Xia Longwu

Anping Calendar, Year 350, April 18.

This was the second-to-last day before Su Yu's group left Nanyuan. Early tomorrow morning, they would all gather and leave Nanyuan under the escort of experts from the City Guards and Daxia Civilization Academy.

Morning.

Su Yu had just gotten up. The instant he opened his eyes, he jumped in fright—there was an extra figure beside his bed.

"Awake?"

Liu Wenyan suddenly asked. Su Yu steadied himself, feeling somewhat helpless. The old gentleman was really startling people first thing in the morning.

"Teacher, you're awake too."

"I'm old. I've been awake for ages."

Liu Wenyan smiled. "Get up and eat. Afterward, come to the academy with me. But today, don't stay with me..."

"Hm?"

Su Yu's gaze shifted slightly. "Teacher, you mean..."

"If the Ten Thousand Races Cult has a plan, when do you think they would strike? Before tonight, the people from Daxia Civilization Academy will arrive. Once night comes, they'll have no more chances."

Su Yu's heart trembled. That was right. If he were one of the Ten Thousand Races Cult, he would either act today or wait until they had left, when the City Guards were fewer in number.

In other words, the Ten Thousand Races Cult would very likely show themselves today.

"Following me is too dangerous!"

Liu Wenyan was still smiling. "Those people fear that my will might manifest. If they strike, they'll definitely target me first and kill me beforehand, preventing my will from manifesting and allowing me to step into the Skysoaring Realm in a single stride."

"So today, don't stay with me, and don't stay with any other experts either. Just stay with teachers in the Qianjun Realm. Someone will protect you."

"Teacher..." Su Yu hurriedly climbed out of bed. "Do they really dare attack Nanyuan Academy?"

"Of course they dare! Some among the Ten Thousand Races Cult fear death, some cling to life, some are mad, and some have fallen into madness. Yet even those greedy for life and afraid of death will not begrudge drawing their blades to achieve their goals!"

Liu Wenyan sighed softly. "These people are strange. You could say they fear death, yet at times they fear it even less than we do. Throw them onto the Battlefields of the Heavens and make them face races like the Gods and Devils, and they'll be scared out of their wits. But ask them to strike against their own kind, and they'll charge ahead without fear of death."

"Perhaps they think that since they are all human, there is nothing to fear. The myriad races are what truly terrify them. When the butcher's blade falls upon humanity, they won't hesitate in the slightest."

Su Yu frowned at that. Indeed, the Ten Thousand Races Cult members seemed very strange to him.

Send them to the Battlefields of the Heavens, and they could be frightened to death alive.

As for courage, they had practically none.

Yet when it came to causing destruction within humanity, every one of them was bolder and crazier than the last. Even if heads were chopped off every day, it would not scare them back.

"Does that count as being fierce only at home?"

Su Yu thought for a moment and came up with a term.

Liu Wenyan laughed. "Not quite. We don't consider them human, so it doesn't count as being fierce only at home. But your meaning is right. That is indeed their nature. Weak toward outsiders, cold-blooded toward their own. There have always been many such people throughout history, appearing one after another."

"And it is not only humanity that has such people. Every race has them."

"Once they betray their own race, in order to prove their choice was right and prove themselves, the butcher's blade will fall upon their former comrades faster and more viciously!"

Liu Wenyan was unsurprised. "Among humanity... there is also a group of such myriad races!"

Liu Wenyan looked at Su Yu with a smile. "Humanity has also taken in myriad races like that. They lose faith and hope in their own race, then defect to humanity. At that point, they can be equally vicious when striking at their former kin."

Su Yu found it somewhat difficult to understand, but he had read quite a few books and knew that many people like this did exist.

He did not ask any further questions. Su Yu got up and began washing.

Soon, at the dining table, Su Yu ate for a while before saying, "Teacher, will they strike today, then? There are so many students at the academy. Why not give everyone the day off?"

"It can't be done. You can't guard against thieves for a thousand days. Giving them a holiday would only startle the snake in the grass. Those people wouldn't show themselves."

"But..."

Su Yu was worried. If they truly came to kill, would not so many students be caught up in it?

"We have already made preparations. Someone will protect you." Liu Wenyan sighed. "Don't think we are cold-blooded, using you as bait. He who hesitates when a decision must be made will suffer the chaos it brings!"

"Su Yu, remember this. If one day you go to war and become a commander, then... what you must do is choose!"

"On one side are one thousand soldiers, and on the other are ten thousand. You can choose to save those thousand, or you can let those thousand restrain the enemy while your ten thousand annihilate a ten-thousand-man army of a major race. At that moment... what would you choose?"

