Conspiracy

Su Yu's faction flexed its muscles! And they were massive! Thirteen Celestial Venerable beings, plus Su Yu himself, alongside multiple peak Heavenly Kings: Tianhuo, Lanshan, and Doubao were all peak Heavenly Kings, and there were also many Heavenly Kings such as Jiu Yue, Chui Bing, the Destiny Emperor, Lie Kong, and Tian Ce. Lie Kong came from the Ancient Space Beast race, the Dao companion of the Space Beast Emperor. Tian Ce was the former leader of the upper realm's Destiny race. As for the Hou Emperor, the Space Beast Emperor, Si Yue, Liu Yue, Futiling, King Daqin, King Daxia... Those among them who had merged into Su Yu's heaven and earth possessed Heavenly King combat strength within that world, while those who had not merged still possessed second-tier Dao Harmonizer strength. Revived dead spirit powerhouses like Hetu and Xia Chen were roughly the same, and figures like King Daming were also second-tier beings. Apart from a few newly ascended Dao Harmonizers who were slightly weaker, Tianmie and the others all wielded either Heavenly King or second-tier combat power within the world. Previously, Su Yu's side had deployed fifty Dao Harmonizers. Now, over twenty revived dead spirit Dao Harmonizers had arrived, along with the Dao Harmonizers of the upper realm's Destiny race, Ancient Space Beast race, and Hou race. At this moment, their Dao Harmonizers numbered nearly a hundred! And even this was not all of them! With strength like this, how could the myriad races not fall into utter despair? The humans were growing stronger and stronger while they grew weaker and weaker. Su Yu's exact goal was to subdue the enemy without fighting! …… Would anyone else come? On the sixth day, the Southern King and over twenty Dao Harmonizers had arrived. Would someone else appear on the seventh day? The Martial Emperor? Or Su Yu himself? At this moment, apart from those two, there should be no other powerhouses left on Su Yu's side. …… Yet there was! On the seventh day. Suddenly, death qi surged to the heavens! On this day, Su Yu opened the dead spirit realm, and death qi shook the world. The Necromancer Emperor had not actually wanted to emerge from seclusion. Yet... he could not withstand Su Yu's constant pestering. Su Yu had said he wanted to flex his muscles and throw out every last trump card... That was Su Yu's claim; whether it truly constituted all his hidden cards, no one knew for sure. They could only take him at his word! A dead spirit appearing in the realm of the living could easily provoke rule punishments... But in the myriad realms today, the rules had already been dispersed and devoured by Su Yu, and the Great Daos of rules had been snapped by him. Where would any rule punishment come from? On this day, over in the Human Realm. Hundred Battles' eyes narrowed! Beside him stood Changqing and Changmei. Changqing said in a heavy voice, "Another one has emerged!" And... this was no ordinary figure! "The Necromancer Emperor!" Hundred Battles knew who this was, his voice solemn. "In the dead spirit realm, over all these countless years, perhaps he alone is a true Ruler of Rules!" Even the Necromancer Emperor had appeared! What in the world was Su Yu trying to do? No, or rather, who was Su Yu trying to intimidate? Me? If not for that, the forces Su Yu had deployed earlier would have been more than enough. Yet now, he had mobilized an army of dead spirits! Indeed, it was not just the Necromancer Emperor alone. At this moment, the Necromancer Emperor led more than ten dead spirit Dao Harmonizers, tearing through the void and flying toward the Soul Burial Mountain passage. "Is this his entire foundation?" Hundred Battles muttered, "Formidable!" A Ruler of Rules... No, including the Martial Emperor, a full two of them! Two Rulers of Rules, thirteen Celestial Venerables, not counting Su Yu himself, nearly a hundred Dao Harmonizers, and a cohort of Heavenly Kings... Was this Su Yu's confidence? It was immense! Hundred Battles had never imagined, nor expected, that Su Yu could amass such terrifying strength in such a brief span of time. It was appalling. Beside him, Changqing said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, Su Yu... is most likely trying to intimidate you!" None of these powerhouses had traveled through the chaos. Except for the two from the Ancient Chaos race, the rest had all crossed over from the myriad realms. One after another, their auras erupted out in the open, shaking heaven and earth. Su Yu had not sneaked his subordinates onto the battlefield in secret. Instead, for seven consecutive days, powerhouses had emerged without pause. And today, even the Necromancer Emperor had stepped forth! This was what truly struck terror into hearts! Hundred Battles closed his eyes, then quickly opened them and nodded. "He is indeed doing this to intimidate me!" Su Yu was arrogant, but he possessed the capital for arrogance. He was warning Hundred Battles not to make any wrong choices. Otherwise, with the terrifying might currently under Su Yu's command, the situation might develop to a point where even two factions combined would struggle to match him. It might even require all three factions to join forces just to fight Su Yu's side! Su Yu had the shallowest foundation, yet by this stage, he had become the strongest faction of all! …… In the upper realm. When the death qi surged through heaven and earth, everyone realized that trouble had arrived. "From the Imperial Palace of Yu, the Dead Spirit King marches to battle!" Far off in the void, a mighty entity shook the heavens with his aura. Behind