The Might of Xuan Jiu

"Xuan Jiu, are you all right?" The following day. When Xuanjia and the others saw Su Yu, they were thoroughly astonished. What had happened to him? Xuanjia quickly asked, "Did you run out of heaven origin qi?" That death qi was incredibly dense! Previously they hadn't been able to sense it, but now it was unmistakable. Su Yu said in a low, gravelly voice, "It's nothing. A dying man fighting for a sliver of life, that is all. Stay away from the ancient city for too long, and this is what happens. The death qi suppresses my strength, otherwise... humph, even third-stage Sun Moons would fall by my hand!" "..." Xuanjia stood dumbfounded. Are you truly dying, or are you just faking it? That tone, that attitude—it sounded entirely like someone gearing up for a massive fight. Right, you're suppressed by death qi! So you're not actually first or second stage; you're third or fourth, fifth or sixth, seventh or eighth stage, aren't you? This fellow truly knew how to come up with excuses for himself. Su Yu continued grimly, "Everyone, Liu Wenyan has entered the city, and the ruins are about to open! With my death qi so heavy, I can sense it clearly—the leakage of heaven origin qi has increased drastically. These ruins... are opening very soon!" At those words, the others grew invigorated. They were opening? Finally! These past few days had been suffocating! Cult Master Juli asked hurriedly, "When will they open? And what do we do about the Xia family in the city? Everyone knows the Xia family is guarding the ruins just to draw out that Invincible. They might very well have a way to deal with an Invincible!" Su Yu said indifferently, "That has nothing to do with us. Leave the strong to the strong. Our mission is to eliminate those opportunists trying to fish in troubled waters. Karmic luck is an elusive thing. Why did so many geniuses enter this time? Because all races believe geniuses possess greater fortune. Even knowing the danger, those geniuses haven't left! They believe that in the end, the ones who seize the greatest spoils might not be the mighty, but the geniuses!" Cult Master Juli was suddenly enlightened. "So that's how it is!" *You idiot, you only realize that now?* Everyone cursed inwardly! Wasn't that obvious? Why else would the various races send these geniuses into the fray? Geniuses were truly uncanny at times—blessed with great luck, able to pull chestnuts from the fire. Fortunes that powerful experts couldn't grasp often fell right into the hands of geniuses. That was their purpose. Su Yu said in a clear voice, "And our primary targets are precisely these people! Whether sniping them or intercepting them, we simply cannot allow them to obtain the treasures. As for the Xia family, that traitorous human Invincible, or the three-life embodiments of foreign Invincibles, none of that concerns us!" "Understood!" Everyone chimed in with their agreement, though looking at Su Yu again, they couldn't help but feel some sympathy. Xuan Jiu was a genius too! Although they didn't know his exact age, he couldn't be very old. His strength was terrifyingly formidable. Alas, seeing him wrapped in death qi, it seemed he didn't have long to live! Not even heaven origin qi could suppress it anymore! This wasn't intentional on Su Yu's part. That old blockhead of a stone statue had probably really run off! Su Yu felt an overwhelming urge to cough up blood. He had discovered that even closing his yang aperture was useless; the death qi kept churning incessantly because that old blockhead who suppressed the ancient city had likely slipped away! He truly wanted to vomit blood! Now, he was so saturated with death qi that he couldn't conceal it even if he wanted to. Life... was simply unlivable. With the stone statue gone, Su Yu was shouldering all the death qi by himself, and at double the rate because he was in the Human Realm rather than the ancient city. It would be strange if Su Yu didn't want to spit blood! Left with no choice, he had to keep his yang aperture open and continue absorbing the death qi. If not for that, that stone statue would have gotten him killed. Su Yu was utterly speechless. *Did you really get addicted to wandering around? Before was one thing, but this is going too far! You're just not coming back at all?* The statue was definitely outside the city right now, because the influx of death qi showed no sign of stopping. Helpless, Su Yu could only hope the stone statue wouldn't wander too far. At a critical juncture, he might still need to go looking for it in the Allheaven Battlefield. *If you run too far, what am I supposed to do?