Entering the Earth Gate

Inside the Earth Gate. Over recent days, the Earth Gate had grown restless. As outsiders continuously made their way inside, ripples spread across its vast expanse. It was universally acknowledged that the Earth Gate was not as formidable as the Heavenly Gate. Much of this stemmed from the ancient war waged against the Heavenly Gate Era, which had claimed the lives of far too many supreme experts. During the Heaven-Opening Era, the strong had been as common as trees in a forest. Toward the end of the previous era, in a desperate bid to enter the Myriad Realms, the entire Chaos Era sealed within the Earth Gate had mobilized in full force. Immense numbers of top-tier beings had been slaughtered, leaving today's Earth Gate far diminished from its former glory. At this moment. Within this pitch-black era, in the midst of the boundless void, numerous figures darted back and forth along an abyss-like canyon chasm. Beneath the abyss stood a colossal palace. It looked as if it had endured since time immemorial. Just then, a voice rang out from within the hall. "Someone come here!" A moment later, an attendant entered the grand hall. A low, somber voice echoed down. "The Heavenly Gate is in turmoil. Su Yu and his cohort slaughtered multiple masters of forbidden lands and have already broken free of the Heavenly Gate to return to the Myriad Realms! Curse, Xian, and several other supreme experts have been slain. Now that they are back in the Myriad Realms, beware of Su Yu entering the Earth Gate! Patrol the vicinity of the gate immediately. If there is any movement, report at once!" "Understood!" The attendant hurried away. *** Inside the hall. At this moment, more than one person was present. A row of powerful experts stood with their auras tightly restrained. All wore masks that appeared largely identical at a glance, yet upon closer inspection bore distinct emblems—some displayed a mountain, others a sword, and still others writhed with dark mist. Far too many experts—or their representatives—had poured into the Earth Gate from the Human Gate. These people represented different factions and answered to various Great Saints. However, the Human Gate possessed far more discipline than the Heavenly Gate; the Human Gate was the true, unified sovereign of its era. As the order was issued, someone remarked in a low, gravelly voice, "Is there really any need to be this nervous?" No one answered. At one side of the hall, slightly below the main dais, a man chuckled softly. "Any need to be this nervous? Of course there is! I warned everyone long ago to beware the Myriad Realms launching a proactive assault, and to watch out for Su Yu bringing the fight to our doorstep! I even advised everyone to contact your respective masters and caution those in the Heavenly Gate against Su Yu and his people attacking… and yet, not a single soul believed me." At the head of the hall, a figure wearing a pitch-black mask said coldly, "Zhou Ji, if the intelligence we received isn't mistaken, even Curse—whom Great Saint Jitian cultivated within the Heavenly Gate—was slain! If you warned them so early, why did things still end in such a disaster?" Zhou Ji! This cultivator had only arrived in the Earth Gate recently, but upon his arrival, he had openly revealed his identity as Great Saint Jitian's representative in the Myriad Realms. As to whether he was an incarnation formed by Great Saint Jitian's possessed will, an avatar, a native cultivator of the Myriad Realms, or a projection of willpower cast by an expert under Jitian… no one knew for sure. All they knew was that after entering, he had repeatedly brought up Su Yu of the Myriad Realms, a cultivator who had possessed fewer than sixteen Daos at the time. Prior to this, hardly anyone had paid it any mind. Only today had the name Su Yu truly reverberated across all Three Gates! Even in the Human Gate, Su Yu's name was now on everyone's lips—a terrifying existence who had slipped into the Heavenly Gate and slaughtered numerous masters of forbidden lands! Zhou Ji laughed softly. "I gave my warning, but until people suffer losses, naturally no one cares! It's always like this—only after taking a beating do they realize that everything I said was right! Yet suffering a loss even once can mean eternal damnation. Those who understand will see it clearly; those who don't… well, they can just suffer a bit more!" Zhou Ji smiled. "Now that Curse is dead, won't Great Saint Jitian finally take this seriously? Look around—does anyone still dare look down on Su Yu now?" Or rather, did anyone present dare underestimate that man? Taking everyone gathered in this hall, who among them dared claim they were superior to the likes of Curse? If Su Yu could slaughter them, he could slaughter anyone in this room just