Preparations

Once everything was arranged, Su Yu needed to increase his own strength. He had never neglected his comprehension of the Great Dao. However, grasping the myriad Daos in their entirety was extraordinarily difficult, an endeavor that demanded immense time and mental energy. Thus, to advance rapidly, Su Yu resorted entirely to fleece-shearing tactics. It was only because the Lord of Time was absent—and immensely powerful—that the river had not already been plucked bald by Su Yu. In fact, Su Yu was not the only one doing this. Among those who opened their own worlds nowadays, who wasn't doing the same? To rapidly expand their worlds, everyone was shearing the Lord of Time. If Su Yu were the Lord of Time, the very moment he returned, he would first beat the Lord of the Dead Spirits to death, then kill the Human Sovereign, before finally coming after Su Yu. Su Yu had only been plucking for a short while, whereas the Lord of the Dead Spirits had nearly fleeced the Dead Spirit Dao right out of the Time Dao! …… Having returned the Human Mountain to its place, Su Yu wasted no time and headed back to the River of Time... This time, he was not alone. He had brought the Martial Emperor along! Indeed, the Martial Emperor had been dragged back by him, brimming with resentment and annoyance! The Martial Emperor despised being around Su Yu! Yet when Su Yu summoned him, refusing to come would prompt that wretched fellow to take ruthless action against his physical body. That little bastard was just that venomous! …… Inside the River of Time. The Martial Emperor wore a sullen expression, glaring at Su Yu with a belly full of grievances. Why the hell did you call me again? Su Yu paid no heed to his moods. While the man was still useful, he intended to exploit him to the fullest, using him however he pleased. If he reached a point where he could no longer use him, wouldn't that be a total waste? Dispensing with pleasantries, Su Yu said directly, "Help me locate some unowned Daos of Rules. You can generally tell whether a Dao of Rules has a master. You opened a Heavenly Gate, making you the only person besides me who has one today! Mark every unowned Dao of Rules you find for me..." The Martial Emperor gasped, asking sullenly, "What are you trying to do?" "Extract power. Cut the chatter and get to work!" "..." Dissatisfied, the Martial Emperor's eyes flickered. "Fine, but without my physical body, I can't open my Heavenly Gate!" You have to return my body first! Su Yu glanced sideways at him and smiled faintly. "How about this... I obliterate your sea of will and see if I can have someone else possess your body? What do you think? They can open the Heavenly Gate just as well!" "..." The Martial Emperor fell silent. All right, lying to someone who had also opened the Heavenly Gate was utterly futile. A sea of will could open a Heavenly Gate as well. It was just that lacking a physical body genuinely felt infuriating. Too exasperated to say anything more and wanting nothing less than to stay near Su Yu, the Martial Emperor turned and bolted. Su Yu called out, "Don't run off toward the Human Sovereign's side!" "Do you need to tell me that?" Only after running far away did the Martial Emperor snort coldly. Nonsense, do I look stupid? If I went there alone, on terrible terms with the Human Sovereign, I might be mistaken for an enemy and beaten to death. Where would I go to plead my case then? The Martial Emperor fled swiftly, and Su Yu did not bother chasing him. At present, certain tasks could only be accomplished with the Martial Emperor's help. Weak as the fellow might be, he was undeniably a prodigy—a super-genius who had opened the Heavenly Gate. Three hundred and sixty origin apertures and three hundred and sixty divine apertures were truly not something just anyone could open. Still, as an opener of the Heavenly Gate, being still just shy of the second tier after all this time was rather disgraceful to the prestige of the gate. Meanwhile, Su Yu used his Heavenly Gate to search for Great Dao power while turning various thoughts over in his mind. Baizhan and his kin had opened the Human Gate, while Yuqing and her faction had opened the Hell Gate. It seemed as though doing so wasn't particularly difficult. Especially with the Hell Gate, which more than a few individuals could open. Could it be that the earlier a gate appeared, the weaker it was, making it easier to unlock? "Opening the Human Gate requires seven hundred and twenty physical apertures..." Yet thinking carefully, Su Yu realized that his bodily structure might genuinely