What Goes Around Comes Around

Su Yu felt acutely that his strength was lacking! Even though he had advanced at breakneck speed and commanded formidable combat power, he still found it insufficient—a realization stemming entirely from the pit the Human Sovereign had dug. Otherwise, Su Yu might already have led his subordinates to the upper reaches. The sole reason he held back now was worry. Yet within the Myriad Realms, the only place currently known to hold any hope of elevating his cultivation was the Hell Gate, which was even more perilous than the Human Sovereign's battlefront. One could never fleece their way into becoming a first-rank ruler. If it were that simple, everything would be easy! …… The dead spirit realm. Su Yu arrived once more. The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign sensed his presence almost instantly. Seeing Su Yu appear, he hastily bowed. "Your Majesty!" Su Yu gave a slight nod, glancing at Chen. This was an exceedingly ancient existence, a figure dating back to the era of the Lord of the Dead Spirits. After a moment of thought, Su Yu said, "Dead Spirit King, let me ask you something." "Speak, Your Majesty!" "In your era, how did powerhouses cultivate to such terrifying heights?" "Was it through the mere accumulation of time?" Su Yu voiced his lingering doubt: "Did they build their foundations purely through the passing of time?" This question caught the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign somewhat unprepared. For a moment, he did not know where to begin. The experts Su Yu spoke of were clearly no ordinary figures; ordinary Rulers of Rules might not even catch his eye. The ones Su Yu cared about were those truly terrifying entities. The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign hesitated briefly before answering, "Your Majesty, the might of the experts of the Myriad Realms, when traced to its root, is intimately tied to the River of Time! In our era, the great gates had not appeared, and everyone's foundation was grounded in the River of Time! Whether it was the Lord of the Dead Spirits or anyone else, the core of their power lay within the River of Time!" Su Yu nodded slightly. Indeed. The River of Time was the most mysterious, formidable, and terrifying existence in the Myriad Realms. Yet his own understanding of it was rather limited. For instance, he had never ventured to the upper reaches, nor had he plunged deep into the lower reaches. He did not dare proceed recklessly, fearful of unforeseen complications. If one traveled to the upper reaches, a single day there might correspond to an eternity in the present. Conversely, venturing to the lower reaches might thrust one directly into the future. That was the nature of the River of Time; outside the stretch anchored to the Myriad Realms, any detour into other segments could trigger dire consequences. The upper reaches existed in the past; the lower reaches existed in the future. Summoning the past and future bodies… That was the core concept behind the three-body art. It meant scooping up one's past and future from the River of Time to strengthen oneself. That was precisely the answer the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign provided. Everyone's power—even that of figures like the Lord of the Dead Spirits—was rooted in the River of Time. "Past and future bodies…" Su Yu muttered under his breath. The abandoned three-body art! It was considered the weakest path among all methods of proving the Dao, yet it granted three lives. Furthermore, the three-body art held an advantage: if a cultivator was truly exceptional, they could continually capture the future and past, stacking bodies upon bodies like Russian nesting dolls. Of course, under normal circumstances, no ordinary person could ever pull that off. Su Yu had never bothered studying the three-body art because everyone who used it called it weak. At this moment, Su Yu was pondering the Heavenly Gate, the Earth Gate, and traveling to the upper reaches… Yet the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign had stated that the root of all things was the River of Time; that was where everyone forged their supremacy. Stroking his chin, Su Yu mulled over the implications before asking, "Do you know about the three-body art?" "The three-body art?" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign had heard of it. Of course, by the time he was unsealed, Su Yu's faction had already discarded the method, and most experts who had previously treaded that path had switched to other Daos. Su Yu continued, "When I was weak, I entered the River of Time alongside someone else. But back then, the river I saw was completely different from the one I see now!" He explained, "At that time, I could glimpse memories of the past, and could even gaze toward the future! Naturally, I didn't actually look into the future. According to everyone's explanations, that was because we were traveling along tributaries… where memory traces were visible. Yet now, when I look at the River of Time again, why is it so different? All I see is the main current, with none of the bubbles from before!" Su Yu had not paid much attention to this earlier. Perhaps what he had seen back then were merely scenes recorded in his own memories that had left imprints on the river. Now that he had grown stronger, it was only natural that such trivial imprints could no longer withstand the river's torrent. "Memories?" