If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them

By this point, the myriad realms held no more secrets. Perhaps this river carved out by the Lord of Time was merely a corner in the vast, boundless chaos universe, but right now, it truly stood at the very center of everyone's desires—a supreme world of treasures that everyone dreamed of seizing! The Earth Gate coveted it, Ji Tian coveted it, and everyone else coveted it just as fiercely! At this moment, the Heavenly Gate and the Earth Gate were converging. The Heavenly Gate continuously compressed the river toward the Earth Gate. Once the Heavenly Gate compressed it all the way over, the Earth Gate would likely merge with it. At that point, no one knew what level of strength he would attain. Over forty Daos? How much over forty? The Earth Gate had mentioned that the Blood Ancestor possessed forty-five Daos of power back then and was still killed despite being the supreme powerhouse of this chaos. Perhaps the Earth Gate was not on par with him, but there was no way to be sure. Regardless, this fellow would most likely not reach forty-five Daos. Even so, he was far beyond what Su Yu could match. Did Su Yu… still have a chance? Could he rely on the Spirit of the River? Su Yu could not even tell whether the Spirit of the River was good or evil. In truth, virtually none of them were good people; almost every supreme powerhouse across the entire heaven and earth had their own private schemes. The river surged violently! At this moment, the figures of the Lord of Dead Spirits and Lan Tian also faintly materialized within the river, shuttling swiftly through it as though they too hoped to seize control over it. Neither the Spirit of the River nor the Seventh of the Human Gate had shown themselves. It was impossible to tell whether they were locked in combat or hiding in the depths of the river, biding their time for the final moment. Right then, Qiong and the others swiftly turned to look at Su Yu. What were they going to do? At this stage, Su Yu and Qiong were merely thirty-nine-Dao powerhouses. Turning the tables seemed nearly impossible! Ji Tian had not emerged yet either. By the time he appeared, he might already be at forty Daos. Meanwhile, Wan Tiansheng's face had manifested on the Human Gate, clearly attempting to seize control of the gate, but would Ji Tian let Wan Tiansheng go? Impossible! Ji Tian harbored his own designs and would never spare Wan Tiansheng! "Su Yu!" Just then, Wen Yu looked toward Su Yu and sent a hurried transmission: "They are all growing stronger while we can do nothing. Are we just going to stand by and watch? Your world and mine are similar, and there is a possibility of fusion… How about merging my world into your body?" The Time Master's world was the most similar to Su Yu's! Perhaps it could give Su Yu a boost, allowing him to step into forty Daos. The Human Sovereign also sent a voice transmission: "Though the worlds belonging to Second Brother Wen and me aren't too close to yours… world power is still useful. Absorbing the power of our worlds might also allow you to take another step forward!" Only then might Su Yu possess the qualifications to battle Ji Tian, the Earth Gate, the Spirit of the River, and the Seventh of the Human Gate to stake out a future! Everyone pinned their hopes on Su Yu. Even Qiong, despite knowing his own prestigious origin, believed that… he definitely could not beat those fellows. Moreover, if the Spirit of the River truly was Cang… that would spell huge trouble. The fellow might even want to devour him! Su Yu, on the other hand, was truly ruthless and might hold a chance. At this moment, Qiong spoke up somewhat awkwardly: "If you can reach forty Daos or more, this old man will transform into a sword—the number one weapon under heaven! If you wield the Heaven-Opening Sword, you might just stand a fighting chance!" He had thrown caution to the wind! As a sword, he despised being wielded by others, and he didn't believe anyone in this heaven and earth possessed the right to control him. Yet if there truly was no other way… what was wrong with turning into a sword for someone to use just once? It wasn't out of the question! Just do it! At this stage, victory and defeat hung on a single breath. If they lost, everything was finished anyway; if they won, everyone would rejoice! Su Yu smiled and shook his head. The group frowned. At this juncture, was Su Yu giving up by refusing? Or did he think the Spirit of the River and the Seventh of the Human Gate would battle until both were wounded, letting him reap the benefits? Impossible! Under current circumstances, once the Earth Gate merged and Ji Tian emerged, they would both likely target Su Yu's group first, extracting enough yang qi to empower themselves before participating in the subsequent struggle! As for the so-called yang qi, Su Yu and his companions had already formed a