Destiny Realm

Contempt aside, at this moment, Old Wan still radiated the bearing of a grandmaster. Pure erudition! Countless miniature Wan Tianshengs were reading. Over a mere century, he somehow projected far greater presence and breadth of experience than those old ghosts of ten or a hundred thousand years. *A belly filled with poetry and books radiates its own grace.* Perhaps this was the truest depiction of Wan Tiansheng. When Su Yu read, his scholarly demeanor was largely an affectation. Though Su Yu had studied for over a decade and learned a great deal from books, he lacked that innate serenity. Wan Tiansheng’s path-forging also granted Su Yu a flash of insight. So forging a Great Dao wasn’t the blunt, forceful battering forward he had imagined. It wasn't brute strength that widened a tributary, but one’s own comprehension. That was how a path expanded. Before Su Yu’s very eyes, that “Human” Dao expanded rapidly. Naturally, it was nowhere near as powerful or vast as the great Daos Su Yu had seen before. Yet every inch of it had been carved out step-by-step by Wan Tiansheng himself. The waters surging into the tributary were pure rule power. In the main River of Time, such rule power was completely beyond your reach. Yet once it flowed into your tributary, it transformed into the attributes you needed, falling under your direct control. Wan Tiansheng’s aura grew stronger and stronger! His true self wore an expression of deep gratification. Looking back at Su Yu on the main path, he smiled and said, “King Wen’s seal was a blessing in disguise after all! Over the past ten years, I’ve gained countless new insights—slaying Eternals, witnessing Dao Integration, observing myriad Daos, traversing ten thousand realms…” He gave a faint laugh. “If I had tried to forge a Dao ten years ago, I would have stalled long ago! Had I succeeded back then, I might never have had the experiences and tempering I possess today.” Su Yu smiled. “You accumulated strength to burst forth with great vigor, Manor Head. Success was bound to come sooner or later.” Wan Tiansheng smiled and said no more. The miniature Wan Tianshengs gradually dwindled in number, signaling that his foundation had completely merged into the Human Dao. The tributary rumbled with deafening roars as it continued to carve onward. Once it reached a certain point, Wan Tiansheng’s aura had grown unimaginably potent. Vaguely, he seemed to have touched the Dao Integration stage. Strictly speaking, the concept of Dao Integration did not exist for path-forgers. They were simply called Eternals! As the little white dog had once said, when you forge a path, you never know how long it will ultimately become, so how could you divide it into tiers? How could you pinpoint when you reached Dao Integration? In truth, path-forgers knew nothing of such boundaries. They merely gauged their standing by comparing themselves to others. To forge a Dao was to be an Eternal. Su Yu simply felt that Wan Tiansheng might now possess combat strength on par with Dao Integration. As for the manor head's true internal state, Su Yu had no clear gauge. A moment later, every miniature Wan Tiansheng vanished. Wan Tiansheng had forged his path without the aid of any weapons or external treasures; his physical body had traversed and cleaved through the river raw. Now, he flashed back before Su Yu. He flew out of his newly formed tributary! Wan Tiansheng glanced back at the Dao he had carved and sighed. “My foundation is still lacking! Not enough life experience! I’ve still seen too little and comprehended too little. I can push no further for now!” He smiled faintly as he spoke. “Old legends say the Dao of divine characters allows a person to cover a thousand li in a single day—a rustic farm boy at dawn, an imperial minister by dusk. Today, I truly comprehend the sentiment. You can be considered an emperor now. Do I finally catch your eye?” Su Yu chuckled. “Of course. Though… competing with Lan Tian must carry quite some pressure.” The profound, transcendent Wan Tiansheng of a moment ago went utterly deadpan. He stared silently at Su Yu. *Do you know you just derailed all my deep thoughts and dragged me straight from the summit into the gutter?