Nanyuan.
Lan Tian was seeking Dao integration—integrating the Dao of the myriad races. Everyone thought he had lost his mind.
Yet at this moment, no one could control or stop him.
The lunatic had ceased his killing. He tore through time and space, causing a river of time to emerge. He was not dredging for his past or future embodiments; instead, he groped within the river of time with manic abandon, chuckling aloud. "Let me teach you all how to integrate the Dao of the myriad races! These myriad-race embodiments of mine exist within the memories of my past. I shall dredge up their pasts and merge them with the present. If the past and present are mine, then the future belongs to me!"
He was lecturing the crowd on how to integrate the Dao of the myriad races.
However, no one showed the slightest interest.
What a joke!
Those clones were not truly him. To forcefully dredge up the pasts of others and fuse them into puppets of the present was utterly insane. First, it was exceedingly difficult to dredge them up; their pasts were not Lan Tian's, and dredging up another's past was comparable to traveling back in time to commit murder.
The moment he triggered time's backlash, death was certain.
Second, even if he succeeded in retrieving and merging them, fusing the pasts and presents of those clones might resurrect the puppets, restoring their memories and reminding them that Lan Tian had killed them. They would inevitably seek revenge.
This madman was hell-bent on killing himself, and nothing less would satisfy him.
***
No one bothered with him, nor could anyone afford to.
Meanwhile, Su Yu was locked in endless, grueling combat, clashing fiercely against the prodigies. Death qi flooded the surroundings. With a thunderous boom, a group of combatants blasted open the entrance to the ruins!
Originally, the entrance to the ruins had been located right where the toilet stood. Now, however... the entire house was gone, let alone the toilet.
Su Yu gave it no further thought. Though he had previously had no intention of entering, he slipped into the ruins in an instant.
The others scrambled in right behind him, someone shouting, "Seize the Tombstone of Civilization! Don't let him take it!"
The moment the entrance swung open, not only the combatants but also those who had stayed their hands turned pale with shock.
Through the opening, they sensed heavenly yuan qi rich to the absolute extreme!
They saw a pool of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid!
They saw two carriers repeatedly colliding in the void!
They also saw the Tombstone of Civilization hovering in midair, along with the two profoundly enigmatic characters: *Civilization*!
The Civilization Manor had opened!
On the perimeter, the humans who had refrained from battle, the humans and myriad-race combatants locked in skirmishes, and the prodigies who had not yet joined the fray all had their expressions change. After a moment of internal struggle, the crowd surged toward the opening en masse!
To plunder the ruins!
Other battlefields were perilous; they could not take part in the clashes between Invincibles. But plunging into the ruins to claim treasures and fleeing the moment they secured something was not beyond hope.
When quasi-Invincibles and Invincibles fought to the death, carriers were indeed left behind.
Yet who dared to snatch them?
Su Yu and his opponents, though formidable, had not reached that terrifying echelon after all. It was far safer on this side. Moreover, the treasures in the ruins were masterless.
A throng of figures poured inside!
One after another, they leaped into the rift in the void and entered the ruins. In an instant, a chaotic brawl erupted within as everyone fought tooth and nail for the spoils!
***
While the battle raged in Nanyuan, back in the Great Xia Prefecture, within the prefectural city.
Xia Huyou remained here. His strength was too weak; after a brief trip to Nanyuan, he had returned to stay in the city.
At this moment, inside the Castellan Manor, over a thousand guards stood steeped in murderous intent, their eyes fixed on Xia Huyou.
Xia Huyou stood atop the high platform—the commander's inspection dais used by his father.
Looking down from the platform, he smiled and said, "A great battle has broken out in Nanyuan. Foreign enemies have invaded, and the Great Xia Prefecture... is in peril! I am the son of Xia Longwu, the great-grandson of King Daxia. Everyone says my father is skilled in battle, and that my great-grandfather is a demon even among Invincibles... but I, Xia Huyou, am nothing at all."
Xia Huyou laughed self-deprecatingly. "In all these years of living, I have achieved nothing of note. More often than not, people regard me as a joke. Today, I wish to emulate my father for once. Generals and soldiers, are you willing to fulfill this wish of mine?"
The thousands of guards said nothing. Only the sound of blades being drawn rang out in unison, echoing straight into the clouds.
