Walking upon the lands of the Human Realm, a retinue trailing behind him, Hundred Battles found himself unable to recapture the feeling of days gone by.
He could sense the Human Realm of today repelling him.
Among the thirty-six manor lords present, he could also feel their emotions: resentment, indifference, unwillingness, silent fury.
These people were far too weak.
Their emotional fluctuations could not hide from Hundred Battles.
Perhaps they were resenting him: Why come back at all?
Six thousand years ago, weren't you sealed away?
Didn't you die in battle?
Now the Human Realm already has a new Human Lord. Why must you return?
Not only did Hundred Battles sense it, but several people beside him did as well. Being no weaklings, they naturally perceived the myriad emotions around them, and could even faintly hear hushed murmurs in the distance.
People were muttering: this newly arrived Human Lord, after so many years, what is he coming back for?
Didn't he die back then?
As the strongest figure beneath Hundred Battles, Marquis Nanxi heard it clearly.
His expression turned somewhat conflicted, and he abruptly said, "Your Majesty, they are merely ignorant fools. Do not take it to heart! They know nothing. Had victory been possible back then, why would things have come to this?
"It was precisely because victory was unattainable, and because we refused to bury the entire human race with us, that we made such a choice!"
Marquis Nanxi looked toward Xia Huyou and the others at his side with an uneasy gaze. Hesitating briefly, he spoke up in Hundred Battles's defense after all: "Back then, had we been able to defeat the myriad races and crush the Prison King's lineage, we never would have chosen this path! Perhaps... you have guessed something. But had we not preserved the spark of our flame, the entire human race might have been wiped out along with our defeat!"
Receiving no response, he felt an urge to justify it further, speaking again: "The Human Realm may appear to have had a difficult time, but in truth, His Majesty has always been watching, always caring! Were it not so, there would have been no invitation from Zhou Tian, nor would the Primal Giant King have marched forward so swiftly to aid us!"
Marquis Yunshui had also mentioned this matter earlier.
Marquis Nanxi said in a deep voice, "The Primal Giant King was willing to come to our aid solely because of His Majesty. Otherwise, why would he muddy himself in these waters?"
Beaming from ear to ear, Xia Huyou nodded. "Senior Marquis Nanxi speaks true. We all understand!"
Marquis Nanxi frowned. He knew this was merely perfunctory appeasement!
Yet he genuinely could not let it go.
Had he truly been indifferent, brushing it aside and disregarding everything, it would have shown that he did not care about the opinions of these weaklings. But at this moment, he did care!
Marquis Nanxi said darkly, "You are a descendant of King Zhan. To become a manor lord at such a tender age, and I hear you are also Su Yu's close friend..."
Xia Huyou chuckled softly. "Senior, I've heard... merely heard, of course... that Senior was rescued by Emperor Yu! He paid the price of slaying a Heavenly King to bring Senior back. Though Senior is advanced in years and indeed our elder... still, His Majesty Emperor Yu is the master of the tenth tide. For Senior to address him plainly by his personal name... and in the upper realm, Senior seemed to have had some dealings with His Majesty as well. Isn't this... somewhat improper?"
Marquis Nanxi froze slightly, his expression torn, and fell silent.
Beside him, Marquis Jianghai snapped coldly, "Do you know who you are speaking to? Even in the ancient era, your ancestor King Zhan..."
Beaming, Xia Huyou nodded, cutting him off before he could finish, and said with utter sincerity, "Yes, indeed! Even my ancestor King Zhan wouldn't dare speak to all of you like this; he would have to kowtow and call every one of you grandfathers!"
"..."
Silence fell.
Absolute silence!
Ahead of them, the Hundred Battles King, who had been gazing about in all directions, chuckled softly without turning his head. "Enough. Let us keep the atmosphere light. What need is there for bitter grudges? Jianghai, hold your tongue."
"Your Majesty!"
Marquis Jianghai was somewhat annoyed. As a direct descendant of King Dou, he was different from the others.
Seeing these people treat them with such cold rejection now irked him as well.
His Majesty's return would only bring benefits to the human race. Would he ever harm mankind?
When His Majesty was on the throne back then, he loved the common folk like his own children!
During the ninth tide, which human had not praised His Majesty for his sagacity?
Praise that came straight from the heart!
Even King Dazhou used to say often that while Hundred Battles might have fallen short toward allied races, he had never wronged humanity. Of course, the final battle of the ninth tide was another matter.
Xia Huyou smiled and pressed no further.
If he kept talking, what if someone chopped him down?
