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The long-robed man peering through the window lattice turned and said, “I just received word that Su Yi will begin his journey to the Jade Capital on the fourth day of the fourth lunar month.”
He thought, then continued, “If my predictions are accurate, he’s sure to encounter numerous assassination attempts along the way.”
The lady swordsman and silver-haired elder’s eyes narrowed.
The woman asked, “Senior Apprentice Brother Lu, is that information reliable?”
“It came straight from the Jade Capital’s Su Family, and it’s no secret.” The long-robed man’s temples were graying slightly, and his expression was as grave and stern as a rock. “There’s no need to even question it: throughout the Great Zhou, there are numerous others who, just like us, have set their sights on Su Yi’s secrets.”
This was Lu Dongliu, the grand elder of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect’s Text Transmission Pavilion. He was a mighty expert who’d been a Xiantian Martial Ancestor a full twenty years already.
Strictly speaking, he already qualified as a true cultivator; his strength far surpassed mundane cultivators of the same level.
The swordswoman exclaimed, “The Su Family publicized that information? Don’t tell me they plan to borrow other’s hands to get rid of the boy?”
Liu Yunliu, the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect’s second outer sect elder. Her title was “the sword of Severance.” She, too, was a Xiantian Martial Ancestor, and her attainments in the Dao of the Sword were glorious and exquisite.
Over twenty years ago, while she was still “just” a fifth-level Grandmaster, she once killed a true Xiantian Martial Ancestor of the mundane world!
“That’s only natural. After the battle at the seat of the provincial government, Su Yi and the Su Family’s relationship is irreconcilable. Now, the entire Great Zhou is waiting to see how the Su Family handles this situation.”
The white-haired elder said leisurely, “Given the situation, revealing Su Yi’s departure time is no different from borrowing another’s knife to kill him.”
This was Li Cang, the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect’s outer sect grand elder. He was at the peak of the Xiantian Martial Ancestor realm, and according to rumor, he already had one foot over the threshold of the Origin Dao. His strength was deep and unfathomable.
“We now face a choice,” said Lu Dongliu, his expression calm. “We could attack him now. So long as we kill him, all of his secrets will belong to the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect.
“Or we can wait until he leaves for the Jade Capital, then choose the best moment to attack.
“Each approach has its pros and cons, but I’m inclined toward the latter. After all, we still don’t know just how strong Su Yi is, or if he retains as-of-yet unknown trump cards. Attacking recklessly would be foolish.”
Lu Dongliu paused, then continued, “Once he begins his journey to the Jade Capital, he’ll inevitably face numerous roadblocks and assassination attempts. That means we can borrow others’ hands to test him and, so long as the opportunity presents itself, we can deal him a fatal blow.
“The only disadvantage of this approach is that it’s highly likely that someone else will kill the boy and seize his fortune first. We’ll face numerous additional variables.”
After completing his analysis, Lu Dongliu’s gaze swept across his companions. “What do you think?”
Li Cang laughed heartily. “Elder Lu, I agree with you.”
Liao Yunliu hesitated, but in the end, she nodded her agreement.
Su Yi was no ordinary first-level Grandmaster; he’d once slain a Xiantian Martial Ancestor. If someone said he didn’t have cards hidden up his sleeves, no one would believe it.
This was precisely why these three influential experts of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect proceeded with such caution. Were Su Yi anyone else…. They’d disdain paying a visit in person, much less attacking.
“Then it’s settled. We’ll set out on the fourth, just like Su Yi!” Lu Dongliu’s eyes glinted with sharp light.
……
The House of Waveswept Rocks.
“Lingxue, I’ll set off for the Jade Capital on the fourth day of the fourth lunar month. For the time being, you’ll stay in Heaven’s Origin Academy. Don’t go anywhere else.” Su Yi sat by the side of the pond and gently exhorted Wen Lingxue. He then turned to Cha Jin. “You too.”
Both Wen Lingxue and Cha Jin nodded.
“What about me, Uncle Su?” Zheng Muyao couldn’t help but ask.
“Aren’t you a disciple of Heaven’s Origin Academy already?" said Su Yi.
Zheng Muyao was briefly stunned. Then, she smiled sheepishly. “Uh, yeah, that’s right!”
“Young Lord, are you going on your own?” Cha Jin asked gently, but she was a bit worried.
“More people will just mean more trouble,” said Su Yi. With his cultivation, even if he encountered extreme danger, he had means of resolving it. Furthermore, he wasn’t going to the Jade Capital just to go sightseeing, and he didn’t want to implicate anyone else. If he did, they’d just become a burden….
……
That night, Ning Sihua returned on the back of her Bluescale Eagle. “Fellow Daoist, this is a token of Lan Suo’s gratitude. I hope you’ll accept it with a smile.”
Ning Sihua took out a jade box, then passed it to Su Yi.
“When I saved her, I pocketed a wisp of a Netherflame Demon Sparrow’s soul essence,” said Su Yi. “That’s enough. You can take that box back.”
Ning Sihua shook her head. “That’s a separate matter. By intervening, you saved her life. She’s offering you this gift as an expression of her gratitude, as she should. If you refuse, I’m afraid she’ll find it hard to bear.”
Su Yi had never liked arguing about such trifles, so when Ning Sihua insisted, he couldn’t be bothered to argue. He just accepted the box.
Ning Sihua flashed him a charming smile, her eyes rife with meaning. “Aren’t you going to open it and see what’s inside?”
Su Yi was briefly stunned. Don’t tell me there’s something special about this gift?
