The Fall of Shanhai

Before the towering mountain peak. Su Yu stopped in his tracks, gazing at the crag ahead. He crouched down, divine light shimmering in his eyes as he surveyed the surroundings. Was this the place? Back then, within the memory fragments, he had seen the scene when the leader of the Tianyi God Cult emerged from the treasury. Was this it? It looked very similar! "It's right near here! Seniors, you had best scan the perimeter to see if anyone is lurking!" Su Yu called out. He quickly added, "Disperse! Do not let any Shanhai ambush you! If a battle breaks out, the shockwaves of your clashes will affect us!" In all directions, Shanhai silhouettes materialized. They hovered nearly a thousand meters away from Su Yu and the others, maintaining their distance. Just as Su Yu said, if Shanhai-level combat truly erupted, standing too close would easily catch the students in the crossfire. Six Shanhai Realm experts, and two Lingyun Realm experts. Originally there had been three Lingyun, but one had died. The two ninth-stage Lingyun experts hailed from the Black Leopard and Flying Wolf races, respectively. At that moment, the Cloud Tiger expert spoke up. "Fellow Daoists of the Black Leopard and Flying Wolf races, the two of you should provide close protection while the rest of us guard the perimeter!" Both were in the Lingyun Realm, and the Shanhai experts felt it was not safe to leave them guarding the outer posts anyway. The two did not object. Moments later, the two middle-aged men approached, both bearing distinctive racial traits; the Black Leopard expert's face was covered in dark rosettes. Su Yu said nothing, though he did not let down his guard in the slightest. These two were not among the group Xia Qing had gathered, nor had she introduced them, but that did not mean they were good people. In particular, the Cloud Tiger expert had suggested they stay close for personal protection... It was very likely that one, or perhaps both, belonged to the same conspiracy. The Shanhai experts continued expanding their defensive ring. Cloud Tiger, Ju Shan, Tianma, Shanling, Barbarian Ox, and Fox—six Shanhai Realm experts. The Shanling expert submerged underground to guard against sneak attacks from beneath, the Tianma expert slipped into the void to ward off assaults from above, and the remaining four guarded the four cardinal directions. "Thank you for your trouble, seniors!" Su Yu said to the two approaching Lingyun experts. Without drawing attention, he subtly shifted to place the genius students of those two races behind him, while the Suanni and Mountain-Boring Ox closed ranks around Su Yu. Of the Black Leopard and Flying Wolf experts, the Flying Wolf was a Civilization Master whose formidable willpower fluctuations were easily felt, while the Black Leopard was a warrior exuding powerful surges of origin qi. Su Yu remained on high alert. Civilization Masters were actually manageable; the little fur ball atop his head had not yet advanced, but once the opponent manifested a divine character, even if the little fur ball could not devour it, it could at least disrupt it. A warrior, however... proved harder to deal with at this moment. Without another word, Su Yu pressed forward. The further he walked, the more familiar everything felt. Meanwhile, the other Shanhai experts swept the area with their willpower. Several quickly exchanged voice transmissions: "Inside that peak ahead—is there an obstruction within?" "It seems so!" Their transmissions grew tinged with excitement. A ruin? Undoubtedly! When these Shanhai experts had swept the area the first time, they had noticed nothing. Only after sweeping repeatedly did they detect a subtle abnormality, as though something had cloaked it during their initial probe. The ruin was right ahead! To conceal itself from Shanhai experts, the construction and defensive formation laid down here was no amateur work. Su Yu truly had not lied or spouted nonsense. Was there danger inside? How was it opened? Would someone else trying to open it destroy the ruin? They could not determine that for now. It was best to let Su Yu open it himself to avoid triggering any self-destruct mechanisms by forcibly breaching the grand formation. Su Yu kept searching, and before