Action

That night, Su Yu spent the night in Liu Wenyan's teachers' dormitory.

It was Su Yu's first time staying over at Liu Wenyan's home. Everything else was fine, except the old gentleman got up rather frequently in the middle of the night, startling Su Yu awake several times.

Sure enough, time spared no one.

Without manifested willpower, even though Liu Wenyan had reached the Qianjun Realm, he was now merely an ordinary old man.

Because he had cultivated with the Essence Gathering Art once and absorbed origin qi, Su Yu felt that his cultivation speed had been remarkably fast these past two days.

It was probably because that day's origin qi tempering had briefly opened all nine apertures.

After opening the aperture in his left ear, Su Yu felt that the aperture in his right ear was about to open as well.

"Find a time to reveal that I've reached the Kaiyuan Fourth Stage. I've been at the Kaiyuan Three Stages for half a year anyway. It wouldn't be strange if my luck suddenly improved and I reached the fourth stage."

As for having exceptional cultivation talent, what was wrong with that?

Before, he had mainly studied Myriad Races Language. Was it not allowed for him to have neglected cultivation?

Now that he was working hard, rapidly reaching the Kaiyuan Fourth Stage, or even the fifth stage, was not strange, right?

Su Yu quietly pondered this to himself. The next day, he went to the academy with Liu Wenyan again.

By following Liu Wenyan around, Su Yu learned quite a bit more.

Inside the office.

The Academy Head had come again. He was not surprised to see Su Yu there; he had learned about it yesterday.

"Tianshui City nearby was attacked these past two days. Quite a few City Guards were killed or injured."

"Here in Nanyuan, last night..." The Academy Head paused before saying, "A small mountain-side village was attacked. Many died. Only a few children hid in the cellar and escaped disaster. The Ten Thousand Races Cult did it. The City Guards have already gone after them."

Liu Wenyan's face turned cold. "Those beasts!"

Very quickly, Liu Wenyan suppressed his anger and said, "So they really came to Nanyuan! Still the same old trick—creating chaos and scattering our strength. It seems they are plotting something major!"

Having said that, Liu Wenyan asked, "The Dragon Martial Guard still can't find where their main force is?"

"They can't."

The Academy Head was helpless as well. "They are deeply concealed. Nanyuan does not have enough manpower, and we cannot cast a wide net and search everywhere. Otherwise, if they pick us apart one by one, we will be in trouble."

"What does Great Xia Prefecture say?"

Liu Wenyan was somewhat anxious. The Ten Thousand Races Cult had truly come.

Nanyuan was merely a small city, and its defensive strength was too weak. Great Xia Prefecture had many elites. If they sent even a little support, the Ten Thousand Races Cult would not dare act so wildly.

"The City Lord has already issued a request for aid, but other cities are also asking for help. Great Xia Prefecture must also hold fast to the prefectural capital in case the Ten Thousand Races Cult creates unrest there, so..."

"No reinforcements?" Liu Wenyan said angrily. "Then ask the major Civilization Academies for help!"

The Academy Head said helplessly, "We did, but the front lines have been recruiting recently. Many teachers and students from the major academies went to the front, and they have yet to return. The academies themselves need guarding too, and they are more important than Nanyuan, so..."

"Can't they even spare a few Soaring Realm cultivators?"

Liu Wenyan grew even angrier. "They are not lacking in Soaring Realm cultivators. Send a few over, and the Ten Thousand Races Cult's forces deployed in Nanyuan cannot be that strong!"

The Academy Head said gloomily, "Don't vent your anger on me. It's useless. As I said, every city is asking for aid. Nanyuan is not considered critical among the twenty-eight cities. Some cities are more important, so naturally Great Xia Prefecture has to support them first."

Liu Wenyan was helpless upon hearing this. "Such a vast Great Xia Prefecture, yet it has been tossed into chaos, forced to beg for aid everywhere by the Ten Thousand Races Cult. The Dragon Martial Guard... really is useless!"

