Scholars Progress Rapidly

"It worked!" Su Yu and Wan Tiansheng were both surprised and overjoyed. Having tasted despair only to emerge victorious in the end, both Su Yu and Wan Tiansheng were thrilled beyond measure. Of course, it would have been even better if that bastard Lan Tian would shut his mouth. His piercing laughter was loud enough to burst their eardrums! At that moment, Lan Tian strolled toward the two step by step, brimming with joy and excitement. With a charming smile, he said, "My two darlings, come give me a kiss..." Bang! Su Yu threw a punch while Wan Tiansheng struck out with a palm. This time, they simply could not tolerate this lunatic acting up. A deafening roar erupted! Su Yu and Wan Tiansheng both took a step back, while Lan Tian took a step forward, cackling with laughter: "My two little darlings, your strength isn't quite up to snuff!" Su Yu snorted, and Wan Tiansheng was left speechless. The two made a rough assessment. At this moment, Lan Tian was at the very least at peak second-tier, or simply at the Heavenly King level! Both Wan Tiansheng and Su Yu were at the third-tier or even peak third-tier level, yet their combined strike had failed to force him back... "Get lost!" Wan Tiansheng barked, quickly turning his gaze toward the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits, which was gradually being concealed by the river water. In a solemn voice, he murmured, "This place... the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits..." Now that Lan Tian had succeeded, they had no interest in paying attention to him. Instead, they were stunned that this Great Dao of the Dead Spirits was actually buried at the riverbed. What did that signify? Su Yu's eyes flickered, and he chuckled softly. "The Great Dao of the Dead Spirits is still connected to the River of Time. It has been stealing power from the River of Time all this time. The master of this Dao is truly audacious, utterly unafraid of triggering a river riot!" With that, he quickly added, "Life and death connected... life and death intertwining... Perhaps I've discovered something good!" Su Yu took a deep breath. "Resurrection!" Resurrection! Wan Tiansheng's heart gave a slight jolt. Su Yu's eyes shone brightly, edged with sharp brilliance. "Yes, resurrection! The hardest part about dead spirits is that their Daos are integrated into the River of the Dead Spirits, making them difficult to detach! Once detached, it's easy to provoke a backlash from the entire River of the Dead Spirits. But what if one shifts the shadow of the Dao into the River of Time?" Su Yu smiled. "In any case, it's an idea! The realms of life and death... truly are deeply intertwined after all!" As things stood now, the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits had not completely broken free from the control of the River of Time. Whether it was because there was no way to do so, or because the master of the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits wanted to continue siphoning power, remained unknown. Putting further speculation aside, Su Yu had expended far too much energy right now. He quickly said, "Let's go. We'll head into the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits to see if we'll truly enter the Dead Spirit Realm. And if we do, where is its source?" As he finished speaking, he blew back some river water with a punch, then suppressed and stabilized the surrounding river with the small stone, stopping the waters from running wild. Under normal circumstances, one could not delve deep into the riverbed; one would simply drown there. With the small stone, it was far safer. All three were peak figures of this era. At this moment, even Lan Tian refrained from making trouble. When it came to life and death, the slightest carelessness could spell disaster. Su Yu's hair and eyebrows were stark white right now—something Wan Tiansheng and Lan Tian could plainly see. Neither dared to waste his time. In the blink of an eye, the three slipped into the black tunnel at the riverbed. ... Boom! A surge of death qi slammed into them! Su Yu and Lan Tian were fine, but Wan Tiansheng took a hasty step back as sizzling sounds rose from his body—the corrosion of death qi. Yet Wan Tiansheng didn't mind. His eyes brightened, and he murmured softly, "Mortals undergo the cycle of life and death, parting in life and separation in death. Death is actually also a part of the Human Dao, a type of emotion. Previously, I had overlooked this!" This time, he had gained no small amount of comprehension. Once he returned, absorbed, and digested it, he would surely be able to advance another stretch along his Human Dao. Experiencing hope, despair, finding a way out of a dead end, witnessing a fellow Daoist forge a Dao, seeing life and death revolve... All of this was an immense harvest and experience for Wan Tiansheng. An ordinary person could never experience such things. From ancient times until now, probably only the few of them had ever undergone this. All of it served as nourishment for the progress of their Daos. Su Yu, Wan Tiansheng, and