Slaying a Tengkong

Su Yu began walking back, absorbing some baleful qi along the way to nurture his divine characters casually. The "Kill" divine character had long advanced to Tier 2, so it did not truly need much nourishment. Su Yu did not intend to push it to Tier 3 either; at his current stage, having a Tier-3 divine character would only increase the burden on him without offering much practical help. As for the "Blood" divine character, ever since it absorbed some residual Sun and Moon divine character aura last time, it had been right on the verge of advancing. Su Yu had not dared nurture it any further. After walking for a while, he returned to the previous spot, but the person who had been cultivating there was already gone. Su Yu paid it no mind. At that moment, his voice-transmission talisman vibrated slightly. He opened it to take a look; it was the information on the Zhang family sent by Xia Huyou. "The Zhang family, a Tengkong clan in the northern suburbs..." The Zhang family actually had four cultivators in the Tengkong Realm! That made them quite a formidable clan! The family head, Zhang Wu, and his wife, Hu Feng, were at the ninth and seventh stages of Tengkong respectively. Their son, Zhang Ming, was somewhat weaker at the third stage of Tengkong, but his wife was quite formidable. She was the woman he had met earlier—the young matron referred to as Madam Zhang—named Chen Lan, a seventh-stage Tengkong cultivator. In addition, there was a grandson—the young woman's son—who was the boy Su Yu had seen earlier. These were the masters of the Zhang family. Aside from them, there were some household guards and servants. With four Tengkong experts under one roof, they were considered a fairly prominent clan in the northern suburbs with considerable strength. The Zhang family had been settled here for about twenty years. After reading for a while, Su Yu sent a transmission: "This Chen Lan is at the seventh stage of Tengkong. Why did she marry someone at the third stage?" While cultivation gaps between spouses certainly existed, usually the man was stronger than the woman. Cases where the woman was stronger than the man were relatively rare. Xia Huyou replied quickly: "I heard that back when Chen Lan was cultivating in her youth, she received favors from the elder Zhang couple, so she ended up marrying their son." "The elder couple..." Su Yu suddenly remembered the old crone he had encountered on the road. He quickly transmitted, "Do you have a portrait of the Zhang family's matriarch, that Hu Feng? Send me one..." "Hold on!" Xia Huyou was probably contacting someone. A moment later, an image was transmitted over. Su Yu examined it carefully. Although there were some differences from the old crone he had met earlier, the general features were similar. It should be the same person. A strange glint flickered in Su Yu's eyes. Now this was interesting! It would be one thing if he simply didn't know the Zhang family, but on his way here, he had consecutively run into three of their members. How intriguing. And that child might very well be an impostor. That made it even more fascinating! Xia Huyou quickly messaged again: "Are you sure you haven't made a mistake? I did a quick check on the Zhang family. They usually keep their heads down and behave themselves. The family head was even conscripted to the All-Heavens Battlefield several times and killed enemies there. Su Yu, someone who has served on the battlefield is considered part of a hero family in Great Xia Mansion. Don't go messing around recklessly!" "He's been on the battlefield?" Now Su Yu felt somewhat uncertain. To be honest, in his view, would someone from the All-Races Sect dare step onto the battlefield? "Also, the Zhang family has ties to the Zhang family inside the city. They're considered a branch—Zhang Hao's family!" Su Yu frowned. Zhang Hao's family? He knew about them. Zhang Hao's family had an expert at the ninth stage of the Lingyun Realm, making them a fairly powerful clan within the city. To think these two families were actually relatives? Su Yu went silent for a moment. Ignoring Xia Huyou for now, he quickly sent a transmission to Zhang Hao, asking, "Is your family related to the Zhang family in the northern suburbs?" "You mean Zhang Wu's family?" "Yes!" "There is a bit of a connection. Back when my grandfather came to Great Xia Mansion to study... My grandfather wasn't originally from Great Xia Mansion, and neither was my family. We came from the Great Shang Mansion. Later, my grandfather established a family business here and never went back. That Zhang Wu's family