Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus

The Human Realm. The turmoil across the myriad realms and the upheaval within the Human Realm—in the eyes of many, all of that had already passed and felt distant. However, when word spread that the Star Residence Mansion was about to open, every prefecture boiled with excitement. A struggle for entry slots! This was also the time with the greatest number of slots the Human Realm had received in centuries. Twenty slots per Invincible. The Great Xia Prefecture. Having weathered a massive upheaval where scores of powerhouses fell in battle, Great Xia was currently somewhat diminished in overall strength. Yet its Invincible combat power had actually increased, and the losses among its younger generation were not too severe. Now, the battle for slots had begun here as well. The declined Great Xia Cultural Research Academy. Starting today, the battles for slots commenced. With Bai Feng's departure and Su Yu's departure, and the rise of a new generation, the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy was unlike years past. On the arena stage. Zhou Hao was like a wild beast from the wilderness. His movements were lightning-fast, his killing intent shaking the heavens. In the blink of an eye, his silhouette flashed past, fingers curved into claws. With a wet squelch, a claw sank straight into his opponent's chest, splattering blood. A teaching assistant in the Soaring Realm crashed to the ground with a thud, blood constantly dripping from his mouth. Around the arena, several experts frowned slightly. Ji Hong watched in silence. He was currently acting headmaster, presiding over the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy—reconstituted following the merger of the three academies. "Director Ji, this Zhou Hao... certainly possesses no small thirst for blood." Beside him, an old man chuckled. "He's good raw material for the army. The only fear is that he might be ruthless at home but cowardly abroad—there are plenty of examples like that." Commonly known as a domestic tyrant. In the Human Realm, they struck ruthlessly and decisively; yet once out in the myriad realms, they were wary of this and fearful of that, feeling inferior the moment they met a god or demon. All too often, such fierce figures turned into weaklings upon setting foot on the Heavenly Battlefield. Thus, seeing Zhou Hao's vicious moves, the elder didn't object outright, only worrying that such ruthlessness was reserved solely for fellow humans. Ji Hong gave a slight nod and said calmly, "No matter. Whether it's a mule or a horse, we'll know once we pull it out for a run! Zhou Hao is advancing swiftly. His physical body has already completed eighteen casts. By the time the Star Residence Mansion opens, he might be even stronger... Count him in!" The surrounding crowd nodded slightly. Although Zhou Hao was only in the Soaring Realm, eighteen physical casts was by no means weak. Had Su Yu not left, the students of this cohort would have been enrolled for a year and a half by now. And this cohort was teeming with monstrous geniuses. Regrettably, whether by sheer misfortune or supreme luck, being in the same class as Su Yu meant that his brilliance completely eclipsed theirs. Of course, Great Xia also enjoyed unique advantages. The Battle of Nanyuan! Too many Sun Moons and Invincibles had died in that battle. Near Nanyuan, yuan qi and willpower were frighteningly concentrated. Lately, numerous geniuses had been cultivating there, making astonishingly swift progress—terrifyingly fast, in fact. Furthermore, the ruins created by Su Yu had not been destroyed; heaven yuan qi and everything else remained. Ji Hong said slowly, "Once the candidates are finalized, the Nanyuan Ruins will be reopened. For them, it will be an opportunity to strengthen themselves!" The Nanyuan Ruins had been temporarily sealed off. Many Sun Moons had died in there as well. Now, the concentration of both yuan qi and willpower throughout Great Xia Prefecture had risen substantially. The elders all nodded. Even with the elders of the three academies combined, their numbers now barely matched what the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy once had alone. In the last battle, more than half of the elders had fallen. After saying a few words, Ji Hong turned his head toward Wu Yuehua not far away and asked, "Director Wu, has that girl Wu Qi fully recovered from her injuries?" Without looking up, Wu Yuehua replied, "Just about. Her strength will improve even further." She seemed to be