Six Dragon Dao Integration experts fallen, a million dragons wiped out, and their Dragon Cities laid to waste—like a whirlwind, the news spread rapidly across the Upper Realm.
It shook hearts to their cores!
Likewise, it inspired terror.
A great race like the Dragon race had actually been ambushed and crushed. What about the other races, then?
Aside from the God, Demon, and Immortal races, wasn't every single clan in grave danger?
...
In the south.
The Mount Shenhuo region.
At that moment, countless volcanoes were erupting. Around the perimeter of Mount Shenhuo, Dao Integration experts had been arriving one after another.
They had been waiting for the encirclement and suppression campaign scheduled a few days from now.
However, when Marquis Duanxue left, and when the news arrived that the Dragon race had nearly been driven to extinction, the gathered experts could no longer sit still.
The major races were relatively calm, but the experts from the smaller clans were entirely in a panic!
Currently, Bajue was overseeing the situation.
Just as the news was spreading, Bajue was frowning, waiting for Marquis Duanxue to return.
Suddenly, a Dao Integration expert from the Nether race strode over quickly and said in a heavy voice, "Marquis Bajue, my clan sent word demanding my immediate return. As for this battle... I am afraid my clan can no longer participate!"
Bajue's expression shifted slightly.
The newcomer rushed to add, "It is not that my clan is unwilling to contribute, but our territory lies close to Mount Chaos. Now that disaster has struck the Dragon race, Lord Mingshui fears our clan may be next. The Nether race must pull back its defensive lines, and they need me to return and reinforce our homeland!"
Bajue felt a surge of irritation.
He knew morale was shaken, but he felt that since they had already assembled, they could not abandon the effort halfway.
"Dao Lord Shengming, perhaps the enemy only wanted to disrupt our plans. Their strike against the Dragon race might have been meant for Mount Shenhuo..."
Dao Lord Shengming nodded, yet he still sighed. "Even if that is so... Mount Shenhuo is not as vital as my clan's safety! A single Marquis Huoyun cannot compare to the survival of my people."
It was only natural for Bajue to think that way.
However, Dao Lord Shengming had no choice. Whether it was more important to kill Marquis Huoyun or return to defend his homeland was beyond question.
Bajue frowned. "Why not wait and see? Marquis Duanxue and the others might surround and wipe them out..."
"We cannot wait!"
Dao Lord Shengming said heavily, "Marquis Bajue, our clan... is not like the God, Demon, or Immortal races after all. One less Dao Integration expert means one more layer of mortal peril!"
It was easy to talk when one stood unburdened!
Of course you aren't worried. Even with many people here, your domains still hold countless experts.
We cannot afford such risks!
Bajue wanted to say more, but right then, an enormous dragon took to the sky and flew away without even consulting him.
Of the nine Dragon Cities, aside from the one belonging to Marquis Tianlong, the master of another city was stationed right here.
As for the Dragon race in the Land of Dao Origin, they would not come to establish a dao arena any longer.
This Dragon expert had only just confirmed the news.
Caring nothing for Bajue, he soared into the air and departed on the spot.
Seeing this, Bajue said nothing. Persuading others might work, but trying to persuade a dragon right now... they would treat you like an enemy or an accomplice!
As the giant dragon flew off, experts from several other clans began arriving in succession.
Apart from the Immortals and Gods, experts from every race arrived. Though they had not spoken yet, Bajue already knew their thoughts.
Bajue felt frustrated and wanted to curse, but he held back in the end, speaking in a low tone: "Then safe travels to you all. It would be best to travel in groups to avoid being ambushed!"
"Many thanks, Marquis Bajue!"
Five or six Dao Integration experts departed one after another.
Pressing them any further would only turn them into enemies.
Once they had all left, the representatives from the God and Immortal races arrived a moment later.
Bajue asked irritably, "Are you leaving too?"
The expert from the Immortal race chuckled softly. "We are in no rush. It's only natural for the others to leave. There is no need to be vexed. When the survival of one's race is at stake, who wouldn't be anxious?"
Saying that, he asked, "I am only wondering: should this encirclement continue?"
"If it is just our three races, Mount Shenhuo is vast, and dangers abound..."
Bajue frowned. "Wait a moment. Marquis Duanxue should be back soon."
He couldn't say whether they should proceed either.
Mount Shenhuo was inherently dangerous. Here, Marquis Huoyun was a top-tier Dao Integration expert who, by leveraging the unique terrain and power of Mount Shenhuo, could even fight Heavenly King-level experts.
Without aid from the other races, they could still fight.
Yet if they did, they feared suffering casualties among their own.
