Returning One After Another

Director Ji stepped into the void and departed, taking Bai Feng with him. Down on the ground, Liu Wenyan broke into a smile, but a moment later... he cursed under his breath! That brat Bai Feng had said he would help resolve the issue of the divine character suppression, yet he hadn't finished before running off. He was finished! Of course, Bai Feng had explained the method, but as things stood, the only person capable of executing it was Hong Tan. Had his junior brother actually managed to get lost? Nearby, Xia Yuwen lay flat on the ground, oblivious to everything around him. He stared blankly at the sky, his eyes devoid of luster, all trace of his overbearing aura thoroughly extinguished. Over on the side, Marquis Xia waved a hand dismissively. "Carry him away! Take him back to the City Lord Manor and let Xia Changqing heal him! Only those who can endure defeat can grow. Who in this world has never tasted defeat?" A squad of Longwu Guards entered the area and swiftly carried Xia Yuwen away. Marquis Xia chuckled mildly. "The Fifth Head tasted defeat; the old man in my family tasted defeat; Xia Longwu tasted defeat as well... King Dazhou tasted defeat, and King Daqin tasted defeat. If you can stand back up, there is still hope. If you can't... the Xia family will take care of you until your grave!" It was that cruel, and that simple! If you could stand back up, you remained a genius of the Xia family. If you couldn't, you would be provided for, spending the rest of your life eating, drinking, and waiting to die. Geniuses... were never in short supply anywhere! Shan Tianhao had forcibly pulled his shattered physical body back together. His face was pale, but his heart was still filled with bitter resentment. He was no fool! Yet he desperately wanted to capture Bai Feng. In truth, it wasn't just him—everyone wanted to seize Bai Feng. How had he managed to split off so many Dragon Slaying Swords? Was this an ability unique to Bai Feng, or could anyone in the Multiple Divine Characters Faction achieve it? Would this ability unleash some monumental impact? Just what had the Multiple Divine Characters Faction researched and uncovered?! It was simply too vital! The Multiple Divine Characters Faction was already peerless in combat prowess. Now that they could actually dismantle their own divine character battle techniques, what sort of ripple effects would follow? He had to seize Bai Feng! Watching Director Ji soar away into the distance, Shan Tianhao turned his head toward Zhou Mingren and barked via voice transmission, "Zhou Mingren! Are you just going to stand there and watch Bai Feng get taken away?" Bai Feng's worth had skyrocketed exponentially. Splitting the Dragon Slaying Sword—how had he pulled that off?! Vaguely... terrifying thoughts began to sprout in their minds. Being able to split the Dragon Slaying Sword meant the divine character battle technique had been taken apart. Could the foundation divine character be separated as well? If it could... Shan Tianhao dared not imagine the catastrophic upheaval that would follow! Multiple divine characters were invincible! The strongest among peers of the same tier! The reason people refused to accept the Multiple Divine Characters Faction was that they consumed vast amounts of resources and faced extreme difficulty advancing to the Tengkong Realm, requiring over ten divine characters to be outlined prior to stepping into Tengkong! Yet... what if... it wasn't necessary to do that before Tengkong? Was that possible? They didn't know! They hardly dared entertain the thought! At best, it was a possibility. As for whether it was true, no one had any proof. Only by capturing Bai Feng could they glean any answers. Zhou Mingren frowned slightly, remaining silent. Today, he seemed to have stayed silent the entire time. Even when Director Ji intervened, he had merely yielded. "Zhou Mingren!" "The Fifth Head's divine character takes priority!" Zhou Mingren finally spoke. "Bai Feng's matter can wait until later! Do you intend to offend Ji Hong over a single Bai Feng?" Shan Tianhao's fury remained unquenched! He abruptly glared toward Marquis Xia, suppressing his anger as he said in a low voice, "Marquis Xia, the Xia family declared a war zone to let us settle our disputes! We agreed to all the conditions you laid out! Whatever you decreed, we followed. But now, the Director of the Yuqiang Department has stepped in. Does this