sending voice transmissions, something she had been doing for a long time. To the side, Jia Dequan—who was actually Jia Mingzhen—laughed through a voice transmission, "Don't bother asking her. Lately, she hasn't let go of her transmission talisman for a second. She's been monitoring every movement in Liu City, just short of charging over there herself..." Just as he said that, Wu Yuehua suddenly looked up. "By the way, as for leading the team to the Star Residence Mansion this time—I want to lead it!" Ji Hong hesitated. "Your main objective right now should still be breaking through to the Sun Moon Realm. It looks to me like you're almost there..." "No, I'm going to the Heavenly Battlefield!" Wu Yuehua refused flatly! *I'm going to the Heavenly Battlefield, period. Never mind whether I break through or not—if I don't go soon, a certain someone will get completely carried away!* Ji Hong was helpless. Beside him, Jia Dequan teased, "Director Wu, the Marquis is currently recuperating. Why not wait until he emerges from seclusion and go together with him?" "..." Wu Yuehua stared at him in silence for a long while before saying, "Xia Xiao'er finally acted like a real man this time. Pity... I heard that even when he was nearly dead, he was still crying and screaming in pain. As for acting like a man, I doubt he'll dare do it more than once in his lifetime. If you're so fond of him, go learn from Lan Tian, change your gender, and marry him yourself!" "..." Jia Dequan was struck speechless. This woman certainly hadn't lost her sharp tongue. Ignoring her, Jia Dequan looked toward the arena. People were constantly stepping up, mostly concentrated in the Soaring Realm. After watching for a while, Jia Dequan nodded slightly. "In the Soaring Realm, the Class of 350 truly boasts outstanding strength! Zhou Hao, Hu Qiusheng, Wan Mingze, Xia Chan, Xia Huyou... every single one of them is formidable, including the Director's daughter Xiaomeng, who is quite capable as well." He then frowned slightly. "As for the Lingyun Realm, where did that fellow Liu Hong run off to? He's one of the few who made it onto the Heaven Hunting Ranking. With him, plus Wu Qi, Xia Yuwen, and Huang Teng over at the War Academy... all of them are geniuses who have made the ranking." These people were all remarkably powerful. Hesitating for a moment, he added, "Also, regarding Hu Wensheng, are we considering letting him go?" Hu Wensheng: the genius once defeated by Bai Feng with a single sword strike, and disciple of Zheng Yuming. This time, Zhou Mingren had died, but Zheng Yuming remained alive. That expert whose physical body had been shattered had previously returned from the vanguard battalion. Afterward, he did not walk the same path as Zhou Mingren, choosing instead to take part in the Battle of Nanyuan. A very clever man! Or rather, he and Zhou Mingren had long discerned something, but master and disciple had ultimately chosen different paths. Knowing death was inevitable, Zhou Mingren chose not to participate because he had already made his preparations. If he didn't die, the reorganization and reform of the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy would likely have faced immense difficulties. Meanwhile, after the battle, Zheng Yuming chose to enter seclusion and had not emerged since, maintaining an outrageously low profile. The purpose of his staying behind was perhaps to preserve the heritage of their faction. Ji Hong considered it and said, "If he comes on his own and wins a slot, we won't stop him. If he doesn't come, we won't hand him a slot either!" Jia Dequan nodded. "Great Xia has quite a few slots this time. Counting the slots from the third generation's side, there are a full sixty! The Mansion Master's intention is to distribute fifty first, keeping the rest in reserve or letting older experts participate. Fifty is enough!" At this point, he said with some conflict, "However, the Mansion Master intends to have these fellows temper themselves first before entering the Star Residence Mansion—sending them to the Heavenly Battlefield to fight and kill for a few months, and only letting the survivors enter. Isn't that a bit too dangerous?" Ji Hong replied calmly, "They will have to experience it sooner or later. Rather than having them killed inside the Star Residence Mansion and wasting the slots, they might as well witness the might of the myriad realms' geniuses out in the field." Fair enough. Jia Dequan said no more on the matter, but thinking of a certain someone, he sighed. "I wonder if that kid will go in." What