All Quiet Today!

Nanyuan. Su Yu did not wait for King Dazhou and the others. They would come on their own. As for how many actual persons would show up, that was hard to say; King Dazhou had already said he would not take too many people away with him. The newly rebuilt Nanyuan was almost identical to its old layout, yet every structure was brand-new. At the moment, most of the original residents had not moved back in. Even so, quite a few Nanyuan locals had gathered outside the city walls. Today was Su Long's fiftieth birthday... a milestone that struck more than a few listeners as awkward. Still, it was quite festive! Nanyuan was decked in lanterns and colored banners! While ordinary citizens were few, there were plenty of soldiers at the gates to receive the incoming guests. And guests arrived in droves! Since the experts of the myriad races were already here, skipping the banquet would look terrible. Meanwhile, the powerhouses from the thirty-six prefectures converged on Nanyuan as well, some visibly reluctant, others entirely indifferent. Today, Su Yu was also to be crowned Master of the Human Sacred Ground. Su Yu had already entered the city! …… Outside the walls. Experts gathered in clusters, in no rush to enter. Beside Foutuling stood the elder from his race. The elder transmitted his voice, fraught with unease: "Foutuling, tell me... with Su Yu ascending to the seat of Sacred Ground Master today, will the Immortals, Demons, Gods, or Dragons try to stop him?" "Probably not!" That was Foutuling's assessment. He explained, "Striking at Su Yu right now makes little sense! They can't kill him, and the various races haven't finished their preparations in the Dead Spirit Realm either. Making a move now wouldn't eliminate Su Yu, but it would easily expose everyone's hidden cards. The cost outweighs any gain!" That was his reasoning, and he believed the chances of an incident were slim. In truth, all the shrewd figures thought the same. The myriad races had no intention of acting against Su Yu right now. Even the Immortals and Demons were merely here to enjoy the spectacle. None planned to strike against the humans or Su Yu at this juncture; it would accomplish nothing, as Su Yu had a clear retreat route. Hence, whether Gods, Demons, or Immortals, all had sent emissaries to convey congratulations... though "congratulations" was just an excuse to watch the show and size up the situation. No one was thinking of crossing Su Yu today. If the humans fell into infighting on their own, that would be the real entertainment. …… In the distance. Moduona pondered for a moment before instructing the Demon experts beside him: "Do not cause trouble today. Provoking Su Yu right now is completely pointless!" Beside him, a quasi-Invincible expert gave a slight nod. Indeed, crashing the party today served no purpose. Unless the humans tore into each other, nothing serious was likely to happen—unless Su Yu had too much time on his hands and went looking for a fight. Otherwise, this banquet was purely a stage to watch how Su Yu disciplined the thirty-six prefectures. …… Elsewhere. Zhan Wushuang was saying much the same to his companions. His face was somewhat pale; Su Yu had placed restrictions upon him, and his primary reason for coming was to have them removed. Su Yu had refused to see him over the past few days, meaning he would have to look for another opportunity. …… Gods, Demons, Immortals, Dragons... None of the major races planned to cause trouble for Su Yu today. For one, Su Yu was formidable in his own right, and this was inside the Human Realm, where King Dazhou and his peers were present. On the outside, thirty-five Guardians along with King Daqin were on guard. Even if Su Yu were outmatched, he could easily open a Dead Spirit passage to escape. Given that, any operation against him would never take place within the Human Realm, nor at a moment like this. Consequently, seeing figures like Moduona standing peacefully by, both major and minor races felt at ease. Nobody expected any real trouble today. …… Outsiders anticipated no conflict, and the humans felt the same. Outside the city. Xia Huyou was now considered one of the foremost talents among the younger generation. As an acting manor lord, he held lofty status. Moreover, this was the territory of the Great Xia Prefecture, allowing him to carry himself with absolute leisure. Surrounded by descendants of Invincibles, Xia Huyou chuckled and said, "No need to worry, everyone. Nanyuan was just rebuilt, and the surroundings are quite pleasant. A heavy price was paid for this reconstruction. Most importantly, an ancient ruin sits here. Once Brother Su's father's birthday banquet concludes, I'll take everyone to explore it. The heavenly yuan qi there is exceptionally dense..." At the mention of the