San Yue and Giant Axe

"Heh, women!" Flying off into the distance, Su Yu shook his head with a chuckle. See? So easily resolved. He had actually heard King Wen's parting instruction. Su Yu was genuinely curious: why had King Wen told him to revive Xingyue? Sentiment? Or was Xingyue actually a contingency plan? Whatever! Su Yu had already intended to revive Xingyue anyway; it had been in his plans all along, so it made no difference whether King Wen said anything or not. ... Inside the research institute. Su Yu arrived in no time. Hetu was currently being dissected! Indeed, King Wen's disciples were curiously dissecting him. Su Yu now knew the name of that female dead spirit: Li Yun, one of the outstanding figures among King Wen's disciples back in the day. Li Yun was currently leading several other dead spirits in studying Hetu. Seeing Su Yu arrive, Li Yun asked curiously, "Emperor Su, do you truly intend to revive him?" Noticing the pleading look Hetu sent his way, Su Yu couldn't help but chuckle. "That's the plan. Have you figured anything out?" "Turning death into life..." Li Yun pondered for a moment before saying, "This is different from how Emperor Su returned to life earlier! Back then, Emperor Su merely transitioned between life and death within your own heaven and earth. But they are bound by the Dead Spirit Dao! Doing this is essentially snatching control of them away from the Dead Spirit Dao... and the Dead Spirit Dao is exceptionally tyrannical and monopolistic!" Monopolistic! That was Li Yun's phrasing. Su Yu thought about it and nodded. "It is indeed monopolistic!" Among ten thousand Daos, only I exist! Yes, such was the master of the Dead Spirit Dao. Of ten thousand Daos, only the Dao of Death reigned supreme! And within the Dao of Death, only one path was permitted! No branching was allowed. The current Ink Dao had only been carved out by King Wen by brute force. Such an existence held immense control over dead spirits. For Su Yu to revive dead spirits now was essentially snatching food straight out of the bowl of the Dead Spirit Dao's master. Li Yun warned solemnly, "Emperor Su, if you wish to revive them, you must be cautious. I suspect the Dead Spirit Dao might be triggered." "Triggered?" Su Yu frowned. "What do you mean?" "Revived!" she explained. "Whether it's the Time Dao or the Dead Spirit Dao, I believe they are both in a state of slumber—or rather, passive reaction! But once their bottom line is touched, the Great Dao might awaken!" Su Yu was startled. No way! The Dead Spirit Dao was terrifyingly powerful, an existence that had opened an entire realm. If it truly awakened... wouldn't that cause massive trouble? Are you trying to scare me? Li Yun added, "Of course, even if it awakens, I don't think it will create too vast a disturbance. After all, the master of the Dead Spirit Dao might already be dead, or perhaps completely gone. Without a master present, the Great Dao can only act passively!" Su Yu nodded slightly. Even if passive, it could still be horrifying. This planted some worry in Su Yu's heart. If so, reviving them would become even more difficult. Li Yun made another incision into Hetu and said thoughtfully, "Hetu is genuinely different from us. Put it this way—our core consists entirely of death qi. If our death qi turns into life qi, we might die completely. But he still possesses a physical body!" As she spoke, she retrieved Hetu's blackened heart. "A black heart!" "..." Hetu felt depressed. *You're the one with a black heart! I'm a damned dead spirit, of course my heart is black. Could it possibly be red? Unbelievable!* "His heart is fully intact! Amazingly, it hasn't rotted away. That alone is a miracle!" Li Yun continued, "Also, could you let us dissect this one as well?" She pointed at Liu Hong. Liu Hong's expression darkened. Seeing Su Yu look over curiously, Li Yun explained, "He's a half-dead spirit. I believe dissecting him might yield different insights. What form does a half-dead spirit take? What form does an ordinary dead spirit take? And what form does a dead spirit with a physical body like Hetu take? We should make a comparison to prevent errors during the revival process!" So professional! Su Yu nodded. True professionals really were different. Su Yu had originally intended to use a single method to test on everyone, but hearing Li Yun, it seemed they needed tailored approaches. Su Yu turned to Liu Hong, whose face was clouded with reluctance. *I won't do it! You're a half-dead spirit too...* Su Yu coughed lightly. "Teacher Liu, I'm no longer a half-dead spirit. I'm a living person now. Alas, what a pity—there's no one around who can convert me, otherwise I'd gladly step up and test it myself!" Indeed, having severed his death qi channel and returned from death to life, Su Yu was counted as a living person. He was definitely not a half-dead spirit anymore. Liu Hong felt even more aggrieved. Su Yu smiled and said, "Teacher Liu, you're a Dao Integration expert now. It's just slicing open your physical body, nothing serious." "..." *Easy for you to say! Why don't you try it?