Sights in the River of the Great Dao

"Everyone's stocking their fishponds; it all comes down to whose methods are superior, doesn't it? "What a pity the Human Sovereign was forced to halt his Dao forging. "King Wen was such a colossal pitfall! No, wait—King Wu was the real pitfall!" Su Yu muttered to himself. King Wen had left, but at least he had the justifiable excuse of saving his sister. King Wu had simply dashed off after him, which was utterly disastrous for his allies. The Human Sovereign had undoubtedly been hung out to dry. Su Yu couldn't help wondering: back when King Wen and King Wu took off one after the other, what kind of expression had been on the Human Sovereign's face? Dumbfounded? How tragic! *I was halfway through pioneering my Dao, and you two bolted. The myriad races revolted, making it impossible to continue expanding the Dao, and all I could do was step in and drag away those mighty powerhouses.* If Su Yu had been in his shoes, he probably would have coughed up blood as well. He smiled faintly, picturing the scene back then. It must have been quite a sight. "Unowned Daos of rules are all pseudo-Daos! "Their stability isn't great, but they truly can bolster one's strength, and comprehending them is much simpler." Su Yu looked at the spot where he sat cross-legged. Many such unowned Daos drifted nearby. With the Human Sovereign—the fish farmer himself—absent, there was little actual danger. Otherwise, one would be ripe for the harvest. "Has no one ever reached this place before? "It felt rather easy to get here. "Is it because of the small stone's suppressing effect?" Su Yu guessed that the small stone's suppression was extraordinarily potent, allowing him to arrive without facing much pressure. Others might not have been able to make it. Otherwise, why bother fighting over unowned Daos outside when they could just seize them here? And without them being shattered, to boot! "What a fine place! "Whether supplementing one's own Dao of rules or cultivating a new Dao entirely, this place is a treasure trove!" As he spoke, Su Yu absorbed some unowned rule power, slightly bolstering his own Great Dao. Here, he could vaguely sense the presence of the Brush Dao. However, to truly connect to it, it was best to step into the authentic River of Time. "Bolstering the Brush Dao slightly won't be an issue... "Or perhaps I should find a way to bore into the true River of Time!" Once inside the true River of Time and linked to its Great Dao, Su Yu could grow stronger at a much faster pace, even without reaching the Brush Dao's domain. Killing people was a minor matter. No rush! With that in mind, Su Yu rose, intending to fly upward against the current to inspect the true junction. Yet after flying for a short while, he found he could barely ascend! Several times he tried, only to be washed straight back down by the rushing waterfall. Easy to descend, hard to ascend! Su Yu frowned slightly. After a moment of thought, faint Immortal qi suddenly wafted from his body. Then, letting out a low growl, he tore open the lattice below. He should be able to drop down here as well! He had just heard voices shouting earlier. Since going up was out of the question, he would go down! Using his immense strength, he tore a small opening in the lattice. With a fierce roar, Su Yu plunged through! *** Meanwhile. A shattered Dao had just emerged inside a colossal canyon. Seven or eight Dao Integration experts were currently clashing over it, fighting so intensely that the earth shattered and the skies overturned. Right then, the firmament suddenly split open! A figure materialized in an instant. The combatants turned to look at the newcomer. "Immortal race?" someone gasped. An Immortal expert! Dammit, the Immortals had reinforcements! Two Immortal Dao Integration experts were also present. Seeing this, they were overjoyed, and one quickly called out, "Hurry over—" *Riiiip!* Having just appeared, Su Yu swept a gaze over the scene, instantly tore through the Human Sovereign's Dao once more, and vanished into thin air. Utter silence descended! Everyone froze. The Immortal expert who had just seized the Great Dao stared blankly, then nearly erupted in curses. Fuck! Which bastard was that? Unfamiliar! Of course, whether he was familiar or not didn't matter. What mattered was that the bastard showed up, only to immediately run away! What was the meaning of this? As for Su Yu appearing out of nowhere, they merely assumed he had torn through the void from the River of Time. But since the grandson had arrived, why did he run? The other experts on the scene had felt a prick of apprehension moments ago. The aura radiating from that