Inside the great hall, Si Yue, Wu Yue, and Yuan Yue all looked exceedingly solemn.
A fellow from the Lower Realm had actually made his way up here.
The current Beast Emperor of the Iron-Eater race had personally come to the Upper Realm to lobby them, and he had even taken part in the battle in the Lower Realm. The news hadn't spread yet, but once it did, powerhouses from all races would surely come knocking at their door to cause trouble.
Jiu Yue had also participated in the battle that wiped out the Dragon race.
At this moment, the iron-eating beasts were all deep in thought—pondering the future, pondering what step to take next.
The slightest misstep right now could bring about the peril of their race's extermination.
Just then, the large bamboo stalk in Su Yu's hand trembled slightly, and a faint wisp of willpower emanated from it.
"Caught him!"
General Wenqi had been captured.
The commotion was tiny; even Su Yu had barely felt it.
Naturally. How could a newly advanced fifth- or sixth-tier Dao Integration expert escape the hands of Lan Tian and the others?
Sensing that ripple, Si Yue looked back at Su Yu, a sharp gleam appearing in his eyes. He said, "Little Dao Friend, you seem rather young. Are you a new-generation expert of our race?"
Su Yu smiled. "Senior Si Yue, roughly how long until Marquis Juzhu can return?"
He didn't take the bait.
Si Yue, carrying a touch of solemnity, looked at Su Yu once more. "The Dao Origin Land is far from here. Having received the message, if Marquis Juzhu has no other business, he can rush back within a day."
Even for a Heavenly King-level expert, it would take around a day, so it was clearly very far.
Su Yu nodded slightly and smiled. "Then we will discuss these matters once Senior Marquis Juzhu returns."
Si Yue had a vague inkling of something and didn't press further. Instead, after a moment's thought, he asked, "Wenqi was taken down?"
"Yes."
"He is, after all, a general under Marquis Zhennan. The Iron-Eater and human races have been allies since antiquity. If we take him down and Marquis Zhennan finds out... he will likely be somewhat displeased."
Su Yu chuckled. "An individual cannot represent the human race! The human race is an entire race, not a single person! In this era, unless the Human Sovereign returns, the only one who can represent the human race is certainly not Marquis Zhennan!"
Su Yu paused, then smiled again. "In this world, whoever has the biggest fist calls the shots! Marquis Zhennan's fist isn't big enough, so his word doesn't count!"
Marquis Zhennan's word didn't count!
Si Yue had actually largely guessed who Su Yu was—or rather, that he was either one of that Emperor Yu's men or Emperor Yu himself.
To mention Marquis Zhennan with such nonchalance meant that even if he wasn't Emperor Yu in the flesh, he had to be a top general under him.
Si Yue fell silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Our race has actually been aiding the human race in secret all along. However, aid has its limits! It's impossible to give unconditional assistance. Even with what Wenqi said upon his arrival, we might not take it at face value!"
"Rescuing Baizhan—how could it be that simple! The Dao Origin Land is extraordinarily complex, home to countless experts. Even if our Iron-Eater race went all out, our race might be exterminated, and the hope of rescuing Baizhan would still be slim!"
"Alliances, aid, cooperation—all of them come with conditions."
Si Yue said heavily, "The reason our race has continued to assist the human race to this day isn't purely because of some ancient alliance. There are many reasons. First, Marquis Juzhu has friendship with the human race. Second, our race firmly believes that certain powerhouses will return, including King Wen and the others. Third, the God, Demon, and Immortal races also want to dominate the myriad heavens, which we are unwilling to accept—there is bad blood between us."
This Si Yue, who had become the Iron-Eater Emperor after antiquity, was far more composed and steady than Jiu Yue and his generation.
At this moment, he said slowly, "Helping the human race secretly is fine. But full support? What would that bring our race? Extermination, or something else? Wenqi's words are full of uncertainty. If Baizhan isn't unsealed, won't our race have to bear immense pressure? Or even face destruction?"
Su Yu nodded. "Wenqi is a fraud. He swindles people and doesn't have much real ability! It's all based on gambling! Of course, he has no trump cards to convince anyone. He had no choice; it was merely a desperate gamble at the end of the road."
What could Wenqi bring to the table?
A few Dao Integration experts?
Aside from that, he seemed to have nothing.
For someone like that, if he didn't rely on deception, what other way did he have?
If the deception succeeded, that would be ideal; at least there would be a glimmer of hope. If it failed, the Iron-Eater race probably wouldn't do much to him anyway. Overall, he had nothing to lose. If he really succeeded and unsealed Baizhan, it would be a massive profit!
A deal with guaranteed upside and no downside—why wouldn't he swindle?
"Then what can the Lower Realm's humans bring to the Iron-Eater race?" Si Yue asked again.
