Liu City

Leaving the ancient city, Su Yu glanced back toward Liu Hong. Was that fellow really delivering himself to the slaughter as a target? What a bizarre character. Still, Liu Hong’s danger senses were remarkably sharp. Could it be that he had run into massive trouble and deliberately fled to the ancient city for refuge? As for that Heaven Hunting Pavilion white mask, Su Yu had looked him over as well. He was just an ordinary white mask, non-human. Su Yu had no idea how Liu Hong had managed to hoodwink him, but it was hardly surprising. If Liu Hong couldn’t even swindle a Shanhai cultivator, he wouldn’t have survived this long on the Allheaven Battlefield. …… Su Yu left Liu Hong behind in the ancient city without worrying in the slightest that he would run off. The Castellan’s Residence was Su Yu’s territory. While he was away, unless the stone statue was also hoodwinked by Liu Hong and let him go, the fellow wasn't going anywhere. And as for deceiving the stone statue… that would require Liu Hong to resolve the burden of death qi for him first. Su Yu drifted through the void, changed his appearance, and soon plunged into the sea. After diving downward for a while, an ancient city came into view. Inside the city, Old Turtle opened his eyes and looked at Su Yu with a trace of helplessness. Here he came again! Hongmeng City had enjoyed countless years of quiet. Yet in the few short days since this kid had become castellan, endless trouble had followed. As far as Old Turtle was concerned, he wished Su Yu wouldn't come looking for him for thousands or tens of thousands of years. The ancient city remained open to the outside world. Su Yu entered quickly, soon stepping into the Castellan’s Residence and making his way to the back hall. The colossal stone statue of the old turtle opened its eyes and stared at him. Su Yu didn't beat around the bush or dawdle, getting straight to the point. "Milord, I want to seal my yang aperture and keep it shut for the time being. Is that possible?" Old Turtle studied him for a moment before speaking slowly. "You mean forcibly severing it? I can do that, but once you open it again, unless I am right beside you, you will not be able to close it on your own." "That's good enough!" As long as it could be sealed, that was enough. If he had to reopen it, he would surely be in life-threatening danger, and in that situation, who cared whether it remained sealed or not? "Is there anything else?" If you have business, spit it all out at once. Su Yu knew Old Turtle was impatient and favored peace and quiet, so he quickly asked, "Milord, do you know the Method of the Heavenly Cycle?" "I do not." Old Turtle pondered for a moment. "Did Xinghong tell you about it? That technique might be found within the Star Residence Mansion. Aside from that, we know nothing of it." "Do ancient city tokens offer much help when entering the Star Residence Mansion?" "A little..." Old Turtle fell silent for a short while before slowly continuing. "An ancient city token can prevent you from triggering certain restrictions. Furthermore... an unguarded dead spirit passageway may have opened inside the Star Residence Mansion. Holding an ancient city token can shield you from some dead spirit attacks." Surprised, Su Yu asked, "There's a dead spirit passageway inside the Star Residence Mansion?" "There might be. I am not certain of the specifics. But there is no need to worry—dead spirits cannot leave the Star Residence Mansion." *I’m not worried!* Su Yu was speechless. Who was worried about that? If they came out, they came out. He was merely surprised. Su Yu spoke up again. "Milord, is there a way to make the Heaven Hunting Pavilion remove my name? I'd rather not draw the attention of the Heaven Hunting Ranking." The stone statues seemed capable of locking onto the Heaven Hunting Ranking; Xinghong had previously attacked the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. Old Turtle sighed internally. He had known all along that this kid's visits were always accompanied by troublesome requests. After a moment of thought, he said, "It is possible to evade the Heaven Hunting Ranking's aura detection for a brief time. Death qi can suppress it. Do you mean you wish to shield yourself without relying on death qi?" "Yes!" Old Turtle considered this and said, "There is actually a way. You can transform the Civilization Tombstone into armor—not for your physical body, but to encase your sea of will. That way, it will be difficult for the Heaven Hunting Ranking to capture your aura. However, that Civilization Tombstone... is an ominous object. Use it as sparingly as possible." Su Yu froze. *That works too?