A strange look appeared in Su Yu's eyes. He looked at the Human Sovereign and said softly, "Could there be someone outside the heavens looking down on us the exact same way?"
The Human Sovereign remained silent.
After a long pause, he chuckled softly. "You mean... the Master of Time?"
In the entire Myriad Realms, the only one most likely capable of doing so was that entity.
At this moment, Lan Tian had transformed into a vast web blanketing the Myriad Realms. His colossal face gazed down at all living things, yet the myriad beings knew nothing of the face and eyes watching over them from the heavens.
Where was that ever-mysterious, vanished Master of Time?
What was his purpose?
Was he doing something like Lan Tian—only on an even higher plane, faintly gazing down upon all life?
At that moment, Su Yu looked at the Human Sovereign, and the Human Sovereign looked back at Su Yu.
Was it possible?
If so, what was the goal?
Today, everything in the myriad heavens and myriad realms was built upon the foundation of the River of Time, including the existence of the Three Gates.
That being was the truly strongest...
An entity like the Heavenly Dao itself: aloof and indifferent, paying no heed, letting anyone draw upon the power of the River of Time as though even if you had the ability to sever the river, he wouldn't care in the slightest.
Su Yu soon stopped pondering it. Turning to gaze at the web of myriad Daos formed by Lan Tian, a smile gradually crept onto his face.
A rather twisted, perverse smile.
Seeing him smile so aberrantly, the Human Sovereign couldn't help looking up at the sky with a sigh. Who was going to suffer this time?
Heaven and earth be my witness, I, Xingyu, am incomparably benevolent and kind!
Whatever sins Su Yu commits have nothing to do with me.
Whatever he plans to do, don't pin it on my head—I'm merely lending a hand.
Just then, Lan Tian's figure materialized, holding the Myriad Law Catalog in hand.
Su Yu couldn't help smiling.
He had used the civilization chronicle as his foundation; King Wen had used the Classic of the Ten Thousand Daos; Lan Tian used the Myriad Law Catalog. What about the Human Sovereign?
The core of the Human Sovereign's heaven and earth was now the Human Sovereign Seal, but before that, at the moment his world was opened, could another core have existed? Was it also a book?
Su Yu looked at the Human Sovereign. The Human Sovereign looked baffled at first, then smiled. "What are you staring at me for? You want to ask what the core of my heaven and earth was?"
"Yes!"
The Human Sovereign laughed. "The Classic of the Sovereign Dao!"
"Really?"
The Human Sovereign gave a half-smile. "True or not, it's true now!"
Su Yu raised an eyebrow and suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, tell me... why do world-openers always like to use a book to flaunt their status as world-openers?"
Take the Time Master, for example: if she opened a world, it would be her cookbook or the Time Book serving as the world.
Was this just a coincidence everyone happened upon, or... was it actually an inevitability?
He looked up at the sky again, speaking only after a long silence: "Could there also be a book, a scripture, within the River of Time itself?"
Su Yu murmured, "A scripture that inscribes the myriad Daos and marks one's identity as a world-opener? Divine characters transform into Daos, Daos transform into divine characters, rules become words... Why do I feel this is actually an underlying rule of the River of Time?"
The Human Sovereign looked at him and said solemnly, "You mean to say we've all been influenced by this rule?"
Su Yu nodded. "If we only influenced one another, fine. But proving this is actually very simple: just ask the Lord of Dead Spirits. Last time, I think I caught a glimpse of a book! If the foundation of the Lord of Dead Spirits' world-opening is also a book, that means we aren't just influencing each other—the entire River of Time is influencing us. Maybe this Master of Time was a scholar, someone who loved reading and posing grandly with a book in hand!"
Su Yu chuckled suddenly. "Otherwise, logically speaking, the Lord of Dead Spirits has little connection to us, so he shouldn't be the same. Yet he very likely is. Your Majesty Human Sovereign, don't you find that fascinating?"
The Human Sovereign pondered for a moment and nodded. "There is indeed that possibility. After all, we were all born within the Myriad Realms, so being influenced somewhat by the realms and the River of Time is only natural."
So to speak... The Human Sovereign laughed. "Only scholars are qualified to open a world?"
The two exchanged a look and smiled.
A profoundly meaningful smile!
Roughnecks like King Wu and the Martial Emperor clearly had no chance of opening a world. They weren't worthy!
Brutes, heh!
Just then, Lan Tian's aura fluctuated slightly. He smiled and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Fellow Daoists!"
"My thanks to you both, Fellow Daoists!"