You say Wenqi is a fraud. What about you?
What can you bring us?
Su Yu thought about it and smiled. "It seems not much, either. No matter how strong we are, that strength belongs to us, not the Iron-Eater race! I can only say that the Iron-Eater race might have a greater chance to resist the imminent fate of extermination."
"Extermination?"
Si Yue looked at him without speaking.
Su Yu nodded. "Once the Upper Realm opens and the human race collapses, Senior Si Yue wouldn't believe that the myriad races are leaving the Iron-Eater race alone because you are immensely powerful, would you? It's merely that the myriad races don't want to strike at the Iron-Eaters right now to avoid depleting their own strength! Once the humans are destroyed, the Iron-Eaters will certainly be the second powerhouse race targeted... one hundred percent!"
Beside them, Wu Yue snapped grumpily, "That was caused by the human race as well!"
He felt somewhat disgruntled!
What Su Yu said wasn't wrong, but the root cause still originated with the humans.
Wu Yue grunted unhappily, "In other words, because we helped the humans, once the humans are wiped out, we're done for! And yet, you use this as a benefit to convince us? How are you any different from Wenqi?"
Su Yu spread his hands. "I just haven't painted you any empty pies. Spouting empty words is meaningless. If this were a year ago, what I promised would have been a hundred times better than Wenqi. Whatever you wanted, you'd get—I could easily promise you eight or ten Rule Masters..."
As Su Yu spoke, he smiled with brimming confidence. "Now, there is no need!"
Yes, there was no need now.
I don't need to paint empty pies for you anymore!
This was confidence, and this was backing.
The Iron-Eater race was very strong, but even without them, it wasn't as if things were impossible.
Beside them, Jiu Yue chimed in, "That's right, Big Bamboo makes sense! What we need now isn't a hollow future, but real, existing problems!"
Jiu Yue said naively, "The Iron-Eater race in the Lower Realm has already allied with the humans. Whether you Ancestors feel we were conned or just unlucky, in that situation, had we not allied, there probably wouldn't be an Iron-Eater race left in the Lower Realm today!"
"In the Lower Realm, we also did it for the survival of our race!"
"This trip to the Upper Realm is the same!"
"We've already picked a side. At this point, if you Ancestors want to draw a line between yourselves and the Lower Realm, it's actually very difficult."
Jiu Yue said earnestly, "Before I came, Ancestor Liu Yue said that the Upper Realm Iron-Eaters actually have no other choice... unless you capture Emperor Yu and hand him over to all races, and then sacrifice your own kin by capturing Ancestor Liu Yue and me to hand us over as well, humiliating yourselves to make peace. Only then might the myriad races drop the thought of exterminating our race!"
Jiu Yue was remarkably articulate today.
In truth, experts like Jiu Yue and Liu Yue weren't stupid.
Right now, Su Yu's forces were inferior to the Upper Realm as a whole, but the Upper Realm wasn't a unified entity. The three major races still couldn't dominate the entire Upper Realm.
One-on-one, the Lower Realm feared no single race.
Si Yue remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "I understand. I will relay all these words to Marquis Juzhu. The two of you... please rest here for a moment. Wu Yue, Yuan Yue, come with me. We need to go out and discuss this."
"Take care, Ancestors!"
Jiu Yue smiled innocently, seeing off the several iron-eating beasts.
Once they left, he suddenly grinned. "Milord, did I perform well today?"
Su Yu chuckled. "Not bad! I couldn't tell before, but you're quite the talker."
Jiu Yue chuckled naively, but after laughing for a moment, he quickly said, "Actually, the Ancestors have no other choice. As for what I said about capturing Emperor Yu and offering him to all races, that's also a dead end. If they truly captured Emperor Yu, Sir Lan and the others would never let it rest."
Su Yu smiled, saying nothing.
That could be considered a path as well.
It all depended on how the Iron-Eater race chose.
At this moment, Su Yu was also waiting for Marquis Juzhu to return, while other thoughts occupied his mind.
Previously, he hadn't planned on interfering with those few human powerhouses.
Yet now, Su Yu was thinking: if I leave them alone... I'm terrified they'll mess things up.
Not necessarily on purpose, but because they might think an opportunity had arrived.
"If Mount Chaos and the myriad races break into a massive battle, once war erupts, Marquis Huoyun and the others might really believe their chance has come to venture deep into the Dao Origin Land to rescue King Baizhan."
The possibility was not small.
Of course, the myriad races might also take this into account, perhaps even setting an ambush to wipe them out in one fell swoop, saving themselves the hassle while luring the humans out of their dangerous hideouts.
Perhaps this was a trap.
Once those human marquises came out and truly headed for the Dao Origin Land, they might be finished off all at once.
