Recruiting an Ally

Inside the Earth Gate. A fragmented piece of land floated in the void. At that moment, the three humans and Hou were watching a bonfire burn, smelling the rich aroma, all thoroughly satisfied. It smelled incredible! As the Time Master roasted the meat, she praised, "Hou, you made a great choice. I've never tasted this kind of beast before!" Hou grinned, thoroughly content. As long as it tasted good! He had been terrified she might want to eat him... How terrifying would that be! As they shared the meal, Su Yu ate while saying, "Right now, eyes inside the gate are fixed on us. Once we make a move, we'll likely be discovered fast. Our main objective in entering the gate this time is still to heal the Human Sovereign. According to the Human Sovereign's intel, the Myriad Dao Stone is with the Lord of Chaos." Yet the Lord of Chaos was the strongest; taking him on right now might be beyond their current strength. Su Yu possessed thirty-five Dao and Wen Yu had thirty-four. If they joined forces, they could probably fight the Lord of Chaos, even if he wielded thirty-six Dao. Previously, the two thirty-four Dao experts, Celestial and God, had faced Qiong and only suffered a slight disadvantage. However, wanting to kill him was another matter entirely. Thus, Su Yu still preferred that the Human Sovereign recover first before they went after the Lord of Chaos. In this way, their priorities conflicted. The Human Sovereign laughed. "If we truly slay a super-tier, the super-tier ancient beasts in this place all cultivate the Chaos Dao and Chaos Origin. Slaying one should allow me to recover somewhat. I think recovering to thirty-two Dao is still feasible... So let's stick to your plan: deal with those two unknown fellows first!" "The key issue is that their strength is hard to gauge." The unknown always carried risks. Wen Yu, who was also eating, chimed in, "Let's just give it a try! If they turn out to be too strong, we'll withdraw! We can just fight a guerilla war! Unlike the Heavenly Gate, super-tiers are sparse here. Surrounding and killing the three of us won't be that easy!" Su Yu nodded slightly, then looked at Hou. "Senior Hou, do you know the exact locations of those two's territories?" "I know the rough areas," Hou hurriedly answered. "But I haven't gone there often. Why don't we ask January?" Su Yu looked at the Human Sovereign, who nodded. "Once we get over there, I'll try contacting him." Su Yu said no more and tucked in. To be fair, it was truly delicious. Before meeting Wen Yu, Su Yu had rarely eaten anything, finding it unnecessary and a waste of time. But right now, there was no rush; haste only invited mistakes. "Then let's restore the Human Sovereign to super-tier first. Once he has the means to protect himself, we'll seek out the Lord of Chaos..." Wen Yu asked, "Aren't we looking for the Human Ancestor first?" Su Yu smiled. The Human Sovereign also chuckled. "No rush with the Human Ancestor, lest negotiations break down! First, we intimidate all sides and let the Human Ancestor know we aren't to be trifled with and possess immense strength—consider it a deterrent! During this period, he won't rashly turn against us. If we approach him right now, things could easily go sour." Wen Yu pondered for a moment and nodded. Perhaps so. In truth, she had also wanted to suggest seeking out Prison first, as her strength should be the weakest among the major figures. As if reading her thoughts, Su Yu smiled. "Let's not rush to find Prison either. If we don't go to her, she won't be sure of our intentions or whether we're targeting her. Approaching her would only complicate things—she might think we're there to kill her..." The crux lay with the Human Sovereign, but Su Yu refrained from spelling it out. No rush to find Prison! Wen Yu pressed no further. Before long, the massive beast was picked clean by the group. Having eaten and drunk their fill, Su Yu and the others rose and swiftly flew off in one direction. There were two mysterious forbidden lands in the Earth Gate; Hou knew the general situation, but had never visited them. It was inconvenient for Su Yu and the others to conduct a wide-scale sweep, so they needed to scout carefully first. ... At the same time. The Upper Realm. The Earth Gate stood tall. Outside the portal, King Wen, King Wu, and the Lord of Dead Spirits—three supreme powerhouses—stood guard, confronting