Collapse of the Soul Domain

Whether the Lord of Dead Spirits was furious or not, Su Yu did not care. At this moment, the integration of the four great experts had propelled his strength forward once again. Even so, there was still a massive bottleneck barring him from reaching thirty-two Daos. One he could not cross! Opposite him in combat, the Luohun Valley Lord looked thoroughly displeased. A physical world! Just who was this person? His brother was being held in check by another powerhouse at twenty-five Daos. It was inconceivable. Who could that be? Though not quite a match for his brother, that opponent countered and restricted him at every turn. Face dark, the Luohun Valley Lord barked in a low voice, "You, over here!" His brother had failed to deal with those few. Rather than wasting time over there, it would be far better to join forces against this Heaven-Opener! Thirty Daos was not overwhelmingly powerful. Yet his brother had founded a forbidden land and possessed an immense arsenal of tricks! With his support, this opponent could likely be eliminated quickly. Once he was dead, none of the rest would be a problem! In an instant, seeing the four Great Emperors integrate their Daos, the Lord of the Soul Domain vanished from his position. Su Yu's world trembled slightly as an illusory, smokelike figure emerged beside the Luohun Valley Lord, chuckling. "My dear brother, you've actually let yourself be tied down by someone weaker than you!" The Luohun Valley Lord replied chillingly, "Save the nonsense. You couldn't even finish off a few scoundrels below thirty Daos!" The phantom did not take offense, merely smiling. "That guy at twenty-five Daos must have suffered a drop in cultivation. His will is monstrously strong—he definitely wasn't at twenty-five Daos before!" He possessed a discerning eye. For an opponent to withstand him like that, there was no way he was a genuine twenty-five-Dao cultivator. Otherwise, even Asura at twenty-six Daos would have had his body seized in a flash without outside help. That was precisely where his strength lay: once seized, his Great Dao would extend into the victim's body to control their Dao. Forcing them to self-detonate would be child's play! Unfortunately, he had run into a freak whose formidable will felt even firmer than his own. King Wu, after all, was a peerless expert who had stood only half a step from the supreme rank. He had slaughtered and warred across worlds since his teenage years, fighting up to this very day. In sheer tenacity of will, even Su Yu might fall slightly short. Even if his raw strength had regressed, everything else remained intact. At that moment, King Wu and the others charged into Su Yu's world at breakneck speed! The Luohun Valley Lord's eyes flickered, but he paid them little mind. Once the clash truly began, as troublesome as those few were, they could not overturn the overall situation. He could sense the Lord of Dead Spirits intercepting external reinforcements, King Wen tying down formidable enemies over at Mount Yongsheng, and Mount Tianqiong remaining utterly indifferent. What was more, Sword Sovereign's appearance to draw attention meant Mount Tianqiong was not necessarily on his side. He looked toward Su Yu's manifested physical form, his voice dripping with cold malice. "Who on earth are you? If you think you can take down this seat, you are daydreaming! At my level, Dao and body are one, immortal and indestructible!" "Immortal and indestructible?" Su Yu chuckled. Was the one the Lord of Dead Spirits had slaughtered merely a joke then? He knew a fair bit about the supreme rank as well. Their Dao and flesh were completely merged, and in critical moments, they could revert to pure essence. Take the Luohun Valley Lord, for instance: at a desperate juncture, he could collapse his Dao into an inextinguishable spark of mental will. That was indeed difficult to obliterate unless an attacker was far stronger. But as long as one applied targeted methods, he could still be slain! As a Heaven-Opener, Su Yu was hardly lacking in lethal techniques! Right then, King Wu soared through the air with a trace of fury, glaring coldly at the phantom. "Weren't you a lord of a forbidden land? Why did you run?" A forbidden land lord wielding thirty Daos was rare, but hardly weak. Yet right now, he was being looked down upon by a cultivator at twenty-five Daos. The Lord of the Soul Domain gave an eerie laugh. "Run? Are you joking?" He trailed off, adding faintly, "You are no ordinary man... You must have wielded thirty Daos or more in the past. I believe I might know who you are!" He truly had a vague suspicion! The phantom looked toward Su Yu and the others, chuckling softly. "To think Dead Spirit Hell truly partnered with you people... But I am even more curious about who this one is. If there weren't disturbances over