The Focus of the World Remains on Xia

Word of the events in Great Ming Prefecture spread quickly. In a single day, five Sun Moons had fallen. Great Ming Prefecture, which had played the salted fish for decades, had suddenly flipped over. The major prefectures were thoroughly stunned. When had Great Ming ever been so unyielding? What drew the keenest attention from the higher-ups of those prefectures, however, was how Great Ming had sniffed these people out in the first place. What secret did Great Ming possess that enabled them to wipe out that entire network in one fell swoop? Moreover, Zhu Tiandao making a scene at the Quest Realm filled the other prefectures with envy. Having a formidable father, choosing not to attain the Dao himself, and commanding an immensely wealthy prefecture—that was real capital. Without money, Great Ming wouldn't dare make such a fuss. If you were too poor and genuinely offended the Eight Great Families, they could choke off your economic supplies, and you would be in deep trouble. Aside from the Zhu family, there was Su Yu! Was that phenomenon real or fake? Could the Great Circulation body forging truly draw a reward from the rules? And what was that heavenly punishment? Furthermore, was Su Yu's Primordial Spirit Cultural Art truly as miraculous as rumored, allowing anyone to cultivate a Heaven rank art? Too many questions and curiosities turned every eye in the Human Realm toward Great Ming Prefecture. Naturally, the All-Races Cult was watching just as closely. Yet at this moment, in the eyes of the All-Races Cult, Great Ming had become even more perilous than Great Xia Prefecture. Great Xia launched suppression campaigns constantly, yet sleeper agents had remained hidden there for decades without exposure. Great Ming, on the other hand, had flushed everyone out all at once! Their Sun Moons and Shanhais had been slaughtered down to the last person, and a great number of their Lingyun and Tengkong operatives were dead. As for the surviving scouts, none could be reached. No one knew whether their lines of communication were jammed or if they simply dared not reply. In short, Great Ming Prefecture seemed utterly inscrutable right now. Beyond that, the emergence of several veteran Sun Moons made the outside world realize that Great Ming was far from weak. A number of elders were still alive, never having met their ends. The elderly woman surnamed Hu—Hu Qi—had ascended to the Sun Moon Realm three hundred years ago. She was of advanced age, and rumors had long claimed she had passed away. Yet here she was, not only alive, but stepping forward to refine a Sun Moon expert on the spot! This sent shockwaves through the outside world. Just how many veteran Sun Moons did Great Ming Prefecture still have tucked away? Hu Qi was undeniably strong, though her combat prowess could only be called average. The crux was that she was an Earth rank weapon forger. Who knew what formidable weapons someone like her might have secretly forged over all those years? …… Yet amidst all the clamor, no one dared poke their noses into Great Ming Prefecture to snoop. Meanwhile, Su Yu rested for the night. The next day, he saw Zhu Tiandao, who had returned from his trip yesterday. His arrival was unaccompanied by fanfare. Nor was there any swagger! Returning with absolute discretion, Zhu Tiandao knocked on the doors of the Primordial Spirit Research Institute, his expression rather grim. The moment he laid eyes on Su Yu, he said in a low voice, "Brat, you're full of tricks. Come with me to check on a situation. Teacher Hu... seems to have reached the end of her lifespan..." At this moment, Zhu Tiandao showed none of his usual glibness. The rims of his eyes were slightly red, struggling to hold back his grief. Su Yu was taken aback. "Senior... Senior Hu Qi?" "Yeah." Zhu Tiandao grimaced. "I thought she was fine. Even though she overexerted herself earlier, I figured she was a Sun Moon after all and could hold out for a while longer. But now..." He felt deeply sorrowful. She was his teacher! Back in the day, she had taught him for a very long time. He had dabbled in a chaotic array of fields—divine character master, weapon forger, alchemist, divine talisman master, divine array master... He had touched upon nearly every discipline. Yet today, he could do nothing to prolong his teacher's life. He wanted to see if Su Yu had any tricks. Su Yu had inherited certain legacies, so perhaps he might have some way to grant her more time. Su Yu's expression changed as well. Reaching the limit of her lifespan? This... was something he had never encountered before. Almost every expert he knew was relatively young. The oldest among them was probably Niu Baidao! Back in Great Xia Prefecture, the only person he had heard of who was nearing the end of his lifespan was Liu Hong's teacher. Everyone else was quite young. Only yesterday, Senior Hu had stood tall and spirited, publicly refining a Sun Moon into a cultural weapon. And today... she had reached the end of her years? "Manor Lord... I... I might not be able to help much." "*Sigh!