World’s End: My Keyword is One More Than Others
Chapter 587: Speed is of the essence

**"The Human Emperor Meets the Seven Sages: An Alliance Formed Between Humans, Demons, and the Underworld"**

**"Prepare for Battle: The Time for Change is Now"**

**"The Human Emperor Foresees the Arrival of Three Thousand Sages in the Future"**

**"The Human Emperor Tours the Five Regions, Encouraging Scholars and Issuing a New Poem on Learning"**

**"The Human Race Forms the Five Regions Army, Conducts Joint Exercises with Demons and the Underworld to Actively Counter the Celestial Court's Challenge"**

**"The Five Regions of the Human Race Unite, Their Fortune Soaring Like a Dragon, Reviving the Glory of Ancient Times"**

**"The Human Emperor Assures the Public That War Will Not Affect Ordinary People"**

...

In the following days, the focus of the "Human Race Daily" shifted, emphasizing topics like becoming a sage and preparing for war, fully mobilizing the enthusiasm of the human race.

Du Ge toured the five regions, punishing corrupt officials while spreading literary energy to aid the growth of scholars and martial generals, frantically boosting his credit and reputation to lay the groundwork for the Heavenly Mandate.

The surviving Alien Star warriors became highly sought after, recruited by various powerful factions and provided with abundant resources for their growth and development.

The sudden favorable treatment left many Alien Star warriors astonished, as they had never received such benefits in the previous Alien Star Battlefields.

Those chosen to enter the Alien Star Battlefield were no fools.

There is no love without reason, nor hatred without cause. Who knows how much danger lurks behind these sudden good fortunes?

But in a world where they cannot even control their own fate, all they can do is comply.

At least in this world, cultivation techniques are linked to mental power, and with the great demon Du Ge suppressing them, most Alien Star warriors no longer think about winning the game, as long as they can survive and leave the Alien Star Battlefield.

If they manage to do that, no one on their planet can convict them, and sufficiently high mental power becomes their privilege.

As for planetary resources?

The elite will always have enough to eat and drink.

However.

Apart from the Alien Star warriors from Qi Yuan Star, the keywords of surviving warriors from other planets were not favorable.

Because useful keywords were too conspicuous, those Alien Star warriors who were too flashy in the early stages were eliminated in the first round.

The warriors from Qi Yuan Star firmly believed that Du Ge was the ruler of the human world, and they were the least worried about the future, happily gaining experience and enjoying the benefits of having a powerful ally.

But soon.

A new announcement from Pan-Universal Entertainment left all Alien Star warriors restless: "Due to the relatively low level of competition in this Alien Star Battlefield, the game rules have been changed to eliminate the last ten players each month."

This news caused an uproar among all Alien Star warriors, who began to make their presence felt in this world through various means.

Unfortunately, those with keywords like "cowardice," "guilt," and "mourning" could not gain traction no matter how hard they tried.

Warriors with such keywords could only try to increase their influence to make themselves known, but in an era where everyone is as powerful as a dragon, without the supernatural powers and strength brought by keywords, increasing influence is easier said than done.

They are not Du Ge.

Even if the Demon King and the Underworld Emperor were to choose a body possession target, they would not choose them.

The big shots are born with fortune and believe that luck is part of their strength. Being assigned these trash keywords does not indicate they are favored by fortune, and choosing them would be self-defeating...

...

Du Ge felt reassured upon seeing the new rules.

Pan-Universal Entertainment's decision to change the rules again was clearly based on his suggestion, allowing Alien Star warriors to be possessed, aiming to speed up the game progress of the Alien Star Battlefield.

This was both a good and a bad thing for him.

Speeding up the pace of the Alien Star Battlefield might cause his plan to use the Heavenly Mandate to brush the Heavenly Dao's incarnation to fail.

However, Du Ge was already quite satisfied. After all, he was just a puppet controlled by others; how could everything go his way?

