Shameless and Invincible

Xinghong Ancient City. Over the past two days, more and more living beings had gathered in the ancient city. They were afraid—terrified that Su Yu might abruptly seal the city and stage another massacre. Yet safe havens in the Sea of Stars were far too scarce nowadays. True, there was Tianxia Island, controlled by the Brightlight Bird race, but that race was far too weak to count as any sort of formidable power. In contrast, Su Yu had not shown himself for an entire month, nor had he sealed the city. Spurred on by several powerful races looking to probe the waters, more and more people arrived. The neighboring Nine Realms had enjoyed good fortune this time around. Among the six who had previously attempted Dao attainment, one realm lord from the Nine Realms had succeeded. Now backed by an Invincible, they counted as a formidable race in their own right. Recently, many beings from the Nine Realms had arrived, harboring intentions of rebuilding Nine Stars Island. Naturally, lingering apprehension remained. The Nine Realms had dispatched envoys to the ancient city, hoping to negotiate with Su Yu. After all, one could only stay in an ancient city for a few days at a time. Having an island nearby would make entering and leaving far more convenient. Even though Su Yu had made no move, several true powerhouses and geniuses remained wary of him sealing the city, not daring to step inside. Outside the city walls, precious palaces and secret realms hovered above the sea. Everyone had come to observe the situation and see whether this Ancient City Alliance would actually succeed. Outside the ancient city. A gigantic dragon roared across the sky, causing many bystanders to scramble out of the way. In the Sea of Stars, the Dragon race remained an exceptionally formidable force—or rather, even the Gods and Demons were weaker than them in these waters. During the recent conflict, both the Gods and Demons had lost Invincibles. The Dragons, however, had only lost two past-and-future incarnations of a single giant dragon. By comparison, they had come out far ahead. Soon, however, someone muttered under their breath, "That's not from the Dragon race... not from the Dragon Realm!" It was clearly a tamed dragon. A powerful one at that! Yet someone was riding on its back, which meant it was domesticated. Those who could tame a dragon and dare ride it across the All-Heavens Battlefield were never weaklings. The beast was remarkably strong; everyone could tell at a glance that it was at least in the Sun Moon Realm. Shortly after, many spotted a cohort of armored soldiers trailing behind the dragon. Dressed in pale-gold armor, they were not a familiar elite legion, but the banner fluttering in their ranks made their identity unmistakable. An important figure had arrived. "Xia"! The Great Xia Prefecture! Realization dawned upon the onlookers. If these were elite troops from the Great Xia Prefecture, the dragon's identity was simple to deduce: it was the mount of Great Xia Civilization Academy's second-generation director! A White Dragon at the eighth level of the Sun Moon Realm! Among the Dragon race, the Celestial Dragons possessed nine claws, the Golden Dragons eight, and the White Dragons seven. They were a pinnacle lineage of the race. "Someone from the Great Xia Prefecture is here!" "Su Yu hails from the Great Xia Prefecture!" "Although Great Xia lost many Sun Moons and Shanhais this time, and the Dragon Martial Guards were virtually crippled, King Blood Slaughter attained the Dao, and quite a few powerhouses returned. They suffered almost no net loss in strength—if anything, they're stronger than before!" "Who came?" "Don't recognize him. But to dare fly the Great Xia banner... could it be King Blood Slaughter's direct son?" Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Someone recognized one of the figures on the dragon's back and shouted, "Isn't that Huang Teng?" "And that fat kid beside him... he's only in the Tengkong Realm. That couldn't be King Blood Slaughter's son, could it?" "Cut it out! How could King Blood Slaughter have such a bumbling, foolish son?" "He doesn't look a bit like King Blood Slaughter. Could he be Marquis Xia's son? I heard Marquis Xia's son was killed by Su Yu... looking at it now, that was nine times out of ten a fabrication. Maybe his physical body blew up and he reconstructed it. He actually bears quite a resemblance to Marquis Xia." Speculation ran wild. Regardless, the onlookers only needed to know that this was a direct descendant of the Xia family. Even among the myriad races of the heavens, the Xia family was an overlord clan. Two Invincibles from a single clan! King Daxia was an Invincible second only to the Half-Emperors, while Xia Longwu was the type who slaughtered an Invincible the moment he attained the Dao. Great Xia also boasted Nan Wujiang and Wan Tiansheng... Had internal chaos not struck, Great Xia would have been even stronger than the Great Zhou Prefecture. Marquis Xia was a quasi-Invincible, Yun Chen was a quasi-Invincible, and Su Yu himself was from Great Xia. This prefecture's foundation was terrifyingly robust. *** Atop the White Dragon. Huang Teng wore coarse hemp clothes and walked