* Liu Hong kept his composure and said, "Don't you need to study a living person as well? To compare the differences..." Li Yun gave him an odd look. "A living person? It's not as if we've never been alive. When we were alive, we studied living people plenty of times. The data is all in our heads, and our memories have returned. Why would we need a living person?" "..." Exhausting. Liu Hong resigned himself to his fate; it was clear there was no chance of dragging Su Yu onto the table. Meanwhile, Su Yu squinted at him with a brilliant smile. Liu Hong's heart skipped a beat. Forget it; this bastard was notoriously petty. Since there was no escape, he might as well stop resisting. He quickly smiled and said, "Fine! For the noble cause of revival, I will naturally offer my full support!" Soon enough, Liu Hong took the initiative to lie down on the research table. What misery. Yet he had no choice! Li Yun and the others wasted no time, cutting straight into him! Regardless, both subjects were Dao Integration experts; no matter how much they were prodded and sliced, dying wasn't easy. Curious, Su Yu leaned in to watch for a while. Seeing Liu Hong's miserable expression, Liu Hong simply closed his eyes and chose not to look! As Li Yun sliced, she analyzed alongside the other dead spirits. Su Yu also stepped forward to examine, sensing whether Liu Hong's state differed from when he himself had been a half-dead spirit. After examining for a moment, Su Yu frowned slightly. "Teacher Liu's power composition is actually more balanced than mine was back then—a true intertwining of life and death!" At that thought, Su Yu's eyes flickered. He possessed a technique: the Acupoint Reversal Technique! It converted life qi into death qi, and reversed death qi back into life qi. This was merely a specialized technique, not a rule of the Great Dao. Su Yu had previously attempted to transform it into a rule, but it hadn't worked; he couldn't even form a divine character from it and could only use it as a special technique. With that in mind, Su Yu said in a low voice, "I know an Acupoint Reversal Technique. By reversing the three hundred and sixty origin acupoints, life qi can be turned into death qi. Would this technique be useful?" At these words, Li Yun fell into deep thought. The other dead spirits pondered for a moment before Li Yun asked, "Emperor Su, can you still perform that reversal right now?" Truth be told, Su Yu hadn't used this technique in a long time. Now that his origin acupoints had transformed into the Heavenly Gate, he truly wasn't certain if it would still work. At that thought, Su Yu attempted the reversal. As soon as he did, the Heavenly Gate manifested, and suddenly, a surge of death qi poured out from within it. Delighted, Su Yu nodded. It still worked. However, right at that moment, an intense surge of vitality suddenly burst forth from the Heavenly Gate, instantly shattering the death qi! Su Yu was startled! He hastily fully manifested the Heavenly Gate. Above the floating gate, vitality brimmed vigorously, rapidly dissipating the death qi. Su Yu's gaze flickered erratically. The next moment, he barked, "Tongtian!" A moment later, a figure manifested. Marquis Tongtian looked bewildered. "What is it?" Why call for him so suddenly? Strange! Su Yu said in a deep voice, "Look!" Marquis Tongtian finally turned his gaze toward the Heavenly Gate. At a glance, his expression shifted slightly, and he quickly understood the purpose of Su Yu's summons. After pondering for a moment, he hesitated. "This... Heavenly Gate... Your Majesty, did you use death qi within the Heavenly Gate?" Su Yu nodded and said grimly, "Previously, there was no problem. I had the Heavenly Gate before, and I utilized death qi with no issues whatsoever! But using the reversal technique today to turn life into death, it was actually shattered by the Heavenly Gate!" Marquis Tongtian sank into thought, only speaking after a long silence. "This... is hard to say! Perhaps previously, it didn't trigger the Heavenly Gate..." "Nonsense!" Su Yu frowned. "When I manifested the Heavenly Gate before, I frequently channeled death qi into it!" Marquis Tongtian felt a headache coming on. He hesitated before venturing, "Perhaps the present is different from the past. The biggest difference is that Your Majesty once shattered the Heavenly Gate and later reconverged it!" Su Yu said nothing. Was there a difference between the two? Marquis Tongtian continued, "Therefore, I hypothesize that after Your Majesty shattered it once, the Heavenly Gate became more active—or perhaps it caught the attention of the Gate Race!" Su Yu's brow furrowed. What did that mean? What did he mean by catching the attention of the Gate Race? Was he being targeted by the Heavenly Gate? Marquis Tongtian continued, "It is like this... The Heavenly Gate's existence sealed away the Heaven-Opening Era. And that era is generally believed to have been sealed by either the master of the Dead Spirit Dao or the Human Ancestor!" "Could it be that the Human Ancestor sealed it, trapping the Master of Dead Spirits inside along with it?" He added, "It's very likely. As far as I know, all those who opened the Heavenly Gate seem to be from the human race. It's rumored that the myriad races could open it... but I have never witnessed it!" He looked at Su Yu. "So I'm thinking, could it be that the Human Ancestor sealed the Master of Dead Spirits, and now that the Heavenly Gate has been stirred, it suspects the Master of Dead Spirits is trying to break out?" "Or perhaps it suspects the dead spirits are trying to rescue the Master of Dead Spirits and unseal him?" One speculation followed