Casually Slaying a Shanhai for Fun

Before Tianmie City. Su Yu reviewed the information. The masked operative had not provided much, but the explanation regarding the city gates was enlightening. Nine gates! Ancient cities generally possessed nine gates, the central one being the main gate. The reason Moduona insisted on entering through the main gate was the rumor that walking through it allowed one to see different sights and obtain unique opportunities. Moreover, entering via the main gate vastly enhanced one's safety. There was also an explanation for why Qin Fang and the others had urged him not to stay for more than three days: once someone lingered in an ancient city past three days, they would encounter inexplicable perils. Some vanished without a trace, never to be found again. Some died unnatural deaths with no killer ever identified. Others went mad, or had their cultivation ruined... Anything was possible. The more prominent the clan an expert or genius hailed from, the more susceptible they were to these perils. As for what the danger actually was, the records did not specify. One had to leave within three days! Of course, entering through the main gate was noted to reduce such risks. Yet not just anyone could walk through the main gate. The gates stood wide open, but whether one could pass through depended on strength, talent, and serendipity. It was not simply a matter of greater strength making it easier. One thing, however, was certain: geniuses stood a higher chance of walking through than mere experts. A genius at the Soaring Realm might be able to enter, while a Sun Moon Realm expert might fail to pass through the main gate. It was profoundly bizarre! Inside the ancient city lay both opportunity and peril. Furthermore, there was a peculiar rule within the ancient city: if one took up permanent residence, they would no longer be bound by the three-day limit. How did one become a resident? Very simple! Find an unoccupied house, stay in the ancient city for three days, and each night toss a jade medallion imbued with your blood and aura out the door. Do this for three consecutive days, and after three days, you would be considered a resident of the ancient city. From then on, you could reside within the ancient city without issue. At present, there were many such beings living in the ancient city. As for what consequences came with settling down, Su Yu did not know, nor was it recorded in the jade talisman. But Su Yu felt it was surely nothing good. For outsiders, it was best to leave within three days. Both Qin Fang and Huang Teng had warned him of this. Three days at most! As for why it was considered relatively safe inside, that required finding an empty house to hide in for three days. Once the door was shut, nobody could force their way in. These ancient cities were extraordinarily unique and indestructible. If you were hunted, entering the city and hiding inside an empty house without stepping outside meant the pursuer could barely even scan for your presence. It was a sanctuary! Of course, this also held its own dangers. Some enemies chose not to enter, waiting outside the walls instead. You had to come out after three days eventually, so seeking refuge inside did not guarantee total safety. "Inside the ancient city, it is best not to resort to violence." "Do not provoke the residents of the ancient city." "Outside the city does not count." Outside the city did not count! Su Yu noted this down and looked toward the beings lingering near the city gate. Were they temporary visitors or residents of Tianmie City? The two Moduona had killed earlier—were they outsiders or residents? Regardless, it had happened outside the walls, so killing them likely carried no repercussions. In the ancient city, there were wanderers whose original realms had been destroyed. Unwilling to become permanent residents, some opted to stay for three days, exit the city, and then re-enter immediately afterward... This was why there was a steady stream of figures coming and going around the gates. As for the number of dwellings in the city, it was staggeringly vast. Accommodating tens of millions of people would be effortless. There was no fear of failing to find an empty house upon entering; no ancient city had that many beings choosing to settle permanently. The jade talisman also noted: do not stay toward the core. The closer a dwelling was to the center, the more dangerous it became. Ancient cities were generally circular. At the center stood the City Lord's Manor. Surrounding it were concentric rings spreading outward, thirty-six in total, corresponding to the number of the Heavenly Dippers. The further outward, the