Meeting

Looking at Xing before him, Su Yu wore a bright smile. In no rush to ask about King Dazhou, he waved his sleeve, conjuring a low table. Smiling, he said, “Sit, let’s talk. Don't be formal, Senior!” Xing hesitated for a brief moment before sighing softly and sitting down. “Senior is only at eighteen Daos. Isn’t that a bit weak?” Xing found himself at a loss for words. After a long while, he replied, “It is decent enough. Truly counting across the Heaven-Opening Era, those who surpassed sixteen Daos were few and far between!” “A leader of the Eight Tribes, yet only at eighteen Daos. It still feels somewhat weak!” Xing fell silent. Only after a protracted pause did he say, “Even among the Four Cardinal Human Kings, there was a disparity in strength.” Why harp endlessly on his supposed weakness? It was completely natural! It wasn't as if everyone who reached the late stages could continuously advance forever. Su Yu laughed. “Fortunately, King Ming isn't here!” Xing did not reply. Su Yu's smile faded. “So, eighteen years ago, was it Senior who descended into the Myriad Realms?” “It was.” Xing did not deny it. Su Yu asked, “Back then, you claimed you assumed the Time Record was seeking out the Human Sovereign, correct?” “Yes!” “Why were you looking for the Human Sovereign?” Xing glanced at the Human Sovereign, who was merely listening in silence without speaking. After a moment of hesitation, Xing said, “If I told you I went to inform him to save Wen Yu, would you believe me?” Su Yu smiled. “Continue!” Guess whether I believe that or not. Feeling helpless, Xing spoke again. “I had matters to discuss with him. Along the way, I also intended to gauge the extent of his injuries, and furthermore, we hoped he would cooperate with the Human Dao Holy Land!” At this point, Xing concealed nothing further. “Back then, I had reached an agreement with Wen and the others. If Wen Yu was willing to relinquish the Time Record, we could have escorted her out safely, along with the others...” He referred to King Wen and the rest. Xing said calmly, “Our objective back then was simply to help Fa grow stronger, whereas the Human Dao Holy Land... in truth, harbored no great malice! From the very start, the Human Dao Holy Land has always taken mankind as its foundation! But as you know, inside the Heavenly Gate, figures like Qiong, Shi, and Kong aren't aligned with us!” He added earnestly, “Even our Leader harbors no malice toward humanity! In the Myriad Realms, many of our descendants still thrive. Cooperation was entirely possible...” Su Yu chuckled. “If cooperation was possible, why lure Wen Yu inside in the first place?” Xing said in a deep voice, “If the Leader is to recover his strength, the threats within the gate must first be resolved, or else order inside cannot be maintained. Once chaos erupts within the gate, and the Three Gates swing open, the humans of the Myriad Realms will face far greater peril!” “In other words, everything you did was for humanity’s own good?” “Precisely!” Xing spoke with righteous conviction. Su Yu scrutinized him repeatedly, yet could detect no trace of deceit or inconsistency. He glanced at the Human Sovereign, who remarked calmly, “No need to stare. People like him have been exposed to the Heavenly Gate for far too long; they were brainwashed ages ago. This is their faith. You cannot say they are evil—only that they have been influenced too deeply!” Su Yu was reminded of when he first met Riyue. Riyue had exhibited that exact same fanaticism, fearless even in the face of death, insisting that the Human Dao Holy Land’s sole purpose was to hold humanity as paramount and unify the human race! Su Yu chuckled and turned back to Xing. “I’m beginning to understand. You mean to say that you never intended to target humanity, but to allow the Heavenly Gate to control the overall situation, sacrificing humanity is acceptable—or perhaps... sacrificing even yourselves?” Xing fell silent. This silence amounted to an admission. Yes, you have that right! Su Yu sighed softly. “I originally thought you would tell me that your conscience had awakened, that you realized the Heavenly Gate was rotten, and that you were secretly standing with the humans of the Myriad Realms... Only now do I realize that I had it all wrong! Back then, when you fused the replica of the Time Record into my body... it was because you believed that doing so would also strengthen humanity... isn’t that right?” Indeed, he had previously wondered whether Xing was one of those figures covertly supporting the human race of the Myriad Realms, which might explain his strange actions in the past. Now Su Yu truly understood! Summed up in a phrase: It is all for your own good! Yes, even if every last one of you is sacrificed in exchange for the Heavenly Gate’s revival, it is still for your own good. For in their minds, only when the Heavenly Gate is revived will humanity possess hope and a future. This