From every direction, the spectators, the idle onlookers, and those harboring hidden agendas…
At this moment, all of them were dumbstruck.
Even that worked?
Su Yu actually ran over to Yunxiao Ancient City to become its castellan?
And most crucial of all, he had freed Yunxiao?
Up in the void, the hazy silhouette of Ancient Saint Yunxiao radiated a pressure that blanketed the heavens and the earth. In a frosty voice, she proclaimed, "The master of Yunxiao Sacred City possesses matchless merit! Whosoever dares oppose him shall face the united wrath of all cities!"
Matchless merit?
Where on earth did this merit come from?
Yunxiao did not elaborate. To her, the fact that she was out was merit enough!
As for whether it truly counted, if she said it did, then it did. She was out, and Su Yu was sealing the passageway. That was merit. Suppressing a dead spirit passageway—why couldn't that be considered matchless merit?
Was there a problem?
She surveyed the surroundings, her gaze piercing through heaven and earth. Every expert who was hiding or concealed in the void fell under her eyes. Yunxiao snorted coldly, itching to thrash them all, longing to find an Invincible to fight!
She wanted a fight so badly!
It had been countless years!
She had spent all that time like a living corpse, imprisoned and guarding a passageway… Even a dead spirit monarch had more freedom than she did. At critical junctures, a dead spirit monarch could at least step out, kill someone, and have a bit of fun.
She couldn't!
Because of the rules!
If she left, the death qi in the passageway would run rampant without anyone to suppress it, which constituted a grave dereliction of duty.
Now, all was well.
Su Yu was suppressing it!
Yunxiao did not want to return so soon. She wanted to stay out a little longer. In fact, she wished she never had to go back.
Right now, she desperately hoped someone would pick a quarrel with her.
She wanted to fight!
She wanted to vent!
At any rate, she simply did not want to go back!
At that very moment, Tianmie suddenly went berserk. His roar shook the surroundings. "Su Yu! Come! Get your ass over here!"
"……"
*Aaargh!*
*I'm going crazy!*
Tianmie was truly losing his mind. *Don't—don't do this to me! Come to my city! I want to get out too! I want to go out and fool around!*
First Xinghong, and now Yunxiao. What about him?
*I'm the first stone statue father you ever knew!*
Tianmie was frantic, bellowing, "Su Yu, get over here! Just come, and I'll beat Tianhe to death so you can take his place…"
Tianhe's face turned livid.
*Dammit!*
*Is that really necessary?*
*Does it have to come to this?*
*A dignified ancient Invincible actually spouting words like that! Do you have no shame at all?*
Yet while Tianhe was merely grumbling inwardly, the castellans of Changping and Shanqi went pale. Tianmie might have spoken in a fit of pique, but how could they dare treat it as mere bluster? His words implied… if Su Yu wanted to replace them, the stone statues were willing to beat them to death just for his sake!
In fact, there was no need to wonder.
Just moments ago, Ancient Saint Yunxiao had reduced their physical bodies to paste with a single palm strike, without showing the slightest shred of mercy.
And the stone statues of their own ancient cities had not uttered a peep.
It was as though nothing had happened!
Because she hadn't killed them outright, not even a dead spirit had appeared. They had taken that thrashing completely in vain!
Now, Tianmie's roar left castellan after castellan shaken to the core. What was the meaning of this?
Around them, one ancient city after another manifested. Some had just arrived, while others had been here all along. Witnessing and hearing all this, their hearts were engulfed by boundless shock.
Inside Yunxiao Ancient City.
Qinghu's eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped. What was going on?
Lady Yunxiao… had actually intervened?
Over such a trivial fart of a matter! Two castellans had merely tried to give Su Yu a preemptive show of force, and Su Yu hadn't even suffered any disadvantage. Yet Yunxiao had struck right into their ancient cities and blown their bodies to bits.
At that moment, Qinghu was so intensely envious it hurt!
Truly envious!
So sour that she wanted to roar and howl at the sky. She had served as castellan for a hundred years, yet Yunxiao hadn't spoken to her ten times, with fewer than fifty sentences exchanged in total.
Now, Su Yu had only just arrived!
Didn't the tea go cold a little too fast after the old guest left?
Wasn't this double standard a bit too extreme?
Su Yu had barely taken over as castellan, and there she went—a stone statue that hadn't moved in tens of thousands of years had personally taken action, striking down castellans even as they sat inside their own homes!
