Replacing the Guardians

Autumn had arrived in the Human Realm. A chilling wind rustled the leaves. This was likely the final calm before the great war. The entire Human Realm knew that conflict had broken out across the heavens. While a full-scale clash of the highest order had not yet begun, tens of millions of soldiers were relentlessly storming smaller realms. In the Eastern War Zone, any minor realm that refused to surrender was wiped out! Xia Longwu and several other generals led vast armies forward like a plague of locusts! Refuse to yield, and face extinction! Even if they surrendered, they had to offer up enormous quantities of resources! Xia Longwu and his vanguard were using endless spoils from across the cosmos to sustain and empower the human race. This was war! There was no clear right or wrong. The lesser races viewed humans as villains; humanity believed they had been backed into a corner by the myriad races; the immortals and demons thought the humans were consumed by sheer ambition. It was an endless, vicious cycle. Su Yu did not concern himself with any of this. These were battles beneath the Eternal Realm. He had heard that over the past two short months, dozens of new Sun-Moon cultivators and nearly a thousand Shanhai experts had emerged within the ranks, forcibly elevated by heaps of resources and heavenly rewards. Such a sweeping myriad-realm war had not been seen in over four hundred years—and back then, it had not been nearly as fierce. …… This time, Su Yu waited in the Human Realm for ten days. King Tianzhu had been driven half to death by Su Yu's relentless stream of military orders. He had mercilessly exploited every armamentsmith he could find, forging day and night until he felt sick to his stomach. Finally, within Su Yu's deadline, he managed to forge weapons for the experts who were about to take over as city guards. All told, the entire process had taken nearly three months. …… Inside the Sacred Hall. When Su Yu saw King Tianzhu again, the king looked as though he had not slept in centuries. His face was ghastly pale, his eyes glazed, and his posture swayed as if he might collapse at any second. To drive an Eternal expert to such a state was proof enough of how bitterly this former weapons enthusiast now regretted ever learning his trade. "King Tianzhu, fine work on forging the armaments..." "*Bleugh...*" King Tianzhu suddenly dry-heaved, waving a frantic hand. "Emperor Yu, please, spare me the praise and don't bring that up... I don't ever want to forge another weapon in my life! Just hearing those words makes me want to vomit! Never again!" In three months, he had forged over thirty Heaven armaments! He wanted to throw up; he wanted to drop dead. That was an average of one weapon every three days. Fortunately, Zhao Li had broken through to become a Heaven armamentsmith, and so had Zhao Tianbing. Both of them had already been on the verge of advancing and had managed to break through midway through this forging marathon. Otherwise, completing the task would have been an utter impossibility. Su Yu chuckled. "How can you say that? Humanity could do without many things, but how could we do without the Dao of Armament-Forging? I'm sure you're just joking, King Tianzhu. By the way, now that the guardians' Heaven armaments are finished, the Eternals across the Human Realm are still waiting! They're counting on their new primary weapons to step into the Armament Fusion Dao. You can't just throw in the towel now..." King Tianzhu turned pale as a sheet. *No, please! Spare me!* *I refuse to forge another thing!* Indeed, over the past three months, they had worked themselves to the bone to finish the weapons for the prospective guardians. However, only a few of the Human Realm's experts had received their primary weapons for the fusion art; many were still empty-handed. Even if someone already possessed a weapon, turning it into a primary weapon compatible with the Armament Fusion Art required modification! Just thinking about it made King Tianzhu want to end it all. Su Yu smiled warmly and added, "Furthermore, with constant warfare lately, battle is the easiest crucible for achieving the Dao. There are also several ancient ruins in the Human Realm that are ideal for attuning to the rules... Once more people succeed in their breakthroughs, you'll need to plan ahead for their weapons as well!" King Tianzhu was on the verge of tears. He groaned in despair, "Emperor Yu, I really can't take any more!" "Of course you can!" Su Yu beamed at him. "Hang in there. With all the forging you've done, your comprehension of the Dao has deepened immensely. Trust me—in a few days, I'll guide you through the Armament Dao. You might leap straight into high-tier Eternal, or even higher! You could very well be the fastest expert in the Human Realm to achieve Dao Merge. I have high hopes for you, senior!" "Dao Merge?" King Tianzhu froze. *I can achieve Dao Merge?