Thoroughly Demonic

Now that Su Yu had brought out a dead spirit, this contest had become interesting. It was a match for first-stage Soaring cultivators. This was merely the beginning; there were thirty-five full rounds to follow. A first-stage Soaring dead spirit was weak, but those in the later rounds would be anything but weak. At this moment, on the human side, Zhu Hongliang was present. First-stage Soaring... that was precisely his cultivation. He had only recently stepped into the Soaring Realm. Zhu Hongliang watched for a moment. In this round, two first-stage Soaring humans were participating in the match. Aside from Zhu Hongliang, the other was an expert from the Great Qin Prefecture who had fought his way up from the military. Zhu Hongliang sent a voice transmission, “Once we get inside, find a spot to hide. Don't try to be brave, don't kill anyone, and don't pick any fights...” The other man glanced at him, frowning slightly. No fighting? Just hide as soon as they went in? Zhu Hongliang transmitted, “Just listen to me. We're too weak, only at the first stage of Soaring. The death qi in the city is far too dense, so we might not be able to hold out for long...” As he spoke, he tossed a storage ring to the man. “A tiny bit of Heaven Origin Qi. Endure as long as you can!” The man looked at him in surprise. Giving me this? What is he playing at? Just then, the White-Haired God King barked, “Enter the city!” Scores of figures instantly entered the ancient city. The moment they entered, they quickly dispersed. Su Yu's dead spirit was extremely conspicuous, complete with a halo over its head. Some of the stronger Soaring cultivators immediately began searching for targets. The human side was naturally their first choice. However, the one entering the city this time was Zhu Hongliang. The Zhu family might not excel at brawling, but they had plenty of tricks when it came to other schemes. Just after entering the city, Zhu Hongliang tossed out a mass of black mist... Except it wasn't actually mist! All around, observers frowned the moment they saw it. The White-Haired God King snorted coldly. “Starting from the next round, summoners are forbidden from entering!” Humans always loved pulling these petty schemes. Right now, the ancient city was sealed by Su Yu. The black mist scattered in an instant, morphing in the blink of an eye into thousands of ants. With rumbling booms, the tiny ants all self-detonated. In a flash, over a thousand dead spirits appeared inside the city. The death qi instantly thickened to an overwhelming degree. Now, the military expert who had entered with him understood what he had meant: find a place to hide. The trouble now wasn't enemies, but the death qi—death qi of unprecedented density. For them, having even a tiny bit of death qi invade their bodies could cause immense trouble. Find a safe spot and survive for half an hour! Those who couldn't endure would naturally be eliminated. People from Daming Prefecture never intended to brawl with others. Besides, even if they fought, they wouldn't necessarily win. Fighting tooth and nail was far too tedious. Zhu Hongliang didn't hold back either, tossing out a massive arena. That was another specialty of Daming Prefecture! It could be used as a defensive barrier! Zhu Hongliang sat cross-legged inside, a wisp of Heaven Origin Qi appearing in his hand. He chuckled softly, waiting for the others to be tormented and eliminated by the death qi. If he held out until the end, he would naturally get a share of the quotas! …… Outside the arena. Many looked toward Su Yu, including Moduona and his peers. Zhu Hongliang's action reminded them of how Su Yu had acted back then. Killing countless Sky-Swallowing Ants, leaving the ancient city crawling with dead spirits. At this moment, Dao King frowned slightly and said, “Starting from the next round, summoners are banned from participating. Furthermore... there are far too many dead spirits here. Castellan Su, change to another ancient city for the next round. Otherwise, the impact will be too great, and those who follow won't be able to compete at all!” The first round was already underway, so let it pass. Yet with so many dead spirits, it was a massive headache. Su Yu, however, replied nonchalantly, “What is there to fear? It's good to give everyone more preparation and tempering! I happen to know that inside the Star Residence Mansion, there are actually dead spirit passageways as well, with quite a few dead spirits. If they can't even adapt here with me looking out for them, wouldn't entering the Star Residence Mansion just be seeking death?” As soon as these words came out, some looked at Su Yu in surprise. An Invincible from a minor race hesitated and asked, “Castellan Su, you're saying the Star Residence Mansion also has dead spirit passageways?” Su Yu said