Meeting the Elders

The emergence of the Civilization Tomb Stele sent shockwaves rippling in every direction. …… In the God Realm. Several God Kings gathered before a colossal bronze palace that exuded an ancient, weathered aura. "Emperor, the Civilization Tomb Stele has appeared!" a God King called out in a low voice from outside the hall. Moments later, an aged, weathered voice drifted from within. "The Civilization Tomb Stele... Did Xia Chen not take the Civilization Tomb Stele back in the day?" Clearly, this God Emperor was puzzled. He had always believed the Civilization Tomb Stele was in Xia Chen's hands. "It is unclear, but according to intelligence from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, the Civilization Tomb Stele has indeed appeared—inside the Nanyuan ruin!" "Nanyuan? The Human Realm's Nanyuan?" the God Emperor murmured softly. "The Four Cardinals of Origin—East, South, West, North... In the ancient era, who was the sovereign of the South Origin?" The God Kings remained silent. Inside the hall, the ancient God Emperor spoke as if in a daze once more. "The seas turn to mulberry fields, and the heritage was severed. Perhaps... only the most ancient beings still know any of those bygone secrets." "Does our Emperor not know either?" one God King asked in confusion. The God Emperor's indifferent voice drifted out. "I was born after the ancient era. The previous God Emperor was deeply secretive regarding ancient matters and never spoke of them. On the rare occasions he mentioned the ancient past, he merely touched upon it before stopping." The God Kings were born even later than he was, so naturally, they knew nothing of these things either. Another God King asked, "Emperor, then the Civilization Tomb Stele..." In truth, they did not know the stele's precise function, but the God Emperor had once mentioned that it might be in the Great Xia Prefecture, in the hands of Xia Chen's lineage. Xia Chen's death and Ye Batian's death were both linked to the myriad races. Even the successive battlefield deaths of five generations of headmasters were somewhat connected to this object. The fact that the headmasters of the Great Xia Civilization Academy had always been targeted was also tied to it. Of course, the myriad races could not be certain either. After all, it was only rumor. Rumor had it that when the multiple divine characters faction emerged among the human race, they might have obtained the Civilization Tomb Stele. That object was the very origin of the multiple divine characters faction. The God Kings did not know its exact purpose, but they knew it was something the God Emperor needed. The God Emperor hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly. "Its precise function... I actually do not know either. However, it might be related to advancement... my advancement!" At those words, the God Kings' expressions shifted slightly. "Emperor... you... are still unable to advance?" "If it were that simple, those figures among the demon race, immortal race, and nether race might have advanced long ago." The God Emperor said calmly, "Advancing, becoming an Emperor... How could it be that easy? The Civilization Tomb Stele might bring me some change, but even I cannot be certain whether it will be of any use." "Then..." "Even so, everyone will vie for it, wanting to see what function this mysterious Civilization Tomb Stele truly possesses. Someone once said that this Civilization Tomb Stele is the crystallization of a glorious civilization!" The God Emperor murmured, "Unfortunately, it was never confirmed where it was or whose hands it was in. Whether Xia Chen or Ye Batian, though they approached the realm of Dao attainment, I never saw in them the countenance of becoming an Emperor." Was it in their hands? He was not sure, nor was anyone else. Therefore, even though they had exerted pressure, they had never charged into the Great Xia Prefecture over an object that might not even exist. Yet now, someone was telling him that the Civilization Tomb Stele had appeared! The God Emperor said calmly, "Strive to seize this item. Regardless of whether it aids my advancement, having it in our hands is always better than letting it fall into the hands of others!" It might be useless to him, and he might never need it, but... what if? What if that figure of the demon race found a use for it? What if the one from the immortal race could use it? Sometimes, even when knowing full well an item might be useless to oneself, one could never let it fall into another's grasp. Presently, the myriad worlds maintained a semblance of peace. The key reason