a pity! If Su Yu were present, they would have a peerlessly powerful trump card for entering the Star Residence Mansion this time. A Su Yu who could truly clash with the top experts and geniuses across the myriad realms. The others, including Huang Teng, were still young. As for the generations above them, no particularly monstrous geniuses had emerged; they were merely conventional. Looking around, a few had risen in the military, such as Chen Long. Though he only cultivated military arts, his progress was swift, his combat prowess formidable, his baleful aura heavy, and his experience rich—a man who had truly fought his way up from the ranks of ordinary soldiers. Ji Hong shook his head, putting thoughts of him aside, and looked toward the arena, remarking slowly, "Wan Mingze is taking part as well? His situation... once inside, I worry he might face ostracism and pushback from certain people." Wan Tiansheng was gone, but the Wan family remained. Wan Mingze had previously sought to clear Wan Tiansheng's name, which was unacceptable to many. If Wan Mingze went to the Heavenly Battlefield and the Star Residence Mansion, factions within the Human Realm might target him. Jia Dequan chuckled. "As long as Great Xia doesn't target him, let the others do as they please! That fellow isn't someone to mess with either. People will have to weigh whether he might be the next Headmaster Wan!" Saintly on the outside, but inside... was he a demon? No one knew! At that moment, on the arena stage, Wan Mingze's opponent was a veteran Soaring Realm cultivator. Yet against Wan Mingze, he was immobilized almost instantly. Wan Mingze's greatest specialty was the Dao of Imprisonment. All of his divine characters were tailored for confinement. He had opened many divine apertures and possessed numerous divine characters. Right now, the Soaring Realm opponent was bound completely rigid, his eyes blank with bewilderment. Wan Mingze merely held him confined, then soon released the restraint. Just as the bound cultivator attempted to burst forth with power again, he was imprisoned once more... After four or five rounds of this, the man had no choice but to throw in the towel and concede. Ji Hong and the others watched. After watching for a while, Wu Yuehua suddenly frowned, looking up at Wan Mingze. "Isn't this boy still missing something?" The others looked at her. Wu Yuehua said with furrowed brows, "His establishing of that Youth Allied Army had a fine dream and good intentions, and his methods aren't weak. But on the path of cultivation, how can sheer gentleness keep people in line forever?" She continued, "Compared to Su Yu, or compared to Huang Teng and the rest, Wan Mingze seems to lack thunderous decisiveness!" Ji Hong watched for a moment, then murmured, "Thunderous decisiveness... 'Silent until the time comes, then stunning the world with a single cry!' Perhaps the time simply hasn't arrived yet. Being a kinsman of Headmaster Wan, I don't believe he is only capable of conciliation." Could the grandnephew of Wan Tiansheng—a man who had become a demon through slaughter—truly know only gentle conciliation? Ji Hong reserved judgment! The group said no more and continued observing. Genius after genius distinguished themselves: Jiang Mu, who had traveled across the Human Realm alongside Wan Mingze; Zhan Hai, former number one on the Top 100 Rankings; Zhang Hao, who had once collaborated with Su Yu and joined the Mutual Aid Society... Though newcomers whose cultivations were mostly concentrated between the third and sixth layers of the Soaring Realm—not even in the late stages—their combat power was exceptionally formidable. Zhang Hao of the Divine Talisman Department waved his hand, detonating over a hundred divine talismans. Nor were they ordinary talismans, but ones infused with the blood essence of Soul Devouring Insects, possessing immense corrosive power. He had actually put the theory Su Yu proposed back then into practice. If these fellows secured slots, spent some time cultivating in the Nanyuan Ruins, and received additional resources allocated by Great Xia, reaching the high layers of the Soaring Realm would be no problem at all, even if they couldn't break through into Lingyun. This was largely thanks to Su Yu! Portions of Su Yu's Five Elements Divine Art had been popularized, leading many to begin opening divine apertures during the Character Cultivation stage. As long as their willpower and divine characters kept pace, they could swiftly reach the high layers of Soaring or even Lingyun. Su Yu's aperture