Ascending to the Upper Realm Once More

The first trip to the upper realm had been to scout the way. Killing people had genuinely been an afterthought. This second time, however, Su Yu was going with the explicit intention of stirring up trouble. Thus, he had to take powerhouses along—not just powerhouses, but the elite of the elite. Su Yu's objective was to bring all the Heavenly King–level combatants with him. However, the old turtle probably could not go. Furthermore, in the Myriad Realms, precautions still had to be taken against the three realms and Marquis Jiantian. Some powerhouses had to remain behind to guard against contingencies... The Myriad Realms was currently Su Yu's base of power; it could not be lost. Thus, finalizing the roster for this trip to the upper realm had cost Su Yu a great deal of thought. …… In the blink of an eye, three days passed. During these three days, everyone grew anxious. Tianmie, in particular, was practically fuming with impatience. *So what if I'm a bit weaker? I know how to fight!* To prove his strength, he had pestered Xinghong into fighting dozens of bouts over the past few days. As it turned out, he really could fight; at the very least, Xinghong failed to gain any noticeable upper hand. On the third day. Eastern Rift Valley, the Sovereign Yu Great Hall. A gathering of powerhouses was present, their auras noticeably altered compared to a few days prior, their strength grown even more formidable. The Great Dao Diagram and vast amounts of rule power had not gone to waste. Naturally, Su Yu had not been idle during these three days either, continuously leading people into the River of Time. He had taken Marquis Huoyun on a tour. He had taken King Daming for a look. Even Doubao had been dragged along by Su Yu for a wild ride, though his gains were relatively modest. After three days, everyone who needed to see had seen. They had also comprehended the Great Dao Diagram. At this stage, everything depended on individual destiny. Those who could make progress would do so; those who could not had to slowly comprehend or wait for that sudden flash of inspiration. Inside the hall, some were eager to go, some were indifferent, some were impatient, and some remained calm and composed. Upon the elevated dais. Su Yu swept his gaze over the crowd and spoke: "Director Wan, Lan Tian, King Dazhou, the little white dog, Marquis Huoyun—all of you are coming with me!" As soon as these words fell, quite a few people drew in sharp breaths. Taking all of them? Had Marquis Huoyun also stepped into the Heavenly King rank? Otherwise, Su Yu would not have included him on that list. General Yingwu and several others turned to look at Marquis Huoyun. Over the past three days, Marquis Huoyun had not shown himself at all, only appearing today. His aura indeed seemed to have grown stronger. Had he advanced? Seeing his old comrades from antiquity looking over, Marquis Huoyun sent a voice transmission: "I've barely crossed the threshold. I walk the path of fire, which is a fairly common Great Dao. With years of accumulation, this journey yielded a modest harvest." After all, he was an old fossil from the ancient era. Back at the Divine Fire Mountain, he had already possessed the strength to contend with a Heavenly King. Now, having comprehended the Great Dao Diagram and journeyed through the River of Time, where Su Yu had not only guided him to observe his own Dao but even shown him other Daos of the fire element, his gains were quite respectable. Even so, stepping into the Heavenly King realm was likely the limit of his years of accumulated foundation; advancing any further would be exceedingly difficult. Hearing this, the other ancient marquises could not help feeling a bit envious. Marquis Yunshui had actually crossed into second-class Dao Integration as well, but she was still quite a distance away from the first-class Heavenly King realm. At this moment, she transmitted her voice: "Sovereign Yu seems... not particularly fond of women." Her combat strength was not weak, yet Su Yu did not seem very keen on her, favoring General Yingwu instead. Otherwise, she might have had a chance to step into the Heavenly King realm this time. Su Yu had not taken her into the River of Time, which left Marquis Yunshui feeling somewhat disappointed. General Yingwu consoled her: "Don't worry. Huoyun only made it because he was already right on the verge of the Heavenly King domain. It's not as if taking a trip through the River of Time guarantees stepping into the Heavenly King realm. Look at Doubao—hasn't he also failed to reach Heavenly King?" Well, that was some comfort at least. While