King Meets King, Complete Victory!

"Hahaha!" Heaven and earth trembled, and the river stopped flowing. At this moment, the Martial Emperor's aura blanketed the firmament. Long hair whipped in the wind as golden armor coalesced around his form. If only... he had a bit more hair, he would have looked far more handsome and domineering. Unfortunately, his hair was on the sparser side—verging on baldness. The Martial Emperor probably hadn't noticed this. Nor was he in the mood to care. Additionally, his legs were splayed just a little... duck-footed. But there was no helping it; anyone forced to hold a split for over a hundred thousand years would end up splay-footed! Balding, splay-footed, and with a crooked neck. Indeed, his neck had been snapped and shoved into the dirt, leaving it slightly askew. Yet his aura was explosive, his armor resplendent, and his laughter wild and unrestrained... Everything seemed fine! Without looking at the man himself, one would marvel at the Martial Emperor's peerless tyranny. Take a look at the man, though... and one would think: *What a Martial Emperor; truly worse seen than heard. What a sorry sight!* Of course, in this era, strength was everything, and looks were trivial. An expert like Su Yu—who embodied handsomeness, talent, wisdom, courage, domineering majesty, and decisiveness all in one—was simply too rare. At least, that was what Su Yu thought to himself. At that moment, Su Yu stood proudly above the River of Time with his hands clasped behind his back, silently watching the Martial Emperor laugh maniacally. He felt no imposing majesty from the man. Having witnessed the Martial Emperor at his most wretched, Su Yu was entirely unimpressed by this burst of raw power. True, the Martial Emperor was strong. Right now, he might truly be the strongest being in the myriad realms. A comparison with the God Imperial Concubine in the River of Time made the gap readily apparent. The God Imperial Concubine possessed a powerful aura, but she seemed slightly weaker than Yuqing. And Yuqing was significantly weaker than the Martial Emperor. That was the impression he got. With this direct comparison, Su Yu could clearly see that Rulers of Rules were divided into distinct levels. It was difficult to classify them through conventional cultivation realms; at their tier, one had to look at the length, width, unique properties, and specific laws of their Great Daos. Every Ruler of Rules wielded the power of a Great Dao, but a Ruler whose Dao was as narrow as a urethra was still technically a Ruler of Rules. Compared to one whose Dao was as vast as an ocean, the difference was as vast as heaven and earth. Thus, Rulers of Rules could not be neatly partitioned by rank. It depended on the whole, on the robust strength of their Great Daos. And the Martial Emperor was conspicuously far stronger than the God Imperial Concubine. Su Yu had encountered and seen the Martial Emperor's Dao before. Purely from his perspective, its width was decent—roughly four thousand meters across—making it stronger than the Wild Heavenly Beast's Dao. Among all the Daos Su Yu had witnessed, excluding certain anomalous Daos, it was inferior only to the Brush Dao. The Martial Emperor was undeniably powerful. If he weren't, he wouldn't have been qualified to battle the likes of King Wu back then. Yet... the Martial Emperor had lived such a miserable existence that Su Yu could never bring himself to treat him as a supreme being. Even so, at this very moment, the Martial Emperor cut an undeniably overbearing figure. Having regained his full might and laughed his fill, the Martial Emperor suddenly knitted his brows and barked coldly, "Get lost!" He wasn't speaking to Su Yu, but to the God Imperial Concubine. The Martial Emperor's aura raged as he cast a chilling glare toward her—a member of the god race! She had used the disturbance of his unsealing to reconnect her Dao and make her breakthrough. If he hadn't known that Su Yu had tacitly permitted it, he would have slain this leech who had basked in his borrowed light right then and there! In the distance, the God Imperial Concubine's aura surged, yet beside the Martial Emperor, she was like a flickering candle competing with the sun and moon. After a moment of silence, the God Imperial Concubine gave a slight bow and vanished from the spot. She was no match for the Martial Emperor. Arrogant as the Martial Emperor was, he possessed the capital to back it up. Provoking him right now would be deeply unwise. Once the God Imperial Concubine disappeared, the Martial Emperor paid her no further mind. His gaze fixed upon Su Yu, fierce and piercing, as his violent aura bore down with crushing pressure. Stepping toward Su Yu one pace at a time, radiating boundless might, he growled, "Su Yu!" This bastard had humiliated him time and again. And now, his seal was broken! In today's myriad realms, who else could compare to him? The Martial Emperor knew his standing. Even though he had been sealed for ages, and even though he had been no match for King Wen and the others, in this sealed era, he was the undisputed king! Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared promise Su Yu to slay three Rulers of Rules. That was his confidence and foundation! Trailing a tempestuous aura, the Martial Emperor trod upon the River of Time, closing in on Su Yu step by step. He wanted to see whether this young man still had the gall to act so arrogant before him. *No matter how talented you are, right now, you are still beneath me!* Not far away, Su Yu looked at him and smiled. "If your legs are healed, mind your posture. You're walking duck-footed. Reign it in a bit." "..." The Martial Emperor's face froze. "Su Yu, this is no longer a moment ago!" *Don't you realize?* *The sky has changed!* Su Yu smiled again. "Straighten your neck while you're at it. Pay some attention to your appearance!" The Martial Emperor's face turned livid. He pulled his legs slightly closer together and twisted his neck back into alignment. He continued closing in on Su Yu. *You are seeking death!* Su Yu laughed once more. "Also, your hair is looking a little thin!" "Bastard!" A furious roar tore through heaven and earth. It was fine if he hadn't mentioned it, but the moment he brought it up, the Martial Emperor flew into a rage. Su Yu had yanked out clumps of his hair before! The Martial Emperor was thoroughly incensed! His hair grew thick in an instant. A faint sheen of blood materialized over his golden armor, his vitality boiling. In his prime, he had waged war against the cosmos and slaughtered Rulers of Rules! For a supreme expert like him, even at this very moment, Su Yu dared to mock him. Su Yu chuckled. "Just giving you a friendly reminder. Why get so worked up? Overwhelming rage damages the heart." "You are courting death!" The Martial Emperor's tone was icy. "Did you think that just because you unsealed me, this Emperor would truly stand by your side? Did you think that having a few extra men under your command would let you do as you please with me? You underestimate me far too much! Furthermore, you are at odds with Hundred Battles, with Yuqing, with the myriad races... Su Yu, your enemies cover the realm, yet you still dare to act so brazen!" *Where do you get the right?* *Where do you get your confidence?* The Martial Emperor couldn't fathom it. Su Yu had enemies on all sides, yet instead of trying to win him over, he chose to mock him. Did he truly not know how to write the word 'death'? Su Yu chuckled softly. "Even if all the heavens stand against me, I will do as I please, and I will still look down on you as I please! A cultivator who opened the Heavenly Gate, sealed for over a hundred thousand years, breaking out by borrowing my power, and now you think you can stand above me? Let me think... I am twenty-two years old this year. Do you feel terribly proud of yourself?" The Martial Emperor's steps halted. Su Yu's expression remained steady, a smile still playing upon his lips. "Leaving aside whether you can kill me—even if you could, how long do you think you would survive after doing so?" Su Yu smiled brightly. "This world does not need a wildcard! And you are the wildcard I released!" The Martial Emperor's face shifted slightly. "So what if you are the strongest beneath the heavens? The higher you stand, the faster you will die!" Su Yu's smile gradually faded. "Martial Emperor, do you wish to break your seal today only to perish today? Do you believe me when I say that if I give the call right now, Hundred Battles, the God Imperial Concubine, the Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign, and even Yuqing and her faction would all willingly help me kill you?" The Martial Emperor's expression changed. "Impossible! They have grudges against you, not me..." Su Yu sneered. "Naive! Because... you are the strongest beneath the heavens!" The Martial Emperor froze. "As the strongest beneath the heavens, if you don't die, who will?" Su Yu said calmly, "Can I kill a Ruler of Rules on my own? No! But you... you have that capability! So do the other Rulers of Rules fear you more, or do they fear me more? Even if I can kill one, it would require a coordinated siege and heavy losses! But since you have the power to single-handedly slaughter a Ruler of Rules, you are the common enemy of all. Do you not even understand such basic reasoning?" Su Yu's voice turned icy. "Why must you always be so utterly foolish?" The Martial Emperor's face turned green. "Su Yu, do you think you have me cornered? If you're willing to cooperate with me, others will be willing as well!" Su Yu nodded slightly. "Indeed. You're welcome to try. I won't stop you. Go right now—Hundred Battles is in the Human Realm. Go ask him if he's willing to cooperate with you!" The Martial Emperor's expression shifted. *Should I go?* *Go and ask?