casually, “You didn't know?” “Well... I really didn't.” Nearby, Moge said coldly, “It's normal not to know. Actually, there's no need to worry. The dead spirit passageways only exist on the fourth floor and above. You can't enter those anyway, so why worry about it!” At these words, everyone understood, though they still looked at Su Yu with a trace of surprise. Su Yu truly knew quite a lot. Wearing an omniscient expression, Su Yu beamed. “Don't look at me like that; I know plenty! At any rate, I've had guidance from an ancient Half-Emperor expert. Though... what a pity, I can't go in! Some people keep staring at me, which makes things very awkward for me. There's no other way!” Moge remarked impassively, “Castellan Su doesn't plan to enter?” “That's right!” Su Yu laughed. “How would I dare go in? Wouldn't going in be seeking death? Of course, everyone should be careful. Beware that I might disguise myself and slip inside. Be sure not to run into me, or I'll silence the witness!” His words were so ambiguous that no one could tell whether he would actually enter or not. There was a high probability he would! Yet... it was hard to say. Meanwhile, inside the city, the first-stage Soaring cultivators were nearly cursing out loud! Damn it! What kind of sick game is this! The moment they entered, thousands of dead spirits appeared. How were they supposed to play this? They were everywhere! Now, it was no longer a contest of strength, but of who could endure the longest. With good luck, the dead spirits would only wander aimlessly. But if you encountered one, dead spirits would also attack living beings. Su Yu had been attacked when he first entered an ancient city. Moreover, first-stage Soaring cultivators were genuinely too weak. The death qi was so thick! Under these conditions, an ordinary first-stage Soaring cultivator could hardly withstand it. At this moment, the experts of each race displayed their own unique methods. Though they were only at the first stage of Soaring, quite a few still possessed remarkable skills. Su Yu spotted several whose methods were quite impressive. Even though they were weak, their tricks were truly ingenious. For instance, a cultivator from the Five Elements race's Metal Spirit branch transformed into a slender sword, hovering right beside the wooden plaque of an ancient house, completely ignored by the dead spirits. He also saw a member of the Shadow race turn into the shadow of a dead spirit, unexpectedly slipping into the entity's shadow to conceal their tracks. He noticed a Nether race cultivator raising a domain of Nether Soil around themselves, causing the dead spirits to automatically veer away without attacking. He also saw an Immortal race cultivator whose rich origin qi continuously dissolved the encroaching death qi. Experts of every race showcased their talents. Some gifted individuals weren't afraid of death qi at all, ambushing fellow competitors in all directions and forcing several to flee into ancient houses for refuge. Fleeing inside meant securing one quota for the ambushers. He even saw a Colorful Mask from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion shouting at the top of his lungs, “Selling Heaven Origin Qi! Twenty Heaven Hunting points per portion! Don't even think about snatching it; try to rob me and you won't get a single drop...” Su Yu couldn't help looking toward the Heaven Hunting Pavilion contingent, which remained as quiet as ever. These fellows had pushed their business to this extreme. He had to hand it to them! Had they prepared this in advance, or did they always carry Heaven Origin Qi just in case? Now, they were turning it into a thriving business on the spot. A bunch of mere first-stage Soaring fellows, yet once inside, every single one of them displayed extraordinary methods. Su Yu even spotted someone sprinting toward his Castellan's Residence, wondering whether they thought there were fewer dead spirits over there. As Su Yu observed the proceedings, an additional figure appeared beside him. Feeling somewhat awkward, Su Yu said, “Cult Master Lan, wandering over to my side so casually is very dangerous! The venerated guardians are watching closely. Just to be safe, I instructed them that anyone approaching me without permission would be killed!” Lan Tian was no longer in the guise of a woman. Now appearing as an old man of transcendent, sage-like bearing, stroking a long beard, he sighed with emotion. “You've grown up. You know how to employ your wisdom! Very good, Tiansheng didn't misjudge you!” Damn it! Act normal for once! Su Yu was speechless. When this fellow had disguised himself as Zhao Ming back then, he had seemed relatively normal. How had he become so thoroughly unhinged now? Stroking his beard, Lan Tian chuckled. “Are you cursing me in your head?” “No!” “Don't deny it!” Lan Tian smiled, but