Talent Cannot Be Hidden

Inside the grand hall, King Miecan and the others finished announcing their decision. Down below, Su Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The danger had passed. This was the best possible outcome! Otherwise, with three Eternals present, no one would have been able to make any waves. Just as he was thinking this, King Miecan suddenly said, "Xiao'er, when will Longwu be back? At a critical juncture like this, he shouldn't be wandering around. It isn't safe out there. In the Human Realm right now, Longwu and Polong are in the greatest danger. Did Longwu head to the All-Heavens Battlefield?" The moment those words were spoken, the entire hall instantly fell dead silent once more. Marquis Xia frowned slightly and replied stiffly, "King Miecan, Longwu is in secluded cultivation." As for being addressed as "Xiao'er," he simply acted as though he hadn't heard it. King Miecan frowned and looked at him for a long moment before nodding. "I understand. I just want to say, don't be too willful! Right now, with turbulence across both the Human Realm and the myriad heavens, Longwu had better cultivate in peace. Understood?" "Understood, of course I understand!" Marquis Xia beamed. King Dahan and King Dasong continued to stand idly by without uttering a word. Was Xia Longwu still in the Great Xia Prefecture? He wasn't! As for where he had gone, not even they knew. An expert of Xia Longwu's caliber stood just a hair's breadth from reaching the Eternal Realm. Unless he happened to be spotted by the human Eternals guarding the forward headquarters while traveling to the All-Heavens Battlefield, who could possibly know his whereabouts? Yet for King Miecan to state right now that Xia Longwu was not in the Great Xia Prefecture was hardly a good thing. Did he truly wish to see the world plunge into chaos? Other than an Eternal, who could confirm that Xia Longwu had left the Great Xia Prefecture? Even if rumors were circulating, no one dared put complete faith in them. Now, however, King Miecan had given them explicit confirmation: Xia Longwu truly was not in the Great Xia Prefecture. Neither King Daxia nor Xia Longwu was around, and crucially, Hong Tan was still here, holding the disassembly art in his hands. Once people with ulterior motives took notice, enormous trouble would follow. Was King Miecan doing this intentionally or carelessly? This fellow was never serious for a single day. Didn't he know this would bring immense peril and turmoil down upon the Great Xia Prefecture? Meanwhile, Marquis Xia kept his face plastered with smiles before chuckling again. "Even if Longwu is in seclusion, it's no issue. I have the strength of the Sun Moon eighth layer, and the ninth layer is within sight. With Longwu in seclusion and me overseeing the Great Xia Prefecture, all will remain secure!" He added, "Besides, Old Hu and the others are here. Old Hu has reached the Sun Moon seventh layer! Old Zhao is almost there too, Principal Zheng will soon advance to the Sun Moon Realm, and Principal Wan is on the verge as well. Our Great Xia Prefecture is armed to the teeth and bursting with might. Uncles, rest assured—would the All-Races Cult dare run rampant in our Great Xia Prefecture?" He rattled off reassurance after reassurance. Yet in Su Yu's mind, Xia Huyou's earlier words echoed. *A tiger baring its fangs and claws!* *Telling everyone: I'm not old yet; I can still fight, still kill.* The Great Xia Prefecture was powerful and well-garrisoned. Even without Xia Longwu present, it remained a premier powerhouse prefecture, teeming with Sun Moon experts who feared no one. Looking entirely at ease, Marquis Xia escorted the Eternals to the entrance, remarking as they walked, "It's wonderful that you uncles could step in and resolve Feng Qi's matter today. By the way, I haven't been able to reach my father lately. Uncles, when will my father find some free time to return home for a visit?" King Miecan replied offhandedly, "King Daxia didn't finish his guarding duty in previous years. This time, it will take at least ten years. It's still early." "Ten years?" Marquis Xia's expression turned slightly bitter, but he quickly said, "I see. If King Miecan has some free time, you are welcome to visit the Great Xia Prefecture more often. Our land is blessed with outstanding talent and remarkable places. Back then, your *Time* even appeared in the Great Xia Prefecture after Hong Tan brought it back, so there is great affinity between you and our land, Lord