It took more than ten breaths before the scene erupted in a clamorous uproar and sharp gasps of cold air.

The martial masters of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency were horrified. Some cried out, "Impossible!" while others were so shocked their steel blades fell to the ground with a crisp CLANG.

"Chief Pei... actually lost? This... how is this possible!"

"That guy’s name is Su Yu, right? What realm is he in?! How could he beat the Chief with a single punch?"

"He’s in the Late-stage of the Flesh Refining Realm!"

In the crowd, Jia Si, the second-in-command of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency, had a deathly pale face, his voice trembling uncontrollably. He himself was also at the Late-stage of the Flesh Refining Realm, so he had seen through the details of Su Yu’s attack with a single glance.

Although the Qi and Blood Su Yu had just unleashed was terrifying to the extreme, the three acupoints representing Perfection—Huagai, Juque, and Qihai—were clearly not connected. This meant he was, without a doubt, only in the Late-stage of the Flesh Refining Realm!

But it was precisely because he understood that Jia Si felt his scalp tingle, completely unable to comprehend it!

The ocean-like depths of his Qi and Blood, the blood-colored killing aura that made one’s soul tremble, and the terrifying speed of his punch that struck first despite being launched later, so fast it was impossible to track... None of it made any sense!

The more Jia Si recalled the might of that punch, the more despair he felt. He realized with a sinking heart that if he had been the one facing Su Yu, his opponent likely wouldn’t have even needed to use those terrifying trump cards. The sheer physical strength alone would have been enough to blast him apart with a single punch.

’What kind of monster is he!’

Although Su Yu had a reputation in the Outer City as the number one prodigy, for someone in the Late-stage of the Flesh Refining Realm to crush a veteran master at the Perfection of the Flesh Refining Realm with a single head-on punch...

Such a terrifying feat completely shattered the common sense of Black Stone City’s Martial Arts world!

One could foresee that after today’s battle, Su Yu’s monstrous combat record would once again sweep through all of Black Stone City like a storm!

In contrast to the shock and despair of the Escort Agency members, the Security Guards were swept up in a frenzy of excitement and agitation.

Just moments ago, everyone had been silently cursing Su Yu for being arrogant and overestimating his own abilities. But now, seeing this miraculous scene, they were jolted awake, realizing that they were the blind, irredeemable fools!

"Commander Su is truly a god! To think I was foolish enough to believe he was being arrogant and courting death..."

"Haha, you can say that again! It seems our horizons are still too narrow."

"Sigh, you can’t blame us. We’re just ordinary folks at best. Lord Su is a true, peerless monster! How could ordinary people like us possibly fathom the methods of a monster?"

"Right, right! From now on, when we’re working for Lord Su, we just need to obey his orders and do as he says. If anyone dares to doubt the Lord again, I’ll be the first to slap them!"

Overhearing the fervent whispers of the Security Guards, Feng Ting, who stood not far away, was also dumbfounded, her face a mask of disbelief.

’He won... He actually won!’

’He crossed realms to defeat a veteran master at the Perfection level, and with an absolute, crushing blow from a single punch!’

’Just who in the world is this Su Yu? It seems the rumors of him being "Black Stone City’s number one prodigy" weren’t exaggerated in the slightest—in fact, they were too conservative! The man is simply a monster!’

She recalled how she had previously thought him hopelessly foolish, thinking he was just trying to show off his authority and look good in front of a woman...

Feng Ting’s ears instantly burned hot.

’Judging by his calm and composed demeanor just now, he must have planned for every contingency, holding everything firmly in the palm of his hand!’

’As expected of a peerless monster who fought his way up from the bottom. Not only is his Martial Arts talent astonishing, but his intellect and methods are also far beyond those of ordinary people. To be a colleague to such a person is truly my, Feng Ting’s, honor!’

Thinking of how she had looked down on him and badmouthed him internally, a shameful blush couldn’t help but creep onto Feng Ting’s pretty face.

She secretly swore in her heart that from now on, she could never again use the standards for ordinary people to judge this Commander Su.

