The Ancient City's Upheaval Concludes

Turmoil wracked the ancient city as Sun Moon powerhouses fell in swarms. Along the borders of every major theater of war, vast armies massed, standing vigilant against the sudden eruption of an all-out war of the myriad realms. Meanwhile, the central theater—the territory controlled by the monster race—was far less tense thanks to the natural defensive barrier formed by the Sea of Stars. Moreover, because the monsters had never achieved unification, their borders were the most loosely guarded. The All-Heavens Battlefield lay beneath a dome of round sky over flat earth. The four cardinal directions were occupied by the four great races: God, Immortal, Human, and Demon. The central expanse, dominated by the boundless Sea of Stars, proved difficult for other races to inhabit. The monster race, with its multitude of species and vast numbers of aquatic tribes, had conversely ended up holding this vital central region. Of course, when it came to sheer might, the monster race was formidable. The dragons were the strongest among them, though they refused to consider themselves monsters. Aside from the dragons, the remaining monster tribes were hopelessly fragmented, with no single faction powerful enough to unite them. While the thirty-six prefectures of the Human Realm managed to maintain a broadly unified front, the monster race was in far worse disarray than humanity. In truth, pure unity and peace existed nowhere among the myriad races of the heavens. Among the demons, the First Demon race suppressed the other demon lineages, yet that was merely a tenuous unification at best. Formidable clans like the Blood Fire Demons routinely acted on their own whims, feigning compliance while secretly disobeying. The god race was largely the same. As for the Immortals, their internal divisions were far less pronounced than those of the gods and demons; in many ways, their societal structure resembled humanity's. Still, there existed a unique branch within them known as the Ancient Immortal race. While practically identical to other Immortals, they were said to trace an unbroken legacy back to ancient times. Even so, the distinction was not as sharp as that between the First Demons and the other demon tribes, or the Primordial God Race and the wider god race. For the most part, the Immortal race divided their spheres of influence by Immortal King Dao Domains rather than racial bloodlines. Such was the state of affairs among the major powers. Yet, fragmented as these great races were, they shared one common, non-negotiable interest when facing humanity: the Human Realm must never be allowed to activate its realm suppression! Humanity was exceedingly powerful. In the ancient era, they might well have been the sovereign masters of the myriad races—a historical fact known to several ancient lineages. But having long lost their supremacy over the heavens, their desire to unite the races once more was utterly unacceptable. No race wished to become vassals or slaves to another. Humanity possessed a considerable number of Invincibles. Though they lacked an acknowledged Human Emperor or Half-Emperor, figures like King Daqin possessed immense strength and terrifying combat prowess. Their Invincibles were numerous, as were their Sun Moons and Shanhais. Under such circumstances, humans experienced no realm suppression when entering other worlds. If the Human Realm were permitted to activate realm suppression within its own borders, humanity would become completely unrestrained, rising once again to reign above all the races in the heavens. Thus, every race adhered to a strict standard regarding humanity: humans could be strong, but under no circumstance could an Invincible-stage Civilization Master ever be permitted to emerge. Never! It had been so fifty years ago, and it remained so fifty years later! *** Now, Su Yu stood atop the Heaven Ranking, Liu Wenyan had claimed the summit of the Earth Ranking, and Hong Tan was preparing to establish the Multiple Divine Characters Academy in the Human Realm to pass down the method of splitting divine characters. The Fifth Generation's lineage was once again thrust under the scrutiny of the myriad realms! That lineage—the fountainhead of the multiple divine characters faction—presently had only six living successors: Liu Wenyan, Hong Tan, Chen Yong, Bai Feng, Su Yu, and Wu Jia. Figures such as Xia Yunqi, Zhao Mingyue, and Hu Ping, though belonging to the multiple divine characters faction, were not of the