King Dazhou had demonstrated abundant sincerity.
After careful consideration, the Celestial Venerables realized their gains were substantial while the price asked of them was negligible. Returning a few human experts in exchange for forcing the Torchbearer lineage into open war against the Chaos lineage was an excellent bargain.
With this foundation laid, the two sides continued negotiations for a time and soon came to an agreement.
Marquis Nanxi and his companions would be released promptly.
However, Marquis Jufu would remain imprisoned until the Torchbearer lineage killed two quasi-kings and two peak Dao Integration cultivators—and he would not be freed until they also slew a Celestial Venerable.
Toward the end, the discussion turned to how the prisoners would be handed over...
At that moment, Su Yu chimed in. "You need only deliver General Xuelan and the others to the entrance of Yixian Gorge. After that, you may leave, and we will send people to receive them."
Yixian Gorge—the very place where General Yingwu had previously hidden.
The Celestial Venerables pondered whether this meant the Torchbearer lineage was based there.
Naturally, that seemed unlikely.
It was far more probable that they were relying on the hazardous terrain of Yixian Gorge to throw off any pursuit.
Heavenly Venerable Yue did not refuse. Although he dearly wished to locate the hiding place of these figures in the Upper Realm, there was no need to force the matter if it proved impossible. As long as the Torchbearer lineage was willing to strike first against the Chaos race, certain concessions could be tolerated.
At this point, Su Yu added, "Furthermore, Heavenly Venerable Yue, we would appreciate it if you could gift us the corpses of the ancient beasts you slew earlier."
Su Yu spoke with an earnest air. "To conceal our tracks, we have deliberately refrained from hunting ancient beasts to forge those talismans. If we are to take action next, we require the corpses of several ancient beasts to craft more formation talismans."
Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled faintly. "Those are Dao Integration ancient beast corpses... practically priceless treasures in their own right!"
Su Yu nodded. "They are indeed treasures. But if we cannot craft enough formation talismans, our only option will be to hunt ancient beasts ourselves. If that happens... our movements will no longer remain secret, which would only invite needless complications."
Heavenly Venerable Yue was tempted to say that exposing their movements was precisely what he desired!
It would be best if they revealed their full strength and fought the Chaos race out in the open.
However, Su Yu quickly continued, "Even if we hunted ancient beasts, we would have to do so on the perimeter. The commotion would be enormous, inevitably drawing suspicion and scrutiny from the Chaos race. They might even guess we were harvesting corpses to make formation talismans—why else would we hunt ancient beasts? By then, our plans would be thoroughly exposed!"
A complete exposure would also expose the myriad races.
After all, if the humans hunted ancient beasts without any interference from the myriad races, it would be all too easy for others to deduce that both sides were collaborating.
After weighing the thought, Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled. "Very well. We killed four ancient beasts last time; we shall gift two of them to you."
Su Yu considered this and nodded.
The deal was sealed.
Any further cooperation would have to wait until after Su Yu and his side took action.
The nine Celestial Venerables said nothing more. Once Su Yu imparted the method for arranging the formation, they swiftly departed.
...
The moment they were gone, King Dazhou and Su Yu exchanged a look without a word. Immediately, their two avatars ignited, burning away every trace of their presence until the avatars dissolved into nothingness.
Avatars were formed from divine characters, and divine characters were embryonic rules—treasures of immense value!
Yet to avoid any possibility of being tracked, both men acted ruthlessly, choosing to incinerate their own avatars on the spot.
...
Beyond Mount Daoshi, deep within the void, several pairs of eyes flickered with disappointment.
Heavenly Venerable Dao’s voice drifted out eerily: "They are exceptionally cautious, incinerating their avatars directly. It seems tracking their movements will be quite difficult!"
"Let us withdraw quickly. The nearby ancient beasts have sensed our presence. Move!"
In the blink of an eye, the Celestial Venerables vanished. Out in the void, those had been their true bodies!
Cloaking themselves briefly to evade detection by the ancient beasts was well within their capabilities.
They had arrived in their true bodies in hopes that Su Yu and his companion would do the same, intending to seize the opportunity to capture them. To their disappointment, the other party had merely sent avatars and destroyed them immediately after the exchange.
This left the Celestial Venerables feeling utterly helpless!
...