long, he arrived before a mountain col. Ahead was still a sheer stone cliff face. Yet Su Yu faintly sensed the fluctuations of divine characters. Someone had sealed this place with divine characters in the past; this stone wall was likely the gateway. How was it opened? Su Yu had no idea! He did not know how to open it at all! Su Yu did not care in the least. He shouted, "It's right here! I found it!" The place was found! "Little friend, are you going to open it and enter now?" someone asked. Try opening it and see! Su Yu glanced around and spoke: "Everyone, I cannot bring you all inside with me. I will enter alone and come out in two or three hours at most..." He added, "Senior Ju Shan, please set up a Shanhai barrier here to block prying eyes..." The moment he said this, the old Tianma could not help but curse, "Kid, you measure the stature of great men by the yardstick of a scoundrel!" Looking down on us too much! Would we peek at how you enter? Well, maybe. Curiosity, after all. It was an ancient ruin! Hearing his words, the others harbored their own thoughts. Su Yu would neither let them watch nor take them inside. If Su Yu truly entered alone, who knew how long he would stay before coming out? Who knew if he would exit through this path, or if he would squander everything inside the ruin? ... Further along the outer perimeter. Several Shanhai experts convened. They, too, heard Su Yu's voice. Xue Yue said impatiently, "Strike now! If this brat really goes inside and stays for years without coming out, what then? The kid is slick. He claims he'll come out in a few hours, but if he doesn't, can we breach the ruin by force?" They had to make their move! Kill the other Shanhai and capture Su Yu—that was the objective. Yu Hong could hardly wait either, saying rapidly, "Proceed according to plan!" "You handle them, and we will seize Su Yu and deal with the Xia family's inspector..." This had been agreed upon beforehand. At this moment, Xue Yue and the others could hold back no longer. The next instant, streaks of light tore through the air! "Enemy attack!" an enraged roar erupted! *Boom!* The two sides clashed in an instant! Xue Yue, Du Yan, Yun Fei of the Divine Dragon Cult, and Hong Chen of the Demonic Scorpion Cult collided almost instantly with the four Shanhai guarding the perimeter. In the sky, Blood Rakshasa unleashed a crushing blow. The old Tianma coughed blood and plunged from midair—a seventh-stage Shanhai! Underground, just as the old Shanling prepared to soar into the air, the old Tianma shouted, "Guard underground! I can hold him!" The old Tianma was no weakling either, boasting cultivation at the sixth stage of the Shanhai Realm. Roaring furiously, he swiftly reverted to his true form! A winged pegasus! His entire body gleamed golden. Reverting to his true form brought a massive surge in power, his frame expanding tremendously as his four hooves stomped down, tangling fiercely with Blood Rakshasa! ... Yu Hong, Elder Zheng, and Elder Li held back for the moment. The three of them were waiting. Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, a streak of light shot forward from behind! The Xia family's inspector had arrived! Yu Hong's face blurred with illusion as she transmitted, "It's Hu Hao! He must die, or we will never conceal this from him!" She recognized the newcomer! A nephew of Chief Hu, seventh-stage Shanhai, tremendously powerful. The two sides were well acquainted. If he survived today, whether it was killing Su Yu, colluding with the All-Races Cult, or seizing the ruin, everything would be exposed. "Old Zheng, you and I join forces to kill him! Old Li, go capture Su Yu!" Yu Hong issued the order swiftly and tore through the void without wasting another breath! Before she even revealed herself, a divine character erupted! Hu Hao, the middle-aged Shanhai expert who had previously escorted Su Yu along the road, arrived on the scene. His expression changed drastically as he bellowed, "Confining Boundary? Who are you!" In all directions, the void solidified! Two silhouettes materialized outside the frozen space. Hu Hao, however, was trapped inside the Confining Boundary. Neither Yu Hong nor Elder Zheng uttered a word, demonstrating the terrifying, unfathomable nature of