Lingyun Ninth Transformation

Inside the Blood Cavalry General's Mansion. Su Yu threw a punch, and the Blood Fire Demon King's sea of will shattered. Indeed, his sea of will collapsed. In his final breath, the Blood Fire Demon King fused his physical body and sea of will into one, returning a single punch of his own to strike back at Su Yu. Dead! A peerless powerhouse, a ninth-tier Eternity, had fallen just like that. Su Yu did not know if Blood Fire had felt wronged. His death had primarily been caused by Old Zhou, leaving him to perish at the hands of a junior like Su Yu. At the very end, Blood Fire had left nothing behind for himself, save for a single storage ring placed beside the massive cauldron at the start of the battle. Su Yu watched in silence as the demon king vanished from the world. After hesitating for a moment, he retrieved his civilization chronicle. This time, it was not merely to temper the chronicle. In truth, the demon king had left virtually nothing behind; Su Yu's punch had obliterated nearly everything about him. Bringing forth the civilization chronicle, Su Yu collected the residual traces of blood, lingering willpower, and aura. After some consideration, he decided to give this figure a burial of sorts and record his passing. *Blood Fire Demon King, second most powerful expert of the demon race, leader of the Blood Fire Demon race, slain here today by Su Yu...* Su Yu raised his hand, recording simple details in the civilization chronicle. He had been a formidable overlord. He had merely suffered terrible luck, and his strength... had not been great enough! Yet he possessed courage. Any ninth-tier Eternity who dared enter this place had sufficient courage. He was willing to gamble everything for Dao Integration! As Su Yu quietly recorded this, a massive hand formed of rules came crashing down toward him from the void. At the same time, the heavenly reward descended. No matter how gravely injured the demon king had been, he had still been a peerless powerhouse of the ninth tier of Eternity! The massive hand plunged downward, but before it could land, it was dispersed by the descending cloud of heavenly reward. The two canceled each other out, sending immense amounts of rule power scattering into the air. Su Yu had anticipated this long ago and opened his mouth, swallowing the energy greedily! Pure rule power carried an imprint of will—whether of destruction or reward—making it difficult to absorb directly. Once clashed and neutralized by the rules of the heavenly reward, however, it became remarkably easy to assimilate. This was an insight born of Su Yu's personal experience, a rarity across the myriad realms. Few people ever encountered rewards and punishments arriving simultaneously, yet Su Yu had experienced it multiple times. Back when he had broken through to the Soaring Realm, the punishment of the Five Elements Divine Art and the breakthrough reward had similarly collided. Unfortunately, he had not understood such mechanics back then. Vast quantities of rule power—a supreme energy elevated above all others—surged into Su Yu's body. He had already been on the verge of advancing to the Ninth Transformation, only holding back for Xingyue's sake. Now, the influx of rule power was propelling his physical body toward advancement once more, leaving him no choice! Should he advance? If it was unavoidable, then so be it. He would satisfy his own needs and furnish the energy required by his yang apertures himself. Unless driven to the absolute brink, he could no longer draw on Xingyue's power. Once he reached the Ninth Transformation, if he continued siphoning Xingyue's power, short bursts might be tolerable, but in a prolonged battle, she would literally be drained to death. Even now, Xingyue was likely at her breaking point! Su Yu sighed helplessly. "I didn't want this either. But the heavens compel me to advance. Xingyue, don't blame me!" Outside the door, Lan Tian, who had slid down from the wall, wore an expression of utter disdain. *Listen to him... Truly, only the shameless are invincible under the heavens!* Su Yu was abnormal, shameless, sinister, and vicious all at once. The kid was so twisted it had looped around to seeming normal. Lan Tian felt that Su Yu might have outclassed even himself! Inside, Su Yu began his breakthrough to the Ninth Transformation! He had no alternative. The heavens compelled him to advance; if he did not, all these good things would go to waste. As for the little fur ball covertly siphoning energy in his mind, Su Yu couldn't be bothered to intervene. The little creature had guided him here, after all. Rewarding the little guide was only fair. *** At the same time. Near the entrance to the eighth floor. Xingyue lay limp on the ground, staring blankly up at the sky. Her eyes were completely hollow. *I... have been sucked dry!