He was far too weak.
Still, since Marquis Nanxi had used Su Yu's personal name, he had to say a word and push back. You owe Su Yu your life; you cannot treat him without respect!
Marquis Nanxi's feelings were conflicted, and he let out a sigh. "Perhaps you are right. Indeed, he was the one who saved me."
Marquis Jianghai, however, frowned and said darkly, "Wrong! Had he not stirred up trouble in the upper realm, how could the myriad races have searched the Dao Origin Domain? Nanxi, do you truly believe we owe him anything? No, we owe him nothing! Had he not ascended, would there have been any disturbance in the Dao Origin?"
On this matter, he did not believe he owed Su Yu in the slightest!
They had been in seclusion, peaceful and well, when the myriad races suddenly launched a sweep. Wasn't that all thanks to Su Yu's meddling?
Marquis Nanxi said nothing.
Beside them, Marquis Zhennan frowned slightly and intervened. "Jianghai, enough! You have only just returned to the Human Realm, and His Majesty is tired. Why not rest for a while, and then meet the experts of the various manors and cities? Emperor Yu Mansion... ahem, before Lord Su left, he did not take away the residence he had previously built. His Majesty can take up temporary lodging there."
Hundred Battles nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Let us go there, then. Zhennan, your physical injuries are quite severe. Once we arrive, I will help you recover; perhaps there is hope for you to step into the Quasi-King realm."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Marquis Zhennan bowed slightly. Hundred Battles then glanced at Wen Qi beside him, smiling. "Wen Qi has also entered Harmony Dao. Not bad!"
"It is all thanks to Your Majesty's immense fortune!"
"You... you are just like back then, always fond of such flattering words."
Hundred Battles smiled, then looked toward the sky. After a long while, he said, "Later, I will go see if I can retrieve Anying and Wushan. If they can be saved, our people will be mostly reunited!"
As for the rest, none remained here.
Hundred Battles spoke no more on that. Walking toward Emperor Yu Mansion, he asked, "Your name is Xia Huyou, is that right?"
"Yes. What instructions does the Human Lord have?"
All smiles, Xia Huyou hurried forward, beaming radiantly.
"I hear you have a good relationship with Su Yu?"
Xia Huyou grinned obsequiously. "Just so-so. He stands lofty and supreme, while I'm merely a nobody. Please don't misunderstand, Human Lord."
"Slick fellow!"
Hundred Battles chuckled. "Rest easy. I have no intention of doing anything to you all! Rejection, anger, resentment—none of it matters. In truth... from the moment I left six thousand years ago, this Human Lord title became a thing of the past! Of course, toward the human race, I harbor no malice. We share the same root and origin!"
"Su Yu left simply because he felt unwilling to serve under me, and I... have no wish to serve under him. Each has their own choice!"
Walking forward, Hundred Battles continued, "Now is hardly the time for him and me to engage in infighting. Perhaps he and I hold different ideals, different views, even different lineages of Dao! But... we are both still of the human race!"
He went on, "Whether primal times or ancient times, all belong to mankind! In truth, primal and ancient times were never severed; they have always been one whole, differing only in who came first! Yet the Prison King colluded with chaos... If we are truly speaking of traitors to the human race, it is the Prison King's lineage!"
Solemnly, he declared, "I may have made mistakes, but I have never betrayed our kind! Primal and ancient together formed a single era! Everything that followed is still the human race!"
He had no need to explain himself.
These people were far too weak, merely in the Sun Moon Realm.
Yet he still offered an explanation.
Beholding the Human Realm again, and feeling a stark contrast to how it had once been, made him feel that perhaps he ought to say a few words.
Between him and Su Yu, perhaps he represented primal antiquity, while Su Yu represented the ancient era.
Yet fundamentally, there was little difference.
Whether the Human Ancestor or the Human Sovereign, they belonged to the same overarching era!
This era had not yet reached its complete end.
Those behind the Prison King's lineage, however, were no longer the human race.
Xia Huyou smiled and nodded. "What the Human Lord says is very true. His Majesty Emperor Yu said the same before he left. He stated that upon your return, the Human Lord would not mistreat the human race! That was his trust in the Human Lord. Otherwise, based on what I know of him, he would never have abandoned the Human Realm. Had the Prison King's lineage or the myriad races invaded, he would have fought to the death here before ever giving up the Human Realm!"
That was indeed Su Yu's sentiment.
Xia Huyou understood Su Yu's mind. Su Yu genuinely believed that Hundred Battles would not harm mankind; otherwise, he never would have walked away so cleanly.
