Subduing the Southern King Is Child's Play

Accompanying the Old Turtle on a journey through the River of Time hadn't drained much of Su Yu's energy. In truth, he hadn't offered the Old Turtle much guidance, nor had he encouraged him to switch daos. The old fellow knew exactly where his problem lay, which meant he would find a solution. As long as the conflict wasn't severe, having sole claim to a dao was still far more comfortable than pioneering a new one. A lazy turtle like him would almost certainly avoid opening a new dao if he could help it! …… Having properly arranged the replacement guardians, Su Yu left both the Book Spirit and the Tea Tree behind in Hongmeng Ancient City. With that, Hongmeng Ancient City had assembled an immense amount of Dao Integration combat power. King Daxia, King Daqin, Tianmie, Tianyue, the Old Turtle, and King Daming—who was still stationed outside studying the great array—were all present. Once King Daming also achieved Dao Integration, the number of Dao Integration experts gathered here would reach double digits. If anyone dared mount a surprise attack on Hongmeng Ancient City right now… Su Yu would pray for them. They had better bring a Ruler of Rules; otherwise, even if all four Heavenly Kings came, they would be brought to their knees. Meanwhile, Su Yu led the twenty-seven guardians—whose Petrification Technique remained active—into the Dead Spirit Realm. These twenty-seven guardians were all formidable, particularly after reclaiming their own armaments. Among them were six at the ninth stage of the Eternal Realm, fourteen at the eighth stage, and only the remaining seven were at the seventh stage. With strength like this, they could hold their own even against four or five Dao Integration experts. Logically, four or five Dao Integration experts could battle a Heavenly King. By that equation, these guardians should have been able to fight a Heavenly King as well… Unfortunately, the math didn't hold up. If these Eternals encountered a Heavenly King, the Heavenly King would likely swat them dead one after another in a matter of a few palm strikes, swiftly wiping them all out! …… Inside the Dead Spirit Realm. As Su Yu stepped into the Dead Spirit Realm once more, the sky remained as gloomy and bleak as ever. Very few dead spirits now wandered the passageways beneath the ancient cities. Even when some appeared, most were newly born, washed down from the Dead Spirit Heavenly River by crashing waves before drifting aimlessly about. They were pitifully weak; hardly any had even reached the Sun Moon Realm. Of course, within the entire Spirit Suppressing Domain, there was still an Invincible monarch guarding the passageway beneath Xinghong Ancient City. Over there, an ancient castle stood firm just as before. The Invincible monarchs stationed beneath the other passageways had all been escorted away, with the sole exception of Xingyue. She refused to leave, and no one went to force her; Hetu and the others simply left her be. They all knew Xingyue was the monarch who had bound Su Yu's conversion. In truth, Xingyue's current strength was no longer enough. Whenever Su Yu channeled death qi, he mostly drew it from the ancient cities. Yet the death qi channel connecting the two of them remained intact. Su Yu was capable of severing it, but he had chosen not to. He still wanted to attempt resurrection. He had previously grasped the divine character for "Life," but having stripped away most of his divine characters, he now primarily relied on the power of the Brush Dao. Su Yu might not truly be capable of resurrecting anyone; after all, even King Wen had failed. He would see how things developed later and set the matter aside for now. Since Xingyue was unwilling to go to the Eastern King's Residence, Su Yu made no fuss. As for the guardian assigned to watch over Xinghong Ancient City, Su Yu had appointed Zhou Potian. The people of the Zhou family possessed good heads on their shoulders. Su Yu hadn't given him elaborate instructions—just to avoid clashing with Xingyue. "Your Majesty!" Not long after Su Yu arrived, a powerful figure rushed over from the distance. To his surprise, it was Marquis Lanshan. Su Yu looked at her, slightly taken aback. "Why are you here?" "I happened to be heading this way to see General Hongmeng!" Marquis Lanshan glanced at the guardians standing behind Su Yu, recognizing a few of them. She nodded slightly and spoke rapidly, "Your Majesty, the Dead Spirit Heavenly River has been somewhat restless lately. In the past, it would take an age for a single monarch to awaken. Yet recently, more than ten dead spirit monarchs have revived in the Eastern King Domain alone!" "Are there any dead spirit marquises?" Su Yu asked. Marquis Lanshan replied swiftly, "None have been spotted yet, but there ought to be! Dead spirit marquises differ from dead spirit monarchs, however. When a dead spirit monarch awakens, they retain at most ten percent of their