He plunged into the sea.
Within the Sea of Stars, the yuan qi was exceptionally rich.
The moment he entered the water, Su Yu felt immense resistance. The seawater differed somewhat from ordinary water. While it posed no great danger, moving through it required far more effort.
Su Yu dove downward, transforming into a stream of water, yet even diving proved somewhat arduous.
He had entered the sea from an altitude of ten thousand meters, and the sunken continent beneath seemed elevated as well, giving him the impression that the depths of the Sea of Stars were less than three thousand meters.
Nevertheless, Su Yu swiftly plunged deeper.
One minute, two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes...
Su Yu estimated that he had dived at least ten thousand meters. By all logic, he should have reached the underwater continent by now, yet he still hadn't touched bottom.
Peering downward felt like staring into a bottomless abyss.
If he went any deeper, he might accidentally stumble into some minor realm.
*Is it really that bizarre?*
Su Yu grew curious. What kind of place was this Sea of Stars? Was its depth truly immeasurable?
If he descended further, he might run into the entrance of a minor realm at any moment.
*It really is a great place for tempering the physical body!*
Su Yu sighed inwardly with appreciation. The further down one went, the denser the yuan qi and the heavier the pressure. The tempering effect on the flesh here would surely be formidable. Circulating his breathing technique, he absorbed copious amounts of yuan qi.
Soon, however, Su Yu turned into a jet of water and bolted as fast as he could!
There was no other choice—a glowing Shanhai dot on his perception jade was rapidly closing in on him. Su Yu didn't want to clash with a Shanhai expert right after arriving. Having just entered the Sea of Stars, it was wiser to keep a low profile.
Still, he had to admit this place was fantastic.
The seawater teemed with dense, highly pure yuan qi.
It was an excellent place to cultivate, provided one could survive encounters with Shanhai great demons. It felt as though Shanhai experts were everywhere around here, and minor realm entrances could be lurking at any corner...
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a whirlpool manifested ahead.
A palatial structure resembling a crystal palace emerged on the seabed.
"Impudent! Back away!"
A furious shout boomed from within the crystal palace. "Which powerhouse dares approach? This is the entrance to the Giant Crab Domain! Trespassing is forbidden!"
"..."
Staring at the whirlpool, Su Yu fled without hesitation. *Holy shit!*
He had only just arrived and dived for a short while, yet he had already stumbled upon a domain corridor. The Sea of Stars was truly eerie.
The one scolding him sounded like a Sun Moon cultivator.
They were quite far apart—roughly three to four thousand meters. Even Su Yu's perception jade hadn't detected him, and the divine character "Calamity" had barely stirred, likely because the entity had no intention of pursuing him.
More importantly, with a domain corridor so close by, didn't they post any guards?
There weren't even any patrols, just a single expert stationed at the entrance. Where was their dignity? Look at the humans—hundreds of thousands of troops guarded their corridor entrance, packed with Shanhai and Sun Moon experts, with Invincibles putting in regular appearances.
The human corridor truly commanded respect.
Minor races were minor races after all!
The Giant Crab Domain, the Giant Crab race... Su Yu seemed to recall hearing about them. They weren't a top-hundred race, which meant they had a ninth-stage Sun Moon at best. A weak race was indeed a weak race; having a Sun Moon guarding the domain corridor was already considered doing their best.
Su Yu quickly swam away.
Meanwhile, within the crystal palace, a colossal golden crab stared out with vigilant eyes.
Which race did that expert belong to?
It hadn't been able to discern their identity!
*A member of the Water Spirit race?*
Had its senses not been unusually keen, particularly regarding aquatic fluctuations, it wouldn't have noticed an expert swimming past at all.
*Sigh!*
The giant crab lamented inwardly. Such was the tragedy of a minor race.
Having their domain corridor situated right in the Sea of Stars made things even more troublesome.
Powerhouses abounded here, and Invincibles passed through frequently. The Giant Crab corridor sat near the boundary where newcomers entered the Sea of Stars. Many experts liked to dive underwater for a look upon arrival, and as a result... it encountered powerful figures all the time.
If not for the Giant Crab Ancestor possessing the peak combat strength of the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm, ready to charge out from the corridor at any moment and channel the power of their native domain to rival an Invincible, this passage would have been breached by strong invaders long ago.
The Ancestor waited right on the other side of the corridor, constantly prepared for battle.
