The Ferocity of the Torchbearer Lineage!

Even though it was merely a conjecture, Su Yu still treated it as a reality to play around with. Whether it was conjecture or truth, his retreat this time might actually be a blessing in disguise. Suffering a defeat before reaching his absolute peak, before the final showdown, was not necessarily a bad thing! Nowadays, everyone firmly believed he was undefeated in a hundred battles. Failing to weigh differences in strength, failing to consider whether a trap lay ahead—none of that boded well. Having reached this stage, there was no longer anyone left beside him to point out his blind spots or patch up his oversights. Though Su Yu was domineering and brooked no contradiction, that did not mean he was entirely unreceptive to warnings. From the moment Baizhan appeared until now, not a single person had offered him the slightest hint—not King Dazhou, not Wan Tiansheng, and not Lan Tian. Su Yu did not know whether it had simply never occurred to them, or if they felt it did not matter. Either way, Su Yu would surely come out on top! In truth, Su Yu had not given much thought to these matters earlier either. It was only the appearances of Qi Rong and Jianghai that gradually deepened his understanding of the preceding tides. Even the third-generation Human Master had left some contingency plans behind, let alone the mighty ninth generation! …… Human Mountain. At this moment, Human Mountain remained somewhat chaotic, having not yet reached the point where intruders could be entirely kept out. It would take time to perfect the mountain's overall defensive array. Su Yu casually disguised himself as an Iron-Eating Beast, easily slipped onto the third floor, and entered the territory of the Iron-Eating race. Marquis Juzhu was currently arranging affairs. Upon receiving Su Yu's transmission, he swiftly returned to the main hall. Seeing Su Yu once again disguised as an Iron-Eating Beast, he was rather speechless. If Su Yu kept shapeshifting into this or that, what would happen when those impostors suddenly vanished and caught the attention of the myriad races? Wouldn't that expose them? Meanwhile, Su Yu looked at Marquis Juzhu, falling silent for a moment before speaking. "Marquis Juzhu, I have a question. During the ninth tide, why didn't your race assist Baizhan?" "..." Marquis Juzhu was struck dumb. Only after a long while did he reply, "Qi Yue fell in battle, and Baizhan was notorious for screwing over his allied races. How would we dare help him?" "Then before that, why did Qi Yue join the war in the first place?" Marquis Juzhu laughed self-deprecatingly. "Baizhan was exceedingly powerful, and the human race was formidable. Back then, old antiques from the Human Realm descended to aid the war effort, making them far stronger than in previous tides. It was a rare occasion where mankind was united, with numerous veteran Dao Integration experts descending to battle... That was why everyone believed Baizhan had a real chance of victory. In fact, had he not been outmaneuvered at the final juncture, he genuinely stood a chance!" Marquis Juzhu chuckled. "One can only say luck was not on his side. Otherwise, if Baizhan hadn't been outmaneuvered and had won that battle, in the eyes of outsiders, the Iron-Eating race would have become a laughingstock for failing to latch onto his coattails." Su Yu nodded slightly, then asked, "From an outsider's perspective, what kind of person do you think Baizhan truly is?" Marquis Juzhu was puzzled as to why Su Yu kept bringing this person up today. After pondering carefully, he replied with caution, "Unrivaled in combat prowess, supremely talented! Fairly loyal and affectionate... though that applied only to the human race, not his allies." Loyal and affectionate! King Dazhou had also remarked several times that the Hundred Battles King was a man of deep sentiment. Yet this supposed man of sentiment, after watching Marquis Zhennan self-detonate his physical body for his sake, had immediately gone chasing after Yueluo upon breaking free. He had never once mentioned searching for Marquis Zhennan. That was his subordinate, who had blown himself up for him! Did he not care in the slightest? Su Yu remained silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Marquis Juzhu, do you believe any rulers of rules exist among the myriad races?" "Huh?" Marquis Juzhu froze. "Surely not! Where would any ruler of rules come from? If there were one, they would have annihilated the human race long ago..." Su Yu frowned slightly. "Truly none?" "Most likely not!" Marquis Juzhu shook his head. "I don't think there are any. What made Emperor Yu entertain such a thought?" Su Yu tapped gently on the table and asked no further. For now, he still harbored doubts. First, why was Baizhan so certain the myriad races could hold off the Chaos lineage for a time? That was the first point. Second, did all those who supposedly sacrificed their lives for Baizhan back then truly die? A group of experts yielding their Dao paths to him was undeniably moving. Yet yielding a path... had the benefit of making Baizhan stronger, but could those who yielded their paths... switch Daos? Yes, switch Daos! Su Yu could help people switch their Daos. Could Baizhan... do the same? Had he opened the Heavenly Gate or not? If he had, he was fully capable of helping others switch Daos as well! Those old antiques had forced Yue Gang to slay his own Dao companion, yet toward Baizhan, they had offered their whole hearts, going so far as to self-detonate to yield their Daos. The contrast in treatment between the Human Masters of the third and ninth tides was simply staggering! "Switching Daos... merging Daos..." One thought after another flashed through Su Yu's mind. The next moment, he released the skeletal Qi Rong. At present, Qi