No Pushovers

Inside the Hall of Myriad Laws. Fa sat motionless as a mountain. When Su Yu stepped through the doors, Fa said nothing. *Playing mysterious, are we?* *What is there to pretend!* "Martial Uncle Fa!" "Did you see her?" Only after Su Yu spoke did Fa give a faint reply. Su Yu nodded. "I saw her!" "How did the talk go?" "Not bad!" Su Yu smiled. "Though I suspect..." "Suspect what?" "I suspect she’s guessed that we are deceiving her!" Su Yu said calmly. "Don't underestimate Wen Yu's intellect. At the most perilous moment, she had the presence of mind to merge into your world to counter you. And despite years of our deception, she managed to forge a fake Time Record to pull the wool over our eyes... Anyone who looks down on Wen Yu is bound to suffer!" Fa frowned slightly. After a long pause, he nodded. "In truth, I share that suspicion." Su Yu smiled. "That is good to hear. I was worried you would think I was talking nonsense, Martial Uncle. In fact, the fact that she has given us no real benefits over all these years was already a telltale sign. It was just that everyone still clung to some illusions. "Yet today, when I met her, we talked for a while and had a delightful chat... That is precisely where the problem lies!" Su Yu knitted his brows. "Would a cultivator who has reached her level be so cheerful and open the very first time we met, chatting away without a single doubt? Is that still the Time Master? That sounds more like an idiot!" Fa looked at him. "You mean there is no way she will willingly surrender her core?" "Without a doubt!" Su Yu nodded. "It's practically a pipe dream!" "Then how are we to devour her? Since you arrived with such fanfare, do you have another way? If not, we can only wait until the Forbidden Land Conference opens..." Su Yu frowned and said, "With someone like the Time Master, bait must be cast! It is an absolute necessity, so... after much thought, perhaps we must take a risk." "Take a risk?" Su Yu nodded. "Take a risk!" "What kind of risk?" Fa's expression was calm; he wanted to hear Su Yu's thoughts. Su Yu looked at him, thought for a moment, and said, "Perhaps... we will also need help. Help from the Human Gate!" Fa's brows knitted slightly. "Don't you despise the Human Gate?" "No, I don't despise the Human Gate!" Su Yu shook his head. "I only despise that they want to snatch food from our mouths and pry you away from us, Martial Uncle Fa! If you have your own fair judgment and choice... I know you still have a preference!" Su Yu looked straight at Fa, paused for a beat, and continued, "The prerequisite is that the Human Gate must provide us with sufficient assistance!" "What do you need?" Fa looked at him. Su Yu considered it. "Six experts above thirty Dao lines, or one thirty-two Dao expert, or... perhaps even more!" He watched Fa, whose brow furrowed. Fa did not speak immediately. After a moment of contemplation, Fa said, "Speak your mind!" "It isn't merely my opinion, but decisions from the sacred ground!" Su Yu corrected. "It is a method the Progenitor had me bring to you, Martial Uncle. As for whether to use it, that is for you to decide!" "Speak!" "Withdraw the power of your world, go slay King Wen and King Wu, and deliberately allow the Time Master to seize the world. Let her occupy it with thirty percent of her power, drawing out her strength while simultaneously reducing her overall combat capability. This will force her to actively expose her core, allowing us to strike her down and devour her..." Su Yu repeated what he had said before. Fa's eyes flickered slightly. "A pseudo-nirvana?" "Indeed!" Su Yu nodded. "That is the answer given by the sacred ground, and the best course of action! Otherwise, any other method... Killing Wen Yu is certainly achievable, but killing her would devastate the world. Unless a supreme entity intervenes to forcibly strip it away, you and Wen Yu are bound together—if she suffers severe damage, you will suffer severe damage as well! "Even if you join hands with other experts to kill Wen Yu, the end result would be mutual ruin, rendering it impossible for you to advance any further!" Su Yu said in a heavy tone, "Therefore, our only option is to take the gamble. We must tempt her with the world's core, prompting her to erupt at that exact moment to create a state of pseudo-nirvana for you, and even force her to actively expend her own power to keep the world from collapsing!" Fa sank into deep thought. Only after a good while did he speak: "Then according to your plan, the six lineage masters plus yourself would be enough to handle her!" "No!" Su Yu shook his head. "The six lineage masters... are they truly dependable? Not necessarily! What's more..." Su Yu continued coolly, "Among the six lineage masters, who knows if one of them is secretly colluding with the Time Master? Even if not, some might be in league with the Human Gate, or even in contact with