safer it was. The further inward, the greater the danger! Outsiders generally chose to dwell in the outermost ring, harboring no illusions of great opportunities, merely seeking a foothold in the All-Heavens Battlefield to avoid perils and chaos. Very few dared to inhabit the core dwellings. Even among the city's permanent residents, the vast majority lived in the outer rings. Those living in the inner rings were exceedingly few. "The more I read, the more mysterious it seems!" Mysterious through and through! Su Yu was surprised. There were plenty of Invincibles in the All-Heavens Battlefield—several dozen from the human race alone, and no shortage among the gods, demons, immortals, and fiends, not to mention the Invincibles presiding over the rest of the top hundred races. Across the myriad realms, the total number of Invincibles was quite substantial. With so many Invincibles, could they really lack detailed intelligence on an ancient city? At worst, why not just flip this ancient city on its head and be done with it? Just as Su Yu was pondering this, a wave of exclamations suddenly rang out. "He went in!" "He entered through the main gate!" "Moduona is truly terrifying!" "Too strong!" Looking up, Su Yu saw that Moduona had officially stepped into the ancient city. The colossal gate stood open, while Moduona alone, towering with demonic flames, lingered on the threshold. Moduona turned his head and cast a glance outside the gate, his voice carrying faintly: "Whether you are Su Yu or Cui Lang, care to come inside and play? Coming to the All-Heavens Battlefield without entering an ancient city is far too great a regret! Ancient cities are quite intriguing! The last time I visited Tianqiao City, I stayed in a house in the eighteenth ring. It was rather amusing... Do you care to give it a try?" At these words, Su Yu remained unfazed, but the other beings around were gripped with shock and dread. Dwelling in a house in the eighteenth ring meant being in the semi-core zone! "This time, I will venture even deeper. Compared to mindless slaughter, the benefits gained in such places are only greater..." Moduona gave a faint smile and said no more, turning to stride into the city. Kill Su Yu, kill Qin Fang, kill Huang Teng... What was the purpose? To empower himself! As for eliminating future rivals... that was thinking too much. The human Invincibles had not all perished; what meaning was there in wiping out younger competitors? The clashes among the younger generation were all for the sake of growing stronger! To strengthen oneself and achieve Invincible dao attunement! To become the pillar of one's race and the hegemon among the myriad races! To sweep across the heavens! He walked inside. Meanwhile, Su Yu also revealed his figure, his expression shifting slightly as he morphed back into his true appearance. The Heaven Ranking had already identified him as Su Yu, so there was no longer any need to bother concealing it. According to the records, Invincibles rarely came to this place. Even if they did, Invincibles generally refrained from striking against prodigies of other races—a mutual deterrence to prevent an all-out slaughter of geniuses, which would otherwise force every race's young talents to cower in their home realms. Of course, Su Yu was relatively safe for now. The primary target of the myriad races was not even Liu Wenyan; the crucial figure was Hong Tan! A powerhouse of the multiple divine characters faction who possessed the disassembly art. Su Yu's cultivation arts had already been passed out. Still, if he showed signs of becoming Invincible—and the chances seemed very high now—a physical Invincible might be manageable, but an Invincible Civilization Master would be a colossal menace. Regardless, he currently ranked second only to Hong Tan in priority. Only in third place did it fall to Liu Wenyan. Naturally, Zhou Polong had drawn away a significant share of the pressure as well. Su Yu revealed himself! Outside the gate, several figures suddenly hurried inside. Su Yu glanced at them—members of the Xuan Armor race! The distinctive style of their armor was instantly recognizable. Tianmie City! He recalled that back then, Hong Kai had mentioned he came from Tianmie City. So this damn place was the Xuan Armor race's stomping grounds? Seriously? Yet outside this ancient city, there were actually humans present. An elderly human man suddenly called out: "Young lad, are you planning to enter the city? Run! You're Cui Lang, the one who killed Qing Kai and Hong Kai... or Su Yu, as they call you now, right? Run quickly! The Xuan Armor race has an outpost near here, and some are inside the city. A group left earlier, probably