A Sense of Crisis

An illusion manifested. A projection into the void! Wu Lan had only run a short distance when Su Yu appeared right in front of her. Not far behind, Wu Qi and the others were still following. Wu Qi knew about the first-stage Sun Moon realm expert lurking in the shadows, but since he was an assigned dao protector, she had not paid him much mind. At this moment, the protector had not noticed anything amiss either. He was simply feeling stifled. Trailing after a few young women wandering aimlessly made him miserable. What was the point of scurrying all over the place instead of heading straight for the Star Residence Mansion? *** "Su Yu?" Wu Lan was delighted to see him, not realizing it was only a projection. She quickly said, "Everyone said you were heavily wounded and about to die, but I knew you wouldn't! You're the genius who beat me on the Higher Assessment by thirty-three points..." Mentally exhausted, Su Yu said exasperatedly, "If I remember right, I scored 897 and you scored 835. That's sixty-two points higher!" *She's picked up bad habits! She's even started laying traps!* Wu Lan wore an expression of complete nonchalance. "Just an offhand comment! You really are petty, remembering exactly how many points you beat me by!" "..." Su Yu was speechless. *What nonsense!* The Higher Assessment was such a monumental examination, and not even two years had passed. How could he possibly forget? That had been the launchpad of his dreams! As for her... He was first place; why wouldn't he remember how far ahead he was from second place? As for third place... Sorry, he really had forgotten. He remembered second place only to remind himself how much better he was than the runner-up. What did third place have to do with him? Just as second place would only remember how far ahead first place was, they rarely remembered third place, because surpassing third place was meaningless. Wu Lan verified Su Yu's identity and quickly asked, "Why did you come out?" "To see you!" "Did you finish researching the cultivation method?" "No." "Then what are you looking at me for?" "..." This woman was impossible to communicate with! Forget it, straight to the point. Su Yu asked, "Why did you come here?" "To see you!" "..." Su Yu felt tired to his bones. He was sorely tempted to repeat her exact words back to her. But then Wu Lan quickly added, "I came to tell you that I've achieved research results, but now I need a massive amount of Heavenly River Sand to continue. So don't bother asking whether I'm going to the Star Residence Mansion—I'm definitely going! As for having someone else bring it out, who knows if they'll die inside? That's why I have to go in and research it personally..." She truly was not going on a whim; she was going to conduct research. Su Yu asked in surprise, "Research?" "That's right!" "Did the Great Xia Prefecture give you a quota?" "No, I'm from the Great Ming Prefecture! Great Ming has quotas. Not many people want to go, so why would I bother getting one from Great Xia? Great Ming was allocated twenty confirmed spots this time, and they gave me one. What about it?" Wu Lan looked perplexed. What was wrong? Was there an issue? Great Ming was full of slackers who couldn't be bothered to go. When she volunteered, they were thrilled; no one even competed with her for it. Su Yu felt a headache coming on. Frowning slightly, he said, "You want to go to the Star Residence Mansion to do research... this..." This was going to be troublesome! "How about I fetch some Heavenly River Sand for you..." "No!" Wu Lan refused flatly. "What I really want is to see where the Heavenly River Sand originates, including how it forms! Heavenly River Sand possesses a purifying effect, but Teacher Kong has never been to the Star Residence Mansion either, so she doesn't know why it has that effect. I believe there must be a reason and a source! Everyone else is an uncultured rube who doesn't care to understand things thoroughly, so I have to go look for myself!" Su Yu was at a loss for words. *She wants to find the source? The origin?