Chapter 869: Mount Liufang, Chief Commander

?? (After opening the heavenly aperture for half an hour in the morning, pitiful.)

?? At this moment, Su Yu was in a fine mood.

?? Of course, being in a fine mood, he could not show it. Su Yu did not take up Luo Yun’s thread, but looked at the people of Guiyun Mountain, who were gradually changing, and said in a deep voice: “Let’s not talk about this for now. Let’s go see the other territories. If they are all like this…”

?? Su Yu took a deep breath: “Then we… will think of another way!”

?? At this moment, Luo Yun was also somewhat alarmed.

?? Had all six great experts died?

?? If they died, it was actually quite normal.

?? Here, any accident could happen.

?? What he feared was that those who killed them might come to annihilate the territory—that would be the greatest danger.

?? He quickly said: “Let’s go first to Lord Yu’s territory, Yuding Mountain. The patrol envoy there, Zhigu, I know him; we’ve met twice!”

?? Su Yu nodded slightly.

?? As for whether they knew the patrol envoy of Tianmu Territory… did it matter?

?? In this era, the strong were revered.

?? Today you were a patrol envoy; tomorrow you might be killed, replaced by another—that was nothing. The weak were prey to the strong; it was that clear here. Except for the stable forbidden lands, other territories rose today and fell tomorrow, one after another.

?? Here, there was no loyalty. If you were strong, they followed you; if you were weak, they might either turn on you or, if kind-hearted, leave on their own to serve another master—all normal phenomena.

?? This was an age on the verge of extinction, utterly chaotic and utterly silent. Here, only the forbidden lands endured forever.

?? …

?? Su Yu and Luo Yun quickly strode through the void, heading toward Yuding Mountain Territory.

?? On the way, Luo Yun’s mind was unsettled.

?? After flying for a while, he transmitted a message: “Lord Heimu, do you have hope of soon crossing into the 16-Dao realm?”

?? The 16-Dao was a first-class watershed.

?? Not as vast as the gap of 32 Dao, but the 16-Dao watershed still brought a leap in strength.

?? A 15-Dao might not necessarily defeat two 14-Dao experts, but a 16-Dao could definitely fight three 15-Dao experts—whether they could win was uncertain.

?? Su Yu said indifferently: “Hard to say. Of course, if there’s an opportunity, crossing over tomorrow would be normal! Previously, Lord Mu promised to seize a Yin-Dead Great Dao above 12 Dao for me, to help me break through, but now… it’s hard to tell! Lord Mu may have met with trouble!”

?? Luo Yun fell into thought.

?? Was there hope?

?? If there was, it would be fortunate. He glanced sideways at Su Yu, but Su Yu was not looking at him; instead, he gazed into the distance and suddenly said: “This place is closer to the Dead Spirit Hell. Fellow Daoist Luo Yun, has the Lord of the Dead Spirit ever killed experts within the territories? Also, in the Dead Spirit Hell, are there many experts above the 16-Dao?”

?? Luo Yun grew somewhat anxious—he still wanted to go to the Dead Spirit Hell!

?? Indeed, a forbidden land!

?? If I were cultivating a death-type Great Dao, I would also go to the Dead Spirit Hell. That was a forbidden land, far better than these territories. Dangerous it was, but opportunities were abundant.

?? For a moment, he did not know how to answer, and could only say: “Lord Heimu, why not wait a little longer? Perhaps the lords are unharmed? Let’s first reach Yuding Mountain and then talk.”

?? “Very well!”

?? …

?? The two sped swiftly. Even though both were second-class, they flew for a long time in the void before reaching Yuding Mountain.

?? On the way, they encountered no danger.

?? They had glimpsed a huge void beast from afar, but it sensed their powerful auras and chose to retreat. Though there were many rule masters here, those who had reached the second class were also strong, and ordinary beasts dared not provoke them.

?? After a while, a jade mountain emitting a jade-like glow appeared before them in the void.

?? Without waiting for a response, Luo Yun released his aura as soon as they arrived and said in a low voice: “Luo Yun of Guiyun Mountain pays respects. Is Fellow Daoist Zhigu present?”

