Chapter 802: Seeing the Martial Emperor Again

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Lan Tian was taken aback as well, seeing so many from the Blue Sky faction advancing one after another.

It wasn’t just one or two—everyone who could advance today, those he had predicted might advance soon, all did!

Not only that, Su Yu’s own world was rapidly expanding as it absorbed a vast number of ancient beast corpses and the Dao of the Heavenly Sovereign, its scope growing.

In the endless void, his world, once the size of a small city, continued to expand, vaguely reaching the scale of a prefecture city like Great Xia Prefecture.

Of course, compared to the heavens of the myriad realms or the heavens of the dead, it was still far too small.

Even compared to the Source of the Dao, it was far inferior.

Yet everything was progressing in a favorable direction...

...

Others had varying degrees of gain or none at all. When it came to enlightenment, it truly depended on talent and opportunity. Even if Su Yu laid it all bare for them to see, not everyone would necessarily benefit.

At this moment, Su Yu looked at the crowd, sensing their growing strength.

It was a good thing, but for many, reaching the Heavenly Sovereign realm was already a limit. Take March and the others, for instance—they could hardly improve any further.

As for becoming so-called top-tier Heavenly Sovereigns, that wasn’t about insight; insight was roughly the same. It mainly depended on the strength of one’s Dao.

For example, March’s Dao might only be that strong, and his limit was now.

Unless he became a Rule Master, March could never advance further.

Similarly, the same applied to Giant Axe and the others.

As Great Zhou King had said before, not every path could lead to being a Heavenly King, nor could every path lead to becoming a top-tier Heavenly Sovereign.

The Daos walked by Moon War and the others each had their unique characteristics; those Daos were inherently not weak, which allowed them to become the most supreme existences.

Other Heavenly Sovereigns might not have such hope.

Su Yu looked at them, thinking to himself that March and the others could only wait until after the seal was lifted to see if they could become Rule Masters. If not... then their lives had truly reached their limit.

Being stared at by Su Yu made everyone somewhat uneasy.

Su Yu’s authority had grown; being under his gaze was quite pressuring.

He only looked for a moment before shifting his gaze to the Jailor Heavenly Lord, still wearing a smile: “At this point, everyone’s strength has been exposed. Except for the Hundred Battles side—whether his son is strong is an uncertain factor—everything else can be confirmed!”

“Before the return of the various eras, the situation in the myriad realms has become completely clear!”

“The only uncertainties are a few wandering powerhouses: the Martial Emperor, the Dead Spirit Emperor, the Chaos Dragon, and the Eight-Winged Tiger! But even if the Dead Spirit Emperor breaks the seal, he hasn’t been resurrected, so it’s hard for him to leave the Dead Spirit Domain. Even if he does, he might not be of much use. So truly wandering are only three!”

Great Zhou King and Ten Thousand Heavens Saint stood on either side, like a single entity.

At this moment, Great Zhou King mused, “So Your Majesty’s intention is... to first bring those three wandering, idle powerhouses under your command?”

As for the Dead Spirit Emperor... perhaps he could also be subdued. After subduing him, there would be no need for him to do much—just help Su Yu stabilize the Dead Spirit Domain, serving as Su Yu’s retreat. Anyone who killed their way into the Dead Spirit Domain would have to face that emperor’s attack. He would be a good choice to stay behind.

But none of those wandering powerhouses were easy to subdue.

Su Yu smiled: “We can put aside the Chaos Dragon and the Eight-Winged Tiger for now. Those two are currently fixated on Yu Qing’s Chaos Will, or even the Po Dragon Beast! So broadly speaking, their goals align with ours. But the Martial Emperor...”

Su Yu fell into deep thought.

Ten Thousand Heavens Saint picked up the thread: “The Martial Emperor is a man of great pride and arrogance... or rather, he has grand ambitions but little talent!”

Good heavens, that was a direct dismissal!

Not that it was the first time the Martial Emperor had been looked down upon.

Ten Thousand Heavens Saint said with a smile: “The Martial Emperor is the type who is easily satisfied—content with small gains! He opened the Heavenly Gate, so his talent is actually extremely strong! But he is somewhat similar to the Northern King. Does Your Majesty remember what the Northern King said before he died? The Northern King only wanted to be a hegemon in his own domain—on one hand, unwilling to submit to others, on the other, lacking the strength to stand alone, yet insisting on having his own territory and calling the shots...”

