Adding Drama to Their Own Roles

In the River of Time, Su Yu walked along with the Hou Emperor. They had only one goal: to find a Dao. Whichever Dao the Hou Emperor felt suited him best, he could take it. Whether it already belonged to someone or was vacant didn't matter in the least. Strolling along the river with nothing better to do, Su Yu grew curious and asked, "Hou Emperor, do you mind talking about your father?" After all, his father had been a mount. What if he felt uncomfortable discussing it? The Hou Emperor didn't mind at all and answered frankly, "Emperor Yu, there's no need to hold back. My father was Lord Wu's mount—the entire myriad realms knows it! In that era, King Wu was the third strongest being under the heavens. Though my father was a Rule Master, serving as the mount to the third under the heavens was an honor, not a disgrace." Third under the heavens? Perhaps! Seeing that he took no offense, Su Yu smiled. "When King Wu left, did your father go with him?" "No." Recalling the past, the Hou Emperor quickly said, "King Wu left to follow King Wen. Not long after King Wen vanished, King Wu went chasing after him. My father remained behind back then. It was only later, when the Human Sovereign convened the council of the myriad races, that my father departed..." At this point, the Hou Emperor added, "Before my father left, he seemed to anticipate something. He warned me that once he was gone, it would be best for me to seal our realm. "My father had a residence on the eighth floor, and I lived there at first. But before the council was held, he made me leave... I don't know whether the Human Sovereign told him something, or if he deduced it himself." Previously, he had assumed the Human Sovereign had warned his father. But now that Su Yu claimed his father was a cunning strategist, it was hard to say for sure. Su Yu nodded slightly, then asked after a moment of thought, "Did King Wu leave any instructions before he departed?" He actually wanted to know if they knew anything about the Heavenly Gate. King Wen had likely entered the Heavenly Gate. If an entire era was sealed within, it was very likely the Era of Heaven Opening. And speaking of the Era of Heaven Opening, one had to mention the Master of the Great Dao of Time and the Master of the Dead Spirit Dao! One at the beginning of Heaven Opening, and the other at its close! Of course, strictly speaking, the Human Ancestor might have existed in the same period as the Master of the Dead Spirit Dao—both present at the end of the Heaven Opening era. Only afterward came the Primeval Era. Yet the Human Ancestor had also appeared during the Primeval Era. Could he, too, exist within the Heavenly Gate? Su Yu was fascinated by all of this. Pursuing the footsteps of supreme experts—even if he was still weak right now, nothing stopped him from tracking their trails. Perhaps back then, figures like the Time Master had harbored the exact same drive. In any era, once someone reached the pinnacle, they naturally yearned to search for those legends and myths. Su Yu was no exception! "Instructions?" The Hou Emperor thought carefully and shook his head. "King Wu was a level above me, after all. What he instructed, I'm not entirely sure. Even if there were instructions, he would have given them to my father. However, my father didn't leave much behind... In the thousand years after King Wu vanished, the phrase my father repeated most was, 'Countless are the Great Daos, yet only martial is the purest!'" Su Yu raised an eyebrow. "In the Human tongue, or the universal tongue?" "The Human tongue. Back then, everyone was accustomed to using it." Su Yu narrowed his eyes. "'Only martial is purest'? Are you sure he didn't say 'stupidest'?" "..." The Hou Emperor offered a sheepish grin. "Surely not. There's no way my father would curse King Wu." What a question! How was he supposed to answer that? Yet Su Yu grew thoughtful. "Perhaps he really was cursing King Wu! When King Wen left, he knew what he was doing and had a clear plan. He left to save his sister, which was only right. But King Wu and King Ming were both still around, along with the Human Sovereign. In my view, things wouldn't necessarily have gone wrong. "Besides, King Wen's departure... with his personality, would he leave with great fanfare?" Su Yu raised his brows. "Based on my understanding of King Wen, even if he left, he would have done so silently, keeping everyone guessing. People wouldn't know whether he had simply entered secluded cultivation. And so long as King Wen was merely in seclusion and hadn't shown himself, no one would dare act rashly. Only King Wu had a brash, flamboyant personality. The moment he left... everyone probably found out." The Hou Emperor blinked in surprise. Su Yu sighed. "'Only Wu is the stupidest' was probably your father's true thought! King Wen's disappearance was definitely