* The Civilization Tombstone! Su Yu quickly deduced that if the Heaven Hunting Ranking was a divine weapon, then the Civilization Tombstone had to be exceptionally powerful as well—perhaps not inferior to the Heaven Hunting Ranking in the slightest—which was why it could block the ranking's perception. "Milord, should I use the Civilization Tombstone to envelop my entire sea of will?" "Yes." Old Turtle said slowly, "The Heaven Hunting Ranking tracks origin aura, not origin qi aura. To put it plainly, it tracks soul aura. When your sea of will is sealed off, it works on the exact same principle as suppression by death qi, making it exceedingly difficult for the Heaven Hunting Ranking to investigate anything about you." Enlightenment dawned on Su Yu! That made things simple! To think the Civilization Tombstone possessed such a function. Had he known earlier, he wouldn't have needed to worry about this. Yet Old Turtle warned him once more. "Use it as little as possible. That object is ominous. Using it might... bring you trouble." "Trouble?" Old Turtle said uncertainly, "Just be cautious. It being ominous is merely a rumor; I do not know the specifics either." "Understood. Many thanks, Milord!" Old Turtle said no more, quickly asking, "Do you require your celestial aperture to be sealed right now?" Su Yu nodded! Old Turtle wasted no time. In the blink of an eye, Su Yu vanished from where he stood and entered a pitch-black space. The next instant, Su Yu felt an immense, overwhelming pressure descend upon him. A miniature turtle shell suddenly manifested before his eyes and sank into his body with a thunderous roar. In a single breath, his yang aperture was plugged by the shell! The yang aperture, which had been continuously devouring death qi and origin qi, was abruptly blocked. It struggled violently, but the turtle shell stood as immovable as a mountain, firmly suppressing the aperture's opening. After trembling for a while, the yang aperture settled into silence. Su Yu reappeared in his original spot. Old Turtle said softly, "That thing will continuously absorb power. Channeling is better than blocking; keeping it stopped up for too long will also bring trouble. Resolve this issue as quickly as possible, open your so-called yin aperture, and complete the entire celestial aperture!" "This subordinate understands!" Su Yu said hurriedly, "Thank you, Milord!" "No need. If you truly wish to thank me, just visit fewer times..." Su Yu gave a dry cough. "Without fail! Oh, right, Milord. Last time you slew that dragon three-life embodiment, I noticed you didn't seem to care much for the carrier. If Milord has no need for it, I could help dispose of it..." Old Turtle said calmly, "Carriers are exceedingly precious. Do they need disposing of?" Su Yu offered a strained laugh. "Right, right, right. Milord, could... could you give that carrier to me? I want to help strengthen some of the castellans so they can step into the Quasi-Invincible realm. That way, all the guardians will have an easier time." *Now that sounds somewhat reasonable!* Old Turtle said nothing more. In an instant, a scale appeared before Su Yu. Old Turtle said placidly, "This is an ancient dragon Half-Emperor's reverse scale, a relatively powerful carrier. Put it to good use." Su Yu nodded and gripped the scale, feeling a soothing warmth spread through his hand. What a fine treasure! By now, he possessed a full seven carriers—an unimaginable quantity. He had obtained two carriers from slaying Invincibles, which Zhu Tiandao and the others hadn't claimed. Wan Tiansheng had given him one, the Xia family had given him one, the human race had returned two, and now he had received another. To outsiders, these were supreme treasures, hard to come by even singly! Yet Su Yu had gathered seven of them! And that didn't even count the two carriers he had given away. Otherwise, the count would be pushing into double digits. Moreover, among the carriers Su Yu possessed, the Divine King of Blazing Thorns had fallen and left a small tree carrier stained with substantial amounts of an Invincible's blood. Su Yu couldn't extract the blood essence yet, but once he grew stronger, he might be able to draw out a drop of Invincible blood. Invincible blood essence... Su Yu wondered whether unlocking a page with it in his golden booklet would reveal an Invincible interface, and whether it would differ from ordinary ones. Of course, at his current strength, attempting to use it even if extracted would be practically suicidal. Invincibles were far too strong! Su Yu was overjoyed. Seven carriers! He truly was the wealthiest man in the myriad realms. Then again, most of these treasures originated from the Star Residence Mansion, which the Heaven Hunting Pavilion frequented. Perhaps the Heaven Hunting Pavilion was far wealthier than he was. With that thought, another idea struck him. He quickly asked, "Milord, one final question: can I use the Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus?" "The Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus?" Old Turtle seemed to