After a time, the Celestial Venerables returned to the edge of Mount Chaos and quickly regrouped.
Heavenly Venerable Dao looked toward the depths of Mount Chaos, drew a soft breath, and spoke slowly. "For now, the Torchbearer lineage appears sincere in their offer to cooperate. Of course, our collaboration is solely due to the immense might of the Chaos race, an enemy we understand very little about. Since they are willing to serve as the vanguard... let us observe the Chaos race's strength before deciding whether to continue our partnership!"
If Mount Chaos proved weak, there would be no need for collaboration.
If it proved exceedingly strong, cooperation would be indispensable.
Motian’s voice turned icy. "Are we truly going to release those humans?"
He was reluctant to let them go!
"Release them!"
Heavenly Venerable Yue replied with a radiant smile. "Two quasi-kings are formidable, but the crux of the matter is that Marquis Jufu remains in our grasp! The Torchbearer lineage will not dare act rashly. And if they attempt to kill an equivalent number of quasi-kings, they will likely pay a grievous price themselves, exposing the hidden strength of both factions and laying their true depths bare for us to see. On that merit alone, we lose nothing!"
The Celestial Venerables deliberated for a moment and soon nodded in agreement.
Heavenly Venerable Yue added, "This time, I shall deliver the prisoners to Yixian Gorge. Brother Tianming, come with me to see if you can discern anything."
Marquis Tianming remained calm and composed, nodding slightly without objection.
...
On the outer perimeter of the Dao Origin Land, Marquis Jufu and the others were held captive, awaiting their fate.
All of them felt deeply despondent.
After countless years of seclusion, they had emerged only to be captured immediately. Thus far, the Celestial Venerables had barely interacted with them, nor had they seen a single sign of other humans.
This plunged them into despair!
At this moment, they were detained in a secluded valley, surrounded on all sides by guards from the myriad races.
Marquis Jufu glanced around and transmitted his voice: "Xuelan, we must find a way to escape. Even if we have to pay a steep price, every person who gets away is a victory. Otherwise, if this continues, they will execute us sooner or later!"
Among the group, General Xuelan was not gaunt like Qirong. As a descendant of King Xue, she remained strikingly regal and peerless in grace, though her eyes held a touch of melancholy and her snow-white hair drifted gently in the breeze.
Hearing Marquis Jufu’s transmission, General Xuelan looked at him and replied via voice transmission, "How can we escape? Our cultivation is sealed; we cannot even match a weak Dao Integration expert... and there are multiple quasi-kings stationed outside..."
Irritated, Marquis Jufu quickly replied, "Relying solely on my physical body, I still possess combat strength! Though my path is not purely that of the physical body, I have tempered my flesh to an extraordinary degree!"
Physical path experts still retained considerable power even when sealed.
Baizhan, for instance, had been able to battle Celestial Venerables using his physical body alone despite being sealed.
Hearing this, the others quickly turned their gazes toward Marquis Jufu, and he began discussing an escape plan with them.
In the end, General Xuelan transmitted, "Marquis Jufu, among us, you have the greatest hope of escaping. If we truly make a break for it, everything must revolve around you. Run if you can! Do not worry about us; escaping together is simply unrealistic!"
They had reached a consensus: if an opportunity arose, Marquis Jufu should flee first.
Saving even one was better than none!
Just as their plan took shape, their expressions shifted abruptly. In the next moment, a formidable aura swept toward them.
"Celestial Venerable!"
"My Lord!"
Surrounding experts offered their greetings as the silhouettes of several Celestial Venerables materialized.
Moments later, Heavenly Venerable Yue descended into the valley and landed before them. Looking at Marquis Jufu and the others, he smiled warmly. "My friends, have these past few days treated you well?"
Marquis Jufu’s expression darkened, and he gritted his teeth. "Dog bastard, you've finally showed your face! Kill me if you want to kill me—don't think your granddaddy fears you!"
Heavenly Venerable Yue did not take offense, chuckling softly. "Moving forward, Marquis Jufu, you will likely be keeping us company for a very long time. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to meet; there is no need to rush."
With that, he turned his gaze toward General Xuelan and the others, his smile widening. "As for Xuelan and the rest of you, it may prove difficult for us to meet again after today! We are old acquaintances, yet we haven't even had the chance to reminisce!"
