Entering the Heavenly Gate

Su Yu wanted to enter the Heavenly Gate rather than the Earth Gate, and the key reason was the Time Master. She was the one who had shaped his life for over a decade. Toward the Time Master, Su Yu did not even know what he truly felt. Admiration? Disgust? Hatred? The Time Master's Time Book had changed the entire course of his life, but that change had been excruciatingly painful. For over ten years, agony had been his constant companion as he struggled to survive in his dreams, repeatedly dying and being reborn. The Time Master had forged Su Yu, but she had also driven him to madness and anguish for many years. Without her, there would be no Su Yu today... After entering the academy, Su Yu had endured countless tribulations, yet he had never thought anything of them. When he charged alone onto the Allheaven Battlefield, he had not considered it a big deal either. Back when he was trapped in the ancient city, as a top-tier genius, he had chosen to transform into a half-dead spirit. Such a thing had never been done before, yet he had done it without the slightest hesitation. *I was already half-dead anyway!* After he turned eighteen, the dreams had ceased, and he no longer suffered that inhuman torture. But by then, he had long grown accustomed to it. Did it make any difference whether they stopped or not? Naturally brilliant as he was, he had been driven half mad over the years, and the Time Master deserved no small share of the credit. Yet without her, Su Yu might well have perished a few years later when the Three Gates converged upon the Myriad Realms. Which outcome was truly better was something Su Yu could not even answer himself. ... Inside the Human Lord Seal. Su Yu's Heavenly Gate manifested. At this moment, the Heavenly Gate was far clearer and weightier than before. If he entered through the gate's phantom projection, should his true body go in directly, or should he project a clone? A clone was naturally inferior to his true body, and without the support of his heaven and earth, Su Yu's current power of twenty-four Great Daos would be reduced to about twenty at most outside his domain. If he projected a clone on top of that, it might only possess around sixteen Daos of strength. Barely first-rank! That was not weak, but inside the Heavenly Gate, where forbidden land masters abounded, a first-rank cultivator was merely on par with loose cultivators. If Su Yu encountered true powerhouses after entering, he might be entirely helpless. Moreover, his primary goal in going in was to find the Time Master. As for killing enemies to further his Dao cultivation, that was secondary. He wanted to meet the Time Master! He also needed to rescue her to fulfill his promise to the little white dog. He had promised the little white dog that once he had the strength, he would rescue King Wen and the Time Master. Although Su Yu was still far behind King Wen, once he made a promise, he rarely broke his word unless it was truly impossible. "If my true body enters without bringing my heaven and earth along, I will have at least twenty Daos of strength. "If I bring the Human Lord Seal directly, my power will only be slightly weaker than transplanting my entire world inside. But if I take away the core of my heaven and earth, that would be exceedingly dangerous." At this moment, Su Yu was pondering whether his true body should enter. Before the Human Sovereign returned, there would have been no need to deliberate! Su Yu would have sent a clone with absolute certainty, never taking such a risk. Now, however, the Human Sovereign was back, and Lan Tian had opened his own heaven. Su Yu was no longer burdened by so many responsibilities. He wanted to live for himself for once. He wanted to search for the Time Master. If his strength was insufficient, he might not even get to see her face. And at his current level, advancing further was extraordinarily difficult. "Manor Head Wan!" Su Yu called out softly. A moment later, Wan Tiansheng floated into view. Seeing the Heavenly Gate hovering before Su Yu, Wan Tiansheng let out a soft sigh, as if understanding everything. "Go in your true body! Now that the Human Sovereign is back, follow your heart. If something truly goes wrong... I will tell everyone to migrate into the Human Sovereign's heaven and earth!" Su Yu watched him in silence. Wan Tiansheng smiled gently. "Doing as one pleases is a joy in