him followed over ten Dao Harmonizer dead spirits, who looked utterly insignificant by comparison. This was the seventh day! A Ruler of Rules had appeared in person. The Necromancer Emperor strode through the air step by step as death qi swept across heaven and earth. He was slender, clad in robes, and wore a crown upon his head—the mark of the Dead Spirit King. He walked forward with a smile. "By His Majesty's decree, this king is tasked with receiving any generals of the Imperial Palace of Yu who fall in battle!" Even the Dead Spirit King had appeared! At this moment, the myriad races sank into complete despair! "A Ruler of Rules!" "And there's still the Martial Emperor!" "How are we supposed to fight this?!" "Imperial Consort God might not even match this Dead Spirit King... How can we possibly fight?" Everyone was truly despairing! Once Imperial Consort God was pinned down by the Dead Spirit King, how could the other nine Celestial Venerables possibly contend with Su Yu's faction? One had to remember that Su Yu's side had several top Celestial Venerables! Despair, pessimism, and all manner of dark emotions boiled above Human Mountain. …… Atop Human Mountain. The moment Tiangu saw the Dead Spirit King appear, he slumped completely, his voice soft, tinged with confusion and loss: "To fight... means only... extinction!" Fight? The Martial Emperor had not even arrived yet! If the Martial Emperor came, what would the outcome be? The Martial Emperor had ventured deep into the chaos, perhaps searching for Zhou Ji, or perhaps just roaming freely. Regardless, he existed, his seal was broken, and once he appeared, let alone the myriad races alone, even if the myriad races allied with the Sin race, Su Yu's side could still suppress them! It was too terrifying! The myriad races' number of Dao Harmonizers merely broke even with Su Yu's faction, and more importantly, they had a large number of false-Dao experts. Once battle broke out, they might not even have as many Dao Harmonizers as Su Yu's side. This... was completely unwinnable. Right now, only if all three factions joined forces would there be any hope of battling Su Yu's side! The Necromancer Emperor strode through the void, smiling faintly. "His Majesty will arrive shortly! His Majesty set a three-month deadline, so perhaps he will not launch the general offensive early!" With that, the Necromancer Emperor looked toward Wuji and his cohort, his voice booming with a smile: "His Majesty bid me ask you all: once battle begins, can the six of you block the Sin race's reinforcements? Why hasn't Hundred Battles come to face the fight? Or does he believe you alone can hold them off?" The Prison King's faction had merely six Celestial Venerables. Not a large number! Of course, they had many Heavenly Kings and Dao Harmonizers. Yuezhan and Celestial Venerable Mo could perhaps be left to the Heavenly Kings and Dao Harmonizers to deal with. But could six Celestial Venerables match two Rulers of Rules? The hopes were slim! At this moment, Wuji wore a grim expression. Was battle about to start? Would His Majesty... come? If His Majesty did not come, they were no match for the Prison King's lineage. Yet if His Majesty arrived before Su Yu had even shown himself, would that not mean losing face? Still, at this point, their strength was genuinely inferior to Su Yu's and incapable of suppressing the situation. If the Prison King's lineage truly came to the myriad races' rescue during the great battle, they would lose even more face! Faced with a Ruler of Rules questioning him, Wuji dared not show slight. He said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, if war truly breaks out, we will naturally intercept them!" The Necromancer Emperor spoke again: "Can Hundred Battles' lineage only intercept, and not annihilate?" The Necromancer Emperor smiled faintly. "His Majesty Emperor Yu is weak in cultivation and cannot match a Ruler of Rules, so whether he comes or not makes no difference! His Majesty's intent is simply to preside over the core. As long as nothing happens to him, our spiritual pillar remains intact! But King Hundred Battles is the strongest in your faction. If he does not come, can you truly hold them off?" The moment these words fell, something stirred in the minds of several people. What? Right! Su Yu! The core! At this moment, something seemed to flash across everyone's minds—Su Yu! Su Yu was alone! He was entirely alone! Where was he? In the dead spirit realm? Was he with the Martial Emperor? What if the Martial Emperor wasn't there? What if he was in the chaos... then... then Su Yu truly was alone! The Ruler of Rules, Celestial Venerables, Heavenly Kings, Dao Harmonizers under his command... practically all of them had emerged. At this point, if anyone claimed Su Yu still held a vast reserve of powerhouses, nobody would believe it. If he did, Su Yu would have unified the myriad realms long ago! Su Yu... was alone! …… At this moment, Tiangu, Imperial Consort God, Yuqing, Wuji... Many minds jolted as though struck by lightning. Su Yu was all by himself. He was the core. Su Yu's faction was too diverse, filled with all sorts of people: powerhouses from every race, even dead spirits. Once Su Yu was killed, Su Yu's faction would likely collapse on its own. Apart from Su Yu, who else could keep all these sides in line? If Su Yu died, would the Necromancer Emperor listen to anyone else? Would the little fur ball care about anyone else? Would Tianming and the others still obey orders? None of them would! Even Consort Qi, Tianhuo, and the rest would likely pull