?? As he spoke, a figure emerged.

?? With long hair flowing and an immortal bearing, he was actually a celestial expert. Su Yu sensed him briefly and found that he was a celestial, with relatively pure bloodline.

?? He was also second-class, with strength comparable to Luo Yun, roughly at the 8 to 10 Dao level.

?? Seeing the two, Zhigu’s expression shifted slightly. He looked at Luo Yun and said in a low voice: “Fellow Daoist Luo Yun… has Lord Gui… returned?”

?? Luo Yun glanced at him, his expression changing, and his voice grew even deeper: “You… sensed it?”

?? Hearing this, Zhigu sighed inwardly and nodded slightly: “I sensed it!”

?? Yu had been directly killed by Su Yu.

?? And his spear Dao had been devoured by War King—War King had directly obliterated his Dao, not fused it. War King was not like Martial Emperor, who fused Daos.

?? So, the situation here was even more evident.

?? Zhigu looked at Su Yu with some wariness.

?? Luo Yun quickly said: “This is Lord Heimu, patrol envoy of Tianmu Territory, a 15-Dao supreme!”

?? Zhigu’s expression changed, and he bowed slightly: “Greetings, Lord Heimu!”

?? Su Yu nodded slightly, said nothing, and looked at Yuding Mountain. His will swept over it, and he frowned slightly: “The spear Dao is leaking its aura; it hasn’t broken yet, but it’s more severe than at Guiyun Mountain. Over there, I felt a fusion, but here… it feels like the Dao has been devoured. Have people already died recently?”

?? Zhigu nodded and sighed: “Yes!”

?? People had died!

?? He had already begun to consider the future.

?? If Su Yu and Luo Yun had not come, he would have been pondering whether to continue managing Yuding Mountain or seek refuge with some other 16-Dao expert’s territory. But as a newcomer, the other territory’s experts and talents were limited; even if he went, he might not gain much and could even be sidelined.

?? So Zhigu was also hesitant.

?? Now seeing the two arrive, he looked at Luo Yun, somewhat emotional, and said softly: “Have Lord Gui and Lord Mu… also met with trouble?”

?? Luo Yun nodded, his expression grim.

?? Su Yu sighed lightly: “My situation is even more troublesome—a double disaster! A 15-Dao locust swarm, with countless locusts, is devouring my Tianmu Territory. I had hoped Lord Mu would return and invite a few friends to resolve it, but now… perhaps Tianmu Territory is already lost!”

?? Su Yu smiled bitterly: “I’ve been in Tianmu Territory for many years, and Lord Mu treated me fairly well. I wanted to preserve it, but I don’t want to sacrifice my life for the territory! Now… I have no choice but to go to the Dead Spirit Hell!”

?? Su Yu looked at the two and sighed: “There’s no need to check the other three places. The three 16-Dao experts have all fallen. Even if the other three return alive, their strength will be about the same as mine!”

?? “Originally, the six of us watched each other’s backs, and even the forbidden lands would not easily contend with us. But now, those three have returned… and most likely won’t come back!”

?? Su Yu looked at them: “What are your plans, you two?”

?? Luo Yun’s expression changed slightly: “Lord Heimu, we still have strength among the six territories, and there are quite a few rule masters. If a 16-Dao appears, we can still dominate a region! Now that the Heavenly Gate is about to open, the various territories are somewhat chaotic. Even if we go to serve others now, we may not gain much!”

?? Then Luo Yun added: “Moreover, I’ve heard a small rumor that when the Heavenly Gate opens, the forbidden lands might take the lead in convening a territory meeting. It’s said they won’t let everyone rush out at once; instead, some powerful territories will be allocated quotas to leave the Heavenly Gate alongside the forbidden lands!”

?? Luo Yun’s words immediately caught their attention.

?? Seeing this, Luo Yun continued: “When the Heavenly Gate opens, not everyone can leave at the start. A batch of strong experts will go out first, and each territory will have limited quotas. Even the forbidden lands, I think, may not all be able to leave… After all, the number of rule masters in the myriad realms is limited. If they all go out to kill experts from the myriad realms and seize benefits, it would be utter chaos!”

