The More Painful, the More Real

No one wanted an outcome like this. At that moment, Ji Tian shrieked shrilly, "Su Yu... even if you assimilate me... will you still be yourself? You'll just live on as me, becoming the next Ji Tian..." Su Yu's voice drifted out faintly: "You are nothing more than emotions. Be it wrath, excitement, joy, or despair... what does any of it matter?" The Human Gate shuddered violently! Ji Tian roared frantically, his gaze shifting erratically—one moment calm, one moment furious, and the next consumed by sheer despair. *** Meanwhile, on the outside. The Earth Gate's expression shifted drastically. These lunatics did not care in the slightest whether they would still remain themselves. That was a dilemma reserved for the mighty; only the strong weighed such consequences. Why would the weaker side care about any of that? The Human Sovereign's Dao of Heaven and Earth surged relentlessly into the interior of the Heavenly Gate. If this continued, the Heavenly Gate would inevitably be influenced! Zhou, the Human Ancestor, was unconcerned by the influence of the Human Sovereign's Dao. He had originated from the human race to begin with. As for sheltering humanity, it made little difference to Zhou—he would shelter them if he could, and fulfill his duties if he was able. He was not fundamentally opposed to the human race, nor did he have any need to oppose them. He still required humanity's faith! Yet aside from Zhou, everyone else regarded the Human Sovereign's Dao as a scourge, a torrent of beasts. King Wen and Qiong alike dared not venture anywhere near it. At this moment, several 36-Dao powerhouses were continually strengthening the Human Sovereign's world and bolstering his Great Dao. If this went on, the Heavenly Gate would truly be converted! Listening to Ji Tian's bone-chilling roars and manic laughter, the Earth Gate's expression fluctuated, and he could barely suppress the urge to curse! What could he do? Right now, his options were grim. Both he and the Heavenly Gate were busy compressing the river, while the Lord of Dead Spirits was actively obstructing them. All of them had merged into the River of Time, which meant that if this persisted, he had no way to move freely—not unless he abandoned the compression and gave up fusing with his clone. Otherwise... he had no way to intervene! He had used the compression of the river to deter Su Yu and the others from attacking him, since any assault would draw the backlash of the river itself. But now, it was like spinning a cocoon around himself! Countless thoughts raced through the Earth Gate's mind. A moment later, his voice reverberated across heaven and earth, laden with a heavy, unwilling resonance: "Are the two of you still going to sit by and watch? Human Gate, it is time for you to appear! Do you intend to keep watching idly?" The Human Gate and the Spirit of the River! Both of them were within the River of Time as well. At that instant, a cold, mechanical voice echoed between heaven and earth: "Demonic Flame, you are too utterly useless!" Useless? The Earth Gate's face turned icy. Demonic Flame was his true name. His true form was a Demonic Flame Beast, a super ancient beast from the chaos who had been immensely powerful in the ancient past. Back then, in this expanse of the chaos, the Blood Ancestor had been the strongest, while he had ranked second. However, upon the Lord of Time's arrival, the Blood Ancestor, accustomed to domineering ways, clashed with him, suffered grave wounds, and perished. That twist of fate had made Demonic Flame the strongest existence here. Unfortunately, the Lord of Time was human, and the heaven and earth he left behind could only be entered by humans. He had schemed for countless years, waited for countless years, and constantly chipped away at the power of the river. Now, having finally glimpsed hope, he had compressed the river so that it could be swallowed up—only for this catastrophe to occur. The Earth Gate felt utterly suffocated! In terms of sheer might, how could these 36-Dao powerhouses compare to him? The Earth Gate said in a heavy voice, "If you refuse to intervene, I have nothing to lose. If I am truly influenced by Xingyu's Dao, the worst that happens is I guard the human race and defend this heaven and earth... But you—you are the object suppressed by this heaven and earth. When that happens, the one I will deal with is you!" The Earth Gate was ready to throw caution to the winds! If you refuse to step in, do not blame me. Even though he truly feared being swayed by the Human Sovereign's Dao, if pushed to that extreme, who would care about the consequences? At worst, I become a guardian beast of humanity. When that happens, everyone's target will be you, the Human Gate! "It will not be easy to stop them," a faint voice drifted across heaven and earth. Yet despite those words, a colossal devouring