Even the ancient cities… were no longer safe!
Their sole reliance was their ancient city and its stone statue. Now that a stone statue had personally struck out against them, it was an exceptionally dangerous omen. It meant that staying inside their cities was no longer a guarantee of safety.
You never knew when the stone statue behind you might suddenly slap you into oblivion!
……
Thanks to Yunxiao's strike, the entire Sea of Stars fell dead silent.
Tianmie was miserable and frantic.
He wanted to get out!
Just as he was spiraling into frenzy, on the verge of tears, another figure abruptly materialized beside Yunxiao—a dashing man alongside a striking woman!
*Fuck!*
It was Xinghong!
Yunxiao was taken aback as well, instinctively glancing back toward her own ancient city. If even Xinghong had come out, was Su Yu all right?
Could he really manage this?
Xinghong sent a voice transmission: "Fret not. It is merely bearing the weight of two Guardians. He is still within the city. Last time, when he went to the Human Realm and I stepped out, he was able to endure it even though the death qi was doubled…"
In other words, with two Guardians out right now, the death qi backlash was roughly equivalent to what Su Yu had endured back then.
There was no real difference!
Because at this moment, Su Yu was physically inside the city.
Seeing Xinghong step out, Yunxiao gave him a look. *What are you doing out here?*
Xinghong said nothing. *Whatever you're doing out here, that's what I'm doing.*
Naturally, it was to fool around… Cough, cough. Naturally, it was to back Su Yu up!
Xinghong adopted a stern countenance and swept his gaze across the surroundings. "Whether the Sacred Cities form an alliance is strictly an internal affair of the Sacred Cities! Any living being from outside who dares interfere shall be executed without mercy!"
Dominating, wasn't it?
Xinghong wore a mask of aloof detachment. *I've come to back you up, Su Yu. Fear nothing.*
The two stone statues hovered in midair.
Neither had any intention of returning!
Their auras grew increasingly formidable. It would be best if someone showed up so they could have a brawl!
Once the fight was over, it wouldn't be too late to head back.
After flaunting his dominance for a while without anyone daring to respond, Xinghong felt somewhat disappointed. In the next breath, he barked, "Changping, Shanqi! You two have been neglectful in disciplining your castellans. Yunxiao was merely teaching them a lesson. Do you two Guardians have any objections?"
As he spoke, he transmitted his voice: "If you've got an objection, come out and fight!"
"……"
At that moment, the two ancient cities were terrifyingly quiet.
The two stone statues were cursing furiously in their hearts!
They wanted to kill someone!
*Fuck your uncle!*
*Do we have an objection?*
*We have plenty of objections, but… can you let us out first?!*
*Let us out to fight! Who's afraid of who?!*
*The problem is, we can't get out!*
These two were obviously just looking for something to do. They couldn't just stand there doing nothing, could they?
What was wrong with stirring up a little trouble?
As long as it stayed within the rules, they would pick a bone just so they didn't have to go back. *Su Yu, hang in there! You can do it!*
……
Inside the ancient city, Su Yu was also dumbfounded.
*So reliable?*
*This Yunxiao is way too reliable!*
As for Xinghong, Su Yu was speechless. *What's the point of you coming out?*
And then there was Tianmie, who was probably genuinely furious by now, likely green with envy. What a pity… Su Yu sighed. It couldn't be helped. Tianmie Ancient City had shown zero warmth, and Tianmie hadn't invited him over either, so Su Yu had felt embarrassed to impose.
At this moment, two ancient Invincibles dominated the sky with their oppressive might.
Their posture made it abundantly clear: anyone who dared offend Su Yu would be pounded into dust. For a time, all the onlookers in the vicinity fled in terror.
……
"Su Yu…"
A whisper echoed as an expert sighed. A powerhouse of the god race shook his head slightly.
A wasted effort!
With two stone statues showing up in person, what use was there in trying to block the alliance?
Would those castellans still dare cause trouble?
Weren't they afraid of ending up like the castellans of Changping and Shanqi, or even worse—being personally smashed to bits by their own city's stone statue?
Just how had Su Yu accomplished this?
At this moment, countless people were consumed by doubt. How on earth had he convinced the stone statues to leave their cities? Did having them step out require Su Yu to pay a massive price?
If so, the stone statues wouldn't be able to step out whenever they pleased.
