On the Road

Dajin Prefecture, Jingxin City. Inside Master Chen's grand residence, Su Yu chatted amiably with several armamentsmiths. While sharing his personal insights on armamentsmithing, he took the opportunity to savor the benefits of this recent breakthrough in his willpower. His willpower having stepped into tier three brought a surge in potency, and several of his divine characters were already poised for advancement. Of course, with so many people present at the time, he had deliberately held them back from advancing to avoid arousing suspicion. Having just entered tier three, Su Yu possessed willpower no weaker than that of mid- to late-stage Lingyun Civilization Masters. However, during the Tengkong stage, he had not tempered it extensively with the Expanding Will Art, so he hadn't truly leaped across ranks by a wide margin. Back in the Character Cultivation stage, breaking through had brought his willpower close to the strength of the late Tengkong stage. Yet by the time he reached Lingyun, it hadn't matched up to that proportion—roughly sitting around the mid Lingyun stage, slightly falling short of the late stage. With all 180 divine apertures unlocked, he had no need to open any more, so his progress through the Lingyun stage would not be slow; the only limiting factor was willpower. After this, he would need to consider the problem of aperture integration in the Shanhai Realm. At this current stage, he also ideally needed to outline all his divine characters. Otherwise, his current disassembly art would be useless for the Shanhai Realm; without delineating every last character, he wouldn't be able to slot them into place once he reached Shanhai, rendering his 99-character divine art useless. To date, Su Yu had outlined only twenty-three divine characters. He was still quite a way off from ninety-nine. If he made no further headway with the disassembly art in the Lingyun Realm, he would simply have to remain at Lingyun indefinitely. Still, Su Yu wasn't worried. Progress in Lingyun wouldn't be too slow, and even if the disassembly art couldn't be applied to the Shanhai Realm, he could always follow Chen Yong's example. When it came time to merge the Shanhai apertures into one, he could simply hold back from advancing and let everything break through together. The spirit fusion method had not yet been deduced, and merging divine apertures was hardly an easy task anyway. With only seventy-six divine characters left to go, there was no rush. At worst, he could focus on tempering his physical body first. So far, his flesh had completed just eleven temperings—still a long, long way from seventy-two. As he laughed and chatted with the group of armamentsmiths, Su Yu's thoughts soon drifted back to Zhang He. He did not know whether Zhang He was a good person or a bad one, nor did he care. He harbored no regrets about killing Zhang He's son. But for now, it was best to keep stringing Zhang He along to keep him from causing trouble. As for inviting Zhang He to escort him... only a guilty conscience made a thief look nervous; if one didn't act like a thief, there was naturally nothing to be nervous about. In full view of the public, Zhang He had agreed to escort him to the All-Heavens Battlefield. As a quasi-Earth cultural armamentsmith, Su Yu was hardly a nobody. Unless Zhang He was completely suicidal, he wouldn't dare strike at him rashly. Naturally, Su Yu continually bringing up Cheng Mo of the Great Tang Prefecture served as a deterrent as well. It sent a clear message to Zhang He: Cheng Mo could arrive at any moment, so he had better not harbor any crooked ideas. Thoughts flickered across his mind one after another as the sky gradually brightened. Seeing that dawn was approaching, Master Chen and the others, though reluctant to wrap up the conversation, took the initiative to say, "Brother Cui, let's call it a night! You still have a long journey ahead of you, and it won't do to delay too long." Master Chen smiled. "If Director Cheng truly gets word, he might actually come in person to drag you back. In truth, we think it would be a blessing for you, but you're still young and want to enjoy a few more years of freedom. We understand completely, so we won't hold up your itinerary any longer." Forming a connection with a mighty ninth-stage Sun Moon expert came with enormous benefits. Short of reaching the Heaven armamentsmith rank, even a peak Earth-rank smith was, strictly