Big Fur Ball and Xinghong

Watching Chen Yong enter the city, Su Yu's eyes grew deep. The multiple divine character faction was entirely inside now. Aside from Su Yu, who outsiders believed was still in the ancient city, the entire lineage of the fifth head—or rather, the Great Xia Civilization Academy lineage—had now gathered within Nanyuan's walls. This was an opportunity to wipe them all out in one fell swoop! If these people were destroyed here, this lineage from Great Xia Civilization Academy would be completely severed... Well, there was still Wu Jia, though hardly anyone remembered her. A tiny shrimp who had yet to even reach the Soaring Realm—who would remember a nobody like Wu Jia? Hong Tan, Liu Wenyan, Su Yu, Chen Yong, and Bai Feng, along with Xia Yunqi and his companions, were the true focal points of the myriad races. As for anyone else... well, "anyone else" meant only Wu Jia, and truly no one cared. Su Yu gazed into the city. Beside him, Cult Master Juli sent a voice transmission: "Xuan Jiu, if a major battle breaks out, does that mean we can't kill anyone from the multiple divine character faction?" "Suit yourself!" Su Yu replied indifferently, "I am me, and the Heaven Hunting Pavilion is the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. My personal affairs have nothing to do with the pavilion!" Juli and the others cursed under their breath. If it has nothing to do with it, why the hell did you order us to intervene earlier? Talking like a virtuous saint after playing the whore! Meanwhile, the experts of the myriad races also watched Chen Yong enter. Hong Tan's transmission of the technique had hit a snag; it was being blocked by the foreign races. Even though the Zhu and Qin families had arrived, there was still no easy way forward. If you teach it, then war breaks out. The myriad races would not permit it! With hundreds of Sun Moons gathered, this place was truly a powder keg waiting to blow. Just then, within the city, heaven origin qi suddenly erupted. A pillar of light surged upward, blanketing the entire city. "Liu Wenyan is about to advance..." Someone murmured in a low voice, "He couldn't really leap straight into the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm once he breaks through, could he?" "Impossible!" "If he truly steps into the ninth stage, no one will be able to hold back anymore. That would be too terrifying—we wouldn't be able to bear it either!" If Liu Wenyan reached the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm, that would genuinely terrify everyone. Of course, most believed the odds were slim. How could it be that simple? Liu Wenyan had been stuck at the Nature Nurturing Realm for decades. It had been only a year and a half since he reached Soaring. Could anyone possibly advance that fast? Su Yu glanced over. It was fast, but he would still need at least a day or two. There was no immediate rush. At that moment, a message came through Su Yu's mask. It was from the Third Elder. "Xuan Jiu, someone has placed a bounty mission to hunt down Liu Wenyan, Hong Tan, and their cohort. The payout is exceptionally high!" Su Yu's heart stirred. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion was, after all, a vast organization spanning the myriad realms. He had constantly been using it to his advantage, but it seemed someone else now wanted to borrow this knife as well. "Did you accept it, Elder?" "Yes! That is the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's creed. If there is a mission and it can be done, we accept it!" The Third Elder transmitted, "This is also for the pavilion's reputation. The client offered an exorbitant price—thirty drops of ninth-stage Sun Moon blood essence for the heads of Liu Wenyan and the others!" Ninth-stage Sun Moon, not first-stage. The gap between the first and ninth stages was staggering. Far more than tenfold. In fact, blood essence from the ninth stage rarely appeared at all; purchasing such blood essence almost always required treasures rather than mere Heaven Hunting points. Thirty drops! That meant the client had killed at least three ninth-stage Sun Moon experts to gather that much. Su Yu made a quick calculation. This was very likely an order placed by that traitorous Invincible. An ordinary quasi-Invincible couldn't afford such a price! Of course, it was also possible that a foreign expert had placed it. "Has the exchange been completed?" Su Yu asked. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion always collected payment before carrying out a job. "Not yet, because this isn't the only order. Through the same Heaven Hunting Ranking, the client placed a second mission..." This had to be a high-tier client, or someone Su Yu hadn't recruited himself. Otherwise, he would have received the notification directly. Since he hadn't, it had likely been dispatched straight from headquarters. "What mission?" "Assassinate Xia Xiao'er!" Su Yu understood. It all made sense! Killing Liu Wenyan's group, killing Marquis Xia—both orders were definitely placed by that traitorous Invincible. You Xia family members want to lure me out? You want to surround and kill me? Fine, then I'll use the Heaven Hunting Pavilion to test the waters! Su Yu transmitted, "The Xia family must have an Invincible-tier combatant present, or an Invincible's past, present, or future incarnation, or at least a quasi-Invincible. Everyone understands what the client means by this—they want us to force out the Xia family's hidden cards. Has the pavilion accepted this one as well?" "We accepted!" The Third Elder hesitated briefly before continuing, "Because the price offered is extremely steep, and... the agreement merely requires us to deploy two quasi-Invincibles. The reward offered is a carrier." Su Yu was slightly shaken. That was indeed a massive price. To a quasi-Invincible, a carrier was an irresistible temptation. "Elder, this is perilous. And telling me this... what are your intentions, Elder?" Since you've already accepted it, why bring it up with me? Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. I'm just a puppet, temporarily drawing heat for the pavilion. A carrier! Clearly, the Third Elder was swayed. This traitorous Invincible had truly opened his purse wide: a carrier plus thirty drops of ninth-stage Sun Moon blood essence. And the targets were merely Liu Wenyan's circle and Marquis Xia. The real goal was likely not even assassination, but probing the Xia family's foundation. That bastard was certainly loaded! It wasn't surprising that the Heaven Hunting Pavilion was tempted. Deploying two quasi-Invincibles in exchange for a carrier didn't necessarily entail overwhelming danger. If an Invincible-tier combatant from the Xia family actually surfaced, hadn't Minister Huang also arrived? Besides, once the waters were tested, that traitorous Invincible might very well strike in person. The Third Elder transmitted, "You are skilled at negotiation. The pavilion's stance is that this mission remains quite hazardous. It would be best to join hands with the God, Demon, and other races to complete it together. Naturally, there is no need for them to know about our bounty." In plain terms: trick them into doing the heavy lifting for free. The Gods and Demons likely wouldn't mind either. Seeing the Heaven Hunting Pavilion take action, they would probably be eager to join forces, given the pavilion's considerable strength on site. Su Yu cursed inwardly. Skilled at negotiation? Seeing how easily I took down the Myriad Race Cult, you're just looking for an excuse to keep me busy? "Elder, can we actually secure the carrier?" "It should be possible. Payment first, work second. Of course, the other party proposed paying the thirty drops of ninth-stage Sun Moon blood essence up front, with the carrier delivered upon completion." Su Yu replied bluntly, "That violates protocol. If they renege on the carrier afterward, will we really be able to collect?" "That is precisely why we haven't agreed yet. We are awaiting their response." "Do we know who the client is? After all, the mission was placed through a Heaven Hunting Ranking." "We do not. That ranking was previously held by a Sun Moon, and it should still be in their hands. The client merely used that Sun Moon as an intermediary to relay the request." Su Yu pressed no further. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion had taken the job; all that remained was for the payment to clear. A carrier and thirty drops of ninth-stage Sun Moon blood essence—an extravagant payout. And specifying that two quasi-Invincibles from the pavilion step forward was a fair match for that compensation. As for danger, there certainly was some, but it had likely already been factored in by the two Disciplinary Elders. Sending me to swindle the Gods and Demons into an alliance? Su Yu pondered. What was the Third Elder really getting at? The Third Elder soon added, "Xuan Jiu, you will be responsible for negotiating with the Gods and Demons. Because you are an ancient city resident, we understand your predicament. Therefore, you do not need to take the field for this mission. Leave the fighting to