Chapter 932: Demon Race!

Using the Heavenly Gate to execute a Great Sage was a choice born of Su Yu's sheer helplessness.

Yes!

Not only did it benefit the enemy, but he also lost the Great Dao of a Great Sage for himself; in truth, had there been any alternative, Su Yu would have been loath to do so.

Yet, there was no other way!

He was too weak, lacking the power to slay the foe entirely on his own, and so, in the end, Su Yu chose the powerhouses of the Heavenly Gate to do the killing.

A fine bargain indeed for those fellows within the Heavenly Gate!

Nevertheless, this single instant struck astonishment into the hearts of all who watched from every direction!

……

Confronting the Human Ancestor, Huo Tian's countenance shifted violently!

Even the Human Ancestor's gaze grew deeply peculiar.

Were both Bei Tian and Qing Tian dead?

Where had Qing Tian gone?

The Heavenly Gate?

Had he been teleported into the Heavenly Gate?

Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to force an outsider into the Heavenly Gate save for the bearer themselves, yet Su Yu had somehow achieved it.

At this moment, the face of Huo Tian opposite him changed drastically, her seductive charm utterly vanishing as she shrieked: "Descend!"

If no more Great Sages descended now, there would be immense trouble!

Both she and Hong Tian would likely meet disaster.

In this split second, the power of one portal after another began to surge violently; among the eight Great Sages of the Human Gate, those present were considered on the weaker side, but now, their auras flared far more powerful than before, while the Earth Gate offered no resistance.

This aligned perfectly with the interests of the Earth Gate!

To weaken the Human Gate!

It was merely unexpected that Su Yu would be so swift, felling two Great Sages in the blink of an eye; if this continued, even the Earth Gate began to ponder whether it should find a way to make all eight Great Sages of the Human Gate fall right here!

Boom!

The heavens and earth shook with a deafening roar!

In this instant, yet another Great Sage descended, causing the Human Ancestor's expression to stir slightly: "Jing Tian!"

The Great Sage Jing Tian had descended!

In days gone by, that very Great Sage who had collaborated with him was also an exceptionally powerful supreme entity.

Now, as the world trembled, this figure made his descent!

Even after Jing Tian's arrival, it was still not enough!

In several other locations, the power of portals continued to fluctuate wildly as yet more Great Sages prepared to descend.

The Human Ancestor abruptly turned his head!

Within Mount Bihua, Zhou Ji let out a soft sigh, and in the next moment, a powerful aura soared into the sky; Zhou Ji's expression shifted before his eyes grew ancient and weathered—the Great Sage Ji Tian!

Up to this point, a grand total of six Great Sages had descended upon the world!

Qing Tian, Bei Tian, Hong Tian, Huo Tian, Jing Tian, and Ji Tian.

A seventh Great Sage seemed on the verge of descending as well, but was swiftly barred by an opposing force.

Over there, Great Sage Jing Tian gave a cold snort: "Audacious!"

The Earth Gate had blocked them!

Even after the deaths of two Great Sages, the Earth Gate was actually still obstructing them!

Yet the Earth Gate remained utterly silent.

Not obstruct?

Both Jing Tian and Ji Tian surpassed thirty-six paths, which was more than enough!

What more do you want?

If any more of you come, am I to wait around to be slaughtered by you all?

Descending one by one like this... is quite enough!

The Earth Gate now felt,

Perhaps this was a good thing; the finest outcome would be for Su Yu's side to lose a few lives as well!

It could not just be the powerhouses of the Human Gate dying continuously!

……

At that very same moment.

The Chaos Master instantly vanished from his spot, flying off toward the distance.

The sudden shift in the battlefield caused even his emotions to stir; at this juncture, he rushed directly toward Su Yu and his companions, not to aid Su Yu, but to prevent them from continuing their slaughter of Hong Tian!

Yes, to prevent it!

They could not be allowed to kill a third Great Sage in succession; if too many died and things went on this way, the losses to the Human Gate would be far too severe, which was undesirable!

If circumstances permitted... it would be best to kill Qiong!

Weakening the strength of both sides was what truly suited the interests of the Earth Gate!

Perhaps Tian Gu was right after all; they should not have kept sitting idly by. Now that Su Yu and his allies had slain two Great Sages, at this current juncture, it was time to eliminate the powerhouses of Su Yu's faction.

……

At that very same moment.

The Infinite Hell.

The Hell King stood suspended in mid-air; in this hour when a host of thirty-six path powerhouses clashed, she, a cultivator rumored to possess only thirty-two paths, could find no room to intervene.

Her face was grim and cold, clad entirely in black robes; back in the ancient era, she had been a notoriously ruthless official.

During those ancient years, she had fallen out with the King of Wen and the others.