* A researcher determined to uncover why Heavenly River Sand purified willpower—if he stopped her from going, would she beat him to death? No wonder the Wu family hadn't stopped her! For a researcher, if she didn't go herself, an outsider might never piece anything together. Perhaps this time, the primary objective of the Wu family—and even the Great Ming Prefecture—was to support her. If she truly discovered the cause and managed to replicate Heavenly River Sand, it would be extraordinary! That was assuming Great Ming knew she was researching this project. Su Yu's head ached even more. "Could you just not go?" "Not go?" Wu Lan looked at him strangely. "Why wouldn't I go? I need to conduct field research at the source, so of course I have to go personally! Could you go instead? You don't know the first thing about it!" Su Yu had no reply. In truth, he felt Wu Lan ought to go. If she didn't, she would probably regret it. If she did go, whether she lived or died sometimes didn't matter as much to a researcher. Now look at the mess! What a nuisance! Just as Su Yu was about to speak, Wu Lan said, "You aren't trying to talk me out of going just so you can impersonate me, are you? If that's what you're thinking, you're a pervert!" "..." Su Yu's expression turned bizarre. *Did she cheat? How did her intellect suddenly spike?* All right, Wu Lan had never been stupid. She had plenty of intellect, just miserably low emotional intelligence; an idiot couldn't have scored 835 points. Yet having his thoughts laid bare like this left Su Yu thoroughly depressed. Su Yu quickly forced a smile. "How could that be? Am I that kind of person? I'm an overlord of an entire region, what are you imagining? I just happened to spot you and wanted to chat!" Wu Lan said immediately, "That's good! Oh, right, you could impersonate Bai Junsheng! He's going too, and you could even stay close to your master. Besides, he's weak and completely useless—his going is a total waste anyway! I could stick with you since we're both from Great Ming, and you could secretly escort me. My sister isn't reliable; she's too weak to protect me. You just need to get me to where the Heavenly River Sand forms..." "..." *Damn it!* *Did you really have to say everything out loud?* Su Yu wanted to cough up blood! "That won't work, I—" "It's called the darkest place being under the lamp, don't you get it? You've always impersonated people from Great Ming. If you do it again, no one will believe you'd pick Great Ming again! Just don't disguise yourself as Cui Lang. Everyone knows you've used his identity before. Even though nobody thinks it's you now, they'll still pay extra attention to him!" "..." Su Yu gave her a bizarre look. "Did you eat something strange recently?" "I didn't eat anything." "Really?" Su Yu was astonished. If she hadn't consumed anything, how did her intellect seem to have jumped a notch? Hardly anyone knew he had impersonated Bai Junsheng last time. The only ones who knew were from Great Ming—and, of course, Xia Huyou and his circle. Wu Lan was actually telling him to disguise himself as Bai Junsheng! As Su Yu fell into contemplation, Wu Lan glanced behind her and suddenly exclaimed, "You really are a pervert! You definitely wanted to knock me out and take my place! You thought my identity would be easy to assume. Otherwise, why hasn't my sister caught up to us yet? You utter pervert!" "..." *Get lost!* Feeling helpless, Su Yu explained, "Stop talking nonsense, how could I? My current identity makes it inconvenient to meet with you, so I conjured a fake Wu Lan to distract your sister. So, you're dead set on going?" "Of course, unless you can crack the secret of the Heavenly River Sand." "Can you?" "I don't know, but I have to try!" Wu Lan spoke with fervent excitement. "Besides, the Star Residence Mansion is a relic of the ancient era! There are so many things worth studying! The human race lacks documentation on these things, so I want to gather records and materials." "You're too weak..." "If one hears the Dao in the morning, one may die content in the evening!" "..." Su Yu frowned. Was she serious? He studied Wu Lan for a long moment before asking, "You truly believe this is your Dao?" "Of course!" Wu Lan stated solemnly, "I've walked the path of research since childhood. Before entering the higher academy, while I was still in the intermediate academy, I worked as an assistant to researchers! I'm better than you; I've been doing research my whole life! Aside from combat strength, I'm superior to you in every single way! Don't you admit it, Su Yu?" Su Yu answered perfunctorily, "I admit it, but I could make you cry with a single punch." "Brute!" Wu Lan cursed. All he knew was killing people with punches—a brute, a total brute! "Anyway, don't even think about impersonating me! Otherwise, once you come out, I'll tell the whole world you're a pervert!" "..." Su Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry! *You're usually as dense as a brick!