The damp, dark dungeons.

When Xiao Tianque saw Zijin hurry towards him, his eyes widened in disbelief. “Lass, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to get you out, Grandpa!” said Zijin excitedly.

When she saw how bony and haggard he looked, her heart ached. She hurried to his side to help him up.

“You’ve come to get me out of here?” Xiao Tianque was stunned. “Is Xiao Zhongying really so kindhearted?”

Zijin took a deep breath, then laughed, “Grandpa, Xiao Zhongying is already dead.”

“What!?” Xiao Tianque’s eyes widened. “What exactly happened?”

“Grandpa, let’s get out of here first, then talk.” With that, she supported him, and the two of them walked out of the Xiao Family dungeons together. 

….

Shortly after, Xiao Hengqiu and his allies were all freed from their confinement, and they saw the light of day once more.

When they arrived at Windchant Tower, they saw the family higher-ups who’d supported Xiao Zhongying’s takeover kneeling on the ground. 

A young man in blue sat by a table, drinking tea and gazing at the windswept ripples and reflected light of the lake’s surface. He seemed perfectly at ease.

Pei Yundu stood beside him, serving tea with a smile.

When he saw this, Xiao Hengqiu was stunned despite himself. “Zijin, who is this?”

He wasn’t the only one; the other newly-freed Xiao clansmen were flabbergasted. This scene was simply too strange.

Before Zijin could speak, Xiao Tianque realized what had happened. He excitedly approached, clasped his fist, and bowed in greeting. “Greetings, Master Su!”

He now completely understood: Xiao Zhongying’s death and the kneeling family higher-ups were both Su Yi’s work!

“Elder Xiao.” Su Yi looked away from the lake, then rose and said with a hint of a sigh, “I wouldn’t have guessed that you’d go so far as to stand against the Su Family on my account.”

Xiao Tianque suddenly looked a bit ashamed. He smiled bitterly. “But in the end… I couldn’t help you at all, Master Su.”

“Master Su?” Xiao Hengqiu finally realized who this was. He couldn’t help but blurt, “Zijin, is this the man who saved your grandfather’s life and revised our legacy technique, the Golden Billows Incantation? Is he that Master Su?”

Zijin smiled and nodded. “Indeed he is.”

When she said this, the rest of the newly-freed Xiao clansmen finally reacted. All of them were visibly shaken.

So, this young man in blue was Su Yi!

In just one day, Su Yi had entered the White Province, effortlessly overturned the Lanling Xiao Family’s inner conflict, freed Xiao Tianque from captivity, and restored authority over the family to its former leader.

….

Meanwhile, a massive military encampment stood three hundred miles from the White Provincial Capital.

The Cloud-Scraping Army!

These were the personal troops of the Cloud-Scraping King Shi Lanshan his elite forces. They were stationed in the White Province year-round, and they protected the territory adjacent to the capital.

“Reporting!” A scout suddenly charged into camp, straight toward the magnificent stone palace at its center. “Your Excellency, there’s news from the White Provincial Capital! An hour ago, Su Yi was spotted entering the Lanling Xiao Family’s estate!”

Incense smoke drifted throughout the palace’s interior, and a red carpet covered the floor.

The Cloud-Scraping King, Shi Lanshan, was currently chatting with a young man in wind and flame-patterned Daoist robes.

When he heard that, Shi Lanshan’s eyes lit up with visible delight. “Su Yi is here? That’s wonderful news! Pass on my orders: keep a close eye on his whereabouts!”

“Yes, sir!” The scout hurried off to carry out his orders.

Shi Lanshan glanced at the youth in wind and flame-patterned Daoist robes. He laughed, “Young Lord You, it’s just as we expected; Su Yi has already reached the White Provincial Capital.”

The young man he called “Young Lord You” smiled. “Although we still cannot confirm whether or not Su Yi killed the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect’s Lu Dongliu, there’s no question that he possesses abilities sufficient to slay Xiantian Martial Ancestors. You must not get complacent, Cloud-Scraping King.”

He was handsome, even beautiful, with slanted eyes and a faint smile on his lips. His demeanor was indolent and casual.

Although he was addressing a lazy, carefree youth, Shi Lanshan’s expression carried faint hints of respect. He clasped his fist and said, “We’ll have to rely on you if we’re to take Su Yi down, Young Lord You.”

Young Lord You smiled and shook his head. “I’m just an errand boy; killing Su Yi is a job for my martial uncle.”

He paused, then laughed at himself. “Still, I have to say that the Ten Directions Pavilion’s report is terrifying. Were I to take action, I’m not sure I could take Su Yi down, not even if I went all out.”

Shi Lanshan said hurriedly, “Young Lord You, you’re too modest. Perhaps few in the Great Zhou have heard your illustrious name, but within the Great Qin, who doesn’t know of you? You’re the most illustrious legacy disciple of the Profound Moon Temple’s younger generation!”

His expression filled with awe, and he sighed with admiration. “Futhermore, you’re ranked among the Great Qin’s Eight Great Talents; everyone sees you as a natural-born cultivator!

“To the best of my knowledge, you had the chance to break through and become an Earthly Immortal three years ago, but you held back in pursuit of an even mightier Origin Dao.

“Compared to you, Su Yi… Hah, he’s nothing but a traitorous bastard.”

When he heard this, a hint of smug pride flashed across Young Lord You’s face. However, out loud, he merely sighed. “Don’t flatter me. Su Yi… really isn’t as pathetic as you make him sound.”

