Countless thoughts raced through General Yingwu's mind.
She remained on high alert.
Looking at Su Yu, she asked in a low voice, "Who are you?"
"Su Yu."
Su Yu smiled faintly. "Or you can call me the Human Lord."
"Human Lord..."
General Yingwu had naturally sensed it, but she still pressed in a deep voice, "From the Lower Realm?"
"Yes."
Su Yu merely looked at her in silence. Feeling rather uncomfortable under his gaze, General Yingwu took another step back. "What business do you have with me? And how were you able to track me the entire way?"
Su Yu studied her for a long time before murmuring, "Do I really need to spell out why I've come for you?"
He continued calmly, "Or do you simply wish to remain a lone wolf? If that is the case, I won't bother with you..."
General Yingwu frowned. "Do you want me to submit to you? Or help you?"
"I don't need your help," Su Yu replied evenly. "Just don't get in my way. People like you could easily cause trouble for me right now!"
General Yingwu looked at him with a furrowed brow, then glanced at King Dazhou. After a moment, she asked, "Then what do you mean by coming to find me?"
Su Yu sighed inward. "Nothing complicated. You seem like an intelligent person—smarter than Marquis Dingjun, at least. I'll give you two choices. One, come over to my side and serve me for a few years. Two, do not step foot outside Yixian Gorge for three years. You may remain in your lair, but I will set up some formations inside it; the moment you leave, I will treat it as a betrayal of the human race."
"By what right?"
General Yingwu's face turned icy. Su Yu replied placidly, "By the right that I am the Human Lord of this era, the common lord of the human race! By the fact that I have the power to kill you, that I can kill you at any moment, yet I haven't! Don't force me to give you a third option. If it comes to that, you will regret it."
General Yingwu stared at him, cursing inwardly.
What an arrogant fellow!
He showed up without explaining anything, and that so-called third option was obviously nothing other than killing her.
...
Beside them, King Dazhou remained silent as well.
He let out a quiet sigh in his heart.
Su Yu held rather deep prejudices against these ancient humans.
Su Yu had said more than once: I can ask foreign races to aid humanity, but I will not beg humans to save humanity. The human race was never his alone, but everyone's.
If these powerhouses were unwilling to contribute, staying out of each other's way was enough.
Su Yu never forced them to help. Previously, he hadn't even bothered to pay them any mind. It was only because they might disrupt his plans this time that he had moved against several ancient experts.
King Dazhou broke his silence, stepping forward to speak. "General Yingwu, Marquis Dingjun has already joined Emperor Yu's banner! Emperor Yu has ascended to the Upper Realm this time on important business. I don't know if you've heard about what happened to the Dragon race, but we were the ones behind it."
King Dazhou looked at her. "We harbor no ill intent. We merely wish to avoid excessive trouble and strife while rallying the forces of humanity!"
General Yingwu frowned. "The Dragon race affair—you did that?"
"Indeed."
General Yingwu felt a tremor in her heart. She had heard of it; though her information wasn't the most up to date, the entire Upper Realm was discussing such a massive incident, so she had naturally caught wind of it.
To think it was done by this group!
People from the Lower Realm!
She looked at the white-haired Human Lord before her. After a long silence, she said in a heavy voice, "King Baizhan isn't dead yet. What happens when he returns?"
Su Yu frowned slightly.
King Dazhou also said softly, "That has nothing to do with us."
King Dazhou was helpless. King Baizhan again... At this point, King Baizhan had become an obstacle.
Yet unexpectedly, General Yingwu suddenly flared with anger. "Nothing to do with you? How could it have nothing to do with you! If that bastard, that idiot gets out and seizes power again to send us to our deaths, are we supposed to obey him too?"
She seemed furious. "That bastard is headstrong, obstinate, and brutally reckless! You don't even have a way to counter him seizing power. Once he takes control of humanity's authority again, wouldn't he just send us to die? Send the ten thousand-plus troops under my command to die? If you don't have a way to deal with Baizhan, if you can't suppress him, I will never serve you!"
"..."
Su Yu was stunned for a moment.
King Dazhou was stunned as well.
What... did this mean?
Su Yu was momentarily dazed, looking at her in surprise. "You... you don't like Baizhan?"