differ from Baizhan's. Su Yu was a hundred percent certain that a standard human body could not open seven hundred and twenty physical apertures. The Giant race, however, might be able to. When he found the time, he could look into it, as well as the remnants of the Sinful Race. "The Human Gate and the Hell Gate... Whether I can open them doesn't matter too much, but..." Su Yu thought of Tongtian. Tongtian was finding it hard to advance, and everyone who could open gates had been beaten to death by Su Yu. However, if he could master the method to open the Human Gate and the Hell Gate, he might let Tongtian shear some wool—summoning the Human Gate or the Hell Gate when bored to take bites out of them, devouring whatever he could. "Furthermore, the Hell Gate can summon ancient beasts from behind it, whereas the Human Gate hasn't shown much use yet... Aside from observing Daos, does the Heavenly Gate really have no other purpose?" "It should be capable of summoning beings from behind it as well, shouldn't it?" Su Yu sank into contemplation. As things stood, the Heavenly Gate was exceptionally useful; practically all his methods benefited from its assistance. Yet... it wasn't enough! The Heavenly Gate had to possess functions he had yet to unlock. For instance, how to enter the world behind the Heavenly Gate. Su Yu had not found a viable method for that yet. Last time, he had merely crashed through an illusory projection of the Heavenly Gate at death's door, caught between life and death. Even having broken through, he and King Wen were not truly in the same space-time. With one thought surfacing after another, Su Yu soon entered the human race's Physical Body Dao. He entered directly with his true body! This was the first time Su Yu had boldly delved into the Physical Body Dao like this. It was incomparably vast. From the outside, the Physical Body Dao already appeared boundless, but upon entering, Su Yu discovered it was even more expansive than imagined! Fixing his gaze forward, his heart stirred slightly. Opening his Heavenly Gate, he vaguely saw that the Physical Body Dao was pitted and uneven, clearly having suffered severe damage over the years. He could even make out faint fissures! At this moment, Su Yu sensed potent ripples fluctuating in the distance within the Physical Body Dao. They felt immense, likely belonging to the human kings of the physical body occupying their territories. However, there was also a remarkably broad stretch that remained completely unclaimed. "This must be the territory that Baizhan and Zhou Ji occupied previously!" Su Yu made a rough estimate and quickly reached a conclusion: Baizhan and Zhou Ji had occupied roughly one-third of the Physical Body Dao. Looking further, Su Yu saw that perhaps four human kings of the physical body were still alive. Yet those four combined only occupied about one-third as well. In other words, the four human kings occupied roughly the same amount of territory as Baizhan and Zhou Ji alone, meaning Zhou Ji and Baizhan had been twice as strong as them! Being twice as strong was far more than simply being able to fight two people at once. "Those human kings of the physical body are probably stronger than in the ancient era; they should at least be at the fourth tier now!" Su Yu evaluated them, though their progress was undeniably slow. As ancient human kings, reaching only the fourth tier now—or at best a weak third tier—was still rather underwhelming for figures of their standing. Now, with Baizhan and Zhou Ji having severed their Daos, that section lay vacant and unclaimed, primarily because the physical body power in that area had been completely drained. Restoring it would not happen overnight. The remaining third of the entire Dao was occupied by weaker ripples. "Dao Integration experts of the physical body?" Su Yu sensed them and guessed that must be the case. Among the ancient marquises the Human Sovereign took with him, a portion likely cultivated the physical body, occupying roughly one-third. There might be some powerful Dao Integration experts among them, though none had yet attained the rank of a human king of the physical body. The entire Physical Body Dao had thus been divided into three segments, akin to a three-lane highway. Zhou Ji and Baizhan had indeed been formidable; their cultivation time was vastly shorter than that of those ancient experts. "The Physical Body Dao..." Su Yu fell into sudden contemplation. He had come here to extract some physical body power to perfect his own world. Yet seeing the Physical Body Dao and that blank stretch in