Late into the night of May 20, Nanyuan saw the first assassination of a powerhouse's descendant.
The public was somewhat shaken, but after all, only a single person had died, which was not yet enough to plunge everyone into absolute terror, panic, and despair.
***
That night, Su Yu, Huang He, and their companions looked on for a short while before finding temporary lodgings. The hotels in Nanyuan were closed to outsiders, but none of them minded. At their level of cultivation, they could stay just about anywhere.
The three of them settled on an open rooftop with an expansive view. Su Yu casually tossed out a martial arena ring—something someone had once tried to sell him, which could serve as outdoor shelter.
The vantage point was excellent, and the ring activated a few defensive arrays. Without deep probing, no one could scan inside to check on Su Yu and the others.
Seeing this, Huang He marveled, "The Great Ming Prefecture really has so many fine things. Brother Lang, Great Ming even sells riding beasts. Those are actually great too. If you get one with plenty of cabin space and fly around up in the clouds, that has even more flavor."
Su Yu chuckled and said, "Of course it has flavor! Even you know about that? Brother Huang, you truly are a man after my own heart!"
"..."
Huang He was struck speechless. What did I say?
The "flavor" I meant isn't the "flavor" you're thinking of!
We aren't even talking about the same thing!
Forget it, there was no point discussing it with this fellow.
With them taking up residence on the rooftop of a tall building, people in the surrounding area noticed. It served as a reminder to the crowd: rather than staying tucked away in some dark alley, it was far better to set up in the open. That way, if an enemy struck, others would notice faster, and the Great Xia Prefecture would react sooner.
Even so, not everyone was willing to do this—it was simply too conspicuous.
The arena ring Su Yu and his companions had set up was quite noticeable from far away. Although the defensive array was activated and prevented overt inspection, in broad terms, anyone with sharp eyesight could still make out faint movements inside.
Under such circumstances, being thrust into the spotlight was not something everyone welcomed.
***
Inside the arena.
Su Yu took out bedding and tea tables from his storage ring, swiftly furnishing the arena and dividing it into three small compartments. He said with a grin, "We'll rest for the night, and come daybreak, I'm clearing out. Brother Huang, are you two leaving?"
Liu Li, the frail youth also hailing from the Great Qi Prefecture, could not help asking, "Leaving already?"
They had not gained anything yet.
"If I don't leave, what am I supposed to do here? I don't want to get assassinated!"
Liu Li hesitated before saying, "Zhang Heng might not actually be dead. Do you think... he could have accidentally wandered into an ancient ruin?"
At those words, Su Yu paused slightly. "No way!"
"Why not?"
Liu Li jerked his chin toward the spot below where Zhang Heng had been killed. "Look down there. Even now, plenty of people are still milling around, probing and searching. For all we know, they're thinking the same thing, just keeping quiet about it. Maybe some suspect Zhang Heng suddenly strayed into a ruin."
Huang He chimed in hastily, "Don't laugh, there really is a possibility. As for the storage ring, maybe the ruin repelled it."
Whether someone was truly dead or not was something best probed by a Sun Moon Realm or even an Invincible, provided they had some of Zhang Heng's blood or that of a close blood relative to trace back to the source.
Top experts possessed such means.
However, Zhang Heng was the only son of a Sun Moon Realm expert, and that Sun Moon might not even know about this yet.
Su Yu shrugged. "Think whatever you want. I feel there's nothing worth staying for in this ghost of a place. There's nothing here, totally boring!"
"Maybe we should wait and see..."
"Suit yourselves!"
Su Yu tidied up a bit and said, "Tonight should be quiet from here on out. Everyone's been startled awake, so everyone will just mind their own business. I'm going to start cultivating. You two cultivate yours, and don't disturb me!"
"Of course!"
Neither of them objected. No matter how much of a genius one was, cultivation was still mandatory.
The greater the genius, the harder they worked—that was basic logic.
A libertine like Cui Lang might wander and fool around in his spare time, but once the fooling around was done, he still had to train bitterly. Without bitter cultivation, he wouldn't possess his current strength.
The three fell silent, casting occasional glances below. Their view was clear, whereas those looking up from the outside could not see clearly unless their willpower forced its way inside and shattered the defensive array.
Meanwhile, Su Yu sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.
The Induction Jade remained active the entire time.
