Catching Them All Isn't Enough

Casting the body through the Zhoutian cycle, receiving the blessing of the Human Sovereign! A heavenly punishment of five elements, greeted by the favor of multicolored clouds! This was the anomaly of Su Yu's body casting, the anomaly of his breakthrough into the Tengkong Realm—utterly awe-inspiring. At this moment, the crowd seemed to be waiting for something, anticipating something. Yet before Su Yu could speak, a deep voice rang out from afar. "Casting the body through the Zhoutian origin apertures... Su Yu, you are the very first person since the Great Cataclysm to achieve this. This matter is of paramount importance to the human race. Could you enlighten us a bit... Did you open the Primordial Spirit Aperture? What are the exact locations of the Zhoutian apertures?" Su Yu glanced sideways into the distance, but could not see clearly. The speaker was too far away, well over fifty li. Up in the sky, Zhu Tiandao and several others revealed themselves. Zhu Tiandao did not say much. His composure restored, he remarked indifferently, "There is no such rule, so don't talk nonsense. Whether someone shares or keeps it to themselves depends entirely on their own ability and right. If you have the guts, go tell every Invincible to make public all their secret arts, all their opportunities, all their secret treasures, and everything they possess!" Without giving Su Yu a chance to reply, Zhu Tiandao glanced around with supreme coldness. "Everyone, look all you want and envy all you want, but what is yours is yours. What isn't yours is none of your business, so don't make fools of yourselves! "Whether it's the Zhoutian apertures or the Primordial Spirit Aperture, if Su Yu is willing to disclose them, you should be grateful. If he isn't, do not force his hand! Don't assume that just because his cultivation is low, he can be bullied. And don't claim it's unfair just because he keeps it private. If I demanded that every one of your great clans make public the secrets of achieving the Invincible Realm, would any of you agree?" On the platform, Su Yu raised an eyebrow slightly but held his tongue. He had originally intended to say a few words himself. From far away, that voice sounded again, gentler this time. "Manor Lord Zhu, we had no such intention. It is merely that the Zhoutian apertures and the Primordial Spirit Aperture are far too extraordinary. We only asked out of curiosity. Su Yu has previously distributed arts that benefited the human race, and we all remember that kindness with deep gratitude. If he could also share the Zhoutian origin apertures and the Primordial Spirit Aperture, his name would certainly be etched into the annals of the Human Realm for eternity..." Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "Fair enough. Then we will discuss it later! Besides, it isn't even certain that the Primordial Spirit Aperture was opened. Su Yu, did you succeed?" "No!" Su Yu shook his head and said calmly, "I failed to open it. It's likely that I haven't opened enough divine apertures!" It was the truth. Of course, whether anyone believed it was another matter. Where had that heavenly punishment come from, if not the Primordial Spirit Aperture? Su Yu didn't care. At this moment, he refused to overthink or overexplain. Since Zhu Tiandao was present and willing to step forward, it was better to leave matters in his hands. Zhu Tiandao said regretfully, "You couldn't open it? What a pity!" With that, he looked out across the surroundings and smiled faintly. "Everyone, whether it was opened or not, do not force things. It is meaningless! I have already said what needed to be said. All of you are prominent figures of stature, and I believe you understand my meaning!" "We understand Manor Lord Zhu's meaning!" The person who had spoken earlier went silent. An instant later, another voice laughed. "Manor Lord Zhu, no one is forcing him. However, Master Su Yu's purpose today was to promote the Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art, and he has previously unveiled several arts that brought great benefit to humanity. His contributions span millennia! If the method for the Zhoutian apertures could also be made public, I believe Master Su would surely become a hero of the ages on par with the Kings of the Great Prefectures..." Praising him to high heavens! They didn't force him directly, but piled flattering laurels atop his head. If he shared it, wonderful, everyone would revere him like a deity. If he refused, he was selfish and self-serving! Su Yu understood this routine all too well. He did not bother asking who was speaking. It would not be too late to inquire later. Zhu Tiandao did not argue further. Instead, he sent urgent voice transmissions to the various Sun Moon Realm experts of Great Ming Prefecture, sighing helplessly. "The commotion has grown a bit too loud. The Zhoutian apertures altered the rules left by the ancient Human Sovereign and touched upon the core laws of the Human Realm. These people probably won't give up