Hearing this,

Su Yu was startled—there was indeed some resemblance!

Ten Thousand Heavens Saint continued his analysis: “The Martial Emperor opened the Heavenly Gate, but he has always clung to his Dao, unwilling to expand, his thinking leaning toward the archaic and conservative! On one hand, he knew the strength of the Literary King and the Human Emperor, but on the other, his pride drove him to seek independence, unwilling to join! In the end, he was defeated and sealed by the Martial King. I think it wasn’t really about indiscriminate slaughter, but rather that at that time, the human race needed to kill one of its own powerhouses to intimidate the four directions!”

If the human race couldn’t even unify internally, how could it unify the heavens?

Thus, the Martial Emperor, who had opened the Heavenly Gate, became the sacrificial chicken to warn the monkeys.

Ten Thousand Heavens Saint went on: “According to Your Majesty’s account, the Literary King of that time knew but tacitly approved! However, the Martial King was the one who first proposed dealing with him—the Martial King might not have had the brains for that... So I suspect it was instigated by the Human Emperor!”

He analyzed: “The Human Emperor needed to deal with the Martial Emperor, but the Martial Emperor might not have committed any major wrong. So he wasn’t killed; it was only publicly announced that he was dead, while in reality, he was sealed!”

Was the Martial Emperor wrong?

Not necessarily!

Just like the Northern King in the Dead Spirit Domain—was he wrong?

He simply didn’t want the human race to once again lord over him; he only wanted to hold onto his own little patch of land. But in this era of great contention, if you lack the strength to dominate a region and refuse to submit to the strong, then you are wrong!

So the Northern King died in the end, at the hands of Dragon Blood Marquis, having barely fought against Su Yu’s side.

The Northern King’s death was just a microcosm of this era.

And the Martial Emperor was merely a microcosm of that era.

Su Yu nodded: “What you say makes sense. I can understand all that. The only thing I can’t understand is why, after sealing the Martial Emperor, the Martial King added an element of humiliation. Was that necessary?”

As for the Martial Emperor, whether sealing him or turning him into the Starry Mansion, it was nothing.

The key was that posture—too humiliating. For a powerhouse of his caliber, such humiliation could truly mean an irreconcilable enmity.

On this point, everyone was somewhat puzzled.

Ten Thousand Heavens Saint looked at Great Zhou King, who shook his head: “I followed the Human Emperor in the later period. The matter of the Martial Emperor happened quite early; I really don’t know.”

Hmph!

Well, Ten Thousand Heavens Saint didn’t press him further and continued: “Your Majesty, the Martial Emperor, based on my analysis, is the type who cares about face—someone who talks tough but is actually timid! If you give him enough face and a proper way out, he can actually be won over!”

“Using force to coerce him, on the other hand, might make it almost impossible to subdue him!”

Ten Thousand Heavens Saint smiled: “Otherwise, back then, the Human Emperor and the Literary King were stronger than Your Majesty. If they could have subdued him, wouldn’t they have done so long ago?”

Su Yu nodded slightly: “True. And if it were over a hundred thousand years ago, even if you gave him face, the Martial Emperor might not have bothered to acknowledge you. But after being sealed for over a hundred thousand years, he must understand in his heart that his era is completely over!”

Over a hundred thousand years of imprisonment—no matter how foolish the Martial Emperor was, he would have realized that this era does not belong to him, nor did the last.

At this point, Lan Tian interjected with a faint smile: “The Martial Emperor’s greatest grievance now is that the Martial King did him such harm! If Your Majesty promises that when he meets the Martial King, he will be given hope to defeat him, or to deal with the Martial King by the same means... I think he will definitely be tempted!”

At this, Lanshan Marquis couldn’t help but speak, somewhat disgruntled: “That’s not good, is it? Lord Martial King... I...”

That was her former master!

Using the Martial King as a bargaining chip to win over the Martial Emperor—she felt it was inappropriate.

Of course, from others’ perspective, no one was familiar with the Martial King. At this critical juncture, if they could use empty promises to secure the Martial Emperor, it would be a great bargain.

Lan Tian said with a ghostly smile: “Your Majesty never said he would personally deal with the Martial King! We can promise the Martial Emperor that we will help him grow stronger. Revenge is his own affair! Your Majesty’s side will be responsible for holding off the Literary King and the Human Emperor... giving him a fair chance to duel!”