King." "You mean the technique Su Yu learned?" King Miecan smiled and said, "There is indeed an affinity. A pity, though, that Su Yu left the Great Xia Prefecture. Otherwise, I would have liked to meet him during this trip." "That is a bit of a regret," Marquis Xia said with a chuckle. "Actually, King Miecan, you could also leave behind a bit of your legacy in our Great Xia Prefecture. The warrior path in our prefecture is exceptionally formidable as well." "We'll see!" King Miecan walked out of the hall, with King Dasong and King Dahan stepping out alongside him. King Dahan glanced back at those who had come to see them off, his gaze ultimately settling on Zhou Pochong. He said slowly, "I likely won't be managing much at the Quest Realm in the near future. Miecan and I must search for the Six-Winged Divine Cult, and I must make a trip back to the Great Han Prefecture. Pochong, I hope the Quest Realm remains quiet during this period." Those words carried profound weight. Zhou Pochong nodded silently, saying nothing. In the next instant, the three Eternals vanished from the spot. Just then, a voice suddenly sounded directly in Su Yu's mind: *Boy, quite bold, aren't you? Comprehending my Time right in front of me—don't take an Eternal for an idiot! Furthermore, a word of advice: the Great Ming Prefecture might not be a haven you can rely on. Zhu Tiandao harbors no small ambitions, so take care not to get dragged down with him. Leave the Great Xia Prefecture as soon as possible. Chaos is coming to Great Xia!* Su Yu was inwardly shaken, but he offered no response. The three Eternals were already gone. ... Meanwhile, in the void. The three Eternals stepped into another layer of space, crossing hundreds of li with a single stride. King Dahan and King Dasong turned to look at King Miecan. King Dahan said calmly, "Miecan, what was the meaning of that?" "Meaning of what?" King Miecan replied with a playful look. "What's the matter?" King Dahan asked impassively, "Was there an issue with the vote? With Feng Qi's memories, could you have broken through the genuine memory and reversed time to uncover it? Why did you insist on asking about Xia Longwu right before leaving? Miecan, what exactly are you thinking?" "What am I thinking?" King Miecan chuckled. "I'm not thinking anything! The votes were naturally authentic. As for reversing the memory, there was no need. Like I said, executing Chen Yong right now would force the Xia family into an open break. Is that necessary? As for Xia Longwu..." King Miecan added casually, "I was merely warning Xia Xiao'er not to make a mess of things! If Xia Longwu doesn't return to hold down the fort, chaos will erupt in the Great Xia Prefecture sooner or later. Does Xia Xiao'er really think he can prop it up all by himself? Don't treat everyone else like fools—it's not as though nobody knows Xia Longwu isn't there." King Dahan gave him a searching look but remained silent. King Dasong waved his paper fan, smiling. "Miecan, this habit of smoothing things over doesn't fit your usual temperament. Tell us, what is your view on the current situation?" "What situation?" "Between us, do you really need to play dumb?" King Dasong smiled. "What are your thoughts? Moreover, Hong Tan insisted on announcing the public release of the disassembly art right now. He's simply inviting trouble. Does he truly wish to die, or does he have other plans?" King Miecan shrugged. "How would I know? As for my plan, it's simple: fight if we can win, and fight even if we can't—but fight on a controlled scale! We can't refrain from fighting entirely. We have to test the depth of the gods and demons. If we wait until the Half-Emperors of the god and demon races truly advance, the game will be over!" King Miecan chuckled. "I know what those other fellows are thinking. They believe that even if the Half-Emperors advance, it's still a long way off. Thousands of years have passed without an advancement, so why now? And even if they do, everyone has a way out—find a reasonably strong minor realm and entrench themselves to defend it to the death. Even if a Half-Emperor comes, they might not be able to do anything to them." At this point, King Miecan said pensively, "I've been wondering: once a Half-Emperor advances, does he count as a True Emperor? If a True Emperor arrives, first, can the realm's domain power suppress him? Second, from outside the realm, is it possible he could simply shatter the minor realm directly? Third, more than half of our Eternals attained the Dao within the Human Realm. If the Human Realm is lost and shattered, can those Eternals survive? Who gave them the confidence to claim they can definitely hold a minor realm?" "So you mean to fight?" King Miecan laughed. "Not necessarily. I understand the current situation—fighting an all-out war... we can't win! But we can't compromise completely either, can we? Acting like a grandson is fine. Back when I fought the Dragon Silkworm King, I was inferior to him as well. It didn't matter. