A Broken Mentality

Time to fish someone out—to fish Old Wan out. Su Yu knew where Old Wan had opened his Great Dao. As long as he fished him up, he could revive him. With that, everyone would be accounted for! As for those who had left, let them go. Who cared? Of course, this group currently looked quite pathetic as well, their seas of will floating about. Anyone seeing them late at night would mistake them for will-o'-the-wisps. Will-o'-the-wisps it is, then! Su Yu gave one final instruction: "Everyone stay here and don't wander around. I'll be back shortly! Senior Hongmeng, Wuming, keep watch here. Don't let anything happen. If that fellow Baizhan comes running back right now and suddenly barges in to catch us all in one fell swoop... we'll truly be done for!" Everyone shuddered. Marquis Tongtian could not help but chime in, "Speak of the devil and he appears! Emperor Yu, I'll go with you to preserve the spark of our kind!" Only now did he realize that all of them were actually alive... No wonder Su Yu had remained so calm without the slightest hint of grief despite being beaten like a dog. Marquis Tongtian felt that nowhere was safe anymore; the humans were simply too wicked. It was better to stick with Su Yu. "You?" Su Yu was taken aback. "Why are you following me?" Thinking about it, though, he smiled. "Fine! As it happens, I was just thinking that my broken Dao might cause a bit of trouble. It's best that you come!" Marquis Tongtian suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Did I say something wrong? Should I not have told Su Yu I wanted to go with him? "Let's go!" Opening the River of Time in the Tianyuan Realm worked just as well; it made no difference. Since they hadn't sunk into the dead spirit realm yet, opening it here was the same. Either way, they had to walk forward until they reached Old Wan's Human Dao. ... The River of Time opened, and Su Yu vanished in an instant. Once he departed, a cluster of will-o'-the-wisps floated in the air. Yet among the crowd, there were still living people. Qi Rong suddenly said, "Now that he's gone, if I leave right now, Wuming, Hongmeng, will you two stop me?" Both looked toward her. Hongmeng slightly furrowed his brows. "Princess Consort Qi wishes to leave?" Hesitating, Hongmeng added, "Princess Consort Qi, perhaps it's best to wait until he returns and speak to him. He likely won't stop you..." Qi Rong was speechless. "I already spoke to him. He said I owe him a life. I have to repay it before I can leave!" "..." Well... then there was nothing to be done. Hongmeng gave a soft cough. "Princess Consort... why must you leave? Nowadays, it is unlikely anyone else will tolerate you. As the Dao companion of the third-generation Human Master, Baizhan may not welcome you. Aside from staying here, you don't seem to have anywhere else to go." Princess Consort Qi fell silent for a moment before speaking: "It's not that I must leave, but I want to go check if some things I left behind back then are still there." "What things?" Hongmeng smiled. "If Princess Consort doesn't mind, I could do you the favor and retrieve them on your behalf." Princess Consort Qi looked at Hongmeng, and only after a long pause did she say, "Old Turtle, back then when I sought you out asking you to help Yue Gang, you made excuses time and again, claiming your duty from the ancient times bound you and you could not abandon your post! Now, however, you follow him so obsequiously. He is the weakest among the various factions. Could it be that Yue Gang was inferior to him?" Hongmeng fell into contemplation. After a long while, he nodded slightly. "He was probably inferior. Yue Gang... was still lacking somewhat." "Why do you say that?" Hongmeng smiled and said, "Yue Gang was not lacking in talent. None of the nine—no, ten—generations of Human Masters were weak! But Yue Gang was not as ruthless as Su Yu, nor as strong as Baizhan. He lacked decisiveness. In the end, he was domesticated, not wild!" Qi Rong frowned. The Old Turtle sighed softly. "Had it been Su Yu in the third tide, he likely would have had many choices! Back then, when Princess Consort Qi was sentenced to execution, had it been Su Yu, he might have taken you away, fleeing into hiding, or simply defected from the human race altogether! Had it been Baizhan, even if he did like Yue Gang and faked your death, after faking it, Baizhan would have found a way to entrap and slaughter those old fellows, rather than fighting to mutual destruction with the myriad races until his final moment..." The Old Turtle shook his head. "Every time a critical juncture arrived, Yue Gang was somewhat indecisive! Every time, he missed the best opportunity! Yue Gang liked to plan before acting; the moment there was the slightest stir, he would immediately terminate all plans. He lacked an adventurous spirit..." The Old Turtle gave his assessment of Yue Gang, concluding, "So if the Princess Consort is thinking of searching