He casually opened the jade box. First, a magnificent, colorful burst of spiritual light permeated the surrounding air. It was only after the light dispersed that he saw its source: a string of jade beads.
There were only five in total, each a different color—red, blue, yellow, white, and black, each emanating a different elemental aura. Their glows illuminated each other, forming a five-elemental cycle. It was a stunning sight.
“Five Aggregates Spirit Pearls?” Despite himself, Su Yi was stunned. In the great orthodox sects of the Nine Provinces of the Wilds, it was typical to produce such pearls to help the sect’s Inner Furnace Realm disciples temper their foundations. They weren’t necessarily rare, but to Grandmasters, there was no treasure better suited to boost their cultivation.
Su Yi would never have guessed that he’d encounter such a treasure here in this mundane realm. It’s worth noting that the pearls’ refining process required acquiring sufficient five-element spiritual energy, and only cultivators at or above the Spirit Dao could produce them through a secret method. This was the only way to create such a treasure.
But this was the Azure Continent, a place where even Origin Dao cultivators were called “Earthly Immortals.” Origin Dao cultivators were few and far between, much less Spirit Dao cultivators.
There were only rumors of such cultivators living in the Great Xia, the true hegemon of the Azure Continent.
Ning Sihua laughed and said, “When Lan Suo learned of your cultivation, she chose these Five Aggregate Spirit Pearls just for you. I’m just glad you like them.”
Su Yi said thoughtfully, “Where did this friend of yours obtain such a treasure?”
Ning Sihua thought, then said, “Lan Suo hails from one of the Great Qin’s three cultivation factions, the Donghua Sword Sect, and her status is extremely lofty. These Five Aggregate Spirit Pearls might be difficult for others to obtain, but for her, it’s not overly difficult.”
“So, she’s the disciple of a prominent sect.” Su Yi nodded. He knew that of the Great Zhou and its two neighbors, the Great Qin was the strongest.
Just in terms of the power of its cultivators, the Great Qin’s borders included three great cultivation factions. The Great Zhou and its single Hidden Dragon Sword Sect couldn’t even begin to compare.
Lan Suo was from the Great Qin’s Donghua Sword Sect, and even Ning Sihua said that her status was extraordinarily lofty. That meant she was incomparable with an ordinary cultivator.
After chatting a little while longer, Ning Sihua bade farewell and left, taking Wen Lingxue with her.
From that day forth, Su Yi’s life was finally peaceful once more.
When he wasn’t cultivating, he was guiding Cha Jin’s cultivation and helping the beast cub, Chini, awaken its intelligence. He taught it a cultivation method suited for yao cultivators, the “Myriad Manifestations Star-Refining Incantation.”
Two days later, the thirtieth day of the third month, Family Head Yuan Wutong came calling, leading Yuan Luoxi, Yuan Luoyu, Feng Xiaofeng, and Feng Xiaoran, as well as the head of Guangling City’s Huang Family, Huang Yunchong.
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Su Yi arranged a banquet and conversed with them over the feast.
In the end, Su Yi had Feng Xiaofeng and Feng Xiaoran stay behind, and he arranged for them to cultivate at Heaven’s Origin Academy.
This was done to prevent anyone from using the siblings to threaten him ever again.
…..
The first day of the fourth month.
Su Yi used up seven stalks of tier-four medicine in one go, reaching the peak of the first level of the Grandmaster Realm in one attempt.
His heart now shone with fire elemental Dao Light, which could stretch a full eight thousand feet! This represented an absolutely terrifying level of accomplishment in the Grand Dao.
Despite the breadth of experience of Su Yi’s past life, he’d never once heard of someone achieving such a thing while tempering the heart in the Inner Furnace Realm.
It was also on that day that Su Yi entered the second level of the Grandmaster Realm and began cultivating his liver.
The liver was of the wood element, and it contained wood-elemental spirituality. By tempering it, you could unblock meridians throughout the body and nourish the vitality and cleanse the body’s internal toxins. Cultivating the liver helped strengthen one’s essence, qi, and spirit.
Reaching the second level of the Inner Furnace Realm meant that Su Yi was at least twice as strong as before.
….
On the second, Su Yi received a letter from the Jade Capital. It was written by the sixth prince who, in a rather worried and urgent tone, told Su Yi that the entire Great Zhou knew when he planned to leave for the Jade Capital, and that numerous big shots were eyeing him hungrily with plans to intercept him mid-journey and seize his fortune.
Their ranks included no shortage of old fogeys who’d long since gone into seclusion. In his letter, Zhou Zhili urged Su Yi to be careful and said that if at all possible, he hoped that Su Yi could change routes.
By the time he finished reading, Su Yi was smiling.
…..
On the third, Su Yi sent Cha Jin to Heaven’s Origin Academy and made plans with Ning Sihua to meet at Golden Willow City, about one hundred miles away from Treasure Temple Yao Mountain.
Ning Sihua would notify the Mountain-Subduing King, Mu Xi, and when the time came, the three of them would proceed to Treasure Temple Yao Mountain together.
….
Dawn, the morning of the fourth.
The skies were cloudy, and it was drizzling as Su Yi rose and, just as he always did, washed, cultivated, and changed into clean clothes. He opened an oilpaper umbrella, then left the House of Waveswept Rocks.
First, he stopped by the Pot of Freshness for a steaming hot breakfast. Then, he gradually walked beyond city limits.
Just like when he left the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital, Su Yi preferred to traverse the mountains and rivers on foot, using his Dao Heart to survey the scenery. He’d consume the breeze and drink the dew, combing his hair in the wind and washing it in the rain.
Everything he heard, saw, sensed, and obtained along the way was a form of cultivation.