Chapter 867: Mount Guiyun

The world within the gate.

Void, deathly stillness, desolation.

Not even a place to set foot—this godforsaken place, simply put, unless you stay airborne, you can't even get out.

Su Yu found it strange!

This place, through countless ages, had no new generation?

Then where did the new generation live?

In the forbidden lands?

In the gathering places of scattered cultivators?

So, a lifetime might be spent in just one place, and not necessarily large—wasn't that a pitiful thing?

Moreover, the greatest difference between here and the myriad realms was the lack of light!

Yes, not enough light.

Here, it was dim and murky; though it didn't affect Su Yu, being like daytime to him, for ordinary people, could such an environment sustain life?

In the forbidden lands, perhaps there were unique treasures that could create light?

That was possible!

Within the gate, it was truly lonely!

Staying here long enough would definitely cause depression!

Su Yu thought of the map in his memory; nearby, there seemed to be territories, the closest being Gui's Guiyuan Mountain. Gui had risen to first rank, and in this place, he counted as a minor overlord.

Guiyuan Mountain had some reputation among scattered cultivators.

Yet, even if it was the closest, for many, it was a distance they could never cross in a lifetime; for Su Yu, it would take a considerable time to reach...

Su Yu walked through the void, sensing everything here.

The power of the Great Dao!

Here, it seemed chaotic, but it was not chaos, because the Great Dao here had been sorted, not the disorder of chaos. This place might once have been a vibrant region,

but later it became desolate.

Yet the Great Dao here was all orderly.

This was also a way to distinguish chaos.

This was a world, not chaos!

Su Yu quickly reached a conclusion; he sensed the presence of some Great Dao powers, and not only that, he vaguely felt the existence of the River of Time. At that moment, a small Heavenly Gate appeared at his brow, but Su Yu restrained it.

Here, if the Heavenly Gate erupted, the yang energy would be too strong!

Su Yu pondered the Great Dao, calculating how he could comprehend the Great Dao power of this place.

He sensed that before, outside the gate, he had controlled thousands of Great Daos, the strong at first rank, the weak with the power of Dao integration.

But here, comprehending the Great Dao seemed to encounter some obstacles.

That obstacle made him feel unable to break through a thin membrane; though the Great Dao was right before him, and he even knew how to cultivate this Dao, he simply couldn't merge his insights into the Dao rules.

It was as if he and the Dao were not in the same era!

Yes, not in the same era!

Did the Dao here not belong to our era? Hence the estrangement. But if he didn't connect with the Dao here, how could he pretend to be someone from within the gate? How could he open a heaven here?

Su Yu fell into deep thought.

How could he break that sense of separation?

Otherwise, he could disguise himself now, but when encountering a strong cultivator, he would soon be seen through. Since he wanted to disguise himself, he had to do it convincingly.

If it was too fake, what was the point?

Why could Gui and the others continue to connect to the Dao outside the gate?

Was it because the Dao had broken, leaving no Dao, so they could reconnect?

But I, too, have no Dao.

Of course, his Dao was all within his own world.

Su Yu sank into contemplation, somewhat puzzled. Without breaking that sense of separation, he couldn't resonate with the Dao here, and even mobilizing some of the local power felt estranged.

Estrangement—if one was not from this era, how could one be identified as a person of this era?

Su Yu stroked his chin; this was the key.

If this problem wasn't solved, it would be very troublesome. He didn't want to end up like King Wen and the others, hunted to death after entering—too pitiful.

That researcher King Wen—had he ever studied this, or had he had time to study it?

The Lord of the Dead might have studied it; I wonder if his Dead Spirit Hell was an opened heaven or a treasure. If it was an opened heaven, that meant he must have profound skill.

Maybe I should go observe how the Dead Spirit Hell was opened?

Su Yu kept trying; after a long while, he suddenly fell into thought. King Wu and the others, here, should also be able to exert their strength, which meant his Dao could also be used here.

The River of Time existed; though the Heavenly Gate was estranged, the power within the River of Time was actually universal. For example, Gui and the others, when they reached the myriad realms, were also first-rank experts.

The power of the world couldn't be used, because the power of the world did not belong to the River of Time!

But the power of the Dao could be used, because all Daos were within the River of Time.

Though after flowing here, the attributes of the power might have changed, they were still within the same river!