reminisce, murmuring, "The Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus... you mean to say the seventh floor of the Star Residence Mansion is about to produce one? If memory serves, there is a Heavenly Lotus Pond on the seventh floor. Those things are exceptionally difficult to grow, but a mature Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus offers no small benefit to an Eternal..." After a brief explanation, he added, "If you wish to harvest the Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus, remember one thing: behind the Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus, there will inevitably be a time passageway born of the lotus itself. Take care not to be dragged into it... Furthermore, the lotus has nine leaves, which means you must harvest it nine times. After plucking one blossom, you must wait a period of time for the second to form, repeating until nine blossoms have bloomed. Only when all nine blossoms fuse into one is it truly the Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus!" Su Yu was stunned. *It's that profound?* Old Turtle truly possessed vast knowledge! Did the Heaven Hunting Pavilion know this as well? Did the myriad races know? If they didn't, retrieving the treasure would hardly be easy. It sounded perilous to harvest. "Milord, are there other dangers in the Star Residence Mansion?" "Dangers lurk at every turn!" Old Turtle said calmly, "I cannot tell you too much, because what constitutes no danger to me might cost you your life! Do not think that just because I know much, you can ask and then go charge in recklessly. Places I can tread, you may not be able to! Besides, countless years have passed; there are matters, places, and perils that even I am unaware of." "Understood!" Old Turtle added, "The Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus... should be of great help to you, but using it would be far too wasteful! It is a treasure that can aid someone in attaining Dao Integration. The human race seems to be in dire need of it..." Su Yu bared his teeth in a grin. "Then let the human race fight for it themselves. Milord, I haven't reached the point of benefiting all under heaven just because I've found success." "As long as your mind is clear on the matter." Old Turtle had no desire to say more and closed his eyes. It was a clear sign to see his guest off: you can get lost now. Su Yu didn't mind. Just as he was about to leave, Old Turtle suddenly opened his eyes. "Do not go to the ninth floor. No matter how many treasures or benefits lie there, do not go!" Su Yu looked back, but Old Turtle had already closed his eyes once more. Su Yu furrowed his brows and quickly replied, "This subordinate understands!" *Don't go to the ninth floor?* Whatever, if he said not to go, then he wouldn't go. Besides, it wasn't as if Su Yu was guaranteed to get in anyway; it sounded as though entering was a foregone conclusion. …… Leaving the ancient city, Su Yu felt an immense weight lift from his shoulders. His yang aperture was sealed! Although his combat strength had dropped considerably, that wasn't vital. For now, he had reverted to his previous state. Without the yang aperture constantly absorbing energy, he felt completely unburdened. He could try reversing death qi into life qi again! He could even experiment with flashing his name onto the ranking to astonish the myriad races, wiping it away, flashing it again, and wiping it again. Who knew if that would break the Heaven Hunting Ranking? Better not. No need to draw the attention of the myriad races. Su Yu began attempting to wrap his entire sea of will with the Civilization Tombstone. According to Old Turtle, doing so would make it difficult for even the Heaven Hunting Ranking to capture his aura. *Is it really that formidable?* He hadn't felt it before! Back then, the Civilization Tombstone had merely been tossed into the Library Pavilion as a legacy item. Was it truly that powerful? Even now, Su Yu didn't fully understand why all the races fought so desperately over it. Even Half-Emperors were tempted! Rumor had it that it held the potential to let Half-Emperors advance. Su Yu had studied it for a long time without discovering anything unusual. His only impression was that as long as this object remained in hand, the multiple divine character legacy would never die out, for it contained an overwhelming number of divine character combat techniques! He was in no rush to return to his ancient city. He intended to make a trip to Liu City to see Bai Feng and the others, and while he was at it... bring old Master Bai over and turn him into a living dead man. I'm just that ruthless! Muttering inwardly for a while, Su Yu altered his features, transforming into Liu Hong. Impersonating him out here was of little consequence. Even if he ran into Foutuling, it wouldn't matter; Su Yu didn't fear him. If discovered, the