So What?

A massive melee swept across the world. The gigantic fireworks lingered endlessly, creating a brilliant, magnificent spectacle over Mount Chaos. Yet this splendor was forged from the falls of dozens of Dao Integrations, over ten Heavenly Kings, and a Celestial Venerable. Deep within Mount Chaos. It was a vast domain—so vast that congregating mountains blotted out the sky and sun, completely obscuring any glimpse of the true Upper Realm. Atop the mountain peaks. A figure emerged with hands clasped behind his back, looking down upon the world. In the distance, the blooming plumes of fireworks plunged him into reminiscence. Astral winds howled, yet failed to disturb him in the slightest. His golden robe fluttered in the gale, lending him an air of effortless grace. "Your Majesty!" The individuals who had vanished earlier now suddenly appeared behind him. Looking at his back, their hearts swirled with mixed grief and joy. Marquis Yunshui looked up, her expression brimming with tenderness and boundless admiration. Trembling slightly, she said, "Your Majesty, Anying and the others... they sacrificed themselves!" The one who had brought them here was an incomparably seductive woman. Bearing a faint smile, she too gazed at the back of the man ahead. That back was as towering as a mountain, commanding reverence. "I know." His back still turned to them, the man gazed into the distance. After a long pause, he gave a soft laugh. "It is fine. When I have time, I will make a trip to the Lower Realm and walk the River of Time. Perhaps some remnant will of their Great Daos has yet to perish... I shall see if I can retrieve them!" Marquis Yunshui was instantly overcome with emotion. "Your Majesty... you..." The man turned around to face them with a hint of melancholy and nostalgia, a smile gracing his face. "I will not let my people die in vain! However..." He looked at the group and said slowly, "Why did such a battle suddenly erupt?" "Your Majesty..." Marquis Yunshui said hastily, "The current Human Master reached an understanding with the myriad races. Along with the return of General Xuelan and the others, he wanted to launch a surprise attack on the Chaos race, but he miscalculated the enemy's strength—there was an additional Celestial Venerable-level existence... Unwilling to accept defeat, he ordered a fight to the death..." The man sank into thought. After a long time, he spoke. "This generation's Human Master—what do you think of him?" "Incredibly talented, mediocre in strength, overbearing in character, and arrogant beyond measure..." The man chuckled. "Mediocre strength? I think he's decent!" With that, he turned back to look into the distance. After a while, he said, "Yueluo, does this scene feel familiar?" The seductive woman smiled, gazing at the distant plumes of cloud-like fireworks. After a long moment, she said bewitchingly, "Familiar indeed! It seems... something similar happened once in the past. But that time was even more dazzling than today!" Marquis Yunshui's expression shifted slightly. "Your Majesty... what do you mean?" "Merely a guess." The man looked in that direction and smiled. "Interesting!" Very interesting. It was as though he were witnessing the events of yesteryear all over again! With that, the man gave a soft laugh. "Let us go. The Upper Realm is no longer a place to linger. We shall head to Soul Burying Mountain and sit back to watch the clouds rise and fall in the Upper Realm! Both sides are evenly matched. Their struggle is bound to be fascinating!" Behind him, the seductive woman asked faintly, "What about me?" "You stay!" The man turned around and smiled. On his majestic face, that smile appeared remarkably warm. "You cannot leave. If you leave, it will cause immense problems!" With that, he looked at Marquis Yunshui and the others, smiling faintly. "Is Zhennan in the Lower Realm? I do not sense his trace." "He should be in the Lower Realm... It is just that last time, he detonated his physical body..." "No matter!" Baizhan was completely composed. "It was merely his physical body detonating. While recovery is difficult for others, as for me, the Dao of the Physical Body inherently belongs to me... Recovering from a detonated body is very simple!" "Your Majesty, but the Lower Realm is the new Human Master's territory. Could it be that we must..." Before Marquis Yunshui could finish, Baizhan raised his hand to cut her off. Looking into the distance, he said in a deep voice, "Wrong. The Lower Realm is no one's territory! Even if it were, it is mine! Furthermore... he may very well have left with his own people!" Marquis Yunshui showed astonishment! The alluring Yueluo laughed softly. "How so?" "Those you brought back are all my people!" Baizhan was utterly calm. "What of his people? Did they all die?" Marquis Yunshui said hastily, "His people were all very obedient to his orders and self-detonated... The only one who did not detonate was Fat Ball, whom he took with him." Baizhan fell into deep thought. After a moment, he smiled; with his tall and broad frame, his smile was exceptionally handsome. "Let us speak as we walk. Tell me more about him; I would like to hear!" "Understood!" Marquis Yunshui complied, then quickly added, "By the way, he took the Human Sovereign's Great Dao Diagram as well as the Star Residence Seal!" Baizhan nodded slightly. "The Star Residence Seal... I searched for it in the past but could not find it. It seems that seal and I have no affinity! No matter. If he took it, then so be it; it changes nothing." "However..." "There are no howevers!" Baizhan cut her off once more, smiling faintly. "Though the Human Sovereign