leaked by King Wu! Then King Wu ran off as well. With both Wen and Wu gone, it would be strange if the myriad races didn't harbor treachery!" The Hou Emperor said awkwardly, "That... couldn't be, could it?" Su Yu chuckled. "You lived through that era too. Let me ask you: when King Wen disappeared, did everyone immediately know about it?" "Well..." The Hou Emperor searched his memories for a long time before replying, "It seems... at first, people really weren't sure! As for when exactly the news spread..." He thought hard, froze, and scratched his head in embarrassment. "It seems... it was after King Wu left? King Wu seemed... seemed to have thrown a fit in the main hall once, accusing the Human Sovereign of being disloyal and heartless... or something along those lines. After that, he vanished! "Not long after, word of King Wen's disappearance spread everywhere. "Rumor had it that because King Wen had vanished, King Wu wanted the Human Sovereign to go look for him, but the Human Sovereign ignored him... so he went looking himself." Su Yu laughed and shook his head. "If I were the Human Sovereign, I'd have died of rage!" Truly died of rage. The Human Sovereign had probably known for a long time that King Wen had gone beyond the Heavenly Gate, but he couldn't leave. Back then, the plan to unite the myriad races wasn't complete, and the act of Heaven Opening hadn't succeeded. He absolutely could not leave. If he left, that would be true disaster! Yet while he was keeping the news of King Wen's disappearance under wraps, King Wu grew impatient, thinking the Human Sovereign was heartless: 'We brothers helped you conquer the world, and now that you've conquered it, your loyalty has changed! Old Wen is gone, and you're not even worried or going to look for him! Fine, if you won't search, I will!' And with that search... catastrophe struck! Su Yu felt a wave of sympathy for the ancient ruler. "The Human Sovereign was truly pitiful!" The Hou Emperor asked in confusion, "Weren't Lord Wen and Lord Wu the more miserable ones?" "You..." With that kind of logic, forget it. Hopeless. Give up on treatment! Su Yu felt exhausted. He felt another pang of pity for the Human Sovereign. With allies like these around, how could anyone avoid misfortune? Indeed, foolish teammates were sometimes terrifying. *I hope he's not another Hundred Battles...* Su Yu murmured inwardly. Judging by the legends, King Wu was truly reckless—not because he lacked talent, and not because he refused to use his brain, but because he was surrounded by individuals of extraordinary intellect. The Human Sovereign, King Wen, the Prison King, King Ming... according to lore, all of them were exceptionally brilliant. When accompanied by such minds, everything was arranged for you without a hitch. King Wu didn't need to think; being able to fight was enough. Why bother using his own head? Consequently, King Wu likely couldn't be bothered to think deeply. All he knew was that King Wen was his brother. If his brother was in trouble, or his brother's sister was in danger, of course he had to rush to their rescue at once! Loyal to a fault... but he utterly ruined the Human Sovereign. The human and the beast chatted as they walked. Suddenly, Su Yu stopped, gazing toward a tributary Dao and sensing a faint power of devouring. "Do you feel anything special here?" "No!" The Hou Emperor shook his head. Su Yu didn't mind and kept walking. They traveled further, and Su Yu asked again several times, but the answer was always no. Since the Hou Emperor had not yet severed his existing Dao, he wouldn't feel much unless a Dao was an exceptional match. Su Yu found nothing unusual about that. Stopping and starting, they soon arrived at another tributary. This time, before Su Yu could even ask, the Hou Emperor's expression shifted. "I feel something from this one!" He was already merged with a Dao, yet he still felt a resonance with this one. Clearly, this Dao suited him remarkably well! Su Yu glanced over and smiled. His senses hadn't misled him; it truly was an exceptionally powerful Devouring Dao. The Great Dao was remarkably broad, roughly two thousand meters wide. It was somewhat weaker than the Wild Heavenly Beast's Dao, but not by much. Obviously, if this Dao had once had a master, that master had been extraordinarily formidable. However, even if it had a master, they were never coming back. Su Yu smiled. "This Dao isn't bad. You're already merged with the Hou race's Dao, yet you can still sense it, which proves your compatibility with it is very high!" The Hou Emperor looked somewhat mournful. "So I really merged with the wrong Dao back then? "Then my father's Great Dao... will no one inherit it?" Su Yu laughed. "If your father isn't dead, what good would inheriting it do anyway? You couldn't become the next Rule Master unless you killed your own father! But with someone else's Devouring Dao, if they're unfamiliar or an enemy, you can just kill them off and still have hope of advancing to Rule Master!" Thinking about it that way, the Hou Emperor nodded. Although he had never dreamed of becoming a Rule Master in his life... since Emperor Yu put it that way, he might as well believe it. Su Yu glanced at the Dao and suddenly grinned. "Hou Emperor, how about playing an interesting game?" "What?" Su Yu narrowed his eyes with a smile. "You have to sever your previous Dao anyway! Severing it quietly would be such a waste, no fun at all! How about this: I'll take you on a little show so the myriad realms can enjoy the spectacle!" The Hou Emperor didn't fully understand, yet perhaps grasped a sliver of it. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. *** The myriad realms. The Allheaven Battlefield. With Su Yu lying low over the past few days, the myriad realms had returned to peace. This time it was true peace, as the human armies attacking the realms had all withdrawn. For once, there were no wars among the myriad races. Right at that moment, an enraged roar echoed through heaven and earth. "Su Yu! You act against all reason, and my Hou race stands irreconcilable with you! You suffered defeat in the Upper Realm, dragging out your wretched existence... and now you still want to force my race to serve you? You want to retreat into the dead spirit realm, but why should my race retreat with you?" The furious roar shook the world! A colossal giant hou materialized, its aura terrifyingly immense, blotting out the sky and sun. At that moment, several domains across the myriad realms trembled. Just then, Su Yu's figure emerged, speaking in a chilled voice, "I told you, even in defeat, you are in no position to resist me! The Gods, Immortals, and Demons haven't made a peep, yet you dare rebel... You court death!" *Boom!* A tremendous roar rang out, and in the next instant, a Great Dao shattered! A sky-spanning giant hand eclipsed the sun and heavens. "Su Yu!" The Hou Emperor's desperate screech pierced the clouds. "Less than one in ten of the experts beneath you survive! Even if you kill me... what of it? Sooner or later, you will die too. I'll be waiting for you!" *Boom!* A deafening explosion detonated! The Great Dao snapped, and a surging torrent of rule power dissipated into the air. Its connection to the Hou Realm severed, the entire domain shook violently. In the next moment, a mass of blood-red clouds surged forth. Sixty Council Tokens faintly manifested in Su Yu's hand, summoning the descent of the crimson storm! Rain of blood instantly poured down! Su Yu snorted coldly and barked, "The Hou race defies orders and plots rebellion—they deserve death! Men, annihilate the Ancient Hou race!" While the experts of the myriad realms watched in utter bewilderment, the entire Hou Realm shuddered violently amid a series of massive detonations. Su Yu strode through the void. As he arrived above the Hou Realm, blood clouds gathered once more. With a flick of the Council Tokens in his grip, the entire domain was smothered in crimson clouds! Su Yu roared, "Today, I exterminate the Hou race! Let the myriad races take warning! So what if I, Su Yu, suffered defeat? Dealing with you remains as easy as turning my palm! Until I vanish completely, every last one of you will play the obedient grandchild! As of today, no one from the myriad races may leave their realm. Any who disobey... die!" The word *die* shook heaven and earth. Accompanied by dense blood clouds, scattering rule power, and heavenly portents, the Hou race appeared to have been thoroughly wiped out! Shock rippled in all directions. *** In the Immortal Realm. Tiangu's expression shifted slightly. *What on earth?* *Why did he suddenly exterminate the Hou race?!* He quickly reached out his senses to examine the power of the Great Dao. His expression changed again—Su Yu really had slain the Hou Emperor! *What the hell...* Did that mean the Hou race was truly destroyed? *** In the Archaic Giant Realm. The Archaic Giant King wore a grave expression. "He's gone mad! He has suffered defeat and retreated, but right now, he is still the Sovereign of the myriad realms. Anyone who defies him will die!" At this moment, even the three major races dared not provoke Su Yu, despite the rumors that he had suffered catastrophic losses in the Upper Realm. The Hou race had been among the earliest powerful races to support Su Yu. Yet over a single disagreement and a refusal to retreat alongside him, they had been slaughtered down to the last member! Beside the Archaic Giant King, an illusory figure condensed, speaking with deep solemnity: "He is this unhinged... Indeed, invincibility breeds only hubris. A single defeat has completely shattered his composure! This person... must not be provoked right now!" When Su Yu had previously forced the Archaic Giant race to surrender