the Earth Gate to prevent it from making any moves. Right at that moment, the Lord of Dead Spirits suddenly looked up at the sky. The others also looked up one after another. The void trembled, and the river surged! The River of Time, which usually traversed the Myriad Realms like a river of silver, suddenly grew dim. Normally, ordinary cultivators could not see this river; only apex powerhouses and those who had opened their Heavenly Gates could perceive it. Yet now, the river churned, as though an aura of darkness and death were wafting forth. The Earth Gate was also abruptly jolted awake, looking skyward as its will fluctuated: "An omen of apocalypse! The River of Time is beginning to emanate an aura of extinction! It was like this in the last era... Soon, devouring locusts will appear!" The Lord of Dead Spirits stared coldly upward, his formidable willpower sweeping through heaven and earth! That potent willpower directly consumed the dark aura in the river. The Earth Gate stated calmly, "It's useless! Moreover, you shouldn't rashly consume this aura. Devouring it will only bring misfortune!" The Lord of Dead Spirits knew that! Inside the gates, after devouring locusts were slain, massive quantities of destructive power would erupt; those who absorbed that aura often met with terrible misfortune or even perished. Yet having reached his level, the Lord of Dead Spirits cared little for such things. His willpower swept outward! Nevertheless, that aura continued to spread. King Wen also gazed into the sky. After watching for a while, he murmured, "It seems to be spreading from downstream... The Human Gate... Is it the source of the apocalypse?" He gave a faint smile. "And it happens to be right now..." With a sigh of realization, he added, "So, the fortune of the Myriad Realms really has mostly converged upon Su Yu. If Su Yu had remained in the Myriad Realms, would this apocalyptic crisis have begun?" This phenomenon had emerged shortly after Su Yu's departure. What was the difference between this departure and his previous one? The biggest difference was that he had taken his Myriad Realms world with him, along with the Human Lord Seal and the Warden of Heaven, both of which represented fortune. At this moment, Su Yu was inside the Earth Gate. King Wen made a quick deduction: was it precisely because of this that the dark aura of destruction had surfaced in the river? He looked to the sky and murmured, "So Su Yu is critically important right now, isn't he? With the fortune of the Myriad Realms gathered upon him, killing Su Yu might make destroying the Myriad Realms much easier!" In truth, Su Yu had partitioned off half of his fortune. At this moment, King Wen wondered: what would have happened if Su Yu had not shared half of that fortune? The moment Su Yu left, would the apocalyptic crisis have arrived immediately? Would the Three Gates have descended in an instant? A chill ran through King Wen. Could that truly have happened? No one had considered this before, because none of them had ever witnessed such a scene or experienced the crisis of world destruction. The Lord of Dead Spirits had lived through a fraction of it, but he had never imagined it taking this form either. Hearing King Wen's words, he said coldly, "Does that mean the gathering of fortune on Su Yu was truly engineered by someone? Or rather, not just targeted at Su Yu, but concentrating fortune on a single person so that if something happens to that individual, the entire Myriad Realms suffers catastrophe?" What if Su Yu had not split his power of fortune? Would it only be a diffusion of dark aura right now? No one could say for certain! King Wen looked toward the Earth Gate. At that moment, the Earth Gate vibrated slightly. Sensing King Wen's gaze, the Earth Gate said calmly, "I haven't done anything. It's just that... with the arrival of darkness, my seals have loosened a little. Perhaps... soon I will be completely unsealed!" King Wen frowned slightly at it. "Does this dark aura originate from the Human Gate?" "Most likely!" the Earth Gate replied impassively. "I can't say for certain, but it does come from downstream! This is only the beginning. Going forward, the dark aura will grow denser until devouring locusts appear. At that time, the apocalypse begins, and the Three Gates will descend! There are only two possible outcomes. First, this generation