Within the limited rules, doing his best was enough.

After seeing this message, Du Ge immediately introspected his soul. Although his soul remained incomplete, the body's restraint on the soul had loosened, allowing him to separate his soul from his body and even split it.

Unfortunately, the dead soul of Qi Yuan Star's Du Ge was still entangled with his soul. Even if he split his soul, he couldn't separate Qi Yuan Star's Du Ge's soul alone.

Unable to split it, Du Ge decided not to cut it anymore. Having suffered once from splitting his soul, he couldn't afford to do it again.

Moreover, the inability to separate Qi Yuan Star's Du Ge's soul might be due to his insufficient cultivation level, but the fact that his soul could leave his body already proved that Alien Star warriors could be possessed.

Returning to the human world, Du Ge observed other Alien Star warriors and found that their souls were intact, with no deficiencies.

He also learned from an Alien Star warrior who practiced the Underworld Emperor's cultivation technique that there was nothing wrong with his soul.

This proved that his soul's deficiency was likely caused by soul splitting, and Pan-Universal Entertainment did not control Alien Star warriors by cutting away a piece of their soul...

Self-inflicted suffering cannot be lived down; this was truly frustrating news.

...

The new rules caused the most panic among Gao Ming and others.

The Dao Ancestor had artificially boosted their cultivation to the Great Golden Immortal level, but their influence in the mortal world was insufficient, leaving their rankings at the bottom.

These days, they hid their identities in the mortal world, honing their skills, but dared not increase their fame.

The Dao Ancestor tasked them with opposing Du Ge, and forcibly increasing their fame now might attract Du Ge's attention. If they then sought refuge with the celestial court, they might find it impossible to leave.

The Underworld Emperor and the Demon Emperor were Du Ge's allies, and their Great Golden Immortal cultivation was insufficient against the two quasi-saints.

"Old Gao, what should we do? The Celestial Emperor hasn't made a move yet. One day in heaven is a hundred days on earth. If the Celestial Emperor stays in heaven one more day, three months will pass in the human world," Yin Erchuan said. "If we wait until he loses a battle to offer help, it'll be too late. I say we take the Dao Ancestor's token and go to the Southern Heaven Gate to join him."

"Erchuan is right. Du Ge is good at blitzkrieg tactics. Give him three months, and he'll roll a snowball big enough to crush the celestial court's forces. By then, we'll be fighting a losing battle," Yu Xia said. "The Celestial Emperor is too slow to react. Moreover, he doesn't even consider waging a publicity war, which is utterly foolish."

"Yes, Old Gao, let's go to the celestial court directly!" Zhang Desheng, who had the keyword 'affection,' said. "At least let the Celestial Emperor know the seriousness of the situation..."

"The Celestial Emperor can't be so foolish as to not have a single Alien Star warrior by his side, right?" Feng Chang, who had the keyword 'harvest,' said. "Don't those Alien Star warriors know that Du Ge is good at rapid assaults?"

"A person's reputation precedes them. Even if an Alien Star warrior was captured by the Celestial Emperor, would they sincerely offer advice?" Yin Kaiyun, whose keyword was 'hatred,' said. "Maybe the Alien Star warriors under the Celestial Emperor are just stalling for time until the Alien Star Battlefield ends!"

"What do you think Du Ge's ultimate goal is? How does he plan to escape Pan-Universal Entertainment's control?" Gao Ming suddenly asked, "Is it to become a sage? Among the Alien Star warriors, there's a rumor that becoming a sage can free one from Pan-Universal Entertainment's grasp."

"This rumor was spread by Du Ge, so it's probably false," Yu Xia said. "The Dao Ancestor became a sage, yet he still acts secretively and doesn't dare to face Pan-Universal Entertainment directly. Isn't that why he pushed us forward?"

"Gao Ming, do you really plan to oppose Du Ge?" Yin Kaiyun asked, looking at Gao Ming strangely.