out. Who would San Yue, Giant Axe, and the others listen to? At this moment, countless hearts trembled. The Necromancer Emperor's words had suddenly made them aware of an immensely grave issue. …… On the human side. The Great Zhou King and several others slightly changed expression. Indeed, why hadn't Su Yu come yet? The plan to coerce the myriad races was nearly complete. At this point, if Su Yu brought over the personnel from the lower realms belonging to each race, the myriad races would certainly compromise. Once they compromised... the humans joining forces with the myriad races would ensure absolute victory! Crushing Hundred Battles' faction and the Sin race would be effortless. The Great Zhou King swiftly looked toward the Necromancer Emperor. The Necromancer Emperor's words seemed pointed, almost as if he were telling everyone that Su Yu was alone right now, and anyone wishing to kill him could go do so! He was strong, yes, but he was merely a Celestial Venerable. Others could not easily leave, but... Hundred Battles could! Hundred Battles had not appeared yet. To assassinate Su Yu! If Su Yu died, his faction would inevitably crumble. …… On Wuji's side. Wuji suddenly trembled, transmitting his voice to his companions in terror: "His Majesty... won't go after Su Yu, will he?" His Majesty did not support Su Yu's plan! Only under sheer compulsion had he agreed to suppress the Sin race. So right now... would His Majesty take a desperate gamble and enter the dead spirit realm to kill Su Yu while all of Su Yu's people were in the upper realm?! Hundred Battles was capable of entering. He could even travel through the chaos! Even without taking the chaos, Hundred Battles likely had ways to enter. Separated by the lower realm, even if the two of them fought so hard that heaven and earth turned upside down in the dead spirit realm, the others might not even know, nor would they be able to rush back in time to save him. At these words, the others were shaken. Xueying quickly transmitted, "He won't... Even if His Majesty is at odds with Human Host Su, he wouldn't do something so foolish... It's impossible!" He didn't dare think about it! He wouldn't! Yet... what if? Su Yu was currently the core uniting all the powerhouses of the Imperial Palace of Yu. If His Majesty truly killed Su Yu, heavens, Xueying and the others dared not imagine what upheaval would ensue. The entire situation of the myriad realms would instantly be overturned! Right now, the humans were suppressing the myriad races and the Sin race. Once Su Yu died, even if they could still fight, everything would reverse in an instant. The hard-won advantage would vanish in a flash. Hongyue also spoke hastily: "He won't. His Majesty wouldn't be so unwise. Killing the tenth-generation Human Host... that would be defying heaven, that would be betraying the human race... He won't..." They didn't dare think it, didn't dare believe it! Yet Leibao suddenly said, "Why... is Su Yu staying alone in the dead spirit realm?" Was Su Yu an idiot? He was not! Su Yu was sharper than anyone, truly shrewder than anyone alive. When the Necromancer Emperor uttered those words, many powerhouses understood in an instant, sensing where the danger lay. Could Su Yu himself not understand that? Leibao didn't believe it! He trembled slightly, not because of Su Yu, but because of Hundred Battles: "Su Yu... he... he wants to actively force His Majesty to defect from the human race... so he can execute His Majesty!" At these words, everyone's minds exploded! Wuji found it utterly unimaginable! His head was completely filled with Leibao's words: Su Yu wanted to force Hundred Battles to make a move, actively prodding Hundred Battles into betraying the human race! Heavens! Had he gone mad? Wuji's body trembled, his voice transmission shaking: "Impossible... His Majesty wouldn't do such a thing. They may have different philosophies, but killing Su Yu... that's entirely different. Su Yu is suppressing the myriad races and subduing the Sin race. If His Majesty kills Su Yu... then... then he won't... he won't..." The next moment, he suddenly looked toward the Great Zhou King and the others, roaring in panicked voice transmission, "Go back!" If Su Yu wasn't coming, some of the people from that side had to go back! He was afraid! Afraid that if His Majesty truly saw an opportunity, he really would act. When that time came... where would they stand? They could not let the situation deteriorate to such a point! Wuji and his group were terrified, because they knew Hundred Battles... was by no means indecisive. In truth, Hundred Battles was more decisive than anyone. Once he truly harbored such thoughts and saw the chance, he was entirely capable of doing such a thing! What was more, his lapdogs Changqing and Changmei were right beside him! They might actively urge His Majesty to do it! At this moment, Wuji wished he could immediately rush to the lower realm and tell Hundred Battles: don't do it, this is a trap! If he killed Su Yu, His Majesty would cut himself off from the human race forever! Even though he had abandoned the human race in the past, that had been out of sheer helplessness. Going to kill Su Yu now was completely different—from that moment on, there would be no turning back! …… At this moment, among the Great Zhou King and his companions, some looked worried, some solemn, some fearful. One after another, they turned their gazes to the Necromancer Emperor. Earlier, no one had thought too deeply into it. But once the Necromancer Emperor uttered those words, almost everyone considered the danger