easily..." Putting himself in their shoes, if he were from another prefecture—if Su Yu had caused such a massive disturbance in Great Xia Prefecture, for instance—would he not be tempted? He would be! Inevitably so! It was only because Su Yu was already in Great Ming Prefecture that he could afford to remain relatively composed. In his eyes, since Su Yu had arrived here, he wasn't going anywhere. What was Su Yu's would sooner or later benefit Great Ming, so what was there to fear? Yet now, the other great prefectures were thoroughly enticed. Niu Baidao sent a transmission: "This is troublesome. We shouldn't offend them right now. There are still multiple Sun Moon Realm experts lurking inside the city. If things get truly out of hand, those fellows might try to fish in troubled waters!" If chaos erupted and the blame could not be pinned on any single person, someone might even try to abduct Su Yu in the confusion! Zhu Tiandao understood this truth full well and promptly transmitted back: "We must drive them away. As for those inside the city... we have to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys! It must be done swiftly! I wanted to handle them quietly before, but now that's unlikely. Those fellows outside might not leave, and we'll still have to receive them afterward. If we don't strike right now, those lurkers from the All-Races Cult might slip away in the meantime." "Manor Lord!" A Sun Moon expert transmitted back solemnly, "Perhaps we should give up on killing those All-Races Cult dogs for now. If we fail to take them down swiftly, it could easily incite treacherous intentions in others. Even if we succeed, Great Ming Prefecture's losses won't be light. Furthermore, executing multiple Sun Moon experts makes us an easy target for retaliation by the All-Races Cult. Great Ming Prefecture shouldn't make too many enemies right now; we should cultivate harmony and preserve our strength..." This had always been Great Ming Prefecture's guiding principle! This was the foundation that had kept Great Ming peaceful for so many years! Were they to break that rule today? Zhu Tiandao found himself torn. The commotion had grown massive. Far larger than anticipated! Killing people covertly through baiting and then letting the rumors spread afterward would deter all sides. So long as no one witnessed how Great Ming did the killing, the prefecture could remain stable. Yet executing them with thunderous force would also serve as a deterrent, though it would lay bare Great Ming's true strength. He looked down toward Su Yu below. Zhoutian apertures, willpower arts, divine arts, Heaven Yuan Qi, ancient sovereign blessings... Thought after thought flashed through his mind! A choice! He was the lord of a prefecture, the ruler of hundreds of millions of humans in Great Ming. Should he resolve this with thunderous methods? Moments later, Zhu Tiandao made his decision. Looking back outside the city, he shouted loudly, "Everyone, hold off on the Zhoutian apertures for now! The technique is not yet perfected. Once it is finalized, the Primordial Spirit Research Institute will naturally consider distributing it across the Human Realm. Su Yu has always kept the human race close to his heart; otherwise, he wouldn't have shared one art after another!" Without waiting for anyone to reply, Zhu Tiandao chuckled and continued, "Now that things have been laid bare to this extent, there's no need for everyone to be so aggressive—it's pointless! And you over there from Great Shang Prefecture, stop stirring up trouble and setting the rhythm! Just because I killed one of your elder council members last time doesn't mean you need to play mind games with me now!" Zhu Tiandao smiled. "King Dashang is a top-tier powerhouse, and his relationship with my father is quite decent. There's no reason to make things too tense! That wouldn't be proper! Furthermore, cultivation arts are private matters. A bunch of Sun Moon experts pressuring a young man will sound disgraceful if word gets out, and the people of Great Ming Prefecture are watching!" In the distance, Chief Hu sighed inwardly and spoke up. "Manor Lord Zhu speaks the truth. Let us all preserve some face. Manor Lord Zhu, this matter should be left entirely to Su Yu's own discretion!" What a shame! If Su Yu were in Great Xia Prefecture, Great Xia would never yield an inch either. The Zhoutian apertures... What a true shame! An immense regret! Zhu Tiandao grinned. "Then let it be settled. Additionally, to avoid misunderstandings, none of you are to enter the city within the next hour. Anyone who enters... will be treated as an enemy! After one hour, I shall personally receive you all." Everyone was baffled. At a time like this, what business did he have left to attend to? Escorting Su Yu back to the academy? Did he really need to be that dramatic? Zhu Tiandao drew a deep breath and added, "Everyone, I've put it plainly, and I hope you will grant me this face... After all, while I have a good temper, my father does not!" On the perimeter, several people wore