Three Marquises Fall

Tiangu relaxed, a wave of relief washing over him. Thank goodness! It wasn't a major issue! He roared at the top of his lungs, "Charge into the Human Realm!" Indeed, King Dazhou was gone. At this moment, storming the Human Realm offered immense benefits. If Su Yu and his forces turned back to reinforce their home, their surprise raid would crumble, and the three ancient Marquises might even strike them in the back. If they chose not to turn back, the human race had no Dao Integration experts left, allowing the invaders to slaughter the human Eternals and tear out humanity's very foundation! Did Su Yu truly believe the Destiny Realm harbored only a single Marquis? Did he think they could slaughter him in an instant? What wishful thinking! At that moment, the various races acted in tacit unison. Spurred by Tiangu's thunderous roar, the God Emperor, the Phoenix Emperor, the Nether Emperor, the Ape Emperor, and Marquis Tianlong charged forth from their respective realm domains, racing straight toward the Human Realm! *You wish to destroy the Destiny Realm? Let us see if you have the strength!* Everyone knew that two more ancient Marquises had arrived in the Destiny Realm—top-tier Dao Integration experts capable of taking on two or even three opponents at once! In a sudden twist, Su Yu's raiding party might very well end up being counter-slaughtered. They were practically delivering themselves to death's door! Yet at that exact instant, Su Yu burst from the void with a deafening shout. "Archaic Giant King, stop Jiwu!" Su Yu hadn't invited the Archaic Giant race. Their situation was murky; they had forged some sort of agreement with King Dazhou. Su Yu hadn't asked about it, and King Dazhou hadn't volunteered the information either. Given that it was likely tied to the Hundred Battles King, Su Yu had simply left them alone. But right now, borrowing their strength would be ideal, and failing to do so wouldn't break him either; it all depended on what choice the Archaic Giant race made. When Su Yu reached out to the various races, each had responded enthusiastically. Only the Archaic Giant race had kept their realm tightly shut ever since the last battle. They had made no move to contact the humans, and King Dazhou had never brought up an alliance with them again. Because of this, Su Yu could only treat them as neutral for the time being. Calling out was merely a casual probe—it didn't matter whether they stepped in or not. In a flash, Su Yu attacked, pointing his brush toward the Destiny Realm. A strike across the void caused the power of the Great Dao to shudder violently! At the entrance of the Destiny Realm, Marquis Meteor and Marquis Modang were initially startled, but quickly found themselves at ease. Fortunately, they were stationed right at the entrance rather than deep inside the realm. Had they been inside, the suppressive laws would have made things messy if Su Yu broke through. As things stood, they could step out at any moment! The two exchanged glances, their hearts racing with murderous intent. *Kill Su Yu!* Their luck was truly exceptional—Su Yu had actually charged right into their hands! No wonder Wuming had slipped away earlier; perhaps he had sensed something beforehand. Naturally, it was standard practice for the Destiny race to keep silent; that clan was infuriatingly elusive by nature. "Kill!" With a low roar, the two mighty experts burst through the realm corridor, assuming Su Yu remained oblivious to their presence! In the distance, Su Yu pointed his brush forward, only for Marquis Modang to shatter the incoming brush silhouette with a single punch. Su Yu's expression changed drastically! In that split second, both Marquis Modang and Marquis Meteor caught the panic on his face. Clearly, Su Yu had known nothing of their arrival. "Impossible!" Su Yu let out a furious roar, a ruthless glare igniting in his eyes. "Reinforcements, hurry!" "Too late!" Marquis Modang sneered, tearing through the void as he charged directly at Su Yu! His aura erupted, boundless and oppressive! In the other direction, Marquis Meteor moved with an ethereal celestial grace, a cold smile playing on his lips as he shattered the void and closed in on Su Yu. At the same time, Marquis Abyss bellowed, "Marquis Meteor and Marquis Modang have descended! A vast host of upper-realm experts has arrived! Destiny race, Kunpeng race, Golden Crow race, Three-Headed Demonic Wolves—what are you waiting for? Eradicate the humans!" *Take this chance to wipe out the human race!* Reinforcements from the upper realm had arrived, and they were top-tier ancient Marquises! What ancient expert didn't know how formidable these two were? *** At that moment, illusory projections manifested across the realm domains of several ancient clans. In the Three-Headed Demonic Wolf clan, a formidable entity manifested with three heads, shock and disbelief etched across his faces. *Marquis Modang and Marquis Meteor descended ahead of schedule? Su Yu... is doomed!