* Su Yu nodded. "To put it bluntly, it's only because the Human Realm currently lacks Heaven armamentsmiths. In any other era, where would you find a Heaven armamentsmith who forged Heaven armaments until he was sick of it? All the materials you could ever ask for, completely free to use, and you didn't have to compensate anyone if you failed! In any other era with plenty of Heaven armamentsmiths around, who would give you the chance to forge day in and day out?" Su Yu chuckled. "In these three months alone, you've forged ten thousand years' worth of work for an ordinary Heaven armamentsmith! Producing one Heaven armament every thirty years is standard. Thirty of them would normally take a whole ten millennia!" King Tianzhu paused, thinking it over, and nodded. That was true. Precisely because humanity had so few Heaven armamentsmiths, he had been granted the rare luxury—and torment—of forging non-stop until he felt like throwing up. Su Yu continued, "Last time I took you through the Armament Dao, you hadn't decided which branch to pursue. Have you made up your mind now? Along the Armament Dao, you have the greatest hope of achieving Dao Merge! King Daming intends to achieve Dao Merge through arrays, and King Shiguang plans to walk the path of extreme speed..." "Frankly, I have great respect for experts like you who possess unique insights!" Su Yu offered his praise. "Unlike the warriors on the physical body path, who are stubborn as mules and only know how to cultivate brute flesh, with no way to switch even if they wanted to!" Not every Invincible in the Human Realm could switch Daos. It was simply a harsh reality. Some pure warriors had relied solely on the physical body Dao for their entire lives, possessing zero comprehension of any other Grand Dao. How could they possibly merge with another path? By contrast, those who had started as Civilization Masters and later switched to cultivating the physical body possessed a much higher chance of successfully switching Daos again. Once they succeeded, their cultivation advanced rapidly. Unsurprisingly, Civilization Masters held a distinct advantage. With the physical body Dao severed and broken, the warrior path led nowhere unless someone managed to repair it one day. Just as King Tianzhu was about to speak, over a dozen Eternals stepped through the doorway. All of them were experts preparing to take over as city guards! They were led by the Zhou brothers—Zhou Potian and Zhou Polong. By generational rank, Zhou Potian was far senior, though nobody bothered with such formalities anymore. "Greetings, Emperor Yu!" All fourteen experts bowed respectfully. Any prior defiance had vanished into thin air. No one dared challenge Su Yu anymore. Su Yu glanced over the group and nodded with a gentle smile. Lately, he had become far more courteous and smiled much more often, a stark contrast to his past habit of barking reprimands at the slightest provocation. Yet his smiles actually made everyone even more uneasy. A smiling Su Yu appeared amiable on the surface, but they would have preferred him domineering and sharp. At least then, they had known what he was thinking. Now, they had no idea what went on behind that pleasant face. He might very well smile at you right before deciding to kill you. Ignoring their apprehension, Su Yu said warmly, "It seems you have all grasped the fundamentals of the Armament Fusion Dao, effectively stepping through the gateway to the Grand Dao." "Nearly three months have passed since the last battle. It's time we attend to serious business." "Everyone, please step inside!" With a flick of his sleeve, the civilization chronicle materialized, opening an ethereal gateway. The onlookers felt a twinge of hesitation. Entering another person's weapon was inherently nerve-racking. They knew this was Su Yu's civilization chronicle. Even so, with so many Eternals setting out together, moving openly would cause far too much commotion without concealment. Zhou Polong stepped forward first, heading straight into the ethereal portal. Su Yu chuckled softly and added, "Once inside, suppress your auras completely. Do not move unless the portal opens, and ensure no one detects you!" "Understood!" they chorused, filing inside one after another. Su Yu sealed the portal and immediately layered several powerful concealment formations over it. Although faint traces of their presence lingered, it was subtle enough that no one would notice as long as they did not fight. Having stowed them away, Su Yu turned back to King Tianzhu and said in a calm tone, "Senior Tianzhu, there is one more task for your forging duties ahead." "Emperor Yu, please command!" King Tianzhu had already anticipated another assignment; otherwise, Su Yu would not have summoned him here. Still, his workload was already overflowing—could there really be more? Su Yu smiled. "It's just a minor matter. I'll have to trouble you, my teacher, and the others to forge 9,699 pages for my civilization chronicle! Each page only needs to reach the Earth armament level. In addition, Dean Hu Xiansheng will assist by carving out spatial fragments from the smaller realms we've conquered. Slice them up however needed; it doesn't matter if those realms shatter completely!" "……" *A minor matter?* *Nearly 9,700 Earth armaments!* *He calls that a minor matter?!