they were whispering in secret, on the other side, the little white dog, who was busily patting Doubao on the head, said with a touch of anxiety, "Do I have to go too?" Su Yu smiled. "Of course!" "But..." "No buts!" Su Yu chuckled. "I'm leaving the Human Lord Seal behind. I've sent Big Wood, Book Spirit, and Tea Tree back. With three Dao Integrations plus Big Wood, the four of them working with my Human Lord Seal will have no trouble maintaining suppression for three to five months. Someone will even water the flowers for you." The little white dog wagged its tail reluctantly. It just wanted to watch the house! Su Yu smiled again and said, "If you don't go, it will be hard for you to keep growing stronger. Don't you want to go find your master in person one day?" "..." The little white dog froze upon hearing that. Su Yu added, "If the Myriad Realms cannot be unified, I won't have the time or energy to search for King Wen and the others. The gap in strength is too great; even if I looked, I wouldn't find them." Hearing this, the little white dog could only nod. *Fine, I'll go.* Su Yu smiled. Counting the little white dog and himself, that made six Heavenly King–level powerhouses! "In addition, Doubao, Marquis Yunshui, Marquis Anying, King Daqin, King Daxia, Marquis Dingjun, and General Yingwu—these seven will also come with me!" All seven possessed second-class Dao Integration strength. As for those who were not called, such as Destiny Emperor, it meant Su Yu did not intend to bring them along. Destiny Emperor was not surprised either; it was only natural, and the Destiny Realm was a vital stronghold that Su Yu certainly needed someone to guard. "From the third-class Dao Integration realm, Chubing, King Daming, Marquis Tongtian, and Xinghong—the four of you will accompany me!" Seventeen powerhouses! Tianmie craned his neck in eager anticipation, only to hear Su Yu smile and say, "As for everyone else, Senior Hongmeng, please keep an eye on things here in the Myriad Realms. Lead the guards and put in some extra effort!" "Destiny Emperor and the rest of you, remain behind to guard your respective realms!" "As for the Human Realm, Tianyue and Chongming, your strength isn't particularly high, but... right now, the Myriad Realms is temporarily free of turmoil. You two must guard the Human Realm well. If trouble arises, notify Destiny Emperor and Senior Hongmeng in a timely manner." "If you need to notify me, it's simple..." Su Yu tossed down several book pages. "In the event of danger, just crush a page immediately. The civilization chronicle will faintly sense it. If there is no emergency, do not use them!" Tianmie grew truly frantic. "Sovereign Yu, that's it?" Su Yu looked at him. Tianmie pleaded urgently, "What about those below third-class Dao Integration?" He added, "I'm fourth-class now, and I don't feel any worse than a third-class!" Su Yu chuckled. "Your temper is too rash. I'm worried that bringing you up will only stir up trouble for me." "I won't!" Tianmie hurriedly said, "Take me with you! I'll be obedient!" Su Yu chuckled and said, "You... going up there isn't for fun. What are you in such a rush for?" Pausing to think, he said, "Fine, including you and myself, that makes eighteen Dao Integration combatants. That should be enough! Jiu Yue is also up there in the upper realm. With so many Dao Integrations leaving the lower realm, things are already somewhat precarious." He had essentially drawn away all the top powerhouses. Wan Tiansheng spoke up at this point: "Sovereign Yu, by draining all the powerhouses like this, if an unexpected incident occurs in the dead spirit realm, General Hongmeng will have to exert effort on both fronts. If Tiangu, Marquis Jiantian, and the others join forces to break out of their realms... that... could be very dangerous!" There were still quite a few Dao Integrations left behind. The crux was that most were city guards or Dao Integrations from the myriad races. On the human side, only Tianyue and Chongming remained. Arranging things this way left the defensive force too weak. Marquis Jiantian had likely stepped into the Heavenly King realm. Tiangu was hard to gauge, while Jiwu and Moji were certainly not weak either. There was also the God race's Senior Imperial Consort, though she might not be able to leave her realm. Su Yu was taking away the majority of their forces—roughly eighty percent. If an incident occurred, reinforcements from the lower realm might not arrive in time. King Dazhou also said, "Your Majesty, perhaps we should leave a Heavenly King to oversee the Human Realm." Hongmeng was strong, but the issue was whether he could