The Dao Formed

Darkness. Boundless darkness. Even his soul seemed to have fallen silent. Experiencing death sounded simple enough in words, but when one truly faced it, who could possibly know what thoughts would cross their mind? Yet at this very moment, Su Yu knew what he was thinking. He seemed to see a Great Dao—it looked like the Dead Spirit Dao. That Dao appeared to reach out to receive him, but... this was the realm of chaos, and that Great Dao seemed unable to bridge the divide! Was this the feeling of death? Vaguely, Su Yu could already see that Great Dao, yet it could not reach across. It seemed the Dead Spirit Dao truly could not extend its reach here. What a pity. What should I do now? His consciousness was growing somewhat murky... It felt as though it was fading into oblivion. *What a pointless bother!* At this moment, such a thought suddenly surged within Su Yu. It truly was a pointless bother. Why open some Great Dao? Why experience death? When he was young, he had nightmares every single day, dying in his dreams day after day. Hadn't that been enough? When the dream ended, I woke up alive, didn't I? Yes! When the dream ended, I was supposed to live! But how do I wake up from this dream? *The Dao of Life and Death...* *Should I open a Dao?* *What Dao should I open?* Murky thoughts surfaced one after another. He felt so tired. He just wanted to sink into silence like this. When one is tired, shouldn't one rest? Ever since he was six years old, he had never slept soundly. When he turned eighteen, the nightmares gradually faded. Yet in the four years after turning eighteen, ceaseless warfare had consumed his life. No matter how hard he tried, he could never escape it all. King Wen, the Human Sovereign, the Rule Masters of the myriad races, the chaos, the Heavenly Gate, the Nether Gate, the Prison King... This world held far too many secrets. Beings who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years couldn't unravel all the secrets, so why was it left to me to unravel them? Why was I the one who had to bear all of this? Because the Time Master chose me? Just because the Time Master chose me, does that mean I must shoulder all of this? I'm so tired! I want to sleep. Ever since I was six, it feels like I've never had a good night's sleep. Fighting, endless fighting... I'm just too tired. At this moment, Su Yu knew with utter clarity that he needed to open the Dao of Life and Death. If he opened it, perhaps he could return to reality. Yet... he suddenly didn't want to open it. *Just let me sleep like this! Let me rest peacefully, sleeping until the end of time...* Yes, though his consciousness was clouded, he knew he was supposed to open the Dao and resurrect himself. He had the power to open the Dao, and he had made all the preparations for it. But... wasn't it exhausting? *Let me be a coward just this once! The world won't stop turning without me...* *** In the outside world. The Heavenly Gate shattered. A dragon head burst out in flight, while Su Yu... had vanished completely without a trace! Everyone's expression grew grim. Where was Su Yu? Where had he gone? Was he dead? Wan Tiansheng's face turned ash-pale. The next instant, he barked, "Surround it!" He had to see Su Yu! If Su Yu was dead, he would slaughter this dragon! In an instant, over a hundred powerhouses surged forward, instantly encircling the giant dragon head that was attempting to flee. Having lost the lower half of its body, the giant dragon's aura had diminished significantly, yet it remained formidable. Even with half its body severed, it was still a top-tier powerhouse on par with a Heavenly Venerable. If it truly fought to the death, it might not be able to kill everyone present, but dragging down a few top experts with it was well within its power. Wan Tiansheng's aura fluctuated erratically, his voice low and heavy. "Where is he?" A look of gravity flashed in the dragon's massive eyes, its tone equally somber. "He is a madman. He rammed right through the Heavenly Gate. Even if it was merely a shadow of the gate, that is no place for him or me to venture... He... might have died within the Heavenly Gate!" Wan Tiansheng's expression darkened by degrees. Glancing around, he suddenly roared, "Wake up! Su Yu, where are you?" His expression was thoroughly ugly. Something was wrong! Logically speaking, Su Yu should have opened his Dao and resurrected by now! Whether he returned as a dead spirit or a living being, he should have revived already. Instead of remaining absent all this time! Since Su Yu had dared to open the Dao, he must have been confident. Why... wasn't he showing up? Nearby, Marquis Tongtian stepped forward, his expression grave. "Could he... could he be trapped inside the Heavenly Gate?" Wan Tiansheng whipped around to stare at him, gritting his teeth in fury and despair. "What do you mean?" "What is the Heavenly Gate?" "Trapped inside the Heavenly Gate... What is inside it? Isn't the Heavenly Gate just a technique cultivated from opening apertures? Could it be... there is some mysterious existence behind the Heavenly Gate?" Marquis Tongtian felt unnerved under his glare and stammered, "Well... about the Heavenly Gate... Emperor Yu knows... He knows! I... I don't know why... why he had to smash through the Heavenly Gate... but he really knows about it!" Wan Tiansheng glared at him coldly. "Tell me... what happens to someone trapped inside the Heavenly Gate?" "I... I don't know!" Marquis Tongtian said nervously, "I have no experience with that either. I have no idea what happens! Besides, Emperor Yu... Emperor Yu..." He didn't know what to say. Logically, Su Yu shouldn't have charged into the Heavenly Gate. He clearly knew that the Heavenly Gate might have sealed an entire era away, so why had he done it? Or had he assumed his Heavenly Gate was merely cultivated from a technique, so he hadn't