Women Are Not to Be Trifled With

Xia Huyou and his companions arrived swiftly and departed just as quickly. Outside the walls, however, the crowd only swelled. Not long after Xia Huyou's departure, the first ancient city descended! It was not an ancient city familiar to Su Yu, but one that had never appeared before, bearing the name Shanqi. This ancient city descended right outside Xinghong Ancient City. Atop its ramparts stood ranks of armored warriors, suffused with swirling death qi and murderous intent. At the center of the ancient city, within the castellan's great hall, an illusory phantom materialized and laughed heartily. "Shanqi Sacred City has arrived to attend the assembly! Castellan Su Yu, please do not withhold the honor of a meeting!" …… Inside Xinghong Ancient City. Su Yu heard the voice. His figure appeared above the castellan's manor, gazing into the distance. Brow slightly raised, he smiled. "Castellan Shanqi, pray enter the city for a discussion..." "Hahaha! I think I shall pass on entering Xinghong Sacred City!" Castellan Shanqi laughed boisterously. "The whole world knows Castellan Su is fond of sealing his city. Once those gates shut, matters become terribly troublesome! Why does Castellan Su not come over to my sacred city instead? Everyone knows Shanqi Sacred City never seals its gates!" Su Yu frowned. So they were here to pick a fight. A show of strength right off the bat? It made sense. The thirty-six ancient cities were under no obligation to obey Su Yu. As for bolstering the strength of the ancient cities, certain fellows were backed directly by the gods or demons—what need did they have to strengthen their own faction? Even if the alliance fell through, they suffered no loss; on the contrary, they would have pleased the gods and demons. Afraid he would seal the city... Su Yu gave a cold snort in his heart. Just as the thought crossed his mind, yet another ancient city descended, bearing the name Changping. The moment Changping Ancient City arrived, its castellan spoke in an indifferent tone: "Castellan Su, I believe convening the alliance assembly inside Xinghong Sacred City is ill-advised! Why do we not hold the alliance council outside the city? Castellan Su has sealed his city multiple times. I doubt any castellan would feel at ease stepping inside, wouldn't you say?" Over there, Castellan Shanqi chimed in with a genial chuckle: "Quite right. Within the sacred city, should the gates be sealed, we may be castellans, but we are not the masters of Xinghong Sacred City. Over time, none of us can bear the toll! Castellan Su, why not step outside for our meeting?" From every direction, experts watched in secret, waiting for the show to begin. It seemed the thirty-six ancient cities were nowhere near as united as people had imagined. They had barely arrived, yet they were already banding together to give Su Yu a taste of their authority. The crux of the matter was that Su Yu had no way to refute them. Enter the city? Who wouldn't harbor misgivings? Yet if they did not enter and held the alliance outside, would Su Yu dare step out? Now, many onlookers settled back to enjoy the spectacle, waiting to see how Su Yu would respond. …… At one of the Nine Realm entrances, within the passageway of a minor realm, several experts peered out in all directions. Hearing the voices of the two castellans, one couldn't help but chuckle. "Su Yu has grand ambitions, but alas, his strength falls far short of matching them! Aside from a few castellans from minor realms, most among the thirty-six ancient cities are unwilling to be constrained, let alone live under another's roof at Su Yu's beck and call." "Does Su Yu truly believe everyone wants this alliance to succeed?" "He is far too naive!" "..." Such conversations played out in numerous corners, not just here. …… Even farther away. Several giant dragons circled through the sky. A white nine-clawed dragon coiled aloft, uttering in a frigid tone, "Su Yu wishes to establish a second major faction in the Sea of Stars. That directly pits him against our Dragon race. We must never allow him to succeed!" The greatest power in the Sea of Stars was the Dragon race. Once Su Yu truly formed an alliance of thirty-six ancient cities, the dragons might not be able to contend against them. That was entirely unacceptable. If the Ancient City Alliance