itself! Back when you entered the academy, you began toiling for the Multiple Divine Characters Department. That was back in the Anping calendar, and now it is already the second year of the Xinyu era. What is wrong with living for yourself just this once? The Time Master altered your entire life... I understand how you feel." He looked at Su Yu with a bright smile. "Just take care of yourself. If you truly cannot come back out, then wait until the Heavenly Gate opens. An unfettered Su Yu is the most carefree, hopeful, and intriguing soul in this world!" Looking into Su Yu's eyes, a hint of pity surfaced deep within Wan Tiansheng's gaze. Warfare, endless warfare. Scheming, endless scheming. Slaughter, endless slaughter. He was killing others, and others were trying to kill him. Over the years, Su Yu had never paused, never stopped—fighting from the Human Realm into the myriad heavens, from the myriad heavens into the Upper Realm, and from the Upper Realm all the way to the upper reaches of the River of Time... Now that the Three Gates were about to open, another immense war would likely unfold—one that would drag on for who knew how long. Su Yu seemed never to have considered himself. Now that the Human Sovereign had returned, Wan Tiansheng fully supported him going out to venture freely. Seeing Su Yu staring at him, he smiled and said, "You are Su Yu, not everyone's babysitter. We may want to shackle you, but we also have to give you room to breathe! Go on. Danger is inevitable, but could it be any more dangerous than in the past? Back when you were merely in the Soaring Realm, you dared to turn the Allheaven Battlefield upside down. Now that you've reached the first rank, are you going to cower before a few forbidden land masters?" Su Yu chuckled! He looked at Wan Tiansheng and spoke after a long pause. "Do you think I should bring the Human Lord Seal with me, Manor Head?" "Take it!" Wan Tiansheng laughed. "If you don't take it, how will you increase the power of your world when you kill enemies? If you don't take it, how will you stay connected to your own heaven and earth? Take it along! Even if it gets destroyed by someone, so be it! We might be severely wounded, but we won't die easily, especially since the Human Sovereign is willing to take us in now. And even if that fails, aren't there others?" His smile was radiant. "Go! Live for yourself once, act on your own impulses for once. You are Su Yu, not the Human Sovereign!" Su Yu chuckled. "Why do I feel like you're sending me to my death, Manor Head? You're egging me on to do something reckless!" Wan Tiansheng chuckled as well, shaking his head. "No. Because I know you cannot endure loneliness. Once you enter, you will inevitably stir up trouble to find the Time Master. If you go in as a clone... and run into real trouble, you'll die all the same! You might as well go all out and take everything you have so you won't leave any regrets!" He understood Su Yu's temperament. Was Su Yu someone who could sit still? If not, Su Yu would bring trouble upon himself sooner or later. Wan Tiansheng knew this all too well. In that case, Su Yu should bring everything he could. Su Yu could not help laughing. He had merely wanted to ask for Wan Tiansheng's opinion, but before he could even lay out his thoughts, Wan Tiansheng had already figured it out and told him to pack up everything. "Manor Head, I won't bring the Human Lord Seal. It is the source of the Great Daos here. If it gets destroyed, people will die!" Su Yu smiled, looking at Wan Tiansheng with a sudden, mischievous grin. "I want to go in and see for myself with my true body—to see if I can forge another civilization chronicle after I enter!" Wan Tiansheng paused, startled. "What do you mean?" Su Yu bared his teeth in a grin. "I want to see whether I can open another heaven and earth inside! Harmonizing Yin and Yang—once I open a heaven and earth inside and come back out, only then might I surpass everyone in an instant and truly catch up to King Wen and the Human Sovereign!" *Hiss!