Evacuation

Today, no one could comprehend the profound joy in Su Yu's heart. Whether it was Baizhan, the Chaos race, or the Martial Emperor who dominated the world and the Three Realms, they were all of the human race! As long as they were human, all was well. His shackles had finally been broken! Unless the myriad races triumphed, there was no longer any need to worry about what would become of mankind. Whatever their personal motives might be, none of these figures would slaughter ordinary humans wholesale. Even the Martial Emperor had never claimed he would wipe out common mortals. Ever since he had become the Human Master, how could he truly remain indifferent to the human race, no matter how much he claimed he did not care? He had lived in constant dread, treading on thin ice! Bearing the weight of tens of billions of souls, the slightest mistake meant the destruction of his race and people! Yet today, he was free! He no longer needed to worry so much about them. So long as the common human mortals did not resist their rule, there would be no danger of genocide. Creating a new human race was easily said, but hardly simple to execute. With existing humans readily available, none of them would bother thinking about recreating humanity from scratch. Having assumed the form of a young man, the Old Turtle followed behind Su Yu, looking somewhat lost and perplexed. Su Yu's condition today was wretched, yet... he seemed to evoke the Su Yu of old, talking with easy confidence, overbearingly arrogant, determined to become the hegemon of the ancient cities, rule them all, hold his own domain, and rise as a tyrant across the myriad realms. And Su Yu had achieved it! Unchecked and untamed, killing whoever he pleased, backed by the thirty-six guardians, free of worries, and fighting whenever he wished! Ever since becoming the Human Master, Su Yu had gradually changed. He had become inscrutable, erratic, and fraught with dread. In the past, had he gone to the Upper Realm with so many experts, would he have overthought everything? He would have slain whoever he met and fled once the killing was done, caring nothing for the consequences! A Su Yu able to traverse freely between the Upper and Lower Realms, unburdened by the humans of the Lower Realm, would never have cared whether the passage between realms opened—and even if it did, so what? Following Su Yu, the Old Turtle asked nothing, lost in deep contemplation. Something had definitely happened in the Upper Realm. It had restored Su Yu to how he used to be! "Emperor Yu..." "No questions for now. First, head to the Eastern Rift Valley!" Su Yu gave him no chance to speak. Ahead, from the human camp, someone soon tore through the void. Tianyue said in a deep voice, "Greetings, Emperor Yu. Respectfully welcoming Emperor Yu's return!" Su Yu looked at Tianyue, smiled, and said in a clear voice, "Tianyue, summon all Dao Integrators and all Eternals to Emperor Yu's Traveling Palace!" "Remember, everyone—including those overseeing the realms like the Phoenix Realm and Ape Realm!" Tianyue's expression shifted slightly. Were they not leaving anyone behind to deter those realms, nor preparing to ambush the three dominant races? Though he did not understand, since Su Yu had commanded it, he could only obey. "Understood!" Tianyue departed swiftly to convene all parties. In truth, barely a few days had passed since the last Dao Integration assembly. ... Eastern Rift Valley. Emperor Yu's colossal Traveling Palace stood erect here, having gradually become the spiritual heart of humanity. For more than four hundred years, the human race had lived in trepidation. Though counted among the great races of the heavens, they had remained subjugated by the God, Demon, and Immortal races. Since the great war broke out, mankind had faced the constant threat of extermination. Yet before long, Su Yu had risen to the pinnacle. He had annihilated the Tianyuan, swept across the realms, slain dozens of so-called Half-Emperors, and forced the three dominant races to seal their realms in resignation. Su Yu's might had awed the universe. Since Su Yu ascended as the Human Master, the Dao Integrators under his command had multiplied, and the Eternals had become less prominent. Ordinarily, only Dao Integrators participated in core councils, while Eternals rarely took part. Yet today, an Eternal-level council was convened once more. The various Prefecture Governors and newly advanced Eternals arrived one after another. ... Outside Emperor Yu's Traveling Palace. Stroking his chin, Zhu Tiandao glanced at Marquis