Chapter 823: Believe My Words!

Even Su Yu had thought the Martial Emperor would stay fierce and unyielding to the end—but no!

Su Yu’s face fell with disappointment. He looked at the Martial Emperor and suddenly sighed: “In this world, there are no pure martial artists left... All cowards who fear death!”

The Martial Emperor’s face shifted through a kaleidoscope of emotions!

What the hell was that supposed to mean? As if martial artists weren’t afraid to die?

I’m scared too!

Damn it, I’ve been sealed away for so long, only been out a few days—how could I not fear death?

And you, you bastard, you’re no ordinary emperor.

An ordinary emperor, seeing my unmatched ferocity, might even treat me with respect and courtesy... But Su Yu isn’t like that. He really means to kill!

Yes, the Martial Emperor could feel it.

Su Yu... was sending him to his grave!

He truly intended to finish him off!

How could he not be afraid?

At that moment, the Martial Emperor stiffened his neck, silent. I surrender!

If I surrender, will you still kill me?

I haven’t done anything, have I? I just shot off my mouth a few times—I didn’t even kill any of your people!

And you want to kill me for that? Isn’t that going too far?

After a soft sigh, Su Yu’s expression quickly softened into a faint smile: “You want to surrender?”

The Martial Emperor glared with his huge eyes, looking fierce and menacing!

“I want to surrender!”

He said it with savage intensity!

Yes, I want to surrender. So what?

Can’t I?

“But from what I see, you might soon step into the realm of a second-class rule master. Once I leave the world, I won’t be your match. A powerhouse like you—how can I control you?”

Su Yu chuckled lightly: “It would be a pity to have you sever your path and merge into my world. If you merge now, I could grow much stronger, but you’d be stuck as a third- or fourth-class rule master at best. That’s too wasteful!”

Indeed, it was a waste!

The Martial Emperor was about to reach the second class, which would make him a true hegemon—in ancient times, a being on the level of a Four-Pole Human King. If he severed his path now, it would be no small feat to quickly cultivate back to the second class. Su Yu’s world, after all, wasn’t yet fully perfected.

“But if I don’t let you merge, and you leave, it won’t be easy for me to move this world. You could stab me in the back at any moment... I can’t trust you!”

The Martial Emperor looked sheepish. Damn it, is it my fault for being too strong?

What do you want me to do?

I’m helpless too!

Su Yu sighed: “So, actually, I never planned to subdue you. For an enemy as powerful as you, the best course is to kill you!”

The Martial Emperor was deeply frustrated!

This was exactly why Su Yu had been ready to kill him without a second word.

Su Yu smiled: “I thought that a martial artist like you probably wouldn’t bow your head. Even if I sent you through the Gate of Hell, you might not agree. So I didn’t bother negotiating.”

The Martial Emperor stayed silent. You bastard!

That’s what you say!

“But now you want to surrender. If I drive you behind the Gate of Hell, I feel like I’m losing out. But if I don’t drive you away, I’m afraid... It’s a dilemma!”

Su Yu sighed again: “Your surrender has put me in a bind!”

The Martial Emperor looked awkward. So, by surrendering, I’ve made you even more dissatisfied?

These scholar types are really troublesome.

All that scheming and calculating, and in the end, even surrender isn’t welcome!

Just then, the Great Zhou King suddenly stepped forward, cupping his hands: “Your Majesty, this old minister has an idea!”

“Speak!”

Su Yu gave the Great Zhou King a meaningful glance. The Great Zhou King didn’t meet his eyes, keeping his head low as he spoke quickly: “The Martial Emperor is immensely powerful, and Your Majesty is uneasy, fearing rebellion... This old minister has a suggestion: separate the spirit from the flesh!”

Su Yu smiled: “Explain. What do you mean by separating spirit and flesh?”

“Simple: separate the sea of will from the physical body!”

The Great Zhou King hurried on: “This is actually a form of sealing technique...”

The Martial Emperor’s face turned iron-gray. He roared: “I surrender, but I won’t accept any sealing!”

If you seal me, I might as well die!

I’m surrendering, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be sealed. I’d rather fight Su Yu to the death!

The Great Zhou King ignored him and continued: “It’s called a seal, but it’s not really one. It’s about artificially splitting a person into two parts: suppress the Martial Emperor’s physical body within the Human Sovereign Seal, while his sea of will incarnates as a person, free to move. Without his physical strength, the Martial Emperor would still be strong, but his rank would drop. If he’s currently second class, after the split he’d only be third class... Then Your Majesty could suppress him at any time!”

“As for the Martial Emperor, he could live freely. If a great battle arises, or when Your Majesty is strong enough to control him, you could reunite his spirit and flesh, and he’d quickly recover his combat power!”

The Martial Emperor raised his brows, glaring: “Separating spirit and flesh... normally it’s possible, but even after separation, the physical body isn’t easy to summon, and the sea of will can return to the body at any time!”

