The Final Person

Walking along the path, Su Yu was still turning things over in his mind. Liu Hong… That fellow was genuinely intriguing. Was assigning Yang Sha and the others to his team an act of genuine confidence in Su Yu's ability to win, or simply a ploy to drag him down? Su Yu had already seen right through him. There was no point discussing Single versus Multiple Divine Characters with a man like that; he was a quintessential egoist. As long as there was personal gain in it for him, he couldn't care less whether you belonged to the Single or Multiple faction. "The Single Divine Character Faction… Heh!" Su Yu gave a faint chuckle. In that faction, there were plenty of people like Liu Hong. Then again, the larger the faction, the messier the internal politics. It was only natural! Back when the Multiple Divine Characters Faction had been in its heyday, it surely hadn't lacked its own internal strife either. It was peaceful now simply because so few of them were left. Wherever people gathered in numbers, intrigue and infighting inevitably followed. *** Wen Tan Research Center. Having been away for several days, Su Yu had no idea whether Bai Feng was still in the research center. When he went inside to look, the living quarters were coated in a fine layer of dust; clearly, no one was around. Hong Tan was probably absent as well. Su Yu guessed he might have gone to help Teacher Liu comb through his divine characters, a task that only Bai Feng and Hong Tan were capable of undertaking. Su Yu didn't mind. If they weren't here, they weren't here. Then a thought struck him… Did his grandteacher or teacher remember to feed the great demons? He hadn't visited them in quite a few days! His grandteacher had returned, swamped with business and busy cultivating in seclusion. All told, it had been nearly ten days since Su Yu had last gone down to feed them. The last time he went had been to interrogate the Water Person. He had given yuanqi liquid to the Water Person and its companions, but not a drop to the Mountain-Boring Ox and the others. Counting it up, those few hadn't been fed in a very long time. *Is the Suanni still alive?* The thought suddenly surfaced in Su Yu's mind. He had better go check. If his grandteacher hadn't remembered to feed them, it would be a shame if they actually starved to death. *** Detention Area. The iron door swung open. Su Yu stepped into the main hall. The Suanni was extraordinarily quiet, crouching flat on the ground, its massive face filled with terror. Seeing that it was Su Yu, it breathed a visible sigh of relief. Thank heavens! Su Yu gave it an odd look. "You're still alive?" "…" The Suanni wanted to roar, wanted to curse, wanted to tear this bastard to shreds. Yet at this moment, it lacked the nerve. With a tinge of sorrow, it said, "Still alive. After all, the Suanni race still possesses research value." "Fair enough!" Su Yu nodded with a grin. Over to the side, the Mountain-Boring Ox piped up hurriedly, "Su Yu, give me a drop of yuanqi liquid! I have an old lair on the All-Heavens Battlefield filled with hidden treasures! How about I give you the map in exchange for just one drop of yuanqi liquid?!" The Fire Crow screeched even more shrilly, "Give me a drop too! I have good things! The fire of the Fire Crow race can incinerate the sea of will! I possess natal flames that can temper your cultural weapon! Once coated in my flame, your cultural weapon will burn an opponent's sea of will!" Su Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You had an ability like that? Why didn't you mention it earlier? Too bad, though. I already know the Soul Devour Art. Ever heard of it? The innate skill of the Soul-Devouring Insects…" "That's trash tier!" The Fire Crow hurried to argue, "I know that race! Unless it's a broodmother, they're utter garbage! It takes thousands upon thousands of Soul-Devouring Insects just to threaten a single Tengkong! But my Fire Crow race's natal flame directly incinerates the sea of will—it's nothing like what that trash race does! What they corrode is willpower, not the sea of will itself! One is the root, and the other is the outward manifestation of power! They're completely different!" It was truly desperate! It had been months! It was genuinely on the brink of starvation. This fellow Su Yu had shown zero concern for whether it lived or died. From beginning to end, he had handed