All Races Gather in the Human Realm

When Su Yu heard about what Boss Statue had done, he could only think: beautifully played! It gave him immense face! Thirty-six stone statues, blasting the Heaven Hunting Pavilion with a single punch—it was exhilarating. What a pity he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes; that was truly a shame. If he could have watched the spectacle on-site, the thrill would probably have been several notches higher. A great pity indeed. Next time he’d have to catch it if an opportunity arose. Having caught wind of these events, Su Yu also understood why everyone had suspected his identity. He laughed heartily. "Like I said, Boss Statue and I are tight. Whenever something comes up, he takes care of it for me. It’s just a small favor!" Even the stone statue had called it a small matter. The other three looked as if they had just bitten into lemons! Xia Huyou’s jealousy was palpable. Sour and disgruntled, he muttered, "How about you invite those bosses of yours over to the Human Realm for some fun? I’ll host them." "Ha!" *Think I don't know what you're plotting?* Su Yu sneered in disdain. Naturally, he wasn't going to let slip that the stone statues couldn't enter the Human Realm. He quickly said, "Forget it. Boss Statue is only close with me. As for you lot… he’d squash you with a single punch!" Xia Huyou rolled his eyes and didn't press the matter, quickly changing the subject. "Since you're fine, I won't linger. There shouldn't be any problem with your Xuan Jiu identity for now. Be careful out there. I still have to enforce the citywide lockdown and hunt for the murderer!" Beside them, Bai Feng and Hong Tan also looked on with scorn. *You two are the culprits, yet you act as if you're completely innocent bystanders.* Xia Huyou didn't linger and promptly left. He still had plenty of business to attend to! Meanwhile, Hong Tan and Bai Feng resolved firmly that this time, no matter who came knocking, they would not step out of seclusion. Unless they made a breakthrough, they would not leave seclusion! They had been dragged out once, which was bad enough, only to swallow another mouthful of sour lemons. Su Yu had befriended a bunch of Invincible figures outside; there was zero need to worry about him. They’d better worry about themselves instead. …… With both of them returning to seclusion, only Su Yu was left in the research institute. After sighing with emotion for a while, Su Yu broke into a delighted grin. So comfortable! Life had been wonderfully smooth lately! Everything he wished for came true, every plan succeeded, and whenever trouble arose, someone stood up to shield him. This feeling… was simply exhilarating! Of course, nothing came from thin air. Having the stone statue intervene required Su Yu to pay a price—enduring an even stronger surge of death qi. Su Yu felt this clearly. Now, for just that brief moment the stone statue left the city, Su Yu had to withstand an intense death qi backlash. An ordinary person would have dropped dead long ago. "Yuan Acupoint Inversion!" Su Yu mused inwardly. This technique was crucial to handling the death qi with ease. It originated from the dead spirit race. An idea crossed Su Yu's mind: if he could do it, then the dead spirit race could too. If he could convert death qi into vitality, could dead spirits do the same? If so, wouldn't they be capable of the same feat? Why had no one ever heard of a dead spirit turning back into a living being? Su Yu fell into deep thought. Could it be that once one died and was completely transformed into death qi, the process could no longer be reversed? Perhaps that was it! In that case, he definitely couldn't afford to die. If he truly perished, even if he turned into a dead spirit, the chances of reviving were abysmally low! Among all those countless dead spirits and dead spirit monarchs, he had never heard of anyone returning to life. The demon race had been working on it, but after so many years, even that dead spirit sovereign hadn't been successfully summoned back. The difficulty was likely beyond imagination. *Now, the identity crisis has been temporarily resolved!* Su Yu thought. Since that was settled, it was time to get down to serious business. Time to stir up trouble! The excitement in the Great Xia Prefecture had died down a bit. Of course, that spotlight had been snatched away by Su Yu himself. No matter; so long as Su Yu stayed low-key while Xuan Jiu remained loud and flamboyant, the momentum in the Great Xia Prefecture would keep rolling. At this moment, Su Yu was considering an even bigger picture. He already knew a great deal, including Xia Longwu's impending Dao attainment and Wan Tiansheng's plan to hunt down the traitor Invincible. In truth, he didn't want any misfortune to befall these people. If that was the case, he needed to make further preparations and lend a hand. Relying on his current cultivation and backing, he couldn't personally participate in a clash of Invincibles. Just because the stone statues protected him didn't mean they would protect others. "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion…" Su Yu contemplated. That organization possessed quite a few Invincibles. Perhaps it could serve as a useful platform. *I need to invest more effort into the Heaven Hunting Pavilion.