for Yue Gang, or finding his dead spirit form to support him once more in contending for supremacy across the heavens, you might as well give up!" He remarked with emotion, "With Baizhan and Su Yu around, to put it bluntly, everyone has plenty of candidates to choose from. Why choose Yue Gang? Among the ten generations of Human Masters, even if one didn't pick these two, choosing King Wu's son would still be better than choosing Yue Gang! "Therefore, even if the Princess Consort truly finds Yue Gang's dead spirit form, I advise you to abandon such unrealistic notions! As for you, right now Emperor Yu still has a use for you. If he finds no use... with you wavering like this, I fear you will soon be cast aside by Emperor Yu, just like Marquis Shadow and the others!" A strange expression surfaced on Princess Consort Qi's somewhat gaunt face. She looked at him, then at the Destiny Emperor and the others, and finally let out a sigh. "So in your eyes, Yue Gang was truly so worthless?" "No!" The Old Turtle shook his head. "All the Human Masters were outstanding figures of their day! They were the elite of an era. Within short spans of time, each stepped into the realm of Heavenly Kings or even Celestial Venerables. This is not something those ancient marquises could compare to! How could anyone who stepped forward to serve as Human Master be deemed worthless? However, precisely because they were all supreme talents, differences emerge, and even more monstrous beings outshine them, eclipsing their brilliance!" None of the Human Masters were worthless. All were the finest among mankind! Qi Rong was silent for a long time. In the end, she still raised her head to look at him. "Still, let me make a trip out. I will return. I truly must retrieve some things." Hongmeng frowned. You didn't say anything when Su Yu was here, and now that he's gone, you bring this up. How am I supposed to make a decision? If I let you go and you go inform on us, or lead an army to slaughter us... there's a huge bunch of unrecovered experts right here. If they're taken out in one swoop, Su Yu might cry his eyes out. He warned us that we'd be done for, and then we really would be done for! "What does Princess Consort wish to retrieve?" Princess Consort Qi was silent for a moment. Feeling somewhat exhausted, she still spoke: "Some pseudo-Daos." "Hm?" Hongmeng frowned. What did she mean? Princess Consort Qi said in a deep voice, "Some pseudo-Daos I collected myself in the past. I need to take them back so they won't be lost. It's hard to say whether they're even still there. If they are, they can be used to produce some pseudo-Dao experts. Those pseudo-Daos were nurtured by me and are considerably powerful." These were not something Su Yu's collected pseudo-Daos could compare to. Su Yu's were in an initial state, without post-creation nurturing, so they were not strong. Great Daos also needed people to nurture them. Yet Hongmeng truly found it difficult to make a call. When Su Yu was away, he trusted Wan Tiansheng immensely. If Wan Tiansheng were here, he could make the call, but the problem was, Wan Tiansheng wasn't here either. Hongmeng's eyes darted around, and suddenly he looked toward Fat Ball. Fat Ball was currently pouncing on Doubao—the glowing sphere Doubao—playing with great enthusiasm. "Fellow Daoist Fat Ball, Princess Consort Qi wishes to go out. What do you think?" Fat Ball had just pinned the glowing sphere Doubao beneath its paws and was about to take a bite. Hearing this, it looked up, dog eyes filled with a bit of bewilderment. After a while, it asked, "What?" "Princess Consort Qi wants to go out and fetch some things. Fellow Daoist Fat Ball, do you think that's alright?" "..." Fat Ball was dumbfounded. I don't know anything about this. Why are you asking me? Well, despite not knowing the situation, Fat Ball thought it over and said, "Sure! Then I'll go with her!" "..." Princess Consort Qi glanced at Fat Ball, then at Hongmeng, and cursed inwardly! A bunch of bastards! Hongmeng chuckled and transmitted several cautionary instructions via voice transmission. Soon, Fat Ball wagged its not-yet-fully-grown tail and followed Princess Consort Qi out. Once they left, Wuming chuckled softly, "Could Princess Consort Qi have left behind some hidden contingency? She claimed she was fetching pseudo-Daos, but I suspect it's more likely she's looking for her own Great Dao, or perhaps... looking for King Gong's Dao?" Su Yu had mentioned that Princess Consort Qi currently cultivated the Petrification Technique. And King Gong's true Dao was precisely this Dao. Of course, King Gong's Guiyuan Saber was also extraordinary. Who knew if Princess Consort Qi had made some arrangements? Hongmeng didn't care much, murmuring softly, "I wonder if Governor Wan can return... If he can't, a deep feud will be forged!" As for with whom the feud would be forged—Baizhan and the Chaos race would both be sworn enemies! The others said