The Land of Guixu

Su Yu left the great hall and tore through the void, heading straight for the Dead Spirit Realm. This time, he had a major objective to accomplish. Positioning! He needed to pinpoint the locations of each realm and make full preparations for their capture. As long as he captured the Dao Integration experts outside the gods, demons, and immortals, only six Dao Integration powerhouses would remain among those three races. Factoring in Warden Tianhou and Duobao, who were not holed up inside small realms, that meant only eight Dao Integration experts of the myriad races would be left in the lower realm. "Warden Tianhou and Duobao haven't retreated into small realms. If I hunt them down openly, Tiangu and the others might not even bother interfering." Su Yu pondered this as he traversed the void. Warden Tianhou walked the Dao of Paper. Liu Hong walked the Dao of Ink. On this trip to the Dead Spirit Realm, he had to drag Liu Hong out as well. That fellow had integrated into his Dao at an astonishing speed. No matter what, Su Yu intended to haul him out and put him to use. *** Dead Spirit Realm. Su Yu's first stop was Xingyue's ancient castle. Curious about the origins of the stone he had recovered, he went to ask Xingyue for details first. Inside the ancient castle. Seeing Su Yu, Xingyue frowned. "Why are you back again?" He had certainly returned quickly! Su Yu smiled. "I conquered the myriad realms for you, Milady, and killed several Dao Integration experts earlier. I'm here now to report on my progress." Xingyue could not be bothered to indulge his nonsense. Conquered the myriad realms? Even if you did, what does that have to do with me? Xingyue continued tending to her black flora and asked, "Where are the flowers you promised to bring me?" The next instant, Su Yu waved his hand, conjuring countless plants, flowers, and trees. However, they immediately began to wither in the dead spirit aura. Golden radiance flared around Su Yu as his destiny power erupted. Immune to the corrosion of death qi, the power of destiny shielded the greenery. Su Yu smiled. "Milady, I gathered quite a variety for you." Xingyue turned to look. A flicker of delight appeared on her face, but she quickly suppressed it and snorted. "I wanted the flowers you showed me last time. Why aren't they here?" Su Yu smiled wryly. "Those flowers were planted and tended by Fat Ball for well over a hundred thousand years. Plucking even one makes Fat Ball cry his eyes out. Milady, I couldn't bear the guilt, so I swapped them for a different variety. In truth, these are even more beautiful than the ones at King Wen's residence!" Xingyue snorted, but pressed the matter no further. Walking over to the blossoms, she looked at the multicolored flora, and genuine joy involuntarily surfaced in her eyes. She crouched down, studied them for a while, and asked, "These won't last long, will they?" "Rest assured, Milady. A mere wisp of destiny power is enough to sustain them. So long as I live, my destiny will endure, and these flowers will flourish alongside it." "Mm." Xingyue answered perfunctorily and resumed admiring the flora. Soon, she began rearranging them to decorate her castle. The gloomy castle gained a touch of vibrant life. Seeing that she was in high spirits, Su Yu followed behind her and smiled. "Milady, I recently visited King Wen's residence and unearthed the treasure you buried there according to your instructions. But... I couldn't quite tell what it was." Su Yu took out the box and opened it, revealing the stone inside. Even under the relentless corrosion of the surrounding death qi, the stone showed not the slightest trace of change. Xingyue glanced over, a hesitant look appearing in her eyes. After a long pause, she finally said, "I don't remember what it is. The memory is too distant. Perhaps it was something I took from home? Probably. As I recall, I was afraid my family would find out, so I buried it over at King Wen's." Su Yu grew pensive. Her family... After a while, Su Yu smiled and ventured, "Lady Xingyue, do you happen to know the Human Sovereign?" Could it have been from the Human Sovereign's household? "I don't remember." Xingyue said calmly, "Those figures were too powerful. Their existence distorts past and future, disrupting the memories of the dead spirits. If you ask Marquis Lanshan, she won't remember what King Wen and the others looked like either." Su Yu