Xinghong Ancient City had opened, and the myriad realms fell quiet.
With Su Yu locking himself inside the Castellan Manor, he had essentially placed shackles upon himself. Whether this was good or bad, no one knew for certain right now.
Perhaps Su Yu's demise would accelerate, or perhaps it wouldn't.
However, the major races were gradually shifting their gaze away from Su Yu.
A living dead Su Yu, no matter how much trouble he stirred up, was now confined within the ancient city. As castellan, were he to leave the city for more than a few days, he would likely suffer severe backlash and be devoured by death qi.
Such a Su Yu was not terrifying.
The Multiple Divine Characters faction had produced Su Yu; first there had been Ye Batian, then Su Yu, and now other geniuses of the faction were still active, such as Hong Tan and Chen Yong...
This lineage was the root of all trouble!
With Hong Tan opening the Multiple Divine Characters Academy in the Human Realm, the gaze of the myriad races and the great clans once more focused on the Human Realm.
This lineage should never have been allowed to exist!
What was more, Hong Tan was currently promoting his divine character disassembly art. A portion of the new students had already become his experimental subjects. Supposedly, some results had already been achieved, converting single divine character practitioners into multiple divine character ones.
To the myriad races, this posed an enormous threat.
Once this disassembly could be applied to Sun Moons, the Sun Moon Civilization Masters would soon all be able to become Multiple Divine Characters Civilization Masters. By the time one reached the Sun Moon Realm, with time on their side, who didn't possess a few divine characters?
Ten or more would suffice. Sun Moon Civilization Masters, even if formed unintentionally, would easily possess at least ten.
If this truly spread, all the suppression of the Multiple Divine Characters faction over these years would become a colossal joke.
Added to Su Yu's impact, the Multiple Divine Characters faction was remembered once again. Before long, the Great Xia Prefecture once more drew the attention of the myriad realms.
……
Great Xia Prefecture.
Great Xia Civilization Academy.
On August 1st, the Multiple Divine Characters Academy opened its doors and began recruitment. This time, a significant number of students were admitted, and enrollment was not limited to freshmen; older students, Soaring Realm cultivators, and even Lingyun Realm cultivators were accepted.
According to Hong Tan, Lingyun cultivators might be needed to assist with experiments. Knowing full well what experiments he meant, no one objected, eagerly joining in.
The newly established Multiple Divine Characters Academy took in hundreds of students in the blink of an eye.
Indeed, the count was nearing a thousand!
And these students came from all sorts of backgrounds.
Some hailed from the two sacred lands, some from the other thirty-five prefectures; there were descendants of Sun Moons, descendants of Invincibles, and descendants of Shanhai cultivators, as well as elites from academies across the realm—not to mention potential spies planted by the All-Races Sect.
On top of that, even among foreign race students, some from powerful races were accepted, which sparked opposition from many quarters.
Of course, Hong Tan went his own way, offering the outward justification of drawing upon the experiences of powerful races like the Gods and Demons.
At this moment, the Great Xia Civilization Academy was revitalized, bustling with tremendous energy.
Ever since Su Yu left, the Great Xia Civilization Academy had suffered severe blows and grown rather desolate. Now, however, it was once again lively and thriving.
Multiple Divine Characters Academy.
Xia Huyou strolled down a path, trailing behind an ethereal, fairy-like girl as he flattered her, "Fairy Yuxuan, wherever you want to go, I'll accompany you."
Ahead, the young fairy glanced back at him. A flash of contempt crossed her eyes, but she quickly masked it with a smile. "Prince Huyou, there's no need to trouble yourself. I'm just taking a casual look around."
"How could that do? How about I call some Dragon Martial Guards to protect you, lest some blind fool offends you?"
Xia Huyou beamed. "Fairy Yuxuan knows that our Great Xia Prefecture has some stubborn old fogies who aren't too pleased about recruiting foreign students. It's one thing to dislike the Demon race, the Dragon race, and the Gods and Demons, but Fairy Yuxuan is our ally. You come from the Immortal race, and you're even a descendant of the Tianyu Immortal King..."
Xia Huyou sighed with emotion. "The Immortals came to help us, yet these old fossils are just so stubborn!"
He shook his head, looking deeply dissatisfied.
"If I become prefect, I'll definitely purge these old fogies! Take that fellow Zhao Rui, for example—he's a classic bloodthirsty butcher!"
