Marquis Dingjun

King Daming was responsible for setting up camp. Soon, an open clearing appeared within Soul Burying Mountain. King Daming began setting up a formation, while Xinghong took charge of clearing out the Soul-Boring Insects. As a fish-headed monster, he had quite a knack for dealing with these little bugs. Meanwhile, Su Yu silently observed the surroundings. Opening his Heavenly Gate, he gazed up at the sky! King Dazhou and Lan Tian also swiftly sensed all directions, gathering intelligence. From Lan Tian's body, tiny bugs flew out one by one, looking identical to the Soul-Boring Insects. As he split his clones, he admonished, "Big fish head, don't eat me, got it?" Over there, Xinghong was speechless... Your whole family is a big fish head! This pervert—in just this short moment, he had already begun making Soul-Boring Insect clones. A moment later, King Daming stepped out of the void, landed on the ground, and said in a low voice, "It's ready." "Go in!" Su Yu strode toward the clearing not far away. The group quickly followed, with King Dazhou setting up a silence formation as he walked. ... Entering the grand formation. With a wave of Su Yu's hand, an immense map materialized before everyone. Su Yu pointed at Liu Shan and his companion, saying indifferently, "Release them. Come over and help me proofread the map!" Smiling cheerfully, Lan Tian dropped the two. Even now, Liu Shan and Du Bing were thoroughly shaken, their hearts pounding in terror. Just who on earth were these people? And what kind of strength did they possess? Those in the Eternal Realm could roughly be discerned, but there were several whose cultivation realms were impossible to fathom, including this white-haired man before them—this white-haired youth who seemed to be the leader of this group. A youth? They didn't know why they felt this way. He clearly seemed like someone nearing his sunset years, yet they also felt he was actually very young—a profoundly contradictory impression. Even though they were released, both were terrified, daring neither to struggle nor to flee. What a joke! There were at least three Dao Integrators here! Lan Tian who had captured them, King Daming who set up the formation, and an Iron-Eating Beast that still maintained its true form—all three were Dao Integrators! As for the others... the two dared not even think about it. There might be more Dao Integrators than just those three! The white-haired youth, the smiling middle-aged man who had told them to keep quiet, and that fish-headed monster swallowing the Soul-Boring Insects—all of them might be Dao Integrators! The thought made their blood run even colder. Six Dao Integrators? Su Yu, unconcerned with their thoughts, pointed at the map and said calmly, "Proofread the map. I have multiple versions of maps on hand. Help me check it so I can compare and see which version is the most accurate!" He said nothing more. But Liu Shan and Du Bing were not stupid. Was this a test? If they messed around, they might die! These people had ascended here, likely well-prepared; proofreading the map might just be a probe. Neither dared to say more. Liu Shan hurried to examine the map closely, acting with utmost caution. After a long while, he pointed at a spot and whispered, "This isn't Single Thread Gorge; this is Severed Head Valley." Su Yu made a slight adjustment. Liu Shan breathed a sigh of relief and continued pointing out errors on the map. To the side, Du Bing grew anxious as well, hurriedly inspecting the map and soon pointing out several discrepancies. Over an hour passed before all the inaccuracies on the map were completely corrected by the two. With a wave of Su Yu's hand, the map vanished. By now, the interior beneath the grand formation had also changed appearance. Tables, chairs, and benches had materialized, all forged with the power of rules by this group of experts. Su Yu sat down and said casually, "Please, take a seat, you two!" "..." Liu Shan and Du Bing grew more and more frightened. Just who on earth were these people? There were humans among them, of that they were certain. Because some were relatively weak, which they could sense. There were also non-humans, whom they could sense as well. Then were these people before them, whose cultivation they could not perceive, humans? Liu Shan and Du Bing did not dare sit. Liu Shan looked somewhat simple and ordinary, but in reality was shrewder than Du Bing. He hastily said, "We wouldn't dare. Before you lords, how could there be a seat for us?" Several Dao Integrators were standing; how could he dare sit? Su Yu said indifferently, "If I tell you to sit, then sit. Only by being obedient can you live a long life!" A chill ran through Liu