Chapter 2140: Darkness Recedes (IV)

“This is your chance, Panth,” Li Hao murmured. “You can move out now.”

A ripple traveled through the void. The young man cast his gaze upon the group of ninth ranks. One of them bore a halo of five colors over his head. It was a very resplendent sight and marked the dao master of the five elements!

Li Hao ignored everyone else, focusing only on that man. He then considered the group behind Su Yu and soon saw someone else who was very young.

That person’s eyes kept darting around. He appeared very quick-witted and rather lacking in the gravitas that Li Hao expected. The young man couldn’t help but laugh.

No way!

What was this kind of development?

He didn’t care about the survival of anyone else, only a little bit about this guy. There was nothing tying Li Hao to this life as everyone eventually exited it the way they’d entered—by themselves, but he did care a little about this particular person.

This might be his last concern in the martial world.

Li Hao shook his arms. The stubby limbs recovered a little bit of their length, throwing off the proportion between them and his short body. He resembled a long-armed ape, which wasn’t the most pleasant on the eyes.

Li Hao stared at the dao master of the five elements for a while, running some ideas through his mind. The ninth rank was infinitely close to nine thousand daos. What a pity that he lacked sufficient spirit. If not, he’d be a bonafide ninth rank with the corresponding physical body to boot.

The five elements could be deployed in both offense and defense.

The young man ultimately settled on the person behind Su Yu. He summoned the strength of the Five Styles, vibrating them through the void!

......

Behind Su Yu.

The youngster behind Emperor Yu looked around with a lost look. He shook as well, a light flickering rapidly in his eyes. He could sense something.

A faint, wry smile slowly appeared on his face. He goggled at Su Yu when he looked at the latter again. You ruthless folks pass on the same heritage, don’t you? Time really knows how to choose its master. All of its masters are, without exception, relentless.

He felt a mix of emotions, but they boiled down to annoyance. It’d been so many years, but he was always one step slower than everyone else.

Is it my own incompetence, or am I destined to be a supporting character all this time?

He looked at one person in particular, the dao master of the five elements in the distance!

The youngster then looked at Su Yu. This time, Su Yu turned to look at him as well. He understood something and transmitted with a smile, “Are you getting ready to leave?”

“I... um... probably?” the young Topsoil admitted awkwardly. Other people might be unaware, but he knew the situation.

“It might not be appropriate if you leave and take the five elements from Myriad Realms with you...”

Topsoil, or rather Yuan Shuo, frowned slightly.

“But I’m not a vicious sort of person either,” Su Yu switched to transmission with a mental laugh. “It wasn’t like the master of time created Myriad Realms with good intentions in mind either. See, didn’t he leave this huge mess for me to clean up as soon as I emerged from my home?

“I’m someone who keeps a clear tally of my scores, so I don’t mind this. If worst comes to worst, I’ll just beat him up for it. But if you leave and take the power of the five elements with you, then that has nothing to do with him.

“You’ll... have taken advantage of me.”

“What does Emperor Yu wish to do?” transmitted Yuan Shuo.

“You and him share a deep connection. I can sense it. I don’t have that many hobbies, but there’s one thing I love. You have some embarrassing intel about him from his early days, don’t you? You know what I mean!”

“......” Yuan Shuo didn’t know what to say. Fuck, I know what you mean. But this... isn’t appropriate, is it?

And seriously, look at the situation we’re in. This is what you’re in the mood for right now? Are you really that childish?

“Um...”

“What? Can you not do it, or do you not have any?” Su Yu’s transmission took on meaningful tones. “What are you afraid of, I’m not going to share it! Who doesn’t have a bit of scandal in their past these days? Since everyone has a bit to gossip about, nothing’s going to be shared, right? This is one of my very few hobbies, you know it.”

“......” Yuan Shuo didn’t have anything to refute! “Well... um... I guess... just don’t say... that I said it!”

“Of course not!” Su Yu smiled. Why would he? There was no need to say where his information came from.

Who else would it be, if not you? Does Li Hao not have any brains?

But I don’t mind if you want to run away from that problem and bury your head in the sand...

“Do you need me to help you?” Su Yu smiled. “We worked together for a while, after all. Although I’ve been a bit tough on you these years, it’s also been for your own good. I should give you a present since we’re parting today!”