memories. They're dull-witted and take a long time to recover. But when a dead spirit marquis revives, they regain at least fifty percent of their memories right away, possessing an intellect far surpassing that of an ordinary monarch. "Monarchs are driven by raw instinct to emerge from the Dead Spirit Heavenly River, whereas marquises might remain lurking beneath its waters!" Su Yu nodded. The last time he was here, he had vaguely sensed a dead spirit marquis awakening, yet none had shown itself. Sure enough, those fellows were quite cunning. Monarch-grade spirits, on the other hand, were thoroughly foolish upon reviving. Xia Chen, for instance, had spent a great deal of effort recovering just a fraction of his memories. Had he not consumed the King Wen Token, it might have taken him many more years to piece them together. Speaking of which, Xia Chen had likely left with Liu Hong. That rogue Liu Hong truly had some tricks up his sleeve. No one knew how he had swindled Xia Chen away; before Hetu even realized what was happening, Xia Chen had already vanished alongside Liu Hong. "Then why were you looking for Hongmeng…?" "I wanted to ask if he would accompany me on a trip to the Dead Spirit Heavenly River to assess the situation so we can avoid an upheaval!" Marquis Lanshan said grimly, "Dead spirit marquises are manageable. What worries me is the revival of ancient entities! We can't afford to have top-tier Heavenly Kings emerging right after we conquer the Dead Spirit Realm! With two Heavenly Kings slain, this realm may very well give rise to new ones!" The deaths of two Heavenly Kings had freed up significant portions of the Great Dao, enough to support the emergence of one or even two new Heavenly Kings, especially given how many dead spirit marquises had perished as well. Lately, Marquis Lanshan had felt her own strength rising with extraordinary speed. It was because the Dao now had vacant space! Every slot had its place, and Su Yu's repeated incursions had destabilized the Dead Spirit Dao, purging numerous entities and slaughtering a swath of dead spirit marquises. With a stroke of luck, the realm could easily foster three new Heavenly Kings. Su Yu nodded slightly. It was indeed a possibility. Even so, he couldn't simply halt his advance over a mere possibility. What if the newly emerged marquises or Heavenly Kings belonged to the human race? And even if they weren't human, the situation would hardly be worse than it already was. "Let's go. We'll head to the Eastern King Domain first!" Su Yu said with a light smile. "There's no avoiding this. The Dead Spirit Heavenly River has existed for eons; who knows how many peerless experts and monstrous talents lie buried within its depths? Focus on your cultivation for now. You absorbed all those dead spirit imprints from the last battle, so break through to Heavenly King as soon as you can." Marquis Lanshan looked sheepish. She had indeed absorbed them, but her strength wasn't advancing as rapidly as she had hoped. Fusing with a Great Dao—even the Dead Spirit Dao—required talent and comprehension. One couldn't simply swallow resources endlessly to get there! Unfortunately, she wasn't among the supreme geniuses of the world. Warriors all shared this shortcoming; it was Civilization Masters who possessed far deeper insights into the Great Dao. In ancient times, Marquis Lanshan had been a fierce vanguard, not a strategist. Seeing her silence, Su Yu felt helpless. He understood. Compared to Marquis Lanshan advancing to Heavenly King, Hetu might actually have a better shot. Su Yu was currently contemplating whether to have the Old Turtle undo Hetu's seal. The Old Turtle longed for Hetu to be resurrected, but Su Yu believed that if Hetu hadn't been held back by hopes of resurrection, he would likely be a dead spirit marquis by now. The man possessed a sharp mind. If Hetu became a dead spirit marquis and devoured a vast quantity of treasures, he might truly have a chance to ascend to Heavenly King. How long would he have to wait for resurrection? By the time the great war ended, Hetu might still be unresurrected—nothing more than a seventh-stage Eternal dead spirit. Just as Su Yu was thinking this, the Old Turtle's sigh echoed beside his ear: "Emperor Yu, if Hetu wishes it himself, you may undo his seal. I wished for his resurrection… but… I know in truth that it is like chasing the moon's reflection in water. In the past, even King Wen failed to resurrect anyone, let alone me." Su Yu couldn't help but marvel at the Old Turtle's acuity. Had he sensed what was on Su Yu's mind? Well, he would ask Hetu himself. Once a dead spirit grew stronger, resurrecting them would undoubtedly become far more difficult. That was an undeniable fact! "Resurrection… Southern King…" King Wen had come here to resurrect someone. Did the Southern King know about it? Did she know how resurrection was accomplished? "Hetu was close to the Dao Integration Realm when he