Rong had filled out slightly, no longer looking like a bag of bones. She had regained a touch of color, though she still looked rather ghastly. The moment Qi Rong appeared, she looked at Su Yu with a trace of perplexity. Su Yu said in a solemn voice, "Consort Qi, let me ask you something. Is it possible to switch between genuine Daos?" Fearing he hadn't made himself clear, Su Yu added, "That is to say, while cultivating the physical body Dao, could one simultaneously cultivate another Dao, then fabricate the phenomenon of severing one's path, severing the physical body Dao to create the appearance of death? Can that be accomplished?" Su Yu believed it was possible, but he had never attempted it himself. Qi Rong had researched such matters for countless years and might possess relevant insight. Qi Rong fell into contemplation, speaking after a short pause. "It should be possible, though exceedingly difficult. Given that Human Master Su has opened the Heavenly Gate, you should be able to achieve it." "One can do it simply by opening the Heavenly Gate?" "Presumably so!" Qi Rong nodded. "Once the Heavenly Gate is opened, one can clearly perceive the essence of the Great Dao. In practice, the difficulty should not be insurmountable. Straddling two Daos with a foot in each, severing one of them still counts as the severing of a Great Dao and the collapse of Dao principles!" "In the Lower Realm, it might still pose some difficulty. But in the Upper Realm, the moment Dao principles shatter, it manifests as the omen of a cultivator's fall!" Su Yu's eyes flickered, and he abruptly turned toward Marquis Juzhu. "Back then, the old antiques who laid down their lives for Baizhan—did they die in the Upper Realm or the Lower Realm?" *Does that matter?* Marquis Juzhu wondered to himself, but recalling Su Yu's earlier words, his eyes glinted faintly. "Some in the Upper Realm, some in the Lower Realm. Back then, communication between the Upper and Lower Realms was never truly severed; messages could be transmitted through the Destiny race!" Su Yu stroked his chin and finally asked, "What does Marquis Juzhu know about the Archaic Giant race?" "What?" Marquis Juzhu was startled. How had the topic shifted to the Archaic Giant race now? Feeling a bit overwhelmed, he replied, "The Archaic Giant race... is simply the Archaic Giant race, one of the overlord races of the Archaic Era. What about them?" "No, what I mean is, what was their relationship with the human race in the past?" "Fairly decent!" Su Yu nodded. "Then why was it that while nearly all the allied races were wiped out, the Archaic Giant race wasn't implicated, and was targeted even less harshly than the Iron-Eating race?" Marquis Juzhu breathed a sigh of relief, realizing what he was asking. He quickly said, "The Iron-Eating race was a diehard ally, whereas in the ninth tide, the Archaic Giant race actually besieged the human race! In that tide, they chose to stand in opposition to mankind..." Su Yu remembered now! Yes! Opposition! Back then, when King Dazhou invited the Archaic Giant King to join the battle, the Archaic Giant King had agreed and gone. Afterwards, Su Yu also learned that during the ninth tide, the Archaic Giant race had indeed fought, but on the side opposing the humans. Yet this made no sense! If they had opposed humanity, why were Baizhan's descendants among them? And King Dazhou had known about it. Su Yu pondered for a moment. "Did Marquis Juzhu know beforehand that Baizhan had descendants within the Archaic Giant race?" "How could I possibly know that!" Marquis Juzhu laughed bitterly. "I never would have imagined it. As I said, Baizhan was friendly toward humans, but cared little for the myriad races. He was a proud man who placed great emphasis on pure human bloodline... He would never enter into an external marriage alliance! The Archaic Giant race... Could it be that he regarded them as possessing human royal bloodline?" He pondered before continuing, "The Archaic Giant race is likely the closest race to humanity. Strip away 'Archaic' and they are just the Giant race. Add 'Giant' and they are merely larger in stature; their internal structure is practically indistinguishable from a human's! They are likely the branch in the myriad realms closest to humanity. And rumor has it that the Archaic Giant race is actually of the Human Ancestor's lineage—though, of course, that is merely a legend." "The Human Ancestor's lineage?" Su Yu was taken aback and snapped his gaze toward Qi Rong. Seeing Su Yu look over, Qi Rong was slightly surprised, but still explained, "There is indeed such a legend. Legend holds that the Human Ancestor was connected to the dawn of the Archaic Era, serving as an overlord of that age. The Archaic Giant race was likewise an overlord race of the Archaic Era. Between the two, some say the Human Ancestor was in fact the Archaic Giant Emperor!" She explained, "In no era has the Archaic Giant race ever had an emperor. Even during the Archaic Era, they were emperorless! Come the Ancient Era, they remained emperorless, possessing only the Archaic Giant King!" Su Yu furrowed his brows. That was true. The Archaic Giant race had never styled anyone as emperor! Qi Rong added, "However, it is only a legend. After all, the era of the Human Ancestor is far too ancient! The one who has lived the longest in the myriad realms today is probably Hongmeng. Yet Hongmeng only emerged after the creation of the world. In that era, even if the Human Ancestor was still around, Hongmeng was far too weak, merely a minor figure, so naturally he wouldn't know the secrets of the Human Ancestor." Hongmeng! That ancient turtle had lived the longest, arguably the oldest living entity in the myriad realms. Regrettably, he was too indolent, sleeping away the ages. Even when awake, he