locust suddenly manifested within the river. Where other things were barred from entering, this monstrous devouring locust moved without hindrance, flying straight toward the Heavenly Gate! The Human Sovereign's expression shifted slightly! That devouring locust possessed formidable strength. Under circumstances where both the Heavenly Gate and the Earth Gate were tied down compressing the river and unable to retaliate, this locust wielded a staggering thirty-nine Daos of power—it was terrifyingly potent! Now, the devouring locust was bearing down on the Heavenly Gate. Once it entered, it would inflict catastrophic damage upon the Human Sovereign and his companions! Seeing this massive devouring locust emerge, the Earth Gate breathed a slight sigh of relief. Old Seventh of the Human Gate—as Su Yu called him—still held some apprehension after all. He feared the Earth Gate truly becoming a guardian of the river; that would spell immense trouble! At that very moment, a weathered, ancient voice echoed across heaven and earth: "Qiong, merge into the river and slay this demon!" Qiong had been waiting below for the so-called opportunity the Human Sovereign had spoken of. Hearing this, his expression shifted slightly, and he said coldly, "Are you Cang?" The Spirit of the River? He could not pinpoint where the two entities were located, but he could faintly sense that both were within the river. Most likely, both resided within the Book of Time, locked in a struggle for control or tangled in endless stalemate. The devouring locust was merely a construct of ruin forged by Old Seventh of the Human Gate. Yet the Spirit of the River had not conjured any powerful being to resist it. Perhaps his consumption had been too severe; after all, compared to Old Seventh, the Spirit of the River had already expended a vast amount of energy simply creating a future body for Su Yu. And now, the Spirit of the River had thought of Qiong! He wanted Qiong to join the battle! To merge into the River of Time! The Spirit of the River's voice sounded once more, laden with ancient weight: "As the Heaven-Opening Sword, you bear the duty and obligation to annihilate these devouring locusts that seek to destroy the river! You must understand that the Cangqiong Sword was forged precisely to purify and seal this demon! This demon possesses the power to bring ruin to the world... Qiong, merge immediately!" Qiong frowned and replied coldly, "I have already tried. The river rejects me!" He had made a move earlier, but now the river repelled any powerhouse who had not merged into it. Su Yu and the Human Sovereign had both merged their worlds into it, but Qiong had not! "Transform into a sword and merge... It will no longer reject you now!" Qiong deliberated over whether to make a move. The devouring locust was heading to attack the Human Sovereign and the others. As their ally, it was only natural for him to step in, but... why should he take orders from this fellow? He asked once more, "Are you Cang?" "I am, and yet I am not!" The Spirit of the River's voice resonated with ancient resonance: "The Cangqiong Sword has already shattered. The River of Time could also be called the River of Cangqiong! I have already broken free from the Cangqiong Sword... and merged into the river. You remain the Cangqiong Sword, whereas I... am no longer the sword!" Qiong felt somewhat frustrated and suddenly yelled, "Xingyu, should I go deal with that damn locust or not?" Right now, the giant devouring locust was tearing through the void and was about to breach the Heavenly Gate to attack the Human Sovereign's group. If Qiong did not act, the Human Sovereign and his companions would either have to divert their efforts to combat the locust, or be struck down by it. Either way, they would be unable to stop the convergence of the Heavenly Gate and the Earth Gate. At such a critical juncture, the appearance of a devouring locust wielding thirty-nine Daos of power was terrifying. Just then, the Human Gate shuddered violently. Ji Tian roared hysterically, his visage shifting back and forth between Su Yu's face and his own. Evidently, the battle of wills had reached a climactic turning point! At this moment, the Gate of Sealing rattled violently! The Human Sovereign's face turned grim. If Qiong came to their aid, they could better obstruct the union of the Heavenly and Earth Gates, but... Su Yu's side might be in even greater need of assistance. The Human Sovereign bellowed, "Go to the Gate of Sealing! Sever the connection between Ji Tian and the river, quickly!" Qiong hesitated no longer. In an instant, he merged into the river and slashed a sword toward the Gate of Sealing! The Spirit of the River sounded a mixture of anger and helplessness: "Reckless folly!" Meanwhile, the Human Sovereign surged to his feet and roared, "Join forces! Kill this devouring locust!" They abandoned their efforts