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A’Cang instinctively looked up and met Su Yi’s gaze. “Please instruct me, Fellow Daoist.”
“Stay here and watch over my friends in secret,” said Su Yi. “Then, when I get back, I’ll take all of you with me next time I leave.”
A’Cang exclaimed, “Fellow Daoist, you plan to leave the Azure Continent?”
Su Yi nodded. “That’s right. I plan to visit the Netherworld in a few months.”
He paused, then continued, “As I’m sure you’re aware, without the Seed of the Azure, the continent’s sudden prosperity will peak, then wane. In the end, the world will be reduced to a barren, withered ruin.”
A’Cang’s eyelashes fluttered, and she whispered, “You’re absolutely right, and I… I’ve long since anticipated that this day would come.”
She, the gray sparrow, and the Sumeru Yao Emperor were all Xiantian Spirits born of the Origins of the Azure. They naturally understood this better than anyone.
“Don’t lose hope,” said Su Yi. “In the future, I’ll do everything I can to help the Seed of the Azure transform and evolve. If I raise the seed into a new world origin before the Azure Continent wanes completely, the continent naturally need not face complete annihilation.”
A’Cang’s spirits soared, and she looked eager. “Whether you succeed in the end or not, I’ll be endlessly grateful.”
As she spoke, she rose and solemnly inclined her head in gratitude.
She understood better than anyone that transforming a seed manifested of a world’s origin into a true world source was far harder than proving one’s Dao and becoming an Emperor!
It didn’t just take an extended period of time; it also demanded an enormous amount of effort, as well as fortuitous encounters, the likes that could only be happened upon by chance!
Developing the seed into a new world source was so difficult that not even Emperors were guaranteed success.
A’Cang wasn’t overly confident that Su Yi could achieve this, but she was willing to wait!
Having hope was, ultimately, better than having no hope at all.
Although A’Cang didn’t know it, despite not being an Emperor, few in any plane of existence could have done a better job at raising the seed than the young man before her. It had been barely over a year since Su Yi had recovered the memories of his past life, but he’d already gone from a mortal martial artist to a Spiritual Incarnation advanced cultivator!
Furthermore, his combat strength was so overwhelming that he’d dominated this entire era, standing at the top of this world!
In less than two years, he’d achieved foundations in the Grand Dao so firm that so long as he willed it, he really could nourish the Seed of the Azure into a new world source before the Azure Continent withered.
After all, the Azure Continent was smack dab in the middle of its Radiant Epoch. After reaching its peak, it would indeed ebb, but who knew how long that would take?
This left more than enough time for Su Yi to succeed.
“Then are you willing to accept my offer?” asked Su Yi.
A’Cang straightforwardly agreed. Su Yi felt considerably more relaxed afterward.
After he left, the Xia Emperor would protect his loved ones in the open, while A’Cang would guard them from the shadows. Ordinary dangers would no longer threaten them.
The crux of the matter was that he sought greater heights of the Dao of the Sword. He couldn’t protect those around him forever.
……
The fifteenth day of the fifth month.
The old blind man returned from the Sea of Chaotic Spirits, bringing Cha Jin, Wen Lingxue, Yuan Heng, Ge Qian, and several others with him.
To Su Yi, who lived a secluded life, rarely ventured outside, and paid little heed to worldly affairs, this was undoubtedly an unexpected delight.
That night, he arranged a banquet, feasted with his old friends, and drank to intoxication.
Morning the next day, when Su Yi opened his eyes, he found Cha Jin wrapped around him like an octopus.
Her beautiful head was pressed tightly against his shoulder, her face was rosy red, and her hair was disheveled. Her breath was like a kitten’s, and her red lips were so shiny that it was difficult to resist the urge to taste them.
Su Yi’s gaze shifted, and he saw that a portion of Cha Jin’s smooth, snowy body wasn’t covered by the quilt. Her long and slender legs were wrapped around him, revealing half of her back. Beneath the light streaming in through the window, her figure seemed ample and full, with curves worthy of pride.
When Su Yi saw this, he couldn’t help but think back to the night prior’s madness.
Cha Jin had been alone for a while, and furthermore, she’d had quite a bit to drink. Thus, she was unusually invested and unrestrained in last night’s dual cultivation. She was even willing to try certain positions she usually felt quite resistant to…
This was what they meant when they said that lovers after a long separation were more passionate than newlyweds. Nothing was more welcome than rain after a long drought.
This came straight from the heart, and feelings were difficult to repress.
It was just a pity that last night had delayed Qing Wan’s progress with dual cultivation.
But it wasn’t that Su Yi was slacking off! Rather, Qing Wan was just too bashful to participate.
……
Days passed, one after another.
The wind and clouds shifted outside, but Su Yi’s life was just as before.
Except that now, he had Cha Jin, Wen Lingxue, and the others beside him. Azurecloud Court was noticeably livelier than before.
When the Xia Emperor visited Su Yi at Azurecloud Court, he couldn’t help but feel a bit dazed.
Before, he had thought that Su Yi had three lady companions: Wen Xinzhao, Yue Shichan, and Qing Wan.
Now, it seemed he’d underestimated Su Yi. This “banished immortal” of a young man was actually quite the playboy!
However, the Xia Emperor had to admit that Su Yi had excellent taste.