was strikingly similar to the Ten Thousand Races Cults among humanity in earlier years! We collaborate with the myriad races for humanity’s own good! We sacrifice you for humanity’s own good! Everything is done for your own good! Such was Xing’s mindset. In his view, Ren's ultimate goal was human supremacy, perfectly aligning with the convictions of the Eight Tribes' leaders. Su Yu smiled. “If that is the case, why did you plot against the Human Sovereign back then?” “It was not our plot!” Xing explained in all seriousness, “What befell Xingyu was orchestrated by the Human Gate! The Holy Land’s sole action was luring Wen Yu inside—and that, too, was for your own good, for the sake of humanity! At the time, Xingyu and his allies were determined to breach the Three Gates, yet they lacked the strength to do so!” “Had they launched an assault on the Three Gates, given the sheer might within the Heavenly Gate, marching in back then would have guaranteed their utter destruction!” “Over all these years, our attitude toward Wen Yu has remained amicable. You can ask her yourself. We have consistently offered that if she surrendered the Time Record, we would escort her out of the Heavenly Gate unharmed...” Nearby, Wen Yu smiled faintly. “They did say so. But... why should I surrender it?” Xing spoke with earnest gravity, finding nothing amiss with his logic. “Because you were not as strong as Fa. Had he succeeded, Fa could have ascended to the tier of Qiong and Kong. Coordinating with the other venerables, they would have had the certainty to seize control of the Heavenly Gate! By then, with the Heavenly Gate unified and our Leader revived, he could have led humanity to rise once more...” Su Yu frowned. “Are you serious?” “What is wrong with what I said?” Xing looked at Su Yu, his gaze devoid of fear, filled instead with solemn weight. “Sacrificing the interests of a few to accomplish a greater goal! Judging by the end result, the Leader's revival and Fa's absorption of the Time Record were truly the optimal outcome! At that point, with Dao, Wu, Fa, Ri, Yue, and the Leader, if the Myriad Realms were willing to follow him—counting all of Xingyu’s forces as well—only with such consolidated power could humanity hope to succeed and genuinely endure in strength!” “Why must our interests be the ones sacrificed?” Su Yu said coolly, “Why couldn't Wen Yu devour Fa instead?” “If Wen Yu had been stronger than Fa, that wouldn't have been out of the question either!” Such was Xing’s answer! Su Yu's expression turned frigid in an instant. Yet the Human Sovereign merely chuckled and placated, “All right, Su Yu, why get angry? You must understand that every era possesses its own faith! Take our era: I have my followers, and you have yours. Everyone firmly believes that only we can lead humanity to glory! If we were sealed away while our subordinates remained active outside, their attitude toward newcomers or future generations might well be identical... sacrifice their interests to unseal us and make us stronger!” He was not in the least surprised by the choices of Xing and his contemporaries. Thus, he remained entirely calm toward Su Yu, displaying no trace of anger, his face beaming. “Ren, in that era, occupied the same position you and I occupy today! Why waste words debating it? If countless years from now, you and I were sealed, and Wan Tiansheng told future generations that only you could save humanity, demanding they sacrifice their interests, do you think that's far-fetched?” Eras cycled like wheels. The Human Sovereign understood this dynamic thoroughly. Each era had its own faith and its own leader. In Xing’s era, Ren was their faith incarnate! Su Yu lapsed into deep thought. If he were ever sealed away, and countless years later Wan Tiansheng and the others were still alive, what choice would they make? Would they act just like Xing and his peers? Su Yu dared not say, dared not guarantee it. By that time, the brilliantly wise Wan Tiansheng of today might appear stubborn and pigheaded to outsiders! In the eyes of posterity, that future Wan Tiansheng might look like a fool, identical to Xing today! Why should everyone else’s interests be sacrificed just to fulfill you? Yet Wan Tiansheng wouldn't think that way, because he had lived through it, experienced it, trusted in it, and held it as his faith. In his eyes, only Su Yu could save the world! No matter how brilliant future generations proved to be, Wan Tiansheng might still deem it pointless, convinced that the sole savior of all under heaven was Su Yu alone! Su Yu chuckled! At that moment, his anger abruptly dissipated. He suddenly found himself somewhat understanding Xing! Xing and his people possessed unshakeable faith! Countless years later, if Wan Tiansheng had descendants who rose to prominence, Wan Tiansheng might earnestly tell them: You won't do; only Su Yu can save all living beings! His descendants would probably be left