us... Aren't you worried, Martial Uncle?" Su Yu wore a faintly mocking expression, which he quickly suppressed. "Furthermore, battling the Time Master might cost lives. Since the Human Gate wants to recruit you, Martial Uncle, fine—make them send people!" Su Yu chuckled. "Once you succeed, the method having been provided by me and the Progenitor, I wonder which side you will favor more? Besides, once you truly succeed... turning against them would be child's play, wouldn't it?" Fa fell into thought once more. "You mean having the Human Gate send people serves both to deal with Wen Yu and to maintain a balance..." Su Yu thought about it and nodded. "Partly that. After all, the six lineage masters have their own domains within the Myriad Laws. To put it bluntly... if both your world core and Wen Yu's core are damaged, someone might seize the opportunity to snatch it! Even if they cannot reach thirty-six Dao lines, to those lineage masters, it might be their only chance to become forbidden land masters... Wealth moves men's hearts!" At this point, Su Yu added blandly, "It is also to prevent you from suspecting the sacred ground's intentions... Bringing in the Human Gate to oversee the matter will keep both sides wary of each other! Otherwise, the one in danger would be you, Martial Uncle!" Fa was noticeably moved. He looked at Su Yu, and only after a long silence did he say, "What if the people from the Human Gate set their sights on my world core?" "If you fear wolves ahead and tigers behind, there is nothing we can do!" Su Yu shook his head. "Fearing this and fearing that means nothing can ever be accomplished! Even if neither side acts, you would still have to worry about whether you can defeat King Wen... In that case, I have nothing more to say!" Fa said impassively, "One's life is at stake; one must remain vigilant." Su Yu nodded in understanding. "You must weigh this for yourself, Martial Uncle... I can continue conversing with the Time Master. Even if she knows I am deceiving her, in order to save King Wen, she will still have to erupt the moment you enter nirvana to shake the world and rescue him! My only concern is that you, carrying seventy percent of your power, might end up being routed by King Wen and King Wu instead. That would be the biggest joke of all!" Fa chuckled. "Impossible!" Su Yu, however, shook his head. "No, it is entirely possible! When the Progenitor awoke for a brief moment, he mentioned that the Heavenly Gate had trembled slightly earlier, likely because someone's world power had seeped inside—nine times out of ten, it was King Wen! King Wen holds hidden cards; he isn't empty-handed like you think! Just three months ago... right around that time, a wave of world power seeped inside..." Su Yu added, "So, Martial Uncle, if you underestimate King Wen and get killed by him instead... that truly would be the joke of the millennium!" Fa suddenly cast his mind back. Three months ago, world power had indeed seeped in... Back then, King Wen had been brimming with confidence and proactively sought him out to cause trouble. In an instant, understanding dawned on him. His heart shuddered slightly! He could not help looking at Su Yu. After a long silence, he said in a low voice, "King Wen might truly have extended his own world power inside..." Su Yu nodded. "In that case, would King Wen still fear you, Martial Uncle? Hardly! What's more, he has King Wu assisting him!" Su Yu smiled. "Therefore, for this plan to succeed, we must possess absolute certainty of victory on both fronts, inside and outside! If either side fails, it will spell immense disaster! "If you have any friends at the level of forbidden land masters, Martial Uncle, you could invite them to lend a hand!" Friends? Nonsense. Even if he had any, he could never invite anyone at the forbidden land master level. In this godforsaken place, the human heart was the most treacherous of all. Seeing you wounded, even a close friend would itch to swallow you whole! However, experts below thirty-two Dao lines—if brought in sufficient numbers—might be feasible. And he would have the means to keep them under control, rather than being helpless if they turned against him. *A pseudo-nirvana... baiting out the world core... exposing the flaw deliberately... dealing with King Wen, forcing Wen Yu to reveal the location of her core whether she wants to or not...