Su Yu faced. Someone suddenly said, "It's fine... His Majesty... over there... should be fine!" His Majesty was already inside his own heaven and earth, wasn't he? According to His Majesty's own words, even if Hundred Battles charged in, he had nothing to fear. Right! That was it, there would be no problem. "Lan Tian, contact His Majesty..." Lan Tian suddenly opened his eyes. "His Majesty... seems to be in the dead spirit realm!" Indeed, Su Yu seemed to be in the dead spirit realm. With the dead spirit realm sealed, separated by the realm barrier, Lan Tian could not sense the presence of his clones. Had Su Yu been in the chaos, he could have sensed a little. So... His Majesty was not inside his heaven and earth! At these words, everyone's expressions changed. "The dead spirit realm is sealed, so Hundred Battles can't enter, right?" Everyone fell silent, not knowing the answer. Why hadn't His Majesty come? Was it truly just to remain safer? Yet right now, he was in even greater danger. The entire world went still for a moment. …… Above Human Mountain. Tiangu's eyes suddenly blazed with sharp brilliance! "Su Yu and Hundred Battles..." Tiangu's eyes shone intensely. "They... might erupt into conflict ahead of time!" Imperial Consort God's eyes suddenly flashed with divine light. "You mean... Hundred Battles will take the opportunity to move against him?" "Yes!" Tiangu said in a heavy voice, "No, this is a trap Su Yu deliberately set! Could it be... he is with the Martial Emperor, and the Martial Emperor is right beside him?" If so, that would explain it. If the Martial Emperor was not there... then it was a tremendous opportunity! Tiangu's gaze flickered. "If Su Yu... truly dies... my myriad races... will fear no one!" Would Su Yu die? The situation had reached this point and suddenly turned convoluted, and all of it had actually been engineered by Su Yu himself. It was utterly unbelievable. What was that lunatic Su Yu doing? He clearly held an absolute advantage; could he be hoping to take down all three factions in a single battle? Celestial Venerable Dao also said with a slight change of expression, "If they truly fight, the others will go to reinforce him... Should we... block them, or not?" If a clash truly began, there would likely be signs. At that time, the others would definitely rush to his rescue. Should they intercept them or not? Just as they were pondering, a thunderous boom suddenly sounded! The next moment, before everyone's shocked gazes, near Soul Burial Mountain and the Dao Origin Land, continuous rumbles rang out. In the blink of an eye, the two passages leading to the lower realm seemed to be sealed shut. In an instant, the entire upper realm fell into chaos! Sealed? Ever since Su Yu shattered the passages, the power of rules had dissipated. Reasonably speaking, these passages could not be sealed unless the power of rules was restored once more. To seal them... one would likely have to employ extraordinary means! Who... had done this? Su Yu? Hundred Battles? …… At this moment, before the Hell Gate. Yuqing suddenly stood up and looked toward the two locations. After a long pause, she murmured, "Sealed..." She abruptly turned to look at the Polong Beast! The lower realm had been sealed! Traveling through the chaos was an option, but traversing the chaos was vastly more troublesome. It would take at least half a day to cross, and that was assuming nothing went wrong along the way. Could they go out right now on a slaughtering spree? Kill Wuji and his cohort! Then summon Rulers of Rules out! Was this Su Yu's scheme? Or what? At this moment, Yuqing also felt a tremor. It seemed like an opportunity, yet it also felt like danger. Was it a crisis or an opportunity? The Polong Beast also stirred slightly. After a long while, it said in a low voice, "Wait!" Wait for what? Wait for the great battle! Wait for the battle between Su Yu and Hundred Battles. Once a true battle erupted, they would strike and slay Wuji and the others! If there was no battle... they had to beware of the two sides putting on a double act, deliberately luring them away from the vicinity of the Hell Gate. If they strayed too far, killing Celestial Venerables would not provide the raw materials needed to summon Rulers of Rules. Killing Celestial Venerables would be meaningless, and they might even be encircled and slaughtered instead. Was it a scheme, or had the humans truly descended into internal strife? No one could tell! …… At this moment, on Su Yu's side, the Southern King also changed expression: "Take the chaos to the lower realm!" The Great Zhou King was heavy-hearted, but he suddenly shouted, "We cannot go! Do not leave!" He looked around at everyone. "Remain calm!" He said in a deep voice, "His Majesty will not act rashly. Right now, by staying here, we can join forces with Wuji and his men to suppress both factions. But once some of us leave... do you wish to bury everyone here?" He was trying to deduce Su Yu's intentions. This time, Su Yu had said nothing. Is he leaving the choice to me? Their side, combined with Wuji's, could currently hold an even balance against both enemy factions. But if some of their people left, trouble would follow. Once the Sin race charged out, once the myriad races charged out... their previous advantage would vanish in an instant! They had worked so hard to coerce the myriad races to this point! If they retreated now, all their prior preparations would go down the drain! They had to stay calm! Thinking this through, the Great Zhou King barked, "The champion duels continue!" He turned toward the