speechless! At that time, Wan Tiansheng would be seen by others precisely as Xing was seen today! “So, fusing the replica of the Time Record into my body was merely because you didn't want to squander such a treasure, hoping for a decent outcome... You hoped a powerful expert would emerge among humanity, yet simultaneously believed that only Ren could save all living beings?” Xing said solemnly, “Is that not true? You don't understand. Had Zhou not betrayed us back then, we might well have defeated the Earth Gate and allowed our era to flourish. The Leader lost only because of Zhou’s betrayal!” Talking to a powerhouse who treated Ren as an absolute faith made arguing about whether Ren was flawed utterly futile. Such faith was rooted to the core! It had been forged across countless eras! Riyue had been the same; that was his attitude when Su Yu first encountered him. Figures like Wu and Dao were essentially the same. Only Fa seemed to have broken away from that devotion. Su Yu ceased his mockery. Hearing Xing's words, he laughed softly. “Perhaps! Perhaps you are right! Had Zhou not betrayed him, perhaps Ren wouldn't have fallen, and the Heaven-Opening Era would have continued... Unfortunately, failure is failure. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with us refusing to trust him, is there?” Xing remained silent. Just as Su Yu found him unreasonable, he likely found Su Yu and his companions stubborn beyond measure. “So, when you emerged back then, you wanted to speak with the Human Sovereign about cooperation? Or rather, if possible, it would be best to deceive him?” Xing was silent for a while before nodding. “We hoped Xingyu could understand our objective and ideally reach a consensus. His being attacked and heavily injured back then was not an outcome we wished to see either!” Su Yu laughed. “That is merely what you think. If you truly didn't want that, why pin King Wen and the others inside the gate? Never mind. You would probably argue that King Wen and the others insisted on charging in themselves. There is always an excuse!” With a sigh, Su Yu quickly set the matter aside and asked, “Then why did the Time Record fly toward Starfall Mountain back then?” Xing pondered for a moment. “At first, I thought it would seek out Xingyu, but it did not. As for why it landed in Starfall Mountain, I thought about it afterward... either Wen Yu orchestrated it herself, or someone tampered with it in secret.” Su Yu nodded and continued, “That day, you caught sight of someone, and out of desperation, you chose to fuse the Time Record into my body. What level of strength did that person possess?” Xing seemed to recall the incident. After searching his memory for a long time, he said, “A powerhouse of seventeen Daos. At that time, they seemed faintly suppressed by some seal, so I couldn't see through them completely, but roughly around there! Slightly stronger than my projected form...” Su Yu frowned. “Really? Seventeen Daos, and you called them a supreme powerhouse?” “What?” Xing looked puzzled. “Seventeen Daos is strong, but hardly qualifies as a supreme powerhouse. In my eyes, how can anyone below thirty-two Daos be considered supreme?” Su Yu’s brow furrowed tightly. “Are you serious?” “...” Xing spread his hands helplessly. “I don't understand your meaning. Please speak plainly!” What are you talking about? Su Yu waved his hand, projecting an image from that fateful day. Xing's spectral projection appeared in the illusion, speaking: *“A dignified supreme powerhouse of seven Daos, fleeing before even catching sight of the enemy... If such a person existed in my era, they would be a despicable scoundrel... deserving of death!”* Xing frowned instantly. “Those words... seem to be mine, but I never said 'supreme of seven Daos.' Seven Daos a supreme powerhouse... What kind of supreme is seven Daos? Let me think...” He searched his memories before speaking. “What I said should have been 'a dignified powerhouse of seventeen Daos'... It must have been that. I am hardly an ignorant cultivator who has never seen the world; how could I utter nonsense like 'supreme of seven Daos'?” Su Yu’s eyes flickered. “Furthermore, you said back then: ‘Thanks to his meddling, the Heavenly Gate can no longer be suppressed; I must leave.’ You belong to the Heavenly Gate's faction—why would it require you to suppress it?” Xing reflected for a moment and sighed. “The Heavenly Gate is the Heavenly Gate; the Leader is the Leader!” At these words, Su Yu was startled. The Human Sovereign and the others were also taken aback. What did that mean? Wasn't the Heavenly Gate Ren himself? Ren was the Heavenly Gate; what difference could there be? Xing let out an exhale. “It is not the same! The Leader and the gate are one, yet not one! After an era falls, the world loses control, naturally congealing into a portal! In other words, the gate is actually formed from the Leader's world! However, opening and closing the gate is beyond the Leader's control! Only when it opens completely, and a new era faces apocalyptic destruction, can the Leader regain control of the world!” He looked at Su Yu and the others. “A world forming a portal signifies that the apocalypse draws near! Back then, the Leader did not understand that only portals can seal away an era! Only a world-opener whose realm congeals into a portal can shelter an entire era at the final juncture!” “Therefore, not even the Leader can open the portal at will!” Su Yu's eyes gleamed with insight. “You mean to say that when a portal forms, it actually signifies that the current era has reached its final blaze of glory?” “Yes!” Xing nodded. “That is why even we cannot freely enter and exit the Heavenly Gate! As for the slumber of the Leader and the others, it is essentially a process of regaining control over the portal, reclaiming their world under their dominion! Only when he completes that mastery do we stand a chance of returning!” Su Yu exhaled slowly. “Fascinating. According to your words, a world condensing into a gate is the sole chance to preserve an era?” “Presumably so!” In truth, Xing did not understand the intricacies fully either. Su Yu laughed. “Does that mean I am this era’s final hope?” What did he mean? The crowd looked at him. Su Yu said nonchalantly, “My world congealed into a portal, serving as the so-called Fourth Gate! It formed naturally; I didn't deliberately shape it into a gate. The world formed one on its own... So if I kick the bucket, this era won't even have a chance to be sealed away?” “...” The gathered experts stared at him. Even the Human Sovereign was surprised. “Your world congealed into a portal?” Su Yu nodded, smiling carelessly. “So, be good to me from now on. Otherwise, if I die or suffer defeat, you won't even get the chance to seal away the era!” The Human Sovereign raised an eyebrow. “No wonder there was a disturbance earlier. The Earth Gate mentioned that a Fourth Gate might have emerged. I was wondering who caused such a massive commotion—if it was you, that explains everything!” Xing was thoroughly astonished, his tone soon turning grave. “Your world formed the Fourth Gate... Forming a gate... actually signifies... you have no hope left!” Xing spoke with heavy solemnity. “This means the apocalyptic crisis cannot be averted! Now, your only hope lies in our Leader...” Su Yu rolled his eyes! Unbelievable! You can even spin this to your advantage! Su Yu laughed and said, “Old man, despite your age, you really understand nothing! What is a portal? If you call it a seal... fine, let's call it a seal. But can a seal only lock away one's own era?” Su Yu smiled. “Seal the Three Gates, seal every entity that doesn't belong to this era, seal away all those troublemakers... In truth, portals might have nothing to do with sealing!” Su Yu chuckled. “I was wondering, does cultivating this thing mean one can summon the Lord of Time?” Su Yu laughed aloud. “Tell me, could the Lord of Time walk out from within a gate?” After a chuckle, seeing everyone staring at him, he shrugged. “Why the looks? Maybe the Lord of Time is unique, requiring several portals to gather before he can be summoned to descend?” The Human Sovereign sighed. “Don't jinx it. If your words come true and that fellow suddenly pops out at the climax of the battle, that will be real trouble! Let’s assume he’s dead and nonexistent for now, so we don't bring trouble upon ourselves!” How powerful was the Lord of Time? Who knew! A single River of Time was enough to awe countless people. Even the Lord of Dead Spirits today was incapable of opening such a magnificent river; the disparity was likely vast. Therefore, there was no need to treat such an entity as an imaginary enemy right now! Su Yu rose to his feet. “Alright, I have a general grasp of the Earth Gate's situation! And I understand Xing’s matters well enough! I'm heading upstream along the River!” The Human Sovereign glanced at him. Su Yu smiled. “Does the Human Sovereign want to come along?” The Human Sovereign pondered for a moment. “Never mind, go ahead! Still... I maintain my faith in him; he has no ill intent!” “Let us hope so!” Su Yu stepped into the air. “You handle things here as you see fit. Xing is an ancestor of yours, Human Sovereign... I won't interfere! As for those rogue cultivators, kill those who should be killed, spare those who should be spared, and merge those who should be merged. I have no objections!” With that, he stepped into the River of Time. Seeing him leave so abruptly, the Human Sovereign couldn't help calling out, “Take Taishan along. King Zhenwu is still over there...” Su Yu paused, halted in midair, and looked down below. After a long moment, he said, “How about... I let King Zhenwu return on her own later? The Martial Emperor is still over there. If he sees him, I'm afraid he might self-detonate in despair, which would be rather awkward!” “...” Below, King