* Wan Tiansheng was utterly astonished and could not help staring at Su Yu. "You... if that were truly possible, wouldn't others have done it long ago?" Su Yu chuckled. "What others? King Wen didn't have the time, King Wu doesn't know how, and not everyone is capable of opening a heaven and earth. I've observed Gui and the others; they can connect to our Great Daos, which means they can cultivate our Daos as well. It was just that they had no way to cultivate them before!" Su Yu smiled. "Since that is the case, starting from scratch is fine. What's more, I wouldn't even be starting from scratch—I have a foundation and deep reserves to rebuild my heaven and earth!" He grinned. "I'm going to shock everyone! I want to establish a heaven and earth inside the gate as well! Even if I can't transplant it out right away, when the Three Gates open, I will merge both heavens into one!" He added, "I'm even prepared to comprehend a Dao native to the gate once I arrive, disguising myself as a loose cultivator within! That's why I won't bring the Human Lord Seal—its Dao imprints are far too conspicuous!" Wan Tiansheng stared at him, genuinely astonished. So that was what this fellow was planning. No wonder he had been so conflicted over whether his true body should go. After a moment of thought, Wan Tiansheng remarked, "Opening another heaven inside the gate... your ambition is truly... boundless!" This kid's appetite was monstrous! Su Yu chuckled. "Manor Head, if I only do what ordinary people can do, what kind of genius would I be? Doing what ordinary people cannot—that is what makes someone extraordinary! Of course, nothing is certain yet, but I want to give it a try. Besides, my own heaven and earth... I don't really want to expand it right now." "Why?" Su Yu sighed. "The disparity between the Daos is too great. If it keeps going like this, with several more Daos of the physical body, the spear, and fire added in, the world will become far too unbalanced! "Going behind the gate is also to comprehend some Daos I haven't grasped deeply before—some unconventional Daos. When the time comes, if the two worlds can merge, they will complement each other!" Su Yu was also seeking his own path to balance! Wan Tiansheng contemplated this, then nodded with a smile. "Very well. Once you enter... try to comprehend more of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires. When those Daos grow strong in your world and Yin and Yang harmonize, perhaps I can reap some benefits as well!" He added, "Since you are heading into the Heavenly Gate, and there are still fissures in the Earth Gate, if an opportunity arises, we might take a look inside the Earth Gate as well." Su Yu did not stop him. Everyone had their own fortunes. He himself could not sit idle, and clearly, these people would not either. Lan Tian had opened his own heaven. Su Yu had not helped Wan Tiansheng because Wan Tiansheng was currently unsuited to opening a heaven: first, he possessed too few Daos; second, his Daos were too weak. Lan Tian was weak as well, but he possessed many Daos! Far more than Wan Tiansheng! "Since you think there's no issue, Manor Head, my mind is at ease!" Su Yu smiled. "Let the Human Sovereign continue wiping everyone's messes; I can't be bothered with all that. If I find a way, I will also try to return early—for instance, by conquering a forbidden land and connecting it to where my Heavenly Gate is located, then making my way back!" Wan Tiansheng nodded. "Do you need to say goodbye to the others?" "No need. Forget it, so they don't try to dissuade me!" Su Yu grinned. "Except for you, Manor Head, the others would probably try to talk me out of taking risks, including the Human Sovereign. But if I listened to persuasion, would I still be Su Yu?" Could a Su Yu who took no risks still be called Su Yu? After becoming the Human Lord, he had preferred to plan thoroughly before acting, but that had only been out of necessity! The real Su Yu loved gambling big with small stakes! Without taking risks, how could he have reached where he was today? Though his recent progress seemed rapid, his foundation was actually unstable, far less solid than when he reaped rewards through repeated gambles in the past. Su Yu cracked open a tiny slit in the Heavenly Gate, sensing the aura inside, and smiled. "Manor Head, I'm heading in." Decisive as always, now that he had notified the Human Sovereign beforehand and informed Wan Tiansheng just now, he had no lingering attachments. He left the Human Lord Seal behind, as its Dao aura was simply too potent. Entering with his true body, he would still possess at least twenty Daos of strength, which was more than enough! Among first-rank experts, that was hardly weak. Today, Su Yu once again tasted that exhilarating freedom from the past—the ability