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Chapter 235 - Rare and Precious
Le Zheng’s right arm had been cut off. He frantically dodged, only to fall into the dirt with a muffled grunt.
Wang Chundu’s eyes suddenly widened. He stood there, dazed and rooted to the spot.
One fist had shattered Xuan Youlong’s ultimate dual-sword killing technique, leaving him heavily injured and coughing up blood.
One sword had broken through Le Zheng’s Rain of Blood Slaughtering Demonic Spear and severed his right arm.
Overpowering!
Simply overpowering!
Who would dare imagine that a youth in the Qi Accumulation Realm could possess such shocking power?
Wang Chundu was an experienced Xiantian Martial Ancestor, but he couldn’t stop waves of shock from rising within his heart.
It was worth knowing that within the Great Zhou, both Xuan Youlong and Le Zheng were rare experts among Grandmasters.
The former possessed sword arts that stood above the masses, and he was vice palace master of Luyang Academy.
The latter was one of the Great Zhou’s non-Zhou marquises, a man whose military record shook the entire nation!
Never mind ordinary martial artists; even the vast majority of Grandmasters were far from being a match for either of them.
Yet now, after just one attack, a youth in the Qi Accumulation Realm had trounced them both!
This was simply far too shocking.
If he weren’t absolutely certain that Su Yi was indeed in the Qi Accumulation Realm, Wang Chundu would have suspected that the young man in front of him was really some old monster maintaining a youthful facade.
In stark contrast, Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong remained relatively calm.
After all, they’d only just witnessed Su Yi single-handedly slaughter almost an entire flock of Ghostblood Sparrow Hawks.
By comparison, all he’d done this time was severely injure Xuan Youlong and Le Zheng. This result was well within their expectations, so it naturally didn’t overly surprise them.
“That’s all you’ve got, and you plan to teach me a lesson?” Su Yi shook his head, looking disappointed. He was visibly losing interest.
Even in the early stages of Qi Accumulation, he could engage in life-or-death combat with a tier-nine spirit beast on par with fifth-level Grandmasters, never mind now!
Only fifth-level Grandmasters like Qin Changshan could meet his lofty standards, and even then, only just barely.
But the likes of Xuan Youlong and Le Zheng were a full level lower than Qin Changshan.
“You… How could you possibly be this strong?” Le Zheng stared intently at Su Yi, as if he were an unfathomable monster. Shock was written all over his face.
He hailed from the Su Family, and he’d started working beneath Su Hongli a long time ago. He was naturally aware of their third young master’s bleak situation. He knew how low Su Yi’s status was, and how low his cultivation had been.
He would never have guessed, not even if you cracked his head open, that Su Yi would go from a waste without a cultivation to someone so terrifying after just one year!
The most unbelievable part was that Su Yi was still in the Qi Accumulation Realm.
“It’s not that I’m strong. You’re just too pathetic,” said Su Yi flatly. “The Grandmaster Realm is called the Inner Furnace Realm. What does that mean? Grandmasters nourish each organ’s inner furnace, smelting the qi, essence, and spirit to give rise to spirituality. But you? Your cultivation technique blindly pursues destructive power. It’s completely backwards.”
“No wonder you still cannot break through and become a fifth-level Grandmaster. Killing intent has long since permeated your organs. How can they possibly give rise to true spirituality now?”
Su Yi then asked, “Su Hongli calls himself a true cultivator. Don’t tell me he didn’t tell you all this back when he taught you this cultivation technique?”
Le Zheng’s expression shifted dramatically. He felt as if Su Yi had stripped him bare and seen through all his secrets; he felt completely exposed.
After a while, Le Zheng spoke. He sounded bitter and despondent. “My lord did indeed tell me that if I cultivated the Rain of Blood Slaughtering Demonic Spear, I would at most reach the fourth level of the Grandmaster Realm, and that if I wanted to break through to higher levels, it would be harder than ascending the heavens…”
When they heard this, the others gasped. They now realized that Su Yi’s words had pinpointed the fatal weak points of the Huaiyang Marquis’ cultivation technique!
“Harder than ascending the heavens?” Su Yi laughed dryly and shook his head. “How about this? I’ll give you a choice. If you pledge yourself to my cause, I won’t just spare your life. I’ll even guarantee that you’ll become a fifth-level Grandmaster. How about it?”
After a brief, stunned pause, Le Zheng laughed coldly. “Perhaps you might be able to achieve that, but don’t you think you’re looking down on me a bit too much? Third Young Master, I’m not afraid to tell you that I will never betray my lord, not even if I die!”
This declaration was resonant and impassioned.
“Is Su Hongli worth dying for?” asked Su Yi.
After a momentary silence, Le Zheng’s lips parted, and he said “He’s worth it!”
With this, he raised his spear and took a deep breath. “Third Young Master, please grant me death!”
As he shouted, he charged toward Su Yi with staunch determination, brandishing his spear, a brave warrior facing death with equanimity.
The onlookers were visibly moved. Perhaps Le Zheng was like a moth to the flame, but his fearlessness filled them with deep veneration!
“Fine. I’ll let you die with dignity!” Su Yi stretched out his hand, and Guiding Mysteries appeared in his grasp. He suddenly swung it forward.
In that instant, Le Zheng’s gaze filled with bewilderment, as if he’d seen the most dazzling light in all of creation. It was so beautiful, it could shatter one’s heart.
Splurt!
With a flash of sword light and a spray of blood, the sharp tip of a blade pierced through Le Zheng’s throat.
After a momentary daze, he smiled in relief. “Many… Many thanks. I… I didn’t betray… my lord.” His raspy voice started and stopped as he struggled to finish his sentence.
Then, Le Zheng silently toppled over.