speaking, lower in standing than a ninth-stage Sun Moon figure. Zhao Tianbing, for instance, enjoyed an exalted status, but claiming that his standing definitively eclipsed a ninth-stage Sun Moon expert's was pushing it. Unless one truly managed to advance to Heaven armamentsmith! Su Yu smiled. "Then I won't stand on ceremony with you elder brothers. Time for me to take my leave. Until we meet again!" The group escorted him out the main gate, where Zhang He was already waiting. Not only had he arrived, but he had also brought along a massive flying eagle. Seeing Su Yu and the others emerge, Zhang He didn't waste words. He produced a parcel along with a merit card, holding them out to Su Yu. "Master Cui, this is compensation for yesterday's offense. Please take a look, Master Cui. If anything is amiss..." Without so much as glancing at them, Su Yu casually swept the items into his storage ring and replied nonchalantly, "Close enough will do. It's the respect that matters; whether it's a bit more or less doesn't concern me." With that, he leapt lightly onto the eagle's back. The flying eagle possessed the strength of the ninth-stage Tengkong Realm, yet it was thoroughly tame right now, remaining completely still as Su Yu stepped onto its back. Su Yu cupped his hands to the crowd below and smiled. "Everyone, until next time! When we meet again, I will surely be an Earth armamentsmith. By then, I'll have even deeper insights to share. I also hope that one of you brothers will step into the Earth rank as well, adding glory to our lineage of armamentsmiths!" "Have a safe journey!" The smiths cupped their hands in farewell one after another. Su Yu chuckled. "Then I'm off. General Zhang, time to hit the road!" With a light tap of his foot, the eagle gave a sharp cry and surged forward with tremendous speed, vanishing from their sight in the blink of an eye. Zhang He's figure flickered as well, disappearing just as swiftly. As a Sun Moon powerhouse, riding a mount was simply too slow. Even though the eagle's speed rivaled that of some Lingyun cultivators, to him, it crawled like a snail. He would have preferred to carry Cui Lang in one hand as they flew, but ultimately decided against it. That would look disrespectful, and unless Cui Lang asked for it himself, it would only cause offense. Below, the armamentsmiths sighed with profound emotion. "Brother Cui will soon enter the Earth rank. I wonder if he has any hope of reaching Heaven rank in this lifetime." "Reaching Earth rank in his thirties means that even if everything goes smoothly, reaching Heaven rank would still take a century. It's difficult!" "Difficult, yes, but the chances aren't small. Speaking of which, Brother Cui's rapid progress has a lot to do with Zhao Li's forging teachings. The Zhao Clan Forging Art—tsk tsk, truly remarkable. Cui Lang counts as half a disciple to Zhao Li, and with Manor Head Zhao included... the Great Xia Prefecture's Fourth Principal lineage truly produces an endless stream of geniuses!" Everyone murmured in admiration. If the Fourth Principal hadn't fallen back then, he might well have become a second Heaven armamentsmith. What a pity! Thinking back on the Great Xia Prefecture's six generations of principals, aside from Wan Tiansheng, who didn't seem to possess any earth-shattering abilities, the first five generations had all been world-shaking heroes who made monumental contributions to their respective fields. As for Wan Tiansheng, he had spent decades living in leisurely comfort, never making any grand moves—keeping a profile so low that it hardly suited his status as the Sixth Principal. ... While they were discussing this below, the flying eagle soared through the sky at blinding speed. Looking down at the earth, Su Yu had to admit that flying mounts were far more comfortable to ride. From up here, one could take in the panoramic view below. The Suanni and the Mountain-Drilling Bull weren't flying mounts, whereas the Fire Crow was, but it was too weak and had been left behind with Chen Yong. By now, it was probably over with Hong Tan and the others, perhaps locked up in a cage again. Who knew if it had starved to death already? Beside the eagle, Zhang He strolled through the empty air with complete ease, looking as relaxed as someone taking a casual walk in the park. Keeping pace, he remarked, "Past Dajin Prefecture lies Great Zhou Prefecture, and past Great Zhou Prefecture is All-Heavens Prefecture. At our current pace, we will definitely reach All-Heavens Prefecture within two days." Su Yu nodded and smiled. "I know that. I visited All-Heavens Prefecture back then, and I've been to the All-Heavens Battlefield as well. Unfortunately... last time I wanted to catch a glimpse of the beauties from the god and demon races, but I never got the chance. I was too weak and didn't dare go to the front lines, so how could I have seen any?" With that, Su Yu asked with a grin, "General Zhang, has there been any interesting news from the All-Heavens Battlefield lately?" *Interesting news?