rough judgment—it was likely the human dao aura native to this heaven and earth! Because this world had been created by the Lord of Time. In this world, humans inherently carried human dao aura, barring outsiders from entering. As for why people of the ancient era could not survive here, it was because they had been sealed outside the myriad realms by the gates for so many years that they likely lacked sufficient human dao aura. The Earth Gate, Heavenly Gate, and Human Gate had sealed off the myriad realms, causing those ancient beings to lack human dao aura and leaving them unable to gain a foothold here. Only a few top powerhouses could still hold out. Killing Su Yu and his allies to seize abundant human dao aura and strengthen themselves before battling the others—that was likely the plan shared by every faction! Those among them who had opened their own worlds were especially tantalizing prizes in everyone's eyes! "Su Yu…" The Human Sovereign wanted to say more, but Su Yu shook his head once again. Merge with the worlds of the Human Sovereign and the others? Worlds were not so easily fused. After merging, their worlds might decay into ruin, bringing them to extinction. For a world master, grafting a Great Dao into Su Yu's world was exceptionally difficult. Besides, doing so would disrupt the balance of Su Yu's world. The Seventh of the Human Gate likely corresponded to the Dao of Tribulation. The Spirit of the River likely corresponded to the power of the Myriad Daos. Right now, those two were very likely inside the river, still locked in confrontation or even tangled in battle. The Earth Gate had allied with the Seventh of the Human Gate. Ji Tian, on the other hand, had likely allied with the Spirit of the River. Yet both harbored sinister designs, likely intending to devour even the Spirit of the River and the Seventh of the Human Gate alongside everything else. Just as he was pondering this, a thunderous boom erupted! The Human Gate shuddered violently! Upon the surface of the Human Gate, Wan Tiansheng's face emerged, twisted in pain and fury. The next moment, Ji Tian's voice rang out with a chuckle: "I knew you would enter the Human Gate, Second Grandpa. But coming in is easy; getting out is hard! Second Grandpa, you might as well merge into me! Back then, when your future self shattered, it must have been the work of that Seventh fellow Su Yu mentioned…" The future self was clearly linked to the Spirit of the River. The Seventh of the Human Gate had likely played tricks in secret as well, unwilling to let their plans succeed, thereby creating a rival for Ji Tian. The Dao of Seven Emotions and Six Desires was something no normal person could cultivate successfully, yet Wan Tiansheng had established a connection with this sealing gate. At this moment, the Human Gate trembled violently! Wan Tiansheng's face twisted in agony. Clearly, Ji Tian had slaughtered all the beings within the Human Gate and was now eroding the sealing gate, aiming to seize Wan Tiansheng's Great Dao power. "Sigh!" Su Yu let out a sigh tinged with helplessness. "Old classmate, do me a favor. That's your Second Grandpa after all. How about letting him go?" Ji Tian chuckled. "Su Yu, are you truly playing dumb or are you genuinely an idiot?" Right now, the Heavenly and Earth Gates were squeezing the river, seeking to compress and devour it. He had to accelerate resolving Wan Tiansheng. If he dragged it out and the Heavenly and Earth Gates merged first, he would be in grave danger! "You people! You still don't understand!" Su Yu adopted an air of seasoned maturity and laughed. "Especially you, Ji Tian. I couldn't be bothered to deal with you and was merely giving you a chance. Are you refusing to cherish it?" Ji Tian nearly laughed out loud. At this point, did Su Yu still think he could turn things around? Impossible! Once the Heavenly and Earth Gates merged, they would immediately hunt down Su Yu! Once he devoured Wan Tiansheng, he would hunt down Su Yu immediately as well! Both sides had a chance to win. Only Su Yu, the third party, had no chance whatsoever. That was the very reason they had ignored him earlier, allowing him to slaughter so many powerhouses. You have no chance at all! Your killing only served to help us carry out our plans. "Ji Tian, are you really refusing to let this drop?" "Noisy!" Ji Tian thought Su Yu had gone completely mad! Su Yu shrugged. "Originally, I was hesitating between dealing with the Heavenly and Earth Gates or dealing with you. But now, I'm not overthinking it. You're just too irritating. If I don't get rid of you, I won't even be in a good mood!" "Su Yu… do you think I am still the same as before?" Ji Tian's laughter echoed across the void. "Leaving aside whether you can breach this sealing gate, even if you could, this seat has already broken through to forty Daos and will soon attain forty-one Daos of power! Do you truly believe