The Huaiyang Marquis, one of several to emerge from the Su Family, had originally been one of Su Hongli’s retainers. He was fortunate enough to win Su Hongli’s recognition, and his master taught him a cultivation technique. With it, he made rapid progress in his cultivation, advancing step by step until he became one of the Great Zhou’s eighteen non-Zhou Marquis.
Yet now, he’d fallen beneath Su Yi’s sword, just like that!
When they witnessed his death, even Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong couldn’t help but lament. It didn’t matter how firm or domineering he’d acted earlier; his unswerving loyalty even in the face of death would have moved just about anyone.
Wang Chundu let out a long sigh. “Impressive, Huaiyang Marquis!”
“It seems I underestimated Su Hongli….” Su Yi knit his brow.
Le Zheng had chosen to die rather than betray his lord. This was a display of his staunch loyalty, but it also highlighted how impressive Su Hongli’s abilities were.
This was a man even a fourth-level Grandmaster was willing to die for!
Su Yi still remembered the seventeen years before he awakened his memories; he’d spent the first part of his life full of resentment and hatred for his father.
But there was one thing he couldn’t deny: the head of the Su Family, Su Hongli, really was a mighty existence.
He was the deepest-hidden, most inscrutable of the Great Zhou’s Ten Great Xiantian Martial Ancestors, and, alongside State Preceptor Hong Shenshang, he was one of the Great Zhou’s Twin Ramparts!
Even the experts he’d trained were impressive: three non-Zhou kings and five non-Zhou Marquis!
Within the mundane world of the Great Zhou, Su Hongli was a towering, legendary figure!
Of course, now that Su Yi had awakened the memories of his past life, even if Su Hongli were stronger, he’d still just be another cultivator of the mundane world.
As for killing Le Zheng, Su Yi didn’t take it to heart.
In this world, there were numerous people willing to throw themselves to their deaths. It was admirable, but it was hard for something like that to move Su Yi.
His gaze turned towards the nearby Xuan Youlong.
The vice palace master of Luyang Academy was already severely injured, and he was weak and listless. He couldn’t help but feel sorrow at Le Zheng’s death.
When he sensed Su Yi’s gaze, he smiled bleakly. “Although I cannot go to my death as calmly as Le Zheng, I won’t simply lower my head either. If you’re going to kill me, go ahead and do it.”
Wang Chundu’s heart clenched. He couldn’t help but say, “Young Lord Su, might you do this old man a favor and leave Xuan Youlong a chance at life?”
Seemingly afraid that Su Yi wouldn’t agree, he gnashed his teeth and said, “Take it as… As our Luyang Academy owing you a favor!”
Su Yi shook his head. “I have no need for such a favor.”
Wang Chundu’s heart sank.
But a moment later, Su Yi said, “But I can give him a chance. Didn’t he want to avenge Qin Wenyuan? Going forward, if he thinks he can kill me, he’s welcome to come looking for me.”
Wang Chundu was briefly dazed. Then, he went mad with delight, and he clasped his fist in gratitude. “Young Lord Su, many thanks for your magnanimity!”
But Xuan Youlong was dumbstruck. It seemed he dared not believe that Su Yi would simply let him go.
After a while, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why not kill me now?”
Su Yi asked right back, “Why do you want to avenge Qin Wenyuan?”
Xuan Youlong didn’t so much as pause to think. “He was my junior apprentice brother, and the two of us were close. You killed him; how could I not avenge this grudge?”
“That’s exactly why I’m not killing you,” said Su Yi. He then glanced at Wang Chundu. “You’d best hurry and take him away before I change my mind.”
Wang Chundu’s heart was instantly solemn. He paid his respects to Su Yi once more, then carried the grievously injured Xuan Youlong away.
After watching them fade from view, Ning Sihua couldn’t help but say, “It’s not good to have someone carry a grudge against you.”
But Su Yi actually sighed in an uncharacteristic display of emotion. “Xuan Youlong is deeply honorable and righteous. That’s rare, and based on that alone, he’s worthy of another chance at life.”
He recalled the disciples he’d accepted in his past life. They were apprentice brothers and sisters, yet for the sake of seizing the treasures he’d left behind, they turned against each other….
When he compared that to Xuan Youlong’s determination to avenge his junior apprentice brother, how could Su Yi not feel moved?
Ning Sihua was briefly stunned. She suddenly realized that she couldn’t quite see through Su Yi.
This blue-robed youth was clearly a decisive, seasoned killer, yet sometimes, he did things out of the ordinary.
Like sparing Xuan Youlong simply because he admired the man’s choice to avenge his junior apprentice brother….
It really didn’t seem like his style.
But Su Yi naturally couldn’t be bothered to explain himself.
Besides, he might have given Xuan Youlong another chance at revenge, but whether he could take it or not would depend on his skills.
“Fellow Daoist, these are the Ghostblood Sparrow Hawk beaks you had us gather.” Ning Sihua gave the matter no further thought. Instead, she pointed at the nearby pile of glittering golden beaks.
Su Yi nodded, walked right over, and divided the pile in thirds. He took one-third for himself, then offered the other two to his companions.
When he saw that they were about to refuse, he said directly, “Since we’re traveling together, we should split the spoils evenly. Don’t refuse.”
“Many thanks, fellow Daoist.” Ning Sihua pressed her lips into a smile.
Shen Jiusong, meanwhile, was both surprised and flattered. He hurriedly clasped his fist in gratitude. Afterward, the way he looked at Su Yi changed somewhat.
As a marquis, he wasn’t overly concerned about how valuable the spoils were.
However, witnessing this incident showed him Su Yi’s rare and precious depth of character and magnanimity.
As for Su Yi? He didn’t take any of this to heart. He just gazed off into the distance and muttered, “I just hope that on the road ahead, I’ll encounter a few tier-eight and nine spirit beasts….”