Subduing All Sides

Mount Liufang. Su Yu gazed down across the surrounding lands from the heights of the mountain. A great number of unaffiliated experts from various territories had already arrived all around, yet the two hegemons of the northeastern region—Blade Valley and Mount Xuelong—had not yet appeared. These two were the powerhouses everyone counted on to stand against Mount Liufang. It was not that people were unwilling to lean on a major power, but that power had to be formidable enough. To those second-rank experts, Mount Liufang’s strength was indeed formidable—provided that Gui and the others were still alive. If they had perished... what a joke. Who would be willing to submit to a mere second-rank Heimu? At that moment, Luoyun, Zhigu, and the others looked deeply worried. Too many experts had come! And the two first-rank factions had not even arrived yet! Once they did, there would be two sixteen-Dao experts and over twenty second-rank fighters. Against such overwhelming might, Mount Liufang stood no chance. Even if Heimu had truly stepped into sixteen Daos, two fists could hardly fend off four hands. One of the second-rank experts who had recently been subjugated spoke up in a dark, low voice. "Lord Heimu, I believe we should request Lords Gui, Mu, and Yu to come out of seclusion. If this continues, the rumors outside will run rampant, claiming that the lords have fallen... Mount Liufang won't be able to keep them in check!" Su Yu looked at him and smiled. "That makes sense!" He gave a slight nod and chuckled. "No rush, things haven't even started yet, have they? The main stars always make their entrance at the finale. See, haven't Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley yet to arrive?" With that, Su Yu smiled. "Alright, what's the rush? I'm not in a hurry, so why are you? If anyone dies, I'll die first. Once I'm dead, you can defect to whoever you like!" Su Yu chuckled. The man who had spoken lowered his head and said in a heavy voice, "Your subordinate did not mean that. It's just that the lords have not emerged for so long, and everyone... is indeed worried!" Su Yu nodded. "I understand. Don't worry. I've already communicated with them. Should the need arise, the lords will appear!" With a wave of his hand, Su Yu said, "Go, invite our distinguished guests to take their seats in the grand hall. Once the forces of Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley arrive, the unification of the northeastern region of Jinduan Gorge shall begin!" "My Lord..." "Go!" Su Yu turned his head toward the newly subjugated experts and said indifferently, "What, my words no longer carry weight?" The group dared not utter another word. Heimu was capricious, bloodthirsty, and utterly ruthless. Regardless of whether the Six Lords of Mount Liufang were dead or alive, offending Heimu right now offered no benefits. Soon, they all took their leave. From every direction, experts began ascending Mount Liufang. Faint murmurs could be heard among the crowds. "I heard Lord Gui and the others died long ago!" "This Heimu is ridiculously bold!" "Let's see how he wraps this up!" "Heh, wrap it up? More like wrapping up his corpse!" "..." A group of experts deliberately voiced these words quite loudly, loud enough for Su Yu to catch parts of it. Su Yu said nothing. He sat down at the mountain summit. A tea table appeared before him, and the maidservant beside him swiftly poured tea. Luoyun and Zhigu walked over, both wearing worried expressions. What were they to do! Who leaked the news? Zhigu said in a heavy voice, "My Lord, someone on our side must have betrayed us!" Back then, across the six territories, there were six inspectors. Aside from Zhigu and Luoyun, three others knew of the truth, including a second-rank expert named Qisheng, who specialized in healing arts. At this moment, Zhigu was clearly suspecting Qisheng. After all, the other two third-rank experts knew very little beforehand and barely had opportunities to act on their own. Su Yu smiled faintly. "So what if they did?" Zhigu froze. "My Lord, if... if the news leaks, we... we are probably in immense trouble!" Su Yu chuckled softly. "And then? Things have already reached this point. Should we tell everyone, 'Oh, the Six Lords of Mount Liufang are truly dead'? At this point, all we can do is hold out!" Zhigu opened his mouth, then hesitated. Hold out? Easier said than done! He sighed. "My Lord, once the people from Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley arrive, they will definitely make their move!" Su Yu nodded slightly and smiled. "Not only that, I imagine the emissaries from the two forbidden grounds will also want a piece of the pie. And from other regions, there might be others looking to stick their hands in as well!" With that, Su Yu smiled again. "Alright, if it really doesn't work out, just surrender. If you surrender, would they kill you? As the leader, I'm the one in the greatest danger. If I haven't said a thing, what are you afraid of?" Beside him, Luoyun was also filled with dread. It was easy to say that, but seeing Mount Liufang on the verge of collapse at any second, Luoyun felt utterly helpless. He felt a trace of resentment. If Heimu hadn't been so flamboyant and hadn't tried to wipe everyone out at once to dominate the northeast, Mount Liufang might still have stood tall in this region! Just