Aftermath

The battle that the various races had prepared so long for around Xia Longwu's Dao attainment drew to an absolute close as two God-Devouring Half-Emperors appeared and slaughtered two of the Demon Emperor's three-life embodiments. A resounding victory for the human race! Of course, they had also exhausted every hidden trump card they possessed. Gain naturally brought sacrifice. Dozens of Sun Moons had fallen in battle, dozens more had been slaughtered by Wan Tiansheng, and both sacred grounds had been reduced to scorched earth. Wan Tiansheng was truly ruthless. He had gone so far as to raze the Heaven Yuan Sacred Grounds within both sacred lands. The storage vaults of the sacred grounds had been packed to the brim with treasures, but Wan Tiansheng had not taken them. He had burned every last scrap to ash, turning it all into pure Yuan Qi to disperse across the entire Human Realm. The resources were gone! Centuries of treasures accumulated by the two sacred grounds had been consigned to the flames! Conversely, the Yuan Qi in the Twin Sacred Mansions was terrifyingly dense, though it too was gradually dissipating and drifting toward the rest of the realm. Wails of grief echoed throughout the Twin Sacred Mansions. In this battle, the ones who had suffered the most devastating loss were surprisingly not the myriad races, nor the Great Xia Prefecture, but the Twin Sacred Mansions. Their Sun Moons had been completely wiped out... Though strictly speaking, that was not entirely true. A handful of Sun Moons remained—a few elderly figures who had survived by sheer fortune, along with the few who had joined the battle. It was not that no one from the two sacred lands had fought. From start to finish, seven or eight Sun Moons had taken up arms—several old elders and a few powerhouses of the middle and younger generations. These people were still alive. *** Across the Human Realm, within every prefecture. On the first day following the battle, a projection suddenly appeared across the skies above every prefecture, broadcasting the battle of Nanyuan in the Great Xia Prefecture. In the battle of Nanyuan, more than a hundred Sun Moons had fallen. Dozens of them belonged to the human race! Over a dozen Sun Moons of the Great Xia Prefecture had died, and the Dragon Martial Guards had been nearly wiped out... In that battle, some had fought bathed in blood, while others had stood by and watched. Some had marched knowingly to their deaths, while others had shrunk back in cowardice. On this day, a group traveled to each prefecture, broadcasting these scenes without uttering a single word. The ones showing it were neither members of the Xia family nor the Zhu family, but a cohort of youths. Wan Tiansheng's grand-nephew, Wan Mingze. He had returned from the Heavenly Battlefield and obtained this footage from the Xia family. Leading his Youth Allied Army, he traveled from one prefecture to another, broadcasting it wherever they went. He wanted to clear his grand-uncle's name! His grand-uncle was neither a traitor nor a demon! He had slain two Invincibles, one of whom was a human traitor! As for the others who fell, their deaths were well deserved. He did not know whether doing this would make any difference, but he wanted to try. He wanted the entire human race to see this: his grand-uncle was not a traitor. He had fought bathed in blood as well; he had merely been... slightly radical. He had slaughtered the two sacred grounds and allied with Lan Tian. Yet Lan Tian had also led his sacred cult in this battle, fighting to the death. They had slain a quasi-Invincible and tied down an Invincible. Every prefecture maintained silence. No one moved against Wan Mingze, but people held complicated attitudes toward Wan Tiansheng. A saint? A human demon? The experts of the two sacred grounds were all more or less tied to the various prefectures. Some were brothers, some were cousins, and some were uncles and nephews... Wan Tiansheng's slaughter of all those Shanhai and Sun Moon experts left the powerhouses across the Human Realm filled with indescribable emotions. Wan Mingze paid no heed to any of that, nor did he care whether anyone would strike against him. Leading his like-minded Youth Allied Army, he went from place to place to project the images. He did not inject his own commentary. He had even tracked down the footage of Wan Tiansheng slaughtering the two sacred grounds. He had obtained the scene of Wan Tiansheng obliterating the characters for "Quest" and "Wargod" with a single sword strike, broadcasting that as well. His grand-uncle had broken both sacred grounds; the human race no longer had