Chapter 1058 - Another Meeting with the Painter
Song Chai.
One of the thirty-six honorary disciples Su Yi had accepted in his past life.
In terms of rank and status, honorary disciples were naturally far inferior to his nine legacy disciples.
However, becoming the honorary disciple of Su Xuanjun was still enough to make the vast majority of the world’s cultivators green with envy.
Outside the Grotto of Abstruse Force, no one would dare underestimate such a person.
Su Yi remembered Song Chai as someone who conducted herself simply and kept a low profile. She was extremely reserved.
Her spirit root and talent weren’t anything special, but her powers of comprehension were extraordinary, even monstrous.
Su Yi remembered clearly that Song Chai had only just barely missed out on becoming one of his legacy disciples.
Why had she failed? Simple: she’d come just a little too late.
Eighteen thousand, nine hundred years ago, when Su Yi accepted Qing Tang as his ninth legacy disciple, he announced that he would accept no further legacy disciples in this lifetime.
And Song Chai joined the Grotto of Abstruse Force eighteen thousand years ago.
In other words, she arrived nine hundred years after Qing Tang.
Looking solely at her powers of comprehension, few of Su YI’s nine legacy disciples were comparable to Song Chai! And indeed, Su Yi saw her as a rare good seedling for cultivating the Dao.
However, three years after she joined the Grotto of Abstruse Force, Su Yi accepted the Peerless Martial Emperor’s invitation to go exploring. Their trip lasted a full hundred years.
While he was away, he left Pi Mo in charge of guiding Song Chai’s cultivation.
But it was only after Su Yi returned to the Grotto of Abstruse Force that Pi Mo informed him that Song Chai and Qing Tang had come into conflict and that Song Chai had long since left the sect.
Su Yi visited Qing Tang to ask what had led to their conflict. Qing Tang told him that Song Chai had ulterior motives for joining the Grotto of Abstruse Force, and that she harbored ill intentions. She said that she’d kicked Song Chai out of the sect personally after realizing she was suspicious.
But Su Yi didn’t believe her accusations; Qing Tang had no convincing proof. He even punished Qing Tang for this, ordering her to face the wall and contemplate for ten years without taking so much as a single step outside.
Now, Su Yi suddenly realized that Qing Tang had most likely been right! There really was a problem with Song Chai’s background!
No wonder she practically evaporated into thin air, and no wonder I couldn’t find her even with my network… So, she’s from the Studio of the Heart! And she has a transcendent status, too.
Song Chai had actually tricked him, a peak Imperial Apex cultivator, for two full years, becoming his honorary disciple. He didn’t even need to think to know how extraordinary her methods were!
But what really surprised Su Yi was that Qing Tang had realized that Song Chai harbored ill intentions and kicked her out of the sect!
When Fei Yun saw Su Yi sink to silence, he couldn’t help but shake his head. This young man’s cultivation base might well be unfathomable, but living in the Wilds has limited his horizons.
Out loud, he said, “Surprised? That’s because you don’t understand what our young mistress is capable of. It’s not just the former Swordmaster of Abstruse Force; no one beneath the World King level should even think of seeing through her identity when she’s in disguise.”
Su Yi noncommittally drained a cup of wine.
Back in the day, Song Chai deceived his eyes and infiltrated the Grotto of Abstruse Force, in part because of her transcendent origins. She mastered mysterious powers beyond the limits of the wilds.
But it was also because he hadn’t been at all on guard against her.
Su Yi wasn’t embarrassed about this.
What really perplexed him was Qing Tang. How did she discover that something wasn’t right about Song Chai?
“How about it? Have you thought it through?” asked Fei Yun. He’d already calmed down, and he seemed calm and composed. “Of course, I can introduce you to the young mistress first. It won’t be too late to decide once you’ve witnessed her magnificent bearing for yourself.”
Su Yi avoided the question, asking another of his own. “Is your young mistress a World King?”
Fei Yun shook his head. “But don’t use her cultivation boundary to appraise her. Let’s put it this way: in the stars beyond, her status is such that even some World Kings must treat her with respect.”
Su Yi smiled. “So, she’s yet to step into the World King level.”
Fei Yun didn’t argue. Instead, he reminded Su Yi, “It’s time you made your choice.”
Su Yi said patiently, “Don’t be in such a rush. What’s the harm in chatting a while longer? I’m quite interested in your Studio of the Heart, and if you win me over, the Dark and Gold Ruler will naturally go to your young mistress.”
Fei Yun furrowed his brow. He could tell that Su Yi was deliberately drawing this out to get information out of him. I’m afraid it’ll be difficult to truly convince someone like him!
Fei Yun pondered, then said, “How about this? Bring the Dark and Gold Ruler with you and come meet the young mistress. Then, no matter what you want to know, we can guarantee you’ll be satisfied with our answers.”
Su Yi rose from the boulder he was sitting on. “You really don’t want to chat a while longer?”
Fei Yun’s gaze focused. “If it comes down to a fight, you won’t get any answers. Moreover, the Studio of the Heart will consider you its enemy. Can you truly bear the consequences of that?”
Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, a streak of sword qi silently flashed into being and cleaved toward him.
A blood-colored Dao Sword shot out of Fei Yun’s sleeves, blocking the sword qi in the nick of time.
Clang!!!
Sword qi burst forth, shaking the blood-colored Dao Sword, which wailed and swayed violently.