* …… While Su Yu was lost in thought, over at the Heaven Hunting Pavilion branch, the Disciplinary Elder repeatedly dispatched messages to Huang Jiu, but every single one vanished like a stone cast into the ocean. Soon, Bai Yi sighed. "Elder, Huang Jiu might have sensed something. It looks like… he has fled!" "What about Huang Jia?" A direct superior elder could track their subordinates. Even if Huang Jiu had run, as long as Huang Jia remained, there was hope of tracking him down—unless Huang Jiu had shattered his mask. "Elder Huang Jia…" At this, Bai Yi hesitated before saying, "He fled too!" "What?" The Disciplinary Elder was jolted. "Fled?" "Yes!" Bai Yi nodded, helpless. "Most likely he ran. All communication is cut, and there are no signals. At this point, we can only request the Minister of the Huang Branch to locate Elder Huang Jia. But the minister is in the All-Heavens Battlefield; locating a subordinate inside the Human Realm is extraordinarily difficult. Unless the minister comes to the Human Realm in person with the primary Heaven Hunting Ranking, a sub-ranking cannot pinpoint him… That's why they are acting so fearlessly. Now that they've run, we can't find them even without them shattering their masks." The Disciplinary Elder cursed inwardly, then erupted in fury. "Dammit!" Indeed, the primary ranking was not in the Human Realm. Spanning realms to track someone was exceedingly difficult. Furthermore, the higher the rank of the mask, the harder it was to trace. A Faceless Elder already held considerable status. To pinpoint such an individual was astonishingly difficult, though it would have been feasible within the All-Heavens Battlefield. "I will consult the branch minister. Also, we must uncover Huang Jia's true identity!" the Disciplinary Elder said coldly. "As expected, we were sold out by Huang Jiu this time!" There was no need for further investigation. Both of them had bolted; who else could it be? Huang Jiu, that traitor! Still, flushing out Huang Jia in the process meant netting a whole nest of them. As for the Minister of the Huang Branch… who knew what was happening there? The Disciplinary Elder considered that perhaps he should send a message to the Grand Elder. The Disciplinary Department had nine elders, and he was the Eighth Elder. The Grand Elder was the most powerful, possibly at the Invincible Realm, or perhaps a quasi-Invincible—it was hard to say for sure. Regardless, the Grand Elder of the Disciplinary Department possessed great authority and terrifying strength. The Huang Branch might indeed be compromised. The Disciplinary Elder said coldly, "No wonder Huang Jiu was so adamant about framing Xuan Jiu. It seems he wanted to prevent an elite of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion from rising. Issue a wanted notice: Huang Jia and Huang Jiu have betrayed us! Furthermore, order all direct members of the Huang Branch under Huang Jia to assemble at the branch offices to have their identities verified one by one!" That whole lineage was suspect! Bai Yi nodded and sighed. "Who could have expected this… Alas! Twelve elders entered the Human Realm. One died, and now Elder Huang Jia has defected, leaving only ten elders. Out of one hundred White Masks, nineteen have perished!" He sighed deeply. A disastrous loss! Now, only ten elders and eighty White Masks remained, with Huang Jiu defecting. And that didn't include the Disciplinary Elder's contingent. Moreover, another elder had died in the All-Heavens Battlefield. Losing three late-stage Sun Moons and several early- to mid-stage Sun Moons in succession—this venture into the Human Realm had inflicted devastating casualties on the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! The Disciplinary Elder fell silent for a long while before speaking: "Xuan Jiu must not die. If he dies too, our losses will be catastrophic. Contact Xuan Jiu and ask whether he is truly safe right now. If he is in real trouble, we can mount a rescue!" "Understood!" Bai Yi promptly went to execute the order, while the Disciplinary Elder massaged his temples, nursing a growing headache. What a mess! A single trip to the Human Realm had cost them several elders and numerous White Masks. Even with the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's vast foundations, the losses this time