direct lineage. The direct succession belonged exclusively to Liu Wenyan's branch. Furthermore, the strength, combat prowess, and potential displayed by the others paled in comparison to the terrifying standard set by the Fifth Generation's line. Su Yu had fled the ancient city, while Liu Wenyan had returned to human territory. Liu Wenyan was advanced in years, and having detonated Ye Batian's divine characters, he posed far less of a threat than before. That was not to say he was entirely harmless—he still commanded several of Ye Batian's characters—but without a coherent system or a complete battle technique, his threat level was considerably diminished compared to the past. Regardless, at this moment, this lineage had once again become the epicenter of attention across the heavens. And the most pivotal figure among them was Su Yu! *** Su Yu had fled into the unknown, his whereabouts completely untraceable. Countless eyes were searching for him. Among them were powerful figures within the Human Realm. In the Great Xia Prefecture, inside the Great Xia Civilization Academy... Wan Tiansheng looked upon the latest edition of the Heaven Hunting Ranking. First on the Heaven Ranking: Su Yu! Second on the Heaven Ranking: Modona! Third on the Heaven Ranking: Zhan Wushuang! Fourth on the Heaven Ranking: Dao Cheng! Fifth on the Heaven Ranking: Ming Yue! Sixth on the Heaven Ranking: Xuan Wuji! Seventh on the Heaven Ranking: Long Yingyue! ... The Heaven Ranking was constantly shifting, but the most glaring additions were Su Yu and Dao Cheng. As for the two dragons who had subsequently slain members of the Mountain-Breaking Ox race, they had not made the Heaven Ranking. While their battle record was formidable, the Heaven Hunting Ranking did not look solely at past achievements; the list prioritized potential above all else. Su Yu’s ascension to the very top upon slaying a fourth-stage Sun Moon expert was not merely because of the kill itself. It was because the Heaven Hunting Ranking, having weighed and evaluated his potential, arrived at a definitive conclusion: Su Yu had a genuine prospect of proving his Dao and attaining the Invincible realm. A tremendous prospect! As for Dao Cheng, his rise to fourth place was not strictly because he had killed Ming He. Rather, Dao Cheng had undergone some manner of transformation, leading the Heaven Hunting Ranking to determine that he was currently the fourth most likely among the younger generation to achieve Invincible status. As for Liu Wenyan... how the Heaven Hunting Ranking evaluated him was less clear. He had now been knocked off the top spot of the Earth Ranking. With Dao Cheng entering the Heaven Ranking, the genius originally ranked eighteenth on the Heaven Ranking had fallen down to claim first place on the Earth Ranking. That former eighteenth-ranked genius belonged to the Tianyuan Ancient race; like fifth-ranked Ming Yue on the Heaven Ranking, this genius hailed from an ancient race. The Tianyuan Ancient race enjoyed a renowned and terrifying reputation; back then, Ye Batian had fallen to an Invincible of their bloodline. Two Invincibles had battled Ye Batian in that fateful clash: one had been slain, while the other dealt the mortal blow to Ye Batian before withdrawing, grievously injured. The survivor belonged to the Tianyuan Ancient race, renowned across the cosmos for their mastery of curse arts. Now, the genius of that very race had dropped from the Heaven Ranking to become first on the Earth Ranking. Wan Tiansheng stared at the names, sinking deep into thought. Slaying a fourth-stage Sun Moon! Of course, he understood that circumstance and luck had played a major role; succeeding once did not mean it could be replicated. Even so, even if it had been a fluke, it demonstrated that Su Yu’s strength had grown considerably. Otherwise, he never could have withstood the self-detonation of Sun Moon divine characters. The boy's sea of will was undeniably formidable, perhaps already on par with some of the weaker Shanhai experts. A powerful sea of will, formidable divine characters, and a robust physical body... Su Yu, a Lingyun battling Shanhai... Wan Tiansheng had originally assumed that the moment Su Yu stepped into the Lingyun Realm would mark the start of the great war. Now, it seemed that might not be the case. The Shanhai cultivators this kid would fight would certainly not be the weaker variety he had envisioned—they would likely be exceptionally powerful individuals, perhaps the sort capable of challenging