Truly Pitiable

Dead Spirit Realm. For several days, Su Yu had been studying the matter of revival. Inside the research laboratory. Su Yu looked somewhat exhausted. After a long while, he spoke: "It's about ready. All that's left is putting it into practice. Continuing to study it in theory is empty talk anyway. Let's start by using Hetu to practice on!" "..." Hetu merely stared at Su Yu in silence, feeling increasingly pitiable. Use me to practice on? Is that something a human being would say? You won't even give me a shred of confidence. I'm terrified here. Su Yu looked at Hetu and smiled. "If you harbor too much hope and it fails, wouldn't that make the despair even worse? Having less hope right now is a good thing, because... I truly am not certain whether it will succeed..." Hetu raised an eyebrow slightly, then quickly laughed. "Never mind. Even if it really fails, it's no big deal. As a dead spirit, would I still fear death?" "You would!" Su Yu nodded. Hetu was rendered speechless, unable to reply. Forget it, pretend I said nothing. "Let's go!" Su Yu said no more. Looking toward Hetu, Liu Hong, and the others, he said, "To the edge of Chaos. There's a high probability we won't be able to revive him into the River of Time. If that doesn't work, he can only be revived into my mini heaven and earth!" Hetu had no objections to that. He smiled and said, "If I truly revive into Your Majesty's world, that would be a fine thing too. A Great Dao would form naturally, and I wouldn't have to compete with anyone else!" Su Yu smiled as well, said nothing further, and swiftly strode out. Li Yun and several other dead spirits immediately followed behind, each carrying some degree of anticipation and yearning. Revival! The revival of the dead—this might very well be the first time since the creation of heaven and earth. As to whether it was possible, no one knew, and no one was certain. ... Today, experts gathered once again at the edge of Chaos. In recent days, Su Yu and his companions had visited here frequently, frightening the likes of the Northern King so much that they dared not approach this area anymore. Even the experts over in the Sealed Land grew increasingly terrified. Because the strength on Su Yu's side seemed to be continuously rising. Every time an expert flew past, they felt stronger than before, growing stronger with every passing day! On this day, Su Yu led his people across the expanse once again. The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke from within the Sealed Land, his voice low and deep: "Human Master Su, I hear that... you seem to be... preparing to... revive a dead spirit?" Boom! The other pillars of light flickered one after another. Su Yu was surprised as well. Looking down, he laughed. "Where did you hear that from?" The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign said softly, "Your people pass by often. I've overheard a thing or two." Su Yu chuckled. "Loose lips!" "Which means this matter is true?" This time, instead of just projecting a face, the Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign manifested a pitch-black figure directly. With a hint of uncertainty, he murmured, "Does the Human Master know that life and death are the hardest matters of all? Coming back from the dead... is merely a legend!" Su Yu looked down at him and smiled. "Just testing it out. Does the Imperial Sovereign also harbor a desire for revival?" The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign said softly, "Who wouldn't want to be revived? No one willingly resigns themselves to being a dead spirit for an entire lifetime! It was merely out of sheer helplessness. Having died once, death became the final destination for those of us who failed in the past! Which dead spirit doesn't have regrets? Everyone wishes to make up for the regrets of their lifetime." His tone was neither overbearing, arrogant, nor insolent. From the very first day, it had been like this: soft and gentle. Su Yu suddenly smiled. "Was the Imperial Sovereign a scholar in life?" "I read a few books, though what I read were texts of the Great Dao, somewhat different from scholars of today." The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign replied, then quickly steered the topic back: "If the Human Master wishes to revive a dead spirit, is there anything you need our help with?" Su Yu was slightly taken aback. "What does the Imperial Sovereign mean?" "We... wish to see a glimmer of hope, a shred of anticipation, even