* *Today, before I could even speak, you guessed everything I planned to do. Why aren't you playing dumb when you're supposed to?* *Don't you know how annoying you are like this?* Wu Lan continued, "Go find Bai Junsheng. He's easy to impersonate. The guy is an idiot who knows nothing and is only going along for the ride. Teacher Bai even has to look after him! If you knock him out and dump him anywhere, he won't even realize it; he'll probably wake up thinking he's already arrived!" Su Yu was completely speechless. "I never planned on going to the Star Residence Mansion!" "Whatever you say. Since you're fine, I'm leaving! Don't target me; I have research to do! Let me tell you, once my research succeeds, I'll be the greatest researcher under the heavens!" Su Yu was left without words. She had stolen every line he wanted to say! *Damn it!* *Did this woman play dumb with me in the past, or does she just sharpen up at critical moments?* "Bai Junsheng is just up ahead. His father is leading him. His father is only at the Lingyun realm! If you knock him out, his father won't even notice! You could disguise yourself right under his father's nose!" Wu Lan added another piece of advice before concluding, "Forget about targeting anyone else, or I'll denounce you as a massive pervert!" *To hell with that!* Su Yu lacked even the strength to complain, utterly exasperated. This woman had completely wrecked his plans. Sure enough, women were unreliable. Hmph! Bai Junsheng? While Su Yu was still pondering, Wu Lan said again, "Then it's settled! And one more thing, Su Yu... you really are a huge pervert!" With that, Wu Lan turned on her heel and bolted. Su Yu was thoroughly depressed! *You're the pervert!* *I barely said a word; you did all the talking!* Could it be that because Wu Lan had frequently been ignited by his Fire of Inheritance, her intelligence had grown by absorbing his? That would certainly explain it. In the end, she still had him to thank; otherwise, what research could she possibly conduct? Heavenly River Sand... purifying willpower... seeking the origin... Wu Lan claimed this was her Dao. Whether Su Yu believed her or not, she was setting out to seek her path. Denying her the chance would be severing her Dao journey, making them bitter enemies. Rubbing his head, Su Yu allowed his phantom image to disperse, feeling a throbbing headache. *All my planning was for nothing!* Sure enough, one should never underestimate women, lest one stumble without knowing how. *** Meanwhile, Wu Lan quickly broke out of the illusion. In the blink of an eye, she was back in front of Wu Qi. Wu Qi was berating her. "I told you not to run off, and you still did! What are you doing? If you're going to be this disobedient, don't even go this time. I have no desire to march to my death!" *Su Yu should have disguised himself as her instead!* Wu Lan grumbled internally. Her sister had become so talkative lately. As for Su Yu seeking her out, Wu Lan was confident she had guessed right. That fellow was completely shameless; finding her out of nowhere at a time like this had to be an attempt to disguise himself as her. Utterly shameless! Whether Su Yu tracked down Bai Junsheng or not was none of her business. In any case, her entry into the Star Residence Mansion truly was for research, so staying behind was out of the question. Regardless of whether he had meant to do it or not, cutting off his train of thought early had been the right move. As long as she uncovered the secret behind Heavenly River Sand's transformation or discovered something else this time, Wu Lan believed her fame would eventually surpass Su Yu's. Of course, that ambition was a bit of a pipe dream. Su Yu was currently renowned across the myriad realms. *** Su Yu sighed. How frustrating! Vanish from the spot he did; this was becoming impossible. A moment later, he caught sight of Bai Junsheng. Led by his father, he was currently hunting demon beasts. A mere third-tier Tengkong cultivator daring to venture into the Star Residence Mansion—who gave him the courage? Or rather, Great Ming was so thoroughly lazy that they actually squandered their spots on the likes of Bai Junsheng! Great Ming had received a fair share this time, allocated twenty full quotas. And they had wasted them just like that! "Bai Junsheng..." He had impersonated him once before; was he really going to do it again? Su Yu felt tired. Fine, so be it. He was experienced at impersonating Bai Junsheng. Last time, Bai Junsheng hadn't become famous, but this time, he was bound to make a name for himself! *** A moment later, Bai Junsheng