The Great Zhou King laughed: “Senior Martial Emperor knows quite a bit. That’s true, but the method of spirit-flesh separation can artificially create a barrier, preventing the spirit and flesh from rejoining. That way, a quick recovery of combat power is avoided!”

“This method also requires Your Majesty’s Heavenly Gate to assist, reaching into the long river of time and creating an artificial barrier before the Great Path...”

Su Yu nodded slightly: “This method might work. Or perhaps... you’ve tried it yourself?”

Su Yu’s smile was meaningful. He quickly looked away from the Great Zhou King and fixed his gaze on the Martial Emperor, saying calmly: “Martial Emperor, what do you think?”

The Martial Emperor’s face shifted uncertainly!

A half-seal!

This wasn’t a full seal—just the physical body sealed, while the sea of will and the Great Path could detach and move freely. He bared his teeth: “How long will you seal me?”

Su Yu calculated for a moment, then smiled: “Until I can kill you even outside the world!”

The Martial Emperor looked awkward. So that meant Su Yu would need to possess at least second-class rule master combat power outside the world, which meant inside his own world, he’d need to be at least at the peak of the second class.

“Then... how long will that take?”

Su Yu calculated again, grinning: “From now on, my opportunities for growth will be fewer. Everything that can be merged has been merged. Right now, inside the world, I’m only at the lower-middle level of the second class... I’ll need at least one major stroke of luck!”

Su Yu smiled cheerfully: “When that luck comes, it’ll be about time. Hard to say.”

“No problem!”

This time, the Martial Emperor agreed readily. He had done the math: from Sun and Moon realm to now, Su Yu had taken... a year?

Maybe just a year!

Damn, if he hadn’t counted, he wouldn’t have remembered. Now that he did, it scared the hell out of him.

"So saying, the seal might last three months, perhaps five, at most no more than a year."

"Fine!"

"At most a year, my Sea of Will can still move freely; just think of it as that bastard Su Yu not unsealing me early—I'd need at least a year or two to break free myself. Fine, thinking like this, I feel much better."

"Circumstances force my hand!"

"Right now, if I refuse, that bastard Su Yu might just do me in."

Thinking this, the Martial Emperor still wanted to struggle: "I won't rebel; you don't seal me, and I won't either—I still have some credibility!"

Su Yu said calmly, "Credibility? If I were Su Yu, if I were just myself... I could trust you. But I... am not merely Su Yu."

"It's that simple!"

"If I were Su Yu, I wouldn't even bother with you—do whatever you like!"

"But... I am a powerhouse, a lord of men, a new emperor!"

These words were calm, yet at this moment, someone sighed inwardly.

Behind him, Wan Tiansheng and the others had complex expressions.

He said, if he were Su Yu...

In truth, he was, yet not purely Su Yu.

If it were Su Yu himself, he wouldn't care what the Martial Emperor did, but now he was the lord of the human race, the master of the Yu Emperor Palace.

The day he became the lord of men, like the Human Emperor, he was shackled!

For peerless experts, fame and fortune are often nothing but fetters.

Su Yu would probably rather pursue the Dao.

Wasn't the Human Emperor the same?

But that era left the Human Emperor no choice—the Literary King was unwilling, the Martial King unreliable, the Prison King had his own ideas, the Bright King lacked strength... In the end, the Human Emperor, a seeker of the Dao, had to shoulder these heavy burdens.

In outsiders' eyes, the Human Emperor was supreme, but in his own eyes, he would rather be the Literary King, free and unbound.

Today's Su Yu was the same.

Wan Tiansheng and the others understood Su Yu well!

They had truly watched, bit by bit, as Su Yu came to this day, step by step forced onto this path—his friends, his teachers, his comrades, all pushing him to bear this mountain.

Thus, Su Yu could only choose this way.

The freedom he craved, the unbridled recklessness he desired, was ultimately suppressed by responsibility.

He hadn't yet reached the Human Emperor's level, but he was advancing in his footsteps.

The Martial Emperor didn't fully understand, but at this moment, this warrior felt a faint stirring, very subtle, yet Su Yu's words just now suddenly made him feel that the Su Yu before him was somewhat different.

Different from the Su Yu of old, who laughed and cursed freely.

Because he wasn't Su Yu, he couldn't grant the Martial Emperor's request.

At this moment, the Great Zhou King spoke, smiling as he looked at the Martial Emperor: "Senior Martial Emperor, with His Majesty's speed of progress, I think senior will soon achieve unity of spirit and flesh! Besides, His Majesty won't hinder senior from doing anything—it's just a temporary rest for the physical body!"

"Senior has been sealed for many years; I see the physical body hasn't yet recovered to its peak. This isn't a seal, but a nurturing of the body to heal old wounds... Once the body recovers, under unity of spirit and flesh, I think the second rank will come naturally!"