as he was thinking this, his expression shifted. In the distance, a surge of blade qi swept across the sky. A gigantic blade flew across the void. It was crowded with people, all of them powerful experts. The people from Blade Valley had arrived! "It's the Blade Master!" The experts making their way up the mountain cried out in pleasant surprise. The Blade Master was here! The next instant, a dragon's roar shook heaven and earth! "The people of Mount Xuelong have arrived!" "..." The powerhouses of both factions had arrived! Both factions brought vast numbers of experts. Having subjugated several territories earlier, each side already had second-rank experts. Now, both factions arrived bringing three second-rank experts each. At this moment, this place gathered two first-rank experts and as many as twenty-three second-rank experts. On Su Yu's side, excluding himself, there were only five second-rank experts. Two of them were newly subjugated from prior campaigns. Just counting the second-rank experts in the northeastern region—excluding Su Yu, the Blade Master, and the others—there were twenty-eight, not to mention those who had been slain. Had none been killed, the number would have been even greater. Over thirty in the second rank! Even though Mount Tianqiong had few people, across the other three quadrants, Jinduan Gorge probably held around a hundred second-rank experts! Terrifyingly vast! As for the first rank, there were originally five in this area alone. An equally astonishing figure! One had to realize that after countless years of accumulation, all the myriad races combined had only seven first-rank experts, a dozen or so in the second rank, and quite a few in the third and fourth ranks, but compared to here, it was far fewer. A single Jinduan Gorge was stronger than all the myriad realms combined! Su Yu marveled with a soft sigh, which soon turned into a smile. "So many experts. How wonderful!" Beside him, the expressions of Luoyun and the other man shifted erratically. Wonderful? More like terribly dangerous! The people from Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley had arrived! "Let's go have a look!" Su Yu took a step forward and headed toward the eighth floor, which was the central venue for today's gathering. As the experts of the entire northeastern region converged, the whole of Mount Liufang buzzed with surging auras. Such concentrated strength was thoroughly daunting. Regions like Jinduan Gorge were rare even inside the Heavenly Gate. Surrounded by four great forbidden grounds, it enjoyed uniquely blessed conditions! Being here had an advantage: with the four forbidden grounds around, there were few Devouring Locusts. Other regions were far harsher, overrun with swarms of Devouring Locusts constantly bringing destruction. *** The grand hall on the eighth floor. Auras clashed and intersected! With the arrival of the two major factions, the crowd began chattering excitedly to greet them. "Blade Master, this Mount Liufang's ambition is simply too great! If they truly had the power, unifying the northeastern region wouldn't be an issue... The crux is, word has it that the Six Lords... perished long ago!" "Indeed! Even if there's to be unification, that should be the business of Blade Valley and Mount Xuelong! How does it fall to Heimu to bark orders?" "Exactly! He has killed quite a few lords. That fellow is ruthless and merciless. Blade Master and Lord Snow must uphold justice for us!" "..." Everyone spoke at once! The Blade Master looked utterly detached and ignored them, taking his seat on his own. Xuelong did the same. The two took seats on opposite flanks. Someone spoke up again, "My Lords, if you are to sit, you should take the head seats! How can you sit beneath Heimu? He is merely a fifteen-Dao expert. What right does he have to place himself above the two of you?" The Blade Master looked at the speaker and said calmly, "What's the rush? Are Gui and the others truly dead? We will wait and see. If you jump around now and those few turn out to be alive... will you handle it?" At these words, the hall fell quiet. True enough! It was not confirmed yet! If they were still alive, that meant three sixteen-Dao powerhouses! Those who had been leaping about earlier immediately quieted down. If they kept squawking, everyone would look at them like fools. Right at that moment, footsteps echoed. Outside the hall, Su Yu appeared with five second-rank experts trailing behind him, while the rest waited outside. Wearing a black cloak, his long hair fluttering, Su Yu strode inside and said indifferently, "Anyone below eight Daos, get out! You have no right to enter!" At these words, several faces in the hall darkened. Not every lord was of the second rank! Su Yu strode forward, looking neither left nor right, haughty and dismissive of everyone present. He said coldly, "Those below eight Daos, stand outside and listen! Have you no discipline? Is this a place where you can just walk in and sit down?" He glared sharply at several third-rank lords, whose faces instantly drained of color. A fifteen-Dao Heimu still wielded immense intimidation over them! Some cast pleading looks toward the two first-rank experts. The Blade Master raised an eyebrow slightly and said softly, "Heimu, don't be too arrogant. That said, those below eight Daos should step outside. Indeed, being too weak, participating