As Daos merged, the River of Time trembled.
A struggle of Daos!
Yes, as more and more people integrated, Su Yu suddenly had an inexplicable premonition.
Trouble!
A contention of Daos!
At this moment, Su Yu had an inkling of what was coming. It seemed he had stirred up some trouble, though perhaps not overly dire; nevertheless, he was seizing things that belonged to the River of Time.
"A Dao conflict... the River of the Dead..."
At this moment, Su Yu suddenly had a faint inkling: could the disappearance of the master of the Dead Spirit Dao be related to the master of the River of Time Dao?
Because the Master of Dead Spirits had snatched away the Master of Time's control over death qi!
"A clash of Daos?"
"What does this Dao conflict really mean? A clash between world-openers? Or between different rules? Or different eras?"
Gazing at his continuously expanding new world, Su Yu felt a foreboding presentiment.
Perhaps... one day, I will meet the master of the Time Dao.
And perhaps, meeting him will mean nothing but trouble...
Because it seemed a few of us were all shearing his sheep.
He had painstakingly nurtured the myriad realms, yet whether it was Su Yu, the Human Sovereign, or the master of the Dead Spirit Dao, in order to take a shortcut, they all stole the power he had already converted! Under normal circumstances, one should convert chaos directly!
However, converting chaos was too slow.
So we few thieves... if the master caught us, wouldn't he beat us half to death?
At this moment, Su Yu felt strangely abashed.
I... didn't steal!
The ones who stole were the Human Sovereign and the master of the Dead Spirit Dao. Look at me—when I opened a world, I didn't even connect to you. But now, it's Lan Tian and the others scheming ways to force me into stealing. I'm completely innocent.
I was just forced onto the throne against my will!
Su Yu sighed with hypocritical sorrow. Indeed, he hadn't stolen—though he had entertained the thought. Mainly, he had worried that if the opening into the River of Time grew too large, too much power would flood in and assimilate him.
Yet as it turned out, Lan Tian and the others had apprenticed themselves while bringing along their own trade!
That was basically what was happening!
These people originally carried the power of Daos within them. Changing allegiance now was, in the eyes of the Master of Time, tantamount to betraying their sect!
And having switched masters while keeping their craft, they went ahead and infused the power of the rules they had learned from the Time Dao straight into Su Yu's world, instantly swelling his power. In essence, the River of Time had been slightly weakened.
Of course, it was negligible.
For a bunch of people who had not yet reached the Rule Master realm, even if they left, the impact on the River of Time was not substantial.
……
As Su Yu pondered this, the River of Time continued to churn.
This time, wave after wave of turbulence rolled through, its waters surging tempestuously.
Upstream, the Human Sovereign and his companions clearly sensed it.
In truth, they were not the only ones.
At the exact same time, within the Physical Body Dao in the Human Realm, someone else felt it too.
Sitting cross-legged within the Physical Body Dao, Hundred Battles suddenly opened his eyes. Those successive ripples were buffeting the entire River of Time; though not overwhelmingly violent, they were enough for him to perceive.
At this moment, a group of people stood around Hundred Battles.
Yes, he had brought his subordinates right along with him.
Right inside the Physical Body Dao, Hundred Battles suppressed the power of the Dao, allowing those dozens of people to absorb physical power and directly reconstitute their physical bodies—far more convenient than Su Yu's methods.
The human kings of the Physical Body Dao upstream had felt their physical strength declining not because Hundred Battles was siphoning off massive amounts, but because, in order to restore the experts under his command, he was suppressing the entire Physical Body Dao's fluctuations and channeling the power of physical rules to nourish their cultivation.
At this moment, several people also felt the disturbances along the river.
Someone said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, there is an unusual commotion in the river. Has something happened?"
Hundred Battles gazed toward the main channel. After a long while, he said softly, "Nothing."
He looked down at the crowd below and said calmly, "Hurry and absorb the power. If I suppress it for too long, the human kings of the Physical Body Dao upstream will weaken. We'd best hope none of them are killed right now, or bad blood will inevitably be forged!"
At these words, many took fright and hastened their recovery.
Someone asked anxiously, "Your Majesty, if we extract too much, will the human kings upstream be weakened?"
"Yes," Hundred Battles said impassively. "However, if you absorb it quickly, I will draw upon the physical strength in the River of Time to make up for the earlier drain!"
The crowd dared not delay any further and hurried into their cultivation.