heading to Heaven-Severing Valley to encircle you, and they haven't returned yet..." A human! Su Yu was somewhat surprised, and also found the customs of this ancient city curious. Within the walls, the myriad races mostly coexisted peacefully; even humans living alongside gods and demons was commonplace. Bloodshed was rare! Starting a fight inside usually led to unpredictable consequences. Su Yu smiled and said, "Thank you for the warning, elder, but once inside the city, they wouldn't dare make a move, would they?" The old man below nodded. "Indeed they wouldn't dare. But you must leave eventually. Don't let them trap you inside! Staying past three days is exceedingly dangerous, and the Xuan Armor race has Sun Moon Realm experts stationed here..." Su Yu said nonchalantly, "Sun Moon? Is the Xuan Armor race all that impressive? They wouldn't dare slay geniuses of other major races, yet they dare hunt a human genius? If a Sun Moon expert tries to corner me, aren't they afraid our Invincibles will intervene?" The old man hesitated. Well... could you actually summon an Invincible? He wasn't entirely clear on the privileges enjoyed by geniuses of this caliber! The old man was no genius himself, though after knocking around the All-Heavens Battlefield for years, he possessed the combat strength of an early-stage Shanhai. Hearing this, he said, "Young lad, can you truly summon an Invincible? If so... you'd bring honor to our race. Our Invincibles... rarely intervene. Sigh!" He let out a sigh. Life wasn't easy! The humans possessed many Invincibles of considerable strength, but constrained by the gods and demons and deterred by the fiend race, human Invincibles generally looked after their own territory. East of the East Rift Valley, human Invincibles had intervened before. West of the East Rift Valley, records of human Invincibles intervening were exceedingly sparse. Places like Heaven-Severing Valley had mostly been formed centuries ago during the initial campaigns. As a result, though the humans were strong, their deterrent power was not as formidable as that of the gods, demons, immortals, and fiends. Su Yu was helpless. I can't contact human Invincibles either; you're putting me on the spot here. This old man really doesn't know how to play along! I was merely bluffing to scare them off, but here you go asking me to summon an Invincible to flex our might. Where on earth would I find one? Moduona has entered the city. Should I just make a run for it instead? I'm safe for now anyway! Thinking of this, Su Yu prepared to flee. A gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Why force himself inside? It was far too hazardous. I never expected to gain any treasures inside anyway! In the next instant, Su Yu dissolved into a gentle breeze, vanishing instantly from where he stood. Silence fell! A desolation like autumn winds sweeping fallen leaves! Below, the old man froze in stupefaction before letting out a bitter, wry smile. To hell with you! Dammit, you acted so haughty, like the Xuan Armor race wasn't worth a fart, making me think you were going to summon an Invincible to massacre them, and then... you ran away. Around him, silence lingered briefly, followed by a burst of uproarious laughter! "Humans... Hahaha!" "Hey old man, did you really think a human Invincible would show up to back you up?" "The humans are suppressed by gods and demons and kept in check by dragons and fiends. Their Invincibles don't even dare cross the East Rift Valley! Give up on your delusions!" "Was that Su Yu just now? The Su Yu who just broke onto the Heaven Ranking?" "I'm dying of laughter!" "..." The crowd of beings mocked and cackled, laughing themselves hoarse. A breeze swept through—all it lacked was falling leaves. A few leaves would have matched the mood perfectly. Everyone was laughing! "Done dying of laughter?" At that exact moment, the fellow who had just declared he was dying of laughter suddenly had his head severed cleanly from his neck. Instant silence! In the next breath, Su Yu's Shanhai aura erupted. The Heaven Cleaving Saber slashed down, and with a thunderous boom, a ferocious tiger who had been laughing wildly was cleaved in two. Concealment! Aura suppression! A massive hammer swung out, and with a sickening crash, a giant wolf's sea of will shattered into oblivion. In an instant, the remaining beings scattered in panic. Su Yu's figure vanished, reappearing in the distance moments later with a grin: "Died of laughter, did you? Stop grinning foolishly! It wouldn't do to actually die laughing!" Dead silence! In that brief span, three great fiends had been slain. Among them... one was a great fiend at the first stage of the