Now, I have no power in the river, so I can only rely on my own strength and the faint radiation of the world's power. That said, King Wu and the others might be even stronger than King Wen here?

Because King Wu could continue using his own power, while King Wen couldn't use all of his world's power.

Thought after thought emerged in Su Yu's mind.

At this moment, Su Yu became interested; it had been a long time since he had thought or studied. Now, seeing a different world and sensing a different Dao power was actually quite fascinating.

He loved to think, but unfortunately, he didn't have much time. In his early academy days, Su Yu had set up the Primordial Spirit Research Institute, including the prototype of the Heavenly Gate, the yang aperture and yin aperture—all researched by Su Yu himself, though he had often borrowed the Time Book.

Now, here, it was like starting over, and Su Yu felt a desire to explore cultivation.

I need to find someone to observe carefully!

Su Yu muttered to himself; he needed to observe how these beings within the gate existed in this place.

Guiyuan Mountain

Su Yu sped up, flying in one direction. Guiyuan Mountain, Gui's lair, also gathered a group of people.

The origins of the scattered cultivators within the Heavenly Gate were also somewhat complicated.

Some were from the forbidden lands; when the forbidden lands had too many people, they would exile a batch. Yes, exile, because the forbidden lands were only so large; strong cultivators wouldn't expand their forbidden lands for a few individuals, and forbidden lands couldn't be expanded at will.

Within the gate, reproduction was a very dangerous matter, the greatest danger being expulsion!

Expulsion from the forbidden lands!

When there were too many people, the forbidden lands would exile a batch, and leaving the forbidden lands was very dangerous, because in the void, there were great perils—some ancient beasts from the era of heaven-opening, some old monsters who loved to eat flesh and blood, all might lurk in the endless void.

Not only that, but within the gate, there also exists a kind of creature, equally dangerous—or rather, a peril that all sides must face: the Devourer Locusts.

A being akin to locusts!

This creature devours everything it sees.

The desolate state of the gate’s interior is largely due to these Devourer Locusts.

According to the Gui, these are beings born from the end of an era, emerging from the rules of heaven and earth—or, to put it more plainly, they are spawned from the River of Time, like insects in water, endlessly surging forth from every corner, consuming the entire world within the gate.

Their purpose is to annihilate this world!

The world within the gate is doomed to perish—this is something the Gui all know.

Yet for now, some lords of the forbidden lands remain powerful, occasionally sweeping away these Devourer Locusts, granting the weaker beings within the gate a chance to survive.

As for the scattered cultivators, some hail from the forbidden lands, some were bred by the mighty of the Creation Era, and others are descendants of those brought in by ancient powers, scattered across the realms. As those ancient powers fell, these people dispersed far and wide, continuing to multiply and spread.

Su Yu once asked a few of them how the Creation Era came to be sealed.

The Gui’s answer was simple: in a single day, heaven and earth turned upside down, and all the mighty seemed to experience a shift of stars and constellations, appearing behind the gate. At first, the world behind the gate was not so barren; it was later devoured into this state by the Devourer Locusts.

Su Yu was speechless at such an answer.

In a single day, they entered this world?

With so many mighty beings, did none sense it?

According to the Gui, Su Yu could only conclude that it was the work of the Lord of Time; otherwise, no one could have accomplished this. For in the Creation Era, there were truly many mighty beings—back then, when the myriad realms were opened, a flood of powerful figures emerged.

At the dawn of creation, when the River of Time first appeared, it was much like Su Yu’s own world—countless strong beings entered the world, seizing the opportunity to claim the Great Path and become powerful.

In Su Yu’s world, if the Great Path were all claimed by others after many years, later generations would find it difficult to surpass their predecessors.

If the predecessors kept advancing, and once the Great Path was fully occupied, what would later generations do?

If the Great Path was insufficient, would it block the path of those who came after?

As he pondered, Su Yu felt a stirring of thought.

Indeed, in the Creation Era, the mighty had seized too much of the Great Path’s power, making it hard for later generations to surpass them. Could the downfall of the Creation Era be related to this?

Perhaps the Lord of Time did not wish to see such a scene, so he acted, sealing away these ancient relics, then dividing the world into Yin and Yang, splitting the Great Path into two different forms, allowing later generations to continue their cultivation?