counts as distant relatives from our old hometown..." Zhang Hao explained briefly, then quickly asked, "Did something happen?" "Do you know about the child in their family?" "Zhang... Zhang Mo?" Zhang Hao had some impression of him and replied quickly, "I know of him, but I haven't seen him often. When he was young, he started cultivating too early and damaged his body. He spends most of his time at home recuperating. Even at twelve, he hasn't attended a primary academy." He had never attended an academy. Was he genuinely injured, or did he not dare go for fear of someone discovering clues? Su Yu said, "I suspect there might be something wrong with Zhang Wu's family. Brother Zhang, let me ask you something: if something is wrong with their family, will you be implicated?" "Well... Great Xia Mansion rarely implicates others. But if they really turn out to be members of the All-Races Sect, and it's proven that my grandfather might have passed information outside, we will definitely be implicated." ... Back at Great Xia Civilization Academy, Zhang Hao felt somewhat uneasy. He quickly transmitted, "Brother Su, is there really a problem?" He trusted Su Yu to a certain degree. For Su Yu to suddenly ask about this family, he must have noticed something off. "I'm not certain. That child... doesn't seem like a child. When I went out today, I ran into Hu Feng, Chen Lan, and that Zhang Mo one after another along the road, and they weren't even together." Zhang Hao replied quickly, "Could it be a coincidence?" "What do you think?" Zhang Hao fell silent. Those who could enter the Civilization Academy—and rank among its geniuses—were neither foolish nor naive. After a long pause, Zhang Hao quickly said, "Brother Su, if it's true, please show mercy! Don't make a rash decision just yet. I... I'll inform my grandfather. Our Zhang family must take action personally to root them out!" Su Yu replied quickly, "That's fine with me, but I'm not certain right now either. How about this: you make preparations on your end. If they make a move against me, the evidence will be ironclad. If they don't, then after so many years, there might not even be any evidence left behind." "Then... I'll have my grandfather secretly rendezvous with you to back you up..." "No need. Don't alert the enemy. It's only because we're brothers in the Mutual Aid Society that I gave you advance notice to avoid misunderstandings. Brother Zhang, don't leak anything just yet either... To put it bluntly, your grandfather might not believe an ordinary student like me, even though I trust Grandpa Zhang." Su Yu sent his reply and gave a faint smile. As for whether he truly trusted Zhang Hao's grandfather, that was just courteous talk. If those people didn't make a move against him, Su Yu wouldn't bother meddling without concrete evidence. With Great Xia Mansion's mighty military forces, a few Tengkong cultivators couldn't stir up any real waves. Even with a ninth-stage Lingyun in the picture, it was the same. However, the probability of Zhang Hao's grandfather being compromised was very low. The man worked for the official government of Great Xia Mansion—not in the Yuqiang Department, but under Chief Hu. A man of Chief Hu's caliber wouldn't take in personnel without thorough vetting. Whatever the case! If those fellows didn't provoke him, so be it. Su Yu had no interest in exposing anything right now anyway; there was little point. Xia Huyou was already aware of the situation. Even if the other party didn't act this time, the Xia family would keep an eye on them, and that was enough. After exchanging a few words with Zhang Hao, Su Yu quickly instructed, "You two, stay alert later!" "Understood!" Water Person and Shadow replied simultaneously. The two of them were eager to earn merits right now. They actually hoped a few blind fools would jump out! ... Soon, Su Yu rejoined Wang Zhishan and Chen Ming. The two were cultivating. When they saw Su Yu emerge, they both breathed a sigh of relief. Su Yu had been gone for several hours, and they had been growing anxious. "All done," Su Yu smiled. "The effect of nurturing the divine character was quite good, though the rancid stench was truly unbearable. Thank you both for enduring that foul smell with me." Wang Zhishan quickly laughed. "Don't mention it... We were the ones taking advantage of the opportunity." The group chatted casually as they walked toward the exit. By the time they reached the gates, the two members of the Zhang family had long since departed. Su Yu paid it no heed. Upon reaching the entrance where the earth dragon beasts were tethered, he