truly pull himself away. Su Yu pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "No. The likelihood of war erupting in the lower realm is slim, whereas a major battle could break out in the upper realm at any moment. The upper realm is far more perilous!" "As for the lower realm..." After another moment of thought, Su Yu said, "Isn't Destiny Emperor still here?" The crowd turned to look at Destiny Emperor, feeling just a slight... lack of reassurance! Destiny Emperor was strong, but whether he would actually help the human race at a critical juncture was another matter. Seeing the others looking at him, Destiny Emperor bowed slightly and said, "Wu Ming shall certainly do his utmost!" Su Yu smiled. "General Hongmeng will primarily keep an eye on Marquis Jiantian. Destiny Emperor, you need to watch the three great realms. If any changes occur in the three great realms, the Destiny race might also have ways to contact the upper realm and inform me promptly!" Exhaling, Su Yu said, "We don't have enough powerhouses, so this is the only way. Without bringing a complete force, we won't necessarily be able to gain an advantage in the chaos of Chaos Mountain." Clearly, everyone understood Su Yu's intentions. He wanted to meddle in the battle at Chaos Mountain! And it was no minor skirmish; this time, Su Yu intended to stir up a massive commotion. Six Heavenly Kings, seven top-tier Dao Integrations, and four third-class Dao Integrations—combined, this force was comparable to ten Heavenly Kings! Without saying more on that, Su Yu turned his gaze to another person: "Duobao!" "Present!" General Duobao wore an uneasy expression. *Why is he calling on me? My strength is mediocre! More importantly, I'm not even human.* Su Yu looked at him. "How many councilor tokens have you gathered so far?" "Re... reporting to Sovereign Yu, I have gathered eleven tokens!" He swiftly presented the councilor tokens, which Su Yu reached out and grasped. By now, the number of councilor tokens in Su Yu's hands had grown quite substantial—a full thirty-eight! Currently, the three dominant races and the Giant race had not yet been taken down. Between those four, the three dominant races held quite a few councilor tokens; combined, the three races probably possessed around twenty. If all of those were collected, he would control more than half. "Well done!" "Thank you for the praise, Sovereign Yu." Duobao let out a sigh of relief. Su Yu smiled and said, "Aside from the sealed realms, there probably aren't any more councilor tokens left in the lower realm." Looking at General Duobao, Su Yu considered for a moment and said, "Your strength isn't great, but your luck is quite good. Duobao, I have a mission for you!" Feeling apprehensive, Duobao braced himself and said, "Sovereign Yu, please give your command!" "If Marquis Jiantian does not make a move, the forces I'm leaving behind will have no trouble protecting the Myriad Realms. But if Marquis Jiantian does make a move, they might not be enough." "If Marquis Jiantian attacks, it will be up to you to delay him. You must hold out at least until I return before you may withdraw." "..." Duobao's expression became quite the sight. *Grandpa, are you serious? I... I can stall Marquis Jiantian? Don't joke around!* Su Yu smiled. "Don't worry. I've observed your destiny—your fortune flourishes, so there shouldn't be any major issue! If even you die, it means Marquis Jiantian has resolved to burn all bridges and disregard everything at all costs, because by destiny, you are not meant to die right now." *Is that for real?* Despite his profound skepticism, Duobao had no choice but to say dryly, "This general obeys the command!" "Then so be it. In two days, we ascend to the upper realm together!" Su Yu looked around at the crowd. "Over the next two days, go where you need to go, visit whom you need to visit. Once we create a massive disturbance in the upper realm, the heavens might not grant us another moment of peace!" "Understood!" The crowd filed out. Soon, the hall was completely empty. Su Yu then took out his civilization chronicle. At present, quite a few individuals were suppressed within it: Marquis Tianlong, Phoenix Emperor, Ape Emperor, Kunpeng, Wen Qi, and Marquis Zhennan's sea of will. As for the Eternals of the myriad races, Su Yu had not brought them along; they remained detained together in custody. Setting the others aside, Su Yu remained silent for a moment before lightly vibrating the civilization chronicle. A moment later, Marquis Zhennan materialized, his physical body exceedingly frail. Marquis Zhennan glanced at his surroundings, hesitating for a long while