to channel their Great Daos into the Heavenly Gate. They had to slaughter this devouring locust while everyone else was powerless to interfere; otherwise, they might not get another chance. An extra 39-Dao devouring locust roaming free was far too dangerous. As the Human Sovereign rose, he shouted once more: "Lord of Dead Spirits, stop interfering with the union of the Heavenly and Earth Gates... Help us kill this devouring locust!" A 39-Dao devouring locust was simply too powerful. Even with the four of them at 36 Daos, intercepting it was possible, but slaying it... would prove exceedingly difficult! The Human Sovereign had no way of knowing whether the Lord of Dead Spirits would continue hindering the convergence of the two gates or heed his call to help slay the creature. The Lord of Dead Spirits let out a cold snort, and death qi swept through heaven and earth. He ceased interfering with the two gates, and his death qi swirled toward the devouring locust with chilling indifference: "Very well. Then I shall await the union of the Heavenly and Earth Gates and the compression of the river. Once the Three Gates merge and draw out the true Book of the River and the Spirit of the River, those two scoundrels will have to show themselves as well!" The Lord of Dead Spirits understood why the Spirit of the River and his counterpart had not manifested. It was surely not easy for either of them to appear. However, the moment the Three Gates completely converged and compressed the myriad realms into a sphere, they would have no choice but to reveal themselves! "Dead Spirit Hell!" With a low roar, a hell materialized, instantly sweeping the devouring locust into his world. Within the river, the Lord of Dead Spirits stood atop a river of darkness, within which the colossal devouring locust furiously battered against the murky depths. Seeing this, the Human Sovereign and his companions abandoned their previous efforts, vanishing in an instant and reappearing beside the Lord of Dead Spirits. "Strike together! Kill!" Five great powerhouses joined forces, unleashing a terrifying display of combat power in an instant. The Earth Gate paid them no mind whatsoever! He had to seize this moment while they were powerless to intervene and swiftly merge with the Heavenly Gate. Once merged, he would no longer fear their meddling. At that point, his strength would skyrocket, potentially reaching forty-four Daos of power! By then, he would be second only to the Blood Ancestor of ancient times! With the Lord of Time absent, neither the Spirit of the River nor Old Seventh of the Human Gate would necessarily be his match. The Earth Gate was not entirely clear on their exact strength, but he had a rough idea; they were likely on par with the Blood Ancestor. Once he merged, even if he fell slightly short, the gap would not be vast. If not for such confidence, he would never have collaborated with them in the first place. He did not care whether the devouring locust died. If it perished, it would only deplete Old Seventh's strength, which was all the better for him. Such was the nature of their alliance: cooperate where necessary, but weaken each other whenever possible. "Converge! Compress!" The Earth Gate roared furiously. He had to compress and merge swiftly. If there were further delays and Su Yu truly destroyed Ji Tian... that would spell colossal trouble! Ji Tian was no weakling, and boundless origin power lay within the Gate of Sealing. If Su Yu killed Ji Tian and absorbed that origin, he would become terrifyingly formidable. Even if Ji Tian devoured Su Yu, the outcome would be the same. Neither of them was on his side anyway. They had collaborated previously to handle Su Yu's faction, but if Su Yu's group fell, war between the survivors would be inevitable. *** Rumble! Violent upheavals rocked the Gate of Sealing as immense quantities of origin power were absorbed by either Ji Tian or Su Yu. Ji Tian's aura fluctuated wildly with disparate, chaotic energies. Like a desperate beast with bloodshot eyes, Ji Tian shrieked in fury! "Su Yu... do not think you can defeat me..." Ji Tian's voice reverberated outward. Beyond the sight of all others, within the ocean of will, afterimages flickered—some of Su Yu, some of Lan Tian, some of Ji Tian, and countless other silhouettes. This was the realm of the will! It was not a conventional brawl. Or rather, Ji Tian desperately wanted to butcher them and tear them to shreds, but Su Yu refused to let him. Even in this ocean of wills, Su Yu was forcibly merging himself into Ji Tian! Every time Ji Tian tore into Su Yu, he was tearing into his own self, enduring excruciating agony! The ceaseless torment was driving Ji Tian mad. Yet every time Su Yu was ripped apart before him, delighted laughter echoed from his lips. "Old classmate... keep going! Keep tearing! Tear me apart! You have no idea how much I enjoy this