Lan Tian had all reaped rewards. Of course, they weren't paying much attention to this right now. Getting out was the priority! Su Yu opened his Heavenly Gate and looked toward the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits. The river waters surged against them. Last time, it had felt excruciating, but compared to the impact of the River of Time up above, the pressure from the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits was now significantly weaker. "Indeed, the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits still isn't as strong as the Great Dao of Time!" Su Yu felt a wave of emotion. The River of Time was truly the premier Dao of the myriad realms! Although Lan Tian had carved out a small path within the main current, compared to that gargantuan river, his Dao was merely a winding sheep path inside it, infinitely far from matching the entire River of Time. This Dao had great prospects for the future and immense potential, but to Su Yu, it wasn't anything miraculous. He was going to re-forge the ten thousand Daos! Rebuild the River of Time! That ambition was far more impressive than Lan Tian's. Su Yu reminded himself internally: *Don't be jealous, don't envy him. Lan Tian's Dao is trash; it amounts to nothing.* *The Dao I walk is the true supreme path!* *Don't look at how fast Lan Tian is progressing right now—it's nothing. I'll catch up soon enough and leave them in the dust!* "Let's go!" With a low shout, Su Yu wasted no more time. Neither he nor Wan Tiansheng could afford any delays. This time, Lan Tian suddenly flew to the front, taking the initiative to clear the way. Su Yu said nothing, and the three pressed forward rapidly. Soon, Su Yu caught sight of something. Glancing across the riverbed, he saw several massive water droplets containing silhouettes of figures. He smiled and ignored them. Powerhouses! Experts of the dead spirit Dao. However, he had no energy to bother with them right now. The three moved past swiftly. This place was not the exit; tearing open the river to leave here might land them right next to some top-tier dead spirits. That would be a losing proposition! Su Yu planned to find a familiar location before crossing back out. Before long, Su Yu sensed a familiar aura—his Great Dao seed of the dead spirits. Opening his Heavenly Gate, he looked closely: in the river, a water droplet had expanded significantly. Right now, it was devouring surrounding droplets. Marquis Longxue! Su Yu assessed the situation and felt a flicker in his heart. Not bad—this fellow probably possessed the strength of a second-tier marquis now. If this continued, it wouldn't be long before he had hopes of becoming a Heavenly King! *Everyone in the myriad realms is a thief; it just comes down to who steals better!* Su Yu suddenly felt a wave of realization. The Great Dao of the Dead Spirits stole power from the River of Time, Marquis Longxue and his peers siphoned power from the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits, and Su Yu stole power from them. Truly... each was more adept at stealing than the last. With a slight smile, Su Yu sped forward. Soon, his eyes shifted as he spotted a tributary—and the only one at that: the Ink Dao! Su Yu smiled and said the next moment, "We exit through here! Lan Tian, if you see Liu Hong, help me capture him!" "Is little Liu Hong here?" Lan Tian chuckled faintly. "I haven't seen him in quite some time. I've missed that little darling!" *You call everyone darling!* Su Yu was speechless. At this point, even he couldn't quite tell what state this fellow was in. Better to get out first! He was having trouble holding on! "Suppress!" Tossing out the small stone to quell the turbulence of the River of the Dead Spirits, Su Yu, Wan Tiansheng, and Lan Tian struck simultaneously, tearing open the river and instantly descending near the tributary. Su Yu opened his Heavenly Gate and flew straight in one direction along the tributary! As the three emerged, Su Yu and Lan Tian were fine, but Wan Tiansheng didn't cultivate the dead spirit Dao. At this moment, his eruption of life qi was somewhat difficult to suppress—after all, his injuries were severe—which caused the nearby River of the Dead Spirits to begin trembling! Within it, some powerhouses vaguely seemed to awaken. None of the three paid any mind. In the distance, they spotted a faint silhouette. When the figure caught sight of them, his face changed drastically. Just as he was about to flee, countless figures abruptly materialized in all directions, interspersed with Lan Tian's various laughs: "Little darling, don't run! Come play!" A demonic din flooded his ears! Liu Hong's face contorted. Just as he was about to transform into a dead spirit to escape, the hairs on his neck stood on end. A towering Lan Tian appeared right behind him, seized him by the neck, and lifted him up, saying blandly, "Little friend, don't move!" Liu Hong was utterly horrified! This was Lan Tian? He was this terrifyingly strong?! Liu Hong had attained the Dao after all, and could currently be considered a powerhouse among