This was the tacit understanding between Su Yu and Hundred Battles, even without ever having met face-to-face.
Whether you groom your own confidants or foster your direct bloodline, none of that matters.
The human race remains the human race.
In essence, everyone belongs to mankind.
No one had betrayed their people!
There were only differences in ideology. Su Yu did not agree with Hundred Battles, and Hundred Battles might not necessarily agree with Su Yu.
Hundred Battles smiled as well. "What you say is true. Put that way, I suppose I ought to be pleased! Such matters are ultimately unimportant. Right now, many perils are bearing down upon us. That includes the Human Sovereign and his companions, who may well return one after another..."
Hundred Battles added, "The return of the Human Sovereign and the others will inevitably plunge the myriad realms into turmoil! Yet that is not the most terrifying part. What is truly terrifying is that the entities beyond the Hell Gate may be about to break through!"
With a sigh, Hundred Battles remarked, "In truth, I already knew something of this back then. Precisely because I learned too much, I felt utterly helpless, even despairing... and ultimately, I had no choice but to take another path!"
Xia Huyou knew bits and pieces of this, though nothing specific. At this moment, he probed cautiously, "Then why didn't the Human Lord take a gamble back then? Perhaps... there was hope! Now, having sealed yourself for six thousand years, your strength remains what it was. If your power hasn't changed, wouldn't those six thousand years have been wasted?"
The expressions of Marquis Nanxi and the others turned peculiar. Was this bold fellow openly gathering intelligence right to his face?
Hundred Battles smiled. "Naturally, my strength has undergone changes! In six thousand years, since a choice was made, how could there be no progress at all? Wouldn't that be squandering six thousand years, just as you said? These six millennia served as a period of settling and accumulation!"
Xia Huyou's round face broke into a broad grin. "Then the Human Lord must have many Celestial Venerables on your side! Mankind will truly be powerful then; with the Human Lord here, it is mankind's great fortune!"
Hundred Battles let out a soft laugh.
Beside him, Marquis Nanxi coughed lightly.
The boy had all but asked outright: How many Celestial Venerables do you have on your side?
Hundred Battles chuckled. "As for the exact number of Celestial Venerables, I truly cannot say for sure! Six thousand years ago, I left behind some people, having them constantly comprehend the Dao, even remaining concealed within the Great Dao itself. There will certainly be changes. With good fortune, five or six might emerge; with poor fortune... then I cannot say."
Five or six?
Xia Huyou committed this rapidly to memory. Hundred Battles had no reason to deceive him on such matters; there was no need.
Hundred Battles clearly intended for him to pass the word along to Su Yu as well.
Xia Huyou felt that his status as Su Yu's friend was proving quite useful. Hundred Battles likely knew of it, and coupled with his lineage as King Zhan's descendant, Hundred Battles was treating him fairly politely.
Xia Huyou hurriedly pressed on, "Then does the Human Lord believe we can defeat the myriad races and the Prison King's lineage?"
"Hope still exists!"
Hundred Battles nodded. "However, it would be best if a massive war erupts between the two sides and both suffer heavy casualties. Otherwise, even if we win, the cost will be catastrophic! Even if the Human Sovereign and the others return... the situation will not improve; it will only worsen!"
"Do not pin your hopes on things turning around just because the Human Sovereign comes back!"
The Hundred Battles King said in a heavy voice, "First, the human race's Rulers of Rule previously were fewer than those of the myriad races! After all these years, our losses may have been even greater, meaning the myriad races definitely hold the advantage! Second, the Hell Gate may open very soon... and other gates might open as well! When that happens, it will be the most terrible era for humanity!"
"Therefore, if we are to win, it cannot be a Pyrrhic victory. A Pyrrhic victory means our doom!"
"Even if new Rulers of Rule are to be born, they must arise from the human race, and in great numbers, to provide support!"
Hearing Hundred Battles lay this out, Xia Huyou's heart stirred.
The return of the Human Sovereign might not be a good thing?
Perhaps... that was truly the case!
Su Yu had actually hinted at something similar before.
Had the Human Sovereign held the upper hand, he would have returned long ago. Why drag things out? His return would likely bring monumental trouble.
On this point, Hundred Battles and Su Yu shared the exact same view.
"Then... do we have no hope at all?"
"Of course we do!"
The Hundred Battles King smiled. "If there were none, why would I have made my return? Of course, there is no need to say too much about certain matters. In time, you will come to understand!"
Xia Huyou nodded.
