Chapter 871: Continuing the Old Profession

??“Kill!”

??With a sharp cry, Su Yu reached out and grabbed, his hand like a talon, tearing apart the physical body of a Rule Lord. The opponent’s Sea of Will emerged, and his Will Path spread, attempting to flee into the River of Time.

??Su Yu snorted coldly, and a Corrosion Path spread upward.

??“Ah!”

??A miserable roar rang out; on that Path, a human face appeared, showing despair, and cried out, “Lord Black Tomb, I wish to surrender, I wish to surrender!”

??“Too late!”

??Su Yu snorted again, the Corrosion Path erupted, hissing sounds ceaselessly, and with a rumble, the Path’s power snapped. Su Yu reached out once more, lightning struck in all directions, and countless tiny figures were blasted apart by him.

??Even if the opponent had ten thousand avatars, they were all killed on the spot by Su Yu in an instant!

??Around them, soon, figures appeared one after another; Luo Yun and the others arrived. Luo Yun knelt on one knee in midair, and now when he looked at Su Yu, the previous equality was long gone.

??Instead, there was worship, excitement, fervor!

??Black Tomb!

??The incomparably mighty Black Tomb!

??At the peak of 15th Path power, yet he had killed many 15th Path experts, incredibly powerful—even giving them the feeling that he might be stronger than the previous Gui!

??“My lord!”

??Luo Yun’s body also exuded killing intent, his voice much louder than before: “My lord, the remnants have been wiped out; Heaven Silkworm Territory has fallen!”

??Soon, figures swiftly broke through the air from all around, each kneeling on one knee in midair, “My lord, all living beings have been captured, and the battlefield has been cleared!”

??These people, when they looked at Su Yu again, were full of worship.

??Impressive!

??A master extremely skilled in slaughter—now, the six lords of Six Directions Mountain had not yet appeared, but Black Tomb alone, leading many Rule Lords, swept through all directions, killing everywhere. In these seven days, Six Directions Mountain had annihilated 14 scattered cultivator territories!

??On average, two territories per day.

??Almost all the time was spent traveling.

??Time,

??was all used on the road.

??And at this moment, Su Yu, in a black robe, wore a deep, somber cloak that moved without wind.

??Su Yu’s long hair flew, and there was still some blood on his hands. He casually flicked his hand, throwing off the blood, and looked coldly around, saying indifferently, “I hear Snow Dragon Mountain and Blade Valley are also sweeping through the four directions?”

??“Yes!”

??Luo Yun quickly said, “The two have joined forces. Now, many scattered cultivator territories have either submitted or been destroyed! Within the Forbidden Canyon, in the northeastern region, 42 scattered cultivator territories have been discovered so far. We have wiped out 14, and the two together are not slow—these days, they have probably destroyed another 10 territories!”

??More than half have been destroyed!

??Su Yu said coldly, “Send word to the other scattered cultivator territories in the northeastern domain, including Snow Dragon Mountain and Blade Valley: in three days, come to Six Directions Mountain to pay homage and have an audience with me! Also witness the sight of me stepping into the 16th Path!”

??Joy appeared in everyone’s eyes, and Luo Yun was overjoyed: “My lord is about to advance?”

??Su Yu nodded slightly: “Having killed many experts and devoured their Paths, it should be within these few days!”

??Su Yu declared loudly, “Let them come to pay homage and submit! If they do not arrive in three days, I will send troops to annihilate them!”

??“Yes!”

??Everyone was extremely excited—this way, Six Directions Mountain would have a full four 16th Path experts.

??Of course, Luo Yun and a few others knew the truth. At this moment, Luo Yun couldn’t help but transmit a message: “My lord, this… if Snow Dragon Mountain and Blade Valley really come… then…”

??Su Yu was unconcerned and transmitted back: “Let them come. They may not dare to come, and it shows we have confidence. Otherwise, they would underestimate us. Six Directions Mountain is so strong—why fear Blade Valley and Snow Dragon Mountain? If they really come… they won’t dare to act rashly!”

??Su Yu added, “Killing all the time is satisfying, and everyone gets spoils, but if we kill everyone, how can we consolidate our strength to swallow the other three regions?”

??In seven days, we have taken 14 territories—some surrendered, some were killed.

??Now, on Su Yu’s side, the number of Rule Lords has reached 40—a terrifying figure.

??Among them, second-class ones have gone from 3 to 5.

??As for the rest, some were killed, some are not second-class. Not every territory’s lord is second-class; some weaklings also opened territories, but they were easily crushed, and those who didn’t have time to surrender were all killed on the spot by Su Yu!

??Over these days, Su Yu has been constantly opening Paths and merging Paths. Now, here, he controls over a dozen Paths, but they are still not powerful enough.

??Here, kill at will!

??No one cares!

??Here, it is a place of chaos and lawlessness—as long as you are strong enough, you can kill anyone you want!

??Su Yu paid no heed to this and said coldly, “Pass the order: in three days, if I do not see all the strong from the northeastern domain at Six Directions Mountain, no mercy! If they don’t believe it, they can try to provoke Six Directions Mountain!”

??“The Great Commander is mighty!”

??The crowd shouted loudly. They didn’t feel much else, only that they had followed the right person and were very excited.

??The Great Commander is incomparably powerful!