align with the Xia family's rules?" He had to speak up! Otherwise, if members of the Xia family kept interfering, there was no point in fighting at all! Marquis Xia shrugged. "The Xia family didn't interfere. Don't misunderstand! You can simply view Ji Hong as their external aid. Didn't you invite Xia Yuwen? Look, someone from the Xia family entered and was nearly chopped to death, yet did I say a word?" Marquis Xia chuckled. "When I speak, my word is as solid as iron! Whoever gets beaten to death in the war zone is none of my concern! If you have the capability, go ahead and kill Ji Hong, and I won't interfere either! Shan Tianhao, your strength is inferior to his, so there's nothing I can do. If you have a problem, go find Zhou Polong to settle the score. What do you expect me to do about it?" Marquis Xia seemed quite put out. "Look, Xia Yuwen was injured to that extent, yet did I intervene? Inside the war zone, fight however you like. When he struck you earlier, he had already entered the war zone, hadn't he? Isn't my Xia family keeping to the rules? Stop slandering me. Slander me again... and remember, I am still the Acting Prefect. For a Shanhai from the Dazhou Prefecture to repeatedly smear my name... Shan Tianhao, consider your words carefully before you speak!" Shan Tianhao's expression shifted, and he cursed inwardly! Ji Hong's interference still counted as within the rules? What kind of external aid was that?! Over to the side, Zhou Mingren frowned slightly and said slowly, "Marquis, there won't be any more external aid, will there?" "That... don't ask me!" Marquis Xia chuckled. "I don't manage such details. Bring in whoever you want, as many as you like. Whoever enters the war zone is fair game to be killed; I only collect the fees! In fact, it would be best if you brought in all the disobedient figures across the Great Xia Prefecture. The more that die, the fewer headaches I have, saving everyone from endless bickering every day! I'll give you my word: even if you bring people from the All-Races Sect, I won't interfere. I mean what I say! Of course, once they leave the war zone, I will still wipe them out!" No one uttered a word. Nonsense! Even if they could summon them, the people of the All-Races Sect weren't idiots. Why would they march straight to their deaths? Only a fool would come! "Zhou Mingren, are you still not going to move to capture Liu Wenyan?" Knowing he could not pursue Ji Hong's actions, Shan Tianhao transmitted his voice in frustration once more. "Just how long do you plan to wait?! If an unexpected turn occurs because you delayed, who will take the blame? If Ji Hong can intervene, others can as well!" Complications had already arisen! He simply could not comprehend what Zhou Mingren was waiting for! Hong Tan? Hong Tan was currently rushing over. Did they truly have to wait until he arrived before dealing with Liu Wenyan and the others? Was Zhou Mingren out of his mind?! Zhou Mingren glanced at him and transmitted back, "If your side wishes to strike, then strike. I am waiting for Hong Tan's return!" "You!" "Shan Tianhao, do not command me again!" Zhou Mingren's gaze turned chillingly sharp. "You lack the qualifications. Understood?" Shan Tianhao frowned, cursing furiously in his heart! What on earth was Zhou Mingren waiting for? Though enraged, he had no time to ponder it further. He barked, "Capture Liu Wenyan and force him to surrender the inherited divine character!" With those words, Shan Tianhao glanced at several Shanhai Realm experts. They nodded in unison and instantly charged into the war zone! Capture Liu Wenyan! If they waited any longer, unforeseen variables would certainly emerge. Without securing the Fifth Head's divine character, none of them would be satisfied. As for Zhou Mingren... who knew what that bastard was thinking? Beside Zhou Mingren, several Shanhai Realm elders watched him. Elder Sun transmitted, "Old Zhou, what are you doing?" Zhou Mingren frowned slightly and spoke aloud, "You all may go, lest unnecessary delays cause further trouble. Capturing Liu Wenyan is enough; there is no need to fight to the bitter end against Wu Yuehua and the others!" "You..." Several elders felt stifled. Digging up the grave had been his idea in the first place, yet now that the critical moment had arrived, he remained utterly idle. What was this madness?! Despite their frustration and helplessness, they exchanged glances and swiftly entered the