The Special Passage

More and more black holes appeared. Yet Xinghong Ancient City still stood firm. Even now, many eyes remained fixed upon it. Before long, figures cloaked in death qi began to gather. These were the experts preparing to enter the Star Residence Mansion this time—forty in all. From the other cities, some city lords were entering in person, while others had sent non-city lord experts. Each city had only one slot; those city lords who had no wish to enter had selected others in their stead. From Xinghong Ancient City, however, only five great demons stepped forth. They were not strong at all—in fact, they were quite weak: two in the Lingyun Realm and three in the Shanhai Realm. The five great demons were on edge. With so many eyes boring into them, they had no choice but to scurry toward the rest of the group. At this moment, numerous Invincibles were indeed scrutinizing them. Among them was the White-haired God King, using the giant eye in his hand to inspect every figure coming out of the ancient cities. He swept his gaze over them again and again. Once outside the ancient cities, these beings had practically no cover against an Invincible. A single glance could see right through them. Su Yu was not among them! Even so, the Invincibles quickly sent voice transmissions in all directions: "Kill every one of those fellows from the ancient cities! Leave none alive! Just like the humans!" That fellow Su Yu was simply too obnoxious. Right at that moment, Xinghong flew out from the ancient city and landed before the participants from the ancient cities. "Follow me," he said coldly. "This seat will personally escort you to the passage entrance, lest anyone covet you and think our sacred cities have no one to defend them!" Inside the city, Liu Hong floated into the air once more. Looking at the ancient city participants, he beamed. "Everyone, be careful! Those of the sacred cities must stand united. Barring any surprises, a bunch of fellows who suffered losses at my hands won't let you off! If they can't deal with me, they can certainly deal with you! City Lord Tianhe, you're the strongest among them. Once you enter, look out for them a bit!" "I will do my utmost!" Tianhe responded loudly. This time, he was one of the few city lords who had chosen to enter. If he didn't go in now, he was going to be nagged to death by Tianmie's disdain. *I'm leaving! Suffer your own grievances!* Inside the city, Liu Hong murmured softly, "May all of you make good gains!" With that, he fell silent, quietly watching the passageways manifest. The passages formed faster and faster, appearing across all four directions—east, south, west, and north. They were arranged in nine tiers, with ninety passages per tier. The higher the tier, the easier it was to reach the upper levels of the Star Residence Mansion. As for the special passage, it hovered above the White Jade Gate. By now, experts and geniuses from the powerful races—the gods, demons, and immortals—had already stepped forward, stationing themselves before the passages that had formed. A vast crowd had gathered! Experts from smaller races aligned with the big three also chose their spots. To the east, human geniuses and experts began walking out in succession. In the eastern sector, the human race and the dragon race had the largest presence. The ancient city factions and the Heaven Hunting Pavilion were also taking this side. These four factions accounted for nearly all the eastern slots. The strong almost universally chose the upper passages to save time and step directly into the third or fourth levels, while the weaker contenders tended to choose the bottom passages, where they would most likely emerge on the first level. Right then, an expert called out coldly, "The Star Residence Mansion remains open for only a brief period! Each passageway corresponds to a single living being! When the bearer dies, the passage collapses! Upon exit, you will reappear outside your passage! Slaughter is not forbidden inside the mansion, but you are all geniuses of the myriad worlds, so exercise restraint where possible! Excessive killing brings no benefit! Danger also lurks inside the mansion, so take care!" "Those holding tokens, choose your passages! Once the special passage opens, enter at will!" "..." As the expert spoke, token-bearers steadily moved to take their places before the passages. However, some passages remained vacant. No one around said a word about it. Those empty passages were likely reserved for powerhouse figures—perhaps even Invincibles—who had not yet shown themselves to avoid being targeted. Take the humans, for example. Everyone knew Invincibles from their side would enter, but who would it be? For now, no one could tell. Only the moment the passages fully opened would they appear and step inside. If someone assumed Niu Baidao was going in, only for King Daming himself to enter, whoever prepared to target