Did Marquis Zhennan and the others not know this?
They knew!
However, they were in utter despair right now, and Baizhan had become their sole hope. Under such circumstances, taking a gamble was only natural. They might even drag some allies along to fight for a chance together.
"In moments of despair, dragging allies along to gamble with their lives isn't unthinkable—it's a very normal choice. The only issue is... this is staking lives, gambling with lives!"
Su Yu shook his head.
Wenqi's deception wasn't inherently a problem in Su Yu's eyes. But since it was a desperate gamble, how could he conceal what happened on Marquis Dingjun's end?
He should have informed the Iron-Eater race, analyzed the pros and cons, and even if they weren't familiar, found a way to make contact.
Turning Su Yu's strength into his own, making it an asset.
Instead, he had chosen direct deception. That was what displeased Su Yu.
It ruined the human race's reputation!
Even if you told the Iron-Eaters straight out: this is our chance, let's take a gamble together; it is extraordinarily dangerous and we might die, but if we win, King Baizhan will be freed—then Su Yu could understand.
The Iron-Eater race could probably understand as well; whether to go or not would be up to them.
Resorting to outright deception meant they intended to make the Iron-Eaters a target, even trading the Iron-Eaters' sacrifices for King Baizhan's escape.
"The human race!"
Su Yu sighed inwardly. Some mindsets among these ancient humans were simply too deeply ingrained.
Other races were other races; humans were humans.
No matter how much of a disaster Baizhan was, he was still one of their own.
No matter how much help the Iron-Eater race provided, they were still outsiders.
Trading the sacrifice of the Iron-Eater race for Baizhan's unsealing was considered worthwhile.
"No wonder these fellows are hell-bent on supporting Baizhan. In their eyes, Baizhan's only fault lay in that final defeat. As for sacrificing so many allied races before that, they don't even consider it a mistake!"
At this moment, Su Yu finally understood the full psychology of these people.
Baizhan's mistake wasn't leading his allies to ruin; his mistake was losing the final battle.
"This is completely different from the ancient humans' philosophy. The ancient humans were overbearing, yes, but they could rally so many allied races, keeping them loyal for tens of thousands of years, to the point where they were still willing to fight for the humans in the ninth tide. That proves the ancient humans had a real knack for winning hearts..."
"The clever ones either vanished or died, leaving behind a bunch of stubborn, foolish figures holding the reins of power. It would be a wonder if they didn't perish!"
Su Yu didn't believe the issue lay with the ancient human race.
If the ancient Human Sovereign had been like Baizhan, would races like the Iron-Eaters have waited for the humans for a hundred thousand years?
Don't be ridiculous!
The ancient humans were domineering and ruthless toward enemies, but they were definitely never unfair to their allies. Otherwise, why would those allies have supported the humans for a hundred thousand years after the Human Sovereign and his peers were gone?
"Wise men like King Wen are all gone. Those left behind are either brutes, single-minded fools, or absolute race supremacists..."
How could such a human race not lose?
Even if they hadn't lost last time, and even if Baizhan had defeated the myriad races, resistance from the myriad races would have continued shortly after—unless he slaughtered every powerhouse among them.
Otherwise, with Baizhan's mindset—humans supreme, all other races mere servants—war would inevitably break out again.
Governing the myriad realms together was nothing but a joke.
At this moment, Su Yu was turning all this over in his mind.
...
At the same time.
Si Yue and the others stood atop a high mountain, surveying the surroundings.
After observing for a long time, Si Yue took a deep breath. "There are experts on the perimeter. Exactly how many, I am not sure! They might be the ones who destroyed the Dragon race—perhaps they've all come. Wenqi vanished without a sound... these people are very formidable!"
Wu Yue felt uncomfortable and said awkwardly, "Are they threatening us?"
"Not necessarily."
Si Yue looked at the distant great hall. "It shouldn't be a threat. That fellow down there with Jiu Yue might not even belong to our Iron-Eater race, and his status is likely paramount. If he truly wanted to threaten us, he wouldn't have come in person."
"Not of our race?"
Wu Yue asked in confusion, "I distinctly sensed the aura of the Seventy-Two Castings."
"Yes."
Si Yue had sensed it as well. "He likely learned our race's Seventy-Two Castings. That is normal. With extraordinary talent, an outsider can learn the power of the Great Dao as well."
Beside them, Yuan Yue asked curiously, "That Jiu Yue claimed he walks the Great Dao of Devouring. Fourth Ancestor, can our race's Great Dao of Devouring still be cultivated?"
"He said it was inherited from Er Yue... I didn't press for details. Marquis Juzhu might know; we'll ask when he returns."