paused, surprised. Xingyue added nonchalantly, "She remembers King Wen, but if you ask her for his specific appearance, she definitely won't know! If you want those mighty figures to be resurrected through our memories, we would need to possess immense strength!" Su Yu considered her words and nodded. "Then do you know what this stone is used for, Milady?" "No." Xingyue answered casually, continuing to arrange her flora. Noticing that Su Yu was still hovering, she felt a trace of embarrassment. He had brought her quite a few flowers, after all. Perhaps she should give it some thought? She searched her mind carefully, but clear memories eluded her. Fleeting fragments flashed by before she finally said, "Perhaps... perhaps it possesses the effect of stabilizing rules?" Su Yu was startled. "What?" Xingyue explained, "I don't recall the details. Only that... it seems someone once said this object stabilizes mountains and rivers and anchors all things! My burying it at King Wen's residence was probably because I was tricked by the Time Master into anchoring her estate." Su Yu's eyes flickered. "Milady, do you mean this object can stabilize the River of Time?" "Perhaps." Su Yu's heart quaked. Stabilizing the River of Time! What was the most powerful thing in the world? In Su Yu's view, it was neither a Ruler of Rules nor the Dead Spirit Heavenly River, but the River of Time itself! This stone could suppress the River of Time? You had to be joking! What was the River of Time? It was the origin of the Great Daos! The fountainhead and inception of all myriad Daos! Whether opening a Dao or merging with one, the river would fluctuate. If the power of rules could be suppressed, wouldn't that mean... he could merge with Daos far more easily? Thoughts raced through his mind. Moreover, Su Yu harbored other ambitions. Recently, he had ordered his subordinates to gather blood essences and corpses, and King Tianzhu and the others were helping him forge components for his civilization chronicle. Su Yu wanted to follow the Time Master's path of integrating the myriad Daos into one. However, he had worried that too much Dao power would prove overwhelming, and that the sheer might of the myriad Daos would burst the chronicle. The Time Book had not ruptured because its rank was high, but more importantly, a mighty expert had likely helped suppress it. Furthermore, the myriad Daos gathered by the Time Master had not actually been that powerful! When the Time Master hunted the myriad races, she had to do so covertly and had not killed nearly enough. Could this stone suppress the violent upheaval of the myriad Daos? Idea after idea sparked in his mind. Perhaps he could test it out! He currently commanded no small amount of power, including Heavenly King-level experts. The Old Turtle had recently been contemplating the Great Dao and might soon step into the Heavenly King rank as well. As for King Daqin and King Daxia, Su Yu believed their breakthroughs were only a matter of time. King Dazhou... was hard to gauge, already immensely powerful in his own right. Even Wan Tiansheng was likely half a step ahead of him! Although Su Yu was the core of the alliance, if he was not strong enough himself, having powerful subjects under a weak master would spell disaster. Furthermore, both the Martial Emperor and the Hundred Battles King were bound to revive, posing additional troubles. At present, Su Yu desperately wanted to rapidly enhance his own strength, and this stone might prove useful. With these thoughts in mind, Su Yu quickly said, "Then I'll give it a try later. Milady, do you have any other treasures hidden in the myriad realms?" "..." Xingyue cast him a sideways glance. "What do you think?" This fellow thought of nothing but treasures all day long. How vulgar! Su Yu merely chuckled, unfazed. If there were none, so be it. Glancing at the sky, Su Yu said, "Milady, take your time enjoying them. I still have matters to attend to outside." "Go on, then!" Xingyue replied offhandedly, "Next time you come, bring me some food from the living realm. Let's see if it can be preserved." "Will do!" Su Yu answered and took his leave swiftly. Only after he departed did Xingyue break into a radiant smile. Looking at the flowers before her, she found them breathtakingly beautiful. The blossoms of the living realm were truly exquisite. At that moment, she felt a yearning for resurrection. In the past, that