myriad races, his voice eerie: "What are you looking at, Tiangu? Are you not prepared to fight? If so, the general offensive begins right now!" Tiangu took a deep look at the Great Zhou King and said indifferently, "Are you certain you wish to continue?" The Great Zhou King sneered. "His Majesty has his own calculations. Tiangu, do you honestly believe His Majesty is as foolish as you?" Tiangu did not anger, waiting a long while before saying, "I only fear that after sweeping across the world, he has grown excessively arrogant!" Tiangu said coolly, "He wouldn't think that he alone can truly suppress three factions, would he?" Could Su Yu have become too haughty? Just as his words fell, Wuji's furious roar came from afar: "Utter nonsense! It's all a conspiracy! His Majesty will not clash with the tenth-generation Human Host! Even if philosophies differ, they will not come to blows!" The Great Zhou King suddenly looked over, his eyes filled with uncertainty as he said in a heavy voice, "We also believe Hundred Battles wouldn't... But... if it truly comes to that... how will you choose?" Could Su Yu have done this for these people? To actively force Hundred Battles into rebellion! Had Su Yu seen through something? Most of Hundred Battles' people in the upper realm were still loyal to the human race. They weren't necessarily loyal to Su Yu; Su Yu did not represent the entire human race, and neither did Hundred Battles. Some merely followed those powerhouses who could save humanity. Could it be that Su Yu was doing all this for them? At this moment, the upper and lower realms were severed. If Hundred Battles truly went to kill Su Yu... these people of Hundred Battles in the upper realm might break down entirely. Wuji's expression fluctuated wildly. Gritting his teeth, he roared furiously, "I told you, His Majesty won't do this!" He wouldn't! Hundred Battles was also the faith of some people! Hundred Battles, the human race... If Hundred Battles truly went to kill Su Yu, how should they choose? This was an agonizing question that threatened to tear them apart, one they dared not even contemplate. When they saw Su Yu's side step by step coercing the myriad races, truth be told, they felt both shock and joy. It was great that Su Yu's faction was strong, and suppressing the myriad races was a fine thing. Although friction might arise regarding Hundred Battles, wasn't there none right now? Yet... what if Hundred Battles was the one to shatter this status quo? Then... what should we do? By this point, the Great Zhou King seemed to understand Su Yu's mind. He took a deep breath, his gaze cold and sharp. "Anything is possible! Why were the passages to the lower realm suddenly sealed? Who could achieve such a feat?" "His Majesty already dispersed the rules. Unless... someone immensely powerful manipulated the power of rules to seal the lower realm!" He said coldly, "Why seal the lower realm? What are they afraid of?" "It's... it's the Martial Emperor!" Wuji suddenly bellowed: "It's him! Yes, it must be him! He is also tremendously powerful. Perhaps he wants to move against... against Su Yu! Yes, that's it! Last time, he wanted to ally with His Majesty to kill Su Yu!" Some things could not be dwelled upon! Otherwise, catastrophe loomed. The Martial Emperor? At this moment, Wuji could only attribute it to the Martial Emperor. That was the best possible outcome. If it wasn't the Martial Emperor, it was the worst. Yet right at this moment, a figure suddenly materialized in the distant chaos. Clad in golden armor, the Martial Emperor was cursing loudly: "What the hell? Here one moment, there the next..." The next instant, he gave a sudden start. "Fuck, you did that on purpose, didn't you, you little bastard! Once I catch you, I'll beat you to death!" Boom! A terrifyingly immense aura instantly shook heaven and earth. The Martial Emperor broke through the void and vanished from his spot in a flash. Tearing through space, he disappeared, yet his voice drifted back, laced with wild laughter: "That little bastard showed himself! Zhou Ji, right? This time I'm definitely beating him to death, to see who's truly stronger!" Wuji's face turned deathly pale! Zhou Ji! Zhou Ji had appeared? Discovered by the Martial Emperor? No, it was more like he had deliberately lured the Martial Emperor into pursuit, luring the Martial Emperor away! Why would this happen? Could it truly be His Majesty's doing? Impossible! However, the possibility that the Martial Emperor had sealed the lower realm no longer existed. In that case, only Hundred Battles possessed the strength to do so. The one who had just appeared was definitely the Martial Emperor's true body! He was too powerful! That being so, the one who sealed the lower realm could never be the Martial Emperor! Then... it could only be Hundred Battles. Hundred Battles had betrayed them! Wuji was on the verge of madness. His Majesty had betrayed them, he had truly defected... No, he couldn't jump to conclusions so rashly now. Maybe... maybe that wasn't it? Maybe it was just an accident? …… And at this very moment. In the lower realm. Su Yu looked up at the sky, speaking with a touch of emotion: "The lower realm has been sealed!" Not far away, Hundred Battles wore a crown and a golden robe, accompanied by several individuals. His expression was calm, his gaze complicated as he said softly, "Su Yu, are you... scheming against me?" Su Yu smiled faintly. "No, merely giving you an opportunity!" Su Yu let out a soft laugh. "I prefer taking the initiative; I don't like waiting passively for an outcome. Whether