Shan Xiong

Even after finding Xu Bin, Su Yu still felt it was not enough. He could not help but worry about his troublesome master. Bai Feng was not particularly strong, yet he cared too much about saving face. If he ran into real danger, he might foolishly rush forward to meet it head-on. That would be disastrous! Having dispatched Xu Bin, Su Yu soon sought out Hu Xiansheng. ... "You want me to protect someone?" Hu Xiansheng's jaw ached just hearing it. "I'm advanced in years! I'm not necessarily stronger than Xia Yunqi and the others—just a seventh-stage Shanhai. Old man that I am, I'm part of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction too. And you want me to go?" He glared resentfully at Su Yu. *You really aren't afraid of seeing me killed, are you?!* Su Yu grinned. "Aren't you a space-element expert, Elder? I kept forgetting to ask—can you carry someone through spatial jumps?" Hu Xiansheng smiled faintly. "Well... technically I can. According to the principles of spatial traversing, as long as the person's strength doesn't exceed mine, I can take them along. But... if their physical body is too fragile, they might be sliced to ribbons by spatial turbulence." Su Yu bared his teeth. "Does a Tengkong body count as fragile?" "Do you think Tengkong is strong?" Hu Xiansheng retorted. Strong? Strong, my foot! Su Yu thought it over and said, "If it really comes down to a critical moment, having his body shattered won't matter much. At worst, he can recast it. As long as his sea of will is preserved, that's enough. Is that doable?" "In principle, yes. But accidents always happen." Su Yu stared at him with wide, pleading eyes. Hu Xiansheng sighed helplessly. "Brat, your master's life is a life, but this old man's life is a life too! If someone actually goes after Bai Feng and manages to break past Xia Yunqi and the others, that person must be at least Sun Moon!" He added, "Besides, I think you're worrying over nothing. The Great Xia Prefecture couldn't possibly be unprepared. There might even be a Sun Moon expert lurking in secret, waiting to bait and kill assailants. Sending me might just be a wasted effort." Su Yu took a deep breath. "Wasted or not, caution never hurts. Even if Great Xia has made arrangements, that doesn't guarantee nothing will go wrong! You are only at Shanhai. Even if someone spots you, they might not pay you much mind. But at a crucial moment, you could save a life. That is more than enough!" Hu Xiansheng stroked his beard smugly. *Well, of course!* His escape arts were unmatched under the heavens! Fine, unmatched under the Invincible Realm... Or at least unmatched among Shanhai. Still, that phrase "only at Shanhai" sounded rather grating. It sounded as if this brat were stronger than a Shanhai himself! "Well then..." Hu Xiansheng stroked his chin again. "This is risking my life. Normally, helping you with a small favor wouldn't be an issue, but... when my life is on the line, well... you understand!" Hu Xiansheng smiled faintly. Small favors were easy, but this was no small matter. Su Yu understood completely and smiled. "I really don't have much merit points on hand right now... but I have a life-prolonging cultivation technique. Not only can it extend lifespan, but given enough resources, it can accelerate cultivation and temper the physical body. Its effects are extraordinary..." Hu Xiansheng raised an eyebrow. "The technique Hu Qi entered seclusion to cultivate?" "You're truly well-informed, Elder!" "Nonsense!" Hu Xiansheng was speechless. Hu Qi was already near the end of his lifespan, so entering seclusion out of nowhere obviously meant he was cultivating some technique. Even though Hu Xiansheng had not been present, it was almost certainly given by this kid. "Does it really work?" Hu Xiansheng frowned. "Kid, Hu Qi and those folks don't have much time left. If it's useless and squanders their final days, you won't be a benefactor; you'll be a sinner. Everyone has unfulfilled wishes. Dedicating their final moments to this technique only to die in seclusion would be the most agonizing outcome." Su Yu smiled. "For physical injuries, it definitely offers some relief. Furthermore, I believe this technique can keep one's physical body in a peak state, even during the decline of old age." "Keep the physical body at peak?" Hu Xiansheng paused, startled. "Is that possible? Aging and physical decline spare no one, not even powerhouses. Those who don't rely on the physical body fare a bit better, but warriors of the martial path inevitably experience physical decline and falling combat power in their old age." If it could truly restore the physical body to its peak, the significance