Eternals. How had he been caught just like that? The next instant, his expression shifted even further. The first person he looked at was Su Yu. Right now, Su Yu had snow-white hair and eyebrows, his entire body pale as snow. Liu Hong blurted out, "Did you dye your hair?" The moment the words left his mouth, he knew something was wrong. Shock swept through him: "Are you insane? What did you do?" Su Yu seemed to have burned through so much lifespan that white hair had naturally grown. This... he was only in his early twenties! With Su Yu's strength, wouldn't living eighty to a hundred thousand years be effortless? To reach the point of white hair, unless one lived to seventy or eighty thousand years old, it was hard to imagine all of it turning white. Su Yu glanced at him, frowned, and said coldly, "Why run? Catching you is effortless! With that glaring Ink Dao of yours, could you possibly hide from me?" With a cold snort, Su Yu snapped, "When the Great Dao issued a warning telling you to call me Grandpa, why didn't you say it?" "..." Liu Hong opened his mouth, speechless for a long time. *To hell with you!* "When heavenly punishment descends, you don't even take the Great Dao's warning seriously!" Boom! Five thunders struck at once! Instantly, Liu Hong's hair stood on end as a bolt of lightning struck him, leaving him charred black. Compared to Su Yu, one black and one white, he looked ugly enough to make children weep. "Stop messing with me!" Liu Hong wanted to cry but had no tears. How could he be so unlucky as to run into these three here? Every single one of them emanated an overwhelming aura that subjected him to immense pressure. Su Yu laughed, then quickly put on a stern face: "You have the Ink Dao all to yourself, yet your comprehension is this pathetic! Pure trash! A worthless piece of garbage—how could you possibly command the Ink Dao? You can barely achieve Dao Integration, let alone control this Dao!" With that, Su Yu looked toward the Ink Dao. After watching it for a while, he said, "You are a living being transformed into a half-dead spirit, balancing life and death. Here, you will never feel the true meaning of life and death intersecting. Are you willing to fully transform into a dead spirit?" "No!" Liu Hong refused. He certainly didn't want to die completely. "Then go to the place where they intersect!" Su Yu said coldly, "Master the Ink Dao for me as soon as possible! In the depths of the Land of Guixu, many powerful beings are sealed away. Use the Ink Dao to corrode them and find a chance to kill them! My formidable enemies lie in the Upper Realm, in ancient times, and deep within the River of Time. You need to help me deal with the formidable enemies of the Dead Spirit Realm!" With that, he tore open the void, grabbed Liu Hong, and marched into the depths! Behind him, Lan Tian and Wan Tiansheng quickly caught up. Lan Tian giggled and asked, "Won't you play him to death? He's so weak—you're going to throw him there?" Wan Tiansheng also hesitated. "Can he handle it?" Su Yu sneered, "If he can't, he dies! At a time like this, since he commands the Ink Dao, if he doesn't have any real skill, he might as well die so he doesn't waste our time. If he dies, I'll find someone else to command the Ink Dao!" Clutched in Su Yu's grip, Liu Hong trembled in terror, crying out in fright, "Where are you taking me?!" *Holy shit!* *How did I end up this unlucky?!* These guys were all terrifying. Lan Tian and Wan Tiansheng were actually this strong, and Su Yu was also frighteningly powerful. Su Yu said calmly, "The place where life and death intersect. Didn't you hear me? The connection point between the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits and the River of Time! The Great Dao of the Dead Spirits is a branch of the River of Time, and your Ink Dao is a branch of the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits. You should understand this! I am taking you there right now. The cycle of life and death turns there; comprehending life and death will be far more conducive to your Dao comprehension!" "Don't waste my good intentions. Although even Heavenly Kings can easily perish there, I believe you won't die. I have full confidence in you." "No!" Liu Hong was horrified. "Don't, Grandpa! I was wrong! Stop messing around, Su Yu! We have some teacher-student affection after all! Manor Head, Elder Lan, persuade him! Stop fooling around!" What a joke! He was trying to get him killed! Lan Tian chuckled faintly. "Just go, don't be afraid! We just came back from there ourselves. We only came close to being wiped out, but we didn't, did we? Tiansheng was merely severely injured, and Su Yu only burned out his lifespan, but look at me—I'm totally fine! Not only am I fine, but look, I reached the heavens in a single bound and stepped into the Heavenly King realm instantly! You can do it too!" The more Lan Tian spoke, the more Liu Hong's blood ran cold. *Nearly wiped out!* These three powerful beings had almost been completely wiped out, and you want to toss me there? *No way in hell!