Yet right now, the statues seemed ready to act on a whim, completely unlike how they had operated in the past.
One ancient city after another gathered, and soon, thirty-five ancient cities had arrived.
Only one city, submerged deep beneath the sea, had not made an appearance.
Because it had no living inhabitants and no castellan, its Guardian likely had no idea that an alliance assembly was even being held and was probably still asleep.
Thirty-five ancient cities, all colossal, blanketed the sky and earth.
Encircled in the middle was one of the entrances to the Nine Realms… The experts of the Nine Realms were trembling in terror.
*We won't reclaim any more land!*
*Please don't do this!*
Thirty-five ancient cities, thirty-five stone statues. Even the sole Dao-attained expert of the Nine Realms paled in fright.
Sheer terror!
They were terrified that if a dispute broke out, these stone statues would storm into the Nine Realms and shatter their world. That would be the end of them.
Xinghong took a lap to declare his sovereignty—Su Yu was still his—before speaking in a frosty tone: "The affairs of the Sacred Cities shall be resolved by the Sacred Cities. Outsiders, do not interfere, lest you blame us for slaying you in accordance with the rules!"
Having delivered his piece, Xinghong flew back into his ancient city, fully satisfied.
*Su Yu is my city's castellan.*
*As for Yunxiao's side, he's merely working part-time. Don't take it too seriously.*
Now that Xinghong had returned, Yunxiao wanted to linger a bit longer, but after some thought, she figured there would be plenty of opportunities in the future. Soon, she descended back into Yunxiao Ancient City, returning instantly to her original spot.
Seeing Su Yu standing there completely unharmed, looking around, she felt a surge of secret delight. Indeed, this fellow was fine.
Which meant she too could leave whenever she wished in the future.
Splendid!
Su Yu hadn't thought that far ahead. At this moment, he was simply overjoyed and hurried to say, "Many thanks, Lady Yunxiao!"
Wonderful!
A female Invincible was truly domineering. Look at Xinghong—always playing the aloof powerhouse, sneaking around even when beating up an Invincible. But look at Yunxiao! She had struck directly into their home cities. Utterly overbearing!
Settling back into her original position, Yunxiao still savored the feeling from earlier, feeling a strong urge to go back outside. *Forget it, endure a little longer.* Feigning composure, Yunxiao said calmly, "A minor matter. Integrating the Sacred Cities is a fine idea. However… you must continually circulate your method for reversing death qi. If too much death qi accumulates, it will easily convert you completely into a dead spirit."
"My lady speaks the truth!"
Su Yu nodded hastily.
Yunxiao asked, "If I step out and you reverse the qi with all your might, can you maintain a balance?"
Su Yu pondered for a moment before replying, "If my lady goes out for an hour, I will need to spend at least half an hour eroding away the death qi you generate. It is the same when Lord Xinghong goes out!"
Su Yu continued, "If both of you step out together and I reverse the qi, I can only just maintain a balance. In other words, the death qi produced by your departures can only be balanced out if I reverse it at full throttle! On top of that, Xingyue is constantly channeling death qi into me, which slightly exceeds my load. But that's fine—I can still open yang apertures. If I truly open yang apertures to absorb it, I can endure Xingyue's death qi as well…"
"……"
Yunxiao was rendered speechless.
*So, both of us leaving together, plus a dead spirit monarch channeling into you, only brings you to a balance?*
"Then…"
Yunxiao hesitated briefly before asking, "Under normal circumstances, as castellan, you also need time to erode the death qi naturally generated by the Sacred Cities…"
Su Yu nodded. "Yes. Normally, I need to spend nearly an hour reversing death qi. Now that I have taken on another city, it might take two hours to reverse a single day's death qi."
Su Yu sighed. "Factoring that in, that's two hours. Therefore, if both you and Castellan Xinghong wish to go out now, you can leave for at most twenty-two hours a day. You must leave me at least two hours to reverse the death qi, otherwise I'll die!"
"……"
Silence.
*So, even if both of us leave together for twenty-two hours, you can still hold out?*
Su Yu added, "Of course, that is assuming I remain inside the city. If I am outside the city but still within the All-Heavens Battlefield, you two can only leave for about sixteen hours at most. And if I leave the All-Heavens Battlefield entirely, you two can only leave for ten hours a day at most, or it will become very troublesome for me!"
*Fuck!*
Yunxiao felt an urge to curse at him!