came to be, would Su Yu and the others encroach upon dragon territory and interests? Inevitably so! Rare natural treasures, mineral veins, sacred grounds, mystic realms, and even the exploitation of minor realms—the ancient cities would likely stick their hands into all of it. This was something the Dragon race could neither tolerate nor accept. At present, the two castellans had launched an immediate attack upon arrival to knock Su Yu down a peg, naturally with backing from behind the scenes. …… Inside Xinghong Ancient City. Su Yu sighed softly. Getting anything done in this world was truly an uphill battle. Uniting the ancient cities was meant to elevate the entire faction's strength. Alas... just because I wish to do it doesn't mean everyone shares that desire. Just look at them—strutting in and trying to intimidate me from the start. Hold the alliance outside the city? Su Yu chuckled. Returning to the rear hall, he addressed the statue: "My lord, if we hold the assembly outside the city and someone launches a sneak attack on me, will you intervene?" Xinghong opened his eyes. This kid had done nothing but invite trouble for him lately. "I will!" A single word served as his promise. Su Yu breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "And if I launch a sneak attack to kill someone else, will the other guardian lords intervene?" "They will not." Xinghong remained calm. "They cannot step out!" "..." Fair point! Soon, Xinghong added, "Nor can you kill them!" Right in the sore spot! Su Yu lacked sufficient strength. His eighth-layer Sun Moon blood essences were completely exhausted. Even going all out right now, taking on a sixth-layer Sun Moon was about the best he could manage; he certainly stood no chance against ninth-layer Sun Moons or Quasi-Invincibles. Su Yu grinned. "Very well! With your word, my lord, my mind is at ease!" Xinghong said nothing. Niu Baidao had made a good point: for now, their relationship remained purely transactional. As long as Su Yu brought him benefits and value, he was willing to tilt favors Su Yu's way. If Su Yu could not, Xinghong would abandon him just as he had abandoned the Dark Demonic Dragon. Reality was just that cruel. Neither love nor hatred ever arose without cause! He aided Su Yu because Su Yu could offer him immense advantages—not merely walking outside the city, but also channeling away death qi, which brought extraordinary convenience to his duty guarding the passageway. Having obtained the stone statue's guarantee, Su Yu wasted no more words. Projecting a voice of immense grandeur, he boomed, "Castellans, holding our assembly outside the city is not impossible. My only concern is that once both of you step out, you might never make it back—and that would be tragic! Outside your cities, without dead spirits to merge with, you are merely ordinary ninth-layer Sun Moons. Beware of being ambushed and slain; should that occur, it would be rather awkward for me to explain matters to the other castellans!" The moment those words rang out, Castellan Changping replied coldly, "That is of no concern to Castellan Su. Castellan Su had best look out for himself instead. Your cultivation is meager, and you have offended numerous powerful races. Once you leave your sacred city..." Su Yu laughed. "No matter. Aside from the protection of the sacred city, I have two Half-Emperor Dao protectors by my side. Among the myriad races of the heavens, precious few would dare lay a hand on Su Yu! If both castellans are unbothered, then by all means, let us hold the alliance outside!" At these words, the expressions of the two experts atop the ancient cities shifted slightly. Two Half-Emperors? Right, the Ancient God Devourer race—would those two truly emerge again? Su Yu's voice boomed forth as he laughed aloud. "Let us wait for the other castellans. Whether we convene in Xinghong Sacred City or assemble outside, either suits me fine!" As his words fell, a hearty, familiar laugh echoed across the waters. Tianhe! Tianmie Ancient City had arrived! Castellan Tianhe laughed boisterously. "Inside or outside the city makes no difference to me! The alliance of the sacred cities is for our collective strength, to grant us greater standing when speaking with the myriad races of the heavens. An alliance is our best choice. Anyone opposing it clearly harbors ulterior motives! Castellan