soon adopted a solemn expression. “Su Yu, walk the path of myriad races with me! The path of three-body unification is definitively flawed! Only the path of myriad races, the unification of myriad Daos, is the orthodox path!” “...” Get lost! Su Yu was exasperated. Why was this fellow fixating on him? Weren't King Dazhou and the others right over there? Just as he was about to retort, Lan Tian suddenly transmitted his voice: “Trust me, three-body unification definitely has problems! Three different personalities, three people with entirely different trajectories—how can they possibly unite as one? The past is you, the future is you, and yet neither is you! With three-body unification, all three are you, yet none are truly you! Whereas on the path of myriad races, I merely treat them as clones, as tools. I remain myself—myriad Daos subservient to Me! Wan Tiansheng walks the path of myriad Daos as one, while I walk the path of myriad Daos subservient to Me. My clones are merely clones; he has no clones, he is solely himself. Su Yu... believe me, three-body unification is absolutely not the orthodox path. Walking that road will inevitably lead to trouble sooner or later!” Su Yu's heart stirred slightly, and he looked at him. Stroking his beard, Lan Tian looked thoroughly transcendent and sage-like, his eyes brimming with wisdom. In this moment, he seemed like an entirely different person from before—or rather, he truly was a different person. He transmitted, “I believe you will reach this step soon enough. When that time comes, you will realize that three-body unification... is utter garbage! Garbage beyond your wildest imagination! If you don't believe me, ask the stone statues. Have you ever seen the stone statues separate into three bodies?” Su Yu froze! The stone statues... three bodies... What... did he mean by that? Indeed, he had never seen the stone statues produce clones. But wasn't that because of petrification, preventing them from doing so? Could that not be the case? “Brat, you're too naive. Do you really think those stone statues would share everything with you? You think too much! You're merely a tool, one that helps ease their burden. You aren't their successor. Are you planning to become the next stone statue? If you aren't, they won't reveal top-secret matters to you! Three-body unification likely existed in the ancient era, but the stone statues almost certainly didn't walk that path!” Su Yu frowned. Was that true or false? This wasn't an easy question to ask. Perhaps he could find an opportunity to ask the stone statues. Wasn't three-body unification the sole path to attaining the Dao? Lan Tian added, “Based on my investigations, three-body unification was likely a path walked in ancient times by minor races or fellows with no viable future. It's just like the human race having thirty-six aperture cultivation arts. Mediocrities cultivate thirty-six aperture arts, while geniuses would never be foolish enough to do so! The same applies to three-body unification! Of course, there are far too many mediocre individuals in this era. Even with a path as simple as three-body unification, vast numbers of people still fail to cultivate it successfully. So for those mediocrities, walking the three-body unification path isn't a loss. But geniuses like us cannot walk that road!” Speechless, Su Yu transmitted back, “Even the Demon Half-Emperor walks the path of three-body unification...” Lan Tian dismissed it casually. “His talent is lacking, and he isn't very old. Look at those old antiques—have any of them manifested clones? For example, the Immortal Emperor, the God Emperor...” Su Yu was startled. Had they? Come to think of it, he truly had only ever seen the Demon Emperor separate his three bodies and run around. As for the others... he didn't seem to have seen it. Lan Tian continued, “Furthermore, the Demon race might not have only this single Half-Emperor! Did the previous generation's old Half-Emperor truly die? Who knows! All I know is that the current Half-Emperor has only ruled the Demon race for two thousand years! Yet with the Demon race having passed down its lineage to this day, has the previous old Half-Emperor really fallen? I wouldn't be so sure!” Su Yu said nothing. Not dead? Then this matter truly deserved deep reflection. As for the Immortal race, Su Yu knew there had to be many old antiques due to their cultivation arts. What about the God and Demon races? Su Yu now realized that every race hid their depths extremely well. Taking a deep breath, he thought to himself: attaining the Dao is still far off for me, why should I worry about all that now? He ceased pondering it and turned his gaze back toward the ancient city below. The battle was still raging. Dead spirits had clashed with several competitors, and people were continuously entering ancient