worst that could happen was blowing his cover, and Foutuling would probably just assume Su Yu planned to enter the Star Residence Mansion disguised as Liu Hong—which suited him just fine! …… Liu City. It stood perched on the edge of the East Rift Valley, bordering the Plain of Desires. It could be considered the very vanguard of the human race! The once-glorious Liu City had fallen into complete ruin nineteen years ago. With most of the Liu family's experts slain in battle, only Liu Wenyan and his eldest uncle remained of the direct lineage. That decline had lasted nineteen years. Nineteen years later, Liu City had once again become the focal point of the entire eastern warzone. The Liu family had returned! To rebuild Liu City! Liu Wenyan had led several Sun Moon Realm experts back to Liu City, taking control of the ruins and beginning the reconstruction. They laid down grand formations, moved mountains, and filled chasms, reviving the little city and breathing new life into it. The vultures of the eastern region also began converging on Liu City. Years ago, Liu City had been the foremost vulture faction—a gathering of scavengers who picked over battlefields without a fixed base. Liu City had once been their spiritual sanctuary. Regrettably, the old master of the Liu family had ultimately chosen to return to the human fold, guarding the frontier for mankind. In the end, it had led to the ruin of the family, the fall of the city, and bleak desolation. Now, Liu Wenyan was back. He declared that Liu City was still a haven for vultures! He made no claims that Liu City would continue defying the four directions as a fortress city guarding the borders of the Human Realm. Liu City now boasted numerous Sun Moon experts. Though none were exceedingly powerful Sun Moons, the city sat close to the Human Realm's territory. With fierce battles erupting frequently of late and Invincibles falling, no one had sought trouble with Liu City for the time being. The crucial factor was that rumors claimed Nan Wujiang and Yun Chen occasionally appeared near Liu City. One was an Invincible, while the other was a powerhouse capable of battling multiple Quasi-Invincibles. Yun Chen's strength might fall short of a true Invincible, but if an Invincible didn't fuse their three lives and sent only a single embodiment, they might well be slain on the spot. Under such circumstances, no one dared cause trouble rashly. Currently, Yun Chen was ranked third on the Dao Attainment Ranking, having taken Kongkong's spot. Kongkong had dropped to fourth. Evident from this, the myriad races considered Yun Chen notably stronger than Kongkong. …… Liu City. It was bustling. The crowds swelled, mostly lone cultivators or vultures. The military had its garrisons, and the prefectures had their own outposts; Liu City primarily gathered unaffiliated humans. Not only humans, but members of smaller races appeared in Liu City as well. Several small clans allied with mankind operated in the eastern warzone, such as the Pegasus race. Cultivators avoided areas that were too perilous, and Liu City counted as a relatively safe refuge. It might lack the overwhelming deterrence of an ancient city, but being within human territory made it secure enough. Recently, as news spread that the Star Residence Mansion was about to open, the entire Allheaven Battlefield had grown far livelier. Liu City grew livelier still. Flocks of unaffiliated human cultivators converged toward it. It was as if the past had returned—the number one vulture city of the Human Realm. The Castellan’s Residence. A grand and imposing estate. Right now, it was teeming with activity. Stroking his beard, Liu Wenyan felt as if he were back in Nanyuan during his teaching days. Watching the chattering crowd not far off, a smile touched his lips. He watched them continuously! Nearby, the grim chill on Chen Yong's face had finally smoothed away. As in days past, a gentle, scholarly smile returned as he lightly patted the head of the newly arrived Wu Jia, visibly delighted. It had been quite some time since he last saw his disciple. Daming Prefecture had sent people over ahead of schedule. Wu Jia and Wu Lan had both arrived, along with several demon beasts. However, those demon beasts were currently shivering in terror, all because one person was staring fixedly at them—Hong Tan! Hong Tan rubbed his chin, looking at the beasts, and kicked Bai Feng, asking with mild surprise, "Tell me, has this Suanni gotten a lot fatter?" Bai Feng nodded. "Much fatter!" The Suanni trembled violently. *I don't want this! I don't want to be here! I just wanted to peacefully watch the door back in the Human Realm for a certain someone who isn't home! I didn't want to come!