As he pondered, the void trembled, and Marquis Duanxue returned.
Marquis Duanxue swept his gaze over his surroundings, noticing the crowd had dwindled drastically. Only the God, Demon, and Immortal races remained. Counting himself, there were eleven Dao Integration realm experts in total.
One Quasi-King and ten Dao Integrations.
It wasn't too surprising, merely depressing.
In the short term, reinforcements would likely not be coming.
Even from the Demon homeland, none would be dispatched.
The council was even urgently summoning him back to discuss the Dragon race's near-destruction.
The enemy had struck with ferocious momentum, opening with the devastating slaughter of the dragons to terrify everyone—a thunderbolt from a clear sky. The Demon Council needed him to return to deliberate countermeasures and evaluate the combat prowess of this newly emerged Chaos race.
"My Lord!"
The crowd turned to look at Marquis Duanxue. Marquis Duanxue glanced toward Mount Shenhuo, frowning. After a long silence, he finally said, "You should all know by now. Tell me, could this raid on the Dragon race be another way to relieve Marquis Huoyun? If we continue our siege, will the enemy come to Mount Shenhuo?"
The crowd fell silent; this was difficult to judge.
Naturally, the timing was remarkably coincidental.
Marquis Duanxue sighed softly and continued, "Marquis Huoyun's room to maneuver has already been compressed to a small area by us!"
He pointed toward an active volcanic zone in Mount Shenhuo, encompassing roughly a dozen peaks. Marquis Duanxue said gravely, "He is definitely within one of these peaks. It is merely a dozen or so small peaks; if we encroach and encircle him bit by bit, he will soon be flushed out with nowhere left to run!"
They were right on the verge of thoroughly surrounding and executing Marquis Huoyun. Now, this sudden incident with the Dragon race filled him with immense fury.
At this moment, an elderly Dao Integration expert from the God race said softly, "Marquis Duanxue, if we truly wish to force the assault, it is not impossible. The fear is that Marquis Huoyun might fight to the death and ultimately detonate the entirety of Mount Shenhuo. If that happens, we might suffer casualties."
Mount Shenhuo was exceedingly compatible with Marquis Huoyun.
Once detonated, Dao Integration experts might die—perhaps more than one.
He continued, "My clan sent word requesting an All-Races Council to discuss the matter of Mount Chaos. If we suffer heavy losses at Mount Shenhuo right now, our plans to deal with Mount Chaos will likely be disrupted. Over at Mount Chaos, there are quite a few ancient Dao Integration beasts."
Marquis Duanxue frowned, and the God expert added, "We know the human race's background inside and out. The known is not frightening; what is frightening is an unknown enemy! If it comes down to choosing between attacking Mount Chaos and Mount Shenhuo... even if attacking Mount Chaos incurs heavier losses, we must prioritize Mount Chaos!"
Marquis Duanxue let out a long sigh and nodded. "Well said! You have probably received messages ordering you back as well, haven't you?"
"Yes."
"Go, then!"
Marquis Duanxue waved his hand. The experts of the God and Immortal races said no more; their clans had indeed transmitted orders for them to return.
Soon, the six Dao Integration experts from both factions departed swiftly.
Bajue felt somewhat helpless. "My Lord, this... what about us..."
"Call it off!"
Marquis Duanxue looked toward Mount Shenhuo and said heavily, "None of them want to fight here. Is our clan supposed to act alone? Marquis Huoyun's combat strength is not weak. Even I might not be able to suppress him in Mount Shenhuo!"
With that, he said sternly, "Let us head back first. There is no need to leave anyone behind here, lest they be picked off! Next, the various races will likely purge Mount Chaos!"
Bajue drew a sharp breath. "We are moving against Mount Chaos?"
"It depends on how things unfold. We still lack necessary intelligence!"
Marquis Duanxue said in a low voice, "As long as we can confirm that group comes from Mount Chaos, we will definitely act, even if it means taking losses! We ignored Mount Chaos before because those ancient beasts were obedient, never coming out and staying within the Mount Chaos region! But now, a Chaos race has emerged from Mount Chaos, their strength unknown. Under no circumstances can this race be allowed to roam free!"
Marquis Duanxue continued solemnly, "The few who emerged previously had not moved against the myriad races, so everyone maintained a tacit understanding, assuming their numbers were few. Now... the Dragon race has nearly been wiped out and a Quasi-King was slain. That has crossed the bottom line! If we do not eliminate this faction, none of the myriad races besides our three will dare to mobilize again!"
War was coming!
Marquis Duanxue was certain that once it was confirmed the other party truly hailed from Mount Chaos, the various races would very likely reach a consensus to eliminate the powerful enemy!
