Full Circle, It's Still Us

Su Yu's power continued to swell! Borrowing strength from the future was far too easy. That was why the three-body art had been so popular in its heyday—it felt like reaping without sowing. Yet in this world, there was no free lunch. There was only equivalent exchange! You reaped only what you sowed. When a meat pie fell from the heavens, one had to consider whether it was truly a meal or a millstone meant to crush you to death. The easier future power was to wield, the more vigilant one had to be! Thus, when Su Yu integrated the power of the future, his strength surged in an instant, and his Daos expanded. Previously, without integrating Daos, Su Yu had been at thirty-six Daos, falling slightly short of thirty-seven. Yet at this moment, he instantly stepped into thirty-seven Daos! Moreover, he was still climbing. He had integrated a formidable future! Even Su Yu's physical body strained to bear the burden, a testament to just how terrifying this power was. This force seeped into every single fiber of his being! Acupoints, world, divine acupoints, physical body, flesh and blood... It even began to spread toward his will. Yet Su Yu allowed it to spread unchecked, using it to fortify himself. He even took the initiative to guide that power, channeling nearly all of it straight into his willpower! He was utterly mad! At this moment, Su Yu maintained an uncanny stillness within his heart. It was frighteningly calm, as if nothing were happening, as if he felt nothing at all, allowing those energies to infiltrate every corner of his body! Gradually, the power fused entirely into him. Su Yu's aura grew increasingly powerful! There seemed to be no side effects, no negative influence whatsoever. He, Su Yu, was still Su Yu. Even Su Yu himself could not detect the slightest anomaly! He remained the original Su Yu. Yet deep down, Su Yu knew that something might have slipped into his body, lurking, biding its time, waiting for the right moment! Perhaps integrating his future body was the very outcome the other party wished to see. Perhaps they could hardly wait for Su Yu to merge with it as soon as possible! Su Yu smiled as always, his strength continuing to climb, his grin radiant. "Lan Tian, maybe you should try integrating a future body too! It's bound to be fun!" Lan Tian glanced at him, shrugged, and didn't take the bait. Forget it! I'm not as unhinged as you. I'm still a normal person—well, relatively normal, at least. Su Yu is just a lunatic. He already guessed what was going on, yet he keeps playing along. Still, there's no denying his strength is skyrocketing. It makes a man envious. It seemed the spirit controlling the River of Time had paid no small price. To lift an expert like Su Yu from thirty-six Daos straight to thirty-eight Daos in one go, with momentum still building... One had to admit, they had truly staked a fortune! This fellow Su Yu was indeed highly valued! If it were anyone else, their strength might not have increased by much. At this point, Lan Tian was also certain that such an entity existed. Nine times out of ten, it was the spirit in control of the River of Time, but that entity was likely tangled in a deadlock with the Human Gate's Seventh. Therefore, they now hoped to borrow Su Yu's hands and power to break through the stalemate! Su Yu was truly daring. The moment he guessed the truth, he went straight ahead to put it to the test. As for the future vision just now, it actually contained numerous flaws. For an expert of Su Yu's caliber, fabricating a completely realistic, logically consistent future was exceedingly difficult. Granted, on the surface, there were no glaring errors. Yet Lan Tian had quickly realized the enormous loopholes and defects. Su Yu killing people was nothing out of the ordinary. Whether the ancient Human Sovereign and the others fled was something Lan Tian didn't care about either. Being alone in the world, the sole sovereign under heaven, wasn't an issue either. That look in his eyes... Well, Lan Tian thought that was plausible enough too. The real issue was that after exterminating every enemy and razing everything until only Su Yu remained, the emotion was completely wrong. Su Yu wouldn't feel lonely, despondent, or sorrowful. That bastard would undoubtedly be thrilled! According to Lan Tian's understanding, at such a moment, Su Yu would probably roar at the heavens, *"Fuck me, they're finally all dead! I'm finally free!"