The Name of Su Yu

The human prodigies fled, Heaven-Severing Valley lay half-ruined, and Moduona, the top ranker of the Heaven Ranking, tore after them. Meanwhile, the remaining cultivators could not contain their shock. Someone looked up at the hovering white dragon and hastily called out, "Lord Long Zhan, was that person just now really Cui Lang?" Whether it was Cui Lang or Su Yu, none of them were truly familiar with either. Yet the difference was monumental! Just moments ago, one of the geniuses had shouted, "Su Yu is not even twenty!" That single sentence altered everything. A thirty-five-year-old Cui Lang and an under-twenty Su Yu—both had slain Lei Jue. Under the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's criteria, while no one knew his exact placement, he would at least take the top spot on the Earth Ranking. It came down to whom they had slain. Su Yu had killed Lei Jue. Huang Teng’s record was formidable as well, having slain a Shanhai second stage while at Lingyun fifth stage. Yet Huang Teng was twenty-eight, nine years older than Su Yu. That was the first point. Second, Lei Jue had previously slain a Shanhai first stage expert, meaning he could be considered on par with a Shanhai. By that logic, Su Yu would at least rank first on the Earth Ranking—or perhaps knock Qin Fang down and enter the Heaven Ranking. Long Zhan of the Heaven Dragon race ignored them, staring into the distance in silence. As a prodigy of the Heaven Dragon race at Shanhai first stage, he too could fight above his level. He had once slain a Shanhai sixth-stage great demon, yet his position on the list was not exceedingly high, sitting at eleventh on the Earth Ranking. The four rankings weighed too many holistic factors rather than raw cultivation alone. Otherwise, Moduona would never surpass the second-ranked Zhan Wushuang, an eighth-stage Shanhai monster capable of slaying Sun Moon cultivators. Ordinarily, Long Zhan took great pride in himself. Today, however, watching these monsters kill above their levels as though it were child's play, he felt utterly powerless. He had slain a sixth-stage Shanhai—he was hardly weak, was he? Even if he encountered a seventh-stage Shanhai, he could still put up a fight. Yet Moduona, rank one on the Heaven Ranking, could jump an entire major realm at Lingyun seventh stage to kill a Shanhai seventh stage. Even Long Zhan would be no match for him; otherwise, An Mintian of the god race would not have been so terrified earlier. Even Tianduo of the Primordial Demon race, whose strength was unquestionable, had nothing to say when facing this peer of the same race and level. He dared not act haughty in the slightest, despite having an equally formidable background. *Su Yu...* As Long Zhan pondered, Tianduo wore a complicated expression as he gazed in the direction Moduona had departed. That was the goal of his entire life, yet perhaps... he would never catch up. He had left the Demon Realm for the Plain of Desire and joined the encirclement of Huang Teng all to make a name for himself, all to close the gap between himself and Moduona. And yet today... Looking back at the few demon experts beside him, several were dead, leaving only three: Moerba, Lan Ying, and the three-eyed demon. All the others had fallen. A total wash! They had gained nothing! Meanwhile, Moduona alone pursued three human geniuses—no, counting Wu Qi, several human prodigies—driving them into a corner single-handedly. *That* was true domineering strength! So effortless, so unbothered. In comparison, he was also an expert of the Primordial Demon race, yet besieging a single Huang Teng had cost multiple lives and merely wounded them without preventing their escape. At this moment, the assembled prodigies harbored complex emotions. The little golden dragon floated up from beneath the earth, its voice booming with confusion: "Who is Su Yu?" It truly had no idea! Even the name Cui Lang was something it had learned only today, and now this 'Su Yu' had suddenly surfaced. It didn't recognize him at all. And it was far from the only one! Right then, a figure appeared in the distance, wearing a mask inscribed with patterns resembling a cracked vault of heaven. "Those bastards from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" Several looked over, their eyes filled with wariness and barely suppressed hostility. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion operative spoke in an odd, ethereal tone: "Everyone, there is no need for such animosity. I have no intention of making enemies of you. You are curious about Su Yu, and so is the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! You may not know much about him, so allow me to enlighten you! "A native of the Human Realm's Great Xia Prefecture, nineteen years old! At eighteen, he was admitted to the Great Xia Civilization Academy and joined the Multiple Divine Character Faction. At enrollment, he was merely in the Kaiyuan Realm! He took Bai Feng as his teacher. You might not know Bai Feng, but during his time in the intermediate academy, he studied under Liu Wenyan, whom you surely know!" The crowd stirred in surprise. They did know that name! Liu Wenyan was quite renowned! Of course, Liu Wenyan had never been on the Heaven Hunting Rankings, but his teacher was known to everyone under heaven. The fifth-generation head of the Great Xia Civilization Academy, Ye Batian! A Sun Moon who had slain an Invincible! He had held the first rank on the Heaven Hunting Rankings for a full twenty years—the maximum limit. Entering the rankings at twenty, he claimed the top spot at twenty-two. Throughout his life, he survived countless assassination attempts, and right until he aged out in his forties, none could end him. "Ye Batian's grand-disciple!" Several cultivators were deeply shaken—far more shaken than if he were the descendant of an Invincible. Descendants of Invincibles were not uncommon, but someone who had killed an Invincible as a Sun Moon... Ye Batian remained the only one to this day. Some dared fight an Invincible at the Sun Moon Realm, but daring to fight did not mean winning, let alone surviving. Winning did not equate to slaying. To slay an Invincible... he was the undisputed number one in the Sun Moon Realm! No matter how monstrous a genius was, slaying an Invincible at the Sun Moon Realm was virtually impossible. It meant one's combat power already surpassed that of ordinary Invincibles. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion operative continued, "Within less than six months of entering the Great Xia Civilization Academy, Su Yu reached rank one on the academy's Top 100 Rankings and killed the former champion..." A ruthless character! It sounded almost absurd to the listeners. The Great Xia Civilization Academy possessed a fair bit of fame, so the top ranker on their Top 100 Rankings was surely formidable, even if an unranked, pre-Tengkong list meant little to them. "After slaying the former champion, complications arose. Su Yu defected from the Great Xia Prefecture. At Starfall Mountain in the Human Realm, he orchestrated the deaths of two Sun Moon experts and multiple Shanhai experts, and personally killed a Lingyun seventh-stage cultivator... All of this transpired a mere six months after his enrollment." Gasps of awe erupted once more! The little golden dragon listened with its jaw slack! Forgetting entirely that the speaker belonged to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, it blurted out, "He orchestrated the deaths of Sun Moons?" The operative replied placidly, "He did not kill them with his own hands; he intentionally baited them into ambushing him. Zhu Tiandao, the Manor Lord of the Great Ming Prefecture, personally escorted him into Great Ming. At Starfall Mountain, Zhu Tiandao did not hesitate to offend the Single Divine Character Faction, slaying their Sun Moon expert Jin Yuhui on Su Yu's behalf... "Afterward, Su Yu entered the Great Ming Prefecture and joined the Great Ming Civilization Academy. He published methods that are now renowned throughout the realm: the *Twin Wu Aperture Fusion Art*, the *Primordial Spirit Cultural Art*, the *Primordial Spirit Aperture Opening Art*... and established the Primordial Spirit Research Institute. Furthermore, several months ago, he defeated Shan Xiong, one of the Human Realm's top prodigies!" "Shan Xiong?" Someone exclaimed, "Him! That guy visited the All-Heavens Battlefield before. His name is on the four rankings, isn't it?" "Yes, ninth on the Yellow Ranking. He came once and departed shortly after." "..." Several were familiar with Shan Xiong. He had visited this realm and slain geniuses, but his stay had been brief before he returned. Even so, he retained ninth place on the Yellow Ranking, attesting to his extraordinary talent and combat prowess. The operative continued, "Indeed. Several months ago, Su Yu routed Shan Xiong, nearly killing him. Zhou Polong, a supreme expert of the Human Realm, intervened personally to save Shan Xiong. Su Yu suffered one hundred and forty-four shattered apertures and severe injuries. Rumor had it he was recuperating under the personal protection of Principal Niu Baidao of the Great Ming Civilization Academy... And Cui Lang is Principal Niu Baidao's nominal disciple." At those words, the little golden dragon could not resist asking, "What does one hundred and forty-four shattered apertures mean?" "Oh, did I fail to mention?" The operative chuckled. "Su Yu has opened over three hundred yuan apertures, possibly as many as three hundred and sixty, though the exact number remains unverified. As for divine apertures, he is said to have opened over one hundred, with the exact count