if... we might not necessarily receive such an opportunity ourselves!" The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign said softly, "Throughout countless eras, did peerless paragons like the Human Sovereign and King Wen never consider reviving the dead? Yet, all of them failed! Every failure was a blow to the dead spirits! We yearn all the more to see the hope of revival, even if it is our enemy being revived!" He let out a sigh. "Even if an enemy! As long as revival is possible, it represents hope for us! It also signifies that being a dead spirit is not our ultimate destination! I believe that among the dead spirits, those who possess true wisdom will not obstruct the Human Master's revival efforts, and might even be willing to offer whatever assistance is within their power!" Su Yu was indeed somewhat surprised. Thinking about it carefully, this was a truly sensible person. Indeed. He was attempting revival; those dead spirits who possessed genuine wisdom actually yearned for Su Yu to succeed. Regardless of whether he was an enemy, at the very least, he would allow everyone to see hope! Those who sought to obstruct Su Yu's revival were likely those lacking intellect. Of course, Su Yu was not afraid of dead spirits interfering either! Looking at the projection of the Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign, he smiled. "The Imperial Sovereign has considered this thoroughly. If the Imperial Sovereign is genuinely inclined to help, it's not out of the question. For instance, when I strip away the imprint of the Dead Spirit Dao, it might cause the Dao to riot. Why doesn't the Imperial Sovereign help suppress it a bit?" The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign fell into deep thought. After a moment, he nodded slightly. "That might happen, but as for suppressing it... I fear I would be unable to do so! I surmise that when reviving, a riot of the Dead Spirit Dao wouldn't be very useful anyway... The Human Master needs to be cautious of the dead spirits themselves!" Su Yu frowned slightly. The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign whispered, "I think the Human Master should not keep too many dead spirits by your side! Once an anomaly occurs, a certain situation might arise where the Dao compels the dead spirits to eliminate the Human Master! Whether it is those of us who are sealed, the Southern King and her people, or the Northern King's group, all could become pawns of the Dao—blades wielded by the Dead Spirit Dao!" Su Yu grew pensive. The probability was not small! He had indeed somewhat neglected this point. Quite a few dead spirits had come to observe this time. Including top-tier figures like the Southern King and Marquis Lanshan. If an anomaly occurred midway, it would become extremely troublesome. They were his own people, so he could not kill them, yet suppressing them would also be troublesome. Moreover, once it reached the crucial moment, if a dead spirit were to self-detonate, it would be even worse. If an enemy detonated and died, so be it, but what if Lanshan and the others self-detonated? "Thank you for the reminder, Imperial Sovereign!" Su Yu chuckled. "The Imperial Sovereign is indeed a sensible person, far superior to Dizhiluo. My old offer still stands: if the Imperial Sovereign wishes to defect, kill Dizhiluo as your pledge of loyalty, and I might consider it!" "..." Below, Dizhiluo's face suddenly surfaced, filled with rage, looking ready to roar. However, he quickly forced himself to endure it. Because there was a dog that could trample him! At that moment, he saw a dog flying over in the distance. Suppressing the fury in his heart, Dizhiluo kept silent. Soon, Fat Ball flew over and asked curiously, "Did they block you? Should I beat them to death?" It had even pulled out its boot! Seeing Su Yu suddenly stop here, it had thought a fight was about to break out. Although it did not particularly want to fight, Su Yu was going to find its master. If these people dared oppose Su Yu, they were bullying Fat Ball, and it would settle scores with them. Su Yu smiled. "It's nothing. The Imperial Sovereign is still reasonable. However, under any leader, there will always be a few disobedient or brash hotheads. In times of hostility, they actually come in quite handy!" It was the honest truth. For instance, among his own subordinates, there were quite a few reckless personalities. For example, shouts to "hack Hundred Battles to death" were not uncommon. Naturally, there was