him would be in for a nasty surprise, their careful schemes turned into a joke. Of course, none of the races would allow too many Invincibles to enter. The risk was far too great! Moreover, if too many Invincibles departed, their home realms would be left vulnerable. Judging the human race, the other races estimated that even if human Invincibles did enter, there would be no more than five. Furthermore, the core Invincibles anchoring their defenses—men like King Daqin—would never go in. If they entered, the human race's defensive network would instantly crumble. The odds of top-tier Invincibles like them participating were practically zero. *** In the distance, Su Yu and his companions were growing eager. Above the White Jade Gate, a massive black hole was manifesting—the special passage. It was not fully stable yet. Once it stabilized completely, all the passages would open for entry. Su Yu looked in every direction. At the entrances to those passages, he spotted quite a few familiar faces. He saw almost everyone on the Heaven Ranking, along with many from the Earth Ranking. On the human side, there were even more familiar figures. The Great Xia Prefecture's twenty slots were almost entirely taken by people Su Yu knew. The contingent from Liu City was not part of these twenty slots. Most of the Great Xia representatives were young cultivators, accompanied by a few elders. Leading the Great Xia contingent this time was its strongest member, Chief Hu. Great Xia had lost many experts, and while Chief Hu was getting on in years, he was steady and dependable. With him leading the team, he could look out for any Great Xia people he crossed paths with. To Su Yu's surprise, he even spotted Chen Long, his father's old brother-in-arms. On second thought, it made sense. Chen Long was considered a military prodigy with solid combat prowess, having fought his way up from the grassroots. Taking a closer look, Su Yu sensed that Chen Long had grown much stronger. The Xia family had likely paid a considerable price to help him open more apertures and cultivate a higher-grade foundational method. Others like Xia Huyou and Wan Mingze were also present; Great Xia's primary focus this time remained on young cultivators. Huang Teng and Wu Qi were there as well, drawing no shortage of watching eyes. Over by the Great Ming Prefecture, there were plenty of familiar faces too. Bai Junsheng wore a bitter expression; he had no choice but to go in. Cui Lang, on the other hand, appeared fairly composed, though somewhat awkward. Seeing so many people staring at him, he couldn't help shouting, "Stop staring! I'm really not Su Yu! If you don't believe me, examine me! Check every inch! I'm really not Su Yu!" It was terrifying! So many eyes were fixed on him that his hairs stood on end. Feeling helpless as everyone kept staring, Cui Lang reluctantly drifted to the side toward a woman. Without warning, he leaned in and planted a kiss right on her, then hurriedly said, "See? This is my, Cui Lang's, wife! Su Yu wouldn't dare kiss her! You don't mess with a friend's woman, right?" "..." Even Su Yu was momentarily stunned! *What the hell?* Pondering it, he quickly deduced who the woman was: the daughter of the Cheng family, Old Man Cheng Mo's granddaughter, Cheng You. This Cui Lang was certainly bold—with the myriad worlds watching, he actually ran over and kissed her. Over with the Great Tang Prefecture, Cheng Mo was indeed present this time, his expression thunderous. He was entering as well, being at the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm, on the verge of the quasi-Invincible level. He was going in to search for a carrier to assist his breakthrough. His granddaughter had earned merits on the All-Heavens Battlefield and secured a slot to enter alongside him. Seeing Cui Lang kiss his granddaughter in broad daylight, while his foolish granddaughter actually looked bashful and shy, Cheng Mo nearly blew a gasket! "Cui Lang!" Cheng Mo glared coldly at him. If looks could kill, Cui Lang would have died a hundred times over! Cui Lang gave an ingratiating grin. "Grandpa Cheng, I had no choice! Everyone's staring at me! If I don't prove I'm not Su Yu, they'll beat me to death!" The surrounding crowd was speechless. Over at the ancient city, Liu Hong couldn't hold back a chuckle. "I'm right here," he drawled. "What are you so afraid of? The myriad races really seem quite wary of me. I don't know whether to feel proud or helpless." Silence fell in all directions. It was true—Su Yu was right there in the city. And yet, people couldn't stop wondering whether he had snuck in under a disguise. In reality, Invincibles were probing, and the Union Harmony eye was scanning. The chances of Su Yu sneaking in were slim. Furthermore, the stone sculpture in the ancient city kept shifting—a burden ordinary city lords couldn't bear. Even so, everyone felt an underlying unease. Or rather, it wasn't unease so much as surprise! A troublemaker like Su Yu was actually staying out this time? With him absent, everyone felt as though something was missing. *Did this fearless maniac actually get scared?