* Su Yu was far too intolerable! Glaring coldly at Su Yu, the Martial Emperor suddenly tore through the river and vanished from the spot. Su Yu watched him depart with an indifferent gaze. *Go ahead. If Hundred Battles actually takes you in, I'll call you my father!* *You were released by me!* *Only if water flooded Hundred Battles' brain would he ever take you in!* *Idiot!* *Wouldn't he fear that this was my deliberate setup?* *Wouldn't he suspect you of being my spy?* Hundred Battles had Yueluo at his side; he was a master of planting his own pawns, so how could he not fear that Su Yu was embedding the Martial Emperor into his ranks? Besides, the Martial Emperor was terrifyingly powerful. Wouldn't Hundred Battles fear the guest supplanting the host? Utterly laughable! ... At that moment, in the Human Realm. The heavens were torn asunder. A boundlessly magnificent aura rocked the world. Hundred Battles instantly frowned, and those around him snapped to full alert. The Martial Emperor! In the next instant, a golden figure manifested. No longer looking wretched, the Martial Emperor was peerlessly overbearing, his overwhelming aura blanketing the world and suffocating the nearby Dao Integration experts! Stepping out of the void, the Martial Emperor looked at Hundred Battles and remarked coldly, "Not weak!" Hundred Battles regarded him with a grave expression, then soon smiled. "Senior Martial Emperor!" "Drop the nonsense!" The Martial Emperor snapped coldly, "You are of the human race, and so am I. Su Yu and I harbor deep enmity. If I cooperate with you to strike down Su Yu together, would you be willing?" Hundred Battles was taken aback, then gave a soft laugh. "Senior must be joking. Fellow Daoist Su is also of the human race. As kin, how could we act so recklessly... Senior, please do not jest." *What a joke!* *Is this guy deliberately looking for a fight?* No wonder Su Yu's attitude had changed so dramatically today—it turned out he had unsealed the Martial Emperor, bolstering his confidence. Understandably so; the Martial Emperor was formidable. As for killing Su Yu... Hundred Battles didn't take that seriously for a second. *Heh!* *What a ridiculous farce!* If he agreed right now and declared his intent to kill Su Yu, the Martial Emperor would almost certainly turn his blade against him immediately. Hundred Battles laughed inwardly. *Was this the Martial Emperor's own idea, or was he acting under Su Yu's orders?* Naturally, the Martial Emperor was Su Yu's man! That went without saying! Who in the myriad realms wouldn't think so? If he weren't Su Yu's man, why would Su Yu help unseal him? Why would Su Yu divert the human race's destiny to break the ancient Human Sovereign's suppression? That was impossible! Could Su Yu possibly be stupid enough to release an enemy just so that enemy could join hands with others to kill him? What a joke! The Martial Emperor's brow furrowed, and he said coldly, "Hundred Battles, you fool, do you truly believe I belong to Su Yu? That I would take his orders? I harbor a bitter grudge against him. He isn't weak, and he has many experts beneath him. If you and I join forces to kill him, I will help you settle the turmoil across the myriad realms!" Hundred Battles smiled. "Senior, we are all humans; there is no need for this. Fellow Daoist Su and I bear no grudges against each other either." "Hypocrite!" The Martial Emperor roared in fury. "He talks all day about killing you, yet you claim you don't want to kill him?" Right then, the void rippled, and Su Yu's figure materialized between heaven and earth. With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked over from afar and said indifferently, "Enough. You're getting old. Go back and get some rest!" The Martial Emperor was enraged. Whipping his head around, he bellowed, "Su Yu, you dog! Today, this Emperor shall join forces with Hundred Battles to slaughter you—" Hundred Battles cut him off directly, smiling. "Senior, you should return with Fellow Daoist Su and rest for a while. Breaking your seal today must have drained a great deal of your energy." He had practically stopped just short of saying: *Stop acting, aren't you tired?* Never mind hurling curses—even if the Martial Emperor beat Su Yu half to death, Hundred Battles wouldn't intervene. The moment he intervened... heh, the two of them would immediately turn around and strike him down, wouldn't they? Hundred Battles was utterly exasperated! What was Su Yu trying to pull? Did he want an excuse to start trouble, or did he want to use the Martial Emperor's unsealing to completely tear off the mask and sever ties? He pondered the possibilities. Meanwhile, the Martial Emperor's face was completely purple. In the next moment, he spat out, "Fools are beyond counsel!" *What an idiotic Hundred Battles!* If Hundred Battles had truly joined hands with him just now... the Martial Emperor might genuinely have struck at Su Yu. Truth be told, he was still furious over Su Yu's repeated insults. Yet Hundred Battles was an absolute imbecile! *He enrages me to no end!