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When the middle-aged scholar said this, all the youths looked at Su Yi.
The young man in blue looked like he was about the same age as them.
However, he lacked the liveliness and vitality of a young man. On the contrary, he seemed completely out of place in the group.
Some of the youths thought him overly proud. They figured he was deliberately putting on airs.
Others thought he seemed lacking in youthful vigor, as if he were an old man. He didn’t seem likable at all.
Some even wondered if this young man traveling all on his own had low self-esteem, and if that was why he found it hard to fit in…
However, none of them provoked Su Yi.
This was because the middle-aged scholar warned them that this seemingly out-of-place young man in blue was no ordinary person. He warned them not to offend him lightly.
“An expert’s letter of recommendation?” Su Yi sounded dazed.
A young man in a green shirt said crisply, “Don’t you know? If you want to become a disciple of Cloudsky Divine Palace, you need aptitude and foundations sufficient to pass their tests, as well as a letter of recommendation.”
Su Yi instantly understood. He laughed and shook his head. “I’m not going to Cloudsky Divine Palace to cultivate.”
“Then what are you going for?” The crowd couldn’t help but feel surprised.
“I’m going to fetch someone,” said Su Yi.
Fetch someone?
Even the middle-aged scholar couldn’t help but feel startled.
“Young lord, do you perhaps have relatives at Cloudsky Divine Palace?” asked the young woman in green.
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“I don’t.”
“Then who are you going there to fetch?” the girl asked in confusion.
“Wen Xinzhao,” said Su Yi.
Wen Xinzhao!
The entire group was stunned.
This was the Little Sword Demon famous throughout the Great Xia, as well as the most dazzling, fairy-like beauty of the entire Solar Province!
Who didn’t know her name?
Except…. They couldn’t imagine Wen Xinzhao having any connection with the young man in front of them.
“How lofty of a figure is Wen Xinzhao? Who are you to crack jokes about her?” said a silver-robed young man in displeasure. He scowled coldly, then paid Su Yi no further heed.
The others shook their heads as well. They figured Su Yi was bragging and that he had an inflated ego. He was obviously just trying to pretend he and Wen Xinzhao had some kind of relationship.
The youths’ seniors looked at each other. They couldn’t help but smile too.
What young man didn’t admire Wen Xinzhao? She was a peerless beauty of her generation!
No one paid Su Yi any heed.
Even the young woman in green sighed. “Young lord, even in jest, you can’t joke about Wen Xinzhao. Also, your joke wasn’t at all funny.”
With that, she ignored Su Yi too.
Su Yi was at a loss for words.
Who’d have thought Wen Xinzhao’s position in these youths’ hearts was so lofty?
To the point they wouldn’t even tolerate casual remarks about her…
The group’s leader, the middle-aged scholar, thought for a moment, then smiled. “Young friend, dare I ask what you’re going to see Wen Xinzhao for?”
Su Yi gazed at the distant, misty landscape. “Cloudsky Divine Palace has subordinated itself to the Dongguo Family, who have a grudge against me. I naturally cannot allow Xinzhao to remain there.”
Despite his scholarly disposition, the middle-aged man was unwittingly stunned and visibly flabbergasted.
After a while, he laughed. “So that’s it.”
Then, he paid Su Yi no further heed either.
“That guy actually says the Dongguo Family has a grudge against him…? Haha, I bet they don’t even know who he is.”
“Ugh, that guy’s just awful. He actually called Wen Xinzhao by her given name. I’d really like to teach him a lesson…”
“Forget it! A braggart with illusions of grandeur, that’s all. Ignore him. We belong to two different worlds.”
The youths whispered amongst themselves.
The young woman in green seemed particularly indignant. She grumbled, “He’s so good-looking, but why does he have to be so vain? He’s got a golden exterior, but there’s nothing but cotton inside. It’s truly disappointing.”
Their elders laughed, but all of them disregarded this little interlude. They naturally didn’t trust a thing Su Yi said.
Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh, but he didn’t mind this at all.
This was just how the world was. It was hard to differentiate truth and lies, so people preferred to believe whatever matched their preconceptions.
……
An hour later, the group arrived at Cloudsky Divine Palace’s gates.
The magnificent gates were swathed in cloud.
When the group looked inside, they saw numerous peaks and scattered ancient buildings. Flocks of white cranes soared overhead, filling the air with their sonorous cries.
As the spiritual energy of heaven and earth recovered, Cloudsky Divine Mountain transformed. It was now clearly different from before. Misty clouds hung overhead and the air was full of spiritual energy. It was a first-rate blessed mountain for cultivation.
When Su Yi and his group arrived, groups of cultivators were flying to and fro, blurring into streaks of light and busying themselves throughout the mountain. It was quite a lively scene.
“Is this what an immortal abode looks like?”
“If I can cultivate here going forward, I’d be so proud of myself…”
The youths’ eyes shone with longing and eagerness.
However, their behavior was reserved and cautious, and they dared not speak randomly.
Compared to a massive, powerful faction like Cloudsky Divine Palace, their backgrounds were entirely unworthy of notice.
“Ol’ Brother Ren, you’re finally here.” A man in a feather coat walked through the mountain gates to welcome them. He carried a fly whisk in his hand.
The middle-aged scholar clasped his fist in greeting and smiled. “Brother Wei, long time no see!”
