Lan Tian and the others had broken through in succession, which was something even Su Yu had not anticipated.
It wasn’t just one or two. Everyone who could break through today—everyone he had projected might advance in the near future—had succeeded!
Not only that, as large numbers of ancient beast corpses and the daos of Celestial Venerables merged into Su Yu's world, it rapidly grew stronger, expanding in scope.
In the endless void, his world expanded from the size of a small town, faintly growing to the scale of the Great Xia Prefecture's prefectural city.
Of course, compared to the heavens of the myriad realms or the dead spirit realm, it was still far too small.
It was far inferior even when compared to the Dao Origin Land.
Even so, everything was progressing in a positive direction...
……
Of the others, some made gains while some did not. Dao comprehension was ultimately a matter of talent and serendipity; even though Su Yu had laid it completely bare for everyone to see, not everyone was guaranteed to reap rewards.
Su Yu looked at the crowd. They were growing stronger and stronger.
It was a good thing, yet reaching the level of Celestial Venerable was, for many, also their ceiling. For figures like San Yue, it was practically impossible to improve any further.
As for becoming a so-called top-tier Celestial Venerable, that was not determined by comprehension—their levels of comprehension were roughly comparable—but primarily by the strength of their Great Dao.
San Yue's Great Dao, for instance, might only be this potent, meaning his present state was his limit.
Short of becoming a Ruler of Rules, San Yue could not progress any more.
The same held true for Giant Axe and the others.
Just as King Dazhou had noted earlier, not just any dao could produce a Heavenly King, nor could just any dao yield a top-tier Celestial Venerable.
The daos walked by Yue Zhan and his peers each possessed distinctive traits and were inherently formidable, which allowed them to become peak beings.
Other Celestial Venerables might have no hope of that.
Watching them, Su Yu thought to himself that San Yue and the rest might have to wait until the seal was lifted to see whether they could become Rulers of Rules. If they couldn't... then in this lifetime, they had already reached their limits.
Under Su Yu's gaze, everyone felt somewhat ill at ease.
Su Yu's aura of authority was growing day by day, and being stared at by him carried immense pressure.
Su Yu looked at them for only a moment before shifting his gaze to Marquis Jiantian, a smile still on his face. "Things have reached a point where the strength of all factions has been exposed. Aside from Hundred Battles—whether his son is powerful remains an unknown factor—everything else is clear!"
"Before the figures of the various eras return, the situation in the myriad realms has become completely transparent!"
"The only unknowns are a few unaligned experts: the Martial Emperor, the Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign, the Chaos Dragon, and the Eight-Winged Tiger! However, even if the Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign breaks his seal, he hasn't been resurrected, making it very difficult for him to leave the dead spirit realm. Even if he could, he might not be of much use. So the truly unaligned are really just three!"
King Dazhou and Wan Tiansheng flanked him to the left and right, moving in such sync they seemed like one person.
At this moment, King Dazhou pondered and said, "Then Your Majesty's meaning is... to bring those three unaligned, independent powerhouses under our banner first?"
As for the Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign... perhaps he could be subdued as well. Once subjugated, he wouldn't need to do much besides helping Su Yu stabilize the dead spirit realm, serving as a fallback route. Whoever pursued Su Yu into the dead spirit realm would face the sovereign's wrath, making him a solid candidate to guard the rear.
Yet none of these independent figures would be easy to rein in.
Su Yu smiled. "We can set aside the Chaos Dragon and the Eight-Winged Tiger for now. Right now, both of them have their eyes on Yu Qing's chaotic will, or even the Polong Beast! So broadly speaking, our objectives align! On the other hand, the Martial Emperor..."
Su Yu fell into contemplation.
Wan Tiansheng chimed in, "The Martial Emperor is arrogant and haughty... or rather, his ambitions far exceed his abilities!"
Well now, despised already!
Granted, this was hardly the first time someone had looked down on the Martial Emperor!
Smiling, Wan Tiansheng said, "The Martial Emperor is actually the kind of person who is easily satisfied, content with small gains! He opened the Heavenly Gate, so his talent is immense! Yet he is somewhat similar to the Northern King. Does Your Majesty recall what the Northern King said before he died? The Northern King merely wanted to be a regional hegemon. On one hand, he was unwilling to submit to anyone; on the other, he lacked the strength to be truly independent, yet he insisted on calling the shots in his own territory..."
Hearing this, Su Yu was startled. They really were quite similar!