Shan's heart. Daring not say another word, he quickly pulled Du Bing down to sit. Clearly, this white-haired youth was the master here whose word was law. And this man felt... felt even more terrifying than Marquis Dingjun—not in terms of strength, which he couldn't accurately judge, but in terms of bearing and presence. At a single glance, he seemed more fearsome than Marquis Dingjun! Su Yu looked at them and asked, "Do you know Zhao Chuan and the others?" "Yes." Liu Shan replied quickly, "We all belong to the Dingjun Guards. Are Zhao Chuan and the others still alive?" "I'm the one asking questions." Liu Shan dared not speak further. However, Du Bing beside him hesitated, gritted his teeth, and asked, "May I boldly ask if Your Lordship is from the Lower Realm's human race?" "What if I am, and what if I am not?" Du Bing gritted his teeth. "If not... we won't say anything!" Su Yu felt weary and sighed softly. "Why are the Upper Realm humans all such idiots?" Beside him, Lan Tian chuckled, "They really are quite idiotic." King Dazhou also looked awkward. "Perhaps their horizons are too narrow and their experience too limited. After all, they've been hunted continuously and can only operate within a tiny circle. So they're probably a bit dull-witted, but it's forgivable." Du Bing and Liu Shan were somewhat incensed! What did they mean by that? King Daming also glanced at the two, slightly frowning. At this moment, some among Su Yu's group didn't understand, while others caught on. King Daming chimed in, his tone cold: "You're at least at the seventh level of Eternal, roughly matching my former strength, yet you possess zero intellect? Asking whether we're Lower Realm humans? If we were the Lower Realm's myriad races, would we need to take this passage? Would we need to sneak up here covertly? Truly brainless to the core! Is the Upper Realm's human race strong? Since it's not strong, if the myriad races ascended, would they need to avoid attention? If we were Immortals or Demons, could the two of you still be alive? Word would have been passed through the Destiny Realm passage long ago to receive us here!" He sneered, "Stationed here guarding the passage—such a crucial mission! Even if your strength isn't formidable, your brains should at least be functional. Yet your strength is mediocre, and your brains are useless. Two absolute morons!" Utterly scorned! Liu Shan and Du Bing thought about it, and indeed... that seemed to make sense. The two instantly flushed with embarrassment! How humiliating! Actually, it wasn't just the two of them; some among Su Yu's camp hadn't thought of it either. In an instant, they put on postures of 'we knew it all along'—how embarrassing, they had almost asked aloud why Su Yu was scolding them! So... that was why. Indeed, if they were non-humans and had multiple Dao Integrators, they could only be major races from the Lower Realm. And those major races had deep roots in the Upper Realm and could directly contact Upper Realm experts via the Destiny race's passage; there was no need to sneak around. Du Bing was embarrassed, yet he persisted, "Then is Your Lordship human? If you are human, why capture us..." Su Yu leaned back in his chair, too tired to bother answering. Lan Tian said faintly, "If we are human, why can't we capture you? The Upper Realm humans have suffered defeat after defeat. How many have defected to the myriad races remains unknown. Do you dare claim that the Upper Realm's human race doesn't have a single traitor?" The two shut their mouths instantly. Not a single traitor? Who knew! Could Marquis Minshan's death have been a betrayal? Furthermore, over the years, several human experts had been ambushed and killed one after another. Was that due to traitors? In daily life, everyone had pondered these issues, but they were powerless. They could only manage their own affairs and were unable to resolve other people's troubles. Liu Shan took a deep breath and spoke, "My lords, since you know of Zhao Chuan, you must have met them. We do not know any more than they do. If you wish to see the Marquis, we can return to report in advance and find an opportunity for you to meet with the Marquis..." "Meet with him?" Lan Tian smiled faintly, "What grand airs, what arrogant words! Marquis Dingjun should come pay court to Emperor Yu! A puny marquis, yet he dares put on airs!" "Emperor Yu?" The two shuddered. Who was Emperor Yu? These people's tone was sky-high arrogant. Were they really from the Lower Realm? Su Yu chuckled and glanced at Lan Tian. "That tone of yours sounds like a villain through and through. Stop making trouble for me!" Lan Tian quickly dropped the chilling demeanor and turned enchanting. "I understand. I