All around them, someone was still probing them, though very subtly.
He had no idea which Shanhai Realm expert was keeping an eye on this spot.
Su Yu guessed it was likely a Shanhai from the Great Xia Prefecture sweeping the area.
After a long wait, the Induction Jade indicated that no experts were prying within a thousand-meter radius.
By now, dawn was beginning to break.
Earlier, when Su Yu was inspecting the place where Zhang Heng died and many had released their willpower shields, the little fur ball had caught the scent of several people who had visited his home.
Anyone who could openly visit his home held a respectable status.
Through listening to a few conversations, Su Yu had identified several of them.
Some belonged to Shanhai clans, while others came from Sun Moon clans.
Among them, there were even Shanhai experts who had personally visited. Su Yu was powerless against those.
Inside the arena room, Su Yu's figure gradually blurred.
With two Tengkong Realm cultivators right next to him, Su Yu did not employ an illusion this time. Instead, he used the flesh-and-blood rebirth technique. A drop of blood silently rolled down, continuously absorbing Heaven Yuan Qi.
Inside the arena, the concentration of Yuan Qi thickened slightly.
Huang He and Liu Li paid it no mind. At the moment, Su Yu was using Yuan Qi liquid to cultivate, and so were they. To them, Nanyuan's Yuan Qi density was far too thin; without Yuan Qi liquid, cultivation was practically impossible.
Gradually, the dispersing Yuan Qi formed a thin mist inside the arena.
Su Yu's silhouette seemed to overlap and turn hazy.
A moment later, a single drop of water seeped out from the arena.
Audacious as ever, Su Yu took another gamble right under everyone's eyes, substituting himself with a body crafted from flesh-and-blood rebirth while slipping away from the spot once more.
Huang He and Liu Li remained completely oblivious.
The three continued cultivating.
Here, on the top floor, with several experts visible around them, both men felt quite secure. What was more, Su Yu's arena possessed a defensive array. It was not extraordinarily powerful, but it would easily withstand a sneak attack from a Lingyun cultivator.
Under such conditions, even a Shanhai assault would require a moment to shatter it.
***
Slipping down through the drainage pipe from the roof, Su Yu once again shifted into water, stealthily making his way away from the area.
Following the route he had scouted earlier, he swiftly alternated between earth escape and water escape beneath the ground.
A short while later, Su Yu arrived at a somewhat messy courtyard.
It was hard to tell if the house was abandoned or if its owner simply had not returned for years. It looked rather dilapidated, but right now, people were inside.
Two people.
A third-stage Tengkong and a ninth-stage Lingyun.
The ninth-stage Lingyun was either a Dao Protector or a relative.
Inside the room, the two were conversing.
"Third Grandfather, is Zhang Heng really dead, or did he enter a ruin?"
The young man inside asked, sounding confused and puzzled.
There was also a trace of anticipation in his voice.
If he had entered a ruin... that meant everyone had a chance of getting in.
Inside the room, the old man sounded uncertain as well. "It's hard to say right now. The Zhang family's Dao Protector probably isn't a hundred percent sure either. But no matter what, we must remain cautious."
"Understood!"
The youth smiled. "Everyone is on high alert, and with Third Grandfather here, even if a Sun Moon were to make a move, it would draw immediate attention."
"Caution is never a mistake. Besides, if we run into a true expert possessing extreme stealth capabilities, even I might not stand a chance of resisting."
"Yes, I understand."
The youth agreed, then soon added, "Third Grandfather, do you think Su Yu's ruin is really in Nanyuan? Also, when we visited his house earlier, I felt I spotted a breakthrough point."
"Are you talking about that Chen Hao?"
The old man asked. The youth nodded. "In Su Yu's home, we found quite a few things left behind by Chen Hao—books, even photos of the two together, and some of Chen Hao's clothes. It shows that this Chen Hao is exceedingly close to Su Yu..."
In the shadows, Su Yu was slightly startled.
Were there?
He had never paid much attention.
Chen Hao had stayed at his place for a period back then, cultivating alongside him. Su Yu really hadn't taken note of whether the guy had left any belongings behind.
As for books and such... there probably were.
That guy used to bring books over to read and might have left them behind. Naturally, he might have done it on purpose so he could claim he lost his books and didn't have to study.
