The Demon Rises Higher

The Prison King's Dao of Law was crumbling! Self-doubt, self-denial! The myriad realms rejected it; everyone rejected it. Her allies rejected it, her sworn brothers rejected it. Across every realm and spanning multiple eras, not a single person acknowledged her Dao! Even Heaven and Earth denied her Dao! At this moment, Su Yu remained remarkably calm. Watching the Prison King's Great Dao crumble beyond recovery, he said placidly, "Your Dao of Law wasn't entirely without merit!" The Prison King's eyes suddenly flickered with light! Yet Su Yu followed indifferently, "To discipline others, you must first discipline yourself. If you don't even understand that simple truth, how can you formulate laws and codes? When the lawgiver tests and breaks the very laws she creates, how can you expect the myriad realms and all living spirits to accept them?" "Rules—those two words carry immense weight! Without rules, the myriad realms would have fallen into chaos long ago! In any place, without laws and without a Dao of Law, disorder is inevitable!" "Your intention to govern the world through law wasn't inherently wrong!" Su Yu continued coldly, "Where you went wrong is that you don't understand, and you aren't human! Although you possess a human body, you were raised from childhood as a tool, a puppet! If you were a pure puppet who strictly followed the procedures of the Dao of Law, then you wouldn't have been wrong either!" "Your even greater mistake is that you aren't truly a puppet. You are still human, harboring selfish desires and personal attachments..." Su Yu shook his head with a sigh. "Prison King, a being like you could never formulate a sound system of laws. The regulations you speak of were merely drilled into you by others. You constantly deny and doubt yourself... How could you ever create a fair and just code of law?" "As the one laying down the law, you don't even understand the law yourself. How could you establish anything reasonable?" The collapse of the Prison King's Great Dao was not entirely Su Yu's doing. Crucially, her own Dao harbored internal contradictions and deep conflict! If she were truly emotionless and ruthlessly detached, it might have held together. The trouble was, she wasn't! When it came to her family, she was selfish. Yet when it came to outsiders, she demanded strict, impartial justice. That was the greatest contradiction of all. Heaven's Dao is emotionless! If you don't abide by the very laws you establish, what meaning do those laws hold? If she and her family could stand above the rules, it might have worked had she possessed absolute power to dominate the world. But she didn't; all she had was wishful thinking! The Prison King's entire life was, in truth, an utter failure! Throughout her life, she had encountered many people who treated her with genuine kindness, yet she had never cherished them. King Wen, the Human Sovereign, and the others had helped her repeatedly, clearing her of guilt and showing favoritism for her sake. She never appreciated it, thinking only that they were corruptly bending the law. Yan Huo had willingly let himself be used and walked to his death for her. She had not appreciated that either, believing he was merely foolish! The Sacred Race lineage in the myriad realms had willingly severed ties with humanity and lurked in the shadows for a hundred thousand years for her grand ambition, utterly loyal to her. Yet she looked down on them, thinking they were too weak and incompetent to handle even the smallest matter! When she emerged from the Earth Gate, she showed no concern for the Sacred Race's fate, never sought out their surviving members, and remained completely indifferent. She convinced herself that this was the impartiality of her Dao of Law, but it was nothing more than utter bullshit! Her father, Zhou, had also been excessively driven by utility. He had completely ignored the Giant Race that had been passed down, even though they had guarded his lineage through countless ages. Thunder Celestial Venerable of the Giant Race had willingly marched to his death because Hundred Battles carried the Human Ancestor's bloodline, yet Zhou had not cared in the slightest! That whole family was consumed by self-interest and calculation! Their supposed fight against the Human Gate was merely a fig leaf! There were many people like that. In fact, Su Yu was somewhat like that as well, but he at least believed in repaying kindness. He didn't care about strangers, but for those who helped him, he would do everything in his power to repay them! Doing just that was enough! Su Yu never held himself to the standards of a saint. He followed his own heart: if you help me, I will help you; if you care for me, I will care for you; if you treat me well, I will treat you well... And that was precisely why Su Yu could rally hearts at this moment and have everyone follow him into battle