The Demon Race!

Using the Heavenly Gate to kill a Great Saint had been a choice born of helplessness for Su Yu. Indeed! Not only did it enrich the enemy, but it also deprived him of a Great Saint's Great Dao. If there had been any other way, Su Yu would never have been willing. Yet he had no choice! He lacked the strength to slay the opponent entirely on his own. In the end, he had chosen to use the powerhouses within the Heavenly Gate to do the killing. Those bastards inside the Heavenly Gate had certainly gotten a bargain! Even so, the outcome stunned all who witnessed it! *** Facing off against the Human Ancestor, Huo Tian's expression twisted violently! The Human Ancestor's eyes also flickered with strange light. Bei Tian and Qing Tian were both dead? Where had Qing Tian gone? The Heavenly Gate? Had he been teleported into the Heavenly Gate? Under normal circumstances, nobody could send an outsider through the Heavenly Gate except the gate's owner, yet Su Yu had actually accomplished it. Across from him, Huo Tian's countenance shifted drastically, shedding all her former seductive allure as she bellowed, "Descend!" If no more Great Saints descended, they would be in dire straits! Both she and Hong Tian might meet a grim end. In that instant, waves of portal energy surged violently. Among the eight Great Saints of the Human Gate, those present were considered on the weaker side. Now, an even more formidable aura billowed forth, and the Earth Gate offered no resistance. This served the Earth Gate's interests! It weakened the Human Gate! Still, the Earth Gate had not anticipated that Su Yu would be so swift, dispatching two Great Saints in the blink of an eye. If this continued, the Earth Gate began to wonder whether it should scheme to have all eight Great Saints of the Human Gate destroyed! Rumble! Heaven and earth trembled! At this moment, yet another Great Saint descended. The Human Ancestor was slightly moved. "Jing Tian!" Great Saint Jing Tian had descended! In the past, this Great Saint had cooperated with him, and he was an exceptionally terrifying powerhouse. Now, heaven and earth convulsed as this figure descended! Yet Jing Tian's arrival was not the end of it! In other directions, portal energies continued to churn; still other Great Saints were descending. The Human Ancestor abruptly looked back! Within Mount Bihua, Zhou Ji let out a soft sigh. The next instant, an aura soared skyward. Zhou Ji's expression shifted, and his eyes grew weathered with age—Great Saint Ji Tian! With this, a full six Great Saints had descended upon heaven and earth! Qing Tian, Bei Tian, Hong Tian, Huo Tian, Jing Tian, and Ji Tian. A seventh Great Saint seemed poised to descend as well, but was swiftly obstructed by a surge of power. Over there, Great Saint Jing Tian let out a cold snort. "Insolence!" The Earth Gate had intervened! Even after two Great Saints had perished, the Earth Gate was still blocking them! Yet the Earth Gate remained silent. Not obstruct them? Both Jing Tian and Ji Tian surpassed thirty-six Daos—that was more than enough! What more do you want? If more of you come through, am I supposed to wait around to be killed by you? Descending one by one like this… was already plenty! The Earth Gate now felt that this might be a blessing in disguise; the ideal outcome was for Su Yu's side to lose a few powerhouses as well! Don't let only Human Gate powerhouses die! *** At the same time. The Lord of Chaos vanished from where he stood, rocketing into the distance. Seeing the tides of battle shift, he was somewhat shaken. At this moment, he shot straight toward Su Yu and the others—not to aid Su Yu, but to prevent Su Yu's side from killing Hong Tian! Yes, to stop them! They could not be allowed to slay three Great Saints in succession. If too many died and the Human Gate suffered catastrophic losses, it would not bode well! If circumstances permitted… it would be best if Qiong could be slain! Weakening both sides was what truly served the Earth Gate's interests! Perhaps Tiangu had been right; they should not have simply sat idly by. Now that Su Yu's side had slain two Great Saints, the right move might be to execute powerhouses from Su Yu's camp. *** At the same time. In Avici Hell. The Prison King hovered silently in midair. In this clash of thirty-six-Dao powerhouses, she—reputed to possess only thirty-two Daos—could not intervene. Her expression was stern and cold, clad in black robes. In the ancient era, she had been notorious as a ruthless enforcer. In the ancient years, she had fallen out with King Wen and the others. When the ancient Human Sovereign departed with his subordinates, she had refused to enter the upper reaches of the River of Time and had even tried to constrain him, only to be struck into the Earth Gate by a single blow from the Human Sovereign. Now, she quietly watched the distant battle, never intervening, her expression frozen in icy detachment. Beside her stood another figure with long fiery-red hair, unyielding eyes, and towering demonic flames. Yanhuo! The demon powerhouse who had followed her into the Earth Gate! Yanhuo's gaze was somewhat heavy as he stared into the distance. His voice was not low, but carried deep solemnity. "These fellows are terrifying! This Su Yu of the myriad realms rose with unimaginable speed! Two Great Saints of the Human Gate have fallen… Even if the Human Gate wins this battle, their losses will be staggering!" Out