might not be a good thing!" At that, many cursed inwardly. Indeed, the law of the jungle reigned supreme! Even the Blade Master had no desire to let practitioners below eight Daos participate. Several lords had no choice but to rise and depart. In an instant, the grand hall quieted down. Six on Su Yu's side, twenty-five from other factions. Thirty-one experts in total! Outside the door, the others did not leave. With the future of the northeastern region hanging in the balance, who dared leave rashly? Even if they could not enter, it did not stop them from listening in! Outside, over a hundred Rulers of Rules had gathered. A massive crowd! Everyone wore heavy expressions. Meanwhile, Su Yu walked straight up to the head of the hall. Originally, there were six chairs at the top. As Chief Commander, Su Yu technically had no seat. But now, with a casual wave of his hand, five of the chairs shattered to dust, leaving only one, and he sat right down upon it! This act sent a jolt through the crowd! The five people beside him blanched. Below, someone exclaimed in shock, "Heimu, what is the meaning of this?" Was this an outright admission that the Six Lords of Mount Liufang had fallen? Heavens! Had this Heimu gone mad? Su Yu looked at the speaker and said indifferently, "Noisy. Who gave you the right to question me?" The crowd was stunned and turned their eyes toward Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley. The Blade Master and Xuelong exchanged a glance, and Xuelong spoke up, "Be calm! Since Heimu invited us here, let us hear him out before making any decisions. What's the hurry?" Seeing that these two had not flown into a rage, the others suppressed their irritation and held their tongues, their minds spinning with various thoughts. Heimu... had truly lost his mind! The moment he arrived, he destroyed the seats of the Six Lords. Wasn't that blatantly telling everyone that Mount Liufang had no Six Lords? They were all dead! Yet Su Yu remained completely composed. Looking around, he said calmly, "Alright, not everyone is here yet. I, Heimu, have shown myself. Those who should come out had better come out. Are you still hoping to reap the spoils without lifting a finger? Have the emissaries of Dead Spirit Hell and Luohun Valley arrived?" "Hehe..." A soft chuckle echoed, stirring the soul as if it could disperse one's spirit. Under everyone's horrified gazes, an enchanting woman dressed in sheer black silk appeared, wearing a faint, profoundly seductive smile! Luohun Valley! Hearts trembled throughout the room. People from a forbidden ground had come! Not only that, the next moment, another raspy laugh rang out: "Heimu, you are finally willing to meet us!" As the words fell, outside the distant grand hall, a dark figure manifested out of thin air, death qi boiling around him. The surrounding Rulers of Rules scrambled backward, their expressions shifting drastically. Someone from Dead Spirit Hell! Emissaries from two great forbidden grounds had arrived! "Greetings, Lords!" Right at that moment, laughter rang out from outside once more! In an instant, three figures emerged. Two men and one woman. Counting the two experts from the forbidden grounds, five powerhouses had appeared in the blink of an eye! And... all seemed to be of the first rank! The entire hall went dead silent, many paling in terror. Five great experts! "Tiancan Ridge!" "Panshi Cliff!" "Hupo Cave!" Someone recognized the three newcomers and blanched. These... these were three mighty experts from other regions of Jinduan Gorge. Their factions were exceedingly powerful, and some even possessed more than one sixteen-Dao expert! At that moment, the entire room was shaken. They had all actually come! And the crucial part was, they had come alongside the emissaries of the two forbidden grounds! There were no tedious pleasantries, no need for restraint. Arriving alongside the emissaries of two forbidden grounds, why would they need any of that? They didn't! The moment they sensed Heimu shattering five chairs and probed Mount Liufang without finding any other powerful presences, they chose to reveal themselves immediately! No need to wait for anything! What did a mere Heimu amount to? As for the Blade Master and Xuelong, they were indeed not weak, but today, these newcomers had come with the emissaries. Strong as the two might be, so what? In an instant, five experts stepped into the grand hall! The alluring woman, the emissary from Luohun Valley, wore a seductive smile. "Heimu, you truly have monstrous audacity. You dared pretend six powerhouses were alive to establish Mount Liufang. If that were all, so be it, but you actually sought to stir up the winds and clouds, throwing the entire northeastern region into chaos..." Su Yu looked at her, his expression placid. "This place borders Mount Eternal and Dead Spirit Hell. It has nothing to do with Luohun Valley, does it? The northeastern region is not Luohun Valley's territory!" At these words, everyone's hearts leaped into their throats! Insane! You dare speak to someone from a forbidden ground like that? The woman was also taken aback. The next moment, her smile slowly vanished. "Heimu, have you lost your mind?" Who was she? Someone from a forbidden ground! This Heimu was completely mad! Did he think his death was imminent and therefore stopped caring? He actually dared speak to