Su Yu's Legacy

Rumble! Over the Sea of Stars, intense battles erupted. With a single punch, Zhan Wushuang tore through a Shanhai realm cultivator, extracted their blood, tossed aside the corpse, and strode away across the void without once looking back. Behind him, a crowd looked on in sheer terror. Their leader was dead! Zhan Wushuang! His physical body had been blasted apart not long ago, yet he had already recovered—the prime prodigy of the God race, at the peak of eighth-stage Shanhai, Zhan Wushuang. From the rear, a being trembled and cried out, "Why...? You are a prodigy of the God race! If you wish to kill, kill the elites of the myriad races! Why slaughter our chieftain? Why?" It defied all comprehension! A supreme genius like him, without grudge or enmity, why target small clans like theirs? Could Shanhai cultivators even catch Zhan Wushuang's eye? Zhan Wushuang kept walking across the void without turning around. Behind him, an ethereal silhouette manifested, radiating dense immortal qi. Xuan Wuji spoke coldly, "Zhan Wushuang, you slaughter in every direction and extract blood essence. What is your aim?" Zhan Wushuang did not turn his head. Xuan Wuji pressed on with an icy sneer, "You were taken captive by Su Yu, yet returned completely unscathed. Could it be that you have already bowed to his commands, harvesting blood essence on his behalf? We all know Su Yu excels at crafting innate blood essence! Zhan Wushuang, do not ruin yourself!" In the distance, Zhan Wushuang cast a cold glance back at him and said flatly, "Xuan Wuji, mind your own business!" With those words, his figure vanished from sight. Xuan Wuji watched him depart and smiled. Moments later, Dao Cheng's figure faded into view, murmuring softly, "Brother Wuji, it seems he truly has struck some sort of agreement with Su Yu." Xuan Wuji sneered. "Undoubtedly. Otherwise, how could Su Yu be so generous as to spare his life and set him free?" Dao Cheng gave a slight nod. All around, the survivors who had been spared spoke up, pleading for help. "We beg the Immortal Lord Wuji to uphold justice! Zhan Wushuang slaughters the innocent, massacring lives like grass. He has fallen to the demonic path..." "Yes! He's possessed!" Xuan Wuji smiled warmly. "I will avenge you all. The myriad races will never tolerate the presence of such demons!" The survivors rejoiced instantly. They had only spoken on an impulse, never imagining that this genius of the Immortal race would actually step forward to champion righteousness and justice. It was... almost too good to be true! Yet at that exact instant, divine characters twirled around Dao Cheng's fingers. Suddenly, those divine characters vanished. In a flash, they pierced clean through the remaining survivors. Their bodies ignited in an instant, and in the blink of an eye, every last survivor perished. The divine characters around Dao Cheng vibrated, causing the void to tremble and the local spacetime to twist subtly. Having wiped them out, Dao Cheng smiled. "Brother Wuji, did you record the projection? We can sell it to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" Xuan Wuji gave a faint smile. "No rush. Let's compile an assortment. The prodigy of the Primordial God Race, Zhan Wushuang, slaughtering innocent living beings at will—what glory he brings to the God race! The Primordial God Race acts like this, the Primordial Demon race is in utter chaos... and the Human race is already the common enemy of all. In that case, it seems only my Immortal race can uphold justice for the common people!" With an expression full of feigned lament, Xuan Wuji sighed softly, "How tragic! The Gods and Demons are the supreme powers of this era, yet Zhan Wushuang, merely to cling to life, entered a vile pact with Su Yu to butcher living beings and extract blood essence for Su Yu to cultivate demonic arts. How truly pathetic!" Dao Cheng smiled as well, letting the divine characters disperse from his hand. "Pathetic indeed, though the root culprit remains Su Yu! I truly hope he enters the Star Residence Mansion this time, so the myriad races can unite and slay him together!" Xuan Wuji nodded with a grin, then chuckled under his breath. "The humans wish to seize the Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus to prepare King Daqin's ascent to Half-Emperor. And Su Yu is, in truth, King Daqin's hidden pawn, meant to borrow Su Yu's destiny to claim that Half-Emperor seat, unite the Human race, and wage war across the heavens once more..." "He must be killed!" Dao Cheng chimed in with a laugh. The two exchanged a glance and vanished simultaneously. Not long after, a Sun Moon realm powerhouse arrived in a towering rage. Upon seeing the corpses stripped of their blood essence and the sea stained crimson, he roared, "Damn it all! Who did this? My Jade Blood Snake race will repay this debt a hundredfold!" Curse them! These were all experts of his clan—several Shanhais, along with several Flying and Lingyun prodigies who had hoped to test their luck with the opening of the Star Residence Mansion. Yet every last one of them had been slaughtered! Who did this? The Sun Moon expert closely examined the corpse Zhan Wushuang had tossed aside. His expression flickered