newly arrived figure was formidable—likely a top-tier Dao Integration cultivator. They had worried that if he joined the fray, he would be difficult to handle. Instead, the fellow fled in the blink of an eye! A Demon Dao Integration expert was overjoyed and burst into hearty laughter. "Marquis Yusheng, it appears your fellow Immortal has no desire to meddle in this matter. You had best hand over that Great Dao!" "Kill!" The group swiftly charged toward the two Immortal experts. As for the one who had abruptly appeared and vanished, a little vigilance was enough. Since he had run off, he might not return. Of course, he might have gone to gather reinforcements. Either way, settling this quickly was the priority! No one bothered chasing Su Yu. Why chase him? Were they insane? The Great Dao wasn't in his hands! Battle erupted once more. The two Immortal powerhouses were frustrated to the extreme. With great difficulty and a stroke of luck, they had managed to snatch the shattered Dao as soon as it appeared. Yet quite a few Dao Integration experts lurked nearby. That suddenly arriving figure had possessed immense strength, giving them a glimmer of hope, only for him to turn tail and bolt before they could even get a clear look at his face, knowing only that he was an Immortal. "Just which bastard was that?" "When we return to the council, we must impeach him!" "..." The two Immortal experts communicated through voice transmissions as they fled rapidly. Thinking of how that fellow had appeared only to give them false hope before irresponsibly ditching them, both felt thoroughly depressed. *** Meanwhile, Su Yu couldn't be bothered with them. Seven or eight Dao Integration cultivators—even if few were truly formidable—weren't worth getting entangled with. If a brawl broke out and they teamed up against him, Su Yu wouldn't have an easy time either. He wasn't in the Heavenly King realm yet! At this moment, Su Yu tore into the River of Time once more and reentered. This time, he didn't emerge beneath the waterfall. Nor did he ride the current downward. Instead, he traveled upstream. With the small stone suppressing the pressure, Su Yu moved at tremendous speed, flying all the way upstream! Along both sides of the Great Dao, scattered tributaries still drifted. They were likely pseudo-Daos extracted from the Human Sovereign's Dao, and someone was probably cultivating them right now. This time, the core of the Dao of Responsibility from before did not manifest. Perhaps Su Yu's irresponsible leap had caused the power of the Great Dao to deem him unreliable, resetting it to an assessment state. Su Yu didn't care in the slightest. Better that it stayed hidden. The Human Sovereign's Dao was too mighty. Once inherited, it would be nearly impossible to cast off. He was content sticking with his Brush Dao; the Brush Dao was far weaker by comparison. "It's not as if I must inherit it... If all else fails, I'll find a chance to steal the Human Sovereign's Dao power!" The thought suddenly crossed Su Yu's mind. The civilization chronicle nourished Daos, but it remained desperately short of rule power, especially since Su Yu wanted to nurture ten thousand Daos. The Human Sovereign's side had an extraction mechanism that was completely unowned, with no one guarding it. "Right!" Su Yu's eyes gleamed. *Why not just steal the Human Sovereign's Dao power?* "Too bad I don't have enough pages left. The others are all occupied nurturing Daos. Maybe one day I'll extract them, come back here to steal power, and nourish my own virtual Daos!" The more Su Yu considered it, the more thrilled he became. Yes! That was the way to do it. The Human Sovereign's Dao was unowned anyway. He could steal as much as he liked; the Human Sovereign wasn't coming back anytime soon regardless. The Human Sovereign stole from the River of Time, and he would steal from the Human Sovereign. If his thievery actually drew the Human Sovereign back, Su Yu would laugh with delight. *You're finally back! Now that the Human Sovereign is here, who cares what happens to the human race? It won't be my job to manage it anymore!