Things Remain, but People Have Changed

Tianyuan Realm. Su Yu had finally returned. After three days of intense battling with the Martial Emperor, the rough edges from his recent Dao opening had been smoothed out. "Your Majesty!" Seeing Su Yu return, everyone felt relieved. If he had kept fighting the Martial Emperor, they were genuinely worried the two would start fighting to the death, which would have been troublesome. Su Yu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone... This Dao opening had brought both gains and losses. If nothing else, Lanshan and Lan Tian were severely injured. King Dazhou was not heavily wounded, but his vitality had been heavily depleted. Looking around, Su Yu also noted that quite a few people had broken through to the Harmony Dao realm. Above the Harmony Dao realm, however, people's progress seemed fairly ordinary. The one who had made the greatest strides was Foutuling; the fellow faintly felt like he had reached the second tier of the Harmony Dao realm. His speed was astonishing, catching up to the likes of Jiu Yue—and Jiu Yue hadn't even advanced to Heavenly King yet. "Still no combat strength at the Celestial Venerable level?" Su Yu scanned the crowd. Aside from Fat Ball having made some progress, the others still didn't seem to possess Celestial Venerable combat strength. Evidently, merely watching him open a Dao had not brought them massive improvements. With so many Heavenly Kings here, not a single one had advanced. He was slightly disappointed. He had originally hoped someone would step into the Celestial Venerable realm. Nearby, Wan Tiansheng spoke up, "Actually, everyone's progress has already been very swift. Even I feel I have a good chance of taking another step forward soon, but digesting our insights takes time! As for King Dazhou and Marquis Huoyun, I think they are close too. It just can't be achieved overnight." King Dazhou chimed in, "It truly does take time. Over these past few days, we gained so many insights that we haven't had time to digest them all! I believe everyone will see a period of explosive growth in the days ahead!" Su Yu nodded slightly. On the other side, King Daqin and King Daxia exchanged glances. Soon, King Daqin stepped forward. "Your Majesty, regarding Old Xia and me... you mentioned earlier... that you'd have us switch Daos to cultivate, but..." You left us hanging! Su Yu smiled. "Are you two certain? You truly won't cultivate the Physical Body Dao anymore? Pay no heed to whether it's the Wild Heavenly Beast's Physical Body Dao—in the end, they are all the Physical Body Dao, no different from the human race's Physical Body Dao!" The prospects of the Physical Body Dao were actually broader. The two looked at each other, and King Daqin quickly nodded. "We won't cultivate the Physical Body Dao. We want to walk the Dao of the Saber and Spear!" Su Yu smiled. "That works too. Switching Daos isn't too difficult for me! As for the Wild Heavenly Beast Dao, you already control it. Since you don't intend to cultivate it... that's fine. We can extract the physical body power to help everyone repair their bodies! This Dao was originally left behind by King Wen to restore vitality!" The four Daos—Brush, Ink, Paper, and Inkstone—were all left behind by King Wen to prepare for resurrecting dead spirits. The Inkstone Dao was specifically meant for repairing physical bodies and restoring life force. However, Su Yu now had many substitutes, so he didn't strictly need this one. "Severing the Wild Heavenly Beast Dao will supply everyone's physical body cultivation and repair their bodies, perhaps even helping everyone take another step forward..." At this point, Su Yu looked at the Southern Heavenly King and the others, smiling. "Next... my primary objective will be to resurrect all of you!" Whatever was happening in the outside world, he couldn't be bothered with for now. Strengthening his own side came first! Resurrecting figures like the Southern Heavenly King might produce Celestial Venerables. Now that he had opened the Dao of Life and Death, Su Yu truly had hope of resurrecting dead spirits. With that, Su Yu added, "Tongtian, get ready. I need to make a trip to the eighth level of the Star Residence Mansion!" The reason for going was to retrieve the treasures left behind in the chambers of the Ink Dao and the Paper Dao. Last time, Su Yu had taken the treasures of the Brush Dao and Inkstone Dao: one was the corpse of the Wild Heavenly Beast, and the other was the Sacred Transformation Seal. He still had the seal; it could suppress a Ruler of Rule once or twice. Su Yu had only lightly utilized it a couple of times before without expending much of its power. This was one of Su Yu's trump cards! He had rarely used it because he was reluctant to waste it. But