?? Su Yu frowned: “Where did you hear this?”

?? Luo Yun said awkwardly: “I have some acquaintance with a rule master from a forbidden land. He likes to use experts who cultivate the physical Dao for his research. The forbidden lands lack living beings, so sometimes I provide him with some, and in return, he occasionally shares some news with me.”

?? Su Yu nodded slightly.

"It's just trading people for favors!"

"Indeed, the fellows inside this gate, having cultivated to this level, are rarely any good. Those outside have been driven mad, while those inside have long been crazed by the constant crises of the end times."

"Here, human life is valuable, yet also worthless."

"What's valuable are geniuses, the strong."

"Because they can strengthen the great path of the mighty."

"The weak are the most worthless, the cheapest!"

Luo Yun added, "On our side, there are six territories, especially three with sixteen paths. As long as the news of the lords' fall doesn't leak, we might secure six slots, or even more. The territory of a sixteen-path stronghold might yield more than one slot!"

He looked at Su Yu, "Then, everyone might have a chance to leave this wretched place and return to the myriad realms to live!"

At these words, Zhi Gu also grasped Luo Yun's meaning, his eyes flickering: "If Lord Black Tomb is close to sixteen paths, and we manage it well, perhaps... perhaps we can deceive the forbidden lands. Even if not, if the lord can advance to sixteen paths, then at least the lord is guaranteed a slot. But if we leave here for the Dead Spirit Hell, where countless strong exist, can the lord... secure an opportunity?"

Su Yu raised an eyebrow: "Nonsense. As a fifteen-path, I can get a slot anywhere!"

Luo Yun shook his head, however: "Not necessarily! The Dead Spirit Lord is different from other forbidden land lords. I suspect that at that time, some forbidden land lords might not let him leave, and might even attack Dead Spirit Hell preemptively!"

Su Yu raised an eyebrow: "Because he's a latecomer?"

"Yes!"

Luo Yun nodded, "It's said that the Dead Spirit Lord still has influence in the myriad realms. If so, how could the other forbidden land lords easily let him go? So going to Dead Spirit Hell now is actually very dangerous! The lord might become cannon fodder!"

Su Yu frowned, sinking into thought.

After a moment, he looked at Luo Yun strangely: "First, we need to confirm the truth of this news—whether the forbidden lands will indeed limit numbers. If it's true... what you say makes sense. If it's false..."

Su Yu said coldly, "Then, Fellow Daoist Luo Yun, you wouldn't be acting in good faith, delaying my prospects!"

You can't go to the forbidden lands, but I can. Are you saying this deliberately?

Luo Yun swore, "It's true, and I believe this news might spread soon. The forbidden land lords might conduct a screening before we leave, and some weak territories might be annexed or destroyed!"

Su Yu's eyes flickered. What a great opportunity!

A heaven-sent chance!

When you feel sleepy, a pillow arrives.

According to Luo Yun's words, the Heavenly Gate might soon see a consolidation, and that would be a perfect time to rise.

On ordinary days, stirring up trouble might attract the attention of forbidden land lords.

But now... probably no one would care.

Gui and the others hadn't mentioned this, either because they didn't know or didn't care.

In their view, this had nothing to do with Su Yu.

Yet Su Yu's mind raced: if so, I could take the chance to devour some paths, seize territories, and subdue some strong ones—all perfectly logical!

Using Heavenly Gate people to fight Heavenly Gate people—how wonderful!

This damned place is full of rule masters.

In just Guiyun Mountain, Su Yu sensed six or seven, though some weren't very powerful.

How many such territories exist in the Heavenly Gate?

In this small area alone, there were six territories Su Yu knew of.

After all, it's an era of the strong, the era of the greatest number of strong—the era of creation. In that era, countless path-openers, countless world-creators. Even if only half survived, that's a terrifyingly huge number!