barefoot, looking like an old peasant straight out of the fields, missing only a tobacco pipe. At that moment, he chuckled and said, "Prince Huyou, did you hear that? I'm not the only one who says you look like the marquis. See? Everyone says so." Xia Huyou beamed, wearing a broad grin. "Whatever, I'm used to it. Brother Teng, when are you breaking through to the seventh level of the Lingyun Realm?" "Still need a bit of time." Huang Teng smiled and glanced at Xia Huyou. "Your Highness, are you sure Su Yu will see you? That guy... strikes me as quite proud. He probably still harbors resentment toward Great Xia. His teachers have also left the prefecture now. Do you truly share a close friendship with him?" Xia Huyou chuckled. "It's decent! Don't worry, Brother Teng. Everything will be fine..." Huang Teng could not shake the feeling that his smile carried ill intent. The next instant, the giant dragon reached the gates of the ancient city. Xia Huyou bellowed, "Xia Huyou, emissary of the Great Xia Prefecture, requests an audience with Castellan Su, Lord of Xinghong Ancient City!" That loud shout confirmed his identity to everyone in the vicinity. Xia Huyou! He truly was the son of King Blood Slaughter. What a waste of such status! To be the direct descendant of two mighty Invincibles and look so wretched, possessing such pathetic cultivation that he probably couldn't even make the Yellow Ranking—an absolute embarrassment. Just then, a figure manifested above the castellan's manor. Su Yu, as always, was clad in snow-white robes. Against the dim backdrop of the ancient city, he stood out with exceptional brilliance. "Xia Huyou!" Above the manor, Su Yu looked slightly surprised, but soon chuckled. "Come on in!" Outside the city, Xia Huyou laughed heartily. Soon, the White Dragon transformed into an elderly man and carried them into the city. In the blink of an eye, Xia Huyou arrived before the castellan's manor. After exchanging glances with Su Yu from a distance, he suddenly grinned. "I brought you a little gift. You've traveled far, become a castellan, and turned into a regional overlord. It wasn't easy figuring out what to bring—bringing common gifts would be looking down on you. So, I brought you an enemy..." With that, he pointed straight at Huang Teng. *See how considerate I am? I brought your enemy right to you.* Huang Teng froze. The next instant, he tried to tear through the air and flee. Before he could escape, his vision blurred, and a figure appeared before him. Su Yu smiled. "Huang Teng! We finally meet formally!" Huang Teng stood speechless. Su Yu had seen Huang Teng a few times before, but they had never exchanged proper words or introduced themselves. This was their first official face-to-face encounter. Coarse hemp clothes, bare feet, cropped hair, and short sleeves—at first glance, no one would believe this was a genius whose name shook the heavens. He looked more like a hunter or an old peasant. He wasn't old, and looking closely, his youth was apparent. Yet he dressed like a backwater farmer. Su Yu smiled. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Su Yu, disciple of Bai Feng. Brother Huang, you remember my master, don't you?" Huang Teng cursed inwardly. Glancing at Xia Huyou and seeing his radiant grin, he cursed again. *Damn it, I knew this fat bastard was up to no good! Smiling at me the whole way here with that creepy grin.* Sure enough, the moment they arrived, the fat brat sold him out. Over there, Xia Huyou chuckled. "Brother Su, just give him a beating, but whatever you do, don't beat him to death. If you kill him, I won't be able to explain it back home. He counts as the facade of our Great Xia Prefecture. His only flaw is that he doesn't know how to talk nicely and has a foul mouth!" On the journey here, Huang Teng had constantly prattled on about how much he looked like Marquis Xia, beating around the bush to ask whether Xia Longwu and Marquis Xia had ever fought over a woman in their youth... Xia Huyou had only refrained from pummeling him because he was weaker. Now, he was gladly borrowing someone else's knife. Su Yu smiled faintly. "Back when I left the Great Xia Prefecture, I had only two wishes. First, to kill everyone who bullied and humiliated us. Second, to avenge my master. I recall someone beat my master three times!" Huang Teng offered a stiff smile and explained, "Castellan Su misunderstands! Brother Bai and I were merely having normal spars. Victory and defeat are common occurrences in sparring—how could that possibly be bullying?" *The way you put it makes me sound utterly irredeemable.* Su Yu chuckled. "Brother Huang doesn't act very upright, either. Last time at Severed Sky Valley, I saved your life. Yet... I never did receive Brother Huang's reward." Huang Teng said with a grin, "Didn't I just not catch up with you in time? Besides, the one Castellan Su actually saved back then was Wu Qi... Sigh, Castellan Su is far too unfeeling. The falling blossom yearns for love, but the flowing brook is heartless. Ever since then, Wu Qi has been so lovesick she can neither eat nor sleep..." *Bang!