden Tianhou has turned traitor?" His expression shifted suddenly. "Does My Lord mean they were putting on an act for us? If we had sallied out to fight, we might have been ambushed. But seeing that we held our ground all this time, they chose to give up?" Tiangu hadn't been thinking along those lines, but King Fu's words immediately led him astray! Previously, he had merely felt something was off, but hearing this, he froze. This... surely not? Yet... the possibility wasn't zero! Could Warden Tianhou and King Dazhou really have been putting on an act? Trying to bait them into intervening! Unfortunately, everyone had held back, waiting until Warden Tianhou could hold out no longer before stepping in. Had that happened, Warden Tianhou and King Dazhou would have had to battle to the death! This... Tiangu's expression changed slightly. Come to think of it, that was truly a possibility! A charade! If so, that would explain why Su Yu erupted so suddenly and reined it in just as abruptly, and why this major clash had arisen out of nowhere! He looked at King Fu, nodded slightly, and said in a heavy voice, "Such a possibility exists. Send word down. Have subordinates below the Eternal realm visit the other realms to exchange intelligence and warn them to beware of Warden Tianhou!" King Fu nodded hurriedly. I guessed right after all! My Lord shares my suspicion! Warden Tianhou was, after all, King Wen's former subordinate. Perhaps he truly had switched sides. If so, they had to be wary of him from now on! ... At the same time. Similar discussions were taking place across other realms. In the Demon Realm. Moyue frowned and said, "Imperial Father, could this have been an act? Could Warden Tianhou... have compromised?" Moji said gravely, "Hard to say, but keep our guard up! Remind the other realms. Su Yu gained zero benefits from this action; it was completely pointless. There was no need for such a clash to erupt, and he even lost a fragment." "Understood!" The Demon Realm began taking precautions as well. Warden Tianhou might indeed be compromised! ... In the God Realm. Jiwu sank into deep thought. After a long silence, he said, "Beware of Warden Tianhou. Last time, Tianyuan's death already carried irregularities; now we understand a bit more. He wants to collect all the fragments, so perhaps... it is linked to him! This time might well be another charade!" In everyone's eyes, Su Yu was reckless, yet exceedingly shrewd. When had he ever fought without gaining an advantage? This time, not only did he fail to gain an advantage, but he even lost the 'Record' fragment, which was reclaimed by Warden Tianhou. Su Yu actually suffered a loss! What a joke! He suffered a loss? Tell me, could anyone believe that? That bastard Warden Tianhou might truly have surrendered in secret. ... They were not the only ones. At this moment, having fled into the endless void, Warden Tianhou held the 'Record' character fragment and couldn't help knitting his brows. What in the world? After a fight, while he hadn't gained any massive advantage, he hadn't suffered a loss either. Though his plot had been seen through, taking back a fragment wasn't bad at all. "Something's not right..." Warden Tianhou pondered, and his expression suddenly twisted. There was a problem! He abruptly thought of his own situation! Could he be considered the first person to ever come out ahead against Su Yu? Then... how would the myriad races look upon him? The next moment, someone confirmed his suspicion. Far in the distance, General Duobao observed from across the void, his voice drifting over: "If you've thrown your lot in with humanity, give me a heads-up. Don't go acting alone... It leaves me in a terrible spot! Warden Tianhou, I'm heading out first. You and I... best keep our distance!" With those words, Duobao vanished instantly. Danger! Warden Tianhou might have defected to humanity. He had been cooperating with Warden Tianhou, but now he was deeply alarmed. That bastard might have ditched him and made a deal with humanity on his own. Trouble! What should he do? Warden Tianhou's face darkened. Sure enough, even Duobao had begun suspecting him! So that was Su Yu's goal! "Su Yu!" Warden Tianhou gnashed his teeth in fury! A sowing of discord! No wonder! So all of this was Su Yu's scheme to frame him and drive a wedge between him and the myriad races. "What a calculated move!" Warden Tianhou felt helpless. This matter was impossible to clear up. He hadn't suffered the slightest loss and had even picked up an advantage. No matter how he explained it, would the myriad races believe him? Who had ever gotten the better of Su Yu? "What a truly brilliant scheme!" Warden Tianhou sighed. Forget it, let's see how things play out. Sooner or later, everyone will realize this was a ploy and that bastard Su Yu deliberately set me up!