After conferring with the two Sun Moon experts for a while, Su Yu felt the plan was sound.
There was no sense in standing guard against thieves for a thousand days!
Break their claws so they'd never dare set their sights on him again. Would they dare try a second time?
Of course, if they dared come again, it would likely take an Invincible.
Everyone was well aware of that, but it hardly mattered. If an Invincible truly dared step into the Human Realm, a massive war would have erupted long ago. The numerous Invincibles of the Human Realm were no pushovers; if they couldn't even resolve enemies marching right up to their doorstep, humanity wouldn't be able to survive at all.
Su Yu was in good spirits, though the next time he produced Heaven Yuan Qi, it wouldn't be so easy to explain away.
Could he really claim next time that the dragon horn box had contained even more Heaven Yuan Qi and that he had kept a bit hidden?
...
Having concluded their discussion, Su Yu walked down from the pavilion.
Not far off, the three great demons were gathered with Xu Bin, chatting. As Su Yu approached, Xu Bin had already shifted back into a man. Neither truly man nor woman, Su Yu couldn't be bothered to care.
He was, however, somewhat curious about the man's divine characters.
The stealthy theft divine character and the identity-shifting divine character both seemed quite impressive.
Of course, turning into a woman was out of the question.
"Researcher Su..."
Xu Bin was extremely polite, a broad smile plastered across his face. Su Yu cast him a sideways glance and remarked calmly, "People who smile that happily are rarely good people!"
"..."
Behind him, the smiles froze on the faces of Zhu Tiandao and Niu Baidao. So this whole time, this brat thought that anyone smiling cheerfully wasn't a good person?
Then what did he think whenever they smiled at him?
Su Yu didn't care what they thought. Since this person was a captured prisoner, he saw no reason to show him much deference—not even if he was in the Shanhai Realm!
From what he heard, the man had come for him in the first place.
"Where did you accept the mission?"
"The Traveling Merchant Guild had contact with the client..."
Su Yu nodded slightly and smiled. "Can you post a mission? Put one up through the All-Races Cult. Claim that I've made significant progress with the primordial spirit apertures, that the news hasn't been made public yet, and that a client wants someone to steal the research data. Quote a massive bounty—five hundred thousand or a million contribution points would work."
Xu Bin looked at him in surprise. With a bounty that high, wasn't he afraid of getting himself killed?
"Can you post it?"
Xu Bin said cautiously, "I can, but at such an exorbitant price... I'm afraid quite a few Sun Moon experts would be interested."
"Then let them come!"
Su Yu laughed. "The more Sun Moon experts come, the better. Of course, do you carry enough credibility within the All-Races Cult?"
He didn't want people getting suspicious.
Xu Bin replied prudently, "This humble one carries a bit of a reputation within the All-Races Cult. Naturally, I am not a cultist myself; I am merely a middleman who helps dispose of troublesome goods..."
Su Yu nodded. "Understood. The All-Races Cult kills people and steals their goods, and people like you fence them, converting them into the merits or contributions they need. I've heard of your kind... You deserve to be killed just as much! Without you, they wouldn't dare loot after killing. If killing carried no benefit, who would bother? Did you think that not directly taking lives makes your kind decent?"
He sneered in disdain.
Just like Su Yu himself—if he hadn't bought so much Mountain-Breaking Ox blood essence, so many Mountain-Breaking Oxen might not have died.
It was the same principle!
The Mountain-Breaking Ox race hated Su Yu and wanted him dead, and Su Yu felt neither wronged nor aggrieved by that.
As for people like Xu Bin, it was the exact same logic.
Killing them was by no means unjustified!
Xu Bin didn't dare say another word. Su Yu held immense status within the Great Ming Prefecture, and people like Zhu Tiandao and Niu Baidao treated him with extraordinary regard. Strictly speaking, his standing in Great Ming was higher than that of the Zhu family's young lords.
Of course, that didn't mean Zhu Tiandao felt closer to Su Yu than to his own grandchildren; purely in terms of value and benefits, Su Yu was far more valuable than anyone else.