Wan Tiansheng continued his analysis: "The Martial Emperor had even opened the Heavenly Gate, yet he stubbornly clung to his dao, unwilling to pioneer new ground. In thought, he was rigid and conservative! On one hand, he knew how powerful King Wen and the Human Sovereign were, but on the other hand, driven by pride, he wanted independence and refused to join! In the end, he was defeated and sealed by King Wu. I believe it was never really about slaughtering the innocent; rather, at that time, the human race needed to strike down one of its own experts to awe all under heaven!"
If the human race could not even unify its internal factions, how could it unify the myriad heavens?
Thus, the Martial Emperor, who had opened the Heavenly Gate, became the chicken slaughtered to scare the monkeys.
Wan Tiansheng continued, "According to Your Majesty's earlier remarks, King Wen knew back then but acquiesced! However, King Wu was the one who initially declared he would deal with him. King Wu might not have had the cunning for that... so I suspect it was orchestrated on the Human Sovereign's orders!"
He analyzed, "The Human Sovereign needed to deal with the Martial Emperor, but since the Martial Emperor likely committed no grave transgression, they did not kill him. They merely proclaimed to the outside world that the Martial Emperor had been slain, when in fact they sealed him away!"
Was the Martial Emperor in the wrong?
Not necessarily!
Just like the Northern King in the dead spirit realm—was he in the wrong?
He simply hadn't wanted the human race to stand above him again; he only wished to hold onto his tiny acre of land. Yet in an era of grand contention, if you lack the strength to reign over a territory and refuse to submit to the strong, you are in the wrong!
Hence, the Northern King died in the end, perishing by Marquis Longxue's hand, having barely even clashed with Su Yu's forces.
The Northern King's death was merely a microcosm of this era.
And the Martial Emperor was merely a microcosm of that bygone era.
Su Yu nodded. "What you say makes sense. I can understand all of that. The only thing I can't wrap my head around is why, after King Wu sealed the Martial Emperor, there was such a humiliating undertone to it. Was there really a need for King Wu to do that?"
Sealing the Martial Emperor or constructing the Star Residence Mansion over him wasn't an issue in itself.
The key was that posture—it was far too humiliating. For a supreme expert, such humiliation was practically an invitation to fight to the death.
On this point, the others didn't quite understand either.
Wan Tiansheng glanced at King Dazhou, who shook his head. "I began following His Majesty the Human Sovereign near the end of that era. The matter with the Martial Emperor occurred rather early on; I truly have no idea."
Heh!
Forget it. Wan Tiansheng didn't press him further and continued, "Your Majesty, according to my analysis, the Martial Emperor is the type who cares deeply about face—someone whose spine is weak but whose mouth is tough! If we give him enough face and a graceful way out, he isn't impossible to win over!"
"If you insist on using force and coercion, it might actually make it impossible to subdue him!"
Wan Tiansheng smiled. "Otherwise, back then, the Human Sovereign and King Wen were stronger than Your Majesty. If force could have subjugated him, wouldn't they have done so long ago?"
Su Yu nodded slightly. "True. And more than a hundred thousand years ago, even if you gave him face, the Martial Emperor might not have paid any attention. But having been sealed for over a hundred thousand years, deep down he knows that the era belonging to him has completely passed!"
Over a hundred thousand years as a prisoner—no matter how foolish the Martial Emperor was, he understood one thing: this era did not belong to him, and neither did the last!
At this point, Lan Tian chimed in with a chuckle: "The Martial Emperor's greatest grievance right now is King Wu's treacherous hand against him! If Your Majesty promises that upon meeting King Wu, we'll give him the hope of defeating King Wu, or using the same method to deal with King Wu... I think his interest will surely be piqued!"
At this point, Marquis Lanshan couldn't help speaking up, feeling rather troubled: "Isn't that improper? Lord King Wu... I..."
That was her former lord!
Using King Wu as a bargaining chip to win over the Martial Emperor felt inappropriate to her.
Of course, from everyone else's perspective, none of them were familiar with King Wu. At this juncture, if an empty promise could win over the Martial Emperor, it was a tremendous bargain.
Lan Tian gave a faint smile. "His Majesty never said he would personally deal with King Wu! We can promise the Martial Emperor that we'll help him grow stronger; as for vengeance, that will be his own business! His Majesty's side will simply be responsible for holding off King Wen and the Human Sovereign... granting him a fair duel!"
"Senior Lanshan... the times have changed!"
Lan Tian smiled and said, "Right now, His Majesty needs this kind of assistance! King Wu was originally stronger than the Martial Emperor. The Martial Emperor was sealed for over a hundred thousand years while King Wu was not. If King Wu were worried about losing in a one-on-one duel against the Martial Emperor, then for a martial cultivator, he would have already shattered his own conviction in victory!"