In the past, no one had any interest in stirring up Mount Chaos.
However, if necessary, the twenty-odd ancient Dao Integration beasts on its periphery were hardly untouchable for the myriad races!
Bajue mentioned Mount Shenhuo no further. Compared to Mount Shenhuo, Mount Chaos was the true peril—immensely dangerous and harboring countless experts.
"My Lord, then let us withdraw."
Marquis Duanxue nodded, glancing at Mount Shenhuo once more. "Let's go. Whether they did it to relieve Marquis Huoyun or not, they succeeded!"
With a touch of resignation, Marquis Duanxue waved his hand and swiftly led his people away in retreat.
Whether it was true or not,
the myriad races' focus was no longer here.
Furthermore, if someone launched a surprise attack while they were besieging Marquis Huoyun, the danger would be even greater.
The other races were unwilling, and the Demon race did not wish to sacrifice troops here either.
Soon, the group that had gathered earlier dispersed completely.
...
Inside Mount Shenhuo.
A red-haired expert suddenly frowned. Around him, a group of Eternal Realm experts, all harboring the resolve to fight to the death, were discussing how to detonate the entire Mount Shenhuo. Even if they died, they would blow those bastards to pieces.
A female Eternal with extremely long hair that resembled burning flames declared fiercely, "My Lord, don't hesitate anymore! Two Eternals per group! We'll guard twenty-two volcanoes. The instant the enemy arrives, we detonate them simultaneously and blow those bastards to bits!"
With that, she stood up and said, "At worst, we perish together. Dying here, we can at least kill a few Dao Integration experts. Out there, our deaths wouldn't be worth a copper!"
"Wait!"
Marquis Huoyun frowned and barked, "What's the rush!"
Then, he hesitated and said, "It... seems those bastards outside have all left."
The fiery woman sneered. "A petty trick of loosening the reins to catch us off guard, trying to lower our vigilance—how utterly foolish! My Lord, be careful they don't wheel around for a sudden counterthrust. You must not drop your guard. I say we take our positions immediately and prepare to detonate at any moment!"
"..."
Marquis Huoyun fell silent for a moment, then nodded slightly. It was not impossible.
Otherwise, why would they all suddenly retreat?
After a moment's thought, he said heavily, "Do not be rash, and do not rush to detonate. Mount Shenhuo is our foothold. Without my order, do not act recklessly!"
At this moment, he cautiously probed outward, then frowned. "They really all left. Not a single one remained."
"They must be waiting in the shadows for us to show ourselves!"
That was also possible.
Marquis Huoyun nodded. "Be careful, all of you. Earlier, there seemed to be disturbances outside; I wonder if some major event occurred."
"That's called creating a diversion in the east to strike in the west!"
The woman sneered. "They deliberately made some noise to make us think something happened outside so they had to withdraw. In truth, it's just to lower our guard so they can take the opportunity to wipe us out in one stroke!"
That sounded very reasonable. Marquis Huoyun nodded and smiled. "You speak truly; such a possibility exists!"
Having said that, he quickly added, "Everyone stay vigilant and disperse for now, lest we get caught in one net! I will observe a bit longer."
"Understood!"
The group departed one after another.
Once they were gone, Marquis Huoyun sank into contemplation.
A ruse?
They all left?
If this was truly a ruse, arriving only to leave immediately was looking down on him too much.
Am I that stupid?
Seeing you leave, I would just believe it?
Extremely bizarre!
This time, with the myriad races attacking, he had prepared to perish together with them. This sudden departure was troublesome!
"I have to extinguish Mount Huoyun immediately!"
As if recalling something, he hurriedly plunged into the magma beneath the mountain. Damn it, the myriad races aren't coming, but I already lit the fire down below. If I don't extinguish it now, Mount Huoyun will blow up in a moment.
"Everything was fine, so why did they leave?"
Marquis Huoyun felt helpless. He couldn't tell if it was a trick or not. If it was, extinguishing Mount Huoyun now—which was the core volcano of Mount Shenhuo—would mean taking time to reignite it later.
"Could the myriad races know about this, so they did it deliberately?"
"Waiting for me to extinguish it, and then coming back to kill me?"
"That would be trouble!"
Reaching the base of Mount Huoyun, Marquis Huoyun hesitated. Looking down at the volcano marrow he had ignited, he weighed his options and gritted his teeth. "Wait a bit longer! Extinguish it right before it's about to explode!"
He decided to wait a little more.
The myriad races' sudden withdrawal had truly caught him off balance!
...