might not necessarily know what transpired in the earliest days of the Archaic Era. Being too weak, he had not been qualified to know. Thoughts flickered across Su Yu's mind. In the ninth tide, the Giant race had actually been hostile toward the human race. Yet strangely, this hostile race harbored the descendants of the Hundred Battles King. Then how had King Dazhou learned of it? King Dazhou had made it sound simple, claiming that plenty of people knew, yet among everyone Su Yu knew, seemingly no one had been aware—including Marquis Dingjun and the others. "King Dazhou?" Su Yu's eyes shifted continuously. Did King Dazhou truly know something or not? Was the extinction of the Torchbearer lineage true or false? In this vast world, how many people were truly worthy of his trust? Who was using him? And... for whom was he fighting? Countless thoughts whirled. There were no longer any of Baizhan's people in the Upper Realm, but what about the Lower Realm? The Archaic Giant race... a mysterious race that appeared powerful yet kept an exceptionally low profile. Even in the Upper Realm, when people considered potential allies, their first thought was that the Iron-Eating race would aid humanity, followed by whether the Destiny race could remain neutral or lean toward mankind. Only at the very end would anyone spare a thought for the Archaic Giant race. "The bloodline of the Human Ancestor..." Su Yu's thoughts surged once more. The Martial Emperor had said that the Human Ancestor pioneered the human physical body Dao, and the Giant race's physical bodies were indeed exceedingly powerful. Baizhan, in turn, had achieved grand attainment in the physical body Dao! At least across these past hundred thousand years, he had walked furthest along that path. The Giant race... the Human Ancestor... Baizhan... the physical body Dao... Gradually, a connecting thread emerged! All of these seemed linked! At this moment, Marquis Juzhu couldn't help but say, "It's merely a legend. The Archaic Giant race denied it themselves, and the human race never acknowledged it either..." Su Yu laughed. "Naturally, how could they possibly acknowledge it? If the Human Ancestor was the progenitor of the Archaic Giant race, then they would be his direct descendants, making their status even higher than that of the Human Sovereign! Strictly speaking, many supreme experts trace their heritage back to the Human Ancestor, and the physical body Dao was pioneered by him. The Human Ancestor is far more representative and orthodox than the Human Sovereign. Such a claim cannot be acknowledged lightly!" Marquis Juzhu shrugged. Fine, he didn't quite understand the human race's line of thinking. Su Yu smiled and said, "Marquis Juzhu, since there are no outsiders here today, perhaps Consort Qi could head back inside to rest for a bit?" Consort Qi was speechless. Calling her out, asking a few questions, and now sending her back. Fine! She nodded, understanding that Su Yu had private words to share. Moreover, she needed time to digest the conjectures raised just now. Shortly after, Su Yu stowed Consort Qi away, turned to Marquis Juzhu, and smiled. "Marquis Juzhu, now it's just the two of us. You belong to the same generation as San Yue, so I won't bother asking him. Tell me honestly... if I am defeated in the coming days, is the Iron-Eating race willing to continue following me down this dark path to the end?" Marquis Juzhu's heart stirred. He looked at Su Yu, his eyes flickering for a long time before he finally spoke. "What kind of defeat does Emperor Yu mean?" He quickly added, "If it is merely a temporary defeat, our race will not waver in our resolve! But if Emperor Yu falls in battle, or if there is truly no longer any hope of victory... then the Iron-Eating race must consider our future as a race!" Su Yu laughed. "Matters in the Lower Realm will spread sooner or later. How will you choose then?" Marquis Juzhu said solemnly, "The Lower Realm is the Lower Realm, and the Upper Realm is the Upper Realm! What happens below does not implicate the above. Though we are of the same race, that does not mean we share a single will! Otherwise, there wouldn't be half-emperors in the Lower Realm. Let me put it this way, taking an analogy: Tiangu in the Lower Realm represents the immortal race! But the Upper Realm immortals, including Celestial Venerable Dao and the others, do not represent Tiangu below!" "Strictly speaking... the Lower Realm is the true orthodox lineage!" Marquis Juzhu said gravely, "You heard correctly—the Lower Realm is orthodox! We old fogies came to the Upper Realm back then solely to leave a retreat route for our race! Therefore, at a critical moment, the two can be severed! To put it even more simply... it's a hedge!" He said in a deep voice, "In the Upper Realm, I can stand on the side of the myriad races; in the Lower Realm, I can stand on humanity's side. This is an unspoken tacit rule among everyone—one race, two branches!" This was their way of survival! Su Yu smiled. "Which means, at a critical juncture, you can abandon Liu Yue and the others down below?" Marquis Juzhu fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes! All... for the sake of the race!" Su Yu sighed softly. "Then so long as I remain alive and hope persists, your race will not change your stance?" "We will not." Marquis Juzhu said solemnly, "With Emperor Yu present, we see hope..." "What if I ask you to withdraw from the Upper Realm alongside me?" Marquis Juzhu furrowed his brows. Su Yu smiled. "Then do not withdraw. What if I ask you to lie low on the spot and await my return?" Marquis Juzhu felt a heavy weight settle on his heart. "Return?" "Correct." Marquis Juzhu grew somewhat agitated. "Emperor Yu, the current situation is entirely favorable. Not only have we flushed out the Chaos lineage, but