froze in utter shock. Who had he just seen? Su Yu! "Su Yu, are you real or fake?" He stared at Su Yu and asked, "Are you really Su Yu?" "Nonsense!" "Then let me ask you: when you came to my house, what did you give my sister?" "Sky Origin Fruit!" "Correct!" Bai Junsheng nodded. Su Yu felt even more worn down—was there not a shred of trust left in the myriad realms? People had to solve riddles just to say hello! Before Su Yu could speak, Bai Junsheng said rapidly, "Don't hit me, I'll do it myself! Were you planning to knock me out? I don't really want to go to the Star Residence Mansion anyway; I'd just drag everyone down. But I'm one of the Eight Steeds, so it would be humiliating if I didn't go! Besides, barely anyone in Great Ming wants to go, thinking it's suicidal. I was genuinely preparing to die. If you want to impersonate me, that's ideal! But you have to give me some benefits; a quota is very valuable!" "..." *To hell with you!* Su Yu genuinely felt like vomiting blood. Why did every single person who saw him immediately assume he wanted to impersonate them? Bai Junsheng's words left Su Yu utterly unable to rebut. Not appearing the least bit surprised, Bai Junsheng continued casually, "Rumor has it you're critically wounded, yet here you are, seeking me out instead of anyone else. We aren't that close, so it's obvious you want to impersonate me. Pretty perceptive of me, right? Don't worry, I won't show my face for a month. Just hide me somewhere safe! I swear I won't expose your existence!" "..." Su Yu felt insulted! Utterly insulted! Bai Junsheng pressed on, "If you hide me somewhere ordinary, someone might find me. If you hide me in an ancient city, too many eyes are watching Xinghong Ancient City! They'd probe around looking for clues! How about this: aren't you on great terms with that stone statue, Tianmie? Nobody is watching Tianmie Ancient City, so hide me there!" "..." Su Yu remained silent. *You've already planned your entire escape route!* He... he felt deeply shaken! Bai Junsheng urged anxiously, "Hurry up, or I'll have to head over there with my dad! But let's get one thing straight: you can use my name to kill, burn, and pillage all you like, but don't you dare use it to pick up girls! If you don't clean up the mess afterward, I'll be in huge trouble!" Su Yu stared at him in silence, utterly exhausted. *Was I the one thinking too simply?* *Or is the human race really sharper than the myriad races?* Then again, with rumors circulating that he was heavily injured, anyone with half a brain could deduce his intentions when he suddenly appeared looking for people. He, Su Yu, was a habitual offender! It was hardly his first time adopting an alias. Cui Lang and Xuanjiu—he had made both names known throughout the myriad realms. So Bai Junsheng guessing it wasn't shocking. What was shocking was how cooperative the guy was. His eagerness left Su Yu speechless; being treated like this was giving him an inferiority complex! Bai Junsheng said quickly, "Come on, do you really want me to knock myself out? My identity is great! You can get close to my cousin, and close to Great Ming's people. You know enough about me—everyone I know, you know, and anyone I don't know, you probably don't either! Su Yu, remember our deal: if you impersonate me, you have to give me some compensation! You impersonated me last time too. Others might not have known, but I knew! You got me locked up for days for no reason!" Su Yu said weakly, "You're making me not want to impersonate you anymore." "Don't!" Bai Junsheng pleaded hastily. "To be completely honest, I deliberately stuck with my dad instead of grouping up with Great Ming's delegation just to wait for you! You finally picked me! I was terrified you wouldn't show up, because then I'd have had to go to the Star Residence Mansion. It wasn't easy waiting for you!" Su Yu's brow furrowed abruptly! A single remark woke the dreamer! Everyone expected him to go. While his injuries made many doubt it, there were undoubtedly plenty of people who thought like Bai Junsheng. In that case, was someone monitoring these individuals? Su Yu's heart gave a slight jolt! Even Bai Junsheng assumed that if Su Yu went, he would pick an acquaintance! Could the myriad races truly have failed to take precautions? Yes, he was wounded, but Su Yu was notorious for his audacity. Would he truly give up? Were people like Bai Junsheng being watched? At this very moment, was an invisible eye observing them from the shadows? The "Calamity" divine character had not stirred, but that might only mean the watchers were not powerful enough to pose an immediate threat. It did not mean everything was safe! Su Yu was thoroughly shaken. *Could they really be under surveillance?