Amiable Su Yu

Inside the Great Hall of Emperor Yu. Su Yu chuckled for a while until he sobered up, finally wiping the grin from his face. "Sit down and chat, everyone. No need to be so tense. Guests from the upper realm are all seniors." He seemed quite polite! Yet the more polite he was, the more terrifying he felt. The four looked toward King Dazhou and the others. Neither King Dazhou nor Wan Tiansheng said anything; they flanked the hall to the left and right, quietly taking their seats. The next moment, a teacup manifested before each of them, and they began sipping their tea. Their movements were remarkably synchronized! Both were seasoned old hands. Whenever nothing required their attention, they simply drank their tea and listened to others speak. Wan Tiansheng loved bringing his large tea mug to meetings, and King Dazhou was much the same. Both were scholars and had little taste for arguing until their faces flushed red and their necks swelled. Seeing this, the four upper-realm visitors dared not object and sat down as well. Su Yu smiled and said, "Give me a brief summary of the upper realm's situation, along with whatever requests you might have. Are there any instructions from above? Tell me everything—the status of the myriad races and some basic information." He then added, "And how should I address you four?" The four quickly introduced themselves. "Zhao Chuan!" "Ping Yao." "Zhou Nan." "Zhang Hong." Among the four, the oldest in appearance was Zhao Chuan, the female introduced herself as Ping Yao, and Su Yu did not pay much attention to the remaining two. Their strength was respectable. Of course, that was only compared to the present; in the past, if these four had descended to the lower realm, they would have been absolute hegemons. Every one of them was an Eternal! Zhao Chuan possessed the strength of a seventh-stage Eternal, while the other three were at the mid-stages. There were no low-stage Eternals among them; those had likely all perished. It was a decent force! Su Yu had previously assumed that with so few humans left in the upper realm and so many Dao Integration experts around, almost all of them would be at Dao Integration. Now it appeared that was not the case; there were quite a few Eternals as well. Su Yu gave a slight nod. Seeing Su Yu nod, the eldest, Zhao Chuan, secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly spoke: "Reporting to Your Excellency, we all serve under Marquis Dingjun of the human race! Over these thousands of years, our experts in the upper realm have struggled just to survive. To preserve the sparks of hope and allow the human race to rise again, countless powerhouses have fallen! As of today, only six human factions remain in the upper realm!" "Marquis Zhennan, hiding in Tianku Ridge!" "Marquis Yunshui, hiding in the Fuchen River." "Marquis Huoyun, hiding in Mount Shenhuo." "General Yingwu, temporarily residing in Yixian Gorge. And our own Marquis Dingjun." That was only five factions. Su Yu looked at him, and Zhao Chuan quickly added, "The last one is actually a lone wolf—Marquis Anying! He has no fixed dwelling and focuses on launching ambushes. In the past, the strongest faction was led by Marquis Minshan, but something happened to him... and the human force he commanded was annihilated." Five Marquises and one General, who had presumably advanced to Dao Integration as well. Such was the upper realm's current situation. Su Yu was in no hurry to ask about other matters. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Out of these six factions, how many are women?" "..." Zhao Chuan was bewildered, but dared not question it. He answered swiftly, "Marquis Yunshui and General Yingwu are women. As for Marquis Anying, I'm not certain because I have never seen him." Su Yu nodded slightly. "So that means there are only six Dao Integration experts?" "Those are all we know of for now." Zhao Chuan continued, "Because everyone is hiding and fleeing, some might have gone completely into seclusion to await the opening of the upper realm. Whether there are any others alive is unknown even to Lord Marquis Dingjun. What we know are only the factions currently active, including those launching counterattacks." Beside them, King Dazhou sighed softly. Only six left! In the previous tide, there were seventy to eighty human Dao Integration experts. Now only six remained. Truly, not even one in ten had survived! Noticing Su Yu looking over, King Dazhou sighed gently and asked, "I cannot help feeling emotional. Emperor Yu, may I ask a few questions?" "Please do, King Dazhou." King Dazhou looked at Zhao Chuan. "These are all survivors from