before asking, "This is..." "The lower realm, Eastern Rift Valley." A look of wistfulness washed over Marquis Zhennan's eyes. Looking at Su Yu, he pondered before asking, "How is the Hundred Battles King?" "He broke his seal. As for whether he escaped or was suppressed again... that is unclear. At the time, three Celestial Venerables moved against him." Marquis Zhennan drew in a light breath. "If he managed to escape, there is hope!" Having said that, he ceased discussing Baizhan and instead looked at Su Yu. Sensing their surroundings, he remarked with some shock, "The lower realm... seems to have more powerhouses than I imagined." Su Yu nodded slightly. "It's decent! But compared to the upper realm, a gap still remains." "May I ask why the Human Lord has released me?" Su Yu looked at him. "I want to ask you: over these past hundred thousand years, what exactly have you been fighting for?" Marquis Zhennan froze. Su Yu asked softly, "Is it for the human race, for ancient glory, or for the Hundred Battles King?" Marquis Zhennan fell silent for a long time before replying, "Half for the human race, half for myself! As for Baizhan, he was merely the Human Lord of the Ninth Tide. It was simply that his talent was peerless and his strength immense; he represented the former hope of the human race!" Su Yu smiled. "I am about to ascend to the upper realm once more to take part in an even greater battle, but right now, not many powerhouses remain to guard the Human Realm. To guard against contingencies, I want to hide you in the shadows as a trump card. Would you be willing to fight when it matters most?" Marquis Zhennan narrowed his eyes. "Is the Human Lord not afraid that after you leave, I..." Exhaling softly, Su Yu said, "I am. But... I want to say this: the human race is not my personal possession." "The human race is not my everything!" Su Yu continued calmly, "My protection of the human race is not purely out of some so-called duty passed down from the Human Sovereign. I have my own pursuits, my own thoughts. If the human race truly perishes, or even perishes at your hands... perhaps, for me, that would be a form of release!" Marquis Zhennan was stunned. He stared at Su Yu, and after a long silence, said bitterly, "You... you are not like the Human Sovereign. Or perhaps... you are not even like Baizhan." Su Yu replied placidly, "Perhaps! They were born with certain responsibilities thrust upon them; from birth, people like you taught them what to do, how to take the next step, how to protect the human race. The human race was their everything. For me, however, I am merely fulfilling my duty... my duty as a human being!" Su Yu spoke with total calm and candor. There was even a trace of self-mockery in his voice: "A savior? A saint? Apologies, I am neither! It's just that when you have the power, seeing your own race living in misery and facing the threat of extinction softened my heart, that's all! If my heart were a bit harder... right now, I wouldn't need to consider so much!" Marquis Zhennan took a deep breath. "My physical body was destroyed, so my strength is vastly diminished compared to before. Even hiding in the shadows, it would be difficult for me to contend with a top-tier Dao Integration." Su Yu smiled. "You can simply reforge your physical body. I will grant you some rule power. However... I must warn you: unless the myriad races breach the Human Realm, you must not leave the Human Realm! You must not show yourself!" Marquis Zhennan remained silent for a moment, then nodded! "Alright!" With that, he looked at Su Yu. "Then what about Wen Qi..." Su Yu chuckled. "Him? He's nothing more than a half-baked advisor. If I let him out before I leave, he might instigate you to do something. I won't release him for now. Doesn't he like acting as a military strategist? I suppose he possesses some degree of wit... If I encounter Baizhan, or if Baizhan escapes, I'll send him to find Baizhan!" "..." Marquis Zhennan gave a wry smile. "You... you want him to find Baizhan?" Su Yu nodded slightly. "He might not have much genuine skill, but he certainly has no shortage of bad ideas. A stomach full of wicked schemes can be a good thing! Baizhan is too foolish; even if he escapes, he's easily deceived. Bringing along a half-baked strategist might allow them to stir up some trouble!" Marquis Zhennan sighed softly. "Wen Qi is not an evil person." Su Yu smiled. "Perhaps you think so, but I have no desire to create a rift with the Iron Eater race over this Wen Qi. Do you understand my meaning? The same applies to you! Likewise, I want to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys—to