General Yingwu fumed, "He's an idiot! Arrogant, obstinate, fancying himself peerless under the heavens, invincible and unconquerable, when in reality he's just a fool! I told him Zhou Tiansheng was suspicious, but he didn't believe me! I told him that woman was problematic, but he didn't believe me either! I told him our allied races couldn't be lightly sacrificed, but he still wouldn't listen! I told him to eliminate some of the minor races first, but he wouldn't listen! I told him to take down the experts outside the three major races first, and he still wouldn't listen!"
"Such an obstinate fellow is entirely useless aside from having a bit of raw strength! Once his seal is broken and you can't match him, allowing him to seize power, do you expect me to keep risking my life for that fool?"
"..."
Su Yu's mouth hung open, genuinely caught off guard this time.
This was the very first ancient human powerhouse he had encountered who openly tore into King Baizhan with curses.
After venting her fury, General Yingwu looked at them and asked warily, "You didn't come to find me—or come to the Upper Realm—just to unseal Baizhan, did you? Because I won't do it! Go yourselves! I have no intention of leading my subordinates to their deaths! Unless you kill me... otherwise, let him break his own seal! If he can get out, fine; if he can't, I won't lift a finger!"
She backed away a few steps, her expression tinged with anger and despair.
In any case, she refused to do it.
Marquis Minshan and Marquis Zhennan had both approached her, asking her to lend her strength to rescue King Baizhan... She had turned them all down. Even when she hadn't explicitly refused, she had dragged her feet and ignored them.
Rescue Baizhan?
Give me a break!
Not only would she throw her own life away, but if Baizhan were unsealed, he would rally what little remnants humanity had left and squander it all again in the blink of an eye!
It was better to stay scattered like this; at least some people might survive.
Su Yu looked at her for a long while before bursting into laughter. "You are the first person I've met who doesn't support rescuing Baizhan!"
General Yingwu said coldly, "He won't die. If the myriad races could kill him, they would have done so long ago! Since they haven't, they're naturally waiting for him to unseal himself before killing him, or they have other schemes! Since he won't die and will break free on his own sooner or later, why should we rescue him? Throwing our lives away just to save him—is it worth it? Even if we do get him out, what then? He couldn't win back then, let alone now!"
In short, she didn't consider Baizhan a savior at all.
"I am hiding in Yixian Gorge right now, living just fine. I don't need Baizhan to save me!"
General Yingwu looked at the two of them, then back at Su Yu, remarking coldly, "Even if you rescue him, he won't listen to you. Don't flatter yourself! Baizhan is headstrong, conceited, and values nothing but martial might! He cares most about pedigree and status. Because I am merely a titled general rather than an ancient marquis, I held virtually no status under him! It will be the same for you. In his eyes, this so-called Human Lord of yours is just a child playing house. Do you think he will give you anything when he comes out?
"Unless you possess the bloodline of the Human Sovereign, the bloodlines of the Four Kings, or are the direct disciple of a Human King... otherwise, before you reach the quasi-king realm, you are nothing in his eyes—less noble than any random ancient marquis!"
Su Yu glanced at King Dazhou. Was that really true?
Why hadn't he heard of this before?
Seeing Su Yu looking over, King Dazhou coughed lightly and said, "King Baizhan does indeed place great weight on bloodline, pedigree, and martial might."
Su Yu chuckled. "What bloodline does he possess?"
"It is said that he might carry the bloodline of King Dou."
Su Yu gave a faint smile. "Doesn't he have ties to the Archaic Giant race?"
King Dazhou remained silent for a moment before replying, "The Archaic Giants were considered an overlord race in the Archaic Era, and rumors even claim they are an offshoot of the human race. In Baizhan's eyes, their bloodline is by no means base."
Su Yu nodded. So that was how it was.
Just an antiquated fellow. Only now did he realize how little he truly knew about King Baizhan.
A stubborn old fossil!
No wonder so many ancient relics favored him; he aligned perfectly with their interests and sentiments.
Opposite them, General Yingwu continued to frown as she watched the two.
When mentioning Baizhan, King Dazhou was relatively composed, but Su Yu seemed entirely unbothered—in fact, his tone carried a hint of contempt.
General Yingwu looked at Su Yu, was silent for a moment, and spoke again. "Your strength doesn't appear particularly formidable, yet you were able to deal with the Dragon race. Do you have a quasi-king backing you?"
Su Yu thought about it and smiled. "I do."
"Does humanity operate on a council system now?"
General Yingwu looked at him and asked in a low voice, "How much of a voice do you hold in this council?"
Su Yu was at a loss for words. How much of a voice did he have?
What council was she even talking about!