Lan Tian hovered in midair, the book floating before him, and sighed with emotion. "Upon the path of the Great Dao, to receive the aid of both of you is the greatest fortune of my life! Your Majesty helped me attain the Dao; I, Lan, have nothing with which to repay you..."
Su Yu raised a hand to cut him off.
He was terrified Lan Tian's next words would be, "pledging my body in marriage!"
Now that would be nauseating!
Su Yu looked at him and smiled.
"No repayment is needed. I want others to grow strong, not just myself alone. I... am exhausted!"
Su Yu's smile turned radiant. "What I want even more is that one day, I can pursue everything I desire on my own, rather than being bound by this cage like the Human Sovereign!"
The Human Sovereign's cheek twitched.
Ignoring whatever the Human Sovereign thought, Su Yu smiled. "When you all grow strong, perhaps I will go pursue my own Dao, my own path, and seek what I truly desire. These Myriad Realms, this human race—to me, they have always been a pair of shackles!"
The Human Sovereign said in a low voice, "Only with seven emotions and six desires is one truly human!"
Su Yu laughed. "No. Having seven emotions and six desires makes you human; bearing the shackles makes you a saint! You are willing to be a saint, but I am not! Human Sovereign, people like us admire saints, but people like us do not wish to become saints!"
The Human Sovereign was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Why do both you and Wen the Second have this exact mindset?"
He smiled wryly. "I am no saint. I merely feel..."
"I don't care what you feel!"
Su Yu interrupted, "You are a saint, a bleeding heart! In any case, I have no intention of becoming a second Human Sovereign. If I were willing, I would have inherited the power of your Great Dao back then. Why would I have waited until today?"
The Human Sovereign was speechless.
Am I a saint?
Is that a compliment?
Still... forget it. He didn't really think of himself that way; it was just that Su Yu and King Wen were far too undisciplined and free-spirited.
Su Yu turned back to Lan Tian and smiled. "Now you have a foundation and have opened your heaven. The rest of the road... walk it yourself! You and I are both seekers on the path of the Great Dao now; I'm not much stronger than you, nor do I know much more than you! Fellow Daoist Lan, the Dao lies beneath our feet. Let us take it step by step!"
Lan Tian nodded slightly. "Your Majesty has already laid the finest foundation for me. Moving forward, I will seek my own path. As for the Myriad Realms, Your Majesty may rest assured: I exist throughout them all. Fused into the realms, the Myriad Realms are Your Majesty's domain; nothing can remain hidden!"
Only today had Lan Tian achieved complete infiltration of the Myriad Realms.
I am everywhere!
The Human Sovereign marveled as well. Impressive indeed.
Of course, he wasn't envious. He had no fondness for Lan Tian's Dao, just as Su Yu disliked his own Dao of Responsibility. At their level, each had their own pursuits and areas of mastery.
And Lan Tian's intent was crystal clear: although he had opened an unconventional heaven, he was willing to watch over the Myriad Realms for Su Yu.
Content to serve as an auxiliary!
Su Yu paid it no mind. Looking out over the Myriad Realms once more, he considered for a moment and said, "Just place an avatar into my heaven and earth to show you're still there, and go cultivate on your own. I want to ensure that even if the Three Gates open, everything remains within my grasp!"
When the powerhouses of the Three Gates emerge, you'll still have to live right under my nose!
I can deal with you whenever I please!
Lan Tian nodded.
The Human Sovereign asked curiously, "What level of strength do you possess right now?"
Lan Tian smiled. "Tens of millions of avatars, each merely at the Harmony level."
The Human Sovereign was speechless. What nonsense; of course I know that.
"And when unified?"
"Barely first-rank, but it doesn't last."
Lan Tian didn't hide it. The Human Sovereign had contributed tremendously this time, so he had no intention of keeping secrets. "In unified form, I still struggle to sustain it for long, but it's enough to fight a battle!"
The Human Sovereign smiled. That was quite a pleasant surprise!
The key was that the coverage of Lan Tian's heaven and earth was massive!
Sure enough, Lan Tian added, "At present, I can project across nearly the entirety of the Myriad Realms, but it's difficult for me to reach deep into the River of Time like His Majesty, as I lack exceptionally powerful Great Daos."
That was more than enough!
Su Yu nodded slightly. "It's enough. Quite impressive, in fact. This way, even if we aren't around, the Myriad Realms will have the backbone to resolve troubles!"
With that, Su Yu smiled again. "So many days have passed, and those friends of Gui's have been steadily infiltrating their power. Perhaps they can finally emerge! Once we take care of them and integrate their Daos into my heaven and earth, it should stabilize my world."
