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"Kill!" With a harsh shout, Su Yu reached out and clawed forward. His hand clamped down like talons, tearing a Ruler of Rules' physical body to pieces. The ruler's sea of will emerged, a Great Dao of Will stretching forth in a desperate attempt to flee into the River of Time. Su Yu gave a cold snort, and a Dao of Corrosion surged upward. "Ahhh!" A shrill scream rang out. A human face materialized upon that Great Dao, twisted in despair, wailing, "Lord Heimu, I surrender! I surrender!" "Too late!" Su Yu sneered. The Dao of Corrosion erupted with constant sizzling hisses. With a deafening boom, the power of the Great Dao snapped. Su Yu reached out again as thunder crashed in all directions, obliterating countless miniature figures. Even though the ruler had split into myriad avatars, Su Yu slaughtered every last one on the spot! Around him, figures soon emerged one after another. Luoyun and the rest arrived in quick succession. Luoyun dropped to one knee in midair. Looking at Su Yu now, there was no trace of their former sense of equality. Only reverence, excitement, and boiling blood! Heimu! The incomparably formidable Heimu! At the peak of fifteen-Dao power, he had slain multiple fifteen-Dao experts. His strength was almost beyond belief; to them, he felt even stronger than Gui had been! "My lord!" Killing intent radiated from Luoyun, his voice far more booming than before. "My lord, the remnants have been eradicated! Tiancan Domain is destroyed!" Soon, more figures tore through the air from all directions, dropping to one knee in midair. "My lord, all living beings have been captured, and the battlefield is cleared!" Looking up at Su Yu, every face was brimming with reverence. Formidable! An expert possessing an exquisite talent for slaughter. As yet, the six lords of Mount Liufang had not shown themselves. With just Heimu leading a multitude of Rulers of Rules, sweeping and slaughtering across the land, Mount Liufang had eradicated fourteen rogue cultivator domains over the past seven days! On average, two domains a day... Nearly all that time had been spent traveling. Their hours had been eaten up on the road. At this moment, Su Yu was clad in black robes beneath an unfathomably dark cloak that billowed without any wind. His long hair danced in the air, fresh blood clinging to his hands. With a casual flick of his wrist, Su Yu shook off the droplets of gore, casting a cold gaze over his surroundings. "I hear Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley are also sweeping the region?" "Yes!" Luoyun replied quickly. "The two joined forces. By now, many rogue cultivator domains have either submitted or been wiped out! In the northeastern sector of Jinduan Gorge, forty-two rogue cultivator domains have been discovered so far. We have eliminated fourteen, while their joint efforts have been nearly as fast—over the past few days, they have likely eliminated ten domains as well!" More than half were gone! Su Yu said indifferently, "Pass down my order to the other rogue cultivator domains in the northeastern region, including Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley: in three days, they are to come to Mount Liufang to pay homage and seek an audience with this seat! They shall also witness this seat stepping into the sixteen-Dao realm!" Delight sprang into everyone's eyes, and Luoyun was overjoyed. "My lord is going to break through?" Su Yu nodded slightly. "Having slain multiple experts and devoured their Daos, it should happen within the next few days!" Su Yu declared loudly, "Command them to come pay homage and submit! Those who fail to appear after three days will face an army of extermination!" "Understood!" The crowd was thrilled. In that case, Mount Liufang would boast a total of four sixteen-Dao experts. Of course, Luoyun and a few others knew the truth. Luoyun could not help but transmit his voice: "My lord, this... if Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley actually come... then..." Su Yu dismissed his concern, replying via voice transmission, "Telling them to come doesn't mean they will dare to, and it proves we have confidence. Otherwise, they would look down on us. With Mount Liufang so powerful, why should we fear Blade Valley and Mount Xuelong? Even if they do come... they won't dare make a reckless move!" Su Yu added, "Continuing to slaughter our way through is certainly exhilarating, and everyone gets spoils, but if we kill them all, how will we consolidate our strength to swallow the other three regions?" In seven days, they had taken fourteen domains; some had surrendered, while others had been killed. By now, the number of Rulers of Rules on Su Yu's side had reached forty—a terrifying number. Among them, the number of second-rank experts had risen from three to five. As for the rest, some had been slain, and some were not second-rank. Not every domain lord was second-rank; some weaker figures had founded domains only to be easily overrun, and anyone who failed to surrender in time was slaughtered on the spot by Su Yu! Over these few days, Su Yu had continuously opened up and fused Daos. By now, he commanded more than a dozen Daos here, though they were not yet exceedingly powerful. Here, one could slaughter at will! No one policed it! This was a place of utter chaos without rules; as long as you were strong enough, you could kill whoever you pleased! Disregarding all that, Su Yu said coldly, "Pass down the command: if the experts of every domain in the northeastern region are not seen at Mount Liufang in three days, there will be no mercy! If anyone doubts it, they can try provoking Mount Liufang!" "Mighty Grand Commander!" The crowd roared. They felt no hesitation, only excitement that they had backed the right person. The Grand Commander was peerlessly powerful! And they hadn't forgotten that he was merely the Grand Commander—there were still the six lords above him! Moreover, the