* Pushing those thoughts aside, Su Yu barked, "Move! We'll stand guard outside Nanyuan City. It's only a matter of days now. That traitorous human Invincible will probably stir up some trouble to test the Xia family. We'll watch the show. Around Nanyuan, entry is permitted, but no one leaves!" "Understood!" A group of Sun Moons mobilized swiftly, locking down Nanyuan. Locking down the Xia family's Nanyuan right inside the Great Xia Prefecture felt immensely satisfying. Cult Master Juli and the others relished the task, never tiring of it. Even if it carried danger, even if they might clash with gods and demons, it was thoroughly exhilarating. In the past, the Xia family had slaughtered the All Races Cult until they didn't dare approach the Great Xia Prefecture. Now... hehe, not only had they approached, they were blockading the Xia family's city! How did they like that? Not pleased? Too bad—we're the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! With that mindset, these Sun Moons of the All Races Cult worked with tremendous zeal, finding immense joy in blockading Nanyuan. *** "Those bastards from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion are here again!" "They're in every direction!" "They truly have some nerve!" "Nonsense, they didn't just send one or two people this time. Look for yourself—several dozen Sun Moons! Which race would dare fight them to the bitter end? The demon race took a beating earlier, and now they haven't even dared to squeak!" A crowd was discussing the situation. One genius said with an oppressive weight on his chest, "When on earth will the ruins open? This Human Realm, especially the Great Xia Prefecture, grows more suffocating by the day. I can feel the stench of death!" "You too? I feel it as well. This place is far too dangerous. Everyone, an Invincible-level battle might truly erupt. Are we really going to pull chestnuts from the fire?" "Who is the Xia family's Invincible combatant? Cult Master Primordial?" "..." Geniuses murmured among themselves, sensing the looming crisis and mortal danger. It was perilous! Yet the mighty figures of their respective races were all demanding that they do their utmost to brave the fire and seize the Civilization Tombstone! Geniuses as the core, powerful experts as support! It was a strange combination and division of labor. The geniuses' mission was to claim the treasures, while the experts' mission was to intercept other experts rather than trying to snatch the spoils themselves. According to the established patterns of the myriad races, geniuses had a far higher probability of securing supreme treasures, whereas mighty experts had a far higher chance of perishing in the attempt. There was precedence for this. *** Just as everyone was locked in heated discussion... Above the city wall of Nanyuan, Hong Tan suddenly rose into the air and declared in a resonant voice, "Today, all races are present, and many human experts are here as well. The ruins here have been proven to be those of a Civilization Master. My Great Xia Prefecture cannot bear to see everyone return empty-handed. Today, the multiple divine character faction shall impart the divine character battle technique disassembly art to all! May humanity prosper! May the multiple divine character faction of humanity endure forever! The myriad races of the heavens are welcome to learn from it as well!" As soon as those words rang out, the surroundings shook. The next instant, someone shouted, "You cannot! Hong Tan, what are you doing..." Hong Tan cut him off directly. "Passing down the heritage of my multiple divine character faction, in hopes that it will never perish! We might die this time, but the multiple divine character faction will not die! From this day forth, multiple divine characters are no longer the exclusive privilege of a handful of geniuses! You may cultivate to Tengkong, continue sketching divine characters, and once you have over ten of them, sketch a divine character battle technique!" "Can that really be done?" Someone asked excitedly, "What about Shanhai and Sun Moon cultivators? Can they do it too?" Anyone could become a multiple divine character practitioner! If nothing else, combat strength would increase substantially. A systematic divine character battle technique was vastly stronger than dozens of unorganized divine characters. That was precisely why Liu Wenyan had been able to slay Zhang Ying yesterday with a single sword strike. Hong Tan said indifferently, "You can! But remember this, everyone: once you become a multiple divine character Civilization Master, you might find yourselves in grave danger! You might be targeted by the myriad races! Foreign races are right here right now. They know it, and you know it. You should understand the risks involved!" "We understand!" People voiced their replies. Right then, a young genius frowned slightly and said, "Dean Hong, in the heritage of multiple divine characters, sketching enough divine characters before reaching Tengkong is a rule and an elimination mechanism designed to weed out