When the Human Emperor led his followers away, she had been unwilling to enter the upper reaches of the River of Time, even attempting to restrain the Human Emperor, only to be struck directly into the Earth Gate by a single blow from him.

Now, she watched the distant horizon in silence, never once interfering, her countenance remaining consistently cold and ruthless.

At this moment, another figure appeared at her side, sporting fiery red hair and a fiercely defiant gaze, surrounded by a monstrous demonic flame.

Yan Huo!

This very powerhouse of the Demon Race who had followed her into the Earth Gate!

Yan Huo's gaze grew somewhat solemn as he looked toward the distance, his voice not particularly deep but carrying a heavy gravity: "These fellows are all terrifying! This Su Yu of the Myriad Realms has risen with a speed beyond all imagination! Two Great Sages of the Human Gate have been slain... in this battle, even if the Human Gate emerges victorious, their losses will not be light!"

Out of the eight Great Sages of the Human Gate, six had descended all at once!

Along with the Chaos Master, the Human Ancestor, Qiong, as well as the Necromancer King and the King of Wen who suppressed the Earth Gate, and furthermore, the likes of Shi and Kong who had actually joined the fray from within the Heavenly Gate.

It could be said that this battle, though appearing to take place within the Earth Gate, in truth, with the exception of the Three Gates not acting and two Great Saints not descending, nearly every powerful figure had joined the fray!

Whether willingly or unwillingly.

As he spoke, Yan Huo turned his gaze to the woman before him.

Throughout countless ages, women who had risen to prominence were exceedingly rare; as for ancient relics like Huo Tian, they were also few and far between—either aligning themselves with some invincible powerhouse or serving one.

But the Yu before him was different. Even back when the Human Sovereigns rose, she had fought alongside them to conquer the world, not relying on their power, and during the unification of humanity, she had contributed immensely.

Now, having parted ways with the Human Sovereigns, she had still secured her footing within the Earth Gate, her strength formidable.

Yan Huo held a deep respect for her.

He silently watched the woman before him, momentarily lost in thought, while Yu did not turn her head, nor did she look at him. She merely gazed into the distance, her voice cold and clear: "The Human Gate is strong; there are Great Saints yet to descend. The two newcomers feel to me like they are above the 36th path... With Chaos interfering, these people will find it hard to win!"

Yan Huo nodded.

Indeed, it was hard!

Even if Su Yu kept killing—kill one, another comes; kill one, another comes—

Unless he could slay the Eight Saints, sooner or later, it would all be over.

The cost was enormous!

A great battle does not come without a drain on strength—it consumes the power of heaven and earth, the power of the rules—though usually, it is not keenly felt.

Yan Huo looked at King Yu and said softly, "Should we intervene?"

To intervene would likely mean death.

Not to intervene, and let this battle drag on, might bring some trouble; no matter who won, it would probably not be good for them.

"Those people from the myriad realms—have they fled?"

"They have!"

Yan Huo replied.

King Yu's voice was icy: "Yan Huo, you deliberately let them escape, didn't you?"

Yan Huo was silent for a moment, then nodded: "After all, the demon race was among them. I know your thoughts, but these people are weak. To annihilate all races and extract their origins and path power... I think that goes too far!"

Deliberate!

At this moment, Tian Gu and the others were not present.

Otherwise, they would have been shaken.

Mo Tianzun thought Yan Huo had abandoned them, had given up on them, so he preferred to follow Tian Gu and the others rather than stay.

But King Yu said Yan Huo had let them go on purpose.

Because King Yu wanted to kill them—they were useful to her.

King Yu's voice grew even colder: "Do you know that I need the path power of these people to perfect my own path? By letting them go, how can my path be perfected?"

Yan Huo was silent again for a moment, then spoke: "Kill the strong to supplement the path! Those people—some are only at the Soaring Void stage, some even weaker..."

"You let the demon race go, that's one thing—but why did you also let the immortal and divine races escape?"

To assign a cultivator of the eighth or ninth path to guard them... that was clearly a deliberate letdown!

Yan Huo had survived in the Earth Gate until now—how could he be so careless?

A generation's Demon Emperor would not be so easily outwitted by the likes of Tian Gu.

He simply did not wish to!

Yan Huo pondered for a moment, then said softly: "The demon race is too weak! Tian Gu has some wits; the divine race still has people outside, and the Divine Emperor still lives... The three races united might still have a slim chance of survival! Otherwise, if it were just the demon race, even if I let them go now, they would perish sooner or later!"

He did not hide this.

He looked at King Yu and said softly: "You could have stopped them—why didn't you?"

King Yu replied indifferently: "Considering your years of service to me, your letting them go cancels out all your merits over the years!"

Yan Huo smiled bitterly and nodded.

Just merits?

