Geniuses and Lunatics!

"Pan Hu and Tian Ding got snatched!" Fleeing through the void, Su Yu couldn't hold back a curse. Those were his! Damn it! Moduona had stolen two prime pieces of juicy meat right out of his mouth. This wasn't over between them. "He wants to see me for something?" Su Yu weighed the situation. What could Moduona possibly want with him? After a moment's thought, it could only involve the Demon Emperor. Otherwise, even if Moduona's own father were on the verge of dying, he wouldn't seek Su Yu's help. "Work together against the Demon Emperor?" He sure thinks highly of me. And what's with him bringing a quasi-Invincible along and expecting me to team up with him to kill that guy? What is he thinking? I'm just a Lingyun, and you're just a Shanhai. Fantastic. Two small fry conspiring to kill a quasi-Invincible. I thought I was arrogant, but Moduona is even crazier than me! *I can afford to be arrogant—I've opened all three hundred and sixty apertures, forged my body seventy-two times, cultivated the Method of the Heavenly Cycle, and outlined dozens of divine characters... What does Moduona have to be arrogant about?* Su Yu grumbled inwardly. As for Moduona's invitation to meet, Su Yu would consider it later. He wasn't particularly worried about being ambushed. The guy had brought a quasi-Invincible and hadn't attacked; the odds of Moduona using an outsider to get rid of him were slim. Though enemies, geniuses all possessed a degree of pride. Unless he was trying to kill one of those ancient fossils, Su Yu had rarely sought outside help to eliminate someone. Even when dealing with old monsters, his first instinct was to handle it himself rather than rely on others. Unless there was truly no other way—like facing Invincibles or Half-Emperors. Damn it, the disparity was simply too vast. Those monsters could blow you to dust with a single breath; how could you possibly struggle? Setting those thoughts aside, Su Yu unfurled his civilization chronicle and absorbed the corpses stored in his storage ring. The treasures were mostly with Pan Hu and the other guy, but Su Yu didn't dwell on it too much. *Pan Hu is lost... If I go find Dao Cheng, can I pull a fast one on him?* Su Yu gave up agonizing over it. He would go look for them first! Tai He, Dao Cheng... A ninth-stage Sun Moon! They were at King Gong's Mansion. With Xingyue around, opening his yang apertures was viable. But once he opened them, his death qi would surge, drastically increasing the risk of exposure, and he had no way to halt the circulation of the yang apertures afterward. *Tai He won't be easy to kill. Even if I open my yang apertures, I'll only be at the initial stage of ninth-stage Sun Moon. I don't have quasi-Invincible blood essence; otherwise, I could swallow some right now and blow Tai He to pieces!* Thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind. If all else failed, Su Yu figured he would kill Dao Cheng first. Leaving that guy alive would guarantee future trouble. Su Yu had no interest in playing some long-term cultivation rivalry game. It was pointless! Let the bored old fossils indulge in raising rivals; they had far too much time on their hands. "King Gong's Mansion!" Su Yu made up his mind: King Gong's Mansion it was! That useless Hetu still hadn't fought his way up here. What an absolute failure, a piece of trash. Su Yu had shaken the seventh floor for him for nothing; who knew when the guy would actually manage to break through? Along the way, he could also reconnoiter the situation around the Nine-Leaved Heavenly Lotus. …… With countless thoughts swirling in his mind, Su Yu flew swiftly toward King Gong's Mansion. …… King Gong's Mansion. It was an immense estate, filled with crisscrossing halls and rows of courtyards. In ancient times, this had been the residence of a Human King. Under his command were countless warriors, generals, marquises, and officials. It housed administrative offices as well; calling it a prince's mansion was an understatement—it was effectively a massive seat of government. At that moment, inside the mansion, Dao Cheng and Tai He had joined several other Immortal geniuses and powerhouses to hunt for treasures together. Anyone who dared step foot into this mansion was either a genius or a powerhouse. Anyone slightly weaker wouldn't dare come here to court death. Xuan Wuji was among them as well. The group was currently trying to force open a small courtyard, with the geniuses handling the cracking and the powerhouses serving as guardians. This courtyard had been breached in the past, but over ten years, its restrictions had automatically reactivated. Rather than relying on brute force, the geniuses scrutinized the formation with sharp eyes, looking for flaws to undo the seals using the least amount of energy. Watching Dao Cheng casually tap a node and unravel an intersection, Xuan Wuji couldn't help but praise, "Dao Cheng, your divination methods are growing sharper by the day!" Nearby, several