Imparting the Technique

Su Yu had no idea what had happened, only that his head ached terribly. In his daze, he seemed to hear voices speaking. Struggling to open his eyes, he realized upon waking that he was sitting in a chair, as if he had fallen asleep. Fallen asleep? Impossible! He had clearly come to see Marquis Xia. How could he have suddenly dozed off? Besides, his head really throbbed with pain! Had he been attacked? Wasn't his grandmaster right beside him? Opening his eyes wider, he saw his grandmaster chatting with a fat man—Marquis Xia himself. Over there, Marquis Xia turned his head, glanced at Su Yu, and said with a smile, "Awake? Kids these days cultivate with reckless abandon, having no moderation whatsoever. You almost blew up your sea of will! Absolute foolishness!" Su Yu was bewildered. What did that mean? Did he mean... Qi deviation? That couldn't be right. Even though he cultivated diligently, he hadn't felt anything amiss with his body. Despite the doubts flooding his mind, Su Yu still stood up and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Marquis!" "At ease!" Marquis Xia wore an amiable expression and chuckled. "No need to be so formal. Be more careful with your cultivation next time. Luckily, you fainted inside the City Lord Manor. If this had happened on the battlefield, wouldn't you have lost your life?" Su Yu looked blankly toward Hong Tan. Had he truly suffered Qi deviation? Hong Tan didn't look at him, keeping his eyes on the chessboard. Just a moment ago, he had been playing chess with Marquis Xia. As for Su Yu being blindsided and knocked unconscious... Forget it. You were knocked out by a Riyue; your grandmaster has no way to help you there. Suspicion lingered in Su Yu's mind, but since he didn't know what had actually happened, he could only let the matter rest for now. Without pressing further, he expressed his gratitude: "Thank you for the reminder, Marquis!" Marquis Xia nodded slightly and said nothing more, secretly amused. This was called shifting the blame! I beat you, and you still have to thank me. Clearing his throat softly, Marquis Xia pushed the chessboard aside with a flick of his hand, scattering the pieces. Before Hong Tan could speak, he asked, "You want to learn the Heaven Cleaving Saber?" Su Yu nodded and said in a low voice, "Yes, I do!" "Do you know how many versions of the Heaven Cleaving Saber exist?" "I do not." Marquis Xia said calmly, "The Xia family does not hoard its treasures! Over the years, the Heaven Cleaving Saber has been passed down to quite a few people. The stronger the Great Xia Prefecture becomes, the stronger the Xia family becomes. So long as someone is neither a traitor nor good-for-nothing, the Xia family is willing to pass it down! "Setting aside traitors, good-for-nothings... have no right to learn the Xia family's Heaven Cleaving Saber either, lest they embarrass our name!" With that, he looked at Su Yu and smiled. "Your grandmaster says that what you want to learn isn't an ordinary version of the Heaven Cleaving Saber, but the one requiring one hundred and forty-four apertures. Is that right?" "Yes!" "I can see you've opened quite a few apertures. You probably have the ability to open a hundred and forty-four, but how many can you fuse?" Marquis Xia said indifferently, "Don't tell me fusing seven or eight will do! With one hundred and forty-four apertures, stepping into the Wanshi Realm requires fusing sixteen into one to achieve complete fusion! Civilization Masters don't prioritize their physical bodies. Even among their geniuses and prodigies, fusing ten apertures is more than enough; fusing ten into one is already a genuine Wanshi! "However, the Xia family's cultivation method isn't something to practice just for fun. That's why some people in the War Academy have received the legacy of the Heaven Cleaving Saber, while in the Civilization Academy, apart from members of the Xia family, few others ever receive it." Su Yu said in a heavy voice, "If the Marquis is willing to pass it down, I will naturally strive to fuse sixteen apertures into one!" "Strive?" Marquis Xia gave a faint smile. "Not strive—you must! If you can't, the Xia family will take the technique back! Taking it back means crippling those one hundred and forty-four apertures of yours and forcing you to switch to another cultivation method! Even if you know how to open them, if you dare open them again, you won't dare use them!" Su Yu glanced at Hong Tan. Hong Tan smiled and chimed in, "The Xia family does have such a rule, but they never said complete fusion is strictly mandatory. Generally, fusing twelve or more won't be held against you. Isn't that right, Marquis?" Marquis Xia said lazily, "If you're only fusing twelve, you might as well cultivate the current War God Art. It requires fewer apertures to open and is simpler to fuse. Why