* Once Cui Lang proved he wasn't Su Yu, the crowd stopped paying him much attention. In truth, many Invincibles had already scrutinized him repeatedly. Whether he was Su Yu or not hardly mattered anyway; this time, the major races shared a single goal: wipe out the humans first before discussing anything else! *** Beside Su Yu, Lang Tu murmured, "I have to say, I'm a bit surprised City Lord Su isn't entering. No wonder everyone feels uneasy!" Su Yu was speechless. *So I have to enter for things to make sense? I refuse! Fine, delicious irony—I chose to enter after all.* Just then, the massive black hole above began to stabilize, its fluctuations growing fainter. Lang Tu took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "It's about to start. Everyone stay sharp! The moment before entering the passage is the most dangerous. This is why we joined forces. Stay on your guard!" Entering the passage posed the greatest peril. *Buzz!* A violent tremor ran through the air, sending waves of intense origin qi sweeping out in all directions. In that instant, figures across the area shot toward the sky. "Die!" *Boom!* As countless figures leaped into the air, some were struck down by those beside them the moment they took flight, flesh and blood flying in every direction! These were future competitors—why spare them when you could kill them now? At the same time, powerhouses from the great races rose into the air as well. These were figures who hadn't secured tokens or felt their racial quotas were insufficient. All possessed formidable strength, and few dared to obstruct them. Immortals, gods, demons, and humans alike—experts surged upward. *Boom!* A demon powerhouse of overwhelming might blasted everyone before him into mist with a single punch, stating indifferently, "Out of my way!" *** On Su Yu's side, Lang Tu took the lead, his expression grave. "Take to the air! Keep your speed down! Let the experts go first!" With that, he led thirty-odd minor-race cultivators in the Soaring and Lingyun Realms skyward. Small squads like theirs were everywhere. Tens of thousands of figures took to the air, with even more gathering from all directions. The Invincibles of the great races looked on coldly from the periphery, making no move to stop them, merely observing. Three hundred and sixty slots! Every single time, tens of thousands fought for them. The greatest bloodshed never took place inside the mansion—no matter how many died inside, at most thirty-six hundred would enter. But out here, the numbers were far greater. During the bloodiest opening, over a hundred thousand had fought, leaving tens of thousands of corpses behind, all to gamble on a single chance! A chance the great races never had to gamble for, because their quotas were guaranteed. This was the tragedy of the small races: denied any share of the allocations, they could only stake their lives for an opportunity. *** *Bang!* A detonation rang out beside Su Yu as the fish-headed demoness next to him was pulverized by a palm strike. Lang Tu bellowed furiously. The silhouette of a giant wolf materialized, with a faint second head beginning to sprout. He roared, "Kill us, and you'll pay the price too!" Su Yu, now transformed into a large bird, slashed with his wings, joining forces with other minor-race cultivators to strike at the distant giant! The giant looked impassive. Glancing at the surging blood qi around Lang Tu, he sneered, but chose not to pursue them, stepping through the air and vanishing from sight. There was no need to waste time on these nobodies; killing a few in passing was fine, but this wolf had some strength. He seemed to possess the bloodline of the Three-headed Demon Wolf—a major race. There was no point in picking a fight with that lineage right now. Seeing him depart, Lang Tu breathed a sigh of relief, though he didn't let his guard down. A thousand meters up, corpses rained down continuously. A mere thousand meters was a distance a powerhouse could cross in an instant, yet right now it was an agonizing climb. You couldn't fly too fast; if you did, enemies were ahead and enemies were behind. One wrong move, and you'd be obliterated in an instant! The sea below was already dyed red with blood. Before the various passages, the token-bearers stood watching them—some indifferent, some smiling, others radiating supreme arrogance. They had obtained their slots effortlessly; that was their foundation! Backed by mighty races and personal strength, securing a slot was simple. Those fighting for the three hundred and sixty slots, however, were tragic figures gambling with their lives. Even if they won the gamble and entered the Star Residence Mansion, few of those three hundred and sixty would