Within the Human Realm, dark undercurrents surged!
Zhou Polong... multiple divine character faction... divine character unification...
These words spread swiftly among the highest echelons.
The greatest hope for a Civilization Master to attain the Dao and achieve the Invincible Realm—a second Ye Batian! He might even have perfected what Ye Batian could not back then. Where Ye Batian had failed, Zhou Polong might succeed.
As for whether it was true, even Zhou Polong's own denial could not stem the rampant speculation.
A denial might merely be a ploy to ensure his path to Dao attainment remained safe.
In those bygone days, Ye Batian had simply been far too high-profile!
Otherwise, the myriad races would never have been so certain that he stood a chance of attaining the Dao as a Civilization Master. It was precisely because Ye Batian was too monstrously talented, too ostentatious, and too domineering that he had brought about that catastrophe over fifty years ago.
Today, Zhou Polong seemed far more low-profile than Ye Batian had ever been.
...
In the wilderness, within an underground palace.
Illusory projections manifested one after another once again.
This was a stronghold known only to cult masters of the All-Races Cult. The last time they had gathered here, they had discussed how to kill Su Yu. Of course, several cult masters were conspicuously missing following that gathering.
Today, however, the focus was no longer on Su Yu, nor was it on Hong Tan, who was stirring up storms in Great Xia Prefecture.
Compared to those potential threats, Zhou Polong was a definitive threat.
No matter how much Su Yu and Hong Tan jumped around, they could not possibly leap into the Invincible Realm overnight. But Zhou Polong truly possessed that potential.
"Everyone, we are facing enormous trouble!"
At this moment, a cult master sighed with deep emotion. "I suspect a grand war is about to erupt very soon!"
"Right here in the Human Realm!"
"To stop Zhou Polong from attaining the Dao in the Human Realm! Although it remains unclear whether attaining the Dao in the Human Realm allows one to activate the realm's suppressive power, if Zhou Polong senses danger, he is very likely to choose to attain the Dao right here!"
"If he attempts Dao attainment in the Human Realm, Invincibles from the myriad races will likely infiltrate in the near future. Even if Invincibles do not come, several Sun Moon ninth-stage experts will inevitably slip into the Human Realm to assassinate Zhou Polong."
An old woman chimed in, "Whether they infiltrate or not is their business. What worries me is that the myriad races might order us to assassinate Zhou Polong. That would be suicidal! The Tianyi God Cult was hardly weak, wasn't it? On that day, multiple eighth- and ninth-stage Sun Moon experts from the Tianyi God race arrived, yet all of them were slaughtered on the spot by Xia Longwu!"
Assassinating experts of that caliber was simply far too dangerous.
Xia Longwu had not appeared exceptionally terrifying prior to that, yet five or six high-stage Sun Moon experts had gone to assassinate him, and not a single one had returned.
They had been completely wiped out!
What they feared most was that the myriad races would order them to assassinate Zhou Polong. That would be throwing their lives away.
Killing Su Yu, Chen Yong, or others was one thing—those targets possessed lower cultivation, so there was a real prospect of success. As long as there was hope, they were willing to act if the price paid was substantial enough.
But killing Zhou Polong? There was virtually no hope.
"Great Zhou Prefecture doesn't just have Zhou Polong. Even though King Dazhou isn't around, Zhou Potian, the Manor Lord of Great Zhou Prefecture, is no weakling either. He has been at the Sun Moon ninth stage for many years. Do not overlook him! That means two Sun Moon ninth-stage powerhouses, both of whom might be nearing the Invincible Realm!"
"Furthermore, if we assassinate Zhou Polong, do we assassinate Zhou Potian as well? Zhou Potian might be in the exact same situation."
"Two peak Sun Moon ninth-stage powerhouses—without dispatching an Invincible, who could kill them? Unless dozens of Sun Moon Realm experts are mobilized, there is no hope!"
"..."
One cult master after another voiced their concerns, terrified that the myriad races would force their hand.
And how would the myriad races force them?
Over the years, as they risked their lives serving the myriad races, which among them was not guilty of heinous crimes? The myriad races possessed their true identities and the locations of their headquarters. Once exposed, they would be utterly finished.