was that no one could dominate the myriad realms alone. The God Emperor, the Demon Emperor, the Immortal Emperor, the Nether Emperor... Though all were addressed as Emperors, in truth, none of them truly were. They were still within this realm—the realm of Eternity. Whoever took that step first would inevitably launch an offensive first. It was not that one wished to attack, but rather out of fear that another would become an Emperor first and strike. Of course, there were still many mysteries waiting to be unraveled. Such as the Realm of the Dead, the mystery behind the ancient collapse, the Star Residence Mansion, the problems surrounding the Human Realm... The God Emperor's thoughts were manifold, and soon, his voice gradually faded. "Go. Command the children of our god race to seize it with all their might!" "Understood!" The God Kings responded in unison. The God Emperor was not worried about them keeping the thing for themselves; even if they took it, so be it, so long as the Demon Emperor and the others did not obtain it. As for these subordinates... he truly did not mind them keeping it. …… On this day, identical commands echoed across the various races. The Civilization Tomb Stele must be seized! In truth, few understood what it actually did. It did not matter—it had to be taken. Because this object was recorded in ancient texts, and it was even vaguely linked to secrets regarding becoming an Emperor. Since that was the case, whether useful or not, they would seize it and bring it home first. …… Meanwhile. East Rift Valley. Several Invincibles also received the news. One Invincible asked in puzzlement, "King Daxia, the Civilization Tomb Stele... I seem to have heard of this before. When Xia Chen was killed back then, experts of the myriad races demanded the Civilization Tomb Stele from him. Is it this one?" King Daxia snorted coldly. "That's the one! Those beasts! My younger brother told them repeatedly that he didn't have it and didn't even know what a Civilization Tomb Stele was, yet those beasts still surrounded and killed him on the All-Heavens Battlefield! Sooner or later, I will butcher every single one of them!" "The Civilization Tomb Stele... To think such a thing truly exists, and that it's genuinely in the Great Xia Prefecture, in Nanyuan..." King Daxia frowned and interrupted, "You actually believe the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's claims? There is no ruin in Nanyuan! I investigated it personally, and having overseen Nanyuan for years, would I not know? If there were one, I would have taken it long ago! If there were one, Longwu wouldn't need to head out personally to search for carriers, nor would he need to insist on attaining the Dao on the All-Heavens Battlefield! Even if one truly existed, it would have been inherited by Su Yu... Where would a ruin come from?!" "King Daxia, your words are contradictory!" someone laughed. "You say there isn't one, yet you also say that if there were, Su Yu inherited it. But everyone knows Su Yu's circumstances. Even if he inherited a ruin, he didn't gain much—at most some cultivation arts and the like. Everyone knows the trajectory of his growth. If he truly had those treasures from the ruin, would he still resort to swindling and deceiving people on his own?" Even if Su Yu had inherited a ruin, he likely had not inherited all of it—just a minor legacy at most. King Daxia claimed at one moment that there was none, and the next that even if there were, it was already gone. Was he afraid everyone would go vie for it? King Daxia scowled and said coldly, "I have scouted Nanyuan more than once! Since I couldn't find anything, what capability does the Heaven Hunting Pavilion possess? A mere Xuan Jiu, a nobody—could he investigate more clearly than me? What a joke!" "That's hard to say. Perhaps the ruin hadn't appeared before, but the seal has loosened now? Has King Daxia visited Nanyuan recently?" King Daxia furrowed his brows. "No." "Then that explains it!" someone said with a laugh. "King Daxia, the current situation in the Great Xia Prefecture isn't great. If you ask me, you should relax, focus entirely on Longwu's matters, and worry less about everything else." King Daxia frowned in silence. After a moment, he said in a low voice, "I won't concern myself with these things, but I will not permit those people to throw my Great Xia Prefecture into chaos! At the very least, no Eternal shall be allowed to step into the Great Xia Prefecture!" Nearby, King Daqin said coldly, "Enough. Let the folks inside the Human Realm handle internal affairs themselves! If they can't, it