It wasn't the first time he had pulled that trick.
Growing up together, he and Chen Hao had always been close friends. Taking photos together was completely normal.
Su Yu hadn't thought that deeply about it before. Since those things were inside the house, he hadn't cared much, nor had he thought about clearing everything out. If he had really meant to take everything, he would have taken the photo of him and his father long ago.
This fellow had actually picked up on that. Did he mean... he was going to look for Haozi?
"Third Grandfather, do you think Chen Hao knows about these secrets? I looked into it discreetly. This Chen Hao originally possessed mediocre talent; whether he could even get into a higher academy was questionable. Yet now, I hear his progress at Longwu Academy has been astonishingly fast, and he's already reached the Wanshi Realm."
The old man hesitated. "A Longwu Academy student... isn't easy to deal with."
"Naturally, we won't go to Longwu Academy. The break is coming up soon, so Chen Hao should be coming back, right? Or perhaps halfway on the road... before he enters the city."
"Watch your words!"
The old man surveyed the surroundings vigilantly, then said, "Don't speak recklessly! Questioning him is fine, but as for anything else, remember this is the Great Xia Prefecture."
"I understand that. I'm just saying, we might not be the only ones who discovered Chen Hao's close ties to Su Yu. Although we arrived relatively early, the very first fellow who snuck inside might have noticed as well..."
Concealed in the shadows, Su Yu's heart jolted once more.
A miscalculation!
He had actually prepared many contingencies, including keeping his distance from Haozi after arriving at the Great Xia Prefecture, and funneling resources to Chen Hao through Xia Huyou rather than interacting with him directly.
Yet he had failed to consider that once Nanyuan became the focal point, his close relationship with Chen Hao would be nearly impossible to hide.
Coupled with the belongings left in the house... was a Wanshi cultivator difficult to handle?
What did Chen Hao have?
Nothing!
Just a father who had recently reached the Wanshi Realm. Yes, Chen Hao's father had only just stepped into Wanshi. In Nanyuan, that wasn't weak, but to these people, what did it count for?
It didn't count for squat!
A family with a single Wanshi warrior—did that even qualify as a clan?
Chen Hao's most troublesome status was merely being a student of Longwu Academy, nothing more.
***
Su Yu remained silently concealed.
By now, the sky was showing signs of brightening.
A ninth-stage Lingyun!
Very strong!
Yet since Su Yu had targeted this man, he naturally had some measure of confidence.
This person was not a Civilization Master; he was a warrior.
A warrior's willpower was not particularly robust.
If he could shatter the man's willpower in a single strike and daze him for an instant, he had the confidence to finish him off.
Of course, the commotion might not be small!
As for that third-stage Tengkong... he was nothing. Su Yu could kill him with a flick of his wrist.
*Haozi...*
Su Yu muttered internally. He could not allow him to return. That fellow had to stay put at Longwu Academy!
He did not have many friends, and Haozi was the most vulnerable link: no family background, no extraordinary talent, no immense strength, yet tied to Su Yu. He would be in tremendous danger!
*A miscalculation!*
If he had known, he should have emptied out the entire house. But when he left, he had never imagined he would truly never return for the rest of his life.
He had still wanted to come back!
He had wanted to keep the home as it was, waiting for his father to return, waiting for himself to return. Perhaps... holding onto unrealistic fantasies, he had hoped that one day he could sit in that house again, watching his father in an apron cooking another meal for him.
And now, all of it was shattered.
His fond illusions were just that—illusions. The warmth he had wished to preserve had instead left hidden dangers for Chen Hao.
These two had set their sights on Chen Hao—were there others?
Probably!
At the very least, someone had entered before them.
"Third Grandfather... it's already dawn. Why don't you rest for a bit? I'll go do my morning practice..."
The old man nodded approvingly. A teachable lad!
No matter how busy or chaotic things were, mandatory cultivation could never be neglected.
The strong remained strong!
Without constant progress and relentless training, how could one remain powerful?
"Go cultivate then. The Yuan Qi in Nanyuan is thin, so make use of Yuan Qi liquid."
"Yes, understood!"
The youth turned and was just about to leave.
Right at that moment, the old man's brow furrowed tightly as he faintly detected an unnatural sensation.
Su Yu pushed his "Quiet" divine character to its absolute limits.