* Bai Junsheng's offhand remarks struck a chord. Su Yu had always assumed that if he slipped in under another identity, no one would notice. In truth, he had underestimated his own prominence, especially after the Immortal Realm placed a bounty on his head! And let's not forget, the myriad realms had the Hunting Heaven Pavilion! The omnipresent Hunting Heaven Pavilion! Though Su Yu had left Xuanjia's mask behind in the ancient city, who knew if they possessed other methods to locate him? Thoughts raced through his mind! *The humans... might be under watch. Maybe by more than one entity! Perhaps they are watching, waiting—all 430 participating humans might be targets of surveillance!* *I forgot that my importance currently rivals that of an Invincible!* Su Yu's mind churned. He looked at Bai Junsheng and took a deep breath! If even an idiot like this could figure it out, could he really expect others to remain blind? Why did he have to disguise himself as a human at all? Had his contact with Bai Junsheng already been detected? Su Yu's eyes flickered, and he spoke rapidly, "You'd better not enter the Star Residence Mansion. It's too dangerous! Or... have the human experts keep a closer eye on you. I suspect you've been targeted! The moment you arrive at the mansion, eyes might fall on you! Pray for your own luck, because I can't save you! Go find the human experts!" Su Yu added in a low voice, "I only came to warn you. Don't overthink things. Impersonation? My injuries haven't healed; I'm not going this time!" Bai Junsheng looked flabbergasted. "You—" "Good luck to you!" With those words, Su Yu vanished instantly. His voice echoed by Bai Junsheng's ear: "Once you reach the Star Residence Mansion, report to the human experts immediately and tell them you might be targeted. If all else fails, give up your quota!" Leaving behind that final warning, Su Yu was gone. *** At that very moment. Inside the Hunting Heaven Pavilion headquarters. A low voice reported, "Fluctuations were detected near Bai Junsheng and Wu Qi. We are uncertain whether it was Su Yu." "Continue investigating. Keep a close watch on them!" "Understood!" A faceless elder departed promptly. In the grand hall, several golden-masked Invincibles remained quiet for a brief moment before one chuckled softly. "As expected, Su Yu is tempted after all. Who do you think he'll impersonate to get inside?" "Wu Qi? Bai Junsheng? Or one of the other two girls?" "..." "Hard to say. Under normal circumstances, Bai Junsheng would be more suitable. But Su Yu is unpredictable; he might not care about saving face, so impersonating an inconspicuous female is entirely possible." "He certainly dares to try!" "The South Building Master was prudent indeed. Monitoring all the humans didn't require anything overt, merely sensing spatial ripples. Sure enough, Su Yu's fox tail has poked through. I'm beginning to suspect his injuries were faked!" "It might not necessarily be Su Yu, but those individuals certainly warrant extra attention!" "Indeed!" *** Having departed Bai Junsheng's area, Su Yu felt a subtle shift in his mood, as though an ominous shadow had lifted. Su Yu frowned. *Was I really being watched?* *Surely not!* If someone were truly watching him, he would have felt at least a sliver of perception. Detecting nothing at all, was he merely spooking himself? Su Yu took a deep breath. Perhaps he was only scaring himself. Even so, abandoning that plan was best! It felt far too dangerous! Mainly, both Bai Junsheng and Wu Lan had assumed at first glance that he intended to impersonate them. That ruined Su Yu's mood entirely; the whole world seemed poised to guess his game! *Dammit!* *I'm supposed to be critically injured!* *Why do you all think of me this way?