given it much weight? As Marquis Tongtian stammered, Wan Tiansheng ground his teeth, glaring fixedly at the giant dragon. "If he dies, you die today without fail!" The giant dragon beast remained silent. Yet it had already braced itself for a bitter battle. That fellow might truly be dead. The Heavenly Gate... King Wen... It seemed to have heard King Wen's voice! What a terrifying existence! All around, powerhouse after powerhouse stood in dead silence. Shouldn't Su Yu have opened his Dao by now? Why... hadn't he appeared yet? Why? *** At that very moment. In the boundless realm of darkness. The white-robed man couldn't help himself. He cast another glance into the distance and frowned slightly. "Zhou Wu, did you really not hear that voice?" "I really didn't!" The burly man snapped angrily, "If I heard it, wouldn't I have told you? You keep asking and asking, aren't you annoying? If you're so curious, just go take a look!" "Alright, I was waiting for you to say that!" The moment he finished speaking, the burly man cursed, "Are you out of your mind?! Don't run off recklessly. It's dangerous over there. If you run into—" "Cut the chatter!" The white-robed man frowned. "I have to check it out. Truly, I seemed to catch a glimpse of a dragon!" "A dragon my ass!" The burly man cursed, "Where would a dragon come from? Why didn't I see it? If I had seen it, I would have killed it long ago and cooked a meal. It's been so many years since I had dragon meat, I'm starving to death!" "You talk too much!" Ignoring him, the white-robed man straightened his robes and flew swiftly toward that direction. Seeing this, the burly man cursed once more. He glanced back, looking at who knew what, seeming somewhat tense. "Don't go running around making a ruckus, damn it! If those fellows spot you, we're in big trouble..." "Am I afraid of them?" "Cut the crap! If you're not afraid, go fight them!" "We'll see about that!" "..." Bickering back and forth, the two flew rapidly in that direction as though traversing time and space. They flew for quite a while, crossing Great Rivers and soaring over colossal mountain ranges before finally arriving at the place the white-robed man had spotted earlier. The burly man looked around and sneered, "Idiot, told you there was no dragon!" Just as he said that, he froze slightly. Faintly visible in the void, a massive dragon tail materialized! The burly man stared, dumbfounded! How strange! Where the hell had that come from? It really had appeared! He whipped around to look at the white-robed man, thoroughly shocked. "Where did this dragon come from?" The white-robed man paid him no heed. After a casual glance at the dragon tail, his gaze shifted, scanning the surroundings. Gradually, his brows knit together. "Here... someone seems to have died!" "Someone died?" The burly man stepped forward and picked up the dragon tail, looking quite thrilled. "It's fresh! It's fresh, do you see? Who cares, we've got food!" "Shut up!" The white-robed man's expression shifted slightly. Suddenly, the Heavenly Gate opened on his forehead. For an instant, a blinding glare dazzled his eyes. He shook his head vigorously and turned to the burly man. "Open your Heavenly Gate and look!" "Huh?" The burly man blinked. Why open the Heavenly Gate? Fine, open it then! Soon, he opened his Heavenly Gate, and his eyes were instantly blinded by the glare as well. "Holy crap!" Startled, the burly man gasped in shock, "Holy crap, I think I see the power of myriad Daos... What the hell is that? It's blinding me!" Where the Heavenly Gate looked, myriad Daos seemed to unfold, though invisible to the naked eye. And at one end of those myriad Daos rested a massive seal. Atop the seal lay a person, asleep. At this moment, that figure seemed to sense something as well. In truth, to any outsider, there was only dead silence in this place. Yet to the white-robed man, when he looked again, he indeed saw someone—a young man lounging lazily atop the great seal, fast asleep. The white-robed man closed his Heavenly Gate, and the space before him was completely empty. Opening it again, he was dazzled once more. Atop that great seal, someone was indeed sleeping, a canopy of myriad Daos suspended above his head as he dozed soundly. He froze for a moment, only speaking after a long pause. "There really is someone! I... I think I see... he's resting his head on a book!" "Another scholar?" The burly man stared blankly. "What kind of state is this? Close your eyes and see nothing; open them and see myriad Daos. What the hell?" "He is dead!" "Huh?" The burly man was bewildered. "But when I open my Heavenly Gate, I see he's still alive." "He is still alive." "..." Dizzy with confusion, the burly man barked, "Speak human!" The white-robed man frowned slightly. "He is dead, yet also alive. But... he seems to be opening myriad Daos. However... these myriad Daos are far too weak! No, that's not right either... this fellow... wait, wait... what is going on here? Could it be... did something go wrong halfway through opening the Dao of Life and Death among the myriad Daos?" "No, that's not right either... It looks like he can still open the Dao of Life and Death to resurrect himself?" "Still not right... Why does that book under his head look... so much like my sister's?" At this moment, even the white-robed man felt a headache coming on. How bizarre! What a strange state! What kind of state was this? In truth, it was his first time seeing such a condition as well. Soon, he caught sight of a somewhat battered gate—yes, a gate on the verge of dissipating. He was slightly taken aback. "A Heavenly Gate... This fellow opened a Heavenly Gate. He must have stumbled into this place by accident... Not good! Once that Heavenly Gate completely vanishes, he won't be able to resurrect and will perish entirely! Is he a human?" The burly man was startled as well. "A