those who do not qualify. Spreading it so widely now might not be a good thing!" Hong Tan looked at him and said coolly, "Which prefecture are you from? Are you of the multiple divine character faction as well?" "I am Yuan Shiji of the Dayuan Prefecture, a Shanhai of the multiple divine character faction." The youth cupped his fists. "Dean Hong, becoming a multiple divine character practitioner demands greater talent, more resources, and the advancement of all divine characters rather than just the primary one..." He looked at Hong Tan and shook his head. "The disassembly art might not be a blessing. I urge you to think twice, Dean!" Those words drew glares of fury from many onlookers. "What, you want to monopolize multiple divine characters and cut off our chances?" "Exactly!" "Why shouldn't we be allowed to learn it?!" Hong Tan said calmly, "I care nothing for that. I only wish to ensure that the multiple divine character faction does not end here!" "Dean, please reconsider! All races are gathered here. Even if you pass it down, you shouldn't let them learn it, lest they find vulnerabilities..." Hong Tan said indifferently, "I want all races to know that the multiple divine character faction cannot be destroyed! Perhaps the Civilization Masters of other races can reference it as well, spreading multiple divine characters across all races and the myriad realms! I want you all to know that you can never slaughter all of us!" Passing down the divine character battle technique disassembly art! At that moment, someone finally couldn't hold back. A god race expert of boundless might suspended himself in the air, speaking coldly, "Is the Great Xia Prefecture determined to make everyone a multiple divine character practitioner? You are testing the limits of every race's patience!" A demon race quasi-Invincible also manifested, barking coldly, "Great Xia Prefecture, do not force our hands! The mere existence of human multiple divine character practitioners has already reached our limit. Spreading a disassembly art on top of that—do you wish to ignite a war across the heavens?" The next instant, an immortal race quasi-Invincible stepped forward through the air, saying softly, "Fellow Daoist Hong Tan, think twice! This move might not be wise. The Human Realm... you know it, I know it, and all realms know it: there is no suppression within your borders, which is already a supreme threat in the hearts of all races. If multiple divine characters are passed down across the Human Realm without baseline or threshold, it will... force all races to launch a war of the heavens!" All races opposed it! The Nether race, the Tianyuan race, the dragon race... all voiced their opposition. It could not be allowed! It must not be taught! They had sent people to enroll in the Great Xia Civilization Academy precisely to probe whether this divine character battle technique disassembly was real or fake. Now that Hong Tan was openly declaring he would publish it, it was clearly very likely authentic. If so, multiple divine characters would never be eradicated! Hong Tan said coldly, "So, you intend to stop me?" The experts of the various races fell silent. Naturally! If you try to pass it down, we will stop you. We cannot let you spread it. As for Hong Tan and his circle knowing it, that was their business. But it could not be taught openly to the public. Teaching it in secret to a small circle might have been tolerated, but Hong Tan wanted the entire world to know it. Someone sneered coldly, "Hong Tan, your Great Xia Prefecture is truly sinister! Fellow humans, if you listen to this technique today, you might not walk out of here alive! Hong Tan harbors foul intentions; imparting the disassembly art at this moment is no act of kindness! The myriad races do not permit it. Once a war across the heavens is ignited, the humans here... will surely die!" Those words sent a chill through many hearts! Indeed, normal multiple divine characters had immense constraints: innate talent, resources, and the Divine Character Battle Technique Monument. But the disassembly art could potentially bypass all of those hurdles. That was why the foreign races hadn't intervened too aggressively against the ordinary multiple divine character faction. Yet this disassembly art was too great a threat! Among the multiple divine character geniuses present, someone spoke earnestly, "Dean Hong, think twice! The heritage of multiple divine characters will not die out. There is no need to resort to such means to pass it down!" Hong Tan glanced around and said casually, "So, you refuse to let me teach it?" "We refuse!" "Forbidden!" The experts of each faction barked in unison. This technique was strictly forbidden! Hong Tan smiled. "Yet I insist on teaching it. What can you do about it?" "Die!" "The Great Xia Prefecture shall be destroyed!" One