of the Human Gate's eight Great Saints, six had descended at once! Add the Lord of Chaos, the Human Ancestor, Qiong, and the figures suppressing the Earth Gate—the Lord of Dead Spirits and King Wen—plus Shi and Kong who had effectively joined from within the Heavenly Gate. It could be said that while this battle appeared to take place within the Earth Gate, virtually every titan had been drawn in, save for the Three Gates themselves not directly striking and two Great Saints who had yet to descend! Some actively, some dragged in against their will. As he spoke, Yanhuo glanced at the woman beside him. Across countless ages, extremely few women had risen to prominence. Ancient relics like Huo Tian were rare exceptions, and even they had either sought refuge under an invincible powerhouse or served beneath one. Yet the woman before him, Yu, was different. Even when the Human Sovereign and his peers rose, she had conquered the realm alongside them without leaning on their might. During the unification of the human race, her contributions had been immense. Now, having broken away from the Human Sovereign's circle, she had carved out a firm foothold in the Earth Gate with formidable strength. Yanhuo truly admired her. He watched her quietly, momentarily lost in thought. Yet Yu did not turn her head, nor did she look at him. She merely gazed into the distance, her voice cool and aloof. "The Human Gate is formidable, and some Great Saints have yet to descend. The two newcomers give me the impression of possessing thirty-six Daos or more… With Chaos intervening, it will be hard for these people to win!" Yanhuo nodded. It was indeed difficult! Even if Su Yu kept slaying them, killing one only for another to arrive, killing another only for yet another to descend… Unless he could slay all eight saints, he was bound to fall sooner or later. The expenditure was tremendous! A grand battle did not come without cost. It drained world energy and the power of rules, even if that depletion went unnoticed under ordinary circumstances. Yanhuo looked at the Prison King and said softly, "Should we intervene?" Intervening meant a very real chance of dying. Staying out of it, however, meant that if such a war dragged on, trouble might still arise. Regardless of who won, it boded ill for them. "The people who arrived from the myriad realms—did they escape?" "They fled!" Yanhuo answered. The Prison King's tone was piercingly cold. "Yanhuo, you let them go on purpose, didn't you?" Yanhuo fell silent for a moment before nodding. "After all, my fellow demons were among them. I know your intentions, but those people are weaklings. You want to annihilate every race and extract their origin and Dao power… I felt that was going too far!" It had been deliberate! Tiangu and the others were not present. Otherwise, they would have been shaken to the core. Celestial Venerable Mo had believed that Yanhuo had abandoned them and no longer cared about their fate, which was why he had preferred to follow Tiangu rather than remain behind. Yet the Prison King now said that Yanhuo had deliberately allowed them to flee. Because the Prison King intended to slaughter them, keeping them for a purpose. The Prison King's voice turned even colder. "Do you realize that I require their Great Dao power to perfect my own Dao? Now that you let them escape, how am I to complete it?" Yanhuo fell silent once more before speaking. "Slay powerhouses to supplement your Dao! Some of those people were only in the Soaring Realm, and some were even weaker…" "Letting the demons go would be one thing, but why did you let the Immortals and Gods escape as well?" Assigning an eight- or nine-Dao cultivator to guard them… was an overt display of leniency! How could Yanhuo, who had survived in the Earth Gate all this time, be so careless? How could a generational Demon Emperor be so easily outschemed by the likes of Tiangu? He had simply been unwilling to act! After a moment of contemplation, Yanhuo said softly, "The demons are too weak! Tiangu has some wit, and as for the Gods, they still have members outside, and the God Emperor is still alive… The three races united at least stand a slim chance of survival! Otherwise, if only the demons were spared, even if I let them go now, they would perish sooner or later!" He made no attempt to conceal the truth. He looked toward the Prison King and murmured, "You surely could have stopped them. Why didn't you step in?" The Prison King remarked indifferently, "In consideration of your years of loyal service to me, your release of them wipes the slate clean of all those years of merit!" Yanhuo gave a self-deprecating smile and nodded. Just merit, was it? He said no more, glancing into the distance to gauge the situation carefully before saying, "You cultivate the Dao of Hell, yet you also wish to open a world through myriad Daos…" Looking around, he continued, "The Lord of Dead Spirits' Great Dao of Death is actually quite suitable for you… but he is too strong! Opening a world of myriad Daos, both Su Yu's and Wen Yu's worlds are relatively suited to you. Yet if they die, the human race may fall… Have you considered targeting them?" The Prison King was cold and impassive. "If it makes me stronger, what difference does it make?" Yanhuo chuckled. "Everyone who seeks strength has their own goal, their own purpose! When you fell out with King Wen and the others back then, it was simply because