feeling had never been this intense. *** Without delaying, Su Yu began sensing the locations of the Great Prefectural Seals. The Human Lord Seal was currently with Marquis Lanshan, but Su Yu could still harness destiny power to sense them, albeit faintly. After all, separated by the barrier between life and death, even though destiny power could pierce through to a degree, locking onto them remained difficult. Only when Marquis Lanshan returned and handed over the Human Lord Seal did his perception grow noticeably sharper. *** The Four Kings' Domains, the West King's Domain. Following the West King's death, the West King's Domain had swiftly fallen under the control of Marquis Lanshan and the others. At this moment, atop a pitch-black mountain peak in the West King's Domain, Su Yu's Human Lord Seal radiated a faint, delicate light. It was exceptionally feeble! Yet on the Human Lord Seal, the map section belonging to the Great Xia Prefecture pulsed with a gentle flicker. Behind Su Yu, Hetu and the others watched with bated breath. Su Yu, on the other hand, was calm. After sensing the pulse, he breathed a sigh of relief. "The Great Xia Seal! It's right here. Directly above this spot should be where the Great Xia Seal is buried, which is inside the Ape Realm! Up above lies the Ape Realm!" A smile spread across his face. The first location had been pinpointed! The Ape Emperor! Su Yu commanded immediately, "Station troops here! Dispatch one dead spirit marquis and ten monarchs to seal off this area!" With that, Su Yu imprinted a golden mark in the void. Locked on! Splendid! The Ape Emperor had lived long enough; it was about time to send him on his way to the afterlife. Though not right this second, of course. He needed to lock down the other realms first. Marquis Lanshan promptly issued orders to cordon off the area. Everyone was thoroughly excited—it truly was possible to lock onto realms in the living world from within the Dead Spirit Realm. *** Leading the group, Su Yu continued searching. The second realm locked down was the Phoenix Realm. It corresponded to the Great Ming Seal. Su Yu left a marker without delay and once again deployed subordinates to garrison the area below. The Phoenix Realm also lay within the Four Kings' Domains. The third was the Kunpeng Realm, which bordered relatively close to the Dead Spirit Heavenly River. Su Yu followed the same routine, locating and locking onto it. At this point, aside from the realms of the gods, demons, and immortals, the only remaining race possessing a Dao Integration expert was the Dragon Realm. However, Su Yu led his entourage across the Four Kings' Domains for half a day without sensing a single trace. He could not help but frown. Everyone turned their gaze beyond the perimeter of the Four Kings' Domains. Just then, the South King arrived as well. She said gravely, "The Dragon Realm's... corresponding location might be within the Land of Guixu!" It was absent from the Four Kings' Domains. That meant it likely corresponded to the Land of Guixu! The South King continued solemnly, "The more powerful realms probably don't correspond to the Four Kings' Domains at all! Including the Human Realm! The location corresponding to the Human Realm... is likely far more dangerous, perhaps even an ancient suppression ground!" She looked toward Su Yu. "Back then, the human race must have suppressed a host of formidable dead spirits. While I don't know the exact details, I know at least one thing: since the human race suppressed them, they wouldn't have relied on traveling through the passageways every single time. If those suppressed powerhouses ever rioted, the first response would have been to muster experts directly from the Human Realm and plunge straight down into that suppression ground!" Su Yu's heart stirred. "South King, are you saying the area beneath the Human Realm corresponds to where King Wu and the others suppressed those powerhouses?" "Very likely!" The South King nodded. "The humans were supreme back then. Put yourself in their shoes: if you were suppressing powerful foes, where would you put them?" Su Yu thought it over and nodded. "True enough. Directly beneath my own seat is safest. If you dare make a move, I can execute you instantly! In that case, it's fortunate I didn't recklessly open a dead spirit passage in the Human Realm before. Otherwise, I might have breached a suppression ground holding