* Scheming in his heart, Su Yu flew swiftly forward. He wanted to check out the junction. That place would be far more suitable for strengthening his Brush Dao. Make himself stronger first! Even if he couldn't descend to the Lower Realm, he needed to see how far the junction was from his current position. The further he flew, the clearer his perception became. The power of the Brush Dao was drawing closer! Evidently, the breach was sizable, allowing the Brush Dao's power to radiate through. As he flew, Su Yu suddenly paused. He had no idea how far he had traveled, but it was certainly a considerable distance. And right then, what did he see? He hadn't found the breach yet, but within the Human Sovereign's river, he seemed to spot a person! A person bound in chains! It appeared to be merely a projection, a phantom struggling violently. The phantom seemed to sense something as well. With disheveled hair and a grimy face, it abruptly turned toward Su Yu! The figure stood within a massive tributary, right between the tributary and the main river. Su Yu could also see the surging currents ahead. It seemed the opening to the River of Time was not far off, right in this vicinity. Looking closely at the tributary where the figure was held, Su Yu noticed it was formed from the intersection of multiple tributaries, locking the figure firmly in place. Simply put, he was bound by pseudo-Daos! The figure struggled, gazing in Su Yu's direction as though sensing an arrival. A voice echoed as if from another time and space, laden with fury and indignation: "Who is it? "Release this King! Rumble! Several tributary Daos shook continuously as the figure roared frantically. "Once this King is free, I will slaughter you all! "Yueluo, Yueluo... why?!" "..." Rumble! The figure seemed deranged, as if he hadn't spoken to or seen anyone for countless years. At this moment, even sensing a faint aura across the expanse sent him into a frenzy of roaring. He was shackled here by tributary Daos! Su Yu slowed his pace, a strange expression crossing his face. Hundred Battles? The Hundred Battles King was imprisoned here! "Locked by Great Daos... and more than one." Su Yu's gaze flickered. How fascinating. Several powerhouses had bound Hundred Battles right near this junction. "Did they fight in the Lower Realm, shatter the River of Time, and get blasted up here through the breach? "No... the Lower Realm entrance!" A thought struck Su Yu. The entrance to the Lower Realm was also in this region. That meant the Human Sovereign's river might contain an entrance to the Lower Realm as well. Had Hundred Battles been battered all the way up from there? That would explain why he was sealed near the junction and the Lower Realm entrance. "So he was sealed here, locked by several Great Daos. No wonder he couldn't escape..." Su Yu observed from a distance. The figure was merely a projection, not his true body. Hundred Battles was definitely suppressed somewhere in the Dao Origin Land. Someone was guarding him; he wasn't left unattended. And his wardens were likely several pseudo-Dao experts! *** Just as Su Yu pondered this, within the Dao Origin Land... There was an immense mountain known as Sealing Mountain. Rumor had it that the Hundred Battles King was sealed beneath it. While hard to verify, thousands of years ago, the mountain had erupted with Hundred Battles' aura, prompting people to attempt a rescue. Normally, no one dared approach Sealing Mountain. Disaster easily struck there, for the rule power was exceptionally turbulent. Yet today, a thunderous crash resounded as the massive mountain violently shook. Phantom chains materialized across its surface. "Roar!" A bestial roar reverberated in all directions, causing barriers to manifest all around. The next instant, withered, ancient figures enveloped in the glow of bygone years materialized. An expert drenched in a decaying aura coughed and gasped for breath. "A sudden eruption. Has he sensed that the Lower Realm is about to open, and wants to break the seal?" In the distance, someone said softly, "Once the Lower Realm opens, the river will churn and rule power will disperse. Suppressing him then will be exceedingly difficult... This fellow has been sealed for so many years, yet remains so formidable... He truly deserves his reputation as the one closest to becoming a Ruler of Rules!" "Can he not already be considered one?" The ancient beings exchanged remarks one after another. Too many years! They had lived for far too long, and had guarded this place for thousands of years. This madman struggled incessantly, making him difficult to handle. One sighed. "His strength isn't what it once was... We must deplete his power, or he will be hard to manage." After sealing him for so many years, their own reserves were heavily drained, though they could replenish themselves. Hundred Battles, however, could not. Every eruption consumed his rule power. Another whispered, "Right now, he likely still possesses the power of a top-tier Quasi-King... Shall we try entering to slay him?" Hundred Battles had been sealed for ages without dying, not because he was unkillable, but because no one wanted to court death. He was trapped in a tiny space; though he couldn't