The Heavens Have Not Changed

His hands might be trembling, but his imposing aura could not waver! That was just how confident he was! Confident enough that even against several Dao Integrators, he felt no fear! At that moment, the stone statues were returning one after another. Having fought a good battle, they were all in high spirits. Although they hadn't killed anyone, more than a few past, present, or future bodies had been blown to pieces. Previously, these stone statues had still harbored some reservations. It wasn't that they couldn't kill, but killing wasn't necessary and could easily invite massive trouble; blowing apart their three bodies was enough! Precisely because of this, with so many stone statues, hardly anyone had been killed. However, when the various races returned, they would probably want to weep—this time, there were at least twenty or thirty new "bachelors" left with only a single body. Xinghong returned. Just as he arrived, Tianmie tore through the air. He looked at Su Yu, glanced at the White Jade Gate, and laughed boisterously. "Is there really an old monster in there?" Su Yu smiled. "Didn't Lord Tianmie already guess it?" "I was just shooting my mouth off!" Tianmie chuckled heartily. "The Martial Emperor... that was all from a long, long time ago. There were only rumors, and even we weren't very clear on the details. I was just speaking off the cuff—I couldn't very well admit I hadn't figured it out, could I? I saw the Boss and the others seemed to have guessed it, so didn't I need to say something first?" Su Yu was speechless. That worked too? Not long after Tianmie arrived, Yunxiao came as well, an annoyed scowl on her face. "That bitch Han Xiang is actually quite strong..." Hearing this, Su Yu thought that if they weren't on the same side, she would sound just like a villain! Su Yu muttered inwardly. Then again, wasn't their entire bunch behaving like villains? Look at how they cursed and coerced people! Driving the Invincibles who defended their races to their deaths, cursing Han Xiang, plundering Duobao's treasures, colluding with dead spirits, threatening to release the powerhouse King Wu had suppressed, defying the rules... No matter how one looked at it, these were the deeds of villains! Su Yu rubbed his chin, only now beginning to savor the flavor of it all. *Wait, am I the villain?* *And those guys are the righteous sects?* *Tracing it further back, those guys were only seeking to exterminate humanity to resist human tyranny... So humanity has been the villain all along?* *How terrifying!* "What are you daydreaming about?" Yunxiao looked at Su Yu, suddenly finding the look in his eyes somewhat strange. Su Yu cleared his throat lightly and smiled. "Nothing, Empress. You were domineering! Don't worry about that bitch Han Xiang. If I could kill King Zhi, I'll take her out sooner or later too!" Yunxiao beamed with delight! Now that was more like it! Su Yu exhaled and called out, "My deepest thanks to all the guarding lords for stepping in to assist this time. Su Yu is endlessly grateful. I have little to offer in return, but over the next three months, each guardian may go out and enjoy themselves for three days and three nights! Don't worry about the death qi passageways—I can bear it! Just make sure not too many leave at once!" "Hahaha, wonderful! Su Yu, that's exactly what we've been waiting for!" "Three days... a bit short, but good enough, I suppose!" "Fair enough!" "Not bad! Where should we go for three days?" "The God, Demon, and Immortal realms are inconvenient to visit. Maybe have some fun in the minor realms, or head over to the Human Realm?" "..." The group of guardians instantly grew enthusiastic. A holiday! Three days wasn't very long, but for them, after nearly a hundred thousand years of barely stepping outside, getting three days of fresh air was already wonderful! As for so many people dying just now, they didn't care in the slightest! Dead was dead! Over so many years, they had lived through nine tide shifts and had seen more than enough of this. Before the end of every tide shift, was there ever a time without incessant warfare and Invincibles falling like rain, waiting for the next tide shift to begin anew? As they chatted, the Invincibles from various factions in the distance also ceased their fighting one after another. At this moment, King Daqin led several others flying toward Su Yu. Without entering the city, King Daqin halted outside, suspended in midair. Looking at Su Yu, he called out clearly, "Do you want to return to the Human Realm for a visit?" Su Yu smiled. "My father is still there!" "If you want to go back, then go back!" King Daqin declared in a clear, ringing voice. "When City Lord Su Yu of the sacred cities visits the Human Realm, the human race will surely receive you with the utmost courtesy. As for past trivialities, let them go if you can; if you can't, keep them in your heart. If