Anger arose on his face, and he slammed the little table in front of him. âWho could possibly be so brazen as to call the young master directly by name in our territory?â
The woman in phoenix-patterned robes said in alarm, âThat sounds⌠That sounds like Su Yiâs voice!â
Su Yi!?
Daoist Master Hongâs pupils constricted.
The purple-robed middle-aged man beside him seemed surprised too.
Tonight, He Changying led two others to capture "Ge Changling." Whoâd have thought Su Yi would come knocking on their door before the three of them returned?
âCome on, letâs go see whatâs happening.â The woman in the phoenix-patterned robe was the first to rise, and she raced outside the hall.
Daoist Master Hong and the purple-robed middle-aged man followed hot on her heels.
The night was dark as ink and silent on all sides.
Boom!
The residence gates burst apart, scattering fragments of wood.
Su Yi strolled inside, clad in his typical blue.
Xuan Ning followed shortly after.
âBrazen!â
âWho are you? How dare you barge into Huan Family territory?â
A group of guards and other such characters rushed over aggressively. They were visibly infuriated.
Su Yi didnât even glance at them. He just waved his sleeves.
Boom!
Arcs of sharp, clear sword qi shot forth, the sight dazzling to behold. They effortlessly obliterated the entire group, littering the ground with corpses. Fresh blood splattered the floor.
âThis is bad! Weâre under attackâ!â
A shrill shriek rang out from deep within the palace. There was instantly a clamor of voices at every corner of the residence.
There was no doubt about it: the experts dispersed throughout the residence had been spurred into action.
But it was as if Su Yi didnât even see it. His divine sense spread out, instantly covering the entire residence. He then proceeded ahead.
âStop!â Off in the distance, a man in dark armor bellowed, strung his enormous bow, and fired.
Beng!
The arrow arced the air, sharp and quick.
Su Yi flicked his fingers.
A streak of sword qi flew through the air, and the arrow burst apart with a bang.
The sword qi continued ahead, its power not reduced in the slightest. It pierced through the armored manâs throat, its terrifying penetrative power sending the man flying. His corpse landed over a hundred feet away.
âEveryone, attack together!â An infuriated bellow rang out, and people swarmed in on all sides.
However, almost all of them were below the Spiritual Manifestation Realm. How could they possibly be a match for Su Yi?
Su Yi stepped forward, his sleeves fluttering around him. Every time he attacked, dazzling sword qi flew through the air, killing enemies in batches.
He cut them down like a farmer harvesting mustard greens, continuing ahead as if there were no one else around.
Xuan Ning followed him. His expression was calm, without the slightest ripple of emotion.
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Back in the day, his master had dominated the Nine Provinces with the power of his Dao of the Sword. He'd once killed imperial cultivators as easily as if they were monkeys and chickens.
By comparison, this spectacle wasnât even worth mentioning.
However, Xuan Ning was inwardly extremely confused. How⌠How did Master wind up like this?
Could the rumors be true? Did Master really enter the cycle of samsara and walk the unknown path of reincarnation?
The thought made Xuan Ningâs heart quiver.
Reincarnation and rebirth!
These concepts were like a taboo. Even in the Nine Provinces of the Wilds, they existed only in fleeting rumors.
If Master really did it, thatâs undoubtedly no different from violating a taboo and walking the path of legends!
âSu Yi, it really is you!â The woman in phoenix robes, Daoist Master Hong, and the purple-robed middle-aged man arrived together.
When they saw the carnage, their expressions darkened.
And when she saw Ge Qian unconscious in Xuan Ningâs arms, the woman in phoenix robes exclaimed, âGe Changling? ThisâŚâ
Her companionsâ expressions shifted slightly too. They immediately realized that something had almost certainly happened to He Changying and his companions!
âIâll count to three,â said Su Yi calmly. âWhoever tells me where Huan Shaoyou is can escape death.â
Heâd already spread his divine sense over every inch of the residence, but he detected no trace of Huan Shaoyouâs presence.
âImpudent!â Daoist Master Hong couldnât help but laugh. âSu Yi, this is Huan Family territory. If you take this any further, not even the Great Xiaâs imperial family will be able to save you!â
Su Yi ignored him. His lips parted, and he uttered but a single word. âOne.â
âYouâŚâ Daoist Master Hongâs gaze glinted with sinister light. He was obviously infuriated.
The purple-robed middle-aged man furrowed his brow.
Su Yiâs overbearingness completely surpassed their expectations.
The woman in phoenix robes took a deep breath and said, âSu Yi, Iâll tell you the truth. Our young master isnât currently in Nine Tripod City.â
âTwo.â Su Yiâs expression remained calm. He wasnât at all moved.
He obviously wasnât satisfied with the womanâs answer.
âMadam Ruowen, how brazen is this boy? Why be polite to him? Letâs just attack together and kill him!â said Daoist Master Hong. âThis is an ideal opportunity to avenge the young master!â
The corners of the purple-robed middle-aged manâs lips twitched. If Su Yi were really so easy to kill, why would we be wasting time talking to him?