get out, outsiders entering had to beware of being struck down by him. Even if seven or eight Quasi-Kings entered together, they risked being dragged into mutual destruction by his self-detonation! For six thousand years, they had done everything possible to block him, denying him rule power to wear him down. Yet Hundred Battles, having attained the Dao through the physical body, was peerlessly formidable in physical might. Even without absorbing rule power for six thousand years, he maintained an extraordinarily powerful state. Seeing someone suggest entering to kill him, an old, withered voice wheezed, "Do not act rashly. If we enter and the seal shatters, allowing him to escape, that would be true trouble! Sealing him has its benefits. At the very least, with him obstructing the path, it is nearly impossible for the human race to produce another expert like him, or even a Dao Integration cultivator..." Why kill Hundred Battles? At least for now, there was no need! Keeping him sealed prevented the human race from birthing a supreme powerhouse on the physical Dao. Killing two birds with one stone! Truly killing Hundred Battles or letting him loose would invite immense trouble. "True... Wait a few more years until the Lower Realm opens before deciding... By the way, he hasn't erupted in years. Why the sudden outburst today?" "Unclear." "Could something be amiss with the River of Time?" "Hardly. Neither you nor I can reach that region or find the corresponding coordinates. Others wouldn't be able to reach it either." "..." The ancient figures continued conferring as they emerged from all directions, reinforcing the suppression. Chains of the Great Dao locked down the entire colossal mountain. Hundred Battles was indeed sealed here. The rumors were true. However, no one could approach. Anyone who came had to leave immediately, or face the peril brought by these ancient elders. *** At this moment, Su Yu approached the tangled tributary Daos. The figure was still roaring. "This King has discovered you! "Who are you? "Peering at this King from within the River of Time?" The phantom struggled violently, but Su Yu could see that several neighboring tributary Daos were suppressing him. Not only that, but a power of the Great Dao rested upon the phantom that didn't stem from a tributary, but seemed transmitted from far across the River of Time. *A seal from the Prison King's lineage?* Su Yu thought. In other words, Hundred Battles was doubly suppressed. On one side was the Prison King lineage's seal; on the other were several pseudo-Dao experts. *To think I'd encounter Hundred Battles here...* Su Yu was secretly astonished. Naturally, rescuing Hundred Battles was out of the question. The neighboring tributary Daos felt formidable to Su Yu, likely belonging to Heavenly King tier powerhouses. Even if they were pseudo-Daos, they were still Heavenly Kings. Even if Su Yu could disperse some rule power and knock those Heavenly Kings down to top-tier Dao Integration cultivators, they would still have more than enough strength to team up and slaughter him. Only an idiot would take such risks for Hundred Battles! He was hidden perfectly right now; he couldn't let this fellow blow his cover. Su Yu promptly reined in all aura, offering no reply or reaction. Hundred Battles was a fool who deserved being suppressed; Su Yu only worried that the guy would interfere with his own plans. Seeing his miserable state of imprisonment, Su Yu felt no sympathy whatsoever. Over a hundred Dao Integration cultivators had perished, wiping out the human race's foundation. Being sealed in misery without dying was already a stroke of extraordinary luck for him. *Where is the opening to the Lower Realm?* Su Yu stopped looking at Hundred Battles. Once he concealed his aura, Hundred Battles could no longer sense anything. The phantom fell silent, seemingly disappointed that no one was there. The aura was gone! He had only vaguely felt a presence. Now that it had vanished, there was no point wasting energy roaring; he would simply continue slowly grinding down the sealing power. With Hundred Battles quieted, Su Yu looked back in that direction. *Hiss...* He drew a breath! Observing closely, Su Yu marveled inwardly. Hundred Battles was genuinely formidable. Looking carefully, Su Yu discovered six tributary Daos locking him down! That meant six pseudo-Dao experts were suppressing him. And that might not even be all of them. After all, if someone wasn't cultivating a pseudo-Dao but had comprehended a Great Dao from the myriad realms without switching, they wouldn't be visible—at least not from within the Human Sovereign's river. *At least six, and at most... hard to say!