to leave whenever he wanted and go wherever he pleased. Burdens? He wanted none of them; let the Human Sovereign shoulder them! The next instant, Su Yu vanished into the Heavenly Gate, and the gate vanished with him. The entire heaven and earth trembled faintly. No one else noticed anything amiss. ... In the distance. Inside the Human Sovereign's heaven and earth. The Human Sovereign's expression suddenly changed, and he could not help cursing, "You bastard!" That lunatic, that scoundrel Su Yu—he had actually run off in his true body! While others could not sense it, he certainly could. The Human Sovereign was beside himself with exasperation! Yet after the fury came a wave of helplessness and worry. Not a single one of these people ever listened! "Martialists really are better!" The Human Sovereign sighed. Martialists were so obedient. What a pity it was that martialists struggled to transcend and become true supreme powerhouses. After pondering for a moment, the Human Sovereign also manifested a Heavenly Gate. Shortly after it appeared, a sudden tremor echoed from within, followed by a cold, sinister voice: "Xingyu, are you looking to enter? I am waiting for you!" The Human Sovereign felt helpless. *Dammit, still keeping an eye on me!* He had only been testing the waters, yet that bastard was actually still watching. "Does Tianqiong Mountain have nothing better to do?" The Human Sovereign's voice resonated through the gate. "Watching me all day and night—did I dig up your ancestral graves? I'm warning you, don't push me too far. If you push me into a corner, see if I don't give you a taste of my wrath!" "If you have the courage, enter in your true body!" The cold voice of the Master of Tianqiong Mountain drifted out from behind the gate. The Human Sovereign chuckled and replied, "Why don't you project yourself over, and I'll play with you!" The Master of Tianqiong Mountain ignored him. A mere projection would lack sufficient power; being slain by the Human Sovereign was all too expected. "If you are truly fearless, then lift the restrictions and let me descend with Tianqiong Mountain!" "Dream on!" The Human Sovereign laughed, then quickly added, "Alright, let's just leave things at a stalemate between us; there's no need for one of us to force our way into the other's domain! Tianqiong, we are old acquaintances. Look, isn't the Heavenly Gate about to open soon? You aren't the only forbidden land master. With so many forbidden land masters around, you don't hold any distinct advantage. Have you considered cooperating with me?" "Heh!" A cold sneer came from within. "You, Xingyu, are ruthless and underhanded. How many experts behind the gate have you slaughtered? Cooperating with you would be seeking death!" The Human Sovereign's fishing skills were certainly no worse than Su Yu's. Back in the ancient era, he had relentlessly baited and killed off all the experts in this sector until he crossed paths with the Master of Tianqiong Mountain, which finally halted his spree. "Listen to you!" The Human Sovereign chuckled. "Here's the thing: didn't I just rout the myriad clans a few days ago? Did you feel it? The remnants of the myriad clans have retreated upstream again, so I've found some free time lately..." "The myriad clans were defeated?" The Master of Tianqiong Mountain was somewhat surprised. Defeated? "You must be heavily wounded, aren't you?" For the myriad clans to lose under such circumstances, what utter trash! No wonder Xingyu dared to open the Heavenly Gate again. Otherwise, even if the Master of Tianqiong Mountain only sent a first-rank clone through, the Human Sovereign would have had cause for concern. For countless years, the Human Sovereign had refrained from opening the Heavenly Gate. "I'm mostly recovered!" the Human Sovereign said with a light laugh. "Isn't it only natural that the myriad clans couldn't beat me?" With that, the Human Sovereign continued, "Enough nonsense. If you are interested in cooperating, help me deal with those fellows over at Eternal Life Mountain and free King Wen and the others." "It takes all my restraint not to go kill him myself, and you expect me to help them?" The Master of Tianqiong Mountain nearly laughed. "Are you mad, or am I?" "Suit yourself!" The Human Sovereign said calmly, "If you want to be the first to enter the Myriad Realms, you should consider it. If you help me, even if it's only a single day before