Shanhai Realm! Terror and shock! On the Heaven Ranking, Su Yu's recorded feat instantly updated from slaying a ninth-stage Lingyun to slaying a first-stage Shanhai. At that moment, a cloud condensed above Su Yu's head. He reached out and caught it, revealing a pair of gauntlets. A weapon! A martial weapon! It was not Earth rank, merely a peak Profound rank weapon—a pair of gauntlets forged via an ancient casting method. Su Yu did not look down on it. He could forge weapons himself, but the moment he gripped the gauntlets, he realized the smithing technique differed from what he knew, providing valuable insights. On the Heaven Ranking, where Su Yu had just been 18th, he rose to 17th in the blink of an eye—climbing one place. He had already slain Lei Jue; devouring a drop of blood essence just now to assassinate a fellow who had barely crossed into the first stage of the Shanhai Realm was difficult if one looked at it one way, but if looked at another... it was really nothing special! He gave it little thought, but all around him, the onlookers were paralyzed with disbelief. Inexplicable dread! They were truly cursed today. First Moduona had slaughtered two, and now Su Yu had shown up and casually butchered three more. Sure enough, geniuses like them were not to be provoked. Having claimed his heavenly reward, Su Yu sneered and slipped back into the void, vanishing without a trace. No one knew whether he had truly left! With his aura concealed, he was exceptionally difficult to detect. Of course, it was no surprise that figures like Moduona could spot him. Su Yu possessed detection methods, and there was no way these top monstrosities lacked them. While such treasures were rare, it depended on who had them. The Primordial Demon race had endured for countless millennia; how could they be stingy with such tools when it came to their clan's paramount genius? On the ground, the old man was awestruck. Of the three great fiends just slain, the one in the Shanhai Realm had possessed strength on par with his own, yet... was dead just like that? Looking at records alone revealed little. Su Yu's previous record had only shown him slaying a ninth-stage Lingyun. Outsiders had no way of knowing how formidable a ninth-stage Lingyun top prodigy truly was! As Shanhai experts themselves, lacking a record of Su Yu slaying a Shanhai, they had assumed he could not truly compare to those who had killed Shanhai experts, merely benefiting from his young age to boost his ranking. Now, there was no room left for doubt! The old man felt deeply moved, yet sighed inwardly. The human race's predicament was precarious; otherwise, given human strength, how would minor races ever dare mock them? These human prodigies had forged their reputations in blood across the outer world. Qin Fang of the Great Qin Prefecture, Huang Teng of the Great Xia Prefecture, Su Yu of the Great Ming Prefecture, Shang Tianhao of the Great Shang Prefecture... The younger generation boasted illustrious names. And in the generation before them, there were many renowned human experts as well. People like Hong Tan counted among them—Hong Tan had once been listed on the Heaven Hunting Rankings—and Xia Longwu from that same era... Strong as they were, external circumstances still left the human race at a disadvantage on the All-Heavens Battlefield. There were simply too many enemies. With several experts slaughtered in rapid succession, the surroundings finally quieted down. The armored guards at the gate did not care in the slightest. Soon, a Shanhai Realm expert stepped forward from the gateway and said flatly, "Human Su Yu... do you wish to enter? Entering requires a toll. These three fiend corpses will suffice as your payment, granting you unrestricted entry and exit from Tianmie City for one year!" Su Yu's voice drifted eerily from nowhere: "Why didn't Moduona have to pay a toll?" The Shanhai expert replied candidly, "If you can intimidate Tianmie City, you need not pay either!" "He's only slain a Shanhai seventh stage. Your City Lord is at the Sun Moon ninth stage, isn't he? Would he fear him?" The Shanhai expert paused for a moment, then gave a faint smile. "We don't fear him, but Moduona's master is an Invincible, and his great-grandfather is an Invincible who once acted on his behalf. The City Lord is wary of him. Does this explanation satisfy you?" "..." Completely satisfied! Su Yu sighed. Dammit, you need a background no matter where you go! I am very satisfied with your explanation—no pretension, just brutal honesty. His great-grandfather was an Invincible, his master was an Invincible, and had actually stepped in for him... I concede. "Fine then, I'll pay!" Su Yu gave