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Nowadays, if he didn't pull back into his shell, he'd be no match for me either. You act like a grandson only so you can become a grandfather later; you can't stay a grandson forever..." The two largely understood his meaning. He did not advocate for total war, but rather localized skirmishes to test the waters and spark controlled conflicts. Preferably battles between Eternals! King Miecan added, "Besides, with things thrown into such disarray, can the front lines still remain united? I was quite disappointed with the outcome of this vote. An all-out war probably won't erupt now. The Eternals who favor war have dwindled considerably. Thirteen votes—subtracting the armamentsmiths' vote and the Xia family's own vote, that leaves only eleven. To be frank, I voted for Option 2 in favor of the Xia family. Without me, there would have been only ten..." Shaking his head with regret, King Miecan sighed. "Out of thirty-six prefectures and two sacred lands, only ten prefectures backed the Great Xia Prefecture. Among them, the staunchly pro-war Great Qin and Great Tang go without saying, and another backer was the Great Wu Prefecture. But King Dawu is dead—what good is their vote? Those who can fight are even fewer than imagined." With another soft sigh, King Miecan murmured, "There aren't many left who dare to fight. If this continues, even if the Human Realm stalls for another century, what will it accomplish?" King Dahan frowned. "You voted for the Xia family?" "Yeah." The two nodded. They had guessed as much. This fellow possessed a fiery temperament; otherwise, he wouldn't have clashed with the Dragon Silkworm King for so many years. That meant the supporters were truly scarce. With King Dawu deceased, the Great Wu Prefecture's support carried little weight. King Dahan hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then how did the Great Qi, Great Wei, and Great Chen prefectures choose?" All three prefectures lacked an Eternal, their Eternals having fallen in battle. Together with the Great Wu Prefecture, four prefectures lacked an Eternal. The votes of these four prefectures were practically meaningless. "Out of the four prefectures, two on each side, so they canceled each other out." On this point, King Miecan wasn't lying; they had indeed split evenly and canceled each other out. King Dahan said no more. In that case, among the thirteen votes on the Xia family's side, many didn't count. Two prefectures' votes didn't count, and the armamentsmiths' vote didn't count. Excluding the Xia family and King Miecan, did only eight parties support the Xia family? "What about the War God Hall?" "Naturally, they supported the Xia family!" "Sigh!" Nothing more needed to be said. Excluding the War God Hall as well, only seven prefectures with living Eternals had backed them. King Dahan could already deduce which seven they were. This matched the numbers everyone had anticipated. In the end, the faction favoring peace held an overwhelming advantage. After exchanging a few more words, King Dasong smiled. "Miecan, who were you transmitting a voice message to at the end?" "Does it have anything to do with you?" "Not really," King Dasong replied with a chuckle. "I'm just a bit curious... That was Cui Lang, wasn't it? It felt... like he actually has a bit of a connection to me." Su Yu had obtained ten Eternal Manuals: one from each of the Eight Great Families, one granted by King Dahan, and the final one from King Dasong. While the Great Song Prefecture was not among the Eight Great Families, King Dasong had authored several manuals and left them in the Quest Realm's vaults to be studied and bestowed as rewards. King Miecan ignored him, while King Dahan remarked calmly, "Cui Lang or whoever, I also sensed a trace of my own legacy." "..." King Miecan fell silent, offering no further response. With the aura of Time and traces of legacies from two Eternals present, who else could Cui Lang be? Did they even need to ask? Then