Xia Huyou grinned. "Splendid! Then I must trouble you all to accompany me through Great Xia Prefectural City to thoroughly purge the scum and dregs within our prefecture!"
He chuckled, then commanded, "The prefectural city's formations are fully engaged. Everyone... my apologies for the trouble!"
"Your Highness is wise!"
The roar sounded as one. Xia Huyou chuckled, "How awkward. I'm hardly wise, so drop the flattery. Move out!"
He flew out of the manor. Beside him, Director Ji appeared at some unseen moment; he was Xia Huyou's Dao protector. Moments later, an elderly figure manifested as well.
Xia Huyou looked at the newcomer and smiled. "Elder Bai, my Second Grandfather and the others took into account that you are of the dragon race, so they didn't send you into the war. Now I have business to attend to. Would you be willing to lend a hand?"
"I obey Your Highness's command!"
Xia Huyou nodded with a smile and waved his hand. Several thousand soldiers, brimming with murderous intent, followed closely behind.
Moments later, they arrived at the Great Xia Civilization Academy.
At this moment, the academy was also plagued by unrest.
Most of the academy elders had left to join the battle in Nanyuan, but some had stayed behind. Right now, chaos reigned inside the academy, and the students were in complete disarray.
Xia Huyou took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "Any elder remaining without orders: kill without mercy! Those dodging battle: kill without mercy! Those trespassing into secret realms: kill without mercy! Students of the myriad races: kill without mercy! New students of the Multiple Divine Characters Academy: kill without mercy! Those inciting chaos: kill without mercy! Slay them!"
"Understood!"
Over a thousand soldiers charged into the academy in an instant!
Inside the grounds, a large detachment of Guards appeared, looking toward the incoming soldiers. Hovering in the air, Xia Huyou declared coldly, "Guards, hear my command! Follow their lead and obey orders without question!"
"Understood!"
With the Guards shouting their compliance, the entire academy was soon plunged into slaughter.
Suddenly, an enraged voice thundered, "Xia Huyou, what are you doing?!"
An elderly man flew into the sky, seething with fury!
"Xia Huyou, are you rebelling?!"
Xia Huyou glanced at him and sighed softly. "Grandfather Changqing, it is you."
Xia Changqing, Vice Principal of the Great Xia Civilization Academy.
Xia Huyou said softly, "Grandfather Changqing, according to Second Grandfather's orders, you should be in Nanyuan right now."
Xia Changqing's expression shifted slightly. "That battlefield is a clash of the Sun Moon Realm! I am not in the Sun Moon Realm; going there would be entirely useless. It is far better for me to stay here, guarding the academy, guarding these students, and preserving the foundation of the Great Xia Prefecture!"
Xia Huyou nodded, turned toward Director Ji, gave a slight nod, and said with a smile, "Director Ji, kill him."
Director Ji froze for a moment.
He thought he had misheard. Xia Changqing was a member of the Xia family, and an expert at the peak of the Shanhai Realm to boot.
"Director Ji, do you intend to disobey orders?"
Director Ji's heart trembled. The next instant, he roared, smashing a massive seal forward. Xia Changqing's face drained of color as he bellowed in outrage, "How dare you! I am of the Xia family! My father was King Daxia's elder brother... Xia Huyou, you little beast, how dare you commit treason against your elder?!"
Xia Huyou ignored him.
He watched in silence, his gaze chillingly detached.
Since he was of the Xia family, how could he defy the Xia family's military command?
Even outsiders had gone to fight. You, a peak Shanhai, might not be a match for a Sun Moon expert, but could you not at least stall a first-stage Sun Moon combatant for a short while?
Before long, Director Ji's seal struck him until he spat blood. Restraining him instantly with divine characters, Director Ji dragged him before Xia Huyou. Xia Changqing was still shaking with rage. "Xia Huyou, you bastard! Have you forgotten your childhood, when..."
Xia Huyou sighed and looked at Director Ji, shaking his head. This fellow had been given an order, yet he had hesitated and compromised!
A long saber manifested—the saber of the Xia family.
"Grandfather Changqing... in your next life... don't be born into the Xia family!"
With a sigh and a low shout, the blade descended!
*Slash!* Blood sprayed several feet into the air!
The head tumbled down, eyes wide with shock and disbelief!
