The Tianyuan Realm.
As Su Yu continually severed the powers of various Daos, the Great Daos throughout the realm were no longer as pure as they had been at the start. Instead, they grew chaotic and mingled together.
Absorbing them became even more difficult!
However, Su Yu’s goal was never for everyone to absorb them, but rather for them to organize and comb through the myriad Daos.
At this moment, Wan Tiansheng’s expression grew exceptionally grave.
Within the realm, people were continuously breaking through to higher cultivation levels.
He had no time to spare for them, roaring at the top of his lungs, "All Eternals, join me in combing through the Great Daos and stabilizing them! Do not allow massive surges of rule power to ravage the realm!"
Everyone stopped their absorption and swiftly took to the air.
This, too, had been Su Yu’s prior command.
They were here to stabilize the river waters!
When the torrent cascaded downward, their task was to bind these chaotic Daos into a single mass and await Su Yu's return to transform them into the Dao of Time.
"Leave the Five Elements Dao to us to comb through and stabilize!" Futuling shouted, accepting the assignment on behalf of the Five Elements race.
"We will handle the Space Dao!" the Space race chimed in, quickly accepting their duty as well.
"The Devour Dao is mine!"
"..."
One powerhouse after another swiftly divided the tasks and set to work according to the attributes of their respective Great Daos.
Meanwhile, Wan Tiansheng and Lan Tian were in charge of overall oversight. Any Daos that went unclaimed fell upon their shoulders to untangle, preventing those rule powers from collapsing into primal chaos and destabilizing the entire realm.
If the power deteriorated into chaos, the realm would become just like the Chaos Mountain—which would do no favors for the cultivation of the beings of the Myriad Realms.
Up in the sky, the breach seemed to be widening.
Su Yu had severed a tremendous number of Daos, causing the river waters to show signs of spilling down in a torrent.
Lan Tian struggled to keep up with the combing, yet held on resolutely.
The Heaven Hunting Ranking materialized!
A golden page floated suspended in the air. Lan Tian used it as a filter, while down below, Wan Tiansheng looked stern and provided support, disentangling and combing through the stubborn Dao energies that refused to separate.
Everyone was immersed within the Great Daos.
All of them were silently comprehending, sorting, and breaking them down.
This was a process of chaos diversifying into myriad Daos, and myriad Daos converging back into chaos. It was truly a rare opportunity. Back when the Human Sovereign had opened a breach, he hadn't even thought about letting others help comb through it.
He had been strong enough on his own!
Why would he need others to do it?
Moreover, the Human Sovereign’s opening of the Dao had been shrouded in secrecy. Few had known of it, and those who did hadn’t cared, let alone considered allowing cultivators below the level of Ruler of Rules to assist in combing through the Daos.
With a breach as colossal as the one the Human Sovereign opened, anyone below the level of Ruler of Rules who dared attempt to comb through those Daos would have been blasted to death in an instant!
Right then, Wan Tiansheng swept his gaze around and shouted, "Southern King, Marquis Lanshan, come here quickly!"
The two powerhouses had been keeping their distance at the edge of the area due to their overwhelming death qi.
Hearing the summon, they arrived in a flash.
The Southern King asked in a deep voice, "Is something the matter?"
"You two..." Wan Tiansheng spoke rapidly. "The Dead Spirit Dao was extracted from the Dao of Time, so it remains incomplete... Right now, I need you two to provide some dead spirit power and weave a Dead Spirit Dao to merge into the myriad Daos, thereby perfecting the Dao power of this realm!"
The two exchanged a solemn glance.
Weave a Dead Spirit Dao?
Could that really be done?
Wan Tiansheng said gravely, "You two might as well try. This is an enlightenment in itself—a process of transforming everything you have learned into a Great Dao. If you succeed, the Southern King might advance to the Celestial Venerable realm, and Marquis Lanshan could step into the Heavenly King realm! This is an opportunity! Even if it doesn't work this time, once Emperor Yu opens his Dao and you journey through his Dao Diagram, both of you will undoubtedly advance to a higher level!"
He understood Su Yu's intentions, so he spared no effort in involving as many people as possible.
Those with greater ability bore greater responsibility. In truth, Lan Tian and Wan Tiansheng could handle much of this themselves. But unless it was something no one else could accomplish, neither of them would step in. Taking it on yielded them little benefit, whereas for others, it might be a pivotal epiphany.
"Hetu as well... anyone can try!" Wan Tiansheng added quickly. "Emperor Yu wants to transform death into life. When he emerges, he will first test the fusion using the Daos of this realm, and then attempt to open his own Dao—seeking life through death. If he succeeds, he may very well be able to resurrect the dead spirits!"
At those words, the dead spirits were thoroughly shaken.
Su Yu... was preparing to resurrect the dead spirits?
Marquis Lanshan cast all hesitation aside, asking urgently, "How do we weave a Great Dao?"
