None of Them Give Peace of Mind

So many people. Mingling into the ranks of the Immortal race, Su Yu sighed inwardly. There were still this many left! They truly knew how to survive. In scattered groups, people were still converging toward this area. The count was already nearing fifteen hundred. Adding the two to three hundred on the seventh floor, that meant at least eighteen hundred or so were still breathing. They really could cling to life! After slaughtering for days on end, Su Yu had begun to think he had nearly finished them all off, yet half the people were still alive. It was almost the fifth day already! *As expected, the ten thousand races are like leeks. You can never harvest them all. One crop falls and another sprouts, and even after killing this long, the numbers haven't visibly thinned.* Su Yu felt a wave of wry amusement. Quite a few high-stage Sun Moons were gathered here. If he weren't trying to blend into the group to sneak onto the seventh floor, opening his yang apertures right now might actually give him a chance to wipe them all out. The strongest one here seemed to be Yu Bo—there wasn't even a single ninth-stage Sun Moon. Glancing toward the human side, he spotted several familiar faces. Old Liu was indeed there. Su Yu wondered whether he had verified his bloodline with Huang Jiu yet. If Huang Jiu turned out not to be a member of the Liu family... he might as well eliminate her. As of now, she was likely the only one who knew his true identity. Just as these thoughts crossed Su Yu's mind, his heart twitched. His "Calamity" character gave a slight jolt. In the void, an almost invisible thread seemed to pierce through space and seep toward his sea of will. Naturally, it was stopped at the surface of the Tombstone of Civilization. *What is this?* Caught by surprise, Su Yu wondered what it could be. The Tombstone of Civilization trembled faintly, keeping the intrusion at bay. Because of that barrier, Su Yu was able to sense it. It felt somewhat similar to the probing power of the Heaven Hunting Ranking from before. Yet it wasn't nearly as formidable. The force piercing through the void felt rather faint, even somewhat weak. Su Yu probed it carefully... and froze. This... someone was investigating him? What a peculiar method! He dared not get careless. The "Calm" character surfaced in an instant, radiating a reassuring sense of safety, while the "Saint" character hovered beside it, sending out a feeling of absolute trustworthiness. I, Su Yu, am a paragon of safety and reliability! Who was probing him? Who? Thinking it through, Su Yu's mind stirred. Divination and probing... Dao Cheng? Surely not! I, your granddaddy, just gave you a treasure like the Blood Lingzhi, and you're still probing me? Even so, he knew that within the Immortal race, Dao King's lineage was the most adept at such methods. They called it divination, but in practice, it was about prying into an enemy's background to see what could be gleaned. Su Yu didn't look at Dao Cheng. Regardless of who it was—enemy or ally—he would give them the exact same impression. Safe, credible, dependable! If an enemy probed him, they would think he was one of their own; if one of his own probed him, they would end up questioning their very existence. At that moment, the Tombstone of Civilization firmly shielded Su Yu's sea of will, preventing any stray thoughts from leaking out. Only the two divine characters, under Su Yu's command, broadcast those faint signals outward. They were extremely faint! However, that force piercing through the void ought to be able to detect them. Sure enough, as the two characters radiated those impressions, behind Su Yu, Dao Cheng held his hands clasped behind his back. A divine character swirled constantly in his grip, giving off a dim, eerie gleam. Beside him, even Pan Hu noticed nothing amiss. Dao Cheng had always liked to fiddle with one of his divine characters in his hand. He did it all the time, so it drew no attention. Dao Cheng was indeed suspicious! Ling Heng's arrival had been far too coincidental! Just as everyone was preparing to ascend to the seventh floor, he had shown up. And showing up was one thing, but finding a treasure and somehow drawing the eyes of so many people in the process? Ling Heng was a third-stage Sun Moon, after all. Could he really be that careless? Thus, even after Su Yu had handed the treasure over to him, Dao Cheng remained uneasy. He couldn't put his finger on what bothered him. In truth, an instinctive thought in his mind told him Ling Heng was very trustworthy, yet... deep down, something felt off. That was why he was probing right now. He was conducting a divination! Being so close to Ling Heng, he wanted to divine his nature. Calculating as he went, he kept his gaze on Su Yu. Meanwhile, Su Yu continuously broadcast that aura of trustworthiness. After a moment, he suddenly furrowed his brow, glanced around, and let his aura fluctuate