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign looked rather surprised. "Does Your Majesty mean that this three-body art allows one to observe memories through the River of Time?" "Yes!" Su Yu nodded. "I even saw other people's memories back then. But now, because we no longer practice the three-body art and I guide everyone directly along the main stream of the River of Time, it seems nobody can see them anymore." "The three-body art… Could Your Majesty explain it in detail?" The three-body art was a technique that had spread widely only after the end of the ancient era, becoming the most pervasive cultivation method in later generations. The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign knew virtually nothing about it. Su Yu gave a concise explanation, adding, "In my view, the past and future bodies of the three-body art are essentially rule power—one's insights into the past and explorations of the future. That is why merging all three bodies results in immense strength!" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign grew intrigued. "The three-body art… Your Majesty, I am certain this technique did not exist in our era! Who created it?" "That…" Su Yu genuinely had no idea! All he knew was that it had already existed during the ancient era, but almost no one practiced it then because it was far too weak. Separating the three bodies left the practitioner fragile beyond measure. Those who proved the Dao through the three-body art were weaker than those using any other method. As for saving one's life… to a true powerhouse, killing someone once was no different from killing them three times. Yet the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign drew a sharp breath. "Your Majesty, three times… It actually allows someone to revive twice! The 'killed' you speak of—does it mean reviving even after their sea of will is shattered, their Great Dao severed, and their physical body pulverized? Under such conditions, they can still come back to life?" Su Yu froze for a second. Indeed, they could! That was precisely how the three-body art functioned. The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign gasped once more. "Your Majesty, you are a world-opener yourself. Yet coming back from the dead is something you cannot accomplish even within your own world, correct?" Su Yu remained silent for a moment, then nodded. "It's exceedingly difficult. Perhaps because I am still too weak, I cannot resurrect the dead. Otherwise, every expert in my world would already be immortal and indestructible!" "Exactly!" "Yet according to Your Majesty, as long as one reaches the peak of the Sun Moon Realm—the so-called Quasi-Invincible stage—and forms past and future bodies, they can actually resurrect… This completely defies common sense!" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign was utterly astonished. "And yet Your Majesty claims this is the weakest of techniques…" Su Yu could not help but remark, "It's not just my opinion; everyone says so. And… it's a fact. The three-body art has numerous flaws. With the three bodies separated, one is pathetic. Even when merged, they cannot match those who cultivated normally!" At that point, Su Yu's brow furrowed slightly. "Separating the three bodies, striking the Great Dao, forcing the opponent's three bodies apart… Why does the three-body art feel somewhat like an incarnation path? Imprinting three times into the Great Dao, dividing the whole person into three portions… so that after dying once, they can revive again…" Looking at it now, Su Yu also realized that resurrection was an impossibly tall order. Who had created the three-body art? It felt far from ordinary! After a moment of contemplation, the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign asked, "Your Majesty, are there any representative figures who walked the three-body path?" "None!" Su Yu shook his head. "In the ancient era, people didn't cultivate the three-body art. Even afterward, few did. Those who survived either died eventually or switched Daos! As for those who still practice it today…" Were there any left? Su Yu thought about it and said, "There should still be some Eternals among the myriad clans—those who haven't switched paths should still be cultivating the three-body art!" