King Daming had asked for eight formation bases, which effectively required King Daqin and King Daxia to sever their arms and regenerate them.
Newly regrown limbs would certainly lack the strength of their originals, but under these circumstances, there was no alternative.
To slip into Mount Chaos, they had to conceal the aura of the myriad Daos. Otherwise, conflicting with the Dao of Chaos would provoke the ancient beasts into surrounding and slaughtering them.
The Heavenly Kings naturally required the capacity for independent action as well.
After all, if the overarching concealment array were broken, disaster would follow.
Su Yu said nothing more. At a critical juncture like this, everyone had to make sacrifices.
He looked toward the others and said, "My civilization chronicle might be able to hide a few people, but not too many. If there are too many, the collective aura will become too powerful, exceeding the chronicle's suppression limit and likely revealing anomalies. Does anyone want to hide inside the civilization chronicle?"
Hiding one or two was not a big issue.
The real problem was that too many people had ascended this time.
Wan Tiansheng smiled and said, "Forget about us. Let Seniors Doubao and Chuibing hide inside! They are embodiments of Dao principles. Even if someone discovers them inside, they will merely assume you have gained further insights into the Great Dao's rules... They won't think much of it."
Members of the God Devourer race were all Dao principle embodiments, functionally equivalent to two extra divine characters.
Doubao also possessed the combat strength of a top second-class Dao Integrator, merely a step away from a Heavenly King, so its power was respectable.
Doubao was indifferent, murmuring groggily, "Sleeping anywhere is the same!"
To it, a nap was a nap no matter the location.
Su Yu smiled and said, "We'll see. Let's arrange things first. Si Yue, on your end... Marquis Juzhu must remain behind; otherwise, if a Heavenly King goes missing, the myriad races will inevitably become suspicious."
He looked at Wu Yue and Yuan Yue, thought for a moment, and said, "Aside from Lan Tian and me, disguises among the rest of you can be easily seen through. Therefore, among the three of you, it's best if one stays behind."
Wu Yue said in a muffled voice, "I'll stay."
Si Yue, however, looked at Su Yu and said, "Human Ruler, let me stay! You take Wu Yue's identity, and Brother Lan Tian can continue impersonating Yuan Yue. My cultivation is stronger than Wu Yue's, so remaining behind allows me to offer greater assistance..."
Su Yu hesitated. "But Brother Si Yue, based on the previous arrangement, you are supposed to serve as the spokesman in the decision-making council..."
Si Yue chuckled ingenuously. "It's fine. Wu Yue is my son. If I don't feel like doing it, having my son go in my stead works just the same."
That was an old tradition of the Iron Eater race!
When the father did not feel like doing something, the son stepped in. He said with a broad grin, "Even if I attend a meeting once, I can just claim a headache and send you instead. Nobody will suspect a thing."
He still hoped Wu Yue could withdraw, as mingling among the ranks of the myriad races remained exceedingly dangerous.
Su Yu did not press further, turning instead to the group. "Then I will lead everyone to the Ancient Space Beast race's domain to take a look... There might not be a teleportation portal, and if there isn't... we can only pull back for now!"
If only one or two people tried to hide from a sweep conducted by several Celestial Venerables, there was still hope.
But if fifteen or twenty top-tier experts tried to dodge notice, did they really think Celestial Venerables were blind?
Previously, the Celestial Venerables had been constrained and could not recklessly unleash their willpower to scan all directions without reservation. Once the various races completed their migration, these supreme experts would be bound by no such scruples.
General Yingwu, who had returned not long ago, let out a soft sigh. "Fortunately, we went to Yixian Gorge earlier and brought all the soldiers under my command along. Otherwise, if we were swept blindly, none of us would likely escape catastrophe!"
"It is also fortunate that we follow Emperor Yu. Otherwise, in this grand sweep, we would have been doomed!"
For countless years, the myriad races had never swept through the perilous zones, yet now they intended to purge even the dangerous lands. Had they done this in past years, not one of their six Dao Integrators would have survived.
Su Yu smiled. "Every cause has its effect. Without our disruptions, the myriad races wouldn't possess this unity of purpose. The three dominant races are merely using the opportunity to consolidate control! Moreover, the Prison King's lineage meddled alongside us, exterminating the Nether race, while we wiped out the Dragon race. With two powerhouse races destroyed, the other races have virtually no room to resist."
Without him and without the Prison King's lineage, cooperation among the myriad races would never have come so easily.