you wanted to walk your own path, and they refused to follow you… You have slain many powerhouses, yet you never killed the human powerhouses…" "However, those people may not necessarily feel grateful for your mercy!" He looked into the distance. "I know a bit about that Su Yu! If you don't kill him, he will surely kill you one day! Our people outside blocked King Wen's return, hoping King Wen would continue stalling the Heavenly Gate and the Human Gate… Su Yu despises you to the bone; he even stripped you of your royal title! That signifies that the contributions you made to the human race in ancient times have already been erased by his hand!" "What are you trying to say?" The Prison King's voice remained flat. Yanhuo smiled. "Nothing much! Whatever you say goes. If you believe you are in the right, then keep walking that path. Even if others refuse to support you, I am willing to stand by you… even if the blue seas turn into mulberry fields!" The Prison King did not reply, did not turn around, and did not look at him. She merely continued watching the battle ahead. After an unknown span of time, the Prison King suddenly remarked coldly, "In my eyes, someone like you is merely a chess piece to be used, an absolute fool!" "I know!" Yanhuo chuckled and nodded, seemingly completely unfazed. He continued surveying their surroundings and said, "Zhou's stance remains ambiguous, but for now, he is still tying down a Great Saint for the human race! Zhou cannot be killed, right?" The Prison King did not speak. Yanhuo kept scanning. "Then Qiong won't do either; you surely think he cannot be killed. In that case, only the Human Gate Great Saints and Chaos match your needs." Yanhuo continued, "Ji Tian might have reached some agreement with Zhou; otherwise, Zhou wouldn't allow him to stay at Mount Bihua! Therefore, Huo Tian, Hong Tian, and Chaos—these three are the crux!" "When you entered the Earth Gate back then, the one you had your eye on was probably Chaos. His Ageless Root holds dense life energy, which could perhaps neutralize the aura of destruction in your Great Dao." Saying that, Yanhuo laughed again. "Hong Tian and Huo Tian are actually quite good as well! Hong Tian cultivates the Dao of Joy, smiling perpetually. You are too cold; if you could absorb some of the Dao of Joy and smile often, that would be wonderful too! Yu, have you ever smiled?" The Prison King remained frigid, watching in silence. Yanhuo smiled. "Huo Tian… isn't ideal. The Dao of Charm, the Dao of Desire… I would love to see you smile once… but I wouldn't want to see you walk that bewitching, seductive path!" "Enough!" The Prison King said icily, "I do not need your reminders!" Yanhuo nodded, looking toward the distant figures who had converged. The Lord of Chaos had rushed over to save Hong Tian, and now the two had grouped together while Su Yu's faction was frantically besieging them! However, as Jing Tian and Ji Tian approached, as long as those two held out a bit longer, it wouldn't be an issue! Yanhuo looked once more at Yu's back and smiled. "The opportunity is right before us. Those two have gathered together, and both are what you need! So long as you cast a single glance at me, give me a single smile, or say the word, I will go seize their Great Daos for you. What do you say?" Such towering arrogance! At this moment, this figure of little renown within the Earth Gate, a cultivator of barely twenty-odd Daos, spoke with terrifying bravado! Just say the word, and I will seize the Great Daos of two thirty-six-Dao powerhouses for you! All for a single smile from a fair lady! The Prison King neither spoke nor turned around. After a moment of silence, she suddenly asked, "Why did you abdicate back then?" Yanhuo, the second Demon Emperor of the Demon race! After the Demon Ancestor, three Demon Emperors had emerged—excluding Moji and his generation, of course, during the ancient era. Among the three Demon Emperors, the first had been pinned to death in the Demon Realm by the Martial Emperor before reaching full maturity. Yanhuo was the second, and the third was the one slain in the upper reaches of the River of Time. Back when the human race unified the heavens, Yanhuo had abdicated, passing the throne of Demon Emperor to the third generation before vanishing entirely. When traces of him surfaced once more, he had already followed the Prison King into the Earth Gate. At the very last moment, he had followed the Prison King into the Earth Gate. As for why Yanhuo had abdicated, the common consensus back then was that the human race was too formidable as they unified the heavens. Yanhuo feared the human race and did not dare wage war against them, yet his resolute nature refused to let the Demon race submit to humans under his rule, so he chose seclusion! Yet now, the Prison King suddenly brought up those past events. Yanhuo laughed. "Back then, I was no match for you all…" Seeing that the Prison King seemed to lose interest, he smiled again. "All right, the truth is, because you were with the human race back then!" Yanhuo smiled warmly. "My father was pinned to death in the Demon Realm, and I saw it with my own eyes. It was the deed of that brute, the Martial Emperor. For years, I sought vengeance against him. Later, the Martial Emperor was captured and sealed. Even though he wasn't killed outright, it vented a measure of my fury!" "Of course, as for why the Martial Emperor was captured, sealed, and