sensation... To me, this feels utterly comfortable, utterly familiar..." Back when he was young and weak, every tear had carried this exact degree of agony. Now that he had grown mighty, though Ji Tian was overwhelmingly powerful, the intensity of the pain remained unchanged. Endless cycles of tearing had not broken Su Yu's mind. Indeed, his will remained as obstinate and resolute as ever, showing not the slightest hint of collapse. Amidst these countless tangled, chaotic wills, Su Yu's will shone as the brightest and most luminous! Just as it had always been! Unchanged in the slightest! All around them, the wills of Lan Tian, Wan Tiansheng, and the others were growing frail, teetering on the verge of annihilation. Yet Su Yu's will stood like a blazing sun, unwavering and indestructible! As for Ji Tian, his will was powerful too, but every act of tearing was a process of mutual destruction. The radiance of Ji Tian's will was growing noticeably dim. Tinged with despair and bitter reluctance, he looked at Su Yu, his voice even carrying a plea: "Su Yu, withdraw... Whatever you want, I can help you obtain it... We are not enemies. Our enemy is Old Seventh of the Human Gate..." Agitated, he continued frantically, "Old Seventh is the true horror! He is the incarnation of calamity, the root of all evil in heaven and earth... Do you have any idea what Old Seventh truly is?" "Not interested!" "No, no, Su Yu, you will be interested!" Ji Tian suddenly screamed in agony. Seeing that he had stopped attacking, Su Yu had simply ripped himself apart! Since he and Ji Tian were now fused into one, Su Yu's self-mutilation inflicted equal harm upon Ji Tian. Ji Tian wailed in torment and hastily blurted out, "Su Yu... think about it! A figure as mighty as the Lord of Time created this world... yet as powerful as he was, he had to sacrifice his own sword to do it! You must know that to a supreme being, a paramount divine weapon is not dispensable; it is a priceless treasure... This place is far less simple than you imagine..." "I do not know why the Lord of Time departed and never returned. Perhaps he died, perhaps he is trapped, or perhaps he simply cannot return... Regardless, this realm is of paramount importance. Paying the price of a sword, not to kill Old Seventh, but to seal and purify him... Do you still not comprehend the significance of Old Seventh?" Su Yu asked indifferently, "Significance? What significance? A divine character nurtured by the Lord of Time? Or his evil spirit? Or what else?" Did it matter what Old Seventh truly was? Not at all! Su Yu had never cared about such things. "It is of utmost importance..." Ji Tian knew that if he did not reveal something crucial, this lunatic Su Yu might truly rip him to pieces. He pleaded hurriedly, "The very reason the River of Time and the Gate of Sealing exist is to bestow emotion upon Old Seventh! The entire river, this entire heaven and earth—their ultimate purpose is to transform Old Seventh into a being possessed of emotion... rather than a heartless entity!" "I have caught glimpses of the truth and made deductions. Old Seventh's ultimate purpose is to become a spirit—a spirit imbued with feeling..." Su Yu continued tearing into himself. And then what? None of them were good things. Who cared if he was a spirit or not! Just slaughter them all. If they couldn't be killed, then they could all be destroyed together. Panicking, Ji Tian spoke rapidly: "This was likely intended by the Lord of Time to forge an even greater entity, or perhaps to open an even grander heaven and earth... or maybe it was a form of cultivation tied to his future path! At his core, Old Seventh is also a spirit... but a spirit meant to surpass all others..." "Therefore, he must be subdued! Otherwise, given enough time, the myriad realms will still be destroyed by him... Not only that, if he cannot be subdued and completes his transformation, the myriad realms will still meet their doom..." "Or if he escapes—Su Yu, if he flees, he might draw the attention of the Lord of Time, causing him to descend upon the myriad realms and obliterate them, because the myriad realms would no longer serve any purpose..." Su Yu smiled. "Have you said enough?" Ji Tian grew desperate: "No, there is more... I... I believe Old Seventh might merely be a component of a paramount weapon, or a fragment of a supreme heaven and earth, rather than a complete entity! Su Yu, if the Lord of Time is dead, then if we capture Old Seventh, we might transcend this place and no longer be confined to this realm! As powerful as this world is, it is merely one realm opened by the Lord of Time. In the boundless universe, there must be realms beyond ours... Su Yu, do you not wish to witness a broader heaven and earth?" "Su Yu, stop attacking... If this continues, both you and I will be destroyed!" Su Yu smiled. "No. The only one facing destruction is