He's Here!

Within the River of Time. Leading his subordinates, Su Yu traveled against the current. Soon, they arrived at a familiar point—the entrance to the ninth floor of the Star Residence Mansion! Directly below this spot lay King Yue, a Ruler of Rules who had fallen while guarding the rear! This time, Marquis Huoyun had not come. Su Yu gazed down at this node for a moment before speaking calmly. "This is where their ultimate return will converge. Once they reach this point, the myriad realms and their position will overlap! Traveling upstream slows time down. While we might only spend a single day there, a great deal of time may have passed back home! Therefore, the people left behind to guard the rear might improve even faster than us. Even if you have all reached the realm of Ruler of Rules, do not slack off!" Behind him, more than thirty powerhouses nodded in succession. The Martial Emperor, however, looked dismissive and muttered under his breath. Su Yu’s eyes turned cold in an instant. Looking back at the Martial Emperor, he spoke frostily, "Normally, I can’t be bothered to mind you! Do you really think that stepping into second-class gives you free rein to act as you please? Martial Emperor, let me make this clear once more: strict obedience is absolute! I govern all of you by military law. If anything goes wrong on your part, I will strike you down without hesitation!" The Martial Emperor’s heart tightened. He had broken through to second-class. At present, without the projection of his heaven and earth, Su Yu’s raw strength was roughly equal to his own. Yet under Su Yu’s chilling, solemn glare, a chill crept into the Martial Emperor’s heart. Su Yu… was truly capable of killing him! After all, this was hardly the first time Su Yu had executed troublemakers on the battlefield before dealing with the enemy. His expression indifferent, Su Yu turned away without sparing him another glance and looked ahead. Moving upstream along the River of Time would trigger a colossal battle if they caused too much commotion and drew the notice of the myriad races. Though he had brought many people, even when combined with the human forces on the other side, they would only number around eighty Rulers of Rules. Meanwhile, the enemy possessed over a hundred. The Human Sovereign was currently depleted of strength. If a massive conflict erupted prematurely, it would bode ill for everyone! Should the Human Sovereign fall, the human race would inevitably collapse. At this moment, Su Yu was entirely incapable of commanding the Rulers of Rules on the Human Sovereign’s side. Those veteran figures had followed the Human Sovereign in battle across countless ages; they were not people just anyone could rein in. Even King Dazhou, who had worked side by side with Su Yu day in and day out, would choose the Human Sovereign over him if forced to pick between the two, let alone those ancient warriors. Thus, if the Human Sovereign died, Su Yu would never be able to hold those veterans together. What was more, some of them were bound to be stronger than Su Yu himself! Leaving others aside, King Ming had been second-class back in the ancient era—had he not reached first-class by now? Had figures like King Zhan still not attained first-class? None of this could be known for certain. And on the opposing side, there would surely be first-class combatants as well. Across all these years, had none of the sovereigns from the major races—the Immortals, Demons, Gods, Dragons, and Nethers—reached first-class? If not a single one had, they would be utterly useless! Yet the myriad races were far from useless. It was only that they were fragmented, harboring their own selfish schemes. Unless driven to the brink of life and death, they rarely stood united with a single mind. Just look at Tiangu and his peers: only at the very final moment had Tiangu managed to truly unite and command the others. Otherwise, had the myriad races fought as one from the start, how could the human race alone ever have stood against them? Su Yu continued moving upstream at an unhurried pace. He was drawing upon the power of his heaven and earth, attempting to project its reach further. Yet… Su Yu discovered that the farther he ventured from the myriad realms, the harder it became to project the strength of his heaven and earth. He could still channel some power for now. However, Su Yu estimated that before they even reached the Human Sovereign’s side, the coverage of his world would be completely severed. There would be a boundary node! Beyond that node, he was merely an ordinary second-class expert. While the others had been bolstered by him, they would only be able to display the power of ordinary fourth-class Rulers of Rules. Yes, merely fourth-class! Even after integrating their past bodies, and even though several of them could unleash third-class strength within Su Yu’s world, they could only bring forth fourth-class power without its support. Yet with the backing of his world, quite a few of them could achieve the might of third-class Rulers of Rules—or perhaps even stronger! Su Yu told the group nothing, not wanting them to place too much reliance on his heaven and earth. Inwardly, however, he was constantly gauging where the boundary lay