Chapter 467: Kneeling and Begging
As Su Yi wondered, he returned to the earlier banquet hall.
“Big Brother Su Yi, did you succeed?” Qing Ya placed a snow-white, peeled shrimp in front of Su Yi and asked curiously.
Su Yi smiled, nodded, then took a bite of shrimp and a drink.
“Does that mean you really have a way of countering the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness?” Qing Ya exclaimed.
It was just one sentence, but it instantly drew Zhang Yuntao and Wen Xinzhao’s gazes.
The Prohibition of Ancient Darkness!
Its hold on the Azure Continent had lasted almost thirty thousand years, and even those ancient orthodoxies with Imperial Realm experts were helpless against it. They could only watch as their factions declined and fell, bit by bit.
Not just anyone could neutralize such power!
Otherwise, how could the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness have tormented Ying Que’s father, a mighty Spiritual Revolution Realm existence, for all these years?
When he sensed their gazes, Su Yi suddenly realized a certain problem. To the cultivators of the Azure Continent, the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness was like an inescapable curse.?If others found out he had means of breaking it, it would likely lead to an unpredictable storm and unnecessary trouble.
Su Yi wasn’t afraid of trouble, but he hated it when trouble came knocking on his door.
Fortunately, back at the Sea of Chaotic Spirits, only Hua Xinfeng and a few others learned that I have means of breaking the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness. I doubt they’ll reveal it lightly, either.
As for Star Girdle, I’m afraid he cannot possibly escape confinement until the Radiant Epoch descends,
So all I have to do is ensure that Ying Que’s lips are sealed.
He thought for a moment, then said, “For me, helping Ying Que’s father escape a life worse than death wasn’t difficult.”
This roundabout, ambiguous answer made them subconsciously assume that Su Yi had no means of eradicating the power of the Prohibition of Darkness either. ?The way they saw it, that was the most reasonable answer anyway.
Enough time to burn a stick of incense passed before Ying Que returned. Then, beneath the group’s dumbstruck gazes, he knelt on the floor and kowtowed to Su Yi.
“Master Su, allow me to kowtow in gratitude on my father’s behalf. Thank you for granting him release!”
He then kowtowed once more. “Master Su, from this day forth, you are the benefactor of the Ying lineage of black flood dragons. No matter your orders, my clan and I shall carry them out, heedless of the difficulty! Should I ever go against my words, may divine lightning strike me down, may hellfire set me ablaze, may the heavens execute me, may the earth destroy me, and may I die a horrible death!”
Having said all this, he kowtowed once more.
His voice was solemn and forceful, and it echoed without end.
The entire room fell silent. Everyone was stunned!
Who could have guessed that freeing an elderly black flood dragon from a life worse than death would move Ying Que so deeply?
Ying Que was an incomparably mighty Spiritual Manifestation Realm flood dragon, yet now, he’d kowtowed three times and sworn to repay this benevolence. Who wouldn’t have been surprised?
Zhang Yuntao couldn’t help but gasp, and his heart shook.
If Ying Que and his entire clan came to Su Yi’s aid, which faction beneath the heavens would dare become enemies with him lightly?
“Master Su?” An absent-minded look appeared in Su Yi’s eyes. This form of address made him recall his time as the live-in son-in-law of Guangling City’s Wen Family. He recalled the Apricot Cottage, and faces he hadn’t seen in a long time.
Less than half a year had passed since then.
Even so, when he heard that familiar title, Su Yi couldn’t help but feel a bit wistful.
Used as an honorific, “master” meant one who’d reached mastery before you. It was a term a student used for his teacher.
In simple terms, to cultivators, this form of address conveyed an enormous degree of respect!
“Get up.” Su Yi waved. He could tell at a glance that Ying Que’s kowtowing and promises came straight from the heart. This was a display of true emotion, without the slightest pretense.
However, he’d never liked this sort of thing.
People changed.
It was enough to focus on the heart, not its vestiges.
Ying Que rose, then faced Su Yi’s companions and bowed in greeting. “When we first met, I behaved rashly and offended you. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Zhang Yuntao was instantly frantic. He hurried to his feet and said, “Senior Ying, you didn’t act like this. Tonight, we were blessed with an opportunity to feast in your residence. That is already an enormous honor.”
He was only in the mid-stage Gathering Stars Realm. Facing a terrifying Spirit Dao yao cultivator like Ying Que already filled him with awe. How could he calmly accept such a display of respect?
Besides, Zhang Yuntao was well aware that Ying Que’s apology and show of respect were all on account of Su Yi.
Were that not the case, he feared Ying Que wouldn’t have spared the likes of them so much as a second glance.
When she saw Zhang Yuntao rise and return Ying Que’s greeting, how could Wen Xinzhao and the others remain seated?
However, before they could get up, Ying Que smiled and gestured for them to remain seated. “Everyone, you needn’t act like this. I was simply expressing my sincerest apologies.”
After the earlier banquet, he understood that with the sole exception of Zhang Yuntao, Wen Xinzhao, Qing Ya, and the two yao cultivators were close to Su Yi. How could he possibly let them return his bow?
Su Yi watched this entire exchange play out, but he didn’t remark on it. He just rose and said, “Fellow Daoist Ying, let’s have a private chat.”
……
Once they were outside the banquet hall, Su Yi got straight to the point. “I hope you won’t tell anyone else that I helped your father attain release.”
Ying Que bowed solemnly. “Master Su, to tell the truth, before he passed, my father repeatedly urged me not to reveal what had happened. He said that if I did, I would bring you unpredictable trouble. My lips are sealed. Please, rest assured.”
Su Yi smiled. “Then that’s settled then. We should get going.”
Ying Que said hurriedly, “Master Su, there’s something I’d like to ask of you.”
