A Choice

Between the two continents, the atmosphere was fraught with tension. After years of confrontation, major battles had actually become rare following the Human Sovereign's grave injuries, mainly to prevent the true extent of his condition from being exposed. The myriad races, for their part, were comparatively passive. Though they held the upper hand, they seldom launched proactive offensives; even when clashes occurred, they were small in scale. At this moment, however, the air between both sides had drawn razor-thin. Whether something had gone wrong with the human race in the rear was a question heavy on everyone's mind. …… Further back. Su Yu was currently conversing with Xingyue; he would likely still need her assistance in this impending battle. "Can you guide the power of my world to extend all the way here?" Even Su Yu was uncertain of this for now. Though the reach of his world's power stretched quite far, it was still further in the rear. In the face of imminent battle, retreating too far into the rear might arouse the myriad races' suspicions. If the power could be channeled to this location, however, everything would change. Using Xingyue as a conduit was his only real shot at success. Xingyue governed the Dao of Life, a Great Dao originating from within the River of Time itself, giving them a decent chance of pulling off the channeling. Xingyue frowned. "Across such a distance?" She considered it immensely difficult! She knew well that if Su Yu's world encompassed the battlefield, their side would be bolstered while their foes were suppressed. If successful, the outcome would indeed be astounding, but the difficulty of guiding it over such a span was astronomical. After pondering for a moment, Xingyue said, "I'll give it a try, but I can't guarantee it'll work!" With that, she looked at Su Yu and knitted her brows. "You've barely arrived, and you're already starting a war?" Su Yu truly was a warmonger. Su Yu chuckled and narrowed his eyes. "Isn't this all to bring glory to Your Ladyship? We are, after all, Your Ladyship's subordinates. If we arrived without making some noise, wouldn't people look down on us?" "..." Xingyue saw right through him and wanted nothing more than to spit in his face and curse him out. You big liar! Bringing glory to me? Only a fool would believe you. Su Yu laughed and quickly said, "Give drawing over the world's power a try. I'll go attend to other matters!" Xingyue gave a slight nod. Su Yu glanced at Marquis Tongtian standing not far away and beckoned him over. Marquis Tongtian hurried forward. …… Soon, Su Yu led Marquis Tongtian toward the rear. Marquis Tongtian was rather bewildered. Why pull me aside privately? Yet the moment Su Yu opened his mouth, his first sentence startled him out of his wits. With the utmost gravity, Su Yu said, "If we want to win this battle, you are the key!" "..." Marquis Tongtian almost gasped. You think far too highly of me, Your Majesty! Don't do this! "Whether many of us die or none of us die—you are also the key!" "..." Marquis Tongtian instantly grew anxious. "Your Majesty, strictly speaking, I'm only fifth-rank... practically the weakest among everyone who came!" "You are a gate!" Su Yu said calmly, "You are a special existence. Even within the River of Time, you can teleport, and you can open gates!" "The reason I haven't merged you into my world is that I know too little about gates, and I don't understand your Dao!" Su Yu said in a heavy voice, "The River of Time suppresses many abilities, including certain teleportation Daos. Yet when it comes to you... there is no such suppression, correct?" Marquis Tongtian thought about it and nodded. After a brief silence, Su Yu added, "I'll find a way to draw out some of the Heavenly Gate's power. If you devour it, you might be able to step into the fourth rank!" The difficulty was not low. Marquis Tongtian thought as much, but getting to consume the Heavenly Gate's power was something he relished! Seeing him deep in thought, Su Yu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Tongtian, the Three Gates of Heaven, Earth, and Man are all incomparably formidable. So are you. I believe that in the future, you will become an entity of that caliber as well!" Marquis Tongtian gave a dry laugh. I wouldn't dare dream of it. Su Yu heaping praise on him right now meant he was in grave danger! Marquis Tongtian understood this principle all too well. Su Yu... likely wanted him to do something extraordinarily hazardous. I'm terrified! My heart is pounding! "Your Majesty, what... what exactly do you want me to do?" He had to ask. Speak up quickly, I'm