were excruciating. Although operations had commenced in several other prefectures, strictly speaking, they were riding on Xuan Jiu's coattails; it was his deeds that had made the Heaven Hunting Pavilion famous across the Human Realm. Otherwise, who knew how long it would have taken to expand their business? Even so, numerous powerhouses were currently congregating in the Great Xia Prefecture. Launching operations in smaller prefectures carried little significance, while business in the major prefectures had yet to take off. The Great Qin Prefecture was off-limits, and as for the Great Ming Prefecture… nobody dared go there. For one thing, almost anyone sent there had disappeared without a trace; for another, no one knew if King Daming had left yet. Who would dare trespass recklessly? "Alas!" A heavy sigh escaped him. Operating in the Human Realm without an Invincible holding down the fort was simply too grueling. He wondered when an Invincible would be able to infiltrate the realm. With an Invincible present, things would never be this difficult. …… Meanwhile, in the wilderness on the outskirts of the Great Xia Prefecture. A Faceless Elder and a White Mask looked at each other, enveloped in an unspoken desolation. Huang Jiu protested indignantly, "Elder, I swear I didn't betray them!" *I’m so damn wronged!* His mind was on the verge of collapsing! Just moments ago, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had issued a full-scale bounty for both of them. His own misfortune had dragged Huang Jia down with him. "That bastard Xuan Jiu!" Huang Jiu cursed, before quickly adding, "There might not even be a traitor! The Great Xia Prefecture could have sensed something long ago. That lunatic Xuan Jiu has rocks in his head—he just had to insist on a traitor!" Even now, he didn't suspect Xuan Jiu of being the mole. A real traitor wouldn't act with such sheer madness! As for suspecting Xuan Jiu was Su Yu… frankly, he had only tossed that out offhandedly. Who would have taken it seriously? Who could have guessed the Heaven Hunting Pavilion would actually send someone to probe him, let alone that Su Yu would be so vicious as to wipe them all out in one fell swoop? Now, the higher-ups were furious and demanded he report to the branch office. What a joke! If he went, they would subject him to a ruthless interrogation. Truth be told, plenty of people in the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had skeletons in their closets; under a thorough investigation, who was entirely clean? Did he dare go? Going meant doom! With the Heaven Hunting Pavilion suffering such staggering losses, they desperately needed a scapegoat, and as a mere White Mask, Huang Jiu was the prime target! Listening to his lament, Elder Huang Jia sighed. "Sold out or not, what's done is done. It's just… you made it too obvious. Out of everyone, only you and Xuan Jiu survived. There's no explaining that away." The subtext was clear: *It's just the two of us now. Drop the act.* Huang Jiu felt like vomiting blood! Damn it all! Even the elder didn't believe him. He was starting to doubt his own sanity. *Did I really sell them out? I didn't! Could I have leaked information by accident? Where is the justice in this world?!* Helpless, Huang Jiu clamped his mouth shut. Explaining was pointless; the more he explained, the guiltier he sounded. "Elder, what do we do now?" "We can't go to the All-Heavens Battlefield!" Huang Jia said dejectedly. "If we go now, unless I shatter my mask and conceal my identity, the Minister of the Huang Branch will track me down immediately. We might as well lie low in the Human Realm! I am at the eighth level of the Sun Moon Realm. There are ruins in Nanyuan, and they might be formidable. Perhaps… an opportunity awaits. Once I step into the ninth level, open the River of Time, and capture my past and future selves, attaining the Dao to become an Invincible isn't out of the question!" Huang Jiu nodded. "So… we stay?" "We stay!" Huang Jia declared, "Opportunities are rare. Right now, the Great Xia Prefecture is in utter turmoil; fishing in troubled waters is our best chance! Besides, with the Heaven Hunting Masks, ordinary people can hardly discern our identities. On top of that, Xuan Jiu is still around. Knowing him, he'll stir up more trouble sooner or later. So we might as well remain in the Great Xia Prefecture!" Huang Jiu nodded, though resentment still burned within him. *I’m so wronged!* *I really didn't betray anyone! And could the real mole have been Earth Eighteen or one of the others? Maybe they were just killed in the crossfire! Why did it have to be a traitor?