The treasure ship flew through the air, casting a massive shadow on the world below.
In the eyes of mundane martial artists, this was no different from bearing witness to a traveling immortal; it was easy to imagine the extent of their shock.
âThatâs the Profound Moon Templeâs Transforming Mountain Tower Ship. Itâs the combination of four different Origin Dao spiritual treasures, and itâs under the control of High Elder Gu Qingdu. Only an Origin Palace cultivator like him can freely control a treasure ship of this level.â Hua Xinfeng transmitted, her eyes sparkling.
She licked her lips and said, âIf we seize the ship, no matter where we go, itâll be in the lap of luxury.â
Su Yi could tell at a glance that sheâd set her sights on the Transforming Mountain Tower Ship.
Before long, the treasure ship flew into the Dongfu Prefectural Capital and disappeared.
âRight, Young Lord, you have to be careful.â Hua Xinfeng suddenly seemed to recall something. She said, âYou killed Li Changning, You Xinglin, and You Tianhong. They were, respectively, an inner sect elder, a core disciple, and the junior apprentice brother of the current leader of the Profound Moon Temple, Daoist Vastblue.
The words flowed right out of her, as if she were reciting her own family tree from memory. âYou Tianhong in particular was extremely close to Daoist Vastblue. They were apprentice brothers in their youth, and they overcame countless life-or-death struggles together. Theirs was a bond forged in adversity.
âAccording to our Ten Directions Pavilionâs investigations, when you slew You Tianhong atop Nine Millet Mountain, Daoist Vastblue sat there for three days and three nights, writing a single character in the dirt with his fingertip.â
âWhich character?â Su Yi asked curiously.
âDeath.â Hua Xinfengâs bright eyes flashed. âFrom this, itâs clear that the Profound Moon Temple hates you to their very bones. If they have the opportunity to kill you, thereâs no way theyâll let it slip through their fingers.
She paused, then said, âBesides, You Tianhong had another status as well. Heâs the younger brother of Family Head You Yuandu of the Great Qinâs top clan, the You Family. You also killed You Qingzhi, his younger sister. According to our intelligence, an ancestor of the You Family will be participating in this expedition into the Sea of Chaotic SpiritsâŚâ
Su Yi interrupted her here, a faint smile on his face. âAre you trying to convince me to steal the Profound Moon Templeâs treasure ship? Or do you want me to deal with the You Family experts?â
Hua Xinfeng grinned like a fox, her eyes bright. âIf possible, Iâd prefer you dealt with them both. Then, weâd have more spoils to split.â
Su Yi glanced at her. âIâve never liked seeking out trouble, so donât waste time egging me on. If I discover you using me as a weapon, donât blame me for my poor manners.â
His tone was calm, but his words sent a chill through Hua Xinfengâs heart. Her smile faded, and she looked at him solemnly. âYoung Lord, please rest assured. I understand the proper limits.â
âOf course, if they come looking for trouble of their own accord, I donât mind âharvestingâ them,â said Su Yi.
With that, he put his hands behind his back and proceeded through the city gates.
Hua Xinfengâs eyes flashed. Then, she laughed gleefully and followed him.
The Dongfu Prefectural Capital was indeed incomparably prosperous. The streets were wide and bustling with activity, and the roads were packed with carts and carriages. The smoke and fire of mortal life were on full display.
Recently, due to the sudden change deep within the Sea of Chaotic Spirits, the Dongfu Prefectural Capital was even livelier than usual, and numerous unfamiliar faces had appeared within its walls.
It was just as Ning Sihua said. This sudden development involved the Immortalsâ Sword House, so it had already attracted widespread attention among the worldâs cultivators. Countless mighty experts were dead-set on obtaining the good fortune within the ruins.
The Dongfu Prefectural Capital was built along the coastline leading to the Sea of Chaotic Spirits. Of late, experts from countless cultivation factions had poured in from all over the world.
Hua Xinfeng had long since arranged a private courtyard for them to rest in.
Su Yi stayed behind to wait, while Hua Xinfeng went out to gather information.
She was a prominent member of the Ten Directions Pavilion, and she had access to countless unknown channels of information.
âŚâŚ
It had been less than a day since Su Yi and Hua Xinfeng arrived in the Dongfu Prefectural Capital.
Bzzz!
A streak of silvery light shot through the skies.
A tall, upright figure was faintly discernible within the silvery radiance. He rode on a radiant silver longsword, his entire body bursting with dazzling light, like a divine being.
Wherever he passed, his imposing might spread out around him, shaking the people watching from the city below.
Some of the ordinary mortals were so stunned that they flung themselves to their knees and kowtowed; they thought a deity was upon them.
Even some of the martial artists were shaken. They realized that this was an Earthly Immortal!
Some of the older generation experts whispered amongst themselves.
âItâs Manor Master Lin Yubei of Red Lotus Sword Manor! They say his Dao of the Sword is shocking and that heâs cultivated to the peak of the Grain Avoidance Realm at just thirty years of age!â
âThree years ago, he and his sword took to the skies, and he defeated the former master of Red Lotus Sword Manor, becoming its new manor master! Heâs their youngest leader in history, a true monster!â
In the Great Qin, there were three great cultivation factions: the Profound Moon Temple, Shanglin Temple, and the Donghua Sword Sect. There were also six great sword manors.
Red Lotus Sword Manor was one of the six.
Some people were stunned. âAh, so itâs him! Rumor has it that Lin Yubei once obtained a complete ancient legacy of the Dao of the Sword. Looking at him now, it seems the rumors are most likely true!â
Lin Yubei really was strong, and he had an illustrious reputation within the Great Qin. Furthermore, he had handsome features and a tall, slender frame, and his entire body was swathed in dazzling silver light. He rode through the air on his sword, and his attainments in the Dao of the Sword won him endless praises even from older-generation Earthly Immortals.
