Deliberations on Mount Ren

Mount Ren. Perhaps at this moment it ought to be called Mount Myriad Races. Su Yu had no particular thoughts on the matter; a name was just a name. It had been eight days since the conclusion of the second council of the myriad races. Over those eight days, the Iron Eater race had arrived at Mount Ren. Only now could it truly be considered a sea of people—a literal mountain of living beings. In truth, the Upper Realm was not as vast as the myriad realms below. This was normal enough; the Upper Realm was merely an incomplete heaven, a creation left half-finished. Though deemed the Upper Realm, its rules were not as consummate as those of the lower realm, nor was its territory as expansive. Aside from having denser rule power and being a bit more untamed, the Upper Realm really had little else to recommend it. Moreover, all inhabitants of the Upper Realm had originated from the lower realm. In the beginning, there were only powerful experts, and formidable cultivators naturally reproduced slowly. Over the span of a hundred thousand years, the total population of living beings in the Upper Realm had never grown especially large. Yet even if their numbers were limited, that had been when they were dispersed across the land. Gathered here today, their multitude was staggering beyond imagination. Several races that had already gone extinct in the lower realm now appeared here. Their numbers were sparse, yet they still endured in the Upper Realm. Su Yu mused that the Upper Realm could practically serve as an endangered species sanctuary. Most races wiped out below could still be seen up here. The dragon race alone numbered over a million in the Upper Realm. As for the three major races—the gods, demons, and immortals—their populations were even greater, likely numbering in the tens of millions. While still far fewer than in the lower realm, with the experts of the three great races migrating over alongside the multitudes of other races, Su Yu's quick sweep of Mount Ren suggested there were truly fifty to sixty million living beings gathered here. The three major races accounted for half! That was hardly surprising. With abundant resources, immense strength, vast territories, and a fairly high birth rate, it was only natural that the three major races comprised half the Upper Realm's population after all these years. Fifty or sixty million was fewer than the population of a single small realm down below, but in the Upper Realm, it was a tremendous sum. With rich Yuan Qi and a sparse population, nearly everyone in the Upper Realm started at the Soaring Realm or higher from childhood, newborn infants aside. Their overall strength was a full tier above that of the lower realm. ... "So many living beings!" Among the Iron Eater clan, several iron-eating beasts stared with eyes practically popping out of their sockets. Every single one looked like a bumpkin fresh from the country! Well, truth be told, nearly every race apart from the three major clans bore the demeanor of unsophisticated hicks, gaping about naively. It was likely their first time laying eyes on so many beings at once—they were everywhere, too numerous to count. Su Yu could not help feeling an urge to laugh. The Upper Realm... how should one put it? While its denizens had witnessed plenty of high-end martial might, in every other respect it was truly inferior to the lower realm. Down below, a major clash routinely involved millions or tens of millions of soldiers slaughtering each other. On the human side, a single major prefecture fielded an army exceeding one million, and that was on the modest side. The human race's standing army had once exceeded thirty million, approaching fifty million at its peak. Even that was not the largest army among the races. The most numerous was naturally the Fire Pig race; they bred in litters every year. As pure cannon fodder, the Fire Pig race could churn out an army tens of millions strong annually. Without regular attrition, the Fire Pig Realm would not even have had room to house them all. In the Upper Realm, however, the dao arenas of each race were separated by vast distances. Usually, everyone stayed within their own dao arena, and the weak rarely ventured outside. Consequently, many Upper Realm beings, prior to reaching the Sun Moon Realm, were just like Marquis Dingjun's daughter—they might spend their entire lives never stepping beyond their clan's dao arena. For certain clans numbering only three to five thousand, a member might never see anyone other than those few thousand kin. This grand gathering of the myriad races was truly eye-opening for them. And not just the Iron Eaters—who were considered a major race. The smaller, sparsely populated clans were even more overwhelmed. Young beings from those minor races were dazzled, feeling they had never seen so many living creatures or so many distinct races in their lives. They had heard of races outside their own, but had never laid eyes on them. "Are those the Iron Eaters? Look