With the emergence of Old Turtle Hongmeng at the Half-Emperor Realm and the retreat of the Dragon Emperor, the plot to shatter the ancient city alliance dissolved into thin air!
Su Yu was someone no one could afford to provoke anymore.
At the very least, within the sphere of influence of the ancient cities, so long as he did not step outside their reach, he was far more troublesome than an Invincible.
A presence completely beyond provoking!
At this moment, several human experts were actually scattered throughout the surroundings.
All of them were powerhouses!
Watching in silence, they could not help but sigh with mixed emotions.
When the myriad races had claimed that Su Yu's presence would lead to humanity being besieged and slaughtered, Su Yu's answer had been simple: he had only one father. The rest of them were none of his concern. Kill his father, and he would fight to the death.
It was that straightforward!
As for the rest of humanity... whether Su Yu spoke like that deliberately or genuinely cared that little was impossible to say.
Compared to other humans, Su Yu had far fewer qualms and scruples.
The myriad races might not entirely believe him, but they were unwilling to gamble on it.
There was simply no need!
Suspended in midair, Su Yu let out a hearty laugh. Sweeping his eyes across the ring of ancient cities, he called out loudly, "The myriad races no longer dare to object, and the dragons have fallen back! Ladies and gentlemen, is there anyone else who opposes our alliance?"
Silence answered him.
Su Yu raised his voice again: "If you agree to the alliance, would you be so kind as to grant me an official post or two?"
He smiled and continued, "Whenever you truly can't bear the death qi, you can come to me. Naturally, giving me an official title doesn't mean you can dump death qi on me whenever you feel like it. If you could do that... what would we need castellans for? I might as well form an alliance directly with the venerable guardians! Once you've thought it through, as of today, the Sacred City Alliance is officially established!"
The other castellans had already been swayed. Even those who relied on major races and had been cultivated by them knew that, compared to those major races and Su Yu... the ancient cities were the very foundation of their survival!
Before Su Yu could finish, Tianhe laughed from the side and chimed in, "Castellan Su, since you've put it that way, allow me to add a word. Will past grievances be set aside? Among the castellans present, some may have had friction with humanity, clashed with them in the past, or even been propped up by the gods and demons..."
Several castellans changed countenance.
Tianhe smiled. "However, we all share the same tragic fate! We are merely a group of creatures seeking to survive! We want to live. Some of us were forced to leave our homelands, forced away from our small realms. Here, we have nothing to lean on, our lives are fleeting, and we lack heaven yuan qi, leaving us no choice but to curry favor with the gods and demons!"
At these words, complex expressions crossed the faces of several castellans.
Becoming the master of an ancient city and an overlord of a region sounded impressive, but in truth, they were just pitiful wretches.
All they wanted was to survive!
At any moment, they could be swallowed by death qi and turned into dead spirits.
If not for that, nine castellans wouldn't have chosen to battle Invincibles just for a single promise from Xia Longwu.
No genius or powerhouse with real prospects—no Sun Moon with a chance of attaining the Dao—would ever come to an ancient city to serve as a castellan. They didn't even have time to cultivate each day, forced to grind away death qi and wait for death in their seats!
The gods, demons, immortals, and dragons might plant pawns, but they would never dispatch their own geniuses and experts to serve as castellans. That was suicide, and their geniuses and powerhouses would never agree to it.
Who would convert into an ancient city resident unless driven into a corner?
To seek their own deaths?
Yet they needed to survive.
Thus, some secretly obeyed the major races, serving as their chess pieces planted across the ancient cities.
And what did the major races offer in return?
Perhaps only meager amounts of heaven yuan qi to help offset death qi. Beyond that, they gave very little else—in truth, they had nothing more to spare for them.
If they wanted to shed this identity and attain the Dao, could the major races grant that?
Even if they could, wouldn't it be better spent on their own people?
Why bestow it upon outsiders, on doomed wretches with little time left?
Castellan Tianhe spoke with earnest sincerity: "Castellan Su, you are human, whereas some of us hail from minor races, and some from destroyed realms. Humanity is one of the supreme races. We are willing to fight for the ancient city alliance, but we have no desire to fight for human supremacy!