Cough, cough!

The Academy Head coughed softly. A voice came through the door. "Instructor Liu, the Ten Thousand Races Cult merely picked the right time. Three thousand Dragon Martial Guards left for the Battlefields of the Heavens ten days ago, so... there truly is a shortage of manpower."

"Then it is because your Dragon Martial Guard's internal secrecy was inadequate. I didn't even know that three thousand Dragon Martial Guards had left, but the Ten Thousand Races Cult did. Is that not your own fault?"

Liu Wenyan was not afraid of the Dragon Martial Guard and spoke bluntly. "Even if there is no problem with the Dragon Martial Guard, there is definitely a problem in Great Xia Prefecture. The Ten Thousand Races Cult must have eyes and ears there. Otherwise, how would they know that your main force had left and choose this moment to cause trouble in Great Xia Prefecture?"

The Dragon Martial Guard members did not say anything. This was indeed the truth.

Not long after the Dragon Martial Guard's main force left, the Ten Thousand Races Cult came. Clearly, information had leaked.

Otherwise, with the Dragon Martial Guard stationed in Great Xia Prefecture, the enemy would not dare come here rashly.

"Now is not the time to argue!"

The Academy Head interrupted them and said, "Old Liu, why don't you ask Daxia Civilization Academy to lend you a few Soaring Realm cultivators?"

"As if you needed to tell me. I asked this morning. Even if they rush here, it will take at least a day."

"They agreed to send people?"

"They did, but..." Liu Wenyan said helplessly, "they will not stay long. They said that once they take these students away, they will leave with them. They will not help us defend the city."

"That is fine too!"

The Academy Head was overjoyed. It was enough that someone was coming.

Liu Wenyan was not nearly as excited. He remained dissatisfied. "Even with the Dragon Martial Guard gone, Great Xia Prefecture being thrown into such a mess is still disgraceful! I wonder whether Great Xia Prefecture has grown too comfortable these past years, letting military preparedness slacken!"

Only Liu Wenyan would say something like that. The Academy Head did not take the bait.

The Dragon Martial Guard outside did not respond either, because it truly was somewhat embarrassing. Great Xia Prefecture boasted countless powerful troops and fierce generals, yet the Ten Thousand Races Cult had left it harried and overwhelmed. That did not match Great Xia Prefecture's strength at all.

Su Yu acted as an observer throughout, listening quietly without interrupting.

These were matters for Nanyuan City's upper echelon. He was not qualified to take part yet.

As for Liu Wenyan, Su Yu found it somewhat strange. Though this man held no low status, his martial strength was weak. Discussing such matters with Liu Wenyan did not seem particularly useful, did it?

As if he had seen through Su Yu's thoughts, Liu Wenyan had been paying some attention to him. Seeing Su Yu sneak glances at him, he could not help but chuckle. "What is it? Looking down on your teacher?"

"No."

"Yes, you are!"

"Really, I'm not!"

"I can tell!"

At this moment, Liu Wenyan was like a child, insisting on winning the argument. He smiled and said, "Just wait. You'll find out why your teacher can participate when the time comes!"

Su Yu did not quite understand what he meant, but Liu Wenyan did not explain.

The Academy Head wanted to say a few words, but after thinking it over, he kept quiet.

He hoped that opportunity would never come. It would be too regrettable for Liu Wenyan to have to prove himself that way.

In the tall building across from the academy.

The middle-aged man's lips moved slightly. "The City Guards have left the city. Aside from a portion guarding the gates and the City Lord's Mansion, the rest have gone out to wipe out those Bloodfire Cult people."

"What about the Dragon Martial Guard?"

The woman asked, and the middle-aged man shook his head. "There has been no sign of the Dragon Martial Guard."

"The Dragon Martial Guard is still in the city. Also... Nanyuan is preparing to transfer those geniuses to Great Xia Prefecture. They will leave the day after tomorrow."

The man reported this, and the woman frowned slightly. "Bait?"

"Possibly."