four Council Tokens, they had harbored resentment. Now... forget it. This madman had lost his mind entirely. The Hou race, which had backed him so early on, had been wiped out simply for refusing to retreat with him! Right at that moment, Su Yu's frenzied, arrogant voice resonated across the myriad realms once more! "Listen well, all of you! I will return sooner or later, so watch your backs and behave yourselves! I am going to the dead spirit realm to reign as sovereign, but... the dead spirit realm can open passages into your domains as well! "Hahaha! "Remember this: the dead spirit realm belongs to me from this day forth! And if there is excessive death qi inside any of your realms, I will lock onto your coordinates! "I will pinpoint your locations and hunt you down, just as I annihilated the Dragon, Phoenix, Ape, and Roc Realms! Hahaha! You bunch of fools will forever remain the lowest creatures!" The declaration echoed everywhere! Instant pandemonium swept through the myriad realms. *What?* *The four realms were destroyed?!* *How is that possible!* No one had seen Su Yu attack the four realms... Wait, what did he say? He had attacked them from the dead spirit realm? No wonder there had been no disturbance! Right now, those four realms were indeed completely silent. Faces paled across the world. *** In the Immortal Realm. Tiangu's expression darkened. Su Yu had struck from the dead spirit realm, and the target used for tracking was death qi! His face twitched, and in the next moment, he bellowed, "Men! Destroy every trace of death qi within the Immortal Realm!" Madness! He had nearly forgotten about this. That's right—Su Yu had previously dropped the Tianyuan Realm straight into the dead spirit realm. Clearly, he intended to dominate that domain, and death qi could be used to open passageways. Tiangu understood why Su Yu was making such a commotion. Would they destroy their death qi or not? If they didn't, he could lock onto them at any time, open a rift, and slaughter his way inside! Obviously, Su Yu wanted to wipe out all death qi in the myriad realms so no one else could step into the dead spirit realm. Yet... they had no choice but to destroy it. That lunatic might genuinely track their realm's location based on death qi and lead a legion of dead spirits straight through! Sure enough, at that very moment, Su Yu laughed maniacally. "Men! Scour for the positions of death qi! Lock onto every faction and identify which death qi corresponds to which realm! Hahaha... I'd love to see who is hiding a massive hoard of death qi!" He waved his hand, tearing open the void as hordes of dead spirits emerged. Among them, the Southern King's death qi shook heaven and earth. Without hesitation, the Southern King barked coldly, "Soldiers, hear my command! Search for the locations of death qi, memorize the auras, and identify the realms. Do not disrupt the order of the myriad realms, lest you incur the rules' punishment..." Su Yu laughed boisterously. "No need to worry! I hold sixty Council Tokens, enough to suppress the rules' retribution. Generals, search!" *Boom!* Towering auras of formidable dead spirits soared into the air. Only now were the myriad races truly struck with terror. Dead spirits! Countless dead spirits! And among them were dozens of Harmony-level auras. Utterly terrifying. *** "Quickly! Consume heavenly origin qi and origin qi to eradicate all death qi!" Across realm after realm, numerous experts roared frantically. Hurry! Collecting death qi was not something only one or two people did; many had gathered a reserve to open dead spirit passages... even if it rarely served much purpose. Back when the ancient cities stood and were permeated with death qi, gathering it had been easy. Major races like the Immortals and Gods frequently used death qi to open passages, sending emissaries down to communicate with dead spirit powerhouses. King Fu had gone down several times and even sought out the Eastern Heavenly King. Yet right now, everyone was paralyzed with fear. Destroy the death qi! This stuff could not be kept. Dead spirits were naturally hypersensitive to death qi! If they were targeted and an army broke through from the dead spirit realm, they wouldn't even know how they died. *** The Immortal Realm was destroying it, the God Realm was destroying it, and the Demon Realm followed suit. Even though the three major races knew this was likely Su Yu's scheme to prevent anyone from hoarding death qi... so what if they knew? Were they willing to take the risk? Once a dead spirit passage opened within their realm and an army of tens or hundreds of millions flooded in, what would become of them? Opening a tiny rift to collude with a dead spirit was one thing. Opening a massive gateway that invited the entire dead spirit realm to invade... that was no laughing matter! *** Above the Hou Realm. Su Yu smiled. Excellent. He