Things Remain, People Change

Inside the Vanguard Camp, within a dilapidated stone hall—this was Su Yu's lodging. Compared to the Great Ming Embassy, the conditions here were so abysmal that it was worse than an outhouse. Hong Du had escorted Su Yu here, stationed a Tengkong Realm guard outside the door to attend to Su Yu's orders, and promptly took his leave to handle his own duties. Meanwhile, Su Yu sat cross-legged on the floor beside the cold stone bed, quietly cultivating while probing his surroundings. The Sensing Jade was the ideal scouting tool. A radius of a thousand meters was enough to cover a respectable area. *The Vanguard Camp's strength is nothing to scoff at,* Su Yu mused inwardly. There were numerous experts in the vicinity. Within just a thousand meters, he detected two Sunmoons and six in the Shanhai Realm. And that was far from everything. The Vanguard Army was the human race's frontline legion, dedicated exclusively to slaughter. Yet the aura of death here was overwhelmingly heavy. It lacked the vigor and solemnity of other legions, bearing only a grim, biting chill. Outside the door, the Tengkong guard lacked the sternness and austerity typical of regular soldiers. At that moment, perhaps assuming Su Yu would not summon him, the aging Tengkong soldier stamped his feet, stepped aside a short distance, and lit a small bonfire next to the building. Before long, having procured a chicken from who-knew-where, he began roasting it. A mouthwatering aroma gradually drifted through the air. His hair streaked with gray, the Tengkong soldier bared his yellowed teeth in a grin, sprinkled some seasonings, and prepared to dig in. Just as he was about to take a bite, his vision blurred, and the roasted chicken vanished. Alarmed, the man hastily scrambled backward in a roll. Just as he was about to shout for help, something clicked, and he took a closer look. Sure enough, it was the armamentsmith from inside. "Master Cui isn't asleep yet?" The elderly Tengkong gave a sheepish grin and greeted him. Su Yu replied impassively, "With you roasting food outside my door, how could I sleep?" "Ahem... My apologies, Master. I was a bit hungry after fighting all day. Are you hungry too, Master? How about I go find General Hong..." "No need!" Su Yu sat down, tore the chicken in half, and tossed the rest to the veteran. "Eat with me." "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. You go ahead, my lord." "I said eat together!" Su Yu gave him a cold look. The veteran chuckled sheepishly and had no choice but to sit down, picking up his half of the chicken and eating quietly. Su Yu took a bite. It was a bit coarse, but he didn't mind. Chewing, he asked, "Is the entire Vanguard Camp like this?" "Like what?" "Practically lawless." Su Yu was blunt. Indeed, there were almost no rules here; nothing of the sort would ever happen in a regular legion. The veteran bared his teeth in a grin. "Rules? In this place, killing is the only rule! What do we need rules for? We don't even know if we'll live to see tomorrow." "How did you end up here?" Su Yu asked. The veteran chuckled. "Murder! I'm from the Great Shang Prefecture. Ten years ago, shortly after I entered the Tengkong Realm, my son was studying at an academy. He got into a clash with someone and was crippled. In a fit of rage, I killed the bastard's father." "..." Su Yu said mildly, "Why kill the father?" "A son's misdeeds are his father's fault! If I didn't kill his father, who else was I supposed to kill?" The veteran laughed. "His son crippled mine. At first, my intention was to have him find a powerhouse to help heal my son. The treatment cost was a bit steep, but there was still hope for a recovery. In the end, that bastard insisted my son's aptitude was too wretched to bother treating, and tried to brush the matter under the rug by throwing a hundred merit points at me. I lost my temper, found an opening, and did him in." "What was the sentence?" "Twenty years of penal service." The veteran smiled. "Basically waiting around to die! My luck was good the first ten years; there weren't many major battles, so I managed to scrape by. Lately, though, it's been bad! Nearly a third of the Tengkong Camp has died. So don't punish me, my lord. Roasting a chicken is hardly a crime—at most, they'd tack a few extra months onto my sentence, and who knows if I'll even live that long." Su Yu said nothing more. He ate his roast chicken in silence for a while, then asked, "Is everyone in the Vanguard Camp in a similar boat?" "All sorts. Some were bandits, some committed murder, some were guilty of manslaughter, and some were falsely accused..." Seeing that Su Yu was relatively approachable, the veteran chuckled. "My lord, don't stay here too long. This cursed place is far too dangerous!" "Nobody runs?" "Run? Where would anyone run to?" The veteran scoffed. "No matter where you run, you're dead! If you die in battle here, your family at least gets some compensation. You bear the guilt yourself, but at least your family isn't dragged into it. Run away, and you're a deserter and a traitor—a crime that exterminates your entire clan!" Su Yu gave a slight nod and continued eating quietly. After a