“Senior Lanshan... times have changed!”

Lan Tian laughed: “Now, Your Majesty needs such an ally! The Martial King was originally stronger than the Martial Emperor. The Martial Emperor has been sealed for over a hundred thousand years; the Martial King has not. If at this moment, the Martial King fears losing a duel to the Martial Emperor, that would, for a warrior, already destroy his own invincible conviction!”

“So we are merely giving the Martial Emperor some comfort. In reality, if he encounters the Martial King alone and challenges him to a duel, the Literary King and the others most likely won’t interfere, and the Martial King wouldn’t let them!”

“As a warrior, Lanshan Marquis, don’t you understand this principle? If a former defeated foe, far weaker than you, comes to seek revenge and challenges you to a duel, would you refuse?”

Marquis Lanshan thought for a moment, then shook his head.

No way!

Back then, he was already a defeated foe; now the gap between them is even wider—why would he refuse?

Blue Sky chuckled. “There you have it. So, even if we make some promises, to the Martial Emperor and the Martial King, it’s really no loss at all. On the contrary, it gives the Martial Emperor a way to save face, a glimmer of hope!”

Clearly, everyone agreed on the idea of subjugating the Martial Emperor.

Still, some felt it wasn’t quite right. The Southern King spoke up then, his voice cold: “All of this rests on the assumption that the Martial Emperor is willing to submit. If he isn’t, once he breaks free, the first thing he’ll do is take revenge on His Majesty. He’s powerful—after breaking the seal, he might be the strongest being of this era. As the strongest, would he truly be willing to bow down?”

“As for promises and pledges, they’re built on certain foundations. Would the Martial Emperor still care about such things?”

“Don’t let your imaginations run too wild!”

The Southern King poured cold water on their hopes.

Su Yu, at this moment, was desperate for talent—understandable, given that the Rule Masters had emerged, adding to his pressure. But if he pinned his hopes on the Martial Emperor simply submitting, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment might be.

Su Yu nodded. That was true enough.

Wan Tiansheng smiled. “The Southern King’s reminder is well taken, but… it’s still worth a try!”

He quickly added, “Your Majesty, the Martial Emperor is proud and aloof. He looks down on most people. To win him over, only Your Majesty can go in person.”

The Martial Emperor had always referred to others as “little bugs,” revealing his mindset. Even after years of imprisonment, he still scorned the weak. Only Su Yu could hope to subdue him.

The Great Zhou King also said, “Indeed, no one else can do it. On our side, we could try to find the Chaos Dragon and the Eight-Winged Tiger. Not to subdue them, but to reach a temporary agreement. Their target is Yu Qing and his kind. And we can help them deal with their enemies.”

Su Yu thought it over and nodded again.

Worth a try.

Su Yu sank into thought. After a moment, he said, “Right now, the priority is dealing with the Sinful Tribes and the Ten Thousand Races. Hundred Battles can wait for now. I still have some doubts about him… He planted Yue Luo as a spy among the Sinful Tribes. Is his ultimate goal the Sinful Tribes, or the Gate of Hell behind them?”

In the past, Hundred Battles might have feared the Sinful Tribes and the Ten Thousand Races, but now he shouldn’t be so cautious. Yet he still held back.

Before Yu Qing appeared, no one knew the situation—Yue Luo must have known. Back then, Hundred Battles was powerful. If he had feigned madness, joined the fray when Su Yu attacked Yue Qin and the Ten Thousand Races struck, and then had Yue Luo rebel, they might have wiped out the Sinful Tribes. After that, they could have consolidated their forces and dealt with the Ten Thousand Races.

But Hundred Battles didn’t.

So what was his real goal—the Sinful Tribes or the Gate of Hell? Did he have the power to face whatever lay beyond the Gate of Hell?

No one could be sure. The Great Zhou King thought for a moment and said, “Hundred Battles inherited the bloodline of the Human Ancestor. His goals might be tied to the Human Ancestor, including bringing him back.”

He continued, “Suppose the Human Ancestor didn’t die. Where is he? Beyond the Heavenly Gate, or beyond the Gate of Hell?”

“That’s hard to judge. The Human Ancestor appeared in the early days of the Ancient Era, when the Heavenly Gate might already have existed. Since he cultivated the path of the physical body, if he explored the previous era, would he have entered the Chaos Era, where physical strength was even greater?”