truly panicking. Su Yu said solemnly, "There's a great deal I need you to do!" A great deal? "First, conceal us!" "The myriad races aren't fools, and having been tricked so many times, they'll certainly consider the possibility that the Human Sovereign and his allies have laid a trap. If thirty-odd Rulers of Rules were truly that easy to hide, people would have ambushed them to death long ago! Therefore, I need someone to conceal us... and you are the perfect fit. Open your gate and let us hide inside. Even I cannot discern what lies within your portal; it defies my senses. A gate is simply too unique!" Marquis Tongtian's expression twisted in internal turmoil. Hide inside my portal? This... this was practically equivalent to Su Yu and the others opening up their sea of will for others to inspect. For Tongtian, this alone was somewhat hard to swallow. He fell silent. Besides... Marquis Tongtian said with some distress, "Your Majesty, if so many supreme experts enter... and I try to seal in their auras, I might burst from the pressure!" Su Yu replied, "You won't. I will suppress everyone's Dao power beforehand. If you keep your portal open, it shouldn't burst you. If it truly gets dangerous... I don't have to go inside!" If Su Yu stayed out, the greatest burden would be gone. Marquis Tongtian felt helpless, finally managing after a long pause, "All right then!" Though it was hard to accept, he still had to rely on Su Yu to advance his cultivation. Su Yu made it sound polite, as though consulting him, but Marquis Tongtian was an old hand at surviving. If he refused to pull his weight, why would Su Yu keep him around? Needless to say, he would either be eliminated by Su Yu or discarded. Su Yu was a terribly pragmatic person. Coming over to discuss it like this was already showing him immense face. Su Yu smiled. "Then I'll be troubling Marquis Tongtian! You are unlike the rest. Not only can you conceal others, you can also dive into the riverbed without being overly affected. That way, even if you are discovered, it won't matter much—you'll just appear to be a lone Ruler of Rules, not even third or second-rank..." Marquis Tongtian nodded. Forget it; since resistance was futile, he might as well take the initiative! Piling on a flattering smile, Marquis Tongtian asked, "Your Majesty, you said that was only the first thing. What else must I do?" "Second, once the battle erupts, you will oversee the entire situation..." Marquis Tongtian hurriedly gave a dry laugh. "Your Majesty, you're joking!" "I am not joking!" Su Yu said with utmost seriousness, "It has to be you! Because I will be joining the battle, I won't necessarily have the time to manage everything. Even if I did, I wouldn't be as effective as you! You, Tianming, and Wuming—the three of you will not participate in the fighting!" The three of them wouldn't fight! Marquis Tongtian's heart stirred, and Su Yu continued in a deep voice, "The three of you will be responsible for overseeing the overall situation, mobilizing forces, and rescuing combatants! The moment a crisis occurs, you will swiftly teleport our people away!" "Either we don't fight, or if we fight, we make it a flawless victory! Can you brand everyone with an imprint so that you can teleport them away at any moment... even if an opponent attempts to detonate themselves?" Marquis Tongtian inhaled sharply. What a monumental task! Now, he finally understood. Su Yu wanted to fight a glorious campaign, so he had zero intention of letting anyone die. The moment danger arose—even if an enemy self-detonated—Marquis Tongtian had to instantly teleport them out of harm's way, while Wuming and Tianming would observe karmic fortune, divine crises, and make predictive judgments! Su Yu went on, "Your burden is heavy. It's not just about saving lives; you must also assess the overall flow of battle and mobilize experts at any moment to encircle and crush enemies! For instance, if an opponent has hidden their strength and proves too powerful, you must survey the entire battlefield and reassign troops to surround them!" "Furthermore, after reassigning troops, you cannot allow local turmoil to cause our side to suffer casualties..." The more Marquis Tongtian listened, the more terrified he became. This... was simply too difficult! Put this way, the entire battlefield would virtually be under his command. If he made an error in judgment or botched an operation, it could alter the entire tide of battle or even result in total annihilation. If he harbored any treacherous intent under such immense authority granted by Su Yu, he could easily cluster their experts