Blinded by the Game

Su Yu’s killing intent was indeed boiling. This was an opportunity! Unless he went to the All-Heavens Battlefield, chances like this were rare in the Human Realm—to slaughter wantonly with enemies lurking everywhere. It was only right now, when his true strength and trump cards remained an unknown quantity, that people were lining up to test the waters. Otherwise, such opportunities were few and far between! After halting for half an hour, Su Yu barked, "Set out!" "So soon?" The youth from the Pegasus race got up, grumbling reluctantly, "How about we rest for the night?" Su Yu turned his gaze over, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. "You can stay here!" "I..." Frightened by Su Yu's stare, the youth muttered under his breath, not daring to push further. *What's with the temper! Don't you know our race is allied with your Great Xia Mansion? So fierce!* Su Yu ignored him, leapt into the air, and mounted the Suanni. The caravan pressed on! All along the way, Su Yu remained on high alert. Unfortunately, Shanhai experts were difficult to distinguish, which gave him a headache. In the shadows lurked Shanhai and Lingyun experts, all of whom were Dao Protectors. At best, his Tengkong-level reconnaissance gave him a chance to spot things in advance. *The Perception Jade is missing one function—it should record auras...* That way, things wouldn't get so muddled. Otherwise, as it stood, discerning friend from foe was extremely difficult. Whether there were Shanhai experts spying from the shadows, Su Yu couldn't clearly detect either. *** Under the veil of night, the group forged ahead. Around midnight, a few convoys appeared in the wilderness—merchant caravans. Su Yu didn't approach them, and the other parties maintained a vigilant distance as well. Neither side spoke as they passed on diverging paths. In the wilderness, avoiding contact when encountering strangers was an unwritten rule of survival. After two or three hours of travel, another wave of rampaging wild demons attacked! Flashes of blades and gleams of swords! Incessant slaughter! The baleful aura clinging to Su Yu grew heavier and heavier as he felled numerous demons, including several Tengkong-level beasts. The Time cultivation technique opened 132 apertures. Forty-four apertures per tier! There were only three tiers in total! Fusing apertures for a technique like this was usually done only upon reaching the Shanhai Realm because there were too many apertures to fuse in a single tier. Yet Su Yu was fusing apertures right now. Fusing apertures even as he fought! Forty-four apertures into one! Regardless of whether he could fuse them all right away, fusing even one increased his strength by a fraction. After leaving the city of Great Xia, the ambient origin qi grew sparse, but Su Yu didn't mind; he had brought abundant origin qi liquid condensed by Shanhai Realm cultivators. It was more than enough for his consumption! As for overlapping apertures, he didn't need to fuse them now; doing so when fusing the final single aperture wouldn't be too late. As Su Yu advanced, fusing his apertures along the way, the Suanni sensed that Su Yu was cultivating. Its gait became steadier, and its pace slowed slightly. It had to slow down! The Suanni was at the ninth layer of the Tengkong Realm. The others were either travelling on foot or riding Cloud-Galloping Horses, utterly unable to keep pace with it. Seeing that the people behind could no longer keep up, Su Yu suddenly tossed out a miniature ox. The ox expanded in an instant, and Su Yu barked, "Xia Qing, if you can't keep walking, ride the Mountain-Boring Ox!" Xia Qing glanced at the enlarged Mountain-Boring Ox. The Mountain-Boring Ox said nothing; resigning itself to being a mount, it didn't utter a peep, simply waiting in silence for them to climb on. "Brother Su, is this appropriate?" Xia Qing looked troubled. This was a Tengkong demon beast, and its race ranked far above hers. Riding a Mountain-Boring Ox... among the demon race, that amounted to insubordination! Su Yu frowned. "Hurry up! Out on the road, you follow my orders! Xia Qing, Li Minyu, Ji Xiaomeng... the three of you get up there. Carrying you won't be an issue. You're all women, and if you exhaust yourselves, how will you fight?" Meanwhile, he transmitted his voice to the Mountain-Boring Ox: *Keep a tight eye on them. If anything looks off, kill them!* The Mountain-Boring Ox said nothing, nor did it reply through voice transmission. Internally, it cursed: *I knew you were this sinister!