one day you can reign supreme over the myriad realms, everything will naturally be yours to decide!" Su Yu smiled and cupped his hands. "Your Majesty King Qin is too polite!" King Daqin said no more and strode away across the void, his voice echoing back: "This time, you saved us. That is a personal debt of gratitude. If you ever have need, call on me anytime. I believe I can still fight a few more battles!" "Many thanks!" Su Yu clasped his fists and watched them depart. This time, King Daqin and his companions had indeed contributed their strength. More importantly, King Dazhou, leading the other human powerhouses, had served as an effective deterrent, forcing several Dao Integrators who had been preparing to intervene to ultimately abandon the idea! Had it not been for that, ending the battle this time would not have been so simple. The dead spirit realm was a later development. Powerhouses departed one by one, returning to wherever they had come from. In the distance, a figure appeared before the grand hall of the Hunting Heaven Pavilion. Compared to before, however... there was an air of desolation. The Ministers of the Di and Xuan Divisions were dead, the Master of the North Tower was dead, and the Grand Law Enforcement Elder was dead as well. On the other hand, the Head of the West Pavilion and the Master of the South Tower had clashed for quite a while without determining a victor, and they had now disengaged from each other. Warden Tianhou stood before the doors of the Hunting Heaven Pavilion. After a moment, the Master of the South Tower returned bearing injuries, looking rather dejected. The East and West Pavilions, the South and North Towers, the Tian, Di, Xuan, and Huang Divisions, the Law Enforcement Hall... Of so many Invincibles, now only he and the Pavilion Master remained! In the distance, the Head of the West Pavilion cast his gaze toward Warden Tianhou. Warden Tianhou looked at him as well, his eyes filled with mixed emotions and a touch of melancholy. Softly, he said, "There is no need to look at me like that. Each of us has our own stance. This is the tenth tide... Victory or defeat may well be decided in this very tide. It is just as well that each makes their own choice..." The Head of the West Pavilion said in a deep voice, "The Marquis was deeply valued by King Wen and was supposed to belong to humanity's lineage. Just for a damaged Heaven Hunting Ranking, was it worth it?" "Was it worth it?" Warden Tianhou smiled faintly. Who could truly say about such things? He said nothing further and turned his head toward Su Yu's direction. Su Yu was watching him as well. Warden Tianhou's eyes grew profound as he observed Su Yu for a moment. Then, steering the Hunting Heaven Pavilion, he departed, his voice carrying back from afar: "King Wen was not as brazen as you!" With just those few words, he was gone. Su Yu watched the grand Hunting Heaven hall vanish. He said nothing right away, silently pondering the meaning of those words. *King Wen wasn't as brazen as me?* Su Yu thought it over and nodded. "That's why King Wen was a failure. He didn't terrify you enough with his killing. Otherwise, even if he died, you wouldn't dare betray him!" Su Yu chuckled. "Warden Tianhou, I think if I were King Wen, being a bit more brazen and terrifying the myriad realms through slaughter, you probably wouldn't dare betray me for a million years. So you're right—King Wen is indeed a bit inferior to me!" "..." Warden Tianhou, who had already departed, shuddered slightly, almost unable to process what he had heard. *I didn't say that!* *I never said King Wen was inferior to you!* *I said King Wen wasn't as brazen as you, not that King Wen was worse than you! How on earth did you interpret it like that?* Even Old Turtle, who had just arrived, couldn't help coughing. What kind of reading comprehension was that! Did you have no shame? You've grown arrogant enough to disparage King Wen himself now—aren't you afraid King Wen might still be alive? "Su Yu..." "My Lord!" Su Yu bowed slightly. Old Turtle was truly powerful and immensely dependable. This time, Old Turtle had deterred two Dao Integrators; otherwise, this battle wouldn't have ended so easily. Old Turtle glanced at the others. Seeing Tianmie and the rest huddled together, unwilling to leave, he knew what was on their minds... seizing the opportunity to fool around a bit longer, reluctant to return. "You... never mind. When you have free time, pay a visit to Hongmeng City!" He had originally wanted to say a few more things, but with Tianmie and these fellows being so oblivious, standing right there without budging, he couldn't be bothered. Having said that, he turned to Tianmie and barked, "Tianmie, stop fooling around for me!" Tianmie nodded, looking at Old Turtle with an earnest expression. Old Turtle frowned slightly and added, "Next time, don't think about breaking your seal at every turn..." Tianmie