while, he suddenly asked, "Do you think the human race has any hope of victory?" "Huh?" The veteran froze for a moment, then let out a dry laugh. "My lord, I'm just a nobody. What would I know about such matters? When the superiors tell us to kill, we kill; when they tell us to fight, we fight." "You've never thought about anything else?" "Thinking about it won't change anything." Seeing that Su Yu had stopped eating, the veteran grinned and pondered for a moment. "My lord, are you asking all this because you want to understand the situation among the rank and file?" He grew slightly excited. "My lord, an important figure like you is treated with respect even by General Cao. Can you meet the Invincible Kings?" "Probably." "Then, my lord, could you speak to the higher-ups about standardizing the treatment across all the armies?" "Hmm?" Su Yu looked at him with curiosity. "Standardizing what?" "Equal benefits across all legions—the more you kill, the more you earn. You wouldn't know, my lord, but over the years, the prefectures have clashed repeatedly because of unequal benefits. That's put even more pressure on the Vanguard Camp, and some of the legions capable of fighting don't want to fight anymore. "Take the Great Xia and Great Qin prefectures. In the past, the legions they stationed near the Vanguard Camp were fiercely formidable. The Vanguard Camp didn't even need to lift a finger; those bastards would howl like wolves as they slaughtered the enemy. But the more they fought, the fewer men they had left. Even after killing enemies, their rewards were meager; Great Qin and Great Xia are both starved of funds. On the other hand, some prefectures have plenty of money, but their troops can't fight worth a damn!" The veteran shook his head. "Take the Great Ming Prefecture: their military gear is top-notch, but they can't fight! Killing an enemy takes them forever! And yet they're swimming in wealth, with the best pay and benefits. Tell me, how can the other prefectures accept that without resentment? Nowadays, even legions from Great Qin and Great Xia have to calculate their losses, pensions, and whether a battle is worth the cost before fighting. That's multiplied the pressure on the Vanguard Camp several times over!" With a heavy sigh, he lamented, "Life's gotten tough, harder and harder by the day! Those who can fight don't have the money, while those who can't fight are stuffed full with nothing to do, yet they won't go to the front lines. The prefectures have stationed ten million troops across the All-Heavens Battlefield, but less than two million can actually fight. The remaining eight million are just there for show!" "..." Su Yu laughed despite himself. "That's because their home prefectures are broke. There's no helping that." "True enough!" The veteran shook his head. "What a shame. If King Daqin could unite the world, disband those eight million, and funnel all the resources spent on those useless legions into the two million real fighters, they'd easily be stronger than an army of ten million." Su Yu asked, "Is that your personal opinion, or what most people think?" "Plenty of people say that," the veteran chuckled. "Even those eight million troops—do you really think they want to be on the All-Heavens Battlefield, my lord? They can't fight, and if an all-out war breaks out, they know full well they can't stand against the enemy. Everyone knows it in their hearts, but there's nothing they can do. Once the elites of the Great Xia and Great Qin prefectures are wiped out, sigh... everyone will just have to fend for themselves!" "Disbanding troops, unifying legions..." Su Yu murmured softly and shook his head. There was no hope of that. Even the Invincibles could not unite under one banner, each harboring their own calculations. Unifying the military legions of every prefecture into a single force was utterly impossible. Great Qin and Great Xia were already fighting until they were exhausted and penniless. It was a blessing the other prefectures didn't openly brand them warmongers. Giving them money to expand their armies? Keep dreaming! The veteran continued, "The human race's power isn't actually weak. Personally, I think we're quite formidable—no weaker than the gods or demons. If the gods and demons don't join forces, and it came down to a one-on-one war, it's anyone's guess who would crush whom. It's just that our prefectures are fractured. The gods and demons are divided too, but they have Half-Emperors who can step forward, say the word, and get everyone marching together! "Our human race lacks someone like that. Not even King Daqin can make every prefecture obey." Su Yu nodded. Many people had realized this. Yet there was no solution. Even the Invincibles themselves understood it, but what could be done? Make them bend the knee to King Daqin as his underlings? On what basis? *I'm not much weaker than you. If we really fought, you wouldn't necessarily win. Why should I take orders from you on everything? It's already generous enough that I defer to you on select matters.