"We only wish to survive!
"In bygone years, perhaps we killed humans and stained our hands with human blood. If Castellan Su holds a grudge over this and seeks retribution later, then even if Venerable Tianmie and the others demand an alliance today... we will not agree! That, too, falls within the rules!"
Inside his city, Tianmie snorted, though his voice did not carry outside.
*Did I force you?*
*Hmph!*
*Besides, wouldn't you agree?*
*You'd love nothing more than for Su Yu to take over as castellan for you! Too bad that little bastard won't breathe a single word of it—what a wretched brat!*
*Singing a duet, aren't you!*
Tianmie saw right through it, as did the others, but Tianhe's words truly spoke to what weighed on their hearts.
Castellan Changping, who had previously offended Su Yu, was currently covered in blood. He coughed and said, "Castellan Su, we... also wish to live for ourselves, but sometimes, our hands are tied!"
He sighed helplessly. "Tormented by death qi and lacking heaven yuan qi, with no Heaven Yuan Sacred Ground in the ancient cities—since all the sacred grounds are controlled by the strong races—it is difficult for us to obtain even a shred of heaven yuan qi, let alone speak of attaining the Dao. Just keeping death qi from corroding us is a monumental blessing!
"The god race offered to provide us heaven yuan qi if we acted as their dogs... so we did. Pushed to this brink, we just want to live!"
He continued in dismay, "Perhaps Castellan Su finds it despicable and looks down on us for being so lowly and devoid of dignity. But some of us... still bear the duty of carrying on our race's heritage! I hail from the fallen Sunken Wood race. Of my entire people... I am the sole survivor! When our realm was destroyed, I was the only living being who escaped. If I die, my race will be thoroughly eradicated from the myriad realms!"
With deep sorrow, he added, "That is why I want to live. Even if it means living abjectly, even if it means serving as someone else's dog, as long as it keeps me alive, I will do it, because I shoulder the duty of our lineage! Over countless years, how many ancient races across the heavens have been wiped out, vanishing into the river of history? I don't want the Sunken Wood race to become nothing more than a record in the annals!"
"..."
One castellan after another fell into silence.
None of the experts serving as castellans came from the major races.
A castellan had to be at least at the ninth layer of the Sun Moon Realm. Reaching that stage, what Sun Moon ninth layer from a major race would willingly come here to throw their life away?
It wasn't as if they had no other way out!
They were all from minor races or perished lineages; some had once been clan chiefs or the strongest warriors of their people.
Cases like the Dark Demonic Dragon—a powerhouse from a dominant lineage like the dragon race—were exceedingly rare. He had only become a castellan after falling out with the dragons; otherwise, dragon powerhouses looked down on the role of ancient city castellan.
From how Dao Cheng and Jiu Xuan had acted when visiting the ancient city, looking down on Tianhe from on high, one could tell as much. In their eyes, a Sun Moon ninth layer like Tianhe was nothing—merely a dying man!
Su Yu glanced around and chuckled. "Everyone, Castellan Tianhe, why do you all think so poorly of me, assuming I'm so petty and vengeful? Am I that sort of person?"
*Yes!*
*Exactly!*
*No need to explain or pretend—that's precisely who you are.*
*Ever since you entered the All-Heavens Battlefield, hardly anyone who crossed you has come to a good end.*
*And you still claim you aren't?*
Tianhe smiled. "I didn't mean that. But by my reckoning, once the alliance is formed, we must have a pillar of support. To speak frankly, Castellan Su possesses peerless talent, and behind you stand three Half-Emperor powerhouses. If you don't take the position of alliance leader... we wouldn't dare to, nor could we bear it! But if you become the alliance leader without giving us a clear and honest word, we will always have a knot in our hearts!"
Su Yu gave him a deep, knowing look. He and Castellan Tianhe were old acquaintances; Tianhe was the one who had sent him over to Tianmie back then.
This fellow also had some ties with Xia Longwu.