When that time came, they would be unable to remain in the Human Realm, dare not flee to the All-Heavens Battlefield, and face retaliation from the myriad races. They would have no choice but to wait for death.
Having reached this point, they could only walk this dark path to the very end.
Soon, someone else spoke up: "Lately, many Sun Moon Realm experts from our cults have perished. The Human Realm has become far more perilous than in previous years. The Blood Fire Cult has gone through three successive cult masters in a row. Meanwhile, the Human Realm has mobilized multiple Sun Moons to encircle and suppress the Six-Winged God Cult. Turmoil is bound to erupt again soon. Everyone, it is time for the All-Races Cult to join hands—including rescuing the two cult masters of the Six-Winged God Cult!"
Someone put forward the proposal.
Only by uniting could they stand a chance against these looming perils.
In past years, the various factions of the All-Races Cult operated independently, each attending to its own affairs. But now, that approach was clearly unsustainable—it was far too dangerous!
Over this past year, how many Sun Moons had fallen?
If this continued, they would be hunted down and eliminated one by one!
If the two Sun Moons of the Six-Winged God Cult were killed as well, it would spell tremendous trouble.
"Moreover, when the myriad races pressure us, how can an isolated cult refuse? We lack the leverage. Only by uniting and demonstrating that we are a formidable force can we negotiate rather than being coerced into throwing our lives away!"
As they conversed, someone let out a faint, eerie chuckle. "Isn't that simple? Submit to my Initial Demon Sacred Cult, and you will surely escape it all!"
Lan Tian!
Someone retorted coldly, "Lan Tian, we are discussing cooperation, not absorption."
Lan Tian chuckled and said, "Is there any difference? We're all dogs anyway. Does it really matter whose dog you are? Whichever master feeds you best and keeps you safest, that's where you serve as a dog. What do you all think? Don't blame me for being realistic; that is simply how things are. Are we supposed to talk about moral integrity here?"
Silence fell over the room.
The words were harsh, yet they were undeniably true.
Soon, however, someone countered coldly, "Many say that you and Wan Tiansheng are actually working together, laying a hidden scheme to unify the All-Races Cult. The Invincibles of the Human Realm would love nothing more than for us to hold a coronation ceremony for you so they can wipe us out in one fell swoop. Lan Tian, do you honestly expect anyone to trust you?"
Lan Tian chuckled. "That is merely deliberate disinformation. If you actually believe that, no wonder you can only ever be dogs! Fine, cooperate if you wish, or don't if you don't care to!"
Nobody paid him any further heed. Soon, eyes turned toward the Primordial Cult Master, who had remained quiet throughout. Someone asked in a low voice, "Primordial Cult Master, what are your thoughts on this matter of cooperation?"
"Heh!"
The Primordial Cult Master sneered disdainfully. "Cooperation? Tell me, who among us trusts anyone else? If we cooperate, who calls the shots? If orders are given, will any of you truly obey? It is nothing but empty talk. The Human Realm keeps talking about cooperation, yet the thirty-six prefectures have negotiated for over a century without reaching a consensus. Cooperation is the least reliable notion of all!"
The assembly was left speechless. After a moment, someone said, "Even if we cannot unify completely, we must at least support each other. We cannot afford more casualties. We may not be a single entity, but we all share the same label—traitors! And traitors are unwelcome wherever they go."
"If we do not join forces and save ourselves, then with this Zhou Polong situation unfolding, experts from the myriad races will enter the Human Realm soon enough. Are we simply going to let them boss us around? If they order you to assassinate Zhou Polong and you refuse, what will the consequences be?"
"Earth Fire Cult Master, speak plainly. Do you have a solution?"
The Earth Fire Cult Master promptly replied, "Even if we cannot merge into one, we should at least back each other up in times of hardship! For instance, right now, the two cult masters of the Six-Winged God Cult are being hunted down. We ought to go to their aid! Naturally, all of this within our capabilities!"
"Then who calls the shots? Who issues the commands, and who coordinates the deployments?"
Another question was raised, plunging the room back into silence.
Talking about cooperation was easy; executing it was exceedingly difficult.
Lan Tian chuckled faintly. "How about this: you don't need to submit to me, but let me call the shots. The Initial Demon Sacred Cult has suffered minimal losses over the years, all because I handle everything with extreme caution. Surely you wouldn't want those fellows from the Blood Fire Cult issuing commands... Those guys have lost three cult masters in a single year. If that's what you want, be my guest."