Su need not pay them any heed!" "Tianhe..." Castellan Changping said indifferently, "An alliance is indeed a fine thing. However, if that alliance is placed under a leader who has antagonized Half-Emperors and countless Invincibles, it ceases to be a blessing!" Tianhe chuckled. "Just be blunt and name Castellan Su! But tell me... without Castellan Su striking fear into all directions, could you command such deterrence? In all these years, when have the sacred cities ever possessed the prestige they hold today? Could it be that the myriad races fear you, Castellan Pingdu? Hahaha!" The castellan of Changping Ancient City was named Pingdu. At this moment, Pingdu's brow knit slightly. They had arrived early precisely to put Su Yu in his place. Sabotaging the alliance outright was ideal; failing that, they aimed to make the other castellans waver and hesitate, ensuring at the very least that a troublemaker like Su Yu could never become alliance leader. This was the task and mandate assigned by those pulling the strings behind them. If it could be ruined, ruin it. If it could not, ensure Su Yu could never control the entire alliance. None of the great factions could stomach such an outcome! Before the assembly had even begun, swords were already drawn. In the next instant, yet another ancient city descended, accompanied by a seductive, melodious female voice: "Castellan Su, regarding the sacred city alliance, Yunxiao Sacred City firmly supports you. I wonder when you will assume your post here?" Su Yu soared into the air, looking toward that distant ancient city with a grin. "Castellan Qinghu, so impatient already?" "One wishes to fish out the past and future, and thanks to Castellan Su's generous gift of a carrier, one simply cannot wait!" Castellan Qinghu's face bloomed into an enchanting smile as she purred, "Your servant is still waiting for you to take office and lighten some of my burden of death qi!" The position of castellan did not come with only perks. There were drawbacks as well! Enduring far too much death qi. To increase one's cultivation, that death qi had to be reduced. She had obtained the carrier Su Yu bestowed, but if she wished to advance, stepping down from the castellan position was almost essential. Over there, Castellan Tianhe suddenly chuckled. "Castellan Su, if you still have strength to spare, the position of master of Tianmie Sacred City... you could take charge of that one as well..." Not just anyone could become a castellan. If one was too weak, refining the castellan token was out of the question. If one was too strong, who would willingly turn into a living corpse? People only assumed the role when driven to their wits' end with no other recourse. Refining a castellan token meant being shrouded in death qi, bearing an immense burden that made further breakthroughs virtually a dream. Naturally, upon becoming castellan, one could disperse death qi to the guard commanders and residents. Yet doing so meant killing off one's own subordinates. While it felt liberating in the short term, ruin followed all the swifter once the subordinates' capacity was overwhelmed, turning them rapidly into dead spirits. Since Su Yu was taking concurrent control of Yunxiao Ancient City, Tianhe wished nothing more than for him to oversee Tianmie Ancient City too. Even if Tianhe could not entirely break free, it would lighten his burden. In truth, Tianhe was struggling to endure any longer; otherwise, he wouldn't have reached an early accord with Xia Longwu, only for that vexing fellow to declare that he still needed to wait. Even with waiting, whether Xia Longwu could truly sever the death qi channel remained far from certain. In the blink of an eye, four ancient cities had descended—two opposed Su Yu, while two supported him. Su Yu grinned. Taking a deep breath, with the little fur ball perched atop his head, he bade farewell to the Xinghong stone statue. Stepping through the air, he exited the ancient city directly and flew toward Yunxiao Ancient City. At that moment, countless onlookers stirred. Su Yu... had left his city! …… In secret. The eyes of various experts flickered. Seeing the little fur ball on his head... many cursed under their breath. Damn it! Shameless scoundrel! Come out alone if you have the guts! If you came out alone, it's not as though no one would dare strike. Not