Xia beside him and squinted with a grin. "Xia Xiao'er, Emperor Yu returned rather quickly. Didn't we hear earlier that he took people to assault the Upper Realm? It's only been a few days—how is he back already?" Marquis Xia could not be bothered to acknowledge him, but could not resist speaking up via voice transmission: "I heard... only heard, mind you... that they might have suffered a defeat in the Upper Realm. Someone told me they saw King Wen's dog had its tail broken..." Zhu Tiandao grew thoughtful and transmitted back, "Our old man, and yours too—neither of them came back. Do you know what happened?" "Not really." "I heard that even fellows like Zhou Polong have to return for this meeting. The thirty-six city guardians are all returning, including the Eternals of the Iron-Eating race and others—is that really the case?" "Yes!" Xia Xiao'er nodded and sent back, "Not just them. Major military commanders at the Sun and Moon Realm have been called back as well. Who knows how many people will be here? Even the campaigns against the myriad realms have been halted." The two exchanged glances and instantly reached an agreement: something was up, something huge! Not only the Eternals, but a portion of the Sun and Moon Realm experts had also been recalled. Even those among the thirty-six Prefecture Governors who had not yet advanced to Eternal were within the scope of the summons. This was likely the largest gathering ever held in history. Before this, Su Yu usually just conferred with the top-tier powerhouses from each side. As the two were pondering, they suddenly froze. In the distance, dozens of people arrived. Leading them was none other than Foutuling. Right now, Foutuling wore a grave expression. Su Yu had sent word that a meeting was being held; the Five Elements race could come or not. The meeting boded nothing good, and attending would bring no benefit, yet Su Yu had promised that abstaining would not affect a thing. Foutuling did not know what had transpired, but after weighing the matter repeatedly, he came anyway. Up to this point, the Five Elements race had not actually joined the fighting. Because Su Yu had been waiting—waiting for the passage between the Upper and Lower Realms to open before committing them, by which time their experts might be even stronger. Yet now, that tacit understanding was abruptly shattered, summoning them before Foutuling had even broken through. Foutuling spotted Zhu Tiandao and the others, stepped forward with a smile, and cupped his hands. "Foutu of the Five Elements race greets Governor Zhu and Marquis Xia!" Marquis Xia was somewhat surprised. "You... why have all of you..." "Emperor Yu summoned us!" Foutuling chuckled. "We have come specifically for an audience!" With that, he landed with his entourage and leaned closer with an easy smile. "My Lords, Emperor Yu has assembled all factions this time—do you know what this is about?" Marquis Xia smiled broadly. "We aren't clear either. As for what it is... we'll find out once the meeting starts!" Who could say! As they spoke, more powerhouses arrived. Liu Yue arrived with Ba Yue and the others, appearing somewhat perturbed, barely speaking. A moment later, the Hou race arrived, and the Archaic Spatial race soon followed. However... the Destiny race had not come! Indeed, no one from the Destiny race showed up. Marquis Xia and the others had not paid much attention at first, but soon saw that the experts of all races had gathered. The human Dao Integrators and the experts from the guardian faction were arriving one after another. Yet from the Destiny race, one of the prominent factions, not a single person had arrived. Instantly, an ominous premonition stirred in everyone's heart. Even if the Destiny Emperor could not make it, couldn't their Eternals attend? Why... had not a single Destiny member arrived? The Destiny Emperor had attended the last gathering! Many had gathered today, yet the assembly was less spectacular than the last. Last time, there were dozens of Dao Integrators. Today, Dao Integrators were present, but apart from Hongmeng, there seemed to be no top-tier Dao Integrators left. Tianyue, Duobao, Yunxiao, and Shanqi had all arrived, but most were newly ascended Dao Integrators. The veteran ones, like Liu Yue and the Hou Emperor, were not exceptionally formidable in terms of raw power. ... The crowd waited outside Emperor Yu's palace. The next moment, the grand hall's doors swung open. The one opening the doors was no longer the familiar Wan Tiansheng, nor King Dazhou. This time, the person opening the doors was Liu