Into the Tiger's Maw

Su Yu swiftly slipped through the void, tailing the man. It was his very first time on the All-Heavens Battlefield, and counter-tailing someone actually gave him a slight rush of excitement. Yet the moment that excitement sparked, Su Yu spun around and bolted! His speed was astonishing! In less than three seconds, the space behind him rippled, and a dark silhouette materialized. The figure let out a faint, amused chuckle. "What a vigilant kid. Interesting!" A short while later, the masked youth who had departed earlier appeared and asked quietly, "Elder, did he leave?" "He did!" The man who had breached space chuckled softly. "A bit too sharp for his own good. Interesting. Put him on the list. There are three hundred and sixty spots on the Yellow List—rank him at three-sixty." "Understood!" The youth acknowledged the order, then asked, "Did he notice you, Elder?" "Perhaps." The newcomer smiled faintly. "An armamentsmith... quite intriguing. An armamentsmith from the Great Ming Prefecture... Ah, Great Ming hasn't made much noise in quite a few years." With that, he reached out, caught hold of the youth, and both vanished from the spot. Not long after they disappeared, a squad of armored soldiers tore through the void and arrived. Black armor concealed their faces. The leading general scanned the area with chilling eyes and let out a cold snort. "A bunch of scum!" Beside him, a vice-general said in a low voice, "General, Heaven Hunting Pavilion people?" "From the Four Lists Division of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. Looks like they came to gauge Cui Lang's strength." The black-armored general paused before commanding coldly, "Keep pursuing! Daring to operate in the east—wipe them all out!" "Sir!" The squad of soldiers vanished in an instant. Every one of them was a formidable warrior, boasting multiple Shanhai Realm experts. The two leading commanders were Sun Moon Realm powerhouses, tasked specifically with hunting down members of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. ... Meanwhile, Su Yu, who had already fled far away, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. *Damn it!* *What kind of ghost luck is this?* *Are Sun Moons a dime a dozen now?* How could casually counter-tailing someone immediately flush out a Sun Moon Realm expert? Fortunately—thank goodness he had remained vigilant and run fast enough. It seemed other powerhouses had chased after them later, or else he might have run straight into disaster. His earlier grand ambition to unleash a glorious slaughter instantly evaporated. *I give up!* *No more showing off!* The All-Heavens Battlefield was simply too dangerous. Running into Sun Moons at the drop of a hat was utterly absurd. Hadn't everyone said Sun Moons were exceedingly rare on the battlefield? How had he bumped into one the moment he arrived? Su Yu felt a lingering dread. Without a few real tricks up his sleeve, surviving on this battlefield would be completely out of the question. *Forget it, I'll keep a low profile.* Su Yu chose prudence, instantly swapping his white robe for an azure one. White was far too flashy; azure was much more subdued. He continued forward and soon caught up to his earth dragon beast. Yet when he arrived, Su Yu's expression turned bizarre, and he couldn't help but curse, "People steal earth dragon beasts too? If you're going to steal it, just take the whole thing! What the hell does taking a single leg mean? Have you never eaten dragon leg before in your life?!" *What kind of person does that?!* The earth dragon beast before him was actually missing a leg. Someone had even treated its wound, leaving it alive. But what was he supposed to do with a three-legged mount? Ride it into battle? Cursing aside, Su Yu grew intensely vigilant. What in the world was going on? He had only stepped away for a moment, and someone had butchered a leg off his mount. Before he had arrived at the All-Heavens Battlefield, he hadn't thought much of it, but now that he was here, danger seemed to lurk around every corner. *Way too dangerous!* Deciding to stay even more inconspicuous, Su Yu donned a hooded cloak. Shrouded within it, he vanished from the spot, abandoning the earth dragon beast entirely! *Ruthless!