With his world stabilized and five powerful Great Daos merged into it, followed by digesting his earlier gains, he would return to full strength—or even surpass his past peak.
After that, he could focus on his own affairs.
Hearing Gui's name, Lan Tian immediately smiled, a rather peculiar glint in his expression. "Gui is quite amusing! I'm surprised Your Majesty didn't let me play with him a little longer!"
Su Yu was speechless.
Lan Tian smiled strangely again. "Why doesn't Your Majesty send Gui's friends into the world to play around as well? Or simply bring them into the real Myriad Realms for some fun!"
Give me a break!
Su Yu had no interest in indulging Lan Tian's bizarre tastes.
When did he ever have the time to toy with these people?
"All right, focus on your cultivation. Your Majesty Human Sovereign, let's go!"
"Where to?"
"Back to kill people!"
Su Yu said exasperatedly, "Does Your Majesty think I can handle five powerhouses alone?"
"..."
Back to laboring for you?
The Human Sovereign realized Su Yu truly couldn't sit still for a second. He had barely caught his breath!
"Can you give me two days of rest?"
The Human Sovereign asked. Su Yu frowned. "Hasn't this past month and more been rest?"
"..."
The Human Sovereign felt utterly exhausted. "I feel like this past month has been more exhausting than a century in the past!"
You call this rest?
Su Yu was at a loss for words—genuinely flabbergasted. "I thought you were a diligent, benevolent sovereign who loved his people. Turns out you did less work in a century than I do during a month of rest? No wonder the human race never rose up!"
Fuck your ancestors!
The Human Sovereign glared furiously. You deviant! I've been boring holes every single day for over a month—you call that rest?!
If I had worked like this every day for tens of thousands of years, I would have died of exhaustion long ago!
Would I have lived to this day?
"You're doomed to die young!"
The Human Sovereign cursed, "You don't even know how to balance work and rest!"
Su Yu sneered. "Makes no difference. If I die, you won't have an easy time either."
Amidst their banter, the two vanished from the spot.
Watching them vanish, Lan Tian smiled. With the Human Sovereign around, Su Yu was actually far more relaxed. In the past, he never had it this easy. To Su Yu, this past month really might have counted as rest.
...
In the Upper Realm.
The Human Sovereign and Su Yu appeared simultaneously. Soon, orders reached the others, and they rapidly gathered within Su Yu's heaven and earth.
At this moment, Rulers of Rules were gathered in large numbers.
On the Human Sovereign's side, the number of Rulers of Rules had increased rather than decreased.
Previously, among the fifty-odd Rulers of Rules under the Human Sovereign, eight had fallen in battle and four had been subjugated from the myriad races, dropping the total below fifty; now, the count exceeded sixty.
And on Su Yu's side, even with two fallen in battle, the number exceeded forty.
Combined, the two factions possessed over a hundred Rulers of Rules!
Naturally, some remained stationed along the River of Time.
Even so, more than sixty powerhouses were gathered here.
Everyone turned their eyes toward Su Yu.
Su Yu, however, looked toward the back of the crowd, at Gui, who was skulking around.
Instantly, all eyes shifted onto Gui.
Looking helpless, Gui had no choice when Su Yu looked his way. "Emperor Yu, Your Majesty... what are your orders?"
Su Yu smiled. "Tell me, after over a month, shouldn't they be just about ready? Ready for their true bodies to descend? Come on, tell us about their specific strength and abilities. What do you say?"
Gui felt deeply conflicted. "This... I'm betraying my friends..."
"Forget it then!"
"Wait, don't!"
Gui was terrified of dying, so he quickly blurted out, "Among the five, by the classification of the Myriad Realms, two are first-rank, and three are second-rank. The two first-ranks are roughly equal to me in strength, and the second-ranks are at the peak of the second rank!"
Gui explained, "They are my good friends inside the Heavenly Gate..."
The crowd looked at him with contempt. You even screw over your good friends?
Feeling their gazes, Gui was exasperated. Dammit, what else can I do?
Of course, if he chose to kill himself right now, all his imprints would dissipate, and those on the other side of the Heavenly Gate would sense it.
In other words, warning them with his life that the Myriad Realms were dangerous!
Short of that, he had no other way!
Gui couldn't be bothered to mind their disdain and pleaded, "Emperor Yu, Your Majesty... could they... yield their Daos like me, connect to a new Dao, and continue serving Your Majesty?"
In the end, there was still a shred of camaraderie; Gui pleaded on their behalf because he knew that when his five old friends arrived, they would meet a miserable end.
Resistance meant certain death!