The Devourer Locusts seemed like some kind of apocalypse cleaners—were they scavengers?

One thought after another surfaced in Su Yu’s mind.

Soon, before Su Yu, in the darkness, a great mountain loomed, vast beyond measure, no smaller than the Mountain of Men in the upper realm. This was Guiyuan Mountain, and Su Yu recognized it at once.

For this great mountain resembled a candied hawthorn stick—a string of such shapes—standing in the dark void, radiating a faint glow.

Before Su Yu could draw near, a wave of energy rippled toward him, tinged with wariness. None who walked the void were weaklings. At that moment, a voice rang out in challenge: “Who dares approach? This is Guiyuan Mountain, the domain of Lord Gui—”

Su Yu’s eyes turned dark and gloomy, and he spoke in a low voice: “I am the Inspector of Tianmu Domain. Before Lord Tomb departed, he said he had come to Guiyuan Mountain to visit a friend, yet he has not returned for many days. Now, Tianmu Domain is threatened by the Devourer Locusts. I have come to report to Lord Tomb and ask him to return to Tianmu Domain. Dare I ask where my lord is now?”

In an instant, a figure materialized in the void—a middle-aged man, cautious, but still replied: “This matter, I do not know—”

Su Yu barked coldly: “Where exactly is my lord?”

Su Yu fumed: “I have sent many secret messages, but received no reply! And before he left, my lord said he was invited by Guiyuan Mountain to visit his friend Lord Gui. Where is Lord Gui now?”

The middle-aged man looked helpless: “Lord Gui has also not returned for many days—”

“You—”

Su Yu’s gaze turned icy: “Could it be that you—”

“Fellow Daoist misunderstands!”

The middle-aged man explained: “That day, Lord Gui, Lord Tomb, Lord Yu, and several others left Guiyuan Mountain together, saying they had business to attend to. Since then, they have not returned—”

Su Yu stared at him coldly, frowning: “Did they say when they would return? Or can you contact Lord Gui and ask him to relay to my lord that he should return soon? Near Tianmu Domain, a powerful Devourer Locust has appeared, leading a swarm of them, flying toward Tianmu Domain. If this continues, Tianmu Domain will surely fall into disaster!”

“This is indeed a difficult problem! If he does not return, Tianmu Domain will be destroyed!”

The middle-aged man pondered for a moment, then said: “Then I will try to contact Lord Gui. But as you know, in this endless void, messages may not always get through—”

Su Yu grew anxious and somewhat irritated: “If Tianmu Domain is truly destroyed, I will have no way to explain myself. If you delay this urgent matter, you will also have no way to answer to my lord. My lord has always been on good terms with Guiyuan Mountain. If Tianmu Domain is wiped out, do you think my lord will not hold Guiyuan Mountain responsible? When that time comes, no one will benefit!”

The middle-aged man felt a bit troubled as well.

That was true!

If Lord Gui left and something happened to Guiyuan Mountain, he too would be anxious.

“Then may I ask, Fellow Daoist, what is the strength of that Devourer Locust leader near Tianmu Domain?”

“Above 15 Dao-powers!”

The middle-aged man drew in a sharp breath. That was no small threat—he certainly could not handle it. If it were weaker, he might have gone with this man to deal with it if he could not contact Lord Gui.

But now, the matter was beyond his ability.

Su Yu, meanwhile, was also gauging this man’s strength. Without a fight, it was hard to tell, but if the man did not hide his aura, Su Yu could judge by it. After careful assessment, he estimated the man had about 8 to 10 Dao-powers—not weak.

In such a scattered cultivator domain, there was usually a master, someone like Lord Gui, and also an inspector, a powerful being who patrolled the domain’s surroundings. If too weak, they could not handle crises.

As for the inspector of Tianmu Domain, according to Lord Tomb, he had unfortunately fallen earlier. Moreover, Tianmu Domain was sparsely populated and far from Guiyuan Mountain. Except for the occasional exchange among top experts, others might never visit Tianmu Domain in their lifetimes.

The middle-aged man, too, was weighing something. Soon, he looked at Su Yu and said: “Then, Fellow Daoist, would you like to enter Guiyuan Mountain and rest for a while? You seem to have traveled far and appear to be injured—”

At this moment, Su Yu’s dark ancient robe bore some bloodstains and scratches, and his aura was slightly disordered.