humiliated for countless eras, you and I both know the reason—because he recklessly opened the Heavenly Gate, leading to Xingyu's sister, Xingyue, being besieged and slain…" The Prison King did not speak. Yanhuo smiled again. "Back then, you were the lead investigator on that matter. If I recall correctly, you stopped halfway through your investigation and probed no further… Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have escaped death, would I?" A piece of past history was slowly unveiled. If Su Yu were here, he would understand parts of it as well. King Wu had once told Su Yu why he humiliated the Martial Emperor. It was because the Martial Emperor had recklessly opened the Heavenly Gate back then, causing tremors that nearly allowed it to descend upon the myriad realms. King Wen and the others went to seal the Heavenly Gate, leaving Xingyue behind to be besieged and killed. King Wu had redirected his fury toward the Martial Emperor, leading to the humiliation, though he didn't kill him because the Martial Emperor had been oblivious to the consequences. Yet the Martial Emperor's opening of the Heavenly Gate, which triggered the turmoil, actually had an underlying cause. Even the Martial Emperor himself probably no longer remembered it clearly. Someone had come seeking vengeance against him, forcing him into a corner where he had no choice but to open the Heavenly Gate. Not only that, but Xingyue's death was directly tied to the Yanhuo before them. And Yu had been the investigator of that era, as such matters always fell under her purview. Now, the Prison King remained silent. Yanhuo chuckled. "Why didn't you keep investigating back then?" "Investigate what?" The Prison King remarked coolly, "Probing as far as the Martial Emperor was enough! Nobody wanted to see Xingyue die, but should we have opposed the mighty Demon race of that era just because of Xingyue's death? Should the entire unification of the heavens have been derailed for Xingyue alone simply because she was his sister?" She saw nothing remarkable about it, stating coldly, "You don't think I stopped the investigation to protect you, do you? Yanhuo, you are too naive!" "I know!" Yanhuo nodded with a smile. "I know your thoughts. Outsiders say you are cold, calling you a ruthless enforcer, yet they don't realize that among the five leaders of the human race back then, only you were truly fair and impartial. The others were far more burdened by personal motives and emotional attachments! Only you would undertake such thankless tasks; anyone else… wouldn't have been able to! Xingyu and the others were merely hypocrites; when it came to their own kin, they inevitably lost their sense of propriety…" Yanhuo chuckled. "So ever since then, I found you extraordinarily captivating… You should have been born into the Demon race! Truly, the Demon race actually needed you. With your personality, you would have thrived in the Demon race far more than among the humans! The demons… don't have so much hypocrisy, so many sanctimonious hypocrites!" The Prison King said coldly, "You are very foolish!" "Foolish?" Yanhuo laughed and nodded. "Perhaps! But so are you!" With that, he chuckled softly. "Yu, tell me honestly, what kind of mortal realm do you truly wish to forge? Even to this day, I still don't understand, cannot grasp it, cannot fathom it!" The Prison King seemed to ponder for a long while before remarking calmly, "Free of desires and demands, void of emotion and dao, with strict regulations where law reigns above sentiment! Making no distinction between close and distant, drawing no line between noble and lowly, with everything judged strictly by the law!" Yanhuo frowned slightly. "The latter part is actually fine! I imagine what the Human Sovereign and the others opposed was the former, right? Devoid of emotion and dao… Yu, as a human, the seven emotions and six desires are nature's course. What you seek defies the fundamental order!" The Prison King said indifferently, "The Human Gate speaks of emotion! The Human Gate exists within the heart, within emotion! If one wishes to annihilate the Human Gate, severing emotions and nature will cause it to perish on its own! To destroy the Three Gates, one must be devoid of emotion and dao; otherwise, the Human Gate will revive sooner or later!" Yanhuo sighed. "Too difficult! And far too unrealistic!" Yu said coolly, "Where there is a will, there is a way! Xingyu and the others could not achieve the former, nor could they achieve the latter! Making no distinction between close and distant, drawing no line between noble and lowly… Since I committed murder back then and was apprehended, everything should have been judged strictly by the law! In the end, they were simply different from me!" Yanhuo smiled wryly. "You still think that when they captured you back then, they should have executed you?" "Why shouldn't they have?" The Prison King's tone was utterly detached. "To spare me was lawlessness! When sentiment outweighs law, the realm falls into chaos! The myriad races rebelled against humanity precisely because Xingyu placed sentiment above law, shielding me, shielding Taishan, and shielding King Wen's faction! When Wen Yu fell into peril, two Great Human Kings abandoned their posts without leave—they should have been executed as a warning to all! As Human Kings, expanding territory and guarding the borders was their sworn duty! When they abandoned their