The Human Gate

Organizing the Great Daos. Wen Yu had simply provided a system, a theory—one that actually originated from the cultivation techniques of the Myriad Realms. However, because there had been so few Heaven-openers in the past, each with their own ideas and rarely communicating with one another, no mature Heaven-opening framework had ever been established. The Time Master was different. She had observed numerous worlds and had been entangled with Fa's world for countless years, which was why she had been able to organize this system of Heaven-opening. What Su Yu and King Wen had lacked was merely an initial catalyst. Both of them were simply too busy to reflect. Once they possessed sufficient strength, their sole thought had been to unleash even greater power. Everyone understood the principle of uniting the Great Daos into one, so Su Yu and King Wen had essentially been following that path. However, doing so drastically heightened the difficulty. It was effectively forcing the Daos to merge! Now, the Time Master's theory actually incorporated some of King Wen's framework and philosophy. In the past, King Wen's student had developed the art of Dao disassembly, breaking down the Brush Dao into a system of ninety-nine divine characters. That system, too, had originated from King Wen. It was just that King Wen had never found the time over all these years to synthesize it. Seeing the Time Master burst into hearty laughter, Su Yu shook his head slightly, then looked over at King Wen, who was smiling warmly at his younger sister, and chuckled as well. The Time Master's theory was partly derived from him, yet the man did not seem to mind at all, radiating only gratification. King Wen's attitude toward the Time Master resembled that of a father toward a daughter. An elder brother took the place of a father, and he doted on Wen Yu profoundly. Otherwise, knowing full well that Fa was baiting him all these years, he would never have willingly walked into the trap. It had cost him an endless amount of time. Had he not done so, King Wen would only have been far stronger. Yet he had abandoned the Myriad Realms and cast aside his own advancement solely to buy time for Wen Yu from the perimeter. At this moment, Su Yu watched in silence. This was the sentiment of the Myriad Realms! Amid the seven emotions and six desires, this was familial devotion. Even after cultivating to such heights, King Wen remained bound by love. As Su Yu was watching him, King Wen also turned his gaze over, smiling with a subtle nod. Su Yu returned the smile and nodded. "May King Wen open your Heaven soon, grow strong soon, and return to the Myriad Realms soon! Someone in the Myriad Realms is still waiting for you!" "Big Brother is in no rush." "I wasn't talking about the Human Sovereign. I meant the Southern King." "The Southern King..." King Wen froze, only managing to speak after a long pause. "The one from the Dead Spirit Realm?" "That's right!" "..." King Wen looked at him thoughtfully before saying, "I sense an unpleasant undertone in your voice." Su Yu grinned. "The Southern King is wonderful! She has been resurrected now, so she isn't even a dead spirit anymore!" "..." In the distance, King Wu listened in silence. *I think I understand. This time, I actually get it! Did Su Yu do something back in the Myriad Realms? Is he trying to find me a second sister-in-law?* Meanwhile, King Wen looked mentally exhausted. He could not be bothered to respond and quietly closed his eyes, silently meditating on the Great Dao. *I never said a word, so what you say doesn't count. Did that fellow Su Yu use my name to flirt with the Southern King and get her to risk her life for him? That's extremely likely! After all, borrowing someone's prestige is a trick scholars pull all the time. What an unfilial scoundrel!