ruin, several faces twitched. It was because of that very ruin that a whole batch of people had perished back then! It was because of that ruin that the two great sacred lands had been brought to ruin. Some of their own fathers had been killed inside it. The Nanyuan ruin! Even now, everyone remained convinced that the ruin was genuine. Of course, a small handful suspected it was a fake, but they had no proof. The ruin was remarkably stable, Su Yu had embedded an actual carrier into it, and Wan Tiansheng had crafted it personally. Ordinary people stood no chance of discerning the truth. Truth and deception were so thoroughly intertwined that most could no longer tell them apart. Beside Xia Huyou, Qin Fang stood listening, though he could not be bothered to indulge him. Instead, Qin Fang glanced over at Wu Qi and Huang Teng, smiling. "Do you two think any mishaps will occur today?" Huang Teng still wore his coarse hemp clothes and short hair, looking just like an old peasant straight out of the fields. Hearing the question, he chuckled. "What could possibly go wrong? So long as our prefectures don't stir up trouble ourselves, the myriad races wouldn't dare make a move today. Do you think that City Lord Su is someone easy to provoke?" Today, the consensus was that there would be no major issues. Qin Fang nodded and soon laughed. "Nanyuan... what a place! The Su family is truly basking in boundless glory today. Even my Qin family has never enjoyed such spectacle—a fiftieth birthday with the myriad races coming to offer felicitations!" It was magnificent indeed, glory taken to the absolute peak. Beside them, someone sneered, "The peak of prosperity is the beginning of decline! Su Yu is far too overbearing, forcing all thirty-six prefectures to celebrate his father's birthday... How old is his father, anyway? Isn't he afraid of wearing away his own longevity?" At those words, Xia Huyou turned his head, casting a cool glance at the speaker. "Shang Tianjiao, you had best shut your mouth! Saying that in front of us is one thing—we won't hold it against you, knowing you're young and lack common sense! But if you dare say that inside Nanyuan City... I fear your Shang family won't be able to protect you!" Shang Tianjiao retorted coldly, "Did I say anything wrong? How old is his father? How old are the manor lords of the various prefectures? Which Sun Moon expert isn't over a hundred years old? Yet now, every prefecture has come to pay respects to his father..." "Tianjiao!" To the side, Shan Xiong barked a sharp reprimand, stopping her from continuing. Times had changed! If such words got out today, the Shang family truly might not be able to shield her. Did even King Dashang dare tear off all face with Su Yu right now? Shang Tianjiao was reluctant to heed Xia Huyou and the others, but with Shan Xiong scolding her, she held her tongue. Xia Huyou chuckled. "Shan Xiong, you'd better keep an eye on her and watch her closely. If she spouts off like that inside the city... none of us will care, seeing as we come from old allied families. But... if it reaches Brother Su's ears, things won't look pretty!" Shan Xiong gave a slight nod, his gaze checking Shang Tianjiao, who was still fuming. Certain things could no longer be spoken aloud. As for Qin Fang and the others off to the side, they did not even bother engaging with them. They were not on the same level! In that group, only Shan Xiong had decent strength. Yet Shan Xiong did not hold high status; while slightly above Huang Teng on paper, Huang Teng was easygoing whereas Shan Xiong kept sullenly silent, so Qin Fang could not be bothered with him. Ignoring the rest, Qin Fang turned back to Wu Qi with a grin. "Wu Qi, I heard your sister and Bai Feng have been researching something lately. Haven't seen them these past few days. Did they produce any results that might help us?" "No idea. Didn't ask," Wu Qi brushed him off casually, glancing toward Moduona in the distance, his eyes burning with competitive fire. Seeing this, Huang Teng shook his head. "Don't go provoking him. When I saw that grandson earlier, my heart twitched! His strength has probably taken another massive leap; I suspect he's on the verge of stepping into the Sun Moon Realm! If that fellow truly enters Sun Moon, his power might rival a quasi-Invincible..." At those words, Qin Fang let out a wistful sigh. "True. That fellow has pulled far ahead of us. I felt it too—he's likely about to step into Sun Moon! He must have stumbled upon some new opportunity. Once he breaks through..." The rankings on the Heaven List were steadily widening the gap between contenders. Moduona was the strongest. Xuan Wuji had been slain, Zhan Wushuang was utterly dejected, and several other Heaven List experts had been eliminated by Su Yu, leaving a massive chasm