The Hongmeng Turtle

One by one, the guardians were successfully relieved. Excitement, thrill—the guardians' emotions were beyond words. Inside Hongmeng Ancient City. More and more guardians gathered before Su Yu. His decision to free them at this moment was to grant them greater liberty and prevent any incidents in the Spirit Suppressing Realm from going unattended once they entered the Dead Spirit Realm. "Do not dispel the Petrification Technique for the time being!" Su Yu reminded them. The Petrification Technique was an excellent method to conceal one's aura and resist death qi. This way, when they stepped into the Dead Spirit Realm, it would not trigger too much disturbance. He did not know the technique himself. If he did, he would have applied petrification to every living being entering the realm; it truly was exceedingly useful. All the guardians listened and watched in silence, their hearts still churning with emotion. Su Yu swept his gaze across them, pondering his own thoughts. Of the thirty-five guardians, he was familiar with only a few, such as Tianmie. He barely knew the others. Yet Su Yu truly needed them. They were the ones with the highest chance of breaking through to the Dao Merge Realm. Figures like Xia Longwu had exhausted their reserves just to reach the seventh stage of Eternal. To take another step forward was not something that could be achieved merely by slaying a few marquises. These guardians, on the other hand, had sufficiently honed their cultivation levels. All they lacked was an impetus from the power of rules. One hundred thousand years of guarding, one hundred thousand years without rest. While experts of other realms had opportunities to enter deep slumber, the guardians had none. They had constantly resisted the Dead Spirit Realm and defended against death qi. Their merits were immense! Su Yu took a sip of tea as he turned things over in his mind. After a long while, he spoke: "Seniors, every one of you has achieved world-shaking merits! Of course, I know that you may not necessarily like, desire, or truly view such merits as honors. "The sudden collapse of the ancient era left you stranded, trapped here for a hundred thousand years. Some among you may even consider this a punishment!" Su Yu looked up at the silent guardians. "Resentment, hatred, anger—everyone harbors a bit of these feelings. Some may not even know whom they should resent; some might blame the ancient human race, or perhaps the myriad races of the ancient times..." In the crowd, Tianmie moved to speak, but Su Yu raised a hand. Giving Tianmie no chance to interrupt, Su Yu continued, "Seniors, you have helped me, Su Yu, on many occasions. Today, I won't play word games with you! Those who feel resentment, those who harbor bitterness, or those who simply do not wish to risk their lives for me—out of respect for our past ties, now that I have freed you, you may choose to walk alongside me, or you may choose to leave!" Su Yu stated calmly, "If you choose to leave, do not reveal your presence in the near future. Alternatively, you may stay in Hongmeng Ancient City for a while; the General of Spirit Suppression will not harm you." Tianmie once again tried to chime in, but Su Yu smiled. "Senior Tianmie, not everyone is like you, happy just to have a fight! Among the thirty-five seniors present, there must be those who are exhausted and no longer wish to wage war. Previously, you had no choice, since you were guardians and bound as one. "Now, you are no longer bound!" Su Yu looked at the crowd and said with a smile, "You do not need to let Tianmie and the others roast you over the fire. They love to fight; that is their own affair! Seniors, if you are weary, find a place to rest properly and nurse yourselves back to health. "I have no other demands, save for one... I hope none of you defect to the myriad races!" At this, Su Yu's voice turned grave. "Today, I lay down my words here. As long as you do not defect to the myriad races, whether you fight or not, if I win, you will all remain heroes and be rewarded according to your merits in the future! "However, if anyone defects to the myriad races... all past affection and merits will be reduced to zero, and you will become my sworn targets for execution!" Su Yu looked at them. Some guardians showed conflicted expressions, some seemed indifferent, and others were whispering through voice transmissions. Beside Su Yu, the Old Turtle was also sipping tea. His cup had long run dry, yet he held the empty cup, feeling somewhat uneasy. How many would leave? How many would stay? The Old Turtle actually felt that the choices Su Yu offered were generous. To allow them to leave on their own—since Su Yu promised not to hold it against them, he certainly wouldn't. As the Human Sovereign, keeping his word before his own people and