no shortage of such people under Hundred Battles either. In truth, their existence was necessary. Some were genuinely rash, while others deliberately acted reckless—some even read the sovereign's thoughts and intentionally flattered him. Even if a sovereign might not act on it... it still sounded pleasant to the ears. Su Yu might not necessarily intend to eliminate Hundred Battles—at least for now, he did not advise internal strife—yet hearing people shout about hacking Hundred Battles to death still put him in a rather good mood. Therefore, among Hundred Battles's subordinates, there was likely no shortage of such people. The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign said nothing further, nor did he mention Dizhiluo. Once more, he said softly, "Then I wish Human Master Su success in advance!" "Thank you!" Su Yu smiled and stepped into the void. Fat Ball followed behind, wagging its tail with the boot held in its mouth, eyes full of curiosity. "Why did he suddenly start chatting with you? Is that what they call hiding a dagger behind a smile?" "Oh? You even know the phrase 'hiding a dagger behind a smile' now?" Su Yu laughed. Fat Ball said gloomily, "I'm an educated dog!" Last time, that Eight-Winged Tiger had claimed it was a scholarly tiger. Fat Ball had thought about it: I'm an educated dog too! I've read many books! Thinking about it now, "educated dog" sounded pretty nice. During their fight, it hadn't defeated the Eight-Winged Tiger, which still left it holding a grudge. Su Yu chuckled again. As he walked, he asked, "How is your Devouring Dao coming along?" "I can eat anything and bite anything, but it still feels like it's missing something..." Fat Ball muttered dejectedly, "It always feels like something is lacking. Tell me, could it be because I'm too stupid?" "Hard to say." Su Yu smiled. "It might still be related to your Great Dao. The Eight-Winged Tiger said you were some kind of Sun-Devouring Divine Hound, but you reformed yourself, transforming from a Chaos ancient clan into a member of the myriad races, with your Dao connected to the River of Time! During that time, King Wen and the Time Master specifically taught you to forge a Dao. I believe what you opened might not necessarily be your original Dao!" "The Time Master and King Wen both likely possessed Heavenly Gates and broad experience. Since they taught you to open a Dao and named it the Biting Dao... I feel there might still be some differences between it and the Devouring Dao!" Thinking it through carefully, he felt he shouldn't jump to conclusions. Fat Ball hadn't learned things haphazardly; it had genuine masters, and two supreme experts at that. If its Dao was named the Biting Dao, perhaps there really were differences from the Devouring Dao. Su Yu continued, "Biting and devouring feel similar, but in essence, there might be distinctions! Devouring... implies swallowing whole, wolfing something down in a single gulp! But biting... could it imply biting without eating?" Fat Ball didn't quite understand. It was indeed an educated dog, but when it came to tending flowers, it was exceptionally proficient; however... aside from growing flowers, it wasn't truly well-versed in other matters. Curious, it asked, "Biting without eating? What does that mean?" Nearby, Liu Hong cleared his throat and smiled. "It's... how should I put it? It means biting you to death, but finding you too stinky to even bother eating you! Swallowing... the main purpose of swallowing is still to ingest, to consume. The Dao of Devouring lies in containment, in absorption! Whereas biting lies in ruthlessness, in madness, in not resting until the enemy is dead! As the saying goes, a biting dog doesn't bark..." Fat Ball looked toward Liu Hong. Liu Hong gave a dry laugh. "I count as half a student of King Wen, so Senior Fat Ball and I are practically family! Thus, I'm merely sharing some of my insights regarding biting and devouring." Fat Ball nodded slightly, still bewildered, and turned its gaze back to Su Yu. Su Yu smiled. "Liu Hong's words are actually very clear. Biting means frenzy, refusing to stop until death! Simply put, Fat Ball, you're a bit... zen?" "Zen?" Fat Ball blinked. "Say it simpler." Su Yu chuckled. "Fierceness! Madness! What Liu Hong means is for you to become a mad dog!" "..." Liu Hong was speechless. Yes, that was what I meant. But why didn't you say it came from your own mouth? This guy isn't someone I can afford to offend, okay? Fat Ball didn't mind. Instead, it