Preparing to Deploy Troops

Su Yu posed as Si Yue, while Lan Tian posed as Yuan Yue. With the two of them in agreement, Jiu Yue's objections were entirely overruled. After a few quick arrangements, everyone reached a consensus. Wan Tiansheng and the rest would temporarily remain concealed among the Iron-Eating race, awaiting Su Yu's orders at any moment. …… For this second Assembly of All Races, San Yue would attend in person on behalf of the Iron-Eating race, accompanied by Su Yu and Lan Tian. Marquis Juzhu would remain behind to guard Mount Zhu. The day after Su Yu and his companions arrived, the group of three set off toward Human Mountain. …… Up in the sky... Three iron-eating beasts flew side by side, looking as though they had been cast from the very same mold. Su Yu actually felt that whether Lan Tian disguised himself as Wu Yue or Yuan Yue made little difference—aside from a slight variation in aura, of course. San Yue was the largest, followed by Su Yu. As they flew, San Yue cast occasional sidelong glances at Su Yu and Lan Tian. Both of them had disguised themselves impeccably, surprising even him. Noticing San Yue's look, Su Yu smiled. "Does Father have something to say?" San Yue felt rather awkward—awkward at the form of address. Still, he had to admit that their disguises were thorough down to the finest detail, never slipping even on the road. San Yue said nothing about it and quickly changed the subject. "Do the two of you know anything about Human Mountain?" "A little bit." San Yue nodded slightly. "Then let me tell you more. In the Upper Realm, the territories of the God, Demon, and Immortal races surround Human Mountain, enclosing it on all sides. "Human Mountain was the site where the humans originally planned to construct the Human Sovereign Palace. "Its origins are extraordinary. Human Mountain did not exist here from the beginning. When the humans opened the Upper Realm, King Wen led several Rulers of Rules deep into the depths of Mount Chaos to relocate an ancient, primordial mountain created at the dawn of the heavens. "It's said that ancient beasts at the Ruler of Rules realm were even slain for the sake of that mountain. "..." San Yue recounted the history of Human Mountain. Su Yu listened silently. After a while, he asked, "None of the three great races occupied Human Mountain?" He then added, "Is there something special about it?" San Yue nodded. "Of course there is. Human Mountain was moved here by human experts specifically to serve as the core of the Upper Realm! Moreover, it was a divine mountain from the creation era, rich beyond measure in chaotic power and the power of myriad Daos. In truth, it is an extraordinary sacred ground for cultivation!" Su Yu listened intently. If it was such a sacred ground, why hadn't the three great races claimed it? Why? He believed San Yue must know the reason. Sure enough, San Yue continued, "There are many reasons the three great races didn't occupy Human Mountain. First, all three wanted it. When all three desire it, deciding a victor isn't easy, and going to war over a single mountain isn't worth the cost. "Second, while Human Mountain is indeed a sacred ground for cultivation, it possesses a peculiar trait—it easily influences those upon it. That was the primary reason the three races abandoned it." Su Yu asked in confusion, "Influences them?" San Yue bobbed his massive head. "Stay on Human Mountain too long, and a certain drawback emerges: you begin to feel an affinity and a sense of responsibility toward the human race. Back then, the three great races actually sent experts to cultivate on Human Mountain. After staying there for a period, whenever those experts fought against humans, they felt a pang of guilt. Stay long enough, and they would even feel compelled to shoulder responsibility for humanity!" "..." Su Yu was at a loss for words. After a long pause, he deduced the general cause. The Human Sovereign had likely tampered with Human Mountain. Was this the Human Sovereign's Dao of Responsibility? Human Mountain had originally been fashioned for the ancient human elites. The humans stationed there had been the finest of antiquity, so it was only natural to instill in them a sense of duty—in simple terms, a gradual, subtle indoctrination. Over time, high-ranking human experts would naturally develop a fierce sense of mission. The Human Sovereign... was quite the schemer. No wonder the three great races had abandoned such a treasure, only gathering there when convening the Assembly of All Races. Su Yu chuckled. "Then why hold the Assembly of All Races there?" "A short stay poses no issue," San Yue explained. "Convening the assembly on Human Mountain also allows them to harness the collective might of all races to disperse some of the mountain's influence, preventing it from spreading outward. After all, the territories of the three great races lie right nearby." Su Yu nodded. "Furthermore, Human