The Stone Sculpture Leaves the City!

The ancient city. The twelfth day of the lockdown! By this point, some Sun Moons could no longer hold out. Those in the late stage were still managing, but how could those in the early and middle stages endure any further? Twelve consecutive days! Now, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion was no longer selling Heaven Yuan Qi to outsiders, and Xuan Jiu had vanished without a trace. …… In front of the Castellan Manor. There was no threat from dead spirits here! In truth, the ancient city was relatively safe, but the death qi was simply too dense. One after another, Sun Moon figures emerged and gathered outside the manor. An expert from a minor race pleaded almost piteously, "My lords, why don't we breach the city and leave today?" The major powers intended to wait until the full half-month mark before departing! Yet twelve days had already passed, and the weaker cultivators were at their limit. Another three days... Perhaps they could hold on for three more days, but if they failed to get out then, they wouldn't even have enough vitality left to convert into residents! Among the crowd, several late-stage Sun Moons looked toward them. The female Sun Moon from the god race fell silent for a moment before replying, "It isn't that we don't want to breach the gates now, but the Invincibles aren't ready yet. Breaking through a city isn't something decided on an impulse. Even if we break out, without Invincibles receiving us on the outside, we'll only be marching to our deaths." She could see that these Sun Moons were genuinely on the verge of collapse. However... they had not yet received a definitive answer from their Invincibles. Could they really urge the Invincibles to hurry up just to save a few minor-race Sun Moons? Absurd! Even as late-stage Sun Moons, they lacked the standing to dictate terms to Invincibles. Half a month—only three days remained. That was the timeline given by the Invincibles: hold on for a few more days, and if Su Yu still refused to open the gates, the Invincibles would strike and force them open. Would they disrupt an Invincible's plan for the sake of a few minor-race Sun Moons? The minor-race Sun Moon pleaded again, "My lords, then... do you have any spare Heaven Yuan Qi? Could you spare us a little? If we die and Sun Moon dead spirits emerge, it might prolong the city's lockdown even further." Deep inside, he was filled with regret! He shouldn't have done this! He shouldn't have banded together with the great god and demon races. Were the repeated lessons from before not enough? Why were they so forgetful? They always assumed they wouldn't be the next unlucky ones, but reality proved that they were! Twenty-two Sun Moons had died in Tianmie Ancient City, and the vast majority belonged to minor races. In Xinghong Ancient City, eleven Sun Moons had died so far, and once again, nearly all were from minor races! Out of thirty-three fallen Sun Moons, minor races accounted for eighty percent! In contrast, hardly any Sun Moons from the god or demon races had perished. He truly regretted it! He shouldn't have insisted on staying just to curry favor with the gods and demons. When it came down to it, those great races wouldn't alter their plans in the slightest for the lives of minor figures. Heaven Yuan Qi... The late-stage Sun Moons still possessed a tiny reserve, but if they gave it away, what would they do if their own breakout failed? With such thoughts in mind, none of the late-stage Sun Moons spoke up. After a moment of contemplation, the Nether race Sun Moon said, "I'll contact the Heaven Hunting Pavilion again to see if they have any remaining stock. You only need to hold on for three more days. It isn't that we refuse to break out right now, but that the Invincibles truly haven't arrived. Besides, Su Yu might not even last three days. He could die at any moment." Yet the minor-race Sun Moons no longer believed them! Twelve days ago, you said the exact same thing. Now twelve days had passed! If this went on, how could they survive? It was humiliating! Helpless! Without fighting a single battle or slaying a single enemy, they were being slowly suffocated to death. Regret gnawed at them—regret that they hadn't left earlier like the others, instead of lingering behind. Why had they stayed to flatter these mighty figures of the great races? In the eyes of the great races, what were they? So what if they were Sun Moons? To minor races lacking Invincibles, a Sun Moon was the heavens and the earth. But