Heavenly Kings or even Rulers of Rules!" Among the dead spirits suppressed back then, had there been Rulers of Rules? Hard to say! The Dao of Dead Spirits was mighty; if the Dao of Flesh could produce combatants rivaling Rulers of Rules, why couldn't the Dao of Dead Spirits? Perhaps there truly were some! If that was the case, it was best not to open any dead spirit passageways within the Human Realm. Otherwise, disastrous consequences could follow if a peerless entity broke free and slaughtered their way into the living world. Su Yu looked out into the pitch-black Land of Guixu and exhaled softly. "The North King and his followers went in, and nothing happened to them. Let's venture a short distance inside to see if we can locate the Dragon Realm! Marquis Tianlong of the Dragon Realm isn't weak. It would be best if we could capture him within his own realm!" Locking onto the Dragon Realm was essential to Su Yu's grand design. Four Dao Integration experts! The South King warned sternly, "Then we can only explore the outer perimeter. Do not delve deep. Even the North King didn't dare go far, remaining only on the fringes of the Land of Guixu. Furthermore, the Land of Guixu does not fall under the rule of human laws!" "What differences does that entail?" Su Yu asked. The South King explained, "First, there is no suppressive force. Even the Four Kings' Seals are useless here, and your Human Lord Seal will likely have no effect either. Second, without the human race's rule power, the Land of Guixu is primarily governed by the rules of dead spirits! In other words, dead spirits are even stronger here! All other Great Daos, conversely, will be somewhat suppressed!" Su Yu nodded slightly. The South King continued, "Third, because the Dao of Dead Spirits was suppressed in the Four Kings' Domains, its presence wasn't prominent. In the Land of Guixu, however, you will feel it intensely. Living beings are corroded at an extreme pace here. You must be careful not to let the Dao overwhelm you!" Su Yu nodded, though he soon added, "It shouldn't affect me too much. After all, I'm somewhat bound to the Dao of Dead Spirits myself, being half a dead spirit." "True enough." The South King nodded and said no more. As long as Su Yu was careful, it would be fine. While the outer perimeter was perilous, it was not so treacherous that Heavenly Kings could not tread there. If the North King could bring his subordinates here, Su Yu and his companions would manage as well. Without further hesitation, Su Yu and his party crossed into the Land of Guixu. The moment they entered, Su Yu sensed a stark difference. The sky turned pitch-black! A complete and utter darkness. While the Dead Spirit Realm was dim, the Four Kings' Domains resembled twilight. Here, it was truly midnight. Su Yu could clearly feel that the death qi was denser and far more corrosive. The darkness posed little issue to Su Yu and his companions, and to dead spirits it meant nothing at all. Su Yu scanned the surroundings; very few dead spirits roamed the Land of Guixu. Yet the place gave off a distinct sense of looming peril. Su Yu furrowed his brow slightly and said in a low voice, "Let's circle the outer edge first to see if we can locate the Dragon Realm. Hopefully it's only in the outer perimeter. If it lies in the inner regions or near the sealed grounds, that will be troublesome!" The others nodded in silence as Su Yu immediately began sensing and probing. In truth, he could vaguely sense the fluctuations of human destiny emanating from deep within. It was likely a resonance with the seals left in the Human Realm. This implied that the Human Realm's corresponding location was truly deep inside. Su Yu had no desire to venture there, lest he accidentally release whatever suppressed entities lurked below. *** Halfway around the perimeter. Su Yu spotted a stone cottage. Indeed, in this desolate, uninhabited place, someone had built a small dwelling using pitch-black stones. Su Yu frowned slightly. The next moment, as if sensing something, he shouted, "Teacher Liu, come out!" The stone door of the cottage slowly creaked open. After a moment, Xia Chen walked out warily. Seeing Su Yu and the others, he let out a slight sigh of relief. Xia Chen had clearly broken through; he now radiated the aura of a Dao Integration powerhouse. Recognizing familiar faces, Xia Chen relaxed considerably. He quickly spoke: "Liu Hong left not