before the power of his world would fade entirely. Liu Hong had helped him bridge the connection to the River of Time, but Liu Hong’s cultivation was modest, limiting how much power could be channeled and how far the field could radiate. If Liu Hong were stronger, the range would extend considerably farther. Su Yu continued forward, the rest trailing behind in absolute silence. No one minded his slow pace. After all, reaching their destination might mean plunging straight into a vicious battle. Unused to the stifling quiet, Tianmie glanced around, saw that no one was speaking, and chuckled. "Your Majesty, we have so many Rulers of Rules now. Don’t we have even more than the Human Sovereign’s side? Once we arrive, are we going to seize authority from him?" Hearing this, Hongmeng snapped, "Shut your mouth!" Su Yu, however, remained calm. "Seizing power is pointless! But blind obedience is equally unacceptable! Remember this above all else: you take orders only from me! I don’t care whose subordinates you were in the ancient past—once we get there, you listen only to me! Marquis Nanxi, Marquis Zhennan, Yingwu, Great Axe… you were all once subordinates of ancient Human Kings. I know that, and I’m not asking you to betray your former masters!" "The Human Sovereign and I won’t come into any major conflict either… But the Human Sovereign is different from me. His decisions and thoughts do not necessarily align with mine! Our goal is the same, but the methods we use may not be. That is why you must follow my lead, rather than taking orders from him once we arrive!" Su Yu had no interest in wrestling for power with the Human Sovereign, and in all likelihood, the Human Sovereign would not try to wrest power from him either. Yet… they were both leaders. It was impossible for their views to align completely! If they saw eye to eye on everything, Su Yu wouldn't be Su Yu, and the Human Sovereign wouldn't be the Human Sovereign. Under such circumstances, friction could easily arise. Who would call the shots? Who would have the final say? When open war broke out, whose troops would act as the vanguard? Whose troops would bring up the rear? All of these matters could spark disputes. In such moments, Su Yu did not need his people acting on their own; he would negotiate with the Human Sovereign himself. His only worry was that his subordinates might act rashly. Certain things had to be stated clearly in advance. Tianmie beamed. "Rest assured, Your Majesty! We only listen to you! After all, we became Rulers of Rules because of you, not to mention that our Great Daos are rooted within Your Majesty’s heaven and earth!" Tianmie chuckled loudly. "If anyone dares disobey, I’ll break their legs for you, Your Majesty!" Sometimes, a ruler truly needed someone like Tianmie by his side. Or someone like Longbrow! Obnoxious as they might be, you needed such individuals in moments like this to voice your intentions for you. Su Yu said nothing, his silence serving as tacit approval of Tianmie’s words. Wan Tiansheng naturally shifted the topic. "Your Majesty, if a battle breaks out the moment we arrive, wouldn’t that become quite troublesome? Could we avoid going straight to them and instead establish contact at an intermediate point to reach an understanding first? That way, we can avoid triggering a clash before we even understand the situation." Su Yu nodded slightly. "That is indeed necessary. Not only that, but we should also think of a way… to ambush the myriad races!" Su Yu scanned their surroundings and spoke. "Tearing through the River of Time in the myriad realms leads back to the myriad realms. If one tears through the River of Time here, does it lead to primal chaos? If it leads to primal chaos… the myriad races would have torn their way out long ago. I’ve always wondered about one thing: the myriad races and the Human Sovereign have confronted each other for so many years, so why haven’t they torn open the river and escaped? Is there something unusual at play?" Tearing open the river was indeed a way to escape. If the myriad races hadn't done so, it meant either that they couldn't, or that the outside was far more perilous and likely to result in their demise. Without knowing the truth, Su Yu dared not rashly tear through the river. Falling in battle out of sheer ignorance would be catastrophic! The others knew nothing either. None of them had ever traveled this far upstream! Meanwhile, Su Yu was pondering another matter: Xingyue! It wasn't that he expected her to accomplish anything grand, but Xingyue served as a core anchor in his heaven and earth. She had always controlled his Dao of Life and Death, which could extend toward her to some degree. In that case… could he use Xingyue as a conduit to project the power of his heaven and earth all the way to her location? Xingyue was a very unique anchor point. She was connected to Su Yu’s Dao of Life and Death, while also commanding the Life Dao within the River of Time. Through these three Great Daos, she—much like Liu Hong and Lan Tian—could bridge the two realms. Moreover, Xingyue was far stronger than either of them. As for Su Yu himself, he had only integrated a fragment of strength into the Physical Dao. His integration with it was fairly shallow, meaning it was