slightly. "Ling Heng, what is it?" Seeing his reaction, Pan Hu looked surprised. Frowning, Su Yu scanned the surroundings before sending a voice transmission to both Pan Hu and Dao Cheng: "Be careful, both of you. I don't know if someone has their eye on me—maybe because people saw me seizing that treasure earlier. Once we enter the seventh floor, it's best if you two separate from me!" Dao Cheng kept an impassive expression. He had performed several divinations, and every result indicated safety and trustworthiness. He stowed the divine character and transmitted back, "Senior Brother, there is no need to worry. Martial Uncle Taihe is on the seventh floor. Once we ascend, we will naturally be safe!" "Your Highness is being too careless!" Su Yu chided him, "Your Highness, the seventh floor belongs to the Invincibles! Martial Uncle Taihe is merely at the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm. In our eyes he is mighty, but up there, he holds no advantage whatsoever. Your Highness must not grow complacent or underestimate the enemy. Some mistakes can be made once, but never a second time!" With grave earnestness, Su Yu looked at Dao Cheng with eyes full of fervent expectation. "I only hope Your Highness takes this to heart. That way, even if I truly fail to make it out alive... I will still have the face to meet our Master in the next life." Dao Cheng's expression changed instantly. He transmitted, "Senior Brother, you speak too heavily. I will be careful and will not repeat the same mistake!" Su Yu nodded. Beside them, Pan Hu smiled and said, "Ling Heng, say a few words less. His Highness knows what he's doing; don't keep bringing these things up." "I know." Su Yu sighed and nodded. "I just don't want His Highness to... In our Dao King Domain, I've felt targeted this entire time! To be frank, I even suspect someone on our own side might be plotting against us. After all, the Lord's strength has grown rapidly in recent years, expanding our Dao domain. But this time, two of his three incarnations were crushed and destroyed by that old turtle. I fear certain people don't want us to return alive with a carrier for him." Dao Cheng's expression grew solemn, and he nodded slightly. Su Yu transmitted again, "Your Highness, even toward Xuan Wuji, you must remain vigilant. Lord Xuan King and our side... may not truly see eye to eye." Dao Cheng nodded once more. The three of them fell silent. In that moment, a chilling sense of solidarity crept over them—as though in the vastness of the world, only the three of them were truly on the same side. Just then, ahead of them, a crowd of geniuses finished conferring. Soon, Zhan Wushuang barked out, "Gods, Demons, Immortals, Humans, and Dragons—each race provide one middle-stage Sun Moon expert to open the passage and maintain its operation! The minor and ancient races will enter the seventh floor first. The five major races will take turns entering once they have all departed!" Having reached an agreement, they delayed no further. On the Immortal side, under Yu Bo's arrangement, a fifth-stage Sun Moon Immortal quickly stepped forward. As for Su Yu's group, Pan Hu was formidable, a seventh-stage Sun Moon expert, so no one troubled him. Pan Hu's duty was to protect Dao Cheng, and Su Yu was below the fourth stage, so no one approached them either. The five experts struck in unison, shouting low as they forced open the aerial passage. A massive vortex appeared! Without middle-stage Sun Moon strength, one couldn't even force the vortex open. "Hurry, get up to the seventh floor!" Someone barked the order, but another voice immediately called out, "Can someone leave behind a drop of blood essence? Going first means leaving earlier, but what if something has gone wrong on the upper floor? Don't forget the dead spirit channel is right there on the seventh floor. Be careful, or you might never return..." At that moment, an expert from a minor race stepped forward and gritted his teeth. "I will leave behind a drop of blood essence. However... I would like Lord Moduona to hold onto it, and return it to me once he arrives above!" If a person died, their blood essence would react. Yet this person didn't trust anyone else. After weighing his options, handing it to Moduona seemed best. The man was a peerless genius; if he truly wanted him dead, he wouldn't need such petty tricks. Moduona's purple hair drifted in the wind. Hearing the request, he glanced over and gave a slight nod. "Thank you for your trouble, my Lord!" The person condensed a drop of blood essence and tossed it toward Moduona. Then, leaping into the air, he flew toward the vortex. Moduona calmly caught and stowed the blood essence. After the person had been up there for a short while, Moduona spoke up: "All is well for now. He lives." "Good! Everyone, hurry up!" With that, experts from the minor and ancient races took to the air in rapid succession, darting toward the vortex. ... Seventh