The myriad races' retreat caught more than just Marquis Huoyun off balance.
At this time, dawn was gradually breaking.
Where he had met Su Yu and the others the previous night, Marquis Anying concealed himself cautiously, feeling a mixture of bewilderment and shock.
Fuck!
Didn't we agree to hit the Nether race?
Didn't we agree to meet early this morning!
How did the Dragon race get attacked last night? Less than an hour after they parted, the Dragon race was annihilated.
What was this?
Playing me for a fool?!
Part of him felt resentful, but another part was overwhelmed with shock. This group was terrifyingly powerful!
They had slain a Quasi-King and nearly wiped out the entire Dragon race.
And their decisiveness was beyond belief.
When they said strike, they struck without the slightest hesitation.
The key point was that after chatting with him for so long, not a single word had been the truth.
Far... far too vigilant!
He wondered: would these people still come out now?
Just as he was thinking, a little girl appeared across from him. She was petite, looking very cute, giggling and eating a lollipop, running barefoot across the perilous outskirts of Mount Chaos.
Marquis Anying's heart stirred. Who was this?
"Little Baby Anying, come out quickly!"
Marquis Anying was slightly startled. One of that white-haired youth's people?
He slowly manifested his figure. The little girl transformed from Lan Tian giggled. "Little baby, you came!"
Marquis Anying felt a tremor in his heart. "Who might you be..."
"Nameless Number Two!"
"..."
Marquis Anying felt helpless and could only say, "Was the Dragon race affair done by your group?"
"Yes, yes."
"Didn't we say we were attacking the Nether race..."
"Nameless Number One said you're unreliable, a traitor who can't be trusted..."
Marquis Anying frowned. "Fellow Daoist jokes. If I were a traitor, perhaps the human race would have been wiped out long ago."
Lan Tian giggled. "I don't care about that. Nameless Number One told me to pass a message to you; he won't be meeting you in person."
"Please speak, Fellow Daoist."
Lan Tian said with a grin, "If you aren't a traitor, pass word to the other human experts and tell them of our existence! Set a time to meet up together! Where and when, we'll notify you later! Come if you want, or don't!"
Saying that, she added with a giggle, "Also, we aren't just one group, but many factions. You must tell them that. Don't go trusting just anyone! Our faction has a secret code for contact; if it doesn't match, they aren't our people!"
"What?"
Marquis Anying's heart shook slightly, and he asked, "What do you mean, Fellow Daoist?"
Lan Tian giggled. "You're so silly! We aren't all the same group, don't you get it? There are bad people and good people, and naturally, we are the good people! The human race doesn't just consist of you lot; there are three factions now! Your faction, our faction, and a faction of bad people who are also very strong!"
Marquis Anying was deeply shaken. "You mean... there are still many humans out there?!"
"Of course!"
Lan Tian giggled. "And your faction is the weakest one! Only a few Dao Integrations—how pathetic! That bad faction has tons of formidable figures, including several Quasi-Kings! Anyway, don't you dare treat everyone as the same group... If you turn out to be a bad guy, your whole group is finished. Not that it's our problem, but I've warned you! The contact code is simple: if they say, 'I love eating candy,' they're our people!"
Marquis Anying noted it down swiftly, asking anxiously amid his shock, "Fellow Daoist, where does that other faction come from?"
"Not telling you!"
Lan Tian giggled and soon vanished on the spot.
Marquis Anying tracked the trace hurriedly, but after pursuing for a short while, the presence was completely gone.
He was filled with shock. What an expert—even an avatar was this formidable.
Where on earth did this group come from?
Three factions, with his side counting as one—the weakest one.
Marquis Anying felt immensely heavy-hearted.
Even he felt a headache coming on. What was going on here?
Where did this sudden influx of experts come from?
Just how many hidden powerhouses were there?
"So many Dragon experts died. Are these people actually helping us or not?"
With countless thoughts rising, Marquis Anying swiftly disappeared from the spot.
He could not linger here. He had already sensed many myriad races' experts arriving nearby.
This time, something major might happen to Mount Chaos.
With such a massive upheaval, he wondered if a glimmer of hope would appear at Mount Shenhuo, and whether Marquis Duanxue and the others would continue their encirclement.
...
Mount Daoshi.
Inside the cave, Lan Tian said with a chuckle, "All done! That fellow left."
Su Yu nodded slightly.
Marquis Dingjun hesitated. "Emperor Yu, why not bring him into the fold as well?"
Su Yu smiled. "Not everyone is as dependable as you!"
Marquis Dingjun felt a sudden twinge of warmth. Did this mean... I am trustworthy?