grew thoughtful. "You mean I was raised too gentle and need to be ruthless?" Su Yu smiled. "Something like that!" Fat Ball bared its teeth, then suddenly looked somewhat dejected. "But I can't act fierce! How about I put on a fierce face for you to see, and you tell me if it looks fierce?" With that, it bared its teeth again! Widening its eyes, it tried to look terrifying. A little puppy! Su Yu was speechless and had a strong urge to pat its head. You don't call this fierce; you call this puppy-cute! Fat Ball was small and chubby to begin with; no matter how you looked at it, it was adorable. Having tended flowers for over a hundred thousand years, it had truly grown too mild-mannered, gentle, and fair-featured... Cough, cough. In any case, it was entertaining, but it looked nothing like a ferocious beast. Su Yu actually had a way to make it fierce, but he didn't really want to try it. Beside them, Liu Hong, Hetu, and the others were all stifling their laughter. Adorably fierce—this was probably the textbook definition! Did that look fierce at all? Fat Ball seemed to sense it and instantly slumped in dejection. "What do I do? I can't act fierce!" Truly depressing! Does that mean I can't grow stronger? Su Yu fell silent for a moment. "Fierceness... might also be an instinct! I have an idea, but are you willing to try? To be honest, I think you're quite good as you are now." "Really? But... I want to grow strong. You said my master is waiting for me to rescue him." Su Yu stayed silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "I lied to you!" "What?" "Your master is already dead. In his final moments, only a trace of willpower remained. It was all a lie! Not only is your master dead, your young mistress is dead too. They're all dead!" Su Yu said calmly, "In truth, I was merely using you, claiming your master wasn't dead so that you would serve as my muscle. Do you understand?" Fat Ball froze, staring blankly at Su Yu. Su Yu remained entirely placid. "They are all dead. Behind the Heavenly Gate, I saw King Wen's corpse—shattered and battered, being devoured by a pack of savage, monstrous beasts. They tore away King Wen's flesh and blood bit by bit. King Wen was in agonizing pain..." Fat Ball's eyes began to redden. "You... you lied to me?" Su Yu nodded. "Yes, I lied to you. I've been deceiving you all along! Because I lacked Celestial Venerable combat strength on my side, I wanted you at my disposal..." "Roar!" At that moment, a heaven-shaking roar erupted from its throat. The next instant, Fat Ball's body expanded countless times, its eyes bloodshot. "You said... Master and the others are dead?" "Dead!" Su Yu waved his hand, signaling Liu Hong and the others to back away. "Why did you lie to me?" "Because... you're too stupid!" Su Yu said indifferently, "You're good material for a hired thug. I figured since you're here, why not use you?" "I'll bite you to death!" Roar! A thunderous roar echoed. The next moment, a colossal maw lunged to bite toward Su Yu! Su Yu struck out with a palm! Fat Ball was extraordinarily fast now, its eyes crimson. "Master and the others are dead? No, you're lying to me... You must be lying to me!" Boom! With a massive crash, Su Yu's palm struck against its snout, drawing blood, as he said calmly, "I didn't lie to you. They're dead. You're no match for me. Now, I have no need to flatter you anymore. You must remember that you're just a dog. Aside from planting flowers, what else can you do?" "I'll eat you!" Awoo! Another roar rang out. The next moment, numerous experts from the surrounding area flew over swiftly, all showing surprise. What happened? Why did Fat Ball suddenly lose control? Liu Hong hurriedly gestured for everyone to retreat, grimacing. Su Yu was truly ruthless. With just two or three sentences, he had provoked Fat Ball into losing control! ... "Roar!" At this moment, Fat Ball acted entirely on primal fury, wanting to kill Su Yu, to devour Su Yu, without even using the boot. However, the Su Yu of today was far from what he used to be. Right now, Su Yu threw a punch that sent Fat Ball flying back, saying coldly, "You're too weak. Is this all you've got?" "Like this, you think you can eat me?" "Your master was dismembered and eaten by others!" "You stupid creature, you only know how to tend flowers! Aside from planting flowers, what else are you capable of?" "Awoo!" Fat Ball howled toward the sky. Suddenly, its body swelled, growing larger and larger, its white fur turning pitch-black. In an