Civilization Chronicle

The ancient city descended once more onto its original site. This time, the ancient city was sealed off. No one could enter, and no one could leave. This also confirmed one thing: something had happened to Su Yu. If nothing were wrong, there would be no need to lock down the city. Outside the walls, more and more experts gathered, showing no sign of dwindling. Would Su Yu perish? Heavily wounded, could he still withstand the ancient city's death qi? Su Yu was not merely the castellan of one city. He held dominion over three ancient cities: Yunxiao, Yuhong, and Hongmeng. At that very moment, experts were also keeping watch outside Yunxiao and Yuhong, eager to observe any shifts in those two ancient cities. Everyone knew Su Yu was not dead yet. However, many had witnessed his physical body shatter as he plummeted from the sky. Su Yu had clearly been critically injured by the punishment of the rules. Wounds inflicted by the rules were notoriously difficult to heal, to say nothing of the fact that Su Yu still bore the death qi of multiple cities. *** Ten thousand li from Xinghong Ancient City. The sea. In the central expanse, an immense ancient heavenly gate loomed in the void. Elite legions from the major races cordoned off the perimeter, guarded by Invincibles from each race. Entry was strictly prohibited without a token. This was to preserve the interests of the dominant races. Even the human race was merely one of them. Without a token, none could enter. The Star Residence Mansion was the exclusive preserve of the great races, and no outsider dared scheme against it. Even quota distributions were decided by these powerhouse races. At this moment, a resonant voice boomed across the waters, "King Daxia, the mansion is about to open. In a few days, not even those with tokens will be permitted entry! This is to prevent chaos and deny lawless elements an opportunity to exploit the situation!" The defensive perimeter had already been established, allowing token holders to enter. Many experts carrying tokens had already arrived. This person's words were directed squarely at the ancient cities. The faction of the ancient cities held fifty slots under Su Yu's name, yet to this moment, not a single one had arrived, for they were all waiting for Su Yu. Now, word had spread. Su Yu was mortally wounded! If Su Yu could not make it, then the others from the ancient cities had no right to enter. As for the human race, the strongest expert stationed here was King Daxia. Over in the eastern encampment, King Daxia ignored them, turning his gaze toward Xinghong Ancient City. Ten thousand li apart, he could see nothing with his eyes, but he had received word that Su Yu had been injured while forging an armament. Heavily injured! Many had witnessed it: his flesh shattered, his bones fractured. Recovering from such injuries was no easy feat. Moreover, Su Yu still carried death qi, which made recovery all the harder. He might well perish before he could mend. All from forging an armament... a peak Earth rank weapon. It had provoked a rule-born blood tribulation! King Daxia looked on for a while, seemingly lost in thought. From the outside, the indifferent voice of an expert sounded again: "If token holders still have not entered in three days, it will be treated as a forfeiture! When the time comes, a headcount will be taken, and the unclaimed slots will be distributed at random to other geniuses and experts..." King Daxia glanced sideways toward the west, where the god race's camp was located. King Daxia watched quietly. After a long pause, his voice sounded, calm and cold. "Pingyu, as a mere beginning-stage Eternal, you repeatedly provoke this king. Do you truly believe you have lived too long?" King Daxia's voice remained calm. "I am contemplating a matter. If you dare make another sound to disturb this king, bear the consequences yourself!" "..." Silence fell. In the god race camp, the God King known as Pingyu had a slight flicker in his expression. He looked across the distance, gazing at King Daxia's silhouette, and said nothing more. He was no match for King Daxia. Not only was he outmatched, but if he were ever to encounter King Daxia alone, he would be killed on the spot, for King Daxia was truly terrifyingly powerful. The surroundings settled into dead quiet as well. King Daxia paid him no further attention. The weak had no right to strut about here. Even if the human race was outmatched by the god race overall, not just anyone from the god race was qualified to oppose him—at least, not this Pingyu. *** Xinghong Ancient City. The Castellan's Residence. Hu Xiansheng and the others were in a frantic state, thoroughly at a loss. Su Yu was indeed severely wounded! Not just Su Yu, but Zhao Li as well. At the final moment, the two had forcibly forged the weapon. It was an exceptionally formidable armament, possessing 144 illusory