First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1116 - A Decision

Chapter 1116 - A Decision

Su Yi couldn’t help but sink into thought.

He found this a bit strange.

Qing Tang had surely long since been aware of the grand battle in the Ten Directions Yao Mountains. She had to know that he’d returned to the Wilds.

But there’d been no movement on her end. She’d taken no action whatsoever.

Several days ago, the whole world was watching the battle at Martial Heaven Peak. Pi Mo died, and the Abstruse Force Alliance fell, sending waves of uproar throughout the Wilds.

But Qing Tang still didn’t react.

She and Pi Mo were on opposite extremes. Wasn’t she keeping a bit too cool?

But before long, Su Yi set the matter aside and made his decision. “I gave Pi Mo three months to prepare. I’ll do the same for Qing Tang.”

He already couldn’t be bothered to wonder what Qing Tang was thinking. When he returned to the Grotto of Abstruse Force, he’d naturally learn the truth.

Jin Kui said, “Three months... Master, isn’t that a bit too rushed? Qing Tang is far more inscrutable than Pi Mo.”

“That’s right. Master, you once said it’s highly likely that Qing Tang is from the stars beyond the Wilds, and that she has another identity. She might well have prepared an inescapable net that she’s just waiting for you to fall into.”

Ye Luo and the others walked over. All of them felt that Su Yi’s decision was a bit rash.

“I can’t treat one disciple better than another, can I?” Su Yi laughed. “It’s settled.”

As the saying went, "The world turns and time presses. Ten thousand years is too long, so seize the day!"

Three months was his bottom line. No matter Qing Tang’s origins or what she was planning, it was time for this to end.

“Your Excellency Su, we’re returning to the sect.”

Shortly after, Yan Suni and Yue Shichan walked over.

Su Yi was briefly stunned. Then, he rose from his wicker chair and beckoned Yue Shichan over for a private chat.

“Shichan, I can tell that you’ve been in low spirits for the past few days and that you’re deliberately avoiding me. Why is that?” Su Yi asked gently.

Her clothes were whiter than snow, her skin was smooth as jade, and she had the graceful bearing of a lady immortal. She was prettier than ever.

But Su Yi could tell that she had something on her mind, and she seemed dejected.

She’d been like this ever since the curtains fell on the grand battle just a few days prior.

At the time, Su Yi invited Yan Suni and Yue Shichan to drink with him.

Although Yue Shichan didn’t refuse, she was uncharacteristically silent, as if deliberately trying to create distance between them.

This drew Su Yi’s attention, but he could guess her reasons.

“I... I’m fine.” Yue Shichan averted her gaze.

Su Yi’s eyes shone with a hint of pity. “Do you feel like I’ve changed? And that I’m no longer approachable?”

Yue Shichan stiffened slightly. She was obviously a bit uncomfortable.

She was just about to say something when Su Yi said seriously, “My cultivation has changed, and my status has changed, but I’m still me. I’m the same person I was in the Azure Continent, and I don’t think my personality has ever changed.”

Yue Shichan froze, stunned. Her emotions stirred as she whispered, “But you’re the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force, a prominent figure the Wilds’ cultivators all look up to. You’re so far above me. You can turn the clouds into rain with a flip of your hand, and even Ancestor Peng has to treat you with respect. How... How can I treat you with the same familiarity I did before?”

Her voice contained a complicated mix of emotions, and it revealed both melancholy and despondency.

Su Yi laughed dryly. “In my eyes, when one pursues the Dao, their status and authority are mere fabrications. Only their mentality and their cultivation base have any real substance. If I thought myself lofty and superior, how could I have viewed you with favor back in the Azure Continent?

“And you were watching when the young mistress of the Studio of the Heart revealed her lofty and extraordinary status, but in my eyes, she’s ultimately just another enemy. One of these days, I'll cut her down.”

Su Yi reached up to pat her on the shoulder. “Remember this: I, Su Yi, care about the person, not their identity or background. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an immortal from on high or an ordinary mortal. None of that matters to me.”

Yue Shichan was unwittingly stunned. A dense current of warmth flowed through her.

She couldn’t help but say, “Then... Can I still call you ‘Brother Su?’”

“Of course,” laughed Su Yi.

Yue Shichan’s face lit up with obvious delight.

But a moment later, she couldn’t help but hesitate. “But... But how will your disciples see? And your friends? And... if my sect finds out, I’m afraid they’ll think I’ve transgressed the bounds and propriety. They’ll say I have no manners.”

The young woman’s beautiful face was already showing signs of worry.

Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “Why concern yourself with that? So long as I don’t mind, who in the Wilds will dare chatter or point their fingers?”

When it came to his interpersonal affairs, his past life was his past life, and his current life was his current life.

Back in the Azure Continent, he deeply admired Yue Shichan. It wasn’t just her extraordinary beauty, either. It was also her Dao Heart fixated on the sword!

That was enough.

“Besides, living while concerned about rules and others’ opinions is exhausting,” said Su Yi. “As cultivators, we should follow our hearts without overstepping the bounds of what’s right. The more you care about your reputation and others’ opinions, the more you’ll fetter your heart.”

As Yue Shichan listened, her emotions rose and fell.

A little while later, she looked a bit sheepish and embarrassed. “Thanks for your guidance, Brother Su. I was overthinking things.”

Beneath the misty light of the heavens, the faint concern on the young woman’s face dissipated. Her graceful figure glowed, and she seemed even more ethereal and beautiful than before.

A joy to the heart and the eyes.

“In three months, I’ll return to the Grotto of Abstruse Force,” said Su Yi. “If all goes as planned, I’ll resolve my enmities then. When the time comes, if you don’t mind, you can come to the Grotto of Abstruse Force to cultivate.”