"So we're merely giving the Martial Emperor a measure of comfort. In reality, if he encounters King Wu alone and challenges him to a duel, King Wen and the others most likely wouldn't intervene, nor would King Wu let them!"
"As a warrior, doesn't Marquis Lanshan understand this? If an opponent you defeated in the past, who is now far weaker than you, comes seeking vengeance and challenges you to a duel, would you refuse?"
Marquis Lanshan thought about it and shook her head.
She wouldn't!
He was a defeated opponent back then and the gap was even wider now, so why would anyone refuse?
Lan Tian laughed. "See? So even if we make a few promises, neither the Martial Emperor nor King Wu actually loses anything. Instead, it provides the Martial Emperor with a way out and something to look forward to!"
Evidently, everyone was in favor of subduing the Martial Emperor.
However, someone still felt it was ill-advised. The Southern King spoke up at this moment, her voice cool: "All of this is predicated on the Martial Emperor being willing to submit. What if he refuses, and the moment he breaks free, his first move is to seek vengeance against His Majesty? He is exceedingly powerful; once unsealed, he might be the strongest being in this era! As the strongest existence, would he truly be willing to submit?"
"As for oaths and promises, those are built on leverage. Would the Martial Emperor even care about such things?"
"Do not be overly optimistic, everyone!"
The Southern King poured cold water on the idea!
Su Yu's thirst for talent was understandable—after all, Rulers of Rules had now emerged, placing real pressure upon him. But if they pinned their hopes on the Martial Emperor submitting just like that, the greater their hopes, the greater their potential disappointment!
Su Yu nodded. That was true as well.
Wan Tiansheng smiled. "Senior Southern King makes a fair point, but... there is no harm in trying!"
Wan Tiansheng quickly added, "Your Majesty, the Martial Emperor is proud and conceited. Ordinary people are beneath his notice. If we wish to recruit him, only Your Majesty going in person will suffice!"
The Martial Emperor referred to everyone else as "little bugs," which demonstrated his mindset.
Even after being sealed for countless years, he still looked down upon the weak.
To win him over, only Su Yu could do it.
King Dazhou also said, "Aside from Your Majesty, truly no one else can accomplish it. For our part, we can search for the Chaos Dragon and the Eight-Winged Tiger. We need not aim to subjugate them, but we can reach a temporary consensus. Their targets are Yu Qing and her cohorts! And we can aid them in dealing with them!"
Su Yu pondered and nodded once more.
It was worth a try!
Su Yu sank into thought. After a moment, he said, "Right now, the top priority is dealing with the Sin Clan and the myriad races; Hundred Battles can be put aside for the time being! Regarding Hundred Battles, I still have one doubt... He planted a spy like Yueluo inside the Sin Clan. Was his ultimate goal the Sin Clan, or the Hell Gate behind them?"
In the past, Hundred Battles might have feared the Sin Clan and the myriad races, but now he had no reason to be overly wary, yet he continued to bide his time.
Before Yu Qing appeared, others might not have known the full picture, but Yueluo could not have been in the dark. At that time, Hundred Battles was immensely powerful. If he had feigned madness and struck when Su Yu attacked Yue Qin and the others while the myriad races joined in, and then ordered Yueluo and the rest to rebel, there was real hope of wiping out the Sin Clan!
Afterward, he would only need to consolidate his forces to deal with the myriad races.
Yet Hundred Battles had done nothing of the sort!
So was his ultimate goal truly the Sin Clan, or the Hell Gate?
Did he possess the ability to deal with the entities behind the Hell Gate?
This was difficult for anyone to discern. King Dazhou thought for a moment and said, "Hundred Battles inherited the legacy and bloodline of the Human Ancestor, so some of his goals may be related to the Human Ancestor, including welcoming the Human Ancestor's return!"
King Dazhou contemplated and continued, "Assuming the Human Ancestor is not dead, where is he? Behind the Heavenly Gate, or behind the Hell Gate?"
He said in a deep voice, "This is hard to judge! The Human Ancestor still appeared in the early Primordial Era, when the Heavenly Gate might have already existed. That being the case, the Human Ancestor cultivated the dao of the physical body. If he were investigating the previous era, would he have entered the Chaos Era, where physical bodies were even more formidable?"
Most of the chaotic ancient races cultivated the physical body.
The Human Ancestor also cultivated the physical body!
King Dazhou surmised, "If so, does Hundred Battles know something? Perhaps his true desire is to welcome back the Human Ancestor first, and the Human Ancestor might well be behind the Hell Gate!"
"Hundred Battles planting a spy like Yueluo might not have been solely to deal with the Sin Clan, but more likely to learn more about the Hell Gate!"