* These thoughts flashed through Fa's mind. Looking at Su Yu, he said after a pause, "Once I withdraw my power, can I truly enter a state of nirvana?" Su Yu nodded. "You can!" This part was genuine; he wasn't lying. The plan hadn't been devised by him, but by the Heavenly Gate. In Riyue's eyes, a century had passed and the Heavenly Gate had fallen into slumber, rendering the scheme meaningless. In reality, it was still usable and could produce a false nirvana without causing the world to violently erupt and collapse. Otherwise, withdrawing seventy percent of the world's power would inevitably trigger its destruction. That was entirely different from expending power in battle! Deep in thought, Fa glanced at Su Yu and suddenly asked, "Aren't you afraid that if the Human Gate contributes more, I will ultimately choose them?" Su Yu smiled. "I believe you are wise, Martial Uncle. If our sacred ground were unwilling to lift a finger, you might indeed turn to the Human Gate! But now, the sacred ground has provided the method and is willing to assist you. The Progenitor will even channel power personally to aid your pseudo-nirvana... After all, this is inside the Heavenly Gate, not the Human Gate! "I can teach you the method of pseudo-nirvana; it isn't difficult... The difficult part is that without the Progenitor's help, it would be nearly impossible for you to be completely sealed and detached from the world! "However, as long as the battle that day is sufficiently fierce and you force out King Wen's or King Wu's heavenly gates... or if King Wen proactively borrows world power, the Progenitor's power will surely be able to reach across!" Fa closed his eyes and pondered. Was it a gamble? It was indeed a gamble! Was the risk great? Neither overwhelmingly large nor negligible. As for King Wen's side... if they could have killed him, they would have done so long ago. They couldn't do it before, and they couldn't do it now. The crux lay within the world itself! Once he was absent, who knew what might go wrong? Dealing with the Time Master sounded simple on paper, but even with thirty percent of her strength, she would possess at least thirty Dao lines of power, perhaps even thirty-one! The Time Master was full of tricks. If she wielded thirty-one Dao lines of power, an ordinary thirty-one Dao expert would be no match for her! Fa suddenly opened his eyes, looked at Su Yu, and asked, "Will Wen Yu truly erupt at that moment?" Su Yu nodded. "She will! Because I told her that the Forbidden Land Conference is about to convene, and that this time you are resolved to resolve her trouble and King Wen's once and for all! If she doesn't take the gamble before the conference opens, she will have lost her chance forever! "This is an open scheme. Even if she knows I might be baiting her to reveal her world core, she has no choice but to swallow the bait!" Su Yu smiled brilliantly. "She must bite!" Fa gave him a look, then called out abruptly, "Heiyue!" Instantly, a dark silhouette manifested. "Lord Fa, what are your orders?" Fa was silent for a moment before saying evenly, "How many cultivators of thirty and thirty-one Dao lines can you mobilize from your side?" Heiyue was taken aback. "This... Lord Fa, are you planning to... forcibly eliminate them?" "Answer me!" Heiyue calculated rapidly and replied soon after, "Three at most! Lord Fa must understand that experts of such caliber are top echelons even without opening a forbidden land! Some are even forbidden land masters themselves! Three... is the limit!" "Three?" Fa sank into thought, then asked, "Can they arrive at Mount Yongsheng in secret?" "That... will be difficult to hide from King Wen!" "I can occupy his attention, or they can wait on the periphery!" Heiyue asked with furrowed brows, "Are these people meant to... join forces against King Wen, or deal with Wen Yu? After all, this is a risky endeavor." "To deal with Wen Yu!" That was somewhat better. Wen Yu was restricted, after all, and far less terrifying than King Wen. Beside them, Su Yu was also inwardly astonished. The Human Gate had established quite a foothold inside the Heavenly Gate to be able to mobilize three experts above thirty Dao lines on short notice. More importantly, what was Heiyue's true identity? If his status weren't exceptionally high, how could he summon them so easily? Furthermore, having been planted beside Fa—who was essentially a crucial link between the myriad realms and the inside of the gate—an operative here would not be low in rank. He ought to possess a degree of decision-making authority! Meanwhile, Fa's mind was churning. Bringing in outsiders for help was not entirely reliable. If possible, he would rather handle it himself while presiding over the forbidden land, guaranteeing complete safety. Yet if he did not leave the forbidden land, Wen Yu would not make her move. Without her moving, the world core would not manifest, bringing things right back to square one. Moreover... would the Human Gate and Heavenly Gate truly assist him in securing the world out of the goodness of their hearts? Hardly! Would the Riyue before him, or this Heiyue, choose to supplant him at that crucial moment? One thought after another surfaced in Fa's mind. Abruptly, he said, "Heiyue, contact them and have them make haste!" Heiyue hesitated. "Lord Fa..." Fa said coldly, "If you aren't even willing to dispatch a few people below the Unification realm to help... then I haven't seen a shred of sincerity from the Human Gate. In that case, Heiyue, our cooperation ends here!" Heiyue could not help glancing at Su Yu. *Aren't you going to object?