* Of all the places to raid, he had foolishly chosen the Destiny Realm! More importantly, Tiangu and the others were remarkably underhanded, having quietly received two ancient Marquises into the lower realm without a sound! In this clash of the myriad races, one had to choose a side in this tide. Neutrality simply did not exist. The Three-Headed Demonic Wolf had contemplated this long ago, hoping to drag things out as much as possible. But upon further reflection, once the human race fell and Su Yu died, it would be far too late to pick a side! With a savage howl, the Three-Headed Demonic Wolf flew out from his realm and bellowed, "I come to assist the ancient Marquises!" He declared his allegiance immediately to avoid friendly fire. In moments like this, nothing was more dangerous than an ambiguous identity. The Three-Headed Demonic Wolf was the first to leave his ancient realm, choosing this precise moment to join the fray for fear that he might never get another chance. If that happened, surviving the upcoming contest for supremacy would be agonizing! He flew straight toward the Destiny Realm. Since several major powerhouses had already gone to obliterate the Human Realm, there was no need for him to join that front. At the same time, a Golden Crow blazed across the heavens, blanketing the sky as an ancient shout resounded, "Cut off Su Yu's retreat! Seal the void and wipe them all out!" *Buzz!* Flames capable of scorching the heavens surged into being as the Golden Crow expert made his appearance. A moment later, towering waves churned within the Starry Sea. A colossal sea beast transformed from a kun into a peng, spreading its wings to blot out the sun as it let out a piercing screech. "The Kunpeng race joins you in slaying Su Yu!" They had all chosen their sides! The sudden arrival of Marquis Meteor and Marquis Modang had spurred three ancient races to commit, terrified of missing their final opportunity. Smiles broke out across the faces of the myriad races' powerhouses. The retreat path was severed, and mighty foes blocked the front. Three ancient Marquises stood before them, while three ancient race half-emperors guarded their rear. How could Su Yu possibly turn the tables now? On Su Yu's side, there were King Dazhou, Su Yu, the Hou Emperor, the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor, and the Space Ancient Beast Emperor. Even with King Dazhou bringing the Book Spirit and the Tea Tree, they amounted to only seven combatants. It looked like a formidable count, but their total battle prowess fell short! The three ancient Marquises were far stronger than the emperors of the ancient races. The human race was finished. Tiangu and his allies beamed with triumph. The escape route was blocked! The emergence of the two ancient Marquises had triggered a chain reaction, instantly forcing the three ancient races to declare their allegiance. This, in truth, had been within expectations all along. Su Yu likely never imagined that this raid would draw out not just two ancient Marquises, but three additional ancient powerhouses—a full five Dao Integration combatants! Not only had the previous losses been entirely recouped, but their side had grown even stronger! *** Su Yu's face contorted with panic! Seeing his distress, both Marquis Modang and Marquis Meteor smirked. *Dumbfounded, aren't you? Too young! Did you think the Destiny Realm was so easily raided? Furthermore, the three ancient races were bound to pick a side sooner or later, and there was a ninety-nine percent chance they would side with the myriad races. Did you humans truly believe you had won? It was merely because the battle hadn't erupted yet.* "Meteor, Abyss, hold off the others! This lord will butcher this brat!" Marquis Modang roared with laughter. *Boom!* A fist shadow eclipsed the heavens, unleashing ten thousand illusory manifestations through the void toward Su Yu. Su Yu, meanwhile, swung his brush to puncture the fabric of space! In the distance, the half-emperor of the Space Ancient Beasts was the first to arrive, and Marquis Abyss immediately surged out from the realm to intercept him. Close behind, June swung a massive bamboo stalk, shattering the void with a sweeping strike as he joined forces with the Space Beast Emperor to battle Abyss. Weak though Marquis Abyss might be in comparison, he was still an ancient Marquis. Seeing this, Marquis Meteor turned to confront King Dazhou and his companions. King Dazhou's presence radiated the distinct fluctuations of more than one combatant, yet Marquis Meteor was entirely confident. Even if he couldn't defeat them working in concert, there was no way those fellows could overcome him anytime soon! Behind him stood an army of allies! Finally, the Hou Emperor flew toward Su Yu's position, ready to assist him against Marquis Modang! At this moment, across