if used properly, it might counter a Ruler of Rule, or even provide an opening to kill them. Before, even if he suppressed a Ruler of Rule, Su Yu had lacked the means to do anything to them. Now, however, once the other party was suppressed, Su Yu actually stood a chance of slaying them! How many powerhouses at the Ruler of Rule level were left in the myriad realms today? The treasures left by King Wen were truly exceptional. The Heaven Hunting Ranking had previously been left with Liu Hong. Now, Su Yu looked at Liu Hong. "Come with me! I'm going to retrieve some treasures left by King Wen!" If he didn't take them now, they might be useless later. Right now, they should still be of help. Liu Hong nodded without saying much. He was exhausted mentally and didn't feel like speaking. Su Yu had still brought up those tens of thousands of merit points from years ago earlier, leaving him weary and sorrowful. Marquis Tongtian promptly stepped out of ranks and responded, "Your Majesty, are we going right now?" "Yes!" Su Yu nodded, then added, "Furthermore, my newly opened realm cannot be moved yet and still resides in the chaos! That is to say, my Dao origin and the foundation of my Dao remain in the chaos!" He had no way to move that place. If he tried to take it away now—moving the foundation of the Human Lord Seal and the civilization chronicle—his Great Dao would face rejection elsewhere and might show signs of snapping. At these words, King Dazhou's expression turned grave. "What does Your Majesty mean?" Su Yu smiled. "Nothing much. Leaving it there means ordinary people can't touch it anyway! Just like the Human Sovereign Dao, the Dead Spirit Dao, and the Time Dao—they are all left here, yet so what? Nobody can tamper with them!" "I mention this only to say that my realm has just opened and remains in a primordial state of chaos... If anyone wishes to gain insights there, you may go and comprehend it a little, to see how a newborn Dao grows! Earlier, everyone probably didn't have the time to look closely..." King Dazhou said gravely, "The Great Dao is fundamentally secret. How could anyone casually peer into Your Majesty's Dao!" "Nonsense!" Su Yu frowned. "Gaining insights into the Great Dao isn't about hoarding one's knowledge like a prized broom! It's about advancing together! No matter how formidable an individual is, they cannot surpass the combined comprehension of millions of people... If you all go to comprehend the Dao, I have only one requirement: leave some of your insights within that world so I may refine and perfect my own Great Dao! The Time Dao might not have been as complete in the beginning as it is today... Later, as more people comprehended it, the Dao was refined to perfection!" Indeed, this was an insight Su Yu had arrived at. Whether it was the Time Dao or the Dead Spirit Dao, neither could have been this formidable at the start. Now, it was simply that so many had comprehended them; the Daos were actually absorbing everyone's insights to strengthen themselves. Everyone felt their hearts stir. Did... the Great Dao absorb their insights? Su Yu said no more and quickly turned his gaze toward one person. That person also looked back at Su Yu promptly. "Princess Qi!" Princess Qi focused slightly. "Emperor Yu!" Su Yu smiled. "No need to be so formal. I have an audacious request..." Princess Qi understood his intentions, sighed softly, and soon nodded. "I understand. If I have pseudo-Daos that match any of you, I will hand them over for everyone to devour and strengthen their own Daos!" Pseudo-Daos and true Daos could mutually strengthen one another. Princess Qi had earlier retrieved some pseudo-Dao power, so the moment Su Yu looked at her, she guessed his intentions. Su Yu smiled. "If Princess Qi is willing to continue cultivating the Petrification Dao, I will help you find a true Dao. By fusing the pseudo-Dao into a true Dao, you might become a Celestial Venerable! The Petrification Dao isn't necessarily limited to King Gong's branch! Nor would there necessarily be any conflict!" Princess Qi currently cultivated the Petrification Dao and had reached the Heavenly King realm, possessing many years of comprehension. However, it was difficult for a pseudo-Dao to reach Celestial Venerable; the ceiling simply wasn't high enough. If she found a true Petrification Dao to merge into, Princess Qi might become the first powerhouse on Su Yu's side to genuinely possess the realm of a Celestial Venerable. As for Celestial Venerable combat strength, they already had someone—Fat Ball. Realm was realm, and combat strength was combat strength. Fat Ball didn't possess the realm of a Celestial Venerable; in truth, its comprehension was that of a Ruler of Rule. On Su Yu's side, many had combat strength higher than their