* *Forget it. Cooperating with such an idiot would only get me screwed over and killed by Su Yu sooner or later.* *Brainless fool!* The Martial Emperor cursed furiously in his heart, then glanced sideways at Su Yu, snorted coldly, and tore through the void to depart! From behind, Su Yu remarked with a faint smile, "Martial Emperor, don't run around blindly. Even if you are the strongest beneath the heavens, you aren't necessarily safe in these realms! Whatever you do, stay away from the Chaos—if you run into my worthy nephew Zhou Ji and get beaten to death, don't blame me for not warning you!" The Martial Emperor ignored him, vanishing completely. He wanted to see the world. It had been over a hundred thousand years since he last looked upon it, and he felt utterly suffocated right now. He didn't want to deal with Su Yu; whatever happened would have to wait until he had seen the world first! Su Yu paid him no further attention, turning his gaze across the void toward Hundred Battles. Last time, they hadn't crossed paths in the River of Time. This time, however, they stood face-to-face. As the saying went: *Kings do not meet*... but that depended on the circumstances! At this moment, Su Yu wanted to meet Hundred Battles. Standing between heaven and earth, he looked toward the Eastern Rift Valley, toward that familiar place, and chuckled. "Brother Hundred Battles, the Martial Emperor has a reckless temper; do not take offense. He was sealed by King Wu for over a hundred thousand years, so he's become a bit twisted!" "The Martial Emperor is a senior; naturally, I would not take such matters to heart." Hundred Battles also chuckled softly. "Fellow Daoist Su, do you wish to return to the Human Realm?" Su Yu smiled. "What if I said I do?" "Then I shall yield this Human Realm..." Behind him, several people frowned. Su Yu also narrowed his eyes slightly and said flatly, "Is the human race not worth Brother Hundred Battles lingering for?" Hundred Battles chuckled. "That would be true if it were anyone else, but since it is Fellow Daoist Su who comes, I believe there is no issue." Su Yu said indifferently, "Then I also want the giant race!" Hundred Battles knitted his brows, looked at Su Yu, and remained silent for a moment. "The giant race... it would be of no use to you." Su Yu nodded. "I understand!" He said nothing more, offering only that single sentence. Put simply, Hundred Battles could surrender the Human Realm, but he refused to surrender the giant race. Behind Hundred Battles, several expressions shifted slightly. Hundred Battles quickly realized that Su Yu might be laying a trap, so he smiled again. "The giant race... as you know, is my wife's clan after all... As for the human race, you are the tenth-generation Human Sovereign. I imagine that if you truly wish to return, no one will stop you... If we stopped you, wouldn't that provoke a conflict? We are all humans; there is no need for that!" *I am yielding it for the sake of humanity, for the greater good, to provide you a place to dwell—not because I fear you, nor because I am abandoning the human race.* Su Yu nodded slightly, then added, "The situation in the myriad realms is chaotic. We are both of the human race; we can negotiate on matters!" Su Yu continued, "Presently, our greatest enemies are none other than the sin race and the myriad races!" "The sin race?" "The Prison King's title has already been stripped by me, acknowledged by heaven and earth, permitted by the ancient Human Sovereign, and forsaken by all humanity!" Su Yu said dispassionately, "In the Upper Realm, I proclaimed this to the myriad heavens. Humanity should know of it, and the strong should know of it. Could it be that Brother Hundred Battles knows nothing at all?" *Are you no longer human?* *Are you no longer among the strong?* *Could you truly be completely unaware?* Hundred Battles raised an eyebrow slightly and offered a faint smile. "I know a little, but I did not know... that you had designated them as a sin race..." Su Yu laughed. "Is the Prison King guiltless? Are the Prison King's descendants guiltless? Yueluo and Yuexiao are beneath your command; do they not know whether they bear guilt? Leaving all else aside, purely on one point: watching from the sidelines as the human race was trampled by the myriad races for a hundred thousand years—that alone is a cardinal sin!" Su Yu's voice shook the heavens: "As fellow humans, watching eight generations of Human Sovereigns perish is a monstrous crime! Watching the descendants of King Wu fall is an unforgivable offense! Did King Wu render merit or fault? Did King Wu's descendants, the first-generation Human Sovereign, render merit or fault? If this is not a sin, then the annihilation of humanity would be no sin either! In one's position, one must fulfill one's duties! Sharing in humanity's destiny, how could they sit idly by as humanity declined? Refusing to emerge for a hundred thousand years, only to reveal two Rulers of Rules, seven or eight Celestial Venerables, over a dozen