Wu was left speechless. What does that have to do with me? Why are you looking at me? Too lazy to argue, he grumbled, “If he wants revenge, let him try! A wretch I could kill with a single punch is hardly worth my attention!” Su Yu chuckled and said no more, walking through the void. …… At this moment, Su Yu's strength was immense. Traveling within the River of Time no longer exerted any pressure on him. Moreover, over the past year, the river continent that had once been sealed off by the Human Sovereign had been drifting steadily downstream. Before long, it would likely return completely. By now, the disparity in time flow there had largely diminished. Previously, one day there equated to a month here. Now, according to the Human Sovereign, one day upstream was only four or five days in the Myriad Realms. Once the time flow within all the portals and the River matched, the era of great integration for the Myriad Realms would arrive! Su Yu moved with incredible speed! Before long, a continent appeared ahead! Previously, the Martial Emperor, King Zhenwu, Princess Consort Ming, King Dazhou, and King Yue had been stationed here. Now, Lan Tian was also present; their collective combat strength was formidable! Of the myriad races, there was no trace. They were likely lingering near the Heavenly Gate. When Su Yu summoned his world earlier, he had faintly sensed their auras, though he hadn't paid them much heed. Among the myriad races today, only a few first-rank experts remained—the God, Dragon, Phoenix, and Underworld Emperors, nothing more. Their ancient forebears had already been slain by his hand; why would he fear them? Thinking of this, Su Yu's eyes flickered slightly. The God Emperor was still alive! The God Ancestor was still alive! Even Jiwu, the God Emperor representing the God race in the Myriad Realms, remained alive! In contrast, within the Immortal race, both the Immortal Emperor and Immortal Ancestor had fallen. Within the Demon race, both the Demon Emperor and Demon Ancestor were dead. “The God race...” Su Yu murmured softly. The God race was remarkably resilient and exceptionally lucky. Every single time, the Immortals and Demons took the brunt of misfortune. The Immortal race was too conspicuous a target, while the Demon race was excessively reckless. Among the three great races, the God race was neither rash nor aggressive, walking a steady middle path. It wasn't that Su Yu had deliberately spared them to target others; rather, the God race had never presented him with an opening. “Quite the streak of luck...” Su Yu murmured. When luck ran that deep, it often ceased to be mere luck. Could there be something suspicious about the God race? “The God race was founded by the God Ancestor, and his luck was equally extraordinary. Could he also be tied to the Human Gate?” Among the Human Gate's emissaries within the Heavenly Gate, the Immortal Ancestor and Zhou had been slain. However, rumors suggested there were multiple Great Sages of the Human Gate. So far, only two Great Sages had shown their traces: Hong Tian and Ji Tian. Could the God race be hiding something even deeper? Were they supported by a Great Sage behind the scenes as well? For now, the truth remained unclear! Suppressing these thoughts, Su Yu dwelled on it no further. It was enough to stay vigilant. In the end, they were all enemies; overthinking was unnecessary. If the opportunity arose, he would kill them! …… Meanwhile, atop that continent drifting downstream... Several figures suddenly opened their eyes. The Martial Emperor burst into booming laughter. “Su Yu is here!” This fellow remained as incorrigible as ever. He never addressed Su Yu as Your Majesty, because back in the day, Su Yu had been nothing more than a tiny insect in his eyes. Even though he had thrown his lot in with Su Yu now, he still clung stubbornly to his final shred of pride! Amid the group, King Dazhou looked toward the rear without uttering a word. King Zhenwu felt a surge of quiet excitement. She did not know whether Taishan had returned, having heard that Su Yu was engaged in fierce combat against experts across the Heavenly Gate. Now that he was back, had Taishan returned as well? Just as they were pondering, Su Yu's figure materialized. In an instant, their expressions changed. Powerful! Unfathomably powerful! Su Yu seemed vastly more formidable than before! Upon arriving, Su Yu smiled and said, “King Zhenwu, you may return now and reunite with King Wu! He has returned!” King Zhenwu showed a flash of delight before her expression swiftly turned chilly. “He returned?” Su Yu couldn't be bothered watching her shift masks. Why pretend? Deep down, she was overjoyed! Su Yu didn't mind causing a little trouble for King Wu, remarking casually, “He’s back. Inside the Heavenly Gate, he took hundreds of Dao companions, and now he has swarms of children and grandchildren, living a life of leisure. I told him to come, but