at Mount Yongsheng, I would have suspected you all arrived together!" Indeed, he had guessed King Wu's identity, but Su Yu's identity eluded him, especially because King Wen seemed still engaged over there. It wasn't King Wen! That was what made it so bizarre! They had no objection to chatting. Su Yu knew they were stalling for time; the longer it dragged out, the more forbidden land lords might arrive, and when that happened, Su Yu's side would be the ones in trouble. Su Yu understood this, and King Wu understood it too. The two brothers were firmly set on drawing things out. Because Su Yu's faction was tenacious, fighting to the bitter end would cost them heavily even if they won! Yet at this juncture, Su Yu could not afford delay! He suddenly looked toward King Wu and smiled. "Want to have some fun?" "Hell yes!" King Wu grinned. What kind of fun? Su Yu's smile widened radiantly. "As a senior, you wish to fight a bloody slaughter to prove you haven't lived in vain. I'll indulge you. I will have plenty of chances in the future... but this might be your only shot at glory..." King Wu looked at him without speaking. "I am the spirit of the world!" Su Yu murmured with a grin. "If this Soul Lord can possess others, so can I! I won't control you, King Wu. You fight for yourself. Unleash your peak combat power and show the world that you, King Wu... are truly terrifying!" King Wu's overbearing aura shot toward the heavens as he boomed, "Of course!" Across from them, the expressions of the two brothers shifted slightly. "Stop them!" *Boom!* The inkstone transformed from Luohun Valley smashed straight toward Su Yu. Yet Su Yu vanished instantly, reappearing atop King Wu's head the next moment, his expression laced with anticipation. "Show me how strong King Wu truly is. Don't let me down!" The next instant, he sank into King Wu's head, burrowing into his body. A soaring wave of baleful aura erupted, lashing against Su Yu. Su Yu paid it no heed, forcefully integrating himself as the power of the entire world poured into King Wu's form. King Wu let out a thunderous roar, his physical frame expanding rapidly. In the blink of an eye—*boom!* The power of thirty-one Daos burst forth! And it was still climbing! It surged all the way until it reached his previous peak—just half a step away from thirty-two Daos, practically matching his prime. Yet right now, he felt none of the instability that came from forcing the Dao into his body, nor the turbulence of his Dao wavering. Because everything was rooted within Su Yu's world. Su Yu's voice echoed in King Wu's sea of will: "Senior King Wu, it is all up to you now. If you lose, then this battle... is over!" King Wu's aura grew immense, wild, and suffused with boundless killing intent! He bared his teeth in a grin, tinged with satisfaction and a flicker of gratitude. At this critical moment, Su Yu had chosen not to battle the two brothers himself. It wasn't that he couldn't, but that he recognized his combat experience fell far short of King Wu's. Su Yu had never clashed with an expert of this caliber! King Wu had, and countless times! Meanwhile, Su Yu transformed into the world's spirit to fortify King Wu's sea of will, which would maximize King Wu's protection against having his mind extinguished by the pair! A union of the strong! At this turning point, Su Yu had not insisted on being the decisive vanguard; he had handed the initiative entirely to King Wu. King Wu grinned fiercely. "Thanks!" Su Yu had placed his trust in him after all! A towering aura enveloped the world, carrying apocalyptic force. A massive saber materialized in King Wu's hand. He glanced at the two across from him, then at the others, grinning maliciously. "Get out, all of you! Go wipe out those rogue cultivators, and slaughter every last bastard in Luohun Valley!" He wanted to take on the two brothers alone! Powerful as they were, they lacked the sheer variety of techniques possessed by Fa, and their greatest weapon was obliterating an opponent's willpower—which King Wu did not fear in the slightest! The four Great Emperors and Asura were already on edge. Hearing this, they hesitated no longer and swiftly withdrew from the world. They left this battlefield to King Wu and Su Yu. Soon, the group emerged outside to hunt down the fleeing cultivators. Across from them, the Luohun Valley Lord felt his adversary's swelling aura, bolstered by the power of an entire world. He exhaled softly. "King Wu... it really is you!" "Brother!" he called out. The Soul Lord understood his meaning instantly and chuckled. "My dear brother, it seems you and I must join hands as well!" The next instant, mimicking Su Yu, the Soul Lord merged directly into the Luohun Valley Lord's body. A monstrous surge of mental power swept across the world! The Valley Lord's aura spiked dramatically in power! "Kill!" "Die!" *Boom!