Chapter 856: Su Yu Takes Charge

The merits and faults of the Great Zhou King depend on perspective; different views yield different thoughts.

None were more desolate than Liu Wenyan.

He was the true prodigy of these decades, no exaggeration—a cultivator who had not yet reached the Void realm, yet bore the divine script of the Sun and Moon realm without his Sea of Will collapsing. Even Su Yu had never attempted this; he might not have succeeded.

In that golden age, figures like Xia Longwu worked under Liu Wenyan, and even the likes of the old Marquis operated with Liu Wenyan as their core.

The Great Zhou King intended for Liu Wenyan to inherit the Way of the Brush, the path of the Literary King.

This was evident from the many powerful divine scripts that Liu Wenyan inherited.

In the end, however, Liu Wenyan did not succeed.

Thus, Liu Wenyan might also be considered a discarded piece of the Great Zhou King—because of his repeated failures, the Great Zhou King grew disappointed in him, even abandoned him, ceasing to intervene. Some matters may have been more complicated.

Su Yu was Liu Wenyan’s student; Liu Wenyan had taught Su Yu for five years.

For this, Su Yu could not forgive the Great Zhou King on Liu Wenyan’s behalf.

As for Su Yu himself, he could only let all this fade into oblivion, for he knew not how to handle such an outcome.

Was the Great Zhou King a meritorious figure?

Yes.

At the very least, throughout this tide, he had shielded humanity from beginning to end; otherwise, humanity might have long been annihilated.

The failure of the Ninth Tide made the Great Zhou King more vigilant, and his methods grew harsher. Sacrificing a small portion of people became his choice, and among that small portion were Liu Wenyan and his ilk.

At this moment, Su Yu said no more.

The Human Emperor and the others also fell silent.

Su Yu was one of the parties involved, as was the Great Zhou King, and even more so, Su Yu’s teacher. These matters were difficult to judge as right or wrong.

Just as long ago, Bai Feng asked Su Yu: on the battlefield, was it worth sacrificing a squad of a hundred guards to kill an enemy stronghold?

Su Yu initially said, “Yes!”

When Bai Feng asked again, “What if among those hundred guards was your father?”

Su Yu quickly changed his tune: whoever dared to do that, he would kill them!

That is human nature!

…

The Human Emperor, sensing the heavy atmosphere,

soon cleared his throat lightly and spoke: “Su Yu, come here. Let’s talk about something else. I have words for you.”

He called Su Yu away, lest the stiff atmosphere persist indefinitely.

…

The two walked to a secluded spot.

The Human Emperor sighed softly: “I’m sorry.”

Su Yu said calmly: “Why must the Human Emperor say such things?”

The Human Emperor said gently: “This matter ultimately began with me, with King Wen and the others! Back then, King Wen’s departure was a ploy, and my leading the myriad races away was also a ploy! Some schemed against us, and we schemed against others in return. We all moved with the current—you laid your plans, and I laid mine… In the end, my side was one move short, which led to the upheaval of the Ninth Tide and the betrayal of Baizhan…”

King Wen left for the Heavenly Gate, partly to save his sister and partly to set a counter-ploy against the Heavenly Gate, but he was no match for that being and has yet to succeed.

The Human Emperor led the myriad races into the River of Time, sailing upstream, also with the intent to suppress the Three Gates; otherwise, the myriad races of that era might not have necessarily betrayed.

King Wu’s departure might have been at the Human Emperor’s own bidding, to aid King Wen—this the Human Emperor had vaguely hinted before.

From the Human Emperor’s perspective, all this was what he ought to do.

But not all plans succeed; his schemes in the myriad realms had gone awry.

And now, the impact fell on Su Yu.

He had to step forward and take all this upon himself, lest Su Yu develop certain thoughts.

Su Yu, however, was utterly calm: “I have long passed that stage—the stage of blaming heaven and others, the stage of resenting the world’s injustice. I can only say, it was because I was not strong enough that I sought to become strong, to reverse all this!”

“Perhaps the Great Zhou King was right… At the very least, he forced me to find ways to strengthen myself!”

A trace of mockery and self-mockery curled at the corner of Su Yu’s mouth: “From the day heaven turned a deaf ear to my pleas, I told myself that in this world, everything depends on oneself—on one’s fists, one’s wisdom, one’s mind! When trouble comes, solve it yourself!”