*Even if you're not in the All-Heavens Battlefield, we can still leave for ten hours a day?*
*Are you serious?*
Su Yu was completely serious. It was doable; there was no problem.
Naturally, he supplemented, "However, Xingyue occasionally throws a tantrum. So it's best if you don't push it to the absolute limit. Otherwise, I won't have any time left to cultivate, and it could get dangerous. I need to leave myself at least seven or eight hours a day for cultivation."
Su Yu was very earnest. *I need to cultivate too.*
*Don't stay out for too long!*
Yunxiao was thoroughly speechless, exhausted in spirit.
*By your logic… we really can just come and go as we please?*
"Then… could you actually take on the death qi of other Sacred Cities as well?"
Su Yu gave a sheepish smile. "I could, in theory. Given my current strength, the death qi a castellan must bear takes about one hour per city. But I need to reserve at least eight hours, plus two hours to rest. In a day, that leaves fourteen hours at most… In other words, if none of the Guardians leave, I could bear fourteen cities."
At this point, Su Yu added, "However, you Guardians will sometimes go out and take action. In that case, I can't take on so many, or it will invite danger. Some buffer time must be reserved!"
"Furthermore, if multiple Guardians leave simultaneously and unleash their might together, on top of the cities' ambient death qi, I won't be able to reverse it in time…"
Su Yu calculated for a good while before stating, "Bearing five ancient cities is my absolute limit! Reversing the death qi of five ancient cities will take roughly six hours. A quarter of my day would be spent on reversal, and the rest must be kept on standby for other matters. Besides, it is still very perilous. If I get trapped somewhere and cannot reverse it in time, or if I run into enemies, the death qi alone could kill me…"
Su Yu wore an honest expression. That was the bottom line.
At most, he could bear five ancient cities.
He thought for a moment and whispered, "My lady, should I go try a few more ancient cities…"
"No!"
Yunxiao said abruptly, "There is no need! I have a suggestion for you to consider!"
"Please speak, my lady!"
"Xinghong, Tianmie, and I may be stronger than some of the current Eternals, but we are neither omnipotent nor invincible. We also have our own duties… However… you could go become the castellan of one specific ancient city. Go quietly, without anyone's knowledge. If you succeed, you might… have far more backing than you do now!"
Su Yu felt a slight jolt in his heart.
"Of course, if you go there, you likely won't be able to bear the death qi of any other Sacred Cities."
Yunxiao explained, "There, the death qi you must bear will be far greater and much denser! If that person steps out of the city… the death qi you endure might be three to five times what you endure from us, or even more!"
Taken aback, Su Yu asked, "My lady means… the ancient city whose Guardian has never appeared?"
"Yes!"
Yunxiao made no further attempt to conceal it. "That Sacred City is different. Because it has lacked an inhabitant for countless years, its death qi is exceptionally dense, and the passageway it guards is far more formidable. However, its Guardian is even stronger. It is the premier city among the thirty-six Sacred Cities, and its Guardian is our Chief Guardian—essentially our big boss."
Su Yu's interest was piqued. "Could that esteemed personage… be even stronger than you?"
Yunxiao replied as if it were obvious, "Naturally! He is the foremost among all of us Guardians! By modern standards, he would be a Half-Emperor level expert. In reality, 'Half-Emperor' was never a formal cultivation realm; it's simply that few dare call themselves Half-Emperors nowadays, so the title has become a measure of strength."
Curious, Su Yu asked again, "My lady, are the Half-Emperors of the Nether race and Dragon race on the same level as those of the immortal and demon races?"
"Not quite. There are stronger and weaker ones. It is merely that some Half-Emperors of those races have lived for an eternity and possess strength far exceeding ordinary Eternals; tempered by time, their might is nothing to scoff at. Your human race's King Daqin is actually approaching that realm as well…"
Su Yu nodded in understanding, still somewhat intrigued. "Then… are there distinct tiers within the Eternal Realm?"
"In a manner of speaking. You will understand when you reach it. For now… you aren't even at the Sun Moon Realm; knowing won't do you any good, as any Eternal can kill you with ease."
Su Yu nodded. *Fair enough.*
Become a castellan—the castellan of the premier city?
He felt a slight thrill. Should he go give it a try?
A genuine Half-Emperor level expert!
Su Yu asked further, "Then… would the esteemed personage in that ancient city be willing to act on my behalf?"