Calm mind!
No obstruction!
Above the old man's head, shielded by the "Darkness" divine character, a hammer suddenly struck downward!
Only as the hammer descended did the old man feel an unmistakable sense of crisis!
An intense crisis!
He was not a Civilization Master, but a warrior. In that split second, his Yuan Qi erupted!
Yet at that exact instant, the small hammer slammed down!
*Boom!*
A soundless roar reverberated through the old man's sea of will. His sea of will was not sturdy to begin with, and he was instantly jolted into a daze.
From within the hammer, the little fur ball plunged into his sea of will in a flash, piercing through it with a squelch.
The old man's eyes first showed shock, then turned blank, and finally settled into... dead silence.
Even so, by pure momentum, his physical body continued to erupt with Yuan Qi!
The surge of Yuan Qi was ferocious!
Su Yu ignored him. Before the youth could even react, Su Yu's shadow suddenly lunged, shattering his heart with a single strike!
The next instant, the little fur ball directly crushed his sea of will.
The old man was not entirely dead yet; only his sea of will was completely destroyed, while his physical body technically lived.
If an Invincible powerhouse were encountered, they might be able to restore his sea of will.
Su Yu would never give him that chance.
If he did not kill the old man, once restored, he could easily expose crucial clues—such as the hammer that shook his sea of will, or the little fur ball that pierced it.
The moment the youth died, Su Yu sprang forward, slightly opening his Yang aperture as pure power erupted into a crushing blow!
*Boom!*
A strike delivered with everything he had!
At eight casts of his physical body, reinforced by the "Power" divine character and with his Yang aperture opened, the burst of power in that split second exceeded five thousand apertures of strength.
With a loud bang, the old man's physical form was directly blown apart!
Yuan Qi detonated, sweeping outward in all directions.
At that moment, Su Yu sensed a powerful expert tearing through the air toward him.
Without lingering, a burst of flame flashed, incinerating all traces.
He immediately used earth escape, vanishing from the spot.
He had killed a ninth-stage Lingyun!
Even though it was an ambush, and even though the man was a warrior, Su Yu was still thrilled at this moment. He was no longer that minor nobody who had to swallow insults and compromise on everything.
He now possessed sufficient strength to settle matters with his own hands!
Of course, against a Civilization Master, the effect of his small hammer would be dampened, and he likely could not execute a surprise kill on a ninth-stage Lingyun Civilization Master. But that was fine. If he could kill warriors now, killing Civilization Masters would only be a matter of time!
He had no regrets about killing them!
He only regretted his lack of foresight, which might drag his friend into the quagmire. He had to notify Haozi right away and tell him not to return to Nanyuan!
Indeed, the break was drawing near.
It was already late May; Haozi might be returning to Nanyuan for the holiday very soon.
***
The moment Su Yu escaped, a Sun Moon Realm expert arrived on the scene.
A Sun Moon from the Great Xia Prefecture!
Divine light flickered in his eyes, sun and moon revolving as his blood qi erupted to blanket the surroundings!
In his eyes, spectral shadows seemed to trace backward in time.
*Pfft!*
He saw a hand—a hand that shattered the old man's physical body in a single blow. Soon, everything vanished, leaving the old man's body obliterated.
The Sun Moon expert frowned.
Incredible explosive power!
Slaying a ninth-stage Lingyun in a single strike!
This ninth-stage Lingyun had not been weak at all—a powerhouse of the warrior path with strength close to ten thousand apertures.
Yes, approaching ten thousand apertures of strength!
A warrior who was too weak wouldn't be stationed within prominent clans.
Yet here he was, his physical body shattered in one blow.
The Sun Moon commander couldn't see much, but he faintly sensed something was amiss. The slain Lingyun seemed off, as though he had already suffered injuries prior to the strike.
"A Civilization Master?"
"It has to be a Civilization Master!"
"His willpower suffered a grievous blow, leaving him stunned and dazed, after which his body was destroyed in one strike..."
By now, others were arriving one after another.
Willpower and Yuan Qi swept across the area as someone asked frantically, "Commander, what happened?"
"Commander..."
"Silence!"
The Sun Moon commander snapped coldly. Ignoring them, he grabbed at the air, capturing a trace of lingering scorching heat. He muttered, "A fire divine character. The assailant possesses a fire divine character!"