Marquis Jufu’s face changed. "What are you scheming?"
*Is this bastard about to execute them?*
Heavenly Venerable Yue chuckled. "Nothing much. Nanxi, come with me; I am here to send you on your way."
Marquis Jufu’s expression twisted in fury! "If you want to kill someone, kill me first! Yueshi, don't you dare think of touching them while I still breathe!"
His aura surged, his physical strength flaring as he lunged toward Heavenly Venerable Yue.
Though his Great Dao was partially sealed, his combat capability remained formidable.
Seeing his fury, Heavenly Venerable Yue offered a half-smile. "Jufu, I am not killing them; I am merely escorting them away! Rather than grieving for them, you would do better to weep for yourself!"
*What does that mean?*
Marquis Jufu glared, his eyes filled with wrath.
Heavenly Venerable Yue’s smile grew brilliant. "Jufu, someone from the human race paid a steep price to buy them back... Your cultivation is simply too formidable, and the humans cannot afford your price just yet. Thus... it seems you will have to stay here for a bit longer. Perhaps... a very, very long time!"
"..."
All of them froze.
*Sold them?*
*What is going on?*
Heavenly Venerable Yue’s tone was dripping with amusement. "Still don't understand? We captured you precisely to sell you off to certain people. It just so happens that because Jufu's cultivation is too high, the other party couldn't afford the asking price and couldn't buy him. So, Jufu, if I were you, I would worry about myself instead!"
*Who are you sticking your neck out for?*
*Do they even need you to champion them?*
*These people are about to be escorted out and set free; you are the only one genuinely imprisoned. Have you no self-awareness?*
Marquis Jufu was stunned, staring in disbelief with a strange look in his eyes. "You... you say you sold Xuelan and the others? To whom? The humans... the human race hasn't been wiped out yet?"
Heavenly Venerable Yue chuckled softly. "Naturally not. But I won't divulge unnecessary details; Xuelan and the others will learn everything soon enough. As for you... Jufu, make yourself at home here."
Now Marquis Jufu’s expression truly soured.
Marquis Nanxi and the others wore peculiar expressions as well. General Xuelan spoke in a chilled tone: "Yueshi, do you mean to say that we will soon be free, while Jufu... cannot leave?"
"Naturally!"
Heavenly Venerable Yue chuckled pleasantly. "He has cultivated to the Celestial Venerable realm; how could we let him go so easily? Jufu, do you regret reaching the Celestial Venerable realm? Had you not broken through, perhaps you would have been escorted away alongside them!"
Marquis Jufu’s face shifted through several shades of dismay. *So because my cultivation is too high, the human side couldn't afford me?*
*What... what kind of nonsense is this?*
Heavenly Venerable Yue soon added with a laugh, "Of course, the human side didn't particularly want to buy you anyway. You are powerful and headstrong. Nowadays, Celestial Venerables represent the pinnacle of combat strength; they had no desire to buy back an unruly fellow they couldn't control!"
He smiled genially. "We gave them a choice: two options at the same price. Either buy the four including Xuelan, or buy you alone. The other party made their decision in an instant."
Marquis Jufu huffed heavily. General Xuelan frowned slightly and sent a voice transmission: "Do not listen to his drivel. Jufu, calm down and do not let him provoke you!"
She worried that Jufu would be agitated by Heavenly Venerable Yue.
Warriors like Jufu were notoriously hot-tempered.
"I know, I'm fine!" Marquis Jufu quickly replied. "This bastard is deliberately trying to rile me up!"
Knowing was one thing, but it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Everyone else had been purchased and redeemed, leaving only him behind.
Heavenly Venerable Yue paid his reaction no mind and continued smiling. "Come, Xuelan, you shall soon be free. However, there are a few things I must share with you along the way, including an overview of the current situation."
With a flick of his sleeve, he enveloped the four of them in a transparent bubble of light and swiftly departed with them under Jufu's enraged glare.
...
Along the way, the smile on Heavenly Venerable Yue's face gradually faded into a soft sigh. "You and I are but chess pieces; all living beings are mere pawns! It has been an eternity since you entered seclusion, so allow me to briefly explain the circumstances!"
He summarized the events from the third tide through the ninth tide.