* Yes, in all likelihood, that was how it would go! Lan Tian muttered internally. That spirit still didn't understand Su Yu! Of course, hardly anyone truly understood Su Yu anyway. Su Yu would never show an expression of sorrow, loneliness, or desolation. He would definitely feel unburdened and elated. If everyone died, so be it; at worst, they could all sink into oblivion together. He might even break into mad laughter! That future vision just now had been so sorrowful, so full of regret, as if the destruction of the myriad realms brought utter despair. That could never be Su Yu's attitude. That was the biggest flaw! Lan Tian contemplated this as he watched Su Yu rapidly grow stronger. He knew this strength was superficial, but... he also had his own thoughts. Right now, this power did not truly belong to Su Yu, but it was unquestionably formidable, and it brought genuine enlightenment. The forced nature of the boost wasn't obvious because the insights originated from the River of Time itself. It was vastly superior to the Myriad Dao Stone! In truth, these were normal comprehensions and a standard increase in power, except that the energy carried a peculiar will. If that will were severed, this power would truly belong to Su Yu! That was likely Su Yu's plan! And resolving that will fell onto him, Lan Tian. Su Yu truly thought highly of him! Lan Tian knew that Su Yu was placing part of the wager on him. Yet Lan Tian also felt frustrated. *Kid, you really think too much of me. Can I truly contend with that entity?* It was trust, but it was also immense pressure! He looked at Su Yu again. Seeing his power still rising, he couldn't help but say, "That's about enough!" *If you push it any higher, I won't be able to handle it!* Su Yu turned to him, looking thoroughly astonished. "What's wrong?" *You're scared?* *You're a madman, what are you afraid of!* *Even I'm not afraid, alright?!* Lan Tian hesitated, wanting to curse. *You ask what's wrong?!* He looked at Su Yu again, helpless. "I won't call you 'Brother Yu' anymore, so let's call it even. Look at our history. I won't disgust you, and you stop tormenting me!" *Let's stop hurting each other!* He sighed with melancholic nostalgia. "Back then, you were such a good kid. When you stepped onto the arena back in the academy, you even knew how to surrender! How did you become so stubborn and reckless?" *I remember you surrendered eight thousand times back then. Why are you acting so tough now?!* Su Yu couldn't be bothered to respond. How many years ago was that? Ancient history! *Rumble!* Su Yu and Lan Tian stepped out of the River of Memory. His aura fluctuated violently, instantly reaching thirty-eight Daos, faintly pressing toward thirty-nine Daos. Su Yu gauged it: reaching thirty-nine Daos was possible, but not guaranteed. It depended on luck. Since the other party was bleeding resources, they might as well bleed a little more. Without reaching thirty-nine Daos, contending against the Heaven and Earth Gates would be nearly impossible. If the other side had schemes in mind, they would provide enough enlightenment and power to push him around thirty-nine Daos so he could serve a purpose. Otherwise, he would be largely useless to them. Of course, they wouldn't make him too strong. If they boosted him straight to forty Daos: first, they might not possess that much power to spare. Second, if he became too powerful and wiped out both the Heaven and Earth Gates directly, their schemes would fall apart. Third, if the Human Gate's Seventh truly existed, an excessive commotion would alert him. Fourth, if Su Yu grew too strong, he would be difficult to control should complications arise. After weighing the factors, Su Yu concluded that thirty-nine Daos was neither too high nor too low—the perfect balance. At that thought, Su Yu smiled and waited calmly for his breakthrough to thirty-nine Daos. Vast floods of enlightenment rushed into his mind—insights into the world, insights into the myriad Daos. If someone tried to claim such insights and advancement had nothing to do with the River of Time, Su Yu wouldn't believe it for a second! Only the River of Time could offer insights surpassing the Myriad Dao Stone! Not only insights, but also purest rule power and Dao power. In all the myriad realms, only the River of Time could provide Su Yu with these. The Human Gate certainly couldn't. If it could, why bother remaining sealed? It could have simply mass-produced powerhouses at will. And even if the World Spirit managed it, it must have paid an enormous price. Was it betting everything on him? "Outstanding individuals truly shine wherever they go!" Su Yu sighed with self-admiration. Lan Tian was speechless. He stared at Su Yu, completely at a loss. "I always feel that compared to you, what I lack most is your thick skin! Mine isn't nearly as thick!" Both men felt far more relaxed now. Su Yu chuckled. "To be honest, earlier when my strength was lacking, I was living on edge. Now, all of a sudden, I feel relieved!" Lan Tian kept quiet. *Yes, you're relieved, but I'm not!