fray! At that moment, a stream of figures joined the battle one after another! On the Single Divine Character Faction's side, multiple Shanhai experts attacked! Beside Liu Wenyan, He Qi, Wu Yuehua, Elder Fan, and several other Shanhai experts struck back without hesitation! *** Marquis Xia glanced at Zhou Mingren, raised an eyebrow slightly, and chuckled without speaking. Over there, Chief Hu also wore a faint, meaningful smile. Right at that instant, Zhou Mingren, who had remained stationary the entire time, drew a deep breath. Two long dragons of white vapor streamed before his face, exceptionally conspicuous in the night. Marquis Xia, Chief Hu, and the others looked into the distance. Far off, a figure was panting heavily from exhaustion, strolling over while chuckling, "I'm not late, am I?" Hong Tan! Beside the shattered cabin, Liu Wenyan spotted Hong Tan and immediately cursed, "You useless fellow, showing up only now! I thought you had gotten lost!" "..." Hong Tan, a man well advanced in years, laughed helplessly. "Senior Brother, after all these decades, your temper hasn't changed a bit. Could you show me a little respect?" As he spoke, he glanced at Zhou Mingren. His aged face gradually smoothed out into youth, his posture straightened, and he flicked his sleeves, smiling. "Old Zhou, were you waiting for me?" "I have waited for you for a very long time," Zhou Mingren stated calmly. "Had I not been waiting for you, with Shan Tianhao constantly spewing nonsense at me, I would have struck him down long ago! Ninth-stage Shanhai is nothing remarkable. Hong Tan, in truth, I have waited many years for you!" Hong Tan walked forward step by step. With every stride, he appeared younger; gradually, his frail frame filled out with robust vigor. He chuckled. "Old Zhou, why bother? If you truly wished to spar, I would gladly keep you company! If not here, we could go to the All-Heavens Battlefield. Why go out of your way to force my hand here? Isn't that looking for trouble where there is none?" Zhou Mingren's aura grew increasingly imposing as he said in a low voice, "Some things, once pent up for too long, must eventually be vented! The conflict between the single and multiple divine character factions has existed for ages, yet to me, it is merely that!" Zhou Mingren's words caused the surrounding combatants to gradually halt their attacks. One after another, they turned their attention toward the two! The expressions of Elder Sun and the others shifted erratically. What did this mean? Zhou Mingren remained calm. "Eradicating the Multiple Divine Characters Faction is indeed my aim, but... disposing of a crippled Liu Wenyan holds no meaning whatsoever! Everyone claims that you, Hong Tan, focus purely on research and that your combat strength is mediocre within the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. Yet I... have never thought so!" Zhou Mingren strode toward Hong Tan, his aura swelling with every step! "I want to see whether you can reach the Sun Moon Realm! And I want to see whether you can help me step into the Sun Moon Realm!" His aura surged even higher! It surpassed the peak of the Shanhai Realm, yet vaguely fell short of Director Ji from earlier. As Zhou Mingren advanced, Hong Tan advanced as well, his aura mounting alongside him! Over to the side, Shan Tianhao cursed inwardly! He finally understood! Zhou Mingren had been waiting for Hong Tan all along because he wanted to face him at his absolute peak to push past the threshold of the Sun Moon Realm! Zhou Mingren had not stepped into the Sun Moon Realm yet! He was only one step away! For that single step, he had chosen to fight Hong Tan, believing Hong Tan could help him bridge the divide! "What joy is there in shattering mountains and seas compared to plucking the stars and seizing the moon?" Zhou Mingren marched forward, his aura towering to the heavens as illusory projections of mountains and rivers manifested around him. He spoke as he walked: "Wu Yuehua cannot do it; He Qi cannot do it; Shan Tianhao cannot do it either... Counting across the entire Human Realm, there are plenty of peak Shanhai experts, but you, Hong Tan, are the most suitable!" Hong Tan smiled. "Old Zhou, you belong to the same generation as my teacher. You have always targeted me, and I couldn't be bothered to care. But is there truly any need to seek me out just to break through to the Sun Moon Realm? Where does all this enmity come from? As I