the previous tide. In these thousands of years, have no new Dao Integration experts been born among you? The lower realm was sealed, but the upper realm was not, nor was there any need to enter hibernation. Your heritage was not broken, so has no one advanced to Dao Integration?" Zhao Chuan also sighed. "I haven't heard of any so far. Because the myriad races hunted us relentlessly, we have spent all our time fleeing and fighting constantly. Talented individuals were prime targets of their purges! Coupled with the scarcity of resources—and the fact that in the upper realm, the power of Great Daos is very conspicuous—whenever someone attempts Dao Integration, the myriad races have so many powerhouses that they quickly notice and swarm in pursuit..." Only six Dao Integration factions left, and they lived on the run. Six experts. In the past, Su Yu would have gasped at the realization that so many Dao Integration experts still survived in the upper realm. Now... he had slain six in a single day! Six was far too few! Su Yu smiled. "Then how many Dao Integration experts do the myriad races have?" "Well..." Zhao Chuan pondered and said, "I truly don't know the exact number; gathering intelligence is extremely difficult for us. But there are likely seventy or eighty! While the humans produced no new Dao Integration experts, the myriad races have produced many. Because they hold dominant power and occupy the upper realm's resources, new Dao Integration experts have emerged among them." "Seventy or eighty Dao Integration experts, and they couldn't wipe you out?" Su Yu sounded doubtful. Were the myriad races that useless? It had been so many years, and he had heard they never entered hibernation either. Zhao Chuan explained, "The upper realm is actually vast, and perilous lands abound! As long as the human race doesn't linger in one place for too long and keeps venturing deep into dangerous zones, hunting us is very difficult for them! Often, to kill one human, the myriad races lose two or even three of their own!" "During the first millennium after the ninth tide ended, purges were relentless. Back then, over a dozen human Dao Integration experts fled to the upper realm. Lord Marquis Minshan and several other lords were exceptionally powerful and struck back... Fierce battles raged constantly. Later, several top human experts fell in battle, and Marquis Minshan ordered all sides to scatter and hide, breaking up into smaller units to make encirclement far harder for the myriad races!" Zhao Chuan quickly continued, "From then on, the intensity of their encirclements lessened significantly. Furthermore, the myriad races are not a monolithic block. There are treasures in the upper realm—many treasures, especially Daos of rules..." Fearing Su Yu might not understand, he clarified, "There are masterless rule Daos in the upper realm! Some are broken, and some are intact. It is said that whoever claims a masterless rule Dao has hope of becoming a Ruler of Rules! Therefore, while hunting humans, the myriad races were also competing for these treasures." "As the human powerhouses dwindled, the myriad races could free their hands, and in the later stages, most of their energy was spent fighting each other!" Only a handful of human Dao Integration experts remained, and they were hiding in dead secrecy. The myriad race experts had a simple plan: rather than combing every corner to find them, it was better to wait for the lower realm to open. Could these old human antiques truly sit by and watch the human race be destroyed without intervening? Tiangu and the others previously held back from wiping out humanity with the same thought. If they wiped out the lower-realm humans completely, those old antiques in the upper realm might never come down, choosing instead to hide and oppose them indefinitely. Thus, those in the upper realm had inadvertently served a purpose—they had kept humanity from being destroyed early on. The humans in the lower realm were bait. "Are there any Rulers of Rules in the upper realm?" "No!" Zhao Chuan shook his head. "It is said that several old antiques might be approaching that level, but there are no true Rulers of Rules. If there were, they would have shown themselves long ago! Most of those powerhouses are currently in seclusion, rarely appearing! Their hearts are entirely set on stepping into that realm!" He added, "According to upper-realm rumors, it is difficult for Rulers of Rules to emerge in this era, primarily due to the lack of certain essential elements..." Seeing Su Yu looking at him, he shook his head. "As for what specifically is missing, I don't know. However, back