The sea of will attempted to reconstitute itself, but Director Ji instantly froze it. Xia Huyou struck again with his saber, shattering the sea of will with a resounding crash.
Xia Changqing had fallen!
A member of the Xia family, a peak Shanhai expert, and the Vice Principal of the Civilization Academy had been personally decapitated by Xia Huyou. In that moment, the surrounding soldiers fully grasped the prince's unyielding resolve!
Those who dodged battle would die!
These experts were all named in the military orders and required to reinforce Nanyuan. Refusing to go was nothing less than defying military commands. Only someone of the Xia family could carry out such an execution; otherwise, who would have dared to strike down a figure like Xia Changqing?
The moment Xia Changqing was slain, several figures emerged from within the Civilization Academy.
Leading them was none other than Zhou Mingren, who had only recently returned.
A Sun Moon Realm expert!
Behind him followed seven or eight academy elders, all of them Shanhai experts.
Further behind were twenty to thirty experts in the Soaring and Lingyun Realms, all rising into the air to confront Xia Huyou and his force.
Xia Huyou looked toward them and smiled. "Principal Zhou, according to military orders, you were also supposed to head to Nanyuan. Why haven't you gone?"
Zhou Mingren let out a long sigh and looked at him. "If I said I was following the Quest Realm's orders to guard the Civilization Academy, would you believe me?"
"I would!" Xia Huyou nodded, smiling. "However... this is the Great Xia Prefecture!"
Behind Zhou Mingren, an elder said indignantly, "We are Civilization Masters, not warriors! Our duty is to research civilization—"
"And what the hell have you actually researched?" Xia Huyou chuckled. "Civilization Masters... are just responsible for research? Civilization Masters who haven't produced a damn thing have the nerve to call themselves Civilization Masters? If you were like those specialized Civilization Masters from the Great Ming Prefecture, I wouldn't say a word. We also have a few such scholars within our prefecture, and my Xia family forcefully retained them. As for the rest of you... kill them!"
*Boom!*
This time, both Director Ji and the White Dragon struck simultaneously!
A brutal skirmish erupted instantly.
"Xia Huyou, your Xia family is actually slaughtering the people of your own prefecture! You've lost your minds..."
Standing on the perimeter, Xia Huyou muttered softly, "If we can't govern outsiders, can't we even govern our own people? You enjoy my Xia family's shelter, eat our food, and drink our wine, yet you refuse to lift a finger in external wars while excelling at internal strife... Even if the Xia family falls, you will be buried with us!"
*Bang!*
An academy elder was blasted apart in an instant. Civilization Masters were cut down and slaughtered one after another.
Xia Huyou looked downward. Great Xia placed no demands on those below the Soaring Realm; as long as they hid themselves away, they were fine.
Yet the next moment, Xia Huyou descended to the ground.
Looking at the few figures attempting to flee before him, he sighed softly. "Huang Qifeng, you're still alive. What remarkable luck. Su Yu forgot about an insignificant shrimp like you, and so did I, yet here you are, still breathing."
Across from him, Huang Qifeng stammered in terror, "Xia Huyou... no, Your Highness, I am merely in the Wanshi Realm, not the Soaring Realm. I don't need to join the war..."
"Correct!" Xia Huyou smiled and nodded. Huang Qifeng breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"However... I want to kill you!"
"Heaven Severing!"
With a low growl, the blade slashed out. With a wet thud, a head flew off!
Huang Qifeng's eyes bulged wide!
Dead!
Xia Huyou cast an indifferent glance at the people beside him. "Kill them all. Those below the Soaring Realm are exempt from battle... but packing up your valuables to flee? Ordinary citizens may run, but you people in the academies are the military reserve! Fleeing makes you deserters! When the Xia family is truly on the verge of destruction, we will naturally let you leave rather than dragging everyone down into the grave with us. But haven't we survived thus far?"
A squad of soldiers swept forward swiftly, cutting down the students attempting to abandon the Great Xia Prefecture.
Slaughter!
Carnage!
Blood-curdling screams echoed everywhere!
Stepping across pools of blood with an impassive face, Xia Huyou walked through the academy. Above, with a thunderous roar, another Shanhai expert was shattered into mist.
