Civilization Tomb Stele

Su Yu was still unaware of the discussions taking place among the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's upper echelon. Soon, however, intelligence was relayed to him. This time, the fee could not be low; it had to be exceedingly high. Su Yu asking for a mere single drop of Sun Moon blood essence was an insult to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. The pavilion was infamous for being ruthless and rapacious—Su Yu himself had cursed them for it countless times. How could such vital intelligence be sold so cheaply? Charging an entry fee to join a communication group was hardly Su Yu's original invention; it was an old tradition of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! Last time, Su Yu had been infuriated over this exact practice and refused to participate in the negotiations. To convince him to attend, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had even handed Niu Baidao two hundred strands of Heaven and Earth Profound Light. Back then, the pavilion had brazenly demanded one drop of Sun Moon blood essence just for the privilege of spectating the negotiations. This time, the information was far more precious than before. …… Soon, Su Yu faithfully carried out the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's directives! Everyone holding a Heaven Hunting sub-ranking received a message from the pavilion: details concerning the ruin were being released to a select circle. To join the channel, the fee was ten drops of Sun Moon blood essence. One was also free to learn the news through word of mouth from others. Of course, if you trusted others, that was entirely fine! Yet no information was more reliable than firsthand intelligence. If someone else passed it on to you, would you dare believe it? This was precisely how trust between people eroded. Having been swindled so many times, who dared trust an outsider? When the Heaven Hunting Pavilion sold intelligence, its credibility was solid—exceptionally high, in fact. Barring genuine ignorance, as long as you could meet their price, they would provide accurate information. …… "Ten drops?!" At that moment, countless people in Nanyuan began cursing aloud! Inside a courtyard, someone turned to Yuan Qingdong and blurted, "This information must be coming from that Xuan Jiu, right? Why didn't you just beat that bastard to death last time!" Yuan Qingdong was rendered speechless. *Get lost!* *I was the one almost beaten to death by him!* Of course, he didn't dare speak the truth. According to Yuan Qingdong's public account, he had been ambushed and gravely wounded by mid-stage Sun Moon experts like Cai Yi; he was too embarrassed to admit that Xuan Jiu had nearly pummeled him to death. Having only just arrived himself, Yuan Qingdong pondered for a moment before saying, "The higher the price, the more vital and accurate the intelligence!" That did make sense! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion wouldn't arbitrarily demand such an exorbitant price. There had to be something of monumental importance; otherwise, they could never justify it. "Then we only need to buy a single share! Having just one person join is already expensive enough!" Even these second- and third-generation scions of Invincibles balked at the cost. Ten drops of Sun Moon blood essence was genuinely exorbitant. That was equivalent to slaughtering a Sun Moon expert and stripping them of their blood essence. And all for a single piece of intelligence! Just like Su Yu last time, fighting tooth and nail and deceiving the all-heavens races, he still might not have made as much profit as the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. In every era, intelligence brokering remained the most lucrative business of all. Yuan Qingdong had no objections. There were plenty of people in their group, all hailing from prestigious clans and all in the Sun Moon Realm. Pooling ten drops of Sun Moon blood essence meant each person only had to contribute a single drop. Divided among them, the burden was light. "I have no objection!" Yuan Qingdong nodded, then added after brief consideration, "Still, once we obtain the intelligence... we'd better keep a low profile. Don't stick your necks out. The Great Xia Prefecture has been crawling with experts lately, and things are far from peaceful." "What is there for us to fear?" Someone dismissed his warning with a laugh. "Qingdong, have you grown more cowardly since coming to the Great Xia Prefecture? You suffered a minor injury this time, but it's nothing severe. You've made quite a name for yourself at the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy, haven't you? Wouldn't the Xia family have to show you some deference?" *You're dreaming!* *To hell with that!