as easily! Someone chuckled faintly. "Zhou Ji, what we're truly curious about is how his progress could possibly be so rapid. It hasn't been long since you entered. From fewer than sixteen Daos to now slaying masters of forbidden lands—just how did he pull it off?" "How did he do it?" Zhou Ji smiled. "A heaven-opener who devours myriad Daos, backed by soaring karmic luck, a chosen darling of the era, bold enough to take crazy risks, ruthlessly vicious, an absolute lunatic… Are those reasons enough? He embodies virtually every trait of a cultivator destined to rise at the end of an era! Is that enough of an explanation for you?" The dark-masked figure seated above had no interest in listening to such musings and cut straight to the point. "Zhou Ji, you know him well. In your view, how should we deal with him? If he truly enters the Earth Gate, how should we respond?" "How should we respond?" Zhou Ji said quietly, "If you want to deal with him, the only way is to strike before he reaches true invincibility. Gather every expert within the Earth Gate and deliver a thunderous blow to annihilate him outright! Don't think about withholding your own strength while expecting others to carry the weight. Don't think about waiting a little longer for someone else to deal with him. And definitely don't think that since the Three Gates will open soon anyway, why bother fighting him to the bitter end—telling yourselves that in a few months or a few years the gates will open, so why clash with him now?" Zhou Ji smiled faintly. "If you harbor such thoughts… all I can say is, prepare for disaster!" Back then, the cultivators of the Myriad Realms had shared that exact mindset, and so the Myriad Realms had fallen into ruin. The cultivators of the Heavenly Gate had shared that mindset, and so the Heavenly Gate had been shattered. Now, if Su Yu entered the Earth Gate—which was already weaker than the Heavenly Gate—and everyone here still held onto that mentality, they would be thoroughly doomed! Zhou Ji continued, "Form an alliance with the Lord of Chaos, the Human Ancestor, the Prison King, the other two Integration-level figures who've been hiding as if they were dead, and our faction. Pool the might of every expert. If he comes, swarm him immediately! Execute him with overwhelming force! Don't overthink it, and we will naturally win. Right now, he shouldn't be strong enough to rival an alliance of all of us!" "..." The crowd looked at him as if he had lost his mind. What kind of nonsense was he spouting? How could that ever happen? Uniting that many powerhouse factions… why not just demand that the entire Earth Gate band together to kill Su Yu? Was that even remotely possible? Completely impossible! If the factions within the Earth Gate could be brought together so easily, wouldn't the Human Gate have seized control of it long ago? "Zhou Ji, are you joking?" Zhou Ji smiled. "Yes, a joke! If you're willing to try, then go ahead and try! If not, just take it as a joke! Once you suffer at his hands and watch him grow stronger by the day… you'll know whether I was joking or not." He gave a soft chuckle. "I know some people won't shed a tear until they see the coffin! How about this: treat my proposal as a fallback plan. Reach out and establish contact as soon as possible! Make your preparations. At the very least, let those experts know. Even if they scoff right now… once the first unlucky victim falls, I hope everyone can unite quickly rather than running around like headless chickens!" He knew he couldn't easily convince these people—or rather, they believed such coordination was impossible. No matter. Su Yu would help them see reason! The moment Su Yu stepped inside and some expert who thought themselves untouchable perished, the survivors would recall today's words and finally realize: *Yes, we must unite!* However, people would have to die first. Only the blood of a few would wake these fools from their slumber. It was always like this. Every single time, someone firmly believed: *I am powerful. The ones who died were just weak, foolish, ambushed by Su Yu, or caught off guard because they didn't know he had infiltrated them.