Having effortlessly swindled an ancient weapon and six councilor tokens, Su Yu grew somewhat intrigued by Marquis Xian Zhan. He asked with a smile, "Does this man possess the combat strength of a Heavenly King?"
He was definitely stronger than Marquis Meteor!
And Marquis Meteor had been graded by Su Yu as a top-tier third-grade.
"Heavenly King battle prowess?"
The Fate Emperor grasped his meaning in broad strokes and nodded. "Roughly so! Marquis Xian Zhan and Marquis Yuan Sheng of the immortals, Marquis Duanxue of the demons, Marquis Minshan of the humans... these Marquises all possess top-tier Dao Integration combat strength! Among the one thousand and eighty ancient Marquises, there was an informal pecking order. The very highest echelon can all be counted as Heavenly Kings in Emperor Yu's terms."
Su Yu nodded slightly without saying much. Glancing skyward, he asked, "What about Marquis Tianming of your race?"
"Well..."
After a moment's hesitation, the Fate Emperor replied, "Marquis Tianming is extremely powerful, ranked in the top ten among the one thousand and eighty Marquises. He is already near the boundary of the Rule Masters—only marginally weaker than the Hundred Battles King, with no great disparity between them."
"An entity of that caliber can perhaps be described as a Half-King!"
The Fate Emperor said softly, "That our race has endured to this day owes greatly to Marquis Tianming! Strictly speaking, the Hundred Battles King was also merely in the Half-King Realm, though his strength was slightly greater than Marquis Tianming's."
"How many such beings are there in the upper realm?"
"Hardly any."
The Fate Emperor quickly answered, "Even if a race has one, they are the pillar protecting the entire race's survival!"
Su Yu's brow furrowed slightly. "Then is the Hundred Battles King considered among the very best of them?"
"Naturally!" The Fate Emperor nodded. "Had he not belonged to the absolute pinnacle, he wouldn't have been battered so brutally. It was precisely because he was too strong that his fall was so devastating."
Su Yu felt like laughing.
Fair enough.
"It seems the waters of the upper realm run quite deep!" Su Yu chuckled. "I originally thought that having a few Heavenly Kings in the dead spirit realm was extraordinary, but who knew there were so many Heavenly Kings in the upper realm as well."
"Not that many," the Fate Emperor quickly clarified. "After all, this is the accumulation of countless ages. Some ancient Marquises possessed peerless talent to begin with, and after more than a hundred thousand years of painstaking grinding, a few have managed to claw their way to that level!"
Su Yu nodded again and asked, "By your estimate, how much longer before the gate to the upper realm opens?"
"About five years!" the Fate Emperor replied gravely. "Recently, the consumption of rule power has been immense. If this continues, the Gate of Heavenly Fate is bound to open in five years!"
"Still five years left?" Su Yu grinned. "Not bad. That's quite a long time!"
The Fate Emperor was speechless.
Long?
That was exceedingly short, wasn't it?
For top powerhouses, it was barely enough time for a single session of closed-door cultivation.
Only someone like Su Yu would think it was ample!
In truth, when the estimate had been around ten years, everyone thought ten years would pass in the blink of an eye. Previously, the myriad races hadn't been in any rush because the upper realm was truly about to open very soon.
The Myriad Realms Battlefield had been sealed for five thousand years and reopened nearly nine hundred and ninety years ago.
Out of six thousand years, the remaining wait for the upper realm to open was just a final twitch!
Yet right at this final twitch, catastrophe had struck!
No one could have anticipated such a massive upheaval!
Su Yu looked at the Fate Emperor and fell quiet for a moment before speaking. "I want to garrison powerhouses in the Destiny Realm."
The Fate Emperor remained silent for a while without uttering a word.
Su Yu continued, "Additionally, I want to locate the corresponding region in the dead spirit realm and construct a dead spirit city beneath this place! I will mobilize Heavenly Kings and a large contingent of dead spirit Marquises to garrison it. What does the Fate Emperor think?"
Heavenly Kings!
Dead spirit Marquises!
A large contingent... just how many was that?
Had Su Yu truly unified the dead spirit realm?
A bitter taste filled the Fate Emperor's mouth. After a long pause, he nodded. "Very well! Since the Destiny race has already made its choice, we naturally hope the human race will prevail! However, this place is growing increasingly unstable. Someone from the upper realm could descend at any time, or simply spy on the Destiny Realm. If you deploy human experts here... it might be inappropriate. And mobilizing powerhouses of other races would suffer realm suppression."