great generals was an absolute must. His only fear was that some of his old brothers might choose to defect to the myriad races. If that happened, Su Yu would keep his word as well: he would kill them without mercy! Seeing that no one was speaking, the Old Turtle broke the silence: "Old comrades, if you truly are weary and exhausted, find a place to rest in peace for a while. I know of several minor realms with splendid scenery! Once we win this war, we old brothers can gather again to drink wine and eat meat! Emperor Yu said not to defect to other races... and that is my wish as well. None of us wish to meet as enemies on the battlefield!" He looked toward the crowd and sighed. "Back then, it was I who let you all down! This post of guardian lasted for an entire hundred thousand years..." "Boss!" A guardian in the crowd cut him off. "Boss, nobody wanted things to turn out like that back then! You did it for our sake. Guarding for a thousand years, receiving rule rewards, and being conferred as generals were all good things. King Gong gave you a lucrative post; no one foresaw the catastrophe that followed!" Guarding the passage to the Dead Spirit Realm had indeed been a cushy post back then. There was hardly any real danger! In that era, which dead spirit dared to force its way out? The Four Heavenly Kings were completely docile. If any dead spirit marquis dared to intrude, the Old Turtle didn't even need to lift a finger; he could simply demand that the Four Heavenly Kings handle it. Whoever's subordinate caused trouble, that faction would resolve it! Tianmie also looked somewhat agitated and said impatiently, "Enough, let's not dwell on that! Speak up, brothers—who wants to leave? If you want to go, we won't stop you! Su Yu... cough, Emperor Yu is right. As long as you don't defect to the enemy, we're still good brothers! "Those who don't leave will keep fighting! It's not purely for the human race; it's to make ourselves stronger and safer! In the past, others didn't dare touch us and we could preserve ourselves because we were guardians. That isn't the case anymore. An Eternal in this war of the myriad realms can be killed in the blink of an eye!" When Tianmie wasn't acting muddle-headed, he was sharper than anyone. In truth, only a fool would take Tianmie for a fool. He had roamed the myriad realms as a ninth-stage Eternal with a fiery temper, yet back then, none of the numerous marquises had ever picked trouble with him. Why was that? The Old Turtle was one reason. Another factor, as mentioned before, was that Tianmie was one of the few figures on good terms with King Wen's students. When King Wen's students forged the Tombstone of Civilizations, Tianmie had even been present—he just hadn't understood what he was seeing! Was the forging of the Tombstone of Civilizations something just anyone could observe? Tianmie could be considered loosely affiliated with King Wen's faction. Whether marquises or kings, they all had to give him a bit of face. Right now, Tianmie understood perfectly that if they chose not to fight, Su Yu would not help them grow stronger. Freeing them paid off their past kindness; protecting them and keeping them out of the war also repaid their favor. Promising that they would still be rewarded according to merit after winning was another way of honoring that debt. However, Su Yu was no fool. He would never help those who refused to fight reach the Dao Merge Realm. That would be creating trouble for himself. If any of them defected to the myriad races, Su Yu would have been stupid enough to aid the enemy. An Eternal could still be easily suppressed, but a Dao Merge expert would be far more troublesome. ... The guardians were indeed hesitating. As for defecting to the myriad races, whether or not anyone harbored such thoughts, none would voice them right now. That would be seeking death! If nothing else, they knew all too well about the situation in the Dead Spirit Realm. At this moment, most were simply torn between joining the war or retiring to safety! After a hundred thousand years, they truly felt exhausted. Some genuinely did not want to fight anymore! Previously, everyone had assumed Su Yu would compel them all to fight. Now that they were given a choice, and seeing that their boss didn't object, it meant that if they chose to leave, Su Yu would most likely let them be. They might not fully trust Su Yu, but they trusted the Old Turtle. For a hundred thousand years, not a single guardian had been replaced, and all of them had survived. That was all thanks to the Old Turtle's protection. Otherwise, as mere Eternals, did they really think the Upper Realm couldn't have wiped them out? After a long pause, Guardian Changping said slowly, "Long ago, I received some favors from the gods and demons. Of course, time has passed and endless years