Long Time No See, Old Bai!

Inside Nanyuan City, Su Yu had put on a great show of arrogance, but he had no intention of lingering. In any case, he did not believe for a second that Nanyuan had any genuine ruins. If there was anything, it was concocted by the Xia family, not something real. What was the point of staying here? Going to the Great Xia Prefecture to find his teacher and grandmaster—and if possible, have a chat with Old Wan—was much better. Su Yu truly could not see through that man. Old Wan had feigned being at the peak of the Shanhai Realm for years, and lately word had it he was in secluded cultivation to break through to the Sun Moon Realm... Only a fool would believe that. Su Yu had no idea what Wan Tiansheng's true strength was. But Marquis Xia, Hong Tan, and even Niu Baidao all acted as though the man was far more than met the eye whenever they brought him up. In Su Yu's eyes, all of them were geniuses in their own right. If they held Wan Tiansheng in such high regard, could he really have spent fifty years without stepping into the Sun Moon Realm? Heading to the Great Xia Prefecture this time, Su Yu wanted to find out for himself. *** Near the city gate. Seeing Su Yu prepare to leave, Lao Qi could not help saying, "Are you really going right now?" "Of course!" Lao Qi sent a voice transmission: "I know you're relying on that Heaven Hunting sub-ranking, but what if they don't send anyone? I've heard people say the Heaven Hunting Pavilion didn't have much power in the Human Realm before and only arrived today. Over here in the Great Xia Prefecture, the Dragon Martial Guards seem to be hunting them down too. Are you sure they can dispatch someone? Do you have the money to hire them? How long will it take for them to get here? Aren't you afraid of getting yourself killed?" Su Yu stroked his chin thoughtfully and nodded. "Makes sense!" "How about you give me an escort, Lao Qi?" Lao Qi looked up at the sky. *Keep dreaming, damn it! I only entered the Tengkong Realm not long ago. You want me to escort you? Over my dead body!* At the city gate, the Dragon Martial Guard who had previously urged Su Yu to enter quickly noticed Su Yu and Lao Qi muttering to each other and realized they seemed poised to head out. Aware of some of the background, the guard snapped exasperatedly, "Bai Junsheng, stop running around! Either wait for people from your Bai family to come fetch you back to the Great Ming Prefecture, or wait for Researcher Bai to send someone to escort you to the Great Xia Prefecture!" When he first arrived, Bai Junsheng had not caused much of a stir, so no one paid him any attention. Now, this fool had blustered around like an idiot, and everyone knew Bai Feng's cousin had arrived. Did he really think he was safe? Su Yu chuckled. "It's fine, I've made arrangements! I'm deliberately fishing to reel in some malicious bastards. I'm not stupid!" He raised his voice: "I have backing! Whoever dares to pick a fight, I'll make sure they die a miserable death!" His voice rang out loud and clear. Backing? What backing? The Great Ming Prefecture? The Dragon Martial Guard was rendered speechless. Fine. If you're hell-bent on seeking death, I won't bother trying to stop you. Su Yu laughed heartily and said cheerfully, "I'm leaving town now, heading to the Great Xia prefectural city to find my cousin! Whoever isn't afraid to die, come try your luck!" He remained as arrogant as ever, backed by an apparent sense of confidence. With that, he smiled at Lao Qi and mounted the earth dragon beast before departing. Once he was gone, Lao Qi cursed, "That's my fucking earth dragon beast!" This Bai Junsheng had acted brazenly enough, but he had also pilfered Lao Qi's beast on his way out. What a shameless prick! Was that Heaven Hunting sub-ranking truly useful? He was far from certain! *** At the same time. Inside the Castellan's Manor. Several Dragon Martial Guard experts exchanged glances, turning toward the elderly commander stationed here—a Sun Moon Realm expert. "Commander, what should we do? Bai Junsheng is Bai Feng's cousin. If he leaves so recklessly... won't something go wrong?" The commander glanced into the distance, frowning slightly. After a long pause, he said, "Send a few men to shadow him in secret! Deter anyone from making a move, just in case! This profligate from the Bai family doesn't know the perils of the world. What utter recklessness!" Did he really think no one dared lay a hand on him? What a joke! His cousin and Hong Tan were currently thorns in everyone's side. They had only survived because they had stayed inside the prefectural city all this time. As for the Bai family, people refrained