* Pretending to be kind by offering them a ride, when in truth he was taking them hostage. Who knew how many people would die this time? Xia Qing and the others had initially ridden Cloud-Galloping Horses, but several of the horses had already perished, leaving them on foot. Now that Su Yu had spoken, the three women didn't refuse any longer. They leapt into the air and landed on the Mountain-Boring Ox's back. A ninth-layer Tengkong Mountain-Boring Ox! When fully enlarged, it could comfortably seat ten people. In the dark, several guarding experts exchanged voice transmissions with sighing emotion. "The human race is still powerful. The Suanni and Mountain-Boring Ox races are both strong clans, yet now they have become Su Yu's mounts. Sigh!" There was a hint of sorrow in their tone. Soon, someone replied, "What else can we do? This is the Human Realm, and humanity is a hegemon race. Didn't our smaller races come to the humans precisely to cooperate? Though we call it cooperation, aren't we basically vassals in reality..." As the great demons chatted, one of them soon transmitted, "Drop it. Complain after we get back, everyone. Don't blabber out here!" "Old Mountain Antelope, your Mountain Antelope race would make fine mounts too. Why didn't you send some juniors over to the humans?" One demon quipped, and in the shadows, the old Mountain Antelope scoffed, "Old Fox, don't try to provoke me. You lot behave yourselves and quit babbling nonsense. If you don't want to make a living among humans, then pack up and leave—don't drag the rest of us down!" He felt these fellows were behaving weirdly, full of sarcasm and strange undertones! If you're unhappy, just leave the Human Realm. Grumbling among themselves was one thing, but with so many great demons around, if word leaked out and reached human higher-ups, relations would inevitably sour. After reprimanding them, the old Mountain Antelope added through the void, "The ones attacking so far are just mindless fools. If the All-Races Cult truly wants to kill this kid, knowing we Dao Protectors are here, everyone be careful. If that's their aim, they will surely have a plan targeting us!" It didn't dare be careless! It was no secret that the foreign students were traveling with Su Yu. And foreign students having Dao Protectors escort them was standard protocol. If the All-Races Cult truly wanted to kill Su Yu, they wouldn't overlook their existence. Although it felt the cult wouldn't have such audacity—after all, they had five Shanhai and three ninth-layer Lingyun experts present! Still, caution was warranted! The higher-ups of the All-Races Cult might not make a personal move, but they had to be wary of unexpected slips—letting someone slip through who might manage to kill Su Yu. Avenging him afterward would be too late. Eight experts were acting as Dao Protectors: Cloud Tiger, Fox, Barbarian Ox, Iron Wing, Pegasus, Mountain Antelope, Black Panther, and Flying Wolf. Among them, the Iron Wing, Black Panther, and Flying Wolf races had sent Lingyun Dao Protectors, while the other five races had sent Shanhai Dao Protectors. After offering a few words, the old Mountain Antelope said, "Keep your mouths shut tight, all of you. With us heading out, the Great Xia Mansion likely has Shanhai experts monitoring us. Earlier, I sensed a Shanhai presence, so don't run your mouths!" Ever since leaving the city of Great Xia, it had sensed a Shanhai presence tailing them. Naturally, it didn't know the exact location, but someone was certainly there. After all, with several foreign Shanhai traveling together, the Great Xia Mansion wouldn't leave them unmonitored. The great demons knew this well. An elder of the Cloud Tiger race transmitted, "We are merely escorting our clan's geniuses. Even if the Great Xia Mansion has plenty of experts, they wouldn't send many—probably just one or two Shanhai, maybe at most one. Old Mountain Antelope, wouldn't you say?" "Probably!" The Mountain Antelope expert didn't elaborate. Not many would come, that much was certain. The Great Xia Mansion was vast; how could they have so many Shanhai idling around to monitor them? As long as they didn't cause trouble, all would be fine! It was merely a deterrent, not an assassination team sent to kill them. While they were conversing, an explosion suddenly resounded below! *Boom!