Su Yu pondered for a moment and nodded. That made sense.
"Then I'll consider it further!" Su Yu said with a smile. "Thank you, Fate Emperor, for providing intelligence that helped me slay six Dao Integration experts and swindle Marquis Xian Zhan out of a weapon and six councilor tokens. In this battle, the Fate Emperor's merits are immense!"
"It was only what I ought to do!" With a grimace, the Fate Emperor looked at Su Yu.
Su Yu smiled. "Is the Fate Emperor unhappy?"
"It's fine, except... could Emperor Yu please move that recording talisman away?"
"No!" Su Yu replied cheerfully. "Because I intend to compile biographies for all of humanity's allies and the emperors of every race, preserving them as visual records for posterity! As a meritorious contributor to the human race, the Fate Emperor naturally deserves to have his deeds documented!"
The Fate Emperor felt utterly exhausted.
No one operated like this.
Sure enough, for Su Yu to suppress and subdue the various races, he had no shortage of unscrupulous tricks.
After a brief thought, the Fate Emperor suggested, "Emperor Yu, subduing the races ultimately depends on winning hearts, not on petty schemes..."
Su Yu nodded. "Strike first with the heavy club until they weep, then hand out the candied date! It has been so since ancient times! If you don't hurt them first, blindly offering benefits is never the right path!"
Su Yu laughed. "So-called cooperation and alliances are all built upon certain foundations: interests, sentiment, future prospects... and deterrence! Right now, our sentiment isn't deep enough, the interests aren't substantial enough, and the future is uncertain. Therefore, deterrence comes first!"
"..."
Left with no retort, the Fate Emperor could only nod and hold his peace.
However, seeing that Su Yu was about to depart, he followed behind him and quickly asked, "Emperor Yu, can Tiangu and the others be taken down?"
"No hurry," Su Yu smiled. "What's the rush? There's no need to corner them into fighting to the death. Why bother? Give them a glimmer of hope. If they are driven to a dead end, they might just risk it all. You always have to leave people some hope; I don't want to see them fighting with their backs to the river, burning their bridges behind them!"
"Slicing flesh with a dull knife is far better. Look, I keep carving away at them slice by slice. I've carved off eleven Dao Integration experts without suffering any losses myself. Even after being carved up, they're still reluctant to die right now. Every living being fears death! Those powerful beings fear it even more!"
The Fate Emperor nodded. "They are aware of it too, yet they still cling to hope—hoping Emperor Yu won't forcefully assault their realms before the upper realm opens. Therefore, I believe that if Emperor Yu wishes to stall until the natural opening, it would be best not to assault the realms in these coming years!"
This was the voice of seasoned prudence.
Forcing an assault now would easily breed despair, and in despair, they would stake everything on the line!
"I know my limits!"
"Then forgive my unsolicited advice."
The Fate Emperor knew Su Yu possessed an overbearing nature. Had he not been overbearing, he would never have entered the Destiny Realm alone. This youth was even more domineering and direct than King Wen of old, and considerably more unnerving.
King Wen, in fact, had been relatively approachable.
Before long, Su Yu stepped out of the Destiny Realm. Beyond the realm border, the gathered experts all turned their heads. Su Yu said nothing, and the Fate Emperor following behind remained silent as well.
Su Yu surveyed his surroundings, gazing down upon the world. After a long while, he asked, "What is the situation with the Archaic Giant race?"
King Dazhou noticed everyone turning their eyes toward him. After a pause, he replied in a deep voice, "Reporting to Emperor Yu, the Archaic Giant race... has... some ties to the Hundred Battles King."
Su Yu had already guessed as much.
He nodded. "Was that how you contacted them before?"
"Yes."
"And now?"
"Previously... I called upon a favor owed to the Hundred Battles King. Now... their intentions are unclear."
Su Yu nodded. "Go as an envoy to the Archaic Giant race and demand their stance! Three choices: first, an ally of the immortals, demons, and gods; second, my ally; third, an ally of the Hundred Battles King! If the first, exterminate them without fail! If the second, the Archaic Giant King must come to the Human Realm to pay homage! If the third... seal their realm! Let him wait for the Hundred Battles King!"
King Dazhou replied solemnly, "Understood!"
"Go right now!"
King Dazhou hesitated for an instant before departing swiftly.
Su Yu intended to draw clear lines between friend and foe among all the strong.
Whoever was not with him was an enemy!
Fortunately, he had provided a third option: seal their own realm and forbid arbitrary departures. Even if they stepped out, they would have to cause a stir so they wouldn't disrupt his plans.
