Even though Su Chen viewed Menelaus as a stepping stone, Menelaus himself had already run out of skills to use.

Actually, right now, he was incapable of using even the most basic of techniques.

Because he was about to die.

The price that he and the other two elders had paid to merge together was death.

Permanent, eternal death.

Menelaus’s gaze was strangely calm, a fiery glow reflecting off his face.

He gazed at Su Chen as he said evenly, “So this day ended up coming eventually anyways. Perhaps we should not have existed in the first place. The way we lived was not in accordance with the natural rules of this world, so we were doomed from the beginning. I never would have expected that this would happen on my watch, though. I feel as if I have mistreated the Astrals.”

As he spoke, Menelaus reached out and took the crown off his head, placing it on the ground.

He said, “You may view the Astrals as your enemies, Su Chen, but the Dark Astrals are innocent.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already promised an old Astral friend of mine to keep them safe,” Su Chen said.

Upon hearing this, Menelaus let out a sigh.

His body seemed like it was made out of air in the first place, and as he sighed, his body began to glow and countless motes of starlight floated out before disappearing.

The motes of light grew increasingly dense as his body began to fade into the night.

Countless Astrals below, when they saw this, also began to chant as they rose into the air.

The Ravagers below attempted to hurl the spears in their hands at the floating Astrals, but Danba stopped them.

They watched as the Astrals floated higher and higher until they reached the ceiling.

Their bodies simultaneously began to glow with light, as if each of them was a miniature sun, before exploding, scattering a brilliant, multicolored light in all directions.

Consciousness energy rippled over everyone present in wave after wave as the Astrals returned to nothingness.

The sight was truly astounding, and all the soldiers present gazed at the sky in awe. The smoke landed on Su Chen’s shoulder and forehead.

In that moment, he suddenly couldn’t help but wonder if his actions had been a little too ruthless.

Wiping out an entire race just like that?

He couldn’t help but sigh.

Even so, there was not much else he could do.

As a leader of the human race, it was acceptable to feel this way, but there was no room for personal feelings when it came to his country and his own race. As an individual, he could afford to show the Astrals mercy, but for the sake of the entire human race and their safety, he needed to harden his heart.

Dazzling droplets of light rained down from the sky for some time before disappearing.

Finally, not a single Astral remained.

All that remained in Gloom City were the subservient races and the Dark Astrals.

They sat there in stunned silence, clearly in shock at the genocide that had just taken place.

Li Chongshan gave the command. “Enter the city! Capture all that can be captured and loot all that can be looted!”

Now that the battle was over, it was time for the victors to enjoy their spoils.

The Astrals’ treasures, which had been kept for tens of thousands of years, were exceptionally precious.

As soon as Li Chongshan gave the command, the Boundless Sect’s disciples immediately swarmed inside.

The Ravagers did the same.

These two races, which had been allied just moments ago, suddenly became each others’ greatest competitor in but an instant.

Thankfully, neither Su Chen nor Danba had any intentions of turning hostile at that moment. Even though small skirmishes were unavoidable, the two of them did a good job controlling the general situation.

Gloom City was the capital of the Astrals, and there were quite a few treasures there.

But Su Chen, as the leader of the Boundless Sect, had no need to scour the place himself. Anything his disciples found, they would present to him first.

The same went for Danba.

As such, while their subordinates were celebrating joyously, Su Chen and Danba were quite calm.

Danba flew over to Su Chen and gazed down at the busy scene below them as he said, “A race that has existed for twenty thousand years - gone, just like that. I cannot help but sigh.”

Su Chen replied, “I don’t care whether you sigh or not. You don’t have any issue with me taking the consciousness conversion instrument, right? In any case, this thing is only useful on the Dark Astrals.”

Danba chuckled. “Do you think I didn’t see what happened earlier? The seventh level of the Flying Immortal Cultivation Techniques probably rests on this consciousness conversion instrument, right?”

Su Chen replied, “It’s just a diversion. That is not the real Flying Immortal Cultivation Techniques.”

“But at the very least it has given you yet another way to substitute for the power of a bloodline.”

“The same went for my ascension into the Thought Manifestation Realm,” Su Chen replied calmly.

He had also relied on external power to reach the Light Shaking and Thought Manifestation Realms.

But just as Danba had said, this was a possible path even if it relied on external help. At the very least, it would allow people to further separate themselves from bloodlines.

And this external power would not be impossible to substitute.

Reaching the Light Shaking Realm required an Origin Formation, and reaching the Thought Manifestation Realm required medicine, but both could be produced, and the consciousness conversion instrument could be used repeatedly. In some sense, Su Chen had finally completed his Flying Immortal Cultivation Techniques.

This was due both in part to his own efforts and fortunate occurrences, but he had succeeded regardless. And his success would ensure that humans would no longer be so reliant on their bloodlines, causing their strength to advance in leaps and bounds.