not particularly strong; purely in terms of the Physical Dao, he might not even be as potent as Liu Hong. Consequently, projecting his power here by his own means was exceptionally difficult. Of course, Su Yu was carrying the core imprint of the Human Lord Seal this time. In a pinch, he could summon it, but every summoning came at an enormous cost. Unless pushed to the absolute brink, Su Yu was reluctant to resort to it. Thoughts flickered across his mind one after another. Around him, the breathing of his companions gradually grew heavier—partly from the strain, and partly from apprehension and excitement. Whether it was the ancient marquises or figures like Xia Longwu, many had never laid eyes on legendary figures like the Human Sovereign, King Zhan, or King Ming, having only heard of their deeds. Naturally, they looked forward to meeting them. Yet at the same time, they worried that the encounter might not go smoothly. Su Yu, on the other hand, was contemplating the Human Sovereign’s sheer might. Back then, how had he led his forces to forcibly drive the experts of the myriad races into the depths of the River of Time? The further upstream one traveled, the more terrifying the pressure became! Now, their position was on the verge of overlapping with the myriad realms. But in the ancient era, they had been separated by a vast distance. How had the Human Sovereign managed to corner the myriad races to the point where they had no choice but to flee desperately upstream? Regarding this Human Sovereign… Su Yu was truly filled with curiosity. On one hand, he was curious about his strength; on the other, he admired his far-reaching calculations—even if he was frequently undermined. At the same time, he respected the man’s intense sense of responsibility. In that regard, Su Yu could not compare. Su Yu felt responsibility as well, but as he had said himself, he only protected what he deemed worth protecting. The Human Sovereign, by contrast, embodied a boundless, selfless love. The Human Sovereign… At this moment, Su Yu felt a blend of anticipation and helplessness. He truly hoped… this wouldn't turn out to be another Hundred Battles! Or rather, he didn't want his illusions shattered. In his eyes, the Human Sovereign was formidable, benevolent, and kind… All in all, his impression was overwhelmingly positive. Su Yu knew he could never live that way himself, and found such a life far too exhausting to ever pursue. Yet such people should exist; indeed, such people had to exist! If the Human Sovereign proved to be far more disappointing than anticipated, Su Yu would be profoundly disheartened. *I hope… you are worthy of that title.* Su Yu thought to himself. The Human Sovereign—the sovereign of the human race. A ruler who had once united the heavens could not possibly be so incompetent. Even so, Su Yu hoped the man would keep schemes to a minimum… or at least direct fewer schemes and calculations toward their own side. The Human Sovereign certainly possessed the capacity for intrigue; if he lacked it entirely, he would have been a fool, and a fool could never have governed the human race for countless ages. Reaching this point, Su Yu felt genuinely uneasy. He… was leading a host of Rulers of Rules! Many of them had taken to the field simply out of trust and faith in him. Counting himself, thirty-six people had set out together. Su Yu hoped that when they returned to the myriad realms, all thirty-six would still be standing, with not a single one missing. The loss of any one of them would deal a heavy blow to Su Yu. With countless thoughts swirling in his mind, Su Yu nudged the Dao of Life and Death slightly, sending a message to Xingyue: *I am… almost there!* *** At the same time. Upon one of the two confronting continents, Xingyue was treating several elderly warriors who had been wounded for years when her expression suddenly shifted. The next instant, she abandoned the old man she was healing, turned, and dashed away. The old warrior was left utterly speechless. What was happening? Was he beyond saving? She had run off in such a hurry—did that mean he was about to kick the bucket? He didn't feel like it, though! "Your Highness, how much longer do I have to live?" he yelled after her. *Just give it to me straight—why run away!* "I don't know!" "..." Xingyue’s reply drew a heavy sigh from the old man. What did that mean? Was she trying to comfort him, or could he drop dead at any second? How vexing! Hauling himself to his feet and casting the matter aside, the old man hollered, "Brothers, I’m about to bite the dust! Any food left? It's been so long my mouth tastes completely bland! If anyone has a bite to spare, toss some my way…" What a miserable existence! They hadn't had a proper bite to eat here in ages. Naturally, someone quickly chimed in with a laugh. "Food? We’re out of rations, but that Dragon Emperor across the way is still kicking! How about we butcher him and feast on a full dragon banquet? Anyone want to go chop him up?" "..." The old warrior fell silent. *Nonsense, of course I want to eat him! The problem is that the Dragon Emperor is absurdly strong, and I can't beat him!