was mighty, he was not the only one. If he wishes to inherit the Human Sovereign's foundation, let him inherit it! After all, the human race and the myriad races do not belong to the Human Sovereign alone! Besides, even the Human Sovereign came after inheriting the legacy of the Human Ancestor! The Human Ancestor came first, the Human Sovereign second!" Baizhan remained calm and composed, showing no sense of grievance or belief that Su Yu shouldn't have inherited the Star Residence Seal and the Great Dao Diagram. Marquis Yunshui quickly added, "He... he may have severed the Brush Dao. He had inherited the Brush Dao previously." "The Brush Dao?" Baizhan pondered for a moment, then smiled. "The Brush Dao is not so easily broken. That path is not weak. How could a mere quasi-king sever the Brush Dao? He merely burned his connection to it. If he wishes, he can reconnect at any time; he simply cannot utilize it at the moment!" How could a Great Dao be so easily shattered? This was a true Great Dao of Rules, the very Dao that had elevated King Wen in ancient times. As he spoke, he stepped into the void. "Let us depart. The Upper Realm is about to descend into chaos. If we are discovered here, it will invite trouble!" Behind him, Marquis Nanxi called out hastily, "Your Majesty, Jufu is still in their hands..." "San Yue is there, and given how chaotic the situation is, San Yue will surely find a way to save him!" Baizhan did not even look back. "Besides, Jufu... does not seem to have fully sworn allegiance to me. There is no need to worry about him for now!" "Understood!" Marquis Nanxi obeyed and fell silent. Soon, the party of five stepped through the void and vanished from the spot in an instant. ... At the same time. The Source of Dao. Su Yu had returned here once more. His face was deathly pale, yet he wore a faint smile as he looked back toward the far west. The Source of Dao was virtually deserted at this moment. Fat Ball, however, was depressed to the extreme. His tail had been severed, and he was covered in blood. He whimpered dejectedly, "Su Yu, I couldn't beat that fellow. Told you so, we lost the fight!" Lost! In this battle, they had suffered a wretched defeat. Even though they had killed many people, it was still a defeat—a total, crushing defeat. The strength Su Yu had amassed over several years had been wiped out in a single battle! "Lost?" Su Yu chuckled. "He who laughs last is the victor. Who can say we've lost right now?" "Still being stubborn!" Beside them, Marquis Tongtian muttered, "We really did lose the fight!" So miserable! When they had ascended, they had been riding high on ambition, surrounded by a multitude of talents. When going back down, their losses were catastrophic, with not even one in ten surviving! Truly bleak! We really got thrashed. Su Yu looked at him and smiled. "Are you familiar with Baizhan?" "Not familiar." "Makes sense." Su Yu nodded. "You have always been in Star Residence Mansion, so how could you be familiar? Baizhan probably rarely went there, or perhaps never at all." "Never seen him," Marquis Tongtian nodded, then added, "Though if he went in under a disguise, I wouldn't have known either!" Makes sense! Su Yu chuckled. "Perhaps!" "You can still laugh?" Marquis Tongtian looked deeply world-weary. To still laugh in this state—I get it, putting on a brave face! Too tragic! A generation's Human Master, just having risen, only to be beaten into the dirt. It was already impressive that his mind hadn't collapsed completely. He groaned fretfully, "From the start, when we saw that extra Celestial Venerable, we could have just run. That way, it wouldn't have turned out like this!" So many Heavenly Kings and Dao Integrations—look, after just one fight, all gone! Only one dog left! As for himself, a mere gateway, what use was he? His strength wasn't even second-class! Su Yu was battered into uselessness too; he felt like he could pinch Su Yu to death right now. Truly desolate! "A hero at the end of his road!" Marquis Tongtian sighed desolately. It was too tragic; this battle had probably shattered Su Yu's confidence entirely. Even if there were still Dao Integrations in the Lower Realm... there was no way to fight anymore. The Upper Realm was crawling with Celestial Venerables, and there seemed to be Rulers of Rules as well! Besides a single dog, all Su Yu had left was an old turtle! "You could stand to say fewer words!" Su Yu glared at him unkindly. "If you don't know how to speak, shut up!" Marquis Tongtian wanted to retort: You are so weak right now, nothing will happen to me even if I don't listen to you. But just as the thought crossed his mind, he caught sight of Fat Ball and clamped his mouth shut instantly. Forget it, this guy still has a dog, and I can't beat the dog either. Never mind, no point bickering with him! Fat Ball was genuinely downcast as well. "Su Yu, what do we do now? Can we still save Master?" They had lost the battle! "Doubao and the others are all dead..." Su Yu chuckled. "Who said they're dead? Come now, what's the big deal? This is a good thing. We won this battle—a glorious victory!" It was indeed a grand victory! After this fight, many doubts had been resolved, and many suspicions had been confirmed! Su Yu laughed. "Previously, our strength grew too rapidly and was somewhat bloated and hollow. Right now, this is merely shedding the dross to retain the essence! It's called discarding baggage to march light—a good thing! Cut the chatter; let us head to the Lower Realm first! Once down there, we will take everything that belongs to us, and whatever remains can be left for others!" Su Yu chuckled again. "He wasn't