perishes—either completely wiped out or sealed by a fourth gate! Second, the Heaven-Opening Era, the Chaos Era, or the era within the Human Gate returns... to replace it, resist the darkness, and extend the previous era!" Then it added, "All of this primarily targets powerful cultivators; ordinary mortals aren't heavily affected... However, from the Ruler of Rules realm and above, none can escape! In the end, it will spread to ordinary cultivators, depending on how far it extends. In the Heaven-Opening Era, it reached all the way to the Sun Moon Realm... In other words, during the Heaven-Opening Era, not a single person at or above the Sun Moon Realm escaped!" King Wen had been to the Heavenly Gate and understood the situation. He said softly, "When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact! If true chaos descends and ordinary mortals are caught in the crossfire, how many can survive?" It was possible for a portion of ordinary mortals to survive and seed the next era. Yet the vast majority would die! Countless years later, just like the Heaven-Opening Era, it would become myth and legend to future generations. This era was about to be snuffed out. King Wen sighed. "What is the basis for an era's destruction? The Heaven-Opening Era also perished at its peak, when the Great Dao proved insufficient and the power of rules ran out. The current Myriad Realms hasn't reached that point yet, has it?" Compared to the Heaven-Opening Era, the Myriad Realms Era shouldn't be on the verge of doom yet. At that moment, the Lord of Dead Spirits sneered, "It's merely the pressure exerted by the Three Gates! If a fourth gate emerges, the fifth era will be even shorter! The later the era, the shorter its lifespan! That is, assuming all the eras were sealed rather than thoroughly obliterated!" Upon hearing this, King Wen understood and laughed. "I see! Because the Three Gates exist, those unextinguished eras remain linked to the Myriad Realms, bringing the stench of death. The Three Gates are essentially leeches clamped onto us, draining the lifespan of the Myriad Realms!" The Lord of Dead Spirits' words made everything crystal clear. "So, if we become a fourth gate, we will weigh down on the fifth era alongside the Three Gates, and that era may perish very quickly! If they have the fortune to become a fifth gate, the sixth era that follows will be even more fragile..." Continuing this way, future eras would become even shorter. It was entirely possible that as soon as civilization blossomed, all the gates would burst open... and doom would strike instantly! The Earth Gate's will fluctuated as it spoke: "Correct, that is the future! Therefore, the best outcome is not the birth of a new era. A new era cannot last long, while the return of an old era... can endure much longer! And an even better outcome is the destruction of the gates!" Dropping all pretenses, the Earth Gate stated plainly, "Shatter the gates, exterminate everything behind them, and return to that era. That way, everything can start anew and continue the era!" King Wen nodded slightly and smiled. "Then does Senior Earth Gate wish to reopen the Chaos Era?" "Why wouldn't I?" the Earth Gate answered placidly. "If not for the Lord of Time, the Myriad Realms would never have existed to this day. Chaos would have persisted indefinitely. Is chaos bad? The essence of the world is chaos; this is merely returning to that essence!" King Wen laughed. "You're wrong. The essence of the world is civilization and progress! The days of drinking blood and devouring raw flesh are long gone! Moving forward—that is the grand trend! Senior Earth Gate, the past... is merely the past!" "No, chaos exists in the present!" the Earth Gate retorted coolly. "Look around the Myriad Realms—is it not chaos? Why does the Heavenly Gate reside in the past while the Human Gate resides in the future? Because the present belongs to chaos! Chaos is an inescapable existence! Unless you truly expand heaven and earth to the very edge of chaos and cover it entirely, chaos will never be extinguished!" At this moment, while the supreme experts appeared to be conversing casually, they were debating the Dao. The Lord of Dead Spirits said coldly, "Chaos is indestructible? Exterminate all beings within chaos, kill you, and chaos will naturally be extinguished! Why bother covering it with heaven and earth? Once chaos is