White Robes Are Not to Be Trifled With!

Within the River of Time. The silhouettes of King Zhan and Xingyue had already emerged. At this moment, King Zhan looked toward Su Yu and his companions. Though they were still quite far away, he was slightly surprised to see what appeared to be a sizable crowd. Could it be… he had brought along people below the realm of Ruler of Rules? That… wouldn't be of much use! Granted, there were still some non–Rulers of Rules on their side as well, but after countless years of battle, blunt as it might sound, nearly every survivor was at the very pinnacle of the Dao Merger realm. For instance, among the eighty-odd Ancient Marquises of the human race, the majority were Heavenly Kings or even Heavenly Venerables! This was simply because some Daos could not produce a Ruler of Rules. Otherwise, many of them would have reached that realm long ago. Most were Heavenly Kings and Heavenly Venerables, while the remainder were top-tier Dao Mergers. As for third- or fourth-tier Dao Mergers, they practically didn't exist here. The people here had originally been the elite of the ancient era. King Zhan tallied them in his mind. How many were there? Over thirty people? How many of them were Rulers of Rules? Four or five? Or perhaps a few more—five or six? Or could it be… Su Yu was the only one? If so, that would be truly pathetic! For now, he couldn't investigate closely. Sweeping over with his willpower before even meeting face-to-face would be far too disrespectful. He was the tenth-generation Human Lord, after all; King Zhan had to give him at least some face. King Zhan walked toward them with a smile on his face, though an aura of iron and blood still leaked slightly from his person. *I am a king who has campaigned for countless ages!* *Formidable, aren't I?* Seeing King Zhan striding forward with his chest puffed out like a proud rooster, Xingyue felt a wave of helplessness. *You’d better not strut. Su Yu is petty. If you don't show off, fine, but if you do… things can go wrong very easily!* …… Meanwhile, beside Su Yu, the Martial Emperor shifted his features slightly, subtly turning away from King Zhan. In truth, even if he showed his original appearance, King Zhan might not recognize him! Too many years had passed! King Zhan swept his gaze across the group, his eyes landing instantly on Su Yu. Su Yu’s hair was still white. Although he had opened a heaven and earth and his lifespan was virtually unconstrained, he had grown accustomed to the white hair and couldn't be bothered to change it back to black. The main thing was that he was too young. White hair looked a bit more untamed, whereas black hair didn't quite suit white robes. "White robes?" King Zhan froze for a moment. *Oho, a cultivator in white robes. There won't be any surprises, will there?* In his life, he had seen plenty of cultivators clad in white robes. Most were mere pretenders, but among them were also some treacherous, underhanded bastards! Seeing Su Yu’s white hair and white robes, King Zhan grew a bit cautious. *White robes are not to be trifled with—that is an absolute law.* However, among white-robed cultivators, King Wen, the most famous of them all, had long since disappeared, which had somewhat diluted the reputation of white robes. King Zhan grew slightly guarded, but he wasn't overly worried. Besides… weren't they on the same side? …… "Hahaha! Is that Su Yu ahead?" King Zhan laughed heartily. "I am the King of War, serving under the Imperial Court—" "Audacious!" A low shout rang out as Tianmie barked from the crowd, "What nerve, daring to address our Emperor directly by his name!" King Zhan was stunned. *The hell with you!* *I am King Zhan! In the ancient Imperial Court, let me count… I ranked sixth, all right?* *I am of such venerable age, yet you have no respect for your elders whatsoever?* *It's not like I can call Su Yu 'Boss', can I?* With that in mind, King Zhan chose not to lower himself to Tianmie’s level, chuckling and saying, "Human Lord Su, yes, Human Lord Su… I'm getting on in years, don't take offense!" With that, he continued toward Su Yu, sparing a glance at Tianmie. He seemed to recognize him, yet couldn't recall his name, looking slightly puzzled. "Is this… that big macaque?" "……" Tianmie’s face darkened completely! "Have I seen you somewhere before? I seem to remember a big macaque bouncing around all day long… Did I see you at King Gong’s mansion?" He didn't remember clearly, and it wasn't intended as an insult. Tianmie was merely an unranked general without a titled peerage, so how could a top-tier ancient Human King remember his name clearly? Having any impression at all meant Tianmie hadn't done too badly back then! Yet Tianmie's face turned pitch-black. He had to beat this old bastard up! Who was he calling a macaque? …… Meanwhile, Su Yu was also observing King Zhan. An ancient King wouldn't be so impolite, nor so childish as to insist on calling someone a big macaque without reason… It was, more than anything, a probe directed at Su Yu. He wanted to see the tenth-generation Human Lord's temperament. Was he arrogant and overbearing, calm and inscrutable, or kind and gentle… In any case, King Zhan wasn't the Human Sovereign. Even