we have also compelled the myriad races to cooperate with us in besieging them. Everything is flourishing! Why... why speak in such a manner?" "Anything is possible, isn't it?" Marquis Juzhu's heart grew immensely heavy. After a long while, he nodded. "As long as Emperor Yu does not die, our race will not alter our course! Not even for... Baizhan!" Su Yu looked at him! Marquis Juzhu said in a deep voice, "Was there something amiss with Baizhan's defeat? Emperor Yu asked about the Archaic Giant race... is it related to this? In any case, Baizhan is not a worthy master in the eyes of our race! Perhaps he is a worthy master to mankind, but he is not one to us foreign races!" Su Yu smiled and nodded. "Good, then we shall leave it at that! As for San Yue, I won't say anything further to him. On your end... take care of yourselves! The Iron-Eating race in the Lower Realm doesn't need your worry. As long as you remain safe in the Upper Realm, you will serve as a hidden spike planted for me!" "After I leave, act as though you are simply another member of the myriad races! Pay heed to no one. Unless I seek you out again, you are nothing more than the Iron-Eating race of the Myriad Races Council!" Heavy! Marquis Juzhu could not fathom why Su Yu had undergone such a sudden shift. Earlier, Su Yu had been brimming with confidence, ready to mount a grand endeavor. Yet now, he was abruptly leaning toward retreating to the Lower Realm. Why? Had seeing so many Celestial Venerables made him feel that all hope was lost? Or was there something else? "Emperor Yu... I... I have committed your words to memory!" Marquis Juzhu panted slightly. "Unless... unless I receive absolute confirmation of Emperor Yu's death, I will entertain no other thoughts! Slaying three Dao Integration experts was proposed by me, yet Emperor Yu delivered pleasant surprises, showing me hope... What others might do, I do not know, but Juzhu will support Emperor Yu to the very end!" "Much appreciated!" Su Yu gave a faint laugh, rose to his feet, and said, "Then I shall take my leave. I won't notify the others; in the Upper Realm, my contact has primarily been with your side." "In addition, notify San Yue and Tianming to reach the vicinity of Mount Chaos as quickly as possible! Also, have San Yue find a way to transmit a message into Mount Chaos, calling for Baizhan to return to discuss the alliance. The presence of the Chaos lineage is already confirmed; there is no need to play dumb and assume the Chaos lineage remains ignorant! Whatever else may be said, Baizhan is a supreme expert... Tell him we can help unseal him!" Su Yu chuckled. "Have San Yue spread the word, or find a way to have Heavenly Venerable Yue and the others spread the news: he can be unsealed! Even if it's a bluff, we must lure Baizhan out. If he still refuses to come... then forget it!" *Offering to unseal you—sounds good, doesn't it?* *We're offering to remove your seals, yet you still won't show up... Then you truly aren't in any hurry about your own condition!* "Spread some other news as well: that the sweep through the Dao Origin Land flushed out several human experts, including Marquis Jianghai and others!" Su Yu smiled. "This is the final task I leave to you. Marquis Juzhu is a clever man; I trust you will execute it smoothly for me!" "Rest assured!" By now, Marquis Juzhu had vaguely guessed something. He nodded and said with solemnity, "These matters will be settled swiftly! Baizhan will certainly receive the word. Even if we reveal a few clues, it matters not—so long as we don't contact your group directly, the myriad races won't say anything about calling Baizhan back! At worst, I'll have San Yue bellow a few rounds across Mount Chaos to make it more direct!" "Much appreciated!" "Emperor Yu need not stand on ceremony; it is my duty!" As Marquis Juzhu spoke, Su Yu smiled faintly. His figure dissolved, vanishing from the spot. Marquis Juzhu's expression remained grave. After Su Yu left, he paced back and forth in place for a time. Defeat, disappearance, retreat... Was this good or bad? He did not know! Yet he knew that Su Yu was not a man to be trifled with. Now, someone seemed to have provoked him, and that was unlikely to end well. "Si Yue!" A low shout rang out, and Si Yue soon appeared. "Go find San Yue and tell him to return immediately..." "My father is still sweeping through the Upper Realm..." "Tell him to put that on hold!" Marquis Juzhu said in a deep voice, "I will write a letter for you to deliver directly into San Yue's hands. Be quick about it—I want to see San Yue back here at once!" "Understood!" Seeing Marquis Juzhu's grim expression, Si Yue dared not tarry. Once Marquis Juzhu finished drafting the letter, Si Yue tore through the void and swiftly flew toward San Yue's location. …… Inner reaches of Mount Chaos. After departing the Iron-Eating race, Su Yu visited a few other locations to make arrangements and secure retreat routes before finally returning to the inner reaches of Mount Chaos. This planned retreat might not necessarily proceed through Soul Burying Mountain. Su Yu had to make thorough preparations. By the time Su Yu returned and slipped into the hideout, a roaring shout capable of piercing the heavens shook the surroundings. "Baizhan!" "It is San Yue!" "The Myriad Races Council is willing to join forces with you to confront the great enemy! Cease your pursuit of Yueluo, beware the traps lurking in the depths, and return at once! The Myriad Races Council is willing to undo your seals! On this matter, San Yue stakes his life and his entire race as guarantee!" "Baizhan, join forces with us to crush the Chaos lineage! Afterwards, humanity and the myriad races can clash once more to determine victory and death!" "..." Shout after shout reverberated continuously. The tremendous