nothing, having turned into rings of light and wandering around. Without their original bodies recovered, they couldn't be bothered to talk either. ... At the same time. Su Yu led Marquis Tongtian swiftly toward the depths of the River of Time. Marquis Tongtian babbled on and on, looking somewhat unwilling, but Su Yu didn't bother to pay attention to him. They walked for a long distance until reaching the vicinity of the Brush Dao. Su Yu glanced toward the Brush Dao. The portion he had merged with previously had completely shattered by now; eighty percent of the Brush Dao's area was currently in chaos. Su Yu could actually merge with the Dao again, provided he straightened out those messy rule powers! It would take some time, but with the Xingyu Seal present, suppressing the Great Dao first and then sorting it out wouldn't be too difficult. After all, he had merged with it once before, so his comprehension of the Dao remained. "Perhaps in half a month, I could straighten it out and once again become an expert with quasi-king battle power!" Merging with eighty percent was technically only at the Eternal realm, but the Brush Dao was exceptionally strong. Su Yu was not a true quasi-king; generally, quasi-kings were existences who had merged with ninety-five percent or even ninety-nine percent of a Dao. That he possessed quasi-king battle power with just over eighty percent integration showed how powerful the Brush Dao was. Reaching ninety percent would definitely grant him the battle power of a Celestial Venerable. Above ninety-five percent, he might possess the combat power of figures like Baizhan, comparable to weaker Rulers of Rules. Su Yu had many paths available; he was just unwilling to take them. "Brush Dao..." Su Yu chuckled. He could still control this Dao, and a brush was missing from his civilization chronicle as well! Without dwelling on it, Su Yu continued forward. After walking for a while, he finally saw the Dao opened by Old Wan. Opening the Heavenly Gate to look, Old Wan's Great Dao was like a living person. Other Daos were tributary streams, but Old Wan's Dao was somewhat like a gourd hanging from a vine. Su Yu arrived swiftly, looked at that tributary of the Great Dao, smiled, and turned to the panting Marquis Tongtian. "Your usefulness has arrived. Old Tongtian, come, lend me a stepping stone. Lie down, and I'll step on you to go inside Governor Wan's Great Dao and have a look..." Yes, to act as a bridge! Old Wan's Great Dao was not his own after all, and Su Yu did not understand the Human Dao that deeply, so he might not be able to cross over directly. With Marquis Tongtian here, he could serve as a stepping stone. Marquis Tongtian's face fell. "Emperor Yu wants to step on my face to cross?" Too much! Su Yu gave a dry cough. "You can face butt up..." "Then what difference is there between me and the Martial Emperor?" Marquis Tongtian said indignantly, "Out of the question! This is humiliating me!" "..." Su Yu was speechless. Does that count? Is it really that humiliating? Too lazy to bother with him, Su Yu took out the civilization chronicle, pondered for a moment, and prepared to use it to bridge the gap instead. Just as he was about to lay it across, Marquis Tongtian suddenly asked indignantly, "Why isn't Emperor Yu speaking?" "Aren't you going to name a price?" "..." Su Yu was stunned. Turning to look at him, Marquis Tongtian seemed even more stunned than he was. "Why didn't Emperor Yu make an offer?" "..." What offer? Marquis Tongtian said with weary exasperation, "Emperor Yu, I've opened doors for you diligently and conscientiously. Even if there's no glory, there's hard work! Now you want to step on me to cross the river. If you offer a king's title... I might consider it!" Don't you understand? Right now I'm a marquis. If you promise to make me a king, I'll agree to let you step on me to cross! Yet you only said one line, and then went ahead to do it yourself without even bargaining. I feel like I'm taking a huge loss. Marquis Tongtian earnestly tried to persuade him: "Emperor Yu's Traveling Palace will definitely need a facade in the future, so I was thinking, why don't you promise to grant me the title of King Tongtian? That way, I'll have the motivation for whatever I do!" Su Yu chuckled. "What do you want a king's title for? There's only you in your race. Whether you're a marquis or a king, does it make any difference?" "Of course!" Marquis Tongtian said exasperatedly, "Emperor Yu, look at me right now. I'm a marquis, and one enfeoffed by King Wen himself! So my status is very high. Look at me when I see Marquis Dingjun and the others—do I give them face? Do I give them any respect? Their status isn't as high as mine! Many years from now, if Emperor Yu's Traveling Palace also falls, as a gateway and an undying, indestructible existence, perhaps there will be another era after the Near-Ancient Era... By then, I will be King Tongtian! When later generations