a dry chuckle. Pay the toll, and he could come and go freely for a year, right? Take it! He had killed them casually anyway, expending only a single drop of Shanhai blood essence. Let them have the bodies. In times like these, when your backing fell short, shouldn't you keep a low profile? With that, he vanished completely. A moment later, several experts of the Xuan Armor race strode hastily out from the city. The leader erupted with the aura of a peak Shanhai! Emerging swiftly, they scanned the surroundings and produced an Element-Fixing Ruler similar to the one Su Yu had seized. They searched in every direction without splitting up. The Xuan Armor race dared not underestimate Su Yu; no race would take such prodigies lightly. Scattering made it far too easy for him to ambush them. Who knew if the brat had actually left? As for inside the city, a Sun Moon expert had originally been stationed there, but had departed early to lay an ambush at Heaven-Severing Valley on the tip-off of the immortal race. Who could have foreseen that Su Yu wouldn't flee east? When Su Yu's Calamity divine character had throbbed earlier, it had not been solely because of Moduona. Now, with no Sun Moon expert sweeping the area, a peak Shanhai leader found it nearly impossible to pinpoint Su Yu's trail. Over a dozen Xuan Armor experts huddled together and searched along the city walls, turning up nothing. After another moment, the leading Xuan Armor Shanhai expert said coldly, "Whether he is Su Yu or Cui Lang, he has slain two peerless prodigies of our race. Our clan will never let this matter rest!" The Xuan Armor race was also one of the top hundred races! Their clan leader was an exceptionally mighty Invincible! He had once captured and slain an Invincible great fiend. Through fusion, he could contend against top-tier Invincibles. Once within the Xuan Armor Realm, bolstered by the realm's domain power, he feared no invading Invincible! Strictly speaking, he was even stronger than the Dragon Silkworm King. The Dragon Silkworm King had fought King Miecan for so many years without suffering defeat, so the Xuan Armor race had even less to fear. Formidable as the human race was, the gods and demons were their enemies. If the humans sought to eradicate a single race on their own, the myriad races would never permit it. The human race's ability to enter other realms without suffering suppression was what made them feared above all else. Slaying an Invincible of one race risked uniting the myriad races in hostility. When the fox died, the hare grieved; when the lips were gone, the teeth were cold—everyone understood these principles. Just as the Xuan Armor expert was speaking, a thunderous crash resounded as a suit of armor plummeted from the sky! A burly man dropped down, drenched in blood! The man was heavily wounded, covered in crimson, yet he bared his teeth in a grin: "Won't let it rest? How won't you let it rest? Su Yu is here? Dammit, made me run around in circles and run into this damn thing. Tough as hell—hacked at it for a whole day and still couldn't shatter it..." "Commander!" Seeing the armor lying on the ground, the peak Shanhai Xuan Armor expert turned pale with horror. Letting out an anguished cry, he hauled his fellow clansmen and fled straight into the city! They ran! At that moment, the other beings outside the gate scrambled to flee. Only the armored guards remained at their posts. The spectators retreated inside the gates, peering out in sheer terror. A Sun Moon expert had died! A Sun Moon expert of the Xuan Armor race! Inside the gateway, the Shanhai guard who had spoken earlier looked at the burly man and said after a long silence, "Zheng Ping?" Zheng Ping burst into hearty laughter: "It's me! You still recognize me, huh?" Beaming, Zheng Ping looked around and wondered aloud, "Su Yu is here? Which Su Yu? I only knew about Cui Lang and Huang Teng; what does Su Yu have to do with this?" Turning toward those inside the city, he barked with a laugh, "Come out! Let me play with you lot and see how you won't let it rest! A bunch of trash races, worthless scumbags—daring to vie against my human race? Getting fucking cocky now, are we?!" Zheng Ping roared with laughter. In this moment, where was there any trace of an academy governor? He was nothing short of a ruthless thug! He stomped down upon the armor—the manifestation of a Sun Moon Realm expert of the Xuan Armor race. Stomping until the ground cracked, Zheng Ping sneered and barked, "A pack of young whelps! If we don't beat you into submission, you think the human race fears you! Is the Xuan Armor race so grand? King Xuan Armor had better not step outside—King Tianzhu has kept