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The Swiftlight Sparrow’s claws relaxed, and the letter fell from its grip.
Bang!
Before it even hit the ground, the letter burst with a spray of sparks, and a tall, broad monk appeared out of nowhere.
He was dressed in Buddhist robes, and his face was greasy. This was none other than the Ten Directions Pavilion’s Monk Hongji.
The first thing he did was clasp his fist in apology. “I showed up uninvited. Please don’t take offense.”
Su Yi sat upright in his wicker chair and asked with great interest, “Who taught you that transformation skill?”
The monk said hurriedly, “It’s just a petty, unpresentable little magic trick. I learned it years ago, from a stroke of fortune I obtained on Silverflame Yao Mountain.”
Su Yi said, “Going forward, when you use it, be careful. If any twisted perverts set their sights on you, they’re sure to force you to transform into a pretty little beauty.”
The monk’s smile froze, and he shuddered from head to toe, then said with a bitter laugh, “I can only transform into inanimate objects. I still can’t become anything living.”
“Well, let’s hear it. Why are you here?” asked Su Yi.
Monk Hongji said solemnly, “Young Lord Su, did you hear about the sudden change in the depths of the Great Qin’s Sea of Chaotic Spirits?”
Su Yi and Ning Sihua glanced at each other. They both instantly understood. So, he’s here to discuss that too.
“We were only just discussing it,” said Su Yi.
“Then
 Young Lord Su, might you be interested in going there?” Monk Hongji asked at top speeds. “Of course, you could interpret this as a request from the Ten Directions Pavilion. Should you agree, seventy percent of any spoils we obtain during this operation shall go to you. In exchange, we’ll provide thorough intelligence.”
Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. “Why does the Ten Directions Pavilion want to get involved in this?”
The monk said in a low voice, “We won’t hide it: our intelligence indicates that the change in the depths of the Sea of Chaotic Spirits is highly connected to the Immortals’ Sword House, an ancient orthodoxy.
“A long time ago, their name shook the Azure Continent. They were one of the Three Great Holy Lands of the Yao Path.”
When she heard this, Ning Sihua’s eyes flashed with a strange light. She couldn’t help but glance at Su Yi.”
Just minutes before, when he heard the name “Immortal’s Sword House”, Su Yi immediately guessed they were a faction of yao cultivators, as yao apparently loved nothing more than adding the terms “god” and “immortal” to their sect names.
Who’d have thought he’d be right on the mark?
“Is that the only reason?” asked Su Yi.
“Of course not,” Monk Hongji said hurriedly. “This is one of the Ten Directions Pavilion’s top secrets, but we’ve found ancient records stating that the founder of the Immortals’ Sword House was likely an incomparably mighty Yao Emperor!”
A Yao Emperor!
Ning Sihua’s heart shook.
Even Su Yi couldn’t help but look surprised, and the ruins of the Prajna Meditation Garden rose unbidden to the forefront of his mind. A long time ago, the temple had given rise to a white-robed monk capable of riding a true dragon through the stars. Anyone capable of such a feat had to be an Imperial Realm expert at the very least.
Now, Monk Hongji was telling him that the founder of the Immortals’ Sword House was a suspected Yao Emperor. It was only natural that Su Yi would be interested!
On the current Azure Continent, even Origin Dao cultivators were the top experts of their respective nations, while Spirit Dao experts were so rare, they practically only existed in legends.
But now, it was obvious that a long time ago, the Azure Continent wasn’t just home to numerous long-lost orthodoxies; it once had Imperial Realm experts too!
“No wonder the Ten Directions Pavilion wants to participate. If the Immortals’ Sword House really is an imperial-level faction, its ruins are sure to contain extraordinary opportunities,” muttered Su Yi.
In the Nine Provinces of the Wilds, factions were divided into various levels.
They called those first-rate orthodoxies that towered above the masses “imperial-level factions.”
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Like the Three Great Daoist Sects, the Six Great Demonic Sects, and the Nine Provinces Academy. All were imperial-level factions, rare even in the Nine Provinces.
There were four factions even more terrifying than imperial-level factions. These were called the “Four Apexes of the Wilds.”
In his past life, Su Yi’s “Grotto of Abstruse Force” was one of the Four Apexes of the Wilds. Furthermore, it was the strongest of the four!
The word “apex” in “the Four Apexes” meant that each such faction had an Imperial Apex expert in residence.
During Su Yi’s past life as the sovereign of the Nine Provinces, the power of his Dao of the Sword suppressed the heavens. It was only naturally that his faction sat firmly at the top of the Four Apexes of the Wilds.
Monk Hongji laughed. “Young Lord, if that weren’t the base, we wouldn’t disturb you. It’s just that too many powerful people have set their sights on this opportunity, including the Great Qin’s imperial family, the Donghua Sword Sect, Shanglin Temple, and the Profound Moon Temple. All of them are dead set on obtaining it.
“In addition, according to our investigations, the leader of the Deathbringer’s Gate has secretly invited some old devils of the heretical path. They’ve already begun their journey into the Sea of Chaotic Spirits.”
The monk paused, and his expression turned a bit strange as he whispered, “Also, it’s highly likely that the various Possessed hidden within the Great Wei, Great Zhou, and Great Qin will be there too, as well as several mighty experts who bear ancient legacies.
“You could say that the ruins of the Immortals’ Sword House have already become a piece of fatty meat in the eyes of the three nations’ cultivators; everyone wants to take a bite. Naturally, the Ten Directions Pavilion is no exception."
By this point, Su Yi was finally a bit tempted. He was interested in the Possessed, and he’d long since wanted to investigate just which world they came from.