floor, near the passage exit. At this moment, figures of Invincibles hovered around the passage opening. When the first person flew up, an Immortal King asked impassively, "Are you alone, or is everyone preparing to come up?" Messages had arrived from outside; if those below had received them, they would certainly take measures to save themselves. The minor-race expert hurriedly answered, "Reporting to my Lord, the various races have all gathered down below." "How many living beings remain?" "Around fifteen hundred." "..." Silence fell over the area. An Invincible sighed softly. Around fifteen hundred. How many were on the seventh floor? Fewer than three hundred! That meant half had perished—an immense, catastrophic loss. Solemnity hung heavy on every face. The casualties were simply too great. On the human side, the four Invincibles looked equally grave. So many had fallen! Soon, experts from the minor and ancient races emerged one after another. None dared run around blindly, staying rooted where they stood. Those from minor races without Invincibles present trembled with terror, dreading that they might be casually slaughtered. Meanwhile, the experts of the major races grew increasingly frustrated as they watched. There were so many survivors from the minor and ancient races! Nearly three hundred already! Didn't that mean barely over a thousand from the major races had survived? The greatest losses had actually been suffered by the strong races. This time, Qin Zhen could no longer hold back. He sent a transmission, "How did my human race fare?" He reached out toward an expert of a minor race. The other Invincibles glanced over but paid it no mind. By now, these minor-race experts knew they could only lean on the major races for survival. Even as Qin Zhen reached for the large bird, the creature made no sound of protest, even flying a bit closer on its own initiative. Before Qin Zhen could speak, the bird quickly transmitted, "My human Lords, your losses were not severe. Nearly three hundred human experts are still alive down below, roughly equal to the Immortal race's survivors..." Qin Zhen was surprised. So many humans had survived? Indeed, that was a high number. The Immortals had sent in nearly seven hundred, while the humans had entered with two hundred fewer than them. Yet the humans still had that many left? "What about the Gods and Demons?" "A little over two hundred each. Barely five hundred between both races combined..." So few! Qin Zhen's expression turned even more peculiar. He looked across toward the God and Demon experts. Sure enough, several of them were also questioning the newcomers, and upon hearing the news, their faces darkened noticeably. Xia Longwu spoke up sharply: "Stay alert, everyone. With so many humans surviving, watch out for others targeting us!" The human Invincibles immediately grew vigilant. That was a real danger! Across from them, a God King said coldly, "The humans have had quite the luck. Could it be that Hetu's invasion has something to do with the human race? Well, Hetu was a human during the first tide, after all. Perhaps he still remembers his kin!" On the human side, Zhu Tianfang chuckled. "There is no need to make such baseless remarks, is there? If dead spirits still remembered their racial origins and favored their former kin, then when the dead spirit realm opened, the ancient human Invincibles would outnumber those of every other race. In that case, we might as well just fling the realm wide open. But... do any of you truly believe a dead spirit cares about what race it belonged to in life?" "During the first tide, Hetu led dead spirits out of their realm to war across the heavens. Later, when he lost control over them, did those spirits spare human lives?" "Hmph!" The God King gave a cold snort, his eyes sharp and grim, but pressed the matter no further. Zhu Tianfang simply smiled and dropped the subject as well. Just then, members of the major races began teleporting up. On the Demon side, a Demon King frowned as he looked at the emerging demons and barked, "Where are Moduona and the others?" What were these useless underlings doing rushing up first? The teleported demon hurriedly explained, "Lord Moduona instructed that the weaker ones should be sent first to avoid complications later. Each race is sending up those below the Sun Moon Realm first, followed by the Sun Moons." Hearing this, the others ceased their complaints. Doing it this way made sense and prevented mishaps. Soon, a batch of humans also emerged. Group after group arrived. Before long, Wu Lan and her companions ascended as well. Feeling the immense pressure, they quickly scurried off into the distance. They had already spotted Xia Longwu standing nearby with saber in hand, guarding against ambushes from other races. At that moment, someone called out hastily, "His Highness Qin Fang, Moduona, and the others will come up in the final batch! We ask that the Lords