from making a move against them solely because they resided in Tiandu Prefecture within the Great Ming Prefecture. Rumor had it that Bai Feng was the true pioneer of the divine character battle art disassembly method, and his reputation was substantial by now. Hong Tan had only two disciples; the eldest had vanished, or rather did not dare return. The second disciple, Bai Feng, was their only hope. Capturing Bai Junsheng to threaten Bai Feng might yield the disassembly method ahead of time. More than a few people had their eyes on that technique. All races wanted it, and the various human prefectures wanted it as well. The covert factions of the multiple divine character faction needed it, and the other factions needed it just as much. They could not allow an insignificant Bai Junsheng to destabilize the Multiple Divine Characters Academy. Several Dragon Martial Guard experts promptly set out after him. *** Meanwhile. Inside a courtyard within the city. Someone spoke in a low voice, "Bai Junsheng has left!" "That guy has plenty of confidence, probably because he obtained a Heaven Hunting sub-ranking. But the fool hasn't stopped to think: the Heaven Hunting Pavilion only entered the Human Realm today. A large number of them arrived, and every prefecture is hunting them down. At a time like this, would the Heaven Hunting Pavilion dare make a move?" "Over in the Great Xia Prefecture, Xuan Jiu appeared earlier, and it's hard to say whether he'll even survive!" "Stay calm. Do not act rashly. A body of thousand gold does not sit beneath eaves that may collapse." "Understood. Leak the news to the All-Races Cult and see how it plays out. The Xia family likely won't just stand by and watch Bai Junsheng get captured either..." "..." Soon, the courtyard fell silent again as the sky gradually darkened. Bai Junsheng's arrival had stirred up some ripples. However, most chose not to follow him. Nanyuan was far more important. Besides, they did not need to step forward themselves; someone else would test the waters for them. If he could truly be captured, someone would naturally act. No rule dictated that all forces had to stay bound to Nanyuan. Outside the city, numerous experts were active. *** At the same time. Several White Masks stationed around the Great Xia Prefecture received a transmission from Su Yu. "A flying start—we have a mission! Over in Nanyuan, Bai Feng's cousin, Bai Junsheng, submitted a request for help, hoping the Heaven Hunting Pavilion can provide an escort..." "Xuan Jiu, you accepted a mission?" "Xuan Jiu, you've already distributed a sub-ranking?" "..." The White Masks were thoroughly astonished. *Damn, aren't you moving a bit too fast?!* "That's what you call luck. Where I appeared wasn't far from Bai Junsheng, so I handed him a sub-ranking. The fellow claims to be Bai Feng's cousin. I've checked Bai Feng's file: he's vital, being Su Yu's teacher, a genius of the multiple divine character faction, and the developer of innate blood essence and the disassembly art... Anyone tied to Bai Feng is worth handing a sub-ranking to!" Su Yu added, "Whoever among you is closest to Nanyuan, provide close escort. I'll shadow from the dark. I have a feeling that right after our arrival, we can establish our prestige and make a name for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" "Xuan Jiu, isn't that too risky? It's only our first day, and we've barely arrived. We aren't familiar with this place, nor do we know how many human experts or Great Xia experts there are, let alone who's who. Accepting a mission so rashly..." Su Yu countered swiftly, "If we aren't familiar with them, they won't expect us to dare take a mission right after arriving either!" "Then... what price did Bai Junsheng offer?" "He will introduce us to Bai Feng, ensure Bai Feng holds a sub-ranking, and perhaps even deliver one into Hong Tan's hands. He didn't pay any money, but this is a golden opportunity to break into the Great Xia market! Both Bai Feng and Hong Tan are key figures at the center of this storm. Once we establish ties with them, our Heaven Hunting Pavilion will hold an absolute advantage!" At these words, the three White Masks paused, their thoughts solemn. What speed! What efficiency! To establish ties with two key figures of the multiple divine character faction right off the bat was undeniably a condition far superior to mere resources, perfectly aligning with their interests and needs. To hold the fort in the Great Xia Prefecture, one naturally had to establish connections with its experts, geniuses, and high-status figures. Otherwise, how could the Heaven Hunting Pavilion expand its operations? "This mission can be