* Su Yu wasted no words, sending a punch flying that hurled the man backward. Evidently, the fellow was a smooth talker. Since you talk so much, talk less. As Bai Feng always said: if you can't out-argue someone, beat them until they can't speak! Su Yu chuckled. That fellow was certainly adept at riding the wind—Su Yu hadn't used full force, yet Huang Teng flew remarkably far. Su Yu didn't bother exposing him, nor did he worry about his safety. A genius like Huang Teng, who spent his days roaming the All-Heavens Battlefield, would not die so easily. If he were that fragile, he would have been killed long ago. Having delivered that punch, Su Yu turned to Xia Huyou and the White Dragon, smiling. "Let's talk inside!" With that, he glanced at the onlookers inside and outside the city, his voice turning cold. "I couldn't be bothered with you lot over the past few days, so behave yourselves. What are you probing for? Checking whether I'm dead? Rest assured: if I die, the entire city will be buried with me! I might even drag a few Invincibles down to the grave. Unless you see Invincibles dying, don't count on my demise!" Silence fell. This fellow was exceptionally arrogant and overbearing! Some indeed had been trying to test whether Su Yu was dead. After all, his death qi had been so dense he barely looked alive. Now, seeing him appear vibrant and full of vitality once more, quite a few felt a pang of disappointment. Truly, this sort of person was extraordinarily hard to kill. The number one on the Heaven Ranking was indeed the number one, even if he hadn't stayed on the list for long. At that moment, someone called out loudly, "Castellan Su, since the Great Xia Prefecture has sent an emissary, then other races—including our Heaven Hunting Pavilion—are also emissaries upon entering the city. Even between warring armies, envoys are spared... May we enter the city?" "Heaven Hunting Pavilion?" "Yes." Su Yu smiled. "Which division?" "The Yellow Division." Su Yu nodded. "Intelligence gathering... A white mask? In that case, you should address me as Elder. We're on the same side, so come on in. Don't be shy. I am currently an Elder of the Jia rank in the Xuan Division. You'd better be obedient, understand?" A soft commotion stirred in the surroundings. An Elder of the Xuan Division? What did that mean? This guy had previously impersonated Xuan Jiu. Going by his words, not only had the Heaven Hunting Pavilion not expelled him, they had actually promoted him to Elder? Where was the justice in that? Was the Heaven Hunting Pavilion looking to invite trouble upon itself? Ignoring them, Su Yu descended into the castellan's manor. The heavy gates stood wide open. Elder Wang, whose transformation was not yet complete, stepped forward to greet them. Xia Huyou blinked in surprise, offering a respectful salute, clearly caught off guard that this elder was here. *** Soon, led by Elder Wang, Xia Huyou and the White Dragon entered the grand hall. As they crossed the threshold, Xia Huyou craned his neck toward the rear hall. He had heard that an Invincible powerhouse from the ancient era dwelled back there, someone immensely formidable. "Stop looking." From the main seat, Su Yu casually motioned for him to sit, chuckling. "Looking won't do you any good. Even if you look, he won't pay you any mind." Xia Huyou chuckled sheepishly. He ran his hands along the architecture, then felt the tables and chairs, marveling, "Fine things. They feel even better than the furnishings in my own home. It's just that the death qi is a bit thick—living people wouldn't find it comfortable to stay here." "It's tolerable!" Sipping his tea without offering any, Su Yu smiled. "I don't really count as a living person either. Like I said before, I'm a living corpse, half a dead spirit. I'm fairly used to living here." "You fellow..." Xia Huyou sighed and found a seat for himself. "Before coming here, I stopped by Liu City. Instructor Liu and the others are doing well; they're rebuilding the city. Their lineup is formidable too—Instructor Liu, Director Hong, Elder Chen, Grandpa Xia Yunqi, Zhao Mingyue, Hu Ping, Grandpa Liu... all of them are in the Sun Moon Realm. With multiple Sun Moons holding down the fort, their strength is quite impressive." "That's good to hear." Su Yu nodded slightly. Xia Huyou added, "As for your father, we brought him back. We didn't leave him on the All-Heavens Battlefield. Nanyuan is being rebuilt right now, and both my father and great-grandfather are in the Great Xia Prefecture. It's safer there than anywhere else. After all, the ancient city is hardly fit for living beings." Su Yu nodded again. "You've been thoughtful." Xia Huyou grinned. Beside him, the White Dragon remained silent, listening quietly. Xia Huyou quickly continued, "There's one more thing: Director Wan and Lan Tian have vanished completely. No one can find them." "That's a good thing," Su Yu said calmly. "Finding them would only bring trouble! There are likely Invincibles who want to kill him. It's human nature—their sons and daughters were slaughtered, so seeking revenge is only natural, right?" "Yeah!" Xia Huyou nodded. "That makes sense. Seeking vengeance... is only human nature! It's a good thing my second grandfather didn't go to the War God Hall. Otherwise, if he hadn't intervened in that great battle, he would've been