you can match me? Even if all of you join forces, you cannot do anything to me!" At this point, even Qiong couldn't hold back anymore: "Su Yu, do you have a plan or not? If you don't, stop boasting!" It was driving him mad! Su Yu talked a big game, yet hadn't made a single move. It was infuriating! Why not take a gamble right now and charge straight into the Human Gate to try their luck? Why make so many empty threats! If you can't even breach this sealing gate, how can you talk about dealing with Ji Tian! Unable to endure any longer, Qiong roared, "This old man will go test whether this sealing gate can be broken…" Buzz! A longsword shot forth with peerless, overwhelming momentum, slashing toward the Human Gate! Neither the Earth Gate nor Ji Tian reacted, regarding him with sheer indifference. Fool! Not everything could be solved through reckless brute force. If it were truly that simple, Su Yu would have attacked long ago. It was precisely because Su Yu saw through it that he held back. Striking now was merely asking for punishment! Boom! A tremendous roar rang out. Sure enough, a muffled groan followed as the sword rebounded backwards. Cracks had spread across the blade, leaving the already damaged Heaven-Opening Sword even more fractured! Qiong instantly resumed human form, visibly shaken, and couldn't help cursing: "The river is a unified whole?" When he struck just now, the entire river seemed to act as one! His attack against the sealing gate had been met with the counter-force of the entire river, nearly jolting him to death. Had it not been for his immense strength and his true form being the Heaven-Opening Sword, that single rebound might have shattered him! Terrifying! No wonder Su Yu hadn't made a move and had simply stood watching; there was simply no way to strike. The Earth Gate's calm voice echoed: "Qiong, you are as naive and foolish as ever. If the river could be breached so easily, I would have killed Ji Tian and Wan Tiansheng long ago while their strength was inferior to mine, rather than waiting until now." Ji Tian's laughter also drifted over: "Su Yu, you see it now. Do you still think you can kill me? Having Second Grandpa try to seize the sealing gate was your greatest mistake! Delivering nourishment right to my doorstep! "Originally, you seized much of the Human Gate's Dao, and I thought it might prove troublesome. Had you devoured it yourself, I truly wouldn't have had many options. Yet your greed knew no bounds—insisting that Wan Tiansheng devour it to seize the sealing gate… Greed never brings good results!" "Noisy!" Su Yu curled his lip and cursed back. He looked toward the face on the Human Gate, twisted in agony—it was Wan Tiansheng's face. Clearly, Ji Tian was actively eroding him! "Principal!" Su Yu called out. Wan Tiansheng let out a pained groan, holding his breath as he muttered in a low voice, "What are you shouting for… I'm busy!" With that, he forced out a reply: "This sealing gate… is… is just a filter… not some… world! It's a treasure specifically meant to absorb origins… and extract emotional daos… The origin power inside… is remarkably dense…" Contrary to previous assumptions, this sealing gate was neither a world nor a Great Dao, but a treasure that stored an immense quantity of origin power. It absorbed the origins of the Myriad Daos and the myriad realms, extracting the emotional daos to deliver the Seventh. Naturally, it was also a supreme treasure! The origin of the myriad realms was inherently invaluable. Right now, Wan Tiansheng was rapidly absorbing this origin power to strengthen himself and resist his opponent. While struggling desperately to hold on, he groaned in pain: "Under normal circumstances… this bastard shouldn't have been able to enter the sealing gate… I finally realize what an enormous mistake Zhou made… giving him a complete physical body, a body of perfect compatibility… As an emotional spirit, he was merely an entity sealed behind the gate and couldn't enter… Now it's done for… Damn you, Zhou…" Ji Tian laughed. "You are right. Over all these years, the most correct thing Zhou ever did was forging and birthing the physical body of Zhou Ji! Otherwise, just as you said, not only could I not enter the sealing gate, but even moving my true body in and out would have been difficult; I would have had to rely on the gates of cultivators who practiced the Human Gate's Dao. But now, that is unnecessary. I can come and go as I please!" "I am your grandfather after all… Killing me is truly… unfilial!" Wan Tiansheng managed a dry laugh amid his suffering. Ji Tian continued to erode him, chuckling: "Second Grandpa, not my blood grandfather—just Second Grandpa, understand? Besides… it was merely the reincarnation of a Divine Character. You didn't truly equate Wan Mingze with me, did you?" Wan Tiansheng couldn't be bothered to respond, groaning in torment: "Su Yu, this grandson of