patted his pockets and suddenly looked dismayed. "Where's my merit card? Did I lose it?!" Hearing this, the mansion soldier's expression turned unfriendly. "No money, no leaving!" "..." Su Yu looked speechless. "It must have dropped while I was cultivating. I'll head back in to look for it..." With that, he glanced at the other two and said awkwardly, "We can't ride the earth dragon beast for now; I have to go back inside and search. Uh... Senior Wang, could you lend me five merit points? I need them to go back in, or they won't let me enter. I'll pay you back as soon as we return..." Wang Zhishan said hurriedly, "That's a small matter! But do you really need to go back in? If all else fails, you can just apply for a replacement card when we get back." "Let me look for it first!" Su Yu said helplessly in a low voice, "Mine is an unregistered card. I can't afford to lose it; if someone else picks it up, they can withdraw all the merit points!" Wang Zhishan understood immediately! He had heard of such cards before, though he had never seen one. It was only natural for Su Yu to possess one. Most academy geniuses probably had them to prevent large-volume transactions from being monitored by the academy. He nodded. "Alright, we'll go in and help you search..." "No, don't!" Su Yu chuckled. "I won't trouble you two. Going inside isn't pleasant, especially for Chen Ming. He hasn't reached the Yangxing Realm yet, and his face is completely pale. If he goes back in, he won't be able to get out of bed for days." Chen Ming looked embarrassed; he truly couldn't endure it much longer. Su Yu smiled. "You two don't need to wait for me either. To be honest, I don't know how long it will take to find it. How about this: rent two cloud-galloping horses to head back, and put the cost on my tab. Senior Wang, just lend me five merit points so I can go in and look." Naturally, Su Yu would ride the earth dragon beast back later. It was a matter of face. The pride of a genius! Wang Zhishan understood this sentiment, though he still felt somewhat guilty. "How about Junior Brother Chen heads back first, and I accompany you inside..." "Really, there's no need. I have to go deep into the pit..." Wang Zhishan smiled wryly. In that case, there was nothing he could do; he couldn't venture that deep. "Alright. And don't talk about borrowing. Truth be told, Junior Brother Chen and I barely helped at all today. Just giving us one or two merit points is more than enough..." "Senior Wang, are you refusing to give me face?" Su Yu's expression hardened, looking displeased! Wang Zhishan smiled bitterly and nodded. "Fine, a loan it is. Renting cloud-galloping horses isn't expensive, so don't count that as a loan. We can pay for that out of our own pockets with ordinary currency—no merit points needed. Don't argue with me over this, Junior Brother Su!" "Well... alright then!" After trading a few pleasantries, Su Yu borrowed five merit points and headed back into the All-Races Pit. Wang Zhishan and Chen Ming rented two cloud-galloping horses and left ahead of him. ... Once they were gone, Su Yu exhaled a breath. Those two were simply too weak. If an accident truly happened, Su Yu might be fine, but they would never survive. Su Yu knew that traveling with them would look more realistic and keep him entirely above suspicion. However, using his own people as bait... he refused to do that. Back then, Bai Feng had challenged him, asking what he would do if Xia Yuwen used his father as bait on the battlefield. Su Yu had answered: kill Xia Yuwen! Since that was his stance, suspecting that danger lay ahead, he naturally would not drag these people into it. Lingering in the All-Races Pit for a while, Su Yu indeed had dropped his merit card there. Searching along his earlier route for over half an hour, he finally retrieved the well-concealed card. Caution was never a mistake. It would be terrible if someone truly picked it up, even if it didn't have much money left on it. "What a rip-off!" Su Yu sighed inwardly as he tallied his expenses. How much had he spent today? Ten points for entering twice, one point for beast parking, ten points for Wang Zhishan and Chen Ming, and one point to rent the earth dragon beast—a full twenty-two merit points! He couldn't shake the feeling that he had taken a loss! Still, he had gained something today. For instance, that wisp of blade qi seemed to have nudged his "Blade" divine character toward advancement. ... When he exited the All-Races Pit again, night had already fallen. Darkness was good! There were few people on the road, making it safer to take action. He didn't even know if his guess was correct. Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding! Setting the thought aside, Su Yu mounted the earth dragon beast and swiftly left the All-Races Pit behind. ... On the road returning to the inner city. The Zhang family owned a small courtyard right by the roadside. This was the main thoroughfare connecting the All-Races Pit and the inner city, so maintaining a courtyard here made their operations convenient. Inside the courtyard. Several people were eating and chatting via voice transmission. The old man transmitted, "The other two students left early. Did Su Yu notice something amiss?" The young woman transmitted back, "Unlikely. When I ran into him, he showed no reaction whatsoever, and there were no Dao Protectors following him. What could he have noticed?" "Don't forget, he's a genius!" The old man transmitted, "Geniuses have many tricks up their sleeves. Maybe he picked up on some abnormality." "But our Zhang family has lived here for decades. Even if he noticed something, our identities are genuine. What could he possibly suspect?" As they conversed, the old man hesitated. "Forget it, let's abandon the mission! Even if we capture him, we'll have to relocate immediately. Eight thousand contribution points is a fortune, but abandoning the Zhang family's foundation... might not be worth it!" "Hall Master!" At this moment, the boy transmitted, "We don't necessarily have to run. Once Su Yu goes missing, as long as we clean up thoroughly, who would know we did it?" "We cannot afford to be careless!" The old man said sternly, "If we act, we must leave! You might fool a Lingyun, but can you fool a Mountainsea or Sunmoon? Su Yu is a genius. If he truly disappears, Hong Tan might come out of seclusion. Once he does, your abnormality will be exposed, and he'll definitely scour the entire area." "Then I'll fake my death. Everyone knows I've been nursing injuries all this time anyway..." The boy still refused to let go of this opportunity. The young woman transmitted, "If all else fails, we can just abandon this place. To be honest, capturing Su Yu would save us seven or eight years of effort. Combined with our savings over the years, if we take our valuables and leave together, our losses won't actually be that great." As long as they took the valuable treasures, the rest didn't matter. Would the real estate, land, and mining assets be worth a hundred million? Not even close! Besides, those things couldn't be converted into contribution or merit points anyway. Even if liquidated, the resulting points would be meager. The old man glanced at them. Out of the five present, at least three were tempted. The boy was the greediest—he wanted to make the move, avoid running away, and continue staying here. The others understood the danger and intended to pull off this one big score and then pull out. The old man set down his bowl, picked up his water pipe again, and pondered for a moment before transmitting, "Either we drop it, or we capture him and evacuate immediately! This is the outskirts; moving fast, we can reach the wilderness in no time. Once we're in the wilderness, Great Xia Mansion won't even know where to look for us!" As for the boy's naive idea, they dismissed it entirely. That was asking for death! Did he truly think Great Xia Mansion couldn't uncover a single clue after a top genius was abducted? "Madwoman, what do you say? Should we strike?" The old man asked. The young woman was in favor of striking, and the madwoman was also an advanced Tengkong expert and a Civilization Master, so he wanted her opinion. The old crone hesitated before transmitting, "Tell me... with him developing those primordial spirit apertures, could Great Xia Mansion have their eyes on him? Would the Xia family assign someone to protect him?" That was her main concern! If the All-Races Sect cared about the primordial spirit apertures, wouldn't Great Xia Mansion care as well? She was feeling hesitant! The old man nodded. That was his concern as well. As for a Dao Protector, it was confirmed that there was none openly following him. The young man, who had remained silent, transmitted, "This is just a routine trip between the suburbs and the inner city. Would the Xia family deploy experts to protect him for this? It's not like he's heading out for a trial!" For such a short distance, would the Xia family deploy a Mountainsea to guard him? The boy said impatiently, "Haven't you decided yet? If we drag this out any longer, he'll be gone. Once he returns to the Civilization Academy, will he ever come out again? The next time