targeted too, and my great-grandfather would've had to seek revenge... You can't blame anyone for that. Understanding it logically is one thing, but their descendants were slaughtered. It's already generous that those Invincibles didn't let their fury spill over into wiping out the Wan family." Su Yu chuckled. "Are you here as a lobbyist?" "Not at all," Xia Huyou said with a laugh. "Why would I lobby for others? I'm just saying it's normal for those Invincibles to be enraged. That's between the director and them; we shouldn't get involved and stir up unnecessary trouble." "You sly fellow..." Su Yu smiled. "Did you come to the All-Heavens Battlefield for anything else?" "Nothing much. It's about those nine ancient city castellans. My father meant that he can't fulfill his promises to them just yet; it'll have to wait a while. We needed to let them know so they don't think my father went back on his word. Also, do you need any help on your end?" "No." Su Yu smiled. "I'm doing fine here. I don't need help, nor do I need aid from the humans... lest it brings me trouble. The Xia family shouldn't get involved. You suffered heavy losses; just focus on recuperating." Xia Huyou chuckled. "It wasn't too bad. Fortunately, you were around this time. My second grandfather, my father, and even my great-grandfather were all prepared to fight to the death and have the whole family perish... Thankfully, aside from my second grandfather having poor luck, nothing major happened. As for my uncle, he's fine too; he just has to cultivate again. But when Xia Chan found out, she said she was going to seek revenge against you. If you run into her someday, watch out..." Su Yu laughed. "Would I be afraid of her?" "It's not about being afraid..." Xia Huyou said wearily, "Be gentle with women! If you kill her, it'll be hard to explain. If you don't kill her, she'll keep bothering you endlessly until you become bitter enemies turned lovers. If you end up my brother-in-law... that'd be awkward, wouldn't it?" Su Yu laughed. "In your dreams!" Not lingering on the topic, Su Yu asked, "Is that all? Nothing else?" Xia Huyou smiled and nodded. "There's more!" With that, he turned to the White Dragon. "Elder Bai, why don't you catch up with Elder Wang outside? I have a few words for Su Yu." The White Dragon gave him a speechless look. *Catch up?* *I don't even know that old man. Fine, whatever, I'll go outside.* Soon, the White Dragon stepped out. Once he was gone, Xia Huyou said, "My father said that among the thirty-five castellans, some are backed by major races like the Gods, Demons, Immortals, and Dragons. The nine my father sought out were vetted for a long time, so those few are mostly fine. The others... are hard to say! If you want to form this alliance, they're bound to cause trouble." Without waiting for Su Yu to speak, he added, "You have the ancient stone sculpture backing you, but they aren't afraid of you. At worst, they simply won't join the alliance. Can you really charge into their ancient cities and slaughter them? My father said that if it truly doesn't work out, just drop it. It's no big deal. Even if you form an alliance, it might not be a good thing." Su Yu nodded slightly. "I understand." Xia Huyou continued, "Also, my father said the Dead Spirit Realm is a massive trouble, and you should be careful! He went into the Dead Spirit Realm once. The death qi there is extraordinarily dense and constantly leaks toward the ancient cities, showing signs of wanting to swallow them whole! Moreover, the Dead Spirit Realm is unusual; it can draw people in, including some powerhouses who died in battle this time..." Xia Huyou spoke rapidly. "According to my father's guesses and thoughts, the beings in the Dead Spirit Realm likely fall into two categories: naturally born dead spirits, and post-formation ones that converted or were drawn in. "Take those who fell in this battle... My father said he once saw an incomparably vast River of Time in the Dead Spirit Realm, which they call the Dead Spirit Heavenly River. After some powerhouses die in battle, they are drawn in by that river, turning into dead spirits and reviving in the Dead Spirit Realm." Su Yu furrowed his brows. He knew Xia Longwu had entered the Dead Spirit Realm through Tianmie Ancient City. Supposedly, he was eventually beaten back out. Xia Longwu was extraordinarily bold and knowledgeable. For him to have seen some Dead Spirit Heavenly River—likely a River of Time drawing in the deceased—was truly chilling. "You mean that even if someone dies without an intact corpse, they might still be drawn into the Dead Spirit Realm?" "Yes!" Xia Huyou nodded. "My father also told me to warn you: the deaths of several Invincibles were tied to you to varying degrees. Once those Invincible powerhouses are drawn in, even if they haven't recovered their memories, lingering resentment will remain. If they truly awaken in the Dead Spirit Realm, they might come seeking vengeance against you." Su Yu chuckled. "Even if they do, I won't be the first person they look for. The one guarding the passageway will be their first target." *It wasn't even me who killed them!