Forbidden Land Conference

Mount Yongsheng had shifted into the vicinity of Mount Tianqiong. This signaled that the Forbidden Land Conference was about to officially begin. *** Dead Spirit Hell. Under the Lord of Dead Spirits' mobilization, the colossal Dead Spirit Hell moved its world across the void, flying toward Mount Yongsheng. Within Dead Spirit Hell, the Lord of Dead Spirits looked at the newly returned Su Yu with a slight frown. "What is your target this time?" "To kill the Immortal Ancestor and the Martial Lord!" Su Yu did not elaborate much, saying calmly, "Under the watchful eyes of a host of forbidden land masters, to slay two of them. Then, in the best-case scenario, the rest won't dare to provoke us; in the worst-case scenario, we'll be hunted down... or even killed!" The Lord of Dead Spirits frowned slightly and fell silent. After a moment, he spoke up. "Actually, you don't necessarily have to act now. It wouldn't be too late to do it after the Forbidden Land Conference ends." "No, one can only fish in troubled waters! Right now is the most chaotic moment, and also the best opportunity. Otherwise, on normal days... now that the Demon Ancestor and the others are dead, all the major forbidden lands are on high alert. Trying to assassinate anyone then... would be as difficult as scaling the heavens!" With everyone gathered together, the danger was naturally greater—Su Yu understood this principle. However, the Heavenly Gate was about to open. If they delayed any longer, they might not get another chance. Everyone would be on their guard against you, defending with iron vigilance! Yet precisely at this moment, because so many were gathered, everyone would harbor the exact same thought as the Lord of Dead Spirits: *With so many people here, would you dare try to kill me? Would you dare make a move?* Only now were these people at their most vulnerable. The Lord of Dead Spirits said nothing more, merely gazing silently ahead. He had entered the Heavenly Gate world countless years ago, and now that the Heavenly Gate was about to open, this was the opportunity he had been waiting for. At this moment, he suddenly brought up something unrelated to the Forbidden Land Conference. "Su Yu, do you know that the opening of the Three Gates is actually a great fortuitous opportunity?" Su Yu listened silently. An opportunity? Last time he had asked the Lord of Dead Spirits what this opportunity was, the man had only said he speculated there was a great opportunity, without specifying. What kind of opportunity could it be? The Lord of Dead Spirits paused briefly, then continued, "When the Three Gates open, the Heavenly Gate is moving downriver along the River of Time, while the Human Gate is shifting upriver. Past, future, and present will merge into one! The river will be compressed, and the myriad daos will be compressed! All the various eras will converge in the Myriad Realms... At that time, the river will become the sole, unified River of Time! "Therefore, at the moment the Three Gates open... the River of Time will have boundaries!" As the Lord of Dead Spirits spoke, he looked back at Su Yu. Su Yu frowned, looking at him for a long while before saying, "Senior, you mean..." "Do you know why I entered the Heavenly Gate in the first place? Was it purely to open an underworld heaven and earth?" Su Yu said nothing. *Was it not?* The Lord of Dead Spirits continued, "I possessed grand ambitions. I once deduced that under normal circumstances, the River of Time cannot be devoured! But when the Three Gates gather, compressing the river and unifying heaven and earth... at that point, the Myriad Realms will effectively become a truly complete world! And since it is a world, it can be swallowed up! "Wen Yu could devour Fa's world... and all of us were actually born from the River of Time. In truth, we still share a connection with it. Thus, at that time, we might also be able to devour the River of Time, transcend ourselves, and become truly supreme beings!" A trace of yearning crept into his voice. "Therefore, my purpose in entering the Heavenly Gate back then was very simple: I wanted to seize the River of Time!" Su Yu drew in a breath of cold air! "Senior... your ambitions are grand indeed. The River of Time won't be easy to swallow!" "You aren't shocked that the river can be devoured once compressed?" Seeing that Su Yu was merely marveling at his ambition, the Lord of Dead Spirits could not help commenting. This had been his goal for countless years—was Su Yu not astonished? Su Yu smiled faintly. "I am, but at the same time, I'm not! I recall Chen mentioning that you brought this up back then, saying that with the three-body art, the three bodies reside in the past, future, and present, anchoring three points of the river to compress and devour it... So I'm not overly shocked by your ambition. I just didn't expect that you had already conceived such a plan all those years ago. Truly domineering!" "Aren't you