??But don’t forget, this is only the Great Commander—there are still six lords, and the Great Commander will soon advance, which is even more exhilarating!

??Six Directions Mountain is now the de facto strongest force in this place.

??In the northeastern region, originally there were only five first-class experts.

??With Su Yu’s advancement, that makes six, and four of them are at Six Directions Mountain!

??In everyone’s eyes, Snow Dragon Mountain and Blade Valley are nothing!

??Even if they join forces, they are just asking for death!

??……

??That day, Black Tomb’s decree spread through heaven and earth in the northeastern region.

??In three days, all forces in the northeastern region must go to Six Directions Mountain to pay homage; those who dare not go will be killed without mercy!

??The name of Black Tomb, that day, even reached the other three regions.

??Not only that, in three days, Black Tomb would even publicly advance to the 16th Path.

??Becoming a top-level expert!

??In this place, those who dare to advance publicly are either ruthless people or fools, because at that time, it is most dangerous!

??……

??Snow Dragon Mountain.

??At this moment, in a great hall, Snow Dragon sat high above, his aura icy cold, while to the side, a strong man with rampant blade aura, hair flying, face bearing a weathered look, sneered coldly: “What a big mouth! This Black Tomb, not yet advanced, already thinks he is a 16th Path!”

??Snow Dragon frowned slightly: “Six Directions Mountain is still extremely powerful. Don’t forget, this Black Tomb is only a commander; Gui and the others are the foundation.”

??“Gui?”

??The Blade Valley expert, Blade Master, sneered: “Back when I encountered Gui, he didn’t even dare to fight; when he saw me, he was like a grandson. Now he’s getting arrogant? Lord of Six Directions? Ridiculous!”

??Even as he said that, he still frowned: “I really don’t care about Gui, but this Black Tomb is ruthless. These days, he has been nonstop, killing everywhere. I never thought that this Heaven Tomb Territory would produce such a cold-blooded and merciless brute. I heard that many lords who didn’t surrender before the battle—he no longer accepts their surrender at all, just kills them all!”

??Snow Dragon nodded: “Indeed! He strikes very darkly, because he is said to be an expert who cultivates the Yin Death Path… I wonder if he has any connection to the Dead Spirit Hell. His actions have some of the style of the Dead Spirit Hell—extremely fierce and also extremely overbearing!”

The Lord of the Dead, in truth, was also a tyrant of the highest order!

Had he not been ruthless and dark-hearted, as an outsider who had left the outer world behind, he would have been wiped out long ago. When he first entered this place, he was but a junior—a being of the late Creation Era, perhaps even early Primordial times—while many of those sealed here were his elders.

Yet a genius is a genius, and a powerhouse is a powerhouse. Even so, he carved out his own sky in this realm, forcibly claiming a domain and establishing the Hell of the Dead, where none dared provoke him.

Hearing this, the Blade Master frowned slightly: "The Hell of the Dead is not far from here!"

In this region, Eternal Mountain and the Hell of the Dead were closest, and while Eternal Mountain had been plagued by troubles in recent years, the Hell of the Dead, though also beset by difficulties, fared somewhat better.

If this Black Tomb truly belonged to the Hell of the Dead...

At this thought, he turned to look at Snow Dragon.

Snow Dragon, however, remained cold-faced, saying nothing.

The Blade Master sent a telepathic message: "Over in Dragon Domain, can Fellow Daoist Snow Dragon make contact?"

Snow Dragon glanced at him and replied telepathically, her voice indifferent: "And over in Blade Domain, can Fellow Daoist make contact?"

Those of the first rank, more or less, had some connections with certain forbidden lands.

Some were outright pawns planted by those forbidden lands in various regions.

But even if they were from the forbidden lands, one must remember that none of those forbidden lands were nearby. Here, they were in the inner circle of the Four Great Forbidden Lands, surrounded by them—these Four Great Forbidden Lands were the key!

The Blade Master said nothing more, then spoke aloud: "As for the invitation from Six Directions Mountain, are we going?"

What invitation? It was an ultimatum!

They had to go!

Refuse, and they would be annihilated!

Arrogant indeed!

Snow Dragon furrowed her brows slightly: "Not go? If we don't, we can only leave the Northeastern Domain. Otherwise, once the other territorial powers all go and submit, consolidating the strength of the Northeastern Domain, the enemy will only grow stronger!"

She paused, then hesitated: "I've heard some rumors, true or false I don't know. They say that over at Six Directions Mountain, those who truly rule may have met with misfortune, never appearing, even when Six Directions Mountain was formed—it was all orchestrated by Black Tomb and his men!"

At these words, the Blade Master's eyes flickered, and he looked at Snow Dragon.

Snow Dragon met his gaze and said softly: "Tell me, with something this big, if they didn't show their faces at all, is that even possible?"

The Blade Master frowned: "Logically, it shouldn't be... but even if Black Tomb and his crew were bold enough, if those people were truly absent or had met with trouble, they wouldn't dare launch an offensive, would they? Even if they were pretending, they'd have to hide and cover it up!"

And now, they were actively inviting them to Six Directions Mountain—how bold was that?

So even though he had heard some rumors himself, he didn't dare take them seriously.

Unless Black Tomb's audacity had reached the heavens!

