Chapter 1718 - Sincerity

Su Yi disappeared into thin air.

Wu Ting turned and fled, but in a flash, countless streaks of sword qi exploded into being on all sides, sealing off all possible escape routes.

Su Yi was already swinging his sword. Wu Ting gnashed his teeth and fought back with all his might.

Moments later, his head flew through the air with a blast of sword qi. Blood splattered the sky.

Su Yi’s lapels were stained with blood, and he’d taken numerous injuries, but none were serious.

Wu Ting was at least as strong as that old man with a Dao Domain from the Church of Divine Flame. Both were top experts among mid-stage Miracle Realm Immortal Kings, thought Su Yi.

The difference between an Immortal King with a Dao Domain and an Immortal King without one was enormous. The two were as far apart as heaven and earth.

Prior to his breakthrough, Su Yi would have struggled to defeat someone like Wu Ting without drawing upon the Sword of the Nine Hells. Such a duel likely would have ended in a draw, with both parties injured. It would have been tough to emerge victorious.

But things were different now. After giving it everything he had, he took Wu Ting down in a single strike!

And he did it with his own strength!

The only price he paid for his victory was a few shallow wounds.

He was already much stronger than when he defeated Gu Zhaolin of the Church of Divine Flame!

Of those pursuing me, Tai Zheng of Jade Firmament Immortal Palace is the Strongest. He’s the only late-stage Immortal King among them, Su Yi pondered as he treated his wounds.

During the earlier pursuit, Tai Zheng repeatedly intercepted Su Yi’s path. Every time, Su Yi was injured breaking out of his encirclement.

He was the greatest threat to Su Yi.

But strictly in terms of their control over Dao Domains, Yu Wenqi of the Endless Swords Immortal Sect is the strongest. His Dao Domain is first-rate. It’s far beyond Gu Zhaolin and Wu Ting’s Dao Domains.

Yu Wenqi was a high elder of the Endless Swords Immortal Sect, and his Dao Domain was truly extraordinary. On the way here, he too had presented an enormous threat to Su Yi, second only to Tai Zheng.

Once I’ve dealt with Yu Wenqi, I’ll be sure to ask him why the Endless Swords Immortal Sect has chosen to oppose me! Su Yi’s brow furrowed at the thought of it.

The Endless Swords Immortal Sect was among the greatest factions in the Immortal Realm. Prior to the Age of Fallen Immortals, they’d been one of the Four Great Sword Sects.

Their founder, Xu Fushi, was one of Wang Ye’s closest friends, an expert at the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao.

Back then, Wang Ye personally forged a sword stele and gave it to the Endless Swords Immortal Sect! The stele’s location became a sacred ground to everyone in the sect and a holy land in the hearts of the world’s sword cultivators.

Su Yi hadn’t interacted with the Endless Swords Immortal Sect at all since arriving in the Immortal Realm. There was no grudge between them, and they were his friend’s sect. He couldn’t understand why they’d sent three of their Immortal Kings to join the chase!

This question was like a mental knot. Su Yi wouldn’t rest until he’d resolved it.

Clang!

Su Yi raised his hand, and the Sword of the Human Realm blurred into a streak of Dao Light and shot back into his sleeves.

He took out his jug of wine, put his hands behind his back, and sauntered off.

The time was ripe to pull in the net. He’d send his enemies to the next realm in the throes of terror and despair!

Not long after he left, a skeletal bird led a swarm of black ants, which scoured the battlefield for trophies.

……

Two hours later.

Four Immortal Kings flew at a low altitude through a landscape shrouded in dark fog.

They were from the Profound Blue Daoist Sect. Prior to the Age of Fallen Immortals, it was among the six greatest Daoist sects in the Immortal Realm.

Its founder was a Great Realm expert comparable to Jiang Tai’e of the Church of Supreme Oneness!

One of the eight Immortal Kings Su Yi killed after the Divine Hunt was from the Profound Blue Daoist Sect.

“Senior Apprentice Brother, I’ve been ill at ease ever since we entered the Abyss of Dark Fog. I feel like we’ve fallen into a trap.”

“It’s true. Shortly after we arrived, that mysterious sword-bearing ape used some powerful ability to seal off the entrance. He said that killing Shen Mu was our only chance of leaving alive. This… This is just too out of the ordinary!

“Furthermore, when we chased Shen Mu earlier, no matter where he went, we could sense his presence with ease.

“But now that we’ve entered the Abyss of Dark Fog, it’s like he’s disappeared into thin air. There’s no sign of him at all. It’s way too suspicious. I suspect that Shen Mu lured us here deliberately!”

…The four Immortal Kings of the Profound Blue Daoist Sect conversed through silent transmissions, their brows knit with worry.

Something strange was going on, and there had to be a reason for it.

The pursuit had lasted so long that the Immortal Kings all sensed that something was awry, and they couldn’t help but feel ill at ease.

“No need for concern,” said their leader, an imposing man with purple robes and a prominent mustache. “Let’s meet up with our allies from the Qianyuan Sword House and work together. That should be enough to handle the danger lurking around every corner of the Abyss of Dark Fog.”