together and leave them to be slaughtered by the myriad races... A single misstep would truly mean the destruction of their entire force! And until now, such battlefield command had always rested firmly in Su Yu's own hands. Yet today, he was handing it to Tongtian. Marquis Tongtian suddenly felt a pressure so suffocating he could barely breathe. He said dryly, "Your Majesty... this... I... I'm feeling a bit... a bit overwhelmed... I'm not skilled at commanding large-scale warfare, nor am I entirely familiar with the techniques of Rulers of Rules. If I make an error in judgment... I... I cannot shoulder such responsibility!" Over thirty Rulers of Rules! No, there was also the Human Sovereign's side. If Su Yu's force was wiped out, the Human Sovereign's contingent would likely be doomed as well. Entrusting the fate of over eighty Rulers of Rules to him, Tongtian... Marquis Tongtian felt on the verge of collapse, trembling slightly. Su Yu said in a heavy voice, "As a member of the Gate race—the Three Gates of Heaven, Earth, and Man sealed an entire era! Yet you, facing the fate of a mere two hundred Rulers of Rules, cannot even bear this much pressure? How do you ever expect to surpass the Three Gates?" Marquis Tongtian nearly wept. "Your Majesty, I... my big-picture perspective is terrible! I might not be able to read the flow of battle. And are Tianming and Wuming even reliable? If they give wild commands... then I... I can't take the blame for that either!" In this battle, Su Yu was actually pinning all hope on him. Marquis Tongtian truly felt ready to break! Su Yu said impassively, "Those under my command must all possess the capability to hold their own ground! I have played babysitter to everyone for far too long. Must I step in every single time? Is your sole purpose to just stand by and watch?" Su Yu lowered his tone. "You are of the Gate race. Are you truly that far beneath the Three Gates?" Marquis Tongtian inhaled, then inhaled again, before finally saying after a long pause, "Your Majesty... then... what if the myriad races target me...?" "You can redeploy troops to protect yourself! Tianming, Wuming, and you—if you feel that isn't enough, I will dispatch another powerhouse to guard you, even the Martial Emperor!" Su Yu said solemnly, "You... are the linchpin of this battle. Therefore, even having the Martial Emperor guard you is entirely warranted! That way, even if a first-rank Ruler of Rules wishes to slay you, they will require time, which will be more than enough for you to muster your forces!" Marquis Tongtian truly wanted to cry! Terrifying! Please, don't do this! Assigning a second-rank combatant like the Martial Emperor just to protect him instantly made Marquis Tongtian feel as if he would burst from the sheer pressure! A moment later, Su Yu smiled. "If that won't do, how about I personally protect you?" "...Never mind!" Marquis Tongtian gave a stiff laugh. Better not. Good heavens, having you watching over my shoulder would only multiply my stress, and I would utterly collapse. After some consideration, Marquis Tongtian asked, "Your Majesty, what if... what if our opponents prove completely insurmountable? What do we do then?" Su Yu smiled and said in a low voice, "Then at the critical juncture... we withdraw!" "Withdraw?" Flee? Marquis Tongtian was startled. That would leave the other side in an awful lurch; the Human Sovereign would fall apart. Su Yu chuckled. "Not run away, but withdraw to the Human Sovereign's position! You will be responsible for teleporting us over in an instant to strike down their other detachment! Of course, the timing of this must also be grasped by you!" Marquis Tongtian grimaced. Me again! Su Yu patted his shoulder. "You can do it! Tongtian, this time, the lives of over thirty Rulers of Rules—no, over eighty Rulers of Rules, along with dozens upon dozens of Celestial Venerables and Heavenly Kings—are all in your hands!" "I entrust them entirely to you!" Tongtian smiled wryly. You certainly think the world of me! Yet at this stage, he had no choice. Su Yu had made up his mind, and there was no countering him. …… Marquis Tongtian soon departed to prepare. His strength was not formidable—at least not in this environment. He had to implant marks upon the others, and only when they offered no resistance could he teleport them with ease; otherwise, he possessed no means to forcibly teleport someone more powerful than himself. If he could, things would be simple: Su Yu would simply have him scatter the myriad races' experts all over the place, isolating them one by one to be hunted down. Since teleporting the enemy was out