*" Zhu Tiandao sighed. "Let's not dwell on that now. Come, let's go see Teacher. Teacher is really about to pass away..." He glanced at Su Yu without another word. Perhaps... some divine characters could be passed down to Su Yu. The Multiple Divine Characters Faction had carried out legacy inheritances multiple times in the past. He wasn't sure if it would work! Bringing Su Yu along was also Hu Qi's wish. If she truly passed away and her divine characters could not form a mystic realm, they might as well try passing them down. …… Mingxin Island. Mingxin Hall. The atmosphere inside was heavy and stifling. In the center of the hall, the old woman sat pale-faced, faint wisps of death qi drifting from her. A mild smile lingered on her face, and a furnace stood before her. Around her sat several elderly figures, cross-legged and silent. Hu Xiansheng, Niu Baidao, Vice Head Wang, and several other old fellows... all kept their peace. They were figures from the same era! Sun Moons possessed lifespans exceeding a thousand years; theoretically, they could live to be a thousand. Hu Qi and her peers were only around five hundred years old. Yet the path of cultivation—especially for veteran experts of their era—was fraught with missteps. Back then, almost all of them had encountered cultivation deviations, frequently experimenting with different techniques and pills. Their seas of will and physical bodies had both suffered damage, making it impossible for them to reach their theoretical maximums. Hu Qi was a weapon forger who had crafted countless weapons. Forging cultural weapons on a regular basis inevitably invited fire poison into the body, shaving away one's life. Over the past several decades, she had poured endless heart and blood into forging the city-spanning super resonance jade. "Why the long faces?" Hu Qi chuckled. "I asked you here to help, not to attend a funeral. Forging this fellow won't be done in a few days. Once finished, it'll be at least an Earth rank weapon..." Her complexion was slightly jaundiced as she smiled. "Old Niu, get to work!" Niu Baidao sulked, ignoring her. Sipping his wine, he grumbled, "We shouldn't have recruited you guys back then. One after another, you all die off so fast. I'm full of energy and feel like I can live another three to five centuries, while you lot are on your deathbeds... "Old Wang hasn't kicked the bucket yet either, has he? I've been hoping he'd die for years. His divine characters would definitely form a mystic realm, and a top-tier one at that..." Beside him, Vice Head Wang smiled wryly. "You old geezer, when you die, you could probably form several mystic realms! Why don't you die first?" "I haven't eaten or drunk my fill yet..." The old men bickered among themselves. Hu Xiansheng chimed in, "I'm only a Shanhai and I haven't died, yet a Sun Moon is about to keel over. These days... being strong doesn't mean squat!" He was also a veteran from the era of the prefectures' founding. At his words, the others began hurling playful curses at him. Hu Qi laughed helplessly. "You cowardly old rascal, your escape arts are unrivaled, and your physical body hasn't suffered a scratch all these years. Your Civilization Master rank might be Shanhai, but your physical body has probably reached the Sun Moon Realm..." "Don't talk nonsense!" Hu Xiansheng refused to admit it. Seeing everyone staring at him, he sighed. "I really haven't. It's just a ninth-stage Shanhai physical body, and I haven't fused a single aperture yet. It's too difficult, I swear!" The others chuckled. As they were talking, Zhu Tiandao entered with Su Yu. The sadness in Zhu Tiandao's eyes had vanished, replaced by a genial smile. "Teacher Hu, how goes it? Finished forging yet?" "Almost!" Hu Qi looked at him, then quickly shifted her gaze to Su Yu, a warm smile gracing her face. "I heard you're a weapon forger as well?" Su Yu looked embarrassed. "No, I only have a basic understanding of weapon forging. Back at the Great Xia Civilization Academy, I studied some fundamentals with Teacher Zhao Li and learned the forging