* After chatting with the veteran for a while, Su Yu gained a clearer understanding of the broader situation across the All-Heavens Battlefield. ... He did not sleep all night. The next day, Su Yu began repairing weapons for the camp. Inside the Armament Forging Hall. Su Yu received the first weapon in need of repair: a peak Profound-rank saber bearing sixty-eight golden inscriptions. Its owner was a powerful warrior at the fifth layer of the Shanhai Realm. Broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, the man reeked of bloodlust. Yet facing Su Yu, he acted with utter deference, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile. "Master Cui, do you think this can still be repaired?" Su Yu took the saber and examined it. The blade was notched in numerous places from hacking through enemies. The sixty-eight golden inscriptions were somewhat disjointed. Though ostensibly a peak Profound-rank saber, in its current state it could barely unleash the power of a mid Profound-rank weapon. After studying it for a moment, Su Yu nodded slightly. "It can be repaired. It just needs some additional materials." "As long as it can be fixed!" The hulking man was overjoyed. "Whatever materials you need, Master, feel free to use them! If I don't have them, I'll pay for yours... name your price!" Su Yu still had some materials left. He had previously purchased a hundred thousand merit points' worth; though he had used a fair amount, he had far from exhausted his supply. Moreover, early that morning, Hong Du had sent over a large batch of materials for him to use. "The materials are sufficient. As for money... I don't lack money." Su Yu said calmly, "Provide me with some essence blood, or perhaps unique cultivation arts not found on the open market. Those are the only things I require; nothing else." "Well..." The man pondered for a moment. "Master Cui, now that you mention it, I do have a cultivation art, but I'm not sure it'll catch your eye." "Tell me about it." "No need to just talk—take a look for yourself, Master. It's not like I'm worried you'd steal it." Grinning, the man swiftly retrieved a jade talisman and handed it to Su Yu. Su Yu inspected it, his brow twitching slightly. "A yaoguai cultivation art?" "Yes, I looted it after slaying a demon beast. It's not a text of will, just a simple art. Humans can't cultivate it directly, but after reading through it, I found it had some useful insights. It's a supplementary art designed to enhance the sharpness of origin qi. Of course, it might not be worth much to someone of your stature, Master Cui." Su Yu examined it for a short while without speaking. He put the art away and set to work repairing the weapon. The burly man was ecstatic! *Damn, I didn't even have to spend money! This master really is willing to accept anything—he's even interested in this sort of junk!* As Su Yu repaired the weapon, he incorporated some of his own ideas to hone the saber's edge. This was merely a martial weapon, so there was no need to match any divine character traits. It only required sufficient durability, sharpness, and origin qi conductivity. The more golden inscriptions it possessed, the stronger its conductivity, and a powerful weapon could even amplify origin qi intensity. After working for a while, Su Yu asked, "May I ask a question?" "Ask away, Master!" "At the fifth layer of the Shanhai Realm, purely in terms of physical strength—setting aside special battle techniques or explosive bursts—how much acupoint power can your physical body unleash?" The burly man scratched his head, thought it over, and chuckled. "Master, this isn't something I'd normally tell an outsider. But you're no outsider, and you're probably just gauging my destructive output so you know how to fix the weapon, right?" *That's right, you're quite good at rationalizing it yourself.* To be fair, it was a solid justification. Su Yu nodded. "Exactly. I want to make sure the weapon can withstand your destructive power, to see if it needs extra reinforcement." "Around the power of fifty thousand acupoints!" The man chuckled. "Not exceptionally strong, but not weak either. Roughly average among warriors." He added, "Explosive power is only one part of the equation, though. For us, there's another crucial factor: speed!" The burly man sighed ruefully. "My speed is on the slower side. No matter how powerful your burst is, if you can't land a hit, it's useless. I've suffered because of my speed quite a few times." Su Yu nodded and continued repairing the weapon. The fifth layer of the Shanhai Realm, with an explosive power of fifty thousand acupoints. Was that considered formidable? Average at best! Of course, he was by no means weak. As for combat experience, no one in the Vanguard Camp lacked it. They were all seasoned killers. Unless an opponent was significantly stronger, someone lacking experience might not necessarily prevail against him. Su Yu mused internally. His physical body had reached twelve casts. His base acupoint burst exceeded the power of 5,600 acupoints. With the amplification from his "Power" divine character and his partially opened Yang acupoint, his explosive power stably surpassed 6,000 acupoints. Yet when it came to speed... he wasn't truly slow either. King Miecan's *Time* was a speed-oriented technique, though Su Yu had yet to master its deeper principles. Even so, his current speed still could not match certain Shanhai experts. In fact, some at the seventh or eighth layer of the Lingyun Realm were faster than him. *My comprehension of Time is still too shallow.