again, the distance had been far too close! Of course, the crux was that Su Yu was still too weak. Merely at the Tengkong Realm! Had he been somewhat stronger, he wouldn't have leaked his aura so easily. But at his current strength and standing beneath the very same roof, some resonance was unavoidable. None of them pursued the matter, rapidly fading away into the void. Be it Cui Lang or Su Yu, he was hardly the critical factor right now. Even if rumors claimed he held an Eternal ruin, a ruin was merely a ruin, and an Eternal was an Eternal. Possessing an Eternal ruin was no guarantee that an Eternal would be born. ... The three Eternals had departed. Back in the hall, Su Yu was thoroughly shaken. *Had he been found out?* Eternals were indeed far more formidable than he had imagined! He had merely watched a bit longer when King Miecan wielded Time, and he had been detected instantly. As for King Miecan's warning... he would keep it in mind, and that was enough. There was no need to dwell excessively on the rest. While Su Yu was pondering this, powerful figures of the Sun Moon Realm filed into the hall from outside—numerous experts belonging to the Great Xia Prefecture. Marquis Xia strode back in, the smile gone from his face. Looking at Zhou Pochong and his companions, Marquis Xia said coldly, "Zhou Pochong, when it comes to doing real work, you're useless; when it comes to killing the All-Races Cult, you're powerless. But you certainly have a knack for targeting my people! Regarding Chen Yong, even if you had evidence—not to mention you don't—it wouldn't be your place to give me grief!" Zhou Pochong replied with a faint smile, "Xiao'er, I was merely upholding justice. If even the murder of military commanders goes unpunished, then who should be punished?" "Drop the act!" Marquis Xia said chillingly, "Now you can scram! Leave the Great Xia Prefecture immediately. Otherwise, don't blame me if I get rough with you!" With that, he swept his eyes over the others and said flatly, "You've seen your show. Shouldn't everyone who needs to leave be clearing out by now? Don't push the Xia family's patience time and again. The Xia family's blade hasn't snapped yet!" Zhou Pochong sighed. "You are too rash. We had no intention of targeting the Xia family. You insist on seeing it that way yourself. Isn't preserving the status quo of the past few decades what everyone wished to see? Marquis Xia, I urge you to think twice!" Marquis Xia maintained a cold expression and said nothing. Zhou Pochong shook his head and spoke as he walked away: "Open your eyes to the greater trend! Be it you or me, none of us acts for selfish reasons. We all want the Human Realm to fare better. Do you think those Eternals see things less clearly than we do? Look around you: most of those supporting you now are warriors. The desires of warriors are different from ours. It's true that the Xia family is a warrior clan, but this place is also the birthplace of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. The Multiple Divine Characters Faction could acknowledge the Xia family as their sovereign head..." Marquis Xia remained silent. He understood Zhou Pochong's meaning. The Multiple Divine Characters Faction Zhou Pochong referred to was not the current one, nor was it Hong Tan's branch, but an entirely different faction of people. Zhou Pochong paid him no further mind. Turning to Hong Tan at last, his expression turned somewhat complicated. "No one wants to target anyone, but... we walk different paths and pursue different ends. Hong Tan, that disassembly art of yours... might not strengthen the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. It might well prove to be a seed of disaster." "I don't need your reminders!" Hong Tan said coldly. "Even ants cling to life, let alone... I am no ant!" "As you wish." Without another word, Zhou Pochong walked out of the hall and stepped onto the air, departing. Beside Yuan Qingdong, those Sun Moon experts also began taking their leave one after another. ... The crowd gradually dispersed. Finally, Marquis Xia went to see off the armamentsmiths, displaying an exceptionally courteous demeanor that differed completely from earlier. At the end, he requested a private word with Cui Lang. No one found this surprising; attempting to win over a rising talent of the armamentsmithing world was entirely in keeping with Marquis Xia's character. ... Once the others had moved aside, Marquis Xia glanced at Su Yu and let out a soft sigh. "Fortunately, you didn't