* Yet in the end, the ones who died were almost always these very same people! Zhou Ji said quietly, "Consider it yourselves. Do it if you can; if not… there's nothing I can do either! If worst comes to worst, you can have some Great Saints attempt to descend into the Earth Gate!" Someone replied immediately, "Descend? That is far too difficult! The Earth Gate has always been on guard against us. For a Great Saint to descend, the Earth Gate itself must ease its restrictions…" Zhou Ji smiled. "Is that so? The Earth Gate is wiser and sharper than you think. If you don't believe me, you can have a few Great Saints test it out. Attempt to descend now… If the gate resists, it means Su Yu hasn't arrived. But if Su Yu has arrived, the Earth Gate won't stop them!" As a gate standing across the Myriad Realms, the Earth Gate saw more than anyone else. Zhou Ji was certain that the greatest powerhouse of this era would not be foolish enough to prioritize petty rivalries. In its eyes, the threat of the Great Saints was likely lesser than the threat of Su Yu. They could test the waters; having Great Saints descend was by no means impossible. "Then why don't you try having Great Saint Jitian descend?" Someone looked at Zhou Ji. Even among the Great Saints, Great Saint Jitian was a preeminent figure. Zhou Ji knew how to tell others to test the waters, so why didn't he ask Great Saint Jitian to descend? Zhou Ji chuckled. "When the time is right, I will naturally try." Without another word, he rose and smiled. "It's best not to cluster together, lest you get wiped out in a single sweep! While this place is relatively concealed, quite a few people know of it, especially those keeping tabs on us. I'll take my leave first! You'd all do well to disperse as well and go wherever you belong…" "You are far too cautious… Even if he truly dares to come, could he really be that fast?" "Fast?" Zhou Ji sighed once more. "Over a day has passed since the upheaval in the Heavenly Gate, which translates to three or four days in the Myriad Realms. Given his temperament, after a brief respite, he might very well march straight toward the Earth Gate! Counting the time, it should be about now!" Everyone exchanged glances, and someone laughed. "Zhou Ji, did he scare the wits out of you? How could an entity like Great Saint Jitian ever choose someone like you as his envoy…" Zhou Ji turned toward the masked speaker, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I'll remember you. Wherever you appear in the future, I will not be present. Fools never meet a good end! Don't think that just because your strength is decent and greater than mine, that I hold you in any regard. I would rather cooperate with the failures of the Myriad Realms than work with you… I'm afraid you'd get me killed!" He laughed softly, and his figure gradually dissolved into mist. "Those who value their lives would do well to stay far away from him. You're the envoy of Great Saint Qingtian, aren't you? I hope… you live long enough to leave the Earth Gate!" With those words, his presence vanished completely. Inside the hall, the person who had spoken earlier erupted with aura, a thick wave of killing intent rolling off him. "Zhou Ji, how dare you!" At the head of the hall, the cultivator in the dark mask glanced down and said coldly, "Enough. This is no time for infighting! The Heavenly Gate gave Su Yu and his cohort an opening precisely because of internal discord! This Zhou Ji… is far from simple. His raw cultivation may not be overwhelming, but he changes with each passing day. I suspect Great Saint Jitian may have personally projected a portion of his will into him. Do not provoke him lightly!" At these words, several people in the hall shivered inwardly. Had a Great Saint-level existence personally descended in spirit? The dark-masked expert spoke again. "Everyone must still make whatever preparations are necessary. At the very least, spread word of what Su Yu and his group did within the Heavenly Gate…" "Wouldn't that only broadcast his renown?" "Renown?" The dark-masked expert murmured, "Do you think pretending he doesn't exist will make him vanish? The more we conceal it, the easier it is for disaster to strike! If we spread the news, the moment something abnormal occurs, people will realize that Su Yu might have infiltrated the Earth Gate… rather than remaining completely in the dark! Back in the Heavenly Gate, he disguised himself as one of their own cultivators and ended up entrapping and slaughtering multiple powerhouses. Do you truly believe yourselves stronger than those masters of forbidden lands?" At this, absolute silence fell over the hall. "Disperse! If there is any movement near the Earth Gate, remain vigilant. That Zhou Ji managed to easily earn Zhou's trust; even knowing he was tied to the Human Gate, Zhou still places considerable faith in him… The man has real capability. Do not dismiss his words out of hand!" At this mention, someone remarked with a strange expression, "Great Saint Jitian isn't truly planning to cooperate with Zhou, is he? Back then, Zhou betrayed the Heavenly Gate first, then betrayed the Human Gate… Could we really welcome him back once more?" The dark-masked expert replied indifferently, "That is a matter for the supreme beings above and has nothing to do with us. All we need to do is make every effort to turn the Earth Gate into a vassal faction of the Human Gate!" The gathering