That was more than enough. Xu Bin would never dare talk back, or he wouldn't even know how he died.
Su Yu smiled and said, "Guild Master Xu has quite the reputation in the trade, claiming that nothing under heaven cannot be stolen... Wouldn't putting out a mission make you look too incompetent?"
Xu Bin hurried to reply, "It's fine. No matter how great one's skills, there are times when one needs cooperation... If that doesn't work, I can contact a few people and leak some rumors. Naturally, people will start scheming without me even needing to post a formal mission."
Su Yu nodded slightly without pressing further.
After a moment's thought, he turned around. "Manor Lord, if I leave the research institute, we need to arrange defenses there as well. We must be wary of someone looting a burning house—creating a diversion while sneaking into my institute."
Behind him, Zhu Tiandao nodded gently. A minor matter.
Inside the Civilization Academy, that might have worked before, but now that the Super Sensing Jade was deployed, anyone attempting to infiltrate was seeking death.
Did people truly think the Great Ming Prefecture was weak?
If nothing else, they had plenty of old veterans and long-established Sun Moon experts. Their combat prowess in direct warfare might be slightly lacking, but their methods and contingencies were boundless.
Su Yu said no more and walked to the shore, preparing to summon the old turtle. Behind him, One-Eye suddenly spoke up: "Su Yu, if we go with you, what do we get, and what do we have to pay?"
Su Yu turned around with a smile. "When there are matters that require strength, I'll need you seniors to lend a hand. Beyond that, not much else. As for what you receive... to Shanhai experts, especially non-humans, there isn't much I can offer. Unlike humans, I can't even give you suitable cultivation arts..."
Pausing, Su Yu continued, "So you seniors will have to hope I grow stronger and develop more things. Perhaps then I might be of some help to you. That is roughly the gist of it. Beyond that... I can make no promises."
At these words, Ju Shan rumbled in a muffled voice, "Then this is just an empty promise! There's nothing tangible at all!"
Su Yu smiled. "You could say that, because I truly cannot offer much. Of course, I will provide the necessities for your basic cultivation. In addition, within the Great Ming Prefecture, the Manor Lord will grant you a degree of shelter. That is roughly the arrangement."
What could he give them?
What could he possibly give Shanhai great demons?
In truth, Su Yu had virtually nothing to offer!
Of course, Heaven Yuan Qi was an option, but best forget that. There was no need to spread it everywhere; if it appeared too freely, it would be impossible to explain.
As for cultivation arts, demon and human arts were not interchangeable.
Still, Su Yu thought for a moment and added, "If you seniors truly need something, once I grow strong enough someday, I can help you snatch a bit. Other than that... there's nothing more to say."
They were left utterly speechless!
The three great demons exchanged glances. What choice did they have?
Leave... They didn't dare.
In truth, they had no choice at all!
One-Eye sighed inwardly and said in a low voice, "Then in the future, we ask for Lord Su's care and guidance!"
When under another's roof, one had no choice but to bow one's head!
Su Yu didn't mind. He chuckled and said, "Seniors need not be so formal. To put it bluntly, we are using each other. If you truly feel you cannot stay, once things settle down a bit, you seniors may leave at any time. I will not stop you. That is for your own good as well. Or if you truly wish to leave right now, I won't stop you either..."
It was purely a relationship of mutual utility!
He didn't expect the three great demons to treat him as their master, and the three great demons shouldn't expect Su Yu to treat them like family.
None of the three demons said a word.
Su Yu didn't linger either. He called the old turtle over. As the old turtle carried him across the lake, it spoke up: "Young lad, you asked me for blood essence last time. Do you still want it?"
"Senior's blood essence is far too potent. Thank you, Senior, but I don't need it for now."
Su Yu smiled. Shanhai blood essence was something he couldn't use yet, so he might as well pass.
Once his body casting reached a certain stage, he would likely have a use for it.
To think someone would take the initiative to offer their blood essence... Su Yu was surprised. Was this old turtle really that generous?