if he left a poor impression on Su Yu, it wouldn't change the grand scheme of things. That was Su Yu's assessment. King Zhan was a probe dispatched by the Human Sovereign. The Human Sovereign wouldn't truly send an unthinking brute to receive him. The men of the Xia family were all like this: they appeared reckless, but were shrewd to the bone! While King Zhan was testing Su Yu, Su Yu also wished to gauge the Human Sovereign’s posture, and perhaps test the limits of his tolerance. Neither the Human Sovereign nor Su Yu would personally enter the ring; letting their subordinates test the waters would suffice. If the top leaders didn't fall out, then a clash between subordinates still left room for maneuver. Therefore, Su Yu merely smiled and didn't utter a word. Seeing this, Tianmie’s eyes lit with delight, and in the next moment he bellowed, "Insolent King Zhan! We have waged war across the world and swept across the myriad realms. Seeing that the Human Sovereign had fallen upon hard times, we came specifically to aid him. Yet you speak with insolence and dare to insult this master!" "Fallen upon hard times?" King Zhan disliked the sound of that as well! He glanced at Su Yu, and seeing that Su Yu made no move to stop him, an unpleasant irritation flared within him. *The Human Sovereign has fallen upon hard times?* *You came to the rescue?* While that was technically true, the Human Sovereign had not fallen upon hard times—he had been defending the front lines on their behalf! King Zhan grew incensed. His fighting intent erupted sharply, a wisp of killing intent leaking out even as he held most of it back, and he snapped coldly, "You audacious macaque! His Majesty fights on the front lines to hold powerful foes at bay, and you dare insult His Majesty?" Tianmie clamored, "Save the nonsense! King Zhan, you dare release your aura in the presence of His Majesty? Audacious! You show no respect to His Majesty and commit insubordination… Seize him!" King Zhan was almost driven to laughter by sheer rage! *Seize me?* *I’ll hack you to death with a single strike!* *If we weren't on the same side, a foreigner like you barking at me like this would have been sliced in half long ago!* *You've got quite the nerve!* Just as King Zhan was about to speak, three figures genuinely flew out in the next instant. King Zhan was startled, but then… understood! Out of the corner of his eye, he looked toward Su Yu, only to find Su Yu smiling serenely, utterly composed. King Zhan felt his heart tighten slightly… *This… he really isn't easy to deal with!* *Is this… testing me?* *Or does he want to test His Majesty?* *Does he want to see His Majesty’s attitude toward him?* *However, I am an ancient top-tier Human King! If you used people like King Ping to test the waters, that would be one thing. But picking me? Isn't that asking for death?* *Even if I can't bring myself to use lethal force, I'm not someone to be trifled with.* With that thought, King Zhan snorted lightly. "Insubordination? I am King Zhan, on equal footing with the Human Lord. You macaque are the one committing insubordination… Watch me shatter that mouth of yours!" At this moment, both sides knew they were probing each other, and both sides were brimming with confidence. Thus, in an instant, four figures tangled together. Neither side went all out. Neither side deployed the power of the Great Dao. This, too, was a tacit understanding! Using the power of the Great Dao right now could easily draw the attention of the myriad races. As a result, the fight relied almost entirely on physical fleshly strength. The stronger the powerhouse, the stronger the body—that was also a universal law. Boom! King Zhan charged like a rampaging bull, initially intending to use fifty percent of his strength to swat the three aside. Since they dared step forward knowing he was King Zhan, they were likely not weak and were probably Rulers of Rules. Even so, they wouldn't be higher than fourth rank, fifth rank at the very least. Yet the moment they collided… a tremendous boom detonated! King Zhan first crashed into the Martial Emperor. The Martial Emperor was forced back over a dozen paces, while King Zhan stumbled back four or five paces. Before he could even process his shock, a massive bamboo staff struck down with a loud crack! He raised a fist to meet it, and with a heavy thump, the bamboo staff sent an agonizing pain shooting through his knuckles! King Zhan’s expression shifted once more! As he took a slight step back, stars suddenly plunged in front of him, hundreds of heavenly bodies condensing out of nowhere and crashing down! That was an attack from the Dead Spirit King! King Zhan roared in a low voice and threw a punch, blowing apart countless stars. Just as he was about to counterattack, the Martial Emperor sneered and barreled forward once more. A thunderous roar erupted again! King Zhan retreated, and the giant bamboo struck down once more! Now, King Zhan was truly shaken! He had gauged them! *Second rank!