King Dazhou dared not delay, departing at once to serve as an envoy to the Archaic Giant race.
Meanwhile, Su Yu gazed down upon the heavens, his voice reverberating throughout the myriad realms: "Tiangu, Jiwu, Moji—seal your realms! I need time to await the opening of the upper realm, and you need time to await it as well!"
"If I launch an assault on your realms and force a fight to the death, none of you want to be slain by me. Both I and all of you require time! You do not wish to die, and I do not wish to face the upper realm's mighty experts prematurely!"
"Seal your realms, giving everyone an honorable retreat. Do not force me to storm your realms in a mutual destruction!"
Su Yu's voice turned ice-cold. "The choice is yours! Whichever realm refuses to seal itself shall be annihilated this very day! I want to see who among you is willing to bury themselves alongside those who refuse to seal their borders! When the upper realm opens, you still have a chance. Right now... do you stand any chance at all?"
His voice shook the myriad heavens!
Surges of terrifying aura erupted from Su Yu's side.
"I still have forces I haven't deployed—King Wen's dog possesses Heavenly King combat strength! The Thirty-Six Guardians are all peak Eternals! If any of you believe you can contend, feel free to try!"
Su Yu barked coldly, "Seal your realms within a single day, or else... we breach your borders in total war! Before I die, I will purge the myriad realms!"
The Myriad Realms fell utterly silent.
Su Yu played no deceitful games and pulled no punches. Either you sealed your realm and waited, or... war would breach your borders today.
One path to life, one path to death—which would they choose?
Even if the realms were breached, Su Yu would not have an easy time either, and it might trigger an early opening of the upper realm. Crucially, however, his forces were more than sufficient to beat them to death; he possessed the strength to carry it out.
Above the Immortal Realm, Tiangu's phantom manifestation hovered, gazing toward Su Yu in the sky, who shone with dazzling radiance!
In the past, he, Tiangu, had been the ruler of these heavens.
Today, it was Su Yu.
From beginning to end, a mere three years had passed.
Tiangu sighed softly in his heart, his voice calm. "Su Yu, if you wish for us to seal our realms, so be it! However, if you launch a forceful assault on any single realm, we shall fight to the death..."
Su Yu sneered mockingly. "Do you dare? Tiangu, if the Demon Realm claims they dare, I'd believe it! If the God Realm claims they dare, I'd believe it too! But you, Tiangu, are the most cowardly and death-fearing of all—you don't even dare step outside your realm to do battle! Cut the nonsense with me! I'll bet others might dare fight to the death with me, but I bet you won't! If you don't believe me, let your immortal race try leaving your realm unsealed!"
Tiangu's expression turned exceedingly grim.
A public slap in the face!
Su Yu was ruthlessly slapping his face.
Su Yu added faintly, "Stop putting on airs. It's one thing to fear death, but you even undermine your own allies! Tiangu, did you think I couldn't see through you? Perhaps... you possess Heavenly King combat strength yourself, yet you act like a subservient coward, secretly wishing I'd slaughter more of the immortal race's powerhouses! Don't think I don't know: those Dao Integration experts who cultivate the Dao of the Immortal Emperor are practically all dead. In truth, anyone among the various races who has lived long enough can deduce it by looking back. How many experts cultivating the Immortal Emperor's Dao have perished across the previous nine tides? They know the tally!"
Su Yu chuckled with derision. "You might fool others, but can you fool me? People within the immortal race likely know as well. As I see it, figures like Hanxiang were never incapable of advancing to Dao Integration—they simply cultivated the Dao of Life and didn't dare advance! Jade King, Hanxiang, and the rest have been stranded in the Eternal Realm for countless ages. Was it truly because they couldn't advance? Even talentless and unprincipled mediocre fools like King Bing and King Fu managed to break through, yet figures like Hanxiang, who dominated an entire tide, couldn't? How ridiculous!"
"Everyone knows the truth in their hearts: they simply didn't dare!"
"Choosing to die of old age rather than dare to integrate with the Dao—how pathetic, how sorrowful!"
The myriad realms were dead silent.
Was this truly a secret?
Not entirely!
It was simply the first time someone had laid it bare before the entire cosmos.
Just prior to this, Tiangu had explicitly stated that Marquis Yuan Sheng walked the Immortal Emperor's Great Dao. Overbearingly, Tiangu had commanded him to switch daos, and when the marquis refused, Tiangu bluntly told him to emulate the human Dao Integration experts of the last tide—to serve as vanguard and die!
Among the upper echelons of the immortal race, this was hardly a secret.