another. Su Yu's brow furrowed; it was indeed possible. Was the Heavenly Gate crafted by the Human Ancestor? Or had the Human Ancestor found it in heaven and earth, and the Heaven-Opening Era had been sealed by the human race? He knew the Human Ancestor's Physical Body Dao was immensely powerful. However... unless the Human Ancestor had also opened a separate heaven, and the Physical Body Dao was merely a path he had used in the past. Thoughts swirled in his mind. Soon, Su Yu took a deep breath, choosing not to overthink it; the more he pondered, the more convoluted it became. He quickly said, "In other words, my Heavenly Gate can no longer touch death qi. No, rather, if death qi becomes too concentrated, it will be automatically shattered and converted into life qi!" Su Yu's eyes lit up. "This... might actually be a good thing!" Indeed, when death qi touched the Heavenly Gate, it was actually converted into life qi. Su Yu truly hadn't known this before. If that was the case... He suddenly turned his gaze toward Hetu. Caught in his gaze, Hetu immediately bared his teeth. *I have to be the guinea pig again, don't I? Just say it outright!* Su Yu squinted with a smile. "Hetu, converting death qi into life qi!" A good thing! Hetu had no choice but to channel a wisp of death qi. Su Yu swiftly manifested the Heavenly Gate. Sure enough, this time was completely different from before—as soon as the death qi surged forth, it was instantly inverted into life qi. *Bang!* With a muffled sound, that surge of life qi bounced straight back into Hetu's body, causing him to grunt. He was a dead spirit; such life qi was actually quite harmful to him. He had suffered a small loss. Su Yu's eyes, however, sparkled slightly. That surge of life qi rampaged through Hetu's body, and it took quite a while before Hetu's death qi suppressed it! The more Su Yu thought about it, the more excited he became. This meant there might be a better method and safeguard for converting dead spirits. ... The dead spirits continued their research. The gap between a half-dead spirit and a true dead spirit remained substantial. A half-dead spirit retained a physical body, with life qi and death qi coexisting. A true dead spirit naturally possessed no life qi. Enabling life qi and death qi to coexist might very well be the key to resurrection. The group delved deeper into their studies. As for outside affairs, no one was in the mood to care. Su Yu included; unless the dead spirits in the sealed lands broke out, there were currently no major matters requiring his attention. ... While Su Yu was researching resurrection, in the Upper Realm, in the region of Mount Chaos. The Mount Chaos area was in absolute turmoil. The myriad races had officially begun their advance into Mount Chaos, and on the periphery, vanguard units from various races were already sweeping through. Squad after squad of experts began advancing toward Mount Chaos. Using Human Mountain as their base, an immense number of experts gathered. At the summit of Human Mountain, a group of Celestial Venerable experts assembled. Heavenly Venerable Yue was currently briefing everyone on the situation, his expression somewhat grave. "According to our current reconnaissance, there are no fewer than eighty Dao Integration chaotic ancient beasts in the Mount Chaos region! Previously, they operated independently, only gathering if outsiders intruded, and their intelligence was low!" "However, since the last incident, two terrifying beings have appeared in the depths of Mount Chaos: an Eight-Winged Tiger and a Broken-Tailed Dragon!" "That Eight-Winged Tiger definitely possesses Celestial Venerable combat strength. As for the Broken-Tailed Dragon, from what I know, it is injured—likely from battling some terrifying entity deep within the chaos. Even so, it definitely commands Celestial Venerable combat power. At its peak, its strength would likely... exceed imagination, rivaling that progenitor of the Prison King lineage!" Heavenly Venerable Dao said softly, "Have we still not determined the identity of that progenitor from the Prison King lineage?" Heavenly Venerable Yue shook his head. "It's difficult to judge. Back then, the Prison King seemed to have no descendants. Yet without descendants... where did these people come from? It's likely they were born in secret, and this so-called progenitor is very likely a direct bloodline descendant of the Prison King!" At this point, Heavenly Venerable Yue continued, "Returning to Mount Chaos: currently, this Broken-Tailed Dragon and Eight-Winged Tiger each occupy a territory. One holds the southern area, while the other holds the northern area... Both are in the depths of Mount Chaos, each gathering dozens of Dao Integration and over a hundred Eternal ancient beasts!" Everyone's hearts tightened slightly. Leibao, who hadn't gone out to scout, said in a deep voice, "They've gathered together?" "Yes, they have!" Heavenly Venerable Yue sighed. "The reason the last battle ended was precisely because of their sudden appearance! Otherwise, there was hope of capturing Yuehao back then!" He added, "Furthermore, according to our findings, aside from a terrifying existence behind the gate, the Prison King lineage's strongest figure is that progenitor. Below him, there are five Celestial Venerables including Yuehao, and over a dozen Heavenly Kings!" "If Su Yu's group hadn't