Grand Commander would soon break through, which sent them into raptures! Mount Liufang was now indisputably the strongest power here. Originally, the northeastern region only had five first-rank experts. Once Su Yu broke through, that would make six, and four of them would be at Mount Liufang! In their eyes, Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley were nothing! Even if they joined forces, they were courting death! ... On this day, the order of Heimu reverberated throughout the northeastern region. In three days, every faction in the northeastern region was to go to Mount Liufang to pay homage; anyone who dared refuse would be shown no mercy! The name of Heimu spread so far that day that even the other three regions caught wind of it. Not only that, but in three days, Heimu intended to publicly advance to the sixteen-Dao realm. He would become a top-tier powerhouse! In this place, anyone who dared make a public breakthrough was either a ruthless madman or an utter fool, because that was precisely when one was at their most vulnerable! ... Mount Xuelong. Inside a grand hall, Xuelong sat high above, an icy chill radiating from her. To the side sat an expert whose blade qi surged in crisscrossing waves; his hair fluttered, his face bearing the marks of weathered age. He gave a cold laugh. "What brazen arrogance! This Heimu hasn't even advanced yet, and he already acts like he's sixteen-Dao!" Xuelong furrowed her brows slightly. "Mount Liufang remains exceedingly formidable. Don't forget that this Heimu is merely a commander; Gui and the others are the true foundation." "Gui?" The expert of Blade Valley, the Blade Lord, sneered. "Back when I crossed paths with Gui, he didn't even dare fight. He behaved like a groveling grandson in front of me! Now he's grown arrogant? Lords of Liufang? Laughable!" Yet despite his scoffing words, he knitted his brows. "I truly don't care about Gui. But this Heimu is ruthless and merciless. Over these past few days, he has rampaged and slaughtered without pause. Who would have thought Tianmu Domain would produce such a cold-blooded monster? I hear that if any domain lord failed to surrender before the battle began, he refused to accept their surrender afterward and slaughtered them down to the last soul!" Xuelong nodded. "Indeed! His methods are vicious. It is said he cultivates the Dao of Yin and Death... I wonder if he has ties to Dead Spirit Hell. His conduct certainly carries the hallmarks of Dead Spirit Hell—ferocious and overbearing in the extreme!" The Lord of Dead Spirits was indeed an overbearing figure! Had he not been brutal and ruthless, an outsider who had even left his world behind on the outside would have been wiped out long ago. When he first arrived here, he was actually a junior from the late Heaven-Opening Era—or even early Archaic Era—whereas many of those sealed here were his seniors. Yet a genius was a genius, and the strong were strong. Even so, he had carved out a domain of his own through sheer slaughter, forcefully claiming a territory and establishing Dead Spirit Hell, such that no one dared provoke him. Hearing this, the Blade Lord frowned slightly. "Dead Spirit Hell isn't far from here!" In this region, Mount Eternal and Dead Spirit Hell were the closest. Mount Eternal had been plagued by troubles in recent years, and while Dead Spirit Hell had problems of its own, it was in better shape than Mount Eternal. If this Heimu really belonged to Dead Spirit Hell... With that thought, he looked toward Xuelong. Xuelong's face remained frosty, saying nothing. The Blade Lord transmitted his voice: "Fellow Daoist Xuelong, can you contact Dragon Domain?" Xuelong glanced at him and replied coolly via voice transmission, "Can you contact Blade Domain, Fellow Daoist?" Upon reaching first rank, one almost invariably possessed some ties to the forbidden lands. Some were outright pawns planted across the regions by those forbidden lands. Yet even if they were affiliated with forbidden lands, those places were not nearby. This area was the inner basin encircled by the four great forbidden lands, and those four were what truly mattered! The Blade Lord said no more on the topic, instead asking, "So, do we accept Mount Liufang's invitation or not?" Invitation? It was an ultimatum! They had to go! Refuse, and they would be exterminated! Rampant insolence! Xuelong's brow furrowed slightly. "Refuse? If we don't go, our only option is to flee the northeastern region. Otherwise, if the experts of the other domains all go and submit, consolidating the northeastern region's strength, they will be even more powerful!" At this point, she hesitated before adding, "I've heard some rumors, though I don't know whether they're true. They say that Gui and the others at Mount Liufang might have met with mishap. They haven't appeared once, and even the merger of Mount Liufang was orchestrated entirely by Heimu and his circle!" At those words, the Blade Lord's eyes shifted, and he looked toward Xuelong. Xuelong met his gaze and murmured, "Tell me, for such a massive event, is it really possible that none of them would even show their faces?" The Blade Lord frowned slightly. "Logically speaking, it shouldn't be... But no matter how audacious Heimu and the others are, if those figures were truly gone or dead, they wouldn't dare launch an offensive on their own initiative, right? Even if they were putting on a front, they ought to keep a low profile and hide!" Moreover, they had now taken the initiative to summon them to Mount Liufang—just how reckless would that be? Thus, even though he had heard similar rumors, he hadn't dared take them seriously. Unless this Heimu was audacious enough to pierce the heavens! Xuelong nodded as well. It was precisely Su Yu's brazen boldness that left her uncertain; otherwise, with six mighty experts failing to appear at Mount Liufang's founding, everyone would have harbored suspicions. Yet over at Mount Liufang, nobody