Yielding their Daos, on the other hand, offered a sliver of hope—to settle for cultivating some random Dao like him, but at least stay alive and retain a chance!
Strong as the five were, look where they were stepping into!
Heavens above, there were over sixty Rulers of Rules right here!
Su Yu was first-rank; the Human Sovereign was first-rank; the ones on the front line hadn't even returned yet, and when they did, it would be even more terrifying!
Moreover, Su Yu had plenty of second-rank powerhouses.
King Ming had quickly stepped into the second rank—hardly surprising for someone who had been a first-rank expert for countless years. Xingyue was also at the peak of the second rank; though she rarely fought, with her present, minor injuries could be healed almost instantaneously.
On top of that, the Human Sovereign had several second-rank powerhouses, including King Wu's second wife, all gathered here.
King Zhan, who was originally peak second-rank, remained at peak third-rank, not yet having stepped back into the second rank.
With so many powerhouses, how could five newcomers possibly stand a chance?
Su Yu smiled. "I can consider it! I have a faint sense of their Dao powers, but it's hard to judge specifics. Tell us, what Daos do they cultivate?"
Gui introduced, "The two first-rank experts: one is named Yu, a rogue cultivator who cultivates the Spear Dao! The other is named Mu, who cultivates the Dao of the Heavenly Tomb..."
"Wait!"
Su Yu's interest was piqued. "What is the Dao of the Heavenly Tomb?"
This was genuinely the first time he had heard of such a thing.
Gui explained, "When Mu fights, a coffin manifests, sealing his opponent inside. In truth, it feels somewhat like a domain or a miniature heaven and earth. His combat strength isn't weak at all! It also shares similarities with the Dao of Sealing! However, compared to standard Sealing Daos, Mu's Dao has certain limitations... For instance, an ordinary Sealing Dao can seal an opponent at any time, but Mu's Dao requires the opponent to be trapped inside the coffin, which is far more restrictive!"
The Human Sovereign smiled and looked at Su Yu, clarifying, "Such Dao powers are actually quite common. It's a variation of the Dao of Sealing, but the cultivator placed self-imposed restrictions on it, or rather lacked the ability to expand the Sealing Dao... You should be able to understand: take Yu, for example. Her initial Dao of Hell was similar—it could only seal powerhouses within her territory. Later, she expanded it and sublimated her Dao!"
Su Yu understood.
He then asked, "What do you mean by 'rogue cultivator'?"
"Rogue cultivators?"
Gui had a peculiar look as he explained, "Inside the Heavenly Gate, it is chaotic and dark. However, there exist certain forbidden grounds. These forbidden grounds are created by top powerhouses who opened worlds to shield a region, or who are outright world-openers themselves... Within these forbidden grounds, much like the worlds of Emperor Yu and His Majesty Human Sovereign, they can suppress opponents, imprison enemies, and empower themselves... Of course, not all are world-openers; some top powerhouses, after cultivating their Daos, forged forbidden grounds using their weapons, Dao-proving weapons, or shed carnal remains!"
"These factions possess complete inheritances, and ancient beings among them still live. Not everyone inside the Heavenly Gate is from the Heaven-Opening Era—some were born later. But a forbidden ground master is without exception an expert from the Heaven-Opening Era!"
Su Yu asked with surprise, "So after the Heaven-Opening Era, no one could become a forbidden ground master?"
"They could!"
Gui nodded. "However... it's practically impossible! The difficulty is just too great; once the era was sealed off, making progress became exceptionally hard! The cultivators in forbidden grounds have factions, inheritances, and powerhouses, enduring eternally. They are considered orthodox cultivators. Those without forbidden grounds—whether born later or minor figures from the Heaven-Opening Era—are all regarded as rogue cultivators!"
"Simply put, if you aren't a rogue cultivator... you have a forbidden ground master behind you!"
Su Yu nodded in understanding. "And what kind of strength do those masters possess?"
"All of them are top-tier first-ranks, or have even surpassed the first rank!"
He explained, "The 'first rank' is a classification used in the Myriad Realms. Behind the gate, strength is measured by how many Daos of power one possesses! The weaker ones among them have at least thirty Daos of power, and the stronger ones possess even more. I don't know the exact details, but forbidden ground masters are utterly terrifying existences!"
The Human Sovereign scoffed with a sigh, "What's so terrifying about them? In my prime, when my projection entered the Heavenly Gate, one of your so-called forbidden ground masters fought my projection, and I barely fell at a disadvantage. If my true body had gone in... I would have been confident of slaying him! What a pity!"
