Chapter 1644: Holy Land Establishment (2)
Su Yu rubbed his chin and said, "At the very least, that's the case with the earth dao. It is still not under the control of the immortals. As an earth elemental, you might be able to sense it. That was why you had decided to show yourself to the world as Topsoil Spirit, not Topfire Spirit or one of the other elements. You still stand a chance in gaining mastery over the earth dao, becoming an expert beyond Daofuse."
Topsoil Spirit's eyes flickered repeatedly. Finally, he said, "I don't understand anything about most of what you're saying. I only picked the earth dao because it felt much easier to cultivate. My compatibility with it felt higher."
Again and again, Su Yu's words had struck the very bottom of his heart repeatedly.
Su Yu simply knew too much.
Topsoil Spirit felt completely naked before Su Yu, as though Su Yu had dismantled and analyzed him bit by bit.
Su Yu laughed and said, "Topsoil Spirit, you have been a ninth-stage Cloudbreach for a long time. Recently, there were rumors claiming that you were finally a Mountainsea. So are you a Mountainsea already? I doubt so. I believe you are still waiting. Waiting to open the apertures of all five elements. Am I correct? Or perhaps you're trying to deduce the Five Elemental Art and make your advancement with 180 apertures.
"With your talent, I refuse to believe that you have never studied the apertures of the other races. The five elemental race is special since your race lacks source acupoints. Or to be precise, the source acupoints and soul apertures of your race came fused. For your race, source acupoints are soul apertures, and soul apertures are source acupoints.
"I believe you have more than 36 apertures opened. You are probably lacking only one opportunity. An opportunity to unify the five elements...no, you lack a cultivation method. That is what you truly lack since you are already capable of unifying the five elements."
Su Yu paused slightly, shook his head, and said, "No, something isn't right. Since you are capable of unifying the five elements, you should have the ability to freely utilize the five single elemental arts. But why are you still waiting? Is something still missing? Or do you lack mastery in some of the five arts? Or perhaps you have failed to unify the five arts due to the prohibition placed back then?"
"..."
Topsoil Spirit kept his silence. He merely listened as Su Yu talked about his deepest secret.
Su Yu said, "This might also be related to the separation of the Five Elemental Realm's origin. So, Brother Topsoil. Are you interested?"
Topsoil Spirit exhaled and asked, "What do you want? Since you already know everything, just be straightforward."
Su Yu smiled and said, "I only have a simple request. Follow me. Just like how it was back when the Human Emperor alone reigned supreme."
Topsoil Spirit's heart thumped violently.
"Are you trying to subdue the five elemental race?" Topsoil Spirit frowned and said, "Impossible!"
Su Yu said indifferently, "Oh well. So be it."
Seeing that Su Yu was losing interest so easily, Topsoil Spirit hurriedly said, "Brother Su, just list some other demands! We will agree to anything that isn't too excessive!"
Su Yu chuckled and said, "Nope. Apart from the small number of Invincibles in your race, the five elemental race is useless to me. Allow me to be frank. What else can I get from the five elemental race?"
With a toying tone, Su Yu asked, "What do you think?"
Topsoil Spirit solemnly said, "There is a holy land in our realm. There are five elemental fruit trees there. If you are willing to teach us the Five Elemental Art, I can...give you these trees!"
What a bold offer.
He was willing to give up on their elemental trees just for the Five Elemental Art.
Su Yu laughed and said, "Brother Topsoil, you are indeed an important person in your race to make such an offer. I am very curious. Are all five elemental Invincibles aware of your real identity? Do you have the support of every single one of them? Do you have no opposition in your race?"
The five elemental race would have a surprisingly high level of unity if that was really the case. The five elemental trees were incredibly valuable. Was Topsoil Spirit important enough to make this decision?
Such a decision was equivalent to a Cloudbreach who was a Human Emperor successor stepping forth, calling for the unification of humanity, also calling for all human Invincibles to obey him. It was likely that this Cloudbreach would become a corpse in only a few days.
That wouldn't even be surprising.
So what was the actual situation in the five elemental race?
Topsoil Spirit inhaled deeply and said, "The five elemental race is naturally not fully united. But we need to survive! We are not humans! We are not divines, devils, or immortals! We can't dominate the Myriad Realms! A mid-tier race like us can only fight for survival, not domination. We must seek survival in the coming chaos! But we have reached a bottleneck in our growth. All our ninth-degree Eternals are stuck! None can achieve Daofuse! Unlike the other races that can still bet on producing a Daofuse, we can't! It's basically impossible for us in our current state!"
Topsoil Spirit sighed and continued, "Some races can place their hope on their old fossils. But we don't even have any old fossils. After the death of our ancestor, we have stopped producing Daofuses. Without Daofuses, the five elementals can't survive in the world beyond the heavens.
"Even the humans have old fossils to rely upon. These old fossils might be small in number, but they will still be Daofuses. The divines, devils, and immortals have these old fossils to rely upon as well. But the five elementals are different. In the previous nine epochs, we have not encountered a single old fossil of our race.
"We have also survived nine epochs. We can be considered an ancient race as well. But unlike the other ancient races, we have no Daofuse! Thus, we would tremble in fear and act with utmost caution every single epoch. We might appear strong with more than ten Invincibles, but what are we compared to the other ancient races? We are only slightly strong here, but we have no backer in the world beyond!"
He shook his head, laughed in a self-mocking manner, and said, "Because of our difficult position, we are quite united even if we are not fully united. The elders are aware that we will need to move aside and bow the moment Daofuses start fighting. The other races, such as the dragons, phoenixes, celestial chasms, fates...every single one of them will welcome the arrival of their Daofuses during each epochal war. The five elemental race is the sole exception. Nine epochal wars, not one Daofuse!"
Understanding dawned on Su Yu. He was quite surprised, but it all sounded very reasonable as well. The five elementals were without a backer beyond the heavens.
The older five elementals who had survived the previous epochs knew how dangerous it was to not have a Daofuse. Thus, they placed all their hope on Topsoil Spirit. He was their sole hope at unifying the five elements. He was their sole hope at producing a Daofuse. The five elementals longed for a Daofuse more than any other race.
Topsoil Spirit said, "Therefore, our race will not side with any race easily! Even when we were forced to do so, we would be very conservative with our support. We might even split our race into factions to ensure the survival of our race. For example, I could be split alongside some earth elementals. When I lost, the earth elementals would suffer the consequences while the others would survive."
He looked into Su Yu's eyes and said, "I can't allow the five elemental to pick a side so rashly! This could result in the complete destruction of the five elemental race!" Dıscover more novels at novel⚑fire.net
Su Yu smiled and asked, "What is your opinion about the tenth epoch? Would the tenth epochal war be more intense than the past epochal wars? Or would it be milder? Would there even be an eleventh epoch after this?"
"I don't know." Topsoil Spirit shook his head and said, "Humanity is too weak in this epoch. Thus, the myriad races have been quite relaxed when dealing with humanity this epoch. The divines, devils, and immortals have not bothered to join hands against humanity. If humanity were as strong as the previous nine epochs, a major war to eliminate humanity would have erupted by now."
This time, humanity was far weaker. But there were advantages to being weak. Due to their weakness, the myriad races had not been as intense when dealing with them.
Su Yu nodded. He agreed. For example, the previous human-immortal alliance only happened because the immortals didn't want to see humanity defeated before they could reap the benefits. At the time, Tiangu was still in deep slumber. They needed Tiangu if they were to maximize the benefits they could gain from humanity's defeat.
Su Yu thought about it and said, "How about this? I won't ask for much. I will teach the five elemental race. I only need no less than three five elemental Invincibles to fight to the death for me once."
Topsoil Spirit considered the proposal and nodded, "That is agreeable."
Su Yu added, "Also, I can't promise that all five elementals can open so many apertures while cultivating the Five Elemental Art. You will also face the heavenly tribulations when cultivating it. I can resist the tribulations for your race, but I won't be doing it for free."
"You?" Topsoil Spirit frowned and asked, "Are you sure? Heavenly tribulations will grow stronger when a third party attempts to interfere. It also won't fade away so easily just because you are strong."
Su Yu's assistance would only strengthen the tribulations.