doubted anything. Heimu was too powerful, invincible in battle. Sweeping fourteen domains in seven days with cold-blooded slaughter, everyone assumed that with Grand Commander Heimu handling things, it was perfectly natural for the other lords to remain in seclusion. There was simply no need for them to emerge! The two exchanged glances, then looked at the experts gathered below. After a moment of silence, Xuelong said, "We must go. Regardless of whether it's true or false, we have to see for ourselves. If we don't go... our only choice is to leave, or else we will certainly be annihilated!" The Blade Lord nodded, looking toward the crowd with a cold smile. "If it's true... hmph, then this Heimu will learn what it means to be outsmarted by his own cleverness!" In his view, if those six were truly gone, Heimu was most likely trying to bluff them. Of course, they would assess the situation once they arrived and probe on the spot. If those six really were present... at worst, they could bide their time and see what Mount Liufang decided. In this realm, submitting today and rebelling tomorrow was the norm, was it not? It wasn't as if they were signing an indentured deed! ... At the same time. Mount Liufang. Luoyun, Zhigu, and the others were frantic with anxiety. Watching Su Yu sit composed and at ease in the hall, Zhigu hurried to say, "My lord, what if the two from Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley actually show up? We aren't afraid of them coming, but rather that they will suspect something. If they test us, disaster will strike!" If this was exposed, Mount Liufang would be finished! Ignorant of Su Yu's intentions, they only wondered if Heimu had grown conceited. Su Yu's reasoning, however, was simple. A swift battle to a quick resolution! He didn't have much time to waste. The flow of time inside the Heavenly Gate differed from the outside world. While not as drastic as the upper reaches of the River of Time, one day here could mean three or four days had passed in the Myriad Realms. This was already his tenth day here! More than a month might have already elapsed in the Myriad Realms! Fighting their way forward bit by bit to subjugate the northeastern region step by step—how long would that take? Far better to settle it all at once! Su Yu could not be bothered to explain, but seeing their anxiety, he said coolly, "I know what I'm doing and have no wish to die. I'm about to break through—do you think I'm unaware of the dangers? Rest assured!" Seeing their lingering concern, Su Yu frowned. "Enough. Focus on your cultivation. You improve far too slowly. How will you wave the banners and cheer for me at this rate?" The two were helpless. They weren't like him; he was already at fifteen-Dao, so a breakthrough now was natural. But for others, advancing wasn't just a matter of devouring Daos—under normal circumstances, one needed specific Dao power! Ignoring them, Su Yu stood up and walked outside, asking indifferently, "I hear envoys from Luohun Valley and Dead Spirit Hell have sought me out?" Luoyun quickly replied, "Yes, but their intention was for your lordship to go seek an audience with them... They wish to see the lords of Liufang!" After all, Su Yu was only the Grand Commander! Those envoys wanted to see the lords of Mount Liufang, not Su Yu. Of course, Su Yu was quite renowned now, but he still fell short—he had not reached the first rank and was not the true master here. As emissaries of forbidden lands, their tempers were far from meek, and meeting a mere Grand Commander was beneath their dignity! At this point, Luoyun grew tense again. "My lord, this matter cannot be delayed either. Whether Luohun Valley or Dead Spirit Hell, both are forbidden lands with countless experts. Setting aside their masters, any expert they dispatch could prove impossible for us to withstand! "Yet as for the lords of Liufang... my lord knows the truth. Deceiving others is one thing, but deceiving a forbidden land will lead to a grim end!" Su Yu nodded slightly and smiled. "Since they want to see us, they naturally want something. It's fine! What they care about isn't the lords of Liufang, but rather whom Mount Liufang will pledge allegiance to and whose bidding we will do! "For now, we won't see them!" The group froze. Not see them? They had assumed Su Yu would meet the envoys of those forbidden lands immediately. Yet Su Yu smiled and said, "Right now, we don't have the standing to negotiate with them. Once we conquer the entire northeastern region, gathering all the rogue cultivator forces and multiplying our experts, only then will we have the right to bargain with the forbidden lands. If we meet them now... are we supposed to just let them look down on us from on high?" Su Yu gave a chuckle, then said, "Stall them for a few days. A few days is nothing. Tell them the lords of Liufang are in seclusion, wrapping up their cultivation, and need a few more days before emerging. Once they emerge, they will personally meet the envoys. If they ask about me, say I am busy preparing for my breakthrough!" "Understood!" Luoyun hurriedly acknowledged the command, yet anxiety gnawed at him. He was going to deceive the forbidden lands as well! He feared provoking their wrath; Heimu's audacity was simply too great. Su Yu glanced at him and remarked coolly, "The forbidden lands came here because Mount Liufang is powerful. Once the hollow reality of Mount Liufang is exposed, everything will be over! In the eyes of a forbidden land, you hold zero value! As for me, I am about to break through. Even if I abandon Mount Liufang, I can still join Dead Spirit Hell—they will not turn away a sixteen-Dao expert!" Su Yu added coldly, "So... you had best tread carefully. Think about how to answer and how to deflect, rather than spilling our secrets the moment you see an expert from a forbidden land. Even if you betray me, I have nothing to fear. But once I join Dead Spirit Hell... I'll be sure to leave a nice