A Born Slaughterer

The Heaven Hunting Pavilion claimed they were besieging Nan Wujiang—or rather, Cult Master Primordial. Several dozen Sun Moons were indeed battling a terrifyingly powerful figure. His face was blurred and indistinct, but his bearing truly resembled that of Cult Master Primordial. Yet… could anyone dare believe it? As that dying Sun Moon drew his final breath, he had explicitly cried out that the Heaven Hunting Pavilion was killing him! Moreover, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had recently embarked on an all-out killing spree. Eight or nine out of ten Sun Moons who had died in the Human Realm over these past few days had been slain by them. With all races entering the realm and the ruins surfacing, more than ten Sun Moon experts had already perished. If they weren't killed by the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, they were Heaven Hunting Pavilion operatives being killed. It defied belief! The current Heaven Hunting Pavilion was far more aggressive than they had ever been on the All-Heavens Battlefield. In the past, they had never displayed such direct hostility, preferring to fan the flames from the shadows by selling intelligence or peddling someone's location. Now, they were entering the fray in person. Just as everyone was gripped by suspicion and dread, Xuan Jiu barked out, "Fall back! Cult Master Primordial, we mind our own business and you mind yours. You kill your targets, and we carry out our mission. There's no need to entangle yourself with us!" With a wave of Su Yu's hand, several dozen Sun Moons promptly retreated. The indistinct figure did not pursue them. Glancing around, he said in a low voice, "I have come only for Liu Wenyan… and wish to shed no unnecessary blood!" Leading his Sun Moons backward in continuous retreat, Su Yu laughed. "As you wish. Our mission doesn't conflict with yours…" Su Yu pointed into the distance at the eighth-stage Sun Moon demon god and said with a chuckle, "They are the ones looking to kill Liu Wenyan. It has nothing to do with us. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion doesn't poke its nose into unrelated matters, and running into you just now was purely coincidental. Cult Master, please do not pick a fight with us!" Before the words had even faded, the figure of "Cult Master Primordial" flickered. An instant later, he materialized directly in front of a first-stage Sun Moon powerhouse. Before the man could utter a word, a massive hand seized him tight! *Boom!* With a thunderous explosion, he crushed the opponent to pieces. A half-moon crashed out of the sky once more! The sixth Sun Moon had fallen! The eighth-stage Sun Moon demon god turned pale with fright and bellowed, "Everyone scatter… No, everyone regroup!" Fleeing individually meant risking being hunted down one by one by Cult Master Primordial. A quasi-Invincible existence! Encountering such a foe alone meant certain death, even for an eighth-stage Sun Moon. Only by joining forces—just like the Heaven Hunting Pavilion—could they stand a chance! At this command, all the experts, whether hidden or out in the open, converged toward him. Meanwhile, "Cult Master Primordial" remained entirely indifferent, declaring coolly, "Since you have come, don't even think about leaving!" The Eighth Elder had grown thoroughly hooked. Slaughtering others while assuming someone else's identity was immensely satisfying. He got to reap Sun Moon essence blood and storage rings, reaping bountiful spoils. Best of all, he bore none of the blame. Cult Master Primordial was responsible for it all! He darted across the battlefield, hunting down solitary runners at terrifying speed. Farther away, Su Yu led his contingent in a swift withdrawal. *** Cult Master Juli asked in confusion, "We're leaving just like that?" Su Yu ignored him. Cult Master Juli bristled with annoyance. Nearby, Cult Master Dihuo smiled and asked, "Brother Xuan Jiu, are we not proceeding?" Only then did Su Yu feel satisfied. Forcing a seventh-stage Sun Moon to address him as "My Lord" was a bit much, but look at Cult Master Dihuo—he truly knew how to conduct himself. Su Yu explained, "We aren't leaving. We're heading to the perimeter to intercept any stragglers trying to flee! Not a single one escapes! Once they regroup and cluster together, they'll be much easier to wipe out!" "But… if they all gather, their combined strength won't be weak. There could easily be fifteen or twenty Sun Moons among them." Nowadays, Sun Moons were being counted in batches of ten or twenty. This time, over a hundred Sun Moons from all races had crossed into the realm. Within the Human Realm itself, between the All-Races Cult and the foreign powerhouses who had previously infiltrated, there were another forty or fifty. Add the Human Realm's native forces, and nearly three hundred Sun Moon experts were currently concentrated between