pursue the Heaven Cleaving Saber?" Su Yu said resolutely, "Marquis, if the Xia family is willing to impart the technique, should I fail to fuse sixteen apertures into one upon reaching the Wanshi Realm, I will never use the Heaven Cleaving Saber again. What do you think?" Marquis Xia chuckled. "Every genius who meets me says the same thing! Over the years, plenty of geniuses were full of arrogance, thinking they were bound to succeed and that the Heaven Cleaving Saber was nothing special. To tell you the truth, even within the Xia family, few have cultivated the peak Heaven-rank Heaven Cleaving Saber. "If you want to obtain the legacy, fine. I'll test you!" A test! Su Yu took a deep breath and said respectfully, "Please test me as you see fit, Marquis!" "Quite confident, aren't you!" Marquis Xia gave a short laugh and casually tossed down a metal sphere. Upon hitting the ground, the metal ball instantly transformed into a humanoid figure—a puppet automaton! "Defeat it, and I'll teach you the technique!" "Fail, and you can leave the way you came!" As soon as his voice fell, the metal puppet abruptly hurled a fist toward Su Yu! Just as Su Yu was about to unleash his willpower, Marquis Xia said indifferently, "Use your physical body. The Heaven Cleaving Saber is a physical combat art. Don't bother using willpower!" Su Yu hurriedly retreated! Boom! The metal puppet's fist struck the empty space where he had stood, blasting the air apart. Even from a distance, Su Yu felt immense pressure. Wanshi-level strength! This was definitely the strength of the Wanshi Realm! Not daring to be careless, Su Yu shifted his footwork, flashing behind the metal puppet in an instant to strike with his palm. Yet... two more arms suddenly sprang from the puppet's back, punching out once more! With a heavy bang, Su Yu was forced back several meters. His right hand hadn't fully recovered to begin with, and now the pain was excruciating. …… "Marquis, the boy is only in Qianjun. It's one thing to use a Wanshi puppet, but using a sixth-layer Wanshi puppet is taking it too far..." Hong Tan sent a voice transmission. Marquis Xia retorted in annoyance, "You think the Xia family's cultivation method is that easy to get? This is just the beginning. Let me tell you, defeating this puppet will earn him a high-tier Heaven rank at best. If he wants the peak version, he won't get it unless he defeats a seventh-layer Wanshi puppet!" "You're demanding the impossible..." Hong Tan said helplessly, "He's only in Qianjun after all!" "If he's not monstrous enough, why would he get to learn our family's Heaven Cleaving Saber? Even if I agreed, the old man wouldn't!" While the two conversed, Su Yu had already traded dozens of blows with the puppet. Too tough! Su Yu felt helpless. Not only was this puppet powerful, but it was forged from who-knew-what material—it was simply too sturdy! He had landed several strikes on its body, only to receive massive rebound shockwaves in return. Some of his aperture-breaking methods couldn't be used at all. Even if he used them, it would be useless! Activating his eye apertures, Su Yu stared at the puppet for a moment before rapidly darting back, his feet moving like lightning, leaving behind only afterimages. He stopped facing it head-on and instead began leading the puppet in circles. *This thing must have a power source. I'll drain its power dry!* That was Su Yu's plan. After all, he was only at the Qianjun Ninth Layer. Even though he had opened many apertures, dealing with a puppet possessing such a tough body was exceptionally difficult. Stall! Wear it down! He had opened one hundred and eighty-six apertures, giving him dense origin qi. He would wear this puppet down and exhaust its energy supply. …… "His speed isn't slow. What Heaven-rank martial skill did he cultivate?" Marquis Xia nodded slightly. Hong Tan smiled and said, "*Time*." "Oh, that old fellow's martial skill!" Marquis Xia laughed. "This kid took his legacy. Once he enters the All-Heavens Battlefield, the Dragon Silkworm race won't let him off!" "Let them try, who cares?" Hong Tan didn't care at all, saying offhandedly, "The Dragon Silkworm King doesn't even dare show its face now. There's nothing to fear from the Dragon Silkworm race." "King Miecan... there's really no describing that man!" Marquis Xia shook his head. Not many Invincibles held grudges to such a degree. Suffering a small loss, he had been taking revenge for over a century. The Dragon Silkworm race had encountered truly abysmal luck crossing him. As the two chatted, they watched Su Yu handle the fight. After stalling for over half an hour, Su Yu was panting heavily, continually keeping the puppet at arm's length. Seeing this, Marquis Xia smiled, then suddenly flicked his finger. The puppet's speed surged drastically, and its aura spiked! Seventh-layer Wanshi! Just as Su