strange expressions. What did he mean by that? Meanwhile, within the city, the lurking powerhouses suddenly felt an ominous tremor in their hearts. What did he mean? Zhu Tiandao wasn't going to receive these Sun Moon experts right away? They were all prominent, distinguished figures! Zhu Tiandao ignored them and continued transmitting to Great Ming's Sun Moon powerhouses. At this moment, Great Ming Prefecture had gathered a full five Sun Moon Realm experts on the scene! And the Sun Moons who had infiltrated the city... also numbered five! There were even more Shanhai Realm experts—a staggering fifteen of them! The vast majority of All-Races Cult powerhouses in the surrounding territories had likely arrived; those from three or four neighboring prefectures were practically all here. They had hooked a colossal catch! The only worry was whether Blue Sky or the Hierarch of the Primordial Divine Cult had come in person. If so, that would mean immense trouble! Zhu Tiandao stopped looking outside and turned his gaze toward the ordinary citizens below, smiling. "You've seen the spectacle, and the art will be shared. Everyone must be in high spirits today, right?" "Not bad... Manor Lord, is there more?" "No more!" Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "My Zhu family has governed Great Ming Prefecture for centuries. Over all these years, I've never asked all of you to do much of anything, have I?" The crowd looked perplexed. Someone laughed heartily. "Manor Lord, are you asking us to do something today, then?" Zhu Tiandao smiled. "Nothing major. It has been seventy-seven years since I took over as Manor Lord! In these seventy-seven years, I've rarely put on airs before you. However, there is truth to the old saying: etiquette must not be abandoned!" Reaching this point, Zhu Tiandao grinned. "Today, I'd like to enjoy the treatment befitting a Manor Lord... People of Great Ming, today... I, Zhu Tiandao, have only a modest request. Does anyone still remember the etiquette of Great Ming Prefecture?" The crowd paused. Among them, some elderly folk seemed to recall something. Moments later, someone chuckled, said nothing more, and dropped to one knee. An instant later, thousands followed suit in unison, dropping to one knee... The young people beside them hesitated for a moment before dropping to one knee as well. Seventy-seven years! For seventy-seven years, Great Ming Prefecture had operated with virtually no rigid rules. Yet the elders had taught them that when the Manor Lord traveled, custom dictated dropping to one knee to show loyalty to Great Ming! To fight for Great Ming Prefecture! To fight for the Zhu family! For no other reason than that over three hundred years ago, King Daming had established this prefecture to shelter hundreds of millions of humans. With the Zhu family governing Great Ming, repaying their life-saving grace meant serving Great Ming Prefecture! Yet right at that instant, several individuals hesitated. Some knelt; others did not! Seventy-seven years had passed. Many still remembered that the peace of Great Ming Prefecture was entirely owed to the protection of the Zhu family. Yet there were some who had never learned or simply didn't care. Zhu Tiandao paid those people no mind. A sudden smile touched his lips, and in the next breath, he roared like thunder, "Rise, everyone!" When dispensed of ceremonial kneeling, custom dictated kowtowing three times before standing... Just as the vast majority bowed down and prepared to kowtow, a terrifyingly immense wave of willpower swept in from the distance! At the very same instant! Zhu Tiandao and his companions struck simultaneously! Zhu Tiandao raised a hand that seemed to blot out the heavens, descending directly upon an expert in the crowd who had only just started to drop to his knees! *Too late, punk!* That Sun Moon Realm expert's expression twisted violently! He had already sensed that something was amiss just moments ago! Yet he never imagined Zhu Tiandao would strike without the slightest warning! At that moment, a massive pagoda blotted out the sky, descending with overwhelming force! It surged with terrifying fluctuations of willpower! Everyone around him was prostrated on the ground, leaving him, who hadn't managed to kneel in time, sticking out like a sore thumb! Those who weren't from Great Ming Prefecture knew nothing of these customs. And even if they did, after being prominent figures for so long, how could they readily drop to their knees? And right then, Zhu Tiandao's palm crashed down! *Boom!* A deafening roar erupted as several kneeling citizens nearby were sent flying from the shockwave. Yet Zhu Tiandao had no time to worry about them. In the next instant, a pagoda—the peak Heaven-rank willpower weapon, Baidao Pavilion—shot forth! *Pfft!