Heavenly Kings, and nearly a hundred Dao Integrations the moment they stepped forth... Don't tell me this was all accumulated in a mere six thousand years!" Su Yu's roar shook the firmament: "If they could amass such strength in six thousand years, were the humans of the past hundred thousand years all useless trash?" That earth-shattering shout sent ripples across all directions. Was the Prison King lineage guilty? Hundred Battles said nothing. Su Yu declared they were, citing no other faults but one: standing by as humanity fell and watching eight generations of Human Sovereigns die—that was their sin! Watching nearly a hundred ancient Human Marquises perish—that was their sin! He didn't mention the targeting of King Wen's lineage, as that had nothing to do with others. Nor did he mention colluding with dead spirits, since Su Yu was doing the very same thing. On this single point alone—standing idly by during an existential war—their crime was beyond pardon! Hundred Battles gave him a deep look and nodded slightly. "The sin race... a fitting name. That lineage is indeed guilty!" He had to concede this point! Even though Su Yu was... scolding the locust while pointing at the mulberry tree! The ones who had watched from the sidelines for a hundred thousand years were the Prison King lineage, but the one who had watched from the sidelines for six thousand years was Hundred Battles' faction! At such a young age, his mind was terrifyingly meticulous, and his heart profoundly ruthless. Witnessed by all the heavens, how could Hundred Battles deny the crimes of the Prison King lineage? The stripping of the Prison King's title was the ultimate proof. Su Yu commanded the hearts of the people; when he decreed the title stripped, it was stripped! Yet Su Yu was far from finished. He projected his voice once more: "The sin race and the myriad races are the enemies of our human race. Does Brother Hundred Battles agree?" "I agree!" Hundred Battles nodded slightly. Just then, someone spoke in a low voice: "Then... Human Sovereign Su, why did you help the myriad races' God Imperial Concubine break her seal?" What kind of crime was that? Su Yu's verbal offensive was blatant. It was awkward for Hundred Battles to bring it up, but someone stepped forward to do it for him! *Su Yu, you claim the myriad races are the enemy, yet you aided the enemy!* Su Yu's voice boomed like a bronze bell: "Using barbarians to control barbarians! The God Imperial Concubine is indeed a formidable foe, but she..." Su Yu turned toward the divine realm and barked, "I aided your unsealing without asking for anything in return, yet you promised me one condition. My request is not excessive: kill Yuezhan, and this debt will be wiped clean!" In the direction of the divine realm, the God Imperial Concubine remained silent for a moment before her voice echoed back: "This old woman shall remember Sovereign Yu's words! With Yuezhan's death, I shall repay the favor of your aid today..." Paying her no further heed, Su Yu turned to the speaker and said coldly, "Even without my help, she still had hope of breaking her seal. But now, she will hunt Yuezhan, and Yuqing will inevitably intervene. Perhaps more than just Yuezhan will die; perhaps she and Yuqing will perish together... In this matter, have we lost or gained?" The speaker said softly, "Then how can Human Sovereign Su guarantee she will actually kill him?" Su Yu replied indifferently, "If she does not kill Yuezhan within half a year, I will slay her myself! If she does not die, I will yield this position of Human Sovereign to you—how about that?" Su Yu took a step forward and snapped, "I ask you only one thing: do you dare to accept?" The speaker took a step back, his face turning slightly pale. It wasn't Changmei—how would Changmei dare speak now? It was Hundred Battles' strategist, Changqing. Su Yu's voice rang out like thunder: "I dare make such a vow. Do you dare?" His voice reverberated like the resonance of the Great Dao as he demanded, "You took in Yueluo and Yuexiao, subjugating remnants of the sin race without a single accomplishment to show for it. Do you dare declare that within three months, you will slay Yuqing, and if Yuqing does not die, you will end your own lives right here?" "The likes of Yueluo and Yuexiao are traitors. Can a single word of surrender truly redeem them?" Su Yu rebuked harshly, "If the Prison King returns and offers an apology, should she be forgiven? If the Prison King can be forgiven, then when the Rulers of Rules of the myriad races return and say they are willing to honor humanity once more, should they be forgiven as well?" "If all can be forgiven, then what have we fought for over the past hundred thousand years?" "Be it the god race or the other myriad races, today's cooperation is purely to control barbarians with barbarians!" Su Yu spoke without reservation, his voice carrying far and wide: "It is not forgiving for the sake of forgiveness, nor does their pledging allegiance