Si Yue offered a word of caution, then soon added, "These people strike ruthlessly! If what Jiu Yue said is true, the Lower Realm has likely undergone a total upheaval! As for their exact strength, we can inquire in detail once Marquis Juzhu returns! Factoring in our race, we'll see if there is any hope of countering the Gods, Demons, and Immortals... If there isn't, the matter warrants further deliberation!"
"Father, do you mean you still support an alliance?"
Wu Yue grumbled unhappily, "Humans are deceitful. I gave up on allying with them long ago!"
Si Yue smiled. "It depends on which humans, and who they are deceitful toward. When fellows like Wenqi play schemes against our race, of course it feels awful! But if they are deceitful toward enemies, that is a good thing. Would you rather partner with fools to deal with the Gods and Demons?"
Wu Yue thought about it, nodded his massive head, yet still sighed wistfully. "The humans of antiquity weren't like this! The bastards who came later only knew how to screw us over... It disappoints me greatly!"
Thinking back to those years, the ancient humans were truly formidable.
The Iron-Eater race had followed the ancient humans on campaigns across the myriad realms, winning against whoever they fought. Upon victory, benefits were shared; upon defeat, there were no devastating losses, and any casualties were split evenly between humans and allied forces.
At the very least, it was fair.
After antiquity fell, the allies had been screwed over again and again.
By the ninth tide, they were completely ruined.
Si Yue said nothing.
Some of Wu Yue's words were true. If it was going to be like Baizhan all over again, he didn't want to ally with humans either. Even if it was dangerous, and even knowing that once humans fell, the Iron-Eaters couldn't escape destruction, he still didn't want to act as Baizhan's vanguard.
It all depended on what kind of different outcome that Emperor Yu, praised to high heaven by Jiu Yue, could bring them.
...
A day passed without event.
On the second day, a powerful aura rippled across the distance from afar!
In the distance.
A gigantic iron-eating beast carrying a colossal bamboo stalk flew swiftly toward Mount Zhu.
The space itself was torn asunder by his flight!
Around Mount Zhu lay the Dao Domains of several other races. Among them, some Dao Integration Dao Lords looked on with utmost gravity—Marquis Juzhu had returned!
Wasn't this fellow in the Dao Origin Land?
Had he also sensed danger and returned to guard Mount Zhu?
From far away, a Demon race expert projected his willpower, calling out, "Marquis Juzhu, why have you returned? Since you are back, it happens that the Assembly of All Races is about to convene. Will you be attending?"
Marquis Juzhu glanced in that direction and asked with a naive look, "What Assembly of All Races?"
"..."
There was no answering that. What did he mean, what Assembly of All Races? Did he truly not know?
Despite the awkwardness, the Demon Dao Integration expert quickly said, "Regarding the Dragon race's affair, all races must deliberate on how to deal with that band of thugs."
"Oh!" Marquis Juzhu nodded. "We'll see."
"Marquis Juzhu, even if the Iron-Eater race does not participate, it would be best not to cause trouble. Mixing with the humans will bring the Iron-Eaters no benefit whatsoever..." the expert warned.
The myriad races were indeed worried that powerful races like the Iron-Eaters might aid those people.
The Iron-Eaters didn't have many Dao Integration experts, but their strength was by no means weak.
Marquis Juzhu was a Quasi-King powerhouse.
San Yue... might still be alive, hiding away in the Dao Origin Land all this time.
"Oh!" Marquis Juzhu nodded. "Fine, got it!"
"Also..."
Marquis Juzhu said with an innocent smile, "I'm heading home now. Don't call out to me again. If you call me again... I'll eat you, all right? Be good and obedient, okay?"
"..."
In the distance, the Demon Dao Integration expert didn't waste another word, swiftly retreating.
Marquis Juzhu was usually rather easy to talk to.
However, once he said something like that, if you didn't scram, he would truly beat you to death with his bamboo stalk and eat you.
Marquis Juzhu chuckled naively, glanced in the direction the demon had fled, and continued on with an honest expression. So much nonsense. If I didn't have urgent matters, I would have bashed you to death with my bamboo stalk!
He continued flying.
After a short while, Marquis Juzhu's eyes suddenly flickered. He glanced toward a small hill on the outskirts of Mount Zhu. He looked with a hint of doubt and a touch of gravity, but quickly resumed his normal expression and flew toward Mount Zhu.
Mount Zhu had not met with trouble yet.
At this moment, Marquis Juzhu was still wondering: was that presence in the outer valley one of the Lower Realm powerhouses Si Yue mentioned?
How impressive!
They had nearly escaped his notice. However, this was Mount Zhu after all, a place where he had resided for countless years.
"When did the Lower Realm produce so many powerhouses? Their auras are unfamiliar. Are they newly emerged?"
