Chapter 855: Interception
It was as if he’d seen the funniest thing imaginable. Cui Chang’an, the leader of the Cui Family, had thrown back his head, and he was still laughing.
Tao Qianqiu, Ran Tianfeng, and the others looked at each other. They found his laughter grating, and they felt thoroughly uncomfortable.
Su Yi rubbed his forehead and thought to himself, It seems that traitor Pi Mo has been exploiting my name ever since my reincarnation. Otherwise, there’s no way this disciple of his would do something so ludicrous and absurd.
Tao Qianqiu snorted coldly. “Family Head Cui, what is the meaning of this?”
Cui Chang’an’s smile faded, and he said, “I already understand why you’re here, so let me speak clearly: even if that Ghost Lantern Sarcophagus were in the Cui Family estate, there is absolutely no way I would hand him over to you.”
His tone was casual, but he spoke with incontrovertible force.
Tao Qianqiu furrowed his brow. After a moment’s thought, he took a deep breath and said, “Family Head Cui, we heard that last night, during the Lantern Festival, it was the power my master’s master left behind that saved the Cui Family from disaster! Don’t tell me you’ll really refuse to do us even such a minor favor?”
The experts of Divine Peak Sword Court and Ran Tianfeng looked over at Cui?Chang’an as well.
The way they saw it, after Tao Qianqiu put it like that, there was no way Cui Chang’an would refuse; that would mean disrespecting the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force! And His Excellency Pi Mo!
However, Cui Chang’an didn’t seem the least bit concerned. He raised his teacup to his lips, took a sip, and smiled. “It’s true that your master’s master has done the Cui Family a great kindness, and we honor him as we might a deity. But who the hell do you think you are? Are you worthy of using his name to pressure the Cui Family and demand we hand someone over to you?”
This time, Cui Chang’an didn’t show any mercy. His words were utterly contemptuous!
Tao Qianqiu and company were flabbergasted. They found this hard to believe. None of them would ever have imagined that the lofty head of the Cui Family would cast aside all pretenses of cordiality at the drop of a hat.
Cui Chang’an set down his teacup and said coolly, “This is the Netherworld, not the Wilds. I urge you to rein it in a little. Don’t bring shame upon your master’s master!”
Tao Qianqiu’s expression darkened; this rebuke left him with no dignity left.
One of the Divine Peak Sword Court elders stepped forth and said gravely, “Family Head Cui, surely it isn’t necessary to have a falling out over a Ghost Lantern Sarcophagus Bearer? To the best of my knowledge, although the Cui Family overcame last night’s calamity, your honorable father met with the Netherworld Vessel in the Sea of Bitterness, and his fate is yet unknown. Given the circumstances, if you….”
Crack!
A teacup slammed to the floor and shattered, interrupting the old man. The group’s hearts shook.
Then, Cui Chang’an said flatly, “I’ll give you fifteen minutes to disappear from Ziluo City. Otherwise, I’ll execute you without mercy!”
He spoke every word with staunch conviction, and murderous intent permeated the grand hall.
The group’s expressions shifted, alternating between alarm and anger. All of them realized that there was no further room for discussion!
“We’re leaving!” Tao Qianqiu took a deep breath, his face ashen. Then, with a swoosh of his sleeves, he left.
The others hurried after him.
It was only after all of them were gone that Cui Chang’an rose from his seat. He looked a bit ill at ease. “Uncle Su, you won’t chastise me for how I handled that, will you?”
Su Yi had been watching from the sidelines this entire time. He said casually, “A bunch of clowns like them? It wouldn’t matter even if you killed them all. But your response wasn’t bad either. After all, Pi Mo is seeking out the inheritor of the Ghost Lantern Sarcophagus Bearers to confirm whether I’m alive or dead.”
Here, Su Yi sighed. “I implicated the old blind man’s master, the Master of the Blood Coffin. I don’t want to drag the Cui Family into this too.”
Cui Chang’an said solemnly, “Uncle Su, the Cui Family isn’t the least bit concerned about that!”
Su Yi thought for a moment. “Very well. Come with me for a bit.”
With that, he put his hands behind his back and sauntered off.
“Uncle Su, where are we going?”
“We’re going to kill.”
Cui Chang’an’s heart shook, but a moment later, his eyes lit up.
……
Outside Ziluo City.
Tao Qianqiu and his companions boarded the treasure ship and shot into the distance. All of them had overcast looks on their faces.
“Cui Chang’an was far too brazen!” someone sputtered, unable to repress their rage any longer.
“Why didn’t last night’s calamity wipe that blasted Cui Family out?” said another through gnashed teeth, their face ashen.
“Your Excellency, I can say with certainty that the Ghost Lantern Sarcophagus Bearer is currently within the Cui Family estate!” Ran Tianfeng suddenly interjected.
Tao Qianqiu was stunned. “Truly?”
Ran Tianfeng nodded. “The Netherworld Sky Sect’s ‘Seeking Spirit, Discerning Truth’ excels at detecting traces of cultivators aura above all else. Last time, I relied on that very method to locate the old blind man.
“This time, I sensed his presence as soon as we entered the Cui Family estate!”
The group’s spirits soared.
Tao Qianqiu said coldly, “That bastard Cui Chang’an dared deceive us? Simply detestable!”
“Your Excellency, what should we do next?” someone asked.
Tao Qianqiu promptly fell silent.