For a moment, he felt a spark of excitement.
Su Yu smiled and said, "Anying has been operating outside all this time. Who knows what his situation is? The same goes for the others! Better to leave them out than bring in someone unreliable."
Marquis Dingjun thought about it and nodded. "True, but like this, their lives will probably be rough."
He suddenly realized that his own life was quite comfortable now.
This time had been truly exhilarating.
Killing six Dragon Dao Integrations—what a satisfying slaughter!
With so many Dragon Dao Integration experts slain, even if any survived, there wouldn't be many left.
Losing over half their strength was an absolute certainty.
The key was that aside from himself, almost no one else had been injured. To kill a Heavenly King at such a price was more than worth it!
Moreover, his subordinate Chongming had achieved Dao Integration this time, adding yet another Dao Integration combatant to their ranks.
At this moment, Su Yu was roasting meat over the fire, eating dragon meat, and smiling. "Next, the myriad races will probably quiet down for a while. Their primary objective will likely be Mount Chaos. As for Mount Chaos... it might not remain peaceful. We can't stay at Mount Daoshi for long!"
Su Yu smiled. "Let us sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight! That we come from the Lower Realm is the best-kept secret. Even if the Prison King lineage feels set up, they'll have to wonder who framed them."
King Dazhou said softly, "They might guess something. After all, that grand formation came from the Western Consort."
Su Yu nodded. "It's possible! But do you think the myriad races will listen to their explanations? Having witnessed their existence, will the myriad races listen to what they have to say? Even if they know they were schemed against by us, what of it?"
Su Yu smiled. "On one side is the Lower Realm's human race; on the other is the Prison King lineage hidden for a hundred thousand years. How will the myriad races choose?"
King Dazhou pondered, then chuckled. "The Lower Realm has no way out for now, and its strength cannot compare to the Prison King lineage. Naturally, they'll strike the strong rather than the weak. The Lower Realm can still be dealt with later, but the Prison King lineage won't be easy to handle!"
Lan Tian chuckled. "Don't get too careless. Beware that the two sides might join hands to wipe out the Lower Realm first before fighting their decisive battle!"
Su Yu nodded. "Such a possibility exists! Anything is possible! If both sides reach an agreement, each dispatching three to five Heavenly Kings to join forces against the Lower Realm first, that would be huge trouble for us!"
Su Yu smiled. "Those fellows will also worry about us reaping the spoils. However, a tripartite standoff is better than a duel between two titans! Three legs make for stability! They will be wary of each other. If push comes to shove, why must we wait for them to join hands first?"
The others paused, startled.
Su Yu laughed. "If it truly comes to that, we will use the billions of living beings in the Lower Realm as our pledge of allegiance, joining hands with the myriad races to wipe out the Prison King lineage first!"
Su Yu said with a light laugh, "In the Upper Realm, the various races have significant populations! But the Lower Realm has even more! Even if the Gods, Demons, and Immortals don't care, will the other races not care? As long as we control the Lower Realm, we still hold the advantage! There is no need to worry overly much."
The others thought it through and nodded slightly.
Marquis Dingjun felt somewhat uncomfortable and said heavily, "Emperor Yu, why can't we join hands with the Prison King lineage to deal with the myriad races first?"
Joining hands with the myriad races to fight the Prison King lineage was something he found hard to stomach.
Su Yu smiled. "Stop treating the Prison King lineage as humans; treat them as an independent race! Naturally, we must eliminate the strongest race first! The Prison King lineage is more terrifying and harder to deal with than the myriad races! As for being fellow kinsmen... don't take it too seriously. That lineage is entirely mixed-blood—mixed blood with the Demon Emperor! Do you still care about them?"
"Mixed-blood?"
Marquis Dingjun was taken aback. "They are mixed-blood?"
"Of course!"
In the next instant, Marquis Dingjun cursed, "Mixed-bloods all deserve to die!"
Indeed, these old fossils were like that.
Su Yu couldn't be bothered to explain further; a single mention of "mixed-blood" was enough to enrage these old relics.
Sure enough, Marquis Dingjun had no more objections in the next instant, gnashing his teeth. "Mixed-bloods should be exterminated! Our human bloodline is noble, yet the Prison King lineage carries mixed blood—they can all go die!"
Fight them!
Even if it meant joining hands with the myriad races, he wouldn't hesitate.
The myriad races were at least open enemies; mixed-bloods were unforgivable!
"..."
The rest of the group rolled their eyes in speechless amusement.
This old fellow certainly changed his tune quickly.