taken. However, I'm too far from Nanyuan. It will take me at least two days to get there." "Same here!" "I'm near Nanyuan, over by Tianshui City in the Great Xia Prefecture. I can take this mission. Xuan Jiu, what do you think?" "..." The one who responded was Huang Jiu. Su Yu quickly replied, "Agreed. We'll cooperate on the escort. I was worried that if I were alone, someone might lure the tiger away from the mountain! I'll keep some distance for now. Be careful. The Great Xia Dragon Martial Guards seem to have shadowed him as well. Don't interfere until the Dragon Martial Guards can no longer hold on!" "Understood!" The two swiftly finalized the handover. Su Yu had assigned a mission to himself, and naturally, an archival record backed it up. He had deliberately pulled out a sub-ranking and sent a message to himself; even if Law Enforcers checked later, there would be a verifiable paper trail. Furthermore, Su Yu strongly suspected that all conversations on these newly opened channels were being monitored! Because these communications were conducted through the Heaven Hunting Manual rather than directly via their masks, the security was questionable. His exchanges with Huang Jiu and the others were likely under the watch of the Law Enforcers, or even higher-ups. If Su Yu were in their shoes, he would certainly keep a tight leash on his subordinates' movements. Having arranged this, Su Yu promptly contacted Xuanjia through his mask. Xuanjia had managed to flee, which rather surprised Su Yu; Old Zhu had truly slipped up, actually letting the elder slip away. "Elder, are you still there?" "Elder, are you all right?" "..." Su Yu prompted him for a while before Xuanjia's reply finally arrived: "What is it?" "Elder, where are you now? Should I come find you? Which prefecture are you overseeing?" "The Great Tang Prefecture! Exact location... unknown!" Xuanjia sneered inwardly. *If you knew, you'd just go blow my cover, wouldn't you?* *I see right through you!* *** *Overseeing the Great Tang Prefecture?* Su Yu muttered to himself. Speaking of the Great Tang Prefecture... that fake grandfather-in-law of his at the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm was over there. Terrifying. Still, now that his identity had been exposed, old man Cheng probably wouldn't come looking for him anymore, right? Cui Lang was his grandson-in-law, not Su Yu! Besides, Cheng Mo had given him a command medallion last time that Su Yu had never used. Cheng Mo had said he could use it to seek aid from the Great Tang Prefecture, but Su Yu never found an occasion for it. He disliked asking for help and accumulating debts of gratitude. What was more, Cheng Mo had given it to Cui Lang, not to Su Yu. Xuanjia was overseeing the Great Tang Prefecture, which was quite a distance from the Great Xia Prefecture. A pity it wasn't the Great Ming Prefecture. Then who was overseeing the Great Ming Prefecture? He had heard an elder died; could it be that one? Or was it one of the other eight deceased White Masks? Whatever, no need to dwell on that. "Elder, I happen to have some connections with Master Cheng Mo, a top expert in the Great Tang Prefecture. If you run into trouble, feel free to ask me for help. I can step up anytime and ask Elder Cheng to stand up for you!" "As long as he isn't taking off my head, that's fine!" Xuanjia messaged back: "Xuan Jiu, we know each other inside and out, so drop the act. If I die, do you think things will go well for you? Of course, you could always discard this identity!" Su Yu chuckled sheepishly. *What kind of talk is that? I'm not that kind of person!* Still, Xuanjia had not caused him any trouble so far. Of course, one could not rule out the possibility that he was playing the long game to catch a bigger fish. Su Yu did not trust these people; or rather, those he truly trusted could be counted on one hand. That was just how the world was nowadays. Trust people too easily, and you died fast. *** Su Yu rode the earth dragon beast, maintaining a leisurely pace. Along the way, he observed quietly. Three Dragon Martial Guards had followed—one Shanhai and two Lingyuns. They certainly thought highly of him, providing him with free protection in secret. It seemed the Great Xia Prefecture had stepped up its protection of Bai Feng and his circle. As for Huang Jiu, Su Yu did not know his exact strength, but he was definitely formidable—at least at the seventh stage of the Shanhai Realm, though probably not yet at the Sun Moon Realm. That level of prowess was decent enough. With them protecting him, unless an enemy Sun Moon arrived, everything was under control. If a Sun Moon did come... he would have to act