* The burly man's words served as a reminder regarding speed. Su Yu's overall strength was not weak by any measure. However, speed was a glaring shortcoming. Perhaps he could forge a pair of boots designed to boost his speed. With a deeper comprehension of *Time*, he might just be able to keep up with those at the seventh or eighth layer of Lingyun. Alternatively, he could seek out other speed-enhancing cultivation arts. He needed to be fast! Otherwise, if he encountered mortal danger, he wouldn't even be able to run. Only after arriving at the All-Heavens Battlefield did he truly realize how many powerhouses existed out here. He had already encountered several Sunmoons! Looking back, choosing not to recklessly cross into the East Rift Valley right away had probably been the right decision. He should prepare more thoroughly. Perhaps he could forge an Earth-rank pair of boots right here? The compensation he had demanded from Zhang He included plenty of materials for forging Earth armaments. Perhaps... he could forge an Earth armament here and now. And officially step into the realm of an Earth-rank armamentsmith! After finishing the repairs on the burly man's saber, Su Yu moved on to the next. Nearly everyone who came to see him was in the Shanhai Realm. One, then two... When the next person stepped through the door, Su Yu froze slightly. Zheng Yuming! A familiar face! "Master Cui." A smile adorned Zheng Yuming's face as he greeted Su Yu with a respectful posture. He was merely at the second layer of the Shanhai Realm—hardly a prominent figure in a place like this. Su Yu maintained an indifferent expression and gave a slight nod. "Repairing a civilized armament?" "Yes." Zheng Yuming hurriedly retrieved his civilized armament—a longsword—and said with visible heartache, "Master Cui, please take a look. Can this be restored?" "An Earth armament?" Su Yu frowned, glancing up at him. This fellow was certainly wealthy. An ordinary Shanhai could rarely afford an Earth armament, yet he had one. "Yes, an Earth armament, though only at the early stage, bearing seventy-four golden inscriptions." Su Yu picked up the sword, scrutinized it, and appraised Zheng Yuming before saying indifferently, "Earth armaments are difficult to repair, and there is always a chance of failure! Furthermore, it demands immense mental energy, especially for a civilized armament!" Su Yu stated coldly, "If the repair fails, I will not offer any compensation! In addition, as a Civilization Master, the price for my services is that I must observe one of your fourth-tier divine characters. If you agree, I'll repair it; if not, forget it!" "Observe my divine character?" Zheng Yuming hesitated, looking conflicted. "Master Cui, I can pay in merit points, or provide heavenly treasures just like the others." "No need!" Su Yu casually tossed the longsword back to him. "If you don't want it repaired, then leave! Civilized armaments are difficult to fix to begin with, let alone an Earth armament! Judging by the craftsmanship, this was forged by Master Chen of the Great Xia Prefecture. I happen to be familiar with Master Chen's methods, so I have an eighty percent chance of success. You're welcome to seek out someone else!" "Yes, yes, it was indeed forged by Master Chen!" Zheng Yuming felt helpless, but he also admired Su Yu's discerning eye for identifying Master Chen's work at a glance. Hesitating for a moment, he ventured, "Does it have to be a fourth-tier divine character?" "Nonsense!" Su Yu snapped rudely. "I observe divine characters to broaden my horizons and gain experience. Why would I want to look at a third-tier character? Do I lack those myself? "Besides, it allows me to examine your character's traits so I can properly align it with your civilized armament." Zheng Yuming agonized over the decision for a while before sighing inwardly. *Fine!* A moment later, he nodded. "Master Cui, I agree to your condition. However... please do not divulge the traits of my divine character to outsiders." "Cut the chatter. Every trade has its rules, and I know how to conduct myself. Are we repairing it or not?" Inside, Su Yu was relishing the moment! Back at the academy, the gulf between them had been as wide as heaven and earth. Yet here, the man had no choice but to bow his head and plead for his help. *Let's see what divine character you have!* Previously, his divine characters had been shattered by Wan Tiansheng. Su Yu wanted to see what state the man's characters were in now. Wan Tiansheng seemed to have shattered his primary divine character. What character was Zheng Yuming cultivating now? How had he cultivated it? Could he have cultivated a fourth-tier divine character in such a short span of time? Or had he adopted a human divine character as his primary character? Back when his sea of will was damaged, his human divine character hadn't been destroyed. Zheng Yuming was backed into a corner; if he didn't repair the sword now, the weapon would eventually shatter anyway. After a brief hesitation, a divine character manifested before him. *Suppress!