Bows drawn, swords unsheathed—tensions were at a breaking point!
On this day in the Upper Realm, the auras of Dao Mergers swept across the heavens. Atop Human Mountain, the powerhouses of the myriad races wore expressions of supreme gravity.
Were they afraid?
A little!
Even though the myriad races possessed numerous powerhouses, a cohort of Celestial Venerables, and even a Ruler of Rules, their opponent was Su Yu!
A monster who perpetually created miracles!
A figure who constantly reversed desperate situations—an existence who had brought the Prison King's lineage, with its countless experts, to the brink of ruin.
The only reason the myriad races had set their sights on the Prison King's lineage in the first place was Su Yu.
And when Lan Tian and the others on Su Yu's side appeared, even the dimmest fool understood that it had all been Su Yu's scheme. He had done it on purpose. He had intentionally dragged the Prison King's lineage into the light and flushed out their hidden powerhouses.
...
Atop Human Mountain, Heavenly Venerable Dao said in a heavy voice, "Tiangu, it is time to join hands with the Prison King's lineage!"
Only by joining forces could they have any hope.
In truth, Su Yu's faction had not yet displayed enough power to annihilate the myriad races outright. Yet, just like Tiangu, everyone harbored a creeping dread toward that young man.
A psychological fear!
Su Yu had come to the Upper Realm only a handful of times, yet one visit freed Hundred Battles, and another wiped out several Celestial Venerables of the Prison King's lineage.
This time, before Su Yu had even shown his face, everyone was already feeling faint of heart.
Utterly irrational!
This was entirely different from when they had fought Hundred Battles all those years ago. Ferocious though Hundred Battles had been, he had never truly slain many experts of the myriad races.
Su Yu, on the other hand, had hardly been fighting for a few years, yet he had slaughtered powerhouses from across the myriad races from top to bottom.
Join hands with the Prison King's lineage?
Tiangu stood motionless at the pinnacle of Human Mountain, remaining silent.
Could they join hands?
Was it even possible?
While he kept quiet, Heavenly Venerable Yue of the God race, who had only recently restored his physical body, turned toward the God Imperial Concubine and asked in a low voice, "Imperial Concubine, are you... confident?"
She was currently the strongest expert among the myriad races!
A Ruler of Rules who had just succeeded in reconnecting her Great Dao. The supreme irony was that she had done so with the assistance of Su Yu—the very enemy who had now come to destroy them! What a cruel mockery!
It was precisely because of this that the myriad races grew even more uneasy.
If Su Yu lacked confidence, would he have helped the God Imperial Concubine reconnect her Dao?
It defied logic!
Moreover, Su Yu's camp also had the Martial Emperor!
Against the Martial Emperor, the God Imperial Concubine would inevitably lose.
The God Imperial Concubine likewise remained silent.
Confidence?
What confidence?
Did she have confidence against Su Yu, or against the Martial Emperor?
Yesterday, when the Martial Emperor broke his seal, his aura shook the heavens. Yet standing not far from him, Su Yu had been utterly calm and composed. If the Martial Emperor had truly moved against Su Yu at that moment, would Su Yu have been prepared?
The God Imperial Concubine had clearly felt it: the instant the Martial Emperor broke free, he was brimming with fury and resentment toward Su Yu. Yet shortly after, the Martial Emperor had fled, never bothering Su Yu at all.
Was it merely because Su Yu had helped unseal him?
No!
The God Imperial Concubine dared not dwell on it, for the thought was terrifying. How old was Su Yu?
What foundation did he possess to stand as an equal before the Martial Emperor?
One thought after another surfaced in her mind.
As for her promise to Su Yu—to kill Yue Zhan in repayment for the favor of reconnecting her Dao—did she truly need to fulfill it?
Or rather, would she even have the chance to do so?
And what was Su Yu thinking?
If he had intended to move against the myriad races from the beginning, why bother helping her reconnect her Dao?
At this moment, the God Imperial Concubine's thoughts were a tangled mess.
Right then, the human army arrived.
Six Celestial Venerables strode forth, their auras sweeping across the sky.
Among the more hotheaded was Celestial Venerable Huang, who gritted his teeth and said, "Su Yu hasn't come! There are only six Celestial Venerables. Why don't we seize this chance to..."
He wanted to say: seize the chance to charge out and slaughter them!
They had no shortage of experts on their side.
From the Immortal race, there were Marquis Sheng, Heavenly Venerable Dao, and Yuan Sheng. Adding himself made four Celestial Venerables. The God race had two Celestial Venerables and one Ruler of Rules, and there were three more from the Underworld, Phoenix, and Dragon races. With so many mighty figures, wouldn't crushing six Celestial Venerables be effortless?