* When would these days ever end? Even in death, she was denied peace and quiet! How long had it been? She remembered that it had not been very long at all. Back then, she had sworn to convert Su Yu into her premier general. Only a few days had passed since, yet her death qi was now barely enough for him to binge on before leaving her completely emptied! Not far away, wisps of death qi drifted toward her from the dead spirit passage, entering her body, but Xingyue felt no desire to absorb them. She had nothing left to die for! Being a dead spirit granted no tranquility whatsoever. What happened to dead spirits being invincible, and whoever they converted being doomed? It was all a lie! "I want to return to the Dead Spirit Realm," Xingyue murmured. She truly wanted to go back. Staying here was pure agony and heartache. Su Yu grew more terrifyingly powerful by the day. She could no longer withstand his ravenous appetite. *** On the sixth floor. Heaven and earth trembled, a disturbance felt even by King Daqin and his companions. King Daqin cast a glance toward the sky, sighing softly. "Blood Fire was a worthy opponent. We crossed blades several times in the past. The fearsome reputation of the Blood Fire Demon race began with him. Alas... his natural talent fell short, keeping him trapped at the ninth tier of Eternity, unable to advance. Between race and individual destiny, sometimes... sigh!" Letting out a rare sigh, King Daqin said no more. He had interacted and clashed with the Blood Fire Demon King before. Blood Fire had been an exceptionally proud figure. King Daqin had initially thought the demon king might escape this catastrophe, but in the end, he had still fallen to Su Yu. King Daqin felt deeply moved. Su Yu... Slaying Blood Fire today might very well mark the dawn of a new era. In the Ninth Tidal Change, Blood Fire had been a titan. His strength was formidable—inferior to King Daqin's, of course, but during his last battle with King Daxia, the two had fought to a standstill as equals. Only when set against King Daqin did he seem outmatched. Then Old Zhou had crippled him, leading to his demise here. Whether his death was a blessing or a curse for the demon race remained to be seen. The Demon Emperor had always been wary of him and had suppressed the Blood Fire Demon race for years. The Blood Fire Demon race was famed for being fierce combatants, but that did not mean they were naturally fearless of death; if they did not serve as compliant vanguards for the Primordial Demon race, would the Demon Emperor have tolerated them? They were a powerful clan! Within the demon race, many subsidiary branches had aligned themselves with Blood Fire. Now, all of that had come to nothing. Next, the Blood Fire Demon race would likely be suppressed and exploited even more harshly by the Demon Emperor, reduced to true cannon fodder. The human race would undoubtedly clash with them in the days to come. The Blood Fire Demon King, much like King Daqin, had entered to gamble on an opportunity. King Daqin sought Dao Integration to allow the human race to stand tall. So had the Blood Fire Demon King. He had been forced to come; had he stayed away, the Demon Emperor, though injured, would have remained wary and moved against him sooner or later. Coming here had been fraught with mortal danger, and leaving would have brought trouble of its own. Dying here might be a form of release. Without him, the Blood Fire Demon race might still preserve a sliver of hope. King Daqin pondered in silence, thinking of himself. If he were to die, what would become of the human race? Beside him, the others wore varying expressions. Blood Fire had been slain in such a short span! Nearby, Jiu Yue was munching on food, discreetly eyeing the humans. At this point, only a few knew King Daqin's true condition. Jiu Yue, Tuntian, Kongkong, the expert from the Five Elements race, and the one from the Life race. These few knew the reality of King Daqin's state. Blood Fire was dead, and the others were likely finished. Even if the Head of the Heaven Department wasn't dead, he had gone mad; even if sane, he might not leak the secret, being a human from the First Tidal Change. The humans would never reveal it themselves, meaning these onlookers were now thorns in humanity's side. Jiu Yue appeared clumsy and simple, but was far from stupid. A fool could never have reached this level. As Jiu Yue chewed and pondered, Kongkong suddenly chuckled not far away. "Minister Zhu, last time you had me take the Tombstone of Civilizations, trouble hounded me right after, and I never found the chance to return it... Now is as good a time as any. I almost forgot about it. Here, take it back!" With that, he produced a stone stele. Kongkong beamed with a broad smile. *Take it. I don't want it anymore!* In truth, he was beginning to suspect: was this damn Tombstone of Civilizations real or fake? Forget it. Real or fake, he couldn't use it anyway. Who cared! He wanted no part of it. The slaying of Blood Fire was utterly terrifying, and Su Yu had undoubtedly done the deed; there was no other candidate. That kid held grudges! He was black-hearted and ruthless! The Tombstone of Civilizations ought to belong to Su Yu. Kongkong had snatched it away. Su Yu hadn't said anything yet, but a dog that bit never barked. If this stele was real, Su Yu would settle the score sooner or later. Rather than waiting for trouble when he couldn't even confirm its authenticity, he would toss this hot potato away first! He hurled the stone stele over. Zhu Tianfang froze for a moment. *Damn it!