* Deafening blasts echoed one after another as the Suanni beneath Su Yu leapt into the air! A massive crater was blown open in the flat ground beneath them! At the same time, thick smoke curled upward. "Poison smoke!" Su Yu barked softly. Origin qi erupted as he activated the Yuan-Purifying Art, sending origin qi howling outward to disperse and purify the poisonous haze! Right at that moment, Su Yu's heart jolted! The small hammer swung through midair! Invisible ripples vibrated! In the void, a cultural weapon materialized and shattered instantly. In the next moment, space fluctuated, and a Shanhai expert swiftly gave chase. The voice of a guardian demon sounded in Su Yu's ear: "A Lingyun. Watch out—the Black Panther went after him!" A Lingyun! And a Civilization Master at that! Frowning, Su Yu said nothing. He touched down and turned around to look. The others looked rather disheveled, and the Cloud-Galloping Horses were virtually all dead. The Pegasus youth couldn't help complaining, "Are they insane?! They really sent this many people to kill you! Su Yu, just how many enemies have you made?" *I came out here for a scenic tour!* *Why are there so many enemies!* They were still within the borders of the Great Xia Mansion, yet Lingyun cultivators were already showing up. Just now, he had nearly been blown to pieces! Fortunately, someone had pulled him back from the shadows! Lingering fear gnawed at him, accompanied by regret. Had he known, he wouldn't have acted tough and tagged along. Su Yu ignored him. That Lingyun just now was quite formidable. A strike across space had merely been a probing gesture. Yet it had drawn away one of their protectors! His eyes flickered, and he spoke aloud: "Seniors, do not pursue any further. Beware of the enemy trying to lure us apart!" "Understood!" Someone replied without elaborating. Su Yu said nothing more either. The four races—Iron Wing, Fox, Barbarian Ox, and Cloud Tiger—had most likely colluded and were in contact with the Single Divine Character Faction. As for the other four races, he couldn't be certain yet, but he wouldn't trust them completely. Some might be overt pawns, others covert agents. To deal with him, these people were certainly sparing no expense. Just how many Shanhai experts had his outing flushed out! Su Yu chuckled inwardly. What a pity... this was the Great Xia Mansion, and the Xia family was currently playing dead. If he were in the Great Ming Mansion, and if Zhu Tiandao were willing to cooperate, this move might have drawn out a swarm of hidden enemies to be wiped out in one fell swoop! Here in the Great Xia Mansion, they killed when necessary rather than launching deliberate sweeps. Unless the other side caused a colossal scene, the Great Xia experts didn't care much about the All-Races Cult's petty disruptions; the cult had no deep foundation here and couldn't stir up much of a wave. Moreover, the populace of the Great Xia Mansion held immense hatred toward the All-Races Cult, making it nearly impossible for the cult to recruit members here. Reflecting on this, Su Yu pushed forward once more. Poison smoke, explosive talismans—they had brought out quite a variety of tricks. The All-Races Cult certainly had plenty of methods. *** Meanwhile. Behind them. In the void, Yu Hong frowned. "Carrying on like this won't reveal anything. With several Dao Protectors around, whether out of duty or propriety, they cannot simply watch Su Yu come to harm. Even if the All-Races Cult wants him dead, they probably wouldn't dare dispatch too many people right now. The ones showing up now are merely experts from independent cults." The so-called "independent cult" experts were either from minor cults or opportunistic rogue elements trying to fish in troubled waters. Organized, heavyweight experts from major cults had yet to make an appearance. Old Zheng chuckled. "What ideas do you have?" Yu Hong remained silent for a moment, conducting a scan before saying, "Just how many Shanhai are lurking in secret? I sense more than one. I don't know whether it's a monitor from the Xia family or Su Yu's demon Dao Protector. Old Zheng, the Xia family's expert is on you. Lure him away later!" She had detected that Shanhai from the Xia family. His movements weren't terribly secretive; he had come specifically to monitor the foreign demons, so he hadn't concealed his presence too strictly. Elder Zheng nodded. "Fine. But not right now—this is merely probing, and he won't reveal himself easily. Still, Elder Yu, just the two of us won't be enough. Even if those fellows have an agreement with you, unless they openly rebel, they'll have to put up some semblance of an effort!" "Don't worry, there are others!" Yu Hong said no more. Naturally, it wouldn't be just the two of them. The ancient ruin and killing Su Yu—both were matters of paramount importance. Many believed that with five Shanhai Dao Protectors guarding him, Su Yu would be safe. She intended to strike precisely when everyone assumed he was