he emerges, he might already be in the Tengkong Realm, and we won't have a chance!" Opportunities to catch Su Yu outside the academy were exceedingly rare! Gritting his teeth, the boy transmitted, "If necessary, let's ask the higher-ups to coordinate with us. The worst that happens is taking a slightly smaller cut..." The old man tapped his pipe against the table and suddenly asked, "Do you think anyone else might be planning to make a move? We're not the only ones lurking near Great Xia Mansion. Su Yu is a fat sheep; are we the only ones tempted?" At these words, everyone fell silent. Were there others? It was hard to say! For a fat sheep worth eight thousand contribution points, they surely weren't the only ones interested. Would others strike? The boy replied quickly, "Even if others are interested, they might not have the strength to capture him! We're different. The five of us have been assembled here not just for a day or two, but for many years. The others are just scattered stragglers!" "How do you know they're just stragglers?" "Hall Master, do you just not want to do it?" The boy was displeased. Worrying about this and that—if he was so scared, they might as well do nothing. The old man tapped the tabletop and transmitted, "I just don't want to bury everyone here. It took decades to slowly gather here. First, we'd have to abandon this foundation, not knowing where we'd end up in the future. Second, if we're discovered, it's certain death..." The boy snapped, "Then let's just give up!" After all that talk, he simply didn't want to do it! "What's your rush!" The old man frowned at him, displeased, and said slowly, "I'm just afraid someone nearby might target him and ruin our plans!" At this thought, he pondered briefly before speaking: "If we do it, we must do it securely! Boy, you're skilled at disguise. Disguise us as Longwu Guards!" A gleam flashed in the old man's eyes. "We'll head out openly and escort Su Yu along the way. If any peers are eyeing him, the moment we appear as Longwu Guards, they'll back off on their own! We'll escort Su Yu, and if Great Xia Mansion truly has experts protecting him in secret... impersonating Longwu Guards isn't a capital crime. We're frauds, so even if caught, we'll just say we had malicious intentions toward Su Yu... They won't execute us for that; at worst, we'll be exiled to the All-Heavens Battlefield!" He had planned for the worst-case scenario! If they were truly captured, they could never admit to being from the All-Races Sect. They would just say greed got the better of them and they wanted to rob Su Yu. Exile to the All-Heavens Battlefield still offered a chance at survival. Members of the All-Races Sect... faced certain death! "If we're caught, will they believe us?" The young woman asked worriedly. The old man said exasperatedly, "When I said don't do it, you were unwilling! When I said do it, you started spouting gloomy words before even stepping out the door! That's only a contingency plan! If there's no Mountainsea escorting him, we won't be discovered at all! If there is a Mountainsea, the moment we appear, they might show themselves without giving us a chance. In that case, striking means death anyway, so seeking a way to survive in the jaws of death is better!" Disguising themselves as Longwu Guards... was exceedingly audacious. In Great Xia Mansion, almost nobody dared to do such a thing. "Then if we're discovered, the boy won't be able to pass scrutiny. Once his strength is exposed, who will believe our story..." The old man replied dismissively, "Then confess that it was a disguise and that we're actually bandits. We prepared for that back then anyway. We'll claim to be bandits who rob merchants along the trade routes—not a capital offense. Over the years, we've kept our identities hidden under that cover... We can just expose that identity. If caught, being exiled to the Vanguard Camp still gives us a shot at survival. Decide for yourselves whether you want to do this!" Adding an extra layer of cover was entirely necessary. The bandit identity was real too. If the investigation reached that point, Great Xia Mansion likely wouldn't bother digging deeper into a few minor figures. Bandits who hadn't killed many people would typically be exiled to the Vanguard Camp under Great Xia Mansion's policy. Rather than wasting the lives of strong cultivators, they were sent to kill a few enemies before dying. The old man had long planned for the possibility of exposure. Preparing a path to survival was essential. With things laid out so clearly, the others hesitated no further and nodded one