see me, I won't need to give them any face at all. I will be a king of the New Yu Era..." Jinx! "Back then, I'll say that I was a king enfeoffed by the Sovereign of the Myriad Races in the New Yu Era, and all of you are inferior existences... Doesn't Emperor Yu think that sounds much more prestigious?" He said gleefully, "Just like now, if I say I'm a king enfeoffed by the Human Sovereign, wouldn't that give me even more face?" Su Yu thought about it and nodded. That made sense! If he were a king, his status really would be quite high. The problem was... you're already factoring in the destruction of my New Yu Era! Aren't you overthinking things? Just as Su Yu was thinking this, Marquis Tongtian suddenly sighed, "Actually, I want to be like the Heavenly Gate and the Hell Gate, each sealing an era! Becoming the symbol of that era!" Su Yu was stunned. Suddenly, his head felt as if it were about to burst! The hairs all over his body stood on end! What the hell? He abruptly turned toward Marquis Tongtian. Marquis Tongtian's expression changed too, and he instantly transformed into a gateway, lying across the tributary, hurriedly saying, "Emperor Yu, quickly cross over..." With an ashen face, Su Yu looked down at him and said in a low voice, "What the hell did you just say? Repeat what you said just now!" "No..." "Tongtian!" Su Yu said coldly, "I heard you!" "No, Emperor Yu misheard!" he said hurriedly. "You really misheard!" Su Yu's scalp went numb. Staring at him, he gritted his teeth. "The Heavenly Gate... the Hell Gate... The Hell Gate truly exists. The Heavenly Gate was cultivated by people. Yet you said the Heavenly Gate sealed an era. What do you mean by that?" "I didn't mean anything! Emperor Yu misheard!" Marquis Tongtian wailed in misery. "It really meant nothing!" Yet Su Yu's expression shifted repeatedly as he gritted his teeth. "If both the Hell Gate and the Heavenly Gate truly exist! The Hell Gate sealed the Chaos Era! Then what about the Heavenly Gate? If this Heavenly Gate exists, let me ask you: what era did it seal?" Su Yu inhaled sharply. "If behind the Hell Gate is an epitome of the Chaos Era, after that came the Heaven-Opening Era, the Archaic Era, the Ancient Era... The Ancient Era never truly ended! The Archaic Era was not sealed, but still left behind traces—for instance, the Archaic Giant race, or the Martial Emperor, who both belong to the Archaic Era. Only the Heaven-Opening Era has almost no presence at all... "The Master of the Time Dao sealed the Chaos Era. Then who brought an end to the Heaven-Opening Era? Where is the Master of the River of Time? Where is the Master of the Dead Spirit Dao?" Su Yu gasped continuously. "Legend has it that the Human Ancestor brought an end to the Heaven-Opening Era. Then where is the Human Ancestor? Why did the Heaven-Opening Era leave behind no legends whatsoever, with only the faintest traces remaining... From when did the Heavenly Gate appear?" That single sentence from Marquis Tongtian instantly triggered countless associations in Su Yu's mind! Meanwhile, Marquis Tongtian wished he were dead, lamenting in utter despair, "No, there really isn't, it's a misunderstanding! Emperor Yu misheard!" "You said you wanted to become the third gate to seal an era, to become the symbol and epitome of an era!" Su Yu said coldly. "I heard you! I'm wondering, many years from now, could someone open a Tongtian Gate? Just as I opened the Heavenly Gate, and the Chaos race seems to be opening the Hell Gate! What exactly are these gates we open? Are they merely simple gates?" "..." Marquis Tongtian was going crazy and frantically said, "Emperor Yu, say no more!" "Hmph!" Su Yu snorted coldly. "Legends say: when the Heavenly Gate appears, saints emerge, great men arise! Is this Heavenly Gate the Heavenly Gate we sketch out, or something else? The Hell Gate connects to Chaos. Then where is the Heavenly Gate? What does it connect to?" Su Yu's eyes flickered. "No, where on earth did King Wen and the others go?" Suddenly, Su Yu thought of something! Shaken, he said, "The Human Sovereign is in the River of Time; that, I know. Behind the Hell Gate are ancient chaos beasts; I've deduced that much. Earlier, I wondered whether King Wen and the others were behind that gate. "After all, the myriad realms are only so large! "Yet you mentioned the Heavenly Gate... King Wen, King Wu, and the Time Master must have all opened the Heavenly Gate. Opening the Heavenly Gate... what exactly were they pursuing, what were they searching for, what enemies did they encounter? The Heavenly Gate... could it be that they went to pursue the Heaven-Opening Era behind the Heavenly Gate?" "..." Marquis Tongtian had practically broken down. It was just a single offhand comment. It was just a momentary reflection! And yet... this generation's Human Sovereign had gone completely mad, instantly linking together countless things. Is he a lunatic? How was his brain wired? Marquis