* Zhang He cursed internally. *That's a place of war, damn your 'interesting news'!* Even so, he replied, "Nothing particularly interesting, but signs suggest war is on the verge of breaking out. All races have been making moves. The top powerhouses haven't acted yet, but the younger generation has been clashing constantly, with new figures making a name for themselves all the time!" He sighed with feeling. "The youths of this generation—prodigies, powerhouses, monsters—are bursting onto the scene in droves! Some are saying a golden era is upon us! Over on the god race's side, a genius from the Primordial God Race has achieved thirty-six body temperings, opened 144 apertures, and completed three Yuan Qi transformations. Every technique he cultivates is top-tier, and he's honed them to perfection. At merely the third stage of Lingyun, his burst power exceeds the force of 40,000 apertures! Just a few days ago, he slew a Shanhai Realm expert!" "Over with the Archdemon Race, a fourth-stage Lingyun Civilization Master with 144 opened divine apertures wielded peerless combat strength and swept through the battlefield with demonic arts, capturing and slaying a Shanhai general in a single move..." "As for the human race, Qin Fang of Great Qin Prefecture, Huang Teng of Great Xia Prefecture, Tang Yue of Great Tang Prefecture... they're all campaigning across the front lines, cutting down hordes of enemies and slaying Shanhai powerhouses to the shock of the four quarters!" He truly sounded deeply moved as he added, "These past few years should be the golden development period for geniuses. Full-scale war among the top experts hasn't erupted yet, giving the younger generation room to display their divine might. It's almost reminiscent of Ye Batian's era." Su Yu laughed. "That intense? Then what about my Great Ming Prefecture? Has any brother of ours made a name for himself?" "..." Zhang He gave a dry laugh. What was he supposed to say to that? After pondering for a long time, he coughed softly and said, "There is one. A few days ago, His Highness Zhu Hongwen of the Great Ming Prefecture went to the All-Heavens Battlefield and reviewed the Great Ming Heavenly Dao Army. His strength is quite formidable." Zhu Hongwen was Zhu Tiandao's eldest grandson and Zhu Guangshen's son. A Lingyun-level cultivator. As for how reviewing the Heavenly Dao Army counted as having 'formidable strength,' Su Yu couldn't fathom the logic. Helpless, he figured that there simply weren't any actual battle achievements to speak of. Zhang He gave another dry laugh before quickly adding, "The Great Ming Prefecture doesn't specialize in direct combat. Take Master Cui, for instance—you are about to advance to Earth armamentsmith, which is far superior to those fighters." Su Yu said wistfully, "I used to dream of roaming the world with a sword, sweeping through the myriad heavens. As for armamentsmithing... to put it bluntly, people only call you a master when they feel like giving you face. If they don't, what are you?" Zhang He chuckled. "Master Cui is too modest. I saw how dense your willpower was. When you were forging, that hammer art you used should be the Zhao family's Expanding Will Art, right? That counts as a potent divine technique in its own right. Ordinary fifth- or sixth-stage Lingyun cultivators might not even be a match for you, Master Cui!" "Just call me by my name, no need for 'Master.' You don't have to be so formal, General Zhang." Su Yu replied, though he knew in his heart that this fellow had still not let go of his suspicions and still harbored doubts that he might be the killer. Hearing those words, Su Yu smiled and said, "'Ordinary' Lingyun depends on how ordinary you mean. General Zhang, if you compare me to those Lingyun who've only opened a few dozen apertures and tempered their bodies nine times, that's meaningless. And if you