Wenyan, someone rather unfamiliar to many. Yes, Liu Wenyan. Liu Wenyan opened the palace doors. The crowd exchanged glances and filed into the hall. At the head of the hall, Su Yu no longer sat upright with stately gravity. Right now, Su Yu had shed the golden robes they had draped over him that day and wore his own white robe. No longer bearing a crown, he reclined languidly against his chair with an air of unbridled ease. This was completely different from before! What the difference was, people could not say for sure, but several Dao Integrators could faintly sense it. Today, Su Yu was no longer an enigmatic haze. They... seemed able to see right through him. His physical body was exceptionally robust, yet there was no fluctuation of Great Dao rule force. Though formidable, he no longer radiated that suffocating pressure of before. "Greetings, Your Majesty Emperor Yu!" The crowd chanted in unison, their voices echoing through the hall. "No need for formalities!" Su Yu wore a smile. "Take your seats, everyone. Food and drink have been prepared for all of you. Treat this as a banquet—all good feasts must come to an end! Eat and drink your fill, share some words, and then... go about your business!" At those words, several people turned slightly pale. Su Yu did not elaborate on that, turning his gaze toward Foutuling with a chuckle. "Strange. I had someone tell you that coming might not be a good thing, and that I wouldn't blame you if you stayed away! Your Five Elements race never joined the battle. Why did you come now? You're a clever one—how did you end up doing something so foolish?" Foutuling hurriedly stood and smiled. "For better or worse, coming is always better than staying away. To be summoned by Emperor Yu is the fortune of the Five Elements race!" "Pretentious!" Su Yu laughed. "Sit down, everyone!" The people below traded glances, looked at the tables set along both sides of the hall, and took their seats one after another. Dao Integrators sat at the front, Eternals in the middle, and Sun and Moon experts toward the back. At this moment, the experts guarding the various realms, including King Dahan, had also returned. All of them looked bewildered, yet could no longer find the core leaders among them. The four great pillars—King Dazhou, King Daxia, King Daqin, and King Daming—were all absent today. A faint unease hung over everyone. Su Yu raised his wine cup and smiled. "Meeting is fate. All of you share a bond of fate with me. Raise your cups, let us drink!" With that, he drained his cup in one gulp! Unsure of what else to do, the crowd raised their cups and drank as well. Having emptied his cup, Su Yu's smile vanished. "The Dao Integrators should have noticed something. Duobao, speak up. What do you see?" Among the crowd, Duobao's face froze. After a long pause, he stammered, "I... I didn't see anything..." Su Yu's gaze turned cold. "Then your Dao Integration is worthless. What kind of Dao Integrator are you? Are you blind?" "..." Duobao wanted to weep. *I didn't dare say it!* "Speak!" Trembling with dread, Duobao gritted his teeth. After a long silence, he hung his head and said, "I... I see that Emperor Yu... seems... seems to have dropped in realm! From Heavenly King, you have fallen back to the Sun and Moon Realm..." *Boom!* At those words, the entire hall was shaken to its core. Filled with disbelief and a trace of anger, people glared at Duobao, who kept his head down and cursed inwardly: *I told you I didn't dare say it, yet you forced me to.* *Picking on an honest man, are we?!* Among the crowd, the other Dao Integrators wore somber expressions and held their peace. Seeing this, Liu Yue chuckled naively and offered, "Emperor Yu must have encountered a minor hiccup in his cultivation. I'm sure it can be resolved very soon..." Su Yu raised a hand to cut him off, saying calmly, "Senior Liu Yue, there is no need to make excuses for me!" "This time, let us speak plainly and straightforwardly!" "I have dropped in realm. My Great Dao shattered, and I fell back to the Sun and Moon Realm! As for my lifespan... I likely have less than a hundred years left, perhaps even less! Because my realm dropped, while the lifespan granted by Dao Integration wasn't completely revoked, with only the dregs of my former lifespan remaining, surviving ten or twenty years would be a stroke of luck!" "If I cannot step into the realm of Ruler of Rules within ten to twenty years... in all likelihood, I will not survive!" Chills ran down everyone's spines. Was it truly that short? From Heavenly King to Ruler of Rules might not seem so distant, but... from the Sun and Moon Realm? Su Yu continued, "This time, I led a group of experts into the Upper Realm! We had talents in abundance, powerhouses as numerous as clouds! Yet... I was defeated!" Su Yu gave a self-deprecating smile. "Utterly routed! Put it this way: aside from me, Fat Ball, and Marquis Tongtian, the others... will almost certainly never return. They either perished or were mortally wounded, leaving behind fragments of their seas of will hiding who knows where!" *Boom!