everyone truly feared the stone statues. If someone genuinely pulverized Su Yu, would the statue wage war against all races on behalf of a corpse? A dead Su Yu was worthless! He had no truly deep bond with the statue. However... that Crown Prince of the God Devourer race was an entirely different matter. It was the genuine descendant of two Half-Emperors. If you accidentally crushed that little creature to death... heh, don't even think about ever stepping out of your realm again. Even if you stayed inside, you'd have to live in terror of those two sneaking in and devouring you whole. In an instant, holding the alliance outside the city seemed almost comical. Su Yu faced no real danger, but for those castellans, stepping out carried genuine peril. Who among them didn't have enemies? Without enemies, they wouldn't have fled into the ancient cities to become castellans in the first place. Su Yu strolled through the air with a radiant smile, his pristine white robes fluttering. Glancing across the floating ancient cities toward Changping and Shanqi, he chuckled. "Castellans, I have no objections to holding our council outside the city! Since you proposed it, I shall respect your wishes. However... the other castellans might not agree. You wouldn't happen to have ambushed a few Invincibles outside to butcher the incoming castellans, would you? That would be exceedingly dangerous..." Castellan Changping's brow furrowed. After a brief pause, he answered softly, "Castellan Su misunderstands. We merely worry for our own safety; there was never any intent to doubt you." Su Yu gave a faint laugh and ignored him further. Walking through the air, he soon arrived inside Yunxiao Ancient City. In front of the castellan's manor. A slender, charming figure emerged. From afar, Su Yu had already caught sight of those dewy, captivating eyes... As he walked up before the manor, his heart skipped a beat. What an utterly bewitching woman! Yet in the next breath, Su Yu suddenly remarked, "Er... Castellan Qinghu, could you... pull back your tail? It's... somewhat repulsive." Castellan Qinghu's expression instantly flickered. She looked at Su Yu, her gaze overflowing with unmistakable grievance. Su Yu silently complained in his mind. *That tail is hideous.* *It's even split!* *Divided into several little tails!* *A single one might look cute, but several... tsk, tsk, downright ugly!* He paid the castellan no further attention. His daring to come was not out of trust in Qinghu, but trust in Yunxiao, forged through their prior agreement. Su Yu cupped his hands toward the rear hall of the castellan's manor and called out with a smile, "Lord Yunxiao, Su Yu has come to fulfill our pact!" Beside him, Castellan Qinghu smiled seductively. "Little brother, you truly lack all tenderness. Your big sister is so lovely, yet you ignore me entirely. It breaks my heart!" Su Yu turned to face her, assuming a solemn expression. "Castellan Qinghu, one must maintain dignity before the guardian lord. So long as you have not severed your dead spirit channel, you remain a subordinate of the sacred city. How can you interject thoughtlessly while I converse with the lord?" "..." Qinghu was struck speechless. *You, Su Yu, talking about propriety?* *Who are you fooling?!* *Sanctimonious hypocrite, full of wicked schemes!* Her gaze turned subtle. Treating Su Yu with such courtesy was certainly not to curry favor with him—she had no need for that. Now, she suddenly sent a voice transmission, her tone drenched in sultry charm: "Little brother, I hear the human race delivered two carriers to you. Why not stay tonight and share supreme bliss with your sister... All I ask is that you take pity on me and bestow another carrier..." *Keep dreaming!* Su Yu scoffed inwardly. *To hell with that; I have zero interest in foxes.* *Asking for a carrier on top of that—the nerve of this woman!