The Chaos Ancient Clans mostly cultivated the body. So did the Human Ancestor.

The Great Zhou King speculated, “Perhaps Hundred Battles knows something. He might be trying to bring the Human Ancestor out first, and the Human Ancestor could be beyond the Gate of Hell.”

“Yue Luo’s placement as a spy might not just be for dealing with the Sinful Tribes, but to learn more about the Gate of Hell.”

He added, “And what about the Demon Clan? Is the Flame Demon Emperor really beyond the Gate of Hell? Otherwise, why would the Demons ally with the Sinful Tribes?”

Various theories were tossed around as they analyzed Hundred Battles’ motives.

Su Yu thought for a moment and said, “Forget it. It’s hard to deduce for now. Not enough clues. I don’t know if the Human Ancestor and the Human Emperor had any doctrinal conflicts or other issues, but one thing is certain: Hundred Battles can’t be the good guy, and neither can I. That’s enough.”

He smiled. “The Ten Thousand Races have sealed their mountains. Yu Qing’s side isn’t weak. My current plan is to deal with Yu Qing and his kind first, then find a chance to handle the Ten Thousand Races, and finally deal with Hundred Battles.”

Su Yu continued, “For the Martial Emperor to break the seal, the rules of both the upper and lower realms must completely dissipate. We might also use this opportunity to break the barrier between the upper and lower realms, reconnecting them. Let all forces converge. Open the path between above and below!”

Everyone nodded. This would be a good chance to force Hundred Battles and the others to face all sides.

Treating Hundred Battles as a hypothetical enemy was absolutely necessary. Sooner or later, conflict would arise.

One mountain cannot hold two tigers. Both were human, yes, but one followed the Human Ancestor’s legacy, while Su Yu belonged to the Human Emperor’s system. There was bound to be friction.

“Then I’ll make a trip to the Death Realm,” Su Yu said with a smile. “Time to have a chat with those two.”

He looked at the others. “Continue your training. Lure some ancient beasts into our world, deal with them, and let Blue Sky integrate them into the realm. Also, I’ll have my world erode the entire Chaos Mountain region as quickly as possible.”

“Other places are hard to invade, but Chaos Mountain is a chaotic place—easier to handle.”

Back in the day, the Human Emperor had tried to open the Source Land to conquer the entire upper realm, but he failed. Now Su Yu was going to take over Chaos Mountain and the upper realm.

After giving these instructions and reminding everyone, Su Yu wasted no time and quickly strode out.

Behind him, the Marquis of Time suddenly asked, “When will you kill me?”

Su Yu turned back and smiled. “What’s the rush? Is the Marquis of Time eager to die?”

The Marquis of Time replied calmly, “Not exactly. I was just wondering—after I die, will the Ancient Era truly come to an end?”

“The Ancient Era?” Su Yu was silent for a moment, then smiled. “Let’s just say that after you die, the illusory unity of the Ten Thousand Races under the Ancient Era will end. The human race never truly unified the Ten Thousand Races. As for the Ancient Era… it’s just a name, our name. The Human Emperor and the others are still the Human Emperor. And we… are still us.”

The Marquis of Time silently pondered Su Yu’s words and said nothing more.

Su Yu soon vanished from the spot.

…

At the same time.

Deep in Chaos.

Yue Luo and Yue Xiao fled with all their might, but they were losing their way. Chaos had no direction, no limits.

Yue Luo looked around—nothing but chaos.

A sense of desolation rose in her heart.

After years of lying low, before Hundred Battles had even given the order, that bastard Su Yu had thrown everything into disarray. Damn him!

Yue Xiao panted heavily and said, “Yue Luo, can we reach the lower realm from here?”

“We should be able to.”

Yue Luo had never traveled this path, but she knew it was possible.

Now, she looked around, and soon a talisman appeared in her hand. She lit it.

As the talisman burned, traces of the Dao’s lingering essence spread out.

After an unknown time, the void seemed to split. A massive ancient beast emerged, its aura powerful. On its head stood a figure.

The beast resembled a giant fish but had enormous wings, much like a Kunpeng.

The ancient beast's enormous eyes were cold, utterly frigid.

Now, they fixed on Yue Luo and the other.

Yue Luo furrowed his brow slightly, then quickly said in a deep voice, "We've been exposed!"