Su Yu said, "I'm aware of that. But I am also somewhat familiar with the laws. Strictly speaking, as the one imparting the Five Elemental Art, I share your karma as well. The tribulations will see me as one of the culprits, not a third party."
Topsoil Spirit asked in surprise, "Why would you study something like that?"
Su Yu grinned and said, "Knowing the laws well can only help me resist the tribulations of others better. But before that, I have a question. Most five elementals will only open thirty-six apertures. It won't be easy for your people to open so many new apertures out of nowhere. I can teach them, but how many of them are even talented enough to cultivate the Five Elemental Art?"
Topsoil Spirit said, "Those who are younger and lacking in talent will find it difficult. But a lot of our seniors have opened more than thirty-six apertures. They have simply been unable to unite all those apertures. We can probably...produce hundreds of cultivators capable of cultivating this art at once."
A few hundred. Was that a big number?
Not at all.
For example, most humans wouldn't open more than 144 acupoints. But if Su Yu wanted to, he could still easily gather a relatively large number of people with 144 acupoints open. And among the seniors, a lot had opened more than that.
Of course, opening too many acupoints would be quite pointless without a cultivation method to utilize these acupoints. The same applied to the five elementals.
Thirty-six apertures were useful for them as they had the cultivation methods to utilize these apertures. Opening more than that would be pointless as they had no way of maximizing the strength of these apertures. Most would only open more when they were stuck in cultivation with nothing else to do.
Topsoil Spirit asked, "What do you need from us to resist the tribulations for us?"
Su Yu said, "Well, it's simple. Ten tribulations...for each ten tribulations, for every ten successful five elemental cultivators, one of your Invincibles must fight once for me. Is that agreeable?
"With this, your Invincibles only need to fight ten times for me for every hundred successes. You can have the same Invincible fight ten times for me, or you can send ten Invincibles to fight for me. It doesn't matter. Who knows? If you have a lucky Invincible that can survive the battles again and again, you can use the same Invincible to repay me repeatedly. It's such a worthwhile deal for you!"
Topsoil Spirit sighed and said, "Any fight involving someone like you won't be a small fight. Just look at your recent battles. Which of them wasn't an incredibly dangerous battle?"
Surviving ten battles?
Ten battles involving Su Yu would be enough to wipe out all the Invincibles in the five elemental race. That was what Topsoil Spirit believed.
Su Yu said, "Well, you need to pay the price if you want something, right? Brother Topsoil, you're a smart guy. Nothing is free. Do you really expect me to help you unconditionally?"
Topsoil Spirit smiled bitterly and said, "I understand that. But...getting involved with you might cause the extinction of my race."
Su Yu laughed and said, "Such a threat is always there, even if you don't get involved with me. But I know one thing. With the Five Elemental Art, or upon inheriting the true legacy of the Five Elemental Ancestor, your race will gain the ability to deal with this threat."
Su Yu's tone turned impatient as he said, "You're a smart guy. Make your choice. Perhaps you are confident enough to not require my help. You can derive your lost art without me. You can resist the tribulations without me. You can restore the origin without me. If you believe so, you are free to do as you wish."
Topsoil Spirit's breathing intensified.
This was too difficult a choice.
Suddenly, he looked up at Su Yu again and asked, "I have one last question."
"Ask."
"If the divines, devils, immortals, nethers, and other races were to join hands and keep all your backers, including those Daofuses occupied, could you survive the attack of one enemy Daofuse? How confident are you?"
"Without a single backer?" Su Yu raised his brow.
Topsoil Spirit nodded, "Yes. Without a single backer. Not even Great Zhou King and the others could help. And only one Daofuse would be sent your way. Could you survive this scenario?"
Su Yu thought about it, smiled, and said, "I such a situation, my survival chance would be very low."
Topsoil Spirit sighed and said, "So you're aware of that. The Myriad Races already have enough Daofuses to kill you. It is only a matter of time before they join hands. How can you ensure our survival in such a situation? How can we feel safe cooperating with you?"
A sense of security. That was what they needed. But that was precisely what they would lack if they were to follow Su Yu.
Su Yu asked, "Why would I care about the five elemental race if I were strong enough to easily survive a Daofuse? Brother Topsoil, understand that a trump card is something you need to work toward to get. This discussion between us is also a process of accumulating more trump cards for myself. I wouldn't have bothered to seek your cooperation if I already had enough trump cards to handle my enemies. What a laughable question. Allow me to ask you a question as well, then. Are the five elementals capable of surviving a Daofuse?"
Topsoil Spirit thought about it and nodded.
Su Yu grinned, "There you have it. You believe that I will die facing a Daofuse. Everyone else believes so. In such a situation, the five elemental race can jump out and eliminate that Daofuse. This will catch everyone by surprise, right?
"This is what a real trump card looks like. Therefore, I am currently working hard to accumulate trump cards. Trump cards won't appear out of thin air. Someone as smart as you must understand this, Brother Topsoil. Do you not understand the difference between sending charcoal in snowy weather and adding flowers to a basket of flowers?"
Topsoil Spirit sank into thought. After a while, he said, "You're right. Allow me to ask you one more question. Are you confident you can become the leader of humanity? You will be weakened greatly without humanity. And I can see that the human Invincibles don't all support you. How many of them are willing to support your claim to the leadership of humanity? If you can't even keep your home ground under control, how am I supposed to put my trust in you?"
"When you wish to accomplish great things, you need to go forward one step at a time. For now, I already have the support of a large number of human Invincibles. After becoming the nominal leader of the new holy land, I naturally won't wait too long before I start making use of that position."
Topsoil Spirit thought about it and said, "Your conference will continue tomorrow. If you can get yourself appointed as the holy land leader during the conference, I will return and persuade the elders of my race. To recruit allies, you require strength as well. Not everyone has the courage to take such a large bet."
Su Yu beamed and said, "You're talking as if I'm asking you to place your bet for free. You are clearly trying to weaken the impact of my help with the Five Elemental Art and heavenly tribulations. Do you think I can't see that?"
Su Yu sneered and said, "Topsoil Spirit, you already have an answer. Am I right? That's why you're trying to weaken the impact of my help. You're trying to make it look like you're the one doing me a favor here. Isn't that the case?"
Topsoil Spirit grimaced, but he hurriedly turned that into a smile, revealing his brown teeth and said, "Not at all. I can't make the decision for my race. Don't forget this, Brother Su. I don't represent my race. The elders of my race will require more assurance before making their bet."
"You have terrible teeth."
Topsoil Spirit chuckled and turned his brown teeth into shiny, golden teeth, representing the metal element. He asked, "Is this better?"
Then, his teeth turned green, before turning transparent, before finally turning blazing red.
He was showcasing his mastery over the five elements.
Chapter 1645: Holy Land Establishment (3)
Su Yu laughed and said, "Stop embarrassing yourself with a small trick like this. I'm only making this offer because I can't be bothered to threaten you. Your identity as the second coming of the Five Elemental Ancestor alone is enough to end the five elemental race."
Topsoil Spirit grinned and said, "You never know. Also, are you certain that the immortals were the culprit, Brother Su?"
Su Yu replied with a question, "What do you think?"
"I think...there is no clear answer." Topsoil Spirit said, "The five elemental race used to be a major race. The Five Elemental Ancestor was no weakling. I initially suspected the ancient humans. Don't the humans cultivate the five elements as well?"
Su Yu sneered and said, "How could it be the humans? The ancient humans ruled the Myriad Realms, but they were also faced with many limitations. The ancient assembly was formed by the myriad races precisely for the purpose of limiting the power of humanity. The ancient humans ruled the Myriad Realms in name, but in truth, their rule was contested.
"How would the myriad races react if the ancient humans were the ones to kill the Five Elemental Ancestor? The matter only remained a secret until now because it was essentially an internal struggle between the myriad races in the assembly. Otherwise, a war against humanity would have erupted the moment the Five Elemental Ancestor died. Have you read the ancient records? Were there any chaos after the Five Elemental Ancestor's death?