* A human divine character! Su Yu's eyes flickered. "You're cultivating a human divine character?" "Yes." "Aren't human divine characters incapable of advancing to the Sunmoon Realm? You're actually cultivating this as your primary character?" Su Yu asked with feigned confusion, "What were you thinking?" "Well..." Zheng Yuming said awkwardly, "I'm merely experimenting. Many who cultivate the divine characters of other races find themselves stuck at the peak of the Shanhai Realm. I wanted to see if cultivating a human divine character might make advancing easier." Su Yu nodded slightly and reached out to grasp the divine character. Zheng Yuming instinctively flinched, but stopped himself from pulling away. Su Yu pondered inwardly. *If I crush his divine character right now, this guy will be severely crippled!* Of course, there was no need to do that. Striking down a member of the Vanguard Camp while inside their grounds was suicide. Su Yu examined it closely, sensing its properties. "This is meant to suppress an opponent's strength?" "Master Cui has sharp eyes!" Su Yu ignored the flattery and continued sensing it. Suddenly, he remarked, "This divine character feels a bit unusual..." He looked at Zheng Yuming and said gravely, "It gives off a very peculiar sensation!" "Peculiar?" Zheng Yuming laughed dryly. "Does Master Cui find it peculiar simply because it's a human character?" "No!" Su Yu said coldly, "From what I can tell... this divine character isn't entirely stable. It feels... yes, it feels as though it was force-ripened!" This was an authentic observation. Su Yu murmured, "Force-ripened... Could this divine character have been artificially nurtured? How? And where?" He looked up, catching sight of Zheng Yuming's uncomfortable expression. Forcing a smile, Zheng Yuming managed to regain his composure and said, "Master Cui is truly perceptive. My divine characters suffered damage previously, and I later absorbed a vast amount of willpower to forcefully elevate this character to the fourth tier. That is why its foundation is somewhat insubstantial." Su Yu gave a faint nod. "I knew it! Still, forcefully raising a divine character to the fourth tier consumes an enormous quantity of willpower. I've been troubled by a lack of willpower myself lately. Does the general have a source for such resources?" "I do not. That willpower was refined from my own savings amassed over many years, and it has long since been completely depleted." Su Yu nodded. *Pure nonsense!* *Where would you have gotten that much willpower to refine?* Setting that aside, there was another issue: though the character was force-ripened and felt somewhat unstable, given enough time to assimilate it, it would likely settle. More importantly, it didn't feel like something Zheng Yuming had nurtured himself. Rather, it felt... Su Yu couldn't quite put it into words. It felt more like... yes, an inheritance. Something passed down. Had someone transferred their own divine character to Zheng Yuming? A faint thought crossed his mind, though he couldn't quite grasp the thread. Probing the "Suppress" character once more, Su Yu's mind stirred. "Is this divine character... part of a set?" "What?" "I mean, is it a composite-type character?" Su Yu frowned. "It doesn't feel like a standalone character. I'm quite sensitive to divine characters, and this one seems to have matching companion characters. Am I right?" "Master Cui's insight is truly remarkable!" Zheng Yuming forced a smile, inwardly cursing the man's endless prying. *You've inspected it and meditated on it—why are you asking all these pointless questions?* Still, the youth's eyes were undeniably sharp. Young as he was, his knowledge was formidable. Inside, however, turbulent waves surged through Su Yu's mind. Companion characters, fourth-tier, force-ripened... One thought after another surfaced, until a realization began to take shape. *Could someone be... artificially cultivating divine characters?* *Is that even possible?* *How would one artificially cultivate a divine character? And how would it be transplanted afterward?* It hadn't been long since Zheng Yuming's divine characters were shattered, yet he already possessed a fourth-tier character—and likely others to go with it. Something was deeply wrong with this man. Both Zheng Yuming and Zhou Mingren had close ties to the Great Zhou Prefecture. Could this be technology developed by the Great Zhou Prefecture? Divine character transplantation? Artificial cultivation? If so, the implications were terrifying. *The Great Zhou Prefecture...