mighty expert's voice boomed like a bronze bell, shaking the surroundings. "Allowing multiple divine characters to exist among humanity was already our limit. To preach it far and wide—Xia family, Hong Tan, have you considered the consequences?" "This will ignite a war across the heavens!" "Seal the secret technique! Hong Tan, either you people die, or you accept the memory-sealing arts of our Invincibles. Otherwise, your deaths are only a matter of time!" "..." Figure after figure revealed their true forms, refusing to allow the transmission. The disassembly art carried far too severe an impact. *** On the city wall, Hong Tan chuckled. "So in the Human Realm, I cannot even impart my own techniques? Is this the Human Realm, or the Allheaven Battlefield?" "It is the same wherever you are! Forbidden means forbidden!" Just then, someone laughed. "My, how arrogant!" The next instant, a golden dragon arrived pulling an imperial carriage. Zhu Tiandao sat inside, smiling broadly. "Since when have the myriad races become so arrogant?" In the distance, Su Yu was surprised. Why had Zhu Tiandao come? Wasn't the Zhu family just here to watch the show? If the situation turned hopeless, the Zhu family definitely wouldn't interfere unless the Xia family had secured an overwhelming advantage, in which case they might jump in to ride the momentum. Why had Zhu Tiandao come in person this time? Wasn't he afraid of getting beaten to death here? He was only a ninth-stage Sun Moon who hadn't even opened the River of Time. Zhu Tiandao arrived and chuckled, "My, so many people... and quite a few non-human creatures as well!" "Zhu Tiandao!" a quasi-Invincible said coldly. "As the head of a prefecture, scoring cheap verbal points is completely meaningless!" Zhu Tiandao laughed. "My apologies, my apologies, no offense intended! I just can't stand seeing non-human bastards acting so wild in the Human Realm! The Great Xia Prefecture's business is their own, and I didn't want to get involved. But as fellow humans, I can't just stand by with folded arms and let you walk all over us, can I?" Zhu Tiandao smiled. "After all, this is the Human Realm, not your petty realms or tributary territories. You've crossed the line, and that's inappropriate! Sure, some of our quasi-Invincibles have left, and our Invincibles are away. The Human Realm is indeed a bit weak right now. But... this is our home turf. Don't speak too big too soon, gentlemen!" "Prefect Zhu speaks well!" Right at that moment, a group of powerful figures stepped through the air. Qin Hao, clad in black armor, stood flanked by Qin Fang in matching black armor, backed by seven or eight Sun Moon experts. He said coldly, "Running wild in the Human Realm—did you bother asking our Great Qin Prefecture first?" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" The seven or eight Sun Moons released an earth-shattering killing intent that condensed into a blood-red character for "Kill" in the void. The foreign races blanched! "Such boldness from the Great Qin Prefecture! Qin Hao, does your Great Qin Prefecture wish to start a war as well?" The god race quasi-Invincible said coldly, "The eradication of multiple divine characters—at least the lineage of Ye Batian—is a consensus! A consensus among all races! We have already tolerated those from small realms and geniuses of various prefectures, but now you wish to preach this across the myriad races. Do truly wish to go to war?" "If it's war you want, war it is!" Qin Hao raised his spear, haughty and proud. "My Great Qin Prefecture fears nothing! The Qin Spear can slay our enemies!" "Battle! Battle! Battle!" The Sun Moons of the Great Qin Prefecture roared in unison! At the same time, experts from the Great Xia Prefecture walked out from inside the city. Someone laughed, "The Qin Spear and the Xia Saber—the Qin family's spear might not be sharper than our Xia family's blade!" "Many thanks to Prefect Zhu and General Qin for coming to our aid!" Marquis Xia cupped his hands and chuckled. "I thought no one would be willing to come. To think... you two actually showed up!" Zhu Tiandao chuckled softly. "Xia Xiao'er, do you look down on me that much? Not only did I come, but my Daming Prefecture brought plenty of reinforcements!" The next instant, silhouettes appeared one after another. The Shadow Guards had arrived! The formidable Shadow Guards: thirteen in total, six Sun Moons and seven peak Shanhai. Not only that, many others arrived as well. Hu Xiansheng of the Daming Civilization Academy, the Commander of the Heavenly Dao Army, Hu Qi of the Daming Civilization Academy, a chubby ancient beast, and behind them, an Old Turtle... Zhu Tiandao sighed. "I didn't want to come. I intended to sit back and watch it all. But... I never expected the two holy lands to simply watch the myriad races besiege Nanyuan. Zhang Qi... I