Zhao Rui was the commander of the Dragon Martial Guards.
Yuxuan's eyes shifted slightly, and she smiled. "Prince Huyou, General Zhao and the others mean well. How could you say that? Even in the Immortal Realm, I've heard of General Zhao's renowned name. On the All-Heavens Battlefield, he led the Dragon Martial Guards to sweep across the eastern war zone, slaying countless enemies..."
Xia Huyou said awkwardly, "At a time like this, killing will only spark war. It's not a good thing! Right now, Great Xia Prefecture needs rest and recovery. That's my view, and it's the view of many others as well. My Second Grandpa, as well as Academy Head Wan of Great Xia Civilization Academy, Chief Steward Hu... all of us share this view. We need to recuperate; we can't keep provoking enemies for no good reason!"
"If Lord Blood Slaughter King finds out... won't he be angry?"
Yuxuan smiled. "Lord Blood Slaughter King spent decades forging his terrifying reputation through slaughter. For Prince Huyou to speak like this isn't very proper."
Xia Huyou looked left and right. Seeing no one nearby, he whispered cautiously, "I'm not stupid; of course I can't say that to my father! I'm actually doing this out of concern for my father's safety. He's about to attain the Dao, so how can he keep slaughtering at a time like this? My father's personality is just too blunt!"
He let out a sigh, looking helpless, and said in a low voice, "I'm only telling you this, Yuxuan. In truth... I know what my Second Grandpa intends. He wants to seek the Immortal race's assistance. Yuxuan, I'm not a fool. I only want the Great Xia Prefecture to remain safe and sound without any more trouble, and I want my father to attain the Dao safely."
He spoke earnestly, "Yuxuan, if you and I were to unite in marriage, I promise I'll treat you well. As long as the Tianyu Immortal King is willing to lend a helping hand when my father attains the Dao, my Great Xia Prefecture will be eternally grateful! The Xia family is not one to forget favors..."
Yuxuan chuckled softly. "Your Highness exaggerates. Besides... I am merely one among countless descendants of our ancestor, and my relationship with him isn't that close. I'm hardly worthy of Prince Huyou..."
Xia Huyou countered immediately, "What are you saying? How could you say that? You're worthy, absolutely worthy! If the Tianyu Immortal King didn't think highly of you, Yuxuan, why would he send you to Great Xia Prefecture?"
"Prince Huyou, I'll do my best," Yuxuan said softly. "I will do my best to speak with my clan elders and strive to reach an agreement with Great Xia Prefecture. If the Blood Slaughter King succeeds in attaining the Dao, the Xia family will boast two Invincibles under one roof. If I were to marry into the Xia family, it would certainly be a great blessing for my fortune."
The Xia family was indeed a prominent house, prominent even across the myriad races and realms.
Two Invincibles under one roof!
Of course, Xia Longwu had not succeeded yet.
Yet if he did, they would unquestionably become a rare titan among the myriad races. King Daxia possessed unfathomable might, and once Xia Longwu successfully attained the Dao, he too would inevitably be exceptionally powerful.
Xia Huyou nodded with a smile. "Definitely. I believe you can do it, Yuxuan, and the Tianyu Immortal King will come to terms with the Xia family."
At this point, he lowered his voice. "Yuxuan, you need to speak with your elders as soon as possible. My father's attainment of the Dao... might be coming very soon."
"The Blood Slaughter King is preparing to attain the Dao? When?"
Xia Huyou laughed it off. "Soon. As for the exact date, I'm not entirely sure either."
"Will it be in the Human Realm, or on the All-Heavens Battlefield?"
"Well, that..."
Xia Huyou gave a dry laugh. "Uh... just pretend I don't know. Yuxuan, I can't disclose these things. You understand, right?"
"I understand!"
Yuxuan nodded and smiled. Then, as if casually, she asked, "Huyou, do you know Su Yu?"
"I do!" Xia Huyou nodded and smiled. "What about him?"
"He's been making quite a name for himself on the All-Heavens Battlefield recently. Do you know about that?"
Xia Huyou nodded. "I've heard some things!"
With that, he sighed. "He's acting recklessly! Great Xia Prefecture is already surrounded by enemies on all sides, yet he goes around provoking so many powerful foes! Fortunately, he's no longer considered a person of Great Xia Prefecture; otherwise, the trouble would be immense. With this trouble, Great Xia Prefecture had best stay out of it and let Daming Prefecture shoulder the burden!"