The Sun Moon giant crab sighed inwardly.
Life was hard!
Lately, the influx of experts seemed to have grown even larger.
It looked like the Giant Crab Realm needed to secure a patron as soon as possible. Situated right at this entrance to the Sea of Stars, it served as one of the primary entry points for the Immortals, humans, and demons, whereas the gods generally took the route on the opposite side of the Sea of Stars.
If they had to choose, they could only pick from the Immortals, humans, or demons.
As for the dragons... the dragon race was far too treacherous, situated in a central hub of conflict. Among the five major races, the most vulnerable wasn't actually the humans; if all-out war truly erupted, striking the dragons first would be entirely expected.
Sitting right by the Sea of Stars, the dragons were among the quickest to join the battles on the sunken continent. Unlike the other major realms—where the humans were buffered by the Desire Sea Plain, and the Immortals and other races were obstructed by special regions—reaching this place took considerable effort for the others.
As the giant crab pondered these matters, its heart suddenly trembled.
A figure materialized before the crystal palace gates.
His aura was overwhelmingly powerful, his vitality churning, and he made no effort to conceal his presence. His white robes were pure as snow, his hair was golden, and his pupils were a vivid emerald.
The newcomer strolled leisurely through the water, parting the sea with each step.
Halting outside the crystal palace without entering, he spoke in a mild tone. "Is this the territory of the Giant Crab race?"
"It is... and you are..."
The golden giant crab emerged. A single glance caused its expression to change slightly, and it hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Lord Wushuang!"
The young man smiled. "Senior is a Sun Moon, while I am merely a Shanhai. How could I possibly deserve to be called 'Lord'?"
Pausing, he smiled faintly and continued, "Senior, your Giant Crab race's domain entrance lies near the East Sea passage. Lately, I would trouble Senior to keep an eye out, primarily for any trace of a human genius. If you acquire any news, please notify me promptly!"
Though a Sun Moon expert, the giant crab was fraught with terror and trepidation at this moment. It stammered, "Lord Wushuang wishes to know... the whereabouts of Su Yu of the human race?"
Inwardly, it was petrified!
A powerhouse of the god race had actually come here as well!
Zhan Wushuang!
The former number two on the Heaven Ranking, now ranked third, an eighth-stage Shanhai prodigy capable of slaying Sun Moon cultivators.
He had genuinely slain a Sun Moon expert!
Not merely defeated or traded blows, but truly slaughtered an expert of the Sun Moon Realm.
Once someone attained the Sun Moon Realm, no matter how weak they were, they were still formidable.
And that had occurred several years ago. How terrifyingly strong was Zhan Wushuang now?
His golden hair drifting gently, Zhan Wushuang smiled. "Indeed, it is him. Senior is likely familiar with his appearance. Naturally, he might not dare show himself in his true guise here. A discreet check will suffice; there is no need to make it obvious. Should you encounter him, Senior may contact me at any time!"
With that, a voice-transmission talisman floated over.
Zhan Wushuang offered a light smile. "Senior, I leave the matter in your hands!"
"I would not dare refuse. Should there be any news, I will inform your lordship immediately..."
Zhan Wushuang smiled nonchalantly and stepped upward into the void. As if the immense underwater pressure were nonexistent, he rose toward the surface and swiftly took to the air, leaving the giant crab behind with trembling claws.
Zhan Wushuang!
What terrifying oppression!
A Heaven Ranking prodigy at the eighth stage of the Shanhai Realm truly exuded a far more overbearing aura than an ordinary Sun Moon.
It wasn't as though the crab had never met a Sun Moon before—it was one itself, and at the third stage at that. Yet facing Zhan Wushuang just now, it had felt a distinct sense of mortal peril.
Naturally, that was hardly surprising.
As a member of the god race—and the Primordial God Race at that—he was currently their highest-ranking genius, endowed with countless deadly methods. If they truly fought, a Sun Moon from a minor race couldn't guarantee victory against Zhan Wushuang. And even if it proved slightly stronger, the one to die might still not be Zhan Wushuang.
Just as it let out a sigh of relief, the waters churned violently. A small golden dragon dived into the sea and bellowed, "Giant Crab race, keep a close watch for Su Yu's whereabouts! If anything develops, report immediately to the dragon race!"