Sun Moons! That would be truly terrifying! Wan Tiansheng gazed at the ranking, lost in contemplation. As for Su Yu being hunted... he was not particularly concerned. The All-Heavens Battlefield was vast, filled with myriad mysterious and perilous domains. Even for an Invincible, tracking down a single person there was exceedingly difficult. At present, he was far more concerned about Liu Wenyan. Having detonated so many of Ye Batian's divine characters, what were that fellow's plans? Would complications arise on Liu Wenyan's end next? As for Su Yu... let him be! Keep stirring up trouble. In all likelihood, you won't die. I saw a vision of you fighting Shanhais as a Lingyun back in the Human Realm, so you'll probably make it back alive. Right now, this was all he could rely on. Expending a century of his lifespan had yielded some utility, after all. The day that brat returned and began fighting Shanhais would likely be the true flashpoint for war. "Liu Wenyan... Su Yu..." Wan Tiansheng murmured to himself, deep in thought. "Perhaps this is the fuse for the war... but humanity still cannot make up its mind. There are too many constraints! "Calls to surrender Su Yu and Liu Wenyan, or simply leave them to fend for themselves, are far from quiet." Wan Tiansheng paced the room, whispering, "Could it be that the flashpoint in the Great Xia Prefecture must also be ignited by Su Yu? Must he be the one to usher in this upheaval across the Human Realm?" Could Su Yu return in the short term? At least for now, there was no way for him to come back. Or had he already snuck back into the Human Realm? It was hard to say! Fortunately, he had left a little something inside Su Yu. The moment the youth returned, he would be able to sense it. Perhaps... the instant Su Yu set foot within the borders of the Great Xia Prefecture would mark the explosion of war. "Two fronts... one on the All-Heavens Battlefield, one in the Great Xia Prefecture. "Xia Longwu commands that front, while I... command this one." Wan Tiansheng muttered under his breath. Should both fronts be triggered simultaneously, or... should they ignite the Great Xia Prefecture first? His gaze drifted out beyond the Xiuxin Pavilion, toward the Multiple Divine Characters Academy, settling upon Hong Tan. For a long while, he could reach no definitive conclusion. Everything was spiraling beyond his control! That kid Su Yu had disrupted so many of his plans. Even Zhou Polong’s side had drawn an immense amount of scrutiny because of Su Yu, running counter to his expectations. That boy was an absolute headache! "The focus still needs to be drawn back!" Wan Tiansheng murmured. If it was a matter of drawing focus, Su Yu certainly drew enough of it right now. Should he find a way to drag that kid back? "What a nuisance... that kid probably thinks there's no rush to return until Great Xia makes its move, but without him here, maybe the move can't even be made... what a paradox!" Wan Tiansheng calculated over and over, his eyes soon landing back on Hong Tan! Perhaps... I'll have to trouble you! If you're beaten within an inch of your life, will that kid rush back? If you won't do, beating Bai Feng could work just as well. "First on the Heaven Ranking... what's the use of being first? Far too ostentatious!" After venting a grumble, he sensed the situation across the city once more. Xia Longwu was absent, and Marquis Xia had led a group to the All-Heavens Battlefield. Sure enough, chaotic forces were running wild in the city. With the arrival of the new students, numerous experts among the myriad races' student body had also appeared. Wan Tiansheng smiled faintly. They were certainly bold. Some of these fellows actually dared to probe his depths; over the past few days, several experts from the god and demon races had secretly spied on him. Truly daring! Every single one had been noted in his little ledger! That included members of the All-Races Cult who had likely established contact with them—all recorded in his ledger. The Great Xia Prefecture had truly become a den of thieves. Excellent. Just then, a voice transmission talisman vibrated. Wan Tiansheng glanced toward the table where eight or nine talismans were laid out. One of them was buzzing. Wan Tiansheng picked it up, checked the message, and promptly replied, "Continue lying low!" On the other end, a chubby youth responded, "Still lying low? Old Wan, why do I feel like I've actually been exposed, but everyone's just watching me without making a move?" "You're not