Chaos or Not, I Call the Shots

Inside the Earth Gate. Before Su Yu and his companions could attend to anything else, the Human Sovereign was already setting about reeling in Qiong. Even though Su Yu doubted Qiong would actually show up, since the Human Sovereign wanted to give it a shot, there was no harm in trying. As the Human Sovereign shut the projection of the Heavenly Gate, Su Yu asked with a grin, "Do you think he'll come?" "No idea." The Human Sovereign smiled as well, though he added, "There's still a chance! Sword cultivators aren't good at underhanded schemes and don't care for them; they prefer charging straight ahead. In Qiong's eyes, race doesn't exist, and eras... honestly don't mean much to him either. All he cares about is that tiny Mount Tianqiong of his!" The Human Sovereign looked at Su Yu. "Put yourself in his shoes: once you stop caring about races and eras, caring only about the people by your side... If they can survive into the next era, would you still fight for this so-called era?" What was the meaning of war? Su Yu fell silent. He offered no response. Yet the Human Sovereign's premise did not hold. Seeing his silence, the Human Sovereign gave a quiet laugh. "In truth, when an era is destroyed, hardly anyone cares whether it will be revived. All they care about is themselves. 'Reviving the era' is just a convenient excuse." He continued, "Take me, for example. Right now, I still care about this era, about this race. But if I fell into despair, if I believed there was no chance of victory, if the human race were wiped out... would I still fight for humanity in the next era?" "The Great Dao of Responsibility... is only a responsibility toward certain people in the present!" The Human Sovereign said softly, "In truth, when I returned after a hundred thousand years, Su Yu, you have to understand that sentiments have faded. Time is the most terrifying weapon of all—the most terrifying enemy. After a million years, ten million years, will you still care about race?" In that moment, the Human Sovereign seemed to be laying out a truth, conveying something profound. Su Yu watched him. The Human Sovereign went on, "Do you understand what I mean? Su Yu, perhaps a person was once good, once a hero of an era, a hero of his race. But after hundreds of thousands of years, he is no longer that person! To my eyes, the current him has no greater goal than reviving himself!" Su Yu watched him in silence for a while before asking, "What are you trying to say, Your Majesty?" The Human Sovereign did not answer, but Wen Yu spoke up without hesitation, completely nonchalant: "Still don't get it? Big Brother Xingyu means that his era and his responsibilities are already in the past! In this era, you, Su Yu, are the true guardian!" Wen Yu ate her food without even looking up. "This era is your responsibility now, not his! Those humans, those soldiers, those powerhouses, those people... they are all your responsibility now, Su Yu! So don't even think about running away; you can't! In a moment of crisis, Big Brother Xingyu can die, but you cannot. Do you understand now?" "..." The Human Sovereign smiled wryly. "Wen Yu, in all these years, haven't you learned how to speak tactfully?" Wen Yu brushed it off. "I'm just saying what you wanted to say! You felt that after seeing you return, Su Yu let go of some burdens, and you felt that shouldn't be the case. You found it awkward to say it straight, so I said it for you!" Indeed, Wen Yu was blunt and direct. Seeing Su Yu say nothing, she spoke again: "A hundred thousand years... Setting Big Brother Xingyu aside, do you think people like us—me, my big brother, Big Brother Taishan—really care that much about the human race anymore?" Wen Yu looked up at Su Yu. "Even Big Brother Xingyu's Dao of Responsibility... his duty lay in the ancient era, what you call the ancient times! And the ancient times... have fallen! Su Yu, it's the New Yu calendar now! That my big brother and the others are still willing to fight to the death is merely to survive... It's no longer the faith and conviction to protect that they held in the past!" She laid it all bare, looking straight at Su Yu and telling him plainly, "This is your responsibility now! This era, this human race—perhaps all of it belongs to you now! We are merely your support; you are the protagonist! The protagonist of this era! Your friends, your friends' families, your friends' friends, your father's comrades-in-arms, your teacher's kin, your friends' relatives... Su Yu, if you really trace the connections across the Human Realm, every single person in an era is linked together!" "It doesn't mean that simply protecting the few people beside you counts as victory, or that your duties end there!" "I know a bit about your past; I've heard some of it. Your father was a soldier, so let me ask you: did he have comrades? I heard he once left the front lines, and after you came of age, he returned to the front. Did he do that purely to kill enemies?" Wen Yu gazed at Su Yu, enunciating