Slaughter Unleashed, Sun Moons Treated Like Dogs

In the Human Realm, news spread like wildfire! "Liu Wenyan is back!" "He's heading to the ruins to advance to the Sun Moon Realm, and he even boasted he'd reach the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm in a single day!" "Can Liu Wenyan really pull that off?" "Liu Wenyan is the true number one of the contemporary multiple divine character faction..." Word swept across the realm. *** Outside Nanyuan City. Inside a newly erected hall, a young man asked in bewilderment, "Liu Wenyan? That half-ruined genius? General, why does everyone call Liu Wenyan the number one figure of the contemporary multiple divine character faction? I've read about his past... Sure, in his era, he was exceptionally talented, but he never even stepped into the Soaring Realm. Aren't people glorifying him far too much?" Among these youths, some hailed from the multiple divine character factions of the small realms, while others were geniuses nurtured by the major prefectures themselves. There were warriors and Civilization Masters alike. Now, the moment Liu Wenyan entered the All-Heavens Prefecture, rumors had started flying everywhere. In the mouths of the older generation, Liu Wenyan—a fellow who had never even crossed into the Soaring Realm back then—was treated almost like a legend! Even some Sun Moon Realm experts spoke of him that way. How could someone who had never reached Soaring, had languished for fifty years, and only recently scraped into the peak of the Shanhai Realm by detonating Ye Batian's divine characters, be considered a peerless genius? How did that make him the number one of the multiple divine character faction? In the eyes of these youths, figures like Hong Tan and Zhao Mingyue had already attained the Sun Moon Realm. Hong Tan was even younger than Liu Wenyan and had advanced to Sun Moon entirely on his own strength. How could an old has-been like Liu Wenyan, who relied on external power to reach Shanhai, be hailed as the foremost expert? They could not understand it! They felt everyone was holding this man in absurdly high regard! Facing their questions, the Sun Moon expert seated above—who was not particularly old—smiled faintly and asked in a low voice, "Does it even need asking whether he is the number one?" "..." What did that mean? Some of them were genuinely baffled. How could Liu Wenyan possibly qualify as number one? The Sun Moon sighed, looking at the crowd with a hint of exasperation. After a moment's thought, a Sun Moon divine character manifested before him. He casually flicked it beside a Lingyun Realm genius and said calmly, "Absorb it into your sea of will." "My lord... this..." The Lingyun youth replied helplessly, "This divine character is still active. I can't do it. It will burst my sea of will." Silence fell over the hall. It seemed some had begun to realize something! Of course, a few dim-witted individuals remained oblivious, pressing on, "General, what does that have to do with Liu Wenyan being the number one?" The Sun Moon expert was utterly speechless. Where had these fools come from? Feeling exhausted, he said flatly, "I am at the third stage of the Sun Moon Realm." Still, some of the slower minds could not connect the dots. Just then, a young man in the crowd sighed and spoke up: "We understand what your lordship means! Put that way, it is truly a shame. If Liu Wenyan hadn't been chosen as the successor back then, perhaps he would have shot straight from the Soaring Realm into Shanhai and Sun Moon in no time, right?" Only then did the Sun Moon expert smile. "Exactly! As expected, Civilization Masters have sharper brains! People always scoff: how can a mere Character Cultivation Realm master be considered number one? But remember, he was only at Character Cultivation! Even you know he was at Character Cultivation!" He shot a sidelong glance at the slower fellows. Even they knew the man had never reached Soaring! What realm had Ye Batian attained? A quasi-Invincible capable of slaying true Invincibles. Just how terrifying were Ye Batian's divine characters? Decades later, Su Yu had casually detonated a single one and obliterated several fourth- and fifth-stage Sun Moon experts. Liu Wenyan had detonated one and wiped out dead spirits at the sixth and seventh stages of Sun Moon. And back then, Ye Batian had left behind far more than just one divine character. So how powerful were they? Powerful enough that ordinary Sun Moon experts wouldn't dare integrate them. Of course, Liu Wenyan had maintained high compatibility with Ye Batian's divine characters, which was a crucial factor. Yet no matter how compatible they were, could an ordinary Character Cultivation master integrate Sun Moon divine characters? Go ahead and try! Even a Lingyun wouldn't dare! He himself was at