Chapter 1493 - No Mere Coincidence

The Bloodwing Ghost Bird took to the skies, beating its thousand-foot wings and scattering sharp, knifelike beams of blood-red light that ripped the air to shreds.

Its eyes were like lanterns, flashing with cruel light as it blocked their path. The bird was so enormous that it was like an impenetrable natural barrier, and the sight filled their hearts with terror.

And the tiger-like Qiongqi approached from the other side, bathed entirely in pitch-black flames. It was even more terrifying. It approached silently, its imposing presence blotting out the sun.

Amongst the beasts of the First Battleground, these were among two strongest predators!

The yellow-robed middle-aged man and his companions’ hearts filled with terror. Their legs quivered with fright. They’d expended much of the power of their cultivation bases pursuing the Blueflame Divine Python, and the realization of their predicament made their hearts sink into the pits of their stomachs!

How could they possibly win such a fight?

A single Bloodwing Ghost Bird could destroy Cloud Soaring Transcendents like them with ease. And now they were up against an even more terrifying Qiongqi on top of all that!

The yellow-robed middle-aged man took a deep breath and said, “I’ll lead the way and try to create an opening. When the time comes, take our fellow Daoist from the Eastern Profound Star Domain and run!”

The others' hearts were heavy. They would never have imagined that they’d run into such a terrifying catastrophe just as they were about to leave the Beast Blood Swamp.

“Brother Ling, all of us swore to live and die alongside each other. You aren’t afraid to die, so how could we possibly be afraid? We’ll fight together, and that’s that!” the thin man in black said through gnashed teeth.

The others nodded.

Meanwhile, the Bloodwing Ghost Bird and Qiongqi were fast approaching.

But it was then that a calm voice rang out.

“Leave those two dirty beasts to me. You all can just watch."

The speaker was none other than Su Yi!

The crowd was stunned, and they almost dared not believe their ears.

“Don’t even think of making trouble!” roared the thin man in black, his expression dark.

Really? At a time like this? How could this Eastern Profound Star Domain kid be so boastful even now?

“Fellow Daoist, you...” The middle-aged man in yellow started to speak.

Boom!

Off in the distance, the air abruptly collapsed.

The Bloodwing Ghost Bird beat its wings and charged explosively over. Terrifying blood-colored light instantly filled the sky, like glinting blades blanketing the air and descending upon them en masse.

“Die!”

The yellow-robed middle-aged man’s eyes reddened as he and his companions charged into the fray.

But mere seconds later, their offensive collapsed. The blood-colored lights were as sharp as knives and terrifyingly strong. Already injured Cloud Soaring Transcendents like them couldn’t even hope to counter them.

Their faces paled, and their hearts filled with panic.

We’re finished!

They’d long since anticipated that the Bloodwing Ghost Bird would be terrifyingly strong, but when it really came time to fight, they discovered that they’d still severely underestimated it.

They couldn’t even take a single hit, let alone create an opening and escape!

As the blood-colored blades of light descended, a large, fair hand pressed down in midair.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of rapid-fire explosions followed, and the blood-colored blades exploded, scattering into bits of light.

The crowd was stunned. They instinctively looked to see just who that hand belonged to, and their eyes filled with disbelief.

That young Dao Integration cultivator who only just came here from the Second Battleground is actually so strong!?

“I said all you had to do is watch,” said Su Yi, taking a step forward.

His hand closed in midair.

Boom!

It was as if something had taken hold of the Bloodwing Ghost Bird’s neck. It struggled violently and beat its wings like mad.

Meanwhile, a streak of black shot over. It was the Qiongqi!

It was as swift as lightning, and it arrived in a flash. Its massive body was swathed in black flames as it descended upon Su Yi.

Su Yi snapped his fingers.

Bang!

It was as if a divine mountain had slammed into the Qiongqi. It was sent flying several dozen meters back, staggering on its feet as if the impact had left it dizzy.

“Come here.” Su Yi drew in his right hand, pulling the Bloodwing Ghost Bird toward him from afar.

Boom!

The bird was helpless to stop itself from being pulled right over to Su Yi.

Then, beneath the onlookers’ astonished gazes, the enormous bird shrank repeatedly. Finally, when it was the size of a sparrow, Su Yi trapped it in the palm of his hand.

“This...” The onlookers’ eyes widened in shock, and their jaws hung slack.

Off in the distance, the Qiongqi roared as if scared out of its wits, then attempted to scamper off.

“What’re you running away for? Running into me was your good fortune.” Su Yi laughed, then reached for the beast from afar.

Boom!

He dragged the Qiongqi’s massive body toward him, then pushed.

The unrivaled ferocious beast shrank until it was the size of a kitten. Su Yi then picked it up by the scruff of its neck.

The “kitten” curled up, its whole body quivering and its green eyes full of terror and helplessness. It looked utterly paltry and pitiful.

The crowd was stunned. They almost felt as if they were dreaming.

These two unrivaled vicious beasts were so powerful that they'd almost given in to despair. Who’d have thought someone would subdue them in the blink of an eye?

And it was the young Dao Integration cultivator they’d thought they were protecting, too....

This was simply unreasonable!