He added, "And on the demon race's side, is the Yanhuo Demon Emperor truly behind the Hell Gate as well? Otherwise, why would the demon race join hands with the Sin Clan?"
Through various speculations, everyone analyzed the intentions of Hundred Battles' faction.
Su Yu thought it over and said, "Never mind, it's hard to deduce for now! There aren't enough clues! As for the Human Ancestor and the Human Sovereign, I don't know whether there was a clash of orthodoxy or something else between them, but Hundred Battles cannot be regarded as a benevolent figure, and neither can I—that much is certain!"
Su Yu smiled. "The myriad races have sealed off their mountains, and Yu Qing's faction is by no means weak... Eliminate Yu Qing and her cohort, find an opportunity to handle the myriad races, and finally confront Hundred Battles—that is my current plan!"
Su Yu continued, "For the Martial Emperor's seal to break, the power of rules across both the upper and lower realms must fully dissipate! Perhaps... we can also use this opportunity to shatter the barrier between the upper and lower realms! Reconnect the realms! Bring all factions together in one arena! Unrestricted passage above and below!"
Everyone nodded. This would indeed be a prime opportunity to force Hundred Battles and his allies to face all factions directly.
Treating Hundred Battles as a hypothetical enemy was absolutely necessary.
Or rather, a clash between the two sides was inevitable sooner or later.
Two tigers cannot share the same mountain!
It was true that both belonged to the human race, but one carried the heritage of the Human Ancestor, while Su Yu effectively belonged to the Human Sovereign's lineage. Contradictions were bound to exist.
"Then I will make a trip to the dead spirit realm!"
Su Yu chuckled. "It's time to have a word with those two!"
He looked at the rest of them. "Continue cultivating. Lay traps to lure some ancient beasts into our world, dispatch them, and have Lan Tian merge them into the world! In addition, I will have my world erode the entire Mount Chaos region as quickly as possible!"
"Other areas are difficult to encroach upon, but Mount Chaos is a chaotic territory, so it will be somewhat easier!"
Back then, when the Human Sovereign opened the Dao Origin Land, his true intention had been to encroach upon the entire upper realm, but unfortunately, he fell just short of success. Now, Su Yu was about to encroach upon Mount Chaos and the upper realm!
Having said all this and given a few more instructions, Su Yu didn't pause for a moment, heading swiftly outward.
From behind, Marquis Jiantian suddenly asked, "When will you kill me?"
Su Yu looked back and smiled. "What's the rush? Is Marquis Jiantian so eager to die?"
Marquis Jiantian said calmly, "Not at all. I was merely wondering whether, after my death, the ancient era could be considered to have truly come to an end."
"The ancient era?"
Su Yu was silent for a moment, then smiled. "I can only say that after you die, that illusory ancient unification over the myriad races will come to an end! The human race... has never truly unified the myriad races! As for the ancient era... that's just a label, our label! The Human Sovereign and his peers are still the Human Sovereign and his peers, while we... are still us!"
Marquis Jiantian silently mulled over Su Yu's words and said nothing more.
And Su Yu quickly vanished from the spot.
……
At the same time.
Deep within the chaos.
Yueluo and Yue Xiao were fleeing with all their might, yet they were beginning to lose their bearings. The chaos possessed neither direction nor boundary.
Yueluo looked in all directions; everywhere was chaos.
For a moment, desolation welled up in her heart.
She had lain dormant for so many years, yet before Hundred Battles could even issue an order, that bastard Su Yu had disrupted the entire board. That fellow truly deserved to die!
Panting for breath, Yue Xiao spoke up: "Yueluo, are you sure this path leads to the lower realm?"
"It should!"
Yueluo had never traveled this way herself either, but she knew it was possible.
Looking around, she soon produced a talisman in her hand and ignited it.
As the talisman burned, ripples of Great Dao resonance spread outward.
After an unknown length of time, the void seemed to split open. Yue Xiao's expression shifted slightly. Just then, an enormous ancient beast materialized, exuding a formidable aura, and atop the beast's head stood a lone figure.
The ancient beast was shaped like a giant fish, yet it possessed a pair of colossal wings, resembling a Kunpeng.
The beast's massive eyes were chillingly cold.
At this moment, it gazed down at Yueluo and Yue Xiao.
Yueluo's brows knitted slightly, and she soon said in a low voice, "We have been exposed!"
The ancient beast made no sound. Atop its head, the towering human figure abruptly opened his eyes, bearing boundless oppressive might as he instantly looked toward them. "Exposed?"
"Yes!"
"Yu Qing discovered you?"
"No, it was Su Yu!"
