Whom Does Heaven Favor?

"Phew!" Su Yu exhaled raggedly and retreated to the defensive perimeter. Across from him, the powerhouses of the myriad races also let out collective sighs of relief. Exhaustion! Battle—the fiercest kind of battle. Such fighting drained spirit and stamina more than anything else. Their Origin Qi had not run dry, and the power of their Great Daos remained, but continuous, grueling warfare where every move could mean life or death still left everyone completely drained. ... "Lunatic!" At this moment, even the belligerent Demon Emperor cursed under his breath. Su Yu—this name was now permanently etched into their minds; none of them would forget it for the rest of their lives. The God Emperor was also panting heavily, his expression grave. "Is he always like this, or does he have some scheme? After clashing so many times today, both sides have suffered heavy losses. What good does dragging this out do him?" He still could not wrap his head around it! A fight of mutual destruction—even if those people merged into Su Yu's heaven and earth, what would come of it? Right after merging, they wouldn't possess much combat power anyway. Those heavily wounded individuals would still need to recover... And recovery took time. They had already told Su Yu that the three gates were about to open, heralding countless powerhouses. For you to still fight like this—are you insane? Around him, the experts of the myriad races were filled with helplessness. Panting continuously, one grumbled, "This madman... are the people under him crazy too? If we keep going like this, every damn one of them is going to die in battle!" The myriad races still held a slight upper hand. Right then, the Immortal Emperor transmitted a message: "Focus everything on Su Yu and wipe them out in one stroke! I've finally figured it out—the Daos of those subordinates of his are completely connected to his heaven and earth. If Su Yu is killed... his people will all perish! I took a close look: there are a full thirty-plus Rulers of Rules, including the Martial Emperor and the others, who reside within Su Yu's heaven and earth!" Before this, their judgment had been hazy; they hadn't known how many were Rulers of Rules born of Su Yu's heaven and earth. Yet in the midst of this grueling slugfest, the Immortal Emperor had seen through it. Right now, his eyes gleamed with an uncanny light. "Kill Su Yu, and over thirty Rulers of Rules will either die or be crippled! We can shatter the current stalemate in a single stroke!" The God Emperor's heart jolted. He transmitted back, "Are you certain all thirty-odd are born of his heaven and earth?" "Every single one!" Even the God Emperor could not suppress a surge of horror. "That lunatic—did he never stop to think that this makes him the primary target every single battle? Killing him is equivalent to killing over thirty Rulers of Rules!" They really hadn't realized this before. Su Yu's heaven and earth blanketed the battlefield, its power dispersed, and there were simply too many Rulers of Rules. They had figured that some surely were, but of the thirty-plus Su Yu had brought, perhaps only a handful had actually been born of his heaven and earth. Yet the Immortal Emperor was telling them they all were! That was an utterly terrifying realization! However, for the myriad races, it was a monumental opportunity: slaying Su Yu would instantly incapacitate everyone he had brought! "You're sure you didn't mistake it?" The Demon Emperor also chimed in. This was crucial. If he was wrong, and they paid a steep price to slay Su Yu, they would only be handing the human race an opportunity. If losing several first-rank experts or multiple Rulers of Rules resulted in merely taking down Su Yu alone, it certainly wouldn't be worth it. But if trading the lives of a few Rulers of Rules allowed them to kill Su Yu and eliminate that many enemy Rulers of Rules in one fell swoop, it was worth every drop of blood! The Immortal Emperor was in fact completely sure; he had seen it clearly. But in this moment, he knew they needed an unequivocal confirmation! After a brief silence, the Immortal Emperor transmitted, "One hundred percent! I swear that aside from the two from the Chaos race, everyone else—after my careful observation—is connected to his heaven and earth!" The God Emperor's tone turned strange. "If what you say is true... then killing Su Yu..." They exchanged glances, their eyes flickering with ambition and calculation. Su Yu was also a first-rank combatant. Killing him would be exceedingly difficult. Yet if they were willing to pay the price, it was entirely feasible. The God Emperor had fought him for a long time and understood Su Yu's capabilities well. He transmitted, "He possesses roughly the power of twenty Daos, on par with me—among the very top of the first rank!" "However, he has the amplification of his own heaven and earth; otherwise, he wouldn't be this formidable!" "I, the Immortal Emperor, and the Demon Emperor are all roughly at this level. The Dragon and Phoenix sovereigns and the others are slightly weaker... Among the humans, setting aside the Human Sovereign for now, King Ming is the strongest, likely exceeding twenty-two Daos of