uncertainly. This... was from the God race? The Primordial God Race? Curse it! A single punch had punched clean through this Shanhai snake expert! "The Primordial God Race..." A trace of sacred power lingered within the wound, a signature nearly impossible to disguise. "Who was it?" The Sun Moon powerhouse's face darkened repeatedly. How could his clan have provoked a powerhouse of the God race? Moments later, the Sun Moon expert gathered the corpse and swiftly vanished from the area. *** At that moment, battles flared across the entire Sea of Stars. Clashes erupted continuously, and lives were extinguished without pause. In another corner of the sea... Water surged violently through the ocean, followed by a little golden dragon darting across the surface. A moment later, a figure manifested. Foutuling cursed, "Long Wuyou, are you courting death?" Damn pest! I didn't even provoke you, yet you little whelp dare harass me! Even though Long Wuyou had already stepped into the Shanhai realm and Foutuling had only just reached the eighth stage of Lingyun, Foutuling had zero fear of this inexperienced young dragon. He barked in irritation, "If you keep trailing me, don't blame me for being ruthless!" The little golden dragon drifted in the void, snorting coldly, "Foutuling, everyone claims you are the hope of the Five Elements race, the future King of the Five Elements. This dragon wishes to see how your Five Elements race compares to my Dragon race in these waters!" King of the Five Elements? What a joke! In this domain of water, the Dragon race ruled supreme. Foutuling cursed silently, then chuckled. "I never said that. If you're talking about the power of water, Su Yu is by far the strongest. He excels at it above all else. Long Wuyou, why not go fight him instead?" "I'm only killing you!" "..." Damn it! You little dragon brat, so you do know who's easier to push around, don't you? Foutuling was speechless! Right at that moment, Foutuling's expression shifted. He smiled and said, "Long Wuyou, look there. A human is coming this way, walking across the water with immense mastery over the water element. Why don't you spar with him instead?" Long Wuyou looked toward the distance and scoffed, "Just a third-stage Lingyun cultivator!" Too weak! Beneath his notice! Genius cultivators had their pride. Meanwhile, the newcomer spotted them as well: a golden dragon and an ethereal silhouette. His gaze shifted slightly. "Foutuling? Long Wuyou?" Both were on the Earth Ranking—neither was someone to be trifled with. Foutuling was ranked exceptionally high on the Earth Ranking! Seeing that the pair seemed to be sizing him up, the man did not dare flee recklessly. He came to a halt and offered a humble smile. "Esteemed seniors, might I ask which way leads to Xinghong Ancient City?" Foutuling and Long Wuyou exchanged a look. Foutuling smiled and asked, "Friend, you are heading to Xinghong Ancient City?" "Indeed!" Instead of retreating, the man stepped forward through the void toward them, smiling. "Seniors, could you please tell me how to get to Xinghong Ancient City?" "What are you going there for?" Foutuling's curiosity was piqued. He smiled and said, "It is quite perilous over there. Never mind that the castellan is Su Yu; he holds little goodwill toward your human race." The man chuckled. "That applies to others, but not to me. Are you two heading to Xinghong Ancient City as well? You look rather familiar... Could you be... the renowned Foutuling of the Five Elements race? And Long Wuyou of the Golden Dragon race?" Both were taken aback. Foutuling laughed, "Knowing who we are, you're not running?" The man replied with a calm smile, "Why run? If you intend to kill me, I couldn't escape anyway. If you don't, there is no need to run. As one of the few surviving members of the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy's multiple character faction, I would rather face my end with dignity than die fleeing like a dog." Foutuling was visibly startled. "You... are from the multiple character faction?" "Indeed." The man introduced himself, "I am Liu Hong, a researcher at the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy, under the tutelage of Zhang Ruoling. My master was a peer disciple of Martial Uncle Liu Wenyan. You may not have heard of him; my master inherited a Sun Moon divine character that he could not bear, and he passed away long ago!" Foutuling was quite surprised. "Zhang Ruoling... there do seem to be records of him. Liu Hong... Are you the Liu Hong ranked sixth on the Yellow Ranking?" Making the ranking meant he was a top-tier genius! And this guy was from the multiple character faction? Foutuling said in surprise, "You belong to the multiple character faction?" "Yes." Liu Hong nodded candidly, wearing a scholarly smile. "I must apologize for amusing you both. I've heard you two have grudges against my nephew-disciple, Su Yu... Alas!" Liu Hong sighed. "If you wish to kill or butcher me, do as you please!" Foutuling chuckled, while Long Wuyou snorted with disdain. "Ridiculous! Who do you think you are? Do you think you're Su Yu? Slay you? Preposterous!" A mere third-stage Lingyun! Even if he was on the Yellow Ranking, it was only the Yellow Ranking. And