survive. In the end, precious few would gain anything—perhaps none at all. Yet despite that, countless souls charged forward in waves. Only here could they rewrite their destinies! Without the Star Residence Mansion, they would remain at the bottom forever. Only here was there a chance—even if a top-tier expert emerged only once a century, it was worth it. Perhaps they would be the one in a hundred years. If you didn't fight, nothing was possible. Fight, and hope remained! *** At this moment, Su Yu lashed out with his talons, tearing a Lingyun cultivator into pieces. Lang Tu, who had just swept a giant beast aside with his tail, glanced over in pleasant surprise. "Not bad!" A smile appeared on Su Yu's avian face. Suddenly, his wings flapped, and he vanished from the spot. Where he had just stood, a spear stabbed through empty air. A man laughed, "Decent speed! On any normal day, I'd have had to test your mettle!" With no time to spare, the man stepped through the air and vanished into the black hole above. Corpses rained down in droves! Lang Tu let out a breath and shouted, "Regroup! Quick, into the passage! Any longer, and the slots will be gone!" A moment later, ten-odd cultivators gathered around him again. Indeed, in just a short span—even with Lang Tu present, and after flying less than a thousand meters—over twenty had died. Two-thirds of their group was gone! They were far from alone; some small teams had been wiped out entirely. Lang Tu's Three-headed Demon Wolf bloodline had frightened off some powerhouse cultivators from the great races; there was no point in killing a member of a great race out here. If they were to kill him, doing so inside the passage was better. That was the only reason a dozen cultivators around Su Yu had survived. Lang Tu quickly scanned the surroundings, then looked at the survivors beside him. Nearly all the Soaring Realm cultivators were dead, leaving mostly Lingyun. Without wasting words, he led them flying upward! *** Meanwhile, in the god race camp, the White-haired God King probed for a while, his giant eye fixed on the special passage entrance. After watching for a bit, the God Emperor's voice sounded in his ear: "He likely isn't disguised." Over at the ancient city, Liu Hong was holding a teacup with his legs crossed, smiling as though watching a play as blood rained upon the world. The White-haired God King said nothing. In all likelihood, Su Yu truly wasn't planning to enter. The fellow had surprised them this time, but on second thought, with everyone watching him, staying away made sense. *** In the human camp, King Daxia glanced at Liu Hong in the distance, frowning slightly. Turning his head, he said, "He didn't go." King Dazhou looked over as well, remarking calmly, "It's just as well. Going would only invite trouble." King Daxia's brow furrowed. "An opportunity that comes once every ten years—and a rare one at that. If he doesn't go... he might miss out on opportunities." He added, "If he really entered, the ancient city could have escorted him in. Once inside, if he stayed careful, he wouldn't necessarily run into so many powerhouses." King Daxia felt it was a pity for Su Yu to miss out. This was the greatest opportunity in the myriad worlds! Su Yu was a genius blessed with immense fortune; entering could have brought immense gains, though the danger was equally great. But to King Daxia's mind, danger and opportunity went hand in hand. It was only natural for Su Yu to take risks; staying away was the real loss, leaving a faint sense of regret. Prodigies like Moduona were entering despite the peril, knowing that missing this chance might leave them trailing behind forever. King Dazhou smiled without replying, then asked after a pause, "Is Longwu coming?" "What would he come for?" King Daxia replied flatly. "It's not like I can reach the Union Harmony Realm!" "There's still hope of taking a gamble," King Dazhou remarked with a faint smile. "You're about to reach the ninth stage, aren't you?" "Far from it!" King Daxia shot him a glance. "Who's going from your family?" "Polong." King Dazhou didn't hide it; Zhou Polong would enter. "Not Zhou Tianyuan?" King Daxia was surprised. Zhou Tianyuan was remarkably powerful, especially skilled in the methods of time. When it came to seizing the Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus, Zhou Tianyuan had the better chance. He hadn't expected King Dazhou to send his nephew Zhou Polong instead. That was Zhou Tianyuan's son; even if he got it, he might not hand it over to King Dazhou. Besides, having just broken through, his odds of securing it weren't high. King Dazhou chuckled softly. "Tianyuan is too strong, which is precisely why he can't go—it would only invite an ambush. Polong is sharper. We'll see how things develop." Turning to look at Qin Zhen nearby, he transmitted his voice: "Old Qin is letting Qin Zhen go... The man can fight, sure, but his cultivation