* While they spoke, the Time Master officially began merging the worlds, and the two tomes gradually drew closer together. Wisp after wisp of Dao power was drawn out! However, the Time Master did not take every strand of Great Dao power, nor did she absorb it all. She discarded any Dao power she did not need or that would severely disrupt the balance of her Great Dao. A portion of these would go to Su Yu, and whatever Su Yu did not require would go to King Wen. Su Yu, too, began organizing his own Daos. The nine opening-yuan acupoints! These were the nine acupoints cultivated at the very beginning of the cultivation path: the eye acupoints, ear acupoints, nose acupoints, mouth acupoint, baihui, and zique. The eye acupoints accommodated the sun and moon or yin and yang; the mouth acupoint accommodated devouring; baihui accommodated yuan-gathering; zique accommodated spirit; the ear acupoints accommodated eavesdropping; the nose acupoints accommodated scent... Su Yu organized each of them. When he had originally opened his Heaven, he had attempted some organization, but it had never been as lucid as it was now. Each acupoint corresponded to a matching Great Dao, and after matching them, a second screening had to be conducted based on whether they could successfully merge. Su Yu continuously made adjustments. Certain unneeded Great Daos could actually be merged into matching ones, freeing up several acupoint positions in the process. At this moment, Su Yu was also strengthening himself. Meanwhile, the Time Master picked and chose, casting aside unwanted Dao power. Throughout the world, waves of Great Dao power surged tempestuously, sweeping outward! ... "Is the Master of Fa merging with Wen Yu?" On the surface, the six lineage masters sank into deep contemplation as the forbidden land trembled faintly. Yet some were wondering... was the Master of Fa merging with Wen Yu, or was Wen Yu merging with the Master of Fa? They did not dare think too deeply about it! That was a terrifying possibility! Right now, however, they had no choice. Regardless of who merged with whom, Mount Yongsheng remained Mount Yongsheng in the short term. Meanwhile, outside the mountain, rogue cultivators had begun to gather. The Forbidden Land Conference would soon begin! ... Outside Mount Yongsheng. The experts of the forbidden lands had not yet arrived, but a large number of rogue cultivators were already congregating. Though Su Yu had subdued many and killed quite a few, the world inside the Heavenly Gate was vast, and he had only dealt with Severance Gorge and a small group of outsiders. Any rogue cultivator with eight daos or more was eligible to attend, causing the crowd outside Mount Yongsheng to swell continuously. Most arrived in groups, as King Wen was still in the vicinity. King Wen had fallen quiet after his last clash with Fa, and nobody paid it much mind; it was hardly the first time the two had fought over the years. Perhaps King Wen had gone back into hiding. Among the rogue cultivators, someone spoke up: "We've all arrived, and the Forbidden Land Conference is about to begin, yet Mount Yongsheng keeps its mountain gates firmly shut. Don't tell me we're going to hold the conference right out here?" "We rogue cultivators shouldn't complain. If the big figures haven't arrived, why would they open the gates for you?" "Rogue cultivators are still cultivators! Besides, quite a few experts above sixteen daos have come this time!" "..." Murmurs of displeasure rippled through the rogue cultivators, and discontent began to spread. The start was fast approaching. These rogue cultivators had arrived ahead of time, each being an illustrious figure in their own region, yet here they could not even step past the gates! Meanwhile. In a secluded corner of the void. Several figures materialized, all hesitating slightly. Dressed as rogue cultivators, the group included old men and women. One of them transmitted their voice: "The rogue cultivators are growing restless. This feels like the work of the Human Gate... or perhaps another forbidden land is up to something? Could they be inciting the rogue cultivators to strike against Mount Yongsheng?" "Ignore them! Those are minor matters. The key question right now is whether Sun Moon is actually here. That clash of three worlds earlier signified that three experts possess worlds connected to the Myriad Realms: King Wen, the Lord of Dead Spirits... so who was the third?" "Those three worlds suddenly erupted during the battle with Fa... Do you think something happened to Fa?" "..." The experts disguised as rogue cultivators all frowned deeply. "The Ancestor had only just awakened slightly before being wounded by the Lord of Dead Spirits and falling back into slumber. The information left behind before the slumber was too sparse, but there was no mention of Fa running into trouble... He should be fine, right?" "The Lord of Dead Spirits' sudden strike against Kong's people that day is also suspicious... It feels like there's an underlying connection. And that Su Yu... he didn't appear