refrain from open conflict until the teleportation is complete!" The final batch was reserved for the elites of each race. Qin Fang for the humans, Xuan Wuji for the Immortals, Moduona for the Demons, Long Yingyue for the Dragons... Qin Zhen nodded with a broad smile and chuckled. "As expected of a son of my Qin family—showing real backbone! Well done!" With that, he glanced at Xia Longwu with a grin. Your son is about to come up, while my son is staying behind to hold the line for humanity. Qin Fang's cultivation was somewhat lower, but an accompanying Sun Moon expert from each race remained behind with them. The human escort was Chief Hu, a person of formidable strength. Xia Longwu said nothing, having no retort for that. His son staying behind would have served no purpose; his cultivation was too low. In the eyes of the ten thousand races, he couldn't match Qin Fang's importance. Arguing with Qin Zhen over this was meaningless. ... Sixth floor. Batch after batch teleported upward until the vast majority had left. Soon, it was Su Yu's turn. Su Yu was in no hurry whatsoever. Naturally, he kept an exceedingly low profile. Together with Pan Hu, he escorted Dao Cheng as they flew toward the sky. As they reached the vortex entrance, Su Yu was sorely tempted to shout 'Taishan'... but let it go. Best to stay low for now. There were still plenty of humans below. If he wanted to kill, there was no need to rush. A moment later, the group of Immortals shot through, teleporting onto the seventh floor. ... Opening his eyes, Su Yu found himself on an enormous platform. All around, Invincibles stood like silent towers in the distance. The moment Su Yu and the others arrived, an exceptionally powerful Immortal swiftly flew over. Spotting Dao Cheng, he let out an immediate sigh of relief. Su Yu and Pan Hu hastily bowed. "Greetings, Lord Taihe!" This was Taihe! He was the strongest expert from Dao King's lineage who had entered this time, a ninth-stage Sun Moon. A direct disciple of Dao King, he was a senior martial brother to Ming He. Taihe smiled, glanced over the three of them, and nodded slightly before looking at Dao Cheng with relief. "Good, good!" Three were still alive! Far better than expected! Looking at the tragic state of the other Immortal King lineages, he had genuinely feared hardly anyone from Dao King's side would survive. Fortunately, counting himself, four were still breathing. After that brief remark, Taihe quickly transmitted, "Five Immortal Kings have arrived, and Xuanhe Immortal King is among them. Your Highness... we shall go over to Xuanhe Immortal King's side. Later... show a few more smiles, Your Highness." Dao Cheng's expression stiffened slightly. He gave a nod and looked into the distance, where a colossal, blurred silhouette hovered in the void. Xuanhe Immortal King! An ancestor of Jiu Xuan, and the lineage with which Dao Cheng had previously arranged a political marriage. Xuanhe Immortal King was not as powerful as Dao King, standing only in the middle phase of the Eternal Realm, but here, he was undeniably formidable. Of the five Immortal Invincibles present, Xuanhe was among the stronger ones. However, Jiu Xuan had long since died. Even though Dao King's lineage and Xuanhe's lineage had not severed ties and still cooperated, their relationship was no longer what it once was. Su Yu, on the other hand, was grumbling inwardly. *Coming to the seventh floor completely ruins my advantage.* *Everyone is already latching onto their Invincibles!* *What a nuisance!* Under the noses of Invincibles, just keeping his identity hidden would take good luck, let alone pulling off any tricks. Brushing those thoughts aside, he looked out into the distant void. There, he saw an immense lotus flower blooming in the expanse, breathtakingly beautiful, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Smiling Lotus. The Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus? Suspended right there in the void? And no one was harvesting it? Su Yu was taken aback. He wasn't the only one looking; everyone was staring at that lotus. As Taihe led them toward Xuanhe Immortal King, he transmitted, "That is merely a temporal projection. The true Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus is not there, but inside a palace down below. It was the residence of an ancient powerhouse. The lotus sits inside that mansion... and that place is fraught with immense trouble. The dead spirit channel is right there as well!" "Not only the dead spirit channel—the passage to the eighth floor is also there. That location is critical, and the eighth floor... is perilous beyond measure. The Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus hasn't fully blossomed yet, so for now, no one has moved to seize it." The Invincibles had all come for that prize. Over the past few days, the skirmishes on the seventh floor had merely been aimed at thinning out competitors. No true life-and-death clashes