houses to seek refuge. Of course, there were unlucky ones. A cultivator from a minor race assumed any ancient house could be opened and went into the inner ring, only for the house to remain locked, resulting in him being slaughtered by dead spirits outside the doorway. Such instances were exceedingly rare, however. Those capable of competing for quotas possessed at least some knowledge of the ancient cities, knowing that not every house could be opened. Those killed were very few. At least in this round, that was the only unlucky fellow. On the human side, Zhu Hongliang was leisurely absorbing Heaven Origin Qi inside the arena to offset the death qi. As long as he held out for half an hour, he could share in the quotas—a very easy task. After watching for a while, Su Yu shook his head with a smile. The Zhu family truly had an abundance of underhanded tricks. Then again, he wasn't much different from them. Fewer and fewer people remained in the ancient city. Those who hid inside ancient houses had forfeited their chance at a quota. Combined with those ambushed or corroded by death qi who were forced to flee into the houses, less than half remained within twenty minutes. In the vast ancient city, only thirty-odd individuals were still lurking in various places. Meanwhile, Su Yu's dead spirit, still wearing its halo, continued to wander about. Perhaps... it would obtain more than just one quota. Since many people had been forced to hide inside ancient houses and surrendered their eligibility, the remaining quotas would likely be split evenly afterward. When divided, the dead spirit might secure three quotas, or perhaps even more. Over there, an Invincible from the Dragon race said in irritation, “Mixing in dead spirits robs this contest of its meaning! Quotas are not being won through strength at all!” At his words, someone murmured coolly, “You cannot put it that way. The presence of dead spirits tests vision, luck, and strength—none of which can be lacked. I see someone currently able to ambush other contestants and seize even more quotas; that is ability! If one is truly powerful, sweeps away all opposition, and fears no dead spirits, they could accomplish that as well! Just because the Dragon race cannot do it does not mean others cannot. What is that if not strength?” Su Yu glanced over. The Dragon race was a major power; who was bold enough to confront a Dragon King head-on? A single glance brought clarity. An expert of an ancient race! It appeared to be from the Hou race. This race frequently fought with the Dragons, and in single combat, the Dragons often came out on the losing end. Experts of the Hou race frequently slipped out of their ancient realm to roam near the Dragon Realm, preying on dragons for food. A truly terrifying race! That Hou expert was currently in its true form, golden fur covering its head. As if sensing Su Yu's gaze, it turned its head toward him and said chillingly, “Castellan Su, you seem to be looking at me?” Su Yu smiled. “Indeed. Senior hails from the Hou race? I've heard that the Hou race loves preying on dragons. I wonder if Senior has ever eaten members of the God, Demon, or Immortal races? To be honest, Immortal race meat is actually the most delicious! It has chew; the elderly ones are wonderfully firm, and the young ones are exquisitely tender...” Over in their direction, several Immortal Kings shot cold, piercing glares at him. Dao King said frostily, “Su Yu, must you ask for trouble?” Su Yu chuckled. “Don't misunderstand, I'm merely speaking the honest truth! The Immortal race is adept at a cultivation art, the Art of Longevity! This art is extraordinarily suited for nourishing the body, capable of expelling all bodily waste through a single aperture. The flesh of the Immortal race is exceptionally tender and devoid of impurities, pristine and translucent throughout. Such Immortals, when deep-fried, smell so fragrant it brings tears to your eyes. The young are tender, and the old have plenty of bite...” *Drip, drop!* At this moment, drool began dripping from the Hou's jaws. Not just the Hou—all around, more than one ancient beast race began salivating. Even the Invincible from the Iron-Eating Beast race set down the ancient bamboo in its paws, turned its wide eyes toward Su Yu, and asked curiously, “Castellan Su has eaten it?” Su Yu beamed. “No, no, I, Su Yu, am a vegetarian! I only eat vegetarian food, never meat! But I've seen it—the aroma drifted a hundred thousand li, an unimaginable fragrance and sweetness...” *Slurp, drip!