had resolved several lingering concerns at once. Wiping out the Hou race here was actually for the protection of their brethren in the Upper Realm. The Hou race was too weak up there, possessing only a single second-tier Harmony. If they had openly retreated alongside him and the news leaked, the Upper Realm forces—daring not touch the Iron Eaters or Space Beasts, and with no Five Elements members around—would naturally take out their vengeance on the Hou race! Faking the destruction of the Hou race cost nothing. With only a single second-tier Harmony, was the Upper Realm supposed to fear them? To make an example of someone, targeting the Hou race made the most sense. As for whether the act looked entirely convincing... did that even matter? Not at all! The Great Dao had shattered and heavenly portents had manifested; those were indisputable facts. The Hou race had been wiped out, not a single soul remained, and with a bit of blood and flesh scattered around, the realm was utterly deserted! Under these circumstances, would the myriad races have the face to target the Hou race's survivors in the Upper Realm? Simultaneously, he had eliminated all death qi. This would prevent people from racking their brains trying to open paths into the dead spirit realm. Even if someone still hid a little, they wouldn't dare keep much. Without the thirty-six ancient cities, it was nearly impossible for them to gather enough death qi to support a passage capable of sustaining a powerful expert. Some traces might remain, but with insufficient death qi, any passage opened could only admit weaklings, not genuine powerhouses. And for weaklings entering the dead spirit realm, they were simply courting death! From now on, opening the dead spirit realm would become exceedingly difficult. Of course, Marquis Zhennan still held a fair amount. However, Su Yu doubted the man would use it. Even if he did, it would only be for two possibilities: summoning Su Yu to kill Hundred Battles, or summoning Hundred Battles to kill Su Yu... If Hundred Battles truly dared enter the dead spirit realm, Su Yu would give him a reception he'd never forget! At this moment, realms everywhere were expunging death qi. The substance could be dissolved with heavenly origin qi. Meanwhile, the Southern King was collecting the death qi dispersed by her soldiers, refusing to leave behind even a scrap. Su Yu waited for a while until the group of Harmony experts returned. The Southern King smiled. "Unless it is concealed exceedingly deep, almost all of it has been eliminated. The senses from within the three major realms are faint as well; they have most likely purged it all!" Su Yu chuckled. "Those fellows are terrified that I might snap and smash through their boundaries with dead spirits in tow... That would make them weep!" "Everyone, head back for now!" Without further chatter, the Southern King led the dead spirits away through the passage Su Yu had opened. Su Yu drew back the death qi and sealed the gateway. Then, letting out an arrogant, resounding laugh, Su Yu taunted, "A bunch of cowards! I thought you'd dare keep some death qi and gamble that I couldn't open the realm, yet you yielded this quickly? "Useless trash! "Hahaha!" Amid echoing laughter, Su Yu vanished. *** In the Archaic Giant Realm. The Archaic Giant King let out a sigh. "Arrogant enough... but such arrogance isn't necessarily a good thing. He can't stay in the dead spirit realm forever. Is it really wise to act this rampant before leaving?" Su Yu wouldn't stay down there for the rest of his life unless he truly planned to wait for death in the dead spirit realm. Beside him, the shadowy figure said softly, "It has its benefits. With him making such a scene before his departure, the myriad races won't dare make any reckless moves! When His Majesty returns, there will be no need for fanfare; keeping a low profile will suit us well!" With Su Yu stirring up such chaos, who would dare act rashly before the Upper Realm opened? It wasn't as if Su Yu couldn't come back out. Even if he sealed the dead spirit realm to outsiders, he would certainly leave himself a way out. Able to advance to attack or retreat to defend, Su Yu undeniably possessed immense deterrent power. Until the seal broke, even the three major races would keep their heads down. No matter where Su Yu was, so long as he lived, all races would dread him. The Archaic Giant King gave a slight nod, saying no more. He merely felt a lingering sense of awe—Su Yu truly was an exceptional figure! If not for poor timing, and had he not rushed to lead his forces into battle in the Upper Realm so prematurely, he might very well have established an unshakeable dominion in the Lower Realm. Given another few years, or perhaps a decade, he might have reigned supreme over an entire era! At this moment, the Archaic Giant King almost felt glad that Su Yu had