Cursing inwardly, the giant crab recognized the newcomer and replied swiftly, "Rest assured, Prince Wuyou. If we spot Su Yu, we will surely report it to the dragon race!"
"Good!"
Long Wuyou broke through the water and departed, showing no sign of discomfort in the sea.
It was a dragon; how could seawater hinder it?
*This is unlivable!*
Once the dragon was gone, the giant crab felt utterly helpless once more. In the Giant Crab Realm, a Sun Moon like itself would be a regional hegemon, revered as an ancestor and king. Yet here, it was reduced to a mere doorkeeper!
The crux of the problem was the Giant Crab race's lack of deterrence. These people casually barked orders right at its doorstep without a shred of restraint.
If they tried that at the domains of the other major races, they'd be beaten to death!
The golden crab had traveled abroad before. Forget about approaching the passages of the major races—the moment you set foot on their territory, their experts would arrive to expel you, or slaughter you if you didn't leave!
Enter human territory, and the Evil Cleansing Army would quickly appear.
Enter Immortal territory, and the Immortal Court Guards would promptly arrive. The god race was the same. As for the demons... they wouldn't even bother driving you off; they'd dispatch the maniacs of the Blood Fire Demon race to slaughter you on the spot!
It had never even seen what the corridors of the major races looked like, nor did it know their exact locations.
Looking back at its crystal palace, it appeared luxurious, but in reality, anyone could barge in as they pleased. Compared to opulence, safety was far more important. It had no dignity whatsoever.
...
Naturally, Su Yu remained completely oblivious to the scene outside the Giant Crab Domain's corridor.
He was currently scouting ahead with great care, swiftly evading any experts he encountered. He dared not recklessly spark conflicts with other races nearby. Many living beings populated this area, and a large battle would easily draw unwanted attention.
He had no idea that even Zhan Wushuang of the god race had arrived.
That was a monster capable of slaying Sun Moon cultivators as a Shanhai. Su Yu was definitely no match for him, and even Modona was likely inferior to him. The man's cultivation was simply higher—an eighth-stage Shanhai who had truly slain a Sun Moon expert through sheer personal strength.
Su Yu continued to roam the sea for a while. Having satisfied his curiosity, he decided to surface.
Perhaps things above water were far more interesting.
Before long, Su Yu floated upward.
A moment later, his head breached the surface. By now, he was no longer in water form, having transformed into a humanoid creature with a small horn subtly protruding from his forehead.
He was disguised as a Mountain-Breaking Ox in human form.
He was exceedingly familiar with this race!
Their cultivation methods, innate talents, blood essence, and scent were all second nature to him.
Rising above the water, Su Yu drifted through the air. Before him lay a boundless expanse of azure waves, stretching as far as the eye could see without a single island in sight. Above, the sky was adorned with stars, shimmering like a blanket of gems, casting a splendid sight.
A sea breeze brushed past, pleasantly refreshing.
Yet beneath that pleasantness lurked hidden danger.
Su Yu was acutely aware of this.
This place remained exceedingly perilous.
This was his first time traveling across an open sea, and he felt slightly disoriented. Out in the vast waters, it was easy to lose one's bearings, but relying on his keen sense of direction, he still pinpointed the correct course.
Onward he flew!
This area fell under the East Sea region. Flying straight for several thousand li would bring him to Tianxia Island. It wouldn't be hard to find; Tianxia Island cast a red radiance across the sky day and night, making it quite renowned in the coastal reaches of the East Sea.
*Buzz!*
A rush of wind sounded, and Su Yu swiftly dipped down, ready to plunge back into the sea. At that moment, a rainbow of light streaked across the sky—a Sun Moon mighty figure swept past, completely ignoring him as they flew across the heavens.
Su Yu cursed inwardly. *So what if you're a Sun Moon?*
*I've killed plenty of your kind!*
*To think you'd dare fly right over my head!*
*Fine, fly all you want; I won't lower myself to argue with you.*
*Can you just bump into a Sun Moon anywhere in the Sea of Stars?*
Su Yu found it strange. That shouldn't be the case. A Sun Moon was a mighty figure, a pinnacle combatant in any race. Leaving aside the corridor guard, he had barely entered the sea and had already run into a Sun Moon. It seemed far too casual.
And this was merely the beginning!
A short while later, an eagle's shriek echoed through the air!
A massive eagle with a wingspan stretching nearly a hundred meters soared past. Standing atop its head was a figure—not human. Su Yu dared not extend his perception, but from a glance, the creature didn't appear human, belonging to an unknown race.