long ago. I'm the only one here." "Oh?" Su Yu was surprised. Liu Hong had left? "Where did he go?" "Probably to the Dead Spirit Heavenly River." Xia Chen walked forward and glanced over the group. When his eyes fell upon the South King, his gaze hardened slightly, but he quickly dismissed it and said, "Liu Hong inherited Master King Wen's Dao. Having just merged into it, he needs more resources to advance his cultivation. He likely went to the Dead Spirit Heavenly River." Beside them, Hetu frowned. "Why did you let him leave?" Xia Chen said in confusion, "He... he is King Wen's successor..." The South King turned to Su Yu, who said impassively, "Of the four Daos of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, Liu Hong inherited the Dao of Ink, so he counts as King Wen's successor." Hearing this, the South King said nothing more, merely glancing with furrowed brows at the small stone house ahead. "This cottage appears to have been left behind by King Wen back then. Yet I visited this area several times in the past and never discovered it. How did it suddenly appear?" Xia Chen explained, "This cottage was originally concealed and could only be opened with the King Wen Token. I opened it for Liu Hong. There were some cultivation resources and a few manuscripts of King Wen inside, all of which Liu Hong took with him. The house still retains some utility by accelerating cultivation along the Dao of Dead Spirits, which is why I remained here." In other words, all the prime benefits had already been reaped; nothing remained. Su Yu's brow furrowed slightly. He turned to Marquis Lanshan. "Send people to look for Liu Hong. Tell him to stop playing hide-and-seek with me! I have no interest in killing him to seize the Dao of Ink! That rascal is just afraid I'll slaughter him, so he's deliberately avoiding me!" Marquis Lanshan nodded quickly. Xia Chen offered an explanation on his behalf: "He truly did need to strengthen the Dao of Ink. The Dead Spirit Heavenly River..." Su Yu waved his hand dismissively. "Senior Xia Chen doesn't understand. That rascal is as timid as a mouse, terrified of what I might do to him! Little does he know, I don't care in the slightest. If I wanted the Dao of Ink, I would have killed him long ago! Of the four Daos, aside from the Dao of the Brush, I also obtained the Dao of the Inkstone, yet I gave it away just the same! In the future, if someone else steps onto the Dao of the Brush, I will yield it as well. Cultivating the Dao is ultimately one's own path; surpassing our predecessors is the true pursuit!" He spoke casually, but the South King and the others looked on with deep admiration. Su Yu did not even care for King Wen's Dao. Earlier, the South King had wondered if Su Yu was being too disrespectful toward King Wen's successor. But reflecting on it now, even without having met Liu Hong, she felt there was simply no comparison between the two. One dominated the heavens, his strategies infallible. The other slunk about in hiding, timid as a mouse, terrified of what Su Yu might do to him. Such a person had merely stumbled upon King Wen's legacy through luck—how could he hold a candle to Su Yu? As for abandoning King Wen's Dao in the future to forge his own path, the South King found nothing wrong with that. In fact, that was likely what King Wen himself would have wanted to see. Blindly inheriting King Wen's Dao meant one would never emerge from his shadow. A hegemon of the heavens like Su Yu naturally had his own path to tread. Xia Chen said no more. Glancing at the gathering, he said, "This place is well-suited for dead spirit monarchs to cultivate; it will make stepping into the Dao Integration realm easier for them. Since I've already broken through and stabilized my cultivation, and the most vital items have already been removed, Su Yu, you can offer this place to your monarchs..." "Impudent!" Before he could finish, Marquis Lanshan snapped, "How dare you! Xia Chen, His Majesty now stands as the Master of the Heavens. How dare you address him by his personal name?" Xia Chen froze. Su Yu waved his hand. "Lanshan, that's enough! No need for such formalities. Senior Xia Chen is a senior of my lineage and the propagator of King Wen's brush Dao legacy. Without Senior Xia Chen bringing out the Tombstone of Civilizations, I would never have stepped onto the brush Dao." After smoothing over the situation, Su Yu inspected the stone