posts, not only did Xingyu fail to hold them accountable, he even secretly sent Taishan to the Heavenly Gate to assist in battle!" "Ming He elevated the Sea of Stars without authorization, bestowing the Star Continent upon his wife's clan—that was perverting the law! Yet Xingyu paid it no heed, treating it as a charming tale, loudly boasting and laughing in the Human Sovereign Hall, devoid of any decorum!" "Merit went unrewarded, offenses went unpunished! Governing the world by sentiment was Xingyu's failure; the rebellion of the myriad races was only natural!" Yanhuo chuckled. "Hearing you put it that way, Xingyu truly sounds wicked to the core! Yet… his reputation has always been stellar…" The Prison King remarked impassively, "A sovereign cares not for reputation. Governing the world by law is the only righteous path! Governing by sentiment is a crooked, evil heresy!" "So you decided to become devoid of emotion and dao?" Yanhuo sighed with emotion. "You've spoken quite a lot to me today, more than ever before. Although I don't quite agree… fine, I agree with you!" Yanhuo smiled. "Yes, it makes sense. Everything you said is correct! Law above sentiment… entirely reasonable! Those fellows like Xingyu didn't understand your mind; they deserved to have the myriad races rebel!" After voicing his agreement, he chuckled. "Yet with your current strength, it won't do! You have no way to compete with them! I support you in creating such a mortal world, in forging such myriad realms! Yu, hold fast to your convictions! Do not compromise simply because you are weak!" The Prison King said indifferently, "I too have perverted the law." "That was different!" Yanhuo racked his brain for an explanation, swiftly adding, "That was for the sake of creating a world of law; you were merely perfecting your Dao of Law along the way! However… Yu, if you want people to be devoid of emotion and desire, I think you must first experience them… Only then will you know how to sever them!" "Therefore, you must first learn to smile…" Yanhuo smiled as he continued, "You haven't smiled once in all these years. If you don't even know what joy is, how can you make people sever joy? As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will emerge victorious in a hundred battles. If you cut down something you don't even understand, of course you won't gain the support of the majority! You must comprehend it before you can establish such a Dao of Law!" By this point, the distant battle was tearing heaven and earth apart. Su Yu's faction, which had just seized the upper hand, was on the verge of falling into a disadvantage once more! Jing Tian and Ji Tian were almost upon them! Su Yu and his allies had still failed to bring down Hong Tian and the Lord of Chaos. If this dragged on… it would not hold! Yanhuo exhaled a breath. "All right, I must go. Yu… over these years, I have actually been very content. The only thing lacking is that you never smiled for me, nor did you ever weep for me… It's a bit of a regret!" His smile was brilliant. "We demons are creatures of passion, acting as we please. My race isn't skilled in intricate conspiracies, but we only seek to follow our hearts! Free of constraints… Yu, in the world you wish to create, I probably wouldn't be able to survive. It's too rigid, unfitted to my nature… Still, I support you!" "Don't force it. After I'm gone… you might not be able to contend with them. Once you claim the Great Daos, hide yourself away and wait until the very end to emerge. Otherwise, hypocrites like Su Yu and Xingyu may not tolerate you!" The Prison King turned around, looking at him with an icy expression. "You are going to seize the Daos for me?" "Of course!" Yanhuo chuckled, glancing once more toward the battlefield. "There's no time. Any later, and Jing Tian's group will arrive… Yu, tell me the truth: back then, did your investigation truly reach me or not…" "It did not!" "You won't even lie to me once?" Helpless, Yanhuo shook his head. "Not touching in the slightest. What a pity!" With those words, this cultivator of twenty-odd Daos stepped into the air, flying toward the distance. His brilliant smile and ringing laughter echoed back: "Yu, perhaps you didn't care back then, but today, I let those people escape, and you did not punish me. Sentiment, in the end, still cannot be eclipsed by law… You have perverted the law for personal bias once again!" The Prison King said nothing, watching him in silence. *** At this moment, Su Yu was seething with rage! A single blade slash sent the Lord of Chaos tumbling back as Su Yu cursed furiously, "You old bastard, you're courting death!" The Lord of Chaos had been preparing all along, positioned not far away. Just as they were about to kill Hong Tian, the old fossil had stepped in to interfere. Two thirty-six-Dao combatants joining forces made it impossible for Su Yu's group to kill them swiftly! And now Jing Tian and Ji Tian were nearly upon them. Seeing their window slipping away, how could Su Yu not be enraged? Damn it all! If not for the Lord of Chaos causing trouble, Hong Tian would have been as good as dead! Executing three Great Saints would have left Su Yu with nothing to fear from these people! He was furious, and Qiong was likewise beside himself with rage, cursing continuously. Three Great Saints had descended; two were dead, yet the third—his opponent—was still bouncing around alive and kicking. He was frantic with