the entire Allhead Battlefield, overpowering auras linked one after another. Dozens of Dao Integration presences blotted out the sun! Over by the Dragon Realm, Marquis Tianlong had originally intended to head for the Human Realm, but upon witnessing this scene, he immediately pivoted toward the Destiny Realm! Slaying Su Yu and his core cadre was paramount! There was no way Su Yu's group could escape now! *** Tianmie Ancient City. The entire ancient city quaked. Every living resident inside trembled in sheer terror and panic. A grand battle had broken out once again! Su Yu had taken the initiative to assault the Destiny Realm, but the outcome seemed disastrous. Inside an ancient house in the city, four Shanhai practitioners—suspected upper-realm emissaries—wore expressions of deep gravity. "Su Yu instigated a war, but... this is simply... sheer folly! It's over. If the lower realm falls, the upper realm will... this..." Su Yu launching a war was supposed to be a good thing. Just as King Dazhou had guessed, they had descended to establish contact with the lower realm, hoping to exert pressure, eliminate some Eternals, and pin down several upper-realm powerhouses. But they had never asked the humans to commit all their forces to a suicidal clash! "Foolish!" "The disparity in strength is too massive! He has thrown away all his previous advantages!" "Far too arrogant! Far too young!" The four were torn between rage and grief. On one hand, they did not want humanity to lose; on the other, they were furious that Su Yu had recklessly thrown everything into an all-out battle. At the same time, a sliver of hope lingered in their hearts—if they could just avoid utter annihilation and take down a few Dao Integration experts of the myriad races, the resulting turmoil might divert the pressure bearing down on the humans in the upper realm. In short, they simultaneously hoped for a human victory while cursing Su Yu's foolishness, feeling he deserved whatever fate befell him! It was utterly exasperating! They had descended to observe and gather intelligence on Su Yu, fulfilling their duty of evaluating this generation's Human Master so the old veterans in the upper realm could make an informed judgment. But now, no judgment was necessary—Su Yu was courting his own doom! "Sigh, King Dazhou didn't even stop him. Isn't he supposed to be a Fire Spreader?" "Perhaps!" "We can't stay in the ancient city any longer. Once they lose, this place will be destroyed. Let's pull out immediately!" "..." After a brief exchange, they prepared to make a swift exit. But at that exact moment, the ancient city's barrier surged upward, and Tianhe bellowed in fury, "All residents return to your houses! No one enters or leaves! Lord Tianmie is ready to engage in battle at any moment! If any of you believe you can match Lord Tianmie, feel free to cause chaos!" At these words, the four frowned. They couldn't leave now. Tianmie was stationed within the ancient city—a ninth-stage Eternal, a peak existence of that realm. *Better lie low for now. If the battle truly reaches the ancient city, we will act as the situation demands.* *** Factions everywhere were weighing their moves, bracing themselves for what might be the final decisive battle of the lower realm. Su Yu had handed them the golden opportunity! *Boom!* With a screech like shattering glass, the void blew apart. With mighty foes in front, the experts trailing behind were closing in rapidly, even though they lagged a step behind the Hou clan and their allies! One wrong step led to a cascade of errors! Su Yu had taken a catastrophic turn, marching straight to his grave! Otherwise, the myriad races would never have wished for a grand battle right now; they would have preferred dragging things out until the upper realm opened. Marquis Modang's sinister smile was already within arm's reach. His fist shadows tore through space, blotting out the heavens as his Great Dao of Rules solidified into a massive fist, hammering down upon Su Yu's Brush Dao. Though these Dao Integration combatants could not pinpoint the exact location of the Great Dao, their extensive combat experience gave them ample knowledge of how to clash against Dao power. In the void, a brush and a fist rapidly entwined. The brush moved like a blade! From the rear, the Hou Emperor charged forward with heavens-devouring might, channeling his Dao power to swallow Marquis Modang whole. Marquis Modang let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Ignorant fools! I was enfeoffed as a Marquis in ancient times! The Demon race boasts countless Dao Integration experts; do you think trash like you can fathom how I attained my title?" In an instant, tens of millions of fist shadows erupted, demonic qi soaring to the sky! Su Yu let out a low growl, using his fingers as a brush to carve out divine characters one after another. *Seal, Restrain, Suppress, Break, Destroy...