"What else can we do?" Gao Ming glanced at him. "To act convincingly, we must truly regard Du Ge as an enemy. Otherwise, who can we fool? Du Ge or the Celestial Emperor? Without a suitable reason, just relying on the Dao Ancestor's token, we might be captured by the Celestial Emperor as soon as we enter the celestial court. Even if we're not captured, we'll be marginalized.

In the celestial court, if we're marginalized and can't increase our influence, how many of us will be left after three months?"

"Damn!" Yin Kaiyun's expression changed, and he cursed.

"Old Gao is right. To play this role well, we must treat Du Ge as a real enemy. Being two-faced will surely lead to failure," Yin Erchuan said. "The Underworld Emperor and the Demon Emperor allied with Du Ge, likely because the twilight tribulation has already taken effect. That's the only reason they would be forced to cooperate with Du Ge."

"Does that mean the Celestial Emperor and the Queen Mother are also affected by the twilight tribulation?" Feng Chang said incredulously.

"Most likely," Yin Erchuan said. "If we assume that Du Ge really caused the twilight tribulation, then the Celestial Emperor might be hesitant to kill Du Ge, hoping that Du Ge can help him resolve the tribulation. That's probably why the Celestial Emperor hasn't taken action."

"He both hates Du Ge and doesn't dare to kill him. The Celestial Emperor is the most conflicted one," Gao Ming laughed. "This is indeed Du Ge's style. He'll have everyone following his lead."

"The Dao Ancestor might be an exception," Zhang Desheng said.

"Not necessarily," Gao Ming said. "The Dao Ancestor knows us inside out, yet he hasn't taken action against Du Ge. Don't you find that strange? Maybe the Dao Ancestor has already fallen into a trap without realizing it..."

"What is Du Ge's keyword?" Xie Tao, a female Alien Star warrior with the keyword 'joy,' asked. "Twilight tribulation, Human Emperor's legacy—what kind of keyword can support such a grand scheme?"

As soon as she finished speaking.

Everyone looked at her as if she were an idiot.

Yin Erchuan laughed, "Until you leave the Alien Star Battlefield, you'll never know what Du Ge's keyword is! Forget about the keyword. Let's focus on figuring out Du Ge's ultimate goal and advising the Celestial Emperor to gain his favor! We need to leverage the Celestial Emperor's power to boost our fame..."

"Du Ge turned false history into reality through the 'Human Race Daily.' Do you think he might achieve his goal this way?" Gao Ming said. "Integrating the three realms and ultimately using discourse power to influence Pan-Universal Entertainment..."

"Three people make a tiger. This skill has appeared in the Alien Star Battlefield before," Yin Erchuan's eyes lit up. "Du Ge's skill might be related to the number of people he controls. So, to deal with Du Ge, we must start with public opinion and reduce the public's trust in him."

"Damn, are you really planning to go all out against Du Ge?" Feng Chang said. "What if we really ruin Du Ge's plan..."

"Old Feng, not going all out against him would ruin his plan," Gao Ming said. "Du Ge needs time, and you don't really think we twelve can defeat Du Ge, do you? There are still over five hundred Alien Star warriors left on the battlefield, and the advantage is clearly on Du Ge's side."

"Brothers, let's give it our all! Otherwise, the celestial court will be turned into a sieve by Du Ge," Yin Erchuan said, rallying his spirits. "Let's go to the celestial court; we don't have much time."

...

From the time True Lord Xianyou set out to when he was defeated, Ning Xianping had been in the Golden Throne Hall, truly experiencing what it meant to watch someone build a high tower and then see it collapse!

Watching the complex changes in the situation in the Golden Throne Hall, he grew more and more impressed with Du Ge, who could truly turn the tide with a flick of his hand.

He had once thought of learning Du Ge's tactics, but now he had no such thoughts.