little treat for the lot of you!" A chill ran through Luoyun and the others! Indeed, just moments ago, they had harbored thoughts of selling out Mount Liufang, revealing its true state to the forbidden lands in hopes of securing entry for themselves. Yet hearing Su Yu's words... a shiver pierced their bones. It made sense! Heimu was no corpse. Even if betrayed, he could defect to Dead Spirit Hell. For a fierce combatant who could kill with ease, was on the verge of reaching sixteen-Dao, and cultivated the Dao of Yin and Death, Dead Spirit Hell would welcome him with open arms. The rest of them could not enter Dead Spirit Hell, and even if they betrayed Su Yu, Luohun Valley might not take them in either. Calculating this, Luoyun quickly said, "My lord must be joking! We are all in the same boat—how could we betray you? Wouldn't that be betraying ourselves?" Su Yu said mildly, "It's nothing, just a reminder in case you act foolishly. Once I take the northeastern region, whether the lords of Liufang exist or not will no longer matter. If emissaries from two forbidden lands come, all the better—we can negotiate terms!" The group nodded. Seeing Su Yu brimming with confidence, they remained curious as to how he intended to handle things. Unfortunately, this was not the time to ask further. As if reading their minds, Su Yu considered for a moment and added casually, "Don't overthink it. If real trouble arises, someone will step in to help us. Having cultivated the Dao of Yin and Death, do you think I have no backing?" What did that mean? Hearing this, a dawn of realization washed over them. Could it be... had his lordship already secretly pledged allegiance to Dead Spirit Hell? Or was he... a plant dispatched by Dead Spirit Hell in the first place? Luoyun and Zhigu sucked in a sharp breath. Thank goodness they hadn't acted rashly! If they had gone to report him to Dead Spirit Hell only to find out they were on the same side... wouldn't that be suicide? With that, none of them dared utter another word. Su Yu had spoken in deliberate ambiguities without giving a definitive answer. Let them guess! Whatever they imagined, so be it! ... Before long, Su Yu returned to his quarters. At Mount Liufang, he now possessed his own palace—a symbol of status. Until Gui and the others showed up, Su Yu was the supreme leader. Inside the cultivation chamber. Strands of Dao power manifested, varying in strength. Ten days after entering the gate, Su Yu had grasped quite a few Daos. His fifteen-Dao power was practically complete—at least, without drawing upon his power outside the gate. If he tapped into that, Su Yu estimated he would command twenty-one or even twenty-two Daos of power. Originally, even without these new Daos, he possessed twenty-Dao power, and within his own world, he wielded twenty-four-Dao power. Now, if he returned and fused all the Dao powers he had cultivated recently into his world, he would possess at least twenty-five or even twenty-six Daos of power. At this moment, however, Su Yu was not focused on that. For now, he considered himself a denizen inside the gate. He was Heimu! "My expansion is still not fast enough!" Too slow! After calculating for a while, Su Yu decided this was inadequate. This wouldn't do! He had to conquer the northeastern region as quickly as possible! Preferably, he would sweep through the entirety of Jinduan Gorge in short order! Even so, in the northeastern region alone, there had been five first-rank rogue cultivators besides himself, which was terrifying. Averaged out, didn't that mean Jinduan Gorge had twenty? Add in the four great forbidden lands! The sheer power in this single region was likely on par with the Myriad Realms at its peak. At the peak of the Myriad Realms, the myriad races had seven first-rank experts, while the human race—counting King Wen and the Human Sovereign as super-rank—had two super-ranks and over a dozen first-rank experts... It still fell short of this place. After all, the forbidden lands had first-ranks as well, and quite a few of them! "In the entire world behind the gate, fellows like Gui usually only mess around in Jinduan Gorge and rarely venture outside..." No one knew just how vast the world behind the gate truly was. Yet as for forbidden lands, there were no fewer than ten known so far! Of course, some forbidden land masters were not necessarily super-rank—they hadn't reached thirty-two Daos, possessing only thirty or thirty-one Daos of power. Such masters were comparatively ordinary, but to establish a forbidden land, they invariably possessed something unique. Around here, a well-known non-super-rank master of a forbidden land was an expert of the Soul Race from the Heaven-Opening Era. The forbidden land he created was called the Soul Domain. The Soul Domain was everywhere yet nowhere to be found, formless and colorless, leaving no trace. It was somewhat similar to Lan Tian's Dao of Avatars, yet not entirely so; his willpower permeated the entire realm, allowing him to attach himself to anyone at any time and descend anywhere. Though he had not reached super-rank, even super-rank figures were reluctant to provoke him. He was extraordinarily difficult to deal with, which was why he qualified as the master of a forbidden land. The other non-super-rank masters were mostly in similar situations, each possessing a unique trump card. "Forbidden lands..." Su Yu recalled Mu's explanation of forbidden lands: a forbidden land could traverse the Heavenly Gate, or even a phantom of the Heavenly Gate, to exit into the outside world. Su Yu had attempted it several times, but currently, he had no way to exit through his own Heavenly Gate projection! Unless he found another Heavenly Gate expert and used their guidance to depart! He could mimic Gui, imprinting his power in the Myriad Realms before descending there. "A forbidden land, on the other hand, doesn't need that. As long as the other party's Heavenly Gate is strong enough, they