Focus of All Sides

In the rear hall of the castellan's manor, Su Yu arrived once more. Xinghong opened his eyes. He had noticed that whenever he went just a few days without seeing Su Yu, the young man's strength would surge another notch. Yet as he looked closer this time, Xinghong suddenly remarked, "Your Heavenly Aperture is incomplete. You have absorbed far too much death qi and cannot halt the process. If this continues, you will inevitably turn into a dead spirit." What keen eyesight, and what breadth of experience! The Heavenly Aperture! At this moment, Su Yu finally felt the omnipotence of these old fellows—there seemed to be nothing they could not do and nothing they did not know. "The Heavenly Aperture?" Su Yu asked. "I named this aperture the Yang Aperture. Presumably, there should also be a Yin Aperture. Once yin and yang merge, I call it the Origin God Aperture." Xinghong pondered for a moment before speaking. "Such a naming is clear enough." "My lord, did you already know of this Origin God Aperture?" "I know of it," Xinghong replied calmly. "I have merely heard rumors; I know little of the specifics. Opening the Heavenly Aperture was the exclusive privilege of a very small number of individuals even in my era. It was never something just anyone could unlock." Su Yu nodded. "My lord, now that I have opened only half of it, can it be stopped?" The Yang Aperture was a massive headache! If he allowed himself to transform into a dead spirit, he was absorbing so much death qi that he noticed he truly was beginning to cross over into one. Yet if he refused to transform, his Yuan Qi was simply insufficient to satisfy its appetite. "The exact details are unclear... You must find a way yourself as quickly as possible. After all, you are not a dead spirit." Xinghong offered a few words of caution nonetheless. "If the Yang Aperture you spoke of becomes completely saturated with death qi, causing it to overflow and erupt... you will likely transform into a dead spirit in an instant. For now, it all depends on how large a capacity this Yang Aperture possesses. Every aperture has its limit; it is impossible for it to devour and absorb endlessly." Su Yu nodded. That was certainly true. From his continuous absorption, he had sensed as much—the Yang Aperture undoubtedly had a threshold. Naturally, it would not fill up anytime soon. The Bai family ancestor had absorbed death qi for countless years without ever filling it or blowing himself up. Clearly, the capacity of this Yang Aperture was exceptionally vast. Dropping the topic, Su Yu spoke up again. "My lord, I wish to unite the thirty-six ancient cities, but I fear not everyone will accept me. In your eyes, my lord, do you think I can accomplish this unification?" Xinghong said slowly, "What would be the meaning of such unification? Putting the residents of the sacred cities at your beck and call? What good would a bunch of weaklings do even if they served you? Su Yu, if you wish to unify them, I have no objections. But... where lies the purpose?" Su Yu smiled. "My lord, saying that is a bit... well, as our saying goes, it's easy to stand by and talk without feeling the ache in your back! You are an Invincible, an ancient Invincible at that, so naturally you don't care. But to me, aside from myself, there are thirty-four other ancient city castellans who can all temporarily unleash quasi-Invincible or Invincible combat strength. Even if limited within their cities, that is still an overwhelmingly powerful force! Setting aside whether they equal thirty-four Invincibles, thirty-four castellans joining hands should at least be able to hold off ten Invincibles, right? Such a mighty force is now within my grasp, so naturally I wish to seize it. And for all of this... I still hope to obtain your support, my lord." Xinghong said placidly, "The purpose of the guardians is not power." Su Yu nodded with a grin. "Understood. I have a rough idea of your duty, my lords—guarding the dead spirit passageway! Preventing the dead spirits from emerging, or rather, using living beings to offset the death qi. Whether residents or creatures entering the city, as long as they live, they cultivate, and cultivating consumes and cancels out the death qi... If no living souls remained, this death qi would spill over. If that happened, I suspect the domain of the sacred cities would expand, spreading outward into the myriad realms. My lord, is that how it is?" Xinghong said nothing. That was indeed the case. Su Yu smiled. "However, you lords are unwilling to seek help from outsiders, or rather, unwilling to trust outsiders. Instead, you have to stay on guard against the myriad races coveting the sacred cities and releasing those dead spirits. That is why over all these years, you lords have paid no heed, allowing the ancient cities to develop on their own. "My idea is that if the ancient cities form an