of this technique would be immense. Su Yu nodded. "I believe it can! Of course, this technique requires opening apertures—quite a lot of them—and other conditions must be met. It's relatively difficult." "That's only natural!" Hu Xiansheng chuckled. "No technique is flawless. Any art with heaven-defying effects is bound to have high requirements." He then looked at Su Yu. "Since Hu Qi went into seclusion, it means it can be cultivated. Kid, you're offering this technique to secure my help. Does that mean you don't plan to spread it outside?" Su Yu nodded. Indeed! He had no intention of circulating it widely. Spreading it would only invite greater trouble. Moreover, its applicability was limited; aside from the elderly, no one had any use for it. There was simply no need. Beyond that, the art was almost entirely unmodified from the Immortal race's foundation. It would easily make people think of Immortal techniques. That meant trouble! The fewer troubles he had, the better. Unless it was for specific individuals, he would not share it. Even if he did, he didn't have enough Heaven Yuan Qi to provide them, unless they went out and plundered it themselves. Hu Xiansheng pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'm getting up there in years too. It's time to plan ahead! Very well, I can go, but I won't intervene unless Bai Feng faces a lethal crisis. Only then will I take him and flee. Let me make this clear beforehand: I'm only a Shanhai. Don't go treating me like a Sun Moon. If an enemy is too dangerous, I'll back off on my own." "No problem. If they're at the sixth stage of Sun Moon or above, you can leave whenever you want, Elder!" "..." *Damn your ancestors!* Hu Xiansheng nearly cursed aloud. Sixth-stage Sun Moon and above?! *You call that not treating me like a Sun Moon?!* Su Yu beamed. "Director, I believe in your capabilities. There won't be any problem!" "Heh!" Hu Xiansheng scoffed, then considered for a moment. "Also, if you really want my help, you have to promise me one more thing..." "Name it." "When you have time, see if you can study the space element." Su Yu nodded. "I'd like to, but I don't possess any space-element divine characters, nor do I understand much about it. Lately, I've been studying manuscripts from Invincibles. If I can outline a spatial character, I promise to dedicate time to researching it." In truth, he could also study races from the all-races pantheon that possessed spatial attributes. If he could master an innate skill that allowed direct spatial jumps, that would be truly formidable! "Give it a try when you have the chance!" After saying that, Hu Xiansheng fell silent for a brief moment before continuing, "The Multiple Divine Characters Faction is facing a massive hurdle right now. One right step will lead to a resurgence and prosperity for myriad generations. One wrong step... and it will be eternal damnation! Hong Tan has stirred up storms in Great Xia, and rumors of the disassembly art are running rampant, yet no one has seen any concrete proof. This might be a contingency Hong Tan left behind. If something truly happens to him one day, perhaps this matter will come to an end along with him. You and Bai Feng... well, forget Bai Feng. You had best not get associated with the disassembly art. If you taint yourself with this and Hong Tan fails, you will be heavily implicated!" Su Yu nodded, remaining silent. Hu Xiansheng said softly, "Do you think we are cold and heartless? This concerns the entire Multiple Divine Characters Faction, yet we haven't stepped forward to help." Su Yu smiled. "Everyone has their own choices. There's no need to drag others into the mud. The faction—or rather, the Multiple Divine Characters Faction of the Great Xia Prefecture—is currently a giant quagmire. It is right of you not to participate. Even if you did... a single Shanhai wouldn't change anything." "I can't shake the feeling that you're mocking me!" Hu Xiansheng laughed helplessly. This kid kept talking about how Shanhai was useless. *Damn it, talk after you actually reach Shanhai! You certainly talk big!