Published at 26th of May 2026 6:24 am

Chapter 2043: Withdrawal (3)

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Su Yu said, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask them now. You can even ask about Hundred Battle, his people, and the various races in the Upper Realm.

"I won't hide anything from you. It's pointless. I'll be living in the Death Realm soon. If I'm being honest, I don't even know if I can return from that. But I will keep hoping. Perhaps this is merely a dream, but I won't give up.

"Don't worry that I will punish you for choosing to leave me. I might not be the most generous of people, but be honest and not play games with me and I will allow you the freedom of choice.

"I hate backstabbers, but I don't hate those deciding to part with me because of our incompatibility. No matter what, we once fought side by side. You have the freedom to walk away. If you're not confident you can withstand the solitude and bleakness of the Death Realm, do not go. You may leave now, but if you choose to leave after deciding to enter the Death Realm with me, I will treat you as a traitor."

Su Yu's face turned cold as he warned, "Leave openly, and things will be fine between us. Traitors...will not be spared."

Silence enveloped the hall.

After a long while, Marquis Xia looked at Zhu Tiandao, who was also looking at him. Just as Marquis Xia was about to speak, Zhu Tiandao said, "Emperor Yu, will South Heavenly King and the others turn against us in the Death Realm?"

He hurriedly added, "Is there any guarantee that people like Lanshan will stay loyal to us? After all, the recent defeat has greatly eroded our strength. Hundred Battle King is a human as well. Would Marquis Lanshan and the others choose to support him instead? Do we know that at all?"

Just as Marquis Xia was about to speak again, Zhu Tiandao continued, "There's also the thirty-six guardians. If Zhou Polong and the other new guardians wish to leave, can we even find enough people to replace them as guardians? If we can't, will leaving their positions vacant cause trouble?"

Before Zhou Polong could say anything, Zhu Tiandao said, "Can we preserve the lives of the ordinary people wishing to withdraw with us? How many people can we take with us? Clothing, food, housing, and other daily necessities will be required. Is agriculture possible in the Death Realm? Then again, we can always rob the various realms and gather enough resources to support countless people for many years.

"Also, the Death Realm is filled with death qi instead of source qi. Are we supposed to all cultivate death qi after entering the Death Realm? How do we avoid conflict between death qi and source qi during cultivation? We can carry a large number of source qi resources with us, but we also need to handle the erosion..."

Just as Marquis Xia was about to interject, Zhu Tiandao said again, "Will the Death Realm turn the living into death spirits? Is reproduction still possible in there? Is continuation possible for the living?"

Once again, Marquis Xia opened his mouth, only to be cut off by Zhu Tiandao, "Can one continue comprehending the dao from the Death Realm?"

Marquis Xia opened his mouth again, and yet again, Zhu Tiandao cut him off, "I recall that you can access the River of Time from the Death Realm. Is there a way for us to expand the River of Time into the Death Realm?"

"I—"

This time, Marquis Xia managed to get a single word in before he was cut off by Zhu Tiandao, "Great Ming can handle the logistics during the migration. Of course, we will require some assistance for that. It all depends on the size of the migration. Do we migrate in batches? Or do we migrate at once? Will the three major races get in the way during our migration? All that must be taken into consideration.

"By the way, we can empty all our resources and have Hundred Battle King live a life of poverty with his people after his return. Well, since they are fellow humans, we can perhaps leave some food behind for them so they won't starve.

"If the allied races are willing to migrate with us, are we going to live among each other in the Death Realm? If we're doing that, we need to discuss it properly to ensure the harmony between the different races."

"..."

Finally, Marquis Xia gave up and shut his mouth.

Damn him!

Ass-kisser Zhu!

With that bastard saying all there was to say, what could he say?

Zhu Tiandao continued speaking rapidly, "Furthermore, during the period after our withdrawal and before Hundred Battle King's return, will the three major races emerge from their seclusion?

"What if the myriad races rise in rebellion during that time? Do we leave any of our legacies behind? How should we handle Culture King's Residence? I doubt that's something we can take away easily. But won't it be a waste to abandon it just like that?"

Zhu Tiandao continued speaking, asking numerous questions.

They were clearly still discussing about who would stay and leave, but he was already starting to talk about their withdrawal and survival in the Death Realm. He was already talking about the future and future generations born in the Death Realm.