* He felt utterly exhausted. A failed mission didn't automatically mean there was a mole. Even if there were, couldn't it have been one of the enforcers? That idiot Xuan Jiu was stubborn to a fault, insisting that if it wasn't him, it had to be Huang Jiu. And since Xuan Jiu claimed innocence, the blame naturally fell on him! There was nowhere to seek justice! At this moment, Huang Jiu truly understood the frustration of playing the lute to a cow. Dealing with a single-minded lunatic like Xuan Jiu was pure agony. With a heavy sigh, he and Huang Jia drifted into the distance, forlorn figures against the wasteland. *I haven't even completed any missions in the Great Xia Prefecture. And now, I don't need to.* …… When Su Yu learned of the bounties placed on Huang Jiu and Huang Jia, he was surprised. Soon, he tossed the thought aside. This was fantastic. Those two had fled, effectively cementing their status as traitors. Even Su Yu was baffled: *Why on earth did they run? I was the one who leaked the intelligence! Aren't those two completely innocent?* Su Yu had even prepared for the possibility that they would report to the branch and clear their names; after all, he could have just claimed that the Great Xia Prefecture had detected the ambush in advance. It wouldn't have been a big deal. Why had they bolted with such guilty consciences? Still, it worked out brilliantly—they had shouldered all the blame on his behalf. Since they were the villains, Su Yu was naturally the loyal operative. When Bai Yi reached out to ask if he required assistance, Su Yu didn't hold back. "I don't need a rescue, but I need manpower! The Great Xia Prefecture is currently a treasure trove, drawing countless experts. The Nanyuan ruins are likely on the verge of opening. I have top-secret intelligence that some Heaven Yuan Qi might have seeped out there. I need powerful backup!" Hearing this, Bai Yi was startled. "Is that true? Where did you get this intelligence?" "It's authentic. Don't ask where I got it; I have my own channels. The ambush on Xia Xinyi came from the exact same source. Someone wants the Xia family dead. You didn't think the Xia family had no enemies, did you, Enforcer?" "I see!" It was entirely natural for the Xia family to have enemies! Bai Yi didn't overthink it. Everyone had their own private channels; that was par for the course. The Xia family had countless foes, so someone leaking intelligence about them to Xuan Jiu was completely plausible. "Xuan Jiu, are you certain Heaven Yuan Qi has seeped out in Nanyuan?" Su Yu replied with absolute confidence, "Without a doubt! Of course, it's very faint right now, so I can't confirm whether it truly originates from the ruins. I need to conduct an on-site inspection before giving a definitive answer! As an ancient city resident, I am extremely sensitive to Heaven Yuan Qi. Once I go there, I'll be able to tell!" "That makes sense!" Bai Yi immediately recognized the merit in that. That was Xuan Jiu's inherent advantage! An ancient city resident! Among the White Masks this time, Su Yu was the only ancient city resident. Other residents had wanted to come, but the cost was simply too exorbitant. Su Yu didn't hesitate to press his advantage: "Also, after multiple battles, I've burned through far too much Heaven Yuan Qi. Headquarters promised to reimburse seventy percent of my Heaven Yuan Qi earlier, plus the reward of ten drops of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid you pledged this time—send them over immediately! If you delay and I end up dying from the death qi backlash, you'll be the ones taking the loss!" "Rest assured, someone will deliver them to you shortly. I will bring them personally!" Bai Yi quickly replied. "Do you have any other requests?" "At least ten White Masks, preferably some at the Sun Moon Realm! The Xia family has too many powerhouses. I intend to disrupt their arrangements and throw their plans into chaos so they have no time to target us… Ideally, we should drag other factions into the fray, including making contact with the All-Races Cult. I need profiles on their high-level figures. Only by joining forces can we plunge the Great Xia Prefecture into total mayhem!" "That… can be arranged! We indeed possess information on several powerhouses within the All-Races Cult. We can supply them to you!" Su Yu was overjoyed. Look at that—he might soon infiltrate the All-Races Cult! Ah! Infiltrating as a senior representative of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion and acting as their partner—how magnificent was that? He didn't need to go undercover at the bottom of the cult and slowly work his way up. When he entered, he would arrive straight at the top, conversing directly with the cult's highest echelons. Bai Yi added, "We will establish contact with the All-Races Cult as soon as possible. Xuan Jiu, are you certain you can escape safely from the Great Xia Prefecture?" "Naturally! However… it would be best if you exerted some external pressure on them. If the lockdown lasts too long, I worry I might be exposed. My identity is well concealed, but the secret technique I'm using can't be maintained indefinitely. Once my true form is exposed, I'm finished." "Understood. We will pressure the Great Xia Prefecture immediately!" "……" After conversing for a bit longer, Su Yu severed the connection. He toyed with the thought of whether he should frame Bai Yi and Hui Yi to death as well. Two of the four enforcers were dead; leaving just the two of them felt rather lonely. *Forget it, let's leave that for later!