Chapter 1249: Saintless Skies (3)
"No matter how talented you are, you'll never be as important as their son or grandson. Great Ming King and Niu Baidao were close enough, right? But when Great Ming King found two ruins, he kept the spare for his own son instead of handing it to Niu Baidao."
Su Yu remained silent.
Wan Tiansheng said, "That is a perfectly regular choice. It's not wrong. It is perfectly normal for one to save something good for one's children. A friend or a comrade is not comparable to a son. Even your father would prioritize you over his comrades if he were to find something good, right?"
"My point is, you're Su Yu. Not Zhu Yu. Not Qin Yu. Not Zhou Yu."
Su Yu nodded and said, "Principal, I'm not Wan Yu."
So why did the principal give him the carrier treasure? It wasn't like there was nobody else in the Wan Family. Wasn't Wan Mingze an up-and-coming youngster of the family?
Wan Tiansheng laughed, "I have no need for the carrier treasure. As for my family, you need to understand that some windfall may prove disastrous. Without sufficient strength, they will eventually lose it. There is no point in taking this risk. Are they supposed to use the treasure to test their trust in their fellow humans? It is never a good idea to put something like trust to test."
Su Yu nodded and asked, "Principal, will you be remaining in the Human Realm after this?"
"No." Wan Tiansheng replied nonchalantly, "I will only put everyone else in a difficult position if I remain. I am better off leaving."
"Must you proceed? You can always let those Invincibles teach these people a lesson. They can handle this..."
"That's foolish." Wan Tiansheng said, "That will sow dissent between those Invincibles. Rather than that, I might as well give them a clear target to hate. Let me be the sole villain of this story. I am cruel. I am cold-blooded. And since I have never been too involved with the multiple character faction, it is unlikely they will take their anger out on the multiple character faction. Not everyone is like Fiery Sea King.
"After this battle is over, make sure everyone realizes that you have kept numerous Invincibles occupied through those young geniuses. Make sure everyone knows of your contribution. Just because we know this doesn't mean that everyone else will know it. Don't hide your contribution. Tell everyone about the ruin as well. You don't have to say that the ruin is fake, but you need to let everyone know that this ruin was contributed by you for the scheme. And because of the scheme, you no longer have a ruin." Read complete versıon only at novel·fire·net
"As for the Culture Tomb..." Wan Tiansheng said, "That is something the myriad races are paying close attention to. Remember to let everyone know you no longer have the Culture Tomb. It has been stolen by Hollow. I'll think of a way to get it back for you. You only need to insist that he has the Culture Tomb. He won't have the courage to show his face and explain himself anyway."
Su Yu blanked out. What?
When Su Yu took the Culture Tomb out, Wan Tiansheng didn't even bother to look at it as he said, "It's fake. I know the Culture Tomb better than you. Even the fake ruin was something I made. I'm a lot clearer about all the happenings in the ruin. The Culture Tomb is on First Yellow. He was probably acting under Zhu Tianfang's orders. It doesn't matter I'll get it back for you. Not even Zhu Tianfang himself will realize it. Make sure to not explain anything. Let First Yellow take all the blame."
Su Yu asked doubtfully, "Is it really on First Yellow?"
"..."
Wan Tiansheng hesitated slightly before smiling, "Sharp indeed."
He then tossed something over and said, "Take good care of it. I switched it before it was stolen. It doesn't matter. I only need him to believe that he has the real Culture Tomb."
Su Yu rolled his eyes. He knew this would happen. Since Old Wan was aware of what was happening, would he actually allow First Yellow to take the Culture Tomb away?
Wan Tiansheng reminded, "Be very careful with this thing. Since everyone is already aware of its existence, we will let First Yellow be the scapegoat. Otherwise, you will have the attention of even Pseudo Emperors."
"Principal, is this proper? He did help me with my escape. Is this how I should be repaying him?"
Wan Tiansheng said, "It's fine. He will survive. In any case, he did steal it. If you're worried about him, you can throw the blame on Zhu Tianfang instead. Do you think that Zhu Tianfang is planning to return it to you?"
He shook his head, "Don't be too naive. This is a treasure for all cultural researchers. And Zhu Tianfang is a cultural researcher. If you allow someone else to keep it, you might not be able to get it back anymore."
Su Yu felt a headache coming. He said, "Principal...I..."
"Just pretend you know nothing." Wan Tiansheng said, "You would have remained clueless without me anyway. Forget it. I'll think of a way to make First Yellow the scapegoat. Maybe I can get the ruin to shake and shatter before revealing a fragment of time. In that fragment of time, the scene of First Yellow's thievery will be played for all to see. Remember, Hollow isn't a human. Do you think he stole the Culture Tomb with the intention of helping you?"
Su Yu shook his head. That was unlikely.
"I understand." Su Yu nodded, "I'll pretend I know nothing. As for Hollow...we'll see."
"Good." Wan Tiansheng said, "That's all I have to say. You may decide what to do yourself. With the ancient city backing you, the loss of your ruin, and the absence of the real Culture Tomb on you, the myriad races will know what to do about you. They aren't stupid. Most of your strength comes from your physical cultivation, not your willpower cultivation. With the reappearance of people like Nan Wujiang and Yun Chen, and the advancement of people like Liu Wenyan, the myriad races will no longer view you as the biggest threat."
Su Yu nodded. That was true.
He asked curiously, "Principal, why does it feel like...you don't like Nan Wujiang, the third principal, that much?"
First Profound, or Nan Wujiang to be precise, had left a good impression on Su Yu. That was supposed to be Wan Tiansheng's teacher, yet Wan Tiansheng had been addressing him by his name.
Wan Tiansheng said, "I'm only his nominal student, but he has never taught me. I don't know him that well. Furthermore, do you think he has been completely unaware of the plight of the multiple character faction during his time in the pavilion? I guess I shouldn't judge since I have also been doing nothing. We're the same. I was aware of all those deaths. He was aware as well. Even Senior Brother Yun Chen was aware. A lot of people were aware. So what? For most people, baiting the traitor out was more important. Gaining new Invincibles was more important. The lives of those multiple character faction members were nothing in comparison. How many people still remember their names?"
Wan Tiansheng laughed in a self-mocking manner as he continued, "Hence, I reminded you that you're only Su Yu. Not Nan Yu, not Wan Yu...none of that. Your line...cares too much. Strictly speaking, you should only count your line starting from Ye Batian. Only Ye Batian, Liu Wenyan, Hong Tan, Bai Feng, Chen Yong, you, and Wu Jia can be considered fellow members of the same line. The rest of us...are outsiders. Because we don't care.
"Do you understand now? Those are the real members of your line. Ye Batian was too loyal. He was hot-headed, egotistical, and arrogant. Thus, he died. Liu Wenyan and the others are too loyal as well. Thus, your line is the most miserable line in the Myriad Realms. The rest of us are much better off.
"Because of their loyalty, Liu Wenyan became a cripple for fifty years. Hong Tan became a turtle for fifty years. Chen Yong lost his closest friend. Bai Feng was forced to leave his home. Wu Jia lost her parents. You were hunted by everyone in the Allheaven Battlefield.
"You are the only ones who have been suffering. From Ye Batian to you. All of you are merely the chess pieces in the game of chess between humanity and the myriad races. The rest of us...have only been working on our own agendas. Of course, I don't deny the sacrifice the Xia Family made for your line. But remember who you are. Do not mistake kindness as true loyalty."
Then, Wan Tiansheng inhaled deeply and said, "I'll be doing some cleansing. I'm not doing this for any of you. I'm doing this for myself. I can't accept being used like a chess piece. Su Yu...grow strong. You can only rely on your own strength."
Finally, Wan Tiansheng left. Su Yu gazed at Wan Tiansheng's departing figure as he stayed silent for a long time. Wan Tiansheng had never said so much to him before. These were the words that couldn't be spoken lightly.
When everyone was celebrating their victory, Wan Tiansheng was showing him the cruel reality.
And now, he was gone. Gone to settle some debts.
Su Yu had thought that this was enough for Wan Tiansheng. But he was wrong. Wan Tiansheng was unwilling to let go of his grudge.
Perhaps after today...Wan Tiansheng would turn from a hero into a...villain.
He had gone mad.
Yes. He had gone mad.
Su Yu could see that Wan Tiansheng might be even crazier than Lan Tian. Wan Tiansheng was too smart. He could see the truth behind all the deception. If he stopped now, he would be hailed as the hero of humanity. But that was not the path he had chosen.
Su Yu didn't know what to feel. Before leaving, Wan Tiansheng had taught him about survival and removed all future troubles he might face. He was told to not trust anyone. Not even Wan Tiansheng. But...was that really the case?
Su Yu sighed.
That day, humanity lost Wan Tiansheng.