Seeing his reaction, General Yingwu's expression shifted slightly. "I knew it! You haven't even secured the right to speak, yet you come trying to recruit me. This will inevitably turn into another messy power struggle, and I despise such struggles! Those fellows are always spouting unrealistic fantasies! The ancient era is dead, and the ancient glory can no longer be restored... Sooner or later, you will ruin the human race all over again!"
A puppet!
She understood now. This generation's Human Lord was even worse than Baizhan. At least Baizhan had possessed the strength to suppress opposition, whereas this one before her was a complete and utter puppet.
Controlled by forces behind the scenes, utterly incapable of making his own decisions!
Meanwhile, Su Yu wore an odd expression. Only after a good while did he say, "The quasi-kings under my command must listen to me as well."
General Yingwu scoffed derisively. "You can suppress those people? You look quite young; your talent is probably decent and your strength is passable, but you likely only control a tiny fraction of them. Can you even control this Zhou Tiansheng? Perhaps... he's here to keep an eye on you!"
She sneered, "This fellow is an old fossil too. He looks obedient on the surface, but in reality, he's just lulling you into complacency. Such an insidious person didn't even reveal his strength when the great battle was lost back then. What else could he be doing following behind you now if not monitoring you?"
What a pitiable boy!
She laughed coldly. "Marquis Dingjun submitted to you? As expected, they are already preparing to sideline you completely to welcome Baizhan's return. Once Baizhan is back, you will be nothing. Even if you aren't killed, you'll just be a pathetic discarded pawn! If I'm not mistaken, you will probably be heading to the Dao Origin Land in the near future!"
Su Yu's gaze turned peculiar, and he nodded. "That's right."
"I knew it!"
General Yingwu smiled. "You are too foolish, pitiable, and tragic! Perhaps your trip to the Dao Origin Land is meant to rescue Baizhan, yet you don't even know what fate awaits you once he's freed, and you still came to recruit me?"
"..."
He truly had no rebuttal!
Su Yu looked at King Dazhou and chuckled. "What she said... actually makes some sense, don't you think?"
King Dazhou smiled bitterly. "Well... I... this is the first time I've encountered this too."
General Yingwu had constructed an entire grand drama in her head!
And it was completely reasonable!
It wasn't entirely fabricated; it was a deduction based on Su Yu's age and strength.
It fit reality remarkably well!
King Dazhou trailing behind him did resemble an overseer, perfectly fitting the image of a puppet ruler.
Seeing them talking, General Yingwu spoke again. "Su Yu, you are young and probably possess decent talent. Don't hold onto foolish fantasies, dreaming that once Baizhan returns, you can subdue him or use him as your enforcer... It's impossible! Young people always think they are peerless and omnipotent, but it's nothing more than a joke!
"If I were you, I would stall until the very end no matter what. I would never take the initiative to rescue Baizhan!"
Su Yu nodded. "Makes sense!"
Seeing him nod, General Yingwu breathed a slight sigh of relief, then eyed King Dazhou warily. "This man is no good person!"
Su Yu nodded in agreement. "Indeed, he really can't be called a good person!"
King Dazhou smiled wryly. "I... am utterly loyal. How am I not a good person?"
How had a perfectly normal recruitment trip turned into a denunciation rally against King Baizhan and himself?
Su Yu pondered for a moment and smiled. "Perhaps you're right. That is why I currently need allies; otherwise, I won't be able to defy those people, will I? Why doesn't General Yingwu step out of seclusion to aid me this once, if only to prevent humanity from falling into Baizhan's hands again?"
Different strategies had to be employed for different people.
General Yingwu glanced at him, then back at King Dazhou, stating in a low voice, "With this man harboring ill intentions by your side, it's impossible for you to build your own faction!"
Su Yu smiled. "Which is precisely why I need General Yingwu's assistance all the more! Of course, while King Dazhou harbors ill intentions, I have already bribed him. He turns a blind eye and won't interfere in certain matters."
Su Yu added with a chuckle, "Besides, Baizhan hasn't been unsealed yet, has he?"
General Yingwu furrowed her brows. "Then how many experts do you currently have under your command? How many quasi-kings?"
"Quasi-kings..."
Su Yu tallied them up mentally. Fat Ball, the Southern King, and Lan Tian all qualified. Wan Tiansheng, the Old Turtle, and King Dazhou were still a bit short, though the Old Turtle was close.
Su Yu smiled. "Three for now."
"Do any of them support you?"
General Yingwu said gravely, "Three is quite a few—more than I expected! Do any of them actually support you? Who are the three? Do I know them?"