died. Once unsealed, he might step into Dao Integration in no time. If he reaps some benefits during the campaign against the Northern King, he could easily become a premier Dao Integration combatant, if not a Heavenly King…" With these thoughts swirling, Su Yu said decisively, "Let's move. To the Eastern King Residence!" "Understood!" The crowd assented. Marquis Lanshan promptly followed, somewhat thrilled, staying close to Su Yu as she reported, "Your Majesty, everything in the Eastern King Domain has settled down. I have already dispatched people to take over the Western King Domain! However, the east and west are separated, making communication inconvenient unless we carve a path through the Southern or Northern King Domains…" "What did the Southern King say?" Su Yu asked. Marquis Lanshan answered at once, "The Southern King said nothing in particular, but… she likely wants to meet Your Majesty before coming to a decision." At that, Marquis Lanshan added via voice transmission, "The Southern King does favor humanity, that much is true. However, she is proud and arrogant. If Your Majesty fails to win her respect, she will merely remain an ally, not a subordinate of the human race!" Su Yu nodded slightly. He understood. The Southern King was willing to help humanity, but only humanity—not necessarily the Human Master! Simply put: she was willing to help out of respect for King Wen. But if the current Human Master proved to be incompetent and worthless, she would only offer modest assistance rather than lay down her life for him. She would not take his orders. She would act according to her own judgment to aid the human race. Su Yu smiled, taking no offense. That was fair enough. Otherwise, if she blindly aided any Human Master who came along, wouldn't supporting the Hundred Battles King in the previous tide have ruined her? They would have lost the very last remnants of their foundation! Only those who hadn't backed the Hundred Battles King in the previous tide had survived to aid Su Yu in this one—just like the Old Turtle and his peers. Had they all supported the Hundred Battles King back then… they would all be dead! He cursed the Hundred Battles King once more in his heart, his resentment lingering. A ruined monarch who had squandered a magnificent realm! Oblivious to the turmoil in Su Yu's mind, Marquis Lanshan continued her report: "Your Majesty, there is another matter. The Northern King previously sent an emissary. His intent is merely to claim the Northern King Domain as his personal fiefdom. He claims to have no desire to oppose humanity; otherwise, he would have joined forces against us long ago! Now that two Heavenly Kings have fallen, his strength has actually grown stronger by a fraction. His proposal is… to sue for peace!" "Sue for peace?" Su Yu let out a cold chuckle. "'How can one allow another to snore peacefully beside one's bed?' Does the Northern King take me for a fool, or is he one himself? Would I leave an unruly Heavenly King perched right outside my front door?" "Ignore him!" Su Yu followed up, "If he sends another emissary, execute them on the spot! Tell the Northern King there is no room for compromise! Either surrender unconditionally and voluntarily disperse a portion of his dao comprehension to drop to the rank of a dead spirit marquis, or face annihilation!" Marquis Lanshan's expression changed slightly. That was practically impossible! Which meant war was inevitable! For Su Yu to demand that the Northern King disperse his dao comprehension upon surrendering… Marquis Lanshan felt it was far too idealistic. "Your Majesty, the Northern King will never agree to such terms." Su Yu nodded. "I know! But if he retains the strength of a top-tier Heavenly King, I would need another top-tier Heavenly King watching him at all times, making him even more dangerous than an open enemy. If he were treated as an ally, the moment we let our guard down, he could pull the rug out from under us… That would be true disaster. It's far better to draw clear battle lines!" Marquis Lanshan pondered his words and nodded slightly. That made sense. The group advanced swiftly. As Su Yu moved, a faint glow radiated from his person—not of life qi, but of rule power. Su Yu was dispersing the weaker ambient rules of this place, extending the fortune of the Human Master Seal across the area. This way, when the experts of humanity or Su Yu's faction entered the Dead Spirit Realm to fight, their burdens would be considerably lighter. "His Majesty grows stronger by the day!" Marquis Lanshan murmured with emotion. He seemed vastly more formidable than before, bearing an ever-closer resemblance to King Wen… No, upon closer look, that wasn't quite right! A complex sentiment stirred in her heart. Previously, Su Yu had seemed remarkably like King Wen, and as time passed, the resemblance should have deepened. Yet when scrutinizing him closely, the likeness vanished; his temperament diverged