personally. Naturally, a first-stage Sun Moon would be fine, and even a second- or third-stage would do; Su Yu had unlocked the third-stage Sun Moon profile and could pummel them to death. But if someone at the mid or late stages of the Sun Moon Realm arrived, that would mean serious trouble. Surely they wouldn't go that far just for Bai Junsheng? Although late-stage Sun Moons were not uncommon on the All-Heavens Battlefield, one had to remember that all races participated there. Under normal circumstances, any single race could only deploy one or two late-stage Sun Moons at most. Moreover, after several clashes, various races had lost multiple late-stage Sun Moons to Su Yu. Late-stage Sun Moons weren't just wandering everywhere. *** Su Yu continued forward as night fell completely. Out in the desolate wilderness, Su Yu was in no hurry. He dismounted the earth dragon beast and began preparing some food, starting up a barbecue. The Dragon Martial Guards shadowing him secretly cursed up a storm! The Bai family was a warrior clan, so why had this brat turned out like this? Could he not keep moving at night? Would going without food for a day really starve a Tengkong cultivator to death? While Su Yu barbecued down below, the experts in the shadows remained on high alert, so frustrated they could have cursed Su Yu into an early grave. *Next time I run into this profligate from the Bai family, I'll give him a good beating!* Farther out, a black shadow flickered past—Huang Jiu. Using his mask, Huang Jiu had merged into the void and concealed his tracks, completely unnoticed by the Dragon Martial Guards. In the shadows. Huang Jiu scanned the surroundings, trying to pinpoint Xuan Jiu's position. In the end, he found nothing, forcing him to marvel inwardly that Xuan Jiu's placement among the twenty-four elder-track seats was well deserved. Furthermore, the fellow had guts. Worthy of an expert stationed in an ancient city. This guy had survived several massive upheavals in Xinghong Ancient City completely unscathed. Word had it that Xuan Jiu's deployment to the Human Realm had even been specially approved by the department head. It seemed he truly had real skill! *** Su Yu paid none of that any mind. His mission this time was not about how many people he could kill. He did not expect Bai Junsheng alone to draw out many experts or grand figures. It was simply to get business rolling for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion and establish Xuan Jiu's record. Along the way, beating a few bastards to death to vent some steam wouldn't hurt either. Back then, people had hunted him down just like this. Now, he had nothing to fear. He pondered how he might make a legitimate appearance if Huang Jiu proved unable to handle things. A clone technique? A clone technique could easily be seen through by powerful experts. A shadow clone? Or flesh-and-blood regeneration? Su Yu considered his options. Perhaps... he ought to craft a counterfeit clone that looked real enough to pass muster in a pinch. Conveniently, he had the little fur ball in his sea of consciousness; crafting a puppet and letting the little fur ball pilot it would work just fine. Having made up his mind, Su Yu covertly drew some blood and began molding a fake clone. If enemies truly attacked and Huang Jiu couldn't resolve the situation, he would have the little fur ball impersonate Bai Junsheng while he stepped in to wipe those bastards out. Even as Su Yu made his preparations, his roasting motions never faltered. Yet his heart stirred. Feigning complete ignorance, he continued barbecuing. The next instant, a glint of dark light flickered in the darkness, shooting toward Su Yu from a distance. A poisoned arrow! In the shadows, the Shanhai Dragon Martial Guard reacted instantly, grabbing the arrow in midair before sprinting off into the distance without a word, everything unfolding in total silence. The two Lingyun Dragon Martial Guards quickly scanned the surroundings. Luring the tiger away from the mountain was a common trick; they had to stay vigilant in case someone moved to assassinate Bai Junsheng the moment their leader left. Sure enough, barely after the Shanhai leader departed, a faint gleam flashed before the eyes of the two Lingyun guards! *Buzz!* Sword light flashed, and in an instant, the two Lingyuns clashed with the attacker. In the darkness, their clashes remained muffled. Yet Su Yu, appearing to have noticed something, suddenly shouted, "Who is it?! I have people protecting me, do you want to die?!" The fighters silently cursed! *Protecting you, my ass!