* Mo He and the other two had been slain by Xinghong, and he was sitting right beside the passageway. *** In the rear hall. Xinghong opened his eyes, glaring toward the front hall, sorely tempted to curse... but held back. That kid truly had some nerve. *** In the front hall. Xia Huyou chuckled as well. "Anyway, I'm just giving you a heads-up. Right now, my father and the others are reconstructing my second grandfather's physical body, hoping he can quickly regain his quasi-Invincible combat strength. We owe you a great debt this time. If not for you... had my second grandfather died, my father might have been done for as well. Fortunately, you held down this end... otherwise, disaster would have struck." Su Yu smiled. "No need to be polite. It's not like I lost anything." Without another word, Xia Huyou retrieved an object—a withered, yellowed piece of wood. "This is the carrier from the Invincible my father killed. Great Xia's harvest originally wasn't limited to this; they killed quite a few quasi-Invincibles as well. However, my second grandfather used one, and he needs two more to rebuild his body... There was one left over, so consider it a thank-you gift!" Su Yu looked surprised. "So generous?" Xia Huyou grinned. "Just take it. Didn't you give two pieces to those castellans? We were supposed to compensate you anyway. Thinking about it, our family is in short supply too, but could this spare piece possibly be saved for me?" In truth, Su Yu still had three carriers on him, though few knew about it—only Zhu Tiandao, Wan Tiansheng, and Lan Tian were aware. Everyone else assumed he had run out. Su Yu glanced at him and smiled. "Alright, I'll take it." He didn't refuse. Since the Xia family had a spare, there was no need to stand on ceremony. As for Xia Huyou, he was only at the third level of the Tengkong Realm—still ages away from being a quasi-Invincible. Seeing Su Yu accept it, Xia Huyou grimaced with mock heartache. "I thought you'd decline, but you actually took it!" "Why wouldn't I?" Su Yu scoffed. "What, you gave it to me yourself, and now you want it back? Keep dreaming! For your Xia family, I gave up a secret realm and lost the Civilization Tombstone. Stop acting spoiled after getting a bargain! You probably knew all along that Fen Hai was a traitor, yet you played dumb for years without achieving a damn thing, causing me to be suppressed in the Great Xia Prefecture..." Xia Huyou shrugged. Su Yu suddenly asked, "Who is the second traitor among the Invincibles?" Xia Huyou was rendered speechless, staring at him. "You're asking me? Besides, who says there's a second one?" Su Yu said calmly, "There is definitely a second! King Dahan and the others orchestrated such an elaborate show, ambushing beside Fen Hai and waiting for years. I believe they suspect a second one as well! Do they know who it is, or not?" Helpless, Xia Huyou shook his head. "Even if there is one, they definitely don't know. If they knew... they wouldn't have let him slip away after this battle. This time, all the prefectures laid their trump cards on the table. If they didn't seize the chance to eliminate him, waiting any longer would be sheer stupidity! In truth, those military traitors were all investigated afterward; they even rewound time, but found nothing at all." Xia Huyou explained, "Actually, my old man mentioned it to me once. Either that person truly doesn't exist, or if he does... he is lurking deeper than anyone can imagine! During the battle, Fen Hai mentioned a few things, claiming the Fifth Generation had privately challenged him back then... They're looking into it, but there will likely be no leads." At this point, he added, "Su Yu, it's best to forget this matter. Just act as if that person doesn't exist. In the short term, they definitely won't dare expose themselves. Without absolute benefits and certainty, they won't show their face. King Dahan staged that entire act precisely to see if that person would expose themselves. Had that person revealed their identity back then, it wouldn't have been so easy for several humans to attain the Dao, nor would any Invincibles have fallen... So if that person truly exists, their objective is far from ordinary. They wouldn't expose themselves merely to save a few Invincibles of the myriad races..." Su Yu smiled faintly. "Whatever! When they're found one day, it won't be too late to beat them to death. If not, at least you can comfort yourselves thinking that maybe Ye Batian really did go mad, sought out Fen Hai for a duel, secretly injured him, and humiliated him. That's not impossible either." Was there a second traitor? Su Yu felt... there probably was. In the memories of the Heavenly Wing Cult Master, he had encountered someone with patterns on their arm, yet... Fen Hai had none. Of course, at the Invincible level, to possess patterns on one's arm without erasing them, leaving them exposed—either it was a deliberate misdirection, or... the patterns could not be erased! As for exposing them, if such an insidious and patient person truly existed, hiding patterns would be effortless. An Invincible could conceal them so thoroughly that the Heavenly Wing Cult Master could never see them, yet the cult master had seen them clearly... Su Yu had also wondered whether this was intended to mislead someone. Or perhaps, when that Invincible contacted the Heavenly Wing Cult Master... they used those patterns to confirm their identity? Otherwise, without knowing who the other party was, how could the cult master distinguish which Invincible was contacting him? If that person truly existed, the patterns might have been a means of identification, letting the cult master know he was the Invincible liaising with them. *The pattern on the left arm might just be a simple insignia used for identification, something that can be removed at any time.