only shows their incompetence! This works out well, too. If anyone sends their three incarnations or an avatar sneaking into the Human Realm, it actually saves us trouble! Have Longwu prepare as quickly as possible. When the ruin opens over there, we should seize the opportunity for him to attain the Dao! One cannot have both the fish and the bear's paw! The same goes for the myriad races—every additional Eternal who infiltrates the Human Realm means one less Eternal blocking us on the All-Heavens Battlefield!" At these words, many nodded. Someone bantered, "King Daxia, could the ruin be fake? Intentionally drawing everyone's attention to give Longwu a better chance at attaining the Dao?" One could not help but wonder. Because with the emergence of the Civilization Tomb Stele, many powerhouses might send their three incarnations inside. Once an incarnation entered, those Invincibles would not dare appear recklessly, as they could be slain far too easily. Having an incarnation enter was practically equivalent to crippling an Invincible's combat presence. If seven or eight actually entered the Human Realm, then on the All-Heavens Battlefield, there might be seven or eight fewer Invincibles targeting the human race. This was a good thing! At least for Xia Longwu, it was a tremendous boon. King Daxia frowned deeply. "Perhaps! In any case, tell everyone to be careful. This might be a trap laid by the Heaven Hunting Pavilion... If it were on a small scale, my Great Xia Prefecture could orchestrate it, but now, it involves carriers, a Heaven Yuan fruit tree, the Sun Moon Xuanhuang Pool, and the Civilization Tomb Stele..." He said grimly, "These rumors were not spread by my Xia family, but by this Heaven Hunting Pavilion! Tell your descendants not to be greedy. I warn you all, this might very well be some sort of trap. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion gathering all these people in the Great Xia Prefecture for no good reason... they might not have good intentions!" "Because of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, originally only prodigies were heading over, but now it might draw Eternals. That is not a good thing!" King Daxia said solemnly, "Everyone, stay vigilant. It's best if Landlord Zhu doesn't leave; we need to be on guard. With such a massive commotion, if an Eternal's incarnation actually enters and breaks the Human Realm... no one will end up well!" At these words, several Invincibles nodded, their expressions growing serious. Indeed, who could afford to orchestrate such a massive scheme? The ruin might be real. Yet for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion to make it public suggested that the organization harbored ill intentions. Perhaps they wanted to fish in troubled waters by causing a massive gathering of powerhouses in the Human Realm, which was certainly not a good development. "Let's watch how the situation unfolds first!" King Daqin spoke up, "Old Xia, as long as you are certain this wasn't orchestrated by your Xia family, that is enough. The matter is blowing up bigger and bigger. If the Xia family were behind it, unexpected complications would arise all too easily." King Daxia snapped irritably, "Nonsense!" He could not be bothered to argue with King Daqin. How could his Xia family possibly orchestrate this? His Xia family didn't even have carriers! Then again... did they truly exist in the ruin? Even he was beginning to doubt himself! Furthermore, Nanyuan... was there truly a ruin or not? He was thoroughly bewildered as well! Truly, quite bewildered. …… On this day, all races across the heavens were secretly conferring. On this day, through passages leading into the Human Realm not controlled by humanity, supreme powerhouses were cautiously infiltrating. While the passage in the All-Heavens Prefecture was the largest, that did not mean there were no others. Powerhouses from the All-Races Cult had always slipped in and out using these uncontrolled passages. Naturally, these passages carried inherent dangers. For instance, those controlled by the Heaven Hunting Pavilion might easily teleport someone right into the path of an Invincible, while others were riddled with spatial rifts sharp enough to slice a traveler apart, making them incomparably hazardous—far less safe than the passage maintained by the Human Realm. They were suitable for small-scale infiltrations, but entirely unfit for a large-scale influx. …… None of this concerned Su Yu in the slightest. He was only responsible for stirring up trouble, not for dealing with the fallout. At this moment, Su Yu was meeting the upper