instant, the white fur transformed into black fur. At that moment, a massive black hound appeared in the void. "Awoo!" With a roar, the black hound lunged to bite at Su Yu. Before Su Yu could even swat Fat Ball away, he frowned slightly. He felt himself actively drawn toward Fat Ball; not only that, but even the power of his Great Dao seemed to be sucked toward it! "Awoo!" Fat Ball bit down onto empty space, yet this bite seemed to clamp onto Su Yu's Dao power. With a crunch, Su Yu's Myriad Dao power was bitten until it nearly snapped! Su Yu was secretly astonished! Erupting with full force, his aura surged violently with a boom, and he threw another punch, knocking Fat Ball backward. Fat Ball was now completely out of control, utterly frenzied. Opening its maw wide, it rushed toward Su Yu once more, its Dao power intensifying. "I'll eat you!" The massive maw swallowed heaven and earth. Su Yu was pulled to the edge of its jaws once again by the suction! Fat Ball snapped down once more! Crunch! Su Yu's Dao power snapped again. With a low shout, Su Yu reconnected his potent Myriad Dao power and struck out once more, his punch causing blood to flow from Fat Ball's mouth. "Aside from tending flowers, who can you eat?" "You court death!" Fat Ball roared maniacally again, its aura detonating with a roar and growing significantly stronger. In the blink of an eye, its aura vaguely rivaled Su Yu's! Originally, Fat Ball could only be considered at the Heavenly King level. It wasn't even a Celestial Venerable, though armed with the boot, it could battle a Celestial Venerable. Yet right now, its aura spiked instantaneously, with even more Dao power surging into its body! Rumble! In that moment, the entire region filled with ferocious, violent malice! Above Fat Ball's head, an illusory silhouette of a black Fat Ball materialized and snapped down at Su Yu—this time without a sound, truly a biting dog that didn't bark. Su Yu was startled. He retreated hurriedly. The moment he stepped back, crunch, the void was bitten to pieces! ... In the surroundings. King Dazhou and the others gasped. At this moment, King Dazhou transmitted his voice: "Has this... entered the realm of Celestial Venerable combat strength?" Fat Ball wasn't in the Celestial Venerable realm—that was the realm of a Ruler of Rules—but its battle prowess had likely reached it by now, hadn't it? Wan Tiansheng nodded slightly. "Most likely!" At this point, even Su Yu had to avoid its sharp edge, and that was without Fat Ball using the boot. However, for now, it seemed Su Yu could still suppress Fat Ball by a margin. Wan Tiansheng was not worried about that, but about something else. He quickly transmitted his voice: "This... with Fat Ball out of control, isn't His Majesty worried that he won't be able to restore it?" That was the real trouble! Right now, Fat Ball had virtually blackened. If it completely lost control, that would be a catastrophe! The others were also alarmed. Indeed, Fat Ball seemed to have turned dark, its strength skyrocketing. Could Su Yu suppress it? ... Boom! Explosions rang out again, shattering the void. At this point, Fat Ball didn't even snarl anymore! Its body was massive, yet its speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, it opened its mouth, and an overwhelming devouring force swept forth. Su Yu's body shook slightly, and with a boom, he was pulled beside Fat Ball once more. Crunch! Another crisp sound echoed, like shattering glass. Fat Ball's teeth gleamed with a cold glint. This bite targeted not just the physical body; even the Dao power was bitten apart. Su Yu furrowed his brow. Just as he was about to unleash his power again, a gigantic foot suddenly stomped down from the heavens! Boom! Su Yu met the foot with a punch, yet the impact forced him straight downward. Not only that, foot after foot stomped down, battering Su Yu's physical body until it cracked. Right now, Su Yu was also a top-tier powerhouse. Yet against the blackened, empowered Fat Ball combined with the boot, he was repeatedly driven downward under the stomps. Rumble! With another massive crash, Su Yu was stomped into the depths of the earth. The ground collapsed, and boundless death qi boiled up. Fat Ball instantly plunged underground, the massive boot stomping down once more! Boom! The earth fractured, revealing an enormous black abyss. Fighting in complete silence, Fat Ball's aura grew increasingly formidable! Meanwhile, Su Yu flew out in an instant, slashing with his blade! With a