* Su Yu pondered this silently, not bothering to elaborate. Some things were pointless for too many people to know. Trying to locate an Invincible or verify their identity through a mere pattern was nonsense; even memories could be fabricated, let alone a pattern. He didn't discuss this further with Xia Huyou, who didn't know much anyway. Xia Huyou quickly shifted the topic. "This time, Director Wan struck hard, completely dismantling the two sacred grounds and burning their resources to ash. The human leadership now believes we must rely on our own efforts. With the Star Residence Mansion opening, the prefectures obtained more quotas than before, so they will dispatch more personnel to seize resources..." "Are you participating too?" Su Yu looked at him. Xia Huyou chuckled sheepishly. "I have to go. Isn't it because I'm terrified? I'm afraid Director Wan might chop me down one day too. Tell you what, after Director Wan slaughtered those people, the descendants of the Invincible families in the Human Realm became far more wary!" Su Yu laughed. "What are you afraid of? He's not a madman who slaughters indiscriminately." "Cut it out!" Xia Huyou said with a wry smile, "That's just what you think. Nobody else dares assume that! Still, it counts as a good thing. At least they've learned fear, and they won't act so recklessly anymore." Su Yu nodded. It truly was a good thing. How long it would last was hard to say. However, the youth of this generation had at least learned fear. As for the next generation, perhaps they would forget—but that was their business. Among peers of Su Yu's age, virtually no one would ever forget. A demon who had slaughtered the two sacred grounds—and a human one at that! Who wouldn't be terrified? He could slip back at any moment and slaughter you all over again! "You want to go too... Outside, hardly anyone dares kill you right now. But once you enter... who's going to care about your background?" Su Yu shook his head. "It's extremely dangerous!" He knew full well that inside, all rules were discarded. The Suanni he had encountered—a mere Tengkong—had dared to kill an Invincible's disciple. King Silkworm Exterminator's disciple had been slain, and what could the king do about it? Outside, the Suanni would never have possessed such audacity. "Fortune favors the bold!" Xia Huyou didn't seem overly concerned, chuckling. "Besides, as the descendant of an Invincible, I have a few life-saving trump cards. I'm not going to the upper floors anyway, so it's not a big deal." "As long as you've thought it through..." The two chatted for a while longer until a laugh echoed from outside: "Overlord Su, may I enter the city?" Su Yu smiled. Quite a crowd was gathering today. This one had come as well. "Please, come in! Rest assured, Director, everything is fine as long as no trouble is stirred!" "That's good to hear. I was trembling in my boots!" Amidst chuckles, a figure materialized instantly within the city. He glanced toward the rear hall, cupped his hands, and offered an apologetic smile. "Just here as a guest. Ancient Stone Venerable, please don't hit me." Xinghong opened his eyes, closed them a moment later, and couldn't be bothered to respond. *** A moment later, Niu Baidao entered the hall. Spotting Xia Huyou, he laughed boisterously. "Little fat boy of the Xia family is here too! I was wondering why that dragon outside looked so familiar. That little dragon has guts, daring to enter the Sea of Stars without fearing the Dragon race cleaning house." Xia Huyou grinned, standing up to bow. "Greetings, King Niu!" Niu Baidao chortled. "Cut that out! What kind of nonsense is that? You're the cow king, your whole family are cow kings!" Xia Huyou was rendered speechless. Su Yu stood up as well, smiling. "Director, what brings you to my humble abode?" "To deliver treasures to you!" With a flick of his wrist, two carriers shot forward. Niu Baidao laughed. "Compensation for you. The Great Qin Prefecture and Great Zhou Prefecture each chipped in one. You little brat... you're truly wealthy. Even when you reach the ninth level of the Sun Moon Realm, you won't have to worry about lacking these things. Compared to me... sigh, there's no comparison! Kid, if you have any conscience, consider your few remaining kin. Your grandmaster's—or great-grandmaster's—aunt doesn't have a carrier. Life is too hard; she's already at the seventh level of Sun Moon, approaching the eighth. Once she hits the ninth, she'll have to scurry around searching for carriers just like I did..." Su Yu quietly stowed the two carriers away. To have actually recovered them was an unexpected pleasant surprise. Now, he possessed as many as six carriers. Refusing to take the bait, Su Yu asked, "Director, where are my two hundred wisps of Profound Heaven Qi?" Niu Baidao was struck dumb. *Get lost!