you betray or do not betray, the choice is entirely yours, is it not?" Beside him, Changqing's face was livid as he roared, "Su Yu, you... you did this on purpose! You are forcing His Majesty!" Indeed, the lower realm had not been sealed by Hundred Battles. It was Su Yu himself! He had done it on his own! This terrifying fellow was even stronger than anticipated; he had personally sealed the two great passages, giving even Hundred Battles a shock! Su Yu was monstrous to the absolute extreme! He had done this deliberately! Su Yu said calmly, "I am not forcing you, Hundred Battles. You can choose for yourself! Choose to kill me, or... choose to cooperate with me, in genuine cooperation! You have refrained from acting, waiting in the Human Realm all this time. What are you waiting for? Waiting for Wuji and the others to be slain, so the Sin race can summon a few more Rulers of Rules?" Su Yu continued placidly, "You delayed going to the upper realm. Once the Sin race struck, what would the outcome have been? If my people hadn't been so numerous and so strong, what would have happened then?" "All you feared was the Martial Emperor intervening... Were you contacting Zhou Ji to draw the Martial Emperor away?" "Don't worry, I already made arrangements regarding the Martial Emperor. I had him appear on his own and leave on his own... exactly as you desired! Of course, perhaps Zhou Ji truly did appear. If so, the Martial Emperor cannot intervene... But my people are very strong, and the Sin race will not act rashly unless... you can take me down!" Su Yu looked at him with a smile. "The one you've been waiting for all along—was it Zhou Ji? You feared the Martial Emperor would disrupt your plans, didn't you?" "Yet you never expected that my people would be so numerous, far stronger than you imagined!" "Even without the Martial Emperor, they dare not act rashly... Therefore, you have only one path left: kill me to turn everything around. Hundred Battles, what do you think?" Hundred Battles wore a somber expression. "Su Yu, I never intended to make an enemy of you!" "Yes, perhaps!" Su Yu nodded slightly. "All you wanted was to complete your own plan. As for making an enemy of me, that was likely indeed not an outcome you wished to see. You would have preferred everything to transition peacefully..." Su Yu chuckled. "Without my interference, no one could have stopped you from opening the Hell Gate, could they? Unfortunately... it seems I disrupted your plans! Hundred Battles, isn't that right?" Hundred Battles let out a sigh. "I never expected you to rise so quickly, nor did I expect... that you would actively come to corner me!" With a touch of self-mockery, he said, "Su Yu, you are even more terrifying, even more sinister than anyone imagined! You want to smoothly take over my people, don't you?" He spoke with bitter self-derision: "Right now, everyone thinks I sealed the lower realm to kill you... Wuji and the others have probably already collapsed in despair. Once you and I clash and the commotion reaches the upper realm... your side will be able to easily absorb my men, won't you?" What a Su Yu! Cunning, shameless, sinister! No one would believe that Su Yu had sealed the lower realm himself. They would only assume it was Hundred Battles—apart from Hundred Battles, there was no second person! Su Yu said calmly, "I simply do not wish to see internal strife among humanity, do I?" Su Yu wore a faint smile. "If you cooperate with me... your people will naturally remain yours! If you harbor no ulterior motives, everything will proceed toward the best possible outcome!" Hundred Battles laughed. "Perhaps! Su Yu, I am curious about only one thing: where... does your confidence come from, thinking you can match me?" At this moment, his aura gradually unfurled! His energy surged like a galactic torrent! Boundlessly mighty! That immense aura even sent tremors through the myriad realms! Hundred Battles strode toward Su Yu step by step, his expression cold. "I did not wish to be your enemy. Even if you want to be the Human Host, or the Human Sovereign, I could yield it all to you! So long as you did not interfere with me, I would not have actively sought you out. Su Yu, why must you force my hand?" His aura was terrifyingly potent! In virtually the blink of an eye, it surpassed that of Imperial Consort God on that day, and even began approaching the Martial Emperor's level. He spoke with a hint of grievance and fury, "I have never mistreated the human race in the slightest!" "I too was suppressing the myriad races and subduing the Sin race... Why must you push me to this?" At this moment, behind Hundred Battles, two Celestial Venerables materialized, and soon after, nearly twenty Dao Harmonizers appeared, all immensely powerful. These people rapidly fanned out in all directions around Su Yu. Hundred Battles walked toward Su Yu step by step. "Su Yu, right now... you still have a chance!" Hundred Battles said in a heavy voice, "As long as you do not interfere with me, I guarantee that I will not let the Sin race grow too powerful, nor will I allow the myriad races to affect the myriad realms... You may wipe out the myriad races; I will even help you exterminate them... But the Sin race, I still have use for them... Su Yu, that way, you and I can be considered partners... You go rescue the Human Sovereign and the others; I will not obstruct you. I will do my part, and you do yours. How about it?" Su Yu smiled. "I am very curious: why are you so intent on opening the Hell Gate? You claim you won't let the Sin race grow too powerful... Then let