Pondering this, three Dao Integration experts flew over moments later.
"Marquis Juzhu!"
Si Yue and the others greeted him one after another, the four iron-eating beasts congregating in midair.
Marquis Juzhu chuckled, glanced at the bamboo hall in the distance, felt the aura within, and gave an innocent grin. "They're still here?"
"Yes."
"Give me a brief summary."
Si Yue quickly recounted the conversation from yesterday, including the matter regarding General Wenqi.
Marquis Juzhu touched down, walking toward the hall as he spoke: "Wenqi... Marquis Zhennan... these fellows still haven't given up. Fine if they haven't given up, but they even want to make us their targets. Pay them no heed!"
Si Yue nodded.
Marquis Juzhu added, "The fellow inside—aside from Jiu Yue, have you confirmed the identity of the other one?"
"Not yet."
"Oh!"
Marquis Juzhu nodded slightly. Seeing the hall within sight, he slowed his pace a bit and asked, "How long did it take to kill those Dragon race fellows, and how many casualties did their side suffer?"
"It seems not a single one died. From start to finish... it didn't even take the time to eat a meal. In the blink of an eye, Marquis Xuelong and the others were slain!"
"Truly fast. Marquis Xuelong was no weakling, yet he was beaten to death so quickly."
Marquis Juzhu was still somewhat astonished. "So you're saying, across two battles, eight Dao Integration experts were killed, yet this side might not have lost a single person?"
"Presumably so!"
Marquis Juzhu tapped his large bamboo stalk against the ground and nodded. "Let's head inside and talk!"
...
"Greetings, Marquis Juzhu!"
The moment Marquis Juzhu stepped through the door, Su Yu sensed it—this one was exceptionally strong!
A Heavenly King-level powerhouse!
Marquis Juzhu suddenly transformed into a middle-aged man, abandoning his beast form. He said with a chuckle, "Since guests have arrived, make yourselves at home."
Su Yu smiled without saying anything. He suddenly shed his iron-eating beast disguise, returning to his true appearance.
Wu Yue and the others were startled, but Marquis Juzhu didn't mind. He chuckled, "Why has your lifespan been depleted so severely?"
"A century is enough!"
"True enough."
Marquis Juzhu walked to his seat, sat down, and gestured for Su Yu to take a seat as well. He smiled and asked, "How should I address you, Dao Friend?"
"Su Yu."
"The Emperor Yu that Jiu Yue speaks of?"
"You could say that."
"My apologies for the poor reception!"
Marquis Juzhu smiled. "Back in antiquity, I would have had to salute you. For now, I won't bother with formalities, as I haven't agreed to cooperate yet."
Su Yu also smiled. "As it should be. Senior is being too polite."
At this moment, Si Yue and the others couldn't get a word in, and Jiu Yue was intimidated into silence, not daring to speak.
Marquis Juzhu glanced at Yuan Yue and said with a grin, "Little Yuan Yue, go fetch some food and drink. Don't bring big bamboo stalks; bring some meat, and if there's wine, bring wine. We must entertain our guest properly. It would be too discourteous to a distinguished human guest!"
Su Yu smiled. "Senior seems to have interacted frequently with the human race?"
"You could say that."
Marquis Juzhu chuckled. "During antiquity, several Human Kings and Human Marquises would often drop by our race for a chat. Back then, discussing the Great Dao felt like yesterday, but now things and people have completely changed. Those old friends are either dead or gone."
He smiled. "Do you know where King Wen and the others are?"
Su Yu thought for a moment and said, "King Wen and the Human Sovereign might not be together. King Wen, King Wu, and the Time Master might be together, having encountered a powerful foe! The Human Sovereign and his peers, along with some assemblymen of the myriad races, are likely in the upstream regions of the River of Time. Perhaps in a few years, they will be able to return."
Marquis Juzhu sighed with emotion. "You know quite a lot."
Su Yu chuckled softly. "If I knew nothing at all, wouldn't that make me far too foolish?"
"Do you know how many experts the human race still has?"
Su Yu smiled. "Does that count the Prison King lineage?"
"Hmm?"
Marquis Juzhu looked at him. Su Yu smiled and said, "If we count that lineage, then... it's truly hard to say. The human race might still be the foremost powerhouse race of the myriad heavens!"
Marquis Juzhu drew in a breath. "Does that lineage have that many experts? I vaguely guessed they had quite a few, but by your words, they are immensely strong?"
Su Yu nodded. "No fewer than five Quasi-Kings! That is my assessment."
"Then they are truly formidable!"
Marquis Juzhu smiled. "Previously, I guessed there were three."
"Has Senior dealt with them?" Su Yu asked.