mine… isn't weak… He's eroding my power. If this continues, not only will I be devoured by this bastard, but even the origin power in this sealing gate will be consumed by him! "If you have a way… use it quickly!" Su Yu sighed softly. "I was just bluffing him. There's no way. You might as well accept your fate and let him devour you!" "You wretched thing…" Wan Tiansheng let out a pained snarl. Su Yu was utterly irresponsible! Even the Human Sovereign and the others were left helpless, turning to look at Su Yu. Was there truly no way? Su Yu smiled. "It's fine. Ji Tian wouldn't dare devour Old Wan! Old Wan's Dao of Seven Emotions and Six Desires is still connected to my world and hasn't completely detached. If he devours Old Wan, he will be countered by me… I'm just waiting for him to devour him!" "..." Everyone was rendered speechless! Utterly speechless! If you say that out loud… will it still work? If that was truly your plan, you should have kept your mouth shut! At times, they felt Su Yu was simply incomprehensible. If you couldn't bring yourself to be ruthless, let Wan Tiansheng be devoured and see if your Dao could counter Ji Tian from within. But now that you blurted it out, even if he wasn't on guard before, he certainly would be now! Sure enough, Ji Tian chuckled: "I feel it… But Su Yu, you underestimate this sealing gate. Within this gate, any hope of controlling these Daos is wishful thinking! "Once I devour him and completely digest these Daos, who controls whom will be another story!" "Is that so?" Su Yu wore an expression of surprise. Wan Tiansheng couldn't help cursing: "It is! I can feel it… Your world is completely cut off, completely undetectable… You've ruined me!" "Principal Wan, don't say that on purpose just to trap Ji Tian! Ji Tian is a smart person; you can't fool him!" Su Yu teased. Ji Tian finally lost his patience, snapping angrily: "Su Yu, are you still trying to play the empty fort strategy with me at this point? You understand nothing. This sealing gate inherently isolates heavens and worlds! Otherwise, it would have been swallowed by the Earth Gate long ago!" Su Yu was still trying to play tricks on him at this late hour—it was useless! He was definitely consuming Wan Tiansheng! "Who said that?" Su Yu continued smiling. "Others might be isolated, but would I? Old Wan mastered the Dao of Seven Emotions and Six Desires, which means I mastered it as well. If Old Wan can enter, naturally I can enter… Ji Tian, do you understand? This gate does not isolate emotional daos, understand? You absolute idiot, if it could isolate emotional daos, how did you get in? How did Old Wan get in?" "..." Ji Tian's heart stirred, but he quickly sneered: "Even if it isn't isolated, so what… Su Yu, you have no way to deal with me. My strength surpasses yours. Even if you can still control these Daos, I will sever them so you cannot!" This time, Qiong truly could not contain himself, shouting angrily: "Su Yu, what are you trying to do? Either set a trap to kill him or just charge in! You told him everything—how are we supposed to fight now?" Su Yu rolled his eyes. What was this fellow causing trouble for! "Don't rush!" Don't rush? Qiong was genuinely anxious! If they didn't come up with a solution, he was going to defect—maybe that would offer a way out! Su Yu felt somewhat helpless, complaining resentfully: "Don't rush! Don't I need time? They need time, and I need time too! Qiong, your impatient temper is truly annoying, you know that? To think I even praised you for being adorable; you're not adorable at all!" Qiong froze slightly. What did that mean? Su Yu suddenly grinned again. "The Dao of Emotion—I understand this. Seven Emotions and Six Desires… Ji Tian isn't human after all. What does he know about emotion? What does he know about fury? About love? He's just a program, yet he acts like a grandmaster of the Dao of Emotion… I never took him seriously; who has the leisure to care about this guy!" Was he boasting? Just as Qiong wondered, Su Yu smiled: "Let me show you all something fun. To tell the truth, I never considered dealing with Ji Tian a challenge. My targets have always been the Spirit of the River and the Seventh of the Human Gate… and now perhaps the Earth Gate as well. After all, he's quite formidable and relies on genuine capability. As for Ji Tian, forget it—it's all superficial!" As soon as these words fell, not only them, but even the Earth Gate couldn't help speaking up: "Su Yu, even at this point, you still…" Boast! "What about me?" Su Yu laughed. At that very moment, his physical body suddenly detached, and Su Yu walked right out of it, smiling: "What about me, huh?" Everyone was shaken! At this moment, Su Yu stepped out of his physical body like a spirit, a radiant smile on his face: "Did I boast? I never boast. When it comes to dealing with Ji Tian, I truly excel at it… believe it or not!" A spirit! At this