One could only say that certain outcomes were bound to occur once they disrupted the board.
General Yingwu nodded slightly, looking somewhat solemn. "I worry that some old friends might still be alive within the Source of the Dao... In that case... this time..."
"We do what is humanly possible and leave the rest to fate!"
Su Yu could only offer that much. The pressing task was to preserve the forces under his own command; as for the Source of the Dao, he could inspect the situation if time permitted.
"Senior Si Yue, please organize the Iron Eater race's migration... There's no need to move too quickly, as long as it's completed within ten days!"
"Understood!" Si Yue nodded.
Su Yu turned to Marquis Juzhu. "Senior Marquis Juzhu, on your side, I must trouble you to make a trip and bring my people back."
Xia Longwu and the others had left earlier. Now that the myriad races were preparing to sweep the lands, it was inconvenient for Su Yu to show himself, so he could only look to Marquis Juzhu. "Senior Juzhu, even if someone spots you, you don't need to pay them much heed... Just bring them back!"
Whether Xia Longwu and his group went to Mount Chaos was of little consequence. Their cultivation was modest, so hiding them within the civilization chronicle would not trigger the myriad races' senses.
Since none of them were Dao Integrators, they could be stowed anywhere.
Marquis Juzhu nodded. Su Yu looked at Lan Tian, who promptly separated out a clone, chuckling. "Just follow my clone. They are already aware of the situation and preparing to withdraw."
"Then I shall be on my way!"
Marquis Juzhu did not tarry. Taking advantage of the fact that the Celestial Venerables had not yet finished dealing with Human Mountain, he resolved to tie up the loose ends first.
...
Su Yu led his group as they sped toward the domain of the Ancient Space Beast race.
Throughout the Upper Realm at this moment, laments arose in some places while cheers erupted in others.
Not every race was unwilling to migrate.
Certain minor races possessed negligible strength and had been frightened out of their wits of late; being allowed to relocate under the protection of the major races was a welcome blessing for them.
Those genuinely displeased were likely relatively powerful races such as the Phoenix and Ape races, because moving together made it very easy to lose their racial autonomy entirely, falling under the complete control of the three dominant races.
This time, the ones being stripped of authority were actually these intermediate races.
Contingent after contingent packed their belongings and households, setting off on their migration toward Mount Chaos in the far west.
The entire Upper Realm was caught in a massive exodus.
...
At the site of Human Mountain.
By now, the six Celestial Venerable–level experts had arrived.
Celestial Venerable Huang let out a thunderous roar as earthen power erupted from him. The entire world shuddered, yet the colossal Human Mountain remained utterly motionless. Evidently, this mountain was not something ordinary figures could shift.
In those ancient times, Human Mountain had been relocated from Mount Chaos by several Rule Masters.
Nevertheless, it had been severed previously.
The six Celestial Venerable–level experts bellowed in unison. Soon, the immense divine mountain quivered slightly, then tore free of the earth, hovering faintly above the ground.
Clearly, back then, the mountain had not been fully forged into a complete treasure, so no grand arrays had been established upon it; otherwise, even several Celestial Venerables would have been powerless to budge it.
"Human Mountain..."
Celestial Venerable Mo sighed with emotion. "For just this single mountain, shifting it strains the six of us. The human race of that era was truly terrifyingly powerful!"
At present, the six supreme experts stood on six sides, each exerting their full strength to hoist the massive peak.
Hearing Celestial Venerable Mo's lament, Celestial Venerable Huang strained as he spoke: "Powerful indeed. Otherwise, how could they have unified all heavens? The various races possessed so many Rule Masters, yet in the end, they all had to submit. They spoke of joint governance among the myriad races... but wasn't it still human dominance in the end?"
Panting slightly, he added, "Precisely because of this, everyone from that era knows that for tens of thousands of years, people like us were like prisoners, confined within the Star Residence Mansion! Generation after generation, the humans sought to assimilate us... After enough years, perhaps there would no longer be myriad races, only humanity!"
"Our ancestors struck back and resisted so that our races could endure... We, too, act only for survival! If the human race wished to assimilate all races, how could we simply tie our hands and wait for death?"
To these words, neither Marquis Tianming nor San Yue could offer a rebuttal.
When the myriad races rebelled, it was neither purely right nor wrong.
The humans desired unification, and the myriad races refused. It was natural that no race wished to be subjugated.