cottage briefly and instructed, "Deploy troops to garrison this place. Senior Xia Chen, if you have nothing else to attend to, come with us. If you have other matters, feel free to do as you please!" Still unaware of the broader situation, Xia Chen glanced at Hetu and hesitated. "I... I'll come with you." He was still bewildered. Master of the Heavens? He had only been in seclusion for a few days—what earth-shattering events had transpired in the meantime? He resolved to ask Hetu later; right now, he was utterly lost, having no idea what had happened. Su Yu wasted no further time and resumed combing the outer perimeter. Only by locking onto the Dragon Realm would this mission be complete. *** Just as Su Yu was pinpointing the Dragon Realm. Deep within the Land of Guixu. At the very end of the Dead Spirit Realm. In the pitch-black sky, more than a dozen black light pillars pierced between heaven and earth. Some were intensely bright and immense, while others were faint and feeble. At that moment, the North King and his followers stood before the pillars of light, their expressions grim. "The sealed grounds!" The North King stood on the outer perimeter. Beyond the dozen-odd light pillars lay a succession of rippling barriers like water, blocking their path. Faintly visible among them were countless chains and characters. As the North King drew closer, several of the black pillars of light began to fluctuate. A moment later, atop a medium-sized pillar, a withered, sallow face manifested, glaring down at the North King with chilling eyes. After studying him for a moment, the face sneered coldly, "Lackey! It's you, Ming Douhe!" The North King regarded the face grimly and slowly said, "Dizhiluo! You're actually not dead? I thought you had perished!" "Perished?" The sallow face twisted with mockery and contempt. "Having already died once, why should I fear death? You, on the other hand, look like a stray dog! To end up here—were you driven out?" The North King frowned. "You all... are still alive?" "Heh!" The sallow face scoffed disdainfully. "Taishan and his lot didn't dare kill us! What good would killing us do? They couldn't sever the Dao of Dead Spirits. Killing us would only spawn more powerhouses. All he could do was seal us!" The sealed dead spirits were all prideful, unyielding figures who refused to submit. Yet killing them was no simple matter either. Slaughtering them all would only give rise to more supreme beings. Unless the Dao of Dead Spirits was broken entirely, there was no stopping the birth of supreme powerhouses in the Dead Spirit Realm. The North King's eyes flickered. He ignored Dizhiluo. In terms of strength, this man was roughly his equal, and after countless years of imprisonment, he might not even match the North King now. The North King had no fear of him; instead, his gaze drifted toward the deepest recesses, where even more formidable black light pillars loomed! Just how many powerhouses were sealed here? Over the years, he had sent several scouts to probe the Land of Guixu, yet none had ever returned. Since these entities seemed unable to leave the sealed grounds, how had those scouts died? As he pondered, a sudden premonition struck him, and he threw a punch! *Boom!* A dark shadow abruptly materialized in the void, blasted back by his blow. The shadow crashed violently into the barrier, coughing up a mouthful of black blood. The shadow vanished instantly. Just as the North King prepared to pursue it, Dizhiluo spoke coldly from within the barrier: "Ming Douhe, do you intend to make enemies of us?" The North King said in a low voice, "You still control other dead spirits?" The dead spirit from a moment ago was far from weak—even stronger than an ordinary dead spirit marquis. Yet it had the audacity to attempt an assassination on him. From behind the barrier, Dizhiluo sneered. "We are, after all, the true masters of this Dead Spirit Realm. Did you lackeys really think you could control the entire realm?" With that, he added in a chilling tone, "Not long ago, quite a few fellows died. Other lackeys like you, weren't they? All wiped out!" He followed with a derisive laugh: "The ancient era is long gone, and you lackeys are finally getting your retribution! Pathetic fools!" The North King said heavily, "It seems you're quite well-informed. Are your seals about to break?" "What do you think?" Dizhiluo gave a sinister laugh, looking up at the