It seemed that so long as the other party didnât speak, he would wait as long as it took.
As a result, only the sound of fierce gales emanated from the other side.
Time slipped by.
The light of the Psychic Connection Edict carved on the child jade gradually faded.
When its power ran out, it would shatter.
But Su Yi didnât wait any longer. He tightened his grip, and the Psychic Connection Jade crumbled into powder and dissipated.
It wasnât that heâd run out of patience, but that he saw no point in drawing this out any longer. It would only waste time.
But although he wasnât sure of just who this mysterious person was, there was one thing Su Yi dared say with certainty: it was someone heâd been familiar with in his past life!
Who could it be?
It was a bit difficult to guess, and Su Yi couldnât be bothered to try.
Whoever they were, now that they knew he was alive and in the Netherworld, theyâd come looking for him sooner or later.
Furthermore, it was highly likely that theyâd return to Yamaâs Floating Mountains in search of leads!
âNo matter who you are, Iâm quite eager for the day we meetâŠâ muttered Su Yi.
This was someone capable of breaking the seal heâd left in his past life, yet theyâd chosen not to take away the Sky-Stealing Umbrella heâd left in that hidden realm.
It seemed that whoever this person was, theyâd anticipated that heâd proceed to the Wei Family territory and seek out Wei Daoyuan for clarification. Thus, they arranged for a Thousand-Faced Ghost Monkey to hold onto the child jade and wait for him.
Despite this elaborate arrangement, the mysterious person seemed to bear him no ill will. It seemed their only goal was to confirm whether he was alive or dead.
If all that were true, it was unlikely that anything bad had happened to Wei Daoyuan.
That was enough.
That old fogey Cui Longxiang warned me not to reveal my identity after returning to the Netherworld, but now, it seems there are already people out there who know that Su Xuanjun has returnedâŠ
But it doesnât matter. Iâll know whether theyâre friends or foes when I see them.
As Su Yi pondered, he rose from his wicker chair and headed out of the immortal cave.
Outside, dawn had already broken, and the skies were bright.
Quite a bit had happened last night, but to Su Yi, the only thing really worth his attention was the identity of the mysterious person whoâd arranged his.
For now, heâd just leave the Heaven-Stealing Umbrella where it was.
Heâd promised the Vermillion Bird to return in three years.
He just hoped that this mysterious person would appear within that time frame.
âŠâŠ
A world of turmoil and bloodshed.
A grand, terrifying battle raged over the distant horizon.
Dazzling divine light tore through the skies, and the radiance of various treasures swept out in all directions. Roaring, like the cries of demonic gods, shook heaven and earth.
Deity-like figures were locked in fierce combat, their divine majesty blanketing the earth, terrifying beyond limit.
Peerless Imperial experts fought without reservation, killing in a mad frenzy.
Enormous, bestial figures soared through the sky. Their auras alone collapsed the skies and shattered mountains.
This was a chaotic battlefield. The fighting was so fierce that the moon and sun seemed dimmer, as if the entire world had sunk into turmoil, upheaval, and apocalyptic destruction.
Far away from the battlefield, an enormous, dazzling spatial rift hovered in the air, like a heavenly rift splitting the entire plane in two.
One side of the spatial rift was turmoil, bloodshed, and fierce combat.
The other side was an endless wasteland.
Nothing grew there, not even an inch of grass. It was barren, withered, and perpetually shrouded in dusk.
There was nothing there save for howling, bone-chilling winds. It emanated a sense of boundless desolation.
A graceful figure sat on a hill within this barren landscape, her arms wrapped around her knees. Beneath the dusky light, she seemed utterly alone.
She had curved eyebrows, and she wore a lotus crown and a form-fitting black dress. It offset her slender figure, and what skin was visible was as fair and delicate as lamb suet.
Sheâd obviously just undergone a grand battle, and her body was riddled with bloody wounds.
However, she didnât seem to care in the slightest. She just sat there in silence, arms wrapped around her knees, her beautiful eyes flowing with silent, unending tears.
A piece of black jade lay on the ground in front of her.
The tears dripped onto the jadeâs surface, like pearls that bloomed into flower petals as they landed.
Even though she was crying, she seemed to be holding something back. She made no noise even as her tears fell like rain.
However, there was no sign of sadness on her peerlessly beautiful face. On the contrary, she seemed relieved, delighted, and excited.
âYouâre finally back. I just knew it! I just knew youâd come backâŠâ the woman muttered, her quavering voice choked with sobs.
Whoosh!
Someone appeared out of nowhere.
âSenior, what happened?â
This new arrival was a tall, stalwart man in warriorâs robes. His energy surged, and his presence was imposing, but when he saw the womanâs tears, he couldnât help but worry.
âHe⊠He came backâŠ!â The woman took a deep breath, then looked up. Her tears silently dried, replaced with heartfelt delight.
The man in warriorâs robes was briefly stunned, but when he saw the black jade in front of the woman, he seemed to realize something. He couldnât help but blurt, âDonât tell me itâs His Excellency Su!?â
The womanâs eyes shone, and she nodded seriously. âMm!â
The man in warriorâs robes was overcome with delight. âIt really is him! I just knew that someone like him wouldnât just up and die for no reason! Right, did he say anything?â
The woman instantly fell silent.