person... Su Yu realized that extracting power now would mean taking it from the regions occupied by those human kings or Dao Integration cultivators. Doing so would likely cause trouble for the frontlines. "Sigh!" He had given Xingyue a heads-up before, thinking that even if those human kings weakened slightly, it wouldn't be a major issue. But now... forget it. If he siphoned power and left those human kings frail, what if the myriad clans seized the opportunity? "I can't extract it..." "Then... I will fill it!" Su Yu's eyes gleamed. When he headed upstream, he couldn't present himself as a world-opener. Even if Xingyue might have blabbed, the myriad clans remained unaware. Being a world-opener... for a weak world-opener, it was nothing to brag about. A book suddenly materialized in Su Yu's hands—the civilization chronicle! "In that case... I'll temporarily occupy the Physical Body Dao and disguise myself as someone cultivating it!" Su Yu detached a page, and the sheet swiftly descended into the empty region! Instantly, Su Yu's page began claiming territory, using not the power within the Physical Body Dao, but the physical body power from his own world. At once, a stark contrast emerged! Within the three lanes, the stretch Su Yu occupied took on a golden hue. This time, rather than drawing power out, Su Yu chose to merge the physical body power of his own world into it. Since they originated from the same source, the issue was minor; despite slight resistance, it swiftly integrated. This way, next time, he could pose as a powerhouse of the physical body. As for his world... the Human Sovereign and his peers might know, but it didn't matter. At worst, he could fool them by saying his world had shattered. You can know a person's face but not their heart; toward strangers he had never met, Su Yu never spoke the absolute truth. He busied himself within the Physical Body Dao for a while. Upon careful examination, the Physical Body Dao had suffered considerable wear and tear over the years, which was why it had grown so feeble. If it continued without anyone repairing it, it might develop structural issues of its own within a few years. After staking his claim in the Physical Body Dao that day, Su Yu set off to extract power from other Great Daos. Meanwhile, the Martial Emperor cursed and grumbled all the way as he helped Su Yu search for unowned Daos of Rules. Tampering with owned ones invited unnecessary conflict. …… At the same time. In the upper reaches of the River of Time. Two landmasses floated suspended here, as though the river's waters had frozen solid. Yet upon closer inspection, both continents were drifting faintly downstream. Their speed was slow. Still, at this rate, it would not take very long for both continents to drift into the Myriad Realms region. At this moment, continuous rumblings echoed between the two landmasses. From the enormous continent across the gap, someone laughed loudly, "Human Sovereign, why not release the restraint? I seem to sense that... someone from my clan has advanced! No reinforcements have arrived for your human race for years; it seems your wishful thinking has fallen flat!" Indeed, they had sensed something. Certain members of their clans seemed to have broken through. Crucially, they also sensed that human destiny had dipped somewhat, as though dark clouds hung over the heads of the figures across from them. Uproarious laughter erupted, with countless experts on the myriad clans' continent roaring in mirth. "It seems we have won the struggle in the Myriad Realms!" No matter how much the Human Sovereign schemed, he had lost in the end. Already no match for the myriad clans, they had pinned their hopes on the Human Realm in the rear providing support. Instead, human destiny had plummeted, while the myriad clans felt new Rulers of Rules emerging from their own ranks. A few Rulers of Rules might not change the grand scheme of things, but it was splendid news nonetheless. It meant the human race's plans had been shattered! To celebrate that day, the opposing side launched several small-scale charges, and someone shouted once more, "Release the restraint and retreat to the Myriad Realms! Haven't you had enough of staying stuck here? Human Sovereign, why bother! If you retreat now, we won't annihilate your human race. At most... we'll slaughter a few human kings, hahahaha!" Loud laughter filled the air! …… Meanwhile, the atmosphere on the Human Sovereign's side was solemn. Had the Myriad Realms been lost? After years of waiting, years of enduring, they had received no reinforcements—only