Yu tried to catch his breath, a fierce gust whipped behind his head. Alarmed, he immediately erupted with the Time martial skill and fled at full speed! Marquis Xia said casually, "You can't win by stalling. It still has plenty of energy—enough to last another three hours. Can you stall through that?" Su Yu was already looking like this after half an hour. Could he really keep dragging it out for three hours? "You only have a chance of winning by engaging it head-on and crushing it!" Su Yu said nothing. He continued fleeing! What a joke! Crush this puppet head-on? Its body was practically indestructible. Even if he unleashed Mountain Shatterer, it wouldn't do much good. How was he supposed to fight it? Especially now, when it seemed even stronger. Fighting head-on was impossible; stalling was his only option. Three hours... Su Yu calculated rapidly in his mind as he constantly dodged the puppet's attacks, moving with incredible agility, wind rushing under his feet. Inside his apertures, origin qi gradually dwindled. Replenishment was slow, unable to match the rate of consumption. The origin qi from his other apertures continuously replenished the apertures required for Mountain Shatterer. With one hundred and eighty-six apertures operating in unison, his origin qi was exceptionally pure. At this moment, Su Yu fully displayed his profound foundation. Marquis Xia watched for a while and nodded faintly. Indeed a fine seed! His origin qi was pure, and he had opened numerous apertures. Cultivating the Heaven Cleaving Saber was certainly viable; now it was just a matter of seeing how this boy handled the rest. Just as he was pondering, Su Yu suddenly darted behind Hong Tan. He immediately began recovering origin qi! Marquis Xia's eyes flashed as the puppet leapt over Hong Tan, charging after Su Yu once more. Su Yu continued fleeing, this time darting behind Marquis Xia himself. Marquis Xia laughed helplessly and simply floated into midair. Saying nothing, Su Yu leaped out again, dashing straight out of the hall. A moment later, outside the hall, a squad of Longwu Guards stationed at the City Lord Manor blocked the puppet's path. Taking advantage of the opening, Su Yu quickly absorbed origin qi to recover. Seeing this, Marquis Xia chuckled and sent a voice transmission: "Return to your posts. Let him fight; there is no need to block the puppet!" Upon hearing this, the Longwu Guards swiftly withdrew. Without wasting words, Su Yu leaped again, fleeing all across the City Lord Manor. Through gardens, halls, corridors, and guard barracks... Su Yu constantly utilized people and obstacles to stall the puppet's pursuit, continuously recovering his origin qi. Wear it down! …… Inside the hall. Marquis Xia shook his head. "Slippery little brat, not at all like someone from our Xia family. Cultivating the Heaven Cleaving Saber might not amount to much in his hands. The Xia family is brave and invincible; even when outmatched, we fight to the death!" Hong Tan glanced at him. *Are you sure about that?* Marquis Xia beamed. "What are you looking at? In my younger days, I was quite the combatant too. Of course, nowadays harmony brings wealth." With that, he smiled again. "Let's wait and see. If he really can exhaust the puppet's energy, I'll count it as his victory!" And so, within the vast City Lord Manor, Su Yu darted and sprinted everywhere, evading the pursuit. With one hundred and eighty-six apertures, his recovery speed was quite fast. As long as the puppet was delayed for a brief moment, he could recover a portion of his strength. The origin qi within the City Lord Manor was dense, allowing him to replenish quickly. Just like that, one hour passed, then two hours... Three hours later! Panting like an ox, soaked in sweat, and his white robe blackened with grime, Su Yu dragged the motionless puppet back into the hall. "Marquis... I have won!" Su Yu gasped for air, large beads of sweat dripping from his chin. Marquis Xia smiled faintly and said, "If this weren't a puppet but a living person, do you think they would chase you until their origin qi was completely drained?" Su Yu said in a heavy voice, "If it were a person, I wouldn't have been restricted from using willpower. Moreover, if they couldn't catch me for hours, they would have given up the chase!" "Did you never consider fighting it head-on?" "It wasn't worth it." "Oh?" Su Yu explained, "It's merely a puppet, and the Marquis only asked me to win, not throw away my life. Stupidity would be fighting to the bitter end against a puppet, severely injuring myself in the process. Even if I won, I would have had to recuperate for a long time. In that case, I might as well spend a few hours wearing it out!" Marquis Xia suddenly burst out laughing. "Hahaha, that makes sense! As long as the green mountains remain, one need not fear running out of firewood! Fair