between the top few and everyone behind them. They chatted leisurely, thoroughly relaxed. Nothing was going to happen today! Qin Fang even joked, "What a pity. I almost wish something would break out today. With so many people here, a bit of excitement would be nice. Best if a few Invincibles from the myriad races show up—there are countless experts here today, so slaughtering a couple of Invincibles would really liven up the mood!" "..." The group stared at him speechlessly. Does this guy have too much free time on his hands? What an idle lunatic! Huang Teng said helplessly, "You're far too bored. Stop jinxing us. We should take peace one day at a time; why go begging for trouble?" Invincibles showing up so we can kill them to liven up the mood? This fellow had always had a crow's beak. The Invincibles of the myriad races were not fools. Why would they randomly come here to pick a fight with Su Yu? What was he dreaming of! …… Qin Fang had a crow's beak. His father, Qin Zhen, was hardly any better. Nanyuan's banquet today was being held at the newly constructed City Lord Manor. The venue was vast and spacious, offering ample room for such an occasion. At the moment, Qin Zhen stood beside Su Yu, chuckling. "Su Yu, today looks utterly boring. I really feel like killing a few people to liven up the mood—killing a few Immortal fairy maidens would be ideal!" Su Yu silently cursed him as a pervert! All day long, this man did nothing but drum such ideas into my head. Now, whenever I see an Immortal fairy maiden, my first instinct is to slaughter her and be done with it. It was entirely this man's influence. From very early on, every time they met, he urged him to go kill Immortal fairy maidens... The man was not right in the head! Fairy maidens are so lovely; how can you bring yourself to butcher them? Still, as for being boring... that might not prove true. Once Old Zhou and the others were exposed, the Human Realm would be left empty with weakened defenses, while human forces guarded the Tianyuan Realm. The myriad races might very well besiege the humans, perhaps even attempting to breach the Human Realm, or they might turn their blades on Su Yu. Qin Zhen said today would be quiet... but that remained to be seen. I just hope you don't end up crying later! Qin Zhen spoke again: "Where on earth did Xia Longwu run off to? I saw him earlier, but now he's vanished..." King Dazhou had said he would take few people, yet Xia Longwu was among them. Qin Zhen had not been included, likely because he was too weak and had been deemed a liability. Now that Xia Longwu had disappeared, he had probably departed already. Su Yu smiled faintly. "He is the manor lord of the Great Xia Prefecture. With so many Invincibles visiting and multiple Invincibles stationed at the prefectural capital, he naturally needs to keep a watchful eye." "True enough!" With that, Qin Zhen waved toward Marquis Xia in the distance and hollered, "Second Xia, come over and chat! Leave those trivial chores to others; what are you meddling in them for!" In the distance, Marquis Xia's expression soured for an instant before quickly returning to normal. Smiling warmly, he strolled over. "Manor Lord Qin, where is Qin Hao? Haven't seen him in days. Has he advanced to quasi-Invincible yet?" Those words... stung a bit. Qin Hao was the second son of the Qin family. The second son of the Zhu family was a quasi-Invincible capable of slaying Invincibles. The second son of the Xia family was a quasi-Invincible who had slain other quasi-Invincibles. The second son of the Qin family... was eighth-stage Sun Moon. Truly eighth-stage Sun Moon, with no tricks, currently in secluded cultivation attempting to reach the ninth stage. Hearing this, Qin Zhen said listlessly, "My Qin family doesn't have as many convoluted schemes as yours. Qin Hao is in seclusion; when he emerges soon, he'll be ninth-stage Sun Moon!" "Then congratulations!" Marquis Xia beamed. "As for my Xia family, my aptitude is just too poor. Unlike my eldest nephew, who has already broken through to Invincible—and at fourth-stage Eternal, capable of fighting fifth-stage... I simply can't compare to that Invincible nephew of mine!" Those words left Qin Zhen suffocating with irritation once more. Who was he insulting here? Your eldest nephew... is Xia Longwu, obviously! Did you really need to bring up your 'eldest nephew'? Qin Zhen rather regretted calling him over. Was it just because he had addressed him as Second Xia? Your father gave you that name! Not me. Look at my father: Qin Zhen, Qin Hao—such fine names! Your own father was unreliable; who else can you blame? To the side, Su Yu smiled without showing his teeth. In a battle of wits and tongue, how could Qin Zhen ever hope to best Marquis Xia? If anyone could match Marquis Xia in verbal