The man was suspicious as well. "They are evacuating for no reason, and the order was issued yesterday. It may be intended to lure us out. What do you think we should do?"

"Have any powerful cultivators secretly entered Nanyuan City recently?"

"Probably not..."

"Probably?"

"There is no way to be certain. We cannot monitor everything around the clock either. But our informants have sent no news. Neither the City Lord's Mansion nor Nanyuan Middle Academy has reported anything."

The woman sank into thought. After considering it, she said, "We cannot let them leave. If they leave, destroying Nanyuan Middle Academy will still earn merit, but only half as much. This year's pre-examination genius students will be gone. Those above will not be satisfied."

"I understand." The man hesitated. "But... the Dragon Martial Guard members have not been lured away. They are very likely inside the academy. If we strike rashly and fail, we will be in trouble."

As he spoke, the communicator beside him rang. The man picked it up and looked at it. It was a communication message, seemingly an advertisement.

But his expression changed slightly, and he quickly said, "Either cancel the operation, or... we need to act quickly! News from Great Xia Prefecture: Liu Wenyan sought aid from Daxia Civilization Academy today. They agreed and will soon send people to take these geniuses away from Nanyuan City."

"Damn it!"

The woman cursed. "Liu Wenyan, that old thing again! That old thing is only one step away from manifesting his willpower, though his hope of crossing that step is slim. Yet the Civilization Academy actually agreed to send aid for him... He has more influence than I expected."

The man did not speak. After the woman had vented her anger, he continued, "What do we do now? City Lord Wu Wenhai and Xia Bing of the Dragon Martial Guard are both Soaring Second Level. If the Civilization Academy sends more people, we can only abandon this..."

As he spoke, the man hesitated, but he still said, "Great Xia Prefecture is powerful. Only because the Dragon Martial Guard's main force has left this time can we create chaos. Once the main force returns... we must withdraw. Those above had previously taken a wait-and-see stance toward Great Xia Prefecture. Why this time..."

For this operation, those above had even spared no expense in exposing some pieces that had been hidden for many years.

Even if the plan succeeded, the losses would be enormous.

The man did not understand. Even if they killed some geniuses, such losses would be difficult to make up for.

One had to know that some people had spent many years just to remain undercover.

The woman held a higher position in the cult than he did and knew more. He was merely responsible for liaising between the various sides.

"Do not ask what you should not ask!"

The woman replied coldly. After thinking for a moment, she added, "Actually, it is nothing. What is needed is for Great Xia Prefecture to fall into chaos and for the Dragon Martial Guard's main force to return! The Dragon Martial Guard's target in going to the Battlefields of the Heavens this time is the Tianyi Divine Race!"

At those words, the man's expression shifted repeatedly.

The Tianyi Divine Race—this was also the divine race they had pledged themselves to. Could it be...

"The divine race... fears the Dragon Martial Guard?"

The man did not dare think further, but the woman knew what he was thinking. She sneered. "The Dragon Martial Guard may be strong, but the divine race does not fear them! However, the divine race has recently been attacking the Tianyan Race. If the Dragon Martial Guard meddles, it will ruin the plan."

"The Tianyan Race!" The man hurriedly asked, "Is the divine race about to start a war?"

"No. It is to make the Tianyan Race return to order!"

The woman said no more on the matter and turned back to the topic at hand. "You, me, and another hall master at the Soaring Fourth Stage will arrive tonight! He will deal with Xia Bing, I will hold Wu Wenhai back, and you will lead people to destroy Nanyuan Academy!"

"Once Nanyuan Academy is destroyed, the mission will be complete. We will withdraw immediately!"

"Tomorrow evening... we act!"

As the woman finished speaking, the man seemed to want to say something but stopped himself. Soon, he said, "Understood!"

They chose evening because the students would have left by nightfall and could not gather together. It was not worth hunting them down separately.

They would act in the evening and withdraw afterward. Night would fall soon, making escape easier.