* With their discussion concluded, Hu Xiansheng did not linger. "Then I'll head over right now. One final piece of advice: if things truly reach an irreversible point... consider a way out. Right now, Hong Tan's branch, including you, is striving for a revolution. Those around Hong Tan have no way out, but you might!" "I understand!" Su Yu did not wish to dwell on it, and Hu Xiansheng pressed no further. He vanished from the spot in an instant. He departed swiftly! Su Yu felt a trace of envy; Old Hu's spatial jumps were truly remarkable. A genuine life-preserving art! ... In mid-March, Bai Feng and his companions began their return journey. Having arranged everything he could, Su Yu could do no more. He began casting his body at full speed. The Heaven Yuan Qi he had exchanged for two hundred thousand merit points was also rapidly depleting. Originally, he had only extracted around one hundred and fifty portions. He had given some to Hu Qi, consumed some during his previous body castings, and used another portion during the forgery in the Quest Realm. Su Yu did not have much left. March 18th. Su Yu completed his fourth body casting. It had been more than twenty days since his previous breakthrough. More than twenty days just to finish a fourth casting. To others, this was blisteringly fast, but to Su Yu, it felt far too slow. He felt that time was slipping away too quickly! Naturally, he had not remained idle during this period. He had read one of the manuscripts left behind by an Invincible. Comprehending them was somewhat difficult, but he had still gained insights. The first manuscript he examined was that of the Great Han King. The Great Han King's manuscript briefly outlined his cultivation philosophy. The path he walked could be considered the orthodox divine character dao—neither the multiple faction nor strictly the single faction, but rather a composite branch within the Single Divine Character Faction. The Great Han King walked a fierce, unyielding path, subduing others through sheer power, centered around the "Power" character. According to some of his remarks, he might not have walked a path of pure singular force, but rather outlined "Power" characters from different races to stack their effects! Of course, all these Invincibles currently achieved invincibility through the physical dao. The Great Han King was stronger than ordinary warriors primarily because, atop his physical invincibility, his "Power" character provided additional amplification and stacking. He was considerably more formidable than ordinary Invincibles who purely walked the warrior path. This was Su Yu's own deduction; whether it made him truly superior was hard to say. Guided by the Great Han King's explanation, Su Yu also outlined a divine character: the "Power" character. Characters of this type were quite common; if Su Yu remembered correctly, Liu Hong had actually outlined one as well. The manuscript of an Invincible was indeed extraordinary. After Su Yu successfully captured the character, the "Power" character swiftly advanced to Tier 2. With that, Su Yu's divine characters reached eighteen in total. Among them, "Blood," "Thunder," "Yin," and "Calamity" had all reached Tier 3, while the others were Tier 2. If extracted, they could assemble into an eighteen-character small saber. However, reaching this stage meant Su Yu's cultural weapon was no longer sufficient. His cultural weapon remained the one Zhao Li had forged for him—peak Yellow Rank, comparable to Mystic Rank, but still inadequate. Su Yu's willpower intensity had reached the upper stage of Tier 2, with eighteen divine characters and one hundred and eighty divine apertures opened. He was no weaker than Bai Feng had been when he defeated Hu Wensheng with a single strike. Of course, his application of divine characters was likely not as seasoned as Bai Feng's. Even so, with eighteen divine characters combining into a battle technique, his pure explosive power was likely somewhat superior to Bai Feng's back then. Moreover, he possessed quite a few Tier-3 characters. ... Su Yu entered seclusion once again for body casting, preparing to continue outlining divine characters. Meanwhile, signs of chaos gradually surfaced across the Human Realm. First, a stationed commanding general was assassinated in the Tiansheng Sea region. Immediately afterward, in the Great Tang Prefecture—one of the mighty prefectures of the Human Realm—a Civilization Master was murdered, another Shanhai expert. The Great Tang Prefecture kept a relatively low profile, but its strength was undeniably formidable! The death of a Shanhai in Great Tang provoked intense fury from several of its Sun Moon powerhouses, triggering high-intensity sweeps against the All-Races Cult within its borders, as evidence suggested the murder was tied to the Six-Winged God Cult. The Eight Great Clans of the Quest Realm were cursed roundly! A bunch of useless trash! Eight Sun Moon experts had hunted down the Six-Winged God Cult, yet the cult had still managed to escape and commit murders. Back then, Zhu Tiandao had demanded that they capture or kill the cultists within a month, and now barely any time remained before that deadline. The Great Han King had granted three months, yet even when the three