* Drool flowed copiously once more. Dao King stated coldly, “Su Yu, provoke the Immortal race further, and do not blame us for disregarding all restraint!” Su Yu shrugged. “I really didn't mean anything by it. Dao King, your elder self knows very well: when you cultivate, don't you expel all impurities? If there's a word of lie in that, I'll twist my own head off to kick as a ball! To tell the honest truth, I used Immortal race innate blood essence myself once. Holy crap, the impurities expelled back then were unimaginable. It was just a little embarrassing—I farted for an entire day... It nearly embarrassed me to death!” The expressions of the Immortal race members shifted erratically. This time, it wasn't Dao King who spoke, but another Immortal King who roared in fury, “Utter nonsense! Su Yu, how dare you slander the Immortal race...” Su Yu shrugged and fell silent. Yet who among those present didn't understand that this was the truth? Farting! Several experts who had dealt with the Immortal race took on strange expressions. No wonder—no wonder whenever Immortals were cultivating, even during joint operations, they would deliberately distance themselves from everyone else. Now they seemed to understand! So that was why! No wonder the Immortal race could attain longevity by expelling all bodily impurities. That... meant the flesh of the Immortal race was definitely crystal-clear and devoid of impurities. Several great demons kept their expressions neutral. Yet in their hearts, they resolved that if an opportunity arose, they would definitely capture a few Immortals to sample something fresh. Perhaps it truly was exquisite! The great demons pondered this silently. All of them were extraordinarily powerful beings. That pervasive sense of peril was felt even by the Immortal Kings, while the Immortals below wore grim expressions, surrounded by a suffocating aura of danger. The Hou suppressed its drool, looked at Su Yu with keen interest, and asked, “Castellan Su, aside from the Immortal race, which other race is delicious?” It had always believed the Dragon race was the tastiest. Yet now, it seemed there were options even more delectable than dragons! Su Yu beamed. “For the one ranked second, I suggest Senior take a look at the Brightlight Bird Realm...” The moment these words fell, an eighth-stage Sun Moon expert of the Brightlight Bird race near a distant passageway entrance underwent a drastic change of expression, roaring, “Su Yu, how dare you!” Su Yu was utterly indifferent. Of course I dare! Back then, your race dared to hang my bounty notice at your city gates. What wouldn't I dare do? Did you think I, Su Yu, don't hold grudges? Su Yu gave a faint, eerie chuckle. “I almost forgot, this very place is Brightlight City! The meat of this race is exceptionally tender because they utilize the Brightlight Art year-round, making their flesh unimaginably succulent...” As soon as his voice trailed off, an enormous bird appeared within the Hou's claws! Incredibly huge! A radiant, white bird! Looking back at the passageway entrance, that eighth-stage Sun Moon bird from just moments ago... was gone. At this moment, the bird rapidly shrank. Clutched in the Hou's claws, the beast couldn't help salivating as it looked toward Su Yu. “Is it truly delicious? I never paid attention to this minor race...” At this point, Dao King and the others paled. Someone said in a deep voice, “King Hou, this is inappropriate! The Brightlight Bird race is a neutral race...” King Hou said in surprise, “You would stop me from eating a bird? According to the ancient laws, survival of the fittest! When you eat Fire Pigs or other beasts, do you ever consider whether you're allowed to eat them? How bizarre!” It ate such creatures by nature. What, they wouldn't even let it eat? Meanwhile, Su Yu smiled faintly. “Senior, pluck its feathers before eating! Pulverize the internal organs, and roast it over flame!” “Raw meat is chewier!” The Hou didn't think much of it, but Su Yu chuckled. “No, Senior, why don't I roast it for you? With my flames, the flavor will be extraordinary!” “Truly?” “Naturally!” Su Yu grinned. The Fire of Inheritance erupted, swiftly roasting the eighth-stage Sun Moon giant bird. The bird was instantly scorched and crisped. Today's Su Yu was no longer the Su Yu of the past. Even against an eighth-stage Sun Moon, his flames could give the opponent more than they could stomach. What was more, the target was completely suppressed by the Hou! In less than five minutes, it was thoroughly roasted. The Hou had long grown impatient. Without another word, it took a massive bite. *Crunch!