show both humanity and our allied races that in my eyes, ability matters above all else. It is not true that a human is inherently more important than an ally!" Marquis Zhennan thought it over and nodded. "I understand the Human Lord's thinking." "It's best that you understand. If you don't... it makes no difference either way!" Su Yu smiled casually and tossed over a portion of rule power. "Go to the Human Realm and find a place to hide yourself!" Catching it, Marquis Zhennan was just about to leave when Su Yu suddenly added, "Wait!" Marquis Zhennan halted and looked at Su Yu. A massive sphere appeared in Su Yu's hands. Seeing it, Marquis Zhennan felt his heart jolt. "Death qi?" He stared at Su Yu. This amount of death qi was immense! Su Yu nodded. "The dead spirit passageway in the Human Realm ought to lead to the Land of Return! Just in case, if disaster truly strikes, open the dead spirit passageway directly. Since death is inevitable anyway, you might as well drag the enemies down into the water with us! Currently in the Land of Return, even if those ancient dead spirit powerhouses haven't broken their seals, there are dozens of dead spirit marquises, as well as Heavenly Kings like the Northern King... That should be enough to finish off top-tier powerhouses!" Suddenly, the sphere felt scorching to Marquis Zhennan's hands! He dared not take it! He abruptly realized that this Human Lord, whom he had met only a few times, was genuinely a madman. Utterly terrifying! He had even planned that if powerhouses of the myriad races stormed into the Human Realm, he would drag them and the human race down together in mutual destruction. He swallowed hard, while Su Yu smiled and said, "What's the matter? Oh, right—when opening the passageway, remember, you'd best seal off the exit to the Human Realm, turning the Human Realm into a dead land! If that doesn't work, just try detonating yourself to see if you can collapse the passageway connecting the Human Realm to the Myriad Realms... so that all incoming enemies die right here in the Human Realm!" "..." Stormy waves surged in Marquis Zhennan's heart. "You... you..." Su Yu laughed. "What? I said it's for when we reach a dead end! Once you're at a dead end and death is certain, there's no need to care about so much. Are you going to ask me why I'd wipe out the human race? Nonsense—if it's a dead end and everyone's going to die anyway, wouldn't dragging them down with us be better?" "I'm not crazy!" Su Yu chuckled lightly. "If I were truly crazy, I would have thrown open the Human Realm long ago, let the powerhouses of the myriad races charge in, sealed off the exit, and opened the dead spirit passageway right inside the Human Realm to let the myriad races wage war against the dead spirit realm! If the myriad races want to fight me, winning would be best; but if I can't win... they shouldn't expect an easy victory either! Better to be shattered jade than intact clay!" At this moment, Marquis Zhennan felt genuine dread toward the young man before him. He carefully took the sphere of death qi, suddenly feeling as though it weighed as heavily as Mount Tai. His hands trembled slightly! He was deathly afraid of puncturing the sphere, leaking that boundless death qi, triggering the dead spirit passageway in the Human Realm, and unleashing countless dead spirits... That would be absolute apocalypse! Marquis Zhennan swallowed hard. When he looked at Su Yu again, a subtle trace of fear colored his gaze. If this man won, everyone rejoiced. If he lost... Marquis Zhennan suspected that the myriad races would all suffer calamity! Su Yu narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Marquis Zhennan, the safety of the human race in the lower realm is in your hands! I hope you won't disappoint me! You and I don't know each other well, yet I am entrusting the future of the human race to you! Of course, if the human race truly is destroyed... I simply won't come back. From then on, I'll be freed from these shackles." At this point, Marquis Zhennan suddenly blurted out, "You... perhaps you secretly wish I were a traitor, don't you? Has the human race become a burden to you? If the human race perishes, you will no longer have to protect this weakness..." "You're mistaken!" Su Yu laughed. "I have no such thoughts. I merely believe that human strength has its limits; I can't distrust everyone and assume nobody is good, right?" Marquis Zhennan smiled bitterly. Perhaps Su Yu truly did wish he were a traitor. If the Human Realm were wiped out in one go, Su Yu wouldn't need to worry about anything anymore. When he wanted to kill people, he could step out and