sparring, it was Zhu Tiandao. Zhu Tiandao rarely came out on the losing end; trading barbs with Marquis Xia, he won more often than not. Speak of the devil, and he arrives. In the distance, Zhu Tiandao drifted over languidly, laughing. "So you gentlemen are here? I searched all over without spotting a soul; I thought you'd slipped off to indulge yourselves!" As he spoke, he strode through the air, looking utterly carefree. Seeing him, Marquis Xia smiled faintly and ceased sparring with Qin Zhen. His true rival was this second son of the Zhu family; Qin Zhen was not even worth worrying about! The second Zhu was notoriously difficult to deal with! Zhu Tiandao paid no heed to their posturing. Landing on the ground, he grinned. "Su Yu—no, I should call you Sacred Master from now on! After your father's banquet, do you plan to stay in the Human Realm for a few days? Care to return to the Great Ming Prefecture for a look? You're still an elder of the Great Ming Prefecture, and your Origin Spirit Research Institute is still running!" At this, Su Yu smiled. "Indeed! If I have time, I certainly should visit. Are Elder Wen and the others doing well?" "Passably well, though they're running a bit low on heavenly yuan qi. How about sending some over later? They're getting old, and cultivation is hard on them..." "Of course, that is only right!" Su Yu laughed, then asked, "Is Director Hu here?" "He's here. Looking for him?" Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "That fellow hasn't been keen on stepping out lately. I had to drag him out for a walk. He's been obsessed with spatial teleportation research. The spatial Dao is no easy path. Ever since he advanced to Sun Moon, he stopped worrying about his lifespan and gave up cultivating altogether." Hu Xiansheng's talent was actually quite good, and his divine character cultivation was strong, but he rarely devoted himself to training. Most of his time went into research, especially into the spatial Dao—an intrinsically difficult path! Hence, after reaching Sun Moon, he fell back into his decadent ways. With money and resources at his disposal, he resumed his wild experiments just as before, burning through mountains of wealth. When Su Yu first arrived at the Great Ming Prefecture, Hu Xiansheng had been on the verge of mortgaging the Multiple Divine Characters Academy. The Great Ming Prefecture was open-minded enough to let him sell it. In any other prefecture, he would probably have been beaten to death. Su Yu smiled. "The spatial Dao is profound and boundless! If one can truly walk it to its pinnacle, I believe Director Hu's future will be limitless. It must be said that the Multiple Divine Characters faction is remarkably skilled in this domain!" Hu Xiansheng had concentrated on the spatial Dao for years and had likely reaped gains last time. When Kongkong was attaining the Dao, Su Yu had noticed him watching intently, seemingly having gained some insights. Perhaps he truly had achieved something. If he ever reached Kongkong's level, he would be another high-ranking figure on the Dao Attainment List. Pity Old Hu cared so little for cultivation. On second thought, Su Yu smiled. The Dao of divine characters differed from physical cultivation; it relied primarily on comprehension. Perhaps without tedious training, his divine characters could still grow mighty, and by reinforcing the spatial Dao, he might ascend to the heavens in a single bound. Su Yu had just acquired a teleportation gate that seemed defunct, and he had been meaning to consult him. Hearing that Hu Xiansheng had arrived, Su Yu smiled. "Manor Lord, please help me find him. I have a little item I'd like him to examine." "Who knows where he shifted off to!" Zhu Tiandao glanced around and shouted, "Old Hu, where are you!" Even he could not sense where the man was. After a few moments of shouting, space rippled slightly, and Hu Xiansheng emerged grinning from the void. Looking at Su Yu, he chuckled, "Sacred Master Su, how has your comprehension of that spatial divine character been coming along?" Su Yu smiled. "Not bad at all. Director, it seems your grasp of the divine character Dao grows more refined by the day!" "Mediocre at best. Still inferior to Kongkong—the spatial beast race is blessed by the heavens, truly formidable!" He added, "Furthermore, His Majesty King Dazhou's spatial traversal power is immense beyond measure. Compared to them, I am far behind!" Hu Xiansheng sighed with emotion. "Transporting dozens of Invincibles from the Human Realm straight into the Dragon Realm in a single breath... that feat alone might take me hundreds of years to match! His Majesty King Dazhou is acclaimed as the foremost master of divine characters; I used to be unconvinced, but now I concede entirely! His Majesty King Daming is probably