* Of course, their misconception was largely due to his own boasting. He had never dared—or rather, was too humiliated—to admit how miserable his life had been here, where practically anyone dared cross him. Usually, when he submitted reports to the Quest Realm, he embellished them somewhat, leaving everyone with the impression that he was doing quite well. He had supposedly commanded considerable respect in the Great Xia Prefecture. Otherwise, why would Ji Hong and Hu Dehao have rushed out to rescue him this time? If his standing were truly pathetic, wouldn't they have simply left him to die? A complete misjudgment! Yuan Qingdong offered no explanation. If he admitted he had brought them along merely to serve as his meat shields, they would probably tear him to shreds on the spot. He certainly wasn't going to say that. Aside from Yuan Qingdong, the Great Xia Prefecture was home to another Sun Moon from the Quest Realm: a member of the Zheng family. Following Jin Yuhui's death, the Jiutian Academy had lost its prefect. The Quest Realm had appointed a new prefect, Zheng Yunhe, who had been reassigned at the same time as Yuan Qingdong. There was also a third person reassigned to the Great Ming Cultural Research Academy, but before he could even reach his post, he had been sent packing. At this moment, Zheng Yunhe stood among the crowd, glancing sideways at Yuan Qingdong without uttering a word. *Doing well?* *Pure rubbish!* In any case, he, Zheng Yunhe, had been having a terrible time, and Yuan Qingdong was in the same boat, if not worse off. However, both men had reputations to uphold. No matter how miserable their plight in the Great Xia Prefecture, they still had to save face and could not confess the truth to others. The two shared a mutual, unspoken understanding and held their tongues. These fools had never tasted a real beating; they didn't know a damn thing. In the Great Xia Prefecture, one had to watch their back constantly lest they lose their life. It was perilous as hell! Now that they had brought along so many people to bolster their momentum, both felt significantly relieved. Living within the Great Xia Prefecture, they had already sensed a chilling aura of slaughter looming in the air. "Then let's pay up, purchase the intelligence, and wait for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion to release the news regarding the ruin!" Soon, they reached a final decision. Pay for the intelligence! As for whether others bought it, that was none of their concern. At this stage, the wealthy purchased it individually, while those short on funds pooled their resources. Either way, no one wanted secondhand intelligence—who knew whether someone might tamper with it to set a trap? …… Similar scenes played out across Nanyuan and throughout the entire Great Xia Prefecture. Not only that, but the Human Realm branch had also granted Su Yu additional permissions. Publicly disseminated intelligence like this could now be broadcast across the entire Human Realm, allowing anyone to purchase entry and join the channel. …… Not far from Nanyuan. Moduona wandered across the wilderness, chuckling as he looked into the distance. "Huang Teng, why are you following me?" Farther away, Huang Teng stood proudly with his saber in hand, keeping a respectful distance from Moduona. Hearing the question, he smiled. "I was worried you might lose your way, so I came along to see you off!" Moduona ignored him and continued forward. He walked at an unhurried pace. Having arrived in the Human Realm for the first time, he wanted to explore more and see more. Compared to the Demon Realm, the Human Realm was somewhat more serene, yet the Great Xia Prefecture was thick with an air of lethal intent. After walking for a while, he suddenly remarked, "Are you familiar with this Xuan Jiu of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion?" "Hmm?" Caught off guard, Huang Teng quickly replied, "How could I be familiar with him? The Great Xia Prefecture will execute him without fail! Moduona, now that you've entered the Human Realm, I doubt you'll make it back alive!" "Is that so?" Moduona gave a faint smile. "Setting that aside, I am rather intrigued by this Xuan Jiu. I've learned a bit about his actions since arriving in the Human Realm. Do you think he belongs to the younger generation or the older generation?" "If he belonged to the younger generation, he would have made the Heaven Hunting Ranking long ago!" "And yet, I don't believe he's very old. The older generation tends to be more prudent." That was Moduona's assessment. He felt Xuan Jiu was relatively young and full of youthful vigor; otherwise, there would be no reason to exact vengeance upon the Xia family. Older experts tended to be far more measured, having weathered far more. In particular, anyone who attained the status of a white mask on