now he had strolled right up to them. Were they the sort of figures who would bother killing someone so utterly powerless? Calling him "utterly powerless" was a slight exaggeration, perhaps. Foutuling would not mind killing him, but... why bother? He had no reason to fight to the death with Su Yu. Curiously, he asked with a smile, "Friend Liu Hong, you are heading to Xinghong Ancient City for the sake of the Star Residence Mansion?" Liu Hong nodded and smiled. "Precisely! I originally planned to return to the Great Xia Prefecture, but then heard that Manor Head Wan had rebelled, while Martial Uncle Liu and the others relocated to Liu City. Alas, after thinking it over, I can only seek out Su Yu for an entry slot!" He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Manor Head Nan Wujiang might count as an Invincible of my lineage, but unfortunately... sigh, better to find Su Yu. After all, I taught him for a whole year and ask for nothing else. I heard ancient cities might have quotas as well, so I came specially to ask him for one!" "You taught Su Yu for a year?" Long Wuyou snapped, "Nonsense! Su Yu's teacher is... Bai Feng, wasn't it? How could it be you?" Liu Hong laughed. "The Dragon race probably does not understand the teaching systems of humanity. Bai Feng is merely one of his teachers. I was the head instructor for Su Yu's entire intake of freshmen. Su Yu actually had many teachers, not just Bai Feng and Martial Uncle Liu. In fact, strictly speaking, I was his primary classroom tutor. In dragon terms... I was the one who personally instructed him on a daily basis, whereas Bai Feng was merely his affiliated mentor..." Long Wuyou grew slightly dizzy from the explanation. Human institutions were so convoluted! Among the myriad races, a student belonged to their mentor, plain and simple. Why so many twists and turns? Still, he knew a bit about the human race—at the very least, he knew Su Yu had teachers like Bai Feng and Liu Wenyan, and Liu Wenyan was Bai Feng's martial uncle. In any case, human conventions were bafflingly unconventional. He didn't press the matter further since he didn't grasp human systems. But now, his interest was piqued. "If you are Su Yu's teacher, why haven't I ever heard him speak of you...?" Liu Hong chuckled. "Brother Wuyou, do you know that the teacher Su Yu respects most might not even be Liu Wenyan, but Zhao Li? Do you know Zhao Li?" "Well..." "Zhao Li is the powerhouse who passed the Mind Expansion Hammer to Su Yu, and he is also Su Yu's teacher. All of Su Yu's weapon-forging methods were inherited from Zhao Li. You don't know these things simply because you aren't close to Su Yu. Besides, nobody goes around constantly blabbering about who they like or admire, especially since... you aren't Su Yu's friends!" That was true! Even Foutuling nodded in agreement. Smiling, he asked, "You're his teacher, so what did you teach him?" "The War God Art, Sky-Rending Strike..." "Aren't those common human techniques?" Foutuling chuckled, but Liu Hong smiled back. "Indeed. But what did Martial Uncle Liu Wenyan ever teach Su Yu? The fundamentals are the true foundation!" With that, Liu Hong smiled and said, "There's no point droning on about this to you two. If you don't intend to kill me, could you tell me which way to Xinghong Ancient City?" Foutuling glanced at him. Su Yu's teacher. A member of the multiple character faction! Interesting! He had crossed paths with Su Yu a few times, though they had barely spoken. In truth, hardly anyone across the myriad realms had interacted extensively with Su Yu. He was intensely curious about Su Yu, and now, Su Yu's teacher had delivered himself to their doorstep... How fascinating. True or false, it didn't matter! Foutuling smiled. "Xinghong Ancient City is still far off. Since you are an expert of the multiple character faction, why don't we have a spar? Rest assured, it will be purely a friendly exchange. I merely wish to experience the might of multiple characters; nothing more! The multiple character faction is renowned throughout the world, yet its members rarely take action. As for Great Xia's multiple character faction, we've seen even less..." "A spar?" Liu Hong smiled. In the next moment, a slender sword flashed and vanished. With a sharp rip, the void seemed to split apart. Foutuling's figure instantly dissolved, only to surge back as a monstrous tidal wave in the very next instant. "Kill!" With a hum, the void vibrated once more. Liu Hong drew his blade, his body vanishing from the spot. The tidal wave crashed forward, hitting nothing but air. The instant Foutuling rematerialized, a transparent rapier flashed out from the empty air, piercing into the water silhouette and slicing it cleanly in half. Foutuling's water duplicate vanished, and in the blink of an eye, he materialized behind Liu Hong. Liu Hong smiled, and his afterimage shattered. Within a breath, the two exchanged dozens of moves. Just as Foutuling was about to strike again, Liu Hong retreated several dozen paces and sighed, "Let us end the spar here. I am no match for you; the gap is far too wide!" Foutuling's eyes flashed with astonishment. "So this is a multiple character battle skill. How exquisite! It feels far