* King Tianzhu's face turned purple. Was this a sick joke? He would literally die! Just then, Zhao Li and Zhao Tianbing arrived together outside the hall. Zhao Li called out from afar, "We'll handle this ourselves! It's better to keep it among our own people anyway; outsiders can be unreliable!" "……" King Tianzhu swallowed a curse. *After everything I've done, forging so many Heaven armaments for you people, I'm still an outsider?!* Yet if he claimed to be an insider, he would be roped into the manual labor! This wasn't 97 items—it was nearly 9,700! Utterly insane! The entire human race couldn't scrape together 9,700 Earth armaments if they tried. King Tianzhu quickly stammered, "It's not that I'm unwilling, Emperor Yu, but... we simply lack the materials..." Without a word, Su Yu waved his sleeve, and a mountain of materials spilled out: pots, pans, floor tiles, clay shingles, desks, and benches, all pillaged from the eighth floor of the Star Residence Mansion. Not all of them could serve as carriers, but using them to forge Earth armaments was more than feasible. There was an immense quantity! The entire hall was instantly packed to the brim. Su Yu smiled. "Don't worry. I might lack other things, but I don't lack materials! Besides, we're pillaging the conquered realms as well, so there's an abundance of supplementary materials." Su Yu added, "9,699 pieces will do. No need to round up to 9,700." *Is there any difference?!* King Tianzhu screamed inwardly. *What difference does one single page make?!* He pleaded, "Even if we work around the clock, finishing the weapons for the others will take at least three months, pushing us straight into Year 353 of Anping! Then forging another 9,700 Earth armaments... even if all of us assemble them together and churn out ten a day, it would take three full years..." He stared at Su Yu. Was he supposed to spend three straight years forging for him? Su Yu laughed. "It won't take that long; you're exaggerating! You can delegate the components to other Earth armamentsmiths, or even profound armamentsmiths! Once this batch is done, several human smiths are bound to advance to Heaven armamentsmiths, and plenty more will reach higher tiers!" "Once their ranks rise, their crafting speed will naturally increase!" Su Yu grinned. "So, by my estimate, a year should be plenty. Perhaps even six months... Let's say one year, King Tianzhu. I trust that in one year, all 9,699 Earth armament pages of the civilization chronicle will be placed in my hands!" "……" King Tianzhu genuinely wanted to weep. The scale was terrifying! Combined with Su Yu's existing 301 pages, that would be a ten-thousand-page Earth armament tome. In fact, many of Su Yu's original 301 pages had already evolved into Heaven armaments—such as those for the Spirit, Gold-Winged Peng, Immortal, Demon, and God races! As for the civilization chronicle itself, it sat at the peak of the Heaven armament tier, in the midst of transforming into a divine armament. Su Yu even planned to integrate ten thousand carriers, upgrading every single page to the Heaven armament rank. At that point, the chronicle would unquestionably surpass the Time Book. By integrating ten thousand virtual Daos, he could restructure the Daos of the entire cosmos! Su Yu's ambition eclipsed even that of the Time Master! He had already made up his mind: the Time Master had lost the Time Book, meaning she either had no further use for it or could no longer wield it. When the time came, he would find a way to fuse the Time Book into his own chronicle. Already, he could faintly channel a fraction of its power. Back then, the Time Master had not dared eradicate the myriad races because countless Lords of Rules were still present; she had only dared to assassinate a select few in secret. But Su Yu... had no such qualms! The Daos contained within the Time Book were far too ephemeral, which would not suffice. Su Yu fully intended to slaughter a massive swath of recalcitrant realms and feed their essences into his chronicle. As Su Yu contemplated his grand design, King Tianzhu replied bitterly, "Very well... your subordinate obeys." He was done for. He was undoubtedly going to forge until he threw up his own stomach lining! Su Yu let out a soft laugh and turned toward Zhao Li and Zhao Tianbing. "Teacher, I'll be troubling you two as well. I truly don't have the time to forge them myself; it would consume far too much time." No matter how capable Su Yu was, even if he managed to craft three Earth armaments a day, it would take nearly a decade. He wouldn't have time for anything else! Zhao Li said solemnly, "Don't worry about it! Focus on the major matters, and leave these small tasks to us. I've advanced to Heaven armamentsmith now, so I'll keep watch. No one will be able to play any tricks, and I'll keep an eye on King Tianzhu as well." He spoke bluntly, laying it bare to warn King Tianzhu against tampering with the work. It was better to be clear now than cause embarrassment later! Armamentsmiths were notorious for that bad habit: they couldn't help feeling uneasy unless they hid a secret trick or contingency inside every weapon that passed through their hands. King Tianzhu laughed wryly. "Zhao Li, even if I had that habit, I would never dare leave a backdoor in Emperor Yu's armament. You really are something..." Zhao Li grunted. "Better to speak the ugly truth upfront than turn on each other later!" "Rest