other geniuses looked over as well. Nearly all of them were featured on the Heaven Hunting Ranking. Counting Dao Cheng and Xuan Wuji, there were six men and two women. A full eight geniuses from the Heaven Hunting Ranking. And that was after heavy casualties; Gu Zhu and the others Su Yu had slain were also on the ranking and were now dead. More than forty geniuses on the Heaven Hunting Ranking from the Immortal race had entered, but fewer than fifteen remained alive. This group represented the very cream of the crop. Xuan Wuji and Dao Cheng were on the Heaven Ranking, four were on the Earth Ranking, and two were on the Mystic Ranking. None of them stooped to the Yellow Ranking. Seeing Dao Cheng effortlessly breach a node, the two Immortal women's eyes brightened. A look of admiration flickered across their expressions, though whether it was genuine was hard to say. Both women knew that the Dao King's lineage was enduring its darkest hour. Providing coal in a snowstorm meant far more than adding flowers to embroidery. Besides, Jiu Xuan was dead, and Dao Cheng was currently without a Dao companion. A lean camel was still bigger than a horse! No matter how down on their luck the Dao King's lineage seemed, an elite Invincible who had reached the seventh stage of Eternity was very real. At that moment, a silver-haired Immortal woman gave a gentle smile, looking at Dao Cheng with adoring eyes. "Brother Dao Cheng's divination arts are truly remarkable. Avoiding harm, discerning auspiciousness from calamity, dividing yin and yang, dictating life and death... You have truly inherited the Dao King's supreme teachings." Someone sneered inwardly. *The Dao King's teachings?* Even the Dao King himself hadn't foreseen his catastrophic downfall, having his three incarnations blasted to dust! Divination wasn't a trivial trick. Yet calling it a grand Dao was a stretch. Of course, the Old Turtle was absurdly powerful, so it was only natural the Dao King failed to predict it. Even so, he had thoroughly disgraced himself, losing his three incarnations to the Old Turtle. He was in miserable shape now, and whether he could even recover remained uncertain. While those thoughts crossed their minds, Dao Cheng paid them no heed. Smiling faintly at the silver-haired woman, he looked at the courtyard before them and said softly, "This courtyard is of great importance. It was likely inhabited by King Gong's descendants back in the day." The silver-haired woman felt a burst of delight, though she kept her composure. She promptly followed up with a smile: "My ancestor once gave me a brief description. This is the Mind-Clearing Courtyard, indeed a residence for King Gong's descendants. If the records are accurate... it may have belonged to Hetu's grandfather." At those words, several cultivators who were unaware expressed surprise. "Yin Yue, Hetu... is related to King Gong?" Secretly pleased, the silver-haired woman maintained an erudite demeanor. "Indeed. These are records from the First Great Tide. My clan happens to possess some archives. Hetu is actually a fifth-generation descendant of King Gong. During the catastrophe, Hetu's father happened to be wandering the myriad worlds. When disaster struck, King Gong's Mansion was wiped out, and only Hetu's father survived. However, his father had limited talent and remained stuck at the ninth stage of Sun Moon, never achieving the Dao. "During his youth, Hetu demonstrated exceptional aptitude, yet he lingered in the Qianjun Realm for over a decade. Back then, as a direct descendant of a Human King only five generations down, his bloodline was extraordinarily dense. It was impossible for him to be incapable of reaching the Wanshi or Tengkong Realms... He must have been cultivating a peerless technique..." The silver-haired Immortal gave a brief explanation. These ancient secrets were unknown even to some of the Sun Moon powerhouses behind them. Being powerful did not mean being well-informed. These young geniuses were mostly descendants of Invincibles, blessed with extensive family archives, and some of their clan ancestors had lived through the First Great Tide. The Immortal race had suffered massive losses over the nine Great Tides, but they were far better off than the humans. Some of their ancient figures had survived, including living fossils like Tiangu, who had persisted from the primordial era to the present day. Learning that this courtyard had belonged to King Gong's descendants, everyone's interest surged. Even if it had been thoroughly searched countless times in the past. Just as they prepared to proceed, someone suddenly barked, "Who's there?" A powerhouse glared toward a corner, eyes filled with murderous intent. In the distance, outside a courtyard wall, Su Yu stood trembling, looking over with an anxious, flustered expression. The Immortal powerhouses' faces shifted slightly. Nearby, Dao Cheng's expression changed instantly as he stared at Su Yu. Tai He hurriedly