he refused, insisting on accompanying his new companions...” “Really?” King Zhenwu's face turned purple with rage! Abominable! Could this be real? “It’s true. You should hurry back before he slips away!” King Zhenwu ground her teeth in fury! Seething with rage, she snapped, “Then... I will return first. If you need me, I shall come again!” With that, she prepared to depart at once. Su Yu called out, “Hold on. Princess Consort Ming, you should return as well. We brought back many experts from inside the gate this time, and King Ming was dragged along by King Wu, claiming he wants to take concubines too!” Princess Consort Ming froze. “Would he dare?” Su Yu laughed. “With King Wen and King Wu back, his courage has grown considerably!” Princess Consort Ming's expression turned frost-cold. How audacious! “Then... shall I return as well?” “Yes!” Su Yu nodded. “King Yue, you head back too. Your Great Dao is connected to King Wen's world. Now that he is back, go see if there are any benefits you can reap!” “Lan Tian, escort them back!” Turning to the Martial Emperor, Su Yu said, “Return to my world. The Dao of the Physical Body there has absorbed a potent Great Dao from inside the gate. Go try merging with it...” The Martial Emperor, however, looked intensely solemn. “Taishan is back?” “Yes!” “What is his strength now?” The Martial Emperor was both eager to test himself and fraught with apprehension. Just how strong had he become? “Don't provoke him for now!” Su Yu brushed him off casually. “That guy is monstrously strong right now!” How strong? Strong enough to thrash the Martial Emperor with effortless ease! The Martial Emperor ground his teeth. “Even if he is strong, this Emperor fears him not!” Revenge! Su Yu chuckled. “Suit yourself. If you can't beat him, scurry back into my world!” “Can't beat him?” Feeling slighted, the Martial Emperor gritted his teeth. “Then we shall see!” “Try it then. Head back first!” King Yue chimed in, “What about the myriad races over here...?” “I am here!” Su Yu smiled faintly. “If they dare show themselves, I will swat them dead with a single palm! Rest easy! Even inside the gate, I flipped the heavens and earth upside down; what could they possibly amount to?” “Off you go!” Su Yu waved his hand. Lan Tian materialized, glanced at King Dazhou, then at Su Yu, and understanding why Su Yu was sending everyone else away, smiled faintly. “Then we shall take our leave first!” By now, the others had also caught on. Su Yu had not told King Dazhou to leave! Seeing this, Princess Consort Ming spoke up, “Then we shall depart first. We have troubled Your Majesty Yu. By the way, Zhou Tian has exerted himself greatly during this period; should he also return to rest for a while?” King Dazhou looked at her and said softly, “Thank you for your kind consideration, Consort. I will report the situation to His Majesty before leaving!” Princess Consort Ming said nothing more, swiftly departing along the River. The others kept silent as well, taking their leave one after another. …… Once they had departed, Su Yu found a spot and sat cross-legged, a tea table materializing before him. King Dazhou took a seat in silence. Beneath their feet, the waters of the River continued to churn. Watching Su Yu brew tea, King Dazhou’s expression shifted subtly, lapsing into deep contemplation. After brewing the tea, Su Yu poured him a cup and asked, “Was it deliberate?” “What do you mean?” Su Yu smiled. “Deliberately tampering with my past memories? Xing said he never shouted anything about a ‘supreme of seven Daos.’ Did you fabricate that yourself? When I took you back to view the past, did you intentionally distort time and space to arouse my suspicion?” King Dazhou picked up his cup, took a sip, and smiled faintly. “Your Majesty overthinks it. My methods were simply unrefined, incapable of altering every single memory of the past.” Su Yu laughed. “How could that be? Back then, I wasn't particularly powerful.” With that, Su Yu paused in thought before saying, “Do you mind elaborating a bit?” He looked squarely at King Dazhou. “If you don't make these matters clear, I cannot pretend nothing happened like the Human Sovereign does. The Human Sovereign plays dumb while seeing through everything clearly, but I refuse to feign ignorance! That may make my life more exhausting, but I prefer getting to the bottom of things!” King Dazhou let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “In truth, there isn't much to say! I was never a good person to begin with, but... alas!” He sighed, sounding somewhat helpless. “I was simply assimilated!” Su Yu looked thoughtful. “Following the Human Sovereign for so many years, you were assimilated by him?” “Perhaps!” King Dazhou sighed softly. “The Dao of Responsibility... is truly terrifying! Things are not as complicated as you imagine! Certain people left the Myriad Realms, wishing to maintain some understanding and control over it. And I was