said, there are plenty of peak Shanhai experts on the All-Heavens Battlefield. Why seek me out?" "Because... I am of the Zhou family!" Zhou Mingren replied. Because entanglements and karma remained, he could only seek out Hong Tan. Hong Tan sighed helplessly with a chuckle. "Very well. Since Old Zhou wishes to use me as a whetstone, I shall accompany you. Reaching the Sun Moon Realm... is not so easily done!" With that, his aura surged drastically! Eighth-stage Shanhai, peak of the eighth stage... and the next instant, with a deafening boom, his aura violently skyrocketed into the ninth stage of Shanhai! "Ninth-stage Shanhai!" Gasps echoed around them! When had this man broken through? Zhou Mingren's eyes shone brightly. This was precisely what he had been waiting for! Hong Tan was anything but weak! Others might not have known, but how could he not? "Still not enough!" "Then let us make it stronger to satisfy Old Zhou!" Hong Tan chuckled, his presence swelling further. Moments later, his aura shifted once more! Peak ninth-stage Shanhai—the absolute peak of the Shanhai Realm! "Is this enough?" Hong Tan smiled. "If it's still not enough, there's nothing more I can do. This should suffice! The Multiple Divine Characters Faction is still a cut above yours, after all!" Before the words faded, two afterimages vanished simultaneously! A world-shaking boom erupted! "Capture Liu Wenyan!" Zhou Mingren's shout thundered through the air! Up in the sky, the two collided. The onlookers could no longer perceive their movements; their speed was beyond belief! Shan Tianhao had no time to waste on cursing. He bellowed, "Kill!" The surrounding Shanhai experts were shaken to the core, but knowing they could not intervene in such a clash, they swarmed toward Liu Wenyan. Capturing Liu Wenyan was their top priority! *** The grand clash erupted in full force. At the same time. Over by Marquis Xia, two figures approached. Su Yu was practically carrying Xia Huyou... well, holding him! Not quite carrying, but slinging an arm over his shoulder and sticking tightly to Xia Huyou's body! Xia Huyou looked thoroughly suffocated and miserable! He twitched his shoulder, but Su Yu didn't care in the slightest, maintaining a death grip around him. They were pressed so close their heads were touching; anyone unfamiliar with them might have mistaken them for a pair of young lovers. The auction was originally slated for the following morning. However, Su Yu could wait no longer. The moment Bai Feng placed that communication call, Su Yu knew severe trouble was brewing. There was no waiting around! He feared death! Especially now, when the outside world felt profoundly unsafe, he had no desire to leave the academy grounds—none at all. Yet he had to come out! And so, here he was! Right now, he held Xia Huyou with an iron grip. This was his protective talisman, his shield, his lifesaver. He feared death and dared not run around recklessly. However... the Xia family had nothing to fear. If his guess wasn't mistaken, anyone who dared lay a finger on Xia Huyou would have eighteen generations of their ancestors wiped out! That was why Su Yu had dragged him along! Arms wrapped tight around his shoulders—no, practically locking his neck. Good brothers, close and inseparable! Su Yu looked toward the chaotic battle, spotting Liu Wenyan standing amid the crowd with that same faint smile. He didn't see Bai Feng... and felt a pang of worry. There was no time to dwell on that! This was not a conflict he could participate in; he couldn't afford to get involved. Even while clinging to Xia Huyou, Su Yu felt uneasy. When powerful experts moved to kill, even clinging to someone wasn't entirely foolproof! He wished he could turn into a belt and fasten himself around this fellow's waist. Pressing even closer, Xia Huyou's greasy face was practically touching his lips. Xia Huyou sighed in utter resignation. "Alright, we've arrived. Su Yu, can you let go of me now?" "No way, good brother. Brothers ought to be this close!" Su Yu smiled. "It's best if we don't differentiate between you and me. It's too dangerous here; I'm worried something might happen to you!" "..." If you weren't clinging to me, nothing would happen to me at all! Xia Huyou complained internally, silently cursing while growing deeply suspicious. Did you figure out who I really am? To drag me along every time you step outside—just how terrified of dying are you?! Ignoring his grumbling, Su