* Oil dripped down its mouth as white light flickered continuously—that was the healing power inherent to the Brightlight Bird race. The Hou smacked its lips repeatedly, muttering in delight, “Delicious! The flavor... superb! Fresh!” The Fire of Inheritance, combined with healing energy, truly made for an exquisite treat. A setting sun crashed down! With a resounding boom in the distance, the Brightlight Bird race's passageway was immediately sealed, though it could not be relocated. Meanwhile, the Hou glanced toward it from time to time, swallowing its saliva, craving more! This race had no Invincibles. Even if it barged inside and suffered suppression, it would still possess quasi-Invincible combat strength. Perhaps... it could set up a breeding farm right here! Su Yu chuckled with a chilling edge. “Senior, please enjoy this first. Once this race is finished off, I will introduce others to Senior, lest Senior covet other delicacies while eating this one, which would be improper.” “Fair enough, thank you!” The Hou was surprisingly polite, offering hasty thanks. This guy was a true connoisseur! Su Yu let out a low chuckle, sending chills down the spines of many onlookers. How had the Brightlight Birds offended Su Yu? Below, someone sent a voice transmission: “I have a rough idea of what happened. You saw earlier that King Daxia slashed this place in half. I heard that when Su Yu entered the Sea of Stars and the Gods and Demons placed bounties on him, Brightlight City hung Su Yu's bounty notice at their city gates! Later, King Daxia cleaved Brightlight City in two with a single slash. Now, this ruthless fellow goes straight to egging on the ancient beast Hou race to devour them... The Brightlight Bird race is finished! To be targeted by this vicious beast, unless the major races like the Gods, Demons, or Immortals intervene... they are in monumental trouble!” Utterly terrifying! In an instant, everyone understood the cause! Merely because they had hung Su Yu's bounty notice back then, Su Yu's casual remark had now set the Hou upon their race. It was hardly surprising! The Brightlight Bird race was too weak. Had an Invincible overseen them, the Hou would have shown some hesitation. But they had none; the race was overseen by a mere ninth-stage Sun Moon. Now that they had offended this vicious entity... as for whether the vicious entity was Su Yu or the Hou, that was hard to say outright. The Brightlight Bird race had truly brought immense catastrophe upon themselves this time! At that moment, Su Yu glanced toward the Mountain-Breaking Ox Invincible in the distance. That Invincible's face changed dramatically, cursing wildly in his heart! Damn it! Why are you staring at me! I'm not delicious either! Among the ancient races present, quite a few enjoyed devouring others. Many of the ancient races were vicious beasts; though people didn't speak of it openly, everyone knew it well. Without cruelty and strength, it was impossible to survive and pass down a lineage from the ancient era to the present. Their numbers were small, but their power was undeniably formidable. No benevolent race could survive through the ages without being wiped out. Even the seemingly adorable Ancient God Devourer race was monstrously cruel. They loved to devour as well—not physical flesh, but divine characters, willpower, and the sea of will. They, too, were terrifying beasts! Precisely because they were profoundly dangerous and cruel, every major war since antiquity had deliberately bypassed them, as they were too troublesome to provoke. In other words—scourges outlive millennia! …… Not far away, King Dazhou glanced at Su Yu without speaking. Qin Zhen, on the other hand, was somewhat worried, transmitting: “Su Yu's temperament has changed drastically! Decisive in killing—I appreciate that! But this kid was speaking with such conviction just now; he couldn't have actually eaten Immortals, could he? I... find that somewhat hard to accept. After all, the Immortal race is too similar to humans; they're humanoid beings.” It wasn't that he hadn't seen blood; he was equally decisive in slaughter. The phrase Su Yu loved to repeat—killing a little fairy... had actually originated from this man. Yet Qin Zhen could not accept Su Yu consuming such things. He would find it unbearable! Niu Baidao explained, “Not likely. How could he possibly eat that? He named the Heaven Traversing Aperture himself and knows its nature. That fellow finds it utterly repulsive, so how could he eat Immortals? You're overthinking it!” Su Yu would eat anything before he ever ate an Immortal, because he always felt that Immortals were constantly farting, reeking through and through, even if they actually smelled fragrant. Qin Zhen felt relieved. “That's good! Killing them is fine, but eating... eating demon beasts or dragons, that's all acceptable! Just don't eat Gods, Demons, or Immortals; that nauseates me!” Saying so, he quickly brushed the matter aside and spoke up: “Actually, Su Yu was mistaken. Brightlight Bird meat is a bit stringy. What's truly delicious is phoenix meat—that's genuinely good, tender and not stringy at all!” Niu Baidao and the others were speechless. Damn it, who was discussing which race was delicious with you! You've been led astray by Su Yu! Then again, when did you ever eat phoenix meat? That race was also an ancient lineage. Though