Su Yu smiled as well, then said, "Let's put that aside; those are matters for the future! The pressing matter right now is that once the myriad races reach an agreement to deal with Mount Chaos, frankly speaking, the outskirts of Mount Chaos certainly won't hold! Not only can't they hold, but once the myriad races launch a surprise attack, those ancient beasts, lacking sufficient intelligence, will be dead for sure!"
Su Yu continued, "Furthermore, some members of the Prison King lineage cultivate the power of chaos. Even those who don't possess screening grand formations in hand. That is certain, which means within Mount Chaos, the myriad races might not be able to best them!"
Su Yu looked at King Daming. "Can you figure out a way to break that concealment grand formation?"
King Daming inhaled sharply. "You mean..."
Su Yu smiled. "At the critical moment, we break the Prison King lineage's formation. We can't let them take all the advantages, can we?"
King Daming knit his brows. "This won't be easy to break! Of course, no formation under heaven is unbreakable! There is definitely a way. I need to study it more, but I might not yield results in the short term."
"No rush for now. If the myriad races want to tackle Mount Chaos, it won't happen overnight."
Su Yu smiled. "Let's put this aside for now. Next, we must evacuate this place. Lan Tian, send word to Xia Longwu and the others not to return to Mount Chaos. We just planned to make it our base, but now we'll probably have to relocate!"
Lan Tian nodded.
King Dazhou asked, "Then what should we do next?"
Everyone turned to Su Yu; after all, Su Yu called the shots here.
Su Yu pondered for a moment and said, "My goals are simple. First, I want to take a look at the Land of Dao Origin... Of course, it's very dangerous, so I won't necessarily go. Second, meet our Upper Realm allies!"
Everyone looked at him. Jiu Yue instantly stopped hiccuping and stared at Su Yu.
Su Yu smiled. "Jiu Yue, you heard correctly. I plan to meet our allies, and the first will be the Iron-Eater race!"
"How many Dao Integration experts does your Iron-Eater race have in the Upper Realm?"
Jiu Yue replied immediately, "As far as I know, three. I don't know about now! Si Yue, Wu Yue, and Marquis Juzhu were all alive before and didn't seem to have died. If they had died, we would have felt something..."
Three Dao Integration experts was not a weak force.
The Hou race was said to have had two Dao Integration experts in the Upper Realm previously, but one died, leaving only one.
Of course, what they knew was from the previous tide. If new Dao Integration experts had emerged since, they might not know.
If they didn't walk the same Great Dao, it would be even more impossible to tell.
The Five Elements race didn't have a single Dao Integration expert in the Upper Realm.
The Iron-Eater race was quite formidable; any clan capable of leaving a Dao Integration expert behind to guard the Lower Realm was inherently fairly strong.
Over the years, the Iron-Eater race might have seen more Dao Integrations born.
Naturally, these were all conjectures.
Su Yu narrowed his eyes and asked, "If I persuade your clan to relocate from the Upper Realm and descend to the Lower Realm with me, is that possible?"
Jiu Yue said naively, "Not too sure, but there should be hope! Our clan shouldn't have large numbers in the Upper Realm. We don't reproduce as quickly as the dragons or phoenixes. The Dragon race reproduced for so many years and only reached a million members; our clan is likely even smaller, perhaps only tens of thousands... If it really comes to evacuation, it isn't impossible."
Su Yu stroked his chin. If he could pull the Iron-Eater race's three Dao Integration experts down, then even if no new Dao Integrations had been born over the years, the Iron-Eater race would possess a full five Dao Integration experts!
Meeting allies and reaching an agreement with some Upper Realm experts was precisely why Su Yu had brought Jiu Yue and the others along.
He couldn't keep avoiding meeting them forever.
At this moment, Marquis Dingjun couldn't help but chime in, "Emperor Yu, since we can meet the Iron-Eater race, why... why not meet Marquis Huoyun and the others?"
They were their own people, after all!
Su Yu said indifferently, "I told you, I had Anying notify the others. Whether they meet or not depends on them, not me! Am I supposed to force a meeting?"
You forced a meeting with me!
Marquis Dingjun thought to himself: as if you didn't force me to meet.
Despite thinking so, he said no more, only considering for a moment before speaking: "The Iron-Eater race... Marquis Juzhu of that clan helped me once back in the day, but..."
He looked at Su Yu, then at Jiu Yue, hesitating. "However, Dao Lord Wu Yue of that clan isn't very friendly toward the human race."
Su Yu considered this and gave a cold laugh. "Normal! A Dao Integration expert entrusted their son to you, and within three days you let him die in battle. If it were me, turning around to attack you would be normal, let alone being friendly!"