inferior in that regard!" Zhu Tiandao laughed. "You old rascal, eating the Zhu family's rice while turning around to praise the other side—do you have no shame?" Hu Xiansheng grinned. "I'm merely speaking the truth; Manor Lord overthinks it! That said, while it's all the spatial Dao, everyone has different focuses! Kongkong excels at individual traversal, silent and traceless. King Dazhou specializes in fixed-point teleportation, exceptionally resistant to spatial pressure. As for me, I prefer stabilizing the transit corridor during the journey..." Su Yu laughed. "Director, no need to lecture us on the mechanics. There is something I'd like you to look at." "That book of yours? Do you need space severed again?" "No rush for that!" Without elaborating, Su Yu produced the teleportation gate. The moment Hu Xiansheng saw it, he took it into his hands, inspected it closely, and soon said, "Craftsmanship of the Immortal race! A short-range teleportation gate..." "Short-range?" Su Yu raised an eyebrow. Hu Xiansheng nodded. "Short-range, no more than three thousand li. Teleportation across such distances counts as short-range in my book. True long-range teleportation is like King Dazhou's, shifting straight into the Dragon Realm across more than twenty thousand li! Only distances beyond ten thousand li qualify as long-range..." Hu Xiansheng studied the gate for a moment longer before chuckling. "The technique is decent, but... the limitations are severe! First, the distance is short! Second, it's fine for small objects, useless for anything large! Third, it handles sturdy materials well, but anything slightly inferior will shatter instantly! Fourth..." He rattled off a long list of flaws. Yet Su Yu cared about only one detail: short-range, no more than three thousand li! Su Yu asked, "Can it breach realm barriers?" "Impossible!" Hu Xiansheng shook his head. "How could it? Realm barriers are incomparably solid; even Invincibles cannot break them casually. Expecting this trinket to pierce a realm barrier? You're dreaming!" Su Yu understood! There really was a ruin. The Immortals were hiding in a ruin within the Human Realm, and within a three-thousand-li radius. Within three thousand li of the Great Xia Prefecture... that encompassed only a few prefectures. Great Song, Great Shang, Great Jin, Great Ming... In that case, the ruin was likely located inside one of those prefectures. Su Yu asked, "Director, can you lock onto the destination on the other end?" Hu Xiansheng examined it for a while, studied the mechanisms, and shook his head. "They destroyed the gate on the other side, making it very difficult to pinpoint! Still, it's not impossible. We could forcibly trigger a destructive activation, sending through someone whose physical body is exceedingly tough and unafraid of being mangled, having them batter their way out through the spatial barriers! That way, we could naturally lock onto their location!" Su Yu raised a brow. "Would I be suitable?" "Naturally!" Hu Xiansheng laughed. "With physical resilience at the Invincible tier, there would be no problem whatsoever!" He then asked, "Where did you pick this up?" "Found it on the ground!" Well, Hu Xiansheng stopped asking. Nonsense! You can pick something like this up off the ground? Beside them, Zhu Tiandao raised an eyebrow. "Obtained inside the Human Realm?" "Yes." Zhu Tiandao looked thoughtful, then said after a moment, "Set it aside for now. Don't worry about it yet." Su Yu nodded. True, they could investigate it later. Yet recalling King Dazhou's earlier words, Su Yu wondered: could there be old fossils from before the founding of the prefectures lurking inside that ruin? Had they never left? If so... that was rather alarming. Did the Human Realm truly harbor such ancient ruins? Hu Xiansheng, however, had grown intrigued. "Right here in the Human Realm? Hand that contraption over to me; perhaps I can help you pinpoint their coordinates..." "It's very dangerous!" Su Yu warned. Hu Xiansheng chuckled. "No matter, I'm only locating it. If real danger arises, you can deal with it! My research hit a bottleneck recently anyway; gaining some inspiration would be great!" Sighing, he added, "I've always wondered why large-scale, long-distance teleportation remains so elusive. If we could truly build one that shifts troops instantly from the eastern theater to the western theater without bearing crushing spatial pressure, requiring only energy consumption, how marvelous would that be!" He had been researching this very subject, though his earlier gate had been ruined. It was unclear if he had made any headway recently. Su Yu pondered briefly, then smiled. "I think the director's theory is sound; the main limitation is the materials! That gate of yours last time—at best, it used Earth armament