alliance, we can recruit more hands—living beings! We can have them consume the death qi and reinforce your vigil..." Xinghong said in a neutral tone, "Su Yu, do you know that you are not the first to propose this? Long ago, someone harbored the very same ambition... Su Yu, do you know that while there are thirty-six sacred cities, one of them stands utterly deserted? That is because the castellan of that city had the same intention back then, with an ambition even grander than yours. He sought to control the dead spirits, even aiming to make the sacred cities the preeminent power across the heavens... In the end, he overplayed his hand and got himself killed." "..." Su Yu froze for a moment and could not help staring at Xinghong. Xinghong remained placid. "It happened many years ago, so far back that I have nearly forgotten. He was also a figure of remarkable talent and intellect, capable of grinding away death qi just like you. Back then, he even gained the backing of several guardians who hoped to use him to stabilize the ancient cities. The outcome... was disastrous. He wished to dominate the All-Heavens Battlefield and turn the dead spirits to his own use... Ultimately, things spun out of his control. Multiple dead spirit monarchs emerged within the sacred city, and death qi spilled across the Sea of Stars. In the end, he died. From then on, that sacred city sank into the sea, and no one has ever stepped inside again." Su Yu furrowed his brows. Such a thing had happened? Had that person also known the technique of Origin Aperture reversal? Su Yu could not help asking, "How did he die?" "He was slain by a guardian." Xinghong's voice was completely indifferent. Carved from stone, his face betrayed no expression. Indeed, the man had been killed by a guardian. Su Yu could not help looking at him. Xinghong said impassively, "Our mission, or rather the purpose of our existence, is to guard the dead spirit passageway and prevent the dead spirits and death qi from spilling across the heavens! He released vast numbers of dead spirits yet lacked the strength to suppress them. Therefore, he ceased to fit our rules, and he had to die. Unless... he could hold those dead spirits in check and keep them from bringing calamity upon the heavens." Understanding dawned on Su Yu, and he hesitated before saying, "My lord, you mean that unless everything remains under absolute control, once death spirits and death qi spill over beyond my ability to manage, I would violate your mission's rules—turning from a sacred city castellan into a rule-breaker?" "Correct," Xinghong said. "Hence, regarding you... I offer these few words of warning so you do not follow in another's footsteps." Su Yu nodded. He did not dwell on the matter. Right now, he had no deep ties to the dead spirits and could not summon them anyway, so worrying about this was pointless. After a moment's thought, he said, "My lord, does that mean so long as I can help ease the burden of death qi on you lords, I can win your support?" "Yes," Xinghong replied bluntly. "Because that is our mission. When you align with the rules of our duty, granting you some support is only what you deserve. That includes helping you slay a few Eternals—it was not because I could leave the city, but because you conformed to the rules..." Bullshit! Su Yu mocked inwardly. You just wanted to go out and fool around. Don't think I don't know—killing those Invincibles was clearly just taking care of your personal whims. "My lord, if I wish to unite the thirty-six cities, can I obtain the backing of the other lords?" Xinghong fell silent for a short while. "Hard to say! Guardians are living beings too, and living beings have feelings. If certain sacred city castellans have spent countless years alongside their guardians, sentiment may well have formed. Within the rules, they might not necessarily help you. Why should they? You can shoulder death qi for me, but can you shoulder it for them? You are merely the castellan of Xinghong Sacred City, not the master of all sacred cities." Su Yu nodded. That was true enough. The stone statues were all mighty beings, and they were all alive. Where there was life, there were emotions; showing favoritism toward their own castellans seemed only natural. Xinghong added, "Of course, you are also the castellan of Xinghong Sacred City. From my standpoint, I will naturally aid you!" Su Yu nodded once more. He had secured a promise that was not quite a full promise: Xinghong would assist him, but the others remained uncertain. Su Yu spoke again. "My lord, what if I were to concurrently serve as castellan for other cities, shouldering a portion of the death qi for the other guardian lords...?" Xinghong cut him off. "Do not act recklessly. I know the speed at which you reverse death qi. Even if you reversed it constantly and bore it without pause, three to five cities would be your absolute