* The one clashing with him physically was of the same rank as him, and though slightly weaker, the other two were actually third rank! One second rank, two third rank! "The Martial Emperor?" King Zhan was shocked. In the next breath, he realized who the man was, his face painted with astonishment. The Martial Emperor, thinking King Zhan was shocked by the fact that he was still alive, sneered coldly, "Your grandfather is still kicking!" His seniority was even greater than King Zhan’s. King Zhan, however, was astonished by something else… *How is he not dead yet?* Although the Human Sovereign joked every day that he was dead until everyone took it as a jest, by everyone’s estimate, the Martial Emperor was still likely to have perished. Yet who could have imagined that this fellow was actually serving under Su Yu! King Zhan was stunned! He looked again, and was even more astounded. "Which Yue?" As for which "Yue" it was… it was hard to tell. However, he was certainly one of the Yues of the Iron-Eating race! He was actually third rank as well! And the one wielding stellar power was also third rank. Who was that? San Yue and the Dead Spirit King hadn't actually drawn on the power of Su Yu’s heaven and earth, but before departing, Su Yu had crammed everyone's Great Daos full of rule power. Their strength hadn't dropped much, and the Martial Emperor was completely unaffected. At this moment, the three powerhouses joined forces, forcing King Zhan to retreat step after step. King Zhan growled, a long saber appearing in his hand, inwardly horrified. Under Su Yu’s command, there were actually three top-tier powerhouses! *Holy hell!* *This is far stronger than I expected!* In his imagination, Su Yu’s side might not even possess a single third-rank expert, consisting mostly of fourth- or fifth-rank fighters. Yet three had suddenly sprung out at once! "Humph!" Though alarmed, King Zhan was not afraid. He sneered, "Just the three of you? What can you possibly do to me? If I don't show you some real skill, you'll think I spent all these years doing nothing! Watch me slice off your tongues and teach you the cost of running your mouths…" The four powerhouses instantly clashed into a furious melee! As King Zhan rammed against the Martial Emperor, he taunted viciously, "You loser who fell to King Wu, now that you've crawled out, you dare fight me…" The Martial Emperor’s expression instantly twisted. *You're looking for a beating!* *You forced my hand!* The Martial Emperor’s frame instantly ballooned. With a thunderous boom, he slammed King Zhan backward. A long spear materialized in the Martial Emperor’s grip, and he ground his teeth. "You've enraged me, little fatty! If I don't beat you to death today, I won't be doing myself justice!" *I’ll beat the living daylights out of you!* Boom! The spear swept out, its tip clashing against the long saber. San Yue seized the opening to bring his bamboo staff crashing down. A sudden chill shot through King Zhan’s heart, a sensation of dread washing over him. *What the hell is that thing?* Before the dread could subside, the Dead Spirit King summoned countless stars to orbit King Zhan. Boom! The stars slammed into him in succession, knocking King Zhan back repeatedly! King Zhan was undeniably powerful! Without anyone drawing upon the power of their Great Daos—or rather, without using the Dao power beyond the realm of Ruler of Rules—a three-on-one assault had only granted them a slight upper hand. One had to remember that these three were among the absolute strongest under Su Yu’s command. And King Zhan wasn't even the strongest under the Human Sovereign; King Ming was still there! Watching for a moment, Su Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. *Not weak at all!* Or rather, *extremely strong!* Su Yu estimated that without the amplification of his heaven and earth, he would at best be on par with King Zhan, perhaps even slightly weaker. Of course, this wasn't a fight to the death, so the final outcome was hard to say. Still, King Zhan’s sheer prowess made Su Yu feel solemn. A single King Zhan was almost enough to suppress everyone on this side. Yet such a figure wasn't even the top expert under the Human Sovereign, and even so, the Human Sovereign’s faction was heavily suppressed by the myriad races. From this, it was clear that the myriad races did not lack second-rank powerhouses, and first-rank figures might well exist among them as well. …… Su Yu was startled. King Zhan, in fact, was also shocked. These three were quite formidable! Of course, with the Martial Emperor present, it made sense for them to be strong. The Martial Emperor had been stronger than him back in the day; he had merely been sealed all these years. Otherwise, the ancient Martial Emperor could have thrashed him soundly! Yet the Martial Emperor had been subdued by Su Yu… That was the most shocking part of all! As the four fought, King Zhan remained slightly suppressed. San Yue’s bamboo staff in particular exerted an oppressive weight on him, baffling King Zhan. *What in the world is that? Getting hit by it feels unnervingly stifling!