us!" Understood! Su Yu sighed inwardly. Now he saw through it completely. They were afraid he would cause trouble, so they were stripping away his authority. It made sense. The cleaning up had mostly been finished. Those who needed to be flushed out were practically all exposed. At this stage, leaving dozens of Sun Moons under Su Yu's command was out of the question. Weren't dozens of Sun Moons top-tier fighting power? Moreover, several of them were late-stage Sun Moons. If they encountered a ninth-stage Sun Moon, they could beat them to death through sheer numbers. Even against a quasi-Invincible—provided it wasn't one with an exceptionally powerful future incarnation—they could still put up a fight. Such a formidable force would naturally not be left under Su Yu's control indefinitely by the Third Elder and his peers. Furthermore, Xuan Jiu was close to the multiple divine character faction—or rather, forced to lean toward them. That was another point of wariness for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. They feared Su Yu might jeopardize the mission at the crucial moment, so this was the perfect pretext to sideline him. "Slaughtering the donkey once the grindstone is done!" Su Yu cursed silently. Truly, not a single one of them was decent. Now that his usefulness had waned, his earlier assistance to Chen Yong had likely made the two Disciplinary Elders uneasy, fearing unexpected variables. Conveniently, they had kicked him right out of the loop. Of course, they probably didn't suspect his true identity; otherwise, they wouldn't have shared the mission details with him in the first place. This was merely a subtle warning: you can step aside now so your sympathies for the multiple divine character faction don't cause complications. "Understood. However, Elder, everyone knows the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's nature. If we eagerly rush to form an alliance, they will likely guess that we've taken a bounty." The Third Elder transmitted, "That does not matter, as everyone's interests align. Right now, everyone wants to move against the Xia family; they merely lack a suitable opportunity, and they fear that acting alone won't be enough to match their opponent." Taking bounties out in the open wasn't a problem. Let them know if they must, as long as their objectives were aligned. "Very well, I understand. But, Elder... the Gods and Demons despise me. I worry that going alone might result in my death. Could Elder Xuanjia accompany me for protection?" "Of course. Not only Xuanjia, but Cult Master Juli and Cult Master Dihuo can accompany you as well. Xuan Jiu, do not overthink this. We merely worry that if you enter the city to carry out the mission, you will find it hard to strike. And if you do, you would offend Su Yu, which is not worth the cost." The Third Elder still offered a word of reassurance, framing it as an act of consideration to keep him from offending Su Yu and leaving the dirty work to them. "Thank you for your consideration, Elder. Xuan Jiu is deeply grateful!" Su Yu expressed his thanks. As for why the Third Elder and his peers didn't negotiate in person—that was simply how grand figures operated. Lesser figures went first to test the waters, and once a tentative framework was reached, the heavyweights would personally take the stage to seal the deal. They were gearing up to form a coalition! Su Yu exhaled silently. Was a united front truly about to take shape? And initiated by the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, no less! This time, the gathered experts were numerous. The God, Demon, Dragon, Immortal, Nether, Archaic Giant, Five Elements, and Ape races... all these formidable clans had dispatched quasi-Invincibles. The myriad races had sent a staggering twelve quasi-Invincibles, and with the two from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, that made fourteen quasi-Invincibles present. Up until now, the various races hadn't reached a consensus, which was why they appeared helpless against the Xia family, hesitant to stick their necks out out of wariness toward the family's Invincible-tier trump card. Now that someone was willing to take the lead—and that someone was the Heaven Hunting Pavilion—this alliance might truly come together. Could Wan Tiansheng hold them off? Su Yu felt a headache coming on! He pondered the situation. Wan Tiansheng's objective was to deal with that traitorous Invincible. But the rest of the Xia family, alongside the Qins and the Zhus—even if Zhu Tiandao was a ninth-stage Sun Moon, Marquis Xia and