between Invincibles had occurred yet, lest they exhaust themselves before the treasure even emerged! As they spoke, the group soon reached a small nearby mountaintop. Its peak had been sheared flat, and a mighty entity sat cross-legged in the air, with several Immortals gathered below. Taihe said hurriedly, "My Lord, we must trouble you to shelter us this time. Dao Cheng, come forward!" Dao Cheng stepped forward quickly, bowed with his head lowered, and said, "Dao Cheng... greets the Lord..." Xuanhe Immortal King looked exceedingly aged. He hadn't even opened his eyes when Taihe spoke, but now he opened them to gaze at Dao Cheng. His eyes were as deep as black holes as he said indifferently, "You've grown distant." Dao Cheng smiled bitterly. "Greetings, Grandfather Xuan... I... Jiu Xuan, she..." "It had nothing to do with you!" Xuanhe Immortal King said calmly, "Jiu Xuan was slain by Su Yu. This King has not gone senile enough to misplace blame. Su Yu will die sooner or later! Dao King's three incarnations were broken because of that person as well. Did you find a carrier?" Dao Cheng shook his head. "No. Carriers are difficult to come by. Senior Brother Ling Heng merely obtained a Blood Lingzhi, but that is far from enough..." "Not bad, nonetheless." Xuanhe Immortal King offered that single comment, then turned his gaze toward Su Yu and Pan Hu. "The seventh floor is rife with perils; even I cannot guarantee my own safety. I share an old friendship with Dao King, so with Dao Cheng here, I will naturally shield him somewhat. However, once the Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus blooms, I will likely have no leeway to protect the rest of you! Furthermore, if you wish to hunt for treasures on the seventh floor, feel free to do so at your own discretion, as can anyone else. Once you depart, this King will not go out of his way to meddle in trouble on your behalf." "We shall heed the Lord's teachings!" Su Yu and Pan Hu hastily bowed in respect. While they were speaking, a sudden rumble echoed from the distance. Su Yu and the others turned toward the platform. High in the air, a massive saber came crashing down, swatting aside a flying sword. The newcomers stepping out of the passage were none other than Liu Wenyan and his group. With a calm expression, Liu Wenyan cupped his hands slightly toward Xia Longwu, then led his companions swiftly toward Xia Longwu's side. Meanwhile, killing intent radiated from Xia Longwu as he glared in all directions, fixing his gaze particularly on the Immortal King who had just struck. He said coldly, "If you wish to die, I will gladly oblige!" Beside Su Yu, Xuanhe Immortal King glanced over and chuckled dismissively. Screening their immediate surroundings, he addressed the Immortals under him: "Blood Slaughter King is no weakling. Upon attaining Dao, he stepped straight onto the threshold of the mid-Eternal Realm... The humans brought four Eternals this time. Striking down those humans in front of them is hopeless unless those four fall first." He couldn't be bothered to intervene. The other Immortal King had merely been testing the waters; rebuked by Xia Longwu, he didn't press the matter further. If Xia Longwu hadn't intervened, he would have killed them casually. Since Xia Longwu did step in, there was no need to rush. Several more Immortals arrived at Xuanhe King's location. With only five Immortal Kings present and over three hundred Immortals, plenty sought their protection. On the seventh floor, with twenty to thirty Invincibles around, wandering without the backing of a powerhouse was perilous everywhere. Su Yu, meanwhile, kept an astonishingly low profile. He surveyed his surroundings and took in the environment, trying to deduce which part of Old Zhou this place corresponded to. Before long, he arrived at a vague conclusion, feeling a bizarre twinge in his chest. *This is Old Zhou's backside!* *Most likely!* He then wondered: what about the eighth and ninth floors? Were they legs or feet? Or... neither, and Old Zhou actually had no legs? Did Old Zhou even have limbs here? In truth, Su Yu hadn't seen any arms either. If they really were legs, did one leg make up one floor, split apart? Otherwise, the eighth and ninth floors should both have two separate spaces. Could they be divided? Furthermore, looking again at where the Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus hung suspended... could that be where the Sky-Piercing Aperture was located? Tsk tsk! If that was truly the case, it made complete sense for top-tier treasures to be nurtured here. The Sky-Piercing Aperture connected the internal and the external—a confluence of inner and outer, a nexus where origin qi converged. Nurturing a Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus in such a place was only natural. Moreover, rumor had it that a temporal channel lay hidden behind the lotus. Few people were likely aware of this. The old turtle knew because