Chapter 574: Cicadas Know Not of Spring and Autumn
Although Su Yi had never concerned himself with the various monsters of the ancient era or geniuses of the present day, his memory wasn’t bad at all.
He naturally remembered Yan Jingyun.
He even remembered their first meeting, when Yan Jingyun took the initiative to greet him. He called himself a sword cultivator, and he'd?even expressed great interest in sparring with Su Yi in the Dao of the Sword should the opportunity arise.
Of course, Su Yi had refused directly, saying that Yan Jingyun was unqualified.?At the time, Yan Jingyun’s expression wasn’t at all pleasant, but he never said anything.
Now that he and Yan Jingyun met again, Su Yi discovered that he’d stepped into the Spiritual Manifestation Realm just as Jing Lingzhen had!
“In this world, there’s no shortage of things you wouldn’t guess,” said Su Yi casually.
Yan Jingyun couldn’t help but laugh. “Fellow Daoist Su, I see that you’re as proud and confident as ever.”
He paused, his gaze suddenly mocking. “I just wonder if you think I’m qualified to spar with you now?”
His tone was rife with mockery.
His bearing was much like Li?Handeng’s had been. After stepping into the Spiritual Manifestation Realm, he faced Su Yi with a lofty air of superiority.
Earlier, Jing Lingzhen dared attack from afar and?draw?a line just three feet in front of Su Yi. He threatened him, too; he had to think just like Yan Jingyun.
It was obvious that they thought the difference between Spiritual Manifestation cultivators like them and an Origin Dao cultivator like Su Yi was like the gap between heaven and earth.
Su Yi solemnly scrutinized Yan Jingyun, then said, “In love, you shouldn’t assume your feelings are reciprocated. That goes for the Dao of the Sword too.”
“....” Yan Jingyun could naturally read between the lines.
Su Yi was really saying, “Just you? …Are you worthy?”
The disdain apparent in his casual, understated tone left Yan Jingyun flabbergasted.?Don’t tell me this guy really doesn’t know how wide the gulf between the Spirit and Origin Daos is?
A moment later, Yan Jingyun shook his head and laughed. “A cicada knows not of spring and autumn, and a frog in a well cannot comprehend the enormity of the heavens. A verbal clash like this is dull indeed.”
It seemed he couldn’t be bothered to hold Su Yi accountable for his brazenness.
Afterward, Yan Jingyun pointed to the battle raging on the ten-thousand-foot ritual grounds. “Fellow Daoist Su, as you can see, you arrived a step too late. Brother Jing and I have already set our sights on this particular stroke of good fortune. There’s no grudge between us, so I hope you don’t do anything stupid.”
As he spoke, his gaze shifted and landed on the saber mark three feet in front of Su Yi. He said slowly, “So I advise you to do as Brother Jing suggested. Don’t cross that line, or else…”
Before he could finish, Su Yi nodded. “Alright. I’ll let you try first.”
Yan Jingyun was stunned. It seemed he hadn’t anticipated that someone so proud and overbearing would back down and make concessions so easily.
A moment later, he seemed gratified. “Fellow Daoist Su, you really are clever!”
Jing Lingzhen was a man of few words. He just watched coldly from the sidelines and said nothing.
However, when he saw Su Yi express his willingness to make concessions, a hint of disdain flickered in the depths of his gaze. He then turned away to watch the battle.
“Fellow Daoist Su, since you made it here before the others, I imagine you’ve got a treasure capable of helping you avoid the power of the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness too?” Yan Jingyun suddenly asked.
Su Yi’s expression never wavered. “The power of the Prohibition covering Sumeru Mountain has long since receded.”
Yan Jingyun’s pupils constricted, and he exclaimed, “In that case, why did you come here on your own?”
“This place is too dangerous,” said Su Yi. “Staying behind was the wisest choice they could have made.”
Yan Jingyun snickered. “And you don’t fear death?”
Su Yi responded with another question. “When did you get here?”
Yan Jingyun looked like he’d long since anticipated this question. He smiled faintly and said, “Both Brother Jing and I entered the Spiritual Manifestation Realm five days after entering Sumeru Immortal Island. The morning of the seventh day, we joined forces and entered Sumeru Mountain. Five days have passed since then.”
Su Yi nodded. “So that’s it. It seems you had some understanding of the situation here on Sumeru Mountain since well before you arrived and that you prepared countermeasures.”
Yan Jingyun smiled but said nothing.
Su Yi gazed at the distant battle raging in the ritual grounds. “It’s a pity; even if you’d come earlier, it would all have been in vain.”
Yan Jingyun’s smile disappeared, and he furrowed his brow. “What do you mean by that?”
“You won’t be able to subdue that sword,” said Su Yi.
As soon as he said this, the tides of battle took an abrupt turn.
Clang!
The blue sword mottled with rust stirred up a dazzling rain of sword light, sending both the white-robed elder and the middle-aged man in red staggering back.
In the end, both were sent flying out of the ritual grounds, and they almost fell in the dirt. Both cut sorry figures.
“Dammit! We lost again….” The white-robed elder’s expression darkened, alternating between surprise and anger.
The middle-aged man in red gnashed his teeth. Although he didn’t say anything, his expression was incomparably unsightly.
The blue sword whirled about, then suddenly stopped and hovered in midair, as if dormant. It didn’t chase them.
It gave him the impression that the sword was keeping watch over the ritual grounds, and that it wouldn’t permit outsiders to trespass.
Su Yi had nothing to say to this. Yan Jingyun’s expression was already a bit unsightly.