killed multiple Heavenly Kings and a Celestial Venerable earlier, their forces would be even stronger!" The more he spoke, the more frustrated everyone became. Just when you thought there weren't many enemies left out there, they turned out to be far more numerous and far stronger than imagined. It was impossible not to feel aggrieved. Heavenly Venerable Yue continued, "Moreover, among these Celestial Venerables, Yueluo is exceptionally powerful. As everyone saw during her clash with Giant Axe last time, Giant Axe was no match for her. In less than thirty exchanges, he was heavily wounded and fled! Even if Yueluo is slightly weaker than that progenitor, she is still somewhat stronger than us—likely on par with Rimian!" Nearby, Rimian nodded slightly. "Roughly no weaker than me. To be capable of sealing Hundred Battles, she is indeed formidable!" While the myriad races appeared to have more Celestial Venerables, their opponents were by no means weak either. Factoring in that terrifying existence behind the gate, the strength between both sides was comparable. Heavenly Venerable Yue added, "Currently, there are three unaligned Celestial Venerables... no, counting the missing Hundred Battles, there are four!" "This is another immense variable!" The Broken-Tailed Dragon, Hundred Battles, the Eight-Winged Tiger, and Giant Axe! Four full Celestial Venerables whose stances and whereabouts were uncertain. The strength of Hundred Battles and the Broken-Tailed Dragon might even surpass ordinary Celestial Venerables, reaching the level of ancient physical-body Human Kings. That made them all the more menacing! Heavenly Venerable Yue briefly summarized the situation and said grimly, "Therefore, at this stage, defeating the Chaos faction poses a massive challenge! These unaligned Celestial Venerables, especially the two ancient beasts, are particularly troublesome. I worry they might ally with the Prison King lineage!" The assembly exchanged glances, all feeling a headache coming on. That was a significant number! This wasn't just one or two, but four top-tier figures whose stances remained unknown. Heavenly Venerable Yue continued, "As for Giant Axe, he wants to repay Su Yu's favor, so he is currently targeting the Prison King lineage. But frankly speaking, Giant Axe's strength is at the bottom among Celestial Venerables! Opposing the Prison King lineage alone, he has accomplished virtually nothing!" "Brother San Yue!" Heavenly Venerable Yue looked at San Yue and said seriously, "Could Brother San Yue contact Giant Axe and have him act alongside us? While the human race does have enmity with us, the Prison King lineage is both traitors to mankind and enemies of Su Yu's faction. If Giant Axe truly wants to repay the favor... allying with us might yield greater results!" San Yue maintained a naive, foolish expression. "I have no way of contacting him." *Like hell anyone believes that!* The others clearly didn't buy it. Freeing Giant Axe had been pushed single-handedly by San Yue; how could he have no contact with him whatsoever? "Another issue: where on earth did Hundred Battles go?" Heavenly Venerable Yue said in a deep voice, "Not just Hundred Battles—last time, Nanxi, Jianghai, and Yunshui fled, and they've vanished without a trace as well. Did they go look for Hundred Battles? If they did, where are they hiding now? If Su Yu and his people could come up from the Lower Realm, then they can go down. Yunshui and the others previously followed Su Yu; do they also know where the passage to the Lower Realm is?" A passage separate from the Destiny race's! Heavenly Venerable Yue said grimly, "If Hundred Battles led them down to the Lower Realm, could unexpected variables arise there?" "Su Yu's side indeed suffered heavy losses! But on Su Yu's side, if I recall correctly, there is still a dog—the dog belonging to King Wen is still alive, and it fought Yuehao intensely last time without falling behind!" "If that dog, Su Yu, and Hundred Battles... if those people form an alliance in the Lower Realm, it will also become a major problem!" "They are all factions of the human race..." The more they discussed, the gloomier everyone became. This was not easy to handle! If they fought the Prison King lineage to the bitter end right now, how many Celestial Venerables would they lose? How many would die? The crux of the matter was that there were still many unaligned Celestial Venerables roaming free. Heavenly Venerable Mo frowned slightly. "However, we have no choice but to fight! Otherwise, dragging this out might lead to unforeseen changes! Rimian knows the situation: the Gate of Hell may soon open! Once it opens, there is another terrifying existence inside! Who is that being? Is she a top expert of the Prison King lineage? Why was she trapped behind the gate? Did she enter willingly or by force? What is the Prison King lineage's objective? To open the Gate of Hell?" Heavenly Venerable Mo continued heavily, "Therefore, no matter what, we must resolve the threat of the Prison King lineage as early as possible! Furthermore, the Human Sovereign and his peers might be returning soon; Su Yu had no reason to deceive us on that front... But once they return, whether our myriad races' Dao Rulers hold the advantage or the Human Sovereign's side holds it is impossible to say!" With that, Heavenly Venerable Mo added in a low voice, "One last