of his ancient age; even some of the Invincibles present might be in the dark, though the Chief of the Tian Division seemed to have arrived, and he might know. The Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus had to bloom nine times before reaching maturity. Su Yu had heard this from the old turtle as well. The lotus was housed within a mansion. What intrigued Su Yu even more was who could have built a residence in such a place—certainly no ordinary figure. The dead spirit channel was there, and the passage to the eighth floor was there. If that mansion had an ancient master, they must have been the foremost expert of the seventh floor, right? The eighth floor was supposedly the headquarters of the ancient parliament, the site of ancient Half-Emperors' and Human Kings' residences, though certain marquises also had estates there. None of that mattered. What mattered was: did Old Zhou fart? Building a manor right over that spot—if he ever did, wouldn't the estate be ruined? Of course, since it had survived for countless years, he probably didn't. Su Yu, Dao Cheng, and the others retreated to one side. The teleportation was not yet finished. Su Yu, however, was already scheming how to seize the Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus. The difficulty was monstrous! With twenty to thirty Invincibles present, taking it would require borrowing external strength. For instance, the power of dead spirits! A dead spirit channel existed there. Triggering the rules should summon dead spirits, and the mansion containing the channel... might function similarly to an ancient city. That manor might very well be an alternate form of an ancient city! *Could it be the old turtle's residence?* Probably not. If it were, the old turtle would have mentioned it and wouldn't have needed to build Hongmeng Ancient City elsewhere. Besides, there were no living people here, so who was suppressing the channel? Old Zhou himself? Or something else? Something must be suppressing it; otherwise, death qi would have long since flooded the area, leaving no possibility for the seventh floor to remain so peaceful. *Could an expert or an artifact suppressing the channel exist on the seventh floor? To suppress a channel like that requires no small power—at least Invincible strength... Could it be suppressed by a divine weapon?* If it were a divine weapon, it might well possess Invincible-level power. Thought after thought flashed through Su Yu's mind. *It would be best if I could summon Xingyue over... Forget it, Xingyue never listens. Even if I called her, she wouldn't obey me.* Su Yu sighed inwardly. Xingyue ought to be able to come. If he opened death qi transmission here, she might quickly locate this place and enter through the channel. The key problem was that she was thoroughly disobedient! As he pondered, the final batch teleported up. On the human side, the four Invincibles swept up Qin Fang and Chief Hu and, without a word of discussion, escorted the remaining humans away at top speed! Other Invincibles who only had one or two members of their race present did the same, swiftly leading their people away. Xuanhe Immortal King quietly watched the humans depart, smiling faintly. A moment later, he turned to the other Immortal Kings and transmitted, "Let us settle the juniors first, then devise a way to deal with the humans! In addition, that person from the Tian Division of the Hunting Heaven Pavilion... we must find a way to eliminate him. Otherwise, none of us will stand a chance of competing with him!" The Immortal Kings nodded in tacit agreement. These juniors were all direct descendants of the various Immortal Kings, far too important to let perish; otherwise, there would have been no reason to escort them up. Better to deposit them somewhere safe first. Otherwise, their hands would be tied when fighting for the treasure. Soon, an Immortal King said, "Let's not separate. Keep them together. I discovered the residence of ancient Marquis Qiyun; we can send them there. Marquis Qiyun was an expert of our Immortal race, so his estate will be safer for our kin. Once they are settled, we can discuss the rest!" "Agreed!" "We must also pay attention to the matter of Hetu. Once he ascends, it will be troublesome!" "Understood. Once the juniors are settled, we will consult with the other races. Hetu himself isn't terrifying; what's terrifying is if he opens the dead spirit channel and summons other dead spirit monarchs. That would be a true disaster!" Hetu's personal strength might be formidable, but they could handle him. The real dread was that if he reached the seventh floor and breached the channel, he could usher other dead spirit monarchs across! No one knew how many monarchs existed in the dead spirit realm. If he brought thirty or fifty across and bypassed certain rules... everyone on the seventh floor would be finished. Thus, even as the various races led their people away, they didn't