wrong, and neither was I. But... planting spies around me was his mistake! Making me take the blame for him was also a mistake! We will settle this score later!" At this, Su Yu let out a sneer. "Everyone is playing the game; we'll see who lasts till the end! Though his strength is slightly greater than mine... no matter how strong he is, he hasn't reached that supreme level yet; otherwise, he would have stood forward to unify the world long ago! He is still a step short—at the very least, he cannot defeat a combined alliance of both sides!" Fat Ball looked bewildered, while Marquis Tongtian blinked. Who was he talking about? Baizhan? Felt like it! Humans... truly bloody complicated. You've been beaten like a dog, so why do you act like you've won? Beside him, the little white dog glanced curiously at Marquis Tongtian and asked, "'Beaten like a dog'—are you talking about me? I'm already a dog!" Marquis Tongtian: "..." Awkward! Speechless! Su Yu cast a glance at him. "If you weren't still somewhat useful, I'd install a latch on you to bolt your mouth shut!" Marquis Tongtian was shocked and horrified. "King Wen said that back then too!" "I don't want a latch!" Marquis Tongtian cried hastily. "If the door is latched shut, how can I open doors freely? Opening them would be such a hassle!" "Cut the nonsense!" Su Yu couldn't stand him. Had he known, he would have just put this guy away. Su Yu tore open the River of Spacetime once more. At this moment, tearing it open proved somewhat difficult. Nonetheless, he could still enter. Stepping onto the Human Sovereign's Great Dao, Su Yu sank into thought for a moment before suddenly asking, "Fat Ball, among our group, who do you think feels the greatest sense of responsibility toward the human race?" Fat Ball was at a loss. How would I know! Su Yu did not seem to need an answer from him. He smiled and murmured to himself, "Perhaps... the one with the truest sense of responsibility is that old bastard! All he cares about is the human race, the spark of humanity! He doesn't care who the Human Master is, nor does he care who takes the position; all he cares about is that the heritage of humanity never extinguishes!" King Dazhou! He was a very peculiar existence; his entire existence was essentially dedicated to passing on the fire. He didn't care whether the Human Master was Su Yu or Baizhan, nor did he care about personal grudges; he only wanted humanity's spark to be passed down unbroken. However, inheriting this Dao was by no means simple! Human Master, Star Residence Seal, Human Lord Seal, Heavenly Gate... many conditions were likely required. If it were truly so easy, someone would have inherited it long ago. Su Yu said no more and continued walking through the void. At this moment, the severing of the Brush Dao and the loss of connection had caused his strength to drop significantly. Yet even without integrating with a Dao, Su Yu still possessed peak Eternal combat power. Moreover, blessed with numerous treasures, his civilization chronicle still contained a third-class Dao Integration Demon Dao avatar. If a third-class Dao Integration appeared now, Su Yu was confident he could slay them. It was only the Brush Dao; what was severed was merely the connection. If he truly wished to restore it, it would not be overly difficult. The Brush Dao was quite resilient. It was only a severed connection; with a bit of time, he could still regain quasi-king combat power. Su Yu soon smiled. "We will head down via the Destiny race's passage. In my current state, I might not make it all the way to the ninth floor of Star Residence Mansion!" The Destiny race's passage only needed to be suppressed for an instant. Besides, he could have a chat with the Destiny Emperor while he was at it. These myriad realms were becoming increasingly intriguing. Su Yu felt no dejection whatsoever. I am still young—what do I have to be depressed about? No rush! If someone wants to hold up the heavens, that is a good thing. Provided they don't meddle with me. If they meddle with me, even if they are human, I won't be polite! ... Su Yu set off toward the Destiny race's passage. At the same time. In the endless void, in a land of boundless darkness. A man in white robes murmured, "I feel... the flow of time in the myriad realms might be malfunctioning. In the blink of an eye, tens of millions of years have passed!" "How could that be possible!" Beside him, an imposing, burly man covered in blood looked at him in disbelief. "Nonsense!" Why would anyone think such a thing? The blink of an eye being tens of millions of years... aren't you spouting pure rubbish? The white-robed man ignored him, turning to look in a certain direction as he muttered, "Truly! If you don't believe it, forget it!" "Why do you say that?" "Let me ask you: how long do you think it takes to inherit the Brush Dao and comprehend it to over eighty percent?" "Comprehending the Brush Dao... ten thousand years?" "Ten thousand years?" The white-robed man smiled. "What if it were an incomparable genius?" "One hundred years?" "Even if one hundred years, let me ask you: from comprehending over eighty percent to suddenly having the Brush Dao's connection severed, how long should that take?" "What?" The burly man said in shock. "Dead? Killed off so quickly? Your inheritor got killed off? Isn't that a bit too fast? Your Brush Dao isn't weak, so how could he get killed so easily..." The white-robed man said nothing more, merely sinking into confusion. Had some monumental event occurred in the myriad realms? Day in and day out, not much time seemed to pass—just the blink of an eye—and then... there was no 'then.' The