He said no more, glanced into the distance, judged carefully, and spoke: "You cultivate the path of hell, and you hope for the opening of heaven through myriad paths..."

He looked around and continued: "The Death Path of the Lord of the Dead would suit you well... but he is too strong! For the opening of heaven through myriad paths, the worlds of Su Yu and Wen Yu are both suitable for you, but if they die, humanity might lose... Have you thought about making a move against them?"

King Yu said coldly: "If I can grow stronger, what difference does it make?"

Yan Huo smiled: "Everyone grows stronger with their own goals, their own purposes! Back then, you fell out with King Wen and the others because you wanted to walk your own path, and they were unwilling to follow you... You killed many strong ones, but you never killed any human strong ones..."

"But these people may not thank you for sparing them!"

He looked into the distance: "That Su Yu—I know a thing or two about him! If you don't kill him, one day he will kill you! Our people outside are blocking King Wen's return, trying to make him keep stalling the Heaven Gate and the Human Gate... He hates you deeply—he even stripped you of your kingship! That means the contributions you once made to humanity have been erased by him!"

"What are you trying to say?"

King Yu's voice was indifferent. Yan Huo smiled: "Nothing! Whatever you say goes. If you think you are right, then walk that path. Others may not support you, but I am willing to support you all the way... even if... the seas turn to mulberry fields!"

King Yu was silent, did not turn around, did not look.

She just kept watching the battle ahead.

After an unknown time, King Yu suddenly said flatly: "In my eyes, someone like you is just a pawn to be used, a fool!"

"I know!"

Yan Huo smiled and nodded, as if he did not mind.

He continued to look around and spoke: "Zhou's stance is unclear, but for now, he is helping humanity hold back a Great Saint! Zhou cannot be killed, can he?"

King Yu did not answer.

Yan Huo continued to observe: "And Qiong is also out of the question—you surely think he cannot be killed either! That means only the Great Saint of the Human Gate and Chaos fit your expectations."

Yan Huo went on: "Ji Tian may have reached some agreement with Zhou; otherwise, Zhou would not allow him to stay on Bihua Mountain! So, Huo Tian, Hong Tian, and Chaos—these three are the key!"

"When you first entered the Earth Gate, your target must have been Chaos. His Everlasting Root, rich with life force, could perhaps neutralize the deathly aura in your path."

As he spoke, Yan Huo laughed again: "Hong Tian and Huo Tian are also not bad! Hong Tian walks the path of joy, always smiling. You are too cold—if you could absorb some joy, always smiling, that would be a good thing! Yu, have you ever smiled?"

King Yu remained cold, just silently watching.

Yan Huo smiled: "Huo Tian... not so good—the path of allure, the path of desire. I would like to see you smile once... but I don't want to see you walk that seductive path!"

"Enough!"

King Yu said coldly: "I don't need your reminders!"

Yan Huo nodded, looked into the distance at those who had gathered together. The Lord of Chaos had gone to rescue someone, and now he had joined Hong Tian, while several on Su Yu's side were frantically besieging them!

But with Jing Tian and Ji Tian descending, as long as those two held out for a while, it would be fine!

Yan Huo again looked at Yu, who had her back to him, and laughed: "The opportunity is right before us—those two are gathered together, both what you need! Just look at me once, smile once, say one word, and I will go and take their paths for you—what do you say?"

His tone was outrageously bold!

At this moment, this figure, little known in the Earth Gate, a cultivator of just over twenty paths, spoke with terrifying arrogance!

Just say the word, and I will bring you the paths of two 36-path powerhouses!

Just for a smile from a beauty!

The Prison King made no sound, nor did he turn his head.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke: "Why did you abdicate back then?"

Yanhuo, the second Demon Emperor of the Demon race!

After the Demon Ancestor, three Demon Emperors were born—of course, the Demon Halberd and the others didn’t count; they belonged to the ancient era.

Among the three Demon Emperors, the first was nailed to death in the Demon Realm by the Martial Emperor before he could grow strong.

Yanhuo was the second, and the third was the one slain upstream in the River of Time.

Back when humanity unified the myriad realms, Yanhuo abdicated, passing the throne of Demon Emperor to the third generation, and vanished without a trace. The next time he appeared, he was following the Prison King into the Gate of Earth.

At the very last moment, he followed the Prison King into the Gate of Earth.

As for why Yanhuo abdicated, the common explanation at the time was that humanity was too strong, having unified the myriad realms. Yanhuo feared humanity and dared not clash with them, yet his pride was too fierce to allow the Demon race to submit to humanity under his rule, so he chose to retire.

And now, the Prison King suddenly brought up that old tale.

Yanhuo laughed: "I couldn’t defeat you back then..."