Shanhai Civilization Masters to the fullest. With the Confining Boundary established, Yu Hong gave a low cry, and divine characters manifested one after another. At the seventh stage of the Shanhai Realm, she was by no means weak. Eight divine characters in total! Within the Single Divine Character Faction, that was considered quite a large number. Mountains of blades and seas of fire manifested. Astral winds swept across the domain! Elder Zheng let out a low roar as well. He did not possess so many divine characters, wielding only a single primary divine character. At that moment, his primary divine character transformed into a colossal, ferocious beast brimming with formidable power, charging straight into the Confining Boundary toward Hu Hao. This colossal beast possessed might comparable to a seventh-stage Shanhai. "A beast divine character!" Hu Hao's face darkened. "Confining Boundary, mountains of blades, seas of fire, beast divine character... Damn it, you bastards, it's you!" He had deduced their identities! Though he could not definitively confirm it yet, he had guessed it. He cursed internally. That wretched brat Su Yu had said on their previous journey that Hu Hao alone might not be enough protection, but he hadn't believed it. As a seventh-stage Shanhai, what was there to fear? Yet now... he cursed again! Damn it! That kid was something else—he had truly driven these people mad enough to commit outright treason! Once this came to light, these conspirators were as good as dead. Yu Hong could not be bothered to reply, merely saying in an eerie voice, "Whomever the All-Races Cult marks for death, none shall live!" So what if you recognized us? You won't have the chance to send word anyway! ... The grand clash erupted instantly. Yet Su Yu's group, including Li Minyu and the others, did not show much surprise. It was as though they had already known and were waiting for this very moment. The two Lingyun protectors were extremely nervous, circling the students with ever-shifting expressions. "Watch out!" Right at that moment, the old Shanling underground could bear it no longer. He burst upward, charging into the sky. The old Tianma was simply no match for Blood Rakshasa. By now, his golden coat was already soaked in blood. "Damn it, get back down..." the old Tianma roared! The ground below was left unguarded! After that roar, he urgently barked, "Retreat! A grand formation has been laid here! Fall back immediately and notify the Dragon Martial Guards for reinforcements!" Damn it! There were too many of them! They could already sense that the inspector on the outer perimeter had been intercepted. Not only intercepted, but in grave peril—he might very well perish! Seven Shanhai experts on their side, and all of them were targeted! The enemy before him was at the seventh stage of the Shanhai Realm, far beyond his ability to counter. Only with the old Shanling's aid did the pressure ease slightly. Yet right then, the old Tianma grew alarmed once more: "Black Leopard, Flying Wolf, block the newcomer!" Another Shanhai had arrived! Elder Li! Fourth stage of the Shanhai Realm! Elder Li's features were shrouded in illusion as he stepped out of the void. His divine character manifested, bringing forth an icy blizzard, snowflakes drifting down in dense sheets! *Splurt!* The Black Leopard and Flying Wolf experts roared furiously, their bodies slashed bloody by the falling flakes. Both quickly assumed their true forms. The black leopard lunged at Elder Li with a roar, while the flying wolf gave a low howl, manifesting a cultural weapon that unleashed a barrage of myriad swords! The clash was underway! ... Su Yu watched with cold detachment. Even with Elder Li right before his eyes and the two Lingyun forced into steady retreat, he did not show much concern. His eyes flickered, ignoring them. Walking up to the mountain col, he unleashed waves of divine character fluctuations against the stone wall. He sliced open his right palm, allowing blood to flow freely. The cliff face began to tremble violently! To any observer, it appeared that Su Yu was remaining calm, eager to enter the ruin to take refuge. Furthermore, Su Yu seemed brimming with confidence regarding the ruin. From the outer perimeter, Yu Hong's voice