* He had no idea who was responsible, but whoever it was certainly wasn't weak. Better to proceed with extreme caution. ... At the same time. A few thousand meters away, two figures regrouped. A young man and a young woman. The man strolled over with a massive earth dragon beast leg resting on his shoulder, grinning. "We've got food! No idea which idiot abandoned an earth dragon beast out in the wilderness, so I lopped off a leg to bring back and taste!" The woman wore a frosty expression. Glancing at the man, she said coldly, "Pointless." "Pointless?" The young man chuckled. "How is it pointless? I was hungry, the beast had no master, so I took a leg. How does that make it pointless? Lately, the Eastern Warzone has been a bit chaotic. When I went over there just now, I seemed to spot troops from the Evil-Purging Army. Couldn't tell whether they were hunting down people from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion or someone else." "The Evil-Purging Army?" The woman looked slightly surprised. "So close? Heaven Hunting Pavilion people? Did they come to kill us?" "How would I know?" The man began roasting the massive leg, muttering as he worked, "Old Wu..." "Hmph!" The woman let out a cold snort, but the man paid it no mind. Keeping his head down, he continued roasting. "Old Wu, do you think those bastards don't dare come after you because I'm following you? How about I pull back a bit, and you cooperate with me? I feel like I'm close to breaking through. Why don't you lure over a few geniuses for me to kill?" "Huang Teng!" The woman was none other than Wu Qi, an acquaintance of Su Yu. Her face was icy, and she snapped in irritation, "You'd better stay far away from me. Stop tailing me all the time. You're annoying!" Huang Teng! His appearance was remarkably ordinary. He lacked the domineering aura one might expect, looking instead like a boy next door. Hearing her words, he smiled and said, "I'm not following you. We just happened to run into each other on the road. We're both from the Great Xia Prefecture, after all. I'm just concerned for your safety. You're someone on the Heaven Hunting List; I'm simply looking out for you along the way." "Get lost!" "Women... truly ungrateful!" Huang Teng deftly turned the meat over the fire, sprinkling some seasoning as he chuckled. "I'll leave as soon as I finish eating. Just watch yourself. There might be Heaven Hunting Pavilion members nearby. Also, it's best not to cross beyond the front lines anytime soon. Someone from the demon race is looking for you." "Think I'm afraid of them?" Wu Qi sneered. "Good. The more that come, the more I can kill to boost my ranking on the list." "Women, long hair and short sights." Huang Teng shook his head. "Someone from the Primordial Demon Race has arrived. Beating you would be child's play for them. Do you really think you're an invincible God of War?" Wu Qi ignored him and sat down cross-legged. Huang Teng, on the other hand, squatted on the ground with his feet staggered, looking very much like a sprinter poised to dash. Wu Qi paid that no attention either; Civilization Masters and warriors fought in entirely different manners. Huang Teng tossed over a piece of meat. Wu Qi did not refuse. Without caring whether it was washed or how it tasted, she took a bite and said calmly, "Huang Teng, you've been following me for the past two days. What do you actually want? Don't give me that nonsense about protecting me!" Huang Teng didn't answer right away. He wiped his greasy mouth with his dirty battle robe and kept eating. Between bites, he said, "Nothing special. Someone really wants to kill you. You should head back early. The demon you killed back then? His older brother has tracked you down and spread the word that he'll slaughter you on sight!" Wu Qi smiled brilliantly, flashing her snow-white teeth. "Let him come! If I kill him, there's bound to be a Heavenly Reward. If it gifts me an innate divine character, that would be truly interesting!" "Women... Like my dad always said, you ought to stay home and nurse babies. Insisting on coming to the battlefield—no man will ever marry you!" "..." Wu Qi's face turned fierce, glaring at him venomously. "Huang Teng, you only dare say such things in front of me!" "That's not true!" Huang Teng, his lips slick with oil, grinned. "I've said it in front of plenty of people. Last time at the Demon Suppression Army, I mentioned it to Deputy Commander Zhang, and she beat the crap out of me. But what I meant then is still what I mean now." The deputy commander of the Demon Suppression Army was indeed a woman. A terrifyingly fierce woman! Wu Qi had no desire to banter with him. Having finished her food, she stood up to leave. Huang Teng immediately matched her pace. Wu Qi turned her head and said coldly, "Are you leaving or not? Huang Teng, stop looking for trouble!" With that, she sneered, "I'm not that useless Bai Feng. If you keep following me, don't blame me for being ruthless!" "Bai Feng is decent, not completely useless," Huang Teng explained. "He's actually pretty capable. He just has too many distractions instead of dedicating himself entirely to the martial path. He should be more focused, yet he insists on fiddling with research, stalling his own progress. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't be his match." Wu Qi ignored him and tore through the air, darting away. Seeing this, Huang Teng shook his head. "I'm serious! Someone really wants your head, and that guy is a demon powerhouse at the ninth stage of the Lingyun Realm. You're no match for him! Women, always so stubborn!" With those words, he followed after her once more. ... At this moment, throughout the entire Eastern Warzone, geniuses from various factions were scattered far and wide. Battle had erupted on the front lines! That meant some individuals would inevitably infiltrate behind the lines. Some were here to hunt down infiltrators; others sought to cross the front lines, enter the active battle zone, and clash with enemy prodigies. Su Yu missed the chance to cross paths with Huang Teng and Wu Qi. Of course, even if they had met, he wouldn't have traveled with them. Huang Teng was the guy who had beaten his teacher three times; Su Yu had promised Bai Feng that he would settle that score sooner or later. Without a mount, Su Yu's speed remained swift, and his senses grew sharper by the second. It was perilous! Yet utterly thrilling! This was the sensation—the constant edge of crisis. Danger lurked in every direction, every shadow. It felt just like the recurring nightmares of his past, where every direction spelt mortal danger no matter where he ran. Now, that feeling had returned! The "Calamity" divine character leaped within his sea of will, while the "Calm" divine character pulsed alongside it, steadying his mind and dulling any danger sense he might trigger in others. Having stepped out of Dongli City for the first time, Su Yu felt as though he had stepped into a grand hunting game. It was remarkably exhilarating. With war raging on the front lines, infiltrators had slipped through. And right now, those infiltrators were searching for prey as well. *Thrilling!* *Was the All-Heavens Battlefield always this intense every single day?* Su Yu didn't know that it hadn't been like this for many years. While the clashes at the Vanguard Camp were always fierce, warfare on this scale—with non-stop skirmishes—hadn't occurred in fifty years, not since the major conflicts half a century ago. Su Yu's figure flickered in and out of the void, drifting forward. Down below, scavengers were also hurrying toward the front lines, alongside solitary wanderers searching for prey and opportunity. Slaughter was the true essence of the All-Heavens Battlefield. His sensing jade was pushed to its maximum range. Su Yu was fully focused, his nerves taut. In the distance, the ripples of battle erupted. Catching the disturbance, Su Yu sped toward the location. In less than a minute, he arrived. Just as he was about to conceal himself to observe, he saw a figure dragging a corpse and rapidly vanishing into the distance. The victor appeared to be human, while the slain was a great demon. Without looking back, the departing cultivator barked, "Jin Biyue of the Great Jin Prefecture! Fellow humans, do not interfere!" With those words, he vanished entirely. *Him?* Su Yu actually knew of this person. A genius powerhouse from the Great Jin Prefecture, also ranked on the Yellow List, and quite high up at that—no weaker than Wu Qi of the Great Xia Prefecture. Sensing the residual aura, Su Yu clicked his tongue in amazement. It seemed a seventh-stage Lingyun demon had just been slain. *Damn it!* *Who told me that Tengkong cultivators could live comfortably on the All-Heavens Battlefield? Look at this—how long have I been here? I killed a Lingyun, this guy just killed a Lingyun, two Lingyun cultivators dead in the blink of an eye! And they said Tengkong could live comfortably?!* Just as the thought crossed his mind, Su Yu's eyes narrowed. He vanished from the spot. With a sharp crack, the void where he had stood exploded as an arrow shattered into fragments. In the distance, a figure flashed past. *Fuck!* Su Yu broke through the void in pursuit. *Not bad, daring to ambush me!