to the great races, a minor-race Sun Moon was worth less than dirt! Their strength was mediocre! They carried zero deterrence! You only existed when you were useful; when you weren't needed, you were nothing. They lacked the power to resist! There was no way to resist! Facing seven late-stage Sun Moons, including a ninth-stage Sun Moon, what could they possibly do? Slaughter one another to summon Sun Moon dead spirits? Would summoning early- or middle-stage dead spirits accomplish anything? Besides, they didn't want to die. Right now, they could still endure a bit, but after three more days, they might lose every chance of survival. Convert into residents? They couldn't accept it! Once converted, they would become the living dead of the ancient city, bound here forever. A middle-stage Sun Moon expert shouted toward the sky, "Castellan Su Yu! We never blocked the city gates; we are merely innocent bystanders! Why must you imprison us as well? Please open the gates and grant us a chance at life!" A middle-stage Sun Moon was begging a Lingyun Realm cultivator for mercy. Gone was the disdain from twelve days ago! Twelve days ago, when they decided to stay, they had scoffed, indifferent. Who were you trying to frighten? Giving us one day to leave—as if you could kill us if we stayed? And now, reality showed that Su Yu didn't even need to show his face to grind them into dust! So what if one belonged to a great race? Were they not also stuck here, waiting for the Invincibles of their clans to rescue them, while Su Yu hadn't lost a single hair? Even with seven late-stage Sun Moons present, it was far from guaranteed that all of them would make it out alive. Another expert called out loudly, "Castellan Su, we are willing to offer Heaven and Earth Profound Light in exchange for a chance to live!" The Sun Moons of the great races remained silent. They couldn't push these minor-race Sun Moons too hard. Was there any need to cut off all their avenues of retreat? Doing so would inevitably trigger a bloody clash, which would only bring trouble. If Su Yu truly agreed to open the gates, perhaps they could seize the opportunity to escape as well. Right then, Su Yu's faint chuckle echoed through the ancient city. "Trading resources for a way out? My apologies, but I have plenty of resources. I'm on the verge of death anyway, so I don't need any more wealth—I only care about settling my grudges! If you want to leave, it's simple. I'll give you a chance: kill one late-stage Sun Moon, and you can go. Any of them will do! The Dragon, Immortal, Dragon Silkworm, and Tianling experts are all at the seventh stage. If you ten early- and middle-stage Sun Moons join forces, taking down a seventh-stage Sun Moon should be well within your power... Do that, and I'll let you leave!" Su Yu paused, his tone turning sinister. "As for the great races, among the seven late-stage Sun Moons, whoever kills one of their peers can also leave! Why not give it a try?" "……" Silence fell. A moment later, the expression of the Dragon Silkworm late-stage Sun Moon shifted slightly, and he growled, "Su Yu, stop trying to sow discord! Open the gates at once. Otherwise, when the Invincibles descend three days from now, you will die without a burial place!" "Heh!" Su Yu's voice thundered across the city. "Me? Die without a burial place? Invincibles? Tell them to come! If they don't, they're cowards! When the Invincibles arrive, I'll be waiting in the Castellan Manor. If they don't dare kill me, they're spineless weaklings! Do they have the guts? A puny Dragon Silkworm race dares bluster before me!" The Dragon Silkworm expert's face flushed with fury, and he cursed under his breath. If you hide inside the Castellan Manor, no Invincible is going to charge in. If you have the guts, come out right now and see if I don't beat you to death! No one else spoke. Some of the minor-race experts looked shaken. Nearby, the ninth-stage Sun Moon of the demon race frowned slightly and said, "Enough! Don't listen to Su Yu's nonsense. Even if you kill us, you won't escape. If you actually make it out... Invincibles are waiting outside!" At these words, the eyes of the minor-race Sun Moons dimmed. Truthfully, some of them had been tempted just now. Yet his words instantly shattered their hopes, plunging them back into despair. Indeed, they couldn't do it. The ninth-stage demon Sun Moon spoke again. "I'll contact a Demon King of my race to see if we can breach the city sooner. Everyone, stay calm!" He had to try. Driving these people into