Qin Hao were only eighth-stage. With only this much top-tier combat power, how could they hope to contend with so many quasi-Invincibles? Could the Xia family... be wiped out entirely? If Wan Tiansheng revealed his hand prematurely, all of the Great Xia Prefecture's hidden cards would be exposed. The moment the traitorous Invincible saw that, they might prepare countermeasures or slip away. Su Yu felt helpless, but he was only a white mask of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, not its true master. He had no choice but to follow orders; otherwise, he would end up compromised himself. ... Inside Nanyuan City. Marquis Xia turned a voice-transmission talisman between his fingers, his expression grave. After a long while, he broke the silence. "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion has accepted a mission to assassinate me and the multiple divine character faction. The payout is enormous. The pavilion has taken the contract and is preparing to rally the various factions for a probing assault on Nanyuan!" Hong Tan frowned. "Can they actually unite?" "They can!" Marquis Xia nodded. "Inevitably! The myriad races do not want us to succeed. In truth, they would love nothing more than for humanity to never find that traitorous Invincible, for us to remain perpetually mired in chaos. Do you think they'd be unwilling to serve as that blade? Furthermore, the multiple divine character faction is also something they dread. Barring any surprises, they will quickly reach an agreement." Chen Yong, who had just arrived, said in a deep voice, "Marquis, is the intel reliable?" "Of course!" Marquis Xia smiled faintly. "One hundred percent accurate." Chen Yong nodded and asked no more, thinking to himself that the Xia family's spies had apparently infiltrated the Heaven Hunting Pavilion as well. To receive intelligence on a mission of this caliber, their mole must hold a rather high position. And given Marquis Xia's complete lack of doubt, the spy's status was clearly vital, trusted implicitly by the Xia family. Marquis Xia glanced at Hong Tan, who simply smiled without saying anything. If Chen Yong didn't know, it was better that he didn't. Hong Tan didn't dwell on Su Yu's situation. This information had undoubtedly been sent back by Su Yu. With a somber tone, he remarked, "There are quite a few quasi-Invincibles outside. If they truly join forces, even an alliance between us, Daming, and Great Qin won't be enough to hold them off! The other prefectures have sent some Sun Moons as well, but their pinnacle combatants have all departed for the Allheaven Battlefield. Even those who haven't left might not be willing to assist us." Those experts on the verge of attaining the Dao had all moved out. The Human Realm was severely depleted right now! There was no helping it. Compared to the people here in Great Xia, over a dozen experts seeking to attain the Dao was a monumental affair. Great Xia serving as a decoy to draw the eyes of the myriad races was actually a good thing; for figures like King Daqin, hard choices had to be made. Hong Tan sighed and continued, "In truth, the War God Hall, the Quest Realm, and the various prefectures have sent quite a few Sun Moons. Combined, they number nearly forty. Add in the forty-plus from our three prefectures, and if we truly fought as one... a battle wouldn't be impossible." This was the Human Realm, after all! At this moment, a massive gathering of Sun Moons had congregated; humanity still possessed a considerable number of Sun Moons. Yet some people couldn't be counted on—like Yuan Qingdong's crowd, or the scattered pairs and trios from various prefectures. Who could rely on them? The myriad races might manage to unite, but humanity might not even be able to unite among themselves. Marquis Xia didn't seem particularly troubled by this. He chuckled, "No matter, they wouldn't be able to handle quasi-Invincibles anyway! Counting the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, there are a full fourteen quasi-Invincibles out there, not knowing if more are lurking. Among those fourteen, not all of them will necessarily strike at us. The Immortals have reservations, the Archaic Giants might not act, and the Five Elements race is uncertain... Those who might actually make a move number around ten or so." Around ten or so! Hong Tan felt a toothache coming on. You certainly make it sound easy. Beside them, Chief Hu said softly, "Marquis, among those ten, do you think... any of them have retrieved a future incarnation possessing Invincible-tier combat