* There was another matter: regarding Director Ji, Su Yu had forgotten to ask Wan Tiansheng whether they had truly uncovered any clues pointing to the traitor Invincible. Moreover, Su Yu held some clues of his own. Back when he extracted blood essence from Cult Master Tianyi, he had caught glimpses of certain memories. In one of them, he had seen a human powerhouse—likely an Invincible—conversing with Cult Master Tianyi. That person had a distinct pattern marked on his left arm. He wondered if that had any connection to the traitor Invincible. Reflecting on this reminded Su Yu of something else. With a flip of his hand, a box materialized—the dragon horn box. A box crafted from a Sun Moon-level dragon horn! Cult Master Tianyi had treasured this box immensely. Whether it had been bestowed by that human Invincible or by the Tianyi God race, the seventh-level Sun Moon cult master had guarded it like a prized relic! Su Yu retrieved the box. Early on, he had frequently attempted to polish and open it, but his cultivation had been too weak, leaving him unable to breach its seal. Later, with more matters demanding his attention and far more treasures coming his way, he had set it aside. "What is inside this box?" Su Yu was curious. Even Zhu Tiandao, an expert of the ninth level of the Sun Moon Realm, hadn't been able to see through it. It could be an extraordinary treasure, or it could be entirely empty. *A seventh-level Sun Moon treated it like his life… Could it be a carrier object?* Su Yu sank into thought. The possibility was remarkably high. From the seventh level to the ninth level of the Sun Moon Realm was not an insurmountable gap. While useless for the time being, such an item had to be prepared well in advance. Once reaching the ninth level, it would be essential for capturing past and future selves. If the Tianyi God race had bestowed this upon Cult Master Tianyi, it would make complete sense. Or had it been given by the figure with the patterned left arm? Su Yu couldn't be sure. In the fragmented memory, Cult Master Tianyi had been alone when he retrieved the box, leaving no hints about who had handed it over. Fingering the box, Su Yu began channeling his willpower and yuan qi into it. His strength had increased dramatically; opening it shouldn't be too difficult now, right? After testing it, Su Yu gauged the seal's resistance. Not bad—he should be able to break it open in three to five days. Indeed, with his current might, cracking this object was no longer an insurmountable challenge. Taking advantage of the Great Xia Prefecture's lockdown, he would first complete his fifty-ninth body forging. After multiple fierce battles and several death qi backlashes, consuming both Heaven Yuan Qi and Heaven-and-Earth Profound Light, his fifty-ninth forging was right around the corner. Within these few days, roughly by the time the Great Xia Prefecture lifted its lockdown, he should be able to attain it. …… While Su Yu focused on body forging and bided his time, turmoil rippled across the All-Heavens Battlefield. First came Su Yu's sudden eruption, followed by the stone statue's strike that exposed the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's coordinates. Not long after, Xia Longwu made an appearance! This immediately drew the attention of numerous factions. Perhaps seeking vengeance for his cousin, Xia Longwu had somehow tracked down the location of a Heaven Hunting Pavilion elder. Within the Immortal race's Northern War Zone, he had slain a Faceless Elder before swiftly fleeing and vanishing once more. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion was truly on the verge of tears. Their elders were being slaughtered one after another! This time, the powerhouses of the various races refrained from meddling. Soon, however, shifts occurred along the borders of the Human Realm. Even more Invincibles were gathering! As they converged, Invincibles from the mighty God and Demon races initiated negotiations with humanity. They proposed allowing geniuses from the various races to enter the Human Realm for practical training—purely for experience and sightseeing, with no ulterior motives. They sought humanity's permission! A tour group! Infiltration was always an option, but even if they snuck in, their tracks would eventually be exposed. It was better to enter openly and legitimately! …… On this day, near the East Rift Valley. Invincibles conducted cross-void negotiations. "King Daqin, we are all in the Eternal Realm, so let us speak plainly. The geniuses of our races wish to visit Nanyuan in the Great Xia Prefecture to see if they can obtain some fortune! Of course, we will not go empty-handed. The Star Residence Mansion is also about to open! The Human Realm's quota has yet to be settled. Historically, the human race has received only three to four hundred slots." The Star Residence Mansion possessed four sectors. Each sector had nine tiers of passageways, accommodating ninety slots per tier, allowing 810 entrants per sector. In addition, special passageways permitted another 360 entries. In total, 3,600 living beings could enter! The human race was indeed a major faction, yet its overall strength lagged behind the God, Demon, and Immortal races. In previous years, humanity had truly been limited to three or four hundred slots. At this moment, an expert chuckled. "This time, the various races wish to grant our younger generation some opportunities. Nanyuan might be one, and the Star Residence Mansion is another. If humanity agrees to grant entry to our geniuses and guarantee their safety, my race will yield one mansion slot for every genius admitted!" The Gods, Demons, and Immortals each held a sector, commanding 810 slots apiece. Evidently, the ones negotiating were the powerhouses of these three races. King Daqin replied coldly, "No deal!" Someone murmured faintly, "No deal? They will enter regardless! The only difference is whether it happens openly or in secret. If they sneak in, your human race might not even detect them. Why be stubborn? If they enter openly, at least you will know who is there, will you not?" Another expert chuckled. "They are all youngsters, and the human race boasts plenty of young talents as well. I hear that several geniuses of the multiple character faction have emerged from the minor realms. Coming directly to the All-Heavens Battlefield would be rather dull; why not let them all return to the Human Realm to temper themselves against one another?" At these words, several expressions shifted. Opposite them, a demon king laughed darkly. "How can minor realms nurture true geniuses? We never intended to exterminate the multiple character faction entirely. The only ones marked for death were Ye Batian’s branch. That lineage made far too many enemies; toward the other multiple character branches, we have never been so cold and ruthless." His tone was laden with mockery. *Did you really think we were oblivious?* *What a joke!* The infiltration of humanity by the various races ran deeper than anyone imagined. Did the multiple character geniuses in the minor realms not require supplies? Did they not need resources and guidance? Most critically, did they not need to outline their multiple character combat techniques? How many multiple character combat technique inheritances remained in the various prefectures? Some major races knew the count better than humanity's own Invincibles! Which inheritances were missing was common knowledge among the Invincibles of the great races. Truth be told, the only faction they genuinely feared was Ye Batian’s branch. That lineage was the true threat. As for the other multiple character branches, there was little cause for concern. If attaining the Invincible Realm were so easy, someone would have succeeded long ago. Over all these years, only Ye Batian—or rather, the multiple character faction of the Great Xia Prefecture—had ever shown genuine promise. That was precisely why the Great Xia Prefecture had endured the fiercest suppression, reducing the survivors of that branch to a mere handful. Look at the Great Ming Prefecture: they boasted dozens of members, and Hu Xiansheng was an advanced Shanhai practitioner, yet hardly anyone targeted him. Having their secrets laid bare left humanity's Invincibles feeling helpless. King Daqin’s expression remained impassive. Indeed, such matters were difficult to conceal from the myriad races forever. Still, he hadn't anticipated their spies had penetrated so deeply—the human side had only just prepared to let those geniuses venture out, and the other races already knew. The last time this matter had been discussed, only Invincibles had been present. Of course, bringing people out from the minor realms required logistical coordination; it wasn't necessarily an Invincible who had leaked the secret. Spies from the various races could be among the handlers, or perhaps embedded within the minor realms themselves. Or more simply, the Eastern and Western pavilions of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had planted agents, and the