Outside Starfall Mountain.
As Su Yu and his group entered the mountain, the void outside rippled.
"It’s actually here!"
A group of Shanhai Realm experts emerged.
Yu Hong exclaimed in wonder. At Starfall Mountain—so that was it!
Blood Rakshasa was surprised as well, but quickly nodded. "It makes sense for it to be here. There were always legends about this place where a star had fallen. Back then, the Tianyi God Cult occupied Starfall Mountain, and the Tianyi Cult Master lay low here for years, never expecting to be wiped out in one fell swoop."
"Starfall Mountain is massive. Let’s keep tracking Su Yu and his people first."
Yu Hong added with a smile, "It’s great that it’s here—outside the Great Xia Prefecture!"
A wonderful location!
A truly magnificent spot!
The people of the Great Ming Prefecture were a bunch of slackers. As long as you didn’t go too far or encroach upon Great Ming’s interests, they couldn't be bothered to interfere.
Moreover, this place did not belong to the Great Xia Prefecture, so Great Xia had no easy way to exert control over it.
Being here was simply ideal!
Yu Hong wasn't the only one pleased; the others were just as delighted.
Blood Rakshasa chuckled. "A fine spot indeed. Su Yu shines like a star, a prodigy of peerless talent. Dying here is more than worthy of him!"
Eight Shanhai Realm experts!
Elder Li had rendezvoused with them now.
Eight Shanhais on their side, while the opposition only had six—or seven at most if the Xia family's hidden observer was counted.
Not a single late-stage Shanhai among them!
Of course, the strength of the Xia family's observer remained unknown, as the person had yet to reveal their whereabouts.
Meanwhile, their own side possessed two Seventh Layer Shanhais.
Blood Rakshasa was confident, and Yu Hong smirked. "That boy Su Yu doesn't even deserve a resting place like Starfall Mountain."
The others chuckled.
Xue Yue said with a grin, "Save the chatter. Starfall Mountain really is prime ground. It sits within the Great Ming Prefecture, and everyone knows King Daming and Zhu Tiandao mind their own business. The Zhu family lacks strength—they don't even have many Sunmoons in their borders, their academies have few Shanhais, and it’s a long way from Tiandu Prefecture. Looks like we’ll all walk away with a fortune this time!"
He then glanced at Yu Hong. "Is it just the few of us? Anyone else coming?"
Yu Hong said coolly, "Aren’t we enough?"
Xue Yue shrugged indifferently, but Du Yan chimed in, "I’ve gathered a bunch of rogues from splinter cults to use as cannon fodder! With enough numbers, even Tengkong and Lingyun can tie down a Shanhai. The rest of you had better bring some weaker minions too, posting them along the perimeter to prevent anyone from fleeing. Starfall Mountain is huge. If someone actually escapes and possesses enough skill to evade a Shanhai's senses, finding them will be a nightmare!"
Du Yan sneered, "If they slip away, the worst that happens to us is having to find another place to survive. But even if we enter the ruin, exploring it will take time. So from the very start, we must seal off Starfall Mountain!"
Xue Yue took up the thread. "Right. Not only that, we must block all voice transmission channels here!"
He added with gravity, "Don't assume for a second that they haven't brought long-range voice transmission talismans. We can't rely on luck. If they call for help and a Sunmoon comes to reinforce them, we’ll be in massive trouble! We need at least one or two Shanhais dedicated to severing the voice transmission channels here!"
Hearing both of them say this, the others nodded in agreement. It was a thorough and necessary precaution.
Yu Hong smiled. "Our people will handle sealing the voice transmission channels. Rest assured, no word will leak from here."
"That would be best!"
Xue Yue grunted, then added, "However, when your people arrive, you'd better inform us. Otherwise... weapons have no eyes. I don't care whether they're friend or foe—if I don't recognize them and end up killing them, don't blame me!"
Yu Hong snorted coldly!
Seeing the tension, Blood Rakshasa hurriedly mediated, "Everyone, working together like this is a rare opportunity. Let’s not ruin our rapport over petty squabbles."