* Mental will collided against physical might! The Martial Dao clashed head-on with psychic force! It could even be seen as a duel between a Civilization Master and a warrior! Who would prove superior? In the weaker stages of cultivation, warriors invariably overpowered Civilization Masters. But once one reached the apex, all Daos converged toward the same source. Even so, differences remained between the warrior path and the civilization path; ordinarily, the Daos cultivated by a warrior did not offer nearly as many varied methods as those practiced by a Civilization Master. Yet at this moment, King Wu—the pinnacle of the warrior's path—set out to prove to all that a warrior could cross ranks to slay a Civilization Master! "Martial!" *Boom!* A saber stroke cleaved through heaven and earth, shattering the firmament. Bearing an indomitable aura of reckless abandon, the blade ripped through the darkness and hacked through the opponent's psychic will. King Wu stepped forward, slaughterous intent surging skyward! It had been so many years since he had waged a fight to the death like this! Back at Mount Yongsheng, Old Second Wen had always feared he might die, usually sending him only as a vanguard before ordering a swift retreat, never letting him linger in combat for long. Yet today, merged with Su Yu's world, he was battling one—no, two forbidden land lords single-handedly! This was something even Old Second Wen had never dared let him do! Because Old Second Wen feared his demise! *But I am a martial artist, a warrior! I was born for battle—do I fear death?* *Su Yu is far better!* Even though it meant the kid didn't care all that much whether King Wu lived or died... did a warrior care about such things? *I don't care at all!* King Wu roared furiously as his saber divided into tens of thousands of illusory blades, severing all in their path! The Martial Dao! Sweeping aside everything, all-conquering! Unstoppable momentum! King Wu's overbearing aura soared alongside his murderous rage! "Chop!" *Boom!* A single cleave sent the inkstone of Luohun Valley flying. The web between King Wu's thumb and forefinger tore open, spraying blood in all directions! He didn't care! He had fought countless battles across his life, encountering countless formidable foes. Before unifying the myriad realms, he had swept realm after realm, encountering adversaries stronger than himself, yet he had slain every last one of them against the odds! Cultivating the Dao did not depend strictly on how many Daos of power one wielded. If raw numbers were all that mattered, wouldn't everyone cower before the Lord of Mount Tianqiong? When the gap in power was narrow, the outcome hinged on fighting spirit, experience, killing intent, and sheer ruthlessness! "Soul Fall!" With a furious screech, the Luohun Valley Lord bellowed as well. *Boom!* Immense mental power shook the heavens, condensing into a slender dagger that lanced straight toward King Wu's skull. King Wu ignored it entirely! Since Su Yu trusted him, he trusted Su Yu. The enemy would not breach his sea of will! Without even glancing at it, the moment he knocked Luohun Valley away, he sheathed his saber into his flesh and punched forward! A fist capable of shattering heaven! The entire void was dominated by this single strike! *** Inside the sea of will. Su Yu sat cross-legged, snapping his eyes open as the slender dagger arrived with overwhelming momentum. His expression was frosty. *That madman King Wu truly didn't even bother to block it.* If Su Yu slipped up in the slightest, this dagger would shatter the sea of will completely. "Hold!" With a sharp bark, Su Yu's will soared to the sky! The slender dagger quivered slightly, but continued plowing toward Su Yu with unyielding momentum. Su Yu waved his arm, casting down an immense net. "Common People!" *Boom!* The net ensnared the dagger, which thrashed violently. Su Yu's eyes flashed. "Channel!" In an instant, a tiny gateway manifested between his brows—not the gate to his physical world, but the Heavenly Gate, a genuine projection of it! A torrent of power was drawn directly through it! Indeed, Su Yu had not drawn upon external power for a long time. His external world was not exceptionally mighty, holding only twenty-four Daos of power when he had left, though it seemed slightly stronger now. Su Yu didn't care about the details! As this energy flooded in and fused his inner and outer worlds, an astonishing surge of might erupted. Su Yu's palm pressed down like a colossal mountain! It slammed against the dagger, sending violent tremors through it. Outside, a muffled grunt rang out as King Wu ignored the dagger entirely and drove his fist forward at blinding speed, sending his adversary flying. Seizing the opening, Su Yu reached out with a crushing grasp. *Bang!