Parting Ways

Su Yu walked over to the great demons. The others glanced over, but none followed. The demons turned their eyes toward him, some fearful, others silent. Back when Su Yu had been in the Human Realm, he had still needed them. Now, he no longer did. He was terrifyingly strong in his own right, and the faction backing him was equally formidable. Among the nine great demons, the strongest were at the sixth level of the Shanhai Realm, while the weakest, like Fire Crow and White Li, had yet to step into Lingyun and remained at the ninth level of Tengkong. Suanni and Zuanshanniu had reached Lingyun, but only just barely. Without standing on ceremony, Su Yu sat down and looked at the demons. "Xue Yue, the three of you," he said slowly, "I promised back then that I would let you leave and return to the Allheaven Battlefield. The secrets of the past are no longer secrets today. It won't matter much if you leave now." He had promised these three great demons that if they fought for him in the battle at Starfall Mountain, he would let them go. Later, because they had seen too many things—divine characters, divine apertures, the disassembly art, and more—he hadn't released them. Now, Su Yu hardly cared about any of that. He said calmly, "If you want to leave, we did cross paths, after all, and you lent me your strength in the past. I will gift you some treasures to consider this grievance fully settled." Su Yu looked at the three Shanhai great demons: Xue Yue, Duyan, and Ju Shan. The three demons exchanged glances. None of their races were particularly weak. Xue Yue came from the Bloodthirsty race, Duyan from the Demon Eye race, and Ju Shan from the Mountain Giant race. All three races were anchored by Invincibles! The Mountain Giant race could even be traced back to the Archaic Giant race, a powerful ancient lineage of immense strength. Xue Yue's true form resembled a wolf, with blood-red eyes that gleamed with feral menace, giving him a dangerous look. At this moment, however, his voice was low and cautious. "Milord, if we leave and return to our races, will we be imprisoned or even forcibly soul-searched?" "I cannot say," Su Yu replied calmly. "That depends on your races' intentions. Few people care about you now, but some still know you once served me. Your own races, in particular, will certainly pay close attention to you." Duyan turned his massive eye toward Su Yu and spoke in a faint, gloomy tone. "Does Milord mean that once we leave this place, you will no longer help us?" Su Yu nodded. "Correct. The grievance is settled. Before you took action back then, I said I would let you leave, but you committed sins prior to that as well. That was merely a transaction, nothing more." The three great demons fell silent. Ju Shan said in a muffled rumble, "Then... Milord, is there another path for us? For instance, continuing to follow you..." Su Yu laughed. "Follow me? Are you sure? I am currently residing in an ancient city. Ancient cities aren't places just anyone can enter, and even if you do, you cannot stay long unless you become a resident. What, are you going to guard the city gates outside? Besides, I've offended the myriad races across the heavens. What good does following me do? Are you waiting to get beaten to death?" Follow him... Su Yu wasn't truly willing to take them on. There was no need for it! Leaving aside the fact that he had no use for them now, his own steps were fraught with peril. He even had to disguise himself just to leave the city. Did these fellows honestly believe following him would be pleasant? Wrong! Following him was far more dangerous! Ju Shan muttered, "Yet we followed Milord for some time, and the myriad races likely know it. Even if our own races don't cause trouble for us, powerful races like the gods and demons might still target us to see if they can pry your secrets from us. We might know nothing, but the outside world won't necessarily believe that." Su Yu pondered for a moment and suggested, "Then I could introduce you to someone. For instance, joining the Great Xia Prefecture or another prefecture to serve as mounts?" "Milord, we wish to follow you..." Xue Yue said. Su Yu let out a laugh. "Why? I don't think I possess that much charisma, nor do I emanate the aura of a supreme hegemon. Why would you want to follow me? "Strictly speaking, I'm practically a living dead man. It's hard to say if I'll even be alive tomorrow. My enemies are all Invincibles and Sun Moons. Following me is just courting death, isn't it?" Xue Yue was silent for a while before saying, "Milord still needs us! Xinghong Ancient City currently has no trusted aides