* Yet it had had no say in the matter! It had been forcibly sent here! Had it refused, a certain Prefect would have stewed them into soup. And now, it had laid eyes on the person it feared most in the world: Hong Tan. Not just the Suanni! At this moment, Shadow, Water Man, Mountain-Drilling Ox, One-Eye, Ju Shan, and Blood Moon were all shivering alike. In their eyes, Hong Tan was the most terrifying, wicked person under the heavens. These Shanhai great demons were petrified of him, for years ago, this foremost blood essence dealer of the black market had drained their blood essence and sold it for decades! It was a past too painful to recall! Seeing Hong Tan, even though Ju Shan and the others had recovered their former mid-stage Shanhai strength, every one of them trembled, not daring to lift their heads before him. Together with the Shanhai demons, there were nine demon beasts in total. The inconspicuous Fire Crow and the White Civet hiding beside Wu Jia even wished they could bury themselves underground. It was simply horrifying! Hearing Hong Tan speak, the great demons shuddered. Bai Feng chuckled. "Master, you're not wrong. Seeing how well they eat and drink, they really have grown plump! Look, that ox has fattened up too. Back then, it looked like skin and bones!" The demons were furious, but dared not utter a sound! How could they not have been emaciated back then? They had their blood drained daily without being fed, especially by Bai Feng and Su Yu, who constantly forgot to feed them. Things had been slightly better under Chen Yong's care, since he gave them some scraps, but those other two were absolute scoundrels. Only after Su Yu fled had they managed to scrape together a few days of good living. Alas, how many days had it been? Here they were again! Back in the fiery pit of suffering! The Suanni looked utterly aggrieved. Like a little dog, its tail lightly brushed against Wu Lan, who was busy studying something. *Save me!* *I'm scared to death!* Wu Lan was currently digging up soil for her research. Feeling the Suanni brush against her, she looked up in confusion and pushed the beast away. She didn't care for the Suanni; it was too large, hairless, covered in scales, and unpleasant to touch. Why was this creature rubbing against her? As for it gaining weight, Wu Lan simply felt that being a bit plumper looked better; being too skinny was hideous. It was purely an aesthetic preference; she had no desire to raise such an ugly pet. After researching for a while, Wu Lan suddenly remembered something. Looking up at the smiling Liu Wenyan, she said, "Teacher Liu, my grandaunt said she can only come in a few days. She told you not to run around and to wait for her here—she has something good to give you!" "……" Liu Wenyan’s expression froze. "Your grandaunt is coming?" "Yes!" Wu Lan smiled. "Teacher Liu, aren't you happy? My grandaunt said you'd definitely be thrilled!" "……" *Thrilled, my foot!* Liu Wenyan was utterly speechless. What was there to be thrilled about? Why couldn't Wu Yuehua stay comfortably in the Great Xia Prefecture teaching students? What was she doing coming to the Allheaven Battlefield? It was far too dangerous! "Did she say when she would arrive?" "Soon. When I left, she was over in Nanyuan leading a group of people through ruins training!" Liu Wenyan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed she would still take some time. He quickly asked, "Why didn't you go to the ruins?" "I'm not a student of the Great Xia Prefecture anymore!" Wu Lan spoke casually as she dug up soil and broke it down, muttering as she worked, "Those ruins were only open to Great Xia students, so I didn't go. Going would have been boring anyway! Prefect Zhu said there are plenty of things to study on the Allheaven Battlefield... And sure enough, Teacher Liu, I've discovered the soil here is different. It contains so many distinct substances. You can extract origin qi, even willpower, from the dirt! Many people must have died here..." Surprised, Liu Wenyan said, "You're studying that?" "Of course!" Wu Lan said indignantly, "That scoundrel Su Yu! I'm supposed to be doing research with him, but he's always running off! So many projects have ground to a halt! The Shanhai aperture fusion technique hasn't progressed at all. He promised the Shanhai aperture fusion technique would be named after me! What an unreliable bastard!" Liu Wenyan was speechless. Su Yu had the time for research? That kid was entangled in so many affairs right now; where would he find time for studies? Besides, this girl had only recently stepped into the Soaring realm. What could she possibly research? Though he belonged to the multiple divine characters faction, truth be told, aside from what was useful to himself, Liu Wenyan didn't delve much into broader research. Bai Feng, on the other hand, had a fairly wide breadth of knowledge in this area. Bai Feng's interest was piqued. Smiling, he said, "Wu Lan, does your Origin Spirit Research Institute have any project breakthroughs