can directly teleport the forbidden land out." "So, is a forbidden land a treasure or a Dao?" Su Yu pondered. Was a forbidden land an artifact? Or the power of a Dao? He was not entirely certain. Without seeing one in person, he could not know the specifics, but forbidden lands seemed exceedingly peculiar. Not just anyone could create one. And what was the core of a forbidden land? Questions surfaced in Su Yu's mind one after another. "King Wen and King Wu haven't made a single peep in ten days... Useless fools!" Su Yu cursed under his breath. No wonder they hadn't accomplished anything in all these years—their efficiency was abysmal! Slacking off for ten days straight without doing a thing, how could that ever work? Ten days! Not a ripple of activity. Unless Su Yu was genuinely nursing severe wounds, when would he ever go ten days without working? He had imagined King Wen and King Wu engaged in life-and-death combat here, but looking at it now... heh, the two of them were just playing hide-and-seek with the Master of Mount Eternal! "In three days..." Su Yu suddenly smiled. Just because he said three days didn't mean he would idle for three days! In the next instant, Su Yu drifted away, moving with barely a whisper, vanishing without a trace. A true powerhouse strategized and took the initiative! There was no way he would actually wait three days before getting to work! If unexpected variables cropped up in three days, that would only invite trouble. He flew in a specific direction—not anywhere else, but straight toward Blade Valley and Mount Xuelong. Indeed, Su Yu intended to deal with the two first-rank experts ahead of time, taking them down first! Slay them, or subjugate them. When three days had passed... he would have plants to play along with him! Could anyone achieve great things without finding a few shills? Did anyone really expect the two first-rank experts to be subdued in three days merely by an aura of imperial dominance? What a joke! Those two would inevitably stir up trouble by then. Rather than letting trouble come to him, it was better to resolve them in advance. While few people were around, even if he exposed a little more of his hand, no one would notice or care! Two sixteen-Dao powerhouses might be tricky if they stuck together, but if they split up... heh, one-on-one, Su Yu had countless ways to deal with them! "I announced that everyone should gather at Mount Liufang in three days, so perhaps the two of them will separate and act independently!" Su Yu calculated. Right now, everyone's attention was likely fixed on Mount Liufang! Excellent! This was how things ought to be done. Taking the initiative was always superior to passive waiting; this had been Su Yu's conviction from the very start. He never waited for enemies to knock on his door—that was foolish. Ever since his Character-Nurturing days, Su Yu had known to strike proactively, baiting the Single Divine Character experts into hunting him down so he could turn the tables and counter-kill them. Otherwise, had he stubbornly ground away inside the academy, he might still be grinding to this day! ... After flying for over half a day, Su Yu concealed his aura completely. In the void, the power of a Great Dao emerged: "Calamity"! Indeed, after arriving behind the gate, Su Yu had picked up many of the Daos he had previously abandoned. The "Calamity" Dao seemed to harmonize even better with the world behind the gate, advancing with astonishing speed. This was because the realm behind the gate was inherently a world of calamity, an era of tribulation. Not only this Dao, but even Daos like "Tranquility" that he had set aside earlier were taken up again. Outside the gate, his later efforts were focused mainly on balancing Daos, dabbling across various paths, and occasionally favoring certain Daos to strengthen the people in his world. Usually, he meditated on Daos that would benefit everyone else. As for the Daos he personally wished to comprehend, he had lacked the time to pursue them. Here, Su Yu did not need to accommodate anyone. He could cultivate whatever he pleased, and the world behind the gate was filled with countless Daos—he was free to practice whatever took his fancy! Activating the "Calamity" Dao, Su Yu dissolved into the void. By this time, he could already see a towering mountain, translucent and glittering like a world of ice and snow. He had reached Mount Xuelong! Supposedly, the master here was a snow dragon, potentially connected to Dragon Domain, one of the forbidden lands. Toward dragons, Su Yu felt neither reverence nor fear; he had slaughtered his fair share of them. As for snow dragons, that breed seemed extinct in the Myriad Realms, but remnants survived here. "The Lord of Mount Xuelong, first-rank, reached that level earlier than Gui, likely possessing sixteen-Dao power or slightly more..." "Adept at ice-sealing and imprisonment." "Her domain holds more experts than Gui had under his command—reputedly two second-ranks and seven or eight beneath second-rank... Recently, teaming up with Blade Valley to overrun ten domains, she likely subjugated a few more experts..." Su Yu continuously weighed the odds. If he barged in directly, even unleashing his power from outside the gate, dealing with so many experts would be a tall order. Moreover, he didn't know whether the Master of Blade Valley was present. If he was, Su Yu would be even less capable of handling them both! "Mount Xuelong... Xuelong..." Su Yu looked into the distance, his eyes gleaming. The best approach was to lure the target out and deal with her alone, picking them off one by one! Yet doing so would not be easy. Su Yu fell into deep contemplation, considering how to handle such a situation. In the next instant, his eyes shifted. Suddenly, his aura altered slightly as the power of a Great Dao surfaced. This Dao was somewhat unusual, resembling a multicolored fusion of multiple Daos. It also carried the feel of an intermingling of the