At that moment, a disheveled figure flew over frantically, crying out in a frail, helpless voice, "Prince Huyou, I am of the immortal race! My race's Immortal King Tianyu is an ally of the Xia family! Please tell these men that I am different from the others..."
Xia Huyou raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You didn't leave?"
He smiled. "I assumed you had gone to Nanyuan. Why are you still here? Fairy Yu Xuan, there are quite a few immortals over in Nanyuan."
Yu Xuan stammered hastily, "I... I couldn't bear to leave Your Highness..."
"Come here!" Xia Huyou beckoned with a smile. "To say you couldn't bear to leave me... how touching."
Yu Xuan hurried over, full of dread.
She had never imagined that the Xia family would purge the experts who refused to fight—experts and geniuses nurtured by the Xia family itself. Moreover, the myriad-race students accepted by Great Xia, as well as the numerous disciples who had enrolled when the Multiple Divine Characters Academy opened, were all being marked for death by the Xia family. They were insane!
As she flew toward Xia Huyou, she comforted herself inwardly: *It will be fine. Xia Huyou admires me and desires the support of my immortal race...*
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Xia Huyou raised his saber and smiled. The next instant, all Yu Xuan saw was a flash of blade light. With a sickening slice, her delicate, flower-like head tumbled from her shoulders.
Xia Huyou sneered disdainfully. "Immortal King Tianyu? He's currently besieging our human Invincibles!"
With a single slash, he executed Yu Xuan, the fairy he had often fawned over in the past.
For a little fairy, dying made her even prettier, preserving her youthful beauty forever.
Xia Huyou glanced at the sky without paying it much mind, then turned toward the other soldiers. "Purge every academy thoroughly! Aside from the designated defensive experts, execute all Shanhai experts and above! Subdue the Soaring and Lingyun experts first, and execute any who resist! Do the same for the major clans! The Great Xia Prefecture... has no use for such people!"
"Understood!"
A squad of guards departed swiftly.
The entire Great Xia Prefecture was rapidly descending into upheaval. Powerful voices shouted from the skies: "All citizens, remain indoors! Do not step outside! The Great Xia Prefecture is sealed for three days to root out traitors!"
Battles erupted across every quarter.
Experts from prominent clans took to the air; some fled, while others resisted, and the slaughter raged unabated.
Walking through the academy grounds, Xia Huyou let out a heavy sigh. Even though the Great Xia Prefecture was famed for its martial prowess, with so many people, there would inevitably be cowards clinging to life. For ordinary civilians, that was excusable.
Yet which of these experts had not been raised at tremendous expense and resource expenditure by the Xia family?
Prominent clans existed not to flaunt their power, but to lead the charge when a great war arrived. Unfortunately... some still failed to understand and defied military commands to avoid the fight.
In midair, Zhou Mingren was battered by a strike from the eighth-stage Sun Moon White Dragon, blood spraying from his wounds. Suddenly, he sighed. "Could you grant me a few words?"
The White Dragon looked down at Xia Huyou. Xia Huyou nodded slightly. "Please speak, Principal!"
Dragging his battered body, Zhou Mingren flew down, blood dripping continuously from his frame. Looking at Xia Huyou, he smiled faintly, gasping for breath. "Killing me is only right. Strictly speaking, the conflict between the single and multiple divine character factions began with me..."
Xia Huyou nodded slightly. "I know you might not have intended to wipe them out completely, Principal Zhou. But... why didn't you take part in this war? The Multiple Divine Characters faction, including Principal Hong, stated that if you went to battle, you could be spared..."
Certain matters were not entirely Zhou Mingren's intention; fierce infighting among subordinates did not necessarily mean he had aimed for absolute extermination.
Zhou Mingren smiled faintly. "Join the war... I actually considered going. Whether one obeys the Quest Realm's orders or not makes little difference; in the Great Xia Prefecture, the Quest Realm's reputation has long since rotted!"
"Then why end up like this?"
Xia Huyou stared at him. Zhou Mingren was the only Sun Moon expert who had stayed away from Nanyuan, excluding the two protectors beside Xia Huyou.
Zhou Mingren laughed softly. "You might not believe it, but I believe the Xia family will win. If I had gone, I might have survived. However... forget it. In this life of mine, I have made countless mistakes, harbored excessive selfishness, and been schemed against several times..."