* He glanced gloomily at Su Yu and muttered, "My strength is a bit lacking, and my willpower is somewhat weak. Is there any way to make me stronger too... the normal kind of stronger, not some abnormal boost!" Like integrating a future body! "Fighting poison with poison is actually a great idea!" Su Yu still suggested he merge with a future body. How wonderful would that be? Lan Tian was poison itself; he might just confuse the World Spirit completely. Hadn't it worked against Tian last time? Lan Tian was at a loss for words again. He mumbled, "Last time against Tian, she wasn't very strong—around thirty Daos at most... I was inferior to her, but her willpower was only so-so..." *Do you understand?* *Even so, I nearly doomed myself.* *And that was just Tian. Facing the spirit of the River of Time would be an unimaginable gulf.* "Don't you have me?" Su Yu chuckled. "What are you afraid of, Old Lan? If you aren't scared, I can stay calm. When you act so terrified, even I start feeling jittery! I have faith in you. You've got this!" *Shut your mouth!* Lan Tian was on the verge of losing his mind! *Do you think I'm like you?* *You've dumped the cleanup job onto me, so of course you aren't afraid! What good does your faith in me do?* He pondered for a moment before speaking: "Here's the plan. I must use a world to nourish myself and bolster my willpower! The Prison King's!" He said in a heavy voice, "Even if the Prison King isn't entirely heartless and devoid of desires, her world is exceedingly complete. It integrates numerous Daos, and powerful ones at that! I don't need her Great Daos; I want the willpower of her world! Give her Daos to Qiong, the Lord of Dead Spirits, or whoever you like... but I want the willpower of her world!" That way, by reinforcing himself and strengthening his willpower, he would stand a chance—working in tandem with Su Yu—against that entity that could descend at any moment. With that, he asked, "Is it safe to talk about this now?" Su Yu shook his head with a grin. "If you monitor someone, do you stare at them twenty-four hours a day?" "Yes!" Su Yu glared at him. *It's no fun when you don't stick to the script.* "Relax. I'm a smart, vigilant person, and a powerhouse to boot. If they stared at me non-stop, they'd truly be treating me like a fool—even if they're already leaning that way!" Lan Tian nodded slightly. Stepping out of the small realm, he looked at Su Yu. "What do you plan to do now?" Su Yu's side had experienced a massive leap in overall strength. Su Yu was very likely to reach thirty-nine Daos, while King Wen and Wen Yu had both attained thirty-six Daos, and King Wu had stepped into thirty-five Daos. These were immense breakthroughs! Lan Tian suspected Su Yu might stir up trouble ahead of schedule! Would he go on the offensive early? With such a sudden leap in power, perhaps even the Heaven and Earth Gates wouldn't expect it. Su Yu smiled. "The Heaven and Earth Gates, the Human Ancestor, the Prison King, Jitian, Jingtian, plus Riyue... Shi either fled or went into hiding. For now, they have eight top powerhouses. On our side, setting aside you and Old Wan, there are seven! King Wu is more than enough to handle Riyue!" That left a six-on-six. Suddenly, the scales had balanced. Naturally, the enemy was still slightly stronger. They possessed two at thirty-eight Daos and one at thirty-seven Daos, whereas on Su Yu's side, King Wen, Wen Yu, and the Human Sovereign were only at thirty-six Daos, though Qiong could match one at thirty-eight Daos. A gap remained, but it was shrinking rapidly! By this point, their strength had practically peaked. The Blood World was gone, Kong was gone, Su Yu had merged his future body, and the Human Sovereign and his companions had reached their limits. Qiong and the Lord of Dead Spirits had little room for immediate advancement either. As for expecting anyone else to rapidly achieve super-tier right now, that was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Su Yu didn't dwell on this immediately. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and looked around, chuckling. "There are quite a few devouring locusts! Tell all the powerhouses of the myriad realms to hunt them! Don't let them slack off! Are they just freeloaders? Kill as many as possible!" Lan Tian understood and nodded slightly, then added, "As for Old Wan, he'll probably need a few more days. Although his progress isn't slow... he's still a step away! I suggest you prioritize taking down the Prison King. The benefits of her world are simply too immense!" "The Prison King is the key!" Lan Tian said solemnly. "First, her Yang realm Daos can empower Qiong! Second, her world's willpower is useful to me! Third, her Dao of Seven Emotions and Six Desires is useful to Old Wan... Killing her would feed all of us at once!" Lan Tian said in a low voice, "I know you might want to