Snow Dragon nodded as well. It was precisely because of Su Yu's sheer audacity that she couldn't be certain. Otherwise, when Six Directions Mountain was established and the six masters never appeared, everyone would have harbored some suspicion.

But now, no one at Six Directions Mountain suspected a thing, because Black Tomb was too strong, undefeated in battle, sweeping through fourteen territories in seven days, cold-blooded and merciless, slaughtering without equal. Everyone thought it perfectly normal that with Grand Commander Black Tomb in charge, the other lords would continue their seclusion.

There was no need for them to emerge and act!

The two exchanged a glance, then looked down at the assembled powers below. Snow Dragon was silent for a moment before saying: "We go. We must go! Whether it's true or false, we need to see for ourselves. If we don't go... we can only leave. Otherwise, we'll surely be wiped out!"

The Blade Master nodded, then turned to the crowd with a cold laugh: "If that's the case... hmph, then Black Tomb will learn that cleverness may overreach itself!"

He reasoned that if those six were truly gone, Black Tomb's best move now would be to intimidate them. Of course, they would see how things played out, test the waters on the spot. If the six were really there... they could bide their time for now and see what Six Directions Mountain decided.

In this realm, submitting today and rebelling tomorrow—wasn't that perfectly normal?

It wasn't like they had signed a contract of servitude!

...

At the same time.

At Six Directions Mountain.

Luo Yun, Zhi Gu, and the others were growing frantic. Zhi Gu looked at Su Yu, who sat calmly in the great hall, and said urgently: "My lord, what if the masters of Snow Dragon Mountain and Blade Valley really come? It's not that we fear their arrival—we fear they might suspect something. If they probe us, we'll be in deep trouble!"

If they were exposed, Six Directions Mountain would be finished!

They didn't know what Su Yu was thinking; they only felt that Black Tomb might be getting a little too cocky.

Su Yu's thoughts, however, were simple.

Strike fast and decisive!

He had no time to waste.

The flow of time in the Heavenly Gate was different from the outside world. Though not as extreme as the upper reaches of the River of Time, a day here might mean three or four days in the myriad realms. He had already been here for ten days!

In the myriad realms, perhaps over a month had passed.

If he took his time, conquering the entire Northeastern Domain bit by bit, how long would that take?

Better to settle it all at once!

Su Yu didn't want to say much more, but seeing their worry, he remarked coolly: "I know what I'm doing. I'm not looking for death. I'm about to advance—do you think I'm unaware of the danger? Rest assured!"

The two were still anxious. Su Yu frowned: "Enough. Focus on your cultivation. You're advancing too slowly. At this rate, how will you ever cheer me on?"

The two were helpless. We're not you, after all. And besides, you already have fifteen Dao lines; advancing now is normal. For others, advancing isn't just about devouring Dao lines—it usually requires specific Dao power!

Su Yu ignored them, stood up, and walked outside, saying indifferently: "I hear that envoys from Falling Soul Valley and the Hell of the Dead are looking for me?"

Luo Yun quickly replied: "Yes, but their intention is for you to go pay homage... They want to see the Six Directions Lords!"

After all, Su Yu was only the Grand Commander.

Those envoys preferred to meet the Six Directions Lords rather than Su Yu.

Of course, Su Yu's reputation had grown, but it still wasn't enough. He wasn't a first-rank master, nor was he the master of this place. As envoys of forbidden lands, they had considerable pride—meeting a Grand Commander was beneath them!

Speaking of this, Luo Yun grew tense again: "My lord, we can't delay this matter. Whether it's Falling Soul Valley or the Hell of the Dead, they are forbidden lands with countless experts. Even if the masters of those lands don't come, any one of their strongmen could be more than we can handle!"

"And now, the Six Directions Lords... you know the truth, my lord. Deceiving others is one thing, but deceiving a forbidden land—the consequences won't be pleasant!"

Su Yu nodded slightly and smiled: "Since they want to see us, they must have something to ask. It's fine. What they care about isn't the Six Directions Lords themselves, but whether Six Directions Mountain will pledge allegiance to them and fight for them!"

"We won't see them for now!"

The others were taken aback. Not see them?

They had thought Su Yu would immediately meet with these forbidden land masters.

But Su Yu laughed: "We're not qualified to negotiate with them yet. Once we've taken the entire Northeastern Domain and gathered all the scattered cultivators' strength here, increasing our number of experts—then we'll have the right to bargain with the forbidden lands. If we meet now... are we waiting to be looked down upon from on high?"

Su Yu chuckled, then quickly added: "Stall for a few days. A few days won't matter. Say that the Six Directions Lords are in seclusion, already beginning to emerge from their meditation, and will be out in a few days. Once they're out, they'll personally go to see them. If they ask about me, say I'm busy advancing!"

"Yes!"

Luo Yun quickly acknowledged, but inwardly he was growing more worried.

They were going to deceive even the forbidden lands!

He feared provoking their wrath. Black Tomb's audacity was too great.

Su Yu glanced at him and suddenly said coldly: "The forbidden lands come here because Six Directions Mountain is strong. If the weakness of Six Directions Mountain is exposed, everything is lost! In their eyes, you are worthless. And I am about to advance. Even if I leave Six Directions Mountain, I can go to the Hell of the Dead—they won't refuse a sixteen-Dao-line expert!"

