His two companions had been killed, and even this fortuitous location had been seized. The extent of his losses made him feel as if his heart were dripping blood.
A while later, he took a deep breath, and when he spoke, he paused for emphasis between each word. âSu Yi, just you wait!â
With that, he turned and left.
His figure blurred, and soon, he was gone.
Su Yi didnât give chase.
Feng Zidu had mastered the Dao Charm of Elusive Shadows, and he practiced a miraculous movement technique. It would be extremely difficult to take him down on short notice.
Su Yi didnât want to waste all that energy on someone so unimportant.
More importantly, Feng Ziduâs escape wasnât a bad thing for Su Yi. Perhaps, even more fish might throw themselves into his net as a resultâŚ
âBrother Su, the two you just killed were Dongguo Yun and Ran Chong. Both were monsters of the ancient era. In the Orchid Terrace Dharma Assembly, Dongguo Yun ranked thirteenth, while Ran Chong naked nineteenth, Wen Xinzhao explained at top speeds. âDongguo Yun wasnât the strongest, but they say he has incredible origins. His ancestor was the Imperial Realm expert of an ancient clan.â
Only then did Su Yi learn that the man in black was called Dongguo Yun, while the one whoâd died beneath the ice was called Ran Chong.
âIâve heard a bit about Dongguo Yun. They say he has a pervertedly strong elder brother called Dongguo Feng. Thirty thousand years ago, he was already a Spirit Dao cultivator with terrifying foundations,â said Ge Qian gravely.
He continued, âAlthough Dongguo Feng has yet to awaken from dormancy, thereâs no doubt that when he reemerges, heâll have an extraordinary impact.â
His brow furrowed. âWhatâs even more troublesome is that Feng Zidu got away. That means we cannot hide Dongguo Yun and Ran Chongâs deaths. After we leave Sumeru Immortal Island, the Dongguo Family will find out, and thereâs no way theyâll just let this goâŚâ
Ge Qian suddenly shut his mouth.
Heâd discovered that Su Yi had already left, and he now stood before the lotus pond, scrutinizing it.
Heâd obviously ignored Ge Qianâs warning completelyâŚ
Ge Qian grimaced.
Wen Xinzhao couldnât help but interject, âFellow Daoist Ge, in the struggle for the Grand Dao, how can you be so overcautious and so concerned about gains and losses? Weâve all come to Sumeru Immortal Island to vie for treasure; conflict and bloodshed are inevitable. You ought to have known that.
âBesides, even Huan Shaoyou and Mo Xingzhe hate Brother Su to the bone. Should we encounter them, the resulting battle wonât end until one side is dead. In light of this, your overcaution seems a bitâŚâ
Yue Shichan finished the thought for her. â...Lacking in spirit,â
Wen Xinzhao nodded.
âYouâre wrong to blame him like that.â Su Yiâs voice suddenly emanated from the shore. âGe Qian is cautious by nature, and the Grand Dao he pursues is different from other people. Considering such details is the most appropriate way for him to act, as it's most in line with his nature.
âBy planning ahead for a rainy day, he can be ready for disasters before they occur. By making thorough preparations, he can resolve them safely when they arrive. His temperament and chosen path canât be considered âbad.ââ
When Ge Qian heard this, his heart shook. He felt more moved than ever before, and he was visibly dazed.
He would never have guessed that the person who understood him best in this world would turn out to be Su Yi!
His master, Ge Changling, frequently complained about Ge Qian's inability to change his temperament. He frequently called Ge Qian a cowardly little turtle whoâd rather live his entire life in degradation than take any risks.
Only Su Yi didnât think his caution was a bad thing!
Strange. This guy is obviously bold and domineering to the extreme, as if he doesnât take anything in this world seriously. His personality is nothing like mine, yet he seems to understand meâŚÂ Waves of emotion coursed through Ge Qianâs heart.
He felt seen and approved of. He couldnât help but see Su Yi as someone who truly understood him.
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However, Su Yiâs next words made Ge Qianâs warm, fuzzy feelings disappear in a puff of smoke.
âOf course, this way of doing things isnât âgoodâ either. You two shouldnât imitate him. If you do, your sword hearts will get covered in dust.â
Wen Xinzhao couldnât help but grin, while Yue Shichan nodded seriously.
The corners of Ge Qianâs lips twitched, and he didnât know whether to laugh or cry.
Su Yi turned his head and glanced at Ge Qian. âDonât just stand there. Hurry up and gather our spoils.â
âUh⌠okay!â Ge Qian hurriedly agreed.
It was only after heâd gotten to work that he realized that Su Yi was ordering him about like an errand boyâŚ.
And here I thought he understood me! Heâs treating me like a laborer! Ge Qianâs spirits sank.
However, by the time he finished gathering up the spoils, he was in a good mood again.
He wouldnât have guessed it, but the two dead monsters of the ancient era, Dongguo Yun and Ran Chong, each carried quite a few rare and precious treasures!
Of them, three were particularly valuable.
The first was a Primordial Chaos Demon-Suppressing Mirror, a defensive Spirit Dao treasure. It was the work of a Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivator, and it was top-quality. It could block even the full-force attack of a Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivator.
Dongguo Yun had it hidden on his person, but Su Yi grabbed him by the throat and subdued him before he got the chance to use itâŚ
Had he activated it in time, he wouldnât have lost so quickly.