exposed. Don't worry." "That's impossible!" Jia Mingzhen said skeptically, "Seriously, Old Wan, I genuinely feel like I've been blown. How about I just come back? I feel like a pack of starving wolves is eyeing me!" "It's fine. If you're really exposed, just lure them toward the Great Xia Prefecture!" "Fine, if you say so!" Helpless, Jia Mingzhen put down the talisman and sank into thought. Was I really not exposed? Then why does it feel like I was? Lately, it truly feels like people in the cult are watching me. What a pain. Is Old Wan actually reliable or not? I really want to go back. Life out here is too miserable. Sigh! *** At that very moment. In the Great Ming Prefecture. Zhu Tiandao and Niu Baidao were sipping tea and chatting. A ranking list lay before them as well. Zhu Tiandao did not bother looking at it. He took a sip of tea and remarked after a moment, "You see it? The moment you let that kid out, he flew right off. He probably won't dare come back to Great Ming." Niu Baidao nodded slightly and said helplessly, "I assumed he'd just go have a look around at most, maybe visit his father. I never expected this kid to be so ruthless. A single trip out, and he stirred up enough trouble to get that many people killed." "I should have seen it coming. Last time he left the Great Xia Prefecture, a whole bunch of people died too!" Zhu Tiandao spoke indifferently, then added, "If he returned now and pressure was brought to bear, even I might not be able to shield him. It's just as well that he stays away." Niu Baidao nodded slightly and asked, "Are you betting he'll succeed?" "Can't say. Hard to tell." Zhu Tiandao smiled. "Who could possibly guarantee such things? Even if he reached Ye Batian's level, success isn't guaranteed—Ye Batian failed, after all. At best, he has a shot. Besides, although his divine character path is formidable, I still think his warrior path is even stronger." Niu Baidao nodded, then asked, "So what do we do now?" "What do you mean, what do we do?" "Should we send people to rescue him?" "Send whom? You?" Zhu Tiandao looked at him and chuckled. "Old Niu, how about you go?" "Me?" Niu Baidao gave a dry laugh. "Forget it. I'm getting on in years. If I head over and run into an Invincible, wouldn't that just be serving myself up on a platter? Some of the myriad races' Invincibles crossed paths with me back in the day—they know who I am. It's not convenient for me to show my face." Zhu Tiandao scoffed and let the subject drop. "Sending people now is useless anyway. You might not even find him. It's not as though he's trapped somewhere; he has legs, and he knows how to run." Pausing thoughtfully, Zhu Tiandao continued, "Our pressing concern isn't him right now, but the situation in Great Xia. Things are growing increasingly chaotic over there; it's bound to blow up sooner or later. We're right next door. Once chaos erupts, Great Ming will be dragged in too..." Niu Baidao nodded. "Your meaning is?" "No more slacking off!" Zhu Tiandao stood up, hands clasped behind his back. Letting out a soft sigh, he turned his gaze toward the north, toward the Great Xia Prefecture. "Start preparing. Once Great Xia falls into chaos, even if we don't intervene directly, we'll have to clean up the mess! Those fellows in Great Xia are all stubbornly single-minded. Su Yu is just like them—whenever trouble strikes, he wants to solve it quietly on his own, unwilling to trust anyone, unwilling to ask for help..." Niu Baidao looked toward the north as well and nodded. "Understood. By the way, are we really leaving Su Yu entirely to himself?" "How would we step in?" "Does his father need to be brought back?" "No need. King Daqin and the others are still out there, so it's not overly dangerous." Zhu Tiandao paused before adding, "Also, start making arrangements to send people to the Star Astral Mansion. It will open soon." Niu Baidao nodded. "Alright, got it! As for you... do you really intend to use Xia Longwu's attempt to prove your own Dao?" "..." Zhu Tiandao looked at him, surprised. "What are you talking about? It's far too early for me. I don't have an opportunity to prove my Dao at all." Niu Baidao nodded again. "Right, I know. I've known since you were a toddler running around in split-crotch pants. By the way, what does it feel like to wear split-crotch pants when you're over two hundred years old?" "What?" Zhu Tiandao stared at him strangely. "Old Niu, what's gotten into you?" Niu Baidao smiled. "Nothing, just curious. Genuinely curious. Don't overthink