"Rapport?"
Xue Yue sneered, dismissive.
*Go ahead and seal it!*
*The tighter, the better!*
Not bothering to say another word, several figures slipped into the void and concealed themselves.
……
Deep in the mountains.
Su Yu dismounted from the Suanni and began walking on foot.
Holding a map, he started searching.
Xia Qing stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Brother Su, do you not have an exact location?"
"I was too young the first time I came, so I forgot."
Su Yu replied calmly, "I only remember it's within these mountains. Of course, I still remember the surroundings of the entrance. Once I see it, I'll recognize it!"
Beside him, Ji Xiaomeng asked curiously, "What are you looking for?"
"A ruin!"
"……"
The surroundings fell dead silent for a moment.
The void rippled, and in the next instant, the old Pegasus appeared. Looking at Su Yu, he said in a deep voice, "Su Yu, you're searching for a ruin?"
Su Yu said calmly, "I asked whether you all wanted to come, and you insisted! If you want to leave now, you can. If you don't, then once we find the ruin, I'll give you a share of the benefits! Senior, I asked multiple times if you wanted to accompany me."
The Pegasus youth asked nervously, "A ruin, like the legendary ones that birth Invincibles? No wonder you're so powerful—you inherited a ruin's legacy!"
Su Yu offered a faint smile. "Indeed. Do you wish to keep following me? To be frank, by now, quite a few All-Races Cult bastards have probably trailed us here. Any clever person could guess that I gained a ruin, and those guys all want a piece of the pie..."
With that, Su Yu smiled. "Put it this way: aside from a select few among us, everyone else knows what’s going on. If those who didn't know still chose to follow, I take no responsibility. I warned you all repeatedly!"
"……"
The Pegasus youth muttered under his breath that Su Yu had never mentioned anything about a ruin.
Well, even if he had, the youth still would have come.
"A ruin..."
The youth felt a surge of pleasant surprise and smiled. "Can we take a look? Of course, we won't snatch it—the Xia family wouldn't permit that either... But, Su Yu, isn't this within the borders of the Great Ming Prefecture? If Great Ming finds out, will they seize it?"
Su Yu chuckled. "Descendants of Invincibles care somewhat about saving face. Of course, if they truly try to take it by force, I still have a grandmaster who is on the verge of the Sunmoon Realm. If worse comes to worst, I’ll just call him over. It's fine!"
Having said that, Su Yu kept walking while continuing, "Regardless of whether you’ve guessed it or not, our entry into these mountains is solely for the ruin! And this ruin belongs exclusively to me!"
He glanced at Ji Xiaomeng and said coolly, "Classmate Ji, you have no objections to that, do you?"
"None!"
Ji Xiaomeng giggled. "No objections at all! I'm just here to watch the show. I've never seen a ruin before!"
Su Yu didn't bother to say more.
At this stage, he no longer cared. If things went south, he would kill every single troublemaker!
Leave none alive!
He was about to reach the Great Ming Prefecture; he wouldn't show the slightest mercy to anyone causing trouble!
The old Pegasus frowned, looking at Su Yu. "If that's the case, could even more Shanhais from the All-Races Cult be coming?"
"Yes!"
Su Yu didn't deny it. He said plainly, "Four or five would be normal, and even more wouldn't be surprising. Don't worry, exploring the ruin will only take me an hour or two; I'll be out very quickly. As long as you can protect me for those one or two hours, I won't be stingy once we return!"
Su Yu stated bluntly, "I offered Xia Qing and the others ten thousand merit points plus a Profound rank cultural weapon for their help. If you agree to help, Senior, the price is the same. If not, you may take your people and leave right now!"
The old Pegasus glanced at the Cloud Tiger expert and snorted!
*So you all knew!*
*I was the only one kept in the dark!*
"Are there any distinct landmarks near the ruin?"
The old Pegasus pressed no further. Having come this far, he was genuinely curious about what the ruin looked like.
"We'll talk once we find it!"