out a measly two drops of yuanqi liquid across all this time! Su Yu arched a brow. "That powerful? Directly incinerating the sea of will? Then why isn't your race among the top hundred?" The Fire Crow screeched, "Our race does fine against Civilization Masters, but our physical bodies are far too frail to withstand powerful warriors! Our bodies don't match our willpower—unlike the top hundred great races, who boast both powerful warriors and powerful Civilization Masters! But whenever we encounter a Civilization Master, our Fire Crow race is their natural bane!" The Fire Crow race wasn't particularly weak; they ranked 418th among all races. That was despite their glaring physical weakness, relying purely on the path of willpower to claw their way into the top five hundred of the myriad races. The Fire Crow continued rapidly, "Back in the day, our race's Fire Crow King incinerated an Invincible Realm Civilization Master using natal flames! We possess immense might! Civilization Masters who encounter us are frequently overpowered, even when they're of a higher tier…" Curious, Su Yu asked, "Then against warriors whose willpower is weaker, isn't it even easier to kill them?" "It doesn't work that way…" The Fire Crow explained anxiously, "Warriors are rich in yuanqi and physically formidable. Relying solely on burning their sea of will makes it difficult to finish them off. But Civilization Masters have frail bodies; once their sea of will is torched, they lose both combat strength and the capacity to counterattack…" At its wit's end, it cast all pride aside and pressed on, "I cannot bestow my natal flame upon you, nor can you master our innate skill, but I can temper your cultural weapon for you, imbuing it with the ability to burn the sea of will!" "Is that a willpower martial skill of yours?" "It is a divine art…" the Fire Crow answered hastily. "Across the myriad worlds, martial skills used by Civilization Masters are known as divine arts, fueled by divine apertures!" "Whereas the martial skills used by warriors are called yuan techniques." Su Yu rolled his eyes. "Nonsense, as if I need you to lecture me! Did you think I didn't know that? Furthermore, if you temper my cultural weapon, can it burn the sea of will of someone in the Tengkong Realm?" "It can!" The Fire Crow insisted, "I am at the seventh tier of the Tengkong Realm. Though I'm the weakest here, if I temper your cultural weapon, it will definitely possess the power to burn those in the first three tiers of Tengkong! One tempering will last at least a month! Of course, frequent usage will rapidly deplete the flame's power!" "Really?" Su Yu regarded it with skepticism. "If your race could temper cultural weapons for weaker individuals like that, wouldn't your underlings constantly leapfrog tiers to slay stronger foes?" Filled with grief and indignation, the Fire Crow squawked, "It's true! But natal flames are meant only for desperate life-and-death struggles! We would never temper weapons for outsiders under normal circumstances! But right now… I want to live!" It was as simple as that! It wanted to survive. As for the depletion of its natal flame, there was no point dwelling on that. If it died, what good was keeping its natal flame? Over on the other side, the Mountain-Boring Ox chimed in anxiously, "I… our race… we bore through mountains to unearth treasures, our bodies are durable, and we're the best at labor! How about… I serve as your mount? The Mountain-Boring Ox race makes the absolute best mounts…" The Mountain-Boring Ox was at the ninth tier of Tengkong, stronger than the Fire Crow, designated as Specimen 4. At this moment, it couldn't care less about its dignity. Joking aside, if it didn't find a way out soon, it was going to starve to death. The Fire Crow could at least offer to temper cultural weapons. The ox racked its brain and realized it had virtually no special skills to offer. The Mountain-Boring Ox race had sturdy bodies, yet they fell short of the Mountain-Breaking Oxen. Their innate skills weren't particularly formidable either. Strictly speaking, they had nothing unique, though their survivability was quite high. While humans had to reach the Sunmoon Realm to regenerate from a single drop of blood, a Mountain-Boring Ox with decent luck could accomplish it even at the Tengkong Realm. "A mount?" Su Yu chuckled. "I'm someone who cherishes his life. Who knows if you'll harbor ill intentions once I take you outside and turn on your master?" "I won't! I swear I won't!" The Mountain-Boring Ox pleaded, "The human Beast Taming Faction is exceedingly proficient. I am fully willing to accept a contract…" "We'll see." "Su Yu…" Su Yu snapped impatiently, "You're too ugly! Understand? Not a shred of valor or majesty in your build; you look like one of those pathetically weak species. The Suanni, on the other hand, looks decent enough. It has good presence…" The Suanni stared back at him blankly. *No, absolutely not!