before. Do you think Su Yu was behind that earlier move?" "..." Looking at the tightly shut gates of Mount Yongsheng, the group grew increasingly somber. An ill-fated start! The Ancestor had barely begun to awaken before being shaken by the three worlds' impact, and the Lord of Dead Spirits had even attacked in person. Left with no choice, the Ancestor had returned to slumber. Now, they knew nothing about the true situation inside Mount Yongsheng. "The Human Gate's forces, the various forbidden land masters, and other factions... it's a complete mess! What a headache!" Watching Mount Yongsheng, these experts did not dare rush forward. There were too many rogue cultivators present; entering right now and being spotted would be disastrous. "If Sun Moon is here, I wonder if Fa succeeded?" "Even if he succeeded, he might not be obedient... That fellow has always had a rebellious bone in him! We could tell long ago!" "..." They discussed in low murmurs. Right at that moment, several figures slipped into the crowd of rogue cultivators in the distance. These people moved silently, observing the surrounding rogue cultivators. An expert who appeared to be their leader transmitted his voice into the ears of several companions: "Keep a close watch. See if anyone from the Human Dao Sacred Land has arrived. For an event this massive, there is no way they won't send someone!" "I've shown you all the portraits of the Human Dao Sacred Land members, but powerful experts can alter their appearance too easily. Just remember: of the Human Dao Sacred Land's Eight Divisions of the Human Dao, only six remain—Sun, Moon, Star, Heaven, Literature, and Brightness. Additionally, there are the four disciples of that supreme figure... Fa is one of them, while the whereabouts of the other three are unknown... Focus on finding the leaders of the eight divisions!" "Those individuals have distinct characteristics. If you observe carefully, you can spot the differences. They belong neither to the living realm nor to the underworld..." The leader issued continuous reminders, directing them to seek out the experts of the Human Dao Sacred Land. They refused to believe the Human Dao Sacred Land would not send anyone, and they had to gain a clear grasp of the situation. ... Chaotic and mixed! Such was the crowd of rogue cultivators outside the mountain. Meanwhile, at Mount Tianqiong, the Lord of Mount Tianqiong furrowed his brows slightly. "Mount Yongsheng isn't giving me face?" Fa did not seem to be showing any respect! He had clearly stated that the meeting would be held near him, yet Mount Yongsheng showed no intention of relocating. Were they truly going to disregard him like this? "Sword Sovereign!" With a sharp bark, the Sword Sovereign instantly materialized. The Lord of Mount Tianqiong said coldly, "Go to Mount Yongsheng once more. Tell them that if they don't hold the conference near me, then this Forbidden Land Conference... won't happen at all!" "Understood!" The Sword Sovereign promptly acknowledged the order, eager for the chance to head out. Perhaps he could swing by Mount Wanjie; his son was still over there. Once the Sword Sovereign disappeared, the Lord of Mount Tianqiong glanced toward the western horizon. There, a gateway loomed indistinctly—not the true gate, but a Heavenly Gate projection. It was extremely close to the true gate! At this moment, the Lord of Mount Tianqiong frowned, suddenly looking toward the gateway beside him and demanding coldly, "Whose world power is seeping in over there?" *What is going on? The interior of the Heavenly Gate is practically turning into a hornet's nest. Everyone wants to poke a hole and crawl inside.* "How should I know?" "..." The Lord of Mount Tianqiong cursed inwardly. *How could you not know!* Soon, the Lord of Mount Tianqiong remarked eerily, "I'm curious about something!" "What?" "Your sworn brother is on the verge of death, and his younger sister is about to die, yet you don't seem worried in the slightest. What's your angle?" Strange! There was definitely something fishy! Two of Xingyu's sworn brothers were here, along with one of their sisters. Broadly speaking, this Forbidden Land Conference had two purposes: one was to deal with them, and the other was to discuss how to handle the Myriad Realms once they exited the Heavenly Gate. With stakes this immense, the Human Sovereign seemed barely concerned! "What can I do?" The Human Sovereign sounded