process, but I've never tried forging a cultural weapon myself." "You ought to give it a try!" Hu Qi smiled. "Zhao Li... his talent for weapon forging is genuinely formidable. Back then, he was simply too competitive and insisted on prematurely forging the strongest Earth rank cultural weapon. Forging a weapon was fine, but he just had to fuse his primary divine character into it, dealing devastating damage to his foundation. Otherwise, he would have reached Shanhai and become an Earth rank cultural weapon master long ago." She paused, then smiled again. "His father was truly powerful. It's just a pity that in the end, he couldn't become a Heaven rank weapon forger. Quite a regret." Looking back at Su Yu, she smiled. "Today, I'm going to forge an Earth rank cultural weapon. You can observe. You should know a bit about Earth rank cultural weapons..." Su Yu nodded. "Forging golden patterns. Once you exceed seventy-two golden patterns—reaching seventy-three—it becomes an Earth rank weapon. When Teacher Zhao forged his weapon back then, he was capable of forging a seventy-three-pattern weapon. He was just too ambitious and wanted to lay the foundation for a Heaven rank weapon, which caused the forging to fail." Hu Qi nodded and chuckled. "He did possess that capability. He was confident in forging an Earth rank weapon, and back then, we all believed he would succeed. His failure caught us by surprise as well—his standards were simply too high." She continued with a smile, "Su Yu, do you know how vast the differences between the various ranks of cultural weapons actually are?" Su Yu nodded. "They're sturdier, more attuned to oneself, and make it easier to unleash the traits of one's divine characters..." "Not comprehensive enough!" Hu Qi said with a smile. "Did you see the Baidao Pavilion? Did you witness its might earlier? It holds boundless energy; with a single strike, a Sun Moon was subdued! At that level, even without anyone piloting it, a cultural weapon is terrifyingly formidable! That is the pinnacle of cultural weapons! "Throughout my life, I wanted to forge a weapon like that, but alas, it remained beyond my reach!" *Cough, cough...* Hu Qi coughed a few times before continuing, "In the world today, the supreme authority on weapon forging is King Tianzhu of the Invincible Realm! Beneath him, strictly speaking... it might be Zhao Tianbing. Perhaps he is still lacking a tiny bit of refinement, but his forging prowess is genuinely immense. "Coming into contact with Zhao Li in Great Xia Prefecture was a wonderful opportunity. What a shame..." She looked at Su Yu and said warmly, "You are actually very well suited for weapon forging. Truly, I'm not just trying to push you into it—you have the talent for this trade! Your willpower is profound, pure, and dense; your sea of will is robust; and you must also know Zhao Li's self-created Expanding Will Art. His Mind Expansion Hammer is an exceptional tool for weapon forging!" Hu Qi paused briefly, then looked around at the others. "I would like to teach Su Yu some forging techniques. Could you all give us a moment?" At those words, Zhu Tiandao grinned. "Teacher Hu, what's the rush! There's plenty of time ahead, and Su Yu isn't going anywhere! Right, Su Yu?" Su Yu nodded vigorously. Hu Qi smiled. "Everyone must face birth, old age, sickness, and death. There is no need for this. Take it in stride. I've lived for five hundred years. In the old days, nine out of ten households in the Human Realm were emptied by war. Back then, countless relatives and friends died; some of my childhood companions passed away in their teens and twenties. Yet here I am... having lived to this day. What is there that I cannot let go of?" Niu Baidao remarked dryly, "The myriad races only invaded the Human Realm four hundred years ago. You were already an old lady by then! Even if your childhood friends died, they were well over a hundred years old. Hu Qi, feel sentimental if you want, but don't go lying!" "……" Silence fell over the hall! The myriad races had only breached the Human Realm four hundred years ago. After several decades of warfare, the era of the prefectures began. Hu Qi was five hundred years old, meaning she had already been well along in years when the war erupted. Hu Qi stared at him blankly, then broke into a fit of coughing. "I... I'm about to die, and you're still provoking me?!" "……" Niu Baidao gave a dry chuckle. "Let's just be honest with each other and drop all those melodramatic thoughts. You won't die. I still have a Lifespan Extension Fruit back at my place. I'll have