the third stage of Sun Moon, yet when he produced a divine character and told a Lingyun genius to integrate it, the youth had been terrified of his sea of will exploding. Yet what about Liu Wenyan? Those who understood naturally knew what that meant. Those who didn't would never grasp it without the experience. For those lacking the wits, there was no point explaining. Below, someone else came around. Having overlooked this point before, they said in shock, "My lord, does that mean... back then, his sea of will was already close to Lingyun or even Shanhai in strength?" The Sun Moon general nodded. "Highly likely! Of course, without having been there, it is difficult to know the exact details. But it is true that the single divine character faction feared him, and the myriad races feared him. He possessed truly extraordinary talent. He rose by the Fifth Generation and fell by the Fifth Generation! Because of the Fifth Generation, his name became known across all realms; because of the Fifth Generation, he was crippled in his prime. Yet even after being crippled for fifty years, the multiple divine character faction was still waiting for his return!" The general continued with deep emotion, "Fifty years ago, he chose to inherit Ye Batian's divine characters instead of forging his own path, which was truly lamentable! Some thought he took advantage of it, while others thought he suffered for it. Without Ye Batian's divine characters, perhaps... he would have reached this point on his own! At the very least, he would be in the middle stages of Sun Moon by now. His talent far exceeded Hong Tan's!" "Back then, Liu Wenyan was ranked first, Xia Yunqi second, Zhao Mingyue third, Hu Ping fourth, and Marquis Xia fifth... That was the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy's Top 100 Rankings in those days!" "What?" Someone gasped in surprise. "Marquis Xia?" "Yes!" The Sun Moon expert smiled, seemingly lost in memory. "Back then, the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy stood at its absolute zenith! The eyes of the myriad realms were fixed upon it! The geniuses of the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy were the geniuses of the cosmos, the peerless geniuses of the Human Realm!" "While the Fifth Generation was around, those individuals basked in boundless glory. The eve of the Fifth Generation's attempt to attain the Dao was the peak of that golden age!" "Were Xia Yunqi and the others strong? Of course they were! If they weren't, how could they have inherited Sun Moon divine characters?" "As for Hong Tan... whenever he calls himself useless, it isn't humility. In that era, he truly was the least remarkable among them. Everyone wondered why the Fifth Generation took him in as a disciple. Later, perhaps people finally understood: Hong Tan could endure more hardship and swallow more bitterness than Liu Wenyan and the rest..." The general's sigh-laden words left the younger generation shaken. Hong Tan... had been the weakest among them? Marquis Xia was ranked fifth, and Marquis Xia was currently at the eighth stage of Sun Moon! Among those ranked above him, the other three had only just entered the Sun Moon Realm, while Liu Wenyan, who held the top spot, had not even reached it! What did that imply? Of course, the Marquis had reached the eighth stage through physical cultivation and had the backing of the Xia family. But do not forget: had Ye Batian not fallen, they too would have had an Invincible backing them. Moreover, Xia Yunqi was also a member of the Xia family. Put that way, if these people hadn't been held back, could someone among them have genuinely reached the ninth stage of Sun Moon by now? At this moment, even the slower ones understood. The general continued, "That is why everyone calls Liu Wenyan the number one! A genius is a genius; a peerless reputation isn't built on flattery. If you could nurture peak Sun Moon divine characters at the Character Cultivation Realm, you too would be called a peerless genius!" Even though he was at the Sun Moon Realm, he had to admit that Liu Wenyan's raw talent was monstrous—stronger than his, stronger than anyone else's. He had to acknowledge that if Liu Wenyan hadn't been crippled for fifty years, he would currently thrash someone like him with ease. That was the gulf between them! Xia Longwu had managed to reach the quasi-Invincible Realm in a short span, but back then, Liu Wenyan had been even more famous than Xia Longwu. Perhaps today, the one eclipsing Xia Longwu's fame would have been Liu Wenyan. King Daxia had personally garrisoned Nanyuan for years to guard Liu Wenyan, and that wasn't merely to protect Ye Batian's divine characters. If that were all, King Daxia could have simply waited for Liu Wenyan to be killed before retrieving them. The divine characters... were not necessarily worth more than Liu Wenyan himself. *** "The number one of the multiple divine character faction?" At that moment, Su Yu, who was scouring the surroundings for Cult Master Primordial, also received the news and chuckled. "A Shanhai counts as number one? How miserable is the multiple divine character faction!" Xuanjia glanced at him without a word. Beside them, Giant Force Cult Master couldn't help but chime in, "What's wrong with calling him number one? Nurturing peak Sun Moon divine characters while at the Character Cultivation Realm—multiple ones, at that! Why don't you give it a try?" Su Yu was at a loss for words. *If I try, I try! What of it?