unknown. He has outlined nearly twenty divine characters, perhaps even more, though the exact figure remains uncertain..." "All this... in one year?" Everyone was dumbfounded once again. If you claimed it took ten years, they would accept it; such geniuses existed in reasonable numbers. Yet one year... was beyond belief. "Indeed, one year!" The masked operative calculated briefly and chuckled. "In fact, twenty days shy of a year. August 1 of the Anping calendar is the day of enrollment. By that calendar, today is only July 6." "..." Silence fell. Soon, someone muttered in a low voice, "An Invincible ruin?" "Precisely!" The operative agreed. "That appears to be the case. Rumor has it that Su Yu discovered an Invincible ruin in the Human Realm, which brought him to where he is today. Even so, it remains an astonishing feat!" Inheriting an Invincible ruin required both immense luck and talent. Which genius lacked fortuitous encounters? Without them, could one even be called a genius? That Su Yu possessed an Invincible ruin simply demonstrated his extraordinary fortune and destiny, which was itself a form of genius. Could someone who couldn't stumble into treasures along the roadside truly call themselves a prodigy? By now, everyone understood who Su Yu was. The little golden dragon piped up hastily, "He *is* Su Yu!" It had been right nearby when Su Yu killed Lei Jue! As Lei Jue lay dying, he had asked whether he was truly Su Yu, and Su Yu had answered in the affirmative. The little golden dragon had seen and heard it all! That was Su Yu! The nineteen-year-old Su Yu! The operative quickly asked, "Lord Wuyou knows for certain?" "Believe it or not, that was Su Yu!" The little golden dragon snorted, not bothering to elaborate if they chose to doubt it. At this moment, eyes turned westward, several prodigies itching for action. Right then, the void rippled. Seven or eight powerful figures attacked the masked operative simultaneously. Now that you've finished speaking, it's time to send you on your way! Operatives of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion were formidable and exceptionally talented; killing one was always a net gain! Long Zhan, An Mintian, Tianduo... multiple experts unleashed their strikes together! Their combined might could easily slaughter a fifth- or sixth-stage Shanhai, and they possessed the confidence to match and kill a seventh-stage Shanhai. After all, they were top prodigies of the ten dominant races. The masked operative smiled. Though his face remained hidden, everyone could feel his amusement. In the next instant, a pillar of light descended, and the masked figure vanished on the spot. As he left, his voice echoed: "You are all welcome to join the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! We provide the most comprehensive services and intelligence!" With those words, he was gone. Tianduo and the others grimaced. An Mintian could not help but shout, "An Invincible personally retrieved him? Damn it, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion has Invincibles!" It seemed inconceivable! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion was not a race; it was an organization. And this organization possessed Invincible-realm experts! One had even personally reached down to extract a member! Tianduo remarked coldly, "It is hardly surprising that the Heaven Hunting Pavilion has Invincibles. The pavilion has existed for far too long. When the All-Heavens Battlefield first opened, they were already here. Ancient demon records even make mention of them! They may have existed on this battlefield for countless millions of years!" The demon race possessed a terrifyingly ancient history, and even their oldest records spoke of this organization. That the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's legacy endured unbroken was the truly terrifying part. Tianduo added gloomily, "Still, for their Invincible to dare make a move... how bold!" *Rumble!* An earth-shattering blast rolled across the heavens. Tianduo showed no surprise, nor did An Mintian. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion was courting death! Deploying an Invincible here to extract an operative would swiftly alert the Invincibles stationed across the war zones. Those experts would never let it slide. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion was merely an organization—mysterious and difficult to uproot under normal circumstances. Now that one of their Invincibles had exposed themselves, how could the various races' Invincibles pass up the chance to strike? After a series of thunderous rumbles, everything fell quiet. All went still! None of them knew the outcome, but the Invincible had certainly survived. Had an Invincible perished, the All-Heavens Battlefield would have reacted: the aurora of dao attainment would have illuminated thousands of li, and the disturbance of a death would only be vaster. None had witnessed such a sight in recent years, though decades ago, people had beheld that magnificent spectacle. On that day, three consecutive earth-shaking booms had rattled the myriad realms. No one dwelled on the matter further; battles between Invincibles were far too distant from their concerns. At that moment, someone checked the sub-ranking. Cui Lang remained fifth on the Earth Ranking. "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion has yet to verify his identity!" That was the conclusion. Once confirmed, the listing would surely be updated. Su Yu was far from the first to venture onto the All-Heavens Battlefield under a false identity. Generally, however, anyone who made waves could not keep it hidden for long. This was a land of constant slaughter; one had to rely on their signature techniques sooner or later. Unless you silenced every witness and left none alive to tell the tale, you could never escape having your cover blown. Tianduo paid the rankings no heed. Gazing westward, he exhaled softly and said in a low voice, "Why not go and look together? There are several ancient cities ahead. Those few will likely seek refuge inside!" Further west lay the Central War Zone. That was the domain of the demon beast race. Charging into their territory would provoke their grandmasters into action, unlike the Plain of Desire where Sun Moons could not track you down. Thus, ducking into an ancient city was their most probable choice. "An ancient city... would they really go there?" One cultivator voiced their apprehension: "It is best to avoid those ancient cities—they are sinister beyond measure! Only experts from minor races, convicts, or wanderers gather there..." So-called wanderers were those whose minor realms had been shattered, leaving them no choice but to roam the All-Heavens Battlefield. There were formidable figures among them, and Sun Moons were not uncommon. Many wandered across the different territories of the battlefield, and the ancient cities served as one of their refuges. The ancient cities were eerily bizarre. Under normal circumstances, prodigies and powerhouses from major races dared not venture into them lightly. As a result, experts from minor races seized control of these cities and ruled as tyrants. The Invincibles of the major races almost never visited them. There, Sun Moons reigned supreme. As to why Invincibles avoided them, none of the juniors knew. The Invincibles never mentioned it to them, brushing off inquiries about the ancient cities in a few words: *You may go, but do not linger, exercise caution, and above all, do not stir up trouble.* Those who caused trouble never met a good end. Such ancient cities existed not only on the Plain of Desire, but elsewhere as well. Even the Sea of Stars held several, each deeply uncanny. Tianduo stared west, his tone indifferent. "Since we have come to the All-Heavens Battlefield, if others can go, why shouldn't we?" To come all this way without seeing an ancient city would be an utter regret. Besides, Moduona and the others were likely heading that way. If so, he had no reason to shy away. With that, he rose into the air and flew off, the flame divine mark blazing brightly upon his brow. His emotions stirred slightly. *Moduona!* *I will not lose to you!* To be born in the same era as Moduona within the Primordial Demon race was perhaps... the misfortune of every other demon prodigy. ... While the others conversed, Su Yu fled at top speed, his will-force and yuan qi severely depleted. His will-force was manageable now, largely restored by the heaven-and-earth reward. As for his yuan qi, Su Yu was currently absorbing Heaven Yuan Qi at a rapid pace to replenish it. It was wildly extravagant! Alarmingly extravagant! Yet Su Yu felt thoroughly elated. Fighting a major battle felt fantastic; all his pent-up frustration had dissolved. Furthermore, the stimulation of life-and-death combat had rapidly consolidated his physical body, and his divine characters showed signs of advancing. Both the 'Battle' and 'Calamity' characters were on the verge of breaking through. Prodigies did not seek chaotic battles for no reason. Killing yielded rewards and spurred personal progress. Without clashing against the strong, cloistering oneself behind closed doors would never produce a true powerhouse. At this moment, Su Yu held several storage rings. Paying little heed to the others, he retrieved Lei Jue's ring and swiftly forced it open. Sure enough, he found a sub-ranking scroll inside. Extracting the Heaven Hunting sub-ranking scroll, he opened it to look. He had made the list! Fifth on the Earth Ranking! "Fifth on the Earth Ranking..." First on the Earth Ranking was Huang Teng, who had slain a Shanhai second stage while at Lingyun fifth