after another. They would do it! Pulling off this deal would be worth seven or eight years of earnings. ... The earth dragon beast galloped along the road. The sky had turned pitch-black. Almost no pedestrians could be seen along the roadside, save for a few scattered travelers. Su Yu kept close watch on the sensory jade. Just then, the jade suddenly shifted color. Ahead, a small squad of Longwu Guards came galloping toward him. "Who goes there?" One of the Longwu Guards barked a challenge. Su Yu quickly called out, "Great Xia Civilization Academy freshman, Su Yu!" Surprise stirred in his heart. The Longwu Guards had arrived. A routine patrol? Or had that fellow Xia Huyou sent people over? That shouldn't be the case; didn't he say they would set a trap together? Could this be a chance encounter? While Su Yu was still pondering, Water Person's voice sounded in his ear: "Be careful. That moisture structure... is somewhat similar to the boy we met earlier..." One could change their appearance, build, and aura, but in a disguise, nobody would bother altering their water content. That would mean altering flesh and tissue composition! Only the lunatics from the Modification Department did that—modifying someone until they were unrecognizable! Su Yu's heart jolted. What audacity! No way, right? Truth be told, seeing the Longwu Guards, his initial reaction had been relief. Running into Longwu Guards meant that even if their cultivation wasn't overwhelming, hardly anyone would dare make a move. This was an ingrained mindset among the people of Great Xia Mansion! The Longwu Guards were the premier army of Great Xia Mansion! Where they stood, Great Xia Mansion remained secure! He truly hadn't suspected anything at first glance. If Water Person hadn't warned him, he might not have paid much attention. Su Yu felt a lingering wave of fear. He had... still been too lax. Knowing full well that someone might target him today, he had dropped his guard completely against these people. That was far too careless. While Su Yu was reeling from the close call, the figures disguised as Longwu Guards quickly approached. Up close, there wasn't the slightest anomaly visible, nor any resemblance to the people he had seen earlier. There were five of them: three men and two women. It was normal for the Longwu Guards to include women, given the many female cultivators. They all appeared quite young! The group halted swiftly. Judging by his attire, the leader was a centurion. Unlike Xia Bing back in Nanyuan, who was an early-stage Tengkong and only a decurion, this man held higher rank. Su Yu guessed inwardly: could the leading Longwu Guard be the head of the Zhang family? A ninth-stage Tengkong expert? As he pondered, the leader barked, "A student? Don't run around at night. Su Yu... could you be the top freshman of Great Xia Civilization Academy this year?" "That is me..." Su Yu played along. These fellows were truly audacious. Impersonating the Longwu Guards! Truly something else! The man looked around, frowning. "Venturing out of the city without a Dao Protector? Have you lost your mind! A genius student like you is on the All-Races Sect's bounty list—slay on sight! Even though the suburbs are relatively safe, there's no guarantee patrols will be everywhere at all times!" "Thank you for the reminder, sir!" Su Yu understood his intention—he was fishing for information. "I figured I was only visiting the suburbs, still within the borders of the city, so I didn't trouble my martial uncle to escort me..." Su Yu smiled naively. "With the esteemed Longwu Guards around, how would those shadowy scoundrels dare act brazenly? It's not far from the inner city; I'll be back soon." "Do you have your student ID?" Su Yu, still seated atop the earth dragon beast, smiled at the words. He dismounted, retrieved a student ID card, and said, "Sir, here is my student ID!" Su Yu stepped forward and handed it over. "Number Five, verify it!" A figure stepped forward from the group—precisely the one Water Person had warned was likely the disguised boy. The boy took the student ID, appeared to inspect it thoroughly, and quickly said, "Sir, it's genuine!" "It's not far to the inner city... As a genius student running around late at night... Forget it, we'll escort you back..." The disguised old man said with a stern face, then added, "Next time you go out, especially beyond the city walls, it's best to travel with a large party! Being a genius isn't easy; you must remain vigilant at all times..." The old man stalled for time. Seeing their presence and hearing their conversation, anyone lurking in the