Soon, he added, "Only at the very end did we discover that whether human or the myriad races, we were all pawns! Pawns of the Torchbearer lineage and the Prison King lineage—or rather, pawns in the enduring conflict that spilled over from the ancient struggle between the Human Sovereign and the Prison King!"
"Baizhan, Yueluo... they were all mere pawns. The true chess masters are the lineage master of the Torchbearer lineage and the ruler of the Prison King lineage!"
Heavenly Venerable Yue sighed deeply. "What brilliant methods! Using all living beings of the myriad races as their board and Dao Integration experts as their foot soldiers, they fought for a hundred thousand years, incurring countless casualties. Of the ancient marquises from back then, not one in ten remains. Generation after generation of experts and paragons have fallen! Who among us did not possess a handful of close friends? Yet today, they are all dead!"
"And in the end, the root cause of it all was nothing more than internal strife between these two lineages... How utterly pathetic!"
At this moment, the four human experts wore complicated expressions.
*Pawns?*
*All of us?*
Marquis Nanxi suppressed the turmoil within his chest and said calmly, "Does Marquis Yueshi say all this to tell us that once we return, we will merely become pawns of the Torchbearer lineage once more?"
Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled. "It is simply the truth!"
He continued, "Thus, in this universe, you and I are the truly pitiful ones. We do not believe in fate, yet we are forced to yield to its decree... We were born as chess pieces; how can one resist?"
He lamented endlessly before offering a final sigh. "Fellow Daoists, we are currently cooperating with the Torchbearer lineage. Having slaughtered one another for countless years with innumerable casualties, we are now forced into partnership. It is a grand cosmic joke, yet... it is an unavoidable reality! If you ever harbor second thoughts, you are welcome to visit Mount Myriad Races for a chat anytime. My doors will always be wide open!"
General Xuelan frowned slightly. "We thank Marquis Yueshi for his kind intentions!"
*Is this fellow trying to sow discord?*
She glanced at the other three; all of them were frowning in silence.
No one could feel comfortable hearing such revelations.
To wage war for untold eras, only for someone to step forward and tell them that everything had been orchestrated by two lineages who held total control from the shadows—how could anyone accept that easily?
Crucially, both of those squabbling lineages belonged to the human race!
The war of the previous tide had resulted in the deaths of over a hundred Dao Integration cultivators—an intolerable tragedy.
Many among the fallen were their own dear friends, slain at the hands of the Torchbearer lineage and the Chaos lineage.
Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled again. "Once you return, it would be best not to mention any of this. Even if the Torchbearer lineage welcomes you back, they will certainly remain on guard against you and may not allow you access to core secrets!"
It was blatant instigation.
General Xuelan replied coldly, "Thank you for the warning, Marquis Yueshi. We understand!"
This man harbored malicious intent.
Yet what she truly feared was that the Torchbearer lineage would indeed be guarded against them or even ostracize them, which would make things exceedingly difficult.
Throughout the journey, Heavenly Venerable Yue treated them with utmost courtesy—courteous to an extent that seemed unnatural for an enemy!
Upon arriving at Yixian Gorge, Heavenly Venerable Yue called out in a resonant voice: "Is anyone present? I have brought our old friends, Xuelan and her companions. Please receive them promptly so they may rest and recover; we have treated them poorly these past few days!"
Soon, an expert with an ethereal aura emerged from Yixian Gorge.
It was an avatar of Lan Tian!
This avatar was quite formidable, faintly radiating the aura of a Dao Integration cultivator.
Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled and abruptly unsealed the human experts before taking a step back. "Old friends, forgive our previous discourtesies. You may now depart with this gentleman!"
Lan Tian’s avatar frowned slightly.
*Unsealed!*
Unsealing them was hardly a favor. Once unsealed, any sudden trouble would become difficult to contain. After all, two of them were Heavenly Kings, and the remaining two were peak Dao Integration experts.
Taking several steps back, Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled once more. "I have delivered the people to you; our transaction is fulfilled! However, I believe we should seek their opinions on whether they truly wish to leave with you..."
He looked toward the four experts and said warmly, "If you choose to leave on your own and find a place to recuperate, I imagine the Torchbearer lineage will not stop you. You are all humans, after all. And as you move about the Upper Realm, we will not act against you either."