“Alas, you only have a trace of an impure Qiongqi bloodline. You’re far from comparable to a pureblooded Qiongqi.” Su Yi examined the beast, then sighed as if he found it a pity.

Don’t tell me he’s seen a pureblooded Qiongqi before?

The crowd found it increasingly hard to stay calm. The way they looked at Su Yi changed, and their eyes filled with deep-stead bewilderment and dread.

And here they’d taken this passerby for a trivial figure, just a Dao Integration cultivator. Who’d have thought he was a deeply hidden expert?

“Hm?” Suddenly, Su Yi seemed to sense something. He slipped the Bloodwing Ghost Bird into his sleeves, raised his left forefinger into the air, and drew it across the Qiongqi’s forehead.

The Qiongqi roared in agony as a blood-colored secret spell diagram appeared on its forehead.

“A technique to bind the soul. Just as I thought.” Su Yi’s eyes glinted with cold light. “These dirty beasts’ arrival was no mere coincidence!”

Everyone was startled. If this wasn’t a coincidence, that meant someone was targeting them from the shadows!

“All of you, wait here,” said Su Yi. With that, he disappeared into thin air.

The middle-aged man in yellow and his companions glanced at each other, their expressions shifting and uncertain.

“If someone was really directing all this from the shadows, they were simply too despicable!” someone gnashed their teeth.

“Argh, we really misjudged the situation. How were we protecting our fellow Daoist? He was obviously protecting us this entire time.” The thin man in black sighed deeply. “The most ridiculous part is, we had no idea. We thought he was making trouble... How embarrassing!”

The others felt awkward too, and all of them looked ill at ease.

“Embarrassing? Maybe, but if anything, we should celebrate being embarrassed!” the middle-aged man in yellow said after a moment’s silence. “If not for our fellow Daoist, I’m afraid all of us would have fallen flat on our faces today!”

The crowd nodded. The thought of Su Yi’s terrifying display of strength filled all of their hearts with undisguisable astonishment. They couldn’t even imagine how a Dao Integration cultivator could possess such strength.

......

Meanwhile, deep within the Beast Blood Swamp.

At the base of a tall, leafless tree, a gaunt man in blood-red Daoist robes sat cross-legged.

A black mirror shining with unearthly luster floated in front of him.

“Junior Apprentice Brother, you can go back. I’ll follow once I’ve accumulated enough merit in the Beast Blood Swamp,” the man said softly.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“Senior Apprentice Brother, I want my share too,” said a similarly thin old man in green with a laugh. He was standing on a nearby boulder.

The man in blood-red robes said, “Rest assured. I guarantee you a chance to step onto the Road of Welcoming. Quick, return.”

The old man in green nodded, then turned to leave.

But before long, there was a loud noise, as if something had shattered.

The old man in green turned his head and gazed into the distance. The black mirror hovering before his companion had broken into countless fragments.

His expression shifted dramatically.

That was a Soul-Controlling Mirror, a first-rate wondrous treasure. It could silently invade the souls of beasts to bring them under the user’s control.

Yet now, it had broken!

“Dammit! Someone destroyed the power of the spell I left in that Qiongqi!” The man in blood-colored robes shot to his feet, his face ashen, and said to his companion, “Junior Apprentice Brother, hurry back. I’d like to see just which scoundrel destroyed my treasure!”

“Got it!” The old man in green turned to leave.

After a moment’s silence, the man in blood-colored robes took out a glittering silver longsword, turned, and shot into the distance.

But before he’d gotten far, he abruptly stopped in his tracks and gazed into the distance. A young man in blue was headed right toward him.

His brow furrowed as he realized that something wasn’t quite right, and he turned to leave.

“Stop right there.” A calm voice rang out.

But the man in blood-colored robes only fled all the quicker, blurring into a beam of light and ripping through the sky as he shot further into the swamp.

He’d originally planned to get even and see just who’d ruined his plans.

But now that his target had come looking for him instead, he realized that he’d almost certainly run into a powerful foe!

“Hm?” Suddenly, his expression shifted abruptly. That young man in blue had appeared in his path to intercept him!

“Sir, what are you trying to do?” The man in blood-colored robes frowned and feigned confusion.

Su Yi laughed, then strode right up to him. “I’ll give you an opportunity. Come quietly, and I’ll spare your life.”

“Impudent!” The man in blood-colored robes took a step back and shouted, “According to the rules, anyone who dares kill another, regardless of their camp of origin, will make enemies out of everyone in the First Battleground! Don’t tell me you plan to break the rules!?”

Su Yi said calmly, “They made those rules without asking my opinion. I can follow them if I want, but if I choose to break them, who can punish me?”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, he swung his palm.

Bang!!!!

The man in blood-colored robes was sent flying back. Numerous gashes appeared all over his body, and he bled from numerous wounds.

“If you kill me, you’ll break the rules. No matter your reasons, you’ll die beyond a doubt!” the man roared. As he spoke, he turned to flee, not daring to linger.

But before he’d gotten far, a streak of sword qi exploded into being, slaying him on the spot!

“We’ll just have to see whether or not this ‘rule’ can block my sword,” Su Yi muttered to himself.

He turned and left without so much as bothering to look at the man in blood-colored robes.