Mountain sits at the very heart of the Upper Realm, making it convenient for every race to reach." At this point, San Yue added, "Once we arrive, Human Master, try your best not to peer about with the Heavenly Gate. Those Heavenly Venerables can sense it to some degree." Su Yu nodded. "I know. I was noticed last time." However, he hadn't been as strong then as he was now, so it was hard to say for sure. Even so, to be safe, Su Yu had no intention of rashly opening the Heavenly Gate unless absolutely necessary. Chatting as they traveled, they drew close to Human Mountain. The journey from Mount Zhu to Human Mountain crossed the territories of several major races. Bordering Human Mountain on this side was the domain of the Demon race. Reaching Human Mountain required passing straight through demon territory. Before they even arrived, Su Yu could feel demonic qi surging across the skies. Looking down, colossal demon cities spanned the earth. Su Yu sent a voice transmission: "Senior San Yue, isn't there any neutral buffer zone between the God, Demon, and Immortal races?" Flying straight through demon territory was not something an ordinary person would dare do. "None," San Yue replied bluntly. "The three races surrounded Human Mountain. Initially, their borders didn't touch, but as their experts multiplied and their dao arenas expanded, all the empty ground was seized, and their borders began to meet." As they spoke, a colossal city loomed ahead. San Yue and his companions did not conceal their auras. The moment they flew over the city, a towering figure cloaked in overwhelming demonic qi materialized. A Dao Integration expert! Not only him, but several Eternal Realm experts quickly took to the air as well. The demon expert swept his gaze over the group, recognizing San Yue and the others. A subtle flicker of emotion crossed his face before he smiled. "So it is our Daoist friends from the Iron-Eating race! I thought you wouldn't be attending this Assembly of All Races!" He continued with a smile, "Heavenly Venerable San Yue, please wait a moment while I inform Senior Mo Tian of our race to come welcome you!" San Yue replied lazily, "No need. I can make my own way." "It would be best for Heavenly Venerable to wait a moment, lest our subordinates fail to recognize your esteemed self and cause an offense!" San Yue glanced at him and saw no intention of yielding the way. Glancing at several distant cities where the auras of Dao Integration experts seemed to be stirring as well, he curled his lip and said casually, "Suit yourselves. Have old fellows like Tianming arrived yet?" The demon Dao Integration expert smiled. "I do not know for the moment. Unless they passed through our demon territory, I would have no idea. Perhaps they took the paths through the Immortal or God territories." San Yue asked no further questions and ignored the fellow entirely. His level was simply too low for San Yue to bother with. In the myriad worlds, Dao Integration represented the pinnacle of power. To San Yue, however, only those at the Heavenly Venerable level truly mattered. Only they stood on the same tier as him; had the timing been right, every one of them could have become a Ruler of Rules. Su Yu did not speak either. Here, San Yue took the lead. Silently, Su Yu observed his surroundings. He noted the number of demon experts and the layout of their great cities. In his mind, he was already running simulations: if they had to fight their way out from Human Mountain, how could they break through the demon blockade most swiftly? What was the fastest route to carve a path out? What would their retreat route look like, and which Dao Integration experts would they encounter? After only a short while of observing, the void tore open. A figure radiating terrifying demonic qi stepped out. His back was slightly hunched, and his voice held a sinister chuckle. "Brother San Yue, I thought you weren't coming!" San Yue looked at him. His own massive body was far more imposing than the demon's. San Yue gave him a sidelong glance and said sluggishly, "If I didn't come, were you planning to invite me personally, Brother Mo Tian?" "You jest, Daoist Brother!" Mo Tian chuckled. He glanced at Su Yu and Lan Tian without paying them much heed, then asked with a smile, "Daoist Juzhu didn't come?" "Watching the house!" San Yue yawned. "Someone has to stay behind, lest some bastards try their luck on Mount Zhu while I'm away." Mo Tian merely smiled and pursued the topic no further. As long as San Yue had come, that was a good thing. Shortly after, Mo Tian smiled and said, "Brother San Yue, let me escort you to Human Mountain. Most of the other races have already arrived; only a handful of fellows have yet to show up." San Yue did not refuse. Taking a step across the void, he drew close to Mo Tian. Su Yu and Lan Tian followed closely. As San Yue matched Mo Tian's stride, he asked, "You clashed with Hundred Battles last time. How