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Having settled things with Xia Qing, Su Yu began preparing for his departure. He would certainly not be returning anytime soon. Without sufficient strength, and having planned to pull off another massive setup this time around, coming back would simply be asking for trouble. "If I end up killing several Shanhai experts, Martial Uncle and the others will..." Inside the secret chamber, Su Yu took a deep breath. Then he would just defect from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction! Leaving this time, perhaps he would no longer be a student of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. "I need to take the texts of will with me. Aside from that, there doesn't seem to be much else." Su Yu packed his things: some research materials left behind by Bai Feng, a notebook of insights left by Liu Wenyan, and some texts of will he had purchased earlier... It was not a huge amount of stuff, but it was worth a fortune. Aside from that, there was the documentation compiled by Wu Lan and the others. All of that could simply be consolidated onto a single jade talisman. ... That night, inside the archive room. Su Yu tossed a jade talisman to Wu Lan and said with a smile, "Help me organize the materials and record everything onto this jade talisman." "Reading from a jade talisman is so cumbersome..." "It's more convenient to carry!" Wu Lan was rendered speechless. These were all foundational references. Why did he need to carry them around? Though puzzled, she began helping him organize the files, asking somewhat impatiently, "So when exactly are we going to deduce the divine aperture fusion method?" She still harbored immense ambitions! Ever since the *Twin Wu Aperture Fusion Art* was unveiled, her name had spread far and wide. Lately, she had been walking on air, practically floating, and whenever she heard that someone was going to exchange for the *Twin Wu Aperture Fusion Art*, she grew thrilled. The only minor pity was that it was not called the Wu Lan Aperture Fusion Art. "Twin Wu"... There were plenty of people surnamed Wu. Thinking of this, she sorted the records while whispering, "Su Yu, when we deduce the technique for fusing divine apertures, I'll still be the leader of the breakthrough team, right?" Su Yu smiled but did not take the bait. Wu Lan added, "If we deduce it successfully, can we add a character to the technique's name?" "Hm?" "Add 'Lan'!" Wu Lan said eagerly, "With that added, the two sets of techniques for fusing origin apertures and fusing divine apertures will spell out 'Wu Lan'!" That would be amazing! In the future, whenever people cultivated it, they would all know it was Wu Lan who had deduced it. Even though she had no idea what she had actually done besides organizing some documents. Su Yu chuckled and nodded. "Fine." "Really?" Wu Lan was overjoyed, working with even greater vigor. Su Yu felt a pang of regret. He had just managed to trick a few free laborers into working for him, and now... well, forget it. Before long, Wu Lan finished sorting the materials. Su Yu took the jade talisman, examined it, and nodded. Not bad. Information available in the Great Xia Prefecture might not necessarily exist in the Great Ming Prefecture. He did not care much about cultivation techniques and the like; these foundational references were what truly mattered. After thinking it over, Su Yu tossed another jade talisman to Wu Lan. "Take it. Consider this your compensation for these past days. Also, you may give this to Elder Wu, but other than Elder Wu, no one else is permitted to pass it on!" "Compensation?" Wu Lan had completely forgotten about such a thing. She caught it and inspected the contents. "*Earth Fiend Character Forging Art*?" What kind of garbage name was that?! After reading it carefully for a moment, she said dismissively, "A technique to open seventy-two divine apertures, just like the *Myriad Characters Scripture*. Why would I cultivate this?" Su Yu felt tired at heart. What an idiot! Could you not read more carefully? Was this something the *Myriad Characters Scripture* could compare to? "It's foundational!" "Oh... foundational..." Wu Lan froze for a second, looking up at Su Yu. Su Yu said calmly, "It can be cultivated all the way to the end. Seventy-two divine apertures are plenty. Don't rush to advance to Tengkong. Opening seventy-two apertures below Tengkong will allow you to quickly cultivate to the ninth stage of Lingyun." As for higher sets, such as one with 108 apertures, they were actually not suitable for people like Wu Lan. Her talent was not weak—upper-superior grade—yet opening 108 apertures would waste far too much time. In terms of combat strength, the gap was not overwhelmingly massive either. Seventy-two divine apertures were enough to sustain cultivation indefinitely, on par with the *Myriad Characters Scripture*. Wu Lan stared at him blankly. Su Yu ignored her daze and continued, "Do not spread it outside. At