For six thousand years, many of them had not reconstituted their physical bodies, remaining in a state of will force to comprehend the Dao's power. Without the limitations of a physical vessel, their progress had been swift; now, however, reforming their bodies required even greater power!
After a short while, a low shout rang out.
A figure materialized, possessing an extraordinarily powerful physical body and an ethereal aura that faintly resembled that of a Rule Master, though he walked not the path of the physical body, but another Dao.
At this moment, he quickly appeared at Hundred Battles' side with a smile. "Your Majesty!"
Hundred Battles smiled as well. "Congratulations, Marquis Changqing!"
Marquis Changqing had been his foremost strategist back then, as well as a supreme combatant.
Seeing Changqing again after six thousand years, his realm revealed itself the instant his physical body was restored: a Heavenly Venerable!
An expert possessing the realm of a Rule Master.
"It is I who must thank Your Majesty!"
Marquis Changqing's long hair fluttered before settling down. Taking his place behind Hundred Battles, he smiled as he watched the crowd below. "This time, we will be even stronger than before! I believe we won't need to hide for another six thousand years!"
Hundred Battles nodded slightly and gave a soft chuckle. "I wouldn't want to either!"
Just as he spoke, a roar erupted. Boom!
A gigantic figure materialized!
Clutching a saber broad as a door leaf, the colossal figure flew over with a hearty laugh: "Your Majesty!"
"Wu Ji!"
Hundred Battles smiled once more. Both his civil and martial pillars had fully revived!
At this moment, Wu Ji's aura was also extraordinarily formidable, even faintly eclipsing Changqing's.
Wu Ji laughed heartily. "Your Majesty, six thousand years feel like yesterday! Have you fared well over these past six millennia, Your Majesty?"
"Well enough!"
Hundred Battles beamed, while Changqing smiled and said, "Wu Ji, it seems your Saber Dao has improved once more. Now that you've come out of hiding, you can fight to your heart's content and won't have to grumble and chatter in our ears every day like before!"
"Nonsense!" Wu Ji, enormous in stature, laughed booming. "I never complained!"
With that, he looked at Hundred Battles, his grin widening. "Your Majesty, shall we charge right out this time? Obliterate the myriad races and the Prison King's lineage?"
"No hurry," Hundred Battles chuckled, and Changqing added with a gentle smile, "What's the rush?"
Changqing then continued, "Your Majesty, we have also caught wind of the events concerning the human race in this tide. Su Yu has taken his people and left. Shall we pacify the internal threat before repelling external foes, or unite against external enemies first before handling domestic affairs? How much does Your Majesty know about Su Yu?"
He had merely laid out two courses of action; the final decision remained with Hundred Battles.
Wu Ji, however, declared bluntly, "Your Majesty, let's take down Su Yu's side first! Does he think sealing off the dead spirit realm means we can't cross over? Two tigers cannot share one mountain. If we're fighting to the death in the Upper Realm and that kid suddenly pops up from behind to stab us in the back, wouldn't we be doomed?"
His reasoning was straightforward.
Su Yu had led his people into the dead spirit realm, directly beneath them. If left unattended, disaster could easily strike.
King Hundred Battles said softly, "No need. We'll deal with the Prison King's lineage and the myriad races first!"
Saying this, he glanced down at the crowd still reconstituting their physical bodies and added gently, "I know everyone is listening. Some among you likely do not wish for Su Yu and me to fall into infighting first... Rest assured, I will not rashly come into conflict with him."
From below, a soft voice answered, "Your Majesty, we have also heard of Su Yu's deeds. He has done nothing out of line, so we would have no righteous pretext! The people's hearts lean toward him; marching against Su Yu now would not bode well. Wu Ji dislikes using his brain, so he should propose fewer ideas!"
A figure stepped into the air and ascended. Wu Ji glanced at her, curling his lip, but held his tongue.
It was a woman.
Brimming with heroic vigor, her long hair fell loose over her shoulders, and her glazed robe could not conceal her curvaceous figure.
The woman wore a smile, and though her tone was gentle, her words were uncompromising. "Your Majesty, if you can conquer the Upper Realm and crush the myriad races and the Prison King's lineage, the experts under Su Yu will naturally come to see Your Majesty's magnificent achievements! At that time, should Su Yu be defeated, everyone will surely come over to our side of their own accord—after all, we are all humans!
"And should Your Majesty be defeated, the human race will still have a fallback!