of Milord! No city guards have been formed, either. We can join Xinghong Ancient City and guard it for Milord! We can handle miscellaneous duties! Although we are only at the Shanhai Realm and our cultivation is humble, our strength is more than sufficient for patrols and guard duty." Su Yu looked at him and said nothing. Xue Yue said helplessly, "Milord, we truly have no other choice. If you tell us to return, unless we wander the heavens as vagabonds, even returning to our own clans will likely end in our deaths! We spent far too many years in the Human Realm. They all want information regarding the multiple character faction and the Human Realm. We don't know much, but those outside won't think that way!" Su Yu said indifferently, "To enter the ancient city, you must become ancient city residents." "Milord, being ancient city residents is fine. It merely means our cultivation can no longer advance, that we must endure death qi, and that our lifespans will be shortened. We have no grand ambitions; Sun Moon and Invincible are entirely out of our reach anyway!" "At least inside the ancient city, we will be safe. No one would rashly kill an ancient city resident." "Indeed..." "And with Milord in the ancient city, we believe Milord will surely turn misfortune into fortune!" "..." The great demons chimed in one after another, all choosing not to leave, even if it meant becoming residents. Leaving was essentially a nine-in-ten chance of death. Having cultivated all the way to Shanhai, they weren't foolish. They had been associated with Su Yu's lineage for far too long and were definitely being watched. Even if their own races didn't kill them upon their return, they might hand them over out of fear of threats from stronger races. When that happened, death would be preferable to the torture they would face. Su Yu was somewhat surprised by their decision. In his mindset, even if it was dangerous, he would always choose freedom over subjugation. Though leaving was perilous, wandering the world without returning to one's clan was still better than being enslaved. Yet the choice of these great demons differed entirely from his own way of thinking. He had assumed they would be thrilled and excited when he offered to release them. After a moment of silence, Su Yu spoke. "If this is your choice, I will not stop you. If you wish to become residents, suit yourselves. However, my original promise is considered fulfilled; it is your own choice not to leave!" The three great demons felt helpless and said nothing more. Go back? Decades had passed! No one knew the current situation within their clans; perhaps their rivals had long taken power! Returning now with complete ignorance would truly be seeking death. Imprisoned in the Human Realm for so many years and having had their blood drained by Hong Tan for so long, their foundations were damaged. Sun Moon was out of the question. Rather than face that reality, joining the ancient city was the better alternative. At least it was safe there! With the three Shanhai great demons having made their choice, Su Yu looked at the six smaller demons. The strongest among them, Water Person, was already close to the ninth level of Lingyun. Having been at the late Lingyun Realm for many years, Water Person and Shadow had largely recovered from their foundational injuries after being released, all thanks to Su Yu's Fire of Inheritance. At this moment, Water Person assumed human form and said softly, "Milord, I am also willing to stay." Shadow echoed in a faint voice, "This subordinate is as well!" Su Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, then looked at the remaining four demons. White Li and Fire Crow hastily added, "We are willing to stay!" Su Yu was still somewhat surprised by their choices. Turning to Suanni and Zuanshanniu, those two gluttonous and lazy beasts, he assumed they would stay as well. To his surprise, Suanni suddenly spoke up: "Um... Milord, are you truly willing to let us leave?" "Hmm?" Hearing his tone, Suanni trembled in fear and said, "If Milord is unwilling, then forget it." "You want to leave?" Seeing that Su Yu wasn't angry, Suanni paused for a moment before speaking. "I do! I don't want to become an ancient city resident. I am a genius of the Suanni race. If Milord doesn't stop me, I would like to leave..." "Are you afraid I'll eat you?" Suanni fell silent and shook his massive head. "No. I prefer roaming freely across the Allheaven Battlefield. I fear death... but years ago, I too competed against the geniuses of the myriad realms. Now... I don't want to guard gates!" Su Yu was indeed surprised, yet he understood. Twenty