Nanyuan City
Far away in the Great Xia Prefecture, no one was aware of what was happening.
Outside the academy, atop a tall building—
The woman did not appear. Instead, a middle-aged man stood with an elderly man whose hair had turned white. Together, they looked out over the Nanyuan Intermediate Academy.
"Hall Master Chen, I didn't expect you to come in person this time…"
The middle-aged man smiled ingratiatingly, clearly trying to flatter him.
"Mm."
The elder gave a curt response. He frowned slightly as he looked down at the scene below. After a while, he finally said, "Wuhen, do you think this might be a trap?"
"A trap?"
The man paused for a moment and then replied slowly, "Hard to say. But as far as I know, Nanyuan currently only has two Soaring Realm experts. Among the city guards, the Thousand-Man Commander hasn't broken through to Soaring Realm—I can confirm that."
"Is that so?"
The elder didn't comment further, but his brow remained tightly furrowed.
This mission was giving him an uneasy feeling.
First, the operation was far too conspicuous.
Second, Nanyuan had clearly prepared for something. Under normal circumstances, a mission like this would have been canceled.
But this time, it wasn't.
The higher-ups' instructions were clear: proceed.
As for reinforcements from the Great Xia Prefecture, they had given a definite answer—none would be coming. They were certain of it.
The third concern: they didn't know the Great Xia Prefecture very well.
The Myriad Clans Cult's previous activities had not focused on this region. Although they had some presence here, their understanding was shallow. To launch a mission like this without adequate intelligence was a risky move.
Given the nature of the people above, deploying Soaring Realm cultivators—possibly multiple ones—would have involved much more thorough planning.
"Wuhen, you've been in Nanyuan for years. Are there any Ten-Thousand-Stone Realm fighters here capable of defeating enemies above their level?"
"None that I know of."
The middle-aged man replied, "If there were any, they'd have been sent to the All-Heavens Battlefield or the Great Xia Prefecture. No one strong would remain in Nanyuan. Among Thousand-Pound Realm cultivators, there was that Su Long from the Demon Suppression Army. He could fight Ten-Thousand-Stone enemies, but even that was just barely."
"Su Long?"
"An old soldier from the Demon Suppression Army. He's already been deployed to the All-Heavens Battlefield."
"Oh, the Demon Suppression Army… That's the unit Xia Longwu commanded back in the day. In recent years, they've made a name for themselves, rising from a second-tier to a first-tier corps, with many formidable warriors."
The elder seemed familiar with the frontlines. After some thought, he asked, "Are there many retired frontline soldiers in the city?"
"Not too many, and most of them are old. Only a few are still in their prime—not more than 300, scattered around Nanyuan."
"These people can't be ignored!" the elder said gravely. "Anyone who survived the All-Heavens Battlefield is a veteran who's licked blood off a blade. Tell our people to be cautious."
"Understood!"
The elder glanced at the sky, falling silent again.
A while later, a burst of firelight flared outside the city. Inside, a hundred-man unit of city guards quickly rushed toward the outskirts.
The middle-aged man grinned, "Another unit dispatched. There are fewer than 500 city guards left!"
The elder still frowned. "Be careful."
Despite knowing it was likely a diversion tactic, Nanyuan still continued to send out troops to hunt down cultists. Was it overconfidence—or were they truly left with no better option?
"There are fewer than half the guards left in the city. More than 300 are defending the City Lord's mansion. The rest are mainly gathered around the Nanyuan Academy. The streets are full of Wind-Arrest Hall agents…"
The elder scanned the area. After some estimation, he concluded: around 200 city guards near the academy, fewer than 100 Wind-Arrest Hall agents, 260 academy instructors and security personnel, plus the Dragon Martial Guard still stationed here—less than 600 Thousand-Pound cultivators or higher in total.
As for the students, they were completely disregarded.
There was no way any of them had reached the Thousand-Pound Realm.
Only two Soaring Realm cultivators were present. One was on-site, while the City Lord, Wu Wenhai, remained at the City Lord's mansion. He could arrive quickly if needed, so the elder counted him in.
"Are our people in position?"
"Yes!"
The middle-aged man quickly responded, "The Hall Master has gone to coordinate. All elites—30 in the Ten-Thousand-Stone Realm, and 300 in the high stages of the Thousand-Pound Realm. The lower-ranked ones are causing chaos outside the city."