leave her for later, but she must die first! As long as we eliminate her, subsequent challenges will be vastly easier!" This was the crux of the matter! Yet Su Yu had been hesitating, which made Lan Tian helpless. Knowing what Su Yu was worried about, Lan Tian continued, "The Human Sovereign and the others are sensible men. I don't think there's any need to overthink it! We've had open discussions before, and this won't be the first time! Just because of her past ties to King Wen and the others, we cannot ignore the utility of killing her—the monumental advantages it brings!" Su Yu pondered this and nodded. Lan Tian was right. Slaying the Prison King would truly feast them all. Consuming her would flip the offensive and defensive positions; even if the Heaven and Earth Gates restored themselves to their peak, Su Yu's side would have the strength to fight! Devouring the Prison King's Dao would grant Qiong an immense boost! Perhaps Qiong might even step into forty Daos before the Lord of Dead Spirits. Lan Tian's willpower would strengthen, and Wan Tiansheng's comprehension of the Dao of Seven Emotions and Six Desires would reach completion, potentially allowing him to inherit the Gate of Sealing. After a moment's thought, Su Yu nodded. "This issue does warrant serious attention. No rush just yet. First, I'll go drag King Da Zhou and the others over to work for me and integrate their Daos. Keeping them as they are isn't very useful right now; we'll integrate Daos first... Today is the ninth day since the Heaven and Earth Gates began their recovery... We still have a bit of time!" Nine days had passed since the gates began reviving! Previously, the Earth Gate claimed it would take a month, then three days later revised it to twenty days—amounting to twenty-three days total. By the Earth Gate's estimate, they would recover in about half a month. Su Yu felt they needed to shave off some time. As for the Human Gate's descent, roughly eighty to ninety days remained. "Within three days, there will be results!" With that, Su Yu patted Lan Tian on the shoulder. "Go do your thing. Gather the powerhouses of the myriad races. Strip Daos where necessary, integrate where appropriate, and reorganize them!" Lan Tian nodded without another word and vanished instantly. Su Yu, however, didn't leave immediately. He lingered for a while as his aura trembled once more. Thirty-nine Daos! Then, the advancement came to an abrupt halt! It was as if all enlightenment vanished entirely, and the rule power and Dao power were utterly depleted—neither a shred more nor a shred less. Su Yu almost wanted to scoff! It was a bit too deliberate! If one didn't pay attention, it passed unnoticed, but under scrutiny, it was full of absurdities. If this was the handiwork of the World Spirit, the craftsmanship was far too crude. Had Su Yu orchestrated it, it would never have been this unpolished! Indeed, a spirit was just a spirit—inherently somewhat obtuse! Doubao, Chubing, the little fur ball, the Book Spirit, the Lord of Undead... Su Yu had come to realize that spirits lacked high-level intellect. In this world, humans were far more terrifying. Everything seemed reasonable on the surface, but a careful examination revealed countless flaws. Still, against ordinary people, it was more than sufficient. Those who never suspected anything wouldn't look deeper; only those who anticipated it would see the cracks everywhere. ... Su Yu quickly left the small realm. A moment later, he appeared in the Human Realm. The Human Sovereign and the others caught a glimpse of him flashing past. Seeing that he didn't call out, they didn't bother him. He was young and loved running around. At a time like this, he showed no fear of being ambushed before anyone could come to his rescue. ... "Zhou Tian, come out!" King Da Zhou was currently cultivating. Two days ago, he had gone out and slain an unaffiliated cultivator and was still absorbing the Dao power. Su Yu's sudden shout nearly made his energy run rampant. Stepping out of his seclusion chamber, he looked at Su Yu with a trace of helplessness. *He really doesn't mince words!* From "King Da Zhou," the address had shifted directly to "Zhou Tian." "Your Majesty..." Su Yu glanced at him and stroked his chin. "Only eighteen Daos of power. A bit weak!" King Da Zhou was speechless. *I'm not you; I'm not that monstrous.