Marquis Juzhu chuckled. "No, but on several occasions when human experts ran into trouble, someone notified our race to go rescue them... At first, I thought it was Marquis Anying, but later I felt it wasn't! Connecting a few events, I broadly guessed a few things, but I don't know the specifics."
"Notified Senior to rescue them?"
Marquis Juzhu nodded. "Yes. Why do you think that was?"
"They didn't want all the human experts to die off. If they all died, the myriad races might achieve complete unification..."
"So it was done with ill intent?"
"You could say that."
Marquis Juzhu chuckled again. "Can you match them?"
"Probably not."
Marquis Juzhu continued, "Then in my view, while they reject you, they might not necessarily reject us. Our Iron-Eater race actually has other paths—for instance, surrendering to them. What do you think?"
Su Yu nodded. "Perhaps!"
That possibility certainly existed. The Prison King lineage was hostile to King Wen's legacy, but they wouldn't necessarily target allied races like the Iron-Eaters.
"Then why shouldn't I defect to them, instead of joining forces with you to take a gamble?"
Su Yu thought about it and said, "The difference between offering charcoal in snowy weather and merely adding flowers to brocade."
"Then I would rather add flowers to brocade."
Su Yu gave a wry smile. This fellow was tough to handle; it was the first time he had been talked into a corner by an Iron-Eater expert.
Su Yu pondered for a moment and added, "They might not necessarily accept outside races. If they had the intention, they could have contacted the Iron-Eater race tens of thousands of years ago."
"True enough."
Marquis Juzhu smiled and asked, "Your slaughter among the Dragons—was it intended to frame them?"
"How did Senior know?"
Marquis Juzhu laughed. "I'm not stupid. The Assembly of All Races is convening. With no trace of the enemy, why hold an assembly? Naturally, they only meet when they have a target, and because the enemy's strength is immense, requiring cooperation from all sides. The last time an assembly convened was six or seven thousand years ago, and back then it was to deal with Baizhan."
Su Yu nodded. "I indeed had the intention of dragging those fellows out for a spin."
"Difficult!"
Marquis Juzhu shook his head. Be careful that when two tigers fight, they don't finish you off first!
"At their level, people don't act on impulse. They will probably talk first, rather than silently killing each other. Once they clash, they will realize a third party exists!"
Marquis Juzhu looked at him with a grin. "If that happens, what will you do?"
"Retreat first!"
Su Yu smiled. "If the Upper Realm is hard to fight in, I'll head to the Lower Realm first. If we are exposed, we'll go back, build our strength, and fight again!"
"Are you confident that within a few years, you can match both factions?"
"No."
Su Yu shook his head. "But I can try!"
"True. You rose too quickly and are brimming with confidence. That is a good thing, but blind confidence isn't necessarily wise."
At this moment, Yuan Yue arrived with the food. Marquis Juzhu grabbed a large chunk of meat and began eating. As he chewed, he said, "You eat, too!"
Su Yu wasn't shy either, grabbing a piece of meat and digging in. Truth be told, the flavor was decent.
Marquis Juzhu smiled. "If you want cooperation, that's fine! But you must let me see your strength, your foundation, and your resolve! Two points. First, take down the remaining old fellows of the human race—kill them, trap them, or subdue them, whatever works. Second, within ten days, I want to see your third battle result! The Dragons... the Dragons are nothing. I want to see you take on the three major races!"
Marquis Juzhu bit off a large mouthful of meat. "If you don't dare target the three major races and can only operate on other clans, that won't do! The moment you run into the three major races, you'll be finished! The three powerhouse races are far stronger than the rest, possessing immense strength and deep heritage!"
"If fighting small races goes smoothly, but fighting the major races leaves you helpless, how can you expect me to trust you? How can I hand over the future of the Iron-Eater race to you?"
Marquis Juzhu snapped a bone with a bite, baring teeth that gleamed with cold ferocity. "If you don't dare take on the three major races and can only bully the weak, I certainly cannot agree!"
Su Yu nodded slightly. "What kind of battle result does Senior wish to see?"
"At least three Dao Integration experts. I won't make things too difficult for you!"
Marquis Juzhu bared his teeth in a smile. "I'll give you another clue: every time the Assembly of All Races convenes, it is held at Mount Ren! Mount Ren lies in the central region of the Upper Realm and is unowned land. Back then, the humans intended to build the Human Sovereign's Palace there, but after the human race collapsed, the project was abandoned."
"There is a small palace atop Mount Ren, which serves as the meeting grounds for all races. The assembly hasn't officially convened yet, but without a doubt, experts from the three major races have already gone ahead to preside over the preparations. There should be powerhouses stationed there."
"It isn't close to the territory of any of the three major races; it sits right in the middle. After all, when holding an assembly, nobody wants to hold it on someone else's turf!"