"I have heard of Su Yu. Though young and impulsive, he possesses youthful vigor. We have grown old and plan too much, but youth has its own virtues!"
The woman looked at Marquis Changqing with a smile. "Changqing, do not egg His Majesty on! Our conflict with Su Yu lies only in the authority over the Human Realm. Since Su Yu has already yielded it, why hound him to the end and act so aggressively?"
She looked back to Hundred Battles, then to Wu Ji. "You must understand that we are ancients from six thousand years ago! A century marks a generation, so sixty generations have passed. Su Yu and his people are the talents of this era. Killing Su Yu would only alienate us further and further from humanity!"
The woman continued, "All of you have fought across the lands, and surely you hold a belief in your hearts!"
Her voice grew resonant: "That belief lives within everyone: the human race! Whether it is the human race descended from the Human Ancestor or passed down by the Human Sovereign, it is still the human race!
"The Prison King colluded with chaos, so that lineage must be slain!
"Yet Su Yu has never colluded with chaos..."
Before she could finish, someone grunted, "He is colluding with the myriad races, isn't he? Look at the people under him!"
From below, another figure rose into the air. He was advanced in years and looked rather aged. Looking at the woman, he said, "Hong Yue, most of what Su Yu relies on is the power of the myriad races. What do you say to that?"
Hong Yue looked at him without answering.
From below, yet another figure soared into the sky. It was a very young-looking man clad in tight-fitting black robes, speaking in a chilly tone: "Marquis Changmei, enough. Why fuss over all that? You and I both know the circumstances under which Su Yu relies on the Iron-Eaters and other races! Face reality and stop deflecting blame. Six thousand years ago, we gave up—that is a fact! Having given up back then, are we to forbid others from saving themselves?"
With a cold expression, he looked at the old man, then at Changqing and the others. "Hong Yue is right. Your Majesty, Su Yu commands the hearts of the people. At present, our occupation of the Human Realm has already provoked widespread panic. Must we force a total rupture between ourselves and the human race? Are we not human?"
He looked at the assembly. "We are humans too! Even if the humans six thousand years later do not acknowledge us, we are still humans! What Changqing and Changmei say is nothing but shirking responsibility! Colluding with the myriad races? What do you mean by 'colluding'? By that logic, you might as well brand the Human Sovereign and his peers as traitors!"
His tone was sharp. "Let others say what they will, but Your Majesty must not listen to such slander! Six thousand years ago, Your Majesty was no match for the various factions and chose not to fight to the death. We can understand that—we were all deserters!
"Since we became deserters, we must have the self-awareness of deserters. There is no need to glorify ourselves and vilify others! Changqing merely offered a suggestion, but you, Changmei, went straight to pinning a charge of colluding with the myriad races on him... A man like you is unfit to be trusted!"
He snorted coldly. Beside him, the old man with long eyebrows knitted his brows slightly: "Xue Ying, you call us deserters?"
The aloof young man replied indifferently, "Whether we are or not is for all to judge! I am, and you are—what is there to argue? Of course, when outmatched by every faction, running... was also a tactic. I too believed running was right, or I wouldn't have followed His Majesty back then! But if you ran, keep some self-awareness; don't think yourself entirely in the right. You may think you did nothing wrong, but to the humans six thousand years later, we abandoned them!
"For six thousand years, they had no one to rely on. Over four hundred years ago, the myriad races boasted countless experts while the human race didn't have a single Eternal. Later, a few Eternals emerged, yet none could step into Dao Integration for the longest time... His Majesty severed their path of advancing through the physical body, yet now you blame them for colluding with the myriad races... Must you forge an irreconcilable blood feud?"
Xue Ying said coldly, "You can say our philosophies differ, but stop slapping grand labels onto others! Changmei, people like you have always disgusted me!"
Changmei's aura fluctuated, and he said coldly, "Are you trying to shake people's resolve?"
"Try saying that again?"
Xue Ying met his gaze with equal coldness. "Shake people's resolve? If waiting for His Majesty for six thousand years can be shaken so easily, we might as well disband! If His Majesty relies on people like you to rule and curry favor, and my heart grows dissatisfied, I will naturally leave of my own accord. Would I need you to chase me away?"
He snorted coldly, his black hair whipping in the wind. "Changmei, don't think that just because you stepped into the so-called Heavenly Venerable realm, you're something special! Back then, I didn't want His Majesty to bring along a fawning sycophant like you, and I feel the same today! Changqing offers strategies without forcing a decision, yet you love to take matters into your own hands! Dare to egg His Majesty on again, and I'll make an example of you!"