stripped of mystery and anyone can explore it, chaos will naturally perish!" The Earth Gate fluctuated, letting out a laugh. "The Myriad Realms may seem formidable right now, but... do you truly believe the Myriad Realms can sweep across the Three Gates? As the era with the shortest development time, you currently hold a slight upper hand only due to the circumstances of the era." "Do you believe that because you've recovered somewhat, you now have the confidence to act?" The Lord of Dead Spirits stared at it, his voice chilling. "The dark aura seems to have stimulated your recovery. Do you think you now have the confidence to fight us?" The Earth Gate fell silent. That was indeed true! When the dark aura descended, it felt itself awakening. Even if not fully restored, an outburst now wouldn't necessarily leave it incapable of battle! King Wen, King Wu, and the others wore solemn expressions. It seemed the Three Gates were truly about to descend in full force. Compared to before, the Earth Gate possessed considerably more confidence. As for Su Yu... who knew if he would run into trouble. Right then, King Wen suddenly frowned. "Neither we nor Su Yu knew that his departure would hasten the descent of the apocalyptic aura. Although Su Yu has left, he remains connected to the Myriad Realms... If Su Yu falls, will an even worse consequence unfold?" The Lord of Dead Spirits' expression shifted as well. He snapped his gaze to the Earth Gate, but the Earth Gate remained calm: "I told you not to enter, not to enter! And certainly not to enter carrying his world! Su Yu is a being who rose meteorically at the end of this era. Previously, no one understood, but now, whether it's me, the Heavenly Gate, or anyone else, we should all realize that Su Yu might very well be the fourth gate! Once Su Yu dies, this era of yours is doomed to utter extinction. No one will be left to seal the era!" "A seal is a form of torment, but it is also a means of survival!" The Earth Gate chuckled faintly. "So, if Su Yu dies, your era will have no retreat left!" King Wen's expression darkened. The revelation of the fourth gate was something Su Yu had only told them, but now, the Three Gates had clearly deduced it as well—after all, it was not difficult to deduce. And in order to cut off all retreat, to extinguish every path for the Myriad Realms Era... they might target Su Yu! King Wen's face shifted continuously. Realizing the danger, King Wu said in a low voice, "Number Two, I'm going in!" Su Yu and his companions might face a peril far more violent than before! Because the arrival of the apocalyptic aura signified one thing: the Human Gate might have reached a tacit understanding with the Earth Gate and Heavenly Gate! To eradicate Su Yu! Would Great Saints from the Human Gate truly descend through its envoys inside the Earth Gate? It was very likely that Great Saints would descend! ... At that exact moment. Mount Bihua. The territory of the Human Ancestor. Zhou Ji suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward an old man before him. The elder was watering a verdant stalk of bamboo, carrying the air of a rustic peasant farmer. Sensing Zhou Ji waking, he asked without turning his head, "Something the matter?" Zhou Ji's eyes flickered. "Yes! There has been a development inside the Human Gate. The Human Gate sensed unfavorable influences brought by Su Yu and decided to have several Great Saints descend into the Earth Gate to assist local experts in slaying Su Yu and his companions!" Still watering the bamboo, the old man replied without turning around, "Isn't that what you've been advising all along?" Zhou Ji smiled. "I did suggest it, but I didn't expect the Human Gate to actually agree. Furthermore, the official process has begun. The Eight Direction Great Saints will soon deliberate to determine how many the Earth Gate will permit to descend..." The old man considered for a moment. "The Earth Gate fears a pincer attack from within and without. Even to deal with Su Yu's group, it won't permit too many experts to descend from the Human Gate. Three Great Saints is the absolute limit!" "Even so, that's not something Su Yu and his group can withstand!" Zhou Ji chuckled. "Keep in mind, every Great Saint of the Human Gate is a powerhouse with thirty-six Dao or more! Ancestor, do you think Su Yu and the others are doomed?" At least three Great Saints might