have gone by, so I won't use that as an excuse. The truth is, I am genuinely weary! Since Emperor Yu has granted us a choice today... then I shall speak plainly: I do not wish to keep fighting." Guardian Changping said solemnly, "My race is already extinct! I stand alone in this world. I fight neither for my people nor for power. All I want... is freedom!" Tianmie and the others looked at him, their expressions turning from dissatisfaction to understanding. To each their own path! Indeed, freedom. Everyone desired it! Yet Tianmie and his faction wanted to carve out their freedom with their own hands. If they all opted out of the fight, such freedom might not come easily. Su Yu took no offense, smiling instead. "I understand Senior Changping's words! It is best that you raised it now. I have no other demands: those who wish to leave may temporarily rest in Hongmeng City for a while. Once some time has passed and the new guardians or the matters of the Dead Spirit Realm are revealed, you seniors may find your own places to recuperate!" Changping nodded and took a deep breath. He had chosen to withdraw! Cupping his fists toward the Old Turtle, Tianmie, and the others, Changping said nothing more. Then, turning toward the rest, he bowed slightly. "If you brothers choose to stay, I wish you smooth sailing. Today, I, Changping... shall play the deserter. I am... exhausted!" With those words, Changping vanished instantly. In the next moment, the door of a house in Hongmeng Ancient City swung open, and Changping stepped inside. His stance was clear: he would not emerge again! When the time came that he could depart, he would leave. Among the crowd, some guardians sighed, while others expressed regret. Comrades of a hundred thousand years were parting ways today, yet no one could bring themselves to scold him. Even the hot-tempered Tianmie did not utter a single reproach. All because he was simply tired. Su Yu continued, "Anyone else? You need not worry too much. To be frank, even if you stay... you might not have the chance to step into the Dao Merge Realm. And short of Dao Merge, one might not be able to change anything." Su Yu smiled. "Fighting is something that requires willingness. If you are reluctant now, fighting a winning battle might be fine, but once we face an uphill struggle, it will be impossible to maintain morale! Right now, I still remember our past bonds, but if an uphill battle comes and several turn tail... that will no longer be a matter of past sentiment." Su Yu offered a slight smile. "Let us lay bare the ugly truths first! The Spirit Suppressing Army is of utmost importance to me! I do not wish for any conflicts to arise between me and the entire Spirit Suppressing faction over such matters!" The Old Turtle said nothing. Tianmie, however, spoke up: "Rest assured! Since we chose to fight, we won't run!" Saying so, he turned toward a burly man and said, "Shanqi, seeing how timid you are, you might flee. Why don't you leave as well..." Among the crowd, the burly man looked at Tianmie and said faintly after a long silence, "Do you really want me to go? You're deliberately trying to provoke me because you can't bear to see me leave, right? I know what you're thinking. You can't show off to Xinghong and the others anymore, and none of the other brothers pay you any mind when you brag, so you've set your sights on me, haven't you?" "..." Tianmie snorted with disdain; that wasn't it at all! Shanqi chuckled and said, "I'm not leaving! After guarding the dead spirit passage for so many years, I've never ventured deep into the Dead Spirit Realm. I might as well go see the sights! If luck is on my side, being conferred a marquis in the future would fulfill my lifelong wish." Among the group, some chose to stay, while others ultimately decided to depart. Of the few female guardians, there was one with whom Su Yu was somewhat familiar—Yuhong. At this moment, Yuhong stepped forward, appearing rather frail. "I will not participate in the war, nor do you need to expend effort on my behalf. I am originally the weakest. Over the years, Boss has worried a great deal over me. While everyone else has a chance of reaching Dao Merge, I likely have none! I have held everyone back, and my injuries have yet to recover even now... I shall rest for a period." The Old Turtle spoke up and nodded: "Yuhong, you should withdraw. Over all these years, your very foundation has been damaged! Even your Great Dao carries injuries." He looked toward Su Yu. "Emperor Yu, you are aware of Yuhong's condition..." Su Yu nodded. "I know. Senior Yuhong, find an ancient house to rest in. When it is safe to leave, I will notify everyone, and you seniors may all depart!" The guardians exchanged continuous voice transmissions. In the end, several more chose to leave. Changping, Yuhong, Suiyu, Haizang, and