echelon—his first time truly meeting the higher-ups of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. The Third Elder and the Eighth Elder! Two top-tier powerhouses had actually come to the Great Xia Prefecture. Right now, Su Yu was cautious to the extreme. He had fused several divine characters together to augment their strength, conceal his aura, and alter his appearance. Even with a mask on, he was forcefully modifying his facial structure, matching how Xuan Jiu had looked previously. Beyond these two, Su Yu's direct superior, Elder Xuan Jia, was also present. Three powerhouses—two quasi-Invincibles and one eighth-tier Sun Moon. All were top-tier experts, standing at the pinnacle across the myriad races. Underneath his mask, beads of sweat broke out across Su Yu's face. Compared to when he had disguised himself as Cui Lang, Su Yu's strength had advanced not merely by a fraction, but by leaps and bounds. His divine characters had improved, his willpower had improved, everything had improved. Yet could he fool quasi-Invincibles? In any case, he had failed to fool Wan Tiansheng. The moment Old Wan looked at him, he saw right through him. This depressed Su Yu to the point where he almost lost confidence in himself. Presently, Su Yu was strong. However, compared to these figures, he was still far off. One careless move, and if his identity were exposed, he would be completely finished. Furthermore... was Xuan Jia actually on his side? If Xuan Jia sold him out right now, he would be done for. Of course, the probability was high that they were on the same side; otherwise, Xuan Jia would have sold him out long ago. The masks worn by the two elders bore a streak of gold, though not entirely gilded—a symbol of quasi-Invincibles. Both observed Su Yu without exuding oppressive pressure, nor did they do anything to him. The Third Elder said amiably, "Xuan Jiu, you have done exceptionally well this time. You uncovered secrets that others could never discover, resolving the deadlock the Heaven Hunting Pavilion faced in the Human Realm. Now, the pavilion is back on track with booming business, and you deserve the greatest credit!" "I dare not claim credit; it was merely my duty!" The Third Elder smiled warmly. "Do not be modest. I know well that members of your Fire Eye race have fiery temperaments. You have performed admirably. The Fire Eye race is not strong; if possible, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion will spare no effort to help you become the Fire Eye race's patriarch." "No need. The chieftain of a minor race is far inferior to the exalted status of an elder in the Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" Su Yu replied in a low voice. "Moreover, I have provoked far too many enemies, especially the Xia family. If I never return, it is fine, but the moment I do, it might bring about the day of the Fire Eye race's extinction!" The Eighth Elder chuckled. "That makes sense. The Xia family isn't benevolent either. Xuan Jiu, I heard that the Fire Eye race's ocular art can refine certain specialized materials. Xuan Jiu, I have a piece of Earth Nether Divine Gold here. Can you refine it?" He produced a chunk of metal and sighed. "I could forcefully refine this myself, but doing so would cause immense loss. This material is priceless—a supplementary material for forging Heaven armaments, and a chunk this large is rarely seen. If I were to refine it, I would lose at least seventy percent! Xuan Jiu, how about you help me refine a portion? Rather than letting me waste it, I might as well give it to you. If you manage to extract more than thirty percent, the remainder is yours!" Su Yu cursed inwardly! He did not dare curse overtly! Even so, he cursed incessantly in his heart. *To hell with you, old schemer! If you want to test me, just say so outright! Why bother making excuses?!* Well, the excuse... was actually reasonable enough. They had not directly tested or interrogated him, because according to pavilion rules, he did not answer to them; he answered to Xuan Jia. If Xuan Jia confirmed he was clean, then he was clean. However... these two were likely still not completely at ease, or perhaps this was merely routine probing. They wanted Su Yu to display his innate technique. In front of quasi-Invincibles, whether it was genuine or false could be seen at a glance. Whether he was utilizing innate blood essence would also be clear immediately. If he could fool even them right under their noses, there would be nothing left to say; it would simply be his own extraordinary capability. Furthermore, the Eighth Elder had produced a genuine