the All-Heavens Battlefield had seen plenty of bloodshed. Xuan Jiu carried a distinct aura of vitality and youth. Huang Teng had no interest in debating this. His assignment was to shadow Moduona, not to kill him; he lacked the strength to kill Moduona anyway. Although someone like Moduona seemed understated, he was exceedingly arrogant in truth. If anyone else were sent to monitor him, Moduona might casually swat them dead with a single palm. Only a prodigy on the Heaven Hunting Ranking could exchange a few words with him. Prodigies were all like this. If you weren't one of their peers, they wouldn't spare you a glance even if you were stronger than them. Consequently, very few people in the Human Realm were qualified to keep tabs on Moduona. Qin Fang had run off to shadow Zhan Wushuang, while the other human prodigies on the Heaven Hunting Ranking had their own targets—Wu Qi, for instance, had gone to watch Mingyue. The human race also occupied a few spots on the Heaven Hunting Ranking, though their numbers were few. This time, even Shan Xiong and the others had returned. While they might have had internal friction in ordinary times, the human prodigies were now entirely focused on these geniuses from the myriad races. Moduona suddenly asked, "Do you want to know what intelligence Xuan Jiu obtained in Nanyuan?" "What do you mean?" "Care to listen in?" "I'm broke!" Huang Teng replied bluntly. *I have no money.* *Sorry, can't join! Ah well!* Moduona chuckled. "No matter. I'll join and hear it out, then share it with you later. Perhaps... it will prove quite entertaining. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion rarely charges such a steep intelligence fee. Ten drops of Sun Moon blood essence for a single piece of news—I imagine it must be of paramount importance." "Moduona, you talk too much." "I've only just arrived; everything feels unfamiliar." Moduona replied with a faint smile, "I know little of the Human Realm, and there are few people I can speak with. You're somewhat familiar to me, so I spoke a few extra words. In an unfamiliar environment, one inevitably feels a bit uneasy." "You feel uneasy?" Taken aback, Huang Teng laughed. "*You* actually feel uneasy?" "Why wouldn't I?" Moduona said calmly, "No matter how formidable an expert is, or how gifted a genius may be, entering an unfamiliar territory where your clan's Invincibles cannot descend—isn't a touch of apprehension only natural?" "Fair point!" Huang Teng chuckled. "I'm curious about one thing: exactly how many body casts have you completed?" "What do you think?" "At least forty or more!" Huang Teng smiled. "Am I right?" Moduona smiled without answering. Whatever Huang Teng believed, so be it. "How did you manage it?" Huang Teng asked out of genuine curiosity, "After thirty-six body casts, attempting further casts runs into three hurdles: first, cultivation techniques don't permit it; second, the physical body reaches its limits; third, the resource consumption is astronomical. You don't appear to have simply performed a thirty-seventh or thirty-eighth body cast in the conventional sense." "Shouldn't you direct that question to your human race's Su Yu?" Moduona remarked calmly, "When he slaughtered that Sun Moon expert of the Red Frog race, he didn't seem to rely on external means. Even before consuming innate blood essence later on, he fought his opponent to a standstill from the very beginning. Su Yu... is likely no weaker than I am, and perhaps even stronger." Huang Teng nodded and said after a moment's thought, "That's true. But... Su Yu isn't close with me. Besides, when he fled the Great Xia Prefecture, he harbored grievances against it. Even if I went and asked him, he wouldn't necessarily tell me." Moduona said nothing more and chose to join the group channel. A moment later, a figure manifested. It was not a white mask, but a Faceless Elder. Moduona's expression stirred slightly. "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion is bold indeed, dispatching a Faceless Elder to collect fees in person. Aren't you afraid of being ambushed and killed?" The Faceless Elder collecting the fee replied in an ethereal voice, "We might worry about others, but Demon Sovereign Moduona can be trusted. Unless you possess the ability to slay me yourself, you wouldn't summon others to stage an ambush, would you?" Moduona gave a faint smile. "Perhaps! When I am capable of killing you... I hope you're still alive." "May your auspicious words come to pass, Demon Sovereign!" The elder chuckled. Shortly after, Moduona paid the fee. Once the Faceless Elder secured the payment, he vanished on the spot in an instant. Moduona watched the elder depart, inhaling softly. "It seems the Heaven Hunting Pavilion truly places immense weight on this matter; even elders are personally