distinctly from King Wen's. He possessed more overbearing dominance and far less gentle grace than King Wen. Su Yu paid her thoughts no mind. Before long, the Dead Spirit Heavenly River came into view. It spanned heaven and earth, encircling the four directions and enclosing the entire Dead Spirit Realm within a colossal loop. Yet it was more than just a circular barrier. The Dead Spirit Heavenly River didn't simply carve the realm into a square concentric ring. Su Yu raised his gaze toward the heavens; the river resembled an immense canopy! The four outer channels below were merely the parts visible to the naked eye. What went unseen was the vast sheet blanketing the entire realm! Guiding souls from all directions! "A tent… no, it's more like a bowl—an upright, colossal bowl!" It wasn't overturned; its edges simply flared outward across all four directions, covering the entirety of the Dead Spirit Realm while ushering in deceased experts. The more Su Yu looked, the more awe-struck he felt. His current comprehension ran deep. The creator of this Dead Spirit Heavenly River must have also been the founder of the Dead Spirit Dao. That entity had genuinely sought to forge an entire world of their own. Could a powerhouse like that truly die? Who could possibly kill them? If the progenitor of humanity's Physical Dao encountered such a figure, he would most likely end up slaughtered as well. Harboring these thoughts, Su Yu soon stepped onto the surface of the Dead Spirit Heavenly River. Countless corpses drifted along the river, with vastly more submerged beneath the murky depths, completely hidden from sight. Golden radiance blossomed beneath Su Yu's feet. Any dead spirits possessing a shred of awareness scrambled to get out of the way. Those lacking sentience were disintegrated directly by the golden light. …… At the same time. In the Northern King Domain. A great seal hung suspended in the sky above the domain—the Northern King Seal. It cast an eerie, dusky radiance over more than half the territory. Outside its perimeter, a host of experts from the Southern and Eastern King Residences, led by the Southern King herself, were advancing systematically! They were steadily constricting the Northern King's territory! At that very moment, the Northern King materialized in the sky above his residence and gazed into the far distance. The Southern King instantly turned her eyes in the same direction as well. There, a faint golden light had appeared. The Southern King's expression shifted slightly. Had this generation's Human Master entered the realm? In the distance, the Northern King's emotions were even more tangled. He declared in a deep voice, "Southern King, that must be the Human Master! As I said, I have only one demand: to remain the Northern Heavenly King! Go and tell the Human Master just how difficult it will be to conquer the Northern King Domain! If the living realm meddles in the affairs of the Dead Spirit Realm once again, the entire realm will soon fall into turmoil. Even if he dispatches people to kill me, he will never be able to hold the Dead Spirit Realm!" The boundary between life and death—that was the Northern King's greatest leverage. No matter how powerful the Human Master was in the living realm, the last time that white dog had agitated the Dead Spirit Heavenly River had caused immense chaos. If it happened again, Su Yu would find himself in catastrophic trouble! The Northern King pressed on, "If our two sides continue this slaughter, my death—or your fall—could easily prompt the birth of several new Heavenly Kings. When that happens, can the Human Master truly guarantee that those newly arisen Heavenly Kings will obey him?" The Southern King replied coldly, "Humanity will never permit you to split off your own kingdom here!" The Northern King retorted in rising fury, "Then let them wait until humanity has conquered the heavens! I have already yielded ground! Over nine tides, humanity has only grown weaker with each passing era. If I surrender to them today, the moment they are defeated in the living realm… the Dead Spirit Realm will descend into chaos once more!" The Southern King saw straight through him. The Northern King simply refused to yield at this stage. Could humanity win? The prospects were bleak. The Upper Realm simply hadn't opened yet. Once it opened, the human race of this tide—far weaker than the forces of the Upper Realm—would have no chance of standing against them. The Southern King said no more to him. She turned her gaze back toward the distance; the Human Master had likely gone to the Eastern King Residence. Should she go see him? Marquis Lanshan held him in the highest regard, yet the Southern King knew this new Human Master was not particularly strong. If he were truly as peerless as King Wen, capable of subduing the Northern Heavenly King with a casual wave of his hand, what need would there be for all this maneuvering? In the Southern King's eyes, King