tempted?" The Lord of Dead Spirits looked at him. "You should know that the River of Time is the strongest, most flawless, and most complete world between heaven and earth. Once you devour it, you will be the absolute ruler of the Myriad Realms. The Great Daos of all practitioners will be within your grasp. Even transcendents who incorporate the Dao into their bodies will find it difficult to escape your control!" "Do you have a plan, Senior?" Su Yu asked. The Lord of Dead Spirits hesitated briefly before continuing, "A rough outline! But it's not yet fully formed. The River of Time is too powerful and difficult to seize! Moreover, whether the Lord of Time will reappear after it is seized remains an open question. Furthermore, our understanding of the Human Gate is lacking. What is its objective? What is its strength? For now, that remains unclear as well." "Why are you telling me all this, Senior...?" "No particular reason!" The Lord of Dead Spirits said nothing more, merely tossing out an indifferent remark as if in passing: "My desire to unlock life and death and perfect both states is simply to have a greater certainty of devouring the river!" He was simply letting Su Yu know: *You want to kill the Immortal Ancestor to help me achieve nirvanic rebirth and perfect my Dao of Life and Death, giving me greater confidence to devour the river. But there is only one River of Time. When I reveal all this, as a fellow Heaven-Opener, aren't you tempted? Have you never thought of devouring this world of the Myriad Realms and turning it into your own?* The opening of the Three Gates was an opportunity, a rare chance! Su Yu, however, seemed unbothered, merely chuckling. "Everyone has their own opportunities. I rarely covet what belongs to others, but that doesn't mean I lack my own. Senior, you don't need to worry about me snatching yours... Besides, it might not be so easy for you to claim it in the first place." "..." The Lord of Dead Spirits was left speechless. Right at that moment, heaven and earth trembled slightly. They had arrived. Currently, surrounding the entirety of Mount Yongsheng, forbidden lands manifested one after another, encircling it. Su Yu swept his gaze across them; there was a considerable number of forbidden lands. Just among the ones he recognized, there were the Dragon Domain, Blade Domain, God Domain, Longevity Heaven, Martial Domain, Mount Tianqiong, Mount Myriad Beasts... Forbidden lands of varying sizes arrived one after another. Some radiated overbearing auras, some were utterly placid without a ripple, while others shone with relatively dim light. Looking at these forbidden lands, Su Yu recalled what King Wen and the others had mentioned earlier. Forbidden lands were constructed because they could traverse the Heavenly Gate, allowing their occupants to pass through intact when the gate opened. Thus, not just anyone could establish a forbidden land. For those thirty-dao or thirty-one-dao experts to build one, there had to be something extraordinary about it. At this moment, Su Yu swept his gaze across the area. Counting Dead Spirit Hell and Mount Yongsheng, there were already fourteen forbidden lands present! This was a terrifying number! The Soul Domain, Luohun Valley, Demon Domain, and Fist Domain had already been destroyed; otherwise, there would have been eighteen! Right then, Su Yu suddenly soared into the air! The next instant, far in the distance, a colossal city emerged floating in the void, packed with numerous experts. Inside the city stood a towering mountain, atop which rested a grand palace. Myriad Tribulations! This Mount Myriad Tribulations, forged from the fragments of several broken forbidden lands, had now been successfully constructed. The moment Su Yu entered, the power of heaven and earth enveloped the surrounding area. What had previously been a mere void city instantly transformed into a forbidden land suspended between heaven and earth. All around, the expressions of several experts turned cold. It was Su Yu of Mount Myriad Tribulations! "Greetings, Tribulation Lord!" At the foot of the mountain, a multitude of experts shouted in unison! Among them were those Su Yu had previously subdued, as well as independent cultivators who had joined later. Now, within his Mount Myriad Tribulations alone, there were nearly thirty first-rank combatants—the standard configuration for a proper forbidden land. With Mount Myriad Tribulations included, a total of fifteen forbidden lands floated in the air. Naturally, forbidden lands differed in strength. As soon as Su Yu's Mount Myriad Tribulations arrived, it flew straight toward a forbidden land situated near Dead Spirit Hell. Within that forbidden land, an expert instantly materialized, a grave expression on his face. Su Yu's voice echoed in all directions: "Piss off, Mount Myriad Tribulations claims this spot!" After hesitating for a fleeting second, that somewhat dim forbidden land vanished from its spot, reappearing in