Even if Tianming was rushing over to rendezvous with them, that would only make seven!
Slaying seven Celestial Venerables, even at heavy cost, would severely cripple Su Yu's combat strength.
Did Su Yu even have any other Celestial Venerables under his command?
Before he could finish, Tiangu and the God Imperial Concubine barked simultaneously, "Do not!"
Celestial Venerable Huang felt thoroughly suffocated. Why not?
Su Yu was being arrogant! The Martial Emperor had departed, and Su Yu himself was absent. If a grand battle erupted right now, and the two Rulers of Rules and Yue Zhan from the Prison King's lineage joined the fray, annihilating the human race was entirely within the realm of possibility!
Celestial Venerable Huang could sense that not only had Su Yu not come, but Hundred Battles was nowhere to be seen either!
How arrogant the humans were!
Neither of their two Human Lords had shown up.
With neither present, they dared try to take on both the myriad races and the Prison King's lineage? Did they truly have no fear of tumbling into ruin?
"Why?"
Celestial Venerable Huang's face darkened. "You two, this is a racial war—a racial war that has lasted over a hundred thousand years! The survival of our people hangs in the balance! Between us and the human race... there is no room for compromise!"
What in the world were they thinking?
Were they terrified of Su Yu?
Yes, he was worried too.
Yet no matter how worried they were, when pushed to this point, they ought to fight with everything they had, wagering their very lives!
They should crush the humans into disarray, letting them understand that the myriad races had dominated the realm for over a hundred thousand years without falling, and they would not be destroyed by Su Yu alone!
Tiangu's brow furrowed slightly. "Enough, Huang. We know this is a matter of life and death! But wait a moment longer! Do you truly believe Su Yu would send his people here to die? Haven't you seen that Tongtian is among them? Once the Tongtian Gate opens, do you know who might step through?"
No matter how arrogant Su Yu was, he would never make light of his subordinates' lives, especially when these were the core pillars of his faction.
The moment a clash broke out, reinforcements would arrive instantly.
Tiangu said in a heavy voice, "The fact that Su Yu hasn't arrived means he intends to besiege us for now, not fight a decisive battle. There is still a chance! We can try negotiating!"
"Hmm?"
Celestial Venerable Huang's brow knitted tightly. At this stage, negotiate?
Negotiate what?
Still, since Su Yu hadn't come... did he truly intend to talk?
At this thought, Celestial Venerable Huang fell into contemplative silence.
Across from them, King Dazhou stepped forward from the human army, treading on empty air. Behind him, one Dao Merger aura after another billowed forth.
King Dazhou looked toward Human Mountain—that familiar peak he had seen long ago.
Of course, according to his usual claims, he had never visited the Upper Realm.
As for his previous brief arrival, that didn't count.
Now, King Dazhou gazed upon Human Mountain with a deeply complex look in his eyes. This was the place where the human race had once intended to establish their imperial court. Back then, the Human Sovereign had planned to relocate here, no longer relying on the Star Residence Mansion as his seat of power.
The Star Residence Mansion was meant to serve only as a temporary palace.
Yet before the move could occur, catastrophe had struck the human race!
One memory after another flashed through King Dazhou's mind. Reaching this day, the events of the past hundred thousand years echoed in his thoughts. They had been entangled with the myriad races for far too long.
The secret agents left behind by the Human Sovereign were nearly all gone.
Every hidden reserve had been dredged up.
If the human race could not achieve victory in this tide, then the stalling of the past hundred thousand years and the campaigning of the Human Sovereign and his peers would all be rendered entirely meaningless.
This was their final chance!
Fortunately, this tide had produced Su Yu.
Otherwise, even King Dazhou would have been driven to despair.
The myriad races were exceptionally powerful. If they appeared somewhat feeble today, it was only because their opponent was Su Yu.
At this moment, King Dazhou walked to the very front of the host, facing Human Mountain alone. He looked at the experts atop the peak, taking in the faint panic buried deep within the eyes of several Celestial Venerables, and a faint smile broke across his face.
"Everyone, it has been a hundred thousand years!"
King Dazhou gave a light chuckle. "Over the past hundred thousand years, eight of the ten generations of Human Lords have died by your hands! Bingku died, Dan Yu died, Minshan died, Zhenbei died, Dingnan died..."
As King Dazhou chuckled, his expression turned to a sigh. "The debt of blood is vast!"