at those huge black rings around their eyes! Did they not get enough sleep?" Standing atop a bamboo mountain, Su Yu listened to the murmurs of the surrounding creatures. He was somewhat speechless. What kind of logic was that? Who said dark eye circles meant sleep deprivation? Naturally, he was also observing the ascending minor races with curious amusement. Beside him stood Marquis Juzhu and Si Yue. Su Yu looked in one direction and spotted a pack of gigantic beasts. They were not numerous, but their bodies were colossal, giving Su Yu the impression that each was comparable in size to a top-tier dragon in its true form. He glanced over and asked curiously, "What race is that?" He was genuinely curious; he had never seen them before! Marquis Juzhu glanced over and chuckled. "Giant Void Beasts. Despite their size, their combat power is negligible! Their bellies are hollow, so they can serve as mobile palaces or encampments. Back in antiquity, they were seen everywhere, used to transport supplies. Later, when storage rings came along, their utility plummeted. Once the laws of space were developed, the race gradually declined. But during antiquity, they were exceedingly numerous!" Su Yu nodded, then turned his gaze toward another direction. "What about over there?" Over there, a flock of enormous birds flew through the air, but each bird possessed nine heads! "Nine-Headed Birds. That clan is quite formidable. Wiped out in the lower realm, they still endure up here. They're exceptionally ferocious, classified as vicious beasts. Their lower realm branch was destroyed during the Third Tide, led by Yue Gang. The race has a penchant for devouring corpses, and back then they swallowed quite a few human corpses, drawing human wrath... In the Upper Realm, they still have a quasi-king." Right at that moment, among the flock of Nine-Headed Birds, an enormous specimen suddenly turned all nine heads in their direction. Seeming to sense that Su Yu and the others were watching, a ferocious gleam shone in its eighteen eyes. All nine beaks opened at once: "Juzhu, it's been ages since I tasted the corpses of your kin. When are you sending some over to this seat...?" Marquis Juzhu gave a naive chuckle and smiled. "You want to eat corpses?" Before the words had even faded, a colossal bamboo reaching into the heavens slammed down! Boom! A deafening roar resounded through heaven and earth. Of the Nine-Headed Bird's nine heads, some spewed fire, some spat water, and some unleashed a deluge of flying swords—yet a single sweep of the bamboo pole obliterated it all! Boom! With a violent crack, one of the massive heads was smashed to bits by the bamboo pole. Despite his bulky frame, Marquis Juzhu moved with blistering speed. He stepped through the void, bursting across space to close in on the Nine-Headed Bird, a guileless grin on his face. "Eat! Grab your weapons, clansmen, exterminate this race! Our Iron Eater clan is one of the five major races, a decision-maker of the council! Provoking our Iron Eater clan is provoking all five major races!" With that roar, tens of thousands of iron-eating beasts suddenly brandished massive bamboo canes. With rumbling thunder, they abandoned the bamboo mountain and charged toward the birds! Marquis Juzhu continued shouting at the top of his lungs, "Kill! The Nine-Headed Birds have betrayed the myriad races and allied with the humans! They seek to murder one of the decision-making races of the Myriad Races Council while our clan's Celestial Venerable San Yue is still fighting in the Dao Origin Land! This is open rebellion!" "..." Behind him, Su Yu was briefly stunned. You can do that? You big fat panda with your thick brows and big eyes, you know how to pull this trick too? Of course, that did not stop him from joining in the commotion. In the next instant, golden light flared across Su Yu's body—seventy-two cast body tempering, the hallmark of the Iron Eater clan! Boom! He rampaged ahead! Su Yu plowed through dozens of Nine-Headed Birds along the way, sending them flying with their bodies bursting apart and blood splattering everywhere. "Stop!" A furious roar bellowed forth. Ahead on Mount Ren, several figures tore through the air. Marquis Yuansheng arrived with a dark expression, bellowing, "Insolence!" Marquis Juzhu shouted right along with him: "Insolence! Did you hear that? What gall, defying the five major races and treating us with utter contempt! At this rate, how can anyone count on you to attack Mount Chaos? You refuse to obey the orders of the five major races! This is rebellion!" "..." Marquis Yuansheng's expression flickered slightly. Over on the other side, the Nine-Headed Bird, having had three heads bashed in, hastily retreated and assumed human form. A middle-aged man with sinister, brooding eyes emerged, glaring at Marquis Juzhu with a ghastly expression. "Marquis Yuansheng... Juzhu, he—" "Enough!" Marquis Yuansheng cut him off with a frigid bark, then turned to Marquis Juzhu and said solemnly, "Juzhu, now that the Iron Eater