* A layer of defense was pulverized in an instant. The void cracked open as though something had detonated, though ordinary eyes saw nothing. Only the true experts could see that the pagoda had punched straight through that Sun Moon cultivator's sea of will! The sea of will collapsed! In a split second—literally a single instant—a Sun Moon expert had their sea of will obliterated! Simultaneously, on the other side, another lurking Sun Moon expert was trapped within a bubble conjured by Head Niu. The bubble floated up into the air, and an instant later, three Sun Moon experts unleashed a combined strike, unleashing a thunderous detonation! The Sun Moon inside the bubble was blown to pieces by the three powerhouses! In less than a second, two Sun Moon experts had fallen! In the sky above, the anomaly of Sun Moon deaths manifested instantly—two half-moons plunged from the heavens! A Sun Moon falls! *Buzz!* At this moment, two more lurking Sun Moon experts burst into the air and fled! They had no desire whatsoever to fight! Damn it! They were exposed! Two Sun Moon cultivators had been slaughtered in the blink of an eye! One of them had just taken to the sky when Zhu Tiandao, having already dispatched his first target, charged straight toward him! At the same time, Baidao Pavilion hurtled toward the other fleeing Sun Moon. Five Sun Moon Realm experts in total! One last Sun Moon remained lurking below, motionless, kneeling on the ground while his heart pounded in sheer terror! Exposed? Why?! What about me? Was I exposed too? The other four hadn't knelt, but he had! He had knelt at the very first moment! When Zhu Tiandao spoke, the old folks beside him had been chatting, and he had overheard them mention kneeling. To avoid standing out, he had dropped to his knees without hesitation. Was he exposed? All of this had happened far, far too fast! Zhu Tiandao had struck for the kill without a second's hesitation! No preparation, pure surprise! And it was a precision strike: joining forces with Niu Baidao and the others, they had instantly wiped out two completely defenseless Sun Moon experts! In that split second, nobody had reacted. Not even Su Yu! He had only seen a blur before his eyes, followed by the crash of two falling half-moons! An instant later, a chaotic battle erupted in the sky. Zhu Tiandao, Niu Baidao, three other Sun Moons, and Baidao Pavilion were ganging up on two fleeing Sun Moons! Too fast! Right at this moment, the last lurking Sun Moon was gripped by sheer dread. If this continued, he might be exposed as well, and death would be certain. Zhu Tiandao might simply be ignoring him on purpose... "Capture Su Yu! Threaten them with him, or we all die!" This was his voice transmission. In that instant, over a dozen figures suddenly leaped out from the crowd, lunging straight toward Su Yu! It was the Shanhai Realm infiltrators! They had been petrified by the sudden carnage as well! Yet as Shanhai experts, they quickly reacted—this was for their own survival! At this point, capturing Zhu Hongliang might not even save them; only seizing Su Yu offered a chance at life! There were no Sun Moon experts left by Su Yu's side! Of course, there were plenty of Shanhai cultivators. The commander of the Tiandao Army roared, "Kill!" Dozens of Tiandao Army experts shot into the air, charging to intercept them! Battles raged in every direction! Yet Su Yu remained standing calmly on the platform. No one could get near him! At the same time, the moment his transmission finished, that final lurking Sun Moon did not flee into the sky. Instead, he burrowed straight underground, fleeing at blistering speed! As for capturing Su Yu... like hell he was going to try! At a time like this, using the chaos to escape was what truly mattered! Meanwhile, the Sun Moon experts outside the city finally recovered their wits. The eruption of combat and the deaths had happened far too swiftly! Inconceivably fast! Just as someone prepared to move, Zhu Tiandao's chilling voice rang out: "No one enters the city!" Only now did they understand what his earlier words meant! No entering the city! Wait an hour before coming in! Anyone who entered now was an enemy. "Manor Lord Zhu... we can help..." "No one enters the city!" Zhu Tiandao's voice turned even frostier. Teaming up with Baidao Pavilion, he battered his Sun Moon opponent until the man spat blood, while Niu Baidao and the other three Sun Moons besieged their target! For the moment, however, none of them had time to chase after the last escaping Sun Moon underground! Burrowing beneath the earth, that Sun Moon cultivator was overjoyed. Nobody was pursuing him! In the distance, Chief Hu shouted, "Everyone, there's another fellow down there! Intercept and surround him outside the city..." In his desperate flight, that Sun Moon had no luxury to conceal his aura. Chief Hu called out and prepared to move, but at that very moment, a portal materialized directly in the path of the fleeing expert! An old man with grizzled white hair gritted his teeth and cursed, "My craft isn't perfected yet! Fuck, why the hell did they send me out here..." *Thud!