Aftermath

"Tai Shan, where are you?!" "I will kill you!" On the seventh floor, the colossal, ethereal face manifested—insubstantial yet terrifyingly potent. Palatial estates were flattened, and one treasured sanctuary after another was shattered into ruin! Old Zhou was furious. He was consumed by rage! The very heavens and earth ruptured! The several Invincibles standing behind the Blood Fire Demon King barely had time to attempt an escape before they were utterly obliterated by that gigantic hand. At that moment, a dead spirit passageway burst open as dozens of dead spirits tried to slip away unnoticed. The ethereal face of Old Zhou exhaled a single breath, unleashing a ravaging astral gale that tore straight into the passageway. "Dead spirit race?" A mumble sounded, but Old Zhou paid them no further mind. As the astral gale ripped through the corridor, several dead spirits that had already set foot inside were instantly sliced to ribbons. Old Zhou cast his gaze in every direction. Where was Tai Shan? He had heard it—he had heard the name 'Tai Shan.' Who was calling for Tai Shan? Where was Tai Shan?! Just then, Old Zhou suddenly turned his head. The little bug he had just squashed had miraculously revived. It was the Blood Fire Demon King! Having lost one of his embodiments, the Demon King had reconstituted himself and was hurtling toward the eighth floor with every shred of speed he could muster. Old Zhou's colossal face surfaced directly behind him in the blink of an eye. Sneering coldly, he snapped his jaws shut! Crunch! The physical flesh crumbled away into dust. A beam of bloody light instantly darted into the eighth-floor entrance. At the entrance, a mechanical voice rang out: "Post and rank?" "Demon Assistant General Blood Fire!" Old Zhou made no move to pursue. Perplexity flickered across his expression, and he muttered, "The method of three-life embodiment fusion... People still pass down such garbage arts...? And someone actually cultivated it to the ninth stage of Eternal?" How surprising. With an art that wretched, managing to reach Eternal was miraculous enough, yet this bug had actually attained the ninth stage. Was this a demon? Why would a demon cultivate such absolute trash? A lack of aptitude? Or an inadequate heritage? Though puzzled, Old Zhou nevertheless exhaled another breath. As the astral wind raged forward, the distant passage shuddered violently. A potent aura flared to life, and a silhouette emerged. Catching sight of Old Zhou's face, the silhouette seemed visibly shaken, vanishing in a flash while cleanly ripping shut the entrance to the eighth floor with an audible tear! "He's alive!" The figure retreated in terror and profound shock. There was a warden on the eighth floor! Moments later, the eighth-floor passage vanished completely. Old Zhou looked on with a mix of suspicion and bewilderment. Where was that? "Tai Shan isn't there..." Old Zhou muttered, no longer caring. Inside the passage, the Blood Fire Demon King's final embodiment was left battered and torn, then shredded to bits by the trailing astral gale. After a long pause, all that remained was a small sphere and a single droplet of blood. Gradually, that droplet reformed into a humanoid shape—flesh reborn from a single drop of blood! Even so... his physical form was as frail as soft tofu. He teetered on the brink of annihilation at any second! Boundless horror filled the Blood Fire Demon King's eyes. Who was that?! Just who was that?! He was certain that even a Half-Emperor was nowhere near that formidable, terrifying, or horrifying. Even the power of the rules was helpless against him! Who on earth was that? An ancient emperor? Or some monstrous entity? ... On the seventh floor. Old Zhou's face continued to drift about, hollering the name "Tai Shan." Where was Tai Shan? As he wandered, he spotted the Head of the Heaven Division far off in the distance, thoroughly deranged and relentlessly beating himself. Old Zhou's eyes turned hazy with confusion. "Conflict between embodiments... The three-life embodiment fusion again, and the ninth stage of Eternal once more..." What era was this? Why was everyone practicing such garbage cultivation methods? To reach the ninth stage of Eternal meant neither aptitude nor resources were lacking, so why resort to the three-life embodiment fusion? And this one was a human? A human... had actually gone and practiced the three-life embodiment fusion as well? Only trash practiced this art. Could someone who cultivated it to the ninth stage of Eternal be trash as well? The fatal flaw of this