Su Yu's voice turned icy: "So... you'd better think carefully about your answers, about how to fob them off. Don't go spilling all our secrets the moment you see a forbidden land expert. If you do, I won't be afraid, but if I join the Hell of the Dead... there will be consequences for you all!"

Luo Yun and the others felt a chill in their hearts.

Indeed, just now they had truly entertained the thought of selling out Liufang Mountain, revealing the secrets of Liufang Mountain to the Forbidden Land’s strongmen, hoping thereby to gain entry into the Forbidden Land.

But hearing Su Yu’s words… a chill ran through their hearts.

True enough!

Hei Mu was no dead man; even if betrayed, he could still join the Nether Hell. For a formidable warrior like him, capable of both offense and slaughter, on the verge of advancing to the sixteenth path, and having cultivated the Path of Nether Death, the Nether Hell would surely welcome him.

They themselves could not go to the Nether Hell; even if they sold out Su Yu, they might not gain entry to the Falling Soul Valley.

Weighing this, Luo Yun hurriedly said, “You jest, my lord. We are all on the same path—how could we betray you? That would be betraying ourselves!”

Su Yu said calmly, “It’s nothing, just a reminder, lest you do something foolish. Once I take the Northeast Domain, whether there is a Lord of Liufang or not will no longer matter. If envoys from the two Forbidden Lands come, so much the better—we can negotiate terms!”

The others nodded. Seeing Su Yu’s confident demeanor, they were still somewhat curious about how he would handle things.

Unfortunately, it was not the time to ask further.

And Su Yu, as if reading their thoughts, considered for a moment and said calmly, “Don’t overthink it. If trouble truly arises, someone will come to our aid. I have cultivated the Path of Nether Death—it’s not as if I lack backing!”

What did that mean?

Hearing this, they vaguely understood. Could it be… that the lord had secretly allied with the Nether Hell, or even… been planted here by the Nether Hell?

Luo Yun and Zhi Gu took a silent breath, relieved they hadn’t acted rashly. If they had gone to the Nether Hell to complain, only to find the lord was one of them… wouldn’t that have been disastrous?

From then on, none of them said another word.

And Su Yu, speaking ambiguously, gave no clear answer.

Let them guess!

Whatever they guessed, so be it!

…

Soon, Su Yu returned to his resting place.

On this Liufang Mountain, he too had his own palace—a symbol of status. Before these people appeared, Su Yu had been the supreme leader.

In the training chamber.

The power of various paths manifested, some strong, some weak.

In the ten days since entering the gate, Su Yu had mastered no small number of paths.

The power of fifteen paths was about enough—of course, that was without borrowing the power from outside the gate. If he borrowed it, Su Yu reckoned he might now possess the power of twenty-one or even twenty-two paths.

Originally, even without these paths, he had the power of twenty paths, and within the heavens and earth, he even possessed twenty-four paths.

Now, if Su Yu could return and merge the power of the paths he had recently cultivated into the heavens and earth, he would have at least twenty-five or even twenty-six paths.

But for now, Su Yu had no interest in that.

He regarded himself as a man within the gate.

I am Hei Mu!

“The pace of development is still not fast enough!”

Too slow!

Su Yu calculated for a while—still too slow. This wouldn’t do!

He must take the Northeast Domain as soon as possible!

Better yet, seize the entire Forbidden Canyon swiftly!

However, just the Northeast Domain alone, aside from himself, had previously boasted five first-class rogue cultivators—quite formidable. On average, wouldn’t the Forbidden Canyon have twenty?

Plus the four Forbidden Lands!

The sheer power of this region alone could probably match the peak of the Ten Thousand Realms. At the peak of the Ten Thousand Realms, the myriad races had seven first-class experts, while the human race, if King Wen and the Human King were counted as super-class, had two super-class and over a dozen first-class…

That’s still less than here. Remember, the Forbidden Lands also had first-class experts, and not a few!

“In the entire world within the gate, these fellows mostly just hang around the Forbidden Canyon, rarely going outside…”

How vast the world within the gate was, no one knew.

But as for Forbidden Lands, at least ten were known so far!

Of course, some lords of Forbidden Lands were not super-class, having not reached thirty-two paths; some had only thirty or thirty-one paths. Such lords were generally mediocre, but to become a Forbidden Land, they usually had some special trait.

Here, one of the more famous, widely known lords of a non-super-class Forbidden Land was a soul race strongman from the Age of Creation.

The Forbidden Land he founded was called the Soul Domain.

The Soul Domain was everywhere, yet nowhere to be found—formless, colorless, traceless, somewhat similar to the Blue Sky’s avatar path, but not exactly. His will scattered throughout the heavens and earth, able to attach to anyone at any time, descending anywhere.

This fellow, though not super-class, was someone even super-class experts preferred not to provoke easily, very hard to deal with. Thus, he too was a lord of a Forbidden Land. Other non-super-class lords were generally in the same boat, each with their unique traits.

“Forbidden Lands…”

Su Yu recalled Hei Mu’s explanation of Forbidden Lands: a Forbidden Land could traverse the Heavenly Gate, even the phantom of the Heavenly Gate, and exit from within the gate. Su Yu himself had tried several times, but he could not leave through his own Heavenly Gate projection!

Unless he found another Heavenly Gate strongman, perhaps through their guidance, he could leave this place!

Learn from Gui: imprint his power on the Ten Thousand Realms, then descend upon them.