Wan Tiansheng felt helpless.
*How on earth did you manage to cultivate to the Harmony realm back then?*
*I really have to hand it to you!*
Resigned, he had no choice but to instruct her patiently: "Follow what is in your heart. In truth, it is quite simple. Whatever the Dead Spirit Dao looks like in your mind, try using rule power to manifest it into a Dao, then compare and merge it with the other Daos..."
Unfortunately, because they hadn't opened their Heavenly Gates, mere verbal explanations couldn't make it entirely clear.
When it came to the Great Dao, those who understood it grasped it immediately, while those who didn't would find it nearly impossible to fathom no matter what was said.
Just at that moment, a figure floated through the air.
Princess Consort Qi suddenly tossed an object to Marquis Lanshan and chuckled softly. "This is a simulated Death Dao. Try comprehending it; you might gain some insights. Once you do, then consider weaving a Dead Spirit Dao!"
With that, Princess Consort Qi smiled. "Has the Petrification Dao appeared yet? If it has, I'd like to absorb some petrification power to perfect my false Dao."
Even as she spoke, a wave of petrification power rippled outward.
Lan Tian was suddenly turned to stone!
Just as Lan Tian was about to erupt, Princess Consort Qi leaped into the air and swiftly grabbed toward the void, scooping up massive amounts of petrification power. Down below, Hetu glanced at Princess Consort Qi, his brow slightly furrowing.
His ancestor, the Respectful King, had excelled in the Petrification Dao.
Now, another practitioner had arrived.
Not far away, King Daqin and King Daxia were growing anxious. What were the two of them supposed to do?
Wan Tiansheng felt exhausted, like an overworked babysitter. Seeing the two idling, he roared, "You two, go do what you ought to be doing! Comprehend the Daos of the spear, the saber, metal, offense, and piercing! The power of the Physical Body Dao hasn't appeared yet, so you don't need to worry about that!"
Without a word, the two immediately got to work.
In the distance, King Dazhou seemed to be loafing around.
Well, not entirely. It was just that the old man would dash over to comprehend the Space Dao for a bit, then rush off to sense the Sealing Dao, then to the Endurance Dao, and then to the Fierce Attack Dao...
Watching this gave Wan Tiansheng a massive headache. He knew King Dazhou was skilled in various Daos, but the old man’s slacking was becoming a bit too conspicuous.
"King Dazhou!" Wan Tiansheng barked. "I request that King Dazhou lay down a suppression array to prevent the Dao powers from scattering!"
"..."
King Dazhou felt rather helpless. *I'm comprehending the Great Daos here.*
*Does he think I have nothing to do?*
*Fine, I'll go back to my own business, then.*
At that very moment, a resounding boom echoed as a surging saber qi shook the heavens. In the distance, Xia Longwu raised his Guiyuan Saber and slashed toward the void, causing the ethereal image of a massive saber to coalesce in the sky!
Further away, King Dahan and the others froze.
The next instant, strange expressions washed over their faces.
This... wasn't right!
*Damn it!*
Xia Longwu had integrated with the Dao!
This shouldn't be happening!
Which of them wasn't older than he was?
Besides, how long had it been since Xia Longwu achieved the Eternal realm?
He had only broken through during the last major battle. How was he advancing so quickly?
Over there, Xia Longwu looked as cold as frost. Paying no heed to anyone else, he turned his head toward Liu Wenyan and the others. His eyes locked onto Liu Wenyan in particular, his face austere. "Liu Wenyan, I have achieved Harmony! You are still at the ninth level of the Sun and Moon Realm... What on earth are you waiting for?"
Liu Wenyan turned somewhat pale. Xia Longwu had integrated with the Dao!
He was likely the fastest person to reach Harmony in recent years, setting aside madmen like Wan Tiansheng and Lan Tian.
Xia Longwu was naturally gifted to begin with.
After Su Yu helped him step onto the Saber Dao, his progress had advanced by leaps and bounds. Now, he had crossed into Harmony in a single bound, while Liu Wenyan, who had been older than him back in the day, remained stuck at the ninth level of the Sun and Moon Realm.
In the distance, Wan Tiansheng also glanced at Liu Wenyan. Frowning slightly, he called out, "Your talent back then was the greatest of all, far outstripping Longwu and the others. Now, Longwu has attained Harmony, and your student Su Yu has become Emperor Yu! After all these years, what is it that you still cannot let go of? Your teacher's death back then was not your fault..."
Liu Wenyan smiled with profound bitterness. "I... I have done right by my teacher! The only ones I have wronged are my Liu clan..."
He had done right by Ye Batian!
Therefore, he felt no guilt toward Ye Batian. His true knot was the Liu clan.
Wan Tiansheng frowned. Liu Wenyan had indeed possessed peerless talent.
Back then, the entire Multiple Divine Characters Department had been waiting for him, pinning all their hopes on him.