method was now laid bare. Three embodiments fused into one meant three distinct wills. With the embodiments destabilized, internal conflict arose, leading straight to self-destruction... How terrifyingly powerful was Old Zhou? Even with only a fraction of his will awakened, he saw through everything in an instant. Exhaling a soft breath, he extinguished all three embodiments on the spot, leaving behind three seas of will floating in midair. A peculiar expression crossed Old Zhou's face, and with another exhale, the three seas of will fused into a single entity... Old Zhou felt an urge to toy with it further, but another thought crossed his mind. He muttered, "Tai Shan... I must find Tai Shan..." With yet another breath, he swept the fused sea of will straight into the time channel behind the Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotus, muttering to himself, "I was framed... Yes, I was framed! I never slaughtered humanity! You framed me..." He hadn't done it! Tai Shan had framed him; if one wished to condemn someone, any excuse would do! Tai Shan simply wanted him dead! Damned Tai Shan! Old Zhou was suddenly seized by wild fury, his lucidity completely evaporating! The sea of will belonging to the Head of the Heaven Division drifted through the time channel, carried off to who knew where! Old Zhou continued to roam across the seventh floor, the astral winds scouring the surroundings. Little by little, the entire seventh floor fell empty. The Guiyuan Saber clattered onto the floor, and the dead spirit passage gaped wide. Yet... not a single dead spirit lingered near the entrance! Every single dead spirit had either been obliterated or had fled into the depths of the passage; none dared remain. As for Hetu, he had forced open a dead spirit passage and bolted at the very first moment, dragging Daidai along with him. Now, the vast seventh floor lay thoroughly desolate, steeped in utter, suffocating silence. Old Zhou searched in every direction with raging fury, inspecting each spot one by one, yet finding no sign of Tai Shan. Where was Tai Shan? As for the boundary wall, he never looked at it. Those were his own cells; why would he look inside there? He searched and probed, but over time, his willpower began to settle, and his memories grew increasingly muddy. Filled with indignation and wrath, Old Zhou roared toward the heavens, "Tai Shan, I will find you! I swear it!" Boom! The seventh floor shook violently as the world turned upside down! A short while later, Old Zhou's face vanished from the seventh floor, leaving behind not a trace. ... Meanwhile, outside. Silhouettes of Half-Emperors materialized one after another, and ancient beings stepped into view. A deluge of bloody rain poured from the heavens. Peerless powerhouses stared intently at the White Jade Gate, which was shaking violently! The Heaven Hunting Ranking continued transmitting messages inward, yet received not a single reply. At this moment, all the pathways severed. Yes, every single one of them! Under that monstrous tremor, every single passageway had shattered; not a single one remained intact. Around the gate, Invincibles and ancient beings stood dumbfounded. Were they... all dead? The tremendous quake caused the entire Allhead Battlefield to shudder. The Sea of Stars churned, colossal waves battering heaven and earth, while crimson rain blanketed the world. "They're... all dead..." Someone choked out the words, their expression fraught with shock and agony. Were they all truly gone? Not a single survivor? All the pathways had severed! Not one in ten remained... No, this was total annihilation! Just what had happened in there? On humanity's side, King Daxia and King Dazhou stood completely petrified, shaken to their very cores. Was everyone dead? None spared? No... impossible! How could that be?! King Daqin was still inside; he wouldn't die, he couldn't! King Daxia looked toward King Dazhou, swallowed hard, and said with great difficulty, "It's... it's not true... I... I don't feel that Longwu has fallen..." That was his own flesh and blood; he would feel a faint resonance. He wasn't dead! He shouldn't be, though King Daxia couldn't say for certain. The Star Residence Mansion obscured far too much. The crowd hurriedly turned their attention to the Heaven Hunting Ranking. Yes, the ranking! It could still track traces of life auras. They couldn't all be dead, right? They looked, and a collective sigh of relief echoed. Some of the names were still there! Then... they were probably still alive, weren't they? An ancient being murmured softly, "Did