a corner wouldn't do any good. After all, several of them belonged to vassal races. Soon, Zi Mo used a sub-ranking to contact a Demon King of the demon race. Moments later, a response arrived. From the perimeter, the Sun Moons watched him with eager eyes. Zi Mo remained silent for a moment before saying flatly, "The Demon King instructs everyone to remain patient. Preparations to breach the city are already underway." "Preparations?" A fifth-stage Sun Moon asked with longing, "Lord Zi Mo, can the city be breached today?" How long would preparations take? Right now, every second that passed drained away their very lives! Zi Mo fell silent. At this sight, the Sun Moons felt a wave of despair and dejection. Clearly, the city would not be breached today. They exchanged glances. Should they convert into ancient city residents? Yet... how could they resign themselves to that? Cultivating for centuries, millennia, or even ten thousand years—just to become the living dead? And yet, should they refuse to grasp even this final sliver of hope? Or should they wait another three days and charge out alongside these high-stage Sun Moons? It was hard to say how much combat strength they would even have left in three days. When Invincibles breached the city and drew out Invincible dead spirits, the late-stage Sun Moons had a chance of fleeing, but what about them? Where could a bunch of half-dead Sun Moons run? Just then, Su Yu's eerie voice resonated throughout the city once more. "Thinking of converting into ancient city residents? You'd better ask whether this castellan agrees! Or do you believe that once you become residents, I won't be able to touch you—or perhaps you'll even find an opportunity to usurp my position and become the castellan yourselves?" No one replied. Su Yu continued, "If you truly think that, you're dreaming. You'd better just wait for death. If you convert into residents against my will, you won't live either!" Unable to hold back, a Sun Moon roared, "Must you force us to our deaths?" "How childish. You've lived for ages, yet you can't even see through something so basic, spouting such childish nonsense. No wonder you're only a minor-race Sun Moon! The strong prey on the weak—that is the fundamental law of heaven and earth! You attached yourselves to the great races in hopes of hounding me to death, and now you dare claim I'm forcing you? I gave you a chance, but you refused to cherish it! I can't be bothered to waste any more breath on you. Xinghong Ancient City doesn't harbor useless trash, and that includes Sun Moons. Even if you convert into residents, you must render meritorious service. Without merit... you will still die!" The Sun Moon who had just shouted let out a cold sneer. "You may be the castellan, but you're only in the Lingyun Realm! Once your lockdown no longer affects us, what are you? What can you possibly do to me?" Once the death qi posed no threat to him, why would he fear Su Yu? What a joke! He was a fourth-stage Sun Moon expert; how could he fear a mere Lingyun? Even if Su Yu had slain a Red Frog Sun Moon, that weakling couldn't compare to him. …… "Quite arrogant, aren't you?" Su Yu chuckled. Far away in an ancient house, he toyed with the Castellan Token and grinned. Arrogant indeed! Then again, if the other party truly became a resident without refining any token, dealing with him would indeed be tricky. The lockdown wouldn't affect him! When dead spirits appeared, residents could simply hide inside the ancient houses, and the dead spirits wouldn't bother them. So strictly speaking, that Sun Moon had the right to be arrogant. If they decided to throw caution to the wind and convert, why should they fear Su Yu? Su Yu wasn't like other castellans who could wrestle with Invincibles inside their cities. Inside the city, Su Yu could, at best, handle someone at the first or second stage of the Sun Moon Realm. "Lacking sufficient strength, even on the brink of death, these fellows still dare act so arrogant!" Su Yu sighed. At this moment, he was close to completing his fifty-third cast. Once he finished the fifty-third cast, his physical strength would exceed 280,000 opened apertures. Yet even that was only comparable to an inferior first-stage Sun Moon like the Red Frog expert, still a long way from the fourth stage. Su Yu wasn't entirely clear on how much strength each stage of the Sun Moon Realm granted. He only knew that late-stage Sun Moons were formidable—terrifyingly so. "So you want to act arrogant, huh?" Su Yu thought it over and shook