limit. Would you give up cultivating? Give up doing anything else, just to constantly reverse death qi?" "True." Su Yu nodded with a sigh. His current strength was still too weak; there was no way he could shoulder the death qi of every ancient city. With that thought, he spoke again. "My lord, if I wish to reverse and convert Monarch Xingyue, can it be done?" "That..." Xinghong said calmly. "Difficult. She is a dead spirit monarch! It was only because you opened your Heavenly Aperture that you could absorb a large quantity of her death qi. Absorption is not reversal! If you completely drain her death qi, she will simply die. Reversal means turning all of her death qi—including her sea of will, including her very life—back into that of a living being. The difficulty of that is far too immense! It is not something you can accomplish at present." Absorption was not conversion. If Su Yu sucked Xingyue dry, he would merely be killing her, not reversing her into a living being. "A dead spirit monarch is connected to the realm of dead spirits. While you reverse death qi into life qi, death qi will continuously regenerate within her. You could spend a century reversing it, yet it might not match the rate at which her death qi is born. Thus... you could kill her, but reversing her into a living being is virtually hopeless." Put that way, Su Yu understood even better. In short, the difficulty was staggering! "My lord, then could I suck Xingyue to death?" Xinghong remained silent. With a look of anticipation, Su Yu said, "If I suck her to death, would an even stronger dead spirit monarch come to convert me according to the rules? I feel like Xingyue isn't all that strong. If a stronger monarch took her place, like a Half-Emperor, maybe I could endure that too. That way, if I run into a crisis, I could summon a Half-Emperor dead spirit..." Xinghong felt utterly exhausted. At that moment, the underground passageway beneath his feet trembled continuously. A chilling, sinister aura seeped out, filling the entire rear hall. Xingyue had apparently been lingering near the passageway lately. Filled with rage, her cold, sinister voice suddenly drifted up: "Su Yu, you are welcome to try!" You heard that? Taken aback, Su Yu felt somewhat annoyed. Why hadn't Xinghong blocked her off? What a nuisance! Su Yu laughed. "The monarch jests. I was only joking! If I truly drained you dry, I might turn into a dead spirit myself. I have no wish to die; I still want to live." "Hmph!" A cold snort rattled Su Yu's ears until they went numb. Xingyue said coldly, "You are welcome to try and see. Do you truly believe a monarch's speed of absorbing death qi is inferior to your swallowing rate?" She was a monarch-level expert after all. Earlier, she had only suffered at Su Yu's hands because she had entered the ancient city, where death qi was not dense enough. Otherwise, the speed of Su Yu's absorption could never keep up with her rate of recovery. Of course, from initially planning to convert him to now facing Su Yu's threats of draining her dry, she had come to believe he couldn't kill her... Without realizing it, Xingyue's mindset had shifted entirely. What occupied her mind now was: *Su Yu cannot suck me to death.* It was no longer: *I can convert Su Yu!* Su Yu smiled, paying no mind to her anger, and quickly remarked, "Monarch, setting that aside for now, I'm quite curious about something. If I go to the Star Residence Mansion, I hear the death qi connection will be severed. When that happens, will I be unable to siphon from you, my lady?" Indeed, that was true! Xingyue suddenly realized this as well. Secretly rejoicing, she snorted inwardly. *You had best go to the Star Residence Mansion, die inside, and never come out for the rest of your life!* Now that Su Yu wanted to sever her death qi conduit, she supported it wholeheartedly. She was utterly sick of Su Yu! Because he continuously absorbed her death qi yet showed no signs of perishing, she had grown deeply unsettled. Was Su Yu truly heading to the Star Residence Mansion? Xingyue said coldly, "The Star Residence Mansion will open in at most half a year. Countless opportunities lie within..." "I'm not going!" Su Yu laughed. "For me, opportunities are not lacking. I'm afraid that if I enter, my connection with you will be cut off, so I'd rather not go, lest severing the death qi conduit causes trouble! I hear that once opened, it lasts for an entire month. If I go a month without absorbing your death qi, my lady... I fear I might drain myself to death. Never mind, I'll just stay in the ancient city to keep you company." "..." Xingyue wanted to curse! Forget it, no cursing. *It would be best if you just got lost!