descend in the near future solely to eliminate Su Yu! This time, the Human Gate was acting even more cautiously than during the destruction of the Heaven-Opening Era. Back then, only a few super-tiers had descended, while Great Saint-level existences had mostly pulled the strings from afar, likely because the Human Gate had not fully awakened. The elder smiled faintly. "Outcomes depend on human effort! Having more people or stronger experts doesn't guarantee victory! If Su Yu could become the savior at the end of an era, he naturally possesses some capability! In the previous era, fortune was fractured—I, Ren, and that fellow from the dead spirit realm divided the fortune, which ultimately led to the downfall of the Heaven-Opening Era. Having learned from that lesson, Su Yu consolidated fortune into a single whole... Perhaps there will be a different outcome!" Deep in thought, Zhou Ji nodded. "Then, Ancestor, will you aid Su Yu and his companions, or look after yourself?" The elder laughed softly and continued watering his bamboo. "And what about you? Are you Jitian right now, or Zhou Ji? If you are Zhou Ji, I think things will be rather interesting. If you are Jitian... then it's quite dull!" He turned around. His gaze was remarkably clear; though his face was aged, his eyes were pure like a child's. He looked at Zhou Ji. "Jitian is merely a Great Saint of one faction! Powerful, yes—this old man might not necessarily defeat him—yet no matter how strong Jitian is, he remains a pawn! If you are Zhou Ji... turning from guest to master, now that would be interesting!" The old man chuckled. "Even the descendants of Wen and Xing could rise. If you are Zhou Ji... your rise would be truly fascinating!" If he was Jitian... he was merely another Great Saint who had dabbled in the Myriad Realms for some years. Zhou Ji smiled. "Ancestor, that doesn't matter!" "Perhaps!" The elder resumed watering. The bamboo before him turned increasingly emerald, casting a green glow over the entire mountain. This was Mount Bihua. And this was the Longevity Bamboo! As for the one Su Yu had obtained in the past, it was also a Longevity Bamboo. However, just like the Human Sovereign Seal—before unifying the realms, the Human Sovereign had wielded the Star Universe Seal, and only adopted the Human Sovereign Seal later on. The same principle applied here. The bamboo Su Yu had obtained was merely something the ancestor had used in his early days; the one planted before him was the one he currently wielded. Inside the Earth Gate, two supreme treasures were known to all: The Human Ancestor's Longevity Bamboo and the Lord of Chaos's Ageless Root. Both were supreme treasures, and in certain aspects, not a whit inferior to Qiong's physical sword form. Zhou Ji watched him, then looked at the bamboo and smiled. "Ancestor, it seems this Longevity Bamboo is about to awaken as well!" "Awaken?" The elder smiled. "You could say that! But it's still missing something!" "Missing something?" Zhou Ji studied the emerald bamboo, falling into contemplation. After a long while, he said, "Indeed, it is missing something. How can a precious sword bare its edge without being stained with blood! Does that mean you intend for this artifact to emerge into the world and return stained in blood, Ancestor?" Whose blood would it be stained with? Was the Human Ancestor, who had remained dormant for countless years, finally about to strike? Su Yu, you truly stir up storms of blood wherever you go. At this moment, Zhou Ji could not fathom the old man's thoughts. What was he planning? Whom would he help? Would his interests align with Su Yu's faction, or with the Human Gate? The elder did not answer the question. He stroked the bamboo before him. The emerald stalk seemed alive, bending slightly like a child relishing the old man's touch. His voice was somewhat indistinct: "Tell me, have those people entered?" "Most likely!" Zhou Ji nodded. "Several scouts near the Earth Gate were rooted out! While it's hard to determine who did it, there's a strong chance it was Su Yu's group." "This stagnant pool of an Earth Gate... will finally have a good show to watch!" The elder smiled. "I also want to see: in the first clash between the legendary Su Yu and the Human Gate, who will emerge victorious?" Three Great Saints! Three powerhouses with thirty-six Dao or more, joining forces just to hunt down Su Yu—the