* *Back when I was at Character Cultivation, no one gave me such formidable divine characters to inherit. For all anyone knows, what I merged with is even stronger. My golden album might very well be an Invincible divine character—scared yet?* *I didn't even need to be at Character Cultivation; I've had it since childhood!* *Alright, no need to be jealous.* Teacher Liu's sea of will was indeed immensely strong. Su Yu had entered it before; it was truly as vast as an ocean, definitely superior to that of an ordinary Sun Moon expert. Looking back now, the fact that Teacher Liu could inherit all those characters back then was undeniably impressive. Still, Su Yu suspected it had something to do with the Fifth Generation. No matter how gifted Teacher Liu was, developing a Sun Moon-level sea of will at the Character Cultivation Realm was simply too absurd. His sea of will had likely been forcibly expanded by the Fifth Generation Manor Head. It was hard to say for sure, but he could simply ask later. Seeing Su Yu fall silent, Giant Force Cult Master felt quite pleased with himself, having finally scored a small victory! *A mere initial-stage Sun Moon, yet your tone is terrifyingly arrogant!* *Bossing us around all day long. If not for the fact that we've just arrived and aren't familiar with the Heaven Hunting Pavilion yet, I would have slapped you across the face long ago.* Xuanjia spoke up: "Xuan Jiu, if we can't find him, let's head back to Nanyuan first. Once Liu Wenyan returns and advances to Sun Moon... even before he breaks through, Nanyuan will likely plunge into chaos!" Su Yu's mind stirred. "Let's keep looking a bit longer. It will take Liu Wenyan at least a day or two to reach the Great Xia Prefecture..." Xuanjia countered, "I'm worried he won't make it. Even if he does, I fear he won't be able to enter Nanyuan!" "What does the elder mean?" "Do you think the myriad races and the other major human prefectures are willing to let this 'number one' enter the ruins? These are Civilization Master ruins. Given his astonishing talent, what if the Civilization Monument recognizes him as its master on the spot?" Su Yu curled his lip and laughed. "Surely not? He stayed in Nanyuan for fifty years and it never recognized him. Why would it happen now?" "That's hard to say. Perhaps the time wasn't ripe back then!" Su Yu understood Xuanjia's implication. It would be best to go take a look to prevent anything from happening to Liu Wenyan. Liu Wenyan was traveling with only one person by his side: Uncle Liu, who had only recently recovered his Sun Moon strength. That level of power was far from enough now. Furthermore, the traitorous Invincible might have sent other experts. Who said they had to wait until Liu Wenyan reached Nanyuan and broke through to Sun Moon before killing him? Wouldn't killing him right now be vastly easier? Only an idiot would wait! Su Yu had considered this as well, but as a member of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, he could not rush off after Liu Wenyan too eagerly. Su Yu smiled. "We are in the Human Realm, after all. Who would be brazen enough to murder someone in broad daylight so urgently? In the past, there was the All-Races Cult, but now the members of the All-Races Cult are on our side. The Human Realm is relatively safe!" Giant Force Cult Master and the others snorted inwardly. *Listen to him talk, as if we were irredeemable monsters!* *Fine, we are indeed wicked.* *But how are you, Xuan Jiu, any better than us?* *These past few days, you've either been killing people or on your way to kill people.* *Only now, while tracking Cult Master Primordial, has things calmed down slightly.