drifted with phantom distortion: "Stop him! Do not let him enter!" Elder Li grunted coldly, turning the falling snowflakes into massive hailstones that rained down with thunderous force, battering the two Lingyun until they coughed blood repeatedly. The black leopard roared, "Su Yu, how long until it opens?" "Three minutes!" Su Yu shouted. "Seniors, hold them off for three minutes! After three minutes, retreat at will! Their target is the ruin; once I enter, they will not be able to follow. Fall back and seek reinforcements—the Great Xia Prefecture will never let them off!" "Understood!" the old Tianma and the others bellowed, fighting on through blood and gore. If Su Yu entered the ruin, the enemy's objective would fail. Once they failed, would they still fight to the bitter end against them? At that moment, Su Yu was rapidly "opening" the ruin. In truth, the trembling of the cliff was merely Su Yu agitating his own willpower. How could he possibly open any ruin? In any case, none of these people knew the truth. Are there more? He was waiting! Was this all of them? Calculating quickly, only three had come from the Single Divine Character Faction: Yu Hong, the one from the Great Shang Prefecture, and Elder Li... The one attacking Black Leopard and Flying Wolf right now was likely Elder Li, correct? Were there others? There had to be! He wanted to flush them all out and wipe them out in one fell swoop! The two experts Xia Huyou had brought along had not even moved yet. Just as Su Yu pondered this, the void trembled, and a fierce battle instantly erupted in the distance! "Xia Wen, Xia Wu, it's you two?" In that instant, four powerful figures clashed furiously. Xia Huyou's two protectors—Xia Wen and Xia Wu—sprang into action. The elder brother, Xia Wen, roared, "Scoundrels, it really is you!" Xia Wu called them out directly, roaring, "Are you insane? You're courting death! Does Jiutian Academy want to be wiped off the map? Tang Yunfei, Qiu Yunhua, you actually dare attack us!" Familiar faces! Hearing those two names, Su Yu grinned. Truly familiar faces! Back when they had besieged Liu Wenyan, many had come from Jiutian Academy, including these two: Tang Yunfei and Qiu Yunhua. Tang Yunfei's senior brother had once been a close friend of the fifth head, yet on that day, Tang Yunfei had been so desperate to study the divine character that he could hardly wait to cut Liu Wenyan down. Moreover, the head of Jiutian Academy, Jin Yuhui, was one of the leaders of the Single Divine Character Faction—at least within the Great Xia Prefecture. His strength was not inferior to Zhou Mingren's! Sure enough, these two had shown up. Jiutian Academy... Su Yu sneered inwardly! So many Shanhai experts—they seemed to appear as though they were worth nothing, four of them emerging in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, the two Xia brothers had intervened. Otherwise, had those two joined this side of the battlefield, the line here would have collapsed entirely. Meanwhile, the old Tianma and the others felt chills of terror. Experts from the academies! Damn it! Had the Single Divine Character Faction lost their minds? So many academy experts had come. No wonder something felt off—there were far too many Civilization Masters! The All-Races Cult was primarily composed of warriors; Civilization Masters possessed structured lineages, and the All-Races Cult had very few of them. Yet today, a massive number of Civilization Masters had joined the fray! "You're insane..." the old Tianma roared. By now, Elder Li had battered the two Lingyun until they were covered in wounds, on the verge of total collapse. Right at this moment! A flash of sword light appeared! With a sharp crack, it shattered the surrounding ice mountain. A figure materialized! A look of shock crossed Elder Li's illusory face. "It's you!" The sword light receded, and the newcomer turned his head to glance at Su Yu, sighing, "Little tyke, you certainly have nerve!" Su Yu did not recognize him and was caught somewhat off guard. Elder Li had been about to crush the two Lingyun, and Su Yu had been preparing to flee, thinking he could have the Zhu family intervene. Yet... another one had arrived! Who was this? He didn't know, but someone did. Elder Li