assured!" King Tianzhu dropped the subject. Su Yu smiled. There was no need for him to say such things when Zhao Li could speak on his behalf. Leaving contingencies was indeed a common vice among armamentsmiths, but it was awkward for Su Yu to voice it himself. If you hired someone to do a job while suspecting them the entire time, you might as well not hire them at all. His primary reason for summoning King Tianzhu had been to arrange this matter. Su Yu soon added, "Also, regarding the infusion of blood essence: try to incorporate Eternal blood essence where possible. If that's unobtainable, Sun-Moon blood essence will do. Anything below Sun-Moon is unacceptable, unless that race has no Sun-Moon cultivators at all! I will inform the front lines that even races that surrender and submit must supply blood essence for me!" The others nodded. King Tianzhu sighed inwardly; fusing Eternal blood essence would only make the forging process vastly harder. With that in mind, a sudden thought struck him, and he took some schadenfreude in asking, "Emperor Yu, is Hu Xiansheng going to cut all those spatial fragments alone?" At least there were many hands to share the forging. If Hu Xiansheng had to sever 9,700 fragments by himself, he would collapse from exhaustion. Su Yu chuckled. "I'll make a trip to the Ancient Space Beast race later. They excel in spatial arts. If possible, I'll have them provide some assistance." King Tianzhu's brief amusement withered away. So Hu Xiansheng wouldn't have to suffer that much after all. Having assigned the tasks, Su Yu was in good spirits. The civilization chronicle was his weapon for achieving the Dao—the tool he intended to forge his own path with. No matter how mighty King Wen's Dao was, it belonged to King Wen. What if, one day, he met King Wen and they had a falling out? Wouldn't he be left entirely at the man's mercy? One had to plan ahead! Anything was possible! It was always best to walk one's own path. If the successors could not surpass their predecessors, what was the point of cultivation? The timing was perfect; under ordinary circumstances, where could one casually slaughter across the myriad realms? During King Wen's era, the Time Master had acted in secret and still attracted trouble—her eventual downfall had likely stemmed from that very endeavor. But Su Yu was doing it out in the open! Su Yu harbored no small ambition: he wanted to forge his own River of Time. Since the Heavenly River of the Dead Spirits and the Physical Body Dao could exist, and since the Time Master had given him inspiration, why couldn't he surpass those who came before? You opened a Heavenly Gate, and so did I. No one was inherently lesser. Furthermore, the fact that the Time Master and her companions had called for aid proved their enemies were overwhelmingly powerful. If Su Yu merely became a second King Wen or a second Time Master, could he truly resolve the crisis? He had made a promise to the little white dog! Su Yu understood his own nature: he was cunning, selfish, and deeply suspicious. He had many flaws, but there was one thing he would never do—he would never repay kindness with betrayal. No one who had helped him had ever been left empty-handed. Even with Liu Hong, Su Yu had not interfered with his venture into the dead spirit realm to pursue the Ink Dao. If he had truly wanted to stop him, he would have done so long ago. But he hadn't, because Liu Hong had once used King Wen's Command Token to aid him. Since he had promised the little white dog, and had benefited so immensely from King Wen and the Time Master, Su Yu would seek them out no matter how perilous the road ahead. With those thoughts in mind, Su Yu smiled. "That will be all. Teacher, you may head back now." King Tianzhu and Zhao Tianbing soon took their leave. Zhao Li walked to the entrance of the grand hall, paused, and looked back at his nominal disciple. Su Yu still wore a confident smile, but Zhao Li saw the deep exhaustion beneath it. He frowned, his voice low and solemn. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Humanity's decline isn't your fault! Our predecessors were incompetent and ruined our race. If the Upper Realm truly opens... fight if you can, and run if you can't. You have the strength to escape!" "Beset by external foes and internal strife, you've advanced too quickly for any of us to offer real help. You're surrounded by scheming old foxes like King Dazhou, who might not even truly accept you. You've already done everything humanly possible!" Zhao Li spoke with heartfelt earnestness. His student had done more than enough for humanity. People called him ruthless and cold-blooded—what a joke! If he weren't ruthless and cold-blooded, would the Invincibles of humanity have ever submitted to him? Would anyone listen to pleasant words? If you couldn't suppress internal division, how could you resist foreign invaders? Ever since Su Yu left the Great Xia Prefecture, he had been constantly on the move, fighting battle after battle without a single day of rest. Zhao Li had watched it all and kept it close to his heart. Time and again, he had narrowly escaped death! A half-dead spirit... the first half-dead spirit Human Sovereign in humanity's history! Had Su