Everyone knew it!
Thus, walking the Immortal Emperor's Dao of Life was tantamount to opposing Tiangu; everyone understood that.
Previously, no one had dared say it aloud.
Now, Su Yu had exposed Tiangu before the eyes of the myriad realms. Above the Immortal Realm, Tiangu's expression darkened slightly as he said in a heavy voice, "Su Yu, every race operates like this, so why bother? To say nothing of my race, what of your human race...?"
Su Yu cut him off directly: "Shut your mouth! Don't bring up the Hundred Battles King—he has nothing to do with me! I, Su Yu, have no need for such vile tactics!"
Tiangu scoffed, "King Wen's Dao of the Brush..."
*Haven't you monopolized that as well?!*
*And you have the gall to criticize me?*
Su Yu gave a faint smile. "Whosoever in the Human Realm can step onto the Dao of the Brush, I shall voluntarily yield the way. These words stand as Su Yu's vow, witnessed by the heavens! You ridiculous wretch, are you even worthy of being compared to me? Why don't you proclaim that you will yield the way to anyone who steps onto the Immortal Emperor's Dao? If you do, I will grant you three parts of respect!"
Tiangu looked at Su Yu, chuckled softly after a long pause, and said no more.
A moment later, the Immortal Realm trembled as a towering aura surged upward.
The realm was sealed!
He had no desire to bicker further with Su Yu.
In a battle of words, despite Su Yu's youth, his tongue was sharp, his insight vast, and his knowledge deep. Furthermore, Su Yu possessed immense magnanimity; that single offer to yield the Dao of the Brush had instantly extinguished Tiangu's will to dispute.
Did Tiangu dare say the same?
He did not!
He could only swallow his grievances and take the bitter loss.
The Immortal Realm had sealed itself!
In that instant, the myriad heavens fell into stunned silence.
Even the strongest immortal race had chosen to yield for now and retreat three steps. How could the other races possibly fight on?
Soon, the Demon Realm sealed its borders.
After a short while, a coughing sound drifted from the God Realm, followed by Jiwu's voice: "Su Yu, the Former Imperial Consort wishes to speak a few words with you..."
Su Yu smiled, gazing toward the God Realm from afar.
"Say what?"
"You must have opened the Heavenly Gate. The Former Imperial Consort wishes to ask: is the Former Emperor... alive or dead?"
Intriguing!
Su Yu laughed. "Perhaps he is alive! Who knows? I cannot peer into the daos of those supreme powerhouses! Since your Former Imperial Consort asked, I have answered truthfully. I hear that several Sun Moon experts from our human race fled to the god race in the past and converted their bloodlines. Slay them now, and consider the favor repaid!"
The God Emperor was struck speechless.
Su Yu chuckled. "Unwilling? Then forget it!"
Yet at that very moment, an aged voice sounded: "Kill them. Consider it repayment for the current Human Lord's reply. This old woman... merely missed my Emperor. Though there is no definitive answer, it brings a sliver of hope—hope that I might live to see the day my Emperor returns."
Su Yu remarked impassively, "Let us hope so! At the final moment before the upper realm opens, you all had best be careful. If I cannot survive... whether you survive will depend on luck! At that final moment, in five years or so, I will surely attack the myriad races!"
Those words sent shivers through the hearts of several powerhouses.
At the final moment before the upper realm opened, Su Yu would surely attack the myriad races... Since he had declared it, he would certainly do it!
That would also be the most perilous moment.
Five years at most!
Silence reigned in every direction. A moment later, several corpses were cast outside the God Realm, and with a thunderous boom, the God Realm sealed itself as well!
The powerhouses had closed their realms!
This was an unprecedented feat throughout the ages, yet in this tide, it had become reality.
Leading the experts of all sides, Su Yu had suppressed the myriad realms!
At this moment, Su Yu was only twenty-one years old.
Across the Human Realm, countless humans cheered and danced with joy.
"Wise and sagacious is Emperor Yu!"
Earth-shattering cries resounded through the cosmos. At that moment, the Iron-Eating Beast Realm, the Hou Realm, the Ancient Space Beast Realm... and various small vassal realms erupted in cheers. The myriad races bowed in homage!
The human race's fortune surged precipitously!
Upon Su Yu's body, the Human Lord Seal instantly manifested. In the next breath, maps of realm after realm surfaced upon the seal, no longer confined strictly to the Human Realm.
Su Yu's aura became ethereal as golden light enveloped heaven and earth.
At this very moment, he had achieved a brilliance unprecedented in the previous nine tides!