Incomparably formidable!
Even that giant eagle was likely at the Sun Moon Realm. The humanoid figure stood upon the eagle's head, gazing down at the sea, and noticed Su Yu. However, they completely dismissed him. Going purely by aura, the figure seemed even more terrifying than Ming He.
As the giant eagle flew over Su Yu, its talons glinted with cold light, seeming poised to swoop down and snatch him.
The figure atop its head barked softly, "Hurry along! What's so appetizing about a puny broken ox?"
The eagle shrieked again!
Heeding its master's command, the great bird abandoned its descent and swiftly tore through the sky.
Indeed, it had originally planned to scoop up Su Yu for a meal.
Chided by its master, it gave up the thought and departed rapidly.
Cold sweat beaded on Su Yu's forehead.
What the hell?
That giant eagle was roughly at the third stage of the Sun Moon Realm, while its master—though too far for the perception jade to register—had to be at least at the seventh or eighth stage.
*Holy crap!*
*Have powerhouses become dirt-cheap now?*
*What is going on?!*
Furthermore, their heading barely deviated from his own.
Judging the path, Su Yu surmised they weren't heading for Tianxia Island, but... that trajectory likely led toward Nine Stars Island.
*Damn, this is way too dangerous!*
Fear gripped Su Yu's heart; his divine character "Calamity" had just been throbbing furiously.
A high-stage Sun Moon expert!
This wasn't an ancient city where dead spirits could cause distractions. If such an expert truly discovered him and picked a fight, he wouldn't be able to escape.
Did traveling out here rely entirely on luck?
Had he known, he might as well have snuck back into the Human Realm.
This was simply too hazardous!
Moreover, none of them looked human. Were there really this many foreign experts around?
Just as these thoughts ran through his mind, Su Yu bolted instantly. Sure enough, not long after, a burly man built like a giant mountain came striding across the sea. Seeing Su Yu flee, he chuckled. "Honestly, the blood of the Mountain-Breaking Ox race works quite well for foundation building and body forging! Ah, forget it, I won't bother chasing!"
The burly man was colossal. Yet as Su Yu fled, he glanced back in surprise and felt an urge to curse!
That wasn't a member of the Giant race—that was a human!
He could never mistake the racial aura of humanity.
*Damn it, I was almost caught by a human powerhouse.*
He didn't recognize the giant. The man appeared to be in the Sun Moon Realm, immensely powerful and thoroughly ostentatious.
The giant strode across the ocean, kicking up towering waves. Soon, a colossal dragon cut through the void, its booming voice demanding, "Qin Hao, what do you think you're doing?"
That giant was actually Qin Hao!
Qin Fang's uncle, the son of King Daqin, and the commander of the Vanguard Camp.
Back when Qin Fang was besieged, this man hadn't shown up, yet here he was in the Sea of Stars.
Without a word, Qin Hao thrust a long spear toward the heavens!
*Boom!*
A tremendous roar shook the sky!
The giant dragon fled in panic, a distinct, bloody hole gouged into its underbelly.
Qin Hao raised his head, watching the fleeing dragon. Glancing coldly around, his expression soon softened into a faint smirk. "Nothing in particular. I heard the heroes of the myriad realms are all heading to Nine Stars Island, so I thought I'd join the fun to keep you from feeling too lonely!"
With those words, his spear plunged into the water, stirring the Sea of Stars until the world seemed to turn upside down and waves crashed toward the heavens!
Great demons of the sea fled in all directions.
With a casual thrust, Qin Hao impaled a colossal golden fish. Flames erupted along the spear, roasting the fish as he laughed. "With the heroes of the myriad realms gathering, how could it not be lonely without my human race? Gentlemen, see you at Nine Stars Island!"
Eating the giant fish while churning up the waves, he moved with astonishing speed, riding the colossal surge straight toward the Nine Stars Island region.
"Qin Hao!"
Su Yu was utterly stunned. That man was heading to Nine Stars Island as well?
Wait, tons of people were heading there!
What kind of sick joke was this?
He had planned to go there himself... but now that a swarm of Sun Moon experts was rushing over, what was the point of him going?
Su Yu was speechless. Watching from a great distance, he peered warily around. What was going on? Why was everyone flocking to Nine Stars Island?