transmitted, "Why did you come here?" Su Yu said nothing, keeping his distance and refusing to approach, looking like a child who had committed a grave wrongdoing as he cowered by the wall. Tai He fumed. On the other side, Dao Cheng frowned slightly, glanced at the others, and smiled. "It's my senior brother. I'll go check on him. He might have business with me." "Go ahead and attend to it." The others smiled, though a few were puzzled. Why had Ling Heng come here? A third-stage Sun Moon roaming this area was courting death. …… In a secluded corner. Dao Cheng and Tai He arrived together. The moment Tai He approached, he snapped, "Where is Pan Hu? We told you not to come here. Why are you here?" "Martial Uncle, that's enough." Dao Cheng cut him off and looked at Ling Heng with a smile. "Senior Brother, is something the matter?" Su Yu kept his head down, looking hesitant, as if the words were stuck in his throat. Tai He's patience wore thin. "If you have something to say, spit it out! You always do this—the moment things get critical, you drag your feet endlessly! What on earth happened?!" Looking on the verge of tears, Su Yu mumbled incoherently, "Well... I... I've let Your Highness down. Senior Brother Pan Hu... he might... I don't know if he's dead..." "What?!" Tai He's face changed! Dao Cheng's expression darkened as well. Looking at him, he asked in a low voice, "Senior Brother, don't panic. Tell us, what happened?" Su Yu dawdled, irritating even the mild-tempered Dao Cheng to the point of wanting to hit him. His senior brother was always like this at critical moments—dragging things out endlessly! Infuriating! No wonder Pan Hu had reached the seventh stage of Sun Moon while he was still stuck at the third stage. Su Yu stammered, "We... we went out together earlier. Senior Brother Pan Hu said... said finding treasure was too hard, so he found Elder Tian Ding from the Heaven Hunting Pavilion. After that, we... we went hunting geniuses from the minor and ancient races." This sounded entirely normal; neither Dao Cheng nor Tai He found it strange. Su Yu continued, "Then... everything was going fine. Just a moment ago, we made a huge haul. Then, all of a sudden... trouble found us. Senior Brother Pan Hu and Elder Tian Ding... seem to have run into disaster." "Seem to have?" Su Yu replied awkwardly, "Well... I was terrified, so I ran first. The two of them were behind me, and they encountered an expert—a quasi-Invincible! Yes, a quasi-Invincible expert! And then... there was no 'then.' I came straight here. I don't know whether they're dead or alive." "A quasi-Invincible?" Dao Cheng frowned. "Do you know who it was?" Su Yu kept his head down. "Uh... I don't know, but I saw one person..." "Who?!" Dao Cheng could barely hold it in. *Just say it, damn it! You're dragging your feet so much, don't you know that?!* Su Yu whispered, "Moduona! I don't know if my eyes were playing tricks on me. While I was running, Moduona seemed to chase me for a moment, and then... he stopped, as if intentionally letting me go. I don't know if he followed me here. Your Highness, I had no choice, I didn't know what else to do, so I came to King Gong's Mansion to find you. He might be tailing us right now." Dao Cheng's face drained of color! Moduona? Why would Moduona kill Pan Hu and Tian Ding? Tai He cursed under his breath, "What audacity! He dares lay hands on Pan Hu!" Su Yu hurriedly added, "They're probably not dead. I checked, and there were no phenomena of falling Sun Moons. They were likely captured alive! Could he be looking to negotiate terms with us?" He looked toward Tai He with a tense expression. "Martial Uncle... this time... I didn't run away on purpose. But I thought at least someone had to survive to deliver the message to His Highness. I didn't want to run, truly, I didn't..." He appeared utterly terrified! Fleeing before a battle was unforgivable in any race. Tai He's face was dark, but Dao Cheng offered consolation: "It's fine. Staying behind would only have meant throwing your life away. Faced with a quasi-Invincible, fleeing was the wise choice." Su Yu looked sheepish. "No, it wasn't as noble as Your Highness makes it sound. But I truly never intended to abandon Senior Brother Pan Hu. At the time, I was completely powerless. Your Highness, Martial Uncle, I'm really not afraid of death. I was just terrified that His Highness wouldn't get the news and would fall into Moduona's trap. Truly!" Tai He was utterly speechless! *Why keep struggling? You ran because you were terrified!* Frowning, Tai He couldn't be bothered to argue. The Dao King's lineage was growing thinner by the day; punishing Ling Heng served no purpose. Besides, against a quasi-Invincible, Ling Heng's presence would have made zero difference. Even two seventh-stage Sun Moons had been captured. Just as Ling Heng said, at least they now had the news. Otherwise, they wouldn't even know something had happened. Tai He shot Su Yu a fierce glare, his eyes revolving like the sun and moon as he scanned the distance. Finding no one around, he turned to Dao Cheng with a furrowed brow. "Your Highness, what is Moduona after?" Dao Cheng didn't reply immediately, idly turning a divine character in his palm. Su Yu watched with curious amusement. *What's he playing with? This guy is always fiddling with divine characters.