The old xuan turtle said no more; unsolicited goods never made for good business.
Soon, he ferried Su Yu across the lake.
The three great demons also followed Su Yu into the research institute, though very discreetly.
...
Great Ming Prefecture.
Tiandu Prefecture, the capital of gossip.
February 22nd.
Early in the morning, news began to spread.
"Have you heard about Su Yu? He's about to step into the Tengkong Realm and cast his physical body! I heard he's going to demonstrate the miracle of casting a body with 360 apertures for us! Did that guy really open 360 origin apertures?"
"That's terrifying!"
"Idiot! He's not demonstrating 360 apertures; he's promoting the Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art for us! I heard that after cultivating this technique, the aperture-opening speed is absurdly fast. It's a Heaven-rank mid-grade art, but cultivating it feels as easy as a Profound-rank one!"
"Holy crap, that incredible? Won't warriors become insanely powerful in the future?"
"Warriors are having a field day, but won't the status of Civilization Masters drop?"
"Nonsense! This art was developed by a Civilization Master! Without Civilization Masters, where would warriors get such powerful techniques? Civilization Masters are still superior! Look at Su Yu—he's a Civilization Master, and look how many arts he's released lately!"
"Is this Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art really that amazing? Effortless aperture opening? With Su Yu making such a big fuss about promoting it, I bet the cost won't be small!"
"The guy opened hundreds of apertures in less than a year, all relying on this art! Would you call that amazing or not? Now he's voluntarily making it public... I reckon the price won't be cheap either. Hurry up and save your money to trade for a copy! Even if you can't use it yourself, getting a copy for your children or grandchildren is worth it—it's a Heaven-rank art!"
"..."
A massive clamor erupted!
Su Yu was going to promote the Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art.
Previously, the Aperture Fusion Method he promoted only involved a small number of apertures and was considered a supplementary art, so Su Yu hadn't pushed it aggressively.
The subsequent Primordial Spirit Character Art was meant for Civilization Masters, so he hadn't widely promoted it either.
Now, Su Yu's intention was crystal clear: he wanted to replace those foundational cultivation arts, perhaps even establishing this art as the mainstream technique for warriors going forward! This was a monumental event—a generational upgrade that would bring about a colossal transformation for all human warriors.
The news spread with lightning speed.
Inside a restaurant, a storyteller was holding forth on the topic.
A diner asked, "With such a grand display, and with Su Yu being so famous, isn't he afraid of assassination now that he's promoting a Heaven-rank art out in the open?"
The storyteller scoffed in disdain. "What are you thinking? Do you think you know something the Great Ming Prefecture doesn't? This time, Manor Lord Zhu and Principal Niu are personally overseeing the event to protect Su Yu! Not even the young lords of the Zhu family have enjoyed such prestige! A ninth-stage Sun Moon and a seventh-stage Sun Moon personally guarding him! Assassination? The person capable of assassinating Su Yu doesn't even exist!"
"That truly is tremendous prestige!"
The diners were deeply shaken. The Manor Lord and the Principal were towering figures, yet they were personally stepping forth to protect an expert who hadn't even reached Tengkong. What was this? This was true face!
The storyteller chuckled. "Not just those two! I heard that one or two more Sun Moon experts will be guarding Su Yu when the time comes, ensuring the grand gathering isn't ruined by those All-Races Cult runts! With so many experts serving as his protectors, Su Yu is truly the first of his kind in the Great Ming Prefecture!"
"Indeed! For a breakthrough into Tengkong to have so many grand figures protecting him... Civilization Masters truly have face!"
"It's not that Civilization Masters have face; it's researchers and geniuses who have face! If a single cultivation art truly spreads across the entire Human Realm, how much will Great Ming benefit?"
"That's true as well!"
"..."
The discussion was boiling over everywhere.
Hearts were stirring!
Warriors made up the mainstream!
A 126-aperture technique, according to Su Yu's statements and circulating rumors, shared 18 apertures with the Aperture Fusion Method while having 18 distinct ones. If cultivated together, one would need to open 144 apertures, matching the exact number of a top-tier Heaven-rank art.