any sacred grounds. Among the common folk, some cursed Wan Tiansheng, while others cursed the powerhouses who had refused to fight. Most of the anger toward Wan Tiansheng focused on his massacre of the sacred grounds' experts. As for his earlier killing of the onlookers, no one raised objections—justice naturally resided in the hearts of the people. Still, some felt that Wan Tiansheng's wholesale slaughter of the sacred grounds' Sun Moons and Shanhais had gone too far. Not all of those people had necessarily intended to shirk the battle; some might genuinely have been following orders to guard the sacred grounds. Wan Tiansheng had not bothered to ask. He had slaughtered them all! And that was precisely why Wan Tiansheng declared he had become a demon. He had not asked, had not wanted to ask, and had refused to ask. The sacred grounds were already rotten to the core. If they were not uprooted entirely to shock the world, merely killing a few would never fundamentally change them, let alone dismantle them. As long as the sacred grounds stood, their corruption would endure. And so, he had chosen to kill them all. He had denied the sacred grounds any chance of revival. Stripped of its Shanhais and Sun Moons, could it still be called a sacred ground? Even if an Invincible oversaw them personally, that would still be far better than leaving things to those Shanhais and Sun Moons. At the very least, Invincibles understood the precarious state of the Human Realm and knew that the time for self-indulgence had not yet arrived. *** Turbulence gripped the Human Realm. The myriad races of the heavens were in upheaval as well. This time, quite a few humans had attained the Dao—a total of seven individuals. Meanwhile, the minor races had also seized a bargain; an unprecedented number had reached the Dao. Six powerhouses had succeeded in their respective realms, which meant that a total of thirteen experts had achieved Dao attainment. At the same time, on the Heavenly Battlefield, a brand-new faction was born! The Ancient City Alliance! Thirty-five ancient cities had banded together into an alliance. As for the final one, people knew where it was, but... there was no one there. It was the only deserted ancient city, submerged beneath the sea for countless ages, completely neglected. Su Yu had also issued a message—or rather, a public notice—to the castellans of the ancient cities: one month from now, Xinghong Ancient City would host a grand gathering to discuss the Ancient City Alliance and divide the quotas for the Star Residence Mansion. The castellans responded enthusiastically one after another. Even the nine castellans who had stepped forward to help had not resigned their posts yet. They were still waiting for Xia Longwu to deliver their liberation. As for whether Xia Longwu would actually come... that would have to wait until he stabilized his realm. In any case, joining the Ancient City Alliance before then was the best course of action. Su Yu's prestige was plain for the heavens to see. The primordial stone statues treated Su Yu completely differently from the other castellans. To survive out in the heavens, one could not do without an Invincible backing them. The other castellans usually had to rely on the Invincibles of the various races. Now, if an alliance truly formed and the ancient city stone statues were willing to step forward, everything would be much easier. This was an exceptionally formidable power! As for the other races, they had no leisure to interfere. The six newly ascended experts of the minor races were busy consolidating the forces of the Thousand Domains Alliance. The Demon race was in turmoil, and the God and Immortal races were eager to carve up the Demon race's interests on the Heavenly Battlefield, including several minor realms that the demons had conquered. Those regions had grown exceedingly lively of late. In this battle, the Demon race had lost four Invincibles, and the Demon Emperor was severely injured. The Demon race occupied countless treasures and numerous treasure lands and secret realms across the southern battlefield. How could they get away with not giving some up? Of course, the myriad races did not forget to keep suppressing the human race. Far from relaxing their grip, they tightened it even further. The human race had gained a staggering nine Invincibles... no, eight! They were more dangerous than ever before. If they were not kept down right now, what would happen if the human race rose to dominance? Granted, after this battle, hardly anyone among the human race would be able to attain the Dao in the short term. Figures like Yun Chen, Zhu