The crowd had no response.
Nonsense!
The Blood Fire Cult had indeed lost three cult masters in rapid succession. Their new cult master had not even assumed office yet, and no one knew who it would be, so none of their representatives were present.
Letting the Blood Fire Cult take charge was out of the question.
Unless everyone was eager to die!
Still, Lan Tian had a point. In any coalition, without someone in charge, everything would descend into chaotic disarray.
Someone suggested, "Why not adopt the academy system—an Elder Council system? In an academy system, the principal possesses veto power, but during critical moments, decisions can be determined by a council vote!"
"That could work. The various academies have utilized this system for years, and under normal circumstances, matters great and small are handled smoothly."
"Our cults truly cannot remain fragmented any longer. Otherwise, we will eventually be picked off one by one!"
The cult masters voiced their opinions back and forth. At present, over ten cult master-level figures remained here, every one of them in the Sun Moon Realm!
These represented virtually all the Sun Moons the All-Races Cult could muster in the Human Realm at this time.
As for the rest, they were either being hunted like the duo from the Six-Winged God Cult, had departed for the All-Heavens Battlefield, or were simply in seclusion.
Over the past year, eight Sun Moon cult masters had died. The others who perished had not been cult masters; in reality, excluding the Blood Fire Demon Race, only seven Sun Moon cult masters belonging to the Human Realm had fallen.
After some discussion, someone said, "When it comes to sheer strength, the Primordial Cult Master is the most powerful at the Sun Moon ninth stage. To act as the spokesperson, one definitely cannot lack strength! At the very least, one must be in the high-stage Sun Moon Realm. Does anyone object to this?"
The low-stage Sun Moons kept silent. While they certainly had reservations, they were all seasoned figures who understood that without strength, your words were nothing more than hot air. How could you expect powerful experts to follow your commands?
"Lan Tian, your true cultivation is an enigma. Just what stage are you at?"
Lan Tian chuckled. "I am hardly weak—Sun Moon eighth stage. However, I suspect Primordial might not necessarily be a match for me, isn't that right?"
"Sun Moon eighth stage!"
Several present could barely believe their ears. It had only been twenty years since Lan Tian defected from the academy. How could this be? Previously, they had guessed he was around the fourth or fifth stage of the Sun Moon Realm, yet he was actually at the eighth stage!
"Lan Tian, are you serious?"
Lan Tian chuckled again. "What is so strange about that? I am a genius—what do you people understand? Without this level of strength, how could I lurk anywhere without those Invincibles detecting me? Once you fuse your apertures in the Sun Moon Realm and expand them, that's all it takes! I have consumed no small amount of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid. Over twenty years, is reaching the Sun Moon eighth stage truly that unimaginable?"
Nonsense!
Of course it was unimaginable!
"Earth Fire, you're at the Sun Moon seventh stage, correct?"
"Indeed."
"Giant Strength Divine Master, what about you?"
"Sun Moon seventh stage!" came a sullen reply.
There were only four high-stage Sun Moon experts: the leaders of the Giant Strength God Cult, the Primordial God Cult, the Initial Demon Sacred Cult, and the Earth Fire Demon Cult.
The others were all middle- or low-stage.
This meant the decision-makers would have to be chosen from among these four.
The Primordial Cult Master said indifferently, "There is no need to choose; doing so accomplishes little anyway! If you genuinely wish to cooperate, use a voting system: low-stage Sun Moons get one vote, middle-stage get two votes, and high-stage get three!"
Hearing this, the others pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
This could be considered a form of cooperation. Even if crude, it served their purpose of buying peace of mind.
Lan Tian sneered, "Primordial, since you're the strongest, why not just take everyone under your wing? What are you pretending to be a saint for..."
The Primordial Cult Master replied coldly, "No matter how much trash you gather, it remains trash. At my stage, my sole objective is to attain the Dao, not to vie for petty power. Lan Tian, you are far too foolish!"
His words stirred some resentment, but on second thought, as a Sun Moon ninth stage, he truly had little reason to care about such squabbles. His focus was almost certainly fixed entirely on attaining the Dao.