* *I would rather die than become a mount!* Su Yu didn't dwell on it. He smiled and said, "Cut the chatter. Tempering cultural weapons, serving as mounts… let's talk about it later! Earlier, I had a need for you lot, but now, to be blunt, none of you make the cut." Su Yu remarked casually, "To tell you the truth, I'm starting to find you all a bit too weak. Even the Water Person, at the seventh tier of Lingyun, isn't all that impressive! The adversaries your Grandpa Su has provoked lately aren't mere Qianjun or Wanshi—opponents at that level, I can crush with my own hands. I've been provoking plenty of Shanhai and Sunmoon experts…" The great demons stood dumbstruck! Su Yu smiled faintly. "Just stay here and obediently serve as blood-extraction machines. In the future, I'll find some spare time to come feed you. Right now, I might not be a match for you yet, but that day is coming fast. Once you're weaker than me, what use would I have for you—slaughtering you for meat?" At that moment, even the Water Person couldn't resist manifesting its form, asking hesitantly, "Are you… close to the Tengkong Realm?" "Very close!" Su Yu smiled. "If I weren't busy cultivating formidable techniques, my physical body would have reached Tengkong long ago!" With those words, his body shuddered! The apertures throughout his entire body blazed open! A full three hundred apertures radiated brilliant light! This was the fruit of completing the Sky-Opening Saber and cultivating Suppressing the Sun and Moon, the second tier of the Time Art. Three hundred apertures! Su Yu said calmly, "Do you see? I have opened three hundred apertures—now that is what you call a genius! Those whom you perceive as weak aren't necessarily weak at all. Once all my apertures merge into one and I step into the Wanshi Realm, ordinary Tengkong experts might not even be a match for me!" The great demons were shaken to their core! Shadow swiftly materialized as well, murmuring in a low voice, "You've been playing us, haven't you?" "A joke!" Su Yu sneered, "A bunch of prisoners—would I need to play you? I was merely humoring you! I had free time to kill and nothing better to do, so I came down to amuse myself! Furthermore, if I hadn't been cultivating the Expanding Will Art, a formidable willpower cultivation method, my willpower would have already reached Tengkong!" Instantly, a tremendous wave of willpower surged forth! It far surpassed that of an ordinary peak Yangxing cultivator! Having opened forty-four divine apertures, Su Yu's willpower had been tempered over a dozen times by the small hammer. Its saturation had reached eighty percent. In terms of pure intensity alone, it was almost comparable to Tier-2 willpower. It was only because his willpower was not yet fully saturated or manifested that it remained classified as Tier-1. In the next instant, murderous aura erupted, lightning flashed, and illusions manifested… Su Yu gave a faint smile. "I have also mastered quite a few Tier-2 divine characters! To me, the Tengkong Realm is nothing special!" "…" The great demons stared at him, falling dead silent. Su Yu's combat strength was truly approaching the Tengkong Realm! The Water Person spoke softly, "You've been concealing your true strength all along, haven't you? You're not a freshman?" "Wrong, I am a freshman!" Su Yu smiled. "It's just that I am far more gifted and far more powerful than you imagined! Moreover, my backing is vastly stronger than you realize! Just a few days ago, my enlightenment mentor cleaved a Sunmoon expert to death in a single strike! Liu Wenyan of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, the eldest disciple of the Fifth Manor Lord—I wonder if you've heard of him. "He is my teacher on the path of divine characters. And on the physical path, I have earned the favor of the Xia Family; Manor