Tiandao, Cheng Mo, and Wu Ji still had opportunities, but another attempt by the human race would not be nearly as simple as this one. Su Yu's claim that he had contributed greatly was by no means empty boast. Had it not been for Su Yu, who knew how many more would have died? Without the stone statues taking action, the last few human Invincibles whose three-life embodiments had fallen would certainly have been forced to intervene. Intervening might well have meant their deaths. After all, Mo He and his companions were in a state where their three embodiments were merged into one. They had suffered terrible luck in encountering an ambush by the stone statues, which was the only reason they had been slain so swiftly. Zhu Tiandao's ability to deter so many Invincibles was also tied to the two fur balls; otherwise, it would never have gone so smoothly. *** Inside Xinghong Ancient City. Within the castellan's mansion, Su Yu had no time to worry about what was happening elsewhere. At this moment, he was reversing death qi. Transforming death qi back into life qi was urgent; staying in a dead spirit state made him feel as though he was on the verge of ruin. He needed to convert back. Right now, Su Yu faced a difficult problem. His Yang aperture was continuously absorbing his Yuan Qi at a rapid pace, as if it could never be satisfied. As for his physical body, by this point Su Yu had completed sixty-five casts. His willpower and divine characters had both advanced substantially. The saber qi across his 144 apertures had completely undergone its first transformation, a metamorphosis Su Yu had accomplished when Xia Longwu was cleaving in all directions. Of course, without consuming blood essence, Su Yu could not unleash the might of an eighth-layer Sun Moon. And this time, the Tianyi God blood essence he had previously extracted was completely depleted. The reserve of Sun Moon blood essence he had hoarded for so long was nearly exhausted. He had also run through his Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid, though he still had quite a bit of Profound Light of Heaven and Earth remaining. As for carriers, he had three left, and he did not know whether the two from the human race would be delivered. "Three carriers left, and plenty of Profound Light of Heaven and Earth—over seven hundred strands. I only have seven casts remaining, so that's more than enough. "The Sacred Yuan Qi Fruit, Five Elements Spirit Fruit, Dragon Blood Fruit Tree, Demon God Fruit... these are all meant for transforming Yuan Qi. "I still have quite a bit of first-layer Sun Moon blood essence, over four hundred drops..." Su Yu did not think much of that anymore, though it could still be used to extract Heaven Yuan Qi. First-layer Sun Moon blood essence could no longer help boost his strength. The Civilization Tombstone was still in his hands. In this campaign, Su Yu had essentially only lost his Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid. He had suffered few other losses, and his gains were quite respectable. At the very least, his strength had jumped considerably, and when combined with the Yang aperture, the boost was colossal. With a physical body of sixty-five casts, his aperture power neared nine hundred thousand. When his Yang aperture opened fully, Su Yu's explosive output could practically double. That was a terrifying enhancement! The Yang aperture was simply too formidable. Unfortunately, such a powerful Yang aperture carried an equally heavy cost, requiring a constant supply of energy. Only someone as wealthy as Su Yu, who could also absorb death qi to satisfy it, could ever manage to feed the Yang aperture's insatiable appetite. Otherwise, he would have had to enter seclusion from morning till night, just like Bai Feng's grandfather. "An all-out burst with the Yang aperture open yields nearly 1.8 million aperture power..." Su Yu had traded blows with those powerhouses earlier, allowing him to gauge several benchmarks. Under normal circumstances, a third-layer Sun Moon had an explosive output around eight hundred thousand aperture power. A sixth-layer Sun Moon sat around two million. A ninth-layer Sun Moon... Su Yu had fought against experts possessing the combat power of an eighth-layer Sun Moon, but he had not traded blows with a ninth-layer. Once at the seventh layer, an ordinary Sun Moon's physical strength alone typically reached three million apertures. An eighth layer probably neared four million. Having consumed eighth-layer Sun Moon blood essence himself, Su Yu had a general sense of how immense that power was. As for the ninth layer, Su Yu estimated it fell around five million