* Just then, Su Yu paused, looking startled. "Strange... The sub-ranking Director Ji is carrying seems to be moving toward the All-Heavens Prefecture." What was going on? Su Yu's eyes flickered, and he quickly said, "Let's go. We're heading to the All-Heavens Prefecture to see this supposed number one of the multiple divine character faction, and see if we can catch Primordial while we're at it!" "Understood!" The group accelerated. Every one of them was in the Sun Moon Realm; they hadn't even brought along the white masks of the Shanhai Realm. A squad entirely composed of Sun Moons was terrifyingly formidable. They were arrogant enough to traverse major prefectures openly. As long as they didn't barge straight into prefectural capitals, even the Manor Heads preferred to turn a blind eye. Over twenty Sun Moons, including several in the late stages—if a battle erupted, it could reduce an entire prefecture to rubble. One glance was enough to recognize them as the unit led by Xuan Jiu of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. Unless necessary, no one wanted to provoke them. Su Yu felt no pride in this, only frustration. *Some of these human prefectures are truly bloody useless. What's so terrifying about twenty-odd Sun Moons?* *We're right at your doorstep—come out and fight!* *Acting so insolent at your front door, and you don't even dare strike back. Sure enough, they pale in comparison to the Invincibles who founded the prefectures centuries ago. Of course, they hadn't dared to take a stroll through the Great Qin Prefecture, or they probably would have been beaten black and blue.* *** Just as Su Yu was leading his group toward the All-Heavens Prefecture... In the All-Heavens Prefecture, Ye Hongyan was personally escorting Liu Wenyan. The Great Xia Prefecture truly had no personnel to spare, and fearing they might face danger, Ye Hongyan had chosen to escort Liu Wenyan and his companion toward Nanyuan herself. Along the road. Liu Wenyan maintained an elegant, gentle bearing, a warm smile lingering on his face. "Great-Aunt, there's no need. It's just a journey, yet I've troubled you to escort me." Calling her Great-Aunt was entirely proper. Su Yu wasn't present to hear this; otherwise, he would have called her "Mistress" a few times. He had called her that before; she was Niu Baidao's wife, so calling her Mistress was not wrong. By Su Yu's generational standing, he was technically of the same generation as Ye Batian. Being of the same generation as Ye Batian, he could barely claim seniority and call Wan Tiansheng his nephew... In name, Wan Tiansheng was Ye Batian's junior brother, but in reality, he had been more like a junior nephew. Calculating further, Xia Longwu's seniority would be even lower, meaning Su Yu could technically call him grand-nephew... Naturally, valuing his own life, Su Yu would never dare. The address "Great-Aunt" stirred many memories in Ye Hongyan. She sighed wistfully. "When Batian first brought you back... you were still so young. In the blink of an eye, you've grown this old." She spoke as though he were a grandchild, which he technically was by generation. Liu Wenyan smiled. "That is because Great-Aunt remains youthful." "Your mouth was always sweet!" Ye Hongyan chuckled. "It was only by virtue of that mouth that you managed to charm those girls back then..." Liu Wenyan couldn't keep up his refined facade and said helplessly, "Great-Aunt, they aren't girls anymore. They're well up in years—where would we find any young girls? If I had married and had children back then, my grandchildren would be grown by now!" Ye Hongyan grew solemn, then laughed softly. "There is still time. Batian lived a solitary life, leaving nothing behind for the Ye family when he died. You are still young; there is still a chance..." Liu Wenyan merely smiled without answering. Ye Hongyan quickly added, "Don't be afraid, and don't worry! This is the Human Realm, not the All-Heavens Battlefield! I have already notified that old ox to return. At his age, what Dao is he trying to attain? Wasting opportunities! I told him to come back and seize the ruins for you! Once you secure the civilization mansion, along with two carrier materials and the Civilization Monument, you might very well step into the quasi-Invincible Realm in short order... As for attaining the Dao, there's no rush; take it slowly." "Great-Aunt, it isn't that simple. Don't let Manor Head Niu be delayed. Attaining the Dao is of utmost importance." Ye Hongyan scoffed, "Attaining the Dao? He doesn't have the destiny for it! If he did, the one who attained the Dao back then would have been him, not King Daming! He lacked the fortune in his youth, let alone now at his age!" If Niu Baidao had slightly better luck, he would have attained the Dao long ago. Why would he have waited until today? Even now, he was still a step away. He might not have even found his second carrier material. Without fishing out his three incarnations, how could he attain any Dao? Going there was practically just watching others attain theirs. Many people were heading out this time. Yet some still lacked carrier materials. In the end, they would likely have to wait for the great battle of Invincibles. In such clashes, when an Invincible fell or an incarnation was