treasure: Earth Nether Divine Gold. While not as potent as certain carriers, truth be told, if one did not mind one's incarnation being somewhat weaker, it could actually serve as a crude carrier in a pinch. One could easily imagine just how precious this material was. Su Yu remained impassive and said in a low voice, "Eighth Elder is overly generous. There is no need for all that. If Eighth Elder is willing to gift me one hundred portions of Heaven Yuan Qi, refining it is a minor matter!" "One hundred portions?" The Eighth Elder smiled. "Fine, I won't let you suffer a loss—two hundred portions! While our Heaven Hunting Pavilion may not be exceedingly wealthy, we do not lack funds!" Without further words, fiery light abruptly shot from Su Yu's eyes! The flames illuminated the void! Under the fiery radiance, that chunk of Earth Nether Divine Gold rapidly began to melt into liquid, dripping down droplet by droplet. Su Yu gave a low shout, his Yuan Qi surging with immense power, shaking the void. Burning the void! His eyes were like blazing torches! The two elders exchanged a glance. The Eighth Elder transmitted his voice, "How is it?" "He did not rely on any external power. This is indeed the ocular art of the Fire Eye race." The two nodded inwardly. At the very least, one thing was proven: Xuan Jiu was indeed an expert of the Fire Eye race. That alone eliminated numerous suspicions. Xuan Jiu was not their direct subordinate, so certain matters were difficult to press, but standard probing still had to be conducted. While the two were conversing, Su Yu was also communicating—with Xuan Jia. They exchanged transmissions continuously through their masks. *Elder, what do these two mean by this? Do they suspect me? Suspecting me is suspecting you, Elder! They aren't giving you any face at all!* Xuan Jia remained silent. *Suspecting you—is there a problem with that?* *Elder, did you know me in the past?* *I'm your grandfather!* *……* *To hell with your uncle!* Su Yu cursed inwardly. *I really want to kill you.* *Elder, you're an advanced Sun Moon expert after all! Are you just going to stand by and watch them test me? You won't stand up for me? People might think you have a guilty conscience!* *That makes sense...* Su Yu had merely intended to provoke him a little. He never expected that in the very next instant, Xuan Jia would suddenly say coldly, "Elders of Law Enforcement, that's enough! Why don't you directly ask the head of the Xuan Division whether I have any issues? Huang Jia had issues, so perhaps I have issues as well! Xuan Jiu, take off your mask and let them see what kind of person I, Xuan Jia, recruited!" "……" Su Yu froze, and the two elders were stunned for a moment. Xuan Jia barked, "Take off your mask! Didn't you hear me? Do my words no longer carry weight with you?" "Xuan Jia, you misunderstand..." The Eighth Elder smiled, wanting to smooth things over. After all, Xuan Jia was a top-tier expert of the eighth-tier Sun Moon realm, hardly some nobody. Yet Xuan Jia ignored him, stating coldly, "Xuan Jiu, have my words become useless?" Su Yu cursed under his breath! The next moment, he hesitated with apparent reluctance. "Elder, I..." "Hurry up!" With Xuan Jia's stern shout, Su Yu struggled, seemingly filled with indignation, and slowly pulled down his mask. He revealed a somewhat pale face, his pupils differing from those of normal human beings, his skin tinged with a grayish, deathly pallor. The moment the mask came off, the two elders swiftly took a look. Su Yu immediately pulled the mask back over his face, lowered his head, and said nothing. The Eighth Elder said again, "Why go this far? By the rules of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, Xuan Jia, you are putting us in an awkward position..." Yet Xuan Jia said coldly, "I wouldn't dare! Xuan Jiu is indeed far too foolish! I told him long ago that in this man-eating world, one must learn to hide one's brilliance! This fool doesn't understand these principles, remaining oblivious even when others praise him to his doom! Now, he has offended the Xia family and aroused the jealousy and framing attempts of incompetent fools within our pavilion. That is sheer stupidity!" Su Yu remained silent. The Third Elder spoke up at this moment with a chuckle. "Xuan Jia, oh, you think too much! We harbored no such intentions. The Eighth Elder merely saw how hard Xuan Jiu worked and wanted to grant him some benefits, yet felt embarrassed to do so outright... Ah, forget it, forget it. It was our fault for causing a misunderstanding. Xuan Jiu exposing his true face is not a good thing, but Old Eight and I will never breathe a word of it to anyone..." He added, "Xuan Jiu, don't misunderstand either. Old Eight and I will pool together five hundred portions of Heaven Yuan Qi for you to contribute toward helping you cast off your status as an ancient city resident." "Thank you, Elders!" Su Yu did not refuse. Naturally, if benefits were handed out, he would take them. *Xuan Jia really is something! I provoke you just a little, and you actually pick a fight on my behalf.