Wen and his peers were naturally vastly superior to Su Yu. No matter how highly Marquis Lanshan praised him, it changed nothing. …… Inside the Eastern King Residence. Su Yu stepped into the main hall. The once-magnificent hall of the Eastern King was now steeped in deathly stillness. It wasn't empty; on the contrary, it was packed with figures. However, every single one of them was a dead spirit. The guardians who followed him inside were thoroughly unnerved. Nearly a hundred monarchs were present, and standing at their forefront were three marquises—human marquises. Combined with Marquis Lanshan, there were four human marquises in total. All the monarchs and dead spirit marquises fixed their eyes on Su Yu, yet none spoke. Su Yu did not look sideways. With sweeping, confident strides, he marched straight toward the grand throne at the head of the hall. Ascending the dais, Su Yu seated himself upon the throne. Below him, Marquis Lanshan and Hetu roared in unison, "Hail the Emperor!" The host of monarchs fell to their knees. The human marquises hesitated briefly before joining in the bow. They were unfamiliar with this new Human Master. However, Marquis Lanshan and Hetu had constantly hammered home how extraordinary he was, so the human marquises dared not act rashly. Su Yu swept his gaze over the three human marquises. All three were men: Marquis Langyun, Marquis Fanhai, and Marquis Zhengyang. All were ancient marquises. Two of them, like Marquis Lanshan, had been enfeoffed posthumously, while Marquis Zhengyang had been titled during his life and perished in a great war. All of them, however, had fallen before the collapse of the ancient era. During the period when the Human Sovereign vanished, almost none of the marquises or Rulers of Rules had ever shown themselves. As Su Yu scrutinized the three dead spirit marquises, they were quietly observing him as well. This was the very first time a Human Master had come to subdue the Dead Spirit Realm. Across the previous nine tides, their predecessors had either lacked the strength or never viewed the Dead Spirit Realm as a primary battleground. None had ever come to conquer it. Even the Hundred Battles King had fought the Eastern King a few times before abandoning the idea of campaigning here. After all, he had been a living being, whereas Su Yu was effectively half dead spirit. After studying them for a moment, Su Yu took the initiative to speak: "The three of you contributed greatly during our last battle! Hetu, award each of them one dead spirit marquis imprint from our spoils!" "Understood!" Hetu answered. The three marquises bowed in gratitude. Su Yu looked at them once more and asked, "Since the three of you have come to the Eastern King Residence to aid our campaign, do you have any questions or concerns you wish to voice?" None of them spoke at first. After a pause, Marquis Zhengyang asked hesitantly, "Human Master, how many Dao Integration experts does humanity possess in the living realm?" "Four." Just four! The three marquises furrowed their brows slightly. That was pitifully few. "And the Upper Realm…?" Su Yu answered flatly, "Unknown. Assume there are none! I know little of the conditions in the Upper Realm." The three grew even more disheartened. Was this for real? Marquis Lanshan had claimed humanity held an enormous advantage. Marquis Zhengyang pressed further, "Then does the Human Master intend to utilize the forces of both the living and dead realms to confront the myriad races of the Upper Realm?" Su Yu smiled. "Hard to say! It depends on the circumstances. The tides of war shift at a moment's notice; how could there be any rigid strategy?" "What is the Human Master's… current realm of cultivation?" "Dao Fusion." Marquis Zhengyang fell silent. Marquis Langyun spoke up, "Has the Human Master considered that your widespread slaughter of the myriad races' experts will leave no room for reconciliation once the Upper Realm opens? In the previous tides, even when the Human Masters held the advantage, they never engaged in mass slaughter right from the start. Doing so will only lock both sides in a fight to the death…" "And so they all fell!" Su Yu said calmly, "They suffered crushing, utter defeat! 