"If you go there, you can very likely kill a few fellows, but escaping will be considerably difficult!"
Marquis Juzhu chuckled. "As long as you kill a few experts from the three major races for your third strike and emerge without casualties, when you return, our race will support you. We will support you fully, and whatever you wish to do, our race will raise no objections!"
Si Yue, Wu Yue, and the others all turned to look at Marquis Juzhu.
Marquis Juzhu truly was formidable!
The moment he arrived, he gave Emperor Yu a proper show of strength.
You want our race to submit to you? Fine, go kill!
Kill experts of the three major races, and do it right in the core region.
Si Yue still chimed in, "Although Mount Ren is unowned land, its surrounding three sides border the territories of the three major races!"
He said heavily, "Mount Ren sits right in the core region! If you try to flee once your whereabouts are exposed, you will quickly be surrounded from three sides. It is certain death!"
Jiu Yue's expression shifted slightly, but Su Yu remained unperturbed. He smiled and asked, "If I slay three Dao Integration experts, Senior will be willing to ally with me?"
"Naturally!"
Marquis Juzhu smiled. "Provided you are still alive! If you die, treat these words as if I never said them!"
Su Yu nodded, then added, "Must those ancient human experts be taken down as well? I can't even be bothered to deal with them..."
"They must be taken down!"
Marquis Juzhu chuckled. "If you don't take them down, those few fellows will constantly cause trouble, only ruining matters!"
Su Yu said helplessly, "Senior has truly given me two immensely difficult tasks."
"If it weren't difficult, why would I risk my entire race for you?"
Marquis Juzhu smiled. "Of course, you don't necessarily have to go to Mount Ren. You could launch a direct assault on the territory of one of the races, kill three of their Dao Integration experts, and flee. Or you could simply wait on the perimeter; Dao Integration experts from the three races will eventually come out... Of course, the time limit I'm giving you is only ten days! You might not get the chance to wait!"
Jiu Yue couldn't help but say, "Ancestor, isn't this timeframe too short? Ten days... in ten days, we might not even have the terrain mapped out."
Marquis Juzhu said in a deep voice, "Then is the Iron-Eater race submitting to the humans not too rash? This concerns our race's destiny! A single misstep means extermination. Do you think our race isn't worried?"
Jiu Yue was at a loss for words.
"But..."
"No buts!"
Marquis Juzhu cut him off directly. "The Lower Realm is the Lower Realm's affair; the Upper Realm is the Upper Realm's affair. In the Lower Realm, our participation only involved two Dao Integration experts. The myriad races won't easily move against us—our race is no pushover!"
He looked toward Su Yu. "If Emperor Yu achieves this, I will naturally keep my word. My race will follow your lead! If you cannot, don't come back next time!"
Marquis Juzhu gave a genial laugh. "Right now, the various races are watching us, and watching you. If you visit repeatedly, our race might run into trouble. Don't you agree?"
Su Yu nodded. "It was my oversight."
"It wasn't an oversight!"
Marquis Juzhu continued eating. "It was confidence! Never mind, confidence is a good thing, so long as it doesn't turn into arrogance! Just those two conditions!"
Su Yu smiled, nodded, and rose to his feet. "Then I shall take my leave!"
With that, he smiled and said, "Jiu Yue, you stay here for now."
"Milord..."
Jiu Yue said hurriedly, "I'll come with you."
"No need!"
Su Yu laughed. "Learn more from Senior Marquis Juzhu and the others! Wait here!"
Marquis Juzhu chuckled. "Jiu Yue is a Dao Integration expert after all. With an extra Dao Integration expert, the chances of success are greater. Aren't you taking him along?"
"No need."
Su Yu smiled faintly. "Killing three Dao Integration experts isn't like killing three Quasi-Kings. Having one more or one fewer doesn't make much difference!"
"Jiu Yue inherited Senior Er Yue's Great Dao of Devouring. Seniors, please instruct him well; his strength is still somewhat lacking."
Su Yu looked at Jiu Yue and smiled. "Stay here. When I return next time, I want to see your strength improve. The strength of a fifth-tier Dao Integration expert is far too weak!"
Looking solemn, Jiu Yue nodded. "Then... Milord, please take care!"
"It's fine."
Su Yu let out a soft laugh and cupped his hands toward the experts. "Then ten days from now, I will return!"
With that, he swiftly transformed into an iron-eating beast and strode out of the hall.
...
Once Su Yu had left, Si Yue said in a deep voice, "Marquis Juzhu, this... asking them to go to Mount Ren to kill people, isn't it... a bit too dangerous?"
Even if they didn't cooperate, there was no need to send them to their deaths.