the Heavenly Gate officially opens, you could emerge early through my side and seize the initiative! Must you wait and swarm out alongside the rest of the horde? Think it over!" Without waiting for a response, the Human Sovereign dismissed the Heavenly Gate and paid him no further mind. He wondered whether the Master of Tianqiong Mountain would actually make a move. Of course, the probability was low. However, as long as he had any ambition, he might stir things up. If chaos erupted behind the gate, Su Yu might just find an opportunity to fish in troubled waters. Soon, the Human Sovereign sighed again, feeling somewhat helpless. There was nothing he could do! They had to rely on themselves; he currently had no way to intervene behind the Heavenly Gate. He checked his heaven and earth. Its progress was not slow, but relying on it to restore him to his peak would take who knew how long. With that thought, the Human Sovereign's figure flickered and appeared before the Earth Gate in an instant. The Earth Gate loomed indistinctly. The Human Sovereign waved his hand and chuckled, "Come here. I won't hit you, why are you running?" The Earth Gate seemed to react, yet seemed not to. Gradually, however, it solidified, becoming far less ethereal than before. The Human Sovereign beamed. "Good! I didn't hit you that hard anyway. I only struck you a few times back then and accidentally widened the crack a tiny bit. My mistake, I apologize. When you are fully revived in the future, I will apologize properly!" With a reach of his hand into the void, a portal abruptly appeared. The next moment, Marquis Tongtian appeared with an awkward expression. "Greetings, Your Majesty the Human Sovereign!" The Human Sovereign smiled and looked at him. "You've been doing quite well for yourself, reaping plenty of benefits from Su Yu." "Just fortunate... Emperor Yu is generous..." "So that makes me stingy?" "No, no!" Tongtian stammered sheepishly. *I never said that.* The Human Sovereign did not bother bantering. Looking at him, he smiled and said, "I'll give you a signal. Infiltrate the Earth Gate with it and issue a summons to see if you can call over some of my old subordinates." Tongtian's heart jolted! He looked at the Human Sovereign, who was looking back at him with a grin. "What's wrong?" "No... nothing." The Human Sovereign smiled again. "Don't be afraid. There's no one nearby right now. After that punch of mine earlier, very few people dare to linger near the gate!" All right, then. Marquis Tongtian dared not resist. Soon, he received the signal transmitted by the Human Sovereign, and the power of his portal began faintly permeating the Earth Gate. The Human Sovereign waited patiently. Tongtian also watched the Human Sovereign cautiously, wondering who he was trying to summon. Could it be January? It was said that January was inside. After an unknown amount of time, a cautious voice drifted from behind the gate: "Your Majesty?" The Human Sovereign smiled—a brilliant smile! Tongtian, however, was utterly surprised. It was not January, nor was the voice familiar. Who was this? The Human Sovereign chuckled. "It is I!" As he spoke, a faint wisp of power drifted inside. The person behind the gate seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and hurriedly said with reverence, "Subordinate pays respects to Your Majesty! "Your Majesty has been away from the Myriad Realms for many years. Despite several attempts to inquire, I could find no news of Your Majesty, and I have been deeply worried..." "I am fine!" The Human Sovereign smiled and said, "The Earth Gate is chaotic, so be careful! However, I am facing some trouble on my end and am heavily wounded. Are there any treasures within the Earth Gate suitable for someone at my level to recover with?" "Treasures?" The person pondered for a long while before replying, "I cannot obtain ordinary treasures, and even if I did, they might not be useful to Your Majesty. As for treasures suited to healing Your Majesty... there are indeed some: the Human Ancestor's Longevity Bamboo, the Lord of Chaos's Ageless Root..." The Human Sovereign laughed. "Cut the nonsense. Expecting you to fetch those is sending you to your death!" He continued, "Is there anything else you can obtain? If not, find a way to send out some Chaos Source while no one dares to approach this area!" "That will not be a problem!" The person answered, then added, "Your