A short distance away, Lan Tian observed them in silence.
He glanced at Heavenly Venerable Yue, and after a long pause, suddenly let out a soft laugh. "You will never accomplish anything great in your entire life!"
It was unclear whether he was addressing Heavenly Venerable Yue or Xuelan and her group.
Lan Tian could not be bothered to waste words. He looked directly at the four of them and said coolly, "Seal yourselves. If you can accept that, come over. If not, go mingle with Heavenly Venerable Yue and his crowd!"
The four experts’ expressions shifted.
Marquis Nanxi frowned slightly. "Daoist, you hail from the Torchbearer lineage. Do you happen to know Bingku...?"
"Never heard of him!"
Lan Tian said impassively, "Heavenly Venerable Yue, let us be clear beforehand: if these people run off, they will not count toward our agreed quota under our previous arrangement. Whether you kill them or capture them again will have nothing to do with us! How many come is how much work we perform!"
Heavenly Venerable Yue laughed. "Naturally!"
Sowing a bit of discord was quite delightful.
Even if they chose to follow this fellow, they would certainly feel a lingering resentment, wouldn't they?
Perhaps it could be exploited in the future!
And even if it couldn't, it cost him nothing.
Meanwhile, Marquis Nanxi and the others frowned deeply.
Heavenly Venerable Yue had just unsealed them, yet their fellow humans were demanding that they reseal themselves. What was the meaning of this?
Did they not trust them?
If they didn't trust them, why bother rescuing them in the first place?
Moreover, treating them like merchandise bought at a market left a sour taste in their mouths. They all turned their eyes toward General Xuelan, the daughter of a Human King, waiting to see what she would do.
General Xuelan looked at Lan Tian. After a moment, her aura began to plummet as she sealed herself without a single expression on her face, making it impossible to guess her thoughts.
Seeing this, the other three had no choice but to follow suit and seal themselves.
It felt thoroughly stifling!
Lan Tian chuckled and swept them up in a single grasp, which only deepened their discomfort. He quickly led them deeper into Yixian Gorge, calling back with a laugh, "No need to see us out, Heavenly Venerable Yue. We can find our own way back!"
Standing outside Yixian Gorge, Heavenly Venerable Yue chuckled and made no attempt to pursue them.
Once they vanished into the gorge, Heavenly Venerable Yue asked softly, "Brother Tianming, did you discern anything?"
Marquis Tianming appeared beside him in an instant. After observing for a moment, he murmured, "They will not linger in Yixian Gorge. Marquis Tongtian is likely the one receiving them; I detected faint spatial fluctuations."
Heavenly Venerable Yue nodded slightly and drew a deep breath. "These fellows certainly hide themselves deeply! Now, it seems we can only wait. Once they launch their assault against the Chaos lineage, we will be able to gauge their true depth."
...
Inside Yixian Gorge.
It was indeed Marquis Tongtian who had come to receive them.
As the group ventured deeper into the gorge, Marquis Tongtian appeared amidst subtle spatial ripples. The moment he emerged, he clicked his tongue. "Another passageway exposed. Was it really worth it for these few fellows?"
Turning to the newcomers, Marquis Tongtian smiled pleasantly. "General Xuelan, Nanxi, long time no see!"
"Tongtian!" Marquis Nanxi exclaimed in surprise. "You're actually here!"
*Tongtian is actually here!*
"Are you also part of the Torchbearer lineage?" General Xuelan asked gravely. "You have always guarded the entrance to the eighth floor of the Star Residence Mansion. When did you join the Torchbearer lineage? Isn't the Torchbearer lineage comprised solely of humans?"
Marquis Tongtian chuckled. "Who told you that? Enough nonsense, let's move. If we delay, they might trace us back to our nest!"
He then looked at Lan Tian. "Are you coming?"
"Not yet," Lan Tian replied with a smile. "Take them first; I need to erase our traces here."
"Then I'll head out first. Don't worry—if these fellows dare cause trouble, I'll slaughter them all on the spot..."
General Xuelan and the others were speechless. Marquis Tongtian truly had an obnoxious mouth!
Soon, they stepped through the gateway summoned by Marquis Tongtian and were teleported away.
Lan Tian swiftly erased any lingering fluctuations and sighed with emotion. "I've suffered heavy avatar losses lately; I need to produce more!"