continued nodding, looking exceedingly obedient. Old Turtle was taken aback! So compliant? Nearby, Xinghong chuckled and said, "Boss, even if you curse him and call him a bastard, he'll still nod!" Old Turtle was stunned for a moment, then realized what was going on. He couldn't help cursing, "Did this idiot shut off his hearing?" Tianmie kept nodding! Seeing Old Turtle moving his mouth, he knew it was the same old nagging and couldn't be bothered to listen. Nodding was the way to go, sparing him from getting annoyed. How great was this? You say a line, I nod once; everyone's happy, everything's good! Old Turtle was amused to the point of laughter! Seeing him smile, Tianmie nodded once more. As long as the Boss was smiling, everything was probably fine. To the side, Xinghong chuckled and nudged Tianmie. When Tianmie looked at him, Xinghong said with a grin, "The Boss said you're a dumbass, and he said you have no brains!" Seeing Xinghong point at Old Turtle, Tianmie nodded. *I'm receptive to advice!* Xinghong was having the time of his life. *Tianmie, you have your day too!* "Tianmie, you're an idiot, right?" Xinghong adopted the earnest tone of a peacemaker, speaking with heartfelt concern. To the side, Yunxiao yawned, and without drawing attention, sent a tiny wisp of willpower to prick Tianmie's ear. Immediately, Xinghong's voice reached Tianmie's ears: "Tianmie, you're an idiot? Look, you admitted it yourself! On top of being an idiot, you're a fool..." *Boom!* Tianmie threw a punch, sending Xinghong flying! His face was full of fury. "You think I can't hear you?" To the side, Su Yu was utterly speechless. Were they really this bored? A bunch of ancient antiques playing such childish games. Old Turtle sighed helplessly. "Locked up for so many years, they've all been driven mad!" Having finally gotten a rare chance to come out and run wild, these guardians were all letting loose their true nature, making a ruckus and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Old Turtle wasn't surprised. Seeing that Tianmie could hear now, he snorted, "If you cause trouble again, see how I deal with you!" This time Tianmie heard him and protested indignantly, "How did I cause trouble? Am I even capable of causing trouble like Su Yu? Didn't Su Yu do every single bit of it? How does it fall on me! Just chiming in counts as my fault?" The Boss was being completely indiscriminate! Indeed, he knew that hearing the sound would only irritate him. Old Turtle was helpless too. Oh well, locking this fellow up for a hundred thousand years had achieved nothing. "I'm heading back first! The dead spirit realm is a complete mess!" Old Turtle said no more and quickly returned to Hongmeng Ancient City. He still had matters to attend to. Right now, things below were in chaos—not just those dead spirit monarchs, but even more had arrived, drawn from all directions by the aura of the living. If he didn't disperse them soon... if they truly swarmed to attack Xinghong Ancient City or Hongmeng Ancient City, it would be a massive headache! He had to disperse those dead spirit monarchs and send them back to their homes! Moreover, there was Marquis Qishan, whom Su Yu had mentioned... Old Turtle truly wasn't very clear on that matter. He had been occupied previously and hadn't been able to attend to it. While the crisis was resolved for now, he had indeed been careless, and that trouble still needed resolving! ... Old Turtle soon returned to the seabed. The ancient city reappeared. Hongmeng Ancient City emerged. Old Turtle pondered for a moment. Soon, the entire stone statue of the old turtle vanished, instantly stepping into the dead spirit realm. In the dead spirit realm, there were hardly any dead spirits left on his side—Hetu had taken them all away, and a crowd of dead spirits was still over at Xingyue's place. Old Turtle cast a glance into the distance, where death qi soared into the sky. He watched for a brief moment without intervening further, then flew toward the River of Dead Spirits at extreme speed. In the blink of an eye, he reached the River of Dead Spirits. Hovering above the river was a dead spirit, yet from his body emanated a faint white glow. Divine light gleamed in Old Turtle's eyes as he looked toward that dead spirit. The dead spirit opened his eyes instantly and looked at Old Turtle, seeming to recognize him, and bowed slightly. "Greetings, General!" "You are too polite. Marquis Shouwen holds a higher rank than I..." The dead spirit bowed again. "I dare not accept such praise. I am already dead, and no longer Marquis Shouwen. In my lineage, only the current Tomb Guardian is Marquis Shouwen." Old Turtle said no more on the matter, looked at him again, and soon asked, "Have your memories recovered?" "Recovered sixty to seventy percent." "That is good." Old Turtle paused, then asked, "Were you the one who repelled Marquis Qishan earlier?" "I barely held him