Su Yu was silent for a moment: "You mean you want me to consolidate the six territories, then participate in the forbidden land lords' slot allocation assembly, to secure some slots for the territories so we can leave early?"

"Yes!"

Luo Yun nodded earnestly, "Lord, the news might have leaked by now. I'm not the only one who knows. The forbidden lands have many people; someone will surely leak it. If so, we're actually in the toughest position now. We're not weak, but if we go to seek refuge with others, even if some lords are willing to take us in, their subordinates will surely cause trouble! A sixteen-path stronghold's territory, I think, gets at most three slots; below sixteen paths, maybe only one."

To leave the Heavenly Gate first, those who originally had a chance would certainly be unwilling.

And Su Yu frowned: "But even if we keep the six territories... won't anyone come looking for trouble?"

Zhi Gu now spoke, with some cunning, in a low voice: "Lord, we can... create a false impression—that the six lords are still alive! Now, besides us, no one knows the lords have fallen! We can pretend they're still alive... As for the one who struck down the lords, I think someone who could take out several lords at once is probably a forbidden land lord!"

"The other party is a big shot. Would they really care about weaklings like us?"

"Perhaps they'll just see it as a joke. I think that one won't specifically observe us or expose us!"

Su Yu looked at him, raising an eyebrow: "You mean... pretend the lords are alive, while we, the inspectors, remain active outside?"

"Yes!"

Zhi Gu quickly added, "If Lord Black Tomb has a chance to enter sixteen paths, then even if the news of the lords' fall is exposed, I think with a sixteen-path around, we'll at least have a few slots... Normally, people only devour territories of those below sixteen paths, but we have three!"

This "three" was said with deep meaning!

They're gone, but no one knows.

Gui and the others still have some deterrent power!

They quickly decided: pretend!

Su Yu frowned, then after a while said, "It's very difficult. First, we must seal the news—some in the six territories might have sensed something. Second, if the lords don't appear for a long time... won't people suspect? Third, we must be careful that the forbidden land lord who killed the lords doesn't expose us. Fourth... if I can't reach sixteen paths..."

Luo Yun hurriedly said, "Even if you don't, a fifteen-path lord, together with us, can still protect the territories. If we join forces, even an ordinary sixteen-path territory wouldn't dare to invade us lightly!"

The prerequisite was that Su Yu, a second-rank peak, must stay.

Otherwise, they might as well give up.

Zhi Gu also said, "Lord, is it harder to snatch a slot in the forbidden lands, or to protect a territory and contend with many ten-plus-path strong? To put it bluntly... we scattered cultivators are certainly no match for those orthodox cultivators. They have resources, methods, sometimes more than one path... and maybe some backing. As for scattered cultivators, even if they have some connection with the forbidden lands, killing them is no big deal. But in the forbidden lands, one move affects the whole body, possibly drawing the attention of top experts!"

At this moment, both were persuading Su Yu.

Su Yu couldn't leave; if he did, the six territories would scatter.

But with him here, this fifteen-path strong, the six territories could at least maintain a facade!

Su Yu kept frowning. Luo Yun gritted his teeth: "Lord, if you want to enter sixteen paths, the fastest way is to kill some strong practitioners of the Yin Death path, seize their paths, and improve yourself! But most of these people have joined Dead Spirit Hell—how can you contend with them? But if we join forces... at least we'll contribute to your advancement to sixteen paths..."

Su Yu frowned: "You? Not that I look down on you, but even if you're strong enough, would you dare help me kill someone from the forbidden lands?"

Luo Yun smiled: "Lord, killing someone from Dead Spirit Hell might not be a big deal! Besides, we can find a forbidden land as a backer. The closest to us is actually Eternal Life Mountain... but Eternal Life Mountain has some trouble now. We can contact the more distant Falling Soul Valley, find a forbidden land to rely on. As long as we provide enough resources, geniuses, and strong practitioners, they won't care. If the Dead Spirit Lord side dares to act, these forbidden lands won't just watch. He's an outsider after all. In recent years, the forbidden lands have been suppressing the expansion of Dead Spirit Hell."

Is that so?

Su Yu judged it was probably true.