"I..." Su Yu hesitated. Only after a long while did he say, "I... don't know."

"You actually know, but you cannot say it aloud. You are intelligent. You should understand what choice must be made. On the Battlefields of the Heavens, how important is it to wipe out a ten-thousand-man army of the myriad races? It could even affect the outcome of a local battle."

Liu Wenyan said softly, "That is a choice. That is the choice human experts and wise men must make! Sacrifice one thousand people to annihilate ten thousand, so that fewer people will die in the future. Because that army of ten thousand may create even greater slaughter."

"Isn't it cruel?"

Su Yu silently nodded. He had never considered such a question before. When Liu Wenyan had asked it just now, he had found it too real, too cruel, too heartless.

"Su Yu, this is war!"

Liu Wenyan looked up at him. "Remember it—this is war! It concerns the survival or extinction of tens of billions of humans, so we must make choices. Perhaps you will say, how innocent are those thousand? Yes, they are far too innocent. They are our comrades, our brothers-in-arms, but... this is war!"

"Just like today. We know the Ten Thousand Races Cult will very likely attack Nanyuan Academy today, yet we must still make a choice..."

"These past two days, things outside the city have been chaotic. Several villages were attacked, and many people died—hundreds already!"

"We are stretched thin dealing with it. The City Guards' strength has been scattered. This cannot continue. Only by concentrating our forces and wiping them out can Nanyuan be completely stabilized. So... at this time, we must also make a choice."

"Should we let the students take greater risks, or should we continue waiting and let them slaughter even more people?"

"In my eyes, the students are naturally more important. But the people outside the city are lives too. Su Yu, you students are all reserve soldiers, so... we have decided to let you take greater risks. This is also the path you will walk in the future."

Su Yu nodded slightly and said gravely, "Teacher, I understand. I was only worried just now. As you said, we are all soldiers. Though we are weak, from the day we entered the academy, we were already soldiers. Your choice and the Academy Head's choice are not wrong."

"It is good that you understand. If you cannot understand, then there is no need to force yourself to." Liu Wenyan said softly, "If one day you rise to a higher position, and you believe sacrificing one Nanyuan City can slaughter ten or a hundred times as many enemies, your teacher hopes you will choose to do it."

"Even if you must bear some curses and infamy, do not hesitate."

Su Yu said nothing and continued eating. Only after he had finished did he look up at Liu Wenyan and say, "Teacher, after all that, the truth is that we are still not strong enough. If we were strong enough to crush our enemies, then none of these choices would exist, right?"

Liu Wenyan suddenly smiled, a gratified smile.

"Well said. That is exactly it. But we... are still not strong enough."

"We will be. I think we definitely will, because humanity is getting better and better, and there are more and more experts."

Liu Wenyan nodded slightly as well. That was indeed true.

The two said nothing more. After finishing breakfast, they headed toward the academy together.

"A-Yu!"

Chen Hao had not seen Su Yu for two days. He knew Su Yu had been studying under Liu Wenyan, but he was still delighted now. "I thought Instructor Liu had kidnapped you. He finally let you come back. These past two days, I feel like I'm about to reach the Kaiyuan Fourth Stage..."

"Mhm."

Su Yu nodded slightly. At that moment, several instructors seemed to be passing outside the classroom by chance. In truth, Su Yu knew they were patrolling.

Once battle broke out, these instructors would immediately lead the students away.

"Haozi, stay with me today. You're not allowed to run off anywhere."

"Why?" Chen Hao looked baffled, then quickly nodded. "Fine, but what if I need to use the toilet?"

"..."

Su Yu could not be bothered with him. After thinking for a moment, he added, "Go to the training building later and get two sabers. We're doing practical combat drills today."

"Huh, A-Yu, aren't you afraid of getting beaten up?"

Chen Hao said strangely, "You can't beat me anyway. You get beaten up every time."

"I think I can beat you up now!"

Su Yu rolled his eyes. "Quit talking nonsense. Just do it when I tell you to!"

"Fine, I'll listen to you!"

Chen Hao grinned, baring his teeth. He could not be bothered to think. Whenever he followed Su Yu around, Su Yu was always the one coming up with ideas.

Su Yu still had one drop of essence blood. After considering it, he quickly stood up and headed toward the resource office with Chen Hao.

"Teacher, I'd like to exchange for two drops of Iron Winged Bird Essence Blood."

"Su Yu, you're exchanging for this again?" Even the teacher at the resource office felt heartache for Su Yu. "Did your previous research fail?"