* He couldn't be bothered to respond. At that moment, a woman's voice drifted from the rear hall: "Enter and speak!" It carried a trace of age and a distinctive resonance. Su Yu hurried toward the rear hall. Castellan Qinghu's eyes flickered, and she followed him inside. Meanwhile, the outside world watched in silence. Could Su Yu truly bear the death qi of a second ancient city? Was he genuinely going to take over a second city? If so, Su Yu would become the very first castellan to govern two cities simultaneously. …… Inside the rear hall. A colossal statue stood before Su Yu. Towering high! At a glance, it was female... ahem, a woman. She bore human features. Judging purely by the stone sculpture, she appeared mesmerizing—neither purely innocent nor overtly seductive, but simply striking. As for which race she hailed from, Su Yu had no idea. Most of these stone statues appeared similar to humans. Of course, they generally weren't human. Tianmie, for instance—Su Yu had seen his tail. Xinghong, for instance—Su Yu had seen his scales. Neither of them was human. As for Yunxiao, nothing obvious showed yet, though the likelihood of her being human was equally slim. Yunxiao opened her eyes, scrutinizing Su Yu as various figures continually shifted across her gaze. After observing him for a moment, she asked coolly, "Can you bear the death qi of a second sacred city?" Su Yu pondered briefly, then activated his "Death" divine character, absorbing large quantities of death qi into his body. Not only that, but in the next breath, his yang aperture unsealed. Rather than reversing the death qi, he opened the yang aperture to soak it in. Reversing origin apertures was a cultivation technique. Opening a yang aperture was no technique; it merely meant Su Yu was exceptionally gifted, having actually prised open a yang aperture! Witnessing this, Yunxiao showed a hint of surprise, remarking calmly, "So that's how it is—a half-opened Heavenly Aperture... No wonder you can absorb such vast amounts of death qi. Yet even a Heavenly Aperture has its limits. Absorbing it at this rate, you will completely transform into a dead spirit in a few short years!" Behind them, Castellan Qinghu listened and smirked inwardly. *So it has limits after all.* *He won't last more than a few years!* *Turns out he's only acting arrogant for the moment. Here I thought he possessed some earth-shattering secret, but it's just some Heavenly Aperture...* Adopting an impeccably obedient tone, she asked, "Niangniang, could I open this Heavenly Aperture as well?" Yunxiao answered dispassionately, "If you were human and had opened 360 apertures, you might attempt it. Would you like to try?" "..." Hearing that, Qinghu instantly gave up. It was that troublesome? No wonder only Su Yu could manage it. Qinghu put on another sweet smile. "Niangniang, how long can he endure taking on two ancient cities? If he perishes, I would still like to serve you, Niangniang." Su Yu said nothing. This fox had too many schemes. Fishing for information through roundabout inquiries! Yunxiao said indifferently, "Three to five years. If he takes on yet another city, he may die within a single year. Furthermore, he cannot repeatedly draw upon the guardian's power, or... he will die even faster!" At this, Castellan Qinghu gave up all lingering hope! He was simply a short-lived ghost! Even tormented by death qi, ordinary castellans like them could typically live for several centuries, couldn't they? Yet a short-lived wretch like Su Yu could only survive a few years, without even being able to absorb death qi excessively. Now, terrified Su Yu might change his mind, she hastily offered up a castellan token and smiled. "Castellan Su, since you have an agreement with Niangniang, I gladly hand over the seat of castellan to you. Be sure to attend upon Niangniang well! From this day forth, I am merely an ordinary resident under your command..." Su Yu chuckled. "Castellan Qinghu, wouldn't you like to serve as a guard commander or the like...?" "No need!" Qinghu sneered internally. *Do you take me for a fool?!* Within the city, the castellan token could disperse death qi onto guard soldiers and commanders. In other words, holding an official title meant shouldering the risk. If a castellan turned black-hearted, he could dump massive amounts of death qi right onto you. As for residents, the castellan had no authority to transfer death qi onto them, though the stone statue naturally could. The greater the benefits, the greater the risks. Su Yu smiled. Fine, you chose this yourself. Don't blame me for not offering you the chance! A castellan token could transfer death qi, but it could also absorb it. If she held an official post, Su Yu could actually absorb death qi from within her, and she could transfer it to him whenever Su Yu was willing. This Qinghu