'A fight to the death'… what a joke. Were we not already locked in a fight to the death from the very beginning?" Marquis Langyun said in a deep voice, "That is not entirely true. If we push things to the absolute extreme, the myriad races will retaliate by exterminating mankind entirely…" "They were going to do that from the beginning!" Su Yu cut him off with a bark of laughter. "Do you understand what I mean? The survival of humanity was never due to their mercy; it was because the ancient human experts left contingencies that prevented them from wiping us out! It was never because we showed restraint that they did the same! That is a fundamental misconception—a sheer joke! "All of you are ancient marquises, yet you still harbor such naive notions. How laughable! This is no longer the ancient era. There is no need to integrate the myriad races. The ancient Human Sovereign sought harmony and unity among all races, but that ended in failure! "Our goal is different. Our goal is the total eradication of the myriad races, ensuring an end to their strife once and for all!" Su Yu's voice turned icy. "You may question my strength, and you may question the final outcome, but the overarching direction will not change because of your doubts! Whether in the living realm or the dead realm, everything will proceed according to my design. That is my only condition. You may curse me, you may resent me, but I will not listen! "Do not preach to me about the previous nine tides—they were failures! If I fail and an eleventh tide comes to pass, you may speak to the next Human Master and tell them how this generation's Human Master, Su Yu, refused to heed counsel, acted tyrannically, and brought about humanity's defeat!" The three human marquises were at a loss for words. Fine, there was nothing more to say. This man wouldn't listen to a single word of caution, nor did he care for comparisons. In his eyes, the previous nine tides—and even the ancient era—were all failures. Marquis Zhengyang dropped the subject and quickly pivoted: "Then may I boldly ask: if the Upper Realm opens and humanity proves no match for them, where shall we turn?" Su Yu frowned. "If we're no match, then we're no match. Could we match them right now anyway? If you want to ask that, go ask the Hundred Battles King why he squandered over a hundred Dao Integration experts!" "……" The three shifted uncomfortably. What kind of response was that? Su Yu's brow furrowed deeper. "Do not ask me what happens if we cannot match them! It is a meaningless question. Without me, humanity would already be extinct; do not speak of the future! Only the victors have the right to speak of the future! Our inability to match the Upper Realm was not caused by me, and I will not shoulder that blame! You may desecrate the Hundred Battles King's corpse all you like, but you have no right to come and tell me that humanity's destruction lies at my feet. That is not my burden to bear!" The three marquises smiled wryly. There was truly no arguing with him. This new Human Master was overbearing to the extreme. He wouldn't brook even the slightest doubt! It wasn't that they intended to doubt him; they were merely worried. Yet thinking about it, he was right: if they were no match, they were no match. It was an unavoidable reality inherited from the previous tide. Su Yu soon continued, "Debating these future outcomes is utterly pointless! None of your questions hit the mark! But I suppose that's expected. You're old and have been away from the living realm for far too long to understand modern realities! What you should be asking right now is how we deal with the Northern King! And once he is dealt with, how we strike out of the Dead Spirit Realm! The Upper Realm is not something we need to worry about yet!" "……" Marquis Zhengyang conceded meekly, "Then… has the Human Master devised a plan to handle the Northern King?" "No." "……" Utter silence! The dead spirit marquises shot a look at Marquis Lanshan. This Human Master… was impossible to deal with. Marquis Lanshan had no choice but to step forward. "Your Majesty, the living experts cannot easily intervene right now. While these guardians petrified by King Gong can fight, none of them seem to possess Dao Integration strength…" Su Yu nodded. "Which is why my plan is to first capture the unaligned dead spirit monarchs and any unruly ones. Not all monarchs in the Eastern and Western King Domains will be obedient! The same goes for the Dead Spirit Heavenly River. We will open the Star Residence Mansion and send the guardians in to slay them. Doing so should yield some heavenly rewards… Ultimately, we'll have them slay dead spirit marquises to break through to Dao Integration…" Marquis Lanshan said grimly, "And if that provokes the formidable entities slumbering within the Dead Spirit Heavenly River…?" "If it truly comes to that, I will bring the top experts from the living realm over!" Su Yu said calmly, "If things reach that point, we'll throw caution to the wind! They'll have to come out sooner or later anyway. If they choose to oppose me, I'll draw them all out at once; I'm not afraid of making a mess! For now, we are merely keeping disruptions to a minimum, not because we lack the means to handle the Northern King!" Marquis Lanshan nodded, dropping the matter, and asked, "Then will Your Majesty summon the Southern King?" Su Yu shook his head. "I will go meet her in person. Lanshan, come with me. As for the rest of you—Hetu, take Shanqi and the others, with Marquis Zhengyang and his peers acting as protectors, and head to the Dead Spirit Heavenly River to capture some monarch-grade experts! When I return, we'll teleport everyone into the Star