to me, Su Yu, wash away their sins! I took in the Iron Eaters, the Destiny race, the Space race, and the Hou race because they are friends of humanity! They owe no blood debt to the human race! They bear no sin upon their heads!" "In humanity's darkest hours, they still stood by our side, shedding their blood and laying down their lives for our race! Such allies, I can accept. Do the myriad races think they can simply pledge allegiance to me as well?" Su Yu bellowed, "Even if I could utter sweet lies, declaring right now that I could accept anyone from the myriad races—even if the God Imperial Concubine might then willingly submit to me—could I truly forget our blood debts for the sake of a single Ruler of Rules? In this tide alone, the human race fought for five hundred years, losing over ten million soldiers, perhaps even over a hundred million! Could I accept these executioners just for the sake of a single Ruler of Rules?" The myriad realms fell dead silent! "Even if all the races turn against me, what of it?" Su Yu's voice grew louder and louder: "How could an ocean of blood debts be brushed aside simply because the enemy is strong, because they offer submission, because my power would grow?" Were these words false? Not in the slightest! Su Yu had never accepted a single race that harbored a blood debt against humanity. The few races he took in had no grievances with humans; they were either neutral or ancient allies who had leaned toward humanity. As for why they hadn't participated early in this tide, Su Yu couldn't even be bothered to point out the culprit. Every expert in his camp was clean of human blood. Of course, Su Yu disregarded the dead spirit realm. They had been dead for countless eras; who knew whether they had grievances with humanity or not? Under his thunderous questioning, the heavens fell still. After a long silence, Hundred Battles said softly, "Fellow Daoist speaks the truth. Those with blood debts against humanity indeed cannot be accepted! Yueluo and Yuexiao... have actually been aiding humanity all along, probing the sin race's secrets and delaying their progress so they wouldn't emerge from their mountain to encircle humanity..." Having reached this point, if Su Yu pressed further, it would become mere nitpicking. Though he dearly wished to pick a fight, Su Yu didn't dwell on it. Instead, he declared loudly, "Since that is so—you worry about my entanglements with the myriad races, and I worry about your lingering ties with the sin race! Why don't you suppress the myriad races, while I suppress the sin race?" Su Yu smiled. "The ninth-generation Human Sovereign and the tenth-generation Human Sovereign—two generations working in harmony to unify the myriad realms, standing together against external foes—what a fine tale that would be! Brother Hundred Battles, perhaps you and I can even have a contest to see who suppresses their opponent first! The chaos of the heavens began with humanity, and it shall end with humanity! The myriad races have one Ruler of Rules and several Celestial Venerables. The sin race has two Rulers of Rules, with Yuezhan and Motian being quite formidable... This way, I won't be taking advantage of you. What does Brother Hundred Battles think?" The moment those words fell, Hundred Battles' expression shifted slightly. Not just Hundred Battles—Changqing and the others also paled. Su Yu... was forcing their hand! A complete, inescapable cornering! At this moment, his voice reverberated across the myriad races of the cosmos, and the entire human race was listening. He hadn't been overbearing. With the strength he had gathered over mere years, he was offering to take on multiple Rulers of Rules from the Prison King lineage, while Hundred Battles and his men only had to deal with the myriad races, who had already been battered half to death by Su Yu. Was that unfair? Not in the least! Would Hundred Battles... agree or refuse? Su Yu spoke once more: "Under Brother Hundred Battles' command, talents abound: eight Celestial Venerables, and both you and worthy nephew Zhou Ji are Rulers of Rules. Two Rulers of Rules, eight Celestial Venerables, over a dozen Heavenly Kings, and dozens of Dao Integrations... Dealing with the myriad races is more than enough! It is an overwhelming advantage!" At this moment, the heavens shook. Hundred Battles... was that strong? Even in the divine realm, the God Imperial Concubine was shaken. Just as Hundred Battles was about to speak, Su Yu laughed. "Dozens of Dao Integration experts yielded their paths for Brother Hundred Battles. You are the foremost figure of the past hundred thousand years. Your arrangement with Yueluo was merely a sham seal. Six thousand years ago, you could already match an ancient Human King. By now, you must be even stronger than the Martial Emperor, yes? As for worthy nephew Zhou Ji... could it be that he hasn't reached Ruler of Rules?" He gave Hundred Battles room to deny Zhou Ji's strength, but as for Hundred Battles himself—if he claimed he didn't possess the strength of a Ruler of Rules, he would humiliate himself before the entire world! *Six thousand years ago, you could match an ancient King. You were in cahoots with Yueluo, undergoing a fake seal. Could it be you made zero progress in all that time?