Yet the humans were mighty, and standing with them was also a path to survival.
When the myriad races grew powerful, ambition would inevitably germinate in some among them... The three dominant races knew better than anyone how many lesser races they had swallowed over the years.
"It is nothing more than the strong preying on the weak!"
From the distance, Lei Bao uttered a cold remark, laying bare the fundamental truth of it all.
Several Celestial Venerables laughed.
Indeed, that was the essence.
Every era was identical in this regard!
As Celestial Venerable Huang and the others carried the mountain westward, they conversed freely. Such an opportunity was rare; in the past, each of them cultivated in seclusion.
Celestial Venerable Huang chuckled. "What do you all think of the Great Dao rules in the Source of the Dao?"
Celestial Venerable Mo said calmly, "The rules are incomplete, defective! Even the River of Time in the Upper Realm is actually incomplete! If my guess is correct, the River of Time here might resemble the Dead Spirit Dao, and the rules born within it are similar to the Heavenly King Daos of the dead spirit realm... They possess upper limits and contain flaws..."
Celestial Venerable Huang nodded slightly. "Indeed, I feel the same. The rapid suppression and slaying of those few individuals previously... that is a major issue! My concern is that if the Chaos race possesses more such means, many of our Quasi-Kings and Dao Integrators will be in grave trouble."
Over the years, many had integrated their Daos through external avenues, and quite a few had become Quasi-Kings.
If all of them were rendered ineffective... that would be disastrous.
They looked toward Marquis Tianming, and Celestial Venerable Mo asked with a smile, "Brother Tianming, do you have any good insights?"
Marquis Tianming replied softly, "Suppressing those Dao friends who altered their Daos to attain their realms is likely not something just any method can accomplish! The group that attacked Seal Mountain previously must have possessed something exceptional. One of them had likely opened the Heavenly Gate... It may have been the influence of that person's Heavenly Gate that suppressed their Great Dao power! How could ordinary cultivators suppress an avenue when they cannot even perceive the Great Dao clearly?"
At these words, several of them grew pensive. Celestial Venerable Mo nodded. "Before Seal Mountain was attacked, I indeed sensed someone spying on me. To spy on me... it likely was indeed due to the Heavenly Gate."
"Opening the Heavenly Gate... an unprecedented monster!"
The group sighed with emotion. "Did that fellow truly die?"
Someone glanced toward Celestial Venerable Mo and Celestial Venerable Yue. Celestial Venerable Yue said softly, "Hard to say. A monster of that caliber might not perish so easily! Whether this individual hails from the Chaos race or the Fire-Passing lineage remains uncertain! In short, everyone should exercise extra caution. Furthermore, the Chaos race ventured out of the mountains to assault the Nether race this time, unhesitatingly exposing their existence entirely... I suspect the Fire-Passing lineage truly exists! That group who attacked last time might genuinely have come from the Lower Realm!"
He continued, "These two sides are likely at odds with one another! A conflict between them is actually a good thing; both sides have forced each other into the open. Otherwise, we might still be kept in the dark!"
At this point, he gave a self-deprecating smile. "The human race's foundation is endless. Kill one batch, and another emerges—they cannot be exterminated! Truthfully, after killing for so many years, one grows weary. Yet... having reached this stage, there is no longer any room for reconciliation! And this time, the Chaos lineage dared to strike... I surmise their faction's strength cannot be weak. To act with such boldness despite knowing we were about to move against Mount Chaos... their might is evidently formidable! After accumulating for a hundred thousand years, how strong they have become is something even you and I can hardly fathom!"
The Celestial Venerables shared a moment of wistful solemnity.
"I hope some Dao friends still remain in the Source of the Dao!"
Celestial Venerable Huang remarked with feeling: "There should still be some. Once they reach their limits, they can only seal themselves away to avoid bursting from excess energy! However, with major battles looming ahead, there is no need to fear an overabundance of rule power causing them to explode... They ought to appear. If they don't emerge soon, they might die without ever knowing why!"
There were bound to be dormant figures within the Source of the Dao.
Celestial Venerable Mo smiled. "First, let us shift Human Mountain over, and then we will head to the depths of the Source of the Dao to sweep it clean, place by place! The Source of the Dao is a treasure land, but... now that the Heavenly Gate can suppress its Daos, the significance of this treasure land has diminished considerably! Even if destroyed, it wouldn't be much of a loss!"