Residence Mansion. Catch as many as you can!" "Understood!" Hetu accepted the order. Su Yu then looked at him and added, "Hetu, if you wish to break your seal, you may do so. You can seize this opportunity to strengthen yourself, though your chances of resurrection will decrease." Hetu hesitated. Break the seal? Resurrection… Naturally, he yearned for resurrection. No matter how great being a dead spirit was, it could never compare to being alive. Yet was there truly any hope? Watching others grow steadily stronger while he remained stuck at the seventh stage of the Eternal Realm had weighed heavily on him lately. Because of his meager strength, the dead spirit marquises didn't show him much respect. After a moment's thought, Hetu spoke: "I am willing to break the seal! I was already close to Dao Integration during my life, and my memories have recovered substantially over the years. Once unsealed, I should possess strength approaching Dao Integration!" "Have you thought this through?" Su Yu looked at him. "You have the greatest prospect of resurrection! When you died, General Hongmeng had you consume the Life and Death Fruit, allowing your physical body to directly convert into a dead spirit before entering the Dead Spirit Realm!" Hetu's expression hardened, and he answered promptly, "I am certain! If Your Majesty has the ability to resurrect dead spirits, then resurrecting a seventh-stage Eternal versus a Dao Integration expert is merely a matter of time! If Your Majesty can resurrect Eternals at the Dao Integration Realm, then at worst, I will wait until Your Majesty becomes a Ruler of Rules. The opportunity will naturally come!" Su Yu chuckled. "You certainly know how to look on the bright side! A Ruler of Rules… fair enough. We can talk about that if we survive until then." With that, a brush materialized in his hand, and he pointed it straight at Hetu. The dead spirit marquises shuddered! King Wen's Brush! Marquis Lanshan's eyes lit up with excitement. Su Yu truly had inherited King Wen's Dao. Meanwhile, Hetu felt his vision blur. In the next instant, a restrictive seal deep within his body was shattered with a single tap of the brush. Boom! A torrent of terrifying death qi erupted instantly. Hetu hadn't remained idle all these years, and his strength in life had been formidable. The moment the seal broke, his power surged uncontrollably! In the blink of an eye, his aura soared into the eighth stage, then swiftly pushed into the ninth! Upon reaching the ninth stage, the phantom of the Dead Spirit Dao manifested above his head. Su Yu could see with his naked eye that Hetu's personal tributary was winding around the grand river of the Dao, climbing rapidly upward. Unfortunately, the resistance grew heavier and heavier! Gradually, Hetu's momentum began to falter. Su Yu could faintly discern a colossal wave blocking the path ahead of Hetu's small dao. It was the threshold of Dao Integration! In the end, Hetu failed to cross into Dao Integration, though he was now immensely close to it. A look of disappointment crossed Hetu's face. Even after breaking the seal, he hadn't achieved Dao Integration in a single step. It was his own fault for not reaching Dao Integration in life; otherwise, he would have retained that level of power upon reviving. Su Yu observed him for a moment before nodding with a smile. "Not bad. With some luck, you might cross into Dao Integration soon!" Turning back to the others, Su Yu said, "Shanqi, remain here for now and focus on capturing monarchs. I will go meet the Southern King. If all goes well, we may launch our offensive against the Northern King shortly!" "We obey your command!" Shanqi and the others bowed in unison. In the grand hall, many of the dead spirit monarchs recognized these guardians. A peculiar feeling washed over them; not long ago, they had been bitter enemies, yet now they stood on the same side. The world was truly fickle; there were indeed no permanent enemies. …… Su Yu stayed in the Eastern King Residence only briefly before flying toward the borders of the Northern King Domain alongside Marquis Lanshan. The Southern King was stationed there. Danger undoubtedly lurked ahead, but the Old Turtle's words had provided Su Yu with a measure of reassurance. Since the Southern King was an ardent admirer of King Wen, the likelihood of betrayal was minimal. …… Meanwhile, in the territory of the Northern King Domain. Both the Southern King and the Northern King had spotted the distant golden streak of light. The Northern King's eyes flickered with shifting intent. Looking across at the distant Southern King, he sent a voice transmission: "He comes alone, accompanied only by Marquis Lanshan. If we take him down, the Dead Spirit Realm will belong to you and me…" Su Yu hadn't brought that white dog, nor had he brought the Old Turtle. Even the Northern King felt Su Yu was being far too audacious! He wasn't the only one. Beside Su Yu, Marquis Lanshan