Changmei was furious!
Hundred Battles glanced at the group. Changqing, Wu Ji, Hong Yue, Changmei, and Xue Ying—these five newly revived experts were all top-tier figures, each possessing Heavenly Venerable-tier combat strength.
This was also their greatest gain over all these years.
Of course, there had been Heavenly Venerables back then too, but they had already fallen, such as Bingku.
At present, these five could all be considered later-stage ascendants.
Seeing daggers drawn between them, Hundred Battles furrowed his brow slightly. "Enough! We are all brothers. After so many years, are you still bickering incessantly? Changmei, what Xue Ying said reflects my own sentiments. There is no need to bring this up again!"
Changmei frowned, his long eyebrows trembling. "Your Majesty, you know me—I harbored no selfish motives!"
Hundred Battles nodded slightly. He knew what Changmei meant.
He looked below and said calmly, "What Xue Ying said is true. Since you all followed me, there is no need to resort to such tactics! Those who wish to stay may naturally stay; those who do not are free to seek out Su Yu!
"Of course, there is no need for me to deceive you: right now, Su Yu likely will not accept outsiders! If any of you harbor such intentions, think thrice before acting!"
He was not lying. After what happened with Marquis Yunshui and the others, it would be a miracle if Su Yu were willing to welcome outsiders now!
No one spoke.
Soon, another batch of people revived—this time weaker, at the Heavenly King level.
After them, second-tier Dao Integration experts, followed by third-tier Dao Integration experts, gradually recovered.
The stronger an expert was, although the body they needed to reconstruct was more powerful, their rate of absorbing energy was far faster, so they recovered much more swiftly than the weaker ones.
Gradually, everyone gathered.
Forty-five.
Forty-five newly revived experts, plus Nanxi, Yunshui, Jianghai, Anying, and Wushan—a full fifty experts! Adding Hundred Battles made fifty-one!
Even the weakest among them possessed third-tier Dao Integration strength.
Fourth-tier and fifth-tier were practically nonexistent.
There were quite a few third-tier Dao Integration experts, a heap of second-tier ones, and the remainder were Heavenly Kings and Heavenly Venerables. Their power was formidable indeed.
And this didn't even count the Archaic Giant King, as no one from the Archaic Giant race had arrived.
If counted, there was also Leibao in the Upper Realm, who was at the Heavenly Venerable realm.
That made a total of six Heavenly Venerable experts, plus an existence like Hundred Battles himself.
Hundred Battles took a look and smiled. "Everyone has made some progress. Not bad at all—five Heavenly Venerables have been born among us, making us stronger than we were back then, not weaker!"
The numbers had dwindled, but their strength was by no means weak.
The weaker Dao Integration cultivators were either dead or had progressed; starting at third-tier Dao Integration, such strength was considered supreme even in the Upper Realm.
The myriad races had plenty of Dao Integration experts, as did the Prison King's lineage.
However, a third-tier Dao Integration expert could easily take on two fourth- or fifth-tier opponents.
There were also many second-tier Dao Integration experts, and perhaps soon, more would step into the Heavenly Venerable realm.
At this moment, Changqing also showed delight and said softly, "Your Majesty, then... regarding the Fortune Spirit..."
Hundred Battles glanced at the crowd. "Once our Heavenly Venerables reach ten, we shall devise a plan to seek a breakthrough!"
Presently, excluding Hundred Battles and including Leibao, they had only six—still four short.
Yet Hundred Battles felt it wouldn't take long.
Several Heavenly Kings felt on the verge of reaching the Heavenly Venerable realm.
Ten!
Back then, such a number was unthinkable.
Now, however, hope was in sight.
The myriad races had many Heavenly Venerables, but they were not united; moreover, they lacked a supreme powerhouse like Hundred Battles.
Trading six thousand years of dormancy for extricating themselves was ultimately not a bad bargain.
As everyone pondered this, Changmei spoke up again: "Your Majesty, could Su Yu's side ruin things? His conquest of the myriad realms is known to all! Once the passage between the Upper and Lower Realms opens, the myriad races in the Upper Realm will inevitably learn of it. If they attack Su Yu first at that time... it's hard to judge Su Yu's current combat strength."
How many experts did Su Yu have left under his command?
At present, no one was entirely clear.
Marquis Jianghai and the others had seen some things in the Upper Realm, but no one could vouch for Su Yu's current situation.