enough! You little rascal, you're rather amusing, certainly more entertaining than those brutes!" Before Su Yu could rejoice, Marquis Xia's expression abruptly turned stern. "However, the Xia family's Heaven Cleaving Saber is only suited for brutes!" "..." Su Yu was at a loss for words. He gave a dry cough and said, "Marquis, actually, I can be quite brutal too!" "Is that so?" "Yes, when I risk my life, it's terrifying!" "How terrifying?" "Well... Instructor Xia Yuwen's student, who had opened one hundred and forty-four apertures and cultivated a peak Heaven-rank method, was flattened by me. He probably hasn't even woken up yet!" "There's such a thing?" Marquis Xia grew interested. Smiling, a jade talisman appeared in his hand, and he seemed to flip through some information. A moment later, he looked at Su Yu and couldn't help laughing. "You weren't lying; that really was rather brutal!" "However..." Marquis Xia put on a stern face again. "Xia Yuwen belongs to the Xia family, you know that? In the Great Xia Prefecture, members of the Xia family are the masters! How dare you commit insubordination against a master?" Without showing fear, Su Yu assumed an honest and simple expression. "The Xia family are the masters, which is why I only devote my life to the Xia family! Within the Xia family, I only acknowledge Brother Huyou! Brother Huyou and I are as close as blood brothers. Huyou previously said that his father is my father, and his grandfather is my grandfather..." Marquis Xia just stared at him! In all his years of living, this was the very first time he had encountered a junior who dared spout such absolute nonsense to his face! The crucial part was that he said it as if it were absolute truth! Marquis Xia laughed. "Clever boy! But there's no need to display your petty tricks before me. It seems you've figured out Huyou's identity. That's fine, but... outsiders have no place meddling in the dispute over the Xia family's Prefecture Lord position, understand? That is the Xia family's business!" "Understood!" Su Yu nodded. "I lack the ability to meddle anyway. The Marquis misunderstands!" Marquis Xia looked at him deeply, the sternness fading from his face as he chuckled. "Just scaring you a bit, don't be frightened! We're all people of the Great Xia Prefecture; what's all this talk of masters and servants? It was a joke. The Xia family are all benevolent folk who never oppress others. Xia Yuwen's student challenged you and was beaten; that's your own capability!" Su Yu wore an honest smile while remaining silent. Internally, he cursed under his breath! Marquis Xia's expression turned peculiar. He chuckled softly and said, "Su Yu, do you know what sets the Riyue Realm apart?" "Please enlighten me, Marquis!" "No need for enlightenment. Put simply, it involves a certain perception of danger... For instance, if someone very weak stands before you, harboring malice, slandering you, or cursing you in their mind, you can sense a bit of it!" Su Yu's expression changed drastically! *Holy shit!* *No one ever told me that!* He hastily glanced at Hong Tan. Hong Tan looked up at the ceiling. *You haven't reached Riyue, so I didn't bother telling you. Didn't you know?* *He probably didn't!* *Otherwise, this brat wouldn't have been knocked out earlier.* *Looks like you're cursing someone in your heart again!* Marquis Xia beamed at Su Yu and asked with a grin, "Su Yu, do you think this ability is fun?" Su Yu's face went pale! *Good heavens!* *Now I know why I passed out, and I know why this fat—ahem, why this wise and valiant Marquis Xia wasn't very friendly toward me!* *Marquis Xia is wise and valiant, strikingly handsome, mighty, and majestic!* …… At this moment, Su Yu's willpower operated frantically as he showered extravagant praise and flattery in his mind. From the bottom of his heart! Marquis Xia glanced at him, smiling faintly without a word. After a while, he said, "Put away those sickening thoughts! I can impart the technique to you, but the dao cannot be passed down lightly! Defeating the puppet merely proves you have the qualification. If you want to take the technique, tell me: what can you offer in exchange?" Su Yu asked cautiously, "Marquis, I am merely a student..." "No matter, selling yourself works too!" Marquis Xia said with a faint smile, "For example, serving in the military for twenty years after graduation." "Well... Marquis..." Su Yu whispered, "It's hard to say whether I can even live for twenty years. If I don't, you'll be making a loss! If I really sell myself for twenty years, to keep from losing out, you might have to protect me for twenty years. Wouldn't that be too great a loss for you?" "..." Marquis Xia stared at him silently. *There's such reasoning?