The Human Emperor sighed, and after a long pause said: “True. I need not console you; you are tougher and stronger than I imagined. To you, the comfort of others is but a joke.”

The Human Emperor suddenly calmed and smiled: “Forget it. I worried you might be angered… But you are not. You might have guessed everything long ago. If you were angry, you would have erupted already.”

He suddenly realized there was no need to soothe Su Yu; it was unnecessary.

Su Yu was young, but he was no ignorant child. His heart was more resilient than anyone’s; few setbacks could break him.

Now, the Human Emperor asked with some curiosity: “You are only in your twenties, rarely encountering failure…”

Su Yu smiled: “Rarely? No, many times. I must thank the Time Master… She taught me a truth: failure is nothing, death is nothing. If you endure it, you win!”

The Human Emperor’s eyes flickered: “Her recipe book?”

Thinking of this, he suddenly recalled a question he might have overlooked, and said with some strangeness: “At what age did you inherit her recipe book?”

“Six.”

Six!

The Human Emperor’s expression shifted slightly, a hint of oddity in his voice: “The recipe book is immensely powerful. Even a mere wisp of its residual energy would be an irresistible force for you…”

He murmured: “In the recipe book, the power of myriad paths radiates. Even if sealed, shattered, and depleted by travel… a wisp of that energy seeps out… It has no real effect on you physically, but it should leave some spiritual imprints… Did you often have nightmares?”

He suddenly looked at Su Yu, his eyes moving: “You opened this heaven, opened thousands of great paths… I think I understand now!”

He suddenly grasped something!

Su Yu’s talent… was different from others’. He drew a sharp breath: “Each time, if a trace of will-imprint appeared, it was a remnant of a path. Each time, it shattered your mental will, leaving behind a sliver of path power… Thus, you could comprehend the myriad paths, while most people find it extremely difficult, or need an immense amount of time to comprehend…”

Su Yu opened the heaven with the help of many, but if he himself had no comprehension, he could not even begin the opening, and how could others help him perfect it?

Thus, Su Yu had truly completed the comprehension of the myriad paths!

And this did not come from nowhere—not because his talent was truly supreme, surpassing all others.

Rather, from a young age, Su Yu had been constantly washed by the power of one path after another, his spirit impacted, so that when he outlined divine scripts, he did so in an instant. It was not that he was better than others, but that he had already grasped some paths, albeit too small and weak, and he did not know how to use them, so they could not manifest.

Divine script is rule!

Rule transforms into divine script!

The moment he met Bai Feng, Su Yu had already mastered the rudiments of many rules.

Later, as he continuously outlined divine scripts, others did so slowly, but Su Yu alone did it instantly—because others needed a process to understand the rules, while Su Yu did not. He only needed a system, an insight, to condense the power of rules into form!

Yet the Human Emperor understood that this process must have been fraught with danger, crisis, and pain!

Su Yu was too young, too weak.

At that time, he might not even have started cultivation, yet he was enduring the inheritance and impact of rules.

Only now did the Human Emperor realize what this young man had truly been through.

The Human Emperor suddenly said: “Back then, did you never despair, never think of giving up?”

To end it all in death!

He asked his own heart: if he had been there in that era, faced with such things, what choice would he have made?

To endure the agony, the nightmares, and the despair day after day, night after night... would he have chosen to end his own life?

Su Yu smiled. "Despair? Oh, I had it! At the very beginning, I was utterly despondent. I was so terrified that I didn't even want to sleep—I wished I would never have to sleep for the rest of my life... Back then, I desperately wished I were a powerful cultivator who could remain awake without rest. Now, funnily enough, I have achieved it."

From the age of six until now, more than ten years had passed, yet it seemed Su Yu had never once enjoyed a full, uninterrupted night of sleep.

Even during his time at the academy, when the dreams had mostly ceased because he had experienced nearly all the powers of the Great Dao, Su Yu had instead busied himself with cultivation, requiring only a brief rest each day.

A full night's sleep—what did that actually feel like?

The memory had long since blurred.

Su Yu himself no longer knew what it felt like to sleep peacefully, as he had before the age of six.