Three quasi-kings couldn't have appeared out of thin air.
She might even recognize them!
She wanted to see if any were Baizhan's diehard loyalists!
"Naturally, there are those who support me,"
Su Yu said with a beaming smile. "Otherwise, how could I have become this Human Lord, right? There are two you probably don't know, but you should recognize one: the Southern Heavenly King of the Dead Spirit Realm. Do you know her?"
"The Southern Heavenly King?"
General Yingwu was slightly taken aback. There was a dead spirit heavenly king?
She gave him an odd look. "Your supporter isn't this Southern Heavenly King, is she? If it's her, that's understandable. After all, she lives in the Dead Spirit Realm and has little to do with the realm of the living. But her support is limited—she cannot leave the Dead Spirit Realm..."
Su Yu smiled. "She's still a quasi-king at the end of the day, isn't she?"
That was true enough.
Su Yu smiled again. "Aside from you, is there anyone else who opposes Baizhan unifying humanity once more? Only if you come to my aid will I have any hope... After all, I don't want to remain a puppet either. General Yingwu, right now, I am still the leader of tens of billions of humans. I hold the moral high ground and still have a chance. If I don't fight for it, that chance will be entirely gone. Once Baizhan emerges... and unifies humanity again, that will spell real trouble."
General Yingwu frowned, falling into deep thought. After a long silence, she said in a heavy voice, "In the end, all of this depends on your own strength. If you lack the power, no matter how much you fight and struggle, it will all be in vain!"
Su Yu smiled. "I am close to stepping into the quasi-king realm myself. It might not take more than a few months. Once Baizhan is unsealed and emerges, I think I'll be able to contest him!"
General Yingwu felt deeply torn and conflicted.
Su Yu added, "Otherwise, I can only hand it over on a silver platter and leave tens of billions of humans to Baizhan..."
"Out of the question!"
General Yingwu said sternly, "Baizhan can serve as a general, but never as a supreme commander! Entrusting tens of billions of humans to him will likely lead to another crushing defeat!"
She wrestled with herself for a moment before gritting her teeth. "I can aid you, but... my subordinates cannot be taken away. Let them continue living in Yixian Gorge! Furthermore, those foolish men—Marquis Zhennan, Marquis Dingjun, Marquis Anying, and Marquis Huoyun—are all Baizhan's diehard loyalists who only know how to speak with their fists! Only Marquis Yunshui is someone I can try to persuade. Marquis Yunshui also looks down on Baizhan, who relies purely on brawn... She was an admirer of King Wen!"
"..."
Su Yu shot King Dazhou a bizarre look.
You foolish men who only know how to support Baizhan.
Look at that—according to General Yingwu, women didn't support Baizhan.
Come to think of it, he seemed poised to recruit a cohort of female generals lately.
The Southern King and Marquis Lanshan could also be counted among King Wen's admirers.
King Wen truly had quite a few fangirls.
It seemed those who idolized King Wen looked down on someone like Baizhan. In truth, Baizhan wasn't terrible; at this moment, Su Yu almost felt like speaking up on his behalf. What a pitiable fellow—why did all these women despise you so much?
Did a brute not deserve loyalty?
General Yingwu had originally been unwilling to leave seclusion, but the moment she heard it was to stop Baizhan, look at her—she was tempted, proactive, and even willing to help persuade Marquis Yunshui to join...
Was this a buy-one-get-one-free deal?
The reason was simple: Baizhan was about to be unsealed, and they refused to see humanity fall under his control once again.
King Dazhou felt utterly exhausted as well.
After a long while, he transmitted his voice to Su Yu. "Emperor Yu... women are truly unreasonable. Your Majesty's perception on this matter is entirely correct."
Su Yu chuckled and replied via voice transmission, "Don't say that. Right now, I think women are quite wonderful. At crucial moments, they're far more reliable than you lot."
Get out of here!
King Dazhou complained inwardly. It was only because these people happened to be willing to listen to him. If these women were stubbornly loyal to Baizhan, Su Yu would probably be cursing them too!
Meanwhile, seeing the two exchanging voice transmissions, General Yingwu said warily, "What are you two..."
Su Yu smiled. "He's urging me not to create artificial divisions, saying Baizhan isn't an enemy, and telling me not to trust you too much, General Yingwu..."
General Yingwu said coldly, "I knew it, he's already trying to interfere! Which is why... Baizhan must not regain power! Su Yu, I can come out to help you, but I have one condition!"