"Commander Feng... Commander Feng!"

Hearing Su Yu call her name twice, Feng Ting finally snapped out of it. She quickly suppressed the shock in her heart and trotted over, her tone unconsciously carrying a hint of reverence. "Commander Su, what is it?"

Su Yu lowered his head slightly, leaned close to her ear, and said in a low voice, "There’s something wrong with that rockery. When Pei Zhan crashed into it, he broke the rocks on top, revealing the entrance to a hidden passage below."

Feng Ting was startled and followed Su Yu’s gaze toward the ruins of the rockery.

Pei Zhan was already being supported by several Darts Masters, who had moved him to the side to administer medicine and treat his wounds. And in the spot where he had crashed, after the heavy rubble was cleared away, the deep, dark entrance of a bluestone staircase was revealed!

’There really is something wrong!’

Feng Ting turned to look at Su Yu in astonishment, her heart filled with an admiration so profound it was like prostrating herself before him.

’No wonder Commander Su was so adamant earlier, willing to break the rules to force Pei Zhan to fight. He must have already sensed the earth-shattering secret beneath this rockery with his superior senses!’

’Such perception and calculation, truly a flawless plan!’

"Let’s go, let’s go have a look!"

Su Yu’s expression was calm as he walked forward. Feng Ting immediately put her hand on her saber hilt, following closely behind him and to the side.

Arriving at the ruins, the two of them peered inside. The hidden passage was bottomless, and a faint, sinisterly cold aura that was extremely unsettling emanated from it. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Seeing this, the few trusted Darts Masters guarding the area, as well as the second-in-command Jia Si, all showed a flicker of desperate struggle in their eyes. They subconsciously tightened their grips on their weapons and turned to look at the severely injured, blood-vomiting Pei Zhan at the side.

Pei Zhan coughed violently a few times. He looked at Su Yu, who was preparing to enter the hidden passage, and wanted to raise a hand to stop him. But the image of that blood-red giant fist, like the advent of a demonic god, involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

The tremor that came from the depths of his soul had completely shattered his courage to resist.

He powerlessly lowered his blood-soaked arm, closed his eyes, and let out a long, desolate sigh.

"So be it... My skills were inferior. A total loss..."

Seeing Pei Zhan completely give up on resisting, Su Yu and Feng Ting exchanged a glance.

"Commander Feng, you take the men and guard the surface. Seal all the exits. I’ll go down alone and have a look," Su Yu calmly issued his order.

If this had been half an hour ago, Feng Ting would have certainly argued. But now, she was completely obedient to Su Yu’s commands. Without the slightest hesitation, she cupped her fist and replied, "Rest assured, Commander Su! Leave the surface to me! But you must be careful when you go down!"

...

Su Yu descended the dark, bluestone steps alone, one by one.

The further down he went, the thicker the nauseating smell of blood and the sinisterly cold aura in the air became.

When he finally stepped into the underground chamber, even with his composure, the scene before him made his pupils shrink.

This was not some hidden storehouse for illegal goods at all, but a bizarre and bloody underground altar!

All around the altar were piled the mutilated corpses of various large Exotic Beasts. Blood flowed along grooves on the floor, converging at the center of the altar.

And in the middle of that pool of blood stood a bizarre Divine Statue carved from an unknown, jet-black meteorite.

The Divine Statue had no facial features; its overall shape was a mass of thick, intertwined tentacles that seemed to be writhing madly. In the gaps between the tentacles, dozens of pale, half-open, half-closed eyeballs were densely carved.

Just by looking at it for a moment, Su Yu felt a sudden wave of dizziness. If not for having achieved Breaking Limit through Reading and consuming a spiritual fruit that enhanced his divine sense, he probably wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.

And at the base of the Divine Statue, a very large black stone, covered in honeycomb-like holes, was enshrined as an offering.

Su Yu recognized the black stone at a glance. It was the same kind that had dropped from that strange creature, and it was currently emitting a dense, sinisterly cold aura that filled the entire underground chamber!