As he spoke, seeing that the Prison King seemed to lose interest, he chuckled again, "Alright, to tell the truth, it was because you were among humanity back then."

Yanhuo smiled: "I saw my father nailed to death in the Demon Realm with my own eyes. That was the doing of that beast, the Martial Emperor. For years, I sought revenge against him. Later, when the Martial Emperor was captured and sealed—though not directly killed—I still felt a measure of relief!"

"Of course, the Martial Emperor was captured, sealed, and humiliated for countless ages. You and I both know the reason: he recklessly opened the Heavenly Gate, leading to the encirclement and death of Xingyue, Xingyu’s sister..."

The Prison King said nothing.

Yanhuo laughed again: "Back then, you were the chief investigator of this matter. If I remember correctly, you stopped halfway and never pursued it further... Otherwise, I would likely have been doomed back then, wouldn’t I?"

A piece of the past slowly unraveled.

If Su Yu had been present, he might have understood some of this.

The Martial King had once told Su Yu why he humiliated the Martial Emperor.

It was because the Martial Emperor had recklessly opened the Heavenly Gate, causing it to tremble and nearly descend upon the myriad realms. The Civil King and the others had to seal the gate, which led to Xingyue being surrounded and killed. Thus, the Martial King’s anger fell upon the Martial Emperor, leading to the humiliation—but he didn’t kill him, because the Martial Emperor hadn’t known the consequences.

Yet the Martial Emperor’s opening of the Heavenly Gate, which caused such upheaval, had its own reasons.

Even the Martial Emperor himself probably didn’t remember clearly.

Because someone had sought revenge against him, forcing him to open the Heavenly Gate. Not only that, but even Xingyue’s death was connected to the Yanhuo before them.

And Yu was the investigator of that era, as such matters were always his responsibility.

At this moment, the Prison King remained silent.

Yanhuo smiled: "Why didn’t you continue the investigation back then?"

"Investigate what?"

The Prison King said flatly: "It was enough to trace it to the Martial Emperor. No one wanted Xingyue’s death, but should we have gone to war with the mighty Demon race over it? Should we have disrupted the unification of the myriad realms just because Xingyue was his sister?"

She didn’t think it was a big deal, and said coldly: "You don’t think I stopped investigating to protect you, do you? Yanhuo, that’s far too naive of you!"

"I know!"

Yanhuo nodded with a smile: "I know your thoughts. Outsiders say you are cold and call you a harsh official, but they don’t know that among the five of humanity back then, you were the most fair and just. The others were more burdened by selfishness and personal feelings. This kind of thankless task was something only you would do. Anyone else... couldn’t have managed it. Xingyu and the others are merely hypocrites. When it comes to themselves, they lose all sense of proportion..."

Yanhuo laughed: "So, from that moment on, I found you extremely captivating... You should have been born in the Demon race! Truly, the Demon race needs you. With your character, you would have fared better among the Demon race than among humanity! The Demon race... doesn’t have so much hypocrisy, so many hypocrites!"

The Prison King said coldly: "You are very foolish!"

"Foolish?"

Yanhuo laughed and nodded: "Perhaps! But so are you!"

With that, he said lightly: "Yu, tell me honestly, what kind of world do you want to create? Even today, I still don’t understand, don’t grasp, don’t comprehend!"

The Prison King seemed to be thinking. After a long while, she said softly: "Without desire, without longing, without emotion, without the Way. Strict rules, law above sentiment. No distinction between kin and stranger, no difference between noble and lowly—all judged by the law!"

Yanhuo frowned slightly: "The latter part is fine. I think what the Human Emperor and the others oppose is the former part, right? Without emotion, without the Way... Yu, as a human, the seven emotions and six desires are natural. This goes against the fundamental order!"

The Prison King said indifferently: "The Gate of Humanity speaks of emotion. The Gate of Humanity exists in the heart, in emotion. If you want to extinguish the Gate of Humanity, cut off emotion and desire, the Gate will destroy itself. To extinguish the Three Gates, one must be without emotion and without the Way. Otherwise, the Gate of Humanity will eventually revive!"

Yanhuo sighed: "Too difficult! And too unrealistic!"

Yu said flatly: "Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Xingyu and the others couldn’t achieve the former, nor the latter. No distinction between kin and stranger, no difference between noble and lowly... Since I was caught for killing back then, I should have been judged by the law. In the end, they are still different from me!"

Yanhuo chuckled: "You still think that when they caught you back then, they should have killed you?"

"Why didn’t they?"

The Prison King was utterly indifferent: "If they didn’t kill me, that is lawlessness. When emotion overrides law, the world falls into chaos. The myriad races rebelled against humanity because Xingyu put emotion above law, shielding me, and also shielding Taishan, Wendo, and the others. When Wen Yu was in trouble, two Human Kings abandoned their posts—they should have been killed as a warning to others. As Human Kings, their duty was to expand the territory and guard the land. Abandoning their posts—Xingyu not only didn’t punish them but secretly sent Taishan to the Heavenly Gate to assist!"