matter... ourselves! We are currently all so-called Celestial Venerables. But a Celestial Venerable... is not a Dao Ruler! When the experts of our respective races return, where do we stand? What will become of us in the future? Will we still just be ancient marquises taking orders?" "During this phase, we must strive to become Dao Rulers!" "Break the seal and advance. That way, whether our people or the Human Sovereign's people hold the upper hand when they return, we will possess the strength to contend!" The myriad races had numerous Celestial Venerables; if they all became Dao Rulers, they would form a formidable power! San Yue grew somewhat impatient. "Enough. The pressing priority right now is the Prison King lineage! If we don't deal with them, disaster will strike sooner or later! Look at them—they're leisurely as can be. If the Gate of Hell opens before the Human Sovereign and the others return... we'll all suffer! Who knows what lies beyond it? Only by breaking their claws and fangs first can we hope to face the troubles that follow..." Everyone felt helpless. The more they thought about it, the more frustrated they became! Previously, they had believed themselves invincible. Looking around now... damn it, powerful enemies were everywhere! Hundred Battles and Su Yu weren't weak either. Heavenly Venerable Yue spoke again: "Hundred Battles and Su Yu are likely in the Lower Realm, so we can ignore them for now. But the Broken-Tailed Dragon and the Eight-Winged Tiger must be dealt with. They are right on the battlefield; two Celestial Venerables leading seventy to eighty Dao Integrations—can we really afford to ignore them?" No one could overlook such a force! Heavenly Venerable Yue continued, "Moreover, I truly worry these chaotic ancient beasts might ally with the Prison King lineage. The possibility is high; back then, rumor had it that the Gate of Hell was constructed precisely to seal chaotic ancient beasts!" The crowd grew solemn once more. Heavenly Venerable Yue looked at the group. "Therefore, we need someone to serve as envoys to both factions and win over the two ancient beasts. Even if we cannot recruit them, we must ascertain their stance!" "Aside from that, there is one more thing: find the entrance to the Lower Realm!" Heavenly Venerable Yue said gravely, "We must find it. We cannot pin the safety of the myriad races on the assumption that Su Yu and Hundred Battles won't dare make a move! Currently in the Lower Realm, there are only Tiangu and a few others! Such strength cannot match Hundred Battles and his peers!" Silence fell over the gathering once again. Heavenly Venerable Yue suddenly said in an eerie tone, "How about this: San Yue will be responsible for traveling to the Lower Realm as an envoy and finding the entrance! I will seek out the Broken-Tailed Dragon, and Tianming will look for the Eight-Winged Tiger!" San Yue said sullenly, "How am I supposed to find it?" Inwardly, he cursed! Harboring ill intentions! Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled. "Just give it a try! If that doesn't work, you and Leibao can search together!" Leibao frowned slightly. Heavenly Venerable Yue added faintly, "With the two of you searching together, I believe you should be able to find it! Once found, you two will descend to the Lower Realm. We only need to reach a consensus: we will not take the initiative to invade the Lower Realm, nor will we make things difficult for Hundred Battles and his allies before the entrance to the Lower Realm is formally opened... However, they must send Tiangu and the others up!" "What do you two think?" He was permitting two Celestial Venerables to leave—provided, of course, that only the two of them went, while the experts of their races stayed behind! If they didn't return... their clansmen would serve as cannon fodder! At this moment, they were worried about the Lower Realm on one hand, yet urgently needed to wage war against the Chaos faction on the other, to prevent the existence behind the Gate of Hell from emerging! Troubles abounded! Knowing full well that San Yue and Leibao had ties with the humans below, they still chose to let them make contact, suspecting these two might know how to descend! Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled faintly. "If that still doesn't work... all of us will join forces to forcibly carve out a passage through the Destiny Realm to help the two of you descend. Granted, there would be some danger involved... but right now, we have no other options!" Heavenly Venerable Yue sighed. "Placing the safety of the Lower Realm entirely in the hands of the human race... gentlemen, do you find that acceptable?" Of course it wasn't acceptable! Were it not for the fact that the passage to the Lower Realm currently couldn't be easily opened, they would have charged down together to eradicate Hundred Battles and Su Yu first! Countless beings of the myriad races inhabited the Lower Realm; it was their foundation and home base. How many people were there in the Upper Realm? Most of the Dao Integration experts in the Upper Realm had been born below. The rules of the Upper Realm were incomplete; those who achieved Dao Integration here had recently been revealed to be pseudo-Dao Integrations. How could anyone rest easy? San Yue remained silent, while Leibao muttered sullenly, "I have no idea where the passage to the