âMartial Aunt!â The purple-robed watched from a distance. He cried out, his heart on tenterhooks.
The other onlookers paled too.
Bang!
In the face of imminent crisis, Qing Jin wasnât the least bit afraid. She resisted with all her might, only for her opponentâs attack to send the Twin Scarlet Moonblades flying from her hands.
She hurtled through the air too, landing several dozen feet away. She was now so pale, even her lips were white, and she repeatedly coughed up blood. Her bright eyes dimmed, and her breathing was shallow.
âYou actually survived?â The man in hemp clothes furrowed his brow in surprise.
âSixth Highness, hurry up and leave while thereâs still breath in my body. I know you have other life-saving trump cards. When the time comes to use them, donât be stingy.â She coughed violently as she struggled to her feet, then glanced at the Twin Scarlet Moonblades, which had been flung far away. She looked frustrated and helpless.
Then, she shook her head and took a deep breath. By the time she exhaled, her pallid face was completely tranquil. âIf he can disregard his life, I can too!â
The hemp-clothed manâs pupils constricted in a rare display of hesitation.
âMartial Aunt, if we die, we die together!â The youth in purple cried out, his eyes blazing with ruthless determination. âWhen Imperial Father finds out about this, all of them will pay with their lives!â
Not far away, the scholar and his companionsâ expressions shifted.
âI escorted you all the way here. How could I let you throw your life away? Hurry up and scram!â rebuked Qing Jin.
âWant to leave? Forget it! No one is leaving this place alive!â said the scholarly middle-aged man grimly. âSo long as all of you are dead, no one will ever discover our involvement!â
Yuan Luoxi, Cheng Wuyong, and the other guestsâ hearts went cold.
But it was then that an exasperated sigh rang out. âSee? I told you this was going to be trouble.â
As he spoke, Su Yi walked over from his spot by the railing, bamboo staff in hand, looking indifferent and detached.
Everyone instinctively glanced toward him.
His companionsâ eyes lit up with excitement. Is Master Su finally going to intervene?
When he saw that the speaker was the very youth heâd intimidated back at the stairwell, the middle-aged scholar instantly burst into cold laughter. âDonât be afraid, little guy. Iâll guarantee Iâll take your head off in a single swing and give you a painless death!â
The nearby men in black burst into laughter.
âWhat do you mean by that?â When he heard Su Yiâs words, the purple-robed youthâs face went ashen. âYou still think me keeping you here brought you harm?:
His expression was contorted and unsightly, his rage seemingly without limit.
âAre you saying it didnât?â Su Yi fired right back. âDespite knowing your own secrets full well, you still chose to come here to indulge in revelry. How stupid are you? In doing so, youâve implicated everyone else here. How selfish can you be?â
The youth in purple was so angry that he almost coughed up blood.
Earlier, he rebuked Su Yi for his foolishness and stupidity. Whoâd have thought that now, Su Yi would rebuke him right back?
âLook! Theyâve started fighting amongst themselves! It sure is a dog-eat-dog world out there! Hahaha!â The woman whoâd made the initial assasination attempt against the purple-robed youth burst into brazen laughter.
Su Yi glanced at her indifferently. âLetâs hope you can still smile after this.â
An inexplicable chill coursed through the womanâs heart, and her laughter came to an abrupt halt. She was suddenly uncertain. How can a mere Blood Circulation Realm youth have such a terrifying gaze?
âSixth Highness, only Master Su can save us now. Iâll say it once more: donât let your anger muddle your judgment,â Yuan Luoxi took a deep breath and said seriously.
âYouâre saying that heâŚ. Youâre saying that he can save us?â The purple-robed youth seemed a bit bewildered, as if heâd just heard an enormous joke.
âMiss Yuan, I ask that you donât make jokes like that at times like this!â Zhang Duoâs expression was unsightly.
Even someone as terrifying as Qing Jin was no match for that Martial Dao Grandmaster, much less a Blood Circulation Realm youth like Su Yi!
The middle-aged scholar and his followers were briefly stunned. Then, all of them burst into laughter.
The Grandmaster in hemp clothes shook his head. In his eyes, Su Yi was nothing but a dancing clown throwing his life away.
If he werenât on guard against Qing Jinâs last-ditch, life-and-death attack, heâd have killed Su Yi already.
Even Qing Jin couldnât help but lose her temper. She glared at Su Yi, then said mockingly, âIf you can really save everyone here, Iâll do anything you want! If not, pipe down and scram!â
âYouâd do âanythingâ I want?â Su Yi mulled it over, then said, âI can just barely accept those conditions. Otherwise, helping a group of strangers resolve their troubles for nothing would leave a bad taste in my mouth.â
Qing Jin was stunned. Is this kid insane?
The hemp-clad manâs eyes flashed. He seized Qing Jinâs temporary distraction to swing his halberd with all his might.
A Grandmasterâs sudden attack. How terrifying was that?
But thenâ
Boom!
The black halberd swung, wrapped in majestic, dazzling power, splitting the air with piercing, high-pitched booms.
âDodge! Hurry!â Qing Jinâs pretty face filled with alarm, and she tried to push Su Yi out of the halberdâs path.
But to her astonishment, despite her immense power, pushing Su Yi felt like pushing a mountain. He didnât even budge.
Clang!
The low, clear hum of a sword reverberated through everyoneâs ears.
A flash of sword light followed, like lightning illuminating the night sky and tearing through the inky darkness.
Everyoneâs eyes pricked with pain, to the point that they almost cried.