Now, he thought about trying, but too many things weighed upon his heart. During his brief moment of death recently, he had caught a fleeting glimpse of it, but unfortunately, he was interrupted by the Heavenly King Wen and the Heavenly King Wu. In truth, even without the interruption, Su Yu would not have had the luxury of time to experience it.

The Human Emperor watched him in silence.

It was only at this very moment that he seemed to understand Su Yu a little. After a long while, he spoke softly, "Outsiders all say that you, Su Yu, possess unparalleled talent, but looking at it now... perhaps it was merely ordinary! The Recipe on one hand forced you to experience the power of the Great Dao, while on the other it protected you from collapsing entirely... This is a process of repeatedly pounding and forging a soul, treating a human being as less than human. If it were a powerful master, perhaps they could bear it, but for a child, it is far too cruel!"

The Chronicle of Time was constantly striking Su Yu's willpower on one hand, and mending it immediately after on the other, tempering him like steel through a hundred fires.

However, this process was inherently cold, a form of devastation devoid of any humanity.

Perhaps Su Yu would not be struck dead directly, but he would break.

The Human Emperor continued, saying, "Wen Yu probably never imagined that her treasure would fall into your hands—the hands of a six-year-old child..."

He gave a bitter smile. "By all accounts, it should not have been inherited by you."

Su Yu smiled. "Then I suppose I must thank Xing—your ancestor, isn't he?"

Su Yu had mentioned this once before. Hearing it again now, the Human Emperor remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Perhaps it was also what ruined you... As for Xing... perhaps he is an ancestor, or perhaps all ties have long since severed; there is no need to care."

Separated by a single gate, everything changed.

The Human Emperor looked at Su Yu once more. "Have you never had a moment where you broke down completely?"

Su Yu looked back at him, just staring, and revealed a smile that was exceptionally radiant.

The Human Emperor caught his breath slightly...

After a long pause, a realization crystallized in his heart.

He had!

Not only had he broken down, but... he had always been in that state!

The white-haired youth before him had actually broken and gone mad long ago. He was hysterical, crazed with despair, but unlike others, he did not display it before the world; he was mad within his own heart.

"Wen Yu..."

The Human Emperor murmured the name in his mind. You probably never imagined this either, did you?

Wen Yu had made Su Yu who he was!

But she had also ruined him.

She probably did not know that she had created a madman, a hysterical lunatic.

Coldly rational, yet utterly insane!

At this moment, the Human Emperor, much like Zhou Ji on that previous day, saw it clearly: Su Yu had been a madman from the very beginning to the very end.

Yet, this era seemingly had no choice but to rely on this madman for salvation.

The Human Emperor gazed deeply at Su Yu, but Su Yu only smiled radiantly, saying after a long while, "Is there a flower on my face? Surely the Human Emperor does not harbor any strange thoughts toward me?"

The Human Emperor let out a helpless laugh, and after a moment, he spoke in a voice barely audible, "Perhaps you need the Three Gates to open..."

Su Yu looked at him and said nothing.

Meanwhile, the Human Emperor had already stepped away, walking back to continue his conversation with King Yue and the others.

Su Yu perhaps needed the Three Gates to open.

Because he needed war.

The pressure of war would allow Su Yu to suppress everything else.

Otherwise, the Human Emperor feared what Su Yu would become once the pressure vanished and the compulsion of war was lost.

Would he collapse completely?

Or would he gradually recover?

He did not know!

But he had indeed guessed, indeed seen, that Su Yu was already standing on the very edge of a precipice. Perhaps the moment things quieted down even slightly, Su Yu might fall apart. Or perhaps he would not, because the Su Yu in his eyes was far too resilient!

Just as Zhao Li had recognized Su Yu at first sight and chosen him to inherit his mantle, this fellow's unyielding resilience surpassed even Zhao Li's imagination.

...

Watching the Human Emperor depart, Su Yu smiled faintly.

I need the Three Gates to open?

What a thing to say!

But then again, opening the Three Gates—now that would be thrilling, wouldn't it?

If they didn't open, it really wouldn't be exciting enough.

Su Yu chuckled to himself, then suddenly called out, "Why are you running off? We haven't even discussed the main business yet!"

Over there, the Human Emperor waved his hand dismissively. What was the rush?

Let me process this first!

You madman, the moment I walk away, I have no idea what you'll do next; I need to think this through.

...