Lord Xia, who is on the verge of ascending to the Invincible Realm, personally bestowed upon me the Heaven-grade top-tier Sky-Opening Saber…" In the next moment, a saber materialized in Su Yu's hand—the cultural weapon he had named the Seal Saber. "Kill!" A low shout tore through the air, carrying towering murderous intent! Without even swinging the blade, an explosion of yuanqi and willpower accompanied a surge of murderous intent that saturated the entire underground chamber. The Water Person let out a soft sigh! A monster! Murderous aura erupted before the saber had even been unleashed, yet that killing intent alone would have shattered the sea of will of an ordinary Yangxing cultivator! Formidable! At least among those in his tier, not a soul could rival this youth! Both the Water Person and Shadow now regarded him with utter gravity, having shed every trace of their former condescension. The Water Person said gently, "We underestimated you. It seems you never trusted us from the very beginning. Then again, had you been that foolish, you wouldn't have earned the esteem of those figures. "Su Yu, since you're no longer concealing your strength, say whatever is on your mind! Let us speak plainly. What price must we pay if we want to live?" Su Yu gave a faint smile. "Now that sounds more like it! Each of you acted so high and mighty, imagining yourselves extraordinary just because you're Tengkong or Lingyun! Let alone Tengkong—once I truly step into Tengkong, slaying Lingyun will be well within my grasp! I'm only willing to talk because I still have a sliver of interest. Once that interest wanes, you will simply become dishes to go with my wine!" At this moment, even the Suanni abandoned its arrogance, asking in a heavy voice, "What must we give to preserve our lives?" Su Yu chuckled. "There's no hurry right now. I've already asked my grandteacher to submit an application for you to serve as mounts. When I have need of you, I'll come find you—for instance, if I travel outside on missions, I might bring you along. Naturally, you beasts are crafty and treacherous; you're hardly trustworthy! Bringing you along carries a high probability of you turning on your master. Even though you would certainly die in the end, my life is far too precious; your worthless lives couldn't possibly compensate for mine!" At those words, the great demons felt a flash of indignation. Su Yu said coldly, "Is there something inaccurate about that? What are you beasts within your own races? Elites? Royal bloodlines? Descendants of Invincibles? If that were true, you wouldn't have wound up in such a miserable state! Whereas I have the Xia Family backing me and the Multiple Divine Characters Faction supporting me. Experts of the Shanhai, Sunmoon, and Invincible realms hold me in high regard. Do your lives even compare to mine?" The great demons were silent. They might have been considered talents, but the Invincible Realm was worlds beyond them. Su Yu flicked out several drops of yuanqi liquid and said with a chuckle, "All right, don't get angry; it was just a joke! We'll talk later. Stay alive; only by living long do you have any hope. If you die early, there's no hope at all!" Having said that, he turned to leave. The Fire Crow called out hurriedly, "Then what about tempering your cultural weapon…?" "I'll look into it. If it truly works, I'll take you to see Master Zhao Li, the son of the Fourth Manor Lord, to make sure you aren't trying to trick me. Do you know of my master, Zhao Li?" The Fire Crow hesitated briefly before asking, "A descendant of the Great Xia Civilization Academy's Fourth Manor Lord, Zhao Sanri?" *Zhao Sanri? Zhao Three-Days?* Su Yu frowned. As if sensing his displeasure, the Fire Crow rushed to explain, "I didn't make that up! That's what the myriad races called him! He possessed a 'Yuan' divine character that granted him inexhaustible yuanqi and profound willpower. He once battled a peak Sunmoon expert for three days and three nights, wearing the opponent down to death! Of course, he also succumbed to his grievous injuries… and ultimately perished! It's a title of respect, nothing derogatory…" Su Yu was inwardly astounded! He truly hadn't known about that past event. The Fourth Manor Lord had fallen by taking down a peak Sunmoon expert with him! Battles between supreme experts were typically decided in an instant. A battle raging for three