* Furthermore, the Old Turtle had mentioned that Dao Integration experts could peer into the past and future. While Su Yu had previously thought no one would bother, this time was different. What if Tiangu were lurking in secret? Caution was paramount! Soon, Su Yu wandered toward a stretch of sea where groups of cultivators were heading toward the depths of the Sea of Stars. From afar, Su Yu overheard someone say, "Let's try our luck with the special passage this time! We might actually get in! If you miss the Star Residence Mansion, you'll be treated as trash for the rest of your life!" "Right, we can't miss this chance! So many experts from the major races are entering this time, but they're all aiming for the seventh floor. Nobody cares about the bottom three floors. If we get in, we can just linger on the lower three!" They were a bunch of figures from minor races. Su Yu's eyes gleamed, and in the next instant, he vanished from his spot. A moment later, right under the noses of this group of minor-race cultivators, Su Yu noiselessly pulverized the physical body of an iron-winged bird, its sea of will swallowed whole into the belly of the little fur ball. Su Yu promptly extracted essence blood and examined its memories. It happened right before their eyes, yet not a single soul noticed. This impromptu gathering of minor-race cultivators consisted mostly of Tengkong and Lingyun practitioners, lacking even a single Shanhai expert. There were tens of thousands of ragtag squads like this across the Sea of Stars right now! No matter how thoroughly the major races monitored the area, could they possibly keep watch over the entire All-Heavens Battlefield? Su Yu quickly assumed the form of the iron-winged bird. His choice was instinctive, as he was intimately familiar with iron-winged birds. The creature's sea of will still existed inside the little fur ball's belly. Su Yu's eyes flickered as he probed its background through its memories. After a moment, he drew its sea of will into the Civilization Chronicle. A slight dizziness washed over him! Darkness fell before Su Yu's eyes, and he saw something—no, he saw many things, an immense expanse of visions. Last time he examined the little fur ball, he had caught sight of Doubao and was interrupted. Moreover, the little fur ball was unique, rendering its past murky. This time, looking at the iron-winged bird, the visions were crystal clear. Su Yu witnessed the creature's past! In a modest realm, an iron-winged bird struggled to survive among countless kin. The iron-winged bird race possessed a very rudimentary civilization. As vassals to the god race, they had fought on their behalf for generations. In the Iron-Winged Bird Realm where this bird came from, several Sun Moon realm gods were stationed. Even with their power suppressed by the realm's rules, they ruled over the entire iron-winged bird race. The bird Su Yu captured possessed no remarkable background. After fighting for the god race on the All-Heavens Battlefield for several years, its unit had been scattered by the Demon Suppression Army. Unwilling to return, the bird had drifted across the realms alone, counting itself lucky to survive until now. *** The memories were remarkably vivid. Or rather, they were not merely memories; the Civilization Chronicle was prying into the creature's past through a medium related not to recollection, but to time. *A Time Master!* Su Yu murmured inwardly. The unique significance of the word "Civilization" made him realize once again that the tome he had forged this time was genuinely bizarre. No wonder it had triggered a blood tribulation. At that moment, a page within Su Yu's book faintly lit up. Inscriptions appeared across the page. "Iron-winged bird, first stage of the Lingyun Realm (Incomplete)..." There was nothing more, just an incomplete record. The Civilization Chronicle showed no sign of strengthening either, but Su Yu gleaned a wealth of insights. Perhaps a complete corpse was required—including essence blood, flesh, and all else. Su Yu had merely fed the sea of will into the chronicle, leaving the record somewhat deficient. First stage of the Lingyun realm! While Su Yu was still absorbing and digesting the information, a black-tailed sable behind him called out in a shrill voice, "Yifei, why did you go quiet?" Yifei! Su Yu knew that was the bird's name. Adopting a sharp, reedy tone, he replied, "What is there to say? Countless beings are rushing the special passage, and who knows how many will die! How many of us weaklings will actually make it through? The safe quotas are all in the hands of the major races, leaving us no choice but to brave the special passage... Getting in is pure luck; failing probably means death. There's no point discussing it!" "You shouldn't put it that way. We're a team, so we still need to cooperate! Yifei, working together gives us a fighting chance. Even if some die, it's better than going solo, right?" Someone in the group offered a word of comfort, urging him not to complain. Complaining wouldn't make the major races hand over a quota. Su Yu said grimly, "I know! Don't worry, I'll cooperate. Why else would I have come? But