* Meanwhile, Xuan Jia said in a low voice, "I know you two might not have harbored such intentions, but that doesn't stop others from having them! Those mediocre fools cannot bear to see others do well or become strong; they cannot bear to see such a talent, such a capable person under my command! Sooner or later, Xuan Jiu will be promoted to elder. If all goes smoothly this time, he will become an elder. When the time comes for his promotion, I hope you two will lend your support. Exposing his true identity is not ideal for us, but I also hope this opportunity allows both of you to witness his excellence and understand him better. Having someone whose background is thoroughly verified will make things easier to handle!" The two elders understood. Xuan Jia was not seeking to lay blame; he merely wanted them to lend support to Xuan Jiu's promotion. Anyone being promoted to elder was fine, but someone whose background was thoroughly vetted like Xuan Jiu—a member of the Fire Eye race whose appearance was now known—could easily have his roots traced if they set their minds to it, given that the Fire Eye race was not particularly large. Keeping such a person around provided greater peace of mind. The two smiled in realization. Xuan Jia was truly looking out for Xuan Jiu. Unfortunately, Xuan Jiu might not appreciate it; judging from his current demeanor, he was probably seething with fury. The Eighth Elder laughed. "Certainly. Once this matter concludes, Xuan Jiu will undoubtedly earn the headquarters' favor and advance to elder. The prerequisite is that your strength must progress. Xuan Jiu, you are only at the early Sun Moon stage; reaching the advanced Sun Moon stage will likely prove quite difficult." Xuan Jia said, "Not necessarily. Moving from early Sun Moon to middle Sun Moon can be bridged rapidly as long as there is enough Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid. If Xuan Jiu earns great merit this time and manages to purge the interference of death qi, he stands a very good chance of reaching the middle stage. As for the advanced stage... it is not as though there have never been elders at the middle Sun Moon realm before." "That is true!" The two elders nodded and praised Su Yu a while longer. Soon, Su Yu finished refining the chunk of metal. The Eighth Elder smiled. "Not bad, you extracted sixty percent. Your Fire Eye ocular art is truly consummate!" "Elder overpraises me!" "No need to be modest!" The Eighth Elder smiled. "Work hard. If you perform well this time, there will be tremendous benefits. You are currently the helmsman in the Great Xia Prefecture, and we are here to assist you, not cause trouble! If you run into difficulties, you can tell us, and we will help you resolve them!" Su Yu thought for a moment and said bluntly, "Then I would like to ask both Elders for a favor! I want to incorporate the All-Races Cult under our banner. Those fellows keep giving me the runaround. I want both Elders to take action, slay a few Sun Moons to intimidate them, and force them to become our cannon fodder!" "This... If you locate their hideout, we can strike!" The two quasi-Invincibles gave their promise. That was well within reason. As for offending the All-Races Cult? A joke! Did they fear the cult? With two quasi-Invincibles, even if Primordial Cult Master and Lan Tian arrived together, the two elders were confident they could subdue them. Those two cult leaders were reportedly only at the ninth and eighth tiers of the Sun Moon realm, so what was there to fear? "Thank you, Elders!" Su Yu expressed his thanks, then turned to Xuan Jia. "Elder, do you have any assignments recently?" "None." "Then I must trouble you to act alongside me over the next few days to provide protection. I need to scout out the All-Races Cult's strongholds, and I also need to kill some people to flush others out, dragging everyone hiding in the shadows into the open so we can take control of the entire situation in the Great Xia Prefecture!" "Agreed!" Xuan Jia nodded, and the two elders nodded slightly as well. Indeed, all those people needed to be flushed out into the open. Skulking in