With a shift of his body, Su Yi led Tantai Yunzhi as they took a step out of the seven-colored vortex passage, returning to the secret realm’s main space.
The piercing daylight made him narrow his eyes slightly, and he soon clearly took in the scene before him—
Led by Shang Shuyi, Ling Qingyu, and Shi Yan, hundreds of Divine Might Manor disciples stood in neat formation, their auras dense and refined.
Someone was the first to cry out in excitement: “Young Manor Lord Su! It’s Young Manor Lord Su! The Young Manor Lord is safe and sound! We don’t need to go in anymore!”
This cry was like a pebble tossed into a calm lake, instantly stirring up rippling waves.
None of the disciples could conceal the excitement and relief on their faces, and a minor commotion broke out in the ranks.
The keen gazes of Shang Shuyi and the other two swept over Su Yi. Seeing that although his aura was steady, his robes indeed bore traces of battle, their eyes immediately landed on Tantai Yunzhi half a step behind him.
At this glance, a flicker of astonishment flashed through both of their eyes.
Although Tantai Yunzhi had already established her foundation when she entered, she had inevitably looked somewhat disheveled after a series of fierce battles.
Yet now, not only was the spiritual power circulating through her body smooth and full, her aura deeper than before, but even her skin seemed as if it had been cleansed by a spirit spring—glowing with a moist luster, fair with a rosy flush. Not a shred of disarray remained on her; rather, it was as if she had just undergone an exquisite nourishment and transformation, her demeanor becoming increasingly aloof and ethereal.
“It seems she is also worth paying attention to,” Ling Qingyu and Shang Shuyi could not help but think at the same time.
Shi Yan, however, had not thought that far ahead. With his straightforward nature, seeing the pair emerge, he immediately bellowed at the top of his lungs, asking with utter bewilderment, “Young Manor Lord Su, you’re finally out! What about that old hag from Soul Lost Ridge inside? Taken care of? And Junior Sister Tantai, you... don’t look like you’ve been in a fight at all!”
Hearing this, Su Yi’s expression remained unchanged. His tone was placid, tinged with a well-measured hint of “relief,” as he said nonchalantly, “Brother Shi jokes. The interior of that secret realm is intricate, laden with formations and restrictions. I was merely lucky and happened to find Yunzhi, never crossing paths with that demon clan Elder directly. Otherwise, it likely would have taken quite an ordeal, and whether we could have retreated in one piece would remain uncertain.”
Shi Yan was taken aback, clearly not quite convinced by this explanation. His copper-bell-like eyes stared straight at Tantai Yunzhi, seemingly trying to pick out some clue from her face.
He could not fathom how a slip of a girl who had just established her foundation could emerge unscathed from a Peak Foundation Establishment Elder—and look so... glowing and radiant, to boot.
Made somewhat uncomfortable by his stare, Tantai Yunzhi subconsciously leaned closer behind Su Yi, slightly lowering her head.
Seeing this, Su Yi naturally took half a step forward, blocking Shi Yan’s probing gaze. His tone remained unhurried as he shifted the topic: “Let us speak no more of this, Brother Shi. The urgent matter at hand is for the disciples to complete their Foundation Establishment and stabilize their realms as soon as possible...”
Before he could finish, Shi Yan scratched his head and interrupted, “Foundation Establishment? They... all finished establishing their foundations long ago!”
Su Yi froze for a moment upon hearing that. His gaze swept once more across the hundreds of disciples whose auras had completely transformed; indeed, every single one of them possessed the spiritual pressure of the Foundation Establishment realm.
At this moment, Tantai Yunzhi beside him gently tugged at his sleeve and whispered a reminder, “Senior Brother, the flow of time inside the secret realm seems to be different from the outside...”
Only then did Su Yi realize. No wonder Tantai Yunzhi had enough time to accept the inheritance, refine the spirit fluid, and even dispose of that Soul Lost Ridge Elder. She had benefited from the time difference.
He looked toward the disciples standing solemnly before him once more, observing their orderly ranks and connecting it to the “ready to deploy” atmosphere when he had just emerged.
It seemed that had he come out just a few shichen later, these hundreds of newly advanced Foundation Establishment disciples might truly have stormed into that unknown land of inheritance just to search for him.
Thinking of this, the corners of Su Yi’s mouth curled up slightly, revealing a genuine smile.
This was precisely the result he wanted.
All his previous sacrifices and the selfless, life-risking persona he had cultivated had not been in vain. These disciples, whom he had saved and led to obtain their Foundation Establishment opportunities, had not thought of abandoning him either.
“Good!” Su Yi spoke clearly, his voice carrying into the ears of every disciple, laden with gratification and decisiveness. “Since matters here are concluded and everyone has achieved complete success, then we... shall head home!”
“Yes, Young Manor Lord!”
Hundreds of voices answered in unison, shaking the surrounding expanse with an aura as vast as a rainbow.
Meanwhile, across a desolate, barren gravel desert somewhere in the Demonic Domain, space warped. Accompanied by a dull thud, two battered figures crashed heavily onto the hard sand and stone, kicking up a cloud of dust.
They were precisely Fang Xiu and Tu Lingqie, who had narrowly escaped with their lives by taking advantage of the spatial channel forcibly torn open at the end by the Remnant Sword Prison Elder.
Both were currently clad in tattered garments, their auras languid. Their bodies bore prominent scorch marks and internal injuries; evidently, even the residual aftershocks of Su Yi’s final strike, “Thunder Prison: Heavenly Smite,” had caused them considerable suffering.
Enduring the searing pain and dizziness brought on by his severe injuries, Fang Xiu struggled to push himself up, warily scanning his surroundings.
The wasteland was deathly silent, broken only by the howling wind and sand. Not a trace of the Remnant Sword Prison Elder’s formidable demonic qi could be felt.
His expression turned ugly as he rasped, “The Elder... does not seem to have landed in the same place as us.”
“Who cares about that now!” Tu Lingqie spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, barely steadying herself against a weathered boulder. Her face was as pale as paper, her breathing ragged. “To have salvaged our lives from that monster’s lightning technique is already a blessing! Cough, cough...”
Her gaze immediately fell upon the unconscious Zhao Qian nearby, a glint of ruthlessness and calculation flashing in her eyes. “Though our losses are catastrophic, at least we captured someone with no small ties to that Su Yi alive. It’s not a total loss.”
She tottered over to Zhao Qian’s side, gazing down at the face drained of all color from severe injury and fright. A cold curve tugged at the corner of her lips. “The Young Manor Lord of Divine Might Manor... Hmph. Let’s see if I can dig up something useful from this junior sister of his.”
With that, she extended a pale hand. Dark soul power swirled around her five fingers as she slowly pressed them toward Zhao Qian’s forehead, preparing to execute a soul search technique to probe her memories, hoping to uncover Su Yi’s weaknesses, Divine Might Manor’s plans, or other valuable intelligence.
However, the very instant her soul-power-laced fingertips were about to touch the skin between Zhao Qian’s brows—
A sudden change erupted!
A terrifying soul pressure—far purer and more ancient than hers, brimming with boundless majesty and ferocity—burst forth from the depths of Zhao Qian’s sea of consciousness, like a monstrous beast awakening from an eternity of slumber!
“Junior! Take your hand away!!”
Rate on N.U.