most, pass it to your grandaunt... Never mind, as for your elder sister... whatever. No one else is allowed." There was actually no need for Wu Qi to learn it since it was only seventy-two divine apertures. Of course, opening a few different divine apertures would still deepen her foundation. Just as Su Yu had opened 320 origin apertures—even if they did not form a complete system, his strength was substantially enhanced. Wu Lan still looked at him in confusion. "Last time, you gave me a method to open divine apertures. Is this part of the same set?" "Yes." With that, Su Yu thought for a moment and added, "For now, keep the thirty-six apertures as a single whole. Don't rush to fuse the seventy-two apertures together unless I break through to Lingyun, or until I tell you it's safe to fuse them." The deduction of this technique might not have reached its ultimate limit yet. When he experimented later, he could test it out. Wu Lan stared at him, and only after a long silence did she ask glumly, "Are you firing me?" "No!" Su Yu smiled. "Classmate Wu Lan, you work the hardest and are the most reliable, far better than Xia Huyou and the rest. Even if I fire them, there's no reason to fire you." "Then why..." She looked at Su Yu suspiciously. "If you give it to me now, what will you reward me with when I make contributions in the future?" Su Yu laughed out loud. So that was what she was worried about. "Don't worry, there will definitely be other things." Saying that, Su Yu smiled. "Keep it safe. It's best to destroy it yourself after reading... Actually, no need." Once he reached the Great Ming Prefecture, he might promote this publicly anyway. Of course, that remained to be seen. It was only two sets combined; speaking strictly, it was merely decent, not five sets combined. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it allowed students to rapidly open apertures during the Character Cultivation stage, and then quickly advance into the high stages of Tengkong, or even the Lingyun Realm. For many, this could save decades of time. In truth, that alone was terrifying! "All right then!" Wu Lan was not overly thrilled. Since it was given to her, she would take it. She would just have to tackle more tough problems in the future! Last time, solving five problems earned one divine aperture. Now she had received seventy-two, with seventy-one being new apertures she didn't have before. Solving 355 problems would balance it out. In other words, her workload was going to be enormous! Wu Lan pondered this: she still had to overcome 355 tough problems for this to truly count as fully earned—as her rightful salary rather than a gift from Su Yu. Seeing her sink into deep thought, daydreaming and spacing out, Su Yu chuckled, turned around, and walked away. ... He had given Wu Lan two sets of techniques, but when he arrived at the Library Pavilion, Su Yu brought out three sets! He did not give four sets. Four sets was too overpowered; there was no need. "Martial Uncle." Su Yu brought out several jade talismans. "This is the Body Strengthening Art, a technique for rapidly opening apertures. This is the Yuan-Purifying Art, a technique to purify origin qi. And this is the supreme version of the aperture fusion art. Senior Sister has one as well..." He produced technique after technique. Every single one was a priceless treasure! Yet Chen Yong sat upright without moving, silent for a very long time. Su Yu smiled and said, "Martial Uncle should be happy for me. Prefecture Lord Zhu of the Great Ming Prefecture came to speak with me personally and offered everything I could want. Martial Uncle... I am very happy. Of course, I've been very happy here as well! "At the Great Xia Civilization Academy, I've met so many people: Master, Martial Uncle, Grandmaster, Teacher Zhao, Senior Sister, Teacher Huang... All of them gave me tremendous help! "My departure this time might leave behind some trouble for you and the others, Martial Uncle. I ask for your forgiveness." Chen Yong remained silent. Suddenly, he stood up and walked back into the inner room. A moment later, still saying nothing, he handed Su Yu an object. A stone slab! "Take it!" It looked somewhat familiar to Su Yu. Looking at Chen Yong with doubt, Su Yu heard Chen Yong say calmly, "Take it away! The Multiple Divine Characters Faction is already finished! But remember, the Great Xia Prefecture is where the roots of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction lie. It was here that powerhouse after powerhouse of our faction rose! And the most crucial element was this stone stele—the divine character battle technique stele! "Not everyone can form a divine character battle technique on their own. Whether using the split method or not, composite battle techniques are never simple! "Combining the split method with divine character templates is the best choice, and the fastest choice!" Su Yu was completely stunned! This... the divine character battle technique stele! This was the very root