power!" "King Ming is somewhat stronger than us, but he doesn't excel in direct combat. His main strength lies in his sharp formations. In battle, he has been fighting one against two, taking on both the Dragon and Phoenix sovereigns." "If King Ming weren't here, and assuming Book Spirit and King Yue didn't erupt with full power, Su Yu's side would actually be on the weaker end in first-rank combat strength. But with King Ming, they've practically bridged that gap." "Dealing with King Ming is difficult, and dealing with Su Yu is difficult too... but whether it's difficult or not comes down to whether it's worth it!" The three looked back and forth at one another, sinking into thought. The Immortal Emperor had watched for a long time and finally obtained a piece of exceptionally useful intel. Yet right now, none of them could bring themselves to take the plunge. The God Emperor wanted the Demon Emperor to take the brunt, the Demon Emperor wanted the God Emperor to lead the charge, and the Immortal Emperor had no desire to take on Su Yu alone... Such was the reality of the myriad races. Unless there was an opportunity! A catalyst that changed everything! This catalyst had to instill an overwhelming sense of existential crisis, forcing them to stake their lives! Yet at present, Su Yu had not brought about that sense of impending annihilation upon the myriad races. ... On the opposing side. Su Yu gazed up at the sky, deep in thought. He looked toward the enemy ranks and suddenly asked, "Do you think the myriad races over there have arts that can pry into the Great Daos?" King Ming gave him a suspicious look and nodded. "They do. Though of course, not as clearly as through the Heavenly Gate!" Su Yu nodded. Ever since his brief conversation with the Human Sovereign—where the Human Sovereign warned that the top figures of the myriad races were ruthless and underhanded, and might take a desperate gamble at a critical juncture—Su Yu had been turning the matter over in his mind. Naturally, while pondering, he had also manifested some of the Daos within his heaven and earth, letting them flicker in and out of view. Indeed! Su Yu had exposed them on purpose. He hadn't known whether the enemy would notice, but the odds were high; those powerhouses of the myriad races possessed plenty of tricks up their sleeves. He was angling! Angling for a colossal fish! The kind that might well pull the fisherman into the depths to drown! "Did they see it?" Su Yu looked toward the myriad races. If they had noticed... then once the Human Sovereign severed his Dao and merged into his heaven and earth, triggering an existential crisis, the myriad races might just risk it all. Rather than letting the myriad races vacillate and scheme, it was better to lure them straight toward him, saving his allies from suffering heavy casualties. Yet in doing so, Su Yu's own danger would skyrocket. Su Yu closed his eyes. The fish might have taken the bait! However, whether the fish would swallow him or he would devour the big fish was anyone's guess. If he dared to cast his line, he naturally had some trump cards; without any assurance, Su Yu would never take such a reckless gamble. Yet nothing in life was ever a hundred percent certain—if you waited for complete safety, you would never accomplish anything. A fifty percent chance was worth a gamble! And of that fifty percent, thirty percent lay inside the Heavenly Gate! At this moment, Su Yu kept his eyes closed, seemingly resting and recuperating. Everyone around him let out a sigh of relief. Heavens above, you're finally tired! ... Yet Su Yu was actually communicating with someone through the Heavenly Gate. Gui! Su Yu had discovered that the flow of time inside the Heavenly Gate was roughly similar to here at the upper reaches of the River of Time, or perhaps slightly faster; one day in the River of Time corresponded to several days over there. Whether that was strictly true remained uncertain. In truth, at their level of cultivation, practitioners rarely paid much mind to minor discrepancies in the passage of time. A year or ten years, much like with Hongmeng, made little real difference. And Gui, whatever he had been doing over the past few days, had proven quite efficient. At this very moment, Gui had taken the initiative to contact Su Yu. His friends had arrived! This was Su Yu's opportunity. His opportunity to hook the fish and devour them. It was exceedingly risky, but Su Yu wanted to try. If all else failed, he still had one last resort... King Wen! However, doing that would endanger King Wen. It would also bring considerable danger upon Su Yu himself. Yet at this stage, Su Yu didn't care about that. If he wanted to quickly crush the myriad races without external reinforcements, any mishap on the Human Sovereign's end might result in Su Yu being overwhelmed and devoured by the myriad races instead, forcing him to flee back to the myriad realms. And that would trigger the simultaneous opening of all three gates! Suppressing the enemy here was, in essence, also suppressing the three gates. "Su Yu, some of my friends and subordinates have arrived. Look, you promised me before that you'd be willing to help guide some of their power through..." Gui