every word: "Because he had comrades he wanted to see, friends he wanted to fight alongside, so he went! If you want to protect your father, will you protect them for your father's sake? Will you guard them? And they have families too! Once you protect their families, you need to protect their families' families..." "Back then, Big Brother Xingyu was pushed higher and higher step by step in the exact same way!" "You have many powerhouses under your command. They have races, kin, and friends. If you want to protect all of them... then you are destined to never walk away!" Wen Yu sighed softly. "While we... are left with nothing. Su Yu, times have changed!" She wanted to tell Su Yu: see clearly, think it through! Some things were no longer the same! "Your title as Emperor Yu carries more weight than the Human Sovereign. Why? Because the recognition is entirely different! A hundred thousand years ago, what could you have compared to Big Brother Xingyu? But a hundred thousand years later, Big Brother Xingyu is essentially alone; he has only a few dozen old comrades left! The same goes for me, for my brother, and for Big Brother Taishan..." Wen Yu stripped away every illusion, speaking with brutal clarity! She looked steadily at Su Yu. "So remember this: the one fighting for this era right now is you! Whether you save me, save my brother, or help Big Brother Xingyu heal, keep one thing in mind: you save us only so we can fight for you and support you. We are not the protagonists! Therefore, whenever circumstances permit, you should save us and help us!" "However, the moment circumstances do not permit... you must learn to let go!" Su Yu stared at her, furrowing his brow. Wen Yu said with some annoyance, "What are you staring at? It's the truth! As half your teacher, I'm spelling it out today so you don't stay muddled! If you die, no one will burn through everything they have to save this era the way you do! Our ancient times are over. How many people do I even know? Why should I fight for a bunch of strangers who have nothing to do with me? If it comes to that, we might just give up. As Heaven-Openers, even if a new era arrives, we could probably still survive!" A bloody, unvarnished truth! In that moment, Wen Yu's words hit Su Yu so hard he felt suffocated. He looked toward the Human Sovereign. You cultivate the Dao of Responsibility... You fought for the human race until the bitter end! The Human Sovereign looked at Su Yu and let out a soft sigh. "Wen Yu is right, Su Yu. You need to understand that what I guarded was the ancient times behind me! The moment the ancient era ended... my Dao of Responsibility essentially ran its course. You were the one who opened this new era, who ushered in the New Yu Era. Therefore, the only one capable and strong enough to fight for this era is you!" Su Yu's throat suddenly felt dry. "You wouldn't!" You wouldn't give up! The Human Sovereign said in a deep voice, "I am still willing to fight on! But you must know, if I am forced to choose between preserving my old brothers under my command and preserving this era... how do you think I will choose?" A bitter taste filled Su Yu's mouth. He realized... he might truly have been muddled. Yes, the ancient era was over. How many people from the ancient times were even left? Right now, the one people recognized was him, Su Yu. That included the human race! Today's humans knew of the Human Sovereign and of Emperor Yu, but they only thought: *The Human Sovereign, wow, he's so formidable, a powerhouse of the ancient era...* And that was all! Yet when it came to Su Yu, they would think: *Su Yu, that's the son of my neighbor's neighbor... the son of my friend's classmate... the son of my comrade-in-arms... my brother's classmate...* They were intimately connected to Su Yu, and they were far more eager to talk about him. Just as Su Yu had once said of Hundred Battles, and as Hundred Battles had said of himself—six thousand years had passed, his subordinates were gone, and the human race he had wished to protect was gone. Thus, six thousand years later, the only reason Hundred Battles hadn't slaughtered or exterminated the humans was that, in his eyes, they were mere strangers. And that was after only six thousand years. What about a hundred thousand? A hundred thousand years! It was enough to change far too much! He believed the Human Sovereign wouldn't simply refuse to fight. But the Human Sovereign had said that between his brothers and the era, he would choose his brothers! Su Yu took a deep breath and looked at the Human Sovereign. "So, what you mean is... if we run into a crisis, I can leave you behind?" "Yes!" The Human Sovereign said calmly, "Perhaps you think the Human Sovereign cannot die, the Time Master cannot die, King Wen cannot die... You would be wrong! Anyone can die! No one is indispensable... except you in this era! You cannot die! If you die, all hope for this era will be completely extinguished! Anyone who has lived long enough understands this. That's why the moment we entered the