* "I'm going to kill your ancestor!" Originally, King Da Zhou had hoped Su Yu would cooperate with the Human Ancestor. Now that Su Yu was clearly opposing him, Su Yu had come to gauge his thoughts. King Da Zhou fell silent for a moment before speaking: "I've lived here for hundreds of thousands of years... I only interacted with that person a few times... Still, I have my leanings. Did Your Majesty seek me out solely to say this?" "No. I'm saying that if I kill your ancestor, you need to pitch in!" King Da Zhou sighed inwardly. Talking like this, wasn't he worried about chilling his follower's heart? "How should I contribute?" "I'll hand you twenty acupoints to integrate for me!" King Da Zhou was stunned. "Twenty acupoints..." "Correct!" Su Yu pointed to his own head. "Divine acupoints, within the sea of will! Enter my sea of will and integrate Daos for me! I've made up my mind to follow the Prefect's plan: you will become part of my body, serving as my tools dedicated to opening and merging acupoints! As for your own advancement... there's not much point. Even if you advance further, you won't reach thirty-two Daos. Don't compare yourselves to me—I'm too much of a genius. No one in this era can catch up to me!" One had to learn to allocate resources, manpower, and materials efficiently! King Da Zhou hesitated, but Su Yu couldn't be bothered to explain further. He shouted, "Everyone, come here! Over here..." Soon, a crowd flew rapidly in their direction. Some were absent, having gone out to hunt enemies, and Su Yu didn't wait for them. Seeing Blade Master and his group arriving, Su Yu addressed them directly: "Blade Master, you fellows... sever your Daos and leave!" Everyone froze! Blade Master's face changed drastically. *Burning bridges to butcher us?* Su Yu quickly added, "Jiankong too!" At the mention of Jiankong, everyone felt somewhat relieved. Sword Venerable was still around, and Qiong was currently an expert at thirty-eight Daos. Su Yu wouldn't go so far as to kill Qiong's people, would he? "Pack your belongings and scram. Go follow the Human Sovereign and the others!" Su Yu said briskly. "If they have vacancies in their Daos, pick whichever you like! The Human Sovereign, King Wen, Wen Yu, the Lord of Dead Spirits—four distinct worlds! Plenty of choices for you!" At this moment, Xuelong spoke with a strange tone, "Lord of Tribulation, what is the meaning of this...?" Su Yu waved his hand. "I plan to stake everything against the Heaven and Earth Gates and self-detonate to take them down! We aren't that close, after all, and dragging you into a suicidal explosion weighs on my conscience! As for me, even if I die, I'll only drag familiar faces down with me. We aren't close enough, and if you died with me, you'd die with regrets!" The crowd was stunned. Was he serious? Yet Su Yu rarely joked about such matters. Was he truly going to self-detonate and fight to the death? Their expressions shifted. Su Yu chuckled. "What are you staring at? Think I'm lying? I'm going to blow myself up to take them down! I'm sick of living! I lost the will to live long ago! Are you leaving or not? If you don't leave, I'll drag you along into the explosion. Think it over carefully. This isn't a test... Anyone who refuses to leave, I'll take to the grave later!" The cultivators exchanged glances, deeply hesitant, still fearful that Su Yu was testing their loyalty. Earlier, Su Yu had spoken of sharing Dao control among everyone. Now he wanted them to leave... Could this be a loyalty check? Su Yu grew impatient. "Do you all have a death wish? Don't flatter yourselves thinking this is a loyalty test. It doesn't exist. You have no loyalty to speak of toward me, and I know that better than anyone. You're just trying to survive! I simply don't want to burn bridges, or else I would have slaughtered you outright! Since you've followed me for a time, I'm offering you a way out! Whichever of those figures you think has the best chance of surviving, go join them. I'll explain the situation to them and arrange it properly. If no one takes you..." Su Yu considered for a moment. "Then see if you can reconnect to the River of Time. It won't be a big problem!" Hearing him put it so bluntly, everyone felt somewhat embarrassed. Blade Master hurriedly said, "Lord of Tribulation, our loyalty to you is absolute..." Su Yu smiled. "Fine, you stay. I'll take you with me!" Blade Master's expression stiffened! *Well... now that you put it that way, looking at your demeanor, you might truly go all-out. How dangerous is that?