“But Forbidden Lands don’t need that. As long as the owner’s Heavenly Gate is strong enough, they can directly move the Forbidden Land out.”

“So, are Forbidden Lands treasures, or paths?”

Su Yu pondered. Were Forbidden Lands treasures?

Or the power of paths?

He wasn’t entirely sure. Without seeing one, he didn’t know the specifics, but Forbidden Lands seemed very special—not everyone could create one.

What was the core of a Forbidden Land?

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

“King Wen and the Martial King—not a single move in ten days… Useless!”

Su Yu cursed. No wonder they had accomplished nothing in all these years—their efficiency was too low. Ten days without lifting a finger—was that acceptable?

Ten days!

Not a single move. Unless Su Yu was genuinely injured and recuperating, he would never go ten days without acting!

He had originally thought King Wen and the Martial King were fighting tooth and nail here, but now… ha, those two were playing hide-and-seek with the Lord of Eternal Life Mountain!

“Three days later…”

Su Yu suddenly smiled. Saying three days didn’t mean he wouldn’t work for three days!

The next moment, Su Yu drifted away, his movements extremely subtle, vanishing without a trace.

A true strongman orchestrates from the shadows!

He would never really wait three full days before acting!

If unexpected factors arose after three days, that would be the real trouble.

He flew in a certain direction—not just any direction, but toward the Blade Valley and Snow Dragon Mountain. Yes, Su Yu was going to deal with the two first-class experts in advance, taking them down first!

Kill them, or subdue them.

??After three days... someone will act as my shill!

??When undertaking great affairs, can one really do without a few shills?

??Do you truly expect that, three days hence, those two first-class experts will be won over by your kingly aura?

??Nonsense!

??When the time comes, those two will inevitably cause trouble. Rather than inviting trouble then, it’s better to resolve it now, while few are watching—even if I reveal a bit, no one will care, no one will notice!

??If those two 16-path powerhouses were together, they’d be harder to deal with. But if they’re apart... ha, one on one, Su Yu has plenty of ways to handle them!

??“I said we’d gather at Six Directions Mountain in three days. Perhaps those two will split up and act alone!”

??Su Yu calculated. For now, everyone’s attention should be on Six Directions Mountain.

??Excellent!

??This is how one should live.

??Passive waiting is no match for proactive action—this has always been Su Yu’s creed. He never waits for enemies to come to him; that would be too foolish. Since his Cultivation of Nature period, Su Yu knew that by luring those single-divine-text powerhouses to attack him, he could turn the tables and kill them.

??Otherwise, if he had just ground away in the academy until now, he might still be grinding!

??...

??After flying for most of a day, Su Yu suppressed all his aura.

??In the void, a great path’s power manifested: “Calamity”!

??Yes, after entering the gate, Su Yu had picked up many great paths he had previously abandoned. The “Calamity” path seemed more attuned to this world, and now it was advancing rapidly.

??Because the world behind the gate was itself a world of calamity, an age of tribulation.

??Not only that, but even the “Stillness” path he had abandoned earlier was taken up again. Outside the gate, his later focus had been on the Balance path, dabbling in all sorts of paths. Sometimes, to strengthen certain people in the world, he had to favor one path over another.

??In daily life, he had only cultivated paths that benefited others.

??But the paths he himself wished to comprehend—he had no time for them.

??Here, Su Yu didn’t have to consider anyone else. He could cultivate whatever he wanted, and the world within the gate was filled with countless paths—he could practice anything!

??Activating the “Calamity” path, Su Yu vanished into the void.

??At this moment, he could already see a crystalline mountain, like a world of ice and snow.

??Snow Dragon Mountain had arrived!

??It was said that the master here was a snow dragon, possibly connected to one of the forbidden lands, the Dragon Domain. Su Yu felt no reverence for dragons, nor fear—he had killed quite a few.

??Snow dragons seemed extinct in the myriad realms, but here some remnants remained.

??“The master of Snow Dragon Mountain is at the first-class level, promoted earlier than Gui. He might be 16-path, or even stronger...”

??“Specializes in freezing and imprisonment.”

??“Within his territory, there are more powerhouses than under Gui’s command. It’s said there are two second-class experts, and seven or eight below that rank... Recently, he joined forces with Blade Valley to crush ten territories, possibly subjugating more experts...”

??Su Yu kept calculating.

??If he really charged in, even with his power from outside the gate, dealing with so many experts would be tough. And if the master of Blade Valley happened to be here, Su Yu would have no way to handle them!

??“Snow Dragon Mountain... Snow Dragon...”

??Su Yu gazed into the distance, his eyes flickering. The best approach was to lure the enemy out, fight them one by one!

??But that would be no small challenge.

??Su Yu sank into thought, considering how to handle this situation.

??The next moment, his expression shifted slightly. Suddenly, his aura changed subtly, and a great path’s power manifested. This path was somewhat peculiar, as if it were a fusion of many paths, shimmering with a riot of colors.

??It also felt like a blend of the five elements!

??But here, everyone called this kind of path the “Myriad Methods Path.”

??It was also the special cultivation method of Eternal Life Mountain!

??Similar to the fusion of the Five Elements Path!

??The master of Eternal Life Mountain was said to be versed in all methods, knowing no path he couldn’t master. His core subordinates were also special, all adept at this Myriad Methods Path.