"No, right? Because the ancient humans had merely watched at the sidelines as the assembly members schemed against each other. They saw no point in making a big deal out of it to keep the peace. After all, it would still result in chaos even if it didn't grow into a war against humanity. Many would learn the truth from the resulting chaos. But the matter had remained secret until now."
Topsoil Spirit thought about it and nodded.
Su Yu's argument was reasonable.
Then again, Su Yu had always been good at arguing.
Topsoil Spirit said, "If you can become the leader of the holy land, I will consult my elders...about our secret cooperation. Remember, this will only be a secret cooperation. We won't take action in any operation where silencing all the potential witnesses is not possible. I hope you can see where I'm coming from."
Su Yu said, "Sure. That is agreeable." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ noⅴelfire.net
Topsoil Spirit exhaled in relief.
That would be for the best.
"Then...about the Five Elemental Art..."
Su Yu smiled and said, "Wait. I will visit the Five Elemental Realm and meet the experts of your race personally. I will teach them the art only after receiving confirmation from them. I can't fully trust your words."
"..."
Topsoil Spirit resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He should be the one finding Su Yu hard to trust, not the other way around.
"Are you really visiting the Five Elemental Realm? Are you not worried that..."
Su Yu said nonchalantly, "If the five elementals are feeling brave, they are free to contact the other races and join hands to kill me. I will immediately open a death tunnel and counterattack with the death spirits, ancient guardians, and humans. I believe I am still capable of eradicating the five elemental race. Think it through. You will know what to do."
Topsoil Spirit was left with no argument.
Would the five elementals dare to make a move against Su Yu?
No.
Topsoil Spirit nodded helplessly and said, "I understand. About the skylotus..."
"You only need to buy one petal. I will sell more to get some carrier treasures. I'm only doing this to strengthen my weapon. It's no big deal. Don't take it too seriously."
No big deal?
Topsoil Spirit wanted to shout that something Su Yu considered trivial was actually a massive deal for many people!
For a moment, Topsoil Spirit was speechless. After some time, he said, "Fine. I'll go back after the purchase. When will you visit the Five Elemental Realm? I'll be waiting for you there."
"I'll try to go there as soon as possible."
"Good." Topsoil Spirit looked at the elder who was still giggling happily beside him and asked, "What is my elder looking at?"
Su Yu glanced at the elder and said, "It's nothing much. He's seeing a scene of us chatting happily before finalizing the deal with the promise that he will keep this deal a secret. He's also very happy to buy a petal with the price of only one carrier treasure. That's all. Is this enough?"
Topsoil Spirit nodded. What a pitiful elder.
"Fine. Can you release the elder now?"
As Su Yu withdrew his character, the elder slowly woke up. After waking up, he smiled and hurriedly said, "Thank you, Lord Su!"
Su Yu smiled, "Don't worry about it."
"In that case, shall we take our leave? We'll be here tomorrow for the product..."
Su Yu agreed, "Sure."
Then, the elder stood up cheerfully and looked at Topsoil Spirit, hinting at Topsoil Spirit that it was time to leave.
Topsoil Spirit almost rolled his eyes. Just what did the elder experience in the illusion? Why was the elder so happy? Sure enough, the elder was dumb enough that he would help calculate the money one earned from selling him off.
***
Before long, the five elementals left.
Right after leaving the residence, the elder said in excitement, "It's done! We only need to get a carrier treasure now!"
"..."
Topsoil Spirit nodded. He smiled and said, "Elder, you are an excellent negotiator. You can have all the merit for completing his deal."
The elder coughed and said, "No, not really. It's all thanks to your good relationship with Su Yu. Cough, cough. But...we must keep this a secret."
"Of course."
And thus, the excited elder left with Topsoil Spirit in tow. All around the residence, numerous observers saw the two leaving. Before long, more people started visiting Su Yu. Some were allowed to meet him, while some were ignored.
***
The visitors only stopped coming at daybreak.
Once again, everyone returned their attention to the conference. The day before, Great Yuan King had lost two bodies to Su Yu after objecting to the establishment of a new holy land. Would Su Yu participate in today's conference as well?
What about Great Yuan King? What would be the result of the conference?
***
Inside the academy hall.
The hall had been rebuilt in only one day. The same people were participating in the conference.
However, Great Yuan King looked much paler than the day before. His aura also felt weaker.
Su Yu was absent.
Since there was no need to wait for Marquis Xia's speech today, Great Han King spoke right after arriving, "We have spoken all we need about the new holy land yesterday. Everyone here understands the importance of the new holy land. Since we're here again, let's go straight to the point. We will vote on the establishment of the holy land. As for the leader of the new holy land, we can decide after this round of voting. For now, we are only deciding if the holy land is to be established."
Numerous gazes landed on Great Yuan King. He was the main opposition to the establishment of a new holy land yesterday. What would his choice be today? He had nearly been killed by Su Yu.
However, Great Yuan King merely remained silent.
Someone asked, "Great Han King, what are the consequences of voting no?"
Great Han King answered, "Nothing."
The same person asked again, "If...I'm saying if...Mayor Su is dissatisfied with the result and attacks..."
Great Han King said, "He attacked yesterday because Great Yuan King attacked first. He did not initiate the fight. If he dares to attack you just because of the vote, I might not be able to stop him. But I can get Great Zhou King, Great Xia King, and Great Ming King to promise that they will attack without mercy if Su Yu dares to attack purely because of our votes. Is this answer acceptable?"
Outside, Great Zhou King, Great Xia King, and Great Ming King spoke, "Agreed."
That put many of the participants in the conference at ease. After making such a promise, they would most certainly act if Su Yu tried to do anything to them because of their votes.
Great Han King said, "Therefore, you can follow your heart during the voting. This concerns the future of humanity. It is no laughing matter. Only follow your heart."
At that, Marquis Xia stepped forth and took two golden books out. He said, "Those for the proposal may stamp the seals of their prefectures on the left book. Those against the proposal may stamp the seals of their prefectures on the right book. These seals symbolize the Invincibles you represent. This concerns humanity's future. Therefore, think very carefully before casting your vote. These documents will be here for eternity so long as humanity stands. Your choice will be laid bare before the future generations. They shall be the judge of whether your choice today is the correct choice."
Hearing Marquis Xia's words, some of the participants started growing nervous.
Would the result of the vote affect the future of humanity?
Yes.
The holy land and Su Yu would greatly affect the future of humanity. Thus, even some Invincibles started growing nervous. This would be a hard choice.
***
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was tense.
Outside the hall, the formation production continued.
Nevertheless, the Invincibles outside were still focusing on the hall. Great Xia King sent a voice transmission with a solemn expression, "Old Zhou, will it happen?"
Great Zhou King replied, "Do you want it to happen?"
Great Xia King sank into silence.
Great Zhou King asked, "Are you certain Su Yu can shoulder this responsibility?"
After a long silence, Great Xia King said, "He might not...but we need a humanity united behind the holy land. If not Su Yu...I still wish to see a capable leader emerging to lead humanity out of our current plight."
The leader might not be Su Yu.
Even so, Great Xia King still believed that having a new holy land was necessary. At the very least, the new holy land would give them a greater chance at unifying humanity. The internal struggles of humanity had wasted too much of their efforts and resources. This couldn't continue.
Great Zhou King said, "If you can understand this, the others will understand as well. As for the ones who still don't understand...I can only say that they are too narrow-minded. There must be a new holy land. As for the leader...that will be the biggest issue here. The voting for Su Yu as the leader will probably be the most difficult part of today, not the establishment of the holy land."
Great Xia King thought about it and nodded in agreement.
True.
***
At the same time.
The various prefects and Invincible descendants looked at the two books nervously.
Marquis Xia smiled, "Who's first?"
Xia Longwu said nothing and sent a seal out. Instantly, it left a golden mark on the book.
Great Xia was the first to vote. Next, one seal after another appeared before flying forward. Some voted for, some voted against. Including Allheaven Prefecture, there were thirty-seven prefectures here to vote.
Before long, everyone focused on the representative from Great Yuan. After some hesitation, the representative sent the seal toward the book supporting the proposal. Instantly, everyone looked at Great Yuan King.
Had he...changed his mind?
He compromised?
Had he surrendered after Su Yu's beating?