months elapsed, these people might not produce any results. Of course, the eight Sun Moon experts were not entirely toothless. Taking advantage of the hunt, they destroyed dozens of the cult's strongholds and executed nearly a thousand members, yet the upper echelons remained difficult to eliminate, including the Sun Moon cultist they had been tracking all along. At this moment, dozens of Sun Moon experts were traversing the Human Realm, and those who had long remained in secluded cultivation were emerging one after another. The upper echelons already sensed the gathering storm! And the source of it all lay in the Great Xia Prefecture, in the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, in Hong Tan and his peers. ... While fierce battles and turmoil erupted in various places, on the road heading south from the Great Shang Prefecture toward the Great Ming Prefecture, a slender figure walked alone. He wore green robes, his face set with resolve, though still carrying a faint air of youth. Twenty years old. One year older than Su Yu. Shan Xiong! The most outstanding character master of the younger generation in the Single Divine Character Faction. Incredibly powerful, he had defeated experts of the multiple faction in numerous regions. At this moment, he was rushing toward the Great Ming Prefecture. The young man continued walking forward! Behind him, however, came the sound of galloping hooves! He turned to look. A moment later, a squad of mounted soldiers swiftly caught up. The person at the front wore a helmet, and upon drawing near Shan Xiong, removed it to reveal a pretty, delicate face. "Must you go?" The lovely young woman leapt down from her horse and looked at Shan Xiong, worry flashing in her eyes. "You might not win against him! Besides, he's ruthless and kills at the drop of a hat. More than one or two people have died at his hands. Over in the Great Xia Prefecture, practically everyone who offended him ended up dead!" Shan Xiong offered a faint smile. "There are many heroes in this world; I must see them for myself! The dispute between Single and Multiple has gone on for so long. In our generation, it's time for a resolution. If I lose, then 'Single is inferior to Multiple' will be established as truth! If I cannot defeat him, and no one of the Single Divine Character Faction in our tier can defeat him, then that is our defeat." The young woman bit her lip. "No, you can't go! You're going to the Great Ming Prefecture all by yourself. My father said that Zhu Tiandao, the Manor Lord of Great Ming, is crafty and slick. You won't be able to kill Su Yu; only Su Yu will be able to kill you. If Su Yu kills you, Zhu Tiandao won't intervene, but if you try to kill Su Yu, you will never succeed! He'll definitely step in to stop you. Even if you really managed to kill Su Yu, you'd hardly be able to walk out of Great Ming alive!" It was a dragon's pool and a tiger's den! In the young woman's eyes, Su Yu was the ultimate villain, while Shan Xiong was a solitary hero riding into danger alone. If he went, losing might mean death at Su Yu's hands. And if he won, the Zhu family might never give him the chance to leave Great Ming. The young woman gritted her teeth. "I know you feel awful about Grandfather Shan being killed, and I know you want revenge, but... if revenge is to be had, it should be against Liu Wenyan, or Dean Zhou should be the one to seek Liu Wenyan! You're no match for Liu Wenyan! Even if you defeat Su Yu, what purpose does it serve? He has countless excuses. He can say he only just entered Tengkong, that he isn't skilled in combat, that he's a researcher. You're a year older than him. Even if you win, there's no glory in it, but if you lose... everything is ruined!" Shan Xiong fell silent for a long time before replying, "Go back. Don't drag the Great Shang Prefecture into this. The clash between Single and Multiple is primarily between Great Xia and Great Zhou. Go back!" "I won't!" Tears welled in the young woman's eyes. "Don't go! Su Yu is narrow-minded. Do you think he will share mutual respect with you as a fellow hero? You're wrong! My father said Su Yu is pragmatic and venomous to the extreme—a quintessential hypocrite! When he was weak, he wasn't ruthless; he acted modest and polite, injuring people only to treat them afterward. But once he had a strong enough backer and learned how to protect himself, every move he made was meant to take lives! Zhai Feng and Zhou Pingsheng from Great Xia are proof!" "Even when leaving Great Xia, he didn't forget to seek revenge. My father said that Principal Jin Yuhui and the others almost certainly never colluded with the All-Races Cult; Su Yu