He shook his head and offered a wry smile. "Rather than walking on eggshells and enduring Hong Tan and the others gloating and mocking me once they rise to power, I'd rather end it here. Besides, I am hardly innocent. There are things I knew about and simply feigned ignorance of—including the ambush that led to Feng Qi and the others being trapped. I want to say that I truly knew nothing beforehand, but after the fact, I learned of it, and I covered it up!"
He chuckled. "What is done is done, and there is nothing to regret. However... you are likely facing considerable trouble shortly."
"Me?" Xia Huyou smiled. "What trouble could I possibly have?"
Zhou Mingren smiled. "I contacted many people. Soon, they will arrive!"
"Who?"
"I told them that the Great Xia Prefecture's defense system has completely collapsed, that only Elder Bai remains as a Sun Moon expert in the entire prefecture, that Great Xia holds boundless wealth, that the Civilization Academy possesses countless secret realms, techniques, resources, and blood essences, and that the Xia family possesses countless secret arts and rare treasures..."
*Cough, cough, cough!*
Zhou Mingren laughed. "So, you have quite a headache on your hands! Across the Human Realm, certain villains, experts from the single divine character faction, figures from the Quest Realm, people I've corresponded with regularly or who reached out to me in the past... they might all come this time, or perhaps they have already arrived! Because Great Xia's defenses are broken and only an eighth-stage Sun Moon dragon remains to guard it, do you think anyone would be tempted?"
Xia Huyou sighed. "You are manufacturing trouble for me."
Zhou Mingren nodded with a grin. "Indeed... but I believe you can resolve it, can't you? However... it's best you don't kill me just yet. Killing Shanhai experts is fine, but killing me... the fall of a remnant moon will be visible to all. They know only Elder Bai and I are in the city. If I die, they will know they've been exposed."
Xia Huyou smiled. "Can they handle Elder Bai?"
An eighth-stage Sun Moon expert, after all!
"*Cough, cough, cough...*" Spitting blood, Zhou Mingren said, "They can. Perhaps a ninth-stage Sun Moon expert will come, or two or three eighth-stage Sun Moon figures... but their identities won't be low. Will you dare to kill them?"
"You truly think highly of me!" Xia Huyou shook his head. "Far too highly. Are you trying to get the Xia family destroyed?"
"Not at all..." Zhou Mingren smiled. "I have no such intention. I saw that everyone was luring people in... the scions of major clans in Nanyuan, prominent experts, the bystanders from various prefectures watching the spectacle... I suspect they are all going to die! Because our Great Xia Prefecture produces madmen, and now that that madman has stepped out, he will undoubtedly unleash a massacre!"
"I was worried the bait you laid wasn't enough... so I added some spice!"
Zhou Mingren chuckled. Xia Huyou asked in surprise, "You knew?"
Zhou Mingren smiled. "I knew, of course I knew! How many years did I work alongside him? Not just him, but Ye Batian and Yun Chen as well—they all worked with me for years. How could I not know? Even if I didn't realize it at first, I understood later. After Ye Batian died and Wan Tiansheng returned, I knew he had fallen partially into obsession. He was certain to seek revenge, and yet... fifty years! He never made a move, never spoke of it! When he moved against Yuming, he was warning me to stop stirring up trouble. I understood what he meant..."
Xia Huyou looked at him silently. If so, why had he continued down this path?
Zhou Mingren smiled. "You don't understand. The Multiple Divine Characters faction has a trait—or perhaps a flaw. They are overly sentimental, somewhat foolish! Failing to cut ties decisively only invites chaos! Ye Batian, the first head, the third head, and even Wan Tiansheng all share this flaw! Unless pushed to the absolute brink, they always believe it's fine, that those people won't dare act again once spared, and that killing old acquaintances would be too cold-hearted... As a result, after Ye Batian died, all his enemies and rivals surfaced!"
Zhou Mingren chuckled. "Tell me, isn't that foolish? It left tremendous hidden dangers for their successors, their descendants, and their heritage! In truth, my relationship with them was decent back then. If I admitted my faults, they wouldn't kill me... but if they spared me, and then died one day in the future, do you think I could refrain from revenge for the rest of my life?"
Xia Huyou stared at him and asked indifferently, "So what you mean, Principal, is that you wish to use your blood to wake them up?"