* Su Yu grinned and looked at the tributary. “Manor Head, aren't you going to keep forging?” “I’ve hit my limit!” Recovering from his speechlessness, Wan Tiansheng explained, “This is where my limits lie. Any further progress must wait until I accumulate more! Every battle, every book I read, every person I meet, every deed I accomplish will add to that reserve. My prior accumulation has been completely exhausted.” “Then Manor Head, do you feel you can match a Dao Integration expert now?” “Dao Integration?” Wan Tiansheng gave a light chuckle. “How can I know without trading blows?” Su Yu nodded. “Then that’s enough for today?” He added, “Since you forged your own Dao, the rules might not look kindly upon it. A rule punishment might descend shortly.” Wan Tiansheng nodded, then smiled. “Not necessarily. The rules only blanket the regions where their own Daos exist. Great Daos still exist here, but further upstream, there might be none left. In a land devoid of great Daos, there is no rule punishment…” Even as he said that, Wan Tiansheng looked upstream and shook his head. “Never mind, we cannot go any further forward! Traversing against the current implies breaking into the past. Time is constantly flowing, and disrupting that flow is virtually impossible!” He cast another glance ahead. “I have a faint premonition… something might be waiting for us up ahead!” Su Yu remained quiet for a while before smiling. “Perhaps! Perhaps a catastrophe, or an earth-shattering war! Who can say whether the ancient Human Sovereign and his peers are beyond the endless void or within this bizarre river?” Perhaps those figures had remained stranded in their own past all along. Time flowed differently for them; they existed in an entirely different dimension. Only when past and present synchronized would their paths cross. Wan Tiansheng nodded. In fact, he had sensed something similar. He smiled. “If we were to find someone to battle here for three to five years, thirty to fifty years—or even three to five hundred years—might pass outside! When everyone outside fails to find us and assumes we’re dead, we could finish our battle, ride the current back down to where we entered, and discover… a thousand years have elapsed in the mortal world!” Deeply moved, Wan Tiansheng sighed. “Perhaps that’s truly how it works. Yet there is still one point I cannot fathom: why don't they fight their way downstream, instead of staying put or battling upstream?” Downstream, they should logically rejoin the present before long, carrying the battle from the past into the now. Why hadn’t they done so? Su Yu chuckled. “Manor Head, isn't that simple? Someone won't let them! If someone—or a seal like King Wen’s—blocked our retreat, wouldn't we have no choice but to let time grind away? Either you kill the enemy, break the seal, or keep fighting downstream…” Wan Tiansheng looked thoughtful. “True enough. You see through things clearly.” Su Yu gave a breezy laugh. “It’s just human nature. If what I’ve learned holds true, it means the Human Sovereign and his group might be actively blocking those people from returning! And they share a point of convergence with us. In other words, if they wish to return to this era… I know where they must emerge.” Wan Tiansheng gave him a searching look and said gravely, “The ninth floor!” Su Yu nodded. “Right. That was their entry point! They must have entered from there. If they want to come out and overlap with the present, they’ll likely have to exit through that same passage!” Su Yu smiled. “What do you think, Manor Head?” Wan Tiansheng pondered this and nodded. “An entrance might truly exist there. If we wish to seek them out, we could either enter through that spot or trek upstream against the river to find them in the past!” “Spare me!” Su Yu laughed out loud. “A bunch of Ruler of Rules powerhouses, terrifyingly formidable. Even after countless eons of war, they aren't beings we can challenge! I'd rather none of them ever came back!” Wan Tiansheng smiled as well and dropped the subject. He stepped forward. “Let’s go. Time to head back! For now, this path can only be carved this far.” With that, he retrieved the divine character he had placed inside Su Yu’s Heavenly Gate. He glanced neither at his tributary nor at the other Daos, quietly savoring his altered perceptions. After a long while, he spoke: “The Heavenly Gate is a wonderful thing, but it carries drawbacks!” Su Yu furrowed his brow. Wan Tiansheng explained, “It