Gui drew in a sharp breath. Bloody terrifying.
Just how had someone cultivated to such a monstrous level?
As for whether the Human Sovereign was lying, there was no need.
Su Yu knew a bit about this matter as well, and asked with a smile, "Did you recognize the one you fought?"
"Didn't know him, but he stated his origin. Something about being... the Master of Mount Tianqiong!"
At those words, Gui's expression shifted slightly. Su Yu promptly glanced at him, and Gui winced, saying, "Mount Tianqiong... I know of it! Mount Tianqiong is one of the most premier forbidden grounds within the Heavenly Gate! Its master once swept across several neighboring forbidden grounds! To think... to think the one His Majesty Human Sovereign encountered was him."
Now Gui was somewhat skeptical that the Human Sovereign had been bragging!
After all, the Human Sovereign had claimed his true body could have slain him!
How astute was the Human Sovereign? Seeing Gui's look, he smiled faintly and said nonchalantly, "From what I saw, he had at most thirty-five Daos of power. Is that really considered top-tier? In my prime, I wasn't any weaker than him!"
Su Yu gave him a suspicious glance. The Human Sovereign transmitted his voice: "What are you looking at? In my prime, I truly wasn't weaker than him! Wen the Second at his peak probably had around thirty-two Daos of power. Of course, after entering the Heavenly Gate, he likely lost that strength, and who knows if he's made any progress over the years."
"You... that's well beyond the first rank, and yet you couldn't deal with the fellows from the myriad races?"
Su Yu was speechless. You're too useless!
The Human Sovereign transmitted in annoyance, "What do you know! I already told you, it wasn't that I couldn't deal with them, but that doing so would have come at a heavy cost! Besides, as I've said, the goal back then was sealing the Three Gates, not dealing with the myriad races. When I finally wanted to take care of them... didn't I get ambushed?"
"You brought it upon yourself!"
Su Yu showed zero sympathy!
It was entirely your own fault!
When you could have dealt with them, you were unwilling to pay the price. By the time you wanted to, the chance was gone—with the Heavenly Gate destabilizing, backlash from your future body, and a period of weakness setting in. You were lucky not to have been beaten to death!
Su Yu pressed no further on the matter and continued, "What about the remaining three?"
"The remaining three: one cultivates the Fire Dao, one cultivates the Dao of Annihilation, and one cultivates the Staff Dao..."
Right as he said this, someone below suddenly widened his eyes!
Wider than an ox's!
"Mine!"
Tianmie roared. Su Yu glared at him, and Tianmie instantly shrank back, though he remained fidgety and restless.
He was extremely agitated!
Su Yu couldn't be bothered to mind him. Looking back at Gui, he smiled. "Those are fairly standard Daos. Aside from that Tomb Dao, the rest are quite ordinary."
Gui chuckled dryly and said nothing.
Meanwhile, Tianmie and several others grew increasingly restless.
Five Great Daos!
They had seen it with their own eyes: the Martial Emperor had jumped straight from the second rank to the first rank! The boost granted by Daos from within the Heavenly Gate was terrifying!
Who would get these five Daos?
As for the Spear Dao, many people practiced it—Marquis Dingjun, King Daqin, and their ilk. Wu Ji could use it as well, though he didn't pay much attention, knowing full well it wouldn't be given to him.
This was a first-rank Dao!
There was more than one spear-wielding powerhouse.
The Staff Dao could also be used by many.
The Fire Dao went without saying—Tianhuo and Marquis Huoyun could both use it.
As for the Dao of Annihilation, it was an ultimate destructive Dao; those with similar Daos, like the Void-Shattering Dao, could also cultivate it.
For a moment, everyone felt restless.
They wanted them, but were too embarrassed to speak up.
Tianmie was shameless, but they weren't.
Su Yu glanced over the crowd, speaking only after a brief pause: "Under normal circumstances, nepotism is something I would do. But right now, we are at war, and I must appoint people based on merit!"
Su Yu stated calmly, "There are five Great Daos. Anyone wishing to vie for them will spar among yourselves to determine the victor! A single Dao can suit multiple candidates. If you believe you can inherit it, sign up. For example, with the Staff Dao: San Yue, Ju Zhu, Wu Ji, Tianmie... even King Daqin and King Zhan could cultivate it!"
Su Yu said placidly, "Choose for yourselves, sign up yourselves, spar yourselves! Winner takes all. I won't do any equal distribution. If you have the skill to swallow all five Daos, then enter five times, defeat every opponent, and you can take all five for yourself!"
Everyone's hearts jolted!
This...