fellow who opened a Heavenly Gate? Makes sense. Without opening a Heavenly Gate, it's almost impossible to reach this place... Can he still be resurrected?" "He can!" The white-robed man nodded. Hastily activating his Heavenly Gate, he looked toward the slumbering youth. The next moment, waves rippled through the Heavenly Gate. "Wake up!" "Hurry up and wake up!" "If you don't wake up now, you'll be dead for good!" *** In his slumber. Su Yu heard a voice. How annoying! It was just like being curled up under the blankets in the dead of winter, only for some irritating nuisance to rip the covers off and shake you violently! Snapping his eyes open, that voice grated on his nerves! Too noisy! "Insolence!" A cold shout rang out. Su Yu opened his eyes and looked up. In an instant, two gates seemed to appear in the sky. Frowning slightly, he barked, "Who goes there?" At that moment, a deep, booming voice echoed down: "Who the hell are you? Are you dead or not? Why aren't you leaving yet? If you don't leave, the Heavenly Gate is going to close, and you'll never get out!" That was the burly man's voice. The burly man asked curiously, "Did you open a Heavenly Gate to get in here? But the way you came in makes no sense... Are you a human? Are you dead or alive? What the hell did you open? Opening so many Daos, what kind of freakish stuff is that? It nearly blinded me!" "Alright, stop asking, there's no time..." A gentler voice sounded: "Leave quickly. This is no place to linger. You seem to be opening a Dao, but encountered an accident along the way. If you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave at all! You will perish completely!" Recognizing the speaker by voice alone. At this moment, Su Yu vaguely deduced who they were. In a flash, countless thoughts surfaced. The next moment, he frowned and said, "You two can't get out?" "Hey, brat, why are you blurting out the bitter truth..." "..." King Wu? Hearing that voice, Su Yu understood instantly: they couldn't get out! "I came here specifically looking for you!" Su Yu calculated the time, sensed his surroundings, and barked swiftly, "Cut the nonsense and shut up! You brute, don't interrupt and waste my time!" *** Outside. The burly man froze. I... I just got cursed at? Those words... why did they sound so familiar? He turned to look at the white-robed man. Those words... he heard them from this fellow all the time. At this moment, he opened his Heavenly Gate again to look. This time, he saw clearly: beneath the myriad Daos that had dazzled his eyes, there was a young man clad in white with hair as white as snow, bearing an extraordinary presence, his white robes billowing gently! Right now, that person seemed to be looking at them as well. Whether he could see them or not, who knew. The burly man felt that the fellow had just spoken directly to him! He stared blankly for a moment, then turned to the white-robed man. Suddenly, his eyes widened in sheer shock! The white-robed man frowned slightly, turning his head, his frown deepening even further! "Your... son?" The burly man gasped in disbelief! Where had he come from? Why didn't I know about this? Terrifying! Holy crap! He has a son? The white-robed man glared at him, then looked back at the crumbling, fading Heavenly Gate, saying softly, "Leave quickly, or you won't make it!" "I know what I'm doing!" Down below, Su Yu said in a heavy voice, "There are still thirty seconds before the Heavenly Gate vanishes. If you two hadn't woken me, I could have slept for at least another twenty seconds—true deep sleep! You two interfered with me! I set a timer: I would wake up ten seconds before it shattered!" Such an opportunity was exceedingly rare for him. Without giving the two a chance to speak, he said rapidly, "Is the Time Master still alive? No nonsense, answer directly with yes or no!" *** Outside. The burly man was stunned. He looked at the white-robed man in utter shock. *Holy crap, your son is so fierce, even more unhinged than you! What now?* "Alive!" The white-robed man was shaken as well. He ignored the burly man, for time was running out and that gate was about to shatter. "You can't get out?" "Yes." "One can enter here through the Heavenly Gate, but not under normal circumstances. How strong must one be to enter?" "About as strong as Zhou Wu!" "Did you encounter formidable enemies?" "Yes!" "Does the Heavenly Gate have an actual physical gateway?" "Yes!" "Where is it?" "Hard to say. It moves!" *** Below, Su Yu fired off several questions in rapid succession, then quickly asked, "Did you open a heaven?" "I did!" "Is it stronger than the Human Sovereign's Dao?" "Not stronger. I don't know what stage he has reached by now." Su Yu frowned, asking again, "Why did the Time Record fly back to the myriad realms?" "To seek help... My sister was on the brink of death, and I was injured as well. I couldn't open a heaven here..." "Can I come back here next time?" "Hard to say." This time, the white-robed man couldn't hold back. "Let me ask you: are you opening a heaven?" "Yes." "Why open a heaven when you're so weak?" "Must one be strong to open a heaven? Do I look sick in the head to you?" "..." The white-robed man was left speechless. He added, "Are you opening the Dao of Life and Death?" "Yes." "Life and death are difficult to open. You—" "I have it under control! If you hadn't come meddling, I would have woken up on my own and naturally stepped out. I was just too tired and wanted to rest! It's all because of what you people did; otherwise, why would I be this exhausted?" The white-robed man froze. *Because of what we did?* *What kind of talk is that?!* *I'm taking the blame for this now?!* "Time's up!" At this moment, Su Yu spoke swiftly, "Apart from the four houses in the myriad realms, are there any other benefits left behind? Don't bother mentioning the Brush Dao—it's complete trash. I merged with it a few times and felt it didn't suit me, so I stopped!" *** Outside. The burly man's jaw dropped as he stared at the white-robed man. *Holy crap, your son's arrogance truly knows no bounds!