dulls the drive to explore! If I simply hand you the answers to a problem, the solution you write down will undoubtedly be correct. But in doing so, you lose the joy of working through the steps. You miss the thrill of personal discovery! There’s no sudden, exhilarating flash of enlightenment! Next time you’re handed an answer, you can write it down, but the moment you aren't given one, you won't know how to solve it—because you lack that curiosity, that hunger for understanding!” “That isn't necessarily a good thing!” He continued, “The River of Time is inherently mysterious. Yet right now, you lack awe and curiosity toward that mystery. In your eyes, the Great Dao is just a river with a bunch of tributaries! Seeing it like that makes everything dull!” *Dull!* Su Yu fell into thought. Wan Tiansheng added, “Forging a path is an act of passion, a realization born of one’s true heart. It stems from asking yourself: *What do I need? What do I know? What am I capable of?* It is not: *Oh, that path looks strong, so I’ll forge that one!*” Su Yu’s vision of the Dao’s essence was indeed clearer than Wan Tiansheng’s, yet Wan Tiansheng was warning him: seeing more wasn't inherently an advantage! He continued, “When facing enemies, I encourage you to open the Heavenly Gate! But when contemplating the Great Dao, keep it closed! If you see the core essence right away, you neglect the journey. What does it matter if you see the end of the Brush Dao? You think, *That’s all there is to it, I can reach the end,* and so you fixate only on the destination. But along the way, have you truly comprehended anything? Can you truly walk to the very end?” “If I hand you an answer and you only stare at that answer to calculate, you might guess or stumble your way to it every time. But does that mean you’ve truly mastered the problem?” “Do you understand the underlying formula?” “Do you know why the calculation works that way?” “Yes, you gave the correct answer, but so what?” Wan Tiansheng said with earnest gravity, “Close the Heavenly Gate now and look at this River of Time again. You might experience something entirely different.” Su Yu considered the advice and closed the Heavenly Gate. Instantly, the vast river surged in torrents. The tributaries lining both banks vanished from sight, and the entire River of Time suddenly appeared far murkier. For a brief second, Su Yu felt as though he had gone blind. Not truly blind, but like a myopic man who had lost his spectacles. Everything blurred together—the normal perspective of ordinary cultivators. “Where is the Brush Dao?” Su Yu quietly extended his senses. He and Wan Tiansheng were walking back; the Brush Dao ought to be along the way. Before long, he felt a subtle tremor. He glanced to one side. The Brush Dao should be right there. Now, Su Yu could perceive faint ripples—a slight tributary fluctuation. His divine characters seemed to leap with excitement, urging him to step into the Brush Dao and keep moving forward. Su Yu shook his head. Previously, he could see clear into the tributary’s depths, but now, he saw nothing. He could only vaguely sense the thirty-percent-or-so territory he had integrated, and even that thirty percent seemed slightly hazy. Lost in thought, Su Yu looked at Wan Tiansheng. “Manor Head, you can see every inch of the path you forged yourself, right?” Wan Tiansheng nodded. Understanding dawned on Su Yu, and he let out a sigh. “I see. As for the Brush Dao I integrated, I know how much of it I hold, but within that small stretch, there are countless corners and nuances I never examined or reflected upon. I haven't truly comprehended even this portion!” Su Yu smiled wryly. “I was so fixated on looking ahead that I ignored the details. The Heavenly Gate has granted me immense aid, but it also saddled me with flaws. It coaxed the shoots to grow by pulling them upward!” Wan Tiansheng nodded once more. “The Heavenly Gate is indeed an extraordinary gift; it sees right through the essence of the Great Dao! In any era, it symbolizes invincibility! Yet among those who open the Heavenly Gate, there will always be differences in strength. Some, like you, might see through the essence while overlooking countless details. In the end, their ambition outstrips their ability, and they fail to go far!” Su Yu thought it through and agreed. “Yes, I