stage. Second was an expert of the Immortal race, who had slain a Lingyun ninth stage while at Tengkong ninth stage—a terrifying feat. Third was a Lingyun third stage who had slain a Shanhai first stage. Fourth was a Shanhai fourth stage who had slain a Shanhai seventh stage... And right below was Su Yu: Lingyun first stage slaying a Lingyun ninth stage. The rankings did not measure sheer combat strength alone; many variables were considered. The cultivator above Su Yu had slain a seventh-stage Shanhai, but was already a fourth-stage Shanhai himself. The myriad races truly possessed an abundance of prodigies! Every single one skipped realms like a game. The minor races had it rough. As Su Yu fled, he glanced behind him. Something felt off. Was there immense danger trailing him? *Damn it, this 'Calamity' divine character keeps pulsing. It couldn't be malfunctioning, could it?* He felt the danger approaching from the rear! Yet his sensing jade detected nothing within a thousand meters. A thousand-meter radius was far too small; Su Yu could not determine what was happening behind him. As for the earlier cataclysmic rumble, he had heard it, but paid it no mind. It was too powerful... completely unrelated to him. It felt millions of li away! It was probably Invincibles clashing. What did that have to do with him? It wasn't as if battles between Invincibles had never broken out on the All-Heavens Battlefield before. As long as no Invincible died, it was fine. If no Invincible fell, it was just minor skirmishing. Only the death of an Invincible counted as monumental news. It seemed no such news had broken in the past fifty years, which was rather a pity. "What on earth is back there?" Su Yu felt helpless; fleeing blindly was no solution. He had only just slain Lei Jue and intended to hunt more geniuses from the myriad races, only to sense imminent peril and be forced onto the run. Was that fellow Huang Teng dead? Probably not; his name was still on the ranking. Wu Qi was alive as well! None of them were dead, so should he just stop running? Just as the thought crossed his mind, the 'Calamity' divine character pulsed vigorously again, its intent unmistakable: *Keep running! Why are you stopping? Listen to the divine character's warning! The Calamity character is the finest early-warning system around. If you don't run, are you waiting to die?* "Fuck!" Su Yu was thoroughly annoyed! He had just slain Lei Jue! With such formidable strength, he still had to run? What in the world was going on? Was an Invincible hunting him? Impossible! He could already battle Shanhais! As he pondered, a shadowy silhouette appeared behind him, closing in with insane, astonishing speed. Su Yu quickly dissolved into astral gale, concealing his tracks. The newcomer paid no heed to his surroundings, charging ahead heedlessly. Su Yu sped forward as well, noticing that the closer he got to the newcomer, the more violently the 'Calamity' character throbbed. Su Yu's mind stirred. *Is this guy trying to kill me?* *Is he stronger than me?* Judging from a distance, the figure was extraordinarily fast—seemingly faster than Su Yu himself, or else he wouldn't have caught up. Of course, Su Yu hadn't pushed his movement arts to their limit. With such speed, his strength was surely formidable. Yet was he really that dangerous? As he wondered, the flying tiger beneath the black-armored youth let out a low roar. The youth blinked, then called out, "Who is ahead? Is that Su Yu?" "..." *I am Cui Lang!* *Does every single person on this damn battlefield know Su Yu is here?!* "Forget it, whether you are or not, just run! That lunatic Moduona is hunting us down! I'm Qin Fang, farewell!" With a whoosh, the fellow swerved and sped away. *Moduona is coming!* Su Yu was taken aback! It was him! The supreme expert ranked first on the Heaven Ranking! Qin Fang bolted at full tilt, his voice drifting back faintly: "Every man for himself! Find an ancient city to take shelter, but make sure to leave within three days, or you'll be in deep trouble!" With that, he vanished entirely. Not long after he disappeared, Su Yu slowed slightly. Sure enough, another figure came tearing through the air from behind. "Huang Teng?" Su Yu did not reveal himself, but transmitted his voice. Huang Teng started, then blurted out, "Su Yu or Cui Lang?" Without waiting for an answer, he shouted, "Whatever, just run! Fuck, that lunatic Moduona is on our tails! Run! Find an ancient city to hide in! Every man for himself, and make sure to leave within three days! That's all, see ya!" "..." *Holy shit!* Huang Teng's words were almost an exact carbon copy of Qin Fang's. *Moduona is coming!* *Hide in an ancient city!* *Leave within three days!