Corpse Collector

Inside the Castellan Manor. Su Yu was somewhat entranced, staring blankly at the little fur ball. The little fur ball looked back at him, trembling slightly. The delicious-smelling one seemed sick—how strange. The creature wanted to go back to sleep and lick divine characters, but seeing Su Yu looking so dazed, it feared he might go mad, so it had no choice but to keep staring wide-eyed back at him. "The past... merging..." Su Yu murmured. Merging into the myriad races and experiencing their past was not merely altering one's physical form. Changing form was something he could already do; he had disguised himself many times before. This time, however, was fundamentally different. It was not a disguise of physical shape, but a physiological and psychological assimilation. In that brief moment just now, it felt as though he had truly become the little fur ball. "Civilization!" Su Yu murmured again. Was this the true effect of Civilization? To perceive civilization, merging one's very being into it to experience it. The Records of the Myriad Races... At this moment, Su Yu seemed to reach complete clarity. The Records of the Myriad Races! Only when the intention to forge the Records of the Myriad Races arose in him had such a divine character been born, one that merged bodily with others... At this moment, Su Yu understood! "The Records of the Myriad Races gathers the myriad races, merges with them, and analyzes their civilizations... Only then is one a true Civilization Master, a chronicler of civilization!" Yes, a definition and title suddenly formed in his mind: chronicler of civilization. Every era ought to have a chronicler of civilization. Civilizations were fading! Races were going extinct! In the great wars of the heavens, races were wiped out one after another, fading into the long river of history. Some vanished without leaving behind a single word; some minor races had long become entirely forgotten. Exploring civilizations, exploring the unknown, seeking out civilizations, and analyzing them. In this instant, Su Yu felt enlightened. "What I must become... is not just a Civilization Master, but a chronicler of civilization." "The golden atlas... might also be a Records of the Myriad Races... created by the chronicler of civilization from the previous era!" Su Yu murmured inwardly. Could it be true? At this moment, such a thought sprang up. The golden atlas might not necessarily be a divine character—of course, that was hard to verify right now—but he felt that whoever created the atlas was likely just like him, chronicling civilizations. Those vanished races and lost cultivation arts were all recorded within it. Su Yu simply had not encountered them or unlocked them yet. There were certainly many pages in the golden atlas that Su Yu had yet to open. "Yet why choose me as the successor?" Su Yu could not understand. At this moment, he felt an inkling that he might have inherited the mantle of a chronicler of civilization. The atlas had not been given to him merely to learn techniques, but to pass down a vocation. A vocation Su Yu named the chronicler of civilization. "Did such a vocation exist in antiquity?" Pondering this, Su Yu promptly rose and walked toward the rear hall. *** In the rear hall. Xinghong had just settled down and closed his eyes when Su Yu arrived. With a swift kick, Su Yu sent Liu Hong flying from the entrance. Liu Hong could not help but shout angrily, "Su Yu, you've gone too far!" *I was just standing at the door for a moment, and you kicked me!* *Boom!* The heavy doors shut. Su Yu paid him no heed at all. This fellow Liu Hong had been running to the rear hall quite often lately; Su Yu would have to ask Xingyue to keep a closer eye on him. Closing the doors, Su Yu bowed slightly and said hesitantly, "Milord, I would like to ask a question. I hope Milord can enlighten me." "Speak." Su Yu pondered for a moment before speaking. "Milord, in ancient times, was there a type of person who chronicled the civilizations of the myriad races—recording their auras, arts, species, cultures, habits, innate abilities, and the like?" "Hm?" Xinghong abruptly opened his eyes and looked at Su Yu, and Su Yu looked back at him. Xinghong's petrified brows suddenly furrowed. After a long while, he spoke. "Many people recorded such things. What kind of recording do you mean?" Su Yu explained, "In-depth recording! Even dissecting their cultivation arts and converting them into something one can cultivate oneself." Xinghong fell silent for a time. At length, he said, "I do not know. Perhaps... there were." Su Yu was surprised. Even he did not know? Just as Xinghong was about to speak further, a voice suddenly rose from below: "Do you mean a Time Master?" "..." Su Yu froze this time and hurriedly asked, "Lady Xingyue knows?" "I do not know," Xingyue