If you force me to take the blame, I'll spend a day in jail and gain a year's worth of spi

The cold moonlight spilled onto the deserted path, casting long, thin shadows of the three people.

The two men who suddenly appeared, one burly and the other lean, positioned themselves on the left and right, subtly forming a pincer movement that blocked Zhang Yu's path.

Their faces wore smiles that seemed warm but didn't reach their eyes, like hunters seeing their long-awaited prey.

"Don't you know why I'm here?"

The lean man spoke first, his voice hoarse with a metallic quality.

His gaze was like that of a hawk, fixed intently on Zhang Yu.

At the same time, an invisible yet heavy pressure quietly spread out, sealing off the surrounding space and cutting off any possibility of escape or teleportation.

Clearly, he was wary of Zhang Yu escaping.

At the same time, the burly man stepped forward.

He didn't speak, but took a deep breath, as if savoring every last trace of the air.

Then, he frowned slightly and spoke in a deep, gruff voice:

"Not bad, not bad."

It seems you have reached the limit of this world.

"The next step... shouldn't you refine this world as well, integrate it into your inner world, and at the same time glimpse higher levels?"

His words went straight to the heart of the matter, revealing Zhang Yu's ultimate purpose in "lying dormant" in this world for the past three thousand years.

That is to absorb the origin of this world, strengthen one's inner world, solidify one's foundation, and seek a breakthrough.

Zhang Yu felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that the other party had seen through his true intentions and plans.

A helpless yet slightly ingratiating smile appeared on his face as he shrugged.

"Isn't it... that you two have arrived before we even had a chance to make a move?"

As he spoke, he subtly took half a step back, his entire body's immortal power already running at its maximum, ready to deal with any possible thunderous attack.

It is quite clear that these two people have come with ill intentions and have most likely reached some kind of tacit understanding or agreement.

He might not even have a chance of winning in a one-on-one fight, let alone a two-on-one fight.

The tall, thin man nodded, his face still bearing that enigmatic smile, and continued:

"If we had arrived a few days later, and you had completely refined this world, solidified your foundation, and greatly increased your strength, I'm afraid... we might not have been able to defeat you so easily."

These words were half-joking and half-serious, and they also revealed their wariness of Zhang Yu's potential.

"Not at all, you're joking, senior."

"My meager skills are no match for those two seniors."

Zhang Yu chuckled to himself, but his vigilance grew even stronger; he was prepared for the worst.

"Alright, no need for all this veiled banter."

The burly man seemed impatient with this roundabout conversation, directly interrupting Zhang Yu's pleasantries and looking him straight in the eye:

"The same Dao seed devours each other; this is the destiny etched into our origin, and also one of the meanings of our existence."

Everyone knows the truth; there's no need to pretend not to.

He paused, his tone turning serious: "I presume you've already received the same news from the 'Rebellious Seed'?"

Zhang Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not answer immediately.

He was naturally aware of this, which is why he was wary of the two of them.

Seeing that he remained silent, the burly man continued:

"The Heavenly Court, the old forces of Mount Ling, and the ancient heroes of the human race have all been integrated by Number One."

The other Dao seed carriers, apart from the three of us, have also been unified over the long past years through devouring and merging.

Now, only the three of us 'Number Three' are missing.

The tall, thin man beside him spoke up at the opportune moment, his voice revealing a rare hint of urgency:

That's right.

Number One has issued the final call to arms, or rather... an ultimatum.

He will soon personally take action to attack the ancestral homeland of Confucianism.

We no longer have time to fight our own battles and distrust each other.

His gaze swept over the burly man and finally landed on Zhang Yu.

His gaze was sharp, scrutinizing, and carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

Zhang Yu remained silent.

He naturally knew this news; the information transmitted by the rebellious Dao Seed could not be faked.

Number One, the most mysterious and powerful carrier of the Dao seed, is finally about to launch a full-scale counterattack.

His original plan was indeed to refine this world as soon as possible, stabilize or even improve his cultivation, and then go to find the other two "Number Threes" to end this fateful conflict.

But man proposes, God disposes. The other party had clearly also foreseen the situation and, before he could complete the final step, came knocking on his door together.

"All right,"

Zhang Yu took a deep breath, and the smirk and helplessness on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by calmness and determination.

Knowing there was no way to avoid it, the immortal power within his body began to surge wildly, the illusory image of the Middle Thousand World in his sea of ​​consciousness trembled faintly, the intent of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword was poised to be unleashed, and the divine power of One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones was also brewing.

"Now that we've laid our cards on the table, let's get started."

Even if I am no match for you, I will never sit idly by and wait to die, becoming fodder for your advancement.

He adopted a desperate stance, and his momentum suddenly surged.

The aura of a Great Luo Golden Immortal was no longer concealed; the terrifying power stirred up the winds and clouds for tens of thousands of miles around, and the ground beneath his feet trembled slightly, demonstrating his formidable strength.

However, the anticipated thunderous attack did not arrive immediately.

"Wait a minute!"

The tall, thin man suddenly raised his hand and made a gesture to stop him.

His smile faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression, even one that seemed to suggest a discussion.

"There's no need for such a tense standoff."

The tall, thin man spoke slowly, his gaze shifting between Zhang Yu and the burly man:

"Actually, the three of us share the same fundamental goal: to survive."

No one wants to easily become nourishment for the other to merge and devour, doing all the work for someone else for nothing.

In this respect, I believe you are no different from us.

Zhang Yu's tense nerves did not relax, but the momentum of his attack slowed down, and he said coldly:

"So what?"

The mutual attraction, devouring, and fusion of the seeds of the Tao is an inevitable trend and the source of our power.

"You two came here for this reason, didn't you?"

The burly man snorted coldly, but did not refute.

The tall, thin man shook his head:

Yes and no.

Before I came to find you, we had already clashed several times.

He pointed to the burly man beside him, then to himself:

"Their strengths are evenly matched, with each side having its victories and defeats, but neither can truly defeat the other, nor can they completely suppress or integrate with the other."

Zhang Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely guessed what the other party wanted to say.

"so what?"

He asked, his tone still wary.

"so,"

The tall, thin man looked intently at Zhang Yu and offered their suggestion, "We're going to learn from Number Eight's approach."

"Number eight?"

Xu Xinwu?

Three souls coexisting?

Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow.

"good,"

A burly man spoke, his voice deep yet clear:

"One body, three souls, temporarily merging the origin and power of the Dao seed, but retaining their own independent consciousness and personality!"

To form a temporary, triune "common ruler"!

The tall, thin man further explained:

"In this way, the power of the three of us can be instantly combined to form a powerful existence that far surpasses that of an individual, enough to cope with the upcoming great battle."

At the same time, our individual personalities are preserved, and we are not truly swallowed up by the other.

If there's an opportunity in the future, such as surviving this final battle, then the merged personality and power can be separated again, each returning to its rightful place.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Yu and the burly man, his tone carrying a cruel frankness:

"Of course, this also carries huge risks."

With three souls in one body and their consciousnesses coexisting, the struggle for dominance and the conflict of their wills can trigger internal strife and even lead to collapse in battle.

Moreover, if they were to lose in the next great battle, then all would be lost, their bodies would perish, and all would be in vain.

but……"

His gaze sharpened considerably:

"This is better than us killing each other and fighting to the death right now!"

At least, this is the only path we can see right now that could potentially allow all three of us to 'survive' and 'face' a powerful enemy 'together'!