the Great Xia Prefecture and this area! In hundreds of years, aside from the opening of the Star Mansion, this was the largest gathering of Sun Moons. When the Star Mansion opened, the races merely competed for entry slots, and life-and-death clashes were rare. Here, however, they were locked in mortal combat, and six Sun Moons had already perished in the span of a few moments. Su Yu added briskly, "Besides, we must intercept Liu Wenyan and the others, or all our efforts will have been in vain." On one hand, he had to maintain his persona; on the other, Su Yu worried that if they wandered off blindly, they could easily be ambushed by others. Keeping them right under his own eyes put his mind at ease. As for the Eighth Elder turning on them later… he would play it by ear. If things went south, he could always have Zhu Tiandao step in. Indeed, Old Zhu. Su Yu hadn't reached out to the Xia family this time. Old Wan wouldn't show himself, but Old Zhu still had time on his hands. Old Zhu hadn't left; when the human Invincibles summoned the peak ninth-stage Sun Moons and quasi-Invincibles to prepare for attaining the Dao, Old Zhu hadn't been among them. Su Yu wasn't surprised in the least. Old Zhu had only just stepped into the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm. With that level of strength, what Dao was he supposed to attain? It was only natural that he remained behind in the Human Realm. If worse came to worst, he could arrange for Old Zhu to casually happen by. Old Zhu might not beat the Eighth Elder, but the Eighth Elder would have to consider that King Daming was still in the Human Realm. Hitting the son could bring out the father. With other families, that probability was slim, but with the Zhu clan, it was remarkably high. Having mapped it all out, Su Yu quickly led his pack of powerhouses in pursuit of Liu Wenyan's group, shouting as he gave chase, "Liu Wenyan, don't be in such a hurry to leave! City Lord Su Yu of the ancient city placed an order with us to guarantee your safety, paying a steep price. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion accepted the contract!" Bai Yi and the others cursed internally at how brazenly he spun lies. That fellow Su Yu didn't even possess a Heaven Hunting Ranking. Right now, he probably had no clue what was happening in the Human Realm, yet Xuan Jiu dared weave such an outrageous tale? Then again, the excuse was surprisingly sound. First, Su Yu could easily afford the price. Second, Su Yu was precisely the kind of person who had both the motive and the willingness to spend a fortune hiring dozens of Sun Moons to protect Liu Wenyan. He had the strength, the capital, and the motive… lending the claim immense credibility. Bai Yi and the others marveled inwardly at how Xuan Jiu managed to fleece both sides at once! He had just sent the Eighth Elder off to slaughter their targets, and now he was turning around to hoodwink Liu Wenyan and his companions. Ahead, Ye Hongyan hesitated and slowed, but Liu Wenyan urged hurriedly, "Keep moving! Pay them no mind!" Looking back at the pursuers, he called out with a smile, "Then we shall trouble you all! However, there is no need to follow so closely. Just trail ten thousand meters behind and escort us all the way to Nanyuan!" Who knew whether these people were sincere or merely deceiving them? Better to flee first! Su Yu cursed inwardly. *Why are you running?* If they ran too far, it would complicate things for the Eighth Elder. Furthermore, if they actually got away, Su Yu wouldn't be able to explain it. He was playing the part of Xuan Jiu right now; fumbling the interception of a mere Liu Wenyan would be utterly humiliating. His persona couldn't crumble—Xuan Jiu was supposed to be omnipotent! "Elder Xuanjia, please speed up and cut them off!" Su Yu barked the order, prompting Xuanjia to transmit, *Are we really cutting them off?* What was this kid thinking? If they intercepted them and the Eighth Elder returned, what if he slaughtered them? *Cut them off!* Well, since Su Yu had given the word, Xuanjia reflected that as ruthless as the lad was, he wouldn't go so far as to get Liu Wenyan killed. Best to block them! His figure flickered! His speed was astonishing, far outstripping Ye Hongyan and the others, especially with Ye Hongyan severely wounded. In the blink of an eye, Xuanjia blocked their path, smiling. "Gentlemen, pray linger a moment. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion has taken on this contract, and we cannot simply let you go on your way!" Ye Hongyan hesitated. Were they friend or foe? Liu Wenyan furrowed his brows. Xuanjia hadn't struck. Since he hadn't attacked, picking a fight with the Heaven Hunting Pavilion now would put them at a disadvantage. What were these people after? If Su Yu truly hired them, Liu Wenyan had already stated that escorting from the rear was sufficient, so why block their advance? He remained on high alert, but he ceased fleeing for the moment. Moments later, Su Yu caught up with his group. Xuanjia's speed was no joke—genuinely swift! Su Yu said with a grin, "I am Xuan Jiu! Greetings, General Ye, and greetings to you all!" Liu Wenyan offered a genial, amiable smile. "I have heard of Lord Xuan Jiu's renowned name. May I ask why you have blocked our path?" Su Yu chuckled. "Nothing much—just wait a while before moving on! Surely you three don't genuinely believe Cult Master Primordial came to save you? An elder of our pavilion is currently slaying those pursuers. If you simply leave now, what will you do if you cross paths with another quasi-Invincible along the way?" Liu Wenyan took a sharp breath, looking back toward the thunderous booms echoing in the distance. He couldn't help asking, "That is… an elder of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion?" Su Yu smiled. "Naturally! How else could we rescue you? This time, to deliver your group from peril, Su Yu paid five hundred drops of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid—enough to fund the assassination of a quasi-Invincible. Thus, our pavilion mobilized in force, deploying a quasi-Invincible expert to safeguard you!" Hearing this, Liu Wenyan became half-believing and half-doubting. Su Yu… paid that much to hire them? How utterly extravagant! Could it be real? Yet if it were false, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had indeed sent a formidable force—over twenty Sun Moons was no small number—along with that quasi-Invincible locked in fierce battle. Su Yu paid his skepticism no mind and smiled. "Gentlemen, run no further. Danger lies ahead. Master Liu's journey home is long, teeming with monsters and demons. Relying solely on the grievously injured General Ye will hardly ensure a safe passage. You would do better to wait for us! Once we clear out those pests, we can set off together!" Liu Wenyan clicked his tongue in wonder. "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion is truly formidable. The Sun Moons you mobilized this time must number several dozen?" "Roughly that!" Su Yu nodded, adopting a grave tone. "We never anticipated Master Liu would attract so many Sun Moons…" He promptly added, "We are off to assist the elder in slaying the enemy. It would be best for you three to accompany us, lest you wander off and get killed. If this mission fails, those five hundred drops of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid will slip through our fingers!" Seeing Su Yu act entirely motivated by profit, Liu Wenyan became half-convinced and far less resistant. Moreover, surrounded by over twenty Sun Moons, following the Heaven Hunting Pavilion for now was the only sensible course. "Then we shall trouble you all!" "Think nothing of it!" Su Yu smiled, smugness welling up inside. *Saved you again! Teacher Liu really is out of his depth these days!* Of course, he knew Liu Wenyan still carried Ye Batian's divine character. Now that Liu Wenyan had reached the peak of the Shanhai Realm, detonating that character would unleash considerable combat power. The fact that he hadn't unleashed it meant he was still biding his time, or perhaps had not yet reached a total dead end. Otherwise, Su Yu wouldn't have been able to leisurely hunt down Sun Moons on the perimeter. *** Without further words, Su Yu escorted Liu Wenyan's party back to the battlefield. The battle was raging violently! Sun Moons from all around continued to converge. Soon, seventeen or eighteen Sun Moon experts had gathered around that Sun Moon demon god, including four late-stage Sun Moons—three at the seventh stage and one at the eighth. Such immense power had been assembled purely to besiege and kill Liu Wenyan, illustrating the boundless resolve of the myriad races to see him dead. Not only that… Su Yu sensed that several figures among the crowd were likely humans. Naturally, those individuals wore masks. In truth, going barefaced would have been better; donning masks made it obvious to everyone that they were humans reluctant to reveal their identities. They might hail from certain major prefectures, or perhaps they were subordinates of the traitorous Invincible. The Eighth Elder was trading blows with them, shaking the heavens and earth. As a quasi-Invincible, the Eighth Elder was exceedingly powerful and fought with unmatched ferocity. Each of his punches forced anyone below the seventh stage of the Sun Moon Realm to scramble back, unable to withstand the brunt. Presently, the four late-stage Sun Moons held the inner perimeter while the rest bombarded from the outer ring. Together, the seventeen or eighteen of them managed to keep the Eighth Elder pinned down. This illustrated the difference between a quasi-Invincible and a true Invincible. Of course, it was also possible the Eighth Elder had fished out his past incarnation