Doing Things Righteously

November 6th. The day after Hu Ping's breakthrough, outside Nanyuan City. This time, the Eighth Elder personally stepped forward to recruit them. Cult Master Giant Strength did not show his true body, speaking instead through a puppet. These high-stage Sun Moons were not so careless, nor did they dare place complete trust in the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. Wearing his gold-rimmed mask, the Eighth Elder said calmly, "If you join the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, once this upheaval in the Human Realm concludes and we return to the All-Heavens Battlefield, you will certainly be promoted to the rank of elder. You may enter any of the Four Divisions, or either of the Two Pavilions and Two Towers." The Giant Strength puppet spoke expressionlessly. "This time, it is not just me. Both Earth Fire and I are of the seventh stage of the Sun Moon Realm. In addition, the cult masters of One Horn, Flying Tiger, and Thunder Eagle are all middle-stage Sun Moons! The five of us have designated me to negotiate with the Heaven Hunting Pavilion on our behalf!" He was raising his bargaining chips! Five Sun Moons! Two at the late stage and three at the middle stage. Silver Wing and his peers could not compare to this. Silver Wing's side currently had five Sun Moons as well, but all were in the early stage, with the strongest merely at the third stage. Compared to Cult Master Giant Strength's group, the gap was anything but ordinary. A single late-stage Sun Moon had the confidence to suppress those five alone. The Eighth Elder smiled. "Cult Master Giant Strength, state your conditions." "Carrier objects—one each for myself and Earth Fire... Naturally, we will only demand them upon stepping into the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm. If we fail to reach it, you need not provide them!" The Eighth Elder frowned slightly. Though it was hidden behind his mask, Giant Strength knew he was hesitating. The Eighth Elder soon said, "This... will be exceedingly difficult! To be candid with you, fellow daoist, even within the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, many ninth-stage Sun Moon elders are waiting for carrier objects, awaiting their chance to step into the Quasi-Invincible Realm! It requires merit—monumental merit. That includes myself and the Third Elder of the Law Enforcement Department. Our purpose in coming to the Human Realm this time is precisely for carrier objects. Both the Third Elder and I are short one carrier object to reach the peak." A ninth-stage Sun Moon cultivator required two carrier objects: one to carry the past, and one to carry the future. As for the present body, that was cultivated through one's own efforts and did not require one. Both he and the Third Elder had carried only one lifetime's body. They still required another carrier object, and none would be granted without extraordinary merit. The Eighth Elder said earnestly, "Only by rendering great service will you earn the opportunity to purchase one. It is an opportunity, not a gift! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion conducts honest business without deceit. Our prices are steep, but we do not cheat people. What is, is..." To the side, Su Yu smiled playfully and chimed in, "Eighth Elder, may I say a word?" "Speak!" "I think... Cult Master Giant Strength and his friends have been daydreaming far too much!" Su Yu said bluntly, "Carrier objects? I have heard people say that in an Invincible's ruins, the most important treasures are carrier objects! An ordinary Invincible's ruins contains at most two carrier objects. Yet look at them—two seventh-stage Sun Moons dare to demand two carrier objects right off the bat! Why don't we just gift you an entire Invincible's ruins? Why not conquer the Civilization Mansion and simply hand it over to you?" Su Yu snorted coldly. "My superior, Elder Xuan Jia, has rendered countless meritorious services. An eighth-stage Sun Moon who has performed tremendous feats for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, he has not received a single carrier object to this day! Yet you people dare think it, and dare ask for it! Let me ask: by what right? Setting aside things like Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid and Heaven Yuan Qi, you open your mouths and ask for carrier objects. Does my Heaven Hunting Pavilion run a charity?" Cult Master Giant Strength's tone turned somewhat unfriendly. "Xuan Jiu, do not forget your own strength. You have barely entered the Sun Moon Realm. Does a white mask of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion treat late-stage Sun Moon experts in such a manner?" Arrogant! Su Yu said coldly, "Is the late stage of the Sun Moon Realm so extraordinary? Cult Master Giant Strength, to put it bluntly, our pavilion has plenty of elders; we do not lack two more! If you are obedient, so be it. If you are disobedient... see for yourself whether your All-Races Cult can escape this calamity!" "..." "Xuan Jiu!" The Eighth Elder scolded him sharply, "What nonsense are you spouting! Do you not understand the distinction between strong and weak, superior and