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign fell quiet for a while before saying, "This three-body art reminds me of something." "What?" "The Lord of the Dead Spirits!" What did this have to do with the Lord of the Dead Spirits? Su Yu was taken aback. How had the Lord of the Dead Spirits entered the picture? Could he have created the technique? The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign explained, "Toward the end of the Heaven-Opening Era, the Lord of the Dead Spirits had an idea—a terrifying idea, which he ultimately abandoned…" "What was it?" "Devouring the River of Time!" Su Yu grimaced. Good grief, domineering and insane indeed! Even I never dared dream of such a thing! The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign recalled, "Back then, the Lord of the Dead Spirits was exceptionally overbearing. He once proposed across the heavens to find three supreme powerhouses to bear the River of Time at its beginning, middle, and end, compressing the entire river so he could swallow it whole!" "However, according to theories of that era, the River of Time exists across different dimensions… which corresponds to what Your Majesty described as past, present, and future!" "Therefore, a single person cannot exist simultaneously across three temporal dimensions… Could it be… that the three-body art is connected to that notion of his?" He harbored doubts of his own. Su Yu's brow knit tightly. "You mean the Lord of the Dead Spirits stated that when someone stands at one end of the River of Time, they cannot appear at another?" "Correct!" the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign confirmed. "Not even with an incarnation! For instance, if Your Majesty went to the upper reaches right now, even if you left an incarnation here, it would collapse the moment you stepped beyond the boundary of the Myriad Realms!" Su Yu frowned. "What about separating soul and flesh?" "That… I am not entirely sure. Perhaps it is possible?" Su Yu nodded slightly. "In other words, stationing incarnations simultaneously at the river's source, its terminus, and here is simply unfeasible?" "Yes, that was what the Lord of the Dead Spirits meant. As for the precise details, I cannot say; such concepts are far too profound!" "……" Su Yu nodded and fell into deep thought. He had come here to resurrect the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign, yet their conversation had somehow drifted onto the subject of the three-body art. And right now, the three-body art suddenly seemed cloaked in mystery. Resurrection was an obstacle that many could never overcome, including the Human Sovereign and King Wen! None of them could do it! Yet practitioners of this supposedly trashy three-body art could live three times. And that was a true three lives—even with their physical body, sea of will, and Great Dao completely pulverized, they could still revive! This… was terrifying! Especially since this was no isolated anomaly, but the reality for every single practitioner. Ever since Su Yu had written off the three-body art as too weak, he had paid it little mind. Three lives? Even if you revived three hundred times, someone capable of crushing you would still crush you every time! Yet having personally orchestrated resurrections, Su Yu knew full well just how difficult reviving someone was. Resurrecting a dead spirit in the dead spirit realm would even incur the wrath of the Lord of the Dead Spirits. Thoughts flashed through his mind. The three-body art had merely been a sudden tangent, and Su Yu quickly suppressed it, saying in a low voice, "We won't look into this for now. I came today for your resurrection! Once you are revived, I will capture some practitioners of the three-body art from the Myriad Realms to inspect its traits, and you can take a look as well." Others had their vision clouded by familiarity, long accustomed to treating the three-body art as garbage. The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign, having never encountered it before, might notice things they had missed. "Resurrection…" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign blanked for an instant. I… am going to be resurrected? "Your Majesty, what about that Undead Lord…" Su Yu smiled. "Last time he obstructed me, he barely reached the level of a fifth-rank Ruler of Rules. Now that I'm resurrecting you, what level do you think he can reach?" Even if the being awakened again, Su Yu was confident the creature's growth could not match his own. As long as I advance fast enough, you can do nothing to stop me no matter how many times I revive someone. The first time you were fifth-rank; this time, even if you are fourth-rank or third-rank, I'll still beat you down! The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign felt a stir in his heart. That made sense. Su Yu advanced at an absurd rate! If that was the case… excitement welled up within him. Resurrection was a glorious prospect! Who wouldn't want to live again? However, Su Yu considered the matter and added, "If you revive, you can only do so into my world. And my world… frankly speaking, cannot support a second resurrection at present!" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign did not immediately grasp his meaning. Su Yu explained with a chuckle, "Put simply, my world has no overlap with the Dead Spirit Dao, so it cannot draw in anyone who falls within my world! All that earlier talk about resurrecting the dead was just bluster to boost morale. Right now, the Dao of Life and Death in my world isn't strong enough to receive the deceased… So on my side, when someone dies, they are truly dead!" There was no opportunity to become a dead spirit. Last time, the Southern King had scared the wits out of the Myriad Realms' experts only because they did not understand how the Dead Spirit Dao's reclamation process worked. The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign laughed. "That doesn't concern us much. Even the current Dead Spirit River struggles to draw in Rulers of Rules; otherwise, those fallen Rulers of Rules would have resurrected long ago!" "Weren't you a Ruler of Rules in life?" Su Yu still harbored some confusion on this point. Indeed, by logic, the dead spirit realm could not receive Rulers of Rules. Could it be that the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign had not been one when alive? The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign fell silent for a moment before answering, "I suppose I was!" "You suppose?" "I… was considered an Eternal! Does Your Majesty understand?" "A Dao-opener!" Su Yu understood. "You mean that during your life, you possessed the combat strength of a Ruler of Rules, but your Dao had not yet reached full completion, correct?" "Yes!" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign nodded. "I was similar to Fat Ball and the others—a Dao-opener. But for a Dao-opener to bring their Dao to full completion… there is a transformation phase where the Dao ceases to extend further. Only then is it truly complete, fully becoming a tributary of the River of Time! I hadn't reached that stage, so I was merely an Eternal. But the Dao I opened was not weak, so I had no fear of ordinary Rulers of Rules." "What Dao did you open?" Su Yu was intrigued. In that ancient era, opening Daos was not unheard of. In the beginning, the world did not have so many Daos; only through the pioneering of predecessors could later generations merge into them. What Dao had the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign opened back then? To possess the combat power of a Ruler of Rules before even finishing his Dao meant it was exceptionally potent! "The Dao of Astral Stars!" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign explained, "Your Majesty has seen that the sun and moon exist across the heavens…" Su Yu nodded, then paused. Yes, the sun and moon existed across the heavens; how ordinary. Even the Sun Moon Realm bore that name. What of it? Yet the sun and moon… everyone took their presence for granted and never thought much about what they actually were. Su Yu drifted momentarily into thought. Why was he pondering so many strange things today? The sun and moon were ubiquitous; anyone with eyes knew the heavens held the sun and moon, sun representing yang and moon representing yin. What was so unusual? During their final eruption, Heavenly Venerable Rimian and Heavenly Venerable Yueshi had even unleashed the combat power of Rulers of Rules! The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign paid no mind to his reverie and continued, "The Dao of Astral Stars—or rather, the Dao of the Sun and Moon. It draws the essence of the sun and moon and summons their power. In truth, it might be classified as the power of Yin and Yang, but my Dao focused primarily on the Yin Moon…" Su Yu grasped the general idea and said in a low voice, "You mean your Dao was grounded in the sun and moon, similar to Heavenly Venerable Yue's?" "More or less!" Su Yu understood. "Since you pioneered this Dao yourself, what traits does it possess?" He added, "Just curious." "Traits?" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign gave a casual reply: "It is utterly frigid, capable of freezing the soul, yet possesses the effect of tempering the physical body. That is about the gist of it." Su Yu nodded. The Dao of the Sun and Moon! Quite interesting. Where did the sun and moon actually reside? He could see them, yet did not know where they truly were. They were not simply in the sky; no matter how high one flew… one reached the Upper Realm, and flying beyond the Upper Realm led straight into the primal chaos! Thoughts churned, but Su Yu quickly said, "My world doesn't seem to incorporate a Dao of Astral Stars, but I do possess the Dao of Yin and Yang. You can choose that instead! The difference isn't significant. Or you can decide later to open a new Dao within my world!" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign smiled. "That hardly matters. They are quite similar, and Yin and Yang is a grand Dao with even greater potential than the Dao of Astral Stars!" Su Yu nodded once more and called out, "Liu Hong!" A moment later, the void trembled, and Liu Hong materialized in a flash. Seeing the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign and then Su Yu, he sucked in a breath. "Your Majesty… intends to resurrect the Dead Spirit King?" "Yes!" Heavens above, this is going to be the death of me! Su Yu looked at Liu Hong, remained silent for a heartbeat, and suddenly said, "Stop thinking about lurking in the shadows; I may need you!" "What?" Liu Hong was taken aback. What did that mean? I can't even remain a secret operative? Su Yu paused before continuing, "If I go to the upper reaches, I cannot drag my entire world along with me. Even if I could… by the time I moved it there, it would be too late! Didn't I help you relocate your Dao of Ink to the junction of life and death earlier?" Liu Hong's heart stirred. Yes, what of it? "Find a way to see if one end of your Dao of Ink can connect to my world! Link the River of Time, the Dead Spirit River, and my world together—all three Daos!" Su Yu pondered aloud, "That way, the power of my world might radiate across a broader range, perhaps even reaching the upper reaches!" Liu Hong gasped frantically. "Your Majesty, isn't Lan Tian already handling this?" Lan Tian seems to be in charge of making connections, so why drag me into it? This is far too dangerous! Su Yu shook his head. "First, I had Lan Tian sever his Dao and integrate into my world. Restoring him to the River of Time now would be a massive headache, though not impossible. Second, he specializes in the Time Dao, not the Dead Spirit Dao. I want to connect the Dead Spirit Dao as well!" Liu Hong was baffled. What was the point? Su Yu snapped, "Are you an idiot? Without connecting to the Dead Spirit Dao, how do we resurrect people? How does the Dead Spirit River draw them in? How do we siphon power from the Dead Spirit River?" Su Yu continued grimly, "Right now, life and death are unbalanced in my world! Xingyue commands the Dao of Life. My balance between life and death was fine before, but she constantly draws power from the Dao of Life to strengthen herself, throwing the scales out of whack. Now, I need the power of the Dead Spirit Dao to replenish the dead spirit side and restore balance!" He could not forbid her from doing so. Xingyue inherently commanded the Dao of Life; Su Yu could hardly stop her from cultivating. Yet as a consequence, the balance of life and death within his world was continually disrupted. Liu Hong bared his teeth. "Your Majesty, wouldn't that… wouldn't that turn me into a literal pipeline?" "Yes!" Su Yu nodded. "You're unwilling? Not only are you a pipeline, you're a three-way junction!" "……" Liu Hong looked ready to weep. A three-way junction… True enough, his Dao currently sat at the confluence of life and death. Su Yu's intention was plain: draw a portion of power from the River of Time, draw a portion from the Dead Spirit River, and connect the third branch to Su Yu's world. Su Yu smiled. "This way… there is genuine hope of achieving a balance between life and death. With Xingyue commanding the Dao of Life and Death, she should grow thirty percent stronger. And as she grows stronger, the Dao of Life and Death in my world strengthens as well, which translates into a boost for my own power!" Excellent! He had originally intended for Lan Tian to undertake this, but on second thought, Lan Tian was not necessarily better suited than Liu Hong. This fellow had previously asked Su Yu to move his Dao to the intersection of life and death so he could feed off both sides; Su Yu figured he might as well let him feed off both sides, then feed Su Yu in turn! Splendid! Liu Hong wore a look of utter helplessness. In the end, I still have to slave away for you. Regardless of whether Liu Hong agreed, Su Yu pressed on: "In a moment, proceed just like last time: guide the Dead Spirit King into my world!" Su Yu waved a hand, and in the distance, within the Ruins of Oblivion, a projection of his world manifested. Su Yu instructed, "Same as before: the Dead Spirit King enters, devours his origin power, draws life-and-death power through the Dao of Ink, and connects with the Great Dao power in my world. I will then infuse enough life force into you to facilitate your revival!" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign drew a deep breath. This had arrived so suddenly. He had assumed Su Yu would not consider resurrection again anytime soon. Who would have thought that after such a short while, Su Yu was already initiating a second revival! Su Yu was utterly decisive. Without hesitation, the moment he finished speaking, he let out a low roar and punched toward the heavens! Above, a great river manifested. Su Yu instantly tore a breach in it and stepped directly inside. The moment he entered, the river violently churned! Because he had visited once before and conducted a revival, the river was acutely sensitive to his aura. The instant Su Yu stepped in, the entire Dead Spirit River trembled. It was as if it was roaring: That bastard from last time is back again! It was the equivalent of someone stripping the Southern King from Su Yu's world, seizing her Great Dao power, and fleeing his domain. If that happened to Su Yu, he would have fought tooth and nail as