off. Later, he was called away." "Did he cross the River of Dead Spirits?" "He crossed it..." "Then I understand!" Old Turtle said nothing more to him. Taking a step forward, he walked onto the River of Dead Spirits. From within the river, claws suddenly reached out to grab him, only to be crushed under his foot. Old Turtle crossed straight over the River of Dead Spirits. Even with its countless perils, they were easily shattered before him. Beyond the River of Dead Spirits, the sky on this side was not as dark and gloomy. It was mingled with wisps of white light, carrying a touch of brightness. Old Turtle did not tarry. Suddenly, his aura shifted, and his attire transformed into the guise of a Grand General. Shedding his earlier gentle demeanor, his eyes widened with rage! In an instant, tearing through the void, his aura exploded as he manifested before an enormous, majestic hall! "Eastern Heavenly King!" A low shout resonated through heaven and earth! Old Turtle's aura surged ceaselessly, and a great seal materialized in his hand. "Spirit Quelling General Hongmeng requests an audience with the Eastern Heavenly King!" Inside the massive palace complex, within a side hall, Marquis Qishan frowned slightly. In several other side halls, powerhouses furrowed their brows as well. Soon, someone called out, "Spirit Quelling General, the Heavenly King is not in; he has gone out on official business." Old Turtle said coldly, "Is that so? Then by that logic, Marquis Qishan crossing the boundary and trespassing into the Eastern Thirtieth District was of his own initiative? Audacious Marquis Qishan, come out and receive death! Scoundrel, how dare you invade the land under my guard!" In the void, the silhouette of a powerful entity emerged—it was none other than Marquis Qishan. Marquis Qishan said coldly, "Hongmeng, this is the dead spirit realm!" "The dead spirit realm?" Old Turtle said chillingly, "This is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court! Above and below the heavens, the realms of life and death, all belong to the Imperial Court! Since no one else has unified the myriad realms, the heavens remain the heavens of antiquity! The heavens of the Imperial Court! I am a general conferred by the Imperial Court, the General of Spirit Quelling! Marquis Qishan, how dare you trespass into my territory?" Marquis Qishan's brows knit together. "What do you want?" "Take three strikes from my blade to your Dao-body, and this matter shall be settled!" "What a joke—" *Boom!* A thunderous crash erupted. Old Turtle hurled his great seal, smashing heaven and earth with a single strike. Just as Marquis Qishan attempted to resist, the power of rules swept down, suppressing the surroundings as if specifically targeted against dead spirits. "Ahhh!" The power of rules suddenly set Marquis Qishan alight, drawing a shrill scream of agony from him. Old Turtle said coldly, "A mere marquis dares rebel against heaven? Defying the rules first, and now daring to be insolent—do you wish to revolt?" With those words, the great seal erupted with an even more dazzling brilliance that enveloped heaven and earth. Around them, a group of dead spirit monarchs and several marquises retreated in haste. The burning white light was uncomfortable even for marquises. Marquis Qishan roared furiously, his death qi shaking the world. *Boom!* Old Turtle threw a punch, making him vomit blood repeatedly, leaving him nearly powerless to resist. Punch after punch landed. In the end, a phantom image emerged from Marquis Qishan's body. Old Turtle grinned upon seeing it, instantly conjuring a blade that slashed outward with a hum, carrying the power of rules as it struck three times in rapid succession! With a squelch, the phantom image shattered, dripping three droplets of blood! Blood of death! Indeed, it was the blood of death Su Yu had seen once before, the kind Moduona carried. Yet each of these three droplets seemed far more powerful than that one. Having cleaved out three drops of blood, Old Turtle swiftly recalled his great seal. Marquis Qishan, his aura withered and eyes filled with venom, hissed, "Hongmeng, you broke my Dao-body!" Old Turtle said indifferently, "You brought this upon yourself! Crossing boundaries without permission, acting on your own authority, violating the rules, daring to resist, and refusing to admit your fault... you deserved punishment! Marquis Qishan, do not forget, the rules still stand! As long as they stand, you must obey them! Even in death, you must obey them! The same applies to the rest of you!" Old Turtle looked at the other powerhouses. "I am only responsible for suppressing the Eastern Thirtieth District. The Eastern Twenty-Eighth and Twenty-Ninth Districts were originally suppressed by King Gong. Now that King Gong is absent and the Guiyuan Saber has been taken by King Daqin, I have temporarily assumed defense duties over those two districts! I hope