kill a few; when he didn't, he could hide away somewhere. Who could catch him? Su Yu narrowed his eyes and smiled. "That will be all. Go! I'll take my relatives and friends away and send them to another realm to open a research institute and conduct some research. The rest of the human race is entrusted to you!" "..." Marquis Zhennan's face grew even paler. "The... the Human Lord is taking his family with him?" "Of course!" Su Yu said with a beaming smile, "Would I leave my relatives and friends behind with you? If you were to open the dead spirit passageway, wouldn't they be caught in it?" "..." Marquis Zhennan felt even more bitter. "I understand. Rest assured, Human Lord—unless the human race is truly defenseless and facing extinction... I will never open the dead spirit passageway!" *He's too vicious!* "Go then!" Helpless, Marquis Zhennan flickered and vanished on the spot. A moment later, Wan Tiansheng entered, chuckling. "You scared him half to death." Then, with deep meaning, he asked, "You wouldn't... actually have such intentions, would you?" This kid Su Yu had a rather ruthless heart. If he truly had that intention... Wan Tiansheng could not resist asking, "That sphere won't detonate on its own, will it?" Su Yu rolled his eyes. "Prefect Wan, what do you mean by that?" "If Marquis Zhennan heard that, wouldn't he wet himself in terror?" In the distance, Marquis Zhennan, who had just departed, suddenly twitched his ears. His face went stark white. He frantically checked the sphere, then gritted his teeth and pulled it directly into his sea of will. *If it detonates inside my sea of will, it will blow up my sea of will first!* *Terrifying!* He realized that this current Human Lord was an absolute nightmare, a devil! …… Once Marquis Zhennan was completely gone, Su Yu smiled. Wan Tiansheng smiled as well. "You truly frightened him. That way, regardless of whether his loyalty lies with the human race or someone else, he won't dare act rashly. If the human race were wiped out, it would only free us from our shackles." Su Yu laughed heartily. "I had no such thought. I think he's a decent man, and I trust him!" Wan Tiansheng smiled without saying a word. In any case, even if Marquis Zhennan belonged to the Prison King's bloodline, he wouldn't dare act recklessly now. Wan Tiansheng did not dwell on the topic, instead asking, "Are you serious about the research institutes?" Su Yu nodded. "Of course! We'll set up two: one in Hongmeng Ancient City and one in the dead spirit realm. I want people to help me deduce the Great Dao—one gives birth to two, two to three, myriad Daos returning to one, and one Dao transforming into ten thousand! Those students of King Wen will be stationed beneath Hongmeng Ancient City, with Hetu leading them. As for the institute up top, I'll gather some human researchers to run it..." "My teacher Bai Feng, Wu Lan, Grandmaster Hong Tan, and the others are all skilled in this kind of research." Su Yu smiled and said, "Researching the Great Dao is also a form of cultivation. Stationing them in Hongmeng Ancient City will also keep them safer." "Make whatever arrangements you see fit!" Wan Tiansheng thought for a moment and said, "Let me ask you a question. Consider it carefully before giving me an answer." "Please speak, Prefect." "How do you plan to handle Baizhan?" He looked at Su Yu and said in a heavy voice, "You haven't helped the other humans switch Daos. The human Eternals walking the Physical Body Dao are mostly still on it! You haven't mentioned switching Daos, nor have you explained how they will advance to Dao Integration... What are your thoughts?" Su Yu smiled. "The ancient Physical Body Dao was vast enough to accommodate multiple Human Kings. A single Baizhan couldn't even match a Human King... Consequently, the Physical Body Dao itself has suffered severe damage and needs repair." Wan Tiansheng pressed him seriously, "Tell me the truth, don't brush me off! Do you intend to kill Baizhan, thinking that once he dies, those powerhouses on the Physical Body Dao might immediately step into Dao Integration? Is that your plan?" Ever since Su Yu had stopped mentioning Baizhan or discussing what to do with him, Wan Tiansheng had been wondering whether Su Yu had resolved to kill him. Otherwise... Su Yu truly seemed never to have mentioned how to help the other human Eternals advance to Dao Integration. He helped allied races, ancient powerhouses, and city guards, but he had never stated how he planned to help the other human Eternals break through. Was he simply waiting for such an opportunity? Su Yu fell silent for a moment. "It's hard to say right now. I