years ago, Suanni had participated in the journey to the Star Residence Mansion. Without being a genius, it was exceedingly difficult for other races to gain an entry slot into the mansion. Suanni's choice was unexpected, but within reason. This fellow had struggled and roared from the very beginning. The first time Su Yu had entered the underground research lab, he had been drawn there by this creature. Lately, it had acted like an adorable pet, but in truth, it was no pet. It was a rare genius of the Suanni race, one who had even killed a disciple of King Miecan; even an Invincible's disciple hadn't managed to defeat it. Su Yu nodded slightly. "Very well! Though you didn't contribute much, you've behaved decently since then. Still... having crossed paths, let me remind you to be careful!" "Thank you, Milord, for granting my request!" Suanni thanked him, his eyes filled with longing. "Milord, then I... am truly going to leave. Please forgive me! Also, my name isn't Suanni. Suanni is just my race. My real name is Gubokaila..." "Got it, Suanni!" Su Yu nodded lightly. What kind of garbage name was that, so long and cumbersome? Calling it Suanni was much better. Suanni was speechless! After a long pause, he gave up. Suit yourself. Beside him, Zuanshanniu also spoke in an honest, simple tone. "Milord, Brother Suanni and I agreed to travel the heavens together. If Milord has no objections, I would like to go with Suanni!" Su Yu chuckled. "You two actually formed a bond while guarding the door? Suanni eats meat—aren't you afraid he'll eat you?" "Hehe..." Zuanshanniu grinned foolishly without answering. The departure of these two was somewhat unexpected, but Su Yu didn't dwell on it. Two Lingyun cultivators weren't particularly weak. As long as they exercised caution on the Allheaven Battlefield, they wouldn't necessarily face immense danger. Su Yu nodded. "I will arrange for someone to see you off..." Suanni said nervously, "There is no need to trouble Milord. As soon as it gets dark, Zuanshanniu and I will burrow underground to leave the city, cross the East Rift Valley, enter the Plain of Desires, and exit the Eastern War Zone!" "Suit yourselves!" The two great demons breathed a sigh of relief, having feared Su Yu might be displeased. Aside from them, none of the remaining demons wanted to leave. The other demons said nothing about their decision; everyone had their own choices. Suanni and Zuanshanniu were not particularly old, both were geniuses, their injuries were mostly healed, and they hadn't been imprisoned as long as the others. Wanting to leave now was completely natural. …… When Su Yu returned to the garden, Wu Lan had just finished discussing things with Bai Feng. Seeing Su Yu arrive, she asked curiously, "Did any of the great demons choose to stay?" "Yes." Su Yu nodded and said with a smile, "Guess who chose to leave?" "Suanni!" Wu Lan stated with absolute certainty. Surprised, Su Yu asked, "How did you know?" Wu Lan cast him an arrogant look. How could he not see it? "Suanni cultivated the most diligently and ate the most. He kept stuffing himself even when he was practically bloated from indigestion. He clearly wanted to leave, recover his injuries, and build his strength! Whose pet eats every meal like it might be their last? It was obvious he wanted to get as much food as possible while he still could. I've done research on this: domesticated pets don't gorge themselves recklessly because their masters feed them every day. Only stray pets eat furiously whenever they see food, stuffing themselves until they're ready to burst, because after this meal, they might not get another. Once they finish eating, they can go many days without food!" "..." Su Yu was stunned. After a while, he nodded. "You really study everything, don't you? You're not wrong, though; Suanni still has his wild nature. Actually, I'm curious to see if that fellow can truly make a name for himself once he leaves." Wu Lan didn't care about that. It had just been an offhand observation. She quickly asked, "Where's the little fur ball?" "Here!" Su Yu brought out the little fur ball. When it saw Wu Lan, it looked a bit delighted, but also slightly disappointed. Having seen so many delicacies lately, looking back at the fragrantly nurtured pet-master from before didn't seem quite as enticing! Wu Lan treated it as a pet, while it treated Wu Lan as a feeding pasture. But now Wu Lan was only at Tengkong, so the little fur ball looked down on her a bit. Wu Lan paid no mind to this. She examined the little fur ball closely. "This is the prince of the God Devourer race? I heard back in the Human