his head helplessly. Fine, enjoy your arrogance for now. Once I cast my body a few more times and try consuming some middle-stage Sun Moon blood essence, I'll take my time settling scores with you! …… Su Yu's lack of response left that fourth-stage Sun Moon deeply satisfied! Exactly! Once I convert into a resident, what reason do I have to fear you? The castellan of an ancient city seemed to have little direct authority over residents. Granted, they knew the Castellan Token could breach houses, but what of it? Even if Su Yu breached the house, let him come! Could a mere Lingyun kill a middle-stage Sun Moon? With that in mind, he made his decision. I will convert into a resident! I'm not afraid of you! …… At that moment, Su Yu had actually entertained a thought: while everyone assumed he was in the Castellan Manor, he could disguise himself as a dead spirit again and snatch their jade talismans... After some thought, he abandoned the idea. Let them convert successfully! Lest anyone deduce that he was roaming outside. Besides, having them become residents to help offset some of the city's death qi was a good thing. When he felt like killing them later, he could do so and reap some Heaven and Earth rewards in the process. …… Starting that night, several Sun Moons began their conversions. Six middle-stage Sun Moons and four early-stage Sun Moons. Among the middle-stage experts, two were at the sixth stage and chose not to convert. The remaining four, along with the four early-stage Sun Moons, reluctantly chose conversion! They had no other choice! Waiting three more days until they were heavily wounded and dying, only to gamble their lives on breaking out alongside the others, would be pure suicide. The Sun Moons of the great races witnessed this and said nothing. Let them convert! Whatever! Once converted, they would merely be the living dead, which spared the great races from bearing their resentment—even though these fellows already harbored plenty of bitterness. …… Meanwhile. The stone sculpture and Monarch Xingyue met once again. As those Sun Moons converted, several powerful Sun Moon dead spirits appeared in the city. Of course, they merely collected the jade talismans without killing, overseeing the conversion process. Monarch Xingyue smiled faintly. "It seems my army of dead spirits will gain many Sun Moon recruits in the future!" The stone sculpture said nothing. If these people didn't die and remained alive, they would make fine residents to help guard against the dead spirits. On one hand, they could suppress the death qi of Sun Moon dead spirits; on the other hand, through their cultivation, they could grind down a portion of the death qi. In truth, death qi was worn away through the cultivation of residents. The reason death qi never seemed to diminish was that it constantly seeped in, but the yuan qi generated by residents during cultivation genuinely wore it down. This alleviated the burden on the ancient city! To the stone sculpture, having a few more Sun Moons was a good thing while they lived. If they died, bolstering the dead spirit realm's strength was an unavoidable consequence. This was a city where both the living and the dead found a path to survival. It offered a chance to the living, and a chance to the dead. The stone sculpture made no comment. Having more residents was good, and having powerful residents was even better. As for strengthening the dead spirit realm upon their deaths... it was nothing. Hadn't Su Yu killed plenty of them? Let that brat keep killing! Didn't Xingyue want to convert him? Even if he killed Sun Moon dead spirits, Xingyue wouldn't bear to kill Su Yu... That worked out nicely! The stone sculpture mused in silence. For countless years, the dead spirit realm had been growing steadily stronger. Now, he suddenly felt that having Su Yu around was a blessing; moving forward, the dead spirit realm's strength might actually be chipped away a little. He had heard that Su Yu had slain quite a few Sun Moon dead spirits back in Tianmie Ancient City as well. …… On the thirteenth day of the lockdown, Su Yu completed his fifty-third cast. By then, his Heaven and Earth Profound Light had dwindled considerably, leaving only 1,100 strands. Nineteen casts remained. Outside, more and more gazes were converging on the city! According to intelligence circulating among the factions, Invincibles would arrive to breach the city on the fifteenth day. Would Su Yu perish before then and allow everyone out, or would he survive, forcing the Invincibles