roar echoed across tens of millions of li, shaking the Great Dao itself. Across the entire chaotic realm, ancient beasts roared in response. Yet San Yue's voice continued to resound. "Baizhan! Do not delve deeper; a trap awaits!" "Joining hands to slay the enemy is far better than fighting alone!" "If you seek vengeance, slaughter the Chaos lineage first!" "The Torchbearer lineage is also willing to assist in unsealing you! I believe they will contribute their strength! If anyone from the Torchbearer lineage hears this, contact us at once!" "..." The voice shook heaven and earth. Su Yu could hear ancient beasts bellowing in frenzy nearby. San Yue appeared to have ventured quite deep into Mount Chaos. He was exceptionally bold! The power of the Great Dao surged and swept out. The chaotic aura across the entirety of Mount Chaos rushed toward that direction, pushing San Yue back! …… Inside the cavern. Su Yu listened in silence. San Yue had taken action! Could Baizhan hear it? He could! Su Yu was certain he could hear it. Yet if matters had reached this point and Baizhan still refused to pull back or show himself... then something was truly amiss. Perhaps he was somewhere enjoying a romantic rendezvous with Yueluo, waiting to watch the show unfold. Inside the cavern, the others heard it as well, their expressions turning peculiar. Marquis Dingjun drew in a sharp breath. "Joining forces with the Hundred Battles King? That really is... a bold idea. But can the myriad races truly undo his seals?" Su Yu smiled. "Why not? There is hope. No matter how formidable the sealing Dao of the Prison King lineage might be, the myriad races aren't lacking either; they have experts skilled in that field. In my view, there is a genuine chance Baizhan could be unsealed. Of course, if he fears being plotted against and killed by the myriad races, then that's another matter..." Su Yu added with a laugh, "Though Baizhan is so foolish, the myriad races probably wouldn't even bother killing him!" Su Yu sneered mockingly. "Just look at the rumors circulating among the myriad races—Baizhan is an idiot. If Baizhan were truly willing to contribute to wiping out the Chaos lineage, the myriad races would most likely genuinely help him break the seals!" Marquis Dingjun let out a dry laugh, while Lan Tian chuckled. "Not necessarily. Baizhan might worry about being betrayed by the myriad races, so he might simply continue acting on his own whims and ignore whatever they say!" Su Yu laughed. "True enough. Baizhan has no brain to speak of, so he might not even think that far! He probably thinks the myriad races just want to kill him. But in that case, there really is something wrong with his head... That such a fellow could cultivate to this realm... the heavens are truly blind!" Su Yu shook his head. General Xuelan and her companions frowned slightly. Unable to hold back, Xuelan interjected, "Human Master Su, though I did not live through Baizhan's era... there is no need for the Human Master to constantly belittle Baizhan just to elevate yourself!" "No matter what, he remains a Human Master of mankind, a powerhouse of our race!" Su Yu laughed despite himself. "Is that so? He's inherently foolish—am I not even allowed to say it?" Su Yu chuckled. "His stupidity is universally acknowledged! If you don't believe me, ask the experts who lived through his era..." Su Yu looked toward Marquis Yunshui and smiled. "Marquis Yunshui has a gentle temperament and speaks most impartially. Marquis Yunshui, tell us: was Baizhan foolish or not?" Marquis Yunshui looked rather awkward. After a long pause, she finally said, "This man Baizhan was somewhat impetuous and rash. As for the rest... it is difficult for me to say." Su Yu smiled. "You hear that?" Su Yu then turned to Marquis Anying. "Anying, what do you say? Was Baizhan foolish or not?" Marquis Anying's voice was hoarse. "This... Your Majesty Emperor Yu, it is... improper for us to say much. After all, Baizhan was a Human Master." Su Yu nodded and laughed. "Indeed! Never mind! Everyone already knows he was foolish. General Xuelan, I suggest we waste no more time discussing him!" At this moment, those defending Baizhan were not necessarily bad people. Did Xuelan... actually know something? And those who didn't defend him were not necessarily bad people either; perhaps they truly felt that way, or perhaps... they intentionally made others think so! Su Yu smiled and quickly shifted the topic. "Alright, enough idle chatter! King Daming, how is the forging progressing?" Earlier, they had eighteen people in the Upper Realm! Later, Jiu Yue rejoined them, plus Xuelan and her three companions, bringing the total to twenty-three supreme experts! As for Xia Longwu and the others, they remained inside the civilization chronicle and had not emerged, nor did Su Yu intend to release Qi Rong. Among the twenty-three supreme experts, there were eight Heavenly Kings, nine second-rank Dao Integration cultivators, four third-rank Dao Integration cultivators, and finally Jiu Yue and Tianmie, both at the fourth rank of Dao Integration. King Daming quickly replied, "From the two ancient beast corpses, I could forge only eight talisman arrays. Combined with the eight forged previously, we have only sixteen talismans... seven short!" Su Yu smiled. "No matter. Once we kill our enemies, we'll have more! Slaying seven of them will naturally yield seven jade talismans! Lan Tian and I can go without for now, so five will suffice... Besides, once the battle truly erupts, having the jade talismans won't matter much anyway! At worst, the ancient beasts will besiege us, but the Prison King lineage will be besieged just the same... We have nothing to fear!" King Daming chuckled. "Since Emperor Yu believes it's fine, the forging is complete!" Sixteen talisman arrays! Su Yu promptly distributed them one by one. For those who didn't receive one, Su Yu opened the civilization chronicle, looked at Tianmie and the others, and smiled. "Your strength is insufficient. Step inside to hide for now so you aren't discovered. This time, we're going to make a massive splash!" Several people looked somewhat reluctant, Tianmie and Xinghong among them. Tianmie had been feeling rather disgruntled, but seeing Xinghong included as well, he chuckled gleefully, suddenly feeling much better! *I'm too weak and didn't get one, but you aren't doing any better!