* Su Yu could hardly keep calm. A chilling thought struck him: if the Great Zhou Prefecture truly possessed such technology, did that mean they had secretly mass-produced divine characters that could be transplanted at any time? Was this preparation for the Multiple Divine Characters faction, or simply a method to churn out powerhouses? Nurturing a divine character was inherently a painstaking process. With so many thoughts swirling, Su Yu pressed no further; any more probing and Zheng Yuming would fly into a rage. Earth armaments were difficult to repair. Su Yu drew his massive hammer. Seeing the hammer, Zheng Yuming felt an awkward, uncomfortable twinge; the technique was familiar, resembling Zhao Li's Expanding Will Art. He had heard that Cui Lang had helped Zhao Li forge an Earth armament, enabling Zhao Li's breakthrough to the Shanhai Realm. Ignoring him, Su Yu began the repair. The rhythmic clang of hammering echoed through the hall. As he worked, Su Yu pondered how to plant a hidden trap. This man was his enemy; while he couldn't strike him down openly right now, leaving behind a subtle trigger was essential. *You came to me to repair your Earth armament—if I didn't leave a nasty surprise inside, I'd be letting myself down.* The forging continued. Su Yu's divine character power surged endlessly, causing the seventy-four golden inscriptions to blaze with light. The sharp, piercing aura of his "Gold" character seeped into the civilized armament, while the searing flame of his "Fire" character was sealed within. Su Yu compressed, forged, and locked both the sharpness and the flame directly into the golden inscriptions. If this fellow ever crossed blades with him in the future, the moment the civilized armament was unleashed, Su Yu would have the means to detonate it on the spot. Su Yu worked swiftly, his hammer falling without pause. Zheng Yuming kept his eyes glued to the process the entire time, but amidst the dancing sparks and dispersing sharp aura, he couldn't discern anything out of the ordinary. Forging was hardly his area of expertise. Su Yu forged for hours. By late afternoon, drenched in sweat, he finally stopped and returned the civilized armament. "The repair was quite demanding, but the weapon is largely restored. As for the worn traits, you can nourish them yourself over time!" "Thank you, Master Cui!" Zheng Yuming was delighted. He examined the sword carefully, probing it with his senses, and found no issues whatsoever—in fact, it felt even sharper than before. After repeatedly expressing his gratitude, he quickly departed. Once he was gone, suspicion lingered on Su Yu's face. There was definitely something off about that man's divine character. Unfortunately, he had too few clues to investigate further. ... The repairs on the first day continued until late into the night. Su Yu repaired eight peak Profound-rank weapons and two early Earth armaments. Repairing weapons was also an opportunity to accumulate experience. By observing the distinct techniques of various armamentsmiths, Su Yu deepened his own comprehension of forging. The second day unfolded much like the first. Su Yu continued repairing weapons. Through his conversations with the Vanguard Camp's powerhouses, he learned a great deal, trading for rare cultivation arts, treasures, and essence blood. As for his Five Elements divine characters, apart from the "Fire" character which had already reached the fourth tier, the others grew noticeably stronger through the forging process. As he repaired more and more armaments, Cui Lang's reputation spread across the Vanguard Camp. Late into the second night, the person Su Yu had been waiting for finally arrived. Liu Wenyan! Liu Wenyan had come accompanied by his uncle, seeking to have his uncle's weapon repaired. ... "Brother Liu!" Su Yu called out with a beaming smile. "Didn't I say earlier that I wouldn't repair your weapon, Brother Liu?" Liu Wenyan was speechless. *Why does this guy have it out for me?!* Helpless, he offered a fawning smile. "Master Cui, please don't take offense. I'm not the one who needs a weapon repaired—it's my uncle. A grand figure like you, Master Cui, surely wouldn't lower yourself to hold a grudge against an old has-been like me." Uncle Liu's expression darkened, and he instinctively wanted to call off the repair. But Su Yu smiled and said, "Fine. Out of respect for your past reputation, I'll repair it for you!" Taking the nearly shattered Earth armament from Uncle Liu, Su Yu was secretly stunned. This weapon had sustained catastrophic damage! Not only that, but the armament appeared to have degraded in rank; several inscriptions that had once existed had faded away. "This was a mid Earth-rank martial weapon that dropped in rank?" Uncle Liu was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't expected the youth to see through it so easily. He nodded. "Yes. It was severely damaged back then!" Seeing that Su Yu had recognized it at a glance, Liu Wenyan could only explain, "My uncle was once a warrior in the Sunmoon Realm. After suffering grievous injuries, he fell from the Sunmoon Realm, and his Earth armament was devastated alongside him, breaking several of its inscriptions." "Grievously injured?" Su Yu rubbed his chin, a playful look in his eyes. "Was his sea of will damaged, or his physical body? For a warrior to drop in cultivation, it must have been physical trauma, right?" Uncle Liu frowned slightly and said nothing. Liu Wenyan cursed inwardly. *Why is this fellow so nosy?! Just say whether you can fix it or not!