Earth Gate, the Lord of Chaos only talked about killing you and guarding against you, not me. Because this Myriad Realms belongs to you now, not to me!" "When your aura faded into death back then, Wan Tiansheng and the others chose to follow you. I was alive, right beside them, nearby—why didn't they follow me instead?" He looked at Su Yu. "Even Wan Tiansheng and the others see clearer than you do! Because they know you are the sole hope of this era! Once you die, whether one more person or one fewer person is killed makes no difference! Meanwhile, King Ming chose to step back, because he is my brother; he wouldn't follow you into annihilation!" In that moment, both the Human Sovereign and the Time Master said a great deal. It was because Su Yu's destiny had fluctuated violently! They were deeply worried. The same thing had happened in the past—the Human Sovereign had experienced it back then, and it heralded a tremendous crisis! Extreme danger! Originally, they had thought this trip into the Earth Gate carried minimal danger once they suppressed it. But now that the Human Gate might intervene, the Human Sovereign felt it was his duty and obligation to remind Su Yu: remember, you are the sole savior of this era! We are relics of the past! Su Yu took another deep breath. "Understood! If we encounter irreversible danger, I will retreat immediately and not throw my life away trying to save you! Because... this era, this human race, belongs to me now!" "Exactly!" The Human Sovereign broke into a smile! You finally understand! "Responsibility, protection, duty, faith—they all have an expiration date!" The Human Sovereign used his own experiences to guide Su Yu, saying with a bright smile, "Once the people beside you are all dead, once your friends have died of old age or fallen in battle, once everyone belonging to your era is gone... you won't have any responsibilities left. None at all! Time is the most terrifying existence of all!" Su Yu nodded slightly. "This era belongs to me, which means you two old farts will have to listen to me from now on. Is that what you mean?" "..." The smile froze on the Human Sovereign's lips. The Time Master stared blankly at Su Yu, completely dazed for a moment before snapping, "What... did you just call me?" Call me whatever else you want, and I wouldn't care! You called me... an old fart? The Time Master instantly flared up! She glared furiously at Su Yu. "I am still a youthful, beautiful maiden!" *I want to beat you to death!* Su Yu rolled his eyes. "Didn't you just say that I'm the protagonist of this era and you're all supporting characters? Then I'm the boss, and I can call you whatever I want!" "You little..." As the Time Master fumed, the Human Sovereign could only chuckle wryly. This kid! Just as they were speaking, Su Yu's heart stirred. The next instant, a grin spread across his face. "He actually took the bait!" The three immediately put the earlier conversation out of their minds. All of that had just been to make Su Yu understand his own importance. When it was time to fight, they still had to fight; when it was time to deceive, they still had to deceive! The Human Sovereign was delighted at first, but quickly warned, "Be careful. These sword cultivators can be utterly dense sometimes! If he really arrives, he might turn on us first thing. Make sure you know how to handle him—we have to make him drop any thought of attacking us immediately!" The three exchanged glances and nodded in unison. That made sense. When Qiong arrived, he might genuinely try to strike them; he probably still held a grudge over being used earlier! ... At that very moment. In the Myriad Realms. The Earth Gate shuddered slightly, carrying a strange fluctuation. Someone was descending! Who? A Great Saint of the Human Gate? It didn't seem like it, judging by the ripples... In an instant, the Earth Gate felt strange, almost wanting to swear out loud: *Fuck!* *Should I stop him?* Earlier, to give the Great Saints of the Human Gate an opening to descend, he had withdrawn his obstructive power. Obstructing now... would create massive disturbances! He said hurriedly, "A powerhouse from the Human Gate is descending. Let me exert my strength to stop them..." He wanted to pull a fast one and block whoever was coming down. It didn't feel like someone from the Human Gate! It felt like... someone from the Heavenly Gate, with sword qi piercing the heavens. Nine times out of ten, it was Qiong! And Qiong had previously been allied with the Human Sovereign. *Fuck!