realm, including Wan Tiansheng and Lan Tian. They were Dao openers; when opening a Dao, no one knew how far it went, so how could realms be differentiated? Until it was completely opened, one wasn't considered a Ruler of Rule! Princess Qi said in a deep voice, "If possible, I trouble Your Majesty to seek out a Petrification Dao for me!" Before this, she hadn't brought it up. And Su Yu hadn't mentioned it either. Back then, Su Yu hadn't been strong enough, and she might not have pledged loyalty to him since she had always wanted to leave. Why would Su Yu easily help her find a true Dao to become a Celestial Venerable? Wouldn't that be inviting trouble upon himself? Su Yu smiled. "Good. Once I finish handling a few matters, I will set about helping you find a Dao! As for the pseudo-Daos in your hands, it would be best if everyone could make use of them. Hopefully, this time, everyone will make some gains!" Integrating pseudo-Daos would certainly make everyone stronger. It was just unclear how many Princess Qi possessed, how strong they were, and whom they matched. If they could match several Heavenly Kings, that would be even better! Even if their realm couldn't rise, raising their combat strength was enough. Princess Qi quickly said, "I don't hold many pseudo-Daos, currently only nine. But the strongest among them can be considered a pseudo-Heavenly King Dao!" Hearing this, the eyes of many flickered. Tianmie asked impatiently, "Is it the Big Stick Dao?" "..." Princess Qi ignored him; of course it wasn't. Tianmie's Dao was rather niche, hardly a common Dao. Princess Qi didn't keep them in suspense and stated directly, "It is the Devouring Dao!" "The Devouring Dao again?" Tianmie wailed in grievance! Good heavens! At that moment, everyone's expressions grew even more strange. This was tricky—quite a few people actually cultivated the Devouring Dao. Fat Ball counted, and Chubing, Jiu Yue, and the Hou Emperor were all powerhouses of this Dao. Whoever devoured this Heavenly King-grade pseudo-Dao power would reap immense gains. Giving it to any one person might seem unfair to the others, wouldn't it? Su Yu didn't agonize over it much. He looked around and smiled. "This Heavenly King-grade Dao power... let's give it to Senior Chubing!" Beside Doubao, Chubing blinked in bewilderment. To me? It seems I'm not the only one cultivating the Devouring Dao. "Jiu Yue can become a Heavenly King on his own. As for the Hou Emperor, he only recently switched Daos, so let him stabilize first without rushing! Fat Ball doesn't need it; Fat Ball can comprehend and open its own..." Su Yu chuckled. "Senior Chubing, devour more of it! Advance to the Heavenly King realm as soon as possible, lest there be domestic discord. Once Doubao grows stronger, Senior won't be able to keep him in check." "..." At those words, everyone burst into laughter. The originally solemn atmosphere instantly became lively, with many turning their eyes toward Doubao. Doubao bounced a little, looking completely innocent. What's wrong? What did I do? Su Yu then looked at Lan Tian and smiled. "Fellow Daoist Lan Tian, rest and heal well over the next few days. It would be best to recuperate within my newly opened realm. I will activate the Human Lord Seal and let you enter it to comprehend the myriad Daos at the Dao Source, repairing your Dao wounds!" Lan Tian nodded slightly without saying a word. The Dao Source! The Human Lord Seal was now the source of the Great Dao, the fountainhead of the myriad Daos opened by Su Yu. That place was truly not somewhere just anyone could enter. Naturally, no one else objected. Lan Tian had risked his life for Su Yu multiple times. By now, everyone knew that Lan Tian's standing and status with Su Yu were growing by the day. Continuing, Su Yu smiled. "I will make a trip to the Star Residence Mansion now, and afterward, I will be busy preparing for the resurrections... Once I'm done, setting the others aside, I hope Chubing, Jiu Yue, and Yingwu can all step into the Heavenly King realm!" "Lanshan should also recuperate well recently. The rest of you should go to the chaos to comprehend the Dao of Life and Death—especially Hetu... If I perform a resurrection, Hetu will probably be the first one I choose!" Hetu took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Thank you, Your Majesty!" "You're welcome!" Su Yu chuckled. "The first one is the most perilous, as you well know. Calling you a guinea pig wouldn't be an exaggeration, so comprehend the Dao of Life and Death more yourself!" Next, Su Yu looked at a figure in the crowd. "Zhou Hao!" "This subordinate is here!" From the back of the crowd, Zhou Hao, whose cultivation was not particularly strong, took a step forward. His strength was modest—merely the Sun and Moon realm. In a place