* *If so, your title as the foremost figure of the past hundred thousand years is a joke!* Hundred Battles gave Su Yu a deep look, saying calmly, "I have not seen Ji'er in a long time and do not know his current strength. However, under the current seal of the myriad realms, even the most monstrous talent would find it difficult to reach the level you speak of!" Su Yu laughed heartily. "Fair enough! Never mind—even if worthy nephew Zhou Ji isn't a Ruler of Rules, Brother Hundred Battles, could dealing with the myriad races pose any difficulty for you? If it is too difficult... I can send some Dao Integration experts to aid you in quelling the turmoil! They are all heroes of our human race, born in this very tide! Because Brother Hundred Battles was too strong, humanity's Physical Dao was blocked, leaving no one able to step into Dao Integration. I had no choice but to find alternative paths, only recently helping them integrate into other Daos. Please do not look down on them for being too weak!" Su Yu announced loudly, "They are not like you all. With their heritage severed, they had no choice but to walk the Physical Dao! Yet the Physical Dao was sealed—no heritage, no foundation, young in years, growing strong only through slaughter! Over five hundred years, they slew countless foes and lost countless comrades just to produce a handful of Eternals. In desperation, I was forced to sever their Physical Daos and make them switch paths to step into Dao Integration... Please, do not despise them for falling short in strength!" A hearty laugh rang through the heavens! *Do not look down on my people for being weak, because... you were the ones who caused it!* *You sealed the Physical Dao and severed the ancient inheritance, leaving them unable to step into Dao Integration!* Only now, under Su Yu's aid, had they barely managed to cross into Dao Integration. Was it difficult? Excruciatingly difficult! This was a history written in blood and tears! At this moment, several people behind Hundred Battles lowered their heads in shame, unable to look Su Yu in the eye! Had this remained unsaid, it would have been fine. But stated aloud before the myriad races of the cosmos, anyone with a shred of conscience would feel consumed by mortification! Every single word Su Yu spoke pierced straight to the heart! Su Yu shouted again: "Brother Hundred Battles, is dealing with the myriad races difficult? Or is it that you are unwilling to cooperate with me, believing that I, Su Yu, am of meager strength and unworthy?" Hundred Battles remained silent. Seeing his hesitation, Changqing quickly chimed in, "Human Sovereign Su, this matter requires further deliberation—" Su Yu barked furiously, "Are you the Human Sovereign, or is Hundred Battles? Do you presume to speak for him? Brother Hundred Battles, give me a straight answer: are you willing or not? If you are not, I alone shall stand against both the myriad races and the sin race! For the past six thousand years, our human race relied solely on ourselves! Without anyone's aid for six thousand years, our race still endured!" Pausing, Su Yu shouted at the top of his lungs, "If you are unwilling, I ask only that Brother Hundred Battles not engage in fratricidal strife! The blood debts of humanity, the hatred of our race—I shall bear it all!" Hundred Battles let out a long sigh in his heart! *Su Yu... ah, Su Yu!* *What a man!* Speaking like this before the eyes of the entire world, how could he possibly respond? How could he refuse? Hundred Battles was caught in an impossible dilemma! He had truly been backed into a corner. This was their first face-to-face encounter, and Su Yu was fiercely domineering! If he agreed, he would have to hold back the myriad races. If he failed to do so... he would be branded a liar, an oath-breaker, a traitor to his own race... Half the experts under his command might truly abandon him! And if he held back the myriad races, Su Yu's side—boasting the Martial Emperor, Su Yu himself, and multiple Celestial Venerables—would likely be able to kill Yuqing and her faction! The probability was high! Yet if he refused... on what grounds could he refuse? Further deliberation? Hundred Battles knew that at this moment, he had to agree. After a brief pause, he said softly, "My subordinates Yueluo and Yuexiao understand the sin race far better. Why don't I take on the sin race instead..." "Done!" "..." Hundred Battles froze! Su Yu proclaimed loudly, "I have no objections; Brother Hundred Battles may do as he pleases! In that case, Brother Hundred Battles shall block the sin race, and I shall suppress the myriad races! Since you say you understand the sin race better, I trust you will undoubtedly