Every one of his lady companions transcended the masses. Each was a stunning beauty in her own right: bright and lively, charming and extraordinary, pure and picturesque, cold and aloof as snow…
The Xia Emperor inwardly rejoiced that his daughter wasn’t involved with Su Yi. Otherwise… he’d be in for a real headache.
Had Su Yi known what the emperor was thinking, he’d surely have sneered.
There really were quite a few women around him, but only two had become his dual cultivation partners: Qing Wan and Cha Jin.
This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
Of course, that didn’t mean that Su Yi was already satisfied.
When it came to matters of men and women, what mattered wasn’t how many beauties you fell for, but rather, whether or not there was the right kind of emotional connection.
Take Wen Lingxue, for instance. He’d always doted on her as if she were his little sister.
Su Yi wasn’t so lustful and undiscriminating as to seize all the world’s beauties for himself. If he did, how would he be any different from a stud horse?
Su Xuanjun wasn’t that casual or thoughtless!
The nineteenth day of the fifth lunar month.
“I broke through.” Su Yi was seated in his room, and he’d only just awakened from his meditation and let out a breath of turbid air.
It was on the eleventh day of the fourth lunar month that he underwent tribulation outside of Nine Tripod City, reaching the Spiritual Incarnation Realm.
Now, approximately a month later, he’d reached the mid-stage Spiritual incarnation Realm!
He wasn't rushing it; all of this was the result of extensive polishing, making his breakthroughs smooth and natural.
The mid-stage Spiritual Incarnation Realm might seem like a small step, but my abilities have increased by about thirty percent. Now, even some Profound Illumination Emperors’ treasures are no longer much of a threat, thought Su Yi.
Among modern Spirit Dao cultivators, he was already unrivaled. If he wanted a worthy foe, he naturally had to set his sights on Profound Illumination Emperors.
The Profound Dao was divided into three great realms: Profound Illumination, Profound Serenity, and Profound Unity.
Those who stepped into the Profound Dao were collectively known as Emperors.
Profound Illumination Emperors might “only” be in the first realm of the Profound Dao, but Emperors were Emperors. Spirit Dao cultivators couldn’t even begin to compare to them.
In the Nine Provinces of the Wilds, the Profound Dao was like the heavens, while Emperors were like gods!
And everyone beneath their level was nothing more than an ant!
In the eyes of the Wilds’ cultivators, Emperors were terrifying existences who stood at the pinnacle of the path of cultivation. Every last one of them possessed the all-encompassing power to intimidate an entire region.
Even Profound Illumination Realm Emperors could effortlessly destroy anyone beneath the Imperial level with a flick of their fingers!
As the reincarnation of the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force, no one understood an Emperor’s power better than Su Yi.
But it was precisely because he understood that he didn’t see Emperors as unshakeable gods the way the general populace did.
At his current level, he wouldn’t even need to borrow the Sword of the Nine Hells’ aura. Relying purely on his Spiritual Incarnation Realm cultivation base, he could contend with a portion of a Profound Illumination Emperor’s power!
Such “portions” of power included the talismans and treasures they refined, as well as the imprints of their will.
Su Yi predicted that once he stepped into the Spiritual Revolution Realm, he’d have the foundations to fight an actual Spiritual Illumination Emperor!
Clang!
As Su Yi pondered, he drew Abstruse Celestial and examined it closely.
Of late, he’d expended all manner of divine materials and reforged the sword once more. Its power was a far cry from before.
Even the wisp of Netherflame Demon Sparrow soul essence sealed within the blade had undergone numerous metamorphoses. It was originally severely damaged, but it had already made a full recovery.
One step further, and it could give rise to a true physical body!
By now, the Netherflame Demon Sparrow hadn’t just submitted to Su Yi completely. No, it worshiped him, and it wanted nothing more than to accept him as its master and serve him for the rest of its life.
It wasn’t stupid. In the time since Su Yi first subdued it, it had witnessed Su Yi’s innumerable and unbelievable abilities. Add that to its own transformations, and how could it fail to understand that so long as it took firm hold of Su Yi, proving its Dao and becoming an Emperor was well within the realm of possibility?
Alas, Su Yi had never agreed to take it on as a servant. He just treated it as a sword soul.
This left the Netherflame Demon Sparrow a bit frantic, but there was nothing it could do about it.
The sword is strong enough to last me until the Spiritual Revolution Realm, thought Su Yi.
It was then that someone knocked on the gates of Azurecloud Court.
Before long, Wen Xinzhao returned to report the arrival of Dharma Protector Xue Ye of Meng Po Palace. He was here requesting an audience.
Su Yi rose, then entered the courtyard.
When he saw Su Yi, Xue Ye approached, greeted him, and directly stated why he’d come. “Fellow Daoist Su, I’m here on the Ninth Libationer’s orders. I’m here to tell you that we plan to leave seven days from now. If you still want to join us, please be ready by then.”
Su Yi was a bit stunned. “Didn’t you say you’d be leaving in half a year? Only a month has passed since then. Don’t tell me something happened?”
Xue Ye patiently explained, “To tell the truth, a few days ago, a fellow denizen of the Netherworld helped us make contact with the sect, and our seniors have already agreed to activate the spatial formation and bring us back. They’re due to activate it seven days from now.”
Su Yi was briefly stunned, then thoughtful. “Just who is this ‘fellow denizen of the Netherworld’, anyway?”
Someone capable of entering the Azure Continent and making contact with Meng Po Palace was surely no ordinary person!