inferior to the Dragon race, they were not weak and remained among the top ten races. When had this fellow killed and eaten a phoenix? …… Every race was conversing in secret voice transmissions. Meanwhile, Su Yu wore a faint smile that appeared somewhat demonic, even unhinged. Several Invincibles knitted their brows as they watched. Was this fellow truly nearing his demise, driving him to such hysterical madness? Outwardly, nothing seemed amiss, yet that aura... felt genuinely demented. To the side, even Lan Tian couldn't help looking at Su Yu. Has this kid gone mad? Surely not! Nearby, King Xuanhe transmitted to Dao King: “Stop provoking this fellow. He might genuinely be on the verge of death and has become demonic. It's said he can absorb death qi because he opened the legendary Sky Aperture from antiquity. The Sky Aperture saturates very quickly; at most two human years, at least a year or a half, and he will undoubtedly perish!” Dao King was taken aback. “How do you know?” “I naturally have my channels! Su Yu won't live long! The Sky Aperture he opened is incomplete, only able to continuously absorb death qi. In truth, bearing multiple ancient cities has pushed him far beyond his limits. He will fall within a year or a half. To engage in a life-or-death battle with him now and drag several Eternals down as funeral escorts would simply not be worth it!” A man destined to die! To lose several Invincibles just to kill Su Yu—wouldn't that make them fools? Against a madman like Su Yu—a madman who still had the strength to take someone down with him—it was best to avoid a clash. It genuinely wasn't worth it; if he dragged down even one or two Invincibles, it would be a total waste! At this moment, the White-Haired God King also furrowed his brows slightly. This madman Su Yu was growing increasingly demonic. When the carrier promised earlier was withheld, this fellow hadn't even uttered a squeak. Could he... be planning to wage a bloody battle against him on his deathbed? That would be a massive loss! A barking dog seldom bites. Had Su Yu roared in anger, he wouldn't have been worried. But this utter silence genuinely made him uneasy—mainly out of fear that this fellow would go berserk in his final moments and target him relentlessly. That would be catastrophic! He could hide in the God Realm, yet dead spirits could enter the God Realm as well. What a headache! Should he give it to him? He had already refused earlier. Giving it to him now—wouldn't that cost him face? Moreover, a carrier was no small thing. Even Invincibles cherished such treasures, because you never knew which day your three-life embodiments might be shattered. With a carrier, you could recover them again given some time. Without a carrier, recovery was impossible. As a veteran God King, he did possess carriers. Yet giving one to Su Yu was truly painful to part with. After hesitating for a while, the White-Haired God King comforted himself: there was no need to fuss over this with a madman destined for death. He transmitted to Su Yu, “Castellan Su, the matter of our cooperation can be discussed further. As for the carrier promised to you earlier, I will have someone deliver it later!” “...” Su Yu was startled, glancing sideways at the White-Haired God King. What in the world? Are carriers this worthless now? Just handing it over like that? Is he insane! After thinking it through, he smirked inwardly. Are they afraid? Indeed, the deterrent of a dying man was truly immense! Right, as someone about to die, whom should I fear? The ones who should be afraid were them! He grinned, his teeth snow-white, yet faint wisps of dark qi seeped through, causing several onlookers' gazes to flicker erratically. This death qi was far too potent. With Su Yu keeping three stone statues by his side at all times, how could the death qi not be thick! The three stone statues, for their part, wished they could stay outside even longer. Meanwhile, below, the match duration expired. Sixteen contestants had not entered ancient houses! Aside from those unluckily ambushed, eliminated, and having their quotas seized, sixty-five had voluntarily entered ancient houses. Divided equally among the sixteen, each person received roughly four quotas. Adding their original slot, a single person could take five quotas! This was what a contestant who hadn't actively eliminated anyone could walk away with. Zhu Hongliang packed away his arena with his pudgy frame, chuckling incessantly. Five quotas secured! In the distance, the military Soaring expert stood dazed. He had somehow earned five quotas as well without having struck a single blow. He felt somewhat bewildered, unable to wrap his head around it. And Su Yu's dead spirit was still alive as well! Had it been alone, no one would have feared it. But with thousands of dead spirits in the city, people