another open patch of space. Its master was only at thirty-one daos. The law of the jungle prevailed! Su Yu was stronger than him; he had no choice. Just as Mount Myriad Tribulations was about to settle into position, the void fluctuated violently. A colossal mountain shaped like a ferocious beast swept over, accompanied by the roaring of countless beasts. "Mount Myriad Beasts has arrived! Stand back!" Kong! Mount Myriad Beasts! Clearly, the other party was likely doing this on purpose. Just as Su Yu had forced someone else to yield, Mount Myriad Beasts, possessing immense power, was now pressuring Su Yu to move aside. "Get lost!" At that moment, a wave of death qi swept through. The Lord of Dead Spirits said coldly, "Do you wish to be my neighbor? Kong, care to play another round?" Atop Mount Myriad Beasts, Kong's massive frame emerged at the summit. Kong was a peculiar, gigantic beast. He resembled a rhinoceros in some aspects and a tiger in others, appearing to combine the traits of various ancient beasts. His massive eyes were filled with coldness and bloodthirst, chilling to behold. Upon his head sat a single horn. Last time, it had been this very horn that gored through the Lord of Dead Spirits; it was an extraordinarily formidable weapon. Right at that moment, the Dragon Domain trembled in the distance, followed by the Phoenix Domain. Several major forbidden lands stirred in resonance! Waves of potent power came surging forward. The King of Myriad Beasts! The very first ancient beast in heaven and earth. Although these beasts might not always be close like family on normal days, at critical junctures, they banded together. In the blink of an eye, towering forces surged and clashed! A contest of strength was underway! Just then, a light chuckle echoed out from Mount Yongsheng. "Gentlemen, independent cultivators have also arrived today. Let us not make a spectacle of ourselves before them! Mount Myriad Tribulations is newly established, after all. Even with Dead Spirit Hell backing it, the Beast King is still a senior... Su Yu, I suggest you yield this spot!" Fa's silhouette materialized atop the peak of Mount Yongsheng, his gaze falling upon Su Yu within Mount Myriad Tribulations. He said placidly, "In the Heavenly Gate world, strength reigns supreme! Su Yu, if you enter Dead Spirit Hell, you may take any spot you like! But since you have established your own forbidden land, does Mount Myriad Tribulations... wish to duel Mount Myriad Beasts to determine a victor? A person must have self-awareness! Su Yu, you should choose the right place before acting so insolently!" Su Yu replied coldly, "Are you giving me orders?" Fa's voice resonated magnificently: "Do not break the rules! While this world has long lost its order, the forbidden lands still adhere to rules! Su Yu, if you can defeat the Beast King, then even if you wish to take Mount Yongsheng's position... you are welcome to it! But if you cannot, then quiet down! Must you force everyone to join hands and teach you a lesson?" At this moment, the auras of several forbidden lands surged, and someone sneered, "Su Yu, step aside already!" Su Yu's expression darkened. He swept a cold glance around, then snorted, shifting his forbidden land through the void to pull back from the original spot and settle near the Longevity Heaven, where the Immortal Ancestor resided. Nearby, within the vibrant, life-filled Longevity Heaven, the Immortal Ancestor cast a glance at Su Yu, frowning slightly before remaining silent. Now, the encircling layout of the forbidden lands gradually took shape. Inside and out, Mount Tianqiong was also included in the formation. With Mount Yongsheng at the core, the immediate outer circle consisted of only three powers: Dead Spirit Hell, Mount Myriad Beasts, and Mount Tianqiong. Su Yu and his tier occupied the second layer. The third layer consisted of forbidden lands below thirty-two daos. The outermost perimeter was occupied by a vast multitude of rogue cultivators! There were vast numbers of them! These rogue cultivators were currently buzzing with excitement, looking around in awe. There were so many forbidden lands present, and more crucially, the conference had only just begun—a mere squabble over seating had nearly triggered an all-out battle among several top forbidden lands. Right at that moment, the Lord of Dead Spirits asked coldly, "Shi hasn't arrived?" Shi was a top-tier existence. Just as he spoke, an unimaginably colossal mountain descended from the heavens, instantly touching down upon the world! The fourth formidable forbidden land had arrived; the four quadrants—east, south, west, and north—were now occupied by four major powers. A resonant voice carrying an ancient, weathered tone rang across the world: "I trust I'm not too late?" "Not late at all, not late at all!" From Mount Yongsheng, Fa laughed. "You arrived right on time!" With that, he swept his eyes across the surroundings and said with a smile, "Only sixteen?" Counting Shi's Mount Tianshi, there were only sixteen forbidden lands. Including Mount Yongsheng, there were five in the inner perimeter, seven in the middle layer, and four on the outer ring. Four forbidden lands had been annihilated, while one—Mount Myriad Tribulations—had been added. These sixteen forbidden lands represented twelve transcendents, along with four existences who could battle transcendents from within their respective mountains. At that moment, Su Yu also took a look. *Only this many?