bang, the blade knocked the boot away. Shattering the void, Su Yu appeared directly above Fat Ball's head in a flash and brought his foot down. Fat Ball whipped around to bite at Su Yu, seemingly bent on tearing him apart. Su Yu hurriedly pulled his leg back, but Fat Ball clamped onto his leg in a death grip. Su Yu struck out with a punch, nearly shattering its skull, yet this time Fat Ball refused to let go! "Awoo!" A beastly growl rumbled deep in its throat. Fat Ball's eyes were bloodshot, its aura mounting higher and higher, refusing to loosen its grip, determined to bite this bastard to death! Su Yu landed several punches in succession. In the end, his leg was nearly bitten in two, yet the creature still wouldn't let go. Su Yu battered it until its head bled, but it still held fast. If he kept hitting it, Su Yu worried he might blow its head apart. He felt rather helpless—this dark transformation was a bit too thorough! After a moment, Su Yu's Holy Transformation Divine Character flew out, beginning to soothe Fat Ball: "I was lying to you! Your masters are still alive! Nothing happened, I was just provoking you! Fat Ball, wake up!" Fat Ball ignored him and continued tearing at his flesh, fiercely biting his leg until it was a bloody mess. Su Yu continuously pacified it: "I really lied to you! It was just to stimulate you! Look, haven't you advanced?" "Awoo!" A growl rose from Fat Ball's throat. I'll bite you to death! Soon, the others from the surrounding area stepped forward one after another. King Dazhou and the others frowned deeply. Right now, Fat Ball had bitten Su Yu's leg into mangled flesh, even exposing the bone. King Dazhou sent a voice transmission: "Your Majesty, suppress it. It has lost control!" Su Yu waved his hand, rubbing Fat Ball's black head vigorously with a smile. This fellow could actually transform—something he hadn't anticipated. After transforming and wielding the boot, its combat power was truly formidable. If that Eight-Winged Tiger had encountered this version of Fat Ball earlier, it probably wouldn't have been Fat Ball's match. Could this black hound be the true Sun-Devouring Divine Hound? After rubbing Fat Ball's head for a while longer and seeing that it still refused to let go, Su Yu thought for a moment and retrieved the Holy Transformation Seal. A faint, gentle, soothing power permeated into Fat Ball. The blood-red haze in Fat Ball's eyes gradually receded, regaining some clarity. Su Yu smiled. "I really was lying to you. Your master is alive and well. Not only alive and well, before he left, he even remembered to remind me to help him pick up girls. Could a fellow like that die so easily?" "The Time Master is alive and well too. Nothing happened. Alright, stop biting. You're really clamping down!" The Holy Transformation Seal released faint ripples of energy. The cracks on the seal widened slightly. Su Yu had used this item once on the Western Imperial Consort, and later in the River of Time on the Martial Emperor. Now, using it lightly on Fat Ball, it showed signs of impending collapse. Su Yu observed it closely. Using it perhaps once more would shatter it completely. Releasing a bit more energy, Fat Ball gradually calmed down, and only then did Su Yu put the Holy Transformation Seal away. He shook his leg, but Fat Ball still held on without letting go. Su Yu glanced at Fat Ball; the creature seemed to have fallen asleep. Even now, it couldn't be shaken off, though its black fur was gradually receding, turning back to white! Seeing this, Su Yu didn't mind. With a dog hanging from his leg, he continued walking forward. King Dazhou and the others looked toward him. Su Yu smiled and said, "It's nothing. This fellow's strength shoots up whenever it finds an opportunity; all it needed was a catalyst. If it can learn to use it flexibly, turning that blackened state into its normal state, even an ordinary Celestial Venerable might not be a match for it without the boot!" Combined with the boot, that was truly top-tier Celestial Venerable combat strength! At this moment, it had effectively become the number one powerhouse under Su Yu's command. Even the Southern King's strength fell somewhat short compared to Fat Ball. "Your Majesty... should we wake it up? It won't lose control again, will it?" "No need!" Su Yu glanced at Fat Ball, whose head was enveloped in white light, and chuckled. "It's too tired!" Too tired? The others fell into thought. What did he mean? The Book Spirit, who had just flown over, understood