of the question, teleporting their own people was the next best thing. Having made arrangements for Tongtian, Su Yu soon summoned Tianming and Wuming and briefed them on the previous assignment. After a brief silence, Su Yu said, "Both of you are clever individuals. Regarding the Destiny race... I never asked how the Destiny Emperor made his choice back then, but he has already perished... and I care little for the path he chose!" "This battle is of momentous importance!" "As for Tongtian, while I trust he won't act recklessly, I... will not pin all our hopes solely upon his adherence to the plan!" Su Yu's voice drifted softly. "One or two mistakes are no great matter. But... if there are more, the two of you know what to do!" Tianming and Wuming exchanged glances and nodded in unison. They understood! This was simply how Su Yu operated. No matter how much he trusted someone, he would never stake everything on the assumption that Tongtian would remain entirely flawless. It was precisely because of this that Su Yu had emerged victorious in a hundred battles. …… Having instructed those three, Su Yu summoned the Martial Emperor. The Martial Emperor still looked somewhat resentful and indignant, yet he dared not throw a tantrum before Su Yu. Seeing him arrive, Su Yu chuckled. "Do me a favor." "What favor?" "Do you know Taishan?" "..." The Martial Emperor was speechless. "I'd know him even if he were burned to ash!" "Splendid!" Su Yu laughed. "Impersonate him! You and I together—I'll pretend to be King Wen, and you'll pretend to be King Wu. We'll intimidate the myriad races, striking terror into their hearts and shattering their courage for an instant. In that moment of panic, we'll slaughter them. A single deception could easily yield the deaths of three to five Rulers of Rules!" "I won't do it!" The Martial Emperor snapped in fury. Asking me to pose as Taishan to scare others? Not a chance! This is non-negotiable! Su Yu smiled. "Do you think you can intimidate the myriad races on your own?" The Martial Emperor opened his mouth, at a loss for words... Su Yu said calmly, "You lack the prestige! Why? Because you're weak! When you're the weaker one, this isn't the time for stubborn posturing or mindless bravado! You aren't stupid. Posing as Taishan will yield greater spoils of war... and the greater the spoils, the greater your returns. Only then do you have a hope of taking your revenge!" "I've inquired: King Wu still has nine wives alive. One is first-rank, one is second-rank, and seven are third-rank! And you? You've only just entered the second rank; you might not even match his second wife. Are you still planning to seek out Taishan for revenge? I promised to help hold off King Wen and the others for you, but I never promised to hold off his wives!" The Martial Emperor's jaw dropped. After a long struggle, he stammered, "His... his Dao companions are that strong?" "That strong!" Su Yu said calmly, "Therefore, what you need right now is not to cling stubbornly to your pride, but to find ways to elevate yourself! Only if this major campaign succeeds will we have the hope of growing stronger. Otherwise... when you face King Wu, you'll simply be killed with a single punch!" The Martial Emperor sank into contemplative silence. Su Yu added, "Furthermore... are you willing to pay a certain price?" "A price?" The Martial Emperor looked at Su Yu. What did he mean? After a brief pause, Su Yu said, "If things turn perilous at a crucial moment, summon your Heavenly Gate and let Tongtian devour it!" "What?" The Martial Emperor was utterly stunned. What kind of joke was this? That would inflict catastrophic losses on him! Even if he could eventually recover, he would end up severely injured, just like those who had opened the Hell Gate! Su Yu watched him, only speaking after a long silence. "Because at that moment, we might need Tongtian to turn the tide of battle! Furthermore, if it truly becomes necessary, you must detonate your second-rank Great Dao. Afterward, I will reserve the Martial Dao for you within my world!" The Martial Emperor could no longer contain his temper. "The strongest person in your world right now is only third-rank; none have even reached the second rank! If you have me merge into it... how... how am I supposed to catch up to Taishan?" Asking him to blow up his Heavenly Gate and his Great Dao—what would he have left? Even if Su Yu reserved a Great Dao for him, it would reach third-rank at best and could not hit the second rank. In his current state, Su Yu's world could not support anyone reaching the second rank besides Su Yu himself! He was already