sounded a bit uneasy. You're not going to renege, are you? Su Yu smiled. "How many?" "Not many, five!" Gui didn't dare broadcast this widely either; that would be giving the supreme experts an opportunity to kill him. He had no wish to cut off this chance and hand his connection with Su Yu over to someone else. "Five?" Su Yu assessed the numbers. "What are their strength levels?" "Nothing special..." Fearing Su Yu might be alarmed, Gui explained, "They're all what you folks call third- or fourth-rank, possessing just two to seven Daos of power..." Su Yu smirked. Bullshit! You think I'd buy that? Gui was a first-rank powerhouse after all; the friends he gathered might not all be first-rank, but second-rank ones were virtually guaranteed. He wouldn't dare bring anyone too strong, but there might be some of equal strength—at worst, not significantly weaker than him. "Counting you, that makes six?" "Correct!" Which meant at least one first-rank and the remaining five could be treated as second-ranks—one first-rank and five second-ranks... However, those five might not be able to descend in their true bodies. Gui, on the other hand, was likely capable of descending in his true form by now, wasn't he? Yet Gui was an unpredictable variable. Once he stepped out, he might not necessarily obey Su Yu. "The power of the Flesh Dao..." Gui cultivated the Flesh Dao—a first-rank Flesh Dao. The Flesh Dao inside the gate! Su Yu suddenly looked toward the Martial Emperor not far away. The Martial Emperor turned his head away awkwardly, unwilling to meet Su Yu's gaze. On one hand, he was currently having the time of his life—getting into fights every single day, backed by Su Yu, fearing not even the Human Sovereign. On the other hand, he was deeply vexed. Su Yu kept him on a tight leash, and having merged into Su Yu's heaven and earth was thoroughly unpleasant! Right as he was brooding awkwardly, Su Yu's voice transmission suddenly rang out: "If you reached the first rank, would you dare risk your life to help me slay a first-rank powerhouse?" "Huh?" The Martial Emperor snapped his gaze back to Su Yu. What did that mean? There was no way for him to reach the first rank! You yourself are only at the first rank; heaven and earth impose limits on cultivation—the Martial Emperor knew this principle inside and out. Su Yu looked at him and repeated, "Would you dare?" The Martial Emperor's voice was cold as he transmitted back: "Why probe me? My life and death are entirely in your hands, Su Yu. There's no need to test me!" Su Yu repeated once more: "Would you dare?" The Martial Emperor grew irritated and angry, transmitting, "What are you trying to say? Even if I reached the first rank, you would probably have surpassed it already... Could I ever turn the tables in your heaven and earth?" He felt incomparably gloomy! Su Yu transmitted: "No, breaking the shackles is not impossible! I promised you in the past that I would find a way to help you advance! If I fully fuse a first-rank Dao into your own Great Dao... under normal circumstances, you wouldn't be able to break through to the first rank! However, this Dao is also a Flesh Dao, and furthermore, it can form a yin-yang complement with your Flesh Dao. In that case, there is hope of shattering these shackles!" The Martial Emperor's expression shifted slightly. Looking at Su Yu, he transmitted, "What do you mean?" "I want to help you break through to the first rank... but such a massive gain naturally comes at a price! You need to fight to the death to help me slay a first-rank powerhouse! It could be the Immortal Emperor, the Demon Emperor, or someone else..." The Martial Emperor's heart thumped wildly! First rank? When he broke out of seal, he had only been at the peak of the third rank with seven Daos of power. By now, his power had climbed above ten Daos—an improvement so rapid it terrified even him. When had he ever experienced such astronomical growth before? And now, Su Yu was telling him he could help him reach the first rank. Taishan! Even if his mind was subtly influenced by the Human Sovereign's Dao, a grudge was still a grudge. Taishan's wives were all first-rank; that Zhenwu King wasn't much weaker than Su Yu, wielding at least eighteen Daos of power. He couldn't even defeat King Wu's wife, and King Wu's second wife was probably stronger than him too. What was worse, King Wu had nine damn wives still alive! His hopes of revenge were microscopic. In this instant, his heart stirred. And Su Yu continued, "Back then, you said you owed me five Rulers of Rules... you haven't finished paying that off yet. Why not give it a shot? How about counting this as one of those spots?" The Martial Emperor fell silent for a moment before transmitting, "Can... can you truly help me reach the first rank?" "Cut the chatter and stop hesitating. Nothing I, Su Yu, have ever said was a lie! Of course, it isn't a hundred percent guaranteed, but the chances are high. Once you break through, can you fight a first-rank expert to the death at any cost—even if you might end up dying the moment you reach the first rank?" The Martial Emperor closed his eyes. After a long while, he transmitted: "I can! Any price is fine! Having hope is better