Realm that the God Devourer race has two Half-Emperors who are terrifyingly strong, but this guy feels so weak." Su Yu was speechless. The fellow had reached the Shanhai Realm, after all! Was that considered weak? Wu Lan reached out and scooped the little fur ball into her hand. The little fur ball didn't resist, letting her handle it as she pleased. Wu Lan examined it thoroughly before asking, "Can its blood essence still not be extracted? The blood essence of this race should be exceptionally potent! Can you lend this thing to me?" She explained, "I've been researching purification techniques for willpower lately! This fellow can devour willpower and seas of will. Su Yu, it's very important! It can collect and gather mixed, chaotic willpower, acting like a collection machine! Through its collection, we can then perform purification to extract pure willpower from the chaos!" The little fur ball puffed up its body in anger. *I won't do it!* Wu Lan pinched its head and said happily, "It can definitely do it! Su Yu, how about we give it a try? Pure willpower is in tremendous demand among Civilization Masters, yet it is exceedingly rare across the myriad realms! That includes you—you need it too. Nurturing divine characters, advancing to Shanhai, aperture fusion, expanding your sea of will... all of these require vast amounts of willpower. Do you have those kinds of treasures?" Su Yu shook his head. Truth be told, he rarely encountered treasures containing large amounts of pure willpower, apart from a few Allheaven rewards. Heavenly Origin Qi, Heaven and Earth Profound Light, Sun Moon Xuanhuang Liquid... These treasures could restore a small amount of willpower, but none were specialized for it. That was why Su Yu's physical body advanced rapidly while his willpower progressed at an ordinary pace. Wu Lan's mood brightened even more. "See, I was right! Lend this little fur ball to me for a few days. You can take it back when you leave after Grandfather Bai arrives. I need it to help me finish some experiments! With it around, we can gather scattered willpower! We can absorb all sorts of chaotic willpower without needing extra equipment for collection, saving a massive amount of cost!" The little fur ball snapped indignantly, "I am the prince of the God Devourers!" It wasn't a scavenger picking up scrap! "Yes, yes!" Wu Lan nodded. You are, I never said you weren't. What a strange little creature, acting as if I didn't know. So what if you're the God Devourer prince? Is your Half-Emperor going to come beat me up? I squeezed you in the past, and your Half-Emperor never showed up then, either. Ignoring Su Yu, Wu Lan called out, "Teacher Bai, come quickly! I found an experimental apparatus! This guy will definitely help us gather willpower..." With that, she grabbed the little fur ball and ran off. Su Yu chuckled. Seeing the little fur ball struggling and glancing back at him with aggrieved eyes, Su Yu waved his hand and transmitted his voice: *Help her with the experiments for a few days. If she really manages to purify willpower, you can steal a bite or two. This is a massive business! If it succeeds, you'll never lack willpower again. Learn the technique secretly while you're at it and see if you can purify it yourself!* Hearing this, the little fur ball's eyes lit up! That was right! Willpower purification technology! If it learned the method, why would it ever need to sneak bites? It could absorb it every single day! There was plenty of scattered willpower across the myriad realms—countless places had massive numbers of discarded texts of will, and battlefields were strewn with stray willpower everywhere. If it could be purified, it could be absorbed and utilized. That truly was a massive business! Instantly, the little fur ball stopped resisting. It obediently followed Wu Lan, eager for her to conduct more experiments so it could steal the technique! …… That night, Suanni and Zuanshanniu departed using Zuanshanniu's earth-burrowing technique. Su Yu did not stop them, nor did he see them off. The only thing he did was give them a small amount of Heavenly Origin Qi, which would be of slight help to them. He didn't even have enough of other top-tier treasures for himself. He also provided some Sun Moon blood essence—not much, just five drops per demon. As for where they went, what they did, or what became of them in the future... Su Yu didn't concern himself with it. Everyone had their own path! The same was true for demons! Su Yu wasn't particularly disappointed by their choice. The myriad realms were vast and wondrous; following him wasn't the only correct path in life. …… That