* The Sun Moon slammed headfirst into the portal! In that instant, the Sun Moon vanished, but the surrounding space violently convulsed! Hu Xiansheng spat blood repeatedly as he struggled to suppress the portal, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Someone get over here, fast! Fuck, he's a Sun Moon third layer! I can't hold it down, it's gonna blow!" "A teleportation portal!" someone cried in astonishment! A moment later, that astonishment turned into a grimace of phantom toothache. A one-way teleportation portal—no, a dead-end teleportation portal! The enemy was trapped inside the dimensional pocket behind the door! Just as Hu Xiansheng was on the verge of losing control, two elderly figures—a man and a woman from the academy—appeared beside him. Both wore expressions of relief. The old man instantly laid down a massive formation, encircling the portal. The old woman was none other than the toothless Elder Hu who had overseen the Super Resonance Jade. Without a shred of hesitation, she rasped, "Detonate the portal... blow him to pieces..." "Don't you dare!" Hu Xiansheng cursed loudly. "Fine, blow it up if you want, but pay me one million merit points! It took my entire life's savings to forge this door!" Right then, a voice rang out: "I'll pay!" Hu Xiansheng shuddered, and in the next heartbeat, he roared, "Blow it!" The wealthy young master Su Yu had spoken! *Boom!* A deafening blast tore the portal apart, shredding the fabric of space. A battered, mangled figure tumbled out of the dimensional rift, attempting to take flight, only to be blocked by the surrounding grand formation. In that split second, a blazing furnace appeared, engulfing the entire formation. A willpower weapon! The old woman's willpower weapon! Flames roared within the furnace as the old woman gave a low cry. Divine characters ignited one after another, their power becoming flame to temper the weapon! Only this time, they were burning a living Sun Moon expert! "Ahhh!" "Hu Qi, you're not dead?!" "May you die a wretched death!" The Sun Moon expert trapped inside shrieked in agony! "You aren't dead! Hu Qi... how vicious of you!" Panting heavily, the old woman smiled. "I won't die just yet... Today, I shall forge a Sun Moon flesh-and-blood willpower weapon. You will be my final masterpiece!" Spurting mouthfuls of blood, she ignited her divine flames, burning him furiously! *Boom!* The furnace rattled with thunderous clangs as the Sun Moon struggled desperately, causing bulges to hammer against its walls. Yet he could not break free. The old woman gave a sharp cry, coughing up stream after stream of essence blood! The old man steadily tightened the formation as well. Working in tandem, the two moved with astonishing speed! Before Zhu Tiandao had even finished off his own opponent, a resounding explosion echoed from the old woman's side, and another half-moon crashed from the sky! Dead! Three Sun Moon experts had perished in mere moments! Chief Hu was caught completely off guard. Having just set out, he stared at the old woman from afar, murmuring, "Aunt Hu Qi!" The old woman shot him a glance and ignored him. "Aunt..." Chief Hu wanted to say more, but she manipulated the furnace and vanished in an instant. Meanwhile, the old man hurried toward Su Yu's position. As for Hu Xiansheng, his heart ached fiercely as he chased after Su Yu, shouting, "Kid, what you just said counts, right?" He had blown up his precious teleportation portal! If not for that, the old woman wouldn't have killed a Sun Moon so easily. "It counts!" Su Yu nodded, looking around with a grin. Great Ming Prefecture... was truly interesting. Of the fifteen Shanhai experts, twelve had charged forward, yet none had breached the perimeter. Fierce combat raged on the outskirts; neither Sun Moon nor Shanhai had been able to get near him! Zhu Tiandao had promised to protect his safety... and he hadn't lied. "Run!" a Shanhai screamed. *Run, the Sun Moons are coming!* Up in the sky, the remaining two Sun Moon experts could no longer hold out! Everything had transpired far too quickly! Unbelievably fast! Three Sun Moon powerhouses had died in the blink of an eye! In the sky, Zhu Tiandao grinned! A total victory! The Sun Moon before him was as good as dead; there was nowhere left to run! Yet just as he was about to deliver the killing blow, Zhu Tiandao's expression changed drastically! At the same time, cries of shock erupted from the Sun Moon experts all around! In that very instant, the void shattered! A colossal hand pierced through space, hurling down three divine characters that instantly coalesced into three faceless figures. They paid no heed to Zhu Tiandao, lunging straight toward Su Yu instead! Three Sun Moons! No, three divine character avatars, each possessing Sun Moon Realm strength! "Bastard!" Zhu Tiandao roared in fury! At this point, he threw all caution to the wind. A core divine character inside his sea of will surged to life—he was genuinely enraged! What reckless audacity! Great Xia Prefecture had warned him, but he had assumed the other party wouldn't dare strike within Great Ming Prefecture. Reality proved... he had been wrong! They truly were that audacious! Damn them! They deserved to die! His core divine character blazed with radiant light as he prepared to strike and obliterate the three divine character avatars! Yet right at that instant, the void tore apart again! A figure stepped out with a saber in hand! Expressionless, he said coolly, "I've been waiting for you for a long time!" *Buzz!