??Su Yu hadn’t seen it in person, so he couldn’t judge the specifics, but he guessed it might involve weaving various paths together through some special method, like the Five Elements Path.

??In Su Yu’s view, it resembled the weaving of paths by a Heaven Opener, but the other’s closed loops were few, only a few paths.

??This was something Su Yu excelled at.

??He had woven myriad paths to open the heavens!

??The master of Eternal Life Mountain was a formidable figure. Su Yu suspected he might be a Heaven Opener, or perhaps someone like the Five Elements Ancestor who fused paths.

??With a shift, Su Yu transformed into a cultivator of the Myriad Methods Path!

??After a moment’s thought, he suddenly released a wave of Myriad Methods aura, heading straight for Snow Dragon Mountain!

??...

??At Snow Dragon Mountain.

??Snow Dragon had just seen off the Blade Master, who was returning to Blade Valley to prepare. Snow Dragon was about to make arrangements to scout Six Directions Mountain when his expression flickered.

??He quickly turned his head, looking into the distance.

??Beside him, a burly man also seemed to sense something and turned to look.

??Snow Dragon was first wary, then his face changed slightly!

??This aura... was unusual!

??The path was mixed yet pure—this feeling... this feeling...

??His face shifted!

??He remembered—this was the Myriad Methods Path, unseen for many years!

??Ever since the appearance of the Literary King and the Martial King, few experts from Eternal Life Mountain had ventured out. Each time they did, they often encountered ambushes from those two, so in recent years, Eternal Life Mountain’s influence in the Forbidden Canyon had been waning!

??Before that, Eternal Life Mountain had been the most influential force!

??Snow Dragon’s expression flickered, and the burly man beside him frowned. After a moment, his expression shifted, and he suddenly looked at Snow Dragon, whispering, “My lord!”

??Snow Dragon frowned, transmitting his voice: “You sensed it too?”

??This burly man was also a dragon.

??But unlike Snow Dragon, he was a golden dragon.

??His strength was also formidable, at the peak of the second class.

??“I sensed it. The path is very special... It’s most likely someone from Eternal Life Mountain!”

??Snow Dragon nodded, hesitating, then transmitted: “Eternal Life Mountain has sent someone out. Is this... an invitation for me to go out and talk?”

??“My lord, be careful. For them to suddenly invite you to meet at this time... this...”

??“I know!”

??Snow Dragon nodded, but said gravely: “But if we don’t go, remember, although Eternal Life Mountain’s influence has waned recently, it’s still one of the top forbidden lands. If I show disrespect, it will also cause trouble!”

“Then I’ll accompany you, my lord. Shall I summon the Blade Master? He left not long ago…”

“No!”

Snow Dragon took a deep breath. Why was Eternal Mountain looking for her?

Was it because of the Dragon Domain?

Or something else?

With these thoughts in mind, after a moment’s consideration, she sent a telepathic message: “Don’t go. You stay with the men and guard the territory. If anything goes wrong… at my signal, you lead the men out to attack. Never mind that they are from a forbidden land! Even if they are powerful, capturing me won’t be so easy. Besides… there may be no ill intent. At least, I sense no malice or danger.”

She also sensed it—no sudden premonition.

At her level, she had that confidence; it was hard for others to deceive her.

“My lord… be careful!”

“It’s fine! Perhaps it’s a good thing!”

Snow Dragon smiled: “Maybe it’s related to the recent movements of Six Directions Mountain. Perhaps this is an opportunity for us.”

“I understand, my lord. Act cautiously. At the first sign, I will lead the men out to attack!”

Snow Dragon nodded, said nothing more, and soon soared into the air, instantly leaving the territory.

A forbidden land expert had arrived!

Regardless, she had to show some respect. Of course, it was near her own territory; otherwise, she wouldn’t have ventured out rashly.

…

A moment later.

Snow Dragon descended into the void. In the void, Su Yu, clad in a green robe, his long hair flying, emanated the power of the Dao in all directions, bearing an aura of majesty.

As this majestic aura was revealed, Snow Dragon’s gaze sharpened!

A great figure!

Or rather, someone of high status.

Pretense is hard to fake.

An expert of servant origin, no matter how strong, has an indescribable quality, while one who has long been a great figure naturally possesses the bearing of a great figure.

“Snow Dragon?”

Su Yu’s voice was indifferent. His strength did not feel too formidable; to Snow Dragon, he might have reached the sixteenth Dao, or perhaps not.

Snow Dragon, in her female form, smiled: “It is I. And you are…”

“You know full well!”

Su Yu manifested the power of the Dao, colorful and resplendent, his aura spreading. He looked at Snow Dragon and said coldly: “This is not the Dragon Domain. This is the territory of Eternal Mountain. Has Eternal Mountain been absent so long that it has been forgotten?”

“I dare not!”

Snow Dragon bowed her head: “Lord of Snow Dragon Mountain, pays respects to the Venerable of the Forbidden Land.”

Su Yu looked at her, expressionless: “You are a strong one. I won’t bluff. Let’s get straight to the point. Do you know Six Directions Mountain?”

“I do.”

“Six Directions Mountain may have defected to the Netherworld Hell. The region between us and the Netherworld Hell cannot be allowed to fall into their hands.”