materials! Teleportation involves immense spatial pressure; how could Earth-grade materials withstand it without shattering? Especially for long distances, without Heaven armament materials, it's simply impossible. Ideally, you should use something on par with a carrier!" "..." Hu Xiansheng inhaled sharply. "I've considered that, but the cost is astronomical!" "Ask the manor lord!" "True enough!" Hu Xiansheng nodded, casting a thoughtful look at Zhu Tiandao. Zhu Tiandao's face darkened. That bastard Su Yu was instigating people again. Su Yu laughed. "Manor Lord, don't look at me like that. I'm not egging the director on; I'm completely serious! The director's research in this field is genuinely impressive. Last time, transporting Manor Lord Niu back from the All-Heavens Prefecture in an instant was remarkable! It was just that the gate's quality was too poor, so it blew up immediately. If he had carrier-grade materials, I believe the director could craft something even better!" "That requires money to burn! Some things can't be bought with money!" Zhu Tiandao was at a loss for words. Wasteful, extravagant—did this brat think carrier-grade treasures grew on trees? Did he not know Hu Xiansheng's research was immensely valuable? However, carrier-grade treasures were hoarded by the human Invincibles to help candidates achieve the Invincible realm or restore their past, present, and future bodies. Where would they find so many spares? Su Yu smiled. "Director, how about this: if you help me find their location and lock onto them this time, I'll give you a carrier afterward!" "Truly?" "Of course!" Overjoyed, Hu Xiansheng vanished on the spot, hurrying off to locate the target coordinates. Collaborating with someone as wealthy and generous as Su Yu was always a pleasure! Once he was gone, Su Yu sighed. "A figure like Director Hu would be treasured like a sacred relic among the myriad races, yet among humans... he can't even get research funding." Zhu Tiandao threw up his hands. "Nonsense, you need money to fund him! It's not that we didn't back Old Hu's research; the Great Ming Prefecture supported him plenty. But... his expenses kept ballooning! Do you think the Great Ming Prefecture can afford him? Demanding carrier-grade treasures at every turn—would you give them to him?" Su Yu chuckled. True enough; carrier-grade treasures were scarce even for the humans. If they had plenty, those ancient veterans who had lost their three bodies would have resurfaced long ago, yet none had, clearly because their bodies had not been restored. "Cutting expenses won't do; we must open new sources of revenue!" Su Yu mused, "Relying solely on thrift is useless; the key is expanding income! If we lack carriers, we just need to kill a few more Invincibles and quasi-Invincibles, and we'll have them." Nonsense! Su Yu smiled and said no more. Soon, he announced, "It should be about time. Let the guests enter!" "Where is your father?" Qin Zhen asked. Su Yu's "Change" divine character surfaced, instantly transforming his appearance into Su Long. He laughed, "Isn't he right here?" Rather than let someone else impersonate his father, he would do it himself! Otherwise, it felt uncomfortable. Qin Zhen frowned slightly. "Nothing major is going to happen today, right?" Surely trouble wouldn't brew today! Why fabricate a fake father? At the question, Su Yu merely smiled without elaborating. "Just a precaution. My father is too weak; he could easily be caught in the crossfire." "That makes sense." To the side, Marquis Xia and Zhu Tiandao both felt a flicker of suspicion. Su Yu creating a fake father... was he worried about an accident? Was he planning to strike, or did he suspect someone was about to strike at him? After a moment's consideration, Su Yu transmitted his voice: "Gentlemen, caution never hurts. If trouble arises, take your people and run immediately!" Su Yu believed the danger inside the Human Realm should not be too severe. Even if news of King Daqin and the others leaving leaked, the various races would not necessarily invade the Human Realm. It was just a precaution against the worst. Soon, guests began entering one after another. The enormous plaza was filled with tables and chairs. Set out in the open air, there was no fear of rain—these were top-tier experts; a single punch into the clouds would disperse any downpour. On either side of the plaza, one half was allocated to the myriad races, while the other was reserved for the thirty-six prefectures. The turnout was massive! As for his father's old friends, Su Yu had not invited them; even if invited, they would not be allowed in—they were too weak, and accidents could happen easily. Thus, Su Long's dream of showing off was thoroughly dashed. Su Yu had promised that his father could privately treat his friends to a meal