Jiu Yue said flatly, "Emperor Yu, the one who died in battle... was my grandfather, Qi Yue!"
You remembered wrong!
Su Yu was taken aback, then felt helpless. "Didn't they say Dao Lord Wu Yue's son also died in battle? During the third tide."
"Oh, right!"
Jiu Yue thought about it and nodded. "True. In the third tide, Ancestor Wu Yue's son died in battle as well. Only after that did my great-grandfather Liu Yue take charge of the Iron-Eater race."
Su Yu breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
He had mixed them up!
Your clan's naming convention... one has to admit defeat.
The one who died in the ninth tide was Qi Yue, but Wu Yue's son had also died in the third tide. In any case, it wasn't surprising for Wu Yue to harbor hostility toward the human race.
Meanwhile, Marquis Dingjun looked somewhat embarrassed, explaining, "Qi Yue's death in battle was... something we didn't foresee either."
He still offered a few words of explanation: "The situation was chaotic back then, and... and when that Qi Yue came to the humans, he never said he was an imperial prince. We all thought he was an ordinary Eternal Realm Iron-Eater... It was only after he fell in battle that we learned he was Liu Yue's descendant..."
Su Yu retorted irritably, "Even if he was an ordinary Eternal, when the Iron-Eater race joined the war, you managed to get him killed in just three days?"
"..."
He was left speechless.
Marquis Dingjun sighed, and only after a long pause did he say, "Actually, we reflected on it afterward back then. It was just that we were too conceited, thinking that even without the myriad races, humanity could defeat them... In the end, we harmed our allies and harmed ourselves!"
It was precisely that battle in the ninth tide where the human race's allies suffered devastating losses, leading to a situation where, prior to Su Yu, almost none of the myriad races dared to help humanity in this tide.
Su Yu couldn't be bothered with him and said swiftly, "Regarding the Iron-Eater race, since Marquis Juzhu helped you back then, it represents that he still has the heart to aid humanity..."
Su Yu asked, "How strong is Marquis Juzhu?"
"And what about Dao Lords Si Yue and Wu Yue?"
Marquis Dingjun pondered and said, "For Marquis Juzhu to be ennobled as a Marquis, his strength is naturally not weak. When I last saw him, he had roughly second-tier Dao Integration strength; I am not sure about now. As for Si Yue and Wu Yue, both previously possessed around third-tier Dao Integration strength, comparable to mine..."
Speaking up to here, he hesitated before adding, "San Yue of the Iron-Eater race might still be alive!"
Jiu Yue looked at him in confusion.
Marquis Dingjun explained, "Yi Yue was your clan's Emperor, disappearing along with antiquity! Er Yue also disappeared during that era..."
"Dead!"
Su Yu said calmly, "He was likely killed by the Prison King!"
"..."
Silence.
Marquis Dingjun could only continue, "After antiquity, San Yue was actually still alive, but not long after, he vanished as well. However, there was never any report of his fall, so I suspect San Yue is still alive, possibly in the Land of Dao Origin! Whether that's true or not, the Land of Dao Origin holds countless powers of rules, making it difficult to search if someone chooses to hide."
Marquis Dingjun added, "If San Yue is alive, he definitely possesses Heavenly King combat strength!"
Jiu Yue asked in bewilderment, "Is he really alive? If so, when our clan's experts descended to the Lower Realm during the last tide, they never mentioned it."
"This is merely my deduction; the specifics are unclear. But the Iron-Eater race helped us, yet the Gods and Demons were quite wary and never moved against them—that alone speaks volumes!"
Marquis Dingjun explained, "The Iron-Eater race and humanity were allies; the Gods, Demons, and Immortals all knew this. Yet throughout these years, they never attacked the Iron-Eater race. Thus, I suspect San Yue might have appeared, causing the various races some apprehension; otherwise, they would have moved against the Iron-Eaters long ago."
Su Yu nodded slightly and smiled. "It's best if he's alive!"
With that, he smiled again. "So, we still have to go to the Iron-Eater race. We must go!"
He stroked his chin. "With Jiu Yue around, securing a meeting shouldn't be difficult. But getting them to side with us completely... won't be easy."
Jiu Yue said innocently, "Emperor Yu, I can persuade them!"
He gave a goofy smile. "In the Lower Realm, our clan has already allied with humanity. The news simply hasn't spread up here yet. Once it does, they'll have no other choice!"
Su Yu smiled. "Hard to say! Whatever, we have to give it a try regardless!"
Meeting allies would make their own side stronger. And then, regarding Mount Chaos, he might still need to meddle a bit.
Su Yu thought for a moment and added, "Afterward, I'll need to make a trip down to kill Marquis Tianlong and the others to settle that score!"