* The concentrated mental power shattered into fragments! A vicious glint flickered in Su Yu's eyes. The Heavenly Gate materialized fully, instantly swallowing the fractured psychic force through the portal! *** Simultaneously. In the myriad realms. Inside Su Yu's world, the sky and earth suddenly convulsed violently as a terrifying deluge of mental power descended from above. It swept across the realm, causing powerhouses throughout the world to pale in alarm! Right at that moment, a figure appeared! A man strode through the air clad in golden robes, looking utterly exasperated as he cursed under his breath. "Fuck you!" *Su Yu!* *I knew it! You bastard, you really are present at the assault on the forbidden land! What kind of madness are you pulling?* *This mental power is terrifyingly strong! This isn't just anyone's willpower—whose supreme mental power did you just swallow?* *Are you insane?!* The ancient Human Sovereign cursed endlessly, but he still had to suppress it. Reaching out for the Human Sovereign Seal, he suddenly remembered he no longer had it—he had traded it away to the Lord of Mount Tianqiong! *Fine!* He couldn't be bothered to care. Reaching out, he snatched an immense seal straight out of Su Yu's world. The Warden of Heaven materialized, glaring at the Human Sovereign with suspicion, prompting an irate roar: "What are you staring at? Piss off!" *What, is it a crime to borrow Su Yu's Human Lord Seal for a second?* *If I don't help suppress this, do you think any of you can?* Snorting, he grabbed the Human Lord Seal. The artifact offered no resistance, settling into his grip. Directing its power, the Human Sovereign slammed the seal against the void! The raging mental power was crushed under its weight! The Human Sovereign studied it thoughtfully, then nodded. "All of you, absorb some of this. That kid Su Yu is plundering power from experts inside the Gate. It seems he wants to fortify his external world!" With that, he hefted the Human Lord Seal, baring his teeth. Why did he feel that this fellow's Human Lord Seal had grown vastly more powerful? Not only that, but as Su Yu opened the Heavenly Gate, even though no foreign power leaked across... certain things had seeped through! At that exact instant, the Warden of Heaven's expression changed. Out of nowhere, an overwhelmingly potent wave of fortune descended upon him. The next moment, having only just crossed into the second rank, his aura began climbing wildly. Nine Daos, ten Daos, eleven Daos... Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, the Warden of Heaven let out a low roar almost instantly—*boom!* A tremendous aura erupted! Sixteen Daos! First rank! The Warden of Heaven stood there in complete bewilderment. The Human Sovereign took a sharp breath. *Holy crap!* *What is going on here?* A remote transfer of fortune from Su Yu had actually allowed the Warden of Heaven to break through his limits and step into the first rank just like that? *What kind of absurdity is this?!* This implied that Su Yu's personal fortune had grown terrifyingly immense! The Human Sovereign raised an eyebrow. Just what level of strength had Su Yu reached on the other side? *What a terrifying monster!* The Warden of Heaven wore an odd look as he glanced at the Human Sovereign. Reading his thoughts, the Human Sovereign snapped irritably, "What do you know! Back then, you merely represented a sliver of the Imperial Court's fortune, not our personal fortune! You don't know a damn thing! When the court fell, of course you couldn't grow stronger!" What was that look supposed to mean? As if he were thinking, *Why was I only at Dao Integration when following the ancient Imperial Court, yet suddenly reached the first rank after following Su Yu?* He was blatantly looking down on the Human Sovereign! The Human Sovereign cursed under his breath. *What do you know?* Su Yu was one with his world's fortune; the Human Sovereign had never been structured that way, nor had Old Second Wen. The Warden had only represented the court's institutional fortune; if he died, it had no effect on the Human Sovereign. But now, he represented Su Yu's world; if he died, the fortune of Su Yu's world would suffer! *Who are you looking down on?!* *No matter how strong Su Yu is, could he compare to me in my prime?* The Human Sovereign scoffed, utterly displeased. Lately, these bastards had all started looking down on him. How humiliating! *I've recovered a great deal of strength, all right?!* He said no more, his brow furrowing. Was Su Yu actively fighting, or was he merely scavenging benefits? Unfortunately, the Lord of Mount Tianqiong was a total shut-in, guarding him like a hawk and refusing to go watch the show. Infuriating! Then again, if he did go watch and spotted Su Yu, that would cause even more trouble! *** Luohun Valley. Inside Su Yu's world. Having crushed the dagger, Su Yu swiftly concealed the Heavenly Gate. Outside, King Wu's roars shook the heavens. King Wu fought like a demon possessed, closing the distance in an instant and unleashing seamless grappling techniques! In a flash, he seized the opponent's arm and wrapped his entire body around him! Kill! *Crack!