it. I'm just wondering who's stronger between you and Xia Longwu." "What nonsense are you babbling?" Zhu Tiandao snapped irritably. "What are you saying? Have you gone senile with age?" "Not at all." Niu Baidao sighed. "Stop acting. Can't we just put our cards on the table? Fine, I admit it: I'm at the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm. I've been using xuan turtle blood to conceal my cultivation all this time. Raising all those xuan turtles was purely to hide my realm. Happy now? Can you tell me what it was like wearing split-crotch pants at two hundred years old?" "..." Zhu Tiandao stared at him for a long time before saying, "You're treading on very dangerous ground right now." Niu Baidao nodded. "I know. But... we're on the same side, aren't we?" He smiled and continued, "I'm just curious about a few things. First, how did you pull it off? Second, why did the Old Landlord arrange it that way? Third, do you actually have a shot at success?" "..." Exhausted, Zhu Tiandao said, "Don't play this game with me, Old Niu. I have no idea what you're talking about. If you're at the ninth stage of Sun Moon, then prepare properly for proving your Dao. What are you letting your imagination run wild for all day?" Niu Baidao chuckled. "It's not running wild. I'm thinking that if there's an opportunity, I should prepare as well! In truth... I think your chances are very high. Entering Qianjun at nine years old, more than three hundred and forty years ago... you've probably pushed yourself to the absolute pinnacle of pinnacles by now. Could Xia Longwu truly rival you?" "Old Niu, are you hallucinating?" "No!" Niu Baidao sighed. "I figured it out years ago; I just never brought it up. The only reason I'm mentioning it today is because I think you might use this opportunity to prove your Dao. If you need it... these old bones of mine can still block a hit for you. I don't think my chances are great, but yours are." Zhu Tiandao laughed despite himself. "Give it a rest. The one who reached Qianjun at age nine was my elder brother. I'm more than two hundred years younger than him." Niu Baidao nodded. "Fine, let's leave it at that. Maybe you were born premature. I distinctly recall you were born barely seven months after your father returned from the All-Heavens Battlefield—probably a premature birth. And your mother passed away right after delivering you prematurely. What a coincidence. And after your brother died, your father had no other children, yet quite a few items went missing from the prefecture treasury. Your father was a notorious skinflint who grew up poor and treasured every single penny, yet things mysteriously went missing from his vault. How bizarre." He shook his head. "Forget it, forget it, let's drop it. We still need to figure out a plan for Su Yu, or the kid might truly never make it back." Zhu Tiandao stared at him in utter silence. After a moment, he said, "Old Niu, since when did you become such a blabbermouth? Are you really getting too old? Looking to retire?" "Far from it!" Niu Baidao beamed cheerfully. "Don't dwell on things that don't matter. I didn't mean anything by it. Believe me or not, it's up to you. If you don't trust me, you can keep me locked up." "You're losing your mind. You're of the same generation as my father." Niu Baidao nodded, chuckled, and rose to his feet. "Then I'll head back first. As for you... I won't say any more. Figure it out yourself." "..." After Niu Baidao departed, Zhu Tiandao watched his retreating back in silence for a moment, then shook his head with a faint smile before vanishing from the spot. Old bastard, advanced in years and still loved to run his mouth. "My poor elder brother... sigh, fallen at age nine. Heaven truly envies peerless talent!" With a mournful sigh, Zhu Tiandao disappeared completely. His elder brother was truly pitiable. The myriad races all knew it! Old Niu was truly losing his wits to come up with such bizarre notions. Was senile dementia setting in? *** Across the myriad realms, people were discussing Su Yu. They discussed Dao Cheng, Liu Wenyan, and the ancient city... Meanwhile, Su Yu had arrived at a somewhat familiar sight. An ancient city! Yes, an ancient city. He knew several ancient cities stood in this region. Earlier, Huang Teng and Qin Fang had parted ways with him, each fleeing toward a different ancient city. In fact, three ancient cities stood upon the Plain of Desires. Tianmie Ancient City was merely the one situated in the center. Having fled in a different direction for some time, Su Yu unexpectedly came across the second ancient city. "Yunxiao!" That was the name of this city—Yunxiao Ancient City! Su Yu’s heart stirred. He currently needed a safe place to cultivate, and perhaps... this location suited him. An excellent spot! Ancient cities were, in truth, remarkably secure—at least in Su Yu's estimation. So long as one found an ancient house and refrained from causing trouble, there wouldn't be any major issues. Moreover, taking refuge in an ancient city meant that even if an Invincible managed to detect his presence, they might not dare enter the city to kill him. A great place! *Should I hide inside for a few days?