Chapter 1250: From Great Xia To Great Xia (1)
Inside the Human Realm, the myriad races were routing.
The four Invincibles were leading the escape. After the bitter battle, the myriad races had nothing but numerous lost lives to show for their efforts. Everyone was fleeing, including the young geniuses and Pseudo Invincibles.
Outside the Human Realm, the battle raged. At this point, all parties had suffered disastrous losses. This included humanity as it had lost a considerable number of Sunmoons during the conflict. This was especially true for Great Xia.
Dozens of Sunmoons had been deployed and half of them were lost. The Martial Dragon Guard had nearly been exterminated. A large number of academy elders had died as well. The survivors were hot in pursuit of the fleeing myriad races.
***
Nanyuan.
Everyone was ignoring the ruin. The truly valuable treasures were no more, and the remaining treasures were not worth their attention. The myriad races had to flee while the humans were giving chase in fury.
They were determined to not allow the myriad races to escape. With Zhu Tiandao, the slayer of Invincibles around, they had nothing to fear. At this point, Nanyuan had practically been leveled.
Not far away, the four Invincibles were moving in the direction of an unknown portal with a group of people. That was the same portal the Myriad Race Cult used in the past, also the safest exit for the myriad races.
This expedition to the Human Realm had been a disaster. None of them were feeling very good.
***
Nanyuan.
The city had turned into a crater that was slowly being filled with water. Only the ruin was left hovering above the crater by its lonesome.
Suddenly, the ruin shook, as though something had been triggered.
Rumble!
Then, a River of Time appeared, spreading far and wide. All the experts in the middle of fleeing and pursuing couldn't help but take a look at it.
Everyone was stunned.
The River of Time was playing a scene. In the scene, the masked First Yellow flickered as he moved at an incomparably fast speed. Thanks to the spatial undulations, everyone was able to see it in the scene being played. They watched with their own eyes how the white stele in the ruin vanished for a split second before reappearing.
The Culture Tomb was the centerpoint of the scene. Even First Yellow was only a side character in the story being played. But since everyone was paying close attention to the Culture Tomb, they couldn't help but notice First Yellow as well.
The disappearance of the true Culture Tomb seemed to have interupted the flow of the River of Time. As the white stele flickered, something was projected on the body of the stele. It was a semi-translucent beast.
The beast had a ferocious appearance, but it also looked both shrewd and smug at the same time. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Even the Invincibles, who were busy, noticed that. Great Han King roared furiously, "Bastard!"
He had thought that the Culture Tomb was already on Su Yu. But that wasn't the case at all. The Culture Tomb had been switched long before Su Yu took it.
"That's Hollow!"
Divine King Tian Dang looked at Zhu Tiandao and gnashed his teeth, "Hollow! It's him! Third on Dao Affirmation Ranking. We're here fighting like clowns even when the biggest benefit has already been reaped by him."
While humanity and the myriad races were fighting bitterly, Hollow had swept in and taken the biggest prize. This was infuriating. Even losing the prize to Su Yu felt better than this. At the very least, they had seen him snatching it with their own eyes. But instead, Hollow was the biggest winner. None of them would have realized anything if it wasn't for the River of Time.
Nobody doubted a projection from the River of Time. Something like that couldn't be faked. Even if an Invincible were to return to the ruin and check the place, they would be able to verify that the projection was indeed accurate.
The Culture Tomb had been stolen by Hollow.
Everyone was furious.
They had not fought so hard just to benefit Hollow!
Damn it!
They had lost so many Invincibles, including the three who had gone after Su Yu. In fact, two of them were there for the Culture Tomb while one was there for the carrier treasures. Were their deaths meaningless?
Everyone started seething, including the humans. Meanwhile, Zhu Tianfang was frowning. He said nothing. He knew that this ruin was actually a fake ruin and Su Yu was involved in its creation. Thus, it was clear the projection had appeared for the sake of removing attention from Su Yu.
He understood what was happening, but he said nothing. This was acceptable to him. Hollow could take the blame. In any case, he had already offended the Immortal Pseudo Emperor. He might as well offend more people while he was at it.
Since he had been able to survive the Immortal Pseudo Emperor's wrath, he would be able to survive the wrath of even more people.
***
At the same time.
Somewhere in the Human Realm.
First Yellow's jaw dropped as he saw the scene shown by the River of Time. He looked at Yellow Nine and said, "Granddaughter, I think your grandpa is finished."
Holy shit!
Was this a real River of Time projection or was this a deliberate act by someone?
Holy shit!
Why did the projection pick the exact moment when he swapped the Culture Tomb to show? And even his real appearance was shown. He wouldn't be able to explain himself even after giving the Culture Tomb to Zhu Tianfang.
He could see his life falling apart any moment now.
After a long while, he gnashed his teeth and said, "Let's go. We'll leave through the pavilion's portal. We can't stay here anymore. Even the Allheaven Battlefield isn't a good place for me anymore. I need a real identity..."
"Elder, what about the Culture Tomb?"
First Yellow said, "I'm not giving it anymore. I was planning to hand it over obediently, but not anymore. I'm not taking the blame for nothing. Let's go. I keep feeling like I have been tricked."
He couldn't stop cursing. Had he been tricked? He took the Culture Tomb out and studied it carefully. After a while, he frowned. He was certain this was the same thing he had stolen from the ruin.
He had stolen it right after the ruin emerged. Nobody apart from him had touched it since then. Then again, he wasn't able to see through it either. It looked like a completely normal stele.
But he wasn't surprised. If he could see through this thing so easily, the Pseudo Emperors wouldn't have been stumped by how this thing was supposed to be used. He put it away, grabbed Yellow Nine, and fled. With a flicker, he vanished.
Moments later, Wan Tiansheng appeared with a frown. He believed that killing First Yellow would be the best course of action. With First Yellow's disappearance, all clues pointing toward the real Culture Tomb would vanish.
Alas, First Yellow was both strong and proficient at spatial manipulation. This was not someone he could kill easily. He sighed. He felt quite regretful. If he could kill First Yellow, nobody else but him and Su Yu would know the truth.
"Consider yourself lucky."
Wan Tiansheng wouldn't have given up so easily if it wasn't for his heavy injuries. With Hollow around, the matter could come back to bite Su Yu in the future. Whatever. It wasn't like Su Yu was a helpless lamb.
Wan Tiansheng looked in Nanyuan's direction as his eyes turned cold.
***
A short moment later, Wan Tiansheng reappeared above Nanyuan.
A battle was still raging between the myriad race experts who had fled hastily and the pursuing humans. However, Nanyuan was still filled wth heavenly source qi and sunmoon yellow profound liquid. Most of the experts had departed in a hurry so they hadn't been able to gather any of these treasures.
But the ruin was not empty. In fact, there were quite a lot of people. These people were searching the ruin for whatever they could get, such as the cultivation methods Su Yu and Wan Tiansheng had placed in the ruin previously.
This was a very believable fake ruin. There were simply too many treasures in it. Wan Tiansheng had even washed some earth weapons with the River of Time to make them look aged before tossing them into the ruin. One could say that both Su Yu and Wan Tiansheng had spent a lot of resources on this ruin.
For example, Wan Tiansheng had exhausted his years of savings building this ruin. Su Yu had also contributed almost half of the treasures he had earned during his time in the Allheaven Battlefield. Fortunately, he had retrieved most of the more valuable treasures before leaving. But he had not been able to retrieve the sunmoon profound yellow liquid and heavenly source qi in the ruin.
All in all, this wasn't too big of a loss for him. Thanks to his newly looted carrier treasures, he had actually made a profit. Nevertheless, every single treasure in Su Yu's possession was something he had risked his life to get.
When Wan Tiansheng scanned the area, he shut his eyes and sighed. There were nineteen Sunmoons present.
Nineteen of them.
Under the lead of these Sunmoons, some young geniuses were busy searching the place for treasures. Even as the battle was still raging. From the very beginning, they had never intended to fight. They merely watched as the warriors of Great Xia died one after another.
Nineteen Sunmoons.
Wan Tiansheng had an unsightly expression on his face. Over the past fifty years, humanity had not even produced that many Sunmoons if only cultural researchers were counted. Some human prefectures didn't even have that many Sunmoons. If all of them were to work together, they could even keep a Pseudo Invincible occupied.
With such a number, this was a task they could do even if they were only comprised of early and middle Sunmoons. And that wasn't even the case as there were actually some late-stage Sunmoons among them.
Yet such a powerful group of people had not bothered to help when their fellow humans were dying right in front of them. Instead, they were more concerned with the treasures in the ruin.
Wan Tiansheng sighed.
Chapter 1251: From Great Xia To Great Xia (2)
Wan Tiansheng's sigh resounded in the ruin.
Alarmed, the people in the ruin looked up at him.