* *Why didn't you give it to me earlier?* *Handing it over now!* Needless to ask, Kongkong had likely been frightened—not of Zhu Tianfang, but of that kid Su Yu. Catching the stele, Zhu Tianfang didn't even bother examining it closely before tossing it to Xia Longwu. Xia Longwu put it away casually without a second glance. Kongkong's expression shifted slightly. Xia Longwu hadn't even bothered to speak—it was fake. If it were real, Wan Tiansheng, Nan Wujiang, and the rest would have chased Kongkong across ten thousand li. What had Kongkong been thinking? Xia Longwu's teacher would never have left the real one for Kongkong. Xia Longwu didn't inspect it, didn't care to look, and offered no explanation. With only this small group present, he would let them believe the Tombstone of Civilizations was with him. If someone tried to snatch it later, he could simply fling it out. If Kongkong hadn't discerned the truth, the others were unlikely to either. Kongkong lowered his head, cursing wildly in his heart! *Damn it, it really is a fake.* *Of course it is! If it were real, would Xia Longwu treat it so casually?* *What a joke!* *So when Su Yu told me he would teach me how to use it, that was the catch! The thing was fake all along. What good is teaching me how to use a counterfeit?* Kongkong felt utterly exhausted! Humans were cunning and treacherous! Detestable! Not a single one was decent. And to think he had taken the blame for them until now! The worst part was, even though he had returned it, the outside world might not believe it. They might still think it was in his hands, and he couldn't very well announce that he had returned it to the humans! Who would believe him? Infuriating! Nearby, Huang Jiu suddenly said, "Elder, are you able to attain the Dao now? Why not... attain the Dao right here? While there is still time! Breaking through outside will bring immense trouble. Wouldn't it be better to consume the Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotus now and attempt to attain the Dao?" With an innocent smile, Huang Jiu added, "Elder, His Majesty King Daqin and Manor Head Xia are right here. If you attain the Dao, they can watch over you..." Xia Longwu glanced at her, speaking calmly. "If you wish to attain the Dao, we can protect you. The danger is minimal. Attaining the Dao here is much the same as outside, and there is no danger right now." Now was perhaps the prime opportunity to attain the Dao! Those outside could not enter, and those inside were mostly dead. Among the surviving experts, the humans were the strongest. If Kongkong attempted his breakthrough now, no one would obstruct him. Under normal circumstances, once he left, the immortal race would never let him be. Even inside, the immortals wouldn't have permitted it, given that there had been five Immortal Kings. Now, the chance had arrived! At this moment, not only Kongkong, but Jiu Yue and Tuntian were also tempted. Should they attain the Dao here? With the Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotus in hand, breaking through here was genuinely opportune. An easy breakthrough! The only fear was... human obstruction! Once they attained the Dao, their strength would be immense. If Jiu Yue and Kongkong succeeded, their power would likely surpass Qin Zhen's by a wide margin, rivaling Xia Longwu's and stepping directly into the fourth tier of Eternity. In terms of combat prowess, they were truly no weaker than Xia Longwu. If that happened, Xia Longwu, Zhu Tianfang, and Qin Zhen would be neutralized by them. Add an injured King Daqin, and they might not be able to match the experts from the Life and Five Elements races... Humanity would be in grave danger! Without breaking through now, the humans retained their advantage. King Daqin swept his gaze across them, stating calmly, "Whoever wishes to attain the Dao may do so now!" Zhou Polong shook his head. "If anyone wishes to attain the Dao, Kongkong may. As for Huang Jiu... we understand her situation, and humanity owes a debt. Kongkong may proceed, but as for the other two... I suggest breaking through outside. Jiu Yue and Tuntian face little danger breaking through in the outside world. Both the Iron Eater race and the Ancient Hou race possess Half-Emperors and are ancient clans. Ordinary great races will not seek trouble to stop you unless they wish to antagonize your peoples. Kongkong, however, has primarily offended Tiangu..." He refused. King Daqin was the hegemon of humanity and maintained his magnanimity, so he could agree. But as a human powerhouse and Invincible, Zhou Polong had to speak up in refusal. They could not stake everything on the assumption that everyone present was benevolent. If they successfully attained the Dao and abruptly turned hostile, resulting in harm to King Daqin, no one