"Of the one hundred and nine Human Marquises passed down from antiquity, how many remain today?"
"Over the past hundred thousand years, the human race birthed hundreds of Dao Mergers. How many are left?"
"How many human citizens have the myriad races slaughtered? How many of our experts have you slain?"
"This grudge cannot be quenched even if all the waters of the River of Time were poured upon it!"
Atop Human Mountain, Tiangu spoke calmly: "King Dazhou, this is war! How many heroes of our races has your human race wiped out? How many of our talents have you murdered? Since ancient times, the humans have sought to reign supreme over the heavens! You are the aggressors; we... have merely been defending ourselves!"
"When your human race was thrown into turmoil, King Wen and King Wu departed. The Human Sovereign did not seek to protect himself or retreat into the Human Realm. Instead, he schemed to carry away the sovereigns of every race, all to perpetuate human dominion over the heavens for myriad ages! We... were merely fighting back!"
Tiangu's voice boomed across the world: "We are only fighting to survive!"
"We are fighting for the generations to come!"
"Our ancestors were suppressed by the human race. We have battled for a hundred thousand years solely in the hope that our descendants will not be born inferior to others, as we were!"
Tiangu yelled at the top of his lungs, "Are we in the wrong?"
"You are the invaders!"
"These heavens do not belong exclusively to the humans!"
"This world belongs to the myriad races! The humans are merely one of those myriad races. Why must you insist on hoarding the heavens for yourselves?"
King Dazhou shouted back coldly, "Tiangu, everything you speak of is merely your own rationalization! Before the ancient era, during the primordial age, the heavens and earth were not united. Were there fewer wars back then? How many experts perished? How many peerless talents died? What is more... this sky is the sky of our human race! This earth is the earth of our human race!"
"Be it the Immortal race, the God race, or the Demon race—tracing your origins back to the creation of the heavens, do you dare claim you did not branch out from humans?"
"The non-humanoid races mostly evolved from the primordial chaos clans... yet the heavens were not opened by them. They were opened by the Time Lord! Was the Time Lord human? I believe... he was!"
King Dazhou's voice rang out grand and majestic: "Therefore, human unification is the very will of this world! For we are its rightful masters!"
Both sides bellowed back and forth—a pre-battle shouting match to legitimize their causes!
Who held legitimacy?
Who carried moral righteousness?
Tiangu made his declaration, then said in a deep voice, "Su Yu is a clever man. Fighting us to mutual destruction yields him nothing. Remember, our ancestors remain within the River of Time, and their return is imminent!"
"Risking everything against us right now brings Su Yu no benefit... King Dazhou, you are a clever man as well. The myriad races still possess the strength to fight. If we burn our boats, anything is possible!"
At this moment, Tiangu took the initiative to yield: "I can promise that until the Immortal Emperor, the Human Sovereign, and the others return, the myriad races will firmly guard Myriad Races Mountain and step out no further! All we require is the same promise from Su Yu... Even if you tear this world apart, we will not interfere... How about we both take a step back?"
Conceding before the battle had even begun.
Their momentum took an immediate hit. The myriad races might even curse him and hate him for it, but Tiangu did not care.
If possible, he would choose this path without hesitation.
Alas... he knew it was almost impossible.
Sure enough, King Dazhou said coldly, "Do you think that is possible?"
Tiangu fell silent.
King Dazhou raised a hand and barked, "His Majesty Emperor Yu is willing to grant you an opportunity, however! Champion duels before the battle! If you can stall until the Immortal Emperor and the others return, that will be your good fortune... If you cannot, then you will die!"
Tiangu's eyes flickered slightly. What did that mean?
King Dazhou yelled, "When a Celestial Venerable steps forth from our side, your side sends a Celestial Venerable! When a Dao Merger steps forth from our side, your side sends a Dao Merger! Champion duels before the grand battle—life or death will depend entirely on your own abilities!"
Tiangu was taken aback. Before he could speak, Marquis Sheng frowned slightly and said in a chilly tone, "You want to use us as whetstones—as trial stones?"
In an instant, they all understood!
How arrogant!
King Dazhou and the humans actually intended to use them as whetstones.
These so-called pre-battle champion duels were merely designed to temper the powerhouses on Su Yu's side. Those people had advanced too rapidly; after breaking into the Dao Merger or Celestial Venerable ranks, they had almost no combat experience at their new level.
Duels against the myriad races right now presented an exceptional opportunity for tempering.
Mortal enemies!
One-on-one, evenly matched—such an opportunity was exceedingly rare.
No fear of accidental slaughter, no fear of friendly fire—they could simply fight to the death!