Yu glanced around and spotted a somewhat familiar face. Not genuinely familiar, but carrying a distinct resemblance! A resemblance to Zheng Yunhui! "Is that Principal Zheng?" "Yes!" "Let's head over there!" "Not over to Marquis Xia?" "No!" Su Yu flatly refused to deal with that fat man nearby! That was an unscrupulous merchant who devoured people down to the bone, someone whose very name made everyone in the Great Xia Prefecture shudder. He wouldn't go there. If he had to look for someone, he would look for an honest, blunt soul! Doing business with overly shrewd people was simply exhausting! *** As the grand clash erupted, Zheng Ping was spectating the show when he suddenly sensed someone approaching. Glancing sideways, he recognized Xia Huyou. As for the person Xia Huyou was carrying... wait, he had seen wrong. Not carrying, just glued together. Who was this? Stuck so close! Since when had this kid from the Xia family become this intimate with another guy? "Grandpa Zheng!" At that call of "Grandpa Zheng," Zheng Ping froze. Do I know you? That hadn't come from Xia Huyou, but from the person plastered against him! Who are you? Are we close? Su Yu's voice was sweet as honey. "Grandpa Zheng, my name is Su Yu, Yunhui's good brother! Last time, I teamed up with him to fleece tens of thousands of merit points. Did Yunhui mention it to you?" "It's you!" Now Zheng Ping realized who he was! Somewhat surprised, he quickly pieced things together. "You came here to..." "Sell something!" Su Yu said sweetly, "Did Grandpa Zheng receive the news?" With that, the thirty-six Soul Devour apertures within Su Yu surged, linking into a single network as a layer of black flames coated his willpower. "This can be applied not just to willpower, but directly onto limbs as well..." Saying so, Su Yu's palm suddenly turned pitch black! He aimed a strike straight toward Zheng Ping! "Grandpa Zheng, please feel it for yourself!" At the peak of the Shanhai Realm, even a warrior's willpower would not be fragile. Zheng Ping didn't mind the blow. What bothered him was... why the hell are you dragging that little fat kid along while hitting me?! Can't you see the kid is about to be choked to death by your grip?! Not far away, Marquis Xia looked away, unable to bear the sight. Chief Hu shook his head as well. Is... is this the youth from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction? Was this self-preservation? Did he know Xia Huyou's identity? Just how little did he trust outsiders, to the point where even selling something required tethering Xia Huyou to his side, practically wanting to buckle Xia Huyou to his waist?! Thump! A muffled sound rang out. Zheng Ping didn't retaliate or move to counter, merely maintaining a layer of willpower over his skin. Instantly, he felt a faint prickling sensation! A thin wisp of black flame was burning against his willpower. Zheng Ping didn't make much of the pain itself—it was only a slight sting... but that alone was astounding! What a joke! He was at the peak of the Shanhai Realm! Even though he wasn't a Civilization Master, his willpower was immensely formidable, superior even to ordinary Lingyun Realm Civilization Masters. Yet he actually felt a faint sting of pain! If this landed on an opponent of the same cultivation tier, what would happen? "The Soul Devour Art..." As he muttered, his eyes lit up. Gazing at Su Yu with brilliant radiance, he abruptly reached out with his senses to probe him! Su Yu instantly locked down all thirty-six apertures, smiling. "Grandpa Zheng, cultivation techniques can't be learned just by seeing which apertures are opened. If it were that simple, Heaven-tier arts would be utterly useless; the moment someone used one, wouldn't it be copied by everyone?" Zheng Ping grew intrigued and chuckled. "I heard you aren't selling for money?" "Correct!" Su Yu pointed toward the distant battlefield. "My price isn't high: kill one Shanhai, and it's yours, Grandpa Zheng!" "..." Zheng Ping laughed in amusement. "Kill a Shanhai... You make it sound easy! Even a first-stage Shanhai isn't simple to slay. Furthermore, these people travel in packs and have backing. Can I just casually kill them? The Soul Devour Art isn't worth that price!" Su Yu nodded, dragging Xia Huyou into a slight bow without uttering another word before continuing to haul him toward another person. Xia Huyou looked utterly dejected! Zheng Ping raised an eyebrow. "You're not selling anymore?" "I