The Primordial Cult Master soon added, "Since I am the strongest, I have no unreasonable demands. I can agree to reasonable proposals, but don't bother bringing up excessive ones that might cost us our lives!"
"Naturally. None of us intends to throw our lives away!"
As the discussion proceeded, someone said, "Then the first order of business is rescuing those two from the Six-Winged God Cult. What do you all think? Having two more Sun Moons versus two fewer makes a considerable difference. Neither of those fellows is weak."
"The Eight Great Families are currently hunting them down. In addition, Great Tang Prefecture, Great Xia Prefecture, and Great Ming Prefecture each have a Sun Moon pursuing them, making a total of eleven Sun Moon Realm pursuers. Those two are likely trapped in an encirclement right now. Extracting them will not be easy."
"This is feasible. Although the Eight Great Families and the three prefectures are pursuing them, they have not converged. If we all pitch in, it will be easy enough to lure them away..."
The group swiftly reached a consensus.
At this juncture, only cooperation could ensure mutual survival.
Furthermore, when negotiating terms with incoming experts from the myriad races, presenting a unified front was essential; otherwise, they would likely be treated as mere cannon fodder.
The ten-plus Sun Moons quickly agreed: they would rescue the two Sun Moon cult masters of the Six-Winged God Cult.
...
The All-Races Cult had officially begun to join hands, uniting their Sun Moons.
News of this development had not yet leaked to the outside world.
Meanwhile, the various prefectures of the Human Realm were fraught with unease. If Zhou Polong truly attempted Dao attainment, what should be done?
Would a multitude of Invincibles from the myriad races descend upon them?
Would a war erupt in short order?
A war between Invincibles!
Ye Batian's precedent hung heavy before them: an Invincible had perished back then, yet Ye Batian had still failed. What would happen this time?
Naturally, amidst all this, people were no longer paying much attention to Xia Longwu, and the furor surrounding him cooled down.
This was inevitable.
No matter how strong someone who attained the Dao through physical cultivation might be, at most they would become another King Daxia or King Daqin. But a Civilization Master attaining the Dao was an entirely different matter.
The Human Realm quieted down.
The All-Races Cult was quiet as well.
Apart from the Six-Winged God Cult still entangled with Chen Yong, experts from the cults ceased active operations everywhere else. During this period, all powerful figures shared the same premonition: a tempest was brewing!
...
Great Ming Prefecture.
Su Yu only learned of the news the following day. Concerning this matter, Niu Baidao visited him once again to talk it over.
"Kid, did you foresee these consequences yesterday?"
Niu Baidao looked at him with a complex expression. "To be blunt, if Zhou Polong truly intends to attain the Dao as a Civilization Master, your little stunt has utterly screwed him over! But if he isn't... then it's no big deal. Either way, he has no friendship with you."
What everyone cared about was whether Zhou Polong truly sought Dao attainment as a Civilization Master.
If not, he was merely an expert nearing physical Dao attainment—and the human race had no shortage of such figures. He would not be unique, and whether he fought with Su Yu or not was purely his own business.
Su Yu shook his head. "How could I have known? Besides, who knows if he's attempting Dao attainment as a Civilization Master? Even if he is... it has nothing to do with me. If he doesn't look for trouble with me, I won't bother troubling him!"
Niu Baidao sighed. "Fair enough. Still... if he really is attempting Dao attainment as a Civilization Master, people might vent their anger on you after what you said. Just be careful."
"I'm injured and need to enter seclusion to recover."
Su Yu said calmly, "Principal, as for whether Zhou Polong is or isn't, I have no way of knowing or managing that. I don't know the extent of his strength or whether he belongs to the multiple divine character faction. He suppressed the faction for years and never told me anything. Is he expecting me to consider his position? If they want to vent their anger... let them!"
He did not care much. Whether the man was attaining the Dao as a Civilization Master was completely irrelevant to him.
Besides, even if he was, could he truly succeed?
Su Yu remained noncommittal!
He put the matter out of his mind. In fact, it was quite fine this way—let that fellow draw some of the heat. Great Zhou Prefecture loved watching spectacles from the sidelines; well, they could keep watching now!
"Principal, telling me all this is pointless. Even if I stepped forward now and claimed I was just spouting nonsense, would anyone believe me? They would only think Great Zhou Prefecture threatened me, which would only substantiate the rumor further."