replied casually, pausing for a long moment before adding, "However, it sounds vaguely familiar, though I cannot recall clearly." Xinghong interjected, "Her memories are fragmented; she may truly have forgotten. Still, a Time Master... Xingyue, are you certain such a Civilization Master existed in antiquity?" From the sound of it, it clearly belonged to the Civilization Master category. Did antiquity truly have them? Xinghong was not entirely certain; he did not know much about it. Hesitating for a moment, he said, "In the ancient era, a hundred flowers bloomed, and ten thousand Daos contended! There were Civilization Masters of every imaginable kind. I am not particularly clear on what you described." Xingyue added, "I do not know much either. Hearing your words, that term simply came to mind instinctively—Time Master or Spacetime Traveler... In my former life, someone might have mentioned it to me." Su Yu nodded slightly. No longer dwelling on the subject, he asked curiously, "Lady Xingyue, could you also have been an ancient figure of immense prominence during your lifetime?" To become an Invincible in death suggested she might have been an Invincible in life as well. She certainly could not have been weak; in ancient times, she must have been a figure of renown. Xingyue did not bother to answer and ignored him entirely. Su Yu smiled and said, "Lady Xingyue, there is no need to be so hostile toward me. To be frank, I have shielded you from harm multiple times. Just today, the human side offered to help me slay you, and I refused! Milord, my loyalty to you is as clear as the sun and moon!" Xingyue said furiously, "Try killing me then!" Was she, a dignified death lord, so easy to kill? This was simply intolerable! Su Yu quickly laughed and said, "Milord misunderstands. I meant nothing of the sort. I would protect Milord before anything else. I only wanted to say that Milord and I are bound together; our interests are aligned. We are practically family, so Milord needn't remain permanently hostile toward me. Wouldn't you agree, Milord?" Xingyue gave a cold snort! After a moment, she said chillingly, "Su Yu, I do not fear you! I refuse to believe you can truly drain me dry. Sooner or later, I will convert you into a dead spirit! Even if I cannot, you will die before long anyway. You have offended far too many experts!" Su Yu chuckled and replied, "Milord speaks the truth. If I die, so be it; I am not terribly worried. When I die, I will simply serve as Milord's subordinate and help you unify the Dead Spirit Realm. Milord, you may not know, but I have already prepared a Life-Death Fruit. I am just waiting to recover my memories and conquer the Dead Spirit Realm alongside you!" "A Life-Death Fruit?" Xingyue froze for a long while. Whether from helplessness, collapse, or sheer frenzy, she raged, "Who gave you a Life-Death Fruit? I despise the thought of you retaining your memories after death!" A Su Yu who still retained his memories in death would surely be utterly loathsome! Insupportably irritating! Xingyue was incensed. In her wrath, she fell entirely silent, unwilling to exchange another word with Su Yu. Every single conversation with him left her furious and exasperated. Once Xingyue receded, Xinghong let out a faint chuckle. "Why tell her you possess a Life-Death Fruit?" Su Yu smiled. "That way, she won't look forward to my demise, keeping her from sabotaging me. Even if I die, that death lord will still have to endure the trouble I bring her..." Naturally, Xingyue could handle Su Yu once he died, but would she truly bear to discard a dead spirit she had spent so much effort converting? Mentioning it to Xingyue was also meant to stop her from betraying him at a critical juncture, which would spell disaster. After all, Su Yu had been partially transformed by her; Xingyue was not entirely powerless to constrain him. Without saying more to Xinghong, Su Yu walked out of the rear hall, quietly engraving the words Xingyue had uttered into his mind. Time Master, or Spacetime Traveler? No, if it came down to it, Su Yu preferred the term chronicler of civilization. It possessed far more artistic flair! Did such a vocation truly exist in ancient times? Even Xinghong did not know. Either Xinghong's rank had been too low, or that person had been a minor figure. But if the golden atlas was truly what Su Yu suspected, he felt it was more likely that Xinghong's station had simply been insufficient. After all, while Xinghong and his peers were powerful in the ancient era, their status was probably not among the very pinnacle. *** Stepping out of the rear hall, Su Yu saw Liu Hong, who cursed under his breath and stepped aside. As Su Yu walked, lost in thought, he suddenly glanced back at him and said, "Teacher Liu, I hope you behave yourself! Lately I've seen you lingering around the