you, not me! Have you still not realized?" Realized what? Ji Tian stared in agony at Su Yu. At this moment, Su Yu still maintained his luminous state. Su Yu smiled faintly and said, "I've discovered that no matter how many times I tear myself apart, I am still me... Even if I have grown somewhat weaker, I find that I am actually clearer-headed and calmer than ever!" At this moment, Su Yu seemed to sigh with reminiscence: "Ji Tian, haven't you noticed? I am only truly lucid when plunged into this kind of pain! It is when I am stripped of pain that I am truly confused!" Su Yu spoke with utmost earnestness: "The more pain I feel, the more sober I become, and the more clearly I know that I am Su Yu! I am not anyone else, nor am I mad! No moment has ever felt more real than right now! The true Su Yu, the true me! Normally, without this agony, I drift along somewhat muddily. At this very moment, do you still believe you can defeat me?" "To you, this is torture. But to me... this is a homecoming!" Su Yu chuckled. "Merely returning to normal! There is no unimaginable agony, nor has my mind broken down. Truly, I have never been more sober than I am right now!" At this moment, Su Yu seemed entirely sane! Completely normal! Ji Tian looked at Su Yu with agonizing despair. He looked into Su Yu's eyes, and those eyes were crystal clear! There was not a single trace of his previous madness! Ji Tian suddenly felt like breaking down and weeping. "So that's how it is..." The greater the pain Su Yu endured, the clearer his mind became. Those crystal-clear eyes were utterly devoid of his earlier frantic hysteria, filled only with calm and composure. He had even suppressed the influences of the chaotic wills from before. The presence of King Dazhou and the others, including the wills of Lan Tian and Wan Tiansheng, had previously interfered with Su Yu. Or rather, they had stood on equal footing, each a constituent part of the whole! Yet at this moment, they were all suppressed by Su Yu, and the collective will was thoroughly dominated by Su Yu alone! The Time Master... Wen Yu! Ji Tian wanted to curse furiously. Wen Yu, just what kind of monster did that duplicate of your Time Book create? In an environment like this, Su Yu was actually stronger and tougher than before. Meanwhile, Su Yu let out a sigh, tinged with helplessness and dejection: "Humans truly are wretched! Normally, I keep thinking, let everything be destroyed, let's all die together, once we're dead, it's over! But now... I suddenly don't want to die! I don't want my father to die, nor my teachers, my friends, or my fellow daoists... I suddenly feel that being alive is wonderful. There's good food, good drink, and in my spare time, I can pretend to be a scholar... It's far too comfortable!" Su Yu wore a melancholy expression. "Tell me, is it actually a bad thing for a person to become clear-headed? Ji Tian, I don't really want destruction anymore!" Ji Tian did not know what to say. The next instant, with a deafening boom, Su Yu tore himself apart once more. Ji Tian groaned in agony: "Su Yu, since you are sober and don't want to die, there's no need for us to destroy each other like this... If you keep this up, you might collapse as well... I'll withdraw! All the origin power here will belong to you. I will cooperate with you... No, I will obey you!" Now that Su Yu had regained his senses, Ji Tian thought they might actually be able to negotiate! How utterly ironic! Earlier, Su Yu had been hell-bent on destruction, ruin, and mutual annihilation. Now that Ji Tian could no longer bear it, Su Yu had sobered up and declared that he didn't want to die. It was bloody absurd. Such searing agony hadn't broken Su Yu. Where was the sense in that? Su Yu chuckled, his tone significantly softer now: "Don't be like that. I'm afraid of dying, but I'm not an idiot! A fellow like you is thoroughly untrustworthy! If I let you out, you'll just turn around and stab me in the back! Mutual destruction? As long as I don't collapse, once I swallow everything you leave behind after your death... how could there be mutual destruction? I am exceptionally clear-headed right now!" Su Yu smiled. "Ji Tian, old classmate, will you give up on your own, or will you force me to torture you over and over? Perhaps if I torture you enough, you'll end up like me, reborn through pain! Of course, if you give up on your own, I can grant you one request—short of sparing your life, that is!" Ji Tian roared in fury: "Su Yu, if I'm dead, why would I need you to grant me any requests? Don't make it sound so simple! You want to kill me... but who lasts until the end remains to be seen!" Boom! At that very moment, a brilliant sword light flashed, directly piercing into the Gate of Sealing! With the assistance of the Spirit of the River, Qiong's strike had actually cleaved straight inside! The sword strike pulverized both Su Yu and