helpless. "Why don't you step aside and let me in so I can go kill those bastards... How about that?" "Heh!" Out of the question! The Human Sovereign sighed. "If you won't step aside, what else am I supposed to do? I'm not who I used to be; my strength has barely recovered, and I haven't even reached superior grade. How could I match you? Qiong, is there really any fun in guarding me day in and day out?" "It's very fun!" The Lord of Mount Tianqiong chuckled. Just as he was laughing, his brow twitched slightly. The next moment, a figure flew up rapidly. The Hall Master of the Arts Hall arrived in haste: "Mountain Lord, someone outside the mountain requests an audience!" As he spoke, he glanced at the open Heavenly Gate projection, then at the Mountain Lord, who was still idly toying with that massive seal. Lately, the Mountain Lord and the Human Sovereign had been conversing quite amiably, giving everyone the bizarre illusion that the two had grown close. The Human Sovereign was practically ready to descend in person and become sworn brothers with the Mountain Lord! Bizarre! In the past, whenever the Mountain Lord saw the Human Sovereign open a Heavenly Gate projection, they would exchange a few words, but immediately afterward, he would burn the bridge, shattering the projection with a punch rather than allowing the Human Sovereign to linger. Though these thoughts crossed his mind, he did not dare voice them. Recently, he had even begun to feel that the Human Sovereign was actually a decent person who bore no deep grudges against Mount Tianqiong... Whenever he caught himself thinking that, he found it absurd. Grudges? Of course there were grudges! That fellow had reeled away all the subordinate forces near their territory. One thought followed another, soon settling back into the impression that it was not an irreconcilable blood feud after all. It was no big deal. The longer he stood there, the more he felt the Human Sovereign was actually quite admirable, having exhausted his mind and body for the sake of the Myriad Realms... *Bullshit, why should I care how much he sacrificed?* The Hall Master of the Arts Hall stopped pondering. Meanwhile, Qiong's gaze flickered as he said indifferently, "Those fellows from the Human Gate have quite the nerve. I detest them, yet they dare come to my doorstep. Are they not afraid I'll slaughter them?" The Human Sovereign chuckled. "Why not grant him an audience and see what he has to say?" People from the Human Gate... The Human Sovereign was quite interested in them as well! "Heh!" The Lord of Mount Tianqiong sneered, then suddenly said, "Very well. Let us meet him. Bring him up!" "Understood!" The Hall Master of the Arts Hall thought nothing of it. But as he flew down the mountain, he felt speechless. *You're meeting him just because the Human Sovereign told you to? Is our Mountain Lord really going to hook up with the Human Sovereign?* *Then again... even if they do, it's not the end of the world.* Soon, he flew outside the mountain gate and looked down at a phantom-like figure with undisguised contempt and disdain. "Count yourself lucky. The Mountain Lord happens to be free. Follow me!" "Thank you!" Before him stood a black-robed cultivator wearing a mask. The Hall Master sneered, "Even after coming here, you still hide your face. Are you ashamed to be seen? You people are always so sneaky!" The emissary from the Human Gate took no offense, laughing softly: "Pardon me. After all, serving a third party carries its risks; one always worries about rubbing someone the wrong way and getting struck down on the spot." The Hall Master could not be bothered to say more and led him straight toward the mountain peak. There was nothing to worry about. If someone were truly capable of pulling off a plot on Mount Tianqiong—or even harming the Mountain Lord—they would have had no need for such stealth in the first place. Before long, they reached the peak. From far away, an overwhelming aura rippled outward. With a deafening boom, the pressure slammed into the black-robed man. Powerful as he was, he instantly coughed up blood. Before he could utter a single word, he was forced flat against the ground! Qiong's voice rang out cold and detached: "Speak on your knees! Insolent creature! Do you think you possess the right to look this seat in the eye?" "I dare not!" The black-robed man offered no resistance, prostrating himself on the ground, not daring to look up. Everyone knew the Lord of Mount Tianqiong was an overbearing figure. Without beating around the bush, the emissary stated directly, "My lord, a great figure within the Human Gate wishes to cooperate with you..." "What is his cultivation level?" The Lord of Mount Tianqiong replied casually, "If he has fewer than thirty-six daos, tell him to get lost. He lacks the qualifications!" "This... I do not know..." "Impudent!" *Boom!