"Minghe arbitrarily raised the Starry Sea and granted the Starry Continent to his wife’s clan—that was a violation of the law. Xingyu thought nothing of it, treated it as a fine tale, and in the Hall of the Human Emperor, he boasted and laughed loudly, without any sense of order!"

"Merits unrewarded, faults unpunished! Governing the world with emotion—Xingyu’s error. The myriad races’ rebellion against humanity was only natural!"

Yanhuo laughed: "Hearing you say it, Xingyu does seem quite wicked... But his reputation is quite good..."

The Prison King said coldly: "A ruler does not value reputation. Governing by law is the true path. Governing by emotion is a crooked path!"

"So, you became without emotion and without the Way?"

Yanhuo sighed: "Today, you’ve spoken quite a bit to me, more than usual. Though I don’t entirely agree with you... Well, I suppose I do agree with you!"

Yanhuo smiled: "Yes, you make sense. Everything you said is right. Law above emotion... reasonable! Xingyu and the others don’t understand your thoughts; they deserve the myriad races’ rebellion!"

After voicing his agreement, he laughed: "But with your current strength, it won’t work! You can’t contend with them. I support you in creating such a world, such a myriad realms! Yu, hold fast to your convictions! Don’t compromise just because you’re weak!"

The Prison King said flatly: "I have also violated the law!"

"That’s different!"

Yanhuo racked his brains, then quickly said: "That was to create a world of law. In that process, you were perfecting your way of law. But... Yu, if you want people to be without emotion and without desire, I think you must first experience it yourself—only then will you know how to cut it off!"

"So, you must first learn to smile..."

Yanhuo laughed, then added: "You haven’t smiled in years. You don’t even know what joy is. How can you make others cut off joy? The saying goes, ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.’ If you don’t understand something, cutting it off outright will never win the support of most people. You must understand it first before you can set such laws!"

As he spoke, the battle in the distance had already turned the heavens and earth upside down.

Su Yu and the others, who had been at an advantage, were now on the verge of falling into a disadvantage again!

Because Jingtian and Jitian were almost here!

Su Yu and his group still hadn’t managed to take down Hongtian and the Lord of Chaos. If this continued... it wouldn’t work!

Yanhuo exhaled: "Alright, I have to go. Yu... these years, I’ve been quite content. The only thing I’m not satisfied with is that you never smiled at me. Oh, and you never cried for me even once... A bit of a pity!"

His smile was radiant: "The Demon race follows their hearts, doing as they please. My race is not skilled in schemes and plots, but we only seek to follow our hearts! Without rules, Yu... the world you create, I probably couldn’t stay in. Too rigid, not to my liking... Still, I support you!"

"Don’t fight head-on. After I’m gone, you may not be able to defeat them. Take the Great Way, hide yourself, and wait until the very end to emerge. Otherwise, Su Yu, Xingyu, and these hypocrites may not tolerate you!"

The Prison King turned to look at him, her face cold: "You want to seize the Way for me?"

"Of course!"

Yanhuo laughed, then glanced at the distance: "Too late. If we delay any longer, Jingtian and the others will arrive... Yu, tell me the truth, did you ever trace it back to me back then?"

"No."

"Can't you even deceive me once?"

Yanhuo shook his head helplessly. "Not the least bit moving—what a pity!"

With that, the cultivator of over twenty Daos stepped into the void step by step, flying into the distance, his smile radiant and his laughter echoing back: "Yu, perhaps you didn't care back then, but now I've let those people go, and you haven't punished me. In the end, law cannot prevail over emotion… You've bent the law for personal gain again!"

The Prison King said nothing, watching in silence.

...

At this moment, Su Yu was also seething with rage!

With one slash of his blade, he sent the Chaos Lord staggering back, cursing, "You old bastard, you're asking for death!"

The Chaos Lord had been lying in wait not far away. When they were about to kill Hongtian, the old man stepped in to block them. With two 36-Dao cultivators joining forces, Su Yu and his companions found themselves unable to finish them off quickly!

And with Jingtian and Jitian about to arrive, the opportunity was slipping away—how could Su Yu not be furious!

Damn it!

If not for the Chaos Lord's interference, Hongtian would be dead for sure!

Having slain three Great Saints, Su Yu was utterly unafraid of these people!

He was furious, and Qiong was beside himself with rage, cursing and swearing. Three Great Saints had descended, two were dead, and the third—his opponent—was still hale and hearty. He too was frantic with anger!

Sword stroke after sword stroke, he madly hacked at Hongtian!