simply had too many fox-like calculations. "In that case, Castellan Qinghu..." Su Yu smiled. "Please make yourself comfortable elsewhere. I am not particularly fond of having spectators while I refine the castellan token here in the manor." Qinghu smiled, unbothered, and bowed once more to the stone statue. "Niangniang, your servant takes her leave. If Castellan Su cannot hold on, your servant will return to serve you..." Having Su Yu hold out for a while was fine too; it would give her time to dissolve her death qi and ideally advance to Quasi-Invincible. That way, once Su Yu kicked the bucket, returning to take up the castellan's mantle would pose no problem. A splendid arrangement! Yunxiao remained silent. Soon, Castellan Qinghu departed, taking many from the castellan's manor along with her. She did not leave the city. For now, she still belonged to Yunxiao Ancient City, and stepping outside was no wise move. It was just that from this moment on, she no longer had to endure so much death qi on the city's behalf. Correspondingly, she could no longer enjoy the perks. That included merging with dead spirits, borrowing the city's death qi, and sealing the city gates—none of which remained within her power. …… Inside the rear hall. Su Yu smiled and began refining the castellan token. A flood of information surged into his mind. Death qi began to boil! Yunxiao watched in silence. As she watched... something felt off. Su Yu found the death qi overflowing faster than the yang aperture could absorb it. In the blink of an eye, his origin apertures reversed, converting vast swathes of death qi into origin qi—mountains of it. Su Yu continually refined the token while endlessly converting death qi. Previously, death qi was absorbed by the yang aperture. Now, the death qi was directly transformed into origin qi! While reversing it, Su Yu spoke up: "Lord Yunxiao, your subordinate has a question..." Yunxiao felt slightly dazed and replied, "What is it?" "My lord, since I am serving as castellan here, why hasn't a dead spirit monarch appeared to convert me?" Su Yu sounded rather reluctant. "I wanted to set up a few more death qi channels. Why... are there none?" Yunxiao froze. She had seen much in her long existence, but this was the first time she had ever heard such a request. After a long pause, she said in a low voice, "A single death qi channel is more than enough!" "Ah?" Su Yu felt a touch of regret. Indeed, quite a bit of regret. Did that mean... he couldn't control the dead spirit monarch corresponding to this city, Yan Mo? Su Yu had been hoping to forge a connection with him so he could take him down sooner or later. *He actually dared to intimidate me last time!* Yet now... Su Yu grumbled gloomily, "My lord, does that mean that fellow Yan Mo doesn't need to link with me? Is there any way I can establish a connection with him? For example, if I slaughter Xingyue over at Xinghong Ancient City, can I link with him then?" "..." This was Yunxiao's first time dealing with Su Yu, and she fell into another daze. *You... want to slaughter a dead spirit monarch not to escape becoming a living dead, but to hook up with another monarch?!* *What is going on inside your head?!* And had this brat just deceived her? He wasn't relying solely on that half-opened Heavenly Aperture to absorb death qi at all; his core foundation was this method of reversing death qi! Earlier, she had judged that Su Yu wouldn't live long. Now... she had to overturn her own conclusion. Utter nonsense! This fellow could live an eternity. If he devoted himself wholeheartedly to converting death qi, he could live long enough to drive people to despair. It would be difficult for him to die even if he tried. As Su Yu refined the castellan token, he prompted, "My lord, is that not possible?" "It... it should be?" Yunxiao felt bewildered. Was it? Slaughtering one dead spirit monarch just to go seduce another... Pondering for a moment, she suddenly said, "Even if you truly killed Xingyue, Yan Mo might not dare come convert you." Su Yu froze. "Then... if I cease to be a living dead, would I lose the right to hold the position of castellan?" "Yes." Su Yu was startled. "That won't do! You mean to say that if Xingyue dies, I... can't even remain a castellan?!" He was horrified! Yunxiao desperately wanted to ask: *Could a dead spirit monarch truly fail to outlive you?!