inferior to King Wu; if he plummeted to the third rank, the gap would only widen! Su Yu watched him, allowing him to vent his anger. Once the outburst subsided, Su Yu continued, "One must give to receive. You still owe me four Rulers of Rules... If you are unwilling... then find a way to kill four Rulers of Rules—it doesn't matter how weak they are. Once they are dead, you may leave! If you wish to seek out Taishan for revenge, I will keep my word: I will handle King Wen and the Human Sovereign for you! After this battle, we can go our separate ways, and I will no longer hinder you!" The Martial Emperor looked at him, frowning. "You won't stop me?" Su Yu said calmly, "There would be no need!" For a time, the Martial Emperor was at a loss for how to choose. After a while, he muttered, "Then... do you think you'll have opportunities for substantial growth in the near future?" "I don't know." "..." The Martial Emperor felt conflicted. "You... can't even give a promise?" Su Yu said indifferently, "The things I promise are generally things I can accomplish. For what I cannot guarantee, I don't bother making promises! Those who trust me will trust me unconditionally; for those who don't, no amount of promises will suffice!" "Can't you at least give me a shred of hope!" The Martial Emperor snapped, "Putting it like that, as a second-rank expert, I'm left with zero hope at all. You're asking me to detonate my Dao and blow up my Heavenly Gate—do you expect me to do so cheerfully?" Give me an out, don't you understand? Do you know how to talk to people? If you don't give me a step down, how am I supposed to step down? Su Yu smiled. "Then there is hope. I have always believed my prospects are immense! If we can truly slaughter dozens of Rulers of Rules this time, merging their corpses and Daos, I will undoubtedly undergo a surge in growth!" "Leaving others aside, you are already a second-rank expert. If I reach the first rank, having you step back into the second rank will not be difficult!" The Martial Emperor wrestled with the idea for a while before grunting, "I'll... see how the situation develops before deciding. How about that?" "Fine! Consider yourself a contingency!" Su Yu didn't dwell on it. A second-rank Ruler of Rules had once been on par with the Four Cardinal Human Kings; hesitation was only natural, especially from a fellow like the Martial Emperor. The Martial Emperor felt thoroughly dejected! Damn it, if I merge into Su Yu's world, won't I fall under his control? It was stifling to the extreme! …… Having sent the Martial Emperor away, Su Yu summoned another person. San Yue. Looking at San Yue, Su Yu remained silent for a moment before saying, "Yi Yue isn't here." San Yue nodded. "Is he over with the myriad races?" Su Yu asked. San Yue shook his head. "I don't know. I asked King Ming earlier, but even he wasn't clear on it... I don't know the exact situation. He might be there, or he might not." He had no idea either. Where was Yi Yue? Was he on the side of the myriad races? Yet according to his understanding, Yi Yue had openly aligned himself with humanity. If Yi Yue were among the myriad races... wouldn't they have been wary of him long ago, or even expelled and executed him? It was very strange! Even if the Human Sovereign wished to plant an undercover operative, doing so with anyone else might work, but planting Yi Yue seemed like something the myriad races would never buy! Su Yu fell into contemplation as well. Where was Yi Yue? The probability of him being with the myriad races was quite slim. The Human Sovereign was no fool; sending Yi Yue over as a spy would be practically offering him up on a silver platter. He hadn't asked about this earlier, and the Human Sovereign hadn't brought it up. Could he truly be over with the myriad races? Were the myriad races truly foolish enough to take such figures under their wing? Su Yu wasn't certain. He quickly spoke up: "This might be one of the backup plans arranged by the Human Sovereign; he likely possesses more strength than what is visible on the surface! Summoning you here isn't for much else: at the critical moment, detonate the Human Ancestor's bamboo cane!" "Understood!" San Yue nodded; he comprehended. Though he was reluctant to part with it... Su Yu clearly intended to produce massive results in this battle, so detonating the cane was hardly unexpected. …… Su Yu continued making arrangements. He only handled his own faction. As for the Human Sovereign's side, there was no need for him to fret. Having unified the myriad realms for countless years, the Human Sovereign was an old fox. On the surface, he appeared