someone bring it over later..." "No need! I don't want it!" Hu Qi snapped, thoroughly annoyed. Niu Baidao chuckled. "Just eat it, it's fine. I don't need it anyway. Even when Old Wang begged me for it, I refused to give it to him—I'm just waiting for him to kick the bucket! But you can't die yet. I'm still counting on you to forge a Heaven rank cultural weapon for us." "I know my own condition. Even if I eat it, it won't buy me much time. It'd be a waste." As Hu Qi spoke, Su Yu ventured cautiously, "Senior Hu, seniors, logically speaking, once someone reaches the Sun Moon Realm, they shouldn't perish so easily. Even if we humans don't live as long as the gods and demons, a Sun Moon living for a thousand years shouldn't be an issue, right? Why is senior..." Hu Qi replied with a gentle smile, "My physical body has deteriorated, my sea of will has suffered trauma, and my blood qi has withered..." Su Yu pressed urgently, "What about reforging your physical body? We now have the aperture fusion method and the Primordial Spirit Cultural Art. If you reforge your body and take Earth Yuan Fruits, perhaps you could quickly cultivate back to Shanhai, or even Sun Moon... By then, with a Sun Moon physical body, living for a thousand years shouldn't be hard, right?" "A child's perspective after all," Hu Qi laughed softly. "No matter how fast you reforge a body, reaching Sun Moon still takes decades, if not a century. I... can't afford to wait that long. Others could certainly give it a try. When Civilization Masters are young, they neglect their physical bodies. As the body deteriorates, the impact is immense. Warriors face the same issue: their seas of will dry up, and after endless battles, their bodies break down. In truth, far more warriors die of old age." "Then... what if you open more divine apertures?" Su Yu asked hurriedly. "Would opening more divine apertures expand your sea of will and restore its vitality?" "We Sun Moons fused our apertures long ago," Hu Qi said with a smile. "Opening more apertures now is exceedingly difficult! Besides, attempting to do so might only accelerate the collapse of my sea of will. It might not withstand the strain." Su Yu immediately followed up, "Then... what about a lifespan-extending art? A life-prolonging art! Yes, turtles and tortoises live for thousands of years, and the xuan turtle race has an immense lifespan. Perhaps it has to do with their cultivation arts—a method to extend life! Every human acupoint and divine aperture serves a specific purpose. There must be combinations of acupoints and divine apertures that extend life and stimulate vitality!" Su Yu continued rapidly, "There has to be! Senior Hu, I'm an expert in this field! If you can just hold on for a while longer, I'll find a way—it definitely exists!" He declared earnestly, "Among the myriad races of the heavens, humans have nearly the shortest lifespans! In some races, a Sun Moon expert can easily live for ten thousand years, while humans barely manage a meager thousand! Even if it's not a pure lifespan-extending art, a healing art would do—something to purge ailments and bring the dying back to life!" Su Yu spoke with mounting urgency, "I didn't conduct research in this direction before, but if I put my mind to it, it won't take long. A few months—at most a few months, and I will definitely produce results! Senior, please hold on for a while. You are an Earth rank weapon forger; you can contribute so much more to humanity, to Great Ming Prefecture, and to yourself. Passing away like this would be a loss to the entire human race!" At those words, Zhu Tiandao chimed in quickly, "Yes, Teacher, that's exactly right! That's why I brought Su Yu here. Nothing is set in stone! Could a lifespan-extending art truly not exist? It definitely does! Your presence is of paramount importance to Great Ming Prefecture! "Su Yu can research and develop it, and I will provide all the manpower and resources required. Even if you don't do it for yourself, think of Head Wang and the others! They're getting old and nearing their ends too. Set an example for them and see if it works..." Beside them, Vice Head Wang and the other elders felt utterly exhausted. Who did we offend? Why does it feel like everyone is just waiting for us to kick the bucket! There's no living in Great Ming Prefecture anymore—the moment I die, my divine characters will probably be snatched away before my body is even cold. Just as Hu Qi was about to speak, Zhu Tiandao hastily added, "Teacher, you can still hold on, right? Give Su Yu a little time. He managed to create