fusion method also allowed warriors in the Wanshi Realm to transition rapidly. The impact of these cultivation techniques was now bearing fruit. Nearly a year had passed since Su Yu introduced them. Though forgotten by many powerhouses, these techniques had brought about earth-shaking changes across the Human Realm, spawning an influx of geniuses. Nowadays, if a warrior didn't open at least a hundred apertures, they were embarrassed to even call themselves a practitioner of the warrior dao. Most coincidentally of all, yuan qi in the Human Realm had recently surged. The slaying of so many powerhouses caused massive amounts of yuan qi to disperse; combined with superior cultivation methods, the fortunate had even broken through several realms in succession following the fall of those Invincibles! Crisis was also opportunity. In a Great Xia Prefecture where everything was being rebuilt, geniuses continuously emerged from the younger generation. Where reaching the fourth or fifth layer of Kaiyuan used to be difficult, many students in intermediate academies could now rapidly step into the Qianjun Realm. Dense yuan qi, bought at the cost of multiple fallen Invincibles, had brought about this very scene. ... While Great Xia was selecting candidates, Daming Prefecture was doing the same. Yet Daming was different from Great Xia. Daming had plenty of slots this time as well; including Niu Baidao's, they had a full sixty slots. In the past, Daming had only possessed ten slots, but now they suddenly had dozens more. Thus, Zhu Tiandao had a massive headache! Having too many slots was a problem in its own right. Sixty of them! Ten had been settled previously, but with so many added all at once, what was he supposed to do? Daming had plenty of slackers. If you sent them out to fight and slaughter, they might not even be up to the task. Of course, more candidates could be chosen from the warrior dao. Still, Civilization Masters had to be sent as well. Inside the Prefectural Lord's Mansion. Zhu Tiandao stroked his chin. After a long silence, he looked at the crowd below and said, "As for our Daming's younger generation, there are indeed a few powerful individuals, but the number is far too small. We certainly won't use up all sixty slots. If all else fails... well, we shouldn't let slots go to waste! How about sending more of our elders? It may be dangerous, but taking a gamble beats waiting around to die." Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "Our prefecture's strength lies not in the young, but in the old—the older, the wiser! This time, the Human Realm might take a gamble and stop lingering on the bottom three floors, aiming for the middle three or even the top three floors instead! Sending more elders will make it safer than before, and our chances will be better!" With that, he glanced at the assembly and said with a beaming smile, "Old Hu, how about setting an example?" "..." Hu Xiansheng stroked his white beard with a face full of melancholy. *Just as I thought. You're all staring at me.* Other grand prefectures were bustling with excitement as they selected young talents, while their prefecture was bustling with excitement as they selected old men. How truly helpless one felt! Zhu Tiandao laughed. "Those who should go must go. Let more elders go—they don't have much longer to live anyway, so they might as well take a gamble!" Hu Xiansheng said melancholically, "I can go, but could Mansion Master subsidize me a little so I can build another teleportation portal to at least save my own life?" A teleportation portal. Hearing this, Zhu Tiandao chuckled immediately. "Go talk to Old Niu about that. Didn't you help him kill a quasi-Invincible? That was how he got his carrier. Shouldn't he share some of it with you? Not sharing with you would be too unreasonable!" "Don't even mention it!" Hu Xiansheng said glumly, "I did go looking for him. The problem is, he says he isn't in charge of the household and can't make decisions anymore. All his family assets were seized by Ye Hongyan. What am I supposed to do?" Hopeless. Ye Hongyan was back! Now, all of Niu Baidao's assets were held by Ye Hongyan; Hu Xiansheng couldn't get so much as a stray hair from him. Zhu Tiandao chuckled. Hu Xiansheng added, "Right, that little girl from the Wu family... wait, both Wu family girls want to go. Mansion Master, this is troublesome. I didn't dare agree recklessly. Give me an idea." Wu Jia and Wu Lan! During the previous major battle, Wu Jia had been sent over here. Liu City had been dangerous, and when Liu Wenyan and