a forbidden ground expert in that tone! Beside her, the gaunt old man from Dead Spirit Hell let out a sinister chuckle, finding it quite amusing. He said in a spectral tone, "Heimu, I hear you cultivate the Dao of Yin and Death... You might not necessarily die. Beg me, and perhaps I can spare your life..." He began to laugh. Yet Su Yu merely frowned at him. After a long pause, he said, "In Dead Spirit Hell, who is your superior? Under which Great Emperor do you serve? The Lord of Dead Spirits is so exceedingly powerful, domineering, and arrogant! But being domineering and arrogant doesn't mean being stupid! What, flaunting your identity before me? Beg you? Are you joking?" The gaunt old man's brow furrowed. Are you out of your mind! You dare speak to me like that? He, too, was stunned! At that moment, among the experts from the other three factions, a burly middle-aged man with strands of golden fur on his forehead—the expert from Hupo Cave—sneered at the sight. "What impudence! Lords, watch me take him down and execute him to atone for his insult toward you!" This Heimu was thoroughly insane! Good. He could seize this opportunity to kill him outright... Just as he was about to strike, the Blade Master's blade qi spilled forth as he barked, "Enough, Dihu! This is not your Hupo Cave, this is the northeastern region! It's not your turn to throw your weight around here!" The burly man paused, looking at him, and said in a low voice, "Blade Master, what are you doing? This Heimu insulted the emissaries of two forbidden grounds. Are you planning to stand up for him?" The Blade Master said indifferently, "Whether to kill him or not isn't your call. Can't you see neither Lord has spoken? Does it fall to you to curry favor? And whether they accept your favor isn't up to you to decide!" With that, the Blade Master looked at Xuelong and said coldly, "You three have come from afar, tagging along behind the two emissaries. Don't tell me you wish to be the masters of my northeastern region?" Turning to the two emissaries, he said in a heavy voice, "My Lords from the forbidden grounds, whether it is Mount Liufang or others, all belong to the northeastern region. By right of domain, the northeast belongs to Dead Spirit Hell and Mount Eternal... Mount Eternal sent no one today, and Dead Spirit Hell... usually minds its own affairs. Why have you two Lords come here today in the company of these people?" The woman from Luohun Valley glanced at the Blade Master, somewhat surprised. What audacity! Had all these people gone mad? Was this an open provocation against Luohun Valley? Who didn't know that among the four great forbidden grounds, Luohun Valley was currently the most active? Many factions across Jinduan Gorge were secretly fostered by them, including the three arriving today—Tiancan Ridge and Panshi Cliff were backed by them in secret. In truth, it was practically an open secret. Only Hupo Cave lay near the southeast, influenced by both Luohun Valley and Dead Spirit Hell. That being the case, it was only natural for Luohun Valley to intervene in the northeast! Besides, even if it was far, when a forbidden ground intervened, did anyone dare question it? The enchanting woman laughed and said no more, ignoring the Blade Master. After all, he was also a sixteen-Dao expert. She turned to Su Yu and said with a bewitching smile, "Heimu, when we sought you out before, you avoided us. You certainly had nerve! Mount Liufang wants to unify this place? In my eyes... you lack the qualifications!" With that, she glanced at the second-rank experts behind Su Yu and smiled. "Come over. Luohun Valley comes today to support you, to work alongside Tiancan Ridge and Panshi Cliff in governing this territory... Now that the situation has shifted..." Before she could even finish, the old man from Dead Spirit Hell chuckled slyly. "Who said you have the right to decide anything? By the decree of Emperor Mingtu of the East, Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley shall integrate and cooperate with Hupo Cave to take charge of the northeast! Luohun Valley meddles too much. In this place, you have no right to interfere!" Above, Su Yu crossed his arms, propped one leg over the other, and simply watched. Behind him, the five second-rank experts exchanged glances, moving with trepidation. The next moment, several quickly slipped away. Including the three former inspectors! Among them, Zhigu, who had looked so worried just moments ago, swiftly backed away from Su Yu and hid behind the emissary of Luohun Valley. Beside Su Yu, Luoyun's expression changed, and he looked at Zhigu in shock! Zhigu had defected! Then... the news had likely been leaked by Zhigu! No, the next moment, Qisheng, who specialized in healing, said nothing and instantly ducked behind the emissary of Dead Spirit Hell. Su Yu was momentarily taken aback, then grew amused, chuckling, "Qisheng, you're quite interesting. Dead Spirit Hell favors experts of the Death Dao, yet you cultivate the Dao of Life and ran to Dead Spirit Hell?" I really didn't see that coming! I knew someone would betray me... that was only natural! He wasn't surprised by Zhigu either, but Qisheng, an expert of the Life Dao, running to the side of the Death Dao... now that was genuine news and gossip! Qisheng was slender and pale. Hearing this and looking at Su Yu, he showed a hint of