understand now! The Martial Emperor! The Martial Emperor is basically a ruined powerhouse. He opened his Heavenly Gate even earlier than King Wen and his peers, yet among King Wen’s circle, King Wu could suppress him with ease! If I’m not mistaken, the Human Sovereign, King Wen, King Wu, the Prison King, and King Ming all opened the Heavenly Gate! The Martial Emperor should have been stronger as their senior, yet he ended up weaker than all four kings… He must have been content with superficial knowledge while forging his path… A brute is still a brute!” Su Yu felt this deeply! His earlier confusions cleared up at once. He had wondered why the Martial Emperor had suffered such a pathetic fate—suppressed and unable even to defeat King Wu, despite having opened the Heavenly Gate. Su Yu had assumed that anyone with the Heavenly Gate was inherently peerless. Now he understood: the Martial Emperor had likely settled for surface-level mastery. It was hard to say whether he had even forged his own Dao; perhaps he had simply spotted a powerful path and merged into it! Just like Su Yu integrating the Brush Dao now! Once Su Yu took full control of the Brush Dao, he might find himself unable to strengthen it further, or even unable to forge his own Dao, because all his energy would be tied up in Dao integration with no time left for path-forging! Even if he tried to forge one, he might look down on it for being too narrow and weak. Having gazed upon mountains, how could he deign to build a mere mound of dirt? Seeing that he understood, Wan Tiansheng smiled. “You are a clever man, not a reckless musclehead like the Martial Emperor! Those few likely weren't the only ones to open the Heavenly Gate, but their varying strengths prove that each person’s personal comprehension remains distinct!” Su Yu nodded, then asked curiously, “Manor Head, you haven't opened the Heavenly Gate, and your divine and origin apertures aren't fully opened either. How can you be so strong?” “No, it’s not that we are strong; it’s that you are weak right now.” Wan Tiansheng shook his head. “Your potential will undoubtedly surpass mine! That is beyond question! At the same stage, I would be no match for you. But as you said, that’s *at the same stage*. As for your Dao integration, you haven't reached that level yet.” “Ah!” Su Yu chuckled. “You truly are learned, Manor Head! It makes me wonder: all the old antiques of the various races have lived for ages, so why do none of them seem nearly as learned as you? You’ve only lived a century.” Wan Tiansheng laughed. “You’re only twenty-one. How would you rate your own learning?” “Decent!” “Compared to your peers?” “Naturally, my learning is far higher. I’ve studied the techniques of myriad races, met the powerhouses of all heavens, explored the ancient era, traversed the realms of life and death, and probed the essence of the Great Dao. At twenty-one, while others are still striving to reach the Soaring Sky Realm, I’ve already seen through the Great Dao’s essence…” “And doesn't that answer your question?” Wan Tiansheng chuckled. “Most in the myriad realms today are mediocre! Those old antiques are either slumbering or obsessing over slaughter and gaining power day in and day out. They only think about becoming stronger, burying their heads in bitter cultivation without ever pondering *why* they grow stronger, or what they will do once they attain that strength! They simply crave strength for its own sake. That kind of thinking is mere daydreaming!” “To give a simple example: when they integrate a Dao, guess what their very first thought is for growing stronger?” Su Yu considered it. “Kill the other cultivators integrated into that Dao!” “Correct!” Wan Tiansheng laughed. “That is the mindset of a mediocrity!” Su Yu felt a twinge of embarrassment. *That’s exactly what I was thinking.* *You’re basically scolding me!