inferior? You have completely abandoned decorum!" Su Yu bowed, cupped his hands, and smiled. "The Eighth Elder's lecture is well-taken. Late-stage Sun Moons... frogs in a well, always fancying themselves mighty overlords. In truth... very strong indeed. Perhaps they might even become my superiors in the future. I was merely joking; please forgive me, everyone!" Su Yu wore a playful smile. Cult Master Giant Strength felt a surge of anger. What a brazen fellow! The Eighth Elder, however, did not mind. Good cop and bad cop were both necessary. It was standard negotiating strategy! If Giant Strength could not even stomach this, then he was nothing special. Since he had taken the initiative to seek refuge, he had to bear whatever came with it. The Eighth Elder scolded Su Yu once more to cut him off, then smiled. "Cult Master Giant Strength, how about this? If the Heaven Hunting Pavilion can secure the Civilization Mansion this time and seize the Tombstone of Civilization, and if there are carrier objects within it, provided you, Cult Master Earth Fire, and the others render great service... they can be allocated to you based on merit!" Cult Master Giant Strength said in a heavy voice, "Is that true? And how will merit be calculated?" The Eighth Elder smiled. "That depends on the final harvest and how much effort each person contributes. If the harvest is meager... naturally, you will receive less. If the harvest is abundant—for instance, if we obtain everything in the ruins this time, the haul will likely exceed the value of five carrier objects—then you and Cult Master Earth Fire will be allocated rewards according to how much effort you put forth!" Giant Strength fell into deep thought. After a long pause, he spoke again: "If the human race moves to besiege and kill us—for instance, if an Invincible steps in—will an Invincible from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion intervene? We have slaughtered too many, and we have offended far too many people in the Human Realm over the years..." The Eighth Elder smiled faintly. "They will, provided... you are important enough. If you hold merely an empty title without making any contributions, then apologies, but no organization will offend an Invincible for the sake of a few Sun Moons!" "Understood!" Giant Strength sighed. "Then, upon joining now, what are we to do? Hunt down the stragglers of the All-Races Cult alongside Silver Wing and the others?" "No!" The Eighth Elder smiled. "At present, affairs in the Great Xia Prefecture are under Xuan Jiu's charge." "Him?" Giant Strength said in dissatisfaction, "We are late-stage Sun Moons. Are we to take orders from him as well?" The Eighth Elder hesitated for a moment before saying, "For now, yes. Once we return, there will be no need to heed his orders! That is because the overall plan is currently underway, and we cannot alter the entire operation on your account." Giant Strength remained displeased, while Su Yu appeared quite reluctant, saying, "Eighth Elder, let us forget it! I fear I will not be able to control them, and they will only cause me trouble instead! These people are not like our white masks—they are more than capable of ruining things, yet utterly useless at getting anything done!" "..." Giant Strength wanted to curse! We haven't even disdained you—fine, we did disdain you, but we are so strong, and now you have the nerve to disdain us? The Eighth Elder smiled. "Xuan Jiu, do not be impudent! If Cult Master Giant Strength and the others join us, we will all be on the same side from now on..." Su Yu said calmly, "Then I hope they will be obedient. If they are not, the Eighth Elder had better lead them personally. I would hate for them to drag us into a dead end!" "I believe that will not happen!" The Eighth Elder said meaningfully, "Cult Master Giant Strength and his companions are reasonable men. How could they act in such a manner? This is only temporary. Once you join the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, you can be granted white masks immediately, temporarily placed under Xuan Jia's name..." Giant Strength hesitated. "Xuan Jia? Why not the Eighth Elder..." The Eighth Elder smiled. "If you are placed under the Law Enforcement Department, things will be difficult to handle later. On our side, one can enter but never leave. The Four Divisions, however, permit transfers." Giant Strength's puppet nodded. After a slight hesitation, he added, "Eighth Elder, I have one minor question..." "Please, speak!" "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion has the sharpest intelligence. I wish to purchase a piece of information..." "That is a small matter!" Giant Strength thought for a moment. "No, this matter may have immense ramifications. I wish to obtain accurate intelligence." The Eighth Elder was surprised and quickly said, "Tell me. I am not specifically in charge of intelligence, but speaking to me is the same. If it is of great importance, I can personally communicate with the head of the Yellow Division. He oversees this area specifically." Giant Strength pondered for a moment, then transmitted his voice: "I wish to ask: did the third head of the Great Xia Civilization