* This kid was truly skilled at twisting concepts. At that moment, he remembered something: back then, this kid seemed to have swindled a massive sum of merit points from the Single Divine Character Faction. He was never an honest sort to begin with! Marquis Xia smiled. "Then tell me, what can you offer?" "The Marquis imparts the technique to me, and my grandmaster imparts a technique to Brother Huyou!" "A cultivation method?" "Correct!" Su Yu said earnestly, "Before coming here, my grandmaster said we could exchange methods! My grandmaster spent fifty years creating the *Thirty-Six Divine Shocking Heaven Scripture*, a basic cultural art that opens thirty-six divine apertures. Exchanging it for the Heaven Cleaving Saber seems entirely fair!" Marquis Xia frowned and snapped his gaze toward Hong Tan. Hong Tan continued staring at the ceiling. After a while, seeing Marquis Xia still glaring at him, he turned his head and said with a smile, "Can we trade? Of course, it's limited strictly to Xia Huyou. Just like your family's Heaven Cleaving Saber, you only impart it to Su Yu, and the same goes for our side." "Where did you get it?" "Created it myself!" "Think you can fool me?" Marquis Xia sneered. "If you had the ability to create such a technique, you wouldn't be Hong Tan!" "What do you mean by that?" "Hong Tan doesn't have that capability. Don't you get it?" "..." Hong Tan cursed inwardly! Marquis Xia's expression soured. *You're cursing me again!* "Just tell me whether you'll trade or not!" Hong Tan was too lazy to argue further. "If yes, then pass it down. If not, forget it!" Ignoring him, Marquis Xia suddenly turned to Su Yu. "Is that the cultural art you mentioned to others that day? Later on, I saw Huyou carrying a cultivation manual, claiming it was a Xia family legacy. I take it that's the Shocking Heaven Scripture you're talking about?" "Yes!" Su Yu smiled. "That's the one!" "You certainly planned well. The Xia family took the blame for you, and now you want the Xia family to trade a technique with you? Since Huyou already has it, why should I trade with you?" Su Yu smiled. "Marquis, Brother Huyou only has the method for opening thirty-five apertures." "With thirty-five, deducing the last one is simple!" Marquis Xia wore a calm expression. *You think you can stump me?* Su Yu nodded and chuckled. "The Xia family naturally has that ability. However, I made an agreement with Brother Huyou that it would only be taught to him and no one else. If the Marquis views it, you would be breaking the rules. If that's permissible, the Xia family's Heaven Cleaving Saber would have spread everywhere long ago. The entire Great Xia Prefecture observes the Xia family's rules, yet the Xia family fails to observe them. Marquis, that is not a loss a single cultivation method can compensate for! "The Xia family is the spirit and soul of the Great Xia Prefecture. Superiors set the example, and subordinates follow. When the time comes, what is lost cannot be replaced by any manual. Marquis, what do you think?" Marquis Xia laughed. "Putting me in check? Quite interesting!" Chuckling, he added, "Over the years, no one has ever taken advantage of me. You want to be the first? Without receiving a single cent, I'm supposed to impart a technique to you?" "The Soul Devour Art!" Without hesitation, Su Yu stated directly, "I'll add the Soul Devour Art as well, but I want the text of will for the Heaven Cleaving Saber! Along with the accompanying martial skills! While the Soul Devour Art is only a peak Yellow-rank method, far inferior to the Heaven Cleaving Saber, the Marquis should be well aware of its benefits." Marquis Xia looked at him and smiled. The kid certainly had boldness! A cultural art plus the Soul Devour Art in exchange for the Heaven Cleaving Saber's text of will and accompanying skills—which side held more value? That depended on the person! A peak Heaven-rank Heaven Cleaving Saber was no cabbage off the street; it was the exclusive technique of the Great Xia King, and the Great Xia King was a peak figure even among Invincibles. "Fine!" Without further ado, Marquis Xia agreed immediately and added, "Only by fusing sixteen apertures into one can the true might of the Heaven Cleaving Saber be unleashed! Currently in the Xia family—among Xia Huyou, Xia Yuwen, and Xia Chan—even Xia Yuwen has only fused fourteen into one. No one has managed sixteen! "If you can achieve it, I'll grant you a great opportunity." "An opportunity?" "Indeed!" Marquis Xia gave a faint smile. "You know Xia Longwu, right? An existence soon to advance to Invincible! If you step into the Wanshi Realm and fuse sixteen into one before he advances, you may observe his ascension!" Su Yu was speechless. He wouldn't dare; he valued his life. Advancing to Invincible usually required going to the All-Heavens Battlefield, right? He would likely have to battle other Invincibles. A stray graze could reduce Su Yu to powder! Marquis Xia said wistfully, "His ascension