A while later, she looked into the distance, her gaze seeming to penetrate time and space. She gazed at the distant, chaotic battlefield and whispered, âI⊠I didnât say anything, and he didnât say anything eitherâŠâ
The man in warriorâs robes was stunned. âHe didnât say anything?â
The woman pursed her lips and nodded. âThatâs right, but I know he already obtained the child jade I left with that Thousand-Faced Ghost Monkey.â
She spoke with incontrovertible assurance.
The man in warrior's robes asked in confusion. âBut why didnât you speak with Senior Su?â
The woman shook her head. âThe moment I opened my mouth, he would have realized who I was. I donât want him to know where we are.â
âWhy hide it?â the man still didnât understand.
The woman smiled, a hint of softness on her matchlessly beautiful features as she murmured, âYou donât understand. If he knew I was here, heâd definitely worry, and I donât want to make him worry ever againâŠâ
Her voice was tender and full of sentiment.
The man in warriorâs robes was instantly silent.
âLittle Wei, thanks a bunch. Three hundred and thirty years ago, if you hadnât cooperated with me to make arrangements on Yamaâs Floating Mountains, he⊠Even if he returned to the Netherworld, Iâm afraid he wouldnât have been curious enough to activate the child jade.â
The woman rose, her black dress swaying around her, offsetting her slender, graceful figure.
Beneath the dusky skies, her lotus crown shone with faint, misty light. This gave her an additional imposing air.
The man in warriorâs robes said hurriedly, âSenior, you neednât be so polite. I was just doing as I ought to do. Itâs just⊠I suspect that with Senior Suâs wisdom, heâs already guessed quite a bitâŠâ
His voice trailed off, and he couldnât help but feel a bit nervous.
The woman smiled and said softly, âRest assured. Even if he learns the full truth, he wonât blame you.â
She paused, and her soft lips curved into a smile. âFor now, at least, he most likely hasnât realized that Iâm the one who made those arrangements in Yamaâs Floating Mountains. I understand him far too well. Thatâs why I hid my aura then; not even the malevolent soul of the Vermillion Bird could tell who I was. This is what piqued his curiosity, and why he activated that child jade.â
The man in warriorâs robes thought back to what happened years ago, and he couldnât help but feel a bit helpless. âSenior, why⊠Why do you have to keep this hidden from him?â
The woman didnât respond. Only she knew that if she let him guess who she was, given his disposition, heâd likely hide from herâŠ
âLittle Wei, when will the Yin-Yang Road to the outside world open in the Dark Capital?â the woman suddenly asked.
The man in warriorâs robes didnât so much as pause to think. âThe Yin-Yang Road opens once every hundred years. Itâll next open nine years from now.
âHowever, weâre currently in the seventh of the nine great hells. If we want to return to the outside world, weâll have to return to the first hell a year early. Only then will we make it in time.â
The woman shook her head. âIâm asking for a specific date.â
âUhâŠ.â The man in warriorâs robes thought for a while, then laughed bitterly. âThatâs hard to say. When the old drunkard of Yellow Springâs Palace returns, ask him. Heâll know.â
The woman took a deep breath, then muttered, âAlright. Itâs just nine years. Iâve already waited tens of thousands of years. Whatâs a few moreâŠ?â
Beneath the dusky skies, the woman fell into a daze.
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Her name was Ye Yu.
A long, long time ago, sheâd been honored as the first Empress in the history of the Ghost Serpent Race!
âŠâŠ
The River of Forgetfulness Territory, Yamaâs Floating Mountains, the Wei Family.
âFellow Daoist Su, I have a perhaps unreasonable request. Please donât spread word of our patriarch's situation,â said Wei Zhongxi with a bow.
Su Yi inclined his head. âAlright.â
After leaving the immortal cave, he told Wei Zhongxi and the others that their patriarch, Wei Daoyuan, was most likely unharmed. The three of them relaxed considerably.
However, Wei Daoyuan had, after all, been missing for hundreds of years. Until they confirmed his whereabouts, Wei Zhongxi did not want word of his absence to spread.
Never mind the rest; if this leaked, it would lead to untold upheaval in Nightdemon City!
After all, it was because they had an Imperial Realm expert like Wei Daoyuan that the cityâs heretics and fiends behaved themselves.
âFellow Daoist Su, what should we do with him?â Wei Zhongxi indicated to the elderly Thousand-Faced Ghost Monkey.
âImprison him for now,â said Su Yi. âThat mysterious person will come back sooner or later. Let them decide what to do with him.â
Wei Zhongxi nodded.
That very day, Su Yi, Cui Jingyan, and the old blind man departed Yamaâs Floating Mountains.
Half a month later.
After weeks of travel, the group finally left the River of Forgetfulness Territory and entered the Six Paths and entered the Six Paths Royal Territory.
A long, long time ago, the ancient Cui Family, the Overseers of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, had established themselves in the Six Paths Royal Territoryâs Ziluo City!