basic cultural arts and had no trouble developing the aperture fusion method, so why worry about this? He has opened all three hundred and sixty acupoints. Whatever art he comes up with, he can test it immediately..." Su Yu nodded vigorously. Whether out of reason or sentiment, he did not want these elders to pass away. They were a group of heroes who had fought the myriad races in the past to secure a future for humanity. Moreover, Hu Qi's intervention yesterday to suppress a Sun Moon had ultimately been on his account. Zhu Tiandao had sought him out, and the moment they met, Hu Qi had offered to teach him weapon forging. He had to repay such kindness. Did a lifespan-extending method exist? Su Yu didn't know, but he could test it! Certain races lived exceptionally long lives; their arts or innate talents had to be related to this. Even if gods and demons lacked such methods, other races might not. It was worth trying! Niu Baidao spoke up as well. "Give it a shot! You're not the only one. There are many people nearing the end of their lifespans right now. Even within Great Ming Prefecture, there are several, to say nothing of the entire Human Realm! You saw when little Zhu went to the Quest Realm earlier. Over there, Wang Chonghuan was speaking with barely enough breath left to be heard, half a foot in the grave, in no better shape than you. All those old fellows are barely hanging on. If you hold out a bit longer and Su Yu actually pulls it off, it will be a shot of adrenaline for you and all those old geezers!" Wang Chonghuan was the elder who had stepped forward at the Quest Realm to question King Dahan. There were quite a few elders from the prefectures' founding era like him. All of them had suffered grievous wounds back then that left hidden afflictions, and now, one after another, they were approaching the limits of their lifespans. Hu Qi's resolve wavered under their barrage. She had already prepared herself to pass away, but now she looked at Su Yu with a flicker of uncertainty. Su Yu said swiftly, "Senior Hu, trust me, I can do it! For the time being, please don't trouble yourself with anything else or deplete your heart's blood and lifespan any further. Even if you manage to forge a powerful Earth rank cultural weapon in your final moments, what of it? If you stay alive, you can forge ten or a hundred of them! You could even forge Heaven rank cultural weapons—wouldn't that be far better than now?" At this point, Su Yu grinned. "Besides... I have a bit of a selfish motive too! From what the seniors have said, there are quite a few seniors nearing their end. You all know my current situation—it's very troublesome. I need more people to support me, stand on my side, speak up for me, and back me up! So if I really develop a lifespan-extending method, I'd like to see if I can win over some of those seniors. Most of them aren't weak, and there are probably quite a few Sun Moons among them." Su Yu chuckled. "Furthermore, I feel these people are quite reliable. Most have been in secluded cultivation for years to nurse their injuries and had nothing to do with the upheaval of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction fifty years ago. They are comrades who fought side by side with the Invincibles back in the day. If one person isn't enough, three to five of them together could influence an Invincible! If that happens, I'll be sitting pretty and won't have to fear any trouble in the future! "And all of this requires a precedent!" Su Yu smiled. "Senior Hu, you are the most suitable candidate. If I can cure you, how could those people doubt me? An act of saving a life—those who value sentiment will remember it deeply, and even those who don't won't have the face to target me, right? They might even need me to save their lives in the future. Don't you agree?" Hu Qi was taken aback. She studied him for a long moment, and then the old woman laughed. "Hearing you put it like that... it seems I really can't die. I have to wait for you to develop a life-saving technique to prolong my life?" Su Yu nodded at once and beamed. "You're the best advertisement! When the time comes, if you put in a good word for me, imagine the impact! You were on the verge of passing away, but then you're full of vigor and even break through. If you ascend to become a Heaven rank weapon forger or reach the Invincible Realm, the promotional effect would be utterly mind-blowing!" The others nodded repeatedly. Vice Head Wang burst out laughing. "Brat, if you can truly create an art like that, I'll personally head to the Quest Realm