* After entering, Xingyu and the others had actually summoned Qiong! Outside the gate, King Wen and the others were startled! King Wen's expression shifted slightly, and the Lord of Dead Spirits looked startled as well. A Great Saint of the Human Gate was descending? Block them? Since when was he so kindhearted? The next instant, King Wen realized something and barked, "Don't you dare!" As his voice fell, his aura erupted violently! The Lord of Dead Spirits was startled too, immediately unleashing a surge of death qi and shouting, "Try making a move and see what happens!" The Earth Gate cursed internally, transmitting his will: "You're the ones stopping me, not that I refuse to help! If Su Yu and the others die, don't blame me!" King Wen's expression flickered. King Wu couldn't help asking, "Should we let him stop them...?" King Wen said in a heavy voice, "If only a few Great Saints from the Human Gate descended, would this guy try to stop them? If many descended... he'd be in deep trouble himself. Would he bother asking us?" King Wu didn't quite follow. Countless thoughts flashed through King Wen's mind. Suddenly, he calmed down and exhaled a breath of relief. "Big Brother still has tricks up his sleeve; it's most likely Qiong who has arrived! Even though they don't know what's happening in the Myriad Realms, they know some crisis might be brewing!" This time, the Earth Gate couldn't hold back: "How did you guess that?" King Wen couldn't be bothered to reply. Nonsense! You went out of your way to ask, as if you were on our side. Just as he had said, if few were coming, the Earth Gate would love nothing more than to watch the show. One fewer enemy was one fewer problem—why would he bother blocking them? If many were coming, he would be panicked out of his mind. Why would he ask first? He would have blocked them directly! Otherwise, if multiple Great Saints from the Human Gate descended into the Earth Gate, the Earth Gate wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully either! The Earth Gate felt utterly helpless. Dealing with smart people was a massive pain! In the blink of an eye, King Wen had deduced that this descent was a good thing, not a bad one. Had he known, he wouldn't have asked at all—he would have just blocked the arrival. Perhaps they wouldn't have interfered, thinking too many Human Gate Great Saints were coming and that he was just holding them off... The Earth Gate felt a pang of regret! He shouldn't have done something so superfluous! Seeing that the Earth Gate had fallen silent, King Wen felt completely reassured and smiled. "It seems Big Brother and the others succeeded in bamboozling Qiong into coming. That's great news. This will give them plenty of confidence!" The Lord of Dead Spirits nodded slightly as well. "That fellow Qiong isn't weak. Plus, he's simpleminded and easy to boss around!" King Wen said nothing. *Don't go calling other people simpleminded.* *What about you? You're not much different!* *Weren't you reeled in by Su Yu just the same?* *And now you're here guarding the gate for him.* The Lord of Dead Spirits suddenly shot him a frigid glance, cold and sharp. King Wen froze. The Lord of Dead Spirits sneered, "Don't judge me with your narrow vision! What do you know? As an era approaches its end, someone like Su Yu is extraordinarily difficult to deal with and practically impossible to kill! You either strike him down when he's weak, or you stand beside him and borrow his momentum! He thinks he's borrowing mine, but he's wrong—I'm borrowing his! Without him, how could I have stepped out of the Heavenly Gate so easily? Without him, how could I have merged my two heavens so effortlessly? Without him, how could life and death rotate so smoothly? Now, I possess thirty-nine Dao of power!" King Wen had mocked him, but he mocked King Wen for failing to see the bigger picture! *I've lived far longer than you. How old are you, anyway?* *Comparing vision and reading the situation with me?* King Wen could only give a wry smile and sigh. "Then... why didn't Senior cooperate with me back then?" The Lord of Dead Spirits said indifferently, "Why would I cooperate with a jinx? An unlucky fellow who drew the attention of every faction the moment he stepped inside! If I'd cooperated with you, wouldn't I have been asking for death? If I'd allied with you early on, I would have been besieged and killed long ago! Would I have lived to this day? Anyone can see that a cloud of bad luck hangs over you and this guy!" He pointed at King Wu. King Wu looked completely innocent. *Am I unlucky?* *Not really!* *I've been making steady progress all these years.* *Though come to think of it, Second Brother really is quite unlucky!* *And Big Brother... seems to be as well!* King Wen couldn't help laughing and nodded. "Senior's words make sense. It seems I truly was narrow-minded; your insight is as sharp as ever! You truly live up to being one of the only two beings from the Heaven-Opening Era who have survived undying to this day!" One was the Human Ancestor, and the other was the Lord of Dead Spirits. Everyone else had essentially perished, existing only within the past. Thinking of this, King Wen suddenly grew curious about the Human Ancestor. "Senior, you've dealt with Zhou before. Even if you aren't close, what is your view of him?" The Lord of Dead Spirits said coolly, "To emerge unscathed from that era, maneuver between the Human Gate and Heavenly Gate, and live in safety inside the Earth Gate for all these years—how else could I view him? He is