However, the Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art had 14 apertures per tier. Once you completed a single tier, your aperture-opening speed accelerated significantly, drastically lowering the cultivation difficulty. Opening the fused apertures afterward allowed for a swift breakthrough to the ninth layer of Wanshi.
It was definitely no slower than cultivating the 72-aperture War God Art!
Once this technique was released, within a few years, everyone in the Human Realm would be a genius! Of course, it was also noted that resource consumption would be considerable. That was inevitable given the sheer number of apertures opened.
Even with a few difficulties, to everyone, this was an earth-shattering event!
From then on, the human race might embark on a path where everyone was a genius.
Years down the road, all cultivation arts below the Heaven rank might very well be rendered obsolete!
...
The news continued to circulate.
This time, Su Yu would prove to everyone just how powerful casting one's physical body would be after opening so many apertures so quickly!
Rumor had it that after casting his body, he would even hold an exhibition sparring match against Lingyun warriors.
In short, the Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art had become a household name across Great Ming!
Countless people wanted to see with their own eyes whether Su Yu had truly opened that many apertures.
After opening so many apertures, how would his body casting differ from ordinary people?
When would this technique be released to the public, how much would it cost, and how many resources would it consume? Su Yu would address all of this in a few days, explaining the pros and cons to the public.
...
"Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art?"
Outside Tiandu Prefecture, an elderly man was tilling the soil. Behind him, an honest-looking middle-aged man was helping out, speaking in a low voice: "Yes. However, during his previous releases, he never showed his face. This time, he suddenly wants to promote it publicly and even break through before an audience... My Lord, what is his intention?"
"A trap!"
The old man said impassively, "It's to draw your attention, perhaps even bait you into attacking him..."
"Attacking him?"
The middle-aged man fell silent. Attack him, my foot.
It was already stated that multiple Sun Moon experts would be protecting him. Who would dare?
The old man was also puzzled. This scheme... was far too rudimentary.
Yet they had also announced that Zhu Tiandao and the others would protect him. Could they be hoping to lure out an Invincible?
Where would an Invincible come from!
Then what was the point?
Was it purely to promote the cultivation art?
He couldn't fathom the intentions of Su Yu and Zhu Tiandao either!
If it was bait, it was far too foolish. Who in their right mind would seek death by causing trouble for Su Yu in broad daylight, unafraid of being chopped to pieces by those Sun Moon experts?
Yet for Su Yu to step out of nowhere to demonstrate his technique, cast his body, and enter Tengkong carried no immense benefit either.
Could it be just to prove how much of a genius he was?
"I don't understand..."
The old man was a man of vast experience, yet he too was thoroughly bewildered by this ambiguous move.
The middle-aged man had a sudden thought: "My Lord, could they be saying this on purpose, when in reality Zhu Tiandao and the others won't be there? Could they be using Su Yu to draw our attention while several Sun Moon experts head out to sweep our cult strongholds?"
"..."
The old man said uncertainly, "Surely not!"
Leaving Su Yu in the city as bait just to clean out a few strongholds—how reckless would they have to be?!
The middle-aged man said excitedly, "Even you find it impossible, My Lord, and others will think the same. Perhaps that truly is the objective! I heard that the Six-Winged Divine Cult has been relentlessly hunting Chen Yong and Feng Qi... Do you think Su Yu is deliberately acting as bait so Zhu Tiandao and the others can go rescue his senior martial uncle..."
There was a shred of logic to that!
Still, it couldn't be taken as truth!
The old man thought it over and said, "I can't figure them out. Forget it, let's not take unnecessary risks. Those people aren't easy to mess with, and the situation is murky. When the time comes, take a few people, blend into the crowd, and observe. If Zhu Tiandao and the others are truly there... then the Great Ming Prefecture is simply bored out of their minds. It wouldn't be the first time anyway!"
It was entirely normal for the Great Ming Prefecture to pull such antics!
It truly wouldn't be the first time!