collecting the fees!" In the past, such tasks were handled by personnel from the Earth and Black Departments. Having a white mask show up was already a sign of high importance, but this time, an elder had come in person. This was an expert at the high stages of the Sun Moon Realm! Huang Teng paid him no mind, appearing to communicate with someone. Moments later, the void trembled, and a powerhouse materialized. Without wasting words, Huang Teng pointed in a certain direction, and the powerhouse vanished in an instant. Moduona cast a glance. Once the figure was gone, he spoke up: "The Great Xia Prefecture has deployed all its forces to hunt down the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's experts this time. Is it truly worth it?" The Xia family had recalled an unprecedented number of experts. Several late-stage Sun Moons stationed in minor realms, as well as those assigned to the All-Heavens Prefecture, had all been recalled. In addition, Chief Hu, General Zhao, the commanders of the prefectural army, Marquis Xia... A massive gathering of experts. Aside from the commander of the Demon Suppression Army who remained on the All-Heavens Battlefield, nearly all late-stage Sun Moons had been summoned back. Right now, these powerhouses were patrolling outside, hunting down the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's operatives. At present, the strongest presence inside the Great Xia Prefectural City was not a human, but the White Dragon guarding the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy—the mount of the Second Generation. This was an unprecedented situation. Huang Teng smiled and said, "There's nothing unworthy about it. With the Prefect preparing to attain the Dao, the Xia family has suffered repeated humiliations. This time, we must fight to our heart's content no matter what. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion dared bully the Xia family and the Great Xia Prefecture as though we had no one left. Naturally, they must pay the price!" "Not necessarily. That organization has endured for countless eras. The Demon King of my clan once stated that the Heaven Hunting Pavilion existed as far back as the ancient era. They may even harbor surviving ancient Invincibles. Your Great Xia Prefecture... might find them an impossible match." "We'll see!" Huang Teng chuckled. "Even if we can't annihilate them, we will make them understand that taking a single life of the Xia family will be repaid a hundredfold!" Moduona didn't care to argue further. Raising his sub-ranking, he joined the group channel and waited for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion to release the news. …… Throughout the day, Faceless Elders and Sun Moon white masks appeared across various regions to collect payments. It felt almost like being back on the All-Heavens Battlefield! Of course, the forces mobilized here were even greater. The majority of fee collectors were elders in person; some elders even clashed with clients, sparking several brief skirmishes. …… Heaven Hunting Pavilion, Great Xia Prefecture Branch. This was the location Su Yu oversaw. At this moment, streams of messages were compiled and routed to him. Soon, Su Yu smiled. "It seems there truly are plenty of wealthy people. As of now, one hundred and sixteen powerhouses or factions have chosen to purchase the intelligence!" Over eleven hundred drops of Sun Moon blood essence—almost half the resources Su Yu had swindled from the god race. Truly filthy rich! From these proceeds, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion would deduct overhead costs, which included compensation for the elders collecting the fees. Meanwhile, as the provider and organizer of the intelligence, and the one who had expanded this business line, Su Yu was entitled to thirty percent of the profits as a performance reward. An enormous windfall! Bai Yi and the other white masks were filled with envy. "Xuan Jiu, you're about to make a fortune!" Su Yu said indifferently, "A fortune? I'm a dying man who consumes astronomical amounts of Heaven Yuan Qi every single day. If this ruin cannot help me break free, what good is all the wealth in the world? If I don't earn some more, my years of savings won't even cover the deficit. Headquarters only reimburses seventy percent, and the remaining thirty percent alone is enough to bleed me dry!" Bai Yi thought about it and found it made sense, feeling a pang of sympathy. He offered comforting words: "Don't worry. If you can enter the ruin this time and thoroughly sever the death qi channel, the Disciplinary Elder will help sever the link, and you will be free!" When Xuan Jiu was converted, the dead spirit responsible had likely only been at the Shanhai or Sun Moon Realm. Severing that channel would not be overly difficult. Su