Yuehua. The guardians of five cities chose to withdraw from the war. A hundred thousand years of wear and tear had thoroughly drained their desire for conflict. The remaining thirty chose to stay. Some wanted to strengthen themselves, unwilling to remain weak; some wanted to fight their way to true freedom; others stayed out of brotherhood, feeling that if Tianmie and the others were fighting, they should fight alongside them. This was better than expected. Su Yu's decision to lay everything bare was out of respect for the Old Turtle, Tianmie, and the rest. He had deliberately avoided discussing it before freeing them, lest they feel coerced. Clearly, the Old Turtle and the others understood Su Yu's consideration. Had they spoken before the unsealing, not a single one might have chosen to withdraw. If someone chose to quit, what if Su Yu refused to unseal them? The guardian faction possessed formidable strength, and Su Yu did not want friction with them over such matters. Losing a few was inconsequential. Just as they had said, even if they stayed, they might not necessarily achieve Dao Merge. With fewer people, Su Yu could concentrate his resources to fulfill the breakthrough requirements of those who remained. Soon, Su Yu added, "As for swapping the ancient cities..." The Old Turtle smiled. "That is not difficult! The ancient cities are our armaments. Certain structures, including the method to transform into half-dead spirits, are actually rooted not in the armaments, but in the power of laws outside the passages! The new guardians only need to suppress the core areas with their own armaments, allowing us to extract ours!" Su Yu nodded. "It won't cause too much commotion, will it? After all, there are still many half-dead spirits in the ancient cities." The Old Turtle chuckled. "Whether the commotion is large or small doesn't matter, as long as the outside world remains unaware. The strongest in the ancient cities are at the Sun-Moon Realm. If we put up a slight concealment, what could a mere Sun-Moon possibly detect?" Su Yu smiled. "True! Furthermore, the new guardians must not make contact with the city lords for the time being!" After a few more instructions, the matter was settled. The guardians set off one after another to complete their handovers. ... Inside Hongmeng Ancient City, the others gradually departed from the City Lord Manor. Those who needed to make preparations went to prepare, and those who wanted to gather went to gather. Having finally been unsealed, the old guardians were in high spirits, eager to drink wine, eat meat, and indulge themselves. With everyone gone, only the Old Turtle and Su Yu remained. The Old Turtle took a sip of tea and remained silent for a moment before saying, "Five of them left; that isn't entirely unexpected. Emperor Yu, if any of those who stayed behind betray you, you may punish them as you see fit—we will not interfere. But as for the five who left, you..." Su Yu smiled. "You don't trust me?" "No." The Old Turtle chuckled softly. "It's not that I don't trust you; I'm merely worried! Worried that if the situation turns dire and you desperately need reinforcement, you might forcibly draft them." Su Yu pondered for a moment and said, "I won't. Since I gave my word, I will not go back on it! If the situation deteriorates to the point where five Eternals are indispensable, then we will have already lost, and their participation wouldn't turn the tides anyway." Su Yu dropped the subject and smiled. "Let us not dwell on that; put your mind at ease! It is best to maintain some basic trust. Senior, do not assume I harbor hidden intentions; I have none. Let us discuss the situation in the Dead Spirit Realm instead." Moving on from the guardians, Su Yu promptly asked, "Is Senior familiar with the Southern King?" "Not very." The Old Turtle thought for a moment and replied, "The Four Heavenly Kings have existed for an extraordinarily long time. They are not ancient experts, but archaic ones! After the Human Sovereign and the others pacified the myriad realms, they went down to suppress the Dead Spirit Realm. Four powerful entities among them were conferred as Heavenly Kings!" Su Yu nodded. "Then are there no Rulers of Rules in the Dead Spirit Realm? I don't mean mastering a Dao, since I know there is only one Great Dao in the Dead Spirit Realm. What I mean is, are there experts comparable to the ancient Human Kings? Among the ancient Human Kings, some walked the Physical Body Dao and reached the combat power of a Ruler of Rules. In my view, the Dead Spirit Dao is vastly more formidable than the Physical Body Dao!" He had always found this peculiar. During the ancient era, there were Human Kings possessing the combat strength of a Ruler of Rules. What did that mean? The kind who could fight dozens of Dao Merge