to the very end! Su Yu was no saint! Everyone knew it! He was selfish, ruthless, sharp-tongued, and deeply suspicious... Yet Su Yu had his own distinct charisma. The Prison King, however, had abandoned even her last shred of appeal. Had she truly been fair and just, people would have willingly followed her! At this moment, the Prison King was on the verge of complete collapse. She looked around with a dazed expression, suddenly letting out a self-deprecating laugh. "It seems... I came to this world in vain. My existence was pointless... Not a trace of me will remain in this world... I... die like a puppet... Or was I always just a puppet?" She looked toward the bamboo that embodied Zhou's World Dao, murmuring, "Aside from having a bit of human flesh, blood, and soul, I never lived like a real person at all!" She looked toward the Human Sovereign and the others, but not one of them met her gaze! Boundless disappointment and boundless fury made them unwilling to even look at her! The Prison King's lips trembled. She wanted to say something, but found no words. In the end, it was all for nothing! All her pursuits, all her dreams—they had merely been forced upon her by Zhou and the others. Deep down, she had always been lost and empty. Perhaps she had never even known what she was truly chasing! She was so utterly lost! In her final moments, she turned to Su Yu, her eyes regaining a cold clarity as she asked softly, "Su Yu, what are you chasing?" She was lost. What was it that you, Su Yu, were fighting for? "A good sleep!" The Prison King was completely bewildered. "What?" Su Yu replied placidly, "After finishing the fight, can't I just take a nap? I only want to sleep undisturbed, with no one bothering me! Who cares if the myriad realms endure or if the heavens and earth collapse? The world will keep turning no matter who is missing! Whether it's controlled by the Human Gate or anyone else, the world remains the world. They won't wipe out everything entirely, and even if all races are wiped out, new life will emerge again... That is the way of Heaven and Earth!" A good sleep! How absurd! The Prison King wanted to laugh, but found she no longer knew how. Just... a good sleep? Su Yu's answer sounded like a joke, a flippant brush-off, yet it felt strikingly real. It was far more grounded than her hollow ideals; he simply wanted to have a proper rest. And he had slaughtered countless people simply because they wouldn't let him sleep in peace! How ironic! Su Yu, who had led humanity and its powerhouses to wage bloody war across all quarters and slaughter countless lives, had a dream that was so... simple! The Prison King even wondered: if they had just let Su Yu sleep in peace, if no one had provoked or disturbed him, would he have ever set foot on this battlefield? Perhaps... he wouldn't have! "A simple dream..." With a faint murmur, the Prison King shattered completely. Her Great Dao collapsed, and her world fell apart! Vast amounts of rule power dispersed in all directions! At this moment, the Prison King perished! Su Yu showed not the slightest pity. With a wave of his hand, the Human Lord Seal emerged. Before the chains and the ruler could disintegrate, he swept them entirely into the seal, taking along the remaining bamboo stalk left behind by the Human Ancestor. Lan Tian's figure materialized. Looking at Su Yu, he suddenly grinned. Su Yu chuckled slyly as well! In that instant, the laughter of the two men echoed across Heaven and Earth! Everyone froze in astonishment! Lan Tian's chuckles grew into boisterous laughter. "Su Yu, I didn't even get to finish asking! I only asked about the earlier things, and she went and died on her own... What a pity! There were still plenty of questions left about you. If she'd held on a bit longer, you would've been in deep trouble!" Su Yu chuckled. "I don't have any dirty laundry left. I was just wondering why she actually believed that since a human was presiding over it, there wouldn't be any favoritism at all. She admitted to whatever you asked!" At this point, Ji Tian couldn't help but curse loudly, "Su Yu, you people are more vile than us!" Absolute bastards! Evidently, Su Yu and Lan Tian had worked in tacit understanding. The cosmic trial Su Yu had set up might not have been entirely fake, but it certainly wasn't without manipulation. Lan Tian clearly held some degree of control over it! The Prison King had died—died of her own foolishness! Su Yu was right: the moment human will was involved, the Dao of Heaven ceased to be truly impartial! Whenever people were involved, there could be no absolute fairness! Lan Tian had definitely glossed over the questioning of Su Yu! He had suppressed it! Now, Lan Tian was laughing, and Su Yu was laughing too. Both laughed with brazen, malicious glee! Who cares how I schemed? I killed Zhou and the Prison King—that alone is victory! Do you bastards feel