* A single stone stirred a thousand waves! Now, the entire hall erupted into pandemonium. Yunxiao blurted in agitation, "Then what about Tianmie and Xinghong..." Su Yu said calmly, "Fallen." Yunxiao was struck dumb, frozen like a wooden chicken. Liu Yue trembled violently, shaking as he stammered, "Emperor Yu... is... is this a joke?" Su Yu replied evenly, "No, I am not joking! Nor do I have any reason to make such a joke! At the very pinnacle of my glory, I was defeated! No matter how many foes I slew or who fell by my hand, a defeat is still a defeat! The people I brought up... have almost all been wiped out!" How many days had it even been?! Everyone was profoundly shaken. Even Hongmeng could not hold back from asking, "Multiple Heavenly King-level experts..." Su Yu let out a breath. "We were ambushed by two Celestial Venerables, six Heavenly Kings, and thirty Dao Integrators in a pitched frontal battle! Furthermore, three more Celestial Venerables arrived as reinforcements, and even a Ruler of Rules intervened! The myriad races mustered more than a dozen Celestial Venerable-level beings..." "What is a Celestial Venerable?" At this point, someone could not help asking. Su Yu replied casually, "It refers to existences who, due to the restrictions of the rules, have not formally stepped into the realm of Ruler of Rules, yet possess equivalent power! And a Ruler of Rules is the realm of ancient Human Kings and ancient Emperors of the myriad races! When I put it that way, you should understand, yes?" Hearing this, those experts who previously had no idea what a Celestial Venerable was blanched. Celestial Venerables! Over a dozen? They had run into Celestial Venerables! And even... a Ruler of Rules? The Hou Emperor was similarly dumbstruck. "There are still Rulers of Rules in this world?" "Of course!" Su Yu smiled. "After so many years, despite the constraints of the rules, there are always those who find ways around them!" The Archaic Spatial Emperor could not restrain himself either: "Emperor Yu, is this... is this true?" Su Yu nodded. "In the Upper Realm, I met your Dao companion, Marquis Liekong! I left Kongkong there with her, which turned out to be a blessing... Up there, before I even had time to interact with them much, we suffered this crushing defeat. In a single battle, my foundation was cleared out!" In utter despondency, King Dahan spoke up: "Emperor Yu, what about... King Dazhou and the others?" "Perhaps dead, perhaps fragments of their seas of will were preserved..." Su Yu said indifferently, "All of them self-detonated. As for the specifics, I am not certain!" "And Governor Wan and his group?" "The same!" Su Yu sighed. "Governor Wan and the rest... have likely fallen completely!" With a hint of self-mockery that quickly turned into a wry smile, he added, "I cannot contend with them anymore! There's no way! The Upper Realm is far stronger than I imagined. I went up and killed many, slaughtered countless powerhouses... yet the more I killed, the more they appeared, and the more hopeless and helpless it became!" "Fortunately, we did something earlier—we unsealed the Hundred Battles King. He is still alive, and might descend to the Lower Realm very soon..." At once, someone interjected, "Baizhan is a piece of trash! Does Emperor Yu expect Baizhan to lead the human race?" Baizhan's reputation was well known throughout the myriad realms. Because previously, everyone, including Su Yu, had spread word about him in order to prevent Baizhan from seizing power upon his return. Naturally, Su Yu merely smiled now. "Whether Baizhan is trash or not, I cannot say. But what I do know is that he has many experts under his banner. Not only that, he himself possesses the combat power of a Ruler of Rules. Even if on the weaker side, in these myriad realms, he ranks among the absolute strongest!" "Yunshui, Anying, Zhennan... among these ancient marquises, some escaped and have likely gone to rally around Baizhan. They know where the passageway to the Lower Realm is and should be able to lead people back. Soon... they