defeat? Their destiny did indeed seem to have declined! At this moment, everyone wore grave expressions. Just then, an illusory figure rippled, and a faint chuckle resonated, "Setting aside that everything is mere speculation, even if the human race lost in the Myriad Realms and things were dragged out until today, what difference does a few new Rulers of Rules make?" "Asking me to release the restraint so we can return to the Myriad Realms together? Absolutely out of the question!" The Human Sovereign's laughter carried a mocking tone. "If you have the guts, fight a fight to the death! If you don't, then endure the stalemate. Once we drift back... the Hell Gate should be opening as well. Rather than a two-way struggle, a three-way free-for-all is much more fun, isn't it?" The Human Sovereign's voice boomed with hearty laughter. "You lot lack the courage for a desperate battle yet crave rebellion. What is the point?" Across the expanse, someone replied coldly, "Human Sovereign, with death at your doorstep, you remain as arrogant as ever! Having been gravely injured back then, your true body has never once appeared. You are likely beyond saving!" "Probably so!" The Human Sovereign did not deny it, sighing with emotion. "My injuries are too severe, or I would have slain you all long ago!" From the other side, another voice chuckled faintly, "Is the Human Sovereign still playing the empty fort strategy? Your schemes are hardly unknown to anyone. Still... since you wish to drag this out, then drag it out we shall. Let us see when you die!" It was a probe, and an intimidation as well. The Human Sovereign was dying. Otherwise, his true body would not have remained hidden for all these years. Of course, it was only a deduction that could not be fully confirmed, but the fact remained that his true body had not shown itself in ages. If he were truly fine, he would have appeared long ago rather than continually fighting with his soul and body divided. The Human Sovereign's laughter rang out again: "I'm nearly dead, almost there. Endure a little longer, everyone. Perhaps once we drift back to the Myriad Realms, I will simply die on my own without you having to lift a finger!" Pausing, the Human Sovereign chuckled softly, "All right, stop testing me. Even if I told you I were on the brink of death, you wouldn't dare believe it fully! In that case, let us wait. When we return to the Myriad Realms, we shall see who dies first!" The opposite side went quiet, no longer responding. They still harbored immense wariness toward the Human Sovereign! Soon, both sides fell silent. …… Within the human race's territory. The Human Sovereign's illusory figure bore a faint, somewhat hazy smile. Turning his back to the crowd, he chuckled softly, "All right, there is no need for the atmosphere to be so heavy! The struggle in the Myriad Realms may have ended... but the victors ought to be the human race!" A burly man asked in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, did the human race win?" "Most likely." The Human Sovereign chuckled. "Didn't that Su Yu summon Xingyue over to aid in battle? Since Xingyue is unharmed, Su Yu is in all probability fine as well." Xingyue chimed in at this moment, "Exactly, everything is definitely fine! Besides, when I left, Su Yu had already beaten Baizhan to death... ahem, Baizhan rebelled and was slain by Su Yu. That fellow insisted on betraying the human race; had he not, he was actually quite formidable!" Beating Baizhan to death versus slaying Baizhan for treason sounded quite different. Someone sighed, "At such a stage, the human race still engaged in infighting... Sigh!" Helplessness washed over them! When Xingyue returned, she had given a brief account, though not in great detail. The group knew that the human masters of two different eras had seemingly fought a civil war. Xingyue scoffed dismissively, "I said last time that Baizhan was no good and had long wanted to betray us. Unfortunately, my strength hadn't recovered when I came, or I would have beaten him to death! In the end, he rebelled anyway!" Dropping the matter, she looked toward the phantom. "Brother, how bad are your injuries really?" The Human Sovereign chuckled. "Nothing too severe, but I cannot reveal myself right now. If I do, the myriad clans will think I am feeling guilty. Deception is the essence of war; scaring them like this keeps them from making a move. Everything will be settled once we return to the Myriad Realms!" The Human Sovereign laughed breezily. "Do you all still doubt me?" "Your Majesty is wise!" The others began