* Yet this fellow might truly choose not to go. If he did, his Yang Aperture would constantly devour Yuan Qi; could he sustain a whole month's consumption? If he couldn't, she wouldn't go either if she were in his shoes. The Star Residence Mansion was hardly a safe place, after all. Even so, Xingyue sneered coldly, "It's not that you won't go; you don't dare go! The Star Residence Mansion is far more perilous than you imagine! Your human race has barely scouted anything within. Major races like the Gods, Demons, and Immortals all know the endless benefits of the Star Residence Mansion, and every time, they dispatch experts inside. Only your human race reaps meager gains every single time! The Star Residence Mansion has nine floors. Your human race merely wanders around the bottom three floors each time, treating a handful of Heavenly River Sand like a supreme treasure. Truly laughable!" Su Yu took no heed, but at that moment, Xinghong also chimed in suddenly: "The Star Residence Mansion... is an extraordinary place!" Su Yu was shaken! This was an ancient Invincible. He hurriedly asked, "My lord, you know of the Star Residence Mansion as well?" Xinghong considered for a moment and sighed. "I know a little. Does your human race not possess legends that this place has ties to your ancient human emperors? In truth... it is not merely that. The Star Residence Mansion... is very complex. As for the specifics, it is inconvenient for me to say much. You need only understand that the existence of the All-Heavens Battlefield is linked to the Star Residence Mansion. The entire All-Heavens Battlefield actually rests upon the Star Residence Mansion, rather than the Star Residence Mansion resting upon the All-Heavens Battlefield..." Su Yu's heart stirred; he understood! Others believed the Star Residence Mansion was merely a ruin within the All-Heavens Battlefield, but the reality was that the entire All-Heavens Battlefield might have been constructed upon the foundation of the Star Residence Mansion. That formidable? Su Yu asked urgently, "My lord, then why don't the Invincibles of the heavens enter to explore it?" "How do you know they do not enter to explore?" Xinghong said placidly, "The Star Residence Mansion has nine floors in total! However, it imposes certain requirements on age, aptitude, and various other aspects. For some Eternals who are advanced in years, entering dramatically increases the danger! "The probability of falling is exceptionally high. That is why they choose to send young people inside. For the young, the younger they are, the more they gain and the less they pay..." Pausing briefly, Xinghong added, "Once you enter, you will understand both the benefits and the perils of the Star Residence Mansion." Su Yu's eyes flickered. "My lord, are there good things inside?" "Good things?" Xinghong said calmly, "Naturally there are. Many!" "Such as?" "Such as carriers. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion enters frequently. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion possesses many carriers—you don't think they appeared out of thin air, do you? Back when the All-Heavens Battlefield was sealed and none of the myriad realms could enter, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion remained rooted here all along, which was why their harvest was so immense." Sudden realization struck Su Yu! Only now did he understand why the Heaven Hunting Pavilion had so many treasures. As it turned out, they had obtained them from the Star Residence Mansion. "Then... my lord, you know of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion? Is it an ancient organization?" "It has existed since ancient times." Xinghong gave a definitive confirmation. Su Yu asked further, "I heard that the ancient city tokens also share some connection with the Star Residence Mansion. Could it be... that you lords are related to the Star Residence Mansion as well?" Xinghong fell silent for a short while. Just then, Xingyue, who had remained quiet, spoke coldly: "I happen to recall fragments of memory. These sacred city guardians... seem to have originated from there back in the day!" Su Yu was startled. They hailed from the Star Residence Mansion? Xinghong said evenly, "Whether the Heaven Hunting Pavilion or the sacred cities... both held ties to the Star Residence Mansion in ancient times. Or rather, the Star Residence Mansion of old was a seat of centralized authority, and even we were required to obey the decrees of the Star Residence Mansion!" Su Yu's heart trembled violently. Such a tremendous background? He wanted to ask more, but Xinghong grew somewhat impatient. "These matters have nothing to do with you! There is no need to ask further! What occurred in the ancient era has long vanished like mist and smoke..." Su Yu suddenly asked, "My lord, one last question. You keep saying you must abide by the rules. If... you were to break the rules, would anyone come to sanction you?" "..." This was something Su Yu had been contemplating. Having thirty-six ancient Invincibles guard the passageways—were they all truly willing? If