the others left, they didn't bring Wu Jia along because the Heavenly Battlefield was undoubtedly far more perilous than Daming Prefecture. Now, Daming Prefecture had practically become a refugee camp. Zhu Tiandao also rubbed his temples in frustration. "This matter... is indeed tricky! As for slots, we certainly have them, and sparing two isn't a problem. The crux is that both of them have only just entered the Soaring Realm. Going there is practically seeking death!" Very troublesome! Even if they only entered the bottom three floors, surviving without high-layer Soaring Realm strength was difficult. In past years, the Human Realm primarily targeted the bottom three floors, typically choosing cultivators mainly in the Lingyun Realm as the primary force. Although Wu Lan and Wu Jia were from the Multiple Divine Characters faction and possessed divine character combat techniques, and their physical bodies weren't weak—perhaps even slightly stronger than their divine characters—they were still far too weak compared to those geniuses, lacking combat experience. Furthermore, both shared close ties with Su Yu. One had chased him all the way from Great Xia Prefecture to Daming Prefecture, and the other was Su Yu's senior martial sister. Thinking of this, Zhu Tiandao pondered and said, "We must consult Liu City first. Let's do this: bring them along to Liu City first. If the folks in Liu City have no objections, we'll talk then. Otherwise, we can only bring them as far as Liu City!" With that, he added, "Also, Bai Junsheng and Cui Lang both have to go. As I see it, Su Yu is definitely going, so we'll see if they can reap some benefits. I'd like to go as well, but sadly... if I step out the door now, countless eyes will be watching me!" He spoke with a trace of resentment and helplessness. *Fuck!* *I didn't kill four Invincibles. Everyone thinking about it now knows I don't have that kind of ability. But even knowing that, those people still have to keep their eyes glued to me.* Right now, not many in the Human Realm had hope of attaining Dao verification. Himself, Primal, and Xia Xiao'er. Xia Xiao'er's physical body had been blown to pieces, and even recovering would be difficult. He and Yun Chen were now the targets the myriad races truly wanted to eliminate; killing a quasi-Invincible was vastly simpler than killing an Invincible. Zhu Tiandao grumbled resentfully, then continued, "Also, bring Su Yu's beasts along for him. Whether he wants them or not is his business—leaving them here eating, drinking, and shitting just wastes resources! If nothing else works, slaughtering them or eating them is fine too. They're all fattened up now. Two days ago I passed by and saw that suanni had grown a full circle fatter than when Su Yu was around!" So fat that he felt like eating it himself! That suanni was sleek and glossy. With Su Yu absent, no one really disciplined it. The research institute didn't lack resources, and Wu Lan and Wu Jia had little concept of budgeting; whenever the beast cried that it was starving, they tossed it food now and then. After a few months, it had grown a full circle fatter. Hu Xiansheng couldn't help laughing. He soon said, "Mansion Master, if there are still slots left over, why not give a few to our captive demon beasts? For instance, the Xuan Turtle Clan could receive a couple, and the Iron Eater Clan could get one or two..." Slots were exceedingly precious! For minor races, a single one was hard to come by! In previous years, the powerful races monopolized these slots and distributed a few to their vassal races; humanity's slots had always been scarce. This time, humanity would likely receive quite a lot, so they could afford to gift some to others. Zhu Tiandao nodded. "That's fine. Also, I probably won't be able to lead the team over this time. The various races will likely have Invincibles escorting their contingents. When you go to the Heavenly Battlefield, talk to Old Niu. Have our Daming group act independently as much as possible and stay cautious!" "Understood!" "..." Daming Prefecture's allocation of slots was simple and unhurried. Without much fuss or drama. ... A few days later, the Human Realm's slots were largely settled. Every grand prefecture exerted every effort to help these candidates grow stronger, striving to ensure they possessed the ability to contend with the powerhouses of the myriad races upon entering the Star Residence Mansion. This time, humanity hoped to obtain more great treasures rather than the petty skirmishes and small gains of past years. ... The