Majesty, did a group of newcomers enter recently?" "Yes, all enemies. If you can kill them, do so; if not, ignore them!" "No, Your Majesty, someone from the Human Gate might have entered. Recently, there has been movement around Bihua Mountain, and they might have been in contact with the Lord of Chaos earlier. I made some inquiries without daring to press too deep, but from what I know, the Human Gate might want the Lord of Chaos to break through the Earth Gate first to throw the Myriad Realms into chaos. The Lord of Chaos might demand Myriad Dao Stones as his bargaining chip." "Myriad Dao Stones?" The Human Sovereign fell into thought for a moment, then asked, "Could it be the legendary Rule Stones born from the confluence of the myriad Daos?" "Possibly... but rumor has it they might be Myriad Dao Source Stones, the ones left behind when the Master of Time opened heaven..." "How could that be!" The Human Sovereign hesitated. "If such things existed, wouldn't they have been used long ago? Would the Human Gate still possess them? Why keep them—waiting for someone to steal them?" He was doubtful, and the person behind the gate was unsure as well. "I do not know, as I cannot investigate the situation within the Human Gate." "Forget it." The Human Sovereign chuckled, thought for a moment, and said, "A transaction... for the Human Gate to trade with them, they would have to traverse the River of Time and preferably find a proxy who has opened the Human Gate... such people are not easy to find! Any transit would best go through the Earth Gate as well! Fine, I will keep an eye on this side. If I can intercept it, that would be ideal; if not... send me a batch of Chaos Source first!" "Understood, I shall see to it immediately!" "Good, go on then. Be careful. I won't summon you lightly unless necessary." "Understood!" Soon, the presence vanished. The Human Sovereign looked at the Earth Gate, sinking into thought. Beside him, Marquis Tongtian racked his brains, trying to figure out who that was. Gradually... Tongtian's expression turned strange. *I... I might know who that was!* He could not help looking at the Human Sovereign with mounting disbelief. Good heavens, this man was a cunning old fox as well! The Human Sovereign turned his head to look at Tongtian and smiled. "What is it?" Tongtian shivered under that smile and hurriedly said, "Nothing, nothing! Does Your Majesty have any further orders?" "None!" The Human Sovereign laughed. "Cultivate properly and stop letting your mind wander all day. You have a solid foundation; King Wen didn't confer a marquisate on you in vain back then. By the way, don't just sit idle. As a child of the Three Gates, go scout out who in the Myriad Realms has opened the Human Gate, the Earth Gate, or the Heavenly Gate! Lounging around all day has made you useless!" "..." Tongtian felt aggrieved, then asked tentatively, "I... am not a child of the Three Gates." The Human Sovereign gave him a half-smile. "Nonsense! Don't you know your own origins? Not a child of the Three Gates... you could practically count as my son, though I can't be bothered to acknowledge it! Back then, King Wen paid a heavy price, extracting some of my Heavenly Gate power, his own, King Ming's, and others', then siphoning a good deal of Earth Gate power, and finally beating the second-generation Giant King to death to forcibly strip his Human Gate power. Only by fusing the power of the Three Gates were you born!" "..." Tongtian's face twisted in shock! The Human Sovereign remained completely nonchalant. "Back then, having you guard the gate was specifically so you could detect anyone who opened a gate! That was your proper job! What on earth have you been thinking all day? Did you really believe you were naturally born of heaven and earth?" Tongtian's expression was utterly bewildered. After a long pause, he muttered, "B-but in my memory, I was born within the River of Time..." "Exactly!" The Human Sovereign laughed. "You were born in the River of Time because King Wen stuffed you into the river to be nurtured! Tongtian, 'Connecting to the Heavens'... it wasn't named so you could open the Tongtian aperture; we hoped you could connect the Three Gates so we could charge inside... In the end, your progress was too slow because you had to feed on portal power, and where were we supposed to get so much of it? So King Wen temporarily shelved the idea..." Marquis Tongtian's