destroyed, others could seize the opportunity to attain the Dao—a common method of breakthrough. Carrier materials for attaining the Dao had to be snatched by force. There were carrier materials within the civilization mansion, and many would undoubtedly vie for them. Once seized, some might not even head to the All-Heavens Battlefield, choosing instead to attain the Dao right here in the Human Realm. Just as she was pondering this, Ye Hongyan bellowed furiously, "What scoundrel dares!" A sword pierced through the void! "Die!" Though a woman, Ye Hongyan was fiercely decisive in slaughter. Brandishing her longsword, she instantly ripped into the void. "Wenyan, be careful!" With a low shout, Ye Hongyan vanished. She knew this might be a powerhouse luring her away, but she had no choice. If the battle unfolded right here, the shockwaves alone would be too much for Liu Wenyan to withstand. "Great-Aunt, be careful!" Liu Wenyan's brow furrowed tightly. Beside him, Uncle Liu drew his Earth weapon—the very one Su Yu had repaired—his aura bristling with vigilance and murderous intent. The Liu family had bandit roots... or rather, scavenger roots. Scavengers were those who looted corpses on the All-Heavens Battlefield. None of them were pushovers. In truth, Liu Wenyan was no exception; he had looted corpses in the East Rift Valley since childhood, only wearing a gentle, refined veneer nowadays. Uncle Liu stood guard before him and said in a heavy voice, "Go! Make haste toward Nanyuan! No one from the Xia family came to protect us this time!" It wasn't that they didn't want to, but that they truly couldn't. The Great Xia Prefecture had to be defended, and Nanyuan was facing countless experts. Sending anyone else would only invite disaster. This journey home was far more treacherous than anticipated. Liu Wenyan nodded. Wasting no time, he shot through the air. *Buzz!* A massive battleaxe crashed down from the void with a thunderous roar. Uncle Liu raised his broadsword and slashed upward! "Liu Hao, you cannot stop this! Flee on your own, and you might live. Liu Wenyan must die!" A demon god stepped out from the void. An expert from the myriad races! Here to intercept and slaughter Liu Wenyan! Uncle Liu's eyes turned bloodshot in an instant. "It's you!" The demon god replied coldly, "It is I!" "Die!" *Boom!* A ferocious clash erupted. In the distance, Ye Hongyan's sharp shouts rang out, her murderous intent piercing the heavens. Rumble! Explosions echoed continuously. Liu Wenyan said nothing, hurtling through the sky as he pressed forward. "This path is closed!" Ahead, an enormous palm descended, blotting out the sky. "Break!" Liu Wenyan roared. He did not use an axe this time, but a sword. As he struck, a squelching sound rang out, carving a bloody furrow across the colossal palm. "Hmm?" The intercepting Sun Moon expert materialized, remarking coldly, "The supreme genius of the multiple divine character faction is indeed extraordinary! A mere Shanhai can actually wound my Sun Moon physical body!" Liu Wenyan sneered, "'A mere Shanhai'... you certainly have a big mouth!" "Die!" Even as he shouted the battle cry, Liu Wenyan tore through the void. He possessed a divine character capable of sundering space, instantly shifting his position a thousand meters away. "Do you think you can escape?" "Do you think we are the only ones who want you dead?" Behind him, the Sun Moon expert sneered. They were far from the only ones who wanted Liu Wenyan dead—humans wanted him dead too! *You want to inherit the ruins?* *Liu Wenyan, you are daydreaming!* "Go to hell!" Just then, Ye Hongyan let out a terrifying shriek in the distance. With a sickening slice, her sword cleaved a peak seventh-stage Sun Moon expert in two on the spot! A crescent moon plummeted from the sky! Ye Hongyan was drenched in blood, coughing crimson as she bolted wildly toward Liu Wenyan, roaring, "How dare you! You killed my nephew back then, and today, you'll have to step over my corpse first!" Her nephew had been murdered; the sole heir of the Ye family had been slain. She had grieved bitterly for decades. And now, her nephew's successor was returning to Nanyuan, only to be ambushed in the Human Realm. She would never allow it. The surrounding lands trembled! Ye Hongyan had slain a seventh-stage Sun Moon? Even though she was heavily wounded, the fact that she had finished off a seventh-stage Sun Moon so swiftly and cleanly left everyone stunned. So powerful! Was this woman truly this terrifying? Ye Hongyan arrived in a flash. The Sun Moon expert who had been attacking Liu Wenyan did not hesitate for a second, slipping into the void to flee. Yet Ye Hongyan was completely berserk, letting out a piercing scream! A drop of blood essence detonated, tearing the void apart with an explosive roar. She materialized right in front of that Sun Moon expert. Since he hadn't even been able to stop Liu Wenyan, he was clearly not exceptionally strong. Intercepted by Ye Hongyan, a sword pierced straight through his head and shattered his sea of will! *Boom!