clan has arrived, make haste and find a place to encamp. Mount Myriad Races is currently divided into eighteen tiers. Of the top three tiers, the first is reserved for the Myriad Races Council, while you may choose anywhere on the second or third tier to set up camp." The entirety of Mount Ren had been terraced into levels like a tiered cake, an arrangement originally devised by the human race in antiquity. Experts of differing strength resided on different tiers, preventing the weak from sharing a tier with the strong and being outcompeted even for cultivation resources. Seeing Marquis Yuansheng attempt to smooth things over, Marquis Juzhu smiled naively. "Very well, I shall go pick a spot shortly! Oh, right, how shall Marquis Nine Birds be punished for provoking the five major races and insulting the council? Since the myriad races have formed an alliance, there must be established rules. We cannot proceed without order, or what is the point of having decision-making races? "Marquis Yuansheng, don't you think I have a point?" Marquis Juzhu wore an innocent grin. This fat cat was no saint to begin with; otherwise, he would never have suggested Su Yu assassinate three Dao Integration experts. Right now, he was seizing the pretext to make a scene, indifferent to whether Marquis Yuansheng wanted to mediate! No matter what, his goal was to cause trouble! He needed to cement the Iron Eater clan's standing as one of the five races wielding supreme authority—not cannon fodder. If they were to take part, they would do so as leaders; even if they could not be the supreme leader, they would never be subordinates. Otherwise, with the Iron Eater clan's modest numbers, they would easily be expended. Having just arrived, Marquis Juzhu had not yet figured out how to pick a fight, but this Nine-Headed Bird just had to give him a provocative look, didn't he? Naturally, the bird was not actually named Marquis Nine Birds. Marquis Yuansheng frowned slightly and asked, "Marquis Jiujue, what happened?" The Nine-Headed Bird's face twisted into an ugly grimace. "Marquis Yuansheng, he deliberately picked a quarrel..." Marquis Juzhu said naively, "Nonsense! Everyone heard it—you said you wanted to kill my clansmen and feast on their corpses! Are you denying it?" Marquis Jiujue's face darkened further. "You deliberately targeted this seat with your aura! That was the only reason this seat spoke those words..." "Utter drivel!" Marquis Juzhu flatly denied it. "I just arrived and was merely glancing around. How could I have targeted you? With so many races around, why would I target you and not someone else? Who do you think you are? Marquis Yuansheng, you heard it yourself—he admitted it!" Marquis Juzhu gave a naive chuckle. "To provoke my clan! We possess a Celestial Venerable. If even a race backed by a Celestial Venerable is insulted like this, breaking our spirits, who will still bleed for the Myriad Races Council?" Marquis Yuansheng had already grasped the crux of the situation. His eyes narrowed, and after studying Marquis Juzhu for a long moment, he said calmly, "Marquis Jiujue was in the wrong first, but Marquis Juzhu has already administered punishment..." Before Marquis Juzhu could interject, he continued slowly, "How about this: in the upcoming operations, Marquis Jiujue will be assigned to the Iron Eater Vanguard Army. We are currently discussing the vanguard roster for entering Mount Chaos. As it happens, the five major races will form five vanguard armies to enter simultaneously from five directions. As one of the five races, the Iron Eaters will establish an Iron Eater Vanguard Army. Marquis Jiujue is a quasi-king expert! Normally, any of us would want him. Since he has committed an offense, he shall be placed under your command, Marquis Juzhu!" Marquis Juzhu remained silent. A vanguard army? Assigning Marquis Jiujue under his command? That hardly sounded like good news! Beside him, Marquis Jiujue's eyes shifted as something occurred to him. He hissed sinisterly, "I have no objections. Since Marquis Juzhu feels offended, I shall redeem myself through service and ensure the grand affairs of the Myriad Races Council are not jeopardized!" Marquis Juzhu curled his lip and said casually, "Never mind. I can't be bothered with such trivial matters. Si Yue, I leave this to you!" Beside him, Si Yue also chuckled naively. "Not me, I can't be bothered either. Wu Yue, you take charge!" Wu Yue was, of course, Su Yu at this moment. Su Yu put on a reluctant expression and said, "Yuan Yue..." Lan Tian mimicked their naive tone: "Not me. I've only just stepped into Dao Integration. Wu Yue, it's better if you do it!" Su Yu feigned a dazed, simpleton look. "Me in charge? That's not appropriate. I don't want to handle these things. Besides, I can't even beat Marquis Yuansheng..." Marquis Yuansheng frowned slightly. This entire clan loved playing dumb while being shrewd as foxes! Who would ever believe they were genuinely simple? So many ancient races close to humanity had been wiped