Ji Tian in an instant! In truth, had the two joined forces, Qiong would have been no match for them. The crux was that Su Yu did not resist at all; he simply pinned Ji Tian down, allowing the mighty sword light to shatter them both at once! The next instant, origin energy surged within the Gate of Sealing, and in a flash, Su Yu and Ji Tian reformed anew. Ji Tian was writhing in torment, while Su Yu rubbed his temples, speechless. He shouted, "Qiong, what the hell are you hitting me for?" "..." Outside the Gate of Sealing, Qiong froze. Who hit you? He shouted back, "I'm severing the connection between the origin and you two..." Su Yu's eyes flickered. He sensed the surroundings and suddenly chuckled: "The Heaven-Opening sword light! Limitlessly sharp! If it were left to Ji Tian and me tearing each other apart, who knows how long it would take to grind us down to nothing! Qiong, keep going! Use the Heaven-Opening sword light to obliterate us!" Asking to be killed? Then I won't hold back! Qiong could tell from the sound of Su Yu's voice that he was bursting with energy, entirely unscathed, and even sounding more cordial than before... What kind of madness was this? So after tangling with Ji Tian for so long, this guy was completely fine? On the other hand, Ji Tian's groans of pain had grown significantly weaker. In that case, I won't be polite! With a deafening hum, another sword light pierced into the Human Gate. With a thunderous boom, a massive amount of origin power was wiped out. Su Yu kept Ji Tian firmly entangled, and in an instant, both were obliterated by the sword light once more! Obliterated time and again, reborn time and again! Reborn from the origin! With each cycle, Su Yu grew increasingly radiant, as though he were being polished to perfection, shining ever brighter. He even had the spare capacity to shield the other wills, tucking them deep within his heart; amidst his luminous silhouette, many chaotic wills were safely nestled. Those belonged to the others. Not only was Su Yu withstanding the torment himself, but he also had the leisure to shelter the rest, driving Ji Tian to complete despair. After yet another cycle of destruction and rebirth, Ji Tian's eyes had grown clouded. Looking at the crystal-clear Su Yu with profound despair, he murmured, "Is... the difference truly so vast? Su Yu... I want to know... back then... how did you endure it?" Su Yu smiled. "Back then, my situation was different from yours. I had it once a day, not in a continuous loop. Sometimes, if I pulled an all-nighter for several days without sleeping, it wouldn't happen at all. Mine was a step-by-step process... You, on the other hand, have been obliterated hundreds of times in one go, experiencing true death and falling into oblivion each time. Of course you can't bear it! Learn from me—take it slow, one step at a time. Trying to become a fat man in a single bite is no good!" He then encouraged him, "Keep it up! You can do it! As long as you endure, you can become just like me. In the future, if something like this happens again, no one will be able to do a thing to you! Old classmate, you've got this!" Ji Tian was on the verge of complete collapse, his eyes thoroughly glazed over. I've got this? Got this my ass! Being continuously obliterated, his will crumbling, his mind breaking down, every single moment sheer agony—how could you just say 'you can do it' and make it so? Weak and spent, Ji Tian suddenly felt a despair that reached the absolute limit. The more desperate he grew, the more his resolve shattered. He rasped feebly, "Su Yu... old classmate... I cannot beat you... It seems I have lost once again!" He had lost! He knew he could not defeat Su Yu. After another seven or eight cycles, he would likely disintegrate entirely, whereas Su Yu felt as though he had been honed to the absolute peak, his will gleaming brilliantly! If this continued, Su Yu's will might even directly transform into a spirit! As it turned out, Su Yu's greatest strength was not his physical body, nor his heaven and earth, nor his combat techniques, but his will. A mighty will and an indomitable spirit were truly invincible! Su Yu had endured far too much suffering and torment; simply by not falling, he had already won. Choosing to clash with him in the realm of will, in this place and under these circumstances, had been the worst mistake Ji Tian could have made! If he had not been greedy, if he had not entered to absorb Wan Tiansheng's Dao power, he would never have been defeated so easily by Su Yu. Regret came too late. Ji Tian felt thoroughly bitter and let out a long sigh: "I thought... I could become the ultimate victor... that I could snatch the chestnut from the fire, replace everyone, and become the final conqueror of this heaven and earth! But I realize now that I was wrong... I took it far too lightly..." "I knew you were difficult to deal