* Another crescent moon crashed down. Ye Hongyan's injuries worsened drastically, yet she tore through the void once more, arriving by Liu Wenyan's side in an instant. By this point, Liu Wenyan had already been battered and bloodied by a fourth-stage Sun Moon expert, but thanks to Ye Batian's divine characters, he had managed to hold his ground. Seeing Ye Hongyan charging over like a madwoman, that Sun Moon expert fled into the distance as well. Ye Hongyan didn't pursue him. Grabbing Liu Wenyan, she flew rapidly toward Uncle Liu, shouting, "Go! Hurry!" Blood dripped from her lips as she spoke. She was severely wounded! The demon god blocking Uncle Liu also retreated swiftly, not daring to linger. Drenched in blood, Uncle Liu rushed over, coughing blood as he said, "Go! General Ye, I will hold the rear. Take Wenyan and leave... The Liu family will be eternally grateful!" The Liu family was gone. Uncle Liu's face bore an expression of resolute doom. This was his nephew's only chance. If Liu Wenyan reached Nanyuan and broke through to Sun Moon, he would surely sweep through the contemporary generation and avenge the Liu family! Held by Ye Hongyan, Liu Wenyan sighed inwardly. It seemed he had no choice but to forcefully break through to Sun Moon right now. It didn't matter where he broke through. His advancement never depended on any Civilization Monument anyway! Don't be ridiculous—he had played with that thing countless times in the past without gaining any benefits. Though he wasn't entirely clear on the Xia family's grand plan, including the matter of the Civilization Monument and the ruins, he knew this whole affair was certainly tied to Su Yu. The real monument seemed to be with Su Yu. As for how it had ended up in the Great Xia Prefecture... he didn't know. While on the All-Heavens Battlefield, he knew Su Yu had made several moves and was still active recently. Perhaps the Xia family had borrowed it from him. "Uncle, we leave together!" Uncle Liu opened his mouth to argue, but Liu Wenyan snapped, "We go together! Don't waste time—stronger foes are coming!" "Alright!" The three spoke no further, flying through the sky toward Nanyuan at top speed. *Boom!* They had flown only a short distance when Ye Hongyan let out a sharp cry and thrust her sword forward, only to be struck back by a colossal fist. She crashed into the earth, causing the mountains to tremble and the ground to split! Cracks spiderwebbed across the earth! Another powerhouse appeared, his skin like bronze and bones like iron, radiating a golden glow all over! An eighth-stage Sun Moon! "Ye Hongyan, do you truly insist on seeking death?" Ye Hongyan shot out from beneath the earth, drenched in blood, and snarled, "You Dao protectors are courting death! This is the Human Realm, not the All-Heavens Battlefield! Wu Ji will arrive shortly..." "You mean the All-Heavens Prefecture?" The eighth-stage Sun Moon expert chuckled softly. "Wu Ji and the others cannot come! They must guard the All-Heavens Prefecture. A massive battle has likely erupted on the All-Heavens Battlefield!" Ye Hongyan's face drained of color! "You actually started a war just to kill Wenyan..." "No, it is not a war!" The Sun Moon expert smiled. "Merely a test of the human race's strength. How could it be called a war? No reinforcements will come from the All-Heavens Prefecture; they must defend the passage to the death. Ye Hongyan, leave. I do not wish to kill you. Niu Baidao seems to have stepped into the quasi-Invincible Realm, and I have no desire to be relentlessly hunted by a quasi-Invincible on your account." Ignoring him, Ye Hongyan grabbed Liu Wenyan and Uncle Liu and fled once more. *** Meanwhile. Su Yu arrived with his squad. Sensing the surroundings, he frowned. "So many Sun Moons... Some are even rushing over from Nanyuan. Are they all here to hunt down Liu Wenyan?" The Xia family couldn't send aid, nor could the All-Heavens Prefecture. As for other prefectures, some lacked the power to intervene, while others had their experts away. For instance, in the Great Zhou Prefecture, both Zhou Potian and Zhou Polong were absent, and they still had to guard their own territory. Even if they were present, they wouldn't necessarily come to the rescue. Consequently, in this entire region, not a single person was available to save Liu Wenyan and his companions. Su Yu's brow knit together. Was this part of Wan Tiansheng's scheme, or were they truly powerless to help? He had already witnessed the fall of Sun Moons! He had even seen a seventh-stage Sun Moon expert perish. A massive battle had clearly