"Mhm."

"Then..."

"Teacher, I think I'm close to finding a clue. Exchange two more drops for me."

"Then... all right!"

The managing teacher was helpless. This little kid had no sense of proportion. What a waste!

Once he went to a higher academy, he would be waiting to regret it.

The teacher exchanged another two drops of essence blood for Su Yu. Su Yu now had three drops of essence blood, but only seven Merit Points remained.

After wandering around the academy for a while, Su Yu soon had a saber in hand, and Chen Hao held one as well.

Chen Hao felt that Su Yu was acting very strangely today. He had collected a saber but was not cultivating, nor was he practicing martial techniques. He had no idea what madness had seized the guy.

By then, it was already noon.

Su Yu held the three drops of essence blood and pondered. Three drops could probably sustain an explosive burst for fifteen minutes, but last time his arm had swollen after only five minutes. If he truly lasted fifteen minutes, his arm might be crippled.

"Fifteen minutes... it shouldn't take that long. Even if the Ten Thousand Races Cult attacks, they won't dare fight here for that long. If it drags on, they can forget about leaving."

"But... no one can know if I use essence blood to burst forth, or it will become troublesome. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I should not use the essence blood. Besides, even if I erupt with power and have Qianjun-level combat strength, it won't change much."

The academy did not lack Qianjun Realm teachers. The key would still be the Ten Thousand Stones experts and the Skysoaring experts.

Su Yu looked around, his eyes flickering slightly. There were quite a few unfamiliar people in the academy now. Though they were not wearing armor, Su Yu still guessed that they were City Guards, with some members of Jifeng Hall among them.

It seemed Nanyuan had also made preparations. Their opponents would either attack Nanyuan Academy or the City Lord's Mansion.

As Su Yu was thinking, Chen Hao's communicator rang. Chen Hao hurriedly answered it, responded a few times, then hung up and looked at Su Yu. "My dad called. He said I should be careful today and not leave the academy. The Ten Thousand Races Cult is here. Quite a few people have died outside the city these past two days..."

As Chen Hao spoke, he cursed, "Those beasts! If I run into them, I'll chop one dead with every swing!"

"You?"

Su Yu glanced at him without speaking. Chen Hao's face reddened, and he said angrily, "Not now, but what about later? Once I get to the War Academy, I'll complete Kaiyuan in a year, reach the Thousand Jun Ninth Stage within three years, Ten Thousand Stones within five years, and Skysoaring within ten..."

"That is what geniuses can do. You... are you sure?"

"Get lost!"

Chen Hao looked dispirited. It did seem a little difficult.

Reaching Skysoaring in ten years was the treatment reserved for geniuses.

Still, twenty years should be possible, right?

Before the age of forty was considered the golden period for cultivation. If one could not reach Skysoaring by forty, there was practically no hope afterward.

It was not completely hopeless, but as the body began to decline, the odds became very slim.

There were countless people stuck at the Wanshi Ninth Layer for their entire lives.

Su Long was already nearly fifty. There was still hope of advancing from Qianjun to Ten Thousand Stones, but from Ten Thousand Stones to Skysoaring, there was likely little hope.

Su Yu smiled and looked outside the academy. Had it begun?

The other side had caused quite a commotion outside the city, naturally to draw away the City Guards and even the Dragon Martial Guard. Nanyuan's upper ranks knew this, but they still had no choice but to send people over.

Otherwise, no one knew how many people would die outside the city.

"As expected, they're a pack of beasts with no bottom line at all!"

Su Yu cursed under his breath, then could not help wondering what exactly was happening over in Great Xia Prefecture. Could they not even send a few Skysoaring experts to provide support?

The Ten Thousand Races Cult seemed somewhat unrestrained. With such a huge disturbance, the remaining two thousand main forces of the Dragon Martial Guard had apparently not come to investigate.

Were they being held up?

Then the Ten Thousand Races Cult's strength was far too great, wasn't it?

At the same time.

Great Xia Prefecture.

Xia Longwu was clad head to toe in armor, his presence awe-inspiring as he sat upright upon his throne.

Soon, a Dragon Martial Guard member swiftly entered, his voice ringing out. "Report! Prefecture Lord, Nanyuan, Tianshui, Kaishan, Longmen... all twelve cities have seen unusual activity. The Ten Thousand Races Cult has appeared!"

"Every city has sent requests for aid. Shall we send reinforcements?"