out, yet the Iron Eaters remained completely intact. They judged the situation astutely and never hesitated at critical moments. In the Ninth Tide, when other races perished, the Iron Eaters took one look at the situation, decided Baizhan was arrogant and reckless, and bolted immediately. The others all died, while this clan suffered virtually no loss. It had been much the same in the Third Tide. Leaving it to Wu Yue to manage! Marquis Yuansheng frowned, then quickly said, "Wu Yue, since your clan has put you forward, then... you shall attend all subsequent council meetings of the myriad races! Currently, Tiance of the Destiny race and Lei Lie of the Giant race will also be joining the council shortly, forming a seven-race decision-making core!" The other five were the three major races, the Nether race, and the Iron Eater race. Su Yu grinned foolishly. "Everyone else seems to be a quasi-king, so wouldn't I be the weakest?" Wu Yue was merely a third-rank Dao Integration expert, bordering on second-rank, whereas Si Yue was a true second-rank Dao Integration. Compared to the others, this cultivation was indeed weak. However, if Marquis Juzhu refused to participate, he was the only Heavenly King among the Iron Eaters present. Marquis Yuansheng said impassively, "We are merely making decisions on behalf of the Heavenly Venerables. As long as the Heavenly Venerables have no objections, it will affect nothing, nor does it require much of us." He then added, "If you have nothing else to attend to, Wu Yue, we are currently holding a meeting. You may come join us." Su Yu gave an honest-looking chuckle. "Is that appropriate? Should I have my grandfather write a letter of authorization or something? Otherwise, it feels rather unofficial..." Official, my foot! Marquis Yuansheng looked at him, then at Marquis Juzhu. Marquis Juzhu scolded, "Wu Yue, if he told you to go, then go! Why all the nonsense? I'll explain things to San Yue. We need to go back and sleep, and we still have to claim our campsite. Hurry off to the meeting so we don't get sold out without even knowing it!" Su Yu chuckled naively. "All right, then." With an expression of pure, earnest loyalty, he followed behind Marquis Yuansheng, his wide eyes full of confusion as if asking, Why aren't we moving yet? Marquis Yuansheng narrowed his eyes, then soon smiled. "Let us proceed together, then." With that, he surveyed the surrounding crowds and declared flatly, "All races, encamp in an orderly fashion and follow instructions! Mount Myriad Races is vast, more than large enough to accommodate everyone. Do not incite conflicts over differences in Yuan Qi, rule density, or territory size! The pressing priority is dealing with the Chaos race, not internal strife! The myriad races possess immense power, yet in our struggles against the humans we suffered far more defeats than victories. Had the Chaos lineage not sabotaged Baizhan several millennia ago, none of you might be enjoying such good days today!" "Even a force as formidable as the human race was brought low by a single woman from the Chaos race. The alliance of the myriad races must not underestimate them!" "I trust everyone will unite as one mind and not be swayed by the provocations of ill-intentioned instigators—who may very well be hidden agents of the Chaos race!" His words were heavily loaded with hidden meaning. "Ill-intentioned instigators" and "provocations" were clearly aimed at someone. Su Yu acted as though he had heard nothing; he didn't care what was said. Soon, he followed Marquis Yuansheng up the mountain. ... At this moment, numerous experts were busy setting up formations across Mount Ren. Su Yu glanced around and saw members of the three major races stationed in every direction. He chuckled innocently and asked, "Marquis Yuansheng, what are they doing?" "Laying down a formation!" Marquis Yuansheng smiled faintly. "To ensure the safety of all races, the three major races have expended vast resources to deploy the ancient Myriad Races Formation! In bygone eras, the Myriad Races Council was enveloped by this very formation, preventing even Rulers of Rules from barging in uninvited! Of course, today cannot compare to antiquity; at most, it can halt the intrusion of quasi-kings... yet it remains far safer than before!" Marquis Yuansheng added with a smile, "Naturally, we did not inform the Iron Eater clan beforehand to spare your clan unnecessary expenditure. Besides, your clan has never specialized in formations. Fellow Daoist Wu Yue wouldn't mind, would you?" Su Yu chuckled naively. "Of course not! It is a wonderful thing, and much safer this way! The three major races have truly thought of everything. Does this mean access tokens will be distributed, and no one may enter or leave without one?" "Indeed!" Marquis Yuansheng smiled as well. "One token per person! Every entry and exit will be recorded, which also prevents traitors colluding with the Chaos race from sneaking out to pass intelligence." "Will transmissions be affected?" Su