rear hall, even trying to curry favor with Xingyue. Don't tell me you're planning to make a living in the Dead Spirit Realm?" Su Yu added in an eerie tone, "Teacher, if you want to go to the Dead Spirit Realm, I won't stop you. Just don't cause me trouble. Help me accomplish what I asked of you, and all will be well. But if you ruin my plans, Teacher, believe me—even if you hide in the Dead Spirit Realm, I will track you down sooner or later and slaughter you!" Liu Hong forced a dry laugh. "How could that be? I'm a living man; why would I go to the Dead Spirit Realm? Su Yu, you misunderstand." "I hope so," Su Yu said calmly. "Living beings or dead spirits, so long as they possess intelligence, they are all the same to me. It is nothing more than differences in form and power; I care nothing for that. I hope Teacher will stay obedient—at least until I emerge from the Star Residence Mansion!" "Of course, absolutely. Lord Xinghong is right here; how would I dare cause trouble!" Su Yu said indifferently, "Is that so? If the myriad races attack and Lord Xinghong steps out, fighting a great battle before returning, Teacher might conveniently vanish! I don't care about that, but wait until I come out! If Teacher thinks you can escape, feel free to try!" Su Yu sneered. "I believe I have learned quite a few of Teacher's tricks. But rest assured, Teacher, I will place some restrictions on you." Liu Hong offered an awkward smile. Su Yu ignored him and strode off. Once he was gone, Liu Hong's smile vanished, replaced by helplessness. This kid was only twenty years old—why did he feel increasingly uncanny, almost as if he had seen through the mortal world? Was he trying to defy the heavens? *** Su Yu paid Liu Hong little heed. So long as his own plans were not disrupted, he did not care what schemes Liu Hong nursed. Xinghong would watch him, Old Man Wang would watch him, and Old Master Bai would watch him. With so many eyes on him, if Liu Hong still managed to pull off sabotage, that would truly be impressive. At present, Su Yu intended to take advantage of this remaining month to formally forge an armament for himself: the Records of the Myriad Races. His forging skills had already reached the Earth rank. However, to forge a truly formidable armament, he still fell far short. When it came to forging armaments, Su Yu knew plenty of powerful armamentsmiths, but the one he trusted most was naturally Zhao Li. He had not seen Zhao Li in a long time; during the previous great battle, Zhao Li had not participated. The Xia family had likely hidden him away. An Earth armamentsmith, and no ordinary one at that—the Xia family could not bear to send such a Civilization Master into battle. It would be far too extravagant, far too wasteful. Zhao Li could forge embryonic Heaven armaments, even if they were not true Heaven armaments yet. Given enough time, Zhao Li would eventually advance to become a Heaven armamentsmith. "I need Teacher's help..." Su Yu murmured. Relying solely on himself, what he forged might only be an Earth armament, which was far too mediocre. What Su Yu required was at least of the Heaven armament tier. Ideally, an embryonic base! One that could continue to be upgraded in the future. Back then, his first civilized armament had also been an embryonic base that had not been forged extensively. But Su Yu's strength advanced too rapidly, and such a base could no longer satisfy his needs. Today's Su Yu was incomparably stronger than he had been back then. Moreover... Su Yu was contemplating a question. Seventy-two flesh forgings! Forging might allow his physical body to advance more rapidly. Once he completed seventy-two forgings, Su Yu might step into the Lingyun Realm, having already completed the transformation of his 144 acupoints. That way, if he broke through during the forging process and triggered a phenomenon akin to his advancement into the Soaring Realm, it might aid the forging and render the weapon even more formidable. Armaments were always best forged by one's own hands. Especially the Records of the Myriad Races, which required his direct craftsmanship. Pondering this, Su Yu suddenly transmitted his voice outward: "Elder Wang, contact Liu City and have them reach out to the Human Realm. I would like Teacher Zhao Li to make a trip to the ancient city!" Pausing, Su Yu quickly added, "Once Teacher Zhao reaches the All-Heavens Battlefield, I will have the Guardian fetch him. Tell Teacher not to travel alone, lest trouble arise!" Zhao Li held the potential to become a Heaven armamentsmith, making him one of the assassination targets of the myriad races. A Heaven armamentsmith could forge armaments for Invincibles. More critically, Heaven armaments forged by a Heaven armamentsmith could be used as bearing objects. Turning the mundane into the miraculous! Individual raw