trepidation, whispering, "Heimu, I didn't want to either... but you dared deceive even the forbidden grounds... I don't want to court death with you! The consequences of deceiving a forbidden ground are far too severe!" As for why he sought shelter with Dead Spirit Hell, there was no need for him to explain. The gaunt old man sneered, "Naive! Life and death are one. Did you think Dead Spirit Hell only gathers experts of the Death Dao? Wrong, cultivators of the Life Dao are also what we need!" Su Yu was startled! The next instant, he became thoughtful. The Lord of Dead Spirits! Interesting! Has he realized that his world's attributes are too singular, and now he wants to unify life and death? If so... this person's ambition is massive! He wants to govern both life and death! No wonder he even recruits experts of the Life Dao. Behind Su Yu, the other two experts who had recently surrendered perhaps hadn't betrayed him yet, or hadn't found an in with the forbidden grounds and lacked the qualifications to seek them out. After a moment of hesitation, they quickly scurried over to the Blade Master and Xuelong. Whatever the case, it was better to stick with these two local powerhouses first. In the end, only Luoyun remained by Su Yu's side among the second-rank experts. Su Yu was surprised. Turning around, he looked at Luoyun and said in astonishment, "Didn't you have some connection with Luohun Valley? You didn't betray me?" Bizarre! Yes, in this place, when people from the forbidden grounds arrived, not betraying was what was rare! Betrayal was merely daily routine! Thus, Su Yu wasn't surprised at all, nor were the others. But having Luoyun stay beside Su Yu was what baffled everyone. Even if you hadn't betrayed him before, you should leave Heimu now! Because Heimu was utterly insane—he had dared insult experts from two forbidden grounds! Luoyun fell silent for a while, looking helpless. "My Lord... I... have nowhere else to go! The one I had ties with... died!" Su Yu was surprised. Below, the alluring woman paused slightly, then suddenly giggled. "Fascinating. Are you talking about that idiot I eliminated? No wonder! Were you afraid I would kill you?" Luoyun looked at Su Yu helplessly. Yes, I had no choice! I actually... actually thought about it. However, the person I was on good terms with was executed by this woman. Supposedly, Luohun Valley had experienced some internal turmoil and a reshuffling, and the faction his contact belonged to was wiped out! Rotten luck! Approaching Luohun Valley now was suicide! As for Dead Spirit Hell, they wouldn't take him either! And on Xuelong and Blade Master's side... Luoyun was equally helpless. When Gui was around, his relations with them had been poor, which meant Luoyun's relations with them were not good either. Though Su Yu's ship was about to sink, he... seemed to have no way out! Su Yu looked at him with pity. "You really are pitiful!" Luoyun cursed furiously in his heart! Pitiful your mother! What about you? You idiot, insisting on causing such a fuss—you're the one in worse shape! And you have the nerve to pity me? By now, this gathering at Mount Liufang had turned into a complete farce, and everyone simply ignored Heimu! He was a dead man walking! As for who would rule the northeast, the two forbidden grounds would decide! Everyone was far more anxious about who would take control of the region. This Mount Liufang gathering had merely provided an opportune occasion! If not for that, the secret would have been exposed long ago. After all, people like Zhigu knew the situation and had already sold Su Yu out. Had the two forbidden grounds wished to expose it earlier, they could have. They didn't expose it simply because they were waiting! Waiting for everyone to gather! Now, the conversation had nothing to do with Heimu. The gaunt old man said bluntly, "Luohun Valley can get lost. Don't forget, this is our territory. My Lord is boundlessly powerful. Does Luohun Valley wish to go to war with my Dead Spirit Hell?" The seductive woman sneered. "War? The Lord of Dead Spirits is indeed formidable, but don't forget, this is inside the Heavenly Gate!" "Inside the Heavenly Gate, so what? My Lord is mighty!" "..." Above, Su Yu watched for a bit, then smiled. "Why not just fight it out? Whoever wins takes charge—isn't that common sense? Why bother with a war of words?" Everyone froze! At that moment, the entire room was dumbfounded. Are you so afraid you won't die quickly enough? The two forbidden grounds didn't have time to deal with you right now, and you're getting hooked on provoking them? The two emissaries and the three first-rank powerhouses all turned to look at Su Yu, their eyes filled with killing intent. Do you insist on dying first before you're satisfied? The alluring woman said coldly, "Kill Heimu. Whoever kills him shall rule the northeastern region!" The gaunt old man said darkly, "Agreed. He is at least a fifteen-Dao expert. Dihu, you three strike together. Whoever kills him shall govern the northeast!" The forbidden grounds were just that powerful! A single word decided all! At that moment, the eyes of the three experts flashed with wild joy. Kill Heimu? Whoever killed him could take this territory? That was too easy! Of course, the hardest part was who would get the kill, as their rivals were the other two. In an instant, all three made their move! However, they