"..."
The others looked at him in surprise. Why had he suddenly thought of killing Marquis Tianlong!
Su Yu smiled. "We'll see. I might need to make another trip to the Lower Realm to draft more experts up! It's lively up here, with plenty of strong figures. I like it here—fishing in troubled waters, and now is the perfect time!"
Marquis Dingjun hesitated, then asked, "Emperor Yu, how many Dao Integration experts does the Lower Realm's human race still have?"
Su Yu glanced at him and smiled. "Not many. Those stronger than you aren't numerous—just Manor Lord Wan, Guardian Hongmeng, King Daqin, King Daxia, Doubao, Fat Ball, Destiny Emperor Wuming, and a few dead spirit marquises... The rest should be slightly weaker than you."
"..."
Marquis Dingjun looked thoroughly desolate.
He had no words.
Not many stronger than me, yet you just rattled off a whole list.
So with my strength, even in the Lower Realm, I wouldn't even rank in the top ten!
Su Yu hadn't exaggerated. Of course, he couldn't be bothered to elaborate further at the moment, rubbing his chin as he spoke: "Drafting too many people from below makes me worry about trouble brewing down there as well! We'll see. If all else fails, we'll kill Phoenix Emperor and the others first!"
"Let's not dwell on that. The best scenario would be for Guardian Xiaguang and the others to achieve Dao Integration as well, which would free up some Dao Integration combat power."
Su Yu was determined to intervene in the chaos at Mount Chaos.
Otherwise, if the two sides didn't clash, all his efforts would be in vain.
It would be best if he could blend into the myriad races' ranks and help them locate the Prison King lineage.
Su Yu needed to test their waters as well!
How to blend in remained a difficult puzzle.
"The Prison King lineage..."
Su Yu murmured, then suddenly smiled. "The Prison King killed Er Yue; someone might know of this. If so, using that as an excuse, perhaps we can blend into the team marching against the Prison King lineage. The Iron-Eater race..."
He looked toward Jiu Yue, who offered an innocent grin. Don't look at me, why look at me?
In the Upper Realm, my word counts for nothing.
Su Yu paid him no more mind, swiftly rising to his feet. "No time to lose. Pack up, we evacuate! Additionally, leave everything here untouched. This mountain lies on the periphery; once the myriad races conduct a sweep, they might discover it, and perhaps someone will uncover the grand formation here. That way, they will be certain the Prison King lineage resides within Mount Chaos!"
"At the same time, letting them see this grand formation might allow them to devise a way to break it, shattering the Prison King lineage's foundation here!"
"King Daming, leave behind some traces for them, leading them straight toward the Prison King lineage!"
"Understood!"
King Daming nodded.
...
Soon, the group finished packing and restored the place to the state it was in when Marquis Anbei occupied it.
Su Yu stepped out of the cave, glanced back toward the depths of Mount Chaos, and smiled. Right now, he actually hoped the Prison King lineage was exceedingly strong. If they were weak and the myriad races looked down on them, that would be bad.
The stronger, the better!
The stronger they were, the warier the myriad races would be!
...
At the same time.
Deep within Mount Chaos.
Several colossal mountains formed an immense valley. Viewed from above, the valley looked completely normal, without the slightest anomaly.
Yet within the valley, faint ripples of a formation lingered.
Beneath this formation lay practically an entire realm!
Countless humans!
Even small cities were rising from the ground.
A hundred thousand years!
A span of a hundred thousand years was enough to change many things, enough to turn a thousand people into hundreds of millions. Of course, it could also lead to complete extinction.
Yet here, in this secluded haven, the population only grew larger.
At this moment, inside a grand hall, a low shout suddenly boomed: "Investigate who went outside!"
"Patriarch..."
"Investigate immediately! I want to know if anyone left!"
From within the grand hall came a cold bark, carrying irritation. "Trouble arose outside Mount Chaos. It seems someone of ours attacked the Dragon race!"
"This..."
"Go investigate at once!"
"Understood!"
Soon, people went to check if any powerhouse had ventured out.
Within the grand hall, the owner of that voice was filled with wrath.
Damn it!
Did our people really go out?
It was not yet time to be careless; how could they act so ostentatiously!
Attacking the Dragon race would put the myriad races on high alert. Which bastard did it?!
There were too many experts in the clan, and not all of them resided here. He couldn't be certain whether it was truly done by his own people. Only by checking them one by one could he ascertain the truth.
"Insolent fools!"
With a low curse, the voice faded away. If I find out who did this, I will never let them off lightly!
Chapter 720