"Is that so?"

There was some truth to it!

The Martial Emperor pondered, while across from him, Su Yu looked at him coldly and said, "Can you accept it? If not... blow yourself up!"

"..."

The Martial Emperor cursed inwardly—if he couldn't accept it, couldn't he just be banished behind the Gate of Hell?

What was this about blowing himself up?

With some helplessness, the Martial Emperor remained expressionless, still fierce and menacing: "Nurturing the physical body... isn't impossible! My body does have some injuries, all done by that bastard Taishan—I'll have no peace with him until one of us dies! Fine, I can temporarily place my physical body in your Human Emperor Seal for nurturing!"

Good heavens!

He made being sealed sound as if Su Yu was begging him to nurture his body, as if he reluctantly agreed!

And Su Yu continued, "You said earlier you would help me kill five Rule Masters! Before that, you made no promise, so I ignored your talk of killing three. But now... you've lost, so what you said is no longer a negotiation—it's a must!"

Su Yu's eyes turned cold: "So, if you don't kill five Rule Masters, I'll find a way to kill you sooner or later!"

The Martial Emperor cursed again inwardly!

Annoying!

"Fine!"

Su Yu nodded slightly. "Separate your physical body and Sea of Will. If you don't want the body, go wherever you like—I'll pretend you don't exist. If you want it, I'll summon you, and you must return!"

The Martial Emperor's heart was weary!

He had roamed free all his life, been sealed all his life, and now, in the end, someone was controlling him!

But even if he lost, even if he conceded, he, the Martial Emperor, was still a man of dignity!

Hmph, the Martial Emperor sneered, a laugh that made everyone think he was about to turn hostile. Suddenly, as if his soul had left his body, another Martial Emperor appeared, leaving his physical body behind.

This newly appeared Martial Emperor, wild and unrestrained, said, "Then I'll leave my body here to be nurtured for a while. I have matters to attend to—I'll take my leave. Call me if something comes up, but don't bother me otherwise!"

Boom!

The Martial Emperor fled!

He ran swiftly; he didn't want to stay with Su Yu. So annoying—Su Yu's eyes were like he wanted to eat people, irritating just to look at. He was off!

As for matters?

There were none, but he just didn't want to be with Su Yu, alright?

Here, he felt too humiliated.

Su Yu watched him leave without stopping him. He glanced at the Martial Emperor's physical body, casually removed his crown, and waved his hand. The crown absorbed the body, and in an instant, it fell into the heavens and earth, vanishing.

Only then did the Great Zhou King breathe a sigh of relief. The next moment, he shouted loudly, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"The Yu Emperor has pacified the calamity of the myriad realms—rejoice for our Yu Emperor Palace!"

His voice shook heaven and earth!

A great victory!

The moment the Martial Emperor vanished, the moment he conceded, the moment Zhou Ji and the others were driven away, Su Yu had won!

The great chaos that had raged for a hundred thousand years was quelled by Su Yu!

Perhaps there would be a series of troubles and crises in the future, but at this moment, the chaos of the myriad realms was completely pacified by Su Yu!

As the tenth lord of men, Su Yu had achieved what his predecessors could not!

At this moment, cheers shook the heavens. Hundreds of experts roared in unison.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, for unifying the heavens and shaking the three realms!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

“......”

Shouts and cries rang out unceasingly!

Some of the older generation of strong men were even weeping with joy.

They had won!

After fighting for a hundred thousand years, in this tidal epoch of Su Yu, they had won, and won decisively!

Pacifying the myriad races, slaying through a hundred battles, suppressing Zhou Ji, subduing the Martial Emperor...

The dead submitted, the myriad realms submitted, heaven and earth submitted!

At this moment, Su Yu’s achievements were so great that they rivaled even the Human Emperor’s.

The Human Emperor and his peers might have been stronger, but the tides of the era had made the strong of this epoch weaker; yet the overall situation was no better than in those days. Under such circumstances, Su Yu had spent four years quelling the calamity of the myriad realms!

With such monumental feats, the New Universe Era could be said to have officially begun!

“We won...”

Su Yu also revealed a faint smile. Yes, they had won. Though it was only a partial victory, at this moment, he had indeed triumphed. At this moment, he was the foremost being in all the heavens!

Within heaven and earth, fortune churned—the fortune left by Zhou Ji, the fortune released earlier by the Heaven-Watching Marquis, Su Yu’s own fortune, the fortune left after the Martial Emperor’s submission...

Countless streams of fortune seethed!

Moments later, to the astonishment of many, the Heaven-Watching Marquis appeared again in the void.

Suddenly, countless people were utterly surprised.

The Heaven-Watching Marquis... had been resurrected?

