"Knocking?"

  "A being behind the gate... knocked on it?"

  Yun Qiangu's eyes narrowed sharply upon hearing Lu. The tea suddenly lost its appeal.

  He'd guarded the chaos depths for ages—never once encountered knocking.

  Yet Lu's first encounter with the gate brought it?

  Was there truly a connection?

  Yun Qiangu drew a deep breath. Even he lost composure—the shock too profound.

  It sparked many thoughts.

  "Perhaps... time is running out."

  He sighed deeply.

  Lu's expression grew solemn. Anything unnerving a Saint was grave indeed.

  "Knocking might mean opening isn't far off."

  "We know nothing of what's beyond—even the Black-White Queen, surviving from the beginning, remains clueless."

  Yun Qiangu regarded Lu complexly.

  "Little time left... If they push through before all beast ancestor inheritances are claimed, we may have no grounds to bar god-demon emperors."

  "Then, we'd need every chaos-tier being in the Primordial Starry Sky to resist together."

  He laid it out plainly for Lu.

  "Can't we evacuate humanity first?"

  Lu asked puzzled.

  "Evacuate? To where? Even Saint-created worlds offer no refuge..."

  "Past eras saw attempts—but destruction leaves nowhere to hide. All to ash, returning to chaos."

  Yun Qiangu lamented.

  Saints stood at the pinnacle—yet only they grasped the true pressure: utter terror from endless annihilation.

  "Chaos resets everything; after eons, the starry sky rebuilds from nothing..."

  Deepest secret of the Primordial Starry Sky.

  "Only the Black-White Queen has survived great destructions thus far..."

  "From beast ancestor era to now, through countless ends and darkness."

  "But this time, she says... she may fall too."

  Lu grew grave—he knew of her, having spoken.

  "She's strong—beast ancestor level—but no match for what's beyond."

  "No growth across eras?"

  Lu curious.

  "At our level, advancement is excruciatingly hard..."

  "And even if possible—capped."

  Sigh.

  Lu understood—higher realms, harder breakthroughs.

  Game continued; little more said.

  Lake island breeze gentle.

  Serene, timeless peace.

  ...

  Elemental Realm.

  Wood, Fire, and Earth Emperors scowled at the crumbling realm.

  Fire Emperor especially grim—Fire Elemental Realm nearly extinct.

  Post-Fire God's death, cannon fodder; pure fire god-demons scarce.

  Heavenly God tiers wiped out; few Great Dao tiers held on.

  Some recovery these years.

  "Humans truly dominate the Primordial Starry Sky..."

  "Useless lot—ruined a winning hand!"

  Fire Emperor shook head, disappointed.

  Though emperors hands-off, this state undesired.

  "Gold Emperor useless too... Guarding Elemental Realm—how this fall? Human Saints in chaos depths—he should've suppressed."

  Wood Emperor branches whipped coldly.

  "Black-White Queen interfered—otherwise, Gold could've razed human ancestral land."

  Earth Emperor calm.

  Unshielded talk—Elemental Realm god-demons trembled.

  Countless prostrated.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Gazing at three heaven-propping figures—fear and boundless excitement.

  Emperors returned!

  God-demon shame—to be cleansed!

  Emperors ignored them, scanning, then starry sky.

  "Time we visit human ancestral land. Gold said gate likely there—we'll station ourselves. See what tricks humans play."

  Earth Emperor.

  Next, strode through starry sky.

  Each step billions of miles.

  Primordial Starry Sky quaked.

  Three emperors returning—in human-dominant era—many races foresaw god-demon war.

  Pictured: emperors avenging, slaughtering humans, purging starry sky.

  Overbearing?

  God-demons qualified.

  Black-White Queen backed humans—but now deep in starry sky.

  Humans lost greatest shield—facing emperors, great suffering ahead.

  Emperors—invincible symbols.

  Humans had instant saint-killing array prodigy.

  But limited against emperors.

  Humans done.

  Races' consensus.

  Many sighed.

  Human dominance brought peace—they minded own business, unlike unreasonable god-demons, provoking, destroying worlds for origins.