It was just that the commotion was particularly large this time around.
The laid-back Great Ming Prefecture hosted a mountain of events and festivals every year; everyone knew that. The quality of life and happiness index here were remarkably high. Outside, Tiandu Prefecture was known as the capital of romance, the capital of gossip, the capital of festivals...
If they couldn't understand the situation, then so be it. Having his subordinates take a few people to check it out would suffice.
"This subordinate understands!"
The middle-aged man swiftly complied, then asked, "My Lord, what if Zhu Tiandao and the others aren't there..."
The old man said coldly, "Don't jump to conclusions. We'll cross that bridge only if they truly aren't present. You only have one life—don't throw it away! Do not act rashly without my order!"
He still couldn't wrap his head around it. Forget it, he hadn't planned on entering the city to watch anyway.
He would just let his subordinates report back!
The middle-aged man nodded and whispered, "What about the Traveling Merchant Guild's side..."
"Xu Bin?"
The old man snorted. "Ignore him. Primordial spirit apertures... infiltrating the research institute... The rumor has spread far and wide. I suspect Zhu Tiandao and the others intend to wait by the stump for a hare. There might not be a trap around Su Yu, but there is definitely a trap at the institute. We are not going!"
He had no intention of going to the research institute!
He now suspected that Su Yu had stepped out deliberately, and Zhu Tiandao and the others had stepped out deliberately, precisely to bait someone into infiltrating the institute. How dangerous would that be?
Whoever went was an idiot!
Of course, there was no shortage of fools in the world, and someone might very well go. In any case, no Sun Moon expert would fall for it, nor would any Shanhai. Few who reached the Shanhai or Sun Moon Realm were complete morons.
Xu Bin... that bastard was probably trying to use them to test the waters. Best pay him no heed.
The middle-aged man said no more. After working for a bit, he swiftly departed.
Once he was gone, the old man lingered for a moment, smiled, tossed his hoe aside, and quickly left as well. After walking for a bit, his appearance shifted into that of a middle-aged man. One could never be too careful against being tailed.
Safety first!
In any case, he wouldn't join the Great Ming Prefecture's spectacle. Even if he did watch the show, he would keep his distance.
...
The same scene played out in various places.
In a farmhouse, a chubby old man cheerfully greeted the farmers. Stepping into his estate, he retrieved a sound transmission talisman, checked it, and murmured, "A trap?"
Just like the previous old man, the chubby elder felt a surge of doubt, unable to understand their game.
"Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art..."
The chubby elder muttered. A fine thing. Even if he didn't cultivate it, he had to get his hands on it for his descendants. It had to be said, the techniques Su Yu developed were all top-notch!
And they weren't expensive!
With a legitimate identity, obtaining one was fairly easy.
"Primordial spirit apertures... allows one to bypass the Origin Opening Realm directly, even cultivating willpower and origin qi simultaneously... Is that real or fake?"
If someone else said it, the chubby elder might doubt it.
Coming from Su Yu... it was best to believe at least seventy percent of it!
Techniques like the Aperture Fusion Method were clear proof.
This kid had definitely obtained an Invincible heritage. It was truly enough to make one green with envy.
The chubby elder pondered and sent a transmission: "Send people to observe. Do not approach the research institute—beware of a trap! Report any developments immediately. Be careful not to be spotted!"
"Understood!"
"..."
Having delivered the message, the chubby elder smiled, crushed the talisman, and stayed cautious. He certainly wouldn't stick his neck out.
Capturing Su Yu, killing Su Yu... That was the goal of many, but being the one to spearhead the effort brought no benefits.
Regardless, he had no intention of showing his face or taking action this time.
He would observe first!
"Could it be to relieve the pressure on Chen Yong and the others?"
The old man entertained the same thought. Was Su Yu trying to draw the attention of the Six-Winged Divine Cult?
Or was he telling the Six-Winged Divine Cult to come find trouble with him in Great Ming if they dared?
"Quite a good martial nephew... Unfortunately, they might not take the bait."