dark should have retreated by now. ... Unbeknownst to them, up in the sky, a Mountainsea expert looked down upon them. After observing them for a while, he rubbed his temples. He was getting old! To be fair, he hadn't noticed at first either. He had simply assumed it was a coincidental encounter with a patrol of Longwu Guards. Yet... the realization had just struck him. These fellows... weren't they those people from the Zhang family? "I'm truly getting old!" The middle-aged man sighed inwardly. He was genuinely getting old. If their disguises had been slightly better and their cultivation reached the Lingyun Realm, he might not have caught on at all. Damn it, that was rather humiliating. "I noticed it long ago. I was just deliberately testing Su Yu's reaction to let him experience how complicated people are and how treacherous the world can be..." He made up an excuse for himself! In the next instant, however, he felt a twinge of embarrassment. He sensed that a shadow, trailing Su Yu's footsteps, was gradually merging with Zhang Wu's shadow! Clearly, Su Yu had noticed! Now this was awkward! Damn it! The kid had actually noticed before him. Unforgivable! As a Mountainsea expert, he was losing face here! Since Su Yu had caught on, he decided not to intervene yet, waiting to see what unfolded. Su Yu had two Lingyun great demons on him. These people couldn't lay a hand on him. ... On the ground. The shadow moved, but Su Yu remained calm. This was his first time encountering enemies who could act so convincingly; it was quite fascinating. A fine opportunity to gain experience and learn a lesson! "Esteemed sirs, wouldn't this be an imposition? I wouldn't want to trouble you..." Zhang Wu said coldly, "Too much nonsense! If you weren't a genius student of Great Xia Civilization Academy, who would bother with you! We have our duties, so hurry up. Once we see you to the city gates, we must carry out our mission!" Su Yu said awkwardly, "Then... I'll have to trouble you sirs!" Just as Su Yu turned to mount the earth dragon beast, the boy behind him prepared to strike and knock him unconscious. Suddenly, Su Yu asked, "By the way, what are your honorable names?" Su Yu said gratefully, "Even if you sirs might not care, we may become comrades-in-arms in the future. Could you share your names?" The boy grew impatient, itching to strike directly. Zhang Wu cleared his throat lightly and said, "Zhang Wen..." Su Yu offered a polite bow. The others had no choice but to introduce themselves one by one. What a hassle. Hurry up and turn around so we can knock you out cleanly and take you away! After stalling for this long, anyone watching from the shadows should have left. When it was the boy's turn, Su Yu was standing closest to him. The boy impatiently rattled off a name, wanting to get it over with. Su Yu bowed once more, bending at the waist... As he bent down, a hammer smashed downward toward the boy in the very next instant! A cultural weapon blade appeared instantaneously, flickering with a faint glow of fire! Fast! Inconceivably fast! The Heaven-Cleaving Blade erupted, instantly igniting the Fire Crow's true flame concealed within the cultural weapon! Su Yu truly wanted to test whether his surprise attack could slay a Tengkong expert! As for the consequences... with two great demons backing him, what did he have to fear! The boy's sea of will violently convulsed! His vision went dark, and before he could regain his senses, Su Yu was already right in front of him. Bent low, Su Yu thrust the flaming blade straight through the boy's heart! Up in the sky, the middle-aged Mountainsea expert felt a phantom toothache! The barking dog doesn't bite, but the silent one tears your throat out! How ruthless! They were wearing Longwu Guard uniforms, yet the boy didn't even hesitate to go for the kill? "The Expanding Will Art... Heaven-Cleaving Blade... Fire Crow true flame..." The middle-aged Mountainsea clicked his tongue. That wasn't even the point. The point was, wasn't that hammer far too ferocious? Wasn't that willpower far too monstrous? A single hammer blow had dazed a fifth-stage Tengkong Civilization Master! You're only in the Yangxing Realm! Were newcomers nowadays this terrifying? ... Those thoughts flashed by in an instant. Meanwhile, Su Yu struck with merciless precision. The blade impaled the boy's heart clean through! Flames surged from the boy's body, accompanied by a blast of lightning. With a loud bang, the boy—a Civilization Master with a frail physical body—blew apart into fragments! When a Civilization Master was ambushed, their willpower shaken, their