Tongtian wailed in utter agony: "Don't guess anymore! If you keep guessing... I'm going to suffer! Suffer tremendously!" Su Yu said coldly, "Why?" Why would he suffer? Marquis Tongtian broke down: "Emperor Yu, gates... have a race too! The Gate race! My status in the Gate race isn't high, and there are big bosses pressing down from above! If I talk nonsense, I'm done for! "Unless I can also seal a mighty era and turn that era into the Tongtian Gate, only then would I be qualified to sit on equal terms with those big bosses... Emperor Yu, stop trapping me! I can't say any more!" Marquis Tongtian lamented: "I really can't say any more!" Su Yu drew a deep breath. After a long while, he smiled. "How interesting! If my deduction isn't mistaken, the Heavenly Gate truly exists, and it indeed sealed an era—the Heaven-Opening Era! The Hell Gate sealed the Chaos Era! That means the Archaic Era, the Ancient Era, and the present era are actually an unbroken whole whose heritage hasn't been severed, at least since races from the Archaic Era still exist today... Which means your existence, Marquis Tongtian, is actually meant to seal this era and bring it to an end, isn't it?" Marquis Tongtian wanted to weep, saying pitifully, "I need to put a latch on my gate!" A mouth without a door latch! And he just had to run into a freak like Su Yu. It had just been an offhand sigh, something most people would overlook, yet Su Yu instantly deduced countless things! I'm fucking convinced! I was wrong! I will never dare talk nonsense again! Su Yu gave a cold laugh. "Cut the crap! I'll ask you just one question. Just answer yes or no! Let me ask you: did King Wen and the others enter the real Heavenly Gate? Yes or no?" Marquis Tongtian wanted to cry, keeping his mouth shut. "Fine, silence implies consent. I understand!" Su Yu nodded and asked again, "Then did King Yu enter the Hell Gate?" He still remained silent. Su Yu nodded. "This one is hard to tell. Perhaps she's on the same front as the Human Sovereign..." Marquis Tongtian went crazy. I kept quiet in both cases, so how did you come to two completely different conclusions? What logic are you using to guess? "Gates..." At this moment, Su Yu beamed with a brilliant smile. Gone was his earlier tension, replaced by an enigmatic look. "Unintentionally, I've actually figured out where King Wen and the others are!" I didn't say anything! Marquis Tongtian's heart was dead as ashes. I truly didn't say a thing. I only spoke a single sentence, not mentioning King Wen in the slightest! Su Yu looked down at him again and chuckled. "You refuse to speak—are you worried the Heavenly Gate will cause trouble for you? Or did King Wen tell you not to speak? Strange... were you arranged by King Wen, by the Heavenly Gate, or are you an accomplice of the Hell Gate?" Marquis Tongtian wore a sorrowful expression. This time, it wasn't his backside facing up; rather, his face materialized upon the surface of the fallen door, looking utterly miserable: "King Wen found me back then and said he wanted me to become the symbol of an era. He said that the end of an era is always marked by a gate, within which lie countless stories and endless legends! "He said that he and his companions had opened a new era. If this era came to an end, I could seal it, turning it into a legend!" Marquis Tongtian said dejectedly, "But it still hasn't ended, so I'm very disheartened. It looks like I won't become the symbol of this era. I thought that maybe Emperor Yu could seal this era, bring it to an end, and open a new era to start over... Then perhaps I could become a gate of an era!" Exhaling, Su Yu laughed. "Why are you willing to speak again now?" Marquis Tongtian said aggrievedly, "I'm afraid you'll smash me to pieces!" "At least you have some self-awareness!" Su Yu smiled. "Does the end of an era mean everyone has died off?" "Not necessarily!" Marquis Tongtian said dejectedly, "As for what specifically counts as the end of an era, I don't really know either. Maybe some major event happens, or something else... I only know that from the Archaic Era until now, it still hasn't ended!" Su Yu smiled brightly. "This is getting more and more interesting! What a mysterious world! The Heavenly Gate... actually might really exist. There is truly a gate. Perhaps I should excavate other uses for the Heavenly Gate. Right now, it seems only useful for observing the Great Daos, which feels even less impressive than the Hell Gate. Look at the Hell Gate—it could even seal King Wen's boot." Marquis Tongtian's old face drooped. Life was simply unlivable. I didn't say anything! It was all Su Yu's own imagination. It has nothing to do with me. Heaven above, strike this overthinking monster dead with lightning! Su Yu ignored him, stepping onto his old face. In reality, the face was just a projection; the fellow was a gate through and through, with no actual face to speak of. Even so, Marquis Tongtian contorted his old