suffocated? Frustrated? That was precisely what Su Yu wanted to see. He laughed wildly. "So what? Why should you be allowed to disgust me, while I can't disgust you? Why must the good guys always suffer grievances while the villains merely face execution at the very end—or not even that?" "Can't good guys be brazen? Can't they be sinister? Can't they give you a taste of your own medicine?" Su Yu laughed heartily. "I'm going to use the most vicious methods against you! I'll use whatever makes you suffer the most, filling you with humiliation, hatred, resentment, and utter venom!" Su Yu sneered! Why should you get to disgust and plot against us, while I can't turn around and screw you to death? I want nothing more than to make you writhe in misery and choke on your own rage until you die. At this moment, whether it was Ji Tian or the others, their stomachs were bursting with curses. Who was the real villain here? It was hard to say! Even the living beings across the myriad realms trembled in dread. In their eyes, Su Yu was nominally on the side of good... yet even among the human race, no one dared claim Su Yu was a kind-hearted man. They didn't have the face to say it! The words exchanged between Lan Tian and Su Yu just now proved they had pulled tricks behind the scenes, driving the Prison King's Great Dao to collapse on its own. It was simply too ruthless! Yet Su Yu looked completely unbothered. Lan Tian vanished in an instant, diving into the shattered world to devour remnants of its cosmic will and strengthen his own. Su Yu was in no hurry to head elsewhere. Instead, he methodically and patiently began stripping away certain Great Daos from the Prison King's world. The Dao of Seven Emotions and Six Desires! These Daos would be of tremendous benefit to Wan Tiansheng. For now, Su Yu's faction appeared to hold the absolute upper hand. King Wu and three other powerhouses had teamed up to besiege Ji Tian and Jingtian, dominating the fight. Though Qiong and the Lord of Dead Spirits were at a disadvantage, Su Yu had now freed his hands. If this continued, Su Yu's side was guaranteed victory! Yet Su Yu knew... this was only the beginning! It was best not to provoke the Heavenly Gate and Earth Gate right now. Su Yu would not rush into that fight so quickly; he was certain that if he joined in now, it would provoke the two gates into unleashing forty Daos of power on the spot. Su Yu was in no rush! Why provoke them? As for Ji Tian and Jingtian, since they dared to cooperate with the others, Su Yu didn't believe they had no trump cards left. Yet even with the Prison King and Zhou dead, they hadn't unleashed anything. Clearly, if they had hidden cards, playing them would carry a heavy price! In that case, Su Yu wouldn't push them either. Take it slow! Dragging things out wasn't necessarily a bad thing. As he swiftly stripped away the Great Daos, Qiong couldn't help roaring, "Su Yu, you promised me the World Dao! Bring it over, quick..." He could barely hold on! What was that bastard Su Yu doing just standing there? For your sake, I gave up going after Cang! My poor brother Cang might be finished soon, because with the Prison King's fall, the Human Gate seemed to be drawing even closer to the myriad realms! "Su Yu, give me the World Dao! You take over against the Heavenly Gate, and I'll go get Cang..." Su Yu sighed. "You actually took that seriously? What Cang? Did you really think that was Cang over there? What were you thinking!" Su Yu leisurely stripped away the Daos of Seven Emotions and Six Desires, laughing. "They were just bluffing you! Do you really think they'd leave Cang there for you to pick up? What a joke! Don't forget how easy sword qi is to fake. Remember that your Heaven-Opening Sword was originally in Hong Tian's hands, in the Human Gate's grasp... Fabricating some sword qi is child's play. Qiong, use your head! I thought you had seen through the trap, but it turns out you didn't?" Qiong fell silent! Had he seen through it? Not at all! Su Yu suddenly sighed with emotion. "I'm starting to like you. This is true love! I thought you'd figured it out, but you actually didn't! Even without realizing it, you still chose to help me... That truly is love; you've been completely conquered by my personal charm!" How touching! Half-joking and half-serious! Had this thick-headed sword really failed to see through it? Of course, Su Yu was only speculating, but he was over ninety percent certain it was a fake. He didn't believe it for a second. If that was the case, Qiong giving up that chance and choosing to stay was genuinely surprising and slightly touching. Yes, conquered by my charm. Truly, a man should strive to be like me. Meanwhile, Qiong remained silent, cursing wildly in his head. Su Yu, stop disgusting this lord! Seen through it? Seen through what? I sensed the sword qi—how could it not be Cang? If it really was a fake... he couldn't even reply. If