in the ancient era, so many Rulers of Rules were born. There is no reason why none have emerged over all these years! Rulers of Rules are indeed peerlessly formidable, yet during the ancient era, over a hundred appeared in a short span of time. Many who survive today were Marquises in the ancient era. To be enfeoffed as a Marquis, one had to be an expert even back then. After a hundred thousand years, why has no one been able to step into that realm?" Su Yu grew contemplative. The old antiques in the upper realm might truly have discovered something. Indeed, a hundred thousand years had passed. The Dao Integration experts of old couldn't all have integrated into someone else's Dao, could they? Even if they had, the original masters couldn't all still be alive, could they? Then why had not a single one emerged in all these years? Had the Human Sovereign and his peers done something behind the scenes? Su Yu could only think along these lines. Meanwhile, Zhao Chuan spoke again: "Rumor has it that it might be related to the River of Time. In fact, the cessation of new Rulers of Rules began many years ago. It seemed to stop after the grand enfeoffment of the ancient era!" Su Yu nodded slightly. "In other words, there are no Rulers of Rules in the upper realm, but there should be experts approaching that level." "Yes, there are!" Su Yu smiled. "I'm curious about one thing: aside from Dao Integration experts, are there many beings of other cultivation realms in the upper realm?" "Many," Zhao Chuan nodded. "During the ancient migration, some Eternals followed them up. Passed down through generations, even if they produced few offspring, the span of time was simply too long. Over a hundred thousand years, and with the upper realm never sealed, the various races have built many giant cities up there!" To the side, King Dazhou interjected, "The upper realm is immense. The Allhead Battlefield is merely a testing ground. In fact, after the ancient era began, the human race's goal was to open up the upper realm, even contemplating migrating humanity there! The upper realm has richer origin qi and stronger rule power." At this point, King Dazhou hesitated before continuing, "Back then, the human race discovered the Dead Spirit Realm. Later, human experts suggested that since humanity had unified the heavens, our race should also open a grand realm to distinguish ourselves from the myriad races! Ideally, like the Dead Spirit Realm, it would be separate from the myriad realms, together forming three tiers of heaven and earth: the Outer Heavens where humanity resided at the top, the myriad realms of the heavens in the middle, and the Dead Spirit Realm below!" "In fact, work had already begun back then. The original purpose of building the Star Residence Mansion was to serve as a traveling palace, but humanity's primary goal was the upper realm!" Su Yu asked with some doubt, "Did the upper realm already exist originally, or was it carved out later on?" "It already existed, but it was more akin to the endless void!" King Dazhou explained again, "It was like the legends of the creation of heaven and earth, but left unfinished! The myriad realms were opened successfully, but the upper realm and the Dead Spirit Realm were incomplete. Later, supreme experts perfected the Dead Spirit Realm, and the human race sought to perfect the upper realm as well! Substantial manpower and resources were invested, but before it could be fully completed, the ancient upheaval erupted!" Su Yu understood. "I see. The human race... was it the Human Sovereign? Did he want to open a Dao similar to the Dead Spirit Dao? One detached from the River of Time?" Thinking of this, Su Yu stroked his chin. "Wait, that's not right. According to my logic, connecting to the River of Time should be harder in the upper realm! If humanity wanted to open their own Dao and their own river, then just like the Dead Spirit Realm, a single Dao should reign supreme!" He looked toward Zhao Chuan. "In your upper realm, is opening the River of Time difficult?" "Not at all," Zhao Chuan explained. "Not only is it not difficult, it feels even easier than in the lower realm. That's why cultivating and advancing in the upper realm is actually somewhat simpler." "That doesn't make sense!" Su Yu frowned. That contradicted his expectations. According to his reasoning, if the upper realm was meant to be like the Dead Spirit Realm—establishing an independent Dao—they would have shielded it from the interference of the River of Time. Unless... Su Yu's eyes flickered. Unless the human race wanted to steal the power of the River of Time! Diverting it! Opening