Lower Realm is!" Heavenly Venerable Yue chuckled lightly. "How could that be? If Hundred Battles truly went down, would Brother Leibao not know?" Leibao said coldly, "What do you mean by that?" "Does Brother Leibao not know what I mean in his heart?" Heavenly Venerable Yue said indifferently, "Why must we spell everything out and embarrass each other? As we said, harmony is paramount right now! The Chaos faction is our common enemy, is it not? That lineage appeared out of nowhere after hiding for countless years; their revealed strength might not even be the full extent of it... Are you two truly not concerned? When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman benefits—but that depends on whether the snipe and clam are strong enough! Take care not to become someone else's meal!" He turned his gaze back toward the two experts. "Gentlemen, we leave the Lower Realm to you. Is that acceptable?" San Yue remained sullen and quiet. Leibao looked at San Yue, who responded with an innocent, naive look. "Why are you looking at me, Brother Leibao? I'm not Hundred Battles' father-in-law, nor am I his brother-in-law... What's the use of looking at me?" Leibao frowned. San Yue added, "Of course, if Brother Leibao is willing to accept, I'll accompany Brother Leibao on this trip!" Leibao cursed inwardly! *To hell with you! As if I'd believe you aren't colluding with Su Yu's faction!* Hearing this, Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled as well. "So Brother San Yue agrees? What about Brother Leibao?" Leibao frowned, only speaking after a long pause. "I'll follow San Yue! However, I feel two people are too few; we might not find the passage. How about letting Juzhu and Leilie accompany us in the search..." Heavenly Venerable Yue smiled faintly. "That wouldn't be appropriate. Why trouble them? If need be, I can have Marquis Yuansheng and a few others accompany you!" "..." Very well. Leibao had merely been testing the waters, and reality proved it wouldn't work! Evidently, the Giant race and the Iron Eater race were now being used by the myriad races to keep them in check. Gathering everyone on Human Mountain was an overt means of control. Previously, one might have slipped away quietly. Now, there was no chance! Everyone was on Human Mountain, surrounded by far too many experts. For anyone to leave required the consent of several Celestial Venerables. A moment later, both sides reached an understanding: San Yue and Leibao would find a way to descend to the Lower Realm. They weren't expected to do anything to the human race, only to send a batch of experts up. In particular, figures like Tiangu—who might now be a Heavenly King, or perhaps... a Celestial Venerable? Who knew! As for the God race, Heavenly Venerable Yue made a special point to remind them: notify the Former Imperial Consort to ascend to the Upper Realm. She had to come up. The Former Imperial Consort possessed immense combat strength; though her current state was poor, no matter how poor it was, ascending might still grant her one final battle. Even the God race wasn't entirely certain of the Former Imperial Consort's true strength. These people firmly believed the two could descend! ... Once Leibao and San Yue departed, Celestial Venerable Huang said coldly, "Those two fellows are definitely colluding with the human race!" It was glaringly obvious! Heavenly Venerable Dao, however, chucked softly. "Let them collude! I'm actually more curious about how Su Yu and Hundred Battles will coexist. Everyone learned a bit about Su Yu from Marquis Tianlong: he is an overbearing character, unwilling to submit to anyone! And Hundred Battles is the same! San Yue chose not to aid Hundred Battles during the ninth tide, yet during this tide, he established ties with Su Yu... Will San Yue side with Su Yu or Hundred Battles? It will be quite amusing when they descend together!" "Infighting among humans has never been a new phenomenon. Perhaps we won't need to do anything; they'll fight amongst themselves in the Lower Realm!" "As the protagonists from ancient times to the present, the human race's fortune has been exceptionally flourishing, producing endless experts. Were it not for their internal strife, we wouldn't have stood a chance!" Heavenly Venerable Dao sighed with emotion. "Hundred Battles, Su Yu, and the Prison King lineage—all three factions are human. Had they truly united, especially if Hundred Battles and the Prison King lineage had joined hands at the end of the ninth tide, we might have been finished long ago!" He smiled. "Thus, the human race being excessively strong isn't necessarily a bad thing! Now that the three human factions stand in a tri-part deadlock, it grants us an opportunity! There is no need for everyone to feel resentful. The human race suppressed us for over a hundred thousand years, while we have only suppressed them for six thousand. If anyone has a right to feel bitter, it certainly isn't us!" The others nodded slightly. Indeed. The true overlord had always been the human race. For the myriad races to reign supreme for six thousand years was already quite impressive! In the ancient era, with so many Dao Rulers among the myriad races, hadn't they still been suppressed by mankind? Had King Wen and his peers not departed, none of the subsequent events would have occurred. Heavenly Venerable Dao smiled again. "The pressing