The chubby elder chuckled. The Six-Winged Divine Cult... had been targeting Chen Yong for years. Many experts from the cult had died, most likely at the hands of Chen Yong and Feng Qi. Barking dogs didn't bite, but the quiet ones struck hard; he had previously assumed those deaths were mere accidents.
...
The news continued to spread.
From one place to another!
From one prefecture to the next!
Great Xia Prefecture.
Marquis Xia sighed. "Here he goes again, tossing out arts as if they cost nothing. That kid was never this generous back in Great Xia."
Beside him, Chief Hu said softly, "One good turn deserves another. Manor Lord Zhu granted him extraordinary treatment, allowing him to run rampant across Great Ming. Under such circumstances, with Su Yu's personality, it's hardly surprising he would do this."
Marquis Xia said with a headache, "I don't care about that. The problem is, even if the kid promotes this art, it might not spread to Great Xia. Another massive headache! We'll probably have to go beg him again! If cultivating it truly is as simple as he claims..."
Chief Hu said quietly, "It is precisely as he claimed. Hu Hao has already begun cultivating it to recast his physical body. Using this art as a foundation, he opened the first tier of 14 apertures with an Earth Yuan Fruit. Hu Hao said that his aperture-opening speed afterward increased by at least ten percent. And that's just the first tier. Once the second tier of 14 apertures is opened... the speed will be even faster. By the ninth tier, his aperture-opening speed will be at least double that of others..."
Opening two apertures in the time it took someone else to open one—given identical aptitude, who wouldn't choose that?
Add the Aperture Fusion Method on top, and one could rapidly reach the ninth layer of Wanshi!
Chief Hu remarked with emotion, "Thirty years, or perhaps forty years from now, when those cultivating these arts reach Lingyun or Shanhai... their combat power will be formidable, far exceeding current warriors. Their prospects will be broader, their futures brighter, and the Sun Moon Realm will no longer be an unreachable height. Marquis, the true significance of this cultivation art will only become apparent in the later stages!"
Marquis Xia said in exasperation, "I know that!"
Did he really need him to explain that?!
A whole legion of warriors cultivating a Heaven-rank art—how could they not be formidable?
Chief Hu added, "This public appearance to cast his body before the crowd—is it a Great Ming trap? But... is that necessary?"
He was a clever man, yet he couldn't see through the intentions of Great Ming and Su Yu either.
Marquis Xia couldn't fully decipher it either, but he asserted with certainty, "It's definitely a trap. As for how it's set... that's hard to say. Perhaps some fool will take the risk and strike? Or an accident will occur halfway through, Zhu Tiandao and the others will leave, abandoning Su Yu to create an opening for enemies to strike?"
Marquis Xia muttered to himself, finding that unlikely.
Those Great Ming fellows, especially Zhu the Second—who knew what he was up to lately, acting all mysterious.
Chief Hu said softly, "Do we need to do anything?"
Marquis Xia waved his hand. "No need. They haven't asked for our help, so what's the point of thrusting ourselves upon them? Just have Old Zhao find Chen Yong quickly. Where on earth did Chen Yong disappear to? If he gets killed... we'll truly become enemies with Su Yu!"
Chief Hu shook his head. "We can't reach him. We don't know the frequency of his sound transmission talisman, so contact is impossible. Old Zhao missed him several times and failed to cross paths. Instead, he ran into Old Hou from Great Ming."
"That kid Su Yu... certainly has a lot of face." Marquis Xia chuckled. For the Director of Great Ming's Yuqiang Department to personally run errands for him was no small honor.
With that, he quickly added, "Forget it, let's just watch the show! Still... warn that fatty Zhu to be careful, lest he draws out a certain someone..."
Chief Hu smiled. "Unless the true body arrives, a divine character clone would just be seeking death. Zhu Tiandao has no trouble handling a divine character clone! And if the true body truly comes... that might not be a bad thing. At least we'd know who it is."
"Better safe than sorry. If he truly comes, wipes out a group of people, and flees to defect to the myriad races, that would be a catastrophe!"