He then said chillingly, "A Civilization Master did this! Their strength is around the Shanhai Realm, not Sun Moon! Their willpower is immense, shattering Wang Chen's sea of will in an instant. Their physical body shouldn't be overly formidable, likely around the Lingyun Realm, at most comparable to Wang Chen's body or perhaps slightly weaker. Naturally, it's uncertain whether that was their full strength..."
Shanhai-level willpower, Lingyun-level body.
Of course, Su Yu's willpower was not truly that powerful.
However, this Sun Moon commander deduced it based on Wang Chen's willpower being shattered instantaneously. Without Shanhai-level willpower, it would be difficult to bypass Wang Chen's perception. Warriors could also erupt with Yuan Qi to ward off willpower invasions.
Wang Chen had only erupted with Yuan Qi right at the moment of death, meaning the opponent had bypassed Wang Chen's senses and evaded his danger instincts. That was something likely achieved by a Shanhai.
As the Sun Moon commander spoke, his willpower swept across the surroundings, and he transmitted his voice to all sides: "Nobody move! Nanyuan... has spiraled out of control. Everyone had better stay right where you are!"
The commander's expression was grim.
He had arrived rapidly, but the opponent had fled even faster.
Yet this time, the assailant had left behind plenty of information.
A Civilization Master, Shanhai willpower, a Lingyun body, a fire divine character, and likely an earth escape divine character.
"..."
Thinking of this, his gaze shifted slightly. Shanhai willpower... Shanhai willpower!
Killing Wang Chen, killing Zhang Heng...
Not just him, but at this moment, someone spoke in a low voice: "Has that assassin arrived?"
Which assassin?
The assassin who had killed powerhouses at Heaven-Ascending Sea, in the Great Tang Prefecture, and Shanhai experts in the Great Shang Prefecture!
Was it him?
It had to be him!
Otherwise, who would dare assassinate a ninth-stage Lingyun right under the nose of a Sun Moon!
That lunatic had arrived?
Madness!
Had that fellow come to the Great Xia Prefecture?
Judging by travel time, the Great Shang Prefecture wasn't far from Great Xia. Having killed a Shanhai in Great Shang two days ago, arriving in Nanyuan now was entirely plausible and lined up with the timeline.
"That guy came here?"
In an instant, panic spread through the crowd!
A being capable of assassinating Shanhai experts!
No, someone who had slain high-stage Shanhai experts.
Many were looking for him, yet none could locate his whereabouts.
"Who on earth is that guy?"
Someone murmured somberly. In truth, quite a few people harbored faint suspicions, though none dared voice them aloud.
Who?
Chen Yong!
Earlier, when the Six-Winged Divine Cult pursued Chen Yong, several experts had died along the route. Later, even as the cult members were slain and their Sun Moon fled, assassinations continued. Chen Yong's suspicion... had grown increasingly substantial.
And now, in Nanyuan... Wang Chen and the others were murdered. Why kill Wang Chen and his companion?
Nanyuan... was connected to Chen Yong as well.
Su Yu!
A chill ran through several hearts.
Not everyone had figured it out, but connecting the dots, some deduced it might be Chen Yong's doing. But did Chen Yong truly possess that kind of strength?
Did this mean Chen Yong had arrived in Nanyuan?
The Sun Moon commander remained silent, ignoring the murmurs. As he continued scanning the area, his thoughts drifted slightly. Who was it?
Could it really be... Chen Yong?
Why go this far?
He knew Chen Yong!
With that in mind, he took out a voice transmission talisman, transmitting directly to Marquis Xia.
"Lord Marquis, an assassin has appeared in Nanyuan, murdering Wang Chen, Zhang Heng, and others. Suspected to be... the same individual who assassinated generals across the other regions!"
***
In the Great Xia Prefecture.
Marquis Xia froze slightly. An assassination?
He turned his head toward Nanyuan, furrowing his brows with a dark expression. Was it... Chen Yong?
Assassinating people with such reckless abandon would lead to disaster sooner or later.
Just as he was pondering this, he received another message.
"Lord Marquis, a Shanhai in the Dawu Prefecture has been assassinated..."
Upon receiving this news, Marquis Xia was stunned. What was going on?
Was someone fishing in troubled waters?