than having none! I wanted to seek revenge on Taishan, but over a hundred thousand years have passed... I know I stood no chance! Yet I refuse to submit, I refuse to accept it! I want to beat him!" Su Yu nodded and transmitted, "Consider it agreed, then. As for whom to kill, that will depend on the situation when the time comes!" "Alright!" The Martial Emperor agreed, his face dead serious. Advance, and kill! At this moment, he discarded all other thoughts. He wanted to advance! "King Dazhou!" Su Yu continued via voice transmission. King Dazhou's eyes shifted, looking toward Su Yu. Su Yu said calmly, "When the Human Sovereign merges his Dao, severing the Daos of those people, see if there is an opportunity to break through with other Daos and enter the first rank! Regardless of whether you can or not... you must help me tie down a first-rank combatant. Remember, the kind where even if you die, the enemy cannot break free. Can you... do that?" King Dazhou licked his lips and smiled, transmitting, "Understood!" Su Yu nodded calmly, then looked at the third and fourth individuals. "King Yue, Book Spirit, without my permission, do not draw upon the power of King Wen's heaven and earth... Until the critical moment arrives, the two of you need only entangle a single first-rank expert. If I need it... you two must borrow that power to either slay a first-rank or tie down two first-ranks!" The two powerhouses looked at Su Yu with grave expressions, nodding almost imperceptibly. Su Yu calculated in his mind. In this way, the Martial Emperor, King Dazhou, Book Spirit, and King Yue could potentially be utilized as four first-rank combatants. As for King Ming and his group, Su Yu made no arrangements and didn't even drop a hint. If the myriad races moved against him, they would inevitably keep their eyes glued to those three first-rank fighters and pay a hefty price to lure them away! Yet whether it was the Martial Emperor or King Dazhou, neither was a certainty. Therein lay the risk! As for Gui, should he kill him outright, or what? And when was the right time for Gui to appear? If he appeared right now, slaying a first-rank powerhouse would cause too immense a commotion! The myriad races would know at a glance that an anomaly had occurred! Right then, Gui's voice came through again, sounding impatient: "Su Yu, my friends will lend you their power—guide it through..." Su Yu drew a deep breath. Are you really that impatient? In such a rush to seek death? However, if Gui resisted with all his might, not only might Su Yu fail to obtain an intact Great Dao, but unforeseen variables could also arise. Would Gui willingly surrender his Dao power? Furthermore, how could he get Gui to descend? As Su Yu pondered, he suddenly said, "Gui... stop bothering me. A formidable enemy has come for me! It's a huge problem!" At this moment, Gui's avatar also sensed tremors rippling through the myriad realms! "A formidable enemy has come?" Gui said anxiously, "You won't get killed, will you?" At this critical juncture, you must not die! If you die and the Heavenly Gate shuts, that will be disastrous. If all else fails... should I descend? Yet I haven't fully prepared either; descending now isn't the ideal moment. But Gui could feel that he was capable of descending now! Su Yu said in a heavy voice, "I don't know, but I fear nothing! If I die, so be it, what's there to fear!" "Don't... you should run..." "Heh, I, Su Yu, run?" Gui was speechless. What nonsense! If you're genuinely in mortal danger, what are you waiting for if not running away? He was burning with anxiety! If you're truly about to kick the bucket, then I absolutely must seize this chance to descend into the myriad realms. Otherwise, where else could I find an easy mark like you? Su Yu deliberated for a moment, then asked, "Gui, are you afraid of death?" Gui was taken aback. What kind of nonsense question was that? "Heh, no one can kill me!" Gui gave an ambiguous answer! Su Yu gave a faint laugh. "I just wanted to ask: poised between life and death, if you were forced to choose between a drop in strength and death, what would you choose?" Gui was growing frantic. "Su Yu, how about guiding my friends' power through first?" He couldn't be bothered to answer such a pointless question. Su Yu said faintly, "No, answer me first! Because... I may soon face death. Death, or severing one's tail to survive—if it were you, how would you choose?" Surely not! Is he really about to perish? Gui hurriedly checked his avatar. In this moment, he could faintly sense an immense force shaking heaven and earth throughout the myriad realms. Gui grew anxious—had a bloody battle broken out somewhere? A massive battle had broken out, and Su Yu still had the leisure to ask him these questions? You really are... courting death! "Nonsense, of course one chooses survival first!" Gui said urgently, "You're not really about to die, are you? Don't do that, Su Yu, only by living is there hope... Guide my friends through first; their power is enough to make you a bit stronger... At the crucial moment... at worst, we can descend with avatars to assist you! Living is better than dying; in death, you have nothing, but in life, you can possess everything!" "Hahaha!" Su