Su Yu continued evenly, "The same applies to the Human Sovereign's side! Whoever wants one, sign up! It won't necessarily go to people from my faction! Allocation will be based on strength and merits! Not only that: we'll let it slide this once, but next time, merits will be counted. This time, it depends on raw strength! Going forward, the merit system will resume!"
Su Yu looked at them. "I do not want to see a repeat of last time! When we held the advantage in combat strength, we still ended up suffering mutual devastation against the myriad races! What I want is an elite force, not mediocrity—those people can simply retire!"
"So we don't waste resources!"
Su Yu glared at Tianmie. "Certain people have endless energy all day long, yet have never won a single fight!"
"..."
Tianmie looked utterly helpless. He's talking about me!
You might as well just say my name!
I can't help it—my strength fell short of theirs, I couldn't beat them, all right?!
Gui was equally speechless.
They haven't even emerged yet, and Su Yu is already distributing the quotas.
Sigh!
My poor old friends!
...
Having said all this, Su Yu looked at the Human Sovereign. "Depending on the situation, if they come out one by one, that's simple—we suppress them on the spot. If they all emerge together, I'll suppress one first-rank, you suppress one, and let the others handle the remaining three!"
The Human Sovereign nodded slightly.
Soon, he smiled. "This is just a one-off deal for you. Once you wipe everyone out, sooner or later you'll end up like me—not a single ghost left near the Heavenly Gate!"
So you've done this before too?
Su Yu glanced at him, then toward King Ming. What about King Ming?
Su Yu pondered and transmitted, "Regarding King Ming, you didn't already kill whoever was connected to him, did you?"
The Human Sovereign smiled, answering after a pause: "Not me—Wen the Second did it! Wen the Second has a black heart; he did this repeatedly in the early years! Otherwise, do you think King Wen's heaven and earth could have become so complete shortly after opening? That fellow pulled this stunt countless times! The beings inside the Heavenly Gate just weren't aware of it; otherwise, they would have slaughtered him long ago! The powerhouses near King Ming were completely fished clean as well!"
Su Yu was thoroughly impressed!
After thinking it over, he asked, "Then what about the Martial Emperor? Could we still fish someone up through him? Last time you said the Martial Emperor nearly breached the Heavenly Gate, but I didn't ask for details. What actually happened?"
If circumstances permitted, he wanted to use the Martial Emperor to do some more fishing!
"Him?"
The Human Sovereign sighed and transmitted, "That half-wit... don't look at his mediocre strength, small courage, fear of death, and complete lack of innovation or daring to open Daos recklessly..."
He stopped just short of calling the Martial Emperor a pile of dog shit!
"However!"
There was still a 'however.' The Human Sovereign said helplessly, "That idiot's Heavenly Gate projection might actually be situated right near the true Heavenly Gate! He probably researched the Heavenly Gate a bit; during the early period of unifying the Human Realm, he somehow figured out a method to connect with the interior of the Heavenly Gate. Likely just testing the waters... but that incident caused a violent upheaval in the River of Time! Wen the Second and I investigated immediately and realized it had caught the attention of some immensely powerful existences!"
"Back then, multiple forbidden ground masters might have noticed the anomaly and seemed ready to bridge the connection between his Heavenly Gate projection and the Heavenly Gate itself, opening a fissure upon the true Heavenly Gate using his gate as a foundation!"
Su Yu was surprised. "You mean his gate is right by the true gate? It can connect directly to the true gate?"
"Yes!"
The Human Sovereign nodded. "So when King Wu later fell out with him, Wen the Second egged King Wu on to seal him away!"
Su Yu raised his brows and looked at the Human Sovereign with a teasing smile. "Is that so? But when I read King Wen's Classic of the Ten Thousand Daos, he explicitly wrote that someone claimed the Martial Emperor was slaughtering indiscriminately and that King Wu ought to punish him. I don't know King Wu, but would he care about or listen to an ordinary person's words?"
Aside from King Wen, what about you?
If King Wen didn't egg him on, say no more—it was you! What are you playing innocent for?
You even placed a seal on the Martial Emperor yourself—wasn't that just to prevent him from breaking free?
I was wondering why you went out of your way to seal the Martial Emperor; turns out you didn't want him breaking out and ruining everything, did you?
It was a hundred percent the Human Sovereign who egged him on!
This guy was quietly sinister!
The sneaky kind of wicked!
When King Wen was devious, at least everyone knew it; you, a supposed great saint, are just as wicked behind closed doors!
The Human Sovereign was speechless. Forget it, no point explaining!
It was Wen the Second all along—why frame me?