* As they bantered back and forth. Not far away, an illusionary figure hovered along the bank of the River of Time. The Human Sovereign’s phantom had lingered there for countless years, serving to deter the opposing side. The Human Sovereign had no wish to start a fight, yet he felt profoundly helpless. Though he did not want open war, no reinforcements had arrived from the rear. If this went on, a massive conflict would erupt sooner or later! At present, the myriad races feared only him. Once they reached the myriad realms… certain truths would no longer be concealable! In truth, even now, he was nearing the end of his tether. The phantom stared ahead, just as it had for countless ages, silently watching the opposing side while lost in thought. Occasionally, he would look back at the old brothers beside him, the very men who had followed him without hesitation to drive the myriad races into the River of Time. Over the years, so many of those old brothers had fallen. Of the thirty-six ancient Human Kings, many had perished. In the aftermath, ancient marquises had advanced to fill the empty seats. When they first set out, their force had numbered over three hundred! Now, only about a hundred and twenty remained. More than half had died! Of course, the enemy had suffered grievous losses as well. In the past, the other side had possessed over a hundred Rulers of Rules and nearly five hundred ancient marquises—over six hundred mighty figures in total. Today, only around two hundred remained. The two sides were roughly even in their count of ancient marquises, but the disparity in Rulers of Rules remained stark. The enemy had over a hundred and twenty Rulers of Rules and roughly a hundred ancient marquises. The human side held only forty-odd Rulers of Rules and eighty-odd ancient marquises. Added together, the human forces merely matched the number of enemy Rulers of Rules. Thoughts drifted through the Human Sovereign’s mind. What had become of the rear? All these years of holding the line… If nothing had changed back home, then all of this had been an exercise in futility. So many had died, yet the situation in the rear had seen no improvement. At times, the Human Sovereign felt an overwhelming weariness. Back then, he had paid such a heavy price to banish the powerhouses of the myriad races, leaving behind numerous human experts. Yet after fighting for countless years, the humans back home still hadn't won… It was frustrating enough to drive one mad. In the ancient past, he had stripped the myriad races of their foundational strength, while the human race had possessed immense reserves. Even so, he had failed to anticipate everything! King Wen and King Wu had still not returned either. Clearly, unexpected changes had occurred within the Heavenly Gate as well. As his thoughts drifted, he sensed his sister approaching. Turning his head, he chuckled softly. "What is it?" "He’s here!" "Hmm?" "My subordinate, Su Yu! Didn't I tell you already?" Xingyue sounded annoyed. *I told you about this, did you just not take it seriously?* The Human Sovereign was taken aback. Su Yu… had arrived! That rising young prodigy, rumored to be only in his twenties, who had opened a world at the Sun and Moon realm and caused him endless trouble—he was coming? Hadn't he opened his world only recently? More than just recently. Here, the flow of time differed from that of the myriad realms. It had been less than half a year since Xingyue left the myriad realms. Yet here, even with the accelerated flow brought by closing in on the myriad realms, less than seven days had passed on the Human Sovereign’s side. Roughly one day to one month! A single day here equated to a month in the myriad realms. Of course, the deeper upstream one went, the slower time passed. Still, the difference in speed mattered little; their location was steadily converging toward the myriad realms. To the others, Xingyue had only arrived a few days ago. At their level of cultivation, a few days and a few months were practically indistinguishable. The Human Sovereign thought to himself, but the phantom let out a chuckle. "Good that he's here, very good! Your willpower projected back before—what is his current strength? Can he bring three to five Rulers of Rules as reinforcements?" He had vaguely sensed a Ruler of Rules being born earlier, only for that presence to swiftly perish! Xingyue’s explanations had also been muddled and vague. The Human Sovereign truly knew very little about Su Yu’s side. His sole channel of communication was Xingyue. Yet Xingyue… Sure enough, Xingyue remained as dismissive as ever, offering a perfunctory reply. "Who knows? I didn't bother asking how things were on his end. He's my subordinate, so his strength is probably just so-so!" "..." The Human Sovereign sighed inwardly. *You really treat your own brother with utter indifference.* *You went back and took part in the war, then you come back and tell me you don’t know how things went, don’t know his strength, don’t know anything at all.* *Do you think I believe that?* *Is there any need to hide it from me?