moment, the expressions of the Human Sovereign and the others changed slightly. What was Su Yu doing? The next instant, their expressions changed even more drastically. Faces began to emerge across this spirit's form—grotesque, terrifying, sending chills down the spine and making anyone's scalp tingle at a glance! Su Yu laughed. "Wasn't I busy merging everyone's wills? Qiong just knows how to urge, urge, urge! Use your brain—before doing something big, shouldn't one take time to build up?" Faces appeared across his shoulders and chest, utterly horrifying! Even Qiong felt his hairs stand on end! Su Yu's smile made his scalp crawl! "The Dao of Emotion and Desire is too easy to deal with… yet you didn't believe me!" Su Yu walked step by step toward the river, toward the Human Gate. As he walked, a head seemed to slip off his body. Su Yu scooped it up, shoved it back onto his chest, and chuckled: "Fur Ball, stop playing around. Your face fell off… If you can't pick it back up, it'll be trouble!" "Oh!" Su Yu smiled. As he walked, a face suddenly emerged within the river, constantly shifting, wearing a faint smile: "Need help?" Su Yu nodded with a grin: "Of course! Wasn't I waiting for you? If I weren't waiting for you, I'd have finished long ago! Come, merge in, and then we'll go merge with Old Wan. The three of us will show everyone something fun… Watch how we slaughter Ji Tian!" "Sounds good!" Lan Tian smiled as well. The next moment, countless human faces rapidly merged into Su Yu. As Su Yu walked forward, more and more faces covered his body, packed densely together! It was terrifying to the extreme! At this moment, Qiong, the Human Sovereign, and the others all swallowed hard. That sensation… was truly horrifying! Whether facing the Earth Gate or Ji Tian, despite their immense power, the group felt only vigilance and gravity, but lacked fear. Yet facing Su Yu at this moment, they were filled with dread! Not far away, the Earth Gate looked upon the countless eyes and myriad human faces covering Su Yu's body, his expression turning solemn in an instant! Truly, within the myriad realms, Ji Tian was not frightening. As for the Spirit of the River and the Seventh of the Human Gate, only the Seventh had given him an unnatural impression. Yet compared to Su Yu right now… that so-called World Destroyer seemed remarkably normal! Su Yu's body was now covered in human faces and eyes. Some eyes held curiosity, some carried smiles, some appeared venomous, and some were breaking down emotionally… The face on Su Yu's head shifted constantly. One moment it turned into Lan Tian, asking with curiosity: "How do we handle him?" The next, it shifted back to Su Yu, laughing: "Simple. Just watch!" Then it transformed into the Martial Emperor, grumbling with frustration: "Let me out to breathe! It's too cramped around the neck!" A moment later, it turned into Tianmie, brimming with excitement: "Do we need to scrap?" Constantly shifting! Shifting again and again, talking to himself repeatedly, all from a single mouth. At this moment, the myriad realms fell deathly silent. Even the Human Sovereign and the others could only watch, unable to intervene, having no idea what to do. …… At this moment, within the sealing gate. Two wills were clashing. One will was relentlessly devouring the other—it was Ji Tian dealing with Wan Tiansheng. Yet at this moment, Ji Tian suddenly took human form, his expression shifting as he looked outside toward Su Yu, who was walking over! His face darkened, tinged with unease, and he snapped: "Su Yu, don't think making yourself look so repulsive can frighten this seat!" "Who has the leisure to frighten you?" Su Yu's laughter echoed inward: "Ji Tian, this is my will, my spirit! Destroy this will of mine and I die. Then you can do whatever you want—happy now?" The next instant, Su Yu stepped inside. The colossal Human Gate that had previously repelled Qiong failed to stop Su Yu. Or rather, it showed no reaction at all, allowing Su Yu to enter freely. Because at this moment, Su Yu was also a spirit, a will, an ever-shifting emotion! "Truly, Ji Tian. As I said, dealing with you is remarkably simple!" At this moment, Su Yu stepped into the interior of the Human Gate. It resembled a boundless ocean, where countless origin powers surged like waves throughout the entire space. Wan Tiansheng had resumed human form, looking frail, currently held and eroded by Ji Tian! "Principal, why are you resisting?" Wan Tiansheng couldn't help rolling his eyes: "If I don't resist, won't I get eaten?" "If you get eaten, so be it!" Su Yu laughed. "He's an emotional dao, you're an emotional dao, and I am emotion—we all are! Once we're devoured and merged, who knows who will take the lead or who will become the core! When dealing with these fellows, one must naturally employ unconventional methods!" The next moment, Su Yu closed the distance in an instant! Subconsciously, Ji