Nobody knew what to feel about this. They only knew that with Great Yuan King here, Great Yuan's decision could only be his decision. He had voted for the establishment of the holy land.
Marquis Xia smiled and looked at Great Han King.
Great Han King smiled as well. He said, "The result is out. Thirty-four for, six against. The holy land can be established."
That did not ease the tense atmosphere. Instead, the atmosphere turned even more tense than before.
With the establishment of the holy, the time had come for them to vote for the leader. Who would be the leader?
That was the biggest question.
Chapter 1646: Holy Lord Su Yu (1)
A new holy land would be established.
That was the decision reached by the various human prefectures. However, the core issue here was the leader of the holy land. Who would be the leader?
Silence enveloped the hall. A short while later, Marquis Xia said, "Since the first proposal has been passed, let us decide on the leader of the new holy land before worrying about the name of this holy land. Humanity requires a young, dynamic, talented, strong, and wise leader."
Some sneered upon hearing that.
Marquis Xia might as well mention Su Yu's name directly if he was going to say all that.
Marquis Xia continued nonchalantly, "Each prefecture is allowed to recommend its candidates. We will vote on it. As for Great Xia, we recommend Su Yu for this position. Oh, the Invincibles are allowed to recommend their candidates as well."
He had not bothered to hide anything. Instead, he had recommended Su Yu directly. The source of this content ɪs ⓝovelFire.net
Someone said, "I believe Great Qin King is a suitable candidate. If we must establish a new holy land, Great Qin King must be the leader."
"I believe Prefect Xia is a good candidate as well."
"If you ask me, the holy land will mainly be in charge of internal affairs. Prefect Zhu is more suited for this job."
"I think picking someone younger is better. The young are more dynamic. There is a lot more life in the young. Didn't Wan Mingze found the Youth Alliance not long ago? He's a decent candidate. He has the makings of a saint."
"No, Qin Fang is better. He's a Heaven Index expert, bold as Great Qin King, talented, and filled with love for his people..."
"..."
Numerous names were suggested.
Su Yu had his supporters, but not many. Everyone agreed that a new holy land was required. But the same couldn't be said for the leader. A lot of people were terrified of Su Yu. He was someone truly capable of suppressing everyone upon being elected as the leader.
More importantly, he was too ruthless. His ruthlessness extended both externally and internally. He would show no mercy to his enemies.
At this point, some people could already guess that the mysterious deaths back then in Nanyuan were most likely caused by him as well. He was the one who had assassinated those people.
Why? Because they had offended him.
He was too ruthless. Having someone like that as the leader of the holy land could very well make the holy land the true ruler of the Human Realm. Meanwhile, things would be a lot more flexible with a different leader.
A regime under a different leader would not be as strict.
Qin Zhen frowned and said, "Isn't Su Yu a good candidate? The holy land will mainly be in charge of internal affairs. If my father were interested in this, he would have started leading our holy lands hundreds of years ago. He is not good at managing internal affairs. Thus, he has no interest in this position. As for my son, Qin Fang, he is not comparable to Su Yu. Su Yu has my support."
At that, some gazes landed on those from Great Jin.
The Great Jin representative was looking quite pale. When he noted the gazes on him, he lowered his head without saying anything.
Someone laughed and asked, "General Zhang He, why don't you say something?"
Zhang He.
Someone who had been forgotten for quite a while.
A general of Great Jin.
A Sunmoon.
Hearing that, the expressions of some people turned odd. The prefect of Great Jin frowned, but he remained silent.
Someone said, "General, your only son was killed. Are you going to let it slide? Do you not even have the courage to ask for an explanation? Are you going to remain so cowardly when someone tries to kill you as well?"
Faced with such great pressure, Zhang He started sweating. After a while, he gnashed his teeth and said, "My child...went to Nanyuan the year before. He was assassinated there. I only have one question. Does Mayor Su know anything about that? At the time, he was there disguised as Cui Lang. With his strength, did he notice anything during the assassination?"
Immediately after, someone said, "Yes. We must make certain things clear before voting. He could kill the son of a general in the past. He would have the courage to kill the general today. In the future, he would also have the courage to kill even the prefect!"
"How can someone so reckless and cruel become the leader of the holy land? Is this the kind of leader you want? Are you not afraid of suffering the same fate as the general's son one day?"
The same person continued, "Great Han King, Great Yuan King, is Mayor Su aware of the murders in Nanyuan? Can we invite him here and ask him about it?"
He did not accuse Su Yu of being the murderer directly. Instead, he was asking for an explanation. Zhang He's son was not the only victim back then. If Su Yu was really the murderer, why? Just because they entered Nanyuan? That would be too unreasonable. Would anyone dare to let someone like that become the leader of the new holy land?
Great Han King frowned.
Great Yuan King raised his brow. After a short moment, he said, "Can we invite Su Yu here?"
Zhang He is not a nobody. He was a general of Great Jin. He was also a Sunmoon. Thus, this issue must be resolved, regardless of whether it was for Great Jin or for everyone else. Everyone looked at the Liu City representatives. Today, only two people from Liu City were here. Liu Wenyan and Hong Tan.
Everyone waited for Liu Wenyan's response.
Liu Wenyan thought about it and said, "Sure. I'll call him over."
He then walked out of the hall with a deep frown.
The moment he stepped out of the hall, Chen Yong appeared beside him and sent him a voice transmission, "I heard what happened. Martial Uncle, just let me take the blame! I was actively killing during the same time. It won't matter if I add a few more murders under my name."
"We'll see."
In truth, Chen Yong's suggestion was the optimal choice here. After all, he had indeed been running around assassinating people during the same period.
Sure, things wouldn't fit quite perfectly as Chen Yong was actively killing elsewhere even while those murders were happening in Nanyuan, but it would also be reasonable for a genius like Chen Yong to have several clones he could use to kill.
Nobody would be able to disprove him if he were to take the blame.
***
Shortly after.
Su Residence.
Su Yu had just finished finalizing his trade with one of his many visitors. Right after the discussion ended, Liu Wenyan walked over and said, "It has been agreed that the holy land will be established. For now, they are deciding on the next leader. Zhang He of Great Jin is claiming that you killed his son. This might be tricky to deal with!"
Su Yu laughed, "Tricky?"
Liu Wenyan said, "Yes. You did not have a proper reason to kill him..."
"He intruded into my house and stole from me. I killed him for that. What's the issue here?"
Su Yu was completely unbothered. He had hidden the matter back then because he was still weak. He was now strong enough to not care anymore.
Su Yu said, "Just be straightforward. Using the term of the myriad races, my house is essentially a dao center. Using the term of the ruling human families, my house is the equivalent of a prefect's residence. Anyone intruding upon the residences of the Xia, Qin, Zhou, or any other families will be killed. No explanation will be required."
Back then, he was a weakling. Thus, his house was free for them to intrude. It was no big deal for them. But would anyone dare to intrude upon the mayor's residences of the ancient cities?
Would anyone dare to intrude upon the Su Residence?
Nobody.
Because he was now an expert. He controlled an incredibly powerful force.
Thus, Su Yu was unbothered about this issue.
Liu Wenyan said, "No matter how you put it, this doesn't feel like the right thing to do. It's an easy matter for them to make a fuss about."
Su Yu laughed and said, "Teacher, you worry too much."
He stood up and said, "Fine. Let me go with you. This is no big deal. To be honest, I only need to be the leader of the holy land on paper. But it also doesn't matter if I can't be the leader."
Liu Wenyan sighed and said, "You...fine. You can make your own decision. Perhaps...I have yet to let go of the past. You know me. You know that I still want the human race to acknowledge the multiple character faction. I am not as carefree as you."
Su Yu nodded, "I know that. This is normal. You grew up among multiple character cultivators. The multiple character faction has been your faith and motivation for decades. You sacrificed greatly for the multiple character faction. By becoming the leader of the holy land, the multiple character faction will officially gain the recognition it deserves. I know that you still want me to become the leader."
Liu Wenyan nodded. Yes. Su Yu was right. He was not a hot-blooded youth like Bai Feng, who did not care about the leadership position as well. Bai Feng believed that they could do just as well in the Allheaven Battlefield. The holy land was nothing.