And Su Yu, gazing from afar at the Heaven-Watching Marquis, saw the latter’s expression complex, while Su Yu himself was calm and composed: “Are you also afraid of death? Like the Martial Emperor, have you chosen to cling shamefully to life?”

The Heaven-Watching Marquis lowered his head and bowed slightly to Su Yu. “I... only wish... to witness a legend once more...”

“Clinging shamefully to life is just that—why make excuses?”

Su Yu was not overly concerned. He said calmly, “You were originally born from the spirit of fortune, and now you are reborn through the fortune of my heaven and earth! King Wen liked to leave some leeway in his actions and did not tell you the truth, but I care little for such things—leaving leeway or not, it makes no difference! You should know that since you are fused with my heaven and earth’s fortune, when I am strong, you are strong; when I am weak, you are weak. If you were killed, I would be implicated to some extent...”

The Heaven-Watching Marquis bowed his head and said nothing.

Su Yu continued, “I should have erased your memories, or even prevented you from being reborn... but I trust myself. Fortune is merely an aid; I will not treat it as everything. That you know much may actually be a good thing—it gives you a sense of awe!”

Knowing much, he knew fear!

Knowing little, he dared to rebel!

Su Yu’s face was cold: “Since that is the case, you may continue to exist in this heaven and earth. Without my permission, you shall not leave this realm! The Martial Emperor may leave, but you do not have that privilege. If you try to leave, I will annihilate you!”

“I dare not!”

The Heaven-Watching Marquis bowed his head and vanished between heaven and earth.

Su Yu then looked at the others, sweeping his gaze around, and revealed a smile: “Everything has gone quite well, smoothly enough. We... have won!”

A great victory!

In one battle, they had quelled the chaos of the myriad realms without paying too great a price.

But soon, Su Yu’s expression turned solemn. “However, such a victory is only temporary! The Gate of Hell has not yet been sealed, the Human Emperor and the others have not yet returned, the strong of the myriad races have departed, Zhou Ji and his mother have left, the Martial Emperor’s submission is not sincere... everything lies in ruins, waiting to be rebuilt!”

“We may rejoice, but... this is only the beginning!”

“The future will be even harder!”

Su Yu’s voice shook heaven and earth, even reaching the lower realms, carrying authority and solemnity.

“We have won! But such a victory is merely a small triumph! It is worth celebrating, worth rejoicing! Yet the road ahead has only just begun!”

“Everyone, I do not know what the future holds. But I am here, and I will continue to lead you in battle, to slaughter all our enemies. Those who oppose me are my foes. I will take their heads, extinguish their races, sever their bloodlines, uproot them, and destroy their souls!”

“In all the heavens, in this chaos, wherever I reach, I am invincible! I am invincible, and you are invincible. There are no enemies, no foes!”

As his words fell, there was a moment of silence. Then, the next moment, shouts rose again!

“Invincible!”

“Invincible!”

The human race was about to give birth to another invincible emperor!

A new emperor!

Only at this moment did Su Yu reveal a smile.

Heaven and earth trembled. Streams of fortune and the power of rules once again merged into Su Yu’s realm.

And the next moment, Su Yu suddenly reached out and grabbed a bamboo pole, pulling it into his hand. The solemn and majestic scene of a moment ago vanished in an instant.

At that very moment, Tian Mie tried to fly into the sky. Suddenly, with a bang, a huge bamboo pole struck from behind him, knocking Tian Mie unconscious with a single blow!

Ju Zhu Hou looked innocent, holding the bamboo pole in his hand, blinking his eyes, and gazing at Su Yu with a foolish grin. “I... accidentally bumped into him... he’s... so weak!”

First, unite against the external foe!

Take down Tian Mie first!

The next moment, San Yue shouted, “Your Majesty, I was originally a Celestial Venerable, but unfortunately my grandfather is still alive...”

That was the “unfortunately”!

“Thus, I failed to advance to Rule Master. In Your Majesty’s realm, I feel that some of the Great Daos are too wasteful for me. Perhaps it would be better for me to follow the path of this bamboo pole. Your Majesty, if I walk the path of the bamboo pole, I will surely become one of Your Majesty’s strongest subordinates and fight for Your Majesty on all fronts!”

Ju Zhu Hou grinned foolishly, “Your Majesty, San Yue walks the path of body forging, which is actually closer to the path of the physical body. As for me, I walk the path of bamboo—they are quite different. This bamboo... I can tell at a glance that it might have been tailor-made for me! I was originally a Heavenly King, and now I am no weaker than San Yue. Your Majesty, this path of the bamboo pole is truly suitable for me!”

In a corner, Jiu Yue plucked up his courage and shouted loudly, “Your Majesty, I walk the path of devouring, that is true, but my weapon is a bamboo pole. The bamboo pole itself is a weapon—why must I take the weapon as my Dao...”

The Devourers were almost coming to blows!

This bamboo pole was truly a good thing.