* Exhausted, the Human Sovereign asked again, "When will he arrive?" "I don't know, but he's probably set out already. It should be soon!" The Human Sovereign fell into deep thought. Xingyue added, "By the way, he mentioned last time that when he arrives, we should keep it secret for now so the myriad races don't suddenly erupt into violence. Also, brother, do you need any help? He said if you need anything, you can just ask…" Help? The Human Sovereign sighed inwardly. How strong could Su Yu possibly be? He gauged that the boy wouldn't be too weak. Perhaps… he had reached third-class. Within his own world, third-class seemed plausible, right? When coming here, he certainly wouldn't be able to carry his world along, which would leave him at fourth-class—ordinary Ruler of Rules strength. Even if pseudo-dao Rulers of Rules had been born in his world, once they arrived here, they would likely only be fifth-class. Assuming the boy had good luck and produced five or six Rulers of Rules under his command, that would amount to five or six fifth-class Rulers of Rules… which wouldn't be of much use. One fourth-class plus five or six fifth-class experts was already a generous estimate on the Human Sovereign’s part. After all, Su Yu had severed himself from the River of Time, and his subordinates had chosen to merge their Daos into his world. That was the only logical deduction the Human Sovereign could make. Estimating five or six Rulers of Rules was by no means underestimating the boy. *Not too bad, I suppose…* The Human Sovereign thought to himself. It was decent enough—better than nothing at all. After so many years, the first batch of reinforcements—and perhaps the only batch—had finally arrived. It would provide a modest boost to everyone's morale. At the very least, Su Yu had quelled the chaos in the myriad realms! From that perspective alone, the lad was worthy of his title as Human Lord. The tenth-generation Human Lord… The first nine generations had all turned out to be useless, leaving the Human Sovereign helpless. Still, one couldn't be too greedy; at least the tenth-generation Human Lord had rushed here in the nick of time! "Brother!" Xingyue pressed. "He asked if you need any help!" "..." The Human Sovereign felt helpless. At his current level, even his sister, a third-class Master of Life, could do nothing to help him, let alone Su Yu. Besides, Xingyue had made further progress recently; she felt… almost second-class? The Human Sovereign’s thoughts began to drift again. Second-class… Alas, he wouldn't last long enough to see it. If Xingyue reached first-class, she might be able to help him, but she hadn't even attained second-class yet. His mind was scattering… The Human Sovereign’s heart clenched! Had his condition deteriorated to this extent? Nowadays, a single sentence was enough to send him spiraling into prolonged abstraction. That was clearly not a good sign! Quickly steadying his mind, he smiled. "I don't need any help. Your brother is incomparably mighty! What could a newcomer possibly help me with? It's good that he’s coming, though. Once here, he can lend a bit of strength…" Xingyue raised an eyebrow. "Who are you looking down on? That subordinate of mine has real ability!" She didn't like the sound of his dismissal! The Human Sovereign chuckled and spoke gently. "Fine, fine. He certainly has ability; anyone who opens a world must have some skill! I acknowledge that much! Since he’s your subordinate… go and welcome him. I cannot leave rashly…" He simply could not step away! After a moment's thought, he added, "Have King Zhan accompany you. King Ming cannot leave either; if he does, it will be noticed too easily!" The powerhouses on their side could not leave on a whim. Just as they pinned the enemy down to prevent them from advancing, the enemy was actively entangling them to prevent their departure. Otherwise, if the Human Sovereign’s people traveled downstream and escaped, wouldn't the myriad realms suffer disaster? All these years, both sides had been locked in mutual containment. If someone stepped away for even a short while, the opposing side might launch a probing attack. If your powerhouses failed to appear, a full-scale war could break out. The absence of a top expert could destabilize the entire battlefield! "Brother, can't you go?" Xingyue hesitated slightly. "He cares a lot about face. If you don't go, what if he thinks you’re disrespecting him and turns right around to leave?" "..." The Human Sovereign felt an overwhelming fatigue! *I am the damn Human Sovereign! With the battle hanging by a thread, sending you and King Zhan together to welcome a few weak Rulers of Rules is already giving him tremendous face!* *Are you implying that even that isn't enough?* *Do I have to go greet him in person?* *Give me a break!