Unknown Dragon Mountain.

A forbidden ground, the mountain towering behind the imperial palace. The mountain was covered in numerous old-fashioned pavilions and palaces.

This was where the Unknown Dragons of the Great Zhou’s imperial family cultivated.

“They all died…” Zhou Zhong stood there, dumbstruck, his mind blank.

The Unknown Dragons had seven elders. Zhou Zhong was ranked seventh. When Zhou Changyi led the others to dispose of Su Yi, he alone remained behind to watch over the mountain.

Zhou Zhong could never have anticipated the grievous news that soon returned!

A long time passed before Zhou Zhong recovered from his grief enough to speak. His eyes filled with determination, and he said softly, “Where is the first prince?”

A young man with the transcendent bearing of a dragon or phoenix silently walked into the hall and bowed in greeting. “This junior has been here this whole time.”

Zhou Zhong asked, “Did you hear the news?”

The first prince nodded. Zhou Zhong saw no trace of grief or panic on his composed face.

“The other elders and I agreed to wait until you broke into the Grain Avoidance Realm, then send you to the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect, one of the Great Xia’s Four Great Sects. Now, the situation here at Unknown Dragon Mountain has changed. We have no choice but to send you earlier than we’d originally planned.”

Zhou Zhong took a deep breath, then asked warmly, “Your Highness, what’s your view of the matter?”

The first prince, Zhou Zhiqian, clasped his fist. “Everything shall be as the elders decided.”

Zhou Zhong’s eyes shone with grief. “When you leave, take all of Unknown Dragon Mountain’s cultivation resources with you. When you arrive at the Great Xia’s Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect, find your great uncle, Zhou Fengzhi.

“He became a deacon at the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect eighty years ago, and not long ago, he sent a letter saying he’d taken on a position as an inner sect elder. He’s at the peak of the Gathering Stars Realm, just one step away from the Spirit Dao.”

Having said all this, Zhou Zhong looked directly at the prince and ordered, “However, you are not to discuss revenge with your grand uncle, nor are you to tell him about what happened to Unknown Dragon Mountain. Just focus on your cultivation.

“With your foundations and talent, you’ll surely shine even at the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect. Sooner or later, you’ll become an advanced cultivator of the Spirit Dao!”

When he heard this, Zhou Zhiqian’s brow furrowed, and he asked softly, “Elder, are you saying that after I reach the Spirit Dao, I’m to seek out Su Yi and get revenge?”

Bitterness appeared on Zhou Zhong’s face. “Your Highness, given the strength Su Yi displayed today, I’m afraid none below the Spirit Dao can touch him unless they have comparably heaven-defying foundations.”

Zhou Zhiqian’s brow furrowed even deeper. “But by the time I step into the Spirit Dao, how lofty will Su Yi’s cultivation have become?”

Zhou Zhong instantly fell silent.

The prince was right, but reality was just too cruel.

Just a few months ago, Su Yi was still a waste who’d lost his entire cultivation and the Wen Family’s live-in son-in-law. Now, he’d already become a Xiantian Martial Ancestor!

He’d undergone such a shocking metamorphosis in just a few short months!

By the time Zhou Zhiqian became a Spirit Dao cultivator, what heights would Su Yi’s cultivation have reached?

“Su Yi has publicly revealed his strength. They say that the tallest trees attract the most wind. Those who stand out are most likely to encounter misfortune. Who knows? Perhaps you won’t even need to get revenge, and we’ll soon hear news of his death.” Zhou Zhong could only say this to comfort himself.

“Besides, Your Highness, don’t forget: within a few years, the Radiant Epoch will be upon us. When the time comes, the long-lost powers of ancient orthodoxies will return, and mighty cultivators from more advanced worlds will come en masse.”

“This means that the more dazzling Su Yi is, the more likely it is that those mighty existences will target him. That’s the consequence of standing out.”

When Zhou Zhiqian heard this, he said calmly, “I won’t place my hopes of killing Su Yi on something so fleeting and insubstantial, but you’re right: when the Radiant Epoch arrives, the Azure Continent will undergo a dramatic transformation. So long as I seize the opportunity, I can obtain power sufficient to suppress Su Yi!”

Zhou Zhong was stunned, but soon, he smiled, clearly gratified.

Over the years, the Unknown Dragons had poured practically all their time and effort into training the eldest prince, Zhou Zhiqian.

Now, seeing the prince face change with calm equanimity, Zhou Zhong felt that their effort hadn’t been in vain.

Prince Zhou Zhiqian left that very day. Zhou Zhong made the arrangements personally.

….

The Imperial Palace, the Flying Serpent Hall.

“Congratulations, Sixth Highness. From this day forth, you are the heir apparent to the Great Zhou. Oh, that’s not right. I ought to call you ‘Crown Prince’ now,” a red-robed elder said modestly.

The sixth prince, Zhou Zhili, was dumbstruck. After a while, he pointed at himself and said, “You’re saying that… I’ve become the crown prince!?”

The red-robed elder was none other than one of the current emperor’s court eunuchs. When he heard this, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Crown Prince, even if I were far bolder, how could I dare joke about such a thing?”

Zhou Zhili felt dizzy. The good news had come so suddenly that it didn’t feel real.

After a while, something occurred to him, and he asked, “Did Imperial Father have any other orders?”

The elder said with a smile, “His Majesty said that, tomorrow at dawn, you were to lead a procession outside the city, to the Green Prayer Mountains, with the highest rites of the imperial clan.”

“What for?”