me ask you: if the Prison King emerges, can you handle her?" Hundred Battles said heavily, "Naturally. The Human Ancestor can handle anything!" "You are so certain the Human Ancestor can handle anything?" Su Yu smiled. "Where is the Human Ancestor? How strong is the Human Ancestor? What does the Human Ancestor truly think... and you already know?" Hundred Battles barked, "I know! Su Yu, I do not need you to remind me! You will never know just how powerful the enemies you are about to face truly are! The chaos beyond the Hell Gate, the Heaven-Opening Era behind the Heavenly Gate, and... what might still exist before the chaos!" He shouted, "Can you deal with them? Can the Human Sovereign? The Human Sovereign knows nothing at all..." Su Yu said indifferently, "Then we can wait until the Human Sovereign returns, and discuss opening the Hell Gate together!" Hundred Battles grew somewhat enraged: "I told you, you don't understand! The Human Sovereign is a conservative; he would never agree to open the Hell Gate and allow the chaos to batter the world! You don't understand the Human Sovereign at all! His philosophy is different from yours, and different from mine... If you truly understood the Human Sovereign, you wouldn't think he would ever take the initiative to open the Hell Gate! He would rather lead the powerhouses of the myriad races away on his own than permit the Human Ancestor's return... He is different!" Su Yu's expression changed slightly. "You mean... the Human Sovereign actually knew about all this!" Hundred Battles was silent for a moment, then sneered. "Yes, he knew!" Su Yu's heart gave a slight jolt! The Human Sovereign knew, yet he disagreed! The Prison King! Su Yu's heart jolted once more. "The Prison King... it's related to the Prison King... The Prison King's betrayal... Could it be... could it be that the Prison King wanted to open the Hell Gate, but everyone disagreed? King Wen once punished the Prison King... but it was merely a light reprimand, and he even took the initiative to have the Prison King guard the Hell Gate... That means back then, no one actually thought the Prison King would turn traitor... Were you... Could all of this have been your doing?" His voice carried deep shock. "So you and the Prison King are actually in league?" At this moment, he seemed to have unraveled the whole picture. Su Yu said in astonishment, "Both your objective and the Prison King's were to fully open the Hell Gate! And the Prison King even went deep into the Hell Gate of her own accord! You don't fear the opening of the Hell Gate because the Prison King is actually one of your own, isn't she?" At this moment, Su Yu understood everything completely. Looking at him, he said with shock, "So whether it's Yueluo or Yuexiao, they are all on your side?" Su Yu frowned. "Then why didn't you join forces six thousand years ago to wipe out the myriad races? That way, no one would have been left to stop you from opening the Hell Gate! Why did you have to put on a show?" Hundred Battles closed his eyes as though lost in thought, or perhaps pondering something. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and sighed softly. "You are very clever! As for not wiping out the myriad races, you don't understand. If the myriad races were destroyed, those Rulers of Rules who were led away would have sensed it!" With a touch of melancholy, he said, "You truly do not understand... Once the myriad races were wiped out, those beings would have fought their way back at any cost! Six thousand years ago, the fissure in the Hell Gate had not opened this wide. If they had charged back quickly... everything would have been ruined!" Hundred Battles gave a self-deprecating laugh. "The Rulers of Rules of the myriad races outnumber those of the human race, and they are stronger than the Human Sovereign and his cohort! However, they fear death, they fear sacrifice, so they are waiting, slowly grinding them down, rather than launching a desperate all-out strike to crush the Human Sovereign and the others!" "Su Yu, in the end, you still do not understand... Slaughtering the myriad races will only bring severe devastation upon the Human Sovereign and his forces! Perhaps even total destruction!" Su Yu's expression was icy. "Yet you said you were willing to help me destroy the myriad races, because now the Hell Gate can be opened! When I lead people to reinforce the Human Sovereign and the others, perhaps the Human Sovereign's side will have already been crushed, and we might encounter the powerhouses of the myriad races midway, erupting into a massive battle that conveniently buys you time... Hundred Battles, is that it?" Hundred Battles looked at him and sighed with emotion. "You are too clever!" From a single sentence, Su Yu could deduce so many things! A terrifying fellow! And Su Yu now understood everything completely. "Six thousand years ago, the Hell Gate did not yet have a crack, did it? So back then, even if you crushed the myriad races and had no one to obstruct you, you still couldn't open the Hell Gate! But now, you can!" "According to the Human Sovereign's calculations, perhaps in the previous tide, six thousand years ago, the myriad races should have been defeated. The ninth-generation Human Host was meant to lead people to reinforce them, which was why the Human Sovereign's shadow guards appeared in that tide... But a traitor like you emerged to take command of the human race, something neither the Human Sovereign nor the Fire Spreaders ever foresaw, isn't that right?" "And back then, once the myriad races were crushed and