well! Evidently, this was precisely what he was doing to the Lord of the Dead Spirits. …… "Scoundrel!" A colossal roar of fury reverberated through the entire river! The oppressive weight descending from the unseen depths exerted palpable pressure even on the current Su Yu. Across the river, monstrous waves surged skyward! This awakening was vastly faster than the previous one—so rapid that in the blink of an eye, a towering dead spirit giant manifested. It appeared momentarily dazed, but that confusion swiftly gave way to a sharp, chilling gleam in its eyes! Glaring coldly at Su Yu, it demanded, "You have returned?" Su Yu smiled. "Are you the Lord of the Dead Spirits, or the Undead Lord?" Gripping a massive trident, the dead spirit giant strode toward Su Yu step by step, its voice devoid of warmth: "Dead spirit or undead, both are one! For what purpose have you come this time?" "To resurrect someone." "Whom?" "That Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign…" "Hmph!" A cold snort echoed through the river. At that moment, the dead spirit giant flared with wrath. "You dare extract the very first Ruler of Rules from this river?" What a joke! That was equivalent to stripping away the single strongest individual in Su Yu's world! If Su Yu merely wished to resurrect some minor figure, he might not have cared overmuch. But resurrecting the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign was entirely out of the question! In an instant, the massive trident thrust straight toward Su Yu! Yet Su Yu caught the trident with a single bare hand and glanced downward with a laugh. "Hurry up! He awakened far too quickly this time. Go devour your origin power immediately, and we'll leave as soon as it's done without bothering the Undead Lord any further!" Below, the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign shot through the air. The dead spirit giant roared furiously and thrust the trident once more in an attempt to attack Su Yu, only for Su Yu to seize it yet again! The giant was visibly shaken. "You… How much time has passed?" Had countless ages elapsed since their last encounter? The last time he saw Su Yu, the boy had merely been a Celestial Venerable bordering on a Ruler of Rules, but not quite there. Yet this time, the moment the giant awakened, he already possessed the strength from their previous clash—roughly equivalent to a fifth-rank Ruler of Rules! Last time, Su Yu had relied on Marquis Longxue self-detonating to blow him apart. This time, Su Yu had caught his trident with his bare hands! Su Yu chuckled. "Fellow Daoist, there's no need for bloodshed. Whether you wish to recover to the fourth or third rank, it takes time. My presence here actually benefits you. If you drive me away right now, you'll simply have to sink back into slumber." "Whereas if I stay, you can continually bolster yourself and contest control against the Lord of the Dead Spirits…" Su Yu smiled amiably. "This is what's called enriching yourself on the company's dime! If you chase me off immediately, the will of the Lord of the Dead Spirits won't keep feeding you power, which works against you. Look, you're growing stronger right now, aren't you?" "……" The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign, streaking through the void below, was struck speechless by those words. This Su Yu really had a silver tongue. He tricked the living, he tricked the dead, and now he was even trying to con the will projection of the Lord of the Dead Spirits! If the true Lord of the Dead Spirits ever returned and discovered that his own will projection had developed independent thoughts—instigated by Su Yu, no less—he would probably slice Su Yu into ten thousand pieces! Unable to dwell on it, he rushed toward the river's depths to seek his dead spirit origin. As for the turbulent waves, they posed little threat to a fourth-rank Ruler of Rules like him. The core threat lay in the dead spirit giant, who was currently being held at bay by Su Yu. A moment later, a deafening boom erupted from the depths! The entire river convulsed violently! As the strongest entity and the very first dead spirit ever received by the river, the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign was now absorbing his origin, triggering an intense, collective resistance from the river itself. The Undead Lord's gaze turned chillingly cold, visibly shifting from moments before. In the blink of an eye, his aura surged to the fourth rank and continued to climb! Sensing an expert attempting to tear free from his Great Dao, the dead spirit giant's might spiked dramatically. At that moment, an overbearing and furious shout boomed from his mouth: "Impudent junior! You dare seize the dead spirits I have fostered? You seek death!" As the words fell, the trident in the giant's hand morphed in an instant, transforming into a book! Yes, a book! Completely different from before! The dead spirit giant's aura surged once more. He flipped open the book, a brush materializing in his grasp. With a flick of the brush, a drop