suffered defeat. Otherwise, once His Majesty returned, Su Yu would have become an obstacle. That youth was no benevolent soul; he bore grudges fiercely! With that in mind, the king suddenly remarked, "When His Majesty returns, Su Yu will have yielded the Human Realm, but he won't accept it meekly. We must still beware of his retaliation!" "Him?" The shadow chuckled. "Retaliate against His Majesty? That would be seeking his own demise..." "Do not underestimate him!" The Archaic Giant King frowned slightly, his voice deep and heavy. "No matter what, even in defeat, he still controls the dead spirit realm. You saw it just now—numerous dead spirit powerhouses serve under his banner! Even if he retreated from the myriad realms, he is the hegemon of the dead spirit realm... The one who appeared earlier was one of the Four Heavenly Kings, wasn't it? Though the dead spirit realm has a wretched environment, it allows one to advance or retreat at will—a strategic stronghold of the highest order... Never underestimate Su Yu!" Having witnessed so much history, the Archaic Giant King emphasized his warning. That young man was not to be provoked. He was even worried that one day, Su Yu might suddenly charge out of the dead spirit realm without warning—that would be a catastrophe! *** Meanwhile, Su Yu didn't care about any of that. Within the River of Time. Su Yu held the weakened Hou Emperor, grinning broadly. "Was that fun?" "..." The Hou Emperor felt like crying. Fun? It had scared him half to death! He had genuinely thought Su Yu was going to beat him to death for real. Fortunately, his little life was intact! Even so, he expressed his gratitude: "Thank you for looking out for us, Emperor Yu!" This staged performance gave the Hou race—especially those in the Upper Realm—an extra layer of protection. Su Yu chuckled. "It's nothing, just a minor detail, and something I ought to do! I'll do my best to smash open the Upper Realm before the myriad races ever realize you're still alive!" The Hou Emperor smiled. "I believe you can do it, Emperor Yu!" Su Yu gave him an impression of terrifying competence. With a flick of his hand, heaven and earth overturned. With just a casual display of theatrics, sacrificing a Harmony to the flags and summoning dead spirit legions, the myriad races had instantly scrubbed their death qi clean. Had he simply threatened them without 'slaying' the Hou Emperor, they might not have taken it seriously. Su Yu smiled and soon guided the Hou Emperor toward the newly discovered tributary Dao. He waited outside for the Hou Emperor to merge with this fresh Devouring Dao. The Hou Emperor had immersed himself in the Devouring Dao for countless years. Even walking the wrong path, he had reached the third-tier Harmony level. Su Yu felt that if he had kept going like that, he might have eventually forged his own Devouring Dao from scratch! Within the tributary, faint tremors rippled. After a considerable wait, the Hou Emperor finally stepped out from the Devouring Dao. His aura wasn't overwhelmingly powerful. Still third-tier Harmony! Yet Su Yu's eyes lit up, and the Hou Emperor's gaze shone with equal brilliance! His strength hadn't changed. However, he had only just severed his old Dao! To merge with a completely new Dao and instantly reach third-tier Harmony—what did that imply? It proved that all his past comprehensions had truly been meant for the Devouring Dao. His grasp over the path of devouring was profoundly deep. This time, he had truly found the right path. The Hou Emperor bowed in complete conviction. "Your Majesty, I truly was on the wrong path! My race's Dao... really isn't a Devouring Dao!" He wore an expression between tears and laughter. "So my father truly wasn't an expert of the Devouring Dao—I was!" He felt utterly bitter. "I was completely misled by my father... But... but I began comprehending the Devouring Dao so early on, why didn't he ever warn me?" He was speechless! If he hadn't known, his father certainly should have! Why hadn't his father corrected him, and why hadn't he stopped him when he merged with the Dao? On that point, Su Yu was puzzled as well. "When you merged with the Dao, was your father still around?" "He was!" The Hou Emperor lamented, "I progressed all the way to the ninth stage of Eternal before he left! The Eternal Realm is the stage of merging with the Dao. My father knew I was merging with his Dao, so why didn't he remind me? From the very start, I treated it as a Devouring Dao! No wonder it was so agonizingly difficult for me to merge back then, and I only succeeded with his help!" *I actually thought my talent was terrible!