Although Great Saint Hongtian was being besieged—the Human Emperor and Qiong two against one—and might fall after a while longer, still… "I'm not dead yet, am I?"

"Chaos… thank you!"

Though Hongtian was slashed all over and bleeding, he laughed heartily, overjoyed.

At this moment, it was Chaos who had stepped in to stop Su Yu and Wen Yu!

Otherwise, he would have been doomed!

The Chaos Lord said nothing; it was time for him to withdraw, for Jingtian and Jitian had arrived!

You all keep fighting!

He fought as he retreated!

This time, it would be best if both sides suffered mutual destruction—that was the outcome he most desired!

And at that very moment, a not-too-strong aura rapidly appeared near them.

Yanhuo revealed a smile and looked over.

Some didn't recognize Yanhuo, but others did. The Human Emperor, who was trapping Hongtian, suddenly paused slightly, frowned, and looked at Yanhuo.

Yu, are you going to intervene?

The Chaos Lord also furrowed his brow slightly. Yanhuo had come—did Yu intend to meddle as well?

Yanhuo ignored them, turning his head to glance in the direction of the Endless Hell.

He smiled and sighed, "This world is truly dull! Schemes, intrigues, deceit… Indeed, my demon race is unworthy of existence!"

A sigh laden with boundless emotion.

A boring world!

The only one who captivated his heart could neither laugh nor weep—that too was lamentable.

He looked at Su Yu and said with a smile, "Can you leave a part of the Great Saint of Sorrow's Dao for me?"

Su Yu was momentarily taken aback.

"I'll trade something else for it… Only with sorrow and joy can one be a living being…"

Su Yu was still pondering—this man… Demon Emperor Yanhuo?

Was he mad?

With so many powerful beings locked in battle, he dared to come here and spout such nonsense!

A madman—that was Su Yu himself.

But one this arrogant was rare to see.

"I'll take that as a yes…"

Yanhuo smiled.

He looked into the distance, toward the Earth Gate, and chuckled, "Earth Gate… could it really be my ancestor? Terrifying—I'm actually the descendant of a Gate… How terrifying…"

As he spoke, his smile grew radiant.

The next moment, streams of special power erupted from within him.

Yanhuo laughed heartily, "Whether you're my ancestor or not… we're not acquainted anyway, so I'll just trick you this once! After scheming for so many years, I've finally succeeded a little—and I must thank everyone for their help!"

Under the somewhat strange gazes of the crowd.

The next moment, everyone's eyes shifted, and in the distance, the Earth Gate suddenly trembled violently!

The Earth Gate's booming voice came swiftly, filled with fury: "You… damn you… you bastard…"

"Don't be angry, ancestor. You won't die so easily—and if you do, then so be it!"

With a laugh, suddenly a powerful force of heaven and earth surged into Yanhuo's body, flowing in from the direction of the Earth Gate!

Yanhuo's aura instantly grew formidable!

"Ancestor, you're a bit foolish. All these years, we've been lingering near you, repeatedly piercing through the gate, drenching you with the blood of countless Saint Clan experts… You didn't really think it was to help you revive, did you?"

"A little stupid!"

Yanhuo laughed. At that instant, the Earth Gate let out a roar, but from its side, a powerful force was being drawn away.

"Don't worry, I'm just borrowing it for a while. Hold on, and when my bloodline burns out… you can take it back. Ancestor, you're still formidable—even now, I can't fully strip your heaven-earth power… What a pity!"

Over the years, the Prison King and he had not been idle here.

The Prison King's lineage outside often used blood to water the Earth Gate. According to those within the gate, it was to summon the Prison King. In truth, Yanhuo genuinely possessed Earth Gate bloodline, and long ago, he and the Prison King had mingled their bloodline powers, leaving the Prison King's lineage with some Earth Gate blood as well.

Thus, Yueluo and the others could cultivate the Earth Gate.

The countless years of watering were naturally not merely for summoning, but to invade and occupy the Earth Gate!

Unfortunately, the Earth Gate was too strong.

After so many years, Yanhuo and the Prison King had no choice but to temporarily draw a portion of its power; complete usurpation was still impossible!

Today was an opportunity!

Otherwise, once the Earth Gate fully revived, even this chance to borrow power would be lost!

In that instant, the Earth Gate trembled violently, and Yanhuo's bloodline blazed, his aura surging. For a moment, he seemed to appear within a gate, smiling slightly: "Su Yu, true gate power is nothing like yours… Your gate power is far too weak! You underestimate the Three Gates—their strength comes not merely from the power of their Daos… Let me show you what a gate truly is!"

Under Su Yu's shocked gaze, Yanhuo's aura instantly soared to 36 Daos, and was still rising!