At this moment, he felt that Hundred Battles was actually not bad... well, perhaps.
Yet who told him to be friends with Su Yu instead?
Who told Su Yu to be the true master of this era!
Before long, the group arrived at Emperor Yu Mansion.
Beholding the magnificent expanse of Emperor Yu Mansion, Hundred Battles merely smiled and said nothing. Marquis Jianghai, however, frowned slightly. "Extravagant waste! When His Majesty succeeded to the seat of Human Lord back then, he never constructed such an opulent hall!"
It was indeed extravagant!
Emperor Yu Mansion had been built by Zhu Tiandao and Marquis Xia. To flatter Su Yu, the two had spent lavishly. It coincided with victories on the front lines and the conquest of the myriad realms, so they had hauled back every conceivable treasure.
Treasures and specialties from the myriad realms suitable for building palaces had all been brought over!
They had even dismantled many grand halls belonging to the myriad races just for a particular piece of timber or a rare tile.
Xia Huyou chuckled. "Senior misunderstands. This is nothing! Emperor Yu led us to crush the myriad races and conquer the myriad realms! Except for the God, Demon, and Immortal realms which were best left untouched, the other realms were ours for the taking! What does a mere palace amount to?"
If you have the capability, go conquer the realms yourself!
Once you conquer the myriad realms, you can remodel it into the Heavenly Court for all anyone cares; no one would stop you!
Jianghai opened his mouth to say more, but Hundred Battles raised a hand, smiling. "It is truly impressive. To conquer the myriad realms is a glorious deed that will be remembered for ten thousand generations!"
"Your Majesty!"
Marquis Jianghai muttered darkly, "Were it not for Your Majesty back then... the lower realm wouldn't have so few Harmony Dao experts! Claiming to have crushed the myriad realms amounts to nothing more than defeating a few dozen Harmony Dao cultivators. Such strength is not worth mentioning!"
Xia Huyou held his tongue, offering only a silent smile.
Perhaps!
Among the other manor lords, some sneered inwardly, while others lowered their heads, choosing not to look.
Not worth mentioning?
If it wasn't worth mentioning, we never saw you conquer the myriad realms!
Yes, a few dozen Harmony Dao cultivators was indeed not many, but did you stop to consider the hand humanity started with?
Not a single Harmony Dao expert!
It wasn't like the ninth tide, which had nearly a hundred ancient Harmony Dao powerhouses!
You judge achievements by the balance of power, not raw numbers alone.
A Ruler of Rule defeating an Eternal is no miracle!
A Sun Moon defeating an Eternal—that is what people remember!
Hundred Battles had no wish to pursue the matter further and cut off Marquis Jianghai. Soon, the group stepped into Emperor Yu Mansion.
Inside Emperor Yu Mansion, after a brief conversation, the Hundred Battles King said, "I will head out first to search for our people and see if Anying and Wushan can still be retrieved! Everything else will proceed as before!"
He had no intention of altering any of the current rules in the Human Realm, nor did he wish to expend the effort.
Since the Human Realm was living and working in peace, why change anything?
Hundred Battles was a decisive man. Having said his piece, he tore through the long river and vanished from Emperor Yu Mansion. Before departing, he left behind a decree: "Human Realm affairs will be temporarily overseen by Nanxi and Zhennan, assisted by Xia Huyou. All others shall follow the orders of these three for now!"
He did not assign Jianghai, as that would easily invite disaster.
Nor did he assign Marquis Yunshui. Because Yunshui had encountered the human experts before, many people here felt great aversion toward her.
They remembered seeing Marquis Yunshui among Su Yu's ranks previously.
At these words, Xia Huyou smiled.
It seemed this former Human Lord had a heart as bright as a mirror. He saw through everything clearly and understood the situation completely.
Had he put Jianghai or Yunshui in charge, trouble would surely have followed.
Once Hundred Battles was gone, Xia Huyou said with a beaming smile, "Seniors, if you have any orders, please speak freely! Whatever can be done, I will do my utmost to arrange. Whatever the seniors require, we shall spare no effort!"
Marquis Jianghai cast a cold glance at him and said after a long pause, "Do not think that just because His Majesty is lenient, you can provoke us again and again!"
Xia Huyou looked thoroughly helpless. What did I provoke you with?
Are you a half-wit or something?
Forget it, no point bothering with him.
Beside them, Marquis Zhennan frowned slightly and cleared his throat. "Jianghai, leave it be. You must want to see the Human Realm of today as well; let me take you around!"
"There is nothing to see!"