Yu laughed aloud. His laughter echoed both inside and outside the gate, reaching the ears of the myriad races across the way. Their faces grew solemn. What is this guy laughing about now? Is he coming at us again? Of course Su Yu laughed. Gui was quite amusing; fear of death... was indeed the ultimate instinct! "Gui, then if you were on the verge of death, would you make the same choice?" Gui grew increasingly exasperated. "If truly forced to choose between death and a reduction in strength, of course I would choose reduced strength. Su Yu, isn't that what any rational being would do?" You're asking such an absurdly tedious question! Yet Su Yu was reassured and put at ease. Good. He had feared Gui might be some stubborn fanatic who feared not death and would refuse to yield his Dao even in demise, which would have been troublesome. Since you fear death... then my mind is at ease! The success rate of his plan shot up dramatically. Su Yu chuckled and soon said, "Gui... I am truly about to face a mortal crisis... Even if you descend with an avatar to help me... you might not be able to help... My opponent is likely about to break through to the first rank!" Gui's heart leaped. Breaking through? No wonder Su Yu seemed so off! So you really can't handle things on your end? "First rank? Are you certain? Can the myriad realms even produce a first-rank powerhouse right now?" "Close enough... The other party hasn't arrived yet, but I can feel a sense of oppression entirely different from before. Gui, you said you're powerful—does the avatar you can send down possess first-rank strength? If not... then perhaps... I won't be able to escape!" Gui sucked in a sharp breath. Fuck! You're running into a first-rank powerhouse already? Then... wouldn't I have to descend in my true body? What a headache! He immediately said, "Let's not dwell on that first. Guide my friends' power through. Maybe together we can figure something out; things aren't necessarily so bleak. Su Yu, whatever you do, don't give up on yourself, don't surrender!" He had no choice but to soothe Su Yu: don't be afraid; if you're really about to bite the dust... at worst, I'll step in to help you once! Su Yu smiled and transmitted, "Gui, if you truly can help me... then at the moment I need it most, I will summon you. You strike with all your might the instant you descend, delivering a fatal blow to my opponent. How does that sound?" A sneak attack? Gui pondered, then asked, "But when my avatar descends, it can only appear at the imprint location. Where is your battle zone?" "I will lure the enemy to the location of your imprint. How about that?" Gui weighed his options rapidly. A sneak attack on a first-rank powerhouse? Had the opponent broken through yet? Even if they did, it would only be a fresh breakthrough. He had only broken through recently himself, but he was more established than a newcomer. If Su Yu created a suitable opening, allowing him to launch an ambush... he might genuinely be able to slay the opponent! In that case, no one in the myriad realms would be left to obstruct him! For him, that was a tremendous boon. After all, among his hypothetical enemies was this very adversary of Su Yu's—originally a peak second-rank existence, and now even more dangerous as a first-rank. With this in mind, Gui promptly said, "Su Yu, I am very strong. If my avatar descends with everything it has... it could potentially possess peak second-rank power. Ambushing them would still have a chance... provided you aren't slain before you lure them to my imprint!" "I won't be!" Su Yu declared proudly, "I've tangled with him for so long; I have at least that much capability. So, you're willing to help me once? If you help me... Gui, I will find a way to let your true body descend. What do you say?" Gui snickered secretly. Heh, I need your help? I can do it right now! If that's the case, after descending, I can instantly kill Su Yu's opponent, then suppress Su Yu, control him, and make him do my bidding! Gui needed Su Yu's Heavenly Gate to continue guiding more allies through! This way... it was killing two birds with one stone! In this moment, Gui was overjoyed instead. An opportunity! An opportunity to descend into the myriad realms and take control of them! "Deal! Su Yu, look for an opening... The instant I descend, I will unleash full force to deal the fatal blow!" "Thank you!" Su Yu became much more polite, his smile growing even more radiant. Gui had swallowed the hook! Now, the room for manipulation was immense. He turned his head to look behind him, waiting. Waiting for the Human Sovereign to sever his Dao, waiting for the opportunity to arrive, waiting for the fish to bite. Whether he could shatter the enemy in one swift stroke all hinged on this. ... The myriad realms. The Human Sovereign and his companions had returned. The Human Sovereign moved with extreme swiftness. The moment he stepped into the Upper Realm, several powerhouses manifested their figures. Lan Tian, Yunxiao, Tea Tree, Marquis Huoyun, and even Marquis Jiantian materialized. The Human Sovereign froze slightly. Five more powerhouses! That fellow Su Yu really had no shortage of tricks. After taking away so many people, five