spoke no further. Soon, one after another, their illusory figures shattered and vanished into the void. Once everyone had departed, the dark-masked expert gazed into the distance, toward where the Earth Gate stood. Only a single day had passed since the upheaval in the Heavenly Gate. Were Su Yu and his companions truly about to arrive? *** At the same time. Before the Earth Gate. Su Yu, Wen Yu, the Human Sovereign, and King Wen had all arrived. A moment later, an ocean of death qi swept through heaven and earth! In an instant, the black-robed figure of the Lord of Dead Spirits materialized. Without sparing anyone a glance, he looked directly at the Earth Gate with a chilly demeanor, letting out a faint sneer. "The Earth Gate… I wonder how strong it will truly be once it fully revives!" The Earth Gate remained silent. At this moment, an overwhelming number of powerhouse figures were gathered before it. Even the Earth Gate felt a tremor of trepidation. With so many formidable experts present, and with the Three Gates yet to open, even if the Earth Gate opened independently and fully revived itself, could it win? There was a chance, but… it was impossible to say for sure! Fully revived, it naturally had no fear of the Lord of Dead Spirits. But could the cultivators inside the gate withstand these monsters? Su Yu, the Human Sovereign, King Wen, the Time Master, King Wu… The Myriad Realms Era was terrifying indeed. Seeing the Lord of Dead Spirits arrive, Su Yu broke into a radiant smile. "Senior, you're finally here! If you hadn't shown up, my heart would have been trembling with anxiety!" Su Yu's smile grew brilliantly bright. "With Senior here, I feel so much more at ease. This time, the three of you—Senior, King Wen, and King Wu—can hold down the fort outside. To put it bluntly, you'll be keeping an eye on this Senior Earth Gate… Senior Earth Gate is simply too powerful. I'm afraid he might suddenly seal off the portal and trap us inside to death… which would cause us no end of trouble!" King Wen smiled faintly. "With the Lord of Dead Spirits here, would you ever need to worry about that?" The Human Sovereign chimed in with a grin, "Senior Dead Spirits is incomparably mighty; there is truly no need to fret!" "..." King Wu looked between them and added in a muffled voice, "With Senior here, we can just pummel the Earth Gate!" "..." The Lord of Dead Spirits stared at them, his expression frosty. "Finished speaking?" Piling flattery on his head? A bunch of bastards with far too many schemes. The Human Sovereign maintained a beaming smile. "Senior, please pay it no mind. All of us hold you in genuine admiration. We protect the Myriad Realms together, and Senior is our realm's true stabilizing anchor…" The Lord of Dead Spirits grew thoroughly impatient. Did they take him for Qiong? Did they really think a few sweet words would trick him? Exasperated, he snapped, "Are you going in or not?" Why waste so much breath! None of these bastards were good people; they were entirely fixated on using him as hired muscle… Bah! Su Yu burst into laughter. "We're going, of course we're going! Right this second!" The Human Sovereign raised a hand and said with a smile, "No rush! Earth Gate, open a crack. And once you've opened it, I must trouble Senior Dead Spirits to stand watch right here—don't go wandering off! Second Brother, keep an eye on him. If Senior Earth Gate makes any sudden moves… you two can keep Senior Earth Gate company and have some fun." A blatant threat! The Earth Gate remained silent, uttering not a word. As a supreme being of its era, it did not fear King Wen, nor even the Lord of Dead Spirits. However, for portals like them, unsealing before the apocalypse fully descended would bring considerable complications. Moreover, it had yet to recover to its peak. The exact moment the apocalypse arrived would provide the ideal opportunity to restore its power—when the Three Gates converged, the river compressed, power boiled over, and the laws scattered… That would be the perfect window for revival. Yet it also knew that letting Su Yu and the others inside right now was a massive gamble! It was practically feeding strength to its own enemies! At this moment, countless thoughts flickered through the Earth Gate's mind. It had always been on guard against the Human Gate. But if Su Yu and his companions insisted on barging in… perhaps it could use the Human Gate's might to fight poison with poison! Right now was not the time to butt heads head-on with the Human Sovereign and his crew. At this juncture, the Earth Gate felt rather helpless. The convergence of the Three Gates was only a few years away, or perhaps even sooner… yet why did time feel so agonizingly long right now? In the past, thousands or tens of thousands of years had never felt