Without elaborating, Su Yu kept scanning the surroundings. "Help me look for a canyon. I remember there was a small canyon nearby."
The experts said nothing more, leaping into the air to survey the terrain.
Li Minyu stepped forward with a smile. "Su Yu, I didn't expect you to truly possess a ruin."
Su Yu ignored her, continuing to look around.
After a moment, he turned his head. "I don't care whose side you're on—it doesn't matter. Just don't get any ideas about these things, or... you will die! This isn't something someone in the Character Cultivation Realm can covet!"
"What about you?"
Li Minyu smiled. "Aren't you in the Character Cultivation Realm too?"
Su Yu grinned. "Feel free to try me! You, Ji Xiaomeng, Chen Chen... The three of you, I warned you time and time again, yet you refused to leave. So I won't bother anymore. Consider yourselves warned: harbor any wicked thoughts, and you will die!"
Su Yu paid her no more heed. Li Minyu smiled faintly and dropped the subject.
……
Meanwhile.
Outside Starfall Mountain.
A massive formation rose silently. In a small village near the border of the Great Ming Prefecture, Zhu Tiandao watched the unfolding scene with a chuckle.
"This kid is a master angler!"
Turning his head, he asked, "How many people now?"
Beside him, the middle-aged man named Hou clicked his tongue. "Prefecture Lord, too many! There are already a full fifteen Shanhais who have entered..."
"Hmm?"
Zhu Tiandao studied the projection before him. "There are six on Su Yu's side, and eight who arrived later. Where did fifteen come from? Are you watching closely?"
"Very closely!"
Director Hou quickly explained, "Another one just slipped inside—probably the Xia family's observer, at least a Seventh Layer Shanhai!"
"Oh!"
As they spoke, two more points of light flashed and vanished. "Seventeen now!"
Director Hou sighed. "The Great Xia Prefecture really has a surplus of Shanhais. Seventeen showing up just like that! Are those two the Dao Protectors of Xia Huyou that Su Yu mentioned?"
Zhu Tiandao nodded, tasting a tinge of jealousy.
*Damn it!*
*Great Xia has so many powerhouses!*
*Look at that—seventeen arrived without breaking a sweat!*
Just then, the void trembled, and the image rippled. In the next moment, a figure appeared, causing Zhu Tiandao's expression to shift slightly. "Holy shit, Jin Yuhui! That fellow actually came? Did he come for the ruin? He's close to the Sunmoon Realm—he probably wants to use it for a breakthrough. That's a massive fish. Without a valid justification, if we kill him offhandedly, the Xia family will fight us to the death!"
A half-step Sunmoon Realm expert had arrived!
If they killed him without ironclad proof, the Xia family would be forced to stand up for him regardless of the circumstances.
If a powerhouse within your borders was slaughtered and you didn't step forward, who would ever serve you?
Zhu Tiandao felt a headache coming on!
"This is troublesome. If this guy makes a move, Su Yu might be finished..."
Director Hou said helplessly, "Prefecture Lord, it’s not just a matter of him being finished—it’s the sheer number of Shanhais... Is our Great Ming Prefecture truly going to slaughter all these Shanhai Realm experts for Su Yu's sake? There are too many! If we kill them all, the entire Human Realm will be shaken! Over the past decade of fighting on the All-Heavens Battlefield, the Human Realm lost twenty-two Shanhais in total. Across all thirty-six prefectures, only two or three Shanhais die each year..."
He felt on the verge of exploding!
Great Ming was supposed to be peaceful and genial!
Don't do this!
How many Shanhais would have to die to satisfy this mess?
A strike like this would shock the entire world!
Zhu Tiandao smiled. "That kid didn't ask me to kill anyone. He only asked me to pick him up and escort him away at the critical moment. That was his only request. Still... even if he didn't say so, we ought to offer a welcoming gift, shouldn't we? He baited so many Shanhais here, pulling chestnuts from the fire. What I'm really curious about is where he gets the confidence to kill them!"
Director Hou chuckled. "What I'm more curious about is whether there truly is a ruin here."