His remarks right now were essentially feeding Su Yu straight lines.
Su Yu smiled. "Since Castellan Tianhe has laid it bare, I won't beat around the bush either. Past matters will not be pursued! What happened before is before; it has nothing to do with me! Whether you were backed by gods and demons or held grudges against humanity, I, Su Yu, might not have even existed back then! Moreover, ours is the Sacred City Alliance, not a human alliance. You may have enmities with the human race... but you have no enmity with my sacred cities!
"I am Su Yu, Master of the Sacred Cities, not Su Yu, Prefecture Master of Humanity!"
Su Yu's expression turned solemn. "Some of you may have blood debts with humanity... Even if you seek vengeance, I will not stop you! However, as a human myself, I cannot permit the slaughter of weak humans or human soldiers. If you have an enemy, that foe must be at least Sun Moon or Invincible... Seeking revenge against them is your private affair, but slaughtering ordinary, weak humans is something I cannot and will not tolerate!"
Su Yu added, "If the Sacred City Alliance ever goes to war with humanity and armies clash... consider today's words null and void!"
Looking across at everyone, he projected his voice: "Not only the castellans, but also the residents within the cities—I, Su Yu, may not be able to offer other things, but basic necessities I can provide. If you have treasures, blood essence, or resources, I can at least supply you with heaven yuan qi!"
Su Yu smiled. "I don't have much else, but I still have some heaven yuan qi. I can exchange for it through the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, and I can also obtain it from the Ancient God Devourer Realm! Getting heaven yuan qi might be troublesome for you, but for me, it's no trouble at all! The Ancient God Devourer Realm lacks everything except heaven yuan qi!"
Holding up the little fur ball, he laughed. "This is the crown prince of the Ancient God Devourer race. That day when the ancient realm opened, you all surely saw that unimaginably colossal Ancient Heaven Yuan Tree! The God Devourer Crown Prince can return to the ancient realm at any time. I have plenty of heaven yuan qi!"
"..."
Half-asleep and half-awake, the little fur ball quietly watched Su Yu deliver his speech.
*The fragrant guy is such a scammer!*
*Wait, do I even know how to get home?*
*I don't!*
The little fur ball felt thoroughly aggrieved. *I really have no idea. When the elders came out, they never told me how to go back. Return at any time? I don't even know which way the door faces!*
*Go back to what?!*
Of course, virtually no one would doubt Su Yu's claim!
What a joke. The two beings from the Ancient God Devourer race had stepped forward in person to slay the Demon Emperor's three-life embodiments purely for this crown prince. Naturally, they valued this royal scion beyond measure. When Su Yu claimed the little fur ball could return to the ancient realm at any time, everyone believed him.
Not just the castellans, but even the stone statues believed it.
After all, it was the sole heir of the Ancient God Devourer race; those two elders had undoubtedly protected it meticulously.
Perhaps they had placed some beacon technique on the little fur ball that allowed it to return in an instant.
At this moment, everyone turned to look at the little fur ball with a mixture of wariness and relief. If it weren't an ally, they would be terrified; but since it was on their side... it was one of their own!
The descendant of two Half-Emperors!
This was likely the most noble Half-Emperor descendant in all the myriad realms today, wasn't it?
Other Half-Emperor descendants had at most one Half-Emperor elder, but this one had two!
That was a monumental mountain of backing!
At this realization, the castellans felt even more at ease. Right now, they desperately needed reassurance, especially those propped up by the major races of gods and demons.
They were weighing their options!
After joining the alliance, should they listen to Su Yu, or to the gods and demons?
It came down to benefits and weight.
Whoever gave more and provided greater safety was the one they would follow.
Just then, Su Yu chuckled, his voice suddenly echoing via secret transmission: "Castellans, even if you still maintain ties with the gods, demons, immortals, and dragons, it doesn't matter. Tell them that so long as they pay enough, everything is negotiable! If you want to sell intelligence, just let me know beforehand! Of course, if you do it behind my back... I have plenty of experience dealing with that sort of person!"
Su Yu smiled brilliantly, yet a chill crept into the hearts of the other castellans.