could bear the responsibility. Even if these others were slaughtered, they could not compare in value to King Daqin. King Daqin glanced at him but said nothing. He understood everyone's concerns. With his companions speaking out, he could not act stubbornly. From a personal perspective, he held no objections, but the precautions raised by Zhou Polong and the others were far from groundless. Fortunately, Jiu Yue soon chuckled naively. "I'm in no hurry to attain the Dao. I'll wait until I've tempered my three bodies. I'm quite dissatisfied with my current realm, so I'll consider attaining the Dao after leaving!" Over on the other side, the Ancient Hou caught the fragrant scent of the immortal corpse and quickly chimed in, "Same here. Let Kongkong attain his Dao. That fellow is weak, while we are strong. No rush!" Kongkong was speechless! Still, he genuinely needed this chance. Without standing on ceremony, he cupped his hands to the humans. "Then my thanks to you all! It is mainly that old fellow Tiangu who is too troublesome. Otherwise, when my Space Beast race attains the Dao, we fear no one!" This was the truth. If enemies tried to surround and slaughter a space beast during breakthrough, it would be a laughingstock; a space beast could teleport away in an instant. Numbers were meaningless. The real issue was that Tiangu was too formidable, and the Space Beast Half-Emperor had no desire to wage war against the immortal race on Kongkong's behalf, advising him to wait and see. No one spoke further. King Daqin said, "Go ahead and attain the Dao. Longwu, Qin Zhen, consume your Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotuses as well, and strive to restore your three-life embodiments quickly. There is still a bit of time, and Su Yu provided you with carriers. Put them all to use!" Shortly after, King Daqin looked toward Huang Jiu, falling silent for a moment before speaking. "You must be of the Liu family bloodline. I have already sensed familiar traces in your aura. Do you wish to return to Liu City, or...?" Huang Jiu bowed slightly. "I thank Your Majesty King Daqin, but there is no need. When we leave, I still wish to go with the Elder. Though I possess a human body, I carry the heart of a space beast. I know the human Invincibles wish to make amends... but there is truly no need! I never suffered in my youth; the Elder has treated me exceptionally well. If amends are to be made, make them to the other members of the Liu family... As for my existence... I hope you seniors will not speak of it even to Senior Liu Wenyan and the others... lest it bring needless sorrow." She turned to Kongkong with a smile, continuing, "Furthermore, Su Yu fears that my return to the Liu family would invite disaster upon them. There is no need for such concern. If the Elder successfully attains the Dao today, all debts and grievances will be wiped clean. The Liu family owes me nothing, nor do you. If a day comes when the Elder stands against the human Invincibles, you may treat me as a member of the Space Beast race and strike to kill without mercy!" Beside her, Kongkong felt no gratitude, only fury. He barked, "Silly girl, what do you know! Utter nonsense! How could my Space Beast race produce a human space beast? You are human, not some space beast! Pure drivel! A youngster who understands nothing, daring to spout wild claims..." He cupped his hands to the Invincibles with a forced smile. "This girl is too young, please forgive her! She carries the Liu family bloodline and must naturally return to her roots... Of course, she has a stubborn temper, so there is no rush. I will educate her properly, and when time permits, have her visit Liu City." Internally, he cursed, *Foolish girl!* *Your grandfather here has offended Tiangu. Do you really think we can return to the Space Beast Realm?* *If Tiangu slaughters me one day, you'll still have to rely on humanity.* Nearby, Xia Longwu and the others remained silent. Xia Longwu looked at Huang Jiu without speaking. Technically, had she not been lost, she would have been his daughter-in-law. She possessed loyalty and affection... yet having grown up outside the human realm, she inevitably lacked a sense of belonging to humanity. No one could blame her. It could only be said that the destruction of the Liu family had bred tragedy for many. The group fell silent. Those needing healing tended to their wounds, while those preparing to attain the Dao began their preparations. The Invincibles of the Life and Five Elements races sat cross-legged, holding their peace. At a time like this, silence was best. Within the Five Elements camp, Foutuling suddenly transmitted his voice into the elder's mind: *Elder, keep an eye on that woman. If Kongkong gets killed one day, bring her back to the Five Elements race. Heh, she counts as Su Yu's fellow disciple, after all.