* The black-robed man was crushed directly into the stone, his bones snapping inches at a time. Qiong's aura was terrifyingly potent, chilled with malice: "Who do you take this seat for? Does any stray dog have the right to discuss cooperation with me? If you don't even know his strength, what kind of fart does he think he is? Does he truly believe he has the standing to send someone to me?" He was just that arrogant! If you were weak, he couldn't even be bothered to look at you! The black-robed man's expression changed drastically, and he cried out in haste, "My lord, calm your fury! The master behind this humble one... is exceedingly powerful! Even within the Human Gate, he is a pinnacle existence, supreme and peerless!" "Heh!" Qiong scoffed. "Supreme and peerless? What a joke! Do you think this seat knows nothing of the Human Gate? When the Heaven-Opening Era was sealed, it wasn't as though you dogs didn't make an appearance! It's just a shame that back then, our hearts were too scattered, and the Heaven-Opening Era fell to internal strife! Otherwise, could the Human Gate have matched the Heaven-Opening Era? That's far from certain! Back then, several silhouettes struck from the darkness... This seat slew one with a single sword slash. I imagine he was one of those 'supreme and peerless' beings you speak of!" The black-robed man was chilled to the bone. Not daring to argue, he pleaded hurriedly, "This humble one is ignorant of those matters. My lord, for this collaboration, my master comes with immense sincerity!" "Sincerity?" Qiong chuckled. "Is there anything this seat still lacks?" No offer of sincerity meant a thing to him. The black-robed man said hastily, "My master instructed me to inform your lordship that... his sincerity is truly immense! If your lordship agrees to cooperate... my master will find a way to deliver that sword to you!" *Boom!* A towering aura erupted! Qiong's power burst forth with chilling intensity as he glared at the black-robed man. "What sword?" "The Heaven-Opening Sword!" "Absurd!" Qiong was enraged. "Do you take me for an idiot? That sword shattered all those years ago!" This touched upon his very origins—indeed, he was a divine character inscribed upon the Heaven-Opening Sword. Much like Doubao and the others, he was essentially a Dao spirit closely bound to the Heaven-Opening Sword, virtually one and the same with it. He had achieved the Dao as a sword-path divine character, possessing boundless strength! Unfortunately, that divine sword, capable of splitting the heavens with a single strike, had ultimately shattered after opening the heavens. Only then was his divine character able to break free from the blade, transforming into a Great Dao and evolving into a Dao spirit, steadily advancing to where he stood today. "This humble one would never dare deceive your lordship!" The black-robed man said anxiously, "Those were my master's exact words; he ordered me to convey his sincerity to your lordship. The Heaven-Opening Sword did indeed shatter. However, my master said that after your lordship transformed into the Dao back then, the remnants of the Heaven-Opening Sword gathered and reformed. Although it no longer possesses your lordship's empowerment or the Lord of Time's blessing, making it far weaker than in its prime... once your lordship acquires it, you will undoubtedly become far stronger than you are now!" At this moment, Qiong's expression shifted slightly. "It reformed?" His brows drew together. Beside him, the Human Sovereign transmitted his voice: "Do you really think they would hand such a treasure over to you?" "Do I need you to remind me?" Qiong snorted, his brow furrowed as he glared back at the black-robed man, asking coldly, "What is your master's name?" "This..." "What, is his name too shameful to be spoken?" The black-robed man hesitated for a moment before answering, "My master is respectfully addressed by others as the Hongtian Great Saint!" Qiong sneered. "A 'Great Saint,' is he... This seat does know a thing