Looking at the young man atop the ancient beast, Yueluo said, "Su Yu led the myriad races in attacking the Sacred Clan, and in the end forced us and Leibao to fight to the death, declaring that only the demise of one side would end the battle! I had no choice but to flee!"
"Su Yu..."
The figure opened his eyes wider, a faint smile surfacing. "Him."
With that, he looked at the pair and asked, "You wish to go to the myriad realms?"
"Yes!"
Yueluo nodded. "We can no longer remain hidden and must leave! Before we departed, the Polong Beast was likely being summoned out. Yue Zhan is still alive, but almost everyone else has perished!"
"A pity!"
The youthful-looking man gave a light chuckle. "I had intended to use them as whetstones for Father's return. Changqing and the others haven't fought for so long; they needed opponents to sharpen their blades. Who would have thought they would all die? What a pity!"
With that, he smiled and said, "Then allow me to escort you two to the lower realm. Follow me!"
Yueluo said nothing, but Yue Xiao could not contain himself and asked in a low voice, "Has Prince Ji been in the depths of chaos all this time?"
The young man chuckled softly. "You could say that! The chaos... is quite fascinating! Tempering one's dao within the chaos is truly an intriguing endeavor! When you have the time, you should come try it. In this desolate, uninhabited chaos, even merely walking through it is quite enjoyable... By the way, someone tried to divine my fortune earlier. That was Su Yu's doing, wasn't it?"
Yueluo replied, "I'm not certain, but most likely. He knows of your existence and even called out your name before. You and His Majesty are both exposed now; he just doesn't know your exact strength."
"Exposed or not, so be it!"
The young man didn't seem to care much, smiling as he said, "One can hide for a time, but not for a lifetime! Besides, hiding was never the goal! Over all these years, we were merely biding our time. Now that the Hell Gate is about to open, being exposed or not matters little!"
Yueluo frowned slightly. "Even if the Hell Gate opens, the situation remains highly complex..."
"I know!"
The man waved his hand. "Discuss these matters with Father; I do not involve myself in them!"
Paying little mind to such things, he steered the ancient beast, swiftly flying toward the lower depths of the chaos. As he flew, he said, "There was an unusual disturbance in the chaos earlier. It seemed the Chaos Dragon and the Eight-Winged Tiger both rushed over. Kunfei also sensed something; the commotion appeared to originate near the dead spirit realm!"
"A good number of ancient beasts must have been slain, likely connected to Su Yu!"
The man said indifferently, "You may inform Father of this. Su Yu has probably done something."
Yueluo asked in a deep voice, "What did Su Yu do?"
The man chuckled faintly. "I didn't pay much attention; I happened to be occupied with something else at the time. But the commotion was not small, so it's unlikely to be simple. Mention it to Father, and he will naturally take heed!"
Yue Xiao asked, "Could it be that Your Highness encountered a formidable enemy in the chaos?"
Otherwise, what else could occupy him?
Yet could there still be powerful entities within the chaos?
The truly formidable beings had all been sealed behind the Hell Gate.
In today's chaos, the emergence of an existence like the Chaos Dragon was already a rarity.
The man said with a faint smile, "Not a formidable enemy, just something quite intriguing. I am pursuing time!"
The two froze.
Pursuing time?
What did that mean?
The man laughed. "Does the River of Time have an end? Naturally it does. I am wondering: where is its end? Can following the veins of the River of Time, which spans across all the heavens, lead to traces of it? Is the Heavenly Gate located at its very end?"
"At the end of heaven and earth, at the end of the river—is that where the Heavenly Gate lies?"
He murmured, "The Hell Gate has always existed, yet the Heavenly Gate has vanished without a trace! And now, perhaps... I have already uncovered some clues! Between the two ends of the river, if one end is the Heavenly Gate, what about the other?"
"Did the Master of Time enter the Heavenly Gate, or another gate entirely?"
"The River of Dead Spirits has an end... but the River of Time does not. Truly, the Master of Time was the most terrifying existence!"
As he spoke of these things, Yueluo and Yue Xiao understood only vaguely, yet their hearts were shaken.
This prince... pursued things far elevated above their reach.
He seemed fundamentally different from them!
The man seemed to realize he was wasting his breath and laughed. "Never mind, these are not matters for you to dwell upon!"
Yueluo remained silent.
Three people and one beast sped downward through the chaos.
After a while, although Yueluo and Yue Xiao still could not discern any direction, the man suddenly said, "Fly straight ahead in front of us, and before long, you will be back in the myriad realms!"
Yueluo nodded slightly. "We are grateful for your trouble!"
"Don't mention it!"
The young man chuckled. "Tell Father that I have more to investigate and will not be returning too soon!"