fury! Sword after sword hacked wildly at Hong Tian! Although Great Saint Hong Tian was being besieged, with the Human Sovereign and Qiong fighting two against one, meaning he would likely perish before long… wasn't he still alive right now? "Chaos… many thanks!" Though bleeding from head to toe under the barrage of slashes, Hong Tian laughed uproariously, brimming with delight. At this crucial juncture, it had actually been Chaos who stepped in to intercept Su Yu and Wen Yu! Otherwise, he would have been doomed! The Lord of Chaos said nothing. It was time for him to withdraw, for Jing Tian and Ji Tian were arriving! You can keep fighting among yourselves! He fought as he retreated! This time, the best outcome would be mutual destruction between both sides; that was what he yearned for most! Yet at that very instant, an aura that was not particularly strong swiftly appeared near them. Yanhuo wore a smile as he looked their way. Some did not recognize Yanhuo, but others did. The Human Sovereign, currently restraining Hong Tian, suddenly paused slightly, frowning as he looked toward Yanhuo. Did the Prison King intend to intervene? The Lord of Chaos also knitted his brows slightly. Yanhuo had arrived; could the Prison King truly be planning to step in? Yanhuo ignored them, glancing back toward the direction of Avici Hell. He smiled and sighed with emotion. "This world is truly dull! Scheming, intrigue, mutual deception… My Demon race truly isn't suited to survive here after all!" A sigh laden with endless emotion. A dull world! The only person who captivated his heart could neither smile nor cry, which was truly sorrowful. He looked toward Su Yu and smiled. "Can you leave a portion of Great Saint Bei Tian's Dao for me?" Su Yu was slightly taken aback. "I will trade something else for it… Only with sorrow and joy can one truly be a living being…" Su Yu was still pondering. This person… the Yanhuo Demon Emperor? Had he lost his mind? With so many supreme powerhouses clashing, he dared to strut over here and spout wild talk! Su Yu was a madman himself. Yet seeing someone this mad was rare even for him. "I'll take that as your agreement…" Yanhuo chuckled. He looked into the distance toward the Earth Gate and laughed. "Earth Gate… could you truly be my ancestor? Terrifying; to think I am the descendant of a gate… truly terrifying…" Even as he spoke, his smile remained brilliant. The next instant, extraordinary surges of power erupted from within his body. Yanhuo's laughter rang clear and hearty: "Whether you are my ancestor or not… we aren't close anyway, so I might as well screw you over this once! After scheming for so many years, I've finally achieved some success, and I must thank everyone for their help!" Beneath the startled gazes of the onlookers… The next moment, everyone's eyes twitched, while in the distance, the Earth Gate violently convulsed! The Earth Gate's booming voice swiftly echoed, laced with fury: "You… deserve death… you bastard…" "Old Ancestor, don't be angry. Dying won't be that easy, and if you do… then so be it!" With a laugh, a colossal surge of world energy suddenly poured into Yanhuo's body, drawn straight from the Earth Gate! Yanhuo's aura skyrocketed in an instant! "Old Ancestor, you're still a bit dull. Over all these years, we've lingered near you, passing back and forth through the portal, drenching you in vast amounts of Sacred Race powerhouse blood… Did you truly think we were helping you revive?" "A bit foolish!" Yanhuo laughed. At that very moment, the Earth Gate let out a thunderous roar, yet a tremendous wave of power was forcibly siphoned from its depths. "Don't be afraid, I'm only borrowing it for a short while. Hang in there; once my bloodline is burned to ashes… you can take it back. Old Ancestor, you truly are formidable; even like this, I have no way to strip away your world energy… What a pity!" Over the years, the Prison King and he had not been idle. The Prison King's lineage on the outside frequently drenched the Earth Gate in bloodline essence. According to the story told inside the gate, it was to guide the Prison King's return. In truth, Yanhuo genuinely possessed the bloodline of the Earth Gate, and when he and the Prison King intermingled their bloodlines to establish the Prison King's lineage, their descendants inherited some of the Earth Gate's bloodline as well. That was why Yueluo and the others could cultivate the Earth Gate. Countless years of bloodline nourishment had never been merely about guiding a return; it was about usurping the Earth Gate! Unfortunately, the Earth Gate was simply too powerful. After all these years, Yanhuo and the Prison King had had no choice but to settle for temporarily siphoning a portion of its power; completely stripping it away remained impossible! Today presented a rare opportunity! Otherwise, once the Earth Gate fully awakened, even this chance to borrow power would vanish! In that instant, the Earth Gate fluctuated violently while the bloodline in Yanhuo's body ignited, his aura surging wildly. For a fleeting second, he seemed to materialize inside a portal, a faint smile on his face: "Su Yu, true portal power isn't like what you wield… Your portal power is far too weak! You underestimate the Three Gates; their terrifying might does not stem merely from the strength of their Great Daos… Allow this seat to show you what a portal truly is!" Under Su Yu's stunned gaze, Yanhuo's