* Su Yu glanced at Uncle Liu and said with a chuckle, "From what I can see, this elder's condition isn't great. His vitality is severely depleted, and his body even carries a faint stench of decay. Doesn't that mean his days are numbered? If you don't have long to live, why bother repairing a weapon?" Liu Wenyan glared at him, irritated. "Master Cui, if you can't repair it, just say so. There's no need to be so aggressive!" Su Yu smiled cheerfully. "Brother Liu, why the short temper? Repairing a weapon can be done with genuine skill or superficial tricks. Butter me up a bit, and I'll do a stellar job for you. But if you make me unhappy, believe it or not, even if I could restore ninety percent of it, I'll deliberately fix only forty percent and fake the remaining fifty percent to look the part!" Liu Wenyan froze. *What does he mean?* Su Yu chuckled. "It's just like a text of will. Take a saber art: say it has nine stances, but I write out only four genuine stances and fake the other five. Tell me, would anyone be able to tell? And when the truth finally comes out, I could just claim the student was simply too untalented to learn it... Forging works the exact same way." "..." Liu Wenyan's eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped! *Holy... shit!* *You?!* *It can't be!* Uncle Liu hadn't caught the hidden meaning. He frowned and said coldly, "Then we won't repair it!" He reached out to take back his sword, but Su Yu held onto it. Meanwhile, Liu Wenyan stood there, utterly dumbfounded. A saber art! What saber art? The Thunder Yuan Saber! Back then, when he had penned the Thunder Yuan Saber text of will for Su Yu, his willpower had been insufficient. Assuming Su Yu wouldn't master it anytime soon, he had written four genuine stances and five fake ones. He was the only one who knew about that! The old principal had noticed a discrepancy, but Liu Wenyan had brushed it aside. The only people who could possibly know were himself, the old principal, and perhaps Su Yu, who might have realized it later on. As for the other students present that day, none of them had even managed to learn the first stance, so they couldn't possibly have known. Uncle Liu was seething, ready to wrench his weapon back. He thought this young man was deliberately humiliating his nephew! He had seen plenty of people like this. Liu Wenyan had once been a peerless genius, but was now down on his luck. There was no shortage of scoundrels who sought cheap thrills by mocking him. Evidently, he had pegged Cui Lang as one of them. Yet Liu Wenyan's gaze was entirely different. Staring at Su Yu for a long time, he finally said, "Why must Master Cui do that? If a weapon can be fully repaired, it naturally should be, unless one lacks the ability. Just like a cultivation art: if someone cannot finish writing it, it is simply because their strength fell short, not because they intended to deceive." Su Yu smiled faintly. "That's true enough! It all comes down to strength! One must act within one's limits. For instance, after learning eighteen languages, my head throbbed; had I tried to learn one more, it would have exceeded my capacity, and I couldn't have gone on. Forging is the same: know your limits." "..." *You little bastard!* *Fuck!* *It really is you, you little monster!* *I was your foundational teacher!* *And what did you call me earlier?* *You called me 'little brother'?!* *I'm going to strangle you, you unfilial disciple!* Liu Wenyan was on the verge of exploding with rage, yet shock overtook him just as quickly. *How did this kid become an Earth-rank armamentsmith?! Not only that, he's in the Lingyun Realm?!* *When I left, he was only at the Character Cultivation Realm!* *How long has it been?!* *He's actually overtaken me?! I want to die!* Eighteen languages—Su Yu had studied diligently back then and mastered eighteen languages. Liu Wenyan still remembered that clearly. The moment Su Yu brought that up, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was his student. He truly hadn't expected this! It was completely out of left field! Gritting his teeth, Liu Wenyan said, "How about this, Master Cui? If you repair my uncle's weapon, I'll give you something good. I am, after all, Ye Batian's disciple, so I possess a few secret arts and the like. Repair my uncle's weapon, and I'll transmit them to you via voice!" Su Yu's eyes lit up. "Really?" "Of course!" "Wenyan!" Uncle Liu barked, "I won't allow it! We're not repairing it!" "Uncle!" Liu Wenyan urged, "Don't say anything. Help me seal off the surroundings so no one eavesdrops. Some bastards have their eyes on me." "Wenyan..." "Uncle, if your weapon isn't repaired, I won't be able to rest easy. Listen to me!" "..." Helpless and fuming, Uncle Liu glared at Su Yu, snorted, and released his origin qi, locking down the surrounding space. The instant the barrier snapped into place—*smack!* Liu Wenyan sprang into the air and slapped Su Yu right on the forehead! *To hell with you! You little brat, you dare tease your own master?!* Uncle Liu was utterly flabbergasted. *Is my nephew trying to kill this Cui Lang just to vent his anger?* *Isn't that taking things a bit too far?* *More importantly, you might not even beat him!