Most of the Dao Mergers and Celestial Venerables among the myriad races were seasoned veterans, whereas Su Yu's side lacked veterans and was filled with newly ascended experts.
King Dazhou said coldly, "Agree, and you may live a little longer. Refuse... and the myriad races will be wiped out today! In these champion duels, if your side is strong, you may stall for time. One duel per day. Before the three-month deadline arrives, our side will not launch a general assault... Three months—that is your chance! Otherwise, today shall be the decisive battle!"
At this moment, fury and humiliation surged among the myriad races.
Someone gritted their teeth. "Agree to their terms! But champion duels must decide life and death—let each side rely on their own skills. No outside interference, victory determined solely by strength!"
Did they truly think the myriad races feared them?
Tiangu and the leaders clearly had no desire to fight right now. Stalling for three months... could circumstances change?
Would there be an opportunity?
...
"Drinking poison to quench a thirst!"
Such was Tiangu's assessment. He looked toward the God Imperial Concubine and the others, feeling deeply helpless. "Su Yu wants champion duels to find the best trial opponents among us! Stalling may not be advantageous to us, but if we do not stall... today might well be the final battle!"
How should they choose?
Stall, or refuse?
The myriad races possessed the most suitable candidates to temper the human side, honing them on the brink of life and death in genuine mortal combat.
The God Imperial Concubine and the others remained quiet for a long while.
Should they stall?
Or should they mobilize every last warrior right now and wage a fight to the finish?
After a long silence, the God Imperial Concubine sighed. "Agree to it! Three months... perhaps variables will arise! Whether from Yuqing's side or Hundred Battles' side, unexpected turns may occur. Perhaps... it will bring hope!"
Of course, it might also bring utter despair!
Serving as whetstones for the human race!
As for life and death, that would come down to luck.
Tiangu nodded slightly. His eyes shifted back and forth before he fixed his gaze on King Dazhou across the void. In a heavy voice, he said, "Champion duels... We only worry your side is too green to even know how you died! King Dazhou, humans are treacherous. Duels are fine, but casualties cannot be contested! We only fear the human race will throw away all dignity and intervene at the critical juncture! We all know Su Yu cherishes his generals and hates losing men!"
"If we slay one of your commanders, won't Su Yu quickly back out?"
Those words made King Dazhou chuckle. Soon after, he said casually, "Rest assured! Entering these duels is entirely voluntary. Life and death are in the hands of fate!"
He turned back to look upon the human powerhouses and spoke evenly: "Many of us crossed instantly from Eternity straight into Dao Merger. After doing so, His Majesty has continually fought on the front lines, while we rested in peace and comfort at the rear!"
"An expert who cowers in his shell will never become a supreme powerhouse..."
At these words, many turned their eyes toward King Dazhou. King Dazhou smiled—a self-deprecating smile. "Why look at me? I am the same! Active across the realm since early antiquity, yet while others became Rulers of Rules, I remained a mere Dao Merger!"
"Fearing death brings only this: watching helplessly as comrades fall in battle, watching powerhouses perish while you stand powerless in the rear!"
"I am a failure. But I hope... this time, I will not be, and neither will you!"
He swept his gaze over the crowd, looking at King Daqin, King Daxia, Xia Longwu, and the rest. "None of us are cowards. We too once campaigned in all directions. Yet, everyone, in this past year, His Majesty conquered the myriad worlds—have we fought much? How many times have we engaged in battle since crossing into Dao Merger?"
"In combat, our only move has been self-detonation, because we relied on His Majesty's grand strategies to restore our physical bodies and preserve our seas of will... By now, how much of our combat instinct remains?"
"His Majesty says Hundred Battles' people were spoiled into uselessness long ago, and so were the myriad races!"
"Yet no matter how useless they became, they once fought across countless ages!"
"Are we to become useless wretches like them? Buffoons like them?"
King Dazhou barked coldly, "Today, the enemy stands before our eyes! Pre-battle champion duels—His Majesty intended for them to be sparring matches where we stop before serious injury. Bullshit!"
That furious roar shook everyone to their core.
King Dazhou... was cursing Su Yu?
King Dazhou yelled, "His Majesty is softhearted! He does not wish to see men die. But let me tell you all: war without death is no war at all! True experts rise from slaughter! His Majesty says this is to let everyone gain experience and develop counters against enemies... Bullshit!"
He roared again, "If you enter the ring holding onto the belief of survival, thinking you cannot die... the moment you meet a formidable foe, you will perish! Only by pressing forward with utter abandon can you survive, triumph, and break through!"