* Excluding Dead Spirit Hell, Mount Yongsheng, and Mount Myriad Tribulations, there were only thirteen? Among them, four were not even transcendents. *Shouldn't there be more? Did some forbidden lands not show up?* Su Yu didn't know much about the total count of forbidden lands. The Lord of Dead Spirits knew a bit, but hadn't surveyed all of them either. Following Fa's question, the Immortal Ancestor said placidly, "The Soul Domain, Luohun Valley, Demon Domain, and Fist Domain are all gone! Years ago, Burial Ground Valley was destroyed as well... Some people brought disaster upon this realm the moment they arrived. Even among the eternally indestructible forbidden lands, five have already perished!" Almost all of these losses were connected to Dead Spirit Hell. Of course, no one knew the exact circumstances surrounding the Fist Saint, nor how he had died, though he had most likely fallen around Mount Yongsheng—there were a few speculations regarding that. It was likely tied to the Human Gate! With five destroyed, indeed only this handful of forbidden lands remained. Su Yu remained silent, merely feeling somewhat surprised. *Is this really all of them? Are there none in hiding? I thought there would be dozens, but aside from our side, there are only thirteen? That's really not many!* Not to mention that four of them hadn't reached thirty-two daos. Among those at thirty-two daos, excluding Su Yu's faction, there were only nine? This number was somewhat sparse! Su Yu muttered internally. He had thought the Heavenly Gate world was immensely formidable... but it turned out to be just this much! There had been a time when nine transcendents would have seemed astronomical, but now Su Yu found it lacking. Moreover, existences like Kong and Shi were counted among them. Naturally, there were others if one included hidden figures, such as those behind the Heavenly Gate itself! And inside the Heavenly Gate, had none of the human race's eight division commanders from back then stepped into the transcendent rank? Su Yu didn't know. Perhaps some had, perhaps not, but none had appeared today. *** Wen Yu, who was impersonating Fa, knew Fa intimately. Hearing this, she chuckled in a manner identical to Fa and spoke up: "Since everyone has arrived, let us get down to business! What we are here to discuss today is primarily the imminent opening of the Three Gates!" Wen Yu proclaimed loudly, "If we wish to depart from this ruined world, reestablish order, and escape the crisis of world destruction, we must act with one heart and united strength! Leaving the Myriad Realms aside, both the Earth Gate and the Human Gate pose significant threats to our return!" Someone retorted coldly, "If you know they are threats, then stop colluding with the Human Gate!" Who didn't know that Fa had ties to the Human Gate? Wen Yu didn't mind, smiling faintly. "Borrowing strength when necessary is essential. Without the Human Gate... how could we have lured King Wen and King Wu of the Myriad Realms into the trap? Had they not been trapped, the Myriad Realms might have gained two more Integration experts... And had Wen Yu not been trapped, they would have gained three! Though the Human Gate is our adversary... borrowing their strength when required is still necessary!" At this moment, Wen Yu seemed to have completely become Fa, wearing a radiant smile as she said, "Of course, these are minor matters... Let us set them aside for now. For this Forbidden Land Conference, let us first settle some trivial details!" Wen Yu looked toward the outer perimeter. "Quite a few independent cultivators have come. Those above eight daos... by my count, there are over three hundred of them... and several are even above twenty-five daos... It seems there are fewer than in years past. It appears life hasn't been easy these days!" On the perimeter, the number of independent cultivators was substantial—over three hundred. These were no ordinary cultivators; the weakest among them possessed at least eight daos. And this did not even include the experts belonging to the forbidden lands. If those were counted, the number would more than double! In other words, the first- and second-rank experts within the gate likely numbered over a thousand! This was the truly frightening part! Su Yu's side alone had fifty or sixty first- and second-rank experts; the other forbidden lands had just as many, if not more. And there were sixteen forbidden lands in total! This represented the