secure. That was the real opportunity. *** Night deepened further. After another hour or so of travel, no further attacks occurred. Chen Chen, who had been on foot the whole time, suddenly spoke up: "Junior Brother Su, let's take a short break. The exertion is too high." Su Yu looked back, saw him panting for breath, and noticed the others were in a similar state. He nodded. "Then let's rest a bit. Senior Brother Chen, do you not have a mount?" "I tamed a ninth-layer Wanshi demon beast, but it isn't a mount type—it's a combat-oriented beast, unsuitable for riding." Chen Chen explained. Su Yu nodded without saying more. By now, the Cloud-Galloping Horses were completely wiped out. Aside from Su Yu, only Xia Qing and the two women were riding the Mountain-Boring Ox. Of course, the Pegasus youth and his kin were born mounts, so they weren't particularly tired. Free from ambushes for the moment, the Pegasus youth felt considerably more relaxed. Hearing Su Yu call for a rest, he instantly beamed. In the dead of night, he had removed his cloak, revealing that he was indeed just an adolescent. He looked no different from a human youth, save for a white horse's tail trailing from behind him, which looked slightly awkward. Just as Su Yu and the others settled down to rest, a sudden roar thundered from the distance! The next moment, an immensely towering giant appeared before everyone's eyes, clutching a colossal greataxe. With a thunderous roar, he swung the axe forward—*Boom!* A bloody moon rose, and in the next instant, the bloody moon vanished! "Senior Ju Shan!" Su Yu sprang up and called out softly. In the distance, the towering giant glanced at Su Yu and spoke in the common tongue, his booming voice echoing: "No harm done. I ran into a highwayman, nothing for you to worry about! Your human race... heh, to think you let a fellow from the Bloodthirsty race slip into the Human Realm. You lot, watch yourselves!" With that, the colossal figure vanished! Zhou Hao and the others looked toward Su Yu, who kept his mouth shut. From the darkness, someone sent a voice transmission: "Little friend, is that your Dao Protector?" "Yes!" Su Yu answered aloud, "Please pardon him, seniors. Senior Ju Shan is rather aloof. That bloody moon just now—was it from the All-Races Cult?" "Most likely. The foe's strength wasn't weak at all, around the fourth or fifth layer of the Shanhai Realm..." Someone explained to him, "That was someone from the Bloodthirsty race, another powerful race. Likely from the Bloodthirsty Cult. To think they had crept this close; fortunate that they ran into Brother Ju Shan." Su Yu frowned. "The All-Races Cult is audacious! A Shanhai expert actually dares show their face!" Then Su Yu added, "Seniors, please try not to separate. It's enough for Senior Ju Shan to keep watch on the outer perimeter, lest the enemy tries to lure the tiger from the mountain!" "Very well. Had you not cautioned us against leaving lightly, the few of us working with Ju Shan could have captured that fellow without much trouble!" The voice transmitted through the void once more. A fellow from the Bloodthirsty race had actually appeared. And their strength was far from weak! This Ju Shan was quite formidable as well; judging from his performance, it seemed he had indeed fallen from the fifth or sixth layer of Shanhai to the third layer, just as Su Yu had previously claimed. Now that he had shown himself, the others could vaguely track his movements. A Mountain Giant! One of the particularly powerful races. To think Hong Tan had captured a powerhouse of the Mountain Giant race, who had now become Su Yu's Dao Protector. *** "A Mountain Giant powerhouse!" At this moment, Yu Hong was also frowning. "His cultivation likely fell from the fifth or sixth layer of Shanhai. That fellow Hong Tan really made a grand move, capturing such an expert!" Then she added, "That Bloodthirsty fellow just now... was he from the Bloodthirsty Cult? Quite capable, managing to sneak in an actual native member of the Bloodthirsty race!" Old Zheng chuckled. "It's normal. A while back, several Sunmoon experts from the Tianyi God race infiltrated your region. There are six known entrances connecting the Human Realm to the All-Heavens Battlefield, but I suspect there might be a seventh, controlled by either the Primordial God Cult or the Primordial Demon Cult. Otherwise, these fellows wouldn't be able to slip in so easily." Yu Hong nodded; that was hardly surprising, as suspicions had long existed. "That Bloodthirsty fellow... his strength isn't weak, and his audacity is considerable. With so many Shanhai around, he still dared to lurk nearby." "The Bloodthirsty race is bold by nature!" As they talked, Yu Hong suddenly smiled. "Well, that works too. Now that a Shanhai from the Bloodthirsty race has surfaced, the others might not be able to sit still." Old Zheng said nothing. This Bloodthirsty fellow had popped his head out so quickly; he would need to watch his step. The Xia family's Shanhai was still around, and if he caught their attention, death would be all but guaranteed. *** At the same time. The Bloodthirsty powerhouse who had just clashed with Ju Shan was fleeing through the void, currently disguised in the form of a sinister youth. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. "Who's there!" "Greetings, Bloodthirsty powerhouse!" A silhouette materialized in the void, chuckling. "The Bloodthirsty Cult usually operates in the Great Han Mansion. One rarely sees you here in the Great Xia Mansion. I didn't expect to run into a brother from the Bloodthirsty race here!" Xue Yue said coldly, "Does the Great Xia Mansion belong to your family?" "Perish the thought!" The figure smiled. "Brother, you saw it as well. The other side has multiple Shanhai Dao Protectors. Relying on your solitary strength, you cannot possibly capture Su Yu. Moreover, our goal right now is not to kill him..." The figure chuckled again. "You lurked nearby, wanting to capture Su Yu. Surely you know that killing him is not the objective, don't you?" Xue Yue sneered. "Trying to recruit me? No need. Every man for himself! There's only one ruin, and every Shanhai wants to enter the Sunmoon Realm, to achieve the Eternal Realm! If you pull in a crowd, how will we divide the spoils in the end?" With that, Xue Yue vanished into the void to leave! The figure wasn't in a rush, laughing softly: "A ruin within the Great Xia Mansion is naturally a hit-and-run affair. Who would think of occupying it long-term? Do you take the Xia family for dead men? Since it's a smash-and-grab exploitation, what difference does a few extra Shanhai make?" Ignoring him, Xue Yue phased through the void again. An instant later, he reappeared, barking coldly, "Piss off! Follow me any further and I will kill you!" "Why must you keep people at arm's length, brother? A lone wolf cannot accomplish this. Only by uniting the experts of various cults and striking together do we stand a chance!" The silhouette urged once more, then smiled. "If you insist on going your own way, then for our own safety, when the critical moment arrives, we may not necessarily stand on your side." "Are you threatening me?" "I wouldn't dare!" The silhouette laughed. "You're too reckless, brother. I fear you will ruin things." "Hmph!" Xue Yue scoffed coldly. "Sneaking around with hidden head and tail! Who are you?" "The Vice Cult Master of the Blood Fire Cult!" "Heh, the Blood Fire Cult... That Cult Master of yours was a complete fool, freshly slain by Xia Longwu not long ago, yet you still dare show your face?" "Since you know the danger, brother, why persist in going solo? Our Cult Master was a Sunmoon expert, yet that's how he died!" The figure chuckled. "Let us cooperate. We're all operating within the Great Xia Mansion, so we must be cautious lest the Xia family rounds us up all at once." Xue Yue asked coldly, "How many Shanhai do you have on your side?" Then he sneered, "Who knows if you've already hatched some prior agreement? I do the heavy lifting for you, only for you to turn and bite me afterward. We are all intelligent people; there's no need for pretense. Who can trust whom?" "Fair point." The figure smiled. "Neither of us needs to trust the other, but at least we need a plan and some organization. How can a lone warrior hope to capture Su Yu? "If we don't capture him, what's the point of you and me bashing our heads bloody against each other?" The figure sighed. "Capturing Su Yu is the crux of the matter! And matters are far more complicated than you imagine. We are not the only ones with our eyes on Su Yu; others are watching him too. When a ruin is at stake, did you really think people wouldn't take it seriously?" Xue Yue pondered for a moment, then suddenly mocked, "The Single Divine Character Faction? Do they dare act? They still live in the Great Xia Mansion. Aren't they afraid that if the Xia family uncovers them, it'll cost them their lives?" "Heh, unless ironclad evidence is found, the Xia family won't move against them right now even if they harbor suspicions, will they?" Xue Yue fell silent, then asked again, "How many have gathered on your side?" "Including me, three Shanhai!" The silhouette smiled. "Counting you, brother, that