matter at hand is still breaking the seal to become Dao Rulers! Yes, the human race has many experts, but they have all reached their limits! Take that progenitor of the Prison King lineage and Hundred Battles—one walks the Chaos Dao, the other walks the Physical Body Dao. Breaking the seal offers no boost to their strength!" "The dog under Su Yu hasn't reached the Celestial Venerable realm itself, so breaking the seal won't help it either!" "We, on the other hand, will instantly gain over a dozen Dao Rulers once the seal is broken, and our overall strength will skyrocket!" Heavenly Venerable Dao chuckled. "Among the five Celestial Venerables of the Prison King lineage, three walk the Chaos Dao as far as we can see, so breaking the seal won't help them either! Therefore, throughout the myriad realms, the only ones who truly yearn to break the seal are us!" The crowd nodded once more. Heavenly Venerable Dao added, "Breaking the seal by exterminating the human race... I believe that is exceedingly difficult! Finding another method to unseal it is far better. What Su Yu and his people told us during our last meeting might not have been entirely true, but it wasn't completely without hope either!" "Both the Martial Emperor and King Yue's remains are worth attempting!" Everyone nodded silently; this matter ought to be placed on the agenda as well. Heavenly Venerable Yue soon spoke: "Then Tianming and I will go test the attitudes of the two ancient beasts! It would be best if we can locate the Lower Realm passage, but if we cannot... when the time comes, forcibly breaking it open is not out of the question!" The punishing power within the passage was far weaker than in the past! This presented an opportunity to breach it by force! After deliberating for a while, the assembly soon dispersed. A battle against the Chaos faction was inevitable, but only under the premise that engaging them wouldn't invite unforeseen disaster. ... At that moment. Having departed, San Yue and Leibao walked side by side in silence for a long time. Only after a considerable while did Leibao say in a low voice, "Brother San Yue, the human race and the Iron Eater race have been allied for many years, haven't they?" San Yue offered a simple, honest smile. "You could say that!" "Hundred Battles..." Just as Leibao was about to speak, San Yue chuckled naively. "Not very familiar with him. I haven't had much contact with Hundred Battles. All I know is that my Qi Yue was led to his death by him!" "..." Leibao felt pity! Yet even while feeling pity, he spoke again: "But you've seen Su Yu's situation! Do you truly believe he has the ability to turn things around? He is somewhat too impetuous; that previous battle could have been avoided!" San Yue said nothing. Marquis Juzhu had told him that Su Yu might not have suffered much of a loss, but he had witnessed everything during the last battle with his own eyes. Heading to the Lower Realm... might also be an opportunity. He wanted to find Su Yu and see whether Su Yu still had any hidden cards left. If there was nothing left, and it was purely Su Yu and Fat Ball, he would have to consider the future of the Iron Eater race! As for Hundred Battles, there was the grudge of Qi Yue's death between them. Even if Hundred Battles hadn't delivered the killing blow, San Yue could not accept his philosophy. As for the Prison King's side, there was no need to even mention it—his own father had been killed by the Prison King. And the myriad races were now convinced they were colluding with the humans. Among the three human factions, he could only place his hopes on Su Yu, hoping Su Yu could bring him some pleasant surprises. "Leibao, go ahead and attend to your business. I'll search around for the passage to the Lower Realm later!" San Yue departed alone. He still needed to find Giant Axe, and bring along General Xuelan, who remained frozen from last time. There was no chance of bringing his own clansmen away, but taking human experts wouldn't be an issue. Right now, everyone was practically wishing the humans would get lost and stop causing trouble! If Giant Axe and Xuelan could submit to Su Yu, Su Yu's side would quickly gather several more powerhouses. That way, there would still be hope. Adding himself, Giant Axe, and Fat Ball, that made three Celestial Venerable-level beings. If Su Yu could also reach the Celestial Venerable realm, four Celestial Venerables would constitute quite a formidable power! "I hope everyone is safe, and I hope Su Yu managed to preserve some strength..." San Yue wasn't in the best of moods; he could only pin his hopes on that. As for the passage to the Lower Realm, he naturally knew where it was. Whether Leibao knew was none of his business! In any case, he had no intention of traveling with Leibao! He would act alone! Soon, San Yue found the still-frozen Xuelan. Not bothering to thaw her out, he directly stowed her away and quickly left Human Mountain. ... Not long after leaving Human Mountain, near Mount Chaos, Marquis Giant Axe appeared, glancing around furtively, and called out in a low voice, "San Yue?" San Yue manifested shortly. Giant Axe cautiously scouted the surroundings, let out a sigh of relief, and cursed, "That woman Yueluo is truly not weak! Ugly as sin, yet terrifyingly strong! I was badly injured during our clash last time!" He felt somewhat helpless; he had been battered