days and three nights was the stuff of legends. To think the Fourth Manor Lord had actually achieved such a feat! And from what Su Yu recalled, the Fourth Manor Lord hadn't even been at the peak of Sunmoon, had he? "So that's how it is. It's him indeed, and he is also my teacher on the path of weapon forging!" Su Yu smiled faintly. "It seems the Fourth Manor Lord had quite the reputation. It's good that you know of him. Master Zhao is most skilled in weapon forging. As for your proposal to temper cultural weapons… if Master Zhao takes a liking to you, I'll gift you to him as a little fellow to tend the quenching fire. How about that?" The Fire Crow was at a loss for words! A quenching fire boy… what kind of role was that? Despite its helplessness, it still answered, "If Lord Zhao does not disdain me, I am willing to serve as a fire-quenching lad!" "We'll see!" Su Yu left the answer ambiguous. These beasts needed their arrogance ground down. They were far too prideful—at least before Su Yu, always assuming he was weak, ignorant, and easily manipulated with small favors. And now, Su Yu had made it crystal clear: you lot don't amount to a fart! In due time, once I grow strong, you will be nothing! *** Su Yu departed. Once he was gone, Shadow let out a faint sigh. "We've been played. From the very beginning, he knew exactly what we wanted and was deliberately toying with us. Everyone, look out for your own survival. There's one thing he didn't lie about: once he reaches Tengkong… will he still have any use for us?" Shadow murmured softly, "Just like Bai Feng in the past. Before reaching Tengkong, he showed great interest in us. But once he truly stepped into Tengkong… in his eyes, we were nothing more than playthings providing blood. At that point, he no longer had any need for us!" As these humans grew in strength, those who had once valued and coveted you would cast you aside the moment they reached higher ground! In Hong Tan's eyes, aside from providing blood for his students to study, their greatest remaining utility was probably being roasted over an open fire! Different tiers brought different perspectives, changing how one viewed the world! Once Su Yu truly reached Hong Tan's level, would he care in the slightest about a few Tengkong or Lingyun beasts? "Shadow, what are you getting at…?" Shadow murmured, "Nothing much. I am a born assassin! I'm not suited to being a mount; humans don't have the habit of riding humanoid beings anyway. So the mount path isn't for me. It all comes down to whether this young man has an appetite for covert dirty work. If he does, then there will be a place for me!" The Water Person added gently, "Assassination is my forte as well!" The White Li chimed in charmingly, "Mine too!" Shadow chuckled softly. "It will depend on whether he harbors such intentions. He most likely does; otherwise… there would have been no need to flaunt his background, his patrons, and his talent to us… Though by the looks of it, he has no shortage of enemies either." "Does he really dare train assassins right inside the Great Xia Prefecture…?" Before the Mountain-Boring Ox could finish, the Suanni snapped in exasperation, "Idiot! Once outside the prefectural city, the Great Xia Prefecture won't bother policing him! Outside the city, a brat who puts on airs like him might well intentionally show weakness to lure enemies into a trap. That's when we become useful! The Multiple Divine Characters Faction has too few people. Formidable as they are, all eyes are on them. He clearly wants to cultivate a hidden force that no one knows about, whether for self-defense or ambushing others!" Shadow murmured, "Indeed, I believe that is his plan! Su Yu… young though he is, possesses a sharp mind and deep cunning. He's far more troublesome to deal with than Bai Feng!" The Suanni retorted crossly, "Nonsense! Bai Feng at least worried we might actually starve to death. This kid genuinely couldn't care less! In his eyes, if we demon beasts cannot be put to use, our deaths mean nothing. Who couldn't see that?!" "I didn't see that…" the Mountain-Boring Ox muttered. *How on earth did you see that?* The Suanni was speechless and couldn't be bothered to engage. *You might as well drop dead.