all of you will cooperate with this old man's official duties!" With those words, Old Turtle turned to leave. Just as he was about to depart, a chuckle drifted from afar: "Hongmeng, why the rush to leave? Now that you're here, why not come have a few drinks at my residence?" Old Turtle's expression changed slightly. Without looking back, he said, "I have official duties to attend to! Thank you for the hospitality, Heavenly King. Once my duties are finished and I have free time, I shall disturb the Heavenly King again!" "True enough... Then so be it!" The laughter remained pleasant, without a trace of anger. "By the way, when will Hetu report for duty? He ought to report to the Eastern King Mansion. Your side is no place for him to linger!" Old Turtle's expression shifted before he quickly smiled. "Soon. I will urge him as quickly as possible..." "Haven't you been urging him for many years?" Old Turtle raised an eyebrow and replied without turning back, "Then I shall urge him again. The Eastern Heavenly King needn't rush; Hetu's status is special after all—a descendant of King Gong and the offspring of my superior. I must show some consideration." "Then I understand. In truth, Marquis Qishan's crossing of the boundary this time was precisely to find Hetu, hoping he would report for duty sooner. It seems there was a misunderstanding!" The Eastern Heavenly King's laugh persisted. "Brother Hongmeng, why don't you return those drops of blood of death to Marquis Qishan?" Old Turtle flew rapidly into the distance, his voice also carrying a laugh: "If Marquis Qishan wished to enter my territory, he should have sent word or provided an official document. Arriving uninvited, my punishing him was entirely justified..." "Does Brother Hongmeng mean to say... you won't return them?" Old Turtle tore through the void and vanished, his voice no longer smiling: "Indeed, I will not! Eastern Heavenly King, I may enter your territory because I am the Spirit Quelling General conferred by the Imperial Court. But as for my domain... Marquis Qishan cannot enter, for he lacks the authority!" The Eastern Heavenly King's voice turned slightly cool. "Hongmeng, you cross the line..." "Heavenly King, appease your anger. Everything I have done is within the rules. If I have violated the rules, the Imperial Court will punish me! It remains as I said... rules come first. If Marquis Qishan dares come again, I will discipline him once more!" Having spoken, Old Turtle had vanished. Above the colossal palace, an ancient existence manifested. The death qi on him was not heavy—in fact, it was faint to the point of being nearly imperceptible. Beside him, Marquis Qishan looked frail and bowed. "Heavenly King, he... severed three drops of blood from my Dao-body!" The Eastern Heavenly King said calmly, "Why must you invite humiliation upon yourself by crossing into the land under his guard? You hold the noble rank of a marquis of the Eastern King Mansion. Rashly entering his territory, it was only natural for him to come knocking." "But..." The Eastern Heavenly King said placidly, "Let it go this time! Hongmeng takes the rules and laws as his standard. What, do you wish to kill him? As he said, these heavens... are still the Imperial Court's heavens! If you slay a guardian general, can you bear the consequences?" With that, he added indifferently, "Issue a formal document urging him to send Hetu to report for duty at once! Hetu's status is special; he cannot remain in the outer domain for long. In addition, I learned from the River Directorate that an upper-stage Eternal dead spirit has recently awakened. Send a dispatch and have someone verify his identity; if he meets the criteria, he must also come to the Eastern King Mansion to report for duty!" Though Marquis Qishan was still unwilling, he quickly complied: "Understood. Rest assured, Heavenly King, I shall handle it properly!" "Go." Marquis Qishan descended grudgingly, filled with resentment. *Hongmeng, I am not finished with you!* *You can only use the rules to suppress me!* The Eastern Heavenly King paid him no heed. He glanced into the distance for a moment before flying back into the palace. In the void, several marquises appeared. Someone chuckled lightly, "Lanshan, I heard the disturbance in the Eastern Thirtieth District this time was caused by your human race..." Among the group, a powerhouse said indifferently, "So what if it was? That is Hongmeng's guarded domain. Whether it was or wasn't, Hongmeng and his people oversee it. Why should we poke our noses into it? Marquis Qishan simply meddles too much. He's already dead, so why stir up trouble?" "True enough!" The marquises chuckled and dispersed, saying no more. Even in death, these matters were an endless struggle. However, the outer domain was not under their jurisdiction; with Old Turtle there, it wasn't easy for them to intervene anyway. ... Back on Su Yu's side, he was still