"No, I am not that noble." Zhou Mingren smiled. "I simply feel that I have no desire to wag my tail and beg for mercy before them just to stay alive! That is far too pathetic! Furthermore, I don't want to remain a pawn in someone else's game; it makes me look too foolish! The Zhou family claimed to suppress the Multiple Divine Characters faction, but in truth, they rarely intervened directly. Placing a branch member like me here was merely a signal. The Zhou family calculated my moves and saw right through me. The Zhou family is hardly virtuous either!"
Xia Huyou remained silent.
Zhou Mingren spoke again: "There is one more matter I wish to tell you, though I cannot verify whether it is true or false. It is merely a deduction of mine. I refrained from mentioning it earlier out of fear of misleading others. Do you wish to hear it?"
Xia Huyou smiled. "Go ahead."
Zhou Mingren hesitated a moment before transmitting his voice: "The Zhou family has continually conducted research on cultivating divine characters. Remember, divine characters, not Civilization Masters! Purely standalone divine characters! For example, taking a divine character outlined by a Cultivating Temperament student once it can manifest physically, extracting it, and cultivating it artificially!"
Xia Huyou frowned slightly and transmitted back, "Cultivating divine characters is indeed an important avenue of research, but... what of it?"
Zhou Mingren's transmission continued, "No, no, no! It is important! Incredibly important! Do you know who proposed this research, and who was conducting it all along?"
"Zhou Polong?"
"No, Zhou Polong's father—Junior King Zhou!" Zhou Mingren transmitted. "However, with his demise, everything had to start over from scratch. When he died, he took those vital research materials with him, burying them alongside himself across the heavens! Later, Zhou Polong uncovered some surviving records and resumed his father's research..."
Xia Huyou still couldn't connect the dots. What did this have to do with anything?
Zhou Mingren shook his head. "Your wits are neither a match for your Second Grandfather nor your father! Let me tell you further: Zheng Yuming, my disciple, obtained a Shanhai divine character from the Zhou family! An artificially cultivated Shanhai divine character! How many years has it been? Zhou Polong started from scratch and took less than fifty years to cultivate a Shanhai divine character. I even suspect he has cultivated a Sun Moon divine character."
"And his father?"
"Human divine characters cannot advance to the Invincible Realm, but... those of the myriad races can!" Zhou Mingren spoke swiftly. "Therefore, Zhou Polong's father might very well have cultivated a genuine Invincible divine character back then—naturally, a non-human one, whether of the gods or the fiends."
Xia Huyou frowned at him, and Zhou Mingren sighed helplessly. "Your... wits truly are lacking! When an Invincible falls, heavenly phenomena erupt across the realms! But can none of that truly be falsified? What if someone self-detonated an Invincible divine character? Or to be even more ruthless, self-detonated one of their three-life embodiments—an Invincible embodiment?"
Xia Huyou's expression shifted slightly.
Zhou Mingren continued, "Of course, this is merely my conjecture! Because there is no evidence whatsoever to prove he ever cultivated an Invincible divine character. Such a thing is too terrifying, and the difficulty must have been immense! Zhou Polong has spent all these years experimenting, and I suspect he might have guessed something as well... Did his father truly die?"
Xia Huyou's heart trembled faintly. He quickly responded, "That fellow has already shown himself now. Principal Wan can deal with him. Whether it was him or not no longer matters!"
"No!" Zhou Mingren shook his head, transmitting his voice. "You still don't understand. Even if he self-detonated an Invincible divine character to fabricate an illusion, he wouldn't have had the opportunity or time to ambush Ye Batian. Therefore, the person who ambushed Ye Batian and he might not be the same individual! The one who ambushed Ye Batian might be the one present today, but... that other figure might not be dead."
Xia Huyou furrowed his brow. "Two traitors? You mean he faked his death, but wasn't the one who killed the Fifth Generation, and remains lurking in the dark? That is your deduction?"
Zhou Mingren nodded and continued transmitting, "Yes, he faked his death!"
"Why? There was no need for that. What benefit would faking his death bring?"
Xia Huyou frowned. Zhou Mingren shook his head. "That, I do not know. It is difficult to guess; all of this is purely my personal conjecture! Furthermore, if he faked his death, he would have required the cooperation of myriad-race Invincibles. Of course, he might genuinely be dead! Or the fabrication was so convincing—a three-life embodiment paired with an Invincible divine character completely destroyed—that the enemy truly believed he had perished. He might not necessarily be a traitor, but if this man is still alive, he is likely hiding somewhere, plotting something massive."