just thought these two little children were so adorable, so I teased them a bit." Little children? How old are you even! Su Yu felt helpless. This fellow... whatever, he didn't feel like engaging Lan Tian anyway. Su Yu was pondering. After a while, he spoke, "King Dazhou, where do you think is best to start? Should we first take down Marquis Dingjun's faction and use their power to operate, or act independently right away?" King Dazhou fell silent for a moment before replying, "With a veteran around, Marquis Dingjun definitely knows far more than ordinary people. He might even be able to contact other human Dao Integrators. If a sudden new force appears in the Upper Realm, even if disguised as subordinates of Marquis Tianyang... it would be better to substitute the plum tree for the peach—blending in on Marquis Dingjun's side. The myriad races should understand Marquis Dingjun quite well, so they won't be caught off guard by a sudden appearance of a new force." "So, you mean we should take down Marquis Dingjun first?" Su Yu looked at him, and King Dazhou nodded. "Yes, that's my thought! Furthermore, now that we've captured these two, Marquis Dingjun's side will find out sooner or later! Rather than letting him ruin things, it's better to take him down first!" Beside them, King Daming also chimed in, "Emperor Yu, I also believe we should take down Marquis Dingjun first! If for nothing else, for one single point: he knows about the passage!" King Daming said gravely, "If something is wrong with him and we emerge, once he associates us with the passage, he might very well cut off our retreat! Of course, that's assuming he's a traitor. But anything is possible, so taking down Marquis Dingjun is utterly necessary!" Su Yu nodded slightly. Before this, his thought had been to act alone. However, after ascending, he had developed some new ideas. King Daming's concern was very reasonable. Su Yu and the others could not appear out of thin air. Marquis Dingjun knew of the passage and had sent people down. If there was truly a problem with him, he might well deduce that they had ascended through the passage. At that point, if he contacted the myriad races to sever Su Yu's retreat, matters would become very difficult! At this moment, Liu Shan was also listening. Hearing this, he grew indignant and hurriedly said, "The Marquis could never be a traitor! You... you..." He was extremely anxious! Because this group didn't seem like good people. Yes, not in the least! They were completely different from the Lower Realm people they had imagined. In their imagination, the Lower Realm was miserable; an Eternal might be the supreme existence. Learning of the Upper Realm's existence, they would treat the Upper Realm as a lifeline. Even if the Upper Realm had it rough, there were still human Dao Integrators here! If they were the Lower Realm people they had imagined, emerging from the passage, they would surely be deferential and respectful, begging them to lead the way to Marquis Dingjun. Yet... this was nothing like what they had pictured! These people were terrifyingly strong, with multiple Dao Integrators, and among the non-Dao Integrators, there was a large number of high-stage Eternals. And they were exceedingly arrogant! The Lower Realm? To Liu Shan and Du Bing, these people felt like higher-tier beings, speaking of Upper Realm Dao Integrators with nothing but contempt. Were these people truly humans from the Lower Realm? It was almost unbelievable! Ignoring them, Su Yu spoke, "Marquis Dingjun resides in Bright Moon Flower Valley, which is also considered a perilous land! We are unfamiliar with that place. If we rush in rashly and he escapes..." Su Yu stroked his chin. "That will be quite troublesome!" Lan Tian said with a giggle, "Can he run? According to Zhao Chuan, at best, this fellow has strength comparable to Marquis Yunxing. If King Dazhou and I join hands, we can subdue him in an instant! Where could he run?" One-on-one, he could take him down too; he just feared accidents. However, joining forces with King Dazhou, there wouldn't even be a chance of an accident. Su Yu smiled, "Don't underestimate Upper Realm experts either—especially the humans. Having fled for so many years and occupying various perilous lands, if nothing else, they certainly possess the ability to escape!" Lan Tian beamed, "Don't we have Emperor Yu here? Regardless, subduing him won't be much of a problem!" Su Yu nodded slightly. "If the intelligence is accurate, it definitely won't be a problem. Under Marquis Dingjun, there are over twenty Eternals, and about a thousand below Eternal. If there are no other Dao Integrators, taking him down won't be difficult." Quite a few Eternals. Over