But Liu Wenyan...still wanted the multiple character faction to gain humanity's acknowledgment.
Chapter 1647: Holy Lord Su Yu (2)
Su Yu understood Liu Wenyan's thoughts. Even after fifty years, he was still unwilling to give up on returning the multiple character faction to its past glory. In a way, this was his obsession.
However, the leadership position was truly not that big of a deal for Su Yu. As for his teacher's obsession, he could worry about it in the future.
*** ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel⚑fire.net
Stepping into the hall once again, Su Yu looked around. Instantly, the others lowered their heads to avoid his gaze. He sneered.
He had his answer.
Six families were still against establishing a new holy land. He knew who the culprits were behind Zhang He's complaint. Su Yu couldn't be bothered to say much. He ignored the prefects and stepped to the front of the hall and sat down in the middle seat of honor.
While overlooking the people below, he cupped his fists at Great Han King in greeting, but he ignored Great Yuan King.
The two said nothing.
With a nonchalant tone, Su Yu said, "So? I hear I'm here to explain myself. Come on. Where is the accuser? Step forth."
Zhang He paled.
After a long while, he walked out. With his head lowered, he said, "Mayor Su, my son was assassinated in Nanyuan—"
Su Yu said, "I killed him."
Silence descended.
Xia Longwu and the others looked at Su Yu in shock. They had been doubtful about whether Su Yu would hide the truth, but they had not expected him to admit to it so easily.
Someone hurriedly said, "Mayor Su, such words shouldn't be spoken lightly..."
Su Yu said, "I'm simply being straightforward. I killed him."
"Mayor Su, are you trying to become the leader of the holy land as the killer of a general's descendant? Do you think you're qualified for this position?"
Someone among the crowd shouted angrily.
Su Yu gazed at the speaker murderously and coldly said, "Shut your mouth. Who are you to question me? Which prefecture are you from? What is your position in your prefecture? Are you even qualified to speak here?"
The same person shivered slightly. He gnashed his teeth and continued, "Yes, you are mighty. Do you want to kill me before Great Han King and the others? Loyal advice is often grating to the ears. Mayor Su, how are you supposed to lead the holy land if you are too narrow-minded to even tolerate opinions you dislike?"
"You're too noisy."
With his mere words, Su Yu caused the speaker to cough blood.
Great Han King hurriedly reached out to block the sound waves before sending Su Yu a voice transmission, "Mayor Su!"
Su Yu lazily said, "I'll spare you for Great Han King's sake. As for being the leader of the holy land and the so-called loyal advice, why should I care?
"If I were to become the leader of the holy land, I would not require any so-called loyal advice. I would not walk the path of saints. Why are you still dreaming of handling humanity with care? Do you not understand the situation humanity is currently in? Why are you still dreaming of making me your puppet ruler? How laughable. Back then, Great Zhou King asked me what I would do as king."
"I gave him my answer. Those with me shall remain humans. Those against me can be freely killed."
As he spoke the word "killed", a thick killing intent surged, causing everyone in the hall to shiver.
Su Yu had simply killed too many experts. He had killed even a ninth-degree Eternal before. As a result, he had developed a rather intense killing intent. Nobody here, including the Invincibles, had killed as many Sunmoons and Invincibles as Su Yu. In fact, he alone had probably killed more than all of them combined.
Many claimed that Xia Longwu was a butcher. But Su Yu was the actual butcher here.
Su Yu continued coldly, "Why are you lot overestimating yourselves here? Do you think I require your guidance on leadership? With me as the leader, the holy cities killed enough to cause the myriad races to tremble in fear. The myriad races no longer dare to provoke me rashly. The myriad races will not be able to sleep in peace so long as I remain alive. Why do I need to explain myself to you? What can I even learn from you? What useful advice can you give me?
"Yes. I killed Zhang He's son. The others who had died on the same day were killed by me as well. If I weren't so weak back then, I would have killed every single person who had entered my house."
Su Yu declared coldly, "That is my dao center. My residence. Any intruder is to be treated as a robber. Who dares to intrude my dao center today? Back then, I was weak. Thus, you bullied me. That much is clear. Why don't you intrude upon the various prefect's residences instead? Would anyone protest against the killing of one who dared to intrude upon a prefect's residence?
"I see now. I must not have killed enough. That must be the reason for this impudence. Not even the myriad races have the courage to intrude upon my residence anymore. Are you under the illusion that I don't kill humans? Are you under the illusion that I won't kill any of you?"
Silence descended.
Kill. He was using the word kill repeatedly. He did not explain himself. He did not give any excuses. He simply admitted to doing it. That was all.
Seeing that nobody was saying anything, Liu Wushen of Great Han coughed slightly and said, "Mayor Su, they were indeed in the wrong for intruding upon your house. But it is a tad bit too excessive to kill them. Those people were still young. They might have offended you unintentionally..."
When Su Yu stared at him, Liu Wushen coughed uncomfortably and said, "I mean...Mayor Su, don't you have a connection with the Death Realm? Can you locate their death spirits? This might be a way for General Zhang He and the others to receive closure. I also hope that you can compensate them slightly for their losses..."
In short, he was suggesting that they smooth things over for now.
For Su Yu, a little bit of compensation was nothing. As for their death spirits, he could drag the matter out after making a promise. After all, nobody could promise that those people had been converted into death spirits.
Also, weaklings like them might have died right after being converted. Thus, they could easily drag the matter out.
Su Yu said, "Compensation? Looking for their death spirits? What's the point? I killed them. Their families and backers are free to kill me if they believe I did wrong. If they can't kill me, forget about revenge. I did no wrong. Why should I compensate anyone?
"If I were to intrude upon Great Qin King's residence in search for his treasures and step on the picture of him and his father, I would accept my death if he were to find out. It's as simple as that. Certain things do not require an explanation. I killed Wisdom King as well. Should I give Tiangu an explanation and compensate him? I killed Blood Fire. Should I compensate the Devil Pseudo Emperor?"
Su Yu sneered with disdain.
The Great Jin prefect inhaled deeply and said, "But they are humans. Not enemy races."
Su Yu looked at the prefect and said, "I believe there are treasures in Great Jin King's ancestral tomb. I intend to dig the tomb out in search of these treasures. Do you object, Great Jin? If you don't object, I'll go. If Great Jin King is strong enough to kill me after that, I'll accept my death. Nobody will ask for compensation after my death. Don't worry."
The Great Jin prefect frowned slightly and said, "Mayor Su, a normal house is different from an ancestral tomb..."
Su Yu sneered again and asked, "What's the difference? The only difference is my strength back then. Answer me. Has anyone intruded upon your prefect's residence all these years? What about the other prefectures? Has anyone intruded upon your prefect's residences all these years? How did you handle these intruders?"
Marquis Xia raised his brow and said, "Not in recent years, but there were intruders during the founding years. We killed all of them. After killing enough, it stopped."
Su Yu smiled and asked, "What about Great Jin?"
Marquis Xia wanted to answer, but Su Yu stopped him with a gesture and stared at the Great Jin prefect. He coldly asked, "What about Great Jin?"
After a short silence, the Great Jin prefect said, "Yes."
"How did you handle the intruders?"
Once again, silence descended.
After a while, Great Jin prefect started shivering from Su Yu's stare. With a sigh, he answered, "We killed them."
"Did you compensate them after killing them? Did you apologize after killing them?"
"...No."
Su Yu sneered and said, "Ahh, look at this hypocrisy. That's only a house. But because you call it the prefect's residence, nobody is allowed to intrude upon it. But what was so different about my house back in Nanyuan? Did it deserve no respect because it was cheaper?"
Su Yu smiled and asked, "Answer me. Why did they enter my house?"
Nobody answered.
Su Yu answered for them, "For the ruin."
"Answer me. There are ruins under the control of each prefecture. How do you handle the ones trying to intrude upon these ruins?"
"We kill."
Someone answered.
Su Yu said, "Some claimed that the Nanyuan ruin wasn't mine. In that case, what makes the ruins of the various prefectures theirs? Since you're claiming that the ruins are yours because you discovered them, why isn't the Nanyuan ruin mine since I discovered it? By that logic, what's the issue with me killing those trying to steal my ruin?"