* The next moment, the Shanhai Dragon Martial Guard returned from afar, clashing furiously with his opponent. A loud boom slipped out, finally startling Su Yu awake... feigned, of course. Su Yu bellowed, "Courting death!" With that, he hopped onto the earth dragon beast and bolted. The entangled Shanhai Dragon Martial Guard could not help barking, "Don't run, stay where you are!" *Idiot!* *Why run?!* Escorting someone like this was the worst—they were always running around. Those who stayed put obediently were far easier to protect. Su Yu ignored him, fleeing while snorting from a distance, "Trying to trick me? I don't even know who you are! You want to con me into a trap? No way!" "I'm from the Dragon Martial Guards..." The Shanhai guard was furious. *You moron, I'm a Dragon Martial Guard!* The next moment, he roared angrily, "Does the All-Races Cult have a death wish?! Rampaging within our Great Xia Prefecture—do you really think we can't touch you?!" "Hehehe..." In the darkness, someone laughed coldly. "The Great Xia Prefecture? Do you still think this is the Great Xia Prefecture of old? Manor Lord Xia has gone to the All-Heavens Battlefield, and Marquis Xia has yet to return. In this vast Great Xia Prefecture... only a bunch of useless trash remains!" The Shanhai Dragon Martial Guard flew into a rage. With a tremendous crash, his saber split the darkness, releasing dazzling brilliance. In the dark, several figures clashed furiously, their blows turning night into day. Meanwhile, Su Yu rode the earth dragon beast, fleeing at high speed. The Shanhai commander felt helpless. Let him run; things were indeed troublesome right now. Two Shanhai combatants had appeared, leaving him and the two Lingyun guards tied down. "Who hired you?!" The Shanhai commander shouted in rebuke, "Bai Junsheng has nothing to do with Bai Feng! He's just an ordinary Great Ming genius, but he's intimately connected to the Zhu family of Great Ming! Are you trying to draw King Daming here to slaughter you all?!" "Heh heh!" Mocking laughter echoed from the darkness. Right at that moment, a gleam of dark light flashed, and with a wet squelch, a head fell from the void. Huang Jiu casually grabbed the headless corpse, shoved it into his storage ring, and swiftly vanished, giving chase after Su Yu. A bunch of tedious fools! Playing at mystique! When the Heaven Hunting Pavilion acted mysterious, they were far more elusive than this. What was there to show off? Thinking they were profound experts just because they possessed a stealth-type divine character? People like that were dime a dozen on the All-Heavens Battlefield. The Dragon Martial Guards, a squad of warriors, might have had trouble pinning him down, but Huang Jiu had no such limitations. The remaining combatants froze slightly. The next moment, the Shanhai Dragon Martial Guard realized who had acted and shouted, "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion?!" People from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion? "No need to thank me! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion always delivers, fair and square! Beneath the heavens, Heaven Hunting endures! Yellow Division, Huang Jiu! Hehehe..." Huang Jiu's laughter drifted over as his figure vanished. He had the exact same idea as Su Yu—advertising! Up ahead, Su Yu cursed inwardly. *I'm the boss, yet you're advertising for yourself? Are you trying to stage a rebellion?* *You should say Huang Jiu under Xuan Jiu's command!* Soon, Su Yu shouted as well, "Dragon Martial Guards, All-Races Cult, all of you stay the hell away from me! I don't trust any of you! I hired someone from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion to protect me! No one else is allowed near me!" The Dragon Martial Guard expert still locked in combat cursed inwardly. No wonder the kid was so arrogant; he had actually forged ties with the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. *Idiot!* *Is the Heaven Hunting Pavilion that formidable?* Formidable though they were, in the Great Xia Prefecture, they still had to keep their heads down. It was simply that Bai Junsheng wasn't worth the Great Xia Prefecture paying a massive price. Sending a Shanhai to protect him was already doing him more than justice! Meanwhile, the two All-Races Cult Shanhai experts immediately prepared to flee. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion had arrived! These people moved across the All-Heavens Battlefield, and none were weak. The All-Races Cult had heard of them; members of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion were exceptionally capable, especially the White Masks and Faceless Elders, even if they sometimes seemed otherwise. The reason was simple: the Heaven Hunting Pavilion only dealt with ruthless characters. If they weren't geniuses, they were powerhouses. Those geniuses often schemed to lure them out and kill them. Anyone who could survive to become a White Mask had genuine ability. Huang Jiu had slain a Shanhai Realm expert in a single blow. A Shanhai was considered high-level leadership even within the All-Races Cult. Soon, the remaining two Shanhais unleashed their power, repelling the Dragon Martial Guards before swiftly making their escape. As Shanhai Realm experts, they were formidable figures in their own right. Since the mission couldn't be completed, fleeing was the only sensible choice. The Shanhai hiding in the shadows was at the mid stage, yet he had been killed instantly; clearly, the arriving Heaven Hunting Pavilion member was exceedingly strong. The two of them were merely at the early stage. *** Fleeing up ahead, Su Yu felt rather bored. Just a few Shanhais, the strongest being the fourth-stage Shanhai killed by Huang Jiu. Where were the Sun Moons? After wandering the All-Heavens Battlefield, his standards had truly risen. Without a Sun Moon, he could barely drum up any motivation. In truth, Su Yu had almost forgotten that in the Human Realm, a Shanhai was a top executive within the All-Races Cult—either an authoritative leader governing a whole region or a deputy cult master. In some smaller cult branches, a Shanhai was even the cult master. Three Shanhais were genuinely formidable. He had simply witnessed too many clashes between top experts, making him subconsciously feel that three Shanhais was looking down on him. In reality, sending three Shanhais here was already treating him with immense regard. High-stage Shanhai experts were uncommon. While there might be plenty across the Human Realm, they were hardly everywhere. The Great Xia Civilization Academy had plenty of Shanhais, but only a handful were in the late stage. He considered Huang Jiu and his group weak, yet those White Masks were the elite among their peers, veterans who had roamed the All-Heavens Battlefield for years without dying. How could they be weak? The Heaven Hunting Pavilion was a colossal faction with at least eight Invincibles. And White Masks were considered mid-to-high level. It was simply that Su Yu had obtained his White Mask too easily, blinding him to that reality. *** Su Yu continued onward. Along the way, Huang Jiu did not show himself, but he picked off quite a few pursuers in secret. Su Yu was aware of all of it. Soon, word spread through the mouths of the survivors. The All-Races Cult received the report quickly. Bai Junsheng had hired a White Mask for protection—Huang Jiu of the Yellow Division. Earlier in Nanyuan, the one capable of clashing with a Sun Moon was Xuan Jiu of the Black Division. There might be some connection between the two. Evidently, several Heaven Hunting Pavilion White Masks were operating in the Great Xia Prefecture. *** Meanwhile, Bai Feng, who had just left the city not long ago, also received word. "Huang Jiu?" "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion?" Bai Feng was stunned. "No wonder that brat was so arrogant. Turns out he found a backer! But where did that idiot get the money to hire a White Mask?" "Besides, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion has enormous guts. I just received word that a massive wave of them entered the Human Realm, and the various prefectures are hunting them down. How dare they take on a mission right now? Aren't they afraid of being surrounded and killed by the Great Xia Prefecture?" The Heaven Hunting Pavilion was hardly benevolent. With Bai Junsheng getting tangled up with them, Bai Feng could not rest easy. At present, he was not traveling alone. Naturally, he had not called Hong Tan. Hong Tan was better off staying put right now, as leaving was too dangerous. Traveling with him was Wu Yuehua, a top expert at the ninth stage of the Shanhai Realm. Wu Yuehua had lingered at the eighth stage for a long time and had only broken through to the ninth stage recently. Hearing this, she furrowed her brows slightly. "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion... For these fellows to enter the Human Realm in force is a harbinger of turbulent times! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion never acts without profit. If times aren't chaotic, they don't show up. If they do, chaos follows. Those bastards fear nothing more than a peaceful world; they are the source of turbulence, if not its outright architects!" Of course, that was a slight exaggeration. However, it was true that people from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion loved fanning the flames. In any case, none of them were good eggs. Wu Yuehua said swiftly, "Go fetch that cousin of yours. If that Huang Jiu is still around, see if we can kill him... That counts as a major merit!" Killing a White Mask yielded substantial credit. Bai Feng nodded and said helplessly, "That fool is truly an idiot, causing trouble for me! At a critical juncture like this, sigh... I'll teach him a proper lesson this time!" "Drop the chatter. Just get stronger yourself so you don't have to ask for help every single time. Look at that student of yours. Even if his lifespan is short, all the races of the heavens will never forget him. He radiated brilliance, shining across the myriad worlds!" Evidently, Wu Yuehua held Su Yu in exceptionally high regard. The entire Wu family was like that. The old matriarch of the Wu family had said on the All-Heavens Battlefield that only an individual like him was worthy of a woman from the Wu family. They did not seek eternity, only a brilliant burst that outshone the heavens. Su Yu had clearly accomplished that! The Wu family offered immense praise to such an unparalleled monster! Just like Liu Wenyan back in the day! Bai Feng sighed helplessly. "Martial Aunt, stop striking at me like this. Isn't it enough that my master puts me down? You have to join in too!" Wu Yuehua said coolly, "It's the truth! My Wu Qi slaughters all around on the All-Heavens Battlefield, refusing to defer even to Huang Teng. Yet when Su Yu was mentioned and I suggested betrothing her to him, she didn't object. Clearly, she thinks highly of him as well..." "..." *Holy crap!* Bai Feng was utterly speechless. "You... this... Wu Qi is from our generation! Isn't that an absurd match to make? Besides, didn't Wu Lan follow Su Yu to the Great Ming Prefecture?" *What is going on here?!* Wu Qi might be difficult, frosty, and troublesome in all sorts of ways, but she was still one of the rare female geniuses of their generation. And just like that, you want to marry her off to Su Yu? Seriously! And what about your grandniece who ran off after Su Yu? Did you forget about her? Wu Yuehua said nonchalantly, "A figure like Su Yu is worthy of our Wu family's women. Even if both Wu Qi and Wu Lan are betrothed to him, it's no big deal!" "..." Forget it. Bai Feng felt powerless and grumbled, "That's just wishful thinking on your part. Su Yu might not have any interest. That kid... he once told me that women are nowhere near as good as cultivation!" "Now that's a true hero!" Wu Yuehua nodded in approval. That was a true cultivator. Excellent, no wonder he was so extraordinary! *Screw you!* Bai Feng complained inwardly. *So as long as their talent and strength are monstrous, whatever personality they have is good in your eyes? If they're a womanizer, you call it dashing and uninhibited; if they're a dense blockhead, you call it resolute willpower; if they're ugly, you call them honest and down-to-earth; if they're short, you claim concentration is the essence of perfection...* Whatever, whatever! Bai Feng stopped arguing. The women of the Wu family were stubborn to a fault, which was terrifying. Arguing with a woman was pointless. Forget it, he would just vent this frustration on his cousin later! If not for him, Bai Feng wouldn't have gone to find Wu Yuehua, and without finding Wu Yuehua, he wouldn't have been subjected to this round of scorn and mockery! *** *Squelch!* A blade pierced flesh, and with a heavy thud, a corpse dropped to the ground. Huang Jiu's figure flashed past, sneering as he transmitted through his mask: "The human race is nothing special after all! The All-Races Cult is a bunch of idiots! I've killed several of their Shanhais, yet they keep throwing themselves forward, oblivious to death. Useless trash like this wouldn't last a few days on the All-Heavens Battlefield!" Having witnessed far too many geniuses and powerhouses, clashing with these Shanhais of the All-Races Cult bored Huang Jiu to tears! Weak! He couldn't sense the might of a powerful race at all. The human race was just like that: the strong were terrifyingly strong, while the weak were pathetically weak, unlike the God or Demon Races, whose strength was relatively balanced. The weak among humans were inferior even to minor races. Yet the strong among them could not be matched even by Gods and Demons. This race was drastically polarized. The All-Races Cult had elites, but their elite forces wouldn't waste their time hunting Bai Junsheng. Those sent here were just weaklings, who were naturally dealt with easily by Huang Jiu. Just as Huang Jiu was thinking this, a massive cauldron descended from the void! *Boom!