It was the artifact of the Human Ancestor’s enlightenment!

Setting aside what kind of person the Human Ancestor was, there was no doubt that the Human Ancestor was extremely powerful. Just from the scene Su Yu had witnessed—casually knocking a Rule Master dead with a single bamboo pole—that was invincibility!

Now that the great battle was over, it was time to divide the spoils!

This bamboo pole might be the greatest prize of all!

And there were not many who were truly suited for it.

The Devourers were indeed suitable; Tian Mie could barely manage as well!

As for the others, they did not argue too much. It was not that they could not use it, but using it might not bring out its full potential. Wasting the bamboo pole would likely bring Su Yu’s wrath upon them.

Just then, Tian Mie, who had been knocked unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes, cursed loudly, and then roared, “Your Majesty, I am your loyal subordinate! I was the first Eternal to fight for Your Majesty!”

Had you forgotten?

Well, even if I wasn’t the first, I was among the earliest!

You cannot forget me!

Su Yu laughed. The solemnity of before was swept away. Seeing them all staring with eager eyes, he smiled and said, “This object is indeed a supreme treasure, a fine thing. But... it may not be suitable for everyone. Perhaps it also carries some karmic ties—ties with the Human Ancestor!”

Su Yu smiled. “The Human Ancestor... barring any accidents, I am certain to encounter him. Such an ultimate powerhouse has most likely not died. If he hasn’t died, then having karmic ties with him means meeting him is only a matter of time!”

"Yet upon encountering him, you have dissolved his sacred artifact of attainment. I fear you cannot escape a tangled web of karmic consequence..."

As those words fell, a collective sharp intake of breath echoed through the crowd.

The Human Ancestor remained a terrifying existence, after all.

Su Yu smiled faintly. "Frightened?"

Tian Mie stiffened his neck, defiant. "Not at all! Your Majesty can simply beat him to death..."

Su Yu laughed. "Nonsense! The Human Ancestor... must the Human Ancestor be a villain? Do not be misled by Bai Zhan and Yu. Their desire to welcome him back is merely their own calculation. The Human Ancestor, after all, was the one who led humanity to its zenith during the Primordial Era. He might not even care about being summoned back; perhaps he enjoys a carefree existence beyond the Gates of Hell."

"As for whether we beat him to death, we shall see when we meet him."

Su Yu looked at the crowd and smiled. "How about this: Tian Mie, March, and Ju Zhu. September, do not join the commotion. Whichever of you three is the first to master your own Dao and become a Ruler of Rules within my universe... this item shall belong to you. I will help you fuse it into your Dao."

At this, Tian Mie bared his teeth. "March is already a Heavenly Venerate..."

How could he possibly compete?

March held the rank of Heavenly Venerate and would likely take control of his fused Dao very soon. Having integrated into Su Yu’s universe, March had chosen the Path of Body Forging, Ju Zhu followed the Path of the Bamboo Transformation, while Tian Mie pursued the Path of the Great Staff.

Tian Mie was currently a Heavenly King, but March was a Heavenly Venerate.

He could still compete with Ju Zhu, but how could he match March?

Meanwhile, March smiled so widely that his eyes creetted into white arcs. Fortune was yours!

Su Yu smiled gently. "Comprehending the Dao is not a matter of raw strength; it depends far more on wits. With a sharp mind, it is not impossible to attain enlightenment in a single day. Insights of this nature can spark inspiration at any moment."

Very well.

Tian Mie could only accept this. Otherwise, his chances would have been the slimmest; now, at least, he had a glimmer of hope.

Su Yu continued, "Besides this item, there is also the Chaos Will."

Over to the side, the Chaos Dragon and the Eight-Winged Tiger were practically salivating. *Give it to us, we are good Chaos beasts, just give it to us. You don't have many people who can use it anyway.*

*We also fought in this battle!*

Su Yu smiled. "I still have a use for it. I need to summon a few more Ancient Chaos Beasts out, kill them, and fuse them into my universe... Of course, I won't summon too many, and the ancient beasts on the other side are not necessarily entirely foolish. Some who do not fear death might come; when they do, we will kill them first. Once we have slain a few, half of this Chaos Will will go to the Tea Tree for its advancement. As for the rest..."

Su Yu looked at the Chaos Dragon and the Eight-Winged Tiger, his tone indifferent. "The two of you possess uncertain intentions and unclear attitudes. Even though you fought for me, it was only under my coercion. However, I, Su Yu, owe no debts. The remaining half shall be divided between the two of you. If you can advance, so be it; if you cannot, do not utter another word."

The Eight-Winged Tiger hastily replied, "Our profound thanks to Your Majesty Emperor Yu!"

This was already quite good.

At the very least, they had secured half of it, leaving them with a hope of advancement.