"Understood!"
The young man, riding the ancient beast, vanished instantly from the spot.
Yueluo and Yue Xiao watched him depart. Yue Xiao sent a mental transmission: "Just what level of strength has he reached? It feels... even more terrifying than Yu Qing!"
"Hard to say!"
Yueluo watched for a moment, then quickly said, "Pay him no mind. Let's go—to the myriad realms first!"
The two sped toward the myriad realms.
……
At that very moment, Su Yu was also hastening toward the dead spirit realm.
Halfway there, Su Yu raised his brows slightly. In the far distance, he seemed to catch sight of something as a colossal silhouette emerged.
He focused his gaze, but the distance was vast, obscuring clear vision.
It looked like a massive Kunpeng beast.
Su Yu looked closer and faintly seemed to make out a person standing atop the giant beast's head.
And over there, atop the giant beast's head, the young man also glanced toward Su Yu, faintly discerning Su Yu's presence as well.
In that instant, their gazes crossed through the vast distance.
Neither paused for long. Each continued on his own way, rapidly putting distance between them and vanishing into the endless chaos.
……
"A giant beast... and a human figure..."
At this moment, Su Yu sank into deep thought.
Who was that figure wandering through the chaos?
Zhou Ji?
Or an ancient beast taking human form?
He didn't go investigate; the distance was considerable, and rushing around blindly in the chaos was ill-advised, as one could easily lose direction.
"Forget it!"
Su Yu didn't dwell on it. Whether it was Zhou Ji didn't matter. Besides, no one knew just how strong this Zhou Ji was; they only knew Hundred Battles had a son. Who knew whether his son was genuinely formidable just because Su Yu had claimed so earlier?
Maybe a single slap could swat him to death!
"Still, that ancient beast wasn't weak. Celestial Venerable combat strength?"
The ancient beast's aura had leaked out, allowing Su Yu to sense a bit of it, though he didn't care overmuch. Anything was possible in the chaos; finding a creature at the Celestial Venerable level was hardly shocking.
Soon, Su Yu arrived near the dead spirit realm.
He strode swiftly through the air and, after a brief moment, set foot upon solid ground. The Land of Guixu had arrived!
The dead spirit realm was now frighteningly quiet.
Enormous numbers of Dao-Merging dead spirits had been slain; most of the rest had revived, while a small number of Dao-Merging experts guarded various territories. Below the Dao-Merging stage, the dead spirits mostly possessed little intelligence; even if they did, the Eternal dead spirits merely acted on instinct.
……
The sealed land.
As Su Yu's figure appeared, the Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign materialized as well, looking toward him.
"Emperor Su seeks me?"
Since Su Yu had made a deliberate detour to his domain, the sovereign took the initiative to speak.
Su Yu nodded. "Upheaval has occurred in the upper realm. The Hell Gate has opened, and two beings at the Ruler of Rules level have emerged. I wonder if you recognize them: one is the Polong Beast, and the other is Yu Qing."
"Polong..."
The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign pondered before saying, "I have heard of it—an entity within the Hell Gate! Years ago, in the early Primordial Era, the Hell Gate was shaken by unrest, and an ancient beast calling itself Polong attempted to fight its way out of the gate. However, what happened after that, I do not know."
"Yu Qing..."
He considered for a moment before asking, "Is it a woman who wields a spear?"
Su Yu nodded. He hadn't expected the Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign to actually know!
The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign thought back: "A very long time ago, the Prison King visited the dead spirit realm once. I caught a glimpse from afar. Behind the Prison King followed that spear-wielding woman, and I faintly heard someone call her 'Qing.' Since she emerged from the Hell Gate, it is likely her!"
He looked at Su Yu and said, "There are indeed some powerhouses under the Prison King's banner. Now that they have emerged from the Hell Gate... could it be that the Prison King herself is behind the Hell Gate?"
"It's possible!"
Su Yu nodded and smiled. "Leave her aside. My current thought is this: I promised last time to help you break your seal, but I'm worried that once unsealed, you will cause trouble for me! After all, you are no weakling! How about this: I help you break the seal and confer upon you the title of Dead Spirit King, and in return, you guard the dead spirit realm on my behalf. What do you say?"
The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign fell silent for a moment. "And if I refuse?"
Su Yu smiled. "That doesn't matter either. You didn't make a move against me last time, and I promised to help unseal you. What I promised, I will fulfill! However, once the seal is lifted, if anything is amiss, I will kill you!"
The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign was silent for a while before saying, "Then allow me to consider it!"
"Fine!"
Su Yu said no more. The Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign was an intelligent man—at least far smarter than the Martial Emperor.