of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction! Martial Uncle had actually dismantled it! "Martial Uncle..." Chen Yong said impassively, "Take it away. I don't plan on taking any more disciples! Your senior sister is still weak. As for your master... having you is enough. Therefore, the Great Xia Prefecture no longer has any room for the Multiple Divine Characters Faction to survive. There is no future here. Take it to the Great Ming Prefecture!" He continued, "Other academies have these as well, but remember, ours is the strongest! The steles at other academies can only be called mediocre—few templates, limited choices. Ours has many, and our divine character battle techniques are powerful." "Martial Uncle, what about Grandmaster...?" "Don't worry about him!" Chen Yong smiled faintly. "Your grandmaster failed to expand the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, which means he failed. Before going into seclusion, he actually passed the position of lineage master to you, not me. That means you have the authority to handle this item. Besides, taking this away leaves the Library Pavilion as... absolute dogshit!" He spat out a curse! Without the divine character battle technique wall, what did the Library Pavilion amount to? He didn't care in the slightest! You want it? I refuse to give it to you! I'd rather let Su Yu take it away than leave it to you! He looked at Su Yu and said with a smile, "Take it! Keep it as a keepsake, use it to develop the Multiple Divine Characters Faction in Great Ming, or just keep it for yourself. With this, you'll have the capital to establish your own sect. Without it, things will be difficult!" Su Yu's hands trembled slightly as he held the stone stele, speechless. "Store it well, and don't lose it!" After handing it over, Chen Yong added, "You don't need to worry about us! Your grandmaster is about to reach the Sunmoon Realm after all. They wouldn't dare truly push us to the brink. If they push us too far, it'll end in mutual destruction! "As for me... you don't need to worry either." Looking at Su Yu, he smiled. "Your grandmaster might have told you a few things. Pay them no mind. I'm currently cultivating the aperture fusion art, and I don't want to die so early either. Previously, I did have the intention to abandon my physical body, advance as a Civilization Master, and cut down a few adversaries. "However, the aperture fusion art gave me the opportunity to strengthen my physical body!" A sharp glint flickered in Chen Yong's eyes. "If I can open 144 apertures and fuse them, stepping into the Shanhai Realm through physical cultivation, then... as a Civilization Master, I can instantly step into the ninth stage of Shanhai!" Su Yu was shaken! Ninth-stage Shanhai! Chen Yong chuckled softly. "So don't worry about me, and don't worry about your senior sister. I won't act rashly. Once my physical body enters Shanhai, I'll have the capital. Even if I encounter a Sunmoon cultivator, I won't necessarily die!" Su Yu had no words. Martial Uncle... these words shocked him to the core. Ninth-stage Shanhai! He truly knew how to bide his time! Chen Yong chuckled softly. "Don't fear implicating us. There's no need to think about defecting from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction just to avoid criticism later or lose the right to return. You were coerced, forced into leaving the Great Xia Prefecture. You are innocent! "I don't know what you're planning, but... don't be too hasty. If they truly push me too far, I'll break through, kill a few Shanhai experts, and Wan Tiansheng will most likely not execute me. At worst, he'll punish me by sending me to the Vanguard Camp. A trivial matter!" His name had to remain clean! Su Yu must not bear the stain of defection. A righteous cause was essential! In the future, if he truly fought his way back, it had to be justified. Otherwise, if he charged back merely as a genius from the Great Ming Prefecture, it would be treated as a conflict between major prefectures. Chen Yong did not want to cut off his retreat! Having said all this, Chen Yong gathered the jade talismans. "I'll accept these things, so don't decline the stele either!" Take the stele and leave. Then he added, "Furthermore, regarding the Single Divine Character Faction, if you want to make a move, killing two seventh-stage Shanhai experts is hopeless and far too risky. Between Sun Xiang and Yu Hong... I'll keep Sun Xiang occupied for you; you help me kill Yu Hong!" A cold glint flickered in Chen Yong's eyes. "The tragedy that befell your senior sister's parents, and the ambush against me back then, definitely involved her! If we can't extract anything from questioning, then kill her! As for Sun Xiang... leave him be. We can take our time with him!" Su Yu nodded! A murderous intent erupted! The death of Senior Sister's parents was actually connected to Yu Hong! "Martial Uncle, is she a member of the All-Races Sect?" "No." Chen Yong said calmly, "She isn't. If she