* His speed was blistering! The other party was even faster, vanishing in the blink of an eye. After a brief chase, both had vanished from sight. Several onlookers arrived at the initial spot. One inspected the area and chuckled, "Looks like a Profound-Breaking Arrow. Is that fellow from the Dayuan Prefecture testing newcomers again? Has fresh blood entered the field?" "Probably. Which major prefecture sent newcomers recently? Yuan Shihao has a screw loose. He's been beaten up more than once over this habit. Hopefully, this newcomer has some bite to him. If he catches him, give him a proper thrashing!" "Might not beat him, though. Yuan Shihao is crazy, but the guy's strength is undeniably real." ... While they gossiped, Su Yu had pursued his target for some distance. Ahead, a young man halted his steps. His eyes brimmed with madness, and he stared at Su Yu with a wild, reckless grin. "So slow!" "You're no good!" "Cui Lang of the Great Ming Prefecture? Armamentsmiths should stick to smithing. The hunting game belongs to us. Weaklings don't have the qualifications to join!" "You're sick!" Su Yu cursed. *Damn it, he's actually human.* That earlier arrow had been fast, but its destructive power was mediocre. Likely just a probe. "You even know I'm sick?" The youth bared his teeth in a chilling grin. "Cui Lang, you're too weak. Scram right now, or I'll use you as bait to fish for a few targets!" "You?" Su Yu chuckled. After observing the surroundings for a moment, he said, "Follow me. There are too many people here, too many hiding in the dark. It's bad for fishing. Come, I'll take you somewhere quiet so you can fish properly!" With that, Su Yu's figure flickered, and he vanished moments later. Yuan Shihao let out a sinister chuckle and swiftly followed. ... A few minutes later, a mountain loomed ahead. Su Yu stopped and dissolved into the void, vanishing without a trace. In the blink of an eye, Yuan Shihao appeared. He glanced around, his gaze shifting. A longbow materialized in his hands. Drawing the string taut, he aimed toward the direction where Su Yu had vanished and loosed an arrow with a piercing whistle! *Boom!* The void cracked open. At the very same instant, an enormous hammer materialized directly over Yuan Shihao's head. Yuan Shihao's Yuan Qi erupted, shattering the hammer with a deafening roar! Yet in the next instant, dozens of hammers manifested in all directions! *Rumble!* Explosions echoed ceaselessly as the hammers struck wildly. Vibrations rippled and stacked—once, twice, thrice... stacking eighteen times in total! With a thunderous crash, Yuan Shihao's willpower defenses were blasted wide open! *Bang!* His head spun with dizziness, shock gripping his heart. Before he could react, terrifying flames roared to life. With a hiss, all his clothing burned to ash, and every scrap of hair on his body vanished in an instant! He was stripped completely bare! In the next heartbeat, a fist materialized. With a sickening crunch, it caved in Yuan Shihao's cheek and flattened his nose, sending blood spraying everywhere. Su Yu materialized, glanced around, and sneered, "Boy, when your Lord Lang was roaming the world, you were still playing with your balls! If we weren't in human territory, and if your first arrow hadn't lacked killing intent, you'd already be a corpse!" With that, Su Yu vanished. Yuan Shihao stood dazed for a second or two before regaining his senses. He rubbed his bloody nose, completely unfazed by the gore on his hands, and chuckled maniacally. "Interesting... Cui Lang, I'll remember you!" ... "Psychopath!" Having departed, Su Yu spat a curse. The guy was an absolute lunatic; Su Yu had felt it distinctly. *Was that Yuan Shihao from the Dayuan Prefecture?* He had seen records of him in the intelligence dossiers. A certified madman! He had been detained by the military several times for pulling stunts like this. Because he never had true murderous intent toward his own people, they had spared his life. Yet he had been tossed into the Vanguard Camp twice—once in the Tengkong Realm and once in the Lingyun Realm. Each time, he racked up kills to earn his release, only to cause trouble again and get thrown back in. From the looks of it, he wanted back in. Indeed, he probably did. The Vanguard Camp saw the most warfare and the most slaughter. Certain lunatics intentionally broke rules just to get thrown in so they could kill legitimately. Su Yu rubbed his chin. *Should I go in too?* *Forget it!* Too many eyes inside; it would be hard to unleash his true strength. Yuan Shihao wasn't weak, though he probably hadn't used his full power just now. Just like Su Yu, both had held back somewhat. Otherwise, defeating him wouldn't have been quite so effortless. *The eighteen-vibration strike works pretty well on people, but that's about the limit for now. Teacher Zhao is still the real monster. Over a hundred vibrations—one hammer blow, and even a Shanhai would be knocked cold!