twenty! He had already sent a number down previously, meaning that Marquis Dingjun alone possessed as many Eternals under his command as the entire human race in the Lower Realm. That was normal too! After all, the Lower Realm had only risen over several centuries, while the Upper Realm had preserved its heritage without total extinction from ancient times until now. It was just that the weak were growing fewer and fewer. First, they constantly had to relocate and flee, disrupting the continuation of lineages. Moreover, the weak easily became burdens, and whenever a major battle broke out, the weak were the first to die. Over the years, experts were quite numerous, while the weak grew scarcer. If this continued, in a few more years, once all those below Eternal died out, the human race would be all but extinct. Could relying on a handful of old fellows really pass on an entire race? Su Yu tapped his chair and smiled, "All right, then we'll take down Marquis Dingjun first!" Liu Shan hastily interjected, "My lord, why must it be this way! If you lords truly come from the human race, once we return and explain to the Marquis, he will surely treat you with courtesy. How could there be any conflict with you lords!" He simply couldn't fathom it. If they were humans, why take down the Marquis? This... this was clearly how one treated enemies. Were these people really human? Now he was even more incredulous and frightened. Just what was the background of these people! Emperor Yu? King Daming? King Dazhou? Where did an Emperor come from! Su Yu chuckled softly, "Take him down first, talk later—that prevents mishaps. Don't worry, if there's no problem, we naturally won't harm Senior Marquis Dingjun. It's merely a precaution. After all... one can know a person's face, but not their heart!" Treat all Upper Realm humans as traitors first, and there would be no problems. Subdue first, screen later! Without saying more, Su Yu glanced at the sky again, exhaled softly, and said, "Then that's settled for now. We don't need too many people; we're not going there to slaughter! Senior Xinghong, stay here with Jiu Yue. The rest of you, don't step outside. King Dazhou, the few of us will head over!" Unable to hold back, Liu Shan pleaded anxiously, "My lords, we are all humans. If a conflict breaks out, casualties can easily occur. Since we are all kin of the human race, why must we slaughter one another?" He was worried that something would happen to the Marquis, and worried that these people would unleash a massacre. Su Yu said nothing. With a wave of his hand, their voices were silenced, and invisible chains appeared in his grasp, locking their Great Dao power. In the Upper Realm, it felt easier to wield the power of the Great Dao. Su Yu's gaze was strange. He actually didn't see the River of Time! However, it might exist in the distance, indicating that the power of the River of Time extended into the Upper Realm. Yet the Upper Realm might be like the dead spirit realm, perhaps having only a single fulcrum. And yet, these people could cultivate the power of rules. There was something peculiar about the Dao in the Upper Realm. Of course, now was not the time to look into it deeply. Cultivating in the Upper Realm might be simpler, because the power of the River of Time was not strong here, meaning there was less suppressive force. Whether opening a Dao or merging with a Dao, one normally had to resist the suppressive pressure of the River of Time. Here, there was none of that feeling. Su Yu and the others actually felt considerably lighter, sensing their Great Dao boiling. No wonder so many had been unwilling to remain in the Lower Realm and had ascended instead. But was coming up truly a good thing? Su Yu remained skeptical! Experts of the Upper Realm might have greater destructive power and could draw on more Dao power. However, a faint trace of superficiality could still be perceived. "Is it due to lacking the suppression and tempering of the River of Time?" "Still, cultivating here is indeed simpler." "For those needing to break through bottlenecks, it's quite a boon." "Yet there are drawbacks as well..." There were benefits, but also drawbacks. Pondering this, Su Yu looked at the guardians: "Before I return, even if you feel you're about to break through, do not do so. In this place, the Dao suppression is too weak. Once you break through, the disturbance will be immense!" He finally understood why none among the humans had broken through to Dao Integration. It was like lighting a lamp in pitch darkness; breaking through to Dao Integration here would cause no small stir! With Dao suppression so minimal, the breakthrough phenomenon would surely be enormous. "Understood!" Everyone