experts simultaneously! The current Four Heavenly Kings were strong, but taking on five or six at once was their absolute limit. The Hundred Battles King was also powerful, but he might still have fallen slightly short of a Ruler of Rules. He had fought over a dozen, many of whom were top-tier experts; he had likely come close to that threshold. All of them were practitioners of the Physical Body Dao. Yet the Physical Body Dao seemed inferior to the Dead Spirit Dao. Why, then, were there no such figures in the Dead Spirit Realm? The Old Turtle did not understand the rules of the Great Dao deeply, but since Su Yu brought it up, he thought it over and said, "I do not understand the Great Dao well, but based on what you have told me before, I have a rough theory." "What is it?" "The Dead Spirit Heavenly River!" The Old Turtle said softly, "Because there are simply too many dead spirits slumbering in the river—too many powerful experts! It is not that there are few experts, but rather far too many. When they died, they laid claim to the power of the Great Dao! The Four Heavenly Kings feel as though they cannot advance any further. That is not just a feeling; they truly cannot, because the power has already been occupied!" Realization dawned upon Su Yu. "You mean that the Dead Spirit Dao is almost entirely filled! Only a limited portion of Dao power remains, which was divided among the Four Heavenly Kings... If so, the entities slumbering in the Dead Spirit Heavenly River must be terrifying! In my view, if the human race's Physical Body Dao could foster several experts with the combat power of a Ruler of Rules, the Dead Spirit Dao should at least double that!" The Old Turtle nodded. "There should be many. However, I have also noticed that when a Ruler of Rules dies, they likely do not revive as a dead spirit! The Dead Spirit Heavenly River should harbor many Dao Merge experts at the marquis level. Or perhaps Rulers of Rules can become dead spirits upon death, but because they occupy too much Dao power, there simply isn't enough active Dao power in the river to awaken them!" Su Yu understood once more. "In other words, if a Ruler of Rules died, their overwhelming strength in life means that the Dead Spirit Dao—being only a single Great Dao after all—cannot support their revival, no matter how powerful it is. Even so, they very likely still rest at the bottom of the river?" The Old Turtle smiled and nodded. "Correct!" Su Yu concurred with the Old Turtle's assessment. "Then let us continue talking about the Southern King," Su Yu said. The Old Turtle thought for a moment before speaking: "I have not had many dealings with the Southern King, having only met her a few times. Ever since her conferment, the Southern King has maintained a very low profile. Over the years, it was fortunate that she was there. Among the Eastern, Western, and Northern Kings, both the Eastern King and the Northern King tried to break out after the ancient era collapsed. At that time, the Western King's stance was ambiguous, and the Southern King stepped forward several times. Furthermore, within my Spirit Suppressing Realm, their strength was suppressed, leaving them no match for me and the Southern King. Thus, peace was maintained in the Dead Spirit Realm for all these years. "The Western King's betrayal was likely a later development, occurring around the end of the ninth tide." The Old Turtle looked toward Su Yu. "He was probably led astray by that woman. Initially, the Western King likely only wanted to be a regional hegemon; there had been no movement from him for many years." Su Yu was speechless. "He's already dead, a mere dead spirit, yet he still let himself be deceived by a woman... The Western King died without injustice!" A lecher? You're already a dead spirit, yet you're still obsessing over such things. He had it coming! The Old Turtle chuckled. "It's normal. Once a dead spirit reaches that realm, they have emotions too! That aside, let me mention something else... Cough, that... the Southern King is actually a woman." "..." Su Yu looked at the Old Turtle. The Old Turtle had a meaningful expression as he said, "The Southern King... back when the titles were conferred, she actively requested the title of Southern Heavenly King. Because during that era, everyone knew that King Wen resided in Nanyuan and was the Southern King among the Four Extremities Human Kings! "It is quite natural. When dead spirits reach that level, they are little different from living beings. Back then, more than one or two female experts were infatuated with King Wen!" The Old Turtle sighed with emotion. "King Wen possessed peerless elegance and charisma; both the living and the dead were captivated by him..." Su Yu nodded. "Understood—he charmed both the living and the dead! So the Southern Heavenly King has been helping the human race all because of King Wen? Speaking of which, King Wen stayed in the Dead Spirit Realm for a period back then. Could he have gone there specifically to flirt with the Southern King?" The Old Turtle kept his mouth shut. *I know nothing about that, so don't ask me.