* A saber slashed downward! The three divine character avatars had barely appeared before Su Yu when—*bang!*—all three divine characters exploded into dust! In the next instant, the newcomer glanced at Su Yu, smiled faintly, and cleaved through the void with his blade. Stepping into the rift, his voice drifted back: "Distribute the Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art to Great Xia Prefecture. The three great academies may distribute it at will!" Leaving behind those words, the man had already vanished! In the distance, spatial pockets detonated one after another! Saber light dominated the world! "Hmph!" Soon, a muffled grunt echoed from a hundred li away. Xia Longwu reappeared, saber still in hand. Impaled upon his blade was a shadowy figure, already crumbling. "Seven divine characters destroyed!" Xia Longwu remarked indifferently, "Interesting! Adding this to last time, you've lost seven Sun Moon divine characters... You are quite strong! But... how many more do you have left to break? Next time, I take your dog head!" *Bang!* Without giving the figure a chance to speak, saber qi erupted, shattering the divine character! Xia Longwu glanced back toward Tiandu Prefecture. Over there, Zhu Tiandao wore a dark expression as he slapped his Sun Moon opponent to death, glaring across the distance with sun and moon rotating in his eyes. Xia Longwu sneered contemptuously. "Zhu Tiandao, you're named Zhu—just stay a pig! When it comes to killing, you're useless!" Leaving behind those words, he tore through the void and strode away! ... Above Tiandu Prefecture. With a sullen face, Zhu Tiandao swept his hand out, crushing several fleeing Shanhai cultivators into mist with a single grasp! He glanced down at Su Yu and transmitted, "Even without him, you would have been fine!" "He was just putting on a fake show of favor—don't pay it any mind!" *Hmph!* What was so great about him? As if I couldn't handle it without you? Damn it! Acting all cool! I was establishing my prestige, slaying several Sun Moons, and you had to barge in! One stroke, three Sun Moons killed—even if they were divine character avatars, they were still at the Sun Moon level. By comparison... taking forever to kill one Sun Moon made Zhu Tiandao look like a joke! No face left! Humiliating! Infuriating! Who asked you, Xia Longwu, to interfere?! Could I not kill them without you? I could have crushed those three avatars just as easily! No... he had killed four. When he left, he had forcefully broken through space to hunt down the source and slay the fourth Sun Moon avatar. Damn it, which Invincible had gone stark raving mad?! Sending four Sun Moon avatars at once! They had nearly capsized in the gutter! And how on earth had that bastard Xia Longwu slipped in? He hadn't noticed at all, and even the Super Resonance Jade hadn't detected him. Had he already achieved Invincible combat prowess? Was that why he couldn't be detected? With countless thoughts racing through his head, Zhu Tiandao continued transmitting to Su Yu: "Seriously, that guy was just showing off on purpose. His strength is nothing special. No need to admire him or thank him—without him, I still would have slaughtered them!" "You were never in any real danger!" *Damn it, trying to win people's hearts! How shameless! The kid already fled your territory, and you still come here trying to buy his loyalty—are you even human?* Half-moons plunged one after another. The final Sun Moon, besieged by Niu Baidao and the others, saw that his end was near and roared frantically, "Don't kill me! I know which Invincible betrayed us—" *Splat!* Niu Baidao crushed his skull and muttered calmly, "Shut your trap!" Below, Su Yu said nothing. He deserved to die! Regardless of whether the man spoke the truth or not, this was not the time to make such things public. Sowing panic would only lead to massive turmoil. If it turned out to be a false accusation, it would be just as disastrous. Better to simply silence him with death! That Invincible had just lost four Sun Moon divine characters, on top of the three destroyed last time—seven in total. Who could it possibly be? After today, someone was bound to investigate. Whether they could uncover the truth was uncertain. Yet having lost seven Sun Moon divine characters in succession, that person would have to act in their true body next time. Su Yu held his peace, quietly absorbing the residual aura of the shattered divine characters. He smiled and called out, "Civilization Masters not involved in combat can begin cultivating right where you are! With so many Sun Moons fallen, this is an opportunity for everyone. Those who know how to open divine apertures, open them quickly! Warriors can cultivate as well—opening the