"This is the reality. I was weak. I was young. You believed I couldn't kill you. Thus, you did as you wished to me. Why didn't you do anything to the prefecture founders? Now that I'm strong, you want to reason with me. But where were you when I was weak?
"When I tried to reason with you, you only cared about strength. Now that I'm using strength to communicate with you, you want to reason with me. So which is more important? Reason or strength?"
Silence descended.
Great Han King exhaled and said, "You heard him. This matter...ends here. As for the son of General Zhang He—"
Su Yu cut him off, "No, since they wish to talk about this issue, those who had intruded upon my house back then should step forth and give me an explanation.
"I have all their auras memorized. That's even more so for those who had stepped on the picture of me and my father. I won't forget them. I remember everything about them. They ruined my beautiful childhood. You ruined everything I have in the Human Realm. Do you think I don't know who you are? Do you really think so?"
"..."
Nobody said anything. Even when Great Han King was trying to end the matter, Su Yu refused. He wanted the intruders to give him an explanation.
But in this situation, would he talk with reason or his fists? It did not seem like things would end well.
This was how things had always been across the Myriad Realms. In the Myriad Realms, there was an unspoken rule. The houses of top experts were forbidden zones. One should only intrude upon these houses if one was willing to accept the risk of death.
Everyone had seemingly neglected this rule when it came to Su Yu. Because he had grown too fast for anyone to react. For them, his house was merely a normal house.
People like Great Qin King were different. Their residences were inviolable. The houses they used to reside in were no longer around. Growing strong was a long process everywhere. Where one settled upon gaining strength would be one's official residence.
Su Yu had yet to gain an official residence. The place he had stayed the longest was his childhood house. But that house was no more. It had been flattened during the previous battle.
The helpless Great Han King said, "Mayor Su, why don't we...let this matter end here. I believe that wasn't intentional. It is normal for there to be quarrels and misunderstandings during the growth of an expert. Eliminating every single person who has wronged you before is impossible. With your current strength, why don't you be generous and let the matter go..."
Su Yu laughed and said, "Since Great Han King is saying this, I naturally have to show him respect. For Great Han King's sake, I will spare these shameless thieves once."
Su Yu flashed everyone a wide smile, looking like he had done them a major favor. However, nobody else could bring themselves to smile. Su Yu was too domineering.
Not wanting to keep harping on the same issue, Great Han King asked, "Any other questions?"
Nobody said anything.
Nobody knew what would happen if they continued harping on the issue.
Chapter 1648: Holy Lord Su Yu (3)
Zhang He also lowered his head, acting as though this matter was unrelated to him. Going after Su Yu for revenge? He lacked both the strength and courage to do so. He had only spoken earlier because he was forced to. He was more than willing to let the past stay in the past. He was simply too helpless against Su Yu.
"Since there are no further questions, let's start the second round of voting."
Great Han King did not bother to send Su Yu away. He continued, "Among the candidates, there are Great Qin King, Qin Fang, Su Yu, Xia Longwu, Zhu Tiandao, and Wan Mingze. Does anyone wish to nominate more candidates?"
Xia Longwu frowned and said, "Take my name off."
When Great Han King looked at him, he said, "I am not interested in this position. I don't have the ability to shoulder this burden either."
Next, Zhu Tiandao yawned and said, "Take my name off as well. I'm only a Pseudo Invincible, not an actual Invincible. I'm not doing this."
Qin Zhen said, "Take my son's name off as well. As for my father, but I know that some of you want his name here. In that case, I won't withdraw his name."
"Wan Mingze is too weak. He is unsuitable." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NoveIꜰire.net
"Yes. How can he convince the others as a mere Cloudbreach? He is only good enough to impress some juniors."
"..."
After a while, Great Han King said, "In that case, we are left with only Su Yu and Great Qin King as the candidates. Is that all?"
"I believe Great Zhou King should be nominated as well."
"Exactly."
"Great Zhou King is strong, capable, and wise as well!"
Just then, Great Zhou King's voice rang out, "Forget about me. I'm an old man. I don't have the energy to handle all these matters."
Then, some people looked at Su Yu. They were wondering if he was going to withdraw as well.
But Su Yu merely smiled and said, "Why are you looking at me? Go on. Vote. I'm curious about the result as well. This sure is interesting."
Basically, he was saying that he wanted to see if humanity would really pick him. Some of the people in the hall were greatly troubled by Su Yu's attitude.
Marquis Xia wasted no time and took two golden books out again. He said, "Left for Su Yu, right for Great Qin King. As usual, leave your seals here. The moment you place your vote, it can't be changed."
Someone asked, "Do we still require seventy percent of the votes for it to count?"
"Yes." Marquis Xia said, "Nobody can become the leader without at least twenty-eight votes. If nobody receives enough votes, we will vote again until someone obtains enough votes."
Once again, Xia Longwu took the lead and stamped his seal on the left book. He said, "The Xia Family votes for Su Yu. The rest of you are free to vote as you wish."
This time, the vote progressed much more slowly than before.
Who should they vote for?
Great Qin King?
Su Yu?
Or neither?
Some hesitated, but some were able to easily make a decision.
Great Ming had given both votes to Su Yu without any hesitation. After voting, Zhu Tiandao even raised his brow at Su Yu, as though he was asking for praise.
Great Qin gave both their votes to Su Yu as well.
Qin Zhen appeared completely relaxed. Su Yu had saved them previously. As a repayment, they were making him the boss.
Next, Great Wu and Great Song voted as well. Then, Great Yuan and Great Zhou voted, followed by Great Han.
In the blink of an eye, eleven votes had been placed.
After some time, General Wu Ji, the representative of Allheaven Prefecture, looked at Su Yu, thought for a bit, and voted for Su Yu as well.
Twelve votes for Su Yu.
The remaining people looked at each other with complicated expressions.
After more time, Great Shang, Great Wei, Great Qi, Great Tang, Great Jin, and three more prefectures voted for Su Yu.
Twenty votes.
Twenty to zero.
Half the votes had been placed.
The remaining people started hesitating. They felt very gloomy. This was a very hard decision to make.
Twenty votes.
There were many reasons for these votes. Some were merely following the major prefectures, while some were swayed because of Great Zhou's choice. Furthermore, Su Yu was present. He was watching them as they voted. On the other hand, not even Great Qin had voted for Great Qin King.
Many people looked at Great Jin's representative. That was also one of the more powerful prefectures. The prefect of Great Jin did not bother to look at anyone. After a short hesitation, he sent his seal to the left book, voting for Su Yu. Having made his vote, he exhaled with relief and shut his eyes.
With that, the remaining voters finally gave up.
They had all agreed.
Those who had initially been opposed to Su Yu had all voted for him. Great Zhou, Great Yuan, Great Shang, and Great Jin were the major prefectures that were supposed to vote against Su Yu. But that had not happened.
That left the rest of them without a leading figure. They naturally wouldn't dare to vote rashly without a powerful leader. If Great Zhou had voted against Su Yu, quite a lot of people would vote the same. Alas, that had not happened.
After a while, Great Chen, Great Liang, Great Sui, Great Zhao, and Great Shu voted for Su Yu as well. Twenty-six votes.
Of the remaining fourteen votes, he only needed two more votes.
The result was as good as set.
Of the remaining fourteen voters, Great Chu was the strongest. The prefect of Great Chu looked at Su Yu, hesitated slightly, and asked, "Mayor Su, I wish to ask you one more question. As the leader of the holy land, what will be your plans for humanity moving forward? What are you going to do to change the current predicament of humanity?"
Su Yu smiled and said, "I have no plans. I will act according to the circumstances. For the most part, I'll only be the leader on paper."
"..."
The prefect of Great Chu continued hesitating. Was he only going to be a leader on paper after receiving all these votes?
Could he really be relied upon?
He asked again, "Allow me to ask a question you might not like. What if...you're killed? That might happen, right? Nobody can deny that. Won't that reduce our new holy land into a joke?"
Su Yu considered the question and said, "Yes. Therefore, humanity needs to help when I'm under attack. You don't want to turn into a joke, right?"
"..."