where Harmony Dao powerhouses numbered nearly a hundred, he stood far to the rear. Ever since Su Yu imparted the 72 Castings and the method to open 360 acupoints to him, Su Yu had rarely looked after Zhou Hao. Though spoken of as a disciple, Su Yu had never formally accepted him as one. A descendant of King Wu! This time, Su Yu had likely met King Wu. Although he hadn't seen King Wu's true appearance, King Wu was still alive. A descendant of King Wu... might Zhou Hao be the only one left? Su Yu looked at him. Zhou Hao was silent as ever, bearing a touch of wildness and a formidable baleful aura. Yet cultivation was cultivation; reaching the Sun and Moon realm in just a few years was already quite impressive! After observing him closely, Su Yu nodded slightly. "Your progress isn't slow. You've completed the Seventy-Two Castings and opened the 360 origin acupoints! Your physical body is far stronger than others', and even some Perpetuity cultivators might not best you... Similar to how I once was, you simply lack mastery over the Great Dao laws!" Su Yu had gone through this phase as well. When he first emerged from the Star Residence Mansion, he had also been capable of killing Perpetuity experts, but that had relied purely on explosive power, and Wan Tiansheng had needed to coordinate with him to suppress the enemy's rules. Su Yu chuckled. "This time, I might have met your ancestor! He's still alive, and... he seems to be living quite well. From his cheerful tone, it's not easy to remain so lively after all these years. Before I left, he asked about the state of his descendants... I told him all his descendants were dead, so King Wu is probably feeling a bit sorrowful." Everyone's hearts stirred. King Dazhou couldn't help but ask, "Did Your Majesty truly meet King Wen and King Wu?" Su Yu smiled. "What, did you think I was lying to Fat Ball earlier?" "No..." King Dazhou wanted to deny it, but... well, earlier he truly had thought Su Yu was making it up! Su Yu smiled. "I met them, but separated across space-time. To put it simply, we were not in the same dimension! I used a trick—in a special state, taking the form of nothingness, I managed to enter! Otherwise, under normal circumstances, I would have had no way of entering, and even if I did, I likely couldn't have come out." The sickly-looking Marquis Lanshan couldn't resist asking at this point, "Your Majesty, you met Lord King Wu? Did you talk about anything?" Su Yu laughed. "We chatted for a few words. Time was tight, so I told him to shut up. That lord seems rather talkative—was he always a chatterbox back then?" "..." Marquis Lanshan's mouth fell open, and the others wore peculiar expressions as well. Seriously? You told him to shut up? One of the Four Polar Human Kings! You... are truly brazen! Su Yu didn't care in the least and quickly said, "Zhou Hao, I'm heading to the eighth level, and you're coming along! Last time, King Daming gained something in King Ming's Residence. I hope you can gain something in King Wu's Residence too!" He looked at Zhou Hao and smiled. "Give your ancestor a pleasant surprise. He thinks all his descendants are dead, so having one suddenly pop up should be quite amusing!" What twisted humor! Amusing? Everyone was rendered speechless! Zhou Hao didn't know what to say either. Forget it, better to say nothing. "Everyone, focus on cultivating! This is a rare period of calm, and perhaps... it won't last very long!" Finally, Su Yu declared in a clear voice, "Had I failed to open my Dao, it might have taken a long time before we headed out. But now that I have succeeded, that time may come very soon!" Peculiar looks appeared in everyone's eyes. How long... before they went out? Well, maybe truly soon! Coming down here, everyone's strength had been progressing at a terrifying pace. If this continued and a few more Celestial Venerables emerged, Su Yu might truly head up soon. Once their strength was sufficiently accumulated, why stay cooped up down here? "Marquis Tongtian, open the portal!" In the dead spirit realm, it was quite simple for Marquis Tongtian to reach the eighth level. Soon, Marquis Tongtian opened the portal. This time, only Liu Hong and Zhou Hao accompanied him. Liu Hong was even a bit excited—more excited than Zhou Hao. Su Yu cast a glance at him; this Teacher Liu... was never up to any good! In any case, ever since Su Yu met him, he had never been straightforward. Judging from his demeanor, he might find some gain upon going to the Star Residence Mansion. Of course, like King Dazhou, Liu Hong liked keeping an ace up his sleeve. He wouldn't reveal everything, which was normal. Living in this world, who didn't harbor a few secrets? Having contributed multiple times, Su Yu couldn't be bothered to pry into Liu Hong's affairs