* The Five Elements elder was speechless. This genius of their clan had no dignity whatsoever! Instead of thinking about growing stronger, all he thought about was clinging to someone's coattails. Could he even manage it? With Su Yu's murderous temperament, being chopped into eight pieces over a minor disagreement was completely within character! And this kid was simply too cowardly! When Su Yu was present earlier, Foutuling hadn't dared utter a peep, hiding inside his heavenly weapon without speaking a word. Now, with King Daqin present, he found the nerve to talk. Foutuling was terrified of Su Yu, but toward King Daqin, he took advantage of the man's noble stature. A powerhouse like King Daqin wouldn't stoop to bickering with a junior. Su Yu, on the other hand, was petty, overwhelmingly powerful, and young. Provoking Su Yu was far more terrifying than provoking King Daqin. *** Su Yu had no attention to spare for the commotion in the outside world or on the sixth floor. At this moment, his physical body was vibrating violently! His 360 acupoints blazed like scorching suns! Rumble! The physical body's Ninth Transformation officially commenced! Furthermore, beyond the Ninth Transformation, the Shanhai Realm involved the merging of acupoints. His 360 acupoints had already been synthesized into nine. Once those nine fused into one, he would reach the Sun Moon Realm! The initial phase of fusing the nine acupoints was the first tier of the Shanhai Realm. Reducing nine to eight marked the second tier. This progression continued until reducing three to two marked the eighth tier. Condensing into a single aperture marked the ninth tier of Shanhai. Upon reaching the ninth tier, reopening that single aperture into the shape of a crescent moon signified the Sun Moon Realm! Such was the fusion of apertures in the Shanhai Realm. Aperture fusion! As Su Yu completed his Ninth Transformation, he pondered whether to circulate the Great Circulation technique and attempt aperture fusion! He felt the difficulty wouldn't be insurmountable! Shanhai was merely a transitional phase. A process of condensing into a single aperture! He had calculated long ago that completing the Ninth Transformation might allow him to leap directly into the ninth tier of Shanhai. However, reaching the ninth tier might not significantly boost his combat strength. The process of fusing apertures did not yield a massive metamorphosis. *Fusing into a single aperture merely serves to empower the apertures later on, laying the groundwork for stepping into Sun Moon and Invincible...* *Whether I fuse them now or not hardly matters!* As these thoughts crossed Su Yu's mind, his body shook once more, thoroughly enjoying the service provided by the rule power. It felt magnificent! This time, he didn't absorb the heavenly rewards directly, using them only to neutralize the rule power. He smoothly stepped into the Ninth Transformation! Boom! His vitality blood surged, his body resonated, and ripples distorted the void! At this moment, Su Yu was terrifyingly powerful! His physical body had officially attained the Ninth Transformation! His strength exceeded sixty million apertures of force! Boom! His mighty physique rattled the void, to the point where Su Yu felt slightly out of control. He didn't dare activate his yang apertures. His immense power still needed to be absorbed by the yang apertures to keep it from overwhelming him. *Unbelievably mighty!* *Even if the yang apertures provide a smaller boost now, a mere fifty percent increase will push my strength past a hundred million!* Su Yu drew a sharp breath. It was monstrously strong! This journey into the Star Residence Mansion had practically delivered opportunities directly into his hands! The critical issue was that he dared not deploy his yang apertures now; they had to absorb his excess power, reducing his overall combat strength. Otherwise, relying on Xingyue was out of the question—she truly couldn't endure it anymore. *Therefore, my next step must be finding Hetu and locating that star chart teleportation site. Otherwise, with yin and yang out of balance, the stronger I become, the more constrained I will be!* As for other treasures, Su Yu cared little. He walked his own path! Treasures were things to take if seen, and ignore if missed. This place wasn't going anywhere anyway. At worst, he would return next time! *Too strong!* Su Yu sighed with profound emotion. Entering this place had truly placed him among the ranks of the myriad realms' true powerhouses. His sole shortcoming lay in his lack of mastery over the Dao of Time, which made his speed slightly deficient. No matter how fast you ran, if your opponent wielded the power of time and space, your attacks wouldn't land. The Blood Fire Demon King had proven this earlier. Blood Fire had only unleashed the strength of a quasi-Invincible. Had he possessed the genuine power of a third-tier Eternity, Su Yu would likely have been pulverized! When two experts clashed, their attacks operated on entirely different dimensional planes! You threw a punch, and the enemy displaced your force into the future or the past, leaving their present self unscathed. How could you fight that? *Therefore, I must consider the power of rules!* *Divine characters!