Thirty Ten-Thousand-Stone experts, and 300 high-tier Thousand-Pound experts.
The elder calculated: the cult was attacking six cities simultaneously. Other locations had even more personnel.
This meant over 2,000 elite Thousand-Pound cultivators, and over 200 in the Ten-Thousand-Stone Realm were mobilized. Possibly over 20 Soaring Realm experts.
Such a force was enough to form an entire elite army division.
"It's an all-out effort… The Tianyi Divine Cult has thrown in everything they've got!"
The elder felt an unsettling chill.
Among the various sects within the Myriad Clans Cult, the Tianyi Divine Cult was a powerful one, aligned with one of the god clans.
But even for them, committing this much power at once—and also investing in blocking reinforcements from the Great Xia Prefecture—meant they were risking everything.
Those wreaking havoc on the outskirts were cannon fodder.
But this time, the cult had deployed its true elites. That made all the difference.
"The merit points for this mission are high, but to mobilize this many people just to massacre some students… Is it really worth it? What are the higher-ups thinking?"
The elder frowned, sensing the risk far outweighed the gains.
Unfortunately, he wasn't in a position to know what was going on at that level.
"Forget it. We can only hope everything goes smoothly. Once it's done, we retreat immediately and go into hiding."
Gathering over 300 cultists in a small city like Nanyuan took time and care. This wasn't the Great Xia Prefecture—here, hundreds of strangers gathering would be noticed.
"Action begins in half an hour. Spread the word: the mission must be completed within three minutes. In five minutes, everyone must be gone. After leaving the city, split up and escape. Understood?"
"Yes!"
The man quickly responded and left to deliver the message.
Once he was gone, the elder gazed once more at the academy and murmured, "The Great Xia Prefecture… are you really unable to spare even a few Soaring Realm experts?"
—
"Ah Yu!"
At this moment, Chen Hao and Su Yu were crouched near the entrance to the cafeteria, glancing around nervously.
"Why are we hiding here? A moment ago, the instructors were calling everyone to gather for a meeting. Shouldn't we go?" Chen Hao asked in a low voice.
"No."
Su Yu held a blade in his hand and spoke quietly. "It's safer where there are fewer people. Large gatherings… could be dangerous."
"Huh?"
Chen Hao looked confused.
Su Yu continued in a low voice, "Stop talking. Something might happen today. The Myriad Clans Cult may attack. We're staying right here. Fewer people, less chance of getting noticed."
"What? The cult is coming? Then we should go meet up with the instructors! We're just Kaiyuan-tier. We're not even Thousand-Pound yet…"
Chen Hao was getting anxious.
He wasn't terrified, but definitely worried.
The academy had run drills for scenarios like this. If the cult showed up, protocol was to gather with instructors for protection.
"There aren't enough instructors. Most of them will be fighting. Only a few can stay back to guard the students. A class may have three to five instructors watching over dozens of students. If things really go south, they can't protect everyone…"
Su Yu whispered, "If they have two fewer people to protect, they'll be under less pressure."
"But… what if something happens to us…"
"Then trust me."
Su Yu looked Chen Hao in the eye. "Do you trust me?"
"I do."
"If we really run into someone, start cursing them. Scream and insult them. Make them come after you first. We split up—you go left, I go right. If they attack you, they won't guard against me."
Chen Hao stared in disbelief. You're vicious!
You really plan to let me die first! That's cold!
"I'll kill them."
"…"
Chen Hao's face collapsed. Kill? You're just Kaiyuan Tier 3. You can't even break through someone's defense, and you think you can kill them? You're nuts!
"Just trust me! We'll be more of a burden if we go back. We're too weak. We'll just be targets…"
"But the other students will be targets too. Shouldn't we warn them?"
"Idiot. How are we going to hide if we bring everyone? If they start running around, they'll really die. But we still have a chance."
Su Yu wasn't particularly scared. His father had told him plenty about killing members of the Myriad Clans. The academy's ultimate goal was to train them to fight back.
Still, he was a little nervous—this was the first time he'd face real enemies. He was afraid he might freeze up in fear.
What if Chen Hao really did distract the enemy—and Su Yu froze?
And what if they ran into two enemies?
Or three?
"It's fine. The strong will deal with the strong. Only the weak would bother searching for scattered academy students. These students are too weak—no Thousand Pound Realm among them. There's no need to search in groups."