intelligence had simply been purchased. That organization was an utter nuisance! King Daqin weighed his options. The opposing side was right: if denied entry, they would simply infiltrate through secret passages, just as the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had done. Granting them open entry would at least allow humanity to monitor their movements. This time, the myriad races were paying extraordinary attention to the Nanyuan ruins. The reasons were manifold—partly tied to Su Yu, and partly due to Nanyuan’s location within the borders of the Great Xia Prefecture. After a long pause, King Daqin said indifferently, "If you want entry, so be it! However… safety is not guaranteed!" "No guarantees are needed…" someone chuckled. "However, we do not wish to see Eternals intervening… nor do we want seniors bullying the young. Any human powerhouse under a hundred years of age is free to strike. If our juniors are beaten to death, it only proves their own incompetence!" Supreme confidence! Pure arrogance! *Any human expert under a hundred years old can attack as they please!* King Daqin said coldly, "Fine. Then I shall recall Xia Longwu. He isn't very old. I imagine he would be more than happy to keep your juniors company!" "……" Dead silence fell over the void. *Damn it!* *They had forgotten about that monster!* Which genius could possibly stand against Xia Longwu? He slaughtered prodigies with a single stroke of his blade! If Xia Longwu intervened… there would be no game left to play; their geniuses would all be butchered. The Invincibles looked thoroughly embarrassed, momentarily rendered speechless. Soon, an Immortal King laughed. "King Daqin must be joking. Though Xia Longwu has yet to attain the Dao, he holds the title of Blood Slaughter King. How could he possibly lower himself to squabble with juniors?" *Stop joking! Let's negotiate properly. Why jump straight to such extremes? If Xia Longwu gets involved, everything is ruined.* At that moment, King Daxia spoke coldly: "You want to go to Nanyuan? Nanyuan is the territory of my Great Xia Prefecture! You think you can go just because you want to? Have you asked me? Have you asked my blade?" Several figures grumbled internally. Soon, someone laughed. "Why must King Daxia be so belligerent? The Great Xia Prefecture already hosts geniuses from various races. Xia Longwu is about to attain the Dao; doing so in peace and harmony is far better than the alternative." This was a thinly veiled threat. *Cooperate, and Xia Longwu's ascension will go smoothly. Be difficult, and his path to the Dao will become perilous.* King Daxia sneered darkly. "Stop threatening me with that! Even if we concede, would you truly spare Longwu? My son is too naive, and so is Wan Tiansheng, always believing that appeasement offers a chance. How foolish! Would you spare him? I don't believe you would for a second!" The Invincibles fell silent. Still, an Immortal King offered a placating smile. "King Daxia, Xia Longwu's ascension is a glorious milestone. Even if other races object, our Immortal race would be pleased to see it succeed…" Hypocrite! Many cursed inwardly. The Immortal Kings of the Immortal race had always been sickeningly deceitful. Would the Immortals truly sit back and watch? Who would believe such nonsense? Another Invincible interjected, "Trading slots for the Star Residence Mansion in exchange for access to Nanyuan is hardly a losing bargain for humanity!" They were paying a price, after all; why must humanity resist so stubbornly? King Daqin pondered briefly before speaking: "If you want entry, you may have it! No one will guarantee their safety. I can only promise that experts from the two Holy Lands at or above the Sun Moon Realm will not intervene. Furthermore, for every genius who enters, you must yield one mansion slot. For an early-stage Sun Moon, two slots; four for mid-stage; eight for late-stage!" *You want to enter? Trade slots for it!* King Daqin declared coldly, "And the slots I speak of must be outside humanity's baseline allocation. This time, when the Star Residence Mansion opens, humanity requires six hundred slots!" Some fell silent; others sneered. *Dream on!