* Where was his spatial divine character? Where was his temporal divine character? A temporal character could technically be substituted by the character "Slow," but when it came to outlining a spatial character, Su Yu grew depressed. He had eagerly anticipated it for so long, yet had continually failed to outline it. It defied reason! Would his thirtieth character still refuse to manifest as space? If it didn't manifest soon, he might just beat Kongkong to death... Ahem, best not to think about that, lest he fail to restrain himself. The Space Beast race undoubtedly possessed a profound comprehension of the Dao of Space. Su Yu suppressed the thought. Stepping forward, he retrieved the storage ring left behind by the Blood Fire Demon King. After a brief pause, he tossed it into the air, speaking indifferently, "Moduona, the Blood Fire Demon King left this for you. His exact words were for you to fight the Demon Emperor to the bitter end. The item is yours. I, Su Yu, keep my word!" The storage ring vanished into the air. On the eighth floor. Outside an estate, Moduona wore a complex expression as he watched the ring fly toward the entrance, sighing in his heart. The Blood Fire Demon King! Leaving something for him! Yet he belonged to the Primordial Demon race. "Blood Fire Demon King..." Moduona murmured, flying silently toward the ring. *I apologize. Su Yu is simply too strong. When you were slain, I could only watch, powerless to intervene.* *The Blood Fire Demon race... I will do my best to look after them.* Moduona's emotions were a tangled mess. This event had dealt him an immense shock. Su Yu had grown so powerful that he was now out of reach. *No matter. I will catch up!* *I must!* *** Elsewhere on the eighth floor, Changhe of the Life race and the Second Elder of the Hunting Heaven Pavilion were equally shaken. Blood Fire was dead! Slain by Su Yu. Once this news spread, the heavens would tremble. Su Yu would truly draw the gaze of the myriad realms. It would not be ordinary people, but Invincibles and Half-Emperors who would formally regard Su Yu as a figure of consequence. No longer a minor player relying on ancient cities! Su Yu was an overlord in his own right! Even though Blood Fire had been severely wounded, a crippled Blood Fire was not someone just anyone could kill. Yet upon encountering Su Yu, he had been slain on the spot in short order! This news had to be transmitted! The Second Elder of the Hunting Heaven Pavilion repeatedly attempted to transmit messages via his sub-ranking and mask, but the eighth floor remained still, making transmission impossible! Yet the moment the eighth floor experienced the slightest tremor, he would relay the intelligence immediately! Su Yu had entered! Not only had he entered, he had killed Blood Fire. Such news would unleash monstrous waves across the realms! *** At this moment, Su Yu couldn't care less about any of that. He soon arrived before the colossal cauldron. The Blood Fire Demon King had already undone the seals. Lan Tian drifted in, complaining sullenly, "Little Yu, you hit me just now, do you know that?" Su Yu nodded. "I felt it. My apologies, I won't strike Senior next time. It was an accident." "Little Yu is so sweet!" Su Yu shrugged. He wasn't nearly as frightened now, nor did his skin crawl as much. If Lan Tian dared approach, Su Yu would simply blast him with shockwaves, sending him flying until he flattened like a pancake! Lan Tian was only venting a brief complaint. Su Yu had just advanced, and his leaked power was so volatile that even Lan Tian felt a tremor of fear. Glancing at the medicinal cauldron, Lan Tian drew a sharp breath. "After all these years, this cauldron of Blood Demon Pills is still intact! You truly possess monumental fortune. Had the Blood Fire Demon King consumed them first, he would have recovered at least sixty percent of his injuries. At that point... beating you right now would have been effortless!" Su Yu nodded in agreement. Had he arrived a step later, Blood Fire might have breached the seal, consumed the pills, restored a portion of his strength, and slain Su Yu without much trouble! Lan Tian inspected the cauldron for a moment before clearing his throat. "Say... how about gifting me one?" "You want one?" "Not for me. Tiansheng needs it. He was severely injured last time. You don't think he's an abnormal freak like you, with endless treasures, recovering in a matter of days, do you?" True enough! Last time Wan Tiansheng had slaughtered Invincibles, his divine characters had nearly all detonated, and his physical body had suffered grave damage. His injuries were indeed severe. "Is one enough?" "Just about!" Lan Tian chuckled. "Little Yu, does that mean you agree?" Su Yu smiled. "A small matter. The Manor Head is injured; healing takes priority!" He paused, then added, "Do you think the remaining eight pills can help King Daqin recover from his injuries?" "Unlikely! However, his past embodiment can be strengthened—not just bolstered, but restored to its former might, nearing the peak of ninth-tier Eternity..." Lan Tian assessed the situation. "That