Once those words were uttered, they would all suspect one another.
Selling out Su Yu... if you did it and someone else didn't, they might rat you out, and you would be finished!
Still smiling, Su Yu transmitted again, "Don't worry. The major races aren't omnipotent; playing them for fools is nothing new. Without them, how could I have reached where I am today? If you're short on resources, go fleece them! They have money. Last time, I scammed so many treasures from them that I haven't even finished using them yet!"
Everyone was rendered speechless.
*Ruthless!*
If he hadn't brought it up, people would have almost forgotten that this fellow had risen to prominence by swindling.
He had fleeced a massive hoard of resources from the gods and demons in a single sweep.
Ceasing his secret transmissions, Su Yu spoke aloud: "We are all grasshoppers tied to the same string. I believe everyone understands that whether we have status and whether we live well does not depend on ourselves, but on the venerable guardians! Yet the guardians are currently straining their minds and strength to suppress the dead spirit passageways, and some are already struggling. Do not forget our fundamental purpose: our goal remains to help the guardians better guard the passageways!"
Su Yu declared loudly, "And the best way to help the guardians is to shoulder more death qi! When our strength grows, when the cities have more residents, when chaos subsides, and when more living beings populate the cities, all of that helps the guardians!"
He cupped his fists toward the stone statues and shouted, "And the guardians know that as we grow stronger and the castellans become more capable, we can bear more burdens for them! Our interests are aligned! Our aspirations are identical!
"We complement each other!
"The guardians do not fear us growing strong, because our strength allows us to delay death, preventing the realm of dead spirits from growing in power! Once we become strong, would anyone actually think of slaying the guardians to replace them?"
Su Yu burst into laughter. "Only an idiot would think that! Who can understand the bitterness of the guardians watching over the passageways, immobile for tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years? Who would willingly take their place? I imagine that if anyone were willing, the guardians would gladly step down! Therefore, there is no conflict between us, not even over interests!"
As soon as those words were spoken, a stone statue that had remained silent all along spoke up: "Su Yu, your words are precise! We do not fear your growth; we yearn for you to grow stronger! Thus, within the rules, we are willing to help you grow in power and extend your lifespans, rather than watch you die quickly and turn into dead spirits!"
Su Yu smiled. "What you say is entirely correct, Venerable Guardian! Therefore, in my eyes, the Sacred City Alliance is the most rock-solid alliance of all! More solid than the gods, immortals, or humans! Unless one day someone sheds their status as a living dead, only then might their heart diverge from ours. Until then, our hearts beat as one!
"The past is in the past! The future is only just beginning!"
Su Yu proclaimed, "I hope everyone grows stronger, but currently, suppressed by death qi, let alone growing stronger, surviving is already considered lucky! Starting today, we must create our own opportunities to become powerful! Across the thirty-six sacred cities, unified rules and unified conditions! Fees will be charged to enter the cities, fees will be charged for different houses, fees will be charged to open shops, intelligence will be unified, and regulations will be standardized..."
Su Yu shouted, "In the past, you didn't dare! When the demons arrived, you let them enter, not daring to stop them! When the gods arrived, you let them enter, telling them to do as they pleased! But no longer. We are not afraid! If they want to enter, fine—pay up! If they want to open shops, fine—pay up! If they have no money, they don't leave the city; they become residents to pay off their debt!
"When we stand united, which race would dare stir up trouble? Can we casually enter the God Realm? Can we casually enter the Demon Realm? Why don't they let us freely enter their home territories? Yet the sacred cities are our homes, our base—why should they come and go as they please?
"Why should the opportunities inside the ancient houses be given to them for free? If they want in, they can pay! Different rings of ancient houses will command different fees!
"We can take that wealth to purchase heaven yuan qi, purchase carriers, and purchase everything that can make us stronger!"
Su Yu raised his voice: "Though the sacred cities are formidable, we need to be stronger still! We shouldn't rely on the venerable guardians for everything. The guardians are our backing, not our babysitters. When others use their size to bully us or send Invincibles to humiliate us, the guardians are our stabilizing anchors!