Hearing this, Su Yu felt a bit tempted: "If that's the case... what you say makes some sense. As for going to Dead Spirit Hell, I was actually hesitant, because there must be no shortage of sixteen-path and above there!"

Luo Yun and Zhi Gu exchanged glances, both smiling.

That's good!

At this moment, they felt things were settled.

With Black Tomb around, at least it wouldn't be so dangerous.

Luo Yun quickly said, "Lord, then we must act swiftly. Let's immediately go find the inspectors of the other three territories. Although they might not be as strong as us—after all, those lords were only fifteen-path—but many hands make light work. By consolidating the resources of six territories, we can still take a gamble!"

Su Yu considered and nodded: "Good!"

The three quickly reached an agreement, without any hesitation. They had to act before the news of the lords' fall spread, quickly consolidate all sides, and then find ways to seal the information.

...

On this day, the three individuals moved without pause, travelling at extreme speeds; soon enough, the inspectors from the other three great territories received the word as well.

However, these three were indeed not as powerful as Luo Yun and his peer.

Su Yu assessed them briefly, judging that two were at the peak of the third rank, while one had just entered the second, making them slightly weaker than Luo Yun.

In this manner, counting Su Yu, the six great inspectors now possessed four powerhouses of the second rank among them.

Of those, Su Yu stood at the peak of the second rank.

This time, without any prompting from Su Yu, Luo Yun and Zhi Gu quickly made the advantages and disadvantages perfectly clear to the others; upon hearing this, the newcomers realized that if they could maintain the six territories together, they might secure more than ten slots.

Yet, if they went out to seek shelter under someone else, they might not even get one!

Based on this, the other three harbored virtually no objections.

Their sole lingering worry was the leakage of information!

...

The several powerhouses were also decisive and prompt!

Their territories were to be abandoned!

Forsaken!

They gathered every possession and all their people, converging entirely upon Mount Guiyun, and proclaimed to the outside world that the six great territories had merged into one, establishing a new domain.

As for the name of this new territory, it was christened "Mount Liufang" at Su Yu's suggestion.

The moment anyone heard it, they would know it represented the union of six distinct forces!

On this day, across this vast region, a massive throng of people surged; under the guidance of the several inspectors, they converged swiftly toward Mount Guiyun, which began to expand under the direction of the powerhouses.

...

The Death Spirit Hell.

A restricted area whose structure was almost identical to the Realm of Death Spirits.

A circular River of Death Spirits wound around the entire heaven and earth, and at its central region stood the Heavenly Palace of the Lord of Death Spirits.

In the four directions, four powerhouses of the first rank had each proclaimed themselves emperors.

Though called first rank, they had in fact journeyed very far along that path and were the ultimate existences within that tier.

At this moment, the Emperor of the East, Emperor Mingtu, was in the midst of his cultivation.

Suddenly, Emperor Mingtu opened his eyes; shortly after, outside the great hall, a Ruler of Rules clad in death spirit armor entered swiftly, prostrating himself upon the ground: "Reporting to the Emperor, there have been some movements in the eastern region today. Mount Guiyun, Mount Yuding, and the Heavenly Tomb Territory, among others, have merged into one, establishing a new territory called Mount Liufang!"

Emperor Mingtu opened his eyes without much emotion, merely knitting his brows slightly: "Has it begun?"

The Ruler of Rules below looked up at the Emperor, and Emperor Mingtu said indifferently: "The news must have leaked! Those few individuals are reasonably well-informed, it seems. Previously, several restricted areas, including Falling Soul Valley, proposed restricting the number of slots for the first batch to go out, lest chaos arise. They want the powerhouses to emerge from the Heavenly Gate first, using the rogue cultivators as the vanguard, selecting the strong among them to charge the front lines... Each rogue territory will be allocated a small number of slots, picking the best of the best to send into battle... The Myriad Realms are not entirely defenseless, and deaths will be inevitable... Looking at it this way, this Mount Liufang must have received the news ahead of time!"