accumulated foundation of the entire Heaven-Opening Era. Too many powerhouses had been born in that era, though as the crisis of world destruction loomed, large numbers had perished. The current state was actually inferior to their peak back then. At this point, Kong remarked placidly, "Fa, the independent cultivators are a trivial matter. Just allocate a few departure slots to them..." Restricting the number of people allowed to leave was also to prevent them from slaughtering indiscriminately. The experts of the Myriad Realms were limited; if these people plundered the Great Daos, it would leave less for others. Of course, the Myriad Realms also had tough nuts to crack that required independent cultivators to serve as cannon fodder, so slots had to be limited to make a select elite risk their lives for the cause. Wen Yu smiled. "I am aware of that, but we still need to discuss it. Every faction has many experts, while the departure slots are limited... If everyone swarms out at once, wouldn't that cause utter chaos? How many leave, how many slots are distributed, including the quotas for the forbidden lands... how all of this is allocated requires careful deliberation!" Having said that, Wen Yu added, "We cannot deny the independent cultivators every shred of opportunity either. Otherwise, if they cause unrest once we leave, that won't be good for anyone!" "What do you propose?" the God Ancestor inquired. Wen Yu smiled and said, "There aren't many rules inside the gate, so let's keep it simple! For independent cultivators who wish to leave, it will come down to strength! Among the three hundred-plus independent cultivators, those between eight and fifteen daos will receive one guaranteed slot; those above sixteen daos will receive three guaranteed slots; and those above twenty-five daos will receive five! "However..." Wen Yu chuckled heartily. "We should still grant everyone some opportunities! It also happens to give us a chance to assess their strength! We will establish another five hundred slots, which the independent cultivators can compete for through their own prowess! Not just the independent cultivators—the forbidden lands may participate as well..." Speaking in Fa's persona, she continued indifferently, "Some cultivators within the forbidden lands haven't fought in years; consider this a drill! If they are too weak, there is no need to bring them out anyway! "Without going into exhaustive detail, the number of slots a forbidden land can secure depends on its strength. If they defeat an independent cultivator of the same tier, the forbidden land claims whatever slot the rogue cultivator would have received... It would be rather shameful if the forbidden lands proved inferior to independent cultivators..." After speaking for a while, she caused Mount Yongsheng to open wide, revealing a grand platform of heaven and earth. She smiled and said, "All independent cultivators are welcome to enter and spar... If anyone dies, I will gladly accept their Dao power. Fellow Daoists, surely none of you will mind?" She looked toward the crowd with a smile. "Mount Yongsheng has the honor of hosting this Forbidden Land Conference... and I do harbor a bit of personal interest. If someone is slain... I hope you won't mind if I borrow their Dao power to help suppress Wen Yu, so that this trouble may be resolved once and for all!" She stated her objective openly: if independent cultivators entered Mount Yongsheng to fight and died, she would harvest their Dao power to suppress Wen Yu and assimilate Wen Yu's world power. The forbidden land masters fell into contemplation. Meanwhile, commotion broke out among the independent cultivators on the perimeter. Among them were several powerful existences. One of them called out loudly, "Lord Fa, sparring is fine, but... must we fight to the death just for a few slots?" Wen Yu replied placidly, "That won't be necessary. However, in battles between cultivators, life and death are fickle. Who can say whether someone might deliver a fatal blow? If someone claims they won't kill you, would you believe them? Would I? If you want to leave... then give it your all! If you survive, take your slot; if you die, don't let your power go to waste!" A wave of agitation rippled through the independent cultivators. Some were dissatisfied, while someone asked directly, "Must we enter Mount Yongsheng to spar?" Who knew whether Fa might secretly execute them inside! Wen Yu said calmly, "As I said, if someone dies... their power shouldn't go to waste! Rather than letting the Dao power dissipate into the void, you might as well contribute it to me... Of course, this seat will not take without giving. To all who emerge victorious, I shall bestow rewards in the end!" Her forthrightness and transparent motives actually set their minds somewhat at ease; otherwise, they would have worried about hidden schemes. However, an expert at the level of a forbidden land master said in a deep voice, "Fa, why