if it comes down to certain death, I have no intention of sacrificing myself for anyone. If I'm going down, I'll self-detonate and drag a few along with me!" "We all feel that way, so drop the pointless chatter!" The black-tailed sable chided, and the group fell into silence. None spoke further, weighed down by gloom, helplessness, and bitter resentment toward the major races for denying them opportunity. Su Yu sighed inwardly. After scheming left and right, he had ended up choosing the special passage after all. It was primarily because he suspected every official quota was under surveillance. There were only a few thousand official spots! The special passage, by contrast, would be contested by tens or even hundreds of thousands of beings of varied origins and races. No power, no matter how formidable, could monitor them all. *** While Su Yu slipped into the squad, Outside the Star Residence Mansion, Beyond that colossal gate, more and more experts gathered from every direction. To the north, within the Immortal camp, An eye hovered in Dao King's palm, scanning the surroundings while remaining invisible to ordinary sight. Dao King floated in midair, gazing outward while communicating mentally: "Lord Tiangu, any findings?" "Not yet!" Tiangu's voice resonated through his mind, cool and detached. "Knowing his temperament, he will come nine times out of ten! If he comes, it will be within these few days. Every token holder must be rigorously inspected over this period! I want to see every single individual who enters!" "Understood!" Dao King acknowledged, then asked, "Should we inspect the special passage as well?" "Inspect it, though there is no need for me to go personally. The god race will cover it! Find Su Yu and eliminate him! He must die. Keep a close eye on the humans, especially those from the Great Xia and Great Ming prefectures!" "Understood!" Dao King complied. The eye in his hand swept the surroundings once more, its gaze reflecting silhouettes, illusions, and glimpses of past and future. Killing Su Yu was no jest. Having declared his death sentence, the Immortals would not grant Su Yu another opportunity to grow strong. Whether his injuries were genuine or feigned, Su Yu would not escape. Disguise? Could any disguise evade the scrutiny of a Half-Emperor? Both Tiangu and the God Emperor of the god race had personally possessed Invincibles to track Su Yu's movements. If Su Yu truly showed up, death was inevitable! Naturally, he had every right to feel proud of such attention! *** At that moment, Su Yu was studying the Civilization Chronicle. Suddenly, a page detached from the book and draped itself over him. Su Yu's eyes gleamed. In that instant, he felt as though he truly were Yifei; the page covering him was the very one that had absorbed Yifei's sea of will. *Will this work?* Su Yu was uncertain whether it could fool keen detection methods. Not only that, but inside his sea of will, the Civilization Tombstone formed a barrier, sealing off his entire sea of will completely! Invincibles were extraordinarily formidable; given the chance to pry, they could uncover a great deal. Yet sealing the sea of will too tightly was also problematic, as an impenetrable void would draw suspicion in itself. Su Yu licked his lips. The page sank into his mind, and faint, illusory memories began to project outside his sea of will. *I can't shake the feeling that someone is targeting me during this trip to the Star Residence Mansion!* Su Yu mused inwardly. Was it pure intuition? Regardless! His earlier plans had been swiftly discarded after meeting Bai Junsheng and Wu Lan. He would stick to the special passage! Perhaps Bai Junsheng, Wu Lan, and the others would be watched this time. He would need to pay close attention; if they truly were targeted, it meant he had narrowly dodged a fatal trap. *** Following the group, Su Yu arrived at a sea domain a day later. The entire expanse was packed with an ocean of people! The central waters, however, were left completely vacant. Vast and awe-inspiring, it held nothing save for an immense gate standing tall with nothing behind it. Two characters hung suspended above the portal, though weaker cultivators could not make them out. Only true experts could read the two words: *Star Residence*! Armies from the mighty races cordoned off the entire sea, forbidding entry. Only token holders were permitted inside; those without tokens had to await the official opening of the Star Residence Mansion and the activation of the special passages before being allowed