With the arrival of King Yue and the others, Su Yu's side saw its combat power rise once again.

The Human Emperor chatted for a while with the newcomers. Among them were top experts who had stayed behind in the past, warriors who had covered the retreat, and the spirit of King Wen's world; he needed to speak with them at length.

In passing, he also sought to understand the nature of such a spirit, and how it felt and performed after fusing with a world.

The Human Emperor's vision remained incredibly sharp.

Without needing Su Yu to introduce her, he had already discerned the state of the Book Spirit.

...

It was at this time that Wan Tiansheng walked over to Su Yu's side.

Seeing Su Yu watching the myriad races on the opposing side all by himself, he spoke softly, "No need to take what just happened to heart. Our matters, we will solve ourselves. Your teacher's matters will also be solved by him alone!"

Su Yu nodded slightly. "It makes no difference to me. As for Teacher's side... we can talk after the war ends."

Or perhaps after the myriad races were subdued.

Wan Tiansheng pressed the matter no further. Turning his gaze to the opposite side, where streaks of powerful auras crisscrossed the horizon, he said in a heavy tone, "The myriad races are not easy to deal with. Even now, their fighting strength remains formidable."

The previous great war had indeed united all races.

All races, every single time.

And Su Yu, after a moment of thought, spoke: "Elder has been progressing slowly lately. Could it be that by severing your path and merging into my world, your insights have actually diminished?"

Wan Tiansheng and Lan Tian had advanced rapidly before, but now they had slowed down considerably.

Even Wan Tiansheng, at this point, was only barely a third-rank like the others.

This was still thanks to the many paths he mastered, though some he had not yet fully controlled, only fused with them. Otherwise, just the seven emotions and six desires alone would account for thirteen paths, let alone the fact that his cultivation of the human path went beyond mere emotions and desires.

If he had mastered them all, he would surely be a second-rank by now.

Wan Tiansheng thought for a moment and nodded. Indeed, compared to Su Yu's progress or that of others, he had not been particularly exceptional at this stage.

It wasn't that Wan Tiansheng insisted on being special, but as the top genius of this era, he had to be.

After a pause, Wan Tiansheng said softly, "I control the seven emotions and six desires—joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, greed, hatred, foolishness, evil... but these are more of a general reference than fixed concepts! These past days, I've reflected and realized my six desires are weak!"

"Find you a woman?"

Su Yu teased, and Wan Tiansheng chuckled, "Nonsense! The six desires aren't just about lust; they encompass many things! The craving for life and death, the thirst for knowledge of the future, the longing for strength, the hope for stability..."

He spoke at length. It had been a long time since he last discussed the Dao with Su Yu.

The last time was when they talked about the River of Time.

After a while, Wan Tiansheng continued, "I've been thinking—perhaps, because of your presence, everything has been settled, and I've lost some of my anxiety and unease about the future, lacking a sense of crisis..."

Su Yu laughed: "I've only just stepped into the first-rank, and you've already lost your sense of crisis?"

Wan Tiansheng smiled too: "Not just me, but everyone else. Because... you are undefeated in battle!"

Su Yu grinned, turned his head to glance, then looked back at Wan Tiansheng: "What are you suggesting?"

"Fight a hard battle!"

Wan Tiansheng exhaled: "You always want to bear everything alone, always worry about someone falling, always try to accomplish everything through schemes. But you must understand—even the Human Emperor and others, after years of planning, have failed!"

"Now, before we reach the point where defeat means death, and since all races are roughly our equals in strength, let's fight a hard battle!"

Wan Tiansheng said seriously: "You focus on dealing with your opponents. You worry too much and meddle too much—that may not be a good thing."

Su Yu was silent for a moment: "Is this everyone's opinion?"

"Yes!"

Wan Tiansheng nodded: "Fight a hard battle. This time, all races are about as strong as we are, and we might even have a slight edge. You can't keep going like this, forcibly elevating everyone. They'll only grow more dependent on you, leading to shallow insights into the Dao. That's not what a worthy commander should do!"

"Su Yu, haven't you noticed? People are less and less inclined to think for themselves?"

"If this continues... everyone will regress."

Su Yu smiled: "So meddling too much is bad?"

"Perhaps it is!"

Wan Tiansheng smiled too: "Let go appropriately!"