So he was basically asking to enjoy the benefits without doing his job. Even those who had voted for him felt gloomy upon hearing that.
Great Qin King and the others had worked very hard to make this happen, but Su Yu was clearly telling them that he wouldn't be an active leader. He would require humanity's help when he was in danger, but he had yet to consider what he could do for humanity.
Great Han King coughed and said, "Mayor Su loves to joke. In truth, Mayor Su has been working hard for humanity. He and his holy cities are effectively serving as a second wall outside the Human Realm."
He glanced at Su Yu, trying to remind Su Yu that the voting session was still on. Just what was Su Yu thinking?
Well, Su Yu was only thinking about one thing. Would the rest of the voters all vote for him the moment he received twenty-eight votes?
After all, further protest would no longer mean anything. After thinking about it, Su Yu's lips moved.
***
After a long hesitation, Great Chu's prefect decided to vote for Su Yu.
After all, this was what Great Qin King wanted. Voting for Great Qin King wouldn't change anything. He could only hope that Su Yu would be willing to do more for humanity. Just as he was about to place his vote, his expression changed.
Su Yu's voice rang out in his ears, "Vote for Great Qin King."
He frowned and crused inwardly. This...scumbag! Was Su Yu not afraid that this might completely turn things around? What if those after him voted for Great Qin King as well?
Ultimately, he decided to do as told and vote for Great Qin King.
Numerous eyes flickered upon seeing that.
Su Yu sent another voice transmission, "Great Yue prefect, vote for Great Qin King."
"..."
The expression of a middle-aged man changed. Was...this a test for him? Or was this a bait for the others? Was the mayor unhappy that nobody was voting against him? Was this the mayor's way of finding some targets to kill?
After some thought, the middle-aged man voted for Great Qin King as well.
Great Han King glanced at Su Yu and sent him a voice transmission, "Why bother?"
Su Yu smiled and replied, "Don't worry. Since they are thinking so hard, I need to give them some hope, right? This will keep things interesting. I'm very curious. Will they stick to their initial choice? Or will they change their mind? I also want to see if there is anyone truly determined to go against me among them."
Great Han King sank into silence.
Before long, the voting session was over.
The result was out.
Thirty-seven to three.
Great Chu, Great Yue, and Great Liao had voted for Great Qin King.
Su Yu rubbed his chin as he wondered about Great Liao. Were they simply stubborn? Or was that a pity vote because Great Qin King had received so few votes? In truth, the result was as good as confirmed after Su Yu received twenty-eight votes.
It was completely pointless for Great Liao to vote for Great Qin King. Most prefectures had made their stance too early. As a result, nobody had the courage to lead the opposition.
Su Yu smiled with disinterest and said, "Looks like I'm now the holy land leader. Why...does this feel so easy?"
Nobody said anything.
Great Han King said, "Isn't this a good thing? Congratulations, Mayor Su. No, I should be calling you Holy Lord Su now. Moving on, we will need to decide on a location and name for the new holy land. You only need to issue your orders and all that will be handled for you, Holy Lord Su.
"You will also be consulted for the construction and design of the new holy land. This is a joyous occasion. Why don't we hold a celebration for this? This will give everyone the chance to get a better look at your power and youth."
Su Yu had a thoughtful look as he listened. Then, he smiled and said, "True. Tomorrow, we will be celebrating my father's birthday. I will have the myriad races congratulate me for my appointment as well. Everyone here is invited to my father's birthday celebration tomorrow. As for the venue, we'll be holding the celebration at Nanyuan. Since that place is still under construction, it is still quite empty. Let's bring some life to that place."
He left some words unspoken. Anyone with the courage to cause trouble for the people of Nanyuan would naturally die. Nobody would be allowed to disturb the peace of the commoners living there.
Su Yu laughed and said, "Tomorrow will be both my father's birthday and my ascension as the holy lord. Everyone here is invited. Please don't be late."
***
Outside the hall.
Great Xia King looked at Great Zhou King questioningly. Should they go as well?
Great Zhou King nodded, "Things have ended quite smoothly. Since he wants a celebration, we'll grant him this. Tomorrow, the kings shall crown him personally."
Great Xia King thought about it and nodded, "Yes, things have indeed been quite smooth. I was expecting some trouble, but nothing happened."
"After all, nobody is truly stupid here."
Great Zhou King said, "Since the result is already set, it is pointless to keep struggling and offend him."
Great Xia King nodded again. With a toying expression, he said, "But that was mainly because they lacked a leader, right? Because a certain someone did not step forth to lead the resistance."
He was talking about Great Zhou King.
Without Great Zhou King's opposition, everything became smooth. Otherwise, things might have ended very differently.
Great Zhou King laughed and said, "It's only natural for us to make the right choice, right?"
Great Xia King said nothing.
Crowning Su Yu...tomorrow?
Great Xia King looked at Great Zhou King suspiciously. This guy had been keeping a surprisingly low profile this time. He had ignored everything and focused only on supporting Su Yu.
Did he really find Su Yu to his liking?
Or was he plotting something?
Great Xia King's suspicion was understandable. Great Zhou King had indeed been keeping too low a profile lately.
In fact, Great Xia King even suspected that someone had replaced Great Zhou King. In the past, Great Zhou King would always participate actively whenever they needed to make a major decision.
Meanwhile, Great Zhou King remained completely indifferent. The holy land was only a trivial matter. The real major matter would come soon.
Chapter 1649: Emperor Yu's Court (1)
The conference was over.
However, the new holy land had yet to be named.
Su Yu wanted to take his time thinking about it.
As for the third matter of the conference, Su Yu said that they should worry about it after his coronation tomorrow.
Everything had been delayed.
After the confirmation that he was going to be the leader, he only talked about his father's birthday celebration. Everyone was invited. Refusal to attend would be viewed as an insult. And one should think things through before insulting Su Yu.
Nanyuan would be the stage for the celebration tomorrow.
***
After walking out of the hall, Su Yu looked at the Invincibles who were still busy working on the formation. He smiled, flew toward them, and said, "Great Ming King, can this formation be completed today?"
Great Ming King nearly rolled his eyes. He looked at the formation and said, "No. Your previous battle ruined many of the doors. Out of ten thousand doors, only five thousand are ready. We need at least two or three more days."
Su Yu said, "In that case, can I trouble Junior Zhou King to accelerate time and increase the speed? I need all of you to be at Nanyuan tomorrow and witness my ascension into the holy lord."
Time acceleration.
Junior Zhou King looked at Su Yu with a frown. Su Yu asked nonchalantly, "Is that not possible?"
Junior Zhou King asked, "Do you need the formation so soon?"
With a toying tone, Su Yu said, "Of course. I will be coronated tomorrow. Will the myriad races agree? What if they try to assassinate me during the coronation? I'll need the formation to kill them all. Why did I pick Nanyuan as the venue? Because that city is still relatively devoid of commoners. That is the perfect place for me to gather all opposition in one place and kill them all. I can even open the death tunnel when things get dangerous. I'm very curious. Will anyone be brazen enough to have some fun with me tomorrow?"
Junior Zhou King felt very helpless. That wasn't a reason he could argue against. Su Yu was being very straightforward about it. He had picked Nanyuan because he was prepared to kill all opposition.
He wasn't doing it in the capital because the capital was too populated. Thus, he wanted the formation to finish early, even if it could only be accomplished through time acceleration. Would there really be people blind enough to try anything tomorrow? It was hard to say.
Su Yu looked toward those from Great Chu, Great Yue, and Great Liao as his smile widened. He revealed his perfectly white teeth, but for some reason, his white teeth and his wide smile were very chill-inducing.
The expressions of some people among the three groups changed upon noticing his smile. Some even started grumbling about their prefects. Why must their prefects stand up like this? What was the point? Were their prefects happy now? They had caught the attention of a madman.
Su Yu said lazily, "When I become the holy lord, I can declare anyone I want a traitor. Anyone standing against me will die."
"..."
Right after he said that, Great Xia King berated him, "Su Yu! Do not talk drivel! The position of the holy lord is not a toy. This is a symbol of humanity's trust in you."
Su Yu beamed and said, "Yes, yes, I understand. Don't worry, Great Xia King. I'm not the type to kill for no reason. Why are you talking like I'm a madman? I have never killed for no reason!"