compare me to Civilization Masters with only one or two divine characters and floating, unstable willpower, that's equally pointless." Su Yu stated with an arrogant tilt of his head, "Though I'm not known for combat power, I am still the disciple of a Sun Moon expert. I've received only the finest education and guidance. If I couldn't even defeat those grassroots commoners, wouldn't that make me a total waste of space?" Zhang He nodded and smiled. "That's true. Cui... allow me to take liberties and call you Brother Cui. Brother Cui isn't wrong about that. Everyone starts on a different footing, so there really is no comparison. Sigh, my son was also a genius on the Civilization Master path. He had outlined numerous divine characters, yet in the end... sigh!" He sighed once more. Su Yu gave a slight nod. "Though I never met your son, Brother Zhang, I heard people talk about him back in Nanyuan. He was indeed a genius. Brother Zhang, since we're on the subject, may I ask you a question?" "Go ahead." "Does Nanyuan truly possess an ancient relic?" He looked at Zhang He. "Even if there is a relic, to be frank, on Great Xia Prefecture's territory, hoping to claim it is nothing short of a pipe dream. Why did you send your esteemed son to Nanyuan in the first place, Brother Zhang?" "Just to try his luck, that's all." Zhang He shook his head, unwilling to say much. Yet Su Yu pressed on relentlessly, smiling as he said, "Try his luck? I doubt it! Brother Zhang, why not tell me? We've already come this far. Did you people discover something?" With a meaningful pause, he added, "Perhaps it was precisely because he discovered something that he met with a foul end!" Zhang He's heart stirred. After a moment's contemplation, he said, "In truth, we didn't really discover anything, but a relic truly might exist in Nanyuan. First, do you know Liu Wenyan? After leaving the Great Xia Civilization Academy years ago, he went to settle in Nanyuan." "Second, King Daxia himself stayed in Nanyuan for many years back in the day." "Third, Su Yu's emergence further proved many things." "Fourth, what you might not know, Brother, is that within the Human Realm, besides Nanyuan, there are also Xiyuan City, Beiyuan City, and Dongyuan City. Ancient relics have appeared in all three of those cities in past years. Nanyuan was not named recently; it has borne that name since ancient times." Su Yu blinked in surprise. "I really didn't know that. Nanyuan counts as the south within the Great Xia Prefecture, but across the entire Human Realm, it isn't the extreme south. My Great Ming Prefecture lies even further south than Nanyuan..." Zhang He shook his head. "That's not how it was divided. According to ancient human geography, Nanyuan was the southernmost point of the Central Plains. Once you stepped past Nanyuan, you entered the Southern Wilds! The Great Ming Prefecture actually sits in what used to be the Southern Wilds!" "Beiyuan lies right within the borders of Great Zhou Prefecture. A relic once surfaced in Beiyuan City. Do you know who took it?" "King Dazhou?" "No, King Dazhou's younger brother." Enlightenment dawned on Su Yu. "So that's how it is! That personage... so it was also an Invincible relic?" "Indeed!" Su Yu felt his horizons broadened. "I see now. No wonder everyone is so invested. But why did no one pay attention to Nanyuan before?" Zhang He chuckled. "In the past, that was the Xia family's private domain. Who would dare trespass rashly? Furthermore, word of the relics appearing in Beiyuan, Dongyuan, and Xiyuan only began circulating recently. Previously, the locations where Invincibles attained the Dao were closely guarded secrets! Only now has this information become common knowledge, so everyone is convinced that Nanyuan must possess a relic as well. That is why so many people rushed over." Su Yu nodded. "No wonder. I kept wondering why a bunch of fools were wandering around like headless chickens—turns out they were certain a relic was there!" He then shook his head. "The one spreading this news certainly harbored no good intentions. Previously, no one knew, yet now three Invincible Dao-attainment sites have suddenly come to light. The person leaking this information possesses heavenly means, but clearly harbors malicious intent. Could it be King Daxia's enemy?" Zhang He said with admiration, "Brother, you are truly sharp, piercing right to the heart of the matter with a single remark. The person who