"So, you mean, now that the Human Emperor is leaving... we fight a hard battle?"

"No!"

Wan Tiansheng looked at Su Yu and suddenly laughed: "Why must we wait for the Human Emperor to leave? Why wait for him to sever his path before you fight? Su Yu, that's not your style! While the Human Emperor is still here and can still rein in his proud and unruly subordinates, let's fight now! Coordinate with the Human Emperor's side! With the Human Emperor holding the rear, it's better to deter all races!"

"Then, launch a second battle, a third... until all races dare not lift their heads. By then, even if the Human Emperor leaves and severs his path, all races will wonder if it's a trap, if something is amiss!"

Wan Tiansheng suddenly grinned, a sly smile: "You could even say the Human Emperor has fallen! Say it every time... after a few times, they won't believe it! Also, those strong ones who want to merge with the Human Emperor's world... why not use them as expendables?"

"With our own people, you know to blow them up once before severing the path... but when it comes to the Human Emperor's people, are you reluctant to strike, or too embarrassed?"

Wan Tiansheng licked his lips and laughed: "We must take advantage of the Human Emperor's presence to suppress those proud and unruly subordinates! Suppress them right in front of the Human Emperor! I can see that the Human Emperor supports this. Su Yu, I know you may not care about these people and have no intention of vying for power with the Human Emperor... but even if you don't, others will?"

He laughed: "It's not about seizing power... but people will subconsciously think: Should I obey the Human Emperor, or should I obey Su Yu? During battle, the Human Emperor's people will wonder: Once the Human Emperor is gone, should I listen to Su Yu? The Human Emperor isn't dead—if I follow your orders and suffer heavy losses, won't the Human Emperor be weakened?"

Su Yu looked at Old Wan. Life has many moments of confusion; sometimes one gets through them alone, other times someone offers guidance.

Wan Tiansheng had actually guided Su Yu many times before.

On the day he transformed into the Human Demon, he told Su Yu what it meant to "help the world when one is prosperous." That time, Su Yu was deeply moved.

It was because of that that when Su Yu ascended as the Human Sovereign, he immediately and forcefully seized power, suppressing those who disagreed without any hesitation.

Now, Wan Tiansheng was offering him insights again.

Su Yu's original plan was to wait until the Human Emperor left and severed his path before considering battle. But Wan Tiansheng's opinion differed.

Su Yu fell into deep thought.

After a moment, he asked: "So you mean I should still take control of the Human Emperor's people?"

"Of course!"

Wan Tiansheng said solemnly: "You can consult with the Human Emperor on matters, but when he is not around, you must give everyone the impression that your word is the only authority!"

"No, even when he is present, your word must be the only authority!"

Wan Tiansheng said in a low voice: "They can appeal to the Human Emperor afterward, and he can come to you to negotiate. But you don't need to explain too much to them!"

Wan Tiansheng looked at Su Yu: "All they need to do is obey orders! As long as the Human Emperor hasn't opposed you... you can ignore their words. Your task is to make them obey!"

Su Yu pondered, then smiled: "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it?"

Wan Tiansheng laughed: "To you, is there a difference between the Human Emperor and Great Qin King? Back when you became the Human Sovereign, didn't you suppress those old fossils? Whether they were four hundred or forty thousand years old, they were all old fossils in your eyes. Don't treat them differently now, or Great Qin King might be sad—why is the Human Emperor treated differently?"

Su Yu laughed!

That made some sense!

Wan Tiansheng continued: "Now is not a time of peace. The Human Emperor is severely wounded, the Literary King is absent, the Martial King has left, and the Bright King is not good at making major decisions. So this matter can only fall to you!"

Su Yu smiled: "True, who else has the ability?"

Wan Tiansheng laughed heartily. This guy had finally recovered. He said: "You still have some reverence for the Human Emperor, thinking he might always be right. You don't want these matters to create a rift between you... but do you think Great Qin King would become estranged from you just because you punished some people? The more understanding a person is, the more they grasp this principle!"

"If the Human Emperor thinks you're wrong because of these things... then that would prove he isn't wise enough!"

"Then he'd be no better than Great Qin King!"

Su Yu laughed: "Why do you keep bringing up Great Qin King? He'd be so sad to hear this!"