honest and forthright, but truly honest men had died out long ago. Thus, since he had the confidence to launch a war, lure the enemy deep into their territory, and divide and conquer them, the Human Sovereign certainly possessed his own methods and means. Su Yu's sole objective was to minimize his own casualties while maximizing their spoils. …… At the same time. Across the human continent, the atmosphere was solemn, with swords drawn and bows bent! The Human Sovereign appeared genuinely poised for war. Yet at the same time, there was a sense of restraint. It was as if he intended merely to posture and deter, not truly wishing to ignite total war, but needing to intimidate the myriad races all the same. …… This immediately put the myriad races on edge. The myriad races' continent. In the void. Several top powerhouses gathered, gazing toward the human continent. An aged voice rang out: "What is the Human Sovereign playing at? Given his temperament, if he truly intended to wage war, he would have charged straight over. There would be no need for this. Right now, it feels as though he's attempting to intimidate us!" Having dealt with the Human Sovereign for so long, they were well-acquainted with his nature. At this moment, his actions diverged slightly from his usual character. There was an air of hesitation. "Why not simply charge over and slaughter them... We outnumber them, so what is there to fear? For all we know, the Human Sovereign is already at the end of his rope! We should have taken the initiative long ago!" This was the voice of the Demon Emperor—though not Yanhuo Demon Emperor. Yanhuo... was practically considered the previous generation's Demon Emperor. The others ignored him. Nonsense; if you had the ability to make everyone disregard their lives and charge forward together, launching an offensive would be easy enough! "Why does it feel like the Human Sovereign is putting up a bluff to intimidate us?" Someone spoke again. This time, the Human Sovereign truly did give off the impression of an empty posture. "Could he have something he needs to accomplish, and is threatening us so we won't interfere?" "..." Everyone traded speculations. Another voice chimed in: "Is the Human Sovereign truly gravely injured or not? Where is his true body? No one has seen him for many years!" "It's hard to say. Perhaps he's baiting us into taking a reckless gamble... The Human Sovereign is full of cunning schemes. Right now, the situation in the myriad realms is unclear. Soon—I can sense it—we will be returning to the myriad realms. Perhaps the Human Sovereign wishes to reduce our threat to the absolute minimum before our return..." Expert after expert voiced their opinions, yet they remained unable to reach a consensus on launching an active assault. Here, there were many supreme experts and numerous races. Yet precisely because of that, achieving unity was all the more difficult. For the time being, they could only choose to defend, stay vigilant, and exercise caution, giving the human race no vulnerability to exploit! …… At the same time. The myriad realms. The Upper Realm. Human Mountain. As ever, Human Mountain stood majestically in the Upper Realm. At this moment, however, Human Mountain trembled faintly. King Dazhou's figure manifested atop the peak in an instant. Seeing the mountain shudder, his expression shifted subtly. What happened? What was going on? It seemed... the Human Sovereign was issuing a summons! Human Mountain never trembled lightly. A tremor meant the Human Sovereign was summoning it. King Dazhou knew the Human Sovereign's injuries had shown no improvement. Could this... could this be a desperate, final stand? King Dazhou's face turned pale green. Su Yu had likely only just arrived over there, hadn't he? Had... had the Human Sovereign already prepared to fight to the bitter end? At this moment, King Dazhou's expression shifted repeatedly. This was no good omen. Su Yu should know the perils involved, and the Human Sovereign ought to know as well. If an unexpected turn of events occurred, it would spell catastrophic trouble! Yet Human Mountain continued to tremble, showing signs of preparing to step into the River of Time. "Is it returning?" King Dazhou murmured softly. The Human Sovereign's summons was ongoing; this was the soul calling upon the physical body, preparing to fuse body and soul into one. However, years of recuperation had failed to restore the body, and the sea of will remained heavily damaged. Heading over in this state, even if they fused, disaster would soon strike! And he... should he go? At that moment, the River of Time