* Su Yu looked at him and said indifferently, "What are you staring at? Stare all you like, your Human Gate is merely adding flowers to brocade, while my Heavenly Gate is sending charcoal in the snow!" Heiyue pondered again for a moment, then spoke: "Very well, I will arrange it as quickly as possible..." "How long will it take?" Fa pressed. Heiyue calculated. "Among the three, some might not be able to arrive in time. For all of them to gather... at least ten days!" "Too late!" Fa's brow furrowed slightly. "The Forbidden Land Conference begins in fifteen days. If they only arrive in ten days... that leaves too little margin. I give you seven days! If you cannot manage it, then forget it!" "Understood!" Heiyue nodded in agreement. Then Heiyue added, "Lord Fa, are you certain this attempt will succeed? I worry someone is scheming against you. If it fails, there may be trouble. It would be better to wait until our side has made thorough preparations, or simply wait until the Forbidden Land Conference opens. Once everyone drives out or kills King Wen and his companion, our chances will be far greater!" The "someone" he referred to was obviously Su Yu. Su Yu sneered coldly, offering no rebuttal. At that moment, Fa gave no indication of his thoughts, neither elaborating nor scolding them. Glancing at the two of them out of the corner of his eye, he closed his eyes again. The intention to dismiss his guests was plain! Without another word, Su Yu turned and left. The dark silhouette vanished swiftly as well. Walking outward, Su Yu sank into deep contemplation. Fa had agreed far too readily—did he have other plans, or did he truly believe this was the best course of action? He hadn't needed much persuasion from Su Yu; his decisiveness had surpassed expectations. He had agreed almost immediately! *What is he thinking?* Thoughts raced through Su Yu's mind. By his estimation, Fa was a cautious man who would not take reckless risks. *** Shortly after Su Yu and the other departed. Behind Fa, another figure abruptly emerged. It was ethereal, bearing a demeanor of deep reverence: "Father!" Fa opened his eyes and said softly, "In this world, in this filthy era, things like master and disciple, sect, subordinates, forbidden lands, friends... none are trustworthy. Even between father and son, trust is often absent." Fa said in a low voice, "Be it the Human Gate or the Heavenly Gate, in their eyes, I am merely a chess piece. Without me, there will be others! I am by no means irreplaceable. What they need is sheer strength—someone powerful enough to serve their ends! "Once Riyue and Heiyue see me enter pseudo-nirvana, and once Wen Yu is crushed... as the world cores begin to fuse, won't their hearts be swayed?" Fa chuckled faintly. "If they harbor ambitions... that would pose a tremendous threat! Even if I am outschemed, I would rather my own son reap the benefits than an outsider—even if... my son might not feel grateful." "Father, I..." The figure behind him seemed eager to protest, but Fa waved his hand and said blandly, "You might not relish being a shadow, but in this era, a person who doesn't exist is far safer than one who does! "You should have heard Riyue's words. I cannot tell whether he harbors other intentions... Perhaps he does not, but one must remain guarded!" Behind him, his son said with some hesitation, "Would the sacred ground truly scheme against you, Father? There seems little need. If something truly happens to you, even if someone inherits your world, they still won't be able to reach thirty-six Dao lines..." "Wealth moves men's hearts; who can say?" Fa chuckled. "No matter. On that day, I will make Heiyue and Riyue accompany me!" Fa's eyes sharpened instantly. "Once they are gone, leaving the rest without a leader, you will step up to direct them! Lead them together to deal with Wen Yu! If you feel capable of shouldering this sky, you may even seize my world core while I am away... I won't mind! "Better that it benefits you than those outsiders!" Behind him, the ethereal figure said in a deep voice, "Father, I will surely guard your world core with my life... Anyone who wishes to seize it must step over my corpse!" Fa genuinely seemed indifferent as he said casually, "Suit yourself! Between the two battlefronts, I must be present at one; I cannot trust anyone else with this place! Right now, Heiyue and Riyue probably assume I will leave them behind... I won't! If those two remain, both could stir up trouble! Once they are removed, the newcomers—no matter how strong—won't dare make reckless, foolish choices so long as they haven't reached the Unification realm!" When Su Yu proposed the idea, Fa had agreed readily because he knew it was likely the only