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“Do whatever you want?” Li Handeng took a breath and repressed his eagerness to kill. “Then I’ll be looking forward to seeing how you 'act however you want' when Huan Shaoyou, Mo Xingzhe, and the other monsters of the ancient era find you!”
Su Yi sighed. “And here I thought someone of your caliber would have the courage to kill decisively after stepping into the Spiritual Manifestation Realm. Ultimately, you’re still looking to borrow others’ hands to deal with me. It’s truly disappointing.”
“You…” Li Handeng’s expression suddenly darkened.
Su Yi looked directly at him. “Do you dare to fight me?”
The atmosphere was instantly tense.
Li Handeng’s expression shifted uncertainly.
A while later, he laughed coldly. “I don’t know why you want to provoke me like this, but since Huan Shaoyou, Mo Xingzhe, and several others targeting you are here on Sumeru Immortal Island, why do something so superfluous?”
With one last swoosh of his sleeves, he turned and walked away. “We’re leaving.”
Wu Xun and Gu Hanqiu obviously weren’t willing, but when they saw this, they could only endure. Both turned and left with Li Handeng.
“In the end, he dared not take action. He’d obviously still quite fearful of you,” said Wen Xinzhao thoughtfully as she watched Li Handeng’s group fade from view.
“That’s perfectly normal. In the Origin Palace Realm, Brother Su killed the mid-stage Spiritual Manifestation Realm old-timer, Huo Tiandu. Now, Brother Su is already a Gathering Stars cultivator. It’s perfectly reasonable for Li Handeng to have reservations,” Yue Shichan said softly. “But I wouldn’t have guessed one of the most outstanding geniuses of his era would be so cautious even after reaching the Spiritual Manifestation Realm.”
“Caution keeps you alive,” said Ge Qian knowingly. “If he hadn’t been so cautious just now, if he’d chosen to attack, what would have been the result? I’m afraid he’d have lost his life.”
The group couldn’t help but grin.
“Caution isn’t a bad thing,” said Su Yi. “Besides, he has a chance to borrow another’s knife to kill me. It’s natural that Li Handeng wouldn’t want to risk himself.”
“Brother Su, why didn’t you take him out earlier?” Wen Xinzhao asked curiously.
“It’s not like I’m a homicidal maniac,” Su Yi said casually. “There’s no need to overly concern myself with someone like him. Besides, if I kill Huan Shaoyou and Mo Xingzhe, do you think someone like Li Handeng would still dare oppose me?”
His companions shook their heads.
If the Spiritual Manifestation Realm Huan Shaoyou and Mo Xingzhe weren’t a match for Su Yi, how could Li Handeng dare view Su Yi with enmity?
“Let’s go.” Su Yi turned and left without any further delays.
…
Late at night.
“Senior Apprentice Brother Li, why didn’t you attack and kill Su Yi earlier?” Wu Xun couldn’t help but ask.
“A rich man doesn’t sit beneath the eaves and expose himself to danger. Even in the Origin Palace Realm, Su Yi could easily kill Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivators of the prior generation,” said Li Handeng, his gaze cold and calm. “As of tonight, he’s stepped into the Gathering Stars Realm. Furthermore, when he broke through, he triggered a matchless and strange phenomenon of the Grand Dao. He’s surely even stronger than before. It would be unwise to risk fighting him.”
Wu Xun obviously wasn’t convinced. “But we have the killer weapons the sect gave us. Between that and your current cultivation, I’m confident we could kill Su Yi.”
Li Handeng just asked, “Don’t you think a heaven-defying figure like Su Yi has trump cards of his own?”
Wu Xun and Gu Hanqiu both fell silent.
“Let’s just wait. There’s no way Huan Shaoyou and Mo Xingzhe will let Su Yi go!” Li Handeng’s eyes flashed.
He actually wasn’t afraid of letting loose and fighting Su Yi. There was just no need, given the circumstances.
“Then where should we head next, Senior Apprentice Brother Li?” asked Gu Hanqiu.
“To Sumeru Mountain. That’s where the main temple of the Sumeru Shrine is, and it’s sure to hide opportunities and fortune connected to the sect,” said Li Handeng. “Unless I mistake my guess, numerous other brand-new Spirit Dao cultivators have already headed that way.”
……
The tenth day of the tenth lunar month.
Morning.
“Is that Sumeru Mountain?” Gu Cangning gazed into the distance, a hint of surprise and alarm on his face.
He saw a vast plain in the distance, with a towering, majestic mountain rising from the ground. It was steep, and while the bulk of the mountain was golden, it was shrouded in a layer of strange dark shadows.
And the peak was enveloped in blood-colored mists. The mists blotted out the sky, and numerous remnants of dead stars hovered amidst the fog, flickering in and out of view.
Just looking at it from a distance was enough to make one’s heart quiver in terror.
This scene was far too sinister.
This was a radiant, glittering divine mountain, yet it was shrouded in a strange dark shadow, and the corpses of fallen stars were scattered throughout the crimson mists hovering around its peak. The combination was eerie and unsettling.
“Rumor has it that Sumeru Immortal Island hides secrets regarding the origins of the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness. Could those secrets be hidden on Sumeru Mountain?” After a moment’s consideration, Gu Cangning shot into the distance.
The closer he got, the more he realized just how majestic and enormous Sumeru Mountain was; it was like a pillar holding up the heavens. Standing before it, he felt tinier and more insignificant than ever before, as if he were an ant.
Thirty thousand years ago, Sumeru Immortal Island was one of the world’s three great yao sects, alongside the Immortals’ Sword House and the Burning Sun Sect.