* The Human Sovereign was rendered speechless. If the line was breached because he left to greet a few weak Rulers of Rules, he wouldn't even have tears left to cry! Of course, he couldn't say that out loud. The Human Sovereign smiled. "He is also a Human Lord; he ought to understand the perilous state of the war. Offer him a few words of explanation on my behalf. Once we deal with the myriad races, I will host a grand banquet in his honor…" They were mere pleasantries! Xingyue, however, took them seriously and nodded. "All right! I’ll explain it to him so he doesn't hold a grudge!" The Human Sovereign couldn't hold back. "This Su Yu you speak of… isn't very broad-minded, is he?" Xingyue looked puzzled. "Of course he isn't. Didn't I mention that before?" Was Su Yu magnanimous? No, he had no magnanimity whatsoever! A petty person at least had a tiny bit of grace, but Su Yu had none at all. The man never let a grudge sit overnight—he was petty beyond belief! The Human Sovereign felt drained once more, suddenly realizing that this young man might not be easy to deal with. It wasn't that he feared anything—the boy was far too weak for that. His real concern was that Su Yu might fancy himself supreme under heaven after running rampant with a bunch of Heavenly Kings in the myriad realms, only to arrive here, assume Rulers of Rules were nothing special, and end up offending people! Such behavior was all too common. In an era where the myriad realms lacked Rulers of Rules, someone might consider themselves invincible! They would strut about, thinking they were extraordinary! Yet once they arrived here, they were reduced to insignificance. That was normal enough, but if an inflated ego led them to provoke formidable enemies… the Human Sovereign was terrified of having such a terrible teammate! He had been burned far too many times! Right now, what he feared most was receiving yet another batch of disastrous burdens! As if reading his thoughts, Xingyue spoke quickly. "Su Yu is genuinely capable! If he had no ability, how could he have conquered the dead spirit realm, taken the Upper Realm, driven out the myriad races, and dominated the three realms? His accomplishments surpass even yours, brother…" The Human Sovereign chuckled dryly! *Boast! Go on, keep boasting!* *Good grief, suddenly he’s greater than me? Tch, speaking as if I achieved nothing!* *Conquering the three realms?* He acknowledged that Su Yu had some skill, but given the current state of the myriad races, they had probably caused their own destruction! *Bah!* He could tolerate boasting, but claiming the boy was greater than him was a bit too much to swallow! The Human Sovereign said with a faint smile, "Is that so? Then I shall wait and see! Ah Yue, you never witnessed how I conquered the myriad races… After your tragedy back then, your brother led a band of old brothers across the myriad realms, sweeping through all four quarters, utterly invincible under heaven!" *Did you know that?* It was truly a pity that she had never experienced his golden age. Xingyue’s tragedy had occurred early on, before the Human Realm was fully unified. By the time the Human Realm was consolidated and the heavens were subjugated, Xingyue had missed all those magnificent triumphs! Xingyue nodded; her brother was indeed remarkable. She asked offhandedly, "Brother, how many years did it take you to conquer the myriad realms?" "A little over a hundred years, that's all…" "Oh!" Xingyue offered no further reaction. Seeing her complete indifference, the Human Sovereign seemed to realize something, his phantom shimmering. "It wasn't the same back then! In my era, every single realm had powerful experts, especially the Immortals, Demons, Gods, and Dragons. Every realm was garrisoned by formidable beings… Conquering each realm was immensely difficult…" "Oh!" Xingyue nodded and said, "Then I’ll go fetch Big Brother Zhan." "Wait, listen to me finish!" The Human Sovereign grew exasperated! Her attitude was far too dismissive! He was genuinely irritated! "Back in my day, I…" "I know, brother. I’ll listen to you finish when I get back!" Xingyue nodded. She had heard him, and she would listen again once she returned to satisfy her brother’s desire to show off. But Su Yu seemed close to arriving, so she needed to call King Zhan first. The Human Sovereign fumed! "Wait a moment!" Xingyue obediently stood still. Only then did the Human Sovereign snort in satisfaction, continuing, "Back then, whenever those fellows across from us saw me, who among them didn't tremble in terror? Don't let their numbers fool you—they were beaten until they knelt and begged for mercy! What a pity… your brother had rotten luck!" A sigh escaped him. "Your Big Brother Wen was a nuisance! But he wasn't the worst—your Big Brother Taishan was a colossal nuisance, a catastrophic pit!" He didn't even want to speak of it! That colossal fool—who knew if he had been manipulated by that bastard Prison King—had blabbed about King Wen’s departure until everyone knew. Otherwise, give him another thousand years, and he would never have feared the myriad races! Alas, dark undercurrents had surged back then. To eliminate all future threats, he had been forced to abandon expanding his world and pull the rug out from under the enemy. Now, he was gravely injured and down on his luck. King Wen and the others were unable to return, and the rear had proven unreliable. One could say that not a single thing had gone his way! Were it not for all this… he would have led his forces into the Three Gates long ago! The Human Sovereign looked up at the sky, filled with desolation. A tragic hero at the end of the line! What of the Three Gates? He would suppress them all the same! It was only that time had not been on his side, leading to defeat after defeat until his grand enterprise crumbled at the brink of success! Back then, he had even harbored the ambition to measure himself against the Time Master. Now, he had cast all such thoughts aside. At this moment, his mind was wandering once again. It hadn't been like this in the past, but too much time had elapsed; his sea of will was becoming unstable, showing signs of scattering. To have reached this stage meant that he… truly couldn't hold out much longer! "They say man can conquer heaven… I triumphed over heaven, yet I could not triumph over men!" A sigh of boundless sorrow escaped his lips! At this moment, Xingyue vaguely sensed her elder brother's desolation. After a pause, she said earnestly, "It's fine. My subordinate is here!" "..." *Get lost!