* Terrified, he said, "I will really die! Su Yu... no, Emperor Yu, please don't! I'll work for you, I'll help you kill dead spirits, just stop messing around!" "Messing around?" Su Yu looked down at him and said coldly, "What messing around? In the face of great catastrophe, we dare to risk our lives—why don't you? Why can't you? King Wen left behind the Ink Dao to combat formidable enemies. Now tell me, do you want to inherit the Ink Dao or not? If not, I'll strip it away from you! If you do, then go fight for your life! If you die, so be it. If you live, you'd better grow strong!" Su Yu's voice was frigid: "Was the Ink Dao given to you so you could slack off? All four Daos have surfaced. I command the Brush Dao, Lan Tian commands the Paper Dao, King Daxia and King Daqin command the Inkstone Dao, and you alone command the Ink Dao! King Daqin and King Daxia together can match peak Dao Integration and even battle Heavenly Kings. Lan Tian can battle a Heavenly King alone, and I will soon be able to do so as well. Only you, you trash—can you even match Dao Integration right now?" Liu Hong hesitated, wanting to speak. "Don't tell me you lacked time—I had even less time than you!" Su Yu snorted coldly. "You are cowardly, seeking safety in everything! It looks airtight on the surface, but in truth, you've missed countless opportunities! In an age of great contention, if you don't fight, do you plan to turtle up until heaven and earth collapse?" "The place where life and death intersect is the greatest treasure ground under heaven! Ordinary people—even Rulers of Rules—would never get the chance to go there. Only I can give you this opportunity, yet you don't cherish it? I burned my lifespan to traverse the river again and brave countless perils, and you want to refuse?" Su Yu's gaze was ice-cold. "Tell me: are you going or not? If not, I'll sever your Dao, reduce you to the Sun Moon Realm, and make you an ordinary mortal! I won't even ask you to join the great battles. You can go wherever you please!" "As for the Ink Dao, I will find someone who dares to fight to inherit it!" Liu Hong opened his mouth. After a long pause, he said bitterly, "That's just my personality! You can't expect someone who plots from the shadows to lead a frontal charge!" "And who have you successfully plotted against?" Su Yu sneered, "There are so many Dao Integration experts in the heavens—have you schemed any of them to death?" "..." Liu Hong felt awkward. That was unfair—he wasn't a freak like Su Yu. "You haven't plotted shit!" "With such feeble strength, who could you possibly scheme against?" Su Yu asked coldly, "I'll ask you one more time: are you going or not!" Liu Hong wore a bitter smile. After a long while, he nodded. "I'll go... but... at least tell me the specifics, an escape route or something, so I can be fully prepared!" "There is no escape route. If your comprehension isn't deep enough, you die. It's that simple!" Liu Hong broke down, wanting to weep. This was definitely not his style. Su Yu quickly briefed him on the junction of life and death, concluding, "Don't dream of walking back on your own—it's impossible! On the River of Time's side, the moment you step in, forget about you, even a Heavenly King would die! As for the Great Dao of the Dead Spirits, without me escorting you, you'd be devoured on the way by the Daos of countless dead spirit powerhouses! Your only choice is to become strong—strong enough to comprehend the Dao, bypass everything, and return through the Ink Dao. Only then can you survive!" "At the intersection of life and death, the cycle of life and death turns. As long as your Dao comprehension deepens continuously, you won't die easily! It depends on your comprehension and your talent. If your talent isn't up to it, if your comprehension is lacking, then just go die!" Liu Hong was utterly despondent! Whom had he offended? This was truly a trap. Once he reached that place, there would truly be no way up to heaven and no way down to earth. If he didn't comprehend the Dao and strengthen himself, he would soon perish at the junction of life and death. Meanwhile, Su Yu sped along, and soon, they arrived at that place. The end of the Dao! The small stone suppressed the river's turbulence, giving Su Yu the chance to reach the end once again. At this moment, at the end of the river, life and death alternated, light and darkness intertwining. Seeing this, even without opening his Heavenly Gate, Liu Hong could sense the two completely distinct powers and gasped: "This... if there's the slightest imbalance, I'm dead meat!" "Correct!" Su Yu said blandly, "So, you must control all powers and keep them balanced. Otherwise, you will surely die!" Liu Hong smiled wryly. "You think too highly of me!" "Not at all!" Su Yu said calmly, "I don't overestimate you. I just think that if you can't do it, your death is no great loss!" "Fine!" Liu Hong gave up struggling. The next moment, Su Yu hurled him toward the end. Liu Hong shrieked, "At least give me a moment to prepare!" Su Yu ignored him. As he threw him out, he snatched the Heaven Hunting Ranking from Lan