circulated this news indeed harbors ill will, and everyone is well aware of it." "Couldn't they trace where it came from?" Su Yu asked in bewilderment, "Could it be that traitorous Invincible? Don't look at me like that, Brother Zhang. It's no secret anymore. Plenty of people in the Great Ming Prefecture know that among the Invincibles, there is a traitor. King Dahan even called him a malignant tumor. Could that guy be behind this?" "That... perhaps." Zhang He replied, "Who specifically leaked it isn't entirely clear. It was found among archived records. The person who discovered it genuinely stumbled across the material in a public library's archives. That guy was very weak; after making the connection, he went around proclaiming it everywhere, which subsequently caught everyone's attention." "And what happened to that person?" "Dead." "Dead?" Zhang He nodded. "Truly dead... If even you suspected something was amiss, others wouldn't be oblivious to it either. They investigated him several times and interrogated him repeatedly. That guy... was just too weak. When his memories were searched, he died." Su Yu curled his lip. "That figures. If an Invincible were really that stupid to let himself be uncovered so easily, there wouldn't be so many problems! Brother Zhang, who among the Invincibles do you think is the traitor?" Zhang He warned in a low voice, "Do not guess, do not mention it, and do not speak of it! This matter must never be voiced! The stronger one is, the more cautious one's words must be. Even some Invincibles keep their mouths shut on this topic, as it can far too easily spark chaos!" Invincibles investigating fellow Invincibles, with none answering to another—if it were truly that simple to investigate, it would have been uncovered years ago. Su Yu chuckled. "I understand! Actually, everyone understands; every expert under heaven is feigning ignorance while knowing the truth! Still, I imagine people must harbor their own private suspicions. I personally suspect a few Invincibles... of course, I wouldn't dare say their names out loud and bring trouble upon myself." The two continued forward, avoiding flying directly over any cities below. Naturally, while still within Dajin Prefecture, passing over them wouldn't have caused trouble with an army commander of the Dajin Prefectural Army alongside him. Chatting along the way, Su Yu also passed along the Essence Boosting Art. This technique had not come from Niu Baidao, of course. It actually originated from an astonishingly prolific race related to the Fire Swine Race, though belonging to a distinct branch known as the Brood Swine Race. In their matriarchal society, a single sow could give birth once a month, delivering seven or eight piglets per litter—a terrifying rate of efficiency. If Zhang He went back and practiced it, he might well father a whole brood. Naturally, leaking so much vital essence would inevitably compromise his cultivation strength somewhat. Zhang He began studying the technique, and along the way, he subtly tested Su Yu several times through roundabout remarks. As a Sun Moon Realm expert, his suspicions were not so easily dispelled. From start to finish, he had never completely stopped suspecting Cui Lang. Su Yu, however, paid it no mind. He simply acted as if he had never killed anyone in his life, thoroughly deceiving himself that he was innocent. No matter how Zhang He probed, Su Yu activated his "Quiet" divine character to keep his mind serene, showing not the slightest hint of panic. Throughout the journey, Su Yu also focused on nurturing his divine characters, paying no heed to what Zhang He thought. It was entirely natural for a Civilization Master to nurture divine characters. Soon, night fell on the sixteenth. Su Yu and Zhang He crossed out of Dajin Prefecture and entered the territory of Great Zhou Prefecture. Past Great Zhou Prefecture lay All-Heavens Prefecture. ... Great Zhou Prefecture. It was bustling and prosperous; beneath the night sky, its cities were ablaze with lights. Great Zhou Prefecture was a sacred land for Civilization Masters. They had immense numbers of them and in great variety. Compared to the Great Ming Prefecture, Great Zhou was far more combative and formidable. Here, there were Earth-rank armamentsmiths, Earth-rank divine pill masters... Every field of Civilization Master boasted peak practitioners here. Zhao Tianbing was in Great Zhou Prefecture as well, residing in its