Chapter 900
Su Mu's Rules
Yan Liu was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "What good would it do to know?"
Even if what you're saying is true, you can't escape.
"Even if I die, I want to die knowing the truth."
Su Mu smiled calmly.
“You are definitely different from everyone else I’ve met.”
"I'm starting to believe you're at the Primordial Realm now."
Yan Liu said slowly, "However, even if you are at the Primordial Realm, the probability of you escaping from here is almost zero."
Because those who seized us were celestial beings from heaven.
"So it really was them?"
Su Mu said calmly, "Are these Celestials very strong?"
"Very strong, so strong that I can't fathom it."
Yan Liu said, "I couldn't even withstand a single move from them."
Zhou Heng remained calm; he was capable of defeating Yan Liu in one move.
Judging the strength of the Celestials based solely on this point is certainly inaccurate.
"What is their purpose in arresting us? It can't just be to torture us, can it?"
Su Mu pondered for a moment, then continued to ask.
If it really was these celestial beings who spread the secrets of the heavenly realm, using the legend of immortality to lure people to the heavenly realm, and then captured them.
It's impossible that they went to such great lengths just for fun.
"They arrested us to use us as expendable resources."
Yan Liu's face showed humiliation, and he said in a deep voice, "They extracted our source."
We are the beasts they keep, and every now and then they will extract a portion of our essence.
If we want to survive, we must cultivate ourselves desperately.
But no matter how hard we try to cultivate, our very essence will eventually be completely drained by them.
"Then we will be utterly destroyed."
Yan Liu used the word "origin" instead of "cultivation level".
As a Primordial Realm expert, Su Mu naturally knew what those two words meant.
When a martial artist reaches the Primordial Realm, a small universe will emerge within their body.
This microcosm is the source of power for experts in the Primordial Realm.
The birth of a microcosm generates primordial power.
This is the most fundamental thing in a microcosm, and also the most fundamental thing for a martial artist.
Everything in the world originates from this origin.
If a martial artist's life force is exhausted, then the martial artist will die completely, his body and soul extinguished.
Similarly, if the source is sufficient, the microcosm within a martial artist's body can evolve rapidly; in other words, the martial artist's cultivation level will improve rapidly.
"The Celestials captured us to extract our essence?"
Su Mu said thoughtfully.
The original source is naturally a good thing.
But devouring the essence of others is far too evil.
Su Mu originally thought that since Huang Tiandao and his people were expelled from the Heavenly Realm, the Heavenly Beings in the Heavenly Realm must be a group of good people.
Now it seems that this may not be the case at all.
These celestial beings from the heavens seem to be even more ferocious and evil than those from the Yellow Heaven Path.
Just who are these celestial beings?
What are they trying to do by extracting our essence?
Su Mu pondered for a moment and said, "A Primordial Realm expert should look down on the meager origin of a Primordial Beginning Realm expert."
If the origin of a Primordial Realm expert is a lake, then the origin of a Primordial Beginning Realm expert is the sea.
A vast ocean remains unchanged even with the addition of a lake.
If a Primordial Realm expert wanted to improve their cultivation by devouring the essence of others, they would probably have to become a murderous demon.
The essence of one or two Primordial Realm experts wouldn't even be enough to fill their teeth.
"I'm just a prisoner. Do you think I have the right to know the secrets of the celestial beings?"
Yan Liu said expressionlessly.
"Okay, let's change the question. How often do they extract the essence?"
Su Mu asked.
Every day.
Yan Liudao said, "There are more than 300 people here. One person per day, it will take about 300 days to complete the rotation."
Of course, if someone dies in the middle, the time for one round will be shortened.
Yan Liu spoke calmly, as if he were stating something completely ordinary.
One can imagine how much suffering he endured here.
Its essence is extracted every three hundred days or so.
Then, after cultivating and recovering, just as a portion of it was restored, it was immediately extracted again.
Year after year, day after day, you painstakingly cultivate your inner essence, only to have it taken away in the blink of an eye.