* That was the Dao-proving weapon of the Human Ancestor! Right now, San Yue didn't even dare unleash its full power because the commotion would be too vast. Even so, each strike of the bamboo left King Zhan feeling slightly uncomfortable! Locked in a fierce struggle, King Zhan’s eyes flickered as he glanced back toward Su Yu’s group. There were still quite a few people standing there. He suddenly slashed his saber forward, forcing San Yue back, and snorted, "Human Lord Su, does your faction rely entirely on these old fossils and foreigners?" "So… you're still relying on the foundation we left behind… aren't you?" …… Su Yu smiled. Originally, he had simply intended to let the three of them give him a good thrashing. *You really want to keep probing to the bitter end?* Su Yu chuckled and said placidly, "Director Wan, Senior King Zhan looks down on those of you who rose after the ancient era… Go spar with Senior King Zhan for a bit!" In an instant, multiple figures leaped forward. Wan Tiansheng, King Daming, Xia Longwu, Yingwu, and others sprang forth in succession. Su Yu smiled faintly. "Senior King Zhan, do the Ancient Marquises count as old? If they do, I won't have them take action…" King Zhan’s thoughts stirred, and he gave a coarse laugh. "I'm a King, they're Marquises—they're all my grandsons! Come on, all of you, come at once!" "……" At that moment, Great Axe, Hong Yue, Wu Ji, and the others froze. *Why… why are you insulting us?* *We didn't even provoke you!* Right then, Su Yu’s voice rang out: "Since Senior wishes to experience your brilliance, go ahead. All humans, step forward. Non-humans, just watch. Martial Emperor, you three withdraw for now!" At that command, a swarm of people surged out! There were quite a few Ancient Marquises. Among the humans: Hong Yue, Blood Shadow, Yingwu, Xuelan, Lanshan… A whole crowd of humans! King Zhan was stunned. *So many?* *Dao Mergers coming up to hit me is useless!* *They can't all be Rulers of Rules, can they?!* Boom! Without a second thought, a saber slashed directly at him from across the way. Xia Longwu looked thoroughly excited, almost frenzied. "Junior wishes to experience Senior’s saber techniques! My respects!" He didn't state his identity, fearing King Zhan would use status to suppress him. Fight first, talk later! Once the beating was done, they could sort out their relationship! Xia Longwu was something of a martial fanatic. Few humans wielded the saber; his grandfather used one, but it wasn't appropriate to spar with his own grandfather. Now… King Zhan was separated from him by countless generations, so beating him up first was the obvious choice! Boom! A saber strike tore forward. In the next moment, King Daqin laughed. "Experience the Qin Spear!" "I'll lay the formation so he can't escape. Beat him with an easy mind, everyone!" King Daming’s laughter echoed. In the blink of an eye, multiple powerhouses charged shoulder to shoulder! Boom! Rumble! King Zhan was truly not weak, but at this moment, he was thoroughly dumbfounded. In utter shock, he cried out, "All of them are Rulers of Rules?!" So many! Not one or two, but a whole host—every single one of them! "Nanxi, Hong Yue… You’ve all become Rulers of Rules…" Had King Zhan kept silent, it might have been fine. But the moment he spoke, everyone felt as though he was still looking down on them. Fine, beat him! On Su Yu’s side, the new generation of humans might not be numerous, but the older generation of humans was substantial. Five had defected from Hundred Battles' camp, plus Lanshan and the others—there were more than ten human Rulers of Rules! In a flash, over a dozen Rulers of Rules encircled King Zhan in a frenzied barrage! Yet some did not step into the fray. Wan Tiansheng, for instance, stood at the rear of the crowd. Manifesting a faint trace of Dao power with a gentle smile on his face, he watched as King Zhan, surrounded and battered, suddenly began to laugh. The laughter sounded distinctly unnatural! *Why am I laughing?* *Wait, someone is controlling me!* Just as the thought crossed his mind, he was instantly petrified! Boom! Lightning crashed down! Princess Consort Qi and Hetu had struck as well! King Zhan tried to fight his way out of the encirclement, but powerhouses skilled in physical combat like Wu Ji closed in, hammering him relentlessly and physically bludgeoning him back inside. At this point, there was no need for Su Yu to direct them; these were all seasoned combatants. King Daqin, Xia Longwu, and Wu Ji held the inner perimeter, acting as physical shields. On the outer perimeter, crowd-control and support powerhouses unleashed their arts one after another, thoroughly suppressing King Zhan within seconds! No matter how strong he was, he was still only second rank! Fighting over a dozen opponents single-handedly was impossible. Furthermore, not all of them were fourth or fifth rank—on Su Yu’s side, fifth-rank fighters practically didn't exist! Su Yu rarely even treated fifth-rank combatants as true Rulers of Rules! Now, King Zhan was suffering miserably. With a thud, the tip of King Daqin’s spear vanished, turning into a blunt wooden staff that cracked across King Zhan's arm. Wu Ji locked into close combat, pinning one of his arms in an instant. Xia Longwu slashed out with his saber, deflecting the long blade in King Zhan’s grip. The others swarmed in shoulder to shoulder. Within seconds, King Zhan was howling, "Stop this insolence… You… you are all Rulers of Rules?!" He was utterly aghast! Were there really this many? Hadn't the myriad realms failed to produce