Yu asked again. Marquis Yuansheng smiled. "They will. However, there are public transmission tokens available for use at any time. Whether you use ciphers or other methods is entirely up to you, but private transmission tokens will no longer function!" "..." Su Yu was speechless. This time, the three major races were truly playing for keeps. Strict defense, ironclad control over all races. If the myriad races truly formed a unified alliance, their power remained extraordinarily formidable. So long as the three major races did not crumble and maintained their deterrence, this alliance stood a high chance of success, perhaps even reaching a historical peak. After all, the present was different from antiquity; many powerful races had already been wiped out. Within the camp of the myriad races, no one could oppose the three major clans. Previously, the dragons, phoenixes, and nether races had retained the strength to push back. But now, the dragon and nether races had suffered catastrophic losses, severely depleting their might, forcing both into quiescence, while the phoenix race stood isolated and helpless. As a result, Su Yu and Mount Chaos had inadvertently helped the three major races achieve unification. Su Yu said nothing more and continued flying upward. Along the way, noticing several unfamiliar experts, he asked, "Marquis Yuansheng, these... seem to be unfamiliar faces." "They came from the Dao Origin Land," Marquis Yuansheng replied with a smile. "We will discuss the situation in the Dao Origin Land shortly. You will learn everything in a moment, Fellow Daoist Wu Yue." "Sounds good!" ... It was the same hall as last time. Only this time, there were very few people—just seven. Marquis Yuansheng of the Immortal race, Marquis Zidian of the Demon race, Marquis Shanling of the God race, and from the Nether race, not a Heavenly King, but a second-rank Dao Integration expert. Their two Heavenly Kings had fallen during the previous battle, so the one attending was Marquis Siming. In addition, there was Su Yu, Tiance, and Lei Lie of the Giant race. Aside from Su Yu and Siming, the other five were all Heavenly Kings. Seeing Su Yu, Tiance smiled faintly, though a trace of doubt stirred in his heart. Wu Yue's destiny and fortune seemed to have surged as well. Last time it had been Si Yue, and now it was Wu Yue—had the Iron Eater clan's destiny truly skyrocketed to the point where every member benefited? Without standing on ceremony, Marquis Yuansheng gestured for everyone to take their seats and said with a smile, "Everyone is here! Our seven races currently direct the Alliance of the Myriad Races. As for Wu Yue of the Iron Eater clan, everyone knows him, so I won't introduce him further! "To resume our previous topic..." He looked toward Su Yu. "Just moments ago, we received news from the Dao Origin Land. The sweep of the Dao Origin Land is nearing its conclusion!" Marquis Yuansheng said solemnly, "Among those unearthed, over a dozen quasi-kings were swept out!" Everyone was startled! "So many?" Lei Lie asked in shock. "Over a dozen quasi-kings?" "Indeed!" Marquis Yuansheng nodded. "The Golden Crow race, the Taotie race... various races are represented! To give an example, your Giant race also has a living quasi-king: Marquis Didang of the Mountain Giants. Lei Lie, you should be familiar with him, right?" Lei Lie drew a sharp breath, his expression quickly turning joyous. "Of course! Didang is alive as well?" "Yes!" Marquis Yuansheng paid him no further heed and soon lowered his voice: "Not only quasi-kings—even Celestial Venerables have emerged!" At these words, surprised expressions crossed several faces! Even Celestial Venerable–level beings? "Even Celestial Venerables?" Marquis Siming asked in disbelief. "From which races?" "More than one, in fact!" Marquis Yuansheng said in a subtle tone, "Soon, the seven-race decision-making core may need to be adjusted! This time, three slumbering Celestial Venerables have appeared. The dragon and phoenix races truly live up to their status as ancient major races; both races actually produced a Celestial Venerable..." With an enigmatic smile, he continued, "The crux is that these two seniors, one dragon and one phoenix... were engaged in dual cultivation when Celestial Venerable Mo of the Demon race flushed them out, nearly sparking a massive battle..." A peculiar look appeared in everyone's eyes. Dual cultivation! Marquis Yuansheng smiled. "Although the dragon race suffered heavy losses, a Celestial Venerable has now emerged from their ranks, and they are in alliance with the phoenix race. Thus, their collective might is formidable, which is a good thing!" He chuckled. "The more experts, the better! The dragons and phoenixes will soon be joining our ranks." "And the third one?" several asked in quick succession. Marquis Yuansheng narrowed his eyes. "A human!" Everyone was startled. A human! "Marquis Jufu of the human race!" Marquis Yuansheng smiled. "However, he has been captured! In total, three Celestial