* Su Yu ignored the chatter and looked at Wu Qi, whom Huang Teng was carrying. She was unconscious and clearly grievously wounded. Qin Fang had fled to the right, Huang Teng to the left, and Su Yu remained in the center. After a moment's thought, Su Yu accelerated and quickly caught up with Huang Teng. Sensing someone pursuing him, Huang Teng poured on even more speed, running for his absolute life. Su Yu could not help transmitting a shout: "It's me! How is Wu Qi?" "I know it's you!" Huang Teng recognized him, yet continued to sprint furiously, cursing, "Scram, don't follow me! Qin Fang is on the Heaven Ranking, and if you're Su Yu, you're the next one on it! I'm only on the Earth Ranking! Don't follow me, don't drag me down! I know it was my fault for beating up your teacher, but please, don't stick to me!" His meaning was crystal clear! Qin Fang and Su Yu were Moduona's primary targets; he was merely number three. He wanted no part of their trouble! Su Yu paused, then snapped in irritation, "You're the one dragging me down! Can you two even escape? How is Wu Qi?" "You two really have a thing going on... Damn it, you're not playing fair! She's the goddess of our generation... Even your teacher pursued her... You have no shame whatsoever!" "..." *This is Huang Teng?* *I'm asking serious questions, and you're spouting this nonsense?!* *This is the Huang Teng on whom the Great Xia Prefecture pinned high hopes?* *This is the second Xia Longwu?* *Are you fucking kidding me?!* *This is one of humanity's top prodigies?* *This is the nemesis Bai Feng keeps harping about?* Su Yu felt utterly exhausted. The man was acting like a total clown! *I asked about Wu Qi, and you start gossiping?!* After rambling, Huang Teng quickly added, "She's fine—just about to die, that's all. Get used to it. If we outrun him, she lives; if we can't, being alive now just means dying in a bit." "Moduona is only at Lingyun seventh stage. If we join forces..." "Quit messing around, kid!" Huang Teng barked, "Do you even know what Shanhai seventh stage means? A baseline of one hundred thousand apertures of force—that's a seventh-stage Shanhai! The absolute minimum! The weakest kind! If they're a Civilization Master, they're even stronger... You don't know shit, kid, yet you talk about teaming up to kill him? Qin Fang and I together aren't enough to scratch him, and adding you will make a difference?" Just run! So much damn chatter! Talking about teaming up to slay Moduona—they'd revisit that idea once they reached Lingyun seventh or eighth stage. Right now, Huang Teng was only at Lingyun fifth stage, and Qin Fang was at Lingyun sixth stage; neither had reached the seventh stage. Qin Fang had slain a third-stage Shanhai, and Huang Teng had slain a second-stage Shanhai. Both were top prodigies, but the simple truth was, their cultivation fell short. *A baseline of one hundred thousand apertures of force!* Su Yu understood now. Terrifying! That was over ten times his physical strength, and actual combat power wasn't a simple ten-fold multiplier. Now he got it. Without another word, Su Yu tossed a storage ring over and shouted, "There's some Heaven Yuan Qi inside for life-saving, along with a flesh regeneration technique. Don't you dare steal it—it's for Wu Qi! Tell her I saved her, so she stops thinking she's better than me..." With that, Su Yu dissolved into an astral gale. His 'Wind' divine character flared, carrying him forward at blazing speed along the central path. Time to run! He refused to travel with Huang Teng. Sticking together made too large a target. Huang Teng feared Su Yu dragging him down, but Su Yu feared carrying two pieces of dead weight! How wonderful it was to be on his own! He could turn into wind or water at will. With his semi-Earth-rank boots amplifying his speed and his Yang Aperture half-open, Su Yu ran with everything he had. He couldn't beat him—definitely couldn't beat him! Better to steer clear of the Heaven Ranking's top dog. If Qin Fang and Huang Teng combined couldn't fight him, Su Yu would be completely hopeless on his own. Unless his physical body reached at least forty castings, killing Moduona was out of the question. At least forty castings! Once he reached forty castings, his physical body would wield over eighty thousand apertures of force. Combined with his will-force, divine characters, and half-opened Yang Aperture, he would finally have a shot at fighting him. Right now? Forget about it! He was only at fourteen castings! At a rapid pace of one casting every ten days, that would take two hundred and sixty days—nearly nine months—before he could even hope to contest him. *Forget it, I'll swallow my pride,* Su Yu thought to himself. *Just don't chase me; go after Qin Fang and the others instead.