Su Yu said coldly: “If Six Directions Mountain succeeds, opening a connection with the Civil and Martial Lords, and we lose the buffer zone against the Netherworld Hell, allowing it to spread here… that would be a great calamity!”

Snow Dragon’s heart stirred. That Black Tomb was skilled in the Yin-Death Dao. Could he truly be a man of the Netherworld Hell?

“Then what does the Venerable mean…”

“You are an agent planted by the Dragon Domain, aren’t you?”

“No…”

Su Yu sneered dismissively: “It doesn’t matter. The Dragon Domain is also a forbidden land behind the gate, not like the Netherworld Hell, a forbidden land outside the gate, nor like the Civil and Martial Lords, experts from outside. Since it’s a forbidden land within the gate, Eternal Mountain cares little about these things.”

Snow Dragon was somewhat embarrassed and said nothing.

“I heard that in three days, Six Directions Mountain will summon all the lords of the region to pay homage?”

“Yes.”

Su Yu sneered, even contemptuously: “Audacious scoundrels! Remember, this is Eternal Mountain, and yet they want rogue cultivators to come and pay homage to them—ridiculous! The forbidden land hasn’t spoken, yet Six Directions Mountain is so arrogant!”

Snow Dragon remained silent. She still didn’t understand the purpose of his visit. She had some guesses, but the specifics eluded her.

Su Yu looked at her and said calmly: “It was difficult for me to come out this time. The Civil and Martial Lords are not to be feared, but only in the eyes of the Mountain Lord. To us, they are terrifying beings. It is hard for us to break out of their encirclement. And this is the capital of Six Directions Mountain’s arrogance.”

“Six Directions Mountain is certain that Eternal Mountain cannot interfere with them, and they grow ever more arrogant and ostentatious.”

Snow Dragon nodded: “They are indeed arrogant. In recent days, they have killed many experts…”

Su Yu said calmly: “I am aware of these matters. Snow Dragon, I have come to you for one purpose only: to cooperate with Eternal Mountain, crush Six Directions Mountain, kill them, and deter all quarters. Let it be known that even if Eternal Mountain is in trouble, it cannot be provoked by such phantoms and fiends. Are you willing to lend some strength to Eternal Mountain?”

Snow Dragon smiled lightly: “We don’t like them either?”

Su Yu nodded slightly, then quickly smiled: “Of course I know! But would Eternal Mountain act without certainty? What Six Directions Mountain? It is merely a farce orchestrated by that Black Tomb. Those so-called lords have long since fallen!”

Snow Dragon was shaken!

Really?

She couldn’t help but look at Su Yu. Su Yu sneered: “How could it be false? Some time ago, the Civil King deliberately lured the Mountain Lord away. On the road, the Mountain Lord encountered these men and killed them all in passing… Little did we expect that Black Tomb would stage this farce, creating this ‘Six Directions Mountain’… However, Black Tomb is not weak, and with some assistants, killing him would be difficult if I acted alone. But with your help and that of Blade Valley… dealing with Six Directions Mountain would be a trivial matter.”

“And Black Tomb is precisely the spy of the Netherworld Hell!”

Su Yu snorted: “The Lord of the Netherworld… an outsider, wanting to dominate this land and strike at my Eternal Mountain—delusions!”

At this moment, Snow Dragon was deeply shaken.

She was still pondering this information!

Six Directions Mountain… was indeed just a scare tactic by Black Tomb. She had considered this before but dared not take it seriously. Now she couldn’t help but say: “This… does the Venerable speak the truth? Then Black Tomb is incredibly bold! He even dares to summon experts from all sides to gather at Six Directions Mountain…”

“Of course he is bold!”

Su Yu said coldly: “Because nearby, there are experts from the Netherworld Hell!”

Snow Dragon was startled: “Experts from the Netherworld Hell are here?”

“Yes!”

Su Yu nodded: “I originally planned to act alone, but as soon as I arrived near Six Directions Mountain, I sensed them. They should be strong men under the Netherworld Emperor, not weak. Otherwise, with the might of the forbidden land, even if they outnumbered me, I would not fear. But they also have forbidden land experts…”

Snow Dragon suddenly became anxious: “Then… the conflict between Eternal Mountain and the Netherworld Hell… if I rashly intervene…”

Su Yu said coldly: “Choose one of two: offend the Netherworld Hell, or offend Eternal Mountain! I know that Eternal Mountain’s prestige is not what it once was, far less intimidating than before. But don’t forget, outsiders are outsiders!”

“The Heavenly Gate is about to open. Do you think everyone will let the Netherworld Hell grow unchecked? You are a man of the forbidden land, a Dragon Domain expert, not an ignorant rogue cultivator. Let me ask you: what is the Dragon Domain’s stance toward the Netherworld Hell?”

Snow Dragon was somewhat intimidated by him. After a long pause, she said: “Do not provoke them… and never become close to them.”

Su Yu sneered: “Still don’t understand? When one has cultivated to our level, if one cannot see through this, one is an idiot! Do you truly think that Eternal Mountain’s entanglement with the Civil and Martial Lords is only Eternal Mountain’s affair? Entangling the Civil and Martial Lords… is also the intention of all forbidden lands! It’s just that many wish to sit back and watch Eternal Mountain and the two lords slaughter each other… Hmph!”