Zero Dao Integration casualties, while slaying eleven Dao Integration experts!
The myriad races had sealed their realms!
Above the Human Realm, Su Yu's manifestation blanketed the sky. Across the myriad heavens and realms, all could witness a mighty phantom seated over the Human Realm as the Master of the Human Realm, Su Yu, won the hearts of the people once more.
Even if such brilliance could only be sustained for five years...
It was enough!
Five years was still an unrivaled epoch of splendor. So long as humanity endured, even if Su Yu fell in battle five years later, he had carved an indelible mark across the span of a hundred thousand years!
Right at this moment, in the distance, a thunderous roar erupted from the Archaic Giant Realm as it sealed itself.
Su Yu narrowed his eyes and smiled.
Interesting!
They had actually chosen the third path. The Hundred Battles King had a first-rate track record of ruining his allies, yet at such a juncture, the Archaic Giant race chose to support the Hundred Battles King. This was... somewhat baffling.
Su Yu had assumed they would choose the second option!
A moment later, King Dazhou returned, looking somewhat awkward as he faced Su Yu. "Reporting to Emperor Yu..."
"Speak plainly. Why? Is there a reason?"
King Dazhou grinned sheepishly before explaining, "There is. The Archaic Giant King said... his... his daughter and the Hundred Battles King... well... bore an offspring, who is none other than the current Crown Prince of the Archaic Giant race! I..."
The crowd stood dumbfounded. *There was such a thing?!*
Even the Hou Emperor could not help asking, "Is that true? How did we not know?"
"I... I didn't know before either," King Dazhou said, utterly embarrassed. "Truly, I was unaware of this before. I only knew that the Hundred Battles King and the Archaic Giant race shared some private rapport."
Su Yu laughed. "Fascinating! A descendant of the Hundred Battles King? How entertaining! Forget it, I understand! Let them be! Since they chose to seal their realm, that is their own choice. Should they dare open their realm rashly, execute them!"
With that, Su Yu turned toward the Human Realm and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Armies of the Human Realm, four generals, hear my command! Conquer the myriad races of the heavens! Subjugate all realms devoid of Dao Integration experts! Those who disobey shall suffer the destruction of their race and realm! Those who surrender must yield thirty percent of their realm's resources! Fall short by a single sliver, and your race and realm shall be annihilated!"
"As you command!"
A sky-shaking roar resonated across the myriad heavens and realms!
Excitement and exhilaration were beyond words.
A campaign across the heavens!
Su Yu shouted again, "Reward the Heavenly Horse race of the myriad races with ten carriers and one thousand drops of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid! Reward the Mountain Gazelle race of the myriad races with eight carriers and one thousand drops of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid! Annihilate the Xuan Armor race—total extinction, execute them without mercy, spare no one!"
"Exterminate the Cloud Tiger, Wild Bull, and Flying Tiger races—slaughter them to the last!"
"As you command!"
Another thunderous response shook the skies!
Beside Su Yu, among the experts of the various races, some were astonished, some bewildered, and some deeply unnerved.
What was going on?
Meanwhile, the corners of King Daxia's mouth twitched slightly. This... this kid held a terrible grudge.
Of course, he also remembered favors.
This matter traced all the way back to Su Yu's flight from the Great Xia Prefecture; he still remembered it!
Truly impressive!
Races like the Cloud Tigers had been campaigned against by the Great Xia Prefecture before, but because of the Flying Tiger race's protection, they hadn't been thoroughly wiped out. Now... Su Yu truly hadn't forgotten!
His memory was impeccable!
Debts of vengeance were repaid with vengeance, and debts of gratitude with gratitude!
The same applied to the Xuan Armor race. Su Yu had kept them in mind, and now he ordered their extermination.
Those races could only await death.
There was nowhere left to flee!
King Daqin glanced at Su Yu, wondering if he was being a bit too vindictive. On second thought, he let it go; Su Yu had already issued the command, and damaging Su Yu's face right now would be inappropriate.
Su Yu remained completely calm.
What was the point of achieving glory and fame?
Certainly not to laugh away past enmity, but to repay vengeance with vengeance!
I said I would destroy you, so destroyed you shall be!
Await your deaths!
Those races had provoked him in the past and nearly cost him his life. If he didn't slaughter them, whom would he slaughter?
At that moment, countless beings from several small realms fled frantically through their realm passageways.
Fleeing into the heavens!
Even though the Myriad Realms Battlefield was crawling with humans, that was still better than being wiped out in one fell swoop inside their home realms!