* Among the second-generation heirs of the ancient warriors, he had endured no shortage of mockery. They were all scions of Rule Masters. Others had long reached Harmony while he was still merging; others had become Heavenly Kings while he remained stuck. How could he not be ridiculed? Yet just now, merging with the Devouring Dao had been completely effortless! Had he merged with it earlier, he might already be a Heavenly King or even a Heavenly Venerable! How many sons of Rule Masters were left in the world today? Su Yu pondered for a moment and shook his head. "I can't make sense of it either. Perhaps... your father hoped you would realize it on your own?" It was possible. Some people were like that: they refused to speak plainly, calling it 'letting you attain enlightenment yourself.' The trouble was, once someone walked into a dead end, escaping it was far from easy. The Hou Emperor cast his brooding aside and smiled. "Now I know for certain that I was mistaken! As for our Hou race... forget it, we'll simply walk the Devouring Dao! My father's Dao can stay reserved for him! Once I return, I'll urge everyone to switch daos... Your Majesty, give me some time, and I believe I can become a Heavenly King as well!" There would be a second and third opportunity! Observing Su Yu open a Dao, examining the Great Dao Diagram—he had looked before, but it had been entirely wasted on him. Now that he walked the true Devouring Dao, he stood to gain immensely. Su Yu smiled. "The chances are very good! You're different from the others. You were previously constrained by the wrong path, just like Doubao when his comprehension went astray. Once Doubao gained clarity, he stepped into the Heavenly King Realm in an instant... You have every hope of becoming a Heavenly King too!" That meant another potential Heavenly King. And in the Upper Realm, Su Yu had allies as well. March and Giant Bamboo—one Heavenly Venerable, one Heavenly King. As for Wuming, his relationship with Marquis Tianming remained uncertain, but Space Beast Emperor's dao companion, Marquis Liekong, could almost certainly be won over. Tallying it up, aside from having fewer Heavenly Venerables, Su Yu's forces were formidable at the Heavenly King level and below. Even if they couldn't match the myriad races or the Chaos race, they were not necessarily weaker than Hundred Battles' faction. "The only thing our side lacks is a truly top-tier figure!" Su Yu murmured to himself. Someone on the level of Hundred Battles, the Chaos Ancestor, or Solar Heavenly Venerable. If they had one such powerhouse, the disparity between the four major factions would shrink to near nothing. And that candidate... would have to be himself! *If I succeed in opening my Dao this time, I wonder if I can achieve Heavenly Venerable combat power.* *** In the Tianyuan Realm. Su Yu returned once more. This time, he didn't run around, choosing instead to enter seclusion for three days to settle his thoughts, review his gains, and prepare for the upcoming creation of his Dao. Where was the best place to open it? At the beginning, he might not be able to relocate his Great Dao, so the initial location was crucial. It had to be within a land of chaos! While others might not be able to see where his Dao lay, what if someone could? For instance, the Hell Gate and the Heavenly Gate—who could guarantee those entities couldn't peer through? The Chaos race possessed the Hell Gate, and Hundred Battles might hold the Heavenly Gate. "The heavens are divided into three planes... the Upper Realm, the Myriad Realms, and the Dead Spirit Realm. Beyond these three layers lies pure chaos! "The depths of the Land of Gui Ruins are chaos! Chaos Mountain in the Upper Realm is chaos, and the Endless Void of the Myriad Realms is chaos... The depths of the Land of Gui Ruins!" Su Yu murmured softly. In truth, he had no other viable option! He could only go to the depths of the Land of Gui Ruins! Many formidable entities were likely sealed there, but they couldn't be everywhere. He would find an empty area; he wasn't afraid of those dead spirit powerhouses. Dead spirits still suffered heavy limitations. "Then the location is set for the depths of the Land of Gui Ruins!" Su Yu resolved inwardly, settling on the venue for now. As for the energy source to open the Dao, he didn't plan to rip open another breach in the Great Dao of Time. Excessive force might shatter his fledgling Dao; he had to rely on his own power. "Where does the River of Time draw its energy from?" Su Yu fell into deep thought. After a long while, realization struck him. "Chaos! Yes, one end of the River of Time must connect to chaos! Its master converted chaotic power to sustain the Great Dao of Time!" That meant the ultimate source of all power was chaos. Opening his Dao in the midst of chaos would allow him to attempt converting chaotic power later on. Chaotic power was the most fundamental and abundant source of energy. "The Dead Spirit Dao and the Human Sovereign's Dao haven't yet attempted to convert chaotic power, which means neither of those two masters had fully deciphered it. They were still half