sent a nervous transmission: "Your Majesty, are we truly going over like this? It's far too dangerous! This is the Northern King's territory, and the Southern King's stance… remains unconfirmed… Even if she is on our side, Your Majesty… could you perhaps… tone down the way you speak?" She hesitated to say it outright, but Su Yu's tongue was simply too merciless. Earlier, he had shut down the three human marquises so completely that they couldn't utter a single retort. That had been fine back in the residence; even if the three marquises were displeased, with Marquis Lanshan and all those guardians present, nothing could go wrong. But out here, Su Yu couldn't afford to act that way! If he offended the Southern King on this battlefield, Su Yu would find himself facing two Heavenly Kings and dozens of dead spirit marquises simultaneously. Su Yu smiled and replied via transmission, "Rest easy!" How could she possibly rest easy! Marquis Lanshan felt utterly helpless. How could anyone be at ease around him? Ever since she met this Human Master, he had been domineering beyond measure, never yielding, never compromising, and utterly incapable of speaking a soft word. How could anyone feel safe? The Southern King was a supreme overlord in her own right. Marquis Lanshan genuinely feared that the moment the two met, the encounter would turn disastrous. …… Before long, Su Yu reached the frontline. From a distance, he could see the formidable figure standing in the distance. Under Marquis Lanshan's anxious gaze, Su Yu called out with a wide smile from afar: "Senior Southern King! Junior Su Yu, disciple of King Wen, pays respects to Mistress Southern King!" "……" Silence fell. Marquis Lanshan froze, entirely dumbfounded. Ahead of them, the Southern King stiffened, her eyes widening in disbelief. In that moment, she was utterly paralyzed. Just moments ago, she had been agonizing over whether to step forward and greet Su Yu. What should she say upon meeting him? If she refused to acknowledge him, how should she handle it? Yet never in her wildest dreams could she have anticipated such a greeting. Mistress? The Southern King's mind ground to a screeching halt! Mistress? Disciple of King Wen? She was completely dazed. How… how am I supposed to respond to that? What do I do? Do… do I accept it? This… this is too difficult! While she remained frozen in shock at the mention of King Wen's disciple, Su Yu produced a brush and began writing rapidly in the void. In the blink of an eye, the golden script coalesced into a golden decree. Su Yu brought out the Human Master Seal, stamped it firmly onto the decree, and sent the golden scroll gliding toward the Southern King. The Southern King paid the scroll little heed, her gaze locked instead upon the brush in a state of dazed bewilderment. King Wen's Brush! He… he can wield King Wen's Brush! The Southern King stared blankly at Su Yu as the golden decree settled into her hands. Su Yu beamed. "Senior—Mistress? This is a formal decree of enfeoffment I drafted. After all, the ancient era has ended. I am now bolstering you with the fortune of the human race, officially enfeoffing you as the Southern Heavenly King!" The Southern King remained in a daze. Still numb, she stowed the golden decree away, and after an agonizing silence, she gave a stiff, slight bow. "Th-Thank you!" Her thoughts were in absolute shambles. Was she supposed to thank him? She had already been the Southern King to begin with! Was there any point in accepting this decree? Perhaps there was! Regardless of whether it held any weight, it was written using King Wen's Brush, so she would hold onto it. …… Marquis Lanshan's jaw nearly hit the ground. After a long while, two words exploded in her mind: *Holy crap!* That worked?! That actually worked?! Just like that, it was done? He subdued the Southern King just like that?! You've got to be kidding me! The Southern King… actually accepted Su Yu's golden decree of enfeoffment! This… this was nothing like what she had envisioned! Heavens above! Marquis Lanshan's worldview shattered completely. This man wasn't King Wen at all; he didn't resemble him in the slightest! She would never again believe this generation's Human Master was like King Wen. This Human Master was nothing but an utterly shameless rogue! Her mind was completely broken! Marquis Lanshan stood frozen in a stupor, just as lost in thought as the Southern King. Meanwhile, Su Yu wore a warm, radiant smile as he strode directly into the midst of the Southern King's dead spirit marquises, remarking cheerfully, "Mistress Southern King, that rebel, the Northern King, betrayed humanity and betrayed King Wen. Mark my words, I'll put an end to him sooner or later!" The Southern King gave a wooden nod, letting Su Yu take the lead at the front of her host. She still hadn't fully recovered her senses. Mistress… isn't this… a bit improper? Should she remind the new Human Master that this wasn't appropriate?