pin them right before the Hell Gate!" He didn't care whom Hundred Battles suppressed. As long as Hundred Battles agreed, Su Yu could swiftly shatter one of the alliances! If Hundred Battles agreed and failed to deliver... he was either incompetent or treacherous! Su Yu said in a booming voice, "Brother Hundred Battles chose to suppress the sin race of his own accord... As brothers standing united against external foes, humanity is bound to triumph! The glory of humanity shall be restored in this era! Since Brother Hundred Battles made this choice and claimed to understand the sin race, I presume there will be no situation where entities from the sin race or from behind the Hell Gate come to obstruct me while I deal with the myriad races, yes?" "..." Silence! Absolute silence! At this moment, Hundred Battles knew he had walked right into the trap! After a brief silence, he said flatly, "Of course not!" Since things had come to this, let Su Yu deal with the myriad races. As for the sin race... he would handle them! He said placidly, "Of course! However, as your elder brother by a few years, if Fellow Daoist Su happens to conquer the myriad races ahead of time, please do not rush to send reinforcements... After all, I would like to preserve some face..." *Once you defeat the myriad races, just make sure you don't come interfere with me!* Su Yu laughed heartily. "How could I? I was actually counting on Brother Hundred Battles to come rescue me! How about this: within three months, you and I shall suppress both sides together. For supreme experts, a battle is decided in an instant; why would it take three months? If possible, we could even do it right now! However, I see that Brother Hundred Battles may still need to rest a bit—after resting for six thousand years, your battle instincts might be rusty. Take good care of yourself recently and get back into fighting shape. Three months from now, in all the myriad heavens, humanity alone shall reign!" At that moment, from within the Human Realm, earth-shaking roars suddenly erupted! "Within three months, humanity alone shall reign!" "Humanity alone shall reign!" "Humanity alone shall reign!" The roaring shook heaven and earth, stirring every heart! Two generations of Human Sovereigns joining hands to slay the myriad races and exterminate traitors—how exhilarating! "Sage Emperor Yu! Sage Hundred Battles King!" The shouts rose anew! At this moment, across the thirty-six prefectures, thirty-six prefecture governors led countless citizens in roaring at the top of their lungs, their voices shaking the heavens! Within three months! They didn't care whether Hundred Battles had agreed. There was no need. The moment Su Yu spoke those words, certain people already knew what needed to be done! *Drag it out?* *We won't give you the chance to drag it out!* Hundred Battles remained silent. Behind him, some experts were thrilled, some excited, some frowned, and others felt uneasy. This sky no longer belonged to Hundred Battles. This sky was no longer the sky of six thousand years ago! Su Yu had won a sweeping victory! Indeed, any discerning observer could tell that Su Yu had won—a complete and utter victory! Because Su Yu loved to stand on the moral high ground to crush his opponents, including Hundred Battles. Hundred Battles could neither resist nor refuse! To refuse would be treason. Hundred Battles closed his eyes, then quickly opened them, looking toward Su Yu with a faint smile. "Then... we shall do as Fellow Daoist Su says!" Su Yu laughed boisterously. "Many thanks for Brother Hundred Battles' assistance! This meeting has brought me great joy! In three months, we shall meet again in the Human Realm to display humanity's might and reunify the myriad heavens!" With those words, Su Yu stepped into the air, his white robes pristine as snow. Relaxed and poised, he melted into the River of Time and vanished in an instant. Hundred Battles kept his eyes fixed on Su Yu's departing back. Behind him, some remained silent, while others felt uncomfortable. One muttered, "Your Majesty, then... we're really going to smash the sin race in three months? We might not necessarily be worse than that kid. If he can do it in three months, and we have no myriad races to interfere, we can do it in three months too!" Wuji! Changqing yanked at Wuji! *Idiot!* *Have you forgotten what His Majesty said before?* *His Majesty's goal was never to smash Yuqing and the others!* Wuji gave a simple-minded grin, but sighed inwardly. *I know. But... but... I want to fight! I want to smash the sin race!* *Your Majesty... maybe smashing them is also a way out!* *Why won't you even consider it?* *Su Yu is willing to hold off one side—that's a good thing! Your Majesty, don't you see? If you keep refusing, and three months from now Su Yu takes down the myriad races while you haven't... how are we old brothers supposed to hold our heads high?* Wuji smiled foolishly and said nothing more. Su Yu... was truly an extraordinary hero!