* Deafening explosions thundered ceaselessly. Innumerable carved divine characters shattered, while fist shadows in the void detonated in rapid succession. A moment later, all three seemed to step directly into the River of Time! This was the spectacle of Dao Integration combat pushed to its absolute peak. All three appeared suspended within the River of Time, where surging waves morphed into massive fist imprints. Su Yu raised a hand and summoned forth countless brush-blades, hacking and slashing across the river against the fists! Brush-blades shattered, and fist shadows burst. To outside observers, none of the three seemed to move, yet corpses continually rained down beneath them—manifestations of consumed Dao power, just like the battle between the Old Turtle and Marquis Jiantian in days past. The fallen silhouettes were merely their rule incarnations. This was far more perilous than raw physical melee; the slightest misstep would shatter one's Great Dao entirely. Every combatant moved at extreme speeds. At this moment, Su Yu's side appeared completely overwhelmed. The two fur-balls of the God-Devourer clan were beaten back continuously by Tiangu and King Fu. Over by the Demon Realm, though Moji and Moyue were no match for the Old Turtle, the Ape Emperor—who was stationed nearby—arrived swiftly. Instead of advancing toward the Human Realm, he chose to reinforce his allies here! With three powerhouses joining forces, they managed to barely hold off the Old Turtle! Su Yu was finished! At this crucial juncture, the Archaic Giant King had not made a move. Su Yu's faction was down one Dao Integration expert, while the myriad races had gained five. Marquis Jiantian and Duobao had yet to show themselves, but the tremors traversing the boundless void were unmistakable; stationed far away, they had likely sensed the commotion and were rushing toward the battlefield! *** "Su Yu, you have lost!" Marquis Modang roared with laughter. Tiangu had drastically overestimated this kid! Su Yu's expression was grim, and he said nothing. In truth, he was wondering how long it would take King Dazhou and the others to slaughter Marquis Meteor! Among the five combatants, Su Yu ranked King Dazhou as second-class, King Daqin and King Daxia as third-class, and the Book Spirit and the Tea Tree as fourth-class. Meanwhile, their opponent, Marquis Meteor, was at best on the fringe of second-class, or perhaps firmly third-class. Could killing him really take that long? Those five together were strong enough to fend off a Heavenly King! "Lost?" Su Yu sneered. Brush-blades surged out from the River of Time by the thousands. "I still have Fat Ball! How could I possibly lose?" His voice carried a frantic, hysterical edge. Marquis Modang sneered. He had heard about that—a dog, wasn't it? The problem was, the God Emperor and the others were currently storming the Human Realm. With multiple Dao Integration experts advancing, could a single dog hold them all back? Today, every last one of them would be wiped out! *Boom!* Within the river, the clash erupted anew. The Hou Emperor provided steady support, allowing Su Yu to stand his ground against Marquis Modang. The clash between the three sent towering waves churning through the River of Time! Marquis Modang harbored no worries whatsoever. Reinforcements from the rear were already on their way. *** Marquis Meteor shared the exact same thought. *All I need to do is pin them down!* King Dazhou had arrived, but that was of no consequence. He could feel several Dao Integration auras, yet he remained unbothered. There was no way these fellows could kill him in short order, so what was there to fear? Allies filled the sky behind him! The moment King Dazhou arrived, however, he wasted no time on anything else. He instantly deployed a grand formation, a formation disk unfurling across the void. Its sole function was to obscure vision from all directions. Marquis Meteor swung his sword, cleaving the adjacent void to ribbons; sensing something amiss, he had no desire to let King Dazhou establish that formation. King Dazhou said nothing and simply continued laying it out. After a brief entanglement, a divine character manifested above King Dazhou. Atop the divine character, four silhouettes appeared. Marquis Meteor was briefly taken aback. *Who are those other two?* Even so, his surprise didn't derail his focus. He concentrated entirely on defense, having no intention of clashing recklessly against them. Yet at that exact instant, all four erupted simultaneously with power far beyond anything Marquis Meteor could have imagined! In particular, when King Daxia and King Daqin joined forces, the image of an archaic behemoth seemed to materialize in the void, opening its maw wide and biting straight down upon the longsword! *Snap!* The longsword broke cleanly in two. *Pfft!* Spitting a mouthful of golden blood, Marquis Meteor's face paled. *This... impossible! Where did two top-tier Dao Integration experts come from?!