* Su Yu smiled. "Now this is getting interesting! So she's a dead spirit fangirl of King Wen. No wonder she has consistently supported the rule of the human race all these years! Hearing Senior say this puts my mind somewhat at ease." The Old Turtle smiled. "Emperor Yu may rest assured. If the Southern King had truly intended to rebel, I certainly would not have been able to hold out against the three Heavenly Kings joining forces in the earlier years! The Dead Spirit Realm would have descended into chaos long ago!" "Mm!" Su Yu agreed; for now, the Southern King seemed trustworthy. The Old Turtle added, "This time, Emperor Yu plans to enter the Dead Spirit Realm to suppress the Northern King. Personally, I suspect it will not be that simple." "How so?" "The Northern King's strength might be the greatest among the Four Heavenly Kings! Furthermore, not too many living beings can descend. That dog of King Wen's, Feiqiu, had best not go. Its vitality is too overwhelming; bringing it along might stir turmoil in the Dead Spirit Heavenly River and draw out invincible adversaries!" The Old Turtle said solemnly, "It would be best to rely on the dead spirits themselves, us guardians, and Tianmie and the others whose Petrification Technique remains intact! As for other living people, I suggest bringing none! If thirty to fifty dead spirit marquises are truly provoked, how could we match them? Even Tianmie and his companions had best not enter, as their petrification has already been dispelled! "Under the Northern King's command, there are still fourteen dead spirit marquises, all turtling within the Northern King Domain..." Su Yu shot him a look. *Using the word 'turtling' hardly seems appropriate coming from you.* The Old Turtle stared right back at Su Yu. *Don't nitpick with me; the word 'turtling' was coined by you humans to mock me in the first place!* Too lazy to bicker, the Old Turtle continued, "Over there, he is an officially conferred Heavenly King after all. Even Emperor Yu would find it difficult to strip him of his office right now! Therefore, within the Northern King Domain, the Southern King is no match for him, nor can her ten dead spirit marquises contend with his fourteen. Marquis Lanshan's side, counting herself, has four, which barely evens the numbers, but we will still definitely be at a disadvantage..." The Old Turtle went on, "As for me, it would be best if I do not leave. If I leave and an anomaly occurs in the Dead Spirit Heavenly River, causing several dead spirit marquises to emerge, the new guardians won't be able to suppress them! If dead spirit marquises break out... the trouble will be immense! Trouble for you, and trouble for me!" The Old Turtle said in a heavy voice, "I have already sensed dead spirit marquises reviving. You must have sensed it last time as well; they merely refrained from charging out because they feared Feiqiu's strength!" Su Yu nodded; he had indeed sensed it. "Moreover, Emperor Yu must be cautious lest these awakened beings suddenly intervene in the battle! That would make things even messier!" Su Yu nodded again and quickly said, "Even if Tianmie and the others don't go, there are still twenty-seven guardians, all at the high stages of Eternal. If they join forces, taking on three or four Dao Merge experts shouldn't be an issue, right?" The Old Turtle nodded. "In theory, yes. However, the margin for error is too small! A Dao Merge expert can make many mistakes, but we can only afford to make one. Once a single guardian is killed, the encirclement collapses, the formation breaks, and it turns into a slaughter! If six guardians are needed to match one Dao Merge expert, the moment one is accidentally killed, the pressure on the rest mounts, and a second or third could easily fall..." The margin for error was far too low! They could contend, but barely. Su Yu stroked his chin. Indeed, living beings entering would agitate the Dead Spirit Heavenly River, which was the real headache. Otherwise, there would be no need for such caution. They could simply roll over them with absolute might! He could take King Daqin, King Daxia, and the others inside to slaughter their fill. After a moment of contemplation, Su Yu still said, "Senior, you should come with me. Let King Daqin and King Daxia temporarily guard this place! If any dead spirit marquises try to storm out, having two Dao Merge experts charge down to suppress them won't be an issue either!" "My fear is provoking even more dead spirit marquises!" The Old Turtle remained worried. This arrangement