* Aside from Su Yu and Lan Tian, five others did not receive talismans: Xinghong, Tianmie, Jiu Yue, King Daqin, and King Daxia. The talismans were primarily meant to reasonably prevent ancient beasts from besieging them. The others, including Xuelan and her companions, all received one. Su Yu spoke solemnly, "Everyone, let me reiterate: strict obedience to commands is paramount. No matter the circumstances, when I issue an order, even in the thick of battle, you must obey!" "Understood!" The others responded in unison. Xuelan and her companions were not quite accustomed to this, but still spoke up: "Since Human Master Su issues the order, we will naturally comply." Su Yu nodded. "That would be best!" Su Yu said calmly, "If I say fight to the death, you fight to the death! If I say retreat, you retreat! If I say self-detonate... you self-detonate! You can preserve your sea of will; you aren't being asked to blow yourselves up to true death. If your physical body shatters, there is still a chance to recover!" Su Yu said slowly, "I hope everyone heeds my words, especially you, General Xuelan!" Su Yu spoke with gravity. "From the Lower Realm all the way to the Upper Realm, I have been victorious in every battle! I do not wish to suffer defeat simply because you fail to obey orders! Defeat often means death!" Su Yu looked toward King Dazhou again and said, "In this battle, drawing out the enemy comes first, slaughter comes second, and third is making the myriad races believe we suffered grievous losses. King Dazhou, at the critical moment, detonate some divine characters to fake the fall of our powerhouses..." King Dazhou smiled and nodded. "Rest assured, I will handle it properly!" Su Yu remarked half-jokingly, "It is merely a feigned death, so don't anyone actually perish in battle!" Having said that, he looked at Lan Tian. "Recall all your clones. Otherwise, with your clones scattered, your strength will be diluted!" Lan Tian said with a deeply aggrieved expression, "Then what if we die in battle? Gathering together is far too dangerous." Su Yu laughed. "How could that happen? Do you still lack faith in me? Cut the nonsense—have I ever lost? Hurry up and recall your clones. Otherwise, if your main body gets taken down, your clones elsewhere will be exposed anyway!" "Fine, then!" Lan Tian said helplessly, "Then I'll have to pull up the spikes I planted. Had I known, I wouldn't have bothered planting them!" King Dazhou chimed in, "Perhaps we should let it be. Leaving some of Lan Tian's clones in the Upper Realm would allow us to maintain intelligence gathering." Su Yu smiled. "No need! Once this battle concludes, we will simply retreat to the second line! If Lan Tian doesn't assemble his clones, his strength will drop substantially, which is unacceptable!" King Dazhou hesitated, but seeing Su Yu's insistence, he said nothing more. Soon, Su Yu assigned their tasks. "There is a Celestial Venerable present, quite formidable! Feiqiu, that one is yours. Can you handle it?" The little white dog wagged its tail, asking with worry, "Can I?" "..." Su Yu laughed despite himself. "You can! I have faith in you—stomp him to death with King Wen's boot!" The little white dog sighed helplessly. "Alright then!" Su Yu laughed heartily. "With Feiqiu handling that Celestial Venerable, the remaining six Heavenly Kings will be dealt with by our seven Heavenly Kings—a guaranteed victory! We have nine second-rank Dao Integration cultivators. Though the other side has many Dao Integration experts, they don't amount to much, and we have several guardians ready to advance at any moment! Don't be fooled by their thirty Dao Integration cultivators; they have at most three or four at the second rank, fewer than their Heavenly Kings..." Su Yu laughed boisterously. "This time, we strike with sheer ferocity! We'll have Marquis Tongtian teleport us straight into their lair and slaughter them instantly, clearing out a batch of Dao Integration experts in the first wave. They wouldn't dream in their wildest nightmares that we'd dare teleport directly into their den!" Su Yu's laughter was wild and arrogant, tinged with immense pride. "In this battle, we will display our might until they cry for reinforcements, until another Celestial Venerable arrives from the depths—that will mark our success! We'll show the myriad races just how formidable this lineage truly is! Along the way, we'll slaughter a few of them and redeem Marquis Jufu!" Everyone exchanged glances, all feeling the plan was feasible. Dangerous as it was, it was well within their power to fight! So long as the little white dog pinned down the Celestial Venerable, Su Yu's side, despite having fewer numbers, held the overall advantage. Even their weakest members, Jiu Yue and Tianmie, were fourth-rank Marquises. The enemy side likely had fifth-rank or even sixth-rank Marquises—those who attained Dao Integration via the three-body art were mere sixth-rank Marquises! King Dazhou felt a faint unease and asked, "Emperor Yu, are you certain the enemy has only one Celestial Venerable? We aren't afraid of them having an extra Heavenly King or two, but having an additional Celestial Venerable would be disastrous. A weaker Celestial Venerable can take on two