grains—the foundation of a peak Heaven armament. Yet the two of them had insisted on forging the foundation of a divine armament! And this was the result. Neither had sufficient cultivation, yet both had insisted on pushing forward, leaving them both flat on their backs! Zhao Tianbing quickly examined their conditions and said with a splitting headache, "Some of Zhao Li's apertures burst, and his sea of will is turbulent. With three to five months of rest and recuperation, he should recover. As for Su Yu... his situation is a bit more severe! It isn't just burst apertures; his physical body blew apart! In this state, it's practically equivalent to reconstructing a physical body..." A massive headache! Hu Xiansheng and the others furrowed their brows deeply. Soon after, Niu Baidao's voice came from outside the Castellan's Residence: "How is he doing? Senior Xinghong, let me inside to check! I'm not a villain!" Su Yu had been knocked unconscious, and right now, only one person could open the doors of the Castellan's Residence: Xinghong. If Xinghong didn't open them, not even Niu Baidao would dare force his way in. That would mean death. At this moment, Xinghong ignored him, his gaze fixed on the unconscious Su Yu. Much of Su Yu's flesh had ruptured, leaving him a bloody mess with bones shattered into fragments. To ordinary cultivators, in a condition like this, one might as well reconstruct a physical body from scratch. However, his sea of will was mostly intact. Though he looked wretched, his foundation had not suffered irreparable harm. Xinghong watched for a while, then spoke: "Wait for him to awaken on his own. It should be soon." Hearing this, Hu Xiansheng and the others let out slight sighs of relief. With Su Yu unconscious, there was little they could do. After another half an hour, during which Zhao Tianbing and the others used their Yuan Qi to help nourish Su Yu's shattered bones, Su Yu's mangled body finally stirred. "Pain..." It hurt so badly! Agonizing pain! Su Yu's battered skull creaked, and a muffled groan escaped his lips. "He's awake!" Zhao Tianbing breathed a sigh of relief and called out hurriedly, "Su Yu!" *** Su Yu opened his eyes... though in truth, his vision was pitch-black. He had a rough idea of his condition. His physical body was severely damaged! At the final moment of forging the divine armament foundation, the recoil had been horrifyingly immense. Zhao Li had held out for a brief moment and nearly perished on the spot. As for Su Yu, he had hammered frantically at the end, throwing all caution to the wind just to forge the embryonic 145th golden grain. Unable to see clearly, Su Yu groaned in agony, "How is my teacher?" "He's better off than you. He should recover within three to five months..." Su Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, a sliver of light returned to his vision. He looked down at his arms; the bones in both hands were broken, with only shreds of flesh clinging to them. Su Yu probed his condition briefly. It wasn't completely hopeless. The overall skeletal structure remained, but his flesh was ruined, and he had lost a substantial amount of blood essence. Several apertures were shattered as well. That final recoil had likely reached the level of a quasi-Invincible. It was as if Su Yu had taken a full-force punch from a quasi-Invincible, leading to this wretched state. "I'm fine..." Seeing his mutilated body as he spoke, the others felt completely helpless. *You call this 'fine'?!* Su Yu paid their reactions no heed. Soon, he began circulating an art. A technique of the Immortal race! Flesh Regrowth! Knowing countless arts gave him the luxury to be reckless! A moment later, everyone watched wide-eyed as Su Yu's physical body gradually regenerated. Flesh sprouted, and bones reknit. However, the Heaven Yuan Qi filling the hall was consumed voraciously, emptying out in the blink of an eye. Ten-odd minutes later, Su Yu had regained his original appearance. His complexion was pale, his aura had dropped precipitously, and death qi began leaking outward again. Because his yang apertures were open and he lacked sufficient Yuan Qi, he could only reverse his Yuan Qi, absorb death qi, and let Xingyue supply him with death qi to draw in. Having regenerated his flesh, Su Yu panted, "What a hassle. Wounds like these... without top-grade treasures to nourish them, it'll take half a year to recover." "..." *Damn you!