and drag a few of those old geezers back to back you up! Back in the day, they were all fierce hands who slaughtered without batting an eye, and most of them had specialized skills. Take Wang Chonghuan, who showed up this time—he shares my surname, after all. That old fellow is no pushover; he's an expert at talisman crafting, and few can match his talisman arts. In the past, he once used one hundred and eighty-eight Shanhai divine talismans to trap and kill a fourth-stage Sun Moon expert..." Niu Baidao laughed as well. "I know plenty of them too. Some of those old fellows might have ordinary combat strength, but their tricks are endless! Great Song Prefecture has an old ghost who specializes in refining pills—poison pills! He spent his whole life refining only poison pills. With just third-stage Sun Moon strength, he once poisoned a seventh-stage Sun Moon to death. But... now poison qi wracks his body, making his life a living hell, and his sea of will is on the verge of withering from the toxin. If you save him, that fellow would definitely have your back. If anyone touches you, he wouldn't mind poisoning their entire family..." He laughed heartily before continuing, "King Song even owes him a favor and has personally stepped in to prolong his life several times over the years. If you win him over, you might win over King Song. Even if you can't, getting him to ask King Song to intervene once wouldn't be much of a problem." The elders chattered on, and soon, Hu Qi joined the discussion as well. The formerly deathly silent hall suddenly burst into lively activity. Before long, they began discussing technical directions. "A lifespan-extending method should be divided into two categories: some suffer from physical deterioration, while others have withering seas of will. The injuries are different. In truth, none of us have reached our natural lifespan limits—vitality remains. The core issue is that these old, lingering injuries suppress everything." "A lifespan-extending method must lean toward healing. Purging those injuries might allow our bodies to stimulate vitality and recover on their own!" "It would be best to develop a cultivation art that stabilizes the sea of will. Many people's injuries aren't insoluble; rather, their seas of will are too fragile to endure aggressive treatment. For instance, having an Invincible forcefully purge the injury often risks shattering the sea of will, causing them to die even faster." "The Expanding Will Art won't work—it's too violent. That art is fine for you youngsters, but for us old folks whose seas of will are so fragile they're about to collapse, a few strikes of that hammer would smash us to death!" "……" Everyone pitched in, and soon they were embroiled in a heated debate. Even Hu Qi, who had been on the verge of passing away just moments earlier, forgot all about dying and argued passionately with the other elders, insisting that her reasoning was sound. …… Zhu Tiandao quietly pulled Su Yu outside. Once out the door, he grinned and sent a voice transmission: "Do your best. I was afraid Teacher Hu had lost the will to hold on, but now... she has some motivation again, so holding out a while longer won't be an issue! As for a lifespan-extending art..." He sighed. "Just do what you can! It's not as though humanity hasn't tried to research one before. But in past years, the arts people came up with were not only useless, they actually made people die faster. Brat, don't you dare create something like that. The issues involved are exceedingly complex, mainly because these elders are truly fragile. Improper cultivation could easily cause their injuries to rapidly deteriorate, leading to premature death." He gave a wry smile. "Great Ming Prefecture has quite a few elders like this. Not just in the Civilization Academy, but in the War Academy as well. Their injuries are too severe to continue fighting, so they retire in the War Academy. Every prefecture has them! When the Multiple Divine Characters Faction demonstrated divine character inheritance back then, many thought they saw a glimmer of hope and waited to pass down their own mantles. Yet after all these years, Liu Wenyan's generation was crippled. Even though they made an appearance recently, they still failed to bring any real hope. I hope you can bring them some light." Not wishing to dwell on the topic, he quickly changed gears. "Enough of that. If you need anything, come find me anytime—I'll provide whatever you require! Also, if you need extra hands, I just happened to bring back thirty thousand Quest warriors. If