"Don't you think he's excessively powerful?"
Yuxuan murmured, "I heard that he was only at the Kaiyuan Realm when he enrolled. In just over a year, he's already capable of killing Sun Moons. Everyone says he possesses the inheritance of an Invincible's relic. Huyou, you are only at the Soaring Realm right now. If you could obtain that relic and reach Lingyun, Shanhai, or even Sun Moon... you could add considerable deterrence to Great Xia Prefecture..."
Xia Huyou frowned. "Yuxuan, you can't say that! You mustn't set your sights on his relic. The reason my Xia family could sustain this prefecture for hundreds of years is that we love our people like our own children. What belongs to the common people belongs to them, and their opportunities are theirs..."
"That's different. An Invincible's relic doesn't belong to any individual; it belongs to whoever is fated to have it!" Yuxuan replied swiftly. "Besides, he can never return! He has become an ancient city castellan! Right now, he is fated to be bound to the ancient city, never to return to the Human Realm. If he leaves the ancient city for three to five days, he will likely die, and traveling from the ancient city to Great Xia Prefecture takes far more than three to five days!"
Yuxuan spoke softly, "Huyou, think about it yourself. Many people have gathered at Nanyuan now. Outsiders are searching for it, yet only your Xia family isn't looking. The Blood Slaughter King looks down on it, and Marquis Xia doesn't care, but what about you? Among the direct lineage of the Xia family, you are the most qualified to succeed as the next prefect. Yet now, I hear public support outside isn't for you, but for Instructor Xia Yuwen."
Xia Huyou frowned. "It doesn't matter. My cousin is stronger than me, but he made a huge fool of himself during his duel with Bai Feng, and he's tangled up with Great Zhou Prefecture. My father and my Second Grandpa won't hand the position of prefect to him!"
"Not necessarily. If Great Zhou Prefecture is willing to aid Great Xia Prefecture, Instructor Xia Yuwen would serve as the bridge between them."
Yuxuan continued, "He is formidable, and he once made the Heaven Hunting Yellow Ranking—a rare genius of the human race..."
"The Yellow Ranking?"
Xia Huyou curled his lip. "He couldn't even beat Bai Feng and got turned around on. His making the ranking doesn't mean much, and besides, he's fallen off it now."
Yuxuan frowned slightly, but quickly added, "Forget it then, since you don't even take it seriously yourself. Huyou, in the myriad realms, what matters most isn't your background, but your personal strength. You are only at the Soaring Realm. Even if you become prefect, do you think Great Xia Prefecture will respect you?"
"Once my father attains the Dao, I'll probably reach Lingyun!"
"That's still far too weak!"
Yuxuan shook her head. "With such strength, how could you become the head of a prefecture and deter all sides?"
"Su Yu is only at Lingyun as well..."
*You're comparing yourself to Su Yu?*
Yuxuan scoffed internally. *Did you think you were impressive just because your family is powerful?*
*How can you compare to Su Yu?*
*In talent, courage, intellect, or strength, which of those isn't he vastly superior to you in?*
*If he hadn't been constrained by coming from the Multiple Divine Characters faction and had walked the warrior path instead, his standing in the Human Realm right now would be far higher than yours, Xia Huyou, and the Invincibles of the myriad races wouldn't be targeting him.*
*How can someone be so blind to their own worth?*
*A frog in a well!*
*Did he truly think being Xia Longwu's descendant made him remarkable?*
*Once the Xia family's two Invincibles perish, you'll be nothing!*
"Have it your way. The Nanyuan relic might truly exist. Since you don't care, Huyou, and Su Yu won't be returning, who knows who will end up benefiting from it in the end!"
Without another word, Yuxuan departed swiftly.
Xia Huyou wore an expression of deep thought, seemingly lost in reflection.
He muttered, "Strength... relic!"
Muttering under his breath with a pensive look, Xia Huyou walked away quietly. In the distance, Yuxuan smiled, her grin bright and radiant.
Meanwhile, Xia Huyou turned and walked away, maintaining his thoughtful expression all the way until he returned to his residence. Rubbing his cheeks, he let out a sigh. What a nuisance!
Acting every single day—when was this going to end?