* *You still want that?* *Are you even human?* *Here I was trying to extort a little something from you, yet you're calculating every last penny with me.* Niu Baidao promptly changed the subject. "Can you keep the alliance under control? If not, I can step in..." Su Yu said dryly, "And wait to get beaten to death by the stone sculpture? If you make a move against an ancient city castellan, do you think the stone sculpture won't thrash you?" Niu Baidao had no retort. Helplessly, he admitted that made perfect sense! If not for that, the Invincibles of the various races wouldn't have been so wary of these castellans. Provoking the stone sculptures was genuinely troublesome and hazardous. Niu Baidao chuckled. "Fine, let's not talk about that! You handle it yourself. I came mainly to pass along a message. King Daqin meant that since you hail from the human race, he hopes you can provide some conveniences for humans when the Star Residence Mansion opens... Of course, I'm only responsible for passing along the words; I won't meddle in the rest. However, you truly must look out for the Daming Prefecture! Daming is too weak. Moreover... the mansion lord says he was utterly screwed over by you this time. The myriad races are likely to target Daming, so you have to take responsibility!" Su Yu was speechless. He made it sound like an aggrieved, abandoned wife. Yet Daming truly had been dragged through the mud! If Zhu Tiandao dared attempt Dao attainment, he would definitely be beaten to death. There was indeed a strong possibility that Daming would be targeted. Su Yu nodded. "I understand that. However... Daming has too many slackers, and their strength is weak. In my opinion... maybe it's better if they skip it. Just send a few to join the fun. Over the past few days, I've observed quite a few powerhouses arriving. Sending Daming folks in is just serving them up on a platter; there's no need." Niu Baidao was displeased by this. "You can't put it that way! Sometimes opportunity depends on luck, not strength! One has to try their luck no matter what! To put it bluntly, if we use several dozen Tengkong and Lingyun cultivators to test our fortune, and luck strikes, producing a Sun Moon or even an Invincible, that's a massive profit! Daming has so many people; there are always those willing to take risks. Not everyone is a salted fish!" At this point, he hesitated before adding, "Also, you have favors to return! Both Cui Lang and Bai Junsheng are coming. You have to repay those two!" Su Yu was at a loss for words. *Damn it, I almost forgot about those two.* "Bai Junsheng and the others were released?" "Just released. They were crying so hard they barely looked human..." Niu Baidao chuckled. "Tell me, would it be appropriate if you didn't look out for them? Especially Cui Lang. When he came out this time... whenever people from Daming saw him, they wanted to rip his face off to see if he was you! Even though everyone knows you're in the ancient city, they still had to test it... let alone on the All-Heavens Battlefield. If he comes here, he's in for serious trouble. Even knowing he isn't you, people will still look for trouble!" Su Yu was completely speechless! Even Xia Huyou couldn't help laughing. "That's true. In my opinion, that fellow had better stay away. Director Niu, what were you guys thinking, letting him come here?" Niu Baidao chuckled. "It wasn't our idea; it was his own. Su Yu owes him a favor, and the kid isn't stupid. Coming now is an opportunity. If he doesn't come... who will repay the favor if Su Yu dies in a few years?" "Makes sense!" Xia Huyou nodded. "That's reasonable! Cui Lang is shrewd indeed, claiming the favor while Su Yu is still breathing. Otherwise, once the man dies, everything is gone." Su Yu was utterly exasperated. *Are these two genuinely assuming I'm going to die?* *I'm standing right in front of you!* *Director Niu has attained the Dao and become an Invincible, yet he's still such an old rascal!* Niu Baidao didn't dwell on it. Straightening his expression, he said seriously, "Are you going to the Star Residence Mansion this time? If you are, be careful. The myriad races will inevitably target you. In the ancient city, you're tough to deal with, but entering the Star Residence Mansion is precisely when you'll be at your weakest. It would be stranger if they didn't come after you!" "Yeah, I understand. I'm not going." Su Yu smiled. Niu Baidao waved it off dismissively. "Understood. You'll enter under a different identity. Do you need Daming to prepare another identity for you?" *You took the words right out of my mouth. What else can I say?* Su Yu didn't take the bait. *Even if I switch identities this time, I won't tell any of you who I am.