might descend to the Lower Realm!" Hearing this, Liu Yue's expression changed. "Does Emperor Yu mean that Yunshui and the others betrayed Emperor Yu and chose Baizhan?" King Dahan and the others were equally horrified! What was happening? "Betrayal is too strong a word!" Su Yu smiled. "Each serves their own master, that is all! They were never truly my subordinates to begin with, nor did I ever subjugate them. It is just that... those fellows used my Great Dao Diagram, yet at the critical moment, refused to obey my military orders... That is a transgression, but calling it betrayal is unnecessary. There is no need for such harsh words!" Su Yu smiled. "Baizhan was the Human Master of the ninth tide; their loyalty was pledged to Baizhan all along! I am myself, and Baizhan is Baizhan. The ninth tide and this tide were never one and the same after all!" The atmosphere grew immensely heavy! Everyone sank into profound gloom. Su Yu continued, "Baizhan is returning, I cannot defeat the Upper Realm, and my own people have all been killed off... Therefore, I am retreating!" Su Yu said casually, "I'm used to being the boss and not used to playing the subservient fool to someone else. Thus... I will find a place to hole up and hide. I intend to evacuate into the dead spirit realm!" *Boom!* At that, many shattered their tables in shock, their aura flaring uncontrollably. Evacuate? Zhu Tiandao and the others had no time to process their grief; they were completely stunned. Of course, amidst the shock, several of them felt a bit skeptical: *The old man died?* *If he died... shouldn't there be some bloodline resonance?* *There wasn't any.* *Could it be that the old man swapped bloodlines, so we wouldn't know even if he perished?* Of course, there was no time to ponder that now. At this moment, only pure shock remained: Su Yu—the Su Yu who had conquered the myriad realms—was about to retreat and turtle away! Waiting until they quieted down, Su Yu said calmly, "Yes, your ears did not deceive you! Once Baizhan returns, he will surely seek to reunite the human race. I refuse to be subordinate to him, so I have chosen exile! I am not one to accept defeat lying down; I will find a way to stage a comeback! However, it is true that my Great Dao is shattered, and it is true that all my experts are lost. I do not know if that day will ever come!" "I am going to the dark and sunless dead spirit realm. There... might be my only chance!" "There are too many powerhouses in the Upper Realm, Baizhan is too strong, and in the Star Residence Mansion sits an unruly Martial Emperor who wants to kill me..." Su Yu gave a self-mocking laugh. "After all these years, I have few allies of my own, but a whole host of enemies! Of course, you all have a way out. Whether you choose to follow Baizhan, or remain behind and stay out of things, you won't face much danger!" "However... my close companions and friends had better evacuate with me!" Su Yu looked toward several people, then turned to Hongmeng with a smile. "Senior Hongmeng, come with me. Right now, we have merely returned to how things were back then, back before I became the Human Master! Senior Hongmeng, you won't abandon me, will you?" Hongmeng looked deeply grave. After a long pause, he said solemnly, "This old official... shall certainly follow!" Su Yu smiled and nodded. "As for the Destiny Emperor, I have already informed him. He did not come today, but you need not mind it! There is no need to bring up the Destiny race anymore; we never had much cooperation to begin with." He looked at Liu Yue: "You won't have much trouble. San Yue is in the Upper Realm, immensely powerful with the strength of a Celestial Venerable! Right now, the myriad races face a formidable foe and need to rely on San Yue. Even if your ties with me come to light, it won't be a big problem." He looked toward the Archaic Spatial Emperor. "Your Dao companion, Marquis Liekong, is a Heavenly King after all. In helping me fight enemies previously, you didn't kill anyone, merely fended off several Dao Integrators a few times. You shouldn't have much trouble either." He then turned to the Hou Emperor and sighed, "I didn't wish to drag you into this water... but your race is too weak in the Upper Realm. You only have a single second-class Dao Integrator, not even a Heavenly King! If you don't mind... you can come with me. If you don't wish to follow, lie low in your Hou Realm and bear birch twigs to plead guilty—perhaps you won't suffer any great catastrophe either!" The Hou race was indeed not strong in the Upper Realm. Su Yu looked