* The sheer might of these two fighting in tandem was terrifying beyond belief; facing just the two of them, he would likely suffer defeat, let alone with the Book Spirit and the others present. "In the dawn of Yong'an, the River raged. I bound it with iron chains, only to find the ancient Dao had gained spirit—a wicked spirit that brought ruin to the living. Thus, I slew the wicked spirit and captured its Dao..." At this moment, the Book Spirit recited passages that had never been read aloud before. An illusory figure manifested in the void, holding a chain. Seen only from behind, he whipped the chain forward, binding Marquis Meteor's Great Dao tight! The Book Spirit's body shook violently, while Marquis Meteor roared and thrashed his Great Dao, refusing to be bound! Right then, King Dazhou unleashed his Dao—the Dao of Endurance. "All things can be endured. Let him strike me; I remain unmoved as a mountain..." He chanted incessantly, yet he wasn't enduring anything himself; rather, his Dao was encroaching upon Marquis Meteor's mind! A bizarre thought suddenly welled up within Marquis Meteor: *I shall endure! Let them hit me! I will stay still and endure! So long as I don't move and just endure, they cannot kill me.* The impulse was so overwhelming that the boiling power of his Great Dao momentarily stalled. Shaking his head violently, Marquis Meteor's eyes filled with horror. His mind was being manipulated! In the next instant, King Dazhou droned again, "A calm heart brings peace. Slay me, slander me—the physical form is merely a shell. What harm is there in enduring him for a fleeting moment?" *Boom!* With a thunderous crunch, a wild beast clamped its jaws down and severed Marquis Meteor's arm! Overwhelmed by excruciating pain, his Great Dao surged, snapping him awake. Just as he prepared to strike back, King Dazhou murmured once more, "I shall become a saint, feeding my flesh to demons. Endure him!" *Crack!* His other arm was bitten clean off. Marquis Meteor shook his head in sheer madness. *No! Wrong! I cannot endure! Both of my arms have been eaten—how can I still endure? I must not endure! I have to fight back! I have to counterattack and butcher the enemy before me!* His eyes grew crazed and clouded. King Dazhou's Dao power was extraordinarily potent, but sweat was now beading on his forehead and dripping down as he chanted, "Endure him! Let him be as strong as he wills; I shall simply endure..." "No... cannot endure..." Marquis Meteor's gaze flickered wildly as he struggled desperately, yet he had lost all composure, flailing with wild, disorganized counterattacks. King Daqin and King Daxia possessed centuries of rich combat experience; even so, shock gripped their hearts. King Daqin couldn't resist cursing inwardly, *Fuck! Old Zhou is utterly demonic! Endure? The man's head is about to be chopped off, and he's still telling him to endure!* The crucial factor was that Marquis Meteor had first had his Dao shackled by the Book Spirit, then suffered their joint ambush, and now, under King Dazhou's mental disruption, his mind was completely muddled! This mighty ancient Marquis was being toyed with to the brink of collapse. The Tea Tree watched with a dazed expression, finding it thoroughly amusing. She transformed into countless branches, stealthily binding Marquis Meteor's legs before creeping upward toward his head. Marquis Meteor merely howled in frenzy, seemingly unaware that he was being trussed up. King Dazhou could no longer muster long verses. He barked in low, rhythmic chants, "Endure! Endure him! A moment of patience yields calm seas and tranquil skies!" "You must hold it in!" "Hold it in and you shall win!" "Hold it in!" "..." *Crack!* His legs were crushed and pulverized, bones splintering as blood sprayed across the void. Marquis Meteor's eyes were clouded yet flickering with consciousness. He forced his eyes open, glared at King Dazhou, and roared, "No! Cannot endure..." "Hold it in!" "No..." The Dao powers of both sides remained locked in a tug-of-war. King Daxia and King Daqin exchanged a glance. Neither was in a rush now; they gathered their strength, preparing to obliterate their foe in a single devastating strike! *This... feels surprisingly effortless!* Both grinned. A blade and a spear gathered momentum, growing increasingly terrifying right before Marquis Meteor's eyes. In the void, the archaic beast grew equally colossal, its massive limbs trampling the space beneath it, ready to snap the enemy's Great Dao with a single stomp! *Charging up!* King Dazhou cursed inwardly. *My energy consumption is immense, you know! You two bastards sure have it easy!* "Endure him!" "No..." The exchange repeated itself until King Daqin and King Daxia completed their preparations. The spear and the blade in their hands brimmed with boundless, apocalyptic might. Exchanging a final glance, they roared in unison, "Kill!" *Buzz!