Wan Tiansheng was speechless, then quickly chuckled: "Not necessarily. I think Great Qin King enjoys it; he doesn't seem sad. Also, on the battlefield, being divided into two factions is very unwise. The lesson from all races is that it leads to problems in coordination, cooperation, and rescue. So before the Human Emperor leaves, we need to integrate and coordinate!"

Su Yu stroked his chin: "In that case, we'll have to take the initiative..."

Su Yu looked across: "My world can now extend there, but if they keep moving upstream, I won't be able to cover it!"

"So what!"

Wan Tiansheng said dismissively: "Then force them to keep going upstream. At this point, going upstream against the current is extremely costly. This is already their limit; otherwise, the Human Emperor and the others wouldn't have come downstream—staying put would have been best, wouldn't it?"

Su Yu listened attentively.

Having an elder by his side, occasionally offering advice, was actually quite good.

Su Yu rarely took advice, but there were exceptions—people like Wan Tiansheng, Zhao Li, Niu Baidao, Zhu Tiandao, and Liu Wenyan. Even if he didn't agree with their suggestions, he would seriously consider them.

But now, only Wan Tiansheng remained by Su Yu's side.

The others, for the most part, had been hidden away by Su Yu.

Because they were too weak!

Su Yu, naturally, had his own selfish motives—everyone has selfishness, more or less—his father, his teacher, some of his close friends… he had hidden them all, letting no one know.

He had even considered his own fate after defeat: a death without a complete corpse was inevitable.

Wan Tiansheng said no more after that.

The rest, Su Yu himself understood clearly.

…

Su Yu still gave it serious thought—perhaps Old Wan's idea was more fitting than his own earlier one.

Soon, Su Yu turned and walked toward the Human Sovereign.

Seeing him approach, the Human Sovereign stepped forward and exchanged a brief discussion with Su Yu. Hearing Su Yu's thoughts, the Human Sovereign pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly, as if acknowledging Su Yu's suggestion.

Su Yu was right; though the Human Sovereign was anxious to return and merge with heaven and earth, Su Yu's approach might prove more advantageous for what lay ahead.

…

At this moment, the crowd was still chatting, discussing, and talking.

But just then, the Human Sovereign gave a light cough, instantly halting everyone's movements.

The Human Sovereign said softly, "Everyone, you all know my condition! I'm unfit for intense battles now; if I fight another round, I might fall completely!"

The crowd grew solemn.

The Human Sovereign smiled and said, "I've been thinking… Su Yu—you've all seen him, seen his strength, his ability! And you know what he's done across the myriad realms. I'd say… he's a legend, perhaps a bit less than me… hahaha, but truly, he is a legend!"

The crowd broke into smiles, amused by the Human Sovereign's confidence, though they felt he was bragging again!

The Human Sovereign laughed heartily: "So I've decided—from now on, you will follow Su Yu's orders, obey military commands, and engage in battles. On the battlefield, you've followed me for years, and you all know one thing… orders are like mountains, and commands must be obeyed without question!"

A chill ran through the crowd!

The Human Sovereign continued, "Of course, not everyone may agree with Su Yu… but if you have objections, you can tell me after the battle. We'll hold a post-war review, address shortcomings, and improve… but never, ever defy orders on the battlefield!"

His voice suddenly turned stern, filled with gravity and solemnity: "You are all veterans! Many brothers have followed me from the human realm to the heavens, from the heavens to the upper reaches of the River of Time! By now, you should understand! So even if an order is mistaken… I will correct it in time, or you can tell me after the battle. Don't cause any trouble mid-fight and disgrace our people!"

At that moment, King Ming, lost in thought, said softly, "Your Majesty, what if Lord Su orders us to our deaths?"

He smiled and added, "For instance, if Lord Su says, 'All of you go and self-destruct, first send the myriad races into chaos, then let others reap the harvest'… would we comply?"

The Human Sovereign replied flatly, "Su Yu wouldn't give such a brainless order…"

Not far away, Su Yu, arms crossed, suddenly interjected, "That's hard to say!"

The Human Sovereign was speechless—were you contradicting him?

He was granting you authority!

Su Yu said coolly, "On the battlefield, anything is possible. In the heat of battle, if self-destruction is the only path to victory, and I order you to self-destruct, would you dare disobey?"