truly were, she would have died long ago! But if I guess correctly, she sold out our whereabouts and intelligence back then. It's just a suspicion, but I'm certain she was involved! Over all these years, I've suspected her for a long time!" "Understood!" Chen Yong smiled. "Can you handle it? If not, drop it!" "I can!" Su Yu gritted his teeth. As long as the operation was executed properly, it could be done! "Those great demons will probably only be able to match her by joining forces. Are you sure?" "Yes!" Su Yu nodded. "Not just them. There will be other Shanhai experts as well." "Outsiders cannot be trusted! They are far less trustworthy than those demon beasts!" Chen Yong said calmly, "Those few demon beasts most likely won't dare betray you. Of course, even if they do, it's no big deal! Your grandmaster didn't leave without retaining some contingency measures. If they don't betray you, let it be. If they do... crush this..." He produced a jade talisman and handed it to Su Yu. "This won't kill them; it will drive them mad. Once they go mad, the Great Xia Prefecture will immediately intervene. A great demon mount turning traitor faces certain death! "At that point, Great Xia's experts will step in, which naturally ensures your safety as well. However, you won't be able to pull off any little schemes anymore. For now, the Great Xia Prefecture is simply turning a blind eye." "I understand!" Taking the talisman, Su Yu listened as Chen Yong smiled again. "Do you need to take any texts of will with you? Whatever catches your eye in the Library Pavilion, take it freely! Without the divine character battle technique wall, losing the position of head of the Library Pavilion is nothing to regret! Whatever you like, just take it!" Those words were extraordinarily generous! Tens of thousands of volumes of texts of will, worth an astronomical fortune, and he was offering them up freely. Su Yu smiled. "Forget it. I don't need them, and if I really took them... I'd worry that particular person might make a dirty move against me." "Heh... true enough." Chen Yong chuckled. "Then let's drop it." With that, he added, "The rest of us cannot leave. If we leave, it will easily invite even more trouble, so we won't get in your way! Take care of yourself!" "Understood! Thank you, Martial Uncle!" "Go on!" Chen Yong waved his hand, looking somewhat dispirited. Su Yu did not linger, departing swiftly. After he left, Chen Yong remained silent for a while. A voice transmission talisman appeared in his palm, and a moment later, he sent out a message. Closing his eyes to nurture his spirit, the killing intent across his body gradually receded. Su Yu couldn't bear it, but I can. ... That day, Su Yu strolled around as usual. Whenever he ran into experts from the Single Divine Character Faction, he took the initiative to greet them, thoroughly disgusting them. This nauseating behavior made the powerhouses of the Single Divine Character Faction wish they didn't have to step outside at all! Day after day went by. Su Yu did not idle away his time. On one hand, he prepared for his departure; on the other, he did not slack off in his cultivation. Every bit of additional strength meant one more layer of security. Outside of a secret realm, it took him about five days to fuse sixteen apertures and achieve a breakthrough. On December 15, eleven days after the celebration, Su Yu broke through to the seventh stage of Wanshi! Barring any accidents, he would be able to complete the aperture fusion for the final two stages before the twenty-fifth. He had not managed to locate all 360 apertures, but Su Yu continued opening them. Yet as more and more apertures were unlocked, he was rapidly running out of apertures left to open. ... Meanwhile. Over in Nanyuan, minor disturbances broke out. One moment, traces of the All-Races Sect were sighted; the next, wild demon beasts ran amok in the wilderness. All of this came from missions Su Yu had assigned to the Mutual Aid Society. The mission rewards were exceptionally generous! Whether completed by your family, by yourself, or by hired daredevils... every completion rewarded massive mutual aid points. The rewards being offered were also immensely tantalizing. Divine aperture arts! Basic cultural arts! Even the supreme version of the aperture fusion art. The Mutual Aid Society did not have many members, but Hu Zongqi's family resided in Tianshui City, not far from Nanyuan. There was no need to take real risks; having someone from his family head near Nanyuan and casually herd a few demon beasts was enough to pose a massive threat to the city. As for the Dragon Martial Guard squad stationed in Nanyuan, if they could slay the beasts, so be it; if not, there was nothing they could do. Under normal circumstances, the residents of Nanyuan did not leave the city. Even if they did, being cautious and steering clear was enough to avoid trouble. Nevertheless, it did indeed cause quite a bit of distress for Nanyuan. At this moment, Nanyuan