he claimed he had seen through it, it would be embarrassing; if he admitted he hadn't, damn it, that was too humiliating for a sword. Forget it, pretend I never said anything. Without a word, he slashed wildly! Sword qi battered Heaven and Earth! Meanwhile, the Heavenly Gate and Earth Gate were somewhat distracted, casting shifting, uneasy glances toward Su Yu. Just as Ji Tian had said, with Su Yu around, too many unforeseen variables arose. In just a brief span, the Prison King was dead, the Human Ancestor was dead, and both Sun and Moon were dead... Even after Su Yu's fortune had been drained, the man seemed entirely unaffected. At this moment, they were also considering how they would respond once Su Yu entered the fray... Just then, Su Yu suddenly flew off. Yes, he flew away! Everyone was startled! Where was Su Yu going? Even the Human Sovereign couldn't help shouting, "Where are you going?" "To kill people!" Su Yu's voice was tinged with laughter. The next instant, a blood-curdling scream rang out. With a wet slash, Su Yu decapitated an expert of over twenty Daos with a single saber strike! That was a rogue cultivator, or perhaps an expert from a shattered forbidden ground within the Heavenly Gate. Su Yu smiled faintly. "These fellows hid themselves so well, yet every one of them was waiting for a chance to strike... Did they really think I, Su Yu, didn't know they were here? Or did they think I'd spare these small fry? None of them know when death is staring them in the face!" At this moment, everyone was dumbfounded. Even the Lord of Dead Spirits couldn't hold back, roaring in fury, "Why are you wasting time killing those weaklings?" Come over here! Can't you see Qiong is getting battered to pieces? Su Yu, you bastard, what in the world are you doing? It was maddening! Utterly maddening! Yet Su Yu's laughter persisted. "No rush! If I go over there, the two seniors from the Heavenly and Earth Gates won't be able to hold back and will unleash their ultimate moves. How disappointing would that be? Rest easy. Let me clean up the battlefield first. Wait for me, everyone!" Slash! Another saber strike severed the head of an expert. Terror swept through countless cultivators. Figures leaped up in frantic flight, fleeing toward the endless void in all directions. Someone shrieked in hatred, "Su Yu, you animal... you..." They didn't even know how to curse him anymore. This monster Su Yu, instead of fighting the decisive battle, went out of his way to hunt down rogue cultivators like them! Was he even human? It was like a team battle where the strongest combatants clashed to the death, and Su Yu, the main carry, ran off to farm minions! At this point, Qiong couldn't endure it either, roaring, "I'm about to get beaten to death, you bastard!" At a critical juncture like this, why are you killing nobodies? Su Yu replied unhurriedly, "No rush, you won't die! You are the Heaven-Opening Sword. Besides, if they actually beat you to death, the Heavenly and Earth Gates have to weigh the consequences. Can they afford to offend the Lord of Time? Do they really think the Lord of Time is dead? You have the strongest backing of all; would they dare kill you? Ask the Heavenly Gate—does he dare kill you? Do they really think the Lord of Time won't return? If he rewinds the past and sees his sword was beaten to death by a few weaklings... he'll swat the Heavenly Gate dead with one palm!" Su Yu laughed heartily. "Heavenly Gate, tell me, is the Lord of Time dead or not? If he isn't, do you dare kill his sword?" The Heavenly Gate said nothing! Su Yu laughed boisterously. "Qiong, you have the sturdiest backer of all! What are you afraid of? You might very well be a divine character forged by the Lord of Time himself. Killing you is the same as striking at the Lord of Time... With the Heavenly Gate's gutless courage, if he dares kill you, I'll take his surname!" Su Yu mocked mercilessly. Gripping his saber, he cleaved an ancient beast in two. In all directions, countless cultivators from bygone eras fled in utter despair. For a cultivator of thirty-nine Daos like Su Yu to bypass the main clash just to slaughter them was truly despair-inducing. Someone roared frantically, "Earth Gate Patriarch, save me! Save me!" "Heavenly Gate Patriarch, help!" "..." Su Yu continued his slaughter at blinding speed. Meanwhile, he had stripped the Daos of Seven Emotions and Six Desires from the Prison King's world and dropped them in place. A moment later, those Daos vanished! Wan Tiansheng! Up to this point, Su Yu had not devoured a single one of the Daos belonging to the six Great Sages of the Human Gate, tossing them all to Wan Tiansheng. Those were six Daos above thirty-six Daos. The Prison King hadn't devoured them completely, yet she had reached thirty-eight Daos. Whether Wan Tiansheng could digest them, Su Yu did not know. Nor did he care! If Wan Tiansheng could digest