cunning, shrewd, acutely aware of shifting tides, with sharp vision, immense strength, and profound wisdom!" There was no need to belittle the man. Even though the Lord of Dead Spirits had easily defeated him in a duel back then, there was no reason to underestimate him. In that Heaven-Opening Era filled with countless talents—where mighty beings like Ren, Qiong, Shi, and Kong ran rampant, and both the Earth Gate and Human Gate made their moves—to survive to this day unscathed meant that anyone who underestimated him was truly a fool. King Wen nodded slightly. "That's a good thing!" "Indeed, it is!" The Lord of Dead Spirits agreed. "A man like that won't misjudge the situation. Of course, it also depends on circumstances! If Su Yu appears weak, he will deliver a fatal blow to regain the Human Gate's trust. But if Su Yu shows heaven-defying potential, that fellow will definitely step forward to add flowers to the brocade; he certainly won't just stand by and watch!" Therefore, he judged that the Human Ancestor would not sit idly by; he would definitely intervene this time! Just like himself! During all the years King Wen and King Wu spent inside the gate, he hadn't bothered paying them any mind, knowing the risk was too great. But once Su Yu arrived, he had quickly entered the fray, and the harvest had indeed been delightful. Such was the choice of a wise man! ... While they were conversing. Inside the Earth Gate. The void rippled, a faint sword qi bleeding into the surroundings. The next instant, Qiong's figure materialized, brimming with anger. He had been pondering whether, since he was here, he should just split Su Yu and the others in two with his sword. Right as he appeared, a chicken leg was suddenly thrust into his hand. "Senior, have a bite! You must be hungry, right? It smells great!" Qiong was startled. He was just about to strike when he looked down and saw that it was genuinely a chicken leg, not some lethal weapon. Holding the chicken leg and looking at the Time Master's bright, radiant smile, he felt too embarrassed to turn hostile right away. Before he could react, Su Yu instantly offered a bottle of wine, smiling warmly: "Senior, have a drink! Thank you for your trouble this time! Is the Sword Sovereign doing well? He didn't come with you?" Qiong hesitated, wanting to say something. Before he could speak, the Human Sovereign let out an emotional sigh, bowed slightly, and said, "Last time, I acted with ill intent and made a fool of myself before Brother Qiong. I offer you my sincere apologies!" "..." One does not slap a smiling face! The Human Sovereign... actually apologized to him? Qiong felt lost for words. *Should I... still hack him to death?* Before he could say anything, the Human Sovereign produced a sword, shoved it into Qiong's hand, and then guided Qiong's grip to plunge the blade straight into his own heart! His face twisted in agony, blood leaking from his facial orifices as he coughed violently. "This strike... pays for my past deception... Brother Qiong, strike me again! Just don't kill me; I still need to keep this useful body to fight the three gates. But feel free to wound me severely, Brother Qiong..." Qiong gripped the sword hilt, utterly speechless. Su Yu sighed. "His Majesty the Human Sovereign indeed acted inappropriately before. We ought to unite with like-minded comrades to resist the three gates together! We shouldn't rely on tricks and deceit. People join hands for ideals, beliefs, and benefits! Pure deception... would infuriate anyone!" Qiong nodded furiously. That was right! The Human Sovereign had deceived him! "So this time, we don't expect Senior to join hands with us for anything lofty. This time, we talk strictly about benefits!" Su Yu spoke rapidly: "A super-tier Great Dao and your true sword body! Senior, you will be fighting for your own future, not for anyone else. Your destiny will be in your own hands!" Qiong nodded again. That sounded somewhat reasonable! He asked instinctively, "Has Hong Tian really come?" Su Yu smiled. "It isn't confirmed yet, but even if he hasn't, we'll force him to come! We'll bait him out! He has to come whether he wants to or not! This is our chance. Otherwise, once the Human Gate opens and those powerhouses act together... how could we possibly match them?" True! Qiong nodded. "The Human Gate is indeed not weak!" Su Yu said swiftly, "Senior, let's sit, eat, and talk!" In an instant, tables and chairs appeared. Su Yu tugged at the Human Sovereign, and with a wet squelch, pulled the sword free. Blood gushed out, and the Human Sovereign looked pale and frail. With a wave of his hand, Su Yu stemmed the bleeding and urged warmly, "Senior, what happened before is in the past. Today, we leave sentiment out of it and speak purely of benefits!" "..." Qiong looked at them, then at the food before him, and finally at the injured Human Sovereign. He suddenly sneered, "A self-inflicted flesh wound? Playing the pity card?" Su Yu smiled. "Not really. It's just to put Senior in a better mood so our cooperation