feared that slaying it would trigger an onslaught from thousands of dead spirits, spelling doom for everyone. In the end, no one had dared touch it. Su Yu instantly had five quotas in hand! The survivors from other races had all secured modest gains as well. The one who reaped the most was a madman from the Blood Fire Demon race, who seized nine quotas. After the sixty-five quotas were divided equally, there was one remaining odd slot, which according to the rules went to the top performer, giving him a total of ten quotas alone. On the Demon race's side, several Demon Kings smiled, yet Moge did not. These quotas had been seized by the Blood Fire Demon race! This time, what the Blood Fire Demon race claimed might not necessarily be handed over to the Primordial Demon race! That was hardly good news! The Blood Fire Demon race truly lived up to their name as war maniacs. That first-stage Soaring maniac had actively hunted other Soaring cultivators on the field; otherwise, he wouldn't have acquired so many quotas. All things considered, the major races still proved more formidable. The Gods, Demons, and Immortals all walked away with gains, followed by the ancient race experts. The other minor races were almost entirely wiped out; those capable of surviving without elimination were as rare as phoenix feathers. Yet the tournament continued. The battle for quotas pressed on. Su Yu quietly observed the entire time, committing every Civilization Master to memory. As for quotas, he didn't care all that much. If he had excess, he would sell them; having too many served little purpose for him! As for gifting them to the human race... there was no need. Sending too many people inside was merely sending them to their deaths. This time was far more intense than in the past. Moreover, the human race had two hundred guaranteed baseline quotas, which was more than enough. In the second-stage Soaring matches, Su Yu spotted another acquaintance on the human side. It was Zhao Shiqi from the Great Xia Prefecture, his peer from the same cohort and a descendant of General Zhao's family. Yet he hadn't expected... he was only at the second stage of Soaring. Truly weak. Su Yu muttered to himself. Back then, Zhao Shiqi, Zheng Yunhui, Xia Huyou, Xia Chan, Hu Qiusheng, and Wan Mingze had all been the peerless geniuses of his class. Now, a vast gap had opened between them. Wan Mingze seemed to have reached the sixth or seventh stage of Soaring, yet this scion of the Zhao family was only at the second stage. Su Yu also noticed that fellow Zheng Yunhui, who was not competing. Su Yu glanced at him: third-stage Soaring, weak as well, at the same realm as Xia Huyou. Then again, Xia Huyou's advancement was also a bit slow. In the Soaring Realm, advancement should actually be very rapid. Because it was body-forging, walking the physical path, with sufficient Heaven Origin Qi, advancement was swift. As for walking the path of Civilization Masters, Su Yu had disseminated the sub-Soaring divine aperture opening method. With sufficient willpower, these fellows should advance very quickly as well, because their divine apertures were already opened, which ought to save massive amounts of time. Yet every one of them was stuck in the early-to-mid Soaring Realm. Utter garbage! “Could it be a lack of willpower?” That was indeed possible. He wondered whether Wu Lan had achieved any major breakthroughs on her end. Willpower was the hardest obstacle for contemporary Civilization Masters to resolve. Su Yu felt Wu Lan shouldn't enter the Star Residence Mansion. She should stay put obediently and focus on researching willpower extraction. If she succeeded, a vast number of powerhouses would undoubtedly emerge from the Civilization Master lineage. She was like this, and so was Bai Feng. Why should a group of geniuses on the research path bother walking the road of bloody slaughter? If they were killed, the loss would be far too great. Su Yu calculated for a moment, his eyes shifting slightly. What if... I impersonate Wu Lan? Presumably no one would ever suspect I'd disguise myself as Wu Lan! How terrifying! Cross-dressing? A weakling in the early Soaring Realm? Tsk tsk! She barely had any enemies, and probably nobody thought much of Wu Lan anyway. Someone so weak—if they ran into her, they'd strike her down with a slash, but if not, who would go out of their way to hunt her? After all, she hadn't exposed her Multiple Divine Characters identity, and her work on extracting willpower was completely unknown. At this moment, Su Yu's mind wandered slightly. Wu Lan... a woman. I actually thought of disguising myself as Wu Lan... Good grief. He glanced sideways at Lan Tian and subconsciously took a step away. Lan Tian's demonic nature has corrupted me! How could I possibly have thought of impersonating Wu Lan! That's far too wicked!