"Speak, please!"
"Once Baizhan returns, if you cannot best him and fail to control humanity... I will leave!"
She said coldly, "I have no desire to throw my life away for nothing! Baizhan only ever has one move: beat his enemies to death with his fists... If he can't, he dies. But how many can he beat to death now? If he controls humanity, defeat is only a matter of time!"
Su Yu nodded with a smile. "Agreed. Once Baizhan emerges, if I can't best him and he seizes power, you may leave at any time."
General Yingwu breathed a sigh of relief. "At least you are sensible!"
She added quickly, "You still hold the title of Human Lord for now, so you still have a chance. Build your own forces before Baizhan is unsealed and suppress the dissenting voices—only then will you have hope of victory!"
Su Yu nodded and smiled. "Indeed, I agree completely!"
General Yingwu smiled then. She felt this new Human Lord was far better than Baizhan; at the very least, he was receptive to advice.
Baizhan was simply an obstinate brute, a reckless musclehead!
He refused to listen to a word she said, yet he took everything those old men said as gospel. Baizhan was an utter idiot!
She cursed him again in her heart.
Human Lord...
She looked at Su Yu once more, hoping this generation's Human Lord wouldn't turn out to be a good-for-nothing.
As for leaving seclusion, she definitely had to.
She couldn't stay in Yixian Gorge forever. In truth, since he was the Human Lord, she should have stepped forward anyway, but she had wanted to secure some favorable conditions for herself. Judging by how things stood, the result was quite decent!
If this generation's Human Lord were also deaf to advice, she wouldn't have wanted to venture out.
Since he was willing to listen... things would be much easier.
"Then let me settle my soldiers. Wait for me outside; I will join you in two hours!"
General Yingwu said swiftly, "Once we're out, I can take you to find Marquis Yunshui... As for the others, I suggest you don't seek them out. They are nothing but trouble. If you find them, those fellows will definitely drag you along to rescue Baizhan, which is suicide!"
Su Yu chuckled. "We'll play it by ear. Right now, every extra person is an extra ounce of strength. Perhaps we can make use of them first. With you present, General Yingwu, we can keep them somewhat in check and prevent them from ruining things, no?"
"Perhaps!"
General Yingwu remained noncommittal. Who knew?
Making use of them temporarily might work.
Su Yu smiled. "Then I'll head out first."
He didn't linger. Leaving her soldiers behind was probably for the best; Yixian Gorge was relatively secure, and ordinary experts wouldn't dare barge in.
...
Before long, Su Yu and King Dazhou stepped out of Yixian Gorge.
The moment they emerged, King Dazhou said, caught between tears and laughter, "What was all that?"
Su Yu smiled. "What, Baizhan can't have detractors? I think it's perfectly normal. I was wondering earlier how Baizhan could have lost such a massive war without a single one of you finding fault with him. It turns out there were dissenters; the others probably just died."
King Dazhou nodded, remarking with emotion, "Once General Yingwu realizes that we all support Emperor Yu, she probably won't have any reservations left! Mere words carry no weight; in time, she will understand naturally."
Trying to explain with words was impossible.
The more they tried to explain, the more she would think Su Yu was an idiot who couldn't see that everyone was trying to sideline him while waiting for Baizhan's return.
So it was better not to explain at all!
Su Yu chuckled as well, nodding. "In time, she will understand on her own! A good thing!"
His mood was quite good.
He had honestly thought every person he met would turn out to be a diehard loyalist of Baizhan. Finally encountering someone different naturally lifted his spirits.
...
More than an hour later, General Yingwu emerged.
She cast a glance at King Dazhou, not bothering to acknowledge him, and quickly turned to Su Yu. "I'll take you to find Marquis Yunshui. But... you two had best not enter. Let me talk to her first! In particular, this Zhou Tiansheng had better keep out of sight!"
"Marquis Yunshui and I have known each other for many years; persuading her to come out shouldn't be an issue... However..."
She looked at Su Yu, warning, "You must not appear too timid. If you act meek and subservient, Marquis Yunshui will look down on you! Only if you show backbone and fight for yourself can we help you. Relying solely on Marquis Yunshui and me to resist Baizhan is unrealistic!"
Su Yu smiled faintly and gave his robes a flick. His aura shifted abruptly, transforming in an instant from gentle to domineering!
In that single breath, General Yingwu was momentarily dazed. His aura had shifted so swiftly.
A person's demeanor usually required long years of experience to change.