* *Telling me with a deadpan face that your subordinate has arrived—what bloody use is that?!* "Go on, go on!" The Human Sovereign waved his hand, pretending he hadn't heard. Moments later, the Human Sovereign sent a voice transmission to King Zhan in the distance. "Accompany Xingyue out to meet Su Yu, the tenth-generation Human Lord who opened a world at the Sun and Moon realm… The lad doesn't seem very broad-minded, so be polite. Though his strength is ordinary, his willingness to bring aid is a blessing for our race! We must unite all forces that can be united… If he makes any demands… grant what you can. If he oversteps, just say you cannot make the decision and will await my instructions!" In the distance, the fierce, battle-hardened King Zhan stirred slightly upon hearing this, replying via voice transmission, "Your Majesty, won't this cause chaos? My only worry is that the newcomers will have their heads in the clouds, failing to help while causing trouble for us…" "It’s fine. Back then, I managed to subdue even the lot of you, so why couldn't I handle him? Just be polite. King Ming cannot leave; otherwise, he would be more suited for this than you, since he knows how to handle these young fellows… As for you… just play dumb!" "Your Majesty, what kind of talk is that? I’m a veteran senior, after all. Playing dumb before a junior… how humiliating!" "Cut the chatter!" The Human Sovereign transmitted again, "Also, once you get there, give them a general overview of the balance of power. Don't be too detailed, but don't let them assume that arriving here means they're safe either! You know how to handle this!" After offering a few more instructions, the Human Sovereign added, "Oh, and if he insists that he won't take orders… don't mind him either. Just offer him the title of King and let him roam freely with his own subordinates… As long as he doesn't actively trigger a major war, let him do as he pleases!" His attitude toward Su Yu was welcoming, yet he was reluctant to integrate Su Yu into their existing command structure, as that would only invite trouble. Putting himself in the boy's shoes, Su Yu had conquered the three realms; his arrogance likely ran sky-high, and he would hardly be willing to serve under someone else. None of that mattered, so long as he wasn't utterly foolish. King Zhan nodded silently, committing each point to memory. Soon, he laughed through transmission. "Rest assured, Your Majesty! I’ll make sure he learns what reality looks like! I’ll give them a good scare! I was even worried they might fail to reach this place, which would be quite the joke…" Hearing this, even the Human Sovereign paused. Surely it wouldn't come to that? If they couldn't even make it here… ahem, that would be rather embarrassing! "Wait for a short while at the border. Don't stay too long, lest the myriad races notice. If they haven't arrived… just come back!" The other party might truly fail to make it. One had to remember that Xingyue had recovered her strength and carried the Star Residence Seal, yet had still barely managed to arrive. If Su Yu’s group possessed pathetic strength and lacked the seal, heavens… failing to make it would be humiliating indeed! King Zhan chuckled. "Understood, Your Majesty. I’ll head over to take a look! If they actually make it, seeing me will probably scare them to death. I’ll let them see what a true powerhouse looks like, lest they walk with their heads in the clouds, fearing no one, and bring trouble to Your Majesty!" "Mind your boundaries!" "Rest easy, Your Majesty!" King Zhan was breezy and nonchalant. *Don't worry!* *I know what I'm doing!* *Could I possibly fail to handle a few young whippersnappers?* He had heard Xingyue mention this Su Yu a few times, noting that he hailed from the Great Xia Prefecture… The Great Xia Prefecture had reportedly been founded by his own descendants, though he wasn't sure which generation. Technically speaking, he was probably Su Yu’s ancestor’s ancestor’s ancestor… Moments later, King Zhan and Xingyue departed quietly, heading toward the rear. A few people noticed their departure, but paid it no heed. Patrols regularly swept the rear to prevent surprise attacks from the myriad realms. As for the myriad races, they didn't pay much attention either. King Zhan leaving for a short while was no great matter. However, if his aura could not be sensed for two or three days, the myriad races would launch an assault to ensure that figures like King Zhan hadn't abandoned the line to return to the myriad realms! *** Meanwhile. Su Yu had arrived at the area where Xingyue had broken through the seal previously. This place was not far from the Human Sovereign’s position. Su Yu glanced