now. ... The eighth level! Su Yu appeared once again on the eighth level. Fortunately, the eighth level was not inside the Martial Emperor's body, or the Martial Emperor would have died of anger. In truth, the Martial Emperor knew Su Yu had come back, because teleportation required passing through his body; otherwise, one couldn't reach the eighth level. However, having just self-detonated his clone, the Martial Emperor was currently feeling depressed and loathed Su Yu. He didn't make a peep, simply allowing Su Yu and his companions to enter the eighth level. He didn't obstruct them in the slightest! Stop Su Yu and fight another three days and three nights? He'd have to be insane! ... "Let's go, to King Wen's Residence!" At this stage, the eighth level was practically unobstructed for Su Yu, devoid of any danger. The meager leaking rule power didn't count for shit. Besides, he possessed sixty councilor tokens. Carrying these made him immune to being targeted. Councilor tokens were wonderful things. Sooner or later, they would come in handy! Su Yu had collected over half of them and was already contemplating how to use them to trap and kill a batch of people. Of course, there was no need for that just yet. King Wen's Residence. Su Yu walked into the backyard once again. The two words "Observing the Heavens" surfaced before his eyes once more. This time, Su Yu stared at them a little longer and chuckled softly. "Observing the heavens to seek the Dao... King Wen is truly an extraordinary figure! Always has been!" Without uttering a peep, he had opened a realm! No one knew what realm he had opened, or where he had opened it. Liu Hong nodded along, while Marquis Tongtian grumbled resentfully, "Extraordinary, sure, but his words aren't very reliable!" What happened to promising I could seal an entire era! Su Yu shot him a look. Grown quite bold, haven't you? Aren't you afraid that when King Wen returns, he'll fit you with a door bolt? Too lazy to pay him any mind, Su Yu pushed the door open and entered. He was familiar with this place. He was familiar, but Marquis Tongtian curiously glanced around, gradually looking a bit peculiar. Zhou Hao hadn't thought that deeply; being an honest fellow, he looked around for a moment and remarked with genuine wonder rather than flattery, "King Wen is truly incredible. The flowers, plants, and trees he planted have gone untended for so many years, yet they are all still alive!" In the courtyard, the flowers and flora were in full bloom! Su Yu remained impassive. Liu Hong kept a straight face, saying nothing. It wasn't convenient for him to join in or expose the truth. The incredible one wasn't King Wen, but the fellow standing right beside them. If these flowers and plants weren't planted by Su Yu, I'd change my surname from Liu! King Wen's Residence had probably been stripped bare of all its wealth! Su Yu had only spruced it up to keep up appearances. It looked full of vitality, but the genuinely good stuff was entirely gone. Soon, the group arrived before the four small cottages. The Brush Dao and Inkstone Dao chambers were already empty. Su Yu walked toward a cottage shaped like a coffin and looked at Liu Hong. "What is the heritage token of the Ink Dao? Open the door!" Liu Hong gave a dry chuckle and promptly produced an object. A pitch-black coal ball? Su Yu glanced at it and nodded. "Just like you—suits you, matches you. Black-hearted!" "..." Liu Hong felt mentally drained. How am I black-hearted? What did I ever do to you? It was just a few tens of thousands of merit points, and you're still brooding over it to this day! Give it a rest! Saying nothing, Liu Hong shoved the black coal ball into the lock. Soon, the Dao Lock clicked open. With practiced ease, Liu Hong slipped the lock into his storage ring. The motion was identical to what Su Yu had done on his first visit—no, even smoother than Su Yu's, so natural that neither Marquis Tongtian nor Zhou Hao took notice. Su Yu glanced at him. Liu Hong turned his head, stiffening slightly, with an inquiring look in his eyes: You want it? What realm are you at now, and you still want this? If you want it... I can give it to you! Su Yu's eyes also spoke volumes, seemingly saying: Get lost! Liu Hong immediately plastered on a smile and stopped looking at him. It seemed Su Yu didn't want it. It was still a good item, so keeping it for himself worked out fine. Just like the previous two cottages, this room contained a table and a box. Marquis Tongtian asked with anticipation, "What good treasure did Lord King Wen leave behind?" One room had yielded the Sacred Transformation Seal, another the corpse of the Wild Heavenly Beast; what had the Ink Dao left? Su Yu looked at Liu Hong. "Open it and look!" Liu Hong did not decline and promptly stepped forward