am ashamed to be associated with you! The Quest Realm was never meant to be like this! Civilization Masters were never meant to be like this! Weak though I may be, I refuse to let the myriad races believe the Civilization Masters of humanity are so cowardly, so heartless, so cold-blooded!" Zhu Tiandao said wistfully, "The Quest Realm..." He glanced at the distant group of Sun Moons and sighed softly. "Once the roots rot, it becomes hard to cure! Whenever outsiders mention the traitorous human Invincible, hehe, most of them point to the Quest Realm. Why not the War God Hall? That makes no sense! When did all Civilization Masters outside the multiple divine character faction become vermin? "My father, King Daming, fought for humanity for hundreds of years, exhausting heart and soul. Yet now, our reputation is in the gutter! Whenever people ask who the traitorous Invincible is, what do they say? "They say King Dazhou ranks first, King Daming second, Great Han King third, King Dasong fourth... So, in the end, it's all of us from the Quest Realm?" He laughed. "King Dayuan, King Dashang, King Fenhai, King Jintian... no matter how people guess, it's always the Invincibles of our Quest Realm! Just how foul has our reputation become? They might as well say the Quest Realm shouldn't exist, that Civilization Masters shouldn't exist! But I keep thinking: who the hell said knowing divine characters means someone has to be from the Quest Realm? Which of those old ghosts in the War God Hall doesn't know divine characters?" Zhu Tiandao smiled. "So, I came! We can't just let everyone know the stench of Civilization Masters; they need to know there are still good people among us! Am I not one of them?" Marquis Xia laughed! He laughed so hard his round belly trembled. "Old Zhu, don't make me laugh!" *A good person? You?* Zhu Tiandao chortled, "Xiao'er, don't talk like that! Your elder brother went all out today and brought reinforcements, and you dare mock me? The Qin Spear and the Xia Saber are just brutes. Are they the only renowned names in the Human Realm?" Marquis Xia laughed heartily. "Yes, yes, yes. Then tell me, what does your Daming Prefecture have?" "The Daming Prefecture?" Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "The Daming Prefecture has plenty. Men, show everyone what we've got!" *Buzz!* At that moment, darkness abruptly fell! Blotting out the sky and covering the earth! It was a countless swarm of ants, rapidly blanketing the entire world. Zhu Tiandao laughed, "The Daming Prefecture has these! Excellent little things, aren't they? Heaven-Swallowing Ants—heard of them? Wonderful critters!" Right then, with a thunderous boom, space rippled as a swarm of ants was blasted to death. A Sun Moon emerged from the void—from the Shadow race! The next instant, the earth shook as an earthen figure surfaced—from the Five Elements race. A moment later, a breeze stirred as a silhouette of wind materialized with a sigh—from the Wind Walker race. A short while later, a mountain peak shattered, and a stone figure stepped out, cursing furiously. Soon, the void trembled violently. Here, there, everywhere—experts were flushed out all over the place. In the air, deep underground, within the rivers... wherever the Heaven-Swallowing Ants went, they devoured everything. In the blink of an eye, an area dozens of li around Nanyuan became a black forbidden zone. Countless experts were forced to step out of hiding. They had no choice! Damn it all! These things were a nightmare. If left alone, they would gather in greater and greater numbers until even Shanhai and Sun Moon cultivators would be devoured clean. They had to come out! All around, the experts were stunned! Just... how many people had been hiding here? They had noticed some, but the vast majority had gone completely undetected. In the sky, even the quasi-Invincibles of the god and demon races felt like pounding their heads. Were they insane? There were far too many experts hidden in the shadows. And right then, on the perimeter, a loud boom echoed. White-masked figures emerged one after another. Su Yu chuckled, "The Daming Prefecture... impressive! Gather up! With Daming's Heaven-Swallowing Ants around, there's no need to stay dispersed!" A moment later, over twenty Sun Moons regrouped. Many onlookers gasped; they knew the pavilion had people on the periphery, but they hadn't realized so many had gathered. That wasn't all. High above, the void ruptured. In the blink of an eye, twelve faceless figures appeared, two of whom bore gold markings on their masks. Those were ten Heaven Hunting Pavilion elders, plus two quasi-Invincibles. *What rotten luck!