* Yet... that was hardly an easy question to voice. Hard to say! Yunxiao felt her world view turning upside down. This was the first castellan in history who worried about the dead spirit monarch who had converted him dying! Live long enough and you see everything! Across countless generations of castellans, every single one prayed for the dead spirit monarch who converted them to drop dead on the spot. Su Yu, on the other hand, was terrified Xingyue might perish. Su Yu was genuinely anxious. "My lord, if Xingyue dies, can I truly no longer serve as castellan?" Yunxiao hesitated. "It is hard to say. Under normal circumstances, upon the monarch's death, you would be freed from the half-dead status. Typically, those who survive by sheer luck flee the sacred cities immediately, terrified of being converted by a dead spirit again... I have never seen anyone loiter around waiting to be converted a second time. You... might try it, perhaps." Su Yu was filled with worry. "Better not test that lightly. Xingyue absolutely must not die! If she dies and no one converts me, I'll lose my castellan position. No, once I return, I must speak with Lord Xinghong about protecting Xingyue. I also need to warn Xingyue never to run around recklessly or pick fights over territory. In the future, I'll absorb less of her death qi to keep her from getting killed... What a headache she is!" He was genuinely concerned for Xingyue now. *If you die, I'm finished. I won't be an ancient city hegemon anymore. With so many people I've offended—even the human race—that would be terrifying.* He urged hastily, "My lord, why don't you call Yan Mo over for me and have him convert me as well? Set up another channel! That way, even if one dies, the other can sustain my half-dead status..." In all her days, Yunxiao had never heard such a request. She was numb. Ignoring Su Yu, she abruptly sent a voice transmission: "Xinghong, that castellan of yours... asks that you properly protect the dead spirit monarch on your side. She must not die under any circumstances. If she dies, he will be freed from his status, and he has no wish to lose it..." These words echoed through the rear hall of Xinghong Ancient City. Xinghong was left speechless, but soon replied, "That makes sense... If Xingyue truly dies, Su Yu might genuinely be freed. In that case, he would be in deep trouble, and we would lose an exceptional castellan!" Thus, in the next moment, Xinghong reached out to the other ancient city guardians, his voice resounding: "Everyone, keep an eye on those fellows beneath your domains. Tell them not to cross boundaries without cause. From this day forth, Xingyue is under my protection!" Protect Xingyue! If Xingyue died and no dead spirit dared convert Su Yu, what would happen then? Granted, another dead spirit might step up, but that was no certainty. Better to safeguard Xingyue. Xinghong's voice rippled outward, soon reaching Xingyue as well. For the first time, he spoke with immense politeness: "Xingyue, look after yourself! Do not charge into battle across the Dead Spirit Realm without due caution; it is far too perilous. Su Yu asked me to protect you properly, lest your demise free him from his half-dead status and strip him of his castellan position. If you run into trouble, so long as it remains within the rules, you may call upon me!" "..." Down in the underground passageway. Monarch Xingyue froze, her gaze shifting wildly. Humiliation! An unspeakable humiliation! To think the half-dead she had converted was terrified of her dying and freeing him... and had even asked a guardian to protect her, a monarch... Xingyue felt thoroughly disgraced! What a disgrace! "Bastard!" Monarch Xingyue flew into a rage! *Su Yu, you dare humiliate me?!* *Pure, unadulterated humiliation!* *I am a regional hegemon, an Invincible existence, a monarch among dead spirits! Yet today, I have been disgraced beyond endurance!* *How utterly shameful!* The guardian who had suppressed them all this time had just told her: *If you run into trouble, come find me, and I will help you—because if you die, I will lose a fine castellan.