to open the box. Just as before, inside was a sheet of paper and an object. Su Yu swept his eyes over the paper. In essence, it stated that the Ink Dao heritage was considered the weakest of the four heritages, yet very unique: it was a tributary King Wen had forcibly opened on the Dead Spirit Dao. Not just anyone could cultivate this Dao; it required a special state, such as that of a half-dead spirit. And his purpose in forcibly opening this Great Dao back then had been to achieve resurrection. "The Ink Dao intercepts power from the Dead Spirit Dao, which is detrimental to one's vitality..." "A Longevity Pill is specially left behind!" Su Yu froze. A Longevity Pill? Liu Hong was also startled. "It's this! I was wondering what it would be, but it's a Longevity Pill—the finest treasure for replenishing vitality and lifespan!" He suddenly looked at Su Yu. "Your Majesty seems to have depleted your lifespan. This... this is an incredible treasure! If Your Majesty consumes it, you will surely restore your lifespan, perhaps even surpassing what it was before! King Dazhou consumed one, and that life force was immensely powerful!" It was actually a Longevity Pill—indeed a supreme treasure! This pill had been refined after slaying a Ruler of Rule from the immortal race, utilizing the opponent's Great Dao power and essence blood. Back then, it was said that three pills were successfully formed; was this one of those three, or an extra one? This item had been left for the inheritor of the Ink Dao to replenish vitality. As for Liu Hong, he didn't actually need it much. Mainly because he had visited the boundary between life and death and comprehended the power of life and death. When Su Yu extracted life-and-death power earlier, Liu Hong had also intercepted some. Right now, the Ink Dao did not deplete his vitality all that severely. Su Yu cast a glance at the pill. It held an inner divine brilliance, and upon closer inspection, Dao rules seemed to permeate it, with rich vitality concealed within. Su Yu nodded slightly. "A fine treasure! Increasing lifespan is one aspect of this pill; gaining insights into the Dao of Life is another! If given to an immortal race expert cultivating the Life Dao, they might rapidly step into the top ranks!" On his own side, no one seemed to cultivate the Life Dao. Otherwise, relying solely on this single pill, another top-tier powerhouse could have been born. This pill was in no way inferior to the Wild Heavenly Beast's corpse! After looking at it for a moment, Su Yu smiled. "Keep it for now; it might come in handy! It increases lifespan, strengthens vitality, and aids in comprehending the Dao of Life. Perhaps... it can be used for the resurrection of dead spirits!" Liu Hong nodded. That was indeed possible. If dead spirits were resurrected, how much lifespan would they have left? Would they start over, or what? Or would it be calculated based on what remained from their previous lives? These were all very complicated matters! With this pill, Su Yu could also swallow it himself to restore his lifespan. Although he had opened his own Dao, Su Yu hadn't yet developed it to the level of a Ruler of Rule; he had not reached that stage. As such, Su Yu's lifespan had not yet been restored either. Soon, Su Yu walked out of the room and headed toward the next cottage, while Liu Hong casually swiped the table along with him. ... The Paper Dao cottage. The Heaven Hunting Ranking manifested, and soon, Su Yu unlocked the room. The layout was identical. Still a table and a box. This time, Su Yu opened the box himself. Inside was still a sheet of paper alongside a treasure. "The Paper Dao is something even I have never opened... In my estimation, the Paper Dao might be a Dao of Avatars, a Dao of Myriad Arts, or a Dao of Convergence... Myriad arts returning to one! The Paper Dao is a Dao of my deduction: manifesting avatars, one art to one body..." The Heaven Hunting Ranking had originally been created by copying the Time Record. King Wen himself had never cultivated any Paper Dao. And this time, the treasure left by King Wen was rather peculiar—or rather, exceptionally unique! "Ten thousand divine characters left behind!" "Having campaigned across the heavens for years, slaying foes without number and vanquishing countless formidable enemies, I leave behind ten thousand divine characters to aid the inheritor of the Paper Dao in cultivating..." Su Yu looked at it, suddenly bared his teeth, and couldn't help cursing under his breath in the next instant: "If I'd known... If I'd known, I would have come earlier!" Fuck! Ten thousand divine characters were essentially the embryonic forms of rule power. King Wen had actually left this behind in the Paper Dao cottage. He had indeed campaigned for many years and slain