Just moments ago, Su Yu had appeared soft and yielding, yet in the blink of an eye, he had become overwhelmingly overbearing...
Snapping back to her senses, General Yingwu quickly nodded. "Yes, just like that! As the Human Lord, the king of the human race, how could you lack all majesty? Without it, you would simply be too weak!"
She felt satisfied!
This new Human Lord might not be as frail as she had imagined. That was a good thing; if he were truly too weak, that would be difficult to work with.
Su Yu smiled and said nothing.
Securing Yingwu and Yunshui with ease was a great boon. That left only Marquis Zhennan, Marquis Huoyun, and Marquis Anying.
As for Marquis Anying, Su Yu felt that if the man was smart, he would know how to choose. He wasn't entirely ignorant of the situation; compared to isolated figures like General Yingwu, Marquis Anying knew far more.
That would leave only Marquis Zhennan and Marquis Huoyun.
Marquis Huoyun owed him a life!
Indeed, Su Yu remembered that the siege on Mount Shenhuo had been lifted because of him.
As for Marquis Zhennan, he would see how things played out.
...
Marquis Yunshui resided in the Fuchen River, another treacherous terrain.
The Fuchen River spanned an enormous area, branching out in all directions. Besieging it was perhaps the most difficult task of all.
Moreover, Marquis Yunshui didn't live on the surface, but somewhere deep beneath the riverbed.
Consequently, every time the myriad races launched an encirclement, Marquis Yunshui would vanish before they could even lay eyes on anyone.
At this moment, emerald ripples danced across the water's surface.
General Yingwu warned, "Don't assume this place is calm and peaceful. In truth, the Fuchen River is no safer than Yixian Gorge—it might even be more perilous! The greatest danger here is the Fuchen water, which willpower cannot penetrate! Unless one is well-versed in the Dao of Water, fighting Marquis Yunshui here could suppress even an incoming quasi-king!"
"Marquis Yunshui excels in the Dao of Water, while Marquis Huoyun excels in the Dao of Fire. Back in the day, several other marquises specialized in the other Five Elements Daos, but they all fell later on."
General Yingwu sighed, then added swiftly, "Wait for me here and don't wander off. I'll go find Marquis Yunshui!"
"Can you find her?" Su Yu asked.
General Yingwu nodded. Naturally!
Even though few people had survived in the Upper Realm, they still had their own small circles.
As the only two female Dao Integration experts, they maintained private contact.
Su Yu smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'll wait for you here!"
Without another word, General Yingwu plunged into the water.
King Dazhou grew vigilant and transmitted his voice, "Be careful. In this place, her combat prowess will be amplified. If Marquis Yunshui harbors ill intent and joins forces with General Yingwu..."
Su Yu chuckled. "Am I not skilled in the Dao of Water?"
King Dazhou froze. That was true.
Su Yu added, "Besides, how many things in this world can be concealed from me?"
A miniature Heavenly Gate manifested within his eyes as he gazed down at the water. The emerald ripples revealed nothing to the naked eye, but with the Heavenly Gate opened, Su Yu could see clearly.
Beneath the surface were numerous aquatic beasts, likely an offshoot of ancient beasts.
Tracing the power of General Yingwu's Great Dao, he followed her movements. In the water, General Yingwu twisted and turned, apparently navigating around hazards.
As she advanced, Su Yu swept his gaze across the terrain ahead.
After observing for a while, he smiled and pointed in a certain direction. "Over there!"
"Hmm?"
King Dazhou was startled. "That's land!"
That area was completely outside the Fuchen River.
Su Yu nodded. "The false appears true, and the true appears false! Everyone assumes Marquis Yunshui is hiding in the water, but why couldn't she be hiding on land?"
King Dazhou chuckled. "These women really don't bat an eye when lying. From what Marquis Anying and Marquis Dingjun knew, Marquis Yunshui was in the Fuchen River, but it turns out the river was merely a smokescreen!"
Su Yu nodded. "It's a smokescreen, but if real danger arises, it's very simple for her to enter the Fuchen River. Her combat prowess is probably stronger in the water, while she hides on land for daily living."
The spot Su Yu pointed to was a depression along the bank of the Fuchen River—not entirely dry land. In all likelihood, Marquis Yunshui was concealed beneath that depression.
General Yingwu might or might not have known this.
Su Yu saw that General Yingwu had remained submerged for a long time, seemingly being guided by someone to meet Marquis Yunshui from underwater. Examining it closely, Su Yu smiled. "There should be an underwater tunnel leading straight to Marquis Yunshui's location!"