more refined than that brute Su Yu's style. I fought that brute once, and all he knew was how to smash me with a hammer!" Trading dozens of blows just now had felt extraordinary. Various divine character traits were embedded within the strikes, diffusing subtly and interfering with him. He was five minor stages above Liu Hong. Had their cultivation been equal, defeating Liu Hong so effortlessly would have been far from simple. He truly was an expert of the multiple character faction! "Brother Liu Hong, you plan to enter the Star Residence Mansion this time as well?" "Yes." Foutuling's gaze flickered slightly. He smiled and said, "Do you plan to enter alongside Su Yu?" Liu Hong kept his composure and replied calmly, "Certainly not! I know the myriad races wish to target my student. Why would I accompany him and bring disaster upon him? I will act alone." Foutuling smiled. "Don't misunderstand, friend. I have no ulterior motives. Even if someone wants to deal with Su Yu, that is not something I can meddle in! I see that you are quite capable, young, and remarkably talented. If fate allows, we could cooperate inside the Star Residence Mansion. Success in there doesn't rely solely on strength; luck and talent play major parts as well!" "Is that so?" Liu Hong smiled. "I have never been inside, so I know little of such matters. Once I reach the ancient city and secure a slot from Su Yu, if you wish to cooperate... it is not out of the question!" With that, he smiled and said, "If there is nothing else, seniors, I shall take my leave?" Foutuling smiled. "Be my guest!" With a casual wave of his hand, a faint glimmer settled onto Liu Hong. Liu Hong's brow furrowed slightly; his blood qi surged, and his divine characters swept over himself. He cast a suspicious glance at Foutuling, but finding nothing amiss, he refrained from speaking further. Cupping his hands to the two, he hurried away. After putting some distance between them, Liu Hong hastily burned everything on his person, muttering, "Nothing?" "Strange!" *** In the distance, Foutuling chuckled softly. *As if you could detect it! If you could, that would truly be something!* Beside him, Long Wuyou sneered, "Plots and schemes are nothing more than petty tricks in the end! Why are you monitoring him?" "Curiosity!" Foutuling smiled. "I'm curious about what this guy is up to. Multiple character faction... I've never heard of him before, which makes it odd! Isn't he heading to the ancient city? A perfect chance to test the waters." Long Wuyou scoffed, then said coldly, "Give me one of those Five Elements bugs. I want to see whether this fellow spoke the truth or lies!" Foutuling laughed! He tossed over a small, clay-yellow beetle. Long Wuyou caught it in his claws, and Liu Hong's silhouette instantly manifested in his vision. At that moment, having scoured his physical body with flame and washed himself with willpower and divine characters, Liu Hong let out a sigh of relief. "I must have overthought it. Then again, if those two wanted to kill me, it would be trivial. It seems they still fear that brat Su Yu's standing!" With that, a grin spread across his face. "I managed to pull the wool over their eyes after all. Those two actually believed I was Su Yu's teacher... Heh!" Long Wuyou bristled with fury. *He lied to us?* Foutuling, on the other hand, smiled. "Calm down! If he lied to us, so be it. I want to see if he's genuinely going to find Su Yu!" *** For the rest of the journey, Liu Hong flew quietly, not muttering another word to himself. His heading was indeed Xinghong Ancient City. After flying for a while, a figure wearing a white mask suddenly appeared before him, speaking coolly, "Liu Hong, we meet again!" Liu Hong glared at him, his voice low and hostile. "Friend White Mask, you have blocked my path multiple times. What exactly do you want?" "A deal. A transaction!" The white-masked figure said indifferently, "Friend, as of now, I am the only one who knows your secret. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion treats young and old with absolute fairness, and our credibility is guaranteed! Your repeated refusal to trade simply stems from our price not being high enough!" "Nonsense! I have no idea what you're talking about!" Liu Hong said coldly, "If you keep badgering me, I'm heading straight to Su Yu. Don't force me to bring Su Yu into this! If I do, I might not suffer, but you'll be a dead man. Su Yu loathes anyone scheming against him!" The white mask released a thread of aura. Liu Hong said coldly, "You want to silence me? Kill me, and you'll never get what you desire!" The white-masked figure said in a frosty voice, "Liu Hong, why make things difficult? Isn't everything you do for the sake of resources? You might have enough resources to reach Lingyun and Shanhai, but what about the Sun Moon realm? A hundred drops of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid! If that's not enough, I will throw in thirty Five Elements Spirit Fruits..." "Hah!" Liu Hong sneered. "Aren't you daydreaming? Besides, that thing is useless to you. It's unsuitable for any race other than humans..." The white mask said darkly, "Are you sure? Why have I heard that this art can be cultivated by all