miserably! Sure enough, hitting someone where it hurt bred deep enmity; Yueluo had fought him like a lunatic last time, nearly tearing him to pieces. San Yue smiled innocently. "Brother Giant Axe certainly doesn't lack courage!" "My strength just wasn't up to par, nothing to be done!" Giant Axe chuckled as well. "Does Fellow Daoist San Yue need something from me?" "I want to make a trip to the Lower Realm!" San Yue said in a deep voice, "After Su Yu's defeat last time, the current situation is unclear! Hundred Battles may have descended to the Lower Realm, and one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers! Yunshui and the others chose to betray Su Yu and continue following Hundred Battles... I was thinking, Su Yu did save your life last time. If Hundred Battles suppresses Su Yu in the Lower Realm... we might need Brother Giant Axe to mediate!" Giant Axe frowned slightly. "Hundred Battles wouldn't go that far, would he?" "Who knows!" San Yue smiled amiably. "Is Brother Giant Axe willing to take a trip? If the situation in the Lower Realm is precarious, would you be willing to lend Su Yu a hand?" Giant Axe frowned and said, "If Su Yu's strength is truly meager and he cannot resist... I'd suggest he simply retire in peace! Hundred Battles may be unreliable, but he possesses immense power. Of course, if Hundred Battles truly tries to kill Su Yu, I will intervene; I won't just stand by and let him do as he pleases!" "And what if Su Yu's faction isn't weak?" San Yue looked at Giant Axe. Giant Axe said grimly, "Not weak? All his subordinates were wiped out last time! Even if Brother San Yue helps him, along with the Iron Eater race... does he have the strength to resist?" At present, it wasn't merely a matter of dealing with Hundred Battles—that was internal human business. The crux was that external enemies were overwhelmingly strong! San Yue smiled. "If he isn't weak, is Brother Giant Axe willing to lend a hand?" Giant Axe scratched his head. "I have to assess the situation. First and foremost, the greater interests of the human race come first! If Su Yu insists on fighting Hundred Battles to determine who is superior despite a massive gap in strength, I will protect his life... If Hundred Battles wants to kill him, I will definitely step in! But... but if the gap between him and Hundred Battles is too vast, I can't go fight Hundred Battles to the death for his sake, can I? Doing so would only weaken the overall strength of the human race!" San Yue nodded. "Then... what level of strength does Brother Giant Axe consider 'not weak'?" "At the very least, Su Yu himself must have Heavenly King strength, right?" Giant Axe said awkwardly, "I heard he detonated his Pen Dao... *cough cough*, he might have fallen back to the Sun Moon Realm now... Uh... at the very least, he needs to be a top-tier Dao Integration, right? If not... Dao Integration! Yes, restoring Dao Integration combat strength will do! Aside from that dog, he doesn't seem to have anyone left under his command. Without ten or twenty Dao Integrations plus three to five Heavenly Kings, this... there's simply no way to compete!" Even with the Iron Eater race added, that strength still wouldn't suffice, but at least there would be hope. If they were too weak, Giant Axe... truly couldn't help! San Yue calculated in his mind: Su Yu restoring his personal strength shouldn't be an issue. As for three to five Heavenly Kings... he couldn't say for sure. After a moment's hesitation, San Yue said in a deep voice, "How about this: if Su Yu restores his strength, and three Heavenly Kings are still alive—counting Fat Ball—will Brother Giant Axe come to assist? If he lacks even that strength, then without you saying a word, I wouldn't want to lead my entire race to their deaths either!" Giant Axe pondered for a moment, gritted his teeth, and nodded. "If there truly are three Heavenly Kings... counting Fat Ball, that makes you, Fat Ball, and me, which totals three Celestial Venerables, plus two other Heavenly Kings. That level of strength... could indeed put up a fight! He saved my life; since I failed to kill Yuehao and the others, I'll repay his favor this way!" The key question was: could three have survived? He had heard they were all wiped out! San Yue, however, was thinking that Hongmeng was still alive! Fat Ball was alive as well! Moreover, Giant Axe hadn't specified that dead spirits didn't count. As far as San Yue knew, the Southern King had also submitted to Su Yu—wouldn't that make three Heavenly Kings right there? Done! That way, Giant Axe would be pulled into the fold! With that, their strength wouldn't be weak at all! Giant Axe didn't overthink it. The three of them—himself, San Yue, and Fat Ball—could roughly contend with Hundred Battles if they joined forces. If Su Yu had several more Heavenly Kings on his side, they would naturally be stronger than Hundred Battles' faction. Assisting Su Yu wouldn't be an issue at all! Perhaps he could even take the opportunity to mediate between them! *My mediation skills are quite formidable,* Giant Axe thought to himself. *Yes, I'll mediate between them!* San Yue mused silently with an innocent, naive smile on his face. Meanwhile, Giant Axe, lost in thought, also wore a naive, goofy grin. At that moment, between the man and the panda, it was hard to tell who was truly simple and who was merely playing dumb!