Wei Ting.
An inner sect elder of Cloudsky Divine Palace.
As he spoke, the middle-aged scholar gestured to the young men and women. “Quickly, greet Elder Wei. Whether you pass the entrance test and make it into Cloudsky Divine Palace is all up to him.”
The youths approached and greeted him respectfully.
“Brother Ren, I’m afraid you’ve come at the wrong time,” Wei Ting laughed bitterly. “We cannot conduct entrance exams now or in the near future.”
The group was stunned.
The middle-aged scholar said, “Why is that?”
Wei Ting pointed to the cultivators busy working. “Everyone in Cloudsky Divine Palace, regardless of rank, is busy preparing for a grand battle. We’re making improvements to our defensive grand formation. That includes our top experts, and even our sect leader.”
The middle-aged man exclaimed, “A grand battle? Don’t tell me powerful enemies are invading in the near future?”
Wei Ting shook his head, a strange look in his eyes. “I wouldn’t say ‘powerful enemies.’ He’s not an enemy of Cloudsky Divine Palace, but an enemy of the Dongguo Family.”
“Who is it?”
“Su Yi.”
It was as if this name were a magic spell. The surrounding area instantly fell silent.
The middle-aged scholar and the youths were stunned.
“Didn’t Su Yi disappear months ago?” the scholar couldn’t help but ask.
“You haven’t heard, Brother Ren? Two days ago, Su Yi appeared in the Glittering Ghost Domain and single-handedly cut down six Spiritual Manifestation experts of Hidden Cloud Sword Mountain, including Chu Yunke,” said Wei Ting. “It was on that day that Su Yi agreed to come to Cloudsky Divine Palace and duel His Excellency Dongguo Feng!”
This declaration provoked a series of gasps. Everyone was stunned.
This news was so shocking that the mere thought of it made their hearts quiver.
After all, both Su Yi and Dongguo Feng were legendary figures famed throughout the Great Xia.
Who could have imagined that the two of them would stage an unmatched duel here, at Cloudsky Divine Mountain?”
Suddenly, a calm voice rang out. “You’re wrong.”
When they looked over and saw Su Yi, the group’s expressions shifted.
“Young friend, don’t speak impetuously!” the middle-aged scholar whispered a rebuke.
The youths looked displeased too. Is this flippant, vain guy really dead-set on shocking everyone with his outrageous lies again?
“I’m wrong?” Wen Ting couldn’t help but be surprised, and he asked with a smile, “Dare I ask what exactly I’m wrong about?”
“I’ve come to Cloudsky Divine Mountain to take Xinzhao with me, not specifically to duel Dongguo Feng,” said Su Yi.
The others couldn’t help but find this absurd. Is… Is he impersonating Su Yi this time?
The young woman in green couldn’t help but snap, “Young lord, earlier, you were bragging about running off with Wen Xinzhao. That was already over the line, but now you’re impersonating His Excellency Su Yi? This is no longer just a joke; you’re going to get yourself killed like this. Got it?”
The other youths frowned too.
Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “What need is there for me to impersonate myself?”
The middle-aged scholar, however, sensed that something was amiss, and he couldn’t help but reevaluate Su Yi.
Wei Ting practically jumped out of his skin and asked, “Brother Ren, don’t tell me this is really…”
The middle-aged scholar grimaced. “Brother Wei, he and I… met along the way. I don’t know his origins or identity.”
Wei Ting’s expression filled with uncertainty.
It was then that a grave voice rang out in the distance. “Elder Wei, why are you lingering near the gates?”
A tall figure appeared alongside this voice.
He had an elegant, scholarly bearing, and he was dressed in dark robes.
A group of experts was clustered behind him, further highlighting his extraordinary status.
When they saw these new arrivals, the middle-aged scholar and the others trembled. Their faces filled with awe, and they bowed in greeting.
“Greetings, Sect Master Yu Jiuzhen!”
The man in dark robes was none other than the leader of Cloudsky Divine Palace, Yu Jiuzhen.
Despite themselves, the youths were struck dumb.
Yu Jiuzhen!
To them, Wei Ting was already someone so illustrious they could only gaze upon him from afar. The leader of Cloudsky Divine Palace was practically a god!
“Don’t just stand there! Hurry up and greet the sect leader!” the middle-aged scholar reminded them.
The youths reacted as if awakening from a dream. They hurriedly bowed, all of them reserved and uneasy.
Except for Su Yi, who didn’t so much as budge. He was like a crane amongst chickens, and the disparity made him stand out.
Yu Jiuzhen and the others subconsciously looked over.
When he saw Su Yi clearly, Yu Jiuzhen was briefly stunned. Then he exclaimed, “Su Yi!? You… When did you get here?”
The leader of Cloudsky Divine Palace had obviously lost his composure, and he looked stricken.
There was a disturbance amongst the experts behind him too. None of them could remain calm.
Who’d have guessed that Su Yi would show up out of nowhere?
They’d gotten no warning at all!
When they saw Yu Jiuzhen and the others’ reaction, Wei Ting, the middle-aged scholar, and the youths were completely dumbstruck.
The atmosphere grew strange and a bit heavy.
The continuous drizzling of spring rains filled the air with mist.
A young man in blue stood amidst the rain, hands behind his back. The misty atmosphere gave him a mysterious flair.