races? The Five Elements Divine Art—it is an ancient secret transmission..." Hidden in the shadows, Foutuling's heart lurched violently! Liu Hong said coldly, "An ancient secret transmission? Secret or not, I don't know, but I do know that if I leak it, Su Yu will definitely kill me! I don't know where you got your information, but let me tell you, it's all fake! I don't have it, and I never obtained it!" "Liu Hong, must you persist in this folly? You worked secretly with Bai Feng to nurture Su Yu. When Su Yu was young and ignorant, he handed the item to Bai Feng, and you stole it in secret. Did you truly believe you went unnoticed?" Liu Hong's expression turned intensely grave. "You people... have been monitoring Bai Feng all along? No, it couldn't be me; a small fry like me isn't worth the effort! Have you been shadowing Bai Feng?" "Since you understand, you should know that without absolute certainty, we would never attempt to trade with you... Liu Hong, the Five Elements Divine Art is not something just anyone can possess. You had best sell it to us, or else... a great disaster will befall you sooner or later!" Liu Hong's face shifted continuously before he sneered, "Disaster? If I return it to Su Yu, where would disaster come from? Though I am not his direct mentor, I secretly helped him in many ways—helped him evade assassinations from the single character faction, helped him leave the Great Xia Prefecture, and helped him harvest vast amounts of resources... I merely resented Bai Feng for refusing to share with me, but I never meant to oppose Su Yu! Do you think Su Yu will kill me? He won't! If I return the item to him, he will never lay a hand on me!" "Stubborn fool!" The white mask shook his head. "If you do not complete the trade before you reach Xinghong Ancient City... do not regret it! By then, the one coming will not be me. Searching your memories is not beyond the capabilities of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion!" "Are you threatening me?" Liu Hong sneered. "You're welcome to try. Do you think I came unprepared? If you had captured me directly the first time you found me, it might have worked. But now... try searching me and see what happens!" "Then what exactly do you want!" Liu Hong snapped, "What do I want? I want plenty! One hundred Five Elements Spirit Fruits! Three hundred drops of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid! Five hundred strands of Heaven and Earth Mysterious Light!" "In your dreams!" "Then forget it!" Liu Hong ignored him and took a detour. The white mask glared coldly at his back for a long time before finally saying, "I will return. Liu Hong, once you enter that ancient city, you will have nothing left. You are not a man who disdains profit; everything you do is for personal gain. There is no need for this sanctimonious act!" Without turning his head, Liu Hong shot back, "Pot calling the kettle black—you just offered too little!" "I will submit a request... I hope you walk slowly and don't actually run to your death in that ancient city!" With those parting words, the white mask vanished! *** Behind them... Foutuling was reeling in sheer shock. *What on earth?* *The Five Elements Divine Art?* *Su Yu!* Right! Last time, Su Yu had instantly grasped his Five Elements Purgatory. Could it be... what Su Yu possessed was the Five Elements Divine Art? No wonder! No wonder he had felt something was amiss last time—so that was why! Thoughts raced through Foutuling's mind like wildfire. *Does this Liu Hong know the Five Elements Divine Art?* *Is it suitable only for humans, or for all races?* *Or... is it suited for the Five Elements race?* He swallowed hard, countless thoughts flashing across his mind. *Kill Liu Hong?* *Kill him outright and extract his memories?* Yet Liu Hong didn't even fear the white mask or the Heaven Hunting Pavilion; perhaps he truly had prepared fail-safes. Su Yu knew it, Bai Feng knew it, Liu Hong knew it... Obtaining it from the other two was clearly an impossible task. As for this Liu Hong... his trip to the ancient city was actually meant to force the Heaven Hunting Pavilion's hand into paying his extortionate asking price? Foutuling was utterly stunned! *My luck... Truly worthy of being the hope of the Five Elements race! Just randomly bumping into someone turns out to be a pivotal figure holding the Five Elements Divine Art!* He swallowed hard once more. He genuinely knew about this; ancient records within the Five Elements race mentioned it. Supposedly... it had originally originated from the Human race! *So Su Yu knows this art! Now I finally understand why the ancestor's technique had little effect on him and was even devoured by him—it was all because of the cultivation art Su Yu practiced!* *What should I do?