Now, resources were abundant, and Dao power was brimming.
Zhao Li and Zhao Tianbing were both showing signs of attaining the Eternal realm, and it seemed King Tianzhu was on the verge of stepping into Harmony. Back in the day, people like Zhao Li had been far inferior to Liu Wenyan.
Zhu Tiandao and Marquis Xia had attained the Dao, as had Yun Chen and Nan Wujiang.
Even Hong Tan was hot on his heels, reaching the eighth or ninth level of the Sun and Moon Realm, showing signs of overtaking Liu Wenyan—in fact, he already had.
Why, then, was Liu Wenyan still unable to take that step into the Eternal realm?
Seeing Wan Tiansheng looking toward him, Liu Wenyan smiled bitterly once more. Suddenly, a Divine Character hovered before him. "I wish to tread the path of a true Civilization Master—to leap directly into Harmony, using a Divine Character to attain the Dao! But... my heart cannot find peace. I fear this Divine Character... will find it hard to form a Dao!"
He wanted to be a true Civilization Master!
What was a true Civilization Master?
One whose Divine Character grew so mighty that they skipped straight into the Harmony realm; that was a true Civilization Master, with no intermediate Eternal stage.
In this regard, Wan Tiansheng and Lan Tian were quite similar: the moment their Divine Characters opened a Dao, their strength rivaled true Harmony or even Heavenly King experts.
Liu Wenyan wasn't opening a Dao, yet he wished to use his Divine Character to fuse into the Dao and become a Harmony expert in one fell swoop.
The Divine Character floating before him was peculiar—it was the character "Lock" (锁).
A very rare Divine Character.
Liu Wenyan looked at Wan Tiansheng and said softly, "Locking emotion, locking the Dao. Uncle Wan, for so many years, my heart has remained locked! I have done right by my master, and I have done right by the Multiple Divine Characters Department. I never once gave up; I struggled ceaselessly for the department... The only ones I have wronged are those thousand-plus lives of my Liu clan..."
Wan Tiansheng's brow knitted tightly. *Lock!*
*A lock upon the heart!*
Liu Wenyan had locked himself away. No wonder he had been unable to attain the Dao for so long, while the likes of Hong Tan and even Chen Yong were fast approaching it.
Liu Wenyan, the man who had leaped directly to the ninth level of the Sun and Moon Realm that day, remained stuck there.
A heart locked so tight was difficult to open!
Even Wan Tiansheng had no solution for this.
Of course, Wan Tiansheng knew one thing: aside from Liu Wenyan's elder uncle, someone else of the Liu clan was still alive—the baby from back then, who was now Huang Jiu. Many people knew of this, but Liu Wenyan was unaware.
And Huang Jiu had stated before that there was no need to mention her in front of the Liu family.
She had been raised by Kongkong since childhood. Though human by blood, her heart belonged to the Space Ancient Beast clan. Huang Jiu wasn't in the wrong; the debt of birth did not necessarily outweigh the debt of upbringing. Besides, she felt no affection for the Liu family; her only affection was reserved for Kongkong.
Su Yu hadn't brought this up either, never mentioning it again.
Wan Tiansheng knew that if he spoke of it now, and if Huang Jiu were willing to acknowledge her ancestral roots and forgive Liu Wenyan... perhaps his heart's lock could be undone.
However, Wan Tiansheng glanced out of the corner of his eye toward Huang Jiu in the distance. In the end, he sighed internally and held his tongue.
Unlocking Liu Wenyan’s heart might allow him to step into Harmony.
Yet... why force it?
Huang Jiu had no desire to return to her ancestry; there was no need to compel her.
Back then, Liu Wenyan had indeed implicated the entire Liu family, refusing to hand over Ye Batian's Divine Character even if it meant death.
This matter... perhaps King Dazhou was the one who needed to be held accountable.
Not far away, King Dazhou abruptly vanished.
He had sensed ill will directed his way.
He felt utterly innocent. Back then, targeting Liu Wenyan's faction hadn't been his idea. The Great Zhou Prefecture hadn't interfered; of course, standing by as a bystander didn't make them good people, but *he* personally hadn't taken part!
Just because he hadn't intervened didn't mean they should take it out on him!
*Those are ancient grievances from ages ago; stop glaring at me!*
Wan Tiansheng paid Liu Wenyan no further attention. It was a tangled matter, and there was nothing to be done about Liu Wenyan’s delay in reaching Harmony.
He turned to look at the ancient City Guards.
His eyes brightened slightly as he barked, "Shuangxue and all City Guards, find a way to break through to Harmony!"
These veteran Guards all possessed the potential.
They had already reached the ninth tier of the Eternal realm.
Among the thirty-six Guards, five had chosen to step down and retire; some were currently in secluded cultivation within ancient cities, while others had gone to minor realms to live out their days. Including Hongmeng, there were thirty-one veteran Guards, yet only ten of them were in the Harmony realm.