* Flesh and bone ground together. King Wu's combat experience was so vast that not even these ancient fossils could compare. In this era, these old monsters relied primarily on deterrence; had they fought as many battles as King Wu? He had fought his entire life! He was either in a brawl, or on his way to one! *Snap!* Another muffled grunt sounded as the Luohun Valley Lord struck out with a palm suffused with powerful Dao principles! The blow sent King Wu coughing up blood, yet he ignored it completely, continuing his savage close-quarters assault! He trusted that Su Yu could protect his sea of will! Therefore, he had nothing to fear! "Mountain Breaker!" *Boom!* Both elbows slammed inward simultaneously. With a sickening crunch, they caved in the opponent's chest. King Wu's frame swelled abruptly as he grabbed a fistful of the enemy's long hair, which sharpened into blades and pierced right through his palm! King Wu paid it no heed. Gripping the hair tight, his other arm snapped around the opponent's throat in a chokehold! His legs battered and gouged relentlessly! In King Wu, one witnessed pure, unadulterated physical combat. Wild, vicious, and utilizing every dirty trick in the book. The Luohun Valley Lord's specialty was completely useless against King Wu, leaving him thoroughly suppressed for the moment. King Wu suddenly hurled him skyward, leaped after him, bent his knee, and struck with a thunderous impact! *Squelch!* The sound of fracturing bones mingled with the wet retch of coughed-up organs. King Wu charged forward once again in a frenzy. "Bastard!" The Luohun Valley Lord was enraged! This was too humiliating! "Soul Domain!" With a low hiss, a blinding white mist engulfed the surroundings. King Wu seemed trapped within a dense fog. Yet King Wu showed no panic, snapping his eyes shut. He needed no vision! Relying purely on instinct honed through endless combat, he threw a devastating punch straight upward! *Boom!* The Soul Domain shattered. The Luohun Valley Lord was sent flying again, his physical form fracturing. Disbelief filled his eyes. He was certain that inside the Soul Domain, his opponent couldn't sense a thing—how had he landed a direct hit on the first strike? King Wu sneered! "You're old!" Not just old, but out of practice for countless years! All they knew was secluded cultivation. Su Yu thought he lacked experience fighting supreme ranks... as if these bastards had any? Nonsense! In all the time King Wu had spent inside the Gate, aside from their clashes with Fa, not a single other supreme rank had fought a real battle! And they dared consider themselves warriors? "Old?" The knocked-back Luohun Valley Lord's gaze turned razor-sharp. He glared at King Wu, then at Su Yu seated in his sea of will, his teeth grinding. "Must you push this to the bitter end?" When their strongest technique could barely scratch King Wu, and King Wu's physical might was so vastly bolstered by the world's power, the two of them were actually losing to these two invaders! It was pathetic! Both he and the Soul Lord had severe limitations, while Su Yu's side possessed targeted counters against them! "You are forcing our hand, and courting death!" As a lord of a forbidden land, being battered to this state exceeded the limits of his endurance! "Brother... we've been looked down upon!" "Then let us kill them, brother!" "Very well!" Two voices rang out from a single mouth. At that moment, they seemed to be fully fusing together. King Wu's expression shifted slightly. Stepping forward, he tore through the void and threw a punch! *Boom!* The fist struck empty air! In that split second, an earth-shattering blast erupted. An explosive force of extreme magnitude detonated, instantly blowing away half of King Wu's physical body! At the same time, two motes of light fused into one and vanished! They had not fled! In that fraction of a second, the light plunged straight into King Wu's sea of will! Seated cross-legged inside, Su Yu's face darkened. The entire world, the entire sea of will, fell dead silent! "Absolute Imprisonment!" A low laugh resonated. Su Yu felt the entire sea of will being completely sealed off. The next instant, an immense sphere of light coalesced, taking the form of the Luohun Valley Lord. Yet his facial features shifted constantly, alternating between a middle-aged man and a youth. The Luohun Valley Lord's voice carried a chilling amusement: "Little fellow, now we can settle this one-on-one! This place is sealed tight by my power. Unless I undo it myself, or... I die, not even King Wu can enter!" Su