* Hu Xiansheng and the others cursed internally. With injuries this severe, you mean to say that even without nourishment, you can fully recover in six months? Are you even human? Su Yu quickly chuckled. "Don't worry, seniors. It's nothing serious. At worst, I'll just rest for half a year." With that, he glanced at Zhao Li, who was seated cross-legged nearby. Old Zhao's face was also quite pale, his flesh somewhat torn, but on the whole he was in fair condition. Recuperating for a while wouldn't be an issue. Su Yu said no more. Walking over, he picked up the tome lying on the floor. It was his armament of Dao attainment, and none of them had touched it. Su Yu examined the volume. It resembled an ancient book, with a gray cover branded with the characters for "Civilization." It appeared ancient and unadorned, lacking any overt divine charm. The entire book looked exceedingly ordinary. Su Yu sensed it slightly: 108 real grains! This was the peak of an Earth armament, or what one might call a semi-Heaven armament. Between illusory and real grains, there were 144 in total. Su Yu frowned! He remembered that at the very final moment, a 145th illusory grain had appeared, only to suddenly retract and vanish. What did that mean? Had it not been for forging that 145th illusory grain, he and Old Zhao wouldn't have sustained such injuries in the first place. They had risked grievous injury solely to forge that single grain. Had they failed? Beside him, Zhao Tianbing guessed what he was thinking and offered comfort: "One hundred and forty-four illusory grains is already an incredible feat! Once your strength is sufficient, this book will undoubtedly advance to the peak of Heaven armaments! Even some Half-Emperors today don't necessarily wield weapons with 144 golden grains; some only use weapons with around 140." It was already terrifyingly formidable! He knew Su Yu and Zhao Li's ambition had been to forge 145 illusory grains, but the embryonic foundation of a divine armament was not something so easily achieved. Hu Qi also comforted him, "Su Yu, it's already unimaginably impressive! There's no need to be sorrowful. This forging was a success—a tremendous success!" Su Yu nodded slightly and smiled. "My apologies for making a fool of myself before seniors. I'm just... slightly confused. I distinctly recall forging that 145th illusory grain. How could it have vanished?" He frowned. If he truly hadn't forged it, so be it. Yet... he clearly remembered forging it! Just then, a voice filled with disdain rang out: "A bunch of idiots!" "..." The group turned toward the rear hall. The voice didn't belong to Xinghong! A moment later, from within the passageway, Xingyue sneered, "And you call yourselves armamentsmiths? Have modern armamentsmiths truly become this foolish and incompetent? His book hasn't even finished the forging process! The 145th illusory grain is merely restrained within, hidden from view. Once the forging is truly concluded, it will naturally reveal itself. A pack of fools, babbling about this and that..." Everyone was stunned! Zhao Tianbing froze for a moment, then coughed awkwardly, "Ahem, that... right, it seems... that... the shock earlier was just too overwhelming! Your book still has a few final steps to complete! The bases for the array and divine talismans were forged, but they haven't been embedded yet. It's not fully complete yet..." They had genuinely forgotten. The spectacle earlier had simply been too intense! Who could have remembered such minor details in the heat of the moment? Hu Xiansheng said in a faint voice, "Um... should we let the principal in? He's been waiting outside for quite a while. If we're done talking, we can let him in. He's probably here to deliver the materials." The crowd exchanged awkward glances. Everyone had been so on edge! So tense that they had clean forgotten about Niu Baidao, and forgotten that Su Yu's book was not yet fully forged, still missing a few components. Su Yu was equally speechless. Clearing his throat, he opened the main gates of the Castellan's Residence. Niu Baidao hurried inside. Seeing Su Yu standing unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief, though his expression turned peculiar. "Your recovery isn't half bad. When I looked earlier, you were practically down to a bare skeleton." Su Yu smiled. "I've done a bit of research on the myriad races' cultivation arts. Nothing much—just the Immortal race's Flesh Regrowth technique!" "That's certainly impressive. However... your physical body has sustained deep damage; you likely won't recover in the short term." Niu Baidao observed him closely. As an Invincible, he could clearly discern that Su Yu's injuries were not light. Su Yu chuckled. "It's fine, not too big of an issue. Zhan Wushuang had his physical body blown apart, and after a few months, he was as lively as ever." "Him?" Niu Baidao shook his head. "That's different. In his case, a Half-Emperor of the god race likely reforged his body for him. That might not be a blessing—you know what I mean." Su Yu nodded. He understood the logic. Nothing came without a price! If one day the god race's Half-Emperor ended up lacking three-life embodiments like the demon race's Half-Emperor, Zhan Wushuang would suffer a grim fate! A body not rebuilt through one's own cultivation, but condensed and reshaped by another, carried massive hidden hazards through such