myriad races were all preparing. The expedition to the Star Residence Mansion once every ten years was also the best means and avenue for the myriad races to obtain resources. The Star Residence Mansion was like an inexhaustible treasure trove. Every entry yielded some benefits, more or less. Many carriers, Heavenly Weapons, cultivation arts, and divine fruits seen today had been acquired inside the Star Residence Mansion. Even the Dragon Blood Fruit Tree Su Yu possessed had flown out from the Star Residence Mansion. ... While the myriad races prepared, Su Yu had taken control of four ancient cities in succession: Xinghong, Hongmeng, Yunxiao, and Yuhong. He had originally wanted to continue easing Tianmie's burden... but discovered that the death qi pressure was a bit heavy. After giving it thought, he temporarily shelved the idea. Tianmie wasn't in a rush anyway! Furthermore, Yunxiao had warned him that it was best not to take over Tianmie Ancient City right now. Tianmie was excessively hyperactive and prone to running wild. Once released, he might act like a creature called a husky, refusing to return home. Su Yu had better leave Tianmie alone for now. Otherwise, there was a very high probability that Su Yu would be forced to continuously bear death qi on Tianmie's behalf. Based on this, combined with the fact that Su Yu still needed to temper his body, he opted not to take charge of Tianmie Ancient City for the time being. ... Inside the castellan's mansion. Su Yu was tempering his body when a faint sound came from outside the door. Opening his eyes, he saw the mansion doors swing open. A moment later, Old Wang, who had already converted into a resident, shuffled in with the frail steps of old age, whispering softly, "City Lord, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion seeks an audience!" "Who came?" "An elder." Su Yu nodded slightly. "Show him in!" Old Wang left the grand hall. Su Yu sat poised on the dais. A moment later, a faceless elder stepped into the hall and bowed slightly. "Tianbing of the Heaven Department greets City Lord Su!" Su Yu studied him for a moment before chuckling lightly. "What brings Elder Tianbing to visit me?" "City Lord must be joking!" Tianbing cupped his fists. "My visit today is primarily to discuss the matter of the Star Residence Mansion with the City Lord." "Discuss with me?" Su Yu smiled. "I don't oversee such things." Tianbing replied swiftly, "I have come by order of the Minister. The Minister's view is that the Heaven Hunting Pavilion and the Thirty-Six Sacred Cities are both factions inherited from antiquity. With the opening of the Star Residence Mansion, he hopes our two sides will join hands and act with one mind! Furthermore, the powerful races such as the gods, demons, and immortals will be sending large numbers of powerhouses inside this time..." Su Yu laughed. "Because they suffered heavy losses and want to recoup them? But I've heard that inside the Star Residence Mansion, the stronger and older one is, the more dangerous it becomes! Aren't those fellows afraid of suffering even greater losses?" Tianbing said in a low voice, "This time, the major races and even some ancient clans will send in a vast number of powerhouses. City Lord Su likely does not know that, by count, this opening should be the hundredth since the Heavenly Battlefield reopened this era—marking a thousand years! Opening once every ten years, the centennial openings offer greater rewards, and the millennial openings offer even greater fortunes! Moreover, according to intelligence gathered by the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, a Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus is likely to be born on the seventh floor of the Star Residence Mansion this time." Su Yu was somewhat bewildered. *What kind of thing is that?* Knowing Su Yu probably had no idea, Tianbing explained, "The Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus is beneficial to the Invincible Realm—or rather, immensely beneficial! As the City Lord knows, Invincibles vary in strength. The strongest are Half-Emperors, while weaker ones, such as certain minor realm lords, might remain stuck at a bottleneck for their entire lives. Cultivation in the Invincible Realm is exceptionally difficult! Invincibles primarily tread the path of comprehending space and time. Each petal of this Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus allows an Invincible to fuse one additional three-life embodiment. It is extraordinarily precious..." "Wait, what do you mean?" Su Yu