a single Ruler of Rules for all these years? King Zhan roared, "We are fellow humans, I don't want to hurt you… Wuu-wuu… Bah, you in the green robe, what are you doing… Hahaha… Wuu-wuu…" King Zhan suddenly cycled between joy and fury! On the perimeter, Wan Tiansheng was manipulating his emotions, sending him reeling through joy, anger, sorrow, and delight! Wan Tiansheng, who commanded the seven emotions and six desires, was truly terrifying! Meanwhile, Su Yu didn't bother recording, but Tianmie, like a dutiful lackey, gleefully pulled out a recording talisman to capture the entire spectacle! Su Yu wore a broad smile. Fighting one against more than a dozen, King Zhan truly couldn't hold his ground. With both eyes bruised black and blue, he barked in fury, "Don't go too far! I am your senior… We are all humans! If you weren't humans, I'd have cleaved you in half one by one…" Su Yu chuckled. "Tianmie, it seems Senior King Zhan has experienced the prowess of the human race. Chaos Dragon, Eight-Winged Tiger, Hou Emperor… your turn!" In an instant, King Daming and the others swiftly withdrew. Before King Zhan could catch his breath, his expression warped. "No way!" *They can't possibly all be Rulers of Rules!* *I don't believe it!* *Never mind how many there are, I'm not afraid!* *If they're Dao Mergers, I can take them down with one punch each…* Boom! He threw a punch at Chaos Dragon, who appeared to be the clumsiest of the bunch. Suddenly, his flesh violently shuddered. Knocked back a step, he gasped in horror, "Fuck!" *What kind of monster is this?* *A genuine physical powerhouse of Chaos! Put in rank terms… is this third rank?!* The ancient Chaos race possessed the strongest physical bodies. Was this dragon an ancient Chaos beast? And what's more, a third-rank existence! Chaos Dragon swished his tail with utter disdain. King Zhan was strong, but he didn't walk the Dao of the physical body; strictly speaking, his fleshly strength was not necessarily superior. At that moment, Chaos Dragon lashed out with his tail! While there was an opportunity to beat someone up, beating King Zhan took priority! King Zhan was terrified. *Dammit, another third rank?!* *Just how many Rulers of Rules do they have?!* Before he could recover from the shock, Tianmie chuckled mischievously and swung his club down. King Zhan was already furious at this macaque. Just as he moved to retaliate, a colossal mountain bore down to suppress him. Hongmeng said apologetically, "King Zhan, forgive the offense!" "Hongmeng?!" Boom! Right then, Eight-Winged Tiger and the others charged in. Powerhouses like Liekong surged forward in waves, and even Doubao joined the fray. Suddenly, the image of King Wen materialized before King Zhan—an illusion conjured by Doubao! King Zhan froze in shock, and with a loud thud, Chaos Dragon’s tail whipped into him! In a one-on-one duel, King Zhan would have won decisively. The problem was that there were simply too many people! To make matters worse, he had spouted so much bravado earlier. In the blink of an eye, he was battered from all sides until he was completely disheveled. When he tried to flee, he found the surrounding space entirely locked down. Marquis Tongtian and Liekong exchanged a glance and grinned. One sealed space; the other sealed portals. Not only that, but when King Zhan tried to knock Doubao flat with a punch, Doubao suddenly vanished, replaced by Chaos Dragon, who raked forward with a massive claw! "Tongtian?!" King Zhan shuddered. That was Tongtian’s spatial displacement! Marquis Tongtian chuckled smugly. "My apologies, King Zhan! My boss isn't the Human Sovereign anymore, it's His Majesty Emperor Yu… Just take your beating!" Boom! King Zhan had barely been knocked back by Chaos Dragon’s claw when five or six powerhouses materialized behind him. He spun around to strike, only for them to vanish, reappearing directly above his head! Boom! Tianmie was having the time of his life, landing a club strike that made King Zhan stumble. Stowing his club, he drove a fist straight into King Zhan’s eye! The already bruised eye turned a deeper shade of black and purple! King Zhan tried to counterattack, but every single time he prepared to strike, his movements were seen through in advance. On the outer perimeter, Tianming and the Destiny Emperor both opened their divine eyes, constantly transmitting streams of information to Marquis Tongtian—anticipating his moves! Qi reading! Every attack trajectory King Zhan planned was seen through by the pair and instantly relayed to Tongtian. Tongtian would promptly shift the targeted person away, replacing them with more durable fighters like Chaos Dragon or Eight-Winged Tiger. Powerhouses with immense physical resilience! Jiu Yue and the others served as meat shields, but Tongtian also continuously teleported attackers around King Zhan to press the offensive. Boom! Rumble! Tremendous explosions resounded one after another. Moments later, a despairing wail erupted: "Fuck, this is too much! I surrender! Stop hitting me!" This was absurd! So many people ganging up on one person was simply outrageous! They were all Rulers of Rules! *Ah! Every single one of them!