* Su Yu found himself thinking of Old Zhao. Zhao Li had stepped into the Shanhai Realm. Armed with that formidable Earth armament, coupled with immense willpower and the Mind Expansion Hammer cultivated to the pinnacle, Su Yu suspected ordinary fifth or sixth-stage Shanhai experts might be hammered unconscious in a single blow! As for himself, he had a long way to go. His mastery of the Expanding Will Art was still far from complete. Otherwise, a single hammer strike would have flattened Yuan Shihao, Wang Shihao, or whoever else stepped up. "No interest in playing games with you lot!" Su Yu muttered to himself. On human territory, he didn't dare display his full strength. Better to head straight for the front lines! The hinterlands were boring. This time, he wouldn't feel satisfied unless he killed a few enemies—preferably a couple of geniuses. Not for the rewards, but to release the pent-up frustration through battle. After suppressing himself for so long, he had begun to feel as though he were genuinely weak. Su Yu lingered no longer, nor was he in the mood to admire the starry sky. If they had been beyond the human defensive perimeter, he would have beaten Yuan Shihao to death right then and there. Within the borders, he let it slide to avoid accidentally attracting the attention of an Invincible. Some people simply lacked a good beating from society! Not everyone was willing to entertain their nonsense! Su Yu accelerated, pressing forward. The Vanguard Camp lay just ahead. Perhaps he might catch a glimpse of Teacher Liu. He wondered if the man was in any danger. Naturally, Su Yu had no intention of joining the Vanguard Camp's battles; Invincibles might be watching over that area. Moreover, several old enemies were currently stationed there. Zhou Mingren, Zheng Yuming, and Elder Ma—all from the Single Divine Character Faction of the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy. Who knew if they were stirring up trouble? Zhou Mingren had reportedly departed the day after the public trial, so he had likely reached the Vanguard Camp long ago. ... Su Yu sprinted toward the front lines. At the very same time. Within an immense canyon, the Vanguard Camp was locked in bloody combat. Countless yaoguai surged forward! In the sky, several giant dragons circled. Powerhouses had gathered in force, and the killing was unrelenting! Humans and yaoguai fell continuously, staining the canyon with blood. Among the circling dragons, a golden dragon looked down with massive, frigid eyes and rumbled, "Hand over the captured dragon whelps, or the Dragon race will not let this rest..." *Boom!* Before it could finish speaking, a spear thrust through the void, piercing clean through its belly. Golden blood showered down as a black-armored powerhouse snorted coldly. "Oversized worm, you talk too much! Did you come here for a chat?" As the words fell, suns and moons rotated around the spearhead, five crescent moons manifesting in an instant. In the blink of an eye, the dragon was driven back, its agonized roars shaking heaven and earth. High above, a clash of the Sun Moon Realm erupted. Down on the ground, Liu Wenyan scurried about under the protection of his elder uncle. His robe was hitched up and tied securely around his waist as his figure darted across the terrain, occasionally rolling on the ground to evade incoming attacks. Liu Wenyan chuckled constantly, entirely devoid of his usual refined scholar's demeanor. Had Su Yu seen him now, he would have lamented the utter collapse of his teacher's image. At this moment, Liu Wenyan's movements resembled those of a battlefield scavenger. From beneath the earth, a massive tail suddenly whipped toward him. Liu Wenyan growled, a small axe appearing in his grasp. With a wet slice, he severed the tail! In the next instant, he drove a divine character into the ground! *Rumble!* The hard earth shattered into pieces. A massive serpent lay mangled, its tail severed and its head blown off to parts unknown. Just as Liu Wenyan prepared to slip away, thousands of Soul-Devouring Insects burst from the serpent's ruptured belly. Tiny in size, they swarmed toward him in an overwhelming cloud. "Soul-Devouring Insects?" To kill him, the enemy truly spared no underhanded method. These insects were not individually strong, but every single one spat venomous saliva. Even from a distance, the corrosive effect on willpower was palpable. Nearby Civilization Masters grimaced in pain. "Corrode me, will you?" Liu Wenyan threw a sudden punch wrapped in black light, unleashing a ferocious corrosive power of his own—the Soul Devour Art! *Sizzle!