April 18th, Anping Calendar Year 350
It was the second-to-last day before Su Yu and his group were scheduled to leave Nanyuan. Tomorrow morning, they would all gather and depart under the escort of the City Guard and experts from the Great Xia Civilization Academy.
Morning
Su Yu had just woken up. As he opened his eyes, he was startled to find someone standing by his bed.
"Awake?"
Liu Wenyan suddenly spoke. Su Yu suppressed his startled thoughts and responded helplessly. The old man really knew how to give someone a fright first thing in the morning.
"Teacher, you're awake too."
"I'm old. I've been awake for a while."
Liu Wenyan smiled. "Get up and have breakfast. After that, come with me to the academy. But don't stay by my side today…"
"Huh?"
Su Yu's eyes flickered. "You mean…"
"If the Myriad Clans Cult had a plan, when do you think they'd act? The people from the Great Xia Civilization Academy will arrive by tonight. After that, the cult won't have a chance."
Su Yu's heart trembled. That made sense. If he were a member of the cult, he'd strike either today or wait until after they had left and the city guard was reduced.
So today, the cult members might very well show themselves.
"It's too dangerous to stay with me!"
Liu Wenyan still smiled. "Those guys worry I might manifest my will. If they act, they'll target me first and kill me before I can manifest my will and step into the Soaring Realm."
"So today, don't stay with me, or with any other powerful individuals. Stay with teachers in the Thousand-Pound Realm. There will be people protecting you."
"Teacher…" Su Yu jumped out of bed in a hurry. "Do they really dare attack Nanyuan Academy?"
"Of course they dare! The Myriad Clans Cult members—some fear death, some cling to life, some are insane, and some are possessed. But even the cowardly ones won't hesitate to draw their blades to achieve their goals."
Liu Wenyan sighed lightly. "These people are strange. You say they fear death, yet sometimes they're braver than us. On the battlefield against gods and demons, they'd be scared out of their wits. But when it comes to attacking their own kind, they become fearless."
"Maybe they think, 'They're just humans, nothing to be afraid of. The real threats are the myriad races.' When they turn their blades on their fellow humans, they show no hesitation."
Su Yu frowned. Indeed, these cultists seemed strange to him.
Send them to the battlefield against other races, and they might die from fear alone.
But when it came to sabotage within the human race, each one was braver and crazier than the last—even daily executions didn't deter them.
"Isn't that just being aggressive only at home?"
Su Yu thought for a moment and offered the term.
Liu Wenyan laughed. "Not quite. We no longer consider them part of the human race, so it's not the same. But your meaning is right. That is their temperament. Weak to outsiders, cruel to their own. These types have existed throughout history."
"And not just among humans. Every race has them."
"When they betray their own kind, they often want to prove their choice was right. To justify themselves, they strike even more viciously at their old kin."
Liu Wenyan was calm. "In fact, even within the human race, there are Myriad Clans. These races lost hope in their own people and took refuge among humans. And when they attack their old kin, they're just as ruthless."
Su Yu couldn't fully grasp it, but he had read enough to know such people existed.
He didn't ask more and went to wash up.
Soon, at the dining table, Su Yu ate for a while before saying, "Teacher, so they'll attack today? With so many students at the academy, should we cancel classes?"
"We can't. There's no such thing as preparing for thieves every day. If we cancel, we'll startle them and they won't show themselves."
"But…"
Su Yu was worried. If they did attack, wouldn't the students be caught in the crossfire?
"We're prepared. You'll be protected." Liu Wenyan sighed. "Don't think we're cold-blooded, using you as bait. But hesitation in these times causes chaos!"
"Su Yu, remember this—if one day you're on the battlefield as a commander, you'll have to make choices."
"On one side, you have 1,000 soldiers. On the other, 10,000. You can rescue the 1,000, or let them pin the enemy down and use the 10,000 to wipe out a Myriad Clan army. What would you choose?"
"I…" Su Yu hesitated, then muttered, "I… don't know."
"You do know. You just don't want to say it. You're smart—you understand how important it is to wipe out a Myriad Clan force. It can shift a battle's outcome."
Liu Wenyan's voice softened. "That's what strong human leaders must do. Sacrifice the 1,000 to eliminate 10,000—so fewer die in the future. That 10,000 might have caused far greater carnage."
"Cruel, isn't it?"
Su Yu nodded silently. He'd never considered this. When Liu Wenyan first asked, it felt too real, too cruel, too heartless.
"Su Yu, this is war!"
Liu Wenyan looked up at him. "Remember—it's war! The survival of billions depends on it. We must make choices. Today, we know the Myriad Clans Cult might strike the academy, but we still have to choose…"
"These two days, it's been chaotic outside the city. Several villages were attacked, hundreds killed."
"We've been stretched thin. The city guard is scattered. If this continues, it won't work. We need to eliminate them all at once to bring peace to Nanyuan. So… we had to choose."
"Do we let students take more risk? Or keep waiting as more civilians are slaughtered?"