they all perish? Or are a few still clinging to life, yet trapped inside because the severed pathways prevent their return?" Within the Hunting Heaven Pavilion, Jian Tianhou remained silent for a long while before finally speaking: "Many have likely perished. A major upheaval took place inside the Star Residence Mansion, causing violent tremors that severed the pathways. Some may still be alive, but... if the pathways cannot be restored, they will still die, trapped within forever." At these words, those who had harbored a flicker of hope plunged back into despair. "Then how can the pathways be restored?" "They cannot, unless we wait for another tide." "..." Silence fell. Yet, some Invincibles let out faint chuckles, utterly unbothered. Such as the Immortal race! What did they have to grieve over? This was great! The Immortals had been completely wiped out before this cataclysm even occurred. Now, with this disaster striking, no race could return, and anyone left alive was as good as dead! In that case, what was there to fear? Let everyone suffer together! It was splendid! The Immortal race had lost five Immortal Kings, but the others had suffered heavily as well: five for the God race, seven for the Demon race, and on humanity's side... likely more than four, since King Daming seemed to have entered as well, bringing their total to five. Now, many felt thoroughly reassured. Others looked toward the ancient city. It remained as tranquil as ever. At this point, nobody knew whether Su Yu had actually perished inside. Had Su Yu truly gone in? No one was certain anymore. If he had, he was dead without a doubt. Yet the ancient city showed no sign of disturbance. It seemed they could only wait and see. With a heavy sigh, an ancient entity murmured, "Has the Star Residence Mansion, which has opened across countless ages, truly been ruined? Can it ever open again in the next tide?" No one could say for sure. The catastrophe this time was far too unprecedented. The crucial factor was the staggering casualties among all races—several dozen Invincibles had fallen. Someone whispered, "Let us wait a little longer. Wait half a month until the opening period officially concludes. Perhaps... perhaps someone might have a sliver of hope to be teleported out." The crowd remained silent. Would there be anyone? Who knew? Still, everyone desperately wanted to understand what had transpired. What could have caused such devastating ruin? The losses were far too horrifying! In tens of thousands of years, this was the very first time an expedition into the Star Residence Mansion had resulted in near-total annihilation. What made it worse was that this had been an expedition packed with powerhouses, including dozens of Invincibles! If all those fallen experts belonged to a single faction, then any race outside the top five would have been wiped out entirely on the spot. ... Seventh floor. Within the boundary wall. Inside a massive chamber, everyone held their breath, not daring to utter a sound. It was deathly still! Only faint breathing betrayed their churning emotions. The entire group cast bizarre looks toward Su Yu. Wasn't your trump card a bit too terrifying?! Bai Feng and the few beside him, however, wore puzzled and inquisitive expressions. What was happening outside? Yun Chen was equally bewildered. He had only just attained the Dao, yet before anyone could even ask how it went, something had gone down outside, and he had been dragged in here the very second he finished. And... was this really King Daqin? Why did he seem... completely unlike himself? He was far too frail, far too unsettled. Right now, King Daqin's eyes were wide, bearing none of the imposing majesty of a conqueror who suppressed the myriad worlds. "Just what—" "Shh!" Bai Feng barely started speaking before seven or eight people shushed him at once! Shut up! Bai Feng was left speechless, feeling rather slighted and helpless. What was the big deal?! After an indeterminate amount of time, King Daqin finally said, "He has probably left." With that, he turned to Su Yu. "Who was that?" "Old Zhou." "King Dazhou?" The crowd was stunned. Su Yu replied placidly, "No, another friend of mine. He isn't quite right in the head, and he only comes to save me at critical moments. If I call for him, he appears. He resides in the Star Residence Mansion. When summoned, he slaughters indiscriminately, so unless I'm backed into a corner, I never call on him." "Your friend?" Everyone stared in disbelief. Are you serious? That monster is really your friend? Quit joking around! Su Yu