The losses were immense!
For security's sake, whenever an avatar appeared near formidable experts, Su Yu had ordered that it be incinerated immediately.
...
During the transit, Marquis Tongtian did not teleport them directly into Mount Chaos.
Instead, after taking several winding detours, he picked up a passenger along the way—Su Yu.
Without a word, under the bewildered gazes of General Xuelan and her companions, Su Yu brought them through a rapid teleportation to the outer perimeter of the Dao Origin Land. This was the very place the Celestial Venerables had just swept through before leading their forces away.
Su Yu then led them directly into the Dao Origin Land and tore open the River of Time.
Ignoring their indignant glares, he cast the four of them into the river's currents, letting the water scour them repeatedly.
Marquis Nanxi was well advanced in years, his hair stark white. By now, he roughly grasped Su Yu's intent and hurriedly said, "Fellow Daoist, Yueshi and the others left no tracking marks on us... Otherwise, we would have detected them ourselves!"
He understood that this white-haired youth feared they were being tracked. However, they were Heavenly Kings; how could someone track them without their notice?
Su Yu ignored him and continued the scouring process.
Moments later, two miniature Heavenly Gates manifested within his eyes.
He swept his gaze across them, suddenly furrowed his brow, and struck a palm toward General Xuelan. General Xuelan was startled, but being sealed, she could not react in time. Su Yu reached into the empty air as if grasping something out of nothingness.
In the next instant, General Xuelan felt her Great Dao fluctuate faintly as Su Yu drew out a faint wisp of aura.
Su Yu's brow tightened, and he let out a cold snort. "Tianming, if that old ghost plays these little tricks on me again, I won't be so courteous next time we meet!"
*Boom!*
He crushed the wisp of aura into oblivion. Su Yu swept his gaze over them again, carefully examining their Great Daos before swiftly escorting the stunned experts away from the area.
...
Outside Yixian Gorge.
Marquis Tianming kept an impassive face, but his heart stirred. *Discovered!*
The sliver of destiny power he had concealed within the Great Dao had been captured and eradicated so swiftly.
The other party had definitely opened the Heavenly Gate!
*Is this the Emperor Yu that Changhe spoke of?*
Tianming mused inwardly, unbothered by the failure. It had merely been a small probe. If the other party couldn't even detect his tracking method and carelessly brought the captives back to their lair, they would hardly be worth taking seriously.
Nor would they possess the clout to make him waver and consider siding with them, for their methods would be far too crude.
The fact that his mark had been discovered proved that these people possessed formidable skills and exceptional vigilance.
Beside him, Heavenly Venerable Yue suddenly asked, "What is Brother Tianming pondering?"
"Nothing much. I was merely wondering whether any of our old friends will perish in the coming war..."
Heavenly Venerable Yue studied him for a moment, offered a faint smile, and pressed no further.
...
Marquis Tongtian continued teleporting the group. This time, Su Yu used the Star Residence Seal to suppress the ripples, keeping the spatial fluctuations imperceptible.
A moment later, their vision cleared, and they arrived at their destination.
It was a cavern, vast and brightly illuminated. This was the retreat once prepared by the ancient space beasts for themselves, capable of housing many of their kind.
General Xuelan and the others quickly scanned the cavern.
Their hearts trembled slightly at the sheer number of experts gathered within.
More notably, General Xuelan suddenly fixed her eyes on a certain dog, a look of astonishment appearing on her face. Fat Ball had only recently returned alongside Wan Tiansheng; its nose twitched as it turned to look toward General Xuelan.
Its eyes showed a hint of confusion before it hesitated. "I feel like I've seen you before!"
General Xuelan replied with a strange expression, "We have met, a very long time ago! Are you... Fat Ball?"
"It's me!" Fat Ball wagged its tail, racked its memory for a moment, and asked puzzledly, "Did you... did you visit our home with King Xue back then?"
General Xuelan felt a jolt of emotion. "It really is you! Has Lord Wen... returned?"
"No!" Fat Ball shook its head. Seeing Su Yu looking over, it explained, "She accompanied King Xue to the master's residence once, a very long time ago..."
Su Yu nodded slightly.
As the daughter of a Human King, visiting King Wen's residence was normal enough, even if countless years had passed since then.