their Rulers of Rules sensed it and rushed back... you would have had no time to open the Hell Gate, which is why you lay dormant all this time?" Su Yu said coldly, "The Hell Gate... Just to welcome the Human Ancestor, you people truly went mad! You didn't even hesitate to sacrifice the Human Sovereign and the others! You bunch of beasts!" Hundred Battles watched him in silence. He said nothing, nor did he offer any rebuttal. At this moment, Su Yu's aura also began to swell, faintly reaching the level of Imperial Consort God, his gaze turning harsh: "So this time, when I led people to kill those bastards of the Sin race, that probably pained your heart, didn't it?" "Not particularly." Hundred Battles said calmly, "If they died, so be it. If they didn't die, how could Yuqing and the Polong Beast be summoned out? How could the crack in the Hell Gate be widened? If they didn't die, others would have to... I simply didn't expect that you would seek to unify the myriad realms so swiftly!" Su Yu watched him with a cold face, all traces of a smile vanished. "So... you, Hundred Battles, are the greatest traitor of all!" "No... I am not a traitor!" Hundred Battles shook his head. "I am not, the Prison King is not, King Dou is not, none of us are... We merely wished to walk a different path, rather than passively waiting for doom alongside the Human Sovereign! Su Yu, this is a difference in choice, not betrayal!" He said calmly, "If you believe we are traitors... then King Wen, King Wu, and the Time Master all are as well, because they ventured deep into the Heavenly Gate, leading to the collapse of the ancient imperial court! At least the Prison King did not choose to unseal the Hell Gate during that era... It was King Wen and the others leaving first that caused today's situation! If blame is to be assigned, King Wen and King Wu brought about all of this. Why don't you call them traitors?" Su Yu thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and nodded. "What you say seems to hold some logic... yet it's utter bullshit!" Su Yu barked coldly, "Even if King Wen and the others entering the Heavenly Gate led to the fall of the ancient court, the Human Sovereign cleaned up their mess, leaving behind countless contingency plans to ensure no harm would befall the human race! Yet those contingencies were all squandered by you beasts, rather than used to repay humanity!" "It can only be said that King Wen and King Wu were fools, but they had a wonderful elder brother who shouldered that responsibility for them! While you lot... only know how to take, never how to give, and not one among you stepped up to shoulder that burden!" What utter drivel! Did he truly think Su Yu knew nothing? The contingency plans left by the Human Sovereign were more than enough for the humans to use, to protect themselves, even to rise anew. In the end, the Fire-Spreading lineage had been plotted against and slaughtered by Hundred Battles' faction! Su Yu's face was frosty. "Perhaps from the very beginning, starting from the first tide, your people were already lurking in the shadows! Reaching you was merely reaching a culmination. Perhaps from the first tide onward, your people have been plotting the murder of those loyal to the Human Sovereign!" Hundred Battles remained silent. Su Yu's expression turned frigid! He abruptly looked toward Changmei, toward Changqing and the others, and suddenly laughed! "I think... perhaps I guessed right!" Indeed, perhaps starting from the first tide, someone had been assassinating those of the Human Sovereign's lineage, causing the myriad races and the human race to remain locked in stalemate for countless years, all just to wait for the day the Hell Gate could be opened! Otherwise, had they brought the Human Sovereign and the others back early, wouldn't everything have reverted to how it was before? "So... the warfare of these past hundred thousand years was all caused by you!" Su Yu murmured, "Countless humans died in battle! Countless ancient powerhouses perished! All because of you! The Sin race's ancestral precept was to prevent King Wen and the others from returning, and perhaps another line should be added: to prevent the Human Sovereign and his forces from returning! Even the Time Master might have been set up by you!" Su Yu spoke as if in a trance: "Right, the Time Master shouldn't have been so reckless, yet she ventured deep into the Heavenly Gate... and met with crisis! Meanwhile, the Prison King clashed with King Wen over opening the Hell Gate... so King Wen absolutely opposed it! King Wu was tied to him at the hip, and the Human Sovereign was their big brother... So all of this might have been orchestrated by your hands!" Su Yu's expression grew uglier and uglier! "A truly brilliant job... If nothing went wrong, the Time Master was set up by someone from your faction, wasn't she?" Su Yu sneered. "Don't deny it. You were certain King Wen would go to save her! When King Wen went to rescue her, he probably didn't tell King Wu... and the one who leaked that news to King Wu was also your people! Because you knew King Wu would definitely rush to the rescue—King Wu was too blunt, fearing his brother would meet with danger... isn't that right?" Hundred Battles laughed softly. "Su Yu... you are too clever!" He offered another compliment. Su Yu was truly far too shrewd! Su Yu had long harbored suspicions regarding this series of events, only he had never strung them into a single thread. Today, however, everything had become crystal clear to him! From antiquity to the present, it had all been one grand conspiracy!