inheritor who had shocked him last time seemed to have severed the connection to the Brush Dao in the blink of an eye. Did he croak? Or what? My inheritance got beaten to death so easily? Inheriting over eighty percent of the Brush Dao ought to grant at least quasi-king combat power. Even if he couldn't match a Ruler of Rules, he shouldn't have been killed off this quickly, right? How miserable! It's only been a few days! "Reasonably speaking, a genius who inherited my Dao should have immense destiny, so how could he be killed so quickly?" The white-robed man continued mumbling to himself. The next moment, he suddenly said, "Do you think... he could have severed the Dao on his own initiative to open another Dao?" "What?" The burly man was healing his wounds and replied in bewilderment. The white-robed man frowned, glancing at him with palpable disdain. "I always feel like talking to you is like a chicken talking to a duck—we're completely talking past each other!" "Then talk less." The burly man quickly stood up. "Let's go, time to brawl!" The white-robed man dusted off his robes. Seeing the man's bare torso, he frowned slightly. "An affront to civility!" "Got too much time on your hands, don't you!" The burly man was equally disgusted with him. "You'll end up covered in blood anyway. In my opinion, you'd do better switching to red robes!" "A brute's narrow view!" "Anyone who can fight is a brute! You're so refined—if you're so refined, don't fight!" "This is not called brawling; this is called a struggle for the Dao..." "Tch!" The burly man ignored him and vanished in a flash. The white-robed man still scoffed, "Even his gait lacks all elegance! Sit like a clock, stand like a pine, and walk with sweeping grace!" "You're sick in the head; no one's watching anyway!" Ahead, the burly man looked back with scorn. A complete lunatic! In this godforsaken place, not a ghost was in sight, so why should I give a damn about that? Acting neurotic all day long! Forget it, he couldn't be bothered with him. This fellow had been like this for countless eras. Behind him, the white-robed man shook his head. Just because no one is watching means one shouldn't care? Indeed, a brute will never understand what poise means! Oh well, the affairs of the myriad realms were beyond his reach, and he couldn't be bothered to care. Everything was bizarre day in and day out. It had only been a few days: one moment rapid comprehension, the next a severed Great Dao, and a few days later there might be yet another change. He couldn't manage it! ... The Destiny Realm. The passage trembled! The Destiny Emperor materialized atop Mount Tianming in an instant, filled with doubt and bewilderment. They had only ascended a few days ago! What happened? Trouble already? Had Su Yu returned, or was someone from the Upper Realm descending? With a solemn expression, he kept his gaze fixed on the sky above. After a moment, a figure appeared, surrounded by swirling lightning that was quickly suppressed by a great seal. At that moment, the Destiny Emperor was certain—it was Su Yu! That was the Star Residence Seal! Ordinary individuals could never suppress the rule punishment force within the passage so easily; otherwise, people from the Upper Realm would have descended long ago. Just as the Destiny Emperor was thinking, the next moment, a figure emerged. Soon, a doorway and a dog appeared beside him. Inside, the Destiny Emperor was profoundly shaken! Fat Ball had lost his tail. Su Yu's aura also seemed to have plummeted drastically, to the point where no fluctuations of Great Dao rules could even be felt from him! This... what was this? What happened? Where were the others? Countless thoughts surged in the Destiny Emperor's mind. Su Yu also saw the Destiny Emperor waiting there. Still somewhat pale and weary, Su Yu said indifferently, "Destiny Emperor, from today onward, you no longer need to obey me!" The Destiny Emperor's heart trembled violently. He asked hastily, "Why does Emperor Yu say this..." Su Yu looked at him, his tone calm as ever. "We were defeated! In the battle of the Upper Realm, those who survived... are all right here!" Su Yu smiled faintly. "It is just as well; you are free! From now on, no one will ever boss you around again! I am abandoning the Lower Realm too, as people will likely hunt us down soon... I am taking my people to withdraw! From now on, we go our separate ways. Daoist Wuming, you won't stop me, will you?" Wuming was deeply shaken. Everyone left alive had descended! How could that be! Yet Su Yu's Great Dao appeared to be shattered, Fat Ball was grievously injured, and while Marquis Tongtian had suffered no major harm, his portal bore marks from the aftermath of battle and had sustained some damage. Could it be... they truly were defeated? The undefeated Su Yu, who had just ascended in high spirits with a multitude of experts, had in the blink of an eye... been defeated? Beaten back in retreat! Impossible! And yet, the reality was right before his eyes. Tremendous shock rippled through his heart, yet nothing showed on his face. He said hastily, "Even if Emperor Yu suffered a small setback this time, I believe you will make a comeback soon..." Su Yu smiled. "You are a smart man! Exceptionally brilliant! I, Su Yu, am not one to give up easily either; naturally, I will find a way to stage a comeback! However, your Destiny race is powerful, and Marquis Tianming's might is peerless. In my current state, I doubt I can keep your Destiny race in check. That being the case... let us part on good terms! I fear you would be dissatisfied, and I fear Marquis Tianming would be dissatisfied. If