responded in unison. Su Yu looked at King Dazhou and the others, smiling, "Then, gentlemen, accompany me on a trip!" "Understood!" Su Yu, Lan Tian, King Dazhou, and King Daming vanished from the spot simultaneously. Bringing King Daming along was also to set up formations, preventing too much commotion from alerting others. ... Bright Moon Flower Valley was one of the Upper Realm's perilous lands. Here, as the name implied, flowers were abundant. An ocean of flowers! The reason it was called Bright Moon Flower Valley was that at night, flowers resembling bright moons would emerge. Those flowers radiated beams of light, and anyone touched by that illumination would show signs of poisoning. The toxicity was potent enough that even Dao Integrators could easily fall victim to it. The Upper Realm was essentially a wild, untamed land, so perilous areas were extraordinarily numerous. Even after so many years, these perils had not been eradicated. Due to the absence of Rule Masters, some perilous lands even harbored formidable entities where even Heavenly Kings could easily stumble! Over time, these perilous lands became forbidden zones avoided by all; unless driven to dire straits, ordinary people would never visit. The human race occupied perilous lands simply because they had nowhere else to go. The more dangerous a place was, the more they sought refuge there, which helped deter enemy experts from raiding them. The various races had laid siege to the humans for years, yet not that many humans had been slain directly. Most of the time, the pursuers disturbed terrifying entities within the perilous lands, suffering heavy casualties and being forced to withdraw. Of course, even so, the humans suffered immensely. With every large-scale encirclement, they lost soldiers and generals, and over the years, their living space grew ever narrower. At this moment, within Bright Moon Flower Valley. Countless colossal flowers bloomed with a faint radiance. Night had fallen. These flowers were terrifyingly massive. Some were even comparable to towering mountains. Some bloomed open, while others remained shut tight. Countless flowers gave off shimmering light, making it seem as if a bright moon hung in the void. This was Bright Moon Flower Valley. And amidst these myriad flowers, inside one closed gigantic blossom, lived many humans. This was Marquis Dingjun's hiding place. If the myriad races came to attack, they would first have to locate him among these countless flowers. Even if found, they would have to beware of neighboring giant blossoms attacking them. Once a fierce battle erupted, they would have to worry that the clash might rouse even more powerful flowers to devour all combatants. Of course, this cursed place was also exceedingly dangerous. To explore it, Marquis Dingjun had spent countless ages, lost many subordinates, and suffered injuries multiple times before finally finding a blossom suitable for habitation. This flower could close up. When night fell, Marquis Dingjun could control the blossom to shut tight, preventing the moonlight outside from shining in and sparing his soldiers from being poisoned to death. The receptacle inside the flower was large enough to accommodate over a thousand people. Marquis Dingjun had been stationed here for over eighty years, and buildings resembling a small town had even been constructed on the floral disc. According to past convention, they had to relocate after a century at most! Otherwise, a hundred years was more than enough for the myriad races to figure out their situation. Under normal circumstances, it was best to move every fifty years, but the humans had no choice; every relocation inflicted devastating losses. Dragging it out to a hundred years was the ideal scenario. At this moment, on the floral disc, people were still moving about the small town. Old and young alike. Residing here for eighty years had seen the birth of a new generation of humans, which brought immense joy to Marquis Dingjun—even more joy than seeing a subordinate advance to the Eternal Realm. Back when the Ninth Tide had just concluded, he still had hundreds of thousands of humans under his command. Yet several millennia later, only this thousand or so remained! Right now, what worried him most wasn't the lack of emerging experts, but that the new generation was dwindling—so much so that over the past eighty years, only eighty-odd new lives had been born. This was the source of Marquis Dingjun's deep anxiety. If things continued like this, there would be no need for the myriad races to hunt them. Relocating a few more times, and he might have no people left at all. Lately, signs of movement by the myriad races had appeared around