Yu wanted to become a half-dead spirit? He had been forced into it by sheer desperation! Yet now, some people acted as though being a half-dead spirit was an enviable privilege that granted access to the dead spirit realm. Why hadn't any of those hypocrites volunteered to become one back then? "Teacher... I'm fine." Su Yu offered a smile. Zhao Li gazed at him and said, "Before others, you can act confident and project an aura of total mastery, but there's no need to put on that act before me. I've heard about the Upper Realm—they have dozens, perhaps a hundred Dao Merge experts! Maybe even more! No matter how much you scheme and plan, does humanity have enough Dao Merge combatants to match them?" "If we truly cannot win, slip away. I believe you have the means to survive!" Zhao Li looked straight into his eyes. "Everyone calls you cold-blooded, but I know your blood runs hot. You were foolish enough to shoulder this mess! It brings you no benefit whatsoever, only dragging you deeper into the mire!" Zhao Li sneered. "If King Dazhou and his lot were so capable, why couldn't they pacify the myriad races themselves? Even now, I still hear malicious gossip whispering that you show no respect to human Eternals, that you're an arrogant youth drunk on sudden success! Ignore them. I've already noted down their names and handed the list to Xia Longwu and the others. They'll be deployed to campaign across the heavens. If they survive, it's luck; if they die, it's their own fault!" Zhao Li paused, then added, "Since you must carry this burden, don't do all the dirty work yourself and shoulder the blame! Summon Wan Tiansheng back. Let him be your blade. Anyone who steps out of line, have him execute them! It wouldn't be his first time, after all. Keep your own hands clean and preserve your untarnished reputation!" Zhao Li continued, "Wan Tiansheng will be glad to do it. It's awkward for him to return right now, so summon him back under the banner of war. Having a trusted confidant at your side will help. Old Wan is a senior of your lineage, as are Yun Chen and Nan Wujiang. Don't worry about what others think—give them more benefits in secret, and show them some favoritism..." Zhao Li spoke at length. He saw through his student's exhaustion and isolation. With seventy, eighty, or even a hundred Dao Merge experts in the Upper Realm, did taking them down just happen with a snap of one's fingers? Could they simply be schemed to death? How many Dao Merge experts did humanity have? On top of that, he had to keep their allies in line so they wouldn't waver. Even a reliable ally like the Iron-Eating race would abandon humanity in an instant if their own survival was on the line! No matter how great Su Yu's prestige was, could it outweigh the survival of their entire race? Even Tianmie had spent time persuading the old turtle not to abandon the cause midway. The mere fact that persuasion was necessary meant the possibility existed, and Su Yu was well aware of it. That was why he refused to let those allied factions suffer losses, lest the cautionary tale of the Hundred Battles King provoke them into fleeing. The Hundred Battles King had truly dealt Su Yu a terrible hand! His failure had made countless ancient races terrified of getting close to humanity. Su Yu not only had to endure all of this, but he also had to bear the consequences of the Hundred Battles King's catastrophe. It was no wonder Su Yu cursed that man at every turn. …… After speaking his mind, Zhao Li departed in silence. Su Yu sat on his throne, his thoughts drifting for a long while before he let out a soft laugh. In the end, there were still people in this world who understood him. Back when he was weak, these people had stood by him, supporting him every step of the way to where he was today. "Rulers... are always lonely." Su Yu recalled a line from some forgotten book. Loneliness was having no one who understood you. Once he departed this time, he did not know when he would return, or if he would return at all. Every departure had to be treated as a final farewell. Subjugating the dead spirit realm, suppressing the Northern King, piercing through minor realms... a single misstep meant total obliteration! "So tiring..." Su Yu murmured softly. Soon, however, the familiar, confident smile returned to his face. Stepping into the air, he departed the holy land. To the outside world, he would show only absolute strength and unshakeable confidence! …… On the All-Heavens Battlefield. Xia Longwu frowned slightly, but his expression soon smoothed over, and he paid it no further mind. At that moment, they had just conquered a minor realm and were resting to recuperate for the next assault. Tens of millions of troops were divided into countless encampments, taking respite. The Dragon Martial Guards. Once the personal guard of the Great Xia Prefecture, they were now incorporated into the unified expeditionary army across the heavens, no longer segregated by prefecture. The Dragon Martial Guards were simply one elite corps among these tens of millions of soldiers. Inside a chiliarch's tent within the Dragon Martial Guards' camp. Chen Hao was busy assigning combat tasks when his vision blurred. The several centurions beside