Within the Xuan Armor Realm, King Xuan Armor wore a look of profound sorrow, making no attempt to flee.
The weak could run, but as an Eternal, he had nowhere to hide.
His only choices were to fight to the death or surrender to human execution, hoping the humans might spare some remnant of the Xuan Armor race's bloodline.
...
At this moment, Su Yu was king over the heavens!
Not a single person stepped forward to voice dissent.
Having slain eleven Dao Integration experts in succession, Su Yu's prestige surpassed all others.
Unless antiquity was reborn and figures like King Wen returned, none could challenge him. Yet this was not King Wen's era; those figures existed only in legends, whereas Su Yu was a living myth!
...
At the same time.
Tianmie Ancient City.
King Dazhou materialized instantly before four individuals who appeared to be in the Shanhai Realm. In truth, they were not Shanhai; King Dazhou possessed sharp vision and recognized at a glance that they were all Eternals!
Definitely not the Shanhai Realm!
It made sense—any actual Shanhai would have been ground to ash long ago.
The four experts blanched.
King Dazhou wore a faint smile. "This old man is the Fire Spreader Zhou Tianqi, of the first generation! Everyone, please make a journey to the Human Realm to exchange a few words with Emperor Yu! Say nothing to me; wait until you meet Emperor Yu! Furthermore, I hope you... exercise some wits. Everything that occurred today played out right before your eyes. If you do not wish to die a miserable death... keep a low profile."
The group turned pale. The woman among them whispered, "Greetings, Senior. Thank you for the warning, Senior, and congratulations... on winning this battle with flying colors!"
King Dazhou chuckled softly. "It is all Emperor Yu's merit. Please... do not drag me down!"
Their expressions shifted slightly.
King Dazhou smiled. "Let us go. Along the way, I'll mention a few pointers; do take them to heart."
Among the four, the middle-aged man said in a deep voice, "Please enlighten us, Senior."
"First, answer whatever is asked without concealment."
"Second, maintain a respectful attitude and mention the Hundred Battles King as little as possible."
"Third, never contradict Emperor Yu."
"Fourth, woman... speak less."
The woman looked surprised. What... what did that mean?
King Dazhou offered no further explanation. That kid Su Yu had no fondness for women and was intensely wary of them, convinced that the Hundred Battles King had been ruined by a woman. It was best for a woman to speak as little as possible with him, lest a wave of irritation prompt him to execute them all without even asking questions.
The middle-aged man asked solemnly, "Senior, was the current Human Lord chosen by you?"
"Me?"
King Dazhou laughed. "I forgot to mention this: do not bring up such things. We do not choose the Human Lord; the Human Lord... decides whether we exist! Emperor Yu is nothing like the previous nine generations of Human Lords. Whatever thoughts you harbor, your lives are your own."
"Would he kill us?"
"Of course!"
The four fell silent.
King Dazhou chuckled. "Why wouldn't he? Before seeing this battle, you might have harbored some wishful thinking. Now that you've seen it, if you court death, I wouldn't mind doing you the favor to keep from dragging others down! Being foolish once can be forgiven, but being foolish repeatedly means you can go die!"
The group fell silent again, following King Dazhou toward the Human Realm.
A moment later, another figure materialized in the void, causing the four to tense up!
They recognized him!
Wan Tiansheng!
The entity who had single-handedly slain the Nether Emperor just moments ago—another terrifying existence.
"Director Wan!"
"King Dazhou!"
Wan Tiansheng smiled, looking at the four. "Are these the ones?"
"Yes."
"Four Eternals managed to descend? Quite a rarity!"
King Dazhou smiled. "I suspect there were far more than just these few. The group was sizable, but the others must have perished. These four had decent luck, correct?"
A look of grief crossed the middle-aged man's face before he said heavily, "Yes. There were sixteen Eternals and twenty-two Sun Moons, thirty-eight in total. Only the four of us survived!"
"Quite good luck indeed!" King Dazhou remarked casually. "For four to survive despite mediocre strength is fortunate. Ordinarily, anyone below Dao Integration should have been torn to shreds! It seems life in the upper realm is rather harsh... Still, being able to dispatch so many Eternals and Sun Moons down below suggests things aren't entirely hopeless—not like the seven or eight survivors I had imagined."
The middle-aged man said in a deep voice, "There aren't many Dao Integration experts left, but some powerful individuals sheltered others, so a fair number of experts remain."
King Dazhou nodded and pressed no further.
Wan Tiansheng, however, took some interest and smiled. "Were you gathered together, or scattered?"