you need help, you can take a squad to run errands..." "Quest warriors..." Su Yu hesitated. "Manor Lord, those warriors are all at the Tengkong Realm, which isn't weak. Why do you seem not to value them much?" "Their potential was forcefully stimulated using medicine or other means to push them into Tengkong. In terms of strength and strict discipline, they're decent enough, but their foundations are ruined, leaving them with little growth potential. In an army like the Tiandao Army, the members' individual strength might be lower, but there are often pleasant surprises—some can advance to Shanhai, or even have a shot at Sun Moon. These warriors have virtually no hope of advancing." Zhu Tiandao explained briefly, then smiled. "Of course, when it comes to battle, they have their methods. Otherwise, the Quest Realm and the War God Hall wouldn't have built warrior legions. They all cultivate the same art. In a pinch, with a grand battle formation activated, you could treat thirty thousand warriors as three Sun Moons! Naturally, killing a Sun Moon would be hard, but pinning one down or surrounding them is no problem, though the casualties would be steep." Su Yu nodded and replied promptly, "Understood. If I need them, I'll let you know, Manor Lord! The urgent matter at hand isn't that, but the lifespan extension. I'll head back to research it, and if I need anything, I'll come find you." Hu Qi couldn't hold on for too long, and Su Yu's remark about finding backers wasn't baseless. If he could truly save this group of elders, he would establish a powerful foundation for himself in the Human Realm. These elders previously held little say... not because they lacked merit, strength, or seniority, but because they had no time. Out of a hundred years, they spent ninety-nine in secluded cultivation nursing their wounds. Even if you gave them authority, they couldn't wield it. Once they recovered and emerged from seclusion, those currently steering the ship would have to step aside! He didn't expect all of them to be weeping with gratitude, but as long as a portion remembered his kindness, Su Yu's life would be far easier. Anyone within the Human Realm wanting to move against him would find it immensely difficult. Besides, using this opportunity... he could squeeze more benefits out of Old Zhu. He was running low on funds again. He had given a hundred merit points to Hu Xiansheng and was practically broke! He still needed vast quantities of blood essence! Extracting Heaven Yuan Qi would allow him to rapidly forge his body and advance. Old Zhu was loaded; with the release of several cultivation arts, he had made a tidy fortune. …… Because of Hu Qi's condition, tasks were divided up at Su Yu's research institute. There was plenty to do! The final refinement of the Primordial Spirit Cultural Art, the companion body tempering method, and the companion Nine Transformations of Yuan Qi method. Deducing the Divine Character Fusion Art! Deducing the lifespan-extending art! Furthermore, using the aperture fusion method to deduce foundational arts—preferably improving upon existing foundations to produce a complete system. Wen Zhong and the others all received assignments. Only now did the research institute truly become bustling. As for Wu Lan, Su Yu handed her a stack of data-collection tasks, and she threw herself into the work with great enthusiasm. The Primordial Spirit Research Institute was officially hitting its stride. …… While Su Yu was busy deducing the lifespan-extending art... Great Xia Prefecture. The Xia family estate. Marquis Xia had just scolded Chief Hu out the door and was about to grab a bite when Xia Longwu flickered into view before him. "Why are you out again?" Marquis Xia asked helplessly. "You run around all over the place every day. Who's going to believe you're in secluded cultivation? If you aren't cultivating and aren't managing affairs, didn't announcing your seclusion become a complete joke? We had you go into seclusion so you'd keep a lower profile and keep the myriad races from watching you so closely. Are you stupid?" Xia Longwu chuckled dismissively, sat down, and said, "Second Uncle, if they want to watch, let them! Don't take it so seriously. At this stage, you and Grandfather might as well stop struggling..." Marquis Xia was exasperated. *We still want to struggle a bit!