He knew how to choose!
……
Soon, Su Yu arrived at the entrance of the passage to the seventh floor of the Star Residence Mansion.
At this moment, the passage was tightly shut.
Su Yu laughed. "Martial Emperor, not welcoming me?"
Dead silence.
The passage remained firmly closed!
Su Yu chuckled. "I'm not here to fight, just to have a chat. Why shut me out at your gate... or your rear?"
The next instant, an avatar of the Martial Emperor emerged, glaring coldly at Su Yu with fury: "You dare provoke this Emperor!"
Su Yu smiled. "You're the one who refused to open the passage and didn't welcome me, so I said it!"
The Martial Emperor glared at him frostily. "What have you come for now?"
Su Yu chuckled softly. "To pay a visit to the Martial Emperor. Furthermore, I was wondering whether the Court of Emperor Yu might discuss a collaboration with you."
"Heh!"
The Martial Emperor sneered, "I figured as much. Flattery without cause—you want me to be your thug? Su Yu, you're dreaming!"
He sneered, "Back then, even those fellows like the Human Sovereign couldn't make me submit, let alone you, Su Yu!"
"And that's precisely why you ended up in such a miserable state!"
Su Yu showed no courtesy either. "If you had half a brain and someone backing you up, you wouldn't have ended up in this sorry state—planted upside down with your head buried between the myriad realms and the dead spirit realm! A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit—and yet after over a hundred thousand years, you haven't grown an ounce of wisdom? Every hero needs three helpers. Do you honestly think that after being sealed for over a hundred thousand years, once you get out, you'll still be a regional overlord? That you're truly number one under heaven?"
The Martial Emperor's face turned dark.
Su Yu wore a beaming smile. "None of those who follow me, Su Yu, have ever suffered a loss! Back then, had you been one of my men and King Wu treated you like that, I would have stripped his pants off long ago and planted him in the heavens, using his backside as the sun!"
"..."
The Martial Emperor's expression was unsightly. Are you talking about King Wu, or are you taking jabs at me?
Su Yu laughed again. "To put it bluntly, you're a classic case of grand ambitions and meager talent, devoid of enterprise, stubbornly conservative, hopelessly obstinate, and not even worth pitying in death..."
The Martial Emperor's face turned ashen!
Did Su Yu come to win him over or to pick a fight?
Was this any attitude for recruiting someone?
Su Yu continued, "I speak the truth. It might sound harsh, but facts are facts! You were a senior to the Human Sovereign and the others, yet you were reduced to such misery by King Wu—and King Wu is brainless too! He defeated you not because he was so formidable on his own, but because he had people backing him!"
Su Yu smiled. "A brute without backing is merely an uncouth brawler! But with support, that same brute becomes a weapon of mass destruction! Slaughter whoever irritates you, and once the killing is done, others will come clean up the mess!"
"Su Yu!"
The Martial Emperor flared up in sudden rage: "Stop mentioning that word!"
Just talk if you want to talk—why keep bringing up backsides, and why keep staring at his rear? What is the meaning of this?
Su Yu smiled. "The principle is simple: a brawler ruling alone is doomed to fall sooner or later! This is an absolute truth! If you had read more books and surveyed history, when has a crude brawler ever reigned for long? Even if one did endure, it was because he later studied diligently and refined himself!"
"When pure brutes hold power, it is always a fleeting flash in the pan!"
Su Yu laughed. "I won't waste words lecturing a brawler like you. Just a few points: First, when you seek revenge on King Wu in the future, I will hold back King Wen and the Human Sovereign for you. Otherwise... give up the thought. You think you can contend with King Wen and his peers? Martial Emperor, you know it in your heart—do you truly believe you can compete against King Wen and the Human Sovereign?"
The Martial Emperor fell silent, his expression hideous.
Could he contend with them?
Nonsense!
He couldn't even manage it before being sealed, let alone now that more than a hundred thousand years had passed.
Even just seeing King Wen still made him feel a twinge of dread.
"Second, I will find a way to help you advance to King Wu's level... Relying on yourself, you probably have no hope!"
The Martial Emperor's face grew uglier still. How grating those words were!
"Third, you don't need to call me Your Majesty or Master or anything of the sort. I can't be bothered to subjugate you anyway. Treat it as mutual benefit. You can call me Emperor Su or Emperor Yu, and I will call you Martial Emperor... I won't strip away your imperial title either. We can treat each other as equals!"
The Martial Emperor's eyes flickered slightly.
"Fourth, I can start looking for ways to unseal you right now!"
"Fifth, you don't need to obey my every command or report to me. I have only one condition: I release you, agree to your terms, and promise to help you, and in return, you must kill at least three Rulers of Rules for me!"