Tian's hand. The ranking quickly vanished into the river, faintly manifesting near the intersection of life and death. "Let's go!" Without another word, Su Yu turned and left. Lan Tian and Wan Tiansheng quickly followed. Behind them, the moment Liu Hong landed, the shock of life and death hit him, causing him to spit out a mouthful of black blood. The next instant, his physical body was more than half corroded, and he cried out in panic, "Leave me some treasures for recovery! I'm really going to get killed!" "Don't have any. Endure it yourself!" "Fuck!" Liu Hong cursed loudly. "You're truly not human!" The figures of Su Yu and the other two vanished in an instant. Liu Hong lacked the strength to curse any further. He hastily began adjusting to maintain the balance of life and death, cursing them thousands of times in his heart. *Those three bastards!* *Just you wait!* *They really aren't human, dumping me in this godforsaken place just like that.* ... Within the River of the Dead Spirits, Wan Tiansheng chuckled. "Can he make it?" "He can!" Su Yu nodded. "Although that fellow is young, he must have received some inheritance—a true Great Dao inheritance! With the Heaven Hunting Ranking there, even if he's truly about to die, it can bring him back." Saying this, he took a deep breath. "We can't let the power of a Dao go to waste. He commands the Ink Dao, but he's far too cautious. Just now, he was probably secretly hunting dead spirit monarchs. That is a method, but the progress is too slow!" Liu Hong was extremely cautious. When Su Yu spotted him near the Dead Spirit Heavenly River, he was likely secretly capturing dead spirit monarchs to seize their Dao power and expand the influence of the Ink Dao. While that was an approach, it was too slow. Besides, Su Yu already had Marquis Longxue on his side, so there was no need for Liu Hong to turtle along like that. The fastest way to advance was at the junction of life and death, comprehending the Dao to accelerate his speed. Wan Tiansheng and Lan Tian said nothing more. Soon, they returned to their original spot and tore open the river to step out. This time, there were people here. The Southern King, Marquis Lanshan, and others had arrived. Having sensed living qi earlier, they were all gathered now. Seeing Su Yu's appearance, the Southern King was shocked. "What happened to you?" Marquis Lanshan was also shaken. "Your Majesty!" How had he ended up like this?! At this moment, Su Yu was entirely snow-white, striking terror and awe into the hearts of Marquis Lanshan and the others. Had he encountered a crisis? Su Yu smiled. "It's nothing!" The Southern King's heart trembled. The next instant, she suddenly looked toward Lan Tian, her shock deepening even further. "You... who are you?" Lan Tian chuckled. "Lan Tian, Deputy Director of the Cleansing Bureau!" The Southern King recognized Wan Tiansheng and didn't mind him, but upon seeing Lan Tian and hearing his self-introduction as deputy director, she was astounded. This fellow... How had Su Yu gained yet another top-tier powerhouse?! Su Yu had no time to waste and quickly said, "I need to return to the living realm to heal! By the way, leave the Land of Guixu alone for now!" Su Yu instructed swiftly, "Also, drive all the unruly powerhouses in the Dead Spirit Heavenly River toward the Land of Guixu!" In a deep voice, Su Yu added, "Furthermore, ignore the battle in the Land of Guixu; let them do as they wish! Don't try to take advantage of it. Without my command, no one is permitted to enter the Land of Guixu to participate in the battle!" "Actively clear a path for the powerhouses in the Dead Spirit Heavenly River, and even tell them directly: if they scramble off to the Land of Guixu, I won't annihilate them. Otherwise, sooner or later, I will purge all the powerhouses in the heavenly river!" Everyone listened attentively. Right now, Su Yu gave them a feeling somewhat different from before. Previously, Su Yu had been domineering and arrogant, yet he still carried a touch of mortal warmth. Now, even that mortal warmth seemed stripped away by his snow-white appearance, giving everyone the impression that he was even more profound, aloof, and distant. Su Yu didn't dwell on this. His injuries were severe, as were Wan Tiansheng's. Lan Tian was also heavily injured and needed to stabilize his cultivation realm; there was no time to linger. Having delivered his orders, Su Yu stepped into the air! Lan Tian and Wan Tiansheng flanked him, and the three vanished from the spot in an instant. Once they had left, Marquis Lanshan suddenly murmured, "His Majesty looks... even better than before... and more... more charming!" She looked rather starstruck, like an admiring fan. The Southern King glanced at her, too lazy to bother, and turned her gaze back toward the direction where the three had disappeared. After a long pause, she said in a low voice, "Two powerhouses who possess top-tier Dao Integration combat power the moment they forge their Daos... This era... is truly fascinating!" She could tell that both of them had only recently forged