wore an indifferent expression. "An ancient figure, someone who predates even the Human Sovereign. Before the Human Sovereign unified the world, Old Zhou was his greatest rival. Later, after losing the battle, Old Zhou was imprisoned within the Star Residence Mansion. I became acquainted with him by pure coincidence. When he's lucid, he can exchange a few words with me, but he flies into fits of rage frequently. I have no way of calming him down, so I had no choice in a dire moment like this." Having said that, Su Yu sighed. "I was actually hoping to bring Old Zhou out with me this time so he could sweep across the myriad worlds on my behalf. Now it looks like that'll be rather difficult!" The crowd stood frozen. Great demons like Kongkong and Tuntian gulped. True or false? You actually wanted to bring him out?! Heavens above! If a terrifying fiend like that was unleashed, chaos would consume the cosmos, countless lives would perish, and entire realms would be obliterated! What a monstrous being! They didn't fully believe Su Yu's claims... but none of them dared dismiss them, either. At this moment, Bai Feng asked curiously once more, "Who is Old Zhou? Su Yu, what on earth happened to you guys?" Su Yu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gave Bai Feng an odd look. "Teacher, why are you here?" "I opened up a cell and came in to study it. What's wrong with that?" Alright, you win. Su Yu was thoroughly impressed by his teacher. Incredible! How had he managed to unlock this place? This was likely the interior of one of Old Zhou's cells! Only in such a place would Old Zhou fail to track them down. If Su Yu hadn't sensed that this spot was safe, he would never have dared to shout Tai Shan's name. It had been far too perilous; even after shutting the boundary wall, Su Yu had felt terrified during that fleeting instant. It was simply too dreadful! Gradually, the atmosphere turned peculiar. The racial makeup here was quite a mess. Kongkong, Tuntian, Jiu Yue, the Fate race, the Five Elements race, and dead spirits. Yes, even a dead spirit was present. Xingyue stood off to one side with an icy, haughty demeanor, looking down on the people sitting or squatting on the floor. Every gaze, including King Daqin's, fell upon Su Yu—the resident social butterfly. How did you manage to hook up with so many different people? Now, what were they supposed to do? King Daqin was severely weakened, but the humans still held the advantage. Counting Yun Chen and King Daqin, they had six Invincibles. Granted, several were crippled, but Yun Chen, Zhou Polong, and Zhu Tianfang were still relatively intact. Yet the foreign races also had several who could fight Invincibles. What was the plan? Should they turn on them and wipe them out, or what? Moreover, King Daqin's injuries were grave. The human Invincibles were internally conflicted; if news of his condition leaked, it would invite catastrophic trouble! What to do? Everyone turned their eyes toward Su Yu, for they had all gathered here largely because of him. Su Yu, however, remained calm. He raised a hand, and an illusionary silhouette fluttered over from Zhu Tianfang's side. The little fur ball cheered happily, "Smells so good! We can be together now!" Su Yu ignored it. Zhu Tianfang had never been able to restrain the little fur ball anyway. Su Yu said, "Release Huang Jiu. Also, where is Teacher Liu?" Zhu Tianfang released Huang Jiu. When Liu Wenyan was brought up, he hesitated. "I haven't seen him or Hong Tan. Not once. I saw them earlier at the Prince Gong Mansion, but not since. Perhaps..." Su Yu fell silent. Bai Feng, on the other hand, was not overly worried and remarked, "Don't worry, they probably went to the eighth floor!" Surprised, Su Yu looked at Bai Feng, who explained, "I heard the eighth floor contains countless residences and treasures, including some belonging to ancient Civilization Masters. Those are the dwellings of ancient entities, and one needs an ancient official post to enter them. Martial Uncle apparently holds one, and he mentioned earlier that he wanted to check out the eighth floor..." "Teacher Liu has an ancient official post?" Su Yu was startled. Where did he get that? Such a thing required an conferment from an ancient powerhouse! "Inherited!" Bai Feng said casually. "Passed down from the fifth generation. The fifth generation obtained an ancient post and later handed it to Teacher Liu. It wasn't of much use before." Beside them, King Daqin chimed in, "Ye Batian had one." Alright. Su Yu could only assume Teacher Liu and the others had made their