erupted. Su Yu could guess with ease who was protecting Liu Wenyan—Ye Hongyan! Ye Hongyan was only at the seventh stage of Sun Moon herself. Slaying an opponent of the same stage must have left her gravely injured. "The human race... Heh!" Su Yu sneered. "The multiple divine character faction is being ambushed within human territory, yet not a single reinforcement appears. The human race is growing weaker by the day!" "What about the Sun Moons from the two Holy Lands?" Just as he spoke, Xuanjia said, "There is unrest at the two Holy Lands as well; news just came in. It seems these people are determined to see Liu Wenyan dead!" Su Yu sneered, "Naturally. Besides, many on the human side aren't keen on seeing Liu Wenyan reach Nanyuan alive either." Xuanjia asked, "What do you plan to do?" Many in the squad looked toward Su Yu. What was the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's stance? Su Yu said languidly, "Why are you looking at me? Let's watch the show first. No, let's clear out the small fry first! I can already smell their scent. Earlier, I had no way of drawing them out, but now, numerous Sun Moon experts are scattered across this region. Kill them!" Bai Yi couldn't help asking, "Xuan Jiu, kill the myriad races?" "What of it?" "Are we going to protect Liu Wenyan?" Bai Yi was still confused. There was no need for them to do such a thing, was there? Not joining in on killing Liu Wenyan was already benevolent enough, yet they were going to protect him? What was wrong with Xuan Jiu? What was he thinking! Su Yu couldn't be bothered to explain to him. He quickly transmitted a message to the Eighth Elder: "Eighth Elder, Cult Master Primordial and Director Ji might be nearby! If Cult Master Primordial is indeed Nan Wujiang, he may have come to rescue Liu Wenyan. Liu Wenyan won't die easily... Primordial is likely watching from the shadows. Let's assassinate a batch of experts first, pin the blame on Cult Master Primordial, and eliminate our competitors!" "Are you certain he is nearby?" "Certain!" Su Yu continued hurriedly, "Those fools trying to kill Liu Wenyan right now are courting death. Of course, we can just enjoy the show while picking off a few people. Once Cult Master Primordial makes a move, everything can be pinned on him. If he doesn't show... Eighth Elder can disguise yourself as Cult Master Primordial. Even if he isn't Nan Wujiang, we will make sure he becomes Nan Wujiang!" "But once Liu Wenyan returns and reaches Nanyuan, what if he truly inherits the ruins?" The Eighth Elder still harbored doubts, though the plan sounded sound. Regardless of whether Cult Master Primordial came to the rescue, the blame would fall on him! Still, he did not want Liu Wenyan to reach Nanyuan. Su Yu quickly added, "Eighth Elder, keep up the act for now. If Cult Master Primordial doesn't show, Liu Wenyan's life or death will still be up to us! Once we slaughter the rest, it won't be too late to kill Liu Wenyan! If Cult Master Primordial is truly lurking in the dark, there's no need for us to act rashly!" "Very well!" "Please issue the command, Eighth Elder. Law enforcers like Bai Yi will never understand what business is. Without investment, how can there be returns?" The Eighth Elder chuckled and transmitted back, "You rascal. They are law enforcers; they don't understand these subtleties. Otherwise, you wouldn't be the one in charge of the Great Xia Prefecture, would you?" "True enough!" Su Yu smiled. Moments later, everyone received a transmission from the Eighth Elder: *All personnel are to obey Xuan Jiu's commands!* Su Yu snorted coldly. "I hope no one questions my decisions next time!" The crowd was shaken. Bai Yi was also slightly startled, quickly replying, "Understood!" "Move out! Giant Force, take five men. Earth Fire, take five men. Elder Xuanjia and I will take the rest. We split into three teams and assassinate every Sun Moon who doesn't belong to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" "Assassinate?" The group was speechless. *You call this an assassination?* There were dozens of Sun Moons gathered here. Once a fight started, the heavens would collapse and the earth would shatter! You called that an assassination? It was an outright slaughter! Su Yu ignored their reactions and gave Xuanjia a signal. The group vanished on the spot. Resigned, Giant Force and Earth Fire Cult Masters led their respective teams away swiftly. *** A paper crane flew from Su Yu's hand, used specifically to track the Heaven Hunting Rankings. "Those fellows are likely carrying sub-rankings. Make it quick and clean—kill anyone you encounter!" Su Yu issued the command. Xuanjia transmitted, "What about humans?" "Kill them!" Su Yu snorted. He could already sense the battle near Liu Wenyan. If there were humans present who hadn't stepped forward to help