Venerable–level beings were discovered this time. As for quasi-kings, there are thirteen in all: two from the human race, while the remaining eleven belong to various other races! "In addition, there are multiple top-tier Dao Integration experts. Across the entire Dao Origin Land, nearly forty Dao Integration experts were swept out!" Everyone was deeply shaken. That was no small number! Moreover, among those who had slumbered for countless years, few were weak. Even if they were not Heavenly Kings, they were top-tier Dao Integration experts. As for the humans, one Celestial Venerable, two Heavenly Kings, and according to Marquis Yuansheng, two top-tier Dao Integration experts—a total of five powerhouses—had been swept out, and not a single one had escaped! Then again, surrounded by multiple Celestial Venerables, escaping would have been near impossible. "Forty Dao Integration experts..." Tiance could not help remarking wistfully, "To think that so many powerhouses in the Dao Origin Land had never shown themselves. However... their lifespans must be nearly spent, right?" Marquis Yuansheng nodded slightly. "Indeed. Several are on the verge of exhausting their lifespans! But currently, the various races are gathering resources, including life-extending treasures, to stall for time and delay their demise. Perhaps they can take a step further..." He let out a sigh. "We have all arrived here. Having survived from antiquity to the present day, not only them—even our own lifespans are likely running out!" He shook his head. Back in antiquity, they had been considered young. Yet among those granted the title of marquis in antiquity, how many were truly young? If things continued this way, all of them would die of old age. The new generation would inevitably replace the old! With no hope of becoming Rulers of Rules... under ancient standards, Heavenly Kings could have instantly crossed into becoming Rulers of Rules. Celestial Venerables had never existed in antiquity, because in that era, a Celestial Venerable was already a Ruler of Rules! Soon, Marquis Zidian of the Demon race gave a faint smile. "Even if our time is short, so be it. At least we won't die tomorrow! Once the humans are completely wiped out, that may be our chance—a chance to step into the realm of Rulers of Rules in one leap!" Marquis Yuansheng chuckled. "And what if the Ruler of Rules for the Dao you and I cultivate is still alive?" "..." Instantly, the room fell silent. That... was entirely possible. If they were truly alive, unless the original Ruler of Rules was killed, it remained a dead end. Tiance said with a bitter smile, "Brother, why extinguish everyone's hope?" "True enough!" Marquis Yuansheng smiled. "I merely say this so everyone does not become overly optimistic, especially with the existence of the Chaos race, as well as the Torchbearer lineage... News from the Dao Origin Land has confirmed that the Torchbearer lineage truly exists!" His tone turned far more somber: "Furthermore, their strength is formidable! The affairs regarding the dragon race and Mount Seal were both their doing, whereas the incident with the Nether race was the work of the Chaos race. "Naturally, the Torchbearer lineage is likely residing in the lower realm now, so we can do nothing about them for the time being... We must resolve the trouble with the Chaos lineage first! "Our purpose in gathering everyone today is precisely to deliberate on this matter!" He turned to Su Yu. "Fellow Daoist Wu Yue, the others are already aware, but I shall reiterate: each of the seven races present must form a team to penetrate Mount Chaos. The outer perimeter of Mount Chaos contains hundreds of peaks, and ancient beasts at the Dao Integration level likely number in the dozens..." More than that! Su Yu knew better. Dozens? Far more! Last time, when he had scouted the thousand li radius around Mount Daoshi bordered by the Chaos Forest, he had discovered 77 peaks and 22 Dao Integration giant beasts, with three rivers and a forest left unexamined that likely harbored more—amounting to at least 26 Dao Integration beasts. And that was merely a thousand-li radius, spanning roughly two thousand li across Mount Daoshi. The entirety of Mount Chaos was vast, stretching over ten thousand li; multiplying that by five was about right! If multiplied by five... that would be truly terrifying! However, Su Yu estimated that Mount Daoshi sat in the center where the chaotic power was denser, so ancient beasts were likely more concentrated there. The flanks would probably have fewer. Even so, multiplying by three was a safe bet. There would easily be seventy to eighty ancient beasts! And that was merely the outer perimeter. An extraordinarily perilous place! From the Nether race, Marquis Siming could not help saying, "It's too dangerous. There is a problem that must be resolved: as we advance deeper, we will inevitably be attacked by ancient beasts. If this problem is left unsolved, rushing in is simply courting death!" Tiance chimed in, "Back then, Marquis