The ancient beast made no sound. On its head, the massive figure suddenly opened its eyes, radiating an overwhelming pressure, and instantly looked at them. "Exposed?"

"Yes."

"Did Yu Qing discover you?"

"No, it was Su Yu."

Yue Luo looked at the young man atop the ancient beast and spoke: "Su Yu led the myriad races to attack the Saint Clan, ultimately forcing us and Lei Bao to slaughter each other, with one side doomed to die before a truce could be called. I had no choice but to flee."

"Su Yu..."

The figure opened his eyes, revealing a faint smile. "It's him."

With that, he looked at the two and said, "You're heading to the myriad realms?"

"Yes."

Yue Luo nodded. "We can no longer hide; we have no choice but to leave. Before we departed, Po Long Beast may have been summoned out. Yue Zhan is still alive, but almost everyone else is dead."

"A pity."

The young-faced man chuckled. "I had intended to keep them as whetstones for Father's return. Chang Qing and the others, long without battle, need someone to hone their blades. I never expected they'd all die. A pity indeed."

With that, he smiled. "Then I'll send you two down to the lower realm. Follow me."

Yue Luo said nothing, but Yue Xiao couldn't help asking in a deep voice, "Has Prince Ji been deep in the chaos all along?"

The young man laughed lightly. "You could say that. The chaos... is quite fascinating. Grinding the Dao within it is actually a very interesting thing. If you have time, you should try it. Even just walking through this desolate, silent chaos is a curious experience... By the way, someone divined about me earlier. Was that Su Yu's doing?"

Yue Luo replied, "Not sure, probably. He knows of your existence; he even called out to you before. Both you and His Majesty are now exposed, though your exact strength remains unknown."

"Exposed, so be it."

The young man seemed unconcerned, smiling. "One can hide for a time, but not forever. Besides, hiding was never the goal. These years, I've only been biding my time. Now that the Gate of Hell is about to open, whether we're exposed or not no longer matters."

Yue Luo frowned slightly. "Even if the Gate of Hell opens, the situation will be very complicated..."

"I know."

The man waved a hand. "Discuss these matters with Father. I won't involve myself."

He didn't seem to care much, guiding the ancient beast as it swiftly descended through the chaos. As they flew, he added, "There was some disturbance in the chaos earlier. The Chaos Dragon and the Eight-Winged Tiger seemed to have rushed over. Kun Fei also sensed something. The commotion likely came from near the Netherworld Realm."

"Many ancient beasts were probably killed. It might have something to do with Su Yu."

The man said calmly, "You can tell my father about this. Su Yu may have done something."

Yue Luo asked gravely, "What did Su Yu do?"

The man smiled faintly. "I didn't pay much attention. I was busy at the time, but the disturbance was considerable—nothing simple. Tell Father, and he'll take note."

Yue Xiao inquired, "Did Your Majesty encounter a powerful foe in the chaos?"

Otherwise, what could have occupied him?

But were there still powerful beings in the chaos?

The truly mighty ones had all been sealed beyond the Gate of Hell. In the chaos now, even the appearance of a Chaos Dragon was a rarity.

The young man smiled lightly. "Not a powerful foe, just something very interesting. I was pursuing time."

The two were taken aback.

Pursuing time?

What did that mean?

The man laughed. "The River of Time—does it have an end? Naturally, it does. I wonder where its end lies. The River of Time stretches across the heavens; if I follow its course, can I find its traces? Is the Heavenly Gate at its end?"

"Is the end of heaven and the end of the river the location of the Heavenly Gate?"

He murmured, "The Gate of Hell has always existed, but the Heavenly Gate leaves no trace. Now... perhaps I've already glimpsed some clues. If one end of the river is the Heavenly Gate, what lies at the other?"

"Did the Lord of Time enter the Heavenly Gate, or another gate?"

"The River of the Dead has an end... but the River of Time does not. Indeed, the Lord of Time is the most fearsome existence."

As he spoke, Yue Luo and Yue Hao listened with partial understanding, yet their hearts trembled.

This prince... pursued something lofty.

It seemed different from their own concerns.

The man, as if realizing he was speaking to no avail, smiled. "Never mind. These are not matters for you to consider."

Yue Luo remained silent.

The three of them and the beast swiftly descended through the chaos.

After a while, Yue Luo and Yue Xiao had lost all sense of direction, but the man suddenly said, "Fly straight ahead along this path. In a short while, you'll return to the myriad realms."