was hardly ideal; he truly was better suited to guard this location. Su Yu felt the same, but... without the Old Turtle, their combat strength wouldn't be overwhelming. Marquis Lanshan was progressing rapidly, but not fast enough to reach the level of a Heavenly King. As for Su Yu himself, he wasn't entirely certain of his current strength, but one thing was clear: he had definitely not reached the Heavenly King tier! He couldn't necessarily bring the Book Spirit or the Tea Tree inside, let alone the little white dog. Who else could he bring? King Dazhou... King Dazhou was skilled at concealing his aura, but going all out would inevitably expose him. Half-dead spirits were best suited! Ask the Southern King to convert a few Dao Merge experts? Forget it! Su Yu felt a headache coming on. He said promptly, "Let us go down and assess the situation first. As for the Northern King, so long as we don't actively provoke him, he most likely won't dare step outside the Northern King Domain. Once he steps out, he loses his greatest advantage and protection!" The Old Turtle nodded. "If it proves unfeasible, we can set the Northern King Domain aside for now." Su Yu disagreed. "That leaves too many unpredictable factors. If I draw away the forces of the Dead Spirit Realm and he launches a surprise attack, slaughtering the remaining experts and camping out at the passage, everything will be ruined, and we will lose control of the Dead Spirit Realm!" Doing so would mean gambling on whether the Northern King was daring enough. Su Yu had no desire to leave behind such a glaring threat! The two discussed it further, unable to reach a final decision for the moment. They could only wait until Su Yu met with the Southern King and gathered Marquis Lanshan before formulating a strategy. With that settled, Su Yu looked at the Old Turtle and smiled. "Senior's Great Dao seems exceedingly powerful to me. You have lived for so long; logically speaking... you shouldn't be weaker than a Heavenly King! Holding an entire Dao to yourself, you should be a top-tier Dao Merge expert, or perhaps even a master of rules..." The Old Turtle stared at him. *Are you mocking me?* Su Yu chuckled. "Do not misunderstand, Senior. What I mean is, I can guide you through the Great Dao so you can comprehend it! Your current path should focus on gaining insights into your Dao; otherwise, I fear you won't be able to advance any further!" The Old Turtle thought for a moment and nodded. "Then I shall trouble Emperor Yu. It is just that... I am not certain whether I can comprehend it." "Let us give it a try!" Su Yu was not certain either; the Old Turtle seemed a bit slow-witted. Having lived for countless years, he probably didn't even understand what the Great Dao truly was. He operated entirely on instinct, knowing only how to turtle up and defend... Cough, yet that happened to align with the Dao, which was quite remarkable in its own right. Soon, Su Yu tore open the River of Time and led the Old Turtle toward his Great Dao. Guiding the Old Turtle required little effort from Su Yu, as the Old Turtle himself was immensely powerful. ... Within the River of Time. Su Yu soon arrived beside that tributary of the Great Dao. The Old Turtle felt a vague resonance, but his comprehension remained shallow. Su Yu did not mind describing it to him, sighing with emotion, "I believe this Dao should be called the Dao of Mountain Suppressing! "Senior might not see it, but in my eyes, this Dao looks like a massive mountain—a crouching mountain that resembles your true form! It was likely pioneered by the Hongmeng Turtle race! "This Dao is by no means weak! I have seen many Daos: the Dead Spirit Dao ranks first, the Physical Body Dao second, the Brush Dao third, the Five Elements Dao fourth, and the Desolate Sky Beast Dao fifth. I would rank Senior's Dao sixth!" It was only slightly weaker than the Desolate Sky Beast's Dao. Su Yu felt it was more powerful than the fused Daos of others. He soon added, "Evidently, your race does not lack deep comprehension of the Great Dao. Does Senior know who opened this Dao?" Someone from your own race managed to open a Dao, after all! The Old Turtle remained silent for a long while before finally speaking: "It was likely opened by my Dao companion." "..." Su Yu froze. The Old Turtle said slowly, "Countless ages ago, there were two turtles between heaven and earth. We had no names, no surnames, and no race... Later, our race was named Hongmeng after my name." Su Yu was stunned once more. "The other was my Dao companion, and she was the Half-Emperor of the Hongmeng Turtle race..." Su Yu blinked. Holy crap! Such a thing had happened? This was... incredible! Yet thinking about it, it made sense. The Hongmeng Turtle race bore the name Hongmeng. Su Yu had assumed the Old Turtle had renamed himself