Below, the reporting Ruler of Rules quickly spoke upon hearing this: "Emperor, should we intervene? This Mount Liufang is not too far from our Death Spirit Hell, only a distance of three Diyuan!"

With a Ruler of Rules of the fourth rank as the benchmark, the distance traveled in a single day constituted one Diyuan; a Ruler of Rules of the fourth rank could arrive in three days!

One of the third rank would perhaps need only two days, and one of the second rank a single day.

As for the first rank, they might arrive in half a day.

The distance was indeed not too far.

Emperor Mingtu smiled faintly, "No need to interfere. Such occurrences will only multiply from now on; across the entirety of the Heavenly Gate's rear, such upheavals will take place. Some weak territories will either perish or merge! This particular faction possesses a few powerhouses, doesn't it? Note it down; perhaps they can still be brought into our service!"

Three powerhouses of sixteen paths were not considered weak!

Even for someone like him, the Emperor of the East who held great power and status within the Death Spirit Hell, the powerhouses under his command of the first rank numbered only two.

This was because the restrictions of the Death Spirit Hell were rather severe; it did not accept those who did not cultivate the Great Dao of Death Spirits.

However, as an outer periphery, powerhouses of other Great Daos would suffice.

The powerhouse below nodded, "Your subordinate understands. Then the matter of Mount Liufang requires no intervention?"

"Correct!"

Emperor Mingtu responded, then added: "Do not venture outside recently; be cautious. The Heavenly King Wen has been moving about erratically in the surroundings of late; I fear something unusual is afoot!"

"Understood, your subordinate will inform the others!"

Soon, the armored powerhouse below departed.

Emperor Mingtu considered it for a moment and thought no more of it; it was enough simply to keep Mount Liufang in mind.

There was no time to bother with Mount Liufang right now; the various restricted areas seemed to have some designs of late, and the Death Spirit Hell had become the focal point, with many harboring designs upon it.

That the Lord of Death Spirits was too powerful was one reason; secondly, he still had a heaven and earth left behind in the Myriad Realms.

Once he returned, many feared this figure would leap into an unimaginable realm in a single bound!

Therefore, many restricted areas currently wished to target the Death Spirit Hell.

A few days ago, the Lord of Death Spirits had displayed his might, which also served to intimidate the four directions.

The Death Spirit Hell was immensely strong!

The lords of the various restricted areas dared not rashly deal with the Lord of Death Spirits; however, restrictions were bound to exist, and they might even limit the number of personnel from the Death Spirit Hell allowed to leave. In Emperor Mingtu's view, this restriction of slots by the restricted areas was less about fearing chaos and more about deliberately targeting the Death Spirit Hell.

They would not allow too many people from the Death Spirit Hell to go out!

They might even impose some restrictions upon the Lord of Death Spirits himself!

Pondering this, Emperor Mingtu thought back to Mount Liufang; if Mount Liufang could be subdued... perhaps they could secretly seize some slots through them.

The Lord of Death Spirits would not trouble himself with such trivial matters.

But as a subordinate, he had to consider them.

If his master could merge the two heavens into one, he might instantly surpass all the lords of the restricted areas, becoming the strongest entity within the Myriad Realms and even among the Three Gates!

At that time, they too would attain the Dao.

As for the rumors outside that the Lord of Death Spirits intended to slay all powerhouses of the Great Dao of Death Spirits, Emperor Mingtu did not care much; though the Lord of Death Spirits desired to integrate all Daos into one, at most he would merely do as he did with the Realm of Death Spirits, retaining some of the source code for mutual progress—this was the approach most suited to the Lord of Death Spirits.

As various thoughts surfaced, this top-tier powerhouse quickly suppressed his mind.

He would wait and see!

Arrangements certainly had to be made, but it would depend on how the subsequent restricted areas decided, and also on whether his master would agree.

"Whether we can return to the Myriad Realms... depends on Master's methods!"

Emperor Mingtu felt a touch of anxiety; although his master had entered the Heavenly Gate many years ago, he was still rejected by it after all these years. Fortunately, the Heavenly King Wen and the Heavenly King Wu were still alive, and everyone's attention was mostly fixed upon them.