derail my plans." "I don't understand what the Marquis means." Ignoring his evasion, Marquis Xia continued, "Leave this place quickly. Right now, it's a dead end. I told you long ago not to linger here!" Su Yu was quiet for a moment before asking, "What about them?" He meant Hong Tan and the others. "They can't leave," Marquis Xia said calmly. "They are the fuse. Wherever the fuse goes, an explosion will follow!" Su Yu fell silent again. After a pause, he asked, "I understood a great deal today. Let me ask: if I hadn't stirred up trouble, would the situation have avoided becoming this dire?" Marquis Xia laughed. "So you admit you were stirring up trouble?" "No, I was merely saving myself. What you think is your business, and what I think is mine. I had no idea what you were planning, so even if something was disrupted, don't pin it on me. I simply felt... everything that happened to Elder Chen might have been avoided." Marquis Xia smiled, speaking slowly: "The grievances run deep; it has little to do with you. From the moment Liu Wenyan stepped out of Nanyuan... no, from the moment he was forced into the Tengkong Realm in Nanyuan, it was already destined to begin!" Everything had originated from that single ambush. It had begun from the moment Liu Wenyan advanced! Fifty years had thoroughly drained everyone's patience and hope. At this point, Marquis Xia added, "However, you certainly accelerated the process. Originally, it wasn't supposed to happen this quickly. The plan was to wait another two years. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been any need for me to act as interim governor. Do you understand now?" Su Yu nodded and said nothing more. Marquis Xia chuckled and remarked again, "Don't imagine you're truly skilled at hiding. Quite a few people have seen through you. With how flashy you've been, more will figure it out sooner or later. Scram as soon as possible. It's best if you return to the Great Ming Prefecture." Su Yu replied in a muffled voice, "If they found out, then so be it. Let me ask you, Marquis: why has my home been turned into an exhibition hall for anyone to visit?" Marquis Xia said casually, "It's just a dilapidated house. What's the harm in people visiting?" Su Yu clenched his fists! Marquis Xia said with a light chuckle, "Unhappy? Don't take it out on me. If they don't go, how will they discover the ruin? In Nanyuan, an ancient ruin will emerge sooner or later!" Su Yu's eyes flickered. *It will emerge sooner or later?* Marquis Xia grinned. "If your home isn't open, people won't have any interest in coming. If they can't investigate, how boring would that be? A house is just a house; if it's gone, so be it. A place with people is a home; without people, it's just a building. How about I compensate you?" Su Yu gritted his teeth. "That is where my father and I lived for over a decade. It holds my youth..." "Tsk, tsk!" Marquis Xia laughed. "Children are children after all! Fine, hold a grudge if you want. It makes no difference to me! Once you're strong enough to deal with me—heh, I'll be waiting!" "You..." Su Yu was incensed, but Marquis Xia paid his anger no mind, continuing with a smile: "Why haven't you released any cultivation methods lately? Frankly, I was hoping you'd make your name even louder. Now that you've abruptly stopped releasing methods, things have gotten rather dull! With the commotion you caused in Nanyuan, fewer people are heading there now, and that won't do!" He looked at Su Yu with a grin. "Your house is wrecked, and people have been killed. How about releasing a few more cultivation methods? The stronger the ruin appears, the better; the more mysterious, the better. It would be best... if it could lure out Eternals to pry into it. Wouldn't that be fun?" Su Yu frowned at him. *Lure out Eternals?* Marquis Xia narrowed his eyes. "To be honest, compared to Hong Tan and the others, I have higher hopes for you. If you don't leave, boy, tsk tsk—I think you serving as the bait would be like an aroma wafting for thousands of li. Everyone would be itching to take a bite!" "Why should I cooperate with you..." "Why?" Marquis Xia chuckled, jutting his chin toward Hong Tan and Bai Feng in the distance. He said playfully, "How about easing some of the pressure on them? The burden on them is too heavy; I'm afraid it might crush them. Why don't you share some of it?" Su Yu gritted his teeth. *Is this damn fatty completely certain he has me cornered?