face, as if telling Su Yu: Look, you're stepping on my face and I'm not even complaining. Step on it all you want, just don't cause trouble for me! Su Yu chuckled slyly. "Let's take our time. Don't worry, if I really bring the Ancient Era to an end in the future, I'll let you serve as the symbol of the Ancient Era, becoming the Tongtian Gate! When the next era arrives, people won't open the Heavenly Gate or the Hell Gate; they'll all open the Tongtian Gate!" Marquis Tongtian suddenly began to fantasize. Then Su Yu narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Instead of opening it on their foreheads, they'll open it on their butts. What do you think?" "..." Marquis Tongtian was speechless for a long time. This... feels very wrong! Snorting, Su Yu ignored him. The Xingyu Seal manifested, suppressing the power of the Human Dao's rules that surged toward him. The moment he stepped into the Human Dao, Su Yu seemed to see many things. This Dao had been opened by Wan Tiansheng. It had been opened not long ago and was still in active use. In an instant, Su Yu saw countless scenes: Wan Tiansheng reading books in the past, Wan Tiansheng teaching, Wan Tiansheng conducting experiments... Which one was the remnant will left behind by Wan Tiansheng? Su Yu looked around, scanning the surroundings. Just as he was about to call out, he froze. He saw an enraged Wan Tiansheng, a sorrowful Wan Tiansheng, a weeping Wan Tiansheng, and... a Wan Tiansheng getting up to no good with a girl! Su Yu's eyes went wide! Holy crap! What the hell? Old Wan wasn't a virgin! Pah, Old Wan had actually fooled around with women! This fellow is hopeless; no wonder he fell so low in life! "My eyes!" Su Yu spat, then quickly muttered, "Holy crap, that woman wasn't transformed from Lan Tian, was she? How terrifying! Gives me the creeps!" Shivering, Su Yu hurriedly turned to look at the other Wan Tianshengs. Soon, he saw a Wan Tiansheng brimming with monstrous demonic qi, and a benevolent, kind-faced Wan Tiansheng. Ghosts alive! Old Wan's Human Dao is actually in this ghostly state! "Myriad sentient manifestations?" The term suddenly popped into Su Yu's mind! Lan Tian walked the Dao of Common People, while Old Wan had myriad sentient manifestations. As for himself... he seemed to be roughly the same. If the civilization chronicle were compared to his incarnations, he too embodied myriad sentient manifestations and the Dao of Common People, possessing all the myriad Daos. Possessing demons and saints alike! "Sure enough, all Daos lead to the same destination; they're all alike!" Taking a brief look at the Human Dao, Su Yu suddenly gained a deeper understanding of the Great Dao. Mortals have a hundred faces: evil people, benevolent people, good people, bad people... People are born this way; it merely depends on whether evil or good prevails. No one can be born a saint! Even Old Wan held evil in his heart. Right now, Su Yu saw an evil Wan Tiansheng. In the imagery of this evil Wan Tiansheng, Su Yu saw a ferocious, menacing Wan Tiansheng killing people and bullying the weak! Soon, he saw a benevolent Wan Tiansheng saving the common people. Next, he saw a warrior Wan Tiansheng charging into battle... What on earth! The more Su Yu watched, the more speechless he became. Were these imagined or had they actually happened? Old Wan said his Dao was his comprehension, his life experience, his lifetime. In other words, Old Wan might really have done these things! Truly terrifying! Indeed, you can know a person's face, but not their heart! Soon, Su Yu saw a lifeless, death-infused Wan Tiansheng. This seemed to be an evolution of the Dead Spirit Dao—the Dao of Life and Death. Wan Tiansheng had never truly experienced death before. Yet this time, he had truly died! Looking at that dead spirit Wan Tiansheng, Su Yu suddenly had an epiphany. This... might be the true self left behind by Wan Tiansheng! He had died! Yet he had left behind his dead spirit body, born from death! Su Yu stroked his chin, watching that dazed dead spirit body. Suddenly, he let out a thunderous roar, booming like a bronze bell: "Awaken!" This thunderous roar carried the resonance of the Great Dao! Even though Su Yu's Great Dao was severed, this shout was still brimming with Dao charm. His Dao had never been severed; what was severed was merely an external Dao. His true Dao resided within the civilization chronicle! That dead spirit Wan Tiansheng suddenly opened his eyes! They were suffused with death qi! At that moment, within the Human Dao, an enraged Wan Tiansheng suddenly charged toward Su Yu! A sorrowful Wan Tiansheng also looked at Su Yu with a face full of grievance; a joyful Wan Tiansheng was clapping his hands; a greedy Wan Tiansheng stared at Su Yu, as if wanting to devour him! The next moment, the dead spirit Wan Tiansheng opened his eyes, and abruptly, all the Wan Tianshengs converged into one, merging into him! Life vitality began to