Meeting their gazes, Wan Tiansheng smiled. This was a ruin Su Yu had forged by destroying a carrier treasure. It was very durable. Not even Pseudo Invincibles could break this ruin easily. That was how it had lasted until now even after the intense battle earlier.
This was one of the reasons why everyone was convinced this was a real ruin. Nobody would expect Su Yu to sacrifice a carrier treasure to forge a fake ruin. Perhaps even the Xia Family was starting to believe that this was a real ruin.
Apart from Wan Tiansheng and Su Yu, nobody, not even Zhu Tiandao, knew for sure that the ruin was fake.
"Principal Wan..." Someone said cautiously, "You're back? Since nobody was here, we decided to take these treasures for safekeeping lest anyone took this chance to steal them."
Wan Tiansheng said, "This ruin is Su Yu's. Everything here is his. Take everything you have taken out. I'll return them to Su Yu."
Someone laughed and said, "Principal, Su Yu already has the carrier treasures and Culture Tomb right? Oh, no, Hollow has the Culture Tomb. In any case, the main treasures are gone. These dregs are not worth his attention..."
"Who is Su Yu to lay claim to all these treasures?" Someone argued disdainfully, "Is his name written somewhere on the ruin?"
Su Yu's ruin? Was his name on the ruin? What a joke.
Wan Tiansheng smiled and reappeared in front of the ruin with a flicker. There, he said, "The ruin is his. See, his name is in there..."
This was Su Yu's ruin. Regardless of the truth, this was now the truth. Everyone had been suspecting that Su Yu was the owner of a ruin. And that ruin had finally appeared. This was what everyone believed.
Wan Tiansheng believed that this was a good development. With this, people would stop coveting the secret ruin they believed Su Yu to have. Some of the people in the ruin did notice Su Yu's name written on the ruin. But they remained indifferent. So what if his name was written in the ruin?
A Sunmoon laughed and said, "Principal Wan, your injuries look severe. You have contributed greatly to humanity today. Now, it's time for you to return and recuperate..."
"Contributed greatly to humanity?" Wan Tiansheng said, "Not at all. I did not kill Fiery Sea King and Nether River King for humanity. I was merely doing it out of vengeance."
As he spoke, traces of dark qi started appearing around him.
He once cautioned Su Yu against the demonic path. He advised Su Yu to be more positive. According to him, humanity was not all that bad. Su Yu should not let his life be consumed by hatred.
Alas, Wan Tiansheng had not given himself the same advice.
He turned his head and looked into the distance. There, the battle near the portal had grown even more intense than before while the Invincibles had all departed through the portal.
He started laughing.
The Invincibles were gone.
Great Han King was gone as well.
Wan Tiansheng turned to look at the people in the ruin again. With a sigh, he said, "Everyone, I'm too cruel. And too callous. If you must blame someone, blame me."
The people in the ruin were confused. What was he talking about?
Yuan Qingdong was also among the crowd. The moment he heard those words, his expression changed drastically. He had long wanted to leave, but his friends had refused to leave while he was too scared to leave alone. With alarm and panic, he said, "Principal, when I first reached Great Xia, I was ignorant and arrogant due to my youth. But I have not crossed any lines since then..."
"Right." Wan Tiansheng nodded. With a genial smile on his face, he said, "But your ignorance...nearly killed Feng Ji."
Panic covered Yuan Qingdong's face.
"Principal, please...you..."
Boom!
Forming a sword with a character, Wan Tiansheng swept the sword out. Instantly, a Sunmoon was killed. Chaos descended among the crowd.
"Wan Tiansheng, have you gone mad? We're the descendants of Invincibles! What do you think you're doing, Wan Tiansheng?"
Someone screamed in horror.
A moon fell from the sky, confirming that a Sunmoon had died.
With another swing, Wan Tiansheng killed a second Sunmoon before nonchalantly saying, "I'm removing the sins of humanity. It is a sin to run from battle. It is a sin to remain a spectator while your fellow humans are being killed. It is a sin to abuse your power. And I, have sinned as well."
Yet another Sunmoon was cut down. Horrified, the others started attacking. Alas, Wan Tiansheng was an existence capable of killing Invincibles. That would not change just because he was injured.
These people were no match for him. In fact, even a regular Invincible would have a hard time surviving an encounter with him in his current state. Blood splattered on his snow-white robes, akin to blossoming crimson flowers.
Abruptly, two individuals appeared behind him. Zhu Tiandao and Lan Tian.
Lan Tian grinned and said, "Well done. If humanity wishes to have peace, everyone needs to join my Holy Sect."
As for Zhu Tiandao, he watched silently. Finally, he sighed and turned around to leave, "I'm never here. Take care. Wan, very few people have ever earned my respect. You...sigh. Farewell."
He left bleakly.
Humanity had prevailed in this conflict. It was a big victory.
Six enemy Invincibles had been slain.
The main combatants were those from Great Xia, Great Ming, Great Qin...and multiple character faction. Meanwhile, dozens of human Sunmoons only watched nearby. Zhu Tiandao had considered giving them a beating or complaining about them at the Knowledge Seeking Realm.
He had been intending to make life hell for them after the battle. But...Wan Tiansheng was willing to go a step further. After Wan Tiansheng was done, would anyone still have the courage to run from battle in the future? Would there be? Were they not afraid of creating a second Wan Tiansheng? It was unlikely that anyone would run from battle anymore.
Four centuries of impatience. Four centuries of growth. Four centuries of power.
The slate shall be wiped clean.
Even if the next generation of people were the same, they would not dare to be as blatant as these people. This fear would last for centuries. The corruption of humanity that had persisted for a few hundred years would be cleansed today.
And Wan Tiansheng would take on the role of the sinner.
A sinner who had slaughtered the descendants of Invincibles. A sinner who had slaughtered the descendants of saviors of humanity. Even now, those Invincibles were fighting for humanity on the battlefield. Meanwhile, their descendants were being killed back home.
The sins of their descendants could not be washed away no matter how much they contributed to humanity. Most people would not be aware of the true story. They would only know that today was the day Wan Tiansheng turned into a demon. It was also clear that he did not intend to stay in the Human Realm any longer.
Zhu Tiandao left helplessly. Thɪs chapter is updated by novelꜰire.net
In the end, it still came to this.
In truth, his participation in this conflict had cost him heavily. He could have entered the Allheaven Battlefield to affirm his dao. But he did not. His elder brother could have remained in hiding.
Not a single individual from Great Ming had affirmed their dao during this conflict. Not even Niu Baidao. He had returned to join the battle in Nanyuan. Great Ming had lost five Sunmoons without gaining anything. His elder brother had been exposed. His strength had been exposed. Niu Baidao's strength had been exposed.
Zhu Tiandao was the main reason for that. He wanted to see for himself if Great Xia could really put up a fight. And ultimately, they won.
Behind him, Wan Tiansheng continued bathing in blood.
Miserable wails, pleas for mercy, and furious roars rang out repeatedly.
Further away, hundreds of Lan Tians clapped, cheered, and danced amid the bloodbath.
Both of them were mad.
Lan Tian was insane, but Wan Tiansheng was even more insane.
Thus, Lan Tian viewed Wan Tiansheng as one of his own. He would listen to nobody except Wan Tiansheng. That was the only person he would listen to. Killing Pseudo Invincibles? Stopping Lade? He would carry out any command from Wan Tiansheng faithfully.
With a sword in hand, one conducted a massacre. With boundless cheer, one danced amid the blood.
Above them, moons rained down, as though it was a meteor shower.
This was a beautiful scene.
Splurt!
With a final swing of his sword, Wan Tiansheng cut Yuan Qingdong's head off. Then, he softly said, "I don't blame you. You're right. You're young and ignorant. You're no younger than me, but you're indeed young and ignorant. The Knowledge Seeking Realm has protected you too well.
"This was why our Invincibles fought so hard back then. For the peace of their descendants. I don't blame you for your ignorance. However, you shouldn't have remained indifferent when your fellow humans were dying. You shouldn't have suppressed the multiple character faction. You shouldn't have stepped on them when they were down. You shouldn't have made them the scapegoat for everything..."
Wan Tiansheng smiled gently and said, "You have sinned. But I have sinned as well. Thus, I shall cease being a human. From now on, I am a demon. A demonic human."
Then, he crushed Yuan Qingdong's severed head. Even during his final moments, Yuan Qingdong did not have much resentment in his eyes. Instead, his eyes were filled with helplessness. He knew it!
He knew this would happen. These people had all gone mad. Great Xia was filled with lunatics. Why? Why did the Knowledge Seeking Realm send him here? He never wanted to be here. He had long noticed the dangers of this place. Alas, he couldn't change anything. Perhaps this death was a form of release. He could finally stop living in fear.