quick-fix methods. Su Yu could have asked the Old Turtle to help, but there was no need. If the Old Turtle harbored ill intentions and added something untoward during the reshaping process, it would leave Su Yu with endless future troubles. Setting that aside, Su Yu said with a grin, "Still, it works out. Many among the myriad races saw it, right? They think I'm crippled by injuries and need to recuperate. That's fine by me—a chance for some peace and quiet! That old bastard Tiangu suddenly pulled this stunt on me, landing me in no small amount of trouble." Previously, the Immortal race took an opportunistic stance: kill him if possible, let him be if not, without specifically targeting him. Now that Tiangu had spoken, the Immortal race would undoubtedly do everything in their power to execute Su Yu. Inevitably, they might resort to extreme measures, including kidnapping his father. He was no longer a target left to graze freely; he was marked for certain death. Su Yu was well aware of this. Without dwelling on it, he quickly said, "Principal, if you return to the Human Realm this time, please look after my father... If the Immortals and Gods truly want to deal with me, their first tactic will be luring me out! Beyond my father, Liu City is another target..." Niu Baidao nodded. "Rest assured! Xia Longwu is still holding the fort in the Great Xia Prefecture, and King Daqin issued orders earlier forbidding any underhanded tricks. Don't worry. Though King Daqin rarely loses his temper, once he does, no one dares defy his will without suffering severe consequences!" "That's good to hear!" As the two spoke, Zhao Tianbing interrupted, "Principal Niu, let's put those matters aside for now. Did you bring the array and divine talismans? If so, let's attempt to complete the book..." Niu Baidao smiled. "I brought them. King Daming personally crafted the array, at considerable expense! As for the divine talismans, I prepared a hundred. Will that suffice?" Su Yu shook his head. "Not enough! At least three hundred! But there's no rush. You can help me craft more later, Principal, and I'll inlay them down the line. That won't be difficult for me!" Inlaying the grand array and divine talismans was actually quite straightforward. Interfaces had already been reserved beforehand. At this moment, everyone was eager to see whether embedding all of them would cause the embryonic 145th golden grain to manifest. Niu Baidao wasted no words, quickly taking out the grand array and the divine talismans. The array was of the Heaven rank. Niu Baidao introduced it: "This array is called the Meta-Will Gathering Array! Its primary function is to absorb Yuan Qi and scattered willpower, slowly extracting and refining them. The Pavilion of a Hundred Dao employs this very array; over time, it purifies Yuan Qi and willpower, which is what you all absorb. Its refinement speed isn't blazing fast—it cannot compare to the Great Xia Prefecture's Yuan Qi Mystic Realm or Sea of Consciousness Mystic Realm—but its advantage is low demand, allowing it to function anywhere..." Those two were dedicated mystic realms built specifically for that purpose. This array, by contrast, had lower efficiency. Niu Baidao smiled. "Of course, being a Heaven rank grand array, it is hardly useless! First, it is exceptionally stable and will not be easily broken. "Second, its primary purpose is nurturing armaments, which makes it ideal for a weapon. "Third, it possesses defensive capabilities that ordinary eighth or ninth-stage Sun Moon experts would struggle to breach. "Fourth..." After detailing the array's functions, he produced the divine talismans and said, "These divine talismans don't have many functions beyond suction—drawing external objects inside. Their pulling power isn't weak. While they can't suck in a Half-Emperor, pulling in a Sun Moon is no problem at all!" Niu Baidao chuckled. "Moreover, this is a composite talisman set. If you encounter a powerful foe at the eighth or ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm, as long as you have enough talismans and sufficient strength of your own, pulling them directly into your book won't pose much difficulty." Su Yu said delightedly, "Thank you, Principal!" These were all prime treasures! Zhao Tianbing nodded in agreement. "When it comes to crafting divine talismans and divine arrays, King Daming and Principal Niu are among the very best in the Human Realm. With the two of them lending their hands, Su Yu, your book will be made far more complete!" "Yes!" Su Yu nodded and grinned. "Then let us embed the array and divine talismans!" First the talismans, then the array. These were minor tasks. Yet they would bring the entire book to completion. Su Yu proceeded to embed the divine talismans one by one into the pages—one hundred talismans for one hundred pages. As for the rest, Su Yu intended to commission Niu Baidao to keep crafting them, as