37 Daos, 38 Daos… and then it stopped abruptly at 38 Daos!

Yanhuo laughed heartily, "Enough! Take care of yourself, ancestor. If you get beaten to death… don't blame this descendant of some unknown generation for tricking you!"

"Bastard!"

At this moment, the Earth Gate could no longer hold back. With a roar of agony, it cried out, for as a great portion of its power was drained away, someone outside made a move!

The Lord of the Dead and the others had no idea what was happening... but they sensed the Earth Gate's weakness and felt a massive surge of power being drawn away.

Could it be to kill Su Yu?

Possibly!

With that thought, the three mighty beings outside furiously assaulted the Earth Gate, their booming strikes shaking the entire world of the Earth Gate!

...

Meanwhile, Yanhuo's sudden appearance and explosive outburst caught no one off guard.

Except for the Prison King!

Yanhuo, arrogant enough to break the sky, had declared he would seize the two Daos for the Prison King. Now, he began!

"Move aside!"

With a low shout, Yanhuo materialized instantly beside Su Yu and the others. Su Yu's expression shifted slightly as he hastily retreated.

Yanhuo burst into laughter!

The Chaos Lord's face twisted in shock. "You..."

"Don't shout, I don't like it!"

A soft chuckle rang out, and the next moment, a gate descended from the heavens!

"A gate—sealing, suppressing, isolating, severing Daos... too many abilities. Against a peer, the gate is invincible! Su Yu, you're still too green... I wanted to kill you... but alas... never mind!"

As Yanhuo's voice echoed, the gate pressed down with a thunderous roar!

The Chaos Lord instantly transformed into a massive tree!

Yanhuo said coolly, "You're sealed within the Earth Gate—where can you flee?"

The Chaos Lord, terrified, roared, "I am the only 36-Dao cultivator of the Earth Gate! Kill me, and the Chaos Era ends... you..."

"What is that to me?"

The 38th Dao was not what terrified the Chaos Lord.

It was that gate, descending in an instant, cutting off the power of the Dao, sealing him, suppressing him—in a flash, his aura plummeted sharply!

Even Su Yu was slightly startled!

The power of that gate was overwhelming!

Or rather, the sealing force was terrifyingly strong!

Was this the gate that sealed an era?

Though it wasn't the Earth Gate itself acting, at this moment, Su Yu understood the gate's true might—how it could seal an entire age!

The 36-Dao Chaos Lord was suppressed in an instant, his aura dropping to 35 Dao, then 34 Dao...

Yanhuo's blood burned, his face growing pale, yet his smile was radiant.

Suddenly, he roared and threw a punch!

A fist wreathed in flames that could incinerate heaven and earth struck out. The tree that was the Chaos Lord could not resist at all!

"Su Yu, that's not how you use a gate... I've studied it for years—I know it far better than you..."

Yanhuo's laughter rang out. The next moment, he threw another punch—boom!

The massive Eternal Tree, under his relentless barrage, had no chance to escape!

With a thunderous crash!

Amid the Chaos Lord's screams, the tree exploded, though its golden roots remained intact!

Yanhuo the Demon Emperor sneered, charged into the gate, and in the blink of an eye, severed the tree's roots into two halves. He tossed one half to Su Yu and said coolly, "I want the remaining Dao power of Bei Tian!"

Su Yu's eyes flickered, but he said nothing, quickly tossing the not-yet-fully-devoured Dao of Bei Tian to Yanhuo.

For now, he understood!

This man was about to die.

He was fighting by burning his own bloodline, borrowing the Earth Gate's power. Once his bloodline was consumed and the power rebounded, he would explode and perish utterly!

Fighting Yanhuo now would only bring trouble.

Su Yu knew better than to suffer a loss when he could avoid it!

Besides, the other had given him half the Eternal Root—not a bad deal.

Yanhuo grabbed the broken Dao, instantly sealing it with the gate's power, then sealed the remaining half of the Eternal Root, a smile spreading across his face!

Meanwhile, the others were shaken.

A 36-Dao powerhouse, eliminated just like that?

Boom!

In the distance, the Earth Gate seemed to bulge from the assault, its voice laced with fury and despair: "Give me back my power, you bastard...!"

He had been tricked!

All these years, the Prison King's faction outside and Yanhuo's group inside had been pouring their bloodline power into him. He thought they were accelerating his revival—but they had been scheming against him!

Damn it, give me back my power!

Though this bastard couldn't hold it for long and would die soon, he needed to die quickly—or else, with his power unrecovered, he was doomed!

Because the 39-Dao Lord of the Dead was no pushover!

"Just a moment!"

Yanhuo laughed, appearing instantly before Hongtian, whose face also twisted in shock.

Qiong was about to strike again, but the Human Emperor grabbed him and swiftly retreated.