After taking one last look at the corpses all around him, Wan Tiansheng smiled and took a step forward before vanishing. Behind him, a procession of singing, dancing, and cheering Lan Tians followed.
***
Far away.
Su Yu turned around and stared at the descending moons blankly. Traces of sorrow could be seen in his eyes.
With this, Wan Tiansheng would be forever severed from his homeland.
He would no longer be wanted in the Human Realm.
After achieving the greatest feat of his life, during a time when he should be celebrated by humanity, he had stepped on a path of no return. This choice of his was similar to the dao he walked. A dao of no past and future. A dao of one and only Wan Tiansheng.
There was no past. There was no future. There was only one Wan Tiansheng.
Perhaps he had seen through everything fifty-one years ago. Perhaps he had made his mind since then.
According to Marquis Xia, the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy was his final cage. But that was wrong. The multiple character faction was that final cage.
But after the recent events, things had improved for the multiple character faction. The third principal had returned. Yun Chen had returned. Liu Wenyan, Xia Yunji, and the others had advanced into the Sunmoon Realm. That was how Wan Tiansheng was released from his final cage.
After seeing with his own eyes how Su Yu was protected by the stone statue, and after giving Su Yu one final lesson, he could finally release the demon in his heart.
Chapter 1252: From Great Xia To Great Xia (3)
Knowledge Seeking Realm.
One of the two holy lands of humanity.
Even with the deaths of Sunmoons and Invincibles at Great Xia, the holy land still looked as beautiful and peaceful as ever. The only stain to this picture of tranquil beauty was a certain farmland wrapped around the holy land.
With a sword in hand, Wan Tiansheng threaded through the farm, careful to avoid stepping on any of the crops. Main gate of Knowledge Seeking Realm.
The two guards demanded loudly, "Who are you?"
A sword was swung. Two lives were lost.
"Lan Tian, cover the phenomena for me."
"Sure."
With a giggle by Lan Tian, the sky above the Knowledge Seeking Realm trembled before being covered by a layer of mist. Then, Wan Tiansheng soared into the sky.
Numerous individuals walked out of the Knowledge Seeking Realm. People of all ages and genders were among them.
Some of them recognized Wan Tiansheng. Looking at his blood-covered body, someone exclaimed in shock, "Wan Tiansheng, why are you here?"
Wan Tiansheng spoke in a perfectly serene voice, "Today, the myriad races attacked Great Xia. When Great Xia requested help, Mountainseas and Sunmoons alike arrived to help. But apart from a few elderlies, nobody from the holy land was there. Why?"
Someone answered with a displeased frown, "The Knowledge Seeking Realm is a holy land. This place is too important. There are countless legacies here, including the source of our heavenly source qi..."
"I see."
Wan Tiansheng nodded, "Eleven Sunmoons and thirty-seven Mountains. Forty-eight in total."
The others frowned in confusion.
A sword was swung.
And a Sunmoon lost his head.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
"Help!"
The crowd scattered in panic.
Wan Tiansheng only killed the Mountainseas and Sunmoons. He did not lay a hand on the children and the youth. Instead, he lectured them, "Everyone, remember this well. Your elders were the ones who had fought for the preservation of the Human Realm. Thanks to their contributions, humanity has allowed you to enjoy some special pregoratives and rights. You are not required to complete any difficult missions or go through bitter competition before receiving the best humanity has to offer. You live in the lap of luxury. You are worthy of this special treatment. Because your elders fought for humanity.
"Alas, we are not living in a peaceful era. The myriad races are still seeking our doom. We are not living in a golden age. If not even Mountainseas and Sunmoons are willing to fight for humanity, who else can humanity rely on?
"If you lack the courage or the willingness to fight, you should remain in the Skysoar or Cloudbreach Realm for life. That will spare you from the worst of battles. But as Mountainseas and Sunmoons, you are not allowed to shrink from your duty to humanity."
Wan Tiansheng continued delivering his lecture in the midst of slaughter, "Therefore, I'm here to kill them. I hope you won't forget this day. Remember this moment. Remember this slaughter of your parents and seniors. They die for only one reason: fleeing from battle."
"Holy land?" What a joke. "The holy land is nothing. Heavenly source qi? There is no holy land in the Human Realm. There is only a realm we have fought to preserve. The holy land is nothing."
As the slaughter progressed, moons started raining from the sky while blood drenched the ground. At this point, Wan Tiansheng's white robes had turned completely red. Countless weaklings hid far away and watched the carnage while trembling in fear. A certain demon was killing every single Sunmoon and Mountainsea in the holy land. Not one of them was spared. Including those he had killed in the ruin, Wan Tiansheng had killed around thirty Sunmoons and sixty Mountainseas in a day.
After stopping to cough a mouthful of blood, Wan Tiansheng smiled and said, "You're not completely helpless, after all. You're actually able to injure me slightly. You could have killed a Pseudo Invincible if all of you helped earlier."
Then, he went to the back of the Knowledge Seeking Realm where the true holy land, the Heavenly Source Domain was located, the place where the heavenly source fruit trees were grown.
With a smile, he swung his sword.
Holy land?
No. Humanity had no need for this. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novelꞁire.net
Heavenly Source Domain?
This so-called holy land was merely the personal territory of these people. There was no need for it to remain. Since these people loved their holy land so much, the holy land would accompany them to the afterlife.
With another swing of his sword, the holy land was cleaved apart. Finally, he walked out of the Knowledge Seeking Realm. He regarded the two characters floating in the air: Knowledge Seeking
He smiled yet again and swung his sword.
The two characters burst apart.
From today onward, the Knowledge Seeking Realm was no more.
"I'll be back soon. Keep covering for me."
Lan Tian giggled happily, "Go. Have fun. Remember me when you're leaving. I'll go with you."
"I will."
Wan Tiansheng vanished with a flicker. Moments later, moons started dropping from the sky above the distant War Shrine. After some time, the bloody Wan Tiansheng returned.
After coughing a mouthful of blood, he said, "Let's go. They are not completely worthless, after all. What a pity."
He grinned and said, "I killed forty human Sunmoons today."
Lan Tian smiled, revealing his beautiful dimples as he said, "You are such a demon. A great demon. Nobody has killed more human Sunmoons than you."
"Cough, cough, cough..."
After coughing a few mouthfuls of blood, Wan Tiansheng grinned, "Yes. I am a demon. The two holy lands are no more. From today onward, there are no longer any holy lands in the Human Realm. Let's go. We still have some filth to cleanse. Those retired officials, those traitorous experts, and those cowardly bastards who have been bending the knee to the myriad races are waiting for me. Also, give me the list of those who had collaborated with you in the past."
"Sure."
The two departed, with falling moons as their backdrop. The entire Dual Holy Prefecture was in chaos. Wails and cries filled the air.
Women, youth, and even babies were crying.
Wan Tiansheng had slaughtered every single Mountainsea and Sunmoon in the prefecture.
Dragging his heavily injured body with him, he swept through the Human Realm. Nobody was capable of stopping him.
No, that was untrue.
The moment the two departed, a silhouette appeared from each of the two holy lands. The two looked at each other with sorrow and helplessness.
The Human Realm had not been left completely defenseless. The final trump card was still around. Three human Invincibles who had lost their tri-life bodies in the past were still around. They had not acted when Great Xia was under attack. And when the two holy lands were under attack, they had also refrained from acting. Even if their own descendants were among those being slaughtered.
The two sighed with regret. They had never been able to bring themselves to act against their own descendants. And thus, Wan Tiansheng had transformed into a demon. A demon who had dirtied his hands for them.
"He...is not done yet."
The second person sighed, "So be it. Let him continue."
"Do we...keep him around?"
"Sigh. No, let him be. The future generation shall decide for themselves whether this is right or wrong. We are...already old."
The two sounded incomparably helpless and regretful.
***
That day, Wan Tiansheng rampaged across the Human Realm.
One traitorous military official after another was killed. One expert after another who had slain multiple character cultivators in the past was killed. One myriad race collaborator after another was killed.
Lan Tian served as the best traitor detector. Nobody who had ever collaborated with the Myriad Race Cult could hide from him.
Numerous heads were severed from their bodies.
Rivers of blood flowed.
***
Finally, Wan Tiansheng returned to Great Xia City.
Countless people had died in the city as well.
The people lured over by Zhou Mingren had all been killed. That included a ninth-stage Sunmoon.
Great Xia City. Prefect's manor.
Wan Tiansheng landed on the ground, looked at Xia Huyou, and asked, "Where's Zhou Mingren?"
As a response, Xia Huyou took a ball of light out.
Wan Tiansheng nodded. After a short moment, Zhou Mingren's projection appeared from the ball. When he saw Wan Tiansheng, he smiled.