Yue Luo nodded slightly. "Much obliged."

"You're welcome."

The young man smiled. "Tell my father that I need to investigate further. I won't return too soon."

"Very well."

The young man, guiding the ancient beast, vanished in an instant.

Yue Luo and Yue Xiao watched him depart. Yue Xiao transmitted, "What level of strength has he reached? He feels... even more terrifying than Yu Qing."

"Hard to say."

Yue Luo stared for a moment, then quickly said, "Never mind him. Let's go. First, to the myriad realms."

The two swiftly flew toward the myriad realms.

...

At that moment, Su Yu was also heading toward the Netherworld Domain.

Halfway there, Su Yu suddenly raised an eyebrow. In the distant direction, he seemed to glimpse something—a massive silhouette emerging.

He fixed his gaze, but it was far away, and he couldn't see clearly.

It looked like a Kun Peng beast.

Su Yu peered intently, and vaguely, he seemed to see a person atop that beast.

Over there, on the beast's head, the young man also looked toward Su Yu, faintly perceiving his presence.

In that instant, their gazes met across the void.

Soon, neither lingered. They each went their own way, quickly widening the distance, vanishing into the endless chaos.

...

"Beast... silhouette..."

At this moment, Su Yu fell into deep thought.

The figure wandering in the chaos—who was it?

Zhou Ji?

Or an ancient beast in human form?

He did not investigate; it was quite far away, and in the chaos, it was best not to wander recklessly, lest one lose direction.

“Forget it!”

Su Yu did not dwell on it. Whether it was Zhou Ji or not did not matter. Besides, no one knew exactly how strong Zhou Ji was. All he knew was that Baizhan had a son. Who could say if his claim that the son was formidable held true?

Perhaps he would be swatted dead with a single slap!

“Still, that ancient beast was not weak—Heavenly Sovereign level?”

The beast had released its aura, and Su Yu sensed it somewhat, but he did not pay it much heed. In the chaos, anything was possible; a being at the Heavenly Sovereign level was hardly surprising.

Soon, Su Yu arrived near the Netherworld Domain.

He swiftly strode through the void, and moments later, his foot landed on solid ground—the Land of Return had been reached!

The Netherworld Domain was now eerily silent.

A great number of Dao-Integrating nether spirits had been slain; most of the rest had awakened, with a few Dao-Integrating ones still stationed in various places. The nether spirits below that level were mostly devoid of intelligence, and even the eternal ones acted only on instinct.

...

At the Sealed Land.

When Su Yu’s figure appeared, the Netherworld Emperor’s form also emerged, gazing at him.

“Su Emperor seeks me?”

Su Yu had deliberately circled around to his location, so the emperor spoke first.

Su Yu nodded: “The Upper Realm is in turmoil. The Gate of Hell has opened, and two beings at the level of Rule Masters have emerged. I wonder if you know them—one is the Basalisk Dragon, the other is Yu Qing.”

“Basalisk…”

The Netherworld Emperor pondered a moment, then said: “I have heard of it. A being within the Gate of Hell! In the early days of the Primordial Era, the Gate of Hell once stirred, and a beast calling itself the Basalisk Dragon tried to break out through the gate, but what happened afterward, I do not know.”

“Yu Qing…”

He thought again before saying: “Is she a woman who wields a spear?”

Su Yu nodded. He had not expected the Netherworld Emperor to actually know!

The Netherworld Emperor considered: “A long time ago, the Hell King once visited the Netherworld Domain. I saw him from afar once, and behind the Hell King followed that spear-wielding woman. I vaguely heard someone call her ‘Qing.’ Since she came from the Gate of Hell, it must be her!”

He looked at Su Yu: “The Hell King’s faction does have some strong ones, and now they have emerged from the Gate of Hell… Could it be that the Hell King is behind that gate?”

“Possibly!”

Su Yu nodded and smiled: “Never mind her. My current thought is this: I once promised to help you break the seal, but I worry that after you are freed, you might cause trouble for me. After all, you are no weakling. So, how about this: I will help you break the seal and appoint you as the Netherworld King, and you will help me guard the Netherworld Domain. What do you say?”

The Netherworld Emperor was silent for a moment. “And if I refuse?”

Su Yu smiled: “That is fine too. Last time, you did not act, and I promised to help you break the seal. I will keep my word. But after you are unsealed, if anything seems amiss, I will kill you.”