aura blasted directly into thirty-six Daos, and kept rising! Thirty-seven Daos, thirty-eight Daos… Upon reaching thirty-eight Daos, it came to a screeching halt! Yanhuo burst into hearty laughter! "Enough! Old Ancestor, take care of yourself. If you get beaten to death… don't blame this descendant from who-knows-how-many generations back for screwing you over!" "Bastard!" At this moment, the Earth Gate could no longer hold back, roaring in agony. As more than half of its power was siphoned away, someone attacked from outside the gate! The Lord of Dead Spirits and his allies had no idea what was happening… but they felt the Earth Gate weaken and sensed vast quantities of power being drained away. Could it be going to kill Su Yu? It was possible! With that thought, the three titans outside the gate unleashed a frenzied assault against the Earth Gate, the deafening rumbles shaking the entire Earth Gate world! *** Yanhuo's sudden appearance and explosive surge of power had caught everyone entirely off guard. Except the Prison King! Yanhuo, who had boasted with towering arrogance that he would seize the Great Daos of two powerhouses for the Prison King, made his move at this very moment! "Out of the way!" With a low bark, Yanhuo materialized beside Su Yu and the others. Su Yu's expression shifted slightly, and he hurriedly retreated. Yanhuo laughed boisterously! Meanwhile, the Lord of Chaos turned pale with fright. "You…" "Stop shouting, I don't care to hear it!" A soft chuckle rang out, and the next moment, a colossal portal descended from the heavens! "Portals seal, suppress, sever, and cut off Daos… Their capabilities are endless! Against powerhouses of the same tier, a portal is invincible! Su Yu, you are still too green… I wanted to kill you… but alas… forget it!" As Yanhuo's voice rang out, the portal crashed down with a deafening boom! The Lord of Chaos instantly transformed into a giant tree! Yanhuo remarked coolly, "You are already sealed within the Earth Gate; where else could you run?" The Lord of Chaos was terrified, bellowing furiously, "I am the sole thirty-six-Dao cultivator of the Earth Gate! If you kill me, the Chaos Era is finished… You…" "What does that have to do with me?" Thirty-eight Daos alone was not enough to terrify the Lord of Chaos. Rather, it was that portal descending in an instant, severing his Great Dao power, sealing and suppressing him so thoroughly that his aura plummeted drastically in a heartbeat! Even Su Yu was slightly startled! This portal power was far too concentrated! Or rather, that sealing power was terrifyingly potent! Was this the power of a portal that could seal an entire era? Though the Earth Gate had not struck in person, on this day, at this moment, Su Yu understood the true might of a portal—how it had sealed an entire era! The thirty-six-Dao Lord of Chaos was instantly suppressed, his aura tumbling downward: thirty-five Daos, thirty-four Daos… Yanhuo's blood burned, his face growing progressively paler, yet his smile remained brilliant. Suddenly, he let out a thunderous roar and punched out! Carrying flames capable of incinerating heaven and earth, the fist struck, leaving the great tree that was the Lord of Chaos utterly powerless to resist! "Portals aren't meant to be played with the way you use them, Su Yu… I've studied them for countless years; I know how to use them far better than you…" Yanhuo's laughter echoed through the air. The next instant, he threw another punch—boom! Under his endless barrage of fists, the colossal Ageless Tree had no avenue of escape! A massive explosion thundered! Mingled with the agonized shrieks of the Lord of Chaos, the great tree blew apart, yet its golden-yellow roots remained preserved! The Yanhuo Demon Emperor sneered, diving into the portal. Moving at blinding speed, he shattered the tree's roots into two halves in the blink of an eye. Tossing one half to Su Yu, he said coolly, "I want the rest of Bei Tian's Great Dao power!" Su Yu's eyes flickered slightly. Without a word, he swiftly tossed the partially devoured Dao of Bei Tian to Yanhuo. Because at this moment, he could tell! This man was going to die. He was fighting by burning his own bloodline and borrowing the power of the Earth Gate. Once his bloodline burned out and the power recoiled, he would detonate in an instant, falling completely! Clashing with Yanhuo right now would only be asking for trouble. Su Yu was not one to fight a losing battle on pride alone! Besides, the other party had given him half of the Ageless Root; it was hardly a loss. Yanhuo caught the damaged Great Dao, instantly sealing it with portal power, then sealed the remaining half of the Ageless Root, a smile touching his lips! Meanwhile, the others were thoroughly shaken. A thirty-six-Dao powerhouse had been dispatched just like that? Boom! In the distance, the Earth Gate seemed battered until it bulged outward, howling in fury and despair: "Give me back my power… you bastard!" It had been played! Over the years, the Prison King's lineage on the outside and Yanhuo's faction on the inside had continually drenched it in bloodline essence. It had assumed they were helping accelerate its recovery, but instead… it had been terribly screwed over! Dammit, give me back my power! Although this fellow couldn't hold onto it for long and would die soon, die faster! If you don't die quickly and my power doesn't return, I'm finished! Because the thirty-nine-Dao