shouldn't be a problem! That way, if he reclaims the Origin Returning Saber, his strength won't suffer too steep a decline. Of course, his survival capabilities will drop. The greatest advantage of fusing three bodies is having three lives; now, he only has one left!" "King Daqin could reforge his three-life embodiments, but he would need at least two Nine-Leaf Celestial Lotuses—one for each incarnation. Yet the lotuses here were destroyed. I doubt the myriad realms possess many treasures capable of restoring him. Alternatively, he could learn from the Demon Emperor..." Su Yu cut him off instantly. "Then let him remain with a single body. Learning from the Demon Emperor would ruin a lifetime of glory!" He would rather King Daqin never recover than see him resort to such methods. If King Daqin actually did that... Su Yu would settle scores with him personally! Lan Tian said softly, "That's hard to say. Someone might willingly volunteer to be consumed. You know how these things go!" Su Yu nodded without further comment. That possibility certainly existed! Dismissing the thought, he reached out with one hand toward the cauldron. With a sharp hum, the cauldron slammed toward Su Yu with a thunderous crash! Su Yu caught it firmly with one hand, noticing 140 golden patterns flashing brilliantly across its surface! A heavenly weapon! A top-tier heavenly weapon! It had even developed a rudimentary consciousness and was struggling frantically. Su Yu gave a cold snort and suddenly produced his civilization chronicle. Lan Tian gasped. "Don't! That's a top-tier heavenly weapon! It's worthy of being used by King Daqin and his peers. Even King Daqin's spear might not surpass this..." This weapon had originally belonged to an ancient general, likely a ninth-tier Eternity expert. Tempered by subterranean flames for a hundred thousand years, it was overwhelmingly formidable! Was Su Yu planning to destroy this cauldron? Su Yu chuckled. "A disobedient weapon is useless! Back when the civilization chronicle was unruly, I was prepared to discard it. How can a weapon usurp its master? A weapon is only good if it serves its wielder well; if not, no matter how powerful, it's merely a liability!" *Madman!* Once again, Lan Tian felt alienated from Su Yu simply because he wasn't crazy or twisted enough. *To hell with you!* *This cauldron is a genuine treasure!* *Don't do this!* Had Lan Tian been an alchemist, he would have broken down in tears by now. This might be the most powerful medicinal cauldron in the myriad realms! As if sensing Su Yu's intent to destroy it and feed it to the floating book beside him, the massive cauldron began to tremble. It rapidly shrank down into a translucent, exquisite, and miniature form, seemingly trying to appease Su Yu... Su Yu blinked, then remarked coldly, "How audacious. A mere weapon knows how to fathom its master's intentions? Such a thing cannot be kept; it must be destroyed!" "..." *How is your train of thought completely different from everyone else's?* Lan Tian was at a loss for words! If the cauldron resisted, you wanted to destroy it. Now that it submitted, you still wanted to destroy it. In this day and age, even being a weapon was hard! The civilization chronicle hovered obediently nearby. Its master had a volatile temper. One must never provoke him! No matter how fine the weapon, if it proved unusable, he wouldn't hesitate to smash it to pieces! Just as Su Yu was about to strike, his expression shifted slightly. He picked up the miniature cauldron, examining it. "An ancient heavenly weapon... How about gifting it to Teacher Zhao?" He had previously acquired an ancient weapon-crafting technique. Paired with this peak ancient heavenly weapon, wouldn't it be perfect for Old Zhao? Su Yu rubbed his chin. In truth, it was remarkably fitting. A fine treasure! If Old Zhao didn't want it, he could give it to Old Liu. Old Liu could use it to curry favor with Wu Yuehua, one of his three mistresses! She was a bona fide alchemist! To an alchemist, this cauldron was the treasure of treasures! Putting the thought aside, Su Yu unsealed the cauldron. A rich, overpowering aroma burst forth as nine pills attempted to take flight. Su Yu snatched them instantly, sealing one inside a jade box. Tossing it to Lan Tian, he asked, "Do you want one? The Manor Head needs one to heal. What about you?" "Me?" Lan Tian chuckled faintly. "Not me! I only want corpses. Just don't fight me for corpses next time. In the myriad realms, we're in the same trade, and competitors make bitter enemies. Next time I go out killing, just don't tag along!" They truly were in the same line of work! Su Yu was speechless. Indeed, when a corpse appeared, he wanted it, and Lan Tian wanted it too! Su Yu integrated them into the civilization chronicle, while Lan Tian refined them into clones. Operating together was indeed a recipe for conflict. "Fine, we won't team up next time!" Having collected the treasures, Su Yu walked out of the hall. In the air above, rule power seemed to gather once more, but Su Yu ignored it; this was merely the