âIs Shang Luoyu of the Donghua Sword Sect present?â Lin Yubei stood in the sky and called out in a voice that boomed like thunder, spreading far and wide. His eyes flashed with cold light, as if piercing through the skies.
A clear, cold voice answered him. âLin Yubei, you lost to me at Rosecomb Lake just three months ago, yet you dare come looking for me again? Are you really trying to get yourself killed?â
Immediately afterward, a streak of black shot out of the Dongfu Prefectural Capital and into the skies.
The âstreakâ turned out to be a woman in a black dress. Her skin was like cream, and her expression was icy. Dense, icy sword qi hovered around her, and she had a wide, massive sword strapped to her back at an angle. Her aura was so vibrant that the surrounding skies seemed dull by comparison.
âItâs really the Donghua Sword Sectâs Shang Luoyu, Sheâs here too!â Numerous people exclaimed.
The Donghua Sword Sect was one of the Great Qinâs three great cultivation factions.
Shang Luoyu was the sect leaderâs direct disciple. Her aptitude was the greatest the Donghua Sword Sect had seen in eight hundred years, earning her the nickname âthe Donghua Genius.â Her talent was common knowledge; hundreds or thousands of years might pass before encountering her equal!
âSo, three months ago, the manor master of Red Lotus Sword Maner, Lin Yubei, lost to Shang Luoyu! Thatâs big news!â countless older generation martial artists were stunned.
Throughout the Dongfu Prefectural City, countless eyes were fixed on the ongoing aerial staredown.
Lin Yubei flew on his sword, majestic and imposing.
However, Shang Luoyu was just as impressive, if not more so.
She wore a black gauze dress, her gaze was icy. There was a massive sword on her back, and every inch of her radiated chilling, imposing sword intent. She was like a lady sword immortal from the heavens, a stunning beauty as sharp as the edge of her weapon!
âBoth of them are dazzling, legendary figures in the Great Qin, yet now, theyâve appeared together in the skies above the Dongfu Prefectural Capital. Furthermore, from the look of them, it seems an unprecedented duel is about to unfold?â
Numerous onlookers held their breath and watched with rapt, nervous attention.
Both Lin Yubei and Shang Luoyu were young, and they were both true cultivators. Their radiance was enough to make even cultivators of older generations sigh over their own inferiority!
âIf your leader hadnât given you the Celestial Xiezhi Sword, how could I possibly have lost to you?â Lin Yubei snorted coldly.
âA loss is a loss. If youâre not convinced, we can fight again. I guarantee that this time, I wonât use the Celestial Xiezhi sword,â said Shang Luoyu coldly, her face as tranquil as still waters.
âThat so? Then Iâll just have to take you up on that!â Lin Yubeiâs eyes flashed like lightning, and his aura expanded.
But just as he was about to attack, an aged voice rang out. âMy two young friends, you are both the chosen of heaven, rare geniuses of the Great Qin, and you are both exceedingly powerful. Should fighting break out between you, Iâm afraid it will harm those living in the city below. Might you do this old man a favor and put your battle on hold? Youâll naturally get the chance to determine whoâs superior after reaching the Sea of Chaotic Spirits.â
A soaring arc of light accompanied the voice, landing not far from Lin Yubei and Shang Luoyu.
The light turned out to be a graying old man in loose-sleeved purple robes. Despite his age, he had youthful features, and his aura was as tranquil as an abyss. It spread out, blotting out the skies.
âThatâs the second elder of the Great Qinâs Secluded Dragons, Senior Qin Dongxu! Heâs a true Origin Palace existence. They say heâs already been cultivating for one hundred and eighty years and that his cultivation base is deep and inscrutable!â someone said in a quavering voice.
The Great Zhouâs imperial family had Unknown Dragons to hold down the fort, while the Great Wei had the Seekers of Immortality.
And the Great Qin? It was home to the Secluded Dragons.
In simple terms, the Secluded Dragons were a force of cultivators within the Great Qinâs imperial family.
âInteresting. The Great Qin really is the strongest of the three nations. It doesnât just have three true factions of cultivators; even the forces of its imperial family far surpass the Great Zhouâs Unknown Dragons.â
Su Yi reclined in his wicker chair within the little courtyard, but his divine sense had stretched a thousand feet into the sky. Despite the distance, he saw everything that was happening clearly.
Both Lin Yubei and Shang Luoyu were top-notch talents. There was practically no one comparable in the Great Zhouâs younger generation.
Qin Dongxu, the Secluded Dragon, had a cultivation that surprised even Su Yi.
Just seeing the three of them, Su Yi understood at a deep level that the cultivation factions of the Great Qin really did far surpass those of the Great Zhou and Great Qin.
Fighting didnât break out in the end.
With Qin Dongxu interfering, Lin Yubei and Shang Luoyu both had reservations. They had no choice but to show him respect, and soon, each went their separate ways.
Su Yi withdrew his divine sense and sighed to himself.
Heâd only just arrived in the Dongfu Prefectural Capital, but heâd already encountered the Profound Moon Templeâs Transforming Mountain Tower Ship, as well as a clash in the skies above the city. Sometimes, a single spot was enough to understand the entire leopard; it was immediately obvious that no small number of cultivators had gathered in the Dongfu Prefectural Capital of late.
However, to Su Yi, these successive incidents only made him more eager to explore the ruins of the Immortalsâ Sword House.
Worthy foes made things interesting.
He just wasnât sure how many of these people were worth fighting.
His heart suddenly stirred. I might well encounter the lucky break I need to step into the Origin Dao on this expeditionâŚ