* After a few moments of manipulation, Dao Cheng's face suddenly went pale. The divine character in his hand shattered, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He said in a heavy voice, "An ominous omen! Martial Uncle, Senior Brother, leave it be. This is fate! We will avenge Senior Brother Pan Hu sooner or later, but not now! Moduona doesn't have long to live; there is no need to fight him to the death right now..." Su Yu nodded frantically in agreement! Tai He's expression shifted, and he glared at Su Yu once more. *Could your relief be any more obvious?!* Su Yu lowered his head helplessly. "Martial Uncle, he... he has a quasi-Invincible backing him. Unless... unless we can call upon a quasi-Invincible of our own, who would be willing to offend Moduona for our sake? He's favored by the Demon Emperor, a prime candidate for a future incarnation. Right now, Demon Kings might be watching him. If we clash with him, even Immortal King Xuan He won't stand up for us." With an earnest expression, Su Yu pleaded, "Martial Uncle, let it go. Senior Brother Pan Hu and I are very close, but... His Highness takes priority! If something happens to you, what will His Highness do? I don't matter, and I'd be willing to go to war, but my strength is far too meager..." Tai He sighed, exhausted. "Enough! Would you actually dare to go? If you had the guts, you wouldn't have run away!" Su Yu flushed. "Martial Uncle, I..." "Shut up!" Tai He snorted, then turned to Dao Cheng. "Your Highness, are we... truly doing nothing?" Dao Cheng was silent for a moment. "Martial Uncle, our hands are tied! Senior Brother Pan Hu might still be alive, but... we can't intervene. We have no means to mount a rescue." Su Yu chimed in hastily, "Right, we can seek out the Heaven Hunting Pavilion! Tian Ding was captured too!" "Forget it!" Dao Cheng shook his head. "The Head of the Heaven Division is stationed near the passage. He won't wage an all-out war against the Demon race for the sake of a single elder!" Su Yu put on an expression of profound regret, while secretly breathing a sigh of relief. Catching that attitude, Tai He grew even more exasperated! *Dropping the ball at every crucial juncture!* Of course, he understood Ling Heng's fear—it was a quasi-Invincible, after all. But this fellow dragged his feet endlessly, turned into a coward whenever life was on the line, fled the battlefield, and abandoned Pan Hu. If danger struck again next time, would he dare step up? What a headache! Ling Heng had escaped unscathed while Pan Hu was taken; it was infuriating. Before long, the trio returned to where the others were gathered. Seeing Dao Cheng's blank expression, Tai He's anger, and Ling Heng keeping his head low, Xuan Wuji smiled and asked, "What happened? If there's trouble, you can tell us. We're all on the same side; there's no need to stand on ceremony." Dao Cheng smiled faintly. "It's nothing, just wasted everyone's time..." Before he could finish, Su Yu blurted out, "His Highness Xuan Wuji, Moduona has provoked our Immortal race! He killed my senior brother Pan Hu!" "..." Dao Cheng frowned, snapping his head toward Su Yu. Su Yu, wearing an expression of deep concern, sent a frantic voice transmission: *"Your Highness, let them fight Moduona to the death! I'm worried Moduona is targeting us. We don't have to go—let Xuan Wuji and the others confront him!"* "..." Dao Cheng was speechless. *Do you take Xuan Wuji for an idiot? Would he actually go?* Sure enough, hearing Moduona's name, Xuan Wuji's smile grew slightly strained. "Senior Brother Ling Heng, we haven't crossed paths with Moduona much, have we? Could there be..." Su Yu cut in urgently, "It's true! It was Moduona! He brought a quasi-Invincible and killed my senior brother! He even arrogantly declared that the entire Immortal race is nothing but trash..." Xuan Wuji's face darkened! Not at Moduona, but at Su Yu. *To hell with that! Moduona would never say something like that! You're laying it on far too thick!* Ignoring the reaction, Su Yu shouted, "It's the truth! The quasi-Invincible with him hurled abuse at us, claiming our Immortal race is full of useless cowards who can't match them, that any random Demon can crush us, crush the Heaven Ranking, and crush everyone..." The other geniuses couldn't sit still anymore. A young man spoke up coldly, "Senior Ling Heng, watch your words!" Su Yu scoffed inwardly. *Watch my words? I'm talking nonsense on purpose!