deliberately set a trap and orchestrated their slaughter!" The young woman looked at Shan Xiong, pleading, "Don't go! You aren't like him. You cultivate only for the Dao, only for your ideals. He's different. To achieve his ends, he stops at nothing and employs every unscrupulous means! He came from the common market. My father said that when someone like that rises, any stumbling block in his way is marked for death. You aren't as coldhearted as he is..." Shan Xiong looked thoughtful. After a pause, he said slowly, "Uncle holds a very high opinion of him!" A very high opinion indeed! As the crown prince of the Great Shang Prefecture and grandson of the Great Shang King, the young woman's father was of the same generation and similar age as Xia Longwu. Naturally, his strength fell somewhat short of Xia Longwu's. The current Manor Lord of Great Shang was the young woman's grandfather. For such a prominent figure to evaluate Su Yu with so many words—coldhearted, venomous, calculating, talented... these were not meant as insults. They were praise for Su Yu, commending his ability to judge the situation and preserve himself. Before Great Xia was plunged into the whirlpool, Su Yu had fled the prefecture, orchestrated the destruction of a group of enemies, joined Great Ming, and secured the utmost regard of the Zhu family. That was genuine capability. The young woman's father had not given Shan Xiong such an evaluation; he had given it to Su Yu. The young woman had chased after him, and her father likely knew. Perhaps... he also harbored the intention of preventing Shan Xiong from courting death. This journey to Great Ming might truly be one of no return, because Su Yu harbored the intent to kill him. This had been evident back when Su Yu demanded a life-and-death battle if Shan Xiong wished to enter the Great Xia Civilization Academy. Su Yu was confident he could kill him! And back then, Su Yu had not even reached Tengkong. Now, he had already entered the Tengkong Realm. As Shan Xiong pondered this, the young woman spoke again: "Don't go! Please? Even if the Great Zhou Prefecture really blames you, I'll have my father and grandfather step in. Why didn't Dean Zhou go kill Liu Wenyan himself instead of sending you after Su Yu?" "Nonsense!" Shan Xiong chided, "Do not criticize your elders behind their backs." "Shan Xiong!" The young woman grew frantic. "Just don't go, alright? If you insist on going, I'm going with you! If you lose and die, I'll challenge Su Yu myself!" Shan Xiong frowned slightly, turned to the armored guards behind her, and said, "Gentlemen, please escort Her Highness back to the manor!" The young woman snorted. "They are my men, not yours! Shan Xiong, even if you win, you might not be able to leave Great Ming without me there. If I go, with two powerful prefectures—Great Shang and Great Zhou—backing us, Zhu Tiandao would have to consider the consequences even if he wanted to play dirty!" "Mind your words!" Shan Xiong smiled faintly. "It's fine to say that here, but if the Manor Lord of Great Ming were to hear it... your grandfather and uncle might not be able to protect you either." "I'm not afraid!" The young woman snapped, then quickly added, "Then it's settled! I'm going with you. Dean Zhou didn't even send anyone to protect you. What if something happens? Right now, none of the prefectures are peaceful, and the All-Races Cult is causing trouble everywhere. You are the top genius of the divine character faction; you have to be careful!" "It's fine. In the vicinity of Great Ming, Sun Moon and Shanhai experts were practically wiped clean. It's not that dangerous." "That won't do either! You must be cautious!" With that, the young woman said briskly, "Mount up, let's ride together! I won't stop you from challenging Su Yu, but... if you die, I'll find a way to kill Su Yu, then come join you!" Shan Xiong smiled wryly. "Are you so certain I'm inferior to Su Yu?" Who lacked a competitive spirit? Without it, why travel south, challenging opponents everywhere? Originally, he had planned to challenge Su Yu's master, Bai Feng. Now, Bai Feng was crippled, his strength severely depleted after confronting Xia Yuwen. So Shan Xiong was going to challenge Su Yu, Bai Feng's student. Yet... so many people thought poorly of his chances. Su Yu had only just entered Tengkong. Meanwhile, having concluded his seclusion and made gains in Great Shang, Shan Xiong had advanced to the ninth stage of Tengkong! His progress was exceptionally rapid! Just last year, when Bai Feng mentioned him to Su Yu, Shan Xiong had only recently reached Tengkong, yet he had already slain a fifth-stage Tengkong genius on the All-Heavens Battlefield. Now, a