their Daos. Yet one possessed top-tier Dao Integration combat power, while the other even wielded Heavenly King combat power. That was utterly terrifying! ... The living realm. The path of blood had vanished. All was silent. The myriad realms of the heavens were actually watching. What would the outcome be? Where were the people? Where were they? Su Yu and the others seemed to have disappeared. At Eastern Rift Valley, King Dazhou and the others wore solemn expressions. Where were they? The blood path had disappeared, but the people were nowhere to be seen. Were they dead? Probably not. If they were dead, there would have been some phenomenon, but the lack of movement indicated they were still alive. If they were alive, why hadn't they returned yet? And what was Lan Tian's current situation? Just as they were pondering, a colossal blood cloud suddenly gathered above the Sea of Stars. It was not an omen of a powerhouse's fall, but rather like a punishment from the rules! Right at that moment, a figure materialized, giggling, "Oh, there's even a punishment? Disperse already! Punishing me? I haven't done anything bad, honestly!" As the words fell, that figure instantly split. In an instant, the world was filled with Lan Tians. Countless Lan Tians! Some of these Lan Tians vanished into small realms in an instant; some plunged into the Sea of Stars; others scattered into ancient cities, flashing by so fast that no one could track his silhouette. The next moment, an alluring Lan Tian, trailing the blood cloud, abruptly appeared at Eastern Rift Valley. King Dazhou's heart jolted. *So fast!* Lan Tian smiled seductively. "Anyone want to play with the lightning tribulation?" "..." Silence. The crowd looked at him without the slightest interest. None of them wanted to mess with that. King Daxia and King Daqin also stared at him. King Daqin asked in a deep voice, "You succeeded?" "Of course!" Lan Tian giggled, morphing into a little girl. Suddenly raising a lollipop in hand, she shouted melodramatically, "O common people, grant me power! I'm on your side! Everyone go home now!" Rumble! The blood cloud abruptly began to disperse, breaking into dozens of rule powers. At this moment, the blood cloud itself seemed confused about whom it was supposed to strike. "Disperse now! Big Brother Emperor Yu said not to waste the lightning tribulation's power!" Lan Tian giggled, then leaped up and dove into the blood cloud, seemingly soothing it. Gradually, the blood clouds slowly dispersed, leaving the onlookers chilled to the bone. Giggling, Lan Tian suddenly looked toward the crowd and pointed at someone: "What are you doing?" He vanished instantly and reappeared in front of a person. His petite form reached only up to the other's waist. Poking the person's waist with the lollipop, he pouted angrily, "What are you doing?" The person being poked was none other than Little King Zhou. At this moment, Zhou Tianyuan looked completely bewildered. Soon, realizing what had happened, he stammered, "I... I sent a message to Polong saying you guys were back..." "Oh!" Lan Tian took a bite of the lollipop, suddenly vanished from the spot, and after a moment, as if following some transmission line, returned. Soon, he giggled, "Bad guy! You're not allowed to call Lan Tian a pervert next time, or I'll get angry! How could you tell your son that the big pervert Lan Tian is back? You're so mean!" Terrifying! Zhou Tianyuan stared at him in utter horror. Lan Tian giggled, "What are you staring at? I just traced your transmission route, rushed ahead, and intercepted the message! Your son won't hear it! You're not allowed to say that next time, okay? I'm a good child!" Zhou Tianyuan's mouth fell wide open. He looked toward King Dazhou, who was equally stunned. "You... you can even intercept transmissions?" "What of it?" Lan Tian giggled. "As long as I run fast enough, the myriad realms are me, the common people are me, so of course I can intercept them at any time! Everyone be good now—no more cursing me, and no sending reckless messages!" "..." The crowd was terrified. *How the hell is this fair?!* *In the future, whatever we say in a transmission, this guy will know?* *This is too terrifying!* King Dazhou took a deep breath. "You're actually faster than a transmission... This... just what realm have you reached?" "Oh, I'm very weak!" Lan Tian giggled, glanced at King Dazhou, and teased, "I can beat you up though! Want to let me hit you once?" "..." Helplessness. King Dazhou smiled bitterly. "No need. Congratulations!" What a terrifying fellow. What kind of Dao had he opened? "Tee-hee, never mind then!" Exhausted, King Dazhou asked, "Then where are Emperor Yu and Director Wan?" Lan Tian put on an unhappy face. "They're injured, so severely that they're almost dying! Emperor Yu said he's about to die and wants to find someone to succeed him. King Dazhou, why don't you succeed the throne, okay?" "..." King Dazhou felt worn out once more. Helpless, he said, "No need. I'll wait for them to return!" *Like I'd believe your nonsense!