said in shock, "Feng Qi, it's you?" Feng Qi! Su Yu had never heard the name. This was his first time seeing the middle-aged man. The man had not masked his face. Feng Qi chuckled softly. "Greetings, Elder Li! Your Snow and Ice Domain is renowned far and wide. At this stage, is there really any need to conceal your face?" "You..." Elder Li was horrified. "You're not dead?" "I survived by a stroke of luck," Feng Qi said with a smile. "I nearly died while exploring the Star Mansion. Elder Li, to think an old venerable like you is still alive! Back then, full of youthful passion, I believed the struggle between the Single and Multiple Divine Character factions was mere healthy competition. I never imagined your people would dare orchestrate the murder of your own allies inside the Star Mansion... The Single Divine Character Faction should have been eradicated long ago!" As he spoke, sword radiance erupted in all directions! *Rumble!* The Snow and Ice Domain fractured continuously! In that moment, Elder Li grew panicked. This Feng Qi had also reached the fourth stage of the Shanhai Realm. He was actually no match for him! Su Yu's eyes gleamed with curiosity. This person did not belong to the Multiple Divine Character Faction. Who had called him here? Martial Uncle? He formed an estimate in his mind; it was likely Martial Uncle who had summoned him. In that case, he could afford to wait a little longer. After all, several individuals had yet to expose themselves. Such as the Cloud Tiger and the others! With a subtle shift of thought, Su Yu looked toward the battle on the outer perimeter. Xue Yue was locked in combat with the Cloud Tiger, while Du Yan was fighting the Fox race Shanhai. Thoughts racing, Su Yu remained outwardly composed. Since there was no immediate danger, he would let it play out. He wanted to see just how many people could be lured out today! ... Just then, Xue Yue, who was trading blows with the Cloud Tiger, suddenly sent a voice transmission: "Fool! Who told you to go all out? Are you really trying to fight to the death with me?" The Cloud Tiger expert shuddered! Wasn't this an All-Races Cult member? "Useless trash, don't make it look too fake!" Xue Yue transmitted rapidly. "Du Yan and I are pawns planted by the Single Divine Character Faction! This time, our victory is assured, and none shall be left alive. The All-Races Cult members must be executed so no one realizes we cooperated with them. In a moment, you, I, Du Yan, and that old fox will shift our battle toward those two from the Divine Dragon and Demonic Scorpion Cults, and find an opening to slaughter them!" The Cloud Tiger expert was shaken, instantly glancing toward the old fox, who looked back at him in equal haste! The two exchanged a glance, both deeply shocked. The Single Divine Character Faction had actually planted moles inside the All-Races Cult, and two Shanhai at that! No wonder they could manipulate the All-Races Cult. Xue Yue scolded via transmission, "Trash, are you even a Shanhai? Steady yourself! Do you want to die?" The Cloud Tiger expert suppressed his racing heart and urgently transmitted back, "Kill those two from the All-Races Cult right now?" "Of course not!" Xue Yue said hurriedly. "Wait for orders! Wait for Elder Yu's command. Once the order arrives, pretend to encircle the others, then turn around and execute those two!" The Cloud Tiger understood! He saw the picture! Right at this moment, Yu Hong could indeed wait no longer. Damn it, why had so many experts appeared? This was a massive problem! Three experts from the Xia family had actually arrived! She grew panicked, even worrying whether the Xia family had already learned of this entire affair. "Gulu, kaqi..." Yu Hong issued a shrill cry—their secret code, spoken in an extremely rare racial language. The Cloud Tiger and his companions understood it instantly! Kill the others! Simultaneously, Xue Yue and the others received her voice transmission: "Leave your opponents! Those are our allies! Kill that Tianma, the Shanling, and that fellow from the Giant race! Quickly!" Only those three were not on their side! Killing them would instantly free up seven or eight Shanhai! No more acting! At this juncture, ending it quickly and cutting them down immediately