/
The Xia Emperor said mockingly, “I don’t know what they want with you, Fellow Daoist, but I do know what the House of the Skywalking Sword wants with the imperial family. They’re just here to loot a burning house.”
Loot a burning house? Su Yi thought it over, then quickly understood.
The seven top ancient factions saw the imperial family as prey. Sooner or later, they’d come to blows.
What about the cultivators of the House of the Skywalking Sword? Given the circumstances, there was no way they’d remain unmoved.
After all, the imperial family’s core territories, Nine Tripod City and Mount Heavenbristle, were the most flourishing places in the entire Great Xia!
“So the House of the Skywalking Sword plans to get involved?” asked Su Yi.
“No,” said the emperor. “They’re unwilling to come into conflict with the top ancient factions. They’re just taking the opportunity to scoop up some of the benefits, that’s all.”
“Did you agree to their demands?” asked Su Yi.
The Xia Emperor shook his head. “I did not.”
“That was the right choice,” said Su Yi. “If you agreed to their demands, it’d be no different from using firewood to put out a fire or drinking poison to quench your thirst.”
The Xia Emperor laughed bitterly. “Then are you willing to meet them?”
“I am.”
The House of the Skywalking Sword was a faction of sword cultivators. He was actually rather interested to see what they had to discuss with him.
The Xia Emperor’s eyelids twitched. “Fellow Daoist, if they’re not here with ill intentions, please don’t make trouble for them. After all, if you offend a major faction like the House of the Skywalking Sword too
”
Su Yi interrupted him here. “Relax. I’m not the type to just kill people randomly and cause trouble for no reason.”
“.....” The Xia Emperor said nothing, but inwardly, he thought, What would Huan Shaoyou, Yan Jingyun, and the other monsters of the ancient era who died at your hands think if they heard that?
The emperor took a moment to calm himself, then said, “Then how about I arrange for them to pay you a visit this evening?”
“Sure.”



A penthouse in Nine Tripod City.
“A’Leng, what happened to you?”
When she saw A’Leng return disheveled and covered in dust, Pu Surong couldn’t help but be surprised.
A’Leng had an overcast look on his face as he described what had happened to him.
At the end of his tale, he gnashed his teeth. "If I weren’t worried about causing too great a disturbance and risking the lives of the imperial family, I would have taught that guy a lesson!”
He looked completely indignant.
Pu Surong had already realized that although A’Leng cut a sorry figure, he wasn’t actually hurt. She promptly relaxed, then said softly, “You actually suffered a setback? Don’t tell me the imperial family has a powerful expert to hold down the fort?”
“I’m not sure who that guy was,” said A’Leng. “But what I can say for sure is that he was no ordinary person. His control of the Nine Tripod Suppression Barrier Formation has reached an unbelievable level, and he could even detect the power hidden within me. Not even Xia Yunjing could have done that.”
Pu Surong’s beautiful eyes shifted. “I heard that lately, Su Yi has been visiting Mount Heavenbristle once every three days. They say he’s helping the imperial family repair the Nine Tripod Suppression Barrier Formation. Could it have been Su Yi?”
A’Leng froze. “Him?”
A moment later, he sneered and shook his head. “That’s not possible!”
“Why isn’t it possible?” asked Pu Surong.
A’Leng was instantly at a loss for words. A while later, he said, “You don’t really think I’m no match for Su Yi?”
Pu Surong shook her head. “You said it yourself: he relied on the power of the Nine Tripod Suppression Barrier Formation to send you home covered in dirt. Besides, if Su Yi can repair the formation, it’s only natural that he can control it too.”
A’Leng’s eyes flashed. “How about we go pay that punk a visit?”
“We can go see him,” said Pu Surong. “But you have to promise me something first.”
A’Leng seemed well aware of what she was about to say, and he didn’t even pause to think. “Elder Pu, rest assured. I won’t do anything reckless! There are already countless people out to kill that punk; there’s no need to add me to the list.”
Only then did Pu Surong nod.