That kid Su Yu had it so much better, slaughtering to his heart's content on the All-Heavens Battlefield, killing until even the foreign race students in the Human Realm knew his illustrious name.
Those God and Demon students in the Human Realm looked down on all other Great Xia students with haughty disdain.
Yet whenever Su Yu was mentioned, none dared look down on him.
He was an absolute prodigy, a monster who had battered the experts of every race until they wept.
An Mintian and Lei Jue of the God race, Tianduo, Lan Ying, and Moerba of the Demon race, Hong Kai and Qing Kai of the Xuan Armor race, Foutuling of the Five Elements race, Jiu Xuan and Dao Cheng of the Immortal race...
Every one of them had either been killed by Su Yu or suppressed until they couldn't even lift their heads.
Faced with such an absolute prodigy, even the Gods, Demons, and Immortals could not utter a word of denial.
Now, he had even become the castellan of Xinghong Ancient City. Though his lifespan was short and he could not leave the Castellan Manor, even if Su Yu died, he had blazed with radiant splendor in this lifetime. That was a feat many wished to accomplish yet could never achieve.
In the past, whenever geniuses were brought up, everyone spoke of Moduona and Zhan Wushuang. Nowadays, the very first name mentioned was invariably the human, Su Yu.
"Su Yu... is this guy really going to die?"
Xia Huyou sighed. Being too monstrously talented wasn't a good thing either. If that fellow truly never returned, it would be an immense pity and regret!
Even Great-Grandpa hadn't been able to save him!
"The Nanyuan relic!"
He muttered again. Were they all so certain there was a relic in Nanyuan?
Was Su Yu's strength truly derived from a relic?
Everyone's current thought was that Su Yu might have entered the relic when he was only at the Kaiyuan Realm and obtained such massive benefits. If one were to enter the relic now, could they attain the Dao and become an Invincible?
Perhaps the relic in Nanyuan was extraordinarily powerful!
After all, this might be the human race's very last Invincible relic. The stronger a relic was, the later it tended to appear; that was what most people believed right now.
Great Xia Prefecture was currently swarming with hidden ghosts and monsters!
Second Grandpa hadn't returned yet, but it should be soon.
Taking advantage of the Multiple Divine Characters Academy's opening before their return, plenty of people had likely snuck in. The Great Xia Prefecture right now was a chaotic melting pot holding all sorts of figures; perhaps even Lan Tian had infiltrated.
His father had gone to the All-Heavens Battlefield. Because someone had caught wind of his tracks, the news had spread among the higher-ups.
Great Xia Prefecture truly had no Quasi-Invincibles left.
The strongest person remaining was Second Grandpa.
With Second Grandpa away, a crowd of powerful figures had snuck in, making things quite lively.
"I heard Instructor Liu Wenyan is also about to return. He's no longer in the Vanguard Camp."
"Director Zhou Mingren seemed to have had good luck a few days ago, actually slaying a Sun Moon of a minor race to offset his crimes. He might be returning soon as well..."
Piece after piece of intelligence flashed through his mind.
When all these people returned, chaotic times would truly arrive.
The arrangements in Nanyuan needed to be accelerated as well.
With countless thoughts swirling in his mind, Xia Huyou felt a headache coming on. Fortunately, Second Grandpa was the one laying the plans, alongside a certain academy head who was in secluded cultivation. It didn't have much to do with him. All he needed to do was build good relations with the geniuses of every race.
And along the way, see if he could attract a few people to invest in him.
Stepping out of his residence once more, he vaguely overheard voices outside saying, "Did you hear? People are saying Nanyuan has a Half-Emperor relic, or perhaps even a Human Emperor relic, on par with Starfall Mansion!"
"What nonsense is that?"
"You don't even know this? I heard that Su Yu—you know Su Yu, right? Who doesn't know him? He went to the All-Heavens Battlefield and forged a legendary reputation, slaughtering in all directions and shaking the myriad realms. It was all related to that relic in Nanyuan!"
Xia Huyou frowned slightly. Had the Xia family arranged this, or was someone else stirring up trouble in the shadows?
He wasn't entirely sure.
Still, the rumor was bound to spread quickly. Before long, Nanyuan would likely become the focal point of the myriad realms. It seemed Second Grandpa intended to set the flashpoint in Nanyuan.
Xia Huyou paid it no further heed. Let them all come!