his ultimate vision required ten thousand talismans. Once the talismans were seated, Su Yu took over to embed the grand array! Embedding the talismans had not drawn out the 145th golden grain. However, the moment Su Yu fitted the divine array into its designated slot, a faint glow suddenly radiated from the entire volume. Instantly, 145 golden grains flared into existence—though only for a fleeting split second! The next instant, the entire book took on an even more ancient and restrained appearance. Its aura faded away, rendering it indistinguishable from a standard, ordinary tome. The 145 golden grains vanished once more. Having witnessed it clearly this time, Zhao Tianbing couldn't help but chuckle. "A fine treasure! This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing! It turns out it wasn't missing; rather, divine artifacts naturally obscure their brilliance! The 145 golden grains are restrained deep within! So long as they exist, that is all that matters; you wouldn't be able to utilize them right now anyway. Once this book reaches the peak of Heaven armaments and you advance it to the divine armament grade, the golden grains will naturally reveal themselves!" The armamentsmiths wore expressions of awe, longing, and envy. A divine armament foundation! A genuine foundation for a divine armament! Though it remained an Earth armament for now, it was likely no weaker than an ordinary beginning-stage Heaven armament. Once it truly ascended to divine rank... it would be an unfathomable entity. Zhao Tianbing soon added, "It is indeed a wondrous treasure! But advancing it further will be arduous. According to your plan, you wish to forge ten thousand pages... Su Yu, your ambition is too grand! A single page costs astronomical sums, to say nothing of ten thousand! You gathered so many treasures across the myriad races, yet you only managed to forge three hundred pages, exhausting everything you owned. Ten thousand pages... is simply unimaginable!" Even if someone handed him such an extravagant armament, he wouldn't be able to afford its upkeep. At the very least, he couldn't afford its upgrades! Hu Xiansheng clicked his tongue in wonder as well. "Su Yu, by your calculations, that would require severing countless spaces. With so many... don't go collapsing the All-Heavens Battlefield! I value my life!" Severing just three hundred spatial segments had nearly gotten him beaten to death by Invincibles. If he severed ten thousand, a Half-Emperor would likely hunt him down personally. Su Yu smiled. "I understand. I'll do my best to learn a spatial divine character so I can sever spaces myself in the future." He truly needed to learn it! Su Yu felt rather helpless on that front; despite trying for so long, he had failed to comprehend a spatial divine character. His spatial aptitude was lacking; otherwise, he could have handled the spatial cutting himself. Still, there was a spatial cutting machine here. Su Yu could try operating it on his own without rushing. Even if Hu Xiansheng didn't show up, Su Yu could still manage some cutting on his own. At this point, the book was considered complete—though, of course, it was merely an embryonic foundation, not a finished work. Zhao Tianbing chuckled. "This foundation is truly flawless. Su Yu, give it a name!" "A name..." Su Yu murmured softly, running his fingers across the book. After a long moment, he smiled. "Let us call it the Civilization Chronicle!" Originally, he had intended to name it the Records of the Myriad Races. Yet seeing the word "Civilization" inscribed upon the cover, he settled on Civilization Chronicle. At that moment, the others wore peculiar expressions. Su Yu understood their thoughts and explained with a smile, "Civilization Masters often leave behind a civilization chronicle of their own before they pass. When they die, they leave a divine character that cannot form a mystic realm, serving as a memento to pass down what they learned and attained in life. Over all these years, from my childhood until now, everything I have learned might very well be recorded within this book..." What he possessed most of all was cultivation arts! And all of them could be sealed and gathered within this volume. In a sense, this was his own civilization chronicle. Countless years from now, when he was gone, everything he had learned throughout his life might continue to be passed down. Countless years later, Su Yu himself might be forgotten by the world, yet his Civilization Chronicle might still endure. At that moment, Su Yu thought of the golden album in his mind. *This Civilization Chronicle is my legacy.* *Then that album... could it be the legacy of another cultivator similar to myself?* *A Time Master!