had not yet called for outside reinforcements; the situation remained within manageable limits. ... The Single Divine Character Faction had also grown exceptionally quiet lately. Extremely quiet! They had no choice but to keep quiet. Su Yu wandered around outside all day, specifically hunting down their people just to disgust them. Running into Su Yu annoyed them to death, yet they couldn't do a thing about him. Currently, Su Yu had not set up any life-and-death arenas. Anyone wanting to pick a fight with him had to be in the Character Cultivation stage. What Character Cultivation cultivator in their right mind would go looking for trouble with Su Yu?! Ever since Zhai Feng died, people like Huang Qifeng had been scared out of their wits. Within the academy, their figures were practically nowhere to be seen. On December 20. Within the Great Xia Civilization Academy, subtle rumors began circulating: wild demon beasts had recently overrun the wilderness, plaguing several border towns, with Nanyuan bearing the brunt of the onslaught. Nanyuan was simply too weak! The Dragon Martial Guards had gone on one extermination sweep, but the targets were merely low-tier demon beasts. Mobilizing the Dragon Martial Guards each time cost immense sums in military expenditure. In the past, when encountering such troubles, the best option was usually to deploy the academy's students. It was cheap! And it provided trial experience for the students! This time, the vast majority of the rampaging demon beasts were at the Qianjun and Wanshi Realms, with only a scant few at the Tengkong Realm. ... Myriad Races Academy. Inside the villa where Xia Qing resided. Looking at the few individuals before her, Xia Qing said softly, "Su Yu has made his move. Everyone, we all hail from small races and minor clans. Opportunities like this are rare. Should we help Su Yu this once, reap some rewards, and earn the goodwill of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, or should we forge ties with the Single Divine Character Faction? It's time to choose! "Once we actually set out, it will be too late!" Xia Qing looked at them. All of them came from minor races and lacked formidable power, usually accompanied by a Shanhai Dao Protector, with some also accompanied by Lingyun Dao Protectors. She looked toward Bai Ce of the Fox race. "If we want to build ties with the Single Divine Character Faction, we must reveal Su Yu's plot right now. From what I can see, the Single Divine Character Faction hasn't caught on at all." Bai Ce nodded and smiled. "Naturally! Su Yu is practically watertight with his planning! If he hadn't informed you in advance, would you have realized he was laying out a trap, creating step-by-step justification to leave the academy? With one Shanhai great demon at his side, plus your side, that makes two Shanhais. If the Single Divine Character Faction underestimates him and deploys a few Lingyun experts, or even a single Shanhai... they might very well end up suffering a crushing defeat at his hands!" Under normal circumstances, they would most likely send only a single Shanhai. After all, no matter how monstrous Su Yu was, his combat strength was merely comparable to Tengkong. Bai Ce thought it over. If Su Yu had not notified Xia Qing in advance, could any of them have deduced anything? Su Yu was actually capable of inciting a beast riot outside Nanyuan! That point alone was something none of them could have anticipated. When chaos broke out in Nanyuan, Su Yu posting a mission to return and rescue his hometown would look completely natural. With his Tengkong combat strength, heading to Nanyuan would allow him to serve as a pillar of stability. Who would suspect anything? After saying that, Bai Ce added, "I'm not particularly keen on making an enemy of Su Yu. Selling him out this time... if he truly dies, our trouble won't be small either." Beside him, a student of the Iron Wing Bird race said in a low voice, "It's not like we're the ones killing him, and we won't be the only ones going! In my opinion, it would be best to bring one or two oblivious fellows along. If he dies, he'll die at the hands of the All-Races Sect. There's no reason for our Dao Protectors to protect him..." He continued, "When the All-Races Sect attacks, I suggest bringing a few fellows who are close to the humans. They will naturally exert themselves to fight the All-Races Sect. That way, with blows exchanged back and forth, our defense will eventually falter, allowing the All-Races Sect to breach our lines and slay Su Yu. It won't look out of place at all!" With a laugh, he added, "Su Yu took his own risks and organized his own team. If he ends up killed by the All-Races Sect, it's due to his own arrogance. No one can blame us!" He chuckled again. "Even if an Invincible powerhouse traces back time to review the scene, they won't find any fault with us. It's best if we don't act personally, and our Dao Protectors shouldn't either. At that time, real members of the