* Shadow said nothing more. "Ponder it yourselves. I need to think as well and find a way out. After being imprisoned for so many years, I want to see the outside world again…" If they missed this chance with Su Yu, would there ever be another candidate? Time was running out! Once Su Yu reached Tengkong, he truly might have no need for them. Their final opportunity was to pledge absolute allegiance before Su Yu broke through. *** Upstairs. Su Yu smiled to himself, putting the great demons out of his mind. Playing dumb all the time was boring; this approach was far more stimulating. Two Lingyun and four Tengkong, the weakest being at the seventh tier of Tengkong—they constituted a respectable force. The Multiple Divine Characters Faction had too few people! That was an undeniable fact. Even though Su Yu was currently valued, expecting powerful experts to protect him every time he set foot outside was pure fantasy. Manpower was simply too scarce. Taming these great demons offered a viable solution. However, beastly nature was difficult to alter; he still needed to guard against betrayal. Setting that aside, a voice transmission talisman appeared in his hand. "Brother Lin, have you signed up for the slot competition?" "No, Brother Su. I can't win anyway; my strength is far too low…" "It doesn't matter. Go sign up. I've already arranged everything. For this competition, teams of five will be formed via a random draw. You will be assigned to my team. I'll carry you to victory; securing a slot will be effortless!" "Brother Su, really?!" "Of course!" Su Yu grinned. "If there's anyone else you want to bring along, just say the word. I'll do my best to arrange them into my team. Don't pick anyone too strong. Only weaklings will make outsiders think they're dead weight dragging me down, preventing anyone from catching on." On the other end, Lin Yao was utterly flabbergasted, his thoughts racing! Was the Mutual Aid Society truly this formidable?! Su Yu could actually manipulate a competition organized by the Single Divine Character Faction! Right, his own teacher was one of the organizers. Could it be… that his teacher was secretly involved too?! It had to be! At that thought, Lin Yao hurriedly replied, "Brother Su, can I really bring someone else? It won't interfere with your plans, will it?" "No harm. Name them!" "Then… what do you think of my senior brother?" "Yang Sha?" "Yes!" "That works!" Su Yu promptly replied, "However, you must ensure he becomes one of ours. You may drop a few subtle hints about the Mutual Aid Society, but do not disclose my existence. You only need to tell him that you can guarantee him a slot. That will suffice! As for whether he believes it, let him decide. Furthermore, you may recruit him into the Mutual Aid Society, but remember: keep it single-line contact. He will report solely to you in the future, with no overlap with anyone else!" Recruit a subordinate? Lin Yao was startled. *I'm already qualified to recruit subordinates?* "Brother Su, could this… be moving a bit too fast? How about I observe my senior brother a bit longer? If he's truly suitable, I'll bring him in. If not, there's no need to grant him a slot this time." "Fine, handle it as you see fit!" Ending the transmission with Lin Yao, Su Yu smiled. There was no need for him to make frequent personal appearances; it lacked stature. An insignificant figure like Yang Sha could be left entirely to Lin Yao. Even if Yang Sha was exposed, what did that have to do with him? As long as Lin Yao kept quiet, no information would leak. "Liu Hong…" Su Yu muttered softly. In truth, he wanted Liu Hong to solidify his standing and serve as a shield! Otherwise, even if Liu Hong wanted to target him this time, it wouldn't be quite so simple. The most straightforward method was to challenge the Top 100 Rankings, fight his way into the top ten or even the top three, and demonstrate to everyone that Su Yu had the potential to win even on his own. That way, when he exposed Liu Hong's schemes, far more people would believe Su Yu, and far more would question Liu Hong. Right now, outsiders simply had no inkling of Su Yu's true strength. As for why Liu Hong was so confident Su Yu could win… it wasn't necessarily a gamble; he was simply placing pawns casually. His younger brother and disciple weren't going to win anyway. "A fellow who cares only for himself—it would be best if he actually rises to power, perhaps even becoming their lineage head. That would be truly amusing! When disaster strikes, that guy will run faster than anyone!" Su