* This... this pierced straight to the heart and lungs! Had she not been a dead spirit, she would have coughed up blood on the spot. Xinghong paid her no further mind. He felt Su Yu's reasoning held merit. One had to be prepared! …… Meanwhile, Yunxiao stood rooted in place. Su Yu, Xinghong... these fellows were upending everything she knew. Xinghong was actually going to protect Xingyue! Damn it! Yunxiao hadn't cursed in tens of thousands of years, yet right now, she wanted to swear. Her world view was shattered. *We are existences meant to suppress the Dead Spirit Realm; since when did we have to protect a dead spirit monarch?!* Right at that moment, Su Yu suddenly said, "Lord Yunxiao, you can step away from the channel and take a few strides now! Transfer all the death qi to me. Walk around, or fly out for a look—the world outside is still magnificent!" Yunxiao stared blankly. *I... can walk out and look?* *I bear massive amounts of death qi. If I transfer it all to you, won't you... die?* She reconsidered—Xinghong had walked outside the city before, so... it should be fine, right? Carefully, bit by bit, she channeled the death qi she bore into Su Yu. In turn, Su Yu unleashed a surge of death qi, frantically converting it. Yunxiao hesitated, then took a cautious step away from the channel. The passageway remained stable... Stunned, she cautiously dispelled her petrified state, shrinking to normal human size before Su Yu. Su Yu, however, kept his eyes closed, wholly absorbed in converting the energy. Yunxiao felt like weeping! Countless years! She, too, had longed to go outside; she, too, had longed to move, yet she never could... Now, she could move! In a flash, she vanished from the spot. She had stepped out of the city. Unseen by anyone, she walked beyond the ancient city walls, flying higher and higher, soaring upward into the heavens! She wanted to roar, she wanted to cheer, she wanted to go wild, she wanted to weep aloud—even Invincibles were living beings. Tens of thousands of years, perhaps a hundred thousand... It had been far too long! So long that she had believed herself long dead. Today, she knew she was alive. Women—females of any kind—all yearned for freedom, yearned for the dazzling world outside. At this moment, Yunxiao bordered on madness. *I... am out!* Rumble! The heavens and earth shook as Yunxiao thrust out a palm. With a thunderous boom, she tore through the void, roaming wildly in boundless frenzy, exhilaration, and excitement. *I am out!* *I am truly out!* *Su Yu, I... I love you to death!* At this moment, Yunxiao's ecstatic frenzy surpassed all imagination. In the next instant, she plummeted from the sky. Suddenly, she slammed a palm toward Changping Ancient City! Inside Changping Ancient City, the Changping stone statue opened his eyes, stunned. Before he could utter a word, his own castellan was struck from the heavens by Yunxiao's palm, flattened into a meat patty! The castellan did not die. Yet he was terrified beyond measure. Swiftly reforming his physical body, he stood dazed, not knowing where to flee. *What... just happened to me?!* *Inside my own ancient city, how could my physical body be blown to pieces?!* Meanwhile, Yunxiao struck another palm toward the distant Shanqi Ancient City. Soaring into the sky, her aura shook the heavens as her clear, cold voice reverberated across the Sea of Stars: "From this day forth, Su Yu is under my, Yunxiao's, protection! Whoever among the myriad races seeks to kill Su Yu, I shall kill them in return!" "..." When a woman went mad, she was far more terrifying than any man. Yunxiao had craved freedom for far too long. At that moment, all four quarters fell dead silent, thoroughly stupefied. Damn it! What on earth was happening? A stone statue had charged out for no rhyme or reason! Not only had she charged out, but she had also pulverized two castellans! Granted, she hadn't killed them, merely inflicting grievous wounds, but... what was this?! Nothing like this had ever occurred in history! Even Xinghong was dumbfounded. *Good grief, what is this? Are you... trying to usurp my place as the primary patron?!* Inside Changping Ancient City and Shanqi Ancient City, the two stone statues bristled with anger. Yet in the next instant, Yunxiao's voice transmission reached them: "Do not cross me! Cross me, and I will summon the Eldest Brother to settle scores with you! Your castellans dared bully the master of my Yunxiao Sacred City—sheer insolence!" "..." The two stone statues were completely petrified. Damn it! Just what had Su Yu done to Yunxiao?