The elder patiently enlightened him. “Your Highness, tomorrow is the fifth. Your friend Su Yi plans to visit the Green Prayer Mountains to sweep his mother, Ye Yufei’s tomb.”

Zhou Zhili felt an explosion go off in his mind. The mists parted, and he instantly understood. He said excitedly, “Does that mean Su Yi won a complete victory against the Su Family?”

The elderly eunuch nodded. “But it wasn’t simply a 'complete victory'. Your Highness, please, read this. Then you’ll understand.”

With that, he took out a sealed letter and passed it over.

By the time Zhou Zhili finished reading, he was completely dumbstruck.

Some time passed before his head cleared and he understood why he’d been declared heir apparent of the Great Zhou. 

“I said a long time ago that Brother Su was my ticket to success. Still, I would never have guessed that, relying on his prestige alone, I’d take the seat of crown prince….”

Zhou Zhili clenched his hands and fought back his shock and excitement. He felt that sometimes, this world was too wondrous for words.

A chance encounter, a stroke of good karma, and he’d effectively leaped over the dragon’s gate. He’d barely even lifted a finger in the process! 

How wondrous!

……

The Imperatorial Province, Heaven’s Origin Academy.

Night had fallen by the time Ning Sihua received word of the grand battle at the estate of the Jade Capital’s Su Family.

Although the report contained few concrete details, when she saw the list of prominent figures Su Yi had killed, even Ning Sihua was struck dumb.

Her heart shook.

A long time passed before she let out a breath of turbid air, and a relaxed look appeared on her immature features. She muttered, “I just knew he wouldn’t lose….”

Before long, Ning Sihua found Cha Jin and sighed. “Miss Cha Jin, news from the Jade Capital has arrived. You’d best mentally prepare yourself.”

Cha Jin’s delicate frame quivered, and panic arose on her stunning features. She said in a quavering voice, “Palace Master Ning, don’t tell me…”

Today was the fourth day of the fifth lunar month.

Cha Jin was keenly aware that this was the day Su Yi had ventured to the Jade Capital to sever his grudge against the Su Family. It was for this exact reason that Cha Jin had been uneasy and distracted all day.

Thus, when she heard Ning Sihua sigh, she had an ill premonition, and she was immediately beside herself. Her face filled with fear and uncertainty, and her bright eyes turned bloodshot. 

Ning Sihua couldn’t help but jump; yes, she’d planned to tease Cha Jin, but she hadn’t expected her to react so intensely. 

She dared not hesitate any further, so she hurriedly told Cha Jin everything she’d learned.

When she heard the full story, Cha Jin was briefly stunned. A radiant smile gradually blossomed across her face, straight from the heart.

She beamed, but her eyes welled with two streams of tears.

She didn’t know why. Perhaps she was overly excited. The emotional ups and downs made it hard to keep herself in check.

These were tears of happiness.

When Ning Sihua saw this, she couldn’t help but lament. How could she possibly miss that Cha Jin had already developed deep feelings for Su Yi? Otherwise, how could she possibly lose control like this?

Meanwhile, in another part of Heaven’s Origin Academy.

Within a bamboo pavilion, Wen Lingxue whooped for joy and hugged her sister tight. She shouted, “He won! Brother-in-Law won! Ah ah ah, I’m so happy! Big Sister~~!”

The disciples of Heaven’s Origin Academy saw this delicate young woman as an immortal beauty, but now, she was beside herself with happiness, and she gave no thought to her image at all. Her pretty face was brimming with joy and excitement. 

Wen Lingzhao stood there in a daze. So it turns out…. He really was capable of doing this…

Wen Lingxue was delighted, and she smiled straight from the heart, but Wen Lingzhao dared not look at her directly.

So… it turns out I was the ridiculous one all along… Wen Lingzhao sighed to herself. When she thought back to the year following her marriage, she suddenly felt dazed and empty; she didn’t know quite how to describe it.

……

Meanwhile, beneath the same night sky.

The Jade Capital, Pinewind Villa.

Su Yi sat in meditation. 

To the people of this world, today’s duel was a grand occasion, the kind of shocking spectacle that came only once in a hundred years.

But to Su Yi, it amounted to nothing at all. 

After all, compared to the astonishing duels he’d experienced in his past life, what happened today was ordinary as could be. All he did was kill a handful of Origin Dao cultivators; it wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Upon returning to the Pinewind Villa, he took out all three of his remaining Nine Apertures Dragon Tiger Pills and swallowed them, using them to stabilize his cultivation.

As he refined their abundant medicinal power, his cultivation stabilized, and his foundations grew firmer and deeper. 

Blood Circulation, Qi Accumulation, Inner Furnace, and Anāsrava were the four realms of the Martial Dao. The Anāsrava Realm was the last of the four, and it was also known as the Xiantian Martial Ancestor Realm.

Upon reaching this level, one could cleanse their bodily impurities and undergo metamorphosis, casting aside the houtian qi of mortality in favor of xiantian qi!

The higher the quality of one’s xiantian qi, the purer and firmer one’s cultivation, and the more power one could unleash in battle.

And he was different from other martial artists.

He had fully-awakened acupoints, a Hidden Meridian, Dao Astral Force, and the spiritual light of the Five Aggregates. With these unheard-of foundations, after breaking into the Xiantian Martial Ancestor Realm, his xiantian qi smoothly soared to the “Dao rank”!

Even in the Nine Provinces of the Wilds, tens of thousands of years might pass without anyone attaining Dao-rank xiantian qi. It was practically a legend!

This was what gave Su Yi the strength and confidence to maneuver between so many foes and slay Earthly Immortals with ease.