* King Zhan was both furious and elated! He was furious that his luck was so foul—he hadn't seen it coming and had ended up taking a beating from over thirty Rulers of Rules in turn. But he was overjoyed because, *by the heavens, over thirty of them!* *Heavens above!* At this moment, King Zhan’s joy far eclipsed his fury. Su Yu… had brought more than thirty Rulers of Rules! It was unbelievable, unimaginable! He was thoroughly stunned! Su Yu hadn't arrived with a measly two or three stray kittens; he had brought a legion of Rulers of Rules sufficient to rival the entire current human force on the front line—provided, of course, a few top experts were excluded. Leaving aside the Human Sovereign, King Ming, King Zhan, and their peers, the rest of their forces were roughly comparable to Su Yu’s contingent! Inconceivable! There were actually this many! King Zhan could hardly wrap his mind around it. Su Yu, meanwhile, smiled and spoke up: "All right, everyone step back!" In an instant, the thirty-odd Rulers of Rules scattered back. King Zhan stood there grumbling curses, his face bruised and swollen. Yet he didn't care about his injuries, staring at Su Yu in sheer disbelief, presenting a rather comical sight. "Human Lord Su… you… this…" He couldn't believe it! Where had so many Rulers of Rules come from? Su Yu chuckled softly. "Senior King Zhan, it was just a little joke. You won't take offense, will you?" "Not at all, not at all!" King Zhan waved his hands hurriedly, still in a daze of shock! They really were all Rulers of Rules! At this point, Su Yu smiled and said, "Xingyue, heal Senior King Zhan’s injuries!" Behind King Zhan, Xingyue stepped forward, releasing her life energy to mend his wounds. As she healed him, she asked curiously, "There are this many now?" There hadn't been this many before! Su Yu laughed. "It’s decent enough. I left a few back home to guard the house, just in case! By the way, Senior King Zhan said earlier that it was fine for humans to hit him… Xingyue, you count as my person, yet you didn't punch him. That surprised me a little…" King Zhan froze. *His person?* *Nonsense!* *She's His Majesty’s younger sister, how did she become your person?!* Xingyue hesitated for a moment. Then, suddenly, she extended her fist and punched King Zhan. King Zhan was left utterly dumbfounded. Seeing King Zhan staring at her in bewilderment, Xingyue whispered, "I walk his Dao of Life and Death. Does this… count as a pledge of allegiance?" *Su Yu has so many subordinates. Brother Zhan, don't take offense—I'm just giving you a punch to show my allegiance!* King Zhan was completely flabbergasted! Only then did he recall that Xingyue… had indeed been revived by Su Yu! She really did walk Su Yu’s Dao of Life and Death. *Good heavens, does that mean our doctor counts as Su Yu’s subordinate?!* Su Yu smiled. "I was only joking, yet Xingyue took it seriously. King Zhan, my apologies—I'm someone who rather enjoys a good jest!" King Zhan bared his teeth in a strained smile, his heart trembling with shock! Su Yu hadn't even intervened personally! In truth, that alone was no big deal. The crucial point was that he was a young man, seemingly only in his twenties, yet he had subdued so many Rulers of Rules—humans, myriad races, and even ancient Chaos beasts. This fellow… a white-robed cultivator! Suddenly, a chill ran down King Zhan's spine. This guy was extraordinary! Absolutely extraordinary! By this point, anyone who considered him ordinary would have to be an utter fool! King Zhan felt deeply solemn, torn between delight and wariness. He was delighted because having so many powerful reinforcements was glorious—they were all here to help! He was wary because Su Yu was clearly not someone to be trifled with! Arriving with so many powerhouses, would he clash with the Human Sovereign? If King Zhan still thought Su Yu was easy to push around after subduing so many powerhouses in the myriad realms, he would be an idiot. His greatest fear was that this young man harbored grand ambitions and would try to seize control from the outset! That was his primary concern! Otherwise, upon seeing so many powerhouses, he would have been delirious with joy! Xingyue… King Zhan glanced at Xingyue out of the corner of his eye, his mind racing. Xingyue’s life… was seemingly held in Su Yu’s hands as well! Quickly plastering a grin back onto his face, he laughed boisterously. "Human Lord Su is too polite! It's nothing, just a minor matter! Just a joke among comrades, and I was joking too. The pressure of holding off the myriad races on the front line is immense, so seeing our allies arrive lifted my spirits immediately. I just love a good joke…" At this moment, he appeared thoroughly honest and simple! Though a storm raged in his mind, not a hint showed on his face. Right then, from among the crowd, Xia Longwu bowed slightly. "Junior was impolite! Senior, I am Xia Longwu of the Xia Family of the Great Xia Prefecture of the human race…" King Zhan froze, inhaling softly, his mouth twitching violently. *You bastard!* *The guy who was hacking at me with a saber like a lunatic just now… might be… my descendant?!* "Xia Longwu…" King Zhan hesitated. "You…" At that moment, the power of a bloodline surged within Xia Longwu. King Zhan was stunned. *He really is my descendant! Holy shit!