"Scattered. We serve under Marquis Dingjun. Marquis Dingjun himself is also a Fire Spreader..."
"So we can also be considered part of the Fire Spreader lineage!"
King Dazhou chuckled. "What kind of Fire Spreader is he? In the last tide, his son was a Fire Spreader, but he died. Just because his son was a Fire Spreader, does that make him one? Never mind, let's not debate this. Strictly speaking, he barely qualifies!"
The four dared not argue.
Before this, they might have dared, but not now.
The lower realm was perhaps more terrifying than the upper realm.
That Su Yu had led his forces to slay six Dao Integration experts in a single day, forcing even figures like Tiangu to seal their realms. Tiangu was a name familiar even to those descending for the first time—the leader of the Immortal Realm.
Even in the upper realm, Tiangu possessed a substantial foundation.
They were extremely uneasy. King Dazhou had arrived directly for them, proving that the human race had known of their existence all along. That was chilling—hadn't they stayed hidden before?
As it turned out, they had been under surveillance from the start!
At that moment, Wan Tiansheng transmitted his voice: "King Dazhou, how strong is Marquis Dingjun?"
"Fairly decent. Roughly... comparable to Old Qin right now."
"Then he is indeed quite formidable!"
Wan Tiansheng nodded slightly, then added via transmission, "It will depend on their fortune. King Dazhou... do not provoke him again! And do not squander the trust you've just begun rebuilding for the sake of a few Eternals from the upper realm!"
King Dazhou nodded without answering.
The newly built trust referred to his smooth completion of the task Su Yu had assigned him, easily slaying two Marquises.
He was very useful!
Su Yu should be in a relatively good mood. If another conflict arose, despite his usefulness... Wan Tiansheng was worried Su Yu might erupt.
That kid had an atrocious temper.
...
Meanwhile, Su Yu paid little mind to those four.
He had mentioned wanting to see them, but it was hardly an urgent priority. What was the rush?
He hadn't even bothered sending people to shadow them, simply leaving King Dazhou to bring them over.
At present, the one Su Yu wanted to see was Lan Tian.
This was his primary concern.
Inside the Hall of Emperor Yu.
Lan Tian had currently transformed into a little girl, smiling playfully at Su Yu. Su Yu felt an immense headache coming on.
"Director Lan..."
"Big Brother Emperor Yu!"
The little girl Lan Tian called out, brimming with delight.
Su Yu's expression shifted repeatedly. *I, Su Yu, have slaughtered Dao Integration experts, battled Heavenly Kings, and struck the Martial Emperor. In all the myriad realms today, there is no one I dare not fight or kill.*
*I fear nothing between heaven and earth... yet damn it all, I truly feel apprehensive around Lan Tian.*
There was no helping it!
If this were an enemy, he would have swatted them dead with a single palm. The trouble was that Lan Tian had repeatedly rendered great service and shared a profound bond with Wan Tiansheng, leaving Su Yu completely helpless.
Su Yu chose not to dwell on the form of address. Whenever Lan Tian transformed into someone, he threw his emotions and personality entirely into the role, making it impossible to distinguish genuine from fake. This was precisely the brilliance of his clone technique—everything was utterly lifelike!
Su Yu quickly asked, "Have the items been buried?"
"Big Brother Emperor Yu, they've been buried! But the three realms of gods, demons, and immortals haven't been planted. They're too formidable; I couldn't get close!"
"Do all the other realms have them?"
"Uh-huh!"
The little girl nodded, asking happily, "Is Tiantian amazing or what?"
"..."
Fuck!
He was thoroughly defeated.
Su Yu said swiftly, "I understand. Director Lan rendered no small service this time. Once I take down a few realms, I will take Director Lan to observe the essence of the Great Dao. Director Lan may go attend to your duties now."
"I'm not busy..."
"No, you are busy!" Su Yu said sternly. "Director Lan Tian, you have many responsibilities! Across the myriad realms, I require eyes and ears everywhere. Are your clones deployed throughout the realms now? Do you exist in every corner of the myriad heavens and realms?"
Lan Tian paused. "That... that's too many. I don't have that many clones yet..."
"Exactly! That means your dao is not yet perfected! Go get busy—refine more clones. I want to see you throughout all the myriad realms!"
Su Yu spoke rapidly, "Once you finish refining living beings, try dead spirits as well! After refining dead spirits, attempt to craft clones to send into the upper realm! Intelligence is the very bedrock of our victory! If we catch the enemy off guard, where they know nothing of me while I know them inside out, how could we fail to win?"