* “Then what would you do, Manor Head?” “Me?” Wan Tiansheng paused before replying, “Plunder their insights!” Su Yu frowned, and Wan Tiansheng explained, “If ten people share a single Dao and you hold a tenth of it, that doesn't mean the other nine have stolen your share. It means their insights differ from yours! That Dao encompasses ten different comprehensions, and you have grasped only one. What you should do is comprehend what they have perceived—the things you missed! Once your comprehension surpasses theirs, you can strip them of everything in an instant, squeezing them out entirely. Your authority over the rule power will naturally eclipse theirs!” Understanding dawned on Su Yu. “That’s why a Ruler of Rules is so formidable! Because their comprehension is so vast, trying to contest rule power with them is like throwing an egg against a boulder—they can shove you aside effortlessly!” “Precisely!” Wan Tiansheng continued, “Take the Brush Dao, for instance. If you take control of it, you might think yourself a Ruler of Rules, untouchable by anyone else. Yet King Wen’s comprehension might run far deeper than yours! He wouldn't even need to hold the Brush Dao to instantly seize it, stripping away your control over those insights… When that happens, you’ll be a lamb to the slaughter!” Su Yu nodded again. “Makes sense. So what you’re really saying, Manor Head, is that I should look for an opportunity to do away with King Wen? Are you trying to drive a wedge between me and King Wen?” “…” Wan Tiansheng gave a dry laugh. “How could I ever?” “Are you still holding a grudge, Manor Head?” “Impossible!” Su Yu grinned. “You definitely are! Otherwise, why bring up King Wen out of nowhere?” “I was merely offering a word of caution!” Su Yu laughed, though he genuinely took the advice to heart. “You speak truth, Manor Head. I’ll reflect carefully on this! I have no desire to end up like the Martial Emperor—butt pinned with blossoms, an extraordinary genius who opened the Heavenly Gate only to land in such wretched misery!” “Indeed, the Martial Emperor is rather useless,” Wan Tiansheng agreed with a nod. Here were two juniors possessing merely Dao Integration combat power, casually appraising a Ruler of Rules—and an exceptionally mighty one at that. Losing to King Wu didn't mean the Martial Emperor couldn't defeat other Rulers of Rules; after all, he was still an existence who had opened the Heavenly Gate. Yet in the eyes of Su Yu and Wan Tiansheng, having opened the Heavenly Gate was precisely why he had no business being so weak and getting toppled by a junior. …… A short while later. Su Yu and Wan Tiansheng tore through the void and stepped out of the River of Time. Simultaneously, golden clouds and black clouds manifested in the sky together. Wan Tiansheng glanced at Su Yu, silently asking if they should evade them. Su Yu thought for a moment, then shook his head. “A tribulation is also a form of comprehension. Don't worry, Manor Head; a single wave of punishment won't deplete much.” Wan Tiansheng smiled. “Then I suppose I’ll experience what it’s like to have reward and punishment arrive side-by-side!” The next instant, he stepped out into the void. The golden and blood-red clouds surged toward him in unison. Wan Tiansheng suppressed the blood cloud with his left hand while absorbing the golden cloud with his right, quietly observing the interplay. His left hand swelled into a sky-propping palm, rumbling as it bore down upon the blood cloud! A rule punishment was meant to strike down those who attained Dao verification. The crux was that this variety was tailored for advancing from the Sun Moon Realm. The punishment was scaled for the transition between Sun Moon and Eternal, maxing out at roughly the fourth or fifth tier of Eternal lethality. Because Wan Tiansheng was exceptionally strong, the current punishment might possess the power of the sixth or seventh tier. Yet to Wan Tiansheng, it was far too weak! He absorbed and sensed the golden clouds with a faint smile, then casually swatted his palm downward, shattering the blood clouds spanning the sky. They dissipated completely! Down below, the soldiers watched, dumbstruck. The Eternal experts, however, wore intensely solemn expressions. That blood cloud hadn't been weak. It was formidable! Yet Wan Tiansheng had crushed it with absolute ease. Just what level of power had this man attained? King Dazhou also knitted his brows, looking at Wan Tiansheng with the faint sensation of having met a true rival. Wan Tiansheng was an Eternal! A true Eternal! He appeared to have forged his own Dao rather than integrating into an existing one. For such an existence, the concept of Dao Integration did not apply; he was purely an Eternal powerhouse. A moment later, Wan Tiansheng descended. Standing beside Su Yu, he