materials might not serve as bearing objects, but once forged into an armament, they could, because the finished armament was powerful enough. For instance, by selling quotas this time, Su Yu had acquired ample materials—enough to forge two or three Heaven armaments. Yet those materials alone could never be exchanged for a single bearing object; that was simply impossible. However, once forged into Heaven armaments, they could potentially serve as two bearing objects. Among the human race, King Tianzhu's presence had provided humanity with numerous Heaven armaments to use as bearing objects, though gathering the materials required to forge a Heaven armament was never an easy feat. Su Yu made up his mind: he would use this forging opportunity to advance his physical body and formally step into the Lingyun stage. Completing the seventy-two physical body forgings! *** The Human Realm. The Great Xia Civilization Academy. Presently, Zhao Li served as the academy's second vice director. With the three academies merged into one, the Civilization Academy had barely restored its former strength. Zhao Li's cultivation was not considered high. Even though he had previously stepped into the Shanhai Realm with rapid progress, the long years of suppression meant that his explosive breakthrough only pushed him to the fourth stage of Shanhai. He did not continue advancing; instead, he resumed compressing his strength. The Mind Expansion Hammer was exceptionally effective at suppressing bloated willpower. Lately, Zhao Li had a faint premonition that he might drop back to the third stage of Shanhai. Yet dropping a realm bore little consequence for him; in fact, it was a good thing. He cared nothing for cultivation tiers. Even if he dropped to the third stage of Shanhai, it did not mean he was weaker—in fact, he would be even stronger. As for his hammer, divine character and weapon had merged into one, and the hammer had also been undergoing reinforcement recently. When the hammer grew strong, he grew strong, for his primary divine character resided within it. At the moment, Zhao Li was even somewhat dissatisfied that the hammer was progressing too quickly, causing his own cultivation to advance rapidly and leaving his willpower somewhat bloated. Bloated willpower meant low control for an armamentsmith, making it ill-suited for forging. An armamentsmith needed supreme control over every single wisp of their willpower. With the three academies merged, the Forging faction had grown much stronger. Coupled with the massive stir Zhao Li had created during his last forging session, drawing even Invincibles, and his advancement to Earth armamentsmith, his status was revered. When he assumed the role of vice director, few found fault with it. Currently, many people were studying under him. Even some old-timers frequently came to seek guidance. Yet Zhao Li's terrible temper was renowned. Inside the forging chamber. Watching a group of people forge armaments, Zhao Li could not help but roar, "Stupid, utterly stupid! And you call yourselves armamentsmiths! Are the weapons you forge meant to be toys? How many times have I taught you not to use this method? You still use it—do my words mean nothing to you?" Beside him, an elderly man sighed. "Old Zhao, it's not that your words mean nothing; it's that it's difficult for them to reach that level. Their control isn't strong enough, so they easily ruin the armaments." "Ruining them is still better than this!" Zhao Li raged. "A bunch of loafers with zero ambition for excellence! All you think about is forging a few extra gold veins, never considering that no matter how high the rank of an armament is, it's meant to be wielded! If it doesn't handle smoothly, one might as well use a low-grade weapon! Even using fists would be better than this!" A student currently forging could not help whispering, "Director, we're trying very hard, but... we haven't been learning for very long, we..." "Not long?" "You call that not long?" Zhao Li scoffed. "It's been half a year, and you call that short! That kid Su Yu—I only taught him a few times, and he learned after watching once! Look at you lot: he's already an Earth armamentsmith, and you can't even forge a Yellow armament!" "..." The crowd fell silent. *Old master, enough already. You compare us to that monster every single time; of course you'll find us lacking.* *That guy is a freak of nature!* *We are not!