* Marquis Xia said with a beaming smile, "You're definitely cursing me in your head. Doesn't matter, I don't care. Plenty of people curse me; you don't even make the top of the list. Do me a favor: tell me, how can we make everyone pay more attention to Nanyuan?" Su Yu remained silent for a long while before speaking: "What is the Marquis actually trying to achieve? Are you a friend or a foe? What is the Xia family's stance, really...?" Marquis Xia grinned. "Never mind our stance or what we want to do. I'm asking you: how do you think we can make everyone take Nanyuan more seriously?" Su Yu frowned at him, pausing before finally saying, "Heaven Yuan Qi leaking out. Nanyuan might contain a Heaven Yuan sacred land!" "..." Marquis Xia froze. Su Yu had already turned to leave, calling out loudly, "I'm accustomed to wandering far and wide. Thank you for your kind intentions, Marquis!" Nearby, many looked over with smiling faces, having deduced the situation. Recruiting such a talent was never going to be easy! Meanwhile, Marquis Xia's eyes flashed. *A Heaven Yuan sacred land!* The crux was that they didn't have that much Heaven Yuan Qi. *Did this kid have it?* *You have it? How about selling it to me? One Heaven Yuan Fruit for one hundred merit points, how about that?* "..." Su Yu ignored him, refusing to reply even to the voice transmission. *Five hundred merit points? To relieve some of the burden on your master and grandmaster?* *How about a thousand merit points? I need a thousand Heaven Yuan Fruits. Do you have them?* *Two thousand merit points, not a single point more!* "..." Su Yu refused to acknowledge him. Marquis Xia sighed, transmitting his voice once again: *I'm going to die, your master and the others are going to die, and many people will die. In the future, the world will belong to you young people! Wealth is merely an external possession. Giving you more wouldn't matter, but we need to make preparations, and the cost is immense. Boy, how about sponsoring us a bit?* Su Yu glanced sideways at him with an unfriendly gaze. *Don't look, or you'll make everyone suspicious!* Marquis Xia looked at him and transmitted, *Our generation failed to sweep through the myriad heavens or suppress the myriad realms, and we probably have no hope of achieving it anymore. We can only rely on your generation. Of course, before we die, we'll still do something to smooth the path for you. Boy, with me being so noble, what's wrong with giving me a little sponsorship?* "..." For a moment, Su Yu couldn't tell whether he was being serious or not. He couldn't shake the feeling that Marquis Xia was simply trying to swindle his money and his Heaven Yuan Qi. Marquis Xia continued: *We have a magnificent plan. If it succeeds, boy, things will be much easier for you all. Afterward, life won't be nearly as difficult. Of course, any reform must be paid for in blood. I'm going to die, Longwu is going to die, and the old ghost in my family might die as well. Along with many others—your master, your grandmaster, Wan Tiansheng... Such a grand endeavor, yet it needs a sponsorship of Heaven Yuan Qi. Can you supply a batch?* The more Su Yu listened, the more convinced he became that this fat man was just trying to cheat him out of his resources! He ignored him further. They could talk about it later. In any case, it didn't look like something that would happen immediately. Marquis Xia chuckled, staring at his retreating back for a moment before transmitting another message: *We can discuss the Heaven Yuan Qi later, but there is one thing I must remind you about. If you want to go to the All-Heavens Battlefield, you had better reach the Lingyun Realm or even the Shanhai Realm first! Also, your stench of blood is far too heavy. Absorb less essence blood! It's one thing from afar, but up close, that bloody stench on you truly reeks!* Su Yu was slightly startled. Marquis Xia's voice came again: *You can take a trip to the Great Jin Prefecture. They have a Mind-Calming Spring. If you soak in it for three to five days, it will mask the blood scent. That stench has seeped into your very bones!