...

At the exact same time.

Within another restricted area, the Falling Soul Valley.

Another powerhouse received the news, and soon, some activity stirred within the restricted area; Mount Liufang, with three powerhouses of sixteen paths, was not weak!

By the look of it, they had received the news in advance.

Such strength was considered first-rate within the rogue cultivator camp; they could indeed be brought into the fold.

Before long, an envoy departed from Soul Falling Valley, soaring through the sky toward the direction of Mount Liufang.

...

At that very moment.

Upon the summit of what was once Mount Guiyun, now renamed Mount Liufang.

The six of them stood together, with Su Yu at the vanguard, his voice ringing out in a sonorous declaration: "The six Lords are currently in seclusion. Lord Mu and the others must assist the several other Lords in breaking through to the sixteenth track. Once they succeed, our Mount Liufang will possess no fewer than six supreme powerhouses of the sixteenth track!"

"Because several of our Lords are breaking through and cultivating simultaneously, the Great Dao is in a state of turbulence. Therefore, everyone must exercise utmost caution in their cultivation during this period!"

Having spoken thus, Su Yu continued, "When the Great Dao undergoes such upheaval for the sake of breakthroughs, it is inevitable that many may perish!"

Su Yu's voice was like a great bronze bell: "The Lords, in their profound mercy for you all, do not wish to see our ranks overly depleted. In the coming days, should anyone desire to change their Dao, the paths of the six Inspecting Envoys are completely open for the exchange!"

Su Yu's voice boomed across the peaks: "Luo Yun excels in the Dao of the Whip and Lock; Zhi Gu is proficient in the Dao of Water and Rain; as for myself, I master multiple paths—the Yin Death, the Illusion Realm, the Bloodthirsty, and the Thunder. Qi Sheng is adept in the Dao of Life and Healing..."

Qi Sheng was an Inspecting Envoy hailing from another territory, a second-class expert who had only recently attained the eighth track.

Su Yu spoke briefly before casting his gaze upon the multitude gathered below, his voice grand and imposing: "You have all heard! Furthermore, now that our Mount Liufang has unified, we stand as a premier and mighty force among the rogue cultivator factions!"

"Though the Lords are in seclusion, the affairs of Mount Liufang cannot be left without a master!"

"Therefore, I, Hei Mu, shall not humbly decline. With the power of my fifteen tracks, I shall lead you all and manifest the majesty of our Mount Liufang!"

"The Heavenly Gate is about to open, and Mount Liufang intends to claim its share of the spoils—perhaps even to become the next Forbidden Ground!"

Below, the countenances of countless individuals shifted slightly, a mixture of excitement and trepidation rippling through them!

Was Mount Liufang about to launch an outward campaign?

As expected, Su Yu roared once more: "Thus, we shall henceforth strike outward to integrate the smaller territories. Let the Lords achieve their breakthroughs in peace; once they succeed and all reach the sixteenth track, we will require more geniuses, more Rules of the Great Dao, and indeed, more territory to sustain them!"

"And I, Hei Mu, also wish to claim a share of the spoils and become a supreme powerhouse of the sixteenth track!"

Su Yu bared his teeth, flashing a smile that was chilling to the bone: "Originally, Lord Mu and the others wished for me to enter seclusion as well. But I reasoned that we cannot all be locked away. Since the other Lords must seclude themselves for their breakthroughs, then I, Hei Mu, shall break through by slaughtering! Should I succeed as well, seven supreme powerhouses of the sixteenth track will be enough to sweep across all quarters. Even if we eventually join a Forbidden Ground, we could establish our own domain as hegemons, rather than living under another's roof!"

Below, a throng of Masters of Rules and a number of Dao-Mergers felt their eyes gleam with fervor.

Indeed, if they truly possessed seven supreme powerhouses of the sixteenth track, they would remain a formidable force even within a Forbidden Ground!

Su Yu burst into a great laugh: "Therefore, in the days to come, death shall be our constant companion, yet... I shall be the first to charge, leading you all to conquer a vaster domain and seize more power of the Great Dao. You all shall march with us to bring glory to Mount Liufang!"