option, the best choice. Since that was the case, there was no need to hesitate. However, Riyue might harbor his own designs, and Fa had to guard against that. Fa considered it, then chuckled. "Remember, do not trust anyone! In an era where order and rules have shattered, the only person you can truly trust is yourself!" He continued indifferently, "Remember these words—and that includes me. There is no need to trust me entirely either! When I sired your bloodline and hid you away, it was partly to protect you, and partly to leave myself a hidden card! You need not thank me, nor do I require your gratitude..." "Father..." "Step down!" The silhouette struggled inwardly for a moment, but quickly retreated. Only after he had gone did Fa rise, step out of the hall, and look down over the world, over Su Yu, and over Heiyue. *No matter your schemes, this is my territory.* *Be it the Heavenly Gate or the Human Gate, we are merely using one another!* *What talk of trust could there possibly be!* *** Meanwhile, Heiyue took the initiative to approach Su Yu. Carrying a faint smile, he materialized beside Su Yu and chuckled. "Fellow Daoist Riyue, why bear such immense hostility toward me? Strictly speaking, you and I are allies." Su Yu smiled. "Is that so? Then let me ask you a question. Are you an entity native to the Human Gate, or merely a lackey of it? It shouldn't be possible for anyone from the Human Gate to enter right now, correct? I'm quite curious! Of course, the Human Gate predates the Heavenly Gate; perhaps you opened the Human Gate back then and established contact with the beings inside?" The Heavenly Gate was only opened in Su Yu's era. The beings sealed within the Heavenly Gate could not have opened it back then—naturally, since the Heavenly Gate did not exist yet, how could they have opened it! However, both the Human Gate and the Earth Gate predated the Heavenly Gate. It was entirely possible that someone had opened the Human Gate or the Earth Gate in the ancient past. This dark silhouette was most likely not a native born within the Human Gate. Heiyue chuckled. "Does it matter?" "Fair point!" Su Yu nodded slightly. "It doesn't matter. I'm just curious how you can summon three experts above thirty Dao lines. I can't quite see through your strength—would you mind telling me?" "Twenty-eight Dao lines." "So formidable?" Su Yu laughed. "A twenty-eight Dao cultivator who can mobilize experts above thirty Dao lines? That means you are either an opener of the Human Gate, or the direct subordinate of some grand figure, implying there is another powerful entity within the Heavenly Gate who serves as a lackey for the Human Gate?" "'Lackey'... sounds rather unpleasant!" Heiyue smiled, seemingly unbothered, and asked instead, "Now that you have seen Wen Yu, do you feel confident in bringing her down?" "I do what is humanly possible and leave the rest to fate!" "Lord Fa suddenly asked me to summon powerful reinforcements. What, exactly, is your plan? I am still entirely in the dark." Su Yu shrugged. "Plan? From beginning to end, hasn't there been only one objective? Settle Wen Yu, empower Martial Uncle Fa. Does the process matter?" His lips were tightly sealed; he wouldn't reveal a single detail. "Fellow Daoist, you have now reached twenty-five Dao lines, but you are still far from thirty-two, and the Heavenly Gate will soon open..." Su Yu cut him off directly: "No need to egg me on, hoodwink me, or tempt me!" At that moment, Su Yu suddenly appeared utterly pious: "In this dark, filthy era, as a human, I still possess faith! And my faith is something you cannot understand. People like you only know self-interest and selfishness; I am different!" At this moment, Su Yu radiated an aura that seemed almost sacred, tinged with cold arrogance: "I have pursuits, dreams, and convictions! I know what I must do, how to do it, and how to save the era and the human race! "Martial Uncle Fa may have forgotten these things, but I will not, because... I am not like him! "You may try to win over Martial Uncle Fa, but don't bother trying with me!" Heiyue stared at him, suddenly feeling an inexplicable sense of shame! Because this man might genuinely possess a powerful conviction! A formidable faith! Though he wasn't overwhelmingly strong, people like him were far more difficult to handle than powerhouses who cared solely for self-interest. At this moment, the dark silhouette chose to give up. *Forget it!* He truly disliked dealing with this sort of person. Manipulating hearts and exchanging benefits could win over many, but handling someone with unshakeable convictions was difficult in the extreme! *** Meanwhile, Fa had also been watching silently from afar. For a moment, he fell into a daze. *Faith...