did not strike together in harmony; all three lunged toward Su Yu. The burly man from Hupo Cave transformed into a fierce tiger, his claws gleaming with frigid light, moving at blistering speed. Yet the woman from Tiancan Ridge suddenly spat countless silk threads from her mouth, slicing through the void—part of them darting toward Su Yu, while the rest barred the other two. The one from Panshi Cliff instantly petrified the surroundings, stomping down so that the entire hall turned to stone! The woman's threads and the tiger's claws were both petrified by him! The old man from Panshi Cliff chuckled. "Gentlemen, you'd better leave this to my Panshi Cliff!" He moved with terrifying speed, vanishing in a flash and appearing right in front of Su Yu! Right at this moment, the Blade Master and Xuelong heard Su Yu's voice transmit into their ears: "Kill the other two. Be quick. I'll suppress them; you won't be weaker than them!" Although the two were only at the peak of the second rank, here... everything in sight was Su Yu's world! If he couldn't amplify them, he could suppress their opponents! Once both sides were brought down to the second rank, there was naturally hope of killing them. Besides, they had brought several second-rank experts with them. Their eyes flickered. The next instant, the Blade Master lunged straight at the tiger. And Xuelong instantly unleashed a freezing aura upon the woman from Tiancan Ridge. The second-rank experts they had brought were thoroughly shaken. Hearing the mental transmissions from their respective leaders, they were momentarily at a loss. Jin Feng, however, showed no hesitation and swiftly charged after Xuelong toward the woman from Tiancan Ridge! This sight caught the experts from the two forbidden grounds off guard. The seductive woman's face changed, and she barked in fury, "Audacious!" Are these people crazy? You dare lay hands on the people I brought! Are you defying a forbidden ground? Right at that moment, Su Yu's voice rang out, cold and detached: "You cannot represent the forbidden grounds. What does a tiny northeastern region amount to in their eyes? You're merely using public office for personal gain! If you truly mess up your mission, just wait for your forbidden grounds to punish you! What are you strutting about for?" Everyone was shaken! Heimu? He still had time to talk? At that moment, people quickly looked toward Su Yu. They had been distracted by the Blade Master and the others, not even bothering to look before—because there had been no need to look! The one from Panshi Cliff was guaranteed to kill Heimu! Even if it took a moment, it was an absolute certainty! Yet when they looked, their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets! Under their horrified gazes, Su Yu stood like a god of war. With a sneer, his hands locked onto the shoulders of the old man from Panshi Cliff. With a low roar—boom! Torn to pieces! A first-rank expert was ripped apart by Su Yu right then and there, blood spraying in all directions! Not only that, before anyone could react, an overwhelmingly powerful Dao of Yin and Death erupted. Death qi corroded heaven and earth, causing even the emissary of Dead Spirit Hell to gasp in horror and stumble back a step! The death qi instantly corroded all the flesh and blood into nothingness! Su Yu moved with breathtaking speed, as if his physical body shattered the void. He threw a punch—a punch carrying thunderous might, thunder roaring, boom! A tremendous crash! In the void, a Great Dao seemed to snap under his fist! Crack! A miserable shriek rang out. Su Yu reached out and seized a spherical sea of will from the void. Under everyone's terrified gazes, Su Yu bared his teeth. Suddenly, the space between his brows split open like a mouth, where a Great Dao manifested and swallowed the sea of will in a single gulp! Boom! The Great Dao completely snapped! It was unimaginably fast. Under everyone's aghast gazes, Su Yu's cold voice echoed: "Emissaries, do not move. Out of respect for the forbidden grounds, I am giving you face. Otherwise... don't blame me for being discourteous!" The seductive woman was horrified, her alluring demeanor long gone, replaced by utter disbelief. "Twenty Daos..." Stronger than her! That wasn't even the point. She had seen powerhouses of over twenty Daos before. What truly terrified her was his audacity, his ruthlessness, and his lethal efficiency! A sixteen-Dao expert, even if inferior to him, shouldn't have been killed so easily! Yet... the fact lay right before their eyes! In just that single instant, the man had been executed by Su Yu! Because no one had anticipated it. Moreover, the man had dared approach Su Yu. The instant he got close, the pressure of Su Yu's physical body reached its peak, bearing down on him so hard he couldn't even raise his head or speak! The suppression had been absolute! All of this had resulted in Su Yu nearly instantly killing him! The two emissaries were shaken to the core, and neither dared make a move. Because they felt palpable killing intent! Before they could process it, another deafening blast sounded nearby. The woman from Tiancan Ridge was the next to suffer. Frozen instantly, a golden blade swept across, unleashing the power of the Golden Dao to sever her head, though it regenerated in a flash. Yet she was still grievously wounded! Because the woman from