Hundred Battles said softly, "Enough. We need not concern ourselves with Su Yu for now! The battle in the Upper Realm flared up and subsided; the myriad races and the Prison King's lineage have not yet made up their minds to shed all pretense. We must wait a bit longer on this matter."
"Then what of Yue Luo's side...?" Changmei asked again.
Hundred Battles gave a slight laugh. "Things are going well enough. Arrangements will be made there as well! Rest assured, everyone. Six thousand years ago, fighting the myriad races alone, we might not have won; now, if we confront them again, our strength should be sufficient!"
Six thousand years ago, though they appeared mighty, many old relics had not revealed themselves.
If they had truly fought the myriad races to the bitter end, it might not have ended well.
Now, their strength had grown by a substantial margin.
Especially himself: six thousand years ago, he could barely match that patriarch of the Prison King's lineage, but now, if he met that patriarch again... the outcome would be very different!
……
While experts gathered on Hundred Battles' side, three days later, Su Yu's side truly saw a convergence of supreme talents as well.
Below the Heavenly King level, almost everyone had chosen to merge their Daos, unless a Dao was unique and multiple people cultivated it, leaving the rest no choice but to forgo it.
At this stage, experts under Su Yu's command were as plentiful as clouds.
Those with Heavenly King combat strength were numerous:
Feiqiu, Doubao, Hongmeng, King Dazhou, Wan Tiansheng, Lan Tian, Destiny Emperor, Consort Qi, Marquis Huoyun, as well as Chubing and Jiu Yue, who had just stepped into the Heavenly King realm. In these few days, one relying on his Dao being passed down from Er Yue, and the other relying on Consort Qi's pseudo-Dao, had both stepped into the Heavenly King realm.
As for pseudo-Heavenly Kings, several had also emerged: King Daqin, King Daxia, Xinghong, and Yingwu had all entered the pseudo-Heavenly King domain. Marquis Dingjun actually had hopes as well, but he was feeling rather dejected because he too walked the Spear Dao.
The Spear Dao had already been claimed by King Daqin.
At this moment, Marquis Dingjun was so aggrieved that words could hardly describe it—he couldn't even catch the tail end of the opportunity, and he couldn't help but lament his bad luck.
At this point, it truly felt as though talents were flourishing.
Yet Su Yu felt it was still not enough.
In terms of Heavenly Venerable combat strength, they were still lacking. Feiqiu would probably be the first to step into the Heavenly Venerable domain; Lan Tian held great promise; Wan Tiansheng was hard to say.
Their greatest guarantee, in truth, was the Southern Heavenly King.
Once the Southern Heavenly King revived, there was a ninety-nine percent chance she would step into the Heavenly Venerable domain.
Even if she could not walk the Time Dao and instead integrated into Su Yu's Dao, Su Yu surmised that she had hope of stepping into the Rule Master realm, seizing command of a single Dao directly to become a pseudo-Rule Master.
At this stage, revival had to be placed on the agenda!
And Su Yu was already making preparations.
He glanced at Liu Hong. Liu Hong's progress was not slow these days, but expecting him to suppress the Dead Spirit Dao might prove difficult.
He thought of Marquis Dragon Blood!
Perhaps it was time for Marquis Dragon Blood to do something—such as slaying Northern King and his cohorts, devouring them, and ideally becoming a Heavenly King or even Heavenly Venerable at a crucial juncture, or best of all, a Rule Master!
That way, at the critical moment, this fellow could act from within to suppress the fluctuations of the Dead Spirit Dao.
Marquis Dragon Blood's path as the "Child of Destiny" might come to an end right here!
Today, beneath Su Yu's banner, pseudo-Heavenly Kings and pseudo-second-tier Dao Integration experts were plentiful; converted, they still amounted to third-tier powerhouses, and genuine third-tier Dao Integration experts formed quite a crowd.
All thirty-one guards had stepped into the Dao Integration realm!
Looking at this alone, it was an overwhelmingly formidable force.
Moreover, Su Yu still held a trump card: the Sacred Transformation Seal, which would be of immense use at a crucial juncture!
"In just a few short days..."
Su Yu looked at the crowd, emotions surging in his chest. This was a mighty force, far stronger than before!
In the next moment, his Diagram of the Great Dao suddenly manifested from within the world.
"Everyone, regarding the Diagram of the Great Dao—some of you have seen it, and some have not. But even if you have, it doesn't matter! The Daos you comprehend now are different from before!