Niu Baidao was left speechless. That was true enough.
Su Yu continued, "Principal, I really need to enter seclusion to cultivate and heal my injuries. Whatever happens next, I won't be getting involved. After all, my strength is so weak..."
Weak?
Even Shan Xiong wasn't your match, and you call yourself weak?
You can handle a Lingyun seventh stage with no problem, can't you?
This kid's definition of strength is truly something else.
Niu Baidao nodded. "Then focus on healing. By the way, I have a few old friends whose... longevity is running out..."
"Principal, while I did deduce the technique, it requires a massive quantity of Heaven Yuan Qi to ensure its efficacy. After all, it is meant for extending life and healing injuries. Heaven Yuan Qi... isn't something available in endless supply. I did obtain some, but I don't have much left myself, and I still need to cast my body."
Niu Baidao looked awkward and sheepish. That was true.
Extending life naturally required precious treasures.
Heaven Yuan Qi was already considered accessible!
At least the Human Realm possessed some!
If it required top-tier heavenly treasures, having the technique would be useless anyway.
Yet even Heaven Yuan Qi was not limitless.
Niu Baidao said rather awkwardly, "Su Yu, could you... spare a little bit of Heaven Yuan Qi? Don't worry, I'll prepare divine and demon blood essence for your body casting. Top-grade blood essence is hardly inferior to Heaven Yuan Qi, and blood essence from primordial gods and demons is exceptionally effective..."
He felt helpless; several of his old friends were truly on the verge of death.
While their lifespans had not completely expired, if they cultivated the technique to see if it worked, they might just recover.
Su Yu said with difficulty, "Principal, I really don't have much left. How about... I pass on the technique and let those seniors cultivate in the two sacred lands? Aren't the Heaven Yuan Qi grottos in the sacred lands meant for people to cultivate in?"
Speaking of grottos, a thought crossed Su Yu's mind.
Should I use a Sun Moon divine character to forge a grotto?
One specifically designed to store Heaven Yuan Qi!
That way, I wouldn't have to stay confined to a cultivation room all day, constantly having to maintain a shadow barrier.
It would be just like a Yuan Qi grotto, but specifically generating Heaven Yuan Qi.
Of course, the Heaven Yuan Qi would have to be provided by Su Yu himself.
As he was pondering this, Niu Baidao sighed, "The grottos in the sacred lands must nourish the Heaven Yuan Fruit trees on one hand, and people enter every year for body casting on the other. The consumption is immense. If people were allowed to absorb it freely, it would have been drained long ago! We cannot cut off the source; if we do, the Human Realm won't even have a sacred land for Heaven Yuan Qi anymore."
"But those seniors are meritorious elders of the Human Realm. If there's a chance for them to survive, would the sacred lands truly refuse?"
Niu Baidao shook his head. "It's not a matter of willingness, but of scarcity. Moreover... to put it bluntly, trouble arises not from scarcity, but from inequality. There isn't just one or two elderly Sun Moons in the Human Realm nearing their end. If you let this one in to prolong his life, do you let the other in? If everyone demands entry, how many Sun Moons continuously absorbing Heaven Yuan Qi could the place possibly withstand?"
"When that happens, even those who haven't reached their limit might be tempted, fearing that it will all be absorbed before their time comes in a few years, wondering if they should enter as well."
"Su Yu, do you understand what I mean now? Therefore, the best way is to be self-sufficient, lest it trigger a cascade of complications."
Su Yu nodded. This was indeed a thorny issue.
"Then why is Heaven Yuan Qi so scarce in the Human Realm? The other major realms have plenty, don't they?"
"The Human Realm previously suffered an outflow of Yuan Qi, and on top of that..." Pausing briefly, Niu Baidao continued, "On top of that, several hundred years ago, dozens of Invincibles attained the Dao, absorbing far too much Yuan Qi and Heaven Yuan Qi all at once. The other major realms progressed gradually, allowing their Heaven Yuan Qi to regenerate. Humanity had no choice back then. At the time, there were actually far more than two Heaven Yuan Qi sacred grounds, but to rapidly boost strength, who had time to worry about the future? Whenever a site was discovered, it was swiftly drained dry!"