Su Yu frowned slightly: “What? Is there no way to quickly contact my lord and yours? If I could return swiftly, I must go back immediately. Though Tianmu Domain has few people, it is still my lord’s lifelong effort. If it is breached and devoured—”

“Fellow Daoist, even if we contact them, we cannot know when they will return. Please calm down—”

Su Yu’s expression shifted, showing some irritation. After a long silence, he gritted his teeth and sighed: “Fine, I’ll wait a while. If my lord truly does not return… I won’t go back either!”

The middle-aged man said nothing, but he could understand. If Lord Tomb really did not return, this man clearly could not handle the crisis. As a scattered cultivator, if his domain was destroyed, he would have to wander the void again. Staying here to wait for Lord Tomb’s return was not unreasonable.

The middle-aged man judged that in the past, when Lord Gui went out, he never stayed away too long. This time was already longer than usual. If he were to return, it should be soon.

If he could not return…

The middle-aged man did not dwell on it. A 16-Dao-power expert was strong anywhere, and this time three had gone out, all above 12 Dao-powers.

With so many experts, unless they encountered a lord of a forbidden land, there was little danger.

“Fellow Daoist, rest here for a while. I will do my best to inform Lord Gui!”

With that, the middle-aged man smiled: “May I ask your esteemed title?”

“Black Tomb!”

Su Yu replied, then asked: “And your title, Fellow Daoist?”

“Falling Cloud!”

“Then I trouble you, Fellow Daoist Falling Cloud!”

Su Yu performed an ancient salute. “I fear that in a few days, the Devourer Locusts may reach Tianmu Domain. If my lord still cannot return, I can only hope they change their course. Otherwise, Tianmu Domain will surely vanish into the void!”

A heavy sigh!

And Luo Yun sighed too: "I only hope the Lords can return swiftly. It is a pity that we are no forbidden ground; we lack the power to ward off such formidable plague-locusts. These locusts have grown increasingly severe, threatening our very daily survival. More and more rogue cultivator territories are being devoured. Fortuitously, it is said that the Heavenly Gate is soon to open, or else, if this continues, we shall soon have no room left to live. The price to be paid for constructing a rogue cultivator territory is far too immense. To have finally secured a place of sanctuary, only for it to be swallowed up again so soon..."

For a moment, Luo Yun felt a deep, shared melancholy, yet he soon smiled again: "However, Lord Mu and Lord Gui are both supreme beings of the sixteenth path. In truth, if the Lords were present, though fifteen-path plague-locusts would be troublesome to deal with, it would not be impossible. We are far stronger than those ordinary rogue cultivators!"

At his level of cultivation, even if this place were truly destroyed, it was no great matter. At worst, he could simply move to another territory, or even forge one himself. He had, after all, stepped into the realm of a second-class Master of Rules, making him a powerhouse in his own right.

It was merely that the average person was unwilling to expend such effort.

Su Yu said nothing. He looked out across the entire great mountain; truth be told, the place was quite vast. It was a mountain shaped like a candied hawthorn stick, and though it was called a mountain, to those who lived within it, it was their entire world.

Layer upon layer, each candied hawthorn sphere was actually a world, a territory. This Luo Yun was like a deity from beyond the heavens, providing shelter for these people here.

Of course, rogue cultivators were not so kind-hearted as to insist on opening up a territory and sheltering others out of sheer benevolence; it was time-consuming, laborious, and thankless.

The reason they established territories was, in reality, to strengthen their own path-power.

Just like the Path of the Physical Body, since Gui had opened a physical body path, all the people within his territory had to cultivate that path, merging themselves into Gui’s great path to make him stronger.

It was just like Fu Tuling; the Five Elements Race was currently cultivating the Great Path of the Five Elements, which was also for the sole purpose of allowing Fu Tuling to grow powerful rapidly.

Gui’s physical body path had now been swallowed by the Martial Emperor, fusing yin and yang into one, yet this path was not broken; it still existed.

Thus, at this moment, nothing seemed amiss.

However, a problem would arise sooner or later, and someone would discover the truth.