“Uh...” Yue Shichan was obviously stunned. She murmured, “But I...”

“Just relax,” laughed Su Yi. “The Nine Extremes Profound Capital wouldn’t dare refuse to let you go.”

Here, he took out Moonlit Shadow and passed it to Yue Shichan. “I no longer have use for this sword. Take it for now. When you find a better weapon, you can return it to me.”

Now that he’d reached Profound Serenity, he could freely unleash the full strength of the Tiny Heart of the Cosmos with room to spare.

Thus, he stuffed Moonlit Shadow into Yue Shichan’s hands without a second thought.

Yue Shichan was obviously caught off guard; she couldn’t even refuse. It was flattering, but also shocking.

“Go on, don’t keep Yan Suni waiting,” Su Yi laughed and urged her on.

Yue Shichan noticed that Yan Suni looked a bit frantic, so she hurriedly put Moonlit Shadow away. “Brother Su, one day... I’ll be sure to repay you.”

Before her melodious voice finished echoing through the air, she turned and left.

“Repay me?” Su Yi laughed. Silly girl. She obviously doesn’t understand my intentions.

I saw a good seedling, and I couldn’t help but want to see what kind of tree it’d grow into if nurtured with care.

I have high hopes for you. No repayment could compare to seeing them realized.

Before long, Yan Suni and Yue Shichan left.

“Old Monster Su, you... don’t tell me you have other intentions for that girl?” The Skythorn Poison Emperor couldn’t help but ask.

Su Yi said plainly, “Even if I did, so what? Would it be any of your business?”

The Skythorn Poison Emperor rubbed his nose, at a loss for words.

Off in the distance, Jin Kui, Ye Luo, and the others looked at each other. They all tacitly agreed not to discuss it, but in their hearts, they felt a bit strange.

Suddenly, a soft sigh rang out. “Aih, I finally understand. So, Su Xuanjun, after your reincarnation, you've developed a taste for young, tender girls. No wonder you heartlessly refused me even when I delivered myself to your door.”

The red-dressed Heavensdeath Demon Empress appeared alongside this voice.

Her skin was snowy and crystalline, and she was utterly charming, an unparalleled, unearthly charmer. However, she looked a bit resentful.

The Skythorn Poison Emperor shot to his feet, looking fearful. “What are you doing here, you she-devil?”

He was well aware of how terrifying the ancestor of the Demons’ Elysium was.

“What are you afraid of? I’m not here to whisper sweet nothings to you, you geezer.” The Heavensdeath Demon Empress pursed her lips.

The Skythorn Poison Emperor instantly looked humiliated and angry, but he dared not voice any objections. Inwardly, he decided not to provoke this troublesome demoness any further.

Jin Kui, Ye Luo, and the others considerately left the area.

Meanwhile, Su Yi sprawled out in his wicker chair once more.

The Heavensdeath Demon empress walked up, and her jade-like hands pressed down on Su Yi’s shoulders as she said gently, “Big Brother Su, say something! Am I not pretty enough? Is my figure not good enough? Am I not worthy of even the barest thread of affection?”

Her voice was cold and clear, with a trace of soul-stirring magnetism.

She had an extremely charming appearance, with a thin waist, jade-like legs, and an impressive, well-proportioned figure. Her every movement contained enough charm to bewitch the masses.

This display of amorousness was more than the Skythorn Poison Emperor could take, and he promptly got up and left decisively.

“Let’s talk business,” Su Yi said distractedly, not moved in the slightest.

The Heavensdeath Demon Empress raised the arms she had pressed on his shoulders and rolled her eyes irritably before finally getting to the point. “Yesterday, the Sixth Warden of the Nine Heavens Pavilion sent a message telling me not to act for now. We’re to wait until you wage war against your last disciple, then choose an opportunity to take action.”

Su Yi exclaimed, “They actually managed to keep their cool?”

The Heavensdeath Demon Empress said, “You killed Pi Mo and scared off the young mistress of the Studio of the Heart, causing uproar throughout the Wilds. The experts of the Nine Heavens Pavilion aren’t stupid. They won’t declare war against you now, not without absolute confidence.”

Here, her expression suddenly turned solemn. “Brother Su, I suspect that the Sixth Warden is plotting something, and I feel extremely ill at ease. I’m hoping you can join forces with me to deal with the members of the Nine Heavens Pavilion right now.”

After a moment’s silence, Su Yi said, “That works too.”

However, the Heavensdeath Demon Empress looked surprised, as if she’d been moved. She murmured, “And here I thought you’d refuse. I came with a bellyful of counterarguments. Who’d have thought you’d simply agree... Now what do I do...?”

Here, she bent at the waist, pressed her head against Su Yi, and whispered in a sweet, gentle voice, “How about... I repay you with my body?”

However, Su Yi only pushed her head away and said irritably, “If you don’t behave yourself, don’t blame me for refusing to help you.”

The Heavensdeath Demon Empress stiffened, then bit down on her red lower lip, her eyes beautiful but timid as she said pitifully, “Ancestor Su, please don’t be angry! I won’t ever do it again~!”

Su Yi rose from his wicker chair, then smacked the Heavensdeath Demon Empress’s butt. “Quit acting pitiful. Let’s go!”

Whap!

A crisp, clear sound.

The Heavensdeath Demon Empress felt a fiery, stinging pain emanating from her behind. Her prideworthy, delicate figure quivered, her face flushed red, and she gasped.

You hateful bastard! Just how much pent-up force did you put into that...? What, were you trying to flatten it!?