* He wanted them to know it was exaggerated, but without evidence, they couldn't afford to ignore it. After such brazen insults, even if everyone suspected he was embellishing... they would still have to confront Moduona and demand an explanation. Otherwise, the Immortal race would lose all face! Everyone saw through Su Yu's transparent scheme, but Xuan Wuji had foolishly asked that opening question. Now, Xuan Wuji was trapped between a rock and a hard place. A wave of frustration washed over him. *What a piece of work, this Ling Heng. Could Dao Cheng have put him up to this?* This was a nightmare to handle. He had asked, Ling Heng had answered; if he ignored it now, the Immortal race would truly lose face. If he intervened... Moduona was not someone to be trifled with! Damn it all! Xuan Wuji cursed Ling Heng to high heaven in his mind, and cursed himself for poking his nose into business Dao Cheng hadn't even brought up. Dao Cheng frowned slightly and quickly interjected, "Senior Brother, do not speak recklessly! You and Senior Brother Pan Hu provoked Moduona without cause and suffered a lesson. Do not come back here spinning tales!" He still had no desire to cause trouble with Moduona. It was too dangerous. He had felt that inauspicious omen. It spelled extreme peril! Even with Xuan Wuji and the others backing them, he had no wish to go. Su Yu assumed a downcast expression and said dejectedly, "His Highness is right. It was... it was my lack of judgment. Forgive me, Your Highnesses. Moduona didn't say those words; I made them up on purpose..." At this point, Xuan Wuji couldn't let it slide. He was the current generation's leader for the Immortal race. He had no choice but to say, "Senior Brother Pan Hu ran into trouble?" Su Yu replied gloomily, "Yes, he was captured by Moduona's people. I don't know if he's been killed..." "Our Immortal race and the Demon race have always minded our own business. Why would Moduona pick a fight for no reason?" Xuan Wuji frowned. "Senior Brother Ling Heng, rest assured. Since I know of this, I won't stand idly by. I will negotiate with Moduona." Su Yu immediately added, "Just getting him to release my senior brother will be enough!" Xuan Wuji felt an immense weariness in his soul. Fuck! He didn't want to provoke Moduona. If Moduona released the hostage, fine; if he refused, how humiliating would that be? He had no desire to start a war. Now he was thoroughly stuck. Curse his loose tongue! Why did he have to chime in? He berated himself inwardly while cursing Su Yu. Ling Heng had done this deliberately to force him to take the lead. What a headache! Yet several geniuses were watching right by his side. He aspired to be the undisputed leader of his generation! If he backed down now, would any of these young cultivators respect him? Not a damn chance! Xuan Wuji forced his smile back onto his face. "Of course. How about this: we'll go find him right now..." Dao Cheng frowned. "Brother Wuji, this courtyard hasn't been breached yet..." "No rush!" Xuan Wuji chuckled. "It's not going anywhere! A courtyard that's been scavenged countless times won't have any top-tier treasures left for us anyway. Let's go meet Moduona. Does that fellow truly think he's number one beneath the heavens? Does having a quasi-Invincible make him invincible? Come, let's go pay him a visit!" He spoke with grand generosity, yet he brought everyone along. They would go as a pack! Eight geniuses, all backed by formidable guardians—six at the ninth stage of Sun Moon, one quasi-Invincible, and the weakest being at the eighth stage of Sun Moon. Add the eight geniuses plus Su Yu, and they numbered seventeen experts. Moduona was notoriously solitary; he had brought only a single quasi-Invincible, and their side had one as well. Just as Xuan Wuji declared they were leaving, Su Yu's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "Then take care, Your Highnesses. That Moduona is unreasonable and barbaric. I'll stay here to guard the courtyard so no one else slips inside!" Fuck! At that moment, Dao Cheng was thoroughly stunned. Xuan Wuji had been forced into going because of him, and now he didn't even want to come along? *Has my senior brother... been scared completely out of his wits?* Humiliating! Tai He felt the humiliation just as keenly and snapped via transmission, "Shut your mouth! If we go, you're coming along! Ling Heng, do you think I won't discipline you right here? You've dragged the reputation of the Dao King's lineage through the mud!" Su Yu looked helpless, then gave in. "Fine, let's leave the courtyard as it is. I'll accompany Your Highnesses to confront Moduona face-to-face!" Xuan Wuji felt a wave of relief, though he snorted inwardly. *This bastard forced us to stick our necks out, and he thought he could stay behind? In his dreams!* Su Yu looked embarrassed, but he didn't care. Walking over to Dao Cheng, he transmitted, *"Your Highness, let them go ahead. We can find an excuse to slip away later! Moduona feels off to me; he might be coming after you specifically. Have you offended him somehow, or do you share some hidden connection?"