"And it wasn't just humanity; the myriad races did the same. Since it wasn't their territory, whenever they found such places, they absorbed everything recklessly, destroying numerous sacred grounds."
Niu Baidao shook his head. "Gains come with losses. The Human Realm still holds quite a bit of Heaven Yuan Qi, much of it locked inside ruins. But even now, many ruins remain unexcavated and undiscovered. Factoring in the consumption from centuries ago, how much do you think could possibly be left?"
"The Heaven Yuan Qi reserves in the two sacred lands weren't considered particularly exceptional back in the day. It was precisely because the concentration wasn't overwhelming that they were preserved—the top powerhouses simply looked down on such modest spots!"
Su Yu was speechless. No wonder!
Seeing his hesitation, Niu Baidao asked, "Roughly how much Heaven Yuan Qi do you reckon is needed for someone to successfully cultivate the technique and prolong their life?"
"To cultivate the technique, quite a few apertures must be opened, and opening apertures is considerably harder for Sun Moons. It's best to use Heaven Yuan Qi to connect them. Under normal circumstances... it requires the equivalent of at least twenty Heaven Yuan Fruits just to master the technique. After that, they must continuously absorb Heaven Yuan Qi to expel impurities and revitalize the physical body. The stronger the individual, the greater the consumption; the heavier the injuries, the greater the consumption!"
"Those currently reaching their lifespan limit all carry injuries—injuries that are difficult to heal."
Su Yu calculated mentally. "To truly repair the damage, a single person would need the equivalent of at least a hundred Heaven Yuan Fruits. That's just the baseline!"
"..."
Niu Baidao's expression shifted repeatedly!
Damn!
That much?
Actually, calculating it carefully, it wasn't excessive. The amount of Heaven Yuan Qi contained within a Heaven Yuan Fruit wasn't overwhelmingly large; a hundred fruits was roughly enough for nine castings in the Tengkong Realm.
Was nine castings' worth of resources to heal a Sun Moon worthwhile?
It was definitely worthwhile!
The crux of the problem was that the two sacred lands produced very little each year. By that measure, after nourishing the fruit trees, the annual yield of both sacred lands combined was only enough to treat one or two Sun Moons.
Only one or two slots per year—that was far too few.
Su Yu, on the other hand, made his own calculation: to extract the equivalent of a hundred Heaven Yuan Fruits, he would need nearly one hundred thousand merit points.
That was genuinely a massive sum!
And that was only if he could extract it himself; otherwise, even Sun Moons might not secure a quota to enter the sacred lands.
Naturally, he had no intention of revealing right now that he could supply it.
As for Hu Qi, Su Yu had only given her a portion—just enough to open her apertures and barely stimulate her vitality to prolong her life slightly. Her physical injuries remained unhealed, and her body was far from its peak.
Under such conditions, it merely guaranteed she would not perish for the time being.
He had to keep some reserves for himself!
Moreover, Su Yu harbored other plans. Seeing Niu Baidao's troubled look, he whispered, "Actually... within the ruins I inherited, there might be a treasure ground rich in Heaven Yuan Qi. Of course, I'm not entirely certain..."
Niu Baidao's eyes flickered. After a long pause, he said in a low voice, "You... truly have ruins?"
Nonsense!
If I said I didn't, would any of you believe me?
Su Yu thought wryly to himself. If I claimed I didn't have one, probably not a single soul would believe me.
"Ahem... Principal, this is a secret, so please don't tell anyone. As for your old friends... I'm currently injured. Sigh, let's do this: I'll evaluate the situation. If necessary, I'll find an opportunity to head out, but you must provide cover for me. Otherwise, heading out like this would be suicide. As for sending someone else, nobody else can enter—only I can."
Niu Baidao was deeply moved!
"You want to go retrieve Heaven Yuan Qi?"
Just to save his old friends?
Was this... truly appropriate?
Su Yu smiled. "Principal, once you spend more time around me, you'll realize that I always repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring! You protect me, and the Manor Lord protects me—how could I let my seniors down?"
"This..."
Niu Baidao sighed. Su Yu was indeed a man of deep sentiment and loyalty.
He had seen it with his own eyes: Su Yu could easily have ignored Bai Feng, Liu Wenyan, and the others, yet time and again he took on troubles that did not belong to him for their sake.