him instantly froze in place. Chen Hao's expression shifted, and his saber snapped into his hand. Then his eyes flickered, and he broke into a silly grin. "What are you doing here?" "Made chiliarch already?" Su Yu chuckled as he emerged from the shadows, his white robe pristine as snow. Chen Hao grinned foolishly. "Yeah! The higher-ups took notice of me! Plus, I broke through to the seventh tier of the Lingyun Realm, so they gave me a chiliarch post. Not bad, huh?" Su Yu smiled, walked over, and took a seat. He looked at Chen Hao, his childhood best friend who was the exact same age as him. Chen Hao had grown a short beard, giving him a more mature look. He seemed as simple and honest as ever... but that was only on the surface! Su Yu teased, "Your advancement hasn't been slow at all—already at Lingyun tier seven." "It's alright. Killed a few strong opponents and got some rewards." Chen Hao poured him a cup of tea with a silly grin. "Why are you here?" "Heading out on business. Just happened to pass by." Chen Hao nodded, studying his childhood companion. "Tired?" "I manage." "Pity I can't help you. Otherwise, wherever you pointed, I'd go chop them down!" Chen Hao chuckled. "My dad always used to say that following Su Yu was never wrong! I'd love to follow your lead, but... I can't now. Yu, you'll have to shoulder it all on your own." Those simple words made Su Yu's eyes sting with sudden emotion. Suppressing his feelings, he smiled. "It's fine, I can bear it! I'm undefeated in battle. Meanwhile, you never even came looking for me." "Why would I?" Chen Hao replied with a naive grin that barely masked his underlying shrewdness. "You're surrounded by top-tier experts. If I went to you, wouldn't I just be dead weight? My dad used to beat me and tell me to keep my distance from you, saying it was best if no one knew how close we were. Things are great just the way they are." Su Yu laughed. "Don't you feel left out? I've grown so powerful, yet I haven't given you any benefits." "Not at all!" Chen Hao's smile widened. "The ones who get stronger become your frontline thugs; they have to fight in the pinnacle battles! Who knows you better than me? That kind of fighting must be ridiculously dangerous. When the real war starts, the strongest will be the first to die. You not giving us benefits is just your way of letting us live a little longer, isn't it?" Chen Hao chuckled cheerfully. "Don't worry. Our turn only comes after all you top powerhouses have finished fighting. If someone has to die, you'll definitely die first, and I'll outlive you by at least a little bit." Su Yu couldn't help but laugh. "Keep dreaming!" Taking a sip of tea, Su Yu gestured for him to sit. Chen Hao pulled up a stool and sat beside him. Sipping his tea, Su Yu said, "Almost everyone across the myriad realms knows who's close to me—my teachers, my father, my friends. Everyone knows them!" "Only you... Ever since we entered the academy, we barely interacted. Now, everyone else is famous across the world, while you're stuck here as an ordinary chiliarch, completely unnoticed." "Ever since we were kids, I knew you were smart... though still a bit behind me." Chen Hao grinned broadly. Su Yu smiled as well. "The path I walk is high-stakes. In the words of our childhood, it's business that could cost me my head—an earth-shattering endeavor. If I succeed, my name will be remembered for eternity; if I fail, I won't be worth a copper!" Chen Hao nodded, his grin widening. "I know. If you win, you become the Emperor! If you lose... they won't even leave a whole corpse behind!" Su Yu nodded. "Exactly! So whenever I have a spare moment, I wonder if it's worth it. Ah, to hell with it! If my head falls, it's just a scar the size of a bowl!" Su Yu chuckled. "Enough about that. Your brother is playing for high stakes. If I live, we enjoy glory; if I die, everything turns to dust! My dad—your uncle—I'm entrusting him to you! I'll tell you his hiding place. If the day comes when I'm on the brink of ruin, take my dad and run..." "I won't give you fancy treasures—they draw too much attention. Haozi, I'll teach you only one technique!" Chen Hao looked at him as Su Yu said in a low voice, "A method to alter your bloodline! A method to completely change your appearance! Just this one thing; I won't teach you anything else. How far you go on your own path is up to you! If I fall at the final hour, you and my dad will alter your bloodlines and change your faces together! Making you stronger right now is useless; you can't keep pace with me anyway. If I die, you'd only die with me! Leaving you weak gives you a chance to survive! But if I succeed, you'll naturally reap the rewards. Reaping benefits while lying back beats licking blood off a blade!" Chen Hao bared his teeth in a silent grin. Su Yu added, "Out in public, there's no need to go out of your way to hide your connection to me. People already know about our childhood, so trying too hard to cover it up looks suspicious! Just treat it like normal: we were childhood playmates, and I hardly remember who you are anymore." Chen Hao nodded. Without another word, Su Yu pressed a finger against Chen Hao's forehead. Knowledge flowed into his mind, along with several