so... it is better to part ways now and preserve our goodwill. If I return in the future and you feel you can still ally with me, then come back!" "With Marquis Tianming around, and since every race saw my defeat in the Upper Realm, they won't make things too difficult for you... Even if they descend to the Lower Realm, they won't do anything to you!" The Destiny Emperor said somberly, "Emperor Yu must be joking. For tens of millions of years, my race remained neutral. Only in this tide did I choose Emperor Yu—not out of impulse, but after deliberate consideration! Otherwise, as early as the previous tide, I would have chosen Baizhan..." Su Yu laughed as well. "Am I stronger than Baizhan? Not necessarily!" Wuming said in a deep voice, "At the very least, there is one aspect where Emperor Yu is definitely superior to Baizhan! When it comes to racial boundaries, Emperor Yu does not draw such rigid lines! No matter how formidable Baizhan was, in his eyes, there was only the human race! In his eyes, humanity was his sole race, the only one that mattered... No matter what, that fact could never be concealed, and that was precisely what all allied races feared most!" Su Yu looked at him and smiled. "By that logic, other than this one point, am I inferior to him in every way?" Wuming felt embarrassed. "That was not my meaning." "Forget it, perhaps you are right." Su Yu exhaled. "Has anything happened in the myriad realms recently?" "Emperor Yu has only been gone a few days, so for now, all is quiet. However, there seem to be movements in the Immortal, Demon, and God Realms—someone may have integrated with a Dao!" Su Yu nodded and chuckled. "Doesn't matter! In any case, this Lower Realm won't belong to me for long! But before that, everything that should be taken will be taken, everything that can be scooped up will be scooped up. Whatever belongs to me, I will take in full; whatever does not, let it be!" The Destiny Emperor asked somberly, "Emperor Yu... intends to withdraw? Could it be... to the dead spirit realm?" His tone was heavy, but soon he gritted his teeth and said, "If Emperor Yu truly wishes to withdraw, I suggest not going straight into the dead spirit realm!" Su Yu looked at him. The Destiny Emperor said in a deep voice, "Did Emperor Yu forget? The Tianyuan Realm! It hooks into the dead spirits below! I have an idea: if Emperor Yu truly feels there is no place left in the myriad realms, you can breach the barrier between the Tianyuan Realm and the dead spirit realm! Sink the entire Tianyuan Realm directly into the dead spirit realm! That way, it forms an independent domain within the dead spirit realm, accommodating living beings and shielding them from the interference of death qi!" "Back then, when the Tianyuan Realm sank, that was actually the intention—to merge into the dead spirit realm!" The Destiny Emperor added swiftly, "This way, you can preserve an exit for the Tianyuan Realm, allowing you to return to the living realm at any time!" "There would be no need to use passages, as passages still retain certain rules after all!" "As long as Emperor Yu can find a way to seal the breach left after merging the Tianyuan Realm so that no one discovers it, hiding inside the Tianyuan Realm is more suitable than anywhere else!" Su Yu's gaze flickered slightly as he looked at him. Suddenly, he smiled. "You... are acting strange!" The Destiny Emperor was taken aback. "What does Emperor Yu mean by that?" Su Yu laughed. "I was defeated, do you know that? Crushed! Perhaps you did not see it, but let me tell you: aside from us, everyone else fell in battle. In the Upper Realm, there are over a dozen Celestial Venerables among the myriad races, two Rulers of Rules in the Chaos race, and countless Celestial Venerables. Next, Baizhan may descend, his might peerless as well... Yet you are offering strategies on my behalf—you are very strange!" Wuming smiled. "No, Emperor Yu, I am not blind! I see it all, but... what I care about is Emperor Yu himself, not anyone else. You should know that before this, I already knew about the existence of Celestial Venerables. I could even have passed word upward to allow more experts of the myriad races to descend... yet I did not!" Wuming smiled and continued, "Because I observe fortune, observe qi! Emperor Yu may not believe it, but if my Destiny race truly throws its lot in with the human race, aside from Emperor Yu, unless the ancient Human Sovereign returns, we will never submit to any other human!" Su Yu was surprised. "Even I don't think I'm that impressive!" Wuming bowed slightly. "Emperor Yu must be joking. In three short years, you stirred up storms across the myriad realms. However formidable Baizhan is, he is merely the next Martial Emperor, the next King Wu... but Emperor Yu is different!" Su Yu burst into genuine laughter. "Daoist Wuming... you truly like your jokes!" "No!" Wuming shook his head again. "These are no jesting words! The Destiny race will still await Emperor Yu's return. Aside from Emperor Yu, no one else shall step foot into the Destiny Realm!" "Are you sure?" Su Yu laughed despite himself. "If Baizhan comes, how will you stop him?" Wuming said softly, "Emperor Yu may not believe it, but... I must still say, even if Baizhan truly arrives, taking the Destiny Realm won't be that easy! For the Destiny race to maintain neutrality for a hundred thousand years means we are not something a single Baizhan can breach so easily!" Su Yu wore a look of utter surprise. What utter nonsense! Even if Marquis Tianming himself descended to fight Baizhan, he would most likely be doomed. Back then, Baizhan had only been wary of a mutually