* He truly didn't dare! The others immediately shut their mouths! If they spoke up, Su Yu might just tell them to stay behind as well, and that would be disastrous. At this point, Jiankong couldn't help asking, "Lord of Tribulation... do we... do we really have to leave?" Su Yu smiled. "You don't want to?" As Sword Venerable's son, and with Qiong being a pivotal figure on Su Yu's side, Jiankong wasn't particularly terrified. He hesitated before asking, "Then... Lord of Tribulation, if we leave, aside from our comprehensions remaining intact, can we... can we take some Dao power with us?" That was what he truly wanted to ask! Taking Dao power would weaken Su Yu! It was a difficult request to voice. Yet he had to ask! Otherwise, for a cultivator of over twenty Daos to leave empty-handed for the Human Sovereign's world—even if their sword path wasn't occupied, would they have to cultivate from scratch, starting at one Dao of power? That would be utterly miserable! Back then, they had integrated vast amounts of world power and rule power into Su Yu's world. If they took those energies away, what would happen if Su Yu's strength plummeted? No one else dared raise such a matter! Only Jiankong, relying on Sword Venerable's stature, dared to ask cautiously. Su Yu chuckled. "No problem! Let's put it this way: anyone above sixteen Daos may take away whatever rule power exceeds sixteen Daos! Those below sixteen Daos don't need to. The Human Sovereign and the others are now experts at thirty-six Daos; no matter how weak their worlds' Daos are, they won't be weaker than mine! Whether you take power or not makes little difference; once you arrive, your strength will remain roughly unchanged!" At those words, the expressions of Jiankong and the others shifted. Allowing anyone above sixteen Daos to take their surplus rule power was more than generous! "Then... our deepest thanks, Lord of Tribulation!" Jiankong bowed gratefully. Su Yu was being exceptionally fair. Those below first-rank wouldn't see their strength change, while those above first-rank, taking their own rule power and insights, wouldn't suffer losses either. In the end, only Su Yu would incur a loss, while the Human Sovereign and the others might even see a slight boost. After all, they would be bringing a portion of Su Yu's power with them. King Daqin frowned slightly and said in a heavy voice, "Your Majesty, if you do this and your strength drops, how will you face our formidable enemies?" This was unwise! He felt Su Yu was sometimes far too benevolent. For Jiankong to make such a request—even if they spared him out of deference to Qiong, he deserved severe reprimand! *You think you can just take power and leave?* Su Yu's world had integrated the power of dual worlds, along with vast amounts of Yin and Yang energies. Many had advanced significantly compared to before. To simply take the power and walk away? Su Yu smiled. "It doesn't matter. At my level, the power they take away doesn't amount to much! Besides, it belonged to them in the first place." With that, Su Yu called out, "Human Sovereign, King Wen, Wen Yu, Old Dead... come collect your people! I'm stripping away a portion of my cultivators, and you need to take them in!" Instantly, several figures materialized. The Human Sovereign looked at Su Yu, his brow slightly furrowed. "Collect people?" Su Yu briefly explained the situation without hiding anything: "It's to balance the Dao power. Too strong isn't good, and too weak won't do. I might end up like Lan Tian, blending wills together... Keeping them around would be inconvenient! But since they followed me for a time, I'm arranging a way out for them." Su Yu chuckled. "If wills merge, having them along won't work—it'll easily cause conflict! For you, it's no big deal; the Daos remain in your grasp, and if things go wrong, you can just strip them!" King Wen also frowned slightly, his voice low. "Su Yu, this path is fraught with peril! Lan Tian split his will through a bizarre accident, whereas you..." Su Yu smiled. "It's fine! Am I inferior to Lan Tian? Besides, the ones I keep are all old brothers; the chances of our wills clashing are minimal... That's that, my mind is made up! If you're willing to take them, take them. If not, I'm not unfeeling—I'll find a way for them to reconnect to the River of Time!" The group exchanged looks. The Lord of Dead Spirits sighed. "Cultivators related to death, the underworld, and vitality may come to me!" King Wen considered for a moment. "Those walking Daos of exploration, knowledge, the five elements, yin and yang... may come to my world!" The Human Sovereign pondered. "My world has many people. Those who were humans in the previous era can consider coming to me!" Wen Yu said nonchalantly, "Anyone can come to me. I'll take whoever is left!" It didn't matter to her; her world encompassed myriad Daos, even more comprehensively than Su Yu's. If Su Yu didn't want them, she didn't mind gathering them up, lest they ran amok without oversight. In three, two, one—just like that, the cultivators found their destinations. Su Yu smiled. "What are you staring at? Move quickly. Leave if you're leaving! I recommend going to Wen Yu's world; her world has plenty of Daos, and she has many unaffiliated cultivators there. Plus, there are no humans from this era, so there won't be favoritism. Avoid the Human Sovereign's side—you all know what his Daos are like..." The cultivators shuddered. Indeed, they had heard rumors about the Human