his eye on him for a hundred years! Let him step out and see what happens!" Silence. At this moment, this human expert who had just entered the Sun Moon Realm acted with utter tyranny and unbridled arrogance. Zheng Ping kicked the armor a few more times, chuckling, "Tough indeed. I'll take it back and find someone to forge it. This stuff... is good material!" With that, he scooped up the armor he had tossed down. Fixing the beings inside the city with a savage gaze, he bared his teeth in a grin. "You little whelps, next time you're in front of someone from our Great Xia Prefecture, shut your fucking traps! Haven't killed you in a few years, so you forgot what agony feels like? And you..." He pointed a finger at the Shanhai guard. "Stop making things difficult for humans! Did you forget how my Dragon Martial army marched right up to Tianmie City back then, and our Manor Head nearly hacked your City Lord to death in a single slash until he cried for his mommy and surrendered?" Zheng Ping snorted, glaring toward the towering City Lord's Manor in the heart of the colossal city, and bellowed, "Our Great Xia Prefecture can still fight! Wait until our prefecture is destroyed before you try swaggering! As long as we stand, you're all grandsons to us! I said it, so what can any of you do about it?!" Grandsons! His curses were foul, yet the entire ancient city remained dead silent. Zheng Ping sneered. "Cocky just because you have this turtle shell of an ancient city! This city isn't even yours; you're just a bunch of puppets! Believe it or not, my Dragon Martial army could encircle Tianmie City, and unless you cower inside for the rest of your lives, we'd slaughter every last one of you!" Killing intent soared into the heavens! There was no lack of Sun Moon experts in the city, but at this moment, even those stronger than him held their tongues. The Dragon Martial Guards! A peerless legion of slaughter across the All-Heavens Battlefield. Under Xia Longwu's leadership, they had once fought their way out of the East Rift Valley, cleaved straight through the Plain of Desires, and advanced all the way to the gates of several ancient cities... Well, they hadn't entered the cities in force; Xia Longwu had entered alone, emerged after three days, and withdrawn his troops. Yet over a decade ago, Xia Longwu had nearly split the City Lord of Tianmie City in two with a single saber strike—a fact known to many. Today, the Great Xia Prefecture was no longer campaigning. Yet nobody had forgotten the Dragon Martial army of back then, nor Xia Longwu, whose murderous prowess had earned him the title of Invincible before he had even achieved dao attunement. The Shanhai commander being cursed to his face did not utter a single word. He acted as though he had heard nothing. They were not truly terrified, but... not even permanent residents could avoid leaving the city forever. Now that a war fanatic from the Great Xia Prefecture had arrived, there was no need or reason to provoke him. Right at this moment, Su Yu reappeared, looking at Zheng Ping in surprise! Holy crap! It's Zheng Ping! He's this overbearing? Back in the Great Xia Prefecture... he seemed quite pitiful, bullied by Wan Tiansheng for years, and allegedly bullied by General Zhao, Chief Hu, Director Ji Hong, and Marquis Xia as well... Whenever there was a scapegoat needed, he often took the blame, while Marquis Xia took the bigger ones. Those two were professional scapegoats. The head of the War Academy! When Su Yu had met Zheng Ping back home, he hadn't seemed overbearing in the slightest; he only looked... rather desolate. Great Xia was clearly dominated by warriors, yet the War Academy barely had any reputation. Meanwhile, the Cultural Research Academy was known across the myriad realms because of Ye Batian. Today, on the All-Heavens Battlefield, before this enigmatic ancient city, Su Yu truly witnessed this man's domineering might. He was severely injured! Su Yu sensed it, and many others surely did as well. He had fought and slain a Sun Moon expert—a Sun Moon expert of the Xuan Armor race. That alone was terrifying! Yet he blocked the city gate and spewed curses, and nobody dared utter a peep. Including that City Lord at the ninth stage of Sun Moon—whether he hadn't noticed or simply didn't care, he made no sound and showed no sign of appearing. Zheng Ping didn't care about that. He looked toward Su Yu, somewhat puzzled. Wasn't it supposed to be Cui Lang? How had it turned into this kid! "Are you the real Su Yu?" Dammit, what kind of trick is this? Even I can't make sense of it. Well, he didn't need to make sense of it. Thinking for a moment, he quickly asked, "Where are Huang Teng