powerhouses had still remained behind to guard the myriad realms. At this moment, the Human Sovereign had no time to gaze upon the myriad realms or reminisce about his homeland. The instant he emerged with his group, the people beside him also looked on with strange expressions: were these Su Yu's people as well? In the distance, Yunxiao looked toward the Human Sovereign and his entourage, calling out crisply, "This subordinate, Yunxiao, greets the Human Sovereign!" With that, she pointed toward a small village off in the distance. "Your Majesty Human Sovereign, your heaven and earth is located right there! His Majesty left orders before departing that upon Your Majesty Human Sovereign's return, you need only merge into your heaven and earth immediately. His Majesty has already completed all preparatory work!" As her voice fell, Lan Tian chuckled softly from the distance: "This junior, Lan Tian, greets Your Majesty Human Sovereign! Before departing, His Majesty ordered that if Your Majesty Human Sovereign is to sever your Dao... you must inform me beforehand so I can relay it to His Majesty. Once His Majesty sends back the directive, only then should Your Majesty Human Sovereign begin severing the Dao—neither too early nor too late, for His Majesty's life hinges upon it!" The Human Sovereign's gaze flickered. "Understood!" Saying so, he looked at Lan Tian, frowning slightly, then let out a sigh. "I am sorry." Lan Tian chuckled in bewilderment. "Your Majesty Human Sovereign... are you speaking to me?" The people beside the Human Sovereign were also profoundly surprised. Why... was His Majesty apologizing? The Human Sovereign said nothing, lapsing into silence. Had everyone of this era gone mad? This Lan Tian suffered from a fractured psyche, split to an extreme degree. With a single glance, he had discerned that this was a lunatic—a lunatic no better off than Su Yu. The Human Sovereign suddenly smiled self-deprecatingly. Had my decision back then been wrong after all? In this moment, he rarely found himself questioning his own choices. The humans of the tenth tide seemed to have all been driven insane. Whose fault was it? Mine? Perhaps... it was! That apology had been difficult to utter, yet he did not know what else to say. He had not met many humans of this tide. He knew Su Yu was mad. And now, he saw Lan Tian, whose condition was equally severe. This method of manifesting tens of thousands of incarnations was no normal clone technique—it was profoundly unnatural! It was a fracturing of the mind and will. This person had long since fallen into madness; not a demon of evil, but truly possessed by obsession! The Human Sovereign closed his eyes. Genius after genius had been driven mad; at this moment, he suddenly felt the resolve he had held for countless years waver. What, in the end, was my responsibility? A moment later, the Human Sovereign opened his eyes, an indefinable look lingering within them. He looked at Lan Tian once more and smiled. "If you can relay a message to Su Yu, tell him this: this era does not belong to him alone! This mountain of a burden does not rest solely upon his shoulders! I... am the Human Sovereign!" He chuckled. "Remember this: even if he proclaims himself a sovereign, he is not the Human Sovereign! The sovereign of the human race... is me alone. Even if Su Yu becomes the sovereign of all myriad races, this human race remains my responsibility, not his!" I am the Human Sovereign! And you are of the human race! I was your sovereign first; so what if you became the sovereign of the myriad races? At this moment, the Human Sovereign chuckled. "Tell him that I will soon sever my Dao. I await his word—whenever he needs it, I can begin at any time!" "Does the Human Sovereign not need to rest for a bit?" Lan Tian smiled. The Human Sovereign smiled as well. "Do you take me for a freeloader? Rest? Is there any need? Are you mocking me? I don't care about anything else, but I care about saving face. When you mock me, have you considered the consequences?" "..." Lan Tian shrank back, coughing dryly. "Not at all, Your Majesty Human Sovereign, please don't misunderstand. I wasn't mocking you at all!" A wise man knows when to yield! The Human Sovereign smiled. Soon, on Lan Tian's side, a group of figures materialized. Marquis Dingjun wore an awkward expression, laughing dryly as he bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty. Greetings, Lord King Ping..." In the crowd, King Ping stared at Dingjun with a bizarre expression. Holy crap! You're actually still alive! Marquis Dingjun felt increasingly awkward. "Uh... well, my lords, it's me, Dingjun!" King Ping remarked strangely, "Nonsense, I'd recognize you even if you turned to ash. You... didn't die?" "..." Marquis Dingjun's face instantly fell, his expression turning thoroughly helpless. "My King, this... I was your retainer after all... could you not talk about me like that?" King Ping also coughed dryly. "I didn't mean it that way... but... but back then, you know how it was. I was originally under King Wu, and I got lucky, merged with the Flesh Dao, and was granted kingship. I hardly had anyone under my banner, and you... ahem, you know, I barely had a few Dao Integration