"Studying it again will surely yield new insights!
"I need some time to prepare to revive the dead spirits. Cultivate here and study the diagram; I hope all of you can step into the Heavenly Venerable realm on your own!"
……
As the Diagram of the Great Dao hung aloft, everyone was nearly overwhelmed as they once again received the influx of the Dao's profound insights.
These days, everyone was both overjoyed and miserable.
The joy came from having far too many fortuitous opportunities, constantly comprehending the Dao and vastly deepening their understanding; the misery came from having too much insight thrust upon them, leaving everyone feeling a touch of indigestion.
……
Su Yu did not linger.
Taking Hetu, Liu Hong, and the others, he flew toward the dead spirit realm.
Hetu was excited, thrilled, and also somewhat uneasy.
Revival!
And he was the first candidate.
Previously, he had yearned to be revived, but now that the moment was truly arriving, he felt restless and apprehensive.
Su Yu paid no heed to his anxiety and spoke as they flew, "Back then, King Wen prepared four Daos—Brush, Ink, Paper, and Inkstone—for revival... However, my path is somewhat different from King Wen's. Because I opened my own world, I will likely have everyone revive within my own world!
"King Wen may have opened a world back then as well, but he might have wanted to revive people directly within the River of Time. Thus, his choice was far harder, while mine is relatively simpler!"
Su Yu continued quickly, "My difficulty lies in how to strip away everyone's existence from the Dead Spirit Dao while simultaneously bestowing life upon you. That is the hardest part—returning from death to life is no trivial matter!"
The group nodded, and Liu Hong said gravely, "This really won't be easy! Especially for me, Your Majesty. I truly cannot guarantee that I can suppress the Dead Spirit Dao! That Dao is far too powerful, not something a third-tier Dao Integration like me can handle!"
Su Yu nodded. "I know, which is why someone will assist you!"
Who?
Liu Hong wondered inwardly. Could it be the Southern Heavenly King and the others?
Even that would be terribly difficult!
Besides, the Southern Heavenly King and her peers were themselves part of the Dao; if they truly resisted the Dao's power, something could easily go wrong!
Su Yu paid them no mind and soon arrived at a certain domain. Looking at them, he said, "Go to the research institute first. I'll go inquire about a few things."
Hetu and the others glanced toward that direction. It was the most unique place in the dead spirit realm, particularly within the Spirit Suppressing Domain.
An ancient castle had stood there for countless ages.
Even now, from the era of the Human Sovereign to the era of the Sovereign of Yu, it remained standing. Even when Su Yu had earlier swept through the entire Spirit Suppressing Domain, this place had remained untouched; no one dared lay a hand on this ancient castle.
Hetu grinned. "Then Your Majesty should have a good chat with Xingyue. We'll head to the research institute first!"
Su Yu nodded slightly, not bothering with their knowing looks, and walked through the air.
Once he had departed, Hetu chuckled, "His Majesty truly cares about Xingyue. I feel like reviving us is just an afterthought—did he bring up revival specifically to revive Xingyue?"
Liu Hong glanced at him and kept his mouth shut.
*I won't bother with you!*
*Whether it's true or not, I'm not touching that subject.*
*If I chime in and word reaches Su Yu's ears, given how petty that guy is, I'd end up in trouble!*
*I won't fall for this trap!*
*Hetu can court death if he wants, but I certainly won't.*
Liu Hong made a mental note: the next time Hetu crossed him, he could sell Hetu out to Su Yu—wonder if that would fetch a good price!
……
Xingyue Ancient Castle.
The castle stood in silence.
Its massive gates were tightly shut.
When Su Yu descended through the air, several dead spirits under Xingyue recognized him and were instantly overjoyed. A few Quasi-Invincible dead spirits knelt to greet him: "We respectfully welcome the Grand Commander!"
Ever since Su Yu had once impersonated the Grand Commander, to this day, whenever the dead spirits here saw him, they addressed him as such.
Even though they knew full well that Su Yu was now the master of the dead spirit realm.
Su Yu smiled, glanced at the tightly shut gates, and asked, "Has Lady Xingyue gone into seclusion?"
"Probably not!"
The dead spirit named Xing Da by Su Yu hesitated. "My lady didn't mention going into seclusion, but she hasn't stepped out for a few days."
Su Yu chuckled, nodded, and strode toward the castle.
"Lady Xingyue, I'm coming in!"
"Get lost!"