expression became even stranger. "B-but..." "No buts." The Human Sovereign said indifferently, "I didn't feel like mentioning it before—calling you a man-made gate doesn't sound very flattering! But lately, I've noticed you're actually starting to consider yourself kin to the Three Gates. I had to remind you: once the Three Gates awaken and see you, you'll be lucky if they don't swallow you whole! Do you really think of yourself as their kin?" Utterly dejected, Marquis Tongtian asked, "Your Majesty means... I was truly created by humans?" "Of course!" The Human Sovereign laughed. "Not just you—do you think the Three Gates weren't? They were just forged by different people." At this point, the Human Sovereign added, "Stop slacking off, and don't worry about standard cultivation for now. Your true opportunity will come the day the Three Gates open! "When the Three Gates open, the portals awaken, and power spills out, that will be the optimal moment for your breakthrough! You might even soar to a terrifying height in one leap, becoming the fourth gate! Of course, before that... you need to find ways to strengthen yourself. I need to see if I can guide someone back out." Guide who out? Tongtian looked at him. The Human Sovereign could not be bothered to spell it out—who else could it be but Su Yu? Could anyone really expect Su Yu to conquer a forbidden land and march right out? That was hardly realistic! He had to find a way to make Tongtian open a path. With that in mind, the Human Sovereign added, "When you have time, go hang around the Martial Emperor. That Heavenly Gate of his is useless to him anyway. Speaking of which, we stationed you beside the Martial Emperor for all those years—did you never absorb his Heavenly Gate power?" Tongtian's mouth fell open, and only after a long pause did he manage, "N-no... can it be absorbed?" "..." The Human Sovereign froze. "Yes, why couldn't it?" "..." Marquis Tongtian was thoroughly crestfallen. "I... I thought I wasn't allowed to, so I ignored it." "..." *What an honest fool!* The Human Sovereign sighed, shook his head in resignation, and said, "With how much you talk, you never seemed like an honest fool, yet you didn't even steal a sip?" Tongtian said gloomily, "I was afraid King Wen would bolt me shut." "..." The Human Sovereign was rendered speechless once more. After a long silence, he finally said, "Fine, whatever. You—figure out a way to connect to the Heavenly Gate for me. That's all. Stop acting mysterious all day; the Three Gates don't view you as their kin at all, yet you keep pressing your warm face against their cold posteriors!" "Understood." Marquis Tongtian was profoundly downcast. *Wasn't I born of heaven and earth?* *I was actually crafted by King Wen and the others!* *How utterly depressing!* Thinking about it, he could not help asking, "Then... do I count as the son of Your Majesty and King Wen? Did Your Majesty and King Wen give birth to me together?" "..." The Human Sovereign did not even deign to answer. He vanished instantly, leaving his voice echoing behind: "You are not permitted to leak any news about the person I just contacted. If you do... I will melt you down and reforge you!" "Understood!" Tongtian called out, his face a portrait of gloom. Glancing back at the Earth Gate, he grumbled under his breath, "So we're not kin after all!" ... On this day, the Human Sovereign made several arrangements while preparing to restore his own strength. He would not simply pin all his hopes on Su Yu growing stronger. He was the supreme powerhouse himself! Now that Su Yu had gone into the Heavenly Gate, the Human Sovereign still had to find a way to clean up after him. If that lunatic ran into danger, he might be able to gather intel through the Master of Tianqiong Mountain and find a way for Tongtian to fish Su Yu back out. Not a single one of them gave him peace of mind! As for King Wen, who knew what he had been doing all these years without making any progress? With the Three Gates on the verge of opening, the Human Sovereign's grand ambition back then had been to fight all three factions at once, uniting the Myriad Realms to battle the Three Gates. Alas, man proposes, but heaven disposes. By now, the Human Sovereign no longer expected the myriad clans to join hands with him against the Three Gates. The myriad clans were all fools who had no understanding of what it meant to dare remake the heavens