King Dazhou remarked with emotion, "Indeed, everyone who survived has some tricks up their sleeve! It truly wasn't easy for Marquis Dingjun to survive until now!"
Su Yu smiled. "Marquis Dingjun's survival was mostly luck. Previously, Marquis Minshan and the others were still alive, so killing Dingjun would have alerted the enemy. You see, the moment Marquis Minshan died, wasn't Marquis Dingjun targeted immediately? They were ready to wipe him out at any moment. If we hadn't arrived, he probably would have been the next to fall!"
"That is true!"
The two chatted casually, feeling quite relaxed.
After a few moments, Su Yu asked, "Can you reach the Heavenly King realm?"
King Dazhou had always been at the peak.
Su Yu was wondering whether he could actually reach the Heavenly King realm.
King Dazhou turned considerably more solemn and exhaled softly. "Difficult! The Heavenly King realm... put it this way: because each Great Dao varies in strength, everyone is essentially in a state of Dao Integration. Heavenly Kings are only distinguished as quasi-kings because the Daos they integrated happen to be more powerful...
"The Dao of Endurance isn't particularly strong in itself. I am already at its peak, but my peak cannot match another person's Heavenly King level!"
It wasn't a lack of comprehension or insufficient integration; his Dao of Endurance was simply limited in inherent strength.
Even at its absolute peak, unless he took control of the Great Dao itself, he might never reach the so-called Heavenly King realm.
Su Yu frowned, looking at him. "Do you have a method of your own?"
King Dazhou pondered for a moment and nodded. "I do!"
He took a deep breath. "If Emperor Yu hadn't asked, it wouldn't have been appropriate for me to bring it up. But since Your Majesty has asked... I would like Your Majesty's advice."
"Speak."
King Dazhou said gravely, "Right now, taking control of a Great Dao of rules is probably extremely difficult! My Dao of Endurance has essentially reached its end! Seeking further progress... the hope is slim! However, over all these years, I haven't come away empty-handed. The Dao of Endurance is not singular; there are many forms of endurance!"
He looked at Su Yu. "Forcing others to endure is a form of endurance! Self-restraint is also a form of endurance! Emulating Hongmeng, remaining unmoving like a mountain, is yet another form of endurance!"
Su Yu nodded.
King Dazhou continued, "Back then, I served as a scribe under the Human Sovereign's banner. I saw quite a bit and heard quite a lot..."
"No longer hiding it?" Su Yu teased.
King Dazhou smiled wryly. "It wasn't hiding, it was just... there was no need to bring certain things up."
Without dwelling on the topic, King Dazhou continued, "Back then, during a conversation between King Wen and the Human Sovereign, I was right beside them. When discussing the Great Dao, they once mentioned that Daos of similar nature can actually be merged!
"Take the Dao of the Saber, for instance: the Dao of the Long Saber, the Dao of the Short Saber, the Dao of the Broadsword, the Dao of the Bayonet... These Daos can ultimately be merged together! In essence, they are the same, and the Daos opened in the river are not far apart; they occupy the same region because that area is most suitable for pioneering the Dao of the Saber!"
Su Yu nodded slightly.
King Dazhou added, "The Dao of Endurance is the same. I have actually been contemplating other branches of endurance and have made some gains! Thus, I want to try comprehending another branch of endurance and merging the two Daos. That way, I can quickly step into Dao Integration on the other Dao of Endurance. If I can establish a connection between the two Daos, it would be equivalent to strengthening my Great Dao, allowing me to step into the quasi-king realm!
"Opening a brand-new Great Dao on the River of Time is beyond my capability... but establishing a small tributary between two Daos of Endurance is something I believe I can accomplish!"
He looked toward Su Yu. "Emperor Yu, you... don't seem to have taken me along the River of Time to witness the splendor of the Great Daos. If you could take me on a journey, I believe... I still have hope!"
Su Yu offered a half-smile. "You aren't entirely honest, and I find you somewhat unreliable, which is why I haven't been keen on taking you."
King Dazhou smiled bitterly. "I am not an evil person. I merely uphold the Torchbearer ideal, which was also the Human Sovereign's ideal. My purpose is to pass on the torch, not to pledge loyalty to any specific Human Lord..."
"And what about now?"
Su Yu looked at him. King Dazhou sighed softly. "Now... I have wavered. Perhaps this tide is our very last chance, so I hope to become stronger and contribute more to Emperor Yu."