At this moment, the others gathered around.
"Emperor Yu!"
"Your Majesty!"
Greetings rang out one after another. Su Yu nodded. Seeing that General Xuelan and the others remained intensely guarded, he dispensed with pleasantries. "Let us set sentiment and past ties aside. I rescued you from the myriad races at the cost of killing two quasi-kings and two peak Dao Integration experts, surrendering the formation that shields against Mount Chaos's suppression, and promising not to target their pseudo-dao cultivators..."
Su Yu's tone turned solemn. "I paid a tremendous price, and I do not expect your reverence! Nor do I have the time to tame you bit by bit. Since you cost me so much, you need only generate an equivalent profit for me! Afterwards, whether you stay or leave is of no concern to me!"
Without waiting for them to speak, Su Yu cut in sharply: "Introduce yourselves, and state what you specialize in!"
General Xuelan and her companions looked toward Marquis Huoyun and the others—faces they recognized.
There were quite a few old acquaintances here.
Yet at this moment, those acquaintances kept a remarkably low profile and did not step forward to greet them.
Weighing these dynamics in her mind, General Xuelan spoke promptly: "I am Xuelan, daughter of King Xue, a quasi-king proficient in the Dao of Ice and Snow!"
Seeing this, Marquis Nanxi followed suit: "Nanxi, quasi-king, subordinate of King Ming! Proficient in tracking, former commander of the scout vanguard under King Ming!"
"Wushan, subordinate of King Yun, proficient in the Dao of Mist, peak Dao Integration!"
"Jianghai, subordinate of King Dou, physical path, proficient in spear techniques, peak Dao Integration."
The four experts hailed from the banners of different Human Kings.
Hearing Jianghai's name and learning that he had served under King Dou, Su Yu furrowed his brow and studied the muscular, middle-aged warrior whose face was weathered by time. Su Yu murmured, "Subordinate of King Dou?"
"Yes!" Jianghai felt uneasy under his gaze. *Why is he looking at me like that?*
It wasn't just Su Yu; several others in the surroundings were staring at him as well.
Su Yu said in a heavy voice, "Baizhan is a descendant of King Dou. Do you know of Baizhan?"
Jianghai froze for a moment before replying hesitantly, "Marquis Yueshi mentioned him... the Human Ruler who led over a hundred Dao Integration experts to their deaths during the ninth tide..."
*He was King Dou's descendant?*
No wonder everyone was looking at him that way.
Jianghai opened his mouth to say something, but Su Yu raised a hand to cut him off. "Enough, let us not speak of that!"
He looked back at the four. "If there is anything you wish to know, ask the others later. My time is tight, and I cannot indulge in long explanations!"
Su Yu turned swiftly toward Wan Tiansheng and the others. "Right now, the myriad races are still plotting their steps. Who knows how long it will take before they actually march on Mount Chaos! If this drags on for another couple of years, the passage to the lower realm will open!"
Su Yu drew a deep breath. "Mount Chaos knows of our presence, and they are more than happy to let time pass. Delaying might work to their advantage. Once the lower realm opens, they might even establish contact with the Land of Guixu in the dead spirit realm, which would easily sow chaos for us!"
He continued gravely, "Therefore, we must launch an active assault now. First, to accelerate the outbreak of war; second, to force the Prison King lineage to expose their true strength; third, to redeem Marquis Jufu!"
"However, even if we fight, setting aside whether we can win, even if we do triumph... it must be a bitter, pyrrhic victory. We must never win too easily, lest the myriad races underestimate the Prison King lineage and direct greater vigilance toward us instead!"
Wan Tiansheng furrowed his brow. "Does Emperor Yu mean we must strike now?"
Su Yu nodded. "We must strike! I am certain the Chaos lineage possesses immense strength. I am considering how to conduct this battle—on one hand, we cannot expose our full strength; on the other, it would be best if people 'died'!"
Several people gasped. *People dying!*
Su Yu looked at King Dazhou with a grin. "Isn't this something King Dazhou excels at?"
King Dazhou frowned. "Your Majesty means that even if no one truly dies, we must fake their deaths by using counterfeit divine characters to trigger rule disturbances?"
Su Yu nodded. "Precisely! Previously, we only faked the deaths of Eternals. Can we fake the death of a Dao Integration cultivator?"