Bright Moon Flower Valley, worrying him even more. If this persisted, he would have to find a way to relocate. Sending people to the Lower Realm had been a desperate gamble. He had hoped that disturbances in the Lower Realm could divert the myriad races' attention. As for the specifics, Marquis Dingjun was not very clear. However, he knew that the forces of the myriad races around Bright Moon Flower Valley seemed to have withdrawn recently. His sources of information were sparse; perhaps something had happened to the myriad races, as word had it that many experts had died in the Lower Realm, enraging the myriad races, who were currently conferring on how to deal with the Lower Realm humans. Outside, night had fallen. Inside the flower, however, it was still fairly bright. Clad in armor, Marquis Dingjun walked the streets of the small town. Small houses lined both sides—none of them luxurious, merely functional shelters meant to provide places for meditation and secluded cultivation. Several people followed behind Marquis Dingjun, accompanying him on his inspection. Patrolling was a daily routine he adhered to without fail. First, to stabilize morale. Second, to take roll call. Third, to prove that Marquis Dingjun was still present. Counting heads was of paramount importance. Here, one had to be vigilant against human survivors who, unable to endure the hardship, might choose betrayal. Such things had happened before. The human race had been suppressed for too long, driving some who could not withstand temptation to flee. Fleeing alone was manageable; what they feared was survivors defecting to the myriad races and leading an encirclement force right to them. Right after the Ninth Tide concluded, because certain experts had been careless, several deserters defected and drew in the myriad races, resulting in the deaths of many powerful beings. With such lessons etched before him, Marquis Dingjun dared not forget. From one end of the street to the other, there were only so many people. After a full sweep, everyone was accounted for, which was reassuring. Marquis Dingjun exhaled and said softly, "I wonder how things are in the Lower Realm." Behind him, several equally ancient beings looked worried. Hearing his words, a white-haired elder said softly, "Marquis, there is no need to worry. Since the myriad races are conferring on how to deal with the Lower Realm, it's evident that the Lower Realm hasn't completely fallen!" Marquis Dingjun nodded slightly and walked toward his dwelling. Ahead, a crude, large house served as his marquis estate. As he walked, Marquis Dingjun remarked, "Minshan's fall... was something I didn't foresee. Sigh, what worries me most is whether some of our intelligence was exposed after Minshan fell." He carried a tinge of sorrow. "Minshan was previously our core point of contact. He knew all our hiding spots. Minshan likely wouldn't betray us, but I fear... that he told someone among his subordinates who might have turned traitor, exposing all our locations." "Some days ago, a group from the myriad races suddenly arrived at Bright Moon Flower Valley... that's the crux of my concern!" "If worse comes to worst, we'll have no choice but to evacuate!" Marquis Dingjun sounded helpless. The white-haired elder also said solemnly, "Marquis, if we evacuate now to relocate, we can only search for another perilous land. Every migration brings devastating losses. These thousand-plus people... once we reach the next perilous land, how many will survive?" Switching perilous lands was no simple task. Otherwise, they would have moved long ago. The moment Marquis Minshan died, they should have relocated. Remaining put was precisely out of fear: if they migrated again, how many of these people would survive? Marquis Dingjun looked bitter. "In past ages, how glorious was our human race! The myriad races bowed in subjugation, the heavens and realms paid homage. Above the heavens and beneath the earth, living beings and dead spirits alike revered our human race as supreme!" "Father, you're talking about this again!" From within the large house, a young woman emerged, speaking with a touch of helplessness. "We never experienced any of that. Father, don't bring it up next time! You say it every single time until my ears have grown calluses. Right now we're hunted everywhere; I haven't even stepped outside Bright Moon Flower Valley." Sorrow flickered in Marquis Dingjun's eyes. Yes, this was his daughter. Thirty years old. To carry on the bloodline and perpetuate the human race after his son died in battle, during these years of settling in Bright Moon Flower Valley, he had fathered another daughter. Being his child, her talent was naturally remarkable. In