"I am the quintessential failure. I am one, Dingjun is one, Huoyun is one, and so are all the ancient remnants! But I hope that in this tide, that will not be the case! I hope every single one of you can become like His Majesty, rather than everyone sitting in the rear enjoying peace while our sovereign campaigns alone!"
"We had the guts back then, and we will not lack them now!"
"We dared to fight in our darkest hours, and we dare fight today!"
"You are all still young. You are young—if you wish to catch up to old relics like us, surpass us, and slay your enemies, your only path is to seek life through death!"
He looked toward the new generation... Indeed, King Daqin and the others were considered the new generation. King Dazhou said in a heavy voice, "Do not let useless old fools like us drag you down! We piled up our strength purely by living long lives! You... have no time left!"
King Daqin's expression turned grim. "We naturally dare to fight! Does King Dazhou mean this battle... these champion duels... will be to the death, with no rescue?"
"Precisely!"
King Dazhou said heavily, "To the death, with no rescue! His Majesty does not wish to lose comrades... but I disagree! Not just me—I believe anyone who truly understands will disagree! If we do not catch up now, do you expect to catch up during battles between Rulers of Rules? Laughable! By then, you will die even faster, having fallen hopelessly behind... becoming useless cripples, useless soldiers!"
"However..."
King Daqin frowned slightly. "His Majesty... gave orders..."
"Then let him execute me!"
King Dazhou said coldly, "A commander in the field may disregard sovereign decrees! This has held true across all dynasties! Since His Majesty is absent, I am the supreme commander and possess the authority to make decisions on the battlefield! Until he revokes my title of commander, my word is law! King Daqin, you were the supreme commander of the human race in this tide. You should know that battlefield opportunities vanish in a flash! As soldiers, your only duty is to obey orders! If His Majesty pursues accountability, the blame falls upon the commander, not on you!"
King Daqin remained silent for a moment before snapping to attention. "In that case, we shall obey orders!"
Ignoring everyone else, King Dazhou whipped his head back toward Tiangu and barked, "Champion duels, life or death disregarded! Experts from both sides not actively dueling may not interfere! If one is outmatched, fleeing back into your own camp marks the end of the bout!"
It did not strictly require someone to die every match, but at a critical juncture, fleeing might not be so simple.
At these words, Tiangu's expression shifted slightly.
Su Yu might not want people to die, but his subordinates did not necessarily share his restraint.
Even if word reached Su Yu, he might not intervene.
In other words... these champion duels were truly set in stone!
Tiangu took a deep breath. "Good! If even the newly ascended Dao Mergers of your human race have the nerve, we have nothing to fear! Generals, hear my command!"
"Duel the champions and slay the enemy! Slay a human Dao Merger, and you shall be rewarded with a pseudo-Dao of the same path!"
"Slay a human Heavenly King, and you shall receive insights from a Celestial Venerable, roaming the Great Dao alongside the Celestial Venerables and even the God Imperial Concubine—the Great Dao will be opened to you!"
Down below, several experts gasped in shock.
The Great Dao of Celestial Venerables and a Ruler of Rules opened to them?
Could that... truly be real?
Tiangu said nothing regarding Celestial Venerables. There was no need. Celestial Venerables required no incentives or stimulation; slaying enemies was simply an absolute duty.
As the leaders of their respective clans, other experts could shrink from battle, but they could not!
In that instant, the morale of the myriad races surged noticeably!
A moment later, an expert flew out from the human side. Tianmie hefted a massive club and roared fiercely, "Tianmie of the Emperor Yu Manor, second-tier Dao Merger! Send out a second-tier Dao Merger or a Heavenly King!"
What utter arrogance!
The myriad races instantly stiffened.
He truly was wild!
Second-tier Dao Merger—Su Yu's classification system had already spread, and everyone understood what it meant. Yet now, Tianmie was demanding to fight a Heavenly King.
King Dazhou opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately did not stop him.
Tianmie, that battle-crazed maniac, had chosen to fight first.
Having claimed for so long that he never won his fights, he had been itching for action for ages.
Within the crowd, Tiangu remained silent for a moment. Tianmie was no easy opponent, and he was extraordinarily skilled in combat. Just as Tiangu was deciding whom to send, Marquis Xianzhan spoke in a deep voice from the side: "I will go! I can sense it—that is my weapon! He seized my weapon. Since he wishes to fight a Heavenly King... then I will grant his wish, slay him, and reclaim what is mine! Let us also see whether the humans will honor their word! If they do not... Your Majesty, then we shall fight to the death!"