Yunxiao replied indifferently, "Hard to say. He is our Chief Guardian and cares far more about rules. Furthermore… someone broke his rules back then. In short… he might not act for your sake, but he will act for the sake of the rules!"
Su Yu knew what she was referring to; Xinghong had mentioned it before.
That ancient city was devoid of living beings because the Guardian had slaughtered the people of that era, including the castellan back then.
That castellan had harbored wild ambitions, attempting to use the dead spirits and the stone statue to conquer the All-Heavens. In the end, he had been struck down by the stone statue itself.
With a trace of concern, Su Yu asked, "Lady Yunxiao, if I go there to become castellan… won't I be the sole person in the entire city?"
"Indeed."
Yunxiao said, "He has guarded that place alone for many years. I suspect… he may be nearing his limit. Over countless eras, there was only a brief period when someone shared the burden with him; aside from that, he has held the vigil entirely on his own."
*Formidable!*
Su Yu was secretly awed. Guarding alone for so many years made him far more terrifying than Xinghong and the others.
Yunxiao added, "Moreover, without his approval, the other Guardians of the thirty-six Sacred Cities might not exert themselves for you. But if he gives his nod, the other Guardians will certainly give it serious thought."
She continued, "This is also your opportunity. If Xinghong went to speak with him, he might not agree. But if I go, since I have always had an excellent relationship with the Chief Guardian, I can persuade him on your behalf!"
Su Yu's interest was thoroughly piqued!
A Half-Emperor!
An ancient Half-Emperor at that, so he was bound to be extraordinarily formidable!
The kind who could take on seven or eight Invincibles at once?
He was worth several ordinary stone statues combined!
"Then… I shall trouble my lady…"
*Buzz!*
The person vanished!
No, the stone statue was gone.
Su Yu froze. *Where did Yunxiao go?*
Yunxiao had left.
She had left with immense haste. *You agreed? Farewell, I'm taking a trip out and will be right back!* Her time outside earlier had been far too brief, and the moment she returned, she couldn't sit still.
Now, with Su Yu's consent, her departure was entirely justified.
Yunxiao's voice drifted into Su Yu's ears: "Wait here for me. I'll be back shortly!"
Su Yu nodded quickly, marveling at her efficiency.
*So fast!*
*Didn't people say women were always dilatory?*
*This Yunxiao is extraordinarily efficient! The instant I answered, she bolted. How spirited.*
……
Outside Yunxiao Ancient City.
Tianmie was still craning his neck in anticipation.
*Come to my city!*
*Where is Su Yu?*
*If you can bear two cities, bearing three should be fine too, right?*
*Hurry over to me!*
Soon, he started slightly. Yunxiao was gone… out to fool around again?
*I… I'm so envious!*
Where had Yunxiao gone?
What was she doing?
Gallivanting about?
*I want to go too!*
……
Tianmie sensed it, and Xinghong sensed it as well.
He was slightly surprised. *Yunxiao went out again?*
*Should I go out for a spin too?*
*Forget it, one must abide by the rules and not venture out haphazardly. That fellow Yunxiao probably just couldn't hold it in.* As for Su Yu… Xinghong pondered. That kid could probably bear another city or two.
He promptly transmitted his voice to Tianmie: "Don't be impatient. What's the rush? From what I can tell, Su Yu can definitely bear another city without issue. The next one should be you. Tianmie, prepare yourself to leave your city!"
Tianmie grew thrilled. *Truly?*
*Is it finally my turn?*
*I'm so excited, so thrilled! I get to go out too?*
*That brat Su Yu has no filial piety at all—forgetting who passed down techniques to him and who gave him traversal talismans!*
Fortunately, his turn had finally come.
Bliss!
Inside the city, Tianhe was equally speechless. He could clearly feel Tianmie's emotional turbulence. Having been trapped for so long, the Guardian was probably itching desperately to leave. *Well, that works out. I can relax a bit too.*
*I'll just be an ordinary resident, no longer needing to endure the corrosion of this death qi. There might still be some, but as a resident, it certainly won't be as much as I bear now. How comfortable.*
……
As for Su Yu, he had originally intended to head to Tianmie Ancient City.
Yet Yunxiao's words… After mulling them over, he felt they made sense.
There was no rush to liberate the other stone statues.
He should curry favor with their big boss first!
The Chief Guardian!
That was a Half-Emperor. If that figure joined his camp, good heavens, with so many Half-Emperors behind him, who would Su Yu have left to fear?