suddenly split open! Human Mountain shuddered violently! It was about to depart! King Dazhou's expression fluctuated wildly. Logically speaking, he should escort Human Mountain over. Yet... before Su Yu left, he had ordered him to guard the myriad realms. Right now, under the tremors of Human Mountain, the river churned violently. In the distance, the Hell Gate faintly showed signs of trembling as well. Could it be... that the river's turbulence had affected the Hell Gate? If I leave... and the Hell Gate erupts, suddenly letting out powerful entities, what then? At this moment, Lan Tian's figure materialized in the distance. He merely watched in silence, not approaching King Dazhou, keeping his distance as he observed him quietly. He understood a fair bit regarding the matter of Human Mountain. Before departing, Su Yu had also left a few instructions. Would King Dazhou... leave? Lan Tian did not know. Nor did he care to know. He knew only one thing: if King Dazhou left, it would be defying Su Yu's military command. Even if Su Yu spared his life out of respect for the Human Sovereign, King Dazhou would vanish from Su Yu's inner circle from that moment on. For before leaving, Su Yu had entrusted the safety of the entire myriad realms to King Dazhou, not to Lan Tian. King Dazhou was the strongest guardian left in the myriad realms! King Dazhou's face changed again and again. Something had happened on the front line—something major! The Human Sovereign was summoning his physical body to return! Yes, his physical body. The Human Sovereign's physical form lay within Human Mountain. Back when the Human Sovereign suffered grave injuries, his body had drifted downstream along the River of Time back to the myriad realms. King Dazhou had retrieved it and hidden it within Human Mountain, silently waiting for it to heal. Yet even now, the recovery was incomplete. The Human Sovereign was simply too powerful! Even drawing upon the power of the entire Dao of the Physical Body might not suffice to fully mend him. Now that the Human Sovereign was summoning his body, should he... escort the Human Sovereign upstream? King Dazhou was torn in agonizing hesitation! In the distance, the Hell Gate was indeed shuddering. What if powerful foes emerged the instant he stepped away? Right now in the myriad realms, only Lan Tian and Tea Tree remained, while Yunxiao was on the verge of stepping into the realm of a Ruler of Rules. If one Ruler of Rules emerged, they stood a chance, but if two or three broke through... Tea Tree and Lan Tian would never be able to hold them back! Could the timing truly be so coincidental? Thoughts raced through his mind. He feared that something might happen to the Human Sovereign's physical body. If an unforeseen accident occurred en route, the Human Sovereign's body was currently devoid of consciousness and would be entirely defenseless! There was no longer much time left for him to deliberate! The entirety of Human Mountain was faintly rising, preparing to breach into the River of Time! At that moment, King Dazhou suddenly let out a soft sigh and bowed toward Human Mountain. "Your Majesty... safe travels! I must still... guard the myriad realms and guard the Hell Gate... This old subject... cannot escort Your Majesty!" He felt a twinge of bitterness. Could this be a deliberate dilemma posed to him by that fellow Su Yu? At this instant, loyalty and duty truly seemed at odds. On one hand, the Human Sovereign's body might encounter danger; on the other hand, the myriad realms might fall into calamity. It was an agonizing choice! With a deep sigh, Human Mountain suddenly fractured! At that exact instant, a gleaming golden physical body shot out from within Human Mountain! In a flash, that body materialized right before King Dazhou. King Dazhou sighed in deep emotion, and stepping forward, he merged with the physical body. In the blink of an eye, his aura erupted skyward! Above the physical body, the power of seven Great Daos manifested! And above King Dazhou himself, the power of two Great Daos floated! A full nine Daos! Yet the moment the body merged with King Dazhou, amidst those nine Daos, another Great Dao's power suddenly unfurled! With the two fused as one, his aura skyrocketed along with his comprehension of the Great Daos. In a single breath, he gained yet another Dao power! Ten Daos! King Dazhou sighed once more, looking entirely different from before. He was young, scholarly, and gentle, yet his physical form was formidable and his aura overwhelming, sending ripples through heaven and earth! King Dazhou gave a self-deprecating smile. Reaching out, he caught