Anbei of the human race dwelt there for a number of years. When he was eventually discovered, seven Dao Integration experts of the myriad races died as a result... The moment a battle breaks out there, ancient beasts are bound to converge. Unless this issue is resolved, we would have to eradicate every single ancient beast!" Yet doing so would drain too much strength. Concentrating Celestial Venerables to conduct a clean sweep was an option. However, once Celestial Venerables became bogged down in protracted battles, depleting immense amounts of energy, a sudden ambush by hostile experts would spell disaster. Celestial Venerables were not immortal or unkillable! Hence, whenever a major war broke out, the weaker forces were always sent first to probe the terrain and eliminate lesser threats. The top-tier powerhouses were reserved as decisive factors for the later stages of the war. Marquis Yuansheng smiled. "On this matter, word has also arrived from the Dao Origin Land. A solution is being pursued, and progress has already been made to shield us from the suppressing effects of Mount Chaos! We won't be assaulted by ancient beasts the moment we step inside..." "Truly?" Everyone was overjoyed. If that were truly possible, it would resolve a tremendous dilemma and spare countless lives. Su Yu cursed inwardly. Damn it, I haven't even told you how many I'd give, and you're already spreading word back here? Are you planning to cooperate? Using five human powerhouses to trade with me for these? The problem is... I don't bloody have them. Even with King Daqin and King Daxia having all their arms and legs severed, only eight formation talismans had been produced. One was left at the base, leaving only seven. Still, Celestial Venerable Ming and the others had slain several ancient beasts previously. Perhaps he could demand those corpses to craft more. Su Yu needed these formation talismans as well! Marquis Yuansheng smiled. "Truly. However... it must be kept confidential for now, and as of yet it is merely preliminary news; the specific details are still unclear." He looked at Su Yu once more. "Fellow Daoist Wu Yue, even counting the dragon and phoenix races, a nine-race alliance would form nine vanguard armies. Each race would still have to sweep a range of approximately a thousand li across Mount Chaos..." Su Yu asked naively, "Sweeping separately? Not concentrating together?" Separating increased the peril drastically! Marquis Yuansheng nodded. "Separately. Otherwise, with Mount Chaos spanning over ten thousand li and harboring countless peaks, sweeping it would prove too difficult! Our true objective is not the ancient beasts, but the Chaos lineage! There is no need to wage war at every location. As long as we discover traces of the Chaos lineage, we will concentrate our assault on a single region rather than sparking an all-out conflict across the board..." He chuckled again. "A gap of a thousand li allows for swift reinforcements! Of course, that requires everyone to maintain a comparable pace. Once someone pulls too far ahead or falls too far behind, widening the gap, nothing can be done... So everyone should exercise caution and keep in sync! "As for the inner depths and core regions, do not enter rashly." Su Yu said naively once more, "Yet I worry about being defeated piecemeal by the Chaos lineage. By dispersing, our forces are divided. If they launch a surprise attack... wouldn't it be too perilous?" He did not quite understand what these fellows were planning. Why disperse their forces? Sweeping in a concentrated mass would be far better! Marquis Yuansheng smiled faintly. "It is somewhat risky. However... if our forces are too concentrated, how would the Chaos lineage dare show themselves?" "..." Su Yu was speechless. Damn you, you're using people as live bait! Marquis Yuansheng smiled. "Hence, everyone must exercise caution. In critical moments, should danger arise, reinforcements will be dispatched immediately. We fear that if all powerhouses stay together, the enemy will continuously set traps... Furthermore, there have been recent signs of ancient beasts congregating in Mount Chaos, which is a terrible omen! "By dispersing and sweeping individual peaks, we exploit the ancient beasts' territorial instincts. This will compel gathered beasts to return to their domains rather than massing together, preventing large-scale Dao Integration battles and catastrophic casualties!" He said in a heavy voice, "One or two solitary Dao Integration ancient beasts are nothing! But twenty or thirty of them could overwhelm and slay even a Celestial Venerable! That is the true peril! As for the likes of us, even at the quasi-king realm, five or six Dao Integration beasts would be enough to surround and kill us... Therefore, preventing ancient beasts from massing together is an absolute necessity!" Su Yu asked again, "So the nine races will recruit members on their own?" "Correct!" Su Yu said, sounding helpless, "Our Iron Eater clan doesn't have many