aperture power. Those were the strengths possessed by standard powerhouses. Genius elites among the Gods and Demons would be even stronger. Figures like Moduona—or any of the prodigies on the ranking charts—could not be judged merely by realm; jumping ranks to kill opponents was routine for them. "The road ahead is long and heavy!" Su Yu sighed with emotion. At his current rate, completing seventy-two casts would push his power past 1.7 million apertures. He did not know if the Yang aperture could still double his strength then. If it could, his combat power would exceed three million apertures. In other words, once his physical body truly reached the Lingyun Realm, he should be capable of fighting seventh- or eighth-layer Sun Moons. Only then would he truly possess his current strength without external crutches. Terrifying! Completing the remaining seven casts would not take Su Yu very long. Yet having witnessed those Invincibles battling and the Half-Emperors striking, Su Yu felt that he was still far too weak. Even upon reaching Lingyun, he would remain no match for a ninth-layer Sun Moon. Of course, once he underwent Yuan Qi transformation as well... Su Yu believed that at the peak of Lingyun, taking on a ninth-layer Sun Moon should pose little issue. The prerequisite was resolving the Yang aperture's problem. Otherwise, trouble would arise sooner or later. Having absorbed so much death qi, Su Yu felt he was on the verge of turning into a dead spirit himself. After taking inventory of his gains and examining his growth in strength, Su Yu's thoughts turned to many people. Wan Tiansheng, Liu Wenyan, the Xia family, Lan Tian, Zhu Tiandao... This time, the Daming Prefecture had produced Niu Baidao, giving them three Invincibles. The Great Xia Prefecture had suffered heavy losses, but with Xia Longwu's Dao attainment, having two mighty Invincibles was not bad either. Nan Wujiang had attained the Dao... Xuanjia... Su Yu sighed softly in his heart. Truth be told, he preferred the masked Xuanjia over the current Nan Wujiang. Learning that Xuanjia was Nan Wujiang had left Su Yu deeply moved. Ye Batian's teacher! Liu Wenyan's grandmaster! To Su Yu, he was someone he had to address at least as great-grandmaster. If he had not been Nan Wujiang but someone else—any other human—Su Yu would have admired him immensely for managing to climb to such a position. Xuanjia had helped Su Yu considerably. Recruiting Su Yu into the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had likely been an effort to protect him as well. Yet... discovering he was Nan Wujiang stirred complicated feelings within Su Yu. When outsiders like Zhu Tianfang and Zhou Tianyuan rose to become division heads, Su Yu found them remarkably capable. Even Zhou Tianyuan! Su Yu had seen nothing wrong with that fellow playing dead. Everyone had their own way of living. As long as Zhou Tianyuan had not betrayed humanity, it was fine, and he had even stepped forward just now to help several people achieve the Dao, even if two of them were from the Zhou family. Su Yu had raised no objections. Just as Wan Tiansheng said, having selfish motives was only human. King Daming had given the opportunity for Dao attainment to his son rather than Niu Baidao, and Niu Baidao had voiced no complaint. What could be more natural than giving what one earned to one's own children? But Nan Wujiang... The more Su Yu thought about it, the more complicated he felt. Could this man truly have remained ignorant of the Multiple Character Faction's plight over all these years? He had to have known! It was impossible for him not to know! Yet he had never returned. With his strength as a quasi-Invincible, had he truly brought Yun Chen back, the Multiple Character Faction would never have suffered so miserably over these decades. Two quasi-Invincibles! Su Yu said nothing about the Xia family lying low, but for these two to lie low... they were the direct bloodline of the Multiple Character Faction! It was a thoroughly conflicted sensation. Deep down, Su Yu knew that staying concealed had likely been the wiser choice. Take this sudden eruption: they had slain traitors, bolstered the faction's strength, and seized the chance to achieve the Dao, making Nan Wujiang the first Invincible powerhouse of the Multiple Character Faction. That was a fine thing! And yet... enduring for countless years as Liu Wenyan's direct grandmaster felt profoundly wrong. The Liu family had been annihilated because of it. "Nan Wujiang..." Su Yu muttered softly, "I'd rather you were Xuanjia than Nan Wujiang." Pushing the thought aside, his mind drifted back