makes four. Other places are too far away after all. Unless they received word in advance, who would dare rush into the Great Xia Mansion? Do they have a death wish? Even I tread on eggshells, not daring to act recklessly." Xue Yue sneered. Cautious indeed—what had come was merely a divine character phantom, not even a true avatar. "How do we stay in touch?" "A voice transmission talisman. At close range, as long as we stay near Su Yu, communication won't be an issue!" With that, a voice transmission talisman was tossed over. Xue Yue caught it, quickly examined it, gave a cold snort, and caused a flare of blood-red fire to burst from his hand, burning over the talisman before slipping it into his pouch. "How should I address you, brother?" "Xue Yue! And you?" "Xue Yue... quite an affinity with my Blood Fire Cult. Just call me Blood Rakshasa!" Xue Yue sneered dismissively, paid him no more heed, and swiftly vanished into the void. After he departed, Blood Rakshasa's figure flickered indistinctly, looking somewhat suspicious. *A fellow from the Bloodthirsty race! I never heard of the Bloodthirsty race being active in the Great Xia Mansion!* "Even the Bloodthirsty race has been drawn in. This ruin... truly pulls at everyone's heartstrings." Did Su Yu possess a ruin? Yes! This was universal consensus! Otherwise, did anyone truly think opening apertures was that easy? Opening hundreds in one breath? Opening hundreds in just a few months? Opening one or two hundred might be plausible; given time, certain geniuses could achieve that. But he had opened more than three hundred apertures in less than half a year—who was he kidding! Such a feat was something only people who had gained control of an ancient ruin could pull off back in the day, which was how quite a few Invincibles were born in that era. Nowadays, ruins were increasingly scarce and harder to find. With Su Yu in possession of a ruin, who wouldn't be tempted? Even the Xia family was searching for it! Nanyuan... Nobody knew for certain whether the ruin was truly in Nanyuan. That area was currently under lockdown, and nobody dared approach rashly. If it was in Nanyuan, seizing it would be difficult; if it wasn't, that meant an opportunity! They might as well take a gamble! If it wasn't in Nanyuan, then anyone had a chance of obtaining the ruin and securing the legacy, or at least extracting clues from Su Yu, who might possess even more secrets. Perhaps that aperture fusion method had come from the ruin as well! *** Su Yu's Dao Protector was exposed! Su Yu's expression wasn't very pleasant, but he said nothing, waiting until everyone recovered before continuing the march. Without mounts, their speed slowed considerably. Midway, Su Yu suddenly remarked, "Can members of the Bloodthirsty race infiltrate the Human Realm? No, that's not right. I heard the Bloodthirsty Cult is only active in the north. The Great Xia Mansion is in the south, so how could someone from the Bloodthirsty race have rushed here? It hasn't been long since I took this mission and set out. Traveling from the north to the south would take quite a bit of time, wouldn't it?" As he spoke, he looked toward Xia Qing! His gaze held a dark edge. Seeing this, Xia Qing felt her heart clench and hurriedly said, "Brother Su, they might have already been lurking in the Great Xia Mansion. That's a possibility as well." Su Yu frowned and spoke no more. Xia Qing cursed inwardly. *Is he suspecting that I leaked the information?* *Could it be the Single Divine Character Faction who leaked it?* *Quite possible!* If they had immediately contacted the northern All-Races Cult after she informed them, there was a strong chance the other party could have made it in time. Meanwhile, Su Yu paid her no further attention. The trick of crying thief to catch a thief was ever useful. Xue Yue... one of the three great demons. Xue Yue, Ju Shan, and Du Yan. Could Xue Yue, who didn't even have a Demon Restraining Ring on him, fool those fellows in the shadows? Su Yu didn't know, but trying cost him nothing. Even if Xue Yue was found out, it was no big deal. He had exposed Ju Shan and sent away Xue Yue; he wondered if Du Yan had gained anything. *** Just as Su Yu was thinking about Du Yan. At that moment, in a mountain col, corpses littered the ground. A few living people remained! Presently, they were shivering, kneeling on the ground. In front of them stood a frail figure with graying hair. There was a slit on his forehead. At that moment, he opened the eye set in his brow and looked down at the crowd, speaking faintly: "Those who resist me face only death!" "Here, you obey