"You're back. Your current fashion choice...is excellent."
Zhou Mingren said, "Wan Tiansheng, both you and Ye Batian were too strong. And too talented. It truly feels terrible to be born in the same generation as the two of you."
Wan Tiansheng smiled and said, "I'm leaving."
"I guessed as much." Zhou Mingren asked, "Are you here to send me to the afterlife? There is no need for that. I will go before long. Wan Tiansheng...do you think humanity...can really produce an Emperor?"
"I don't know. That's too far in the future for me to guess." Wan Tiansheng said, "You won't be able to see the arrival of that day. I doubt I can live long enough to see that day either. Perhaps when that day arrives, it will also be the day for me to depart this world. After all, I am the demonic human."
Zhou Mingren laughed for a long time. Finally, he stopped and said, "In that case, let me present you with the offering for your soul in advance. After all, we have known each other for such a long time..."
The projection started burning.
"Tiansheng, do you still remember...that year? You, Batian, and I once talked about our potential title after affirming our dao in the future." Zhou Mingren said, "I said that I wanted to be known as the Righteous Light King. Alas, time has proven that I'm incapable of embodying that title. Batian wanted to be known as the Hegemonic King. He shall be the hegemon of the Myriad Realms. And it has been proven that he was incapable of that as well. You are different. You only wanted to be Wan Tiansheng. Not a king. Not an emperor. And you seem...to have accomplished that."
Slowly, he dissipated away. Finally, a moon dropped from the sky.
Wan Tiansheng watched in silence. After a long while, he looked at Xia Huyou and said, "From today onward, the multiple character faction no longer exists in Great Xia. Prince Xia, I hereby resign from my post."
With tears in his eyes, Xia Huyou smiled and nodded, "Principal Wan, I grant you leave. Have a pleasant journey, Principal."
"Thank you."
Wan Tiansheng smiled and looked at the distant academy. He did not return. Instead, he took a step forward and vanished into thin air.
Xia Huyou watched silently. Finally, he bowed. This was his way of seeing Principal Wan off.
From today onward, the multiple character faction no longer existed in Great Xia.
Great Xia, the origin of the multiple character faction, also the end of multiple character faction.
It might reappear in the future, but it would no longer be the same multiple character faction. A multiple character faction without Ye Batian and Wan Tiansheng would no longer be the multiple character faction.
"Farewell...Martial Grandfather."
He sent his silent blessings to the departing principal.
The teacher of his father had departed.
Chapter 1253: Number One Pretty Boy (1)
It was raining moons in the Human Realm.
The holy lands had been destroyed, and the traitors had been executed.
Wan Tiansheng had drenched the Human Realm in blood.
Traitors? Dead.
Collaborators? Dead.
Deserters? Dead.
That day, the skies were dyed red with blood. That day, a saint became a demon.
***
Allheaven Prefecture, in front of the portal.
Su Yu turned and looked in the direction of Great Xia before turning around again. He did that repeatedly as tears built up in his eyes. However, he did not cry. He had never enjoyed crying since he was young.
According to Wan Tiansheng, he looked callous, but he was soft inwardly. Was that really the case? Su Yu did not know the answer to that. Was he not cruel enough? He had thought that the answer was yes.
But today, he learned that he was wrong. He still cared too much about the Human Realm. About Great Xia.
When he learned of the crisis in the Human Realm and the danger Great Xia was facing...he returned. He could have remained in the Allheaven Battlefield, enjoying his life as a local hegemon. But that was not his choice. He returned and did everything he could to help.
Was he really doing that just to help Hong Tan and the few he cared about?
No.
He longed for humanity to prevail. He longed for Xia Longwu's successful dao affirmation.
Wan Tiansheng had advised him to not give his carrier treasures away easily because they were too valuable. Would he actually do something like that?
Perhaps.
He looked at the falling moons in silence.
Unknowingly, someone had appeared beside him. It was Wu Ji, the general of the Strength Guard.
He looked in the direction of the two holy lands. Suddenly, he sneered, "Looks like they finally met someone vicious enough to deal with them. I guess from now on, I can focus on my job as a defender here in peace."
After this, he would no longer be recalled to the holy land. There was no longer a holy land for him to return to.
The War Shrine was no more.
As the general of the Strength Guard, he would probably remain posted at the Allheaven Prefecture for an indeterminate period of time.
When Wu Ji met Su Yu's gaze, he said, "Those from the future generation can judge for themselves what is right or wrong. You are free to feel what you want about this, just as how those from the older generations will have their own opinions about this."
Su Yu asked, "Is he a saint or a demon?"
"That is something for the later generation to decide."
Su Yu asked, "How do you determine if someone is a member of the later generation?"
Wu Ji looked at Su Yu silently. He did not understand the question.
Su Yu continued, "Do I count as one? At the very least, I am not from the past generation. He is not my teacher. He is not my family. We have never interacted much with each other. However, I wish to speak for him. Can I seek justice for him?"
Wu Ji smiled, "If you can withstand the wrath of dozens of Invincibles, sure."
Su Yu smiled as well, "Indeed. It will be determined in the future. The bigger fist will get to write the history. If I claim that he's a saint and someone else claims that he's a demon, I'll punch him dead. If that's the reality we live in, what do you think everyone will say about him?"
Wu Ji roared with laughter.
"I'm looking forward to that."
He was very positive about Su Yu's future. This youngster, who was also a hegemon of a small territory, had declared that Wan Tiansheng was a saint, not a demon. Any disagreement shall be settled with fists.
In a way, he was someone from the later generation. There was no need for him to wait for anyone to draw a conclusion. He shall draw the conclusion himself.
One Sunmoon after another looked at Su Yu.
There was no battle in the city. This was the final defensive line of humanity. Beyond the portal, the Invincibles were still in battle.
Wan Tiansheng had not targeted these people during his massacre. These people had the duty of guarding the final defensive line of humanity. They had a valid reason to stay here. The soldiers stationed at the three major seas had been spared as well. They had their own duties there.
The experts who had stayed behind to protect the various prefectures were left alone as well. Only those who had betrayed humanity were killed. Only those from the two holy lands had been killed indiscriminately.
There were no civilians in the holy lands. The people in the holy lands had nothing except their wealth to protect. Thus, they became the targets of Wan Tiansheng.
Su Yu said nothing else. He stopped looking back. After today, he was no longer needed in Great Xia. That was also the case for Wan Tiansheng and many others. Recalling Xia Longwu's ongoing dao affirmation, Su Yu had the sudden urge to take a look at the process.
He wanted to witness his childhood hero with his own eyes.
The people of Xia. The blade of Xia. He wanted to take a good look at both.
***
Sea of Stars.
The battle was raging bitterly.
It had been a while since Xia Longwu initiated the fusion of his three bodies. More and more experts were arriving from all directions. The battle in the Human Realm had ended with the defeat of the myriad races.
Five myriad race Invincibles from that battle had perished in the Human Realm while one had perished in the Allheaven Battlefield. As for the human race, they had only lost a traitor Invincible. There was no longer any need to continue the battle in the Human Realm.
The Culture Tomb had been stolen by Hollow while the carrier treasures had been snatched by Su Yu. In the Allheaven Battlefield, most of those capable of dao affirmations had completed their advancement. Those without the ability to complete their dao affirmations were waiting around to test their luck or observe the result of Xia Longwu's dao affirmation.
Great Han King had rejoined the battle in the Allheaven Battlefield with his injured body. Four myriad race Invincibles had also arrived with him. Some other humans had arrived as well.
Zhu Tianfang was finally able to assemble his main body as the myriad races had stopped interfering. Their arrival did nothing to change the balance of battle.
Divine King Tian Dang, the first myriad race Invincible to reveal himself in the Human Realm, had actually survived the battle. One ought to admit that at times, luck was very important. He started reporting what he saw to the myriad race Invincibles. Google seaʀᴄh novel⁂fire.net
"Nether River, Huoji, Qimu, Lade, and Mohe died. Of the seventeen Pseudo Invincibles, six survived."
Eleven of their Pseudo Invincibles had perished. That was an utter defeat for them. Or to be precise, this was a disgraceful defeat. So many of them had entered the Human Realm when there weren't that many human Invincibles around yet so many of them had died.
The number of dead regular Sunmoons was even higher. Over a hundred regular Sunmoons had entered the Human Realm and less than thirty had survived. The survival rate of the young geniuses, on the other hand, was higher. More than half of them had survived.
The gazes of numerous Invincibles landed on the four defeated Invincibles. All four of them looked miserable. Then again, they had just suffered a miserable defeat so that was understandable.
However, those who had been fighting in the Allheaven Battlefield all along did not look much better either. They had been fooled, resulting in the loss of one Invincible and multiple tri-life bodies. The ones without their tri-life bodies had long fled the battlefield.