back at Foutuling. "Your people won't face much trouble since you never took the field. But by showing up today... you might stir up a bit of bother. Still, it doesn't matter; it's nothing too severe!" Su Yu turned to the humans: "You may follow me to the dead spirit realm and wait for my resurgence! However, when we might see the light of day again... even I do not know! If you stay, once Baizhan returns, he won't treat you too harshly either! Baizhan might not be friendly toward foreign races, but toward humans... even if he does not prize you as much as his direct lineage, he will not slaughter you, nor go out of his way to mistreat you!" Su Yu chuckled. "He is, after all, a Human Master of an era; he should at least possess that much magnanimity, provided you don't make trouble for him!" He gave instructions to each of them in turn. Yet the entire hall remained deathly quiet, every face painted with grim distress. A crushing defeat! Not only a catastrophic defeat, but Su Yu was abandoning his very foundation—the human race! He was giving up the Human Realm to evacuate into the dead spirit realm, retreating into that lifeless, pitch-black abyss with no telling when, if ever, he could make a resurgence! Below, King Dahan spoke with a heavy heart: "Emperor Yu, you once said that the old era had passed and the era of New Yu had begun! And now... are you giving up?" "I have not given up!" Su Yu said calmly, "I have never given up. Going to the dead spirit realm is also for the sake of rising again! It is simply that the Lower Realm is no longer suited for me. Baizhan will surely return, and you cannot expect me to bow my head and declare subservience before him—I will not! Two kings do not meet! When king meets king, as fellow Human Masters, meeting means determining victor and vanquished!" Having said that, Su Yu added, "I will find a way to rise once more. I started with nothing, empty-handed! My situation now is far better than when I fled Daxia Prefecture, far better than when I went to the Heavenly Battlefield all alone. At the very least... I still have some foundation left!" Su Yu was not solely claiming that all was lost! He offered them a glimmer of hope: he was still striving, still struggling, still fighting! As for whether they believed him... that was up to each of them! Under his command, he still had people. It was merely that he had suffered a devastating defeat this time. If people could not even stomach a single defeat, when further defeats might come in the future, then those bound to leave would depart sooner or later. At least right now, it was not a moment of ultimate life and death. If they chose to depart at this juncture... Su Yu could only say it was an inevitable outcome. Wan Tiansheng had been right: suffer a defeat before reaching the very peak, and see what happens! Who could remain undefeated forever? Su Yu was no exception! If a single failure tore down one's entire foundation, that only proved the foundation had been hollow and lacked true loyalty; there was no need to grieve over those who departed. Su Yu continued, "If any of you have doubts, feel free to ask! Including the strength and forces on Baizhan's side, as well as the power, forces, and intelligence on the various Upper Realm races—I will share all of it with you!" Su Yu smiled. "I will not deceive you; there is no need. Going to the dead spirit realm... frankly, can we truly fight our way back? I do not know, but I hold on to hope! Perhaps it is mere wishful thinking, but... I, Su Yu, will never give up!" Su Yu added with a laugh, "Do not fear that if you choose to remain or leave, I will become angry and do something to you! As a person, I, Su Yu, am indeed not particularly broad-minded. But as long as we speak openly and you pull no petty tricks behind my back, leaving is your freedom!" "I despise those who plot against me from the shadows, but I do not begrudge those who choose to leave openly and honorably due to differences in ideology or the worsening of circumstances!" "We worked together, and we fought alongside one another. If you choose to leave today, that is your right. But if you follow me into the dead spirit realm and find yourself unable to endure its loneliness, darkness, and despair, you had better not go. If you go and then want to come back... I will treat you as a traitor!" Su Yu's expression hardened. "Leaving openly is completely fine. But traitors... I will execute without mercy!" The entire hall fell into absolute silence. After a long while, Marquis Xia glanced at Zhu Tiandao, who was looking right