destructive clash with Marquis Tianming, which had ended up benefiting others. Seeing that Su Yu didn't believe him, Wuming smiled, revealing his teeth. "The Destiny Realm is linked above to heavenly destiny—a race favored by fate! Here, any manner of miraculous accident can occur, while Emperor Yu will only take to it like a fish to water." "Is that so?" Su Yu smiled and nodded. "This old fellow is rather interesting, babbling all that mystical nonsense. Well, forget it, have it your way!" With that, Su Yu strode outside. "The Tianyuan Realm... merged into the dead spirit realm... That is quite a good idea. I was originally thinking of opening a new realm suitable for living beings." The Destiny Emperor followed quickly, smiling. "There is an even more interesting idea!" "Let's hear it!" "Completely sever the connection between the realms of life and death!" Su Yu paused, looking at him. The Destiny Emperor smiled, "Relocate the thirty-six cities into the Tianyuan Realm! These ancient cities can be moved, as Emperor Yu well knows! Those entrances are fixed in the dead spirit realm, but in the living realm, they actually drift randomly... If all thirty-six ancient cities are moved away, then between the realms of life and death, aside from the seventh floor of Star Residence Mansion, there will no longer be any place connecting the two!" "Naturally, there is also a complication!" The Destiny Emperor quickly added, "Relocating them all into the ancient Tianyuan Realm will accelerate the rate at which the Tianyuan Realm is devoured by the dead spirit realm. When a living realm merges into the dead spirit realm, over time, it will inevitably be completely swallowed by the dead spirit realm!" "Moving the thirty-six cities in will accelerate it even further. Perhaps within a century, the entire Tianyuan Realm will become fully part of the dead spirit realm!" Su Yu looked at him. "This idea of yours... seems quite good!" Su Yu chuckled, "Did this just occur to you on a whim?" "No," the Destiny Emperor admitted. "My race considered this long ago. In fact, that had always been the Tianyuan race's idea! The Tianyuan race... Emperor Yu must not forget, is also an offshoot of my Destiny race! The reason they rebelled back then was fundamentally a disagreement in ideology: they wanted to merge into the dead spirit realm to forge a great world belonging to the Destiny race!" Su Yu was surprised. "You mean... the human race wanted to make the Upper Realm into humanity's great world, while you wanted to fuse with the dead spirit realm and turn it into your territory?" "We entertained the thought!" The Destiny Emperor did not deny it, nodding. "Every race wishes to leave a retreat for itself... It was only later that my race abandoned the idea." "Why?" The Destiny Emperor sighed, "No confidence! The risk was too great. The more likely outcome was that the Destiny race would end up neither human nor ghost. For a short time it would be fine, but residing in the dead spirit realm permanently was impossible; one would soon turn into a dead spirit! We were planning for the long term, not seeking a temporary refuge. If it were merely for refuge... there would be no need to go to such lengths!" "Moreover, figures like Hongmeng were also obstacles. They would never agree to sealing the passages, but Emperor Yu has the power to do so... That is where the difference lies." Su Yu fell into contemplation. Originally, he had intended to enter the dead spirit realm directly. Yet now, a better alternative seemed to have presented itself! Su Yu smiled. "In other words, if I merge the Tianyuan Realm into the dead spirit realm, seal off the Tianyuan Realm's exit, and conceal it, the dead spirit realm will completely become mine?" "Not necessarily," the Destiny Emperor added. "The conventional passages will be gone, but with sufficient death qi, a new passage can still be opened, as Emperor Yu knows." Su Yu nodded and chuckled. "True enough! Even so... once a passage opens, they might not be able to leave safely!" All in all, it seemed quite splendid! The thirty-six ancient cities were actually very large. Each ancient city could easily accommodate several hundred thousand people. That meant if he truly wanted to evacuate people, he could take over ten million along. The Tianyuan Realm also possessed giant cities, though many areas had been smashed to pieces by King Dazhou and the others back then and were currently in ruins. Relocating the ancient cities inside would save the trouble and time of rebuilding from the rubble! Su Yu truly hadn't considered this before, and he was instantly won over by the Destiny Emperor's suggestion. Makes sense! Su Yu suddenly laughed. "Even if that bastard Baizhan returns, he won't make a huge fuss. Too much commotion, and the Upper Realm will come looking for trouble with him! Which means when he comes back, he will only act cautiously and covertly, without doing anything with great fanfare!" Su Yu stroked his chin and quickly said, "Alright, I understand. I will head back to make preparations and see how to merge the Tianyuan Realm into the dead spirit realm!" The Destiny Emperor said hastily, "If Emperor Yu requires assistance, I can lend a hand." "Forget it, you'd better keep a low profile!" Su Yu chuckled. "At a time like this, have as few entanglements with me as possible!" With that, Su Yu flew straight out of the realm. Accompanied by the little white dog and Marquis Tongtian, Su Yu considered his options for a moment. Suddenly, he altered his course and flew toward the Immortal Realm. ... The Immortal Realm. Several months had passed without incident. Nowadays, the