Tian threw a punch toward Su Yu, unwilling to let him get close! Su Yu's approach made him uneasy! Ji Tian possessed immense power. His punch carried a potent emotional dao, imbued with fury and a sliver of dread! Yet when the punch landed, Su Yu suddenly grabbed hold of the fist, a brilliant grin revealing his teeth: "Old classmate, let's merge! All these millions of emotions, merging together… Perhaps… you will be the one who takes control! If you win, you take the lead and slaughter everyone. If I win, I'll take the lead. How does that sound?" Ji Tian's face changed drastically! The next moment, he roared: "Get lost!" He understood Su Yu's intention! This madman wanted to use the same trick Lan Tian had used against Tian to deal with him! He refused to accept it. He threw another punch, but Su Yu gripped his fist tightly, wildly initiating the fusion, laughing: "I won't get lost! Old classmate, truly, let's merge! You might win! If you win, you'll be even stronger! Not only will you devour Old Wan, but you'll devour me as well, and Lan Tian too… You will become a truly supreme powerhouse!" "Get away from me!" Ji Tian suddenly erupted in fury, dread flickering in his eyes: "You're mad! Su Yu, you've gone completely mad! After blending together, will you and I still be ourselves? I refuse to become such a lunatic…" After blending, would he still be himself? "Su Yu, are you truly not afraid of death? Su Yu… let go!" He struck wildly. At this moment, fueled by boundless wrath, he threw punch after punch into Su Yu. Yet Su Yu gradually dissolved into his fist, smiling: "You don't understand… This is what they call winning big and losing nothing! If I lose, I was going to lose anyway, so losing is just losing. But if I win… I make a massive profit! "I'm truly curious—why do all of you always assume that I, Su Yu, can't afford to lose, that I can't afford to die? I am human too; why can't I afford to lose or die? I have nothing to lose, while you are the ones with everything at stake… So why do you keep provoking me? I can afford to lose. The ones who can't afford to lose… are all of you!" Ji Tian's expression twisted violently! Su Yu was merging rapidly. Rather than devouring him, Su Yu was actively dissolving into him! Ji Tian struggled frantically in terror and rage, bellowing: "Get out! Su Yu… get out… I won't devour Wan Tiansheng anymore…" He didn't know whether his will was stronger than Su Yu's group, but he knew that, just as Su Yu had said, he could not afford to lose, nor did he want to lose! At this moment, he suddenly felt Su Yu was entirely right! Su Yu had nothing to lose; he had nothing left. He was going to lose either way, so why would he care about any of this? He didn't care! Even if he lost, he would still blend into Ji Tian's emotions, disrupting Ji Tian enough to drive him mad as well! Why had he provoked this lunatic? Ji Tian let out a ferocious roar and suddenly detonated his arm! He wanted to blast Su Yu and the others out! Not only that, but Ji Tian began retreating rapidly, preparing to exit the Human Gate. The interior of the sealing gate was filled with emotional power; interfering and merging with each other here made unexpected mutations far too likely! Once outside, without the additional influence of these powers, it would be far harder for Su Yu to invade him! At this moment, Ji Tian felt a twinge of regret. He shouldn't have rushed to devour Wan Tiansheng! He had never expected Su Yu to enter voluntarily, bringing Lan Tian and the others along to merge into him proactively, just as Lan Tian had done back then. He had thought Lan Tian was an anomaly, never imagining Su Yu was even more terrifying than Lan Tian! …… Outside at this moment. The Earth Gate's expression shifted slightly. Having taken the form of a gigantic man, he looked toward the Heavenly Gate, which was rapidly compressing the river. The Heavenly Gate was about to join him. He remained silent, a sense of dread rising within him as well! This madman Su Yu… Truly, having observed the myriad realms across countless ages, this tide contained the most lunatics! These people simply did not fear death! Once an entity like Ji Tian, birthed from the Dao of Emotion, lost control and had his emotions scrambled, Su Yu could very well turn the tables, making Ji Tian his nourishment—and vice versa! Yet the reverse was completely different! If Ji Tian won, he might go mad. If Su Yu won, all Ji Tian offered him was an influx of various emotions, making him even more unhinged. Making a madman even crazier… had virtually no downside for him! Only now did the Earth Gate understand what Su Yu meant earlier by claiming he excelled at dealing with the Dao of Emotion. It wasn't about head-on combat! "Press!" The giant gate roared in a low voice. In the distance, the Heavenly Gate compressed the river once more, drawing closer and closer to him! Yet right at