The Netherworld Emperor was silent again, then said: “Then let me consider it.”

“Good!”

Su Yu said no more. The Netherworld Emperor was a wise man, certainly wiser than the Martial Emperor.

He knew how to choose.

...

Soon, Su Yu arrived at the seventh-layer passage of the Starry Mansion.

At this moment, the passage was tightly sealed.

Su Yu smiled: “Martial Emperor, are you not welcoming me?”

Silence.

The passage remained sealed.

Su Yu laughed: “I am not here to fight, just to chat. Why shut the door on me… or rather, the backside?”

The next moment, the Martial Emperor’s avatar appeared, his face dark with anger as he glared coldly at Su Yu: “You are provoking me!”

Su Yu chuckled: “It is you who would not open the door, who would not welcome me—that is why I spoke thus.”

The Martial Emperor stared at him coldly: “What do you want now?”

Su Yu laughed: “Just to pay a visit to the Martial Emperor, and also, I was thinking, perhaps the Yu Emperor’s Mansion could discuss a partnership with the Martial Emperor.”

“Ha!”

The Martial Emperor sneered: “I guessed as much. You never come without a reason. You want me to be your thug? Su Yu, you are dreaming!”

He sneered: “Even the Human Emperor and the others could not make me submit back then, let alone you, Su Yu!”

“And that is why you ended up so miserable.”

Su Yu was equally blunt: “If you had any brains, if you had someone to back you, you would not have fallen to this state, buried head-down between the myriad realms and the Netherworld Domain! A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. After all these hundreds of thousands of years, have you gained not a shred of wisdom? A hero needs three helpers. Do you truly think that after being sealed for over a hundred thousand years, you will emerge and still be a hegemon? The unrivaled master of the world?”

The Martial Emperor’s face darkened.

Su Yu smiled: “No one who follows me, Su Yu, has ever suffered a loss. If you had been my man back then, when the Martial King treated you like that, I would have stripped his pants and planted him in the heavens, his backside as the sun!”

“…”

The Martial Emperor’s expression soured. Were you talking about the Martial King, or were you talking about me?

Su Yu laughed again: “You, to put it bluntly, are the epitome of great ambition but little talent, unwilling to improve, stubborn and unyielding, obstinate and incorrigible, not even worth regretting if you died…”

The Martial Emperor’s face turned ashen.

Was Su Yu here to recruit him or to pick a fight?

Was this how you wooed someone?

Su Yu continued: “I speak the truth, harsh as it may sound, but that is the fact. You are a senior to the Human Emperor and the others, yet you were brought so low by a mere Martial King. And the Martial King is no genius either. He won not because he was so formidable, but because he had help.”

Su Yu smiled: “A martial man without help is a true brute. With help, you become a great weapon—kill whoever displeases you, and someone else will clean up the mess.”

“Su Yu!”

The Martial Emperor suddenly burst out in fury: “Stop using that word!”

Talk all you want, but why keep mentioning the backside, and why keep staring at his backside? What did that mean?

Su Yu laughed: “The principle is simple. A martial man who rules alone is doomed to fall. That is an eternal truth. If you had read more history, you would see that no martial ruler has ever lasted long. Even if some did, it was only because they later worked hard to cultivate and improve themselves.”

“Pure martial rule is but a flash in the pan.”

Su Yu smiled: “I won’t bore you with all that nonsense. Let me just say a few things. First, when you seek revenge on the Martial King in the future, I will hold back the Literary King and the Human Emperor. Otherwise… give up hope. Do you think you can contend with the Literary King and the others? Martial Emperor, be honest with yourself—do you think you can?”

The Martial Emperor was silent, his face ugly.

Could he?

Not even before the seal was broken, let alone after a hundred thousand years.

He still felt a bit daunted when he saw King Wen.

“Second, I’ll find a way to help you rise to King Wu’s level… Relying on yourself, you probably have no hope!”

Emperor Wu’s face grew even darker—that was an ugly thing to say!

“Third, you don’t need to call me Your Majesty or Master or anything. I’m actually too lazy to subdue you. Let’s just call it mutual benefit. You can call me Emperor Su or Emperor Yu, and I’ll call you Emperor Wu… I won’t revoke your imperial title—we’ll be equals.”

Emperor Wu’s eyes flickered.

“Fourth, I can find a way to unseal you right now!”