to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. Suddenly, Su Yu grinned and donned his white mask. In the next instant, he brought out his Heaven Hunting manual. Now, his direct superior was gone, and his superior's superior was gone as well. He wondered if anyone was left in charge of him. If not, could he simply continue using this identity? In any case, no one could trace his location! "Calling the Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" "..." *** Heaven Hunting Pavilion Headquarters. The headquarters was completely silent. The heads of the Xuan and Huang Divisions had rebelled—or rather, resumed their true identities—slaughtering dozens of elders and white masks and leaving all four divisions practically crippled. At this moment, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion was licking its wounds. Between the two pavilion masters, two tower masters, and two division heads, six Invincible beings remained. In fact, it was seven, since the Law Enforcement Chief Elder was also an Invincible. Two of the nine law enforcement elders had died this time, leaving seven. Seven Invincibles and six quasi-Invincibles—this was the current high-end strength of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. However, the Tian Division Head and the East Pavilion Master had remained in slumber. At present, only eleven figures sat inside the great hall. Five Invincibles and six quasi-Invincibles. They maintained their silence until someone shouted from outside, "My lords... just now... a message arrived from Xuan Nine!" "Xuan Nine?" Someone snorted coldly. "What Xuan Nine? It's Su Yu!" Where had a Xuan Nine come from! The messenger outside dared not speak. Soon, an aged voice sounded as the South Tower Master said indifferently, "Understood. Patch it through here." "Yes, sir!" The South Tower Master murmured, "Let's see what he has to say. That fellow... possesses no small strength now, nor a small faction. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion suffered grievous losses this time, but we also accomplished our objective. At the very least... the chaotic era of the myriad heavens draws near." As he finished speaking, the Earth Division Head said darkly, "Leave that aside. Su Yu's matter is hardly pressing and can wait; a mere Xuan Nine is of little consequence. Right now, I only want to know: where did the real heads of the Xuan and Huang Divisions go? "Zhu Tianfang joined the pavilion over a century ago. Leaving aside where things went wrong back then, Zhou Tianyuan's affair occurred only fifty-odd years ago. At that time, the Xuan Division clearly had a division head..." At these words, many turned their gazes toward the South Tower Master. In terms of rank, the highest-ranking figures in the entire Heaven Hunting Pavilion were the two slumbering masters, followed by the South Tower Master. Below him was the West Pavilion Master, followed by the North Tower Master, and only then the Earth Division Head, the Law Enforcement Chief Elder, and the rest... The South Tower Master fell silent for a moment before speaking: "I was aware of Zhou Tianyuan's entry into the pavilion." The others said nothing; they had already guessed as much. "Back when Ye Batian fell, the humans claimed we had sold out his whereabouts. They hounded us relentlessly, killing countless members of our pavilion. Do you all recall?" The others nodded slightly. "Later, the Tian Division Head awakened from slumber and fought secretly against the Great Zhou King. After that... the humans ceased pursuing the matter, but Zhou Tianyuan took the opportunity to enter the Xuan Division." The Earth Division Head asked coldly, "Then where is the original Xuan Division Head?" The South Tower Master paused before answering, "Still alive. His consent was obtained. He went to the resting grounds of the two slumbering masters to cultivate in seclusion. I never spoke of this, and Zhou Tianyuan never struck against our people. The one who dealt a truly vicious hand was Zhu Tianfang!" Zhou Tianyuan had not killed members of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. The one who had done the killing was Zhu Tianfang—he was the genuinely ruthless one. "How did Zhu Tianfang get in?" The South Tower Master shook his head. "That... I truly do not know! If I recall correctly, the previous Huang Division Head joined the pavilion over eight hundred years ago. How the position changed hands midway, I have no idea. Perhaps... only those two know." Even as they spoke, a figure slipped into the hall without a sound. Several figures struck instantly! Yet the newcomer hurriedly cried, "I am the Xuan Division Head..." "Zhou