rather than a future incarnation, or that his future incarnation lacked sufficient power. Not everyone could retrieve an overwhelmingly potent future self. The Eighth Elder was stronger than ordinary ninth-stage Sun Moons, but there was still a substantial gap between him and the strongest quasi-Invincibles. Against a quasi-Invincible like Ye Batian, those seventeen or eighteen Sun Moons on the field would likely have been pounded to dust long ago! After exchanging blows for a while, the eighth-stage Sun Moon demon god bellowed, "You are not Primordial!" Among them, a seventh-stage Sun Moon of the god race barked coldly, "You are definitely not Cult Master Primordial! Who in the world are you?" Cult Master Primordial had interacted with the god race in the past. After all, he was the cult master nurtured by the god race within the Human Realm! This person's combat techniques and martial arts were nothing like Cult Master Primordial's specialties. Soon, someone shouted sharply, "He isn't Cult Master Primordial—he belongs to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! This… this should be the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's Law Enforcement Eighth Elder!" At these words, the surrounding Sun Moons were gripped by terror! By this point, Su Yu had brought his group into the vicinity. Looking at the more than twenty Heaven Hunting Pavilion Sun Moons alongside this quasi-Invincible, an expert roared in fury, "Does the Heaven Hunting Pavilion truly seek an unending blood feud with us?" How many Sun Moon experts had already been slaughtered by now?! Su Yu's eyes flickered, and he roared, "Is Cult Master Primordial present? Why don't our two sides join hands to slaughter this entire bunch? Our pavilion accepted a contract to protect Liu Wenyan, not to eliminate them. But if the Cult Master is willing to cooperate, our pavilion wouldn't mind putting an end to these pests once and for all!" Silence answered him. Su Yu frowned in doubt. *Not here?* Yet Director Ji's sub-ranking was right in this vicinity! He had always suspected that Primordial might know his identity and was deliberately luring him here. Otherwise, logically speaking, Primordial shouldn't be ignorant of the fact that Director Ji might carry a Heaven Hunting sub-ranking that could be tracked. Furthermore, had this fellow genuinely come to rescue people? If so, would he simply let Liu Wenyan fall into Su Yu's hands? Su Yu called out once more, "Is the Cult Master unwilling to cooperate? Or are you worried the human Invincible will strike against you? Rest assured, Cult Master, our pavilion is also eager to uncover that individual. If that person truly shows up… two quasi-Invincibles have a fighting chance against three incarnations… Even delaying him for a brief moment would suffice for our pavilion to confirm his identity. That identity alone can fetch a handsome price!" Right then, the eighth-stage Sun Moon demon god shouted, "Eighth Elder, Xuan Jiu, you act merely for a commission—why drive us to the brink? We of the myriad races have wealth as well!" Su Yu didn't mind stalling for time. He smiled and asked, "How much will you pay to buy your lives?" "How about one hundred strands of Heaven and Earth Profound Light?" The eighth-stage Sun Moon demon god had no choice but to negotiate, quickly adding, "Furthermore, we will offer an additional three hundred strands of Heaven and Earth Profound Light for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion to execute Liu Wenyan…" Su Yu couldn't be bothered to entertain him. He transmitted, *Juli, Dihuo, lead your men into the fray and help butcher them. Elder Xuanjia, stay close to protect us from ambushes!* *Understood!* The two late-stage Sun Moons felt a surge of excitement. What a grand spectacle! Besieging the Sun Moons of the myriad races! In the past, these beings were their masters, but today… they were the butchers! The two Sun Moons charged into the melee instantly. While they were useless in a losing battle, these All-Races Cult members had plenty of nerve when pressing an advantage. With two late-stage Sun Moons joining the assault, the pressure on the opposing side mounted drastically. *Rumble!