He would serve as the test subject!
He would go kill Tianmie and see whether the humans came to his rescue.
Tianmie had asked to fight a Heavenly King of his own volition!
If the humans intervened, all their talk of duels was absolute nonsense, and they would have no choice but to fight a desperate war!
Tiangu remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
The next instant, Marquis Xianzhan took to the air, barking coldly, "Xianzhan of the Immortal race! Tianmie, you arrogant junior!"
"Junior?"
Tianmie bared his teeth, a ferocious aura billowing out around him. "Xianzhan! You merely merged with the Dao one step ahead of me! Over the past hundred thousand years, had I not been forced to guard the dead spirit passage, I would have surpassed you long ago! Today, I will slay you and show the myriad worlds whether I, Tianmie, am useless trash!"
*Boom!*
A massive club shattered the very heavens!
The clash erupted in an instant!
Marquis Xianzhan's weapon was also a staff. His previous weapon had been seized by Su Yu, so he had forged another. Now, both combatants wielded identical weapons, instantly clashing in midair.
Those who favored clubs and staves were all melee brawlers who relished close-quarters combat.
In the blink of an eye, blood sprayed across the void!
Tianmie let out a thunderous bellow and transformed into a giant ape, a ferocious aura permeating heaven and earth. With a deafening roar, he swung his great club relentlessly at Xianzhan. Xianzhan swept his staff across in response, triggering another earthshaking boom as both fighters met blow for blow without retreating an inch!
Blood spurted forth. The web of Tianmie's hand tore open, yet he howled like a madman, swinging his club tens of thousands of times in a heartbeat, altering the very colors of heaven and earth. Xianzhan, possessing slightly superior strength, gave no ground either, smashing his staff down with full force!
*Boom!*
Before Tianmie's staff could be knocked from his grip, the flesh on his arms was blasted into powder, exposing stark white bone. Tianmie's body shuddered as his breathing technique surged, rapidly regenerating his flesh, and he followed up with a ferocious strike that split Marquis Xianzhan's hand open, sending blood flying.
...
The battle had begun just like that.
A champion duel!
At this moment, far off in Chaos Mountain, Wuji and his cohort had only recently arrived in the Upper Realm. Turning their heads, they saw two staff-wielding powerhouses tearing heaven and earth apart in the distant void!
They had barely arrived, yet fighting had already commenced!
Wuji licked his lips and laughed. "It's Tianmie and Xianzhan! That fellow Tianmie has actually reached this level... How thrilling! Champion duels, is it? Su Yu truly has great ideas—using the myriad races as training targets to drill his troops... Brilliant! We should try it too..."
Before he could finish, Xueying frowned slightly. "Dream on. The sin race would never agree! Besides, they barely have any Dao Mergers or Heavenly Kings for us to practice on. And if it's Celestial Venerables, do you plan on fighting Yue Zhan to the death?"
What was he thinking?
The situation was completely different; copying Su Yu's approach simply wouldn't work here!
Hearing this, Wuji felt a pang of regret. "What a pity. Six thousand years without lifting a finger... Xueying, to be frank, if we take the field right now, do we still have the bloody courage we had six thousand years ago?"
He truly wanted to drill his troops as well!
Especially watching the battle over there, where two powerhouses engaged in raw, close-quarters physical combat. That was vastly more satisfying to watch than those who traded blasts of Great Dao energy from afar.
A fight like that suited his tastes perfectly.
Alas... that belonged to Su Yu's side.
His Majesty Hundred Battles had chosen the sin race, whose Celestial Venerables and Heavenly Kings were already battered and depleted. Trying to use the same method here was impossible, and the sin race would never agree anyway.
Meanwhile, deep within the Prison King's realm, Yue Zhan's voice sounded freezing cold: "Yueluo, Yue Xiao, you dare return?"
Those two traitors had actually come back!
Yueluo giggled softly. "Ancestor, calm your anger! His Majesty's intention was merely for us to observe, ensuring that Su Yu's clash with the myriad races does not disturb Ancestor... Please don't take offense! Su Yu set a three-month deadline, and both Supreme Yuqing and Supreme Polong have only just emerged from the Hell Gate, consuming considerable energy. Surely you don't wish to go to war with us right this second?"
Yue Zhan's face turned icy!
Yueluo offered an enchanting smile. "So, Ancestor, why not join us in watching Su Yu and the myriad races engage in champion duels? It has been many years since we witnessed such splendid combat. If I recall correctly, the last time was tens of thousands of years ago..."
Such champion duels had occurred in the past.