the River of Time was easier... Could it be that ancient human powerhouses secretly tore a massive opening in the River of Time, planning to divert its waters into the upper realm? Or had they simply severed a section of the River of Time and relocated it to the upper realm? All sorts of thoughts surfaced. Su Yu made mental deductions. According to certain claims, the upper realm's foundation was actually inferior to the lower realm's. Tiangu and his peers refused to leave even on pain of death, and that wasn't purely because they couldn't bear to part with their power in the lower realm. Even if Tiangu went to the upper realm, he wouldn't be a minor soldier. Their refusal to leave—including Marquis Jiantian's—seemed to stem from the lower realm having a deeper foundation and offering a greater chance of becoming a Ruler of Rules. *Perhaps those fellows know something,* Su Yu thought to himself, forming a rough picture in his mind. Moreover, he had learned that the humans of that era had wanted to emulate the Dead Spirit Realm. Perhaps it was the Human Sovereign who wished to open an independent Dao to break free from the influence of the River of Time. Evidently, however, it had failed! The upper realm failed to establish that Dao, and what was worse, it was later occupied by the myriad races. *I have opened the Heavenly Gate. If I go to the upper realm to take a look, I might be able to see something.* *Furthermore, it is said that after the upper realm is sealed, those from the upper realm in the lower realm will be repelled and must either return or find a place to take shelter. For so many people to be repelled, it must be the power of the River of Time rejecting them!* Thoughts flashed through his mind one after another. Su Yu weighed everything internally, then soon smiled. "Then I'll trouble you all to draw out the geography and terrain of the upper realm later, including the major cities of every race, the distribution of experts, the perilous areas, and strategic strongholds. List the names of all the Dao Integration experts as well!" "My lord, we don't know that much..." Su Yu interrupted with a smile, "No matter, a general understanding is enough! Later, I'll go kill King Fu and extract his memories; that should tell me plenty. Also, now that Marquis Meteor and Marquis Abyss have been slain, I can extract some of their memories too. Piecing them together should roughly outline a complete upper realm!" "King Dazhou may have been to the upper realm in the past. While he might not know the current state, he should know how it was in the ancient era." "Besides, the dead can speak. Finding a few dead spirits will also provide some information." Su Yu tapped gently on his chair and chuckled. "So, what was your purpose in descending to the lower realm this time?" Zhao Chuan answered hurriedly, "Actually... it has actually been accomplished! Marquis Dingjun sent us down hoping the lower-realm humans could help pin down the myriad races, create some pressure, or, like before, slay a few Eternals to shake the powerhouses of the myriad races in the upper realm, relieving some pressure for the upper realm." "After Marquis Minshan was killed, the myriad races began besieging Marquis Zhennan at Tianku Ridge again, and our faction has also been targeted!" Zhao Chuan said helplessly, "Because of this, and because a grand battle seemed to have erupted in the lower realm earlier—where King Bing, King Fu, Marquis Abyss, and Marquis Tianlong all descended—it actually relieved quite a bit of pressure and burden for the humans in the upper realm." The objective was indeed simple, and in fact, it had already been achieved. The upper realm would certainly learn that so many experts had died. Yet Su Yu found it amusing. "Does that really work? If I were the myriad races and couldn't descend, I would naturally find a way to slaughter all the humans in the upper realm first. Aren't you afraid the pressure will become even greater?" Su Yu narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Or was your idea simply to bait more myriad race experts into descending?" Zhao Chuan admitted awkwardly, "There was a bit of that intention. Because in this tide, humanity had been very weak, yet managed to provoke so many Dao Integration experts from the myriad races to descend. Marquis Dingjun thought some changes might have occurred in the lower realm, and that you might possess the strength to assist us." Having said that, he added, "Right, there is one more thing. Lord Marquis Dingjun instructed us that if the opportunity arose, we should see if we could make a trip to the Dead Spirit Realm to seek