physical body stood no chance against Su Yu. He blasted him to pieces in a single blow! Su Yu's eyes were icy. Without even looking, he unleashed the small hammer again toward the other young man. The other three... were beyond his ability to kill; he knew his limits, and all three were in the late stages of Tengkong! Zhang Wu's eyes nearly split with rage. Everything had happened too quickly; he had never imagined Su Yu would strike first. Just as he moved to retaliate, the shadow beneath him stirred, blowing his legs apart instantly. In the next moment, a dark shadow crawled upward along his thighs! Despair flooded Zhang Wu's eyes. What was this? Meanwhile, the young woman and the old crone were instantly enveloped by two masses of water! Su Yu grinned. "Let me test myself!" He told Water Person not to intervene. That young man was Zhang Wu's son according to the profile, only at the third stage of Tengkong. Su Yu wanted to see if he could kill him personally! A genius of the Civilization Academy against a mediocre hack of the All-Races Sect! Could he not kill him? Zhan Hai could probably dispatch him with ease! Otherwise, how could he be called a genius among geniuses? Being invincible among peers applied only to peerless talents; trash like this was meant to be slain across realms! The young man roared furiously, apertures lighting up across his body. A warrior! Su Yu sneered, "Trash, an incompetent fool who only opened sixty apertures..." With only sixty apertures opened, even reaching the Tengkong Realm amounted to very little! "Die!" With a low bark, the small hammer crashed down with a roar. The young man hadn't planned on fighting Su Yu; he wanted to turn and flee, but his movements instantly hitched. In the next moment, blood qi surged to the heavens, barely deflecting the hammer as his head spun with dizziness! Just as he tried to run, his vision blurred, and Su Yu was suddenly standing right in front of him! The young man was horrified. When did he get there? In the next instant, he realized what was happening and yelled, "Break!" With a furious shout, his origin qi detonated, shattering the illusion! An illusion! Yet it was too late. Behind him, Su Yu gripped his cultural weapon, the power of over three hundred apertures erupting as he slashed forward, saber qi tearing through the air! Enraged, the young man spun around, raising his blade to parry! Boom! The blades clashed with a deafening crash! Su Yu's willpower shuddered slightly, and he slammed the small hammer forward once more! Murderous aura surged; battle intent boiled! The young man was forced back a step, utter shock written across his face. This was a Qianjun cultivator? Damn it! This was Qianjun? He was too strong! Just as he moved to strike again, Su Yu sneered. Re-gripping his long saber, eight divine characters suddenly fused together in his sea of will, momentarily coalescing into a small blade! A divine character battle technique! For the first time, he was fusing eight divine characters into a battle technique to test its power! His very first attempt at the decomposition method! "Heaven Breaker!" Su Yu barked in a low voice—Heaven-Breaking Strike! The cultural weapon infused with the divine character battle technique, its power soaring exponentially as his willpower depleted rapidly! With eight divine characters fused, the battle technique was formidable, no weaker than the technique of an ordinary Multiple Divine Characters cultivator newly entered into the Tengkong Realm. After all, Su Yu possessed multiple Tier-2 divine characters. His willpower was also comparable to Tengkong. This strike was equivalent to the full-strength blow of a Tengkong cultivator from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction! "Kill!" A roar tore through the air! Still several meters away, he slashed downward! The young man roared and swung his blade in counterattack, but his vision blurred, and his slash hit nothing but empty air! "I'm a Civilization Master, you idiot!" Su Yu's face was pale as he snorted coldly. The cultural weapon vanished into thin air, and in the next heartbeat, it punched cleanly through the young man's neck with a wet squelch! The man's willpower shattered instantly! Even Tengkong warriors possessed willpower. The young man stared at him, his vision darkening. With a thud, his head tumbled to the ground, catching sight of his own headless body still standing, blade clutched in hand... "So weak!" Su Yu curled his lip. This was a Tengkong? Damn it! He had overestimated the Tengkong Realm! Was he really this formidable? He had only just realized it!