……
The ocean floor.
At a depth so profound that ordinary Sun Moon experts could not dive to it.
An ancient city stood silently in the abyss of the seabed. For countless ages, it had remained just as it was, noiseless and motionless.
At this moment, ripples in the water shattered the tranquility.
"Boss!"
Like a little beast fresh out of its cage, Yunxiao arrived brimming with excitement and fervor. She had actually stalled a bit and hadn't rushed straight here, instead wandering through the Sea of Stars for a while before finally arriving at the ancient city.
Inside the city.
The stone statue opened its eyes and looked at her. After a brief pause, a hint of surprise crossed its features as it spoke in a slow rumble: "You came out as well?"
Just days ago, Xinghong had come by.
Now, barely any time had passed, and Yunxiao was here.
Were they taking group vacations now?
Entering the city, Yunxiao said delightedly, "I'm out! And not just me. I came this time to find Boss a castellan so you can leave the city with peace of mind, just like us, and no longer suffer the torment of death qi corrosion… like being in a cage…"
"Torment?"
The stone statue pondered in silence for a long time before speaking. "Is it torment? Staying quietly in one place—isn't that quite enjoyable?"
Why would it be torment?
These youngsters truly couldn't endure hardship. It was merely keeping vigil. A single nap lasted ten thousand years; after a few naps, a hundred thousand years passed with ease. How was that torment?
Yunxiao froze. Recalling something, she was rendered speechless, managing only after a long pause, "True enough. Boss, your true form is a Hongmeng turtle with limitless lifespan. A single nap sees the seas turn to mulberry fields. Ah, how could you understand our suffering?"
The Hongmeng turtle!
A race so exceedingly rare in the ancient era that their total numbers might not have filled one hand. Today… perhaps only this one remained.
The seabed was their home, and sleeping was their natural state.
A nap spanning ten thousand years was completely ordinary.
*Boss truly cannot fathom our pain.* Yunxiao felt exasperated, but soon smiled again. "Boss, do you want this castellan? If you don't, I can have him bear the death qi of the other Sacred Cities…"
The stone statue rumbled slowly, "Is it that castellan of Xinghong's?"
"It's him!"
The stone statue mused for a moment. "Him… I witnessed his reversal of death qi once… This person… is rather peculiar. Reversing death qi… He must bear a terrifying amount of death qi. If this continues, even if he doesn't die, one must beware of death qi passageways opening wherever he goes…"
"Boss… this… won't cause problems, will it?"
Yunxiao was uncertain. Would passageways really open?
The stone statue rumbled slowly, "It is difficult to say. Once his death qi reaches the absolute extreme, he will be a passageway himself. Wherever he is, the passageway will be! However… this person possesses a major utility that you are unaware of."
Surprised, Yunxiao asked, "What utility?"
"A conduit!"
Yunxiao was still somewhat confused. The stone statue explained slowly, "A conduit linking all thirty-six cities! When any of you can no longer bear the death qi, you can transfer it to him. And when he cannot bear it, he can transfer the death qi to me, or to the next person…"
The stone statue said softly, "Back then, that fellow also wanted to serve as such a connecting conduit to link the thirty-six Sacred Cities, but unfortunately, he failed. Today… there may be hope… Among the others, a few should already be nearing their limits, yes?"
Yunxiao nodded. "Undoubtedly. If this continues, our petrification arts will be broken. Once broken, we won't last many years. And once we are corroded to death, the passageway to the dead spirit realm will open unchecked…"
The stone statue rumbled slowly, "Then this person is the linchpin. If he can connect all thirty-six cities, I can still hold out for many more years. When your death qi becomes too dense, you can channel it through him, and have him transfer it to me…"
Su Yu was an excellent conduit!
A tool for connecting death qi!
He could allow certain Guardians among the thirty-six cities to relay their death qi through him and transfer it to the stone statue. It was bidirectional: Su Yu could bear the stone statue's death qi, while the stone statue could also bear the castellan's death qi.
Upon hearing this, Yunxiao's eyes flickered. "Then that means… his role is even more crucial than imagined. But… connecting all thirty-six cities—he probably can't manage that, can he? Even if everyone exercises restraint, death qi is spreading now; even with restraint, a massive amount of death qi remains. He won't be able to withstand it."