they were unwilling, if they broke the rules, or if they simply walked away, would there be dire consequences? "Rules are rules!" Xinghong offered an ambiguous reply. He did not say whether they would be punished, nor did he confirm if there was anyone to enforce sanctions upon them. Having reached this point, it was no longer appropriate for Su Yu to press further. Smiling, he tucked these thoughts deep into his heart, waved toward the ground, and chuckled, "Monarch, then I shall take my leave! By the way, if you ever wish to come out and have some fun, feel free to look for me anytime..." A cold snort resonated in all directions. Su Yu bolted. Once he was gone, Xingyue's furious shout rang out: "What insolence! Since the moment I awakened, he is the first living creature to dare provoke me!" Xinghong could not be bothered to care. It was her own doing. Who told her to fail in converting him, allowing him to bounce around with such arrogance? If she had succeeded in converting him, there would have been none of this trouble. She had brought the humiliation upon herself! *** While Su Yu was plotting how to unify the ancient cities, the All-Heavens Battlefield grew lively once again. Great numbers of powerhouses and geniuses began converging toward the Sea of Stars. The Star Residence Mansion was about to open! At this juncture, there was another matter everyone regarded with great importance: the Sea of Stars was vast, and near the Star Residence Mansion, the closest landing point was Xinghong Ancient City, as Nine Stars Island had been destroyed. Tianxia Island nearby was still somewhat distant from the Star Residence Mansion. Moreover, the ancient cities constituted a major faction. When entering the Star Residence Mansion, one did not necessarily have to pass through the ancient city, yet having an ancient city looming right beside it made everyone wary—especially when that ancient city was held by Su Yu of the human race. Furthermore, Su Yu had declared that their ancient cities demanded entry slots as well. If denied, they would blockade the Star Residence Mansion, which was an even greater taboo. In a few days, Su Yu was scheduled to convene the alliance assembly. Now, various parties also wanted to get involved, taking the opportunity to sound out Su Yu's intentions. If the ancient city provided conveniences to the human race, the humans might profit greatly from this opening of the Star Residence Mansion. This also included ancient city tokens, which allowed individuals to take special passageways into the Star Residence Mansion. *** Eastern War Zone. East Rift Valley, Vanguard Camp Great Hall. At this moment, the human army had advanced considerably. Surrounding the Vanguard Camp, military encampments were pitched everywhere. While major battles had ceased recently, minor skirmishes had never stopped, and fighting had even erupted within the Eastern War Zone itself. Previously, a total of six small realm Invincibles had attained the Dao, two of whom were in the Eastern War Zone. Now, those two had allied with several small realms and strong races, hoping to carve out benefits of their own within the Eastern War Zone. Conflict had broken out as a result. The human race's control over the Eastern War Zone was inferior to the Gods' and Demons' grip on the other major zones, because the rise of humanity had been relatively brief. In the past, the humans could still suppress them. Now, although the human race had more Invincibles, more Invincibles from other races were keeping a close eye on humanity, refusing to give the humans any opportunity to expand. Whenever human Invincibles moved out alone, they frequently encountered ambushes from enemy Invincibles. Rebellions in the small realms had also become a serious thorn in humanity's side. The Great Xia Prefecture had evacuated five small realms, adding chaos upon chaos. Both Great Qin and Great Ming had abandoned certain small realms as well. Currently, turmoil was rampant, yet humanity struggled to muster military forces to suppress it. Inside the great hall, figures of Invincibles manifested once more. King Daqin had a pounding headache. He said slowly, "This time, with the opening of the Star Residence Mansion, the human race's quota of slots has been tentatively settled at a total of eight hundred! Of course, whether we can actually secure all eight hundred, or whether we can assemble eight hundred geniuses—and even if we assemble them, whether we dare send them all inside—remains an issue." Out of 3,600 slots, with 360 special passageway slots, securing 800 was likely the highest number the human race had ever obtained over the years. This had been the price paid by the myriad races for entering the Human Realm this time. The promises of those foreign Invincibles remained valid. However... did the human race truly have eight hundred geniuses to send? They certainly