experts... They almost ended up assigning me Eternity Realm retainers as marquises! You... well, you weren't even top-tier under my command... and yet you actually survived all the way until now? I'm... I'm just astonished!" King Ping was also profoundly embarrassed. His title of king really had been a stroke of luck. He was a powerhouse of the Flesh Dao, originally a battle general under King Wu. Later, he branched out independently and was bestowed the title of king, but he had no subordinates of his own! Almost all the men he used to lead had remained behind in King Wu's Manor! As for Dingjun, even among King Ping's subordinates, he had hardly been top-tier. Back then, when Dao Integration experts were made marquises, many third-rank Dao Integration experts didn't even get noble titles. By ancient strength metrics—or by Su Yu's current ranking—Dingjun was at best a fourth-rank Dao Integration cultivator, if that. He had been barely a hair stronger than Dao Integration practitioners of the three-body art. Under King Wu and the others, someone like him wouldn't have even brushed the fringes of a marquis title! Yet Dingjun hadn't died after all these years, and now he even possessed Heavenly King strength. What in the world! Marquis Dingjun was speechless, and the other injured kings were equally at a loss for words, wanting to laugh yet unable to. They had left behind many subordinates, nearly all of whom had died. In truth, there weren't many ancient marquises left on Su Yu's side. And yet Marquis Dingjun was alive, only for King Ping to act so dumbfounded. King Ping chuckled dryly. "Ahem, it's nothing, it's nothing. It's good that you're alive. You're our own people after all..." Dingjun felt all the more awkward. "Uh... My King, I joined the Emperor Yu Manor! But... but I... I'll soon be joining the Human Sovereign Manor as well... Ahem, uh, I'm not a spy! I... before departing, His Majesty said he would inform Your Majesty Human Sovereign so that we... we could also merge into Your Majesty Human Sovereign's heaven and earth." Saying so, Marquis Dingjun bared his teeth in a grin. "My King, once I become a Ruler of Rules... our strength... ahem, My King, over all these years, have you made any progress? You couldn't still be a fifth-rank Ruler of Rules, right? His Majesty Emperor Yu said that fifth-rank can only count as a powerful Celestial Venerable, not a true Ruler of Rules..." King Ping's face turned green. Who are you mocking? He glared at Dingjun and snapped, "This King broke through long ago!" "That's good, that's good!" Marquis Dingjun sighed in relief. "Otherwise, I was truly worried My King was still at the fifth rank while I stepped into the fourth rank before you. Meeting each other later on would have been far too awkward!" "..." King Ping felt utterly exhausted. Even the Human Sovereign was amused! Looking at the group, he chuckled wryly. "That fellow Su Yu truly dares to ask for the moon. A full thirty people—is he trying to occupy thirty Great Dao slots in my heaven and earth?" Indeed, Su Yu had arranged for thirty powerhouses to join the Human Sovereign's heaven and earth. Most were guardians, along with several human powerhouses. The Iron Eater race, an enormous clan, was also included. The Human Sovereign felt helpless. You really dare to demand so much. Asking for thirty right off the bat! In the crowd, Si Yue said naively, "His Majesty said our joining is to strengthen Your Majesty Human Sovereign's heaven and earth and contribute toward Your Majesty Human Sovereign's might!" The Human Sovereign was speechless. To have the nerve to say something so shameless. Though, as things stood, that was indeed the case. Since when had the Iron Eaters learned to be this brazen? "You are Si Yue, right?" The Human Sovereign smiled. "You want to merge into the Body Forging Dao in my heaven and earth? I was planning to save that for Yi Yue..." Si Yue gave a goofy grin. "My great-grandfather won't mind! When the great-grandfather is strong, and his descendants are strong, great-grandfather will be delighted. Your Majesty Human Sovereign need not worry about my great-grandfather!" The Human Sovereign laughed. "You rascals!" You're even robbing your own great-grandfather's Dao! He didn't say anything further, nodding instead. "Then get ready, everyone. Bring the Dao power from Su Yu's heaven and earth over to me..." He had been about to say: it's fine if you bring some over, just not too much. In the very next instant, the group severed their Daos within Su Yu's heaven and earth, leaving behind not a shred of power. Empty-handed and stripped clean, they began walking toward the Human Sovereign's village heaven and earth. The Human Sovereign froze in shock! That decisive? That clean? You lot claimed you were coming to strengthen my heaven and earth, yet you didn't even take a single strand of Su Yu's Dao power with you. And you call this strengthening my heaven and earth? Give me a break! The Human Sovereign was nearly exasperated to the point of laughing! You bastards, have you forgotten that once you merge into my heaven and earth, I will be the one controlling you? Yet look at you—has Su Yu brainwashed you completely? The Human Sovereign shook