Especially since Yu had been killed, and his path of spear technique had been directly swallowed by the Battle King. Yu’s great path was severed; if he possessed a territory, the entities within it might have already discovered his death. Of course, that was none of Su Yu’s concern.

Luo Yun did not cultivate the physical body path. These second-class powerhouses all possessed their own great paths, merely attaching themselves beneath Gui's name. Within Gui's territory, a portion of the people would also cultivate his path, though the numbers would not be too vast.

Here, population was actually a valuable resource.

A large number brought advantages.

Yet, it could not be too large; if it were too large, resources would be insufficient and territory scarce, leaving them no choice but to act like the forbidden grounds—expelling the weak and retaining the strong to ensure the quality did not decline.

At this moment, Su Yu swept his gaze across the area, a touch of envy in his eyes: "Your territory boasts no small number of living beings, and their quality is quite fine! I see that a portion of them are still cultivating Fellow Daoist Luo Yun’s great path. Alas, my Heavenly Tomb territory is sparsely populated..."

Luo Yun smiled faintly: "There is no helping that. I am also aware of Lord Mu's great path; it is the Path of the Heavenly Gate, which ordinary people cannot comprehend. Lord Gui cultivates the Path of the Physical Body, which more people can perceive, hence the living beings attached to the Lord are more numerous! Fellow Daoist does not cultivate the Path of the Heavenly Gate, I presume?"

Su Yu shook his head: "No, if I truly did, I would not have cultivated to this stage. The path I walk is the Path of the Dead Yin!"

As these words were spoken, Luo Yun was surprised: "Then why did Fellow Daoist not go to the Necromantic Hell?"

The Necromantic Hell possessed a formidable reputation.

Instead of going there, you came to Mu's territory to serve as an inspector—what was the need?

The Necromantic Master was, after all, one of the overlords of the forbidden grounds!

It was difficult for ordinary people to enter, but since you cultivate the Path of the Dead Yin, logically speaking, there should be no threshold for you.

Su Yu, however, narrowed his eyes, speaking in a low voice: "That place is anything but ordinary. Think about it, when it comes to identical great paths, swallowing one's own kind... I have heard that the mortality rate there is extremely high! Lord Mu's territory may be difficult to progress in, but it is safe. People like us wish to advance, but unless forced by absolute necessity, we do not wish to go and court death."

"I see that Fellow Daoist Hei Mu's strength is not weak. Going there might not necessarily be courting death!"

Luo Yun smiled: "I shall first attempt to contact Lord Gui. If he cannot be reached, and the Heavenly Tomb territory is truly to be destroyed... Fellow Daoist will not be without a place to go, so there is no need to be overly anxious."

Su Yu nodded slightly, saying no more.

At this moment, he and Luo Yun descended together onto the peak of Mount Guiyuan, where a great hall stood, situated at the very pinnacle of the candied hawthorn spire.

This place was likely Gui’s palace as well.

However, Gui was not here at present, so no living beings dared to venture over.

Luo Yun looked toward Su Yu and smiled: "Then, Fellow Daoist, please wait a brief moment while I go think of a way. If you require any service here, just have someone attend to it..."

With those words, he waved his hand, and from outside the great hall, a slender woman approached. She bowed slightly to Su Yu and said softly: "This maid is Ting Yu. Whatever commands the Lord has, you may simply inform me!"

Su Yu nodded slightly without a word, sitting cross-legged within the pavilion outside the great hall. Luo Yun departed swiftly, seemingly off to find a way to contact Gui. In this endless void, contacting someone was a troublesome affair; sometimes one had to rely on certain treasures or the fragments of will left behind by powerhouses to reach the other party.

As Luo Yun departed, Ting Yu quickly served tea to Su Yu.

Su Yu observed her silently. The physical body path.

As for her strength, it was actually quite decent.

According to the terms of the Myriad Realms, she possessed the power of the Joined Dao stage.

A mere maidservant of Gui possessed the Joined Dao realm; this was, in truth, quite remarkable.

Yet it was normal here; with few people, all were elites, and those who were too weak had already been eliminated.

Within the Gate, the law of the jungle was starkly apparent, even more so than in the Myriad Realms.

If you could not provide a sufficient return to the master of this place within a certain timeframe, you would be expelled. Once expelled, whether you lived or died depended entirely on your luck.

This applied to the forbidden grounds as well.