Sovereign's Daos; they were notoriously bizarre! As for King Wen, they were somewhat intimidated by him. Wen Yu... Wen Yu had already gathered many unaffiliated cultivators last time. Truth be told, joining Wen Yu's Dao was the most suitable choice. The Lord of Dead Spirits was undeniably powerful, but the restrictions were far too severe. Having addressed them, Su Yu looked toward Xingyue, who stood inconspicuously in the crowd. "Xingyue, you should head over to your elder brother's side as well. The Dao of Life and Death should be strippable now..." Su Yu added, "If the Human Sovereign doesn't have a suitable Dao for you, then go to the Lord of Dead Spirits. The Dao of Life and Death in his world is fairly complete now." The Lord of Dead Spirits smiled. "That works. Years ago, this little girl entered my world and wielded the Dao of Life and Death. She's quite practiced with it, and her fusion of life and death looks solid!" He had no objections to Xingyue joining. It was perfectly fine! As the Human Sovereign's sister, she certainly possessed talent. At this moment, Xingyue glared at Su Yu and snorted coldly. "Did I say I was leaving? Did you forget who the leader is?" *Did you forget that I'm your boss?* *Since when do you get to order me around?* Su Yu raised an eyebrow. "I made myself clear: staying with me means a very high chance of dying!" "Heh!" Xingyue sneered. "Haven't I died before? Do I need you to remind me?" *Who are you acting tough with?* *When I was a dead spirit, you weren't even born!* Su Yu looked at the Human Sovereign, who frowned slightly before speaking: "If Xingyue wants to stay, let her stay! No one is currently controlling your Dao of Life and Death, so let her integrate it!" He looked at Su Yu. "Do you need help from our side to integrate Daos?" "Actually, yes!" Su Yu laughed and looked at him. "Call Xinghong and the others over. Ask if they're willing to return. If not, keep them. If they are... now that a batch has left, I don't mind them being a bit slow; I can take some back!" He spoke in a joking tone. The Human Sovereign nodded slightly and reached out, conjuring a group of people. These people had originally followed Su Yu, but because they couldn't advance later on due to the limits of Su Yu's Daos, they had transferred to the Human Sovereign's side to break through. Now, they appeared one after another. Su Yu looked at them and smiled. "I've sent away those I wasn't familiar with. Xinghong, you can return now... Of course, staying there is fine too, just like before! Coming back means courting death! I'm just asking casually... Don't say I didn't give you notice later." Su Yu grinned brightly. "To be blunt, coming back just means being a laborer!" In the crowd, Xinghong smiled. "For the sword path, do Yunxiao and I split it? Or do I split it with Jiankong?" "Jiankong is leaving, and Yunxiao is managing the sword path just fine. Why would she split it with you? Aren't you a fish? If you return, I'll assign you a water path to help me integrate Daos!" *You're the fish! Your whole family is fish!* Xinghong sighed. "I am not a fish. My true form is a Wenyao..." Su Yu rolled his eyes. "Isn't that still a fish?" Xinghong felt helpless and exasperated. "Whatever you say!" There was no point arguing! Just then, Tianmie chimed in, "He wants to come back? I say, Xinghong, you've been working on the Human Sovereign's side for quite a while now. Changing masters every day isn't a good look, is it?" Xinghong glared at him. *You overgrown monkey, what are you implying?* Tianmie chuckled. "You'd better stay where you are. Coming back is useless anyway! His Majesty needs people with sharp minds who can integrate Daos smoothly. How could you possibly manage?" "And you can?" Xinghong retorted, annoyed. Tianmie grinned. "Of course! I know the Daos of the club, the staff, the bamboo pole, the halberd, the spear... they're all kindred arts! Aren't I vastly more useful than you?" Telling Xinghong not to return wasn't out of malice; he simply felt Su Yu was growing increasingly unhinged and likely to take suicidal risks. It was safer for Xinghong to stay with the Human Sovereign. At least that offered some security. They were brothers of countless years. Since they hadn't switched Daos and had followed Su Yu all along, they would stick it out to the end. There was no need for Xinghong to return. Xinghong laughed. "Give me a break! Plenty of people know those Daos. Who among King Daqin's group doesn't? What good are you?" With that, he severed his connection to the Human Sovereign's world and walked toward Su Yu. He took a deep breath. At this juncture, it was time to come home! Su Yu said nothing more. Tianmie bared his teeth and held his tongue; if he wanted to come back, so be it. In the crowd, Hongmeng smiled