* Blade and spear descended! *Boom!* A tremendous explosion shook heaven and earth. With the Dao already chained, the colossal beast stomped down, shattering the Great Dao with a deafening rumble! As the blade and spear struck home, Marquis Meteor's body instantly disintegrated into ashes. The moment his sea of will surfaced, it was utterly obliterated. "Endure him!" King Dazhou was still shouting. The others turned to stare at him. Pale-faced, King Dazhou panted for breath, ignoring their looks. "I'm telling him to endure the pain so he doesn't scream!" The others were speechless. *It really felt... shockingly easy to kill him.* In the next instant, heaven and earth convulsed. Blood-red clouds gathered, and a crimson rain began to fall. To his dying breath, Marquis Meteor had been enduring. Yes, enduring! Enduring the urge to cry! Enduring the urge to scream! Even in the final moment of death, his mind clung to the thought that he could endure just a little longer—that he could hold out. And then... there was no then. He had been instantly slain by the combined might of two supreme experts. *** Far in the distance, the Immortal Realm began to tremble violently. Tiangu, who was locked in combat with Doubao, froze, his mind falling blank for a fraction of a second. He was truly dazed—so much so that he didn't even react when Doubao bit off one of his fingers. Leaping backward, he turned to gaze toward the Immortal Realm. High above, a colossal silhouette slammed into the realm barrier and disintegrated! The Immortal Realm shook violently, natural disasters erupting as countless Immortals perished instantly. Tiangu instinctively glanced toward King Fu. In the distance, King Fu was tangled in combat with Chuibing. Tiangu stared at him, his gaze utterly bewildered. *King Fu is alive. He didn't die! If King Fu didn't die, then...* Tiangu looked toward the distant Destiny Realm. He couldn't see the fine details, but he saw the blood-red clouds, the crimson rain, the surging pillar of vital qi, and the unmistakable signs of a supreme expert's fall... Tiangu was completely dumbfounded. He had every reason to be stunned. The grand battle had only just begun. It might feel like a long time, but some combatants hadn't even reached the battlefield yet; from start to finish, no more than twenty seconds had elapsed. And now, it seemed... the top Marquis of his Immortal race, Marquis Meteor, had perished. Indeed, if it wasn't King Fu and wasn't himself, it could only be another Immortal Dao Integration expert—and there was no one else besides Marquis Meteor. *Yet he died without making a sound? Without even a scream? Without a single warning?* No Dao Integration expert had ever died so pathetically! No, the Golden-Winged Peng had died pathetically too, but Tiangu remembered that he had at least let out a dying roar. Marquis Meteor, a peerless expert, seemed to have died clenching his teeth, passing away in dead silence. "Impossible!" Snapping awake, Tiangu slapped Doubao backward with a desperate roar. "Impossible!" *How could this happen! A mistake! The heavenly omens must be mistaken! We just started fighting—how can you tell me Marquis Meteor died silently? If not for the heavenly phenomena, no one would have even known!* "The rules must be chaotic... It must be!" he muttered to himself, utterly unable to accept this reality. Marquis Meteor was no post-ancient Dao Integration expert like King Bing, who had been crippled by heavy injuries. Among the ancient Marquises, he was far from weak. Had he died after an earth-shattering struggle, Tiangu could have accepted it. But dying so abruptly and inexplicably was something he simply could not process! *** He wasn't the only one. Even Marquis Modang and Marquis Abyss, who were stationed near Marquis Meteor, had no idea he had fallen. It wasn't until the heavenly omens materialized that Marquis Modang instinctively glanced at the sky. *Rain?* He hadn't felt any desperate, suicidal eruption of power from Marquis Meteor! Just like that, out of nowhere, a top Marquis was gone. Marquis Modang was momentarily stunned. His next thought was: *Who died?* Even now, his mind refused to jump to Marquis Meteor—the notion was simply too absurd. King Dazhou's Dao of Endurance, paired with several top powerhouses, had slain Marquis Meteor so smoothly that everyone found the reality preposterous. Even Su Yu found it ridiculous. *I thought you guys hadn't made your move yet!* He hadn't felt any intense battle tremors either. The moment King Dazhou arrived, he had deployed the formation disk and sealed the area with his Dao of Stillness, minimizing any commotion. Had the heavenly omens not appeared, no one might have realized someone had died. Soon, however, Su Yu snapped back to reality. *Dead! Who cares who it was—so long as it isn't one of ours, it's fine!