am!" Su Yu turned back with a smile. "Grandpa Zheng, I won't sell to you, so as not to put you in a tough spot! Yunhui is my brother; I can't make things difficult for his grandfather! I'll go ask General Zhao. I reckon the military has need of this!" Nearby, General Zhao raised an eyebrow and stated plainly, "Those are members of the divine character faction. Killing one invites substantial trouble. Though I fear nothing, the army still requires Civilization Masters. Slaying them would easily provoke a collective boycott against my Longwu Guards from the Civilization Masters!" Su Yu nodded slightly, saying no more as he walked toward another figure. Over there, the Principal of the Longwu Academy remarked softly, "The Longwu Academy serves as the reserve force for the Longwu Guards. If Commander Zhao won't accept, I cannot accept either!" Nearby, Chief Hu spoke up, "Young student, trying to trade a single Soul Devour Art for a Shanhai to fight another Shanhai—especially established Civilization Masters—is difficult, far too difficult!" He added, "Moreover, the matter involves more than mere benefits; otherwise, this war zone wouldn't exist in the first place! The debts left behind by the Fifth Head back then must be repaid by your faction. That is the root of it all!" Su Yu said softly, "I understand. Thank you for the pointer, Grandpa Hu! But I still don't comprehend: that Invincible expert from the Dazhou Prefecture did not die by my great-grandmaster's hand. Why must our faction bear all of this? If research data is needed, we don't have it. Did my great-grandmaster ever claim he would repay it with divine characters?" Chief Hu shook his head, saying nothing further. Some matters could not be resolved simply through spoken reason! Su Yu surveyed his surroundings. The battle raged on, with more and more figures entering the fray! Even Lingyun experts began joining in, closing in on Liu Wenyan while the Shanhai experts were entangled. Liu Wenyan was looking at him as well. Having noticed Su Yu early on, he smiled, his lips moving silently. *Go back!* This was not Su Yu's battlefield! This was not a fight he had any right to meddle in! Rescue his teacher? Su Yu was still far too weak, far from qualified. A sudden wave of desolation and sorrow washed over Su Yu. On what grounds? Was the Great Xia Prefecture going to do nothing? He looked toward Marquis Xia. Within the territory of the Great Xia Prefecture, it wasn't the All-Races Sect, but a group of Civilization Masters besieging another group of Civilization Masters. Was the Great Xia Prefecture truly not going to intervene? He felt an abrupt, overwhelming sense of disappointment! Utterly, deeply disappointed! Why?! He saw Wu Yuehua spitting blood; he saw the experts guarding Teacher Liu surrounded and battered, their physical bodies shattering under the onslaught! The Shanhai defenders were dwindling. In the darkness, more and more experts joined the battle—silently, without announcing their names or origins, quietly fighting, quietly holding the line to the death. Not far off, someone strode through the air with a hearty laugh. Cupping his fists toward Liu Wenyan, he smiled and plunged into the melee! Another flashed Liu Wenyan a thumbs-up, eyes ablaze with fervor and devoid of regret, instantly melting into the battle just the same! Su Yu knew these were reinforcements arriving to help. There were people who had been waiting for Teacher Liu's return all along! Su Yu watched in silence, realizing that the Soul Devour Art likely could not be sold here. These people were unwilling to get involved. The notion that warriors lacked brains was purely a joke. Yet he simply could not accept it! Xia Huyou's shoulder had been squeezed until it was bruised purple. Scratching his head, he too was confused, unable to understand! Glancing toward his second grandfather, he wore an inquiring look. Were they truly going to ignore this? More and more people were joining the fight! The Longwu Guards had completely sealed off the perimeter. Military Civilization Masters silently unleashed their willpower, locking down the surrounding space to prevent energy from spilling outward! Xia Huyou looked toward Marquis Xia once more... Marquis Xia turned to look at him, shaking his head slightly. No intervention! Wait! Continue to wait! He had to keep waiting! In the distance, the void roared incessantly! Two peak Shanhai experts were battling in an unseen