year had passed, and Shan Xiong had lived up to expectations, advancing swiftly to the ninth stage. Strictly speaking, no one in recent years could match his talent. Even Liu Wenyan back in the day had not advanced as quickly. Of course, Shan Xiong had never slain a Tengkong while at the Character Nurturing Realm, simply because he broke through to Tengkong so quickly; whether he could have done so remained unknown. Now, hearing the young woman worry that he would die, he felt helpless, somewhat stifled, yet filled with anticipation! Su Yu! The consummate genius of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction! Battling such a person was where the excitement lay, wasn't it? At the sixth stage of Tengkong, Shan Xiong had defeated a seventh-stage expert of the multiple faction. Now he was at the ninth stage. What about Su Yu? Even so, many still believed he was inferior to Su Yu and might die. This only fueled his anticipation! Ignoring his thoughts, the young woman urged, "Mount up! What you lack compared to Su Yu is merely fortunate opportunities. If you had cultivated the Primordial Spirit Cultural Art earlier, you would definitely be far stronger than him—you might have reached Lingyun long ago! In pure talent, Su Yu certainly can't match you! As for experience, you've been to the All-Heavens Battlefield and slain a Tengkong genius of the god race. Has Su Yu ever killed one?" To champion the man she cared for, the young woman relentlessly downplayed Su Yu. What made him strong was not talent or experience, but good fortune! There was nothing to be done about that! "When it comes to sheer prowess and talent, Huang Teng and the others are the true standouts. Of course, they are warriors. Among Civilization Masters of the younger generation, I've always felt only Wu Qi of Great Xia could compare to you!" Wu Qi was a woman, but an extraordinarily ruthless one. Back in her Character Nurturing stage, she had slain a demon Tengkong, tempered her body, and consumed its demon blood! It was terrifying just to hear about! A reputation carved out on the All-Heavens Battlefield was what truly mattered. To the younger generation, fame within the Human Realm was negligible. The likes of Bai Feng and Su Yu held little prestige on the battlefield; Su Yu had never even set foot there. Even if he had killed many people, he wasn't worthy of admiration. Figures like Huang Teng, Qin Fang, and Wu Qi were the true role models for the youth. Even Xia Yuwen, despite the blow to his reputation after losing to Bai Feng, possessed formidable renown on the battlefield. Shan Xiong smiled faintly and vaulted onto the horse; the young woman made room for him and wrapped her arms around his waist, giggling, "When you fight Su Yu, it's best to goad him into abandoning his physical strength and fighting you purely with divine characters and willpower. His strength lies in his physical body, so he's bound to be arrogant. If you provoke and egg him on, he might just forfeit his physical advantage." Shan Xiong laughed. "Do you think he would? Besides, my physical body isn't weak either. I've already completed eighteen castings. He just reached Tengkong; could his physical body possibly be stronger than mine?" The body-casting art he practiced was formidable, personally chosen for him by Zhou Polong, consisting of thirty-six castings. By now, he had completed eighteen. He had his own opportunities as well! He had utilized a quota from the Great Zhou Prefecture to temper his body in the Quest Realm. Shortly after his breakthrough, he reached twelve castings in the holy land of Heaven Yuan Qi and advanced to the third stage of Tengkong before departing. He, too, had received his share of fortune. When Huang Teng and Qin Fang had gone to temper their bodies, they went to the War God Hall. He had gone as well, but to the Quest Realm. He practiced a top-tier cultivation technique—the Great Zhou Prefecture's Heaven Return Art, formerly known as the Black Wind Fiend. There was no real difference; techniques created by Invincibles were frequently renamed. A supreme art opening one hundred and forty-four apertures! He had fused sixteen apertures to enter the Wanshi Realm; he was a genius of the physical path as well! With eighteen castings, his explosive force exceeded two thousand apertures of power. Strictly speaking, if Su Yu had fused fewer than forty apertures and performed only a few body castings, even as a Tengkong his physical body might not rival his own. Even if Su Yu had truly fused forty apertures and opened the Great Circulatory apertures as rumored, performing two or three castings would at most put him on par with Shan