Five Elements! Here, however, everyone referred to this path by a specific name: the Dao of Myriad Laws. It was also the specialized cultivation method of Mount Eternal! Similar to an amalgamation of Five Elements Daos! The master of Mount Eternal was said to be versed in all myriad laws, mastering countless arts without exception. The core powerhouses under his command were equally distinct, all adept in this Dao of Myriad Laws. As for the specifics, Su Yu had never seen it and could not judge for sure, but he surmised it was achieved through special techniques that blended several Daos together, much like the Five Elements Dao. In Su Yu's eyes, this resembled the weaving of Daos, somewhat akin to a world-opener weaving Great Daos, though the loops were minimal, consisting of only a handful of paths. This was something Su Yu excelled at. He had opened his world by weaving ten thousand Daos! This master of Mount Eternal was truly a formidable figure. Su Yu suspected he might be a world-opener, though he could also be a Dao-blender similar to the Five Elements Ancestor. With a slight shift, Su Yu transformed into an expert cultivating the Dao of Myriad Laws! After a moment's consideration, he suddenly released a strand of Myriad Laws aura, sending it sweeping straight toward Mount Xuelong! ... Over at Mount Xuelong. Xuelong had just seen off the Blade Lord, who had returned to Blade Valley to make preparations. Just as Xuelong was about to arrange scouts to investigate Mount Liufang, her eyes flickered. She turned her head hurriedly, gazing into the distance. Beside her, a burly man seemed to sense something as well and looked toward that direction. Xuelong was vigilant at first, but then her expression shifted slightly! This aura... was quite unique! A blend of Daos that was both heterogeneous and pure. This sensation... this feeling... Her face changed! She remembered—this was... the Dao of Myriad Laws, unseen for many years! Ever since King Wen and King Wu appeared, experts from Mount Eternal rarely ventured outside, because whenever they showed themselves, they frequently suffered ambushes by the pair. Consequently, Mount Eternal's influence in Jinduan Gorge had steadily waned over the years! Prior to that, Mount Eternal had actually wielded the greatest influence of all! Xuelong's expression shifted, while the burly man beside her also frowned. After a moment, his brow twitched, and he looked abruptly toward Xuelong, muttering in a low voice, "My lady!" Xuelong frowned and transmitted, "You felt it too?" This burly man was also a dragon. Unlike her, however, he was a golden dragon. His strength was formidable as well—at the peak of the second rank. "I felt it. The Dao is very peculiar... most likely someone from Mount Eternal!" Xuelong nodded, hesitating as she sent a voice transmission: "Someone from Mount Eternal has actually come out. Does this mean... they are inviting me out for a discussion?" "Be careful, my lady. For them to suddenly invite you to a meeting at this hour... this..." "I know!" Xuelong nodded, her mood heavy. "Still, if we don't go... Mount Eternal may have lost influence recently, but it remains one of the premier forbidden lands. If I don't give them face, that will also bring trouble!" "Then I will accompany you, my lady. Or perhaps we should summon the Blade Lord; he departed only a short while ago..." "Unwise!" Xuelong took a deep breath. What did Mount Eternal want with her? Could it be related to Dragon Domain? Or something else? Mulling it over, she transmitted: "Do not come. Stay with our people and guard the domain. If anything unexpected happens... the moment I give the signal, charge out with everyone, regardless of whether the other party is from a forbidden land! Even if they are strong, capturing me won't be that simple. Besides... they may not bear ill intent; at least, I sense no malice or crisis!" She had probed her instincts and felt no warning tremors in her heart. Having attained the first rank, she had that much confidence; it was difficult for anyone to deceive her premonitions. "My lady... be careful!" "It's fine! It might even be a good thing!" Xuelong smiled. "It may be related to Mount Liufang's recent movements. Perhaps it's an opportunity for us!" "Your subordinate understands. Please proceed with caution, my lady. At the slightest sign, I will lead our forces out!" Xuelong nodded without further words. Soaring into the air, she flew out of the domain in an instant. An expert from a forbidden land had arrived! No matter what, she had to show some respect. Of course, this was right outside her domain; otherwise, she would never have stepped out so rashly. ... A moment later. Xuelong descended into the void. There, Su Yu stood in green robes, his long hair fluttering in the wind, Dao power radiating outward with an imposing majesty. Feeling this majestic aura, Xuelong's gaze narrowed slightly! An important figure! Or rather, someone of high status. Such an air was difficult to fake. No matter how powerful an expert of servant origins became, they still carried an indescribable subservience. But someone who had long held supreme authority naturally possessed the bearing of a ruler. "Xuelong?" Su Yu's voice was indifferent. His apparent strength didn't seem overwhelming; to Xuelong, he felt as though he might be at sixteen-Dao, or perhaps just shy of it. Having taken the form of a woman, Xuelong smiled. "It is I. May I ask who you are, sir..." "Asking what you already know!" Su Yu revealed his multicolored Dao power, an aura swirling around him as he looked coldly at Xuelong. "This is not Dragon Domain. This place is the territory of Mount Eternal. Has Mount Eternal remained absent for so long that you have forgotten us?" "I would not dare!" Xuelong lowered her head. "The Lord of Mount Xuelong pays her respects to the honored emissary of the forbidden land!" Su Yu looked at her and said aloofly, "You are a powerhouse, so I won't waste