Had some incredible treasure appeared?
Was everyone rushing to snatch it?
Su Yu fell into deep contemplation. What kind of good item could it be?
Should he still go?
Formidable figures like Qin Hao were going, the expert riding the giant eagle had likely gone that way too, and the dragon Qin Hao had wounded with a single thrust was probably heading there as well.
*Could an earth-shattering treasure have surfaced?*
Su Yu didn't know. For now, he had to take things one step at a time, heading to Tianxia Island first to assess the situation and gather intel.
As for the rest... if things truly went south, he would simply retreat!
Of course, if a massive Sun Moon battle broke out, he would see if he could strike it rich amid the danger!
It was a perfectly natural thought: when powerhouses clashed, shouldn't a genius like him try to reap some benefits?
If you got killed, you weren't a true genius.
If you survived, the rewards were bound to be enormous.
A genius who refused to enter chaotic and dangerous places was completely pointless.
Worst-case scenario, if the battle proved too hazardous, he could find an ancient city to mess around in and see if he could stage an ambush to wipe out a batch of his sworn enemies.
*Daocheng must die—that's a blood feud! Aside from him, the Ice Snow God race, Thunder God race, Three-Eyed Demon race, Six-Winged God race, Dragon Silkworm race, Xuan Armor race... any of them I come across must die!*
Su Yu tallied them up. He certainly had no shortage of enemies.
And that didn't even account for the minor races he barely remembered. He had slaughtered so many individuals in the ancient city that even if their races didn't seek vengeance against him, he would hunt them down anyway.
Above all, the Six-Winged God race... Su Yu despised them most of all.
*What a headache!*
Su Yu pondered whose identity he should assume.
It had to be a race with few members, formidable combat prowess, and minimal risk of drawing trouble...
*An ancient race would be best!*
After racking his brains, an idea suddenly struck him. He hadn't encountered many ancient races—setting aside the little fur ball, he had seen one other: the Iron-Eater Beast!
That had to be an ancient race too!
And an extraordinarily mighty one!
The Iron-Eater Beast in the Great Ming Prefecture was at the peak of the Shanhai Realm, yet even Sun Moon cultivators couldn't scratch it. That was truly terrifying.
*An Iron-Eater Beast... maybe I could disguise myself as one. I just don't know if their population is large, or if it would invite trouble.*
If their numbers were too vast, they wouldn't carry much deterrence. If they were too few... that was troublesome too; an unexpected extra member would instantly draw their attention.
*Wait, the humans have them!*
*Right now, there are three young Iron-Eater Beasts back in the Human Realm.*
*What if... I pretend to be the big Iron-Eater Beast's son?*
Su Yu muttered to himself. If a powerhouse from the Iron-Eater race truly came knocking, couldn't he just claim to be the offspring of that large Iron-Eater Beast?
A wandering genius of the Iron-Eater race stranded outside?
With various schemes churning in his head, Su Yu decided against donning the disguise for now. He would wait until reaching Tianxia Island.
...
He traversed the sea for a long time. After encountering Qin Hao, Su Yu met no other powerhouses along the way. Perhaps other experts had detoured to avoid crossing paths with Qin Hao.
Or perhaps Su Yu had drifted off the direct route to Nine Stars Island, thus steering clear of those experts. From then on, his journey was smooth sailing. He encountered no further Sun Moon experts, though he did spot several Shanhai great demons.
Fortunately, the Shanhai great demons here were not all completely rabid. Some avoided Su Yu upon sighting him.
Others gave chase for a brief spell, but Su Yu fled swiftly, and they didn't pursue him endlessly.
In the distance, an island bathed in red light piercing between heaven and earth came into view.
That was Tianxia Island!
...
Tianxia Island was immense.
Though called an island, in truth, every landmass in the Sea of Stars was considered an island simply because the sea was so colossal.
By surface area, Tianxia Island likely spanned well over three million square kilometers.
Yet islands of such size were commonplace in the Sea of Stars.
It was a circular landmass with a radius of roughly two thousand li.
Tianxia Island also housed a domain entrance.
However, that domain wasn't particularly powerful, maintaining a relatively neutral stance. In fact, Su Yu was quite familiar with the race residing there—the Brightlight Birds. His Yuan-Purifying Art had been learned from their lineage.
It could purify yuan qi!