* Su Yu studied the ancient city ahead. Unlike Tianmie Ancient City, traffic flowed freely here, seemingly unaffected by the upheaval. Perhaps because Tianmie Ancient City had been sealed, a large number of displaced wanderers had flocked here instead. As a result, it was far more crowded than Tianmie. *Entering the city this time calls for a low profile. I can't draw attention to myself!* Su Yu considered his options. To stay low-key, it would be best to disguise himself... However, the castellan here was extraordinarily powerful. Without knowing if the castellan harbored specific prejudices, disguising himself as a race the castellan despised would spell trouble. He glanced toward the city gates. If members of a particular race dared to come here openly, disguising himself as one of them shouldn't pose an issue. After observing for a while, there didn't seem to be any particular taboos. There were even humans! Su Yu pondered briefly, then flexed his muscles to bulk up slightly while subtly altering his facial features to appear somewhat older. In moments, he took on the appearance of a burly human man. Human warriors mingling in such places were a common sight. As for his cultivation, Su Yu completely sealed his sea of will, revealing only the aura of an Airborne warrior. His physical body was naturally at the Airborne Realm anyway. Soon, appearing somewhat battered and road-weary, Su Yu walked toward Yunxiao Ancient City. At the entrance, armored guards stood watch. Here, too, were nine concentric rings of city gates. Su Yu did not even glance at the main gate. Keeping a low profile was key, and the main gate offered no particular advantages anyway. Besides, of the nine defensive barriers he had acquired in Tianmie Ancient City, he had barely used them, with only a single layer shattered. Yunxiao Ancient City differed somewhat from Tianmie Ancient City. Perhaps its castellan was more domineering! The guard on duty glanced at him, likely finding his face unfamiliar, and stated flatly, "Entering the city: rings thirty to thirty-six offer vacant houses for free lodging. All other areas are restricted. Entry requires paying sufficient resources! Otherwise, access is strictly forbidden! "No fighting or killing is permitted within the city! "No damaging ancient houses!" With that, the guard added coldly, "Especially you humans. Do not cause trouble in the city, and do not think every human can pull off what Su Yu did!" Clearly, news of Su Yu’s deeds had spread far and wide. He had thrown Tianmie Ancient City into total chaos! Yunxiao Ancient City had heightened its vigilance accordingly, issuing explicit warnings to humans not to cause trouble and not to assume everyone was Su Yu. Su Yu nodded, smiling affably. "Of course! I’m just here to rest for a couple of days and will be on my way soon. Respected officer, I heard about Su Yu as well. How are things looking over at Tianmie Ancient City right now?" He genuinely did not know. Having lost his sub-ranking list, he was completely cut off from news. The guard ignored him completely. However, a creature near the gates chuckled and said, "How else could it be? A massive batch of them died! People far in the distance saw Sun Moon radiance shattering continuously! But Invincibles seem to have arrived. A final outcome should emerge within a day or two! Brother, that human genius of yours is truly fierce!" Su Yu chuckled and said, "Indeed! But let's leave it at that. He's a peerless genius; it has nothing to do with someone like me. Best not to associate ourselves with him, lest we get dragged into his mess. Thanks to him, people from other races have been giving me weird looks over the past few days, as if every human were a madman like Su Yu. Life's tough out here!" The creature who had spoken had a bizarre appearance, with seven or eight horns jutting