Zhu Tiandao's gaze grew peculiar. "Don't laugh—when he mentioned Starfall Mountain earlier, I scanned the area, and there might actually be one. There's a rather mysterious place that I couldn't probe completely."
Who was he?
A Ninth Layer Sunmoon!
For a place to elude his perception was incredible. If he hadn't wanted to avoid startling the snake, he would have investigated it himself.
Could there truly be a ruin here?
As the two conversed, another person arrived!
Nineteen now!
Zhu Tiandao glanced over, puzzled. "This guy looks somewhat familiar. Old Hou, do you recognize him?"
Director Hou stared for a while, then suddenly said, "I have an impression... This... Over thirty years ago, when I visited Great Xia on an exchange, I saw him. This person... should be connected to Chen Yong!"
"Who?"
"Chen Yong!"
Director Hou nodded. "Right. I remember back then, Chen Yong had just entered the Lingyun Realm, and this man took part in that exchange as well... Something is off. He seemed to be a prodigy back then, but he was said to have died while exploring the Star Mansion!"
"A friend of Chen Yong?"
Zhu Tiandao clicked his tongue. "Look at that, that's Great Xia for you! Damn! A pack of scheming old bastards! Shanhais popping out one after another, people you barely ever see! Our Great Ming Prefecture has less than half their number of Shanhais. If we ever went to war, the Xia family would crush us!"
You wouldn't know without looking, but looking was terrifying.
So many Shanhais!
"Nineteen now..."
Director Hou felt his head throbbing. "Just how many does Su Yu plan to kill? Prefecture Lord, should we just give up? Taking this kid in feels like nothing but trouble!"
It truly was trouble!
Look at how many people he had baited.
Were these people idiots?
Su Yu claimed there was a ruin, and they just believed him!
Well, even he was inclined to believe it. The kid was simply too astonishing, having grown capable of slaying Seventh and Eighth Layer Tengkongs in practically no time. If someone said he didn't have a ruin backing him, nobody would believe it.
"Nineteen... Are there more?"
Director Hou sighed helplessly. There were so many already; could there really be more?
He muttered, "As long as this doesn't draw out a Sunmoon, we can handle it. Otherwise, the trouble will be immense!"
He was only a Sunmoon himself!
Zhu Tiandao was powerful enough, of course, but if a Sunmoon was provoked into action, taking them down cleanly wouldn't be easy.
Just as he spoke, Director Hou frowned. "Damn it, another one came. Isn't that Zhao Mingyue? Don't tell me she brought that guy from the Dragon Martial Guards too—that would be real trouble!"
Zhao Mingyue!
Zhu Tiandao had run out of words. Let them come; the more, the merrier.
In the next moment, Director Hou's expression turned strange. "Prefecture Lord, forgive my alarm, but are we in for massive trouble?"
Zhu Tiandao's gaze sharpened. "Yes. I suspect I won't even need to intervene. Did Su Yu summon this one?"
A Sunmoon Realm expert!
The first Sunmoon had appeared!
Both Zhu Tiandao and Director Hou recognized the newcomer, and suspicion filled their hearts. Who had called this person here?
Did they come on their own?
That shouldn't be! To rush here from so far away would take at least four or five days. How many people could have known the news four or five days ago?
Director Hou sighed. "It's hard to say why this one came! Prefecture Lord, he won't sense our grand formation, will he?"
"Nonsense. My old man laid this formation. Let him reach the Ninth Layer Sunmoon first before trying to sense it!"
Fair enough!
Director Hou said no more and continued to wait.
Twenty-one experts!
Twenty Shanhais and one Sunmoon Realm powerhouse.
And among the Shanhais, there was even a half-step Sunmoon.
If these people went to the All-Heavens Battlefield, they would be enough to wage a large-scale war, effortlessly overrunning a minor race.
Yet now, because of Su Yu, they had all gathered here.
No—counting the two of them, there were three Sunmoons!
Including a Ninth Layer Sunmoon. Terrifying, wasn't it?