with, knew you were hard to defeat, but I never imagined that one day I would fall to you like this. It is not a defeat of strength, but of will, of spirit..." Su Yu smiled. "You've lived longer than me. You could have tried obliterating yourself thousands of times long ago. If you had done that, I definitely wouldn't have been your match!" Ji Tian gave a bitter chuckle: "As a reasonably normal spirit of origin, I imagine... no one would ever do such a thing! Who would wipe themselves out thousands of times for fun with nothing better to do... Would anyone actually do that?" Fair point! Su Yu nodded. "True enough. I didn't want to either; wasn't I forced into it?" Su Yu laughed. "If that Time Book hadn't been merged into my body back then, I wouldn't have been stupid enough to wipe myself out every day for fun!" Now, saying all this was completely pointless. It was too late! The sword light flashed again! With a loud bang, the two shattered once more and reformed. Ji Tian had grown numb from the pain, teetering on the brink of collapse, completely unable to sustain himself. He ceased dwelling on what had been, voicing no further regrets. Having reached this point, he knew his defeat was absolute. He spoke quickly: "Su Yu... do you know? Actually, when I absorbed Wan Mingze's memories, I suddenly realized that being human... is truly wonderful!" "Even if it was a false life... when I absorbed Wan Mingze's memories, I found it truly exquisite... Those brilliant youths, for the sake of Wan Mingze's dream, disregarded worldly opposition, ignored factional strife, and journeyed across the world with him, fighting together for a single conviction... It was truly beautiful!" "They were very weak, and Wan Mingze was very weak too... Even when you shone as dazzlingly as the blazing sun, those people still chose to follow Wan Mingze... Everyone said that no matter how great your talent or how formidable your strength, you, Su Yu... were merely a selfish scoundrel, while I, Wan Mingze, was a saint!" Ji Tian chuckled. "That feeling was simply wonderful! Back then, there was conviction in his heart, something to uphold. Su Yu... Wan Mingze was formed from my divine character, but I had long abandoned control over him, so everything he did came from his own true heart. He wanted to be a saint... a saint who guarded world peace! Perhaps it was foolish, perhaps it seemed hypocritical, but people believed in him, trusted him, and followed him. Perhaps I now understand how you feel at this moment—that feeling of being trusted, being followed, fighting with conviction in your heart... Regardless of strength, it is something truly worthy of envy!" Bang! He shattered once more, only to swiftly reform. His eyes were dim as he looked at Su Yu again: "Su Yu... you said you could grant me one request..." Su Yu, now radiating brilliance to the extreme, looked at him and nodded. "Speak!" "I want to be a human..." Ji Tian smiled. "I want to be a true human! Su Yu... if... there is ever a chance, you... let me be a human! In these myriad realms, in this heaven and earth, humans are the most wonderful existence of all! A human of flesh and blood, with thoughts, ideals, faith, and convictions!" "Not merely an empty human shell—that is meaningless. The Zhou Ji body Zhou forged for me was already a true human body, fully compatible with me, yet my thoughts, my faith... were completely empty!" "Growing powerful merely for the sake of power, yet having no idea what that power was for... completely lost!" At this moment, even though Ji Tian was on the verge of collapse, a faint glimmer of radiance shone from his will. Su Yu drew in a breath: "Old classmate, hold on a second! If you keep this up, you might actually pull off a miraculous revival... Reason dictates that since you've seen the error of your ways, I ought to give you a chance... but... forget it! Are you going to commit suicide or not? If not, I'm going to keep killing you. You're having an epiphany here; if this goes on, you'll end up dragging this out until we both die!" Could this be considered an epiphany? Terrifying! Heroes cherishing heroes... nonsense. If you don't hurry up and die, you might actually achieve a rebirth from the ashes! This fellow was actually having some kind of breakthrough at this critical juncture, almost feeling like a phoenix rising from the fire. Su Yu was genuinely startled. No way—if you achieve a rebirth from the ashes, the two of us will never see the end of this! A bitter smile instantly surfaced on Ji Tian's face. This... "Su Yu, you truly remain as... pragmatic and shameless as ever!" Su Yu was far too pragmatic! Just moments ago, he had been listening earnestly, but now he was in a frantic rush, tearing into himself like mad. When this guy was sober, he truly was a scoundrel! Su Yu, however, retorted urgently, "Nonsense! You're an enemy; do you think I'd let