by now, they clearly harbored malicious intent. Killing them was well justified! Xuanjia said no more. Su Yu grew increasingly certain that this fellow was ten-to-one a human. However, he wasn't necessarily of one mind with the multiple divine character faction. Alternatively, having not returned to the Human Realm in decades, he might have had no idea that the multiple divine character faction had long fallen out with many human factions. *** Moments later. The paper crane came to a halt above a certain area. Without a word, Su Yu blasted a fist into the void! A Sun Moon figure emerged from the void in terror, shouting, "What is the Heaven Hunting Pavilion doing?" "Kill!" Following Su Yu's command, besides the twelve Sun Moons led by Giant Force and Earth Fire, numerous Sun Moon experts present unleashed their attacks simultaneously! Sabers, spears, swords, and halberds—every manner of weapon crashed down. With the eighth-stage Sun Moon Xuanjia leading the strike against a mere third-stage Sun Moon, it was like using a butcher's cleaver to kill a chicken. *Boom!* With a thunderous explosion, the void shattered. The Sun Moon expert was blown to pieces, reverting to his true form—a colossal crocodile that exploded instantly. Even in death, his mind was shattered in disbelief. *Are they mad?* *The Heaven Hunting Pavilion has truly lost its mind, slaughtering indiscriminately! Aren't they afraid of having the myriad races turn against them entirely?* "Cult Master Primordial killed him; what does it have to do with us?" Su Yu sneered coldly. A crescent moon plummeted from the sky. Almost simultaneously, another crescent moon crashed down across the barren plains, followed shortly by yet another! Today, the slaughter had truly begun! Counting the ones Ye Hongyan had slain, a total of five Sun Moons had already fallen in quick succession! *** The eighth-stage Sun Moon expert pursuing Ye Hongyan and her companions was thoroughly shaken! He roared in fury, "Who is it?" What was going on? Crescent moons were crashing down across multiple locations—the unmistakable omen of slain Sun Moons! What was happening? Who was unleashing such slaughter? Everyone present today had gathered to hunt down Liu Wenyan. Even if there were personal vendettas, there was no reason to strike now—and across multiple locations at once! In an instant, three crescent moons had fallen! That meant at least three individuals were carrying out simultaneous slaughter! At this moment, even this eighth-stage Sun Moon felt a chill. Even second- and third-stage Sun Moons were not so easily slain! Unless... the attackers were all high-stage Sun Moons! Where had so many high-stage Sun Moons suddenly come from? *** Ahead, Ye Hongyan and her group were equally astonished as they fled. Ye Hongyan said in surprise, "Reinforcements?" Though grievously wounded, she was overjoyed. Liu Wenyan, however, frowned slightly. "Great-Aunt, hurry! They might not be reinforcements! Slaying three Sun Moons instantly requires three high-stage Sun Moons. If they were truly reinforcements, they would have come to save us rather than hunting down those Sun Moons..." Ye Hongyan's heart skipped a beat, and she accelerated her flight. He was right—they might not be allies! If they were enemies, let alone three high-stage Sun Moons, even a single one blocking their path would spell certain doom! Even as they spoke, yet another crescent moon plummeted! This time, a shrill, desperate shriek echoed across heaven and earth: "It's the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! Tracking via the sub-rankings..." A dying expert screamed with his last breath! The next instant, Xuan Jiu's chilling voice reverberated across the four directions: "Everyone has misunderstood! It is Cult Master Primordial! He is Nan Wujiang! Our Heaven Hunting Pavilion is besieging Nan Wujiang! Nan Wujiang, you still dare to sow confusion among the public?" *Boom!* In the next breath, a shocking scene unfolded before everyone's eyes. In the void, three high-stage Sun Moons were locked in fierce combat with a colossal, immensely powerful phantom, surrounded by dozens of Sun Moon experts. Su Yu bellowed, "Come assist us quickly! Nan Wujiang wants to rescue Liu Wenyan and slaughter the rest of you..." In every direction, the Sun Moon experts were utterly bewildered. Which version was the truth? *** At that exact moment. In the depths of the void, Cult Master Primordial, who was clutching Director Ji in his grip, froze in sheer astonishment. *I... killed them?* *Isn't... isn't that the Eighth Elder of the Law Enforcement Department?* He stared blankly. *Are they... pinning this on me?* *Granted, I was preparing to make a move, but for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion to frame me like this... isn't that crossing the line?*