and earth! ... At the same time. Within a boundless, chaotic void. A figure abruptly materialized. Behind him, the phantom image of the Heavenly Gate flashed and vanished. Su Yu had arrived! Stepping through in his true body! His white robe vanished in an instant, and his scholarly demeanor disappeared along with it. In a breath, Su Yu assumed a somewhat rugged appearance with a somber cast to his features, his nose lengthened slightly into a hook. The moment he entered, Su Yu sensed that the aura of the Myriad Realms was quite conspicuous here—just like a living being entering the dead spirit realm, it stood out starkly! Soon, however, Su Yu dispersed his other powers. Within his body, only death qi, yin qi, and nether qi remained. Now, he blended in far better with his surroundings. *If the dead spirit realm corresponds to the living realm as the two extremes of life and death, then inside the gate and outside the gate represent the grand Yin and Yang of the cosmos!* In an instant, Su Yu gained a clear perception of the environment. He pulled out a map, glanced at it, his eyes glinting. Where should his first stop be? Eternal Life Mountain? No, that place was too dangerous right now! He wanted to go to Dead Spirit Hell! Yes, that was the domain of the Lord of the Dead Spirits, a truly supreme existence. Even here, without the enhancement of his heaven and earth, the Lord of the Dead Spirits remained an absolute pinnacle entity, which was terrifying in itself. Once that fellow returned to the Myriad Realms, it seemed none of the forbidden land masters would be a match for him. *The Lord of the Dead Spirits recruited a host of powerhouses who cultivate the Daos of dead spirits, nether earth, undead, and yin qi, creating a paradise of dead spirits behind the gate...* These pieces of intelligence surfaced in Su Yu's mind. The Lord of the Dead Spirits harbored no small ambitions. That man had entered the Heavenly Gate of his own accord. With the dead spirit realm enduring through the ages, he was probably planning to merge both worlds instantly upon his return, which would immediately elevate him into a truly supreme being! Su Yu rubbed his chin and smiled. Should he go to his territory? He was somewhat worried the Lord of the Dead Spirits might recognize his familiar aura! After all, back when his will manifested, Su Yu had thoroughly swindled him once. If he were exposed, it would be troublesome. *Still... wouldn't that be thrilling?* It sounded exhilarating! Su Yu grinned! He was eager to meet the Lord of the Dead Spirits. In Su Yu's view, the Master of Time was first, and the Lord of the Dead Spirits had always been the second strongest. Even now, Su Yu believed the Lord of the Dead Spirits was exceptionally mighty, perhaps even stronger than King Wen and the Human Sovereign. One had to remember that his heaven and earth lay outside, yet he still suppressed the forbidden land masters in here! Su Yu strongly suspected that he had opened a dead spirit heaven and earth inside, mirroring his own concept. It was precisely because he had learned of Dead Spirit Hell that Su Yu had conceived the idea of opening a heaven in here as well. Su Yu took a deep breath. The Lord of the Dead Spirits' territory had not moved in years and was not too far from Eternal Life Mountain. He could certainly head there first! That overlord was domineering in the extreme, but his arrogance had its benefits: he had no fear of infiltration! Anyone who cultivated a Great Dao compatible with his would be accepted! Su Yu could roughly guess his intention: once the Heavenly Gate opened, he would lead his subordinates to assimilate entirely into the dead spirit realm. That was likely his plan, and an enticing one at that. "Well then... here I come!" Su Yu chuckled as he looked out across the endless void. Gauging his bearings, he compared several maps; every single one placed Dead Spirit Hell in the exact same location! Once he located a landmark, Su Yu would soon be able to reach Dead Spirit Hell. *Lord of the Dead Spirits... I'm coming to pay you a visit!* ... At that exact moment, in Dead Spirit Hell. A black-robed powerhouse snapped his eyes open, his expression turning frosty. What on earth were King Wen and those fellows planning? *Don't force my hand against you!* He faintly sensed that someone was plotting against him! "Hmph!" A cold snort rumbled outward, shaking the four directions!