"If we can sweep out a few old human fossils along the way, that would be a fine outcome as well!"
Several of them chuckled and resumed heaving the colossal Human Mountain.
Across the Upper Realm, beings looked up one after another to see a cohort of supreme figures bearing an immensely towering mountain, flying toward the far west.
It required all six Celestial Venerables to move that giant mountain, and even then, their progress was far from rapid.
For a Celestial Venerable travelling alone to reach the far west, it took merely a minute or two to cross tens of millions of li at full speed.
Yet now, at their present pace, it would take five or six days to haul the mountain across. Human Mountain was incomparably heavy; carrying it for a while exhausted even the Celestial Venerables, forcing them to take turns resting before resuming the effort.
...
Inside Mount Chaos.
Within the cavern.
Yu Xi and her group had already returned. Yue Hao's brow furrowed suddenly, though it smoothed out just as quickly as he said indifferently, "It seems we ended up playing into the hands of the three dominant races!"
Everyone looked toward him.
Yue Hao said softly, "The three dominant races have begun relocating Human Mountain. They intend to gather all races at Human Mountain, concentrating them in a single place to reforge the Alliance of All Races!"
At these words, several expressions shifted slightly. "All races gathering together?"
"Yes."
Yue Hao nodded.
The elderly woman said in a deep voice, "Then why don't we seize this opportunity to launch a surprise attack and disrupt their alliance..."
"No."
Yue Hao shook his head. "Doing so would require us to leave Mount Chaos. The myriad races are on guard now. Setting aside what we might achieve, stepping outside Mount Chaos means abandoning our home-field advantage! Losing that advantage means that even if we could overcome the myriad races, we would suffer grievous casualties! The Fire-Passing lineage has yet to show itself. If we wage a fight to the death with the myriad races and take severe losses, the Fire-Passing lineage will reap all the rewards!"
If there were only two factions, a decisive battle could erupt at any moment.
Now, they could not afford it.
There was a third party lurking!
The others felt equally exasperated and incensed. That Fire-Passing lineage was an insufferable agitator!
Without that faction, their present predicament would never have been this vexing.
Yue Hao sighed, but soon chuckled. "The assembly of the myriad races is a bad thing, yet also a good thing! The downside is that surprise raids will no longer work, as their concentrated forces will be far more formidable. The upside is that with the myriad races gathered in one place, every move will unfold right before our eyes, and any concealed forces will soon be exposed!"
He added calmly, "The myriad races have decided to sweep the Upper Realm—splendid! Let those scheming vermin in the shadows be dragged into the light! There is no need to interfere. Do not go outside recently, and do not ambuscade experts of the myriad races... Just let them sweep. Let them sweep with peace of mind and scour the entire Upper Realm flat!"
Flushing out every hidden individual was something he wished to see as well!
Yue Hao said in a low voice, "The Upper Realm has persisted for over a hundred thousand years. Just how many people remain concealed in the dark? Did the ancient races that perished back then truly leave no experts behind? Have formidable ancient races like the Soul race, the Gnomes, the Skeletons, the Asuras... truly been extinguished entirely?"
In antiquity, powerful races stood in great numbers.
That era was the true battleground of myriad races!
Some ancient races possessed immense power, yet with the passage of time, they had long vanished into the currents of history.
Had those races truly been wiped out completely?
Were there any surviving powerhouses?
No one knew for certain.
Perhaps they hid within the Upper Realm, in the Source of the Dao, or inside the various perilous zones.
Yue Hao fully supported the myriad races sweeping the Upper Realm.
Taking a deep breath, he said, "Therefore, we wait! Perhaps unexpected variables will emerge. During their sweep, major upheavals might occur that force those hidden, presumed-dead beings to show themselves. I, too, wish to see how many people have faked their deaths to escape over the past hundred thousand years!"
The others looked at him and nodded slightly.
A heavy atmosphere lingered.
Indeed, over a hundred thousand years had passed. The Upper Realm contained many hazardous zones, and aside from experts of various races hiding within them, the perilous zones themselves nurtured native life. Who knew if top-tier beings might suddenly emerge in the days to come?
...
While the others waited for the sweep to unfold, Su Yu and his companions arrived at the domain of the Ancient Space Beast race.
Outside the daochang.
Su Yu and his companions saw that the Ancient Space Beast race was also preparing to migrate.
There were not many daochangs—only three.