Heavenly Kings, while a stronger one cannot be matched by even three to five..." Su Yu laughed. "You doubt my Heavenly Gate? With my Heavenly Gate opened, unless another Celestial Venerable arrived within this brief window, that's impossible!" He then added, "Rest assured, Celestial Venerables aren't cabbages you can find lying around everywhere! If we truly encounter danger, I will lead everyone in retreat. It will be fine!" Tianmie chuckled. "Of course we believe in Emperor Yu! This time, I must slaughter a few. If I don't kill, how can I advance? Once we arrive, Emperor Yu, you must let me out immediately..." "Naturally!" Su Yu smiled. "Certainly, don't worry!" The others said no more. Their confidence remained sky-high! No problem! Su Yu stood up, his face radiant with smiles. "Tongtian!" "Here!" Marquis Tongtian hurried forward. Su Yu smiled and said, "In a moment, I will provide the coordinates. You will execute the teleportation, descending at maximum speed. I will help suppress the spatial ripples. Make sure the coordinates are pinpoint accurate—drop us right above their heads!" "No problem!" Marquis Tongtian chuckled. "I attained the Dao as a gateway; I can open a door anywhere! Once I become thoroughly familiar with this Upper Realm, it will be my personal domain—I can go wherever I please!" "Hahaha, ambitious!" Su Yu praised him with a nod. "Everyone, get ready. Remember: act strictly on my command!" This was Su Yu repeating the directive once again. He had emphasized it repeatedly. King Daqin and the others assumed Su Yu was directing this at the newcomers, so they paid it no mind. They were already accustomed to acting on Su Yu's orders; even without him speaking, they understood. As for whether the newcomers would listen, who cared? Meanwhile, King Dazhou glanced at Su Yu, a flicker of suspicion emerging deep within his eyes. *Why repeat it so many times?* If he truly lacked confidence in them, he might as well not bring them along. Bringing them along while remaining distrustful—wasn't that just creating trouble for himself? He truly couldn't fathom Su Yu's current train of thought. In King Dazhou's eyes, this battle was somewhat rushed. The enemy couldn't possibly remain gathered forever; there would always come a time when they dispersed. Right now, the gap in strength between both sides wasn't large, so forcing a clash held no clear benefit. Why bother? The enemy was in the light while they were in the dark; hiding here still afforded them advantages. Yet Su Yu paid none of that any heed. At that moment, he sent a voice transmission to Lan Tian: "Leave a clone with me. I'll place it inside the civilization chronicle!" Lan Tian glanced at him without a word. Su Yu had a clone of his already. Seeing Lan Tian nod, Su Yu said nothing more and inconspicuously slipped the clone on his wrist into the civilization chronicle. Su Yu glanced over the others again. They should all follow orders, with the sole exception of Tianmie. Pondering for a moment, Su Yu spoke directly, "Tianmie, don't cause trouble for me. When I tell you to retreat, you retreat! If you ruin my plans on your own, I will show you no mercy! Not just you, but the entire guardian lineage will be disgraced because of you!" From one of the pages of the civilization chronicle, Tianmie's head popped out, looking rather helpless. "Am I really that disliked? How could I do such a thing! Back in the day, I was a soldier of the Spirit Suppression Army! Do you think I don't know the importance of obeying orders? Emperor Yu, you're practically looking down on me!" He looked utterly aggrieved! *I am genuinely obedient, so why treat me like this?* Su Yu chuckled. "Then pretend I said nothing. You're a soldier—just follow military orders!" "Naturally!" Tianmie was thoroughly depressed and no longer wanted to speak to Su Yu. *This brat has forgotten how well his Uncle Mie treated him back then. Now he questions me at every turn. It hurts, I want to cry!* Su Yu spoke no further. He had done everything humanly possible! He had repeated the order to obey multiple times. So long as they obeyed, nothing would necessarily go wrong this time. But if they failed to obey, with an additional Celestial Venerable present, catastrophe was guaranteed! Whether disaster struck or not was entirely up to their own choices. "Teleport!" With a low shout, Su Yu entered a coordinate. Marquis Tongtian instantly activated the teleportation, while Su Yu retrieved the Star Universe Seal to directly suppress the spatial fluctuations. …… At the same time. Within the great mountain where Yue Hao and his subordinates were stationed. Everyone was currently gathered together. Yue Hao frowned deeply, speaking after a long silence. "Let us withdraw. This place has already been compromised! It is no longer suitable as our vanguard base. We shall relocate to another mountain!" Below, the old woman frowned. "Yue Hao, we only just laid down all manner of grand arrays here. Withdrawing now... wouldn't that be a waste? Even if we've been discovered, so what?" The old woman was the second Celestial Venerable-level powerhouse stationed here. Thus, she had always addressed Yue Hao directly by name! The old woman didn't believe there was anything to worry about. "You say we were discovered by the Torchbearer lineage? Even if they know we are here, would they dare come? How much strength do they have? How many Celestial Venerables, how many quasi-kings?" The old woman laughed. "If they truly dare come, that would be a blessing—it would be no different from seeking death! This place is hardly far from our main clan. Even if two or three Celestial Venerables come, dragging the battle out will spell their certain doom!" Yue Hao took a deep breath. "Don't forget, there are also the myriad races' Celestial Venerables outside..." "Would the myriad races' Celestial Venerables strike without understanding the situation? Mount Chaos is perilous; they wouldn't venture in rashly..." The old woman felt Yue Hao was being far too cautious! Exasperated, she added, "If push comes to shove, once the Old Ancestor emerges, everything will be swept aside!" Yue Hao stared at her with furrowed brows. Only after a pause did he say, "Yue Qin, you cannot look at it that way. If it truly comes down to a fight to the death, the myriad races aren't entirely powerless to resist. Besides, the longer this drags out, the more advantageous it actually is for us..." Yue Qin was speechless. *Truly... cowardly!