* The Third Elder and Eighth Elder cursed inwardly, continuously blasting away the endless waves of Heaven-Swallowing Ants. At that sight, everyone around was stunned once again. They looked at this side, then at that side. They were all from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! Just... how many Sun Moons did they have? Not only that, after another moment, even further out on the perimeter, Shanhai white masks and black masks emerged—hordes of them. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion... instantly became the strongest faction present. Over on the other side, Zhu Tiandao laughed heartily. "Impressive, truly impressive! Just how many Sun Moons did they bring? Hahaha! Does my Daming Prefecture have good stuff or what?" Marquis Xia couldn't help but give a thumbs-up, smiling. "You have good stuff, very good stuff! It's just a bit destructive to the terrain. Nanyuan... is going to become an isolated island!" These things devoured the sky, the earth, and everything in between! Left unchecked, within a few years, they might swallow the entire Great Xia Prefecture. As his words fell—*rumble!* More experts emerged. Zhang Qi, who had appeared earlier, along with several other Sun Moons from the Quest Realm. Soon, others showed themselves cursing, shouting, "Don't misunderstand, we're on your side! We're from the War God Hall, here to help! Staying hidden makes it easier to assist—we're our own people!" The next instant, another sonic boom sounded as two more masked figures appeared. Huang Jia said dryly, "Don't misunderstand, we're on your side! Marquis, Huang Jia brings Huang Jiu to report for duty and return to the Great Xia Prefecture!" "..." Marquis Xia froze slightly. *Return? Return my ass, who the hell even knows who you are?* Then he remembered! He had previously pretended to help them to cement their identities as pawns. This fellow actually dared to climb up the pole and play along! Marquis Xia smiled. "Sure, come on back..." With a hum, space trembled, and a moment later, Huang Jia and Huang Jiu landed on the Nanyuan city wall. Huang Jia grinned, "Marquis, it has been years. We're finally home. Many thanks, Marquis!" "..." Marquis Xia was inwardly shocked. *You... you two actually dared to come? Are you mad?!* *** At that moment, Su Yu was also taken aback. *What's going on?* "Elder Xuanjia, what is this?" Those two had merely been framed. Why had they actually defected to the human side? He was utterly bewildered. Were they truly plants cultivated by the Xia family? In that case, hadn't he exposed them earlier? Xuanjia was equally speechless and transmitted, "I don't know. Hard to say!" "Are they humans too?" "No idea." Su Yu clicked his tongue. "With guts that big, they aren't human? Just how many humans are hiding in the Heaven Hunting Pavilion?" "Not necessarily. They might just be putting on an act. Don't let your guard down!" "Understood!" "..." By this point, the vast majority of hidden experts had been flushed out by the Heaven-Swallowing Ants, though a few exceptionally powerful figures might still be tearing space apart to hide in the void's deepest recesses. Even so, most of those in hiding had been exposed. The sheer number of experts was terrifying! The void trembled under the clashing auras. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion alone had thirty-five Sun Moons present! On the human side, the three prefectures—the Xia, Zhu, and Qin families—had over forty Sun Moons. The Quest Realm and War God Hall had over twenty Sun Moons. As for the myriad races, even after losing over twenty, they still had well over a hundred Sun Moons! In addition, Sun Moons from other prefectures had arrived, along with several figures of unknown allegiance. A quick scan revealed over 250 Sun Moon experts. Factoring in those slain over the past few days, Su Yu's earlier estimate of around three hundred had not been an exaggeration in the slightest! Those without the intelligence network of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion only now realized that tiny Nanyuan had gathered such an absurd number of Sun Moons, including seven or eight quasi-Invincibles. Terrifying! If a true Invincible showed up here, they might very well be swarmed and killed! Among those seven or eight quasi-Invincibles, who knew how many had fished out their future embodiments? A future embodiment might well possess Invincible-level combat strength. The void shook! The geniuses, especially those from the smaller realms, truly had their horizons broadened today. Their eyes went wide with shock; some were terrified, some thrilled, and some overwhelmed by helpless sorrow. So this was what the real world looked like! It turned out Sun Moons could actually be counted by the hundreds. Just at that moment, a gleam of sword light flared. On the periphery, among the mysterious figures that had emerged earlier, one suddenly slashed a sword toward a masked figure. With a hum, a massive cauldron manifested in the void. *Boom!