At this point, Su Yu ceased discussing the matter and continued, "Those who previously advanced to become Rulers of Rules should, I believe, soon master the Daos they have fused and reclaim their titles. Those who have not yet advanced must do so as early as possible."

"Now that my universe has grown significantly stronger, everyone can exert nearly eighty percent of their strength even when outside, unlike before when your power was halved at the very least."

Su Yu spoke in a deep voice, "We have won, but time is not on our side. By my estimation, in about a year, the Human Emperor and the others may automatically return to the Myriad Realms."

"Waiting passively for their return... may not be a good thing."

Su Yu’s voice turned solemn. "Given their speed, their return might cause violent fluctuations in the Time River, which could lead to the opening of the Gates of Hell, the Heavenly Gate, and perhaps even the Human Gate, wherever it may be. At that point, it will be a catastrophe."

"Therefore, within a year, we must take the initiative to rescue them and face the powerhouses of the Myriad Races."

"In truth, I will not wait until the final moment to go. For me, if we delay too long in the upper reaches, the situation will spiral out of control."

"Perhaps in three months, perhaps five, I will lead our forces up to join the war. You cannot simply arrive and expect to defeat the Myriad Races immediately. There are numerous Rulers of Rules among them; they are not fighting desperately right now only because they can return naturally. Once we arrive, it will instead ignite their fighting spirit, leading to an even fiercer war."

"But is our strength sufficient?"

Su Yu shook his head. "It is not enough. The gap is too wide. Even by the standards of the late Ancient Era, once I step out of my universe, I am merely a third-class Ruler of Rules. Even if the Martial Emperor advances to the second class... relying on him is worse than not relying on him at all."

"The rest of you, once outside the universe, will only be around the fourth or fifth class."

"It is difficult to raise your levels in a short time, so what we lack in quality, we must make up for in quantity."

"When the number of Rulers of Rules increases, certain powerhouses will naturally be freed up to deal with the elites of the Myriad Races, rather than wasting their strength on the weak."

Currently in the upper reaches, there were bound to be human powerhouses fighting several opponents at once, which was a terrible waste of resources.

A heavy solemnity settled over the crowd.

Indeed, Su Yu had always been one to take the initiative. Since he said one year, he might truly head to the upper reaches in three months to join the fray.

By then, if one were not a Ruler of Rules, even participating in the battle would be difficult.

Su Yu continued, "There are still opportunities for everyone to grow."

Su Yu declared loudly, "The unsealed Gates of Hell present an opportunity. Furthermore, since no one stands in my way now, I may delve deeper into the River of Time to extract the power of the Dao to strengthen my universe."

Should he do so, the Master of Time would likely wish to see Su Yu dead.

It was simply too outrageous.

Su Yu smiled again. "If all else fails, breaking the Human Emperor's Dao and fusing it into my universe would be better than leaving it abandoned here."

The Great Zhou King was left speechless.

This... well, you are truly ruthless.

"Moreover, that is not all."

Su Yu continued, "I will secure more opportunities for everyone to grow strong. Do not think that I alone can conquer the heavens... If I were truly alone, I could not have won today's battle. Therefore, I need everyone's help, and in truth, this is also a matter of self-preservation for you all."

The Great Zhou King nodded. "Your Majesty, we understand this..."

Su Yu said coldly, "You understand nothing! If you understood, you wouldn't have consistently withheld your strength."

The Great Zhou King wore an innocent expression. "Your Majesty, I..."

Su Yu glared at him coldly. "A fine separation of spirit and flesh you have achieved. Are you the spirit, or the flesh? Likely the spirit. Where then is your flesh?"

"..."

The Great Zhou King offered a bitter smile. "Your Majesty truly misunderstands..."

Su Yu snorted. "I simply cannot be bothered to expose you, yet you insist on showing off. Were it not for the fact that you have put forth some effort, I would have executed you today."

The Great Zhou King was helpless.

Su Yu frowned as he looked at him, suddenly asking, "Where exactly have you sent the majority of your power? Could it be that you are fighting in the upper reaches? The probability is low."

The Great Zhou King bared his teeth in anxiety, terrified that Su Yu would keep guessing. At this moment, he could only hurriedly send a transmission: "Your Majesty... I... I truly have my reasons! If I didn't, I would have long since given everything to fight for Your Majesty!"

He truly had his reasons.

He was terrified of Su Yu's continued deduction. The crucial point was that there were too many people present, and every time Su Yu made a guess, it was remarkably accurate, which worried him deeply.

Seeing his profound anxiety, Su Yu frowned. With a sudden wave of his hand, the world shifted, and he appeared with the Great Zhou King in a deserted place. Su Yu spoke in a deep voice, "Speak. What is the situation?"

The Great Zhou King looked thoroughly helpless. "Your Majesty... I..."

"Is it forbidden to speak?"

At this stage, what could possibly be withheld?

Su Yu frowned.