Hongmeng after his clan died out; he hadn't realized the race had simply taken its name from him! The Old Turtle said softly, "My Dao companion was killed long ago, during the archaic era. She was far cleverer than I. I was lazy, unwilling to move or think, so she was always stronger than me. According to your description, she must have been the one who opened this Dao. "In our race, only she had the ability to open such a Dao. "Later, my descendants died out one after another, leaving me as the sole survivor of the Hongmeng Turtle race..." Su Yu furrowed his brows slightly. "I recall Senior saying that your race also had a Half-Emperor during the ancient era..." "That was my son," the Old Turtle said softly. "He died later as well. His strength was rather ordinary; though called a Half-Emperor, he never entered the council. Precisely because of this, my status in the ancient era was not low, but I personally disliked moving about." With a self-deprecating chuckle, the Old Turtle looked toward the tributary of the Great Dao. Even though he could see nothing clearly, he said with regret, "My Dao companion's Dao was by no means weak. Alas... I was born dull, unable to comprehend the Great Dao she left behind even after countless ages." With that, he looked at Su Yu and said, "Now that you mention it, I think I understand where I went wrong. "I had some insights, but most of them leaned toward defense. However... you are actually mistaken as well. You saw a mountain, correct?" Su Yu nodded. He had indeed seen a mountain. "In truth, this mountain is not about defense." Su Yu was taken aback. The Old Turtle smiled. "You were influenced by me. My Dao companion was at her best when fighting! That mountain might be the archaic divine mountain we saw in our youth. My Dao companion likely based her Dao on that divine mountain, focusing primarily on offense!" Offense! Su Yu was stunned again. Indeed, he had been biased by the Old Turtle, assuming the mountain represented defense. The Old Turtle sighed with emotion. "No wonder! So... it was meant for offensive slaughter all along! I walked the wrong path, relying solely on time to grind away. In truth, no matter how long I ground, I could never master this Dao. The only way forward is to change—to walk the path of offensive slaughter!" Su Yu blinked. *Your wife excelled at offensive slaughter, yet you only know how to defend... No wonder you failed to master the Great Dao after hundreds of thousands of years.* *You were on the wrong path all along!* The Old Turtle chuckled. "It is well; I understand the general direction now! It is fortunate that Emperor Yu took a look for me; otherwise, I might never have realized. No wonder King Gong told me back then that King Wu wanted him to pass a message, urging me to fight more. Having me guard the Dead Spirit Realm was actually intended to make me battle more often, but I never caught on." The Old Turtle laughed. "Give me a little time, and perhaps... there will be some changes! Earlier, after several battles, I felt my Dao flowing more smoothly. So that was why! During the previous nine tides, there was hardly any fighting. No wonder I felt no progress at all, remaining practically the same as back then!" *Pure laziness!* Su Yu muttered internally. Indeed, the Old Turtle seemed to have been immensely powerful countless years ago, and throughout all this time, he had truly made zero progress. Still, he had learned quite a bit of gossip! The Old Turtle's Dao companion had actually been a Ruler of Rules. And the ancient era's Hongmeng Half-Emperor was his son! With his son serving as a Half-Emperor, he had still spent his days sleeping and acting as the General of Spirit Suppression... Had King Gong not asked him, he probably wouldn't have bothered. Even when King Gong offered to confer him as a marquis to guard the Star Residence Mansion, he hadn't been interested. "Then who was Senior's Dao companion... killed by?" The Old Turtle shook his head. "It was too long ago; there is no need to mention it! That person is likely dead as well. My Dao companion simply loved fighting and couldn't sit still. Had she been like me, she would have lived to this day." *If she were like you, your race wouldn't even have a Dao!* Su Yu was speechless. As long as the Old Turtle gained his own insights, that was enough. Su Yu had almost led him astray, but the Old Turtle had led Su Yu astray first; who would have thought this was an offensive Dao? Then again, a turtle that excelled at combat... The mental image was simply too vivid! Su Yu thought to himself: if the Old Turtle were like Tianmie, roaring and howling, itching for a fight all day long... his Dao companion must have been quite fascinating. What a pity she had died; otherwise, watching a turtle fight every day would have been quite the spectacle.