The rest had not yet crossed that threshold.
This was their opportunity.
Wan Tiansheng steered the rule power toward them, granting these Guards the best chance to advance.
Similarly, human powerhouses like King Dahan and King Datang, who stood on the verge of Harmony, also received favorable treatment as vast surges of rule power poured toward them.
If they couldn't reach Harmony this time, nor when Su Yu opened his Dao, then they surely would when comprehending the Dao Diagram, right?
If three consecutive opportunities weren't enough to attain Harmony, it would mean... their aptitude was truly lacking.
Yet in this era, who among those who had reached the high tiers of the Eternal realm could truly be considered foolish?
Once they succeeded, this endeavor would undoubtedly yield a massive influx of Harmony experts.
Even so, top-tier combat power remained scarce.
Wan Tiansheng looked once more toward the Heavenly King-level figures. There was no need to worry about King Dazhou, but as for Hongmeng—the old tortoise who had once stood as practically the foremost being in the Myriad Realms—Wan Tiansheng furrowed his brow slightly and asked, "Senior Hongmeng, what Dao power do you require?"
Hongmeng felt somewhat helpless upon being singled out.
He understood Wan Tiansheng's intentions. Stepping into the Celestial Venerable realm was likely something Su Yu hoped to see as well, but...
The old tortoise pondered for a moment before speaking: "Attaining the Celestial Venerable realm will be exceptionally difficult for me! However, it is not entirely impossible. Back then, my Dao partner observed a Primordial Divine Mountain to pioneer this Dao. If I were allowed to behold that Primordial Divine Mountain once more, perhaps I could glean further insights and step into the Celestial Venerable domain, thereby establishing the foundation to command Dao power!"
A Celestial Venerable was, in truth, an uncrowned Ruler of Rules—merely lacking absolute mastery over a Great Dao in the present age.
"A Primordial Divine Mountain?" Wan Tiansheng frowned. "There is a Human Mountain in the upper realm, which is an incomparably powerful sacred peak within the Chaos Mountain. Could it be that one?"
"No," the old tortoise explained. "It is a different one. My partner encountered it within the primal chaos back then. As for where that mountain is now... I am not certain! But that mountain is different from other divine peaks; it looks like an old tortoise entwined by a dragon..."
*What does that mean?*
*An old tortoise entwined by a dragon?*
Just as Wan Tiansheng was puzzling over it, Tianmie burst into laughter. "It just looks like an old turtle with a pile of shit on its shell, got it?"
"..."
*Got it!*
*Vivid!*
Wan Tiansheng understood in a flash. *Why didn't you just say it looked like a turtle with a steaming coil sitting on its shell?*
Meanwhile, the old tortoise's face was completely black. He glared at Tianmie, wishing he could slaughter him on the spot.
*That is called an old tortoise entwined by a dragon!*
*Do you understand?*
*What do you mean, 'a turtle with a pile of shit on its shell'?!*
*To hell with you!*
Tianmie grinned from ear to ear, shouting, "Where is the Great Club Dao? Send some club power my way; I feel like I'm about to break through to the third-class Harmony realm!"
The old tortoise said flatly, "What does third-class matter? It's not like you've ever won a fight anyway!"
*You want to hit where it hurts?*
*Who doesn't know how to do that?*
*Heh!*
Tianmie's face darkened, and he fell silent.
*Had he never won?*
Recalling something, he suddenly looked toward a sneaky figure in the corner and bellowed, "Duobao, did I beat you last time?"
*Who says I've never won?*
*I beat Duobao!*
Duobao cursed inwardly, but forced a broad smile. "Yes, yes, yes, Brother Tianmie defeated me!"
Seeing him yield so meekly, Tianmie lost all interest. Beating this coward meant nothing at all!
What a boring fellow!
Wan Tiansheng paid him no further mind and turned to inspect the other Heavenly Kings, lingering particularly on the little white dog. Frowning slightly, he asked, "Senior, have you made any progress with opening your Dao?"
The little white dog did not inherently possess Celestial Venerable combat strength; it was only a Heavenly King, but when paired with the boots, it could fight a Celestial Venerable.
If it possessed Celestial Venerable strength in its own right, then combined with the boots, it would surpass ordinary Celestial Venerables, even if it couldn't quite rival a Ruler of Rules.
Yet how was it to advance?
The little white dog was currently running all over the place. While the others were busy combing through the Daos, it had nothing to do and was thoroughly bored.
Hearing the question, it pondered for a moment before replying, "I'm good at the Biting Dao, so the Dao I opened is the Biting Dao! As for how to keep opening it... I don't know either!"
"..."
What a headache!
Among the Heavenly Kings, not a single one seemed poised to advance to Celestial Venerable. Without a native Celestial Venerable combatant, their lineup suffered a massive deficiency.