power?" Marquis Xia laughed. "I don't think so. If they had, they would already rank among the top ten on the Dao Attainment Ranking." A future incarnation with Invincible-tier combat power was not so easily retrieved. Many fellows only retrieved a future incarnation from the very next moment, a fleeting instant ahead. That was precisely why some quasi-Invincibles possessed mediocre combat power even after retrieving two incarnations. Retrieving the instant that just passed as the past incarnation, and the immediate next instant as the future incarnation, was essentially combining three ninth-stage Sun Moons into one. Such a quasi-Invincible was formidable, but compared to those who retrieved an incarnation bearing true Invincible-tier power, the difference was night and day. A quasi-Invincible of that standard, even on the verge of merging all three incarnations into one, could still potentially be beaten to death by a genius eighth- or ninth-stage Sun Moon. Conversely, a quasi-Invincible who had retrieved an Invincible-tier future incarnation would be virtually peerless among Sun Moons, even with just a single extra incarnation. General Zhao said grimly, "Even so, ten... is simply beyond our ability to match! Our goal is to draw out that traitorous Invincible, not slaughter ourselves against these foreigners. If we perish fighting them without exposing the traitor, our deaths will have been in vain!" Everyone who came here was prepared to die. But the prerequisite was that the traitorous Invincible showed his face. As of now, he hadn't! Wiping out Great Xia in a bloody clash against the myriad races wasn't worth it—at least, not yet. Ten quasi-Invincibles, countless Sun Moons—the Xia family could not withstand them. Marquis Xia sighed. "If there is truly no other way... we will simply have to summon our trump card and fight!" "Marquis... who exactly is the backer giving us the confidence to handle that Invincible?" Chief Hu and the others were intensely curious. Just who was it? There was another matter none of them brought up: Xuan Jiu had slain Xia Xinyi and saved Chen Yong's group. None of them dared mention Xuan Jiu now, fearing it might cause a rift between the two sides. Furthermore, outsiders all claimed the Xia family possessed the foundation to confront an Invincible. Where was that foundation? Marquis Xia gave a placid smile. "Don't fret, you'll know when the time comes! Let's wait a little longer. Wait for the foreign races to form their coalition, and wait for Liu Wenyan to break through. I hope that fellow truly reaches the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm. If he does, once the battle starts, he might just be able to hold off a quasi-Invincible." The group fell silent, expressions of resolute determination settling over their faces. After this clash, there might... no longer be a Great Xia Prefecture. Marquis Xia was clearly prepared to fight to the bitter end! This battle might well be Great Xia's final stand. As for King Daxia and the others, Xia Longwu's attempt to attain the Dao was bound to face immense tribulation. Once enough experts were drawn to Nanyuan, that attempt would likely commence. ... "People from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" "Is that Xuan Jiu?" "What nerve, daring to step into our territory!" "..." When Xuan Jiu arrived in the God race's encampment flanked by three high-stage Sun Moons, several God experts and geniuses glared with fury. This fellow had previously led Heaven Hunting Pavilion experts to ambush and slaughter their people. "Divine Lord Wushuang!" Su Yu let out a clear, hearty laugh. "Xuan Jiu of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion has come to pay his respects. I request an audience!" From a hall forged as an Earth-grade armament, Zhan Wushuang stepped out. His eyes were calm, devoid of the outrage and fury burning in the other Gods. On the Allheaven Battlefield, it was routine to be comrades one day and butcher each other the next. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion ambushing Gods and Demons earlier, only to seek an alliance now, was nothing unusual. Pondering Xuan Jiu's motives, Zhan Wushuang asked coolly, "What business do you have?" Su Yu smiled. "Important business!" Zhan Wushuang considered for a moment. "Come inside and speak!" "Very well!" Su Yu grinned. For matters like this, it was best to approach these young geniuses; as for the quasi-Invincibles, his status wasn't high enough to meet them directly. ... Inside the hall. Su Yu skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point. "We have taken a mission to kill Marquis Xia, Liu Wenyan, and their cohort. We wish to join forces! My Heaven Hunting Pavilion will deploy two Disciplinary Elders." Zhan Wushuang showed no surprise. He gestured for Su Yu to take a seat, sat down himself, and soon tea was served. Sipping his tea, Zhan Wushuang remarked calmly, "Cooperation is a good thing; this matter calls for joint action. But it lacked someone to take the lead. If the Heaven Hunting Pavilion is willing to head the effort, that provides an opening. We all understand the logic. It comes down to the division of labor, effort expended, distribution of spoils, and how to respond if the Xia family truly fields an Invincible-tier combatant." Su Yu nodded. Zhan Wushuang had summarized all the core concerns in a single breath. How to divide the rewards, and how to shoulder the risks—that was the true sticking point of any alliance. Su Yu smiled. "How about this: we youngsters talk first. Gather Moduona and the others—bring together the geniuses representing factions with quasi-Invincibles! We'll draft a preliminary outline. Everyone can roughly represent the will of their respective quasi-Invincibles. If our stances aren't too far apart, the alliance is practically settled!" Zhan Wushuang smiled faintly. "Agreed! However... Brother Xuan Jiu, do you mind removing your mask?" Su Yu chuckled. "Hardly convenient, wouldn't you say? The Heaven Hunting Pavilion is public enemy number one across the myriad races; everyone is itching to kill us. Right now things are tolerable, but if my identity is truly exposed, I fear I won't live very long." Zhan Wushuang let out a wry laugh. Glancing at the death qi radiating from Su Yu's body, he sighed inwardly. Even without exposing yourself, in your condition, if you don't return to an ancient city soon, even heaven origin qi won't be able to suppress it. You won't have long to live either. He didn't bother to say more, rising to his feet. "Then I will notify the others so we can discuss this together. Once a broad consensus is reached, an alliance is inevitable. After all, this is the Human Realm, and we are outsiders." "Then I shall await the good news!" Su Yu remained seated, quietly waiting. Within the hall, he and Xuanjia's trio stayed silent, awaiting the arrival of the other factions. ... Meanwhile. A stone statue was wandering across the Allheaven Battlefield. He didn't head toward East Crack Valley, nor did he approach the passage leading to humanity's main base. Meandering about, Xinghong felt a sense of curiosity toward the world of today. Occasionally he would pause, reminiscing, as though truly out sightseeing. As for East Crack Valley, he stayed well clear of it. He sensed danger there. Far too many Invincibles were gathering in that direction! With human experts preparing to attain the Dao, practically all the human Invincibles had surfaced, while Invincibles from the myriad races were converging from all directions. This was likely the largest simultaneous attempt to attain the Dao in history. Not only humans, but members of the foreign races were seeking to break through as well. Even rulers of minor realms were hoping to seize the opportunity to attain the Dao. This moment might alter the entire balance of power across the myriad realms, with Xia Longwu's attempt serving as the spark to ignite everything. The stone statue couldn't care less. Let them fight all they wanted. His sole purpose was to retrieve Su Yu. That lad was currently absorbing death qi like a madman, which was completely out of hand. If he absorbed too much and accidentally opened a dead spirit channel right inside the Human Realm, what would happen? That boy was his city lord! He would likely end up taking the blame! It had been a very long time since he last visited the Human Realm. A very, very long time! So distant that his memories were nearly fading. Still, finding Su Yu wouldn't be difficult. As the city lord, Su Yu could be tracked down wherever he went. The premise, however, was finding a safe route into the Human Realm. The standard, established passageways were out of the question; he couldn't afford to be spotted. "A passage into the Human Realm..." The stone statue completed a wide circuit, tracing old memories through the eastern war zone for quite some time. Soon, he appeared atop a colossal mountain peak. Upon arriving, Xinghong murmured to himself, "Tianwang Ridge... is this the place?" Things had changed somewhat; he wasn't certain if this was the Tianwang Ridge of old. Back then, origin qi here had