back at him. Just as Marquis Xia was about to open his mouth, Zhu Tiandao spoke at lightning speed: "Emperor Yu, once we reach the dead spirit realm, will people like the Southern King cause any trouble?" His words poured out rapidly. "Can we ensure Marquis Lanshan and the others will remain obedient to us? After all, the defeat in the Upper Realm has heavily depleted our strength! If Baizhan returns, he is also human. Will Marquis Lanshan and her cohort obey the human race, or the Manor of Emperor Yu... this matter requires careful deliberation!" Marquis Xia tried to interject, but Zhu Tiandao rushed on, "Also, regarding the thirty-six guardians, if Zhou Polong and his people wish to leave, can we find enough personnel to replace them? If they cannot be replaced, will problems arise without guardians?" In the back, Zhou Polong opened his mouth to speak, but Zhu Tiandao pressed ahead: "As for the evacuation, can the lives of ordinary humans be secured? How many people can it accommodate? We must be responsible for food, clothing, housing, and transport. Is the dead spirit realm suitable for farming? Of course, we can scour the myriad realms—even with hundreds of millions of people, we can ensure they won't starve for a hundred years!" "Furthermore, the dead spirit realm lacks origin qi. They can't all cultivate death qi, can they? How do we ensure origin qi and death qi don't conflict? Even if we bring vast amounts of origin qi treasures, we must consider preventing them from being eroded..." Just as Marquis Xia was about to cut in, Zhu Tiandao rushed on, "Right, and another thing: will the dead spirit realm turn living beings into dead spirits? Can we guarantee that people can bear children and carry on their bloodlines?" Marquis Xia parted his lips, but Zhu Tiandao plowed ahead: "Is it difficult to comprehend the power of the Great Dao over there?" Marquis Xia opened his mouth again, but Zhu Tiandao gave him no opening: "It seems one cannot enter the River of Time there. Can we find a way to channel the River of Time into it?" "I—" Marquis Xia was about to speak, but Zhu Tiandao rattled on, "Regarding supplies, evacuation logistics, and rear-guard organization, my Daming Prefecture can handle it! Naturally, we will need some assistance, and it depends on the number of people. Are we evacuating in batches, or all at once? Will the three dominant races attempt to intercept us along the way?" "Oh, right! When Baizhan returns, should we take every last scrap of resources and leave them to suffer, or, for the sake of the human race, leave them some food and drink so they don't starve?" "In addition, if races like the Hou race are willing to evacuate with us, will there be racial integration once we reach the dead spirit realm? Though there will still be racial barriers, so I believe this requires discussion!" "..." Marquis Xia opened his mouth, then finally chose to shut it. *Screw your ancestors!* *Zhu, you bootlicking dog!* *You bastard, you've said it all—what am I supposed to say?!* Yet Zhu Tiandao's tongue was still moving at blinding speed as he continued, "Also, will there be a gap between our evacuation and Baizhan's return? If so, what if the three dominant races break out during that window?" "What if the myriad races revolt?" "Also, should cultural heritages of civilization be left behind?" "Furthermore, how should King Wen's Former Residence be handled? That seems difficult to relocate, but wouldn't abandoning it mean letting it be destroyed?" "..." In a single breath, Zhu Tiandao rattled off dozens, even hundreds of questions. They were clearly in the middle of debating who would stay and who would go, yet in his mouth, he was already laying out how to evacuate, how to relocate people, and how to survive in the dead spirit realm. He was even considering the bearing and rearing of future generations. "Lastly, since we are evacuating and taking other races with us, I believe the title of Human Master can be retired from now on. We can simply call you Emperor Yu!" "The Manor of Emperor Yu will just be the Manor of Emperor Yu hereafter! As for the Human Master, I reckon that will belong to Baizhan; there is no need to contest the title with him. Therefore, we should standardize our titles to prevent misunderstandings!" Su Yu simply stared at him in silence. *I am discussing who goes and who stays. In such a solemn, sorrowful moment, you're stealing the show a bit too much!