to breach the gates and once again draw out dead spirit monarchs—or even prompt the stone sculpture to intervene? And which Invincible—or Invincibles—would come to breach the city? The ones who had appeared previously were unlikely candidates. All of them were plagued with troubles! The Nether race Invincible was in hiding somewhere, so how could he possibly come here to save his son? That eighth-stage Nether Sun Moon was the direct son of the injured Invincible. …… Outside the ancient city. Invincibles had indeed arrived. Not just one, but several. The Immortal, Demon, Dragon, and God races had all sent an Invincible. The Nether and Ape races had sent none, and the Dragon Silkworm race certainly had no one to spare. Each race had sent one Invincible. Four formidable Invincibles looked down upon the massive city below. Their arrival went unnoticed; none had the ability to perceive them. Below, the colossal city stood tall and firm. Last time, even twelve Invincibles had failed to shake it. After a long silence, the Demon King spoke. "We cannot strike all at once. One will shatter the gates, one will receive the returning experts, and one will unleash a palm strike from afar toward the Castellan Manor..." "Hmm?" The Dragon Invincible frowned. "Attack the Castellan Manor? Lade, do you want to draw out those ancient stone sculptures?" The Dragon Invincible disagreed! This was Lade, ancestor of Tianduo and a Demon King of the Primordial Demon race, possessing immense strength. The two Invincibles from the god and immortal races also frowned slightly. Demon King Lade said calmly, "Su Yu is an anomaly, a persistent trouble! He has maintained this lockdown for thirteen full days without dying, which defies all previous expectations. Just how deeply has he been corrupted by death qi? Can he continue to recover? If he can stir such storms across the heavens while merely in the Lingyun Realm, what happens once he walks back from the brink of death?" He continued, "I will personally strike the Castellan Manor and obliterate it! Even if that ancient stone sculpture intervenes, it might not be in time!" He wanted to eliminate Su Yu! This was his judgment, not merely an act of vengeance for Tianduo—that held little meaning. He wanted to deal with Su Yu! He had truly sensed that Su Yu was out of the ordinary, and his deduction was far from wrong. He was even willing to take the risk of personally wiping out the Castellan Manor. At these words, the other Invincibles fell silent. Lade said calmly, "The god race will breach the gates, the Dragon race will receive our people, the immortal race will hold off the dead spirit monarchs, and I will obliterate the Castellan Manor. After a single strike, we withdraw immediately!" They had only one chance to strike. Otherwise, more dead spirit monarchs would swiftly appear, which would provoke the stone sculpture to act and potentially summon even more stone sculptures. That would be true disaster! The other three Invincibles nodded slightly. This plan was viable. The immortal race's life-generating arts were particularly effective against dead spirit monarchs, making them the ideal choice for defense. Naturally, the greatest danger fell upon Lade. None of the others objected to that. He was a Demon King of the Primordial Demon race, and one of their strongest. If he took the field, the risk wouldn't be excessive. Even so, the Dragon Invincible reminded him, "If a single strike fails to destroy the Castellan Manor, abandon the attempt and retreat immediately. I have no wish to lose any of my three incarnations in this damned place!" The precedent was still fresh in their minds! "Naturally!" Lade had no desire to seek death either. Did four Invincibles truly expect to overthrow an ancient city? "Then we strike the day after tomorrow?" "No, tomorrow!" Lade said indifferently, "Everyone expects us to act the day after tomorrow. Why must we wait until then? Perhaps even that stone sculpture assumes we will strike then. Tomorrow, at first light, we strike instantly and catch them completely off guard!" "Then we must have them gather near the city gates..." "No matter. Tomorrow or the day after, they should head toward the gates anyway..." "But once they leave, will Su Yu step out of the Castellan Manor?" "Have the Dragon Silkworm Sun Moon keep watch..." "Will he agree?" "It doesn't matter. Tell him we're departing the day after tomorrow and have him watch for a day before leaving... If that doesn't work, have them take shifts—let the Nether, Dragon