Thus, nobody bothered to throw insults at each other. What was the point when neither of them had done particularly well in this conflict?
An Invincible asked solemnly, "Did Zhu Tiandao really kill them?"
Tian Dang inhaled deeply and said, "Zhu Tiandao, Nan Wujiang, Yun Chen, and Wan Tiansheng. These people must die."
None of them could be spared.
If they were already so strong now, they would probably be as dangerous as Xia Longwu after their dao affirmations. They were the ones who had been contending against Invincibles without being Invincibles. Sure, most of them had only faced the tri-life bodies of Invincibles, but that was still a terrifying feat.
Nobody said anything about that declaration. There was no need to say anything since all of them agreed. But entering the Human Realm to kill them now was the same as throwing their lives away. They could only wait.
It was only a matter of time before they left for their dao affirmations. It was very unlikely for them to attempt their dao affirmations in the Human Realm. They were too talented while the Human Realm was too resource-starved to support their advancements.
This was quite disappointing for the myriad races. They had fought so hard yet they had gained nothing.
The ruin did not fall into their hands, the Culture Tomb had gone missing, and the multiple character faction had yet to be eliminated. They could only settle for the consolation prize and kill Xia Longwu.
If they failed to stop Xia Longwu's advancement as well, then this would be a total defeat for them. But looking at how things were, it did not look like Xia Longwu would succeed.
With a lull in the battle, Great Qin King and Great Xia King withdrew to the center of the encirclement. As for the myriad race Invincibles, they also pulled further away while maintaining the encirclement around the human Invincibles.
One of them coldly said, "Xia Longwu will not be allowed to complete his dao affirmation. Is the human race going to remain stubborn?"
At this moment, more Invincibles appeared. Great Ming King and the others had arrived. With the battle for the ruin over, there was no longer any need for them to watch over the realm barrier. The myriad race Invincibles were also uninterested in entering for fear of stepping into a trap. Apart from Great Ming King's group, more than ten myriad race Invincibles also arrived.
Apart from the small number of Invincibles who were still busy going after those attempting their dao affirmations, most of the myriad race Invincibles involved in this conflict had arrived.
More than a hundred Invincibles were being gathered in one place. Their very presence caused the entire Sea of Stars to churn and roil. A baleful aura shrouded the entire region.
An immortal king stepped forth and spoke in a tone of pity, "Give up. Xia Longwu has too much blood in his hands. The human race has gained four new Invincibles. With the return of Zhou Tianyuan and Zhu Tianfang, you now have six additional Invincibles. Is this not enough for you?"
Humanity had gained six Invincibles. But it had also lost one. With the addition of multiple new Invincibles and the removal of a traitor, humanity had won massively. As far as the myriad races were concerned, humanity should have given up on Xia Longwu.
Xia Longwu might be ranked top five in the Dao Affirmation Ranking, but in terms of strength, was he really comparable to someone like Nan Wujiang?
"Tian Yu, is the immortal thinking of being the vanguard this time?"
Great Xia King asked coldly. Immortal King Tian Yu was the ancestor of Fairy Yu Xuan, the same fairy who had been killed by Xia Huyou not long ago. When Great Xia King took a look around, he sighed inwardly. This was hopeless.
Xia Longwu was taking too long. He had dragged it out until the battle in the Human Realm was over, until the others were done affirming their dao, until the battles else were over.
Great Xia King knew what Xia Longwu was thinking.
But he still felt very helpless about this. In truth, Xia Longwu was also a member of the multiple character faction. His teacher was Wan Tiansheng. And he was just as sentimental as the other multiple character faction members.
Chapter 1254: Number One Pretty Boy (2)
Xia Longwu was in no rush. He continued looking around.
Soon, his gaze landed on a certain someone. He smiled. Further away, Marquis Xia was gasping for breath in exhaustion. He did not dare to approach, but when he met Xia Longwu's gaze, he nodded with an unsightly expression.
Xia Longwu sighed. So his teacher had still taken that step? He had been able to guess his teacher's plans. His teacher had departed. Perhaps he would never return to the Human Realm again.
So be it.
Now, his teacher would be safe.
The human and myriad race Invincibles were all here. Everyone was too occupied to pay attention to what his teacher was doing. He looked at the surrounding human Invincibles and smiled in amusement. Were they aware?
Perhaps some were.
Whatever.
Almost all human Invincibles in existence were here. However, the myriad race Invincibles were at least twice their number. There were over a hundred of them here. Thankfully, a decent number of them had died or lost their tri-life bodies. That had thinned their number considerably.
Xia Longwu, who had been remaining relatively silent all along, suddenly laughed and said, "My dao affirmation feels a lot more respectable than even my martial uncle, Ye Batian's dao affirmation."
Great Xia King was stunned by that. The other Invincibles also looked over. Xia Longwu had rarely mentioned Ye Batian.
At about sixty, he was similar in age to people like Liu Wenyan. Thus, he was old enough to have seen Ye Batian. Of course, he was still too young back then. And his teacher wasn't Ye Batian. If Ye Batian had survived, he would have ended up as Ye Batian's student as well.
Unfortunately, Ye Batian had died when Xia Longwu was only a teenager. At that age, he had yet to take on a teacher. Eventually, he became Wan Tiansheng's student.
At the time, Wan Tiansheng was regarded as a genius peak Mountainsea.
Why did he mention Ye Batian suddenly?
Xia Longwu said, "I have taken countless lives in the Allheaven Battlefield. I deserve this hostility from the myriad races."
He looked at the human Invincibles and smiled, "Everyone, leave. Let them through. I wish to see if I can kill a few Invincibles before dying like my martial uncle."
Great Xia King chided furiously, "Nonsense! Like your martial uncle? What bullshit!"
There were over a hundred Invincibles here. How was he supposed to do that?
Great Xia King started roaring madly, "You killed my eldest son. You slaughtered my people in Great Xia. If you dare to kill my grandson, a blood feud will start between us."
He looked at the other human Invincibles, gnashed his teeth, and said, "My friends, help me this one time. Longwu...he..."
Great Qin King nodded and said, "Don't worry. As I said, they would need to step over our dead bodies before they are allowed to lay a hand on him."
Qin Zhen had completed his dao affirmation. As long as there was still an Invincible in Great Qin, their great army would remain orderly. With Great Qin in order, humanity would still be able to maintain its power in the Allheaven Battlefield.
Thus, Great Qin King could fight with nothing to worry about anymore. As for whether the Human Realm would sink into chaos, that was something for Great Zhou King to worry about. Great Qin King did not know if Great Zhou King could do it. Perhaps Great Zhou King would be even better at this job than him.
Xia Longwu said nothing else. His grandfather's plea for help wouldn't achieve much. There were over a hundred Invincibles arrayed against them. That was pointless.
***
At the same time, Su Yu had just stepped through the portal in the Allheaven Prefecture. Right after he emerged at the other side, he triggered his mayor's medallion. Moments later, a spatial tunnel appeared on the horizon, extending toward the portal.
The human Invincible guarding the place noted the incoming tunnel and roared in fury.
As a response, Su Yu soared into the sky and soothed, "Mayor of Grandstar City, Su Yu, is passing through. I seek your understanding, Invincible."
After hearing those words, the Invincible withdrew with an odd expression on his face. Then, Su Yu stepped into the tunnel and started heading toward the Sea of Stars.
He crossed the Eastrift Valley, traversed the Plain of Desires, and stepped over the Heavendoom City, angering the jealous mayor Tian He, and attracting Heavendoom's attention.
Heavendoom was displeased with how much Grandstar was indulging Su Yu. The source of thɪs content is novel✶fire.net
Not a single guardian had indulged their mayor so much before. Damn it! He even opened a spatial tunnel for his mayor to traverse! Would it kill Su Yu for him to fly slowly like a normal person?
As Su Yu was stepping over Heavendoom City, the jealous stone statue sent him a voice transmission, "Kid, have you forgotten me after receiving my breathing technique, vibration technique, and teleportation talismans?"
"..."
Su Yu laughed in amusement as he cupped his fists at the city, "Please forgive me, Lord Heavendoom. I am now a part of Grandstar City. If you have any needs, you are welcomed to seek me out. I'll be glad to serve."
Damn it! Heavendoom grew even more jealous at the reminder that the kid had joined Grandstar City. Damn that kid! Served him right for having so much death qi in his body. He wouldn't live long with that much death qi in him.
How was he even alive?
Seemingly in response to Heavendoom's thoughts, Su Yu demonstrated his ability to reverse death qi into source qi.
Then, he nonchalantly moved away from the city.
Heavendoom: "..."
Heavendoom was so infuriated he felt like smashing the kid apart with his tail. What was the meaning of that? Was the kid showing off? The damn kid was definitely showing off!