chatting with the guardians. Soon, the death qi on Su Yu fluctuated slightly. Startled, he quickly turned to the guardians and said, "My lords, the dead spirits have returned! In the dead spirit realm, the rules are fluctuating wildly with signs of impending punishment, and those dead spirit monarchs have all returned. If you lords have nothing else to attend to, it would be best to return to your posts for now!" "Burning bridges after crossing!" Tianmie grumbled, then quickly said, "A fluctuation of the rules? The Boss went down? It was probably the Boss who dispersed those fellows." Su Yu was surprised. "Lord Tianmie, what do you mean by..." "Nothing in particular." Tianmie couldn't be bothered to elaborate. Su Yu, however, was rather astonished. Could Old Turtle Hongmeng actually control some of the rules in the dead spirit realm? Xingyue had sent him a transmission saying that under the tug of the rules, several dead spirit monarchs had departed in accordance with rule restrictions. Had Old Turtle done that? Was he really that formidable? By now, Su Yu also realized that he knew far too little about certain things. Earlier, he had believed he possessed many secrets. Now it seemed... he was far from it. The ancient era was said to have perished, yet it continuously influenced the myriad realms. With every shift of the tides, it seemed there were ancient figures pulling strings. Suddenly, Su Yu fixated on Tianmie! When others spoke of these things, they always seemed somewhat wary. Only Tianmie, though speaking vaguely several times, dropped enough hints for Su Yu to piece things together. Just as Tianmie was about to leave, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Turning around, he saw Su Yu looking at him with a brilliant smile, adopting an expression of utmost deference and respect. Tianmie raised an eyebrow. *Did I sense wrongly?* *Strange!* *Whatever, I'll head back first!* ... Once everyone was gone, Su Yu exhaled. He gradually reversed the death qi; having too much death qi was no good thing, so reversing a portion came first. This time had been thrilling. Yet the harvest was substantial as well! If nothing else, his civilization chronicle had now advanced to 131 gold inscriptions—a high-tier Heaven armament! Once it reached 136 gold inscriptions, it would be a peak-tier Heaven armament. And those were solid inscriptions; the illusory inscriptions had already reached 155! Having killed so many people and devoured so much flesh and blood—though some was incomplete—the civilization chronicle had gained immense benefits. With 155 illusory inscriptions, it meant the civilization chronicle could be upgraded up to 155 gold inscriptions in the future without paying too steep a price. "Then there's King Zhi's blood essence, some of King Zhi's memories..." "And Liu Hong's side of things!" "And Xia Chen!" "..." Su Yu hadn't realized until he took tally; once he counted, he had quite a lot on his plate. This great battle had exposed far too much. Furthermore, on the human race's side, he had to take time to visit. His father was there. In addition, there was the sea of consciousness mystic realm—he needed to go see if he could borrow that thing from the Xia family. "And the issue of the Allhead Battlefield's bearing capacity!" Su Yu's heart stirred. That was the crux. Old Turtle and the others meant that now was not the right time. Then when would it be appropriate for large numbers of top-tier powerhouses to appear? Where were those powerhouses anyway? Did humanity still have remnants surviving? After nine tide shifts, humanity seemed to have ended up retreating back every single time. Were they utterly defeated, crushed into oblivion? Carrying countless questions, Su Yu returned to the ancient city. Inside the City Lord Mansion, Wan Tiansheng was drinking tea. Seeing him return, he smiled and said, "Then I shall take my leave." "Prefect, wait!" Su Yu called out, "What's the rush? Is Lan Tian waiting for you?" "..." Wan Tiansheng looked at him and smiled. "Your strength has grown, and your gall has grown with it." Su Yu chuckled dryly, then quickly said, "Leaving that aside, Prefect, you saw that dead spirit who struck earlier. What he used was the Mountain Suppressing Fist! I suspect he's the first prefect, Xia Chen. Do you know much about Xia Chen?" "The first prefect?" Wan Tiansheng knit his brows slightly. "I didn't pay much attention. That dead spirit was Prefect Xia Chen?" "Most likely!" Wan Tiansheng fell silent for a moment, then pondered before saying, "Prefect Xia Chen... was a rather mysterious individual. He was King Daxia's cousin. Back when the great war broke out and the myriad realms invaded, King Daxia and the others had good fortune and obtained ruins. Prefect Xia Chen also obtained a ruin. Regrettably, he failed to attain the Dao! Afterward, he founded Great Xia Civilization Academy, and relying on the divine character battle