been extraordinarily dense, frighteningly so. Moreover, there had been a secret path here leading straight into the Human Realm. He didn't know if it still existed. That secret path possessed quite a history. Recalling this, Xinghong surveyed the surroundings, and his voice vibrated outward at a peculiar frequency: "Is the God-Devouring Half-Emperor present?" Right, the God-Devouring Realm seemed to be somewhere nearby. As to where exactly, he didn't know. However, the origin of that secret path near Tianwang Ridge was linked to this God-Devouring Half-Emperor—assuming, of course, that this Half-Emperor was truly the same one from back then. He had heard that the secret path had been secretly carved out by the God-Devouring Half-Emperor and an old friend of his. The reason was simple: two fellows who hated trouble didn't want to take the long way around every time, so they dug a shortcut. Not many people knew about it, though it was eventually discovered, and word had it that the old fellow had received quite a scolding over the matter. Memories that had nearly faded began drifting back into his mind. Just then. Within the God-Devouring Ancient Realm. High atop an immense Heaven Origin Fruit tree, a big fur ball struggled to crack open an eye. A voice resonated by its ears: "Is the God-Devouring Half-Emperor present?" The big fur ball opened its eyes, let out a yawn, and sank into deep thought. Am I dreaming? Lately, I keep having dreams. While it was pondering, the voice rang out again. "Is the God-Devouring Half-Emperor present?" The big fur ball grew slightly more lucid. It looked toward the sky, and after a moment, its gaze pierced through the void. It saw a lump of stone! It looked somewhat familiar! The big fur ball watched for a while, then floated up and drifted into the sky. A moment later, it stepped out of the realm. Or rather, it floated out of the realm. Xinghong had called out several times without receiving an answer. Resigning himself, he prepared to search for the path on his own. Suddenly, his heart gave a jolt. Glancing to the side, two massive eyes were staring directly at him! Eye to eye! Xinghong recoiled rapidly. Only after getting a clear look at the creature did he breathe a sigh of relief. "Greetings, Half-Emperor!" As he spoke, he looked closely, unable to tell whether this was truly the same entity from ancient times. They all looked pretty much identical! Belonging to a different race and facing someone stronger than himself, how could he possibly tell? "Which number stone are you?" The big fur ball sounded rather uncertain. It couldn't tell either; stones all looked the same. What number was this one again? "Xinghong!" "Oh, oh, oh..." The big fur ball glanced at him, yawned, and said sluggishly, "Why are you calling for me?" "Lord Half-Emperor, isn't there a passage around here leading to the Human Realm?" "Yeah!" "Then..." Before he could finish, the big fur ball seemed to recall something and murmured, "Haven't I seen you before?" "..." Xinghong was speechless. "Not long ago, Lord Half-Emperor reversed time and met with me!" "Oh, oh, oh! So that wasn't a dream!" The big fur ball realized what had happened. "I thought I was dreaming. No wonder I kept dreaming about big rocks." Xinghong had no words. The big fur ball looked at him again. "Why did you come out?" "To handle some business in the Human Realm." Xinghong explained, "The human lad whom your descendant is following—he is currently the lord of my city. He is heavily saturated with death qi, and I worry he might inadvertently open a dead spirit channel in the Human Realm. That would be troublesome!" "Oh, oh..." The big fur ball showed the sluggishness of an elder. After listening, it hummed in acknowledgment and took a long while before asking, "He became a half-dead-spirit?" "Yes." The big fur ball thought about it, murmuring, "A half-dead-spirit... Who converted him?" "Xingyue." "Who's Xingyue?" the big fur ball asked in confusion, having no recollection. "Lord Half-Emperor met her last time as well. When you reversed time, she was present." "Oh, oh... that dead spirit sovereign..." The big fur ball remembered. It swayed its body, saying little else, before finally muttering, "Then go ahead. The Human Realm... the Human Realm... don't stay too long. It easily triggers the opening of a dead spirit channel. Did you transfer all your death qi to that human lad?" "Yes." Xinghong nodded. The big fur ball thought for a moment and added, "Tell him not to stay too long in the Human Realm either. If a channel truly opens there, it