existed, but could humanity bear the loss? King Daqin spoke again: "Barring any surprises, in order to make up for their previous losses, the myriad races will likely spare no effort in targeting the human race once they encounter our people inside the Star Residence Mansion. The danger will surge drastically, making it far more perilous than any previous opening!" He continued, "Not only that, setting aside what happens once inside, even getting in will not be so simple for the human race. With geniuses gathering, the greatest opportunity in a decade has arrived. When the geniuses of all races assemble, we cannot have Eternals stepping in every single time... Battles and clashes among geniuses are entirely normal, yet among the current generation of geniuses, our human race holds no advantage whatsoever..." An Invincible pondered for a moment and said in a heavy voice, "With so many slots secured for this opening of the Star Residence Mansion, we must find a way to seize more treasures, including carriers! In this recent Dao attainment, some succeeded while others fell, but the human race's carriers... are nearly exhausted! Moving forward, even if someone reaches the ninth tier of the Sun Moon Realm, they will have no chance to attain the Dao. There are also other treasures required for cultivation—items for Yuan Qi transformation, items for body casting... Wan Tiansheng... Sigh. He ruined all our accumulations, shattered both sacred grounds, caused the Sky Yuan Qi to disperse, and even severed the Sky Yuan Fruit Trees. If this continues and humanity fails to seize more resources, hoping for the battered Human Realm to provide vast resources is nothing but a daydream." This great battle had drained the human race's accumulations and reserves dry. Carriers were gone, and treasures like Heaven and Earth Mystic Radiance, Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid, blood essence, and Sky Yuan Qi had all been utterly consumed. If the human race maintained the same mindset as previous years—content with getting whatever resources they could and shrugging off what they couldn't—then under such depletion, they could not rely on the Invincibles to sustain them forever. Trouble would arise sooner or later. With a gap between generations, if no Sun Moons or Invincibles emerged for decades or centuries, the human race would only grow weaker and weaker! King Daqin nodded slightly. "Therefore, this time, not only must we go, but we must also send in elites—perhaps even Eternals!" At these words, many present were shaken. Everyone knew what kind of place that was. The stronger one was and the older one was, the greater the danger. Those who died in droves were always the powerful. The weak, conversely, found it easier to survive. It was only natural: when the powerful gathered together, the slaughter was fiercer, the crises encountered were greater, the treasures discovered were more numerous, and the fighting was far more brutal. Often, seventy percent survived the bottom three floors, while on the upper six floors, perhaps only thirty percent or fewer made it out alive. Trading lives for treasures! Sending Eternals inside? It was not impossible; the mighty races like the Gods and Demons had done so before. However, their casualties had been gruesome. After several attempts, the Gods and Demons had ceased doing so. The treasures acquired were few, and losing Invincibles was simply not worth it. Ignoring what they were thinking, King Daqin said calmly, "We shall see about that. We'll wait to see if races like the Gods, Demons, Immortals, and Dragons send Eternals before making a decision! However, a batch of Shanhai and Sun Moon cultivators must go in... In past years, we only operated on the bottom three floors, with rarely any human experts or geniuses on the upper six floors. We almost never obtained top-tier treasures; coming across a carrier once a century was considered lucky. This recent Dao attainment exhausted every reserve in the Human Realm. If we don't fight now, will anyone in the next few generations be able to attain the Dao even if they wish to? "After Xia Longwu's generation achieved Dao attainment, very few promising seeds remain below them. If we just drift along, then one day when we grow old and fall in battle, this human race... will likely revert to the state it was in hundreds of years ago." King Daqin said evenly, "For the eight hundred slots, prepare at least nine hundred people; the remainder will enter through the special passageways! Regardless of whether they can get in! Soaring Realm cultivators as the base, Lingyun and Shanhai as the main force, and some Sun Moons must enter as well. As for Eternals, we will decide based on the timing and circumstances!" The crowd pondered. Someone spoke up: "In that case, with such a massive influx of geniuses entering the All-Heavens Battlefield, warfare will inevitably