deeply sealed impressions. Su Yu smiled. "I've sealed some information inside your head. If that seal ever breaks, it means I'm dead! When that happens, Haozi, find a way to return to the Human Realm immediately! Locate my dad, use the secret teleportation passage I left behind, and flee the Human Realm!" Indeed, Su Yu had prepared this contingency, praying it would never be needed. No one would pay attention to a lowly chiliarch. In an era where even Dao Merge experts died like dogs, what was a Lingyun? Even Sun-Moon cultivators were nothing! Weakness was a shield; power drew the eye. If humanity fell, any powerful cultivator would be hunted down, but Shanhai and Sun-Moon cultivators would slip beneath notice. An Invincible trying to hide was actually in grave danger. In Su Yu's view, the contingency King Dazhou had prepared was fundamentally unreliable. If humanity was defeated this time, the myriad races would scour every corner of the cosmos, leaving humans no room to breathe. The three hidden Invincibles would be nothing more than a joke. In true defeat, there would be no second chance. Chen Hao committed Su Yu's words to memory, absorbing the knowledge transferred into his mind. He nodded firmly. "Understood! Don't worry. The moment the seal shatters, I'll run, change my name, and switch my bloodline." "Good. Thank you." "We're brothers." Chen Hao grinned sheepishly. "Don't thank me. Besides, we might not even need it! You've always been the most capable, and this time won't be any different. Just like my dad said—you never take a loss!" Su Yu smiled. "What about your parents...?" "If I can take them, I will. If not... I'll get Uncle to safety first, then double back for my parents!" Chen Hao smiled. "If you're gone, your side comes first. My only worry is Uncle won't listen to me... but never mind that, I'll just knock him out if I have to!" Chen Hao chuckled. "Alright, you've got business to handle, so get going. Don't linger here too long." Su Yu nodded and stood up. After a moment's thought, he transmitted his voice: "Watch your back. Don't go dying before I do! You're not stupid, so don't play dumb with me. Bully the weak and fear the strong—if you run into someone nasty, steer clear!" "Got it, don't worry!" Chen Hao chuckled. "You still don't trust me? We got into so many fights as kids, and did I ever come out on the losing end? Worst case, my dad gave me a beating! Those classmates were idiots. I beat them up, my dad beat me, and they were thrilled about it! But my dad beating me was family business; me beating them was me beating them! Those fools had it coming!" Su Yu laughed. That was how it had always been. Chen Hao had fought countless times as a child. Whenever he won and the other kids went whining to their parents and teachers, his father would drag him over and beat him right in front of them! Seeing Chen Hao wailing like a banshee, the other parents would lose all their anger and end up trying to pull his father off, telling him not to be so harsh on the boy. In reality, Chen Hao had thrashed their kids, taken a harmless beating from his own father, and earned a reputation as a little tyrant and a reckless brute that no one dared cross! Could a beating from his own dad take off a chunk of his flesh? "Fine. As long as you know what you're doing, I don't need to lecture you." Su Yu smiled. "I'm off. Just remember—take care of yourself!" "You too!" Without another word, Su Yu vanished into thin air. The frozen centurions blinked as if waking from a trance, completely oblivious. They resumed their conversation right where they had left off, as though nothing had happened. Chen Hao picked up the topic naturally, maintaining his foolish, earnest grin. The centurions nodded approvingly; though their chiliarch was young, he was capable and receptive to advice—far easier to work with than other commanders. …… Everything unfolded in absolute secrecy. Within the Iron-Eating Realm. Su Yu arrived covertly. This time, the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor and Jiu Yue did not make any grand display to welcome him. Inside the Beast Emperor's palace. The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor looked at the six kin standing before him, all roughly the same size and build, and said in a heavy voice, "Emperor Yu values you greatly and has chosen you to guard the dead spirit passageways! Obey Emperor Yu's commands in all things!" "Understood!" The identical giant pandas nodded in unison, each clutching a thick stalk of bamboo. No problem at all! Su Yu smiled. "Then please step into my civilization chronicle to take shelter!" The ethereal gateway opened, and the Iron-Eating beasts entered without hesitation. The Iron-Eating race contributed six experts, which, combined with the fourteen humans, brought the total to twenty. Su Yu soon stood up. "I won't stay long. Jiu Yue, advance as quickly as you can." "Understood!" Jiu Yue nodded. His progress had been rapid lately. Stepping onto the River of Time, Su Yu vanished into the void. The Iron-Eating Beast Emperor watched his departure and took a deep breath. Emperor Yu was growing more formidable by the day. He could only hope that everything they had wagered would prove