As for himself and Lan Tian, their prospects were high, but they needed time.
The old tortoise needed to gaze upon a mountain; Huoyun merely had to advance step by step; Princess Consort Qi was absorbing petrification power; the little white dog had no idea how to proceed with its Dao; and as for King Dazhou, if he completely integrated both of his Endurance Daos, an opportunity might yet present itself.
*Out of such a large group of Heavenly Kings, isn't there a single one who can break through to Celestial Venerable?*
Just as he was pondering this, a colossal Iron-Eating Beast suddenly let out an earth-shaking roar in the distance. Its frame swelled rapidly, reaching an absolute peak in an instant as its aura surged violently.
Everyone was startled, assuming at first that it was the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor, but upon closer inspection, they realized it was actually Jiu Yue!
At this moment, Jiu Yue's form was extraordinarily powerful—purely ethereal, of course, for his physical body had exploded, leaving only his mighty Dao.
Previously, Jiu Yue had only been a fourth-class Harmony expert. Now, his aura soared straight into the third class, then swiftly breached the second class, faintly bordering on an ascent to Heavenly King.
Beside him, even the form of the Iron-Eating Beast Emperor seemed a bit smaller by comparison.
Jiu Yue blinked his dopey eyes. Seeing everyone staring, he gave a silly chuckle. "I... I didn't comprehend much of anything. It was all infused into me by my Second Ancestor. He opened this Dao, and when he fell, he left behind some remnant will that transferred the Dao directly to me..."
Indeed, he hadn't comprehended much, but... his Dao was different from the others.
The Dao of Jiu Yue had been bestowed directly upon the fellow by the Second Month's remnant will at his final moment.
Back then, the Second Month had stated that inheriting his Dao meant Jiu Yue's absolute limit would likely be Ruler of Rules, but that was more than enough.
Previously, all Jiu Yue had lacked was rule power.
Now that rule power was abundant, the fellow was already showing signs of advancing toward Heavenly King!
Everyone was rendered speechless, cursing inwardly.
*A silver-spoon heir!*
Yes, an absolute trust-fund brat.
Cursing aside, their eyes turned green with envy.
There was no helping it; his ancestor had been too formidable, passing the entire Dao down to him before dying. Jiu Yue didn't need to put in any effort at all. Perhaps if he slept for a hundred thousand years and woke up, he would find himself a Ruler of Rules!
No sooner had this heir apparent broken through than an immense power of the Five Elements suddenly began to boil!
At this very instant, anyone who opened their Heavenly Gate would discover a grand Dao uniting the Five Elements, upon which a slender path was rapidly branching out, striving to forcibly pull the separated Daos of the Five Elements back together.
Su Yu had once visited the Five Elements race and seen that their Great Dao had been violently torn apart by an ancient powerhouse, fractured into five smaller paths that could not be united, which had naturally barred them from achieving Harmony.
The sole hope of this race lay with Futuling.
He had been born from the original source of the Five Elements Ancestor!
When he attained Harmony and bound the Five Elements Dao into one once more, the entire Five Elements race would have hope of giving birth to Harmony experts again.
At this moment, the dozen or so Eternals of the Five Elements race were overwhelmed with excitement.
All eyes were fixed on Futuling. His aura fluctuated wildly as Dao power spilled outward, yet he remained unable to complete the unification of the Five Elements Dao. Even though the others could not see the Dao itself, they could sense that the five distinct forces within his body were pulling apart, refusing to fuse!
Lan Tian and Wan Tiansheng grasped the problem in an instant.
They had been researching this exact issue lately.
The forces of the Five Elements had failed to form a closed loop.
Though Futuling wasn't aiming to unite ten thousand Daos like Su Yu, he was pursuing the unification of five. Right now, those five forces still existed independently.
Seeing this, Wan Tiansheng barked, "A closed loop of the Five Elements is the simplest of all! You should understand the principles of mutual generation, Futuling! Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood..."
The five elemental powers were congested within Futuling’s body, causing him visible agony. He nodded frantically. "I know! But... but my five forces still refuse to merge... If this continues, I won't be able to step into Harmony!"
Without stepping into Harmony, he couldn't forcibly reunite the Five Elements Dao, meaning the living beings of his race would remain barred from the Harmony realm forever!
In the Myriad Realms, the Five Elements race was considered a mighty race, yet... when it came to the Harmony level, they were nothing.
A former powerhouse of a race now didn't have a single Harmony expert!
That was the bitterest tragedy of all!
Futuling had followed Su Yu precisely in hopes that the Five Elements race could break this curse. He yearned to step into Harmony; if he did, the five venerable ancestors of the Five Elements race would all have the chance to break through immediately!
They had all reached the peak of the Eternal realm, but that was their absolute ceiling; they could advance no further!
Other races had powerhouses in the upper realm, but the Five Elements race had none.
The Iron-Eating Beast race had Celestial Venerables and Heavenly Kings up there.