……
Deep in the mountains.
As Su Yu and his group pressed on, someone suddenly barked, "Who goes there?"
Starfall Mountain was not uninhabited.
There were bandits and All-Races Cult members here. When the Tianyi God Cult fell apart, many of its members set themselves up as local warlords, occupying the mountains and raiding merchant caravans traveling between the two prefectures.
Anyone daring to claim a mountain for themselves wouldn't be weak.
Yet Su Yu didn't even look before hurling a flying dagger!
*Squelch!*
A head rolled to the ground!
A minor minion in the Wanshi Realm!
Probably a lookout or something similar. Su Yu didn't bother asking questions, killing him on the spot.
Beside him, Ji Xiaomeng asked curiously, "You didn't ask who he was before killing him? Aren't you afraid of killing the wrong person and slaughtering the innocent?"
Su Yu glanced into the distance and said casually, "There are no good people on Starfall Mountain. Normal folk wouldn't block the road to interrogate travelers. Kill anyone who blocks the path and be done with it. It's that simple—no one blocking the road is innocent!"
It was that straightforward!
What kind of normal person would block the road in the middle of the night?
Right now, the sky was still pitch-black.
"What if they had a legitimate matter?" Ji Xiaomeng pressed.
Su Yu ignored her and kept walking. Beside them, Li Minyu smiled. "Junior Sister Ji, that's easy to judge. There are rules for wilderness survival. Anyone genuinely asking for help will declare their affiliation and identity from a distance beforehand. That is the rule and the law of survival. If someone blocks your path without announcing themselves, ninety-nine times out of a hundred they are bandits or enemies. Killing them is entirely justified."
"Oh!"
Ji Xiaomeng nodded and giggled. "Thank you, Senior Sister. This is my first time traveling outside, so I don't know these things."
"It's fine, you'll learn in time."
Li Minyu replied, glancing at Su Yu ahead with a peculiar look in her eyes. This junior brother looked young, but his discernment was sharp.
"Su Yu, have you trained in the wilderness before?"
She asked, to which Su Yu replied offhandedly, "Not really. Before I entered the academy, my teacher took me to a few places. Having seen a lot, I killed a few bandits."
The teacher he spoke of was Liu Wenyan.
After Su Yu manifested his divine character, during the period when Bai Feng had left, Liu Wenyan had taken him to see many things.
They had gone to the Xia Trading Company to view beast carcasses, taken on missions with the Wind Chaser Hall, hunted bandits, and traversed the wilderness. Of course, they hadn't ventured deep, only doing surface-level explorations.
Liu Wenyan hadn't taught him any martial arts or divine skills back then; he had simply shown him the world.
Perhaps in Liu Wenyan's eyes, those experiences were far more important.
During that time, Su Yu had left early and returned late, witnessing a great deal.
"Teacher Bai Feng?"
"No."
Su Yu didn't elaborate, pressing forward. Suddenly, his eyes flickered.
The view ahead looked familiar.
It was an immense peak!
In the memory fragments he had viewed that day, when the Tianyi Cult Master flew out, Su Yu had caught a glimpse of this very mountain.
A fleeting glance!
Yet it was unmistakably this peak.
It was nearby!
A mountain peak, a canyon, and the several unique flowers and herbs he had seen that day—this was the location of the treasury.
Su Yu's heart beat slightly faster. Once they found the place, a life-and-death battle would likely erupt!
He glanced toward Xia Qing and the others.
Xia Qing happened to look at him at that moment, suddenly feeling a jolt of apprehension. What was that?
Su Yu's expression shifted swiftly, and he smiled. "Princess Qing, it seems we're almost there. Everyone, stay alert. Once we reach the site, I worry those following us might attack. Keep yourselves safe!"
After offering this reminder, the void trembled slightly, and Ju Shan appeared. Looking at Su Yu, he said, "Be careful. Something feels wrong nearby. Shanhai Realm experts might be following us!"
"Don't worry!"
Su Yu didn't say much, merely letting a smile play on his lips.