His name was Zhou Feng, and he was one of the most senior Immortal Kings of the Profound Blue Daoist Sect.

The other three Immortal Kings’ spirits soared.

The Qianyuan Sword House!

They weren’t a top faction by the standards of the Immortal Realm, but they were the greatest faction in the Divine Frost Province, and their foundations were indeed massive, with numerous Immortal Kings overseeing things.

Furthermore, they had a deep, close relationship with the Profound Blue Daoist Sect.

Joining forces with their longtime allies would significantly increase their confidence!

As they conversed, the sound of a gong rang out from afar, reverberating throughout the dark fog.

Hm? Zhou Feng and the others were stunned.

As the sound of gong rang out, a clamor of noise arose. It was lively, with an air of celebration, but in a strange, perilous place like the Abyss of Dark Fog, that just made it seem all the more out of place. It was even rather unsettling!

“That’s…” someone exclaimed.

The others followed his gaze and saw a low, barren hill deep within the fog. Its slopes were entirely bare, save for the group of strangely shaped creatures standing atop it.

There was an ancient, dwarf-like corpse shaking his head and blowing a magic conch.

There was a serpent with the upper body of a human male beating a gong. His entire body was shrouded in baleful qi.

There was a several-dozen-foot-tall demonic spirit pounding an enormous drum, and a blood-soaked woman seated on the ground playing a zither, and countless other strange entities.

Each was more terrifying than the one before, yet they were like a band of musicians playing a celebratory tune.

It was a strange, unsettling, contradictory scene.

Despite the Immortal Kings’ vast breadth of experience, their hair stood on end, and their pupils constricted.

“What the hell are those!?” someone shouted.

Someone laughed in response, “They’ve come to welcome you.”

A figure seated cross-legged on the hilltop suddenly rose to his feet. He was tall and upright, in robes whiter than snow.

‘Shen Mu!!”

Zhou Feng and company were instantly stunned. They would never have guessed that the prey they were searching for would be hanging out with a pack of inhuman monstrosities!

As Su Yi rose, the strange creatures stopped playing their instruments, and the celebratory music died down.

The strange creatures all looked at Zhou Feng and his companions, their gazes cruel, playful, excited, and bloodthirsty.

As if they were eyeing prey that had delivered itself to their door.

The Immortal Kings’ hearts clenched, and their gazes were instantly solemn. All of them readied themselves for battle.

It was just too strange!

Shockingly, it seemed that these strange creatures were obeying Shen Mu’s orders!

“Rest assured. So long as you don’t run, they won’t attack you,” said Su Yi as he walked down the hillside and drifted toward Zhou Feng and his companions. “They’re just here to welcome you, and, ah… enjoy a feast while they’re at it.”

“A feast? What the hell are you talking about?” Zhou Feng said gravely, his eyes flashing.

They were Immortal Kings. As unusual as this situation was, it wasn’t enough to scare them.

Su Yi laughed. “If you die at my hands, you’ll become their next meal. From their perspective, that’s a feast fit for an Immortal King, now isn’t it?”

The strange life forms nodded and broke into malicious, sinister grins. Some of them even started drooling.

The Immortal Kings’ expressions darkened. How could they fail to realize that Su Yi was trying to provoke and humiliate them?

“With those strange lifeforms to back him up, the kid has nothing to fear. When I give the orders, retreat!” Zhou Feng transmitted at top speed. “We can take him down after we’ve met up with our fellows from the Qianyuan Sword House!”

“Got it!” The other Immortal Kings all agreed. They’d long experienced the ups and downs of worldly affairs, and they’d overcome numerous life-or-death trials. They could tell how strange this situation was, and they had no intention of risking themselves unnecessarily.

More importantly, those strange life forms’ auras were mighty enough to put pressure on even them!

But Su Yi just laughed. “I can tell these sinister creatures have scared you. I’ll just have them step back for now.”

He then swept his gaze across the strange life forms. “Move back thirty thousand feet. You are not to approach without my orders.”

“Got it!” The strange life forms nodded their assent, turned, and moved exactly thirty thousand feet away, no more, no less.

Their unwavering obedience left Zhou Feng and the other Immortal Kings stunned.

Su Yi then turned to them and said, “This is my sincerity. If you run now, you’ll really let me down.”

The Immortal Kings’ brows furrowed. Don’t tell me… Shen Mu really plans to fight us? No matter how I look at it, that just doesn’t seem realistic!

That’s just how things were sometimes. The more fearless you were, the more unsettled your opponents felt, and the less willing they were to act recklessly.

“If you’re really so fearless, why not come with us and duel somewhere else?” Zhou Feng said expressionlessly.

This was a test.

Su Yi rubbed his forehead. “This is what they call ‘taking an inch and demanding a mile,’ but I have no one to blame but myself for being too compassionate. I gave you too many choices. Now, I’ve changed my mind.”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, he leaped into the fray.

“Run!” Zhou Feng bellowed, then led his three companions away.

They in no way believed any of Su Yi’s nonsense. How could someone with such an army of terrifying creatures possibly be stupid enough to fight them alone?

Was this just a game to him?