the dark was utterly pointless. Su Yu added, "One more thing: I need to make contact with Director Ji. Huang Jiu and I are both aware of the secret he mentioned last time. Director Ji is a pivotal figure. Right now, aside from Director Ji himself, perhaps only Huang Jiu and I know anything about it..." "What secret?" "Director Ji knows which human Invincible turned traitor!" At those words, everyone present was shaken. "Truly?" Xuan Jiu had not brought this up last time, and they had not pressed him. Hearing this now, they were profoundly astonished. Su Yu nodded. "Therefore, I want to pry into this intelligence. Once we hold this information, whether we sell it to human experts... or sell it to that traitorous human Invincible, heh, the wealth would be boundless, and we could even demand carriers! Furthermore... we could rope a human Invincible into our Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" Su Yu continued in a low voice, "Using this secret to coerce them, our Heaven Hunting Pavilion does not care about origins anyway! If that Invincible knows what's good for them and joins us, they might even become our superior. That way, our pavilion's strength will inevitably skyrocket!" All three elders were shaken. "We didn't know about this before; we must report it upward! Xuan Jiu, you... why didn't you say so sooner? If Huang Jiu, that traitor, leaks it to the outside... Director Ji is indeed a crucial figure. Are you certain he possesses concrete information?" "He spoke with absolute certainty, but I cannot be sure. Still, I want to probe and make contact. I suspect Director Ji might not fully trust the Xia family either. Conversely, our Heaven Hunting Pavilion only sells intelligence, so we might actually be able to assist him!" "There is reason in that!" The elders felt that Su Yu was remarkably competent! He truly could handle anything and knew every secret. With Xuan Jiu around, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion might just reap the greatest harvest. "Xuan Jiu, the entrance to that ruin..." Su Yu said nonchalantly, "It is right inside Su Yu's home; it's no secret. You two Elders can go take a look if you wish, but I believe we should not force it open right now. Once opened, our Heaven Hunting Pavilion will become the target of all criticism, which is not worthwhile! King Daming has not left yet. If King Daming snatches it ahead of everyone else, we will be left with nothing! At the very least, we must wait until King Daming departs or is pinned down before our pavilion intervenes!" For now, King Daming could not leave. He had to maintain deterrence for a period of time! Deterring everyone from daring to open the ruin prematurely. The best time to open it would be when everyone had arrived and the Invincibles were absent—that would be the true opportunity! "Right, right, right..." The two elders nodded. It made sense; Xuan Jiu's considerations were comprehensive and flawless. It was indeed the logical course! Strong though they were, claiming they could contend against King Daming was out of the question. They had to wait until King Daming left before attempting to open it. "What if King Daming investigates and discovers the ruin's location...?" The two began to worry again! Su Yu laughed. "We aren't the only ones worried about that; all the myriad races are worried. Rest assured, the various races will soon find ways to force King Daming to leave! Furthermore, King Daming would not dare come investigate right now, lest the Great Ming Prefecture become the target of public outrage." The two Law Enforcement Elders looked upon Su Yu with renewed admiration. Meanwhile, Xuan Jia snapped irritably, "Do you think we don't understand what you just said? Showing off again! You have to stick your nose into everything!" "Xuan Jia, don't be too harsh on Xuan Jiu. He is still young. Being young and spirited is a good thing, unlike us old folk." Xuan Jia said in a deep voice, "I am only afraid that acting too ostentatious will make it impossible for him to escape disaster!" Su Yu also offered his thanks. "Elder speaks the truth. I was reckless!" Xuan Jia said indifferently, "It is good that you recognize your mistake. Do not think that nothing can get done without you! The Heaven Hunting Ranking has stood across the myriad realms for countless years; do you truly think only you are capable? Others simply conceal their abilities, refusing to jump out unless they see direct benefits! Did the Heaven Hunting Pavilion become the largest organization in the myriad worlds because of you, Xuan Jiu? Right now, the two Law Enforcement Elders and I can still shield you somewhat. If you become an elder in the future and oversee a region of your own, yet continue acting this recklessly, you will surely die without a burial ground!" These words contained both truth and falsehood. Yet they were also warning Su Yu: *Do not assume you are omnipotent; the waters in the Heaven Hunting Pavilion run deep, and some fellows are deliberately keeping a low profile.