* Su Yu murmured inwardly. Perhaps. Perhaps the album residing in his mind had been left behind by a Time Master who traversed the river of time, chronicling the civilizations of the myriad races and the rise and fall of the myriad realms. Perhaps every era had individuals like that. It was just that no one knew of them, or they remained unknown to the weak. "Civilization Chronicle..." The experts present chewed on the implications behind the name. This was an artifact typically left behind by the dead! Su Yu himself felt a fleeting sense of trance. He recalled the Tombstone of Civilization—a gravestone for civilization. And now, he had forged a Civilization Chronicle. A chronicle of civilization! As he pondered, Niu Baidao interrupted, "Su Yu, the Star Residence Mansion will open soon. Will you still be going this time? Looking at your current state... I doubt you'll be able to make it, and even if you do, it might not be a good idea!" Su Yu smiled. "If I can't go, then so be it. I'm not lacking those few treasures! Principal, there is no need to worry about me." With that, he bowed to the group. "I have troubled all of you seniors during this forging session!" "Don't say that!" Hu Qi smiled. "We should be thanking you instead. You healed our injuries and allowed us to witness the forging of a quasi-divine armament, which will be of immense benefit to our future forging! We haven't even had the chance to digest everything we gained yet. If nothing unexpected happens, in a few years, we might also be able to aspire to become Heaven armamentsmiths!" Zhao Tianbing also laughed. "I, too, have gained some insights. Perhaps... the next time we meet, I will already be a Heaven armamentsmith!" Su Yu and the others were pleasantly surprised. Zhao Tianbing chuckled. "Of course, it's hard to say for sure. Besides, that's assuming I have the funds to purchase materials for forging Heaven armaments. I might fail a few times, but... I believe there is hope!" "Congratulations in advance, Martial Uncle!" Su Yu offered his congratulations, then glanced at Zhao Li, who was still healing. He said, "Martial Uncle, the ancient city is a place of chaos and extreme peril. You should take my teacher back to the Human Realm! Though he was injured this time, once he recovers, his strength should see significant progress. I won't wait for him to awaken before bidding farewell, as I will soon be heading to the outskirts of the Star Residence Mansion... In any case, the fifty quotas I fought so hard to secure cannot go to waste!" "Then... take care of yourself!" Zhao Tianbing urged. Niu Baidao added quickly, "Going this time may make you a target. The ancient city's guardians are powerful, but everyone knows you are injured. Su Yu, beware of people deliberately forcing you to act and forcing the guardian to step in. Each time he takes action, you will bear an even heavier burden of death qi!" Su Yu nodded and took a deep breath. "Rest assured, Principal, I understand! However, I must show everyone that I am not dead, that I still possess combat capability, and that I can still summon Lord Guardian to battle! If I appear weak right now, greed will quickly take root in their hearts! I must kill the chicken to warn the monkeys!" "As long as you know what you're doing." Knowing his injuries had not yet healed, Niu Baidao said no more. Turning to the others, he said, "I will escort you back to the Eastern War Zone to avoid trouble along the way. Right now, countless eyes are on Su Yu; lingering in the ancient city will only cause him extra trouble." Su Yu bowed once more in gratitude. Saying no more, Zhao Tianbing lifted the still-healing Zhao Li, following Niu Baidao as they flew outside. With Su Yu heavily injured, there was no need to disturb him further. Besides, they couldn't help him much anyway. *** Once everyone had departed, Su Yu let out a breath. The armament had been forged successfully! His physical body had also completed seventy-two casts. His injuries were severe, however, and required rapid recovery. Just as Su Yu was contemplating this, Xingyue snapped angrily, "Hurry and find that old turtle to seal your yang apertures! Su Yu, you are thoroughly repulsive!" *How infuriating!* *You're draining me again!* Su Yu couldn't help but chuckle. "Lord Sovereign is quite impatient. I've only been drawing from your lordship for a short while, yet you're already losing your temper." With that, Su Yu glanced toward Liu Hong, who had awakened behind Xinghong at some point, and smiled. "Teacher Liu's strength is formidable indeed—awake already! Impressive!" Liu Hong hid behind Xinghong and muttered gloomily, "Don't look at me. I just woke up. I didn't see anything, and I didn't hear anything!" Su Yu smiled. "It's fine. Hearing it or seeing it works out just right! Everything is aligned now. I am injured, so it is only natural for Teacher Liu to appear weak, or even refrain from leaving the city to fight! No one expects a severely wounded Su Yu to foolishly leave the city and seek death, right? Appearing weak fits my circumstances perfectly!" "In your