capital, Luoqiu City. Upon entering Great Zhou Prefecture, Zhang He breathed a sigh of relief. Great Zhou Prefecture was exceedingly powerful, meaning one would almost never encounter All-Races Cult powerhouses here. Of course, strict restrictions applied here as well. Before the two had flown very far, warning sirens sounded in the sky. Soon after, Su Yu felt himself locked onto by several presences. Zhang He quickly spoke up: "Zhang He of the Dajin Prefectural Army, passing through your esteemed prefecture on my way to the All-Heavens Battlefield. Please grant passage!" With that, he produced an official seal that radiated light, transmitting his identity outward. Before long, a voice echoed from the void: "So it is General Zhang. Pardon our discourtesy! General, the one beside you is..." Su Yu smiled and said, "Cui Lang of Great Ming Prefecture! Armamentsmith, heading to the All-Heavens Battlefield on the orders of Manor Head Niu of the Great Ming Civilization Academy!" "Do you possess an official writ?" "Of course!" Su Yu chuckled and drew a thick stack of travel permits from his storage ring, smiling. "I hold writs from all the major prefectures. Since I enjoy traveling far and wide, I naturally came prepared." In the shadows, a strand of willpower swept over to verify them before a voice replied, "Both of you have visited Great Zhou Prefecture before, so I will not belabor the rules: wherever there is a city, you must land. Flying across cities is strictly prohibited!" Zhang He smiled. "Naturally. We will do our best to steer clear of cities." By now, Su Yu could see the Great Zhou guards. Not far off, a patch of cloud parted to reveal an aerial fortress. Several armored powerhouses stood in view, including Civilization Masters among them. The speaker was a white-robed Civilization Master without armor. After looking over the two of them for a moment, the Civilization Master added, "Furthermore, private combat is strictly forbidden within Great Zhou territory! Also, All-Races Cultists have slipped in recently, so take care of yourselves." At that point, he looked back at Su Yu with a faint glint of hostility in his eyes. "And all of this is courtesy of Su Yu from your Great Ming Prefecture! We have Great Ming to thank for this mess!" Su Yu shrugged and laughed. "Don't look at me; I never provoked Great Zhou! Senior, if you think Su Yu caused you trouble, go find Su Yu and settle it with him—don't take it out on me. I'm an armamentsmith, a quasi-Earth armamentsmith. I have connections in Great Zhou too; Manor Head Zhao is my elder. Even if you're a Shanhai, you've got no business speaking to me in that tone..." As Su Yu spoke, his smile vanished, replaced by an icy expression. "We're merely passing through Great Zhou Prefecture. Last time I came, your Great Zhou folks were already acting so arrogant. Back then I was weak, so I couldn't be bothered to argue with you, but now you're still pulling faces at me?" Su Yu said bluntly, "I haven't provoked you in the slightest. Believe it or not, when I reach the All-Heavens Battlefield this time, I'll lodge a formal complaint against you before an Invincible!" "..." The Great Zhou Shanhai was rendered speechless. *I said one sentence, and you retorted with ten!* *These Great Ming bastards really love snitching!* He had heard of Cui Lang as well. Rumors about last night's events were already beginning to spread. An armamentsmith on the cusp of reaching Earth rank was truly not someone he could lightly afford to offend. Frowning slightly, he said, "Cui Lang, no one is trying to pick a fight with you. It is a fact that Su Yu spouted nonsense and brought trouble upon Great Zhou Prefecture! If not for him, how would there be so much mess?" Su Yu curled his lip. "Go find him then, don't complain to me. I barely know the guy—only met him once or twice. He isn't even truly from Great Ming... ahem, well, technically he is, lest our Manor Head hears of this and gives me grief." Standing to the side, Zhang He stepped in to smooth things over. "Let's both tone down the anger. There's no need to clash over unrelated people. Brother Cui, we still have ground to cover and shouldn't tarry. Aren't you worried Old Cheng will catch up?" At those words, Su Yu bared his teeth and quickly called back, "Hey, brother over there! When Old Director Cheng of Great Tang Prefecture arrives later, make sure you block him! He's here to cause trouble—a ninth-stage Sun