was it?" "Formidable!" Mo Tian chuckled darkly. "Even before fully unsealing himself, he could already rival a Heavenly Venerable! Once fully unsealed, it might take two or three Heavenly Venerables joining forces to match him! I must admit, that young man Hundred Battles possesses extraordinary talent. In ancient times, a few more years might have seen him crowned a Human King!" With a faint, eerie smile, he added, "Daoist San Yue also left his mountain that day. Why did you turn back?" San Yue chuckled. "I saw several of you ganging up on one. To me, capturing Hundred Battles looked like a sure thing, so I didn't bother stepping in!" "Oh? I had thought you intended to rescue Hundred Battles, Brother." "Not close enough to bother," San Yue said casually. "My race didn't intervene during the ninth tide. Liu Yue wanted to get involved and sent Qi Yue to assist... but Qi Yue fell in battle, and our race lost all interest in taking part." Mo Tian smiled. This was no secret. During the ninth tide, the Iron-Eating race had clearly intended to participate, but after Qi Yue's death, they had quickly retreated into their shell. "A wise choice!" Mo Tian said with a sinister chuckle. "Had you joined the war back then, perhaps... things wouldn't be as they are today!" San Yue did not take the bait. Seeing that he didn't respond, Mo Tian didn't mind. As they traversed one massive city after another, he swept his gaze across Su Yu and Lan Tian. Before long, the towering silhouette of an immense mountain came into view in the distance. After flying for a while, Mo Tian suddenly spoke again: "Daoist Si Yue, this seat has heard that the Iron-Eating race in the Lower Realm might have become entangled with humans once more. Brother San Yue does not concern himself with mundane affairs; does Daoist Si Yue know anything about this?" Su Yu gave a naive, honest chuckle. "Well... our race truly knows nothing about that. We haven't gone anywhere near the passageway between the Lower and Upper Realms. Not many Eternals have died in the Lower Realm, so we haven't felt any disturbance up to now." Mo Tian nodded slightly. "This seat only heard it from subordinates. As for the specifics, until the Lower Realm opens, nothing is entirely clear. However, Liu Yue should be in charge of your race down there. Liu Yue wouldn't be so foolish as to entangle himself with humans again, would he?" Su Yu smiled. "That... we will see once the Lower Realm opens. If Liu Yue has made a mistake, we will punish him accordingly!" "There is no hope for the humans!" Mo Tian paid it no further mind and continued aloud, "The strongest among the humans today is Hundred Battles. At his peak, leading over a hundred Dao Integration experts, he was still defeated! Now, Hundred Battles is far past his prime, and the human Dao Integration experts have been almost entirely wiped out. Meanwhile, the strength of the various races has grown immensely over these six thousand years... It is nothing like the past!" Su Yu and his companions made no reply. Just then, a majestic, boundless aura rolled toward them. A mountain of staggering proportions emerged before their eyes. Su Yu looked upon the colossal peak, deeply shaken. Human Mountain... He had originally thought it was merely an exceptionally large mountain and hadn't paid it much thought, but seeing it now, it was simply gargantuan! Inconceivably vast! At a glance, it easily exceeded a hundred thousand meters in height, sprawling across an immense area, the entire mountain radiating a formidable aura. At the foot of Human Mountain, numerous figures were gathered. San Yue cast a glance downward. Mo Tian chuckled darkly. "Those were brought along by experts of various races. With the Chaos race slaughtering innocents indiscriminately, some smaller races feared that if their Dao Integration experts left, the Chaos race would launch sneak attacks on their homes. Some fellows even brought their entire families along." There were quite a few people at the base of the mountain, but almost all were below the Dao Integration realm. Most of the Dao Integration experts had already ascended to the summit. At the mountain's peak stood a colossal palace. It was the structure the human race had once begun building as the Human Sovereign Palace. Later, when the ancient upheaval struck halfway through construction, the palace had been left unfinished. Over the years, the three great races had carried out minor repairs and used it to host the Assembly of All Races. "We just need to head up the mountain!" Mo Tian smiled. "Most of the races have arrived. Anyone who hasn't shown up by tomorrow probably isn't coming!" As for the fate of those who refused to come, judging by Mo Tian's tone, it certainly wouldn't be pleasant. …… The closer they drew to Human Mountain, the more keenly they felt its immense power. A profound presence of rules! It did not originate from the River of Time, but from Human