Academy truly die?" "Hmm?" The Eighth Elder was naturally aware of such matters. Somewhat puzzled, he replied via voice transmission, "Naturally he died. Records exist of that event..." "No, I still wish to ask. Please look into it for me, Eighth Elder. Additionally, I also wish to investigate the specific identity of Cult Master Primordial!" "You mean..." "This is hardly a secret. At yesterday's gathering, Cult Master Lan Tian suggested that Cult Master Primordial might be Nan Wujiang! I expect this news will spread soon enough. As things stand, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion is likely the only power in the myriad realms capable of uncovering the truth! If Cult Master Primordial truly is Nan Wujiang... then... we can finally give up all hope. From start to finish, the All-Races Cult might have been nothing more than a joke!" Giant Strength sighed with deep emotion. He lamented in his heart! If Primordial truly was Nan Wujiang, then all these years, the All-Races Cult had truly been a farce. The heavyweight they had relied upon most turned out to belong to the Great Xia Prefecture! What was left to strive for? He could not even be bothered to struggle anymore! The Eighth Elder was inwardly shaken as well. Nan Wujiang? He wasn't dead? Not only was he alive, but he had become the leader of the All-Races Cult, Cult Master Primordial? This... At this moment, even the Eighth Elder could no longer maintain his composure. Why did the human race have so many convoluted schemes? Too much messy business! Was every single one of them so treacherous? Nan Wujiang faked his death? He was somewhat speechless, but quickly responded, "Very well. I will consult the Yellow Division at once. We are not overly familiar with the intelligence side of things. Await my reply for the specifics!" As the two conversed via voice transmission, Su Yu grew curious. What are they talking about? Keeping it so secretive. The two of you are chatting away intensely—have you considered me? I am the one in charge right now! Fine, I'm too weak, so you two probably think there's no need to pay me any mind. He egged on Xuan Jia once more: "Elder, they're talking and leaving you out!" Xuan Jia could not be bothered to acknowledge him. "Elder, guess what they're talking about?" Xuan Jia still disdained to respond. Silver Wing, however, seemed to sense Xuan Jiu's curiosity and suddenly transmitted his voice: "Milord, earlier, a minor cult master told me about something. Because I was uncertain of its veracity, I did not bring it up. Giant Strength might be discussing that very matter." "What is it?" Silver Wing quickly recounted the situation. It was not a secret anyway. He had merely felt that such unconfirmed news was best kept from Xuan Jiu for the time being, or at least until it was verified. So many cult masters had attended yesterday's gathering, and Lan Tian had spoken openly before everyone. Who could possibly keep it hidden? Su Yu was startled! Fuck! What was going on? The next instant, his mind drifted slightly. Was this... an intentional diversion of attention? Could it be that Lan Tian truly was on their side? Of course, Cult Master Primordial was hard to say—perhaps Lan Tian was framing him, or perhaps not; it was difficult to tell. But for Lan Tian to suddenly thrust Cult Master Primordial into the spotlight... that fellow truly might be in league with Wan Tiansheng. Right now, that traitorous Invincible was likely still probing Wan Tiansheng. After all, Wan Tiansheng was still under suspicion. His aptitude was simply too monstrous! Yet the moment everyone's eyes shifted toward Cult Master Primordial, regardless of whether he truly was Nan Wujiang, he would become the focal point of that traitorous Invincible. Wan Tiansheng's suspicion would instantly dwindle to the absolute minimum. Su Yu now understood completely. He muttered inwardly, *You little rascals, trying to keep me in the dark.* He quickly looked toward Cult Master Silver Wing and spoke aloud with a smile, "Silver Wing, well done! In the future, report matters to me promptly! As for whether news is true or false, I will judge that myself!" With those words, he casually tossed over a drop of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid. Silver Wing was dumbfounded! This... This was simply too extravagant! Was this an information fee? Over there, the Eighth Elder was still negotiating with Giant Strength when he suddenly froze for a moment, unable to stop himself from cursing inwardly. *Does this Xuan Jiu think he is going to die soon, treating money like dirt?