words on posturing. Let us cut straight to the point: are you aware of Mount Liufang?" "I am!" "Mount Liufang may have defected to Dead Spirit Hell, and we cannot permit Dead Spirit Hell to occupy the territory between us!" Su Yu said coldly, "If Mount Liufang succeeds, linking up with King Wen and King Wu and eliminating our buffer zone against Dead Spirit Hell, allowing Dead Spirit Hell to expand here... that will spell tremendous trouble!" Xuelong's heart stirred. That Heimu specialized in the Dao of Yin and Death—could he truly be an operative of Dead Spirit Hell? "Then what does the honored emissary intend..." "You are a plant sent by Dragon Domain, aren't you?" "I am not..." Su Yu scoffed dismissively. "It doesn't matter. Dragon Domain is also a forbidden land behind the gate, unlike Dead Spirit Hell, which originates from outside the gate, or outsiders like King Wen and King Wu. Since it is a forbidden land from behind the gate, Mount Eternal does not mind!" Xuelong felt a twinge of awkwardness and held her tongue. "I hear Mount Liufang has summoned the domain lords of the entire region to seek an audience in three days?" "Yes." Su Yu let out a contemptuous sneer. "Insolent scoundrels! This is Mount Eternal's domain, yet they dare demand rogue cultivators seek an audience with them? How laughable! Even our forbidden land has not spoken, yet Mount Liufang dares act so brazen!" Xuelong remained silent. She still wasn't entirely clear on his objective. While she had guessed the general drift, the specifics eluded her. Su Yu looked at her and remarked casually, "It was extraordinarily difficult for me to come out this time! While King Wen and King Wu pose no threat to our Mountain Master, to the rest of us, they are terrifying entities. Breaking through their cordon was no easy task! And that is precisely the foundation of Mount Liufang's arrogance! "Mount Liufang is certain Mount Eternal cannot spare the effort to deal with them, which is why they grow more reckless and flagrant by the day!" Xuelong nodded. "They are indeed arrogant. Over the past few days, they have slain quite a few experts..." Su Yu said indifferently, "I am already aware of this. Xuelong, I came to you with a single purpose: cooperate with Mount Eternal to crush Mount Liufang, execute them, and awe the region! Let everyone know that even if Mount Eternal is in trouble, petty scoundrels cannot provoke us with impunity! Are you willing to lend your strength to Mount Eternal?" Xuelong gave a light laugh. "We don't care for Mount Liufang either... but as the honored emissary knows, they boast three sixteen-Dao powerhouses, and that Heimu is on the verge of breakthrough as well. In addition, there are three fifteen-Dao experts who may or may not have broken through... Emissary, your strength... appears roughly comparable to mine. Even if I agree to help, capturing them will be exceedingly difficult, won't it?" Su Yu nodded slightly, then chuckled. "Of course I know that! But would Mount Eternal ever act without absolute certainty? What Mount Liufang? It's nothing more than a farce directed and staged by Heimu alone—Gui and the others perished long ago!" Xuelong shuddered! Was it true? She could not help looking at Su Yu. Su Yu sneered, "Could this be false? Days ago, King Wen deliberately lured our Mountain Master away. On the road, our Mountain Master happened upon those fools and casually slaughtered them all... Who could have predicted that this Heimu would direct a show of his own, fabricating this so-called Mount Liufang? Still, Heimu is no weakling, and with assistants at his side, killing him alone would present some difficulty. But with your help and Blade Valley's... resolving Mount Liufang will be trivial! "And Heimu is an operative of Dead Spirit Hell!" Su Yu snorted. "The Lord of Dead Spirits... a mere outsider daring to seek hegemony here and scheme against Mount Eternal? Pure delusion!" At this moment, Xuelong's mind was reeling. She was still processing this revelation! Mount Liufang... was truly just a bluff orchestrated by Heimu to frighten everyone. She had entertained the thought before but had not dared take it as fact. Now, she could not help asking, "Is... is what the honored emissary says true? If so, this Heimu's audacity knows no bounds—how could he dare summon the experts of all factions to gather at Mount Liufang..." "Of course he is audacious!" Su Yu said coldly, "Because an expert from Dead Spirit Hell lurks nearby!" Xuelong was shocked. "An expert from Dead Spirit Hell is present?" "Correct!" Su Yu nodded. "I originally planned to act alone, but as soon as I arrived near Mount Liufang, I sensed them. It is likely an expert under Emperor Mingtu, quite powerful. Otherwise... bearing the might of a forbidden land, I would fear nothing even if they outnumbered me! But with a forbidden land expert backing them..." Xuelong was instantly consumed with worry. "Then... the clash between Mount Eternal and Dead Spirit Hell... for me to rashly intervene..." Su Yu said icily, "It is a choice between two: offend Dead Spirit Hell, or offend Mount Eternal! I know Mount Eternal's prestige is not what it once was, and our deterrent power over you has waned. But do not forget, outsiders will always be outsiders! "The Heavenly Gate is about to open. Do you think everyone will simply allow Dead Spirit Hell to grow unchecked? You belong to a forbidden land, an expert of Dragon Domain, not an ignorant rogue cultivator. Let me ask you: what is Dragon Domain's stance toward Dead Spirit Hell?" Xuelong was cowed by his intensity. Only after a long pause did she reply, "Do not actively provoke them... but under no circumstances draw close!" Su Yu scoffed, "Isn't it obvious then? Having cultivated to our level, anyone who fails to see through this is an idiot! Do you truly believe Mount Eternal's ongoing clash with King Wen and King Wu is our business alone? Tying down King Wen and King Wu... is the collective will