technique monument, he pioneered the multiple divine characters path! "After that, he united several powerhouses and established the Questing Holy Land. His intention was probably to spread the inheritance of multiple divine characters throughout the entire Human Realm. In the end... it could be considered both a success and a failure! "Roughly thirty years after the founding of the academies, he fell in battle on the Allhead Battlefield..." Su Yu asked in surprise, "Fell in battle? How did he die? Who killed him?" "A passing Invincible. Exactly who... isn't very clear." "Not clear?" Su Yu was astonished. Even that wasn't clear? "Everyone was fighting at the time. In the early days after the realms and academies were established, there was constant fighting..." Su Yu suddenly recalled Liu Hong's words and asked hurriedly, "When the first prefect fell, did any human Invincibles perish during that same timeframe?" Wan Tiansheng thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes. More than 320 years ago, around the time the first prefect died, King Dawei, one of the founding kings, fell in battle!" Su Yu furrowed his brows. "Killed by whom?" "Unclear." "Huh?" "The records didn't state it, only recording that he was besieged by Invincibles and slain. The written records from that era were rather chaotic because the war had not yet ended. Battles were raging everywhere, and clashes between Invincibles occurred repeatedly. Some Invincibles would venture deep into enemy territory, and their demise would only be known after the heavenly anomalies appeared!" All right, then! Wan Tiansheng looked at him. "What are you thinking?" "I'm wondering how strong King Dawei was. If he was strong, could it have been him who killed the first prefect?" "Hmm?" Wan Tiansheng frowned. "Did you hear something?" "I'm not quite sure; we'll find out shortly!" Su Yu smiled. "Let's go ask the person involved! If Daidai really is the first prefect, I think he might have recovered some memories by now. I'll go look for him! Besides, Daidai is exceptionally powerful. If he is the first prefect, then he concealed his strength while alive... Civilization Masters, honestly! Not a single one of them is straightforward!" Su Yu sighed with emotion! Not one of them was honest! Xia Chen... Tomb Guardian... the first prefect... Perhaps even before King Daxia and the others, this man was already an Invincible. No one knew he had attained the Dao as an Invincible... of course, when he attained the Dao, people back then might not have even known what an Invincible was! A Tomb Guardian! Furthermore, regarding the ruins: the ruins had all appeared abruptly and were inherited by humans right around that period... was it truly a coincidence? The more he learned, the clearer Su Yu saw that there were far too many issues here. In the ninth tide, had truly no powerhouses survived? Was Xia Chen genuinely King Daxia's cousin? For a powerhouse of that caliber, replacing someone's identity would be child's play. And why had he said the Tombstone of Civilizations was an ominous object—what made it so ominous? Perhaps all of this would be revealed very soon! Of course, he had to take Liu Hong along. That fellow seemed to know a great deal as well, even understanding matters of the dead spirit realm, knowing more than Su Yu himself. Thinking of this, Su Yu suddenly asked, "Prefect, previously I always thought Liu Hong was your pawn, one of your men. Was he not?" Wan Tiansheng chuckled softly. "How could he be? Planting him in the single divine character faction wouldn't have served much purpose." "Good to know!" Su Yu was speechless. He had indeed speculated as much before, but it turned out he had been mistaken. "Prefect, if you don't mind, shall we go together to ask about the situation and pick up some gossip?" Wan Tiansheng laughed. "Aren't you going to rest?" "No need! Right now, I'm extremely interested in these matters!" Su Yu stood up and said, "Let's go. The dead spirit monarchs down below have all withdrawn now, leaving only Xingyue and a few others. With them there, down below is practically my territory. There isn't much danger!" Wan Tiansheng stood up as well, chuckling softly. "You have that monarch wrapped around your little finger. Aren't you afraid of her turning on you?" "She's silly as can be; she doesn't have the wits to turn on me..." Wan Tiansheng said no more. As long as Su Yu was confident, that was fine. Still, it was better not to become too entangled with dead spirits, as that could easily lead to trouble—Hetu was living proof. ... Su Yu wasted no time. Before long, he spotted Liu Hong. Without another word, he knocked him out and hauled him away! Dragging Liu Hong along and bringing Wan Tiansheng with him, Su Yu once again stepped into the dead spirit realm. He had to seek out Daidai to get the full story. Perhaps... another traitor of the human race was about to be exposed!