is ordinary and he's rather rash. I see serious danger ahead for him." King Daxia nodded slightly, then said, "That fellow insisted on going himself. Old Qin told him not to, but he insisted on trying to win a chance for his father! If he actually secures it, it would be a blessing—Old Qin isn't far from Union Harmony..." Currently, King Daqin was the closest among the humans to Union Harmony. He couldn't enter himself, so his son Qin Zhen wanted to take a gamble on his behalf—an understandable choice. Qin Hao and Qin Fang were also entering this time. Several generations of the Qin family were putting everything on the line, determined to seize the Nine-Leaf Heavenly Lotus no matter what! As long as they secured it and handed it to King Daqin, any losses would be acceptable. The Great Qin Prefecture had secured twenty slots, but in reality, far more people were entering. Numerous Great Qin experts were fighting for slots in the special passage as well. Other major prefectures, such as Great Zhou and Great Xia, also had people attempting the special passage. *** While the various factions conversed, the minor-race geniuses and experts they overlooked continued to slaughter one another, falling in droves as their blood stained the sea. Su Yu followed Lang Tu upward. By the time they reached the mouth of the black hole, only five of the original dozen-plus remained. The casualties were horrific! Su Yu had displayed only modest strength, relying primarily on one asset: speed. Spreading his wings, he moved scarcely slower than Lang Tu. Though he bore some wounds, he remained in decent shape. Speed was capital for survival! All the survivors were exceptionally fast—the Black-tailed Sable had survived as well, agile and swift. Even with its tail nearly severed, it had pulled through. And this was merely the beginning—they had only just reached the entrance of the passage! Below them lay a dense carpet of corpses, some crushed to powder, others still intact. Covered in wounds, Lang Tu barked, "Inside!" They had finally reached the entrance! The group dove into the passage. The moment they entered, Su Yu flapped his wings and vanished. A flash of sword light tore through the spot he had just occupied, shredding a gold-striped leopard beside him! Having dodged the blow, Su Yu fled, finally finding time to observe the interior of the passage. It was an immense, cavernous tunnel! At the far end, three hundred and sixty doorways flickered in and out of sight. Battles raged everywhere. Occasionally, a doorway would suddenly manifest before someone, triggering an immediate frenzy of slaughter! Su Yu was not entirely ignorant of the special passage's mechanics. Whenever a doorway appeared, it would open temporarily. A group of contenders would rush inside, and the last one standing had a chance to claim the doorway—provided that all three hundred and sixty doorways had their ownership settled. Only then would all the internal and external passages open simultaneously. Ancient city tokens served a purpose here: they could draw a doorway directly before the bearer. Powerhouses could simply summon a doorway and claim it as their own, with ordinary cultivators not daring to contest it. Of course, sheer strength didn't guarantee a slot; doorways would sometimes actively draw people in. Cultivators of comparable strength would often be pulled into the same doorway to fight it out. The victor claimed the slot, while the losers... mostly died, with only a few managing to escape. As Su Yu flew, Lang Tu shouted from the distance, "Yi Fei, don't run off! Stick together!" Su Yu glanced back. Only one companion remained by Lang Tu's side now: the Black-tailed Sable. Of their group of thirty-odd, nearly everyone had died before reaching a doorway. If Su Yu hadn't replaced Yi Fei, only Lang Tu and the sable would have survived. Su Yu slowed his pace, and Lang Tu quickly caught up, panting heavily. "Careful! Stay out of the way and don't join the current fighting. Wait a bit until the powerhouses have claimed their doorways, then find an opportunity to seize one..." Seeing Su Yu and the sable remain silent, Lang Tu added quickly, "I know you both want to enter, but slots aren't easy to claim. How about this: the three of us work together and secure whatever slots we can!" Su Yu and the sable considered it, then nodded. Lang Tu said no more, leading them to steer clear of the surrounding battles. Within the passage, some powerhouses used ancient city tokens to draw doorways directly to themselves. Supremely confident in their abilities, they seized the doorways and vanished inside. Soon, even bolder experts charged straight in after them. The doorways vanished from sight in an instant. A moment later, the doorways reappeared, as quiet as ever, yet no one emerged. The contenders who had entered had likely perished—or perhaps someone inside had successfully secured the doorway. Only when