countless enemies. Collecting ten thousand divine characters might sound like a massive amount, but in truth it was hardly surprising; the enemies he had killed likely exceeded ten thousand. Su Yu quickly drew a deep breath, and in the next instant, smiled. "There's a solution for Lan Tian's Dao wounds! He might even take another step forward. This time, he can truly comprehend the embryonic forms of the myriad Daos within the Time Dao!" Su Yu's Dao was, after all, too rudimentary. These ten thousand divine characters solved Lan Tian's predicament completely. Liu Hong also beamed with a bright smile. "Both are wonderful treasures! It's fortunate we came. With this, Teacher Lan Tian's Great Dao power will soon be perfected, and he might even enter the realm of a Celestial Venerable!" Su Yu chuckled and cast a sidelong glance at him. "And what about you? Your side only had the Longevity Pill, which doesn't seem of much help to you. Yet you eagerly tagged along, and you seem in high spirits. Back then, you said there were treasures on the ninth level, but the ninth level has already been destroyed. I believe I mentioned this before—did you know about it?" Liu Hong grinned. "I know, I know!" "Then isn't this trip completely empty-handed for you?" Liu Hong chuckled. "Doesn't matter. I'm not that kind of person. It's fine even without treasures." Su Yu glanced at him, pausing for a long moment before saying, "Speak honestly. Do you need my help?" Liu Hong looked embarrassed, quickly cleared his throat, and said, "No need, no need! I just need to make a trip to the Nether Emperor's Residence!" "Oh?" Liu Hong said sheepishly, "The Ink Dao can be considered part of the Dead Spirit Dao, but not entirely! In fact, it bears a resemblance to the Nether race's Dao! When King Wen opened the Ink Dao, he might have referenced the Nether Emperor's Dao, so I want to visit the Nether Emperor's Residence to see if I can find anything of value!" Su Yu nodded slightly. "Fine, go to the Nether Emperor's Residence. Zhou Hao, you go to King Wu's Residence! I hope both of you make some gains. Especially you, Liu Hong—if I am to resurrect dead spirits, I might need your assistance to suppress the backlash from the Dead Spirit Dao!" Liu Hong's cultivation could not be called strong, but neither was it weak. After emerging from the boundary between life and death, he had integrated a significant portion of the Ink Dao. Currently, he roughly stood at the third tier of the Harmony Dao realm, which was already blistering progress. At this stage, many had been left behind by Su Yu, far in the dust. For Liu Hong to still keep pace up to this point showed he was genuinely capable. And if resurrection was attempted, there was a high probability the Ink Dao would be needed. Su Yu could handle the other Dao powers himself, but the fluctuations of the Dead Spirit Dao would still require the Ink Dao to suppress! Liu Hong chuckled and nodded. "These are minor matters. I will do my utmost to master the Ink Dao as soon as possible. That way, I might even suppress some dead spirit powerhouses!" "If you run into any issues, you can tell me!" Su Yu glanced at him. The fellow was used to hiding things and rarely spoke up on his own initiative. "Of course, thank you, Your Majesty!" Liu Hong scampered off. Seeing how fast he bolted, Su Yu shook his head and said nothing more. Beside him, Zhou Hao also bowed respectfully and departed quickly. Su Yu exhaled. "I hope both of you gain something!" Turning his gaze to Marquis Tongtian, Su Yu asked, "When will you reach Heavenly King?" Marquis Tongtian gave an awkward laugh. "It's difficult!" "Difficult?" Su Yu smiled. "The potential of a gate isn't small." Marquis Tongtian suddenly lowered his voice, "Um... actually, it isn't that difficult either." "Do tell." Marquis Tongtian whispered furtively, "Your Majesty, if you kill the Martial Emperor, feed his Heavenly Gate power to me! Or kill that Yue Hao from last time and feed his Gate of Hell power to me... If I steal a bit of power from other gate clans, I might just become a Heavenly King!" Su Yu's eyes flickered slightly. Marquis Tongtian whispered sneakily, "Your Majesty, just like how you steal power from the Time Dao, I can steal power from other gate clans too!" He wore a rather shifty expression. "Your Majesty, steal a little bit, and once I steal enough, perhaps... I can open other gates! Like the Gate of Hell, or the Heavenly Gate..." He grinned toothily. "When that time comes, let alone Heavenly King, even Celestial Venerable will be no problem! Or even a Ruler of Rule!" Saying this, he grew excited: "Your Majesty, since the Martial Emperor and the Prison King's lineage are both enemies anyway, once they're killed, by no means let it go to waste! Feed their gate