* *These pseudo-Dao experts...* Su Yu made a rough estimate; they were likely all at the Heavenly King level. If there were also true Dao experts involved, the force sealing Hundred Battles probably wielded Heavenly King combat strength as well. To mobilize so many powerhouses against a single sealed Hundred Battles was extraordinary! *This fellow's strength truly is nothing to scoff at!* Su Yu hadn't made direct contact with Hundred Battles; what he saw was merely a Dao projection, just like when he encountered the Martial Emperor in the River of Time. The Martial Emperor had been sealed as well, yet Su Yu had seen his projection within the river. However, when he last saw the Martial Emperor, the seal had seemed on the verge of breaking. He appeared far more comfortable than Hundred Battles. *How pathetic. One Hundred Battles, one Martial Emperor... Why does everyone love sealing people away?* Su Yu chuckled, feeling no pity, only a bit of schadenfreude. *Rescuing Hundred Battles... Marquis Zhennan and the others take things far too lightly. If all six of them came together, they'd just be throwing their lives away!* *They'd need six Heavenly Kings to even stand a chance!* Su Yu pushed Hundred Battles from his mind; there was no point looking further, as he had no intention of saving him. He swiftly swept his gaze across the surroundings. Why couldn't he see the Lower Realm entrance? *Usually, the Upper Realm only notices when people are killed in the Lower Realm, and it takes a considerable number of deaths. That means if this entrance truly connects to the Human Sovereign's river, it must be exceptionally well-concealed. Only when enough people die to stir up rule fluctuations can it be detected.* *Concealed... No matter how concealed, can it escape my Heavenly Gate?* Su Yu opened his Heavenly Gate to its widest extent. The entrance was likely near Hundred Battles' seal. Back then, Hundred Battles had fought in the Lower Realm; they couldn't have dragged him all the way to the Upper Realm. Blasting him up here while sealing him simultaneously was far more plausible. The Heavenly Gate on Su Yu's forehead opened fully, radiating beams of divine light. It shouldn't be too hard to find, or so Su Yu thought. Unlike the true River of Time with its myriad Daos, this place had only a handful of tributaries. *Is it at the riverbed?* Su Yu pondered. If it were on the riverbanks, it might be discovered. Being at the bottom would make it much more covert. *Then again, hard to say. The powerhouses of the Human Realm had to travel between the realms back then; they couldn't have emerged from the riverbed every single time...* Deducing step by step, Su Yu quickly concluded that it probably wasn't at the very bottom, or if it was, a tributary had to branch outward to link the two realms. *The River of Time in the Lower Realm and the Human Sovereign's river in the Upper Realm—supported by power on both ends to maintain the passage?* Su Yu scanned continuously. Maintaining such a passage inevitably consumed rule power. Wherever rule power was being drained nearby would likely be the location of the passage. Once he found it, even if the passage at Soul Burial Mountain was discovered, he could take a gamble and flee through this one. It might be perilous, but with the small stone's powerful suppression, Su Yu wouldn't necessarily perish. If weaklings like King Bing and King Fu could descend, forcing his way down wouldn't necessarily kill him either. Searching with his Heavenly Gate, Su Yu gradually sensed faint fluctuations. Not far from Hundred Battles' seal, a small vortex seemed to be drawing in tiny wisps of rule power. Su Yu flew over at once! Reaching the space above the vortex, Su Yu inspected the area. Gritting his teeth, he dived toward the riverbed. Rushing rule power slammed into him, but the small stone neutralized the majority of the impact. The instant he plunged to the bed, he spotted it beside the river wall. A tiny opening! *The Lower Realm exit?* Su Yu assessed it; the probability was high! Tributary Daos typically opened on the surface. This tributary Dao beneath the water was nine times out of ten the entrance to the Lower Realm. *So the Lower Realm entrance remains invisible under normal circumstances. But once enough people die in the Lower Realm to cause severe rule fluctuations, experts of the same race and Dao can probably sense its existence!* Quite a covert and intricate design! Su Yu hesitated briefly, then sent a faint wisp of willpower probing into the small tributary. The moment it entered... *Boom!