This is like pushing a rock uphill from the bottom of a mountain. After finally pushing it to the top, the rock rolls back downhill.
Doing the same useless work repeatedly would probably drive an ordinary person crazy in no time.
The fact that Yan Liuneng could persist for over a thousand years is enough to prove how strong his willpower was.
However, Su Mu could also see that Yan Liu was nearing his limit.
If I hadn't arrived suddenly and talked to him so much...
I'm afraid Yan Liu is about to go crazy.
For Yan Liu, saying so much was also a way to vent his frustrations.
After venting his emotions, Yan Liu's eyes became noticeably more alert.
"More than three hundred people..."
Su Mu pondered for a moment, calculating in his mind.
So, the amount of essence that the Celestials extract in a year is not small.
These celestial beings are quite something. Just to plunder some origin, they actually set up such a huge scheme, and they even managed to attract more than three hundred Primordial Realm experts.
It should be noted that those who can cross the Heavenly Road to reach the Heavenly Realm are all the best among those in the Primordial Realm.
These geniuses from outside are kept here, working tirelessly like dairy cows to provide the celestial beings with their source.
Su Mu could understand why the Celestials went to such great lengths.
The Heavenly Road itself is a selection process.
The Heavenly Road will help us select the true geniuses.
A genius's cultivation speed is certainly far superior to that of an ordinary martial artist. As a result, they will provide more and better quality source energy.
"The person who was previously locked in the same cage as me is dead."
Yan Liu said, "He could not bear the humiliation, so he gave up cultivation. After his essence was extracted several times, he died and his cultivation vanished."
Actually, death is a good thing; it's better than living and suffering humiliation.
"You're new here. According to the usual rules, your source energy will be extracted tomorrow."
He glanced at Su Mu with some sympathy.
Even with extraordinary abilities, those who fall here will only become waste material for the celestial beings.
Over the years, countless people have tried to rebel, but Yan Liu has never seen anyone succeed in rebelling, much less escape from here.
After all these years, he had long since given up hope.
He only took Su Mu's previous words as a joke.
He didn't even believe that Su Mu was a Primordial Realm expert.
If it were truly a Primordial Realm expert, even if they couldn't defeat a Celestial Being, they should still be able to escape.
"They're going to extract my essence tomorrow?"
Su Mu narrowed his eyes, a half-smile playing on his lips.
That's interesting.
He wanted to see how this so-called celestial being would extract his essence.
"Brother Yan, let's hold on for a little longer. Perhaps things will change soon."
Su Mu said with a smile.
He sat down cross-legged, his gaze fixed on the system panel.
He was seriously injured this time, and it will take him at least several years to recover on his own.
However, he has a system panel.
As long as he has enough points, he can recover as quickly as possible.
Coincidentally, he had just accumulated a lot of points.
He earned a considerable amount of points when he upgraded the Great Xuan to a Heavenly Rank warship.
Now, these points are coming in handy.
Seeing Su Mu sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, Yan Liu initially didn't think much of it.
Everyone who has just been locked up is unwilling to give up.
But it won't be long before they accept reality and give up the struggle.
He was like that back then.
But soon, his expression changed.
As a powerful expert in the Primordial Realm, he could naturally tell that Su Mu was injured.
He also knew that at their level of cultivation, one either wouldn't get injured at all, or if one did, it would be a serious injury, and recovery wouldn't be easy.
In his opinion, even if Su Mu was not at the Primordial Realm, his cultivation level would not be much worse than his.
With such a severe injury, it will take decades to fully recover.
But now.
Right in front of him.
He watched helplessly as Su Mu's aura grew stronger and stronger.
Su Mu's injuries were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In the blink of an eye, there was no trace of injury on his body.
Moreover, the aura emanating from Su Mu gave him an incredibly terrifying feeling.
A storm raged within him.
Could it be that this ridiculously young guy in front of him wasn't lying to him?
Could this person really be a Primordial Realm expert?