way to the eighth floor. By now, Huang Jiu had emerged. She looked at Su Yu, then glanced at Kongkong over there, keeping silent. Su Yu wasted no time. "Kongkong, hand over the Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotus!" Kongkong scanned the surroundings cautiously. "If I give it to you, you won't..." Su Yu replied calmly, "Hand it over, and rest easy! The human race holds a slight upper hand right now, but my word is my bond. If the humans try to cause trouble for you, I'll stand on your side. Feel free to test me!" Kongkong hesitated briefly before retrieving the Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotus. Su Yu reached out and took it. The Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotus looked enchanting and bewitching, appearing alive even after being plucked. Su Yu tore off a petal on the spot and tossed it to Kongkong! Kongkong was stunned. He just tore it like that?! He hastily caught it, not daring to utter a complaint given the tense circumstances. Holding the item, he felt it burn his palms like a hot coal. Su Yu addressed the others. "Does anyone have the corpses of Invincibles from the God, Demon, or Immortal races?" King Daqin shook his head, but Zhu Tianfang spoke up: "I collected two Immortal corpses and one God Invincible corpse. None are entirely intact. The Demon ones... died together later on... I didn't get them." "Give them to Tuntian!" Over there, Tuntian of the ancient hou race swallowed hard and said timidly, "Incomplete ones are fine, Immortals are even better..." Zhu Tianfang glanced at Su Yu, sighed, and tossed a storage ring to Tuntian. Su Yu turned to Jiu Yue. "Senior Jiu Yue helped me this time out of respect for our shared cultivation art, so there are no treasures for you. We'll speak of other matters later. I, Su Yu... never leave a grudge unpaid, nor a favor unreturned. Let's see how things play out!" Jiu Yue continued munching on his food without saying a word. Su Yu then looked toward the Fate race Invincible. The powerhouse wore a peculiar look, and when Su Yu met his eyes, he said softly, "You only need to give me one petal..." Without a word, Su Yu tossed him three petals of the Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotus. Catching them, the Fate race Invincible felt them burn like fire in his hands! Several pairs of eyes turned toward him in utter silence, but their expressions spoke volumes. He had been the last to join the fray, yet he was walking away with three petals of the Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotus. Was it scalding to hold? Terribly so! The humans were likely displeased, only holding their tongues because Su Yu was the one distributing the rewards. And figures like Kongkong were almost certainly disgruntled as well. This Fate race Invincible, Daoist name Wusuanzi, felt completely incapable of calculating his own future right now. Holding the three petals Su Yu had thrown him, anxiety gnawed at him; he feared he wouldn't live long enough to enjoy them! "City Lord Su, there is no need... Just one petal is enough... If it's inconvenient, you don't even have to give me any, I—" Su Yu said calmly, "Once I speak a promise, I never take it back! I said three petals, so three petals it is. I only hope you keep your mouth shut. If you fail to do so, I can give you three petals today, and tomorrow I will take them back with interest!" Wusuanzi fell silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "I will not breathe a word. I... I shall gift one petal to Daoist Brother Jiu Yue. Since you gave it to me, I shall pass it to him. What does City Lord Su think?" "Suit yourself!" Su Yu's face remained impassive. Wusuanzi said nothing more and tossed a petal straight to Jiu Yue. Jiu Yue glanced at him, then back at Su Yu, grinning widely. Su Yu paid them no further mind. Four petals of the Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotus had been distributed. Soon, he tossed another petal to Xia Longwu, casually pulling out a carrier and offering it as well. Looking at Xia Longwu, he said evenly, "Manor Lord Xia, this is my gift to Brother Huyou, fulfilling my duties as a friend!" Xia Longwu fell silent, but accepted them. He needed to restore his three embodiments, and a petal paired with a carrier would largely solve the issue. Turning to Qin Zhen, Su Yu hesitated briefly before tossing him a petal along with another carrier. "This is a token of respect from Su Yu to the Great Qin Prefecture!" Qin Zhen was overjoyed and blurted out, "Su Yu, from now on, you're my brother!" *You just called me your father moments ago!