Yu, however, shook his head. "It isn't that simple. Once the dead spirit responsible for converting me has its channel severed, it will appear in Xinghong Ancient City. It would be best to kill it right then, giving it no chance or means to hand me over to a higher-ranking dead spirit—only then would I have hope of liberation! But as things stand... Su Yu controls the city. Who would be willing to slay a Sun Moon dead spirit on my behalf?" Su Yu gave a self-deprecating laugh. "In truth... I understand many things; the elders are merely placating me! But no matter. Once the channel is severed, I can remain unaffected by death qi for a short period. It will take time for that dead spirit to establish a new channel, which buys me time as well!" Hearing this, several white masks felt a surge of sympathy and were at a loss for words. Some understood the mechanics, while others did not. Yet with Xuan Jiu laying it bare, everything became clear. Severing the channel was not enough; the dead spirit had to be slain as well. In ordinary times, that wouldn't pose much of an issue. For an early-stage Sun Moon dead spirit, dispatching an elder to kill it would spawn a mid-stage Sun Moon dead spirit. As long as no more dead spirits were killed, one would merely need to hide for three days. Once the city gates opened after three days, one could depart smoothly. Yet now... Su Yu was in control of Xinghong Ancient City! That complicated matters tremendously! Bai Yi considered it, then offered soothing words: "Actually, there might still be a way. Su Yu is quite greedy; money might solve the problem! As long as he doesn't make things difficult for the elder entering the city to slay the dead spirit, there shouldn't be an issue." Su Yu said indifferently, "We'll see. His appetite is immense, and having made a massive fortune recently, he might not care for money anymore. Besides... I've killed members of the Xia family, and he originally hails from the Great Xia Prefecture, after all..." At these words, even Bai Yi had no counterargument. Forget it, no point in comforting him further. Su Yu didn't dwell on it either. Leaning back in his chair, he remarked nonchalantly, "Su Yu... sigh! If one day I could become a city lord just like him, that would be my greatest dream. He won't live long; I suspect I might outlive him. Once he dies, perhaps... I'll have a chance to take over his post." Bai Yi nodded. "He acts so recklessly, even compelling the stone sculpture to strike and leaving the city. He certainly won't live long!" Su Yu chuckled. "I'd love nothing more than for him to strike a few more times so he dies all the faster!" After bantering for a while, the other white masks listened in silence. When Su Yu conversed with Bai Yi, even those among them who had reached the Sun Moon Realm could hardly interject. Soon, Su Yu's spirits lifted as a message arrived from the Eighth Elder. "Xuan Jiu, you may release the intelligence!" "Understood!" Su Yu quickly replied. …… At this moment, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion pulled all those who had paid the intelligence fee into a shared communication channel. There were quite a few participants! Counting the Heaven Hunting Pavilion members, the number exceeded one hundred and twenty. Practically every individual here represented a major faction, most backed by Invincibles. Without such backing, it would have been difficult to afford such an exorbitant fee. And for this session, Su Yu was the primary host delivering the intelligence. Of course, even as the presenter, his status wasn't high enough to access certain classified details, so Su Yu didn't actually know how many people were present or which factions they hailed from. Naturally, he knew some of them—he recognized almost all the clients he had recruited himself. The new channel was deathly quiet. No one spoke, like a pool of stagnant water, but Su Yu knew everyone was watching intently in silence. "I am Xuan Jiu!" That was the opening line. "Are there any experts who have scouted intelligence in Nanyuan? If you have gleaned any news yourselves, feel free to speak up and compare it against what I am about to say, lest you believe the Heaven Hunting Pavilion charges fees arbitrarily!" "This time, I took immense risks to gather this information. If anyone finds it hard to believe, you may find a Sun Moon ancient city resident and use death qi techniques to investigate; perhaps you will detect something!" "Alternatively, find a quasi-Invincible or even an Invincible to search inch by inch. I believe there is also a good chance of investigating it thoroughly." Someone finally spoke up: "Xuan Jiu, cut the nonsense. We paid to hear intelligence. Since we've spent the money, we naturally choose to trust the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. As