my every word!" Du Yan said grimly, "A bunch of trash, daring to resist! Had my Demon Pupil race not lacked forces in this place, worthless trash like you wouldn't even qualify to join us!" From the kneeling crowd, someone stammered tremblingly, "My lord, we are willing to serve you, but we originally belonged to the Flame Cult. If we betray..." "Betray?" Du Yan said darkly, "What of the Flame God race? What do they count for! You are all human traitors; serving whichever race makes no difference! Would the Flame God race go to war with our Demon Pupil race over a bunch of trash like you?" With a wave of his hand, a heap of natural treasures and precious resources appeared. He sneered, "These are your rewards! The Demon Pupil race will establish a branch cult in the Great Xia Mansion this time, and you will be the first candidates. You..." He pointed at a Lingyun expert. "...shall be the Branch Cult Master. If this operation succeeds, I will reward you handsomely!" "Thank you, my lord!" The Lingyun expert was overjoyed. A Branch Cult Master! As for betraying the Flame Cult... don't talk about betrayal; they were all serving the myriad races. The Demon Pupil race was also a powerful clan, so serving anyone was the same so long as the benefits kept coming! "When things succeed, your benefits will not be lacking!" Du Yan looked at the crowd, speaking frostily, "Cross me or feign compliance, and I'll slaughter the lot of you! We have too few hands. Follow me to find more people. We cannot establish a cult with so few people..." "My lord!" The new branch leader hastily said, "Nearby, there is another group with quite a few Tengkong and Lingyun cultivators. They were assembled by Xue E, a traitor from the Blood Fire Cult. He previously tried to recruit us, but because he offended the Great Xia Civilization Academy, we didn't dare get involved with him. If you need manpower, my lord, I can seek him out..." "The Blood Fire Cult?" Du Yan pondered briefly, then nodded. "Go find them!" With that, an eerie beam of light fell from his eye, bathing the crowd as he said grimly, "Anyone who thinks they can run or betray me can try the pupil fire of our Demon Pupil race. If you survive it, I will spare your lives!" Shivering, the crowd didn't dare say a word. They could only curse their bad luck for getting caught by this Shanhai expert, leaving them no choice but to betray their cult. Ah well, was pledging allegiance to anyone any different? As long as the benefits kept flowing! "Scram!" Du Yan snorted coldly. The crowd didn't dare linger, scrambling away and vanishing into the darkness. Du Yan glanced at the corpses on the ground. Fire erupted from his third eye, incinerating the corpses to ashes in an instant. "The Demon Pupil Cult?" Du Yan chuckled. Rather amusing. He turned his head toward another direction. *That crafty human brat certainly has huge guts!* *Isn't he afraid that we'll really run off, or stay hidden in the Human Realm?* *He's so certain we'll help him?* "Hong Tan..." He muttered the name inwardly and snorted! That was his bitter enemy! And Hong Tan's grand-disciple wasn't anything good either! Yet... recalling Su Yu's utterly confident demeanor, Du Yan sighed softly in his heart. Forget it, there was no need to seek death. This entire ordeal was destined to be a performance. A performance of slaughter! With the Mansion Master of the Great Ming Mansion stepping in personally, the few of them were likely well under control. Su Yu had laid this trap himself—could he truly lack the means to keep things in check? The Xia family, Wan Tiansheng, and the Zhu family were probably all watching! Du Yan gave a chilling laugh. *A bunch of idiots. Who knows how many will die this time!* *A ruin... even if there really is one, you have to be alive to enjoy it.* *In a trap Su Yu laid himself, even if he truly possesses a ruin, did you think he would lead you straight to it?* "Starfall Mountain..." More like a land of death! Once they entered the territory of the Great Ming Mansion, the Zhu family could strike at any moment. Did those fools think that because the Zhu family had lain low for years, they wouldn't make a move? Actually... he had thought they wouldn't either. Had Su Yu not given them advance warning, he wouldn't have expected the Zhu family to get involved either. Those involved were truly blinded by the game! *King Daming...* Du Yan silently repeated the title in his head. He had better be careful and keep a low profile. King Daming wasn't residing right in the Great Ming Mansion, was he? If he was, Du Yan would need to behave himself and keep his head down.