* *The Brush Dao is trash?* *He merged with it a few times and then gave it up!* Meanwhile, the white-robed man recalled his previous brief sensations, his face twitching slightly. "The Brush Dao is not weak!" "For a heaven-opener, it's far too weak!" Speechless. The white-robed man said swiftly, "I didn't leave much behind. The four houses and the Brush Dao are all there is." "You screwed the human race over so thoroughly, yet you didn't leave anything else?" "..." *Where... where am I supposed to go to plead my case?!* It was his first time encountering such an aggressively demanding fellow. He said hastily, "Did you come looking for me?" "Sort of. I guessed you might be here, but I didn't expect to actually run into you. If I hadn't, I would have returned shortly..." Su Yu spoke rapidly; only five seconds remained. He had to leave immediately, or the people outside would grow frantic. He had set a timer for himself. While it was true that he wanted to sleep and escape reality, the truth was... reality wouldn't allow it! He had only charged into the Heavenly Gate on the off chance he might find them. As for getting out... of course he could get out! "Truly no other benefits?" "None!" The white-robed man felt thoroughly depressed. Why... why the hell was he supposed to give this guy benefits? On what grounds?! Weren't the Brush Dao and the four houses enough? "Forget it, I'm leaving. Asking you was a waste of breath!" Su Yu was equally depressed. There really were no other benefits; this trip had been for nothing. Though he had guessed as much, hearing that there truly were none left him immensely disappointed. Turning around, he prepared to fly toward the shattered Heavenly Gate to return! He wouldn't waste any more time with these two! At that moment, the burly man panicked. "You came from the myriad realms? How are my descendants doing?" "Dead!" "...You... you're lying..." "You brought about their deaths. Why did you run off? When you ran, the myriad races rebelled, and the world fell into chaos. King Wen probably guessed as much, which is why King Wen doesn't ask such foolish questions. King Wen at least left some things behind, whereas you left no backup measures whatsoever... I can't even be bothered to talk to you!" "Hey, you insolent brat! I have backups... Don't run off so fast! I sealed—" "The Martial Emperor. I know. I'm leaving!" "..." In an instant, the battered Heavenly Gate vanished. At the same time, as if remembering something, the white-robed man suddenly shouted, "You can resurrect! Remember to resurrect Xingyue... Opening the Dao of Life and Death gives hope of resurrecting Xingyue... Remember that!" He roared, his face somewhat pale. *Damn it, I was completely intimidated by that brat just now and forgot to mention it.* *Did the kid hear it or not?* The burly man stood dazed, turning to look at the white-robed man, mumbling, "Your son... is so wildly arrogant! And you're still obsessing over Xingyue? You're really shameless!" "He's more like your brother!" The white-robed man frowned slightly, ignoring the mention of Xingyue, and quickly steered back to the topic: "Indeed, when you fool chased after me back then, I knew trouble would brew in the myriad realms. Sure enough! This person inherited my Brush Dao and obtained the Time Record... yet he went and opened his own Dao, even coming all the way here... And this time... he only came to see me?" "Looking for his father?" The burly man said in shock, "Truly filial!" As for the matter with Xingyue, he didn't bring it up again. Forget it—good brothers didn't dwell on such sore subjects. "Cut the nonsense!" The white-robed man frowned. "The situation in the myriad realms is likely grim. Otherwise, weak as he is, he wouldn't have rushed to open a Dao. It makes no sense. Furthermore... it seems he fought that giant dragon!" He rapidly deduced several possibilities. After a long while, he looked at the burly man. "You truly never do anything good. Look at the mess we have now!" "..." The burly man felt stifled, soon slumping gloomily. "My son seems to be dead!" The white-robed man paused for a moment before saying, "Perhaps he turned into a dead spirit. If we can return, I will help you look for him and find a way to resurrect him!" "Alright then!" With that, he quickly suppressed the matter. There was nothing to be done about it right now anyway. He asked hurriedly, "Was that fellow really not your son? He feels... even more arrogant and haughty than you!" "He's your brother!" "..." The burly man glared at him. *You're insulting me!* *Don't think I can't tell, damn it! Believe me, I'll beat you up!* Just as the white-robed man was about to reply, his expression shifted slightly. "Move, trouble's coming!" The burly man quickly retreated with him, his voice drifting faintly through the air: "Did you really leave no descendants? That kid just now looked a bit like you! Good heavens, breaking through the gate just to find you... what deep affection!" "Shut up!" "Look, even your tone when speaking is identical!" "If you don't shut your mouth, I'll kill you!" "You're a scholar, mind your manners..." "I..." The two vanished swiftly from the spot. *** In the chaos. A massive battle was on the verge of erupting! Su Yu had still not resurrected! Perhaps something had truly gone wrong! The giant dragon's aura flared as well, chaotic qi billowing outward as it prepared to fight to the bitter end. Yet at this very moment, space rippled faintly. The next instant, a somewhat ethereal voice echoed out: "Open!" A low bark resounded across the world. In an instant, a pitch-black Dead Spirit Dao manifested. At that moment, a figure materialized out of thin air, though his white robes had turned entirely black. "Your Majesty!" Everyone rejoiced! The giant dragon was also shaken. He... was still alive! Treading upon that Dead Spirit Dao in the void, Su Yu did not rush to speak. Instead, furrowing his brows, he let out a low roar: "Open!" A Great Dao of Life manifested! Su Yu stepped onto it, yet the black aura refused to dissipate. The death qi could not be cleared away! Under the clash of life and death, he could not transform into a living being. Su Yu frowned, barking in a low voice once more, "Resurrect!" *Rumble!