sky. "It's only a matter of time!" Turning his gaze back onto the North King, he added, "Lackey, care to join us?" The North King frowned. "Besides you, who else is alive?" At present, only this fellow had surfaced among the pillars of light. The North King peered deeper, eager to know who else survived. And how strong were they? Dizhiluo chuckled darkly. "Far more than you can imagine! The Death Emperor still lives. Sooner or later, the Dead Spirit Realm will belong to us again!" The North King's heart jolted! The Death Emperor! That was... an exceptionally terrifying dead spirit from antiquity. When King Wu and his host campaigned through the Dead Spirit Realm, carving a bloody path of endless slaughter, the only true resistance they encountered had come from the Death Emperor. He wasn't dead, only sealed? Dizhiluo said chillingly, "Ming Douhe, stop gawking! Where is Ziyan? Is that woman dead or alive?" "The Princess Consort of the West?" "Heh, perhaps!" Countless thoughts raced through the North King's mind. The Princess Consort of the West had actually colluded with these beings! He said in a deep voice, "The Princess Consort seems to have been captured, or perhaps killed." Looking back at the barrier and recalling the dead spirit that had ambushed him, he suddenly realized, "It was her doing! Did she breach a small gap in this seal?" The Princess Consort was also proficient in sealing techniques. Over the years, she had likely tampered with this sealed ground and opened a crack, allowing these figures to contact the outside world and manipulate a few dead spirits. Otherwise, the North King doubted that King Wu's seals could be broken so easily. "Jie-jie, you're sharp after all!" Dizhiluo laughed malevolently. "That woman agreed to keep helping us undo the seal, yet she vanished. Foolish creature! I told her long ago that releasing us would resolve all her troubles, but she refused to listen and insisted on delaying!" The North King's heart grew heavy. The Princess Consort... breaking the seal... He could roughly guess the sequence of events. The Princess Consort had likely visited this place frequently over the years, but she probably had no intention of fully freeing them either. She had merely offered them a glimmer of hope to curry favor in advance, well aware of the danger of backlash if she truly broke the seal. Dizhiluo dropped the subject of the Princess Consort; dead or captured, she was no longer relevant. He chuckled softly. "Ming Douhe, you seem to have suffered a defeat and fled here. Looks like you couldn't beat the humans! What do you say to helping us break the seal? Once we are free, you can still remain your North King..." "Me?" As the North King considered this, a faint voice resonated directly in his mind: *"Kill all the dead spirit marquises under your command! We can draw upon more Dao power that way. Ming Douhe, what use is keeping those useless trash around? Kill them, and we will drive out those outsiders just like in the ancient days, reclaiming our reign as the overlords of the Dead Spirit Realm! We might even seize the opportunity to invade the living realm!"* Indeed, each dead spirit marquis that perished allowed them to absorb more Dao power. The fact that Dizhiluo could project his consciousness so smoothly now was directly tied to the recent deaths of numerous powerhouses. The more experts died, the more power they could siphon. The North King felt a tremor in his heart. Slaughter his own marquises to liberate these beings? In this tide, every conceivable anomaly was truly surfacing. The ancient sealed experts were emerging one after another. The North King glanced past the barrier. Aside from Dizhiluo, the others appeared engrossed in absorbing Dao power, paying him no heed. He said quickly, "I shall consider it!" With that, he beat a hasty retreat. This place was not somewhere he could linger. These entities bore him no goodwill; he had to be wary of being dragged into a trap. He swiftly departed with his entourage of dead spirit marquises. Once they were gone, a human face manifested atop a black pillar of light at the very rear of the sealed grounds. It looked much like an ordinary mortal. The face looked in the direction the North King had fled, then turned its gaze toward another sector—the direction where Su Yu and his companions were. A faint smile touched the face. "The human race's heritage has been utterly