The stone statue rumbled slowly, "Not necessarily… Just because he cannot bear it now does not mean he won't be able to in the future. I actually observed him once before. The last time he reversed death qi, I watched; back then, he couldn't even withstand the death qi of one city, let alone two. Yet barely a few days have passed, and he can already manage it, even to the point of bearing mine. Since you came seeking me, you must believe he can achieve it, correct?"
"Mm!"
"Then that settles it. Give him a bit more time to grow, and perhaps… he truly will accomplish it!"
At this moment, the old turtle's interest was stirred. As for Su Yu bearing death qi on his behalf, he didn't care all that much; he could hold out just fine. The crucial issue was that among the thirty-six cities, some Guardians could no longer endure.
The stone statue said slowly, "I investigated some days ago; Yuhong Sacred City may soon be unable to withstand it. If this person can bear more, the next choice should be Yuhong…"
Yunxiao interjected hurriedly, "Tianmie is desperately eager to have Su Yu serve as his castellan…"
"Pay him no heed,"
the stone statue said impassively. "Tianmie has an impatient temper, but his strength is decent and he can still hold out. Once he gains this person as his castellan, he will likely run wild without restraint and cause trouble everywhere. Tianmie is in no genuine hurry, and by order of need, it is not his turn to fret."
"Then regarding your side, Boss… shall I bring him over?"
"You may!"
The stone statue said softly, "Bring him. Under normal circumstances, he need not concern himself with me. Unless a matter of grave importance arises, I will not easily leave!"
"Very well!"
Yunxiao nodded, delighted.
As for Tianmie being in a rush… *What's the rush!*
Just as Boss said, it wasn't as if he couldn't hold out. Even if Su Yu managed to bear Boss's burden, the next spot wouldn't fall to Tianmie anyway. It had to be allocated based on need.
Having obtained her answer, Yunxiao was in no hurry to depart. She continued, "Boss, the ancient era has ended. Must we truly keep guarding this place forever?"
"Forever."
"But…"
The stone statue said slowly, "There are no buts. This is the rule, our duty, and the foundation of our survival. Otherwise… you would already be dead."
"Then I might as well be dead!"
Yunxiao said disgruntledly, "Back then, I thought guarding for three to five thousand years would be the limit. Who would have thought that this vigil… would span countless ages, with oceans turning to dust! When I woke again, the heavens were no longer the ancient heavens, and the people were no longer the ancient people. The dead spirit passageway grants us longevity, yet it also imprisons us, making life worse than death."
The stone statue rumbled slowly, "Exaggeration. Sleep a little longer. When you wake again, you won't have so many stray thoughts."
*Just sleep!*
*It's only been this many years of vigil. Sleep a few more times, and perhaps everything will begin anew. What's the hurry?*
"……"
Yunxiao felt that over all these years, Boss had probably slept his brains numb!
*Forget it, forget it.* There was no point discussing such things with an immortal turtle. No matter how vast the stretch of time, to him, it was probably just a single nap.
"Then I shall bring Su Yu here. Boss, don't you fall asleep."
"Very well."
Yunxiao vanished. The stone statue closed its eyes once more. Beneath the passageway he guarded, however, a dead spirit wearing a crown spoke in a tranquil tone: "Old turtle, are you choosing a castellan again?"
The stone statue ignored him.
The crowned dead spirit said indifferently, "Old turtle, you wish to rely on a newcomer to suppress me?"
The stone statue continued to ignore him.
The crowned dead spirit let out a chuckle. "Then I shall watch and see who, after countless ages, can take my place…"
The stone statue rumbled slowly, "You have already become a dead spirit. Why cling to your obsessions? Even your memories are fragmented. What is the point?"
"I am not reconciled!"
The crowned dead spirit said calmly, "I am not reconciled to being reduced to a dead spirit! I wish to turn back from death toward life and return once more! Old turtle, when you killed me back then, I refused to yield. The All-Heavens were not in turmoil, and the dead spirits are one of all races. Why should we not dominate the All-Heavens?"
The stone statue kept its eyes closed, offering no reply.
The crowned dead spirit laughed softly and remarked, "You old turtle, whatever you don't wish to hear, you never hear! Just wait. Whoever comes, they won't last long. I will not let this rest. Soon, this passageway will become the primary vanguard of the dead spirit realm!"
"As you please,"
the stone statue replied flatly. Suppressing him was still well within his power.
*Dead is dead. Why cling so stubbornly to obsession?*
Chapter 508