Tianyuan, you court death!" The newcomer replied helplessly, "I am the genuine one! Zhou Tianyuan has revealed himself, and the agreement from back then is at an end. It's true—the Tian Division Head can bear witness!" As the words fell, an illusory phantom materialized, murmuring, "Enough. He is the genuine one. Zhou Tianyuan is no longer a member of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" "Greetings, Division Head!" The powerhouses bowed in greeting one after another. This entity and the East Pavilion Master were the true soul of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. The Tian Division Head's true body had not descended. He said softly, "The matter of Zhu Tianfang may be related to King Daming. King Daming might have slain the previous Huang Division Head and planted Zhu Tianfang in his stead..." The others were taken aback. That seemed impossible; killing an expert of that level would certainly have triggered heavenly phenomena. The Tian Division Head said calmly, "Perhaps he was slain inside some ruins, or even inside the second ruins discovered by King Daming. It could be that the Huang Division Head was attempting to claim that very ruin... "Over four hundred years ago, the Huang Division Head may have gone to the Human Realm without our knowledge and was ambushed and killed. If the mask remained intact, King Daming might have personally acted as his substitute for a time before passing it to his son." At these words, everyone was rendered speechless. King Daming! "The Zhu family hid with such painstaking calculation! Hmph, this time, they revealed everything. Zhu Tiandao killed four Eternals... do any of you know what truly happened?" "There must be more to it... Zhu Tiandao could not have killed them all on his own..." The Tian Division Head remarked indifferently, "Those three fell near another passageway, right beside the God-Devouring Ancient Realm. It is likely tied to those two from the God-Devouring race..." Several nodded. They did not believe Zhu Tiandao could slay four on his own either. Of course, with no proof, who would dare question those two God-Devouring powerhouses? The Tian Division Head dropped the matter and soon asked, "The position of Huang Division Head remains vacant for now. Su Yu contacted the Heaven Hunting Pavilion just now—what did he want?" The newly returned Xuan Division Head chuckled. "Let me talk to him..." As he spoke, the Law Enforcement Chief Elder said calmly, "Division Head... could there be more human plants hidden within our pavilion?" The Tian Division Head smiled. "Whether there are or not hardly matters. I do not care about your racial backgrounds. If your races were to face an existential crisis, you might make the same choice. I only hope that before striking, you do not follow Zhu Tianfang's example... He was far too ruthless." Zhou Tianyuan could not truly be considered a traitor; he had simply resumed his original identity. Zhu Tianfang was a genuine traitor. His position had been illegitimately obtained to begin with, likely because that old scoundrel of a father had murdered the real division head. At those words, several Invincibles fell silent. Sighing softly, they said no more. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion was already a mixed bag of various races. This time, the human race had faced an existential crisis. If their own races faced the same, would they intervene? Hard to say. The Tian Division Head's meaning was crystal clear: you may act as you see fit, but do not emulate a certain someone and strike directly against your comrades, plotting the slaughter of dozens of Sun Moons. Zhu Tianfang had appeared quiet and unpretentious, yet his killing hand had been vicious beyond measure. Meanwhile, the returned Xuan Division Head exchanged a few messages through his Heaven Hunting manual and chuckled. "Su Yu says he still wants to remain in the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. He suggests we reopen the pavilion's branch in Xinghong Ancient City, as well as the other thirty-four ancient cities... All we need to do is give him an elder's post. He will oversee the pavilion branches across thirty-five cities; otherwise... he won't allow us to open for business in the sacred cities." "..." Everyone was rendered speechless. Was he addicted to this? He still wanted to serve! Your identity is already exposed, yet you shamelessly want an elder's post and demand that the pavilion continue operations? And if we refuse, you'll shut down the Heaven Hunting Pavilion? "Out of the question!" "That bastard Su Yu would love nothing more than to see our pavilion destroyed!" "It's not entirely unfeasible. Su Yu does possess capability, and he is currently organizing an alliance among the thirty-six cities. Without his permission... reopening branches there will be exceedingly difficult." "I think it works as well. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion has never lacked powerhouses and geniuses from various races. Su Yu's identity is exposed, and we know who he is—that is enough. Of course, we should keep inventory in those branches minimal to avoid him looting them." "As long as he is kept away from core secrets, appointing him an elder isn't unreasonable." "His methods are sharp enough. Back in the Human Realm, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion gained immense renown through him, and he even recruited several human Sun Moons into the pavilion... Speaking of which, Su Yu didn't kill many pavilion members. He cannot be treated in the same breath as Zhu Tianfang!" "..." Several Invincibles and quasi-Invincibles voiced their opinions. Granting Su Yu an elder post was not out of the question. Moreover, if Su Yu truly caused trouble, the pavilion would lose its public outreach. If thirty-five ancient cities blacklisted the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, the loss would be immense. Those branches served as the pavilion's windows to the outside world. Without them, gathering intelligence and expanding business would become tremendously difficult. The crux of the matter was that he was now aiming to take charge of thirty-five cities. Though success was not guaranteed, banding together for survival carried a high likelihood of succeeding. Not only could Su Yu reach an understanding with the stone statues, but he was also remarkably generous. When he promised carriers, he had handed them over without blinking, giving one to the Castellan of Tianhe and another to the Castellan of Qinghu. The Castellan of Qinghu had killed for him and lured away Yanmo. As for the Castellan of Tianhe... well, no one could say much about that. The six castellans who arrived later had cursed quite a bit, assuming Su Yu's promise of carriers was meant only for them. Who knew he would award them to those who came first? Still, they had no ground to complain; there had been no prior agreement specifying who received what. Yet Su Yu's generosity and integrity in keeping his word were genuine. Two carriers... to be frank, those castellans had merely been trying their luck, yet Su Yu had actually delivered. Such treasures were not easily obtained. After some discussion, the Tian Division Head chuckled. "If he wants to be an elder, let him! Didn't Nan Wujiang previously hold the title of Elder Xuanjia in his lineage? Bestow that title upon him! It even saves us a mask—let him go ask Nan Wujiang for it. Once he gets it, he will be an elder of the Xuan Division. It works out nicely, preventing Nan Wujiang from sneaking back in." With his endorsement, the others raised no further objections. Besides, they could hardly afford to refuse him. *** "Xuanjia?" Su Yu blinked. Making him Xuanjia? That felt rather bizarre! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion's agreement was no surprise. If they refused him, he would simply pick quarrels, which would make life miserable for them. As for why he insisted on becoming an elder... they had an abundance of good treasures, and elders enjoyed substantial discounts. How wonderful! It would be foolish not to take it! One could purchase practically anything through the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, even carriers. Elders received a fifty percent discount. With such generous terms, why would he ever walk away? Moreover, completing transactions earned commissions. An elder's commission was exceptional. For an item worth a hundred coins, an elder bought it for fifty and still earned a commission. An elder's commission was higher—one percent, ten times that of a white mask. Paying 49.5 for an item worth a hundred—was that not an absolute bargain? As for the Heaven Hunting Pavilion knowing his true identity, what did that matter? At worst, he wouldn't bother wearing the mask and would remain inside the castellan's mansion. Even if it was solely for cheaper purchases, staying affiliated was completely worth it. Just look at Zhou Tianyuan: serving as a division head, he had embezzled a massive horde of goods. When the Zhou brothers attained the Dao, four carriers appeared at once. Very likely, the ones for the Liu family had come from them as well, which made six. And perhaps the Qin family's had come from them too... Though he wasn't certain of the specifics, it