laughing. Indeed, His Majesty was exceedingly powerful; he was merely intimidating the myriad clans. Of course, a few looked solemn, but after some thought, they reasoned that perhaps nothing truly was wrong. Even if they had doubts, voicing them was forbidden—that would be truly disastrous. As the group chatted, the phantom suddenly trembled slightly. On the other side, King Ming instantly looked over, saying in a low voice, "Again? Has the war in the Myriad Realms still not ended?" A unique power rippled outward, intertwining life and death, seemingly seeking to summon Xingyue back once more. The Human Sovereign cursed vehemently, "Fuck his ancestors, again?" His outburst instantly dispelled the earlier tension. Everyone was rendered speechless! This Su Yu... was taking things too far! The Human Sovereign fumed, "Does he insist on alerting the myriad clans? Fuck!" What was he doing? Su Yu's repeated summonings created considerable commotion. Didn't he know that his grandfather here was currently very weak? Suppressing such fluctuations consumed tremendous energy. If I don't die from my own wounds, I might just get killed by this little bastard! If I don't suppress the ripples, the myriad clans will find out and cause trouble. If I do suppress them, a few more times will make my weakness obvious to anyone with eyes. Su Yu... curse your ancestors! Is this guy out of his mind? Summoning her over whenever he feels like it—what does he take my sister for? As he thought this, Xingyue's physical body trembled slightly, and a wave of life-death power rippled forth. Resigned, the Human Sovereign had no choice but to suppress the disturbance again, barking, "Come back quickly, or it will be troublesome!" "Oh!" Xingyue responded and vanished in an instant. The Human Sovereign cursed silently under his breath. What a nuisance. Do this one more time, and I'll slap you to death! Meanwhile, the others wondered, "Has the battle in the Myriad Realms not ended, or has the human race encountered another crisis?" The Human Sovereign couldn't be bothered to think about it and remarked casually, "He probably has nothing better to do and wanted to chat with Xingyue." The crowd was dumbfounded! What kind of nonsense was that! Still, someone remarked with a grin, "Perhaps the Martial Emperor revived and went looking for trouble with that Su Yu, so he summoned Xingyue to beat the Martial Emperor to death. In a moment, the River of Time might tremble again as the Martial Emperor gets killed once more!" "Hehe!" "Hahaha!" Laughter erupted across the group. That... was entirely possible! The Human Sovereign's phantom cast a casual glance at the speaker without saying a word, yet that illusory gaze was loaded with profound meaning. The one who had spoken felt instantly embarrassed and thoroughly sheepish. I was only joking; please don't look at me like that, it makes me nervous. The crowd chuckled once more. The mood was relatively cheerful. …… At that moment, having finished siphoning a vast amount of world power, Su Yu returned to his own world. The world trembled, and amid the interweaving of life and death, Xingyue's illusory figure soon materialized. Though faint, Xingyue remained aloof. Hands clasped behind her back, her phantom hovered in midair, looking down at Su Yu! "Speak, what is it!" came her chilly voice! Su Yu glanced at Xingyue, not caring about her posturing. With a wave of his hand, a chair appeared, and he gestured toward it. "Sit and talk. Make it quick!" "Hmph!" You tell me to sit, and I should sit? I won't! Xingyue remained standing proudly. Su Yu paid her no mind—suit yourself, it was just a courtesy, sit or don't sit. Without wasting words, Su Yu asked directly, "Did you see the Human Sovereign?" "Of course!" "Is he injured?" "Seems like it... but when I asked, he said it was fine." Su Yu thought for a moment and nodded slightly. "For him to tell someone who walks the Life-Death Dao that he's fine means he's beyond saving!" "..." Xingyue was speechless. What kind of talk was that? Yet Su Yu was certain that the trouble was immense. Otherwise, with Xingyue walking the Life-Death Dao, ordinary injuries would pose no problem. Either Xingyue lacked the strength to heal the Human Sovereign, or the Human Sovereign was entirely beyond saving. Only those two possibilities existed! Without pressing further, Su Yu asked, "How many Rulers of Rules are on each side over there? Are there others besides Rulers of Rules?" "The human race has forty-two. The opposing side is unknown. The human race still has over eighty marquises... a little over a