doesn't run into friction! Holding onto anger feels awful, and cooperating while displeased is pointless. Doesn't Senior feel a bit better now?" Qiong sneered, "Not enough!" "Then as long as you don't beat the Human Sovereign to death, feel free to do as you please, Senior!" "..." Qiong snorted. Looking at the Human Sovereign's frail state, he said coldly, "You owe me one Myriad Dao Stone. If you want me to fight, you owe me another! Two Myriad Dao Stones, my true body, and one super-tier Great Dao!" The Human Sovereign instantly looked tormented. "No, there probably aren't many Myriad Dao Stones to begin with! I need them to heal. If I give them to you, what will I do? How about this: you just stab me a few more times instead!" Seeing the Human Sovereign in agony, Qiong felt vastly better. He sneered, "Out of the question! What good does stabbing you do? People like you value treasure over life! I want the Myriad Dao Stones!" "That won't do..." The Human Sovereign looked miserable, Su Yu appeared conflicted, and the Time Master put on a pitiful face: "How about you just give Big Brother Xingyu a few more stabs, Senior? A Myriad Dao Stone might not even be useful to you..." "No, I only want that!" Qiong felt an icy, refreshing thrill of satisfaction! *No, this is exactly what I want!* *It feels great!* *Who cares if it's useful to me? Seeing you miserable makes me ecstatic!* Even though he suspected they might be putting on a show, the Myriad Dao Stone was definitely a treasure they desperately needed—especially Xingyu, who needed it to heal his injuries. Even if it was an act... they still had to suffer! Su Yu frowned. "Then so be it! Two stones!" Qiong felt thoroughly satisfied. He glanced at the Human Sovereign and taunted, "I only fear the other side has just two stones. When the time comes, don't go back on your word just because you have nothing to heal with, or else we'll see about that!" The Human Sovereign frowned slightly, then quickly nodded. "Rest assured!" In high spirits, Qiong took a bite of meat and a swig of wine. He had to admit, it tasted remarkably good! A smile appeared on his face. Only now did he have the leisure to look around, remarking with a chuckle, "Inside the Earth Gate? The chaotic aura is rich; quite a nice place. Too bad it carries a hint of doom... Still, it feels stronger than the Heavenly Gate, at least not as decayed." The destruction of the Chaos Era had come through direct sealing, which was somewhat different from the slow decay of the Heavenly Gate's era. Eating meat and drinking wine, Qiong felt much better, and looking at the three of them didn't seem as irritating anymore. "How are you going to bait Hong Tian out?" Su Yu smiled. "My presence alone is the biggest bait! If the Human Gate wants to deal with me, powerhouses will inevitably enter! Otherwise, if I easily wipe out the experts inside the Earth Gate, even if the Human Gate opens, our side will be far harder to deal with! As long as things here get chaotic enough and enough people die, the chances of him descending are extremely high!" Qiong nodded slightly. That made sense. "And Hong Tian will definitely bring my true body inside?" "I can only say there's a ninety percent chance!" Su Yu said swiftly, "The only ten percent uncertainty is whether he truly possesses it. If he does, given how powerful Senior is and that your true body is the Heaven-Opening Sword, he wouldn't leave such a treasure behind!" Reasonable! Qiong added, "If he sees me and voluntarily returns it, I won't lift a finger!" "..." Su Yu chuckled. "Do you think that's likely, Senior?" Qiong sneered. "Why not? I am so powerful; if I suddenly appear, he might actually return it just to kill you!" *Do you think I'm completely clueless?* *I know what's what!* Su Yu thought for a moment and said, "Fine by me. If he truly returns it, Senior doesn't have to intervene! But on one condition: Senior must help me beat him back into the Human Gate, or stop him from attacking me!" "Why should I?" Qiong scoffed dismissively. "If he really gives it back, why should I help you?" Su Yu cursed internally. *Why is he suddenly so hard to fool?* *When the Human Sovereign bamboozled him, wasn't he easy to trick?* Su Yu pondered and said, "Because Senior entered through my Heavenly Gate—doesn't that count as a favor? Furthermore, if I die, that means I was slain, and the Human Sovereign and the others will likely be dead too. Would the Great Saints from the Human Gate let Senior walk away then?" Su Yu pressed on: "After wiping us out, would they simply drop the matter and let Senior leave? Besides, once Senior reclaims your true body, can you reach thirty-seven Dao? Thirty-eight Dao? If you can... are you sure Hong Tian would dare return it to you? Wouldn't he be terrified that you'd turn around and seek revenge once you break through?" "..." Qiong paused, taken aback. That was true. Su Yu breathed a sigh of relief! That was more like it! Logically speaking, the chances of the other side returning it were minuscule. He