out human powerhouses there, asking them to buy us some time! That's why we went to Tianmie City earlier, hoping to investigate whether we could enter the Dead Spirit Realm..." Su Yu smiled. "Seek out whom? Just searching blindly?" "Not blindly. On the human side in the Eastern King Manor, it seems Marquis Lanshan is still there..." Zhao Chuan explained. "The Eastern King Manor is the territory of a Heavenly King powerhouse, one of the four Dead Spirit Heavenly Kings enfeoffed by the human race back then! Our race still has powerhouses there, and Marquis Dingjun has some ties with her. If Your Excellency is willing to let us enter the Dead Spirit Realm, I can make introductions for you!" Zhao Chuan seemed to finally find a shred of confidence. Indeed, he had no leverage in the living realm. However, in the Dead Spirit Realm, Marquis Dingjun had an old acquaintance! Marquis Lanshan! He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Earlier, he had been somewhat worried that this man would act recklessly and slaughter the four of them. But now, Zhao Chuan said hurriedly, "My lord, we can introduce Marquis Lanshan to Lord Hongmeng to help relieve some of Lord Hongmeng's burden as a Realm Guardian... That way, the pressure on humanity will be greatly reduced!" Su Yu smiled faintly. "Is that so? From what I know, Marquis Lanshan doesn't seem to have much say in the Eastern King Manor." Zhao Chuan's heart trembled slightly, but he quickly replied, "As long as it doesn't infringe upon the Eastern King's interests, it shouldn't be a big problem..." Su Yu yawned and smiled. Suddenly, a great seal shot forth! It streaked straight toward the heavens outside! Su Yu had never opened a dead spirit channel within the Human Realm because... it was too dangerous. He hadn't located the Human Realm's corresponding position within the Four Kings' domains. Beneath the Human Realm might very well be the Land of Guixu. Therefore, even when going to the Dead Spirit Realm, he would not cross through the Human Realm. At this moment, the great seal soared into the sky, swiftly exiting the Human Realm. A moment later, the seal plunged directly into Hongmeng Ancient City. Passing through unimpeded, no one dared obstruct it. It flew all the way into the Eastern King Manor. Marquis Lanshan soon emerged from the hall. After a brief communication with the seal, the great seal transformed into a suit of battle armor, enveloping Marquis Lanshan. Marquis Lanshan's death qi was completely masked! Immediately after, she followed the seal, flying straight out of the dead spirit channel. The Old Turtle glanced at her, parted his mouth, and stood speechless for a long time. With the human race's fortune surging, this Human Lord Seal had grown even stronger. It could even bring out a dead spirit while shielding against the rules' punishment! Why was Su Yu bringing Marquis Lanshan out of the realm? ... The Old Turtle didn't interfere. No one could use Su Yu's Human Lord Seal unless Su Yu permitted them. The great seal pierced straight through heaven and earth, rapidly descending into the Human Realm. Inside the Great Hall of Emperor Yu. The others had no idea what Su Yu was doing. Just then, King Dazhou and Wan Tiansheng both experienced a flicker in their eyes, turning to look outside. The next instant, a great seal traversed the River of Time. Within the seal, there seemed to be a person. Soon, the seal took the form of battle armor wrapped around the figure. Marquis Lanshan was deeply shaken, but beneath the shock lay immense excitement. This... seemed to be the Human Realm! Clad in the seal armor, she entered the hall swiftly, dropped to one knee, and shouted with boundless excitement, "Lanshan pays her respects to Your Majesty! Your Majesty summoned me into the Human Realm—do you have military orders to bestow?" Su Yu chuckled softly. "Don't be nervous. There is no battle. The battle... has already been won! You are also a top general of my Yu Emperor Manor. I summoned you here today simply to get acquainted with a few colleagues!" Su Yu chuckled and said, "As it happens, someone claimed his master knows you. Do you know Marquis Dingjun?" "Marquis Dingjun?" Marquis Lanshan pondered for a moment and replied, "I seem to remember the name. I was enfeoffed as a Marquis after death, but I learned about some of the enfeoffments afterward. Marquis Dingjun... should have been a battalion commander under King Ping. I am not very familiar with him; his rank wasn't very high, and his strength was mediocre. I served under King Wu, whereas the generals under King Ping were mostly unskilled in battle! Does Your Excellency wish