“Does the Ten Directions Pavilion have a plan?” asked Su Yi.
Monk Hongji’s face lit up with delight; he could tell Su Yi seemed interested!
He hurriedly said, “Young Lord, please rest assured. So long as you accompany us, the grand elder of the Ten Directions Pavilion’s Great Zhou branch shall accompany you. She will keep you well supplied with the most detailed intelligence available.”
Su Yi was stunned. “You mean that peerless beauty of her generation, a woman both stunning and clever, like a celestial or a fairy? That grand elder?”
“Uh
” Monk Hongji paused, then glanced at the Swiftlight Sparrow perched on a nearby tree. He said solemnly, “That’s right! Our grand elder’s beauty is absolutely sufficient to topple nations and bring disaster to the populace. When you see her in person, you’ll surely understand that every word of praise comes straight from my heart, yet even then, mere words are insufficient to describe just how beauti—”
“Enough,” said Su Yi irritably. “If you want to flatter her, don’t do it in front of me.”
Monk Hongji instantly felt sheepish.
Ning Sihua couldn’t help but grin. How could she possibly miss that the monk was only saying all that because he was terrified of the grand elder?
“When do you plan to set out?” asked Su Yi.
“That depends on your schedule and arrangements, but the sooner the better,” explained Monk Hongji at top speeds. “According to the Ten Directions Pavilion’s estimates, the ruins of the Immortals’ Sword House will most likely fully materialize in this world within nine days.”
“How long does it take to get to the Great Qin’s Sea of Chaotic Spirits?” asked Su Yi.
Monk Hongji pondered briefly, then said, “On the backs of an avian spirit beast, two days at the bare minimum. Young Lord, should you decide to go, our Ten Directions Pavilion shall send you a Crimson Condor.”
“Alright, I’ll set off in three days,” said Su Yi. He then glanced at Ning Sihua out of the corner of his eye; she looked extremely tempted too. “Fellow Daoist Ning, you’d best stay behind. If I truly reap any rewards on this expedition, I’ll share my spoils.”
Ning Sihua was briefly stunned, but despite finding it an awful pity, she nonetheless nodded her agreement.
She knew what Su Yi was thinking; he was worried about leaving his friends at Heaven’s Origin Academy with no one to guard them. He didn’t want anything to happen to them while he was gone.
With her to hold down the fort, he’d have no need to fear.
Even without Su Yi present, should anything dangerous happen, they could seek refuge on Jade Barrier Mountain, about a hundred miles from Heaven’s Origin Academy.
“How should I respond to Lan Suo?” Ning Sihua asked.
“Tell her that, should the opportunity arise, we’ll meet within the Sea of Chaotic Spirits,” said Su Yi.
Ning Sihua nodded, and Mong Hongji swiftly bade farewell and left.



The following three days were as leisurely as could be. When he wasn’t cultivating, he was playing chess with Wen Lingxue and guiding her cultivation.
The young woman was increasingly vibrant, with skin like cream, bright eyes, and a pure, beautiful presence.
Su Yi felt the happiest and most relaxed when they were together.
Her big sister, Wen Lingzhao, was at Heaven’s Origin Academy too. However, she seemed intent on avoiding any possibility of encountering him; she practically hadn’t left her room since his return.
The two of them hadn’t seen each other once.
Su Yi naturally didn’t care about that.
His marriage into the Wen Family had long since gone up in smoke. Su Yi didn’t hate Wen Lingzhao, but he didn’t particularly care about her either.
It was just as he wrote in his final message to her: “Parting will be best for both of us, so let’s each seek happiness on our own.”
During this time, Su Yi learned that, thanks to Ning Sihua’s preparations, the Profound Amplification Sect was starting to take shape.
Mu Xi, Pu Yi, Jiang Tangyun, Lu Zhangfeng, Xiao Tianque of the Lanling Xiao Family, Family Head Yuan Wutong of the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital’s Yuan Family, and Family Head Zheng Tianhe of the Imperatorial Provincial Capital had all joined, and each now had their own responsibilities.
Them aside, the Spiritmartial Marquis, Chen Zheng, and Huang Yunchong of Guangling City’s Huang Family had expressed interest in joining the sect too.
Su Yi was immensely pleased with Ning Sihua’s arrangements.
She didn’t discriminate or differentiate based on their cultivation. She simply invited all of his friends to join the Profound Amplification Sect. This was just what Su Yi wanted, and why he agreed to found the sect in the first place.
At the end of the day, the Profound Amplifaction Sect existed as a place to protect those connected to Su Yi. It wasn’t about expanding his territory or dominating the nation.
It was true that the likes of Huang Yunchong and Yuan Wutong were far from comparable with Mu Xi, Pu Yi, and the others. However, so long as they were Su Yi’s friend, even an ant would receive his protection!
In addition, Su Yi received a congratulatory gift from Crown Prince Zhou Zhili. It was a reward for defeating the Great Wei’s Wheel of the Moon Sect and boosting the Great Zhou’s national prestige.
When he saw the Dragon-Marked Jade, Essence of Heavenly Fragrance, and thousand-year Ba Serpent yao core, Su Yi was stunned despite himself. That Zhou Zhili is actually quite considerate.
All three treasures were precious, and they’d be enormously beneficial supplements when he broke into the Grain Avoidance Stage.
Three days passed in a flash.
Morning came, and the light of dawn broke through the darkness.
A massive, vicious bird with wings as red as fire soared over the horizon.
This was none other than the Crimson Condor the Ten Directions Pavilion had sent for Su Yi, but it wasn’t alone.
There was a delicate figure seated on its back.