Ziluo City was the Cui Family’s territory. With the power at their disposal, they had no hope of seizing someone from the Cui Family.
But he wasn’t willing to just give up and leave.
It was then that the thousand-foot treasure ship hurtling beneath the dome of heaven shook and came to an abrupt halt.
At the same time, someone shouted, “Your Excellency, someone’s intercepted us!”
An interception?
Tao Qianqiu and company instinctively looked over.
There, they saw a tall, upright figure standing alone amidst the clouds. His blue robes swayed around him, and he looked calm and transcendent. The wisps of cloud further offset his unrestrained air, making him seem like a banished immortal.
“Isn’t that the junior who stood next to Cui Chang’an earlier?” someone exclaimed.
Tao Qianqiu and the others recognized him too, and they couldn’t help but frown. What’s a Spiritual Revolution cultivator like him doing here?
However, Ran Tianfeng’s expression changed dramatically. “Fellow Daoist, what are you doing here…?”
“Last time, I let you off out of consideration for the fact that you were only following orders. I thought you’d learn from your mistakes, but you’ve truly disappointed me,” Su Yi said coolly from amidst the clouds.
Ran Tianfeng’s expression shifted. “Fellow Daoist, we’re simply on different sides. I can’t possibly change my allegiance simply because you spared my life.”
Tao Qianqiu couldn’t help but frown. “Fellow Daoist Ran, is this kid here for you?”
Ran Tianfeng said in a low voice, “Your Excellency, it’s a long story, but I…”
But Tao Qianqiu didn’t let him finish. “Just tell me if he’s here for you or not.”
“No, I’m here for all of you,” said Su Yi, approaching through the sea of clouds. His gait was leisurely, as if he were out for a stroll.
Tao Qianqiu and the others furrowed their brow. They found this difficult to understand. Where did a Spiritual Revolution teenager like him get the courage to say something like that?
“Don’t tell me the Cui Family plans to stop us from leaving?” said a tall old man in fiery Daoist?robes.
The others were instantly solemn, and they instinctively looked around.
“I alone will be enough to deal with you,” Su Yi said flatly. “But I brought Cui Chang’an to make sure you don’t run off. He’s watching from the shadows. That said, he won’t intervene unless you try to run away.”
He was completely forthright about all of this, laying everything out in the open.
However, Tao Qianqiu and his companions’ expressions filled with disbelief.
A Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivator dared proclaim his intention of killing them?
And he’d brought Cui Chang’an as backup just to ensure that they didn’t run away?
Despite all their years of life, this was their first time encountering something so ludicrous!
Meanwhile, Cui Chang’an, who was hiding off in the distance, couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Uncle Su really hasn’t changed. When he kills someone, he makes no effort to disguise his intentions whatsoever.
But that’s the most forceful, tyrannical way to do it! He disdains resorting to tricks and deception!
As he pondered, Cui Chang’an revealed himself. He stood in the distance, entering Tao Qianqiu and the others’ field of view.
An uproar instantly broke out aboard the treasure ship. They wouldn’t have thought that Cui Chang’an was really here!
“Family Head Cui, what’s the meaning of this?” Tao Qianqiu’s expression darkened.
However, Cui Chang’an just said indifferently, “Don’t panic. I won’t intervene in this battle. Whether you leave here alive or not… will depend on your abilities.”
When they heard that, Tao Qianqiu and company realized that what Su Yi had said earlier was for real!
A Spiritual Revolution cultivator planned on taking all of them on!
This was unquestionably ludicrous, to the point that they found it hard to believe.
Only Ran Tianfeng knew how capable Su Yi was. He said gravely, “Everyone, don’t underestimate that fellow Daoist. He’s a….”
But Tao Qianqiu snorted coldly and interrupted him before he could finish. “No matter how impressive a Spirit Dao cultivator is, to us, how is he any different from a clay chicken or porcelain dog?”
The others nodded, one after another.
The way they saw it, Cui Chang’an was the one they ought to be afraid of!
Meanwhile, Su Yi was already within a thousand feet of the treasure ship, and he attacked directly.
He raised his right hand, pressed his fingers into a blade, and slashed.
Boom!
A ten-thousand-foot streak of sword qi appeared beneath the dome of heaven. It was simple, as clear as autumn waters, and it descended lightly.
Tao Qianqiu and his companions’ eyes narrowed. They were increasingly flabbergasted; none of them would have guessed that this Spiritual Revolution Realm youth would really attack directly!
How was that any different from suicide?
“Allow me!” said a peak Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivator of Divine Peak Sword Court. He bellowed, then leaped from the treasure ship, drew a silver Dao Sword, and attacked explosively.
But a moment later——
Boom!
The man had only just risen into the air when the descending ten-thousand-foot streak of sword qi cleaved into him as if he were a bug, reducing him to ash.
Even his sword melted and evaporated.
Meanwhile, the streak of sword qi continued its descent, its power undiminished, then cleaved into the treasure ship with a bang.
Tao Qianqiu and company visibly reacted as they realized how terrifying this seemingly simple slash was!
“Break!” Just in the nick of time, an early-stage Profound Illumination elder in red bellowed, formed a sword seal, and smacked the air.
Bang!!!!
The sword seal shattered, and sword?qi severed the arm the old man had attacked with, making him shriek in agony.
Immediately afterward, an explosion rang out, shaking both heaven and earth.
The entire treasure ship exploded into pieces, filling the air with smoke.
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