was the only sensible choice. Hearing this, the Cloud Tiger looked at Xue Yue and breathed a sigh of relief. The other party truly knew; they were indeed allies. Paying him no mind, Xue Yue swiftly converged with Du Yan, while the Cloud Tiger and the old fox joined up as well. The four experts exchanged looks and charged straight at Ju Shan! At this moment, Ju Shan was locked in combat with Hong Chen of the Demonic Scorpion Cult. On the other side, the Barbarian Ox and Yun Fei of the Divine Dragon Cult lacked the seamless coordination of these four. They eyed each other with wary suspicion, not breaking off immediately. When Hong Chen saw so many experts suddenly rushing toward him, he was astonished. Had the Single Divine Character Faction bribed all these alien protectors? Impressive! Ju Shan was dead for sure! Hong Chen had been battered bloody by Ju Shan, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although the strength of the Single Divine Character Faction was alarming, they had preparations of their own. Kill these Great Xia Prefecture bastards first! Just as he was thinking this, the four arrived, attacking toward Ju Shan simultaneously! "Hong Chen, over here..." Xue Yue barked. Hong Chen swiftly moved to join them. Xue Yue's eyes flickered as he transmitted, "Once Hong Chen arrives, execute him immediately! After he's dead, kill Ju Shan!" The Cloud Tiger and the old fox had no time to ponder anything. These two had notified them long ago and were clearly vital deep-cover assets of the Single Divine Character Faction. Although killing Hong Chen now felt slightly premature... Since that was the order, so be it! At that exact moment, Su Yu moved as well! The instant the Cloud Tiger and the others halted their duel, Su Yu lunged toward Xia Qing! Just as he struck, the heavily wounded Flying Wolf expert suddenly manifested a divine character. With a sickening crunch, a massive hole was punched clean through the Black Leopard expert's chest! Without a second glance, the flying wolf lunged straight at Su Yu! Xia Qing and the others underwent drastic changes in expression. Exposed so quickly? Damn it! The flying wolf had been part of their circle all along. Five of them had gathered earlier; they had merely feared that sticking together would arouse Su Yu's suspicion, so the Flying Wolf youth had mingled with the Tianma youth and the others. Now that battle had begun, their gazes turned cold. They were no match for Su Yu, but... they could seize some hostages! Such as those from the Tianma and Shanling races, to threaten their elders! As for Su Yu, leave him to the Flying Wolf protector! The Tianma youth was still in a daze when Su Yu shouted, "Idiot, they are all traitors! Run!" The Tianma youth dared not trust anyone now. Roaring furiously, he reverted to his true form and bolted at full speed! It was too dangerous! Xia Qing and the others reverted to their true forms in succession, giving chase! On Su Yu's side, just as the flying wolf pounced, Shadow and Water Person erupted in unison! A plume of water vapor spread, engulfing the foe, while from the flying wolf's own shadow, Shadow burst forth! Three Lingyun experts clashed instantly. Su Yu's murderous aura surged. Abandoning all pretense of opening the "ruin," he announced in a resonant voice, "I knew you harbor malicious intent! Xia Qing, you're dead!" Before he could pursue, a piercing shriek echoed from the void! *Boom!* A deafening explosion resounded in all directions! Hong Chen of the Demonic Scorpion Cult was blown completely to pieces! The sudden coordinated assault from four Shanhai was something he had never anticipated. Further away, Yu Hong and her allies froze. Fools! I told you to kill Ju Shan, not Hong Chen! Even if you were going to kill him later, it shouldn't be now! Have you lost your minds? Why kill an ally right now? Though she had never truly regarded him as an ally! The thought flashed past, and in the next heartbeat, Yu Hong's face drained of color. Unable to maintain her composure, she screamed in her natural voice, "Watch out for Xue—" Watch out for Xue Yue and Du Yan! Something was wrong! Why would those two strike down Hong Chen? Before her scream could finish, Xue Yue, Du Yan, and the wounded Ju Shan attacked simultaneously! Xue Yue and Du Yan were standing right next to the Cloud Tiger. Neither attacked the old fox; instead, both struck the Cloud Tiger together! A blood moon manifested, and demonic eye flames scorched the void! The Cloud Tiger expert's face distorted with terror! He roared furiously, attempting to break away! Too late! He had regarded them as allies; though guarded, he had not been vigilant enough. Now, Ju Shan swung his battleaxe in a cleaving arc! Three formidable experts struck in unison. How could a mere third-stage Shanhai like the Cloud Tiger possibly withstand it? *Boom!