will be a huge hassle..." At this point, it yawned again. "What's going on over there? Why are so many Eternals gathered?" "Fighting!" Xinghong answered simply, knowing what location it was referring to: East Crack Valley. "Oh, oh..." Fighting? How boring! A bunch of dull fellows! The big fur ball yawned once more. "I'm feeling a bit hungry. Has it been a long time since I last ate?" "If memory serves, you had a meal several hundred years ago, my lord." "Really?" The big fur ball had forgotten. It looked puzzled, then muttered after a while, "Did I? How come I don't remember? I haven't eaten in so many years... starving to death... I ate several hundred years ago?" Strange, why don't I recall that? Xinghong was speechless. What kind of memory was this...? "You've forgotten, my lord? Several hundred years ago, a human and a God race Eternal fought, and you devoured the God Eternal's sea of will." "I didn't..." The big fur ball said with an odd look, "I don't eat seas of will. I only eat divine characters. Could it be... my little guy's mama went out and ate it? Did she go out?" As it spoke, the big fur ball tore open the space behind it and peeked into the God-Devouring Ancient Realm. After another sluggish pause, it yawned and exclaimed, "Huh, she really did go out. I didn't even notice!" "..." Xinghong froze in place. It wasn't you? Your wife went out and ate it? What the... holy crap! Your wife casually devoured an Eternal just like that? He also stole a glance into the God-Devouring Ancient Realm, spotting that colossal Heaven Origin Fruit tree. He was left speechless again—this thing was still around? After all these years, chopping it down would yield enough material to forge divine armaments. While he was peeking, the big fur ball turned around, looked at him, and asked curiously, "Why are you staring into my house?" "..." Xinghong said nothing. I wasn't staring, I just glanced! Not seeing its wife, the big fur ball didn't pay it much mind, murmuring, "Where did she go? She couldn't have gone to find that Immortal fellow, could she? I only said his divine characters smelled delicious... did she go sneak a bite?" Xinghong couldn't help but ask, "She went to the Immortal race to eat Half-Emperor Tiangu?" This family certainly had an enormous appetite! The big fur ball swayed its body uncertainly. "Don't know. Tiangu is still alive, living for so long. His divine characters must smell amazing. Back when he was only in the Soaring Realm, I already thought his divine characters smelled so good, wanted to eat them..." "..." Damn it all, it really is the same Half-Emperor from back then. Xinghong was completely certain now! You had your eye on Half-Emperor Tiangu when he was merely in the Soaring Realm. No mistake about it, this was undeniably that ancient Half-Emperor. And you had the nerve to say he had lived long—you've lived even longer! Living this long was one thing, but producing a little God-Devouring crown prince at such an advanced age was truly something else. The big fur ball paid him no further attention, muttering in confusion, "The little guy's mama is lost. Should I go look for her? Tiangu's divine characters smell so good... want to eat..." Xinghong felt an odd impulse and egged it on: "Go ahead, Lord Half-Emperor! If you don't go soon and he dies, the divine characters won't smell good anymore!" That makes some sense! The big fur ball nodded—or rather, bobbed its entire body. It did make sense. Should I go take a look? Otherwise, if Tiangu dies, the flavor of his divine characters will go bad. "Then I'll go take a look. You... you take care of our little guy..." "Certainly, certainly! Lord Half-Emperor, please open the passage to the Human Realm so I can go in and bring your little guy back!" "..." The big fur ball vanished, but a narrow passage opened up in its wake. Xinghong glanced at it, then felt the ripples in the void, secretly clicking his tongue. Truly gone to eat Tiangu? Did I just do something terrible by pointing this old monster toward the Immortal race? Won't the Immortal race plunge into chaos? Ah, whatever. What does that have to do with me? Xinghong brushed the thought aside. It had nothing to do with him; the God-Devouring race was going to eat him, not him. Besides, an old ghost like Tiangu hadn't survived to this day just to be casually eaten by that couple. Then again, were there only three members left in the entire God-Devouring race? It seemed they were on the brink of extinction! Pushing the thought away, Xinghong stepped into the passage. Human Realm, here I come!