So did the Destiny race!
The Space Ancient Beast race was slightly weaker, but still had Heavenly Kings.
As for the Hou race, they had suffered a catastrophe, leaving only a single second-class Harmony expert in the upper realm.
Yet the Five Elements race, nominally a great power, had submitted to Su Yu without participating in a single major battle—because they simply lacked the qualifications. That was the most humiliating truth.
The Five Elements race could not rely on gambling on luck forever!
Only by becoming strong could they secure a place at Su Yu’s side.
He wanted Harmony!
He continually devoured massive amounts of Five Elements power, yet they still refused to unite. He was far stronger than the rest of his kin; other members of the Five Elements race couldn't even wield the five elements together, able only to absorb a single aspect.
He could absorb all five, yet if they could not merge, it was useless!
Wan Tiansheng observed closely, his brow furrowing in confusion.
Futuling’s five elemental powers were perfectly balanced, yet even in balance, they could not unite. Why?
He, too, had researched the unification of the Five Elements; Su Yu and the others were studying it as well.
Logically, reaching equilibrium at this stage should have locked the five elements together and achieved total fusion!
*This doesn't make sense.*
Wan Tiansheng experimentally absorbed some Five Elements power. In a flash, the five streams merged, transforming in the blink of an eye into a brand-new energy. In the distance, Futuling and his kin watched. Seeing Wan Tiansheng casually toss down this specialized energy, Futuling—this once-unshakable, steely genius—suddenly broke down!
"Why?!"
He screamed in anguish and frenzy. "Why?!"
Auxiliary cultivators like Wan Tiansheng could fuse the five elements at will, so why couldn't they?
Why couldn't the Five Elements race achieve Five Elements Unification?!
Wan Tiansheng barked, "Don't panic! It likely has to do with the ancient figure who severed the Five Elements Dao. My Heavenly Gate is not open, so I cannot see clearly. When Emperor Yu returns, he may be able to discern something!"
He truly couldn't see the root cause.
However, Futuling had absorbed far too much power; if he continued gorging himself, he risked blowing himself apart!
The reason Futuling could not merge the five elements likely stemmed from an issue within the Dao itself.
As they spoke, a tear seemed to form in the firmament above. The sky looked as though it were about to crack open!
And in that faint fissure, a figure gradually became visible—a gargantuan silhouette!
It was Su Yu!
Reflected from the River of Time into the realm, his form appeared incomparably colossal.
At this moment, Su Yu seemed entirely unaware, having sensed nothing, and was bellowing at the top of his lungs:
"It hurts so damn much!"
"Fuck!"
"It hurts!"
"Aaaaargh!"
"Help!"
"Stop coming!"
"Aaaah! Dad, save me!"
"..."
Down below, the crowd wore utterly bizarre expressions.
Was that Su Yu?
*Surely not?*
That colossal figure blotted out the sky, resembling an image cast through a pinhole. Clearly Su Yu’s actual body wasn't massive, yet projected here, he filled practically the entire heavens!
Su Yu had always been arrogant, maintaining the refined demeanor of a scholar. Whatever he was like in private, in front of others he was always composed, domineering, proud, and calm...
He possessed every kind of temperament.
Yet never had he been seen like this... hurting so badly that he was crying out for his father!
In an instant, everyone’s expressions shifted.
The next moment, Wan Tiansheng waved his hand, casting a dark shroud over the sky. He sent a stern voice transmission: "Nobody say a word... If any of you mention this and he finds out, how he retaliates... cough, you all know! Keep it locked in your hearts!"
Su Yu was always digging up gossip on others. This time... this time, it wasn't that they *wanted* to gossip about him!
The sky had literally sprung a leak!
Su Yu hadn't even noticed that the barrier had thinned enough to project him straight into the Tianyuan Realm.
At this moment, the thousands of people gathered outside in the realm wore extraordinarily strange expressions, but all kept their mouths firmly shut, pretending ignorance.
They had seen what they had seen, but they must never speak of it.
Just as Wan Tiansheng said: whoever brought it up was doomed!
Over on the side, Tianmie stealthily poked a tiny hole through the sky shroud. Thinking no one was looking, he peeked through quietly.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to it, the little white dog wagged its tail, using the tip to pierce the dark veil and make its own tiny hole, peeking through with one eye.
Doubao sneezed, blasting out another small aperture. A family of three gathered together, six eyes peering upward in unison.
Consequently, moments later, the shroud Wan Tiansheng had just erected was riddled with peepholes!
Wan Tiansheng was, of course, well aware.
A look of pure helplessness washed over his face!
*These bastards—useless when it comes to work, but first in line to watch a spectacle!*
If Su Yu found out about this... whoever mentioned it to his face was guaranteed a beating!
One hundred percent!