A furious yell suddenly barked from within the fortress.
Su Yu chuckled and pushed the doors open, stepping right inside.
*Get lost? What a temper she has.*
……
Inside the main hall.
Xingyue's already dark complexion grew even darker. She glared icily at Su Yu. "What are you doing here?"
"Just here to report recent developments to you, my lady..."
Xingyue sneered, "Drop the act! Su Yu, the dead spirit channel between you and me has been severed. You walk your path, and I'll live my life as a dead spirit. I have nothing left for you to scheme against. Do you want treasures? This castle is all I have. If you want it, take it and leave!"
Su Yu chuckled. "You joke, my lady! Regarding the dead spirit channel..."
"Hmph, I don't want to hear it!"
Su Yu shrugged, and in the next instant barked, "Shut up! Women are such a headache! Listen to me!"
This sudden outburst made Xingyue flinch.
Just as she opened her mouth to snap back, Su Yu's immense pressure swept over her, suppressing her directly.
Xingyue glared at him with fury!
*Outrageous!*
Only then did Su Yu smile and say, "Back then, I was opening the Life-and-Death Dao, understand? I was on the brink of death, desperately needing the qi of the living, yet you kept pumping death qi into me non-stop. Were you dying to see me kick the bucket?"
Xingyue froze slightly. *What in the world?*
Su Yu added, "You women are far too troublesome—troublesome even in death! I nearly died, and it was all your doing. My lady, do you realize you almost got me killed?
"So many people rely on me to stay alive, yet after you nearly finished me off, I didn't say a word of blame, and you're still throwing a tantrum at me?"
Su Yu scoffed, "The reason I didn't get angry with you is that I am kind-hearted. Taking into account that you meant well, I thought it over and decided not to hold it against you!"
Xingyue looked somewhat bewildered. *Was it really my fault?*
*But... you never said anything!*
Su Yu looked at her and smiled again. "Of course, that's water under the bridge. Now that I've survived, look, I came specifically to explain everything to you! Opening the Life-and-Death Dao and opening a world this time was all done to revive you, my lady!"
Su Yu sighed with emotion. "After all, you're my superior, aren't you? When something good comes along, shouldn't I seek you out first?
"I've roped Hetu in as a guinea pig to revive him first!
"If Hetu dies, so be it, but nothing must happen to you, my lady!"
Su Yu said with a grin, "So this time, I specifically came to brief you on the situation, lest you cause me more trouble..."
With that, he looked at Xingyue and frowned. "Can you still not understand my intentions, my lady? Sigh, then I've wasted my breath!
"Fine, I'll take my leave..."
He turned as if to walk away, making Xingyue fume with indignation.
*Curse your ancestors!*
*You pinned me in place!*
*What do you expect me to say?*
Just as Su Yu was about to step outside, Xingyue's binding finally dissipated. Enraged, she snapped, "Where are you going?"
Su Yu turned around, wearing an innocent expression. "Weren't you giving me the silent treatment, my lady?"
"..."
Xingyue wanted nothing more than to strangle him!
Irritated, she snorted, "Shut up! When this seat speaks, it's not your place to interrupt!"
Then, curiosity getting the better of her, she asked, "What world-opening?"
"..."
Su Yu almost burst out laughing, but quickly composed his face into a solemn expression: "It means opening an independent Life-and-Death Dao. I practically killed myself, attempting to turn into a dead spirit and then reviving, all to prepare for your resurrection, my lady!"
"Independent?"
Xingyue was stunned. "Independent... what does that mean?"
"It means opening a Dao in chaos, independent of the River of Time!"
"Ah?"
Xingyue was thoroughly shaken. "Then... did you truly turn into a dead spirit?"
Su Yu nodded. "I did. And it was right at that moment that you pumped death qi into me..."
"Wait!"
Xingyue hurriedly protested, "At that time, you seemed to suddenly vanish, as if your power had been exhausted! Seeing that you had run out of strength, I only... I only sent you a little death qi! I didn't think it would turn out like that... I didn't do it on purpose..."
Su Yu sighed softly. "It's fine. I only almost died for real. Even if I had, becoming a dead spirit wouldn't be so bad, don't you agree, my lady?"
Looking increasingly aggrieved, Xingyue said urgently, "I really didn't mean to..."
"Forget it!"
Su Yu chuckled. "I forgive you, my lady. After all, we subordinates must give our superiors face."
Xingyue felt utterly suffocated.