first layer of apertures from the Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art would also be excellent!" He was remarkably composed! Five Sun Moons were dead, and the Shanhai cultivators had mostly been wiped out. What did he have to worry about? All of it had unfolded too fast. From the eruption of battle until now, less than a minute had elapsed. Five Sun Moon experts had perished! Great Ming Prefecture's true strength exceeded everyone's expectations; seven Sun Moon powerhouses had stepped forth this time! Hu Xiansheng's teleportation portal had been equally shocking. The real question was... how had they been discovered? All five Sun Moon experts had been pinpointed from the very beginning! Without confidence in their concealment, who would dare infiltrate? Not only that, but Zhu Tiandao was now picking off targets directly from the sky! *Bang!* *Bang!* One unexposed Shanhai after another was sniped and killed on the spot! Of course, not every single one. He left a few fish that slipped through the net, perhaps for later use. It was enough to eliminate the primary threats. Every one of them had been tracked; none could escape. Zhu Tiandao said with a faint smile, "Whether from the All-Races Cult or elsewhere, anyone who sneaks into Great Ming Prefecture harbors ill intent! Killing them is nothing more than taking out the trash!" With that, he sighed. "Regrettably, our Great Ming citizens were caught in the crossfire... Nine people have died. These nine shall be enshrined in the Daming Shrine and receive a pension of one thousand merit points. For three generations, each generation may send one descendant into the Great Ming War Academy and the Great Ming Civilization Academy without examination!" Once he finished, Su Yu added with deep remorse, "These people lost their lives on my account; I am deeply ashamed. For the direct descendants of these nine heroes, all cultivation arts from the Primordial Spirit Research Institute will be free of charge—an eternal privilege passed down from generation to generation!" Only after they finished speaking did the crowd begin to process what had just happened. Suddenly, someone slapped their thigh and lamented, "Fuck, I should have just died!" An old man with a broken, drooping arm looked thoroughly dejected! *It would have been better if they'd beaten me to death!* A thousand merit points was already a hefty sum, but that wasn't the main point! An exam-free pass to both the Civilization Academy and the War Academy for each generation—didn't that mean two descendants per generation could enter without taking exams? Across three generations, that was six people! And all arts from the Primordial Spirit Research Institute were completely free, requiring no cumulative merit points and zero expenditure—for all direct descendants, not just one or two! *Holy shit!* Calculating it like that, dying would have been a massive bargain! He wasn't the only one; the other wounded citizens were equally disheartened! Why hadn't they died? What a regret! They were already old anyway. What did death matter? They had enjoyed food, drink, and merrymaking for a lifetime. Dying meant being enshrined in the Daming Shrine and securing their descendants' futures—it was a damn steal! Some of the wounded began secretly striking their own vital spots while coughing blood... Before long, a grim-faced soldier of the Tiandao Army hauled one of those sneakily self-harming fellows out of the crowd! *This old bastard actually wants to commit suicide to scam benefits! How does Great Ming keep producing people like this?!* It was infuriating, hilarious, and utterly exasperating. Seeing this, the others who had been contemplating finishing themselves off hurriedly abandoned the idea. The man being dragged out pleaded helplessly, "Can't a man even choose to die? Manor Lord, at least give the wounded some comfort!" Zhu Tiandao was caught between laughter and tears! Did Great Ming Prefecture... need some serious rectification? He had no time to coddle them further. Only now did he turn his attention to the outsiders, meeting the stunned, shaken gazes of the Sun Moon experts. Zhu Tiandao smiled. "Everyone, forgive my earlier neglect. Great Ming Prefecture has always been so welcoming, yet someone actually dared to launch such a vicious assault on us... They nearly destroyed our Tiandu Prefecture!" The crowd was speechless! *Are you serious?* *Nine citizens died, while you slaughtered five Sun Moons and over a dozen Shanhai experts—and you're calling that 'nearly destroyed'?!