* At this point, an expert of the Dragon race spoke up: "The East has always been divided equally between my race and humanity. Out of the 810 slots in the East, if humanity takes 600, does that not leave my race with a mere 210?" King Daqin retorted chillingly, "Were it not for the suppression of the Gods and Demons, would your Dragon race even be worthy? Don't refuse face when it is given! Do you truly believe we cannot crush you? If the Dragon race wishes to serve as the vanguard in annihilating humanity, then step forward and try! Before humanity falls, we will ensure your Dragon race is wiped out first!" Murderous intent erupted with terrifying intensity! The Dragon race expert who had spoken faltered, his heart trembling. King Daqin! The foremost powerhouse of the human race! "Hmph!" King Daqin snorted. "I will not be unreasonable. If six hundred is unacceptable, then five hundred—that is our bottom line! Do not haggle any further. If the Dragon race is dissatisfied, you are welcome to wage war. Never mistake humanity's forbearance for fear!" Historically, the slots in the East had been divided between humanity and the Dragons, with various beast and ancient races also taking a share. The Dragon King, shaken, ventured again: "If humanity takes five hundred, my race must still share the remainder with the other beast and ancient races…" "Indeed!" King Daqin replied indifferently. "If your Dragon race has the strength, you don't have to share! If you do not even fear my human race, why fear those ancient and minor races? Or do you believe… that humanity is weaker than them?" Silence reigned. The Dragon King's thoughts churned. Soon, someone chuckled smoothly. "King Daqin, there is no need for such tension. Numerous geniuses and powerhouses are entering this time, so humanity will already claim an abundance of slots. How about both sides take a step back? Humanity takes four hundred slots, and the remaining one hundred are allocated to the top one hundred races, one for each… That way, we avoid provoking their ire." Minor races had rights too, after all! Of course, the great races wouldn't surrender their own shares; humanity would have to provide those one hundred slots. King Daqin's gaze turned frigid. Another God King laughed. "King Daqin, that is already quite generous! This time, over a hundred geniuses from various races wish to enter, along with their Dao protectors. According to our agreement, we will yield two to three hundred slots to humanity. Added together, your total allocation may very well surpass my race's!" "Indeed, King Daqin. The opportunities within the Star Residence Mansion far surpass whatever lies in Nanyuan. Why must humanity insist on opposing all the races…" King Daqin cut him off coldly: "Spare me the platitudes. Would the Gods and Demons ever allow humanity to harvest the opportunities in your realms?" "Haha… If King Daqin desires, you are welcome to send human geniuses to our realms for tempering!" a Demon King laughed heartily. *Be our guest! Send them right over!* King Daqin was instantly left speechless. It was a bitter pill to swallow. The human race had too few mid-generation powerhouses. Today, the pillars of humanity were overwhelmingly those born over three hundred years ago. That era had birthed a great number of Invincibles. Yet that same era had thoroughly depleted the Human Realm's latent fortunes and resources—an inevitable consequence. As a result, over the past few centuries, the younger human generations had been unable to surpass their predecessors. It wasn't a matter of innate talent, but of poor timing, lacking both opportunity and resources. Moreover, that earlier era had been fraught with extreme crisis, which brought forth extraordinary fortunes. The current Human Realm lacked that same existential urgency. Being cornered like this left King Daqin feeling thoroughly slighted. He cursed inwardly. *Sooner or later, I will make you pay!* Right now, the various races called this a negotiation, but it was blatant coercion. Refusal was not an option; if humanity refused, they would force their way in regardless. Furthermore, the borders would face heightened peril as the other races sought to pin humanity's forces down. King Daqin fell silent for a moment, conferring privately with several other Invincibles. Finally, he spoke: "So be it!" "Splendid!" A chorus of booming laughter resonated through the void. The outcome had been entirely expected. On the human side, silence reigned. There was no sense of triumph; even though they had secured additional slots for the Star Residence Mansion, none of them felt the slightest joy. …… On this day, humanity and the various races concluded an agreement, granting entry to selected geniuses and their Dao protectors. …… On this day, Marquis Xia and his inner circle received the news, their faces splitting into broad grins. Just as they had anticipated! They had originally assumed the other races would sneak in, but entering openly was even better. It was about time the Nanyuan ruins showed some signs of life. If nothing happened soon, what if the visitors lost patience and left? This tiny Great Xia Prefecture was about to draw the powerhouses and prodigies of the entire myriad heavens. And on this very day, within various secluded minor realms, human geniuses—some arrogant, some reserved, some profound and brooding—began their journey toward the Human Realm. The Human Realm: they were coming!