* Would the Torchbearers dare come? Talking about moving at the drop of a hat—this place had just been constructed at great cost! Did Yue Hao think these resources grew on trees? Were they supposed to change locations every single time they were discovered? She had no words! Seeing that the others also looked dismissive, Yue Hao frowned slightly. Indeed, he too felt the Torchbearers wouldn't dare charge in recklessly. Yet caution was always the better path. After all, having been discovered meant they were now exposed in the light while the enemy remained in the dark. The Chaos lineage was accustomed to striking from the shadows, so suddenly being exposed left him somewhat uneasy. The enemy had probed them three times in succession, and the last time had been an overt sweep—hardly an auspicious sign. However, the crowd before him was difficult to persuade. He fell into contemplation. Should he insist on relocating? Just as he was pondering, his brows suddenly twitched. "Yue Qin, do you sense spatial ripples?" The old woman was exasperated. "Yue Hao, are you simply exhausted?" She said with some irritation, "At the slightest rustle of leaves, at the tiniest commotion, you feel unsafe..." Even as she spoke, she froze slightly. It seemed... there really was a faint spatial ripple propagating through the void. The Heavenly Kings hadn't noticed, but Yue Hao had sensed it immediately, and now she felt it too. The next moment, the two exchanged glances. Yue Hao's heart jolted violently! *No way!* Yue Qin was equally shaken. How was this possible! "Enemy attack!" With a furious roar, both struck simultaneously toward the void! "Kill!" At the same instant, the firmament tore open, and a portal manifested. Su Yu roared as his brush stabbed out! Or perhaps a saber slashed down! "Kill!" With another thunderous roar, twenty-three experts materialized at once, launching into the slaughter! The little white dog pulled out the boot directly, stomping down toward Yue Hao with all its might! *Rumble!* Heaven and earth shattered! The terrifying aura instantly blasted the colossal mountain into pieces! A grand battle erupted in an instant! It came so abruptly that Yue Hao and his forces were completely dumbfounded. They had actually dared to charge in like this? …… At this moment. The entirety of Mount Chaos trembled faintly. In a split second, over sixty Dao Integration auras erupted across the Mount Chaos region, incomparably formidable! Outside the perimeter of Mount Chaos. Several Celestial Venerables felt their hearts shake violently! What was happening? The Torchbearer lineage? Were they insane?! They had charged straight into battle! The agreement had been struck mere moments ago—was this lineage truly so ferocious?! Marquis Tianming swiftly assessed the situation. The next moment, he drew in a sharp breath. "Three Celestial Venerables, thirteen quasi-kings!" The moment these words fell, minds were shaken. Everyone was startled. Celestial Venerable Huang's expression changed drastically. "So many? Did the Torchbearer lineage mobilize in full force? Or did the Chaos lineage mobilize entirely?" "Perhaps neither!" Everyone was horrified! It was too much—three Celestial Venerables, over a dozen quasi-kings, and dozens of Dao Integration experts all at once. At this moment, everyone was petrified. This was supposed to be a small-scale skirmish—at least, that was what they had envisioned. But now... it clearly wasn't! By all rights, the Torchbearer lineage shouldn't have possessed so many powerhouses. Seeing so many suddenly appear left everyone astounded. And as for the Chaos race, did they possess this many experts at any random outpost? Just as they were speaking, wondering if this might be an act... a firework blossomed in the distance! A death! The first Dao Integration expert had fallen! They had only just clashed! "A fight to the death!" Everyone exchanged glances. This was a genuine fight to the death—utterly ruthless! In a clash of Dao Integration experts, someone had died the moment they engaged. If this wasn't a fight to the death, what was? The Torchbearer lineage harbored such sheer hatred toward the Chaos lineage, striking so swiftly and brutally that the Celestial Venerables were caught entirely unprepared. They had assumed this would be nothing more than a hit-and-run raid at best! "Kill!" "A battle to the death! Purge the traitors of mankind, pass down the flame of humanity! Even in death, we harbor no regrets!" A shrill, resolute roar resounded through heaven and earth! *Rumble!* Colossal booms shook the entire world. The next moment, San Yue abruptly soared toward that direction. Just as Heavenly Venerable Yue and the others were about to speak, San Yue bellowed, "Seize the chance to kill a few! Are you still going to wait?" Hearing this, the group of Celestial Venerables furrowed their brows, then swiftly flew toward the battlefield! Since the Torchbearer lineage had already initiated total war, perhaps... seizing this opportunity to wipe them all out was the best course. This lineage was far too fierce; none of the Celestial Venerables had anticipated a clash of this scale!