Yu stood up, frowning. "A domain's power?" "Indeed!" Su Yu nodded in comprehension. "No, not a domain—it is the Dao. We are... inside your Great Dao, aren't we?" "Clever!" The Luohun Valley Lord smiled. "I am the Dao, and the Dao is me. Since you lack the strength to break my Dao... your death is certain! It is terribly damaging to my foundation, but it matters not. I have discarded my physical form—I am the Dao, and the Dao is me!" As if teleporting, he appeared before Su Yu in an instant, raking forward with his claws. With a wet rip, he forced Su Yu backward step after step. King Wu's urgent voice echoed from outside: "Are you all right?!" Su Yu ignored him. He had no time to respond. The lords of forbidden lands were truly troublesome. Just when it looked like victory was at hand, the enemy had reversed the tables in a single stroke. Inside this absolute territory, within the perimeter locked by the enemy's Dao, Su Yu was slower and commanded less power. He was pushed onto the back foot almost instantly. The Luohun Valley Lord knew that killing this youth would end everything! Because King Wu had integrated into this person's world! Therefore, there was no need to brawl with King Wu! "Heavenly Blaze!" A torrent of Nether Fire flared, engulfing Su Yu. Su Yu retreated swiftly, but to no avail—the flames sprouted everywhere, scorching him mercilessly! Agony crossed Su Yu's face! Yet the pain vanished just as quickly. With a low bark, an intense fire erupted from Su Yu as well, acting like a catalyst. The existing flames exploded with unprecedented ferocity, incinerating everything without discrimination! The Luohun Valley Lord grimaced under the sudden heat. He stared at Su Yu, then burst into mocking laughter: "Are you mad? Do you think fire like this can burn me to death?" Instead of extinguishing the flames, Su Yu had added fuel to them! He made the inferno blaze even hotter! And it was scorching both of them equally! Su Yu said nothing, continuing to stoke the flames. The inferno intensified, crackling loudly. Flesh split and char marks covered both of them, and rule Daos surfaced only to be burned away! The Luohun Valley Lord grunted, his brow knitted as he lunged toward Su Yu! This lunatic truly dared! This time, Su Yu chose to flee, pouring yet more power into the flames! The monstrous heat inflicted excruciating torment on both of them. The Luohun Valley Lord cursed under his breath, "Idiot! Your mental power isn't as strong as mine. If anyone burns to death first, it will be you!" Su Yu paid him no heed! This was likely the only way to break the deadlock! He spoke faintly, "Death is not the finish line. Let's spice it up. Pain to the point of collapse isn't about who is stronger—whoever can endure the most agony will be the winner!" He wore a smile like an archdemon! *I'm making a bet!* *Betting that you can't endure pain as well as I can!* Death was an ending, but enduring the process of dying was something not everyone could stomach! The fire grew hotter still! *Boom!* A sea of flames roared, burning away numerous Daos. Su Yu was throwing everything into the fire! "Hmph!" The Luohun Valley Lord grunted again, sneering coldly, "We have lived for countless eras. What is a little pain to us? Little fellow, you underestimate us!" Unless pain broke their minds, Su Yu was bound to lose in an endurance match! Pain? Did they fear it? To reach this realm, who hadn't endured agonizing trials and torments? This brat was looking down on them! The flames raged on! Their skin cracked and peeled as rule Daos dissipated continuously. Su Yu grinned as a Dao materialized. "This is the Dao of Agony, amplifying pain a hundredfold. Let's add a bit more!" *Boom!* The Dao was tossed directly into the fire. The next moment, both Su Yu and his opponent let out muffled groans, their faces contorting from sheer agony! Now, the Luohun Valley Lord found it difficult to even maintain his pursuit. Gritting his teeth, he sat cross-legged and threw up a protective barrier around himself! Yet Su Yu immediately charged him. Seeing this, the Luohun Valley Lord was forced to scramble up. Just as he prepared to strike back, Su Yu fled again. Su Yu simply refused to give him the chance to defend! Both men groaned incessantly under the searing fire. The other face on the Luohun Valley Lord—the Soul Lord—suddenly let out a sharp cry of agony. He was the weakest of them, wielding merely thirty Daos. Although merged with his brother, the sheer volume of flames burning him pushed him toward the brink of splitting apart! Moments later, the Luohun Valley Lord's form shuddered. An illusory figure emerged, writhing in sheer torment, hissing weakly, "Brother... kill him..." He couldn't take it anymore! The flames were already searing their willpower, and Su Yu had tossed in the Dao of Agony, the Dao of Corrosion, the Dao of Shattering... Assailed by so many tormenting Dao principles, the agony surpassed death itself! The Luohun Valley Lord's face was deathly pale as he looked at Su Yu. He was suffering intensely. Strong though he was, execution was a swift affair; pain of this magnitude crippled his focus, and his Dao power was beginning to fray! At this moment, he understood Su Yu's intent. Once the agony burned you to the point where you could no longer focus on defending, you would burn to death first, even if you were stronger! *If I can't take it, you think you can?