* Su Yu had rapidly advanced to a quasi-Earth armamentsmith. Although he had not formally forged an Earth armament yet, everyone believed he was fully capable of doing so now. He was a twenty-year-old Earth armamentsmith; what comparison was there to be made? Zhao Li felt helpless as well. True enough, there was no comparison. Yet after witnessing a genius's forging methods, watching these mediocrities infuriated him. Teaching something dozens of times, only for them to still fail to grasp it and fail to control it, made his blood boil! He had not taught students for many years; now that he was teaching again, he found his temper worsening. In the past, he could still teach patiently. Now, he genuinely had no patience left. Mostly, these fellows were simply too exasperating—every armament they forged was riddled with flaws, utterly exhausting him. He truly wanted to throw down his tools and quit! Just as he was thinking this, the door to the forging chamber was pushed open. Just as Zhao Li was about to lose his temper, Director Ji chuckled and said, "Old Zhao, losing your temper again?" "I am not!" Zhao Li cupped his hands perfunctorily and grunted, "Director Ji, what brings you here?" "A small matter. Su Yu..." "Hm? What happened to Su Yu?" "Look at you, getting on in years yet still so impatient." Director Ji chuckled and walked outside, and Old Zhao hurriedly followed. Only after leaving the forging room did Director Ji speak. "Su Yu sent word through someone asking you to make a trip to Xinghong Ancient City. It seems he wants to forge his own civilized armament, but worries his forging skills are insufficient, so he wants you to lend a hand." "Forging armaments?" Zhao Li was taken aback. "Forging now... His strength lies in his physical body; if he forges, it would be a martial armament! Given that kid's strength, though I haven't paid much attention lately, forging an ordinary Earth armament should be within his ability! Does he want to forge a mid-grade or even high-grade Earth martial armament?" "That I do not know. Old Zhao, do you want to go?" "Of course!" Zhao Li said with a grin, "I haven't seen that kid in a long time; I'll go have a look! That fellow doesn't look like a Civilization Master or an armamentsmith at all lately. I heard he fights using only his fists—an absolute brute!" Director Ji chuckled. With a physical body comparable to a Sun Moon, using fists was naturally better. Zhao Li said impatiently, "Then I'll leave right now! That kid is finally thinking of forging a proper armament for himself. Rare indeed! Good of him to remember that he's an armamentsmith!" Apologies, but the young man might not necessarily remember. He simply happened to need an armament forged! Besides, did anyone among the myriad races care that Su Yu was an armamentsmith? Nobody cared at all! Soon enough, Old Zhao set off. Forging armaments alongside Su Yu was far more enjoyable; back at the academy, dealing with these novices every day drove him mad. Going to Su Yu, he would at least get to forge an Earth armament! That kid would most likely forge a decent Earth armament, otherwise he would not have specially sent for him. It was a good chance to test the boy's forging skills as well. One must not forget: Su Yu's registered profession was armamentsmith. As for being a divine character master of the multiple divine character faction, he had never even been certified for that. *** Days slipped by, one after another. With just over twenty days left before reporting to the Star Residence Mansion—or at least entering the inner perimeter—the ancient city grew increasingly crowded. Outside the ancient city, ships were moored one after another. There was no helping it; the land was gone. The Nine Realms had attempted to recreate the land and fill the sea to rebuild Nine Stars Island several times, but the results... better left unsaid. Now, the Nine Realms had given up entirely. If people wanted to rest outside, they would simply have to stay on ships. The ships were enormous. Colossal vessels! All of them were treasure ships! Instead of creating land, the Nine Realms had built numerous treasure ships, linking them together into a sprawling expanse that was virtually indistinguishable from dry land, offering a resting place for traveling experts and geniuses. After all, one could not linger in the ancient city for long. Failing to leave within seven days posed a mortal hazard. Xinghong Ancient City had effectively become a floating city on the water. Surrounded by the Nine Realms, with ships encircling it, a splash of color was added to Xinghong Ancient City. Xinghong Ancient City was also the staging ground closest to the Star Residence Mansion. Further ahead lay the blockaded zones of the various races, where entry and exit were strictly forbidden for now. Recently, the Star Residence Mansion had been trembling, occasionally ejecting treasures that were swiftly snatched up by the blockading experts. This sparked endless skirmishes, with massive waves frequently crashing against the area. Both inside and outside the ancient city, people were packed to the brim. Previously, people had not dared to come. Later, they realized Su Yu had not sealed the city in a long time and did not care