Moon, so be careful and interrogate him thoroughly! He might be planning an attack on Academy Head Zhou! We're leaving first, you guys hold him back..." Tossing those words behind him, he gave the flying eagle a kick and sped away. The Shanhai guard frowned deeply. Once they had departed, he couldn't help but curse, "What an arrogant prick! An Earth armamentsmith... hasn't he not even reached it yet?" Beside him, a warrior Shanhai general chuckled. "The kid is young, has entered Lingyun, and is on the verge of stepping into the Earth rank; of course he's arrogant! Old Liu, stop constantly bringing up Su Yu. You're just stirring up trouble for no reason. As for this fellow... simple enough: have people keep tabs on him. If Old Cheng of Great Tang Prefecture really shows up, we'll sell out his location and let him get dragged back to Great Tang. Let's see if he can stay arrogant then!" The others chuckled at that. After laughing a moment, the warrior Shanhai added, "Still, when a ninth-stage Sun Moon enters our borders, we need to stay vigilant to avoid accidents. Notify the commander to come over; we might not be able to detect him properly on our own." "Fair point." They quickly dispatched word to summon a Sun Moon expert. The entry of a ninth-stage Sun Moon powerhouse warranted the highest caution. Before long, a Sun Moon expert of Great Zhou Prefecture arrived. Just as they finished briefing him about Cui Lang, the Sun Moon expert's expression shifted slightly. He called out into the empty air, "Could that be Senior Cheng approaching?" The void rippled faintly, and a moment later, an old man stepped out of empty space, smiling warmly. "Little Sun, it's you! It's been years since we last met. How is your grandfather doing...?" "Ahem, Senior Cheng, my grandfather passed away." "Oh, oh, oh..." The old man sighed. "I wasn't paying attention—another old friend gone! Alright then, carry on with your duties; I have business to attend to and won't keep you!" "Ahem, Senior Cheng, are you here... looking for Cui Lang?" "I am not!" The old man denied it flatly. "I'm here for that Zhang He! I heard Zhang He intentionally disrupted an Earth armamentsmith's advancement. Scum like that must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others! Do you know where Zhang He is?" "..." The group was speechless. Zhang He was currently escorting the very quasi-Earth armamentsmith whose advancement he had disrupted. Even Cui Lang himself hadn't pursued the matter, yet you want to punish him? And you claim you didn't come for Cui Lang? "Senior Cheng, they headed straight forward, in the direction of All-Heavens Prefecture." The old man stroked his beard. "All-Heavens Prefecture... that brat is going to the All-Heavens Battlefield? What's so good about that place? It's fraught with danger. Isn't a mere Lingyun courting death by going there? It's not like he's a Civilization Master known for combat prowess." Muttering under his breath, the old man quickly added, "Then I'll go give Zhang He some trouble. Keep a close watch on the gates, and you'd best inform the outposts ahead to help intercept them so they don't actually slip into the All-Heavens Battlefield!" "As Senior Cheng commands." The Sun Moon expert smiled and nodded. Chuckling, the old man tore through the void and vanished in an instant. Once he was gone, the Sun Moon commander let out a long breath. "He feels even stronger than before. If anyone in the Human Realm still has hope of attaining the Invincible Realm from the Sun Moon stage, he is certainly one of them. Next time you cross paths with him, show some respect and don't go provoking him blindly." The others nodded hastily. That went without saying. A ninth-stage Sun Moon was someone they wouldn't dare offend, even if his hopes of reaching Invincible were slim. The Sun Moon commander continued, "As for Cui Lang, I heard you nearly got into a clash earlier. Xiao Liu, stop picking fights with everyone you see. Cui Lang is about to advance to Earth armamentsmith. Great Ming has a few Earth armamentsmiths, but they're all advanced in years, while Great Tang has only a single one. This time, neither prefecture is willing to let him slip away. Offending Cui Lang brings zero benefit. Our prefecture has quite a few Earth armamentsmiths as well; you're a Civilization Master, so you know how clannish armamentsmiths are. If word of this gets out, watch out for them targeting you." The Shanhai named