Fei Yun was sent staggering back.
His expression immediately shifted, and before he’d even steadied himself, he ruthlessly slapped the air.
Misty Dao Light filled the air and burst, weaving together to form a bloody scroll painting. A mountain of corpses and ocean of blood floated up and enveloped Su Yi.
The surrounding pine trees were instantly toppled and reduced to ash, and the sea of clouds crumbled.
Su Yi drew Moonlit Shadow and attacked without the slightest hesitation.
Boom!
The mountain of corpses and sea of blood could have trapped and destroyed even a Profound Serenity cultivator, but Su Yi’s slash popped it like a soap bubble.
“Dammit! There really is something wrong with this kid!” Fei Yun was visibly shaken. He finally understood why Feng Ji had fallen here. It was because this blue-robed teenager had a power capable of countering the Laws of Spirit Nirvana!
Boom!
Sword qi rumbled and boomed, echoing throughout the firmament.
Su Yi swung his sword and attacked, his sword force unstoppable, unshakeable, and tyrannical.
In the blink of an eye, Fei Yun was severely injured. His body had practically been cleaved open.
He panicked, and his heart filled with anger and alarm.
When he saw that Su Yi was about to attack once more, he shouted, “I admit defeat!”
Su Yi’s eyebrows rose slightly, but he disregarded this and attacked once more.
Furthermore, he shot forward, immediately rising into the air and soaring toward the distant horizon. A few flashes later, he’d disappeared.
Bang!
Fei Yun was like a wooden dummy. He couldn’t even fight back; Su Yi’s attack ripped him open with ease.
Shockingly, his injured body transformed into fragments of scroll painting, which lit ablaze and crumbled into ash.
There was no doubt about it. When he “admitted defeat”, he actually used a secret treasure to escape, like a cicada sloughing off its shell!
A hundred miles from Parasol Tree City, overlooking mountains and rivers.
Bang!
The air fluctuated violently, bursting like the surface of a mirror.
A moment later, Fei Yun staggered back into view.
His green robes were in tatters, and his body was smeared with blood. His hair was a mess, and his unearthly, handsome face was deathly pallid.
“Dammit! I’m just glad I was careful. I realized there was something up with that little shit, and I was already on guard. Otherwise, he really might have taken me down!” Fei Yun gnashed his teeth, his expression hideous.
He dared not linger in the slightest. Disregarding his injuries, he turned around and fled.
“I have to report to the young mistress as soon as possible that the Wilds… are home to someone capable of countering the Laws of Spirit Nirvana! I’m afraid that even the founder wouldn’t be able to remain seated if he knew!” Waves coursed through Fei Yun’s heart as he realized how serious this was.
But before long, he stopped in his tracks, and his eyes widened.
There, in the skies up ahead, a tall, upright figure stood amongst the layers of cloud. One hand was behind his back, while the other held a sword.
And he was smiling at Fei Yun.
“You’ve already admitted defeat, so why run?” Su Yi laughed.
Whoosh!
Fei Yun turned tail and fled, but in the blink of an eye, a streak of sword qi forced him back, injuring him once more. His flesh was in tatters, and he cut a sorry figure.
When he saw that Su Yi was already attacking again, Fei Yun was so startled that his hair stood on end, and he hurriedly cried out, “Stop! You’re right, we should have ourselves a nice chat!”
Bang!
Su Yi swung Moonlit Shadow, slamming the back of the blade into Fei Yun.
Bones snapped throughout Fei Yun’s body, and he cried out in agony as the impact flung him to the ground.
Before he could crawl to his feet, Su Yi grabbed him by the throat and held him aloft as if he were a little chicken.
Crunch!
Su Yi shattered Fei Yun’s right hand, and a black talisman fell from his grip.
“You used that to escape just now?” Su Yi grabbed the talisman and examined it with great interest. It was about three inches long, and it was carved with cloud markings and a secret diagram. The words “Shifting Flowers” were carved on the back.
There was no doubt that the talisman was used to create a substitute, letting the user escape. It was wondrous to the extreme.
“If you’ve got the balls, just kill me! See if I so much as furrow my brow!” Fei Yun shouted, his unearthly, handsome face ashen and contorted.
Su Yi glanced coolly at him. “I still have lots of questions for you. How could I bear to kill you?”
He carried Fei Yun and shot toward Profound Sky Academy.
“You really think I’d cooperate with you after all this? Forget it!” Fei Yun sneered, looking frenzied. “Even if I die, I’ll take you down with me!”
Su Yi’s eyelids rose, and he flung Fei Yun away.
Boom!
Several hundred feet away, Fei Yun exploded, releasing terrifying soul power fluctuations that ravaged the entire landscape.
A moment later, Su Yi saw the Painter once more!
He emerged from an illusory scroll painting, dressed in clothes whiter than snow. He looked as dignified as a god, and his entire body emanated unparalleled majesty.
There was no doubt about it. This was the imprint of will left in Fei Yun’s soul. He’d gone so far as to sacrifice his life to awaken his founder’s will!
Heaven and earth trembled, and everything lost its color. It was as if all of creation were submitting to the Painter’s remnant will.
His gaze was cool and indifferent as he glanced at Su Yi. “Hah? You dared kill a disciple of my Studio of the Heart? Little guy, you…”
But before he could finish, Su Yi frowned and cut him off. “We’ve already met, so no need for that nonsense.”
Off in the distance, the Painter was stunned.
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