don't necessarily have to kill him! However... even if I don't kill him, Baizhan had better be sensible enough to yield his Great Dao power on his own! Whether he switches Daos or does something else, I don't care! But since he committed such massive blunders, he must take full responsibility! His Dao was originally yielded to him by several Dao Integrations of that era; in that case... he needs to yield it back!" Indeed, that was Su Yu's thought. Even if I don't kill you, you must relinquish your Dao! Relinquish it to allow others to step into Dao Integration! A single Baizhan occupied an immense portion of Great Dao power. Yielding it could allow ten or more people to reach Dao Integration. Wan Tiansheng exhaled. "Even if he yields it and the others reach Dao Integration, their combined strength might not match his." "That doesn't matter!" Su Yu shook his head. "Even if ten Dao Integrations don't equal him, or even if he could fight ten Heavenly Kings... what of it? He is him; my people are my people." "Understood, I see your mind now!" Wan Tiansheng smiled. "I know what to do. There's no need for you to bring this up yourself; I'll convey it to certain people." Su Yu said nothing more, merely nodding slightly. Wan Tiansheng soon took his leave. …… Over the next two days, Su Yu was exceptionally busy. On one hand, he had to establish the research institutes; on the other, he had to arrange affairs across various realms and regions. Along the way, he also took a stroll into the River of Time to bury several more book pages. …… Only when the third day arrived did Su Yu finally manage to conclude these tasks. At the Fire Spreader Passageway. Counting Su Yu, a full eighteen top-tier powerhouses were assembled. "This time, there's no need to leave anyone behind to guard the passageway!" Su Yu smiled. "If this entrance is blocked, anyone in the lower realm who attempts to trap us is courting death! If worst comes to worst, we can exit the upper realm by other routes!" Unlike last time, when Su Yu was anxious about mishaps, this time he was prepared and had no intention of leaving anyone behind to guard this passageway. It would be a waste of combat strength! The others were also somewhat excited. Tianmie, in particular, asked eagerly, "Can we start killing people the moment we go up?" "..." Su Yu could not be bothered to indulge him. He glanced at the entrance to the passageway; it only opened once a month, and it had been nearly a month since his last ascent to the upper realm. Granted, a few days still remained before the full month was up. For the current Su Yu, however, there was no need to wait for the passageway to open on its own. Ascending to the upper realm again in under a month marked a fresh beginning for Su Yu. The Star Residence Seal emerged, blasting a strike into the sky. Soon, a passageway manifested in the void. "Let's go!" Su Yu stepped inside, and the others followed close behind. This time, everyone was a top-tier powerhouse. The minor perils within the passageway posed little threat to them, and they crossed through with ease. …… Just as Su Yu and his group were ascending to the upper realm once more. Bamboo Mountain. Marquis Juzhu and the others turned their gaze toward Jiu Yue once again. Ten days! It had been a full ten days since Su Yu and his companions vanished. There had not been a shred of news! Over those ten days, the upper realm had grown somewhat turbulent. The first Council of the Myriad Races had already convened, but things had not gone smoothly. At this moment, several Iron Eaters looked toward Jiu Yue. Marquis Juzhu said with a grave expression, "San Yue will be returning soon. These past few days, the myriad races have been pressuring San Yue to state our stance, and have even invited our race to join the Council of the Myriad Races multiple times! Su Yu and his group have not returned for so long... If something truly happened to them, the Iron Eater race may have to make a different choice under these circumstances!" Jiu Yue was equally anxious. Ten days had passed, yet Su Yu and the others had still not appeared. Where had they gone? He was certain they were alive, but where were they? Just as he was about to speak, a powerful Immortal marquis called out loudly from beyond Bamboo Mountain: "The Council of the Myriad Races invites the Iron Eater race to attend! In three days, the second Council of the Myriad Races will convene, gathering at Human Mountain! Will the Iron Eater race attend?" Marquis Juzhu soared into the air and looked outside the mountain, replying with a simple-minded demeanor, "Well... we'll decide after our clan patriarch San