all three hundred and sixty doorways were claimed would they open, revealing whether anyone remained alive within. *** Su Yu watched quietly. Posing as Yi Fei, his strength appeared modest; trying to seize a doorway now would be suicide. He would bide his time for the right moment to claim one. As for Lang Tu and the sable, their fate depended on their own luck. Su Yu had no intention of babysitting them! Right then, a doorway suddenly materialized, its powerful suction instantly pulling the trio inside, along with several nearby experts. *** The interior of the doorway resembled a sealed chamber. In the blink of an eye, Su Yu and the others materialized within. Counting the three of them, twelve cultivators were present, all in the Lingyun Realm. Lang Tu cursed under his breath, hurriedly sending a voice transmission to Su Yu and the sable: "Pretend we don't know each other! Kill the rest, then join forces at the end!" With that, Lang Tu charged at a great demon! Su Yu flapped his wings frantically, evading the pursuit of another demon. In a place like this, words were unnecessary; once swept inside, the best move was to slaughter your opponents before deciding who claimed the doorway. The space within was cramped and crowded, and combat erupted instantly. Su Yu kept his head clear, making no offensive moves, focusing entirely on dodging. He refrained from displaying excessive power, restricting himself to Yi Fei's strength and narrowly evading attacks time after time. Bloody battles had already broken out elsewhere. Lang Tu roared, swatting a third-stage Lingyun expert to death with a single paw. He was exceptionally powerful, prompting several seventh-stage Lingyun demons to join forces against him without exchanging a word. They had to eliminate this ninth-stage Lingyun demon wolf first, or he would pick them off one by one! Su Yu flew erratically, dodging combat while observing his surroundings and keeping an eye on the entrance. The entrance was sealed shut. It seemed it wouldn't open until a victor was decided. Su Yu frowned slightly. *Deciding a victor... does it require a fight to the death?* He truly didn't know. If it required a fight to the death... He glanced at Lang Tu. In that case, the three of them sticking together wasn't a good thing. Could only one survive? Or had Lang Tu planned this all along? Su Yu and the sable were weak, but they counted as bodies; being pulled in with them reduced the number of genuine threats, given their lack of strength. As for Lang Tu protecting them, Su Yu had never taken that seriously. What a joke—they barely knew each other! They had entered together to seize slots, not to play guardian. Just as he was thinking this, Lang Tu roared as his claws crushed another demon beast. By now, a second head had fully sprouted. Lang Tu bellowed, "Yi Fei, Sable, help me quickly!" Of the twelve, nine were opponents; in the blink of an eye, three had died, leaving six. Five of them were ganging up on Lang Tu. Su Yu's eyes flickered. Without a word, he dashed over to the sable, joining forces to confront the lone opponent who hadn't joined the assault on Lang Tu. The battlefield split in two. Neither side spoke, trading blows in savage combat! Su Yu accumulated several wounds, finally letting out a roar and slashing with his wings. With a wet crunch, he severed the wild hound before him, panting as though exhausted. The sable was also heavily injured. Meanwhile, Lang Tu's formidable strength had carried him through: he had killed three of his attackers, leaving the remaining two fleeing in utter despair! Lang Tu was covered in wounds, one of his heads partially mangled, yet he roared, "Surround and kill them!" The sable ignored him, transmitting its voice to Su Yu: "Yi Fei, does this place only open once a single survivor remains?" Su Yu didn't know either. Few took the special passage, and even fewer survived. Those who did rarely shared information. "Not sure..." The sable's small eyes darted about. "Be careful. Lang Tu might not have good intentions. We don't understand this place as well as he does—he might have participated once or twice before!" Su Yu shared that suspicion. Lang Tu likely wasn't here for the first time, though he probably hadn't secured a slot previously. Even as they spoke, the two remaining powerhouses, driven to desperation, charged toward them. This damned place was too cramped; once swept inside, there was nowhere to run from a stronger foe. They could only fight! Su Yu fled toward Lang Tu. Right now, only Lang Tu could handle them! *** A few minutes later, only two living beings remained inside the doorway: Su Yu and Lang Tu! Su Yu wheezed, covered in wounds, while Lang Tu was equally breathless. Seeing Su Yu looking at him warily, Lang Tu smiled. "Yi Fei, don't look at me like that. It's fine, I won't kill you! Once the slots for the other doorways are settled, an internal passage will open. I'll go in... and you can focus on healing. You're still young; there's always next time!" Su Yu watched him silently. *Does he really think I'm completely ignorant?