"That will be somewhat difficult!"
Wan Tiansheng interjected quickly, "I actually located an outpost of the Chaos lineage, but... it is exceedingly dangerous!"
Wan Tiansheng spoke with gravity: "Fat Ball and I scouted it together. We severed our Great Dao connections and carried Heaven-Concealing Talismans. Yet merely taking a few extra glances from a great distance was enough for them to sense something. That outpost likely harbors a Celestial Venerable!"
"There are many individuals there, all top-tier experts... Launching a raid there strikes me as perilous. Furthermore, they are adept at concealment and observation; they might even perceive Great Dao fluctuations clearly!"
Su Yu nodded. Being able to perceive Great Dao fluctuations was indeed the most terrifying trait.
Much like Su Yu himself—scarcely anyone could ambush him.
A surprise attack was merely a joke against such perception.
The moment he opened the Heavenly Gate, every expert in the vicinity was laid bare to his eyes. Unless the enemy severed their connection to their Great Dao, the time required to reconnect would be more than enough for him to slay them!
"For now, it remains unclear to what extent this lineage has mastered their methods of observation..."
Su Yu recalled something. When Ziyan died back then, he had collected some of her essence blood. While it might not preserve her complete memories, some fragments ought to remain.
He wondered if he could glean anything from them.
He hadn't investigated earlier partly because he was too busy, and partly because Ziyan's blood had mingled with that of two other Heavenly Kings, leaving him concerned that the memories might be jumbled.
Jumbled or not, he needed to inspect them. It was a rare opportunity to understand the Chaos lineage's strength.
Su Yu spoke decisively: "Everyone, prepare yourselves. I will lead the strike team this time... Tongtian, find a way to escort Wu Yue and Yuan Yue back. That way, with them present among their people while we strike, no one will suspect anything."
Marquis Tongtian nodded hurriedly.
The others grew tense. Was this to be their first true confrontation with the Chaos lineage?
The enemy knew nothing of their situation, and likewise, Su Yu and his comrades knew little of the enemy's.
Both sides lacked sufficient intelligence on one another!
Only the myriad races operated out in the open, their details well known.
Su Yu turned his gaze upon General Xuelan and the other three, frowning slightly.
In this first clash with the Prison King lineage, should he bring them along?
Did these people harbor any connection to the Prison King lineage?
Or would they cause disruption or defy orders mid-battle?
Yet these individuals were formidable—two full Heavenly Kings among them!
Leaving them behind felt like a waste.
Taking them along risked disaster. For a moment, Su Yu found himself in a dilemma, unsure whether trading for these fellows had been a blessing or a curse.
Having more people was not necessarily a good thing.
These ancient figures were hardly saints.
Otherwise, past Human Rulers would not have been reduced to mere puppets.
Su Yu was torn!
At times, he wished for more experts at his side; at other times, he feared that their refusal to obey would tie his hands, creating even more trouble!
This battle was also intended as a probe of the Chaos race.
Wan Tiansheng had found their outpost, sparing Su Yu the need to venture deeper into Mount Chaos to scout.
Soon, Su Yu reached a decision and instructed briskly: "This time, our primary objective is not killing enemies, but provoking the Chaos race's experts to reveal themselves. The more that appear, the better—even if five or six Celestial Venerables emerge, that would be fantastic. Everyone's sole objective is to draw out their powerhouses and... stay alive!"
He had no intention of killing anyone on the first strike, nor was there any need for it.
The goal was simply to force their powerhouses into the open so the myriad races would take notice and realize that this faction's terrifying might was no fabrication of Su Yu's.
"Marquis Huoyun, spend some time speaking with General Xuelan and the others. Director Wan, you and I will scout the area once more!"
Su Yu issued orders swiftly, making no mention of unsealing the four captives. It was better for them to remain sealed for now. He even sent a secret voice transmission to Fat Ball: "If these four make any suspicious moves, swallow them immediately, then lead everyone in a retreat!"
Fat Ball glanced at Su Yu and gave its tail a wag in assent.
Saying nothing further, Su Yu took the formation talismans and departed alongside Wan Tiansheng, tossing the two ancient beast corpses to King Daming on his way out so he could craft more talismans.
Chapter 756