through. Beside Su Yu, an elderly cultivator helpfully explained, "Once the mansion opens, passages will materialize in all directions—3,260 in total! Each is divided into nine levels. The stronger you are, the higher the level you enter. Entering a higher level doesn't mean you go straight to the ninth floor of the mansion, but entering through the ninth level of the passage might deposit you directly onto the third or fourth floor, saving you the hassle of exploring the lower levels. The major races have thoroughly scoured the bottom floors countless times, so they don't waste time down there..." The Star Residence Mansion had existed for ages, and even those who had never eaten pork had seen pigs run, so these cultivators knew a fair bit. Su Yu knew this as well, though he had no urge to flaunt his knowledge. At this moment, Su Yu's heart fluttered. The "Calamity" divine character was throbbing. He was being watched! It was not glaringly obvious, but someone's gaze was lingering over them. Su Yu immediately purged all errant thoughts, repeating a single mantra in his mind: *I must get in, I must grow stronger, I will become a powerhouse of the iron-winged bird race, the very greatest!* *** At the same time, Over in the god race's camp, a white-haired god king drifted through the void. An eye rested upon his shoulder as well, scanning the surroundings and listening to every ripple in the air. That eye was unfathomably deep. It was primarily scrutinizing the token holders, but every so often, it swept across the tens of thousands of beings gathered outside. Just then, the white-haired god king spoke: "Emperor, word has arrived from the Hunting Heaven Pavilion. Bai Junsheng, Wu Qi, Wu Lan, and Wu Jia are all considered suspects!" "Find an opportunity to bring me close to them for a thorough inspection!" "Understood!" The white-haired god king replied with immense reverence. Looking toward the human camp, he smiled faintly and murmured, "If he has truly come, I should be able to sense him to some degree. The carrier I gifted him was nurtured by me for countless years..." "He might not have brought it with him!" "A carrier is a peerless treasure; I am certain he brought it. A desperate gambler like Su Yu wouldn't leave such a thing behind. If he came, he would prepare to stake everything on a life-or-death gamble!" "That makes sense!" The eye responded indifferently. *** Meanwhile, Su Yu hadn't given that matter a single thought. The white-haired god king had indeed gifted him a carrier, and Su Yu had harbored doubts about it. Of course, he hadn't noticed any flaws, nor had Xinghong detected anything amiss... but Su Yu had shattered it anyway, feeding the fragments into the Civilization Chronicle to stabilize its internal space. Since it came from a hostile Invincible, Su Yu refused to let his guard down. The item had already been destroyed, pulverized, and fused into the dimension. Whatever issues it might have harbored were rendered moot, because the object no longer existed. At this moment, Su Yu felt a faint sensation of someone prying into him—or perhaps not just him, but everyone present! It was undoubtedly a supreme powerhouse, leaving Su Yu somewhat speechless. Was that really necessary? *I'm just a Lingyun cultivator. They can't possibly be looking for me, right?* *Could they... be searching for Kongkong?* *Right! Rumor has it that the Civilization Tombstone is with him, and Kongkong might attend as well!* Su Yu comforted himself. It was fine; they weren't looking for him, but for Kongkong. Kongkong was a quasi-Invincible capable of battling Invincibles. Perhaps everyone had gathered for the Civilization Tombstone. *Yes, that must be it!* After a bit of self-consolation, Su Yu felt considerably better. *** At that very instant, farther on the periphery, Kongkong's gaze turned solemn as he peered into the distance, cursing through clenched teeth! He sensed a profound, suffocating crisis! *What in the world is going on?* *Could there be Half-Emperors scanning the perimeter?* Otherwise, with his stealth, an ordinary Invincible's sweep would struggle to locate him, let alone instill such an intense sense of dread. *Hmph! The moment the mansion opens, I'll teleport right inside and leave you all looking like fools! Search all you want!* Kongkong cursed inwardly. Why did security feel so airtight this time? Were they lying in wait specifically for him? All he had done was take the Civilization Tombstone! He didn't even know how to use the damn thing, and recent research had yielded zero progress.