The man had no objection to that. He was merely somewhat worried. After acknowledging the order, he still reminded her, "Aside from Wu Wenhai and Xia Bing, I worry that Liu Wenyan might be provoked into manifesting his willpower. That would be troublesome."

"Not bad. We must guard against that!"

The woman did not think he was worrying excessively. It was indeed an unpredictable variable. "But we have three Soaring Realm cultivators, while they have only two, and both are merely Soaring Second Level. Even if Liu Wenyan truly manifests his willpower, he will have had no time to temper his body. His willpower may reach the Soaring Realm, but his body will still be at the Qianjun Realm. You should be able to handle him."

"This..."

The man had just wanted to say something when the woman's gaze turned cold. "He is already over seventy. His body is declining. Even if he manifests his willpower, it will be nothing. Could it be that you do not even dare handle Liu Wenyan?"

"No!"

The man hurriedly said, "I am worried that if I deal with Liu Wenyan, no one will handle the other Dragon Martial Guard members. They are all at the Wanshi Realm. We have Wanshi Realm cultivators too, but once the Dragon Martial Guard forms a battle formation, none below the Soaring Realm can withstand them."

"You are speaking only of a possibility. Liu Wenyan has failed to manifest it for so many years. Must he succeed this time?"

Though the woman said that, she quickly added, "Then have the Soaring Fourth Stage hall master hold back the entire Dragon Martial Guard. Xia Bing is merely Soaring Second Level, so he is more than capable of handling them! You kill Liu Wenyan quickly, then go help him deal with the Dragon Martial Guard!"

"Good!"

The man relaxed. This was better. A Soaring Fourth Stage cultivator should be able to handle it.

Besides, he himself was Soaring Second Level, so there was no need to worry too much. The woman was stronger than him and was also a hall master in the Ten Thousand Races Cult. Of course, as a hall master in Nanyuan, she was only at the peak of Soaring Third Level.

After all, Nanyuan City was small. The Ten Thousand Races Cult stationing two Soaring Realm cultivators here was already unexpected.

Great Xia Prefecture only had two Soaring Realm cultivators here as well: the City Lord and the Dragon Martial Guard's squad leader.

Great Xia Prefecture's main force was at the front lines. The strength left behind in the rear was not particularly great. The Ten Thousand Races Cult did not need to go to the front or hold any particular location, so shifting its personnel was more convenient than it was for Great Xia Prefecture.

"True gods are eternal!"

The woman's lips moved, and the man swiftly murmured along with her.

The divine race!

Unrestrained longing filled his eyes. The divine race!

Eternal life!

If he could earn enough merit to enter the God Realm, enter the legendary Divine Transformation Pool, and transform his human foundation into that of the divine race... then that would be eternal life!

Boundless life!

Flames rose in the man's eyes. The divine points granted by those above for this mission were substantial. After another dozen or so missions like this, he would be able to exchange them for one chance to enter the God Realm.

"Fifty years... I must enter the God Realm within fifty years, or I will die of old age..."

The man muttered to himself inwardly. He had not wanted to betray humanity, but he... wanted eternal life!

He could not forget his teacher, a powerful Soaring Ninth Level cultivator, who had died of old age in bed that year because his body had declined. He was afraid.

The Soaring Realm only granted a lifespan of one hundred and fifty years.

He was already over sixty. Though his body had not yet begun to decline, more than ten years had passed, and he had only cultivated from Soaring First Level to the second. Could he hope to reach the ninth in this lifetime?

There was no hope!

Only by pledging himself to the divine race could he gain eternal life.

"I am not wrong. Humanity will not be a match for the myriad races! The Human Realm has no power of restriction and simply cannot withstand the myriad races. It will fall sooner or later. It is only a matter of time. My choice is not wrong!"

The man's expression gradually became resolute, and his devotion deepened. The divine race—even reaching the Soaring Realm made living a thousand years no difficult matter. Over a thousand years, no matter what, one could advance another step.

That would be eternal life, eternal years!