The more, the merrier!
He should make some preparations himself. That fellow Su Yu had killed so many Sun Moons; if he couldn't kill a Sun Moon himself, landing the finishing blow would do just fine.
……
Wind and clouds surged across the Great Xia Prefecture.
Marquis Xia had already left the All-Heavens Battlefield and was rushing back to Great Xia Prefecture.
Meanwhile, on the All-Heavens Battlefield, with Su Yu no longer running amok, major wars were absent, but minor skirmishes flared continuously. Geniuses of every path clashed repeatedly, names shifting on the rankings as people continually dropped off.
Inside Xinghong Ancient City, more and more people arrived.
Without the castellan's threat and deterrence, many experts grew rather interested. Of course, concerns lingered; they feared Su Yu might appear again, slay dead spirits, and seal the city. Yet after several days of testing the waters, Su Yu never stepped out of his doors, which was considered a relief.
Furthermore, as several late-stage Sun Moon experts from the Gods and Demons entered the city, they stationed themselves right outside the Castellan Manor's gates. In this way, Su Yu's threat was minimized even further.
Previously, no one could pin Su Yu down.
Now, everyone knew Su Yu was inside the Castellan Manor, blocked within. That was a good thing.
……
Under these circumstances, someone inside an ancient house was about to emerge.
Foutuling!
The one-month deadline was nearly up.
Over the past month, Foutuling had quite enjoyed himself in tranquil peace. No one came looking for him, and no one bothered him. Outside, the heavens had shattered and the earth had split, yet he knew nothing of it. Sealed away and trapped within a sound-isolating barrier erected by Su Yu, he hadn't heard a single thing.
Fortunate as he was, the ancient house he occupied had remained undamaged.
*Su Yu should have left by now, right?*
Inside the giant sphere of stone, Foutuling figured he was probably gone.
It had been an entire month!
That guy had probably captured him last time to accomplish some task. Besides, after a month, the Five Elements race should know where he was. With people from the Five Elements race arriving, Su Yu wouldn't dare keep watch outside the door.
The stone sphere began to crack and fissure.
Foutuling breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, with this protective shell, the threat of death qi had been greatly diminished; he had been quite lucky.
Otherwise, after a month, he would have been corroded to death.
*Once I get out this time, I'll stay far away from that guy. Then again, with how recklessly he courts death, maybe he's already dead!* Foutuling thought optimistically.
He might well have kicked the bucket!
*Bang!*
The stone sphere shattered!
The seal broke completely!
Foutuling leaped out in sheer jubilation as the barriers surrounding the stone sphere shattered alongside it.
"I'm out!"
……
At the same time.
Inside the branch of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion.
Having entered the branch before the God and Demon experts arrived, Su Yu was reading a book when he suddenly looked up toward a certain direction and smiled.
Foutuling was out!
What incredible luck!
During the battle of Invincibles, with a dead spirit monarch appearing, so many ancient houses had been destroyed, yet this fellow's house remained untouched.
A few days ago, when corpses had littered the fields, he had remained unharmed.
While the other geniuses were corroded, he had been fine thanks to two Invincible divine talismans.
Could this guy truly become the common lord of the Five Elements race?
As weak as he was, even if he could, it would be countless years from now. Su Yu felt that Foutuling's luck was even greater than Moduona's and the others'.
"It's just not worth exposing my identity over you, or I'd let you experience just how sinister the world can be!"
How sinister?
Breaching the house, stepping through the door, and standing right beside Foutuling—the moment he broke the seal and stepped out, there stood Su Yu... Foutuling would instantly learn what true cruelty meant!
Su Yu smiled. Wearing his white mask, his expression was completely concealed.
Let him come out!
Su Yu didn't pay it much mind. Having recently completed his fiftieth physical cast, he wondered if any of the geniuses on the Heaven Hunting Ranking could still rival him.
Could Moduona match him?
Or Zhan Wushuang, Xuan Wuji, and the rest?
Zhan Wushuang and his peers were formidable, at the eighth stage of Shanhai, perhaps nearing the ninth. However, crossing realms to fight a first-stage Sun Moon was their absolute limit; at best, maybe a second-stage Sun Moon.
What about himself?
His physical aperture force had already surpassed the strength of 210,000 apertures.