his head, caught between tears and laughter. His earlier gloom vanished in an instant, thoroughly dispelled by the sheer absurdity of these fellows. Right then, Yunxiao put on a solemn face and whispered, "Your Majesty Human Sovereign... your heaven and earth... is only this large. After you merge into it, Your Majesty Human Sovereign should try to compress it as much as possible—do not expand it..." The Human Sovereign froze again. What did she mean? Yunxiao was slightly frightened by his stare, but she braced herself and continued, "Uh... His Majesty said that Your Majesty Human Sovereign must not encroach upon his territorial domain in heaven and earth, otherwise... it wouldn't be appropriate!" The Human Sovereign's mouth fell open. Stop joking—I was the one who pioneered this Upper Realm in the first place! Who is encroaching on whom? Just as he was about to speak, Yunxiao suddenly said mournfully, "Human Sovereign, please don't make things difficult for me; I am merely carrying out orders. Your Majesty Human Sovereign is magnanimous, but if you make things difficult for me... I can only... only hang myself inside Your Majesty Human Sovereign's heaven and earth!" As she spoke, she even hung a noose outside the boundary of the Human Sovereign's heaven and earth, lamenting pitifully, "This is the dividing line. If Your Majesty Human Sovereign's heaven and earth expands across it... I will have no choice but to hang myself right here!" "..." The entire crowd fell dead silent! In the crowd, King Gong's mouth twitched. "Uh... Yunxiao, you really... you really are something..." He had run out of words! The Spirit-Suppressing Guards had been under his command in the past. Today, this warrior of the Spirit-Suppressing Guards had not only become a Ruler of Rules, but she was even playing mind games with the Human Sovereign! He was thoroughly speechless! The Human Sovereign was also caught between tears and laughter. You, Su Yu, are taking this too far! Never mind, I can't be bothered to squabble with you. Su Yu had probably said it in jest, but Yunxiao had taken it dead seriously. The Human Sovereign said no more, quietly settling in to wait. Waiting for news from Su Yu's side! ... At this very moment, Su Yu suddenly stood up. The people around him jolted. Was he going to attack again? Yet at this moment, Su Yu was in no rush. A saber appeared in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the crowd, bared his teeth, and transmitted, "Prepare yourselves. We fight to the bitter end. When the Human Sovereign severs his Dao, it's a battle to the death!" Everyone's heart clenched! A battle to the death! Just as King Ming and his companions moved to draw closer, Su Yu waved his hand. "Go, disperse! King Ming, Princess Consort Ming, Zhenwu King—the three of you, spread out to other sectors. Remember: slay the enemy, slay the enemy, slay the enemy! Without my orders, do not lose your composure. Even if I am being killed... unless I speak, do not come to my aid!" The group shuddered again! King Ming said urgently, "Your Majesty Emperor Yu, your safety must come first..." Su Yu's gaze turned chillingly fierce. "Execute military orders!" Somewhat intimidated by that glare, King Ming lowered his voice and said after a pause, "Understood!" What was Su Yu planning to do? Across from them, the myriad races were equally resigned. Are we really doing this again? Everyone was feeling sluggish and lax. Here he comes again. Just how long do you intend to fight today before you're satisfied? Su Yu stood where he was, waiting for a brief instant. Moments later, he let out a thunderous shout: "Kill!" Boom! The power of his heaven and earth surged outward, instantly sweeping toward the myriad races! Success or failure hinged on this very moment! Whether the Human Sovereign arrived with reinforcements or not no longer mattered. If all went smoothly, he would slay several first-rank powerhouses and shatter the camp of the myriad races! "Gui, get ready! When I give the word, descend immediately!" "Martial Emperor, when I tell you to swallow the Dao, devour the Great Dao immediately and fuse it in an instant!" "King Dazhou, hold off your opponent for me!" "..." Su Yu issued command after command—a bloody battle! ... Across the line, the Immortal Emperor and the others were momentarily taken aback. What a bizarre formation. Su Yu... was actually not alongside the other first-rank fighters. He had only a few second-rank experts by his side. Was he not afraid of being surrounded and slaughtered? Did he think they hadn't realized he held sway over more than thirty Rulers of Rules? The Demon Emperor licked his lips and murmured faintly, "It seems... an opportunity has presented itself!" Before this, the first-rank experts had all stayed together! Yet now, they had actually dispersed. Could this... be Heaven aiding us? The Immortal Emperor and the God Emperor exchanged glances, their hearts stirring with temptation. Yet they still lacked a catalyst—a catalyst that would compel the myriad races to fight to the death and stall the enemy. It was useless if only the few of them gave their all; the rest of their forces had to commit fully as well! Could such a catalyst... truly arise?