night, Su Yu continued discussing divine characters and cultivation arts with his teachers. They taught Su Yu several cultivation arts from the multiple character faction that he had never learned, such as the *Mountain Suppressing Fist* and the *Spirit Nurturing Art*. In the main hall, they held discussions and learned from one another. It felt just like being back in the academy! After discussing for a while, Liu Wenyan suddenly said, "This time, Liu City will also be going to the Star Residence Mansion!" Su Yu nodded. "Apart from my teacher, who else is going?" Liu Wenyan smiled. "Everyone!" "Everyone?" Surprised, Su Yu looked at him. Liu Wenyan nodded with a smile. "Xia Yunqi, the others, and I have never actually been there because our cultivation was ruined very early on. Hong Tan hasn't been either. Chen Yong went once, so he won't be going this time; he'll stay behind to guard Liu City with my eldest uncle. The rest of us will enter to see if we can seize an opportunity." Su Yu frowned. "Teacher, all of you going... is the Star Residence Mansion truly that miraculous? Aside from treasures, is there really anything else? If it's just cultivation treasures, I still have quite a few..." Liu Wenyan shook his head. "It isn't a matter of treasures. Sometimes, cultivation treasures aren't an all-purpose solution! One needs opportunities, epiphanies, comprehension, and combat! Furthermore, the Star Residence Mansion contains special zones, such as temporal domains, acceleration zones, and other phenomena... These are things we truly need! Right now, the myriad realms appear peaceful, but I sense that an all-out heavenly war is not far off! Great turmoil will erupt sooner or later! And the multiple character faction is simply too weak!" "Without my master's divine character, I am merely at the third level of the Sun Moon Realm. That level of strength is insufficient to deter anyone! While people aren't paying much attention to us right now, we need to grow stronger as soon as possible!" Su Yu hesitated. "Then the slots..." Liu Wenyan smiled. "We'll ask the third generation for them! He has slots! Lately, he has occasionally appeared near Liu City. Perhaps because of Manor Head Wan's departure, he feels he owes us something... There's really no need for that. Everyone has their own choices; there is no need to force them upon others. He lay dormant in the Heaven Hunting Pavilion for years preparing for his dao attainment. When my master died, he had no chance to intervene. Having stayed hidden for so many years after that, continuing to remain dormant... was entirely human nature!" Liu Wenyan sighed. "I don't blame him. In truth, I'm not familiar with him, nor do I really know him. We had never met before, even though he is my grandmaster. Still, now that he has succeeded in attaining the dao, perhaps... he feels some guilt toward us! If so, taking his slots can be seen as settling the score and putting his mind at ease!" Xuanjia! Su Yu did not know Nan Wujiang, but he had spent time with Xuanjia. Back when the other party had been Xuanjia, Su Yu had enjoyed teasing and provoking him. Once the man's true identity was revealed, Su Yu still possessed the means to contact him. He was still wearing the Xuan Nine mask, and Xuanjia was his direct superior; even now, Su Yu could reach him if he wished. Yet Su Yu had never contacted him again. Hearing Liu Wenyan's words, Su Yu nodded. "Fair enough! I had originally planned to secure some slots from the ancient city. Since Teacher says so, I won't bother going through the trouble. Let's give him peace of mind. We don't really know each other, and there's no reason he should bend over backward for us. From what I see, Manor Head Wan didn't really care about his choices either; he was only troubled by Yun Chen's decision." The Primal Cult Master. Yun Chen! Wan Tiansheng's senior martial brother... and effectively his teacher. Wan Tiansheng was likely deeply disappointed in Yun Chen. He didn't necessarily hold strong feelings against the third generation, because the third generation had chosen to conceal himself and slip into the Heaven Hunting Pavilion a hundred years ago, before Wan Tiansheng was even born. Wan Tiansheng had treated both the third generation and Yun Chen with cold detachment, but his grievance was primarily directed at Yun Chen. Yun Chen had only become the Primal Cult Master relatively recently. Liu Wenyan nodded and smiled. "Manor Head Wan... well, let's not speak of him. That nominal martial uncle of mine is truly powerful. Who knows how he's doing right now." At this point, Liu Wenyan quickly added, "As for you, once