for whether the news is true or false, we will judge for ourselves!" They didn't rule out verifying it later, but they wanted to hear the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's report first. "Very well. I will speak first. If anyone has questions, you may ask. Anything falling within the scope of this intelligence will be answered free of charge; for inquiries beyond it, you may contact me privately for paid answers!" "To summarize briefly: first, the Nanyuan ruin is real!" At these words, the channel fell silent for a moment. No one questioned him, perhaps holding their tongues until he finished speaking. "Second, this ruin should belong to a Civilization Master, not a warrior!" Instantly, someone asked, "What proof do you have?" "Calm yourselves, let me finish!" "Third, I have named this ruin the Civilization Ruin!" Someone quickly chimed in, "Have you entered it?" "No. Through certain means, I conducted remote reconnaissance from afar. If I had truly entered, all of you would know, because I don't know the exact method of entry. Forcing a way in... would likely cause an immense commotion. That brings me to my next point: once this ruin opens, it probably cannot be entered discreetly. It is likely to trigger an enormous disturbance!" Someone cursed silently! Then this was going to be troublesome! "Then how was Su Yu able to enter in secret?" "Go ask Su Yu; I cannot answer that for you. Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps he mastered the method of entry!" Su Yu sneered internally. *Nonsense, because I built it myself.* Of course, these people assumed this ruin was the one he had previously controlled... Then again, damn it, he had never controlled any ruin in the first place! "Fourth, the tier of this ruin is almost certainly that of an Invincible, because it contains carriers. This is not merely my own assessment, but the conclusion drawn by experts within our pavilion, as what I observed were two treasures endowed with spirituality..." At these words, had this not been an ethereal conference, one would have heard ragged gasps echoing all around. …… At that very moment. In the Great Ming Prefecture, Zhu Tiandao blinked in bewilderment. *True or false?* *Isn't the ruin completely fake?* *How dare this brat Su Yu swindle people like this? If the ruin is exposed, won't everyone immediately realize something is wrong?* *This kid... then again, it couldn't actually be real, could it?* …… Similarly. In the Great Xia Prefecture. Marquis Xia and Xia Huyou exchanged glances. Marquis Xia said with a strange expression, "Carriers? This guy truly dares say anything. If everyone enters the ruin and finds nothing, the truth will be exposed in an instant!" Xia Huyou hesitated. "He said our ruin wouldn't cut it. Could he... have brought out his own, replacing our fake ruin with a real one? Look at how he speaks—it sounds completely genuine!" Marquis Xia was uncertain as well; this was difficult to gauge. …… At this moment, whether human or foreign races, everyone was frantically processing this information. "Fifth, this place contains a Heaven Yuan fruit tree and can be regarded as a Heaven Yuan Sacred Ground!" "Sixth, and most crucially: the Heaven Hunting Pavilion originally had no intention of selling this news externally. If it were solely the first five points, this intelligence would only be worth one drop of Sun Moon blood essence. The final point alone is worth nine drops!" At these words, everyone focused their undivided attention. The first five pieces of news had already convinced them that their money had been well spent. And yet, they amounted to only one-ninth of the final revelation's value? Su Yu continued, "This piece of news is something I believe Civilization Masters will value even more. If the Great Xia Prefecture is secretly monitoring this channel, perhaps... your prefecture might want to send Hong Tan and the others from the multiple divine characters faction to take a look... Hahaha, consider this a complimentary bonus; I hope we can coexist peacefully with the Great Xia Prefecture!" Hearing this, everyone paid even closer attention. Someone urged impatiently, "Xuan Jiu, stop keeping us in suspense, out with it!" "A civilization tomb! Inside rests a Civilization Tomb Stele!" "……" Blank bewilderment. Most people were completely at a loss. Yet at that exact moment, an expert spoke up: "Is this statement true?" "Entirely true!" "Xuan Jiu, if you dare utter a falsehood, my Nether race will wage an unending war against your Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" "I wouldn't dare. So it is an exalted senior of the Nether race. I guarantee the news is authentic!" The Nether race—one of the ancient races. At this moment, in the Human Realm, a certain Nether race powerhouse's expression shifted drastically! He didn't care about exposing his identity. A Civilization Tomb Stele! This place actually contained a Civilization Tomb Stele! Soon, he directly abandoned Mingyue and transmitted his voice: "Be careful and refrain from provoking powerhouses for now. I am going to report to Lord Nether King!" "Elder, you can convey it through the Heaven Hunting Pavilion; they can establish contact with the All-Heavens Battlefield as well!" The Nether race powerhouse froze. *That's right.