Marquis Jianghai said aloofly, "This place... is no longer the Human Realm of our time!"
Marquis Zhennan started, then smiled faintly a moment later. "You cannot put it like that. This place, after all, is our root, our homeland..."
Marquis Jianghai said heavily, "And yet, do you feel the humans of today welcome our return? Zhennan, we have nothing left here. No descendants, no kin, no friends... Aside from this realm itself, everything here has nothing to do with us!"
Marquis Zhennan frowned, his voice dropping. "Yet this is the land of our origin! Jianghai!"
Marquis Jianghai said coldly, "It is merely a place, not these people! Zhennan, wake up!"
Marquis Zhennan stared at him with furrowed brows, then looked toward Marquis Nanxi and Marquis Yunshui, murmuring, "Do both of you... share this thought?"
Marquis Nanxi sighed. "Pay no mind to Jianghai's nonsense! Jianghai, our homeland is our homeland after all. The humans here share our common root and origin. Speak no more of such things. What happened six thousand years ago—perhaps we feel we were not in the wrong, but perhaps... in the eyes of others, we truly were!"
Marquis Jianghai snorted coldly. "Wrong? Should we have fought to the bitter end back then, suffered mutual destruction with the myriad races, only to be wiped out by the Prison King's lineage? And then watched the entire human race go extinct? I do not understand why these people believe it was wrong! It was the same back then! Had we not done as His Majesty said, Nanxi, do you believe mankind would still exist today?"
He felt these people were beyond reasoning with, so there was no point in speaking further!
Had they truly fought to the bitter end, humanity would likely be extinct by now!
Not a shred of hope would have remained!
Seeing them argue among themselves, Xia Huyou lost all interest in watching the drama. Smiling, he bid them farewell along with the other manor lords and quickly led the group away!
With Hundred Battles gone, what was the point of squabbling with these fellows?
……
At the same time.
Hundred Battles entered the River of Time to search for Anying and Wushan.
The two had only just fallen; there was a chance they were still alive.
……
Meanwhile, within the Star Residence Mansion.
Su Yu had not waited for Liu Hong and Zhou Hao. He had Marquis Tongtian teleport him back first. He needed to lead King Daqin and King Daxia to search for Daos, finding saber and spear Daos suited to them.
As for the Wild Heavenly Beast's Dao, rule power could be extracted from it to help everyone mend their physical bodies.
Within the River of Time.
Su Yu stepped in as well, entering through the breach he had carved out himself.
He and Hundred Battles were one in front and one behind, one to the left and one to the right.
At this moment, both were inspecting the Great Daos within the long river.
Su Yu was looking for suitable saber and spear Daos, while Hundred Battles was searching for the Daos of Anying and Wushan.
……
Within the River of Time.
King Daxia was looking around as well, muttering, "Your Majesty, find me a powerful saber Dao! It has to be stronger than my grandson's!"
His grandson, Xia Longwu.
He had already stepped into the Harmony Dao realm!
With a slash of his blade, his raw strength might not surpass King Daxia's, but his saber intent was more vigorous. The undisputed foremost master of the saber in the Xia family was no longer King Daxia—a truly sorrowful affair!
"Naturally!"
Su Yu chuckled. "It must be stronger than Xia Longwu's. Otherwise, wouldn't you lose your title as the realm's foremost..."
"Ahem! Ahem!"
King Daxia coughed violently. What are you trying to say?
Truly... infuriating!
King Daqin turned to look at them, puzzled. "What is it?"
"None of your business!"
King Daxia could not be bothered to reply.
King Daqin sneered—a forced, joyless grimace. He never liked to laugh, and right now his smirk looked thoroughly awkward. "Isn't it just about being the realm's foremost handsome man?"
"..."
King Daxia froze!
He whirled around to glare at Su Yu. Su Yu shrugged. "Don't look at me. It had nothing to do with me!"
King Daqin scoffed. "What are you looking at him for! Senior Xia Chen is down there—are you blind? A few days ago, Senior Xia Chen was chatting with us about the past. What didn't he mention? He even brought up you wetting the bed as a child! Oh, you weren't there at the time; your grandson called you, so you stepped out. Luckily, aside from Xia Longwu, pretty much everyone knows. Can you even call that a secret?"
"..."
Su Yu shrugged. Good heavens, what a total humiliation.
I was completely tight-lipped!
It wasn't me who blabbed; it was your own Xia family ancestor. And fair enough, I heard it from Xia Chen too, and Xia Chen never considered it any big deal. In his eyes, King Daxia was still that chuunibyou youth.