* That fellow had earned quite a sum last time, but that did not mean Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid could be thrown around so casually. Giant Strength was slightly taken aback as well. What was happening? Su Yu smiled. "Fascinating. Cult Master Primordial, Nan Wujiang... utterly fascinating! A person like me loves determining truth from falsehood. If Cult Master Primordial's identity is confirmed, hehe, I imagine selling this piece of information for several hundred drops of Sun Moon blood essence would be trivial!" Giant Strength instantly realized what Silver Wing had told him! Holy crap! News that everyone among us already knew—just passing it along earns a drop of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid? Su Yu said with a faint smile, "Eighth Elder, if the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's headquarters cannot confirm this news, I would like to... take some men to probe the situation! If the information is true, and Cult Master Primordial has hidden himself so deeply, he must have a grand scheme! The Human Realm is growing more interesting by the moment!" The Eighth Elder felt weary. Forget it; since everyone already knew, he could not be bothered to say anything more. He quickly replied, "I will consult the Yellow Division first. If the information cannot be verified, you may devise a way to ascertain the truth. If you can truly confirm Primordial's identity... it will be an exceedingly vital piece of intelligence!" Su Yu smiled. "Very well. Eighth Elder, that fellow is a dangerous figure. He might even be plotting against Invincibles, and his combat strength is exceptionally formidable. If we truly go to test him... lend me Cult Master Giant Strength and the others for now. With these five, plus Elder Xuan Jia, that makes twelve early-stage Sun Moons, five middle-stage, and three late-stage... counting myself, twenty-one Sun Moons! Even if we cross paths with that person, we will have nothing to fear!" Before Su Yu tallied it up, the Eighth Elder had not paid much attention. But once it was calculated... he could not help but feel a twitch in his heart. Twenty-one Sun Moons! This force was rather formidable. Of course, Xuan Jiu was merely an executor, not someone who truly held absolute control over them, so it remained acceptable. Otherwise, if Xuan Jiu, an early-stage Sun Moon, wielded such immense authority, even he would have grown wary. "What about Nanyuan?" Su Yu smiled. "No rush. We will clear the perimeter first, and then join forces to deal with that group in Nanyuan. Chaos will engulf Nanyuan sooner or later, but before the ruins appear, the probability of full-blown turmoil is small. Only when the ruins are about to emerge will true chaos erupt!" He added with a smile, "Let the Human Realm descend into internal strife first. I hear there is infighting among the humans; many human experts are pressuring the Xia family to open up Su Yu's former residence. Let us observe the situation first and await further developments!" The Eighth Elder nodded and turned to Giant Strength. "Cult Master Giant Strength is familiar with the All-Races Cult and understands Cult Master Primordial far better than we do! This time, if the cult master has no objections, how about assisting Xuan Jiu for the time being? Whether Primordial is Nan Wujiang or not, he remains a variable, as does Lan Tian. I still hope to resolve the trouble posed by these two." Cult Master Giant Strength looked at Su Yu, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well! If it is merely assisting, there is no problem!" It preserved his final shred of pride! As a seventh-stage Sun Moon, he would not take orders from him; it was merely assistance. He was only agreeing because a Quasi-Invincible had requested his aid! "Then we trouble Cult Master Giant Strength to explain this clearly to the other cult masters as well. During this period in the Human Realm, Xuan Jiu will arrange everyone's tasks for the near future." "Agreed!" Giant Strength said nothing more this time. His agreement represented the consent of the others as well; the group had remained together all along, and this was merely his puppet avatar. The Eighth Elder smiled! Splendid, truly splendid. This time, Xuan Jiu had chosen an excellent entry point, timing everything to perfection. At this critical juncture, he had managed to reel in the human race's All-Races Cult. To be frank, only at this exact moment could such a feat be achieved. Everyone was focused on Nanyuan, lacking the time, energy, and strength to intervene here. Under normal circumstances, it would not have been so simple for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion to recruit these people! Yet the right time, the right place, and the harmony of people were all on the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's side! At the crucial moment, both titans of the All-Races Cult had fallen under suspicion of being spies. Otherwise, if either of those two had stepped forward, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion would have had no room to operate. The timing of Lan Tian's outburst was impeccable! No wonder these people had chosen to defect to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! Adding it all up: two late-stage Sun Moons, three middle-stage Sun Moons, and five early-stage Sun Moons—a total of ten Sun Moons. Coincidentally, this offset the losses the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had suffered this time. Upon entering the Human Realm, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had lost one elder to death and another to betrayal. Coupled with the deaths of two law enforcement officers like Cai Yi and several Sun Moon white masks, their strength had now been essentially restored. It seemed as though Su Yu had done very little, yet he had brought this formidable force of the All-Races Cult under their banner! The Eighth Elder was immensely satisfied! Not to mention the All-Races Cult's intelligence network that blanketed the Human Realm, as well as their considerable number of Shanhai and Lingyun cultivators—all of them had now been taken over by the Heaven Hunting Pavilion without suffering any losses. A massive windfall! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion had now firmly established its footing in the Human Realm. Probably none of the major factions possessed strength in the Human Realm rivaling that of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. The more the Eighth Elder thought about it, the more pleased he became! Soon, he transmitted his voice to Su Yu: "Xuan Jiu, you must still grant face to the two late-stage Sun Moons; these people will be your colleagues in the future! Furthermore, do not trust them entirely. Have Xuan Jia keep a close eye on them!" "Understood! Rest assured, Eighth Elder, Xuan Jiu knows what to do." "Good. Additionally... regarding Cult Master Primordial's identity, if it truly cannot be determined, do not force the issue. Even if he truly is Nan Wujiang, his target is not us. Of course, you must exercise caution. If he is Nan Wujiang, his target this time is bound to be that Invincible. In the course of your investigation, you must also be wary of that human Invincible!" Su Yu smiled. "I know. While I am at it, I will investigate that person's identity as well! If the news is true and that person is in the Human Realm... I suspect he might personally come to test Primordial. Eighth Elder, you and the Third Elder must remain reachable at all times; I might call for reinforcements!" "Very well!" The Eighth Elder agreed readily. If the Heaven Hunting Pavilion wished to claim all the benefits of the ruins, these were people they would have to face eventually. Having accurate intelligence now was far better than running into trouble later. One had to remember that the Third Elder was leading ten late-stage Sun Moons. If they were all lost, both he and the Third Elder would bear severe consequences; the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's Sun Moon strength would instantly be slashed by a small half. …… With the deal struck, Giant Strength and his companions did not hesitate much longer. Soon, the group met with Su Yu and the others. This time, they all donned white masks. Unlike Silver Wing and his peers, who wore black masks, Silver Wing and the others held no grievances over this differential treatment. The weakest among these newcomers were middle-stage Sun Moons; they were indeed far stronger. The five white masks were temporarily placed under Xuan Jia's name. Su Yu teased via voice transmission, "Elder Xuan Jia, you are probably the most influential elder among the Four Divisions right now. Counting me, you have over twenty Sun Moons under your command, including two late-stage Sun Moons! Counting yourself, that makes three!" "Are you a Sun Moon?" Xuan Jia said bluntly, "Putting gold on your own face?" Did he not know whether he was a Sun Moon in his own heart? How could he have the cheek to claim he was a Sun Moon? Still, truth be told, Xuan Jia was indeed the most powerful elder at present! Apart from Lan Tian and Cult Master Primordial, the All-Races Cult had been completely swept up in one net! Naturally, the minor cults did not count. In the eyes of Su Yu and his peers, minor sects without Sun Moons presiding over them amounted to nothing; they were mere ants and cannon fodder. In some minor sects, even a Tengkong cultivator dared to establish a cult. Such people could not even necessarily establish contact with the myriad races, merely adopting the name for convenience. Overall, aside from the First Demon Cult and the Primordial Divine Cult, the remaining sects had been effortlessly rounded up by Su Yu! …… The All-Races Cult, which had developed in the Human Realm for decades, was instantly severed in two. Immediately afterward, a piece of gossip began to circulate: Nan Wujiang of the Great Xia Civilization Academy was not dead! Su Yu also received intelligence from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion confirming that Nan Wujiang's life or death could not be determined! Back then, Nan Wujiang had fought a Quasi-Invincible of the god race in the region of the Sea of Stars. In the end, both had perished together. On the human side, King Daxia had arrived and retrieved the "Battle" divine character left behind by Nan Wujiang... King Daxia again! Indeed, King Daxia was a professional corpse collector! He had collected Ye Batian's corpse, and he had collected Nan Wujiang's corpse. Su Yu heavily suspected he had collected the fourth head's corpse as well, and perhaps even those of the first and second heads. Otherwise, where would those secret realms have come from? Was King Daxia a professional undertaker? Arriving one step late every single time! Naturally, according to the intelligence records, Nan Wujiang and that opponent had died in battle, while King Daxia had been engaged