* He had nearly forgotten in the heat of the moment! The news was simply too monumental. Mingyue asked curiously, "Elder, what is a Civilization Tomb Stele?" "I don't know." "Huh?" Mingyue was speechless. If you didn't know, why were you so agitated? The Nether race powerhouse said in a low voice, "Yet at a gathering several centuries ago, Lord Nether Emperor once remarked with regret... that the Civilization Tomb Stele could no longer be found. If it were discovered, it might allow him to take another step forward!" At these words, Mingyue's expression changed dramatically! The Nether Emperor? The supreme powerhouse of the Nether race, an ancient existence. The reason ancient races were called ancient was because their heritage had remained virtually unbroken from antiquity to the present day—though naturally, some legacies had still been lost to time. The Nether Emperor might not be an ancient Invincible, but he had existed for an exceedingly long era. "Elder, this..." "Ask no further. There may be other races that know of the Civilization Tomb Stele. This time... things have become complicated!" The Nether race powerhouse frowned. "This might no longer be a contest restricted to geniuses. Be on your guard; I suspect that in the end, Invincibles might personally descend via their three incarnations or avatars!" "Understood!" "……" At this moment, they were not the only ones discussing this; experts from several ancient races were also engaged in frantic deliberations. Even though the rest remained ignorant of the details, seeing multiple powerhouses from ancient races personally inquiring about its authenticity in deeply shaken tones made it clear to everyone that this Civilization Tomb Stele was extraordinary. It inspired profound awe despite their lack of understanding! Although some had felt that valuing this final piece of news at nine drops of Sun Moon blood essence was excessive, they now felt it was worth every drop. They seemed to have stumbled upon some monumental secret! The Civilization Tomb Stele! At that moment, the term was indelibly seared into everyone's mind. …… Heaven Hunting Pavilion, Great Xia Prefecture Branch. Su Yu continued, "I imagine those who understand this news realize how immense its value is! Those who don't needn't worry either. You only need to know that this item is priceless. Should you obtain it, trading it with a major race for three to five carriers won't be an issue at all—that alone speaks volumes!" "Alternatively, sell it directly to our Heaven Hunting Pavilion. My pavilion is willing to acquire it for three carriers!" At these words, even those who didn't understand grasped it in an instant! *Holy shit!* *It's that valuable?!* Right then, other powerhouses chimed in as well. "If my god race fails to obtain it, we are also willing to purchase it at a high price—one that will definitely exceed three carriers!" "The demon race will secure it. If we do not, we also hope that whoever obtains it will sell it to our demon race!" "……" All at once, those lurking in the shadows could no longer stay silent. Just in case! What if they failed to seize it? Naturally, they would have to buy it! A Civilization Tomb Stele! This item was genuinely more precious than a carrier; or rather, it could serve as a carrier itself, potentially far more formidable than an ordinary one. Those who hadn't understood now comprehended completely. Their eyes turned bloodshot with greed! *Damn, this is far too precious! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion offered three carriers without batting an eye—that's terrifying!