Right now, by consuming blood essence, Su Yu stood an excellent chance of defeating them. After all, those individuals were no pushovers either and had slain Sun Moons before; fighting them without consuming blood essence might prove a bit challenging, but with blood essence consumed, dealing with them wouldn't be so difficult.
Of course, when facing those geniuses, it was best to finish them off with thunderous momentum!
Otherwise, geniuses possessed even more hidden cards than ordinary experts.
If they pulled out an Invincible divine talisman on a whim, it would become rather troublesome.
"In the near term, my goal is to complete seventy-two physical casts. I shouldn't act rashly; staying low-key is the wiser course!"
Su Yu glanced in that direction once more and paid it no further attention.
His goal was seventy-two casts.
He hadn't hidden in the Castellan Manor precisely to avoid being cornered, and also to observe the situation. At a critical juncture, if there was someone worth taking down, he would seal the city gates and slaughter them!
This ancient city was now his fishing pond.
Unless it was a big fish, he wouldn't reel in the net!
……
Completely oblivious, Foutuling wasn't concerned with any of this.
Filled with delight, he walked to the door and hesitated slightly.
There shouldn't be any danger outside, right?
Probably not?
Just as he stirred, someone was indeed waiting outside. The Five Elements race would never abandon him. At this moment, an expert of the Five Elements race called out hastily, "Foutuling, is that you inside?"
After Xinghong Ancient City opened, the Five Elements race had dispatched someone.
They had come at great peril!
Fortunately, there had been no danger over the past few days, which put this Sun Moon expert much more at ease.
Inside, Foutuling started, then asked hesitantly, "Elder Tuhe?"
"It's me!"
Tuhe was overjoyed outside. It truly was Foutuling!
Yet Foutuling was still hesitant to believe it. Last time, Su Yu had disguised himself as Tianduo to kill him. He quickly asked, "Elder Tuhe, how is your grandson, Tukela?"
"……"
Outside, Tuhe was speechless. "I don't have a grandson! Foutuling, I am Tuhe, not an enemy!"
Foutuling thought for a moment and asked again, "Elder Tuhe, when was the first time I saw you?"
Tuhe felt helpless, and the questions felt strangely familiar.
Thinking carefully... wasn't this the exact routine Su Yu had used when probing Niu Baidao's identity back then?
Asking questions, grilling relentlessly!
Why were these fellows so suspicious?
Su Yu was like that, and now Foutuling of their own race was doing the same, terrified that someone was impersonating him.
"Right after you were born!"
"What about the second time?"
"The day after you were born!"
"And the third time?"
"Shut up! I looked after you continuously until you reached the Soaring Realm; I saw you every single day!"
"……"
Foutuling believed him. That sounded about right.
It was indeed him!
Just as he thought that, Tuhe snapped with annoyance, "When you were little, your form was washed apart by a little girl from the Water Spirit race peeing on you. Nobody knows about that, right? I know it—is that enough for you?!"
"……"
Foutuling was thoroughly speechless. *I already believed you, so why bring that up?!*
He opened the door at once!
Sure enough, Elder Tuhe was standing outside. Foutuling's face beamed with delight as he transformed into an earthen figure and smiled. "Elder, you're finally here!"
With that, he glanced around and sighed with emotion, "It's so much better breathing outside! The ancient city is still safe after all; an entire month has passed without any change..."
The ancient city was still the ancient city!
Nothing had changed!
After a few casual remarks, Foutuling quickly asked, "Elder, did Su Yu flee or die? Or is he being hunted down?"
Tuhe's gaze grew peculiar. "He didn't flee. He's right here in the ancient city!"
"Huh?" Foutuling was surprised. "He's still alive?"
"Yes."
"Not dead? Then why isn't anyone hunting him down? The ancient city looks quite peaceful to me!"
"He's trapped."
"Oh, that's good!" Foutuling sighed in relief, looking around before adding quickly, "Where is he? Should I go watch the show? That bastard sealed me away for a month; I must avenge this!"
Now that Su Yu was pinned down, he had nothing to worry about.
"In the Castellan Manor."
"The Castellan Manor?" Foutuling froze.
"Yes. He is now the castellan. Hei Mo died, and he took over."
"……"
Foutuling was stunned.
What on earth?
Hei Mo, a ninth-stage Sun Moon, died, and then Lingyun-stage Su Yu took over as castellan? So I've been staying on his territory all along?