them, great; if not, he would simply continue dragging out the time. The Heavenly Gate and Earth Gate definitely had their own plans. Su Yu realized that those two might genuinely be waiting—waiting for the Human Gate to descend and for the three gates to converge. As for the Yin Daos from the people he killed, Su Yu distributed portions to his followers for them to absorb. For instance, the Great Zhou King and others were currently managing the Daos in Su Yu's acupoints. Though Su Yu had already absorbed many Yin Daos, letting them absorb these to strengthen themselves still provided some benefit. One cultivator after another rapidly devoured those Daos. Su Yu pressed on with the slaughter, his speed astonishingly swift. At this moment, a rogue cultivator wept piteously, "Su Yu, we were wrong... Emperor Yu, spare us!" The cultivators of the three gates had once dreamed of descending upon the myriad realms to feast and reign supreme, yet now they were reduced to such a pathetic state! Above Su Yu's head, the little fur ball popped out to take in the scenery. Watching the people fleeing, weeping, losing their minds, and some even self-detonating under the unbearable pressure, the fur ball bounced on Su Yu's head and remarked with regret, "None of them smell good. They're all stinky, polluting the environment! All the tasty ones got killed..." This little guy was quite vicious too! A complete contrast to its harmless appearance! Su Yu smiled brilliantly. Every slash felled another; wherever he passed, blood sprayed across the void! The cultivators of the three gates had originally thought of themselves as demons, as harbingers of doom. Yet only now did they realize with absolute clarity that Su Yu was the true demon, the truly sinister one. A supreme expert of thirty-nine Daos was actually chasing down cultivators who possessed only one or two Daos. Where was the justice in this? "Heavens... slay this demon!" Cultivators wailed and roared, asking why the heavens didn't strike this devil down. A Dao Harmonizer was pulverized by a single blow from Su Yu, driving the rest into an absolute frenzy of flight. He was even slaughtering mere Dao Harmonizers! It was like a giant stepping on an ant, then going out of his way to grind his foot back and forth until the ant was ground into dust! Was this something a human would do? "Cry! Scream! Scream until your throats tear—no one is coming to save you!" Su Yu laughed, swinging his saber as he traversed the void. With his terrifying might, even cultivators of over twenty Daos were powerless before him. ... At this moment, even Ji Tian couldn't help cursing under his breath, "I knew he was mad, but I never imagined his madness was this... demonic!" Su Yu had actually gone off to butcher the weak. Did he truly intend to leave none alive, wiping out everyone from the past eras? Too savage! Truth be told, even they only kept their eyes on the strong; they had never contemplated slaughtering every single weakling. Yet while they hadn't done it, Su Yu was doing it. Beside him, Jingtian stood back-to-back with him, nursing wounds and panting. He let out a sorrowful sigh. "Ji Tian, you knew him back then. Why did you never consider cooperating with him?" He was genuinely terrified! Even with thirty-seven Daos of power, he had been shaken to the core by Su Yu. Too ruthless! Ji Tian kept silent. Nonsense! When they formed an alliance with the Human Ancestor and the others, Su Yu wasn't even a glimmer in someone's eye! Before they could even react, Su Yu had shot up to the supreme tier, and within days, reached thirty-nine Daos. Honestly, there hadn't been any time to consider cooperating. They simply hadn't had the chance! Jingtian sent a voice transmission, "What do we do?" There was nowhere left to run! Besieged by four powerhouses, all of whom wielded thirty-six Daos, Ji Tian and Jingtian were each fighting two-on-one. Jingtian faced King Wu and Wen Yu, while Ji Tian fought the Human Sovereign and King Wen... Neither had gained any ground. If this continued, disaster was certain! "Wait!" Ji Tian transmitted, "We can only wait! The Heavenly Gate and Earth Gate still have hidden cards... The Human Gate hasn't fully descended yet. Once it does, there are still those avatars of unity. As long as we can control those unities... we still have a chance!" Jingtian swiftly exchanged blows with King Wu, finally repelling the tireless fighter before transmitting again, "The Daos were all seized by Su Yu... What do you propose we do?" "What's the rush!" At this point, Ji Tian didn't seem particularly flustered. He transmitted, "Su Yu knows the Heavenly and Earth Gates have methods in reserve, so he doesn't dare press them rashly right now, nor does he dare kill us too quickly... to avoid triggering trouble! Don't be fooled by him slaughtering the weak; he's actually stalling for time, waiting for an opportunity... waiting for