* Dao Cheng wasn't thinking about that anymore. Going to take a look was fine; with Xuan Wuji's group present, there was a layer of safety. If Moduona truly targeted him alone, it would be far more troublesome. Hearing Su Yu's words, he transmitted back, *"Offended him... That shouldn't be the case. Xuan Wuji and I offended Zhan Wushuang, but that has nothing to do with Moduona. Moduona is proud and rarely interacts with us... As for a connection..."* He frowned slightly. *Could it be related to my divine characters?* What did Moduona want? Whatever the case, he needed to get to the bottom of it. Going to see for himself wasn't a bad idea. At that moment, Xuan Wuji smiled. "Ling Heng, do you know where he is?" Su Yu shook his head. "I'm not sure. He definitely isn't at the previous spot! As for his exact location, I have no idea." Xuan Wuji was dying to say, *Since you don't know, let's forget it.* Yet the words wouldn't leave his mouth! Xuan Wuji maintained a calm facade. "No matter. Moduona isn't one to hide his tracks. We'll ask around; someone will know where he went! We'll arrange a talk!" Su Yu remained silent. *You're the one who wants to go; I never forced you.* *Fight, go on and fight!* *The more that die, the better. If everyone present kicks the bucket, I'll happily collect all your corpses.* With one quasi-Invincible, six ninth-stage Sun Moons, and one eighth-stage Sun Moon on this side, taking down a single quasi-Invincible on the other side shouldn't be difficult at all, right? It would be even better if they beat Moduona to death! That guy knew his real identity. If he exposed him on the spot... that would be a massive headache. *Forget it, I'd better give Moduona a heads-up, just in case he actually gets beaten to death and exposes me with his dying breath. Then again, Xuan Wuji and the others probably don't have the guts to kill him outright.* He possessed a communication frequency left behind by Moduona—a specialized frequency meant for short-range transmissions. Its utility was mediocre, honestly inferior to an Invincible's roar! However, it was sufficient for their current proximity. Su Yu soon attempted to transmit a message through his sea of will. It went smoothly; although the Tombstone of Civilization suppressed the area, it didn't hinder the use of willpower. A moment later, Su Yu sent: *"Found the people. One quasi-Invincible, six ninth-stage Sun Moons, one eighth-stage Sun Moon. That should be plenty to kill your quasi-Invincible, right? But this side might not dare strike first... Figure out a way to provoke a fight yourself! That's all. And for the record, I'm not Su Yu!"* …… In a corner of King Gong's Mansion. Moduona chuckled. *Utterly redundant!* Why did he feel the need to tack on that last line? *I knew your ability to stir up trouble was peerless. I asked you to find someone to kill the shadow behind me, and within half an hour, you've assembled a welcoming party—not just one quasi-Invincible, but six ninth-stage Sun Moons as well!* As expected, reaching out to Su Yu had been the right choice. A normal person couldn't pull together this many powerhouses to give Moduona trouble in half an hour. Even in disguise, Su Yu couldn't change his habitual nature! With a faint smile, Moduona said indifferently, "Lord Zhan Kui, be on guard. Ling Heng fled, and Dao Cheng might bring Tai He here. If we run into Tai He, kill him!" Behind him, a shadowy figure flickered in and out of sight, speaking in a low tone: "The Dao King's lineage isn't particularly dominant right now, but killing Tai He... The Demons and Immortals don't have major friction." Moduona replied flatly, "Suit yourself. If I want Dao Cheng dead, no one can stop me! If Tai He tries to kill me and I can't hold him off, do as you see fit!" "Your Highness..." The shadow sounded helpless, but soon conceded, "By Your Highness's command!" Internally, he was cursing violently! He prayed Dao Cheng wouldn't show up. An all-out battle wouldn't benefit anyone. He could kill the target, but the core issue was that if Tai He died, the Dao King would inevitably seek retribution once they left the mansion. A ninth-stage Sun Moon was part of the core lineage! Furthermore, Moduona wanted to kill Dao Cheng, which spelled even greater disaster. Dao Cheng was a genius on the Heaven Ranking and the Dao King's grandson. If Dao Cheng died, the Dao King would never let the matter rest. Moduona didn't call for reinforcements. There was no need! If he called for more people, what if the shadow survived? Besides, Moduona was not one to fear death. Summoning allies would only make the shadow suspicious. Leaving things as they were was ideal. …… Moduona wandered openly through King Gong's Mansion without concealing his presence. Before long, Su Yu and the others learned that he had headed toward the Martial Arts Hall. It was an extraordinarily vast hall. In ancient times, King Gong's subordinates and descendants had practiced their martial arts there. Over the millennia, it had been stripped bare, leaving