bother with so much hassle? Why not simply invite us into Mount Yongsheng so we can join forces to help you suppress Wen Yu?" "That wouldn't be very appropriate, would it?" Wen Yu chuckled lightly. "You must give me a chance to resolve it myself!" "Fa, this Forbidden Land Conference takes Mount Yongsheng as its core... Do not forget what you promised us before!" Wen Yu replied placidly, "Naturally, I haven't forgotten. If few independent cultivators die, or if their power is insufficient to suppress Wen Yu... then I can only rely on all of you. Wen Yu's Time Record contains a great deal of Yang realm Dao... When the time comes, everyone will naturally have a chance to take a share!" They discussed the lives of the independent cultivators in plain public without the slightest reservation, leaving the rogue cultivators feeling thoroughly stifled. Yet they were powerless! At this moment, an independent cultivator could no longer hold back and spoke up quickly: "My Lords, once the Heavenly Gate opens, must everyone's departure be restricted? Wouldn't it be better if we all charged out together to slay the enemy?" Wen Yu said coldly, "Nonsense! The Rulers of Rules in the Myriad Realms likely don't even number a hundred! And how many do we have within the gate? Thousands upon thousands! Who will do the killing? Who will seize those Yang realm Daos? How will they be divided? If we don't impose restrictions, we will end up descending into internal strife! By then, even if we slaughter everyone in the Myriad Realms, we might still fail to fully revive... If we wish to completely restore ourselves to the Yang realm state... we might have no choice but to slaughter the weak and diminish our own numbers... "You must understand that when the Three Gates open, the meat available in the Myriad Realms is finite, not infinite! The first batch to venture out faces the greatest danger, but also the greatest opportunities—the chance to empower oneself and truly escape the calamity of world destruction! Do you think such slots can be handed out carelessly?" Wen Yu continued, "Without a slot... no one may exit the Heavenly Gate... and you will likely have no choice but to perish alongside this dying world!" At these words, dread gripped the crowd. No one would be permitted to leave without a slot? Without one... wouldn't that mean certain death? Presently, everyone had slots—guaranteed slots, along with a portion open for competition. If one only needed a single slot to leave... perhaps one didn't even need to fight for it? As if reading their thoughts, Wen Yu chuckled faintly. "The forbidden lands also have quota limits! If they slay or defeat an independent cultivator... that rogue cultivator's slot belongs to the forbidden land! It is not that we aren't giving you a chance, but that you must seize it yourselves!" An independent cultivator asked grimly, "Will the forbidden lands dispatch combatants of the same tier? Otherwise, if a forbidden land master takes the field, we might as well forfeit right now and abandon the slot, since it would mean certain death either way!" "Naturally, it will be the same tier!" Wen Yu laughed. "Whether you wish to spar and compete is entirely up to you! Those unwilling may leave right now; your slots will be revoked, and you can live out your days peacefully inside the gate!" *Live out our days? How could we?* When the Three Gates merged, a massive number of experts would inevitably depart. During that process, swarms of Devouring Locusts would emerge, and those remaining inside the gate would have no way to resist them—they would be doomed! Venturing out at least offered a fighting chance! They had no real choice! Right at this moment, Su Yu suddenly chimed in, chuckling. "The forbidden lands have no scruples when striking independent cultivators! Yet when independent cultivators strike back, they are bound by immense hesitation! They dare not kill, fearing retaliation if they do! I, on the other hand, have no such qualms. If anyone is pushed to the brink and kills someone from a forbidden land... no matter. You can simply defect to my Mount Myriad Tribulations! I shall provide you shelter!" At this moment, the Lord of Dead Spirits also said indifferently, "Those who cultivate the Dead Spirit Dao may also submit to my Dead Spirit Hell!" At these words, the expressions of several independent cultivators shifted slightly. They were genuinely tempted! Indeed, when people from the forbidden lands struck, they acted without restraint. But the independent cultivators faced heavy consequences; they dared not kill, dreading revenge! As for Mount Myriad Tribulations, though newly established, it had recruited independent cultivators from the start, so it bore few such taboos. Yet the independent cultivators also knew... it was exceptionally dangerous! Sure enough, someone sneered, "Mount Myriad Tribulations... let's see if it can even survive and make it out of the Heavenly Gate alive before