in combat against a god race Invincible. Afterward, once those two had fallen, he and the god race Invincible had respectively gone to collect the corpses; both Invincibles had served as morticians! Furthermore, according to both the god race Invincible and King Daxia, a Sun Moon had indeed crashed that day! However, because they had perished together, the crash had occurred simultaneously. Whether it was one person or two... was difficult to say now. Previously, no one had thought much of it; mutual destruction naturally meant an instantaneous, simultaneous fall! Neither powerhouse had been right in front of them. Who would have pressed their faces up close just to check whether one full moon or two had fallen? In any case, the commotion had been tremendous! …… While they were uncertain, Su Yu could no longer hold back. He could simply ask! "Headmaster, did the third head truly survive?" "Don't know!" "How could you not know? Is Lan Tian in league with you?" "Not clear!" "Then I will lead people to hunt Lan Tian down!" "As you please!" "..." That was Wan Tiansheng's reply. *If you want to kill him, go ahead; don't ask me, I know nothing.* Su Yu was thoroughly frustrated. Even now, Wan Tiansheng was still keeping him in the dark. What was he playing at? Not caring whether he killed Lan Tian meant either Wan Tiansheng believed Su Yu couldn't kill him, or that killing him wouldn't matter—Lan Tian might not be a good person anyway! "Then do you know Elder Xuan Jia's identity?" "Don't know." "Then what do you know?" "I only know that your martial uncle seems to have arrived at Nanyuan! He might not be able to enter smoothly!" Su Yu was speechless! Martial Uncle Chen Yong had arrived? Well, that was indeed no small matter. His martial uncle certainly knew the ruins were fake, since Chen Yong was the one who had given him the Tombstone of Civilization in the first place. Chen Yong had no idea that Su Yu had stuffed that very object inside. Time to head to Nanyuan and take a look! While there, he could see who was targeting the Xia family. As far as Su Yu was concerned, anyone targeting the Xia family right now was up to no good. Finding an opportunity and an excuse to lead over twenty Sun Moons to ambush and slaughter them... He was just that willful! …… November 7th. Nanyuan. Experts gathered in ever-increasing numbers. The citizens of Nanyuan had evacuated completely. Among the Dragon Martial Guards, all below the Tengkong Realm had evacuated as well, while not a single person at or above the Tengkong Realm was left out. Additionally, five thousand Tengkong warriors surrounded the entirety of Nanyuan. On the Xia family's side, the remaining two late-stage Sun Moon realm guards had also arrived. At this moment, all of Nanyuan was like a powder keg, ready to detonate at the slightest spark! There were many, many late-stage Sun Moon experts! The gaze of the myriad races of the heavens was focused on Nanyuan. Aside from the absence of Invincibles, this gathering of Sun Moons was the largest seen in over three hundred years! On the human side, experts from various major factions beyond the Great Xia Prefecture had arrived as well. Chaos! It was terrifying to behold! Once a grand battle erupted, who knew how many Sun Moons would perish here? …… Su Yu arrived. This time, he did not draw too close to the interior of Nanyuan City, as the city was currently chaotic. The Great Xia Prefecture was expelling those experts and refusing to let them enter, assuming a posture of fighting to the bitter end. The five realm guards, together with Marquis Xia, General Zhao, and Chief Hu—all late-stage Sun Moons—unleashed their full pressure, cowing all directions. Outside the city, things were lively as well. Just as Su Yu approached with several late-stage Sun Moons, he heard someone shout, "Marquis Xia, does the Xia family still consider itself part of humanity? These geniuses of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction are the hope of the human race! We do not covet whatever lies in the ruins, but the aura of the Tombstone of Civilization is currently leaking, capable of benefiting the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. Would you rather let it dissipate into thin air than grant it to these human geniuses?" Marquis Xia said coldly, "Spare me that nonsense! Geniuses? The future hope of humanity? A joke! What does that have to do with me? The Great Xia Prefecture has plenty of geniuses! Being a genius does not entitle anyone to reap unearned rewards! Was Su Yu not genius enough? He was, wasn't he? And what did he receive? When Su Yu was besieged by the myriad races in the ancient city, how many human experts went to rescue him? Who stepped forward to say, 'This is a human genius, the hope of humanity'?" Marquis Xia sneered. "If you have the ability, go fight for it yourselves! The Great Xia Prefecture's Multiple Divine Characters Faction campaigned for years, suffering countless deaths and casualties. Back then, I didn't see you people claiming the Multiple Divine Characters Faction was the hope of humanity, or that everyone should offer some benefits to help Hong Tan and the others advance! When Liu Wenyan