All-Races Sect might even show up. Our people holding back the All-Races Sect... that would still count as contributing effort. It was simply that our strength fell short, leaving us helpless!" His calculations were thorough. Acting personally... if that were uncovered, it would be suicide. There was no need to take action directly! Just putting on a show would suffice! Su Yu would be counting on them, but they simply wouldn't pull their weight—or they could focus entirely on fighting real All-Races Sect members. In the eyes of humanity, that was still a merit. At worst, slaying a few All-Races Sect members would make them contributors. Could humans kill the donkey after it finished turning the millstone? Let the Single Divine Character Faction deal with Su Yu! They only needed to act! This both ingratiated them with the Single Divine Character Faction and freed them of responsibility. Even if an Invincible powerhouse came to investigate, let them look. Even tracing back time wouldn't reveal anything amiss—at most exposing the fellows from the Single Divine Character Faction. What would that have to do with them? The young man from the Iron Wing Bird race continued, "If Su Yu somehow survives, it still has nothing to do with us. Like I said, we did our part!" He sneered, "That beast Su Yu reeks of our race's blood. Even during his very first arena match, he used our race's blood essence! In any case, I will never side with him!" It wasn't that he hadn't noticed back then; it was just inconvenient to fall out with him on the spot. That beast Su Yu using their race's blood essence for cultivation was unforgivable! Xia Qing sighed as well. "Initially, I thought that since he was friendly toward the myriad races, he might be worth winning over. But last time... when he spoke about that subjugated great demon, the contempt and disdain came from the very marrow of his bones! The reason he spoke to us like that before was probably just to show off his uniqueness and win Principal Wan's backing!" She felt somewhat disappointed as well. Su Yu might not genuinely consider demons like them worthy of befriending. Bai Ce nodded. "Natural enough. The Multiple Divine Characters Faction... as you can tell from the Fifth Generation's era, slaughtered countless races. The blood on the hands of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction far exceeds that of any other faction!" During the Fifth Generation's era, because they needed to cultivate and consumed massive resources, the slaughter was truly immense. Far more than the Single Divine Character Faction, at least! The Multiple Divine Characters Faction was simply a band of violent thugs. Su Yu's previous friendliness was what was abnormal. Now it seemed it was merely to win Xia Qing's assistance. Otherwise, who knew how he would act. "Hong Tan's hands are soaked in blood as well. I've heard he slaughtered countless beings. The myriad race members who died inside the Wen Tan Research Center number eight to ten thousand, if not more..." They exchanged remarks back and forth, then looked at one another. In truth, they had already made up their minds; they were merely finding an excuse for themselves. The Single Divine Character Faction might be an emaciated camel, but it was still bigger than a horse! Moreover, the Great Zhou Prefecture was the key, the true core. The attitude of people like Hong Tan toward the myriad races was virtually identical to Xia Longwu's: kill! If minor races meddled, kill the minor races. If major races meddled, kill the major races. Look at the Single Divine Character Faction: rising over fifty years, they had barely engaged in slaughter. At least toward the outside, their stance was far more passive. As for how they acted internally, that was not for outsiders to judge. As foreigners, they understood the reality in their hearts. No matter how friendly the Multiple Divine Characters Faction appeared, it was likely an act, forced upon them solely because their strength was waning. Xia Qing fell silent for a moment. "Have you all decided?" They looked at one another and nodded. A decision had been made! Xia Qing glanced at the group—including herself, there were five in total! "When the time comes, find two or three others who are close to the humans. Don't reveal anything to them. In order to curry favor with humanity, those fellows will definitely go all out when encountering the All-Races Sect..." Xia Qing took a deep breath. This place was enveloped by the auras of several Shanhai experts, so she had no fear of eavesdroppers. She said briskly, "We won't make a move against Su Yu. We will only watch the show, spectate, and act, making Su Yu believe we are his allies... That will be the greatest help we can offer to the Single Divine Character Faction!" Bai Ce mused, "Will the Single Divine Character Faction actually strike?" Xia Qing smiled. "What do you think?" "They will!" Bai Ce nodded. They definitely would. Without killing Su Yu, they could never