"Why didn't you mention this earlier?"
Zhou Mingren chuckled. "It was merely a guess! It might not be true. Spreading it would do no one any good if it caused misjudgments. These are just the dying words of a condemned man, sharing a few personal conjectures, that is all."
At this point, his aura dwindled to near nothingness. His physical body began to disintegrate, and his sea of will surfaced. His voice drifted out once more: "I do not know whether others in the Zhou family have considered this. If they have, then the Zhou family... I hope the Zhou family would never commit such deeds... Once those people arrive, shatter my sea of will and grant me a swift death..."
Zhou Mingren's voice faded into silence, leaving behind only a cracked sphere—the manifestation of his sea of will.
Xia Huyou's brow furrowed deeply. After a moment's contemplation, he transmitted all the information outward. Regardless of whether it was true or false, providing a warning first was the priority.
Junior King Zhou might not be dead?
Naturally, even if he wasn't dead, that did not necessarily mean he was a traitor. It was simply impossible to know what he intended. If he had truly faked his death, his ambitions had to be staggering.
***
At the very same time.
Wan Tiansheng struck with his sword, the blow shattering the faceless man's physical body and causing him to cough up blood endlessly.
Wan Tiansheng said coldly, "If your true body does not arrive, you are dead!"
*Squelch!* A sword pierced straight through his chest. Turning, Wan Tiansheng unleashed another strike, forcing Fiend King Lade into constant retreat.
The faceless man's aura surged erratically, his booming voice laden with fury. "Wan Tiansheng, do you truly believe you can kill me?!"
"Can I not?" Wan Tiansheng replied impassively. "You are merely a single three-life embodiment. Do you think I lack the power to slay you?"
*Pfft!*
Another sword strike descended—a strike formed from the combination of twenty-four divine characters, wielding the Xiuxin Pavilion as a weapon and merging divine character battle techniques. Wan Tiansheng was terrifyingly formidable.
Beneath several sword strikes, the faceless man's embodiment teetered on the verge of complete collapse.
Meanwhile, Fiend King Lade was merely going through the motions—or rather, looking for an opportunity to flee.
Lade cast a sidelong glance toward the ruins. Right now, his only desire was to snatch the two carriers; if he couldn't obtain the Tombstone of Civilization, so be it. Securing the carriers and fleeing immediately would suffice!
Wan Tiansheng was currently focusing his efforts on that other fellow. If Wan Tiansheng turned his full might upon him, Lade would never be able to endure it!
The faceless man was pushed to absolute fury!
Wan Tiansheng was certain he had him cornered!
This man was preposterously strong!
Damn it all!
"You forced my hand!"
The faceless man roared in fury, unveiling the river of time. At this moment, he was severely weakened, yet Wan Tiansheng did not strike. Instead, he waited silently, saying calmly, "I am waiting for your true body to merge. Did you think I was joking?"
"You court your own death!"
The faceless man was consumed with rage. The next instant, the river of time traversed across the heavens. Wan Tiansheng merely guarded against his escape, making no move to halt him from summoning his true body to descend.
This man had been battered into utter fury!
If his embodiment was slain, his identity would be exposed regardless. Rather than dying here in disgrace, he might as well bring his true body down for an all-out gamble!
***
At that exact moment.
On the All-Heavens Battlefield.
King Dazhou's expression shifted slightly. He looked not far away, where several human Invincibles stood scattered in defensive positions, confronting the Invincibles of the myriad races.
At this moment, beside one of the human Invincibles, a river of time materialized.
It pierced through heaven and earth!
King Dazhou looked in that direction, his expression serene. He asked, "Why?"
The figure stepped away from him toward the river of time, roaring in fury, "For no reason! I told you, it was purely a personal grudge! Why must you all push me?! All I wanted was Ye Batian dead! If Liu Wenyan had shattered his divine character early on, if King Daxia hadn't brought his divine character back, all of this would have ended long ago!"
King Dazhou sighed softly. On the perimeter, the Invincibles of the myriad races moved to block the other human Invincibles, denying them any chance to intercept him.