* The brush-blade cleaved through the void, slashing directly toward Marquis Modang's Great Dao. In his brief hesitation, Marquis Modang failed to dodge in time. With a sharp creak, his Great Dao shook violently, forcing him a step backward as countless thoughts flashed through his mind. *I can't fight anymore! Something has gone wrong!* Just as the thought crossed his mind, five powerhouses suddenly materialized around him. "Kill!" With a thunderous roar, Su Yu and the Hou Emperor unleashed their full strength without a word of hesitation! They were here! The five powerhouses who had slain Marquis Meteor had all arrived—seven Dao Integration combatants uniting to kill a single foe! The smirk vanished from Marquis Modang's face, replaced entirely by despair! He looked into the distance and saw Marquis Abyss locked in combat with the Space Beast Emperor and the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor, looking equally dazed. Looking further, he saw Marquis Tianlong leading the three recently joined ancient race experts toward them. They weren't far—very close, in fact! Give them seven or eight seconds, and they would arrive on the scene. In a battle between supreme experts, no matter how fast things moved, surely one could hold out for a few seconds, right? Yet the grim truth was that Marquis Modang knew he probably couldn't. Among the seven powerhouses surrounding him, several felt stronger than him, while the rest were only marginally weaker. Even Su Yu, though slightly weaker in raw cultivation, was not someone Marquis Modang could dispatch easily in a duel! "No... Why are there two more top Dao Integration experts?" He couldn't understand it. *Why? Where did they come from?* It was completely unforeseen! Yet there was no time left. "Endure him!" King Dazhou bellowed. "Lock the Dao!" the Book Spirit roared. "Heaven-Cleaving Blade!" "Slash!" "Pierce him to death!" "Swallow the heavens!" "..." All seven powerhouses roared, holding nothing back. Having already slain one, there was no point in concealing their strength; their sole objective was to end this swiftly and execute Marquis Modang. Against such a lineup, let alone Marquis Modang, even a Heavenly King would have to think twice about whether he could survive. At this moment, Marquis Modang felt only despair and bitterness. *Fuck! I'm going to die.* Having lived through countless eras, he had never imagined he would perish like this. *Endure? Endure the urge to cry? Endure the urge to scream?* The thoughts flickered through his mind. *No! I will be stubborn just this once! I am a peerless powerhouse—how can I let someone else's Dao control me?!* In that final moment, Marquis Modang erupted, demonic qi soaring as he roared at the top of his lungs, "I will not endure! It hurts so much! I refuse to accept this!" *Boom!* The combined strike of the seven powerhouses landed simultaneously! The firmament shattered, the earth split, and the Great Dao snapped. The civilization chronicle unfurled across the void, swallowing everything in its path until nothing remained. Only a colossal black cloud surfaced, unleashing a torrential crimson downpour. Two ancient Marquises, living fossils from the primordial era, had died just like that. Let alone the onlookers, even the seven killers on the field stood in a daze. *Did we kill them a bit too fast?* In the distance, Marquis Abyss's face drained of all color. Without a second thought, he fled toward the Destiny Realm. *It's over!* What good were reinforcements from behind? Two unimaginably powerful Marquises had been wiped out in the blink of an eye, defying all expectations. If he didn't run, would he stay and wait for death? At the entrance of the Destiny Realm corridor, a white-haired elder materialized. He looked at Su Yu and his cadre, then at Marquis Abyss, shock and bewilderment written across his face. *They killed Marquis Meteor and the other one just like that?* Even he hadn't anticipated this! *Forget it, I want to live a few more years. Whether I die or not can wait until the upper realm opens. Right now, human morale is surging like a dragon... I'd better lend a hand.* The Destiny Realm corridor was abruptly obstructed. Droplets of blood seeped from the Fate Emperor's palm, sealing the entire passage shut. He called out, "I'm heading over to check on the upper-realm passage and reinforce it for you, lest more people descend! Losing two Dao Integration experts will certainly cause a stir. Don't mention it!" Without waiting for Su Yu to reply, he vanished into thin air! *Don't you dare fight inside my Destiny Realm; I'm terrified of it being blown to bits. Just corner Marquis Abyss and slaughter him outside. I'll go seal the upper-realm passage so no reinforcements can come through for now.* As the Fate Emperor flew toward the upper-realm passage, his heart pounded violently against his ribs. *Scared the life out of me!