Mountain itself. The mountain was an inherently mighty artifact of creation. Neither San Yue nor Su Yu spoke, quietly flying toward the summit. From other directions, experts arrived from time to time, escorted by God or Immortal powerhouses. On the Demon race's side, experts from other races arrived as well, accompanied by demon figures. As they flew upward, a palace presented itself before their eyes. Before Su Yu and his companions even reached the entrance, laughter rang out: "Daoist San Yue, you have finally arrived. An honored guest indeed!" San Yue's gaze turned slightly grave, but he quickly responded with a lazy chuckle: "Heavenly Venerable Yue is far too polite!" Heavenly Venerable Yue! Su Yu knew of him; San Yue had mentioned him before. Heavenly Venerable Yue hailed from the God race. Mo Tian and Heavenly Venerable Mo were from the Demon race, Heavenly Venerable Ming was a powerhouse of the Nether race, Heavenly Venerable Dao and Heavenly Venerable Huang belonged to the Immortal race, and Heavenly Venerable Yue represented the God race. Both the Demon and Immortal races possessed two Heavenly Venerables. As for the God race, they appeared to have only one at present, but San Yue had told Su Yu that there were likely more. The God race had maintained an exceedingly low profile over the years, yet their foundation ran deep. If nothing else, the God Imperial Consort in the Lower Realm was the Dao companion of the God Emperor—a true antique of immense standing. With the God Imperial Consort still alive, the God race's foundation was perhaps even deeper than that of the Immortals or Demons. Su Yu kept silent, remaining vigilant. None of these Heavenly Venerables was weak; he had to be careful not to reveal any flaws. …… Soon, the group stepped into the grand hall. The interior of the hall was circular. It was a very peculiar design. No matter which angle you looked from, the central focus of your vision was invariably drawn to five specific sectors in the middle of the hall. San Yue sent a voice transmission: "That was constructed by the humans in ancient times. The five positions you see represented the Human Sovereign and the Four Cardinal Human Kings! They signify that the entire core of humanity rested upon those five!" "When holding an assembly here, everyone's attention naturally centers on those five positions. That's why, upon entering, our eyes are drawn primarily to them." It forced one's gaze toward those five sectors. At this moment, three of those positions were already occupied. The Demon, Immortal, and God races. Mo Tian, who had escorted San Yue and his party inside, chuckled and flew directly toward the Demon race's sector. There, a purple-haired powerhouse sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to their arrival. Over in the God race's area, the scholarly-looking Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled and said, "Daoist San Yue, please, come sit here." He pointed toward a sector adjacent to the God race—one of the five central positions. Before San Yue could answer, countless gazes converged upon him from all directions. Nearly all belonged to Dao Integration experts, and faint traces of Heavenly King auras could be detected among them. San Yue scanned the room and gave a simple, honest chuckle. "No need. My race has few people; any random spot will do!" At that moment, in the Immortal race's sector, a white-haired elder suddenly opened his eyes and said indifferently, "Daoist San Yue, since you have come, take your seat!" Over by the Demon race, the purple-haired powerhouse—Heavenly Venerable Mo—also opened his eyes and looked over. "Brother San Yue, there are five seats. Brother Ming has not yet arrived, and one is reserved for him. As for the remaining seat, you should take it!" One powerhouse after another stared at San Yue, and the atmosphere in the hall turned instantly oppressive. To sit, or not to sit? San Yue did not want to sit there! It was no good place to be. He wanted to refuse, but with everyone staring at him, San Yue forced a smile. "Come now, the old ghost of the Destiny race hasn't arrived yet. Marquis Tianming is far more suited than I!" He added, "The Dragon or Phoenix races are also more suited than me. If not them, the Archaic Giants would do nicely!" Remembering something, he laughed heartily. "Right! Where is Brother Lei Bao of the Archaic Giant race?" The Archaic Giant race! At those words, Heavenly Venerable Mo glanced at him and said coolly, "It is unknown whether Lei Bao will leave his mountain this time. When Hundred Battles broke his seal earlier, Lei Bao did not appear; perhaps he has not yet awakened. On the other hand, Brother San Yue was full of vigor before. It seems you do not require slumber to maintain your combat prowess." San Yue cursed inwardly. Then, putting on a sudden smile, he said, "It seems you gentlemen hold quite a few grievances against me... Forget it. Si Yue, you