* The demonic eye blasted a gaping wound straight through the colossal tiger head! *Slash!* Ju Shan severed the head with a single axe blow. The tiger head tumbled through the air, and the headless corpse plummeted from the sky. The three experts turned in unison and charged at the old fox! In the span of a single breath, two Shanhai had fallen! Hong Chen and Cloud Tiger, slain in an instant! Three great demons joined forces to overwhelm the old fox. Xue Yue bellowed, "Yun Fei! The Single Divine Character Faction intends to wipe us all out! Stop the Barbarian Ox..." Yun Fei of the Divine Dragon Cult was utterly paralyzed by the sight. Without a single word, he abandoned the Barbarian Ox and fled! It was too chaotic! Wasn't Ju Shan Su Yu's protector? What was going on with Xue Yue and Du Yan? Furthermore, the Cloud Tiger and the old fox had just killed Hong Chen, leaving him terrified! None of them could be trusted! Damn it all! In the sky, Blood Rakshasa let out an enraged roar: "Yu Hong, what are you doing? Wiping us all out?" He was furious! The battle wasn't even over, and you've already turned on us? Yu Hong's screech was ear-splitting, no longer caring about exposing her identity: "Fool! They belong to Su Yu! It's counter-espionage!" She finally saw through it! Xue Yue and Du Yan were arranged by Su Yu all along! Curse him! The experts across the battlefield were utterly dazzled and dumbfounded. In the blink of an eye, two Shanhai were dead! The old fox was now in mortal peril, though fortunately, the Barbarian Ox rushed over to aid him. Blood Rakshasa roared, "Yun Fei, don't run! Come back and help them hold the line..." Three against two! If Yun Fei didn't run, three against three could still turn the tables! He believed Yu Hong's words, for everything made sense now—those two bastards had been placed by Su Yu! Damn it, they had lost two Shanhai! Yun Fei's expression shifted wildly. Gritting his teeth, he turned back, though he dared not draw too close, opting instead to harass from the outer edges. He knew that running right now would make him an easy target. There were still preparations on the perimeter! Yet he could trust no one now. He would merely harass from a distance. None of these bastards could be trusted—Hong Chen had died far too unjustly! ... Meanwhile, Su Yu looked at Xia Qing and smiled. "Xia Qing, looks like you've made a loss!" Xia Qing's face went deathly pale! Dead! Her clan elder was dead! Damn it! "Su Yu, you... did this on purpose!" Xia Qing shrieked. You plotted against us! The fleeing Tianma youth looked back, his eyes bulging wide! Holy crap! The Human Realm was terrifying! Shanhai died just like that! Most critically, he had no idea who was friend and who was foe! He was utterly bewildered! Who were the good guys? Who were the villains? Xia Qing dared not engage Su Yu directly. She barked, "Capture them, quickly!" The Tianma youths were their shield! If they captured them, the Shanhai of the Tianma and Shanling races would surely hesitate to act. That was their only chance to reverse the situation. "The weak should know their place!" Su Yu's figure blurred. Chuckling, he swung his blade in a casual arc, slicing Zhan Fei of the Ironwing Bird race in half as the youth tried to take flight! "You don't even have a protector anymore, yet you dare cause trouble!" Su Yu laughed. Xia Qing screamed, "You dare kill a classmate? Su Yu, you're mad! You're betraying the human race..." "Classmate?" Su Yu chuckled. "You don't get to decide that. Xia Qing, turn around and kill Bai Ce and the others, and I'll grant you a chance to live..." "You..." Just as she began to speak, Su Yu slashed