added, "Once Senior reclaims everything, I doubt you will be any weaker than the Lord of Dead Spirits. Under such circumstances, not only them, but even the Earth Gate might not allow Senior to roam freely inside him! The only reason the Earth Gate isn't interfering right now is that the Lord of Dead Spirits and the others are suppressing him outside. If I die, will they still suppress the Earth Gate for me?" "The Heavenly Gate refused to let the Lord of Dead Spirits grow stronger, and the Earth Gate won't let Senior grow stronger either!" Flawless logic! Qiong considered it for a moment and said indifferently, "We'll see. If he refuses to return it, I'll naturally deal with him!" That was the answer he wanted! Excellent. This practically guaranteed that if Hong Tian arrived, they would effectively neutralize one Great Saint of the Human Gate! Yet Qiong asked again, "What if Hong Tian stubbornly refuses to show up?" Su Yu laughed. "Then we kill other Great Saints of the Human Gate! They're all in league together; the Human Gate is unified! Killing one now means one less to face later. Does Senior plan to wait until all the Great Saints gather before trying to reclaim your true body? Weakening their overall strength is obviously the priority!" Qiong snorted coldly. "Doesn't that make me your hired thug all over again?" Su Yu shrugged. "Not really. Our interests align. Since we share common goals, killing them benefits Senior just as it benefits me. How does that make you a hired thug? In that case, I'd be Senior's thug too! I'm helping Senior kill Great Saints of the Human Gate—shouldn't Senior compensate me as well?" *To hell with that!* *Compensate your ancestors!* Qiong cursed inwardly, then looked at the three and frowned slightly. "The Earth Gate isn't weak! Don't underestimate it. Can you lot... really pull this off? This piece of trash Xingyu only has thirty-one Dao from what I see, far from the thirty-five Dao cultivator he was back then! The difference is massive! As for you, you've made quite a bit of progress, but in my eyes, it's not enough to run rampant in the Earth Gate..." Su Yu nodded vigorously. "That's why we're going to kill two merged-Dao experts first to replenish the Human Sovereign's vitality!" Qiong said nothing. He understood! They still wanted him to be their muscle. Still, perhaps cooperating truly was the better choice. All for reclaiming his true body! Su Yu smiled again. "Senior doesn't need to act for now. Naturally, our trump card should be saved for later! By the way, Senior, do the powerhouses in the Heavenly Gate know you disappeared?" Qiong sneered. "Would they dare cause trouble for me? They should be thanking their lucky stars I'm not looking for them!" "No, I'm worried that if they found out, they might inform the Human Gate..." The Human Gate might not be able to contact the Heavenly Gate anymore since Zhou and Xian had been killed. Even so, they had to be wary of someone secretly opening a Human Gate projection. Nothing was certain. Thus, it was best if no one knew. Qiong said indifferently, "Don't worry, they don't know shit! Mount Tianqiong is still standing there; I didn't take it with me. As long as Mount Tianqiong remains, they won't guess that I've left the Heavenly Gate!" That was good! With no leaks, Qiong's arrival would remain a secret. As for the Lord of Dead Spirits and the others—since the Earth Gate showed no unusual movement, the powerhouses of both the Human Gate and Earth Gate could guess with their eyes closed that someone outside was keeping the Earth Gate in check. Who else could it be besides the Lord of Dead Spirits? Therefore, it was a given that the Lord of Dead Spirits hadn't entered! Qiong, on the other hand, was an unexpected variable beyond everyone's calculations. At this moment, Su Yu wished someone in the Myriad Realms would pass word to the figures inside the Earth Gate that King Wen and the others hadn't entered. That way, those inside would be even less likely to factor in Qiong. With plenty of flattery from the three of them, they finally stroked Qiong's fur the right way. For someone like Qiong, coercion and violence were the worst approaches. One had to be gentle when necessary! Coupled with the fact that their interests truly aligned, handling Qiong hadn't been as hard as imagined. Of course, the main reason was that all three of them were completely shameless... Wen Yu was quite shameless too. Su Yu had realized that this old auntie loved acting young and cute, spending all day trying to win people over with food. Of course, he couldn't say that out loud; if he did, Wen Yu would turn on him instantly. Soon, once Qiong had eaten and drank his fill, Su Yu said swiftly, "Then Senior can conceal your aura and follow behind us. We're off to kill some people—it's time for the Earth Gate... to descend into chaos!" The Human Sovereign and Wen Yu both smiled. It was indeed time for chaos! From the moment they entered until now, they had finally completed their preparations. Next came the direct clash! Seeing their attitudes, Qiong cursed inwardly. *These guys seem to carry an even heavier murderous aura than me, a sword cultivator!