virtually nothing of value behind, so few people visited it. Xuan Wuji had only asked around on a whim and hadn't expected to locate Moduona so easily. He felt a twinge of frustration. Oh well, he would negotiate; getting Pan Hu released was the best outcome, and if not, throwing down a few harsh words would suffice! Moduona wasn't the type to pick a fight just because someone uttered empty threats; he wouldn't care. That way, both substance and face would be preserved! The matter would be settled. Did anyone expect an actual brawl? What a joke! Who had the spare time to fight on behalf of the Dao King's lineage? At this stage, he hadn't even considered asking Dao Cheng to perform a divination on the danger. Yet Dao Cheng took the initiative: "Allow me to divine the auspiciousness of this endeavor!" Though Xuan Wuji found it unnecessary, he nodded. "Then I shall trouble Brother Dao Cheng!" "It is only right. I am the one troubling everyone!" With that, another divine character materialized in his palm. Meanwhile, Su Yu was stealthily activating his own divine characters. Which ones? "Calamity" and "Stillness"! Both characters were bordering on the Sun Moon realm, while Dao Cheng's divine characters were, at best, at a similar level. Let's see who interferes with whom! The "Calamity" character could instill a sensation of impending doom, or it could skew perceptions and dampen one's sense of danger. As for the "Stillness" character, there was no need to elaborate—it belonged to that scheming old fox, King Dazhou. Su Yu used it constantly, and its concealing effects were exceptional! Dao Cheng began his divination. Su Yu had ignored it before, but now he watched intently, his two divine characters operating at full tilt to disrupt the process. *I refuse to believe you, Dao Cheng, are more skilled with divine characters than I am!* *Even if you received direct guidance from the Dao King, so what?* *The Dao King is merely at the seventh stage of Eternity, whereas King Dazhou is said to be at the eighth stage, and that old schemer might even be at the ninth stage. Isn't he stronger than the Dao King?* *Besides, "Calamity" is a naturally formed divine character—how could it lose to yours?* Sure enough, after divining for a moment, Dao Cheng frowned slightly. He sensed danger, but it was indistinct. This clashed with his earlier reading. Could it be that going alone meant death, but going as a group rendered them safe? He attempted another reading, and Su Yu interfered once more. Su Yu's willpower drained rapidly as he did everything he could to dull Dao Cheng's premonition of danger. After a while, Dao Cheng's furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and he let out a breath. "Nothing to worry about!" Xuan Wuji instantly broke into a smile. "I knew it! Brother Dao Cheng's divination arts are top-tier. If you say so, there shouldn't be any problem!" The others breathed a sigh of relief as well. Facing Moduona, everyone felt a degree of apprehension. Now that Dao Cheng had divined safety, the risk seemed minimal. Going there to project strength was fine. They could easily manage that! Yet Dao Cheng remained slightly pensive. As he pondered, Su Yu's voice transmitted into his ear: *"Your Highness, let's not go. Let's find an excuse to leave. I feel uneasy—a Sun Moon premonition of danger. The others might be fine, but I feel like... impending doom is upon me!"* Dao Cheng glanced at him, surprised to see him drenched in cold sweat! *Is he... truly sensing danger?* He performed another divination, this time focusing directly on Su Yu. This time, Su Yu felt it distinctly. Realizing the divination was aimed at him, he channeled his "Calamity" character to envelop himself in absolute catastrophe. After reading the signs, Dao Cheng's expression changed, and he looked at Su Yu. The danger was real! Senior Brother Ling Heng was in mortal peril! Did that mean the faint crisis he had sensed earlier was actually directed at his senior brother? Glancing sideways at Su Yu, who was sweating profusely, Dao Cheng felt bewildered. *The rest of us are fine, but Senior Brother is doomed?* *Could Moduona's target not be us, but him?* *What is going on?!* Since he was safe, there was little cause for personal alarm. That meant his senior brother was the root of the problem! Calculating quickly, he figured that if that were the case, perhaps it would be better if his senior brother were killed. Otherwise, as long as Ling Heng remained with him, he might stay in Moduona's crosshairs! Could this be related to the Heavenly Blood Ganoderma? That sparked an idea. Yes—the Demons, particularly the Blood Fire Demon race, desperately needed it. Frowning slightly, Dao Cheng transmitted back, *"Senior Brother, do not worry excessively. I roughly understand the reason... Here, keep the Heavenly Blood Ganoderma on you. Moduona is likely after this. If he demands it, hand it over to him!"* Su Yu put on an expression of deep inner turmoil. *"Give it to him?"