* A formidable aura surged within him, yet the death qi would not disperse. Instead, it grew denser and denser. Su Yu's expression shifted slightly as he roared in a low voice again, "Resurrect!" He stepped fully onto the Dao of Life. The auras of life and death clashed with a sizzling hiss, yet still failed to turn him into a living being. Su Yu roared furiously, "Open once more!" Great Daos manifested one after another! "Life and death, open!" The two gaps left among the myriad Daos were filled by the two Great Daos, yet they could not link together. Life and death remained starkly divided! They could not merge! Frowning, Su Yu looked toward Wan Tiansheng and the others, shrugging with a hint of helplessness. "Stop staring. I knew it. Turning life into death was no problem, but turning death into life... was bound to fail!" Su Yu sighed. "I can endure death. I don't need Hetu to give me any insights or reminders! This isn't the first time I've experienced death. Even if it was only in dreams, my endurance isn't so frail that a single death could break me!" Even when facing true death, he could hold out. The crux lay in the fact that having died, he was now effectively a dead spirit, and he couldn't walk back! He couldn't turn back into a living being! Because of that, the Great Dao could not be brought to completion! Meanwhile, the giant dragon was utterly dumbfounded. Looking at Su Yu, it stammered, "You... can really resurrect?" "Cut the crap!" Su Yu frowned. "Can't you see I'm in a dead spirit state and haven't resurrected? Are you blind? I failed to open the Dao, are you satisfied now?" "No... at the very last moment, were you... were you calling out to someone?" Su Yu glanced at it and suddenly grinned. "You're quite lucky. I thought you'd be stuck in there, but you actually managed to escape! Oh, your tail seems to have been taken by someone. Whether that was actually yours or not, I didn't see clearly, but... it'll most likely be taken and eaten!" The giant dragon's expression fluctuated wildly. It had its suspicions as to who had eaten it... but dared not say a word. Su Yu looked at it. "You can leave now. Blocking me once counts as doing your duty. If you don't leave, do you really think my people can't kill you?" Wan Tiansheng said heavily, "We're not killing it? It will become a threat sooner or later!" Su Yu laughed. "Forget it. If we truly try to kill it and it detonates itself, getting some of our powerhouses killed wouldn't be worth the price! Just let it go. Its strength is nothing to scoff at!" The giant dragon looked at Su Yu, then at Wan Tiansheng, a gleam flashing in its massive eyes. "Did you really fail to open your Dao?" Su Yu narrowed his eyes. "What if I failed, and what if I succeeded? Do you... think I truly can't kill you?" His aura abruptly surged with terrifying power, though it was entirely composed of death qi, devoid of vitality. At this moment, he was even stronger than when he had fought the dragon earlier. The giant dragon fell silent for a moment, then began retreating. Once it had pulled far away, it said in a deep voice, "Opening a Dao within the chaos will make you an enemy of the chaos sooner or later!" "Shut your trap!" Su Yu snapped in annoyance, "I'm in a foul mood right now, don't provoke me!" The giant dragon fell silent once more, turning and departing. It could linger here no longer. King Wen! That terrifying existence whose voice it had heard earlier—could Su Yu summon him? No one knew! It had grown fearful! The giant dragon retreated. Su Yu breathed a slight sigh of relief. That creature still possessed immense combat strength. If a battle truly broke out and people on their side died, it wouldn't be worth it. Avoiding an unnecessary clash and scaring it off was the best outcome! Yet while he breathed a sigh of relief, the others grew anxious. Looking at Su Yu shrouded in billowing death qi, Marquis Huoyun asked nervously, "Your Majesty... what... what do we do about this?" Was he truly dead? Had he turned into a dead spirit? Transitioning from life to death was easy, but going from death to life was nearly impossible. Even after opening the Dao of Life, Su Yu couldn't resurrect—was he finished? Su Yu ignored him, instead gazing toward the distant Land of Guixu. He fell silent for a while before taking a deep breath and exhaling—the breath he released was entirely dead spirit qi. "Life and death are but a single thought!" Su Yu wasn't overly troubled; he was contemplating. The next moment, his voice boomed, "Open it! Channel the power of life and death over here, and I'll make another attempt!" With that, he turned to Wan Tiansheng and the others, chuckling in a low voice. "Go, all of you, head into the depths of Guixu and intimidate those sealed fellows! Also, deter the Northern King and his crowd. Tell them to keep their heads down and not cause trouble for me. I'm going to try again. If it really doesn't work... so what if I'm a dead spirit! I'll find another way myself!" Wan Tiansheng frowned, then quickly nodded. "I will go deter the Northern King and the others. Senior Fat Ball, take the rest to intimidate the fellows in the sealing grounds. If they cause trouble and attempt to break the formation by force, slaughter them!" "..." Fat Ball was speechless. *Are you serious?* *We can't beat them!