However, when Su Yu briefly opened his Heavenly Gate to inspect them, he counted five Dao Integrators. Given that at least one remained in the west, that meant the race possessed at least six Dao Integrators.
A daochang truly did not represent everything.
Certain Dao Integrators never established one at all.
The Ancient Space Beast expert who had assisted Celestial Venerable Ming back at Human Mountain was currently inside the daochang.
Nearby, Wu Yue, who was among those set to withdraw, had accompanied them. He sent a mental transmission: "The current patriarch of the Ancient Space Beast race in the Upper Realm is Marquis Liekong!"
"Marquis Liekong's strength is formidable; he is said to have reached the Quasi-King realm. Moreover, as an Ancient Space Beast, his attainments in the Dao of Space are profound! Even for a Celestial Venerable, killing him would be no easy feat."
He could teleport away at any moment!
Su Yu nodded slightly.
During his previous ascent to the Upper Realm, he had actually brought along an expert from the Ancient Space Beast race, Kongkong.
Kongkong was not present here, but Su Yu knew he was nearby.
Whether to wait until the Ancient Space Beast race migrated away before searching for the spatial teleportation portal, or to approach Liekong directly now, left Su Yu somewhat hesitant.
The Lower Realm could not speak for the Upper Realm!
Just because the Ancient Space Beasts in the Lower Realm cooperated did not mean their Upper Realm counterparts were willing to do the same. If that were the case, Su Yu would have roped in Marquis Tianming long ago.
Su Yu closed his eyes in contemplation.
The Ancient Space Beast race was about to migrate. Waiting for them to depart before quietly searching for the teleportation portal might be the safest course, but he feared potential complications. Where did the portal lead inside Mount Chaos?
It was not impossible that they had set up safeguards to detonate the portal if activated by anyone other than an Ancient Space Beast.
With six Dao Integrators, this race was far from weak, especially with Marquis Liekong wielding Heavenly King–level combat power.
Su Yu looked toward King Dazhou. "How did the Ancient Space Beast race conduct themselves across the previous nine tides?"
"They leaned toward neutrality!"
King Dazhou said in a low voice, "Because their race specializes in the Dao of Space, neither the myriad races nor the humans wished to antagonize them, as they are notoriously troublesome to handle! Since they leaned toward neutrality, the other races mostly left them alone."
Leaning toward neutrality!
"Do you think we should negotiate with them now, or wait until they leave and search for the portal in secret?"
The others exchanged glances. Wan Tiansheng pondered for a moment and said, "Our current strength is respectable, but still insufficient! If we can win them over, that is naturally the best path. The Lower Realm's Ancient Space Beasts have cooperated with us, which provides a good foundation..."
He favored negotiation!
King Dazhou, however, murmured, "My fear is that they might turn around and sell us out!"
"If they feign cooperation, leak our location to the myriad races, or if the opposite end of the portal leads straight into the vicinity of the Prison King's lineage... that would spell immense trouble for us!"
Wan Tiansheng nodded. "That is true. But if we tamper with their portal, would they truly remain unaware? Once they notice, or if they cannot confirm who did it, they might proactively alert the three dominant races, which would be even more perilous!"
He added, "Furthermore, is this teleportation portal... truly fixed in place, or can they carry it with them?"
Wan Tiansheng said softly, "King Dazhou is also skilled in the Dao of Space. Anchoring a spatial teleportation portal so it can be carried along isn't out of the question, is it?"
King Dazhou sighed and nodded. "That possibility does exist!"
In that case, this entire trip would have been in vain.
Su Yu remained silent for a moment before sending a transmission to Wu Yue: "Inform Marquis Juzhu to locate Kongkong first and bring him here! We can still negotiate with the Ancient Space Beasts. If they truly betray us... so be it. Our existence is hardly a complete secret anymore; both the myriad races and the Prison King's lineage know a third party exists."
Wu Yue offered no objection and swiftly sent a message to Marquis Juzhu.
...
After waiting in place for a short while, Su Yu sensed Marquis Juzhu's aura in the distance, which flashed briefly and vanished without lingering.
Moments later, Kongkong flew over.
This former Yellow Armor Elder had successfully attained the Dao in the Star Residence Mansion.
Over this period, he had made progress, though not drastically.
To Su Yu's perception, his aura hovered around the fifth stage of Eternity.