* Corrosion met corrosion. In an instant, over a hundred insects dissolved into ash. The remaining ones prepared to spit again, but golden flames flared to life, boiling the air. With a hum, the fire swept over the entire swarm, incinerating every last insect into cinders in a heartbeat. "Tch!" Liu Wenyan snorted contemptuously. Looking up, he shouted, "Uncle, pull back!" In the air, a white-haired elder drove back an enemy with a heavy punch and swooped down toward Liu Wenyan with agile speed. Landing, he grabbed Liu Wenyan and leaped continuously, clearing the area in the blink of an eye. Moments after they left, two Sun Moon experts clashed right there, obliterating the ground. Being hauled away, Liu Wenyan snorted and glanced at the battling Sun Moons, smiling faintly. "Old Zhou, keep steering your fight toward me and see if I don't get nasty!" Zhou Mingren ignored him. Liu Wenyan's uncle had once been a Sun Moon powerhouse as well, but his cultivation had since fallen to the eighth stage of the Shanhai Realm. Seeing this, he frowned slightly and transmitted, "Leave him be. He's on the back foot against his opponent; it might not be intentional." "I'm not bothering with him." Liu Wenyan looked around and exhaled. "The fighting is getting fiercer. Lucky that kid Bai Feng left. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have survived long in this godforsaken place." "You could leave too. Your guilt has been pardoned," his uncle remarked. Liu Wenyan shook his head and transmitted, "Can't. The rear is safe, but it won't activate my divine characters. Only constant combat can awaken them one after another." He added, "Uncle, run if danger comes. You're not part of the Vanguard Camp; retreating won't count as violating military orders." His uncle remained silent. *Run?* The Liu family was gone; where was he supposed to run? Of the direct line, only he and Liu Wenyan remained. A former Sun Moon, now crippled with severe injuries and reduced to Shanhai. As time went on, his combat power would only wane further. What was the point of running? He would protect his nephew for this final stretch of the road, at least until all of the boy's divine characters were fully awakened. Liu Wenyan said no more, quickly charging into another section of the battlefield dominated mostly by Tengkong and Lingyun combatants. His uncle did not join the fray, maintaining total vigilance to guard against ambush. War raged in all directions! Over the past few months, the Vanguard Camp had fought seven or eight major engagements, suffering heavy casualties each time. The camp's original strength of seven to eight thousand had dwindled to roughly five thousand. Amidst the rampant slaughter, a small cloud suddenly manifested above the head of a massive tiger in the distance. At that exact instant, Sun Moons on both sides unleashed their full might, thunderous booms shaking heaven and earth. From all directions, human powerhouses lunged toward the tiger! The beast was horrified. The cloud descended too rapidly, sinking into its body in an instant. A massive burst of Heaven Yuan Qi erupted, dramatically bolstering its physique, yet leaving it momentarily immobilized. Just as madness crept into its eyes, a saber pierced clean through its skull. "Idiot!" A scarred human powerhouse sneered and vanished from the spot. Receiving a Heavenly Reward on this battlefield was equivalent to painting a target on one's back! That tiger had probably slain many humans earlier, accumulating a dense stench of blood that triggered the reward. Unfortunately, this was the worst possible place to receive such a blessing. It was not just a target; it was a death warrant. Before its body could even complete its tempering, it fell dead on the field. The slaughter continued. The soldiers took no special notice; this was hardly the first time such an occurrence had played out in the Vanguard Camp. Those with good luck absorbed the reward and grew stronger; those with bad luck died on the spot. After another bout of bitter fighting, war drums resonated across the plains! In the sky, several giant dragons abandoned their foes, soared over the mountain ridges, and began to withdraw. On the ground, yaoguai powerhouses used various techniques to rapidly disengage. The battle had drawn to a close. Skirmishes of this scale were commonplace lately; today counted only as a minor clash. The ground was littered with corpses. Both yaoguai and humans lay slain. Many corpses had long been drained of their essence blood; on this battlefield, both sides frequently harvested essence blood while slaying their enemies. "Retreat!" In the sky, the Sun Moon general who had fought the golden dragon bellowed, choosing not to pursue. Clashes like this were purely exploratory; pursuit served no purpose. One by one, the Vanguard Camp warriors withdrew. Soon, a unit of the Inspection Army arrived to scour the battlefield, gather spoils, and record merits in an orderly fashion. Not far off, several scavengers saw the inspectors arrive and retreated in disappointment. Such was the rhythm of the battlefield. If the battle