The Great Zhou King gritted his teeth. Having reached this point, perhaps... perhaps he could reveal a portion of the truth. Though he feared it might drive Su Yu to despair, this madman possessed a far stronger mindset than Bai Zhan.

He hesitated for a moment, then, gritting his teeth, spoke in a low voice, "His Majesty the Human Emperor is actually gravely wounded. Extremely so. The reason His Majesty has managed to endure until now is, in truth... nothing more than a hollow facade. Every great battle consumes his life force and his foundational reserves. Therefore, His Majesty desperately requires aid from the Myriad Realms. He cannot allow the Myriad Races to return; once they do... it will be impossible to conceal His Majesty's condition."

"Now, His Majesty the Human Emperor can still hold on, because the myriad races fear him and dare not fight him to the death!"

"They all worry that if the Human Emperor flies into a rage, it will be a fight to the bitter end, dragging down several sovereigns!"

"Thus, up to now, humanity has persisted, but once the return happens... then everything will be utterly exposed!"

The Great Zhou King fell silent for a moment, then added, "I have indeed concealed some things, but that is what a subject of His Majesty the Human Emperor must do. I once trusted Baizhan once, and nearly... nearly squandered all the Human Emperor's foundations. Fortunately, he showed signs of strangeness, and I noticed!"

"Otherwise... the consequences would be unthinkable!"

He shuddered in hindsight: "If Baizhan hadn't changed so quickly, perhaps... humanity would have been utterly defeated in the last tide."

Su Yu frowned slightly: "So you've been keeping things from me all along, saying half and leaving half, scared by Baizhan's betrayal?"

The Great Zhou King smiled bitterly—that was about it.

"Then today, is there nothing you want to tell me? The matter of the Human Emperor's severe injury—is that also a secret?"

The Great Zhou King paused: "Not too much of a secret. The myriad races know it, and humanity knows it too, but how gravely His Majesty is injured... no one knows. I can only say that His Majesty the Human Emperor now... is but a hollow shell. If this continues, he may... fall."

Su Yu furrowed his brow. If the Human Emperor died, that would be a monumental disaster.

The Human Emperor was a symbol of faith!

At least for those ancient powerhouses. If he fell, Su Yu said without exaggeration, the entire ancient human elite would collapse instantly!

Anyone could die, but not the Human Emperor.

Otherwise, this war would be unwinnable!

Even Su Yu, for all his confidence, understood that at this moment, he could never replace the Human Emperor.

Su Yu frowned and suddenly said, "You and the Human Emperor—are you still in contact?"

The Great Zhou King fell silent again, shook his head, then nodded, then shook his head again: "I... I... I find it hard to say, I cannot say. I worry..."

Su Yu frowned: "Worry about what I might do?"

The Great Zhou King said bitterly: "Your Majesty, by now I have some understanding of you, but as Your Majesty said, you are not just Su Yu, and I am not just the Great Zhou King. I am the commander of the Human Emperor's shadow guard! I must ensure the Human Emperor's safety, or else there will be immense trouble! The fewer who know of this matter, the better. Besides His Majesty, no one yet knows that the Human Emperor is already in a state of near-death..."

Su Yu gasped: "That serious?"

"More serious than Your Majesty imagines!"

The Great Zhou King said bitterly: "With less than half the number of rule masters, fighting against over a hundred of the enemy's rule masters, the Human Emperor alone has held back several top-tier rule masters, and has never had the chance or time to heal... To have persisted until today is all due to His Majesty's unwillingness and refusal to give up!"

Su Yu suddenly thought of something, his expression shifting: "You... are you guarding the Human Emperor's true body?"

The Great Zhou King said nothing.

Su Yu gasped again: "Separation of spirit and flesh... could it be that the Human Emperor is also in this state? His true body is no longer upstream, but his will-sea is waging war and intimidation, while you, too, are separated—your physical body, holding most of your power, is guarding the Human Emperor's true body?"

Was that it?

He wasn't entirely sure, but the Great Zhou King today had revealed many things—the Human Emperor's near-death state, the separation of spirit and flesh, the nurturing of the physical body... as if deliberately guiding Su Yu to think along these lines.

The Great Zhou King fell silent for a moment, then lowered his head: "Your Majesty, ask no more! If Your Majesty meets the Human Emperor, all will become clear! But I can tell Your Majesty this: the separation of spirit and flesh has a flaw—if the physical body collapses, the will-sea collapses with it. So some things are best known by as few as possible. Even now, I dare not say that no one will despair to the point of betraying His Majesty the Human Emperor!"

He said bitterly: "If the Human Emperor falls, does Your Majesty think this war can still be fought?"

Su Yu shook his head: "If he dies, it's over. So he's barely holding on now, putting on a show of strength for the myriad races, right?"

"Something like that."