Su Yu's meaning. He bowed slightly. "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Fat Ball was tired. One hundred thousand years! No, more than one hundred thousand years—over a hundred thousand years. Ever since King Wen and the others went to the Star Residence Mansion, it had been tending flowers, planting flowers, growing flowers... watering them once every three days. While others were slumbering, in seclusion, cultivating, or meditating... it alone watered the flowers once every three days, cleaning up the courtyard almost every single day. It was too exhausted! Day after day, year after year! Not for a year or two, but for well over a hundred thousand years! Now, the energy of the Holy Transformation Seal had lulled Fat Ball into deep slumber. It had been far too exhausted. Suddenly finding relief, it naturally fell fast asleep. "Snore... snore..." At this moment, everyone heard the soft snoring coming from the little white dog's nose. For a time, their expressions turned peculiar. This Fat Ball really had fallen asleep! Still, biting Su Yu's leg like this didn't seem quite appropriate! "Your Majesty!" Su Yu waved his hand. "It's fine. Don't you think it looks more imposing for a cultivator of our generation to carry a dog hanging from his leg?" "..." Everyone suddenly burst into laughter. A dog hanging from his leg... Well, since Su Yu didn't mind, no one pressed the matter. King Dazhou said no more on that, merely asking with curiosity, "Did it... count as reaching the realm of a Celestial Venerable?" Su Yu nodded. "I'm not sure about its normal state, but the blackened Fat Ball definitely possesses Celestial Venerable combat power! Paired with King Wen's boot, it's even stronger—only marginally weaker than me!" Saying that, he smiled again. "Perhaps the blackened form is its true self! Have you ever seen an ancient beast so purely kind-hearted?" Fat Ball was indeed exceptionally kind-hearted. When Su Yu first entered, Fat Ball had welcomed him warmly. Except for not allowing him into King Wen's room, it had been very agreeable about everything else. When Su Yu went to borrow blood essence, he had borrowed a great deal in one go. King Wen and the Time Master were its sole emotional anchors. This time, it was precisely because Su Yu claimed King Wen and the others were dead that Fat Ball underwent that dark transformation. As Su Yu walked, a snoring dog dangling from his leg, he smiled. Suddenly, he reached out across the void and snatched the little fur ball from atop the big fur ball's head in the distance. "Little fur ball, King Wen kept a dog to guard his home for over a hundred thousand years. I've been keeping you for quite some time now too; will you guard my home in the future?" The little fur ball's large eyes were filled with gloom, ignoring Su Yu. Lately, it didn't like the aromatic guy anymore; it hadn't licked a divine character in a long time. When he needed someone, it was the Devouring God Crown Prince; when he didn't, it was just little fur ball. Now he even wanted it to guard his home? No way! "No!" The little fur ball felt wronged! You have new companions now, while I'm still at the Eternal realm. I'm not guarding your home! Su Yu laughed and squeezed the little fur ball until its tongue almost popped out. Su Yu chuckled. "Being weak is good. Being too strong is useless anyway; if you're too strong, you'll be beaten to death! Look at Fat Ball—it survived until now without anyone bothering it, precisely because it was too weak compared to King Wen back then! The same goes for you! Right now, compared to me, you're a bit weak. Countless eras from now, you'll be just like Fat Ball. If one day I disappear, you might still remain..." "If one day this era is sealed away by someone, perhaps you will still exist!" Su Yu smiled. "The so-called sealed eras only seal powerhouses. I've never seen ordinary people or weaklings sealed away. Being weak is good!" With an emotional sigh, Su Yu laughed. "Don't feel wronged. Fat Ball belongs to King Wen; aren't you mine?" "..." The little fur ball suddenly blinked, its eyes curving into crescent moons as its mood instantly brightened. "I want to eat divine characters!" Su Yu laughed, grabbed it, and pushed it into his Heavenly Gate. "There's food everywhere inside!" Stuffing the fur ball inside, Su Yu looked at the others and smiled. "Fat Ball has reached Celestial Venerable level. I hope everyone will catch up soon! If this revival succeeds, the Southern King will