"You actually believe what Wen the Second wrote? Would you write that you yourself are evil?"
The Human Sovereign dropped the subject and said no more.
Believe it or not!
Su Yu, however, had gleaned the gist of it: the Martial Emperor's gate could not be tampered with casually. Messing with it could easily trigger a disaster and hook leviathans—no wonder no one counted on the Martial Emperor for fishing.
As for Su Yu's gate projection, there probably weren't many strong experts nearby. Well, Gui could be counted as one, but compared to those forbidden ground masters, he fell far short.
Hard to say whether that was good luck or bad.
Su Yu delayed no further. Looking at the assembly, he said, "If all five emerge together, the rest of you will handle the three second-ranks. Remember: do not kill them! It's best if they yield their Daos willingly; if not, wear them down bit by bit! Don't shatter our Daos into pieces and ruin their integrity!"
"Understood!"
Everyone shouted in acknowledgment!
Su Yu looked at Gui and smiled. "Gui, you'll stand by and urge them to surrender! Tell them: surrender and you shall live!"
Gui said helplessly, "I... understand."
Sigh!
He had truly boarded a pirate ship. How pathetic!
...
Meanwhile.
Beside the Heavenly Gate phantom, Su Yu's voice echoed out—though disguised as Gui's voice. Su Yu had masked it himself; having Gui do the impersonation was too troublesome, so doing it himself was simpler.
Su Yu spoke quickly: "Fellow Daoists, peace has returned to the Myriad Realms. You may now descend. We must do this together, lest Xingyu and his lot return—that would be troublesome!"
He then added, "Come through one by one, don't all come at once—I'm worried Su Yu won't be able to hold out!"
...
Inside the gate.
The five exchanged glances. One transmitted, "Go one by one?"
"Definitely not!"
"Watch out for Gui plotting against us. That fellow has likely improved significantly by now. If we go one by one, he might pick us off individually. Who knows what he's planning!"
"We must go together! Even if he's reached twenty-five Daos of power, together we won't fear him!"
"He hasn't been out for long. Even with rapid growth, twenty-five Daos would be his absolute limit!"
"So either we don't go, or if we go, we must go together! Remember, the five of us must watch each other's backs!"
"..."
The five conferred with one another. Either they wouldn't go, or they would definitely descend together—only that would be safe enough!
After conferring for a while, they didn't care whether Su Yu could hold out or if he died—screw him!
In any case, once they emerged, they had no intention of going back.
As for guiding others through... no one had discovered the location of Su Yu's Heavenly Gate, so guiding anyone else was impossible anyway. If Su Yu croaked, so be it.
Thus, without even giving Gui a heads-up, they decided: we are descending together!
If you don't like it, too bad.
...
At this moment, Su Yu sensed it as well. With a smile, he sighed. "Just as I guessed!"
He had truly predicted it!
A so-called band of good friends, yet each harboring their own schemes.
Otherwise, when 'Gui' told them to come one by one, wouldn't they still fear being plotted against and insist on descending together?
A great thing!
If one had come through and been killed, alerting the others so they dared not follow, that would have been a hassle.
At this moment, faint waves of pressure began manifesting before Su Yu and the others.
In five distinct spots!
Near three of the spots, roughly twenty Rulers of Rules stood waiting at each, armed to the teeth with sabers, spears, swords, and halberds, fully prepared to strike the moment their targets appeared!
Beside Su Yu and the Human Sovereign, an imprint hovered near each of them as well.
On Su Yu's side, the Human Lord Seal floated aloft.
On the Human Sovereign's side, the Human Sovereign Seal floated aloft.
The two great seals directly faced the points of emergence.
Su Yu leisurely laid down one confining formation after another. The Human Sovereign on his side was equally relaxed and composed; preparing an ambush and waiting for prey to fall into the pit was hardly his first time—he knew the ropes like the back of his hand.
Various formations were densely interwoven. The Human Sovereign Seal radiated a gentle glow, filling the surrounding world with vast amounts of the power of responsibility. As he set it up, he conversed with Su Yu: "You don't understand. By doing this, as soon as the other party emerges, he has to descend and absorb power. He'll instantly inhale all of my power of responsibility into his body. In that flash, his goodwill toward me will skyrocket, making him feel he shouldn't oppose me... Just wait and see how formidable my power is! Enlightenment and edification—that is the essence of the myriad Daos!"
Su Yu's eyes flickered, cursing internally. Dammit, that actually made sense.
He suspected that the moment the target stepped out, he would frantically absorb power and instantly become the Human Sovereign's vassal. The Human Sovereign's Dao was utterly terrifying!