"The Lord's divine might is boundless!"

Below, the powerful figures shouted at the top of their lungs!

Behind Su Yu, the other Inspecting Envoys smiled, a collective sense of relief washing over their hearts. At the very least, things had stabilized. Next, as long as they maintained strict secrecy and integrated the former subjects of the Lords into their own Great Daos, no one would care even if the Lords' Daos collapsed entirely.

When Su Yu finished speaking, Zhi Gu and the others stepped forward, and Luo Yun declared in a ringing tone: "We shall follow Lord Hei Mu closely, campaigning in every direction, lending our strength to aid the Lord in ascending to the pinnacle of supremacy!"

Su Yu laughed heartily: "You are too polite. We must all strive together to hack our way out of the Heavenly Gate! To secure the support of certain Forbidden Grounds, we can even raise a slogan: Slay the King of Wen, execute the King of Wu, shatter the Myriad Realms, destroy the Human Emperor... It is merely talk, for those figures have no leisure to trouble us now, yet such a stance might please some Forbidden Grounds. Perhaps Mount Longevity will even grant us support, holding us up as an exemplar!"

The crowd was startled at first, but upon hearing it was merely a slogan, they broke into collective laughter.

Indeed, everyone was just that pragmatic.

If a Forbidden Ground was willing to grant some benefits, they did not mind shouting a few words—provided, of course, that the King of Wen and his peers did not come looking for trouble!

Luo Yun smiled again: "Lord Hei Mu, now that Mount Liufang is reorganized, Lord Gui and the others previously mentioned adjusting the position of Inspecting Envoy. We nominate you to be the First Grand Commander beneath the six masters of Mount Liufang, and we hope you will lead us toward glory!"

Su Yu smiled and said, "Then I shall not be courteous or falsely modest! This position of First Commander, I, Hei Mu, accept it!"

"Salutations to the Grand Commander!"

Several powerful experts bowed in succession.

Below them, a world-shaking roar erupted: "Salutations to the Grand Commander!"

On this day, his third since entering the Heavenly Gate, Su Yu ascended to the position of Grand Commander of Mount Liufang. Under his command were three second-class experts, seven third-class experts, and sixteen fourth-class experts; there were no fifth-class Masters of Rules here.

In total, he commanded twenty-six Masters of Rules.

With this, Mount Liufang instantly became one of the top-ranking rogue cultivator factions!

Su Yu, who had been the leader in the Myriad Realms, had once again become the leader of a crowd within three days of arriving here, and he had even been forcibly elevated to the post.

At this moment, even Su Yu could not help but lament in his heart that a person of such exceptional talent simply could not hide his brilliance, no matter where he went!

There was truly nothing he could do about it!

He had not even wished to be the chief, yet Luo Yun and the others insisted on pulling him into the role, leaving him quite helpless!

Standing at the summit at this very moment, Su Yu looked down at the experts below, a faint smile playing in his eyes.

The first step had been swiftly established.

Furthermore, there was an advantage to this place: there were no racial distinctions and no loyalty to speak of. As long as you were strong enough, powerful figures would soon flock to allegiance. So long as you remained undefeated, there was no need to worry about any troubles.

Thus, expanding one's power was a simple matter here.

If you marched to attack a territory, the lord of that domain would surrender if they were wise; if they were not, you simply killed the lord, and the rest would almost certainly capitulate!

Such was the cruel and pragmatic reality within the Heavenly Gate!

No one would risk their lives for the sake of so-called loyalty!

Unless it were an organization like a Forbidden Ground that had been passed down for countless years, such a phenomenon was rarely seen among rogue cultivators.

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For Su Yu, the urgent task at hand was to expand his own forces.

Before the Forbidden Grounds took notice, he needed to elevate his faction's strength to gain some initiative in the upcoming upheavals of the Heavenly Gate. Meanwhile, he himself needed to rapidly elevate this identity to the first-class level.

Only by reaching the first class could one truly possess a voice of authority in this realm.