* The entire void felt on the verge of detonating as the earth cracked and split. Across all directions, wild beasts of the wilderness were either crushed by the shockwaves or fled frantically into the distance. This area wasn't particularly far from the Great Zhou and Great Jin Prefectures, yet no one came to investigate. With dozens of Sun Moons locked in fierce combat, their erupting auras radiated for over a hundred li, casting blinding light across the void that was visible from a thousand li away. Scorching, sun-like spheres of radiance clashed violently in the sky. Faced with a battle of such scale, the two major prefectures clearly wanted no part in it. Su Yu felt a thrill of excitement! This was exhilarating! He had long despised these scoundrels. Relying on his own strength, he couldn't kill many—taking down a first- or second-stage Sun Moon wouldn't change the grand scheme of things. But right now, he was Xuan Jiu, the spokesperson of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. Look at this: over twenty Sun Moons laying siege! And they had already slain several! Such was the benefit of having a colossal mountain backing him! *** In the void. Director Ji's face was slightly pale as he looked toward the blurred silhouette beside him. "Cult Master, are you still not intervening? We came to save Liu Wenyan, and now he has fallen into the hands of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. Whether striking at those foreign races or seizing the chance to snatch Liu Wenyan's group, you should make a decision. Are you simply going to watch?" Even now, he could not bring himself to believe this person was Nan Wujiang, nor had the man explicitly claimed to be Nan Wujiang. Because of this, Director Ji lacked trust in him and kept observing carefully. The Great Xia Prefecture wasn't the only one capable of staging a coordinated act. If this person turned out to be the traitorous Invincible… that would spell catastrophic trouble. Perhaps the man was merely trying to pry information from his lips. "No rush," the indistinct figure said coolly. "Let us watch a bit longer. There are over forty Sun Moons gathered here. Even for me, being surrounded would mean death." There were simply too many! Moreover, a quasi-Invincible was present. Even if this quasi-Invincible wasn't the sort capable of battling true Invincibles, one still had to tread cautiously. Director Ji said nothing more. *** Meanwhile, the battle in the wilderness reached its climax. *Boom!* Cult Master Juli roared with laughter, his fist blasting a third-stage Sun Moon powerhouse to pieces. He chortled, "The Heavenly Eye God Race is nothing special after all!" The one he had shattered was a god race expert! In the past, he would never have dared lay a hand on a god. Yet today, he had battered a god race Sun Moon to death. What sweet relief! Cult Master Juli was overjoyed! He felt the liberating euphoria of an enslaved serf finally rising up. Having bowed like a grandson before all races and served like a dog to the Juli God Race, he had finally turned the tables today. Even though the one he killed wasn't from the Juli God Race, slaying a Heavenly Eye God felt just as sweet. Su Yu, having waited in vain for Cult Master Primordial, frowned slightly and yelled, "Do you want to live or die? Our Heaven Hunting Pavilion has no desire to make things difficult for you. Capture those humans among your ranks, and I shall let you go…" "Hmph!" Several late-stage Sun Moons snorted coldly. Su Yu said nonchalantly, "They might be pawns of that traitorous human Invincible. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion makes its greatest profits from intelligence. The spoils from killing you pale beside the profit of selling secrets. We are not purely an assassin guild; we care only for profit!" "Besides, how long can you hold out? Do you have reinforcements coming? Even if they are on the way, how long will it take? Must you force us all to combine our might and slaughter you?" Before anyone else could respond, the three masked figures fled in different directions without a moment's hesitation! Never test the conscience of foreign races! Sowing discord was a crude tactic, but remarkably effective. The moment those foreign Sun Moons wavered, they would undoubtedly seize and execute the masked humans to present as tokens of allegiance! Such was the fragile cohesion of a cobbled-together alliance! Su Yu waved his hand. Beside him, seven or eight prepared Sun Moons lunged toward the three masked figures instantly. *Boom!* Explosions rocked the battlefield once more! Just then, a calm voice resonated through the void: "I can cooperate with you to besiege them. A quasi-Invincible of the demon race has arrived; I shall hold him off for you!" With those words, *Boom!* Heaven and earth split apart! In the distance, the void was violently torn open as a demon god and a spectral silhouette instantly clashed! "Cult Master Primordial?" The demon god roared furiously, "Insolence! You dare obstruct this seat?" At that moment, the Eighth Elder's expression shifted. He transmitted urgently through the channel, *Both of them… are extremely strong, not far behind the Third Elder!* The implication was unmistakable: they might well be stronger than him. More and more top-tier powerhouses were arriving! The Eighth Elder said hastily, *Let us retreat! If we keep killing, we'll draw in the experts stationed in the Human Realm by the various races. That demon isn't the only quasi-Invincible they sent this time!