looked at King Dazhou and offered a gentle, amiable smile. “Greetings, King Dazhou. I arrived in a hurry earlier and neglected proper courtesies. Please pardon this junior’s breach of etiquette!” “You are too polite!” King Dazhou gave a slight nod. Wan Tiansheng smiled. “It is only right! Senior has sheltered the human race for years. Now that Emperor Yu has established the Purification Bureau and entrusted me with heavy duties, I will have many matters to consult you on—including the capture of the upper realm traitors. King Dazhou is familiar with those above; I hope you will lend your utmost assistance so I may swiftly root them out!” King Dazhou smiled back. “I will. I shall tell you everything I know.” Wan Tiansheng nodded once more. “Then I shall trouble Senior. Should Emperor Yu unify all heavens once more, King Dazhou’s monumental toil will surely warrant an official biography inscribed into the rules, ensuring your spotless renown is remembered for ten thousand generations! All descendants of humanity shall know King Dazhou’s great deeds.” The corner of King Dazhou’s mouth twitched. “You praise me excessively. I am merely one ordinary member of the human race…” “No, a biography must be penned!” Wan Tiansheng declared with a smile, “King Dazhou assisted Emperor Yu in setting things right. It was King Dazhou who championed Emperor Yu’s ascent to the seat of Holy Master, suppressing every dissident voice. Emperor Yu has ruled with diligence, slaying several Dao Integration experts on his very first day and ushering in an age of prosperity for humanity! King Dazhou’s discerning foresight is unmatched beneath heaven! Even I never imagined Emperor Yu would achieve such excellence!” He continued smiling. “In the future, should any traitorous scoundrels attempt to usurp the human race’s providence, we will rely once more on King Dazhou to set things right and defend humanity’s orthodox line!” *The orthodox line?* King Dazhou took a deep breath, and after a long silence, he nodded. “I will.” Wan Tiansheng smiled. “Naturally, King Dazhou understands my meaning. In an era of great chaos, sages and paragons must emerge! Everything rotten and backwards must be swept into the dustbin, cleansed to reveal the light! This tide marks a fresh start; all shall be renewed!” King Dazhou sighed and nodded again. “I understand!” “Pardon my babbling, King Dazhou; this junior was merely speaking from the heart!” His face brimming with smiles, Wan Tiansheng looked around and bowed slightly. “Back then, slaying the descendants of various lords was my doing. There were laws, there were regulations! I held no enforcement authority at the time, yet enacted enforcement… My crime lay in overstepping my bounds!” Merely overstepping bounds; he did not believe he had killed the wrong people. “According to the laws of that time, overstepping authority to execute enforcement demands punishment…” Wan Tiansheng raised his hand. Suddenly, ten thousand swords condensed from the void. In an instant, they burst forward, plunging toward him with a relentless barrage of wet punctures, piercing his physical body through and through! Nearby, several Eternals blanched. Below, cries of shock rippled through the ranks. King Dazhou frowned slightly, while Su Yu remained standing in silence. His face pale, with every inch of his body pierced by longswords save for his head, Wan Tiansheng smiled. “I have received my punishment! I have answered to the law. In my heart, I owe no further debts! Henceforth, I will feel no guilt or self-reproach over this matter. Whether you accept it or not, public matters remain public, and private matters remain private! Keep them distinct. If grievances still linger, set your titles aside and settle them in private!” He had punished himself, casting off his shackles! He did not believe he had executed the wrong people—only that he hadn't held the proper standing to do so, for he was not an authorized law enforcer back then! Now, he was. The crowd stood in stunned silence. After a long pause, Su Yu spoke: “Bureau Director Wan, everyone, what happened in the past ends today! If anyone seeks personal vengeance, deliver a formal challenge. Whether it’s an exchange of pointers or a duel to the death, I will not interfere!” “Cultivators settle private bouts and personal blood feuds on their