The civil and military officials were discussing the "Human Race Daily," indignantly planning to crusade against Du Ge, when suddenly the Celestial Emperor and the Queen Mother disappeared and then returned.

Ning Xianping knew something significant must have happened...

But before he could figure out why, the new rules from Pan-Universal Entertainment appeared before him. His face changed immediately, and without caring about anything else, he rushed out from among the civil and military officials, knelt on the ground, and shouted, "Your Majesty, send the troops! One day in heaven is a hundred days on earth. Du Ge is good at blitzkrieg tactics. If we don't send troops now, it will be too late."

As soon as he said this.

Many civil and military officials in the celestial court turned their eyes to this demon, seemingly puzzled by his sudden impulsiveness.

Ning Xianping was also in a difficult position. His ranking was originally in the top ten, quite high, and the elimination system wouldn't affect him.

The Celestial Emperor had no intention of killing him, so he could have occasionally advised the Celestial Emperor in the celestial court and waited for the Alien Star Battlefield to end in peace.

But the rules suddenly changed, and he watched helplessly as his ranking plummeted like free fall, quickly dropping to the middle. Given the time ratio between the celestial court and the human world, if he didn't do something, it wouldn't be long before he was eliminated by the rules.

"Ning Xianping, has something happened at Pan-Universal Entertainment?" the Celestial Emperor asked calmly, looking at Ning Xianping without blaming him.

"Your Majesty, the company has changed the rules, now eliminating the last ten instead of just one," Ning Xianping said honestly, not daring to deceive the Celestial Emperor. "The sudden change in rules must be related to Du Ge. The Alien Star warriors will surely strive to make their presence felt in the human world to survive. With Du Ge's cunning, he will definitely take advantage of this opportunity..."

Before he could finish, the voice of the celestial general on duty interrupted him.

"Report! Your Majesty, news from the lower realm: the underworld and the demon race have formed an alliance with the human race to jointly oppose the celestial court," the celestial general on duty announced, holding up the "Human Race Daily."

The celestial court was in an uproar.

It's over!

Ning Xianping's face turned ashen in an instant. The one-to-a-hundred time ratio was too ridiculous. If he had known, he wouldn't have wasted time from the start!

The Celestial Emperor and the Queen Mother exchanged a glance, not surprised at all. With the twilight tribulation upon them, if not for their status, they would have wanted to meet Du Ge themselves.

"I understand. Ministers, in the face of this great calamity, I shall personally lead the celestial army to the lower realm to quell the disaster and punish the rebels. I ask for your full cooperation," the Celestial Emperor said, standing up.

The celestial realm was rich in spiritual energy but suffered from the time ratio disadvantage. Normally, it didn't matter, but against an opponent like Du Ge, who acted with lightning speed, staying in the celestial realm was pure folly.

"Yes."

The civil and military officials of the celestial court also understood the gravity of the situation and dared not delay, standing up together without advising the Celestial Emperor against personally leading the army.

With the Underworld Emperor and the Demon Emperor united, no one could defeat these two quasi-saints, except for the Celestial Emperor and the Queen Mother.

The officials were about to adjourn and prepare for the expedition.

Another celestial general on duty reported: "Your Majesty, twelve Great Golden Immortals are outside the gate, holding the Dao Ancestor's token, claiming to be his disciples, here to assist Your Majesty in the campaign against Du Ge."

The Celestial Emperor and the Queen Mother exchanged a glance, overjoyed.

The Celestial Emperor said, "Please invite them in."

The celestial general on duty looked troubled and said, "Your Majesty, the leading True Man Duan said that speed is of the essence in dealing with Du Ge, and we should discuss matters in the human world. Every moment spent in the celestial court could lead to irreversible consequences in the war."

The Celestial Emperor instinctively glanced at Ning Xianping, then looked at the civil and military officials and said, "Ministers, I shall first meet the Dao Ancestor's disciples to discuss the calamity. You must quickly gather the troops and remember not to delay; speed is of the essence."