King Daxia's face turned completely purple!
Everyone knows?
Gritting his teeth, he said in a low growl, "Everyone knows?"
"Of course!"
King Daqin said nonchalantly, "We were all there, so naturally we all heard it!"
"You... these past few days, why did none of you tell me?"
King Daxia was furious. King Daqin comforted him, "It's fine. To put it bluntly, these days... who doesn't have some dark history? Rest easy, it's strictly confined to this era. We've all agreed: years from now, no one is permitted to bring it up again! Everything must be sealed away! If anyone dares leave so much as a single word behind, we will all gang up and beat them!"
He shot a glance at Su Yu. You get it?
Do you understand?
Those words applied to you too!
If we have embarrassing secrets now, so be it, but the next generation is not allowed to know a single thing!
Su Yu nodded slightly, looking completely nonchalant. It's fine.
I'm not that kind of person!
I've already planned it all out: after I retire, I will engrave the chronicle of this era deep within the Great Dao.
Rest assured, unless someone is a top-tier existence, a monstrous prodigy, no one will ever discover the legends left behind by our era. Still, we have to leave future generations a sliver of hope to learn of our tales.
Beside him, King Daxia sighed, wishing he could cover his face and weep!
What a disgrace!
He wanted to die!
Things from so many years ago, brought up for gossip, and to make matters worse, his Xia family had an old ancestor still living who blabbed every petty thing without a second thought.
I'm not a child anymore!
Now, I am the renowned King Daxia of the human race. What a total mess!
And he couldn't even vent his fury.
Su Yu listened with a chuckle to the two banter, feeling in quite high spirits.
Continuing to probe the Great Dao, King Daxia dropped the subject, his expression turning solemn. "Your Majesty, do you think... resurrecting the dead can truly succeed?"
Xia Chen was among the dead spirits as well.
Su Yu smiled faintly. "I have some confidence, but... it is hard to say! Resurrecting the dead involves many difficulties! First, suppressing the Dead Spirit Dao. They are all essentially shackled by the Dead Spirit Dao! Second, bestowing vitality upon them. Where does that vitality come from? Is the Dao of Life enough to bring them back?
"Third, connecting to the Time Dao to restore their original Daos. That step is also extremely difficult! According to King Wen's notion, just slapping together some makeshift Dao would do the trick; the Paper Dao was most likely prepared for this very purpose!
"Fourth, after revival, resurrecting the dead might not be tolerated by heaven and earth!"
Su Yu said in a heavy voice, "Perhaps... the Time Dao will no longer accommodate them, nor will the Dead Spirit Dao! In the myriad realms and the dead spirit realm, they would effectively be cast out!"
King Daqin fell silent for a moment. "Then what does Your Majesty mean?"
"Two choices!"
"First, find a way to ascend to the upper realm and connect to the Human Sovereign's Dao. Second... connect to my Dao!"
The hearts of both men shuddered!
Connect to your Dao?
Then... what would be the result?
Su Yu said calmly, "Connecting to the Human Sovereign's Dao makes one a pseudo-Dao powerhouse. Connecting to my Dao... makes one a pseudo-pseudo-Dao powerhouse! Even more fake! Because the Dao I opened is too weak, too thin. If they follow me, let's put it this way: right now I only possess top-tier Celestial Venerable combat strength. If those people follow me and I do not improve, they will cap out as Heavenly Kings for the rest of their lives, never surpassing me! Furthermore, their combat power will be constrained, restricted by the rule power of the entire Dao!"
Su Yu sighed. "I still hope the Time Dao will accept them. Otherwise, neither of these two choices is a good one! At least for now, whether it is me or the Human Sovereign, the Daos we opened fall far short!"
Compared to the fully perfected Time Dao, the difference was night and day.
King Daqin and King Daxia exchanged a glance, both frowning slightly.
This was not an easy choice!
Yet King Daqin spoke up nonetheless: "I believe that if there truly is no other way, everyone might choose Your Majesty's Great Dao. But will it affect Your Majesty?"
Su Yu smiled and shook his head. "No, it will only help me perfect my Dao! If it had a negative effect, the Time Dao would never have opened itself to the heavens for all to comprehend. People comprehending the Dao also helps perfect the power of the Dao!"
"Then that is a good thing!"
King Daqin smiled. "If Your Majesty can swiftly become a Ruler of Rule, everyone will naturally rise with the tide. I don't see any issue with it. If it truly comes down to it, Old Xia and I can test the waters first. Why not... Your Majesty, just give the saber and spear Daos within your Great Dao to us!"