Yu chuckled. Of course, he wouldn't underestimate his opponents either. Although his strength had increased dramatically, many senior students would be participating. Su Yu had nothing to fear in a one-on-one duel, but one against five… that remained exceedingly perilous! When others formed teams, they would inevitably choose powerful allies. Of course, in a random draw, it would depend on luck. "This competition is organized by the Single Divine Character Faction. Even if there's some shady maneuvering behind the scenes regarding team selection, the academy might not bother to intervene…" Su Yu exhaled. Those other competitors would love nothing more than having one less rival; seeing his teammates turn out to be trash would probably thrill them. Who would speak up on his behalf? Unless figures like Zhan Hai also encountered rigged draws and were saddled with weaklings, no one was going to complain about the competition being unfair. That was just the reality of it. And that was also the rule. Because they were the ones organizing the competition and providing the slots. Anyone with enough wealth could pull off the same stunt. "As for the final person… who should I choose?" Su Yu fell into deep thought. He still needed to find a dependable teammate; he couldn't realistically rely on himself alone. Figures like Zhang Hao had undoubtedly secured their own slots already and might not enter the competition. Even if they did, dragging them in to risk their lives alongside him wouldn't be appropriate! *They must be strong! Willing to fight desperately! Unafeared of death! And they shouldn't be targeted by the Single Divine Character Faction afterward…* At that moment, a name flashed through his mind! Su Yu's eyes gleamed, and a grin spread across his face. Intriguing. He wondered if that fellow would be interested! *** Late at night. Yangxing Garden. Su Yu knocked on the door. A deep voice came from inside: "Who is it?" "Me!" After a brief pause, the door opened. Zhou Hao, dressed as usual in short practical attire, peered out with eyes full of vigilance and confusion. "Can we talk inside?" Zhou Hao eyed him, stepping back to let him enter, every movement taut with alert caution. Su Yu! To think he had actually come looking for him! For what? "Are your injuries healed?" Su Yu glanced at his arms, took a seat on the sofa, and smiled. "Your teacher doesn't seem to have recovered from his despair yet, but you've recovered quite well. It seems you haven't given in to despair." "Despair?" A trace of wild defiance surfaced on Zhou Hao's face. "As long as I'm not dead, why should I despair? Escaping death has long been routine for me!" "Routine… truly a terrifying force!" Su Yu laughed. "Sit down and let's talk. Why look at me with such suspicion? This is the academy; what could I possibly do to you?" Zhou Hao said nothing, taking a seat across from him. "Do you want to become stronger?" Su Yu asked. Zhou Hao replied calmly, "I ventured out precisely to become stronger!" "Do you dare risk your life?" "What do you think?" Su Yu chuckled and nodded. "You certainly dare! Who knows what state your teacher is in right now; he probably doesn't have the time to look after you. Given your current situation, without your teacher's backing, you're practically ruined. You can't compete for resources, you can't make progress, and you can't cultivate willpower… I know the Thousand Mountains Art—it's exceedingly difficult to reach the Wanshi Realm with it. That's why you came to the Civilization Academy in the first place, but now, you have no way to cultivate willpower, do you?" Zhou Hao remained silent. Xia Yuwen wasn't paying any attention to him, still lying in bed over at the Xia Family residence. He had been completely left to fend for himself! "Do you know about the slot competition for the Sea of Consciousness Mystic Realm? Only there can you rapidly elevate your willpower to catch up with those veteran students and top experts. Otherwise, you'll be stuck in the Qianjun Realm for the rest of your life!" Zhou Hao stared at him, his voice heavy. "You want me to join the competition?" "Yes, on my team!" Su Yu smiled. "It's a five-person team competition. I'll be bringing three pieces of dead weight with me. For the fourth, I'd prefer someone who isn't useless. You might not be exceptionally powerful, but right now you have no backer, no resources, and