When the population grew too large, the weak would be eliminated—a naked display of the survival of the fittest. Powerhouses would find a livelihood wherever they went, while the weak would be shunned regardless of their destination.

For instance, a second-class cultivator like Luo Yun, though not sharing the same path as Gui, faced no great issue. He patrolled the vicinity for dangers, and Gui was glad to have such an assistant; a second-class powerhouse would have no trouble establishing a territory of his own.

Su Yu raised his teacup and sipped. Gui's great hall was rather interesting; from this vantage, it was as if everything were transparent, allowing one to look down upon the entirety of Mount Guiyuan.

Mount Guiyuan, this modest mountain, was further divided into nine layers.

Gui’s palace sat upon the ninth layer.

The higher one went, the more powerhouses there were.

The first layer, however, was mostly populated by the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled, along with no small number of children, while powerhouses were exceedingly rare; even if there were occasional Eternals, they were grievously injured or near the end of their lifespans.

The distinction between the strong and the weak was stark, and their races were not uniform either; it was highly diverse and chaotic!

Every kind of person was present!

Su Yu sensed the area and found it somewhat peculiar. The interior of the Gate was like a grand potpourri, where all sorts of races were crammed together, many of them being of mixed blood.

Here, survival was the primary concern.

The distinction between races seemed faint; Su Yu even sensed some auras of the Human Race, yet they were also chaotic and mingled. According to the terms of the Human Realm, they were all of thoroughly mixed blood.

Some of the weak, even if they possessed a human aura, would exhibit certain animalistic traits upon their bodies.

In this world, the most prevalent great paths were of two kinds.

One was the physical body path, and the other was the great path cultivated by Luo Yun. Su Yu judged that it was highly probable to be a weapon-type great path; he noticed many people wearing weapons resembling ropes, which might well be Luo Yun’s path.

After observing for a time, Su Yu’s peripheral vision shifted toward the maidservant beside him, a strange look in his eyes.

Seeing Su Yu look over, the maidservant smiled, offering a gentle expression—not overly seductive, yet filled with tenderness. To these people, if they could establish some connection with a powerhouse like Su Yu who traversed the void, it would mark the beginning of a meteoric rise.

Alas, the maidservant did not know Su Yu’s thoughts. What Su Yu was thinking was whether he should strip away her great path and investigate it piece by piece to see how it could be merged, or perhaps dissect her to find out?

If Ting Yu knew Su Yu’s thoughts, she would likely have no desire to display her current expression, but would instead be filled with terror.

Su Yu kept his gaze on Ting Yu until an unknown amount of time passed, and Luo Yun’s laughter echoed: "Fellow Daoist Hei Mu must be exhausted from your journey. Shall I arrange a place for you to take a brief rest?"

His smile carried a hint of ambiguity, though he did not care overmuch; these were all trivial matters.

Once one cultivated to their realm, female charms were mere side issues.

Luo Yun found it difficult to probe Su Yu’s exact strength, but felt he was no weaker than himself—a powerhouse in his own right. He did not mind helping Su Yu settle such minor matters.

Su Yu looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly: "Set those matters aside for now. Has Fellow Daoist managed to contact Lord Gui?"

This adult hasn't replied yet!

Luo Yun shook his head: "But once the adult sees it, he will surely reply. For now, I don't know if he's too far away or trapped in some forbidden zone."

"In a forbidden zone, the zone radiates the power of a strong one, making contact difficult."

Having said that, he added: "Why not wait a while, friend? Perhaps the adult will respond soon!"

Su Yu sighed: "Forget it, let it be. I can only wait. I've done my best. If Lord Mu returns too late and Tianmu Territory is lost, there's nothing I can do."

With another sigh, he continued: "If it truly fails, I'll go to the Nether Hell. Though dangerous, it's also an opportunity. The Gate of Heaven is about to open, and the Lord of the Nether, I've heard, holds no small power across the myriad realms. As long as I don't die, there's a future."

Luo Yun nodded and smiled: "I envy you, friend. You cultivate the path of Yin and Death. In this endless void, with so many forbidden zones, the Nether Hell is immensely powerful, yet easy to enter—but also hard. Over the years, countless have sought to cultivate a path tied to death, but lacking the talent, they fail. Otherwise, I'd walk such a path myself!"