* *Fine, whatever you say.* It turned to leave quickly, but before taking off, it looked back at Su Yu with a puzzled expression. "You... that... I..." "I saw your master, though separated by space and time, divided by life and death..." Fat Ball froze. Su Yu laughed. "He's alive. The Time Master was making a mountain out of a molehill, claiming they were on the verge of dying in battle. Bullshit! They're both alive and well! King Wu's voice was booming with vigor, not showing the slightest sign of dying. Though yes, they are indeed wounded!" He didn't mention that the Time Master hadn't seemed to be present and might have met with mishap; there was no need to bring that up. Fat Ball's eyes sparkled. He... had seen Master! Could it be real? Su Yu added, "Don't question whether it's true; it's the absolute truth! King Wen said he misses you dearly. Yes, exactly that!" "Liar!" Fat Ball suddenly looked crestfallen. "Master doesn't like me, he likes Doubao..." "..." Su Yu was speechless! Beside them, Doubao blinked without making a sound. It was best to stay quiet; Fat Ball might beat it up otherwise! Rendered speechless, Su Yu quickly said, "Nonsense! King Wen explicitly said he misses you dearly! Believe it or not, it's true. It's just that he can't get out right now. He said he needs reinforcements and told you to hurry up and step into the Rule Master realm to go find him!" "Really?" "I never lie to people!" Su Yu nodded. *In any case... you're not a person!* Fat Ball's tail wagged furiously, suddenly brimming with joy. "Master is really alive? I knew it, I thought I smelled his scent!" Meanwhile, the others were stirred as well. King Wen? Was what Su Yu said true or false? Why did it feel somewhat hard to believe! Su Yu ignored them. They could believe it or not. His foray into the Heavenly Gate this time had essentially been a probe, and sure enough, he had truly encountered them. The Heavenly Gate he opened himself had likely served as a catalyst. Of course, now was not the time to ponder such matters. Su Yu called out, "Alright, off you go. I'm going to attempt reversing life and death!" The Dao of Yu had still not reached completion. If I truly turn into a dead spirit, how will I ever show my face outside? Pit-black all over, not dashing in the slightest. The crowd departed one after another. Soon, the void trembled as powerful auras surged across the Dead Spirit Realm, intimidating the four directions! *** Within the Dead Spirit Dao, King Dazhou wore a grave expression. At this moment, he and Marquis Lanshan were carving out a life-and-death channel. Life force continuously radiated from King Dazhou, while death qi poured from Marquis Lanshan. Within the channel they constructed, black and white energies intertwined. Her face contorted in pain, Marquis Lanshan asked repeatedly, "Has it connected to the Dao of Ink yet?" Behind them, the Southern King resisted the oppressive auras of the various powerhouses in the Great River, keeping silent as she gazed ahead. The Dao of Ink had not arrived yet. Gritting his teeth, King Dazhou said in a low voice, "Almost, hold on! Remember, don't die! As long as you don't die, His Majesty has a chance of resurrecting you... Once resurrected, your opportunity will come... Perhaps in this era, you will become King Lanshan!" "Really?" Marquis Lanshan grew excited. "Being crowned a king... must feel wonderful!" "Really!" King Dazhou smiled, and Marquis Lanshan smiled as well. "Once I'm crowned a king, will you repay the rations and pay you owe me?" "..." King Dazhou was speechless, nodding only after a long pause: "If you live, I'll pay. If you die, it's gone!" He could already see Marquis Lanshan's death qi dissipating at an alarming speed. A pure dead spirit like Marquis Lanshan could hardly withstand the power of life and death. In truth, both Su Yu and Liu Hong could bear it. Unfortunately, one could not leave the chaos, lest his Great Dao collapse. The other had to open the Dao of Ink, and Liu Hong lacked the strength to reliably channel the power of life and death across. Marquis Lanshan laughed. "Deal then... You debtor, stop looking at me like that, I won't die... Besides, I already died once; dying a second time is nothing!" Her death qi continued to scatter, her form turning faintly translucent. Seeing this from behind, the Southern King was about to step forward to assist when her expression suddenly shifted. She barked coldly, "Dizhiluo, you truly dare cause trouble!" *Boom!* Within the River of Dead Spirits, a phantom emerged from the water, accompanied by a harsh sneer: "Trespassing into my territory—Yu Ziqi, you're the one courting death!" *Rumble!* A battle erupted—a clash of rule power. The Southern King had to maintain the channel and keep it from breaking. Even though the opponent was sealed, fighting in the River of Dead Spirits, within his territory, was extraordinarily arduous. *** At the same time. Outside the sealing grounds. Fat Ball suddenly paused, its eyes seeming to glimpse something—a pillar of light fluctuating violently. As if realizing what was happening, it flew into a rage. "Insolence, you court death!" *Boom!* A colossal boot plummeted from the heavens, stomping directly toward the sealing grounds! At this stomp... Dizhiluo paid it no heed. Go ahead and stomp! It would be best if you shattered the seal! However, the moment the boot touched the seal, the seal suddenly flickered. As if sensing King Wen's power, the seal abruptly seemed to deactivate. A deafening roar echoed! That single stomp shattered a portion of the pillar of light where Dizhiluo resided! Fat Ball was startled too. *Huh, it went through?