power to me, and I can definitely grow stronger—rapidly so!" Su Yu grew thoughtful and murmured, "Are there only these two gates in this world? Are there other gates?" "That, I'm not clear on!" Marquis Tongtian instantly zipped his lips. He couldn't speak too much; he was somewhat terrified of Su Yu now. Su Yu nodded slightly. "The Prison King's lineage must be dealt with sooner or later! If we can slay Yue Hao and the others, I'll let you devour the Gate of Hell's power!" Marquis Tongtian rejoiced! If so, he could advance rapidly as well! His Dao power was exceptionally unique. These past few times, he hadn't actually made much progress; his strength at the second tier of the Harmony Dao was roughly what he possessed originally. Once he no longer had to seal the eighth level, he naturally held roughly second-tier Harmony Dao strength. Right now, he was merely recovering his strength. "Let's go. We'll check out the residences of the others—those residences of the various racial emperors. This time, I can enter and explore them all. Any benefits to be had, we'll sweep them clean!" At this point, armed with councilor tokens and commanding the power of the myriad Daos, Su Yu truly could move through this place unhindered! He would loot the residences of the others first! Back in the Tianyuan Realm, a bunch of people were waiting for resources. Ordinary ones wouldn't do, as their strength was already exceptionally high. ... While Su Yu was sweeping up treasures... The Human Realm. The Manor Lords of the thirty-six manors had all arrived. Marquis Zhennan and Wen Qi had also arrived. At this moment, Marquis Zhennan looked toward the Hundred Battles King walking through the void from afar, his eyes complex. Soon, he called out loudly, "This subject, Zhennan, pays homage to Your Majesty!" "Rise!" The Hundred Battles King stepped through the void with a smile on his face, nodding slightly. Looking around, the others, including Xia Huyou and his peers, bowed one after another. "We pay homage to the Human Lord!" The ninth-generation Human Lord, Hundred Battles! He had returned! The Hundred Battles King swept his willpower across the Human Realm to sense it, then smiled. "You have taken great care!" The human race lived and worked in peace and contentment. Su Yu's departure seemingly hadn't caused any disruption. Moreover, taking away all powerhouses above the Sun and Moon realm was actually a good thing. Of course, it was a bit more troublesome than originally planned, as fewer Harmony Dao experts would be born. At this moment, Marquis Jianghai said in a deep voice, "Not a single person above the Sun and Moon realm remains in the human race?" Every single one was gone! He felt that Su Yu had gone too far! Not even a single Perpetuity expert had been left behind! Xia Huyou offered an ingratiating smile. "Senior, forgive us. The others... all followed him and left. There was nothing we could do. Each to his own ambitions; one cannot force them!" Xia Huyou quickly continued, "Human Lord, we have prepared a grand banquet, and representatives from all sides have arrived. Would the Human Lord care to meet them?" Marquis Jianghai said coldly, "You would have His Majesty meet fellows who aren't even Perpetuity experts?" He was underestimating the Hundred Battles King far too much! Xia Huyou neither retorted nor dwelled on it, simply keeping his head bowed in silence. The Hundred Battles King, however, said nothing harsh and smiled. "Then let us meet them! By the way, are you a descendant of King Zhan?" "The Human Lord has sharp eyes. My Xia family has always inherited the bloodline of King Zhan, though by my generation, I have brought shame to my ancestor..." The Hundred Battles King smiled and nodded without dwelling on it. Looking at the other manor lords, he finally turned his gaze toward Marquis Zhennan and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work, everyone!" The vast Human Realm had been arranged reasonably well. If the powerhouses were gone, so be it! He had finally returned. After a separation of six thousand years, looking upon the human race today, Hundred Battles indeed felt a sense of estrangement, feeling somewhat like an outsider. Six thousand years ago, his presence in the Human Realm had drawn cheers like crashing waves, with millions of hearts beating as one. Alas, after he chose to fake defeat six thousand years ago, this Human Realm of today was no longer his Human Realm. The thirty-six manor lords showed him only superficial courtesy. It was no longer the era when his return to the Human Realm drove countless millions into a frenzy. "Things remain, but people have changed!" With a sigh of lament, Hundred Battles felt a profound sense of dislocation at this moment. This Human Realm was no longer the same!