"But if no Invincibles interfere, we will resolve it ourselves! Beneath the Invincible Realm, are we inferior to anyone else?"
Su Yu smiled. "Everyone, I, Su Yu, do not speak empty words. Whoever accomplishes great deeds and performs well, I can shoulder their death qi for a time, allowing them to break through and advance! I even possess two carriers paid in compensation by humanity, enough for someone to attain the Dao! When we attempt to attain the Dao, will the myriad races step forward to stop us? Aside from me, you are not human—will the myriad races obstruct you? No, because we have Half-Emperors and guardians! The myriad races would not dare, nor would they offend dozens of Invincibles just to kill us!
"This is your chance. When you grow stronger, I imagine I will benefit as well!"
At this point, someone couldn't help swallowing hard. "Castellan Su, carriers... you... you need them yourself..."
Su Yu laughed. "Depending on how you look at it, such things can be immensely precious, or virtually worthless! For instance, today, Lord Hongmeng crushed two incarnations of that dragon, and I saw a carrier appear... If you trust me, I will even retrieve that carrier and grant it as our alliance's very first reward! Last time, I promised to give away two carriers, and Castellans Tianhe and Qinghu both received them! When I, Su Yu, give my word to my own people, it's cast in iron! To enemies, it means cutting them to the bone!"
By this point, whether entirely willing or not, all the castellans flew out from their ancient cities, bowed deeply, and roared in unison, "We shall serve the Alliance Leader!"
Su Yu laughed heartily. "No, you serve the guardians!"
Su Yu bowed with clasped fists and proclaimed loudly, "Starting today, the masters of the thirty-five cities will faithfully serve the venerable guardians, contribute to the heavens, and jointly suppress the realm of dead spirits so that the dead may never invade our realms!"
"..."
One stone statue after another watched this fellow in silence.
*This kid is utterly hypocritical.*
*Look at you grinning from ear to ear, yet you still insist on dragging us out for display.*
*Claiming to serve us—you probably don't even believe it yourself.*
Not pursuing the topic further, Su Yu smiled and said, "Next, I will take charge of Yuhong Sacred City. The castellan of Yuhong Sacred City and Castellan Qinghu... although both of you can now be relieved of your duties as castellans, that might not entirely be a blessing. I hope you will still accept an official post. If you perform meritorious service, your death qi can be reduced. After all, both of you converted from Invincible dead spirits; even without bearing the burden of castellan, the pressure remains immense!"
Inside Yunxiao Ancient City, Castellan Qinghu shot Su Yu an intensely suspicious look.
Earlier, this fellow had claimed he didn't have long to live. Had that been real or fake?
He had even dragged out a Half-Emperor castellan!
Despite her profound suspicion, Castellan Qinghu hurriedly replied, "We obey the Alliance Leader's command!"
"You are too polite!"
Su Yu smiled amiably, finally turning his gaze toward the black tigress. "How should I address this castellan?"
"Feiyun!"
Listening closely, Su Yu silently discerned her tone. *Could she really be a tigress?*
A tigress... It reminded him of someone: that Cloud Tiger princess he had slain, who refused to walk the proper path and engaged in underhanded schemes, nearly bringing her entire race to ruin!
"Castellan Feiyun hails from..."
"The Golden Tiger race!"
*Are you kidding me?!*
Su Yu stared at the pitch-black tigress. *Are you sure?*
*Golden Tiger?*
*Black Tiger seems far more fitting, don't you think?*
Though mocking inwardly, Su Yu smiled outwardly. "Then let us head to Yuhong Sacred City right now..."
"Su Yu!"
Right then, a stone statue couldn't hold back any longer. "What about me?!"
*What about me?!*
Tianmie could bear it no longer!
*What am I supposed to do?!*
*I supported you so much, and you're my apprentice! Why haven't you come to help me?!*
*Tianhe is truly useless!*
Su Yu chuckled and cupped his hands toward him. "Venerable Tianmie, please wait a moment. Once I've taken charge of Yuhong Sacred City, if I still have strength to spare, I will certainly help relieve your burden. If not... you will have to wait until I grow a bit stronger!"