* If they didn't leave soon, the arrival of more quasi-Invincibles could turn the tables on the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! Su Yu sighed inwardly. No human quasi-Invincible had arrived, or perhaps they had all left. Otherwise, wiping out both the Heaven Hunting Pavilion and the foreign races in one fell swoop would have established overwhelming dominance and deterred the myriad races! Instead, the foreign races and the Heaven Hunting Pavilion were tearing each other apart while the humans were nowhere to be seen. The few humans who had shown up were all there to assassinate Liu Wenyan. No longer content to remain a spectator, Su Yu locked his gaze on a human powerhouse locked in fierce combat with Bai Yi. Fiery light erupted from Su Yu's eyes, detonating with a roar that scorched the void—far more powerful than before, burning the very space itself! "Ah!" A bloodcurdling scream rang out as searing fire burned deep bloody gashes across the human powerhouse's body, vaporizing the surging blood almost instantly. "Capture these humans!" Su Yu commanded coldly, "Elder Xuanjia, you may strike!" Without a word, Xuanjia thrust his hand forward to seize one of them! The man's expression twisted in terror behind his mask. With a thunderous roar, he slashed his blade, forcing Hui Yi to stagger back several steps. He then burned his essence blood to flee for his life! Xuanjia remained chillingly ruthless, striking with devastating force! A heavy palm descended! The entire void trembled violently. *Boom!* The human Sun Moon was hammered deep into the earth, his physical body blowing apart in an explosion of flesh! In the next instant, his sea of will coalesced into a sphere and shot off into the distance! His speed was blindingly fast! Just as Xuanjia moved to capture it, the fleeing sea of will suddenly burst into flames. "Ah!" A shrill shriek tore through the air, followed by a massive boom as tidal waves of energy swept across the surroundings. Another Sun Moon had fallen! Su Yu's expression remained unchanged as he looked toward the two remaining humans. "Do you see? That Invincible cares nothing for your lives. The moment he sees that you have no hope of survival, he incinerates your sea of will. Tell me who he is now, and you might still find a glimmer of hope…" One of the two humans barked furiously, "We have nothing to do with that person! We came to rescue Liu Wenyan, yet your Heaven Hunting Pavilion turns to slaughter us…" "Rescue?" Su Yu smiled. "Come now, take off your masks and show me!" "Xuan Jiu, you will die a miserable death! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion has meddled far too deeply in human affairs. Once our human Invincibles return, you are dead meat, and every last member of your pavilion will perish…" To the side, Ye Hongyan looked toward Liu Wenyan. Were they allies? Liu Wenyan frowned slightly and transmitted, *Leave them be!* *But…* Ye Hongyan was deeply loyal. If they had truly come to rescue them, watching them walk to their deaths weighed heavily on her conscience! Right now, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's late-stage Sun Moons were engaged elsewhere. If she stepped in, there was still a chance to save them and escape together. Liu Wenyan thought for a moment, then spoke up, "You two, remove your masks. If you truly came to rescue us, I am willing to plead with the Heaven Hunting Pavilion to spare you, charging it to my disciple's contract… Lord Xuan Jiu, would that be acceptable?" *Lord?* Su Yu ridiculed him inwardly. He wondered what Teacher Liu would call him next time; when he had disguised himself as Cui Lang, he had even been addressed as "Brother Cui." Su Yu offered a faint smile. "Naturally!" He refused to believe these two were here to rescue anyone. Regardless of their motives, confirming their identities brought clear advantages. If they were enemies, at least they would know their origin. Even if they couldn't identify them right now, Sun Moons were prominent figures. If they died, their identities would come to light sooner or later! Of course, some kept a low profile and feigned secluded cultivation—sometimes death-seclusion—leaving others unaware of their demise long after the fact. The cultivation arts and martial techniques these two utilized were fairly common, making it difficult to discern their background. At this moment, the battle between the quasi-Invincibles in the distance had reached a fever pitch, shaking the surrounding void. On this side, the Eighth Elder roared, shattering another Sun Moon with a single palm strike! Sun Moons continued to crash down! Of the seventeen or eighteen Sun Moons from earlier, several had perished in the blink of an eye. Cult Masters Juli and Dihuo were masters at pressing an advantage, and through their combined efforts, they had slain three Sun Moons! By this point, only ten foreign Sun Moons remained, along with the two humans. The two