Tiancan Ridge suddenly found herself suppressed by an overwhelming, crushing force. The abrupt drop in strength caught her unprepared, and she was heavily wounded by two peak second-rank experts! Before she could flee, a fist appeared! Su Yu materialized in an instant! Tiancan! I'm actually quite familiar with this! In truth, it was akin to the Dragon Silkworms of the myriad realms, though Dragon Silkworms were a crossbreed of dragons and Celestial Silkworms, while Celestial Silkworms were purer. Su Yu still remembered the Dragon Silkworm—after all, one had swallowed Wang Hu and spat him out, infuriating him into renaming himself King Miecan. That was something to remember! The Dragon Silkworms were also the first race with an Eternal in the myriad realms to be wiped out. Seeing this Celestial Silkworm today brought back memories. Smiling, under the woman's terrified gaze, Su Yu slammed a fist forward. Lightning erupted instantly—rumble! The Celestial Silkworm was blown apart! Countless threads snapped! In an instant, Xuelong's freezing power surged again, locking all the blood and fragments in ice. Su Yu chuckled, reached out, and pulled the entire block of ice into one of his body's acupoints! Crunching sounds echoed continuously! A moment later, a shrill shriek pierced the air. Under everyone's horrified gazes, rule power detonated, sending violent tremors throughout Mount Liufang. Rumble! A torrent of rule power exploded, sweeping across the surroundings! Too fast! Inconceivably fast! Two first-rank experts had been slaughtered in the blink of an eye. It was hard to believe. On the other side, the Blade Master slashed out blade after blade. The tiger, also heavily suppressed, had its claws shattered. Terror and despair filled the tiger's eyes! "You cannot kill me! I am of Hupo Cave..." With a hum, freezing power swept in! Xuelong transformed into a colossal white dragon, instantly freezing heaven and earth. Jin Feng turned into a golden dragon, streaking through like a golden beam and piercing straight through the tiger's skull. Behind him, Su Yu wore a cold expression and kicked out, his foot cloaked in boundless death qi that blanketed the entire hall. In a flash, a bloodcurdling scream rang out! The three great experts hadn't been prepared at all; all had been focused on Su Yu. Before they could react, the old man from Panshi Cliff had been killed, followed by the woman from Tiancan Ridge, and then this expert from Hupo Cave was slain on the spot under the joint assault of Su Yu and the others! At this moment, everyone came to their senses! Run! Inconceivable! Heimu was a top-tier powerhouse, and the Blade Master and Xuelong had already submitted to him! Just as they prepared to flee, Su Yu's eerie voice echoed: "No one move! Kneel, and you shall live. Whoever flees dies!" Boom! A flash of blade light illuminated heaven and earth as Su Yu slashed Qisheng, who had just tried to flee, clean in two on the spot! The next instant, he turned and punched, passing right beside the seductive woman's body, and pulverized Zhigu into mincemeat! Blood splattered across the woman's face! Her face was pale as she gritted her teeth. "You..." Su Yu said indifferently, "Shut your mouth! With my strength, joining a forbidden ground poses no difficulty whatsoever. The little old man beside you is far weaker than me. If I join Dead Spirit Hell, the Lord of Dead Spirits will definitely welcome me. So... even if I really kill you, it won't be a big deal! The same goes for him. Dead Spirit Hell is brutally cutthroat. If I kill him and join as an expert of the Dao of Yin and Death, I will likely be very popular!" Behind him, the gaunt old man's face shifted slightly, but he kept silent. Indeed, Dead Spirit Hell was ruled by the survival of the fittest! If Heimu truly killed him... and then defected to Dead Spirit Hell, would Emperor Mingtu accept him? He would! Su Yu said coldly, "Furthermore, once I gather so many experts here and join together, no forbidden ground would turn me away. So, you two... had better behave. I have no wish to make enemies of the forbidden grounds, but you cannot represent them!" With that, Su Yu snorted coldly and bellowed, "Kneel!" Boom! With a single kick, he shattered a second-rank expert to pieces. Su Yu roared, "Xuelong, Blade Master, kill everyone who remains standing, except for the two emissaries! Experts of Mount Liufang, Mount Xuelong, and Blade Valley, hear my command! Kill anyone who remains standing!" Originally, these people might not have obeyed! But with three first-rank experts slaughtered and the two emissaries thoroughly intimidated, they reacted instantly, no longer standing idly by. Even the two who had fled to Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley earlier hastily joined the other second-rank experts in striking down anyone attempting to flee or remain standing. Roars erupted one after another: "Kneel!" "Kill!" "..." The scene was extraordinarily bizarre! The two experts from the forbidden grounds stood frozen, cold sweat beading on their foreheads. Su Yu was stronger than them and had locked his aura onto them; they could not move, for moving meant death! Inside the hall, some experts who wanted to flee found themselves attacked by those beside them before they could even move. These people were master opportunists, and immediately someone shouted, "Lord