* Zhu Tiandao ignored their incredulity, rising into the air with a laugh. "Since everyone is here, wonderful! You have all witnessed everything firsthand; you are my witnesses! I won't say much more, but I must trouble you all to accompany me on a trip... Today, I am going to the two Sacred Lands to demand an explanation, to seek justice! Who truly rules this world, this Human Realm? Is it the human race, or is it the All-Races Cult?" At this moment, Zhu Tiandao radiated overbearing authority, stepping through the air as he said coolly, "Accompany me. Don't claim you have no time—watching this unfold with your own eyes, do you feel no shame?" His voice boomed like thunder! "Who does this Human Realm belong to?" "If it belongs to the All-Races Cult, then we might as well hand it over on a silver platter!" With that, he roared, "Where are the Iron Cavalry Guards! Accompany me to the Twin Sages Prefecture to demand justice!" In the next instant, over a thousand soldiers took to the sky, forming a grand escort. Astride their mounts, banners unfurled, they shouted in unison: "The Manor Lord of Great Ming Prefecture enters the Twin Sages Prefecture!" "Let all evil retreat, let the prefectures make way!" Zhu Tiandao grinned. At the same moment, a golden dragon soared into the air, pulling an imperial carriage. Stepping inside, Zhu Tiandao laughed. "Depart! Gentlemen, let us take a stroll to the Twin Sages Prefecture. Anyone who refuses to come... are you sympathizing with the All-Races Cult?" "Hahaha!" With a booming laugh, flanked by an escort of over a thousand guards, the dragon-drawn carriage tore through the sky at blinding speed! Along the perimeter, six Sun Moon powerhouses stood frozen. Their expressions were deeply conflicted. They wanted to leave, but... they couldn't! Trouble! Ahead of them, Zhu Tiandao traveled at incredible speed, leading his entourage across the sky as the banners of Great Ming Prefecture fluttered in the wind. Zhu Tiandao's voice drifted back: "Not moving yet? Gentlemen, come board the carriage and share a drink! We'll arrive at the Twin Sages Prefecture by tomorrow. If they don't give me a satisfactory answer this time, Great Ming Prefecture will withdraw from the Human Realm Alliance!" Of the thirty-eight prefectures of the Human Realm, thirty-six had been established by Invincibles, while the Twin Sages Prefecture and the All-Heavens Prefecture were designated later. Though the thirty-eight prefectures were not unified under one ruler, they were bound by an alliance covenant! And the Twin Sages Prefecture was the leader of that covenant! As helpless as those Sun Moon experts felt, matters had reached a point where Zhu Tiandao was dead set on lodging a formal grievance. Refusing to go... was simply not an option. They were witnesses! Five Sun Moons had infiltrated Great Ming Prefecture... truth be told, the All-Races Cult had gone completely mad. More importantly, this bastard Zhu Tiandao was far too ruthless! This entire breakthrough had been staged purely to bait Sun Moons! Only now did they fully realize the truth. Truly vicious! Indeed, the dog that bites doesn't bark. Still... their hearts were shaken. Who on earth was that Invincible? Sending four divine character avatars to kill Su Yu—if Xia Longwu hadn't stepped in, catastrophe truly might have struck Tiandu Prefecture! They wanted to visit the Twin Sages Prefecture as well, to inquire and find out what had actually happened! Was that Invincible from the human race, or from the myriad races? Could an Invincible from the myriad races project divine character avatars into the Human Realm? What a joke! If they were from the Human Realm... then who was it?! With so many divine characters shattered this time, could they really avoid detection? ... On the platform, Su Yu watched them depart into the distance and smiled. After catching his fish, Zhu Tiandao hadn't reeled in his line; instead, he pushed further, marching off to demand accountability. What courage, what finesse! This time, both the Quest Realm and the War God Hall would probably have to bleed dearly. Not only bleed, but also put on a massive show of force—otherwise, there would be no way to appease him! *Is this what it means to crush the enemy by wielding the momentum of the masses?* At this moment, Su Yu felt as though he had learned something valuable. In his mind, that little fur ball was secretly gorging on massive amounts of residual aura from the shattered divine characters, but Su Yu couldn't be bothered to reprimand it. Glancing at the corpses littering the ground, some mangled beyond recognition, Su Yu's smile grew brilliant! Indeed, this round of fishing had been remarkably effortless! Five Sun Moons... would the All-Races Cult dare try again next time? No, how many Sun Moon Realm experts did they even have left? At that moment, not far away, Niu Baidao exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Could this fellow... be the new Hierarch of the Blood Fire Cult? He's carrying the insignia of the Blood Fire Cult!" He was looking at the corpse of the Sun Moon expert Zhu Tiandao had slain first. In the man's storage ring lay an identity medallion, brand-new! The Blood Fire Cult! The corner of Su Yu's mouth twitched! Around him, the surrounding powerhouses fell completely silent. The Blood Fire Cult... really ought to just disband. Going bankrupt would work too! Three consecutive hierarchs had died—all within roughly half a year! Losing three hierarchs in six months, why hadn't they disbanded already?!