Human Gate was truly staking a massive fortune this time! Had Su Yu posed a threat even to them? ... Elsewhere. Beside Su Yu, a massive seal suddenly floated into the air. The seal trembled violently, and the faint image of the Warden of Heaven emerged upon it, looking pained. Su Yu watched in silence. The Human Sovereign's face shifted slightly. Frowning, he said in a low voice, "A disturbance in your fortune!" At a moment like this, Su Yu's fortune was suddenly thrown into turbulence! That was definitely not a good omen! Su Yu remained calm. "It seems news of my entry can no longer be hidden. Any clever person would deduce that I've likely arrived. A disturbance in fortune... Does that mean danger is looming? It wasn't even like this inside the Heavenly Gate. Could this be more perilous than the Heavenly Gate?" Inside the Heavenly Gate, Su Yu had weathered several crises, overcoming each one. Yet now his fortune was in turmoil. He was unsure whether it was because he had brought his world inside this time, or something else. Perhaps it had happened inside the Heavenly Gate as well, just without him sensing it so keenly. The Human Sovereign's expression shifted before he said, "Unless the five powerhouses of the Earth Gate join forces, they wouldn't trigger such a premonition of crisis in you! But the chances of them instantly uniting are slim!" The group exchanged looks. The Human Gate! The Human Gate was likely making moves. Su Yu chuckled. "They truly think highly of me. I heard that toward the end of the Heaven-Opening Era, the Human Gate barely stirred. Your Majesty, it seems my fame has grown so great that even the Human Gate knows of me!" You're actually proud of that? The Human Sovereign didn't bother to retort, feeling only a heavy weight on his shoulders. Su Yu's primary purpose in entering was to help heal his wounds, and this had been his own suggestion. If they suffered a setback inside the Earth Gate, it would be catastrophic. "Previously, we thought the Earth Gate could be easily dealt with... I'm afraid we've repeated the same mistake as back then!" The Human Sovereign exhaled softly. "Our smooth campaign in the Heavenly Gate made us let down our guard again! We assumed the Earth Gate's forces were weak and that we could rampage as we pleased. Sure enough, trouble has arisen!" The Human Sovereign suddenly sat down cross-legged. "Since they all know we're here... there's no need to rush!" Su Yu looked at him, exasperated. "What are you doing..." The Human Sovereign's eyes gleamed. "This time, true bodies of Human Gate Great Saints will likely descend! I'm going to take a gamble!" Gamble on what? The next moment, Su Yu seemed to understand. Sure enough, the Human Sovereign gritted his teeth: "I bet Great Saint Hongtian will descend!" Su Yu was speechless. "You... don't tell me you want to communicate with him again?" "Of course!" The Human Sovereign said grimly, "Your fortune is in turbulence—don't treat this lightly, kid! We must take this as seriously as possible! We didn't prepare extensively this time, so some of our methods might not work! I'll contact him. My strength is currently too weak, so I might not be able to guide him over... Your Heavenly Gate is powerful. If we strike a deal... you'll be the one to guide him across!" Su Yu drew a sharp breath. "I say... why do I feel like this is even more dangerous than fighting those fellows from the Human Gate?" The Human Sovereign intended to persuade Qiong, then have Qiong pass through Su Yu's Heavenly Gate passage to descend! The Human Sovereign was currently too weak to reliably guide him across. Even if he could, it would take time. For Su Yu, however, it wouldn't be an issue. As a thirty-five Dao powerhouse, guiding Qiong across was well within his capabilities. The Human Sovereign said sternly, "Su Yu! Don't get cocky!" Su Yu chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not being careless! It's just that having reached this stage, I have few choices. Perhaps Your Majesty is right; we ought to take this more seriously... But will this really work with Qiong?" "It has to work, even if it seems impossible!" The Human Sovereign exhaled again. "If even you think it's impossible, what about the others? That makes Qiong an unpredictable wildcard! An extra wildcard with thirty-six Dao... can overturn countless variables! Let's give it a shot! His physical