humans were also coughing up blood under Xuanjia's palm strikes, yet they still refused to remove their masks. Su Yu grasped the truth! If they had belonged to that traitorous Invincible, they would likely be dead by now. These two… were almost certainly from major prefectures, making it inconvenient to remove their masks. Because they were from major prefectures, the traitorous Invincible hadn't placed any restricting seals on their seas of will, saving them from execution. Su Yu sneered inwardly! Men from the major prefectures! He had no idea which prefectures they hailed from. Perhaps two different major prefectures, or perhaps straight out of the sacred grounds. Right then, the Eighth Elder transmitted again, *Time to go. I sense another powerhouse closing in!* Ten Sun Moons remained on the foreign side, including all four late-stage Sun Moons. The other foreign powerhouses were bound to send reinforcements. Earlier, they had assumed a single quasi-Invincible would suffice, but Cult Master Primordial had intercepted him. Now, top-tier powerhouses were undoubtedly rushing over. Su Yu went silent for a moment before transmitting briskly, *Everyone, go all out! Slaughter everyone below the seventh stage! Eighth Elder, do your best to cut down the rest, then leave Liu Wenyan's group to Cult Master Primordial and wait for the next quasi-Invincible to arrive and besiege him…* *Leave them to Cult Master Primordial?* The Eighth Elder pondered briefly and nodded. This seemed like a sound plan. Cult Master Primordial would otherwise flee, but his appearance suggested a desire to protect Liu Wenyan's party. Killing Liu Wenyan or taking him away would draw the pursuit of those incoming experts onto the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. Leaving them behind was indeed a wise move. *Agreed!* The group unleashed their full power, and the clash reached its absolute zenith. Su Yu didn't idle either. He continuously collected essence blood and extracted vital fluids. Seeing that some enemies were on their last legs, Su Yu suddenly threw a punch, blowing a human powerhouse apart in an explosion of flying blood. Su Yu wore a chillingly impassive expression, while behind him, Ye Hongyan nearly struck him down several times! To this moment, she remained unsure whether that man had been an ally, and watching him get bludgeoned to death by Su Yu filled her with indignation. Liu Wenyan, on the other hand, paid it no mind. He had asked them repeatedly to remove their masks, and their refusal made their allegiance clear—they were enemies! Killing them was no loss! His attitude toward such people mirrored Su Yu's: they were even more despicable than foreign races, and deserved death! Even if the Heaven Hunting Pavilion hadn't intervened, he would have paid any price to strike them down himself. After another bout of slaughter, an overwhelmingly powerful silhouette materialized in the distant void, evidently on the verge of arriving. Su Yu surveyed the field; the harvest was nearly complete. Of the dozens of Sun Moons from before, only three late-stage Sun Moons remained, clinging desperately to life. In a few more moments, they too would fall. Su Yu didn't care whether they died right this second. He smiled and bellowed, "Cult Master Primordial, Lord Nan Wujiang, we can no longer protect Liu Wenyan! Please take good care of him, My Lord…" He then shouted, "Retreat!" With that, the Eighth Elder shifted the void, instantly sending Liu Wenyan's trio behind Cult Master Primordial. Laughing heartily, he ignored the three surviving enemies. Collecting the remnants of the corpses, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion Sun Moons vanished into thin air! Over twenty Sun Moons came like the wind and vanished even faster! Yet behind them, twenty-one Sun Moon experts had been slain on this ground! Between the foreign races and the humans, twenty-four Sun Moons had arrived in total, including five late-stage experts, while the rest were early- and mid-stage. Now, two late-stage Sun Moons and nineteen early- and mid-stage experts had been slaughtered in one stroke. Today, Sun Moons had fallen one after another, marking the single day with the greatest loss of Sun Moon experts in the Human Realm in decades! The entire earth had collapsed completely, and the sky was dyed blood-red. Over there, Cult Master Primordial roared, repelling the demon quasi-Invincible with a single palm strike. Turning swiftly, he grabbed Liu Wenyan and the others, disappearing with them in an instant. Less than a second later, a god race quasi-Invincible descended, exchanging glances with the demon quasi-Invincible. The demon expert's gaze was frigid as he glanced at the surviving eighth-stage Sun Moon demon nearby, barking, "Pursue Primordial! Liu Wenyan is in his hands!" Without another word, the two tore open the void and sped off in pursuit of Cult Master Primordial! *** Having withdrawn to a safe distance, the Eighth Elder sensed the surroundings and laughed. "Xuan Jiu, you were right! Those fellows went after Primordial after all!" What a thrill! They had slaughtered to their hearts' content, and the two quasi-Invincibles hadn't pursued them in the slightest, choosing instead to chase Cult Master Primordial. Liu Wenyan was nothing more than a beacon for trouble. Whoever held him was doomed to suffer! Having slain over twenty Sun Moons, everyone was bursting with joy. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion had suffered practically no losses, aside from a few wounded Sun Moons. With a quasi-Invincible on their side, they had suppressed their foes from beginning to end. Su Yu smiled. "Elder, why don't you, Xuanjia, Juli, and Dihuo head back to hunt down those three late-stage Sun Moons? Afterward… we'll deny everything! Even if those two quasi-Invincibles speak up, we simply refuse to admit it!" "..." The others stared at him. *He wants to double back for another strike?* Su Yu chuckled. "Since those two left, why shouldn't we kill the rest? Those fellows are obstacles in our path. If they want to seize the ruins, they'll be the vanguard. Every one we kill is one less nuisance. Besides, Primordial can take the blame, and we can just bicker back and forth—our Heaven Hunting Pavilion never killed anyone!" The Eighth Elder looked at him and grinned. "Good!" Four late-stage Sun Moon powerhouses vanished instantly. Those three were already half-dead, and since the two quasi-Invincibles had run off after Primordial, finishing them off on the side was simple work! Less than a minute later, violent battle tremors erupted in the distance once more. Four experts, including a quasi-Invincible, falling upon three heavily wounded Sun Moons took very little time. Soon, Su Yu watched two full moons crash out of the sky, indicating that two seventh-stage Sun Moons had been slain. Before long, the four returned. The Eighth Elder said hurriedly, "Let's go! That eighth-stage demon fled toward the demon quasi-Invincible. He was tough to finish off, but we wiped out the other two…" The group exchanged glances and broke into hearty laughter. Leaving everything behind, they made a swift exit! They came and went like the wind! *** On that day, the news shook the all-heavens. In a single battle, twenty-three Sun Moon experts had perished! Among them were four late-stage Sun Moons. Of all the experts sent to besiege Liu Wenyan, only an eighth-stage Sun Moon demon had survived, grievously wounded. And the fighting was far from over. Cult Master Primordial was Nan Wujiang. Having rescued Liu Wenyan's party, he was currently fleeing with them, relentlessly pursued by two quasi-Invincibles from the god and demon races, who didn't even have time to deal with the primary butcher—the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! Of course, through this battle, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's reputation resounded once more! The surviving eighth-stage Sun Moon fled back to Nanyuan and wept bitterly before the myriad races, recounting how the Heaven Hunting Pavilion was behind it all—an ambitious organization colluding with Primordial to slaughter them all! *** Inside Nanyuan City. Marquis Xia glanced at Hong Tan, rendered speechless for a long time. This grand-disciple of his… was truly a slaughter fiend among slaughter fiends! Among the myriad races, the one who had killed the most Sun Moons was definitely not Xia Longwu. Right now, it was most likely Su Yu. Directly and indirectly, the Sun Moons who had died by his hand exceeded fifty, didn't they? Transposed onto the Human Realm, Su Yu had virtually slaughtered the entire Sun Moon population of one or two major prefectures! This fellow was just one step away from killing Invincibles! Hong Tan was equally at a loss for words. After a long silence, he finally said, "This kid… The main issue is that he threw my senior brother away. If this Primordial… isn't the Third Manor Head…" Wasn't this kid Su Yu a bit too ruthless? You threw away your own teacher! If Primordial turned out to be an enemy, wouldn't his teacher be finished? As for killing so many Sun Moons… well, one grew accustomed to it. Back on the All-Heavens Battlefield, he had trapped a whole swarm of Invincibles, costing more than a few their three incarnations. Marquis Xia said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, your grand-disciple understands what he's doing. Regardless of whether that fellow is real or fake… the chances of him turning on Liu Wenyan right now are slim. If he's real, he won't harm him. If he's fake… since he put on the disguise, he has to play the part convincingly. He will ensure Liu Wenyan reaches Nanyuan!" Hong Tan thought it over and could only nod, praying his senior brother remained safe! Hope was all he had left!