Wan Tiansheng didn't bother stopping them anymore. Perhaps it was for the best; let them see the real Su Yu. Su Yu wasn't merely overbearing and arrogant; the agony he endured was simply hidden from everyone else.
For someone as resilient as Su Yu to be howling in such torment, carving out this breach clearly wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Everyone was enjoying the convenience and benefits Su Yu provided, likely never imagining what he was actually suffering within the River of Time.
Sure enough, as they watched, the gossiping glint in their eyes gradually faded.
Up there, Su Yu was cursing hysterically, wailing in agony!
He was in unbearable pain!
Ten thousand Daos were scouring his heart!
The initial excitement in the eyes of Marquis Lanshan and the others gradually gave way to heartache. He was in such agony!
Down below, they had been chatting merrily and absorbing energy with relish, seemingly forgetting that Su Yu was still in the River of Time carving out an opening. They had thought he was merely digging a hole, only to realize now that Su Yu was enduring unimaginable torment.
...
"Aaargh!"
"Fuck!"
"I'm not doing this anymore, I quit..."
Within the River of Time, Su Yu was indeed cursing furiously!
It hurt too damn much!
Pain was one thing, but the surging torrents of various Dao powers were flowing through him as a conduit. Some Dao powers caused an itch so deep it bored straight into his marrow, truly intolerable.
Others carried corrosive energy that reduced his flesh to white bone in an instant.
Su Yu was acting as the crude processor here, the primary stage of filtration!
He was enduring far more torment than Lan Tian below. By the time the power passed through Su Yu and the barriers of the River of Time to reach Lan Tian, its ferocity had already been drastically weakened.
Though his comprehension of the myriad Daos was deepening, Su Yu truly couldn't take it anymore.
He roared frantically, spewing curses!
He wept and wailed, calling for his father to save him, cursing Hundred Battles as a worthless bastard, and branding the Prison King a dog...
After an indeterminate amount of time, Su Yu seemed to sense something. Looking downward, he could vaguely make out the Tianyuan Realm.
*Did I break through?*
Su Yu didn't know!
His expression shifted slightly, and he instantly shut his mouth. *Did I punch through or not?*
The flow of the river waters didn't seem entirely smooth yet.
"It shouldn't be through yet, right?"
Su Yu pondered. If it were through... they wouldn't be able to see him, would they?
Suppressing his agony with lingering doubt, Su Yu suddenly bellowed, "Lan Tian, are you there?"
Silence.
Su Yu let out a breath. *Thank goodness, it must not be through yet!*
...
In the Tianyuan Realm.
Su Yu's thunderous roar caused even Lan Tian to shudder slightly, but he held it in, refusing to make a sound.
*I didn't hear a thing!*
He couldn't answer now.
The entire Tianyuan Realm was terrifyingly quiet. Even as they combed through the myriad Dao powers and suffered slight backlashes, everyone kept their mouths firmly shut.
They held their breath!
If Su Yu found out that everyone had been watching... they would be in serious trouble.
From the Heavenly Kings down to the Sun and Moon cultivators.
Every single one of them played dumb, not daring to utter a peep.
Within the River of Time, Su Yu roared once and, receiving no response, figured he truly hadn't breached the barrier yet. He resumed grinding down the Dao powers, cursing as he went: "A bunch of useless bastards! They haven't opened up a breach yet—did I dig outside the realm?"
Tianmie was dying to shout, *No, you didn't!*
Yet the moment he opened his mouth, countless glares bore down on him, frightening him into snapping it shut!
Right, he couldn't shout.
Wan Tiansheng's voice transmission swept across the crowd: "Everyone, carry on with your tasks. Just don't make a sound. Now, continue combing through the myriad Dao powers. Once the opening breaks through, a massive deluge of Dao powers will surge in, collapsing into chaotic energy. We must sort them out... We cannot let this realm deteriorate into a chaotic zone!"
King Daqin also sent a transmission: "Are we... are we sure we shouldn't notify him? What if he thinks he's digging in the wrong place and changes spots?"
"Nonsense! It's almost through; why would he change spots now? Even if he did, he'd finish punching through this area first!"
"Fair enough!"
Everyone fell silent again, while Su Yu howled for another stretch.
After who knew how long, a rumbling thunder echoed.
Su Yu roared, "Damn it all, is it still not open?! The Xingyu Seal is about to explode! I can't hold out much longer!"
He was truly reaching his limit!
Why hadn't it broken through yet?
Was punching a tiny hole really this difficult?
He had ground down over a hundred Daos. By all logic, he should have worn through by now!
Down below, Lan Tian sensed the situation and gained a rough understanding. After holding it in for a while, he couldn't hold back any longer; the main task was what mattered. He sent a voice transmission to everyone: "In a moment, say that we only just heard his voice..."
Sharing a tacit understanding, everyone nodded in agreement.
Then, Lan Tian suddenly hollered, "Is that Emperor Yu? Can you hear us? Can you hear me?!"