Its strength and accumulations made Sumeru Immortal Island the greatest of the three.
Its founder, Yao Emperor Sumeru, was one of the Nine Emperors of the Azure.
Sumeru Mountain was the location of the Sumeru Shrine’s main temple, so it was naturally a first-rate blessed land. Cultivators saw it as a pure land detached from the rest of the world.
Yet now, this divine mountain had become incomparably sinister and eerie.
“Hm?” Before long, Gu Cangning stopped in his tracks.
An enormous ritual ground stood at the foot of Sumeru Mountain. The sect’s main entrance stood at the far end.
However, the mountain gate was already in ruins, with numerous shattered statues and boulders nearby. Past the gates was a path enveloped in dark shadows.
The path up the mountain was a winding stone staircase, but it too was severely damaged, and it was stained with blood. The sight was shocking.
Something strange and terrifying must have happened here a long time ago! Gu Cangning was instantly solemn.
Gu Cangning was instantly serious.
“Someone else has come.”
“Oh, so it’s Gu Cangning.”
A series of voices emanated from within the ritual grounds.
Gu Cangning’s expression didn’t even waver. He looked over and saw at least ten people gathered on the enormous ritual grounds.
Huan Shaoyou, Mo Xingzhe, and Buddhist Son Chen Lu were among them.
However, Gu Cangning sensed that something strange was afoot.
The ten-plus figures were divided into two clear camps.
The first was a group of monsters of the ancient era led by Huan Shaoyou and Mo Xingzhe. There were seven of them in total. This group stood within the ritual grounds.
The other group consisted of geniuses of the present day. Chen Lu led this group, and there were five of them in total, including Yu Wenshu and Jiang Li.
They stood outside the ritual grounds.
The distinction was clear.
However, they did have one thing in common: both the monsters of the ancient era and the geniuses of the present day had all already stepped into the Spirit Dao!
In other words, twelve Spiritual Manifestation cultivators with extraordinary talent and accumulations now stood here.
However, anyone could see that the monsters of the ancient era had an enormous advantage.
“Brother Gu, you just arrived, so you don’t understand the situation at Sumeru Mountain yet. Allow me to enlighten you!” laughed a white-haired youth in ornate robes.
“Oh? I’ll have to thank you in advance, then, Brother Qi.” Gu Cangning recognized him. His name was Qi Xiao, and he was a first-class figure even among monsters of the ancient era. Although he wasn’t as heaven-defying as Huan Shaoyou and Mo Xingzhe, he too was shockingly capable.
“Haha, what are you thanking me for?” Qi Xiao said with a hearty laugh. The words flowed out of him as he explained the situation.
Gu Cangning quickly understood.
The monsters of the ancient era and geniuses of the present day had gathered here to seize a chance to enter Sumeru Mountain as soon as possible!
According to Qi Xiao, the dark shadow enveloping the mountain was a remnant of the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness, but it was already weakened and fading.
Based on their deductions, it would disappear completely within three days.
That would be the most opportune moment to enter Sumeru Mountain.
The ritual ground they currently stood on was called the Platform of Heaven’s Ascension. It was the place closest to Sumeru Mountain’s main gate.
“Brother Gu, as you can see, we monsters of the ancient era have already occupied the Platform of Heaven’s Ascension,” said Qi Xiao. “Anyone who joins our ranks will have an opportunity to enter Sumeru Mountain in search of good fortune as soon as the Prohibition disappears.
“Furthermore, if anyone dares compete with us, we’ll join forces to take them down!” As he said this, he swept his gaze across Chen Lu and the others outside the ritual grounds. It was obvious who he was referring to.
“So that’s it.” Gu Cangning was starting to understand.
Huan Shaoyou, Mo Xingzhe, Qi Xiao, and the other monsters of the ancient era had clearly joined forces to occupy the Platform of Heaven's Ascension.
In this way, when they entered Sumeru Mountain in search of fortune, they’d have an absolute advantage.
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When he looked at Chen Lu’s group, he could tell that although they too had formed an alliance, their comprehensive strength was weaker.
“Come on over, Brother Gu.” Qi Xiao extended an invitation with a smile. “No matter what, we were all born in the same era, and we’re the same type of people. We ought to stick together.”
He stopped here, then smacked himself on the forehead it seemed he’d only just recalled something. “Right, if you choose to form an alliance with us, you’ll need to agree to two conditions.
“First, everyone in our alliance must be unified against outsiders. We’ll advance and retreat together, and as we venture into Sumeru Immortal Island, we’ll follow Fellow Daoist Huan and Fellow Daoist Mo’s arrangements.”
Gu Cangning’s brow furrowed. “And the second condition?”
Qi Xiao smiled. “That’s simple. Now that we’ve formed an alliance, Su Yi is our common enemy. Should he appear, we’re to coordinate with Fellow Daoists Huan and Mo to exterminate him.”
Kill Su Yi? Gu Cangning’s pupils constricted.
He suddenly realized that this was the reason Huan Shaoyou and the others had joined forces.
“What do you think, Brother Gu?” asked Qi Xiao.
Gu Cangning remained silent.
Qi Xiao’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What, don’t tell me there’s something about those conditions you can’t accept?”
Mo Xingzhe was nearby, and he suddenly interjected mockingly, “Fellow Daoist Gu, surely you don’t think all of us combined are still no match for Su Yi?”
The other monsters of the ancient era couldn’t help but laugh. The air was full of revelry.
All of them had stepped into the Spiritual Manifestation Realm, and they were joining forces to take down a single Origin Dao cultivator. If anything, they were overdoing it.
Someone would have to be blind and stupid to think their lineup was no match for Su Yi.