this moment, between the Heavenly Gate and the Earth Gate, surges of death qi suddenly emerged. These waves of death qi absorbed some of the compressive force between the two, slowing their rate of convergence! The Lord of Dead Spirits' cold voice echoed through the world: "Did you ask me? My Great Dao is also part of this river. Did I give you permission to merge?" Death qi erupted violently, churning the river until half turned black and half turned white! "Hmph!" The Earth Gate snorted coldly. Can you match me? I will suppress you all the same! You are not Su Yu! Facing these top powerhouses—these normal powerhouses—the Earth Gate felt no fear. Across the myriad realms, the one who most resembled a demon was Su Yu. Even then, he did not fear Su Yu, but was merely unsettled by his methods! Right now, while Su Yu was occupied with Ji Tian, regardless of who won, it boded ill for him. He had to unify swiftly! Down below, the Human Sovereign sensed all of this. He looked toward the violently trembling Human Gate, then toward the Heavenly and Earth Gates, and at the Lord of Dead Spirits caught between them. Clearly, the Lord of Dead Spirits was no match and would soon be suppressed to the point of being unable to survive! "Sigh!" With a soft sigh, the Human Sovereign chuckled: "Who among us wasn't born from the Daos of the river? You make it sound as if our Daos were birthed outside the river…" King Wen smiled as well. "Indeed! None of our Daos came from nowhere. They were all born within this river before we opened our worlds…" He looked toward the Human Sovereign: "The few of us have nearly been forgotten! That fellow Su Yu treats us like we're dispensable—fighting if we can, leaving us behind if we can't. He's really making us lose face!" The Human Sovereign nodded: "Yes, quite humiliating!" As he spoke, his world manifested, and a figure was yanked out by the Human Sovereign. Marquis Tongtian looked thoroughly depressed. Why grab me again? He was a gate and had not merged into Su Yu. He had been lurking nearby the entire time, looking for an opportunity—though clearly, there was none. Now, he had been dragged out again! "Tongtian, the time has come to make use of you!" The Human Sovereign chuckled: "You were nurtured from the gate power we gathered. Whether it's the Heavenly Gate, the Earth Gate, or the Human Gate, you can connect to them all!" With that, the Human Sovereign smiled: "Work hard and transmit us into the Earth Gate!" Huh? Tongtian looked utterly shocked. You're… making things impossible for me! You're all at thirty-six Daos and carrying your worlds—how am I supposed to transmit you? "Hurry up… If you burst, you burst. I'll preserve your spirit and craft you a new body later… If all else fails, once we kill the Heavenly and Earth Gates, there's still the Human Gate. You can pick any of the three, or take all of them!" That… didn't sound like a bad deal! Tongtian also knew he couldn't refuse right now. Gritting his teeth, he transformed into a wretched-looking old man. In an instant, a gate opened—and this gate was rather unsightly, as the fellow stretched his mouth wide, turning his mouth into a massive doorway. Wisps of gate power surged upward, extending toward the river and toward the Heavenly and Earth Gates! The Earth Gate's expression changed slightly. With a cold snort that shook heaven and earth, he shattered the power Tongtian had sent forward! The gate Tongtian had formed shuddered violently, nearly breaking apart, and several of Tongtian's teeth fell out! The Human Sovereign cursed. This fellow! "Try again… Connect to the Heavenly Gate! The Earth Gate is the main body and too strong! The Heavenly Gate is busy compressing the river and lacks the power to deal with you. Hurry!" Tongtian nursing a toothache, opened his mouth wide again, turning into a gate as gate power extended once more, this time toward the Heavenly Gate! The Earth Gate's expression shifted again, letting out another cold snort. Yet bearing the weight of the river, he could not move freely. Under his cold snort, death qi suddenly erupted violently, shaking the river and preventing him from shattering Tongtian's gate power. As for the Heavenly Gate, it couldn't spare any strength at all; it had to focus entirely on compressing the river! In that instant, the gate power connected! Tongtian roared: "Get in!" The Human Sovereign and the others couldn't care about anything else. Though they desperately wanted to smash Tongtian's head in—the fellow had deliberately disgusted them by turning his mouth into the gate—they couldn't settle scores with him right now! In an instant, several powerhouses vanished! Just as Qiong was about to charge in, the Human Sovereign's voice drifted back: "Do not move… If Su Yu can suppress Ji Tian, look for a chance to sever his connection with the Human Gate!" Qiong stopped in his tracks. Look for a chance? Where am I