* He was powerful—stronger than Marquis Meteor—but those two hadn't been weak either. Seeing them perish so effortlessly, how could he not be terrified? At that exact moment, with a dull thud, Marquis Abyss crashed violently into the sealed entrance. Despair crept into his eyes! Given time, he could break through the seal—it wasn't exceptionally resilient. But he had no time left. He wasn't facing seven Dao Integration combatants; he was facing nine! Even more than Marquis Modang had faced! Nine whole combatants! And his strength was inferior to Marquis Modang's. Marquis Abyss shouted frantically, "I surrender! I yield! Don't kill me!" "Kill!" Su Yu bellowed, and the nine powerhouses unleashed their attacks simultaneously! *Yield my ass! What use do we have for you? Three ancient Marquises? All of you, die!* "Endure him!" King Dazhou's voice rang out once more, sending chills down everyone's spines. For the first time, they truly felt just how bizarre and terrifying this fellow was. *He's being killed, and you're still telling him to endure? Be human for once!* "Kill!" *Boom!* The sky collapsed as the firmament was blown apart once again. Nine supreme beings jumping a single Marquis Abyss made the task ridiculously effortless. With a thunderous boom, before Marquis Abyss could even utter a final word, his physical form vanished into nothingness. His Great Dao severed, dark clouds gathered, and blood rain cascaded down. The heavenly omens were immense, yet the victim had died without making the slightest commotion. The civilization chronicle swept through the area once more! All that could be seen was a gaping black hole puncturing the space around the Destiny Realm. Unable to check their momentum in time, their combined force obliterated the very entrance of the Destiny Realm into absolute nothingness. Three ancient Marquises, dead in less than a minute. Every single one had fallen! At that moment, all combat across the battlefield ground to a complete halt. In the rear, Marquis Tianlong and the Dao Integration experts trailing him were less than a hundred li away. In an instant, the experts whipped around and fled for their lives! Terror and shock were the only emotions etched onto their faces. *What just happened? From the moment the three ancient Marquises joined the fray to their deaths, they didn't even survive a full minute!* *** Further away, Tiangu's mind reeled in absolute shock. In the next instant, he let out a shrill, desperate howl: "Retreat! Everyone retreat! Fall back now!" "Flee!" "Hurry!" "Attack the Human Realm!" Attacking the Human Realm was an order barked at the others, aiming to force Su Yu and his cadre to turn back so everyone else could withdraw! In the blink of an eye, three Marquises had been slaughtered; if they didn't flee now, Tiangu feared Marquis Tianlong and his companions would die as well! Even without his warning, the experts who hadn't strayed far from their territories turned tail and bolted back toward their home realms. Those who had flown almost to the Human Realm gritted their teeth with trepidation, planning to strike the Human Realm a few times to force Su Yu's group to return before making their own escape. Behind Marquis Tianlong, the three experts who had just joined the battle and picked their side—the Kunpeng, the Golden Crow, and the Three-Headed Demonic Wolf—were the first to flee, running faster than anyone else, their faces pale with horror. *They were just cheering, and all three Marquises died like that? What happened to wiping out the human race this time?! They're all liars! Were those three Marquises fakes? They had to be fake!* No one could accept this reality! Even in ancient times, those three had not been considered weak, yet they had perished right here. The truth was simply too bitter to swallow. *** Within the boundless void, Marquis Jiantian, who had just emerged, turned around without a word and dove straight back into the depths of the void. In the distance, Duobao poked his head out, baring his teeth in horror before fleeing at top speed. His mind raced frantically: *How do I contact the humans? I want to surrender!* He genuinely wanted to surrender now. It had happened too fast; Su Yu had executed blitzkrieg tactics to absolute perfection, slaying three Marquises with terrifying, unprecedented speed. Had both sides truly massed their forces and clashed head-on, things would never have been this effortless. In truth, the gap in power hadn't been large—Su Yu's side hadn't even held the numerical advantage. The myriad races had gained five Dao Integration experts, while Su Yu had only brought out King Daqin and King Daxia! Yet the result was the instantaneous death of three Marquises. Because Su Yu had initiated the war while holding absolute intelligence, he had leveraged an asymmetric information advantage to its utmost. The battle had erupted in a flash, and ended even faster. Every single Dao Integration expert of the myriad races was fleeing for their lives.