erupt. The matter of the ancient cities must be taken seriously; an ancient city is a safe house on the All-Heavens Battlefield..." Indeed, a safe house. Within an ancient city, fighting generally did not occur. "If the issue with the ancient cities is not resolved—for instance, if humans are ostracized and forbidden from entering—then without a temporary haven, our people could easily be surrounded and wiped out by the myriad races, resulting in catastrophic losses!" King Daqin said calmly, "That is precisely why I gathered you all. Su Yu wishes to unify the ancient cities, and he is a human after all... Taking the opportunity of returning his carriers, I want someone to reach out and liaise with him, including securing shelter for some humans..." He sighed. "Without the protection of the ancient cities, without those thirty-six safe havens, humans will have nowhere to hide if pursuits and ambushes occur! In the past, fleeing into an ancient city granted at least three days of peace. If that is gone, it will be an unbearable blow for us! "Not just for us, but for all races! The ancient cities are places of truce. If one cannot even enter an ancient city, no one will be able to endure the fallout..." There was always a moment when strength gave out! In the past, there was at least a glimmer of hope: *If I'm being hunted, I can hide in an ancient city.* Now, however, the ancient cities' stance was unclear. Su Yu held a crucial role among them. If he truly banned the human race and barred them from entry, it would mean immense trouble. At this point, several Invincibles changed expression. "He is a human after all, and his father still lives in the Human Realm. On Su Yu's end..." King Daqin said coldly, "There is no need to discuss that further. His father is in the Human Realm, but as I have said, do not fixate on his father. Whoever wants to try, go capture his father and deliver him to Xinghong Ancient City to see what happens!" Silence fell over the crowd. After a moment, King Dazhou smiled faintly. "Regarding Su Yu... his desire to unify the ancient cities won't be that simple. The various races will not allow a human to command those extraordinary cities. Does King Daqin mean that the human race should lend a hand this time?" King Daqin nodded slightly. "I know that some among you share acquaintances with certain ancient city castellans. Do what you can! Even if Su Yu is not of one heart with us, he is still human no matter what! If the Gods or Demons truly become masters of the ancient cities... it will only become harder and harder for humanity to survive." "When will he convene the alliance assembly?" "In three days." "Su Yu's ambitions are too grand; this will be difficult... Unless those stone statues truly all step forward to support him, Su Yu's own strength will hardly make the cities obey. At worst, they simply won't join the alliance, which won't cause any great loss to those castellans." "..." The crowd discussed for a while. Soon, King Daqin spoke: "Niu Baidao, since Xia Longwu is unwilling to come, you are the closest to Su Yu among the Eternals. Please make the trip and do your best to reach an accord with Su Yu to secure some benefits for humanity..." Among the crowd, Niu Baidao chuckled. "This task... won't be easy! If Su Yu were an obedient sort, he wouldn't have fled from the Great Xia Prefecture to the Great Ming Prefecture, and then from Great Ming to the All-Heavens Battlefield... Of course, I will do my best. Also, I should take the carriers Su Yu requested along with me. Besides that, how stands the matter of the Tombstone of Civilization?" In the crowd, Zhu Tianfang shook his head. "Kongkong has gone into hiding; he cannot be reached. That fellow knows the gravity of the situation as well. Heaven knows who he has transformed into right now—his concealment ability is top-tier." "Have the Heaven Hunting Pavilion search for him..." Zhu Tianfang laughed helplessly. "Even if the Heaven Hunting Pavilion finds him, they won't share it with us. Especially with me—they wish they could kill me right now. Had I known, I wouldn't have killed those fellows. Now, if I go out alone, I worry that several slumbering department heads and pavilion masters might personally step in to end me!" The others were speechless. You were far too ruthless; it would be weirder if they didn't want to kill you. King Daqin did not bother saying more. He tossed out a carrier, and shortly after, King Dazhou also threw one out, both landing before Niu Baidao. Niu Baidao laughed heartily. "You two certainly have deep pockets, obtaining them so quickly." King Daqin said calmly, "We had good luck this time, shattering the three-life embodiments of several Eternals. But the human race can hardly spare any more of these. If anyone still holds any in hand, use them sparingly..." With a sigh, he added, "In truth, it would be best to use these