Chapter 936: Escaping Confinement

Sword qi intercrossed throughout heaven and earth. Wind and lightning cut through the air.

One terrifying, frenzied demon after another split like paper mache as the indomitable sword light ripped them apart.

Su Yi’s tall, upright figure shuttled between heaven and earth. His entire body was bathed in the light of the Grand Dao, as if he’d been forged from divine gold. Abstruse Celestial clanged and hummed in his grip, and sword shadows filled the air.

He struck like lightning, fierce and tyrannical.

Even demons comparable to Profound Illumination Emperors couldn’t block his path!

Old Yao White Eyebrows watched from a distance, feeling a bit dazed.

He was ancient. To an old fossil like him, a battle of this level wasn’t overly shocking or moving.

What really surprised him was the heaven-defying strength Su Yi displayed as a mere Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivator!

They say that those beneath the Imperial Realm are all ants, yet His Excellency Su has crossed the eternally insurmountable chasm of the Imperial Realm with his Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivation base. He’s strong enough to cut down Emperors!

It seems that after reincarnating, he’s begun down a path that transcends that of his past life. When the time comes for him to prove his Dao and become an Emperor, his strength is sure to far surpass his former glory…

Old Yao White Eyebrows’ heart shook.

He’d accompanied Su Yi to the forbidden zone surrounding the tombstone, and he already knew that Su Yi had mastered the secrets of reincarnation.

He’d been there to witness Su Yi’s confrontation with the mysterious and terrifying Netherworld King before the Great Chaos Ruins.

Thus, he knew better than just about anyone that the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force had reincarnated and that his cultivation really was only in the Spiritual Revolution Realm.

But Old Yao White Eyebrows was only just now realizing how unbelievably strong Su Yi was for someone of his cultivation!

Heaven and earth shook.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Su Yi swung his sword, and the battle raged like wildfire. He was free and unrestrained.

He hadn’t enjoyed such a satisfying battle since he’d left Ziluo City.

Perhaps because his will to fight had lain dormant far too long, as he fought, every inch of him seemed to rejoice, and his qi practically boiled over.

Sword cultivators lived to fight, and they proved their Dao through slaughter.

Deep within his bones, Su Yi loved a good fight.

It was just that over the years, he seldom encountered worthy foes.

Abstruse Celestial seemed to sense his emotions. It clanged and hummed, connecting the nine heavens and the ten earths. Su Yi’s momentum grew even sharper and fiercer.

Two hours passed, then four, then six…

Time slipped by, but Su Yi showed no sign of exhaustion. On the contrary, as he fought on, his momentum only intensified.

But then, Su Yi suddenly froze.

He looked around and discovered that, throughout the boundless landscape, there wasn’t a single demon to be found.

Did I kill them all?

His blazing will to fight faded, and Su Yi gradually regained his mental clarity.

Exhaustion washed over him.

Only now did he realize that his cultivation base was on the verge of running dry.

Nonetheless, he laughed.

Clang!

Abstruse Celestial disappeared into his body.

Su Yi took out a gourd of wine, threw back his head, and drank.

And throughout his body, his qi underwent a subtle shift.

Much like a withered tree in spring, just as it hit its low ebb, it flourished. His nearly exhausted cultivation base was reborn and revitalized, and it surged through his entire body like an avalanche or tidal wave.

Boom!

His qi rumbled and boomed like thunder.

Su Yi’s mid-stage Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivation base soared, like a boat rising with the tide, and he smoothly broke into the late-stage Spiritual Revolution Realm.

Within his body, his Grand Dao Spirit Wheel glittered like divine gold. It was as perfectly round as the sun, and the Apex of Genesis Dao Intent flowed within it, manifesting all manner of wondrous and unbelievable phenomena.

The power of his physique, his blood and qi, underwent metamorphosis, as did his soul and sea of consciousness.

Old Yao White Eyebrows watched from a distance as Su Yi stood in the air, raising his gourd and drinking with relish. His entire body shone with fine, dreamlike lights, as if he were an immortal from on high, transcending the human world.

Just watching left Old Yao White Eyebrows stunned. He couldn’t look away.

Just like that… he broke through!?

His heart shook, and he couldn’t help but gasp.

Just a few hours, and Su Yi had swept across the battlefield, slashing through the enemies surrounding him on sides as if he were invincible. It was like a miracle!

A moment later, the old yao smiled, hurried over, clasped his fist, and said toadyishly, “Congratulations on your breakthrough, Your Excellency Su! The day you prove your Dao and become an Emperor is imminent!”

Now that he was in the late-stage Spiritual Revolution Realm, he was just one step away from the Imperial Realm!

Su Yi was in excellent spirits. He smiled and put away his wine gourd. Then, uncharacteristically, he teased, “Why are you flattering me like that? Could you perhaps be after a reward?”

Old Yao White Eyebrows said hurriedly, “I say this with heaven and earth as my witness and the sun and moon as my mirror: my words came straight from the heart. I wouldn’t dare harbor ulterior motives.”

“When other people attempt flattery, they prioritize subtlety and try not to leave any evidence, but look at you! You’re completely forthcoming about it. Aren’t you afraid that others will accuse you of shamelessness?” Su Yi laughed.

Old Yao White Eyebrows could tell that Su Yi was in high spirits, so he grinned. “Your Excellency Su, I mean every word I say. There’s no one else in this world I view with such heartfelt respect and admiration.

“....”

Come on, enough already!

The more the old-timer spoke, the more cringeworthy it got.

After a moment’s silence, Su Yi said softly, “You witnessed just about everything that happened today.”

Before he could finish, Old Yao White Eyebrows understood what he was getting at. “Your Excellency Su, please rest assured. This old man’s lips are sealed, and I absolutely won’t divulge so much as a single word! Should I break this promise, may heavenly thunder strike me, and may I die a horrible death!”