Yanhuo looked at the Human Emperor and sneered, "I should have dealt with you first... This whole scheme, from the very beginning, was meant to take you down... but it's not a pity!"

With a hearty laugh, the Earth Gate descended once more!

The overwhelming power of the gate reappeared, even as half of Yanhuo's body had already vanished.

Hongtian was terrified!

Behind him, Jing Tian and Ji Tian also changed color, charging madly toward him, unleashing devastating attacks!

Su Yu and the others struck out simultaneously!

Boom!

Behind Yanhuo, Su Yu and his group blocked the two attackers' strikes.

"Yanhuo..." Ji Tian the Great Sage roared, "You've lost your mind! You'll die for sure..."

"I know!"

Yanhuo smiled. "But... I want to see her smile at me, just once... Yes, it must be beautiful! It must be!"

Die!

A sharp cry, and a surge of powerful Earth Gate force exploded directly!

In the distance, the Earth Gate let out a miserable shriek, cursing wildly: “Fuck your ancestors! If you’re killing, just kill—why blow up my rule power?”

Yanhuo ignored him!

Because this way, killing was faster!

I have no time!

It’s almost too late—I still want to go back and see her once, even though for countless years he had been watching, yet she… always wore a cold face, and it still felt deeply uncomfortable!

Boom!

A punch landed, and Hongtian, wracked by the Earth Gate’s detonating power, screamed in agony; his physical body shattered from the blow, but Yanhuo, utterly disregarding his own burning form, frenziedly struck again and again—if he couldn’t kill, he’d use the Earth Gate’s power to self-destruct!

After all, this isn’t my power!

Borrowed flowers to offer to the Buddha!

Kill Hongtian… and gift her the Path of Joy!

Rumble!

A series of thunderous roars erupted—a thirty-eight-path powerhouse was self-destructing his power; how could the gravely wounded Hongtian withstand it?

On Hongtian’s forehead, a portal emerged—the Human Gate. He wanted to flee, even if only a shred of his will escaped!

But… Yanhuo gave him no chance!

Boom!

A single punch, and the portal shattered completely!

Yanhuo’s lower body vanished entirely, his torso dissolving too; only his arms remained, gripping Hongtian’s still-intact head. The next moment, with a furious roar and a deafening blast, he ripped out a rainbow-hued Dao!

Rumble!

Heaven and earth quaked, and the aura on Yanhuo plummeted sharply.

He paid it no mind, revealing a brilliant smile—the Path of Joy, not bad!

A final surge of Earth Gate force poured in, sealing the Dao.

He didn’t look at Su Yu or the others; smiling radiantly, he tore through the void, hurtling toward the Endless Hell. Halfway there, his arms vanished; as he flew on, everything but his head burned away completely!

He opened his mouth, let out a fierce roar, and flew onward!

I can make it back!

Boom!

His skull began to burn!

Gradually, his consciousness grew hazy.

All around, darkness had fallen!

When light flashed before his eyes again, he was already not far from the Endless Hell!

His mouth had disappeared.

And at that moment, a figure emerged, watching him—those eyes, still devoid of emotion!

Just watching him like that, Yanhuo smiled. Three forces materialized before his ruined body!

“For you…”

The Hell Queen looked at him, not at the three Daos—though each was immensely powerful, she didn’t glance at them. She only silently watched Yanhuo, burning to ashes. After a long while, she said in a low voice, “You’re an idiot…”

“Mm… you’re right!”

Yanhuo laughed. “Merge the Dao—I want to see you cry, see you smile…”

Before the words faded, his will began to collapse!

Too late!

Suddenly, infinite regret surged—too late, too late to merge the Dao!

In that moment, his will turned icy cold, and a drop like a tear fell.

He held onto the last shred of clarity and looked upward.

Still those eyes, endless coldness, but now touched by something different—a single tear, slowly falling.

Yanhuo suddenly laughed—laughed wildly!

“I… beat you!”

“No regrets!”

A great laugh echoed through the heavens!

She cried for me!

Didn’t merge the Dao!

The Hell Queen reached out and grasped only a wisp of ash burned to nothing. In that instant, she stood frozen, rigid, and suddenly felt that some things… once missed, might never come again!

She forced a stiff, utterly rigid smile, uglier than tears.

Did you see?

I smiled!

Smiled for you!

Without desire or emotion…

Why… did you have to break my Dao?

At this moment, all around fell into dead silence. Even Su Yu, forgetting to fight, didn’t know how to voice his thoughts. Yanhuo… was dead!

This unfamiliar figure, this time, left Su Yu utterly shaken!

The last time he was shaken came from the Bloodfire of the Demon race!

The Demon race… he suddenly didn’t know how to judge them!

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