dragged on until neither side had the strength to clean up, the scavengers would move in to sweep the field. Having slain another third-stage Lingyun enemy, Liu Wenyan was all smiles. As he retreated alongside his uncle, he transmitted, "My strength has improved a bit. But... if I keep killing, I worry a Heavenly Reward might descend on me next. That would be troublesome." His uncle transmitted back, "If it comes to that, I'll take you out separately to find a secluded spot, kill a few yaoguai, digest the reward, and then return." "We'll see." Liu Wenyan was currently at the ninth stage of the Tengkong Realm, but he felt his progress was far too slow. Far too slow! With this level of strength, how could he ever seek vengeance? Advancing from early Tengkong to the ninth stage in roughly a year was startlingly fast to anyone else, but he was not satisfied. Even the ninth stage of the Shanhai Realm would not be enough! Breaking into the Lingyun Realm would happen soon, within the next few days. Yet reaching the peak of Lingyun might take another full year. He was confident he could reach the Shanhai Realm within three years, but three years was too long. He did not have that kind of time. As Liu Wenyan pondered, a furious shout rang out ahead: "Looking to die?! This is an active warzone, the Vanguard Camp's perimeter! Halt! Trespass, and I'll cut you down!" In the distance, a figure emerged. Su Yu gave a start, realizing he had nearly barged straight into the combat sector. That would have been dangerous. He stopped just outside the perimeter and peered toward the grand canyon. Corpses carpeted the ground. Crossing this vast canyon meant leaving the human-controlled defense perimeter. This chasm was called the East Rift Valley, stretching for hundreds of li. Su Yu ignored the Sun Moon general shouting in the air; he hadn't crossed into the zone, after all. He was looking for someone. Gazing around, he didn't spot Liu Wenyan at first and felt a twinge of dread. *Teacher couldn't have... could he?* In the next instant, he caught sight of someone vaguely familiar. He focused his vision! *Holy crap!* *Teacher?!* He nearly failed to recognize him! *You've got to be kidding me! My teacher looks like this?!* A Civilization Master's refined robes were hitched up around his waist, exposing two thick, hairy legs. *This is Liu Wenyan?!* His beard was scruffy and overgrown, his once-white whiskers turned a dusty gray. His hair was a bird's nest. *This is Liu Wenyan?!* *Stop joking!* *My teacher could never look this shabby!* If Wu Yuehua and the others saw him like this, would they still chase after him relentlessly? They'd kick him into next week! *Fuck!* Zero dignity! His image had completely collapsed! Thunderclaps seemed to detonate in Su Yu's mind. The fellow before him looked like a common pig butcher, holding a little axe, sporting hairy bare legs, and splattered with bloodstains. *This is my teacher?* *I refuse to believe it!* *I've got the wrong guy!* ... In the distance, Liu Wenyan also glanced in that direction, not paying much mind. *A newcomer?* Not part of the Vanguard Camp, yet bold enough to charge blindly across the battlefield. Careful, or someone might cut him down by mistake. A reckless greenhorn! He didn't look like a scavenger. Was he planning to cross the East Rift Valley to hunt beyond the defense line? Liu Wenyan didn't pay him much attention. Granted, he felt a faint sense of familiarity, just as Hong Tan and the others had back then, but he didn't dwell on it. They were far apart, and he didn't recognize the face. Perhaps the youth simply had a friendly countenance. While Liu Wenyan looked away, Su Yu's heart surged with emotion. However, seeing a patrolling officer flying toward him, Su Yu quickly called out, "Leaving right now! Just passing through, don't misunderstand! I'm a peak Profound-rank armamentsmith, just here gathering materials!" The arriving officer scanned him, pulled out a jade talisman to verify his details, and barked, "Cui Lang, this is no place for you. Clear out! Furthermore, ahead lies the East Rift Valley. Beyond it is outside the human garrison zone!" Right at that moment, the black-armored Sun Moon general hovering in the sky suddenly spoke: "Cui Lang of the Great Ming Prefecture? You actually ran all the way out here! You've got quick legs! Excellent, you'll do. Come repair my battle armament!" With that, he reached out a massive hand to snatch Su Yu. Su Yu spun around and bolted, moving with blinding speed as he shouted over his shoulder, "I'm not smithing! I have other business—" "You're conscripted!" "I'm from the Great Ming Prefecture! I'm exempt from conscription!" The black-armored general laughed. "Still running? Keep running and you'll be charged with impeding military operations! Hurry up, get over here, follow me to the Vanguard Camp, and help us fix our weapons! We'll pay!" "Not doing it!" Su Yu flatly refused. It wasn't that he was unwilling to help, but he feared being detained in the Vanguard Camp. He had heard that the officers here were thoroughly unreasonable, frequently detaining people for as long as they could get away with it. Only when the higher-ups issued a formal reprimand would they finally release someone. *Why the hell would I walk into that trap?!