The Grandmaster felt his soul palpitate, and his eyes went blank. His awareness split, like chaos at the dawn of the universe. A streak of sword qi, like the eternal skies, surged from the void. It was so vast, so majestic, so lofty and ancientâŚ.
Then, the streak of sword qi slashed ruthlessly down!
A feeling of utter helplessness, insignificance, and despair surged throughout the Grandmasterâs body. He shrieked in terror.
âNoâ!â His voice shook the night sky, rolling like thunder.
Everyone shuddered, and when they looked up, a terrifying sight greeted themâ
The Grandmaster stopped mid-assault, his black-halberd frozen mid-swing. That staunch, swarthy face of his was now written with shock, terror, and despair.
Then, he thudded to the ground, falling flat on his face. The impact shook the entire terrace.
He had no trace of injuries, but it was as if his life force had evaporated into thin air, leaving nothing behind.
âNoâ!â
âNoâ!â
The manâs final, desperate shout still echoed through the air.
Witnessing this unnatural death made the onlookersâ hair stand on end. Chills went down their spines.
âThisâŚ.â The middle-aged scholar and his subordinates were so stunned, they were rooted to the spot.
How could a Martial Dao Grandmaster just drop dead all of a sudden? And in such a bizarre way?
âHeâs dead? Just like that?â
The purple-robed youth practically jumped. He looked bewildered, and his head buzzed. He even wondered if he was dreaming.
Although he didnât notice it, his attendant, Zhang Duo, was uncharacteristically stunned. Witnessing the Grandmasterâs death had shocked him too. Even his hands and feet trembled slightly. What level of sword art is that!?
âMaster Suâs methods are only getting more and more inscrutable!â Even Yuan Luoxi, Cheng Wuyong, and Huang Qianjun, with their understanding of Su Yi, were astonished. Waves coursed through their hearts; they couldnât have been any more shocked.
A single swing of the sword, like a sudden crack of lightning, cleaving the night sky.
And a Martial Dao Grandmaster died on the spot without any visible injuries. His manner of death was far too strange and terrifying.
âYouâŚ. YouâŚ.â Qing Jin was the closest, so her shock was the greatest. She could barely even speak.
When the man in hemp clothes attacked, she planned to push Su Yi out of his way and save him from his own foolishness. Whoâd have thought that sheâd fail?
But by attempting to save him, she witnessed how Su Yi attacked.
He shook his wrist, and a sharp blade emerged from the bamboo staff, like a sudden bolt of lightning, cutting through the darkness at unbelievable speeds.
But what left her truly baffled was that even as it struck, the sword was still a good ten meters from the Grandmaster. It didnât so much as touch the hems of his clothes.
Yet heâd just gone and died, and in such an unreasonable manner!
As she stood there in a daze, Su Yi suddenly leaped past her and arrived before the lady assassin.
Mortal Edge moved even faster than he did, effortlessly piercing a bloody hole right through the womanâs throat.
Splurt!
Blood splattered from the wound.
The womanâs eyes went wide, her bewildered astonishment written all over her face.
Witnessing the Grandmasterâs death shocked her too; by the time she came to her senses, Su Yiâs sword had already hit its mark. She was like a lamb to the slaughter, and she perished on the spot.
âLaughing at inopportune moments will get you killed,â whispered Su Yi.
He pulled his sword back out, not sparing the woman so much as a second glance as her corpse toppled over backward. He then turned his attention to the middle-aged scholar.
The scholar and his followers came to their senses as well, and all of their expressions changed as their hearts surged with indescribale terror.
The man in hemp clothes had been their pillar, yet now heâd fallen, and after just one attack.
Of course they were startled!
âHurry! Hurry up and run!â The middle-aged scholar cried out, then turned and charged toward the stairs.
His dozen-or-so black-robed subordinates took it a step further; they dashed toward the rails, hoping to jump from the ninth-floor terrace and into the waters of the Great Azure.
But how could Cheng Wuyong, Zhand Duo, and the other martial artists just let them do as they please? They immediately charged into the fray and attacked.
âKill! We canât let those scoundrels escape!â
âEveryone attack at once!â
âGet them!â
There were lots of people present, not just Su Yiâs group. The other passengers, the group whoâd retreated earlier, included no shortage of martial artists.
Now, all of these warriors charged, shouting and screaming as they charged.
Su Yi had initially planned a follow-up attack, but when he saw this, he immediately stopped and sheathed his sword.
Heâd always been lazy. If he could get others to do something for him, he certainly wouldnât volunteer to do it himself.
He turned, found a chair, and sat down. He let out a breath of turbid air. When he sensed the feeling of exhaustion emanating from his soul, he couldnât help but mock himself.
The attack heâd just used to kill the middle-aged man in hemp was a soul technique heâd only just begun cultivating, âThe Great Void Soul Sword Incantationâ.
His sword was like a divine mountain towering in the emptiness, towering into the heavens. It could attack the soul directly, killing someone without a trace of exterior wounds!
This was a secret art of soul cultivators. It wasnât particularly grand or lofty, but that was why Su Yi could just barely put it to use with his current soul power reserves.
Even so, that one attack had practically drained his soul completely.
I have to pick up the pace with the Universel Self-Embodiment Sutra. Only then can I use the Great Void Soul Sword Incantation freely and easily, thought Su Yi.
As he pondered, Su Yi suddenly sensed the nearby purple-robed youthâs gaze.
Seth's Thoughts
Had a few people asking about a glossary? Well, gaze upon it in all it's majesty!
Gonna repeat this on a few other chapters to make sure people see it.