* The next instant, it panicked and hastily recalled the boot. At that moment, deep within the grounds, the Death Emperor's pillar of light flashed past. Just as he attempted to break out, *bang*, the seal reactivated! A human face manifested from the Death Emperor, even projecting a phantom that abruptly looked out at Fat Ball with an unusual glint in his eyes. "That is... King Wen's boot?" "That's right!" The little white dog hurriedly put the boot away, looking somewhat pleased. "Oh, King Ming actually left a backdoor for my master... You're all done for! Whenever I'm bored, I'll come stomp on you a few times!" Only at this moment did Dizhiluo's face reappear on the pillar of light, contorted in pain and blazing with fury. "You bastard, you—" "Stomp!" Dizhiluo instantly took a defensive stance, only to find the little white dog was merely bluffing. Fat Ball giggled gleefully. "I won't stomp you. That guy actually tried to run; if he really escaped, that would be bad! Only if that guy doesn't run will I come stomp you!" The Death Emperor said nothing, merely looking at it and then at Dizhiluo, saying calmly, "Enough, let us not invite further complications!" He had sensed the commotion in the Great Dao as well. Yet they were still sealed. Was there any point in fighting to the death with these people? Dizhiluo was simply looking for trouble! Having suffered a stomp from outside and taken a beating from the Southern King in the Great Dao clash, Dizhiluo felt thoroughly stifled and ceased causing trouble. *** A moment later. Deep within the Land of Guixu, Liu Hong's expression shifted. The next instant, the power of his Great Dao surged. Looking toward the distant Su Yu, he shouted, "It's coming! Can you handle it or not?" Su Yu shot him a glance and ignored him. At this point, Liu Hong spoke no more. His Dao power vibrated violently. With a thunderous roar, a Great Dao manifested. "Channel it inside!" *Boom!* A surge of life-and-death power flowed across. The next moment, King Dazhou flew out carrying Marquis Lanshan. By now, King Dazhou's hair had turned considerably whiter, while Marquis Lanshan's aura had weakened drastically, though she remained alive. Seeing this, Su Yu breathed a slight sigh of relief. King Dazhou smiled. "Rest assured, if she was truly about to die, I would have stopped it! I know your thoughts!" If someone had died just to open the Dao, Su Yu would surely hold him accountable. Su Yu glanced at him, then remarked suddenly, "You seem to have consumed a great deal of your life force. You don't have long to live!" King Dazhou smiled. "My life is tied to Your Majesty's! If Your Majesty can shatter the seal and allow me to become a Rule Master, I will live! Even Your Majesty only has a short decade or so of lifespan left; why should I cling to more?" Su Yu chuckled. "Zhou Tian, you won't wait for the next one?" "No more waiting!" King Dazhou smiled broadly. "Because... I have found him! If I wait any longer, His Majesty the Human Sovereign will return... Things probably aren't going too smoothly for him, or he would have returned long ago! His continued obstruction is likely in the hope that reinforcements will emerge for humanity!" He had deduced it. The situation on the Human Sovereign's side was likely precarious. Otherwise, he wouldn't be blocking the way instead of returning directly! Su Yu nodded slightly without saying more. At this moment, a black-and-white power emanated from Liu Hong. Having lingered at the junction of life and death for so long, bearing this power placed little burden on him. Liu Hong roared, stepping toward the edge of the chaos one pace at a time, shouting, "Stop chatting... Hurry... hurry up and channel it!" *Why are you still chatting at a time like this?!* Meanwhile, Su Yu walked to the edge of the chaos step by step, smiling. "Teacher Liu, considering you channeled the power of life and death for me today, that debt of tens of thousands of merit points you swindled from me back then—I'll consider it settled!" "..." Liu Hong froze. *Good heavens!* *Tens of thousands of merit points, and you still remember that?!* *Merciful heavens!* *How long ago was that?!* *What era was that from, and besides, tens of thousands of merit points... Do you even care about merit points now?!* *That happened back in the Character Cultivation realm! A... any normal human being would have forgotten it by now, damn it!* Only at this very moment had Su Yu finally cleared that debt for him. Liu Hong suddenly felt like weeping. *Should I be touched by this?* "I... thank you so much!" Liu Hong offered tearful thanks. Su Yu nodded. "You're welcome, it's only right!" *Right your ass, curse your whole lineage!* This time, he had truly witnessed the depths of this fellow's pettiness. At that moment, a stream of black-and-white power surged into the chaos. Su Yu smiled. His Great Dao manifested, its thick, sturdy power instantly latching onto the black-and-white force as boundless life-and-death power came crashing in! "Moving toward life through death... resurrecting from death..." Absorbing massive quantities of life-and-death power, Su Yu murmured, "Death, rebirth, half-alive and half-dead... Perhaps I should understand this better than anyone! The Time Record let me experience it countless times; I should understand it more clearly than anyone else!" And that brief taste of true death moments ago had deepened his comprehension even further. Right now, the black and white forces intertwined across his body! At this moment, Su Yu suddenly realized why he hadn't been able to move toward life through death! He abruptly turned his head in a certain direction and chuckled softly. "My apologies, but I need to sever this first. So it turns out... you've been pumping death qi into me this whole time!" Su Yu sighed, caught between tears and laughter. "It's not that I lack death qi; I lack vitality! Women... even in death, they're prone to messing things up. Utterly unreliable!" Liu Hong and the others were taken aback. What did he mean? At that very moment, an invisible channel above Su Yu's head