Azurecloud Court.
In the middle of spring, even the light of dusk was extraordinarily colorful and resplendent.
Su Yi languished beside the pond in his wicker chair.
Seven days of forging his Natal Weapon, Abstruse Celestial, had left him in an excellent mood. He even tossed more moon clams to the spirit carp than usual.
“Brother Su, don’t tell me the strange phenomenon that arose on Mount Heavenbristle today was your doing?” Wen Xinzhao asked curiously. She was crouched beside a stove, brewing him tea. Her snowy wrists were delicate and beautiful.
“Mm,” said Su Yi. “But I was just forging my Natal Sword, that’s all. Right, you’re going to challenge the Spiritual Manifestation Realm soon too. When it comes time to forge your Natal Sword, I’ll help you.”
Wen Xinzhao’s eyes lit up with delight. “Then I’ll just have to thank you in advance, Brother Su.”
Su Yi laughed. “It’s nothing.”
Both Wen Xinzhao and Qing Wan were already in the late-stage Gathering Stars Realm.
It wouldn’t be long before they welcomed their Tribulations of Spiritual Manifestation and attempted to break into the Spiritual Manifestation Realm!
Su Yi couldn’t help but recall Yue Shichan, who’d already left the Azure Continent and proceeded to the Wilds’ Profound Sky Realm.
Given her foundations and aptitude, she might well have already overcome her Tribulation of Spiritual Manifestation and become a Spirit Dao sword cultivator
 Su Yi’s gaze was a bit uncertain.
Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
A moment later, he recalled something. “Less than two months remain until the onset of the Radiant Epoch. When the time comes, heaven and earth will undergo an unprecedented transformation. I hope you can prove your Dao and enter Spiritual Manifestation then.”
Wen Xinzhao didn’t even pause to think. “As you say, Brother Su!”
Then, she rolled up her sleeves, poured Su Yi a steaming cup of spirit tea, and offered it to him with both hands.
Su Yi accepted it, then took a sip. “Soon, strangers will come calling. You, your master, and Qing Ya should return to your rooms.”
Wen Xinzhao was stunned, but she soon nodded, rose, and left.
Shortly afterward.
A voice rang out from beyond the gates.
“My name is Pu Surong. I’m hoping for an audience with Young Lord Su.”
This caught Su Yi off guard. And here he’d thought it was someone from the House of the Skywalking Sword.
“Come in,” said Su Yi.
Before long, Pu Surong, A’Leng, and Ruo Huan pushed open the doors and entered.
The first thing they saw was Su Yi seated beside the pond.
When A’Leng saw that Su Yi had no intention of rising to greet them, he couldn’t help but frown. This punk sure knows how to put on airs!
Pu Surong glanced at A’Leng, the warning readily apparent.
A’Leng smiled and rubbed his nose to express his understanding.
It was then that Ruo Huan smiled and called out a greeting. “Young Lord Su, we meet again.”
Su Yi watched the carp in the pond and said casually, “I let you get away last time, yet you dare appear before me again? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”
Ruo Huan froze, then smiled. “Young Lord Su, you sure know how to joke.”
Pu Surong then interjected, “Young Lord Su, please forgive us for disturbing you.”
As she spoke, the entire group stopped by the pond.
“No need for pleasantries. Just tell me why you’re here,” said Su Yi, still reclining in his wicker chair. Beneath the light of dusk, every inch of him seemed relaxed and indolent.
A’Leng found his behavior and bearing extremely distasteful. He couldn’t help but say, “Aren’t you at least going to invite us to sit down or offer us tea and refreshments? Aren’t you treating us with a bit too much disrespect?”
Su Yi glanced at him, then said, “Dirty little beast, it seems the loss you suffered today at Mount Heavenbristle was insufficient. You haven’t learned your lesson at all.”
A’Leng’s pupils constricted, and his expression instantly darkened. “So you really were the one who used the Nine Tripod Suppression Barrier Formation to attack me today!”
Pu Surong and Ruo Huan looked at each other. Both were starting to understand.
“You here for revenge?” Su Yi finally looked directly at A’Leng. However, his contemptuous expression left A’Leng utterly enraged.
Su Yi ignored him and went on. “The Xia Emperor said his business with the Purple Moon Foxes is personal, so I have no plans to get involved. Otherwise, do you really think you could have left Mount Heavenbristle alive today?”
A’Leng couldn’t take it any longer. “Ridiculous! All you did was borrow the power of the Nine Tripod Suppression Barrier Formation. Do you really think killing a few Spiritual Incarnation cultivators means you can do whatever you want without fear?”
When she saw the growing tension in the air, Pu Surong immediately called out a rebuke. “A’Leng! Don’t forget what you promised me earlier!”
A’Leng’s expression shifted, but in the end, he held back.
Su Yi, however, couldn’t be bothered to pay any attention to him. He took out moon clams and tossed them to the spirit carp as he spoke. “If there’s nothing else, you should leave.”
Pu Surong calmed herself, then said, “We’ve come without ill intentions. Young Lord Su, please, don’t refuse us like this. There is actually something I’d like to discuss with you.”
“Let’s hear it,” said Su Yi, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
Pu Surong’s eyes flashed. “I heard that quite a few ancient factions have grudges against you, and that although you have the imperial family’s protection, the imperial family is beset on all sides and barely able to protect itself. Should a crisis arise, I’m afraid they’ll find it difficult to shield you.”
She paused, then continued, “But if you agree to do something for me, I’d be happy to assist you and free you of these concerns.”
Her beautiful face filled with confidence. “Those ancient factions might perhaps stand at the pinnacle of the Azure Continent, but in my eyes
 they’re not much of a threat!”
She spoke with complete assurance.
Su Yi asked in confusion, “What is it you want me to agree to?”
Pu Surong smiled faintly. “It’s actually quite simple. I hope you can end your relationship with my daughter, Qingyuan, and that you two can each go your separate ways, without any further interactions.”
Su Yi was instantly flabbergasted. Even if you’d hit him over the head, he would never have guessed that Pu Surong would come here for something like that!
The crux of the matter was that it seemed there... really wasn’t much of an improper relationship between him and Xia Qingyuan

He pondered briefly, then asked, “What ‘relationship’ are you referring to?”
A’Leng couldn’t help but say coldly, “Su Yi, we’re all sensible people, so don’t play dumb. Don’t you think hiding it like that is immature and ridiculous?”
His expression was utterly disdainful.
The young woman in yellow, Ruo Huan, sighed. “Young Lord Su, feelings between men and women are perfectly natural, but there’s no future for you and Little Sister Qingyuan. I hope you can rein in your horse before it carries you off a cliff and turn back while there’s still time. That would be a form of release for both of you.”
She then looked directly at Su Yi and said seriously, “If you don’t, you’ll only hurt yourself, and others too.”
“....” Su Yi didn’t know what to make of this. Why do they seem to think Xia Qingyuan and I are having some kind of affair?