* Foutuling's mind was thrown into turmoil. Suddenly, he turned toward Long Wuyou. Long Wuyou was staring back at him as well. Seeing his gaze, Long Wuyou sent a voice transmission: "Don't look at me like that. What, thinking of silencing the dragon? If you ask me, you'd better think about how to get your hands on the Five Elements Divine Art! To think Su Yu actually knows this. I saw records of it in the Dragon race archives; it was lost eons ago. Did Su Yu truly obtain it? Is it real or fake?" Foutuling said nothing. Long Wuyou backed away slightly and continued, "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion's intelligence is unmatched under heaven after all! It seems they've been tailing this fellow for a long time! Foutuling, taking this art without making a sound won't be that easy!" Foutuling's expression shifted continuously. Suddenly, he said, "Long Wuyou, lend me some treasures! If we can secure this item, it will be immensely beneficial to my Five Elements race, and our clan will surely repay you handsomely! Long Wuyou, you know this art might be useless to others, but it is of paramount importance to my Five Elements race!" "What are you planning to do?" Foutuling suddenly donned a white mask. His voice grew ethereal as he murmured, "Exchange for the art!" Long Wuyou froze, then burst into laughter. "Brilliant! You're cutting in ahead of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion? Once you have it in hand, no one will even know it was you. Even this Liu Hong will believe he traded it to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! Truly brilliant! Foutuling, you are far more treacherous than I imagined!" Wearing the white mask, Foutuling shifted his voice to mimic the exact timbre of the previous white-masked operative, speaking in a low tone: "Better to avoid trouble! If outside races learn of this, complications will surely follow! Long Wuyou, lend me some treasures and keep this secret. On behalf of the Five Elements race, I promise to assist you when you seek to achieve the Dao! I can even grant you two carrier objects to help you attain the Dao in secret! You may be a descendant of the Golden Dragon Grand Elder, but the Celestial Dragon race reigns supreme among dragons. Will they grant you all the best resources? There are far more gifted dragons than you—Long Yingyue on the Heaven Ranking, Long Zhan on the Earth Ranking. You hold no advantage whatsoever!" Long Wuyou's gaze flickered intensely. After a long silence, he asked, "What do you need?" "Do you have Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid? I have some Five Elements Spirit Fruits and Heaven and Earth Mysterious Light, but not enough. The Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid is also far short..." Long Wuyou hesitated. "I have some, but his demands are too steep. Even if we combine everything, it won't be enough!" Foutuling took a deep breath. "No matter, we'll try! How much do you have?" "Fifty strands of Heaven and Earth Mysterious Light, fifty drops of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid..." "So little?" Foutuling was caught off guard. Long Wuyou's face darkened. *Little?* *You call that little?* *That's an enormous fortune!* These were resources prepared for his eventual breakthrough to the Sun Moon realm! It was only because the Star Residence Mansion was about to open—offering everyone a chance at a massive leap forward—that he carried so many treasures with him. Hesitating, he added, "I also have one Dragon Blood Fruit!" Foutuling made a quick calculation. "My share still falls short..." Long Wuyou suddenly cut in, "Aren't you afraid his cultivation art is a fake? You'd better be cautious; humans are deceitful. Su Yu fooled the myriad races with a fake art last time!" "This is different!" Foutuling said solemnly, "Su Yu definitely knows the Five Elements Divine Art! After I was captured by him last time, I actually looked into several things. Some of the arts Su Yu spread in the Human Realm, like the Origin Spirit Art, are likely incomplete derivatives adapted from the Five Elements Art! Among the five elements, my clan elders examined it and concluded it only contained two... If Su Yu gave it to Bai Feng, gave him the full Five Elements art opening 180 divine apertures... the likelihood is extremely high! And Liu Hong might truly have it!" "..." Long Wuyou looked at him. "Foutuling... what he's asking for is no small sum!" "If the art is real, the Five Elements race will pay whatever it takes!" Long Wuyou tried to dissuade him no further. He merely felt... things seemed just a tiny bit too coincidental. Yet... he quickly dismissed the thought. Genius figures possessed flourishing destiny! Foutuling was hailed as the hope of the Five Elements race, so stumbling upon the Five Elements Divine Art by serendipity was entirely plausible. Such was the destiny of a prodigy! Soon, the two pooled together a substantial stash of treasures. Moments later, Foutuling vanished from the spot. He had to intercept the deal and impersonate the Heaven Hunting Pavilion before the real white mask returned—no, he was a member of the Heaven Hunting Pavilion himself! He would use his identity as a white mask to trade ahead of time and snatch the prize from under their noses! Everything would occur without a trace. No one would ever know he was the one who took it—except Long Wuyou, of course. Yet Long Wuyou would be difficult to kill! Killing Long Wuyou would cause too great a disturbance; otherwise, Foutuling would have silenced him on the spot. Unfortunately, they were in the Sea of Stars, and the Dragon Realm was nearby. If things blew up and the myriad races caught wind, the Five Elements race would lose any hope of keeping it for themselves! *** Before long, Liu Hong shouted in fury, "Enough! If you can't produce what I want, then get lost! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion claims to be the premier organization of the heavens, yet my demands aren't even excessive! You pester me again and again—are you planning to kill me and seize it?" Foutuling materialized, his voice muffled and ethereal. "Liu Hong, I have already petitioned the elders. One hundred drops of Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid, fifty Five Elements Spirit Fruits, and one hundred strands of Heaven and Earth Mysterious Light—this is our absolute limit! If you are insatiable, you may well end up with nothing. These treasures are sufficient for you to cultivate all the way to the Sun Moon realm, even the peak of Sun Moon! I have brought everything. If you are willing to trade, we can conclude the deal right now. If not... are you truly certain you want to go to that ancient city? Aside from selling to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, who else can you sell to? Would you sell it to Su Yu?" Liu Hong said coldly, "Get lost, I don't have it!" "Liu Hong, why persist? Only treasures in your grasp, converted into personal strength, can win you more! The Star Residence Mansion is opening soon; if you don't boost your strength now, you will leave empty-handed. Miss this chance, and you will have to wait another ten years—ten years is enough to change everything!" Liu Hong frowned, looking hesitant. "I can't trust you. Once I give you the item, my strength is inferior to yours; if you kill me afterward, all my scheming will have been for nothing!" Foutuling grew anxious. Were it anything else, he wouldn't care, but this was the Five Elements Divine Art! The stakes were monumental! If he secured it and it proved effective for the Five Elements race, their resurgence would no longer be a pipe dream. In the annals of the Five Elements race, it was recorded that when their five branches had once been united, they were among the undisputed overlords of the heavens! Tragically, the five elements had split apart, their cultivation arts fragmented, which led to their gradual decline. He was burning with impatience! Yet on the surface, he acted completely unfazed, asking coolly, "Then what do you propose?" Liu Hong furrowed his brow. "How about this: we trade right outside the ancient city gate. Once the deal is done, I enter the city, and you go your way—each going our separate paths! Neither of us will speak a word of this. Otherwise... Su Yu will never let either of us off..." *How could that work!* Foutuling cursed inwardly. *If the real Heaven Hunting Pavilion operative arrives, wouldn't I be exposed?* Gritting his teeth, his face beneath the mask turned an earthy gray. He quickly asked, "Do you have the item on you?" "Of course not!" Liu Hong sneered, "Do you take me for a fool? Am I waiting around for you to intercept and slaughter me?" With a darkened expression, Liu Hong added, "There is no physical copy; it exists solely in my memory. If anyone tries to forcibly search my mind, my sea of will will instantly detonate! Hand over the goods, and I will transcribe it for you right then and there. It won't take long! Believe it or not, it's up to you! The Heaven Hunting Pavilion has countless Invincibles and agents everywhere; I imagine you can verify its authenticity to some degree. Besides, I have no reason to offend your pavilion..." "Transcribe it now, then. I need to verify it..." Liu Hong scoffed, "Am I an idiot? I will only trade outside the ancient city gate. Take it or leave it!" Foutuling cursed silently once more! Soon, he lowered his voice. "Fine! Let us make haste toward the ancient city. This area is unsafe; I will carry you to move faster!" Liu Hong appeared to hesitate. Foutuling cursed inwardly, *What the hell are you hesitating for? Hurry up! Before the real Heaven Hunting Pavilion bastard shows up, get a move on!* After a moment's hesitation, Liu Hong spoke again: "Killing me or abducting me is useless. Without the payment, there's nothing to discuss..." "Rest assured. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion acts only for profit, and our reputation is recognized across the heavens!" Liu Hong wrestled with the decision for a moment before finally nodding. "Fine, I will go with you. But let me make this clear: if you dare pull any tricks... I will die a miserable death, and so will you! Su Yu will never allow his cultivation art to circulate freely outside!" *So much useless chatter!* *I want nothing more than to wrap this up swiftly without a single soul finding out!* Foutuling couldn't be bothered to waste words. Grabbing Liu Hong, he sped toward the ancient city while concealing their tracks, terrified of crossing paths with the real Heaven Hunting Pavilion operative. Racing at top speed, Foutuling pushed his pace to its absolute limit. Soon, the ancient city loomed into view. Shortly after, his voice transmission talisman vibrated faintly. Foutuling opened it swiftly, hearing Long Wuyou's urgent message: *Hurry up! I think I felt ripples from that Heaven Hunting Pavilion fellow—he might be arriving soon!