expanse, their clash immensely vast, tearing through tens of li of space, crumbling mountains, and severing rivers. Terrifyingly powerful! Deeply shocking! Yet Su Yu could not see it, nor was he in any mood to watch. All he saw was the circle of defenders around Liu Wenyan growing smaller and smaller. Powerless! He could only watch on with wide eyes! The Soul Devour Art was useless! Su Yu swept his gaze across the surroundings. In the darkness, many figures floated in the Tengkong Realm, silently observing everything. "One copy of the Soul Devour Art, specialized in damaging willpower! Is anyone willing to strike?" Su Yu shouted at the top of his lungs! No one answered! "The method to craft innate blood essence, plus the Soul Devour Art!" Some turned their gaze his way, but remained silent. Su Yu's voice grew hoarse as he roared, "Plus a basic cultural art! A cultural art below the Tengkong Realm! It opens thirty-six divine apertures! Is anyone willing to take action?! Anyone?!" The moment those words rang out, shock rippled through the four directions! Marquis Xia snapped his head toward him! Over there, Liu Wenyan stared at him in utter disbelief. Su Yu roared, "Is no one in the Great Xia Prefecture willing to step forward?! What about other prefectures? Since the Xia family won't intervene, experts from other prefectures can strike, and the Xia family has no right to stop them! Is anyone willing?!" "A cultural art?" From the void, a voice finally spoke. "Truly a cultural art below the Tengkong Realm? Capable of opening thirty-six divine apertures?" "It's real!" Su Yu yelled, "As long as you kill one Shanhai, it's yours! The Soul Devour Art, the innate blood essence method, and the basic cultural art! All of them will be yours!" Su Yu bellowed, "Still not enough?! What if I throw in a Heaven-tier cultivation technique—is that enough?!" At that moment, countless gazes converged upon him! "Someone from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction?" "My name is Su Yu, personal disciple of Teacher Bai Feng! Is that enough?!" Su Yu roared in fury, "If that's still not enough—" "Enough. Are you selling off the family estate and peddling ancestral heritage now?" At that moment, a soft chuckle sounded. "Silly kid, do you plan to strip the Multiple Divine Characters Faction down to its bones?" "The silly boy was just joking; don't take it seriously, everyone! Our Multiple Divine Characters Faction is so poor, how could we possibly possess such things?" From the shadows, a young man stepped forth holding a spear. He smiled. "Stop causing a ruckus and head back quickly! It's just roughhousing; what could possibly go wrong?" As the young man walked forward step by step, someone gasped in a low voice, "Xia Yunqi!" Xia Yunqi, one of the legendary figures of yesteryear, a monstrous genius of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. The Xia Yunqi before them was a young man, pale-faced yet brimming with smiles. Looking at Su Yu, he chuckled, "Just playing around. A child shouldn't throw a tantrum..." Before the words faded, he thrust his spear casually forward, laughing. "Brother Wenyan, really now, why did you return so early? With me here, could anyone truly dig up Brother Zhang's grave?" As the words fell, in the distance, a spear tip suddenly burst through the chest of a Shanhai expert! *Splurt!* The spear vibrated, shattering his physical body! Xia Yunqi smiled faintly, pulled back his spear, flickered in place, and thrust toward a seventh-stage Shanhai expert! *Boom!* The void fractured! The seventh-stage Shanhai expert's face twisted in horror. Just as he tried to dodge, a divine character flashed into existence! "Dragon!" The divine character fused into the spear, turning it into a dragon. In the void, an incomparably colossal golden dragon materialized, swallowing the opponent whole! Instantly reverting back into a spear, it landed smoothly in Xia Yunqi's grip! Xia Yunqi chuckled as the spear vibrated intensely. Faintly visible within, an expert was roaring, repeatedly striking the inside of the weapon as it shook violently! Xia Yunqi smiled, a ball of flame appearing in his palm to engulf the spear! A bloodcurdling shriek echoed between heaven and earth! Xia Yunqi coughed lightly and looked around, smiling. "Fall back! If another Sun Moon expert arrives, I won't interfere. But short of a Sun Moon... Zhou Mingren alone is not enough!" With that, he looked toward Su