* Ignoring what his uncle thought, Xia Longwu smiled. "Let's not dwell on that. Second Uncle, I want to take a trip outside. I probably won't be back anytime soon—it'll likely take six months to a year. Take good care of Great Xia Prefecture..." "Where are you going?" "Don't ask. I have business to attend to." Xia Longwu smiled faintly. "Second Uncle, I'm leaving it to you. Also, keep an eye on Huyou; his progress is too slow!" "You..." Marquis Xia hesitated, but Xia Longwu offered no further explanation. His figure vanished once more. Marquis Xia sighed helplessly after he departed. *Running off at a time like this is dangerous, don't you know that?!* He leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. A moment later, another figure arrived, chuckling softly. "Has Longwu left?" "What did you come here for?" Marquis Xia grumbled, glaring at Wan Tiansheng. "Aren't you in seclusion and staying out of affairs?" "I sensed he had left, so I came to take a look." Marquis Xia eyed him suspiciously before finally cursing, "Fuck, have you been keeping tabs on my house the whole damn time?" How else could you know Longwu just left! Wan Tiansheng smiled brilliantly. "Don't misunderstand. When he left, I had a slight premonition. Master and disciple share a connection; after all, he is my student." *Total nonsense!* Marquis Xia didn't bother arguing and asked impatiently, "Did you come here just for this?" "No!" Wan Tiansheng said softly. "The new academic year is fast approaching, and I plan to recruit even more students from the myriad races. Last year saw a few incidents... That little fellow Su Yu... *sigh*, if he was leaving, he could have just left, but he insisted on killing a few students from the myriad races... Well, never mind that. This year, I want to recruit even more students from the myriad races." "How many?" "At least three hundred!" Wan Tiansheng smiled. "Not too many, really. After that, I also want to take our students out into the myriad realms to exchange pointers and interact with students from other academies, getting to know one another." Marquis Xia frowned. "What else?" Wan Tiansheng smiled. "One more thing: Hong Tan is about to emerge from seclusion. I felt it! Once he comes out, I'll have him reopen the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. In addition, regarding the disassembly art, I plan to leak some whispers... Hong Tan can take the blame." Marquis Xia glared at him, gritting his teeth after a long pause. "Don't you go causing trouble! If you pull this, Great Xia Prefecture will become the center of turmoil again in no time!" Wan Tiansheng chuckled. "It already is; I'm merely adding fuel to the fire! Great Ming Prefecture wants to steal the spotlight—are you really content to let them? Can that weak little prefecture hold a candle to Great Xia? Marquis, broaden your mind. In my view, it's best if Great Xia becomes the heart of the myriad realms, the focal point of the universe. After that brat Su Yu left, Great Xia Prefecture quieted down entirely, and that useless Yuan Qingdong couldn't stir up any waves either... I'm very disappointed!" Marquis Xia maintained a stern expression. After a long silence, he asked in a deep voice, "Is there anything else?" "Of course there is!" Wan Tiansheng smiled. "Once Liu Wenyan advances to the Sun Moon Realm, transfer him back. I have a use for him." "Don't play with fire too recklessly..." "There is no need for the Marquis to worry about that!" Wan Tiansheng smiled faintly. "Isn't this far more interesting? I think the Marquis will like it." "Like it my ass!" Marquis Xia cursed, then grumbled after a moment, "Suit yourself, I can't be bothered to care! But let me make one thing clear: don't ruin Great Xia Prefecture too badly." "I won't." Wan Tiansheng smiled. "I'm leaving. Little Two, put in some effort yourself and reach the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm soon. Your pace... is a bit slow!" With a laugh, his figure vanished. Marquis Xia cursed under his breath! *Little Two my ass!* That bastard Wan Tiansheng had been giving off an increasingly sinister aura lately. Ever since Su Yu left, it felt as though he had cast off his restraints. Su Yu's departure and Yu Hong's ambush had shattered his final shackles. Now, the demon in his heart was unleashed. What a headache! Marquis Xia sighed heavily. In Great Xia Prefecture, not a single one of these people gave him peace of mind. Longwu was like this, Wan Tiansheng was like this, and Hong Tan's emergence from seclusion was likely to bring another upheaval. These days, one couldn't even laze around waiting to die in peace! "Go ahead and stir up trouble, cause as much as you want! "The world's focus will always remain on Great Xia!" He gave a low chuckle. Rising in glory, or falling in glory?