preside over this assembly for our race. You arrange the affairs of the Iron-Eating race as you see fit! I will just sit back and listen!" Hearing this, Su Yu glanced at the several powerhouses. Without a word, he silently flew toward one of the five central sectors. Heavenly Venerable Mo and the others maintained calm expressions, but a faint smile crept into the depths of their eyes. As for San Yue, whatever his thoughts were, he no longer refused and followed Su Yu down into that sector. Once they settled in, they fell silent. To their left was the God race's sector; to their right was the sole remaining empty position. The five central sectors formed an inner circle, serving as the nucleus of the entire hall. The hall grew quiet once more. None of the races spoke. Su Yu even spotted experts from the Dragon race. Following the death of Marquis Xuelong, the Dragon race still had experts who had emerged from the Dao Origin Land. Their leader possessed Heavenly King–level strength, proving that the Dragon race was by no means weak. They had more than one Dao Integration expert. However, the Dragon race appeared to lack a Heavenly Venerable. In that regard, they were inferior even to the Nether race! The silence lasted only a short while before two giants of similar stature strode into the hall together. "Lei Bao!" Heavenly Venerable Mo and the others opened their eyes again. Beside Lei Bao walked Heavenly Venerable Huang of the Immortal race. Lei Bao was the supreme powerhouse of the Archaic Giant race. He was an ancient existence of top-tier strength, faintly radiating the aura of a Heavenly Venerable. The Archaic Giant race possessed an ancient heritage, having been one of the hegemons of the archaic era. However, they had kept very quiet in recent years. The various races found it difficult to gauge their current stance. Rumor had it that the Archaic Giant race shared ties with Hundred Battles of the humans, though the specifics remained unknown to the myriad races. As for Hundred Battles having descendants among the Archaic Giants, only a select few were privy to that secret. Heavenly Venerable Mo spoke once more: "Daoist Lei Bao, there is one seat remaining, and Heavenly Venerable Ming has yet to arrive... Why don't you take it first?" The archaic giant radiated a terrifying aura, his eyes crackling like lightning. His upper body was bare, while his lower half was wrapped in beast-hide garments. Hearing the offer, he swept his gaze across the room and boomed like thunder, "Forget it. Leave it for Brother Ming!" With that, he cast a deliberate glance toward the Iron-Eating race, visibly surprised. San Yue of the Iron-Eating race had actually gone over to sit there. Taking that seat was not necessarily a blessing; a price would likely have to be paid. Ignoring everyone else, Lei Bao strode directly toward an empty area. Followed by several slightly smaller giants—who were nonetheless Dao Integration experts—he took a seat in the second concentric ring of the hall. …… "Si Yue, that seat is not an easy one to sit in!" At this moment, San Yue sent a voice transmission to Su Yu. "That was Lei Bao just now, the supreme powerhouse of the Archaic Giant race. His strength matches mine. Even he refused to take it, yet here we are..." Su Yu replied via voice transmission: "Five sectors represent five cores, the leaders of this assembly. Since we've come, we might as well sit here." San Yue had nothing more to say. By now, more figures were arriving in succession. Aside from the major races, the smaller races had their own designated areas. Having attended the first assembly, they knew where they belonged. The innermost ring held only five factions. The second ring contained over a dozen sectors: The Dragon, Phoenix, Archaic Giant, Ape, Golden-Winged Roc, Kunpeng, and Spirit races... These races, mighty in the Lower Realm, held seats here as well. As for the Archaic Hou race, their strength in the Upper Realm was modest; Su Yu did not see them in the second ring, nor even in the third. The Spatial Ancient Beast race, however, was seated in the third ring, where a colossal spatial beast lay quietly curled up. Su Yu began to understand the arrangement. The first ring represented factions with Heavenly Venerables. The second ring held Heavenly Kings. The third ring was for top-tier Dao Integration experts. Those beyond that were ordinary Dao Integration experts. This meant that over a dozen formidable races possessed Heavenly King–level combatants. And with thirty to forty seats in the third ring, did that mean thirty to forty major races had top-tier Dao Integration experts? Though called the myriad races, in truth, only three to four hundred races remained in the Upper Realm today. And only about a hundred or so had come to attend this assembly. Without a Dao Integration expert, a race might not even show up; even if they did, they wouldn't have a proper seat. Over the passage of