frowned. "Fuse one additional three-life embodiment?" Tianbing explained, "The City Lord should know a thing or two: when an Invincible attains Dao verification, three embodiments unite into one, fishing up the past and future! Yet past and future have infinite versions, and one can only fish up one. Once fished up, you cannot capture another past or future! But this Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus possesses miraculous properties. It can help you fish up another past or future embodiment and merge it into the one you already fished up, granting additional combat power. This is also an excellent method for advancing to Half-Emperor!" "Your human race's King Daqin, in fact, is not far from the Half-Emperor Realm..." Su Yu interrupted, "A Half-Emperor is the Dao Integration Realm, right?" Tianbing nodded. "Correct. As for the exact details, I do not know either. But the Minister said that on humanity's side, if King Daqin could obtain the Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus, he might enter the realm of Half-Emperor, formally becoming humanity's first Half-Emperor expert!" Su Yu nodded slightly and laughed. "What does that have to do with me? I'm not an Invincible! But hearing you put it that way, I understand now. Something magnificent is about to appear, so powerhouses from every race will likely enter?" "Precisely." Tianbing said solemnly, "The Star Residence Mansion actually belongs to ancient factions—to the ancient cities and the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. And the Heaven Hunting Pavilion urgently needs the Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus this time, so... we hope to cooperate with the City Lord..." Su Yu interrupted again, "Wait! Cooperate with me? To be blunt, our ancient cities have virtually no ability to compete inside the Star Residence Mansion. We can throw our weight around on the outside, but once inside, without guardians watching over us and without dead spirits to fuse with, even the castellans are merely ordinary ninth-layer Sun Moons and quasi-Invincibles. In cooperating with me, could you possibly expect me to help you seize the Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus?" Tianbing nodded. "That is precisely what the Minister meant! He said that City Lord Su will definitely enter, and as the master of the ancient cities and the number one talent under heaven, City Lord Su possesses flourishing fortune. The candidate with the greatest likelihood of seizing the Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus is City Lord Su!" "This Minister you speak of—is he the Minister of the Heaven Department?" "Yes." "Is he looking to step into the Half-Emperor domain?" "That I do not know." Tianbing shook his head. He didn't know about that, though if the Minister wanted to seize this item, the likelihood was quite high. Once the Minister of the Heaven Department entered the Half-Emperor domain, the overall power of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion would rise drastically. Su Yu watched him for a long time before asking, "Is this information known to everyone, or only to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion?" "Anyone who has visited the seventh floor likely knows." Tianbing explained, "Humanity and certain minor races might not know, but most who have reached the seventh floor should be aware of the situation. That Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus has not just appeared overnight; it has existed for a very long time, though it has never bloomed. According to observations from the last opening, if it blooms, it should be during this one! This item is only useful once in bloom, so every major race should have designs on it this time! The demons, in particular, will certainly not let it slip by—whether the Demon Emperor wishes to restore his three-life embodiment or the Blood Fire Demon King wishes to advance to Half-Emperor, neither will let this go!" "The same holds true for the other races!" Su Yu chuckled. "Seeking cooperation with me... rather intriguing. Wasn't the Minister of the Heaven Department in deep slumber? He actually came out of seclusion. And if I do obtain it, why should I hand it over to you?" "The Minister's intention is that it can be exchanged for other supreme treasures!" Tianbing explained, "The Minister knows that the City Lord's physical body is likely still in the stage of body tempering at the Soaring Realm. Lingyun is not difficult for others, but for the City Lord, it is as difficult as ascending to