Su Yu sneered again: “If the Mountain Lord is pushed too far and releases Wen Yu, the Civil and Martial Lords will lose their restraint. Then who will be weeping? If you cannot decide, ask the Dragon Domain now: will they help my Eternal Mountain, or will they help that Netherworld Hell?”

Snow Dragon hurriedly said: “Of course I will not have any dealings with the Netherworld Hell…”

??That would be a public enemy, though not as blatant as Wen and Wu.

??Su Yu nodded slightly. "Good. No time to waste. You come with me to find the Blade Master. You two deal with the Black Tomb, and I'll handle that one from the Dead Spirit Hell. Trying to establish power here... a fool's dream!"

??Xuelong hesitated. "Now?"

??Su Yu frowned. "What, wait for him to subdue everyone?"

??Su Yu's voice turned sharp. "Xuelong, are you dead set on opposing the Eternal Mountain?"

??Xuelong cursed under her breath!

If I don't help you, that means I'm opposing the Eternal Mountain?

These people, as overbearing as ever!

She thought for a moment, then spoke. "Then... then let me make some arrangements. I'll set out with the Venerable later..."

To find the Blade Master... she'd rather consult the Dragon Domain first, but time seemed short. The Dragon Domain was far, and messages traveled slowly. This one probably couldn't wait.

For now, she had to play along. Once she met the Blade Master, she could discuss it further.

Su Yu eased a little and said flatly, "Go, then. And tell those useless creatures in your territory to stop radiating hostility toward me. The Mountain Lord knows I'm here, Xuelong. If you think you can ignore the Eternal Mountain, let them come! Kill me—can you bear the consequences? I won't even resist!"

"I wouldn't dare! The Venerable misunderstands!"

Xuelong hurried to explain. "They don't know who you are. They feared it might be a trap from the Six Directions Mountain..."

Su Yu sneered, dismissive. "The Six Directions Mountain is waiting for you to walk into their snare, and you think they'd deliver themselves to you? Foolish!"

Xuelong felt awkward and said nothing.

Soon, without further words, she returned to Snow Dragon Mountain. Moments later, she flew out again, but this time she brought along the burly man. She explained, "Jin Feng is also quite strong. Bringing him might help a little..."

Su Yu glanced at him. "Not bad. Fifteen paths of power—a decent figure. No need for more. More people just means more dead weight. Summon the Blade Master, and that's enough. That petty Six Directions Mountain dares to throw its weight around? This time, we'll annihilate it. Everyone from the Six Directions Mountain must be killed!"

Xuelong sucked in a breath. Ruthless. Within the sect, they rarely wiped out everyone—after all, living beings were resources too.

"Let's go!"

Su Yu tore through the air, moving so fast he vanished in an instant.

The two dragons hurried after him, but they were slower. Su Yu stopped abruptly and frowned. "Too slow. Is this the speed of dragons? Useless! Enter my Myriad Laws Domain—I'll take you along."

The two exchanged glances. They were reluctant, but... their speed truly couldn't match his.

After a moment's hesitation, Xuelong and Jin Feng entered Su Yu's Myriad Laws Domain.

The Eternal Mountain had no reason to harm them.

No need for that.

Dealing with the Six Directions Mountain, those minions of the Dead Spirit Hell—that served the Eternal Mountain's interests.

Su Yu, steering his Myriad Laws Domain, flew swiftly toward the Blade Valley. The two dragons remained alert for a while, but sensed no danger. Gradually, they relaxed.

They only had to reach the Blade Valley. His speed was truly remarkable, they had to admit.

As they traveled, they observed Su Yu's Myriad Laws Domain with envy. It was said that the Eternal Mountain's Myriad Laws Domain was formidable, and that Fa was one of the stronger Forbidden Land Lords.

They studied his domain, gradually becoming entranced.

So many great paths converged!

Perfectly fused!

Incredible!

This guy was strong. By the way, what was his name?

Anyone who sees this message can claim cash. Method: Follow the WeChat public account [Book Lovers' Base Camp].

Xuelong thought to herself, she'd forgotten to ask his name. She'd been completely intimidated. Was he a direct descendant of the Forbidden Land Lord Fa?

Just as she was thinking, a faint voice whispered in her ear: "Silence!"

"Freeze!"

Xuelong instinctively raised her power to counter, but at that moment, she was inside Su Yu's domain—his realm of heaven and earth. Suddenly, she felt suppressed!

Boom!

Within the Myriad Laws Domain, Su Yu struck Xuelong with a palm, shattering her flesh and snapping her dragon tail.

Jin Feng fared worse. A single palm blow severed his dragon body completely.

Su Yu sighed. "Foolish!"

Dragons, always so stupid!

Whatever I say, you believe!

Of course, the Myriad Laws Domain was highly deceptive, but to me, a Heaven-Opener, the Myriad Laws Domain... what a joke!

"You—"

Rumble!

Xuelong barely spoke before Su Yu launched a fierce assault. Dozens of great paths manifested, pounding her relentlessly, sending flesh and blood flying. Xuelong roared, unleashing waves of frost power, but within Su Yu's domain, it was useless.

Soon, the two mangled dragon bodies were sealed by Su Yu, like loaches, clutched in his hands.

Su Yu laughed!

He gasped for breath. They were tough to handle, but luckily, not too bright. Otherwise, capturing them would have been harder.

A triumphant start!