burgeon! Gradually, life force replaced death qi. The entire Human Dao began to tremble, seeming to extend slightly further forward. In the passage, gradually only one Wan Tiansheng remained, no different from the Wan Tiansheng seen on ordinary days. At this moment, Wan Tiansheng's eyes still held some confusion, but he quickly sobered up, his gaze turning clear. Looking at Su Yu, he said aloofly, "Let's head out." Su Yu gave him a sideways glance, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity. Soon, he scoffed, "Keep acting! Keep pretending! I saw everything! Not only myriad sentient manifestations, but lustful manifestations too! Governor, your public image has collapsed; there's no saving it!" Wan Tiansheng's aloof expression instantly contorted with fury. Gritting his teeth, he said, "If you don't speak, nobody will mistake you for a mute! Shut your mouth! If you go blabbing, do you think anyone will believe you?" Wan Tiansheng could no longer maintain his composure. Damn it, Su Yu had actually slipped into his Great Dao and peeked into it! If that were all, fine, but what on earth did this bastard see? He said furiously, "Do you think everyone is like you, assuming every woman is Lan Tian in disguise? Heaven created men and women to be distinct, designed for men and women to unite... Of course, you're pathetic!" Wan Tiansheng cursed, "Go ahead and be jealous! You've been tormented by Lan Tian to the point of psychological trauma. Don't project that onto me; I'm not afraid! When I was chasing women, Lan Tian wasn't even born yet! I'm thirty years older than him. Sorry, but after turning thirty, I concentrated entirely on cultivating the Dao and stopped fooling around! "You pathetic fellow, I curse you to find that every woman you meet is Lan Tian in disguise! "In my era, Lan Tian didn't even exist yet!" "..." Su Yu's face turned green! Those words... didn't seem wrong at all! Wan Tiansheng was burning with shame and fury. Heh, little brat, trying to spar with me? I usually just don't bother paying attention to you! You dare try to provoke me? Come on, let's see who provokes whom! Who's afraid of whom? You destined bachelor! Soon, Wan Tiansheng flicked his robe and said with effortless grace, "Alright, let's go! It's not good to stay here too long. Once we're out, you don't mention me and I won't mention you. It's all trivial matters; forget everything from just now!" Su Yu was sullen and in foul spirits, suddenly feeling that the gossip he'd uncovered was no longer satisfying! "Governor, are you considered dead or not right now?" Seeing that he dropped the subject, Wan Tiansheng sighed in relief and smiled. "Considered dead, in a way. An insight into the Death Dao—rebirth through death! Last time Lan Tian opened his Dao, he realized he lacked the Death Dao. Later, I realized I was the same! "You say myriad sentient manifestations; I call it the Dao of Emotion. Life and death are emotions; joy, anger, sorrow, and delight are all emotions... Without death, the Great Dao is not complete!" He looked toward Su Yu. "The Master of the Dead Spirit Dao extracted the Death Dao, effectively splitting the myriad Daos. However, I believe the River of Time still contains the Death Dao!" Su Yu nodded slightly. Forget it, no point in gossiping about Old Wan. Turning straight to serious matters, he quickly asked, "Then what state are you in right now, Governor... a sea of will state?" "No." Wan Tiansheng shook his head and smiled. "Right now, I'm essentially in the state of the God-Devouring race—I have transformed into the Great Dao, and the Great Dao is me! Detached from the physical body, born anew through death. I was already preparing for this earlier, but your plan simply allowed me to comprehend death a step ahead of time... Death is a fine way to break free from the shackles of the flesh. Of course, a physical body has its advantages. My current state is somewhat unique!" Su Yu furrowed his brows. "Is it good or bad?" "Hard to say!" Wan Tiansheng smiled. "Having a physical body still has more advantages, in my opinion. In this state, my combat strength isn't weak, but if I encounter an environment specifically targeting the Great Dao, I'll be in trouble! For example, in a place where the Great Dao is sealed, if you have a physical body, you remain a top expert. But for me, if the Great Dao is sealed, it means I myself am sealed, losing all combat power completely... Therefore, it's still best to find an opportunity to restore my physical body!" Su Yu nodded. "I saw that your comprehension of the Death Dao seemed to push the Human Dao a step further. Could it be that you've reached the Celestial Venerable realm, Governor?" "Not at all!" Wan Tiansheng shook his head with a laugh. "Previously, I could only be considered newly entered into the quasi-king realm, a weak Heavenly King. Now my comprehension is deeper, and I'm slightly stronger, but definitely inferior to a Celestial Venerable! The