the lookout left behind.” King Dazhou sipped his tea. “My sole purpose was to watch the rise and fall of events, observing and taking note of everything, without any further mission! Yet as time passed, other thoughts began to take root... The Myriad Realms, and this imperial court, were actually quite wonderful!” King Dazhou smiled faintly. “It is as simple as that!” Su Yu laughed. “Then back then, how did those inside the Heavenly Gate learn that the Human Sovereign intended to strike? Did you pass the intelligence? But you weren't stationed here back then...” “It wasn't me!” King Dazhou shook his head. “That had nothing to do with me, nor do I have any ties to the Human Gate. I am merely connected to that certain person...” “Zhou?” “Yes.” King Dazhou nodded. Su Yu pondered for a moment. “Then what is your true cultivation? Even now, I cannot see through you.” “Cannot see through me?” King Dazhou laughed helplessly. “You overestimate me. The reason you cannot see through me is simply... I never wore a disguise in the first place!” Su Yu was startled. King Dazhou said softly, “Whatever strength you perceive in me is precisely what I possess! You surely didn't think I could conceal my cultivation before His Majesty the Human Sovereign, did you? When Xing appeared back then, I merely used the Dao of Deceiving the Heavens to practice a slight misdirection!” Su Yu frowned. “Wen Yu stated that she imbued the Time Record with the power of rules to track the Human Sovereign...” “Indeed!” King Dazhou nodded. “Your Majesty has likely forgotten that His Majesty the Human Sovereign’s physical body... resides in the Myriad Realms!” King Dazhou smiled. “It really isn't that complicated. The aura of His Majesty the Human Sovereign’s physical body was much richer! Back then, the Time Record was hurtling straight toward his flesh. Fearing discovery, I forcefully diverted its trajectory before Xing could notice, causing it to crash down into the region of Starfall Mountain!” Su Yu raised an eyebrow. “Just that simple?” King Dazhou nodded. “Just that simple!” “What relation do you bear to Zhou?” Su Yu stared at King Dazhou. King Dazhou smiled. “I am his descendant!” “Then are you, Hundred Battles, and Yu all in league together?” “Hardly!” King Dazhou shook his head. “They are them; I am me! Yu was merely a pawn of the Human Gate. Later on, Zhou actually broke free of the Human Gate’s control! Entering the Earth Gate was precisely to evade their grasp! Separated by both the Human Gate and the Earth Gate, controlling him became vastly more difficult!” Su Yu studied him. “Then after the Human Sovereign departed, were you truly sealed away?” “Truly!” King Dazhou chuckled wryly. “You underestimate the Human Sovereign. Unless I were more powerful than His Majesty at his zenith, how could I possibly deceive him? Much of what occurred was genuine; it is simply that... you might not believe it! In the years following the Human Sovereign’s departure, I wavered and felt lost, only to realize later that there was no returning to the past!” Su Yu frowned slightly. “Then is the Human Ancestor Zhou good or evil?” “To the era of the Heavenly Gate, he was a villain! To this era... he cannot be called evil. Good and evil depend entirely on one's perspective!” King Dazhou said softly, “To him, this era was essentially founded by his own hands... Beginning in the Archaic Era, the rise of humanity was spearheaded by his efforts. Later, to escape the Human Gate’s control, he chose to depart the Myriad Realms and seek refuge inside the Earth Gate! He could not enter the Heavenly Gate, and he dared not enter the Human Gate; only the Earth Gate offered a haven to sever their grasp!” Su Yu nodded slightly. “And you were left behind by him to observe the Myriad Realms?” “You could say that!” King Dazhou nodded. “In truth, during this span, there were countless shifts in circumstance and changes of heart, none of which need to be detailed! When the Human Sovereign’s era arrived, my initial intention was merely to observe up close... Only to find myself walking straight into the trap! The genuine sense of responsibility to save this era only truly took root after His Majesty’s physical body returned. In those earlier years, I was stationed at Human Mountain... With the flesh right there, the influence grew heavier day by day, until... it culminated in who I am today!” Su Yu frowned slightly. “In other words, you could be considered to have forsaken darkness to step into the light? But why... deliberately mislead me?” “You mean the memories of the past?” “Yes!” Su Yu locked eyes with him. “A ‘supreme of seven Daos’... You must have known that once I made contact with the Heavenly Gate, I would quickly discover the discrepancy!” King Dazhou smiled faintly. “It was bound to be discovered sooner or later. Sometimes, I struggled with whether to speak or keep silent, and what consequences would follow if I spoke. Since