much about people entering, merely collecting a fee in origin qi liquid. Relieved, many began rushing over. Just as a group of people was discussing the Star Residence Mansion, the void suddenly trembled, and a stone statue manifested. Below, everyone held their breath. Lately, this stone statue had been coming and going quite frequently. Such an ancient Invincible had barely stepped foot outside the city for countless years, yet now he was heading out every few days, forcing the myriad races to keep a constant watch, terrified of what these statues might do. This time, the stone statue did not appear alone. Beside him stood an elderly man. Zhao Li looked down, feeling a wave of nostalgia. It had been many years since he last visited the Sea of Stars. In his youth and middle age, he had visited several times. Later, following his failure in forging, he came less frequently. During those years after that failure, he spent his time contemplating and reflecting, and with his forging schedule so packed, he rarely stepped into the All-Heavens Battlefield. Because he rarely visited, some did not recognize him. However, several older experts still remembered him. Seeing Zhao Li, someone exclaimed in surprise, "Zhao Li!" "Why is he here?" "Who is Zhao Li?" The crowd stirred slightly. Brought back personally by the stone statue—could he be a human dignitary? "You don't know Zhao Li, but you must know his father, Zhao Sanchui, right? The fourth director of the Great Xia Civilization Academy! In the Great Xia Civilization Academy... not a single director across the generations was simple!" Someone sighed in admiration. By Wan Tiansheng's time, it was the sixth generation. Wan Tiansheng was the sixth, and perhaps the most controversial director of all, just like the fifth. Currently, the Great Xia Civilization Academy had no seventh director. Director Ji merely served as an acting director. Perhaps Xia Longwu felt that no one was worthy of the title of seventh director, which was why none had been appointed. The first generation, Xia Chen, pioneered the multiple divine character path. The second generation mastered beast taming, commanding terrifying might and subjugating great dragons. The third generation attained the Invincible Dao, transforming into Xuanjia. The fourth generation was peerless in forging, possessing formidable might as well. The fifth and sixth generations were both fierce figures capable of slaying Invincibles, each generation more formidable than the last. In the Great Xia Prefecture today, who else could bear the mantle of the seventh generation, unless Xia Longwu took it up himself? Hearing that he was Zhao Sanchui's son, many people suddenly remembered. Someone remarked in surprise, "So it's him—the human genius who currently has the greatest hope of advancing to Heaven armamentsmith! If I recall, Cas... Castellan Su is also an armamentsmith, taught by him, right?" "Yes, that's him!" "The Guardian personally went to fetch him—could it be that they intend to forge armaments?" "Most likely!" The various beings buzzed with discussion. Su Yu's sheer power had caused people to overlook his identity as an armamentsmith. An Earth armamentsmith was a rarity even on the All-Heavens Battlefield; across the battlefield, the number of Earth armamentsmiths might not even exceed the number of Invincibles. Heaven armamentsmiths were rarer still! The entire human race had only one: King Tianzhu. The Gods, Demons, and Immortals had them, but very few—one or two each, with the Immortals having the most at just four. Looking across the myriad realms of the heavens, Heaven armamentsmiths were extraordinarily scarce. Now, Zhao Li's arrival set many to speculating: was Su Yu about to forge an armament, or something else? Otherwise, a stone statue would not have been dispatched to fetch him. The news spread quickly. Nowadays, countless eyes followed Su Yu's every move. *** While attention gathered from all directions... Before the main gates of the Castellan Manor. Su Yu bowed deeply, a broad smile on his face. "Teacher!" Zhao Li landed and bowed slightly toward the stone statue. Once Xinghong vanished, he turned to Su Yu with a stern face and said flatly, "Castellan Su, long time no see!" Su Yu quickly chuckled. "Teacher, please don't tease me. Before you, what sort of castellan am I..." Zhao Li snorted. "Is that so? I thought you had long forgotten that you're still part of the Forging faction!" "I wouldn't dare, nor could I ever!" Su Yu stepped forward with a grin. "Teacher was promoted to vice director, and I haven't even had the chance to congratulate you..." "Hmph!" Zhao Li scoffed, not bothering to reply. Glancing around and sensing the death qi, he exhaled softly. "The ancient city is decent enough. Aside from the heavy death qi, it's actually a fine place for