"..."
Silence descended.
The people of the other prefectures looked at those from the three prefectures with pity.
Meanwhile, the Great Chu and Great Yue prefects couldn't help but wonder if they were the fish or the bait. If they were the bait, they would have nothing to say about this. They were only worried that they were the actual fish Su Yu was waiting for.
That would be very troublesome. But...that shouldn't be the case, right? What would change with a little bit of opposition when Su Yu had received the approval of thirty-three prefectures? What was the point of offending Su Yu for no reason? Nobody would be stupid enough to take this bait, right?
When the two prefects glanced at the Great Liao prefect, their expressions turned odd. They exchanged glances before looking at the Great Liao prefect again. Just look at that expression. That dissatisfaction on his face. Was this an act? Or was this real?
If this were real...things would be really interesting.
***
Su Yu was unbothered about how the others were reacting. He returned his focus to Junior Zhou King.
Zhou Tianyuan, the Junior Zhou King, inhaled deeply and said, "I'll try my best."
Su Yu smiled and said, "I have confidence in Junior Zhou King's massive strength. The formation will finish soon thanks to your ability to accelerate time."
Zhou Tianyuan said nothing. Su Yu was speaking as if this were an easy task. This involved time. It was extremely tiring and difficult.
Next, Su Yu's voice rang out throughout the city, "My father's birthday celebration will be held in Nanyuan tomorrow. Everyone is invited. I am lucky enough to be appointed as the new holy lord. We will be holding the appointment ceremony tomorrow as well."
Su Yu laughed and continued, "Everyone, you are invited to bear witness to the ceremony. I will be forging the holy lord token tomorrow. Prefects, please come with the seals of your prefectures. The support of your authority will help me better lead humanity in the future."
The moment those words were said, the experts of the thirty-six prefectures looked at Su Yu before looking at the older Invincibles such as Great Zhou King and the others.
Great Zhou King raised his brow.
Su Yu continued, "Also, please come bearing the complete maps, complete military namelist, and complete namelist of those at the Mountainsea Realm and above. I will register every single one of the names on these lists. Anyone not on these lists will no longer be considered human. Everyone will be allowed to kill them without mercy."
"..."
Numerous expressions changed.
Registration.
Anyone at the Mountainsea Realm and above would be registered.
In short, he was telling all the prefectures to reveal all their power to him. Those below the Mountainsea Realm were too weak to matter. With such a list, nobody would be able to protest the killing of those not on the list.
Those with the courage to not register their names with Su Yu would die the moment they encounter Su Yu. But registering their names with Su Yu would be the same as baring themselves fully before him.
Su Yu said, "Moving forward, any new advancements will also be registered with me. Anyone not on the list will be open for killing. Those not on the list are not humans. I will be forging three lists. Eternal List, Sunmoon List, and Mountainsea List. It won't be a crime to kill those not on the lists."
How ruthless.
At this point, even the expressions of Great Zhou King and the others started changing. Su Yu had yet to even be officially appointed. But he was already demanding all these namelists from the various prefectures. He was telling them to reveal all their experts to him.
What was the most important thing for an organization in this era? Not resources. Not population. Not cultivation methods or secret arts. Only experts mattered. Anyone at the Mountainsea Realm and beyond could be considered an expert.
Who? Who said that Su Yu was clueless about the art of management? He was very good at management! He had directly asked for the most important information in management! And that was not all. From now on, even the old fossils would need to register themselves upon appearing or they wouldn't be considered human anymore. They were free to be killed. What should they do in such a situation?
Su Yu asked, "Why? Is this such a hard task? Do you not know the names of your experts? In that case, I can only say that you have been too lax with your people, Prefects. This proposal of mine will make it impossible for the Myriad Race Cult to keep hiding among us."
Some wanted to shout that the Myriad Race Cult didn't even exist anymore!
Almost all of them had been killed!
Su Yu was clearly lying with a straight face!
But his argument was too sound.
Great Zhou King coughed slightly and said, "Mayor Su, it's not that hard to get you these lists, but some people have been in seclusion for many years..."
Su Yu laughed and asked, "Can't you at least check if these people are still alive? Include their names if they're alive. If they're dead, so be it. If they are found alive after being considered dead...this will definitely be a plot against humanity. I'll have to take action and ensure the safety of humanity."
"What about those hiding their strength?"
Su Yu said, "What's the point? Are they Invincibles? What's the point of hiding if they're not even Invincibles? They are too weak to matter."
Su Yu flashed everyone a wide smile and asked, "Everyone is fine with this, right? I am only asking for a list of names. I'm not even asking for everyone to be present. Or perhaps...the new holy lord is meant to be a puppet? Is the new holy land nothing but a joke? Does the new holy land not even deserve to know the names of all existing human experts? If that's the case, we might as well forget about this whole thing. Don't bother establishing a new holy land. It will be a total waste of time."
Great Zhou King sighed. This guy was causing trouble before even his official appointment. From how he was acting, he clearly wasn't planning to serve only as the nominal leader. His first action after the voting was to ask for a list of names, making it impossible for the various prefectures to hide their experts from him anymore.
Su Yu said, "After the ceremony, I will patrol the Human Realm if I have the time to double-check the list of experts. Any expert not on the list will be considered a cultist. Great Xia's Myriad Race Pit will serve as their new home. I don't mind the myriad races considering me an enemy. But I won't accept a fellow human standing against us. No cultist will be spared."
With a laugh, Su Yu asked, "Am I right, Mo Duona? Do the devils still have any spies in the Human Realm? I suggest that you take them all with you. If you take them in now, I'll consider them your subordinates and not kill them in front of you."
Far away, Mo Duona calmly said, "We have no spies here. Our Original Devil Sect was established by Lan Tian. He should know this better than us."
Su Yu smiled, "That's good to hear. Out of respect for all the guests here, I will give you the chance to take all your spies with you by tonight. They will be spared. After tonight, I'll start killing."
Nobody said anything.
What a demand.
What were they supposed to do with these spies, then? Take them home?
The Myriad Race Cult had always been a joke. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ⓝovelFire.net
For humanity, the Myriad Race Cult had always served as the perfect scapegoat whenever there was a crisis to appease the masses. Great Xia, in particular, loved the cult. Furthermore, the two strongest experts of the cult were Yun Chen and Lan Tian. And none were true cultists. They were merely spies.
Without the two top experts, what could the rest of the cultists do?
***
"This won't be an easy person to handle."
The experts of the various prefectures had mixed feelings about this. They looked at each other silently, not knowing what to do. Ignoring Su Yu's other demands, just the list of experts alone was already an incredibly annoying demand for them to fulfill.
Several youngsters were gathered around Xia Huyou. One of them asked through voice transmission, "Those from the various prefectures look troubled by this. It's merely a namelist. What's the big deal about it?"
Everyone looked at the person who had asked the question and sighed. The person who had asked the question was Zhu Qingyan, a young lady from the Zhu Family. They decided to ignore her stupid question.
Xia Huyou replied through voice transmission, "Each prefecture is hiding its strength. Even Great Xia is doing the same thing. Before the previous battle, was anyone aware that we actually had so many Sunmoons hidden away? Including those from Liu Wenyan's side, we had more than thirty.
"How many Sunmoons does each prefecture have officially? Take your Great Ming as an example. Officially, you have less than thirty Sunmoons. Is that a joke?"
Zhu Qingyan replied in astonishment, "What are you talking about? We only have eighteen registered Sunmoon!"
Xia Huyou shrugged. He would bet his head on the fact that Great Ming had more than thirty Sunmoons in total. He was quite impressed. This one demand alone was enough for Su Yu to put everyone in check. There wouldn't be a need for him to pull off a long and complicated scheme.
The various prefectures were placed in a difficult position. Should they fulfill his demand? Doing so would allow Su Yu to know them much better. But resisting...well, the hidden Sunmoons would need to stay hidden forever or Su Yu would cut them down the moment they appeared.
What could anyone say about that?
Nothing.
Any unregistered expert would be considered a spy.
Su Yu was even threatening to patrol the Human Realm and double-check the list of experts.