or two about that title. His status isn't low. All those years ago, when I struck down that fellow in the darkness, he blustered on his deathbed, telling me some Great Saint or other would avenge him... So, 'Great Saint' is the title of the strongest beings in the Human Gate?" "Yes!" "Hongtian..." Qiong stroked his chin and smiled. "A Great Saint... interesting! It seems the Human Gate is truly going all out this time, dispatching even a Great Saint. Back when the Heaven-Opening Era was destroyed and we were at our peak, none of your Great Saints dared descend in person... You only sent a few thirty-two-dao lackeys hiding in the shadows to cause trouble..." "Back then, those fools from the Earth Gate put in quite a bit of effort. Alas, the Earth Gate's experts were mostly wiped out, ending in mutual destruction, and even the Earth Gate's true body was severely wounded..." He recounted an ancient tale—the destruction of the Heavenly Gate Era. Just as Su Yu and the others had deduced, the demise of every era was tied to the preceding one, as the previous era sought to return. During the Heavenly Gate Era, both the Earth Gate and Human Gate had made moves, but the result had been mutual devastation: the Earth Gate failed to revive, the Heavenly Gate was sealed, and the Human Gate barely showed its face. Now that all three gates were about to open simultaneously, the danger would likely exceed that of the previous era. Naturally, each subsequent era became progressively more difficult, as they suddenly had to face three eras at once. Qiong pondered for a moment. "After the Heaven-Opening Sword was restored, he took it?" Back then, having just detached from the blade, he had been in no state to pay attention to such matters. Later, when a nascent consciousness began to form, he went back to search, but the fragments were already gone; he had assumed they were lost forever. Yet now, someone was telling him the sword still existed! The sword that had belonged to the Lord of Time still existed! For Qiong, if that sword was truly intact, it would grant him immense assistance, allowing him to unleash combat power far beyond his current level. "How does this Hongtian wish to cooperate?" Qiong asked casually. The black-robed man replied hastily, "My master has no harsh demands of your lordship. So long as your lordship accomplishes three tasks, my master is willing to hand the divine sword over to you." "That simple? Let's hear them!" Qiong's interest was piqued. The black-robed man rushed to say, "First, we ask that your lordship slay Fa!" Qiong's brows knitted instantly. "Continue!" "Second, we ask that your lordship slay Xingyu in the Myriad Realms!" Beside Qiong, the Human Sovereign's voice piped up again: "This fellow is crossing the line! He's telling you to go die! Coming to kill me is practically committing suicide, isn't it? Outrageous!" "..." Qiong was at a loss for words. *If killing you could get me that divine sword, I would butcher you this instant!* "And the third?" "Third, we ask that your lordship slay the Lord of Dead Spirits and Su Yu in the Dead Spirit Hell..." Qiong stared blankly. "That's two people, dammit!" "My master said Su Yu is merely an accessory... Slaying him will be effortless for your lordship!" "Heh!" Meanwhile, the Human Sovereign sank into thought. Slaying Su Yu... was actually included in the Human Gate's plans. Had Su Yu been exposed, or was there another reason? Four people: Fa, the Human Sovereign, the Lord of Dead Spirits, and Su Yu. The Human Sovereign and the Lord of Dead Spirits were undeniably powerful, while Fa was a disciple of the Heavenly Gate with a formidable backer. As for Su Yu... was he truly just an accessory? Or had the Human Gate sensed something, prompting them to push Qiong to eliminate Su Yu? The Lord of Mount Tianqiong sneered repeatedly. "What grand words! Three conditions, and you claim they aren't difficult? If they're so easy, have this Hongtian go do the killing himself!" The black-robed man said hastily, "My lord, my master will dispatch reinforcements to assist you! At the crucial moment, powerful experts will lend their aid!" "Xingyu is in the Myriad Realms. How am I supposed to kill him?" "The Heavenly Gate will soon open. Once your lordship exits the Heavenly Gate and slays him... my master will promptly offer the divine sword with both hands!" "Empty promises, yet you expect this seat to risk his life for him? Laughable!" "That