the elder from the Bai family arrives, you should leave early as well. Lingering too long is not a good idea." Su Yu nodded and said no more. …… While Su Yu awaited the arrival of Old Man Bai, Tianxia Island, near Xinghong Ancient City, grew increasingly crowded. Allocation of slots! This time, the myriad races were going to officially finalize the distribution of slots. The exact numbers had to be formally determined before the Star Residence Mansion opened. This was to prevent massive chaos from erupting when everyone fought over slots at the mansion's opening. By that time, the geniuses of the myriad realms would be gathered. If great chaos broke out and Invincibles went to war, the geniuses wouldn't be able to escape the fallout. Mingguang City. Last time, it had been cleaved in half by King Daxia's single blade strike. Now it was restored, but the Castellan's Residence no longer belonged to the Radiant Bird race; it had been occupied by several powerful races. This time, the allocation of slots was to be determined here. In previous years, it had been finalized at Nine Stars Island. Unfortunately, Nine Stars Island was a thing of the past, and no one was willing to negotiate in an ancient city. The Castellan's Residence had been expanded massively. All the major races were remodeling the residence. Small palaces were being built in a ring, which would facilitate the upcoming discussions on slot allocation. Any race anchored by an Invincible was eligible to participate in the competition for slots. Races without an Invincible could choose to attach themselves to a major race or find ways through special channels. The special channels were an opportunity provided to smaller races to prevent them from staging outright rebellions. At this moment, several Invincibles had already arrived. Inside the massive complex, these Invincibles did not gather together. Instead, each stayed within the palace belonging to their own race, though they could converse without any hindrance. Before long, an Invincible said indifferently, "Should we send an invitation to the ancient city? The ancient city does possess Eternals... but the Eternals of the ancient city... do not represent a race..." "We should invite them! Otherwise, Su Yu will definitely cause trouble." "Would he dare? If he dares cause trouble, the myriad races will unite to slay him!" "Stop spouting such useless, empty threats. Many Eternals have already died. The ancient cities possess immense strength. Do you honestly believe the Eternals of those smaller races are willing to wage war against an ancient city over slots that don't belong to them? The so-called joint action of the myriad races will ultimately just fall on the experts of our few races. How many lives would it cost to pacify an ancient city? If we actually kill those ancient stone statues and the realm of the dead invades, what then?" "Then we lure Su Yu here under false pretenses. Once Su Yu is killed, everything will naturally dissipate!" "..." The Invincibles discussed back and forth. In the end, an invitation still had to be sent. If Su Yu came, perhaps... they could kill him. However, knowing Su Yu's personality, he might not give them the chance. Moments later, the white-haired Divine King of the God race spoke indifferently. "Let us invite them to avoid stirring up trouble. It would be best if they receive slots; if they don't, it will be harder to determine whether Su Yu intends to enter! Inside an ancient city, he is a nuisance, but once inside the Star Residence Mansion, he won't be much of a problem!" "True enough!" The group conferred for a while. Soon, someone asked with a smile, "What about the Human race?" "The slots we previously agreed to give them can be honored. However... their original allocation will depend on their own abilities. This time, six small races produced experts who advanced to the Eternal Realm, so they must be granted a share! Furthermore, the Heaven Hunting Pavilion is participating this time as well and must receive a portion..." "What about the God Devourer ancient race?" "Will they demand slots?" Someone chuckled. "How many members of that race are even left?" There was no need to consider them! It was meaningless. The others nodded. Soon, someone asked, "I've heard that experts from smaller races have been getting wiped out recently. Has anyone looked into that?" "Ignore it!" Several Invincibles didn't care in the slightest. If they died, they died; who cared about their lives? "Then for this expedition to the Star Residence Mansion, is it still the old rule: kill the humans first, then seize the treasures?" "Naturally!" "The