you revive? I finally pushed you to the brink of death—if I let you rise from the ashes, wouldn't I be an idiot?" Ji Tian said helplessly, "Stop tearing... I said, I want to be a human..." "No problem!" Su Yu nodded vigorously. "If any fragment of your spirit survives, and if this world truly establishes a system of reincarnation between life and death, I'll let you reincarnate as a human, alright? Old classmate, stop clinging to this world—when it's time to go, just go!" Su Yu added urgently, "Seriously, don't worry! If I don't die and I end up victorious, you can rest assured. I already have plans. You know I am the Fourth Gate. I've realized that to maintain balance in the myriad realms, establishing a cycle of reincarnation between life and death might be the best path!" "This gate of mine... might very well be the gate that separates life from death! The system of the myriad realms is flawed. The powerful are immortal and imperishable, each harboring far too many schemes. I'll just kill them all... and give newcomers a chance... When that time comes, perhaps the myriad realms will finally know peace!" "A gate that separates life and death..." Ji Tian froze slightly. Establishing a cycle of reincarnation between life and death? He looked at Su Yu. Was this truly Su Yu's plan? Su Yu nodded vigorously: "Believe me! Yu spoke of the rule of law, the Lord of Dead Spirits spoke of creating separate realms for life and death, and you said being human is wonderful and the myriad realms need peace... Then reincarnation between life and death might well be a fine choice!" "Old classmate, hurry on your way, or in a moment, I won't even give you the chance to become human..." Su Yu tore frantically into Ji Tian and himself! Stop clinging to this world, damn it! This fellow was truly terrifying. If this went on and he gained further comprehension, he might adapt to this torment just like Su Yu, and that would be a nightmare. At that point, the two of them would just keep tearing each other apart until the end of time without ever reaching a resolution. "Ugh..." A muffled groan sounded. As Su Yu repeatedly tore into him, Ji Tian's train of thought was shattered and his rising emotions were cut short. He felt utterly helpless; this bastard Su Yu truly refused to give him the slightest opening! "Su Yu... you..." Ji Tian let out a long sigh. Torn apart by Su Yu once more, he reformed, but he had already lost much of his luster—his momentum had been thoroughly broken! He began walking toward extinction. Ji Tian sighed once more, feeling a lingering sense of regret after all. If Su Yu had been swayed even slightly just now and granted him a brief opening, he might not have had to die. "Then I hope... there will come a day we meet again, a day I have the chance to become a true human!" Tinged with bitterness, his will formally embarked on the path of oblivion, beginning to disintegrate rapidly! Boundless origin power within the Gate of Sealing surged continuously, seeking to revive him. In this place, where origin power abounded, it was normally exceedingly difficult for Ji Tian to be eradicated. Yet when his own will to survive completely surrendered, even the origin power could no longer save him. Ji Tian had no choice but to accept this! Su Yu was simply too ruthless. Rumble! A cascade of thunderous roars shook heaven and earth. Lingered with a touch of regret, Ji Tian's silhouette dissipated entirely. Deep within his will, that tiny spark of nascent radiance scattered into the origin, drifting away with the flow of the river's power before vanishing. Su Yu glanced at it but paid it no heed. Perhaps that fellow truly had a chance to endure within heaven and earth without being completely erased. At the final moment, drawing upon some of Wan Mingze's life insights—or rather, the radiance of the saintly path—that fellow had actually managed to preserve a tiny wisp of spirituality. Su Yu had no time to dwell on it. In the next breath, he roared, "Qiong, stop swinging, what the hell are you still hacking at? Hurry up and kill the devouring locust..." Still hacking? Who were you trying to kill? He swiftly absorbed vast amounts of origin power, while Wan Tiansheng madly devoured the power of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, absorbing everything to strengthen himself! In the distance, a colossal boom reverberated! The moment Qiong joined the fray, the 39-Dao devouring locust was thoroughly shattered by the combined might of the Lord of Dead Spirits, Qiong, the Human Sovereign, and the others, bursting into fragments in an instant! And at that very moment, a fierce roar tore through heaven and earth! The Heavenly and Earth Gates compressed and merged completely in an instant, shrinking the entire river by half. The union of the two gates signified that the Earth Gate was about to return to the pinnacle of his combat power!