later. For now, Su Long had been relocated to the Great Qin Prefecture, where it was relatively safe. King Dazhou and his cohort had yet to appear. It was unclear whether they had already departed or were stalling for time. …… Just as Su Yu's venue filled with esteemed guests. Great Xia Prefecture. Prefectural Capital. The several Invincibles had recovered significantly. King Dazhou waited in silence. Once everyone had awakened, King Daming opened his eyes and said with a grin, "Let's set off then, and head to Nanyuan for a look." "No rush!" King Dazhou smiled faintly. Then, waving his hand to erect an isolation barrier, his smile vanished and he said gravely, "Old Zhu, you will lead the delegation shortly to Nanyuan to congratulate Su Long and Su Yu..." "Me?" King Daming raised an eyebrow. And you? Without a word, King Dazhou waved his sleeve, and several figures materialized before him. They were King Dazhou, Xia Longwu, King Jintian, and King Miecan. After a brief pause, he waved again, producing the Great Han King. Five figures! King Dazhou spoke: "Take them with you and accompany Old Xia to attend the gathering!" King Daming frowned at him. King Dazhou explained, "Old Qin and I have business to attend to. You and Old Xia will oversee Nanyuan!" "I'm not going?" King Daming frowned. "Even if I stay, Old Xia should go. His strength is not weak..." "No need!" King Dazhou smiled. "The Human Realm... may not be safe!" A host of Invincibles was gathered here, though King Daxia was not among them, waiting outside instead. Though King Daming did not know what was transpiring, his brow furrowed deeply. "Can you and Old Qin handle it?" "Shouldn't be a problem!" "Shouldn't be?" King Daming said solemnly, "If something goes wrong..." "Then keep Su Yu inside the Human Realm!" King Dazhou's eyes held an unreadable gleam. "He happens to be here right now. If something happens to us, hold him here by force... You should have your ways! For every day we do not return... keep him here for that day!" King Daming took a soft breath. After a long silence, he said, "Fine! Does Old Xia know about this?" "No. Only Old Qin and I discussed it. It's best if no one else knows!" With that, he turned to the other silent Invincibles and smiled. "Gentlemen, any objections?" The Great Han King asked softly, "Is it strictly killing, or seizing treasures?" It could only be one of the two! "Exterminating a realm!" The Great Han King's gaze flickered, and he nodded. "Understood!" Exterminating a realm! He asked no further; knowing the objective was enough. Exterminating a realm! Those words carried a single meaning: enter, and slaughter everything non-human! There was no need to care who the enemy was or how strong they were—kill everyone on sight! Moreover, treasures were secondary; slaughter was the priority. Not far away, Xia Longwu asked in a low voice, "A fight to the death, or a rout?" "To the death!" A fight to the death meant no end until one side perished. A rout meant merely breaking the enemy; if Invincibles fled, they could be ignored while those who failed to escape were mopped up. Yet a fight to the death... meant warring to the bitter end, letting not a single soul escape—an absolute extermination! Xia Longwu calculated swiftly: led by King Dazhou and King Daqin! Neither King Daqin nor King Dazhou had taken the field in years, let alone personally leading a strike force. The only recent exception had been when Su Yu ran into trouble and King Daqin had just emerged, prompting a brief clash. For these two to mobilize together under such secrecy, revealing the plan only at the final moment, the target had to be immense. His mind raced, quickly deducing the possibilities. If not the Dragon Realm, then Tianyuan. Or... the Nether Realm! Those three realms carried the highest probability! As for which one, it no longer mattered; all were exceptionally difficult to deal with! Because every one of them harbored a Dao Merge expert! King Dazhou spoke swiftly: "Old Zhu, head out. These phantom bodies carry only our auras, not our combat power. Once battle erupts, they'll be exposed instantly! Keep them concealed as long as possible. Furthermore... Su Yu is aware of this matter. Once you arrive at Nanyuan, follow his arrangements!" "He knows?" "Yes!" King Daming laughed. "Impressive. Even I was kept in the dark, yet you told him beforehand." "He has a knack for stirring up trouble. If I didn't tell him and he saw through it, what if he threw a wrench into the works?" "..." That made sense! King Daming smiled, stood, and led the phantom bodies outside, remarking as he walked, "Old Xia is going to blow his top when he finds out shortly!" "Let him!" King Dazhou did not care. Once King Daming had led the decoys out, he turned to the remaining figures and asked, "Do you