* Su Yu made a mental note of this. He truly hadn't paid much attention to it before; whether Niu Baidao and the others hadn't smelled it or simply hadn't cared, they had never brought it up. ... Once Marquis Xia departed as well, the Disciplinary Academy grew completely quiet. Su Yu stepped outside, where the other armamentsmiths were exchanging pleasantries, preparing to leave. Seeing Su Yu emerge, Hu Qi smiled and asked, "Cui Lang, do you want to head back with me?" "No, I'd like to travel around a bit more. Teacher Hu, please go ahead!" "Then take care out there." Hu Qi offered a few words of caution and said no more. Just then, Xia Huyou walked over again with a grin. "Brother Cui, why not stay in the Great Xia Prefecture for a few more days? You and I hit it off right from the start, and there are still many places you haven't visited. While the Great Xia Prefecture doesn't boast countless amusements, it does possess a distinctive charm. Brother Cui, what do you say?" He added with a wink, "I've invited several descendants of Eternals, and in a couple of days, a group of beauties from the mighty god and demon races will arrive at the Great Xia Prefecture. Why not stay and enjoy yourself for a few more days?" Su Yu's eyes flickered, and he quickly smiled. "Really? Students from the mighty god and demon races are coming to the Great Xia Prefecture?" "Within the next few days!" Xia Huyou laughed heartily. "Then it's settled! Brother Cui, stay for a few more days. I'm quite fond of forging myself, so we can exchange insights!" The armamentsmiths all chuckled. This kid from the Xia family was certainly brazen—did he even know how to forge? Still, the Xia family's effort to win over armamentsmiths pleased everyone. See? Even the descendant of an Eternal had to pamper their kind! It gave them considerable face! Zhao Tianbing also chuckled. "Young Friend Cui, why not stay a few more days? My junior brother happens to take a liking to you, and he has been rather gloomy lately. Exchanging a few pointers with him would be doing me a personal favor. If your travels ever take you to the Great Zhou Prefecture, come find me at the Great Zhou Armament Forging Academy, and I'll certainly receive you warmly!" "Then thank you, Principal Zhao!" Su Yu cupped his fists in gratitude, accepting the offer. Zhao Tianbing gave a hearty laugh and departed swiftly. The other armamentsmiths exchanged a few parting courtesies before taking their leave one by one. ... Once everyone had departed, Xia Huyou transmitted his voice: *Don't wander around over the next few days. A few people died in Nanyuan, and some powerful figures are rushing here. They ran into some trouble along the way. Wait until that trouble is cleared up before you leave.* Su Yu nodded silently. It seemed the relatives of the deceased were coming. *The Great Jin Prefecture... the Mind-Calming Spring...* The fellow he had slain seemed to have been from the Great Jin Prefecture. After sending the transmission, Xia Huyou quickly led Su Yu forward, chatting as they walked: "Brother Cui, how about staying at the academy for the next few days? There are several villas in the Temperament Garden. Forgive the modest hospitality, but how about resting there? You can also mingle with everyone, as several descendants of Eternals will be visiting in the coming days..." "It would be my absolute honor!" Su Yu replied courteously, his peripheral vision catching sight of Hong Tan and his companions quietly walking away in the distance. He said nothing. ... Not far away. Bai Feng remarked with a sigh, "Learning armament forging or pill refining is truly the way to go. Master, did you see that? Look at him—a mere Profound-rank armamentsmith, yet they treat him like a national treasure. You're already at the Sun Moon Realm, yet it feels like your status doesn't even match his!" "Now that Old Zhao has broken through, it feels like your standing has dropped another notch!" "..." Hong Tan shot him a glare. *Do you just feel uncomfortable if you aren't courting death?* Glancing sideways toward Su Yu, Hong Tan raised an eyebrow slightly. "That kid doesn't seem like someone easy to deal with." "Huh?" "The baleful aura on him is extraordinarily heavy. Of course, you can't sense it; you're too weak." With that, Hong Tan smiled and suddenly transmitted his voice: *That kid... do you feel anything about him?* Bai Feng blinked, replying via transmission: *I feel quite a sense of closeness.* *Mm.* Hong Tan said no more. It wasn't just Bai Feng; he felt it too. It wasn't genuine personal closeness, but rather that the fellow might be carrying something of immense importance to them. What could it be? The next instant, a faint suspicion crossed his mind: *The Divine Character Battle Technique Monument?* Hong Tan kept the thought to himself and refrained from probing. Perhaps it was merely an illusion. Hadn't the Divine Character Battle Technique Monument already been taken away by Su Yu?