myriad races enjoyed relative peace—though, of course, other domains remained in dire straits. With Fat Ball by his side, Su Yu had nothing to fear. A moment later, arriving at the Immortal Realm, he suddenly threw a punch at the sky above it! Boom! The Immortal Realm shuddered slightly, and Su Yu's aura spread outward. The next instant, from within a thin membrane over the Immortal Realm, the projection of King Fu manifested, filled with rage and vigilance. Seeing Su Yu, his expression changed, and he snapped coldly, "Su Yu, what do you think you're doing?" Was war breaking out? Su Yu, however, chuckled. "Nothing much! Tiangu, come out and have a chat!" Silence. "Come out, stop playing the coward!" Su Yu barked. "I just wiped out Phoenix Emperor and the others—don't force me to slaughter your immortal race right now!" "..." King Fu was shaken. A moment later, another phantom materialized. Tiangu's expression was tranquil, seemingly far more serene than before. The phantom looked at Su Yu and asked calmly, "Do you intend to launch the final decisive battle?" Su Yu laughed. "Not interested! To tell you the truth, I haven't been troubling you lately not because I had free time, but because I took a trip to the Upper Realm and had some fun with Dao Celestial Venerable and the rest!" Tiangu remained placid. "You showed no signs of movement all these days, so I harbored some guesses that you might have gone to the Upper Realm!" Su Yu chuckled. "Wise! Impressive! Tiangu, you truly live up to your reputation as a genius; you've probably stepped into the Heavenly King realm by now, haven't you? Whatever, I don't care about you! Hand over all councilor tokens and I won't attack you. Otherwise... I will assault your Immortal Realm right now!" Tiangu's brow furrowed slightly. "Su Yu, you seem... entirely unconcerned about me fighting to the bitter end. Even if you can suppress me, the destruction of my race will inevitably force open the Upper Realm!" Su Yu laughed heartily. "Care my ass! The fighting in the Lower Realm is child's play; even if the Upper Realm opens right now, it won't do any good! Put it this way: over a dozen Celestial Venerables of the myriad races are currently battling the Prison King's lineage... Damn, that lineage is absurdly strong, boasting even Rulers of Rules—they're battering each other senseless! If I say this, do you believe me?" "Even if the Upper Realm opens, do you think Dao Celestial Venerable and the others have time to bother with you? Believe it or not, even if I slaughtered ten Eternals right now, the Upper Realm probably wouldn't care. They're locked in a fight to the death up there, and a great swath of Heavenly Kings has died. If you have any sensitivity to it, you ought to feel something. Not long ago, I slaughtered several Heavenly Kings of your immortal race too—of course, they were experts of false Daos, so you might not necessarily have sensed it!" Tiangu was silent for a moment before speaking slowly, "Some of your words are believable, others not! The Prison King's lineage... perhaps that is true. It is related to Yueluo of yesteryear and that Ziyan, is it not?" "Smart!" Su Yu smiled. "Exactly! So, do you think I dare attack the immortal race right now?" Tiangu exhaled gently. "You dare. But since you have not attacked directly... you must still have some misgivings, do you not?" Su Yu laughed and nodded. "Of course. Unless driven to extremes, there is no need to fight you! Let those dogs in the Upper Realm bite each other! There are plenty of dogs up there! A whole flock of Celestial Venerables, beating the living daylights out of one another! I also have no need to force open the realm passages at this very moment just to let those old bastards from above descend and cause trouble for me!" Tiangu remained silent for a moment before asking, "What do you want the councilor tokens for? To seal the passages to the Upper Realm?" "Not that at all!" Su Yu chuckled. "Let them open whenever; opening on schedule is fine. I want to seal the passages to the dead spirits. In the future, if you go to the dead spirit realm, you can look for me to play! Tiangu, don't die too quickly. I promised Doubao and the little fur ball that I'd feed you to them sooner or later! If you die too quickly, I will be terribly disappointed!" Tiangu's eyes flickered. "You... seem to be preparing to turn the dead spirit realm into your place of retreat. Su Yu, are you afraid?" Su Yu smiled. "Just in case! What can I do? There are too many damn bastards in the Upper Realm, every one of them ridiculously powerful. These past days, the Dao Integrations I've killed in the Upper Realm—not to brag, but over fifty of them! Yet... fuck, the more I killed, the more of them showed up!" Su Yu sighed. "I had no choice but to come back! There's no killing them all. You bastards fought for a hundred thousand years just playing around! Barely killed anyone—what a joke!" Su Yu laughed aloud. "Alright, enough chatting! The councilor tokens: tell me straight, are you giving them up or not? Fat Ball, give him a stomp and let him taste it!" The next instant, a colossal boot materialized, its tremendous aura shaking heaven and earth! In the distant God Realm and Demon Realm, people seemed to be secretly watching as well. Su Yu did not hold back in the slightest, roaring, "Hand over all your councilor tokens! Cut the nonsense! You heard everything you needed to hear just now! Hand them over, or it's war!" At that moment, Tiangu sighed. "You remain as overbearing as ever. You don't even bother hiding anything. Daoist Fat Ball's injuries seem quite severe..." Su Yu nodded. "Just got beaten