That was considered fast, but Kongkong had originally ranked near the top of the Dao Attainment Chart and had already possessed combat power comparable to an Eternal. After attaining the Dao, he had possessed strength around the fourth stage of Eternity, so over all these days, he had advanced only marginally. Comparatively speaking, his progress was genuinely slow.
Seeing Su Yu and the others, Kongkong was inwardly shaken.
So many people?
Did this mean Su Yu had descended to the Lower Realm to gather reinforcements once more?
He looked ahead, his gaze shifting slightly. He knew where this was.
The territory of the Ancient Space Beast race!
"Emperor Yu!"
"My lords!"
Kongkong bowed slightly. Everyone present was a powerhouse, each exuding an aura that felt suffocating to him, even more formidable than the Beast Emperor back home!
Kongkong was thoroughly astonished. How did it feel as though every one of them had advanced so significantly?
Could people still improve this rapidly after reaching the Dao Integration realm?
Su Yu looked at him for a long while before speaking: "Kongkong, you and I are old acquaintances who knew each other back in the Hunting Heaven Pavilion. Let me ask you: are you confident you can persuade Marquis Liekong? Speak frankly, without beating around the bush!"
Kongkong frowned, eventually shaking his head after a pause. "I cannot be certain! At best... I can ensure the Ancient Space Beast race remains neutral!"
Kongkong said solemnly, "Emperor Yu, rest assured: even if I cannot persuade Marquis Liekong to join our side, our race's foundation remains in the Lower Realm. Unless Marquis Liekong wishes for the Lower Realm's Ancient Space Beasts to be wiped out, he will never betray us even if he refuses to support us. He will simply pretend to know nothing!"
"Our Ancient Space Beast race is small in number. I know how many reside in the Upper Realm—fewer than five hundred. There are slightly more in the Lower Realm... Moreover, Lord Beast Emperor in the Lower Realm shares a very close connection with Marquis Liekong. He will not betray us."
"Father and son?"
Su Yu inquired. Ties between the Upper and Lower Realms were typically close, often along the lines of parent and child or direct lineage succession.
"No..."
Kongkong looked at him with an odd expression, only saying after a pause, "Well... they are Dao companions! Marquis Liekong is a female space beast... Did Emperor Yu not know?"
"..."
Su Yu was left speechless.
Really?
He had seen Marquis Liekong before and had sensed nothing of the sort.
You're telling me she's female?
Kongkong looked somewhat awkward as well. "It is normal for Emperor Yu not to know. Ancient Space Beasts... well, for most races, when manifested in their true forms, distinguishing male from female is quite difficult!"
He had provided Su Yu with a graceful way out.
Su Yu was at a loss for words.
After a moment, unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "Wu Yue, Kongkong, in your eyes, is it easy to distinguish human men from women? Or do they all look identical?"
"..."
Wu Yue grinned sheepishly, while Kongkong chuckled and said, "Humans are actually easy to distinguish because all races consider taking human form an honor! The human race is uniquely endowed by nature; the Gods, Demons, Immortals, Humans, and Nethers... the powerhouse races are almost all humanoid! Even the Giant race and Destiny race..."
Kongkong sighed with emotion. "Therefore, humanoid forms are commonplace throughout the myriad realms. Even within the territories of major races, one frequently sees experts assuming human forms, and some even live and cultivate in humanoid shape permanently! As a result, human characteristics are remarkably easy to tell apart!"
That was because the myriad races took the human form as the standard.
There was no helping it; the strongest races were all humanoid.
Su Yu fell into deep contemplation, speaking only after a long silence: "Hearing you say that makes me wonder: could it be that humans, Gods, Demons, and Immortals all shared a single origin at the very beginning?"
That was impossible to verify, as it required tracing back to archaic antiquity or even the era of heaven-opening!
In any case, by the archaic era, distinct races had already emerged, along with Gods, Demons, and Immortals.
Su Yu did not dwell on it. What did it matter even if they shared an origin?
The Archaic Giant race was said to have originated as a branch of humanity.
The Destiny race and Tianyuan race had split during antiquity, originally stemming from a single branch as well.
The Prison King's lineage was an authentic offshoot of humanity, yet what difference did that make?
Enemies remained enemies.
Su Yu pushed the thought aside and said quickly, "Go arrange a meeting with Marquis Liekong. I won't enter the Ancient Space Beast race's grounds; I'll wait for her here!"
Kongkong said solemnly, "Very well. For this ascent, I brought along Lord Beast Emperor's token of trust... Please wait here, Emperor Yu. I believe Marquis Liekong should be willing to meet!"