lately? Tell us about them. Small-scale stuff doesn't count." Back then, Wu Lan had wanted to apprentice under him, but he hadn't accepted her, taking Su Yu instead. Later, he realized Su Yu was an untamable wolf who ran around everywhere, rarely setting foot in the research lab. Much like Liu Wenyan, Su Yu only studied what interested him and served his own purposes. Most of the time, research was merely an excuse. Hearing Bai Feng ask, Wu Lan wasn't shy. She held grudges too, still remembering Bai Feng's refusal to accept her back then! Instantly energized, she said swiftly, "We have plenty of research projects. But if you're talking about major ones, they're mostly ordinary, except for one: willpower purification! Teacher Bai, can you purify willpower?" Bai Feng said proudly, "You call that a major project? Purification is child's play; of course I can!" "Without Heavenly River Sand?" "……" Bai Feng frowned. "Without Heavenly River Sand, how could one purify it? Heavenly River Sand is an essential experimental medium that acts as a filter. Without it, separating willpower is immensely difficult, making purification impossible. Naturally, compressing it moderately is still feasible!" "Teacher Bai, it seems your research is rather ordinary!" Wu Lan said bluntly, "Back in the day, the first director had no Heavenly River Sand either, yet he could still purify willpower! Heavenly River Sand's use was only discovered later by Teacher Kong! Before Teacher Kong discovered it, Heavenly River Sand was hardly an essential item!" "Researcher Kong Yuxian?" Bai Feng said in surprise, "Are you saying... purifying without Heavenly River Sand... But the first director could do that because his divine character combat technique was different! His divine characters focused primarily on purifying willpower, much like the fourth director focused on origin qi absorption." With that, he looked at Wu Lan. "Don't tell me you're researching a method to extract willpower without Heavenly River Sand?" "Exactly that!" Wu Lan wore a smug look. "And we've already achieved preliminary results." "For real?" Now the others grew interested as well. Liu Wenyan and Hong Tan turned to look at them. Extracting willpower was a monumental challenge across the myriad realms. The scarcity of Civilization Masters was directly tied to the scarcity of willpower. Whether among the myriad races or humanity, origin qi was ubiquitous. Willpower, however, was exceptionally rare. Everyone had to absorb origin qi and convert it before they could enhance their willpower. This was precisely why the Sea of Consciousness Grotto of the Great Xia Civilization Academy was so exceedingly precious. With that grotto and sufficient Heavenly River Sand, vast quantities of pure willpower could be produced. Su Yu had reaped immense benefits there, opening numerous divine apertures. If such a grotto remained perpetually open, countless students could rapidly open divine apertures and effortlessly step into the Soaring realm or even the Lingyun Realm. Unfortunately, opening it once every few decades was already a blessing! Even Liu Wenyan possessed an immensely powerful sea of will, which had grown even stronger upon breaking through to the Sun Moon Realm. Yet he was only at third-stage Sun Moon. That was because he lacked willpower. Even after shattering Ye Batian's divine character, he still lacked sufficient willpower to temper his sea of will, his willpower, and his divine characters. Hearing Wu Lan say this, he said in surprise, "Wu Lan, is your Origin Spirit Research Institute truly researching this?" "Yes!" Wu Lan smiled brilliantly, rather pleased with herself. "Though it's only small-scale testing so far and hasn't gone into large-scale trials, and we're still missing a few components, I believe we'll perfect the technique soon!" Bai Feng scoffed. "So it's not even finished yet!" *This girl is really putting on airs before me!* *A genius researcher like me hasn't even touched this field, and you're swaggering around with an incomplete study?!* Wu Lan refused to back down! The next moment, she produced a text of will and huffed, determined to broaden his horizons! A moment later, she shattered the text of will, letting scattered willpower drift into the air. Wu Lan swiftly gathered the willpower. After a brief moment, she subdued it, and shortly afterward, a strand of pure willpower manifested in her hand. Bai Feng froze. The others gathered around as well, while the Suanni and the other great demons breathed a sigh of relief. Hong Tan had walked over too, finally giving them peace of mind! Liu Wenyan’s gaze turned peculiar. "You know a multiple divine character combat technique?" "……" Wu Lan stared blankly for a good while before saying, "I'm from the multiple divine characters faction!" *Of course I know one!* Bai Feng and the others were dumbfounded. *You're from the multiple divine characters faction?