Take this recent incident: even if he had forcefully claimed Shan Xiong's divine character, what could anyone have done?
If he had demanded immense heavenly treasures instead of the character, would Zhou Polong have refused?
Yet he demanded neither. He chose to trade divine character for divine character, wiping the historical slate clean.
Even previously, when he orchestrated the entrapment of those enemies and exposed so many secrets—techniques, ruins—much of it was done for Bai Feng and the others, securing pardons for their past offenses and eliminating the powerful figures who targeted them.
"You..."
He wanted to refuse, but thinking of his old friends whose time was nearly up, he said in a low voice after a long silence, "I won't waste words on pleasantries. They still have some time left. If you need anything, come to me anytime! If you truly need to leave the prefecture... I can arrange it. Since you're injured anyway, I can provide cover even from the Manor Lord, ensuring no one knows you've left!"
Within the Civilization Academy, he had the confidence to pull this off.
No one would know Su Yu had departed, provided Su Yu did not expose himself.
Su Yu smiled and nodded. "Then I'll wait a while longer. I'll focus on healing first, and I also need to make some preparations so I won't get discovered and land in trouble!"
"Alright!"
Niu Baidao gritted his teeth and said, "Since you're willing to retrieve treasures from your ruins, don't worry—I won't introduce you to unreliable old fellows! I will definitely pick those who value honor and loyalty, the dependable sort who would gladly risk their lives to come to your aid if you call for help in a crisis. I'll introduce a few of those old fellows to you!"
Su Yu chuckled inward. That's exactly what I'm looking for!
The principal understands my intentions all too well!
Niu Baidao's confidence was well-founded. Having lived for centuries and dealt with those figures for so long, he knew them inside and out.
...
Having handled Niu Baidao, Su Yu indeed intended to take a trip outside when time permitted.
He had several matters to attend to.
First, find time to help Master Zhao Li cast a weapon.
Second, visit Master Bai Feng and the others to see what was truly happening, as something felt off in Great Xia Prefecture.
Third... it would be best if he could see his father.
It had been a full year!
Over the past year, aside from a few brief letters exchanged through intermediaries, he had not seen his father once. He had no idea whether his father was truly alive or being held captive.
His original motivation for cultivating and entering the Civilization Academy had largely been to make his father safer and more at ease.
Yet now, he had become the focal point of the entire Human Realm, which had likely implicated his father as well.
In his current visible identity, he did not dare head to the All-Heavens Battlefield; doing so would invite immense trouble.
He needed to forge a new persona, an identity for the All-Heavens Battlefield—one that would allow him to attain the Dao in the future without provoking widespread opposition.
All of this required careful preparation on his part; he could not rely on others.
He needed to plan his Dao attainment well in advance.
Even if these plans might not be strictly necessary, Su Yu believed that if he could not attain the Dao, few in the world ever would.
He would not follow the Fifth Generation's path, provoking opposition across all realms during his Dao attainment, dying a miserable death and dragging down future generations.
Nor would he follow Xia Longwu's path, slaughtering half his life only to be suffocatingly suppressed when attempting Dao attainment.
And he certainly would not follow the likes of Zhou Polong, stooping to agree to terms set by the myriad races, compromising his dignity just to succeed in attaining the Dao.
If he did that, what difference would there be between him and them?
All the grudges of today would become a mockery.
It was better to rely on oneself than on others!
"Once my injuries heal and I reach the eighth casting of my body, I will head out!"
Su Yu set a timeline for himself. With the eighth casting, he would have completed the body casting for the Tengkong first stage. His strength would be formidable enough to go out and see the world.
Without Su Yu's identity, an ordinary cultivator with such strength would not face excessive danger on the All-Heavens Battlefield.
At the eighth body casting, his physical might would approach the power of nearly four thousand apertures.
By then, he would be far from weak.
"Before leaving, I must make a trip to the Baidao Pavilion. If nothing else, my weapon-forging skills need an upgrade!"
Having formulated his plan, Su Yu quickly made his decision and entered seclusion once more to heal his wounds.
What did the chaos of the outside world have to do with him?
He was not an Invincible. The heavy burden of protecting the human race could rest on the shoulders of those Invincibles. He would concern himself with such matters once he attained the Invincible Realm.
Chapter 325