and Wu Qi?" "We split up halfway. They ran toward the right!" "Oh!" Zheng Ping nodded, glanced at him, and noted in surprise, "You seem completely fine?" "Yeah." "Oh... then... I'm leaving... head back on your own. I have things to do, people to rescue. Military orders are paramount, so I won't waste words with you. If you're fine, get moving on your own, and be careful on the way back. There are a few Sun Moon experts lying in ambush, seemingly..." At this point, he transmitted mentally, "Seems like those immortal whelps are plotting something. Watch your back. I really have urgent business. If you die, that's the Great Ming Prefecture's problem, but if those two kids die, that's on my head..." Su Yu was speechless! How pragmatic of you! Now that I'm no longer from Great Xia, my death has nothing to do with you, huh? Old man, you're truly pragmatic. Did you forget that your clan's Yuan-Purifying Art was a gift from me? Your clan struck it rich, and you don't even remember the favor? At this thought, Su Yu quickly said, "Grandpa Zheng, I just killed a few great fiends. Why don't you take them with you? That fellow took them as an entrance toll!" "Great fiends?" Zheng Ping was surprised. What kind of great fiends could you kill? He didn't possess a branch ranking talisman, so he genuinely had no idea of the details. Rushing here, slaughtering an enemy in haste, and preparing to rush away to rescue his people—he truly had no time to keep up with news. Hearing Su Yu claim he had killed some fiends, he didn't pay it much mind. Whether Soaring or Lingyun, unless it was blood essence of gods and demons, he wasn't particularly interested. Just as he thought that, the Shanhai guard's expression shifted strangely. With a wave of his hand, he tossed down the corpses of the three great fiends he had just collected and sighed, "Great Xia may enter the city free of charge!" Just that straightforward! In these times, the ruthless feared the reckless, and the reckless feared those who had no regard for their lives! The Great Xia Prefecture was precisely that pack of daredevils! Su Yu shrugged. I'm from the Great Ming Prefecture... whatever, no need to explain. As long as these fellows don't get them for free. Meanwhile, Zheng Ping glanced at the great fiends, then looked at Su Yu, then back at the corpses... He looked back and forth seven or eight times! He thought he was hallucinating! Seeing Su Yu here was already surprising enough, but he was too busy with pressing matters to dwell on it. And yet... what was this? You killed these? "Shanhai?" He probed one of the fiend corpses, then looked at Su Yu, muttering, "Shanhai... You're not Su Yu!" Impostor! His eyes turned cold! What kind of technique fooled me so thoroughly that I couldn't tell the difference! This wasn't Su Yu! Screw your grandmother! Su Yu is the same age as my grandson! My grandson only entered the physical Soaring Realm a few days ago! If this kid is Su Yu... what... what am I supposed to say? It's not entirely impossible either! He had defeated Shan Xiong before, and Shan Xiong was exceedingly strong! Back then, he already had Lingyun-level combat strength. Several months had passed since... it was hard to say if he had grown even stronger. Still... he simply couldn't bring himself to believe Su Yu had killed a Shanhai. To hell with that, I don't believe it. I refuse to believe it, it must be fake! Even as he cursed inwardly, he stowed the corpses away. Whether it was true or not, the corpses were real. I'll take them! Having gathered the corpses, he looked at Su Yu again, grunting after a long silence, "My Yunhui lent you tens of thousands of merit points, remember? If you're really Su Yu, pay it back!" Su Yu smiled faintly. "Was twenty thousand merit points not enough in exchange for a cultivation technique? Besides, back when Brother Zheng partnered with me at the start, he reaped plenty of benefits from the single divine character faction." At those words, Zheng Ping believed him. There is no justice under heaven! This brat really killed a Shanhai? Truly terrifying! "Coming with me?" Seeing that Su Yu didn't seem inclined to leave, he transmitted mentally: "Don't enter the ancient city. It's incredibly complicated. Manor Head entered once, and emerged heavily wounded, forced to retreat. Back then, Manor Head was high-spirited and wanted to overturn the ancient city, driving all the way to the Sea of Stars... but he was blocked by the ancient city. After suffering severe injuries, he withdrew back to the East Rift Valley." Xia Longwu! Domineering! At this moment, that was Su Yu's only thought: truly domineering. Fighting all the way from the East Rift Valley to