* He glared at Su Yu, only to find the youth wearing an expression of perverse enjoyment, a strange smile playing upon his lips. Demonic! Yes, the only impression the Luohun Valley Lord had was of someone utterly demonic! Su Yu seemed to relish this torture! Seeing the Valley Lord look his way, Su Yu smiled. "Don't undo the seal. Otherwise, your physical bodies are gone, your strength will plummet, and once King Wu gets his hands on you, you are dead meat! Stay here and tough it out with me. Maybe I'll die first... and then you win!" Suppressing his agony, the Luohun Valley Lord asked in a low voice, "Who are you?" "Su Yu!" "Su Yu..." The Luohun Valley Lord's aura wavered. "Su Yu... you... you are from the myriad realms?" "Yes!" "How... how dare you..." His face twisted. Beside him, his brother was engulfed in flames, thrashing violently and shrieking in agony, "Brother... k-kill him!" "Hold on!" The Luohun Valley Lord gritted his teeth. "Once he breaks... we win! Or... wait until the others arrive... they won't stand by and watch us die..." The fire turned pitch-black, causing plumes of dark smoke to billow from all three of them! The Luohun Valley Lord's expression shifted. With a wave of his sleeve, he forcibly dragged the Soul Lord to his side, muttering grimly, "Merge again..." "Brother... I... I can't... It hurts too much... I'll... dissipate..." He wanted to merge, but he couldn't concentrate! The Luohun Valley Lord grew frantic. In the distance, Su Yu chuckled. He conjured an illusory roast chicken drumstick, roasting it in the fire until it smelled sweet and savory. As he continued burning, he took a bite and chuckled, "I love fighting like this... It hurts, sure, but... it's exhilarating, isn't it?" "I originally wanted King Wu to beat you to death... but you insisted on competing with me like this..." Su Yu bared his teeth, suddenly drawing in a sharp breath. "It hurts so much! It's been a while since I felt this. *Hiss*... It hurts far worse than anything I've endured before. I... I might not hold out much longer!" "What... what do you actually want?!" The Luohun Valley Lord struggled, his voice rasping. "What will it take for you to retreat?" Even though Su Yu claimed he couldn't hold out, the Luohun Valley Lord didn't want to continue. At this rate, his brother was going to die from the torment! "I... want your lives!" Su Yu grinned fiercely, then added, "Or... sever your Daos and connect to my world! How about that?" "Sever my Dao?" The Valley Lord gasped in pain. "Impossible... What do you know... When you fuse the Dao into your body, severing it means instant death! You're asking me to commit suicide!" Su Yu paused. "Is that so?" He genuinely hadn't known that! "Hmph!" The Luohun Valley Lord scoffed. Of course! Dao and body were one! Severing his Dao now was certain death! Otherwise, why hadn't any supreme powerhouse ever integrated into another person's world? Powerful as the Lord of Dead Spirits was, he had never managed to subjugate a supreme expert either! "Then let's keep enduring! Once I outlast you and you die, I'll still reap the rewards!" Su Yu smiled and waited. The flames raged with increasing savagery! *Sizzle!* "Brother..." The Soul Lord suddenly made a sound that wasn't a scream of pain. It carried a faint, tragic amusement. "I... can't outlast him... Brother... you've always protected me... It seems I lack the grit to endure this kind of pain..." "I know outsiders never dared attack my Soul Domain because of you... protecting me... Otherwise, with all the people I possessed and killed over the years, I would have died long ago... Your presence... was the foundation that allowed my Soul Domain to stand..." A thirty-Dao expert! He was strong, yet there was a vast gulf between him and a true supreme rank. Furthermore, the Soul Lord specialized in possession, a practice many forbidden lands despised because he frequently possessed their experts, unearthing their deepest secrets or devouring them whole! Yet he had an elder brother wielding thirty-two Daos, a supreme rank! Thus, the Soul Domain stood tall beneath the heavens, unprovoked by anyone who wished to avoid offending both brothers at once. Yet at this moment, the Soul Lord knew he could not outlast the madman across from them! The Luohun Valley