* A burst of turbulent currents erupted, tearing Su Yu's wisp of willpower to shreds. Su Yu's eyes lit up. A passage! He had ascended through the Torchbearer passage, and the aura felt remarkably similar. This was indeed the Lower Realm passage. *It really is... No wonder no one normally discovers it or transmits messages through it. Anyone barging in recklessly risks being blasted to death by the power of the Great Dao!* *** At the same exact time. In the Lower Realm, within the Destiny Realm. Atop Heavenly Destiny Mountain, the Destiny Emperor was entertaining a guest. Wan Tiansheng! Following Su Yu's departure, Wan Tiansheng was tasked with monitoring the realms, especially the three major realms and the Destiny Realm. King Daqin and the others would be suppressed upon entering the Destiny Realm. Among the human powerhouses, only Wan Tiansheng held any hope of suppressing the Destiny Emperor. During the half-month since Su Yu's departure, Wan Tiansheng had spent his time either guarding the Human Realm or patrolling the heavens. Today, he had arrived in the Destiny Realm. Wan Tiansheng was observing the skies. After gazing for a while without seeing anything amiss, he asked softly, "Has there been any movement from the Upper Realm lately?" The Destiny Emperor smiled. "None. On the Lower Realm's side, unless the three major races sacrifice Sun Moon cultivators again to dispel the punishment power, there won't be enough ripples to alert the Upper Realm's experts to the passage's location or let them notice the punishment weakening... Only then would they have hope of descending! "Ever since Marquis Meteor and the others were slain, Tiangu and the rest aren't foolish enough to dispel that power just to lure down more Upper Realm powerhouses. That would only bring danger!" Tiangu and the others refused to do such things anymore. In the Lower Realm today, the human race reigned supreme. The Destiny race had likely aligned with Su Yu. If more powerhouses descended only to be suppressed in the Destiny Realm, allowing the Destiny Emperor and human experts to slay several Dao Integration cultivators, the losses would be catastrophic. Wan Tiansheng nodded. He had also anticipated that Tiangu and the others wouldn't dare repeat the act. Not only would it cost countless Sun Moon lives, but it might get their Dao Integration cultivators killed as well. Only an idiot would keep doing that! Without absolute certainty of opening the passage fully, they wouldn't send people to their deaths. "Has Marquis Xianzhan sent down a councilor token?" "Not yet." The Destiny Emperor shook his head. "With no major wars in the myriad realms lately, the passage's fluctuations are negligible. Marquis Xianzhan would find it difficult to locate the passage unless more Immortal experts die in the Lower Realm. In that case, he might sense it. Not many—just two or three Immortal Eternals dying under current conditions would probably suffice." Wan Tiansheng chuckled. "Forget that, then." Charge into the Immortal Realm to slaughter Eternals? Better not! Mid-conversation, the Destiny Emperor's expression shifted slightly. Wan Tiansheng's eyes flickered as well, and he vanished on the spot. In the void, a passage flickered into view. It seemed as though a passage were opening! The Destiny Emperor's expression changed. What was going on? Out of nowhere, why was the passage fluctuating? Had the three major races pulled some new trick to dispel the rule power? Yet there hadn't been the slightest disturbance beforehand! His expression shifted continuously as he awaited developments from above. Was someone descending? Or merely peeking without coming down? As he pondered, a faint face appeared at the top of the passage—indistinct, but clearly resembling a human. The Destiny Emperor looked up. Separated by an entire realm, he couldn't sense the other party's aura. He merely wondered: which race's powerhouse was this? A human face? Only the three major races would look like that. Normally, other races' projections mirrored their true forms. "Wuming, are you there? "Calling Wuming!" "..." The Destiny Emperor was momentarily dazed. What in the world? Looking for him? Who... who was this? Why did that faint wisp of willpower feel somewhat familiar? At this moment, Wan Tiansheng, who had just hidden himself, reappeared with an odd look. That face... looked somewhat familiar. "Are you there? Anyone down there? Someone say something! The perception from up here is too blurry. Is anyone there? Where's Wuming? Give me a reply! Make it quick!" "..." The Destiny Emperor's gaze grew stranger by the second. Wan Tiansheng wore an equally peculiar expression, quickly sending a voice transmission: "Connect your willpower! The interference in the passage is too strong; he can't seem to detect us." The Destiny Emperor said nothing more and promptly linked his willpower. The moment he connected, Su Yu sensed it in the Upper Realm and was overjoyed: "Destiny Emperor, it's me!" *** In the Lower Realm. The Destiny Emperor's mouth fell open. *Holy shit!