toward her! At that precise moment, a figure stepped forth, and a colossal beast materialized. Chen Chen! The human student who had barely spoken until now suddenly released his contracted beast—a ninth-stage Tengkong beast! Su Yu's brow furrowed slightly. "A ninth-stage Tengkong beast? You're in the Tengkong Realm?" Anyone below the Tengkong Realm could not tame such a creature. Chen Chen's expression was grave. "The elders underestimated you. They believed I could subdue you, but from where I stand, it seems I might fail." "Are you from the Single Divine Character Faction?" "No." Chen Chen fell silent for a moment before answering, "Elder Zheng saved my life. I owe him a debt." "So your original task was to subdue me at the critical juncture?" Su Yu laughed. He wasn't weak at all. A Tengkong beast tamer paired with a ninth-stage Tengkong beast was indeed formidable. Based on their prior assessment, this strength would have been more than sufficient to take Su Yu down. Capturing Su Yu at the decisive moment was Chen Chen's mission. "You... gave yourself too much credit!" Su Yu chuckled, wasting no more breath. He swallowed a drop of ninth-stage Tengkong essence blood, instantly unleashing the overwhelming aura of a ninth-stage Tengkong! Over three hundred apertures blazed with light! "Sever!" Heaven-Cleaving Blade! This strike was exceedingly fierce—the explosive might of a ninth-stage Tengkong channeled through a top-tier Heaven-rank combat technique! *Boom!* The colossal beast had just begun its lunge when Su Yu's blade cleaved it clean in two! The blade radiance did not halt. Chen Chen's face drained of color! Before he could say a word, a miniature hammer came crashing down, smashing his sea of will to dust with a deafening crack! *Bang!* His head exploded! Su Yu remained completely indifferent. I don't care whose debt you owe; I owe you nothing! Xia Qing and the others were paralyzed with terror. Further off, the Flying Wolf protector roared in fury, attempting to break through the entanglement of Water Person and Shadow. Su Yu laughed, "Suanni, Mountain-Boring Ox, go assist them and slaughter that fellow!" As for himself, he continued advancing! Another slash tore through the air, blade light crisscrossing the field! *Splurt!* Niu Zhen of the Barbarian Ox race was cleaved in two! In the distance, the Barbarian Ox Shanhai roared in anguish! "Su Yu!" The old fox was also terrified. "Su Yu, spare Bai Ce! I will take him and leave immediately..." When Zhan Fei died, no one spoke up because the Ironwing Bird protector was already gone. When Xia Qing was targeted, the Cloud Tiger protector was already dead, so no one objected. Yet the ones Su Yu was slaughtering now still had their protectors present! Even the fleeing Tianma youth could not resist turning his head to shout, "Don't kill them! Threaten their protectors instead..." Su Yu was so foolish! Why kill them? If you kill them, won't their protectors fight with reckless abandon? Su Yu merely chuckled, paying no heed, and unleashed another slash! With a thunderous crash, the fleeing Flying Wolf youth was cleaved dead on the spot! Xia Qing and Bai Ce were horrified beyond measure! Too powerful! Su Yu intended to slaughter them all! "Bai Ce, kill Xia Qing, and I'll spare your life. Care to gamble?" *Bang!* The moment the words left his mouth, Bai Ce lashed his tail straight into Xia Qing! With a heavy thud, Xia Qing was sent hurtling backward. Su Yu chuckled. "It seems you two weren't so close after all!" Gazing at Xia Qing tumbling toward him, Su Yu smiled radiantly. "We're all good friends here. Let me send you on your way. Why struggle so?" With a low shout, blade light flashed! *Splurt!* Xia Qing reverted to her true form, yet that tiger head was still severed in a single stroke, her body blasted apart! "The weak should know their place!" Su Yu smiled brightly, cutting Xia Qing down without the slightest ripple of emotion. Ahead, Bai Ce continued fleeing, screaming, "Su Yu, I—" Before he could finish, darkness engulfed his vision. The next instant, Su Yu closed the distance, slicing him clean in half with a single stroke! "Old Fox, Barbarian Ox, seniors, my condolences!" Su Yu laughed aloud. Now that they're dead, you may stake your lives!