* Then again, inside the Heavenly Gate, these people had slaughtered countless foes; every one of them was ruthless. They had just thrown the Heavenly Gate into disarray, and now they were about to throw the Earth Gate into turmoil too. As he thought this, not far away, Hou behaved with utmost obedience as he continued to lead the way, cold sweat practically dripping from his forehead. *I feel like I've witnessed something I shouldn't have!* *Won't I be silenced to keep this secret?* Qiong's arrival wasn't that shocking. The real issue was the Human Sovereign stabbing himself, the Time Master acting cute with food, and Su Yu's sycophantic grin... Having followed King Wu for countless years, he knew all too well that some gossip was simply lethal to hear! Hou was terrified out of his wits! *Had I known, I would have hidden further away. I'm not King Wu, who loved secretly recording these things all day, getting beaten countless times for it, and still doing it anyway.* *Then again, if King Wu were here, he probably would be secretly recording right now, wouldn't he?* With such thoughts running through their minds, the group flew swiftly toward the depths of the Earth Gate. ... Meanwhile. Within Mount Bihua. Zhou Ji suddenly spoke: "Word has come from outside. King Wen, King Wu, and the Lord of Dead Spirits are still in the Myriad Realms near the Earth Gate. That means Su Yu and his companions have likely entered, and the Human Sovereign and Time Master probably went in with him!" The old man looked at him meaningfully. "At this juncture, you can still receive messages from the Myriad Realms?" The Human Gate still had arrangements in the Myriad Realms! Zhou Ji smiled. "Ji Tian told me; it has nothing to do with me! The Human Gate has laid plans for years, so having some arrangements is only natural. They don't need to be major figures; nobody pays attention to spies among the minor pawns. They don't need to gather much intelligence—the fact that several apex powerhouses haven't left the Myriad Realms is hardly a secret, is it?" "Besides, having just suffered a loss at Su Yu's hands with our Heavenly Gate arrangements completely ruined, the Human Gate will naturally be far more vigilant now!" If they had paid attention to the Myriad Realms earlier and known Su Yu had been gone for an entire year, learning sooner that Su Yu had entered the Heavenly Gate, there wouldn't have been so much trouble. Unfortunately, the Human Gate's pawns had been rooted out back then, causing them to lose critical awareness of the Myriad Realms. On top of that, the Human Sovereign had continually hunted spies alongside Marquis Tongtian, which had been another key factor in the Heavenly Gate's defeat. The old man smiled slightly. "Do we know their exact strength?" "Before leaving the Heavenly Gate, Su Yu possessed thirty-two Dao of power! Wen Yu had thirty-four Dao! As for the Human Sovereign, he has yet to recover from his heavy injuries, making it difficult to judge for now." The old man pondered for a moment and nodded, asking nothing more. After returning, Su Yu must have made some progress. If he merged his two heavens, reaching thirty-four or even thirty-five Dao was possible, though thirty-six Dao was unlikely. With the Lord of Dead Spirits and the others intimidating the Earth Gate, it seemed unlikely the Earth Gate would participate this time. Before fully awakening, the price the Earth Gate would have to pay to battle those powerhouses was simply too steep; that fellow would hardly be willing. "If that's the case... their situation looks precarious!" The old man remarked, saying no more. Not a single one among them had reached thirty-six Dao! And the Human Gate placed immense importance on Su Yu. Under these conditions, the danger escalated dramatically! Zhou Ji nodded, offering no further comment. At this moment, both were waiting—waiting for Su Yu to strike the first blow himself and expose his whereabouts. Which side he would target first remained uncertain: perhaps the two hidden figures, perhaps the Lord of Chaos directly, or perhaps... the Prison King. Everyone was waiting. The first one to be ambushed was bound to suffer a loss. Zhou Ji had no interest in warning anyone; without suffering a loss, people never learned their lesson! "Let us wait!" The old man continued caressing the bamboo before him with a soft chuckle. *Wait for the outcome!* It would most likely be those two hidden fellows. Who cared anyway! No one was going to warn them. The Lord of Chaos had shouted a warning; if those two didn't take heed... their deaths would be entirely on them! Zhou Ji retreated silently, stepping completely out of the valley before glancing back. Amidst that verdant emerald glow, he caught sight of faint traces of blood-red. Zhou was likely preparing to make a move! *Who will you help?* Zhou Ji thought to himself, then quickly sneered. Who cared!