sword form is on Hongtian. Hongtian would definitely keep a treasure like that on his person! Once Hongtian truly descends into the Earth Gate... we won't even need to say another word; Qiong will strike him down without hesitation! That alone will save us heaps of trouble!" Could it work? Su Yu truly didn't know. In truth, he would rather go kill someone right now and quickly restore the Human Sovereign, but the turbulence in his fortune was indeed an ominous sign. Still... it was worth a shot! ... Inside the Heavenly Gate. Ever since Su Yu and his companions withdrew, the Heavenly Gate had grown desolate and dead silent. Figures like Shi and Kong were currently clustered together within a single region to prevent Su Yu and the others from re-entering and launching a surprise attack! Only Qiong remained an outlier, refusing to gather with them. Besides, even if he did come, Shi and Kong wouldn't necessarily trust him. Had Qiong secretly colluded with the Myriad Realms or not? If Qiong hadn't been so formidable, Shi, Kong, and the others would have purged him first! The region where Mount Tianqiong once stood was now completely silent. Naturally, around the perimeter, several figures lurked apprehensively in the void, silently observing. These were scouts deployed by the various supreme experts. It wasn't just here—King Ming's area, the Martial Emperor's area... Wherever a Heavenly Gate projection was known to exist, scouts monitored the surroundings. The same went for King Wen's location! As for Su Yu's, it was quite well hidden, though everyone knew the general vicinity near Mount Guiyuan. None knew the exact spot, because Su Yu hadn't baited many people and had re-entered the Heavenly Gate swiftly. At this exact moment, the previously vanished Heavenly Gate materialized once more. Around it, the scouts' expressions changed! The Human Sovereign was back! Without a moment's delay, these scouts fled toward the distance to alert their masters that the Human Sovereign's Heavenly Gate had opened again! "Qiong!" A soft chuckle echoed across the area as the Human Sovereign's voice rang out: "I know you're nearby watching, having left behind several marks. You've stayed here for countless years; how could you not care in the slightest... Qiong, why not come out for a chat?" The void remained silent. "I harbor no ill intent. Why avoid me? Or could it be that you fear my Human Sovereign Dao?" The moment those words fell, a streak of sword qi pierced the heavens! In an instant, it slashed toward the portal. Yet the portal did not vanish. The Human Sovereign laughed. "Even if you destroy my Heavenly Gate projection, my true body remains intact, and I can still return just the same. Why not have a chat?" In an instant, a figure materialized with a frosty expression. Glaring at the Human Sovereign's phantom, he spat angrily, "Bastard!" The Human Sovereign grinned. He knew this fellow would be nearby. Sure enough! "Do me a favor—let's kill Hongtian together. What do you say?" "You still dare open your mouth?" Qiong glared at him coldly. "You want to trick this seat again?" The Human Sovereign said solemnly, "There's a ninety percent chance Hongtian's true body will descend! Hongtian managed to recruit the Celestial Ancestor, which proves he isn't someone who keeps a low profile and bides his time. He also wants to subdue you, which shows his massive ambition! Therefore, if a Great Saint from the Human Gate truly descends, he's the most likely candidate! "I'll be blunt with you: Su Yu and I plan to bait several Great Saints of the Human Gate out into the open and slaughter them! I asked around—the Great Saints of the Human Gate are almost all at thirty-six Dao or even stronger! Your physical form is with him. Do you intend to wait until the Heavenly Gate and Human Gate fully open before seeking him out, or go after him now? "When that time truly arrives... with the Three Gates reviving, you won't be among the apex beings. Will you still have a chance to reclaim your physical form?" The Human Sovereign spoke rapidly: "If you come this time, Su Yu and I will help you! We share a common enemy! Of course, there is danger, but with you there, the danger won't be as great!" "Do you take me for an idiot?" Qiong was furious! You still want to use me? The Human Sovereign sighed. "You're a sword cultivator—stop getting mixed up in all that nonsense! You