* This guy truly wasn't a good person. Lan Tian had grown even more perverted. But that wasn't the point—the point was how frightening he was. He could even intercept transmissions! What a terrifying monster. Just what Dao had he forged this time? Why was he absurdly powerful?! Around them, the others were thinking the same thing. As for the claim that Su Yu was injured and dying, they treated it as hot air; no one took it seriously. Since Lan Tian didn't say, they couldn't pry further. In any case, top powerhouses disappearing for a few days or even a few months was nothing unusual. Su Yu had vanished for several months before. ... Meanwhile, Su Yu was indeed nursing his injuries. Neither he nor Wan Tiansheng had returned to the battlefield, choosing instead to heal in Hongmeng Ancient City. This time, both had sustained serious injuries. However, they were not foundational injuries. The most severe issue was the enormous drain on Su Yu's lifespan. Seeing Su Yu with his snow-white hair, Hongmeng was deeply shaken and awed. Su Yu was quite calm. Having recovered from some of his injuries, he was sipping tea. Seeing Hongmeng staring at him repeatedly, he smiled and said, "It's a small matter. I reckon I can still live for over a century! A century is plenty of time for me to settle everything! Once things are settled, lifespan is a trivial matter. By then, I will have reached the Ruler of Rules realm anyway, and living another hundred or two hundred thousand years won't be difficult at all!" "Still..." The old turtle remained deeply moved. "Was it worth it?" "What?" "Was it worth going this far?" Hongmeng said in a deep voice, "Even if Lan Tian forged a Dao and became powerful, that is Lan Tian, not you!" Su Yu smiled. "Listen to what you're saying!" Taking a sip of tea, Su Yu laughed. "In the contention of the Great Dao, powerhouses gather like clouds. I want to see the elites of the myriad races emerge in full force, and I also want the Daoist companions beside me to still stand beside me, fighting shoulder to shoulder, at the final moment!" Su Yu spoke with extraordinary ease and laughed: "Helping him forge his Dao was actually also perfecting my own Dao! I am too young and have experienced too little. Without seeing things and broadening my horizons, was I supposed to just imagine it out of thin air? This time, I gained countless insights into the Great Dao! Such harvests could never be attained in a lifetime of secluded cultivation!" "The higher one stands, the farther one sees. If I have a few more experiences like this, perhaps I'll be able to forge my own Dao." Su Yu chuckled, "In truth, I didn't sacrifice much. Senior Hongmeng thinks I paid a huge price, but in reality, a century is plenty for me!" Hongmeng was silent. After a long pause, he raised his teacup. "Using tea in place of wine, I toast Emperor Yu!" "You're too courteous!" Su Yu laughed, raised his teacup, and drank it in one gulp. Looking up, he said with a smile, "Senior's recent Great Dao comprehension has been quite good, but... it's still lacking a bit. You lack a suitable opponent to contend against you!" Hongmeng nodded. Su Yu smiled. "Go have some fun in the Dead Spirit Heavenly River. Sweep through the Dead Spirit Heavenly River and drive out those awakened powerhouses toward the Land of Guixu! Anyone unwilling to leave, who hides away, kill them all!" Hongmeng considered this and said solemnly, "Once they gather in the Land of Guixu, or submit to the Northern King's command..." Then it would become an uncontrollable problem! Su Yu laughed, "It doesn't matter! Even if the Northern King's forces can rival ours, in the short term, they won't return to the Four Kings' domains. Instead, internal strife will break out first—they'll have to choose a new boss!" "A new boss?" The old turtle mulled over the meaning of those words. Without prying further, he nodded. "All right. Then I will sweep through the heavenly river and drive out those powerhouses as soon as possible." "Mm." Su Yu smiled and continued sipping his tea. After thinking for a moment, he added, "Shan Qi and the others have all reached Dao Integration now, but quite a few guardians are still stuck at the ninth stage. In the Lower Realm, it's likely difficult for them to improve! I'll find an opportunity to scout the Upper Realm. If possible, I'll take them to the Upper Realm for a walk and some battles. Perhaps they can break through." Su Yu said swiftly, "In the Lower Realm, now that the three realms are sealed, it's difficult to find opponents!" "Can you go up?" "Let's try!" Su Yu smiled. "Last time, several people came down from the Upper Realm. They were all humans and only had Eternal strength, yet they still managed to come down. With me around, we should be able to go up! I'll go up first to scout the situation!" "Then... you must be careful. I probably won't be able to accompany you. As a guardian, I cannot leave this realm, though the Dead Spirit Realm is fine." Su Yu nodded. He hadn't given that too much thought and hadn't planned on having the old turtle accompany him anyway. Su Yu pondered and said, "Even if I