"In my eyes, students matter more. But those outside are people too. Su Yu, you are all reserve soldiers. So… we chose to take the risk. This is your future path."
Su Yu nodded, replying firmly, "Teacher, I understand. I was just worried earlier. As you said, we're warriors now. Even if we're weak, we became warriors the day we entered the academy. Your choice and the Principal's—it's the right one."
"I'm glad you understand. If not… then don't worry about understanding." Liu Wenyan's voice was low. "One day, if you rise higher, and you think sacrificing a city like Nanyuan can kill tenfold or hundredfold the enemy, then do it."
"Even if you're scorned for it—don't hesitate."
Su Yu didn't respond. He kept eating. When he finished, he looked up at Liu Wenyan and said, "Teacher, it all comes down to one thing—we're not strong enough. If we were, if we could crush our enemies, we wouldn't need to make these choices, right?"
Liu Wenyan suddenly smiled, gratified.
"Well said. That's exactly it. But we… are still not strong enough."
"We will be. I believe we will. The human race is getting stronger. More and more powerful people are rising."
Liu Wenyan nodded slightly. Indeed.
They said no more and headed to the academy together after breakfast.
"Ah Yu!"
Chen Hao hadn't seen Su Yu in two days. He knew Su Yu had been studying with Liu Wenyan, but he was still excited. "I thought Instructor Liu kidnapped you or something! Good thing he let you go. I feel like I'm almost at Opening Origin Tier Four now…"
"Mm."
Su Yu nodded slightly. Outside the classroom, a few instructors passed by as if by chance. But Su Yu knew—they were patrolling.
If a battle started, these instructors would immediately evacuate the students.
"Haozi, stay with me today. Don't go anywhere."
"What for?" Chen Hao was puzzled, but quickly nodded. "Okay. What if I need to go to the bathroom?"
"…"
Su Yu ignored him. After a moment, he said, "Go to the training hall and get two blades. We'll do combat practice today."
"Huh? You're not afraid of getting beat up?"
Chen Hao was confused. "You always lose to me."
"I think I can beat you now!"
Su Yu rolled his eyes. "Stop talking. Just do it!"
"Alright, your call!"
Chen Hao grinned. He wasn't much of a thinker—he liked following Su Yu's lead.
Su Yu still had one drop of essence blood. After thinking for a bit, he stood up and headed toward the Resources Hall with Chen Hao.
"Teacher, I'll exchange for two drops of Ironwing Bird essence blood."
"Su Yu, again? Failed your last experiment?" The teacher at the Resources Hall looked pained for him.
"Yeah."
"Well then…"
"Teacher, I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. Let me try two more drops."
"...Alright then!"
The supervising teacher was helpless. This kid didn't know his limits and was wasting precious resources! Just wait until he gets to a higher institution—he'll regret it then.
The teacher handed Su Yu two more drops of blood essence. Now he had three drops in total, but only 7 merit points left.
...
After wandering around the academy for a while, Su Yu ended up with a blade in his hand. Chen Hao also had one.
Chen Hao felt that Su Yu was acting really strange today. He'd picked up a weapon but wasn't training or practicing combat techniques. What was he thinking?
By now, it was already noon.
Holding the three drops of blood essence, Su Yu pondered. He could probably maintain the boost for about 15 minutes, but last time his arm swelled after just five. If he really sustained it for 15 minutes, his arm might be ruined.
"Fifteen minutes is unlikely anyway. Even if the Myriad Clans Cult attacks, they wouldn't dare prolong the battle for that long. If they drag it out, they won't be able to escape."
"Still... I can't let anyone know I'm using the blood essence. That would be troublesome. Unless absolutely necessary, I shouldn't use it. Even if I can reach Thousand Pound-level combat strength, it won't change much."
The academy wasn't lacking Thousand Pound-level instructors. What really mattered were Ten Thousand Stone-level and Soaring-level experts.
Su Yu looked around. His eyes flickered. There were a lot of unfamiliar faces around the academy. They weren't in armor, but he guessed they were city guards and members of the Wind Arrest Hall.
Looks like Nanyuan was ready—either the academy or the City Lord's Mansion was likely the target.
As Su Yu was thinking, Chen Hao's communicator rang. He quickly answered, said a few words, then hung up. He looked at Su Yu and said, "That was my dad. He told me to be careful today and not leave the academy. The Myriad Clans Cult is here. A lot of people have died outside the city these past two days..."
Chen Hao cursed, "Bastards! If I see one, I'll cut him down!"
"You?"
Su Yu glanced at him but said nothing. Chen Hao flushed with anger and snapped, "Maybe not now, but in the future! I'll finish Opening Origin in my first year, reach Thousand Pound Ninth Layer in three years, Ten Thousand Stones in five, and Soaring in ten…"
"Only geniuses can do that. You... sure?"
"Shut up!"
Chen Hao looked disheartened. It did seem a little hard.
Reaching Soaring in ten years was a genius-level feat.
Still, twenty years should be doable, right?