Silkworm, and Ape Sun Moons keep watch!" The four Invincibles deliberated with cold detachment. Since those three races hadn't sent Invincibles, whether their experts escaped was entirely up to them. If they died, so be it; it all depended on their luck. If luck was on their side, the others wouldn't mind lending a hand; if not, their deaths were of no consequence! This time, none of the Invincibles raised objections. This arrangement was fine; perhaps those experts could even tie down the dead spirit monarchs. If your race sent no Invincibles, you couldn't blame others for not saving you—your own race hadn't valued you enough! With the discussion concluded, the four Invincibles lapsed into silence. No more words were spoken. They would wait! Wait until tomorrow morning, at the break of dawn when the death qi was at its weakest, to breach the gates, rescue their people, and kill their target! …… Outside the Dragon Silkworm Realm. A hidden passage lay quiet. Outside the passage stood no army, but a ninth-stage Sun Moon expert stood guard. Strands of the Dragon Silkworm Realm's power emanated outward, allowing this ninth-stage Sun Moon to suppress outsiders and contest even an invading Invincible for a moment or two. Yet at this moment, four overwhelmingly powerful figures concealed themselves in the void around the area. With a wave of King Dazhou's hand, a divine character materialized, blotting out the sky and concealing the surroundings, leaving the ninth-stage Sun Moon entirely oblivious. The next instant, four mighty Invincibles appeared not far from that ninth-stage Sun Moon. King Daxia, King Dazhou, King Dahan, King Miecan! Two from the War God Hall, two from the Quest Realm. King Daxia and King Dazhou were recognized as two of the top three Invincibles of the human race. King Dahan was also exceedingly powerful, ranking among the top ten. As for King Miecan, though he was not a manor-founding king, he had attained the Dao in that same era, simply choosing not to establish a prefecture. King Miecan's absolute strength was difficult to gauge, but his mastery of Time arts was renowned throughout the myriad races. King Miecan had never personally slain an Invincible, but he excelled at one particular feat: when fighting alongside others against an Invincible, his ability to deliver the finishing blow was peerless, especially when it came to extinguishing the past incarnation among the three incarnations! He had truly obliterated an Invincible's past incarnation before! Bringing him along this time was to ensure that nothing went awry, guaranteeing the complete eradication of the Dragon Silkworm King's three incarnations. The four Invincibles hovered near the ninth-stage Sun Moon in complete silence. King Miecan opened his mouth to speak several times, but seeing the cold faces of King Daxia and King Dazhou, he felt rather helpless and swallowed his words. Meanwhile, King Dahan wore an indifferent expression, as though nothing in the world mattered to him, ignoring the tension between the others. The conflict between the Great Xia Prefecture and the Great Zhou Prefecture was known to all. In truth, before Ye Batian's fall, relations between the two prefectures had been quite cordial. Otherwise, King Dazhou's brother would never have gone to rescue Ye Batian. Right now, the four Invincibles waited in silence for news and movement, fully prepared to charge into the Dragon Silkworm Realm and annihilate it. In a couple of days, the myriad races might find themselves short of one member among the top hundred races—the Dragon Silkworm race! For Invincibles of other races, killing the Dragon Silkworm King was an arduous task; without seven, eight, or even ten Invincibles, slaying him within his own realm was nearly impossible. But for the human race... there was no such need! Four Invincibles arriving together was already paying the Dragon Silkworm King immense respect! The human race possessed no realm-suppressing power. This was a disadvantage, but also an advantage. …… Waiting. Everyone was waiting. The gazes of the myriad races converged once more upon Xinghong Ancient City, the moment drawing nearer and nearer. The thirteenth day slipped deep into the dead of night. The city gates remained firmly shut, showing no sign of opening. The fourteenth day of the lockdown was arriving in the blink of an eye. Across the Sea of Stars, countless stars emitted a faint glow, gradually shifting into bright radiance—a harbinger of approaching dawn. High above, the four Invincibles