Damn it!
How dare the kid provoke him! That was definitely deliberate! Heavendoom was furious. Was the kid trying to say that he wouldn't die? Was the kid telling him that Grandstar would still be able to continue running around outside the city?
Heavendoom was furious. He had the urge to give Tian He a beating. Yes, he should give Tian He a beating instead of Su Yu. After all, that was someone else's mayor. It would be inappropriate for him to beat someone else's mayor. Meanwhile, Tian He was planning to resign. It would be fine for him to take out his anger on Tian He, right?
At this point, Su Yu was already gone.
Inside the city, Mayor Tian He was sulking. He wanted to be such a glorious mayor as well.
Damn it!
His guardian was personally helping him cross the Allheaven Battlefield. How glorious was that? From how he was traveling, one would think that he was even more important than Invincibles.
Sure enough, fate was unfair. Apart from sitting there acting all cool and fierce, Heavendoom had done nothing for his mayor. Unlike Grandstar, Heavendoom had never offered his mayor a ride across the Allheaven Battlefield.
***
Before long, Su Yu had completely forgotten about Heavendoom City.
He continued his journey.
He was near the Sea of Stars.
There, countless Invincibles were gathered. Noticing his presence, they all looked in his direction. He ignored them. Some of the Invincibles gnashed their teeth. They had a strong urge to blast him apart. They really wanted to crush that spatial tunnel.
Right at that moment, a voice rang out, "Su Yu is my mayor. The holy cities have our own ways of doing things. We don't like causing trouble, but we don't fear trouble. The thirty-six guardians are always ready for battle. Do you dare bully my mayor?"
In the sky, Su Yu looked at the Invincibles and laughed.
He addressed the many Invincibles arrogantly, "Su Yu of the ancient city does not intend to provoke anyone. I'm merely passing by. There is no need for you to look at me with so much hostility. I have the favor of the thirty-six lord guardians. If you don't care about the thirty-six guardians, you are free to kill me."
Should they do it? Should they offend thirty-six Invincibles to kill Su Yu? Thirty-six ancient Invincibles, not regular Invincibles. They really wanted to kill Su Yu, but they ultimately gave up on killing him.
So be it. Su Yu was already the hegemon of a region. That was something they had to live with.
Su Yu looked at Xia Longwu, Great Qin King, and the others. However, he did not stop as he continued heading toward the ancient city. Great Qin King and the others saw him as well. Some of them sighed inwardly.
Su Yu!
This young genius of the multiple character faction had not done well in the Human Realm. But he had done exceptionally well in the Allheaven Battlefield. Here, he had earned the backing of the strongest faction: the ancient cities.
As for the Heavenly Hunt Pavilion, it was merely the second strongest faction in the Allheaven Battlefield. The various major realms were not considered Allheaven Battlefield factions.
Someone sent Great Xia King a voice transmission, "Great Xia King, should we...get Su Yu to help?"
Su Yu's backers were very powerful. Those were thirty-six ancient Invincibles they were talking about. In the past, a lot of people believed that those stone statues were mere statues. But now, everyone knew that the stone statues were actually alive. They were simply unconcerned about the affairs of the mundane world.
Each of these stone statues had the strength to fight against multiple Invincibles alone. And if they were provoked enough, they would certainly fight. That was a terrifying faction.
Thanks to their backing, the public enemy number one was able to openly fly past them. Over a hundred Invincibles were forced to watch and do nothing. It was evident how powerful the stone statues were.
If they must kill Su Yu, they had to do it somewhere the stone statues couldn't reach.
Xia Longwu also looked at Su Yu. When he saw Su Yu leaving, he smiled. He did not mind Su Yu's departure. What an interesting kid. Was the kid making this journey to take a look at him? Or was the kid here to laugh at him?
Whatever. The kid had his own path to walk.
At that moment, Xia Longwu's aura finally started changing. He was ready to complete his fusion. The human Invincibles wouldn't be able to do much to protect him. Before long, the myriad race Invincibles would start splitting the battlefield. Even if the myriad race Invincibles didn't do so, the human Invincibles would do it.
Otherwise, the shockwaves from the battle between over a hundred Invincibles would be enough to kill him.
Thus, the outnumbered human Invincibles would be kept occupied in the alternate dimensions by a part of the myriad race Invincibles while the rest would be free to go after him. He was only dragging this out to allow more humans to affirm their dao.
At that moment, someone walked out of the Human Realm's entrance. He laughed heartily and said, "Some of you need to be here. Three or five won't do. You'll need at least ten to keep watch on me. If you do that, I won't be able to affirm my dao. If not, I'll affirm my dao. See, I have my carrier treasure with me."
It was Zhu Tiandao.
He appeared completely fearless.
His voice spread everywhere.
"Come on. Stop wasting time."
The Invincible guarding the entrance was personally helping spread his voice all over the Allheaven Battlefield. Before long, his voice was heard by the myriad race Invincibles.
Zhu Tiandao!
The person who had shone the brightest today!
He didn't even need to say much. Moments after hearing his words, about seven or eight Invincibles started rushing toward the eastern sector of the Allheaven Battlefield. Zhu Tiandao was right. The myriad races could tolerate his existence as long as he remained a Sunmoon. However, they wouldn't allow him to affirm his dao.
Of course, they were only rushing over to prevent him from affirming his dao. They did not intend to actually kill him since he could easily flee back to the Human Realm. Zhu Tiandao boasted arrogantly, "Only seven or eight of you? Are you looking down on me? With only this number, are you not afraid of getting killed by me instead?"
Everyone ignored him.
They still doubted his feat of slaying four Invincibles. He wasn't even that injured, as though he hadn't been in that intense of a fight. Unless he was a Pseudo Emperor, it was very unlikely for him to be strong enough to kill four Invincibles.
Chapter 1255: Number One Pretty Boy (3)
Sea of Stars.
Great Xia King cupped his fists at Great Ming King.
That was his expression of gratitude.
If it wasn't for Great Ming's help, Great Xia would have been destroyed during the conflict. His son, his grandson, and even his great grandson would all die.
Great Xia could have lost everything. They had taken all their trump cards out, but the enemies were still stronger. Great Ming King nodded with a smile before turning to look in the direction of Human Realm. His son? Was this a bluff?
Was his son really that strong?
No way.
Even as Zhu Tiandao's father, Great Ming King was finding it hard to believe this.
So be it. At the very least, this could help in keeping those people wary. Even if they were suspicious, they still had to spare some manpower to watch over him lest he really attempted his dao affirmation.
However, Great Ming King still couldn't help but sigh. It wouldn't be easy for Zhu Tiandao to affirm his dao in the future. Would a better chance to affirm his dao come in the future? Regardless of whether he was really strong enough to kill four Invincibles, the myriad races would not risk it and allow him to affirm his dao. His dao affirmation would probably be even more difficult than Xia Longwu's.
*** ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelFɪre.net
Zhu Tiandao was laughing heartily, but he was feeling terrible inwardly.
At this point, he was already resigned to remain a Pseudo Invincible forever. Becoming an Invincible would be nothing but a dream for him now. Thanks to this conflict, he had transformed into the number one Pseudo Invincible in existence. He was too famous to affirm his dao successfully.
This was probably the only way he could squeeze more value out of himself. At that thought, he sent the Invincible in charge of guarding the realm entrance a voice transmission, "Uncle Song, keep an eye out. I'll retreat the moment they start fighting. Remember to notify me when the fight starts."
"You're the killer of four Invincibles. Is there a need for you to fear them?"
Great Song King was merely teasing him. Zhu Tiandao couldn't be bothered to answer. Was there a need for him to fear them? Definitely! He sighed inwardly. This was all he could do. The rest was up to Xia Longwu.
Suddenly, someone else walked out of the portal. When the newcomer saw Zhu Tiandao, he started cursing as he walked back into the portal, "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere else? Why are you here?"
The newcomer was none other than Niu Baidao. He was planning to sneakily affirm his dao while nobody was noticing. Alas, he was greeted by the sight of multiple Invincibles right after stepping out of the portal. He had no choice but to try his luck elsewhere. Perhaps the portal Great Han King used earlier was still available. That damn Zhu Tiandao was clearly there earlier. Why was he here?
How annoying. Old Niu had finally gotten his hands on a carrier treasure after killing a Pseudo Invincible. With a carrier treasure in hand, he naturally had to make an attempt at dao affirmation. As for whether he could succeed, well, that was up to fate, even if he had always been unlucky.
***
Before long, Niu Baidao left through a different portal.
He wasted no time and started fusing his three bodies while fleeing madly. If he was lucky enough, he would be able to complete the fusion. If he was unlucky, he would die. That was all.