Before the age of 40 was considered the prime period for cultivation. If someone hadn't reached Soaring by then, their chances were almost zero.
Not entirely impossible—but with a declining body, the odds were slim.
There were far too many who remained stuck at the peak of Ten Thousand Stones for life.
Su Long was almost 50. He might make it from Thousand Pound to Ten Thousand Stones, but from there to Soaring... unlikely.
Su Yu smiled and looked toward the edge of the academy. "Has it started?"
The enemy was stirring up chaos outside the city to draw out the city guards and Dragon Martial Guards. The Nanyuan leaders knew this, but they still had to send people out.
Otherwise, who knew how many would die out there?
"Truly a bunch of despicable beasts!"
Su Yu cursed under his breath and wondered again—what was going on in Great Xia Prefecture? Could they really not spare a few Soaring-levels for reinforcements?
The Myriad Clans Cult was getting bold. Their movements were so blatant, yet even the remaining 2,000 Dragon Martial Guards hadn't come to investigate.
Were they being held back?
If so, then the cult's power was far too great.
...
At the same time—
Great Xia Prefecture.
Fully armored and exuding immense presence, Xia Longwu sat regally on his throne.
Soon, a Dragon Martial Guard rushed in and announced in a booming voice, "Report! Lord Prefect, abnormal activity in twelve cities: Nanyuan, Tianshui, Kaishan, Longmen… The Myriad Clans Cult has appeared!"
"Each city has sent requests for reinforcements. Shall we respond?"
Xia Longwu remained expressionless. Calmly, he said, "Send reinforcements. Teams of fifty to each of the twelve cities. Also send men to the remaining sixteen cities as a precaution."
"As you command!"
The guard quickly retreated.
An elderly scholar below the dais said softly, "Lord Prefect, this may be a diversion. Their real target might still be Great Xia Prefecture."
"I know."
"The Dragon Martial Guard has already deployed over a thousand men. Most of the prefecture's forces are gone too. Great Xia is vulnerable…"
Before the elder could finish, Xia Longwu calmly said, "It's fine. Let them bleed. Let's see how long they can keep this up. If the Dragon Martial Guard stays, they won't dare show themselves."
Then he stood. "Their real target is likely me. They've been drawing away the Dragon Martial Guard and experts from the academies. Now that ninety percent of the strong have left Great Xia Prefecture…"
"Shall we request aid from Great Ming Prefecture?"
"Ridiculous. Disgraceful!"
Xia Longwu snorted, "Great Xia ranks above Great Ming. How could we lower ourselves to ask for help? Besides, we don't need it. Just a bunch of sneaky rats. I want to see which of the gods they've sent. Without divine support, those cultists wouldn't dare this much."
The elder frowned. "You believe the gods have come?"
"They must have! Otherwise, the Myriad Clans Cult alone wouldn't be so bold. It's fine though—we're almost out of divine blood reserves. Let them come. I was even considering a trip to the battlefield. Looks like there's no need."
Xia Longwu remained composed. "You stay and guard the prefecture city. I'll head out and kill a few of the bastards."
"Lord Prefect…"
"No more words!"
His gaze turned sharp. "A few divine clan scum think they can take me down? I've been itching to draw blood with the Dragon Martial Blade. Now's my chance!"
With that, he strode out of the hall, his voice like a drumbeat: "Once the gods are dead, Dragon Martial Guard and the prefectural army will march out. Wipe out every cultist in Great Xia. Take them alive, drag them to the capital, and execute them publicly! By tomorrow, I want to see ten thousand heads fall!"
"By your command!"
A chorus of powerful voices responded.
To lure the gods in and draw out the Myriad Clans Cult, Xia Longwu had let chaos brew for days. He was worried they'd get spooked too early.
Now—it was time to close the net.
Most of Great Xia's elites had been drawn away. Surely they'd take the bait?
Only around a thousand Dragon Martial Guards remained, too few for a full battle formation. That should be tempting enough.
"You want to kill me? I'll oblige. Let's see if you can!"
With a mocking laugh, Xia Longwu shot into the sky, becoming a golden streak of light that vanished beyond the city walls in an instant.
...
"Xia Longwu!"
As that golden light disappeared, outside the capital, a cold voice echoed.
So bold!
They thought he'd wait for reinforcements or hide longer—but he just walked right out. They'd been planning to escalate further, but now the target delivered himself.
"Move out! Encircle Xia Longwu!"
A low shout rang out.
Another voice said coldly, "Encircle? Most of the academic deans have left. Xia Longwu is nothing! I'll take his head myself!"
"Fool! I said encircle! Go all out—no carelessness!"
The leader barked, "Xia Longwu may have half-stepped into that realm. Anyone who wants to die, go ahead. I won't stop you."
"That's impossible! He hasn't cultivated long enough—how could…"
"Which is why he must die! The battlefield doesn't need another invincible human!"
"Fine!"
They quickly reached consensus: Xia Longwu must die.
Several streaks of light in different colors shot out, chasing the golden light into the distance near Great Xia Prefecture.