Someone chuckled, "Who would have thought? So it truly was you, Fenhai!"
King Dazhou remained calm. "Was your personal grudge with Ye Batian truly so deep? Why did I know nothing of it?"
King Fenhai stepped into the river of time, his voice vicious and sharp. "Of course you knew nothing! You oversee the Quest Realm, yet you do nothing at all! All you care about is activating the Human Realm's restrictions while ignoring everything else! Ye Batian humiliated me repeatedly—did you ever lift a finger to intervene?!"
King Dazhou said indifferently, "Even so, that was no justification for killing him when he was attempting to attain the Dao."
"No, it was more than enough!"
King Fenhai strode toward the other end of the river of time, sneering coldly, "I said long ago, it was purely a personal grudge, yet you people insisted on pushing me time and again! Ye Batian was too overbearing, too arrogant! If a man like that truly became the hero of the human race and activated the Human Realm's restrictions, none of us would have been able to survive! He had to die! I wasn't the only one—plenty of people wanted him dead! I was merely the one who carried it out!"
King Dazhou sighed softly. "You were used as a pawn, goaded on by others, weren't you?"
"What a joke!"
King Fenhai's voice drifted back faintly, "No one can manipulate me! Those who humiliated me are all dead! King Dazhou, it wasn't just Ye Batian! Hahaha, your younger brother—his whereabouts were leaked by me as well! Now that it has come to this, there is nothing I dare not say!"
King Dazhou sighed once more, murmuring softly, "Foolish."
"Your brother humiliated me in the past as well! All of you deserve to die!"
"Fenhai... rage boiling like burning seas... your name was ill-omened from the start!"
King Dazhou let out a long sigh, shaking his head. He did not give chase, for he still needed to protect the Dao attainment of others, and outside, numerous Invincibles stood blocking their path.
A temper far too volatile, igniting at the slightest spark, blind to his own demise even at death's door.
King Dazhou looked away from him toward Zhou Polong behind him. Zhou Polong looked back at him and nodded slightly, saying nothing.
***
At this moment, within the Human Realm, in Nanyuan.
The faceless man's aura exploded exponentially!
Two figures strode out from the river of time, instantly fusing into one. The faceless man was faceless no longer, his true features laid bare.
The surroundings fell dead silent for an instant.
On the perimeter, Zhang Qi took one look, let out a heavy sigh, and closed his eyes without uttering a word. Beside him, the others backed away in an instant.
Meanwhile, Wan Tiansheng sighed softly. "King Fenhai... so it truly was you. I knew your temper was fiery, yet I never imagined you were truly the culprit."
King Fenhai said coldly, "Wan Tiansheng, matters have reached this point, and there is nothing left to say! Your Multiple Divine Characters faction bullied and humiliated me! Did you truly believe an Eternal could be insulted with impunity?!"
"..."
Wan Tiansheng looked on with deep sorrow, murmuring softly, "Back then, I was present as well. Senior Brother Batian was indeed overbearing, but his intention was never to humiliate you. I originally thought that once you advanced to the Eternal Realm, you would understand his true intentions. Yet I never imagined... you would actually kill him."
King Fenhai snarled in fury, "True intentions?! He fought me before your very eyes, wounded my physical body, and claimed my skills were crude! I took it as a mere sparring match, yet who could have guessed that afterward, he went around slandering me everywhere, saying my divine character was fragile and my body weak! What was meant to be a private spar between a few individuals, he broadcast to the world! He even challenged me to another duel in secret, seeking to crush me completely underfoot, and deliberately shattered my divine character! Ye Batian was too tyrannical, too arrogant! If he didn't die, who should?!"
Wan Tiansheng's brow furrowed slightly. "You fought in secret as well?"
King Fenhai seethed with monstrous fury. "Wan Tiansheng, did you and your fellow disciples truly take me for a saint?! To humiliate me so severely... I killed Ye Batian, and today, I shall kill you as well!"
*Boom!*
A boundless sea of flames erupted into a roaring tempest. King Fenhai bellowed with sky-shattering wrath, "I will show you all what it means to face the wrath of Fenhai! Ye Batian had to die, and so do you!"
The battle erupted in an instant.
An Invincible, his true body unified as one, had descended upon the Human Realm.
Chapter 489