to capture this person?" "..." At this moment, Zhao Chuan and the others had their mouths wide open, utterly dumbfounded. Th-this... this was Marquis Lanshan? They were completely stupefied! Su Yu smiled. "Why would I capture him? I merely heard that you two were acquaintances, so I wanted to ask about it. So, you aren't very close?" "Indeed!" As Marquis Lanshan spoke, she looked toward Wan Tiansheng and King Dazhou. At first, she paid no mind, but after a moment, she suddenly stared at King Dazhou. Meanwhile, King Dazhou's expression remained completely unchanged, as if unfazed. Marquis Lanshan inspected him closely and suddenly said in surprise, "Do I know you?" King Dazhou smiled. "How could that be? Marquis Lanshan must be mistaken." Marquis Lanshan frowned. After a long pause, she said hesitantly, "I wouldn't be mistaken! You... you seem like... Let me think, where did I see you... Back in the day, when I served under King Wu, he once sent me to the Human Sovereign to request military supplies. I didn't get to see the Human Sovereign and was stopped by a clerk under him. That clerk was utterly detestable, smiling just like you, claiming the Human Sovereign wasn't responsible for distributing supplies and telling me to go find King Wen..." As Marquis Lanshan recalled, she hesitated. "Is that you? I remember I wanted to beat you up back then, but someone held me back. Was that you?" King Dazhou chuckled. "How could it possibly be me!" "Yes, that exact smile!" Marquis Lanshan frowned. "You smile exactly like him. Even though your appearance... is somewhat different, we don't care about appearance! It's that exact demeanor, lying through your teeth! There were clearly supplies, yet you refused to give them to me. I was so furious I wanted to slaughter you on the spot!" "..." King Dazhou sighed. "You truly have mistaken me for someone else!" "Impossible!" Marquis Lanshan grew incensed. "It was definitely you! If not you, then someone from your family! Minor things I might forget, but I always remember people I despise! I remember that smile of yours!" "You've truly got the wrong person!" "Yes, exactly like this! Except back then, you said: 'There truly are none left!'" Marquis Lanshan fumed, "You said the supplies were truly all gone! That King Wen had taken them all, and told me to go find King Wen. It was you, you bastard! I could never remember it wrong!" King Dazhou's expression stiffened. "You... I... it truly isn't..." "Yes, you always made excuses like that!" Marquis Lanshan was furious! Meanwhile, Su Yu stroked his chin, watching quietly with a faint grin. King Dazhou now looked completely at a loss, turning toward Su Yu with an aggrieved look. "Emperor Yu, I..." Su Yu smiled gently. "Marquis Lanshan must have mistaken you for someone else. Lanshan, you have the wrong person. This is King Dazhou, not some clerk." "He is King Dazhou?" Marquis Lanshan paused, then conceded somewhat unwillingly, "Then... then consider me mistaken!" Su Yu smiled. "How are things below?" "All is well! The unrest in the Four Kings' domains has been quelled, and the Heavenly River of Dead Spirits is currently quiet. Near the Land of Guixu, there are faint traces of battle; the Southern King has gone to investigate, but following Your Majesty's orders, she will not venture deep into Guixu!" "In the Realm Guardian domain, General Hongmeng is present, and all is stable!" "Grand Commander Hetu is currently searching for people on Your Majesty's behalf..." Marquis Lanshan gave a swift report, and soon said with some excitement, "Your Majesty, may... may I visit the former lands of Mount Lan later?" Su Yu smiled. "Of course, though... it might no longer be there! Mount Lan—I don't believe I've heard of this place. King Dazhou, do you know where the former lands of Mount Lan are?" King Dazhou gave a dry laugh. "Well..." "Do you know or not?" Su Yu said coolly, "If you don't know, that would be quite a dereliction of duty!" King Dazhou had no choice but to answer helplessly, "I know. The former lands of Mount Lan are within the Great Zhou Prefecture! Its name has changed now; it's no longer called Mount Lan, but Mount Geng..." "Change it back!" Su Yu said indifferently, "Order the Great Zhou Prefecture to change the place name, restore the ancient name of Mount Lan, and bestow the former lands of Mount Lan upon Marquis Lanshan!" "By your command!" Marquis Lanshan was overjoyed, hurriedly saying, "My deepest thanks to Your Majesty!" "It was your territory to begin with!" Su Yu chuckled. "Go have a look. Director Wan, accompany Marquis Lanshan to take a look, and then escort her back to the Dead Spirit