* Su Yu thought to himself, though with King Daqin present, he refrained from saying it aloud. Next, he looked toward King Daqin. Having given away six petals, only three remained. Observing King Daqin's frail state, Su Yu shook his head. "In King Daqin's condition, even the Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotus would struggle to restore you. You'll just have to tough it out yourself! Giving it to you would most likely be a waste!" "..." King Daqin was left at a loss for words. After a pause, he said softly, "Fair enough. Two of my three embodiments have fallen, leaving only my past embodiment. Even if you gave me the entire lotus, it would hardly restore me. It would indeed be a waste." Su Yu nodded. "So, the remaining three petals are mine." "..." King Daqin chuckled softly. "As it should be! You contributed the most this time." From the side, Lan Tian chimed in plaintively, "What about mine?" Su Yu retorted dismissively, "What do you need this for? If I gave you a thousand lotuses and nine thousand petals, would it even be enough for you?" Lan Tian muttered dejectedly, "No." Then what was the point of talking?! Giving him any amount would be a complete waste. If it was a waste, there was no reason to hand it over. Su Yu had already completed four body transformations. If he used all three petals himself, he could achieve at least seven transformations, right? Besides, he had killed several Invincibles earlier. Although his role had been mostly supportive, yielding fewer rewards, it was still a decent amount. If he ground it out himself, he could reach the fifth transformation, and taking the petals afterward gave him good hope of reaching the eighth. As for the ninth transformation, he would find another way! As for King Daqin, his cultivation was far too immense for Su Yu to assist. Just as Su Yu had said, even giving him the entire lotus wouldn't guarantee the restoration of a single embodiment. He could only rely on higher-grade treasures, or alter his path altogether. With two embodiments destroyed, his past embodiment still felt quite formidable to Su Yu—at least equivalent to the seventh stage of Eternal. Wasn't that enough? If he disguised himself well, people might not notice. As long as those present kept their mouths shut, the secret wouldn't spill. In truth, the safest approach was to silence everyone here, but firstly, they weren't easy to kill, and secondly, doing so would be burning bridges after crossing. Finally, Su Yu turned toward Xingyue. Xingyue wore a frigid expression. Su Yu racked his brain but couldn't think of any treasure suitable for her. Resigned, he cupped his fists. "My Lady, your subordinate will surely assist you in sweeping through the dead spirit realm in the future and becoming its supreme overlord!" Xingyue didn't even bother acknowledging him. Who do you think you are? Hmph! Bai Feng cast a wary glance at Xingyue, then looked back at Su Yu, unable to resist asking again, "Can you tell me what's going on now?" *Damn it, I really have no clue what just happened.* Su Yu said calmly, "The people outside are probably all dead! I don't know much else either. Teacher, how long have you been in here?" "Not long after stepping onto the seventh floor." With that, he transmitted his voice to Su Yu: *Hurry up and get rid of them! I've discovered a massive secret!* Su Yu's eyes flickered slightly, and he quickly announced, "The seventh floor has likely quieted down. Everyone... if there's nothing else, you may take your leave!" The crowd looked toward Su Yu, who signaled Bai Feng to open the boundary wall. Bai Feng promptly complied, and Su Yu cupped his fists toward King Daqin and the others. "The road ahead is long, so I won't say much else. King Daqin, take care of yourself! Your injuries are severe, but you don't need a junior like me to help, nor can I do much anyway. Humanity is filled with elites... You know better than I do how to handle this." King Daqin sighed softly, stood up, and looked at Su Yu. "Have you ever thought... of returning to the human race?" Su Yu shook his head. "No." "So be it!" King Daqin turned toward the others and said softly, "We owe you our lives... Race, the greater picture, home... Elaborating on such matters is meaningless. If I truly fall one day, I hope to see you at the Eastern Rift Valley. Su Yu... take care!" With those parting words, King Daqin turned and walked away. Seeing this, the others carefully took their leave one by one. Only when Xingyue was about to depart did Su Yu call out, "My Lady, where