supposed to find a chance! At this moment, the Heavenly Gate trembled violently. The instant the Human Sovereign and his companions entered, they did not attack. Instead, their worlds suddenly expanded within the Heavenly Gate, their three worlds churning violently! The Human Sovereign laughed: "Su Yu was right about one thing—we have nothing to lose, so we can afford to lose! You… cannot afford it! "Wen Yu, Second Brother, bolster my world's power! Today, let us take a gamble. If I win, wonderful! If I lose… I will expand my Responsibility Dao to its very pinnacle and let the Heavenly Gate absorb it… Hopefully, Senior Heavenly Gate will birth his own will and break free from the Earth Gate's control… Let your true body and clone fight it out!" At this moment, his world's Great Dao suddenly unfurled within the Heavenly Gate, while the world power of Wen Yu and King Wen poured into it frantically! The Human Sovereign did not launch a forceful assault either. Forcible attacks would only trigger the river's backlash. Merge! Indeed, Su Yu's approach had shown them an opportunity. The Human Sovereign intended to feed his entire Responsibility Dao to the Heavenly Gate, merging it in so the Heavenly Gate would birth a genuine will of its own—a will to protect the human race, to protect Su Yu, to protect those people! When that time came, things would be even more interesting! The Human Sovereign sat cross-legged within the Heavenly Gate, smiling faintly as his world's Great Dao dispersed wildly, boundless power pouring into the Heavenly Gate. He grinned brilliantly: "Su Yu truly is clever—if you can't beat them, join them! Who said we had to fight head-on? In this world, sheer strength doesn't guarantee victory! Senior Heavenly Gate, keep it up… Even a clone has its day to rise!" Rumble! Waves of Responsibility Dao power rapidly swelled, surging and merging inward! At this moment, the Earth Gate's expression changed completely! A direct attack did not frighten him. Yet these people weren't attacking directly; they were choosing to merge proactively, heedless of their worlds shattering, heedless of everything! If the Heavenly Gate truly devoured the Human Sovereign's Dao and transformed into a Dao of Responsibility, then… the consequences would be unimaginable! Would a clone truly never rebel? Not necessarily! Moreover, if the Heavenly Gate genuinely merged with the Human Sovereign's Dao, would the Earth Gate even dare absorb it? After absorbing it, would he become an entity like the Human Sovereign? Even if the Human Sovereign died, his Dao might invade and disrupt the Earth Gate, turning the Earth Gate into the next Human Sovereign rather than living as himself! Why were the people of the myriad realms, the people of this era, so thoroughly difficult to deal with? He couldn't help roaring: "Xingyu! Without your world, without your Dao, without your life… all just to make my clone stronger, why bother? Xingyu, I can promise you that you may lead some people out of the myriad realms… All of you may leave! All I want is the River of Time…" The Human Sovereign laughed: "Su Yu's method is truly divine! Look at that—earlier they were all screaming for our blood, and now they view us like floods and fierce beasts, like poison, wishing we would get lost immediately…" He suddenly felt that Su Yu was truly capable! We can afford to lose! What was there to fear? The ones who couldn't afford to lose were those who held the upper hand, those fellows who had schemed for countless ages! Right at this moment, in the distance, a blood-curdling screech suddenly erupted from the Human Gate. The next moment, it turned into frantic howls, and soon after, dissolved into mad laughter! A figure emerged within the Human Gate. It was Ji Tian, yet also Su Yu, Lan Tian, and Wan Tiansheng… That face shifted incessantly, bizarre and horrifying! One moment Ji Tian laughed like a maniac, the next he wailed in grief, then slumped into sorrowful lamentation, before barking and roaring in fierce bluster! Meanwhile, the Human Sovereign watched in silence, smiling as his world's Great Dao poured out frantically! Strengthening the Heavenly Gate! The Earth Gate's expression grew uglier by the second. This could not continue; something disastrous would happen. His clone might truly slip from his control. After all, the Heavenly Gate had taken human form for countless years; if it absorbed the Human Sovereign's Dao on top of that, it could become his own fatal flaw! Damn it! They were all lunatics, not a single normal person among them. This mutually destructive method of proactive fusion was an outcome he had never even considered! Ji Tian had already been driven to division and madness. Was he about to follow in Ji Tian's footsteps? At this moment, the Earth Gate wanted to roar, to howl, to vent his fury. This was not the outcome they wanted! He didn't want it, and neither did Ji Tian!