"If one person can handle it, there's no reason to send three or five."
"The academy is large. If they really wanted to form search parties, they'd need thousands. I don't believe they could sneak in that many people. If they did, Nanyuan would be utterly foolish."
"Besides, if there really were that many, even sticking close to the teachers would be a death trap. That kind of situation probably won't happen."
Su Yu analyzed the situation while dragging Chen Hao into the cafeteria. They found a corner, and Su Yu whispered, "You hide here. Curl up and act terrified. If only one enemy shows up, make a bit of noise to distract them. If it's two or more—run! Run like your life depends on it!"
"There's a side door here. You can escape through it," he added.
Chen Hao quickly nodded. "What about you?"
Su Yu pointed to a nearby corner. "I'll hide there. Don't look this way, or you'll get me killed. Understand?"
"I got it!"
Chen Hao nodded rapidly, though his face was still twisted with worry. "Ah Yu, maybe… maybe we should go find my dad?"
"Don't be stupid! Going out alone now is asking for death!"
Su Yu cursed softly. "I don't know the exact arrangements, but your dad probably has his own mission. Don't think about useless stuff. Pray I don't freeze up later—otherwise, you're screwed!"
"Ah Yu, are you… going to kill someone?"
Chen Hao looked miserable. "You're not up to that. How about I sneak up on them instead?"
"You?"
Su Yu didn't bother replying. He took a deep breath. "You can barely break through someone's defense. Just leave it to me! Besides, according to the rules, if we actually kill someone from the Myriad Races Cult and can prove it, you might have a real shot at getting into the War Academy!"
At those words, Chen Hao's eyes lit up!
He had just been scared stiff—but he forgot. That's right, the academy had rules: if a student kills a cult member and proves it, they get bonus points.
Of course, that rule hasn't been used in years. Most students are just Kaiyuan—how are they supposed to kill cultists?
Even poisoning them would be tough.
Then again, some geniuses had pulled it off before. But would a genius care about bonus points?
"Ah Yu… are you doing this for me…?"
Chen Hao was touched!
Ah Yu was willing to risk his life just to help him get into the War Academy. He was so moved, he nearly cried.
Su Yu rolled his eyes. What are you thinking?
He just figured it was safer for them to hide here than to be out in the open with the crowd. If they did manage to kill an enemy, they could talk about credit afterward.
He might not even dare claim he did it himself—how would a Kaiyuan stage kill a cultist?
"Still, if the opportunity arises and I really do kill one… maybe I can stage the scene so Haozi gets the credit. That might get him into the War Academy."
A Kaiyuan killing a Thousand Pound Realm is nearly impossible. Nearly—but not completely.
Thousand Pound fighters aren't invincible. If they get careless and someone cuts their throat, they still die.
Why would a Thousand Pound Realm cultist be that stupid…? Ask the dead. Su Yu had no idea.
"Best if I don't use the Rending Skill. Just slice him with a blade!"
Su Yu gripped his knife tightly. If both hands were filled with power, maybe he could kill the guy in one strike—assuming the guy didn't run.
Would a Thousand Pound fighter run from a Kaiyuan sneak attack?
Eighty or ninety percent chance he wouldn't!
Just then, a shout rang out outside:
"All students gather! If you can't, hide immediately!"
"Enemy attack! The Myriad Races Cult is here!"
"Don't panic! Follow the instructors' orders! Form lock-circle formations to defend!"
"Shut all doors! All instructors—engage the enemy!"
"Guard squads—assemble!"
"City Guard, Wind-Seeking Division—charge!"
"Kill!"
Roars and commands filled the air. In an instant, the entire Nanyuan Academy sprang into action.
At that moment, Su Yu wasn't afraid. He felt tense, even a bit excited—but not afraid. He trusted the teachers to win. He felt an urge rising in him, a desire to go see for himself how they fought the enemy.
When his father was home, he often talked about glorious days—troops of ten thousand, even a hundred thousand, charging into battle, leaving corpses everywhere, rivers of blood, and terrifying all races!
On the battlefield of the heavens, when the human race's blade is drawn—nothing can stand in its way!
"I really want… to see it with my own eyes!"
Su Yu was itching to rush out. Chen Hao was even more eager. He clutched his knife, clearly wanting to charge outside, but quickly restrained himself. He was afraid of getting Su Yu killed.