At the same time, Yun Chen and Nan Wujiang were also attempting their dao affirmations elsewhere. If the myriad race Invincibles decided to go after them, that would reduce the pressure on Xia Longwu slightly. If they were left alone, they would complete their dao affirmations.
In fact, Marquis Xia was the only one among them who was not attempting a dao affirmation. He was following behind Great Han King's group. When he looked around, he noted that some myriad race Invincibles were indeed splitting up to go after those affirming their dao. He could only sigh inwardly and wish them luck.
These were all comrades who had just fought alongside him not long ago. He wanted to see them succeed as well. Alas, it was unlikely that they would succeed. The Invincible Realm was not guaranteed for every single Pseudo Invincible.
Meanwhile, Lan Tian and Wan Tiansheng had disappeared. They had not attempted to affirm their dao. Or to be precise, that was not an alternative for them.
Marquis Xia could make an attempt as well. In fact, he had the carrier treasure to make the attempt. After all, so many Pseudo Invincibles had died in the Human Realm earlier. He had managed to pick one up from one of the dead Pseudo Invincibles. However, he had not opted to do so.
He gave Xia Longwu a glance before looking at Great Xia King. With a sigh, he said "Father, I'm leaving. Great Xia is currently in a mess. I need to go back and take care of things. Longwu, if success is really impossible, just give up. We can remain Pseudo Invincibles."
Xia Longwu said nothing.
"You're as stubborn as your old man."
After saying that, Marquis Xia turned to leave. No Invincible bothered to stop him since he wasn't affirming his dao. In any case, Great Xia King and the others were here so they wouldn't be able to kill him anyway. If they dared to kill him when he wasn't even affirming his dao, Great Xia King could also start assassinating their descendants for no reason. Even at this point, there was still a bottom line for the Invincibles.
Marquis Xia started heading toward the portal previously used by the Myriad Race Cult while cursing nonstop. Nobody tried to stop or kill him.
Before long, he reached the portal.
Instead of entering, he stood there silently. His nephew was still in the Allheaven Battlefield. His father was still in the Allheaven Battlefield as well. As for Great Xia...it was already heavily damaged. His return wouldn't change anything.
After a short while, several heavily injured individuals appeared.
While coughing blood, Administrator Hu asked, "Marquis, will the prefect succeed?"
"Unlikely." Marquis Xia asked, "How are things?"
"Bad..."
Administrator Hu replied with sorrow, "Almost everyone is dead. Out of our twenty-six Sunmoons, seventeen died."
Marquis Xia sank into silence.
Seventeen Sunmoons.
Out of all the human prefectures, Great Xia had lost the highest number of Sunmoons in the conflict. Great Qin and Great Ming had each lost about ten while Great Wu had lost three or four. As for the other prefectures, they had lost about one or two each.
At the peak of the battle, around eighty human Sunmoons had thrown themselves into the battle.
Nearly forty of them had died.
Of course, the myriad races had lost even more.
Su Yu and Zhu Tianfang had killed about seventy of Sunmoons. Eleven Pseudo Invincibles had perished, and an additional forty to fifty Sunmoons had also died in the hands of the other human combatants. All in all, the myriad races had lost over a hundred Sunmoons.
However, humanity had actually lost more Sunmoons after the battle. In his anger, Wan Tiansheng had killed more than forty human Sunmoons, bringing the number of dead human Sunmoons beyond a hundred.
This was the biggest loss humanity had suffered in centuries.
"Seventeen dead..."
Marquis Xia smiled helplessly. So they were left with only nine Sunmoons.
Administrator Hu and General Zhao were both still alive. Of the five Sunmoons who had returned from the five minor realms under their rule, only one survived. The chief commander of Great Xia Army was dead. The leaders of the Martial Dragon Guard were nearly fully wiped out as well, with only one survivor.
Ji Hong, the white dragon, Zheng Ping, Old Madam Wu, and the Devil Subduing Army's chief commander were all still alive.
With a sigh, Marquis Xia asked, "Where are Hong Tan and the others?"
Administrator Hu answered, "They left. After Principal Wan left, Hong Tan and the others were unwilling to remain. The vendetta between them and some of the other human factions will end with this. I don't know where they went. I didn't ask. I didn't try to stop them either..."
Marquis Xia nodded. So be it.
Perhaps leaving was the right choice.
He knew that they might not have left because they didn't want to stay anymore. Rather, they knew that Great Xia could no longer afford more damage. Thus, they had removed themselves to preserve Great Xia.
As one of the so-called top three human prefectures, they were left with only a small number of Sunmoons.
The survivors weren't even those who were particularly strong among Sunmoons. Rather, they had been spared because the stronger enemies were all focused on the stronger humans. With their heavy injuries, it was unknown if they could even recover to their peak. Perhaps after this, they would spend the rest of their lives nursing their injuries like the elderly who had survived the battle over four hundred years ago.
One could say that this conflict had crippled Great Xia.
Administrator Hu gazed into the distance and said, "If the prefect succeeds, with him, Great Xia King, and you around, there is still hope for Great Xia."
If Xia Longwu were to succeed, they would have two Invincibles and one Pseudo Invincible among their ranks. Even with a greatly reduced number of Mountainseas and Sunmoons, Great Xia would still be able to stand tall.
Marquis Xia laughed and said, "Let's stop talking about this. It is all up to fate. How about Huyou? Did he use the Sky Sundering Saber in our ancestral house?"
"Yes. There were too many enemies..."
Marquis Xia nodded, "Were a lot of people killed in the city?"
After a short silence, Administrator Hu nodded, "Yes. All above Skysoar Realm who had ignored the call to battle were killed. There was even one Sunmoon among them. Zhou Mingren. He's now dead."
At that, Marquis Xia laughed and asked, "The people there must be cursing the Xia Family relentlessly right about now. After all, the people we killed were not alone. Their families are still around. Some are still serving in the military. They must be very disappointed to receive such treatment after their service to the Xia Family."
"They won't." Administrator Hu said, "Great Xia has never been lenient to deserters."
"But that's still too ruthless. It's not like I'm Wan Tiansheng." Marquis Xia sighed and said, "We need to prepare an answer. After all, Huyou still needs to inherit the prefecture. Go back and throw all the blame on me. I ordered the slaughter. Huyou was merely following orders. They can curse me all they want. I don't care."
"Marquis..."
"It's fine. What's a little infamy?" Marquis Xia laughed, "Go. Throw all the blame on me. I'll wait here and see if my nephew can complete his dao affirmation. If he succeeds, the Xia Family will count two Invincibles in our ranks. That is enough power for us to keep our spines straight."
"Yes!"
Administrator Hu left with his order.
Marquis Xia continued staring in Xia Longwu's direction silently. As he stared, he started mumbling how he had been the professional scapegoat for his brother and his nephew all his life. For their sake, he became the most infamous member of the Xia Family. They owed him a lot.
How could that ungrateful nephew give him all those beatings when that nephew was still a young man? Even after becoming a prefect, that ungrateful nephew had persisted in giving him a beating every now and then.
He was only a few years older than that ungrateful nephew, yet he had to care for that nephew like he were a father. How could that ungrateful nephew beat him up after all his sacrifices?
He had even raised his ungrateful nephew's son for his nephew, to the point that many suspected that Huyou was his son instead of his nephew's son. He was considered an unofficial student of Ye Batian. And since his nephew was a student of Wan Tiansheng, his nephew was also his junior brother. What a mess of seniority!
Marquis Xia continued grumbling as he laughed and cried at the same time.
His old friends had all left. Hong Tan was gone. Liu Wenyan was gone. Old Wan was gone. Meanwhile, the people of Great Xia only knew him as a greedy merchant and parasite despite his numerous sacrifices for Great Xia.
Perhaps...this would be his final act as the professional scapegoat of Great Xia.
That stubborn nephew of his should learn to be less stubborn in the future.
Marquis Xia sat down on the ground and lowered his head as he thought about the past silently.
He had not lived a life as glorious as Wan Tiansheng's. He had not lived a life as miserable as Liu Wenyan's. His life was rather dull and consistent. He had done nothing except bear one blame after another.
He recalled a past thought of his.
When he died, his epitaph would be as such:
Xia Xia'er, second son of Great Xia King. Intelligent and talented since young, loved and admired by the masses in his youth. In his middle age, he developed an obsession for business and money. He was willing to do anything in pursuit of wealth. Eventually, he came to be known as the Ruthless Marquis.
Marquis Xia mused that the final part of the epitaph could perhaps be given to Wan Tiansheng instead with a slight modification.
And when he finally thought of all his crushes during his youth, he started cursing, "Damn you, Liu Wenyan! All the ladies who used to fancy you...were the same ladies I fancied!"
He started wailing.
Back then, he wasn't even chubby. Back then, he was known as the number one pretty boy of Great Xia!