The woman in phoenix robes sighed. âYou ought to know the severity of the injuries the young master suffered yesterday better than anyone. Last night, he was sent out of the city. Huan Family elders took him to a place only main-line descendants of the Huan Family know about, their ancestral ground, for treatment.â
Daoist Master Hong said in displeasure, âMadam Ruowen, why tell him all that?â
The purple-robed middle-aged man, however, seemed to realize something. His expression darkened, and he roared, âMadam Ruowen, I didnât realize you were such a coward! If the young master finds out about this, thereâs no way heâll let you off!â
When he heard this, Daoist Master Hong reacted too, and his expression changed dramatically. âYou slut! Youâre actually betraying the young master just to save yourself!?â
It was as if she didnât even hear them. She just stared directly at Su Yi. âI already told you everything I know. Fellow Daoist, please keep your promise.â
Su Yiâs brow furrowed slightly. âYou donât know where the Huan Familyâs ancestral ground is either?â
She shook her head. âWeâre merely subordinates of the Huan Family. Weâre not qualified to learn such secrets.â
âOh,â said Su Yi. âStand aside and wait for now.â
He then glanced at Daoist Master Hong and the purple-robed man. Without so much as a wasted word, he drew his sword with a clang and swung.
Whoosh!
Sword qi descended from above, like the river of stars pouring onto the world below, illuminating the night sky. It struck with vast force and momentum.
âYouâre seeking death!â Daoist Master Hong activated a bronze spear and stabbed the air in front of him.
But at the same time, the purple-robed manâs figure blurred as he turned and fled into the distance.
No one had anticipated this development, especially not Daoist Master Hong. His expression changed dramatically.
First, Madam Ruowen took the initiative to back down and concede.
Now, the purple-robed middle-aged man fled before the fighting even broke out!
The combination gave Daoist Master Hong a strong sense of foreboding.
But heâd already begun his attack; it would be difficult to withdraw now. It was too late to change his mind even if he wanted to.
Bang!
A deafening explosion rang out.
Crunch!
Immediately afterward, Daoist Master Hongâs spear split in two. He staggered back and almost fell.
Practically simultaneously, Su Yi turned around, waved the Abstruse God Sword, and slashed at the fleeing purple-robed middle-aged man.
There was only one word to describe this slash: quick!
It seemed almost instantaneous. In a flash, it appeared several hundred feet away and descended upon the purple-robed man.
The purple-robed man was frantic with terror. He took a deep breath, and throughout his body, bones and tendons cracked and popped. His entire figure expanded, and his muscles bulged, bursting through his clothing. Shockingly, a faint layer of dark hair sprouted on his skin.
A horn grew from his forehead, and his eyes turned an intimidating bright red.
Terrifying bloody energy burst around him, like a volcanic eruption.
Heâd transformed into a giant, ferocious ape!
âOpen!â He roared, and an enormous black shield appeared in his hands. He held it in front of himself.
Bang!!!
The enormous black shield shook violently.
Beneath the terrifying, explosive power of that slash, the middle-aged manâs enormous body was pushed into the ground, like a shooting star leaving a crater in the earth. Smoke and dust field the air.
Immediately afterward, cracks appeared on the enormous black shieldâs surface, and it split apart with a bang.
The purple-robed middle-aged man couldnât help but gasp.
The shield was called âMountain Defenderâ, and it was an extremely powerful defensive Spirit Dao treasure. It had helped him block numerous otherwise fatal attacks.
Yet now, a single attack from an Origin Palace Realm youth had broken it!
If I hadnât taken out this treasure and blocked in time, what would have happened to me? The middle-aged man broke out in cold sweats.
He turned and fled once more, only for the humming of a sword to rise like the tide and boom like thunder, blanketing the entire stretch of air.
The purple-robed middle-aged man suddenly looked up.
He saw a waterfall of sword qi blanket heaven and earth and descend. It was densely packed, and it approached from all sides.
The clear sword qi was dazzling bright. It was especially eye-catching against the darkness of the night sky.
But in the purple-robed manâs eyes, it was like the shadow of death. It emanated a lethal threat, and his courage left him.
âSave meââ!â He let out a heaven-shaking roar.
Rumble!
In the blink of an eye, a boundless sword rain enveloped him. His panicked cries instantly transformed into miserable, imbittered shrieks.
The noise soon came to an abrupt halt.
By the time the sword rain dispersed, the floor was covered in densely-packed cuts.
The center of the sword scars contained puddles of blood and piled-up, finely-chopped flesh!
In just two slashes, Su Yi had slain a fleeing Spiritual Manifestation cultivator!
This terrifying scene made the distant woman in phoenix-patterned robes and Daoist Master Hong gasp. Their scalps numbed.
When they next looked at Su Yi, their expressions were already filled with dread.
This was just too terrifying!
The power Su Yi now had on display was far greater than at the Orchid Terrace Dharma Assembly.
Only now did the two of them realize why He Changying, Cui Heng, and Li Hanmu had yet to return. It was highly likely that theyâd long since fallen beneath Su Yiâs blade!
When he sensed Su Yiâs gaze landing on him, Daoist Master Hong shuddered from head to toe. His knees gave out, and he knelt on the floor.
He kowtowed and shouted, âYour Excellency Su Yi, Iâm willing to submit! Iâm willing to submit! So long as you spare my life, Iâll serve you so long as I live. Iâll work like a horse or an ox, even if it kills me!â
He was a Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivator, yet here he was, so scared that he was kneeling and begging for mercy. This caught even Madam Ruowen off guard.
She wouldnât have guessed that the horny old goat was so spineless!
âEven if it kills you? Sure. Go ahead and die now, then.â
As his calm, even voice rang out, Su Yi attacked once more.
There was a flash of sword light.
Before Daoist Master Hong could resistâno, before he even knew what was happeningâhis head toppled to the ground!