He spoke with staunch conviction.

What did it mean to watch every subtle change in a person’s mood? What did it mean to be considerate?

This was it.

Su Yi took out a jade slip, thought for a moment, then started carving.

Then, he tossed it to Old Yao White Eyebrows. “This is a method for refining evil and calamitous power. With your cultivation, you’ll be able to refine all the malevolent energies in your body within a century. Consider this your reward.”

“Many thanks, Your Excellency! This old man won’t let you down!” Old Yao White Eyebrows was so excited that he could barely speak. He accepted the jade slip with both hands, his fingers quivering.

The terrifying entities trapped in the City of the Wrongfully Dead were unable to escape due to the restrictions placed upon them by the city’s source.

When someone cultivated in the City of the Wrongfully Dead, even someone as powerful as the sovereigns of the city’s forbidden realms, there was no avoiding contamination. Over the years, turbid, malevolent energies would accumulate within their cultivation base.

The more they cultivated, the more fleeting their hope of escaping the City of the Wrongfully Dead.

But now, with this jade slip in hand, Old Yao White Eyebrows had unquestionably gained an opportunity to escape the City of the Wrongfully Dead once and for all!

Of course he was excited! How could he not be?

“Don’t share this secret method with anyone else,” said Su Yi.

He spoke no further warnings, but how could Old Yao White Eyebrows fail to realize the consequences of disobeying?

He immediately faced Su Yi and bowed solemnly. “I swear on my life that I won’t share it with anyone!”

Su Yi nodded. “Let’s go and meet back up with the others.”

……

Outside the Dark Capital, the peak of Yin-Yang Divine Mountain.

“We’re finally free!”

“I really thought I’d die in there…”

“Many thanks, seniors, for saving our lives!”

Su Yi had already led the experts formerly trapped in the purgatories of the Dark Capital out.

They now stood atop Yin-Yang Divine Mountain. All of them were overcome with delight and excitement; they’d effectively received a new life.

Even the Emperors were emotional.

But Su Yi had already left, taking Ye Yu, You Xue, and the Radiant Void Beast with him.

He still had business to attend to.

For instance, he needed to return the White Bone Emperor and the others to their homes.

……

The Great Chaos Ruins.

The Nine Serenities Netherworld Crow perched near the entrance to the ruins and said respectfully, “Your Excellency, Su Xuanjun has already left.”

“Where do you think he’ll go next?” said an indolent voice with a unique, magnetic quality. It resounded from deep within the mists enshrouding the ruins.

This voice belonged to the Netherworld King!

The Nine Serenities Netherworld Crow paused to wrack its brains before saying, “The Sea of Bitterness?”

“Oh?”

“Your Excellency, there’s something you don’t know. Ten or so years ago, something changed in the far reaches of the Sea of Bitterness. Rumor has it that Cui Longxiang of the Bureau of Adjudication encountered that mysterious black Netherworld Vessel and mysteriously disappeared,” the crow explained at top speeds. “And as Cui Longxiang’s old friend, there’s no way Su Xuanjun will just stand back and let him die without trying to save him. That’s why I reached that conclusion.”

The Netherworld King asked with great interest, “What happened in the Sea of Bitterness?”

“The Sea of Bitterness is vast beyond limit, so too many changes to count have occurred over recent years,” said the Nine Serenities Netherworld Crow. “But the most famous of them was the reappearance of the ancient ruins of the place called ‘the Battleground of Immortals and Demons.’

“Recently, numerous peak factions of the Netherworld’s six territories and thirteen realms have sent their forces to investigate the far reaches of the Sea of Bitterness.”

The Netherworld King suddenly interjected, “Is the ‘Battleground of Immortals and Gods’ the ‘Burial Ground of the Dao’ of ancient times?”

“It is indeed!” the crow said hurriedly.

The Netherworld King muttered, seemingly to herself, “Even those ancient ruins have reappeared… it seems the changes to Sea of Bitterness are more than just significant…”

Then, she asked, “Did you discover the origins of that black Netherworld Vessel?”

“I’m still not sure,” said the Nine Serenities Netherworld Crow. “Rumor has it that something changed in the far reaches of the Sea of Bitterness, resulting in the vessel’s appearance.”

“Is that so? That’s truly interesting,” said the Netherworld King. “Based on what you told me earlier, when Su Xuanjun explored the Netherworld tens of thousands of years ago, he disappeared into the far reaches of the Sea of Bitterness for a full nineteen years. Is that right?”

“That’s right,” said the Nine Serenities Netherworld Crow. “At the time, many old-timers assumed Su Xuanjun had perished. Who’d have thought that he’d return alive just nineteen years later? That incident threw the entire Netherworld into uproar.”

“Do you think Su Xuanjun discovered the secrets of reincarnation in the Sea of Bitterness?” the Netherworld King asked suddenly.

The Nine Serenities Netherworld Crow stiffened, dumbstruck.

A little while later, it hesitated. “That’s difficult to say. I don’t have enough information to judge.”

“That’s true. Were it so easy to discover the secrets of reincarnation, Su Xuanjun wouldn’t be the only one to have discovered them after all these years….”

Before her voice had even finished echoing through the air, the black mists about the Great Chaos Ruins surged, and blood-colored lightning surged overhead.

Then, a tall, slender figure emerged from the ruins shrouded in black mists and blood-colored electricity, like a demonic sovereign re-entering the world after countless years of lying dormant amidst the darkness.

When the Nine Serenities Netherworld Crow saw this, it was as if it had been struck by lightning. It couldn’t help but blurt, “Your Excellency, you… You escaped?”