is not the case at all!" The black-robed man had long anticipated this response and hurried to explain, "When the divine sword broke back then, it was later pieced back together, but without your lordship present, it is not as sturdy as it once was. My master's intention is that for every condition your lordship fulfills, he will bestow a portion of the blade upon you... Once all conditions are met, he will grant your lordship the entire sword!" He added, "So long as your lordship agrees to the collaboration, my master will immediately dispatch someone to deliver a fragment of the blade... as a token of goodwill!" Qiong's expression changed slightly. It was not an empty promise; so long as he agreed, they would immediately send a fragment of the blade! His eyes narrowed. The black-robed man pressed on: "The Forbidden Land Conference is about to begin, and many variables will arise. This is actually the best opportunity! So long as your lordship raises your banner, I believe that while killing the others might be difficult, killing the Lord of Dead Spirits and Su Yu will not be—they have made countless enemies!" The black-robed man spoke rapidly: "So long as your lordship is willing to step forward, Lord Kong will certainly take action, and the other forbidden land masters will join in as well... Besieging the two of them will pose little difficulty! Once successful, the second fragment of the blade will promptly be delivered!" A colossal temptation! The divine sword! Strictly speaking, the Heaven-Opening Sword could be considered Qiong's original body. Though he had separated from it now, reclaiming it would undoubtedly make him far more formidable! The Lord of Mount Tianqiong stared at the black-robed man, his eyes flashing with indecision. The demands were steep! Yet steep demands were only natural; an easy bargain would have been suspicious. It was the Heaven-Opening Sword, the weapon of the Lord of Time. Without killing those individuals, the other side would never part with it. While he was contemplating, the Human Sovereign transmitted his voice: "That thing belongs to you in the first place, and you're waiting for someone else to gift it to you? A robber steals your property, holds your own belongings hostage, and demands you risk your life for him... What is there to think about? Shouldn't your very first thought be how to lure this Hongtian out and kill him?" "Are you actually contemplating how difficult it is to kill four people?" "Good heavens, Qiong, has water leaked into your brain?" "Can't you do the math? Killing four people means facing potential death four times. Setting myself aside—by the time you come, I'll likely have recovered; do you really think you can defeat me? Can you guarantee a victory against the Lord of Dead Spirits? What a joke; even in my prime, I wouldn't dare recklessly cross him... And then there's Fa, who has the backing of a Gate... You'd be offending a Gate!" "Yet Hongtian, powerful as he may be, is just a single person. Whether you kill him or not is settled in one stroke!" "Of course, I suggest you agree for now and secure the first fragment of the blade before doing anything else... As for keeping your word... honor is reserved for gentlemen. The other side is a thief who stole your original body; why would you honor a promise to him? Naturally, you take whatever fragments you can get, if only to verify whether it's genuine." "..." Qiong fell into deep contemplation. *Agree first, then verify the divine sword's authenticity? Isn't that dishonorable? I am a man of my word!* *Still, Xingyu has a point. The other party is a thief who seized my original body. Even if I go back on my word and kill him, it's only natural.* For a moment, he felt the Human Sovereign's words made some sense. Killing the others meant risking his life four times. And for the final task, the other party might not even hand over the rest, potentially forcing a grand battle against Hongtian anyway... In that case, why not just fight Hongtian from the start? At this moment, the Human Sovereign offered another suggestion: "For them to speak like this means Hongtian has collaborating experts here—likely forbidden land masters! Rather than risking your life for him to earn treasures, why not forcefully kill or capture his subordinates and force him to surrender your original body? You are a pinnacle expert! Will you take the initiative to take it back, or passively