Su Yu nodded slightly.
Moments later, Kongkong vanished.
...
Inside the Ancient Space Beast daochang.
Marquis Liekong was currently organizing the migration.
Once the arrangements were settled, she dismissed the other Dao Integrators and unleashed several streams of rule power. Soon, behind her throne, a small spatial doorway appeared.
Marquis Liekong stepped through. Had Su Yu witnessed what lay beyond, he would have been thoroughly astonished.
The compact space was laid out like a labyrinth.
Within this maze, numerous portals stood arrayed before her eyes.
Assuming human form, Marquis Liekong was indeed a woman who looked somewhat weary. She inspected her surroundings, gazing at the sea of spatial teleportation portals, and let out a sigh of mixed emotions.
These were the accumulated foundation of the Ancient Space Beast race gathered over countless ages.
Every single portal led to a secret realm or a perilous zone, representing a path to survival.
Naturally, it was best if they never had to use them!
Yet now, facing relocation to Human Mountain, should she take these along or leave them behind?
Attempting to move them would easily draw notice.
Most of these spatial corridors were fixed in place; creating a mobile corridor required an immense price, and not every spatial portal could be shifted.
"Over a hundred thousand years... leaving behind only these. Several Dao Integrators paid a colossal price for this, draining themselves entirely before perishing here... Must we abandon them now?"
She was deeply reluctant!
These portals formed her race's true reservoir of strength.
To scout those perilous lands and secure a safe sanctuary to which they could retreat, the Ancient Space Beasts had indeed paid an exorbitant toll.
The Iron Eater race possessed few Dao Integrators because they had been suppressed.
The Ancient Space Beast race possessed few Dao Integrators because many had fallen—even while maintaining neutrality, a great number had died, predominantly in the effort to establish these spatial channels.
Soon, Marquis Liekong turned her gaze toward a particularly massive portal.
This portal had demanded an even steeper price.
It connected directly to the inner region of Mount Chaos!
The previous Quasi-King of the Ancient Space Beast race had smuggled himself into Mount Chaos repeatedly in secret to forge it!
Marquis Liekong had told no one about it, remaining silent even as the myriad races prepared to besiege Mount Chaos.
Otherwise, the myriad races could bypass the perils of the outer region entirely and strike straight into the inner depths, even executing a pincer attack to encircle the Chaos lineage and strike from behind at a pivotal moment!
"The three dominant races are up to no good, and the Chaos race is no better..."
Marquis Liekong muttered. Neither side was decent, so why should she expose her race's trump card?
If a dominant race moved against the Ancient Space Beasts in the future, they would prepare accordingly, which would amount to cutting off her own race's avenue of escape.
At this moment, Marquis Liekong contemplated whether she should secretly send away some of the younger members of her race. However... without Dao Integrator escorts, sending one or two Eternals was manageable, but if Dao Integrators departed, the myriad races would certainly detect it!
And in the perilous zones of the Upper Realm, venturing forth without a Dao Integrator protector was practically suicide!
"I wonder how things are in the Lower Realm."
Marquis Liekong sighed inwardly once more, wondering whether that old fellow in the Lower Realm had led their kin down a dead end.
"The Fire-Passing lineage has emerged in the Lower Realm with formidable strength. The old fellow hasn't even reached the peak of Dao Integration and lacks sufficient power... If he stood against humanity, the danger would be immense! Yet aligning with humanity to oppose Tiangu and the others is equally perilous..."
Her thoughts drifted, recalling how their race had paid an unimaginable price in an attempt to open a spatial portal to the Lower Realm back then, only to fail repeatedly and lose several Dao Integrators in the process, filling her with wistfulness.
Otherwise, maintaining contact between the realms would not be this arduous.
Everything relied on guesswork!
Just as she was pondering this, her expression suddenly shifted. She hastily retreated from the labyrinth, rapidly unleashing streams of rule power to seal the maze completely. After a wave of spatial ripples, the entire labyrinth vanished without a trace!
Her eyes turned sharp and cold as she traversed space, disappearing from the spot in the blink of an eye without causing the slightest disturbance.
...
Inside an ancient city within the space beast daochang.
Marquis Liekong materialized instantly, looking at the old man before her... Well, in her eyes, he was merely a young Ancient Space Beast.
Her face altered slightly. "You came from the Lower Realm?"