Su Yu smiled. "Treat it as a transaction, not one submitting to the other! Three Rulers of Rules in exchange for me holding off the Human Sovereign, King Wen, and the rest. If you think it's worth it, agree to it. If not, then drop it!"
The Martial Emperor lapsed into silence.
A transaction?
That sounded infinitely better than submitting!
If Su Yu had demanded submission, he would have spat in his face. But a transaction... perhaps... it was worth considering?
As he pondered, Su Yu added, "Three Rulers of Rules will serve as your whetstones before seeking vengeance on King Wu. If you can't even slay three Rulers of Rules, yet still dream of taking revenge... you might as well wait for death!"
Gritting his teeth, the Martial Emperor snarled, "I will kill him sooner or later!!"
"...Heh!"
All conversation ends with "heh"!
Hearing Su Yu's scoff, the Martial Emperor roared in fury, "You think I can't kill him?"
"Of course!"
Su Yu nodded. "He is together with King Wen. Even if you truly possess the ability to slay him, you'd have to kill King Wen first. Those two are thicker than thieves. Once you have the confidence to slay King Wen, then come brag to me!"
"..."
The Martial Emperor slumped instantly!
Despair!
I can't kill King Wen!
Never mind King Wen—he couldn't even beat King Wu, or he would have killed him long ago!
At this moment, utter despair gripped the Martial Emperor. Usually no one brought it up, so he had indulged in fantasies of beating King Wu to death. Now that Su Yu had punctured his delusion, despair overwhelmed him.
Su Yu smiled. "So you've never truly intended to take revenge, have you? You only daydream about it. You're just a coward! You think that once you're unsealed, King Wu is missing anyway—well, let me tell you, you're dreaming! He will return sooner or later! When that happens, you'll be in an awkward spot!"
Shame turning into rage, the Martial Emperor barked, "I have thought about revenge! I've thought about it every single day! I will kill him!"
"Heh! You're just fantasizing. If you truly meet him, you'll have to call him Daddy!"
"Bullshit!"
The Martial Emperor was incensed!
"Taishan—doesn't that mean father-in-law? What's the difference between that and calling him Father?"
Su Yu laughed. "As expected, you're terrified of King Wu and want to recognize him as your father!"
"Like hell!"
The Martial Emperor flew into a rage. It was absolutely not like that!
This bastard Su Yu was trying to provoke him.
Right, reverse psychology—I won't listen!
Su Yu gave a faint smile. "Alright, there's no need for impotent rage. Just say it: do you want revenge or not?"
"You can handle the Human Sovereign and his peers?"
The Martial Emperor sneered, "You're just boasting too!"
Su Yu laughed. "Back when I said I could finish you off before you were even unsealed, did you believe me? How about now?"
With those words, Su Yu's aura erupted!
Shaking heaven and earth!
"How about now?"
The Martial Emperor's pupils contracted!
Su Yu said indifferently, "Do not evaluate me with your narrow mindset! Martial Emperor, you are merely a brawler; you do not understand people like us! Since I have said it, I can achieve it!"
In this moment, the Martial Emperor fell completely silent.
Su Yu had grown stronger once again.
He practically transformed with each passing day!
It had been only a few days since he reached the Celestial Venerable tier, yet now Su Yu faintly seemed on the verge of crossing into that ultimate realm. Combined with his own world... right now, inside his own world, Su Yu might truly be able to take on a Ruler of Rules!
At this moment, the Martial Emperor felt envy, jealousy, fury, unwilling indignation...
A maelstrom of emotions surged within him until finally he bellowed, "Did brawlers eat your family's rice? Su Yu, you have no right to look down on martial artists! You are one, and so am I. Are you not a warrior yourself?"
You are one too!
What are you putting on airs for!
Su Yu narrowed his eyes with a smile. "See? Brutes are just prone to anger. A true scholar never flies into a rage. And when he does, lives must be taken, blood must flow—that is the difference!"
For a moment, the Martial Emperor was at a loss for words.
Damn it all, it sounded somewhat plausible, but deep down, he just couldn't stomach it!
I refuse to accept this!
I swore that the first thing I'd do after breaking the seal was to kill you, and now I'm making a deal with you? What kind of farce is this?
Su Yu had a genial smile on his face.
As if divining his thoughts, Su Yu said slowly, "How about this: after you help me kill three Rulers of Rules, I'll apologize to you. I'll apologize before all the heavens, saying I should not have humiliated you. Plenty of face in that, isn't there? After all, I am a World Opener!"
The Martial Emperor froze. That... seemed... not entirely unacceptable!
Chapter 819