  Even immortal-martial worlds lived in fear.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Starry sky trembled.

  Emperors crossed, storms raging; wandering god-demons and Elemental armies followed excitedly.

  To them: revenge for fallen clan!

  Mighty auras flooded, surging from Elemental Realm.

  Ninth Heaven passage.

  Xuan Cang chilled.

  Whoosh! Whoosh!

  Figures streaked.

  Lu Jiulian, Luo Yang, Chai Feng, Zhu Long—human Quasi-Saints grimly stared afar.

  Tonggu and Old He from Azure sensed.

  Passage swarmed with human Quasi-Saints.

  Silent, solemn—dark torrent approaching, devouring all.

  "God-demon emperors?!"

  Xuan Cang paled.

  Three emperors—vast auras, terrifying; space cracks around.

  Pressure like mountains—Quasi-Saints breathless.

  Utterly oppressive, despairing.

  Even Tonggu hadn't expected three together—god-demons this shameless?

  Gold Emperor's act questionable—now three outright?

  "No fear—Eternal Saint in Five Phoenixes... We have means."

  Tonggu gritted, grave.

  "Worst case—I'll fight. Long wanted to test emperors."

  Cold resolve.

  Xuan Cang and Old He glanced.

  No madness—Tonggu secluded on Azure ten millennia, soul transformed.

  Near Sainthood—mere thread away.

  But chasm—unlikely to slay emperor.

  Boom!

  Three emperors loomed, immense at passage.

  Fire Emperor blazing inferno, scorching starry sky.

  Earth Emperor mud surging.

  Wood Emperor sky-propping willow, branches lashing, threatening to shatter space.

  Terrifying.

  Nearby powerful races dared not approach—fear aura backlash.

  "Three emperors... Truly honor us humans."

  Tonggu stood unflinching before eclipsing figures.

  "Why come?"

  "Our Saint returned too. War? Humans unafraid!"

  Words echoed starry sky.

  Onlookers uproared.

  Human Saint returned?

  Skies changing.

  Weren't chaos-tiers guarding depths?

  All returning?

  Great event?

  Fire Emperor glanced Tonggu dismissively, blazing eyes on passage—heat enveloping.

  Even fire-master Luo Yang sweated, immense pressure.

  Chaos-tier terror!

  Boom!

  Next—human Quasi-Saints paled.

  Emperors stepped, shrinking human-sized.

  Direct entry intent.

  "Summon Yun Qiangu."

  "Calamity erupts in your ancestral land—we come to save you."

  Fire Emperor indifferent.

  "Bullshit!"

  Tonggu eyes reddened, perfected space mystery erupting—tearing space, palm striking Fire Emperor.

  But ripples blasted him back.

  Tonggu tore space return, grave.

  Brief clash—vast gap.

  Yet... fightable?

  Tonggu silver-gray flashed, body nearly silver light.

  Hand emerged from space, pressing shoulder.

  "Tonggu, no need burn foundation. I handle."

  Yun Qiangu's voice.

  Tonggu relaxed, brilliance fading.

  "Eternal Saint."

  Quasi-Saints excited.

  Space tore—Lu on Thousand-Bladed Chair emerged.

  "Brother Lu..."

  Greetings.

  Lu's strength pressured them now.

  Warm smile, gaze shifting to three emperors.

  To Lu: Eternal Saint ordinary elder; emperors flashy nouveau riche—luxury cars, gold chains.

  Ostentatious exterior vs. restrained profundity.

  "Yun Qiangu, finally."

  Fire Emperor.

  "You returned first—know the situation? In depths, we agreed: station in human ancestral land..."

  Words dropped—bomb in starry sky.

  God-demon emperors... stationing in human land?!

  Script flipped.

  Weren't they avenging Elemental Gods?

  Now saving humans?

  Even god-demons baffled.

  Humans too—Tonggu, Xuan Cang eyes tightened.

  Emperors stationing—secrets exposed, ill for humans.

  Enemies—inviting ticking bombs?

  Hearts turbulent.