research. Unfortunately, you probably don't have the mind for that anymore." "No, Teacher, I still very much want to," Su Yu smiled. "To be honest, from the very beginning, I chose the Civilization Academy solely to pursue research. Alas... people kept forcing my hand, turning an elegant scholar into a butcher." It was the honest truth, though few would believe it. Su Yu's original goal had always been the Civilization Academy. Back then, he did not even know Civilization Masters could fight; he thought they were purely researchers of civilization. Only later did he learn that Civilization Masters could fight as well. Fighting had never been his original intention. From his childhood until entering the academy, his sole objective had been to investigate the origin of his recurring nightmares, and later to study the atlas. Regrettably, things had not gone as planned. By now, probably no one viewed him as a genuine Civilization Master anymore. Zhao Li was amused by his words. "A slaughterhouse fiend like you, who has slain dozens of Sun Moons and even schemed several Invincibles to death—you claim to be a researcher? Researching how to collect corpses?" "Exactly!" Su Yu laughed heartily. "Teacher, you hit the mark this time. My asking you to come is related to that very matter. I want to become a corpse collector!" Su Yu chuckled. "Teacher, is corpse collector a recognized trade among Civilization Masters?" "..." Zhao Li looked at him, astonished. "Are you serious?" "Yes." Zhao Li stroked his beard, not doubting him further, though he hesitated before asking, "Collecting corpses... is related to the weapon you want to forge?" "Yes, I want to forge a book... or something like a book, to record things and collect samples. Consider it my Dao." Zhao Li's expression shifted slightly. "Are you certain? A Civilization Master's Dao is no laughing matter. Once this Dao is set and attuned to you, it may never be changed. Take that madman Lan Tian, for example—he started from the Modification Department and walked it all the way to his current deranged state; that is his Dao. And I, from the Forging faction, walked the Dao of Man and Armament as One, which is also a narrow path from which turning back is difficult. You are still so young; do you truly want to fix your future now?" Su Yu smiled. "You could say that!" "You..." Zhao Li shook his head and quickly said, "Up to you. Such things depend on oneself; it's normal for people from the same faction to walk different paths! Let's talk inside. Tell me your requirements—what kind of armament you wish to forge, what traits it needs, what functions it should possess..." Su Yu did not stand on ceremony with Zhao Li and stated directly, "It needs to be capable of containing the corpses of Invincibles!" At that single sentence, Zhao Li halted instantly, turned his head to glare at Su Yu, and wheeled around to leave. "I quit! Go try your luck with King Tianzhu!" *Damn it, are you mocking me?!* Su Yu was left speechless. He hadn't even mentioned that he wanted to contain the corpses of Half-Emperors yet! He had already said he wanted to be a corpse collector—collecting a Half-Emperor's corpse wouldn't be excessive, right? With Teacher's temper, couldn't they at least talk it through? Su Yu hurriedly said, "Teacher, how could King Tianzhu's forging craft compare to our Zhao Clan Forging Method! Besides, I'm not familiar with him at all. I am your disciple, aren't I?" Zhao Li's departure had only been a gesture. At this moment, he could not resist cursing, "Do you take me for a Heaven armamentsmith? What kind of joke is this? Your so-called containment isn't just acting as a simple storage space, is it? The difficulty is far greater than you imagine. Are you certain we can forge such a thing?" "An embryonic form will do!" Su Yu hurriedly said, "Just a base is enough. Teacher, I don't expect to forge it to completion right now; we can take it slowly later on!" Only then did Zhao Li relent, nodding slightly. "Don't get too ambitious. Come inside and explain your thoughts, concepts, blueprints, functions, and the like in detail. I knew you didn't call me here to forge an ordinary weapon—though to be fair, had it been an ordinary weapon, I might not have come at all!" Su Yu chuckled. Naturally, it was not ordinary. If it were merely an ordinary Earth armament, Su Yu could forge it himself. Soon, master and disciple entered the Castellan Manor. Zhao Li caught sight of Liu Hong, and his very first words were: "This fellow is here? Kill him off or kick him out as soon as possible; the rascal has rarely done anything good..." Liu Hong, who had intended to offer a greeting, vanished in an instant. Forget it—he could not afford to provoke this man. This elder had an explosive temper; if Zhao Li truly beat him to death, there would be nowhere to plead his case.