Realm. Although I have swept through the Four Kings' domains, the Heavenly River and the Land of Guixu are not yet under our control! If Director Wan is interested, you can find Hetu and have him accompany you to search for Senior Ye Batian!" "Many thanks, Emperor Yu!" Wan Tiansheng felt a surge of peculiar emotion. Impressive. This kid had actually swept through the Dead Spirit Realm! Earlier, he had assumed Su Yu was merely boasting! Listening to it now, this was extraordinary—holding the Four Kings' domains in his grasp, and even extending his reach toward the Land of Guixu and the Heavenly River. Even if Wan Tiansheng was unfamiliar with the Dead Spirit Realm, seeing the wide eyes and dropped jaws of Zhao Chuan and the other three told him just how monumental it was. Without lingering on the topic, he stood up and smiled, "Marquis Lanshan, I am Wan Tiansheng..." Marquis Lanshan smiled. "I know of you! Then I'll trouble Governor Wan to accompany me on this trip!" "It is my pleasure!" The two cupped their hands toward Su Yu and swiftly departed side by side. Marquis Lanshan could hardly wait! Once they were gone, Su Yu looked back at the remaining people in the hall. It was deathly quiet; Zhao Chuan and his companions looked completely stunned. Su Yu chuckled softly. "It seems Marquis Lanshan and Marquis Dingjun aren't very close. Whatever Marquis Dingjun instructed, you can tell me just the same, and I will pass it along to Marquis Lanshan later." Zhao Chuan could no longer remain seated. Trembling with fear, he rose, dropped to one knee, swallowed hard, and stammered nervously, "Subordinate... subordinate Zhao Chuan, serving under Marquis Dingjun, pays respects to Emperor Yu!" Seeing this, the other three hesitated for a moment before dropping to one knee as well. Su Yu maintained a smile. "You are too polite. You are guests from the upper realm, generals under an ancient Marquis, and effectively my seniors. I am far too young to receive such deference!" "We dare not!" Inside Zhao Chuan and the others, stormy waves had already surged! The Dead Spirit Realm... had been conquered by this man! Not only was he supreme in the living realm, but unbeknownst to the myriad realms, he had even brought the Dead Spirit Realm under his control. Such an achievement was unprecedented since the ancient era! It was terrifying! Expanding territory on such a scale! Aside from the ancient Human Sovereign, this man... might possess the greatest accomplishments of all! Previously, Zhao Chuan had merely thought this man had good luck and commanded many experts. Fear was present, of course, but it had not reached this magnitude—now, they were trembling in sheer terror! He had thought he still held some value, since Marquis Dingjun had told them to contact the dead spirit humans. Instead, this man had directly summoned Marquis Lanshan! Looking at Marquis Lanshan's attitude, they were far from equals. She had clearly submitted to Su Yu long ago. And not just her—even one of the legendary Four Heavenly Kings, the Southern King, had submitted to Su Yu, as they had just overheard! Terrifying news! Yet Su Yu's smile remained intact. "You people simply have too much etiquette! We humans of this tide aren't so particular about such formalities! Over in the Dead Spirit Realm, Marquis Zhengyang and the others are the same, always drowning in ceremony. On the other hand, the humans of the primordial era weren't so fussy—that old fellow Martial Emperor never gives me a pleasant face whenever he sees me. He isn't very obedient. When I find the chance, I might as well just kill him off..." Silence. The primordial era, the Martial Emperor! Every name that fell from Su Yu's lips struck a chill into their hearts, leaving them shivering even more violently. Su Yu smiled. "King Dazhou, take them down and have them draft the map! Also, treat these guests well and have them search for the channels to assess their danger levels. Keep it discreet!" With that, Su Yu called out, "Shanqi, Zhanqiong!" A moment later, two Guardians instantly manifested. Su Yu chuckled. "You two are also figures from the ancient era. Accompany King Dazhou and our esteemed guests on a tour, chat with them, and along the way search for the channels opened in the ancient era! If you sense any danger, call Tianmie and the others. With over a dozen Dao Integration experts escorting them, it should be safe enough. Even if you encounter three to five Dao Integration experts near the channels, you can beat them to death!" Trembling! Zhao Chuan and the others kept their heads lowered, not daring to utter a word. Meanwhile, King Dazhou was slightly startled. He