of dead spirit ink splattered onto the page, blooming into the likeness of Su Yu. Then, with another tap of the brush, he painted one of Su Yu's eyes. Boom! With just that single stroke, an agonizing pain ripped through Su Yu's eye! It felt as though it were being incinerated by death qi! The dead spirit giant declared coldly, "Junior, as a fellow world-opener, I had no desire to bully the weak. Yet you push your luck too far, daring to trespass upon my dao arena! Even a wisp of my will is not something you can withstand! Today, you shall be executed!" Another stroke fell, and Su Yu's second eye appeared on the page. In that instant, both of Su Yu's eyes turned into those of a dead spirit. He cried out in pain, his vision engulfed in searing torment as if he were going blind! "This is my dao arena! To contest me within my own domain is nothing short of walking into your own grave!" With that, the dead spirit giant painted Su Yu's nose. Instantly, Su Yu's nose was corroded by boundless death qi—the pure power of the Dao of Death! "You are the Lord of the Dead Spirits!" Su Yu growled. This was the true will of the Lord of the Dead Spirits, perhaps freshly projected across the void. Su Yu let out a furious roar, gathering the power of ten thousand Daos. A book manifested before him as well, brimming with the resonance of myriad paths, while a brush appeared in his hand. He bellowed, "You are merely a projection, yet you think you can best me?" "You want to paint? If you want to play that game, I know how to play it too!" Su Yu slashed his brush across the civilization chronicle, writing a single character: "Seal!" A massive sealing ward soared toward the opponent. "Life!" Boundless life force surged outward, colliding with the encroaching wave of death qi. Both held books in hand as their Great Dao powers clashed midair. Su Yu held the advantage of currently possessing superior raw strength over the giant. Yet the opponent held the home-field advantage within his own domain! For a moment, they fought to a standstill, though Su Yu maintained a slight edge. The dead spirit giant's expression shifted slightly. He gave a cold snort and swiftly painted Su Yu's hands. Instantly, Su Yu's hands charred pitch-black. Yet Su Yu paid it no mind; gritting his teeth with a low roar, he painted a gate onto his book! As the gate appeared on the page, the Heavenly Gate manifested on Su Yu's forehead. Suddenly, the gate in the book and the gate on his forehead resonated and fused, gathering the power of ten thousand Daos before sweeping down toward the giant! "The Heavenly Gate?" The dead spirit giant's eyes narrowed in irritation. "A fine projection of the Heavenly Gate! Pity… it's too weak. Even the true Heavenly Gate cannot intimidate this seat, let alone a mere projection…" "Cut the crap, you're a projection too!" Su Yu retorted coldly. Do you really take yourself for the original body? The giant faltered slightly. Indeed, I… am not the original body! Yet before he could react further, a thunderous boom erupted. An extraordinarily powerful pressure burst from the Heavenly Gate's projection, carrying a trace of life force that instantly transformed into countless chains, lashing out to envelop him! "Insolence!" The Lord of the Dead Spirits roared in fury. "Even if the Lord of Time were here in person, he could never hope to shackle me, let alone a paltry sealing chain! Shatter!" With a low roar, the Book of Dead Spirits in his hands detonated violently. The blast struck the Heavenly Gate projection, causing it to violently shudder and fracture, showing signs of imminent collapse! Yet Su Yu quickly committed every word to memory. His eyes flickered as he taunted, "If a projection can't handle you, I'll head to the river's uppermost reaches, find the true Heavenly Gate, and use it against you…" The dead spirit giant sneered, "Can you even reach it? Arrogant fool!" Death qi erupted from him once more, sending violent tremors throughout the river as another strike pounded against the Heavenly Gate projection, rattling it anew! Su Yu chuckled again. "I'll attack from the outside while King Wen and King Wu strike from within. Trapped between us, you won't escape death…" "Ha!" A mocking laugh rang out. "You mean those two? You're with them? Go resolve your own troubles before sticking your nose into my affairs!" Su Yu was deeply shaken. As expected, the Lord of the Dead Spirits was inside the Heavenly Gate as well! So many powerhouses were gathered there! More importantly, from his tone, it sounded as though King Wen and King Wu's enemies were not him; they didn't seem to interact much. Just as Su Yu tried to pry out a few more clues, the dead spirit giant's eyes turned frosty. "Trying to fish for information? Childish! Even if you know, what of it? You can't even enter the Heavenly Gate!" Boom! His aura surged again as he unleashed a blow that battered the Heavenly Gate projection relentlessly. Meanwhile, in the distance, the Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign let out