I couldn't make up my mind, I decided to let you come ask me instead.” Su Yu frowned. “There is another question. When you intimidated Xing back then, causing him to fuse the replica of the Time Record into my body... was that pure coincidence, or part of your calculation? Back then, I was merely a child, and you couldn't have known whether the Time Record was genuine. You simply stood by and watched, and later paid it no heed at all?” “That truly wasn't my calculation!” King Dazhou laughed. “Some things are simply predestined! As for ignoring it afterward, I never did; I intervened! Do you truly believe your encounter with Liu Wenyan was a mere coincidence? It was inevitable! It was just that Liu Wenyan chose to turn a blind eye!” Su Yu froze. King Dazhou smiled. “Liu Wenyan was the genius of that era, one upon whom I pinned immense hopes. When you came into contact with him, he was bound to detect your abnormalities. Had Liu Wenyan chosen to kill you back then... perhaps the outcome would have been entirely different!” “I lacked the ability to accomplish grand ambitions... Back then, I actually wished to compensate Liu Wenyan somewhat... So when you crossed paths with him, I wondered when he would kill you. Yet... as for that teacher of yours, it is not my place to judge him, but he was a true gentleman! A genuine gentleman... Unfortunately, gentlemen do not fare well in this era!” He smiled self-deprecatingly. “He noticed your peculiarities from the very beginning, didn't he? Yet he never once harbored malice toward you. That was a blessing, but also a tragedy; he missed out on an immense opportunity! Since you were capable of absorbing and fusing the Time Record, he should have been able to as well! He could even accommodate formidable divine characters; the Time Record... he could have managed it too!” King Dazhou paused, then continued, “Later, when he never made a move, I knew that certain things were simply destined!” The image of Liu Wenyan surfaced in Su Yu's mind, leaving him speechless for a long time. So his encounter with Teacher Liu had also been part of King Dazhou's subtle machinations. Looking at King Dazhou, he asked, “What if Teacher Liu had killed me back then?” “Then you would have died!” King Dazhou said calmly, “Had he truly killed you, perhaps this era would have turned out somewhat differently! What precisely that would look like, I cannot say.” Su Yu exhaled. “Should I thank Teacher Liu for sparing my life?” “That depends on your own perspective.” King Dazhou smiled. “His refusal to kill you was... in my view, a form of foolishness. At that time, seizing every opportunity to rise would have been the proper conduct of an overlord. He was simply never destined to be one!” Su Yu sneered. “You harbor nothing but foul intentions!” “You cannot say that; there is a distinction between the close and the distant. He... after all, held a different bond with me; I genuinely hoped he would strike you down and seize your fortune!” He looked at Su Yu once more. “Besides, he didn't do it, did he?” Hearing this, Su Yu sighed, suddenly feeling a twinge of regret. “Teacher... is far too benevolent, not cut out for this. He possesses the bearing of a gentleman, but this era has no place for him. Everyone plotted against him, especially you!” King Dazhou fell silent. At this moment, he knew not what to say. Su Yu let out a cold snort. “Do you still have contact with the Human Ancestor Zhou?” King Dazhou shook his head. “After he entered the Earth Gate, all contact was severed!” Su Yu fell silent for a long time before finally saying, “Forget it. There are certain things I don't care to pursue! As I said before, some matters are between you and my teacher. When I find the time, I will pay him a visit!” King Dazhou remained quiet. Su Yu, too, sank into contemplation. He wondered what Liu Wenyan would have become today had he killed him back then and claimed the Time Record. At times, he felt his teacher was far too soft-hearted, truly lacking the ruthless nature required of a supreme powerhouse! Perhaps he really should take the time to visit his teacher. He wondered how they were doing. It had been quite some time since he last saw them. As for King Dazhou, Su Yu was unwilling to delve deeper. Some of what he said was likely sincere—he had truly been influenced by the Human Sovereign. The Human Sovereign’s Great Dao was terrifying indeed. Even Qiong had been altered so quickly after brief contact! Let alone King Dazhou, who had followed him for countless years. The Human Sovereign might well have known all along, yet simply chose not to intervene. He had never feared traitors at his side, because sooner or later... they would be swayed by him. In contrast, King Yu, having followed the Human Sovereign for so many years, had ultimately embarked on her own path. Was that considered a divergence in ideals rather than a betrayal? For a moment, Su Yu was lost in thought.