Human race must be suppressed!" "I hear word of the Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus has spread. The Human race will likely send several experts this time, perhaps even Eternals participating in person. We'd best finalize the specific slots beforehand and match each slot directly to a specific individual—no vague generalities. We want to see precisely which experts from the Human race will enter so we can make targeted preparations!" "The Heaven Hunting Pavilion's ambitions never die. The leak was most likely their doing. It probably relates to the Minister of Heaven coming out of seclusion; they want to fish in troubled waters, seize the Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus, and help the Minister of Heaven advance to the Half-Emperor realm!" "..." The experts conferred for a while and soon reached several decisions. The experts of the Human race had not yet arrived. Under normal circumstances, these matters were dominated by the gods, demons, immortals, and dragons. Though the Human race was powerful, they were ostracized from the process. After some time, an Invincible's voice echoed in all directions. "Men, deliver the invitations to the various races!" Streaks of light carrying invitation letters shot forth, landing in the hands of various experts. Inviting all races to assemble! To participate in the allocation of slots, and along the way, to see if they could conveniently eliminate that nuisance, Su Yu. Shortly after, another Invincible said coldly, "Send word across the realm: if anyone discovers Wan Tiansheng, they may invite him to this meeting. We will not bar him from entering the Star Residence Mansion; the Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus might be of use to him as well!" It would be best if Wan Tiansheng showed himself! They could find an opportunity to finish that fellow off. Although he had fled the Human race, he was hardly a true traitor to them. None of them were fools; Wan Tiansheng's slaughter of those Shanhai and Sun Moon experts had not necessarily been done to weaken humanity's strength. In fact, because Wan Tiansheng had executed those individuals, the Human race now showed signs of settling into peace. The powerful god and demon races had allowed humanity to enjoy peace for years precisely to foster internal strife among them. Now, thanks to Wan Tiansheng, while that infighting hadn't completely vanished, it had at least quieted down; barely anyone dared to stick their neck out. Experts holding invitation letters flew in every direction toward the major and minor realms. Inviting experts from all sides to attend the assembly! Once the slots were finalized, it would likely be time to advance to the Star Residence Mansion for its opening. …… On this day, Su Yu also finally received Old Man Bai. An elderly man resembling a flickering candle in the wind. His steps were shaky and unsteady as he walked. Ninth level of the Shanhai Realm! Yet perceptive individuals like Su Yu felt a subtle shock the moment they saw the old man. Ninth level of Shanhai? Yes, that was his realm! However, the faint aura radiating from the old man sent chills down their spines. Even Liu Wenyan, a third-level Sun Moon cultivator, felt a wave of horror upon seeing him. Just how much origin qi had this old fellow absorbed? It felt as though he could detonate at any moment! If he exploded, it would likely be far more terrifying than the self-destruction of an ordinary Sun Moon cultivator. Inside the Castellan's Residence, Bai Feng supported his grandfather. The old man looked around, his gaze settling on Su Yu with a peculiar look. After a long pause, he sighed. "You opened it too. But... it feels somewhat different. You seem to be sealed by something..." Su Yu nodded. The old man's senses were indeed sharp, likely because they had both opened their yang apertures. Even though Su Yu's aperture was sealed, the other party could still tell. "Sigh, I must have lost my mind back then. I thought you were merely researching it, not that you would actually open it yourself. And yet... you really opened it. I shouldn't have given you that book!" Old Man Bai shook his head. He had passed the manual to Su Yu through Bai Junsheng only in the hopes that Su Yu might research a way to counteract its effects. Yet Su Yu, knowing full well the danger, had gone ahead and opened his yang aperture anyway. Opening the yang aperture was practically a death wish. Su Yu smiled. The old man underestimated him. He wasn't courting death! With Xingyue around, until death qi completely overwhelmed him, he couldn't die even if he wanted to.