* Before he could process the thought, Su Yu was already grimacing, rubbing his head with an embarrassed grin. "Stop hitting me, time is short! Teacher, can't we talk properly?" "Talk properly?" Liu Wenyan was so furious his mustache bristled. "What did you call me earlier?!" "..." Su Yu chuckled sheepishly. "You... you're only at the Tengkong Realm, while I'm at the Lingyun Realm and an armamentsmith to boot. Calling you 'little brother'... fit my persona." "To hell with your persona!" Liu Wenyan cursed, utterly incensed and thoroughly embarrassed. *So what if I'm at the Tengkong Realm?! You think you're impressive?! I've killed plenty of Lingyun cultivators—what's so special about that?!* Meanwhile, Uncle Liu stood frozen, staring suspiciously at his nephew. "Wenyan, who is this...?" *He calls you teacher, but where did you get a student?* Liu Wenyan looked miserable and muttered sullenly, "The one that Bai Feng brat took in!" Uncle Liu's eyes widened in realization, completely stunned. *Su Yu?!* Su Yu gave a sheepish grin. "Teacher, Elder Liu, I only did it to maintain my cover. Please don't take offense. I came here specifically just to see you, Teacher." "Get out of here!" Liu Wenyan rolled his eyes, then quickly said, "Cut the chatter. You can't take too long forging—there might be plenty of eyes on this damned place! Why the hell did you come here? Don't you know how dangerous it is?" "I know, but it's fine. Right now, I'm only known as an armamentsmith; nothing else." Su Yu spoke rapidly, adding, "Elder Liu seems severely wounded, his physical body decaying. I have a cultivation art that might help him heal." With that, Su Yu swiftly pressed several items into Liu Wenyan's hands. "Go over them carefully once you're back; I won't say more about them here." He continued, "I'll repair the weapon as quickly as possible. Aside from that, Teacher, is there anything you need?" "Me?" Liu Wenyan thought about it, then shook his head. "No. I don't lack resources right now; I lack opportunity. Stop wasting words, you brat. Once you finish repairing the weapon, leave this place immediately and go back!" "I'm not going back!" Su Yu shook his head. "I'm going to cross the East Rift Valley to hunt down formidable foes!" "You!" Liu Wenyan snapped angrily, "It's extremely dangerous out there!" "I'm going precisely because it's dangerous!" Su Yu quickly regained his composure from the initial excitement. "Teacher, I have to go! My strength isn't weak. To be blunt, you're no match for me right now, Teacher. And if I go all out with everything I've got, dealing with a weaker Shanhai is no problem!" "..." Liu Wenyan stood stunned. *You can take on the Shanhai Realm already?!* Su Yu smiled. "It's the truth!" He added, "Teacher, I'm no longer that weak kid. I'm no longer the helpless weakling who could only shout from the sidelines, offering cultivation arts and pleading with others to save my teacher!" Recalling the events of that day, he gritted his teeth. "And I will become stronger! I will keep growing stronger! I won't just shout and plead for help anymore—I will strike down those enemies with my own hands! "Teacher, sooner or later, I will overthrow those bastards, slaughter them, and make the world entirely different from how it is today! "Teacher, I'm no longer that child. I'm no longer the little kid who had a nightmare and ran to you for comfort. I've grown up, and I've grown strong!" Liu Wenyan remained silent for a long time before letting out a soft sigh. "It's my fault!" "It's not your fault!" Su Yu shook his head. "Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today. Besides, you taught so many students and none of them were dragged into this. I became entangled for only one reason... I was too outstanding. Outstanding enough to invite jealousy!" "..." Liu Wenyan was rendered speechless. *Damn it all, this brat doesn't miss a single chance to flatter himself. How can anyone be this narcissistic?!* "I'll leave tomorrow as soon as I fulfill my three-day promise. Don't worry, Teacher—I rarely suffer losses, and this time will be no different!" Liu Wenyan sighed and nodded. "You have your own path to walk, so walk it well. If you ever run into trouble... come back here. You've grown up, brat. You're different from before." "I haven't changed, Teacher. Not now, and not ever!" Liu Wenyan smiled and nodded. "Enough talk. Being able to see you this time... I'm already content. Go on, repair the weapon. Don't arouse suspicion. Not everyone in this Vanguard Camp is a good person." "Understood!" Su Yu set to work repairing the weapon. Uncle Liu lowered the barrier, his heart churning with turbulent emotions. *This is my nephew's student?* *He's already on the verge of becoming an Earth-rank armamentsmith!* *How on earth did my nephew teach him?* Neither master nor disciple spoke another word. Su Yu focused on forging, while Liu Wenyan watched in silence. Back in Nanyuan, he had been the one guiding this boy. Now, the world had shifted, and things remained while the people had changed. At the Nanyuan Academy, he had taught Su Yu for five years. He had watched with his own eyes as this boy soared step by step. And now, in the blink of an eye, the kid had already reached the Lingyun Realm. Just thinking about it could make anyone feel inadequate. A quiet sigh echoed in the depths of his heart.