* Su Yu's heart chilled! He understood somewhat! Lowering his head, he said in a deep voice, "Xuan Jiu understands! The affairs of Invincibles are not for me to meddle in. The matter concerning King Daming has surely been settled by the pavilion and other great races; I overstepped my bounds!" This time, the Third Elder smiled as well. "Xuan Jia indeed sees things more clearly than you. Xuan Jiu, learn more from Xuan Jia. As for King Daming... someone will target him. In the boundless void, Invincibles are likely already itching to break through the realm barrier. King Daming will have no time to attend to matters here." Su Yu's heart stirred slightly. *Is that so?* *I'll have to ask Old Zhu about this later!* *King Daming is being lured away?* *Unable to pull away?* *I didn't know about this secret. Oh well, I'll find out once I ask Old Zhu.* …… Soon, Su Yu and Xuan Jia walked out of the chamber together. Su Yu let out a breath inwardly and transmitted his voice, *Elder, that was perilous! You actually dared to jump out like that?!* *Naturally. Do you think I fear them?* Xuan Jia transmitted calmly, *Those two are merely a bit stronger than me in combat power; as for the rest, there's no need to care! The people from the Law Enforcement Department have stiff, rigid minds and are far less dangerous than the elders of other departments. However, it's a fact that Law Enforcement Elders are exceptionally powerful.* Pausing, he asked, *Is the matter concerning Director Ji true?* *True.* *Then he... is in danger!* *I didn't spread it outside!* *Even if you didn't, he might spread it himself. It's not impossible that he wants to bait that Invincible out!* Su Yu was secretly startled. This guy truly had some skill. He had suspected that Director Ji's earlier mention of this to Cai Yi had been an intentional attempt to leak it. Xuan Jia asked again, *Is the ruin real or fake?* *Real. Could something like this be a lie?* *That applies to others, but with you, the greatest fraud in the myriad realms, it's hard to say!* Xuan Jia continued, *Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid, Heaven Yuan Qi—do you lack those? The stone statue nearly killed an Invincible and blew apart their three incarnations—do you lack carriers? The Civilization Tomb Stele... rumored to be the multiple divine characters battle art stele. Do you think you lack that? In that case, do you think I believe there's genuinely a ruin?* *Elder, who on earth are you?* Su Yu was genuinely curious. Just who was this person? *Your grandfather!* *I... %@&E$R%...* Su Yu spat out a string of garbled characters. Xuan Jia replied indifferently, *I know nine hundred eighty-seven languages. You cursed me in seven different tongues, and I understood every single one!* *Fuck!* Su Yu cursed under his breath. *That works too? What's so great about knowing so many languages?!* *Elder, your personality reminds me of someone.* *Speak.* *My Teacher Liu. He usually looks dignified and serious on the surface, but in reality, he's the cheeky, infuriating type who drives people mad without batting an eye...* *Is it appropriate to speak of your teacher like that?* *It's not, but it's the truth. He told me that pursuing women was improper, yet he chased a whole bunch himself. He even duped me with a fake text of will, lying to me without feeling the slightest psychological burden. You're just as shameless as my Teacher Liu!* *Cursing your own teacher—you truly are no good piece of work!* Su Yu retorted in annoyance, *You're no better!* *Did I curse him?* *I was merely speaking the truth. My Teacher Liu is a closet flirt; you just don't know it.* *Forget it, better not speak of it.* *If I say it, wouldn't everyone find out that my Teacher Liu once hit on a female instructor at the academy and got beaten up?* *This matter cannot be spoken of.* *If word got out, my Teacher Liu's glorious image would be ruined. If Wu Yuehua and the others found out, Teacher would suffer. Forget it, forget it, I'll let it rot in my heart.* Su Yu muttered to himself. *Only someone like me could take secrets to the grave.* *Hopefully Haozi won't blabber outside. He saw it too; he'd better not ruin my teacher's image.*