* *Damn it, so fast!* Panic seized Foutuling. He sped toward the entrance of Xinghong Ancient City with Liu Hong in tow. People were coming and going around the gates, but seeing Foutuling and Liu Hong drew little attention; figures from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion and the Human race had been arriving frequently of late, making it an ordinary sight. Not daring to waste a single second, Foutuling urged, "Transcribe it now! The goods are all inside this storage ring..." Liu Hong frowned. "I can't just take your word for it; I need to inspect the goods! If I trick you, your Invincibles will hunt me down. But if you trick me, I can do nothing to you. I fear death, so I won't swindle you. But as for your lot... I don't trust you!" Foutuling cursed inwardly, but could only open the storage ring for him to inspect. "Look closely! Everything is here!" Only then did Liu Hong relax. Taking a deep breath, he glanced back toward the ancient city, gritting his teeth. "Fine! But remember our prior agreement: within ten years, you are not allowed to make this art public. Ten years later, do as you please, or else... I'll be in massive trouble!" "Agreed!" Liu Hong immediately began transcribing rapidly onto a jade talisman. As he wrote, he transmitted his voice: "You're making a massive profit. If I dared put this art up for auction... its value would be beyond imagination! Alas... sigh, I dare not auction it!" He finished writing in no time, tossing the jade talisman over. "I set up a barrier. Do not open it within ten seconds, or it will shatter. It can only be unsealed after ten seconds... If you trust me, we trade. If not... our deal ends here!" At that exact moment, Foutuling's voice transmission talisman vibrated again: *He's almost there!* The genuine Heaven Hunting Pavilion operative was arriving! How could Foutuling afford time to think? Feeling stifled, he weighed the matter—in all likelihood, this fellow wouldn't dare swindle the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. Their assassin network was no laughing matter. He hurled the storage ring forward, snatched the jade talisman, and said in a low voice, "May this be a pleasant transaction. Otherwise, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion will never let you off!" Catching the storage ring, Liu Hong looked thoroughly composed. "Naturally. I'm no fool. Besides, you approached me first, not the other way around... What good would swindling you do me?" With that, gripping the storage ring, he strode directly into the city, calling over his shoulder, "Let's hope this is the last time we ever meet!" As the words fell, he vanished into the ancient city. Foutuling, meanwhile, instantly vanished from the spot. Not long after, another figure wearing a white mask descended. He scanned the surroundings, found nothing, and quickly disappeared once more. *** Inside the city, Liu Hong felt as though his heart were about to explode. *Holy shit! Swindling people on the All-Heavens Battlefield yields astronomical fortunes! Holy crap, I actually conned so much out of them! Now I finally understand how Su Yu swindles so much—the myriad races are all a bunch of idiots!* *Loaded with cash and dumb as bricks!* Liu Hong breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He was inside the city now, which was all that mattered. He would slip out shortly; that white-masked brother was still waiting to split the spoils. Doing business truly wasn't easy. Liu Hong panted, terrified out of his wits. *I can't pull this off again. After this massive score, I'm retiring from this game. Better lie low for a while—the Five Elements race is not to be trifled with.* *The Five Elements Divine Art?* He chuckled inwardly. *Damn it all, I only heard someone mention the name in passing once. I just hope you spend a nice, long time studying that fake Five Elements Divine Art.* Ever since Su Yu opened the door of swindling for him, Liu Hong had realized that in this world... fighting to the death was nowhere near as lucrative as conning people. Only scammers could truly amass great wealth! Just look at those Invincibles, fighting back and forth—did they get any real benefits? The Dao of Swindling alone endures across the ages! *As expected, that brat Su Yu has real talent. His swindling methods are far more sophisticated than mine. I still need to keep working hard!* *** Having entered the city, Liu Hong soon slipped out through another route to rendezvous with that white mask and divide their loot. Meanwhile, within the city, Su Yu's brow furrowed slightly. Beside him, Old Wang said in a low voice, "Liu Hong was trading with a white mask just now. I saw him receive a storage ring, likely packed with treasures. Could that fellow have sold something to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion? He fled shortly after. Should I have someone intercept him? I left a mark on him as he left." Su Yu frowned. "A trade... What could he possibly be trading with the Heaven Hunting Pavilion...? Fine, I understand. I'll go check it out myself later. What is that fellow doing showing up on my turf anyway?" He still had a few scores to settle with that guy!