* *"Yes!"* Dao Cheng transmitted. *"Treasures lost can be reclaimed, but keeping your life is worth far more!"* He wanted to resolve the headache permanently—throwing it to Moduona would end it! Helplessly, Su Yu took back his portion of the Heavenly Blood Ganoderma. Yet he cursed violently in his heart. *This bastard clearly divined that I'm in mortal peril, yet he's still forcing me to go! What a piece of human garbage!* *Finishing you off will also count as avenging Ling Heng!* Su Yu thought to himself, *It's not that I was hell-bent on killing you. If you had let me leave just now, I would have walked away. But you insisted on dragging me along... You're forcing my hand!* *Courting your own death leaves me no choice.* *I gave you a chance!* *I even showed you that I was shrouded in calamity, yet you still wouldn't let me go. You've brought this on yourself!* Su Yu sighed inwardly. *I really am blameless here.* Before long, they arrived at the Martial Arts Hall. The colossal bronze doors of the immense structure stood wide open. Deep inside the hall, a figure stood with his back to the entrance, seemingly gazing at something. For a moment, quite a few Immortal geniuses were momentarily dazed by the sight of Moduona's silhouette. The number one genius under the heavens truly possessed an extraordinary presence! Su Yu, on the other hand, had only one thought: *Show-off!* *You think fluttering purple hair looks better than my flowing black locks and pristine white robes?* *The timing just isn't right; otherwise, I'd compete with you right here and now!* The group stepped into the grand hall, and the massive doors slammed shut behind them with a heavy thud! Xuan Wuji and the others were startled, but quickly regained their composure. In a meeting between geniuses, face had to be maintained. What was there to fear? His guardian had already informed him that there were only two people inside. Moduona and a quasi-Invincible. With so many of them present, why fear him? Moduona was the one who should be terrified! He was certainly audacious, daring to shut the doors in the face of such a massive group! At the far end of the hall, Moduona curled his lips into a faint smile. Without turning around, he said softly, "I've been waiting for you for a long time!" Xuan Wuji smiled, naturally assuming Moduona was addressing him. "Brother Moduona, I've heard about what happened earlier. I didn't come here to start trouble, but to seek clarification. Furthermore, where is Senior Brother Pan Hu?" Moduona turned around, idly twirling two spherical objects in his palm. He gave a soft laugh. "Right here. One is Pan Hu, the other is Tian Ding. Do you want them?" He tossed the two spheres casually into the air, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. Xuan Wuji still believed Moduona was speaking to him. Yet Su Yu knew... that bastard was talking to him! *To hell with you!* *Provoking me, are you?* Su Yu cursed under his breath. *Just you wait, I'll beat you to death sooner or later!* He was emboldened by his own capabilities. Even knowing Moduona had seen through his disguise, he had still dared to come. A quasi-Invincible, was it? Su Yu might not be a match, but he wasn't afraid! With Xingyue here, opening his yang apertures would grant him the power of a ninth-stage Sun Moon! At the ninth stage of Sun Moon, coupled with his various hidden trump cards, even if he couldn't win, he had decent confidence in escaping with his life. If worse came to worst, he could shout for Old Zhou to come flatten them! Who was afraid of whom?! Taking a gamble, if he won, he would devour all these Immortal geniuses and sweep them up in one fell swoop! That would be an unimaginable harvest! Yes, wiping them out entirely! The moment Su Yu had laid eyes on Xuan Wuji and the others, the scheme had formed in his mind: *I'm going to wipe out this entire generation of the Immortal race!* Xuan Wuji, Dao Cheng, and the rest—all of them would take a permanent tour inside his book! Up ahead, Moduona's eyes were fixed squarely on Su Yu. As for Xuan Wuji... he didn't even register in Moduona's vision. Even though Xuan Wuji had reached the ninth stage of Shanhai while Moduona was only at the first stage, Moduona paid him no mind. Even Dao Cheng carried more weight than Xuan Wuji. At that moment, Moduona felt an overwhelming rush of emotions. He could see it clearly: Su Yu's appetite was monstrous—he intended to devour all of these Immortals! What staggering ambition, what terrifying audacity! Moduona smiled, a sudden, genuine grin spreading across his face. Only someone with such courage and ruthless resolve could help him; otherwise, who would dare plot against the Demon Emperor? Even ordinary Invincibles wouldn't dare! Yet Su Yu dared! Indeed, Su Yu dared. That was precisely what Moduona needed. Anyone else was unreliable. Only a fearless monster like Su Yu could help him achieve his goal. Because the man before him was a lunatic!