Su Yi’s brow furrowed slightly.
Ying Que was instantly nervous. He bowed and said, “Before my father passed, he hoped that I could serve you. I’ll work tirelessly on your behalf to repay you for your benevolence!”
This was a mighty yao of the Spiritual Manifestation Realm, yet he wanted to pledge himself to a Grain Avoidance youth’s cause. If word got out, it would leave the world tongue-tied!
Su Yi was briefly caught off guard. Then, he smiled faintly and said, “Your father didn’t simply request that for the sake of repaying a kindness, now did he?”
Ying Que felt as if all his thoughts were out in the open, and he felt thoroughly out of sorts. Still, he dared not hide it, so he told the truth. “When my father learned of your abilities, he was thoroughly shaken and impressed. He sighed and said that, if he’d had your aid during his attempt to become a true dragon, he would have had no need to fear failing his tribulation!
“Father also said that, should I be fortunate enough to serve you, when the time comes for me to attempt my tribulation of draconic transformation, I wouldn’t follow in his footsteps.”
When Su Yi heard this, he instantly understood.
The power of the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness had tormented the elderly black flood dragon for thirteen thousand years, leaving him longing to die, yet unable to do so. He naturally knew how terrifying the prohibition was better than anyone.
Su Yi had means of nullifying the power of the prohibition. It was natural that the elderly flood dragon would think highly of him, and it wasn’t at all strange that he’d hope his son could serve him.
Alas, Su Yi had no desire for an apprentice, and with Yuan Heng around, he had no desire to take on another attendant.
Ying Que’s cultivation was indeed mighty, and he already stood at the pinnacle of the Great Xia’s world of cultivation.
However, to Su Yi, attendants were for odd jobs and running errors. It didn’t matter whether their cultivation was high or not.
It seemed Ying Que picked up on Su Yi’s calm indifference, as he bowed and kowtowed once more. He earnestly pleaded, “I am willing to pledge my life to your cause. Please, allow me to stay by your side!”
A mighty, influential Spiritual Manifestation Realm flood dragon had repeatedly bowed and kowtowed before Su Yi.
However, Su Yi wasn’t the least bit moved. On the contrary, he furrowed his brow. “You can’t force something like this. If you keep pushing, don’t blame me for severing our bond.”
Ying Que’s entire body went rigid, and he kowtowed frantically. “Master Su, please, don’t be angry. I won’t do it ever again.”
Inwardly, he felt utterly despondent. Before he passed, the elderly flood dragon repeatedly exhorted him, saying that this?was immortal?destiny, an opportunity that could change his fate. He said that chances like this might not come even once in a thousand years, and that no matter what, Ying Que couldn’t let it slip through his fingers.
At first, he was confident that with his strength and cultivation, so long as he asked with sincerity, Su Yi would surely accept him. He figured this would be no problem.
He would never have guessed that Su Yi would refuse!
Furthermore, he seemed displeased!
Ying Que felt panicked, uncertain, depressed, and frustrated. How could he not?
When he saw this, Su Yi thought for a moment, then said, “You’ve already freed yourself of your heart demon, and you aren’t far from your next tribulation. Come see me again once you’ve stepped into the Spiritual Integration Realm.”
With that, he turned and left the hall.
Ying Que was only briefly stunned before he realized the implications of Su Yi’s words. His despondency vanished without a trace, and he was visibly overcome with mad delight.
Master Su… Is he testing me?
Enter the Spiritual Integration Realm?
I’ve already repressed my cultivation boundary for one thousand years. Now that I’ve rid myself of my heart’s demon, breaking into the Spiritual Integration Realm shouldn’t pose much of a problem.
When the time comes, if I visit Master Su again, perhaps… Perhaps he’ll allow me to serve at his side!
Ying?Que?then took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, and got up.
Su Yi and his companions had already exited the hall. They’d decided to leave.
Ying Que wanted to keep them longer, but when he saw that Su Yi had made up his mind, he chose to see them off instead.
Zhang Yuntao and the others noticed that Ying Que seemed to be in high spirits. He seemed calm and relaxed as he made conversation, his voice as warm and mellow as a spring breeze.
It was only when he faced Su Yi that he unwittingly seemed awed and reverent, like one who dared not speak too loudly for fear of startling those above him.
When I get back to the sect, I’ll be sure to report what happened tonight!?thought Zhang Yuntao.
When Su Yi killed Huo Yunsheng, Sun Feng, and Qian Tianlong, Zhang Yuntao was certain?that Cloudsky?Divine Palace wouldn’t let this matter go.
Yet now, Su Yi had a mighty Spiritual Manifestation yao, a god-like figure, by his side.
Under the circumstances, Cloudsky Divine Palace would have to think long and hard about the consequences before acting against Su Yi.
When this thought occurred to him, Zhang Yuntao couldn’t help but sigh.
Yes, he’d once lost to Su Yi, but in his heart, he couldn’t really hate him. Whose fault was it that he was weaker than his opponent?
If possible, he would have preferred?that Cloudsky?Divine Palace didn’t view Su Yi as its enemy over Huo Yunsheng and company.
This worked out well; if the sect learned that Su Yi had a mighty flood dragon like Ying Que by his side, it would surely give them pause!
However, it was then that Ying Que’s voice transmitted directly into Zhang Yuntao’s ears, as mellow as a spring breeze.
“Fellow Daoist Zhang, the implications of what happened today are enormous. Someone as lofty as Master Su might disdain saying such things aloud, but I have no choice but to take them seriously.
“What I’m trying to say is, it’s best that no one else finds out about what happened today. You understand what I’m saying, don’t you?”
.
Zhang Yuntao’s pupils suddenly constricted.
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