of all the forbidden lands! It's just that many wish to sit back and watch Mount Eternal bleed against them... Hmph!" Su Yu sneered, "If our Mountain Master is pushed too far and releases Wen Yu, freeing King Wen and King Wu from their shackles, who knows who will end up weeping! If you cannot decide, ask Dragon Domain right now whether they would aid Mount Eternal or Dead Spirit Hell!" Xuelong said hastily, "Of course I wouldn't entangle myself with Dead Spirit Hell..." They were a public enemy, even if not quite as overt as King Wen and King Wu. Su Yu nodded slightly. "Good. Time is of the essence. Accompany me to find the Blade Lord. The two of you will eliminate Heimu, while I deal with the expert from Dead Spirit Hell. Trying to establish a foothold here... what an idiotic daydream!" Xuelong hesitated. "Right now?" Su Yu frowned. "Or should we wait until he subjugates every faction?" Su Yu showed a trace of anger. "Xuelong, are you dead set on making an enemy of Mount Eternal?" Xuelong cursed internally! If I don't help you, I'm making an enemy of Mount Eternal? These people are overbearing as ever! Weighing her options, she said, "Then I... let me make some arrangements, and I will depart with the honored emissary shortly..." Going to find the Blade Lord... In truth, she would have preferred to consult Dragon Domain first, but there was no time. Dragon Domain was vast distances away, message delivery was slow, and this emissary clearly wouldn't wait! For now, she had to play along and discuss the matter once she met with the Blade Lord. Only then did Su Yu rein in his temper, saying aloofly, "Go! And tell the trash in your domain to stop radiating hostility toward me. My arrival here is known to the Mountain Master. Xuelong, if you believe you can ignore Mount Eternal, feel free to let them attack! If you can bear the consequences of killing me, I won't even resist!" "I wouldn't dare; the honored emissary misunderstands!" Xuelong hurried to explain, "They do not know your identity and feared it was a trap set by Mount Liufang..." Su Yu scoffed with utter disdain. "Mount Liufang is waiting for you to walk into their net. Why would they deliver themselves to your doorstep? Idiots!" Embarrassed, Xuelong said nothing more. She returned to Mount Xuelong and flew back out a moment later. This time, however, she brought the burly man with her, explaining, "Jin Feng is quite formidable as well. Bringing him along might be of some help..." Su Yu glanced at him and said indifferently, "Decent enough. Fifteen-Dao power, a capable figure! We don't need too many people—excess baggage is useless. Adding the Blade Lord will be more than sufficient. A puny Mount Liufang dares swagger before us? This time, we will annihilate Mount Liufang and execute every last soul belonging to it!" Xuelong sucked in a breath. Ruthless! Behind the gate, total annihilation was rare; after all, living beings were resources. "Let us go!" Su Yu shot through the void at blinding speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye. The two dragons gave chase immediately, yet lagged a step behind. Su Yu came to an abrupt halt, frowning. "Too slow! Is this all the speed the Dragon Race can muster? Useless! Enter my Myriad Laws Domain; I will carry you along!" The two exchanged glances, reluctant to do so, but their speed genuinely could not match his. After a brief hesitation, Xuelong and Jin Feng stepped into Su Yu's Myriad Laws Domain. Mount Eternal had no reason to target them. There was simply no necessity! Eliminating Mount Liufang, the running dogs of Dead Spirit Hell, was what truly served Mount Eternal's interests. Carrying his Myriad Laws Domain, Su Yu sped toward Blade Valley. The two dragons remained vigilant for a while, but sensing no threat whatsoever, they gradually relaxed. They had only to wait until reaching Blade Valley. One had to admit, his speed was truly remarkable. As they flew, the two observed Su Yu's Myriad Laws Domain with a hint of envy. Reputedly, Mount Eternal's Myriad Laws Domain was extraordinarily potent, and Fa was among the stronger masters of the forbidden lands. Studying Su Yu's domain, they gradually grew fascinated. So many Daos gathered together! A flawless integration! Truly astounding! This fellow was exceptionally strong. By the way, what was his name again? Xuelong thought to herself, realizing she had forgotten to ask his name—she had been utterly overwhelmed by his demeanor. She wondered what relation he bore to Fa, the master of the forbidden land; perhaps a direct descendant? As she was musing, a faint, eerie murmur suddenly sounded beside her ears: "Silence!" "Solidify!" Subconsciously, Xuelong marshaled her strength to retaliate, but at this moment she was inside Su Yu's domain—effectively within the perimeter of his world power. Instantly, Xuelong felt herself suppressed! Boom! Within the Myriad Laws Domain, Su Yu struck Xuelong with a palm, shattering her physical body and snapping her dragon tail. Jin Feng fared even worse; Su Yu's palm strike broke his dragon body in two, completely severing it! Su Yu sighed. "Idiots!" The Dragon Race was always this foolish! Believing whatever I say! Of course, the Myriad Laws Domain was exceedingly deceptive, but to a world-opener like him, what did a Myriad Laws Domain amount to? Bullshit! "You..." Boom, boom, boom! The moment Xuelong opened her mouth, Su Yu launched a ferocious onslaught. Dozens of Great Daos materialized, bombarding relentlessly and blasting flesh and blood everywhere. Xuelong roared repeatedly as frost power erupted, but within Su Yu's domain, it was utterly futile! Before long, two battered, mangled dragon bodies were sealed and held in Su Yu's grasp like a pair of loaches. Su Yu beamed! Letting out a breath, he remarked that they were indeed tricky to deal with. Fortunately, their intellect wasn't very high; otherwise, capturing them would have posed quite a challenge! A victory in the opening battle!