The Brightlight Bird race was considered peaceful. Naturally, they had little choice given their weak strength. However, because they served as healers, their experts often assisted in treating the wounded of various races during great conflicts, allowing them to live reasonably comfortable lives.
Although certain races harbored designs on them, none dared launch an overt invasion. Over the years, they had managed affairs on Tianxia Island quite impressively.
At present, many experts from minor races had gathered on Tianxia Island.
They didn't dare proceed directly to Nine Stars Island.
At the center of Tianxia Island lay the corridor to the Brightlight Realm, around which the Brightlight Bird race had erected a grand city over the years—Mingguang City.
This great city was open to outsiders.
By leveraging the island and opening the city, the Brightlight Bird race had amassed considerable wealth and nurtured several top-tier prodigies, though a notable gap still separated them from the geniuses of the major races.
In recent days, as experts from various races converged, the peaceful atmosphere of this long-tranquil metropolis had grown somewhat tense.
Even so, the Brightlight Bird race had grown accustomed to it; roughly every ten years, an upheaval of this sort occurred.
Because further ahead, beyond Nine Stars Island, lay the sphere of influence surrounding the Star Astral Mansion.
...
It was under these circumstances that Su Yu arrived at Tianxia Island.
The moment he stepped onto the island, Su Yu felt a gentle power of light. Faintly, it carried the essence seeping out from the Brightlight Realm, feeling quite pleasant.
Su Yu deduced that the Brightlight Realm might be actively permeating the island.
If they could incorporate this island into the domain of the Brightlight Realm, foreign races would suffer a degree of suppression here.
Their Sun Moon experts might even be able to contend with Invincibles on this terrain.
It had to be said that even minor races possessed their own schemes and calculations.
In any case, Su Yu felt no suppression whatsoever. Perhaps the permeating power was too faint, or perhaps... because he was human, he couldn't feel it even if suppression existed.
At the center of the island stood a solitary giant city.
Scattered around the metropolis were various towns and villages.
It was unclear whether outsiders had built them or if they had existed all along. When the All-Heavens Battlefield opened a thousand years ago, native races were already living here; otherwise, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion could never have survived.
According to records, those figures from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion might have inhabited the area ever since the All-Heavens Battlefield was sealed in ancient times.
They were entities as ancient as the ancient cities themselves!
Su Yu paid no heed to these details. Walking on solid ground put his mind somewhat at ease. Although he could transform into water, the sea harbored too many hazards, with minor realm entrances popping up constantly—he had sensed several along the way.
It had kept him on edge, entirely devoid of comfort.
Corridors to minor realms were typically guarded by Sun Moon cultivators; stumbling into one by mistake could easily provoke a Sun Moon's lethal wrath.
The divine character "Calamity" had played an enormous role this time!
Whenever danger neared, it offered early warnings.
At this moment, this innate divine character felt far more vital to Su Yu than any other.
...
Not long after Su Yu set foot on the island, a Brightlight Bird flew over.
It had to be said that the Brightlight Bird possessed an exquisite appearance!
Radiating a gentle glow, its form was sleek and its posture elegant, looking so graceful that one could hardly bear to harm it.
Most notably, when it spoke, its voice was distinctly female!
"Honored guest, may I ask if you are heading to Mingguang City?"
*Honored guest.*
Disguised as a member of the Mountain-Breaking Ox race, Su Yu currently emanated a Lingyun aura, which indeed qualified him as an honored guest. His race was at least backed by an Invincible, making them far mightier than the Brightlight Birds.
Su Yu nodded slightly. "Are any of my clansmen present on Tianxia Island?"
"No powerhouses from your esteemed race have arrived as of yet,"
the Brightlight Bird answered swiftly. "In recent days, various experts and geniuses from different races have come to the island. Should our honored guest enter the city, we kindly ask that you maintain a peaceful demeanor. The city provides specialized arenas for sparring..."
After a few courtesy remarks, the female bird added, "If our honored guest requires anything upon entering the city, you may seek assistance from our patrol teams. Mingguang City welcomes experts from all races, but we hope everyone will exercise restraint within its walls. Our Brightlight race is weak, and establishing this city was no easy feat..."
After lamenting their hardships, the little bird casually revealed that three Sun Moon experts were stationed in the city, including one high-stage Sun Moon—a subtle warning against causing trouble.
Though a minor race might be weak, their homeland lay directly behind them, and experts could arrive as reinforcements at any moment.