showed just how many treasures Zhou Tianyuan had siphoned away. Su Yu wished he could become a division head himself. How long had Zhou Tianyuan been in the pavilion? Only fifty years! With the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's agreement secured, Su Yu was in high spirits. At least you know what's good for you! Otherwise, I would have shut your doors and left you out in the cold! "Forget about them. Time to enter seclusion, break through to seventy-two casts, and then... convene the alliance conference to cement my position as the boss." Su Yu muttered a few words to himself before quickly summoning the little fur ball. Staring at it for a moment, he suddenly said, "Lord Ball!" "..." The little fur ball widened its eyes and stared at him. Su Yu stared back. After staring at each other for a while, the little fur ball said in terror, "Scared!" "Don't be scared!" Su Yu chuckled warmly. "Why should you be scared? Your Highness, Crown Prince of the God-Devouring race, from now on, you are Lord Ball! We're good brothers, dear friends! Your parents are..." "Your parents?" The little fur ball chimed in. I know this routine; that's how you always claim relatives, adopting so many of them. Su Yu chuckled. "Exactly what I mean! We're family..." "You always want to pinch me to death!" The little fur ball complained aggrievedly, then began to puff up—not out of fear, but pure swagger. Isn't my big one awesome? Isn't my mama awesome? To tell the truth... earlier, the little fur ball had no idea they were so formidable. What did it know! It knew nothing at all, only that the big one was called a Half-Emperor. As for the rest... it hadn't the foggiest clue. Now it knew: truly incredible! Su Yu smiled. "A misunderstanding, entirely a misunderstanding! Look at you—you've already advanced to Shanhai! Haven't I fed you tons of wonderful things? Deep love brings strict discipline. Every time I frightened you, it was purely deliberate to spur your progress! Look at how long you've been with me—you went from Tengkong straight to Shanhai. Fast, isn't it?" The little fur ball thought about it and bobbed its body. Fast! "So let bygones be bygones. We're brothers..." "You must compensate me!" The little fur ball grew eager, its eyes glittering. Su Yu smiled with radiant warmth. "Name it." "I... I want to eat divine characters! First 'Tribulation,' then 'Fire'..." *Thwack!* With a single punch, Su Yu squashed it flat and snorted. "Behave yourself! Getting cocky already, are we? Your big one and the rest can't come out right now, so keep your head down. Give you an inch and you take a mile, huh?" This little brat wouldn't grow up properly without a beating! It actually dared to eye his divine characters? He'd beat it to death. Those two from its family were still tucked away in the God-Devouring Ancient Realm. The little fur ball looked abashed. I knew it! Sure enough, it was all talk—the moment things got serious, he turned hostile! Sulkily, it flew back into his sea of will, licking a divine character to console itself. Fine, fine, I won't eat them. The fragrant one is such a liar—tricking a poor ball! Su Yu curled his lip, having already guessed it wouldn't dare truly fall out with him. It was still eyeing his manual! This little creature was growing more cunning by the day. He couldn't afford to show it a friendly face, lest it push its luck. Today it wanted to eat divine characters; tomorrow it might try to eat his manual. Still... he couldn't casually talk about pinching it to death anymore. If he actually killed it, those two behind it were far too terrifying. Better to maintain good relations for now. Meanwhile, within his mind, the little fur ball was also thinking: *I can't fall out with him. I must keep flattering the fragrant one, and sooner or later, find a chance to eat that fragrant thing of his. It's smelling better and better. I just know that if I eat it, I'll become super powerful!* At this moment, both man and ball harbored their own hidden motives, neither bearing pure intentions. One wore a fake smile while the other displayed wide-eyed, harmless innocence, both silently cursing the other: *Not a good person, smiling so slyly; feigning cute, totally fake.* In any case, Su Yu did not believe the little fur ball was truly so naive. No proper ball could devour divine characters and seas of will with such utter ruthlessness. As for the little fur ball, it certainly did not believe the fragrant one's bright smile held any goodwill. Those who smiled the broadest were always the wickedest. Having dealt with each other for so long, who didn't know the other's true colors?