Even the Fifth Generation Human Lord had personally taken the field. Regrettably, back then, the human race had been outmatched by the myriad races during the champion duels, resulting in catastrophic casualties. Following the Fifth Generation Human Lord, pre-battle duels were abandoned entirely.
Both sides had suffered far too grievously!
Such one-on-one battles to the death were also the quickest to produce fatalities.
...
Deep within the Prison King's realm, before the Hell Gate.
At this moment, the Polong Beast had fully emerged.
His colossal frame writhed, still bearing a number of wounds. His gigantic pupils gazed into the distance as he let out a chilling sneer: "Nothing but ants!"
To him, these people were far too weak.
Champion duels were merely a farce.
He looked at Yuqing and said grimly, "Ignore them. I have only just emerged and need several days to recover. Once I am restored, I will deal with them!"
Yuqing nodded slightly. "Polong, do not be careless!"
"I won't!"
Polong said in a sinister tone, "I was born of chaos and have weathered countless storms. How could I be careless? Still, that little wretch Su Yu—I will personally slaughter him!"
As he spoke, he glanced toward the depths of the chaos, and his expression suddenly shifted.
The next instant, a golden-armored giant came striding through the air. Filled with doubt and curiosity, he widened his eyes and peered over, suddenly exclaiming, "Polong?"
The Polong Beast was startled!
"It's you?"
Gazing across the distance, he recognized the newcomer!
Far off, the giant recognized Polong as well. "You're still alive? You sure know how to run around! I saw you back in the primordial era, and you still haven't been beaten to death? Taishan and those bastards are truly useless..."
He cursed King Wu!
By now, cursing King Wu had become second nature to him. King Wu couldn't hear him anyway.
He glanced toward the distant battle and curled his lip. Child's play—hardly worth watching. Then he looked toward Polong, before quickly shifting his gaze to Wuji's group. He seemed to recognize Wuji, took one look, and curled his lip again. "Following that idiot Hundred Battles... as expected, you're an idiot too. Even if a brawler seeks someone to serve, you shouldn't follow a moron like Hundred Battles... You have to find someone reliable, you fool!"
After grumbling for a bit, he added, "Where is that Zhou Ji fellow? Why haven't I found him?"
Strange!
Hadn't they said Zhou Ji was extraordinarily formidable?
Where was he?
"I searched the chaos for an entire day, yet there's not a trace of him. Did Su Yu swindle me?"
The Martial Emperor cursed, then barked, "Wuji, you're Hundred Battles' man. Tell me, where is Zhou Ji?"
As for the Polong Beast... he couldn't be bothered.
He wasn't allowed to fight him!
He could only fight when Su Yu gave the word. Slaying him then would count toward his tally.
Right now, there weren't many Rulers of Rules in the realm!
If he beat him to death for nothing and Su Yu refused to credit it, wouldn't that be a terrible loss?
As for Zhou Ji... he figured he wouldn't kill him, just test the fellow's strength.
He was calculating very shrewdly now. When fighting a Ruler of Rules, he couldn't just kill them haphazardly. Even if he did, he had to tell Su Yu beforehand so it counted toward his quota. That way, he fought his own battles while Su Yu footed the bill!
Otherwise, with so few Rulers of Rules around, if a few more died pointlessly and he couldn't cobble together three, was he supposed to go beat the Human Sovereign to death?
If I could beat him, I would have done it long ago!
Wuji wore a solemn expression as he looked at the Martial Emperor. Only after a long silence did he reply, "I don't know!"
"Hmph!"
The Martial Emperor snorted, the sound vibrating through their hearts and turning the faces of Wuji and his companions pale. He snarled viciously, "A bunch of little bugs trying to play tricks with me? The moment I open my Heavenly Gate, I know whether you little bugs are lying! You think you can fool me? Slaying a Ruler of Rules isn't cost-effective, but killing you lot... I can do that for free!"
"My patience is limited. Don't force me to slaughter you right now!"
The moment the words left his mouth, his figure materialized right in front of them with unfathomable speed. He showed no fear of the six Celestial Venerables; even though they were quite formidable, he paid them no heed!
By all rights, those six possessed the strength to contend with him; otherwise, Hundred Battles wouldn't have dared send them here.
Yet... the Martial Emperor couldn't care less.
A bunch of morons—why would I be afraid?
I'm not even afraid of King Wu... Well, I'm slightly wary of King Wen.
Scholars are all devious!
These fellows here clearly had never read a book in their lives. They were either clad in armor or martial robes—not a single white scholar's robe among them. What was there to fear?