are you going? The situation outside remains unclear, and the dead spirit passage might not even be open. Wait a moment, and we'll go inspect it together later!" Xingyue was exasperated. Did she need him to lecture her? As if she didn't know that herself! She stood motionlessly at the opening of the boundary, as if she hadn't heard Su Yu at all. Su Yu didn't mind; as long as she stayed put, it was fine. Xingyue suddenly remarked, "The Guiyuan Saber might still be there..." Su Yu nodded. "No matter. It might not be safe over there right now, and King Daqin and the others probably won't linger on the seventh floor. There's a high probability they'll tear open the entrance and head to the sixth floor... It won't be too late to search for it later!" He had no intention of retrieving it. Even if the Guiyuan Saber was severely drained of its might, he didn't plan on taking it. His reluctance to go was precisely so King Daqin could claim it. King Daqin was crippled, leaving him insufficient to suppress the human race on his own. However, if he could obtain the Guiyuan Saber, perhaps... he could maintain a certain degree of deterrence. Of course, there was no need to state such thoughts aloud. At his side, Bai Feng nudged him and transmitted: *There's a storage ring on the floor!* Su Yu replied with an air of complete nonchalance, "I saw it. King Daqin left it behind. He was afraid I wouldn't accept it if he handed it over directly, and I was afraid that if I reminded him, he'd actually take it back. So it's best to pretend I didn't notice. I paid such a steep price; it's only right I receive some compensation!" The remaining people stared at him dumbfounded. You... saw it all along?! They had assumed Su Yu had missed it! Su Yu curled his lip. Of course he had seen it, but what was he supposed to say? Claim he didn't want it? Too hypocritical! Say he wanted it... how awkward would that be? This arrangement was perfect: you leave the item behind, I take it; you pretend I didn't see you leave it, and I pretend you insisted on giving it to me. How fitting! He picked it up, examined its contents, clicked his tongue, and chuckled. "Not bad. King Daqin made quite a haul before leaving: three Invincible corpses and six carriers. Counting it all up, it roughly covers what I gave away earlier." "..." Bai Feng gasped. "Is this how you guys play now? Carriers are being counted by the half-dozen?" Su Yu smiled. "Teacher, this is nothing. How many Invincibles died this time? Sadly, some were definitely destroyed, and others might never be recovered. Very few corpses remained intact, squandering an ocean of Invincible blood essence... Whatever, no need to dwell on it." He had given away two carriers and received six in return, netting a profit of four. By now, Su Yu had nearly twenty carriers in his possession! At this moment, very few people remained inside the barrier. Aside from Wu Lan and her companions, only Su Yu and Xingyue stayed behind. Lan Tian hadn't left either, lingering in the form of a scholar; it was unclear whether this was his sole remaining clone. ... Outside the barrier. King Daqin cast a backward glance at the sealing barrier, then looked at the utterly devastated seventh floor, before addressing the others calmly: "To the sixth floor!" Qin Zhen hurried to ask, "Father, what about your injuries? Shouldn't we check out the eighth floor?" Zhu Tianfang lowered his voice. "Let's search for the Guiyuan Saber, Uncle Qin. Su Yu didn't mention it, which most likely means he doesn't intend to take it. If you take the Guiyuan Saber, its enhancement might allow you to preserve your previous deterrence." King Daqin fell silent. Zhu Tianfang said in a deep voice, "I understand what Uncle Qin is thinking, but... humanity needs it, desperately so! Otherwise, once word gets out, humanity will plunge into chaos! Even if Uncle Qin feels it would be better in Su Yu's hands... right now, humanity is fractured, and even if Su Yu returned, he wouldn't be able to suppress those veteran battle-hardened generals." King Daqin fell quiet for a moment before speaking: "I'll go take a look. If I can take it, I will; if not... then let it remain! Furthermore..." He turned to the non-human powerhouses and said calmly, "Once you leave and return to your respective races, if the experts of your clans inquire, you may reveal everything except matters concerning Su Yu! That includes my condition, and the fact that two of my embodiments were destroyed. With the Guiyuan Saber in hand, I can hold the line for a while longer... I hope you can grant