Heimu, I pledge my loyalty to you! He's trying to flee—I'll kill him!" "My Lord, I surrender!" "..." This was the nature of unaffiliated cultivators! When Su Yu proved overwhelmingly strong, they knew how to choose in an instant! Surrender! This was also why the forbidden grounds allowed unaffiliated cultivators to grow powerful—they were never afraid. Once an absolute powerhouse descended, these people would surrender in no time, without exception. The emissaries failed today only because they were not strong enough! They had been intimidated by Su Yu! Otherwise, had one of them managed to hold off Su Yu, the prestige of the forbidden grounds would have far outweighed Su Yu's! In a flash, multiple people were slain on the spot! The next moment, the Blade Master dropped to one knee, blade dripping with blood, grinning widely. "My Lord, the disobedient have been executed!" Looking across the hall and the grounds outside, over a hundred Rulers of Rules were on their knees! Su Yu suddenly sighed and shook his head. "A rabble!" Over a hundred Rulers of Rules! In the myriad realms, even among the disorganized myriad races, it would take seven or eight first-rank experts to cow such a crowd. Yet here... there was no need! Once the leaders were killed, the rest surrendered in an instant! They knelt faster than they ran! If this wasn't a rabble, what was? Even now, if these people united in resistance, Su Yu wouldn't actually be able to suppress them. As for killing them... if they all fled in different directions, killing ten would be impressive! In truth, if everyone ran at once, seven or eight would be his limit! Yet now, Rulers of Rules carpeted the ground on their knees, trembling with terror, harboring no thought of running or resisting! Su Yu sighed. Take trash like this out to attack forbidden grounds? Stop joking! Of course, if they were merged into his world... there might still be hope, as they could be bound! Otherwise, without constraints, if Su Yu told them to attack a forbidden ground, his followers would vanish within three seconds! After his sigh came a radiant smile! At this moment, twenty-two second-rank experts remained alive, along with over a hundred of the third and fourth ranks! As long as they were alive, it was enough! No one cared about the dead. Before him, the expressions of the two emissaries shifted slightly. After their shock faded, their eyes flickered with mixed thoughts. This Heimu was very strong! Yet even if he suppressed them now, so what! With a single decree from the forbidden grounds, all these people would flee! It wouldn't take much—if a forbidden ground sent an expert of twenty-two Daos or more to overpower Heimu, his subordinates would deliver Heimu's head to the forbidden ground themselves! Yet Su Yu paid no mind to any of that, smiling brilliantly! He burst into boisterous laughter! "From this day forth, I, Heimu, am the sole leader of Mount Liufang! Everyone, it seems I have won!" He looked at the two emissaries and suddenly bared his teeth in a grin. Kill them? Hard to do cleanly! Not kill them? They irritated him! How about severing their Daos and merging them into my world as well? He had just slain three first-rank experts for deterrence! Now Su Yu felt a twinge of regret. He needed experts, especially first-rank ones. These two could not be killed; they had to be kept. You two must enter my world! As for the forbidden grounds... who would know in the short term? Could I possibly linger here for that long anyway? I'll swiftly conquer Jinduan Gorge to strengthen my world. I don't need to become overly powerful—once I can escape from the grasp of a forbidden ground's lord, I'll take the fight straight to your forbidden grounds! His laughter made everyone's scalp tingle! The two first-rank emissaries also grew uneasy. This Heimu couldn't be crazy enough to try killing them, could he? Su Yu flashed a medallion in his hand and smiled. "I act under the decree of Mount Tianqiong to take charge of Jinduan Gorge. If you two have grievances, take them up with Mount Tianqiong! The rest of you need not worry either. I am a guest elder of Mount Tianqiong, tasked by Jianzun to oversee Jinduan Gorge. The Mountain Lord's strength towers over the heavens. What can even the Lord of Dead Spirits or the Valley Master of Luohun do?" At these words, collective gasps of relief swept through the room. Understanding dawned on everyone instantly! So that was it! No wonder Heimu was so arrogant—he had a forbidden ground backing him! Now, their minds were set at ease! Having a forbidden ground as a backer was all that mattered! Everything else was business between the forbidden grounds. *** Meanwhile. Mount Tianqiong. The mighty silhouette suddenly furrowed his brow and looked into the distance. Raising his head toward the heavens, he muttered, "Who is it?" It felt as though someone was scheming against him, yet also not quite. Strange! Pinching his fingers to divine the cause, his brow knit tighter. "An expert? Someone isolating their world from heaven and earth?" Increasingly bizarre! It might be an expert who had isolated their world, scheming against him. A sudden omen like this boded ill! Was it the lord of a forbidden ground? Who? The Lord of Mount Tianqiong suddenly let out a cold laugh: "Let them come!" Possessing world-shaking strength, he feared nothing! Monstrous audacity!