Su Yu was taken aback. King Daxia also beamed, saying, "The Daos of the myriad realms are too fragmented! A single saber Dao is split into at least several hundred branches. But in Your Majesty's Dao, there is only one saber Dao. Once Your Majesty grows powerful, we are guaranteed to be Rulers of Rule!"
King Daxia laughed. "Even right now, neither Old Qin nor I are Heavenly Kings, but by singularly controlling a Dao, perhaps we could possess Heavenly King combat power—even if merely a pseudo-Heavenly King! A pseudo-Heavenly King... is still a Heavenly King! At worst, like Your Majesty, we wouldn't excel at prolonged battles. But in a fight between experts, who cares about dragging things out?"
At this moment, Su Yu suddenly looked at the two of them, his brow furrowing slightly. "The two of you... why do I feel like you were waiting here just to set a trap for me today?"
Why did it suddenly feel like these two were leading him into a snare?
First abruptly bringing up the resurrection of dead spirits, then bringing up the Great Dao... Though he was the one speaking, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had been calculated and baited by them!
King Daqin coughed lightly. "We were not lying in wait for Your Majesty!"
King Daqin let out a sigh. "We... Old Xia and I know our own limits! Our foundation is lacking, our strength is insufficient. Even if we switch Daos, could we become Heavenly Kings? Your Majesty, tell us yourself: in this tide, aside from you, who else has become a Heavenly King?
"Lan Tian and Wan Tiansheng opened their own Daos rather than walking fixed paths. Opening a Dao is entirely different. Old Xia and I are ultimately a step behind. Should we try opening saber and spear Daos? What we open might not even be as strong as what we have now!
"So Old Xia and I thought it through. Your Majesty's Daos right now might not be strong enough, but we can nurture them!"
He continued, "The myriad Daos were also nurtured into existence by countless people. If each of us commands a single Dao, and if that is not enough, we can steal more saber and spear power from the River of Time! That way, it won't be Your Majesty nurturing the Dao all alone!"
King Daxia nodded as well. "Princess Consort Qi also mentioned that true and pseudo-Daos can actually merge with one another! Old Qin's and my idea is that we can merge into a Dao here first, and then take that true Dao power and fuse it into Your Majesty's saber and spear Daos! That way, we benefit, and Your Majesty benefits as well! If ten thousand people truly come to merge into your Daos, each nurturing one branch, perhaps Your Majesty's Great Dao power will be perfected in no time!"
Su Yu stared at the two, his brow furrowed. "This doesn't sound like your own idea. Who put you up to this?"
Was this feasible?
Of course it was feasible!
Yet Su Yu said coldly, "I feel someone has been egging you on. You must realize one thing: if I die, you are ruined, finished! Once my Great Dao collapses, you will go down with me!"
King Daxia smiled. "Can we even be separated anymore?"
They couldn't!
King Daqin also said in a deep voice, "Old Xia is right; there is no separating us anymore! Didn't Your Majesty use the Human Lord Seal as the foundation of your Dao? If the Human Lord Seal shatters, Your Majesty won't fare well either! Old Zhou's point was that those who have no hope of progressing further, who cannot advance to Heavenly King within the River of Time, might as well merge their Daos into Your Majesty's Great Dao!
"A pseudo-Dao Heavenly King is still a Heavenly King. Even if we cannot match a true Heavenly King, fighting two against one should still work, shouldn't it?
"Once Your Majesty's Dao is perfected, when one man attains the Dao, all his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven!
"By then, we will be considered founding patriarchs of an opened Dao!"
King Daqin said calmly, "Our fates were tied together long ago! The moment Old Xia and the rest of us pushed you to become the Human Lord that day, we could only advance and retreat together! You grant us separate Daos, and we nurture the Daos for you. If you die, we all perish together! If we die, your Great Dao will likely suffer damage as well!"
"King Dazhou..."
Su Yu muttered the name, unable to hold back a chuckle. "That old bastard ran off to egg you on again?"
"Not really egging us on,"
King Daqin said. "Though he is annoying, what he said was not without reason! How long does Your Majesty think it will take for Old Xia and me to advance to Heavenly King?"
Su Yu pondered. "If things go smoothly, perhaps... three to five years?"
Perhaps!
King Daqin smiled. "Even if it takes three to five years, do we have that kind of time? But if I merge into Your Majesty's spear Dao, how long until I become a pseudo-Dao Heavenly King?"