The grand performance was about to begin!
*Ju Shan, Du Yan, Xue Yue, Xia Huyou's two Dao Protectors, plus the Shanhai who trailed me that day—I wonder if he came.*
On his side, there were five confirmed Shanhais.
Not a huge number, but Su Yu didn't mind.
At the critical moment, Zhu Tiandao would intervene.
What he needed to do was force the opposition to strike at him. Killing cultists from the All-Races Cult was fine, but those from the Single Divine Character Faction had to attack him first before there would be an excuse to execute them; otherwise, Zhu Tiandao would be placed in an awkward position.
Rashly slaughtering Single Divine Character powerhouses wouldn't frighten Zhu Tiandao, but it would bring trouble to the Great Ming Prefecture.
Su Yu's goal was to force their hand!
Staying on the sidelines as spectators was not enough.
If they were to be killed, it had to be completely justifiable!
When the time came, there would be quite a show to watch. Su Yu had already prepared recording talismans. Once the dust settled, he would broadcast the truth to the entire world. He wasn't afraid. As for whether it put the Great Xia Prefecture in a tough spot... what did that have to do with him?
Since he had decided to seek refuge with the Great Ming Prefecture, he had to stand firmly on Great Ming's side.
He had to consider Great Ming's interests!
When he entered Great Ming, he had to do so with an untarnished reputation—as someone forced into exile by desperate circumstances.
Not as a traitor!
Chen Yong had told him to leave himself an honorable path. Otherwise, betraying Great Xia today and Great Ming tomorrow would utterly ruin his name, making it impossible to survive.
Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at Xia Qing and the others again.
*I must borrow a blade to kill!*
He still had use for the powerhouses of the Cloud Tiger and other races.
Even if they were given immense courage, they wouldn't dare betray him right from the start. If a single powerhouse escaped, they would be doomed. If they truly planned to turn traitor, they would only dare to do so once the outcome was settled!
*I can still squeeze some use out of this trash!*
With these thoughts, Su Yu pressed forward. The further he went, the more familiar the scenery became.
These scenes had appeared in the memory fragments!
They were close!
As he walked, Su Yu called out, "The ruin is nearby, but do not charge in blindly—ruins are perilous! Only I can unlock it; my blood is the key! Unless you kill me... but if you kill me, the Great Xia Prefecture won't let the matter rest..."
Su Yu continued faintly, "Only my blood can open the ruin, along with the matching divine character hand seals. Gentlemen, do not harbor reckless thoughts."
As soon as he spoke, an irritable voice rang out from the void: "Su Yu, cut the crap! Who said anything about killing you?"
The old Pegasus!
Su Yu smiled. "Senior misunderstands. I am merely giving advance warning to avoid misunderstandings."
In other words: if you want to open the ruin, you must capture me alive and bleed me. I have to stay alive.
Merely finding the ruin without capturing me is useless.
*Single Divine Character Faction, don't hold back from killing me just for the sake of the ruin—that would be a headache. The probability of that is almost nonexistent, but one must guard against every possibility.*
*You must try to kill me, or at least capture me!*
*Only then will you be forced to strike!*
……
Just as Su Yu drew close to the treasury.
Outside the area where Su Yu and his companions walked within Starfall Mountain.
Experts entered the stage one after another. Zhou Pingsheng had arrived as well. In disguise and accompanied by several others, he was currently setting up something.
In the next instant, Du Yan stepped out of the void, glanced at him, paid him no further heed, and turned to Blood Crocodile. "Your mission is to seal off this mountain. No one enters or leaves! Especially those inside—not a single one escapes! Even if a Shanhai tries to break through, you must pin them down. Seven or eight Lingyuns can stall a Shanhai for a brief moment without any issue..."
Du Yan said chillingly, "If anyone slips away, feel free to see if you can escape the hunt of several Shanhais!"
He then looked at Zhou Pingsheng and said darkly, "Your job is to block the voice transmission channels. Relying on a few Lingyuns won't be enough!"