Right at that moment, all five spots radiated a faint glow simultaneously.
Immediately after, five silhouettes emerged.
The five appeared in a circular formation. Before they had even fully materialized, a voice drifted out with a laugh: "Brother Gui, we thought it over: descending together makes less commotion and avoids prolonging things and getting discovered..."
They had to come up with an excuse, after all!
Yet the instant the five silhouettes solidified, all five pairs of eyes widened in shock!
BOOM!
Countless attacks erupted abruptly. Gui yelled helplessly from the side, "Surrender your Daos! Yield your Daos and you shall live! Old friends, don't struggle—there are over a hundred Rulers of Rules here and dozens of first-ranks! There's no need to seek death!"
Before he could even finish shouting, Su Yu, who had been staring at the Human Sovereign's side, suddenly felt a toothache coming on.
Over by the Human Sovereign stood the first-rank expert, Mu. The moment this powerhouse emerged and saw the Human Sovereign, he frantically absorbed power, manifesting a coffin and preparing to erupt. Suddenly, his eyes glazed over with confusion. Looking at the Human Sovereign, he blinked blankly and murmured, "The human race must not be harmed..."
Su Yu froze, momentarily distracted from dealing with Yu on his end.
Meanwhile, the Human Sovereign wore a look of pure benevolence, smiling gently. "Correct, the human race must not be harmed; protecting the human race is our solemn responsibility! Be good, yield your Great Dao, and I shall swap it for a Great Dao power suited to you..."
Under the Human Sovereign's demonic temptation, the first-rank powerhouse struggled in pain. Yet at that moment, countless rule powers surged from the Human Sovereign Seal, continually pouring into his body.
Gradually, his expression softened into serenity, and he sighed with emotion: "Only today do I know who I truly am. I ought to dedicate my strength to the human race; giving up this Dao is but a small matter!"
"Yes, you shall bring blessings upon the human race!"
With those words, Mu gritted his teeth against the agony and completely stripped away his own Great Dao power!
This spectacle made Su Yu's teeth ache, sent shivers down the spines of everyone watching, and caused Gui to swallow frantically!
Heavens above!
What in the world was that?!
That's horrifying!
Su Yu felt utterly dumbfounded. Dammit all, what kind of Dao of Responsibility was this? It was straight-up the Dao of the Devil! What the hell was going on?!
Sacrificing everything for the human race... Heavens, to his very bones, the Human Sovereign was actually a demon!
Extreme sainthood turns into the demonic!
Meanwhile, across the other three fronts, explosions thundered relentlessly. Twenty against one, backed by boundless preparations—the outcome was an absolute foregone conclusion!
The physical bodies of the three second-rank powerhouses were swiftly blasted to pieces, their Daos sealed!
On Su Yu's side, the spear-wielding Yu had turned deathly pale. Suppressed by Su Yu's Great Dao, he dared not make a move, gulping nervously. When he watched Mu beside him voluntarily strip away his own Dao, sweat poured down his forehead like rain!
This... was too terrifying!
He abruptly looked toward Su Yu, suddenly feeling a bizarre sense of relief. It seemed his side wasn't quite as horrifying as over there; at least, while Mu appeared to have gone completely insane, he still possessed his wits!
Too horrifying!
Yu was deeply shaken and terrified. After a long moment, seeing the others swiftly defeated, he turned his gaze to Gui with eyes full of fury and despair, finally muttering in a low voice, "I surrender!"
Gui, fuck your ancestors!
You actually entrapped us!
He nearly exploded with rage!
Yet right now, he was utterly powerless.
Su Yu burst out laughing, looked at the Human Sovereign, and shrugged. "I didn't even need to strike. The supreme art of war is subduing the enemy without fighting!"
The Human Sovereign was speechless!
Nonsense! Without my intimidation, would this fellow have surrendered so easily?
Forget it, no point squabbling with Su Yu.
Meanwhile, Su Yu chuckled and spoke: "Strip away your Great Daos, and I'll let you keep Gui company. Oh right, Gui mentioned he missed you dearly and insisted on inviting you over as guests. Have a good chat!"
The powerhouses promptly glared at Gui with rage, disgust, and hatred!
Gui looked utterly helpless!
These people really weren't behaving like human beings at all!
I'm a surrendered official at least—how could you treat me like this?
For a moment, Gui felt utter despair. The Myriad Realms were full of devils!
The legends inside the Heavenly Gate were all lies! The Myriad Realms weren't weak—they were terrifying, far more terrifying than any forbidden ground!
Chapter 881