* Huang Jiu thrust his sword forward. The next instant, the cauldron shattered, releasing clouds of deadly poison that covered him. With a sizzling hiss, his flesh began to corrode... The previously arrogant Huang Jiu fled instantly, cursing under his breath! Rotten luck! Running into a poison master! He swore never to boast again; the moment he opened his mouth, he had suffered a harsh blow. "Hmph!" "Count yourself lucky for running fast!" At that moment, Wu Yuehua stepped out of the void, snorting coldly as she recalled her cauldron. *I'll poison you to death!* Meanwhile, Su Yu felt bored enough to weep. *I wanted to kill some people, but... you guys are really something. Huang Jiu handled them all, and when someone came to deal with Huang Jiu, it turned out to be Wu Yuehua. Who am I supposed to fight now?!* Forget it, forget it! A bunch of small fry. He would spare them this once. Right at that moment, Su Yu felt a movement behind him—someone was aiming a kick at his backside! His instinct was to strike back! The next instant, Su Yu held himself back! *Bang!* Su Yu put on a dramatic show of flying forward, crying out in pain. Behind him, Bai Feng grimaced in agony before quickly schooling his expression, nonchalantly pulling back his throbbing leg while cursing furiously in his head! Beside the curses, he was baffled and shocked. What the hell? His cousin had only entered the Tengkong Realm recently. Bai Feng was a half-step Lingyun, yet a single kick had left his own foot throbbing with searing pain. What was going on? Meanwhile, Su Yu remained unfazed, secretly amused. He pulled a large steel plate from behind his backside, turned to face Bai Feng, and put on an aggrieved look. "Why did you kick me? Look, you dented my Profound-grade shield! You're being way too harsh!" "..." Bai Feng blinked. Was there a shield there just now? He hadn't really felt one! His cousin was an armamentsmith, so having a profound armament wasn't surprising, but... kicking it hadn't felt like striking metal at all. Though still puzzled, Bai Feng cast the thought aside and snapped angrily, "Who told you to come here? Didn't you hear me tell you to scram last time?" "Grandfather was injured, so I came to tell you about it. Second Uncle also said he wanted to pass a few words to you, and I brought them!" "Speak!" "I'll tell you once we reach the Great Xia Prefecture!" "You..." Bai Feng was enraged, but Su Yu adopted a dead-pig-fears-no-boiling-water attitude. "I won't say a word until we reach the Great Xia Prefecture." Wu Yuehua had no patience for wasting time and cut in, "Hurry back. If you tell him to leave now, will you escort him home? Let's just head to the Great Xia Prefecture first!" Bai Feng sighed. True enough. If he chased his cousin away now, there would be no one to escort the boy. That Heaven Hunting Pavilion operative had just been driven off. *** Meanwhile, Huang Jiu, who had fled into the distance, observed from afar with a chuckle. He didn't mind—Bai Feng had arrived! Fine, in that case, his mission was considered complete. Not bad at all. A flying start, completing the first assignment smoothly! The human race truly wasn't to be underestimated. That woman was tyrannical and formidable. Setting her cultivation aside, that poisonous cauldron had nearly killed him. One truly had to stay cautious. "Xuan Jiu, mission accomplished, so I'm withdrawing! Take on more missions. Our squad finished an assignment right out of the gate. Looks like you picked a decent target!" Xuan Jiu didn't reply, but Huang Jiu didn't mind. Xuan Jiu was probably busy or lurking in the shadows; who cared! *** Meanwhile, Su Yu had successfully linked up with Bai Feng. He was in quite a good mood! As for the vibrations coming from his hidden mask, he couldn't be bothered to check; it wasn't anything urgent, likely just a message from Huang Jiu. *I'm heading to the Great Xia Prefecture!*, Su Yu thought. Looking at Bai Feng, the more he looked, the more pleased he felt. *Old Bai, it's been a long time!* It truly had been quite a while! Four whole months! However... looking at his teacher—tsk, ninth stage of the Tengkong Realm. Sigh, how pitiful, how tragic. Isn't this a bit too weak?! I could crush him with a single finger right now, couldn't I? This won't do. I gave you so much Heaven Yuan Qi, so why haven't you broken through to the Lingyun Realm yet? Su Yu grumbled inwardly: *Were you slacking off?* *Did you not work hard?* *If you worked hard, why haven't you made any progress?!* He thoroughly mocked him in his thoughts, yet beneath it all lay immense joy. *Old Bai, long time no see. I really missed you.* Surrounded by wolves on all sides, only now did his heart truly lighten.