Su Yu added coldly, "Sacrificing the self for the greater good—isn't that what many pursue? As long as the war is won, can't everything be justified?"

The crowd instinctively glanced at the Great Zhou King not far away; those familiar with Su Yu knew he was targeting him again.

King Ming smiled: "True… but… what we fear is that Lord Su trusts his own inner circle more. When it's time to reap, it's his people; when it's time to sacrifice, it's us. That we cannot accept!"

"Worry not about scarcity but about inequality… that's no empty saying!"

King Ming looked at Su Yu—how would you solve this?

Su Yu thought for a moment, then casually gave an example, with a playful tone: "Back when I first went to the upper realm, I commanded a group of Dao-Integrators, including Prefect Wan, the Great Zhou King, Marquis Dingjun, Marquis Anyin, Marquis Yunshui, Marquis Nanxi, Tianmie… a whole host of them!"

"I don't know if Xuelan and the others told you… that day, I ordered everyone to self-destruct!"

A chill ran through someone's heart.

Su Yu said calmly, "Those who obeyed that day all survived, not a single one fell! Those who disobeyed, who didn't self-destruct—Anyin, Yunshui, Wushan, Jianghai—all died! As for Nanxi, I simply let bygones be bygones and didn't bother to hold her accountable! As for Xuelan, she didn't obey either, but she was shattered by an enemy's self-destruction; if not for the life-preserving seal left by the Snow King, she would have fallen long ago!"

Su Yu said indifferently, "If this example still doesn't convince you, then no amount of words will help! Follow me, and I will do my utmost to keep you alive… Disobey me, and if such people die, what is that to me?"

King Ming pondered a moment, then asked, "And if we have a difference of opinion with Lord Su?"

"Shut up!"

Su Yu said coldly, "After the battle, go cry to the Human Sovereign, and he will come to me. I will give him an account! As for you… you have no right to bargain with me. Of course, if you think I'm too overbearing, you can opt out and stay behind with the Human Sovereign! I'll say this upfront—if you think I, Su Yu, am unworthy to lead you, then you can withdraw. I don't mind having fewer people. If none of you are willing, I can still hold off the myriad races with my own people!"

Someone felt insulted. War King grumbled, "Lord Su, that's not right. We've fought here for countless years—none of us fear death. If we were afraid, we'd have fled long ago!"

Su Yu laughed: "I didn't say you fear death. You seniors have fought on the front lines for years; I don't deny your contributions… but…"

Su Yu paused, then said solemnly, "But we're not idle either! Ask everyone here—how many battles have we fought over the years? Since we're all heroes… there's no need for more praise! When it comes to killing… I doubt you've killed more than we have. We've fought from the human realm to the heavens, to the upper realm, to the dead spirit domain, and now to the upper reaches… Who fears death? If you're afraid, there's no need to follow me!"

When it came to merits, everyone present had great merits, but Su Yu was too lazy to say more.

Praising merits—these people's merits might not even surpass those of the Great Qin King and his ilk.

Not far away, the Human Sovereign glanced at Su Yu and smiled: "Lord Su, I have only one request of you, or rather, one bottom line… Dying in battle is acceptable, but dying unjustly is not! If you can save someone but don't; if one of your inner circle's death could solve a problem, but you let three or five of my old brothers die instead… that would be your selfishness going too far!"

The Human Sovereign continued, "I can understand some normal favoritism. For example, if you need to rescue two people—one is War King, one is Prefect Wan—and you can only save one, and you save Prefect Wan… everyone might hate you, but we still won't oppose you. But if you can save both, yet you save Prefect Wan and ignore War King… then you are unworthy to be this leader!"

His smile faded, replaced by seriousness, and he spoke very directly.

Some favoritism was inevitable.

But Su Yu couldn't go too far; otherwise, he wouldn't deserve to be the leader, and the Human Sovereign wouldn't hand over his people to be sent to their deaths.

Su Yu smiled: "You can oversee the battle!"

The Human Sovereign nodded: "I'll be watching!"

Su Yu said no more, directly looking at War King and the others, and said calmly, "You've all heard the Human Sovereign's words. If anyone has objections, speak now. After this moment, what I say is final—no questioning allowed!"

Among the crowd, the three-eyed King Tong, who had earlier revealed his third eye, hesitated, then spoke: "Lord Su, do we obey orders only during battle, or also after?"