Xiong. The young woman giggled. "He might not be stronger than you; I'm just saying it's possible. After all, Great Ming values him highly and might have given him tons of benefits. And... he might have advanced to Tengkong long ago. The phenomenon Zhu Tiandao mentioned was fake, and since it was fake, who knows if Su Yu broke through way earlier?" "Also, he has innate blood essence!" The young woman ground her teeth. "That's cheating! He possesses Lingyun innate blood essence. If he unleashes Lingyun-level combat power, that will be very troublesome." Shan Xiong nodded slightly; that was indeed true. Su Yu possessed innate blood essence! Recordings had circulated back then, and he had seen them: during Su Yu's battle with Zhou Pingsheng, he had used innate blood essence to unleash numerous innate skills, boosting his combat prowess until he ultimately slew Zhou Pingsheng, a seventh-stage Lingyun! "It can hardly be called cheating. In a duel or challenge, one naturally goes all out... Besides, he could just as easily say I'm a year older and come from a wealthier background." Shan Xiong smiled faintly. "Everyone has their own opportunities!" "Brother Shan Xiong, you're already amazing. My father said that as long as you cultivate properly, you'll reach Sun Moon sooner or later. You even stand a great chance of attaining Invincibility..." "Invincible?" Shan Xiong remained silent. Invincibility... sounded simple enough, but how many possessed the certainty of stepping into that realm? Even the Fifth Generation had failed... Of course, advancing through the physical path was far less difficult. Yet for a Civilization Master, relying on the physical body to reach the peak was ultimately a humiliation. The Invincibles of the Quest Realm rarely spoke of such matters. Despite being acclaimed as one of the two great holy lands, the Human Realm was still dominated by the warrior path. Civilization Masters had no Invincibles of their own! The two rode forward, flanked by the escort of armored soldiers behind them. Their strength was formidable! Tengkong formed the base, with several Lingyun experts and even a Shanhai among them. Looking at the two figures ahead, the Shanhai commander sighed inwardly. A golden boy and jade girl. The Great Shang Prefecture had its own share of geniuses, yet the moment Shan Xiong arrived, their luster vanished, and the eldest young lady was thoroughly captivated. Now, escorting Shan Xiong to Great Ming demonstrated that both the Manor Lord and the Crown Prince favored a marriage alliance. Shan Xiong's own background was ordinary. His grandfather had been a Shanhai who was unfortunately killed. While the Shan family still had other Shanhai experts... none of that mattered compared to Shan Xiong being Zhou Polong's disciple. A powerhouse on the verge of proving his Invincible Dao! When a Civilization Master proved the Dao, the addition of willpower generally made them stronger than warriors, unless the warrior also cultivated willpower for amplification. Otherwise, most warrior Invincibles were inferior to Civilization Masters. Looking at the two, the commander could not help but think of the genius in Great Ming ahead! Su Yu's fame stemmed largely from his cultivation techniques. Amidst the widespread dissemination of those techniques, many had forgotten his personal combat strength. Yet... could anyone dare look down on someone who had killed Zhou Pingsheng while still in the Character Nurturing Realm? Regardless of innate blood essence, that was still his own strength. If the two truly fought a life-and-death battle... the commander felt a headache coming on. Killing Su Yu was far too difficult. And if Su Yu killed Shan Xiong, it would be a colossal loss. As a mere Shanhai, he might not be able to stop it. That was the Great Ming Prefecture, not Great Shang. ... On March 18th, Su Yu completed his fourth body casting. On that very day, Shan Xiong set out from the Great Shang Prefecture, heading for Great Ming. Accompanying him was Shang Tianjiao, the princess of Great Shang. All at once, several major pieces of news spread rapidly: Bai Feng's return, Shan Xiong rushing to Great Ming, Hong Tan preparing to open the Multiple Divine Characters Academy, and the Six-Winged God Cult slaying a Shanhai in Great Tang! At the core of all these events lay the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. The multiple faction had become the focal point of the entire Human Realm. Yet the younger generation cared little about Bai Feng and his contemporaries; their attention was fixed entirely on the duel between Su Yu and Shan Xiong! Young geniuses began converging toward the Great Ming Prefecture.