* He had pieced together Lang Tu's intentions! With two survivors remaining, the doorway wouldn't reopen to draw in more people. At the final moment, Lang Tu would likely have to kill him to finalize the slot's ownership. With that in mind, Su Yu panted and said, "Brother Lang Tu, I'm just curious about one thing. If having two survivors means the doorway won't draw in more people, wouldn't two brothers entering together be guaranteed to secure a slot? Or..." Su Yu smiled, "does only one get to survive in the end? Many people know this, but keep quiet about it—because if they told the truth, how could they convince others to act with them? Brother Lang Tu, were you planning to keep me alive until the other doorways are settled before killing me? But surely many think like you. If everyone did this, the slots wouldn't be settled—would it just drag on forever?" Lang Tu gave him a strange look. "Yi Fei, you misunderstand. That's not how it works. As long as you hold the doorway for an hour, the slot is confirmed!" Su Yu chuckled. "Is that so? Meaning you plan to kill me after an hour?" Lang Tu's eyes took on an emerald glow as he looked at Su Yu, his voice dropping low. "Brother Yi Fei truly misunderstands. If you don't believe me, wait a bit and see. When the time comes, you'll be able to leave!" Su Yu smiled. Fine, he would wait and see. If Lang Tu tried to kill him later, he would simply kill Lang Tu first... and then assume Lang Tu's identity. Yi Fei was too weak to credibly claim a slot, whereas a cunning veteran like Lang Tu claiming one was far more believable. *Three-headed Demon Wolf bloodline!* Su Yu mused inwardly. A decent bloodline, and at the ninth stage of the Lingyun Realm, Lang Tu possessed respectable strength. Claiming a slot through the special passage didn't seem so impossible after all. With enough luck and knowledge of the rules, even a Soaring cultivator had a shot. No wonder countless Soaring cultivators gambled their lives every time. *** An hour passed quickly. Lang Tu walked toward the wounded Su Yu. Su Yu watched him, and Lang Tu met his gaze, speaking calmly, "Since you've guessed it, there's no need for further pretense. Thank you, Brother Yi Fei, for buying me an hour. By now, most of the slots should be settled, and the powerhouses have claimed theirs! Once I kill you, the doorway will draw in more contenders. Only after three cycles will the slot truly be confirmed... Brother Yi Fei, sorry for the trouble!" "I see!" Su Yu nodded in understanding, smiling. "So my purpose was to buy you time to recuperate and recover from your wounds?" "Correct!" Lang Tu smiled. A wounded first-stage Lingyun with broken wings from a weak race like the Ironwing Birds—killing him as a ninth-stage Lingyun would be effortless. An hour of recovery had restored a great deal of his strength. Lang Tu wasted no more words. He had to kill Yi Fei; if he didn't, the doorway would crush them both to death once the hour was up. Su Yu didn't know that, but Lang Tu did. As a paw came swiping down, Su Yu sighed with feeling. "I knew there was no such thing as unearned affection!" Sure enough, nobody was that generous—protecting someone they barely knew. It had all been for this! He said no more. Lang Tu would make an excellent specimen! A book materialized before Lang Tu's eyes. "Three-headed Demon Wolf... I believe I have that page..." Su Yu flipped through the pages rapidly, soon arriving at one infused with the essence blood of a Three-headed Demon Wolf. Su Yu smiled and looked at Lang Tu. "Come in!" Lang Tu's expression shifted from confusion to shock, and then to pure terror! On the page, an immensely powerful Three-headed Demon Wolf materialized—at the Sun Moon Realm! It snapped its jaws shut toward him! A colossal maw swallowed him whole in total silence. The phantom of the Sun Moon demon wolf vanished, and Lang Tu vanished along with it. A new line of text appeared on Su Yu's page: *Three-headed Demon Wolf race (mixed), Lingyun Realm ninth stage...* A hybrid! Su Yu chuckled and instantly transformed into the demon wolf. Immersing his willpower into the page, memories of the past flooded his mind, as though he were reliving Lang Tu's history. Right then, the doorway opened once more, beginning to draw in the next wave of contenders. After three cycles, the sole survivor would become the holder of the slot. Su Yu quickly realized another rule: the battle had to be settled within an hour, or the doorway would crush everyone inside to death. That was a piece of information Lang Tu had possessed. "Looks like... this slot is mine!" There was still more to harvest. Su Yu let out a soft laugh. Lang Tu had devoured most of the earlier corpses, but he could collect the rest and record their civilizations.