*What subordinate? You liar!* This fellow was now terrifyingly powerful with a throng of mighty experts under his command, yet he still pretended to be her subordinate day in and day out. Shameless!
Su Yu beamed brightly. "Then, my lady, shall we consider the earlier matter settled?"
Xingyue shot him a look, feeling that something was off, yet... she couldn't put her finger on what!
Annoyed and sullen, she muttered, "Fine, this seat won't lower herself to argue with you!"
Su Yu chuckled and quickly said, "Great, then that's that! There's one more thing: you seem to have been sealed by someone, my lady. In life, you were likely quite powerful, and in death as well, but you were sealed. Before reviving you, I will probably have to unseal you first!"
Xingyue said gloomily, "Sealed? Which bastard did it?"
"King Wen!"
Xingyue froze. "King Wen?"
Su Yu said with a sly smile, "Him! King Wen deliberately sealed you, which is why no matter how many dead spirit marks you devoured, you could never grow stronger!"
"That bastard was King Wen?"
Xingyue couldn't help but curse, "So that's it! No wonder I haven't grown stronger in a hundred thousand years—it was all him! That scoundrel!"
*Intolerable!*
A moment later, she asked, "Why would he seal me?"
Su Yu smiled. "Probably because he wanted to revive you, but lacked the means. In the end, he thought... better seal you first. That kind of person is far too irresponsible, wouldn't you say?"
Xingyue nodded. *Indeed, completely irresponsible!*
*If you had no way to resurrect me, then unseal me!*
*Bastard!*
Su Yu added with a laugh, "That's why on my side, since I intend to revive you, I'll definitely prepare thoroughly before taking action. I won't be like King Wen, slapping a seal on you first without giving a damn!
"Without a second thought, leaving you like this for a hundred thousand years—no, the seal has probably been there even longer than that. All these years, you couldn't improve your strength at all. If you had been killed by another dead spirit, wouldn't that have been a colossal injustice?"
Xingyue nodded. *Yes, detestable!*
*King Wen is utterly unreliable!*
"Then... then why would King Wen want to revive me?"
Xingyue asked, puzzled. Su Yu shrugged and chuckled, "Who knows? Could he have been eyeing the Star Residence Seal? King Wen truly is no good!"
"..."
She felt something was off with what Su Yu was saying, but... forget it, she wouldn't bother arguing with him.
Xingyue hesitated, "Can I truly be revived?"
"Hard to say for sure, but the chances are high!"
Su Yu smiled. "I will make all the preparations before coming back to save you, my lady. I even relocated King Wen's former residence here to the dead spirit realm—flowers everywhere. Once you are revived, you can stay there for a while; Feiqiu will surely welcome you!"
"Flowers?"
Xingyue nodded. "In my memories, there were indeed many flowers. Time Master planted flowers because I taught her..."
*Is that so?*
Su Yu was speechless!
*You truly are ancient enough—and idle enough! Why teach people to plant flowers? You caused Feiqiu to plant flowers for over a hundred thousand years! My poor Feiqiu hasn't rested for a hundred thousand years; how pitiful!*
*So the prime culprit was right here all along!*
"My lady, I'll be taking my leave then. If you're interested, you can head over to the research institute and have a look..."
"I'm not going. I only like staying here!"
Xingyue refused, though she was somewhat intrigued.
Su Yu chuckled inwardly. *A total shut-in!*
Never mind. All these years, Xingyue had rarely stepped outside anyway; the only time she went out recently was to the Star Residence Mansion, and even that had been to save him.
"All right, I'll be off then, my lady. Next time, I'll come back to report our progress!"
Xingyue gave a reluctant nod, maintaining her dignity: "You are dismissed!"
"Thank you, my lady!"
Su Yu withdrew.
Soon, the doors of Xingyue Ancient Castle opened once again.
Xingyue was in a rather good mood. No longer shutting herself away, she went out to tend to her flowers and plants. She hadn't tended to them for days—all because of that bastard, who had almost caused her flowers to die.
*Forget it, considering he is preparing for my resurrection, this seat won't hold it against him!*
Delighted, Xingyue resumed caring for her dead spirit flowers.
Outside, the dead spirits watched all this, feeling helpless in their hearts.
*Isn't our lady... a bit too fickle?*
*Just moments ago she was throwing a fit, yet after the Grand Commander exchanged a few words and took off, my lady is completely fine now?*
*As expected, the Grand Commander is truly incredible!*
Chapter 789