own!” “Furthermore, a new year brings a new dawn. In barely a month, Year 352 of the Anping Era will conclude!” “Next year, we change the era name! The title of Anping ends with Year 352! The world is no longer at peace. Next year, the calendar changes to Year One of the Xinyu Era!” A ripple went through the crowd. A new calendar. Year One of the Xinyu Era! Su Yu announced calmly, “A new year brings a fresh atmosphere; all shall be renewed—a new world, new policies, a new beginning! The past may be remembered, but do not wallow in old matters!” “Emperor Yu is wise!” Wan Tiansheng bowed. Below, the million soldiers cared little for political technicalities; seeing this, they roared in unison, “Emperor Yu is wise!” The Anping Era was drawing to a close! Over 350 years of established prefectures, preceded by nearly a century of bloodshed—the age of the founding prefectures had only one month left before its formal end. Only a select few understood that Su Yu was telling them something far greater: not just the Anping Era, but the ancient era and the previous nine tides were all finished! At this moment, the providence of the human race surged violently! The next instant, human providence flared with unprecedented brilliance. Above the Human Realm, Su Yu’s projection solidified sharply, blanketing the entirety of the realm in seconds. …… At that moment, phantom silhouettes of powerhouses manifested once more above the various realms. *What is Su Yu doing now?!* Day in and day out, the man never rested for a single second. …… The Human Realm. Yu Emperor Manor. Su Yu did not linger at the Eastern Rift Valley. Only a handful of figures gathered in the great hall. Lan Tian appeared with a coquettish giggle, but upon seeing the solemn Su Yu, the deathly still King Dazhou, and the pale-faced Wan Tiansheng, his smile gradually faded. He crept carefully over to Wan Tiansheng’s side and sat upright, adopting a posture of utmost propriety. Seeing Lan Tian take his seat, Su Yu kept a completely straight face. He feared that if he so much as cracked a smile at Lan Tian, Lan Tian would immediately beam back at him, which he found intolerable. Stay serious! Down to business! Su Yu quickly began, “Right now, two urgent matters demand our attention! First, the tracking seals must be put into place without delay!” “Second, the dead spirit realm requires a powerhouse from the Human Realm who can instantly suppress fluctuations of death qi…” After a brief explanation, Su Yu added, “Their aura should ideally not be too strong, lest it trigger turbulence across the dead spirit realm. King Dazhou’s Dao of concealment is superb, and he possesses teleportation power to swiftly position us to intercept any escaping foes!” King Dazhou said gravely, “Then regarding what was discussed earlier, about me sealing off the smaller realms…” “Leave that to King Daming!” Su Yu said slowly, “King Daming is on the verge of Dao Integration; let him handle sealing the realm borders from the outside! I must go to the dead spirit realm myself; otherwise, the passage cannot be opened!” King Dazhou weighed the plan and nodded. “Understood!” Without wasting words, Su Yu turned to Wan Tiansheng. “Once King Dazhou departs, Director Wan will oversee the overall situation to prevent unrest!” “Understood.” Wan Tiansheng remained perfectly composed. Su Yu then looked at Lan Tian. “Deputy Director Lan, you must be careful. You have to conceal the great prefectural seals thoroughly. This is of critical importance, as human providence is bound within them! Furthermore, they must be buried extremely close to the Dao Integration targets without being detected, and the placement must be executed in a single go. Otherwise, if we strike one day after another, even a fool will realize something is amiss!” Seeing how grave the atmosphere was, Lan Tian responded with equal seriousness: “Understood!” “Better early than late. I will assemble the Dao Integration experts of the Hou and Iron-Eating races to prepare a covert strike against the Destiny Realm! Manor Head Wan, King Dazhou, our goal this time is not necessarily to slaughter Dao Integration experts. Of course, if we can fell one or two without taking losses, all the better! Adapt to circumstances! If there’s any risk of casualties on our end, abandon the kill!” “Everyone must follow my directives. Do