current me is probably not inferior to those veteran Heavenly Kings... As for Celestial Venerable, that couldn't possibly be so easy!" Su Yu smiled. "Not bad at all. It seems death truly is a kind of rebirth... This also provides me with some ideas for reviving certain dead spirits later on!" Wan Tiansheng nodded. "Among the dead spirits, I think Hetu would be the easiest to revive! He has an existing physical body, so we can use him as a test subject. I think Hetu's revival will be quite simple!" When Hetu turned into a dead spirit, the Old Turtle had cut him some slack; after killing him, his physical body was directly transformed into a dead spirit! Hetu had never been to the Dead Spirit Heavenly River, entering the dead spirit realm directly! Wan Tiansheng smiled. "Hetu's state, in my eyes, is actually more like a half-dead person! If Hetu is successfully revived, we can accumulate more experience! I, Lan Tian, and you have actually all embarked on this Dao of combining life and death... However, I suggest you open your Dao first before attempting resurrection! Without opening your Dao, your comprehension is still a tier lacking, making revival under such conditions extremely difficult!" Deep in thought, Su Yu nodded. "Indeed, perhaps I should open my Dao! Earlier, I threw pseudo-Daos into various Great Daos to nurture them. If Baizhan returns and spots them, that wouldn't be good either... Perhaps I can retrieve them and prepare for opening my Dao!" Speaking up to this point, Su Yu suddenly grinned. "I've thought of a great idea to steal more Dao power! Governor, I'll first go repair the Brush Dao, spend a bit of time on it, and then merge with it again. After merging, I'll extract all the Brush Dao power I control and stuff it into the civilization chronicle... That way, my Brush Dao page will become extraordinarily powerful... Yes, let's do exactly that!" Wan Tiansheng also nodded. "A good idea. My only concern is that you might cause the Brush Dao to collapse completely—a true collapse!" "That doesn't matter. King Wen doesn't want it anyway. I'll go try it out..." Su Yu and Wan Tiansheng stepped out of the Human Dao, landing right on Marquis Tongtian. Marquis Tongtian looked at Wan Tiansheng, then at Su Yu, completely bewildered. Holy shit! What was going on? Hadn't they said he died? How could such a large living person be hiding inside the Great Dao? Ghosts alive! Today had completely shattered Marquis Tongtian's worldview. He really had witnessed and encountered every bizarre thing imaginable. It was one thing for Su Yu to be abnormal, but Wan Tiansheng wasn't normal either! Are there simply no normal people left in the human race? The next moment, the two stepped through the void. Marquis Tongtian hurriedly scrambled after them, shouting, "Take me with you! Don't walk so fast, you two..." Su Yu ignored him. He wanted to see if he could quell the turbulence in the Brush Dao, attempt to merge with it again, and then siphon off its power into his civilization chronicle. Yes, that's what he'd do! ... A moment later, they arrived at the Brush Dao. Su Yu then used the Xingyu Seal to suppress it, combed through the Brush Dao's power once more, and began merging with the Dao from the very beginning! ... At this very moment. In a land of endless darkness, a white-robed man who was currently fleeing paused in surprise. "Eh?" How many years had passed again? It felt like it had just happened a moment ago—his successor had severed the Dao. And now... someone was merging with the Dao again? Was it the previous one, or had a new era begun, bringing a new person? Peculiar! He was somewhat baffled. The next moment, his expression shifted. "Huh?!" The Dao was severed again? What the hell! ... Meanwhile, Su Yu had merged with just a tiny bit, taking control of a sliver of rule power, and then frantically extracted that Brush Dao power, sealing it into the civilization chronicle. Soon, within one of the book pages, an arrow materialized! Su Yu was overjoyed! It actually works! Damn, in that case, I can completely siphon away the power of the Brush Dao! As for causing it to collapse from siphoning, what does that have to do with me? ... In the land of endless darkness. The white-robed man paused again. How many years had passed now? Someone merged with the Dao again! After a while, the Dao severed again. Did his successor die again? Died again! Died again! "Ahhh!" The white-robed man suddenly went berserk. Fuck, what kind of ghost is this? Did my senses go wrong? Impossible! Merging one moment, severing the next—fuck your ancestors, what is going on! Could it be that in a single instant, tens of millions of years have passed outside? "I'm going crazy! How many successors of mine have died?!" He let out a loud roar, genuinely going frantic. What on earth was happening? Just how big was the difference in the flow of time? Had tens of millions of years really passed in the outside world?