Could it really be possible for him to lead me out of this hell?
Yan Liu's heart, which had been dead for many years, suddenly started pounding again.
A flame of hope rekindled in his heart. This young man named Su Mu had stood out from the others ever since he appeared here.
Perhaps, this Su Mu really can bring about some changes.
Didn't Su Mu tell him to hold on for a while?
He would then persevere for a while longer.
He's already endured a thousand years, so he doesn't mind waiting a few more.
Time has almost lost its meaning for prisoners in cages.
The only meaning might be to calculate when one will be captured and have their essence extracted.
The day flies by.
A large hand descended from the sky and grabbed Su Mu from the cage.
The prisoners merely raised their eyelids slightly, and then remained unresponsive.
This kind of thing happens every day; it's either you, it's him, it's me.
All the prisoners had become accustomed to it.
Only Yan Liu stared intently at the sky this time.
He saw it clearly just now.
When that large hand fell, Su Mu's body reacted instinctively, the kind of subconscious reaction a master would have.
Just when he thought Su Mu was about to rebel, Su Mu forcibly suppressed that impulse.
Su Mu deliberately let that giant hand grab him!
This is what Yan Liu observed.
He had only ever seen people struggle before, but he had never seen anyone willingly be taken away by the Celestials.
In particular, he had already told Su Mu yesterday that the Celestials had captured them to extract their essence.
The origin is nothing short of life to them.
To have one's essence extracted is to have one's life taken away.
If Su Mu truly had the ability to resist, why would he willingly allow himself to be captured?
Could it be that—
Yan Liu's mind raced, and an unbelievable idea surfaced.
…………
Just as Yan Liu was letting his imagination run wild.
Su Mu has already appeared in another location.
He looked around with great interest, not at all like someone who would be at someone's mercy.
Even the celestial being who was preparing to extract his essence couldn't help but show a hint of curiosity when he saw his calm and composed demeanor.
He had seen many martial artists before.
No matter how talented or powerful those martial artists were outside, they were all terrified and turned pale with fear when they arrived here.
People as calm and composed as Su Mu, as if he were back home, are not uncommon, but extremely rare.
Such people are either completely clueless or have absolute confidence in their own abilities.
The former goes without saying.
The latter are basically the best among their peers.
Such people are of very high quality and are also quite numerous.
Thinking to himself, the celestial being from that realm licked his lips, a greedy glint in his eyes.
Su Mu's gaze swept across the entire hall, finally landing on the celestial being from the Heavenly Realm.
An ordinary-looking middle-aged man can be seen in many places.
They belong to the type of person who has been in a position for too long, and their whole being becomes dull and lifeless, showing no signs of being alive.
However, this celestial being's cultivation level was indeed extraordinary.
Even Su Mu felt a sense of unfathomable depth when he looked at him.
This person does indeed possess the cultivation level of the Primordial Realm.
"I thought the celestial beings in the heavens would be otherworldly immortals, but it seems you're no different from anyone else, just one head and two hands."
Su Mu took the initiative and spoke first.
"How can mortals with their naked eyes comprehend the mysteries of the celestial beings?"
The middle-aged man said calmly, "You're quite capable to be hunted down by Huang Tiandao and his men."
However, if you hadn't escaped into the Heavenly Realm, you would probably be dead at their hands by now.
"My celestial realm saved you, so it's only right that you contribute some of your strength to the celestial realm."
The other party clearly knew about everything that happened outside the Heavenly Realm.
However, judging from the disdain in the other party's tone towards Huang Tiandao, Su Mu was also curious about where the other party's confidence came from.
Huang Tiandao, who was chasing him, could at least kill the celestial being in front of him, if not overturn the entire Heavenly Realm.
If you're not as strong as them, why should you look down on them?
Perhaps it's because the power he has backing is strong enough.
"Since you saw me fight Huang Tiandao, you should know my strength."
Su Mu said calmly, "Does this seem like the proper way to treat guests?"
"strength?"