surely make it as well, and Lanshan has hope too!" As he spoke, Su Yu soon arrived at the edge of Chaos. Today, he was going to revive Hetu right here. As for Fat Ball's advancement, it had just come up in conversation along the way—a spontaneous idea. Success was great, but even if it hadn't worked, it wouldn't have mattered much. Just as Su Yu was making preparations to begin reviving Hetu, Fat Ball's eyes suddenly cracked open. It looked at Su Yu, peeked at the others, and then glanced at Su Yu's mangled, bloody leg where its teeth were clamped. An embarrassed look flashed in its eyes, and it hastily shut them tight again. Continuing to pretend to be asleep! A smile appeared on Su Yu's face. He sighed inwardly: Even a dog knows embarrassment, while humans... are truly complicated. "Hetu, come over. Prepare for revival!" Hetu walked over swiftly, a trace of nervous gravity on his face. Revival—a longing held for years. Now was the opportunity, and it was also a massive gamble! ... At that very moment. At the Lower Realm entrance corresponding to Soul Burying Mountain. Two figures emerged. San Yue looked around with vigilance, while Giant Axe sighed with emotion. "We're back!" Finally back! San Yue said nothing. Sensing the surroundings, he flew swiftly toward the Iron Eater Realm, speaking as he flew: "Let's head to my realm first. We still don't know the situation in the Human Realm!" Soon, the man and the panda arrived at the Iron Eater Realm. However, when San Yue extended his senses, he was stunned. Where are my clansmen? How is there not a single one left? Could they be dead? Giant Axe was equally dumbfounded. Soon, he comforted in a low voice: "Brother San Yue, there are still clansmen in the Upper Realm. Down in the Lower Realm... even if the clan was wiped out in the Lower Realm, there is still hope. Please don't be despondent or heartbroken. Once things develop in the Upper Realm, it will be fine as well!" Truly pitiable! He felt deep sympathy for San Yue. Giant Axe comforted him for a while, mourning on San Yue's behalf. It was over—the Iron Eater race was gone. Could Hundred Battles have done this? Then... that would be extremely troublesome! San Yue, however, was speechless and furrowed his brow. They definitely weren't dead; if they were, he wouldn't feel nothing at all. So where did everyone go? Soon, outside the realm, San Yue casually grabbed a wandering soul. He hadn't expected to get any real information, but to his surprise... he unexpectedly learned that Su Yu had led his people to evacuate to the Dead Spirit Realm! And it had been a grand, ostentatious evacuation, submerging the entire Tianyuan Realm down into it! San Yue was slightly taken aback. Gone to the Dead Spirit Realm? Then as for his strength, had he recovered or not? Giant Axe expressed his sympathy once more: "Pitiable. This... Hundred Battles went too far, driving people into the Dead Spirit Realm! Is that a place for living beings to stay? Death qi crisscrosses everywhere—how can anyone survive there?" Far too tragic! At the thought of this, Giant Axe sighed. "The losses last time were simply too severe. It was also to save us that a conflict arose with the Prison King lineage. Fine, fine! If Su Yu has another Heavenly King beside that dog... I... I'll lend him a hand!" Far too pitiable. Forget it, I'll lower my requirements! Under these circumstances, let alone three Heavenly Kings, if another one emerges besides Fat Ball, it would already be a miracle! He is a Human Master of a generation, after all, yet reduced to such a miserable state! "Hundred Battles is no decent fellow either. Even if he conquered the Human Realm, he should have at least left them a place to settle down. He wouldn't even let them stay in the myriad realms, driving them into the Dead Spirit Realm! Isn't that driving them to extinction?" Giant Axe felt somewhat helpless. "How can a sovereign act like this? It's utterly inappropriate!" After cursing Hundred Battles for several sentences, he looked at San Yue. "So what do we do now?" "Head over to the Tianyuan Realm and see how things are!" San Yue was also somewhat at a loss. Whatever, find Su Yu and the others first! He hadn't thought much of it before, but hearing Giant Axe say all that, he suddenly felt that Su Yu was quite tragic as well. His current life must be very bitter. With his own clan following along, perhaps... they were also in dire straits! At this thought, San Yue's face was also filled with sympathy. Truly pitiable!