just thirty years, she had already reached the peak of the Sun Moon Realm. Yet... she had never stepped outside Bright Moon Flower Valley. Her sky was only as wide as Bright Moon Flower Valley! She had merely heard tales of ancient glory, having never experienced or witnessed it. She had no idea how powerful the human race once was! The myriad races kneeling! A sacred land of pilgrimage! He was an ancient marquis, an expert of the ancient human race. Even the sovereigns of the myriad races had to treat him, Marquis Dingjun, with deference! "We will go out!" Marquis Dingjun thought to himself, smiling on the outside. "We will! The human race will rise once again! We have endured for a hundred thousand years without extinction! His Majesty the Human Sovereign, Lord King Wen—they will all return!" He spoke the words, yet despair had long taken root in his heart. A hundred thousand years! If they could return, they would have returned long ago. He hadn't wanted to believe those peerlessly powerful beings had perished, but... now he had no choice but to believe it. If not dead, after a hundred thousand years, they should have come back! The girl didn't take it to heart. For so long, her father had always repeated the same words, as had the elders. Rather than shattering her father's fantasy, she smiled and said, "Father, let's not talk about that for now. Manifest the Sea of Stars for me to see tonight! I caught a glimpse last time, and it was so stunning. Is the ocean really like that? Truly beautiful!" Over the years, Marquis Dingjun would manifest illusions of ancient domains to show his daughter what the outside world was like. The Sea of Stars... Marquis Dingjun smiled and nodded, "All right! The Sea of Stars... that was a magnificent place! Countless races lived there, with myriad realm entrances, and countless legends and myths... and of course, Lord King Ming's tale of devoted romance." Beside him, the white-haired elder chuckled. "Marquis, you've told Lord King Ming's story countless times." Marquis Dingjun laughed, "Whenever the Sea of Stars is mentioned, Lord King Ming must be brought up! That immense power—suspending the Sea of Stars with his strength alone, never falling for millions of years... all just for a smile from his consort! It truly made everyone envious!" To the side, the girl didn't interrupt this time; she loved hearing these tales. She was weary of endless fighting and killing. Over her thirty years, battles were not nonexistent; each time, people ventured out, never to return! A group had left recently, uncles who had watched her grow up. Perhaps... they would never return either. Such a life was simply too exhausting. Listening to her father share gossip about the ancient experts was her happiest time. As for honor and glory, none of that mattered. No matter how glorious, it was in the past. A hundred thousand years was enough to bury everything. ... And at the very moment Marquis Dingjun was speaking of the Sea of Stars to his daughter. Outside Bright Moon Flower Valley, space rippled slightly. Su Yu fixed his gaze ahead. Countless flowers blanketed the entire expanse. Inside the vast canyon, flowers stretched everywhere, and above the canyon hung a bright moon—exceedingly beautiful. Yet also exceedingly perilous! Opening his Heavenly Gate, he peered into the canyon. The next moment, his brows knitted slightly. "A place even more dangerous than Soul Burying Mountain! These flowers are actually all cultivating, treading the same Dao." As Su Yu spoke, he suddenly glanced around, his brows twitching slightly. "Marquis Dingjun is being watched!" With those words, three tiny gates imprinted onto the foreheads of Lan Tian and the other two. Instantly, they too could see faint, barely visible threads in the surroundings. Lan Tian smiled enchantingly. "Indeed, there are a few little crawlers! But there's only one Dao Integrator and three Eternals. Looks like they aren't prepared to strike yet." If they truly planned to attack, one Dao Integrator was clearly not enough. However, since a Dao Integrator had arrived, they had most likely confirmed Marquis Dingjun's location and could launch an attack at any moment. Stationed outside the valley, these people were likely here to prevent Marquis Dingjun from having a chance to evacuate. King Daming also chuckled, "So you're saying if we hadn't come, Marquis Dingjun might have fallen! By coming here, we're actually saving him?" "You could say that!" Su Yu let out a laugh. "Let's capture them first. These fellows aren't inside the flower valley, so they're easier to deal with. That Dao Integrator is only around the fifth grade!" Trash! Present here, perhaps only King Daming was comparable in