would bring immense benefits to you. At that time, anyone cultivating the Heaven Cleaving Saber will be influenced by him. With enough luck, you might even comprehend some mysteries of the Invincible Realm. Isn't that opportunity grand enough?" Su Yu looked at Hong Tan. Hong Tan frowned slightly and smiled. "We'll see when the time comes!" Su Yu was too weak! If Su Yu were in the Riyue Realm, the benefits he would gain from Xia Longwu's ascension would be unimaginable. That would truly be a monumental opportunity! He had no idea what Fat Xia was thinking; this fellow was becoming increasingly inscrutable. Without saying more, Marquis Xia smiled, and two manuals materialized in his hand out of thin air. "One is the cultivation method, and the other is the martial skill! The cultivation method unleashes aperture power, while the martial skill is essentially an application method, allowing you to adapt progressively to the power surge!" Tossing them casually to Su Yu, Marquis Xia said indifferently, "Don't bring shame to the name of the Heaven Cleaving Saber! Otherwise, if the old man finds out, he'll personally step in to reclaim it! Across the entire Human Realm, among warriors cultivating peak Heaven-rank methods in the same realm, almost no one can defeat our Xia family!" *Almost... which means there are still exceptions.* Su Yu understood. That made sense; after all, the Great Xia King wasn't the undisputed number one in the world. Even so, excitement stirred within him. A peak Heaven-rank method was the strongest technique he had ever obtained, vastly superior to methods like the Body Strengthening Art. As for the accompanying martial skill, it likely wouldn't lose to *Time*. Seeming to grow impatient, Marquis Xia yawned and said, "That's all. Hand the Soul Devour Art to Huyou later! Also, as for your Shocking Heaven Scripture, Huyou will cultivate it, and we won't steal it. Likewise, the Heaven Cleaving Saber must not be taught to outsiders!" "Understood!" Su Yu bowed, saying no more. Hong Tan was equally pleased that no money had been spent. Fortunately, the kid had some trump cards of his own; otherwise, getting their hands on it today would have been difficult. "Then we'll take our leave!" Without standing on ceremony, Hong Tan rose, grabbed Su Yu, and made for the exit. He had no desire to linger in the City Lord Manor, especially with the strange way Fat Xia was looking at him. …… Once Su Yu and Hong Tan had left, Marquis Xia yawned and said lazily, "Eldest nephew, you're supposed to be in secluded cultivation, you know that? Running around outside all day long—is this what you call seclusion?" In the void, Xia Longwu's figure materialized directly. He said indifferently, "Second Uncle, whether there are ruins in Nanyuan should be investigated and clarified as soon as possible. This Su Yu might also be a Riyue candidate. If he grows strong, he could add another Riyue to our Great Xia Prefecture!" "I know, you don't need to tell me!" Marquis Xia said irritably, "Stop ordering me around all day! If you're unhappy, come out of seclusion and do the work yourself! By the way, regarding Xia Yuwen, spend your own money to save him; I'm broke!" Xia Longwu said nothing. After a moment's thought, Marquis Xia added, "Huyou's strength is a bit weak. How about letting his physical body advance first..." "No rush!" Xia Longwu said calmly, "Give him some pressure and let him find his own way. For the Xia family to grow strong, they must rely on themselves. We have already given him more than enough!" "Suit yourself!" Not caring either way, Marquis Xia ignored him and walked toward the inner courtyard on his own, remarking as he walked, "Over at the Zhou family, Zhou Potian should be nearly ready as well, right? The Zhou family certainly produces talent; Zhou Potian and Zhou Polong have both reached this stage. Tell me, should I continue pursuing the divine character path?" "Suit yourself." Xia Longwu gave the exact same answer before promptly vanishing from the spot. Marquis Xia curled his lip. *'Suit yourself' my ass!* Shaking his head with a sigh, he reflected that while the previous generation of the Great Xia Prefecture had plenty of experts, the new generation was indeed somewhat lacking. As for himself, he was currently pondering whether to abandon the divine character path and focus exclusively on the physical body. As for Su Yu, who had just left, he remembered him, but didn't pay it too much mind. There were too many geniuses; the Great Xia Prefecture never lacked for them. How far the boy could go would depend on Su Yu himself. Before reaching the Shanhai Realm, it was hard to truly draw his attention. A Riyue candidate... was merely a candidate. Still, he seemed quite adept at doing business. If things didn't work out, perhaps he could recruit the kid into the Xia Commercial Firm.