no background… Crucially, you dare put your life on the line. That's exactly the kind of person I need. If you get beaten to death, I won't lose any sleep over it—which makes it even better!" Zhou Hao was undeniably formidable; someone in the top thirty of the Top 100 Rankings might not necessarily defeat him. The key lay in how ruthless he was, how readily he fought to kill! Every move was a lethal strike! Last time, even after being battered to such a state by Su Yu, he had still wanted to fight to the bitter end. People like that were exceedingly difficult to deal with! Zhou Hao bared his teeth in a grin. "I've heard about this competition. There are many strong competitors. With you and me together, can we win?" "Why couldn't we?" Su Yu smiled. "As long as you dare hold off whoever I need you to hold off at the critical moment, I'm confident of victory! For example, if we run into Zhan Hai and his team of five, you stall Zhan Hai for a moment while I dispose of the others, and then I'll come back to finish him off. Naturally, we can win. But if you can't hold him off… our chances aren't great!" "Zhan Hai?" "First on the Top 100 Rankings, someone who has traded blows with a Tengkong expert without losing. Can you stall him?" Su Yu said calmly, "If you can stall him, we have something to talk about. If not… it will be difficult!" "Traded blows with Tengkong…" Zhou Hao's expression turned solemn. After a long pause, he bared his teeth in a grin. "Is killing allowed?" "You're thinking of killing him?" "No. If killing isn't allowed, and I fight him with my life on the line, he won't dare kill me. That gives him misgivings, and with misgivings, I can hold him off!" Zhou Hao sneered, "Cultivators who don't dare kill aren't terrifying! Where there is hesitation, there are flaws! Truly terrifying cultivators are those without hesitation. If he dared to kill me, I wouldn't be able to hold him!" Su Yu nodded slightly with a chuckle. "That's very true! He won't dare kill you, rest assured! That cheap master of yours might be broken in spirit right now, but isn't he still breathing? How would Zhan Hai dare kill you? It would be one thing if he were weaker than you, but you're only in Qianjun—how could he dare kill you? Even an accidental kill wouldn't be tolerated…" "Then I can stall him!" Su Yu chuckled. "In that case, we can collaborate for once!" Su Yu stood up. "If you want to secure a slot, then risk your life. If not, forget it. You can ask your teacher if he can procure a slot for you; perhaps you won't even need to risk your life to get one!" Zhou Hao bared his teeth with a grin. "I prefer using my life to trade for what I want!" Su Yu smiled at that. "I like that approach as well! Taking what you want with your own hands feels much better! Too bad… you're too weak. It seems this might be our only chance to work together. And one more thing: don't provoke me next time. I know you aren't afraid of dying. Unfortunately, I am. Even though I frequently brush with death, I cherish my life, which is why I prefer killing anyone who poses a threat to me!" Su Yu let out a soft laugh, and a flicker of killing intent flared before instantly receding. That chilling murderous intent caused Zhou Hao to recoil a step! His face was filled with utter solemnity! Su Yu was far stronger than he had been last time! "If your strength is lacking, use your life to trade for opportunity. I sought you out because you have the guts to fight desperately. If you don't put your life on the line, don't blame me for forfeiting and refusing to play with you!" With a faint laugh, Su Yu stepped out the door. Zhou Hao… made for an excellent partner. As an opponent, Zhou Hao was terrifying and troublesome, but as an ally fighting alongside him, Su Yu loved madmen who threw away their lives, fighting with sheer ferocity! Zhou Hao's actual strength might not match Qiu Yun's, but if Qiu Yun were to clash with him, the one who ended up dead would undoubtedly be Qiu Yun! Strictly speaking, that fellow was somewhat of a kindred spirit. Su Yu wasn't afraid of dying in battle because he had died countless times in his dreams. As for Zhou Hao, he had likely encountered real mortal peril on a regular basis. If Su Yu wasn't mistaken, he had probably grown up surrounded by demon beasts. He was very likely a feral child raised in the wilderness, where demon beasts roamed constantly!