* Su Yu? *Did you conquer the Upper Realm already?* Otherwise, why would you appear above the Upper Realm's passage?! He felt dazed. Were things this terrifying nowadays? Hadn't he only left a few days ago? He knew Su Yu had departed because Su Yu had taken the river with him, and had asked the Destiny Emperor for tokens to seek cooperation with the Destiny race in the Upper Realm. Dazed, the Destiny Emperor sent back, "Your Excellency... who might you be?" He pretended not to understand. Could this be the Upper Realm testing him? It was entirely possible! After all, separated by a realm, perception was extremely faint. But Su Yu snapped back immediately, "Cut the crap! Your Dao drew a diagram for me last time!" "..." Understood! It really was Su Yu! Amidst his shock, the Destiny Emperor was at a loss for words. How... how had this man ended up at the top of the passage? He looked toward Wan Tiansheng with a wry smile. "It's... Emperor Yu." Wan Tiansheng exhaled, letting out a laugh. "I thought that face looked familiar. It really is him!" What a surprise! Soon, Wan Tiansheng's willpower connected as well. "It's me, Wan Tiansheng!" *** In the Upper Realm. Su Yu was surprised, but quickly grew delighted. Old Wan was here too! It seemed he was taking his duties responsibly. Su Yu vaguely sensed a repulsive force building. With Old Wan present, he didn't waste words, speaking rapidly: "Go to the Human Realm and find King Tianzhu. Have him immediately send up the remaining pages of my civilization chronicle! The Upper Realm is covered in treasures—unowned rule power everywhere! I need those pages!" Su Yu bitterly regretted not bringing blank pages with him when he ascended. Right now, his civilization chronicle only held a few pages, like the God, Demon, and Immortal pages. He needed lots of blank pages so he could steal the Human Sovereign's Dao power! "Send them up?" Wan Tiansheng hesitated. That... wouldn't be easy to deliver! Su Yu naturally knew that and said briskly, "Don't worry, just hurry. I'll briefly suppress the passage later. I can't hold it for long, but a quick delivery is doable! Send them to me at once..." "Alright!" Wan Tiansheng didn't argue. Su Yu claimed the Upper Realm was full of treasures; well, if he said so, he would take his word for it. It wasn't as if people hadn't descended from the Upper Realm before, but none had ever claimed it was overflowing with treasures. Su Yu spoke hurriedly again: "Time should flow at the same rate between the Upper and Lower Realms. Hurry up. I'll return in one hour and open it on the dot. The repulsive force is too strong; I can't keep talking..." "Understood!" With a rumble, the passage closed, and Su Yu's massive face vanished. The Destiny Emperor's face was filled with shock. "You... you can even send items up?" Wan Tiansheng shrugged. The Destiny Emperor was truly flabbergasted. Did Su Yu treat the Upper Realm like his own backyard? Doing whatever he pleased? What was the situation in the Upper Realm right now? Wasn't this passage located in the Dao Origin Land? And shouldn't the Dao Origin Land be under the control of the myriad races? How on earth had Su Yu managed to sneak all the way over to the passage! Wan Tiansheng, however, didn't dwell on it. Su Yu needed something, and urgently. He had to fetch it. Tearing through the void without delay, he rushed toward the Human Realm! Beyond fetching the pages, Wan Tiansheng was turning over another thought. Since Su Yu could open the Upper Realm passage, did that mean he could potentially bring people up? Bring people up through the Destiny Realm? Or bring people down? Of course, using the other passage worked as well, but coming through the Destiny Realm meant that if formidable enemies pursued them down, they would be suppressed, offering a chance to slay them swiftly. Countless thoughts raced through Wan Tiansheng's mind. Soon, he returned to the Human Realm and flew toward King Tianzhu and the others. *** Meanwhile, Su Yu was panting softly. He couldn't communicate for long; the repulsive force was too intense. No wonder Marquis Xianzhan had been forced to withdraw after speaking only briefly last time. Moreover, perception across the realms was remarkably faint. It was completely understandable that an idiot like Marquis Xianzhan hadn't realized Su Yu had been disguised back then. "The civilization