were ready. The moment day broke, they would strike! Near the city gates, several Sun Moons from the powerful races were already waiting. Unaware of the exact plan, as the Invincibles had not informed them of the details, they had merely been instructed to move here in advance and prepare for the gates to be breached. …… Inside the city, Su Yu continued cultivating in an ancient house. Truth be told, he also assumed they would breach the gates on the fifteenth day, so he hadn't paid it much mind. Who cared! Now dawn was approaching. Did that mean they would breach the city tomorrow? Whatever. If he couldn't kill these Sun Moons, so be it. Next time, let's see if they dare show up again. His primary aim this time was deterrence; he hadn't genuinely expected to wipe them all out. As for the fewer people near the Castellan Manor, he didn't care. After all, he didn't need to go there anyway! No rule stated that the castellan had to live in the Castellan Manor. At that very moment, a beam of morning light illuminated the heavens and earth. Dawn had arrived! …… In the sky above, the four Invincibles exchanged glances. In the next instant, they struck simultaneously! Boom! A world-shaking blast echoed through heaven and earth. The city gates were blown apart in an instant! At the same moment, Monarch Xingyue materialized, clad in a black cloak, radiating chill and death qi as she threw a fist toward the Sun Moons gathered by the gate! The Dragon Invincible had already acted, a dragon claw manifesting to sweep several people into its grasp. The Immortal Invincible thrust a sword toward Xingyue. Simultaneously, another dead spirit monarch emerged within the city, sneering coldly. In a flash, he lunged at the Dragon Silkworm Sun Moon, and with a sickening tear, ripped the expert to shreds! A star bordering on a full moon crashed down! Dead! As that dead spirit moved to seize the others, Xingyue barked, "Come over here and kill them!" With those words, death qi erupted, and with a thunderous roar, the heavens seemed to collapse! The immortal race's longsword was instantly corroded, turning into a blade of death. The other Invincible dead spirit unleashed a torrent of death qi, striking toward the dragon claw that was scooping up survivors... A battle erupted between dead spirits and Invincibles! Yet at that exact instant, Lade, who had remained motionless until now, suddenly struck! With a deafening boom that shook the world, a colossal palm descended toward the distant Castellan Manor! It blotted out the sky and sun! In that breath, nothing else existed between heaven and earth except that massive palm! Swift, vicious, overwhelming! The palm tore through the void and descended over the Castellan Manor in the blink of an eye! In the rear hall. The stone sculpture had initially paid no mind to the clash between dead spirits and living beings; his duty was merely to guard the sacred city. As long as he was undisturbed, it had little to do with him. Yet the moment that palm descended, the stone sculpture opened his eyes, his gaze turning instantly arctic! "What audacity!" The stone sculpture was enraged! How dare someone attack the Castellan Manor! The Castellan Manor was not Su Yu's manor—it was his manor! This was an outright provocation! Boom! A colossal explosion shook heaven and earth, sending violent tremors throughout the entire ancient city. The Castellan Manor shattered in an instant, revealing a stone sculpture within. As for Su Yu... no one saw him; presumably, he had perished. …… In the distance. Su Yu, who had just pushed his door open, froze with his jaw hanging open! What the hell! Are you kidding me? This is an ancient city! It's supposed to be safe, yet someone just blew up the Castellan Manor? A surge of sheer terror washed over him. Holy crap, if I had stayed in the Castellan Manor, wouldn't I be dead right now? Damn! Too dangerous! Way too dangerous! This stone sculpture is useless—totally unreliable! Sitting right inside the Castellan Manor, and the place still got blown to bits! Isn't that... isn't that a bit too pathetic? Who did this? As the thought crossed his mind, a voice rang out in his consciousness: "Bear this for a moment; I shall return shortly!" Before Su Yu could process the words, a crushing weight slammed down upon him. Suddenly, the death qi within him began to boil violently! At that exact instant, the expressions of Xingyue and the other dead spirit monarchs shifted drastically. The heavens fractured. The stone sculpture emerged, the stony shell