"How is that possible? He's only at Lingyun, so how could he become the castellan..."
Elder Tuhe said grimly, "Of course it's possible. He got Hei Mo killed, sealed the city, and then killed the Sun Moon who competed with him. Naturally, he became the castellan!"
How simple it was!
You could do it too if you wanted—go ahead and give it a try!
Kill the ancient city castellan, slaughter your competitors in the city, seal the gates, and you could become castellan as well—provided you survived refining the castellan token.
"Wait, that's not right... did he... become a resident?"
Foutuling suddenly thought of something, his expression shifting slightly.
Tuhe nodded. "Yes. During the time you were sealed, many things occurred. You have no idea: to save you, the Grand Elder came here once and had his future incarnation slain, suffering a severe drop in strength..."
Foutuling's face drained of color!
The Grand Elder had come?
"Not only that, Invincibles from every race arrived. A few days ago, dozens of Invincibles clashed in the ancient city specifically to slay Su Yu. And what happened? Several Invincibles had their past, present, or future incarnations destroyed!"
"On top of that, Moduona and the others were ultimately trapped. Zhan Wushuang, Xuan Wuji... those Heaven Ranking geniuses and a group of late-stage Sun Moons were nearly trapped and killed by Su Yu, including two late-stage Sun Moons of our Five Elements race! Later, the various races had to pay five thousand strands of Heaven and Earth Profound Light to ransom them back!"
"Also, Su Yu previously disguised himself as Tianduo and swindled twenty-three hundred strands of Heaven and Earth Profound Light from the God race. That was what sparked the grand battle..."
Tuhe looked at him. "Were you trapped by him because you discovered his identity, prompting him to seal you away?"
Foutuling parted his lips, taking a long moment before murmuring, "Yes. When he attacked me, he wore Tianduo's appearance. He... swindled the God race? Are the Gods idiots?"
"Shh, keep your voice down!"
Seeing how shocked he was, Tuhe said helplessly, "Not just the Gods—every race was fooled! He held an auction and staged a mock battle against you... it was likely an impersonation. You didn't fight a fierce battle against him in the Sea of Stars, did you? An ancient relic supposedly appeared during that battle—a fake one that he fabricated himself!"
"No, I didn't!" Foutuling was dumbfounded, then said quickly, "Wait, fighting against him... I was sealed away, so how could I fight him? Didn't the clan know?"
He thought the clan's experts were foolish. How could they fall for that?
Tuhe shook his head. "The battle broke out before you were sealed. We assumed you were an active participant."
Su Yu had directly impersonated Foutuling while he was hiding inside the ancient house.
Hearing this, Foutuling was utterly speechless. "That guy's audacity knows no bounds!"
If he had stepped out of the ancient house back then, wouldn't Su Yu have been exposed on the spot?
No wonder Su Yu had insisted on capturing him!
It wasn't merely because they crossed paths in the Sea of Stars; that guy's daring was simply astronomical!
As Elder Tuhe recounted the events, Foutuling was thoroughly shaken. It was terrifying.
Soon, Foutuling sent a voice transmission: "Elder, put that aside for now. Regarding Su Yu... there's another issue. He can absorb a portion of our Five Elements Ancestor's energy! Furthermore, when I used Five Elements Purgatory, he actually replicated it almost instantly! It didn't feel like the work of a divine character, but rather that legendary cultivation technique, the Five Elements Divine Art!"
At these words, Tuhe's complexion altered, shifting from an earthen yellow to an ashen gray. Foutuling said hastily, "Elder, watch your expression!"
Tuhe quickly composed himself and transmitted, "Are you certain?"
"Of course I'm certain! I don't believe I could have mistaken it. If it were a divine character, that would be far too absurd! He could even absorb the power of the Five Elements Ancestor!"
Tuhe's voice turned solemn as he replied, "Then I must inform the Ancestor immediately. Come, let's head to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion branch first to pick up a sub-ranking. I don't have one on me right now. You fetch one so we can contact the Ancestor at once!"
"Alright!"
Foutuling nodded. He truly needed to obtain a sub-ranking. After staying locked away for a month, it felt as though the entire world had changed.
As for the matter regarding Su Yu, he needed to report it to the Ancestor quickly and see if he could get the Ancestor to bestow more divine talismans. Right now, he felt thoroughly insecure!
Chapter 437