* He wasn't overly worried about them. Who survived on the All-Heavens Battlefield without a few trump cards up their sleeve? If they didn't have any... then they deserved to die! Without the ability, why come to the battlefield in the first place? At this moment, the three human prodigies fled in three separate directions rather than grouping up. Not only were they unfamiliar with one another, but joining forces was futile; staying together would only allow them to be wiped out in one fell swoop. Only an idiot would do that! By scattering, no matter how strong Moduona was, once he killed one, the odds of him turning back to hunt the others were slim. ... Barely a minute after slaying Lei Jue, Su Yu was on the run once again. Meanwhile. At the Human Realm main camp. Marquis Xia stood up upon receiving another front-line battle report, cursing, "I thought that kid was the one stirring up trouble, but it turns out... Qin Fang, damn that bastard!" Qin Fang had actually lured Moduona over! That wretched brat was even more of a menace than Su Yu. Marquis Xia added with a sigh, "Say, I'm starting to wonder... was Lei Jue simply too weak? Has the Thunder God race declined?" When he really thought about it, that was Su Yu! Terrifying! He had only arrived a few days ago, and he had already slain Lei Jue? Are you kidding me?! If Huang Teng encountered Lei Jue, he could probably win, and there was a chance of slaying him, though hardly an easy one. Lei Jue had killed a Shanhai, after all. But how old was Su Yu, and how old was Huang Teng? How long had Su Yu cultivated, and how long had Huang Teng? Marquis Xia felt a deep headache coming on. Beside him, Old Madame Wu asked abruptly, "Is he truly Su Yu?" According to front-line intelligence, Qin Fang claimed the youth was Su Yu. Qin Fang did not know Su Yu personally, but for him to say so, there had to be some basis to it. "No!" Marquis Xia denied it immediately. Admitting it would cause massive problems and potentially lure out Invincibles. Of course, without confirmation, an Invincible would not descend lightly for Su Yu alone, as that could trigger an all-out war of Invincibles prematurely. He naturally knew it was Su Yu, but he refused to say it. Saying it would spell disaster. Old Madame Wu nodded slightly, then remarked after a long pause, "A loyal and righteous young man, braving danger all alone just to save Qiqi. Sigh, he is well worthy of our Qiqi!" "..." Marquis Xia stared at the old woman, dumbfounded. What did that mean? "Old Madame... um... Wu Qi is older than him. Besides, that kid has bad blood with our Great Xia Prefecture..." "That is with the Xia family, not my Wu family!" Old Madame Wu gave him a strange look. What did that have to do with the Wu family? Her Wu family maintained excellent relations with that lineage! Just look: her daughter had an entangled history with that scoundrel Liu Wenyan! Her younger great-granddaughter had even chased Su Yu all the way to the Great Ming Prefecture! After all that, how could anyone claim they had bad blood? No matter how hostile Su Yu was toward the Great Xia Prefecture, it was directed solely at the Single Divine Character Faction and the Xia family. His relationship with the Wu family was perfectly fine, understood? Marquis Xia choked on his words. "What about your Lanlan..." Old Madame Wu nodded faintly. That was true as well. There was no strict need to match Su Yu with Wu Qi; Lanlan would do just as well. However, Lanlan was too weak. For a prodigy like Su Yu, a weak partner could easily lose her life. Qiqi, on the other hand, possessed the disposition of a true powerhouse. Standing by Su Yu's side, she would have no fear of danger; she was a heroine who had risen from crisis in the first place. As for the possibility that Su Yu might perish prematurely... Old Madame Wu understood the risk well, but for the women of the Wu family, even blooming for a fleeting moment left no regrets in life. She knew the temperament of the Wu women all too well. Finding a weak, mediocre man to settle down and raise children with—that was for ordinary women. The women of the Wu family either remained unwed, or married peerless prodigies. Even if they fell, they would burn with glorious brilliance in this life! Such were Old Madame Wu's thoughts. Otherwise, no other man was worthy of her peerless great-granddaughter. As for Huang Teng... he was glib and slick, giving her a headache just looking at him. She couldn't be bothered with him. His personality bore an uncanny resemblance to the fat marquis before her. She had met him once and detested that sort of temperament; even being a genius couldn't redeem it. Marquis Xia seemed to sense her disdain and wore a helpless grimace. *Old lady, you're looking down on me now?* Come to think of it... back then, he had genuinely intended to marry Wu Yuehua, only to be thoroughly scorned by her and thrashed by this very old woman. The entire family was a handful! And now she had set her sights on Su Yu. The old lady's ambitions... left him thoroughly impressed.