He had previously suspected Chen Yong as well, but now... the Dawu Prefecture was quite a distance from the Great Xia Prefecture. No matter how formidable Chen Yong was, could he kill someone in Nanyuan and instantaneously appear in the Dawu Prefecture to kill another?
Marquis Xia frowned deeply. Matters were growing increasingly tangled.
Was someone deliberately trying to muddy the waters from the shadows?
Who would do such a thing?
What was the point of killing people in Nanyuan?
What did Nanyuan have? There might be a ruin, but with the Xia family present, even if you slaughtered everyone, what difference would it make?
His thoughts jumbled, Marquis Xia transmitted back to the Sun Moon in Nanyuan: "Not the same person. Just now, a Shanhai in the Dawu Prefecture was assassinated! Investigate thoroughly. By the way, with these people killed, did you discover anything at all?"
"The culprit should still be inside the city. The grand array I laid down shows no signs of being breached. Therefore, the killer is definitely still within the city!"
"Did Zhang Heng and the others discover something? Do they share any commonalities? Or any other clues?"
"Commonalities?"
The Sun Moon expert pondered for a good while before transmitting back: "If we talk about commonalities, they naturally all came seeking the ruin. Aside from that... there doesn't seem to be anything, unless they really found something we overlooked... They both seem to have visited Su Yu's home. I'm not sure if they found anything there."
Inside the Prefecture Lord Manor.
Marquis Xia tapped on his desk. Both came seeking the ruin, and both had visited Su Yu's home...
His eyes flickered thoughtfully. Both had been to Su Yu's home.
After a long pause, Marquis Xia sighed and transmitted: "No need to investigate further. Pull our people out of Nanyuan. Tell everyone that the Xia family is washing its hands of this. Aside from forbidding any harm to Nanyuan locals, they can do whatever they please! Lift the lockdown!"
"Lord Marquis!"
"Just do as I said!"
Marquis Xia cut him off, saying no more.
Leaning back in his chair, Marquis Xia sneered softly. Who did it?
Someone sent by Su Yu?
He didn't know, only having a few guesses. But... dead was dead; what did it have to do with him?
Since you insisted on hunting for ruins, then hunt to your hearts' content.
***
Inside Nanyuan City.
The Sun Moon commander frowned.
Washing their hands of it?
Was this... appropriate?
Despite his misgivings, the commander surveyed the surroundings and announced coldly, "I have consulted Lord Marquis. The Marquis's stance is that since you all chose to come of your own accord, the Xia family bears no duty or responsibility to protect you! Since the culprit cannot be found, the Great Xia Prefecture will not waste excessive energy searching! Everyone, you're on your own!"
With that, he soared into the sky and vanished from sight, his voice echoing from above: "Dragon Martial Guards, withdraw from Nanyuan! No one is permitted to harm the locals of Nanyuan. If any property is damaged, compensate a hundredfold. As for the rest... do as you please!"
His voice faded as he completely disappeared.
Throughout the city, squads of Dragon Martial Guards swiftly began their withdrawal.
At this development, everyone stared at one another in disbelief!
The Xia family... was pulling out?
Damn it!
A ninth-stage Lingyun had just been slaughtered, and the Xia family was simply washing their hands of the matter!
Without the Xia family maintaining order, what were they supposed to do?
What on earth was that assassin after?
***
On the rooftop, Su Yu stepped out from the arena, frowning. "The Xia family is withdrawing? How irresponsible! If they pull out, won't it be far too dangerous for us? It's already dawn, so I'm leaving. Are you two coming?"
Huang He was equally stunned. "Holy crap, the Xia family really isn't going to care anymore? This... someone was killed on the Xia family's territory..."
Su Yu snapped irritably, "The ones killed weren't from the Xia family, nor were they from the Great Xia Prefecture. Do you think the Xia family is thrilled about us coming to search for ruins? It's already a blessing they didn't make a move themselves! Now someone's venting frustration on their behalf. If I were part of the Xia family, I wouldn't step in either! Let you people stay here, and who knows how many will end up dead!"
Huang He sighed in resignation and nodded. "True. The Xia family not attacking us is already giving us face. They probably don't give a damn if someone else kills outsiders. We really have to leave! It's too terrifying—that was a ninth-stage Lingyun, dead just like that!"