hundred people in total!" Xingyue gave up the intelligence without hesitation. Forty-two? Not many! That was the truth! One had to remember that when they left, the human race had thirty-six human kings, plus King Ming and the Human Sovereign, making thirty-eight. Adding Xingyue made thirty-nine, along with over two hundred human marquises... Yet now, while the Rulers of Rules seemed to have grown by a few, the human marquises were reduced to barely a third! This meant that over the years, one or two hundred human marquises had perished. And those who had been taken along were all elites! There was no questioning that. Crucially, the Human Sovereign was gravely injured, meaning their overall combat strength was likely even lower than back then! "What about the myriad clans?" "I don't know..." Xingyue said coolly, "Neither side has fought a major battle in years. Some Rulers of Rules were born on their side, but they keep them tightly concealed! The human race conceals theirs as well, giving the enemy no chance to probe our true strength... So as things stand, the other side probably has around a hundred and twenty. They brought along far more marquises." "Around a hundred and twenty Rulers of Rules?" "Roughly!" Su Yu frowned. "So over all these years, the human race hardly gained any, while the myriad clans gained more than a dozen..." The myriad clans originally had ninety-nine councilors, with additional Rulers of Rules outside the council. The growth proportion was comparable to the human race's, but... proportionally speaking, the human race was finished! Su Yu said swiftly, "Why haven't the myriad clans launched a general offensive? Logically, they are vastly stronger than the human race!" "Wariness!" "Fear of death!" Xingyue replied indifferently, "Moreover, several top emperors of the myriad clans were heavily injured by my brother. They dare not move recklessly, fearing they might fall!" To deal with the Human Sovereign, the absolute top experts had naturally been mobilized. However, they had also suffered severe injuries, so how could they move lightly? Su Yu's brow furrowed. "Just because of that? What about the human race's allies among the myriad clans? Why haven't I heard you mention them? Are they all in the myriad clans' camp?" "I didn't ask..." "Counted on you for nothing!" Su Yu was exasperated. She didn't even inquire about something like this. He quickly said, "I may head over to reinforce you all soon! But... I'm uneasy, worried about causing unexpected disruptions. If I go, I won't summon you again. Too many summons invite trouble. I will send fluctuations through the Life-Death Dao and continue contacting you in secret. Just inform the Human Sovereign when the time comes; don't tell the others!" "Oh!" Xingyue gave an acknowledgment, then added coldly, "I insist on telling them!" Psycho! Su Yu treated it as if she hadn't spoken. That was just her attitude; whatever you said, she felt compelled to answer contrarily. One just had to get used to it! Su Yu said in a solemn voice, "Ask the Human Sovereign what assistance he needs. Or rather, whether there is any way to restore him. He can tell me, and I will find a way to provide support!" "Also, ask the Human Sovereign..." Su Yu spoke briskly for a moment. Finally, seeing Xingyue's illusory figure trembling violently, he quickly concluded, "All right, that will be all for now. Head back first!" "That's it?" Xingyue grew somewhat annoyed. "Just this?" Nonsense! What else did you expect? Su Yu thought about it and realized there might indeed be something else. He quickly added, "Right, one more thing: ask the Human Sovereign if he wants me to bring the Human Mountain along." "..." Xingyue snorted, turning around to depart. Su Yu smiled and added, "Furthermore, take care of yourself. If the myriad clans suddenly charge, retreat first, say you are going to find reinforcements. You must never die, or my Life-Death Dao will be ruined!" "Hmph!" Xingyue huffed coldly and vanished instantly, leaving it unclear whether she was pleased or irritated. Su Yu shrugged. Only after she vanished did his expression turn completely grave. What a mess! After fighting for so many years, the opposing side still had over a hundred Rulers of Rules. The Human Sovereign had truly been walking a tightrope, completely heedless of playing himself to death! "The disparity in combat strength is far too vast... The myriad clans probably have internal conflicts as well, similar to the situation in the Myriad Realms!" Su Yu analyzed the situation rapidly, yet his mood remained exceedingly