Zhou Pingsheng snorted and said nothing, retrieving jade talismans one after another.
Instantly, they shot out in all directions!
He felt disdain in his heart. *How could you lot ever understand the prowess of Civilization Masters?*
*It's just blocking voice transmission channels. Did you really think it required Shanhais to stand watch?*
*How could Shanhais have that kind of leisure? A single grand array can resolve the issue!*
Du Yan chuckled and said no more, vanishing swiftly.
The experts below the Shanhai Realm dispersed in every direction. Their mission was strictly to keep anyone from entering or leaving. The real battlefield lay inside; even if someone managed to flee outward, this many Lingyuns and Tengkongs could easily stall one or two Shanhais.
As Zhou Pingsheng laid out the formation, he gazed toward the great canyon in the depths. It was right there.
Su Yu... would finally die today.
The ruin... he was tempted by it as well, but... thinking of those Shanhais, he felt helpless.
Just as he was thinking, his voice transmission talisman flickered. Opening it, he saw a message from Yu Hong: *Leave an open channel for our voice transmission talismans, and don't let anyone notice. In addition... prepare to notify the others to lay another formation along the outer perimeter. Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots—slaughter every last member of the All-Races Cult! Don't leave a single one alive!*
Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots!
Yu Hong had issued the command!
Everything here today belonged to the Single Divine Character Faction: the ruin, Su Yu, and even those All-Races Cultists!
Only by slaughtering them all could they rest easy.
Otherwise, even if the cultists hadn't seen the faces of the Single Divine Character powerhouses, once someone reached the Shanhai Realm, they could capture subtle traces of aura and easily deduce who she was.
They had to be wiped out!
Zhou Pingsheng remained impassive. Slaughtering them was for the best; he too worried that if anyone escaped, the All-Races Cult members would become a major liability.
Yu Hong's desire to silence them aligned perfectly with his own intentions!
His voice transmission talisman vibrated once more: *Deploy the outer perimeter formation. No one enters or leaves!*
At that moment, some distance away, an invisible grand array began to rise.
……
Inside the small village.
Zhu Tiandao clicked his tongue. "Holy shit! It’s like a thousand-layer pancake! Just how many formations have they set up? The Single Divine Character Faction laid several, the All-Races Cult laid several, and the others are deploying arrays too... We’re rich! If we gather all these formation talismans, we could sell them for five hundred thousand merit points easily!"
Each of them was more treacherous than the last!
Had the world outside descended into this kind of scheming?
Every single one of them was holding a card up their sleeve!
And there were far more Shanhais than expected!
He couldn't help glancing at Director Hou. "Old Hou, has our Great Ming Prefecture fallen behind the times?"
Director Hou remained silent.
They hadn't just fallen behind; they were hopelessly behind. Damn it, if people from Great Ming went outside, they’d be schemed to death!
Look at Starfall Mountain today: layer upon layer, inside and out, filled with formations everywhere. Every party was setting traps, every party wanted to monopolize the spoils, and every party intended to wipe out the competition. If Su Yu hadn't asked them to stand watch in advance... the fighting could have turned into complete chaos without them ever realizing it.
The Single Divine Character Faction wanted to annihilate the All-Races Cult, while the All-Races Cult had prepared contingency plans of their own, fearing the Single Divine Character Faction would turn on them. In the void alone, dozens of high-grade recording talismans were floating about. Had they not deployed King Daming's grand array beforehand, they probably would have been completely blind to all of this.
A single misstep here, and even a Sunmoon might perish.
As Director Hou pondered, Zhu Tiandao winced. "I need to inform the old man. With so many Shanhais about to die, I'm afraid I won't be able to shoulder the blame alone. And if a Sunmoon dies, I definitely won't be able to bear it! When a Sunmoon dies, both the War God Hall and the Quest Realm will demand accountability!"
*I need to call for backup!*
*Damn it, Su Yu, this knack of yours for stirring up trouble is terrifying.*
*You haven't even entered the Great Ming Prefecture yet, and my heart is already pounding!*
Chapter 261