The Great Zhou King sighed: "I don't know the specifics, but I can guess some. So I've grown anxious and fearful. Over the years, I've tried every way to dig out whatever remnants and treasures humanity still had, unless they were utterly unreachable, in which case I guided others to take them."

He sighed again: "Your Majesty, at this point, perhaps only Your Majesty can save the Human Emperor, save the people, save those ancient powerhouses."

Su Yu frowned: "You sure think highly of me. And if I go out now and spread the news that the Human Emperor is about to die, what would happen?"

The Great Zhou King paused: "Everyone would think Your Majesty is trying to usurp the throne."

As for him dying—who would believe that?

Su Yu squinted at him: "You old fox, still cunning! Are you so sure that since I, Su Yu, speak nine lies for every truth, no one will believe me, so you can tell me this without worry?"

The Great Zhou King looked embarrassed. That was rich—Su Yu's words were ninety-nine lies for every truth, not nine to one!

But Su Yu didn't press further. He grew a bit somber and nodded: "Fine, I won't hold it against you. I know about the Human Emperor now. It's understandable that you, the shadow guard chief, wouldn't dare to commit your power to my side. The Human Emperor might indeed need guarding... As for where his true body is, I won't ask."

Some things were best left unasked.

The Great Zhou King breathed a sigh of relief. He had guessed Su Yu wouldn't pry too deeply.

Su Yu laughed: "No wonder you've been so agreeable—giving territory, lending strength, even revoking the enfeoffment without a fuss. Probably thinking you're about to die, and since a 'world-opener' has appeared, you might as well throw some benefits my way to drag me onto your chariot?"

He snorted: "I knew it—King Wen and his lot, none of them are good people! Just like you, all old and crafty!"

The Great Zhou King said awkwardly: "His Majesty the Human Emperor doesn't think that way. He is inherently benevolent..."

"Hah!"

Su Yu sneered: "Don't joke. Benevolent or not, he's still a sovereign, not an idiot. What if he ends up nurturing a rival? He's just treating a dead horse as if it were alive!"

He roughly understood the Human Emperor's mindset.

But it was still heavy.

The Human Emperor was gravely wounded and near death, but he was forcing himself to appear fine, or at least not too badly off. If the myriad races learned the truth, a cataclysmic battle would erupt upstream.

The Great Zhou King had kept this secret tightly, perhaps known only to him. Now he was deliberately hinting at it to Su Yu, probably because he thought Su Yu might soon go upstream and needed a warning: don't rely too much on the Human Emperor, for he was now just an empty shell.

"Just after a great victory, I get bad news. You really know how to spoil the mood."

Su Yu curled his lips and said no more.

The Great Zhou King felt innocent—it wasn't him spoiling the mood; Su Yu had forced the question.

But it was fine.

He had held this secret too long, unable to tell anyone. Su Yu, that madman, was indeed crazy—he heard the news and acted as if nothing had happened. If it had been any other ruler, they'd probably be terrified out of their wits!

The Human Emperor was about to die—that was a heart-stopping test for any ruler. Only Su Yu was tough enough.

The Great Zhou King had to admit that madness had its advantages.

Normal people feared; Su Yu did not.

As he had guessed, Su Yu would only be more driven.

Su Yu waved his hand, and the two reappeared before the crowd. Seeing everyone looking at them, Su Yu smiled: "The Great Zhou King says the Human Emperor is about to die and wants me to take the throne quickly and become the new Human Emperor. Do you all support me?"

"..."

Silence fell all around. Everyone exchanged glances, helpless.

There he goes again, spouting nonsense!

Fine, they'd play along. The crowd shouted in unison: "We support you! Long live Your Majesty!"

Flattery cost nothing, so why not?

As for the Great Zhou King, he was nearly scared to death by Su Yu. But seeing everyone's reaction, he was speechless. Well, it was even better than he'd guessed—not a single person believed it!

Su Yu chuckled as well: "That's good. When we see the Human Emperor, I'll make him call me boss. If he doesn't obey, we'll beat him to death—let's all gang up on him!"

"Beat the Human Emperor to death!"

Someone shouted, but few echoed him. The one who shouted, King Miecan, turned pale—what, it was just a bit of flattery!

Earlier, when I said Su Yu was bad, no one responded.

Now Su Yu says beat the Human Emperor to death, so I... I just responded. No need to stare at me like that, right?

Su Yu laughed heartily: "Good, King Miecan, well done! When we see the Human Emperor, you'll be the first to charge! Alright, that's it. Everyone go home, cultivate, and recover well!"

With a wave of his hand, the world dissolved, and the crowd dispersed.

Su Yu glanced at the crowd, shook his head, and looked at King Dazhou: "Next time I say the Human Emperor is about to croak, tell me—when the Human Emperor really croaks, won't everyone suspect we're putting on a show?"

"..."

That's possible!

King Dazhou couldn't say much, could only think: Su Yu is something else!