by someone in the Upper Realm! No lie, just up there, I slaughtered one Celestial Venerable, four Heavenly Kings, and thirty Dao Integrations! Killing Dao Integrations was like killing dogs... The problem was, there were just too many of them, and I couldn't fight on, so I had to run!" Su Yu grinned. "If you get the chance, you can ask your Celestial Venerables whether your Grandpa Emperor Yu is fierce or not! Unable to beat the Upper Realm, I've got a belly full of fury. Don't force me to vent it on you!" Tiangu gave a soft chuckle. "Very well. Since you put it that way, my race has no desire to serve as your punching bag... The councilor tokens can be given to you, but..." "There are no buts!" Su Yu snapped coldly, "But my ass! If I want them, you give them! If you don't give them, I'll take them myself! Even if I suffered heavy losses, given the current state of the Lower Realm, I can still conquer it without trouble!" At that instant, an ancient city manifested! Hongmeng had arrived! Together with Fat Ball and Marquis Tongtian, their combat power was by no means weak. Hongmeng's aura was formidable. He held some doubts, yet did not speak. Su Yu had returned too quickly. Furthermore, wasn't he afraid that the Immortal, Demon, and God Realms would revolt right now? Tiangu also seemed to sense Hongmeng's aura and sighed, "Congratulations to Daoist Hongmeng!" "Same to you!" Hongmeng smiled faintly and said nothing more. Tiangu glanced at the group, then looked at Su Yu, whose whole body radiated overwhelming murderous intent. After a long silence, he reached out with his hand, and from within the Immortal Realm, seven councilor tokens flew forth. With a sigh, he said, "Perhaps... next time we meet, I will be willing to spar with Emperor Yu." Su Yu chuckled, "We'll talk next time! Even if you've reached the Heavenly King realm now and reach Celestial Venerable soon, next time we meet, I'll still smash you to pieces!" He grabbed the seven councilor tokens in one hand, a grin spreading across his face. His gaze swept toward the other two realms: "God and Demon Realms, do you want me to come collect them personally, or will you bring them out yourselves?" Even having suffered defeat in the Upper Realm, even with his Great Dao severed. At this moment, facing the three realms, Su Yu was still domineering! Somewhat unbridled! Yes, unbridled! He feared nothing. If you open the Upper Realm, then open it! At worst, I'll take my people and flee in an instant into the dead spirit realm! Leaving this mess in the Lower Realm for someone else to clean up! Why should I care whether you live or die! At this moment, having cast off his shackles, Su Yu felt unconstrained and relaxed, as if he had returned to the past—arrogant and flamboyant! Just like back then in the ancient city: I simply don't fear you, what can you do to me? Today, Tiangu and the others all felt it. If they did not comply, there was a ninety percent chance Su Yu would truly storm the three great realms! The God and Demon Realms said nothing more. Soon, above their realms, blood-red councilor tokens drifted out—six from the God Realm, five from the Demon Realm. In total, the three realms provided Su Yu with eighteen councilor tokens. Prior to this, Su Yu already possessed thirty-eight. By this point, Su Yu held a total of fifty-six councilor tokens in his grasp. Su Yu did not stop there. Soon, leading his group, he flew above the Archaic Giant race, his voice chillingly cold: "Hand over your councilor tokens!" From below came the Archaic Giant King's voice: "Last time, I did lend a hand to the human race after all..." "Cut the crap! You helped Baizhan, not me!" Su Yu said coldly, "Furthermore, I already repaid the favor! Otherwise, do you think your race would still be enjoying such peace? Don't force me to smash through your realm and blast you down to your underpants! You know full well what the situation inside your realm is!" Below, after a brief silence, a councilor token flew out. Su Yu's face darkened. "Four tokens to round it out to an even sixty! If you can't produce four, I'll breach your realm right now! No matter how confident you feel, with Baizhan not yet returned, a coward like you wouldn't dare make a move! Hurry up; if you dawdle any longer, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Inside the realm, the Archaic Giant King's face changed repeatedly. With a hint of indignation, he said in a low voice, "I do not understand Emperor Yu's meaning..." "Kill!" With a furious roar, Su Yu threw a punch, the little white dog stamped down with the boot, and the old turtle Hongmeng slammed his ancient city straight down! At that moment, four councilor tokens drifted out! Su Yu snorted, only then withdrawing his hand. "Scum! Refusing to see reason until you're beaten! Tell Baizhan that he owes me, and Yunshui and the rest owe me as well! If he doesn't repay what he owes me... we'll see about that!" Su Yu let out a cold laugh. "Furthermore, everything I leave behind is mine. Only if I give it can he take it; if I don't give it... and he forces his hand, we'll see!" Inside the realm, the Archaic Giant King fell silent. Yet within his heart, monstrous waves churned! Su Yu—what did he mean? "Let's go!" At Su Yu's command, the party withdrew. Su Yu burst into hearty laughter that reverberated through heaven and earth. "Even in defeat, your daddy still runs rampant across the world, so what of it? Playing the meek grandson for a few days is fine, but play the grandson for six thousand years, and beware of truly becoming one!" His voice echoed across the myriad realms. Some understood; others did not. And so what?