* Earlier, Xia Longwu had deliberately concealed his bloodline to keep King Zhan from noticing, but now… it was confirmed! He really was from his family! King Zhan was momentarily struck speechless. *Dammit, you knew I was your ancestor, yet you hacked at me that viciously?!* Xia Longwu wore a grave expression. He wasn't particularly deferential, yet he remained polite. An old ancestor was someone to whom one offered sacrifices during festivals, of course—though whether those sacrifices ever reached King Zhan was another matter entirely! They were separated by far too many generations! Now that he had met his old ancestor, he couldn't quite describe what he felt, other than thinking… the old ancestor had been beaten quite thoroughly! Out of thirty-six powerhouses, thirty-five had taken part in the fight, beating the ancestor until he wailed and cried—largely thanks to Wan Tiansheng’s influence. All of it had been recorded. The ancestor didn't feel much of it right now, but he would soon realize how humiliating this was going to be! Meanwhile, King Zhan looked at Xia Longwu while rapidly turning things over in his head. Soon, his smile turned radiant. "Human Lord Su, His Majesty the Human Sovereign dispatched me to receive everyone for the time being. The situation on the front line is extremely tense… Please settle in here for a moment… I will go report to His Majesty immediately to see if he can pull away and come discuss matters with Human Lord Su in person…" At this juncture, King Zhan chose not to converse further with Su Yu. Things were completely different from what they had anticipated! This was not something he could decide on his own, nor could he rashly bring Su Yu and his companions over to the front line. He had to inform the Human Sovereign at once! This wasn't just one or two people; there were a full thirty-six powerhouses! Even second-rank figures were present! There were several third-rank experts as well, and as for the rest, the weakest appeared to be fourth rank! As for Su Yu himself… in all probability… he might… could possibly… have reached the second rank. That was something King Zhan hardly dared contemplate, for it was simply terrifying: a young man in his twenties at the second rank! Yet an unruly figure like the Martial Emperor had been thoroughly subdued. Clearly, Su Yu could not be weak! Were he weak, the Martial Emperor would have rebelled long ago! King Zhan’s mind worked swiftly, and he chuckled. "Little Sister Xingyue, entertain Human Lord Su and the others here for a bit. Human Lord Su is familiar with Little Sister Xingyue anyway… She is His Majesty’s younger sister, the person he is closest to and dotes on the most… Have a good chat… Rest and recover here for now, and I will return shortly!" Su Yu smiled. "Then take your time, Senior King Zhan. Regarding our situation, I suggest you consult with Senior Human Sovereign first before spreading word, lest the myriad races catch wind of it!" "Of course, of course!" King Zhan smiled broadly, bid his farewell, and sprinted back without pausing for breath! Something monumental had happened! *Your Majesty, this Su Yu is no simple character!* …… Su Yu smiled faintly. The others chuckled as well. Xingyue didn't care much about these matters, looking at Su Yu and the rest with lingering confusion. "How are there so many Rulers of Rules now? You didn't report this to me!" *Outrageous!* Su Yu laughed. "Messages couldn't explain it clearly. Seeing it with your own eyes is better. Lady Xingyue, has anything major happened lately?" "No, everything is fine." Xingyue shook her head. Su Yu smiled; that was good. However, it seemed the Human Sovereign had not accepted Xingyue’s treatment, which was not a good sign! …… Meanwhile. King Zhan swiftly healed his wounds. They were merely superficial injuries and meant nothing to him. Looking grave, he rushed back as fast as he could. King Ming happened to be present as well, and upon seeing him, called out, "Why are you running so fast? Where did you go just now? Your clothes are all shredded—what on earth happened?" King Zhan looked deadly serious, transmitting his voice: "Come with me to see His Majesty!" King Ming froze. *What happened?* Even so, he quickly followed along, speaking as they walked: "There seemed to be commotion from a battle in the rear just now. I even felt some familiar auras…" *That might have been your great-great-grandson arriving!* The one laying the formation was likely King Ming’s descendant, King Zhan surmised, though he didn't say much. Soon, the two arrived before the Human Sovereign. The phantom of the Human Sovereign still shone across heaven and earth. Seeing the pair arrive, he was slightly surprised. Why had King Zhan returned so soon? King Zhan stepped forward, his expression heavy. "Your Majesty! A major event has occurred!" "……" The Human Sovereign smiled. "Does it concern Su Yu?" King Zhan pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Ahem, the Martial Emperor… has been revived!" He wanted to lighten the mood first, lest His Majesty grow too tense! The Human Sovereign froze, and then… felt somewhat speechless! *The hell with you!