hurriedly sensed the surroundings, and right then, several formidable auras faintly surfaced all around. He snapped his head toward Su Yu, his mouth opening and closing before he finally managed to ask, "Emperor Yu, the Guardians... have some advanced to Dao Integration?" Su Yu smiled. "Yes, not many. Counting General Hongmeng, only eleven!" With that, he sighed, "Alas, only that many Dao Integration experts. Even adding the Dao Integration experts from the Dead Spirit Realm, we only have around fifty. How are we supposed to fight the upper realm? It truly gives me a headache!" King Dazhou had not known about this earlier. Shanqi and the others had been sent directly into the Human Realm by the Old Turtle through another channel. He knew people had arrived, but assumed it was only King Daqin, King Daxia, and the rest. To think... there were so many Dao Integration experts? King Dazhou truly had just found out! At this moment, his expression turned exceedingly strange. In this battle, Su Yu had still concealed over a dozen Dao Integration experts. At least ten Guardians had not participated, Fat Ball had not entered the fray, Su Yu seemed to have subdued the Five Elements race yet they hadn't appeared, and there was also Jiu Yue... Thoughts flashed through his mind one after another. Soon, King Dazhou smiled. "Very well, I will immediately take Zhao Chuan and the others to draw the map and locate the channels." Su Yu smiled. "Then pardon my lack of hospitality. Esteemed guests from the upper realm, I am too busy to entertain you properly. If you have any requests, feel free to speak with King Dazhou! If I visit the upper realm one day, I will have to trouble you to lead the way!" By this point, Zhao Chuan and his companions could barely keep their legs steady. Zhao Chuan's voice trembled as he hurriedly replied, "We dare not! If Your Majesty Emperor Yu visits the upper realm, Lord Marquis Dingjun will certainly welcome you in person and spare no courtesy!" "That would be best," Su Yu smiled. "Since you put it that way, I'll go take a look when the opportunity arises! The upper realm... is a fine place to slaughter people. With Dao Integration experts everywhere, and with so many Guardians yet to advance, it's quite a headache. Hopefully, slaying thirty to fifty Dao Integration experts will allow them all to advance!" Silence. Meanwhile, Shanqi and Zhanqiong grinned baring their teeth. Going to the upper realm to kill Dao Integration experts to advance? That was... quite a fine idea. Very good indeed! "Then I'll be off to attend to business. Make yourselves at home!" Su Yu chuckled and vanished into thin air. Shanqi's ears twitched as he said with a smile, "King Dazhou, we will protect you from the shadows. If you need anything, just say the word! Emperor Yu ordered us to satisfy all the needs of our esteemed guests!" With that, the group of Guardians also vanished one by one, yet they did not leave, remaining hidden in the shadows. King Dazhou glanced at the four. Only now did Zhao Chuan and the others stand up. The back of Zhao Chuan's clothes was completely soaked with sweat. He quickly evaporated the moisture and looked at King Dazhou. At this moment, only King Dazhou could provide them with a shred of security. This new Human Sovereign filled them with ever-deepening dread! King Dazhou said softly, "Do your tasks properly—draw the map, locate the channels, and find ways to scout the upper realm! Do not fabricate anything, and do not try to bluff through what you don't know. Experts like Marquis Modang are dead, and extracting their memories is entirely possible. Once things don't match up... you know the consequences." Zhao Chuan wore an intensely bitter expression: "Senior, we... we had no other intentions. Truly, we only..." "Whether you did or not, just refrain from running around or snooping. Knowing too much is not necessarily a good thing. You have seen Marquis Lanshan, and you have seen those Guardians. The human race's greatest secrets have been laid bare before you!" Sweat dripped from Zhao Chuan as he said hurriedly, "This junior understands! In the future... we will definitely serve His Majesty Emperor Yu with utmost loyalty!" King Dazhou smiled faintly. "At least your wits haven't failed you. What I fear most is people who cannot use their heads. When we meet Marquis Dingjun in the future, I hope those fellows will be equally sensible." Saying no more on the matter, he turned away. Truly terrifying! It was not just Zhao Chuan and his companions—even he had been startled. Without anyone noticing, Su Yu's accumulated strength had already reached a frightful scale.