"The assailant is at least a Shanhai, maybe even a true Sun Moon. No wonder the Xia family couldn't be bothered to oppose them for our sake. This is plainly telling the killer: go ahead and kill, we don't care!"
Huang He felt gloomy. Time to run!
If they lingered, who knew who would be next.
In this tiny Nanyuan, someone lurked who could instakill a ninth-stage Lingyun. It was far too hazardous!
Su Yu promptly put away the arena.
Looking down at the scurrying crowd below, he shouted, "Is anyone heading to the Great Xia provincial capital with us? The road isn't safe, and I cherish my life! Are there any brothers with high-stage Shanhai Dao Protectors traveling with us?"
"Whoever is willing to travel with me, I'll gift a civilized armament—Profound rank!"
Su Yu bellowed again, "A Profound-rank civilized armament, worth quite a fortune!"
Hearing this, someone among the panicked crowd suddenly asked, "Brother Cui... civilized armaments... you forge them yourself?"
Everyone had Profound-rank armaments; having one wasn't particularly special.
Yet Cui Lang was offering to gift one... Plenty of people knew he was an armamentsmith.
Su Yu beamed. "Of course! You think I'd buy one?"
At those words, several Shanhai experts glanced toward him.
A Profound-rank armamentsmith!
True, it wasn't as prestigious as an Earth-rank armamentsmith, but across the entire Great Xia Prefecture, there was only a single Earth-rank armamentsmith!
In the realm of forging, Profound rank was already the pillar of the craft!
A Shanhai marveled, "Cui Lang, have you truly advanced to Profound-rank armamentsmith?"
"Nonsense!"
Su Yu showed no false modesty. A Profound-rank armamentsmith held considerable status. Rolling his eyes, he said, "Do I need to lie to you? Are there any high-stage Shanhai willing to escort us for the journey? I'll gift a Profound-rank civilized armament... low tier, of course. I can't forge the higher tiers yet!"
A single Profound-rank armament wasn't everything, but one Shanhai immediately offered, "Escorting you there is no problem at all. How about becoming a guest elder in our clan for a few years?"
"..."
Su Yu replied crossly, "Keep dreaming! A guest elder? The Great Ming Prefecture offered to keep me as an intermediate researcher, and I didn't even agree. Dream on! If you won't do it, forget it. I'm leaving regardless. If you want to stay, be my guest. This ghost place is getting more dangerous by the minute. With the Xia family gone, anyone below Shanhai had better watch their backs. If you're instakilled, you won't even have time to call for help!"
A few people felt a tinge of regret. A Profound-rank armamentsmith!
This fellow truly lived up to his reputation as a rogue who could charm the granddaughter of a ninth-stage Sun Moon—he had real capital.
Once that senior in the Great Tang Prefecture learned this kid had advanced to Profound rank, he likely wouldn't object anymore. At such a young age, the kid had hopes of reaching Earth rank!
If he truly reached Earth rank, the Great Tang Prefecture's situation was similar to Great Xia's—they only had one Earth-rank armamentsmith. If Cui Lang went over there, he would be treated like a living ancestor. An Earth-rank armamentsmith's status was by no means lower than that of a Sun Moon.
Su Yu called out again, "Anyone? Is nobody going to the Great Xia provincial capital to watch the show? Isn't Elder Hong about to establish the Multiple Character College? Aren't the students from all races about to arrive? Everyone, aren't you going to join the fun? Let's go together!"
"Do you really expect to find a ruin here? If it were that easy to find, the Invincibles would have shown up long ago. Would it ever be your turn?"
Su Yu yelled, "I'm leaving regardless, it's way too dangerous! Is anyone leaving or not?"
After a few moments, someone considered it and smiled. "Brother Cui, let's travel together!"
Su Yu looked over and grinned. "Ah, Brother Zhou! Then there's no problem at all! A sacred land student escorted by sacred land Shanhai experts—hahaha, that's safe! Many thanks, many thanks!"
Su Yu stepped into the air, and Huang He and Liu Li hurried to follow.
Soon, Su Yu landed before Zhou Hongbo and said with a smile, "Brother Zhou, you're a good man! Sorry to trouble you. If you need it, I can custom forge a civilized armament for you. Though of course, I imagine Brother Zhou doesn't lack Profound-rank armaments..."