and waved at Xinghong, his heart a swirl of complex emotions. On the Human Sovereign's side, Marquis Dingjun looked at the Human Sovereign, then at Su Yu. He was an old subordinate of the Human Sovereign. By all logic, staying with the Human Sovereign made sense, and he had even managed to advance here. He had always arrived late to everything. Now, go to Su Yu's side to throw his life away? It felt like Su Yu was sprinting straight toward death! Marquis Dingjun scratched his head, looking sheepish, before finally murmuring, "Um... Your Majesty Human Sovereign, I... should I go over there too?" The Human Sovereign was slightly surprised. Beside him, King Ping looked at his former subordinate with an utterly bizarre expression. *Why are you going over there?* *I'm your commanding officer!* Marquis Dingjun laughed awkwardly. "King Daqin took the spear path... I couldn't break through before, so I thought I'd break through on Your Majesty Human Sovereign's side. Now Emperor Yu wants to integrate all Daos into one... so whether it's the spear path or not doesn't really matter anymore..." Marquis Dingjun chuckled dryly and scratched his head again. "Mainly... the pressure here is a bit intense. Your Majesty Human Sovereign's camp is full of legendary figures from back then, and Lord King Ping is here too. It's rather awkward! I... I think I'll go over there! I'm familiar with Yingwu, Zhennan, and Great Axe..." King Ping stepped on his foot without making a scene, transmitting his voice: *"Don't be a fucking idiot! I'm not saying this to put you down, nor are we cowards afraid of death... but Su Yu looks completely unhinged right now! His Majesty Human Sovereign at least knows when to advance and when to retreat. Su Yu's current posture looks like he's hell-bent on dragging everyone down with him... If you follow him, you might not survive past next month!"* Marquis Dingjun smiled and nodded, yet said nothing. He began walking toward Su Yu's side, thinking as he went: *Unhinged?* *Might not survive past next month?* *Old commander, I understand.* *But you were gone for a full hundred thousand years!* *Do you know what a hundred thousand years means?* *It means I fought alongside Yingwu and the others for a hundred thousand years, bleeding together for a hundred thousand years!* *And I've fought multiple great battles alongside Su Yu. I've felt thrilled, impassioned, excited, happy, and felt like I truly mattered...* *Tell me, if Yingwu and the others all die in battle, you and I... we're truly strangers now!* *A hundred thousand years apart. Back then, I was merely a nobody. Between us, there's nothing left to say.* Marquis Dingjun chuckled as he walked toward Su Yu. Halfway there, he had already severed his Dao. He looked at King Daqin, grinning broadly. "Hey, Little Qin, spare a bit of the spear path for me... You're already so formidable, sharing a little won't hurt!" King Daqin was exasperated. *Spare my ass. Go cultivate some other Dao!* Su Yu watched silently for a moment before speaking again: "Anyone else want to head to their worlds? Great Axe, Qirong, Hetu, Chen... whoever wants to go, go now!" "Marquis Tianming, you too... anyone who wishes to leave, feel free!" No one uttered a sound. Su Yu looked at them and laughed. "What's this? Can't bear to leave me? Go if you must. Hetu, your ancestor King Gong is right over there, why are you lingering here? Lanshan, you can head over to King Wen's side, and Southern King too..." Marquis Lanshan was an ardent admirer of King Wen, and so was the Southern King. Marquis Lanshan's voice turned deep. "Your Majesty, fussing over trifles like a nagging woman—this is hardly Your Majesty's style!" "..." Su Yu froze and stared at her. *Good grief, is Lanshan... scolding me?* Su Yu was momentarily dazed. Lanshan had always been exceptionally obedient, yet today she was berating him! Good heavens! The Southern King glanced at King Wen, then back at Su Yu, suddenly breaking into a smile. "He belongs to a dream, but you belong to reality. He resides in the heavens, while you walk among mortals!" Though phrased poetically, she was simply telling Su Yu that her yearning for King Wen was ultimately just a dream. At this final moment, she chose to follow Su Yu. Su Yu was real, tangible, and true. King Wen was merely a dream of the past! At this moment, King Wen was caught in a swirl of complex emotions. He glanced at them but said nothing. Su Yu looked around at the people beside him and suddenly began to laugh. There was surprise, relief, and amusement. "After all the twists and turns... it's still us!" After circling round and round, in the end, the ones standing by his side were still this very group—the same people from the very beginning. The ones who had fought alongside him all the way to this day!