Yueluo hurriedly offered a delicate, vulnerable smile. "Senior Martial Emperor..."
"Ugly wench, get lost!"
The Martial Emperor flew into a sudden rage, unleashing a thunderous punch that sent her flying into the distance until she vanished from sight!
The Martial Emperor snorted coldly. "The uglier they are, the more mischief they make! Daring to meddle with my Dao—disgusting! To survive a punch without dying, she does have a bit of skill!"
With that, he glared at Wuji. Wuji's expression flickered. "Prince Ji is in the depths of the chaos. As for where exactly, I do not know! If I did, I would have told you already!"
"At least you know what's good for you!"
The Martial Emperor nodded slightly, then glanced at Hongyue, frowning. "Why are Hundred Battles' subordinates all so ugly? No wonder he can't beat Su Yu. Su Yu has plenty of ugly people under him too, but most of them are men. On Hundred Battles' side, I've seen several women already..."
Shaking his head in disgust, the Martial Emperor stepped through the air and departed, not bothering to waste further breath on these bugs!
In the distance, Yuqing and Polong both wore solemn expressions.
The Martial Emperor was terrifyingly strong!
Fortunately, he seemed to have no interest in fighting them and left directly, which was rather unexpected.
A moment after the Martial Emperor departed, Yueluo returned, battered, bleeding, and disheveled. Gasping for breath, blood trickling continuously from the corner of her lips, she coughed and let out a frantic laugh: "The Martial Emperor... The Martial Emperor... He actually dared humiliate me like this!"
The Martial Emperor was far too powerful!
The moment she spoke, he had sent her flying with a single punch, gravely wounding her. Had the Martial Emperor bothered to pursue her, another strike might have beaten her to death outright!
These people were all madmen!
Hatred burned fiercely in Yueluo's eyes!
A bunch of lunatics!
Su Yu was like this, the Martial Emperor was like this, Giant Axe was like this... a gathering of lunatics!
Her ever-triumphant Dao of Charm was completely useless before these madmen.
At this moment, Hongyue frowned slightly. "Enough! Do not provoke the Martial Emperor lightly. Yueluo, you were far too reckless—using the Dao of Charm on him? Are you seeking death?"
Yueluo hadn't even considered that the Martial Emperor was not so easily charmed.
A martial fanatic of his caliber was purely devoted to the martial path!
Women were mere ornaments, and lust was nothing more than passing smoke to them. What was more, the Martial Emperor didn't even fancy her type, finding her hideous; trying to charm him under such circumstances was practically begging to disgust him.
Getting punched away warranted zero sympathy.
Surviving at all was a stroke of sheer luck.
Calling the Martial Emperor the foremost powerhouse of the heavens today was no exaggeration.
...
While they were still conversing, a colossal roar echoed before Human Mountain in the distance.
The next instant, a figure was blasted backward. Thousands of long bristles shot out and detonated one after another. Tianmie took to his heels, fleeing back to the human camp in an instant. Though covered in blood, he roared with laughter: "I won!"
"..."
Dead silence.
The myriad races were speechless, and the humans were equally speechless.
In the distance, Marquis Xianzhan was likewise bathed in blood, though his aura remained relatively stable. His expression shifted slightly. "You won?"
Tianmie guffawed. "Nonsense! I'm a newly ascended second-tier Dao Merger, yet I fought you, a Heavenly King, until I blew your pants to shreds! If I didn't win, did you? You useless trash! Give me a few days to heal, and we'll fight again!"
With that, he dashed to the rear to tend his wounds.
He had no intention of fighting to the death!
Naturally, he couldn't kill a Heavenly King anyway, so why fight to the death? Healing up and fighting again sounded vastly better! It felt amazing!
Fight madly, unleash all his strength, kill if he won, and run if he lost!
Marquis Xianzhan's face was dark. Saying nothing more, he retreated to Human Mountain.
Had Tianmie won?
It sounded somewhat shameless, but... looking at it strictly, Tianmie truly had won!
As a second-tier Dao Merger fighting Marquis Xianzhan, he had fled without suffering fatal wounds, and Xianzhan had been injured as well. Crucially, Tianmie had used him as a whetstone!
Toward the end of the bout, Tianmie's combat experience had visibly surged.
He had been rapidly adapting to high-level combat at his current tier!
That was the truly terrifying part!
Returning to his ranks, Marquis Xianzhan muttered in an almost imperceptible whisper, "Champion duels... are not a wise choice!"
They were simply feeding their enemies combat experience!
Tiangu and the others wore bitter expressions. We know, but... we have no other choice!
Chapter 827