Su Yu listened without bothering to say much. Minor races were always like this.
They wished desperately that no one would ever fight on their home turf!
For the Brightlight Birds to erect a city in the Sea of Stars and dominate a vast island proved they weren't entirely weak. At the very least, they commanded far more dignity than the Giant Crab race, who had pathetically built a crystal palace smaller than a village.
Finishing her spiel, the female bird swiftly took flight, seemingly off to greet the next arrival.
Unconcerned, Su Yu flew briskly toward Mingguang City.
It seemed quite a crowd had arrived in Mingguang City lately. He wanted to see if any familiar faces were present. Most of his acquaintances were dead, but weren't a few still kicking?
For instance, Daocheng and the little golden dragon were still alive and well, weren't they?
After flying for a short while, the city of light came into view!
While the island emanated a reddish glow, this city radiated pure white brilliance.
The entire metropolis was shrouded in white light.
The Brightlight Bird race had likely extended their domain's power over the entire city.
It seemed their construction of this city was not without purpose.
Touching down near the city gates, Su Yu saw several Brightlight Birds in humanoid form standing guard. None were weak, and one was even a Shanhai Realm Brightlight Bird clad in white armor.
Seeing Su Yu, the guards showed no surprise; their sentries were stationed all around the island.
Word had already been sent ahead that an expert of the Mountain-Breaking Ox race had arrived.
Since he was below the Sun Moon Realm, there was no need to treat him with excessive caution.
What surprised Su Yu, however, was a golden notice posted by the city gates.
Upon it was his portrait!
Indeed, a human portrait depicting his true appearance.
"Su Yu, human race, Lingyun Realm."
"Anyone who discovers Su Yu's whereabouts and reports it to the god or demon embassies in Mingguang City will be rewarded with ten wisps of Mystic Light of Heaven and Earth and one hundred Heaven Yuan Fruits upon verification!"
"..."
*Fuck!*
How generous!
It was merely a bounty for reporting his location, without requiring anyone to kill or capture him. Just passing intel to the gods and demons yielded such a colossal reward. Even Su Yu felt tempted.
*Holy shit!*
*They really spared no expense!*
More importantly, what did they mean by posting this notice here? Did they know he was coming?
Su Yu was not the only one reading the notice; many others gathered around. Some merely glanced at it, while one chuckled to his companion, "If someone finds Su Yu, they'll make a fortune!"
His companion warned, "Mind your own business! A clash between major races is none of our concern. If you go snitching... hah, do you really think the human race will sit idly by? Aren't you afraid of losing your life the very next second?"
Informing was no trivial matter!
If the humans caught wind of it, they might not confront the gods, but did they need an excuse to slaughter an informant?
Did anyone truly believe the gods and demons would protect them?
The beings around Su Yu gossiped, treating it as mere entertainment. Even if they actually spotted Su Yu, they might not dare report him.
Furthermore, Su Yu was not the only human at the city gates; other humans were present as well.
One human cultivator stared at the notice, let out a cold snort, and glared at the Shanhai Brightlight Bird, sneering, "Do you think our human race lacks powerhouses stationed here? The Brightlight race has grown bold indeed. Be careful that an Invincible of our race doesn't pass by and slice your city in two with a single blade!"
The Shanhai expert frowned slightly and replied in a low voice, "This was not posted by the Brightlight race. Please understand our difficult position. This notice was posted jointly by the god and demon races; identical postings can be found across every major island in the Sea of Stars..."
The human cultivator ignored the explanation, sneered, and strode directly into the city.
The Shanhai Brightlight Bird looked helpless but held its tongue.
Caught between the major races, they were truly in a bind.
When the gods and demons demanded it be posted, did they dare refuse?
Yet posting it drew the ire of the humans... What could they possibly say?
As for Su Yu, he didn't care much about the matter. After a casual glance, he walked straight into the city, with no one stopping him or demanding a toll.
It was merely a wanted poster; what could it do to him?
What was the point of displaying his human face?
Anyone capable of seeing through to his true appearance wouldn't need to report him—they could easily seize him on the spot.
However, it did reveal something useful: the human race's influence in the Sea of Stars was not particularly strong, certainly trailing behind the gods and demons. Otherwise, this notice would have been hacked to pieces rather than left hanging here. Clearly, the humans in this region were not as formidable as the gods and demons.
Chapter 406