The Boundless Sect’s slaughter of the Astrals was a perfect demonstration of this fact.

The humans would likely grow even stronger in the coming months.

Even so, Danba didn’t seem to be worried about that in the slightest. Instead, he said with great excitement, “If you want the consciousness conversion instrument, I will let you have it. But you must agree to my condition.”

“What is it?”

“Exterminate the Harpies!” Danba replied.

“The Harpies?” Su Chen was taken aback.

Even though the Harpies and the Ravagers weren’t friends, it wasn’t like they had any particular enmity, either.

Why was Danba so interested in the extermination of the Harpies?

Danba said, “Don’t you feel that the Harpies' indecisiveness and eventual abandonment is incredibly hateful?”

Su Chen thought for a moment, then replied, “Yes, it is hateful, but we were never friends with them anyways. We were merely using each other. Since we were merely using each other, then I’m not too upset about being abandoned.”

“You are quite generous, but I cannot accept this. .Most importantly, we cannot allow the Harpies to grow stronger. Now that they have the Immortal’s Soul, Sky City will soon be free to move again. But I also know that, even with Neptune’s Eye and the Immortal’s Soul, it will take them an immense amount of time and energy to free themselves from the Deep Sea Anchor. That is the perfect opportunity for us to strike,” Danba said enticingly.

Su Chen chuckled. “Are you joking? Sky City is not Gloom City. We will not be able to seize it.”

Su Chen had seen Sky City’s defenses personally. Just the city’s ability to withstand attacks alone was already incredibly shocking.

The Demon-Executing Cannon above the Perpetual Daylight Palace was so strong that even Su Chen, who had reached the apex and comprehended God-Sealing Method Power, had no interest in facing off against it.

That didn’t even include the Harpies’ vast armies, their seemingly limitless stores of Origin Energy, and the city’s powerful defensive Origin Formations.

Danba said, “Sky City’s defenses are powerful, but I know that you are not powerless against them. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have allowed them to take the Immortal’s Soul back with them.”

Su Chen squinted his eyes. “I didn’t know that you understood me so well.”

“Your opponents always understand you best. No matter how you look at it, we were once enemies.”

Su Chen shook his head. “Well, you thought wrong this time. I let them take the Immortal’s Soul with them not because I have ways of dealing with them but because I hope that, after they mobilize Sky City, they will join us in fighting against the Origin Races. The Harpies and the Astrals are different; the Harpies are still living creatures, with biological needs that are tied to this continent we live on. As such, our needs still overlap, and there is still a possibility for us to work together. With Sky City mobilized, we can begin our counterattack against the Origin Races. Don’t forget, half of this continent is still under their control.”

When he heard this, Danba’s expression sank slightly. “So you still refuse to use your backup plan?”

“I have no backup plan,” Su Chen said as he shrugged.

“Fine, I understand.” Danba said no more and flew downwards.

There was no need for him to waste any time talking anything over with Su Chen anymore. It made much more sense for him to participate in taking the spoils instead.

As he watched Danba descend, however, Su Chen fell into deep thought.

Some memories appeared in his mind.

Those memories constantly revolved through Su Chen’s brain, coiling around his heart and making him uneasy. He fell into deep thought.

He had no idea how long he had been thinking for, but Zhu Xianyao calling out to him finally broke him out of his reverie.

Gloom City below him, which had been incredibly lively before, had quieted down at some point.

“Is it over?” Su Chen murmured.

“Yes, it’s over,” Zhu Xianyao replied. “The Astrals have been completely exterminated. Even though there are still a few scattered stragglers, they will not be able to do anything. The captives in Gloom City have been given to us, since the Ravagers have no interest in them - only in treasures. They scoured Midnight Palace and Millenium Garden, taking most of the Origin Tools and precious herbs found there. Our men searched the Dream Return Palace, the Eternal Spring, and the Spirit Hall. Oh, and their library as well. We found quite a bit......”

Zhu Xianyao was still going on when Su Chen waved his hand. “I’m more than happy to let you all handle these matters. Unless you found a Divine Tool, there’s no need to tell me more.”

Zhu Xianyao giggled. “There aren’t even that many Divine Tools in this world. As for good treasures, Menelaus’s crown and tricolor gem staff are probably the closest, but you may not have any interest in them. The Ravagers took the staff, leaving us the crown.

Menelaus’s staff not only amplified the power of three elements, but could also raise the tier of an Arcana Technique, bringing a Tenth-Ring Arcana Technique into the realm of legendary techniques, and legendary techniques nigh unto Method Power.

The crown was another pseudo-Divine Tool made by the Astrals, which allowed them to utilize Method Power. After Achilles and Kapius had died, they had infused what remained of themselves into the crown, giving them the ability to use Method Power.

When she mentioned Method Power, Zhu Xianyao suddenly thought of something. “Oh, and there was a Totem as well.”

“A Totem?” That got Su Chen’s attention.