Xia Longwu's expression did not change. Calmly, he said, "Send reinforcements. Fifty men per squad, dispatched to the twelve cities. Send people to the other sixteen cities as well, in case of emergencies."

"Yes, sir!"

The Dragon Martial Guard member swiftly withdrew.

At that moment, an elderly man dressed like a scholar below said softly, "Prefecture Lord, this is a tactic to lure the tiger from the mountain. Their true target is likely still Great Xia Prefecture."

"I know."

"The Dragon Martial Guard has already sent out more than a thousand men, and a large portion of the prefectural army has also left. Great Xia Prefecture now..."

Before the man could finish, Xia Longwu said calmly, "No matter! If we don't kill them until their hearts ache, they will have plenty more trouble to make afterward! If the Dragon Martial Guard does not leave, those people will not dare show themselves."

With that, Xia Longwu rose. "Their target is likely me. They have drawn away the Dragon Martial Guard around me, and even the experts from the major academies have been pulled away by various matters. Now, ninety percent of Great Xia Prefecture's experts have left..."

"Prefecture Lord, perhaps we should request aid from Great Ming Prefecture..."

"Ridiculous. Humiliating!"

Xia Longwu snorted coldly. "Great Xia Prefecture ranks above Great Ming Prefecture. How could we ask them for aid? Besides, there is no need! They are merely a pack of furtive rats. I would like to see which beasts of the God race have infiltrated this time. Without the God race backing them, how would those people dare be so bold!"

The old man frowned. "The God race has infiltrated?"

"Definitely! Otherwise, would the Ten Thousand Races Cult dare make trouble in Great Xia Prefecture? Fine by me. Great Xia Prefecture's stockpile of divine blood has run out. They have come knocking at our door at just the right time. These past few days, I was considering whether to make a trip to the Battlefields of the Heavens. Now it seems I won't need to make the journey."

Xia Longwu remained calm. "In a moment, you will guard the prefectural city. I will go outside the city, kill a few beasts, and return."

"Prefecture Lord..."

"Say no more!"

Xia Longwu's gaze was sharp. "A few beasts of the God race want to do something to me? I was already worried that the Dragon Martial Saber had gone too long without tasting blood. Now, at last, it has its chance!"

With that, Xia Longwu strode out of the hall, his voice ringing like iron. "Once the God race is dead, the Dragon Martial Guard will lead the prefectural army on campaign and wipe out every member of the Ten Thousand Races Cult within Great Xia Prefecture. Capture them alive, drag them all to Great Xia Prefecture, and behead them publicly! Tomorrow, I want to see ten thousand heads fall!"

"Yes, sir!"

A chorus of low shouts answered!

To cooperate with the Ten Thousand Races Cult's actions and draw out the God race, Xia Longwu had allowed the situation to grow turbulent these past few days, fearing only that he might scare those Gods away.

Now, it was time to draw in the net.

All the Great Xia Prefecture experts who should have been transferred away had been transferred. They should appear now, shouldn't they?

Fewer than a thousand Dragon Martial Guard members remained in the prefectural city, unable to form a thousand-man battle formation. That should satisfy them, shouldn't it?

"You want to kill me? I'll grant your wish. I would like to see whether you can kill me!"

With a sneer ringing through the air, Xia Longwu rose into the sky, transformed into a streak of golden light, and vanished from the City Lord's Mansion in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he was beyond the city.

"Xia Longwu!"

As that golden light flickered and disappeared, a cold snort sounded from outside the prefectural city.

What gall!

They had thought this fellow would not dare come out, or would continue waiting for the other experts of Great Xia Prefecture to return. They had assumed they would need to keep turning up the pressure to force Xia Longwu to show himself. Who would have thought that he would come out so directly?

"Move. Surround and kill Xia Longwu!"

A low shout rang out. The next moment, someone said coldly, "Surround and kill him? The Academy Heads of the major higher academies have all left. Xia Longwu is nothing more than that. Why would we need to surround him? Today, I'll cut off his head!"

"Fool! Remember this: surround and kill him! Go all out. Do not be careless!"

One of those in charge shouted coldly, "Xia Longwu may already have one foot in that realm. If anyone wants to throw away their life, I will not stop them!"

"Impossible. He has only cultivated for so many years. How could he..."

"That is why he must die! The Battlefields of the Heavens do not need another invincible human expert!"

"Fine!"

The few of them quickly reached an agreement. They would surround and kill Xia Longwu. That fellow might actually have one foot in that realm already; they could not allow him to keep growing stronger.

Several streaks of light in different colors vanished in an instant, chasing after the golden light as it disappeared near Great Xia Prefecture.