lengthy! Before this, it had even wished that none of the other bastards would come, so that only their Chaos Era would descend! Now… that wouldn't do! They had to come! Having only the Heavenly Gate arrive wasn't enough; it was best if the Human Gate came as well. Otherwise, dealing with the Myriad Realms would be exceedingly difficult. On the surface, the Myriad Realms' strength only matched a single gate. Yet they were, after all, the protagonists of this era! A single misstep could easily lead to catastrophe. With these thoughts swirling, the Earth Gate cracked open a tiny slit. A wise man did not fight against impossible odds! The Human Sovereign, however, was in no rush to enter. Soon, a faint fluctuation of aura rippled outward. A moment later, a voice called out from behind the gate: "Your Majesty!" Su Yu raised an eyebrow! Impressive! Everything on the other side had been arranged down to the finest detail! Was it January of the Iron-Eating Beast clan? Or King Wu's mount, the emperor of the Hou clan? Back then, the Human Sovereign had seemingly arranged for several Rulers of Rules from the Myriad Races who had pledged allegiance to enter the gate, as beast-type beings found it far easier to blend in. "Clear out the scouts behind the Earth Gate!" the Human Sovereign instructed through the crack. "I am about to enter. I hope the news will not spread immediately!" "Your Majesty is coming in?" The voice behind the gate carried both pleasant surprise and shock. "Your Majesty, have your injuries healed?" "Not yet, but it doesn't matter… This time, I am entering alongside others! Enough questions. Move quickly. If any of them are too strong, fall back; do not alert the enemy…" "Understood!" Soon, the voice behind the gate faded away. Su Yu looked at the Human Sovereign, who smiled. "Don't rush, take it slow! It's better not to be targeted the moment we step inside. Even remaining hidden for a single day would be a win!" Su Yu nodded. Remembering something, he suddenly chuckled. "Speaking of which, I've planted a few people inside the Earth Gate myself. I wonder how they're doing right now?" "You?" The Human Sovereign looked surprised. "Who did you send in?" "Tiangu and the rest, of course!" "..." The Human Sovereign was left speechless. Did… did they even count as people *you* planted? Su Yu laughed again. "I even have arrangements within the Human Gate. Hasn't Zhou Ji already gone inside?" "..." I… have no words! The Human Sovereign felt utterly exasperated. "So as long as you recognize someone, they count as your operative?" Are you kidding me?! By that logic, I recognize the Earth Gate and the Lord of Chaos—does that make them my men too? Su Yu grinned. "It's different! My dear Human Sovereign, because I'm familiar with them, it means they know full well how troublesome I am. And because they know I'm dangerous, and because they're smart enough, the dynamic changes entirely! If I ran into an idiot bellowing that death is nothing to fear… I'd be helpless. But dealing with intelligent people is sometimes much simpler!" Saying this, Su Yu glanced up at the sky. "I wonder how long it'll take to clear out those scouts behind the gate. Hopefully it won't take too long?" The Human Sovereign smiled. "Don't worry. There aren't many people in the immediate vicinity. The two times I struck earlier, people nearby were slain. Now, no one dares come throw their lives away casually." "Mm!" As the two chatted away, King Wen, standing off to the side, saw that his elder brother wasn't even talking to him anymore. For a moment, he felt a wave of desolation wash over him. "Elder Brother, does this mean I've been discarded?" The Human Sovereign instantly laughed. "I never said that! Alright, stop brooding. Your task is plenty heavy as well!" King Wen nodded slightly. "Don't worry. If real trouble arises, I'll charge in and bring you all out…" Saying that, he reached out into the void and plucked someone forward. Marquis Tongtian had long since resigned himself to his fate! Seeing so many terrifying experts gathered around, he hurriedly looked toward Su Yu, grinning deferentially. "Your Majesty!" King Wen paused, staring at him with a laugh. "You blabbermouth gate, you've really changed. Weren't you terrified of me in the past? Now that you see Su Yu, you don't even acknowledge me?" Marquis Tongtian wore a mournful grimace. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare, Lord King Wen! It's just that this humble subject has now pledged fealty to His Majesty…" King Wen chuckled helplessly. "Enough! Just stay right here. When the critical moment comes, we might still need you! The Earth Gate won't stay obedient; it might collude with the Human Gate or use other tricks to trap and kill Su Yu and the others. Or it might continuously leak information so enemies can surround them. You have only one task right now: monitor the Earth Gate. The moment there's any unusual fluctuation, notify us immediately…" Marquis Tongtian was completely dumbfounded! Holy crap! Anyone listening in would think they were whispering confidential secrets, but… damn it all, wasn't the Earth Gate standing right next to them? And it seemed to be a conscious, reviving one at that! They really… didn't treat the Earth Gate as an outsider at all! King Wen paid no heed to such details and turned to Su Yu and the others. "Are you transferring your worlds inside with you?" Su Yu smiled. "If the Earth Gate leaves a crack open permanently, it doesn't matter whether we bring them or not! But if it shuts the portal and we haven't brought our worlds, our strength will take a massive hit!" Bring their worlds inside? Forcefully hauling them in right now was indeed possible. Without them, Su Yu's physical body was practically a world in itself, somewhat integrated, so the drop in his strength wouldn't be too drastic. However, the same could not be said for the Human Sovereign and the Time Master; their power would be severely suppressed. The Human Sovereign laughed. "Bring them in! Better to be overly cautious than careless! If those Human Gate bastards have several Great Saints descend to surround and slaughter us inside, and the Earth Gate risks shutting the portal, we'll be in deep trouble! As for bringing them in… Senior Earth Gate will surely let us through, won't you?" At this moment, the Earth Gate couldn't hold back a ripple of protest: "You… you want to transfer entire worlds inside as well?" This is crossing the line! Its will rippled outward: "I have not fully revived yet; only remnants of my consciousness remain active. Forcing open such a massive rift will cause me severe injury. For you to transfer worlds inside… will require me to pay a tremendous price…" Su Yu said indifferently, "Didn't we already gift you two super-grade Great Daos? You can't even afford this tiny price? How about this: if you think the cost is too high, we won't kill any super-grades inside, but we'll slaughter everyone below super-grade and feed them all to you to nourish your body—how does that sound?" A pure threat! The Earth Gate fell silent for a long moment before projecting its thoughts: "Su Yu, there is no need for repeated threats! If you truly provoke me into forcing a premature revival, it will bring you zero benefit. Your strength is formidable, but I… am not powerless to strike back either! Do not forget, the Heavenly Gate and the Human Gate still exist!" Faced with repeated threats, the Earth Gate was growing genuinely irritated. If we truly fight to the bitter end, will it do you any good? Su Yu nodded, quickly flashing a smile. "That makes sense… However, all Three Gates are destined to be our enemies. Rather than waiting for you three to converge, why don't we risk our lives right now to eradicate the Earth Gate first? We'd rather not take that gamble at this moment, but if you're going to be this stubborn and refuse to cooperate… then we can only risk everything and go to war with the Earth Gate ahead of time!" "..." The Earth Gate was rendered utterly speechless. Yes, Su Yu and his people had no choice, whereas it had the option to wait! A truly helpless, sorrowful reality. At this moment, the Earth Gate began to resent its past: why had it allowed itself to be sealed above the Myriad Realms? Look at the Heavenly Gate and the Human Gate, perched at opposite ends of the River of Time. If Su Yu wanted to pick a fight with them, it was an arduous journey. Finding trouble with the Earth Gate, on the other hand, was child's play—he could drop by whenever he pleased! The Earth Gate made no further sound. Enter, then! Taking their worlds inside had its own advantages. Once they brought their worlds in, if they ran into a fatal crisis, Su Yu and his cohort would fall completely, leaving behind no chance of resurrection. If they left their worlds outside, they might still have a shot at coming back to life! The Lord of Dead Spirits was a grandmaster in that domain. With their worlds left behind and their origins intact, he might very well have been able to forcefully resurrect them! Thinking of it that way, the Earth Gate felt considerably better. Fine! Go on in! As for these people standing guard outside… did they think watching it meant it had no options left? If it wanted to deal with them, it naturally had ways. And for that, the Human Gate would need to pull its weight! The Human Gate had planted a massive number of operatives inside. In the past, it had found them annoying and bothersome, but now… it was actually a blessing! Best case scenario: mutual destruction! If a few Great Saints descended and fought them to a