That was true enough. Chief Hu nodded; a reminder was indeed warranted.
The Invincible lurking in the shadows might already have his eye on Su Yu.
...
The news spread rapidly.
Inside Great Ming.
Mingxin Hall.
The underground chamber.
Zhu Tiandao appeared once more and smiled. "Have any unfamiliar experts slipped in over the past two days?"
The elderly woman surnamed Hu, who was calibrating the controls, smiled. "A few, though none are strong—a handful of Tengkong and a few Lingyun..."
The old woman tapped on several black dots on the mirror and chuckled. "They've all been marked. We didn't send people to tail them to avoid unnecessary trouble. These individuals are all newcomers to the prefecture. Some might be visitors from other prefectures, some might just be curious spectators, and others might belong to the All-Races Cult..."
As she spoke, she tapped several white dots. "These people have passed through the city gates several times over the last two days. They went out and returned, possibly to pass messages. Keep them under tight surveillance!"
Zhu Tiandao nodded. "Has the coverage reached the city gates?"
"It has, but currently it only covers half the city—the north and east directions are covered, but not the rest."
The old woman paused before adding, "Running it continuously over these two days incurs massive consumption. You'll have to bleed some wealth."
Zhu Tiandao laughed. "Not a problem, just petty cash! A few of Su Yu's cultivation arts will easily earn it all back."
The elders chuckled!
With the Super Sensing Jade deployed, many tasks became vastly simpler.
The old woman quickly said, "Look, another Lingyun just entered!"
Zhu Tiandao glanced over. Shortly after, that point was marked with a black dot. The old woman smiled and said, "These individuals will all need a thorough background check afterward! Especially those concealing their cultivation. Regardless of whether they belong to the All-Races Cult, they must be investigated! Nine times out of ten, those who hide their strength are up to no good..."
Zhu Tiandao beamed with delight. Impressive!
This Super Sensing Jade was truly magnificent. Sadly... its range was still too small.
With a touch of regret, he mused, "If only it could cover the entire Human Realm... that would be something. All-Races Cult, myriad races—anyone infiltrating would be detected instantly..."
The old woman sighed with emotion. "In ancient times, such a thing likely existed. Perhaps the Human Realm had a great mirror that watched over all under heaven! The sensing jade was developed through adaptations of discoveries made in ancient ruins. Sometimes I wonder: humanity was so glorious during that era, so why did it ultimately plunge into the Great Cataclysm..."
The sensing jade and sensing mirrors were all adapted from discoveries made in ruins.
If they could create a sensing jade that covered Tiandu Prefecture today, what about that glorious past era?
Had there been a mirror watching over the entire world?
Zhu Tiandao sighed as well. "The ancient era was truly glorious! Such an artifact probably cannot be forged nowadays! Covering just Tiandu Prefecture took decades of our effort, and the resources poured in... were enough to forge several Heaven-rank character armaments!"
Effort and wealth were minor matters.
Accidents frequently occurred during the research process. Years ago, an Earth-rank armament master was killed in an explosion, leaving Zhu Tiandao in a daze for days. An Earth-rank armament master was a genuine grandmaster; losing one carried a price far beyond imagination!
Even a figure like Zhao Tianbing was merely an Earth-rank armament master.
After lamenting for a while, Zhu Tiandao quickly asked, "No Shanhai or Sun Moon experts have appeared yet?"
"None for now!"
"Maintain close surveillance!"
Zhu Tiandao instructed briskly, "Those fellows won't show themselves now, but once things shift, they will definitely emerge! Once detected, we must not lose track of them. Keep them pinned down. Eliminate them in secret if possible; if not, drag them outside the city and execute them!"
"Prepare to activate the Baidao Pavilion later on, and remain ready to strike at any moment. I must trouble you teachers to exert yourselves; when the critical moment comes, you teachers will need to take action as well!"