abandon surveillance of the entrance. Invincibles remained behind on guard, fearful that Hetu might arrive. Under no circumstances could that fellow be allowed to reach the dead spirit channel. ... Meanwhile, outside. The passages had stopped collapsing for quite some time, and the experts outside breathed sighs of relief. Evidently, the messages had been received, and everyone was rescuing themselves. Most had likely ascended to the seventh floor, and no major battles had erupted. An Invincible chuckled. "Good. They should be on the seventh floor by now! From here on, casualties won't be as horrific as before. It won't be so easy for Hetu to reach the seventh floor!" "Don't be too optimistic. Let's hope those fellows inside don't start infighting yet. At the very least, they need to deal with Hetu first. Otherwise, if the dead spirit channel opens, that will be the greatest calamity!" "The White Jade Gate has stopped vibrating, so we can no longer send messages inside. It truly makes one anxious. Pavilion Master, is there really no way to transmit messages when it isn't vibrating?" The scholar replied impassively, "If the other two fragments were fully integrated, there would still be hope." At those words, silence fell once more. That was an impossibility. General Duobao and the Half-Emperor of the Tianyuan race would never agree. ... At the same time. Xinghong Ancient City. Seeing that Xingyue seemed poised to leave, Xinghong couldn't help but transmit, "Where are you going?" "To kill Su Yu!" Xingyue sounded somewhat elated. "Hetu has fought his way up from the lower floors. He might open the dead spirit channel! Once it is opened, if I can bypass the rules, I will go kill Su Yu!" "..." Xinghong was speechless. After a long pause, he said, "Don't run around recklessly. The dead spirit realm is perilous. Even if you reach that side, there are plenty of Eternals there, and the Star Residence Mansion is extremely dangerous. If you die and Su Yu is freed from his status, what then?" You cannot be allowed to die! "Shut up!" Xingyue flew into a sudden rage. "You dare humiliate me again! You actually fear my death simply because it would free Su Yu from his status? What utter disgrace! You are insulting a great dead spirit monarch!" Xinghong didn't mind her outburst, transmitting again, "How about you just stay here? Here, if other dead spirit monarchs come, I'll drive them off and let only you remain. You are an overlord in your own right, after all. If you enter another monarch's territory without sufficient strength, it will be very dangerous..." "Insolent fool, you still dare humiliate this monarch?" Xingyue fumed with fury. "This monarch will definitely go kill Su Yu! Originally I only intended to take a look, but now, I will kill him without fail!" With boundless indignation, Xingyue departed swiftly. This was simply taking things too far! Xinghong was at a loss for words. *I was speaking in earnest. Why run off?* *Here, you are quite safe. Out there, the dead spirit realm crawls with Invincible-level dead spirits. You really don't fear death, do you?* "If you run into danger, remember to tell Su Yu! He might have a way... Under no circumstances should you get careless!" In the distance, Xingyue let out another furious roar. "Xinghong, I am not done with you! "You dare humiliate me yet again! "If I run into danger, you tell me to seek out Su Yu? "Is that something a person would say?" No, Xinghong was never human to begin with! Filled with rage, frustration, and mortification, Xingyue sped away. Her mind was made up: she would go to the Star Residence Mansion, march right out of that passage, and finish off Su Yu, proving to everyone that a dead spirit monarch was truly a monarch! Su Yu was nothing more than a minor figure! If she could truly bypass the rules, killing him would be effortless! "Sigh, so disobedient!" Xinghong sighed. Wouldn't it be better to stay here and watch the show? Why insist on going there? Did she think that place was safe? What was she thinking! That fellow Hetu was no decent sort either; she had best be careful not to be used as his pawn. "Not a single one gives any peace of mind!" Xinghong closed his eyes. Su Yu had run off, and now Xingyue had run off too. If either of them died, it would spell disaster. If Su Yu died, that went without saying. If Xingyue died, Su Yu would be stripped of his identity. Outside the ancient cities, who would convert him? Hetu? What a joke. Without the protection of the ancient city's rules, why would Hetu bother converting him into a half-dead spirit? Wouldn't it be far better to turn him directly into a full dead spirit? Xinghong felt a wave of gloom. To be fair, he still possessed a measure of trust and confidence in Su Yu—the kid was hard to kill. But Xingyue... that was another story entirely. She might very well die first. None of them brought a shred of peace of mind. How many peaceful days had he even enjoyed?