bloody standstill, that would be the ideal outcome! *** After a wait of roughly two to three hours, a voice finally echoed from behind the gate: "Your Majesty, it is done!" A smile appeared on the Human Sovereign's face. Gazing into the distance, he reached out, and a grand seal settled into his palm. Then, his distant world contracted violently, folding into the seal moments later. The experts cultivating within that world awoke with a start and looked outward. The Human Sovereign's voice echoed across the space: "None of you stay idle! If you have nothing else to do, head upstream and fight the Myriad Races. Anyone interested in adventuring into the Earth Gate can enter a few days after I go in! Of course, the danger will be substantial! Also, King Wen's world holds a group of trapped rogue cultivators who refuse to be tamed, and we haven't the time to deal with them… Those willing to take a risk can go in and battle them!" His voice reverberated in all directions, carrying a faint smile. "When I return, I shall be restored to my peak! At that time, it may well be our turn to proactively usher in the convergence of the Three Gates. Everyone… prepare yourselves!" The crowd stiffened with resolve! In unison, they roared, "We obey the Sovereign's decree!" Su Yu said nothing, but his world was absorbed into his body in an instant, an even simpler process than the Human Sovereign's. As for the Time Master, a book surfaced, and her world was drawn inside immediately. Along the way, she reached into the air and produced a roasted poultry leg. Just as she was about to take a bite, she noticed Su Yu staring at her. With a slight shake of her head and a resigned expression, she pulled out another roasted leg and tossed it to him. Lately, whenever Su Yu saw her eating, he would stare fixedly at her. This guy was really greedy! Su Yu rolled his eyes. Was I asking for food? I was just wondering if you could stop eating literally everywhere you go! In my original imagination, the Time Master was an incomparably elegant figure, gliding on a small skiff along the River of Time with effortless grace. How on earth did you end up being such a glutton? *Foodie Master* indeed—the name was thoroughly earned! That majestic image I once had in mind… damn it, that was probably the Prison King impersonating her! Yu, on the other hand, was decisive in slaughter and cold as frost—a fact that was clear from the descriptions given by King Wu and the others. "Not enough?" Seeing Su Yu holding the leg and still staring at her, the Time Master thought for a moment, then pulled out a flagon of wine. "Here you go!" With a flagon of wine in his left hand and a drumstick in his right, Su Yu was momentarily rendered speechless! Seeing him continue to stare, Wen Yu asked in bewilderment, "Still not enough?" Su Yu took a fierce bite out of the drumstick and looked away! Truth be told, it tasted amazing! Swallowing a mouthful, Su Yu asked, "What kind of beast's leg is this?" "The Phoenix Ancestor's!" The Time Master chewed happily, giggling as she spoke. "There really wasn't much good food in the Heavenly Gate. Look at those powerhouses—they're either rocks or swords. Even Kong didn't look particularly appetizing… But the Earth Gate is different! It sealed away the Chaos Era, teeming with countless chaotic ancient beasts… Su Yu, you have no idea! Back then, we held a bonfire feast right here, and the variety of meat was incredible!" "I remember one time, we ate sixty-two different kinds of ancient beasts in a single sitting… Tsk tsk, it was so fragrant!" Silence fell over the surroundings. Even the Earth Gate couldn't help recalling that scene at this moment. Yes, such a thing had truly occurred back in the ancient era! Wen Yu beamed with delight. "This time, we can hunt them ourselves! When we have a moment, I'll cook you a Banquet of Ten Thousand Beasts, Su Yu. I guarantee you'll crave it forever after a single taste! When that happens, you might finally understand why the Lord of Time sealed the Chaos instead of eradicating it. I suspect the Lord of Time had the exact same thought as me: if we slaughtered them all, what would we have left to eat?" "..." In an instant, heaven and earth plunged into utter stillness! Are you kidding me?! Right… if we kill them all, what would we eat? Even the Human Sovereign couldn't hold back a laugh. "Let's head inside. Don't go projecting your own appetite onto the Lord of Time…" Wen Yu was completely unconvinced. "Big Brother Xingyu, doesn't what I said make sense? If we killed them all, would we eat humanoid beings in the future? The myriad races of Chaos are the most delicious!" The Human Sovereign didn't bother arguing with her. Chuckling, he stepped forward. Su Yu swiftly stepped into the rift of the Earth Gate as well. The Time