Lord of Dead Spirits was truly terrifying! "Just a moment!" Yanhuo laughed and flashed before Hong Tian, whose expression twisted in terror. Qiong wanted to continue hacking away, but the Human Sovereign yanked him back, retreating swiftly. Yanhuo looked at the Human Sovereign and sneered. "I was supposed to deal with you… In the beginning, all of this was meant to deal with you… What a pity… and yet, not a pity at all!" With hearty laughter, the Earth Gate descended once more! Formidable portal power materialized anew, even as half of Yanhuo's body had already dissolved into nothingness. Hong Tian was horrified! Behind them, Jing Tian and Ji Tian both paled, charging frantically toward this spot with terrifying power to launch an attack! Yet Su Yu and his companions moved as one! Rumble! Right behind Yanhuo, Su Yu's group struck simultaneously, intercepting the attacks of the two incoming Great Saints. "Yanhuo…" Great Saint Ji Tian bellowed, "Are you mad? You are certain to die…" "I know!" Yanhuo smiled. "Yet… I want to see her smile for me, just once… It must be truly beautiful! It must be!" "Die!" With a furious shout, a massive surge of Earth Gate power directly detonated! In the distance, the Earth Gate screamed in agony, cursing madly: "Fuck your ancestors! Kill whoever you want, why the hell are you detonating my rule power?" Yanhuo ignored it entirely! Because this was the fastest way to kill! He had no time left! He was running out of time; he still wanted to go back and see her one last time. Even though he had looked at her for countless years, she… had always kept a cold face, which was truly uncomfortable! Boom! A punch landed. Blasted by the Earth Gate's power, Hong Tian howled in agony as his physical body shattered under the blow. Yet Yanhuo paid no heed to his own burning form, launching a frenzied onslaught. If a punch couldn't kill him, he simply detonated more Earth Gate power! In any case, it wasn't his own power! A borrowed gift for a worthy cause! Kill Hong Tian… and present her with the Dao of Joy! Rumble! A series of cataclysmic blasts erupted. How could a heavily wounded Hong Tian withstand a thirty-eight-Dao powerhouse repeatedly detonating power? A portal materialized on Hong Tian's forehead—it was the Human Gate. He wanted to flee, even if only a remnant of his willpower could escape! Yet… Yanhuo gave him no chance! Boom! A single punch shattered the portal completely! Yanhuo's lower body had vanished entirely, and his torso was dissolving away. His arms still remained, and he seized Hong Tian's intact head. The next moment, with a thunderous roar and a cataclysmic boom, he wrenched out a dazzling, multicolored Great Dao! Rumble! Heaven and earth shook as the aura upon Yanhuo plummeted rapidly. He paid it no mind, flashing a brilliant smile. The Dao of Joy—not bad! A final surge of Earth Gate power flooded in, sealing the Great Dao. He did not look back at Su Yu or the others. Wearing a brilliant smile, he tore through the void at frantic speed, rocketing toward Avici Hell. Halfway through the flight, his arms dissolved away; flying further, everything beneath his head burned completely to ash! He opened his mouth and let out a fierce roar, speeding into the distance once more! I can make it back! Boom! His head began to burn! Gradually, his consciousness grew hazy. All around him turned pitch black! When light flashed before his eyes once more, he had arrived not far from Avici Hell! His mouth had already vanished. At this moment, a figure materialized, looking down at him. Those eyes were as emotionless as ever! As she looked at him, Yanhuo smiled. Three streams of power manifested before his fading remnant! "For you…" The Prison King looked at him. She did not look at the three Great Daos, formidable though they were; she simply watched the burning remnants of Yanhuo. After a long silence, she said in a low voice, "You are an idiot…" "Yeah… you're right!" Yanhuo smiled. "Merge with the Daos… I want to see you cry, see you smile…" Before the words finished, his consciousness began to crumble! Too late! Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of regret washed over him. There was no time left, no time to watch her merge with the Daos! At that moment, a chill touched his fading awareness—a single droplet of liquid, like a tear, fell upon him. With the final thread of clarity left in his consciousness, he looked upward. It was still those eyes, filled with endless coldness, yet carrying something different. A single tear slowly trickled down. Yanhuo suddenly laughed, laughing wildly! "I… beat you!" "No regrets!" A resounding laugh echoed through the heavens! She wept for me! Without merging the Daos! The Prison King reached out to grasp, but caught only a wisp of ash from his burned-out form. She stood frozen in place, suddenly feeling that some things, once missed… might never come again! She forced a stiff, unnatural smile, uglier than tears. Did you see it? I smiled! I smiled for you! Devoid of emotion and desire… Why… why did you insist on breaking my Dao? At this moment, silence fell in all directions. Even Su Yu forgot to fight, momentarily at a loss for how to express his thoughts. Yanhuo… was dead! This unfamiliar figure had left Su Yu deeply shaken today! The last time he had felt such shock had been from Xuehuo of the Demon race! The Demon race… Suddenly, he found himself unsure of how to judge the Demon race!