Su Yu's words tumbled out at breakneck speed: "And all of this depends on Director Lan! In the future, once I triumph and unify the heavens, Manor Head Wan shall be the Sacred King, and Director Lan shall be the Sacred Heavenly King. I've already thought up titles for you both—they're practically identical!"
Lan Tian blinked, then stood up. "Alright, then I'm off to cultivate my clones. You promised, no backing out!"
"Naturally!"
Just then, Wan Tiansheng, who had arrived at the entrance of the grand hall, froze in his tracks. His expression contorted as he stared at Su Yu, a single word rising slowly in his heart—*fuck!*
*Do something decent for once!*
*You're not even human!*
Meanwhile, Lan Tian was overjoyed, skipping and bouncing like a child as he cheerfully walked out. Seeing Wan Tiansheng, he called out excitedly, "Big Brother Tiansheng, I'm off to get busy!"
With that, he glanced at the four newcomers from the upper realm, giggling playfully. "How intriguing! Big Brother Emperor Yu, could you leave these people to me? I can refine them! They feel a bit different from us!"
Having said that, the little girl bounded away.
Beside Wan Tiansheng, the four visitors wore bizarre expressions.
They didn't recognize this person.
Lan Tian?
They seemed to have heard of him, but having descended only recently, they hadn't gathered much intelligence yet.
Su Yu, on the other hand, chuckled and called after him, "Sure! If they misbehave, I'll hand them over to you. Director Lan, thank you for your hard work!"
"You're welcome, Big Brother Emperor Yu!"
Without looking back, Lan Tian skipped away into the distance.
The instant Lan Tian departed, something bizarre occurred. Just moments ago, outside the hall, there had been crowds of people—some playing, some arguing, some brawling, some reading... The four had initially found the surroundings rather noisy, but hadn't thought much of it.
Yet as Lan Tian left, hundreds of figures inside and outside the Hall of Emperor Yu vanished instantly—gone in the blink of an eye!
It was as if those people had never existed at all!
A sudden chill gripped the four. The bustling Emperor Yu's Residence had plunged into silence in an instant, striking terror into their hearts!
Behind them, King Dazhou's mouth twitched slightly as well.
This... Su Yu indulged Lan Tian to an extraordinary degree!
No one else dared linger near the Hall of Emperor Yu, so Lan Tian had stationed hundreds of clones here. King Dazhou had felt something was amiss earlier, but he hadn't realized that every single one of them was a clone! Even the dozen or so soldiers guarding the gates, whom he had assumed were assigned by Marquis Xia and the others, were actually Lan Tian!
Even King Dazhou felt a headache coming on.
These four fellows had better be obedient. The most terrifying fate wasn't being swatted dead by Su Yu's palm, but being handed over to Lan Tian—that would truly be a fate worse than death!
Wan Tiansheng paid little heed to that, feeling thoroughly exhausted at the moment.
Sacred King?
Sacred Heavenly King?
*Are you toying with me?!*
Refusing to comment, he stepped through the doors and announced, "Greetings, Emperor Yu. Wan Tiansheng of the Cleanliness Bureau, accompanied by King Dazhou, brings several visitors from the upper realm for an audience!"
King Dazhou bowed slightly as well. Su Yu smiled, looking at the four without saying a word.
He merely maintained his smile, yet that prolonged grin sent a creeping chill down the four visitors' spines.
This cursed place, this lower realm... why did it feel so thoroughly sinister?
Hadn't the upper realm claimed that the lower realm of this tide was exceptionally weak?
Yet every person they had encountered today inspired dread—the more they looked, the colder they felt!
They felt far more terrified than when facing Marquis Dingjun!
Marquis Dingjun possessed a powerful aura, to be sure, but in the upper realm, his strength was at best comparable to Marquis Meteor's. Yet today, several powerhouses of that very caliber had perished.
The warfare in the lower realm felt even more exaggerated than in the upper realm!
As the four pondered anxiously, unsure of what to say or how to address him, Su Yu smiled, his expression taking on a profoundly meaningful cast.
Eternals!
All four had actually survived. That meant that beyond the Destiny Realm, he might be able to grasp another exceptional passage!
This presented him with an immense advantage!
Setting everything else aside, this alone was a massive windfall.
Su Yu's smile grew increasingly radiant, striking ever deeper dread into the four, while King Dazhou and Wan Tiansheng looked on with helpless resignation. *Tone it down a bit, will you? Even the two of us are starting to feel uncomfortable!*
Chapter 696