know why I'm taking you and leaving the rest behind?" King Miecan grinned. "Because we're strong?" "Rubbish!" King Dazhou scolded with a laugh, then said, "Jintian, your task is simple: set up a confinement array at the realm passageway. No one enters, no one leaves!" King Jintian nodded! "Miecan, your mission is to sever the time river corridors of the entire realm. Allow no one's time corridor to pierce through into this realm!" King Miecan nodded as well. "Old Liu, your task is to temporarily suppress the realm's rules from leaking outward. Delay any heavenly phenomena so they do not manifest immediately!" The Great Han King took a sharp breath. "That... is a bit excessive. The rules will crush me to death!" King Dazhou said coldly, "If you can't do it, I'll replace you!" The Great Han King gave a wry smile. "Fine, I'll give it a try!" "Not try—you must succeed. Can you do it?" The Great Han King thought it over, then nodded. "Then Jintian must come assist me once he seals the passageway! Without his help, I doubt I can seal the entire realm and suppress the phenomena alone!" "Agreed!" King Dazhou nodded, finally looking at Xia Longwu. "Your task is straightforward: kill! You need to whet your blade. I hope that after this, your strength will advance another step and you can step into high-stage Eternal as soon as possible!" Xia Longwu nodded firmly. Saying no more, King Dazhou waved his hand, and the group vanished into thin air. …… Outside the doors. King Daxia's eyes flickered with a faint frown as he scrutinized the Invincibles beside King Daming, a strange look crossing his face. The auras were identical! Yet... as a pinnacle expert, a single glance told him something was slightly off. King Daming smiled, transmitting his voice: "What are you staring at? Move out for Nanyuan! Help provide cover; that fellow took the others and left." King Daxia grasped the truth in an instant. Cursing silently, he sent back a furious transmission: "Fuck, so even I was kept in the dark?" "Afraid you'd botch things." "You knew all along?" "Naturally!" King Daming transmitted with a smirk. "Whoever they hid it from, they wouldn't hide it from me!" King Daxia grew even more annoyed! Fine, all of you knew, and only I was excluded—looking down on me, are you? Just you wait! King Daming watched him with a beaming face. Frustrated, aren't you? I certainly won't admit I didn't know beforehand either. I knew all of it! As long as someone else is angrier than me, that's what counts! King Daxia said no more, stating coldly, "Let's go. To Nanyuan, to crown Su Yu!" The group vaulted into the air, flying swiftly toward Nanyuan. At this moment, the eyes of the world were fixed entirely upon Nanyuan. Today, massive waves were stirring in the Human Realm. Experts from all four quarters converged on Nanyuan alongside emissaries from the myriad races. Su Yu's coronation as Sacred Master of the Human Realm was an event truly commanding universal attention. …… Meanwhile, Su Yu sensed the surging auras sweeping over from the Great Xia prefectural capital. The Invincibles were arriving! As expected, King Dazhou and the others had already departed. Tianyuan! Su Yu drew a gentle breath. King Dazhou and his cohort truly lacked neither nerve nor audacity. Striking at the Tianyuan race right now was perhaps both their final and best opportunity. Any later, and once the myriad races reached an accord or devised a foolproof method to counter Su Yu, the humans would lose any chance for such a large-scale deployment. They would be watched like hawks! Only at this exact juncture—with Su Yu's coronation as Sacred Master serving as a momentous event for the entire Human Realm, presided over by King Dazhou—would no suspicions be raised. Otherwise, had King Dazhou even set foot on the Allhead Battlefield after the recent turmoil, countless eyes would have been glued to him. "May they... return victorious!" Su Yu mused silently. Though he disliked certain individuals, he did not wish to see them perish. Including King Dazhou. Su Yu had no fondness for King Dazhou, always feeling the man was too insidious, scheming from morning to night—thoroughly exasperating. Yet perhaps only with such a man present could the Human Realm maintain enduring peace, remaining steadfast as a mountain. If they relied on King Daqin... he would likely have led everyone out to brawl long ago. A great war would probably have erupted ages ago. Only this crafty old conspirator could artificially manufacture human infighting, keeping the Human Realm in constant internal friction and gradually wearing down the initial vigilance of the myriad races. With these thoughts drifting through his mind, Su Yu maintained a steady smile. Resolute as a mountain! With me standing here, the mountains and rivers remain unbreached.