Yue returns." With that, he asked with an innocent smile, "May I ask which other races haven't confirmed their attendance yet?" The Immortal marquis replied coolly, "The Heavenly Fate, the Primordial Giants, the Iron Eaters... only a few races haven't confirmed yet! Marquis Juzhu, I still have to notify other races. You would do well to consider your race's position!" With that, the Immortal marquis vanished in an instant! Marquis Juzhu's simple smile faded, replaced by solemnity. Watching the figure depart into the distance, Si Yue spoke in a deep voice beside him: "Marquis Juzhu, that fellow is extremely arrogant..." Marquis Juzhu said grimly, "It's not about his arrogance; I'm worried." "Worried about what?" "I'm worried that if our race doesn't attend, they'll make an example of us before dealing with Chaos Mountain..." "My father is still around..." Marquis Juzhu sighed. "Don't be foolish. If the myriad races truly reach a consensus to deal with Chaos Mountain, without knowing Chaos Mountain's true strength, they will never allow us to sit on the sidelines and watch the tigers fight from the mountain, just to secure their rear." "Then we participate!" Si Yue said in a heavy voice, "We'll go attend the meeting!" Marquis Juzhu said helplessly, "If we participate, we... will become the vanguard!" Si Yue's expression changed, and he looked at Marquis Juzhu. Marquis Juzhu nodded. "Don't stare at me—staring won't change the outcome! The myriad races aren't idiots; would they allow us to just skate by? Not just our race, but anyone who had close dealings with the human race will likely be put on the vanguard even if they participate!" "We are caught in a dilemma!" Sighing, Marquis Juzhu said helplessly, "Our strength is insufficient. If we don't participate, it's dangerous! If we do, it's equally dangerous! For instance, the three dominant races are far stronger than ours. Currently, they lead the Council of the Myriad Races. Even if the other races are reluctant, if the three races order us to act as the vanguard... they would all love nothing more, as it spares them losses!" At this moment, they were truly trapped between a rock and a hard place! Marquis Juzhu sighed once more. "As for the humans... we don't know what's happening. If Sovereign Yu doesn't show up, we won't know how to position ourselves! Furthermore, San Yue is being watched by the other Celestial Venerables and cannot make any rash moves; the slightest movement... could set off the three races' nerves." At this, Si Yue also looked thoroughly despondent. The melancholy quickly proved contagious: Wu Yue sighed, Yuan Yue looked laden with worry, and when it came to Jiu Yue, he was equally helpless. In three days... if Sovereign Yu still did not arrive, the Iron Eater race might truly be forced to serve as the vanguard! Otherwise, the myriad races might move first to eliminate the Iron Eater race as a latent threat. Jiu Yue felt utterly dispirited: "If Sovereign Yu isn't coming, why hasn't Baizhan shown up either? If Baizhan showed up... we could dupe him into attacking Human Mountain! If he attacked Human Mountain, the meeting couldn't proceed, which would buy us some time!" "..." Several Iron Eaters turned to look at him. *What a scoundrel!* *His heart is truly black!* *How did our Iron Eater race produce such a black-hearted fellow?* He was actually hoping Baizhan would show up just to instigate him into attacking Human Mountain—that was truly sinister! …… At the same time. Beneath a desolate stretch of land on the edge of Chaos Mountain, the Hundred Battles King was nursing his wounds and attempting to break his seal. A chain constantly hovered across his body, tightly binding his Great Dao power. Fury flared in Baizhan's eyes! *Yueluo!* *Why can't I break this chain?* The Hundred Battles King gnashed his teeth, cold light flashing in his eyes. *Yueluo, you treacherous woman!* *I will kill you!* *And those bastards of the myriad races—if my strength hadn't been partially sealed, preventing me from fully unleashing my Great Dao power, could trash like Motian have managed to wound me?* Baizhan was incensed. At that moment, a faint premonition of danger rose in his heart. He snorted coldly. *Who is whispering about this king again?* *If you want to kill this king, come try!* …… Just as the Hundred Battles King was fuming, a figure materialized several hundred li away. Draped in black robes that concealed everything except two eyes, the figure radiated endless vulnerability. "Baizhan... Yueluo misses you." A soft chuckle drifted out, laced with indescribable fragility and charm. Baizhan seemed to be right around here.