the right moment. Haven't you noticed that Wan Tiansheng devoured so many Daos yet hasn't shown himself?" "Don't just look at the surface. Slaying those weaklings is merely to buy time. Su Yu is also waiting for the Human Gate to descend... Wan Tiansheng must have some connection to the Human Gate. Perhaps... he is the true self of the Human Gate, or perhaps he can control it!" Assessing the situation rapidly, Ji Tian transmitted, "Don't panic, don't lose your composure. As long as we hold our ground, there's no way these few can kill us!" The mighty Su Yu had his own designs. Since he wasn't joining the fight, this battle would merely drag on. ... Meanwhile, Su Yu was still slaughtering! A moment later, seemingly unsatisfied with the speed of his killing, he let out a chuckle. Great Daos manifested into individual Su Yus as his civilization chronicle appeared. He began flipping through the pages, and copies of Su Yu materialized one after another, charging in all directions. Sounds of slaughter echoed throughout the universe! Cries, wails, pleas for mercy... At this moment, inhabited domains across the myriad realms trembled in terror. Near the Human Realm, where experts of the various races gathered, a crowd of myriad-race cultivators watched the scene, their faces drained of color and filled with despair. Against a Su Yu like this, could they ever seek vengeance? Did they dare? Was there any hope of revenge? At the forefront of the crowd, Moduona remained silent. Vengeance? No, it was impossible! The only thing he could do was restrain the myriad races while Su Yu lived, ensuring they never provoked him. Su Yu was genuinely terrifying. Everyone feared the three gates, feared the upper realm, feared the myriad races... yet Su Yu had repeatedly beaten the myriad races into tearful defeat. And now, he was driving the three gates to despair. Who was the one truly bringing ruin and extinction to the myriad realms? The previous shattered eras had not destroyed the three gates. The devouring locusts had not; the forbidden ground masters had not; the Human Gate had not... Yet Su Yu was doing it. He was the true harbinger of the end! After a long time, Moduona let out a soft sigh. "If the Human Gate truly exists... even the Human Gate would fear him upon meeting him! When it comes to demonic nature, the Human Gate might not even compare. Years of oppression by the myriad races, years of suppression by the three gates—they ended up forcing a true demon into existence!" Could the Human Gate be more demonic than Su Yu? What a joke! If one didn't fear Su Yu, why fear the Human Gate? Even if the Human Gate possessed slightly more raw power than Su Yu, in every other respect, Moduona believed it could never match Su Yu's sheer terror. "Su Yu... I curse you!" A desperate roar rose again, and Su Yu's laughter drifted over. "You're welcome to! If you didn't curse me, you wouldn't even count as human. If you were a ghost, you'd be one who breaks his word. I really do hope you can curse me to death!" Hearing this, Moduona felt an overwhelming bitterness. He murmured, "Did you hear that?" Your so-called curses, your hatred and venom—to Su Yu, they were completely worthless. Beside him, an elder from the myriad races asked mournfully, "Demon Sovereign, is there really no way to deal with him?" Moduona shook his head and sighed again. "Don't even think about dealing with him. At this moment, he is still our protector..." Boom! No sooner had the words left his mouth than the elder who had spoken exploded! Shattered into pieces! Su Yu's voice drifted from afar: "Keep your hatred tucked away in your hearts. Smart people know how to hold it in. If a bunch of weaklings voice it aloud, that's just seeking death!" Silence! Absolute silence. Su Yu's might already reached the heavens! Moduona sighed softly. Quickly regaining his composure, he bowed slightly. "I have learned the lesson. I will keep them in check!" Su Yu did not reply, seemingly indifferent. Behind Moduona, countless people choked with frustration and fury, yet not a single one dared utter another word. If they spoke out of turn again, everything Tiangu and the others had sacrificed would go up in smoke, entirely in vain; they would die for nothing. At this moment, demonic flames surged to the heavens! And that demon was Su Yu! ... Across the realm domain, the sounds of slaughter gradually died away. All was deathly quiet! Corpses littered the expanse, blood flowed like rivers, and the myriad realms were strewn with bodies, gore, and shattered bones. Within the realm domain, every rogue cultivator and ancient beast had been completely slaughtered by Su Yu. Thousands of Su Yus instantly converged into one. Su Yu's laughter resonated across Heaven and Earth. "Those who ran fast managed to claw back their lives. I can't be bothered to chase you into the endless void. Probably not many escaped anyway—are