Zhou Hongbo smiled softly. "No one ever complains about having too many Profound-rank civilized armaments. Thank you, Brother Cui. And congratulations on advancing to Profound-rank armamentsmith. It is truly remarkable. In the entire Human Realm, there are no more than fifty Earth-rank armamentsmiths, and while Profound-rank armamentsmiths are more numerous, there are only about a thousand. Dispersed among the prefectures, that's hardly many. For Brother Cui to reach Profound rank at such an age is truly worthy of celebration!"
That was indeed the approximate number for Profound rank.
Around a thousand!
Spread across the human prefectures, that came out to only about thirty per prefecture.
In terms of sheer numbers, they were rarer than Shanhai experts.
Su Yu chuckled. "It's nothing. Armamentsmiths might be scarce in Great Xia, but in Great Ming... Profound-rank armamentsmiths are a dime a dozen. I know of over fifty myself; they're not that special. Besides, I'm only at the primary stage. In our Great Ming Civilization Academy, there are currently two living Earth-rank masters, and I don't even know if there are others hidden away."
"The Great Ming Prefecture's Forging faction is formidable indeed!"
Zhou Hongbo nodded. The Shanhai behind him, who had previously paid little attention to Su Yu, now offered a faint smile. "Young Friend Cui possesses immense talent in this dao. If you are willing, I can recommend you to join Quest Academy as an intermediate researcher in the Forging College."
Beside them, the woman from God of War Academy also smiled gently. "If Young Friend is willing, I can also recommend you to join the God of War Academy's Forging faction."
A Profound-rank armamentsmith in his thirties held a very bright future.
Huang He and Liu Li, who had followed Su Yu, looked on with sheer envy.
Damn, a true talent was a talent everywhere.
He could walk tall anywhere he went!
Elders from two great sacred lands were offering personal recommendations to bring Cui Lang in—that was tremendous face.
Yet Su Yu merely brushed it off: "Uh... we'll see about that later. Thank you, seniors. But I'm used to a wandering, carefree life. If I really wanted to work somewhere, I'd rather just go to the Great Tang Prefecture and acknowledge a grandfather..."
"..."
The elders were rendered speechless, shaking their heads in amusement.
Su Yu then laughed and said, "Aren't you all going to search a bit longer in Nanyuan? When I said it was dangerous, I meant for others. You're from the sacred lands, so you might not face any danger. Who would dare lay a hand on people from the sacred lands? That would be seeking death!"
Zhou Hongbo shook his head with a slight smile. "No need. Furthermore... staying might truly bring danger."
He glanced in the direction of Su Yu's home and said softly, "It's best we leave as soon as possible. Someone probably doesn't want us staying here. I wonder if it's the boy himself, or... someone else?"
They were also contemplating who was behind it.
Su Yu was naturally under heavy suspicion; after all, these people had come to Nanyuan solely to seek his ruin. But did Su Yu have the capability to command a top assassin to do his bidding?
Was it Great Ming's doing?
Would the Great Ming Prefecture go to such insane lengths for Su Yu, dispatching people to kill beyond their borders?
Inside their borders was one thing, but dispatching killers outside was another. If discovered, it would cause substantial trouble for Great Ming.
As for Cui Lang, since he hailed from Great Ming, Zhou Hongbo didn't bother delving into the topic.
Su Yu laughed. "Then I won't say any more. At any rate, I'm clearing out. More people might end up dead in this place, so the sooner we leave, the better. I don't want to wade into these murky waters and ask for trouble."
He chuckled, glancing at the others. *Are you leaving?*
*If you don't leave... I'll find an opportunity to slaughter every last one of you!*
By this point, many in the crowd were indeed having second thoughts—perhaps leaving was the wiser choice.
Without the Xia family maintaining order, staying here was far too dangerous.
Before long, several more individuals gathered near Su Yu's group, planning to travel together to see what was happening in the Great Xia provincial capital. In Nanyuan, experts were sparse, and the Great Xia Prefecture had washed its hands of the situation. Once they reached the provincial capital, could Great Xia still look the other way?
Besides, plenty of foreign Sun Moon experts were currently gathered in the capital, making it far safer than this place.
Soon, a group of seventeen or eighteen geniuses and Dao Protectors assembled, ready to depart together.
Chapter 334