Zhu Tiandao said coolly, "Great Ming does not interfere in external squabbles, but... we cannot allow these bastards to threaten Great Ming's safety! Keep in touch with my eldest son at all times. If any unforeseen event occurs, immediately seek the Great Han King's assistance and file a stern complaint against the Quest Realm!"
"Neglecting their duties is one thing, but allowing All-Races Cult experts to converge on Great Ming... what are their intentions?!"
The elders couldn't help but laugh. "You want to find trouble with them again?"
Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "It's not that I want to, but that I have no choice! Their recent policies have left me thoroughly displeased! Su Yu doesn't know the full story, and I haven't bothered telling him to spare him the frustration. Given the techniques he released, as a researcher... by all rights, he should have been granted the title of Senior Researcher long ago, yet the Quest Realm hasn't made a peep! The same goes for the body-casting opportunity—Su Yu is about to break through, yet they haven't said a word! Back when the Myriad Characters Scripture was released, both the Zhou and Yuan families were awarded a body-casting quota, yet no one has brought it up for Su Yu!"
Zhu Tiandao shook his head. "Su Yu doesn't know about these things. If he found out, he'd probably raise a storm! The Eight Families running the Quest Realm play deaf and dumb, thinking that remaining silent will keep anyone from noticing. The people in the War God Hall are watching the joke unfold!"
The old woman frowned. "They didn't mention the body casting? I thought they offered and Su Yu declined."
"They didn't!"
Zhu Tiandao said helplessly, "If they had offered, I wouldn't be complaining, but the point is they didn't even mention it! Forget it, Su Yu doesn't need it anyway... Still, we can't just take this lying down. Afterward, we'll lodge a formal complaint against them. The Great Han King just came out of seclusion and went right back in; next time, I'll drag him out and slam several technique scrolls in his face to see what he has to say!"
The elders laughed again. "If the Great Han King sees through your scheme, he might skin you alive."
"He oversees the Quest Realm, yet he spends all day in seclusion!" Zhu Tiandao retorted peevishly. "Skin me alive? What have I done wrong? Regardless, I won't let him stay in seclusion. Every time Su Yu develops a technique, I'll go bother him! Oh, right, once the Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art is promoted, go check with the War God Hall and see if they have anything to offer."
"King Miecan doesn't manage affairs either, does he?"
"Doesn't matter..." Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "If he doesn't manage affairs, we'll stuff his *Time* manual right into the latrine—my father's words!"
The elders burst into laughter once more.
After a brief discussion, Zhu Tiandao quickly added, "Teachers, please keep a close eye over the next couple of days. Tomorrow is the critical moment! Once this succeeds, no one will dare covet Great Ming for at least a decade!"
The elders nodded solemnly. Enjoying peace within Great Ming was precisely what they wished to see.
Meanwhile, the dense cluster of dots on the mirror was enough to make one's scalp tingle. The elders swiftly recorded data; this place had truly become the nerve center of Great Ming.
Monitoring all under heaven!
They had to track newcomers while also keeping tabs on the existing experts in the city, watching their movements to see if their trajectories deviated from the norm.
Processing such staggering amounts of data was a task only Civilization Masters could handle.
Zhu Tiandao took another look and quickly departed.
He felt a touch of pride—the Zhu family's decades of effort hadn't been in vain. It was just a shame this couldn't be publicized. These elders were unsung heroes, and news of the sensing jade could never be leaked. Otherwise, monitoring the entirety of Tiandu Prefecture...
If the experts found out, they would likely revolt.
...
Right as he left, Su Yu was frowning repeatedly inside the research institute.
The "Calamity" divine character had throbbed several times. Great Ming was growing increasingly mysterious—was he being monitored?
What kind of artifact was that powerful?
"I'll need to be more careful in the future. It'd be best to create some anti-surveillance treasures. Even Sun Moon arrays are useless against it. No wonder Old Zhu is so confident he can root out the enemies!"
"Tomorrow... it'll be my turn to perform!"
Su Yu pushed the thought aside. If he was being monitored, so be it; he would just get used to it. Back in Great Xia... a certain someone seemed to constantly monitor people everywhere as well.
Chapter 299