depleted. In this era, all that should emerge will emerge! Everything shall begin anew!" "Dizhiluo, do not be in such a hurry. The debt of suppression owed to us by the humans will be repaid sooner or later!" "Emperor, I understand." Dizhiluo chuckled. "I was merely amusing myself with Ming Douhe. That lackey is being hunted across the realm by his own masters now. How pathetic! Once the seal breaks, with the Emperor's might, we shall unite the heavens!" The face in the rear sighed softly and murmured, "No, that is meaningless. It is enough to control the Dead Spirit Realm. The living realm is not so simple. Our task is to drive out all outsiders and seal off the Realm of Suppressed Spirits. Dead spirits belong to the dead spirits, and the living belong to the living." "Even so, we must at least eradicate the human race and take our revenge!" Dizhiluo hissed venomously, "Even if Taishan and his ilk are dead, their descendants must be annihilated!" The Death Emperor said nothing further, and the face faded away. *** At the same time. Star Residence Mansion. The Martial Emperor opened his eyes, momentarily perplexed. Soon, realization dawned, and he sneered, "Taishan, it seems all the flaws you left behind back then are finally coming to light!" It seemed some of the sealed vermin in the Dead Spirit Realm were about to break free! As expected, this tide was destined to be the final era of chaos! The power of rules and the power of seals that had endured for a hundred thousand years were all waning! Once the upper realm opened this time, the Battlefield of the Heavens would likely never close again! The power of rules was nearly spent! Su Yu's current smugness was useless. What he was about to face would be far harsher than anything seen in the previous tides. Whether it was the Martial Emperor himself, the vermin of the Dead Spirit Realm, or any sealed beings lingering in the upper realm, all would revive in this tide! Every contingency, flaw, and unresolved issue left behind by King Wu and his contemporaries would fully manifest in this era. It would be far more difficult than the ninth tide! The Martial Emperor scoffed. That brat was acting arrogant now, but once the rules of the heavens dissipated, he would truly understand the meaning of despair. Even if the Martial Emperor didn't act against him, Su Yu would find it impossible to escape death. "No matter how brilliant you are, this era will never belong to you!" The Martial Emperor sighed softly, his schadenfreude suddenly waning. It was tedious; a little bug like Su Yu could never withstand what was to come. *** At this moment, however... Su Yu cared nothing for any of that. Joy flashed in his eyes—he had pinpointed the location of the Dragon Realm! Fortunately, it was situated right in the outer perimeter. Just then, his "Calamity" divine character pulsed. Su Yu could roughly guess what it meant: a sense of looming crisis, emanating either from the depths of the Dead Spirit Realm, the Martial Emperor, the Hundred Battles King, or the upper realm. It wasn't particularly intense, which meant the time had not yet come. Someone was likely just thinking about him moments ago! Su Yu was fully prepared for crises like this. "All four realms have been located!" Su Yu exhaled, overflowing with joy. As for the crisis—to hell with it, he still had time. Su Yu ordered swiftly, "Prepare to encircle and annihilate the Dao Integration experts of the four realms! Summon all dead spirit marquises to assemble, and have the guardians notify King Dazhou to enter the Dead Spirit Realm!" He was preparing to purge the four Dao Integration experts. Taking things one step at a time, once he eliminated the Dao Integration experts of the four realms, he would deal with Duobao and Warden Tianhou, leaving only the Dao Integration experts of the three major races untouched for now to avoid premature chaos! Then, he would find a way to probe the upper realm first. Su Yu had a clear goal: he had no intention of letting the upper realm open right now. Additionally, gathering the ninety-nine councilor tokens had to be put on the agenda. If he could harness the power of rules to suppress things, all the better; if not, he would simply merge them into his civilization chronicle. Next, he had to find a way to open the myriad Daos. Soon, Marquis Lanshan and the others relayed the orders. The campaign to purge the four realms would begin shortly.