Master followed close behind while continuing to gnaw on her food, still proselytizing her philosophy: "Seriously, don't doubt me! To the Lord of Time, was the Chaos Era even that strong? Probably not! Why bother sealing them? It makes no sense! It would have been cleaner to wipe them out completely! Yet he didn't, which proves he likely thought just like me—worrying that the next time he emerged, the Myriad Realms would be filled with humanoid creatures, leaving nothing delicious to eat!" "Perhaps!" Su Yu smiled. Behind them, King Wen gave a bitter laugh and called out, "A-Yu, once you're inside, don't run wild! Behave yourself!" "..." Without looking back, Wen Yu retorted, "If we're not going to cause chaos, why are we going in at all?" Has my brother been losing his mind lately? Talking utter nonsense! We're going in specifically to turn the place upside down! Su Yu suddenly burst out laughing. "Well said!" Wen Yu's remark struck him as genuinely hilarious. Exactly—if we're not going in to stir up trouble, what are we even doing here? Of course we're going to raise hell! In a flash, the three vanished before everyone's eyes. King Wen wore a look of utter helplessness. This sister of his… had always been lawless and wild in the past. Now that she was paired up with the equally lawless Su Yu—even though their eldest brother was steady, he was currently wounded, wasn't he? Those two might not even listen to him! It seemed the Earth Gate was truly in for absolute bedlam! The Lord of Dead Spirits shared similar expectations, remarking calmly, "Prepare yourselves. We may have to storm the Earth Gate by force." The Earth Gate shuddered in shock. *What the hell?* King Wen nodded. "Taishan, have everyone get ready! If things get too chaotic inside, the Earth Gate probably won't be able to resist intervening… When that happens, we storm the Earth Gate!" "Alright!" They quickly coordinated their arrangements, leaving the Earth Gate deeply wounded emotionally. What do you mean by that? You people truly don't treat me as an outsider, do you?! They hadn't even bothered hiding it from him, openly planning a full-scale assault in his face! Evidently, they firmly believed that Su Yu's entry was guaranteed to plunge the interior of the Earth Gate into sheer chaos! *** At this moment, Su Yu and his companions felt as though they were traversing space and time! This was Su Yu's first time entering through the main gate of a portal! The next instant, the three materialized behind the Earth Gate. Su Yu glanced back. The Earth Gate loomed right before his eyes, yet felt separated by an invisible layer of spatial depth. This place was equally pitch-black, but unlike the interior of the Heavenly Gate, it was permeated with chaotic aura. While the Heavenly Gate was dim, its atmosphere had not been one of Chaos, but rather the decaying aura of combed-out Great Daos. At that moment, a figure materialized before the three of them and promptly bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty!" "At ease!" The Human Sovereign chuckled, looking around at the pitch-black surroundings before smiling. "Hou, it has been many years!" Hou! Su Yu was startled at first, but then came to an understanding. The Hou was no reckless brute, but an exceptionally shrewd and intelligent beast. It was merely unfortunate that after becoming King Wu's mount, he had ended up behaving like a brute as well. Now, separated from King Wu, he had apparently returned to normal, looking remarkably calm. Having assumed human form, the Hou appeared somewhat scholarly and frail—completely different from what Su Yu had envisioned. The Hou was smiling at first, but the moment his gaze landed on the Time Master… his smile grew awkward and vanished. Wen Yu stared at him, feeling exasperated when she saw his smile evaporate. "I don't eat our own people! Why are you looking at me like that? I wasn't the one who did that!" Though she had slaughtered her share of enemies, she had never turned her blades against allies. That had all been Yu's doing! Yet she had been forced to shoulder the blame back then; otherwise, the fallout from the Prison King massacring their allied races would have caused catastrophic chaos. The Hou looked somewhat embarrassed. Turning toward Su Yu, he seemed to recognize him and hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Emperor Yu!" Su Yu smiled and was just about to speak. Suddenly, a thunderous shout boomed across the world, shattering the silence: "All quarters take heed! People from the Myriad Realms may arrive in the near future! Su Yu of the Myriad Realms has slain multiple masters of forbidden lands within the Heavenly Gate! If any abnormalities are detected… report immediately!" Su Yu's jaw dropped. *Fuck!* What is this? I literally just stepped inside!