  Yun Qiangu hands behind, smiling.

  Lu on chair, half-smile.

  "Fire Emperor, no rush..."

  "I never agreed to your stationing."

  Words—tension spiked.

  Terrifying auras surged; emperors iced.

  "Know what you're saying?"

  Fire Emperor stern.

  "Gate opens—you block alone?!"

  "Bear responsibility?!"

  Gate involved—Yun Qiangu's choice suicidal to him.

  One couldn't hold; they'd delay, summon Black-White Queen etc.

  Their plan—agreed in depths.

  Yun Qiangu reneging.

  "Stationing aside—wait outside. Gate opens, enter then. Our land secrets abound—your entry exposes all? Humans can't afford loss."

  "Once I sought Elemental Realm—you blocked eagerly."

  Yun Qiangu squinted, hands behind.

  "Gate closed—wait out. Opens—come."

  Smile.

  Words—Wood Emperor branches lashed.

  "Treat us three emperors as what?"

  Void shattered inch by inch.

  Annihilating sharpness.

  Currents exploded.

  Yun Qiangu calm, pinched branch...

  "Don't act like humans lack temper."

  Cold.

  Yanked—Wood Emperor uncontrolled, streaking toward him.

  Vast Saint might diffused.

  Fist collided Wood Emperor.

  Yun Qiangu strode out, crossing starry sky—one vs. three.

  "Want entry? Force it... Can't—cool off. Need you—call."

  Fire Emperor laughed; three charged with Earth and Wood.

  Saint battle erupted unannounced.

  Starry sky beings stunned.

  Rare chaos-tier clashes in ages.

  Now sudden.

  Human Saint one against three emperors!

  Four entered alternate dimension.

  Stars shattered, heavens overturned—apocalyptic.

  Starry sky calm—save leaking suffocating pressures.

  Later, intensifying—blinding annihilation radiance.

  Many averted eyes.

  Beings anxious; god-demons and humans tense.

  Human dominance hit god-demons hardest.

  Emperors vs. Saint—perhaps reversal chance.

  Boom!

  Space exploded!

  Wood Emperor branches vast, sky-spanning divine tree.

  Countless traversing time-space, lashing all.

  Other dimension: Yun Qiangu battled Fire and Earth.

  But Wood emerged in starry sky.

  "What hides Yun Qiangu?"

  "Gate secret?"

  "Or beast ancestor inheritances?"

  Cold, eyes heating.

  One beast ancestor mastered wood origin—beyond him.

  Reference—perhaps advance.

  Limited use—but gate crisis, slim survival chance.

  Like Black-White Queen—endure to next era.

  Survival... excellent.

  No Yun Qiangu—none block him.

  Wood human-form, stepped—unmatched, tearing passage.

  Whoosh!

  Human Quasi-Saints rose, desperate block.

  "Block me too?"

  Wood laughed.

  Different levels—numbers futile.

  Step—oppression compressed space, exploding.

  Branches lashed from back toward Quasi-Saints.

  Tonggu roared, silver intent—desperate fight.

  Hand pressed shoulder.

  Lu on chair levitated.

  "I'll handle."

  His cause—his to block Wood Emperor.

  "Brother Lu?!"

  Tonggu stunned, alarmed.

  "No—chaos-tier. Let me..."

  But Lu ignored.

  Fingered chair dial.

  Silver exploded.

  Countless forming silver dragon, roaring at branches.

  Clang! Clang!

  Phoenix Feather Swords stacked, repelled.

  Wood glanced Lu, dismissive smile.

  Can't block branches—block him?

  Stepped—instant at passage.

  Suddenly.

  Struggling Lu.

  As Wood passed...

  Faint laughter rose.

  "Today, I, Lu Ping'an... challenge an emperor."

  Pinched piece, placed on Spiritual Pressure Chessboard.

  Saint-killing array instant—enveloping Wood.

  Lu words fallen—raised Five Phoenixes Bow, five mysteries surging in.

  Body teleported before Wood.

  Arrow formed, point-blank at dazed Wood's brow—array-induced trance.