chronicle is still missing many pages. If I bring some up and fill them with the elemental rule power at the end of the Human Sovereign's Dao, my pages will rapidly grow formidable!" Su Yu felt a surge of anticipation. Everything the Human Sovereign left behind was prime treasure! He didn't linger and left immediately. Taking advantage of the remaining time, he would visit the junction once more to make contact with the Dao of Time, elevate his Brush Dao, and then retrieve the civilization chronicle pages. That would essentially conclude his objectives for exploring the Dao Origin Land. *I know where Hundred Battles is sealed. I found the Lower Realm entrance. I discovered the core of the Human Sovereign's Dao. And I unmasked the true nature of pseudo-Daos...* This brief journey along the Human Sovereign's Dao had yielded tremendous gains for Su Yu. While his strength hadn't grown substantially yet, that would change soon. Shortly after, Su Yu hurried toward the end of the Great Dao. A moment later, an astonishing sight greeted his eyes. Up ahead, it looked as though a massive dam had burst. A colossal opening gushed forth like a roaring celestial river, with boundless waters cascading downward. Rumble! The torrent roared without pause. "Tianhe Opening..." Su Yu recalled the information he had obtained earlier. This place used to be called the Tianhe Opening. How vividly fitting! It truly was an opening in the celestial river, collapsed and pouring torrential waters downward. Su Yu dodged the impact of the cascading waters. "The Human Sovereign was truly ruthless!" Su Yu muttered. The master of the Necropolitan Dao had also carved an opening, but hadn't stolen nearly this much power, merely siphoning vast quantities of death qi. The Human Sovereign, on the other hand—where the master of the Necropolitan Dao had dug a hole, he had gouged out a massive crater! "Each more ruthless than the last!" If the Dao of Time truly had a master, encountering these two thieves would probably make him weep. At this point, Su Yu could distinctly perceive the power of the Brush Dao. Clearly, this place lay within the domain of the true Dao of Time. Rumble! Accompanied by the roaring river, Su Yu sat cross-legged in an area untouched by the crashing water, beginning to comprehend the power of the Brush Dao. Comprehending it here was far faster and much clearer. Coupled with an abundance of rule power and his profound insights from this trip to the Upper Realm, he might be able to take another step forward. Right now, he possessed the combat power of a second-tier Dao Integration cultivator. If he advanced further, he wasn't sure whether he could reach the Heavenly King realm. Casting aside all distractions, Su Yu immersed himself in comprehending the Great Dao. A wave of enlightenment rippled along the waters, spreading into the true River of Time. Dao comprehension! *** Within the Brush Dao. Previously, Su Yu had covered roughly seventy-five percent of its expanse. Now, propelled by this fresh wave of Dao comprehension from Su Yu, his domain began to expand. The rate of expansion wasn't as rapid as before, but it was steadily and genuinely spreading, merging with the Dao. Seventy-six percent, seventy-seven percent... Gradually, the area Su Yu covered approached eighty percent. By his own estimations, reaching roughly eighty percent would likely grant him Heavenly King combat strength. After an indeterminate amount of time... *Boom!* Su Yu's Dao surged upward, breaking through a boundary in one fell swoop to surpass eighty percent. It expanded just a fraction more before the enlightenment faded! *** At that exact moment. In a realm of endless darkness. The white-robed powerhouse turned his head once more, looking thoroughly dazed. Fuck! Why did it feel like that fellow who inherited the Brush Dao had gained another wave of enlightenment in the blink of an eye? What was going on? Was the difference in the flow of time between here and the myriad realms really that immense? Had centuries or millennia passed out there in a mere instant? Surely not! If so, wouldn't tens of millions of years have elapsed in the myriad realms? "Surely not..." "If that were true... so many ages... impossible... it can't be..." The white-robed powerhouse felt shaken. It couldn't have been that long! Across tens of millions of years, the world would have undergone countless upheavals. "If that were true, the Martial Emperor would have kicked the bucket from old age, yet I still feel he's alive..." With a soft murmur, the white-robed powerhouse could only guess that the fellow who inherited the Brush Dao had simply experienced another flash of insight.