wait for someone to bestow it upon you as charity? Look how noble your status is: the sword of the Lord of Time, beneath only one and above all others... What right does he have to order you around?" Qiong transmitted his voice coldly: "Shut up! Spare me your reverse psychology!" Scold as he might, it still made sense! Indeed! Who in the world was this Hongtian to think he had the right to make him risk his life? Ridiculous! Arrogant fool! His true strength was still unknown, and he might not even be stronger than Qiong, yet he dared command him? What a joke! "If I capture his subordinates, will he hand over my original body?" "Of course! If you capture a forbidden land master and he still refuses to hand it over... what does that prove? It proves he doesn't give a damn about the lives of his partners and cares only for his own interests... In that case, do you think he would ever truly give you your original body? Impossible! Once you obtain the divine sword, you might possess the power to kill him; would he ever dare give it to you? Therefore, for that final task, he is a hundred percent guaranteed to withhold it!" The Human Sovereign continued, "Furthermore, just because he claims the sword exists, does it actually exist? Perhaps only a few tiny shards remain, and he's using a single piece to dupe you into doing his dirty work! You kill one, he gets one! He hasn't sought you out in all these years, yet suddenly approaches you now with this offer... I suspect he might have stumbled upon a few fragments somewhere recently and is using them to swindle you!" "..." *That makes so much sense!* The Human Sovereign's mind truly turned quickly! Qiong pondered continuously, transmitting: "What if he truly possesses all the fragments?" "Then kill him and seize his treasures!" "He's inside the Human Gate... how am I supposed to kill him?" The Human Sovereign replied, "The Human Gate has arrangements here as well. Keep killing their people! Wipe them all out, shatter every single one of their plans! The Human Gate probably has more than one Great Saint... each with their own schemes! Just kill anyone from the Human Gate on sight, until the Human Gate begs you to stop... Tell them that once Hongtian surrenders the sword, you'll stay out of their business; otherwise, you'll keep killing them, even pursuing them into the Myriad Realms... Those other figures might very well join forces to pressure Hongtian into handing the sword over to you! This is called a flanking strategy!" The Human Sovereign spoke with growing enthusiasm: "Just do it like that. I guarantee he isn't the only Great Saint... Otherwise, with only one Great Saint, the Human Gate would never have been able to contend with the Heavenly Gate..." The Lord of Mount Tianqiong looked thoughtful. *That... sounds rather splendid!* The Human Sovereign continued feeding him ideas, feeling thoroughly exhilarated. Talk about a pillow arriving just as he felt sleepy! All they had lacked was a catalyst! Now an opportunity had presented itself—let them start fighting! ... At the same time. Inside Mount Yongsheng, King Wen and Su Yu regrouped. King Wen said, "For this conference, you will disguise yourself as an emissary of the Human Gate..." King Wen felt nothing amiss as he spoke, but Su Yu suddenly felt a wave of unease. *What was that?* *Disguising as a Human Gate emissary... is there a problem with that?* He suddenly had an ominous premonition! ... Meanwhile, the Lord of Mount Tianqiong sank into contemplation. *Kill the people of the Human Gate, relentlessly slaughtering them until they're forced to compromise?* *That sounds like a fine idea!* The Human Sovereign was right: the other party had laid plans for countless years. If he ran amok and shattered all their schemes, could they afford not to back down? After considering it for a moment, he looked down at the black-robed man before him and said indifferently, "Send a fragment of the blade first. Otherwise, who knows if it's real? Have Hongtian demonstrate his sincerity!" At these words, the black-robed man was overjoyed! This meant there was hope for negotiations! He immediately said, "This humble one will report to my master at once. Please wait, my lord; I shall return shortly..." "Get lost!" Not daring to linger, the black-robed man departed in haste! Meanwhile, the Lord of Mount Tianqiong fell into deep thought. It seemed this Forbidden Land Conference truly would not be peaceful!