state, you still plan to go?" Liu Hong asked in surprise. "Your injuries are not light. Once your yang apertures are sealed, your combat power... well, it might be decent, but Invincibles might enter this time. Aren't you afraid of being killed?" Su Yu chuckled. "What is there to fear? Besides... I have no choice; I'm completely broke! Aside from a bit of blood essence, I have nothing left! Enhancing my civilized armament takes money, cultivating takes money, everything takes money! If I don't go inside, how am I supposed to cultivate?" "You..." There was simply nothing to say! Liu Hong was at a loss for words. The way this guy spent resources defied human imagination. It was terrifying! He had poured so many treasures into forging a single book, and it wasn't even clear yet what practical power it wielded. If sold or traded, those materials could have fetched several Heaven armaments! Compared to Su Yu, he truly lived like a beggar. Liu Hong gave a dry laugh. "Um, can we make a deal... Could you let me go before you come out?" "Before I come out?" "Yes!" Liu Hong chuckled nervously. "Can't one stay in the Star Residence Mansion for a month? It stays open for twenty-nine days. How about asking Lord Xinghong to let me leave?" "Would you actually bear to leave?" Su Yu said faintly, "You came to the ancient city of your own accord; I didn't force you. Could you truly bear to walk away?" "..." Liu Hong gave an embarrassed laugh. Well said. Su Yu ignored him, turning to Xinghong with a deep breath. "Lord Xinghong, too many eyes are watching me right now, making it hard to slip out of the city. I intend to shift the ancient city to dock with Hongmeng City, find Lord Hongmeng to help seal my yang apertures, and then... I likely won't return here. Instead, I'll conceal myself within and find an opportunity to slip out." Xinghong said in a deep voice, "Su Yu, consider this carefully. Right now... you are in immense danger! In the sacred cities, you at least have our protection. Once you leave, especially inside the Star Residence Mansion, it will be virtually impossible for us to aid you..." Su Yu laughed. "I have thought it through! I need resources—vast amounts of resources! Not only that, but I also need to perfect my armament of Dao attainment. Outside, numerous Invincibles are watching my every move, leaving me no room to act freely!" He needed to complete his Civilization Chronicle, but on the All-Heavens Battlefield, that was currently impossible! Right now, the Star Residence Mansion presented the perfect opportunity. A prime chance to slaughter foes and collect corpses! What kind of Civilization Chronicle would it be if it collected no corpses? As it happened, the timing was ripe. How many would actually believe he would venture out in his present state? "Then what of your injuries..." Su Yu smiled. "It matters not! Merely physical wounds. Entering the Star Residence Mansion will give me the chance to rob and kill, procuring fine treasures to heal myself! A weakened physical body is actually a blessing. If I choose to disguise myself, virtually no one will be able to see through it. Had my body remained too robust, I would have worried about being exposed; now, even if someone comes into contact with my physical body, they won't sense anything out of the ordinary." His physical body was exceptionally powerful. Such a formidable body was difficult to disguise, but now, how many could detect its true nature? Seeing Su Yu's resolve, Xinghong ceased his dissuasion. After a brief look at Su Yu, he said, "Once you reach Hongmeng Sacred City, remember to mention that blood tribulation to the boss! The boss descended abruptly earlier, so he must know something. The reason Tiangu wants you dead is also tied to this. As for the All-Races Council, don't ask me; I am not entirely clear on the details. Ask the boss..." Su Yu expressed his thanks: "Thank you for the guidance, my lord. Understood!" Xinghong nodded slightly and said nothing more. In an instant, the ancient city vanished from its original spot. Outside the city, the lurking onlookers cursed under their breath once more—he had slipped away again! As for the experts of the Nine Realms, they had long grown accustomed to this. Letting the massive waves batter their battered vessels, they couldn't even be bothered to repair them anymore. Let whatever happens happen! As long as Su Yu drew breath, they wouldn't repair a single plank. Nor would they build islands! They would resume only after Su Yu was dead. That brat was doomed anyway; surviving this time was mere luck. Now that the Immortal and God races had issued absolute death orders against him, even the protection of the ancient city wouldn't save him. His doom was only a matter of time! Naturally, Su Yu had no care for any of this. He had never spared the Nine Realms a second glance, even if an Invincible had emerged from their ranks.