* *How come none of us knew?!* Wu Lan was even more surprised. After a pause, she remembered and explained, "I joined the multiple divine characters faction back in Daming Prefecture. Didn't Su Yu tell you?" *Tell us, my foot!* Everyone was speechless! So this girl was one of theirs as well. Ignoring that, Bai Feng asked urgently, "Did you just convert that willpower using your divine character combat technique?" "Yes!" Wu Lan replied, then quickly added, "Don't ask how the conversion works, Teacher Bai. Even if you ask, I won't tell you. It's confidential!" Bai Feng almost coughed up blood! Yet he pressed on eagerly, "Then... how many base points make up your divine character combat technique? Do you want to learn the disassembly art..." "I already know it!" *Fuck!* Bai Feng cursed violently in his heart. It had to be that grandson Su Yu who passed it on, or how else would Wu Lan know the disassembly art?! That bastard—casually passing around his ultimate secret technique?! Exasperated, he said, "No wonder you're part of the multiple divine characters faction. You learned my disassembly art, which let you advance to the Soaring realm early. That means you haven't outlined many divine characters yet and haven't perfected the technique, right?" "Yeah, I've only outlined twelve. Still missing eight!" Wu Lan said gloomily, "Outlining divine characters is so hard. A combat technique with twenty base points is really difficult to complete." "How many?" Bai Feng froze again. The others were equally stunned. How many base points?! "Twenty!" Wu Lan looked at them, surprised. "Is that too few? It's not, right! I know a thing or two! Twenty base points is considered quite a lot! Su Yu said a twenty-character combat technique should be around intermediate level. Teacher Bai, you didn't outline that many, did you?" Was that few? Had Bai Feng outlined that many? She'd heard he only had a dozen or so! Liu Wenyan’s eyes held a strange glint. "Where did you learn this divine character combat technique?" "From Su Yu's Divine Character Combat Technique Stele!" Liu Wenyan understood. *I knew it. Still... even from the Divine Character Combat Technique Stele, twenty base points is terrifyingly high.* Frowning, he looked at her. "How did you capture it?" "I just went in, grabbed one, came out, and succeeded!" Everyone fell silent. *Nonsense!* Capturing a twenty-character combat technique was never that simple. Among those present, Liu Wenyan had the strongest technique, and he had only captured an eighteen-base-point technique. How could Wu Lan possibly capture such a formidable technique? Seeing everyone staring at her, Wu Lan felt self-conscious and explained, "I really did just grab one and pull it out. Oh... Su Yu helped. He went in first and lured a bunch of combat techniques right to the entrance. The moment I stepped inside, there was a whole line of techniques waiting for me to pick. I grabbed one and came right back out!" Bai Feng was utterly speechless and couldn't resist cursing, "That dog! That actually works?! How come I never knew that was an option?" He looked toward Hong Tan with deep resentment. *Why didn't I know about this method?!* Hong Tan and Liu Wenyan exchanged glances, both feeling a bizarre mixture of shock and disbelief. Su Yu... lured divine character combat techniques to the entrance? How had he managed that? If that were possible, every multiple divine character practitioner would be wielding techniques with dozens of characters! That was impossible! Bai Feng might not appreciate the difficulty, but how could they not understand? For a moment, they forgot to press further regarding Wu Lan's willpower conversion. Liu Wenyan wore a solemn expression, muttering, "In that case, we must find Kongkong, slay him, and reclaim the Civilization Tombstone! If Su Yu can actually manipulate that object... it cannot be lost!" Hong Tan's expression turned grave as well. They had to kill Kongkong. Even if Kongkong was powerful, they had to take back the Civilization Tombstone! That Su Yu could control the Divine Character Combat Technique Stele was something they had never imagined. Had Wu Lan not mentioned it today, they would still be completely in the dark. At this moment, all of them cursed inwardly! That damned dog—he only knew how to fish out combat techniques for women, never mentioning a word to them. Leaving them completely ignorant, only to find out today that Wu Lan had outlined a twenty-character technique, almost making fools of them. If that fellow appeared before them right now, they would definitely beat his dog head in! …… Outside the city. Su Yu sneezed, looking surprised. Someone was cursing him, and from very close by; his "Calamity" divine character had actually twitched. Did someone know he had arrived? Or what? Did this mean a calamity was headed his way?