“Martial Great Uncle, are you alright?” Yan Jingyun approached the white-robed elder.
“I’m fine.” The white-robed elder shook his head, his expression a bit helpless. “Celestial Blue was once the personal weapon of the Sumeru Yao Emperor. Although it’s been damaged for a long time, its power and spirituality are still incredible.”
Celestial Blue…
A hint of ruefulness appeared in Su’s expression. So, that mottled blue sword was the weapon once described as “striking like a flash of blue light,” the sword supposedly “capable of cleaving the skies themselves!”
No wonder it possessed such unfathomable power even this badly damaged.
This was the sword the Sumeru Yao Emperor had forged personally. Its quality and materials were naturally far beyond ordinary weapons.
“The sword’s power will soon run out. If not for its ability to control some of the power sealing that doorway, how could it possibly fight us?” snorted the middle-aged man in red.
Suddenly, he turned his head and looked at Su Yi. “Who’s that boy?”
Jing Lingzhen said indifferently, “Someone of no importance.”
The middle-aged man furrowed his brow. “In that case, why haven’t you killed him?”
The peak Spiritual Integration Realm primordial spirit surged with murderous intent.
“Someone as insignificant as that?” said Jing LIngzhen. “He won’t influence this operation.”
“You’re wrong. Fellow Daoist Su isn’t at all ‘insignificant,’” said Yan Jingyun. “Among the world’s Origin Dao cultivators, his combat prowess is unquestionably unparalleled. Even someone as mighty as Huan Shaoyou was no match for him.”
Both primordial spirits couldn’t help but react to this.
They were both well aware of the strength of a main-line descendant of the Huan Family like Huan Shaoyou. If that boy could defeat Huan Shaoyou, how could he possibly be ordinary?”
“Furthermore, the current emperor of the Great Xia attaches enormous importance to him. When Fellow Daoist Su breaks into the Spiritual Manifestation Realm, he’ll undoubtedly be an extraordinary existence!”
Yan Jingyun wasn’t at all stingy with his praises.
As he said this, he turned to Su Yi and smiled, his gaze rife with meaning. “Of course, that’s on the condition that he makes it out of here alive.”
Su Yi’s expression remained calm; he completely ignored the “needles concealed in silk” of Yan Jingyun’s “praise.”
Instead, he said, “Are you going to keep trying?”
The group was stunned.
Yan Jingyun furrowed his brow. “What do you mean by that?”
“I gave you a chance to subdue the blade,” said Su Yi. “But it’s obvious that you can’t do it. That means it’s my turn to try.”
Yan Jingyun almost dared not believe his ears. “You, all by yourself… think you can subdue Celestial Blue?”
Jing Lingzhen said icily, “I said it already. If you dare cross that line, I’ll take your head!”
However, the white-robed elder seemed to find it funny. “Forget it. There’s no harm in letting him try.”
Su Yi ignored this. He walked directly toward the ten-thousand-foot ritual grounds.
Clang!
Jing Lingzhen glared, his entire body surging with icy and austere murderous intent.
But just as he was about to attack, the man in blood-colored clothes said, “Let him go.”
He looked at Su Yi as if he were looking at a soon-to-be corpse.
Over the past five days, he’d used every method at his disposal. He’d lost track of how many attempts he’d made to subdue Celestial Blue, but he’d never once succeeded.
Now, a mere Gathering Stars Realm cultivator was foolish and ignorant enough to attempt to subdue the sword. How was that any different from suicide?
Jing LInzhen silently sheathed his saber and repressed his murderous intent.?It’s true; this is someone I’ve long since left in the dust. If he wants to throw his life away, I’ll just let him.
When he saw Su Yi near the ritual grounds, Yan Jingyun couldn’t help but say, “Fellow Daoist Su, don’t blame me for not warning you. Earlier, Brother Jing and I joined forces, but we were far from a match for Celestial Blue. Even our seniors could at best maintain a stalemate. If you turn back now, you might still survive. If you refuse to listen…”
He paused here and sighed. “Then the world will lose yet another top genius…”
It looked like a warning, but in truth, it was mockery and ridicule.
Su Yi paused before the ritual grounds, his back to the others. “This sword is indeed extremely powerful, but alas, it couldn’t bear seeing you throw your lives away. That’s why it stopped after forcing you outside, over and over again.”
The group was stunned, but then, their expressions darkened.
“Su Yi, what the hell is that supposed to mean?” Yan Jingyun’s expression darkened.
Su Yi sighed. “Even if I explained, you wouldn’t understand.”
Before his voice finished echoing through the air, he stepped into the ritual grounds.
Clang!
The dormant, hovering Celestial Blue sword suddenly burst with clear light. Blue sword qi as clear as ice swept through the air.
Yan Jingyun, Jing Lingzhen, the white-robed elder, and the middle-aged man in red set all other thoughts aside and stared intently at Celestial Blue.
Whoosh!
Celestial Blue arced through the air, emanating dazzling blue sword qi. It spread out, practically enveloping the entire ritual grounds.
When they saw this, the four onlookers’ hearts were instantly solemn. They couldn’t help but picture the sword cleaving Su Yi apart.
They were far too aware of how terrifying Celestial Blue was. Even two peak Spiritual Integration primordial spirits couldn’t contend with it. How could a mere Gathering Stars Realm cultivator stand a chance?
Meanwhile, Su Yi’s eyes were as stagnant as the waters of an ancient well. He stretched out his right hand and whispered, “Here, little one, I’ll give you a chance. Choose for yourself.”
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