The second was a talisman shaped like a weaverâs shuttle. It was called the âCombating Chaos Void-Breaking Talisman.â
The talisman was emblazoned with terrifying spatial power. When activated, even if you were trapped within a formation, you could break through and escape. It could give you hope of new life even in the face of grave peril!
This, too, once belonged to Dongguo Yun.
Alas, Su Yi captured him so quickly that he never got the chance to use it, eitherâŚ
The third was a set of soft armor, the Cloudsoul Spirit Firmament Armor.
It was made of extremely rare Cloudsoul Silk, and a Spirit Dao cultivator had used secret arts to place thirty-four defensive formations over its surface. It was invulnerable to both fire and water, and swords and sabers could hardly scratch it. It was even resistant to dust, poison, and malevolent energies. Its worth was immeasurable in spirit stones.
Ran Chong had been wearing it. It was supposed to be his life-saving treasure.
Unfortunately for him, when Su Yi stabbed him, the spear penetrated his throat, missing the soft armor completelyâŚ
These three precious treasures aside, they found pills for treating injuries, spirit stones, and other cultivation resources. All were top grade and hard to find in the mundane world.
After taking inventory of the spoils, even Ge Qian couldnât help but covet them. These monsters of the ancient era are simply rolling in it! Itâs almost enough to make someone want to rob a few more of themâŚ
When Ge Qian presented the spoils, even Su Yi couldnât help but feel a bit surprised. In the modern Azure Continent, such fatty sheep were indeed rare.
In the end, Su Yi gave the Primordial Chaos Demon-Suppressing Mirror to Wen Xinzhao, the Cloudsoul Spirit Firmament Armor to Yue Shichan, and the Combating Chaos Void-Breaking Talisman to Ge Qian.
The various other treasures and cultivation resources, he kept for himself.
At first, his companions were a bit uncomfortable. They hadnât contributed, so they felt unqualified to take a portion of the spoils.
But how could Su Yi concern himself with such treasures?
Heâd always done things this way. Whenever he traveled with someone, he always split the spoils evenly. Heâd done so in his past life, and heâd do the same in this life.
âMany thanks, Brother Su.â Wen Xinzhaoâs beautiful eyes sparkled, and she laughed charmingly. She made no attempt to hide her delight.
Yue Shichan didnât say anything, but when her aloof, icy gaze landed on Su Yi, it softened.
Ge Qian was so moved he almost burst into tears. He would never have guessed that traveling with Su Yi wouldnât just mean receiving Su Yiâs protection; he was even receiving a share of the spoils!
This treatment far exceeded his imagination.
No wonder the old timer was so dead-set on having me follow Su Yi. He must have anticipated this! This is far beyond the bare minimum; heâs being downright generousâŚ! Ge Qian muttered to himself.
Although he didnât know it, in Su Yiâs eyes, he was a âgrand-discipleâ of sorts, his junior by two generations. As his senior, how could Su Yi possibly be stingy with him?
After divvying up the treasures, Su Yi didnât delay. He immediately got busy.
He casually took out a blank jade talisman and started crafting tools for placing a formation.
âYour Excellency, what are you doing?â Ge Qian asked respectfully.
Wealth could influence the human heart. It could soothe their hearts, and buy them too.
Although Ge Qian hadnât exactly been bought, after receiving such a generous gift from Su Yi, this scrupulously cautious young manâs attitude underwent a noticeable shift.
âSince weâre just going to be hanging out here, we might as well imitate Feng Ziduâs methods, set a trap here, and wait for prey to come to us. Letâs see how much we can catch over the next three days,â said Su Yi as he worked on the formation.
Ge Qian was stunned, and he couldnât help but gasp. He wouldnât have guessed that someone so proud and contemptuous would do something so insidious.
âWondrous!â Wen Xinzhaoâs beautiful eyes lit up. âEarlier, Feng Zidu lay in ambush here, in part to trap and kill anyone who tried to run off with this good fortune, and in part to seize this opportunity to gather trophies. If he hadnât bumped into youâif weâd been anyone elseâIâm afraid it would have worked, too.
âAlthough Feng Zidu got away, heâs surely unwilling to accept this. Itâs highly likely that heâll spread word of the good fortune waiting here in hopes that experts will target you, Brother Su. He likely wants to âwatch from the mountains as tigers fightâ, then swoop in at the end.
âBrother Su, by doing this, youâre turning his plans against him!â
Her voice was like the clear ringing of a bell, and it contained eagerness and excitement.
Yue Shichan nodded. âThe Yin-Yang Divine Fire Lotus needs three more days to fully mature. If we keep watch here the whole time to prevent anyone from taking the lotus, the moment an external enemy arrives, weâll be in a passive position. Brother Su, this method of yours really is excellent.â
Ge Qian looked at the refreshing, refined, naturally stunning Wen Xinzhao, and the icy, picturesque Yue Shichan. He couldnât help but feel flabbergasted.
Others see both women as peerless beauties, like fairies or immortals. So why is it that they seem this excited when discussing something as insidious as trapping other people�
It doesnât seem to match their personalities or their image!
âWhat do you think, Fellow Daoist Ge?â asked Wen Xinzhao in a bright, clear voice.
Ge Qian instantly broke into an eager smile, and he let out a heartfelt sigh. âThis is truly a wondrous plan, too wondrous for words!â
When he heard this, the corners of Su Yiâs lips couldnât help but curve into a grin.
He didnât tell his companions this, but earlier, heâd let Feng Zidu escape for this very purpose. He was eager to see just how many âchivesâ would fling themselves onto his scythe over the course of the next three daysâŚ