back, his brow furrowing slightly. Before reaching this point, he had already lost the radiating reach of his heaven and earth. That was a slight inconvenience! "What a pity!" Su Yu muttered inwardly. It truly was a pity! If it could have extended just a bit farther, perhaps reaching the area where the Human Sovereign was stationed, things would have been wonderful! Soon, Su Yu looked forward. The Dao of Life and Death rippled gently as a message came through from Xingyue. The distance between them was short, allowing the transmission to come through clearly. The Human Sovereign could not leave, so Xingyue was currently accompanying King Zhan as they made their way over. King Zhan! Su Yu pondered the name. Turning his head toward Xia Longwu, he grinned. "Your old ancestor is coming!" Xia Longwu’s expression remained grim and solemn as he gave a slight nod. He didn't care much! There were simply too many generations between them for any familial affection to exist. Perhaps spending time together would foster something, but right now, none existed. Each had their own stance, and each served their own master! Across a hundred thousand years, who knew how many generations had passed? At a hundred years per generation, that was a thousand generations! Even for a cultivator clan with several centuries per generation, it was still several hundred generations. The bloodline was far too distant, so Xia Longwu truly didn't care. The others, however, were rather thrilled. "King Zhan is coming?" Someone muttered discontentedly, "It turns out the Human Sovereign didn't come to greet us in person…" Su Yu snapped in annoyance, "Shut up! A formal courtesy is all that's needed. If he actually came and the front line collapsed, are you going to hold it?" "..." Fair enough—the flattery had backfired. Su Yu couldn't be bothered with them. Turning to the Martial Emperor, he smiled faintly. "Back in the ancient era, King Zhan was third-class, but now… he’s at least second-class! I understand the Human Sovereign’s thinking, and to be honest, I feel the same: both sides have their apprehensions! Deterring me to make me obedient is understandable… but we also need to flex our muscles! Martial Emperor, King Zhan might flare his aura later. Ignore his intent—the moment he flares his aura, you, the Dead Spirit King, and San Yue will jump him together! Give him a sound thrashing first to show our strength!" The Dead Spirit King was currently around third-class. As for San Yue, he was also third-class, perhaps even top-tier third-class. Having obtained the bamboo staff, which Su Yu had integrated directly into his Great Dao, San Yue’s strength had surpassed that of the Southern King and the others. Two third-class experts and one second-class expert. As long as King Zhan hadn't reached first-class, they could easily handle him in a spar! "Thrash King Zhan?" San Yue bared his teeth, grinning wryly. "Is that appropriate?" The Martial Emperor’s eyes gleamed as well. *This… I can actually hit him?* Beating up King Zhan sounded immensely satisfying! Su Yu narrowed his eyes and chuckled. "All of you, suppress your auras completely! King Zhan will definitely flare his aura first to intimidate us… We don't look for trouble, nor do we cause trouble, but if someone tries to suppress us with their aura… I won't say a word. You three… just beat him up for me!" The group caught on immediately. Soon, chuckles and smothered laughter broke out as everyone reined in their auras to the absolute limit. Understood! Su Yu wanted to preserve his dignity and wouldn't bully King Zhan personally, but as subordinates, it was their duty to shoulder their lord's burdens—they understood that principle completely! If King Zhan started the trouble, getting beaten up would serve him right! Beside them, the corner of Xia Longwu’s mouth twitched slightly. *He is my ancestor, after all… This… whatever, I won't get involved!* This could also be considered an initial probe, an exchange between the two sides. On one hand, it was to secure a voice in negotiations; on the other, it would ensure the other side didn't look down on Su Yu’s faction. If the Human Sovereign’s camp assumed Su Yu’s group was weak and could be pushed around at will, problems would inevitably arise later. *** "Snort…" At that moment, King Zhan rubbed his nose, feeling an odd itch! Walking forward, he chuckled, "Sister Xingyue, tell me: when we get there, should I use thirty percent of my power to intimidate them, or fifty percent? You call the shots, sister. Since you said he's your subordinate… you have the final say!" King Zhan was grinning broadly. It had been ages since he had seen new faces, and he felt a sudden spark of excitement! Xingyue hesitated for a moment. Su Yu seemed to be saying something across their connection. Pausing once more, she quickly said, "Use a hundred percent! If that's no good… don't intimidate them at all. Big Brother Zhan… I'm afraid…" "Afraid I'll scare them?" King Zhan burst into hearty laughter. "Rest assured, I know my limits! I’m not a cruel man; I just want them to realize how dangerous the front lines truly are…" *All right then!* Xingyue nodded. *Do as you wish. I think you're in for a world of pain. Whatever, I’ll heal you afterward, don't worry!*