there even a thousand?" Silence! The demonic aura was simply too overwhelming! No one dared utter a peep. Those who had fled into the endless void were gripped by lingering horror, panting heavily in the aftermath of their narrow escape, slumping weakly in the empty void. Even where ancient beasts and rogue cultivators huddled together, none dared make a sound, fight, or speak. Because the devil was still there! Someone whispered mournfully, filled with endless despair, "Why did they have to provoke him!" They were talking about the figures like the Heavenly Gate and the Earth Gate. Why did they have to provoke this ruthless monster? How many had died? They didn't know. All they knew was that the surviving beasts and rogue cultivators numbered fewer than a thousand; the rest had been wiped out by Su Yu! To butcher these self-proclaimed harbingers of doom until they wept and regretted ever stepping out—Su Yu was truly one of a kind throughout the ages. ... At this moment, Su Yu rested his saber over his shoulder, leisurely strolling through the void toward the central battlefield. He smiled faintly. "Why hasn't the Human Gate descended yet? I'm getting impatient! I've killed so many of these fellows—clearly an omen of doomsday—yet the Human Gate still hasn't arrived. Does it think I haven't killed enough?" The next instant, he appeared near the Heavenly Gate and the others. The Heavenly Gate's expression shifted slightly, while the Earth Gate flared with raging flames. Both backed away. Qiong hastily retreated, and the Lord of Dead Spirits flew to Su Yu's side at once. Su Yu casually tossed a shattered world toward Qiong, smiling. "Promise fulfilled! This is good stuff—some of Zhou's and the Prison King's Great Daos are in there! If you devour it, thirty-nine Daos is guaranteed. Whether you can reach forty is hard to say." Qiong was overjoyed! It was really there! Glorious! All for me? He suddenly grew excited. Following Su Yu really did yield treasures! Su Yu hadn't even devoured these Daos himself. Of course, once he probed it carefully, he curled his lip. Fine, the Daos of Seven Emotions and Six Desires had already been stripped away by Su Yu, who knows which old fellow got that windfall. Probably that Wan Tiansheng! Qiong quickly began devouring the Daos, while the Heavenly Gate and Earth Gate did not intervene. At this moment, both—and indeed everyone present—looked up toward the River of Time in the sky. In the lower reaches, a portal was gradually compressing the river, drawing closer! The river surged violently! Meanwhile, the endless void began to collapse. The rogue cultivators and ancient beasts who had narrowly escaped earlier suddenly exploded one by one. Lacking Yang qi and flooded with death qi, they perished instantly! At this sight, the Heavenly Gate and Earth Gate also showed slight changes in expression! Under the compression of the river, a deficiency in Yang qi could cause immediate destruction! Right then, a wretched scream echoed from far away. A massive boulder flew frantically toward the realm domain, cracking sounds ringing continuously from its body, filled with resentment and suffocating frustration: "I can't leave... The river is collapsing! Even the endless void is no longer safe. Only the myriad realms can preserve us!" The myriad realms possessed exceptionally dense Yang qi! At this moment, leaving the realm domain meant death from the lack of Yang qi. This was something Shi had never anticipated. He flew toward them swiftly, drawing close to the myriad realms yet not daring to enter, his posture fraught with dread and helplessness. He had no choice but to return! He had originally thought: I won't participate in this battle. If I can't afford to provoke you, can't I at least hide? In the end, he was wrong! He couldn't hide! Shi lamented with sorrow, "This is a battle all of us are destined to take part in... There is no avoiding it!" The endless void continued to crumble, countless rifts opening to swallow everything. Only the realm domain remained intact! This meant there was nowhere else left to hide. At this moment, the myriad realms were the only safe haven. Outside, even Shi with thirty-six Daos couldn't endure it, let alone anyone else. Su Yu chuckled. "It seems today truly is the final battle. Everything converges in the myriad realms. The myriad realms—the starting point of creation, and its terminus!" He looked toward the river, then toward the cosmic void. If nothing went amiss, the spirit of Heaven and Earth and the Seventh of the Human Gate, if they truly existed, had already descended upon the myriad realms! At this moment, two figures emerged beside Su Yu. Wan Tiansheng and Lan Tian! Both appeared simultaneously. Wan Tiansheng's aura was exceedingly bizarre, his strength barely reaching thirty-two Daos. Su Yu could only think... useless! You devoured so many Great Daos, and I had such high hopes