* Zhu Tiandao seemed completely oblivious and continued, "One more thing: for the evacuation, I hope Marquis Tongtian can cooperate with me. He will handle teleportation, which I think provides massive benefits. We could even teleport entire cities away... I need a few experts to help haul things—for example, the newly built Emperor Yu's Palace in the Human Realm, the Daming Academy in my Daming Prefecture, Emperor Yu's Origin Spirit Research Institute... these places can be cleanly carved out and teleported away whole!" "That way, we can save time on rebuilding. As for Baizhan... when he returns, he can build his own!" Zhu Tiandao spoke with impassioned fluency. "So, Emperor Yu, rest assured! Leave all logistical work entirely to me! I propose that the Manor of Emperor Yu establish a logistics headquarters—I think it could be named the Logistics Bureau. Probably no one wants the job right now, but I can temporarily serve as the Director of the Logistics Bureau... Once Emperor Yu finds a suitable candidate, I will gladly step down..." "..." Marquis Xia said faintly, "Governor Zhu, if you are finished speaking, I would like to say a word as well. I believe... I am fully qualified for that post!" "..." *What are the two of you doing?* Su Yu stared silently at the pair. *This is supposed to be a tragic moment! Are you two scoundrels fighting for power right now?!* Su Yu's face darkened slightly! *I'm fucking evacuating to the dead spirit realm!* *I'm no longer the hegemon of the heavens!* What a headache! Meanwhile, the others also gave them bizarre looks, staring at the two one by one. *This is a retreat following a catastrophic defeat! We are abandoning the Lower Realm to go to the pitch-black dead spirit realm and keep company with dead spirits! Are you two really not worried at all?* *Furthermore, King Daxia and King Daming might both be dead. Aren't you two... worried in the slightest?* Su Yu, whose head was throbbing from the two of them, quickly said, "Everyone, take some time to consider it on your own. Governor Zhu, you will coordinate the evacuation, with Marquis Xia assisting! However many people are willing to come along, let it be their choice! In addition, before we depart, scour the myriad realms and races—every usable treasure is to be swept clean!" "No one is permitted to boast or fabricate tales outside! A defeat is a defeat. I, Su Yu, can bear failure; I have no need to trick anyone into coming with me!" "Explain the situation plainly to the entire human race, including our allied races!" "Furthermore, there is no need to disparage Baizhan!" Su Yu said casually, "Whether Baizhan is a piece of trash or an ambitious hero, there is no need to demean him overly much. That I belittled him was my business; there is no need for you to repeat such things. Let the human populace judge for themselves! Furthermore, I advise ordinary humans not to follow me—it is too dangerous! Uprooting yourselves to journey far into the dead spirit realm... there is no need for that!" "Moreover, even as we leave, ensure that order in the Human Realm is not disrupted. Do not allow chaos to erupt. Let Baizhan take over an intact realm—consider it my final gesture of responsibility to mankind!" "Also, leave behind some basic cultivation resources, but take all high-grade ones with us—do not leave them!" Having reached this point, Su Yu waved his hand, his mood somewhat dampened. "Go back and think it over. As for Baizhan's return... I reckon it will take about a month. He likely knows I am evacuating. Two kings do not meet; before I depart, he will not return too early!" "Lastly, any of the current guardians of the ancient cities who no longer wish to serve may seek Senior Hongmeng to be relieved of their posts. There is no need to station replacements for the time being!" "Governor Zhu, arrange everything within one month!" Su Yu stood up and raised his cup. "As I said, all good feasts must come to an end. Today, this final cup of wine is to all of you!" Su Yu drained the cup in one gulp! He laughed heartily. "Defeat is defeat, and a single defeat is something I can bear! To those who stay, I hope you can coexist peacefully with Baizhan! Whatever lies between him and me is my business, and has nothing to do with you!" With those words, Su Yu turned and walked away. His figure faded into nothingness. Throughout the grand hall, the crowd emptied their cups one after another, filled with an indescribable helplessness and melancholy. How... how had things suddenly come to this? Su Yu was retreating! The realm he had just conquered was being surrendered into someone else's hands just like that. For a time, sighs echoed all around. Where were they supposed to go from here?