"Kill!"
Swords clashed, and the sound of steel filled the campus.
Aside from "Kill," there were no other words. In war, there's no need for anything else—only commands.
…
Outside the teaching building of Nanyuan Academy.
Hundreds on both sides clashed immediately, no words exchanged—just slaughter.
A ten-man squad from the Longwu Guard, led by Section Leader Xia Bing, instantly surrounded an old man at the fourth tier of the Soaring Realm.
Xia Bing, at the second tier of Soaring, wore golden armor and wielded a long blade. Without hesitation, he roared, "Form up! Kill!"
The ten fighters closed in on the old man. Ten blades slashed through the air. Battle erupted!
Meanwhile, City Lord Wu Wenhai leaped from the building roof, his long blade in hand, rushing toward a female enemy in the blink of an eye.
"Wu Wenhai, you came to die yourself!"
The woman shouted. Wu Wenhai was really here—fortunately, they had anticipated this.
A man known as Wuhen watched as the two Soaring Realm fighters were pinned down, even the Longwu Guards held up. He rejoiced and charged straight for Liu Wenyuan in the distance.
"Your opponent is me!"
"And me!"
Two men leapt into action—one with a sword, the other with a blade.
"Zhang Yun, Zeng Hua!"
Wuhen shouted their names with a cold snort. He knew them—commanders of the City Guard and Wind-Seeking Division, both Ninth Tier Ten-Thousand Stone Realm.
But even the Ninth Tier wasn't enough to face someone in the Soaring Realm!
"Kill!"
The two didn't waste words. With the cult scum, there was nothing to talk about. Just kill!
Clang!
Weapons clashed, and Wuhen instantly leapt into the air, dodging the two men, heading straight for Liu Wenyuan. There were still a number of Thousand Pound Realm instructors around him.
The target today wasn't to kill the City Lord or other top officials.
It was the academy's geniuses—people like Liu Wenyuan, the flame of civilization.
They were the real prize!
In front of Liu Wenyuan, a few Thousand Pound instructors drew their blades to block. Two Ninth Tier Ten-Thousand Stone experts reacted swiftly and leapt after Wuhen. Zhang Yun shot forward and slashed at the soaring cultist.
"You'll have to step over our corpses first!"
With a roar, the two once again flanked Wuhen.
"Courting death!"
Though only Second Tier Soaring, Wuhen couldn't stay airborne long. He dropped back down, clashing with the two in close combat.
Hovering in mid-air would just make him an easy target.
…
"Instructor Liu, you need to leave first—"
A few Thousand Pound protectors tried to pull Liu Wenyuan away. But he didn't budge. He looked around at the fighting, then cursed:
"They sure think highly of Nanyuan. Damn those bastards at Great Xia Prefecture—they knew there were a lot of Soaring experts but sent no reinforcements here!"
Some didn't understand, but there was no time for questions.
Liu Wenyuan kept cursing, "They really trust me to succeed? What if I fail? Gambling with lives! If I find out who gave that order, I'll kill them!"
Some at Great Xia believed he would manifest his willpower today. But what if he didn't?
Muttering and cursing, Liu Wenyuan no longer looked like a refined scholar.
"I'm the worst, how could I definitely succeed? They trust me too much. I'm a failure—you all know that. Otherwise, how would I have been fired…"
He mumbled, clearly upset.
"If I weren't such trash, would I still be trying to manifest at this age? I want to succeed—but it's so hard."
"You're too ruthless, forcing me with the academy's lives…"
"I knew it. No humanity. If I really succeed in manifesting… the first thing I'll do is get revenge…"
As he muttered, golden light shone from his body. He trembled. His feet lifted off the ground.
Those around him looked shocked. From a distance, the academy principal, locked in battle, smiled.
"You old bastard… you really needed to be pushed. Starting today… one more Soaring expert!"
"Ten-Thousand Stone Realm—stop chasing! Come now!"
Wuhen shouted loudly. He saw what was happening. His face changed.
"Quickly! Kill those two fools!"
Several Ten-Thousand Stone experts flew in.
Wuhen also broke free and charged toward Liu Wenyuan.
He couldn't let that old man manifest his will and step into the Soaring Realm. If he succeeded, then even if they killed some students, the mission would be a huge failure.