"Since we're leaving together with the members of the allied races, I believe we can stop using the human lord title. Just make Emperor Yu your sole title.

"Moving forward, Emperor Yu's Court should be an independent entity. Hundred Battle King can become the human lord instead. There is no need for us to compete with him over that title. It's pointless. We also need to make sure everyone on our side knows this to prevent confusion."

Su Yu merely stared silently. He was talking about who would leave and who would stay. Why was this guy grabbing all the attention during such a sorrowful moment?

Zhu Tiandao continued speaking, as though he wasn't noticing Su Yu's reaction. "One more thing. During the migration, I hope that Heavenbridge Marquis can assist me. He can be very helpful in transportation. In fact, he can help us move even entire cities away. I also need some experts to help carry the things we're taking with us, such as the newly built Emperor Yu's Palace, Great Ming Cultural Research Academy, Source Soul Research Center...all these places must be migrated fully without taking them apart.

"With this, we don't even need to waste our time rebuilding after the migration. Hundred Battle King can rebuild all these cities and buildings upon his return. Don't worry, Emperor Yu. I can handle all the logistics. I suggest that we establish a logistics department in the Emperor Yu's Court. We can name it the Insurance Office. I doubt anyone is interested in this job, so I'll volunteer as the director for now. I will step down when Emperor Yu finds a more suitable candidate in the future."

"..."

With an unhurried tone, Marquis Xia said, "Are you done talking, Prefect Zhu? I have something to say as well. I believe I am qualified for this position."

"..."

What were the two doing here?

Su Yu stared at the two silently. This was supposed to be a sad moment! Why were they changing it into a political play for power?

Su Yu had an unsightly expression. He was going to withdraw to the Death Realm after a massive defeat! He would cease being the tyrant of the Myriad Realms! Why were they speaking with such a light tone?

How annoying.

After the antics of the two, the expressions of others turned strange as well. They were going to retreat after a major defeat, withdrawing into a world of the dead and living alongside the death spirits. Were the two not worried at all?

Also, Great Xia King and Great Ming King might both be dead. Were the two not worried about their fathers?

Annoyed, Su Yu said, "Everyone, think it through before making your choice. Prefect Zhu, you will be in charge of the migration. Marquis Xia will assist you. Don't force anyone to come with us. Allow them to choose freely. Before the migration, sweep through the myriad races and gather all resources we can get.

"There is no need to cover the truth with lies. A defeat is a defeat. I am Su Yu. I am capable of accepting my defeat. I don't need to fool anyone to continue following me with lies. Tell the entire humanity and our allies the truth. There is no need to belittle Hundred Battle.

"Whether he's a fool or a ruthless hero, it doesn't matter. I can belittle him because I am a fellow human lord. As for you guys, there is no need to do so just because you're following me. Let humanity make its own judgment about him. I suggest that the regular humans not follow me. It's too dangerous for them. There is no need for them to make this sacrifice.

"We might be leaving, but ensure order in the Human Realm. Do not cause chaos and lawlessness. Leave a properly functioning Human Realm to Hundred Battle. Consider this my final act of responsibility toward the human race. Leave some basic cultivation resources behind. As for the higher-tier cultivation resources, take them all with us."

Then, Su Yu waved his hand lazily and said, "This is all. Go back and think things through. I believe Hundred Battle will return in a month. He is probably aware of my withdrawal, and he probably agrees that two rulers should never meet. He won't return before I'm gone.

"As for the guardians, if you wish to step down, inform Senior Grand Dream. He will relieve you from your position. We will be keeping these positions vacant for now. Prefect Zhu, complete everything within one month."

Su Yu stood up, raised his wine cup, and said, "As I said, this is a farewell. Everything comes to an end. This is my final toast to all of you."

Then, he drained the cup.

With a smile, he said, "A defeat is a defeat. But I am capable of accepting a single defeat. I don't intend to become an enemy of Hundred Battle. My conflict with him is a personal matter. It has nothing to do with the rest of you."

With that, Su Yu left. His figure vanished with a flicker. Everyone in the hall drained their cups with mixed feelings. How...did things come to this?

Su Yu was withdrawing. They were abandoning all they had fought for, and someone else would be reaping the harvest of their conquest. What about the rest of them? What should their choice be?

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