Human Mountain and uttered a low shout, locking seals of Great Dao power onto it. The next instant, he cast Human Mountain into the river and bowed once more: "Your Majesty, may you... win triumphant victory!" Guided by a pulling force, Human Mountain began coursing upstream against the current of the river. King Dazhou stood watching for a long time, utterly speechless. At this moment, he felt a strange sense of emptiness... Did I... truly do the right thing? Your Majesty, do you know that staying by your side for so long has left its mark on me? Your Dao of Responsibility has somehow... embedded itself deeply into my heart. The human race... the inheritance... the responsibility... A Torchbearer! I must pass on the fire of human civilization. Therefore, Your Majesty, I cannot escort you back! In the distance, Lan Tian saw King Dazhou's melancholy expression and overwhelming aura. Grinning, Lan Tian quickly vanished. Yet at that precise moment, seemingly deprived of Human Mountain's suppression, the Hell Gate shuddered violently. Faintly, behind the gate, the illusory silhouette of a colossal beast manifested, accompanied by several humanoid figures! Likely powerhouses of the Prison King lineage. King Dazhou narrowed his eyes slightly. They truly had a chance of breaking through... It was fortunate he hadn't left, or the consequences would have been unimaginable! The next instant, King Dazhou shot forward like a bolt, arriving before the Hell Gate in a flash. Without striking, he unleashed his aura, shaking heaven and earth as he barked coldly, "Insolent! Retreat at once!" He had no desire to let these people through for an ambush. With Su Yu absent, if a full-scale battle erupted, things could easily spiral out of control! Behind the gate, the illusory figures stirred with slight shock. A powerhouse! A top-tier powerhouse! They had not expected a top-tier expert to still be stationed in the myriad realms. Clearly, certain intelligence had been inaccurate. From behind the gate, a faint, cold sneer drifted through: "It seems... that Su Yu... has not journeyed upstream?" Evidently, those inside had caught wind of certain developments, yet their source had seemingly claimed that Su Yu would head upstream. However, a supreme expert was currently guarding the exterior! The probing had failed! The next moment, the chilling voice vanished: "Withdraw!" Soon, the silhouettes behind the gate faded away. Outside, King Dazhou's expression fluctuated. Tongtian's seal was too weak, and the Hell Gate was already teetering on the verge of opening; these people might soon be able to break out directly without anyone guiding them from the outside! Now, he was all the more unable to leave. King Dazhou sighed, glancing into the distance where Su Yu's world faintly hovered, its power radiating toward the depths of the River of Time. A major war... was truly about to break out! Otherwise, the Human Sovereign's physical body would not have departed, nor would Su Yu have begun channeling the world's power across so soon. King Dazhou gave a helpless chuckle. What a lunatic! How long have you been gone? You've probably only just arrived over there! How did the Human Sovereign end up joining in on your madness as well? If war broke out right now, could they truly handle the myriad races? "Alas!" He let out a sigh of resignation. Looking back toward Su Yu's world... King Dazhou hovered in midair, sinking into deep contemplation. Should he... merge his remaining eight Daos into Su Yu's world? Merging them would make Su Yu stronger. However, from that moment on, his standing as an expert of ten Daos would fall entirely under Su Yu's control! At this moment, King Dazhou found himself caught in agonizing struggle! Right now, with ten Daos converging within him, he was actually slightly stronger than the Martial Emperor. Not only that... he still possessed other Daos that he had a chance of successfully mastering. Over the years, he had cultivated far too many Great Daos! Inconceivably many! Silence, Space, Endurance, Sealing, Armor-breaking... Some Daos offered no path to breakthrough, but for those whose former masters had fallen, opportunities still remained. At this moment, a fierce war raged within King Dazhou's soul. He might soon step into an even higher realm! Perhaps... even sixteen Daos! If he mastered another six Daos of power, he would become a true first-rank Ruler of Rules, standing among the most supreme individuals in the entire myriad realms! King Dazhou closed his eyes in silence. Every choice in life led down a different path, and even he could not make this decision lightly.