Su Yu calculated. "With my assistance in gaining control, very quickly! However, the disparity in strength between such a Heavenly King and a true Dao Heavenly King will be fairly large. It won't compare to a Heavenly King of the Human Sovereign's Dao; you would have to calculate it as dropping an entire tier, effectively remaining where you are now, as a second-tier Harmony Dao!"
Merging into his Dao required dropping a whole realm in combat power.
Even if one reached the Celestial Venerable stage within his Dao, they would only wield Heavenly King combat power.
On that front, even the Human Sovereign's Dao was far superior to Su Yu's.
King Daqin asked again, "Then if Your Majesty attains the strength of a true Ruler of Rule, will our power rise with the tide?"
It felt just like investing in founder's shares!
Su Yu smiled. "It will! Once I truly possess that level of strength, your power will increase accordingly."
Having reached this point, Su Yu said no more on the subject, stating directly, "Think it through yourselves before making a decision, rather than listening to that swindler King Dazhou's nonsense!"
The two nodded. They were not children; they knew how to weigh their choices.
At that moment, Su Yu quietly inspected the Great Daos, thoughts churning in his mind.
Just as he was pondering, his gaze shifted slightly.
Far in the distance, a figure also froze momentarily.
The next instant, a Heavenly Gate materialized upon Su Yu's forehead. Likewise, far away, a gate appeared upon the other's forehead as well. The two gazed across the vast expanse at each other.
After a brief moment, Su Yu's eyes flickered slightly. "Let us search back toward the way we came. The Daos we are looking for might not be in this direction!"
King Daqin and King Daxia sensed nothing unusual and nodded.
Su Yu turned to lead them back along their path. In the distance, Hundred Battles stood silent for a moment, then turned and began walking back as well.
After walking a short distance, both men turned around simultaneously, exchanging another glance.
Hundred Battles hesitated briefly, then sent a ripple of intent sweeping over: "If you wish to return... the Human Realm is yours, and I shall go to the Giant Realm!"
"No need for now!"
Su Yu replied with a ripple of rule power: "Whoever is stronger shall take residence! The prerequisite is that you do not cause any trouble in the Human Realm. Whether you or I, we have both, after all, served as Human Lord!"
"That is true!"
The Hundred Battles King's ripple carried a hint of a smile. "Regarding Yunshui and the others, I know you may harbor grievances... Each served their own master. Whatever score there is to settle, lay it upon me!"
"We will speak of it later!"
Su Yu did not take the bait. Soon, the two walked further apart until their rule ripples could no longer bridge the distance. Neither dwelled on what had just occurred.
It was best not to meet!
Even if they met, there was truly nothing much to discuss.
……
King Daxia and King Daqin were entirely in the dark.
They had only faintly sensed a few ripples of rule power.
Su Yu's expression, however, turned slightly grave. Hundred Battles... was very strong!
Stronger than Su Yu currently was!
Sure enough, he had not been idling during those six thousand years.
Did he truly believe there was no chance of victory?
Were the hidden cards of the myriad races and the Prison King's lineage even more formidable than he had anticipated?
Amidst his pondering, King Daqin actually sensed a spear Dao and began merging into it with great joy. He planned to merge into the Dao first, steal its true Dao power, and then channel it into Su Yu's Great Dao!
On the other side, Hundred Battles also dredged up a powerhouse from within a Great Dao: Marquis Anying.
At this moment, the two supreme powerhouses of the human race were each bolstering their own forces, preparing to take part in the battle of the upper realm.
Indeed!
The battle of the upper realm!
Neither of them was destined to merely watch from the sidelines in the lower realm. So long as the opportunity was right, both would join the fray, first annihilating the Prison King's lineage and the myriad races!
For now, the two sides still maintained a tacit understanding.
At least the leaders shared that understanding.
First elevate everyone's strength; as for the Human Realm, that could wait until the various hostile factions were crushed.
Su Yu had even begun contemplating how to take the initiative to ambush and snipe the Rulers of Rule of the myriad races, preferably before the Hell Gate and the Heavenly Gate opened!
Sitting waiting for death was never a good choice.
Once the Human Sovereign and his companions fought their way back, and both the Heavenly Gate and the Hell Gate opened simultaneously, that would be the moment of monumental catastrophe.
Soon, King Daxia also found a saber Dao and began merging into it. As for the Wild Heavenly Beast's Dao, both set it aside for now, leaving it temporarily sealed by Su Yu, waiting to extract its power to supply everyone's physical cultivation.
Chapter 786