strength to that opponent. Everyone else was far stronger. "King Daming, you handle the three Eternals. The three of us will take down that Dao Integrator in an instant. Don't make any noise so as not to startle Marquis Dingjun. King Dazhou, it's up to you!" King Dazhou smiled, "With Emperor Yu joining hands with me, it will be even more foolproof!" Su Yu also possessed the power of the Enticement Great Dao. The two joining forces against a fifth-grade Dao Integrator would present almost no risk. Lan Tian, however, chuckled faintly, "And where does that leave me? Let's move. If you keep talking, my countless brothers and sisters won't be able to hold back!" "..." Speechless. They all smiled easily, yet none grew careless. Concealing all their auras! Being newcomers, caution was prudent. ... Outside the flower valley. A Demon expert gazed into the distance, his brow slightly furrowed. Behind him, three Eternal experts looked at their Dao Integration leader, and one asked in a low voice, "Lord, is there any disturbance?" "It's nothing." The Demon God still frowned. "Just now there was a faint spatial fluctuation. I wonder if it was caused by rule fluctuations..." The three probed the area as well, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. Nor was there any sense of impending danger. The Dao Integration Demon God felt a slight twinge of danger, but investigating carefully, he could not tell where it originated. Could he have been spotted by Marquis Dingjun? Even if spotted, Dingjun wouldn't dare fight him; fleeing was far more likely. The Demon God drew a deep breath. "If Marquis Dingjun tries to flee, send word immediately to surround and exterminate them! Our mission is not to engage, but to keep watch and ensure they don't slip away undetected!" Using a Dao Integrator as a lookout showed just how seriously the myriad races took these remnant humans. "Understood!" The three nodded. They had no desire to clash with these desperate outlaws; as long as Marquis Dingjun dared step out, they could immediately send a message summoning numerous experts to slaughter them! As they spoke, a laugh sounded in all four of their ears: "Everyone, shh! Bear with it for a moment, don't speak, let's have a chat." The three Eternals were instantly ensnared. Meanwhile, the Demon God's expression shifted drastically! Who? In his brief daze, another playful giggle sounded beside his ear: "Don't speak, good baby, I love you!" "Be quiet. Only by staying quiet can you stay alive!" Almost simultaneously, the three powerhouses channeled their Great Dao power to interfere with this fifth-grade Dao Integrator. Around the perimeter, King Daming's formation descended instantly, screening all four directions. The three Eternals had long since lost themselves. The disparity was simply too vast! The Demon God's eyes struggled violently. But just as he resisted, countless Lan Tians—both male and female—erupted around him, forming a massive net, giggling, "Good baby, all living beings love you, and you love all living beings. Don't squirm!" King Dazhou stepped forth from the void, smiling gently: "Endure it, don't speak, don't struggle. We're here to save you!" The Demon God struggled internally. No, that's not true! These are enemies! The next moment, Su Yu appeared. A brush manifested in his hand, and with a single stroke, countless characters flared into being. Seal, Lock, Capture, Suppress, Crush... Countless characters materialized, and as the brush tip struck, the Demon God's physical body exploded in an instant. In the next breath, the civilization chronicle—now reduced to just its cover—appeared; with one page having sealed the Western Consort, the page beneath swept up all four of them in a single motion! Devouring them in an instant! He didn't kill them, to avoid creating too large a disturbance. The Sacred Transformation Seal slammed down, suppressing them instantly! All disturbance faded into nothingness! Exchanging glances, they all broke into smiles. A Heavenly King, two top-tier Dao Integrators, plus King Daming setting up formations—taking down a single fifth-grade Dao Integrator could not have been simpler. Su Yu laughed softly, "Move fast. Let's take down Marquis Dingjun so the disappearance of these people doesn't draw the myriad races' attention!" The others nodded and vanished instantly. Now that they had made a move, they had to settle it swiftly! Lest these few vanish and the myriad races attempt to contact them, raising suspicions if they couldn't be reached. ... Inside the giant flower. Marquis Dingjun suddenly felt a jolt of trepidation. Looking up at the sky, he halted mid-sentence, his expression turning grave. Just now... had something happened?