* Once upon a time, he had possessed it too. But as he stepped out into the world and witnessed too much darkness—seeing through the gloom—he realized that faith could not put food on the table! Riyue was still too young! Yet the firmness of his conviction was something even Fa could feel. "A good thing, perhaps!" Fa murmured softly. When one was young, one needed something to strive for. *** The next day. Su Yu visited the restriction center once more. On either side of the barrier, Su Yu said nothing at first, merely asking for food again. Truth be told, the Time Master's culinary skills were genuinely impressive. After eating for a while, Su Yu finally spoke: "Fa agreed, but he agreed far too readily, without much hesitation or agonizing! I suspect he might have made other arrangements!" The Time Master was eating as well, her mouth slick with grease as she said nonchalantly, "Arrangements or not, it makes little difference." "Hard to say!" Su Yu thought about it and said, "I'll give you another chance to choose... If you no longer wish to devour his world, I will rescue you right now, and even find a way to slay Fa! That would be far safer!" He was genuinely concerned! Moreover, Su Yu considered the matter further and added, "If I stay here, I won't fear whatever arrangements he makes. Even if another forbidden land master shows up, I dare fight and kill them! What I fear is that he doesn't trust me and will insist on dragging me along to fight King Wen!" That was the greatest problem! Once he left, the Time Master would have to fight alone... and that would be perilous! If he remained here, with his thirty-two Dao lines of power, he wouldn't even fear Fa, let alone anyone else. "He would take you with him?" Wen Yu asked curiously, "You only have twenty-five Dao lines of power—at least, that is what you display. If he takes you along... isn't he worried the Sacred Ground of the Human Dao will suspect he's trying to get you killed?" "Do you think someone of his stature still cares about that?" Su Yu's brow furrowed slightly. "Other things are manageable, but if he insists on taking me with him... then I will erupt. Even if I can't kill him, and even if it strips away your world power, I will still take you and escape!" Surviving was what mattered! Whether her cultivation could advance was secondary! Wen Yu ate her food, thought it over, and said, "No, I want to try!" "Try getting yourself killed, more like!" Su Yu snapped in exasperation. "I deliberately had the Human Gate send a few experts, originally intending to wipe them all out in one swoop and nourish my own world. But now... it might not be a good thing! If I were Fa, I would probably take both myself and Heiyue with me. That way, leaving the rest without a leader... he could feel more at ease! What puzzles me is: if he takes us away, how will the people here coordinate to deal with you? Without someone directing them, the moment one dies, the rest might crumble... Would Fa truly be so foolish?" As for appointing one of the lineage masters as leader, the lineage masters might not be able to command the outsiders. In contrast, Su Yu and Heiyue—one an envoy of the Human Gate, the other an envoy of the Heavenly Gate—possessed considerable status. Even if the newcomers were from the Human Gate, Su Yu might still be able to direct them without facing too much pushback. Yet Wen Yu remained adamant: "I want to try! I don't want my brother and Big Brother Taishan to have spent countless years, and you to have paid such an immense price, only to rescue a cripple!" The Time Master grinned. "A cripple, in this era... is the most worthless thing of all! Having paid such a steep price, if I succeed, everyone will be overjoyed. I won't feel at a loss, my brother and the others won't feel at a loss, and you won't feel cheated either... But if you rescue a cripple... why bother saving me at all?" She continued eating, a smile gracing her face. "You made your past sound so pitiful... When I get out, I'll protect you! But if the person you rescue is just a cripple... won't I just be a burden?" She wanted to take the gamble! In truth, Su Yu could rescue her right now if she surrendered her world power and abandoned her past accumulations. At worst, she could connect to the Great Dao of Su Yu's world. Her insights were still intact, so she could quickly become an expert of twenty or even thirty Dao lines... Yet that would be the end of the road! Her Time Record would be gone, everything she had built would be lost, and starting entirely from scratch, who knew how long it would take before she had any hope of advancing to the super grade! "If I forcibly slay Fa, you might still have a chance to take control of the world..." "Impossible!" Wen Yu shook her head. "He and I are intertwined through the world. If you forcibly kill him without the world core being brought under control, the world will collapse! If simply overpowering the other guaranteed victory, he would have killed me long ago! I'm no match for him!" Saying this, she looked at him with an odd expression. "Why are you being so indecisive and motherly?" Su Yu fell silent. *Motherly?