Shi Lanshan said seriously, “I admit that he’s extremely capable, but he’s about to die. How could I possibly compare him with you?”

Young Lord You laughed, then said calmly, “Enough, don’t try and butter me up. I, You Xinglin, know my own limits better than anyone.”

He paused, then said leisurely, “As for Su Yi… If he weren’t strong, my aunt wouldn’t have resorted to requesting that my martial uncle and I come all the way to the Great Zhou just to deal with him.”

Reading between the lines, he was saying “If Su Yi wasn’t strong, he wouldn’t be worthy of us taking action personally!”

Shi Lanshan smiled to himself. He knew full well that Young Lord You’s aunt was the Jade Capital’s Su Family’s fourth lady of the house, Su Hongli’s most favored wife, You Qingzhi.

Furthermore, it was her idea to have them stop Su Yi in the White Province!

“King Shi, since Su Yi has made an appearance, I’ll go meet with my martial uncle. As for when we take action, well, I’ll leave that to you.” With that, You Xinglin rose.

Shi Lanshan hurriedly got up and saw him off.

A corner of the military encampment, a simple but elegant hall.

You Xinglin smoothed out his robes, then lowered his head in greeting. “Martial Uncle, Disciple You Xinglin requests an audience.”

A mellow voice emanated from within, “How many times have I told you? When we’re out of the sect, you needn’t be so distant. Quick, come on in!”

“Yes.” Only then did You Xinglin walk inside.

A middle-aged man in navy blue Daoist robes sat cross-legged inside. He had a willowy beard, and his hair was tied up in a topknot. 

He had a sword, steel with a pinewood-like grain, laid out in front of him. It was only two feet long and two fingers wide, with threads of inky cloud markings and glyphs on the bright, clean blade and a quaint charm.

When You Xinglin entered, the middle-aged Daoist was using a high-quality hunk of Bloodmarrow Spiritjade to polish his sword.

This was called “feeding the sword”, and it was a unique method of nourishing one’s blade.

“Martial Uncle, your sword, Return to Origin, is growing more and more spiritual. It’s increasingly shocking.” You Xinglin complimented it with a smile.

“When you nourish your sword, you must use external items to improve its materials, as well your qi and essence to nourish its spirit. Only then can you guide your sword with your heart, as nimbly as you manipulate your own fingers.” The middle-aged Daoist smiled faintly, waved his palm. The pine-marked sword transformed into a beam of spiritual light and entered the sheath strapped to his back. 

“Tell me, why have you come?” asked the middle-aged Daoist.

You Xinglin clasped his fist. “Just now, Cloud-Scraping King Shi Lanshan received word that Su Yi has appeared in the White Provincial Capital.”

The middle-aged Daoist nodded and stroked his beard. “I really would rather like to meet the boy.”

You Xinglin laughed. “Su Yi is fortunate to have attracted your attention. With this, he’ll descend to the Nine Springs with a smile on his face.”

The middle-aged man shook his head. “I’m in no hurry to kill him. There’s a few things I’m rather curious to learn about him first.”

“Martial Uncle, have you discovered something?” You Xinglin asked thoughtfully.

The middle-aged Daoist pondered for a while, then said, “Based on the reports from the Ten Directions Pavilion, unless I’m mistaken, the boy is just a pitiful worm possessed by an otherworld cultivator. I’m afraid his soul has long since been devoured. But then, I won’t know if it’s really as I suspect until I meet him and examine him with the Soul Reflecting Mirror. 

He paused, and his gaze grew heated. “If he really has been possessed, and if we can capture him, we might well wrest an otherworld cultivator’s soul from his empty shell. With the methods at the Profound Moon Temple’s disposal, we might even squeeze an incomparably subtle and miraculous inheritance out of him too.”

This prospect was extremely tempting to You Xinglin too. “In that case, we really won’t have come all the way to the Great Zhou for nothing.”

The middle-aged Daoist said, “Actually, I didn’t just come here to kill Su Yi. I have another equally important matter to attend to as well.”

You Xinglin was stunned. “What is it?”

“Not long ago, a group of the Shanglin Temple’s Buddhist cultivators entered the Great Zhou’s Treasure Temple Yao Mountain. I suspect they went in search of a grand stroke of fortune.” The middle-aged Daoist’s gaze was heavy. “As you know, over the past few years, Shanglin Temple has learned numerous secrets related to other worlds. I’m afraid that whatever they came to the Great Zhou is connected to another world as well.”

You Xinglin’s heart shook, and he suddenly recalled something. “The Ten Directions Pavilion’s report said that Su Yi entered Treasure Temple Yao Mountain just two days ago, but it seems… that he didn’t encounter Shanglin Temple’s Buddhist cultivators.”

“That’s what confuses me,” said the middle-aged Daoist. “When we meet Su Yi, I’ll ask him about it.”

He then fixed his gaze on You Xinglin and smiled. “When we capture Su Yi, let’s temporarily leave him alive to act as your whetstone. Engaging in combat with an opponent of his level should be enough to stimulate your latent potential and temper your xiantian qi to the upper first-rank in one fell swoop. That way, you can establish first-rate foundations in the Grain Avoidance Realm immediately upon breaking into the Origin Dao.”

You Xinglin’s face immediately revealed a hint of excitement, and he solemnly clasped his fist. “Martial Uncle, I’ll remember your benevolence and guidance for the rest of my life!”

However, the middle-aged Daoist only shook his head. “How many times have I told you? There’s no need for such politeness between us.”

As they conversed, Cloud-Scraping King Shi Lanshan suddenly hurried over for an audience.