time, many races had gone extinct in the Upper Realm, though their lineages endured in the Lower Realm. Newly emerged minor races, for instance, had no presence in the Upper Realm. Other races that previously lacked Dao Integration experts, like the Five Elements race, held no powerful figures in the Upper Realm despite their strength in the Lower Realm. Su Yu observed everything in silence. …… After waiting for an hour or two... Several more auras approached, and soon, the laughter of Heavenly Venerable Ming echoed in: "Brother Tianming, let us leave our chat here for now. We can catch up later when we have time." Following his laughter, two figures appeared before everyone's eyes. One was Heavenly Venerable Ming, and the other was Marquis Tianming. Marquis Tianming was a kindly, benevolent-looking elder, forming a stark contrast with Heavenly Venerable Ming, who radiated a gloomy aura of death qi. The moment they entered, before anyone else could speak, Marquis Tianming smiled. "Everyone is already here. This old man arrives late." With that, he sat straight down in the area beside the Archaic Giant race. He glanced at the final central seat without lingering, giving no one a chance to speak. Heavenly Venerable Ming glanced at Heavenly Venerable Mo and the others. Seeing that none of them objected, he smiled and swiftly settled into the empty sector near Su Yu and his companions. Now, all five sectors of the innermost ring were occupied. The God, Demon, and Immortal races, alongside the Iron-Eating and Nether races. The Iron-Eating race looked somewhat out of place here. In terms of overall strength, they were not necessarily superior to the Destiny or Archaic Giant races, yet neither of those two had been willing to take a central seat. …… At this moment, the white-haired elder from the Immortal race opened his eyes, swept his gaze across the gathering, and said indifferently, "Almost everyone has arrived. Those who haven't need not bother coming!" All who were meant to come were present. "This is the second Assembly of All Races convened this month. "Last time, we failed to reach a consensus on certain matters. This time, the baseline is set in advance: an agreement must be reached! If we cannot agree, the assembly will continue until we do!" He then said calmly, "Yuansheng, you will preside over the assembly." Marquis Yuansheng was a supreme expert of the Immortal race. A Heavenly King–level entity! Behind the elder, a middle-aged powerhouse radiating majestic immortal qi smiled, stepped forward from the back, and walked to the very center. He smiled and announced, "I shall preside over this Assembly of All Races! "Today, even more experts have gathered than last time! "This assembly has only one core focus: the Chaos race!" Marquis Yuansheng's voice boomed across the hall: "The Chaos race has appeared three times this year. First, they rescued Marquis Dingjun and slew two Dao Integration experts of the Demon race! "Second, they ambushed the Dragon race, slaying six of their Dao Integration experts and slaughtering a million dragons! "Third, they broke into the Dao Origin Land to unseal Hundred Battles, slaying eight Quasi-Kings and two Dao Integration experts, while suffering three fallen Quasi-Kings and multiple fallen Dao Integration experts of their own!" He concealed nothing, laying bare the full extent of the casualties. His voice grew considerably graver: "In truth, everyone has known of this race since earlier years. Toward the end of the ninth tide, Hundred Battles gathered over a hundred Dao Integration experts from the humans and their allied races. Back then, the battle of all races—the greatest clash in a hundred thousand years—was on the verge of erupting... At the critical juncture, Yueluo of the Chaos race betrayed Hundred Battles and sealed him away, securing victory for all races! "Over four thousand years ago, a powerful entity invaded the Dao Origin Land seeking to unseal Hundred Battles, but was repelled. That, too, was a member of the Chaos race!" He looked around at the assembly and asked calmly, "Does anyone have any doubts?" Someone murmured, "I have a question. The Chaos race first betrayed Hundred Battles and sealed him away. Why go to the trouble of unsealing him now?" Marquis Yuansheng had been waiting for precisely this question. He smiled. "Because back then, that race was afraid! They feared Hundred Battles would defeat us and unify the heavens! If the chaos of the heavens ended and major warfare ceased, the Chaos race would never have another opportunity! "Later, after Hundred Battles was defeated and humanity's foundation was drained dry, unsealing Hundred Battles was meant to release him so he could continue opposing us, grinding down our strength!" Marquis Yuansheng smiled. "If anyone still fails to understand, let me put it plainly: six thousand years ago, they believed they were no match for the combined might of all races and