from its head. Hearing this, it laughed heartily. "True enough. That Su Yu is ruthless. He’s caused the Heaven Hunting Ranking to update constantly. It’s been years since that happened—not since the era of humanity's Ye Batian!" Su Yu smiled without replying, nodded, and walked into the city. The strange, multi-horned creature followed him inside, speaking as they walked. "Human brother, looking to buy anything during your stay? I know Yunxiao Ancient City like the back of my hand. If you need a place to stay, I know which houses are unoccupied and have less death qi." Su Yu smiled. "No thanks, I’m broke. I’ll find a spot myself! Brother, stop eyeing me. Even though it's my first time in Yunxiao Ancient City, I've visited others before. I'm an experienced hand, so don't try swindling me!" "..." The multi-horned creature gave an embarrassed laugh. "How could it be swindling? Just trying to make a living. It’s hard for creatures of minor races like us! It's nothing like you folks from the great races, who have it so much easier." "That only applies to geniuses or those with powerful backgrounds. Those of us without backing who haven't joined the military have to fend for ourselves, licking blood from the blade." Su Yu shook his head. "After scraping by on the All-Heavens Battlefield for all these years, that’s just how it is. You never know which day an expert might swat you dead. Hearing that a huge batch died in Tianmie Ancient City chilled me to the bone. Sigh, the heavens are in chaos. What can you do?" After chatting for a while, the multi-horned creature stopped pestering Su Yu and soon headed back out the city gates, evidently intending to find another mark to squeeze some resources from. Su Yu, on the other hand, was in no rush to find lodging. When he had arrived at Tianmie Ancient City, it had been night, and no shops were open. Now it was daytime. Many storefronts along the streets were open for business, and trade seemed quite brisk. Some were operated by city residents, while others were run by minor races. These smaller races opened shops here to trade for needed resources. On the All-Heavens Battlefield, an ancient city was certainly dangerous, but so long as one did not venture too deep, committed no murder, and stayed no longer than three days, it was safer than almost anywhere else. Su Yu browsed for a while, but finding nothing of interest, he did not linger. Soon, he located an unoccupied house, inspected the surroundings, and stepped inside, preparing to digest the gains from this recent ordeal. *** The moment he entered the city... In a courtyard of similar layout within the rear hall of the Castellan Manor, another stone statue resided—different from the one in Tianmie City. The stone statue of Yunxiao Ancient City depicted a woman. At that moment, the woman opened her eyes and looked in Su Yu’s direction, his figure seemingly reflected in her gaze. She saw Su Yu, and she saw right through him. Su Yu could conceal himself from Sun Moons, but not from an Invincible. The woman watched for a moment, then closed her eyes in silence. *Hopefully, he won't cause trouble in Yunxiao Sacred City!* This had to be that human youth, Su Yu, whom everyone was talking about. To think he had fled all the way to Yunxiao Sacred City. The female stone statue felt a touch of exasperation. *Go torment that fellow over in Tianmie Sacred City; don't bring your trouble to me!* *Don't humans always love causing trouble over there?* *Perhaps the name was simply too arrogant—Tianmie, Heaven's Destruction!* *How pleasant Yunxiao sounds by comparison!* Pondering this, the female stone statue kept her eyes shut. She had no desire to end up like that fellow, spending his days chatting about life with the powerhouses of the dead spirit realm. How utterly tedious. *** Just as Su Yu entered the ancient house... Outside Tianmie Ancient City, towering, majestic figures manifested one after another. Without exchanging pleasantries, a demon god materialized. He, too, possessed long purple hair. His voice boomed forth with immense resonance, piercing through the ancient city's barrier. "Open the gates!" Silence. Tianhe offered no response. The purple-haired demon god spoke again, his tone cold and detached. "Open the gates! Dead spirits may be strong, but they cannot stop us! If we truly shatter this city and unleash catastrophe, it will serve neither of our interests!" With that, he threw a punch! The city gates shuddered violently! A moment later, an extraordinary dead