“There’s no need for that. He... can do so too. He’s stronger than you!” The look in Yuan Shuo’s eyes changed as more of his memories returned to him. “You are the master of Myriad Realms, he was a wandering hero of the chaos. You might be able to conquer the chaos, but you cannot conquer him!”

“Is that so?” Su Yu smiled, not minding the response. What did that matter? Was the chaos actually a nice place to be?

Was it that much fun to conquer everything?

All these conflicts and clashes were just one enormous dream at the end of the day. He simply found it interesting why there were so many who wished to conquer it.

I’m not familiar with the chaos, why would I have dreams of a grand conquest?

“Li Hao really is willing to give up everything!” he sighed softly and laughed again.

A wandering hero of the chaos?

Complete bullshit!

He’s just someone a bit more carefree than me because he doesn’t have any responsibilities or constraints. Su Yu looked at those behind him, then at the Human King in the distance. Well, perhaps he is.

The Human King is tied down by New Martial, as am I. Li Hao is the most heartless of us all.

What did you toss time at me for? You went too far when you did that!

War, too. Did you think I’m an easier target than Li Hao, so you latched onto me and wouldn’t let go?

Su Yu laughed at himself when he saw the horde of ninth ranks fly his way. A portion split off toward Chaos Sky.

“All this endless struggle for time, a dao in which both humans and gods deride. What is it that you guys seek?” he said slowly. “War, Li Hao, and that Human King didn’t want it. That means that this dao is nothing good.

“Whether it is the method of the three bodies or the past, present, and future, it is humans that overcome the heavens at the end of the day!”

A gentle laugh echoed through the void.

“Li Hao, this day is what you’ve been waiting for, right? Have you been waiting for me?” Su Yu’s laughter deepened until it rang out heartily.

The ninth ranks looked at each other, startled. What did he mean?

In the distance, the star of time began revealing furiously. The Human King laughed and shrugged with immense amusement.

You were wrong, War. Only the incompetent want your dao, but they are unable to inherit it. Those who can are not people without ability, courage, or charisma...

That is the inherent paradox of your time!

Did you really not understand that, or did you know it and was waiting for today as well?

Did you regret your actions? Therefore, you put your hopes in someone else to finish what you started.

That’s just as good!

In the distance.

Li Hao seems to have anticipated this development. He smiled. So was it really going to come down to this?

It made sense!

“It’s time to say goodbye, War!” he murmured and raised his hands to the sky, rushing for chaos dao. Li Hao plunged his hands into chaos dao and closed them around an incredibly thick dao of the five elements.

It’s time for you to die, Five Elements. My teacher has returned, so you should give up your spot!

This will be my welcome gift to my teacher. I hope he’s not mad. It must have been some tough years in there, right?

He was probably bullied and pushed around by this emperor from the future.

......

“Time exists naturally. There is no need for a separate dao of time. The dao star is but an external object. The passing of the years is a natural occurrence of existence. There is no such thing as a dao of time...”

A loud laugh punctuated Su Yu’s words. Meanwhile, unbounded splendor shone out of the dao star that the ninth ranks were suppressing.

Skyward’s face twitched and he disappeared.

Space trembled violently, the book of civilization materialized. It broke through the void.

The merry Human King quietly unsheathed his blade and struck soundlessly, without his usual flamboyant cockiness.

The blade pierced through the chaos!

You should stay out of this, Skyward.

Blade light illuminated the void, so unbelievably strong.

A pair of hands in the distance fished through chaos dao, retrieving the prize that it sought.

“Li Hao of the Five Styles discipline welcomes the return of my master!” Li Hao’s voice traveled out. “Execute! Detonate! Break!”

The three words were delivered softly, but also like peals of a death knoll.

The star of time exploded when the Human King struck it. Worlds dimmed as the ninth ranks reeled with shock, the flow of time stuttered.

In the distance, the massive hands blotted out the heavens as they claimed the dao of the five elements. When they closed, it was like a sharp sword had swung down and severed the great dao!

Skyward frowned ferociously, vanishing once more.

The worlds were completely silent, like all had been stilled. The soundless detonation froze the entire chaos universe!

A shadow appeared within the star of time. He stood proudly in the void and looked at three people in particular. Shaking his head with a smile, he murmured softly, then faded away as if all of his heart’s desires had been fulfilled.

Time... had never been controlled by anyone. It should not be controlled by anyone.

All of my reluctance and nostalgia... comes to an end today. The three of you have completed my unfinished work. Let everything disperse with time!