Kongkong bowed. "Kongkong of the Lower Realm pays respects to Marquis Liekong."
Seeing the small seal in his hand, Marquis Liekong's expression shifted again. With a swift flick of her sleeve across the void, she and Kongkong reappeared inside the grand hall from earlier, producing no spatial ripples whatsoever.
Her expression shifted erratically as she looked at him, asking after a long pause, "Did you submit to humanity in the Lower Realm?"
Kongkong nodded.
Marquis Liekong had already guessed as much. His presence here meant he had ascended alongside human powerhouses; without submitting, how could the humans have brought him along?
She drew a deep breath, feeling an undercurrent of unease. "Why lean toward humanity? Our race has always remained neutral!"
Kongkong said in a deep voice, "A new sovereign has risen among humanity! The recent incidents in the Upper Realm were all orchestrated by this new sovereign! He has already achieved unification in the Lower Realm, subduing all living beings! Tiangu and the others are mere lambs awaiting slaughter! It is only out of concern over the Upper Realm's passage opening that he has refrained from destroying them, merely forcing them to seal themselves within their realms!"
"A new sovereign?"
Marquis Liekong's face changed. "A sovereign?"
"Yes, not merely a Human Ruler!"
Kongkong said solemnly, "Before I departed, Lord Beast Emperor instructed me that if I met Marquis Liekong, I must inform you that even if our race does not ally with the new sovereign, we must never make an enemy of him! The new sovereign's rise is unprecedented in speed! Lord Beast Emperor said... he saw the shadow of a second Human Sovereign!"
Marquis Liekong inhaled sharply. "Did the old fellow truly say that?"
"Yes."
Marquis Liekong fell silent for a moment. "Did the new sovereign send you here?"
"Yes, he wishes to meet you..."
"For... the teleportation portals?"
As if realizing something, Marquis Liekong's expression shifted. The moment the myriad races decided on a sweep, this new sovereign learned the news; moreover, he had come straight to the Ancient Space Beast race, clearly targeting those portals!
Who had told him?
Who knew about this?
Kongkong remained silent.
Marquis Liekong said in a heavy voice, "Besides our race, who else submitted to him in the Lower Realm?"
"The Destiny race, the Hou race, the Iron Eater race... all have submitted!"
"The Destiny race?"
Marquis Liekong's eyes widened. "Wuming submitted to him?"
"Yes!"
This time, Marquis Liekong could no longer sit still. "The Destiny race is so cunning and treacherous, yet they... submitted to him?"
Her expression fluctuated repeatedly before she asked, "Where is he?"
"Just outside the daochang."
Her face cycled through several emotions before she said, "Quickly, tell me everything you know so I can make an assessment!"
"Understood!"
Kongkong swiftly transmitted his thoughts via willpower, conveying everything he knew to Marquis Liekong.
Her expression shifted continuously as she listened.
A youthful new sovereign!
Subduing the masses of the Lower Realm, fighting his way from below to the Upper Realm, and immediately stirring massive waves here.
He had even unified the Dead Spirit Realm!
He was ushering in another golden era for humanity since antiquity.
Absorbing the intelligence, she eventually said in a grave voice, "I will go meet him..."
Looking at Kongkong, she added, "Come with me!"
"Understood!"
Without another word, Marquis Liekong caused space to ripple, vanishing instantly.
Moments later, bringing Kongkong along, she appeared before Su Yu and his companions.
At that exact instant, Marquis Liekong suddenly gripped Kongkong by the throat.
*I'll kill you!*
*Fuck!*
Didn't you say there was only one Quasi-King?
You blind, idiotic fool!
This is one?
As far as the eye could see, the entire front row was full of fucking Quasi-Kings!
For a moment, she genuinely wanted to throttle Kongkong to death!
Are you blind?!
This is what you called just a single Quasi-King?
Bastard!
Not only were there Quasi-Kings, but there were also numerous top-tier Dao Integrators. With such strength, if they launched a surprise raid on the Ancient Space Beast race, her people might be wiped out before they could even react!
Marquis Liekong felt a wave of sheer dread.
She had assumed there was only one Quasi-King, meaning that even if she were outmatched, she wouldn't lose, given her supreme mastery over spatial teleportation.
Yet now... he had almost gotten her killed!
Marquis Liekong choked Kongkong until his eyes rolled back, while Kongkong wore an expression of total helplessness and gloom.
*What happened?*
*I didn't do anything!*
Chapter 746