"Su Yu..."
Tianmie was frantic. "Then the next one... the next one must be me! I... I'm about to reach my limit too!"
"..."
All around, stone statues across the ancient cities were rendered speechless. *You have the nerve to say that?*
Tianhe was quite powerful, and so was Tianmie.
Tianmie was actually in relatively good condition, whereas the stone statues in Yuhong Ancient City and a few others were far worse off.
Were it not for that, Old Turtle Hongmeng wouldn't have thought of using Su Yu as a tool to divert death qi from certain ancient cities.
...
Su Yu entered Yuhong Ancient City.
...
Meanwhile.
News regarding the ancient city alliance spread throughout the heavens.
Another Half-Emperor had appeared!
Though somewhat anticipated, the actual emergence of a Half-Emperor from the ancient cities still drew helpless sighs from the myriad races.
The myriad realms truly held countless secrets.
Three had emerged in succession.
The Ancient God Devourer race had produced two all at once.
And now, one had emerged from the ancient cities.
Suddenly, three new Half-Emperor powerhouses had appeared!
Previously, the ancient city stone statues had never taken action, but now Xinghong and Yunxiao had both intervened, and both were formidable. Each of these stone statues possessed immense strength. A single statue might fall short of a Half-Emperor or even King Daxia, but if three to five stepped forth together, could King Daxia or King Daqin truly match them?
They were all exceptionally high-ranking Invincibles!
This time, the dragon race had suffered a setback, and the Dragon Emperor hadn't uttered a peep. Clearly, the Half-Emperor who had appeared from the ancient cities had exerted immense pressure on him.
He was definitely not weak!
Coupled with the Demon Emperor's previous injuries, the situation across the myriad realms grew even more chaotic.
And Su Yu had completely risen to prominence in the Sea of Stars!
...
Eastern War Zone.
Human territory.
When intelligence from the Sea of Stars arrived, King Daqin offered a faint, stiff smile.
Without lingering on it, he quickly said, "We don't need to concern ourselves with Su Yu's side anymore! The key issue right now is the opening of the Star Residence Mansion. Envoys from the gods, demons, immortals, and dragons have all arrived, hoping to hold a summit as soon as possible to negotiate the quotas! Zhou Tianyuan went to inspect it; the Star Residence Mansion will open soon, in at most half a year!"
Looking across at the crowd, he said, "The quotas within the Human Realm must also be determined! This is an opportunity, but also a crisis! Some geniuses wish to enter, while cowards fear death and want no part in it!
"No matter how many spots we get, it won't be enough. The more, the better!
"I stated earlier that we should prepare for eight hundred, but we must select around a thousand candidates!"
King Daqin looked down at the Invincibles and generals before him and said slowly, "The thirty-six Great Prefectures will no longer be divided by strength. Thirty people per prefecture..."
Just as he spoke, an Invincible remarked faintly, "King Daqin, will the two sacred grounds of the Human Realm be rebuilt? Will there still be quotas for the sacred grounds?"
The sacred grounds were gone!
Soon, someone else chimed in with a laugh: "Why not allocate based on the number of Eternals? Each Eternal selects twenty people. That way, we can satisfy the required number!"
Humanity currently had forty-nine Invincibles, and counting several whose three-life incarnations had been slain, the total exceeded fifty.
At these words, King Daqin said calmly, "Then what about prefectures like Great Wu where the Eternals have fallen?"
"Provide them with additional spots..."
"The four Great Prefectures of Great Wu, Great Wei, Great Chen, and Great Qi can each be granted ten extra slots. If the total ends up being too high, we can adjust later."
King Daqin fell silent for a moment, then turned to King Dazhou. "Old Zhou, what do you say?"
King Dazhou gave a light chuckle. "Don't ask me. The Great Zhou Prefecture has more Eternals; it wouldn't look good for me to take a stance."
Four Eternals!