suddenly snapped! The death qi had been too heavy! It was linked to this channel, disrupting his balance of life and death. The instant the channel snapped, the equilibrium between life and death was achieved across Su Yu's body! Simultaneously, far away in an ancient castle, a figure suddenly materialized. She looked toward the depths of the Land of Guixu, her gaze lingering with a trace of desolation before she slowly drifted down. Severed! Good! Severed is severed. I've wanted to cut it for a long time anyway! "Hmph!" A cold snort rang out, followed by the heavy thud of the castle gates slamming shut. Outside the castle, her subordinate dead spirits fell completely silent. Their king seemed furious; best not disturb her right now. *** Meanwhile, Su Yu grinned brilliantly. "She's probably furious, isn't she?" Most likely! Yet he had no choice but to sever it. Xingyue didn't understand what he was doing; seeing him consume so much energy, she had relentlessly pumped death qi into him. If that channel wasn't severed, he could forget about ever resurrecting. "I'll deal with that later!" Su Yu was in no rush. At this moment, life and death gradually balanced within him. The death qi was driven out, and vitality began to revive. Then, the balance shifted once more as vitality overtook death qi. "Merge!" A low bark reverberated in all directions. Within the Great Dao, the Daos of Life and Death suddenly flared with dazzling radiance! And at this moment, the entire realm of chaos trembled violently! *Rumble!* A colossal Great Dao spanned heaven and earth. Wherever it passed, the chaotic qi dispersed, retreating before it! Wherever that Great Dao covered, all chaotic power vanished! A heaven and earth were being opened! At this moment, it truly felt as though the primeval world was taking shape. Within the chaotic void, earth and sky suddenly came into being! It stretched deeper and deeper; wherever the Great Dao extended, this heaven and earth expanded with it! The entire Dead Spirit Realm seemed to tremble slightly, and then the Dead Spirit Dao itself began to vibrate, as if sensing something. Not only that, the Time Dao of the myriad realms seemed to sense it as well, trembling faintly. In the Upper Realm, the Human Sovereign's Dao trembled too! Between heaven and earth, another pure land had come into existence! The world Su Yu opened was somewhat murky, distinct from the Dead Spirit Realm and different from the Human Sovereign's Dao. It resembled the Time Dao of the myriad realms, yet possessed an added power of life and death! At this moment, Su Yu's aura climbed higher and higher! *Rumble!* The chaos and the myriad realms trembled, though very faintly, because the heaven Su Yu had opened was far too small. Yet no matter how small, a heaven was still a heaven! That rainbow-like Great Dao continued to stretch outward, reaching a thousand meters, ten thousand meters... and then, beyond ten thousand meters, it came to an abrupt halt! Su Yu's expression changed slightly, followed by a sigh. "Weak!" Too weak! Even though the Human Sovereign's Dao had not been fully opened, it had created a territory as vast as the Dao Origin Lands. The size of the territory often reflected the strength of the Great Dao! And my heaven was only ten thousand meters across! Could this even be considered a heaven? Fine, barely, he supposed! The moment the Great Dao extended, the entire chaos shook once more! Heaven and earth began to stabilize! And Su Yu's aura climbed continuously, growing stronger and stronger! "This Dao shall temporarily be called the Dao of Cosmic Civilization!" A grand name for something so weak, yet Su Yu hoped that one day, this Dao would truly become the core of cosmic civilization! So what if this heaven was only ten thousand meters wide? Sooner or later, I will expand it until it is larger than the myriad realms! At this moment, Su Yu's vitality erupted, brimming with confidence. The next instant, he let out a hearty laugh: "Martial Emperor, your grandfather is coming to play with you!" *Boom!* A towering aura surged into the sky. Su Yu shot forth like an arrow, tearing through the void and vanishing into the chaos in an instant. Time to spar with the Martial Emperor! *** At the same time. Deep within the Time Dao. A faint ripple gradually spread outward, spreading, rippling further and further! It continued to propagate! Until it reached the depths of the upstream reaches, where that phantom manifested once more, looking puzzled. What had happened now? What the hell! What in the world had the myriad realms been doing lately? Just as he was thinking, *rumble!* The waters of the Great River suddenly trembled, thudding with violent vibrations! The phantom shuddered slightly, quickly showing a bewildered expression. "Another Rule Master died?" Heavens! What on earth was going on? I can't sense that far! Could this tremor mean the Martial Emperor died a second time? Did he see a ghost?! If it wasn't the Martial Emperor who died, was there another Rule Master in the myriad realms who had just been taken down? "Your Majesty, what happened now?" someone asked in confusion. The golden phantom hesitated for a long while before finally saying, "The Martial Emperor was slain!" "..." A bizarre wave of emotion rippled through the group. That wasn't right. Hadn't he just been slain a moment ago? Slain a second time? Feeling that his explanation might lack conviction, the golden phantom thought for a moment and added, "A moment ago, the Martial Emperor's Great Dao snapped. Now, his sea of will has been shattered, resulting in his complete demise!" Yes, that made sense! The interval between them hadn't been long, so that was probably it! Otherwise, he had no way to explain why the River of Time had been trembling every few moments lately. The crowd fell silent. Fine, whatever you say. We'll begrudgingly believe you.