go, I won't take away too many powerhouses, lest the Lower Realm discovers something and Tiangu and the others stir up trouble!" With that, Su Yu finished his tea and smiled. "I'll try walking the Brush Dao again. I gained many insights this time; perhaps I can take another step forward. I only made progress yesterday, but as expected, life-and-death crises truly are the best way to improve." Yes, yesterday. Su Yu had only walked the Brush Dao yesterday, and today he wanted to try walking it again. Guarding the Dao for Lan Tian this time had given Su Yu profound insights. The same went for Old Wan. ... After resting for a short while, Su Yu soon stepped into the River of Time. In the past, reaching the location of the Brush Dao had posed some difficulty, but now it was effortless. Having ventured so far this time, looking back at the Brush Dao, it seemed so close—what did it amount to? Su Yu's physical body easily crossed into the Brush Dao, swiftly entering the tributary. Stepping into the Brush Dao, various comprehensions flooded his mind. The Brush Dao excelled in attacking and sealing. In truth, this Dao might not be entirely suited to Su Yu, but Su Yu intended to comprehend all ten thousand Daos. Not excelling at it didn't mean he couldn't master it. "The Brush Dao is merely what King Wen called it. One shouldn't truly treat it as just a brush; it can also be understood as advancing, ceaselessly moving forward! The concept of '↑' inherently possesses limitless meaning!" Each individual had their own comprehension. This time, Su Yu broke free from some of King Wen's thinking. Just because King Wen said this thing was good at sealing and breaking defenses, did that make it absolute? Not necessarily! Carrying his own unique insights, Su Yu forged ahead. The Great Dao of rules fluctuated, almost as if rejoicing. At this moment, Su Yu finally shed some of King Wen's influence. King Wen was human too. What King Wen thought did not represent what Su Yu thought. Strictly speaking, Su Yu was not King Wen's successor; he felt he was more properly the successor to the Time Master. Possessing his own distinct comprehension, Su Yu advanced smoothly. This time, he walked to roughly 75% of the Dao, his Dao integration reaching around 75%. His comprehension of the rules grew even deeper! Perhaps it differed from King Wen's understanding, but the power of the Great Dao remained fundamentally unchanged; it could simply be interpreted from different angles. The instant Su Yu walked out of the River of Time, the old turtle was in a daze. In that moment, he vaguely felt that Su Yu... might have reached a level that shook him to the core—not that Su Yu had surpassed him, but that he was rapidly closing in on his level! At this moment, Su Yu also felt it: he had likely officially stepped into the realm of second-tier Dao Integration. The old turtle, Tiangu, King Dazhou, Warden Tianhou... All of them had previously been in this realm. Of course, now the old turtle, Warden Tianhou, and Tiangu might have already surpassed this scope, all faintly advancing toward the Heavenly King level. Yet Su Yu was catching up at incredible speed! These top powerhouses of the Lower Realm were being rapidly overtaken by him. *I shouldn't be weaker than Doubao now, right?* Su Yu thought to himself. *Maybe a little weaker?* *Who cares!* In any case, Su Yu felt that right now, he was probably slightly stronger than King Daqin and the others. As expected, martial artists were just martial artists—their growth was painfully slow. Unlike scholars like them, who could comprehend at will: one insight, one leap in strength! Wearing a smile, Su Yu soon saw Wan Tiansheng emerging from seclusion in the distance. Their eyes met, and both smiled. This time, both had reaped harvests. Su Yu couldn't clearly sense how much Wan Tiansheng had gained, but looking at Old Wan's sly, scheming smile, it was obvious his harvest was substantial. When scholars had happy news, keeping it bottled up inside was quite normal. Not showing one's hand was a good thing. The next instant, the two traversed space-time, heading for the Human Realm. Su Yu prepared to examine that path to the Upper Realm! ... And right at this moment. In a place of endless darkness. A white-robed powerhouse had an odd look in his eyes. *What the hell?* In his perception, just a short while ago, that successor of the Brush Dao had advanced a stretch, and now, in the blink of an eye, he had advanced yet another stretch! "Is the Brush Dao... really that easy to comprehend?" The white-robed powerhouse felt somewhat dazed. *Strange. Could my senses be mistaken?* *Then again, I'm too far away; I'm probably mistaken.* With a soft sigh and a faint smile, he thought, *Perhaps I'm just too tired, too exhausted.* In the distance, roars erupted once more. The white-robed powerhouse smiled freely and went off to fight! *Damned bastards! If I can't have an easy time, none of you will either! Do you really think I'm a soft persimmon to be squished?* Carrying a trace of murderous aura, the white-robed powerhouse quickly vanished!