His thunderous roar faintly resonated upward into the River of Time.
...
Su Yu was in the midst of roaring when he suddenly detected fluctuations in the Great Daos.
The next moment, he seemed to hear Lan Tian's voice. Overjoyed, he wondered, *Did it break through?*
A moment later, Lan Tian’s voice faintly drifted up again: "Emperor Yu, just a little more! Hold on a bit longer, it's almost through! There's likely a critical Dao power that hasn't been severed yet! Once it is, the entire opening will burst wide!"
Su Yu was ecstatic!
Yet right after the rush of joy... he paused.
*What does that mean?*
*Digging this hole required severing various Daos, but I never told them that—how did he know?*
*How did he know that my digging required severing Daos?*
Strange!
Su Yu frowned. Perhaps Lan Tian had faintly sensed it.
That made sense; streams of Dao power must have been spilling down below, so it was only natural that Lan Tian and the others would deduce it.
Reassured, Su Yu had no time to dwell on it.
Was there still a critical Dao power left unsevered?
"Life and Death, Yin and Yang, the Five Elements... I've already severed all these fundamental Daos!"
"I even severed the Space Dao... What other critical Dao power could there be?"
The next instant, a thought struck Su Yu.
Perhaps... there really was one.
The Physical Body Dao!
This, too, was a foundational Dao!
Right, the Physical Body Dao hadn't been severed yet!
Once severed, vast amounts of physical body rule power would inevitably flood out. Perhaps... this would be an opportunity for everyone to restore their physical bodies.
Su Yu's eyes flashed, and he swiftly began searching for the Physical Body Dao.
Sure enough, within his Heavenly Gate, a sturdy Great Dao manifested.
Clearly, this Dao was obstructing the breach, preventing the waters from gushing forth like the Human Sovereign's Heavenly River.
"Sever the Physical Body Dao!"
Su Yu began bombarding it ceaselessly, his physical frame quaking as he ground it down.
Gritting his teeth, he persevered.
Just this last bit!
Once it was breached, he could head straight out.
*Boom!*
The Physical Body Dao was shattered by Su Yu. This was neither the human race's Physical Body Dao nor that of the myriad races, but merely a chaotic branch of the Dao woven into the barrier.
The instant it shattered, boundless physical body power surged into Su Yu’s frame.
This time, Su Yu reaped substantial benefits.
His entire physical body strengthened in an instant.
*Boom!*
At that very moment, a vortex formed within the river waters. The opening had burst open!
...
Down below.
Lan Tian spat out a mouthful of blood and roared, "Quick, stabilize the myriad Daos! The power of the River of Time is spilling out—stabilize it now!"
The powerhouses could no longer care about gossiping about Su Yu. They frantically set to work stabilizing the power of the myriad Daos.
Vaguely, the Tianyuan Realm was battered so violently it seemed on the verge of reverting to primal chaos!
At that moment, Su Yu stepped forward. The instant he emerged, his white robes were as pristine as snow, fluttering like those of an immortal.
His face was a picture of resolute calm.
"Stabilize the myriad Daos! I will construct the Dao barrier—do not panic!"
Surging forth alongside the river waters, Su Yu looked incomparably dashing, as though digging the hole had been a stroll in the park, radiating a baffling aura of confidence!
Had the onlookers not known what had transpired earlier, they might truly have believed it had been effortless.
At this moment, a single phrase surfaced in everyone's minds—*slapping one's own face to look prosperous!*
This was a scholar for you!
One moment he had been weeping like a baby, and the next he was acting as haughty and confident as an emperor!
Within the crowd, the Southern King gazed at Su Yu with boundless pity. *The poor child!*
Marquis Lanshan’s eyes were filled with both adoration and maternal tenderness. *Emperor Yu is truly pitiful, yet so admirable. Look at him: no matter how much he suffers, he never utters a word of complaint.*
Over to the side, Yunxiao looked ready to coo, *There, there, Baby Yu, don't cry anymore. You were sobbing so miserably just now; I heard it all, you poor thing!*
At first, Su Yu paid it no mind, swiftly setting about stabilizing the entire breach. But just as he was about to call on the Southern King to provide some death qi... he turned his head and froze. Why was everyone looking at him like that?
*Do I have flowers growing on my face?*
Bizarre!
With no time to overthink, Su Yu barked, "Southern King, supply me with some death qi! What are you all doing? The myriad Daos are unbalanced—are you blind? Help me stabilize them!"
The Southern King took no offense, promptly channeling death qi while looking at him with eyes brimming with tenderness. *What a stubborn, prideful child; truly heartbreaking!*
Feeling the gazes boring into his back, Su Yu felt profoundly uncomfortable.
*Fuck!*
*What is going on?*
Vaguely, a realization dawned on him, and a chill ran straight down his spine...
*Surely not?*
*The breach wasn't open earlier, was it?!*
Chapter 773