items to help those few restore their three-life embodiments... But... forget it. Our human race has too few of them, and those individuals have consistently refused to take them. I hope there will be gains from the Star Residence Mansion this time. Those elders have sacrificed much for humanity; this time, the geniuses of the various prefectures ought to dedicate something to the human race as well. Having consumed so many resources, received so much effort, protection, and opportunities, they must make some contributions to humanity, right?" Niu Baidao chuckled. "That is the truth. Normally, resources must be earned by oneself, but you lords are wealthy and willing to pour out money. That belongs to everyone themselves and has little to do with us... However, I suggest—merely suggest—that this time, anyone wishing to enter the Star Residence Mansion must pay a price, or agree to share a cut of their harvest." "We shall see! Those people might not even be willing to go." King Daqin said flatly, "Head over early to liaise with Su Yu. Tell him that he is still human after all, and certain things... cannot be changed. Among the myriad races of the heavens, if one speaks of closeness, the human race remains the closest." "Understood!" Niu Baidao clicked his tongue with a grin. "Had I known this kid would do so well, I should have had a daughter earlier and arranged a marriage with him or something. How wonderful that would have been!" After a round of chuckles, the Invincibles dispersed one after another. Niu Baidao chuckled for a moment longer, gazing into the distance. Su Yu... that kid was still a fierce one. Now even King Daqin had stated his stance: negotiate with him as a partner, not as a subordinate member of the human race. This attitude was also related to Su Yu's earlier fury. He simply gave no face to the human Invincibles! And the human race could do nothing to him! Other Invincibles might harbor complaints, but it was futile; King Daqin had decided to negotiate on equal footing, so anyone else's dissatisfaction meant nothing. It had to be said that what the Great Xia Prefecture had done this time had exerted no small effect. At the very least, it had forced those who had previously been unwilling to shed all pretense with the myriad races and plunge into war to contribute. Even if disgruntled, no one brought up peaceful coexistence anymore. There was no way to bring it up! Having slain so many Invincibles and Sun Moons of the foreign races, who would believe you if you sought peace now? And after being tricked by the Great Han King and the others, if you sought peace now, everyone would just assume you were putting on an act. Niu Baidao chuckled, and just as he was about to leave, Nan Wujiang's voice suddenly drifted into his ear: "Governor Niu, when you see him... please tell him that regarding some things, I am truly sorry..." Niu Baidao glanced back at Nan Wujiang's receding figure, smiled, and shook his head with a sigh. Nan Wujiang, an Invincible realm powerhouse, was technically Su Yu's great-great-grandmaster... Unfortunately, he didn't even dare set foot in Liu City now. Of his disciples, some were dead and others had fled, while grand-disciples like Liu Wenyan refused to acknowledge him at all. It was truly tragic. Many experts of the Multiple Character Facet were now gathering in Liu City. Word was that Liu Wenyan intended to rebuild Liu City, with vague inclinations toward independence—perhaps even reverting to the era when the Liu family operated as vultures. Living as a vulture meant having no ties or burdens: take the spoils when there were benefits, and run when there were none. Centuries ago, the Liu family had integrated into the human race, but now they were on the verge of walking the old path once more. Reflecting on this, Niu Baidao shook his head repeatedly. Nan Wujiang and Yun Chen... these two top-tier experts refused to go to the Great Xia Prefecture, refused to go to Liu City, and certainly refused to go to the ancient cities. Master and disciple cut rather solitary figures here, and the Invincibles of the other great prefectures were not particularly close to them either. "Brought it upon yourselves..." Muttering under his breath, Niu Baidao paid it no more mind. The experts and geniuses of the Multiple Character Facet were truly numerous; if they genuinely united, a single prefecture might not even be able to contend with them. Wan Tiansheng, who could slay Invincibles; Nan Wujiang, who had ascended to the Invincible realm; Yun Chen, who had fought three quasi-Invincibles... Just these individuals alone were beyond the match of any except a few top-tier great prefectures. "Time to go see that kid and see if I can reap some benefits... What if the kid feels generous and gifts these two carriers to me?" Niu Baidao beamed. Though he knew it was wishful thinking, that didn't stop him from dreaming.