also need Yang qi... This is an opportunity! We might kill one... or perhaps... two?" He said calmly, "Two super-tiers—super-tiers of the Myriad Realms! Of course, it isn't decided yet, but one is Zhou, and the other is Prison! This is your chance too! If you miss this opportunity, the only way for your lot to firmly establish yourselves in the Myriad Realms... is to kill us! Kill Su Yu, kill me, kill the Lord of Dead Spirits... "If you come, reclaim your physical form, and slay a super-tier to absorb their Yang Great Dao, you could become a being on par with the Lord of Dead Spirits! Thirty-eight Dao, maybe even thirty-nine Dao, or... even stronger!" Qiong sneered, "This seat doesn't trust you!" You bastard! Right then, Su Yu's voice chimed in: "Senior Qiong, the Human Sovereign's words may not be trustworthy, but my credibility is guaranteed! Does Senior truly believe you can stand alongside those fellows in the Heavenly Gate? Will they trust you? You are a sword cultivator. Opening the Heavenly Gate was merely to absorb the Yang Great Dao and strengthen yourself! And right now... coming with us makes achieving your goal far easier! "Or must Senior insist on reviving your Heaven-Opening Era? What is past is past. Even if Senior revives the era, what of it?" "Senior Qiong, come on! If you come, I'll treat you to delicious food..." That was the Time Master's voice! Qiong's face twisted into an ugly scowl! Eat my ancestors! Good grief, all three of them were chiming in now. Qiong thought quickly. "You went to the Earth Gate?" "Yes!" The Human Sovereign chuckled. "Only inside the Earth Gate do the people of the Human Gate dare to descend! In the Myriad Realms, no one has opened a strong enough Human Gate, so they couldn't come even if they wanted to!" Qiong sneered, "Did you run into trouble? Are you being besieged? You want this seat to bail you out?" "Not at all!" Su Yu chuckled. "If we were being besieged, would we have time to chat with Senior? On one hand, we need a helper; on the other hand, considering we used Senior before, we want to offer some compensation! Helping Senior reclaim your physical form and granting you the chance to absorb the Great Dao of a Yang super-tier—opportunities like this don't come by every day! Senior, think for yourself: aside from right now, when else could both desires be fulfilled at once?" Qiong snorted coldly! Su Yu added, "Senior, how about this: if you don't want to come, let the Sword Sovereign come! I'm here to deliver opportunities. If the Sword Sovereign comes, I'll grant him a share of fortune..." Qiong sneered, "That trick again?" Do you think I'll fall for it twice? The Human Sovereign quickly interjected, "By the way, there really is a Myriad Dao Stone this time!" "Get lost!" Qiong roared in fury! Still playing that game? "It's real this time! The Myriad Dao Stone is right inside the Earth Gate! It might have fallen into the hands of the Lord of Chaos, and even if it hasn't, the descending Great Saint is bound to bring one! Qiong, we're going to strike it rich, do you hear me?" "..." Who the hell is 'we'? The Human Sovereign sighed. "Fine, I won't waste my breath. Eight diyuan distances west of Mount Guiyuan is where Su Yu's Heavenly Gate is located. He will keep it open for half an hour. Come if you wish; if not, forget it!" With that, the Heavenly Gate vanished! Moments later, several forbidden lands materialized nearby. "Qiong! You truly have colluded with the Myriad Realms!" Kong's cold voice rang out. Qiong couldn't help unleashing a torrent of curses: "Colluded with your ancestors!" Infuriating! Who was colluding? Besides, what business was it of yours? Damn it! In his rage, he slashed out a sword beam—this Kong was bloody annoying! Slashing out with his sword, he vanished instantly. Are these bastards planning to surround and kill me? Damn it! Bastards! I didn't collude! I was merely used last time, yet these bastards frame this seat again and again! Damn them, damn them all! You claim I'm colluding... Fine, then I'll bloody well collude! Infuriating! Qiong flew rapidly toward the location the Human Sovereign had named, gnashing his teeth as he resolved to take a gamble! His physical form, a super-tier Great Dao... It was Kong and those bastards who had framed him time and time again! Since they insisted on it, then he would truly collude with them—what could they do about it?