"Entering the Nether Hell is still good. A fearsome existence will shelter you. Internal strife is constant, that's normal, but external dangers are few."

Yet, he added with a smile: "But lately, I'd advise you not to go there. I've heard that the Wen King of the myriad realms often visits, and even the Lord of Eternal Mountain has gone before. If you encounter them, death is certain!"

Su Yu raised an eyebrow: "What are they doing there?"

"That, I don't know."

Luo Yun chuckled: "They are top-tier existences. Before them, we are nothing. Besides, they're far from us. As long as they don't come here, it's fine!"

Su Yu shrugged: "Even if they came, they might not care about us. Though we are Lords of Rules, not weak among them, what are a dozen or so paths of Dao force to them?"

Luo Yun's heart trembled. A dozen paths of Dao force!

This fellow was stronger than himself!

He grew even more courteous: "True enough. Is there anything else I can help you with, friend?"

"No need!"

Su Yu shook his head: "Just find me a place to rest for a while. You don't need to keep me company. Go about your patrol."

Then, his voice dropped: "By the way, do you have any useless waste? I cultivate the path of Yin and Death, and the Yin-Death energy here is too thin. I'll dispose of some useless odds and ends, so I don't have to trouble myself searching later and cause you inconvenience."

At these words, Luo Yun instantly understood: he wanted to use the dead for cultivation!

This path was indeed somewhat sinister.

He thought for a moment, then said quickly: "That's no big deal. If you don't mind, friend, help yourself to whatever's on the first level. But above the first level, I hope you won't overstep..."

Luo Yun gave Su Yu a look that begged understanding. Above the first level, everything had its use.

The first level held those who were expendable, or even on the verge of being expelled. For cultivators of the death path, such moments were a feast whenever a forbidden zone expelled people!

Su Yu smiled: "I know my limits. Rest assured, this is Lord Gui's domain. I won't recklessly slaughter. After all, the path of Yin and Death is not one of killing; killing too much is pointless."

"Understood!"

Luo Yun smiled and nodded: "Then make yourself at home. I'll give orders that no one disturbs you."

"Many thanks!"

"You're welcome!"

Luo Yun remained quite polite, and Su Yu showed a faint smile, having guessed this outcome. To a second-rank powerhouse like him, he was far more valuable than those expendable wretches on the first level.

To Lord Gui and his kind, the people on the first level were merely wasters of food and heavenly energy.

Su Yu had no interest in killing. He only wanted to study how to merge with the Dao. These people suited his purpose.

"I'll be off, then!"

Su Yu laughed, and vanished in an instant.

Once he was gone, Luo Yun's expression shifted slightly. He murmured: "At least twelve paths of Dao force!"

Impressive!

Such an existence could easily carve out his own territory. But it seemed this Black Tomb had no such intention. If Tianmu Territory truly fell, he might indeed go to the Nether Hell. If he rose there, he could soon become a major figure among the forbidden zones!

A good connection to make!

Luo Yun smiled, then turned to the attendant beside him: "Go to the first level. If this Black Tomb friend needs anything, as long as it's not excessive, grant it. A powerhouse with twelve paths of Dao force—I noticed he seemed interested in you earlier. If luck is on your side, you might gain something too!"

"Thank you, my lord!"

The attendant was overjoyed. After bowing in thanks, she hurried toward the first level.

At that moment, Su Yu was in high spirits.

The first level was far more interesting than the others. All kinds of chaotic Daos were present. Clearly, these people hadn't started cultivating the physical Dao. They were either itinerant cultivators from elsewhere, refugees from shattered territories, or drifters who had ended up here for other reasons.

Lord Gui obviously didn't value them much.

But for Su Yu, the more Daos, the better—the more chaotic, the better. This gave him more samples to study how to merge with the Dao.

Excellent!

It saved him a lot of time. He liked it here. Why fight and kill when you could disguise yourself and coexist peacefully? Wasn't that fine?

Soon, Su Yu reached out and grabbed. In an instant, a group of people vanished from the first level. Those who saw it felt fear, terror, or numbness.

They were long used to this life.

Here, the weak had no rights.

Some even looked on with envy and admiration. A strong man, even if he committed heinous slaughter, was still an object of worship. This was a sick world, a world hurtling toward destruction.