talking!" The hearts of the independent cultivators instantly turned cold. Indeed, Mount Myriad Tribulations was in a precarious position, targeted by all the major forbidden lands. Su Yu remained unperturbed, remarking casually, "I only hope you won't follow in the footsteps of Luohun Valley and the Demon Domain!" At this point, he understood Wen Yu's intention. Deal with the independent cultivators first! Ideally, draw them into her world to give herself a boost right under the noses of the major forbidden lands. Although the independent cultivators weren't overwhelmingly powerful individually, their sheer numbers mattered. Over three hundred experts of the second rank and above, if truly united, constituted a formidable force—they simply lacked an overarching forbidden land master. And the forbidden lands clearly held independent cultivators in low regard. Since that was the case... Su Yu didn't mind gathering a batch of them. As for Wen Yu luring them into Mount Yongsheng, she harbored no benevolent intentions either. Of course, before her identity was exposed, she likely wouldn't make a reckless move. But once exposed... those who entered her world would suffer grievously even if they didn't die! As they spoke, Kong grew impatient on his end, saying coldly, "The matter of the independent cultivators is a trifle; resolve it quickly! Once it's settled and the slots are distributed, let the rogue cultivators do whatever they need to do!" Their gathering today was meant to address several other major matters. Such as Wen Yu, King Wen, and even Dead Spirit Hell! A mere crowd of independent cultivators didn't even enter Kong's eyes. Whether they left or stayed, what did it matter? In the eyes of some, the independent cultivators might as well wait here to die! Not a single slot should be granted to them! After all, while living beings in the Myriad Realms were numerous, experts were limited. Each one killed was one fewer opportunity available. Wen Yu smiled. "If no one has any objections, why don't we resolve the matter of the independent cultivators first? They are all residents within our gate. Even if they haven't joined a forbidden land, they still belong to this era... Why extinguish their hope entirely?" At this moment, she appeared to be advocating on behalf of the independent cultivators. Even though she was pitting them against one another and against the forbidden lands... the independent cultivators suddenly felt that Fa was actually quite reasonable! *** Meanwhile. Among the independent cultivators, several elderly figures had been observing Wen Yu intently. One of them transmitted his voice: "Fellow Daoists, Fa... don't you feel something is off about him?" "Off?" "I haven't noticed anything... but I haven't seen Sun Moon. Have any of you seen him?" "No!" "..." They conversed with grave expressions. *Where did Sun Moon go?* *** On another side, someone else sent a voice transmission: "Black Moon is absent! No one knows what exactly transpired on Mount Yongsheng. Is she in hiding, or... has she vanished? Should we enter to investigate? Since Fa is inviting us inside... this is our chance to look into it!" "..." *** While these people were whispering among themselves, within one of the forbidden lands present, a voice surfaced in the mind of a forbidden land master: "Be careful! This Su Yu... might be the Su Yu from the Myriad Realms! If he isn't, all the better, but if he is... things are dangerous!" It was terrifying! At this moment, the illusory figure that had manifested earlier spoke with a voice trembling with shock. He found Su Yu rather familiar. Even though Su Yu's current appearance differed somewhat from his time in the Myriad Realms, true experts judged by disposition and aura! This Su Yu... was very likely the Su Yu from the Myriad Realms! Such a conclusion was the most terrifying prospect of all! The elderly figure's expression shifted slightly as he transmitted back, "Truly?" "I cannot be a hundred percent certain... but the likelihood is extremely high!" The old man's gaze flickered. If this was true, it was simply horrifying. A cultivator who hadn't even reached sixteen daos half a year ago had now become an Integration-realm powerhouse. Anyone could understand what that implied! For a moment, ripples agitated the forbidden land. *** At that exact instant, Su Yu frowned slightly. *It feels as though someone is spying on me... Many are watching, but that particular sensation was unique, as if the gaze didn't originate from this space!* *Someone from the Human Gate?* Su Yu fell into contemplation. There were emissaries of the Human Gate present today—was it an emissary observing him, or an entity from within the Human Gate itself? He also kept a vigilant watch. *Just who is Black Moon's superior?* Black Moon had been tortured by him for days without yielding anything substantial. For now, Su Yu still couldn't pinpoint who served as the Human Gate's spokesperson within the Heavenly Gate.