* *Run!* The black-armored general paid his protests no heed, shouting, "Men, intercept him! A quasi-Earth armamentsmith! Damn it all, our camp's last Earth armamentsmith was ambushed and hacked to death, and no one's repaired weapons for ages! The headquarters still hasn't sent a replacement. If you don't want your weapons shattering in the next battle, catch him! Fix the weapons first, talk later!" The moment those words rang out, over a dozen Shanhai experts shot toward Su Yu. *Catch him!* As for breaking regulations... who cared? Drag him in to fix weapons first! Even if they were reprimanded afterward, what did it matter? They were already stationed here; at worst, their sentences would be extended by a few months or years. That was far better than dying when their weapons shattered in battle! Down below, Liu Wenyan felt a sudden wave of pity for the fellow. A quasi-Earth armamentsmith! Quite a figure in his own right. Too bad he had stumbled here. Right now, everyone's eyes were bloodshot with desperation, their weapons on the verge of crumbling, and no Earth armamentsmith had been willing to come. His arrival was practically a gift from heaven! *He's the one!* Truth be told, Liu Wenyan felt a spark of excitement himself. His own weapon was close to breaking, and his uncle's was too. Catching him was the best possible outcome! From down below, he joined in the shouting with immense enthusiasm: "Don't let him get away! Drag him in and make him fix weapons for three months! If there's blame, we'll all shoulder it together!" "Catch him!" "Move, move, grab him!" "To the left! Damn it, you idiot, let me do it!" "Out of my way! Catch that kid! Boy, fix my weapon and I'll give you ten thousand merit points!" "..." One powerhouse after another lunged toward Su Yu. Catching this quasi-Earth armamentsmith, a smith delivered straight to their doorstep, was an unbelievable stroke of luck! Why not go all the way—break his legs so he'd have to recuperate in the Vanguard Camp for a few extra months? As for breaking the law, they were all convicts anyway. What did they have to fear?! ... Fleeing for his life, Su Yu was practically in tears! *Holy shit!* *I wanted to cross the East Rift Valley to kill enemies, not get trapped here doing blacksmithing for you bastards! Help!* *Had I known, I never would have come! I just wanted to see Teacher Liu! I've seen him now, let me leave!* *And Teacher Liu, you're not even human!* *Are you insane?!* *You're actually egging them on to catch me, and your voice was so loud I heard every word!* Seeing Shanhai experts converging from every direction, boxing him in completely, Su Yu's mental defenses shattered. He hastily raised his hands in surrender and yelled, "I yield! I'll only repair weapons, and you must let me leave within three days! Otherwise, I won't fix a single piece!" The black-armored Sun Moon general considered it for a moment, then nodded with a broad grin. "Fine, three days it is! But you'd better fix them properly. Do a good job, and I'll reward you handsomely. If you slack off, I'll charge you with impeding military operations and keep you in the Vanguard Camp for the rest of your life!" He was overjoyed! Splendid! What incredible luck. In the battle just now, his Earth armament had been damaged. He had been planning to urge the headquarters to dispatch an Earth armamentsmith, but headquarters had to negotiate with the smiths, and nobody ever wanted to come to the Vanguard Camp. Now, a repairman had walked right into their hands. Drag him back first, see what he was made of, and then negotiate with headquarters to see if they could formally conscript the fellow into the camp. As for coming voluntarily... that was impossible. What armamentsmith was crazy enough to become a permanent resident of the Vanguard Camp? The last one who stayed permanently had been ambushed and slain; the general still felt bitter regret over it. Losing an ordinary Sun Moon was one thing, but losing a Sun Moon Realm Earth armamentsmith was another entirely. Even now, the armamentsmiths at headquarters had not stopped chewing him out over it.