encasing his form dissolving away in an instant, transforming into an ancient Invincible. A man! Ancient beyond measure, overwhelmingly powerful. "You dare attack the sacred city's passage? Such insolence! Even the Half-Emperor of your race would not dare! How dare you!" Before the astounded eyes of Xingyue and the others, the ancient stone sculpture stepped directly out of the ancient city. In the next instant, Xinghong appeared outside the city—yes, outside! A single fist! Between heaven and earth, only this fist remained! As that fist bore down, Demon King Lade was seized by overwhelming shock. How could this be? How could a stone sculpture leave the city? How could it take human form? Impossible! The ancient records never described anything like this! The stone sculptures were supposed to be bound to the ancient cities... In that moment, sheer terror gripped him. He tore through the void, slicing through time. A grand river manifested, accompanied by the rushing sound of water—the River of Time! Demon King Lade sensed mortal peril! Flee! Yet it was already too late. Boom! The fist struck down, severing the river and shattering it into nothingness! One punch, another punch, and yet another... In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of punches rained down! It happened in a fraction of a second; all anyone saw was a single blur of a fist, followed by a thunderous crash as the sky collapsed! Demon King Lade attempted to strike back, but suddenly, his physical body exploded! Countless fist imprints surfaced across his form! With a resounding blast, his physical body blew apart completely! Moments later, a younger manifestation of Demon King Lade materialized. But the instant he appeared, he was blown apart once more by a storm of fist shadows! Soon, an aged manifestation of Demon King Lade emerged, his eyes filled with nothing but horror, dread, and the mortal fear of death. "No... spare me!" The stone sculpture said nothing, throwing another punch! At that very moment, another grand river surged forth from the endless void, and a voice reverberated across the myriad worlds: "Guardian Xinghong, the demon race acknowledges its fault. Please stay your hand..." Xinghong offered no reply. He punched out, shaking the river, and the illusory figure of a crowned sovereign materialized. Xinghong cast a cold glance at the projection. "Do not push me, or I shall summon the thirty-six guardians to assemble and slaughter your Demon Realm!" With a cold snort, he turned and unleashed a punch toward the three fleeing Invincibles, instantly destroying an incarnation of one among them! The crowned phantom glanced toward the ancient city, a hint of suspicion flashing through his eyes. He swiftly grabbed Demon King Lade's future body, let out a sigh, and pulled the future body into the River of Time before vanishing! Xinghong made no move to pursue. With Lade's past body eradicated and his present body destroyed, only his future body remained—like duckweed without roots. One misstep, and he would perish even faster! The demon race's Half-Emperor had personally manifested his future body and stepped out from the River of Time; this face had to be granted, whether one liked it or not! Of course, the other side dared not push too far either; provoking the thirty-six guardians would bring zero benefit to the demon race. "If any of you dare violate the ancient city again, you shall be slain without mercy!" A frigid shout echoed across the Sea of Stars. The stone sculpture vanished back into the city. All around, the area was entirely deserted; the other three Invincibles had long since fled, and the entrances to the nine realms were firmly sealed, their portals trembling in terror, shaking the experts of the nine realms to their cores! One Invincible—no, four Invincibles had nearly perished! A Half-Emperor of the demon race had personally descended! And above all, the stone sculpture... the stone sculpture could leave the city! Earth-shattering! Mind-boggling! Thousands and tens of thousands of li away, experts turned pale with fright! The ancient cities... could not be provoked! Too terrifying! An ancient Invincible had actually walked out of an ancient city. This was simply inconceivable; no such records had ever existed! It was supposed to be impossible! Countless beings stared in disbelief, yet the truth stood plain before them—he had truly walked out! Demon King Lade had his past body and present body blown to pieces. Had the Demon Emperor not intervened, he would be dead!