The middle-aged celestial being sneered, "You think you are powerful, but you are nothing more than a frog in a well, looking at the sky from the bottom of a well."
In this celestial realm, people stronger than you are everywhere.
Now that you've entered the Heavenly Realm, you must abide by its rules.
If you do not follow the rules of the heavens, someone will come and teach you how to follow them.
Don't say I didn't warn you; if it really comes to the point where you need someone to teach you manners, I guarantee you'll regret being born.
"I have no idea what the rules are in the Heavenly Realm."
Su Mu smiled faintly and said.
"The rule of the heavenly realm is that since you breathe the air of the heavenly realm, you must contribute your value. Otherwise, your existence will be meaningless and you should be eliminated."
The celestial being from that heaven said, "Alright, now, behave yourself properly, and I will take something from you as your reward to the heavens."
"I see."
Su Mu said, "I understand the rules of the Heavenly Realm."
Would you like to hear my rules?
"Your rules?"
The celestial being from that realm frowned slightly.
"My rule is that the strong rule."
Su Mu said casually, a hint of mockery on his face.
"It seems you think you're the stronger one."
The celestial being from that heaven laughed heartily, "Unfortunately, you're still a frog in a well, only seeing the sky from the bottom of the well!"
Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and reached out to grab Su Mu.
A giant hand formed from condensed clouds appeared in the air, reaching out to grab Su Mu as if scooping up a fish.
Su Mu stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed.
Just as that large hand was about to land on him.
His figure suddenly disappeared.
The next moment, he suddenly appeared in front of the celestial being from the heavenly realm.
The celestial being from the Heavenly Realm was not at all surprised by Su Mu's counterattack.
He encounters things like this almost every day.
These mortals always harbor unrealistic fantasies.
They always thought they could turn the tide against all odds.
But how many comebacks are there in the world?
If turning one's life around were that easy, there wouldn't be any legends of such feats.
It is precisely because such a thing is rare that people are so happy to see such a comeback.
But the reality is that comebacks are always rare.
In this celestial realm, it is impossible for mortals to overthrow celestial beings.
The celestial being from that realm wore a look of contempt and disdain as he pressed down with his hand.
He didn't even get up.
In his eyes, a mere mortal was not worth his time to deal with.
boom!
No sooner said than done.
Su Mu's punch collided instantly with the palm of the celestial being from the Heavenly Realm.
A muffled thud.
The celestial being, who was sitting cross-legged in the heavens, was directly blown away by the violent force.
The disdain and contempt on his face froze instantly, replaced by surprise and disbelief.
While his body was still flying in the air, Su Mu had already caught up with him like a shadow, his fists falling like a storm.
The celestial beings of that realm were caught off guard and only had time to protect their faces.
Bang bang bang!
The muffled sound echoed in the air.
The celestial being's body was forcefully slammed back onto the ground.
A snap.
The ground, made of some unknown material, was instantly riddled with spiderweb-like cracks from the impact.
The celestial being from that heaven was embedded in the floor tiles, his face still showing shock and disbelief.
Su Mu placed one foot on his chest, the powerful force pressing down on the celestial being so that he could not get up.
"Even celestial beings are nothing more than this."
Su Mu said calmly.
"you--"
The celestial being from that realm was so angry that his eyes went black and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"You are no ordinary person, you are a member of the Yellow Heaven Path!"
He gritted his teeth and said, "You guys actually staged a self-inflicted injury ruse, and I fell for it!"
Su Mu chuckled to himself.
Are all these celestial beings like this?
After Xia Zhizun of Huang Tiandao was defeated by him, his first reaction was that Su Mu was a secret weapon cultivated by the Heavenly Realm.
Now that the Celestial Beings of the Heavenly Realm have been defeated, their first reaction is that Su Mu comes from the Yellow Heavenly Path.
Are you two the only two families in the world capable of cultivating such powerful individuals?
Is it either the Celestial Realm or the Yellow Heaven Path?
You guys think way too highly of yourselves. (End of Chapter)