* *You came back looking that tense just to tell me this? What a tedious fellow!* King Ming was also stunned, before bursting into hearty laughter. "No way! Your Majesty… this… hahaha…" Mid-laugh, he paused, looking startled. "Have Su Yu and his people arrived? Could it be… the Martial Emperor is among them?" *Clever!* King Zhan praised him silently. Seeing the two still dwelling on the Martial Emperor, he cleared his throat dryly. "Uh… there's more. Leaving aside Su Yu's arrival, counting him, a total of thirty-six people have come!" "Not all of them are humans; there are allied races as well…" As King Zhan spoke, seeing the two still seemingly contemplating the Martial Emperor, he added dryly, "Uh… Your Majesty, they are quite strong!" The Human Sovereign smiled. "The Martial Emperor is there? That is somewhat surprising. He is indeed not weak… but can Su Yu suppress him?" "He can!" King Zhan answered with absolute certainty! Seeing the Human Sovereign and King Ming look surprised, he said bluntly, "All thirty-six of them… are Rulers of Rules!" Boom! King Ming’s aura erupted instantly. In the next breath, he suddenly bellowed in fury, "You bastards across the way, come out and fight! I’ve been sick of your faces for ages! Your Majesty, let’s go all out against them! Something seems to have happened in the myriad realms!" "……" From the continent opposite, a grand, mocking sneer echoed: "Something happened? It seems… your perception has weakened! Human Sovereign, retreat early and return to the myriad realms!" King Ming cursed furiously, "Fuck your ancestors, get lost! I was just spouting nonsense! Your Majesty, we won't throw our lives away—let's grind them to dust!" "……" Soon, silence returned to both sides. King Ming paid it no mind; he had merely shouted a few lines to mask his utter shock. At this moment, his face was filled with horror. "All thirty-six of them?" "Yes!" King Zhan bared his teeth. "Too many! I didn't realize it at first and suffered a bit of a beating. The Martial Emperor has stepped into the second rank, and Su Yu suppressed him… By my reckoning… he might be second rank as well! There are multiple third-rank experts, the rest are almost all fourth rank, and as for fifth rank… there doesn't seem to be a single one!" At this, even the Human Sovereign’s phantom trembled violently! Thirty-six! "More than that—some of them didn't come…" The Human Sovereign spoke abruptly: "Did Zhou Tian… come?" "No!" King Zhan shook his head. "I didn't see him!" The Human Sovereign instantly plunged into deep contemplation, his heart reeling with immense shock. Thirty-six! Zhou Tian hadn't come! That meant these people had not been nurtured by Zhou Tian. What was going on? He hadn't felt much resonance… Did that mean they were Rulers of Rules nurtured within Su Yu’s own heaven and earth?! At this thought, even he sucked in a sharp breath! Seeing the Human Sovereign’s phantom trembling, King Zhan said dryly, "Your Majesty, the Martial Emperor isn't dead. Um, let’s continue being shocked by that news instead—don't get too stressed…" The Human Sovereign was speechless! *Do I need you to comfort me?* *Why would I be stressed!* *I'm just astounded!* *Astounded by Su Yu’s sheer incredibility!* *How is this even possible?!* In the next instant, the Human Sovereign’s phantom trembled slightly, and a small silhouette emerged. The Human Sovereign’s voice rang out: "This projection of mine cannot leave… I will split off another avatar to go meet Su Yu! King Ming, craft a divine character avatar as well. King Zhan… take us to see Su Yu!" This time, he would no longer send King Zhan alone. He wanted to go speak with Su Yu in person! Thirty-six Rulers of Rules—it was enough to shake the Human Sovereign to his core. An opportunity! Yet also a crisis! Had he been in his prime, with so many reinforcements arriving, he would dare launch a full-scale assault against the myriad races right now! However… that was not the case today. He felt a pang of regret. They had missed the ideal window; otherwise, this would have been a battle to turn the tables! What a pity! At this moment, the Human Sovereign felt immense regret, yet he was also invigorated. *I have waited for countless years, and an opportunity has finally arrived!* Su Yu… that grandson… ahem, this tenth-generation Human Lord had done splendidly! "I originally thought about beating this grandson to death… but now… it won't be easy to make a move!" Right then, King Zhan suddenly remembered something and warned, "Your Majesty, he wears white robes and keeps a constant smile on his face. I thought King Wen had returned! One look at him and you know he's up to no good!" *Hiss!* King Ming inhaled sharply. "Not to be trifled with! A white robe leading over thirty Rulers of Rules… Tsk, tsk, that's going to be tricky!" An ordinary white robe was nothing to fear, but paired with Su Yu’s strength and status—good grief, he was definitely not to be provoked! The Human Sovereign paused as well. Another King Wen? Well… that wasn't impossible to handle! Hadn't he handled King Wen back then? "Let's go, take a look!" His phantom merged into King Zhan’s body, and King Ming split off a divine character as well. It was time to go meet this white-robed Human Lord!