outer perimeter. He strode directly outside. Lan Tian paused, startled. "Where are you going?" "I'm leaving. Departing this place early to return to the myriad realms!" "What?" Lan Tian was stunned. "Are... are you serious?" Without looking back, Su Yu replied, "Right now, knowing every secret is useless to me! Claiming every benefit is equally useless! Before the Star Residence Mansion officially closes, I will depart via the Dead Spirit Realm and aim to return within ten days. An early return... allows me to set an ambush! Perhaps I can wipe out a batch of enemies!" Su Yu grinned. "Senior may linger here for a few days until the final moment to depart! I cannot; I must leave early. While they all assume I am still inside, I will strike them fiercely from behind in the outside world!" With a bright smile, Su Yu continued, "Treasures move the heart, but I do not care! This place will belong to me sooner or later! I will return in due time, but not today. That includes the Myriad Worlds Palace; I will set foot in it eventually, perhaps even ascending to the ninth floor! There are countless secrets here, but what good does knowing them do right now?" Su Yu looked up at the sky. "That gatekeeper might still be a living ancient heavyweight, yet I imagine he is bound by rules as well!" Su Yu smiled. "Greed is humanity's greatest flaw! I have obtained everything I ought to obtain. I must leave, or by the time I wait until the end, I fear my home base will be destroyed!" Indeed, he was leaving. He had claimed all the rewards he needed! Now, heading to the Dead Spirit Realm to find Hetu, locating that destination, and securing the final harvest would bring everything to perfection! The treasures here weren't going anywhere! Over a hundred thousand years, whatever could be taken had already been taken. Whatever remained would eventually belong to him! Behind him, Lan Tian felt both startled and awed. After a long pause, he murmured, "Su Yu... it would defy reason if you didn't succeed!" Su Yu possessed immense strength and top-tier clearance, yet after slaying Blood Fire, he chose to walk away! Su Yu desired much, but he was not consumed by greed! Ambition and blind greed were entirely different things. Su Yu laughed. "Senior, to each their own! Perhaps some will think me cowardly, but it matters not. I shall take my leave. If Senior enjoys it here, feel free to play around longer; Changhe cannot touch you anyway! Just don't tell anyone I've left..." With those words, Su Yu was already back at the entrance. Time to go! Xingyue was likely growing impatient. He would take her straight back to the Dead Spirit Realm through the dead spirit passage rather than the teleportation array. With his current strength, he possessed far greater confidence. With his might, he could obliterate an ordinary Dead Spirit Monarch with a single punch! *** Su Yu tore open the void and departed the eighth floor. He left decisively, without a shred of hesitation. With Lan Tian remaining on the eighth floor and the others unaware of Su Yu's departure, they would be too busy hiding to dare provoke the humans. Doing so would be seeking death! Thus, he was entirely at ease. Even though Liu Wenyan and Hong Tan had not left, he harbored little worry. All would be well! Each person possessed their own fortune. With his departure, perhaps they would encounter their own destiny. The moment he tore through space and vanished, an illusory figure materialized within the reception hall of the eighth floor. Gazing at Su Yu's receding back, the figure's eyes flickered with a strange light before fading away. A junior with Level 4 clearance who slaughtered an enemy and departed without the slightest hesitation... With such decisive character, should he survive, he would achieve greatness sooner or later. A human! What a terrifying little fellow! *** On the seventh floor. Xingyue had assumed Su Yu would take a long time to emerge and was still lying on the ground. The instant she sensed Su Yu approaching, she leaped up! Yet Su Yu was already before her! Xingyue's face was flushed with fury! *You... damn you!* *You saw me lying on the ground!* Su Yu smiled. "Great Monarch, let us depart. First, a quick trip to the sixth floor to find King Daqin and deliver some items, then... we enter the dead spirit passage so you can show this subordinate your realm!" Xingyue glared at him coldly. "Su Yu, do not be arrogant!" Su Yu wore a genial expression, radiating holy light. "Great Monarch, your subordinate understands!" Xingyue felt slightly dazed. The young man before her suddenly looked remarkably pleasing to the eye! In a state of bewildered compliance, she followed Su Yu toward the entrance of the seventh floor, pondering all the way: *Why does Su Yu seem so kind and gentle?* *Have I been too harsh on him?* *He is a good person!* Xingyue thought quietly to herself. *Yes, a good person. If he weren't, where would this strong sense of affinity come from?* Meanwhile, Su Yu walked ahead with utter composure. Managing Xingyue with this routine was hardly a challenge!