* *I just want to bring back a living Time Master, not a corpse!* He continued pondering Fa's potential moves. After a moment, he said, "If I truly have to leave, you will be in grave danger! Unless I can quickly eliminate Fa on the outside—and that is under the prerequisite that his world core manifests, otherwise it will all be meaningless!" "My only worry is that you might not be able to hold out!" The Time Master sneered disdainfully. "What storm haven't I weathered? Just a bunch of small fry! Slay one, and the rest will instantly wet their pants!" "Perhaps!" Wen Yu smiled. "Eat up, eat more! A good meal before hitting the road—what is there to fear!" "..." No matter how one heard it, those words sounded terribly ominous! Su Yu was utterly speechless. He had to admit, this woman was extraordinarily optimistic, as if this were all a minor affair. *** Day after day slipped by. The Forbidden Land Conference drew closer and closer. During these days, Su Yu visited the forbidden area daily to chat with the Time Master. Of course, he hadn't remained entirely idle otherwise. For example, he occasionally sent the six lineage masters out for strolls, or gathered several of them to surround Heiyue without uttering a word, simply standing there motionless. Su Yu had only one goal in mind: to accustom the lineage masters to this dynamic. He wanted to instill a fixed impression in their minds: when Fa wasn't around, Su Yu called the shots! If Fa chose not to take him along to fight King Wen, excellent—he would rule the roost here. If Fa did drag him along, the moment he returned, these people would instantly harbor the instinct to obey him! Because he was the highest authority present! That was Su Yu's intention. All of this was observed by both Fa and Heiyue, but neither paid it much mind. It had little practical effect, because it all relied on one prerequisite: Fa's absence! Only if Su Yu were left alone with these people would it prove useful. And Fa had no intention of giving Su Yu that opportunity! When a message arrived from Heiyue indicating that the reinforcements had arrived, Fa knew that victory or defeat hung upon this single stroke! *** Inside the great hall. Fa looked at the two men, and only after a long pause did he speak: "I must trouble the two of you to accompany me to hunt down King Wen and King Wu. You need not confront them head-on; you only need to help me entangle King Wu or surround them!" Heiyue said nothing, but Su Yu's expression changed slightly. "I only possess twenty-five Dao lines!" Fa smiled. "You can borrow the power of the gate, can you not?" Su Yu's expression darkened. "Do you not trust me? Martial Uncle, I only have twenty-five Dao lines of power. I could play a far greater role here, and I have the ability to lead everyone in eradicating Wen Yu!" Fa said calmly, "Riyue, does it make a difference where you are?" Su Yu said in a low voice, "Then why can't I remain behind?" "Heiyue has raised no objections!" Fa's voice turned noticeably colder. "Or could it be... that you wish to remain behind to study my world?" Su Yu fell silent for a long time, then let out a sigh of helplessness and muttered, "Then we shall proceed according to your wishes, Martial Uncle!" Only then did a smile return to Fa's face! *Very good!* *** A short while later. The hall grew crowded. A moment later, a figure manifested. Fa smiled and addressed all the lineage masters: "I am heading out to eliminate King Wen and his companion. Meanwhile, Wen Yu may riot here... Therefore, from now on, everyone will follow Fa Tian's arrangements!" Everyone turned to look at the newly appeared young man, their expressions shifting strangely. Su Yu's expression also changed slightly—an expert of thirty Dao lines, and more importantly... he seemed to be Fa's descendant! No one had ever mentioned this before. Not a soul had said that Fa had a descendant! At this moment, Fa smiled. "Indeed, Fa Tian is of my bloodline. He has merely been in secluded cultivation, and has only now emerged. Should you encounter any difficulties, you may leave them to Fa Tian to handle!" "Understood!" "We obey the Lord's command!" The crowd voiced their assent one after another, while Su Yu let out a quiet breath inwardly. *I'll have to play it by ear!* Wen Yu's side would likely face a grim struggle. If things went south, his only choice would be to swiftly eliminate Fa and rush back—or simply abandon Fa altogether and rescue Wen Yu first. These old bastards truly weren't pushovers, none of them. Fa paid no mind to Su Yu and the others, offering them no further chance to speak. He smiled and said, "Heiyue, Riyue, come with me!" With those words, the heavens and earth seemed to spin. Su Yu and the dark silhouette were both enveloped within his domain, soaring outward together into the distance.