* …… Inside Nanyuan City. Yuan Qingdong and his cohort were all swallowing hard. Even as scions of Invincibles, they had never laid eyes on a single carrier in their entire lives. Yet this ruin held at least two carriers, and combined with the Civilization Tomb Stele, the haul started at a minimum of five carriers! At this moment, several Sun Moons hurriedly transmitted messages in secret to contact the elders within their clans! Five! That was the baseline estimate! There might be even more. This was an unprecedentedly magnificent ruin! At that instant, various factions—and even several Invincibles—received the news: a Civilization Tomb Stele had surfaced. Not only that, but carriers as well. Along with countless heavenly treasures! This new ruin in Nanyuan was extraordinarily opulent, perhaps capable of giving birth to two or three Invincibles. …… Right at this moment. Inside the Great Xia Prefecture. Marquis Xia furrowed his brows, while Xia Huyou asked in bewilderment, "Second Grandpa, what is a Civilization Tomb Stele?" Marquis Xia fell into deep contemplation. "A Civilization Tomb Stele... Civilization Tomb Stele... I don't know much about it either. Your Great-Grandpa might know!" He truly lacked clear knowledge of it, yet the name sounded vaguely familiar. Marquis Xia said no more and quickly transmitted a message to King Daxia through their private channels. It went first to the All-Heavens Prefecture, and was then relayed to King Daxia. The transmission was swift. After all, this was within the Human Realm, far more convenient than communication for external factions. A moment later, Marquis Xia received a reply. Deciphering it, he promptly obtained his answer: "Protect this object. Return it to Su Yu or Hong Tan..." Marquis Xia was stunned. *Protect it, rather than seize it.* *Return it to Su Yu or Hong Tan!* He seemed to realize what this Civilization Tomb Stele was. At that moment, an intricate mix of emotions washed over Marquis Xia. Looking at Xia Huyou, he let out a soft sigh and murmured, "This is the root of the multiple divine characters faction! And the root left behind by my uncle..." His uncle, Xia Chen. The First-Generation Prefect! Having failed to attain the Dao, he had established the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy and ultimately perished on the path of Dao attainment. And the multiple divine character battle technique stele was the root he had left behind. It was the supreme heirloom of the multiple divine character lineage. In this instant, Marquis Xia understood. The ruin might be fake, or it might be real, but the Civilization Tomb Stele was almost certainly genuine. To draw everyone's attention, Su Yu had placed it inside! His feelings were deeply conflicted! If this item were lost or destroyed, then the multiple divine characters faction... might truly be extinguished forever. …… In the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's public channel, countless powerhouses pressed for answers. "Where is the exact entrance?" "Xuan Jiu, tell us!" "We are willing to pay an enormous price to buy the location!" "Heaven Hunting Pavilion, your intelligence reveals everything except the entrance. Are you intending to monopolize it?" "……" A Civilization Tomb Stele and carriers—these were supreme treasures. Everyone was burning with impatience, yet terrified that the Heaven Hunting Pavilion might hoard them all. Su Yu replied placidly, "If we intended to monopolize it, why bother selling intelligence? We could have simply kept you all in the dark! As for the entrance... what I observed might not be the true entrance. However, my assessment is that this ruin may open on its own initiative. Furthermore, I estimate that if experts from the divine characters faction arrive from the Great Xia Prefecture, they might be able to trigger its opening. If anyone from the Great Xia Prefecture is watching, you may give it a try!" At these words, someone quickly chimed in, "Indeed! If the Civilization Tomb Stele is inside, people from the Great Xia Prefecture might very well be able to open it. Hong Tan... yes, Hong Tan might be able to! Not just Hong Tan, but anyone from the multiple divine characters faction might succeed. Legend has it that the Civilization Tomb Stele was left behind by ancient Invincible Civilization Masters, and ancient Invincible Civilization Masters... all belonged to the multiple divine characters faction!" This statement sent another tremor through those who had been in the dark. *What is going on? This thing is actually tied to the multiple divine characters faction?!* Some human powerhouses read this and thought to themselves: *Our prefecture has multiple divine character Civilization Masters too!* *Perhaps... this is our chance as well!* At that moment, the news spread like wildfire once more. Several multiple divine character Civilization Masters who had only recently entered the realm received urgent orders: head to Nanyuan immediately—at once! This might be a stupendous opportunity! Su Yu paid them no further heed, continuing, "That is the extent of the intelligence. I guarantee everything I have said is true. As for whether you believe it, simply wait and see. Even without anyone activating it, this ruin will likely manifest before long. The Civilization Mansion is opening its doors to all. We look forward to cooperating with everyone again next time!" The channel vanished, and all participants were kicked out. Yet the subsequent shockwaves were greater than anyone could have imagined!