was expelled, no one stepped forward to say Liu Wenyan was the hope of humanity and deserved a chance!" "Marquis, that is not the same!" Someone said in a low voice, "Humanity also paid a tremendous price to protect this lineage! If nothing else, when Ye Batian validated his dao, which human Invincible did not rush to his aid? You cannot simply remember the hardships suffered and forget the grace received! Hong Tan and the others suffering was not caused by us, but by Ye Batian. Does the Marquis intend to push the blame for that onto our heads as well?" Marquis Xia said faintly, "That makes some sense... Therefore... strive for it yourselves! Do not dream of handouts!" "Marquis, must you insist on this?" A Sun Moon expert said in dissatisfaction, "These geniuses..." "Shut up!" Marquis Xia snapped impatiently, "Geniuses this, geniuses that! Fine. If any of these people kill a genius from the Heaven Hunting Ranking right now, I will acknowledge them as the hope of humanity. Kill one, and I will let them in! Only those who give receive returns. Do you still have objections to my words?" The moment these words fell, some of the geniuses from the myriad races in the surroundings revealed mocking expressions. Someone sneered, "Marquis Xia speaks reasonably! Why not play a game? Step forward in the same realm and pick whoever you like. Kill us, and Marquis Xia will grant you benefits and opportunity. We don't mind serving as free whetstones! Normally, we wouldn't bother paying attention to trash!" These words gave the geniuses of the myriad races a sense of amusement. Geniuses were not afraid of death. The Heaven Hunting Ranking was a trial by true fire! Those capable of making the ranking only acknowledged the experts listed upon it, because every single one of them had fought their way up; no one had reached it by luck. They had carved out their reputations on the All-Heavens Battlefield, fighting their way out among the geniuses of the myriad races across the heavens to seize those 630 spots. Not a single ranked genius feared combat. Of course, since the strength of these human geniuses was currently difficult to gauge, the challenge was restricted to the same realm. Otherwise, they would have dared to fight even across realms! …… Outside the crowd, Su Yu smiled. Marquis Xia was brilliant after all! With just those words: kill a myriad races genius, and we let you enter. As for whether you gain anything after entering... that was your own problem; what did it have to do with him? Everyone else gained something, but you didn't? Then perhaps your Multiple Divine Characters Faction was different from Great Xia's. Everyone from Great Xia's Multiple Divine Characters Faction had obtained benefits, hadn't they seen? All of them had become Sun Moons, except for that useless Bai Feng. …… Those words also caused the expressions of the human geniuses to shift strangely. At this moment, someone chuckled and said, "Marquis, it might not only be beneficial to multiple divine characters; we warriors could give it a try too!" Marquis Xia glanced at Qin Fang, who was clad in black armor and mounted atop a flying tiger, and said indifferently, "Qin Fang, fight your way back onto the Heaven Ranking, and I will naturally let you in!" "..." Right through the heart! Qin Fang laughed. "The Marquis truly... discriminates! Hasn't the Heaven Ranking gained Dao Cheng? I can't help it! Brother Dao Cheng's strength is too terrifying. Even though he was beaten pitifully by Su Yu and nearly died, he at least reached the Shanhai Realm and killed his own master to advance. How could I possibly be his match?" Within the crowd, experts from the immortal race glared coldly at him. Dao Cheng was actually present as well, yet he acted as though he had heard nothing, continuously twirling a divine character between his fingers. Qin Fang glanced at him and smiled, though he felt a touch of wariness inside. *That fellow can certainly keep his cool!* …… While they caused their commotion, Su Yu paid them no heed. He was tallying heads, and soon transmitted his voice: "Everyone, keep a close watch on those humans who were stirring up trouble just now. Kill them in secret and pin the blame on the Xia family. Do not expose our identity as the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. Make it seem as though the Xia family assassinated them because they refused to be bullied, stoking internal conflict among humanity!" "Milord is wise!" Voices chimed in agreement through the channel one after another. Sowing chaos was their specialty! Their lord was preparing to pull off something massive! Assassinating human experts! Meanwhile, Su Yu wore a cold, detached expression without the slightest hesitation. Killing them was just killing them—those people displeased him, so what if he slaughtered them? The myriad races were all watching the show right now! Yet these fellows were the ones causing the biggest ruckus! Conveniently, this gave him an excuse. He wouldn't have to lift a finger himself anyway—and later, he would set up and slaughter these Heaven Hunting Pavilion members, treating it as avenging those humans! I, for one, always do things righteously!