hold their heads high, and they couldn't avoid Su Yu forever. Even if it meant taking desperate risks, they would give it a shot. "Then that settles it!" Bai Ce asked again, "What about the academy? Will they intervene? If we can see through this, what about the academy? What about the Great Xia Prefecture?" Su Yu was actually worried about this as well, which was why he was bringing a Shanhai great demon and pulling Xia Qing along. The others did not bring this up again. Xia Qing smiled. "That has nothing to do with us; it depends on how the Single Divine Character Faction operates! If they are incompetent and fail to pull it off, what does that have to do with us? If they are capable, they will naturally find a way to keep both the academy and the Great Xia Prefecture from intervening—or ensure they never get the chance!" If the Single Divine Character Faction did not strike, that was fine too; they would simply treat it as watching a show and doing Su Yu a favor in passing. "What about the ruins...?" Bai Ce said with a strange look, "Are we really not going to get involved?" Xia Qing laughed. "If Su Yu dies, what's wrong with us taking a cut? Would the Single Divine Character Faction dare report us? We'll just scoop up one share and leave. The rest belongs to them. Would they really try to drive us off?" The others nodded in unison, their eyes filled with yearning. A human ruins site! The foundation for forging an Invincible! That was a true treasure! Xia Qing said no more. Soon, a voice transmission talisman appeared in her hand. She smiled. "If none of you have objections, I'll notify them!" They exchanged looks and nodded once more! Agreed! Xia Qing let out a soft breath, and moments later, the voice transmission talisman flashed. ... Meanwhile. A voice transmission talisman on Zhou Pingsheng flickered. He frowned—this was from the Myriad Races Academy! He had told them not to contact him unless it was of critical importance! Picking up the talisman to read it, Zhou Pingsheng's eyes flashed with astonishment! A vicious light erupted! What audacious guts! At a time like this, that brat actually dared to venture outside! "Ruins..." Su Yu wanted to seek out ancient ruins to rapidly advance himself! "The trouble in Nanyuan was caused by him!" Zhou Pingsheng was caught completely off guard. He had never anticipated this, nor that Su Yu would come prepared, accompanied by a Shanhai great demon. A lingering sense of dread washed over him. Fortunately, they had notified him in advance! Otherwise, had he carelessly underestimated Su Yu and followed him alone, wouldn't he have walked straight into his own death?! "That beast probably expected me to follow him alone! Was he trying to take the opportunity to kill me?" He couldn't help but suspect as much! His hatred toward Su Yu was the deepest! Shanhai experts rarely acted directly. If Su Yu truly stepped outside, the likelihood of Zhou Pingsheng tailing him was the highest. When the time came and a Shanhai great demon erupted in violence, he would have died without question. "Not only did he bring a Shanhai great demon, but he also contacted Xia Qing. He's planning to use two Shanhais as his foundation. He certainly fears death!" Taking two Shanhais along just for a single trip outside—even Xia Huyou barely had that kind of escort. This fellow truly thought highly of himself. Of course, he had good reason to. He knew full well how deeply he had offended the Single Divine Character Faction. "Fortunately, I discovered this beforehand..." Zhou Pingsheng felt a wave of post-fear. If they had merely sent a few Lingyun experts, it would have been like throwing meat buns to a dog—never to return! In his eyes, a ferocious light flared! Zhai Feng was dead; no one dared challenge the Top 100 Rankings anymore; his dream of becoming library pavilion head had shattered; his proudest disciple had perished; he had been swindled out of a massive amount of merit points... Over the past six months, ever since encountering Su Yu, disaster had followed disaster! Within the faction, his standing had plunged repeatedly! Now that his teacher was in seclusion, his position was even more precarious, reducing him almost to an invisible nonentity! All of it was caused by Su Yu! That beast had to die! "Two Shanhais? Heh!" A sneer escaped his lips! *Su Yu, you are far too young! To actually believe the myriad races would help you, to actually believe Xia Qing would assist you—you are truly naive beyond belief!* *The most venomous heart belongs to a woman!* Xia Qing was a princess of the Cloud Tiger race, after all. Would she cast aside the interests of her race just for you? What wishful thinking! Could befriending you, Su Yu, ever compare to forging ties with the Single Divine Character Faction? "Su Yu... this time, you are dead!" Zhou Pingsheng grinned and rose swiftly. He needed to find Elder Sun and the others. Dealing with a Shanhai great demon would not be easy, and his own strength was far from enough.