humanity. Six thousand years later, they may believe they finally have the upper hand!" At these words, the sole Heavenly King of the Dragon race spoke up with a touch of irritation: "Yuansheng, is this all the information we have on the Chaos race? What is their true strength? Everything right now is mere conjecture!" Marquis Yuansheng nodded. "Therefore, the top priority is to reach a consensus and forge an alliance! Then, by uniting the strength of all races, we will sweep Mount Chaos and ascertain their true power, preventing individual factions from being picked off one by one!" Marquis Yuansheng said solemnly, "In ancient times, the myriad races could not match humanity individually; only by joining forces did we rival them! Only then did the ancient joint governance of the myriad worlds come to pass! Had we been divided, humanity would have crushed us one by one back then as well. Today, the situation is identical. That is the purpose of the Assembly of All Races: to unite once more!" The Dragon race's Heavenly King added, "An alliance follows the old tradition; we have no objections! The Chaos race ambushed our people and murdered Marquis Xuelong and our experts—a monstrous crime. If they can destroy the Dragon race today, they can destroy another race tomorrow! Mount Chaos is perilous, and without joining forces, everyone naturally harbors reservations. In our Dragon race, only I have stepped into the Quasi-King realm, and we have three remaining Dao Integration experts. This time, the Dragon race goes all out! I shall lead our three Dao Integration experts into the alliance!" "..." A shill! Su Yu realized it in an instant. Dammit, the guy was a planted shill. It seemed the Dragon race had completely lost the will to contest anything and had simply agreed to play the shill for the three great races. It was glaringly obvious! Moreover, the other races likely knew the Dragon race was playing that role. Marquis Yuansheng smiled. "Marquis Longju understands the greater good. If everyone were like the Dragon race, there would have been no need to convene this second assembly. We would have marched on Mount Chaos long ago! "The greatest difficulty, the primary issue of this assembly, lies in how many troops each race will commit!" Marquis Yuansheng chuckled. "In truth, confronting Mount Chaos is an absolute necessity! There is hardly anything to debate on that front! The crux lies in troop numbers!" Marquis Yuansheng spoke rapidly, giving no one time to interject: "My proposal is that five major races lead this campaign! Each race will deploy one Heavenly Venerable, and the five Heavenly Venerables will form a provisional decision-making council for all races! When opinions diverge, the five Heavenly Venerables will deliberate; if consensus cannot be reached, it will be decided by vote!" In an instant, every gaze turned toward the Iron-Eating race. Now, everyone understood why the Iron-Eating race had been pressured into that seat. San Yue's expression shifted slightly. Marquis Yuansheng continued, "Beyond deploying a Heavenly Venerable to form the council, each of the five races will provide a Quasi-King to lead the army marching on Mount Chaos..." Good grief, Su Yu scoffed inwardly. They even wanted Marquis Juzhu to participate in the battle! How ruthless! "As for the Dragon, Phoenix, and other major races, each will deploy one Quasi-King..." The races in the second ring were required to provide a Heavenly King, plus at least three Dao Integration experts. Those in the third ring had to send top-tier Dao Integration experts to battle. Beyond the third ring, each race had to contribute one Dao Integration expert. The required combatants were dictated entirely by where each race sat. Under this plan, there would be at least five Heavenly Venerables, over fifteen Heavenly Kings, and nearly a hundred Dao Integration experts! Such military might was terrifying. Facing the humans of the ninth tide, an army like this could engage them head-on and hold a massive advantage! They called it an assembly, but in truth, the three great races—and likely the others—had already reached a backroom consensus. They were simply using this occasion to force the Iron-Eating and Destiny races to pull their weight. Not only that, but Heavenly Venerable Mo smiled and said, "I see that Brother Lei Bao and Brother Tianming have both arrived. To be safe, it would be best if you two joined us as well, forming a seven-member council! That way, you can stay informed of all developments at Mount Chaos in real time." He looked at the two of them, his tone laden with deeper meaning. "If you two are unwilling, that is fine as well; your races need only provide one Quasi-King each." Once a Quasi-King went... they might not return alive! As for San Yue, he was obligated to march! Whether Lei Bao and Tianming fought was not strictly enforced, but San Yue had no way out. San Yue frowned slightly and spoke up: "According to what you've said, not only must I march, but Juzhu must come as well, along with five Dao Integration experts. My race cannot possibly scrape together five Dao Integration experts!" Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled. "Then simply have Si Yue, Wu Yue, and Yuan Yue take the field." Screw your ancestors! San Yue wanted to curse aloud. So every single Dao Integration expert in his race was expected to go to war? Heavenly Venerable Mo cut in: "No, Heavenly Venerable Yue, how could we leave them with no defensive forces at all? Yuan Yue may remain behind to guard Mount Zhu, so Brother San Yue can set his mind at ease!" With a faint smile, he was magnanimously offering to leave them just one! San Yue said in a deep voice, "And what if I am unwilling to go?" Heavenly Venerable Huang of the Immortal race said coldly, "Why would you be unwilling? The Chaos race slaughters endlessly, murders the innocent, and disrupts the peace of the myriad realms. Does the Iron-Eating race intend to simply reap the benefits without contributing? Or could it be... that the Iron-Eating race is in league with this Chaos race?" Several powerhouses glared fiercely, watching them like tigers eyeing prey! Today, they had the Iron-Eating race right where they wanted them! San Yue took a deep breath. "So you're saying I must go?" Heavenly Venerable Huang said dispassionately, "Naturally! San Yue, a clash between Heavenly Venerables does not erupt so easily. In the early stages, we need only oversee the battlefield; there will be no need for us to fight! Once Marquis Juzhu arrives, he can direct the campaign on behalf of your race..." San Yue looked at them, then glanced at Tianming and Lei Bao. He gave a simple, naive chuckle. "Weren't we supposed to discuss this? Why does it feel like there's no choice at all?" Heavenly Venerable Huang said calmly, "We have discussed it sufficiently. Does Daoist San Yue have an alternative opinion?" San Yue understood completely now. What discussion? What failure to reach consensus at the first meeting? This second assembly had been convened specifically to corner the powerful races that hadn't shown up the first time. Meanwhile, Su Yu was rapidly calculating the number of experts being deployed. He was genuinely shaken. Before even figuring out the Chaos race's true strength, the myriad races were already committing such an overwhelming force. They certainly took this threat seriously! If the Chaos race was even slightly lacking in strength, they would be obliterated in an instant! San Yue, having lost all desire to argue further, took a deep breath. "Si Yue, you make the call!" The Heavenly Venerables all turned to look at Si Yue, some smiling, others cold-faced. Su Yu gave a dry, naive chuckle. "The Iron-Eating race naturally won't object. It's just that... our numbers are few, so it's not suitable for us to deploy heavily in the early phase. As for clearing out the ancient beasts on the periphery of Mount Chaos, let me handle that for our race. As for Marquis Juzhu, let's wait until the other side deploys Quasi-Kings before he takes the field." Clearly, the myriad races intended to push Marquis Juzhu into serving as the vanguard. Su Yu was worried that unforeseen complications might arise. The others pondered for a moment. Si Yue was San Yue's son; whether Si Yue took the field or Marquis Juzhu did made little practical difference. Soon, several Heavenly Venerables nodded slightly. As long as they agreed, that was enough! Had they refused, now that San Yue was here, he might not have been allowed to leave. Seeing that Marquis Tianming and the others had raised no objections either, Marquis Yuansheng smiled and spoke swiftly: "Then let the experts of all races assemble without delay right here at Human Mountain. There is no need to travel to Mount Chaos separately, lest you be ambushed along the way!" Gather everyone here first. Once San Yue and his people were here, they wouldn't be able to leave! That would prevent San Yue from slipping away with his clan! "Within three days, the experts of all races shall assemble, and we will march on Mount Chaos! "Each race shall contribute ten thousand troops below the Dao Integration realm to clear out the ancient beasts on the outer perimeter of Mount Chaos and scout the terrain..." Marquis Yuansheng rapidly laid out the arrangements. Soon, he smiled again. "The Heavenly Venerables are occupied with great matters, so I shall preside over the provisional council on behalf of the Immortal race. The other races may each select a representative." He looked toward Su Yu and smiled. "Daoist Si Yue, will you represent your race, or will you wait for Marquis Juzhu to arrive?" Su Yu smiled naively. "Then I'll do it!" The gathered experts smiled. This time, the Iron-Eating race had proven very obedient! A good thing! Even so, they would have to keep a close eye on them to prevent any unexpected surprises.