Of course, when counted up, the Great Ming Prefecture had three, the Great Xia Prefecture also had three, and the Great Qin Prefecture had two. The Invincible who had spoken earlier was the sole Eternal in his prefecture, so he wasn't seeking personal gain—he simply felt there was no need to dwell on the matter of the vanished sacred grounds.
Allocating by the number of Invincibles made sense!
Those slots were exceptionally precious.
As for those who feared death, there would certainly be some, but they could simply avoid selecting them.
After considering it, King Daqin looked toward King Tianzhu. "Tianzhu, what do you think?"
King Tianzhu smiled. "That works! The sacred grounds are gone, making it awkward to distribute the quotas previously reserved for them. Those of us who haven't established prefectures can't be judged by prefecture standards anyway, so dividing by head count works well!"
King Tianzhu could roughly represent the Invincibles who had not founded prefectures. King Daqin nodded. "Then let us divide it this way! Twenty spots per Eternal! I hope the candidates you select will bring back things we need. This time, humanity's resources have been depleted..."
"Isn't that all thanks to Wan Tiansheng's grand deed!" an Invincible sneered. That grudge was not so easily forgotten.
Right now, they simply couldn't find Wan Tiansheng; in truth, even if they did, doing anything to him would be difficult.
King Daqin acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing, "Everyone, finalize your quotas and candidates as early as possible! The younger and more talented, the better! The Star Residence Mansion favors geniuses! Do not hide or hoard the geniuses of each prefecture! Geniuses who haven't forged themselves in blood... to be frank, are just decorative pillows! Of those who never fought across the heavens and made a name for themselves, how many have attained the Eternal Realm?"
"Zhu Tianfang did!" someone joked. "Isn't that fellow an Eternal?"
King Daqin laughed as well. "Fair point. However... that Zhu kid probably spent plenty of time masquerading under false identities to kill. Seeing how ruthless he was, taking down dozens of Sun Moons from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion in one fell swoop, you can tell he isn't kindhearted. He might have infiltrated the Heaven Hunting Pavilion long ago, working his way up from black mask to white mask. If you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself."
At this moment, King Dazhou spoke up: "What about Liu City...?"
Liu City!
Hearing that name, even King Daqin hesitated slightly before saying, "About this... Nan Wujiang, you can go and ask. If they need spots, and they refuse yours... we can spare a few from the Great Qin Prefecture. Liu City probably won't send many people."
In the crowd, Nan Wujiang nodded silently.
He said nothing more.
Meanwhile, Niu Baidao, who had returned from the ancient cities not long ago, chuckled and asked, "King Daqin, did the summit of the various races invite Su Yu and the others?"
King Daqin shook his head.
Niu Baidao laughed. "Then I'd say the quotas divided at that summit might not hold! Since he built an ancient city alliance, he'll definitely want a piece of the pie. He already demanded a hundred spots before!"
"Now that a Half-Emperor has emerged on the ancient cities' side, I'd say if they don't give him any, there will be endless trouble down the line!"
King Daqin nodded slightly. "We'll have to see what the gods, demons, immortals, and dragons say. Even if the ancient cities obtain spots, they might not find suitable candidates. Without truly top-tier geniuses, would those castellans take the field themselves?"
After a moment's thought, he shook his head. "Let Su Yu be. Everyone, put this matter on your agenda and return to make preparations! Furthermore, some in the military may not be peerless geniuses, but I hope you will consider them carefully. Talent, resilience, combat experience, and killer instinct are all crucial; candidates do not necessarily have to be supreme geniuses!"
Everyone nodded. The matter was settled!
It was time to finalize the roster!
Preparations for the Star Residence Mansion had begun!
...
Soon, news spread throughout the Human Realm.
The expedition to the Star Residence Mansion, held once every ten years, was commencing once more. In past years, preparations would have started several months earlier, but the Human Realm had undergone numerous upheavals this year.
Soon, Year 352 of the Anping Era would arrive, and the roster for the Star Residence Mansion needed to be officially determined.
For a time, the Star Residence Mansion became the topic of discussion across all the heavens, momentarily eclipsing even the stir caused by Su Yu.
Chapter 512