* The cauldron smashed down, scattering the sword light. Yet the dispersed rays of sword light instantly transformed into a barrage of sharp blades, stabbing furiously toward the cauldron. *Clang! Clang! Clang!* Deafening booms rang out continuously! "Chen Yong!" Someone cried out. The cauldron-wielding expert under attack was Chen Yong! And his assailant was a Sun Moon—and no ordinary Sun Moon at that. Incredibly fierce, the attacker pushed Chen Yong's cauldron to the verge of shattering within just a few exchanges! Chen Yong was by no means weak, possessing numerous techniques, yet he was completely suppressed. In an instant, he faced mortal peril. The Xia family was still inside the city, while the outside was swarming with foreign races. The reinforcements from Daming and Great Qin were also far away; before they could arrive, Chen Yong would likely be slain. Everyone could see that Chen Yong was strong—a peak Shanhai capable of battling a first-stage Sun Moon. Yet beneath the suppression of that single sword, he couldn't even raise his head. Within moments, his sturdiest defensive cauldron showed signs of fracturing. Chen Yong was a defensive specialist. Yet right now, he was entirely unable to defend. Even possessing power comparable to a Sun Moon was futile; the assailant pierced his cauldron with ease. "Fifth-stage Sun Moon!" Someone gasped. Had Director Ji been present, he would have recognized the assailant as Whistling Wind Sword Zhao Tianfeng. "Little Yong!" Hong Tan roared furiously from the distance, rushing forward to help, only to have a swarm of foreign Sun Moons block his path in an instant. Some sneered, while others readied themselves for the kill. *Try stepping out of that city! We dare you!* The Xia family held the ruins, but they were also surrounded. Furthermore, the forces of the Zhu and Qin families were obstructed by surrounding experts as well. *** Meanwhile, Su Yu was not far from the skirmish. Seeing this, his eyes shifted, and he roared via divine sense transmission, "Kill him! The one with the sword!" The others were stunned. *What for?* *Killing someone right now, and specifically the swordsman... Is Xuan Jiu out of his mind?* "Hurry!" Without waiting for them to act, Su Yu shot forward like a bolt of lightning, roaring, "Kill!" *Boom!* His punch was overwhelmingly powerful! Death qi churned violently around it! With his yang aperture half-opened, Su Yu—who was originally at 62 casts—possessed physical strength exceeding 660,000 apertures of power. Now, with the yang aperture half-opened, his physical power instantly surged past 800,000 apertures! All that death qi hadn't been absorbed for nothing! This had already reached the level of an ordinary third-stage Sun Moon, or a third-stage Sun Moon from minor races like the Fire Pupil race. Almost all Sun Moons were geniuses; few were genuinely weak, as weaklings could hardly reach the Sun Moon Realm to begin with. Eight hundred thousand apertures of power—unless dealing with top-tier geniuses, an ordinary third-stage Sun Moon possessed roughly that much strength. No divine characters attached, no external buffs—just raw physical power combined with a half-opened yang aperture. Su Yu threw his fist forward! *Boom!* A slender rapier collided with his fist. With a wet puncture, the blade pierced through his flesh, only to be instantly corroded by the death qi. A muffled grunt came from the void as Zhao Tianfeng hastily yanked the rapier back, but the weapon was already pitch-black, infected with spreading death qi. "Xuan Jiu?" Zhao Tianfeng was both enraged and shocked! Why was Xuan Jiu attacking? Had the Heaven Hunting Pavilion taken a mission this time as well? Bullshit! Where would they find so many missions to accept! Su Yu pulled his fist back and retreated, his gaze turning serious. Strong. He was no match for this man—at least, not right now. No matter. The very next second, dozens of Sun Moons struck simultaneously, tearing the void apart! *Rumble!* *Pfft!* Zhao Tianfeng spewed blood, coughing violently as his rapier snapped. Without a second thought, he turned to flee. Madness! What on earth was the Heaven Hunting Pavilion doing? Su Yu sneered, glancing around. Looking back at Chen Yong, who had quickly retreated with severe injuries, he said teasingly, "Chen Yong? You owe me a life! You'd better tell Su Yu that your multiple divine character faction owes me quite a few lives now! You owe me, Liu Wenyan owes me... on the day the death qi channel is severed, I hope Su Yu remembers some of this sentiment, and I hope you people hold some weight in his heart!" At those words, the surrounding crowd understood. So that was it! Xuan Jiu was an ancient city resident—a resident of Xinghong Ancient City! It made total sense now! Chen Yong's heart was still pounding. He glanced at Xuan Jiu and said in a low voice, "I shall... remember