* Niu Baidao said no more, not intending to linger. "I have to leave. This damn place... ahem, this place makes me uncomfortable. The thought of a fist potentially smashing into me at any second leaves me on edge. I finally attained the Dao; I want to live a few more years! Kid, one last piece of advice: you aren't a true Invincible after all, so don't be too arrogant! The stone sculptures seem to back you, but they've lived too long and seen too much. It's merely a transaction of mutual interest. Remember to continuously funnel benefits to them; otherwise, you'll be abandoned sooner or later. Don't forget how the previous castellan died. All that talk about 'the castellan cannot be bullied' is pure nonsense. The stone sculptures are far more pragmatic than we are..." With those words, he vanished on the spot. Where he had stood, two beams of brilliant light erupted—Xinghong's gaze, laden with killing intent. What audacious insolence, slandering and defaming him right under his nose! Su Yu chuckled, while Xia Huyou clicked his tongue. Old Niu was truly bold. Not daring to comment on that, Xia Huyou smiled and said, "I won't stay either. I have business to attend to on this trip. I'm heading toward the Immortal Realm to see if I can propose a marriage. Immortal King Tianyu is on good terms with us, so I'll see if I can marry a little fairy to ease relations with the Immortal race." "Huh?" Su Yu blinked. "What about... that Yu Xuan?" "Her?" Xia Huyou said with deep regret, "Don't bring it up. During the battle that day, chaos erupted in the prefectural city. Fairy Yu Xuan was ambushed and killed by a traitor while protecting me! I'm actually heading out to return Fairy Yu Xuan's remains... What a bloody pity! Otherwise, I would've married her!" Su Yu stared at him. *Are you bloody serious?* *You're putting on an act right in front of me?* *Protecting you and getting killed?* *What utter bullshit!* Xia Huyou chuckled slyly. "Don't look at me like that; that's the official story! Not just Yu Xuan—many people sacrificed themselves to protect me that day, including members of the Gods, Demons, Immortals, Dragons... I came this time to return their bodies one by one. Falling leaves returning to their roots, you know! Our Xia family still wishes to forge everlasting friendship with them. I'm about to become the mansion lord! From now on, the Great Xia Prefecture must work hand in hand with the myriad races to create a brighter future and progress together! This time, I plan to propose to the Immortals, Demons, Dragons, Gods... Marrying whoever I can get. If I marry them all, it might even be useful, heh heh..." Su Yu was completely speechless! *You bastard would truly pull something like that!* He was one hundred percent certain that the fat brat had killed those people himself. Yet now, he had the gall to return their corpses and propose marriage! That was an extraordinary level of audacity! Whether the myriad races believed it didn't matter; after all, the deceased weren't pivotal figures. What mattered was that Xia Huyou was truly becoming the mansion lord, and the Xia family boasted two Invincibles. That alone made it worth a shot. Was political marriage useful? Useless! Yet if they could plant someone inside the Great Xia Prefecture who didn't die, they could at least gain insight into Great Xia's situation and movements. Now that the All-Races Sect had been uprooted and the Xia family had withdrawn into its shell, the myriad races were eager for timely intel on them. Investing an inconsequential woman was a small price to pay. Xia Huyou continued grinning slyly. "Old Su, remember, you can learn a thing or two from me. I'm planning to demand an exorbitant dowry and swindle them! If they want to marry me, shouldn't they provide a massive dowry? Without a dowry, would I even marry them? Honestly, you could try it too. You might haul in a massive fortune!" Su Yu was thoroughly impressed. *Now I finally see what you're scheming.* Helplessly, Su Yu said, "Why don't you just propose to all the myriad races? Smaller races might genuinely want a massive backer..." Hearing this, Xia Huyou's eyes lit up. He muttered, "That makes sense! Smaller races are easier to dupe than the major ones! Besides... they might actually be tempted. You're right. As long as they can take human form, I can give it a shot..." Su Yu snorted. "No need. Even if they can't take human form, you can just keep them as pets. It's not like your family lacks a nest or two..." "Right, right, right... You're the one who thinks ahead!" Xia Huyou nodded vigorously. It made sense—complete sense! Going by that logic, if he married ten thousand wives and each brought a dowry of a hundred thousand merit points in resources... Holy crap, that would be a billion! Xia Huyou hurriedly said, "If I'm marrying that many, I'll have my hands full. I'll go get busy and visit you again when I'm free. Oh, right, Su Yu, can dead spirits marry? Keep an eye out for me. If possible, I wouldn't mind marrying one from the Dead Spirit race either..." Su Yu stared at him in silence, watching him scurry away in a hurry. Once he was gone, Su Yu spat on the ground! That fat bastard was utterly shameless. Then again... if each race provided a carrier as a dowry, maybe... he could try it too? What if he asked around the thirty-six ancient cities to see if anyone had daughters or granddaughters, and married them off as political alliances? Su Yu stroked his chin. Xia Huyou had certainly broadened his horizons! Only the truly shameless were invincible under the heavens!