not act rashly!” Su Yu said with chilling emphasis, “I intend to lead everyone intact into the upper realm. I will not trade five of our Dao Integration experts to kill ten of theirs. Forget five—not three, not even one!” “If I can conquer them without losses, we will not use the lives of Dao Integration experts as cannon fodder. Trading one for ten might sound advantageous to others, but to me, it’s pure nonsense! Every Dao Integration life lost right now weakens our strength. How then would we storm the upper realm?” King Dazhou opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately held his peace. He felt Su Yu cared far too much about avoiding casualties. Was it truly possible to wage war without dying? Su Yu thought otherwise. Had their side been the weaker one, such guarantees would indeed be impossible. But right now, their force overwhelmed the lower realm; as long as the plan proceeded smoothly, suffering zero casualties was entirely achievable! “Enough talk. I’ll gather our allies. Lan Tian, the moment the Dao Integration experts of the various races are lured out, make your move!” “Understood!” …… The discussion concluded swiftly. Su Yu had no desire to linger, as Lan Tian seemed eager to strike up a conversation. As for guiding Lan Tian to view the Great Dao, Su Yu had considered it, but now was not the right time. He feared that if Lan Tian grew stronger right now, it would cause fluctuations across his countless avatars, potentially exposing the clones embedded throughout the myriad races. The likelihood was high, because Su Yu had realized Lan Tian’s Dao principles operated as a unified whole. Lan Tian would have to wait until things stabilized before he could be brought to inspect the Great Dao. …… Soon after. In the Iron-Eating Realm, the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor met with Su Yu. In three days, they would launch a joint surprise raid on the Destiny Realm! Not just the Iron-Eating Realm—the Hou Realm and Space Ancient Beast Realm received word as well. Only the Archaic Giant race was bypassed entirely; Su Yu didn't go to them at all. Three Beast Emperors, Su Yu himself, and King Dazhou would participate, while Wan Tiansheng would guard the border of the Human Realm. Su Yu also went to Hongmeng Ancient City to summon the Book Spirit and the Tea Tree, and made another trip to the God-Devouring Ancient Realm. This time, he planned to deploy ten Dao Integration combatants, counting himself and Wan Tiansheng. As for King Daqin and the others, they would remain stationed at Hongmeng Ancient City to guard against unforeseen developments and provide reinforcement at a moment’s notice! On the surface, the Destiny Realm possessed two Dao Integration experts. Su Yu didn't know if that number was accurate, nor did he care. He had no intention of storming inside! Except for the human race, outsiders were subjected to realm suppression. Entering their home turf to fight was a fool’s errand. His assault on the Destiny Realm would be conducted strictly from the exterior. The myriad races would definitely send reinforcements! Even if they didn't, they would apply pressure on the Human Realm to force Su Yu and his allies to retreat. …… Just as Su Yu prepared his strike against the Destiny Realm. The Destiny Realm. Heavenly Destiny Mountain. The Fate Emperor’s fingers twitched through rapid divinations. Moments later, bloody fissures split across his skin. Keeping his expression neutral, he swiftly healed the wounds. He looked up into the sky and sighed inwardly. Trouble seemed to be on the horizon. If not from the human race, then from the upper realm. In this tide, the Destiny race would never be allowed to remain neutral! “Time to make a choice. One last time!” The Fate Emperor felt an immense weight in his heart. Just this once, he would observe how matters unfolded, and then he would make his final decision. The Destiny race’s choice was of paramount consequence. The Gate of the Upper Realm was situated within the Destiny Realm, and the realm suppressed all other races. Whoever secured the Destiny Realm held the upper hand. If the Destiny race aligned with humanity, the myriad races would certainly lay siege to them. Yet if they aligned with the myriad races, the humans would come for them sooner or later anyway; it was merely a matter of time.