heaven! As for the Nine Yuan Qi Transformations—the City Lord's yuan qi is boundless and formidable, possessing Sun Moon strength while in Soaring. Achieving transformation will be a hundred or a thousand times harder than for ordinary people! Without supreme treasures to lay the foundation, success is virtually impossible! And the Heaven Hunting Pavilion possesses such treasures! The Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus offers little help to the City Lord. The Minister's proposal is that a single lotus leaf can be traded for resources sufficient for one yuan qi transformation, allowing the City Lord to consume as much as needed. Until the transformation is complete, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion will continue to supply them!" If all nine leaves were seized, they would help Su Yu complete all nine transformations! Su Yu chuckled. "Your Minister certainly knows how to play the game. A treasure capable of helping someone advance to Half-Emperor, traded merely for me advancing to the ninth layer of Lingyun?" "It is not the same!" Tianbing smiled as well. "City Lord Su's Lingyun Realm is vastly different from anyone else's Lingyun! Moreover, this is merely an initial discussion that can be negotiated further. The prerequisite, however, is that both of our sides can enter. Currently, the powerful races control the entrances to the Star Residence Mansion. Only by joining our forces can we fight for more slots! In three months, all sides will formally finalize their allocations. If we do not fight for them now, entering later will be difficult!" Su Yu looked at him for a moment and smiled. "Fine! Teaming up to fight for more slots is acceptable. As for what happens inside the mansion, we'll see when the time comes. Besides, who said I'm definitely going?" Tianbing said nothing. The entire world speculated that Su Yu would definitely go. This would be the first time he experienced the opening of the Star Residence Mansion; if he didn't go, hardly anyone would believe it. This time, powerhouses of all races were gathering. Some harbored thoughts of seizing treasures, while others harbored thoughts of destroying Su Yu. If Su Yu did not die, the myriad realms would face yet another dire threat. After he left, Su Yu felt somewhat helpless and muttered, "Does the entire myriad realms really assume I will go in?" It was truly exasperating! *In your eyes, am I really that impatient?* *I'll just refuse to go in!* Su Yu grumbled inwardly for a moment, feeling helpless. *Will I go in?* *Of course I will!* He was nearing the completion of his body tempering, but his nine transformations were not yet finished. He had quite a few treasures—such as the extraordinarily precious ancient Dragon Blood Fruit Tree, Demon God Fruits, Five Elements Fruits... but would these treasures be enough for him to complete the Nine Yuan Qi Transformations? His Nine Yuan Qi Transformations were just as the Minister of the Heaven Department had described. When others underwent the nine transformations, it was a transition from Soaring to Lingyun; for Su Yu, his nine transformations were equivalent to a Sun Moon completing nine transformations. The two could not be mentioned in the same breath. Especially now that his sun aperture was open and constantly absorbing his yuan qi, making transformation all the more difficult. A supreme treasure trove like the Star Residence Mansion was a place Su Yu had to visit no matter what. Now it was just great—the entire world knew he was going, dead certain of it. Su Yu truly wanted to make their jaws drop by refusing to step foot inside... Unfortunately, the temptation was simply too sweet, and he couldn't bear to let this chance slip by. "The Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus... what is the Heaven Hunting Pavilion playing at?" To suddenly tell him about this treasure and that it could help someone reach Half-Emperor—did they want him to pass word to humanity? Otherwise, why specifically bring up King Daqin? Su Yu frowned. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion was hardly a benevolent bunch. A Half-Emperor... what humanity lacked most was precisely a Half-Emperor. If King Daqin attained Half-Emperor, even if he still couldn't completely unify humanity, the human Invincibles would likely be far more obedient than before. "Smells like ill intent!" Su Yu muttered. That Minister of the Heaven Department might not harbor good intentions. Did he want to use humanity to hold back the myriad races? That possibility was quite high!