me, Qin Guang, this much face!" The foreign experts dared not object, cupping their fists in succession. A tiger fallen still commanded awe! Even with only a single embodiment remaining, King Daqin exerted immense pressure upon them. Wusuanzi was the first to speak: "We will not utter a single word regarding Su Yu. Rest assured, King Daqin!" King Daqin nodded slightly. "Head to the sixth floor first. We'll see how to get out later. If we can't leave, everything is moot anyway. With such a massive upheaval, the outside world might have undergone changes as well..." Without another word, he vanished from the spot. Moments later, he arrived beside the dead spirit passage. At present, the vicinity of the passage was completely deserted. Inside, not a single dead spirit remained; they had all been frightened away, while some had been obliterated outright, their rules shattered. It was terrifyingly powerful! "Old Zhou?" Recalling the name Su Yu had used, King Daqin chuckled wryly. Soon, in a distant corner, he spotted the trembling Guiyuan Saber. It had suffered heavy damage. He reached out to seize it! Even in its battered state, the Guiyuan Saber struggled violently, slicing bloody trails across his hand. With a low roar, King Daqin absorbed the Guiyuan Saber into his body. His aura instantly surged, and his gaze sharpened. "Not bad. At the very least, I can barely unleash the combat power of the ninth stage!" Barring a life-or-death struggle or an all-out battle against a Half-Emperor, it would suffice for normal circumstances. He gazed into the distance once more, took a deep breath, and vanished instantly. *Su Yu, in the end... it might all depend on you.* Of course, humanity wasn't that fragile. In the short term, there wouldn't be major issues; the fact that he was still alive was the best possible outcome. Failing to attain the realm of Half-Emperor and having two embodiments crippled brought a twinge of disappointment to King Daqin, but little grief. This was acceptable. Slating and slaying so many Invincibles of various races was a triumph in its own right. Humanity had reaped a considerable harvest. Even after leaving six carriers for Su Yu, he still held spares, which could be used to help the old-timers in the Human Realm recover. Yun Chen had succeeded in attaining the Dao, and Xia Longwu and the others had likely gained insights from this campaign as well. With these thoughts flitting through his mind, King Daqin swiftly departed. He chose not to enter the eighth floor. Doing so carried a high likelihood of death, and in his current state, he could no longer afford to gamble. He knew that going to the eighth floor might heal him. Yet indulging himself once was enough. If he acted recklessly a second time for the sake of recovery and ended up dead, he would become a sinner against his people. He couldn't afford to die just yet. So long as survival was an option, he was better off avoiding unnecessary risks. ... Soon, the entrance to the seventh floor was torn open. The group stepped down onto the sixth floor, searching for an opportunity to return home. None entertained thoughts of further treasure hunting; perhaps the lower six floors could be explored for minor spoils, but returning to the top three floors was entirely out of the question. ... Once they were gone, Su Yu looked at Bai Feng, who bared his teeth in a wide grin. "We've struck it rich, kid! Struck it filthy rich! I found a blood pool over here, brimming with boundless power! It can forge a physical body in an instant, and body transformations are no different! Kid, aren't you in the nine-transformation stage right now? It's unbelievable—that blood pool is frighteningly potent! And... I suspect there are many more like it..." Su Yu was slightly taken aback. A blood pool? Old Zhou's blood? His teacher had actually stumbled upon that? The man's guts were truly astronomical—wasn't he afraid of getting pulverized? No wonder he had urged him to chase everyone away; his teacher wasn't particularly generous, and had no intention of sharing with outsiders. Su Yu chuckled inwardly. A good thing, a wondrous treasure—it was best kept within the family. Just then, another matter crossed his mind: that Daidai seemed to know King Daqin. He had forgotten to ask who that dead spirit was. Could he have been one of the founding kings of the prefectures in life? He felt like someone from King Daqin's generation. Who knew if he had survived? Speaking of which, Su Yu owed the fellow a favor this time; what a pity there had been no way to bring him along back then.