"During battle—afterward, do as you please!"

Su Yu said flatly, "The Yu Emperor's Mansion has no interest in recruiting new people. Isn't the Human Sovereign still alive? For now, I'm borrowing troops; during the borrowing period, you follow my orders. Of course, after the battle, you might be reluctant to leave me, crying and begging me to take you into the Yu Emperor's Mansion… we'll talk about that then!"

The atmosphere instantly loosened, taking on a strange tone.

The group felt awkward.

What kind of talk was that!

Who would cry and beg you to take them in? That would be such a loss of face for the Human Sovereign!

The Human Sovereign was also amused and exasperated!

Good heavens, you're not taking me seriously at all!

And Su Yu, squinting with a smile, said, "Anything is possible. Don't think it's impossible now—you might end up slapping your own faces later!"

The crowd gave dry laughs and didn't respond.

You do what makes you happy!

We can't be bothered to argue with you.

Su Yu quickly, almost instantly changing his expression, said solemnly, "From this moment on, we are in a state of war. Everyone, obey orders!"

A sudden tension gripped the crowd.

Su Yu barked, "Change your tune, call me the Emperor of Yu!"

"..."

The Warlord and the others froze, while Wan Tiansheng burst into a laugh. The crowd swiftly bowed in unison, crying out together, "Salutations, Your Majesty Emperor Yu!"

"..."

The Warlord and his peers exchanged glances, lost for words. After a long moment, the King of Ming smiled and said, "Salutations, Your Majesty Emperor Yu!"

The next instant, dozens of Masters of Rules, some helpless and others depressed, raised their voices one after another, "Salutations, Your Majesty Emperor Yu!"

Su Yu laughed heartily, shouting once more, "Requesting the Human Emperor to step back and withdraw from the war zone!"

The crowd looked at one another, having no choice but to follow his cry, "Requesting the Human Emperor to step back and withdraw from the war zone!"

"..."

The Human Emperor was speechless, yet he smiled nonetheless. He began to retreat, stepping out of the combat zone Su Yu had demarcated, standing alone in the rear with a faint smile on his face.

At this moment, the Human Emperor did not know whether to feel comforted or vexed.

Su Yu was, after all, rather intriguing.

Moreover, he believed that as long as Su Yu's selfish desires were not overwhelmingly heavy, his own old brethren would not suffer any real issues. After blending together a few times, they would be ready to launch a large-scale campaign.

Yet in the very next moment of his gratification, Su Yu suddenly let out a fierce roar, "Hear my command, charge and kill!"

As the words fell, he instantly bolted toward the direction of the myriad races!

Wan Tiansheng and his people did not hesitate for a second, charging out one after another, leaving the Warlord and his comrades utterly stunned, frozen in place!

Damn it!

The King of Ming and his peers were also dazed, stumbling in their tracks. In the next instant, they grew frantic. You... you are just charging up like that?

The group hesitated for a moment, then gritted their teeth and followed suit.

On the opposite side, a surge of powerful auras suddenly erupted as powerhouse after powerhouse soared into the air.

Yet Su Yu stopped dead in his tracks instantly, "Stop, retreat! You bastards, why did you hesitate?"

Su Yu was furious!

Under the stupefied glares of the myriad races across from them, he instantly led his people to withdraw.

In less than five minutes, Su Yu roared furiously again, "Charge!"

Boom!

The crowd swiftly followed him in another charge!

"Retreat!"

Su Yu led his people back once more!

By now, the myriad races were utterly bewildered, and the King of Ming and his companions were equally dazed. Su Yu was deeply annoyed, relentlessly reprimanding those who had been sluggish, making those veteran powerhouses flush with embarrassment. I... I just didn't expect you to charge the moment you said charge, and retreat the moment you said retreat.

They simply hadn't reacted in time!

They were truly left dazed and confused by Su Yu!

But Su Yu repeated this spectacle over and over. Gradually, across the field, the powerhouses of the myriad races grew solemn. Far from letting their guard down, they became exceedingly grave.

They could faintly discern... Su Yu seemed to be drilling and fusing his army.

At the very least, by now, his orders were being executed flawlessly.

The Human Emperor's men no longer showed any hesitation at Su Yu's command; the moment he said charge, they charged!