Lord's face paled as he gritted his teeth. "I will release the Dao's restriction..." "No... if you release it... brother... you will die too! If you release it now... we cannot defeat that King Wu..." "Brother... I... I'm done for. Devour me... Hehe... Outlast this Su Yu... and we win!" "You!" The Luohun Valley Lord's expression warped with horror. "Listen to me... Hehe... I was supposed to die long ago. Many years ago, my physical body shattered and my sea of will collapsed; you were the one who kept me alive all this time... But I... don't want you to sacrifice for me anymore..." The next instant, a beam of radiance forcefully surged into the Luohun Valley Lord's body. The Luohun Valley Lord's expression twisted in despair! *Boom!* A titanic surge of power dissipated as a boundless mental will erupted! "My good brother... I'm going ahead... This chaotic world... is too much torment..." *Rumble!* An illusory figure appeared, wearing a look of relief. Turning toward Su Yu, the phantom smiled. "You didn't kill me. I will never be killed by anyone; I am immortal and indestructible... Su Yu, was it? I'll be waiting for you!" *Boom!* The phantom shattered completely! "No!" The Luohun Valley Lord's aura surged wildly, yet he let out a frantic, agonized shriek! Su Yu remained expressionless. He retreated swiftly, avoiding the Luohun Valley Lord's crazed lunge! Brotherly love? What did that have to do with him! Inside or outside the Gate, these people wished to venture out to slaughter and destroy his world! Then he would come inside to slaughter and destroy theirs! At this moment, the Lord of the Soul Domain, a formidable being who had founded a forbidden land with thirty Daos of power, recognized that he could not outlast Su Yu. He had chosen to merge entirely into his brother's form to empower the Luohun Valley Lord! *** Simultaneously. In the outside world. The firmament suddenly fractured. In the distance, beyond Severance Gorge, a colossal mountain hidden in the void suddenly materialized, and collapsed the very next instant! Upon that mountain, countless living beings shrieked in terror as they were reduced to ash! That was the concealed Soul Domain! With the death of the Soul Lord, it collapsed completely, and the countless creatures dwelling within perished instantly! Figures darted toward the area at incredible speed. Powerhouses from several forbidden lands, their teleportation blocked by the Lord of Dead Spirits disrupting the astral void, had no choice but to fly there manually. Yet as they drew near and beheld the collapse of the Soul Domain, their expressions changed drastically! A Soul Lord wielding thirty Daos might not be considered overwhelmingly powerful, but he had an elder brother at thirty-two Daos! The two brothers had joined forces against the enemy, yet the Soul Lord had perished so quickly! What did this signify? It meant the enemy was suppressing the Luohun Valley Lord as well; otherwise, how could his younger brother have fallen so easily? Countless rogue cultivators peered out from all directions, their hearts gripped by terror. The Soul Domain had fallen! Whether thirty Daos or thirty-two Daos, such beings were untouchable existences to them. Yet today, an entire forbidden land had collapsed! "Bastards!" A forbidden land lord roared in fury, bellowing, "Qiong, are you still not intervening?! Stop the Lord of Dead Spirits!" Qiong was nearby! If he stepped in to check the Lord of Dead Spirits and prevent him from disturbing the void, numerous experts could teleport over immediately. Otherwise, the journey by flight was simply too far! *** Atop Mount Tianqiong. The Lord of Mount Tianqiong wore an odd expression. Dead? So quickly! He had been a cultivator of thirty Daos with a thirty-two-Dao elder brother, yet he had perished just like that! "Interesting..." His curiosity piqued; he wanted to go see for himself. He didn't necessarily intend to intervene, but observing would at least let him know who was responsible. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the Heavenly Gate trembled! Qiong's face darkened, and he growled in a low voice, "Are they your people? Surely not..." "What?" The Human Sovereign's bewildered voice carried through! The Lord of Mount Tianqiong snapped coldly, "Why are you stopping me?" "What the hell are you talking about?" The Human Sovereign sounded exasperated. "Don't you dare leave with my Human Sovereign Seal! Leave it behind first, and then you can go wherever you want!" The Lord of Mount Tianqiong was at a loss for words! After a brief pause, he chose to remain seated. Forget it! If he left, this fellow would undoubtedly come barging out! When that happened, Mount Tianqiong itself might be in jeopardy! As for the enraged shouts of the others, what did that have to do with him? Let them yell! He couldn't be bothered to care!