this point, even attempting to smash through the ancient city to push straight to the Sea of Stars near the fiends' lair—this man was the real ruthless monster. Without coming to the All-Heavens Battlefield, one might never understand why the myriad races feared Xia Longwu's dao attunement so deeply. Even before achieving Invincible dao attunement, Xia Longwu dared lead an army all the way to the ancient cities. What about after he became Invincible? He might truly overturn the ancient cities and butcher his way into the Sea of Stars, right into the fiends' stronghold. What a savage! Without coming to the All-Heavens Battlefield, one wouldn't know that the head of the War Academy, who was treated like a lackey back in Great Xia, was also a ruthless killer out here. What about those back in the prefecture who weren't treated like lackeys? How fierce were they here? What about General Zhao? What about Chief Hu? Did they also intimidate everything around them when they stepped onto this battlefield? Mulling over these thoughts, Su Yu transmitted back, "Understood. Thank you, Grandpa Zheng, but I have my own plans. You should hurry and rescue Huang Teng and the others. They're too weak; they nearly got crippled by Tianduo..." "..." Zheng Ping's gaze turned strange. If you keep talking like that, you little brat, I'll choke you to death! Su Yu smiled, then dissolved into a gust of astral wind, vanishing once more. Why leave? It wasn't easy to make a trip to the All-Heavens Battlefield. Now that he had reached the city gate, why turn back? However... it was best to assume a different identity before entering. He was too conspicuous right now! Of course, whether to take the main gate remained to be seen. He might not even be able to pass through—even Moduona had found it difficult. In any case, not traveling with Zheng Ping was the right choice. Seeing him slip away, Zheng Ping probed the void and grumbled inwardly. His speed is fast and he has plenty of tricks; no need for me to worry too much. "Cui Lang, Su Yu..." He somewhat understood what Marquis Xia had meant before leaving! If you see Cui Lang, save him if you can; if not, don't worry about him—that kid won't die easily. So... it was this kid Su Yu all along! The Marquis must have known from the start! Terrifying! He had killed a Shanhai Realm expert... Zheng Ping wore a melancholy, weathered look. My grandson has truly been left in the dust! Dusting off his rear, he bolted toward the right. Whatever, he had to save Huang Teng and Wu Qi—those two were actually from the Great Xia Prefecture! This kid was no longer with Great Xia anyway, so leave him be. With how many tricks the brat had up his sleeve, Su Yu might outlive him even if he died himself. Behind him, the crowd of beings waited until he was gone before poking their heads out again. A Shanhai expert sighed with emotion, "The Great Xia Prefecture... the Dragon Martial Guards... a pack of butchers! Fortunately!" Fortunately what? He did not say. Everyone understood in their hearts! Fortunately, the Great Xia Prefecture could no longer afford war and lacked the strength to campaign; fortunately, Xia Longwu was preparing for dao attunement, and the powerhouses of all races were watching him closely. Otherwise, given that butcher's temperament, in response to an ambush on human geniuses, he would have led the Dragon Martial Guards and the Demon Suppression Army to carve through the Plain of Desires once more and slaughter their way right up to the ancient cities. Now, only Zheng Ping had come. Each returning to their own affairs, the crowd dispersed one after another. No more watching the spectacle; watch any longer, and more people would die. Watching this show had cost multiple lives in the blink of an eye. The Xuan Armor race was truly unfortunate—even their stationed Sun Moon expert had been butchered by Zheng the Butcher. Truly untouchable. Sun Moon experts were mighty figures wherever they went, yet one had been snuffed out without so much as a ripple. As for Moduona entering the city and Su Yu slipping away, people could treat those as gossip. The top geniuses of these mighty races were not easily slain; instead, it was far easier to be killed by them. It was best not to get involved in disputes between them! ... Meanwhile. Su Yu wracked his brains. Whose identity should I assume to enter the city? Should I take the main gate or not? In any case, he desperately wanted to go inside and see! Making a trip to the All-Heavens Battlefield without entering an ancient city was far too great a regret. Moduona had made a fair point: compared to killing people, entering an ancient city might prove much more interesting.