for you—how are you only at thirty-two Daos? Lan Tian's aura was even weaker, hovering around twenty-five Daos. Still, Lan Tian never relied on raw power. Right now, Wan Tiansheng was acting strangely. His eyes were somewhat dull, then turned wicked a moment later. He looked at Su Yu, seemingly speaking against his own will in an eerie tone: "Little Su Yu... are we ready to play?" The next instant, he shook his head violently, his face turning dark. "Su Yu, that wasn't me just now!" Over the past few days, he had experienced countless lives and memories, leaving his mind slightly fractured. A moment later, full of demonic malice, he sneered coldly, "Su Yu, magnificent work! Slaughter every last one of them!" "..." The crowd stared at him. Looking at the bewitching Lan Tian beside Wan Tiansheng, and then at the smiling Su Yu, everyone suddenly felt a chill down their spines—a dread even deeper than the impending descent of the Human Gate. All three of these fellows were completely out of their minds. The ever-shifting Lan Tian, the remorseless killer Su Yu, and the half-saint, half-demon Wan Tiansheng. Even Qiong, in the midst of devouring the world, took an uneasy step backward. Beside him, the Lord of Dead Spirits also felt disgusted. How had all these guys ended up like this? Previously it was just Lan Tian switching faces every few seconds; now Wan Tiansheng was doing it too. Fortunately, Wan Tiansheng adjusted after a moment. His face regained its former scholarly smile, looking gentle and cultured as he cupped his hands to the surroundings, speaking apologetically: "I frightened you all. My apologies, my apologies... How unrefined of me. Earlier, my cultivation suffered a slight deviation due to advancing too quickly. Thus, the path of cultivation must be taken step by step!" With an air of scholarly grace, he chuckled softly. "Cultivation cannot be achieved overnight. I stand before you as a negative example. When teaching students in the future, one must instruct them never to emulate me!" Su Yu crossed his arms, his saber tucked against his chest, smiling radiantly. "Manor Head, drop the act! We're all on the same side here—let's speak openly!" Wan Tiansheng sighed repeatedly, not bothering to pay him any mind. Vulgar! Never mind that you dress in white robes trying to play the scholar; to your very bones, you are an uncouth brute. I am nothing like you! At this moment, the Heavenly Gate and Earth Gate looked toward them as well, their expressions solemn and slightly strange. These fellows... seemed to have been waiting all along! Su Yu sighed with emotion. "The Human Gate is finally about to arrive. Your Majesty Human Sovereign, stop fighting! What's the point? Let's just watch the show. When the three gates converge and the river compresses, everyone who needs to come out will come out! Who knows if the Lord of Time will show up... If he does, it'll be even more fun!" Su Yu laughed. "Hurry up and stop fighting! If you keep at it, Ji Tian will unleash his ultimate move. He'll kill Jingtian first to calm his nerves and strengthen himself, the Human Gate will descend directly, all the unities will be devoured... and he'll leap straight into a powerhouse of forty Daos! Ji Tian, how do you like the path I've laid out for you?" Ji Tian's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Are you trying to sow discord between us?" Su Yu curled his lip and scoffed. "I stopped playing those tricks ages ago! Childish! Originally, you wanted to devour the Prison King, but unfortunately, I snatched her away. My apologies, old classmate! If there's a next life, I'll fulfill your wish!" Ji Tian looked thoroughly grim! Right then, Jingtian suddenly sighed and shook his head. "Old classmate, in the end, you know me best!" Before Su Yu could process it, Jingtian and Ji Tian merged in an instant! Su Yu's mouth hung open. Only after a long pause did he blurt out, "Holy crap! You already took control of Jingtian long ago? Or were there only ever seven Great Sages in the Human Gate to begin with?" Having fused with Jingtian, Ji Tian smiled warmly. "The Human Gate only has seven Great Sages; where would an eighth come from? I was merely startled back then and split off Jingtian. I thought I'd have a bit of fun with an old classmate... but you just had to expose me!" "..." At this moment, the Human Sovereign and the others were completely stunned! Under this merger, Ji Tian's aura surged violently, climbing to thirty-nine Daos in the blink of an eye and continuing toward forty Daos. Yet just as he reached the peak of thirty-nine Daos, it abruptly stopped! Ji Tian sighed and shook his head. "My old classmate was right about one thing... You devoured my Prison King... You truly screwed me over!" He looked toward Wan Tiansheng and suddenly smiled. "Still... this isn't bad either!" At this moment, the surroundings fell into an eerie, suffocating silence!