a step behind the Master of the Great Dao of Time!" Su Yu certainly couldn't manage that yet either, but he could treat it as a long-term goal. Over the course of three days, Su Yu pondered relentlessly. He continually refined his deductions, including his earlier insights gained from breaching the river. "However, opening the Dao might require me to retrieve my book pages... The others are simple enough, but should I take back the page for the Dead Spirit Dao?" Su Yu sank into reflection. After a long pause, he smiled. "No. I'll open a second dead spirit page and leave Marquis Dragon Blood's where it is for now. He might still serve as a useful pawn!" He wouldn't take back Marquis Dragon Blood's page yet. He wanted to see what surprises this 'chosen child of destiny' could bring him. Su Yu sensed that the fellow had already stepped into the Heavenly King Realm at astonishing speed. The turmoil in the Land of Gui Ruins might still require his hand to pacify. Polishing every detail of his plan, three days slipped by in the blink of an eye. *** "Everyone, emerge from seclusion and follow me to the Land of Gui Ruins!" A low shout resonated across the Tianyuan Realm. In the next moment, groups of experts flew out one after another. Dozens of Harmonys and hundreds of Eternals! This time, both Harmonys and Eternals would accompany him. Among the crowd, some were anxious, some nervous, and some thrilled. Those who worried feared the catastrophic consequences of Su Yu failing to open his Dao. Those who were thrilled held absolute faith in his success—Tianmie, for one, was ecstatic beyond measure, not even entertaining the thought of failure! A moment later, hundreds of experts unleashed an aura that blotted out the sky. The presence of nearly ten Heavenly King-level entities swept across the dead spirit realm, rendering even the Heavenly River of Dead Spirits and the Land of Gui Ruins completely silent. Not a single disturbance stirred! So many powerhouses! Inside the Star Residence Mansion, the Martial Emperor's phantom manifested on the seventh floor. Looking out through the dead spirit gateway into the distance, his expression turned deadly serious. *Coming to kill me?* *Was the premonition of crisis I felt earlier about this?* *Su Yu really brought an army to kill me!* Sure enough, his earlier gut feeling hadn't been wrong! At this moment, the Martial Emperor looked grim. So many experts! Numerous Heavenly Kings, countless top-tier Harmonys, and even hundreds of Eternals. To slay him, Su Yu truly spared no expense! With so many experts arrayed against him... this time, he would almost certainly die! After all, he was still bound by his seals. Yet even in death, he, the Martial Emperor, would tear off a piece of Su Yu's flesh! His aura erupted like a god of war, his phantom towering abruptly outside the seventh-floor gateway, projecting into the dead spirit realm. The Martial Emperor flared his aura and roared, "Su Yu, come at me! Your grandpa isn't afraid of you! Even if this emperor dies today, I won't let you off easy!" The thunderous bellow shook the dead spirit realm! *I'm not afraid of you!* *Today, I will paint this realm in blood!* *** On Su Yu's side, hundreds of experts turned to look at Su Yu. Every single one wore a look of utter bewilderment. What in the world? What had Su Yu done now? Hadn't he been with them the entire time? How had the Martial Emperor been provoked into such a frenzy? Su Yu frowned slightly, glanced in that direction, and sneered, "Is he adding drama to his own role? What a bore!" Truly pointless! Did he think Su Yu was an idiot? Bringing his men to kill him—if even a single subordinate died, Su Yu would consider it a terrible loss! Pure lunacy! "Pay him no mind. His head has problems, and not just starting today; it's always been broken. I thought he had regained his senses earlier, but it turns out he's still half-mad!" Su Yu shook his head with a touch of pity. Poor fellow. Even now, his brain was a muddled mess. Truly pitiful. *** At that moment, the Martial Emperor stood bristling with fury, waiting for the apocalyptic clash to arrive! Even if he fell in battle, this emperor would never compromise or admit defeat! Yet... gradually, those hundreds of auras crossed the Heavenly River of Dead Spirits, entered the domains of the Four Kings, and from there, marched straight toward the Land of Gui Ruins. Slowly, the Martial Emperor's face turned blue, then purple, then bright red. Could it be... they weren't coming for him? Had he... overreacted? *No, I genuinely felt malice earlier! Could it be that Su Yu is feinting, and intends to lead his army back to strike me in a moment?* At this moment, the Martial Emperor was left standing in complete confusion. He had struck his grandest posture, yet Su Yu hadn't come. In fact, Su Yu hadn't even spared him a glance. What was that supposed to mean?