friends..." "Conscription!" Marquis Yuansheng said indifferently, "The immortals, demons, and gods will not recruit outside experts. Powerhouses of other races will all be incorporated into the respective vanguard armies. Naturally, how many you can recruit depends on your own ability! If your numbers truly fall short, we will not leave you to die. Reluctant troublemakers will be drafted and forcibly assigned—no race will be allowed to shirk their duty! They will fill the ranks of understaffed vanguard armies! "We harbor no intention of sending anyone to their deaths. Each vanguard will be staffed with roughly two quasi-kings and no fewer than ten Dao Integration experts. That way, even if ambushed by a Celestial Venerable–level powerhouse, they can put up a fight!" Su Yu pondered this. The arrangement was reasonably sound. With nine such units, even an ambush by a Celestial Venerable could be held off until reinforcements arrived. The lateral distance between two adjacent teams was only about a thousand li; genuine experts could arrive almost instantaneously, provided they met no obstructions in between—though there were countless peaks here. There were simply too many peaks in Mount Chaos! Su Yu chuckled naively. "Then wouldn't the flanks be exceptionally dangerous? Because even if reinforcements come, they can only arrive from one side. We shouldn't take the flanks; why not let the dragons and phoenixes each take one?" "..." Everyone looked at him with profound expressions. Wu Yue, you look simple and foolish, but your ideas are wicked to the core. The flanks were indeed far more perilous. A team in the center could receive aid from both flanks at any time. On the outer edges, assistance could only come from a single adjacent team; the third team would be at least three thousand li away, taking time to arrive! Marquis Yuansheng gave a light chuckle. "The flanks are actually safer. Ancient beasts are scarce there. I had originally intended to assign the Iron Eater clan to one flank. Wu Yue, think carefully: the central region harbors far more ancient beasts!" Put that way, it did make sense. Provided they suffered no ambushes, the flanks were indeed safer. Su Yu said naively, "Then let us discuss it further later. For now, the main goal is to assemble the vanguard armies, correct? May we freely recruit experts of any race?" "First look for voluntary interest, then we shall see!" Fair enough. Su Yu calculated whether he should rope in some experts on his side to avoid becoming an easy target for the Prison King lineage. The Prison King lineage was ninety-nine percent certain to launch surprise attacks! There was no reason for them not to. Once the forces were dispersed, they would be fools not to ambush them—and that might be precisely the outcome the three major races were baiting! Finally, Marquis Yuansheng added, "Furthermore... if any vanguard army suffers excessive casualties..." He looked at Su Yu, then at Tiance and the others, remarking softly, "The race that assembled it must bear responsibility! You cannot simply lead a host out, have them all perish while only you survive! If returns do not match costs, a price must be paid! "I am not targeting anyone here; I merely hope everyone can unite in earnest rather than scheming petty plots, or worse, luring rivals they dislike into death traps within Mount Chaos. That is certainly not the outcome the council desires!" Evidently, these fellows had anticipated what some might harbor in their hearts. The myriad races had grudges against one another. These disputes were ancient; everyone knew each other's dirty laundry. Su Yu and the others said nothing, choosing to wait and see. Right now, dealing with the Chaos lineage was paramount. Even Su Yu thought along these lines; there was no pressing need to deliberately kill a few experts of the myriad races at this moment. Having finished his speech, Marquis Yuansheng smiled. "That will be all for now. By the time everyone completes their preparations, the esteemed Celestial Venerables will likely have returned. By then, we may have even more powerhouses. The various perilous lands might well harbor hidden experts; who knows, we may flush out a few more Celestial Venerables and quasi-kings!" ... The crowd dispersed. Tiance walked alongside Su Yu and sent a smiling voice transmission: "Fellow Daoist Wu Yue, our two clans can take adjacent sectors to watch over one another!" Su Yu grinned naively. "Great! I'll report it to Marquis Juzhu!" Tiance smiled and said no more. After walking a short distance, he suddenly transmitted, "Little Friend Changhe mentioned he has a friend named Jiu Yue. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Wu Yue knows him?" "Jiu Yue?" Su Yu wore a blank, uncomprehending expression. "I only know of my clan's Ba Yue... Who is Jiu Yue?" Tiance studied him for a moment, chuckled, nodded, and walked away nonchalantly. Su Yu cursed inwardly: Changhe was indeed taken by you people! Old bastard, probing me like that—what is there to probe!