spirit manifested. The purple-haired demon god said coldly, "The dead spirit realm is formidable, but do not provoke my First Demon race! An Eternal of our First Demon race turned into a dead spirit and reigns as a monarch of your realm. Even now, our Emperor is guiding his return. Does your dead spirit realm wish to wage war against my First Demon race?" The dead spirit stared at him, its voice utterly lifeless. "The Sacred City is a conduit for the dead spirit race. Coming here, the First Demon race carries no weight!" The purple-haired demon god's aura soared into the heavens! He said coldly, "Do not force me to slaughter your kind! Outsiders may remain ignorant, but do you think we are? Countless as your dead spirits may be, how many Sun Moons and Eternals do you truly possess? Believe me when I say that from this day forward, we can seal every single one of your ancient cities and forbid anyone from entering!" "Dead spirits are eternal!" The dead spirit remained emotionless. "Even if the Sacred Cities are sealed, it will remain so!" "Impudent!" The purple-haired demon god barked. With a thunderous boom, the dead spirit detonated! Momentarily, an even more terrifying dead spirit emerged, death qi condensed to the absolute limit. At that very instant, the brilliance of another Sun Moon shattered within the city. The purple-haired demon god said coldly, "A dead spirit monarch? Does Your Excellency insist on forcing this king to charge into the dead spirit realm?" Around them, Invincible figures appeared one after another. Dao King was present, as were Invincibles of the dragon race. "Immortal, Demon, Dragon... and the Five Elements race..." The dead spirit spoke in a raspy, hollow voice. After observing them for a moment, it said in a tone thick with death, "Choose one: leave behind the Sun Moons, or leave behind the geniuses. The Sacred City has its rules. Without blood, the dead spirits will not recede!" The purple-haired demon king fell silent for a moment. "They were not the ones who slaughtered the dead spirits!" "I know." The dead spirit replied calmly, "Yet such are the rules! Otherwise, I will not be the only dead spirit monarch to cross over!" The demon king of the First Demon race spoke coldly once more, "Our Demon Emperor is on the verge of formally breaking through!" The dead spirit monarch fell silent for a brief moment. "Choose one. Will you choose, or not?" "Who is still alive?" "The dragon and god race Sun Moons. The one from the Blood Fire Demon race was just slain by me!" "..." Nadazhi was dead? The purple-haired demon king remained silent for a moment, then declared, "Very well. We choose the geniuses!" The moment those words fell, a Heavenly Dragon King from the dragon race spoke coldly, "Moge, our dragon race's Long Dou is still inside!" The demon king turned his head toward him. "Then go in and rescue him yourself!" "..." The dragon king fell silent. No God King had arrived from the god race, so there was no need to consider them. The dead spirit monarch remarked indifferently, "This is the first time; I shall grant you all face. Next time... it will not be so simple!" With that, death qi blanketed the ancient city! Rumble! Two Sun Moons shattered! Outside the city, the Invincibles remained silent. Even the dragon king said nothing more. Choose the Sun Moons, or choose the geniuses? Long Dou and Lei Huo were both seventh-stage Sun Moons of immense strength, but... in the end, they were outsiders. Those geniuses were their direct descendants. This time, every single Sun Moon had perished! The dead spirit monarch let out a faint chuckle, fading into an illusionary silhouette before slowly dissipating! Within the city, the Sun Moon dead spirits vanished one after another. The city gates opened once more! At the cost of twenty-one Sun Moon lives sacrificed to kill Su Yu, Su Yu had not died, leaving behind only utter devastation! The Invincibles did not enter the city. All waited outside. A moment later, several battered, exhausted geniuses dragged themselves out of the city, barely clinging to life. Dao Cheng, Modona, Tianduo, Long Zhan, the Little Golden Dragon, and Fu Tuling. In the vast ancient city, only they remained. Looking back, the geniuses wore deeply complex expressions. The Invincibles they had summoned had chosen to sacrifice the Sun Moons to appease the dead spirit race's wrath, rather than forcefully breaching the city to save them. This setback was something they would likely never forget for the rest of their lives.