heavy. Truth be told, if the Human Sovereign were unharmed and possessed immense strength, Su Yu wouldn't fear anything if he could bring dozens of Rulers of Rules along; they might even suppress the other side! The crux of the matter was that the Human Sovereign was compromised! He hadn't even let Xingyue treat him, meaning his injuries were extraordinarily severe! "This is troublesome!" Under the current circumstances, Su Yu going there would accomplish nothing. It would be better to stall until they drifted back, but when the Hell Gate opened then, things would be even more chaotic! "What should I do?" "Do I have any other options on my end?" Su Yu pondered continuously. Was there any way to boost his strength further? The ideal solution was actually to enter the Heavenly Gate and bring out King Wen, King Wu, and the Time Master. Adding those three would be formidable; if they arrived, the myriad clans would likely tremble in terror. Yet... the crucial point was that he had no way to do so! "King Wen..." Su Yu murmured softly. That was genuinely impossible. But... King Wen... if all else failed, what if I posed as King Wen? And let that fool, the Martial Emperor, pose as King Wu? If the Martial Emperor reached the second tier, could the two of them pose as the twin kings of civil and martial arts? And then... intimidate the myriad clans? Su Yu pondered the thought. It wasn't unfeasible. According to the power scale of the ancient era, King Wu had only been at the second tier, which the Martial Emperor could attain very soon. As for himself, posing as the first-tier King Wen was not completely out of the question. "That can serve as one of the plans!" If King Wen and King Wu appeared, the myriad clans in all probability would not dare attack lightly. However, that could deceive them for a time, not forever. Su Yu's headache grew. Could he still elevate his strength within the Myriad Realms right now? It was very difficult! Options did exist, however. For instance... the Human Sovereign Dao! "Although the Human Sovereign Dao hasn't been developed much, it is still an opened world. Devouring it might make me substantially stronger. But... what if devouring it causes him to drop dead? That would be even more disastrous!" Thoughts flashed through his mind, and in the end, Su Yu chose not to devour it. With a flick of his wrist, a bamboo pole materialized in Su Yu's hand—the Human Ancestor's bamboo pole. Perhaps this was the final means of enhancement. He didn't know which of Tianmie and the others would reach the level of a Ruler of Rules first. With luck, a third-tier Ruler of Rules might emerge, or perhaps someone even stronger, though reaching the second tier would be quite difficult. "Actually... maybe... I can attempt one more thing!" Su Yu's eyes suddenly flickered. Attempt what? Attempt... reviving the Dead Spirit King! Should I give it a try? He was already at the fourth tier, yet at least half of these dead spirits' origin strength remained within the River of the Dead Spirits. If he revived the Dead Spirit King, the man would at least reach the third tier! That was the bare minimum! As for the revival itself, Su Yu was far stronger now. Even if the Lord of the Dead Spirits manifested again, Su Yu wouldn't necessarily be helpless against him. "If that happens... the Lord of the Dead Spirits will probably genuinely want to kill me, stripping away the strongest existence in his Dao!" Who cared! Su Yu made his decision. Perhaps he could revive the Dead Spirit King! That way, another high-end combat asset would be produced. With the Martial Emperor reaching the second tier, myself at the second tier, the bamboo pole producing at least one third-tier, the Dead Spirit King being at least third-tier, and the others reaching the fourth tier... plus the Chaos Dragon, who is on the stronger end of the fourth tier. If he receives a boost, he might have a shot at stepping into the third tier as well. In that scenario, their combat strength would increase substantially. "Crucially... perhaps I can use this opportunity to elevate that fellow Liu Hong! By reviving someone, I can expand his Dao!" Reviving the Dead Spirit Imperial Sovereign was indeed a decent choice. This time, he only needed to revive one person. The others didn't matter. Besides, there were hardly any powerhouses left in the dead spirit realm now. "Once the Dead Spirit King is revived, it should be about time..." Su Yu sensed that several people within his world were on the verge of breaking through. As expected, nothing worked without putting a little pressure on them.