Marquis Juzhu chewed on his food, speaking indistinctly, "If it's dangerous, he can give up on his own! If he wants our race to take risks while taking none himself, how could that work? Expecting our race to bow down just from a few sweet words?"
As he ate, he glanced at Jiu Yue and mumbled, "The Lower Realm is the Lower Realm; the Upper Realm is the Upper Realm! You think he's omnipotent in the Lower Realm, but that was down there. In the Upper Realm, powerhouses are countless. Can he still summon the wind and rain?"
Jiu Yue said unconvinced, "The Dragons were wiped out!"
"Foolish!"
Marquis Juzhu snorted. "That was catching the Dragons unprepared. Ask him to pull off another campaign like that! It succeeded only because the myriad races were unprepared. Ask him yourself: is he confident he can replicate such results? What do the Dragons count for? Their strength isn't even half of any single one of the three major races! Not even a third!"
"Just because he could hit the Dragons means he can go to war with the three major races?"
"Do you think there's still plenty of time?"
Marquis Juzhu snorted coldly. "There is no time left! The Gate of the Lower Realm is about to fully open. Once it opens, all his supposed advantages will vanish completely!"
Right now, he had an advantage because Su Yu controlled the passage.
However, once the Gate of the Lower Realm opened, that advantage would be completely useless!
Jiu Yue thought for a moment, then soon chuckled naively. "Even so, I believe Emperor Yu can win! Ancestor, you've stayed in the Upper Realm too long; you don't understand, nor have you witnessed it! He is omnipotent! A year ago, the Lower Realm humans didn't have a single Dao Integration expert, while the myriad races had dozens of them, crushing the humans completely! A year later, the humans won. Right now, it's merely inconvenient to alarm the Upper Realm; otherwise, unification would have already been achieved!"
Jiu Yue said with utter confidence, "I believe that ten days from now, Emperor Yu will return bearing astonishing battle results!"
Marquis Juzhu smiled faintly. "If he truly pulls it off, then submitting is no big deal. If he can't, he will have nothing to say! What are you getting anxious for?"
Jiu Yue muttered a few words and fell silent.
...
Meanwhile, Su Yu departed Mount Zhu.
Soon, he vanished without a trace.
Moments later, he regrouped with Lan Tian and the others. Lan Tian remarked lazily, "That big fat cat actually assigned us tasks. Emperor Yu, how about we just off him?"
"..."
Su Yu was speechless. "Get lost!"
Lan Tian chuckled. "Just a joke. By the way, that little darling has been caught!"
As he spoke, King Dazhou walked forward from behind, carrying General Wenqi.
Marquis Dingjun quickly hurried over, saying with some urgency, "Emperor Yu, Wenqi..."
Su Yu raised a hand, cutting him off before he could speak.
He glanced at Wenqi. Right now, Wenqi's Great Dao was wounded and sealed. His eyes held a mix of terror, bewilderment, and faint hope. Seeing Su Yu, his eyes flickered, and he said hurriedly, "Emperor Yu? I am Wenqi under Marquis Zhennan. I harbor no ill will, and I was just looking for you esteemed lords, but simply hadn't found the opportunity..."
He truly had been looking for this group. Su Yu, however, didn't say much. With a single glance, the civilization chronicle materialized, directly stowing Wenqi inside.
Marquis Dingjun wanted to speak again, but Su Yu frowned and said, "Enough. An insignificant small fry—ignore him for now! Marquis Juzhu has given me a tough problem. If we succeed, the Iron-Eater race will yield four... no, possibly five Dao Integration experts, two Heavenly King-level experts, with Si Yue and Wu Yue being a second-tier and a third-tier Dao Integration expert!"
Su Yu said in a deep voice, "Such a force cannot be abandoned! It's even more powerful than our current strength!"
As for Wenqi, leave him aside for now!
Compared to the Iron-Eater race, he wasn't worth mentioning.
Su Yu recounted what Marquis Juzhu had just said. In an instant, both King Dazhou and King Daming felt a headache coming on.
A third strike at this juncture!
This wasn't like before, when the myriad races were completely caught off guard.
Moreover, it wasn't about wiping out Dao Integration experts from minor races, but rather Dao Integration experts of the three major races. Dao Integration experts of the three major races were currently either in their Dao Domains, at Mount Ren, or in the Dao Origin Land.
All of them were exceptionally perilous locations!
Killing people there, and killing at least three Dao Integration experts—if they got pinned down, Su Yu and his entire group would be finished.
King Dazhou and the others all turned to look at Su Yu. This matter truly was difficult to handle.
Su Yu also rubbed his chin in thought.
They couldn't act on impulse. If they were reckless, total annihilation was entirely possible.
Marquis Juzhu... these two conditions he laid down were troublesome even for Su Yu.
Chapter 722