Liu replied helplessly, "I didn't target him. I know what armamentsmiths are like. That guy is just brimming with arrogance right now; I merely mentioned Su Yu, and he jumped down my throat." "Let the matter rest." The Sun Moon commander had no desire to dwell on it. In a grave tone, he said, "Great Zhou Prefecture has been uneasy lately, as has the entire Human Realm. Keep your eyes peeled!" "Understood!" The guards answered in unison, and the Sun Moon commander departed shortly after. ... Meanwhile. Zhang He suddenly spoke up: "Brother Cui, I feel a sudden sense of dread. I fear... someone is truly pursuing us!" Su Yu's expression changed instantly. *Holy crap!* If that old man really caught up, grabbed him, and dragged him back to Great Tang Prefecture, never mind whether his identity would be exposed—even if it wasn't, getting abducted would be an enormous headache! "Brother Zhang, step on it!" As he spoke, Su Yu abandoned the flying eagle and grabbed Zhang He's arm. "Fly with me—the faster the better! If that old bastard drags me off to Great Tang Prefecture, not even my master might be able to fish me out!" "Alright!" Zhang He accelerated immediately, fleeing for all he was worth! If they didn't run, he would be in deep trouble too. Their figures vanished in a flash. Moments after they left, a silhouette shattered the void and emerged. Scanning the area, the newcomer chuckled. "They run pretty fast! Seems they sensed me." Shattering the void once more, his voice rumbled through empty space: "Zhang He, halt! Stop now, and I'll settle this with a light beating! Keep running... and you'd better think carefully about the consequences!" ... At the very same time. Within Luoqiu City, the capital of Great Zhou Prefecture. Inside both the City Lord Manor and the Great Zhou Civilization Academy, figures opened their eyes and looked toward a certain direction. Soon, each closed their eyes once more. Cursing inwardly! *He really had the gall to chase after him in person.* It was utterly ridiculous—was Great Tang Prefecture so starved for Earth armamentsmiths that they had completely lost their minds? Over a mere quasi-Earth smith? Was it really worth sending this old monster in person to capture him? Of course, it was easy to talk when one had no horse in the race. Great Zhou Prefecture had no shortage of them; counting Zhao Tianbing, they boasted five Earth armamentsmiths in total, the highest number of any prefecture in the Human Realm. The only faction that could rival Great Zhou Prefecture in this regard was King Tianzhu's lineage, which also possessed several Earth-rank armamentsmiths. Inside the Great Zhou Civilization Academy. Zhou Polong murmured, "Cui Lang... Great Ming Prefecture..." First, Great Ming Prefecture had taken Su Yu away, and now this Cui Lang had emerged. Before this, Cui Lang had possessed little to no fame. Zhao Li's Expanding Will Art wasn't something handed out to just anyone. Yet word was that it had been passed down to this Cui Lang as well. As Zhou Polong murmured to himself, someone knocked on the door shortly after. "Teacher." "Enter!" Shan Xiong walked in with his head lowered and said, "Teacher, my injuries are mostly healed. I wish to go to the All-Heavens Battlefield." "The All-Heavens Battlefield?" Zhou Polong pondered for a moment before nodding slowly and saying placidly, "Then go! Be careful! Let me remind you: going there is fraught with peril, no less dangerous than Su Yu roaming out in the open. Think it through before you decide!" "Yes!" Shan Xiong acknowledged, though he hesitated before asking, "Teacher, is my divine character truly a fusion of multiple divine characters?" "..." Zhou Polong replied coldly, "Does it matter? Do not let Su Yu disturb your state of mind. When your mind is in turmoil, your very being falls into chaos!" "Your student understands!" Shan Xiong asked no further and turned to leave. Once he was gone, Zhou Polong shook his head slightly. A disturbed state of mind was never a good sign. Still, perhaps this failure was a blessing in disguise, providing him with much-needed tempering. If even someone with Shan Xiong's wealth of experience could have his composure so easily rattled, what of those with far less? Lost in thought, Zhou Polong sank into contemplation before closing his eyes once more. Some matters simply did not require his concern. As for Cheng Mo... let him throw his tantrums. He couldn't be bothered to meddle.