Su Yu smiled. "The truth, or a lie?"
"The truth!"
Su Yu chuckled. "Forget it. True or false, you've helped me quite a bit. Once we locate the River of Time or return to the Lower Realm, I'll help you examine the Great Daos. Merging two Daos into one and forging a connection between them is something I've never seen or heard of before either. Perhaps... it will grant me some insights as well."
That Daos of identical essence could be merged was news to Su Yu as well.
King Dazhou's Dao of Endurance was peculiar, but evidently, whoever had originally opened it back then hadn't been strong enough, leaving the resulting Dao rather frail.
Consequently, it only reached the peak of Dao Integration without a Heavenly King tier.
Unless King Dazhou seized direct control of the Great Dao and became a Ruler of Rules!
"Thank you, Emperor Yu!"
King Dazhou expressed his gratitude and breathed a sigh of relief.
In this era, he already felt that being at the peak of Dao Integration was insufficient. If he didn't step into the Heavenly King realm soon, he would gradually be phased out. The potential of the Dao of Endurance was somewhat limited; judging from the present circumstances, if he didn't attempt this, he might remain at the peak of Dao Integration for the rest of his life.
While the two were conversing, ripples stirred in the water.
Soon, two women emerged.
General Yingwu radiated a sharp, martial presence, whereas the woman beside her was far gentler, soft and yielding as water. At that moment, General Yingwu quickly said to the woman beside her, "Yunshui, this is the current generation's Human Lord, Su Yu! He is quite pitiable, treated as a puppet by others! But he is still young and possesses the ambition to revitalize humanity's situation. It's just that too few people are helping him right now. If you and I step out to assist him, even if we can't overpower Baizhan's faction, we can at least grant him greater authority and give him more hope of becoming a true Human Lord!"
Her tone sounded quite like rallying to purge the court of corrupt ministers.
After introducing Su Yu to Marquis Yunshui, General Yingwu quickly turned to him. "Human Lord, this is Marquis Yunshui! With the aid of Marquis Yunshui and myself, you will at least have a bit more hope!"
General Yingwu sighed with emotion. "However, man proposes and Heaven disposes! Whether the Human Lord can truly cast off his status as a puppet... will ultimately depend on yourself!"
She felt somewhat rueful.
With just her and Marquis Yunshui, the difficulty remained immense.
She could only do her best and leave the rest to fate!
Meanwhile, Marquis Yunshui glanced at Su Yu, then at King Dazhou, a faint glimmer of doubt surfacing in her eyes.
Yingwu had told her that this Human Lord Su Yu was quite tragic.
Too young, coerced by Zhou Tiansheng and his cohort and treated as a puppet. Yet at the very moment they had surfaced just now, she had clearly seen this Zhou Tiansheng bowing to Su Yu with an attitude that felt distinctly filled with awe and reverence.
With these thoughts in mind, Marquis Yunshui curtsied slightly. "Yunshui greets the Human Lord!"
Su Yu smiled. "You are too polite! With Marquis Yunshui willing to step forward, our hopes have grown by thirty percent!"
Marquis Yunshui said softly, "The Human Lord flatters me. With humanity in decline, we ought to unite against external foes. Yingwu and I do not oppose Baizhan purely for the sake of opposing him. Baizhan is a valiant general; if he is willing to fight for humanity, that is humanity's fortune. It is just that Baizhan is unskilled in strategy and planning, yet possesses immense strength and refuses to heed the advice of people like us..."
She let out a soft sigh. "In the great defeat six thousand years ago, not one in ten humans survived. We simply do not wish to see humanity perish entirely! If Baizhan breaks free, we are still willing to resist the myriad races; we simply do not wish to be commanded by him."
Su Yu burst out laughing. "Of course!"
A minor matter!
Since the two of them believed he was powerless, fine, let them think so.
In due time, they would naturally learn who truly called the shots among the human race.
Saying too much right now was pointless.
Women only believed what they wanted to believe; if he said too much now, they might just think he was putting on a brave front!
Beside them, King Dazhou was filled with endless emotion as well.
Baizhan really lacked luck with women!
With great difficulty, two female generals had survived, yet both opposed him. How pathetic!
Su Yu soon smiled. "Without further ado, let's seek out Marquis Huoyun and Marquis Zhennan. Once those two are dealt with, all our troubles will be cleared away!"
Wearing a satisfied expression, Su Yu quickly led the group away.
Chapter 724