“Fifth, you don’t have to obey me in everything or report to me. I have only one request: I release you, agree to your terms, and promise to help you. At the very least, you must kill three Rule Masters for me as repayment!”

Su Yu smiled. “Treat it as a transaction, not one of submission. Three Rule Masters in exchange for me blocking the Human Emperor, King Wen, and the like. If you think it’s worth it, agree. If not, give up.”

Emperor Wu fell silent.

A transaction?

That sounded much better than submission!

If Su Yu had said submission, he would have spat in his face. But a transaction… maybe… worth a try?

As he pondered, Su Yu added, “Three Rule Masters as your whetstone before you take revenge on King Wu. If you can’t even kill three Rule Masters, and you still hope for revenge… then you might as well wait to die!”

Emperor Wu gritted his teeth. “I’ll kill him sooner or later!”

“… Heh!”

A conversation ends with a heh!

When Su Yu’s laughter rang out, Emperor Wu fumed, “You think I can’t kill him?”

“Of course!”

Su Yu nodded. “He’s with King Wen. Even if you could kill him, you’d have to kill King Wen first. Those two are thick as thieves. If you’re sure you can kill King Wen, then come brag to me!”

“…”

Emperor Wu instantly slumped.

Despair!

I can’t kill King Wen!

Not to mention King Wen—he couldn’t even beat King Wu, or else he would have killed him long ago!

At that moment, Emperor Wu was utterly despondent. Usually no one said it, and he just fantasized about killing King Wu. Now that Su Yu had exposed it, he was crushed.

Su Yu smiled. “So you never really thought about revenge, did you? It’s just in your head. You’re a coward. You think, once you’re unsealed, King Wu is missing anyway. But let me tell you, you’re overthinking it. He’ll come back sooner or later! Then you’ll be in an awkward spot!”

Emperor Wu, embarrassed and angry, said, “I have thought about revenge, always! I will kill him!”

“Heh! You’re just fantasizing. If you actually met him, you’d call him dad!”

“Bullshit!”

Emperor Wu was furious!

“Tai Shan—doesn’t that mean father-in-law? What’s the difference from calling him dad?”

Su Yu laughed. “So you really are afraid of King Wu, and want to take him as your father!”

“Screw you!”

Emperor Wu exploded in rage—that was absolutely not the case!

That bastard Su Yu was provoking him.

Yes, provocation—I won’t listen!

Su Yu said with a faint smile, “Alright, no need for impotent rage. Just tell me, do you want revenge or not?”

“Can you deal with the Human Emperor and the others?”

Emperor Wu said coldly, “You’re just bluffing!”

Su Yu smiled. “I said before—before you were unsealed, I could have killed you. Did you believe me? And now?”

As he spoke, Su Yu’s aura exploded!

It shook heaven and earth!

“How about now?”

Emperor Wu’s pupils contracted!

Su Yu said calmly, “Don’t use your own thinking to judge me. Emperor Wu, you’re just a martial artist—you don’t understand us. Since I said it, I can do it.”

At that moment, Emperor Wu fell completely silent.

Su Yu had grown stronger again.

Almost changing every day!

It had only been a few days since he reached the Heavenly Venerable level, and now Su Yu seemed on the verge of fully stepping into that realm. With his own world… at this moment, in his own world, Su Yu could probably really deal with a Rule Master!

At that moment, Emperor Wu felt envy, jealousy, anger, resentment…

All kinds of emotions swirled, and finally he roared, “Did martial artists eat your family’s rice? Su Yu, you have no right to look down on martial artists! You are one too, so am I—are you not a martial artist?”

You are too!

What are you pretending to be!

Su Yu narrowed his eyes and smiled. “You see, martial artists love to get angry. A true scholar never gets angry. When anger comes, blood must be spilled, someone must die—that’s the difference.”

Emperor Wu was momentarily speechless.

Damn it, what he said made some sense, but in his heart, there was still a trace of unwillingness!

I’m not willing!

After I break the seal, I said I’d kill you first. Now I’m making a deal with you—what’s that about?

Su Yu wore a smile, looking amiable.

As if reading his mind, he said slowly, “How about this: after you kill three Rule Masters for me, I’ll apologize to you. I’ll apologize before the heavens, saying I shouldn’t have humiliated you. That’s face, isn’t it? I am a Heaven Opener!”

Emperor Wu was taken aback. This… it didn’t seem… impossible!

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