Yu again and laughed. "Head back! Go to the academy. Stop fooling around and trying to sell things! Ancestral heritage must never be sold! Selling it off would dishonor the ancestors! It would dishonor our teachers!" Su Yu's face was flushed with pleasant surprise! An expert of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction! No, an expert exiled in years past had returned! Right at that moment, behind Xia Yunqi, a massive palm suddenly manifested, slamming down toward him! Shan Tianhao! Xia Yunqi frowned. The spear in his hands was vibrating with even greater violence, restraining him! Simultaneously, a heaven-cleaving sword ray descended! Heading straight for Shan Tianhao! Shan Tianhao's brow furrowed, and he instantly retreated, dodging the sword ray! "Xia Yunqi, you certainly move fast!" A woman's voice rang out as a female figure stepped through the air from the darkness. Over where Wu Yuehua was battling another expert, she suddenly cursed furiously, "Hu Ping, you did this on purpose! You deliberately arrived late just to watch me make a fool of myself!" "Ridiculous and unreasonable!" Holding a longsword in the void, the woman sneered dismissively. "Watch you make a fool of yourself? You're already a joke as it is. What's there to watch?" "You old hag, once I kill this bastard, I'm not finished with you!" With that, Wu Yuehua went completely berserk. A massive cauldron smashed out in all directions, billowing plumes of black smoke! Several Shanhai experts brushed against the black smoke, and their flesh rotted instantaneously! Black smoke blanketed the area! *** Xia Yunqi, Hu Ping! Two experts exiled in the past had returned, one after another! Meanwhile, Su Yu stared blankly at them before breaking into a sudden smile. There were still others! The next instant, Su Yu exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you, Seniors! Other seniors, please forgive me; I was merely joking earlier! Xia Huyou hasn't given me the cultural art yet, so even if I wanted to sell it, I couldn't. Don't misunderstand..." "..." Xia Huyou stared at him dumbfoundedly. What does that mean? Numerous gazes instantly snapped onto Xia Huyou. Several people recognized him, their expressions freezing. Was Su Yu... trying to sell the Xia family's cultural art?! Damn it! Was this kid speaking the truth or lying through his teeth? Was he trying to frame them? They had nearly walked straight into a trap! Who would dare take a cultural art belonging to the Xia family?! Xia Huyou stared at Su Yu, completely dazed. That bastard truly knew his identity! What cultural art was he talking about? When had he ever offered to give him a cultural art to sell? Su Yu maintained a calm facade, pinching his shoulder. "You have it. You really do!" Xia Huyou's eyes flickered, instantly lighting up! *I have it!* *Do I really have it?!* *Holy crap!* *Does this guy... actually have something like that?!* The next moment, Xia Huyou burst into hearty laughter. "Haha, um... Seniors, please don't mind him! I truly was planning to gift it to Su Yu as a private friend sponsorship. Don't misunderstand; if anyone had actually bought it just now, I would have produced it! Su Yu is my brother, my best brother. A cultural art is nothing..." Even Marquis Xia couldn't resist glaring at him! You have it? You do have an eighteen-aperture version—did you seriously tell Su Yu about that? Have you lost your mind? And you were going to gift it to him?! Xia Huyou smiled with an apologetic expression, giving Su Yu a pinch as he whispered, "I'm not giving it to you anymore. Are you an idiot? I told you to sell it in secret, yet you shouted it at the top of your lungs so everyone knows I gave it to you! Return it to me first, or my family will be furious!" Su Yu glanced at him, smiled faintly, and retrieved a jade talisman, handing it over. When Xia Huyou took it, his hands were trembling! Holy crap! Was this for real?! Seeing his second grandfather glaring his way, Xia Huyou bared his teeth in an awkward grin. "It's fake, it's fake! I wouldn't dare give away the real thing! I was just messing with Su Yu; I didn't expect him to actually try to sell it... don't be angry!" Marquis Xia looked between the two of them with deep suspicion. What was going on here?! Xia Huyou was bursting with excitement. Holy crap, was this truly a cultural art?! Where on earth had Su Yu gotten his hands on this?! Damn, if this was real, he had hit the jackpot!