this debt. As for my martial nephew, I can only say I will do my best to speak to him. Beyond that... I can make no guarantees!" Xuan Jiu was truly formidable. Chen Yong had nearly fallen just now. Vigilant though he was, the Heaven-Swallowing Ants had exposed his position. Being skilled at stealth didn't mean he could truly fight a fifth-stage Sun Moon; being killed would have taken only an instant. Fortunately, Xuan Jiu had intervened. A third-stage Sun Moon Xuan Jiu, enveloped in death qi, had held off the opponent for a split second, allowing several dozen Sun Moons from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion to strike and severely wound the attacker in an instant! Chen Yong couldn't help feeling a tinge of envy! Xuan Jiu... Xuan Jiu of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion was truly commanding. Having dozens of Sun Moons at his beck and call made him a regional overlord; ordinary late-stage Sun Moons wouldn't dare provoke him. Over inside the city, Hong Tan breathed a sigh of relief! That had been close! Marquis Xia lowered his saber, and Zhu Tiandao sat back down. Both recalled that Su Yu was still out there. *Fuck!* They had almost forgotten about him. He had gotten so caught up playing Xuan Jiu that everyone had overlooked him. This fellow was strong—terrifyingly strong. He had actually clashed head-on with a fifth-stage Sun Moon for an exchange! That wasn't even the point. The point was... he had dozens of Sun Moons backing him! Who wouldn't be terrified? This force was by no means weaker than the Daming or Great Qin delegations; in fact, it was stronger, boasting several late-stage Sun Moons. At that moment, the void roiled. Battered into vomiting blood by Cult Master Juli and the others, Zhao Tianfeng let out a desperate shriek. Suddenly, his physical body exploded, blasting past the encirclement. His sea of will fled in a panic, but before it could get far, it abruptly burst into flames! Su Yu snorted coldly. That technique again! It was the handiwork of that traitorous Invincible! Evidently, the one who tried to assassinate Chen Yong was a subordinate of that traitor. Su Yu frowned slightly. Just how many Sun Moons did that fellow control? Counting those Su Yu had finished off, there were already three. Golden Wing, this Zhao Tianfeng, and one of the three humans who had participated in besieging foreign Sun Moons earlier had died the exact same way. Three Sun Moon experts! And that might not even be all of them; there could easily be more. Su Yu said nothing further. As long as the man was dead, that was enough. He didn't even bother looking at the phenomenon of the fallen Sun Moon, stating indifferently, "Xuan Jiu's actions do not represent the stance of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. I merely wish to survive, to live. If I can lend a helping hand to the multiple divine character faction, I will. Do not misunderstand the pavilion's stance; I do not speak for them!" In the void, the Third Elder and Eighth Elder nodded slightly. The Third Elder said indifferently, "This is merely Xuan Jiu's personal business. Our Heaven Hunting Pavilion has always remained neutral!" Someone cursed silently! *Neutral, your mother's ass!* How many Sun Moons have you people killed already? Lately, whenever a Sun Moon drops dead, it's either by your hand or the humans'! If the Heaven Hunting Pavilion is neutral, why did you bring several dozen Sun Moons here? Over a dozen of them are in the late stages! This kind of force is more terrifying than the gods or demons! Meanwhile, Chen Yong cupped his hands to Su Yu once more and flew swiftly toward the city. Su Yu led his dozens of Sun Moons to escort him part of the way, intimidating the Sun Moons blocking the path into scattering. Only after Chen Yong safely entered the city did Su Yu quietly pull back! So domineering, and so influential! At that moment, inside the city beside Huang Jia, Huang Jiu transmitted in sheer envy, "Elder, how is he doing so much better than you? Also, is he really... but he's already a third-stage Sun Moon. This... that's impossible, isn't it?" Was this really Su Yu? It was unbelievable! Huang Jiu was beginning to doubt herself! Had they guessed wrong? Was this not Su Yu? Su Yu was only in the Lingyun Realm; no matter how monstrous a Lingyun was, how could he possibly possess the combat power of a third-stage Sun Moon? This was too terrifying! She doubted herself for a while, wondering if she had made a mistake. Beside her, Huang Jia—the mighty expert ranked third on the Dao Attainment List—was equally suspicious. *Is this Su Yu?* *I don't think it looks like him either!* *Then again, this truly stings. That kid actually commands dozens of Sun Moons! Damn it, even as an elder, I never received that kind of treatment—even if I'm not an elder anymore.*