worthwhile! …… In the Hou Realm. Four experts of the Hou race entered Su Yu's civilization chronicle, and he continued on his way toward the Five Elements Realm. …… Within the Five Elements Realm. Eight experts of the Five Elements race entered the chronicle as well. Su Yu lingered here briefly to instruct the Five Elements Ancestors on the fusion path, departing only after ensuring they had grasped the fundamentals. With thirty-two experts gathered, he needed just three more to relieve all thirty-five guardians. Su Yu set his sights on the Ancient Space Beast race for the final three. They were more reliable than the Archaic Giant race. Su Yu had never dealt with the giants and felt uneasy trusting them. Moreover, he needed the Ancient Space Beasts to provide him with spatial fragments. …… Within the domain of the Ancient Space Beasts. This race was sparse in number, comparable to the Hou race, with a population barely reaching four digits—barely a thousand in total! The Space Beast Emperor was deeply shaken when Su Yu breached their realm in an instant, though he kept his composure. But when Su Yu explained that he needed three early-to-mid-tier Eternal experts to serve as guardians, the ancient sovereign could no longer hide his astonishment. "Emperor Yu, you mean to say... the other thirty-two have already been gathered?" Su Yu nodded. "They're all assembled. I only need three more! I must liberate the high-tier combatants. Once those guardians achieve Dao Merge... I will gain over thirty Dao Merge powerhouses, giving us a fighting chance against the Upper Realm!" The Space Beast Emperor's heart trembled violently! Without a whisper of commotion, Su Yu had actually mobilized over thirty Eternals willing to guard the dead spirit realm on his behalf. That was no trivial feat. The Iron-Eating race, their allies, and even humanity itself had clearly submitted to him completely! After a moment's contemplation, the ancient sovereign nodded. "Very well! We can provide three Eternals! If necessary, my race can spare a few more..." Su Yu smiled. "No need. However, I must trouble the Beast Emperor with one more matter: please help me harvest some spatial fragments and deliver them to the Human Realm!" "Done!" The Space Beast Emperor agreed readily. He realized it was time to re-evaluate this new Human Sovereign! Su Yu's audacity in replacing the guardians carried a deeper implication: The dead spirit realm was no longer a major threat! Otherwise, no substitution would have been permitted. Hongmeng would never have agreed! Yet Hongmeng had consented. What did that signify? It meant the crisis in the dead spirit realm had been largely suppressed, to the point where early-to-mid-tier Eternals were sufficient to keep it under control! That was the crux of the matter! …… Even after Su Yu departed with the three Ancient Space Beasts, the Space Beast Emperor could not calm his racing thoughts. He knew a massive war was looming. Su Yu was truly preparing to take the offensive—even to charge straight into the heavens above. This new Human Sovereign was mad beyond measure. …… At that moment, Su Yu cared little for what others thought. All thirty-five substitute guardians were assembled! If the original thirty-five guardians could successfully break through to Dao Merge, he would possess enough capital to storm the Upper Realm! However, their breakthroughs would not come easily. *The Northern King...* *The dead spirit marquises!* Su Yu mused. He would capture the defiant dead spirit marquises, along with the Northern King, drag them into the Star Residence Mansion, and let the guardians slaughter them! That was the fastest route to their breakthrough! *If there aren't enough dead spirit marquises, I'll fish them out of the Heavenly River of the Dead Spirits until we have plenty—enough to push every single guardian into the Dao Merge realm!* However, doing so would make the guardian faction overwhelmingly powerful. Weighing the pros and cons, Su Yu chose not to dwell on it for now; that was a concern for later. The pressing priority was to build and consolidate their strength continuously. The moment Tiangu and the other sovereigns fell, the Upper Realm might very well force its gates open immediately! Soon, Su Yu arrived at the Hongmeng Ancient City. He began summoning the guardians to assemble! A hundred thousand years of imprisonment was finally coming to an end! The old turtle was overwhelmed with emotion. His ancient brothers were finally about to be freed! As for himself, there was no rush. That could wait until Su Yu truly stood at the pinnacle. Shortly after, the grand concealment formation Consort Xi had previously laid proved useful once more. Replacing the guardians within it ensured that no outside eyes could pry. Su Yu had to admit that Consort Xi was truly a benefactor! She had spent immense resources creating a flawless hideaway for him! A benefactor like her deserved to live a few days longer! Starting that day, Su Yu and the old turtle began systematically stripping the old guardians of their duties and consecrating the new ones in their stead. Across the myriad realms, a rare period of peace settled over the cosmos, free from warfare above the Eternal Realm.