a deafening roar. His aura skyrocketed, and in a flash, he plunged into Liu Hong's Dao of Ink, heading straight for Su Yu's world. Armed with his previous experience, he knew precisely how the revival process worked. The Lord of the Dead Spirits' gaze darkened, his voice dropping low: "Chen, back then I granted you a chance at existence, and now even you betray me!" In the distance, Chen's expression flickered. "I… merely wish to live once more…" "Hmph!" A cold snort rang out. The Lord of the Dead Spirits wore a frigid expression, then shot Su Yu a mocking sneer. "The situation inside the Heavenly Gate is chaotic; I cannot project much power here. Otherwise… killing you would be as effortless as slaughtering a chicken! Take your petty gains for now. You had best pray you never enter the Heavenly Gate, or that it never opens—otherwise, you are a dead man!" Su Yu smiled. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Why always resort to violence…" Boom! A massive pulse of energy radiated across the river. In an instant, the dead spirit giant vanished, his parting words echoing through the void: "If you have the guts, come find me in the Heavenly Gate! Very well, so those two are your accomplices? Splendid. I had no intention of meddling in their affairs… but since they are your allies, I shall collect some interest from them instead!" "……" Su Yu froze. A moment later, his expression changed drastically, and he shouted in a panic, "Wait, don't! I barely even know them!" "……" The voice was gone. The river settled into stillness. The world fell silent! The Dead Spirit Emperor Sovereign was in the midst of reviving, yet Su Yu could not even bring himself to care. Standing there with his mouth agape, Su Yu muttered sheepishly after a long silence, "Is this… are they finished?" King Wen and his cohort had dug a pit for the Human Sovereign; the Human Sovereign had dug a pit for Su Yu; and now… Su Yu had apparently thrown those two under the bus. Was this truly what they called 'what goes around comes around, and no one escapes karma'? I… I really didn't expect things to play out like this! "Uh… my apologies, I didn't think he would say that…" Su Yu was completely lost for words. Does this mean I don't even need to rescue King Wen and the others anymore? They might already be dead meat! …… At that very moment. Beyond the Heavenly Gate, within the endless void, King Wen and King Wu were lying low when an overwhelming wave of death qi suddenly erupted from a distant region, unleashing a terrifyingly destructive power! A bone-chilling voice resonated across the void: "King Wen, King Wu? Splendid! I thought that brat looked familiar; so he's running with you two! Seizing my dao arena, plundering my Great Dao… Are you two ready?" Boom! A towering presence surged into the heavens! …… King Wu looked at King Wen, blinking in bewilderment. "Is he talking about us?" What was going on? He didn't quite understand! Does this mean… he's coming to kill us? King Wen's face fell, the corners of his mouth twitching violently. After a long pause, he whispered beneath his breath, "We're done for! That little brat… provoked this monster, and worse… he pinned the blame entirely on us!" King Wu froze. That Su Yu? We're screwed! This person was not someone to be trifled with; even old Wen couldn't beat him! King Wu sucked in a breath. "Your son threw us under the bus?" Terrifying! "I said he looked just like you! Look, even the Lord of the Dead Spirits says so! He even knows he's your son… Old Wen, you're a menace, but your son is an even bigger menace!" "……" To hell with you! King Wen felt an overwhelming urge to cough up blood. Whom did I offend? This has nothing to do with me! So even after hiding inside the Heavenly Gate, I still have to take the fall for someone else? In the distance, that monstrous aura erupted once more, brimming with icy malice: "I will hunt you down. Is that person your successor, or your scion? A white robe… deliberately targeting me? Indeed, you have harbored hostility toward me all along! You deserve to die!" The Lord of the Dead Spirits wore a black robe! King Wen's face turned completely green. So just wearing a white robe means I'm targeting him? What kind of twisted logic is that? King Wu hastily sent a voice transmission: "Old Wen, didn't I tell you? You shouldn't have worn a white robe, but you insisted! Now we're finished. If this guy comes looking for trouble too, the two of us can't hold him off!" If it were just this one enemy, that would be manageable; losing a fight was no big deal. The trouble was that this person was crashing the party out of nowhere—he had never been their original enemy! King Wen's eyes flashed. The next moment, a hearty laugh rang out across the heavens: "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist, for relieving our siege! Make haste and flee, Fellow Daoist, lest you be surrounded… Retreat!" With that, King Wen grabbed King Wu and bolted! Since you insisted on jumping out, don't blame me for dragging you down with us!